#and i’m like it makes it really feel like the in-group and the out-group

[shy9-29]

❜ THE QUIET BETWEEN US ◟ 양정원

“sunshine x grumpy” - enhypen campus series

✘ Jungwon’s bright smile and sunny disposition make him the perfect foil to your grumpy attitude—until a sudden twist of fate forces you both to face feelings you didn’t know existed. ✉️ wc. 10.2k - pairing 양정원 x f reader (5/7)

🏷️ @kristynaaah @firstclassjaylee @chvconn3 @wonzzziezzzz @sheseung @blvengene @gvtdoll @a3r4-for3ver @sunghoon-cam @luvksnn @aaaaarmiiiiin @blckorchidd @gyulune @zerere @marimariiisblog @pinknjm @bloomiize @flwwon @ziiao @heelovver @hoomin10 @soona-huh @tricky-ritz @starniras @dearestdreamies @tkooooop @xuevkim @deluluscenarios @starboy-library @melodiessvy @steddie-steddie @i-am-not-dal @nct-sticker-127 @elimelbe @wonbinceps @tunafishyfishylike @kitty-won07 @sxie-txt

The campus café buzzed with low chatter, espresso machines hissing, and the occasional clink of cutlery. You stood stiffly by the counter, arms crossed, glaring at your brother like this was the last place on Earth you wanted to be. Which, to be fair, it was.

“This is dumb,” you mumbled. “I didn’t even ask to be introduced to anyone.”

Sunghoon, forever calm and unreadable, simply ignored your protests and nudged your shoulder. “She’s been asking to meet you.”

“Cool,” you deadpanned. “Tell her I said hi.”

But it was too late. A blur of pastel and energy bounded toward you, ponytail bouncing and cheeks flushed. She practically skidded to a stop in front of you, a smoothie in one hand and a cookie in the other.

“Hi! Oh my gosh, you must be Y/N!” she chirped, eyes wide with excitement.

You blinked, then gave Sunghoon the what the hell is this look.

He sighed, giving you a subtle nod. “Y/N, this is my girlfriend.”

She beamed. “Wow. He wasn’t kidding. You really are the same.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Same?”

“Yeah! All moody and mysterious. Like, no offense, but you two look like you walk through thunderstorms for fun,” she said, biting her cookie casually. “It’s kinda cute.”

You stared.

Sunghoon sighed. “I told you not to say that.”

“But it’s true!” she giggled, leaning against Sunghoon like he was her favorite pillow. “You even frown the same way. Look.”

She scrunched her brows, mocking your unimpressed expression. You couldn’t help it—you snorted. Just once. Barely.

She gasped. “Did I just make you laugh? Or was that a cough?”

You rolled your eyes. “Don’t get used to it.”

But she didn’t seem offended. If anything, her smile grew bigger. “You’re so grumpy. I love it. You’re like a cat someone tried to dress in a tutu.”

Sunghoon let out a breathy chuckle, and you turned to glare at him, betrayed.

“She’s been like this since she got here,” he said to his girlfriend. “Moved from Busan, acts like Seoul’s a crime against humanity.”

“Because it is,” you muttered. “Too many people. Too many couples. Too much sun.”

Sunghoon’s girlfriend was practically vibrating now. “Wait—you’re from Busan? That makes so much sense. You totally have the accent when you’re mad.”

“I’m not mad.”

She grinned knowingly. “Okay.”

You looked away, sipping your drink just to have an excuse not to answer. Sunghoon watched you with that usual quiet amusement, like he was used to your walls but also knew they weren’t as tall as you pretended.

“Anyway,” his girlfriend said, pulling out her phone, “I’m putting you in the group chat. The one with the rest of the girlfriends.”

Your eyes widened. “What? No.”

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow. “You should. Jay’s girlfriend is in it. So is Jake’s.”

“Oh my god, and Jungwon!” she added. “You haven’t met Jungwon yet, right? You’ll love him. He’s sunshine in human form. Literally the opposite of you. You’ll hate him. And then you’ll love him.”

You shook your head. “Please don’t.”

But she was already typing. Sunghoon looked away to hide his smile, and for a moment, you considered throwing your drink at both of them.

And yet, despite yourself… a tiny part of you didn’t hate this as much as you thought you would.

You leaned back in your chair, picking at the sleeve of your hoodie as your brother quietly scrolled through his phone. The late afternoon sun poured through the campus café windows, golden and warm, but you were too busy sulking to care.

“So,” you started, voice flat, “do all of your friends have girlfriends now or what?”

Sunghoon didn’t look up. “Pretty much.”

You scoffed. “What is this? Some campus-wide boyfriend recruitment initiative I missed?”

He side-eyed you. “You sound jealous.”

“I’m not jealous,” you snapped. “I’m just… observing. Like you always do.”

He hummed, which was the closest thing to a laugh you’d get out of him. You turned slightly in your seat to catch a glimpse of his girlfriend across the café. She was chatting animatedly with Jay’s girlfriend and giggling about something that involved a lot of hand gestures. You watched her for a second—so bright, so loud, so much.

You wrinkled your nose. “What’s so special about her, anyway? She’s so loud.”

Sunghoon didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he finally looked up from his phone and met your eyes.

“That’s what I thought at first,” he said, voice quieter now, more sincere. “But… I don’t know. She’s different.”

You raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Different how?”

“She makes everything feel lighter,” he said simply. “Like I don’t have to say anything and she still gets me. She’s chaos, but somehow it makes everything clearer.”

You blinked, surprised by how genuine he sounded. He wasn’t usually the type to say much about his feelings, let alone this kind of stuff.

You scoffed again, more defensive this time, and took a loud sip of your drink. “Ugh. I don’t like seeing you when you’re in love. It’s weird. Gross. I hate it.”

Sunghoon smirked and leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting across the café toward her again.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “Me too.”

The café was bustling with soft chatter, silverware clinking, and the occasional burst of laughter. You were already halfway through your iced Americano when the bell above the door jingled.

Your eyes flicked up just in time to see a familiar face walk in—tousled hair, clean-cut uniform, a soft frown like he’d already had a long day. Jungwon.

You blinked. “Wait, is that—?”

Sunghoon’s girlfriend practically bounced out of her seat, waving him over. “Wonie! Over here!”

You turned slowly to your brother, suspicion rising in your chest. “You invited him?”

Sunghoon shook his head with a deadpan expression. “I didn’t.”

His girlfriend was already scooting over, making room next to you on the bench. Jungwon hesitated, then offered a polite nod and slid in beside you, his shoulder brushing yours.

“Hey,” he said, voice soft but clear. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”

You glanced at him, trying not to seem flustered. “Yeah, me neither.”

Sunghoon’s girlfriend leaned toward your brother and whispered into his ear with a mischievous grin, “See? Don’t they look perfect together?”

Sunghoon recoiled immediately, his whole face twisting. “I don’t wanna picture my sister and my friend together,” he muttered under his breath, disgusted.

She just giggled, clearly satisfied with herself, while Sunghoon groaned into his drink and refused to look in either of your directions.

You shifted in your seat, trying to ignore the way Jungwon’s leg brushed against yours under the table. He didn’t move away, and neither did you.

“Sorry if this is weird,” Jungwon said after a moment, glancing sideways at you, then quickly looking away. “Didn’t know they’d both plot behind our backs.”

You let out a soft scoff. “Yeah, that sounds like her.”

From across the table, Sunghoon’s girlfriend was humming to herself while stabbing a piece of cake with her fork, clearly proud of her little matchmaking scheme. Sunghoon, on the other hand, was sinking further into his seat with every passing second.

“So…” Jungwon started again, trying for casual, “how are you liking Seoul so far?”

“It’s… different,” you answered, folding your arms. “Too fast. Too loud.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it is. But not all of it’s bad, right?”

You hesitated, then shrugged. “I guess not.”

Your eyes flicked up just in time to catch your brother watching the two of you with a narrowed gaze. You raised a brow at him.

“What?” you asked, tone sharp.

He blinked. “Nothing. Just… watching you flirt.”

You nearly choked. “I’m not flirting—”

Jungwon, ever so collected, only smiled faintly and looked down at his drink, a soft pink coloring the tips of his ears.

“I swear, if you try to date one of my friends,” Sunghoon muttered, pointing a finger at you, “I will transfer schools.”

“You’re so dramatic,” you muttered under your breath.

But then you glanced back at Jungwon, who was still smiling, looking perfectly content with how the conversation was going. You couldn’t help the sarcastic edge that slipped into your voice. “Especially someone like him.”

It wasn’t meant to be as harsh as it came out. But when you saw the way his smile faltered, the subtle hurt flickering in his eyes, your heart did an unexpected twist. You hadn’t meant to hurt him—yet, there it was, hanging in the air between you.

Sunghoon nudged you roughly with his elbow, a sharp look in his eyes.

“Careful,” he warned in a low voice.

You flushed and immediately looked away, suddenly feeling guilty. Jungwon’s expression had gone unreadable, and you could practically hear the thoughts swirling in his head.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you mumbled, softening your tone, “sorry.”

Jungwon didn’t say anything right away, just gave a small nod. His usual confident demeanor was replaced with something quieter, more distant.

The tension at the table had definitely shifted, but you didn’t know how to fix it.

Sunghoon just sighed, looking between you two. “Can you two stop making it weird?” he muttered under his breath, though it was more for your benefit than anyone else’s.

His girlfriend, ever the optimist, grinned and fed him a bite of cake. “It’s okay. They’re both just shy. But they’ll work it out.”

You barely heard her, though, because your thoughts were focused on the look in Jungwon’s eyes.

Sunghoon and his girlfriend were in their own little world, laughing and exchanging little inside jokes, completely oblivious to how their playful banter was making everyone else at the table squirm.

“I swear, if you ever stop smiling like that, I’ll—” His girlfriend’s voice was light and teasing, but Sunghoon only smiled softly, clearly used to her rambles.

“You’ll what?” Sunghoon asked, nudging her playfully.

“Make you watch another one of those romantic movies you love so much,” she threatened, a bright grin lighting up her face.

“Ah, anything but that,” he teased back, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I’m practically drowning in romance.”

His girlfriend only laughed and reached over to adjust his glasses, and Sunghoon simply let her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. The exchange was so natural, so effortlessly affectionate that it felt almost like they were living in their own bubble, too caught up in their little world to notice anyone else around them.

“Ugh, get a room, you two,” you muttered under your breath, not at all interested in hearing about how “adorable” they were being.

Jungwon chuckled awkwardly, clearly trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. “So, uh… what’s your favorite thing to do around here? Any hidden spots in the city I should know about?”

You barely looked at him, instead fiddling with the straw in your drink, the sound of Sunghoon and his girlfriend’s laughter making your ears buzz. You really didn’t feel like talking, not when the couple next to you was being so… couple-y.

You shrugged, keeping your gaze fixed firmly on the table. “I don’t know. Just the usual stuff. I’m not really one for sightseeing.”

Jungwon pressed on, clearly not giving up yet. “But surely there’s something fun you’ve found? You seem like you’d know the best places to hang out.”

You let out a small, dismissive sigh, leaning back in your chair. “I’m really not interested in showing you around, Jungwon.”

Sunghoon’s girlfriend was still on her own tangent, going on about something utterly trivial while Sunghoon nodded along, his smile barely faltering as he glanced back at you and Jungwon.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Y/N? You’re being awfully quiet today,” she said in her bright, ever-optimistic voice.

You tried to force a smile, but it was tight, and you could feel your irritation simmering just under the surface. “I’m fine,” you muttered. “Just… tired.”

Jungwon seemed a bit taken aback by your mood but didn’t press it further, instead focusing back on his drink. Meanwhile, Sunghoon and his girlfriend were still wrapped up in their own bubble of cute moments, exchanging playful glances and quiet words that only seemed to make the atmosphere feel even more suffocating.

You didn’t understand how they could be so effortlessly happy, so comfortable with each other. Sunghoon was always so calm, so distant to everyone, but with her, he was… different.

“Don’t you think they’re a bit much?” you muttered under your breath, barely audible, but enough for Jungwon to hear.

Jungwon hesitated, looking between you and the couple before shrugging. “Maybe,” he said carefully, “but if they’re happy, then what’s the harm?”

“Right,” you muttered, trying to hide the bitterness creeping into your voice. “Good for them.”

Jungwon gave you a sideways glance, his smile a little more unsure now. “You seem really upset. Want to talk about it?”

You shook your head, feeling the discomfort in your chest grow. “No. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jungwon seemed to understand that you weren’t in the mood for more conversation, but his quiet attempts to make small talk were starting to feel more forced as the minutes dragged on. Meanwhile, Sunghoon and his girlfriend’s voices only grew louder, completely lost in their own happiness as they continued their affectionate back-and-forth.

You felt a twinge of jealousy. You hadn’t been able to experience that kind of closeness or affection with anyone—certainly not with Jungwon, and not with anyone else before. It irritated you how easily Sunghoon seemed to slip into that comfortable, happy state with his girlfriend, making you wonder if you could ever find something like that yourself.

But for now, you were stuck here, watching them, and avoiding any attempts at real conversation from Jungwon.

As Sunghoon and his girlfriend stood up from the bench, her hands instinctively finding his as they gathered their stuff, she glanced one more time at where you and Jungwon sat—him politely sipping his drink, you staring pointedly at anything that wasn’t him.

“We should get going,” she murmured to Sunghoon. “Didn’t you say you had that meeting thing later?”

Sunghoon nodded, throwing one last glance toward you before gently tugging his girlfriend toward the exit. The two of them walked side by side down the garden path, the sunlight catching in her hair and the breeze tugging at the sleeves of Sunghoon’s hoodie.

Once they were a little out of earshot, his girlfriend turned to him, voice low and curious. “So… is your sister always like that?”

Sunghoon sighed through his nose, glancing over his shoulder before answering. “Yeah. Especially around people who are in love.”

His girlfriend blinked, then tilted her head, genuinely concerned. “Why? Is she, like… bitter about it or something?”

Sunghoon hesitated, then leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I’m not really supposed to be telling you this,” he muttered. “But someone she really loved cheated on her. Like, full-on betrayed her. She’s never really been the same after that.”

His girlfriend’s eyes softened. “Oh…”

“And the other half of it?” he added, smiling faintly. “She’s like me. She keeps things in. But instead of being quiet and polite about it, she turns into a little grump.”

They both laughed softly at that, their steps in sync as they neared the sidewalk.

“But I mean…” she nudged him lightly, a playful glint in her eye. “What about Jungwon? I don’t know—don’t they look kinda cute together?”

Sunghoon groaned immediately, dragging a hand over his face. “Babe, please. I don’t wanna hear it.”

“What?” she laughed, looping her arm through his. “I’m just saying! Come on, they just met, but—”

“They just met in person today,” he emphasized. “They don’t even know each other.”

“Exactly! That’s how it starts!”

Sunghoon gave her a dry look. “You’re lucky I like you.”

She giggled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “I know. And I know love when I see it, Hoon. Trust me.”

He rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him with the slightest upward tug. “Just don’t play matchmaker. I don’t think either of them would survive it.”

“Noted,” she grinned. “But if they fall in love on their own, I will say ‘I told you so.’”

Sunghoon groaned again, tugging her along as they disappeared down the street. First day of school and you already wanted to go home.

Everything about the campus felt off—too bright, too noisy, too… full of people smiling for no reason. Sunghoon’s girlfriend had insisted on showing you around, practically skipping through the corridors like this was her favorite place in the world. You trailed behind her like a raincloud, unimpressed by every building she pointed out.

“And this is the student center! Oh, and that’s the little garden where Sunghoon and I first—”

“Don’t care,” you muttered, eyes flicking away.

She just laughed, clearly used to your deadpan tone by now. “You’re going to love it here. Promise.”

You already knew you wouldn’t.

By lunch, you were desperately scanning the cafeteria for any possible corner to disappear into. You even spotted an empty table by the window—peace, solitude, the dream. But before you could escape, Sunghoon materialized out of nowhere and threw an arm around your shoulder.

“C’mon,” he said flatly. “Sit with us.”

“I’d rather swallow a fork.”

His grip tightened just slightly. “Let’s go.”

So now you were here, wedged between your brother and an empty chair, staring blankly at the loudest table on campus. Jake and his girlfriend were whispering and giggling over some inside joke. Jay’s girlfriend was mid-rant about something academic while Jay leaned back smugly, looking like he invented confidence. Heeseung was playfully bickering with his girlfriend over bubble tea flavors. Jungwon sat across from you, awkward and quiet, stealing glances your way like he wasn’t sure if you’d bite.

You glanced sideways at Sunghoon.

He glanced at you.

Same expression. Blank. Mildly judging. Deeply unimpressed.

The only sound from your side of the table was the soft tap of chopsticks and synchronized sighs.

Sunoo blinked at the two of you from across the table and dramatically clutched his chest.

“Oh my god,” he gasped. “That’s actually kind of terrifying. You two look like serial killers at brunch.”

Jake snorted into his drink. “No, for real. Why are y’all staring like that?”

Sunghoon answered without even blinking. “We’re trying to understand how you all function.”

You didn’t say anything. Just raised a brow, slowly picking at your food.

Jungwon coughed into his hand. “So… do you like the school so far?”

You didn’t even bother looking at him. “No.”

Silence fell over that end of the table while everyone else resumed their conversations. You and Sunghoon returned to your synchronized eating and judging.

Sunoo whispered to Jake, “This is my favorite horror movie.”

Jake nodded. “Same.”

Jungwon tried again.

“So, um…” he said, shifting a little in his seat. “What did you study back in Busan?”

You didn’t even lift your head. “Stuff.”

Sunghoon barely held in a snort beside you, and Jungwon let out a quiet breath like he’d just been elbowed in the ribs.

Jake, ever the peacekeeper, tried to help. “She’s just shy, bro. Takes a while to warm up.”

“I’m not shy,” you muttered. “I just don’t feel like talking.”

Sunoo’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “She’s like if Wednesday Addams and a sleep-deprived cat had a baby.”

You finally looked up at him with the blankest stare you could muster. “I will replace your shampoo with glue.”

Sunoo gasped, scandalized. “Sunghoon, your sister threatened me!”

“She does that,” he said calmly, sipping from his drink.

Meanwhile, Sunghoon’s girlfriend was busy telling Heeseung’s girlfriend about a new nail salon when her gaze flicked to you and Jungwon again. She nudged Sunghoon under the table.

He blinked. “No.”

“You didn’t even hear what I was going to say.”

“Yes, I did. And it’s still no.”

“They’d be so cute together!”

“No.”

“You’re so grumpy sometimes,” she huffed, crossing her arms.

“You’re just loud,” he muttered.

“I heard that!”

You rolled your eyes and shoved a fry into your mouth just as Jungwon finally stopped trying to talk. He tapped nervously at his tray, eyes flicking down to his food. You could feel his awkwardness radiating in waves.

And you hated how it made your chest tighten a little.

The table broke into laughter at something Jake said, and you just sat there in the calm middle of it all—quiet, grumpy, unimpressed. But for the first time that day, you weren’t desperate to leave.

Which was weird. But maybe you could blame it on the way Jungwon kept sneaking glances your way.

Even if you didn’t return them. Yet.

Jungwon had that look again. The one that made you want to throw a pillow at his face and storm out of the room for no reason other than how… bright he was.

“Let’s go camping,” he said, plopping down on the couch next to where you were curled up, minding your own business with a book you were only half-reading. “Like a group trip. All of us.”

You blinked at him, slowly. “Why would I voluntarily spend a weekend in the woods with mosquitoes, uneven ground, and people?”

He grinned, undeterred. “Because it’s fun. And because you clearly need to loosen up a little.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Excuse me?”

“You’re always cooped up in your dorm or hiding behind Sunghoon or glaring at everyone during lunch,” he said matter-of-factly, like he hadn’t just signed his own death warrant. “It wouldn’t kill you to try being part of the group.”

Sunghoon, from the kitchen, muttered, “She only goes to lunch because I drag her there.”

“Exactly my point!” Jungwon exclaimed, pointing at your brother like he’d just proven something. “C’mon, Y/N. It’ll be nice. Campfire, s’mores, nature… friends.”

You stared at him. That smile of his, the one that curved just a little more on the right side, the soft crinkles at the corners of his eyes, the way he was so annoyingly earnest—it made something in your chest itch.

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“You can bring a portable fan and three cans of bug spray. I’ll even carry your stuff.”

“I said no.”

He tilted his head. “Are you scared you’ll actually have a good time?”

You shut your book with a snap. “You’re insufferable.”

“I’ll take that as a maybe.”

“You’ll take it as a no.”

“Sunoo’s going.”

You hesitated.

“And Jake. And Jay. And Sunghoon and his girlfriend. Heeseung and his girlfriend said they’ll come if there’s a real bathroom.”

You looked at him, unimpressed. “You planned this already.”

Jungwon smiled, victorious. “I had faith.”

You sighed, long and dramatic, flopping back against the couch. “Fine. I’ll go. Just to get you off my back.”

“Yay!” he said, like you’d just agreed to world peace.

“But if there’s a single spider—one—I’m leaving.”

He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“You’ve never been a scout.”

“Still counts.”

You rolled your eyes, but a small, reluctant smile tugged at your lips when he wasn’t looking.

Spring break hit with the kind of anticipation that had the entire campus buzzing. People were packing bags, coordinating snack lists, fighting over which playlist to use for the drive. It was chaos—in a way that made you want to crawl back under your blankets and pretend the world didn’t exist. But unfortunately, Jungwon’s persistence and your impulsive “Fine, I’ll go” had landed you a spot on this cursed trip.

Everyone was gathered in front of the parking lot early that morning, chattering, yawning, stretching. The two rented vans were parked side by side, engines rumbling quietly as everyone shuffled around trying to load their bags.

You crossed your arms and looked up at Sunghoon. “I’m riding in your van.”

He barely looked up from where he was loading his girlfriend’s duffel into the trunk. “No, you’re not.”

You blinked. “Excuse me?”

He finally turned to face you, already exasperated. “Y/N, we’re each sharing a van with our girlfriends.”

You gestured to yourself, deadpan. “I am your sister.”

“Not the same thing.”

“You’re telling me you’d rather spend three hours crammed in a van with Jake and Sunoo talking about anime character types while your girlfriend sings along to every song off key—”

“Yes.”

You scowled. “Wow. What happened to blood being thicker than water?”

His girlfriend popped her head out from the side of the van, smile already in place. “Don’t worry, Y/N! I already packed snacks for you and I think you’re with Jungwon anyway.”

“What?”

Jungwon appeared behind you like some overly peppy ghost. “Morning! I put your bag in our van already. We’ve got good air conditioning, just saying.”

You turned to glare at him. “You what?”

Sunoo clapped dramatically from a few feet away. “Ooooh, you’re sharing with Jungwon? This is either the start of a rom-com or a disaster film.”

“I vote disaster,” you muttered under your breath.

Sunghoon gave your shoulder a pat as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Try not to murder anyone.”

You huffed, trudging toward the second van where Jungwon was already opening your door like some boy-next-door prince. He even had a thermos in hand—probably green tea or some healthy crap. You didn’t ask.

“I didn’t agree to share a van with you,” you grumbled, climbing in.

Jungwon just buckled in and smiled. “Well, you didn’t not agree either.”

You stared out the window, jaw tight. This trip was already feeling too long… and the engine hadn’t even started yet.

The vans were all packed, the skies were mostly clear, and it almost felt like things were going to go according to plan. Keyword: almost.

Jake stood beside Van 1, arms crossed, lips pursed as he eyed the group assignments one last time. “Okay, but I still think it’s a terrible idea to put Heeseung and Jay in the same van.”

Jay’s girlfriend, ever the chaos advocate, waved her hand dismissively. “They need to make up. This is the perfect chance. Think of it as forced bonding.”

Heeseung snorted from behind her. “More like forced suffering.”

Sunoo popped his head up from the back of Van 1, cheeks stuffed with snacks. “Can I switch vans? I’ll go with Jungwon and Y/N. I’m great company!”

“No,” you and Jungwon both said at the exact same time.

Sunoo blinked, then smirked. “Wow. Okay. Guess I’ll just keep my charisma to myself.”

You shot Jungwon a glare, but he was already climbing into the driver’s seat of your van—Van 3, aka the loner van. AKA you and him, stuck together for a few hours while the rest of your brother’s chaotic group pretended to function like normal humans.

You didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Sunghoon before Jungwon was already pulling out of the parking lot.

The ride started out in silence. Then music. Then more silence.

It was about twenty minutes into the drive when Jungwon finally broke the quiet.

“So… you probably feel a little out of place, huh?” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

You shrugged, arms crossed. “You think?”

He chuckled. “Okay, fair. I just mean… they’re a lot to take in.”

“You don’t say.”

“Well,” he said, shifting in his seat, “you’ve probably figured out who’s dating who, right?”

“I’m not blind.”

“Alright. So Van 1—Sunghoon, Jake, their girlfriends, and Sunoo. The stable van.”

You raised a brow. “Sunoo’s the stability?”

“Don’t underestimate Sunoo,” Jungwon said seriously. “He knows everything. I’m pretty sure he could run this school if he wanted to.”

You snorted. “Next.”

“Van 2,” Jungwon said with a grin. “The drama van. Jay, Heeseung, their girlfriends. Basically a soap opera on wheels.”

You glanced at him. “Why? What happened?”

He glanced sideways, then said, “Well… Jay and Heeseung used to be close, until Jay kissed Heeseung’s girlfriend.”

Your jaw dropped.

“Twice,” Jungwon added helpfully. “Once before she and Heeseung were dating, and once after. But Jay swears she kissed him the second time, and she admits to it, but Heeseung won’t let it go.”

You blinked. “And now Jay is dating someone else?”

“Oh yeah. She’s just as chaotic as he is. They’re the perfect match. But she’s also childhood best friends with Heeseung, so it’s awkward all around.”

“Yikes.”

He nodded. “Exactly. That’s why Jake wanted to separate them. But Jay’s girlfriend was like ‘they need to make up’ and dragged them into the same van anyway.”

You let out a low whistle. “No wonder Sunoo wanted to escape.”

Jungwon laughed, and the air settled into something a little more comfortable after that. He explained more as the road wound on—tiny dramas, moments of laughter, stories you’d missed being the new one in the group.

But about an hour in, things took a turn.

The sky darkened suddenly, clouds rolling in like something out of a horror movie. The rain started slowly—just a patter on the windshield—but quickly turned heavy, pelting down so hard Jungwon had to slow to a crawl.

“Uh,” you said, glancing out the fogged window, “should we… pull over?”

“We’re almost at the rest stop,” Jungwon muttered, eyes squinting against the blur. “Just a few more minutes—”

Thud.

The van jolted.

You both froze.

“…Please tell me that wasn’t a tire,” you whispered.

Jungwon sighed, already pulling over. “That was a tire.”

He hopped out into the rain, grabbing his jacket as the wind howled. You stayed in the van, cold seeping into your skin even as the heater ran.

Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. Then twenty. Finally, he ducked back inside, soaked and shivering.

“It’s too dark,” he muttered. “I can’t see anything, and my phone’s got no signal. We’ll have to wait till morning.”

You stared at him. “You’re telling me we’re stuck here? In a van? In the middle of nowhere? Alone?”

He looked sheepish. “Pretty much.”

You sat back, heart racing.

And for the first time that day, you were truly terrified.

You were shaken. Even though you sat with your arms folded tightly across your chest, eyes glued to the pitch-black forest outside the rain-speckled window, your body was stiff—too still. You didn’t say anything, didn’t make a sound, but Jungwon noticed. He always noticed.

Without a word, he shifted beside you in the front seat of the van, then gently wrapped an arm around your shoulders. His touch wasn’t overbearing or awkward. It was quiet, like him. Patient. Warm.

“You’re not okay,” he murmured.

“I’m fine,” you muttered.

“You’re lying.”

You didn’t argue, because he wasn’t wrong. But you didn’t respond either.

A silence stretched between you, filled only by the steady tapping of rain on the windshield and the occasional creak of the van shifting under the wind. The dark had settled in deep now, wrapping around the vehicle like a second skin.

“I hate being stuck,” you finally said, your voice low. “I hate not knowing what’s going to happen. I hate not having a signal, not knowing where we are—feeling like I’m not in control.”

Jungwon gave your shoulder a soft squeeze. “Yeah… I figured.”

You fell silent again, until he nudged you gently and said, “Okay. Tell me something your brother did that was so extroverted and humiliating that no one else besides you knows about it.”

You blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“Come on. Distract yourself. Something Sunghoon did. Spill.”

A reluctant laugh slipped out of you, and Jungwon’s grin widened.

“He once got on stage during orientation week and did a full dance cover of Love Divebecause someone dared him,” you mumbled. “And he actually nailed it.”

“Love Dive? Seriously?” Jungwon tried to suppress a laugh, and failed. “No way.”

“He practiced for three days. I have a video.”

He let out a sharp breath of laughter and leaned his head back against the seat. “Okay, yeah, that helped. I’m feeling better already.”

You smiled, just barely, the tension starting to melt off your shoulders. You almost forgot about the storm outside, the flat tire, the cold. Almost.

Until a sharp crack of thunder split through the sky.

You jumped—physically flinched—and before you could stop yourself, you scooted closer to Jungwon, pressing into his side like instinct. His arm immediately tightened around you, steadying, grounding.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered, softer this time. “You’re okay.”

And somehow, sitting there with him in the dark, you believed it.

After a while, the front seats of the van started to feel cold and cramped, and Jungwon, sensing your growing discomfort, suggested quietly, “We can pull out the bed in the back… might be warmer there.”

You didn’t answer, but you nodded, following him as he climbed out of the front. He moved slowly, giving you space but also staying close enough to reach if you needed him. Together, you helped tug the folded bed out from its compartment, laying it flat and spreading one of the extra blankets over it.

You sat beside him on the makeshift mattress, legs tucked underneath you, hands buried in your sleeves. The van wasn’t exactly spacious, but the bed was wide enough to sit shoulder-to-shoulder without brushing—barely.

The rain still drummed steadily on the roof, creating a rhythm that was both soothing and unnerving. You hated storms. Always had.

Then, like the sky had waited for your guard to come down, lightning struck again. Closer this time—followed by a crack so loud the whole van seemed to rattle. You gasped sharply and before you even knew what you were doing, you threw yourself toward Jungwon.

Your hands gripped his hoodie, your body curling into his lap as if you could disappear there, your breath coming in short, panicked puffs. You hated this—how vulnerable you suddenly felt, how raw and open your fear was—but your body didn’t listen to your pride. It just needed safety. Warmth. Him.

Jungwon didn’t say a word. He didn’t tease, didn’t even shift awkwardly. His arms came around you immediately, holding you close like he’d done this a thousand times before. One hand rubbed gentle, soothing circles into your back while the other rested lightly on the back of your head.

Then you started crying.

Not the messy, heaving sobs you’d always imagined people cried when breaking down—but the quiet kind. The kind that slipped down your cheeks without permission, burning and soft. You couldn’t remember the last time you cried in front of someone else.

“I hate this,” you whispered into his hoodie. “I hate feeling like this.”

“I know,” he whispered back. “But you don’t have to pretend with me, okay? Just for tonight… it’s okay to be scared.”

You don’t know how long you stayed like that—wrapped in Jungwon’s arms, eyes closed against the world, tears drying slowly. The storm eventually began to calm. The thunder faded to distant rumbles, and the rain softened into a drizzle.

Then, with an almost comical sputter, the van’s power flickered back on. The dashboard lights glowed faintly. The heater whirred to life. And just like that, reality came rushing back in.

You blinked and pulled away slowly, only to freeze as you realized where you were: practically curled in Jungwon’s lap, your arms still wrapped around him, your cheek resting against his chest.

You moved quickly, almost too quickly, scooting back and wiping your face with your sleeve. The silence that followed was heavy—awkward and thick and way too loud now that the storm had passed.

“I—sorry,” you mumbled, avoiding his eyes. “That was… a lot.”

Jungwon shifted too, but not far. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “Really.”

But you didn’t know how to feel. You weren’t used to people seeing you like that. Especially not someone like him.

And now, sitting side by side in the faint light, with your tears still damp on your skin and the ghost of his touch lingering on your back, you suddenly weren’t sure what scared you more—the storm outside… or the one happening inside you.

The rain had finally stopped, but that didn’t mean you were out of the woods. Literally.

It was 2:07 AM, and the van was still parked on the side of some empty, winding road surrounded by nothing but trees and thick silence. The air inside was warmer now thanks to the heater, but that didn’t fix the flat tire—or the awkwardness hanging heavy between you and Jungwon after what had just happened.

You sat cross-legged on the bed, facing the window, pretending to be way more interested in the foggy glass than the fact that you were very much aware of Jungwon’s presence just a few feet behind you. He was still sitting up against the back of the van, legs stretched out, fiddling absently with the zipper on his jacket.

Neither of you had spoken much since the power came back on. A few quiet “you okay?”s and mumbled “yeah”s, but beyond that? Just tension.

He glanced over at you for what felt like the hundredth time. “So… uh. Still no signal.”

“Shocker,” you muttered, not turning around.

“We’ll fix the tire at sunrise. I can’t see anything in the dark without messing it up more.”

“Mhm.”

Silence again.

You hated this. Not just the situation, but how… exposed you still felt. You hadn’t meant to cry in front of him. You hadn’t meant to let him hold you. And now, it was like that moment had cracked something open, and you didn’t know how to patch it back up.

Jungwon cleared his throat. “Do you want the bed to yourself? I can sleep sitting up or something.”

“No. It’s fine.”

“You sure?”

You finally turned to face him, eyes meeting his. “Can you just… not make it a thing?”

He blinked. “What?”

“Earlier. The crying. The whole… mess. Just don’t make it a thing, okay? I don’t need you looking at me like I’m fragile now.”

Jungwon’s expression softened. “I don’t think you’re fragile. I think you’re human.”

You rolled your eyes, turning back toward the window. “Great. Even worse.”

He let out a quiet laugh, barely audible. “You know, for someone who pretends not to care about people, you sure care a lot about what I think.”

Your lips pressed into a tight line. He wasn’t wrong—but you weren’t about to admit that.

“It’s late,” you said instead. “We should try to sleep.”

You heard him shift behind you, and then the quiet rustle of blankets as he laid down on the far side of the bed, careful to leave space between you.

But even with the silence returning and your body exhausted, sleep didn’t come easy. Not when your brain was still replaying the way his arms had felt around you. Not when every beat of the clock brought you closer to morning—and whatever would come after this strange, vulnerable night you never meant to share.

The hours ticked by slowly, stretching the night into something that felt endless.

The space between you and Jungwon wasn’t very big. The bed was narrow, the van cold despite the heater humming faintly, and somewhere between turning to face the wall and trying to ignore how your thoughts spiraled, you realized you weren’t sleeping at all. Neither was he.

You could tell by the way he shifted every few minutes, quietly clearing his throat or sighing like he was trying not to seem restless. Finally, at around 3:15 AM, his voice cut through the stillness—soft, careful.

“Hey.”

You turned your head slightly. “What?”

“Can I ask you something?”

You hesitated. “…Yeah.”

“When you said you’re scared of being emotionally dependent on people… was that about someone specific?”

You stared at the ceiling. You weren’t sure why your chest tightened at the question. Maybe because you’d let that confession slip too easily earlier. Maybe because this was the first time someone actually followed up instead of brushing it off.

You swallowed. “Not just one person. More like… a pattern.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, gently: “Like what?”

“Like I used to trust people. I’d let them in, even when it hurt. And each time, it ended with me being the only one trying to fix things.” You paused, fingers curling slightly into the blanket. “At some point, I just stopped trying.”

Jungwon shifted closer—not enough to touch, but enough to feel it.

“I’m not trying to ‘fix’ you,” he said quietly. “I just want to understand you.”

Your breath hitched slightly.

“And I know you don’t like being seen,” he added, almost like an afterthought. “But you don’t have to hide around me.”

You didn’t know what to say to that. So you didn’t say anything.

Instead, you turned your body slightly toward him. Not enough to close the distance completely—but enough that he’d know you weren’t shutting him out.

Minutes passed in silence again. But it wasn’t awkward anymore.

At 4:00 AM, the sky outside started to shift, a faint grey creeping into the edges of the horizon. You were still awake, and so was he.

Jungwon sat up first, running a hand through his hair. “It’s almost light enough. I’ll check the tire.”

You nodded sleepily, rubbing your eyes. “Okay. I’ll… come with you?”

He turned back to look at you, his gaze soft but steady. “Only if you want to.”

You gave a small nod, pulling the blanket tighter around you for a second before kicking it off and sliding off the bed.

It was quiet again, but something had changed between you—like a wire had loosened. Maybe things wouldn’t go back to the way they were. Maybe you didn’t want them to.

The air was crisp when you stepped out of the van, the ground still damp from the night before. Dew clung to the grass and your shoes squelched lightly against the earth, but the storm had passed. A faint mist curled in the distance, and the sun hadn’t quite broken over the trees yet—just a soft blue-gray glow painted the horizon.

Jungwon crouched by the flat tire, flashlight wedged under his arm as he examined it. You stood beside him with your arms crossed tightly, partly from the chill and partly because… well, what else were you supposed to do? Last night had been—something. Too much, maybe. And even though he hadn’t brought it up, you could feel the weight of it still lingering between you.

“Looks like it’ll hold until we get to a service station,” he muttered, brushing his hands off on his jeans. “I just need to switch it out with the spare.”

“Need help?” you offered, voice still hoarse from barely sleeping.

He looked up at you and smiled—not that smug, teasing smile he usually wore around you, but something small and warm. “You offering to actually help me instead of glaring at me? Must be a special day.”

You rolled your eyes, but your lips twitched. “Don’t push it.”

Still, you knelt beside him and passed him tools when he asked, watching him work quickly and efficiently. By the time the spare tire was secured and you were both sitting on the bumper catching your breath, the sun had finally peeked through the trees.

“Thanks,” Jungwon said quietly.

You glanced over. “For what?”

“For… trusting me,” he said. “Even a little.”

You looked away, watching your breath fog in the cool morning air. “Don’t get used to it.”

He chuckled, not pushing further. “Okay.”

Another pause, then he added, “Do you think they noticed we were gone?”

You groaned. “Probably.”

Jungwon smirked. “Should we lie and say we were attacked by bears?”

You gave him a flat look. “That’s so specific.”

He shrugged. “You never know. Might make us more interesting.”

“You’re already interesting,” you said before you could stop yourself.

You both blinked.

Silence.

“…Forget I said that,” you mumbled, turning away.

But Jungwon was smiling again—bright, proud, but not teasing this time. “Too late.”

And when you both climbed back into the van and started the engine, there was still silence—but it was softer now, like a thread connecting the two of you had finally begun to tie itself together. Not forced. Not rushed. Just… a start.

The campsite buzzed with the sounds of life when you and Jungwon finally pulled in. Laughter echoed through the trees, smoke curled lazily from a fire pit where someone was trying to get breakfast started, and Jake was playing some acoustic guitar on a log while his girlfriend swayed beside him.

You had barely stepped out of the van, stretching your stiff limbs, when Sunoo boltedacross the campsite like a heat-seeking missile.

“Oh. My. God,” he gasped, eyes bouncing between you and Jungwon. “You guys were gone all night. ALL NIGHT. I swear to God, if this is a slow-burn friends-to-lovers enemies-to-lovers surprise-romance situation and you didn’t tell me, I’m going to explode.”

You blinked. “What—”

“Did you guys fuck?” Sunoo blurted, voice way too loud.

Everyone turned.

Jungwon nearly choked on air. “SUNOO!”

You grabbed the nearest camping chair and flung a towel over your face. “We did NOT!”

“Well,” Sunoo huffed, crossing his arms. “With that much chemistry, I’m just saying—”

“Sunoo,” you gritted out through clenched teeth.

He raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop. For now.” But the sparkle in his eyes said he absolutely would not be letting it go.

While you tried to pretend you didn’t just become the headline of the group’s gossip board, Jungwon drifted over to the edge of the campsite where Sunghoon was helping his girlfriend unload a cooler from the car.

Sunghoon noticed him coming and immediately groaned. “No.”

Jungwon blinked. “No what?”

“No to whatever you’re about to say.”

“I didn’t even say anything yet,” Jungwon said, exasperated. “I just—look, I really like your sister.”

“Ew.” Sunghoon looked genuinely distressed. “Ew, stop. Go away.”

“I’m serious,” Jungwon said, trying to keep his voice low and calm. “I’m not messing with her. I just… I want your blessing to ask her out.”

Sunghoon paused. Stared. Then deadpanned, “No.”

Jungwon nodded slowly, lips twitching. “Okay. Well… I actually don’t need your blessing. I was just being polite.”

Sunghoon stared harder. “You little—”

But his girlfriend came up behind him, slipping her arms around his waist and whispering something into his ear. He grumbled under his breath, scowled at Jungwon one more time, and then turned away.

Which Jungwon took as his cue to walk off, hiding the satisfied smirk on his face.

You, meanwhile, were still dodging Sunoo’s very detailed reenactment of how he imagined the night went down.

Yeah. Spring break was off to a great start.

The rest of the day moved in a weird haze of tension and pretending like the night before hadn’t happened.

You avoided Jungwon. Not in a dramatic way—just enough that you didn’t have to look at him for too long. Just enough that when he laughed with the others by the fire, your eyes would skip past him like he was just another log in the pile. Just enough that every time he glanced your way, you quickly turned back to your marshmallow, pretending to be way too focused on roasting it to golden-brown perfection.

Sunoo didn’t make it any easier.

“You know,” he said, flopping down beside you with a very loud crunch of gravel, “for someone who didn’t do anything, you two are acting real suspicious.”

“Sunoo,” you warned, “if you say one more thing—”

“I’m just saying!” He threw up his hands dramatically. “If I were trapped in a van during a thunderstorm with someone as emotionally constipated as Jungwon, I’d cry too.”

You shoved his shoulder lightly, but the corner of your mouth twitched upward.

Meanwhile, across the fire, Jungwon was deep in conversation with Jay’s girlfriend, who was nodding enthusiastically while pointing toward a picnic table. He looked more relaxed now, laughing softly, shaking his head at something she said.

And still, he glanced over at you.

Again.

You turned away, heart twisting a little.

When the sun began to dip, casting streaks of orange and pink across the sky, someone suggested games. Charades. Then Uno. Then some weird camping version of spin the bottle that you absolutely refused to play.

Heeseung and his girlfriend were the first ones to bow out, heading toward their tent after a playful argument about who knows what. Jay and his girlfriend were in their own world, laughing so loudly it echoed through the trees. Jake and his girlfriend cuddling by the fire. Sunghoon was trying to keep his girlfriend from jumping into the lake at night.

And you?

You were sitting beside Sunoo again, who had finally—finally—gone quiet, head resting on your shoulder as he dozed off.

That’s when Jungwon walked up.

His voice was quiet. “Can we talk?”

You didn’t move at first. Just stared at the fire.

Then slowly, you stood. Gently nudging Sunoo off you, you followed Jungwon toward the edge of the clearing, just far enough away to not be overheard, just close enough to still feel the warmth of the group.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “So… are we just gonna pretend last night didn’t happen?”

You swallowed. “I don’t know.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” he said softly. “That wasn’t— I just knew you were scared. I didn’t want you to feel like you had to hold it all in.”

You looked away. “I don’t want to be someone’s challenge.”

“You’re not,” he said quickly. “I swear, you’re not. I don’t want to fix you. I just… I like you. Grumpiness and all. You don’t have to act okay around me. I’d rather have you yell at me and mean it than smile and fake it.”

Your eyes met his. He looked… honest.

It scared you.

So you said the first thing that came to mind. “Sunghoon’s gonna kill you.”

Jungwon smiled. “He already tried.”

You didn’t smile back—yet—but the corners of your lips twitched.

After the camping trip, everything seemed fine at first. The days passed, and you and Jungwon were a little less awkward around each other. You both would talk here and there, but it wasn’t like before—when you could barely stand being in the same room without pretending to not notice his gaze. It was comfortable in a way, like the distance between the two of you had shrunk a little.

The trip had brought something out of you that you hadn’t been ready for, but at least it wasn’t as terrible as you thought it would be. You’d even laughed a few times, exchanged some stories, and you might’ve even caught yourself smiling—genuinely smiling—when he said something funny.

But as soon as you heard it, it felt like all the progress you had made came crashing down around you.

You were in the common room of your dorm, just finishing a group project, when you overheard a conversation between Jungwon and Sunoo.

“I think I’m finally getting through to her,” Jungwon said, his voice lighter than it had been the past few days. “She’s not as cold as she used to be.”

Sunoo’s voice responded, teasing. “Well, it’s about time. She’s hard to crack, but you’ve got this.”

Your heart sank. The words hit harder than you expected. It was a stupid thing to be hurt over, but it felt like you were just a project to him. Another challenge to overcome. Just another box to check off, another thing to fix. Like you were something he needed to conquer and not someone he was genuinely trying to understand.

You thought you had found something real in the small, quiet moments between the two of you—when he’d make you laugh, or when you’d share stories that made you feel a little less like a closed-off puzzle. But now, it all felt fake. You weren’t a challenge. You weren’t his damn project. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what had made you start pulling away in the first place. You weren’t ready to be the thing he worked on. Not when it felt like you were just part of his “I need to fix you” list.

You turned away quickly, trying to push the sting out of your chest as you grabbed your things and walked to your room. The tightness in your chest only grew as you closed the door behind you. You didn’t even give yourself a second to think before you did it: you took your phone out and deleted his number.

You couldn’t look at it anymore. Couldn’t keep seeing his name lighting up your screen. You stopped answering his texts. Ignored his calls. Every notification from him felt like a weight on your shoulders, reminding you that you were just another challenge, just another project to him.

And as much as you hated it, you did the same with everyone else. You didn’t reply to Sunghoon’s texts about your plans for the day, didn’t show up for the usual hangouts with your brother and his friends. You couldn’t bear the idea of seeing them and having them ask where Jungwon was. Where things stood. You didn’t want to answer any of their questions. You didn’t want to be reminded that you had let yourself fall for someone who had probably never taken you seriously.

You didn’t even bother showing up to the study sessions anymore. Every day felt like it was getting harder to keep pretending everything was fine when your mind was so tangled with anger and confusion.

Spring break ended, and with it, the brief but quiet connection you had with Jungwon. He was busy now, the semester starting again. But even as the first day of uni came, you found yourself missing the comfort of those small moments. The awkwardness. The laughs. His presence. But it was too late now. It didn’t matter.

At least that’s what you told yourself every time you ignored his message or silenced his call. 

You hadn’t expected Sunghoon to show up at your dorm. Not with his hoodie half-on and a scowl already forming between his brows. He didn’t say anything at first, just stepped inside like he owned the place and dropped his bag on your bed with a thud.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, not accusing—just concerned. And that somehow made it worse.

You didn’t mean to say it, not right away. But it all came spilling out anyway. The overheard conversation. The words Jungwon had said. The way it felt like you’d been nothing more than a challenge to him. Something to break through and fix. The way you hated how it hurt.

Sunghoon sat through the whole thing, jaw clenching tighter with every word you said. When you finally fell quiet, his hands were already fisted at his sides.

“He said what?” he snapped, already standing. “That idiot. I swear—”

“Hoon, don’t—” you started, but he was already out the door.

It didn’t take long for him to find Jungwon. He always had a radar for people he wanted to scold.

Jungwon blinked when he saw Sunghoon marching toward him across the quad, his voice sharp before he even fully reached him. “What the hell did you say to her?”

Jungwon’s face fell. “Wait, she heard that?”

“Oh, so you did say it.” Sunghoon’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s not what it sounds like,” Jungwon said quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t trying to say she was a challenge—God, no. I was telling Sunoo that I finally felt like she was starting to trust me. I was happy. I wasn’t—”

Sunghoon didn’t look convinced.

“I like her,” Jungwon said, more firmly now. “Not because she’s hard to read, not because she’s a mystery or whatever. I like her because… she makes everything make sense. She’s quiet, but when she talks, it matters. And when she looks at me like I’m not completely annoying, it makes my day.”

Sunghoon exhaled and rubbed a hand down his face. “Just fix it. And don’t make her cry again. I mean it.”

Later that evening, there was a knock at your dorm door.

You weren’t going to answer it—until you heard his voice, low and quiet.

“It’s me.”

You opened the door a crack. Jungwon stood there holding your favorite snack in one hand, and in the other, a worn-out poetry book you had mentioned once when you were half-asleep in the van during the camping trip.

“I know you’re mad,” he said softly. “But can I come in? Just for a second?”

You let the door swing open.

He stepped inside, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. For what I said to Sunoo. For how it sounded. I didn’t mean it like that, I swear. I didn’t think you’d hear it, but that doesn’t mean it was okay to say.”

You stayed quiet, arms crossed, watching him.

“I talk about you because I like you,” he continued. “Not because I want to win you, or fix you, or prove anything. I talk about you because… I want to understand you. And I want you to trust me enough to let me in. That’s all.”

You glanced down at the poetry book in his hand, and your chest tightened.

After a long pause, you sighed and shook your head. “You’re so annoying.”

He cracked a sheepish smile. “Yeah. I get that a lot.”

“…You can walk me to class tomorrow.”

He perked up instantly, smile blooming like the sun breaking through clouds. “Yeah?”

You rolled your eyes and turned around so he wouldn’t see the way your lips threatened to smile. “But don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“I won’t,” he said, already grinning. “Totally casual. Just two classmates. Walking.”

You shut the door behind him, heart racing in spite of yourself.

The next day, you found yourself back in the cafeteria, still sporting your signature scowl and the sunglasses that hid most of your face. You weren’t exactly thrilled to be sitting with the others again, but at least you had coffee. And you weren’t going to admit it, but you were kind of okay with Jungwon walking beside you—just a little bit.

As soon as you took your seat, Jungwon slid into the chair next to you with a big, goofy grin on his face. He handed you your coffee, still beaming like a dog who had just learned how to fetch.

“Still grumpy?” he teased, nudging your shoulder lightly.

You shot him a quick glance, raising an eyebrow. “Always,” you muttered, but there was something about the way he was looking at you—like you were the best thing he’d seen in a while—that made it hard to keep the edge.

You couldn’t stop the tiny smile that tugged at the corner of your lips. Jungwon’s grin widened like he’d just won the lottery. He looked way too proud of himself.

Sunghoon, who had been sitting across from you, groaned dramatically. “Please don’t do that in front of me ever again,” he said, scrunching his nose as if he’d just watched something gross.

You smirked, giving him a little shrug. “What’s your problem?” you shot back, still amused.

Sunghoon’s girlfriend, who had been chatting with Jake’s girlfriend, turned her head and raised her eyebrows. “Hey, you and I are way worse than that,” she said with a mischievous grin.

Jay, who had been in his own world, suddenly looked up at the mention of “worse.” He nodded in agreement, casually leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, don’t pretend like you and Hoon aren’t way more obnoxious than them,” he added with a smirk, looking at his own girlfriend.

Sunghoon shot him a look that could’ve killed, but Jay only grinned wider, clearly enjoying his role in messing with Sunghoon.

“Can you not?” Sunghoon groaned, resting his head on the table like he couldn’t deal with his friends anymore. “I’m not even here for this. Seriously.”

You chuckled under your breath, feeling a little more at ease with the group around you. It was nice, in a way, to be surrounded by people who weren’t as exhausting as you’d initially thought. But as you sipped your coffee, you felt Jungwon’s gaze on you again, making your chest tighten in that way only he seemed to manage.

“So,” Jungwon started, his tone shifting slightly, “when are you going to admit you missed me?”

You rolled your eyes, but the smile tugging at your lips said everything.

You were walking down the hall, scrolling through your phone, when you heard a loud voice—sharp, gruff, and full of irritation. You looked up just in time to see a girl backing away, holding her hands up in apology. She was drenched in some kind of drink, and standing opposite her, was a tall figure with his arms crossed.

It was Niki.

His dark eyes narrowed as he stared at the girl, his voice cold and direct. “You better be more careful next time,” he snapped.

“I’m really sorry,” the girl stammered, clearly embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to—I’ll clean it up!”

He grunted, not looking all that bothered, though the tension in his posture didn’t exactly scream forgiveness. “Whatever,” he muttered, before turning to walk away, leaving the girl still frozen in place.

You couldn’t help but watch as he strode off down the hall, his expression as nonchalant as ever. But there was something about him—something sharp and guarded. It made you curious.

Maybe this would be an interesting story for later. 

Enhypen campus series || wanna read my short drabbles? check out @lynbels

[mattrempeswife]

MACK THE KOALA

requested: yes | req: macklin is the softest boy ever like he’s so so clingy you could be talking to someone for like two seconds and he’s hugging you waiting for your attention to be back on him

pair: macklin celebrini x f!reader

genre: romantic comedy, fluff, pure boyfriend chaos.

warnings: unapologetically clingy boyfriend behavior, public affection, mid-convo kiss attack, mild secondhand embarrassment for cousin.

summary: mack is the softest, clingiest boyfriend alive. you’re used to it by now that he turns into a human hoodie the second you talk to someone that isn’t him, especially when that someone is his cousin. you’re in the middle of a normal, grown-up conversation about jobs when macklin starts his signature move.

“So basically,” Eli said, lifting his drink,

“I either go back to school or I start a job I don’t really want and pretend I’m okay with that.”

You nodded.

“Classic ‘two roads diverged in a capitalist nightmare’ situation.”

Eli laughed.

“Exactly.”

You liked talking to Eli. He was smart in that dry, blunt way that made job talk feel like less of a crisis and more like a group project you were both half-assing together.

You were mid-sentence.

“But if you’re gonna hate the job by month three, is the paycheck really worth—”

A hand slid across your lower back.

You didn’t flinch. You just closed your eyes for a second. Took a breath. Counted to three.

“Don’t say it,” you warned Eli.

He smirked.

“Wasn’t gonna.”

“Mmhmm.”

You didn’t have to look to know it was Macklin.

His hand stayed there, casual but heavy, like it had always been there.

A second later, he stepped in behind you. Close. Too close. His chest lightly pressed against your back, his other hand sliding around your waist like it belonged there. It kind of did.

Eli, sipping his drink, glanced at the sky like he was being personally tested.

“I swear, man. You can’t let her have one conversation.”

“I was gone for, like, fifteen minutes,”

Macklin said calmly, ignoring both of you.

You felt his chin rest lightly on your shoulder.

“I’m literally talking about health insurance,”

You said, not turning around.

He hummed. “Sexy.”

“Be serious.”

“I am,” he said.

“What’s hotter than long-term stability and dental?”

Eli choked on his drink.

You shook your head, biting back a smile.

“Do you need something? Or are you just here to leech body heat?”

“I missed you.”

“I was ten feet away.”

“Too far.”

“You’re a grown man.”

He kissed your shoulder. “With grown feelings.”

Eli groaned.

“I’m gonna go walk into traffic. Let me know when Mack stops clinging like a koala.”

“I’m not even doing anything,”

Macklin said, tightening his hold slightly.

“You’re latched,” you replied.

He didn’t argue.

He just buried his face into your neck like this was a completely normal way to behave at a family BBQ.

You tried to keep talking. You really did. You turned back to Eli, pretending Mack wasn’t slowly melting into your spine.

“Anyway, if you’re considering grad school, maybe take a year to figure out if—”

And then Mack kissed you. Soft, quick, just enough to completely disrupt your sentence.

You stopped. Turned your head.

“Seriously?”

He looked at you like he was the offended one.

“What?”

“I was speaking words.”

“And I was listening.”

“You kissed me in the middle of a sentence.”

“You were dragging out your syllables. Felt like a natural break.”

Eli, in the distance now, just yelled,

“I warned you.”

You sighed. Looked at Mack. Really looked at him. His hair still slightly messy from earlier, T-shirt wrinkled, arms around you like he didn’t even think about doing it but it just happened. Like his body had one setting is near you.

He wasn’t trying to be romantic. He wasn’t making a big scene.

He was just… Mack, Macklin Celebrini.

“You’re the worst,” you said quietly.

He nodded.

“But?”

You leaned back into him.

“But you make a decent human scarf.”

He smiled into your skin.

“That’s all I ever wanted.”

Later when you sat on the edge of a lawn chair while he rested his head in your lap pretending to be subtle, you tapped his forehead gently.

“You ever gonna let me have a solo conversation again?”

He looked up at you, eyes half-closed.

“Nope.”

“Cool. Just checking.”

[b1asho]

Wof ocs: land-dwelling seawing and grounded skywing (aka Kelp and Osprey). It’s not like they Can’t swim or fly, but it’s a lot harder for them than the average joe.

I don’t have a whole lot of plot for them; they mostly just travel together avoiding the active battlegrounds and maybe help escort an ailing Mudwing kid to her family at some point. Par for the course with my ocs, they’re both losers. They initially only really hang out together for the mutual benefits: Osprey is intimidating enough to ward off most bandits by looks alone and has a more realistic approach to setting goals and general direction (filling in a leadership role and balancing out Kelp’s lack of a backbone or stranger danger sense and curbing her absurd fantasies ) while Kelp knows a little more about *how* to actually get things done and has a better approximation of people skills (filling in Osprey’s considerable gaps in knowledge about anything that’s not farm animals or military tactics and balancing out his aggressively distrustful demeanor that prevents him from asking for help. She’s also the one who can talk their way into and out of situations) they eventually figure out they’re a good team and more or less hang around each other

Right now I think the two are somewhere on the coast near the Diamond spray delta????(google map of Pyrrhia idk)

Some general info related to what’s on the page:

Every tribe has a lot of regional variety in terms of physical appearance. For skywings, the northern ones are the most populous and have united the other major aeries under the goal of pushing for imperial expansion on the side of burn. Northern skywings have the most dimorphism between males and females as well as the brightest colors out of the skywing region types (females have a very distinct reddish orange coloring while males have duller browns and yellows, as opposed to ospreys group where it’s switched to darker brown f vs lighter brown m) This is because they have the most unbalanced parental care system, where the male raises the chicks alone while the female leaves. No matter the type of physical difference, the social separation is ever present and more or less as extreme (completely matriarchal). An aerie is a nesting area for a group of related individuals, where there is one dominant female, a pool of married-in males (one is chosen every season to be the matriarchs pair), some other female subordinates, and the matriarchs kids (including some adult males). Females are leaders, hunters, and providers while the males do menial labor or domestic, and craft tasks. Among all skywing ethnicities, there are cases of males being born with female coloring or vice versa. Males with female coloring do not have a place in society according to their rules, since they look like a female but can’t lay eggs (meaning they are ‘broken’ in the eyes of their peers. They can’t even participate in making eggs because that would look gay and I’m deciding that theyre homophobic for fun/because of the sanctity they put on the hetero-ness of their everything). They’d normally just be driven out in bigger northern aeries, but Osprey is an exception because of his slightly different culture and because his group needed every worker they could get to survive on their land (he was kinda just treated like a defective female that has to work with the males. Not fun). A female with male coloring is more tolerated ONLY if they stay celibate and out of the way of the “real” females (often, they are just put in all-female homes as an attendant). Ospreys aerie was a small and rural one that practiced subsistence herding/hunting, so it wasn’t hard for a northern recruiter to strong-arm them with a little military coercion and cash into giving up their eligible youths for the draft. He didn’t really feel a particularly strong bond with any of his family group due to their previously described sentiments towards his condition, but it’s still a blow to the ego to know that they sold him off to die for not even one iron ingot. He got lucky with the force he was taken into (they got bronze swords and leather armor, which is more than some other skywing soldiers) but not so lucky with the area he was sent to (Sandwing ambush). After being badly wounded and finding out he was the only survivor, he fled rather than going back to a northern base and has been evading capture (and execution) since. The lack of depth perception/decreased vision in general means he can seriously mess up landing and taking off in crowded areas like a forest, and can’t do a lot of complicated maneuvers anymore. Despite already being jaded and cynical at his big teen age, he’s not really equipped to be on his own at all and has been thrown off the deep end in terms of experiencing the world for the first time.

Seawings live in pods of family members and some outsiders. Unlike other dragons, they are actually led by a pair-bonded male and female rather than it being a female-led harem type thing. This pair are the bulls, and they’re bigger than everyone else because of hormones (they’re the only reproductive members. This is enforced to varying degrees between pods, some larger more organized ones even have legislation about it. Homosexual activity is encouraged to prevent threats to the bulls (aka new kids or a new mating pair). Through interacting with other tribes, some of the more powerful “superpods” made up of multiple family lines have adopted a more female-dominant system where there are still physically distinct bulls but only the female does any governing. For trade and other stuff, too, pods will normally only send their female members since no one else would respect a male. Kelps pod was a mid-sized one that was technically a part of another super pod’s domain, but they only really interacted through some resource taxes and occasional new laws being delivered. Kelp was on the bottom rung of the social ladder and chafed a lot with her pod because of her general weirdness and lack of strong allegiance to her bull (her mother). She still feels sentiment towards them because they raised her, but was never able to fit in. The superpod they were under was allied with blister, making their territory a target for mudwings and skywings. Eventually, Kelp’s pod was affected by this when an ongoing battle between the superpod’s troops and some mudwings spilled into their land. The superpod forces lost and Kelps home was looted, in the process she was burned and separated from the others. For about a week she hung around tending to her own wounds to see if her pod would regroup somewhere, but eventually left to find a real doctor (trying not to think about the implications of them not coming back) it’s been about a month since then, and she has somehow been stumbling by using her craft skills. Shes been robbed several times and has only gotten away with her life thanks to the good ol tail slap+ massive seal teeth jaw strength combo (other than that all her health problems are 100x worse because she’s on land most of the time to avoid Mudwing-patrolled rivers and the hostility of other pods.) She’s never been outside her pods range before and the world is not so great, but she has a positive outlook (some might even say a foolishly optimistic one).

[dark-l-angel]

hi :)

sorry to be a bother, but i read your batfam fic with a reader that was Omnilingual. could you write more of that if you have the time? i really enjoyed it. no pressure though.

thx, xoxo

Batfam x Omnilingual reader - Part 3

~ Batcave 3:47pm ~

The Batcave was quiet, save for the usual hum of computers and the occasional screech of Batarangs being thrown for practice. You were sitting at the computer terminal, trying to decode yet another criminal message. It was written in a language that you could understand, but it was so ridiculously complex that you almost felt like the criminal had thrown in a few extra words just to mess with you.

Tim was the first to approach, his usual curiosity painted on his face. "Find anything interesting?" he asked, peering over your shoulder. "Or are you just making random noises like a language professor on a caffeine high?"

You didn’t miss a beat. "Actually, I think this person’s throwing in fake words just to confuse me. It’s like a word salad with extra dressing. At this point, I’m ready to start translating it into interpretive dance just to get a clue."

Tim raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. "Please don’t. I don't think the world is ready for that level of chaos."

"Oh, it’d be beautiful" you replied, tapping away at the keys with dramatic flair. "I’d call it ‘The Dance of the Caffeinated Linguist."

Just as Tim was about to respond, Dick swung down from the rafters.. like he always did because of course he’d choose the most dramatic entrance. "What’s this? A new level of chaos in the Batcave?" he asked with mock seriousness. "You should warn me before you start a new performance art project."

"Oh, it’s coming," you said, a wicked grin spreading across your face. "I’m going to perform a reading of this criminal’s gibberish in a Shakespearean accent. It’s going to be a masterpiece."

"Can we not?" Tim muttered, holding up his hands like he was trying to ward off an invisible threat. "I’m still recovering from last week’s 'Ancient Languages Karaoke Night'."

"Fine" you sighed, pretending to pout. "I’ll save it for when we catch the criminal. It’ll be my Oscar-winning moment."

Dick shot a look at Tim, then back at you. "I’m just glad someone’s keeping things entertaining around here. But seriously, can you get this solved before Gotham becomes the first city to be attacked by interpretive dance?"

"Look, I’m on it, okay?" you replied, clicking through a few more tabs. "But this person clearly thinks they’re the next Da Vinci of wordplay, and I’m just trying to figure out if they’re trying to steal Gotham’s finest art or if they just really hate linguistics."

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the Batcave. "It’s not the art you need to worry about" Bruce grumbled as he stepped into view. "It’s the fact that this is all part of a larger plan."

You spun around in your chair, dramatically raising an eyebrow. "You mean this whole thing wasn’t just a convoluted riddle meant to entertain me?"

Bruce didn’t even flinch. "No. It was a convoluted riddle meant to get us all tangled in their web. And you’re the one who has to untangle it."

Tim leaned in close, smirking. "So... no interpretive dance then?"

Bruce shot him a look that would make lesser mortals cower. "If you’re looking for something to do, I suggest you start training. And for the record, 'language of the heart' is not an acceptable tactic to save Gotham."

You grinned. "But you’re missing the point. If the criminal is using this mess of words, it’s only because they know I’m the best at untangling it. I’ll solve this. And when I do, you’ll all be bowing at my linguistic feet."

Dick shook his head. "You’re going to end up making us feel bad about being linguistically inferior, aren’t you?"

You gave him an innocent look. "Oh, I would never. But you do have a point about the interpretive dance. I think it could be a group project."

Dick sighed, knowing he was never going to escape that idea. "I’m going to need a drink after this."

"So," you said, spinning dramatically in your swivel chair, "I’ve successfully translated the entire message from the suspect into : drumroll.. Basque, Japanese, Aramaic, and... interpretive emoji."

Part 4 cuz I'm generous 💖

~ Batcave 4:23pm ~

Dick, leaning on a table with his arms crossed and a look of pure I-can’t-do-this-right-now on his face, blinked slowly. "Interpretive emoji. You translated a criminal manifesto into emoji?"

You grinned proudly. "Yes. For clarity. Look.. see?" You flicked the screen to show your masterpiece.

There, in all its chaotic glory:

Knife. Fire. Cat with monocle. Dancing man. Explosion. Bread. Upside-down smile.

Jason, standing in the back like a deeply disrespected Greek chorus, groaned. "What the hell am I even looking at? Is this a threat? A menu? A rave invite?"

"I think it’s a threat and a rave invite," you said, dead serious. "Possibly catered."

Bruce walked in just in time to hear that. He stared. Then turned slowly to Alfred, who just sighed and silently handed him a stress ball.

"You’re playing with us" Damian said flatly from his corner of the Batcave, where he was cleaning his sword with a focus that screamed don't test me. "This is clearly a joke."

"It’s not!" you said, slightly offended. "I triple-verified the syntax! That monocle cat? It represents a code phrase in underground Polish slang that translates roughly to: (I see you, rich man.) It's poetic."

Damian blinked. "You made that up."

You stared back with a completely straight face. "You can't prove that."

Tim stormed in with a Red Bull in one hand and stress in the other. "Guys. While you were doing whatever this is" he gestured to the emoji threat, "I was tracking the suspect's GPS, and guess what? He's headed toward Gotham Library. Probably looking for a Rosetta Stone to keep up with you."

You gasped. "He’s challenging me to a duel of tongues."

"No. No one said that." Tim pinched the bridge of his nose. "No one wants that."

Jason clapped his hands once. "Alright. So the plan is : we follow the emoji trail of destruction, beat the crap out of a multilingual maniac, and let you finish your artistic interpretation project back here in peace."

"Exactly!" you beamed.

"God help us" Bruce muttered, already moving toward the Batmobile.

You hopped up and skipped after them. "Wait, wait! I can do live translations in the field. I just need-"

"No more emojis!" the entire Batfam shouted in sync, their voices echoing in the Batcave like a choir of traumatized brothers.

You paused. Thought about it. "…Okay. What about charades?"

Jason actually tripped.

[magical-awesome-kid]

“Wait, but you have never mentioned this before???”

“Probably because you haven’t had enough loops until now.” He says as he goes for his chips. He’d been eating the same lunch for every day that I’d seen him for however many days that I’d just come to work instead of trying something insane. “Usually around a hundred and fifty, the looper gets this weird light in their eyes.”

I blinked. Light?

I pulled out my phone, turning on the selfie camera to look.

“Won’t work with tech, and it’s really subtle.” He stuck his sandwich in his mouth, holding it there as he rustled around in his bag. He pulled out a small compact, popping it open to reveal a mirror.

In all the time that I’d known Alex, he’d never used make-up, and he wasn’t currently dating anyone who might have, as far as I knew.

I took the mirror and, when I looked… huh.

Yeah. There was something in my eyes.

“How’d you know to look for it?” I said as I passed back the compact. “How did you even know what to look for???”

“You’re, like, the thirtieth person I’ve seen this happen to.” He shrugged. “Lost count.”

“Seriously????”

“I think I’m cursed or something. I draw people to me who get stuck in weird time quangles.”

“What’s a time quangle?”

“It’s like a regular quangle, but then you do it to time.”

That answered absolutely nothing, but I had a feeling that he wouldn’t elaborate.

“So then, what do I do?”

Alex hummed. “Could be a lot of things. Loaned my list to Traci last week, so I’ll need to check my home computer.” He pulled out a slip of paper and a pen. He wrote down a number and handed it to me. “Call me as soon as you wake up tomorrow, when I’m still home. Unless it’s Saturday, then don’t worry about it.”

I blinked at him. “What, you think it will just stop? Why?”

“Sometimes, just making me aware breaks the occurrence. I’ve got a support group for the loopers, and it builds community? Don’t know.”

I took the number, expecting to wake up tomorrow and it being Friday again.

On Monday, I asked about the support group. Apparently, I was, indeed, just lonely and feeling isolated, and reaching out for help was my step to escaping.

At least, that’s what my new therapist said. She specialized in loopers, apparently.

"You're stuck in some sort of time loop, aren't you," your friend said nonchalantly before taking a bite of their burger. You immediately wonder how they knew...

[casssmalefantasy]

team usa: the series — paige bueckers x oc!

vi. off days and what comes after — team usa is winding down. the future feels too close. the games slow down, the nights get longer, and ivy and paige ask the hardest question: what now?

s: the end of camp is creeping closer. ivy and paige are no longer dancing around each other, but the fear of what happens next lingers heavy in the air. on an off day full of team bonding and quiet moments, conversations get deeper.

w: emotional vulnerability, fear of change, team bonding, fluff, established tension, soft affection, slow pacing, college talk, soft moments, internal conflict, and azzi being azzi

word count: 3.8K

last part | final part

part six: “off days and what comes after”

ivy’s pov

there’s a weird stillness in the air.

not in the quiet kind of way. it’s loud—girls yelling over each other, someone singing along to the aux, sneakers squeaking against the gym floor as we pack up. but it still feels like something’s shifting. like something’s ending.

and maybe that’s because it is.

“we’ve got a full off day tomorrow,” coach yells over the noise. “team bonding activities. don’t be late.”

groans and cheers mix together. someone yells “let’s gooo” like it’s summer camp, and i guess in some ways it is. but i feel it. in my chest, in my stomach. team usa is winding down. and i’m not ready.

i glance across the court. paige is laughing at something azzi said, one hand on her hip and the other holding a water bottle like it’s the most natural thing in the world. like we’re not all secretly terrified of what comes next.

we’re not dancing around each other anymore. we share the same bed now without the space between us. she’ll grab my hand without thinking. i’ll look at her too long and not care if anyone sees. we’re not labeling it—but it’s real.

still, there’s this question sitting at the back of my mind: what happens when the summer ends?

paige’s pov

“team obstacle course?” azzi reads off the itinerary. “what are we, ten?” she says annoyed.

“you’re just mad you’ll lose,” i say, bumping my shoulder against hers.

“no, i’m mad i have to wake up at seven for a ropes course in the woods,” she mutters.

the bus ride to the activity site is loud. our group’s split into teams for some team-building thing coach swears will be fun and character-building. i’m half paying attention—half watching ivy two rows ahead of me, her head leaned against the window, airpods in.

sometimes it hits me out of nowhere: i really, really like her.

and not just the fun parts. i like her when she's quiet. when she's stressed. when she's tired and leaning her head on my shoulder and pretending she's not falling asleep. and that scares the hell out of me because we never talked about what happens next.

i think about the convo we had a few nights ago when we talked for hours about everything and anything.

flashback scene

paige’s pov

the hotel was quiet.

not the creepy kind of quiet—just late. like everyone had already crashed and the building itself was finally exhaling. i found ivy sitting in one of the small seating areas near the elevators. fake fireplace on. vending machines humming behind her. she was curled up on the couch, hoodie pulled over her head, tapping at her phone screen like she wasn’t expecting anyone to show up.

“you disappeared after dinner,” i said.

she looked up. didn’t flinch. didn’t fake a smile. just kind of… scooted to the side to make room.

“couldn’t sleep,” she said, voice low. “figured sitting still might trick my brain.”

i sat down beside her. not too close. not far either.

we didn’t say anything for a second. just let the quiet be quiet.

“you always do that?” i asked. “go sit somewhere until your brain catches up?”

ivy shrugged. “sometimes. sometimes i just lay there until the sun comes up and pretend that counts.”

i smiled, even though it wasn’t funny. “that bad?”

she nodded, picking at the drawstring of her hoodie. “it used to be worse.”

i didn’t press. just waited.

and after a while, she looked up at me like she’d already decided to say it.

“i started playing ball because of my mom,” she said. “not because she pushed me. because she didn’t.”

i tilted my head. “what do you mean?”

ivy leaned back into the cushion, eyes on the ceiling. “she raised me and my brothers alone. worked double shifts at the hospital. we’d get picked up from school by our neighbor or sometimes just wait for her in the parking lot. one day she showed up late—like really late—and i saw her crying behind the wheel. i’d never seen her cry before.”

my stomach clenched. “damn.”

“i asked what was wrong,” she continued. “she just said she was tired. not sick, not sad—tired. and it hit me that all she ever did was give. and i wanted to give something back. i wanted to be good at something. to make her proud.”

i nodded slowly. “so you picked up a basketball.”

she smiled, just a little. “i was nine. the court near our apartment had a bent rim and half the chain net missing. but i went out there every day. shot bricks for a week straight before i even hit the backboard.”

i laughed gently.

“my brother finally took pity on me and showed me how to actually shoot,” she said. “i got better. fast. and she started coming to games. sometimes straight from work, still in scrubs. and every time i looked at her in the stands, i felt like… maybe i was helping her breathe easier.”

i didn’t realize i was holding my breath until i let it go.

“you ever tell her that?” i asked.

she shook her head. “no. not out loud. but i think she knows.”

i sat there for a minute, the weight of her words still sinking in.

“you’re a really good daughter,” i said quietly.

ivy turned to look at me. “you think?”

“yeah. and a really good teammate. even when you drive me insane.”

she grinned, nudging my leg with hers. “ditto.”

i leaned back, looking at the ceiling too. “my parents split when i was little. like, really little. i don’t even remember what it was like with both of them in the house.”

ivy turned her body toward me more.

“i live with my dad, step mom, step brother, and my little brother, drew,” i said. “my mom moved to montana and i stayed in minnesota. we talk. not every day, but… enough. she’s great, honestly. just—wasn’t great with my dad.”

“that hard?”

i shrugged. “at first, yeah. i didn’t get why they couldn’t figure it out. but now? i kind of appreciate having both of them separately. like, i get different versions of support. my dad’s like… the ‘run-it-back-what-did-you-do-wrong’ postgame talk guy. and my mom’s the one who texts me poems and song lyrics and tells me to take a deep breath.”

ivy smiled. “you’re lucky.”

“i know,” i said. “and i’m grateful that they’re still friends and that my mom comes to some of my games, whenever she can.”

she nodded, eyes soft. “that’s sweet.”

we went quiet again, but it wasn’t heavy. it felt okay. like we’d earned the silence between us. like it didn’t need to be filled.

“what’d you want to be before basketball?” she asked suddenly.

i blinked. “before?”

“yeah. before you knew you were good.”

i laughed. “an astronaut. or a zookeeper. i had a weird phase.”

ivy grinned. “i wanted to be a writer. used to make up these fake mystery stories about my teachers being secret spies. one time i turned one in for a book report instead of doing the actual assignment.”

“what’d you get?”

“an f. and a note home.”

i laughed so hard i leaned into her, shoulder brushing hers. she didn’t move.

“you ever think about what happens after all this?” she asked softly.

“like, after the season?”

“after the tournament. the team. the summer.”

i exhaled, the air catching in my chest. “yeah. all the time.”

“me too,” she said. “but tonight, i’m just glad we’re here.”

i looked at her, and for once, she didn’t look away.

“me too,” i whispered.

end of flashback

—

ivy’s pov

the ropes course is dumb.

it’s dumb, hot, and everyone’s yelling—and i kind of love it.

azzi’s stuck in a tire swing. someone just tried to army crawl under a net and lost a shoe. jordan and caitlin are arguing about whether or not someone cheated during the plank challenge. the sun is brutal, my shirt’s sticking to my back, and everything smells like dirt and sunscreen.

paige is on the other side of the course, helping one of the younger players up a wall. she’s so gentle. so patient. like the world slows down for her when she’s helping someone else. like she’s not even thinking about the heat or the yelling or the way her knee’s probably aching from all the climbing—we’ve all been sore for days—but she’s still just there, palms up, steady, saying, “you’ve got it. just one more step. i got you.”

i’m watching her when azzi’s voice breaks right into my ear.

“you’re staring”

i jump, elbowing her lightly. “shut up.”

she grins, completely unbothered, dirt on her cheek and a leaf in her hair. “you know she’s down bad too, right?”

i roll my eyes. “how would you know?”

“because i’ve known her since she was fourteen and awkwardly tried to flirt with a girl asking if gatorade was a good pregame drink.” she pauses. “then tried to impress her by telling her she could recite every WNBA team in alphabetical order.”

i blink at her. “did it work?”

“shockingly, no.” azzi smirks. “but my point is—this? whatever this thing is between you two? it’s not in your head. it’s real. and it’s probably the most focused i’ve seen her be all summer.”

i chew on the inside of my cheek, eyes flicking back toward the wall. paige is laughing at something now, brushing dirt off her hands, her braid slipping over her shoulder. she looks… happy.

"you two are different now," she says after a moment. "not just the sneaking around and the tension—like, real different. lighter. like you both finally stopped pretending you didn’t want this.”

i feel myself soften. “we did,” i admit. “stop pretending.”

azzi studies me for a second, the teasing edge in her expression softening. “then why do you look like you’re bracing for something?”

i shrug, eyes still on paige. she’s laughing at something the kid says, that soft crinkle in her nose showing. “because i don’t know what happens when this is over.”

“team usa?” azzi asks, gently.

“yeah.” i swallow. “when we go back home. when it’s school and teams and miles between us again. when this—whatever this is—doesn’t have a hotel hallway two doors down and shared practices five times a week.”

azzi leans back against the ropes post, arms crossed. “you really think that’s all it is?”

“no,” i say quickly. “i just… i don’t want it to be. and that kind of terrifies me.”

“it’s not nothing, ivy.”

i glance at her. “i know it’s not. that’s the problem. if it was nothing, i wouldn’t care what comes next.”

azzi’s quiet for a beat. then she says, “maybe it doesn’t have to be some huge what-comes-next thing. maybe it just is what it is right now—and you trust her enough to let it be real today.”

i let her words settle. they don’t fix anything. but they make something loosen in my chest.

“you’re way too good at this,” i mutter.

“i literally got stuck in a tire swing,” she replies flatly. “don’t give me that much credit.”

i laugh, for real this time. across the course, paige looks up. like she felt it. she meets my eyes—and smiles.

i don’t look away.

not this time.

azzi’s pov (ooo. words might be slightly different)

the ropes course is dumb.

it’s dumb, hot, and smells like dirt and teenage sweat. someone’s lost a shoe under the net crawl, jordan and caitlin are two seconds away from throwing hands over a plank challenge, and i’m currently trying to extract myself from a tire swing like it’s quicksand.

character-building, my ass.

but when i finally wriggle free and brush off the leaves sticking to my shirt, i spot ivy a few yards ahead—still as anything, eyes locked on the other side of the course.

it doesn’t take a genius to know what (or who) she’s looking at.

i follow her gaze.

paige.

she’s helping one of our teammates climb the wall, her braid’s falling over her shoulder, and her knee’s probably throbbing like the rest of ours, but she doesn’t seem to care. she’s just... there. calm. grounding.

and ivy?

oh, she’s gone.

i walk up beside her and lean in. “you’re staring.”

she jumps a little, elbowing me without taking her eyes off paige. “shut up.”

i grin, not remotely offended. “you know she’s down bad too, right?”

she rolls her eyes. “how would you know?”

“because i’ve known her since she was fourteen and awkwardly tried to flirt with a girl asking if gatorade was a good pregame drink.” i pause “then tried to impress her by telling her she could recite every WNBA team in alphabetical order”

flash back scene

we were at this weekend tourney in minnesota. summer heat, middle-of-nowhere gym, every kid trying to act like they were one step from going pro.

paige was still new to our travel team—quiet, serious, already scary good—but completely clueless when it came to literally anything that wasn’t basketball.

and apparently, flirting.

i remember we were sitting on the sideline during a break, dripping sweat and chugging water. coach was off talking to someone, and the rest of the team was joking around near the bleachers. paige had been eyeing one of the new girls on our team cameron for a full ten minutes. she was maybe sixteen, definitely cute, but older, but none of that seemed to matter to fourteen-year-old paige.

“you think gatorade’s, like, a good pregame drink?” she blurted, out of nowhere.

cameron blinked, confused. “…uh, yeah? i guess.”

“cool,” paige said. “i thought so too.”

then she immediately turned bright red and refused to speak for the next thirty minutes.

i damn near choked on my granola bar.

but the best part came later, when we were packing up and cameron walked by. paige got that look again—wide-eyed, focused, like she was studying game film—and said, watch this.

she walks straight up to cameron, stands like two feet in front of her, and goes:

“there are twelve WNBA teams. want me to name them in alphabetical order?”

cameron blinks and says, “um… okay?”

paige took a deep breath. “atlanta dream. chicago sky. connecticut sun. dallas wings. indiana fever. las vegas aces. los angeles sparks. minnesota lynx. new york liberty. phoenix mercury. seattle storm. washington mystics.”

cameron just nodded politely and walked off. didn’t even say thanks.

paige stood there like she just dropped the coldest pickup line in existence.

i couldn’t even be mad. it was so earnest. i laughed so hard i nearly pulled something.

end of flashback

ivy blinks. “did it work?”

“shockingly, no.”

she laughs under her breath, but it’s tight around the edges. i can see it. the way her jaw’s set. the way her arms are folded too tight across her chest.

“but my point is,” i say, watching paige brush dirt off her hands, “this thing between you two? it’s not just in your head. it’s real. and honestly, i think it’s the most focused i’ve seen her all summer.”

ivy doesn’t say anything right away. her gaze stays fixed on paige, soft in a way i’m not sure she even notices.

“you two are different now,” i add. “not just the sneaking glances and near-kisses and all the stuff you think i haven’t noticed. it’s like... lighter. like you both stopped pretending you didn’t want this.”

“we did,” she says eventually, voice barely above a whisper. “stop pretending.”

i study her for a second. the sharp edges are still there, but they’ve dulled. she looks like she’s finally breathing again. like she wants to be happy. but still, there’s this shadow in her expression.

“then why do you look like you’re bracing for something?”

she shrugs, doesn’t look at me. “because i don’t know what happens when this is over.”

“team usa?”

she nods. “yeah. when we go back home. when it’s school and schedules and miles again. when it’s not a hotel two doors down and practice every morning and this… easy thing we’ve built.”

my heart tugs a little for her.

i know what she’s saying without her needing to spell it out.

“you really think that’s all this is?” i ask, gently.

“no.” she swallows. “i just… i don’t want it to be. and that kind of terrifies me.”

i lean back against a rope post, letting the sun burn into my shoulders. “it’s not nothing, ivy.”

she glances over at me, face open and raw. “i know it’s not. that’s the problem. if it was nothing, i wouldn’t care what comes next.”

i breathe out slowly. “maybe it doesn’t have to be some big, scary what comes next. maybe it just is what it is right now. and maybe that’s enough.”

she doesn’t answer right away, but her shoulders drop the tiniest bit. something settles in her.

“you’re way too good at this,” she mutters.

“i literally got stuck in a tire swing,” i reply flatly. “don’t give me that much credit.”

she laughs for real this time—small and bright and real. i don’t say anything else. i just look at her, and then at paige, and then back again.

and when paige glances up, right in sync, like she could feel that laugh across the course?

she smiles

✦ ✦ ✦

paige’s pov

later, after dinner, it’s just me and ivy sitting on the grass behind the rec center. the sky’s this soft blue-orange and everyone else is inside playing card games or facetiming family. it’s quiet here. finally.

“i don’t want this to end,” ivy says, barely above a whisper.

“me either.”

we sit in that silence. bugs buzzing somewhere, a breeze shifting the air, my fingers brushing hers.

“what happens when we go home?” she asks, eyes still on the sky. “what do we even call this?”

“i don’t know,” i admit. “but i want it to be something.”

she looks at me then. “yeah?”

“yeah,” i say. “i know we said we shouldn’t get caught up in this. but i am. i’m already caught.”

her fingers tighten around mine.

“me too,” she says, voice barely there, like she’s scared it’ll crack if she tries louder. like saying it out loud makes it real.

i look at her for a moment longer, memorizing her face. like i’m trying to press this version of her— soft, honest, hers — into my memory.

i don’t say anything right away. just let the silence stretch a little, comfortable in it now.

“it’s been you this whole time,” i say finally, my voice low, like a secret i don’t want anyone else to hear. “even when we were pretending we weren’t anything. even when we tried to act normal. it’s still you.”

ivy swallows hard. “i thought… if i said something, it’d mess it all up.”

i shake my head, take ivy’s hand in mine. “no. pretending messed it up worse.”

then we’re both quiet again. and ivy shifts closer, barely enough for our knees to brush.

“i don’t wanna go back to the way things were before this summer,” ivy whispers. “i don’t wanna leave and wonder what we could’ve been.”

“then don’t,” i say. “don’t wonder.”

it’s not a question. not a plea. just a soft, steady promise.

and she’s leans in, like the answer’s always been written in the way i look at her. our foreheads press together first, then our noses brush. and when we finally kiss—slow, warm, and unafraid— it feels like choosing something real. something that matters.

when we pull back, ivy’s eyes are glassy.

“what happens next?” she asks, voice cracking just slightly.

i brush a thumb over her cheek. “we figure it out. together.”

ivy nods—and we just sit there because maybe team usa is ending, but whatever this is? it’s just beginning.

so for now sharing the same air was enough.

authors note: we are nearing the end of this series omg 🥲

[bonzirelle]

Out Of Sync

paring: idol!bangchan x reader

genre: angst, fluff

warnings: cursing(like two), arguing(idk if that counts), kissing

summary: Chan’s been pushing himself to the edge for the sake of the group, while you’re growing more and more worried about his mental health. But all he sees is the music—the deadlines, the pressure, the need to keep going. Your concerns don’t match his priorities, and slowly, it starts to pull your relationship apart.

dolle’s note: i wrote one little channie’s room reference..please lmk if you saw it!!

✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧

It’s close to one in the morning and you were getting more tired with every second that passed by. Eyes dropping ever few minutes and everything was going quiet, well, everything except for the sound of Chan humming a melody to himself while tapping a pencil against his mini notebook. Usually this wouldn’t worry or bother you, his work never really has, but lately it’s getting to a point. He damn near stays up until sunrise and some days he doesn’t even come home from the studio. You’re lucky Jisung practically dragged him out of the room, or else you knew he would still be in there pushing himself to the brink of passing out.

You knew about Chan’s passion for music, it’s never been hidden. You would actually be more concerned if he didn’t mention music for a day. You’ve always supported him and his decisions when it comes to music writing and producing, you always have so it would be kind of weird to you if you didn’t. But more frequently you’ve been second guessing letting him stay up late like this. He stays in the studio for a whole day and misses meals. You know it’s not healthy for him and he knows it too. But he’s too blinded by his love for music that he’s neglecting his own personal health.

“Chan, it’s getting late. You should come to bed.” You sounded so tired, and that’s because you were extremely exhausted.

For the first few seconds he was completely silent continuing to be hunched over a spiral notebook while writing lyrics.

“Just give me a second.”

“You said that an hour ago.”

A sigh fell from his lips, he pauses his movements for a second to see if you would say anything else, but when you didn’t he just went right back to writing as if you went basically pleading for him to lay with you. Yeah, you were worried about him and his health, but you’ve also been starting to feel much more lonely and empty lately. You didn’t want to make this about yourself so you stayed quiet not to worry or stress him out even further. After a few more moments of silence from the both of you, you wrap a throw blanket around your shoulders and get out of the bed then made your way over to his desk.

“Chan, i’ve literally been waiting for you to get in bed since you’ve come home. You came here at ten…it’s almost one in the morning.”

You watched him start to bounce his leg while you we’re talking like he was trying to distract himself from something.

“I never asked you to wait for me. You shouldn’t even be up right now. You have work in the morning, don’t let me keep you from going to sleep.”

“That’s the point, Chan. I literally can’t sleep without you.”

He started to roll his eyes as you spoke. You knew he was burning himself out but that didn’t give him the right to be annoyed at you, you didn’t do anything but wait for him. That’s what you’ve always done. Gave him time no matter what. You know no one is perfect so you ah to give him the benefit of the doubt, you wouldn’t get too snappy or angry at him for being up like this.

“Can you just leave alone for one fucking moment? God, you’re so clingy for no reason. Just go to sleep.”

His words hurt way more than they were supposed to. You’ve always looked at Chan as someone who would never say anything hurtful or mean to you. That’s how he’s always been.

“Oh, i’m clingy? God forbid i wanted to wait for my boyfriend to actually get to sleep with him.”

After you got nothing but silence from him, you scoff and go back over to your bed.

“Unbelievable,” you muttered while tucking the sheets back and wrapping yourself in them. You tried not to get too worked up over this but you just really wanted to feel Chan’s arms around you after days of him coming home late. He was like the feeling of coming home to a warm room after spending the whole day out in the cold. Still, he was being stubborn and continued to write away in his notebook instead hearing you out and acting spending some time with you and this time you just accepted it. It’s not like much would change anyway.

You fell asleep pretty quickly considering it was really late. While you began to drift off in complete silence, you felt the bed dip down beside you and a familiar scent of lemon and complete sweetness then knew it was Chan. Well, i mean who else would it have been?

“Babe..you up?” You nod your head a little, not having the strength to speak. He let out a very soft sigh through his nostrils while tucking some of your hair behind his ears. “Good night, baby…” He leans down to press a light kiss to your cheek.

He doesn’t say anything this time, just reaches over and pulls you close. You let him. His hand finds yours under the blanket, fingers lacing slowly. A shaky breath leaves his nose. Then, so soft you almost miss it—“’Night.” He presses a kiss to your temple and closes his eyes. And everything feels like it’ll be just fine.

✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆🕸️⋆⁺₊✧

[hardbeingcasual]

“wish you could see it’s been a rough ride.”

california nat scatorccio fem reader

this is how tomorrow moves masterlist

yj masterlist / masterlist

warnings. no actual warnings just : short oneshot not fully proof read.

about. you and Nat make plans for when you get rescued.

The sky glistened as you and Nat laid on the natures floor, staring up at it. The Yellowjackets decided to throw some sort of party, “Doomcoming” everyone called it, but you and Nat disappeared away from the rest of the group, though.

It was almost perfect, the soft wind blowing your hair everywhere, the cold air nipping at your skin and causing a shiver to go throughout your body. due to the close proximity you could feel Nat’s hair tickle your shoulder from where she was laying, but you didn’t seem to mind.

Nat clears her throat, making you whip your head to her, “So,” She moves on her side, leaning her elbow on the ground and her hand supporting her head so she can look at you, “If we were to get out of here, where would you go.”

You scoff, “Well, I’ll try to graduate school, and then…” You mockingly place a finger on your chin, pondering your choices, “I’d go to california.” You shrug almost nonchalantly, making Nat raise an eyebrow.

“California?” She observes your face for a hint of lie, but can’t seem to find anything, you nod in response, dragging your eyes from the sky to find her green ones.

You shrug, “I heard it’s nice.”

Nat nods along, “Okay, sure.” She keeps your stare, afraid if she looked away just for one second you would be gone too. Everyone seemed to be dying lately… she didn’t want you to join them. She traces her fingers over your hand, hesitatingly, before capturing your hand in hers, “We will go to California, together.”

Your heartbeat echoes in your eardrums as you feel her soft skin against yours, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Okay, sounds like a plan.” You spoke nervously, hoping she didn’t hear the shaking in your voice.

Natalie smiles down at you, her smile brightening like the moon above the both of you. You swore you could get lost in her smile. You copy her, a smile on your face as you match hers.

In this moment, you hope that soon you could go home, hand in hand with Nat and make your way to California.

You want to fulfill that promise one day, sooner or later. But you knew, you needed out of the wilderness now if you wanted to keep it.

𝓃otes!

i really didn’t know what to for california by bea but i’m desperate to continue this masterlist

requests r open !

[glowettee]

✧ if i’m so dramatic, why am i always right? ✧

✦ intuition vs gaslighting ✦

hi lovelies, it’s mindy 🌷🕯 i’ve been off tumblr for a few days, things have just been really overwhelming lately, and i needed a little breather. but writing always brings me back to myself. it’s my favorite kind of comfort. the glowettee x pll series has seriously been such a joy to create… every post, every idea, every digital piece for my gumroad has been healing in its own way. this next post is something close to my heart. it’s about gaslighting... something i’ve experienced a lot, especially from people i thought i could trust. it’s such a common thing, but so many of us don’t realize it’s happening until way later. i used to second-guess my intuition constantly because people convinced me i was being “too much.” but every time… my gut was right. so i wanted to write this to help you tell the difference between real intuition and someone twisting it. if you’ve ever felt that quiet confusion or started to doubt yourself after talking to someone, this post is for you. i hope it brings clarity. and softness. and maybe even a little validation if you’ve been there too. - mindy 🤍🩰

sometimes i wonder if girls like us were born with a sixth sense or if we just got so used to being hurt that our bodies evolved. hyper-awareness as a survival trait. intuition as our most sharpened weapon. people love to call it being “dramatic,” but let’s be honest... i was right every time.

𓆩♡𓆪

❝ if you’re so emotional, how come your instincts always come true? ❞ they never have an answer to that, do they?

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✧ the 'dramatic' girl dilemma

there’s a reason why every group chat has a girl they secretly call “too much.” the one who always has a weird feeling. the one who picks up on tone shifts and changes in energy and tiny inconsistencies like it’s her full-time job. she’s the one who says, “this doesn’t feel right,” and gets labeled a buzzkill. the killjoy. the overthinker.

but i’ll let you in on something i had to learn the hard way: they only call you dramatic when they don’t want you to notice what’s really happening.

girls like us don’t get the luxury of being chill. we’re watching. always. we had to learn to be. we’re the first ones to feel the shift in a friend group dynamic. we clock the fake laugh. the silence in the hallway. the DM left on read. and when we bring it up? “you’re imagining things.”

they say "you're too sensitive" like it's a flaw. like feeling deeply makes you unreliable. but being sensitive never meant being wrong. it just meant you felt the betrayal before it became undeniable.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✧ trauma turned my gut into a siren

there’s something about growing up being ignored, bullied, overlooked, or manipulated that turns your whole nervous system into a radar. suddenly, you’re the girl who notices everything.

like, i still remember being 14 and realizing that one of my friends always laughed at my jokes in front of boys, but never when it was just us. or how she'd call me pretty but then immediately ask if i was wearing makeup. subtle stuff. stuff that sounds dumb when you say it out loud. stuff that makes people go, “you’re reading too much into it.”

but i wasn’t. i never was. that’s the exhausting part.

emotional intelligence feels like a superpower until it starts to drain you. like being psychic, but without the option to turn it off. you don’t just read the room, you analyze it, archive it, cross-reference it with past data.

i used to hate this part of myself. now i know it kept me alive.

you’re not paranoid. you’re perceptive. there’s a difference.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✧ you knew, even when it didn’t make sense

sometimes your body knows things before your brain catches up. your heart races before he lies. your stomach drops before the betrayal hits. you get that pit-in-your-stomach feeling and then brush it off, until the truth slaps you a week later.

trust me, i’ve been there. i once had a gut feeling that a friend was turning people against me... but there was no proof. just a weird energy. until one day, someone accidentally sent me a screenshot that wasn’t meant for me. and suddenly the feeling made sense.

they call it “bad vibes.” i call it early intel.

start decoding the patterns:

the too-long pause before answering your question

the “i didn’t mean it like that” when you call it out

the subtle digs framed as compliments

the way people say your name when they think you’re not listening

you noticed for a reason. trust the noticing.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✧ what gaslighting actually feels like

gaslighting doesn’t always sound like “you’re crazy.” sometimes it sounds like “you’re overreacting,” or “you always assume the worst,” or “why do you make everything a problem?”

but the worst kind of gaslighting is the kind you do to yourself. when you feel the red flags and immediately shut yourself down. when your first instinct is right, but your second thought is “i’m just being dramatic.” that’s emotional self-betrayal. it hurts. a lot.

i once told a guy that something felt off, he’d been cold, weird, distant. he said i was insecure. i said sorry. two weeks later, i found out he’d been seeing someone else the whole time. lesson learned: don’t apologize for what your body already knows.

you can’t logic your way out of a feeling that was never lying to you in the first place.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✧ intuitive doesn’t mean irrational

“dramatic” is just a word they use to discredit girls who are too emotionally accurate to manipulate.

your feelings are data. emotions are not the opposite of intelligence, they’re the early warning system. they tell you what’s not being said. they tell you what the energy in the room is doing. they tell you the truth before the truth shows its face.

what if you’re not “too much,” what if you’re just always one step ahead?

what if the real problem isn’t that you feel too deeply, but that you feel accurately, and that makes people uncomfortable?

i’m reclaiming the word dramatic. to be dramatic is to see danger before it arrives. to feel something shift before it collapses. to be emotionally clairvoyant. and i think that’s beautiful.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✧ how to protect your knowing

your intuition deserves protection. here’s how i keep mine sacred:

✧ journal your gut feelings ~ even if they don’t make sense yet. time-stamp them. track patterns. ✧ make a screenshots folder ~ for receipts, subtle shifts, digital clues. memory gaslights too. ✧ create a ‘weird vibes’ note in your phone ~ no explanation needed. if something feels off, log it. ✧ meditate or walk after intense conversations ~ let your body process what your mind can’t yet. ✧ check in with your inner child ~ would 13-year-old you trust this person? she knows. always.

𓆩 ritual for the emotionally haunted 𓆪 › write down a time you were right, but told you were wrong › throw it away, or rip it up › whisper “i trust myself now.” › repeat every time the world tries to confuse you.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✧ you weren’t crazy, you were correct, and ahead

they’ll tell you you’re crazy until the moment you’re proven right. they’ll call you dramatic until the danger becomes undeniable. they’ll gaslight you until the truth surfaces, and then pretend they never doubted you at all.

the girls who trust themselves become the women no one can lie to. so feel everything. sense everything. believe yourself.

being dramatic is how you survived the world they tried to confuse you in.

and if you’re always the first to notice the danger, maybe it’s not a flaw. maybe it’s your gift. maybe it’s what will save you.

✧ love always, mindy

[dragoneyelashart]

ᯓ★ the summer we lost • chapter 3

summary: it was supposed to be the perfect summer—just before college, you and your online friend "william" had planned out meeting this summer, but everything came to a screeching halt when your parents dropped the bomb that you had to get a job at a family friend’s dance studio. so instead of having fun, you’re stuck teaching kids who can barely stay on their feet, alongside a girl you can’t stand. now, while your friends are living their summer, you’re tangled up in a mess of pirouettes, bratty 7-year-olds, and a summer you’ll never get back. warnings: angst | mature language | sexual content | substance consumption

authors note: so chapter 3 is hereee wc: 2.9k

the summer we lost masterlist

your alarm doesn’t go off. mostly because you didn’t set one. today’s your first official day off in weeks, and you’re clinging to every second of it like it’s oxygen.

the sun leaks through your blinds in soft golden strips, warming your pillow, and for the first time all week, you don’t feel like you’re already late to something. no screaming children. no ballet shoes. no billie.

just silence, a little bird outside your window, and the familiar buzz of your phone lighting up with a text.

aaliyah: r u alive?

you smile, thumb already typing back.

you: barely. just woke up. what’s up

aaliyah: party’s tonight, remember?? don’t be lame

you stare at the screen for a second, brain still half-asleep.

you: oh god that’s tonight?

aaliyah: YES. u said u were coming. dress nice, something slutty or mysterious idk like u just murdered a man in monaco

you: what does that even mean

aaliyah: just be hot. i’ll pick you up at 7

you throw your phone onto the bed and roll over, groaning into your sheets. you had agreed to the party, mostly out of guilt and aaliyah’s persistence, but partially because she was your best friend. she threw one every summer, and missing it was borderline criminal in your friend group.

and maybe you could use the distraction.

you check your messages again—just one from your mom (asking about laundry), and a tiny, familiar one from “w.”

w: you better tell me everything about this party. i’m already mad i can’t be there to crash it

you: you’d probably find a way to spike the punch and start a rumor

w: obviously 🙄 

her messages feel like a hug. like a little invisible thread tugging at the edge of your world, pulling you back when things get too overwhelming.

you: kinda nervous though. idk why. haven’t been out in forever

w: ok so we’re u in hibernation, maybe you just love my company so much

you: 😒

w: pretend you're in a coming-of-age movie or something

you: what if i am

w: then i’m the hot mysterious love interest who shows up halfway through

you laugh, dropping your phone onto your pillow. maybe tonight won’t suck after all.

aaliyah picks you up at 7 just like she said and you both make your way to the house the party was going to be at. the music’s loud, a pulsating beat that vibrates through the floor and into your chest, but you can barely hear it over the buzz in your head. there’s a weird tension hanging in the air, something thick that you can’t quite put your finger on, but it’s making your skin crawl.

you’re standing by the drinks, trying to keep your mind distracted. aaliyah's next to you, her hand wrapped around her red cup but not really drinking, her gaze locked onto the door as if she’s anxiously waiting for the something.

the door opens, and a few people trickle in, but it’s the sight of them—billie and leilani—that stops aaliyah cold. your heart stutters. she’s here? just when you thought you could escape her.

billie steps inside like she’s been here a million times before, confident, almost arrogant, with that same look she always wears. but now, there’s something else to it: her arm is casually slung around leilani’s waist, pulling her close like they’ve been attached at the hip forever. 

leilani, aaliyah’s younger sister, is leaning into it, her head tilted back, laughing at something billie says. the smile on leilani’s face is too soft, too trusting. it hits you like a punch in the gut. 

"oh my god," aaliyah mutters, her voice low but sharp, enough to make you glance at her. she’s rigid, her jaw clenched, and her fists are tight at her sides. the look on her face is pure fury.

"what’s wrong?" you ask, trying to keep your voice steady, but something about the situation has your heart racing.

aaliyah doesn’t even look at you, her eyes glued to the pair at the door. "isn’t that your sister?" you ask, your voice unsure. you grew up with aaliyah’s family, how could someone so innocent, like leilani be with someone like billie, stuck up, arrogant and just downright rude. 

"yeah," aaliyah bites out, barely looking at you, her eyes still locked on them. "what the fuck is she doing" she says the words like they're coated in venom, the anger seeping through each syllable. 

“and why is she with billie,” she spits the name like it’s something sour. “that bitch i was telling you about.”

you blink, not sure what to say. you glance back toward billie and leilani, who are still standing in the doorway, billie’s arm wrapped tighter around leilani, her fingers grazing the skin of her side. it’s casual, but it looks so much more than that. billie’s body language is too comfortable, too intimate for something that should be so new. she doesn’t even seem to notice the looks she’s getting, strolling in like she owns the place.

“she’s such a big player,” aaliyah continues, her voice clipped, tight with frustration. “always has been. she does this to everyone—makes them feel like they’re the only one, makes them think they’re special, then moves on like they never mattered.”

you frown, your eyes flicking back to billie’s relaxed posture, the way she’s holding leilani against her. all that, to someone so sweet as leilani? you don’t say it out loud, but the words are there, burning in the back of your mind. 

“she’s like that with everyone,” aaliyah mutters, her hands trembling just slightly as she glares at them. “you think you’re the one she’s interested in? no. none of us are. it’s all a game to her. especially leilani. i fucking warned her about this.”

your heart sinks as you take it all in—this is who billie is? this is the girl you’ve been trying to figure out, the one who’s been toying with you, too? a mix of confusion and disbelief builds in your chest, but there's also something else—a sick feeling, like a little voice telling you that this is what you signed up for. that this is what it means to get tangled in someone like billie. 

aaliyah’s voice cuts through your thoughts, sharp and angry. “and now look at her. she’s doing it to leilani, right in front of me, after everything i’ve warned her about. she thinks she’s got her all figured out, all charmed up, but it’s just another game for her.”

you glance back at billie again. she’s got this easy confidence, this air about her, but now, it’s twisted. it doesn’t look so fun anymore. your stomach twists as you realize aaliyah might be right. you’ve been just as caught up in billie’s game, maybe not in the same way leilani is, but it’s still there. that pull. that strange magnetism. 

aaliyah rolls her eyes, her lips curling in disgust as she watches billie laugh with leilani. “i’m telling you, stay away from her,” aaliyah says, her tone quiet but fierce. “don’t need her doing that to anyone else.”

you swallow hard. “how do you know this though?” the words slip out before you can stop them, the uncertainty in your voice clear even to yourself.

aaliyah doesn’t respond immediately. instead, she watches the two of them, her eyes narrowed in pure annoyance. “i—uh someone from work mentioned it the other day, something about her cheating.”

the weight of aaliyah’s words presses on you, each one landing like a stone in your chest. you didn’t want to believe it, but now it’s hard to ignore. how much of billie’s attention is real? how much of it is just part of the game she’s playing with you, too?

aaliyah doesn’t look at you as she says it, but her words land heavy between the two of you. “i hate her. and if you have any sense, you’ll stay away from her.”

you want to tell aaliyah, you want to tell her everything—that it’s not that easy to ignore her. she’s your boss, the boss you hate but that’s another story. but the words stick in your throat, tangled with all the confusion, the uncertainty, and the sudden doubt that you can’t quite shake. why was she making you feel like this? you hated her. aaliyah hated her.

the music pulses in the background, but it feels miles away now. everything feels out of reach, like you’re standing on the edge of something you can’t control. 

you look at billie again, and this time, you don’t feel the same pull you did before. it’s not the same.

“wow, you can actually talk. didn’t know that was in your skill set,” billie says, her voice dripping with amusement. she leans against the wall, arms crossed, eyes gleaming with that same mix of curiosity and sarcasm she always wears like a badge of honor.

you don’t even bother to hide the annoyance in your expression. “oh, so sorry to disappoint. i guess i didn’t realize i had to entertain you.”

billie smirks, not even the slightest bit fazed. “entertain me? i don’t know, you’re just so... quiet. my tv’s never quiet” she tilts her head, studying you like you’re some kind of puzzle she’s just dying to figure out. “thought you’d be more... dramatic, considering, you know, everything.”

you feel your patience snap, just a little. “yeah, well, you’re dramatic enough for both of us,” you mutter under your breath, crossing your arms, trying to act like you don’t care. but your heart’s racing, the pull between you and her still there, even if you’re trying to ignore it.

billie’s grin widens, clearly enjoying the way you’re reacting. “oh, trust me, i know. i’m the life of the party. but it’s cute,” she teases, her eyes scanning you for any sign of cracking. “you’re like... a little unbothered island in the middle of all this chaos. it’s kind of refreshing.”

“refreshing?” you repeat, fighting back a laugh that would just give her more satisfaction. “you mean annoying.”

billie takes a step closer, leaning in just a little too close for comfort. “sure, i could see how you'd think that. but deep down, i think you’re actually a little into the drama. just don’t want to admit it.”

“no that’s not true, fuck you’re so—" you stop yourself, not sure if you want to let her see how much she’s getting under your skin. she was still your boss and you could still very well get fired. which would mean your mom would kill you. it’s frustrating, knowing she’s messing with you, but what else could you do?

before you can finish, you see aaliyah marching across the room, her face tight with frustration. she’s got leilani in tow, pulling her to the side with a scowl that could freeze anyone in their tracks.

“this can’t be good,” you mutter to yourself, watching the scene unfold.

billie, of course, notices immediately, the sly grin spreading back onto her face. “uh-oh, looks like someone’s in trouble,” she says, almost a little too smug.

you can’t help but roll your eyes. “you’re so annoying,” you bite out, voice thick with irritation. “seriously, you just had to come here and mess with everyone, huh?”

billie laughs, throwing her head back like she’s actually enjoying this. “mess with everyone? babe, i’m just having fun. not my fault people can’t handle a little fun.”

“fun?” you repeat incredulously. “this isn’t funny, billie. you’re just playing with people. like leilani. do you even care about anyone, or is it just... some game to you?”

she shrugs, unbothered. “you know you’re funny y/n, acting like you care, but you and i know that you only do what’s best for yourself.” her tone is casual, almost too casual. she takes the drink out of your hand and sips out of your red cup smirking as you look at her with disgust.

“ugh. you’re unbelievable,” you mutter, trying to shove your way through the crowd, the tension in the pit of your stomach getting heavier with every word.

billie’s voice follows you, teasing, but there's something else in her tone—like she’s trying to see if you’ll bite. “oh, come on. don’t walk away from me now, you can’t avoid me the whole night you know, oh and let’s face it you’re not the perfect princess everyone thinks you are.”

you freeze, your back to her, but you don’t turn around. “you really think that’s what this is about?” you ask, barely keeping your voice steady. “not everything is about you billie, you may be my boss but honestly i couldn’t care less if you fired me.”

for a brief moment, there’s silence. then billie’s voice cuts through again, quieter this time. “yeah, you say that now. but you’ll regret it later, what will your poor mom say when she finds out her perfect daughter got fired hm baby?”

you scoff before glancing over your shoulder to find a place to escape to. just in time you see aaliyah’s hand gripping leilani’s arm, pulling her away from the crowd. leilani’s eyes flicker with guilt, but she doesn’t fight it. aaliyah’s fury is palpable from across the room.

billie watches it all with a knowing look, like she’s seen this act before. but she doesn’t say anything, nor does she care.

you can’t help but feel a little unsettled as you turn back to face her, crossing your arms again, the air between you and billie growing heavier.

you’re not sure if you should leave, if you should just walk away from all this and ignore what billie said. but then you think of what aaliyah said, and the little flicker of doubt that runs through you. is this what you want?

you exhale sharply, the frustration bubbling up again, but you can’t find the words to make it go away. so you just mutter, “seriously, billie, just... leave me alone.” she raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “you sure? ‘cause the way i see it, you’re not exactly running away from me, pretty”

taglist: @amara-eilish @bilswifee @jayjaywetforbils @billieeilishismywifey @iamnicoke @st0nerlesb0 | send me an ask if you want to be added to my taglist!

[delilahsturniolo]

⟡ ݁₊ welcome to the end of the world! (please leave your sanity at the door.)

𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 . . . four friends: nick, matt, chris, and you—find themselves stuck together at the end of the world, trying to survive a zombie apocalypse with nothing but their wits, a questionable supply of snacks, and zero emotional maturity. you’re just trying to stay alive without losing your mind—or falling for someone on the team.

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 . . . mentions of blood, descriptions of a wound, romantic tension, slow burn.

CHAPTER TEN: NEW BLOOD, OLD WOUNDS

read more parts here!

you limp down the cracked sidewalk, leg aching, heart worse. the sky’s bleeding pink into a gray, tired dusk, and the group is quieter than ever. it’s like everyone’s waiting for someone else to break first. lana’s trailing behind chris and nick, arms crossed tight over her chest, eyes flicking to every shadow. she hasn’t said much since the diner, just quiet thanks and awkward silences. she doesn’t trust any of you yet, and, honestly? you don’t really trust her either.

you glance at matt. he’s walking ahead, again. not too far, but enough that it feels like a statement, a message. his jaw’s clenched. his knuckles white around his weapon. like if he just focuses hard enough, he can pretend he didn’t say something that shattered the air between you two like broken glass. and you wish you could stop replaying it…

“we kissed once. it doesn’t have to mean anything.”

it meant everything. even if he’s too afraid to admit it.

nick finally breaks the silence, walking backward like a tour guide in a war zone. “okay. i vote we find shelter and maybe have a full group therapy session, but like, in a chill, emotionally repressed way.”

“we’re not stopping yet,” matt says without looking back.“dude,” nick deadpans, “you’re limping. she’s bleeding. chris has been muttering to the cat for twenty minutes.”

“he has a name,” chris snaps, holding whiskers tighter. “and he’s helping me emotionally process our near-death experience.” lana finally speaks. “there’s a place up ahead. small house. boarded up, but i saw it on the way in. it looked empty.” matt hesitates. eyes narrow. “you’re just now mentioning that?” she shrugs. “you didn’t ask.”

nick raises a brow. “oh, cool. i love when strangers maybe lead us into traps. very fun for me personally.” but no one has a better option, so you go. the house is small. half-swallowed by vines, windows thick with grime. the door creaks open with a sound like a dying animal. but it’s quiet. still. no fresh blood, no smell of rot. for once… it feels safe.

nick checks the back, chris sets up a sleeping spot for whiskers, and lana sits in the farthest corner, hugging her knees like she wants to disappear into them. you collapse against a wall, pressing a cloth to your leg. it stings, bad. you’re trying to hide how much it hurts, but matt notices. of course he does. he crosses the room, dropping his pack next to you without saying a word. pulls out gauze. alcohol. tape. you blink at him. “i can do it myself.”

“you shouldn’t have to,” he mutters, not meeting your eyes. and before you can argue, he’s kneeling in front of you, carefully peeling back the cloth, your breath catches. because even now, even when you’re angry and hurting and full of everything you never said.

his hands are gentle.

he doesn’t look up, just focuses on the wound. “i didn’t mean to say what i said like that.” you don’t respond. he dabs the alcohol and you flinch. he curses under his breath. “sorry.”

“why’d you say it then?” you ask, voice quiet. he pauses. tape in hand. “because,” he finally says, “you make me forget that we’re not safe. that this could all be gone in a second. and i—i can’t lose you.” you swallow. “so your solution is to push me away?” he looks up at you now. eyes dark and tired and pleading. “i’m not good at this,” he says. “but i’m trying. i want you. even if it’s stupid. even if it’s risky. i just… don’t know how to be in love and be in survival mode at the same time.”

your heart stops. “in love?”

his eyes widen just slightly. like he didn’t mean to say it. like the words slipped out before he could stop them. but he doesn’t take them back. you don’t say anything, just stare at him like the floor’s disappeared under you. he finishes taping your leg, slower now. hands lingering. breath shallow.

then, suddenly—

a crash from outside.

everyone jumps. nick swears. chris grabs a pan. lana stands, wide-eyed. you freeze. matt stands, already moving toward the window. “stay here.”

“like hell i am,” you say, following him. and when you peer through the cracked slats, your blood runs cold. figures. three of them. not undead. alive. armed. heading straight for the house.

not zombies. people.

matt turns to you, low and panicked. “we’ve got company. and not the good kind.”

“you think they saw us?” as if on cue, a voice beamed from outside.

“we know you’re in there. come out with your weapons down. you’ve got ten seconds.” everyone’s frozen. you look at matt, matt looks at you back. and all of that tension, all the fear, the love, the mess of feelings…is right there between you again. he steps closer, matt grabs your hand and holds it. “if we make it out of this,” he says, “we’re not ignoring this anymore. okay?” you squeeze his hand. “okay.” the door rattles. you all lift your weapons. outside, the countdown begins.

“ten… nine… eight…”

© delilahsturniolo

[zebulontheplanet]

Thank you for making that post. I’m not disabled myself, but my brother is high support, totally nonverbal, and has literally no way of communicating with those around him except for a pictograph based AAC, which is extremely limited for obvious reasons. I’ve really felt like his specific demographic is constantly left out of conversations when it comes to disability advocacy, which is wild to me, because that’s the population most vulnerable to abuse. But it’s like a lot of people — including self advocates within the community, which is extra frustrating — are uncomfortable acknowledging the existence of people with severe intellectual or cognitive disabilities, or whose autism is severe enough to result in a physical symptoms, such as seizures, or behaviors that are disruptive or considered “unpalatable” for whatever reason. I’ve nearly thrown down with someone in person for mentioning savantism as justification for disability advocacy, and I kind of feel like the sweeping high support needs individuals under the rug in favor of low support individuals who might have the ability to live on their own, or who aren’t 24/7, two to one, or line of sight is almost another form of that. Maybe that’s a little misguided of me, but I feel like if your advocacy hinges on the ability to have any functional or “productive” skill at all, rather than on the inherent value of people as people, it isn’t fucking advocacy.

All of this. Absolutely all of this.

Thank you for saying all of this, it’s important to get perspective from families of high support needs individuals.

It’s frustrating when high support needs individuals are thrown under the rug. They are the most valuable and marginalized group within the autism community. They need to be heard and their caregivers and family need to be heard.

[celestialtarot11]

𝜗𝜚 What will they tell you? How will things move forward?

Hi friends! Welcome back to another PAC! Any and all likes, reblogs comments are appreciated! Do enjoy <3 let me know if ya’ll want an 18+ spicy tarot reading 👀

astro pt 1 || astro pt 2. || pac readings || 🤍

𝜗𝜚 Pile 1

knight of swords, the sun, 2 of wands

Hi there pile 1! Your person wants to message you right away. You two could’ve been talking about vacation, a getaway, traveling to see each other. Or in laws is what I heard. Meeting the family. Your person is super excited about this trip and to be planning it. If you haven’t heard from them it’s a yes! I see plans moving forward really fast so expect there to be a sudden rush of energy from your person. Maybe you two live at a distance right now and you two are planning a meeting. Maybe you guys want to talk about “where are we heading with this relationship” kind of talk. They are open to it and want to make this relationship go deeper <3. They are open to working with you. I don’t know if you or your person have a different cultural background, but there’s a lot of admiration here for it and a sense of “im learning so much from you” thats so cute 🤍 they are thinking of buying you flowers for those of you who are physically together with your person! They just are worried “omg so many flowers which are their favorite” 😭🤍 its so cute. They’re a little anxious in an energetic way, they have trouble sleeping because they’re so excited. I feel like this person is so nostalgic and sappy but in a cute way lol. Or—for some of you—you’re being told you received the father’s blessing of some kind. Whether in marriage, or the father approving of your connection, or an enthusiastic relationship with the father :) there will be good news and welcoming arms! Thanks so much for being here ya’ll I appreciate your support!

Craving more insights? I do personal readings too—deep, detailed, all about you. Tap [here] to get your own magical reading today! Limited spots, and I love tuning into your energy.

𝜗𝜚 Pile 2:

justice, page of cups, 2 of wands

okay pile 1 also got 2 of wands lol, but hey! Welcome to your reading 🤍 your person is thinking of reaching out—some of you may be in the early stages of this connection, or not much has happened in terms of hanging out or moving things forward. Some of you went on a few dates but it sort of fell off, due to each others schedules being different is what im hearing. Its a busy time. But you’ll be receiving a text soon about “hey, dinner?” And plans :). There’s this warm feeling, they miss you. They see this moving forward and now their schedule has cleared up. I dont know if you two are going out in a group setting or a party, but there will be an opportunity to celebrate here. Could be your birthday, or theirs, or a friend of a friend! But either way you two are excited. I see a sense of “yay I’m happy to see them again!” And its quite cute. They may surprise you with how well they can dress. I feel like your person usually is composed and put together, but with you they’re a simp. Total simp. Lmao. They can’t help it. They truly miss your energy! I also got a spicy message: “dont stop doing what you’re doing, keep doing what you do. Do you. Do you like the way I put it down on you?” It’s do you by Jay Sean. They really wanna put the moves on you!! They also really want to take their time and not mess anything up with you, i feel as though this connection is authentic to them and speaks to their inner child. Expect there to be flirtation, playfulness, making plans, etc. Thanks to everyone who helped me and this blog come a far way! <3 feel free to comment, like and reblog!

Craving more insights? I do personal readings too—deep, detailed, all about you. Tap [here] to get your own magical reading today! Limited spots, and I love tuning into your energy.

𝜗𝜚 Pile 3:

The emperor, 9 of pentacles, 10 of pentacles

Holy mommy & daddy energy. Lmao. Hey guys, right off—yeah you two have a really big dominant energy. I feel like you two are seen as a very strong couple, or have very strong potential to be a couple. But you two value your independence! This is not something you both want to compromise, and this is something you both agree on. Your person wants to continue building a stable life and relationship with you, and they may be telling you about a promotion they got at work :) either that or, “we hit xyz amount of savings we can afford a house,” or to move out! Very happy, good news. This is coming in fast, this message. I feel it’s something you both already knew would happen because you two are financially set and stable, and now its just a matter of saying yes. This could be you two moving to another place together, traveling, getting married, engaged (i didn’t wanna ruin the surprise if this is the case for ya’ll) but the big rock seems more and more likely…😂 if ya’ll aren’t going to be married yet, i see your person and you at least putting your foot down on a living space and actively working together to create a sustainable life. You two have worked so hard. I feel that they may want to take the stress of your shoulders by cooking you a nice meal, having a romantic dinner night with wine (if you drink) and food. They want to take charge for the night and show you that you don’t have to do it alone. Orrr this could be a conversation about kids. Maybe a family business. Having pets 👀 but anyway, thanks so much for being here ya’ll! Appreciate all your support.

Craving more insights? I do personal readings too—deep, detailed, all about you. Tap [here] to get your own magical reading today! Limited spots, and I love tuning into your energy.

[artsninspo]

Penname: Delta Wise [Sinners]

authors note: a quick concept I thought up after seeing the movie.

summary: 'Knotty' James owns an apothecary by day, by night she's a bestselling author who writes supernatural black novels under the name. Delta Wise. It's her deepest secret but secrets don't last for the living.

word-count: 1.9K

Knotty

I spent the first eight summers of my life next to my grandmother's rocking chair. She was the only person that was rooted enough not to leave. There was nowhere else for her to go. I was helping her cook by six and then cooking for the both of us by eight. I watched as my parents and cousins dismissed her stories, warnings and tales for nonsense but they always felt true to me where it counted. I wrote down all her stories of life in Chicago and then recorded the rest when I was old enough to have a tape recorder. I was at the retirement community just as much as I was at school. She spoke life over me and she loved me hard. By the time she died I was fifteen and ready for the world with the wisdom of two lifetimes. I was different and people could tell.

What grandma always told me was that a good woman knew how to keep a secret. I have more than my fare share. What my family doesn’t know is that granny’s stories have made me rich. While they think I’m an oddball apothecary owner with peculiar habits. Truth is I’ll never have to make another sale to survive. The doctors and the lawyers look down on me but pride isn’t safe. Neither is the glory of recognition. Grandma's stories were real, so it’s very likely the monsters in my stories are too. 

I search through my closet for something that won’t make them all look down on me too much. I make sure my figure is on display to give them something to talk about as I set my locks free from their braids. The waves cascade to my mid back. I opt for more discrete protections today slipping on pure silver rings and cuffs. Every major artery is adorned with silver from my head to my toes. I slip on a pair of boots. I pull on a light jacket to cover my back. I look at the sun setting and finish my garlic tea with a colonial silver supplement before grabbing my bag and getting into the car.

I don’t make being out after sunset a habit. But Uncle Larry is sick and it’s imperative we party before he goes. He’s grandma's younger brother from her father’s second wife. A proud man that’s done everything to leave Mississippi behind him. When I arrive at the venue there’s a cascade of cars out front. Luxury vehicles that tell the tale of triumph and resistance. When I enter, Kaya is playing the piano and I instantly feel underdressed.

“Come on Knotty, I got you” Carmen smiles, meeting me at the door. We’re equal outsiders because people don’t quite know what to think of me. They think she’s a whore like our great grandmother Pearl who ran off one evening and never came back. Only I know what a blessing that was to everyone that she went up in flames at sunrise. Grandma said she never forgot the man with the scar who’d come by to tell her daddy Pearl was gone and the fantastic tale.

“So how are sales going at the shop?” She asks.

“Good” I smile as she fusses with my hair.

“Well I have a steady trick I don’t have to do anything for now so if you need anything ask.” She says and I smile.

“Thanks Carmen,” I tell her.

“I swear it’s good money,” she says, misreading my smile.

“I believe you” I nod. I do believe her because I’m the trick. Carmen has always been kind so instead of whispering about the onlyfans link in a group chat like everyone else I made an account. I send her money and bible verses because she’s never taken the money from me otherwise. Because to ‘trick’ like I do I’d need more than apothecary. 

“I think I’m gonna quit soon. I almost have enough saved up to make a record. I’ve been taking lessons and my voice is ready. And I have enough to make a really nice music video.” She says, making me smile.

“You were ready before those lessons but I’m happy to hear and if you need anything don’t hesitate to reach out” I tell her.

“What about you and writing? Haven’t seen you with a dreamy eye gleam in front of a computer in a long time” she says and I smile.

“I wrote a herbology and healing book” I remember.

“No no, knotty. Like the big stories you used to tell when we were kids.” She says starting on my makeup.

“What about them?”

“Remember? It’s singing and you’d dream up these amazing ideas for music videos or backgrounds?” She asks like I could forget.

“I do but the apothecary and my garden takes a lot of time” I remind her and she nods.

“Well I think you should take it seriously. If you were that good then. I can imagine about now” she smiles.

“What are you not saying Carmen?” I ask, sensing there’s more to it. She sighs, taking a kindle from her purse. I see my book cover as the Home Screen.

“When someone spends fifty grand on me in a year I investigate.” She says without saying. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you Knotty you’re incredibly successful and you let everyone look down on you. You pay me a salary and never ask for a thank you” she says, far smarter than the rest of them.

“How do the tips trace back?” I ask.

“They didn't. I read the first book a few years ago and it felt like one of Grandma's stories. This last one. That was confirmation. Who could forget the twins?” She whispers.

“Carmen”

“I won’t tell,” she says, swallowing hard. “I won’t” she repeats showing me a silver necklace from Grandma.  “But they’re as excellent as everyone says they are. The minute you let me brag on you I will.” She says but I shake my head.

“Not while they’re still out there”

“But Grandma said they all died” Carmen says.

“She did but you never know” I nod, keeping the rest of the truth from her. The letter I found dated October 17th 1992. From Sammy Scarface himself stating he saw Stack and he didn’t look a day older than the night he died. That Mary was by his side. Mary who was partially to blame for how that night went. Otherwise they would’ve been inside until sunrise.

“Okay miss mystery, we’ll reconvene this later. Just wear this dress and shoes I got you.” She says and I relent slippering into a silver number that better matches the occasion with matching shoes. My clothes are folded and I follow her out of the room and back into the party room.

I’m showered with compliments about my dress and presentation all thanks to Carmen. I take pictures with uncle Larry. When the party’s over I get to my car when I hear someone call me but I don’t listen. I start my engine and head home. When I do I head in backwards like grandma said I should and run a bath before going to bed.

———

I clean up the apothecary after hours knowing I have extra protections in my veins for a little longer. I head to my car as the sunsets and hear someone calling again.

“Hey now! Did I just see you lock up the apothecary. My granny told me I need to get her some fresh dandelion and camomile.” A man says and I step into a sunstreak before looking back to where he stands under the shade of the shops. Brown skin, minimal facial hair, full lips with a hint of a smirk and sunglasses to cover his eyes. He makes me feel uneasy. But I something in me makes me walk towards him. The protection bag tucked in my chest tugs at me. As my silver feels like it starts to hum. But as I get closer it’s like my aura pushes him back. His chain and rings are gold. I open the door stepping in and he does too. No doubt he’s probably already charmed a member of my staff.

“Chamomile and Dandelion? How much?” I ask.

“Eight ounces each” he says and I grab the bags.

“Who’s your grandmother, I don’t think I’d hear the end of a grandson so handsome. The elders are proud people” I smile, flirting.

“Just passing through, she’s out and has a nightly tea ritual” he lies like they all do.

“That’ll be $100” I tell him and he gets a money clip from his pocket instead of pulling out a phone or credit card to pay. He fails my final test when he can’t place the money in my hand. I close the till and grab my key when a woman enters the doorway. She sashays in glaring at me. 

“What’s taking so long baby?” She asks and I should be shitting myself but I’m not. She’s wearing sunglasses too.

“Nothing. I got the goods for Granny” he says holding up the bags to her.

“Heard her flirting” she says making no effort to conceal the impossible. I pretend not to hear from behind the counter and fasten the crossbow around my arm. My belled sleeves cover it and I move from the counter.

“Thanks for your help.” The man smirks.

“Hope your grandmother enjoys her tea” I respond as they file out. I make it to my car fine but I don’t head home. Instead I head to Momma Meringue and she’s standing on her porch when she sees me. Old habit causes her to head into her home. The door is left open as a test and I walk right in after cutting my car off. Her home is full of skylights.

“I think I met Stack and Mary an hour ago,” I confess.

“You did,” she says, showing me a severely patina’d silver cuff. She raises my sleeve and I see my twin pair look just the same. She removes it from me, dropping it into a jewelry cleaner.

“What do they look like?” She asks. And I tell her until there are two perfect pencil sketches. Momma M blinks in rapid succession.

“An unrequited love spell” she says. “The girl's heart was pure until …” her eyes close and she pauses. “He didn’t come back and she learned her husband's bed couldn’t compare to him. She asked for forever and got her wish - not in any way she would have predicted though” Momma finishes.

“Hmm, she was jealous today,” I share.

“Careful he likes a chase. Love spells don’t change men. He misses his brother but is too much of a survivor to consider anything else”

“Any advice? “

“Close the store for a week. Request a new deed, resign and tell your employee’s not to engage with anyone unless they’re inside the store upon reopening.” She says.

“Here’s some silver lotion for the moonlight” she says and I obey because the elders have never steered me wrong. I wash up and sleep at Mama Meringues house but before I go to bed I commit to writing in my journal like my grandmother would have - continuing her story. Then I take photos uploading the pages to the cloud so they can be with hers.

————

If you like it you know what to do, Reblog, comment and like. The girls are asking for sinners so I thought I’d deliver a quickie.

_______

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[stevn-rgers]

Just finished S1 of The Wheel of Time

First of all.. this is the plot of this fucking show so far:

Moiraine: *saves the town, rands dad, the whole group multiple times, Mat, literally everyone multiple times (getting injured & almost dying) - goes to her death to stand w Rand against the dark one, stays patient with them despite the continuous disrespect and causing problems*

Them: (mostly Nynaeve and Rand) : “shE CANT BE TRUSTED, SHE IS EVIL, DONT LISTEN TO HER, WE CAN HANDLE ALL OF THIS OURSELVES! EVERYTHING IS HER FAULT”

Anyway, on with my thoughts, some of it will prolly be controversial lol

I really expected to grow to like Nynaeve but fuck if she isn’t pissing me off every other episode if not every single one, like bro shut up and listen

Moiraine & Lan stay my favorites & I am obsessed with the relationship between Aes Sedai and their Warder(s)!! I wish there was more focus on it, it’s the most interesting plot point to me

On that, I LOVE watching fight scenes with the Aes Sedai & their warder(s)! The way they move in sync around each other, for example the town fight in ep1 w Lan & Moiraine + the battle in the woods when Alanna and her warders are fighting! As she went to do a huge explosion they both took slight cover just in time - knowing her moves as she did them

Egwene is prob my favorite of the group of 5, she actually listens to reason & doesn’t just jump to conclusions/throw a tantrum. And her little backstory about the fever when she was a kid? Amazing, it gives such a look into her strength

^ like I said I like her a lot but ARE YOU KIDDING? She didn’t kill child psycho when she had a chance??

Wolves are one of my fave animals so I’m loving this situation w Perrin

THOM???!!!! I loved him??

I called the dragon literally from the beginning but I like that I was right, it fits well and I like the way they came out with it.

I hate Liandrin with a passion, like I wanted someone to just throw a single punch. And ik she gets worse.

Also Mat needs to stop being such a problem like listen my guy, find some chill. Also do I ship him and Rand? Yes tf I do, fight me

So I find the dynamic of Moiraine & Lan with the Lan/Nynaeve interesting. Like as her wander she is more to him than any other relationship — but he’s falling in love with Nynaeve. So I wonder about that, I’m sure that later in the show he’ll have to choose at some point between helping/saving one of them. And with how much Nynaeve dislikes and is rude to Moiraine rn….

Loial is PRECIOUS TO ME. Love and adore him, I screamed when he was stabbed fuck this noise

I need Nynaeve to stop pissing me tf off please and thank you. I want to like her, esp if she’s gonna be with my mans. So she needs to fucking stop her bullshit. Stop making poor Moiraine’s life a million times more difficult than it already is while you’re at it. Like she wants so bad to be the wisest and the most powerful.. her pride is so dangerous.

I feel like every other episode Rand is pissing me off so bad but then I like him but then I want to knock him tf off. I’m hoping he will also stop being so damn frustrating in s2

The way Moiraine thought she’d die so she shut Lan out so he couldn’t follow her to his death - and she sent him to his fam & essentially pushed him toward Nynaeve bc she feels he deserves better and more than a life of protecting her.. I’m not okay

So pissed off with that ending ya’ll, esp when Moiraine losing her connection/powers

“To be a woman is to be always alone, and never alone.” CHILLS. Every single time

If I dislike a character you like, don’t come at me, I’m on ep1 of s2 right now, I’m sure my opinions will change many times as I continue.

[jailuvz]

heyy!! i saw that you're taking requests, so i came to ask for some friends to lovers confession with sunoo or ni-ki (because i'm starving for more sunoo and riki content)

“I’m in love with my best friend…” with Kim Sunoo | FLUFF

synopsis - you and Sunoo had been friends since you were kids; both of your families would tease you two about getting together one day but ofc, like any kid, both you and Sunoo would find it weird and “yucky”. — But what happens when one day you realise your families were right…and to make it worse, insecurities hit as you think he doesn’t like you back 💔.

Requested by @wondoras !

Fit: K.Sunoo x gn!reader | P.Sunghoon (as Y/n’s brother); Sakai Moka (as Y/n’s friend from school)

Genre: Fluff & angst (a tiny bit) with a happy ending ! cw: friends to lovers AU; non-idol au; wc: 1,1k;

Warnings: visual appearance issues on Y/n’s side and slight !body dysmorphia! (daily reminder you’re beautiful <3)

Note: hii, this is my first time writing a fan fiction so it might not turn out the best but I hope you enjoy !! <3

You don’t even know how it all happened, all you knew is that you had a crush on your best friend, Kim Sunoo, and you also knew that you don’t stand a chance with him. — Or maybe you do..?

You knew him since you were a child and since then, you two became best friends who would literally hang out almost 24/7. Your parents thought that you two were so undetachable to the point they thought you’d end up together, but you found that both impossible and gross, as you’d say “I would never fall in love with my best friend, he’s like a sibling to me, yuck !” and Sunoo thought the same about you.

Well here you were, sitting on your bed, stressed and scared that you might lose your best friend, if you decided to confess while Moka was sitting next to you, trying to convince you to do it as she would always tell you: “Hun, he’s literally obsessed with you, his eyes light up when someone mentions your name” but you thought she was just seeings things, because there’s no way he likes you back…Right?

The next day was like any other school day, except you were trying to avoid Sunoo so you could lose feelings somehow, but ofc that didn’t get unnoticed by him. When it was lunch time, you were looking around the cafeteria for any trace of him and decided to sit behind a big group of students, so he wouldn’t see you. But the universe had the bright idea to go against you that day, because Sunoo managed to find you and sat next to you.

For about 5 minutes none of you said anything and just ate in silence, until Sunoo got fed up and decided to talk to you. “Mind telling me why are you, all of the sudden, avoiding me?” You almost choked on your food when he asked that.

”I’m…I’m not avoiding you Sunoo, I’m just….busy?” you told him as you awkwardly laughed (great one Y/n, that was totally believable to Sunoo, I’m such an idiot)

Sunoo scoffed at your response as he didn’t believe you. “Y/n….I’ve known you since we were what? kids..? So I know very well how you are when you’re busy, now pls tell me, did I do smth to you to avoid me?” he said as he genuinely looked really upset about the fact of him ever hurting you. Sunoo knew you always end up giving up and tell him all your thoughts and secrets, but you couldn’t let him know that you love him…what if he finds you weird and leaves you? or worse, he leaves AND tells your families, you just know Sunghoon would tease you for the rest of your life as he was the one who told you that you’d fall in love with Sunoo and ofc you denied it EVERY TIME. (and now you hated that he was right in the end)

You sighed as you knew you had no choice because in the end, you’d end up telling him at some point. “I’m avoiding you because…well..I like you, but not as friend, more than a friend, but I was scared to tell you as I don’t think you’d like someone like me romantically because you know…I’m not that good looking, I don’t like how my body looks, a-and you always thought of me as your sib—“ at this point you didn’t even notice you started rambling until Sunoo cut you off.

“Alright, ok…first of all, calm down honey…you started talking way too fast for me to understand you, plus you were getting out of breath, sooo pls breathe for now, thank you; – second, you’re absolutely GORGEOUS, both your face and body, so I don’t know which little demon got inside your pretty head of yours and made you think of yourself that way, but I’m here to tell YOU” he says as he dramatically points a finger at you, making you giggle at him “yes you cutie, I have been in love with you for quite a while as I always found you to be the cutest person in the entireee world, not to mention your amazing and sassy personality, I mean you quite literally match my freak, anywayss…you got absolutely nothing to be scared of, I like you too, a lot actually.” he shyly giggles after confessing his feelings to you while you stare at him dumbfounded. Kim Sunoo…likes me back?

“W-wait, you actually…like me back??” you asked, unsure if you heard everything right. He sighed then smiled at you lovingly. “Yes Y/n, I like you back, I actually wanted to ask you out on a date this week but I’m glad I am able to do this sooner…so, do you want to go on a date with me?” he asks you as you stare at him for a few seconds until it finally clicks you, he just asked you out on a date. Your best friend asked you out on a date, you honestly thought you were dreaming but then looked at him again and realised all of this was real, he actually liked you back.

“I would love to go on a date with you Sunoo, I’d go on every date with you” you told him as you gave him a big, warming smile. His eyes lit up and then he hugged you, making you yelp in surprise as you hugged him back instantly. “You don’t understand how happy I am right now, going out with my soulmate that I knew since I was a child” he said to you softly while letting go of you and looking at your lips for a second and then asked you smth that made you feel warm thru all your body.

“Can I…can I kiss you?” you blushed at his question as you knew he was not a fan of pda, but nodded as you still wanted to kiss him. Sunoo smiled at you and leaned in; and wow you were shocked, the kiss felt like you were kissing a warm cloud, his lips were so soft as he always makes sure to moisturise them, and they tasted sweet too with a hint of mint, safe to say, you were already getting obsessed. (who wouldn’t ><)

Sadly the kiss had to end as you two heard the school bell, indicating you to go back to your classes, so you pulled away and looked at each other for a bit till Sunoo talked. “I love you cutie” (and you were lowkey freaking out on the inside but you gotta get it together, quite hard with him around </3). “I love you too” you say as you both started giggling and walking back to your classes while holding hands as now you were officially both best friends and a happy couple <3 (how cute)

Note: I honestly had fun writing this even if it’s my first time, but I’m willing to get better, so thank you for the request <3