#and i’m so fatigued that i just pass out suddenly | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hollandsangel · 10 months ago

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casual | m. sturniolo

i’ve been scheming for weeks !! (actually started this before move over AND voice. so.)

basically i’m obsessed with this song

summary: the most dangerous label is the casual one; or you both want more

warnings: matt x fem!reader, use of y/n, ANGST, cursing, happy ending bc i’m a sucker & a lost cause

wc: 6.5k

the sun is dipping behind the horizon, painting the sky pink and orange. you have your window rolled down, letting the salt air breeze pick your hair up as you rest against the car door. matt has elmer’s new song playing on aux, something lofi with a bit of spanish mixed in.

“like what you see?” he speaks up, taking his eyes off the road for a second to look over at you. he stares for a second, your skin illuminated by the fading rays of the sun, kissing the tops of your cheeks and giving you a warm glow.

you press yourself up to sit properly and catch his hand resting on the center console. you always loved that he drives with his left hand, the right always close enough for you to touch.

“it’s pretty,” you say, poking your head back out of the window, looking overhead at the passing trees, “the palms are so tall.” matt squeezes your hand, and when you look back up he’s already looking at you, smiling when you meet his eyes.. his hair looks lighter in the setting sun, the side of his face lit up all golden and warm. you bite your lip and smile, turning away with a slight flush.

“it’s green,” you tell him and he flicks his head back forward, muttering a curse under his breath.

“my bad,” he admits, refusing to drop your hand.

it looked like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t, just takes a breath and lets it out before turning back to the road.

when the car pulls into the garage you reach to the back to grab your overnight bag. matt’s already out of the car, coming over to your side to open your door, “c’mon,” he says in that silly high pitched voice, just to hear you giggle.

you make your way to his bedroom, knowing the ins and outs of the triplet’s house like the back of your hand. matt follows behind you, his footsteps echoing amongst the hardwood floors.

“i can’t wait to lay down,” you sigh, the effects of the sun's heat catching up with you now that you’re in the cool, air conditioned house.

“yeah, i’m feelin’ pretty tired too,” matt agrees, his voice heavy and suddenly cloaked by fatigue.

you’d been out all day, shopping on melrose, walking by the beach. dinner and ice cream and the beating sun soaked up all your energy. nothing sounded better than getting cozy in matt’s bed and watching a movie, maybe catching a bit of a nap before deciding to head home. you knew he’d insist on driving you, and that always hurt more than you’d like to admit.

the two of you weren’t dating, he wasn’t your boyfriend and you told yourself you didn’t mind. it wasn’t a very convincing lie though, most everyone around you could tell. it’s not that you hadn’t talked about it, you had, there were just things getting in the way.

matt was worried about how his fans would react, and he absolutely did not want it to be at your expense. you hated the thought of pushing him, like forcing him or asking too much, being too needy would only drive him away. all your friends had told you to stop, that you were only going to get yourself hurt, but you’d honestly rather have half of him and a broken heart than none of him at all.

you never doubted that he cares about you, in fact you know he does. he always picks you up from classes, knows your order at all your favourite fast food places and keeps an extra toothbrush in the bathroom for you. it’s things like that that make the title of causal or just seeing each other sting a little bit more.

here though, all settled in matt’s bed, you try not to think about it too hard. there’s some liam neeson movie he insisted on showing you playing on the tv, and you’re happy to be watching it, but mostly happy to be watching it with him. his chest rises and falls under your head with each breath and it’s making you more tired than before.

“i’m so warm,” you say through a yawn, all comfy now in your sweats and matt’s crewneck, although the comfort comes mostly from his arms wrapped around your middle.

“you can throw on a pair of boxers if you want, top drawer,” matt offers, his arms unmoving, keeping you mildly trapped against him.

“let me goooo,” you groan dramatically, making a big show of sliding out from under his arms and grinning to yourself when he laughs.

“come back,” he pouts, reaching for a stuffed animal to take your place while you cross the room to his dresser.

“just give me a sec,” you giggle, rummaging around in the drawer and pulling out a pair of plaid boxers. there’s something stuck to it, all tangled up in the mess of his clothes, “what the– is this my bra? i’ve been looking for this for like a month.”

matt lifts his head just enough to see what you’re holding up, huffing when he hits the pillow again, “i dunno, sweetheart, you probably left it, you’ve got a lot of stuff here,” he sounds tired, and the words are pressed against his pillow now that he’s rolled onto his stomach.

you’ve got lots of stuff here.

it digs into you, how casually he says it, an almost physical ache you feel beyond your ribs, right where your heart is.

quickly you try to shake it off, shucking off your sweatpants and sliding the boxers up your legs so you can hurry back into bed before allowing yourself to think about what he said too much.

“c’mere,” there’s a little smile on his face when he says it, arm outstretched for you to crawl under. immediately matt tucks you up against his body impossibly close, his nose stuffed into your hair and breathing you in. it feels nice, right, and you let yourself bask in it, like maybe the state of your relationship (or lack thereof) won’t be in limbo forever. he has to feel it too, the pull.

“i think you should just stay tonight,” he says quietly against your temple, leaving a little kiss there.

“are you sure?”

he nods, “it’s late, ‘m not gonna kick you out,” you can see his smile in the dark, his features lit up delicately by the dim light of the movie, “and i kinda wanna cuddle,” he admits sheepishly, trying to hide his blush when you turn to him.

“awe, matty,” you tease, scooching closer to him, hardly an inch away.

“hey,” he says all high pitched, making you laugh again.

“that voice always gets me,” you tell him, snuggling up under his chin.

“that’s why i do it,” he tells you.

it doesn’t take long for you to slip into an easy sleep with matt holding you, the mindless noise coming from the tv luring you deeper into unconsciousness. he’s being extra gentle, finger tips dragging along your waist under your top. you hardly feel him slide out of bed or tuck you in all snug under the covers.

nick’s in the kitchen when matt emerges from his bedroom for some water, hunting for something in the pantry. matt rubs his eyes.

“hello?” chris leans forward on the couch, his voice startling matt.

“jesus, what– you’re just both out here at fucking two in the morning?” he grumbles, eyes squinted against the harsh lights.

“we ordered food,” chris stands up, walking into the kitchen.

nick nods, closing the cupboard, glass in hand, “we thought you were at y/n’s or something, i didn’t hear you come in,”

matt grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and a takes a sip before answering, “nah she’s here, she’s asleep,” he says, nodding towards his bedroom.

nick groans, “god, are you guys dating yet,” he asks, head rolling back against his shoulders, exsapertated.

matt’s eyes widen at the sudden outburst of noise, looking back at his door to make sure nick didn’t wake you, “dude, be quiet,” he urges.

you’d felt matt’s absence after a few minutes, the warmth of his body leaving the bed when he did. slowly you sit up, pressing the heel of your palm into your eye and swinging your feet to the floor quietly. you stand behind matt’s closed bedroom door, prepared to silently creep out and go to the bathroom when you catch his voice.

“and no,we’re just casual,” he continues to answer nick’s question, who glances over and chris. “what— don’t look at him like that,” this earns him another sideye, “i mean it, it’s not serious.”

“matthew” nick starts, “isn’t she asleep in your bed right now?” nick points an accusatory finger in his brother’s direction, emphasizing his words.

it’s matt’s turn to look at chris, who holds his hands up in surrender, “don’t look at me, i’m with nick,” he says, looking away from his brother from where he remains on the couch.

“well she’s not my girlfriend, if that’s where this is going,” matt turns back to the fridge, not really looking for anything, just trying to hide from his brother’s judgmental, but justified, stares.

it hurts to hear, even if you know it’s the truth.

“and why not, idiot,” nick asks, getting fed up. he can clearly tell how his brother feels and is getting frustrated, mad even, with the idea of him toying with your feelings.

“i just—i just can’t do it.” that hurts more, a sharp pain you feel in your chest. you swallow dryly, and that hurts too.

you decide you don’t have to go to the bathroom that badly anymore, and slowly sink back into matt’s bed. you know you and matt aren’t together, that he’s not your boyfriend, but a part of you has always clung to the idea that one day he would be, that he’d finally make the move. you thought he liked you enough to at least try.

tugging the duvet up to your chin you roll over onto your side to face the wall. matt comes back into the bedroom and you can hear nick and chris talking quietly for a second before the door closes again. you’re not too sure, but you think one of them mumbles your name amidst the conversation. matt slides back under the covers with you, coming as close as he can to wrap his arms around you.

it makes your head spin, his words rattling around in your mind, saying he “can’t do it,” but here is, body tucked perfectly against yours, holding you so tight you’d think he never wanted to let go.

—

matt seems notice that you’re a bit quieter than usual the next morning, but you try to hide it under the excuse of not feeling well. he offers to drop you off and you take him up on it, knowing that marinating in the misery you feel won’t solve anything but seems to be the easiest thing to do at the moment.

“text me if you need anything, okay?” his tone is concerned and you can feel him looking at you even though you’re trying to avoid eye contact. you know you’d cave, catching a glimpse of the light blue with all that worry clouding it.

“yeah, i will,” you sigh, reaching into the back seat to grab your bag.

matt catches you, palm placed delicately along your jaw so you’ll look at him, “hey,” he says all soft, “c’mere,” he guides you forward slightly and you know what’s coming, you know it’s gonna hurt but you do it anyway.

he kisses you gently and you fall into it with ease, reaching out to touch his arm. when he strokes his thumb along your cheekbone you pull away, licking your lips.

“i’ve gotta go,” you whisper, afraid the full volume of your voice would shatter something, you’re not too sure what.

“yeah, okay,” he nods, pulling his hand away from your face and trying to smile as you open your door, watching you walk into your building.

he stays there in the parked car for a minute, wondering what’s wrong, pretending he doesn’t know that this whole situation hurts you just as much as it hurts him. he’s staring up at your apartment window, tapping the steering wheel and taking a long, deep breath.

“fuck,” he mutters to himself, pushing his hair back and putting the car in reverse.

—

you and matt don’t talk excessively for the next few days, only a few texts exchanged here and there and one phone call after he knew you’d just written a midterm.

he called to ask how it went and tell you he was proud of you, and also to invite you out to dinner with his parents on the upcoming weekend. they were flying out to l.a. for a few days and he wanted you to meet them. it felt cruel.

“i dunno matt, i’ve got an assignment due sunday at midnight, i might not be able to make it,” of course you wanted to go, but the tug of self preservation was starting to become more equal to the pull you felt towards him. you were starting to lose sight of what was more important, him or yourself.

for so long it had been him.

“please, sweetheart, i feel like i haven’t seen you in forever,” matt slumps into his desk chair, spinning back forth.

you cave and somehow your vision clears. it was him again.

“yeah, yeah, okay, i wanna see you too,”

matt smiles on the other end of the phone, “yay,” he says sweetly, making his joy obvious, “i can help you with your assignment if you want, too,” he offers, and you know he’s just trying to get a smile out of you.

you laugh without meaning to, “matt, you know nothing about the course,”

“i’ll figure it out, anything i can do to make sure i see you,”

you bite your lip, trying to keep a smile at bay, “careful, you’re gonna make me think you like me or something,”

“aw, well i can’t have that now can i?” he teases, and it cuts deeper than he realizes it does.

“no,” you mutter, trying to hold onto the smile on your face even though matt can’t see you, “um, i should probably get going, if i wanna finish my assignment on time,”

“oh, yeah, okay. i could come by a little later with some food?” he poses it as a question, sensing your hesitancy.

“you don’t have to do that,”

“i know, but i want to,” he says it so easily, like there’s no reason in the world he wouldn’t come to your house after eleven pm just to sit on your bedroom floor while you do school work.

“canes?” you finally offer.

“be there in half an hour.” you hear the car keys jingle through the phone, the front door latching shut.

—

the triplet’s parents land on friday afternoon. you haven’t seen matt since wednesday night when he called and brought take out to your place, and you’re starting to feel a little nervous at the thought of seeing his parents.

you’ve spoken to them over facetime once or twice when matt had called them, but this is real, this is serious.

you think you’ve completely driven yourself insane with that, thinking of it as serious. for days there’s been a battle in your head about whether or not this means matt wants to make your relationship offical. it’s become such a problem that you’ve forbidden yourself from thinking about it.

taking a deep breath you refocus on yourself in the mirror, fixing your hair and trying to decide on a lip product for the night when your roomate wanders into your bedroom.

“how are you doing?” she asks, leaning against the door frame. you don’t answer, just look up at her with what must be a miserable expression, because she chuckles sadly at you, “that bad, huh?”

you groan and clench your fists, “i’m just confused!” you exclaim.

“i know, but i think tonight should clear some things up,” she tells you hopefully, and you really want to believe her.

“i hope so,” you sigh, “i just really like him,” you whine, defeated.

your phone dings then, a message from matt of course.

matt sturn

be there in twenty

ive got the kids

you laugh sadly at the text.

“‘s that him?” your roommate asks.

“yeah, him and his brothers are on the way, they’ll be here soon.”

“you’ll do great, don’t sweat it,” she tries to reassure you, giving you an over enthusiastic thumbs up before shutting your door again.

matt, nick and chris have been in the car for about five minutes and already matt’s debating driving into oncoming traffic. him and his brothers have had the same fight at least three times since you stayed over last week, and if he’s honest, he’s getting really sick of it.

“enough of this ‘i can’t do that’ bullshit, matt, she’s coming to dinner with our parents,” nick says pointedly, running out of air at the end of his setence, “you don’t just bring your hook up to that shit, so fucking stop talking to her if it’s that much of an issue,” he continues, leaning froward against matt’s seat, staring holes into the side of his brothers face.

matt is clearly aggravated, gripping the wheel a little too hard, “shut the fuck up, nick— she’s not just a hook up,”

nick’s eyes get wider at this and he leans over matt’s seat, voice exponentially louder when he says, “you just proved my fucking point!!”

“you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” matt mumbles in a deft tone, staring harshly out onto the road.

chris leans over from the passenger seat, gesturing in matt’s direction, “and you do? you never shut the fuck up about her, and she’s always at the house but you’re too much of a pussy to do anything,” he yells over matt all in one breath, words coming out too fast.

matt’s mouth is set in a firm line and he’s shaking his head, “you guys don’t get it!” he finally yells back, signaling and switching lanes before he can finish his thought, “i can’t do that to her,” the car’s stopped at a red light now, allowing him to look nick in the eye from the rearview mirror. both him and chris shut up for a second.

“i can’t do that to her,” matt emphasizes again, making his point with his hands, bracketing the last two words, “the internet would chew her up and spit her out. you think i don’t want to make her my girlfriend? do you think i like doing this to her? every fucking day i think about cutting it off because i don’t wanna hurt her, but i’m too fucking selfish to do it.”

“it’s green,” chris mumbles.

“shut the fuck up,” matt says through his teeth as he turns back to face the road, driving through the light.

“so what are you gonna do?” nick asks, softer now, arm hung over the back of matt’s seat.

matt looks up at him in the rearview again, taking a deep, anxiety ridden breath, “i don’t know.”

the three boys are silent for the remainder of the drive to your apartment. matt puts the car in park and mumbles something about being right back before getting out and heading up to your floor, slamming the car door a little bit too hard.

“jesus christ,” chris breathes, feeling the tension finally break.

there’s a knock at the front door, and you take a deep breath before opening it. matt stands with his hair a little bit messy and his cheeks a little bit red, but he softens when he sees you.

“hey,” you say, “let me just grab my bag,”

“wait, y/n,”

“yeah?” you turn back around to look at him. he’s standing in the middle of your kitchen, looking a little bit deflated.

“can i have a hug?”

your heart nearly shatters. is he feeling it too?

“wha– of course baby, of course,” you cross the kitchen over to him and he already has his arms open. immediately he locks his arms around your waist, resting his head against yours. you gently rub his back and rest your cheek on his shoulder.

“is everything okay?” you wonder after a second, feeling him breathe heavily against you.

matt squeezes you a little tighter and kisses your hair, “yeah,” he sighs, “nick and chris are just annoying,”

“you love them though,” you remind him.

he pulls away but keeps you close, hands on your hips now, “sometimes i think about reevaluating that,”

you laugh at him, fixing his messy hair, “no you don’t,”

its his turn to smile, “you’re right,” he leans in for a quick kiss which you grant him, letting it dampen your nerves and reservations on the evening.

“i know, now c’mon, we’ve gotta go,” you slide your hand down into his.

“you don’t have to be nervous, by the way,” matt says to you in the elevator, still holding your hand.

you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding and he squeezes your hand, letting you know he’s there for you, “it just feels serious,” you finally admit what you’ve been thinking for the last few days. you’re a little bit afraid to look over at him, so you keep your gaze towards the closed elevator doors.

matt gives your hand a quick squeeze and glances at the side of your face, you can feel his eyes on you, “it’s not serious, don’t worry,” it’s a little strained when he says it, as if he means something else but you can’t quite decipher it. it’s too much to think about now and yet it’s all you’ve been thinking about for days, how ‘unserious’ it all is to him.

when you do get to dinner, marylou and jimmy are already at the restaurant. marylou is being so sweet to you, asking about classes and how you met the boys, what you like do to in your spare time and things about matt that you tease him over. you feel like a girlfriend, you feel like his girlfriend and you don't think you can take much more of it. she tells you how much he talks about you when he’s home, that even justin has started making fun of him for it.

when you look over at matt he’s blushing but staring directly into his plate, avoiding you.

the smile you plastered onto your face fades and you dig your nails into your plam under the table.

“excuse me, i’m gonna run to the bathroom,” you say to no one in particular, catching nick’s eyes. he seems to notice your pleading gaze, and sends you a text after you’ve left the table

nick stromboli

you okay?

you lock yourself in the single bathroom and stand staring at your phone screen.

you

this is brutal

your mom is being sooo sweet but matt won’t even look at me

i feel like he's embarrassed

nick stromboli

he's actually the biggest idiot that ever lived

chris is lowk giving him a death stare rn

nick was being serious, chris staring at matt as marylou goes on about how nice you are.

nick elbows matt in the side and he looks over, more than slightly fed up.

“i think you should go check on y/n,” he whispers, making matt perk up a bit in worry.

“why?”

“i don’t think she’s feeling good,”

“oh, i hope she’s okay,” marylou interrupts herself.

“i’ll be right back,” matt stands from the table and walks to the bathroom, knocking on the door gently, “y/n/n? it’s me sweetheart,”

a slight panic drops through you as you push away from where you were leaning against the wall, trying to catch your breath.

“c’mon let me in, nick said you weren’t feeling good,” he knows you were nervous about tonight, and he’s hoping that’s all it is, that he can fix it.

you sigh, head tossed back to your shoulders as you breathe out before letting him in, hoping you look more composed than you feel.

“hey, you okay?” he asks gently, closing the door behind him.

“yeah, uh, i think i’m gonna go,” you mumble, looking away.

“what? d–do you want like a gingerale or something?” his brows are pinched and he’s reaching out for you. you step back without thinking about it. you don’t even notice you’d done it until you see the hurt look on his face. he reaches out again, slower this time.

“y/n…”

something in you clicks, or comes crashing down when his fingers brush your wrist, “i’m not your girlfriend matt, stop worrying about me like i am,”

he's a little bit stunned at that and pulls back, saying your name again.

“no, don’t do that, i heard what you said to the guys last week, and you keep telling me we’re causal and we can’t be anything but we’re at dinner with your fucking parents. i can’t keep prenteding to be your girlfriend, or–or that it doesn’t hurt, i just can’t do it anymore,”

there’s tears in your eyes you don’t notice until matt whispers, “don’t cry,”

“i’m going crazy,” you tell him, voice so soft, so fragile that his heart breaks a little bit.

“no you’re not, c’mon– we can work this out,” the words are so comforting, and normally he’s the one you’d run to for comfort, but he’s hurting you.

“are we gonna make it official, matt? or are we just gonna keep sleepingover at eachother’s houses four days a week and tell all our friend we aren’t dating?” you ask, pressing your fingertips underneath your eyes, “are we gonna do this for real or are you gonna keep telling your parents about me when you’re in boston, and–and keep coming to my house after midnight with take out just because i don’t wanna be alone working on assignments,” he doesn’t say anything, just stares at you with a solemn look, so you keep going.

“i can’t take the sorry fucking look chris keeps giving me when i’m walking out of your room, it hurts, matt,”

he steps forward finally, trying to make up for more than the physical space that separates you, “no, c’mon, just–just come back to the table. i’ll stay at yours tonight and we’ll talk about this,”

you hold back a scoff at the irony of him mentioning he’ll stay over, “i need an answer now.” you tell him. he’s gone back to standing a few feet away from you, not touching you anymore.

“an answer for what?”

“can you commit to this now? to me?” you feel like you’re pleading with him and you hate how desperate it is.

“we aren’t having this conversation in the bathroom right now, can we please just talk about it later?” matt asks.

you shake your head, “matt, we’ve been doing this for four months, i don’t wanna wait any longer, i’m not a toy.”

he stares at you, licking his lips. you stare back, suffocating in his silence. it’s all the answer you need.

“i’m gonna go,” you mutter, “tell your parents it was really nice to meet them, and that i’m sorry for leaving,” you add, looking away when you walk passed him to open the door.

you leave the restaurant and call an uber, hardly sparing a glance in the direction of his family’s table on your way out.

“is y/n okay?” jimmy asks when matt comes back alone.

matt shoves a hand into his hair to push it back, not meeting anybody’s eyes, “she went home, she wasn’t feeling good”

“and you didn’t offer to take her?” marylou scolds, sure she raised her son better than that.

“she didn’t want me to,” matt admits, defeated.

nick and chris share a look, knowing that isn’t the whole truth, or really the truth at all.

—

a few days later, after their parents had gone back to boston, matt’s shuffling into nick’s bedroom, where him and chris are laying on the bed on their phones.

matt looks a mess, hair wild and eyes sunken in. he’s been in his bedroom all day, blinds drawn and door latched shut

nick thinks he’s wearing a hoodie of yours, the faded smell of your perfume lingering when his brother walks in.

“…you okay?” nick asks, glancing up from his phone.

matt shakes his head and sits on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes with his fists, “i feel like fucking shit,” he admits, still looking down, “i hate that i hurt her,” he tells the two, as if his brothers weren’t already acutely aware, “i was trying so hard to keep from hurting her and i fucking did it anyway,” they wait for matt to finish, knowing he has a little more to say, “i was so fucking scared of making things offical that i lost her all together, she’s never gonna talk to me again,”

nick sighs and looks over at chris, the two of them sharing a sympathetic look before he moves forward and puts his arm around matt, who slumps against his shoulder, “that's not true,” nick says, “she probably should never talk to you again, but she’s a good person, and she’s our friend,”

“yeah, and she cares about you a lot, matt.” chris adds, sitting on the matt’s other side.

matt groans and covers his face, “i know, and that’s what sucks,” he wipes his palms over his face, “god, why was i so fucking stupid?”

“because you really like her,” chris offers, “and you’re gonna try and make it up to her…right?”

matt sits back up, staring at the wall, “i dunno, i want to, i don’t…” he takes a deep breath, willing the pit in his stomach to go away, “i’m more afraid of losing her all together than i was of any of that other shit, but i don’t know how to fix…this,” he says, dejected.

nick perks up, because he’s never seen matt half as lively as he is when he’s with you, or talking about you. he’s pretty sure matt was on his way to falling in love with you (if he hasn’t already) and refuses to let him lose hope,“i have an idea,” he says.

matt looks at his brother, desperate. the circles under his eyes a shade too dark, his cheeks sunken in, his lips chapped. nick continues.

“we’ll need waffles.”

—

it’s been over a week and a half since you walked out of the restaurant, and since you’d spoken to matt. nick’s been messaging you, asking if you’re okay and telling you he’s there for you. there’s been a bit of him telling you how stupid matt is, which you’d agreed with solemnly.

nick’s messaging you now. you’re posted up at your kitchen table trying to review for one of your exams, but more so warding off another wave of tears, pressing your fingertips into your eyes.

you pick up your phone to answer the message nick had sent, something about a sleepover at your place this weekend and a promise of a hannah montana binge, but there’s a knock at your door. you’re confused at first, wondering who’s at your door this late.

“did you order food?” you ask your roommate as you get up, looking in through the crack of her barely opened door. her headphones are on and she's hunched over a textbook with a highlighter, oblivious to any visitors.

your heartbeat speeds up a little bit as you begin to think about who’s on the other side. with a huff you look through the peephole, met with a slightly distorted image of matt anxiously shifting his weight from foot to foot.

he keeps looking down the hallway and biting the inside of his cheek. he’s holding something. a paper bag in one hand and a bouquet of delicately wrapped flowers in the other.

you turn the lock, hand shaking a little bit as the door swings open. he whips his head from where he was looking down the hall to the now open door, your eyes locking immediately.

“matt,” you whisper, not even meaning to say it.

he stares at you for a second, seemingly forgetting any words he would have said for a second before holding up the bag.

“i brought waffles.”

—

“please let me in,” he says breathlessly, as if he was holding his breath waiting for you to open the door. “i know i probably don’t deserve a chance, and you probably don’t wanna hear me out, but…but please,” he licks his lips, grip tightening on the stems of the flowers, (you didn’t think he was listening when you told him your favourites all those months ago) “i miss you,” it’s quiet, the way he says it. he’s pleading with you.

there’s an ache in your chest, you’re trying not to mistake his tenderness for pity. and yet you still find yourself letting him in.

“okay,” it takes so little convincing. you missed him too.

there’s little talking at first, mostly just you and matt grabbing plates down and dishing yourselves out. he went to your favourite diner, because of course he did. the waffles are still warm and are making your kitchen smells like butter and sausage. you move your books and laptop out of the way to make room for the two of you to sit, elbows touching when you start to eat.

you’re half way through your first waffle when matt speaks up. you could feel him staring, his body half turned towards you in his chair. some of your hair falls into your face and his finger twitches before you tuck it away. all he wants to do it touch you. hold you, kiss you, anything. he’s such a jerk.

“i’m sorry,”

you freeze for a second, still facing away from him. after you finish chewing you set your fork down and turn slowly, finally looking him in the eyes. the blue has grown a shade too dark, melancholic.

“for what?” you ask stupidly, just needing to know how he’s felt about it all.

“fuck, everything?” he says, forcefully pushing his hair away from his eyes.

you shake your head and turn back to your plate.

“y/n,” he sighs, “c’mon look at me,”

you do, but it hurts.

“i’m sorry for what happened at the restaurant, and i’m sorry things got so out of hand and–and that…this went on for so long,” he gestures between the two of you, fixing his wild hair again.

“this?” you ask, voice breaking, thinking the worst, that he regrets it all, that it’s over. it’s really over.

“this stupid fucking dance we’ve been doing for four months, it’s crazy. it was always crazy.”

you huff, probably a little bit too dramatically as you shift to face him fully, “matt, what are you saying?”

“i’m saying that i like you! and it was so stupid to fucking…dilute that becuase i was scared or some shit,” the latter end of his sentence loses volume, he’s getting shy again.

“but–but you just wanted to be casual–” you start, looking down at your crossed legs.

“no, i never wanted to be fucking casual, i was just…. fuck i was just scared.” he says around a mouthful of waffle. the air smells like syrup.

“i wanna be with you all the time, i like you so much– i just– at first i didn’t want things to be weird between us, which is why i thought a relationship was the wrong idea, but then we started…doing relationship things and it only got better.” he starts, messing with his hair and pushing his food around his plate, “after i stopped being so afraid of that i just, i got scared of another thing,” he finally looks up at you, eyes a little sad, a little heavy.

you can tell that he knows how he’s made you feel, and despite that you hate that he’s sad. you never want him to be sad.

matt continues, “i’d hate for you to get hurt because of my fans, and i knew it was gonna be hard to keep things private, to keep things…ours. i thought that was something i didn't wanna do or i wasn't ready for but…” he sighs, cutting himself off and taking in another big breath. you want to reach out and rub his back, knowing he’s anxious and just trying to calm himself down.

“you being mad at me i can deal with,” he starts again, “you being mad, or–or upset because of me, is harder to handle, but fuck, not having you at all? that's worse than anything else we’d have to face,” he looks up, dead into your eyes to make sure you understand the weight of what he’s about to say, “together.”

“matt…” you whisper. you’ve forgotten about the food. it’s getting cold but it doesn’t matter.

he shakes his head before meeting your eyes again, “i’d rather go through all that bullshit with you than go through nothing without you,” he sounds so sincere that you think your heart skips a beat.

“what are you—”

“i wanna do this. for real.” he nods once, watching you closely.

“do you mean that?” he hates how doubtful you sound and he hates that he’s the one to have put all that doubt there. he thinks you might cry.

“y–yeah of course i mean it. i should have said it a long time ago, and if it makes you feel any better nick’s been giving me shit for like, two months, and i think chris wanted to beat me up last week.” he offers you half a smile, hoping you’ll give one back.

instead you breathe out laugh. he basks in it.

“i want you to be my girlfriend,” you’re looking down again and your hair falls from it’s place behind your ear. he doesn’t stop himself this time, nimble, ring adorned finger pushing it back, “i wanna be your boyfriend,”

you look up at him, studying his face for a second before you speak. he looks tired and a little worn, like he’s been thinking too much and too hard and worrying even more.

“yeah?” you finally say.

matt smiles at you. he has such a pretty smile.

“yeah.” he nods, smiling now.

“so we’re not just casual?”

matt scoffs out a laugh and stands. you stand too and he wraps his arms around you, tucking his chin atop your head when your arms go over his shoulders. he kisses your hair and breathes you in, the lingering scent of your shampoo and your perfume and you. it’s all over his clothes and his sheets, but nothing beats having you in his arms again.

“we were never just causal,” he assures you, as if you didn’t know.

tags ! @st4rswrld @urfavvev3lyn @mattsturnioloarchive @averysbestyears @its-jennarose @strnilolo @cherrypostsposts

also tagging some of my faves (writers & other creators!!) 🥹 @pettydollie @wcters @grimholic @floristmatt (if you don’t wanna be tagged lmk!!)

#matt sturniolo #matt sturniolo x reader #matthew #matt sturniolo x you #matt sturniolo fic #matt sturniolo blurb #matt sturniolo imagine #matt sturniolo smut #matthew sturniolo #sturniolo #sturniolo triplets

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twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat · 10 months ago

Text

”why are you so good at that?”

his caress is gentle. tender, steady, secure; and practiced, you can tell, just from the instant relief you feel — the vivid care in how his fingertips smooth along your skin.

suguru presses his thumbs into the bridge of your nose, right beneath your forehead, big palms cupping your face. they’re warm, calloused, but still somehow so soft — massaging you gently. the pads of his fingers trail upwards, rubbing soothing little circles against your temples. as if he’s memorized every patch of skin, seen the very inside of your skull. as if he knows exactly where to apply pressure to make the sharp jolts of pain go away.

and it’s working. the room you’re in is dimly lit, illuminated only by the vermilion rays of the setting sun, bleeding in through the gap between the opened shoji screens. a faint, summery scent accompanies them; like burnt roses, or a salty ocean breeze, not enough to rouse the nausea in your throat. it’s quiet. all you can hear is the soft humming of your lover, and your own relieved breaths, pulled out by his skillful hands. his pointer fingers pinch between your brows, and another one follows. the sweetest little sigh.

”am i?” his voice is soft, even more so than usual, as if the slightest noise could disrupt your peace. a smile is knit between the vowels. ”i’m glad.”

he sounds a little tired. it’s been a long day for both of you, so it’s no surprise. when you finally got back home, the inside of your skull was tormented by a persistent ache, and suguru was blinking with fatigue — though he still insisted on doing this. lying you down on his lap, like a fragile doll, crossing his legs to give you enough space to rest comfortably; the back of your head finding respite on his thigh, senses enveloped by the silk of his robes, smelling lightly of cherry blossoms and sandalwood. comfy.

and, after only a couple minutes of his loving treatment, the ache began to dull. sweet relief seeping into your nerves.

he reminds you to take deep breaths, watching intently as the contours of your face fall back into a state of tranquility. whenever he shifts, the tatami mats beneath him rustle, and your muddled mind sways like the rocking of a boat; slight, but still enough to coax a wince from out your throat, a tiny spark of pain blooming between your sinuses, followed by a murmured apology from the man above you.

a hum buzzes in his throat. you hear it, eyes still shut, waiting for him to answer your question. and he does, of course — so weak to you, always, your voice the key to his locked-up heart.

”back in high school…” he starts, diligently continuing the facial massage, comforting circles rubbed into your skin. ”... my best friend got migraines often.”

a soft groan slips from out your parted lips, when he pushes against a certain spot — locating the pressure points like brushing specks of dust from off his clothing. effortless.

”ah,” you click your tongue, melting into his touch. turning into a boneless puddle, cradled in his lap, comfy as can be. ”your mysterious bestie, huh?”

it’s not the first you’ve heard of this best friend. suguru’s mentioned him before, though only in passing, in whispers, comments he hopes will sound absentminded. they never do — because suguru says the word friend like it’s a prayer.

(that explains it, though. no wonder it feels so good; it is practiced. should you feel jealous?

well, maybe. but you mostly think it’s kind of sweet.)

before you can think of what you’re saying, the words have left your lips. they tumble out like little pizzicato drops, spoken casually, matter-of-factly. a tiny chirp of a thing.

”you must have loved him a lot.”

…

silence.

for just a moment, the thumbs pressing against your skin halt — just for a second, but enough to notice, and suddenly you feel a little like the air has been sucked out of the room.

even with your eyes closed, you know suguru’s smile is nowhere to be seen.

it’s funny, how well you’ve come to know him. how you’ve learned to memorize every expression you’ve ever seen him make, any signs of distress or discomfort. he does this thing with his eyes, sometimes — a thin kind of concealment, when you shuffle a little too close for his comfort. figuratively speaking, because you’re almost certain he’d let you crawl under his skin if you asked. but sometimes you twist the key to his heart a little too abruptly, and his eyes of gold and ochre shift in the light, honey clogging the interior of his cornea. something sickly-sweet. something he’s kept locked up for a long time.

a nostalgia so palpable it breaks your heart just to look at it.

you don’t want to open your eyes. you don’t want to see the kind of face he’s making right now. you don’t want to know if he’s pursing his lips, or furrowing his brows, just because of your carelessly chosen words — you know his old best friend is a sensitive subject. gosh, you’re stupid.

stupid, stupid, stupid.

(why can’t you ever just read the room?)

blindly, you stumble for something to say, parting your lips. desperate to change the topic, to save him from this suffocating silence.

— but then suguru breaks it.

”yeah.”

when your eyes flutter open, he’s looking out into the garden. watching the sun, as it sinks beneath the mountains, lips curved up into a small smile.

”i suppose i did.”

…

you take a moment to look at him. the bridge of his nose, the firm lines of his jaw — the slightest tremble of the muscle. and those eyes, set afire by the final rays of the setting sun, burned to ash. filled with… something. not regret.

just longing.

suddenly, the pads of his fingers are dancing along your skin again; gliding down to pinch your nose. it makes you yelp, a tiny squeak.

and then he’s looking at you.

”but i love you more,” he croons, a little tilt of his head that make his bangs move like a black curtain. eyes swirling with humour, something syrupy and teasing, awfully fond. ”my little dove.”

before you know it, your cheeks are blossoming with warmth; the branches of your lips curling up into a shy smile. his attention is a little too much to bear, so you wriggle out of his grasp — turning around to press your face into his stomach. his sleeves cast a curtain around you, a protective veil, but it’s not long until you’re being coaxed back into your original position.

”ah ah,” he tuts, chiding you lovingly; a coo in the back of his throat. ”none of that. let me take care of you.”

all you can do is groan, meekly, squeezing your eyes shut. suguru only chuckles, cupping your cheeks and continuing to apply pressure on your forehead and nose, large warm palms against your chilled skin — unwilling to let you escape his pampering.

the sun sets eventually. but he keeps you on his lap until the headache has faded entirely, until your eyelids have dragged you into a deep slumber, until tiny snores are seeping from your parted lips. until the moon has pulled itself into the night sky above you.

somehow, even on the brink of exhaustion, you manage to feel his warm lips against your forehead; hear the muffled murmur against your skin.

”sweet dreams, my darling,” comes a whisper, deep and silky, coaxing you further into the cradle of sleep. his thumb smooths along your cheekbone, down to the curve of your jaw — a trail of warmth. ”come back to me soon, won’t you?”

he smiles. you feel it, that soft upward curve, a blissed out sensation drowning you in white noise. the space inside your mind is free of pain, filled only with thoughts of him, the lines of his fingers burning patterns into your skin. one final kiss pressed between your brows, and then he’s pulling away; curling his arms under your knees and hoisting you up. into his steady arms, his robes shielding you from the soft glow of the stars.

”… don’t dawdle in dreamland for too long.”

the whisper goes unheard. fast asleep, suguru can only gaze at you, drinking in the serenity on your features. trying not to remember a boy with blue eyes — the similar expression he wore once his migraines had begun to fade.

he shakes his head, and carries you towards the bedroom. safe and sound in his embrace.

#geto x reader #geto x you #geto x y/n #jjk fluff #geto fluff #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jjk x y/n #geto suguru x reader #geto suguru x you #geto suguru x y/n #jjk x gender neutral reader

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ahundredtimesover · 1 year ago

Text

I Want You to Stay (06) | JJK

Pairing: Jungkook x (f.) Reader

Genre/Tags: boss!JK x assistant!reader; idiot strangers to lovers; slow slow burn; k-drama feels; angst, drama, fluff, smut

Chapter (Series) Warnings: foul/explicit language; alcohol consumption & passing out, unhealthy coping mechanisms; family drama; minor injuries; power dynamics (JK starts off as a jerk); work-related anxiety, feelings of helplessness, insecurities; childhood traumatic experiences, nightmares; sexual harassment, prior incidence of domestic violence (PLS PLS BE CAREFUL WHEN READING); arts and business/property devt talk that’s probably inaccurate; commitment issues & emotionally constipated characters; cold and detached JK; eventual explicit sexual content (specific warnings stated per chapter) (18+)

Chapter Word count: 14.6k

Series Masterlist

Status: Ongoing

Series summary: Working for Jungkook isn’t the same as working for Hoseok. For starters, Jungkook doesn’t smile, he doesn’t appreciate you, and he gives you too much work. It doesn’t help that he’s incredibly handsome and has women at his beck and call. But as the tension grows, it becomes impossible to resist him. You’ve dedicated yourself to your job for 8 years so when you finally decide to put yourself first, he asks you to reconsider. And while you know that leaving is difficult, you learn that when it comes to Jungkook, staying is always so much harder.

Playlist 🎶: on the way home

A/N: We're slowly heading somewhere! Still slow but it's something hehe thank you again for appreciating this piece! 🥰 Also... JK in that Vogue outfit with a corsage. YEP.

And as always, my biggest thanks to @wonwoonlight 🥰

PS. If I can’t tag you, pls fix your settings!

The silence that engulfs Jungkook’s apartment once you enter the following Monday is quite unnerving, as it brings back memories of the last time this happened and a half-naked woman came out of the bedroom and questioned who you were. The gym is empty. There’s no other sound of someone typing away or talking on the phone like the few times that you found Jungkook working before you even arrived.

You take a deep breath and decide to just face whoever comes out of these doors until one of them opens and out comes the man himself - alone - dressed in an oversized jumper and sweatpants. He looks like he just got out of bed with his semi-mussed hair - with a little sprout bouncing along as he moves - and groggy eyes, which widen once it registers that you’re here.

“Mr. Jeon,” you bow in greeting. “Are you feeling better?”

“A little,” he replies, his deep and gruff voice startling you a little. “What do you have there?”

He gestures towards the paper bag you’re holding, and you remember what you decided to bring over.

“Uh, chicken noodle soup,” you mutter, somehow suddenly shy. “Just an option for this morning. I wasn’t sure if you were still feeling under the weather.”

“I think I’m just fatigued,” he says. “But uh, I can have that.”

“Yes, sir,” you nod, putting it in a pot to eventually heat.

You prepare his suits for the week then prepare his breakfast, pouring yourself a small serving as well. He takes his seat and starts eating, and you glance at him to see his reaction.

“Where did you get the one from last Saturday?” He asks, his face expressionless.

“From a store nearby,” you answer. “I was heading somewhere and your building was on the way.”

“This tastes better. Where did you get this from?”

“I, uh, I made it,” you say softly, feeling a bit of pride that it’s something he complimented.

There’s prolonged silence that you’re suddenly nervous about. His eyes remain focused straight ahead while yours constantly flit towards him, partly to gauge if he’ll start talking about last week’s meeting and partly to see his reaction about your dish.

“You don’t have to send or make me food, Ms. Cho,” he finally says, wishing he’d said it with a bit more warmth.

But he’s not used to speaking that way, so it comes off as displeasure, as if he doesn’t appreciate what you’d done even if that’s exactly how he feels. He’s grateful; he just doesn’t want another reason to think that you actually care about him.

“My health is my responsibility, not yours,” he adds.

“I, uh… I suppose that’s true,” you say even more softly. “I just thought it would be nice to be given something like this when you’re sick.”

And it’s the truth. During the times you were unwell, Hoseok would remind you to rest or take your medicines; he even bought you vitamins and it’s why taking them became a habit of yours. You barely had the energy to make soup. But after that one time when you braved through an event and Yoongi noticed you feeling under the weather, he took you to a noodle house and ordered extra chicken noodle soup for you to take home. You had it all through the weekend, and though it wasn’t like your mom’s, it was still something familiar, and it was comfort that you badly needed.

You thought it was something you could extend to Jungkook. You weren’t sure if he was spending the weekend at home by himself, but in case he was, you thought that something warm would help. You were on your way to watch a local film and happened to pass by his area, the image of him sick and probably alone prompting you to just buy that dish and leave it at the reception. You suddenly craved it and made one for yourself last night, thinking it wouldn’t hurt if you brought some over for him as well. Even if he thinks it isn’t your responsibility, you think it’s still within your role to make sure that your boss - the Vice President - conducts his functions properly, and he can only do so if he’s healthy.

As you finish the small portion that you prepared for yourself, Jungkook wonders who’d taken care of you during the times you were sick. With your friends and family miles away, perhaps there wasn’t anyone. Maybe it was a boyfriend. Or maybe like what he’s come to see, you did things on your own. Maybe you think there’s no one doing that for him, too.

And you wouldn’t be wrong. He was never good with company, after all, whether it was offering or keeping it. So when someone offers something as simple as a bowl of soup for when he’s feeling unwell, it cuts through the walls he’s built around himself because he’s become used to no one even knocking to check how he’s doing.

But in an effort to remain unmoved and insistent on keeping his distance, he sets boundaries once more.

“You don’t need to do this for me, Mr. Cho,” he states. “I appreciate it, but I’d prefer if you don’t do it again.”

He sees your face fall from his periphery, and much as he wants to take it back, he knows he has to hold back. It was hard enough to resist feeling cared for.

He’d really spent the weekend by himself, turning down his friends’ invitation to go to a resort and Hoseok’s offer of dinner at this newly opened steak house. Jungkook was buried under the covers when the phone rang informing him that you’d left something for him, unwilling to move and get off the bed because he was too tired but also too hungry, so when he opened the bag and it registered to him what you've given him, he felt less alone and less sad for himself. The image of your shy expression flashed through his mind and he couldn’t help the smile he let out, giving himself only a minute to bask in your kindness before reminding himself that it means nothing more than making sure he’s well. It’s harder for you if he’s sick, he convinced himself. Still, he’d rather not think about it; he’d rather not torture himself by his brain wanting you to mean one thing, but his heart hoping it was another.

“I understand, Mr. Jeon,” you say, your voice a little too firm for his liking. “I apologize if it made you uncomfortable.”

“It—” didn’t, he wants to say. It made him feel nice and comfortable and that’s what he can’t let himself feel around you.

“I treat this as part of my job,” you reason, a half lie because you really did want to extend some kindness even if he may not exactly be deserving of it. “But it may not be so for you. I’ll take note of this moving forward.”

Jungkook concedes. Any objection will counter what he’s been saying, even if he didn’t mean all of it. And like how you always do, you get over it quickly, flashing him a measured smile and taking out your iPad to go through this week’s schedule.

You both head to the car after and discuss his previous meetings. You’re detailed and engaged, taking down notes and asking him questions like the professional that you are. He tells you about his meeting with artist Lee Jaemin and that he agreed with 80% of the pieces that you and Yoongi chose. You talk about the Board members’ reactions during his presentation and he shares what they talked to him about during the dinner.

“Socializing with them was tiring,” he admits. “I couldn’t keep up with all the things that they wanted to talk about.”

You give him an assuring smile. “You looked like you did well,” you assure him. “They seemed engaged, although as Mr. Jung would say, part of that is for show, to get on your good side. It would be smarter to think that not all of it was genuine.”

“True. But I enjoyed speaking with Mr. Saito. He’s an architect, too, and we had a really good talk about incorporating traditional elements in a modern design.”

“Yes, he’s always been kind,” you say. “But it’s good that you’re able to forge these relationships. Perhaps it’s also new to them, seeing you in that light. I suppose they don’t know you all that much. It’s a nice change being able to engage with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, well, it’s just during the company events that you attended, it wasn’t exactly hard to spot you,” you chuckle, seemingly comfortable now.

“And why is that so?”

He turns to you, legitimately curious because he’d never really noticed you before, even if he knew you as Hoseok’s assistant. If he’s being honest, you didn’t even look familiar when you first met, and that just reinforces the fact that Jungkook didn’t really care for the other people around him, especially during those events he was required to fly to Seoul to attend. If he’d paid a bit more attention, maybe he wouldn’t have been caught off guard when he did finally meet you. Maybe he wouldn’t have been as rude, too.

“If I may, sir, it was quite easy to spot one of the Jeon sons always at the bar,” you chuckle. “Your father and cousin would often look for you and you were always in the same spot.”

You’d noticed him, Jungkook thinks to himself. He wonders what you’d thought about him then, but given how he hated those events, it probably wouldn’t be something good. He just always couldn’t wait to leave.

“Ah. As you can tell, I’m not one who likes to socialize,” he says. “I don’t really know what to talk to people about. And I’m not that good with names nor faces. It was easier to keep to myself.”

“That’s understandable. But you already know that’ll have to change,” you remind him. “Half of what Mr. Jung did was attend events.”

“I know. He’s been preparing me for that. I need your help in that aspect, too, from remembering names to getting my energy up. Those are oddly what I’m most nervous about, if I’m being honest.”

“I’ll do what I can, Mr. Jeon,” you assure him. “I hope I can make things easy for you.”

You’ll never know the irony of your words, and perhaps the push and pull it brings about - as you try to make things easy for him, the harder it actually becomes on his end.

You find yourself back at the tailor shop the next Thursday for Jungkook’s suit fitting, and if it wasn’t for Taehyung telling you that your gowns are ready, you would have totally forgotten that you had some dresses made as well.

While Jungkook tries on his outfits, you’re instructed to choose several dress shirts that he’d be adding to his wardrobe, given the various functions he’d be attending from now on. You didn’t anticipate for this to be part of your role, but you don’t mind, as it’s a welcome change to what you normally do, which is attend meetings, bury yourself in paperwork, and everything else in between. At least you’ll be visiting the venue for the Arts Center event tomorrow, but today, you focus on the task at hand, which turns out to be harder than expected.

The options are endless. It doesn’t help that you have to envision Jungkook in each piece of clothing and that he looks good in every one of them, and that you have to imagine him at all. You see him everyday - and have seen him in as little as in just his gym shorts - and you don’t really want to have him in your mind as well. But how he presents himself is a big part of his new role, as Hoseok had told you. As the Vice President, Jungkook needs to look sophisticated and respectable, someone worthy to represent the company and the Jeon family name.

You go for different hues of grays and blacks and other colors, too. There’s an olive green that looks really nice, and a few maroons and pinks that would add variety to his everyday look. You’re focused on making your choices, but your focus shifts to Jungkook when he comes out of the dressing room donned in a patterned black suit. The fit is perfect and even with the distance between you two, you could spot impeccable details that make the outfit look elegant yet fresh.

“This is for the gala,” Taehyung states. “What do you think, Ms. Cho?”

“It looks nice” is all you manage to say.

It’s the only word you feel is neutral enough to describe him. Even if you could accept that Jungkook is handsome, you don’t exactly want to say so in front of him.

“I was going for something better than nice, but that should be fine, I guess. What do you think, Kook?”

“I like it. But don’t you think the sleeves are a bit too fit on my arms?” Jungkook asks his friend.

“Well, it’s not like you were flexing them when I was measuring you,” Taehyung playfully rolls his eyes. “But I can adjust it, since I doubt you’d take a pause on lifting weights anyway. It’s probably the material though so don’t worry, I’ll fix this. Okay, on to the next one.”

You return to your task at hand, choosing some patterned tops that are appropriate for less formal events, and you inform Taehyung who then says that he’ll have those made in Jungkook’s measurements. With your task finished, Taehyung instructs you to head downstairs so you could fit your gowns as well, and you follow in anticipation because these might just be the first and only custom-made pieces of clothing you’ll ever have the luxury of wearing.

A female staff assists you, making sure that the length and neckline are to your liking. The first outfit, the one for the Arts Center event, is an old rose sleeveless lace midi dress that looks even more gorgeous when worn. The gown for the Appointment Dinner is a black short-sleeved pleated piece that is both functional and fashionable, but it’s the last one - the one for the gala - that has your jaw dropping to the ground.

“Ms. Cho,” you hear Taehyung call out from outside the fitting room. “Is everything okay?”

“Y-yeah,” you stutter, unable to stop looking at yourself in the mirror and turning around to try to see every angle of the stunning dress. “It’s just, uh…”

“It’s what?” He asks worriedly. “Can you come outside so I can see?”

You take a breath before pulling the heavy curtains open and find Taehyung and Jungkook standing not far away.

“It’s too pretty, Mr. Kim,” you say shyly. “I don’t think I can wear this.”

“Well, you will. Because it’s custom-made,” he points out. “And it looks gorgeous on you. It fits perfectly. I assume the others do as well?”

“Yes,” you smile, feeling like a fairytale princess who gets to wear a gown that her fairy godmother had made for her. “They’re just…”

“Exactly what you need as this guy’s right hand woman,” Taehyung finishes for you.

He gestures towards his best friend who seems expressionless and probably unimpressed by how you look. It’s not like you mind but it at least wouldn’t be humiliating if he just stood there looking uninterested.

“What do you think, Kook?”

“It looks nice,” Jungkook shrugs, repeating the words you’d used on him earlier. Shifting his gaze from you to Taehyung, he excuses himself. “I’ll head to the car, I have calls to make.”

“I’ll finish up here,” you say, turning around to go back to the fitting room.

Jungkook exits the shop and finally breathes, feeling like he’d suffocated inside because of how you looked. He’d wondered how the dresses turned out, curious about the designs because Taehyung didn’t want to show him; it’s a surprise, the man had said. And now Jungkook knows why.

Stunning would be an inadequate word to use. The burgundy color of the gown made it look sophisticated on you, even more with the off-shoulder that showed off some of your features that he’d rather not think about. The flow was elegant, and he half wishes that he hadn’t thought of having these made only so he could avoid the moment earlier when he felt his throat dry up because of how beautiful you looked.

He’s gonna have to get used to being rendered speechless every time, he thinks, but it’s not like it doesn’t happen everyday, anyway. Every morning that he finds you standing in his kitchen, donning the pencil skirt and blouse ensemble that assistants are recommended to wear, his mind short circuits. There’s something especially fresh and electrifying about you at the start of the day, and he always has to pull himself together and act normal around you without giving himself away.

He can’t nurture the attraction, after all, even if he’s reminded of it during times like earlier, even more so when he gazes at you and you hold it, letting the tension build unconsciously. Because that’s what happened, as you pulled open the curtains and looked up. He wishes you were too shy to notice how long he had his eyes on you. But it’s why he had to get away. You’re too much for him sometimes, and he doesn’t know if you have any idea of how you affect him.

Jungkook stares at his phone, half hoping that an actual call would come to distract him. But nothing does, and he leans his head back and groans in frustration. What is it about you that makes him absolutely weak in the knees and stupid in the head?

Back inside, you give Taehyung your address so he can have the gowns delivered to your apartment for your convenience.

“Thank you again, Mr. Kim,” you say. “I wish I could do your creations justice.”

“You will. It’s in the confidence, so exude it, okay?”

“I’ll try,” you giggle. “Especially since those pieces will pretty much blow the Office of the VP’s budget.”

“Is that what Kook said? That these are budgeted under him?” Taehyung arches an eyebrow.

“Uh, yes, sort of. I just assumed because he’d pointed out that they were being made as part of my functions,” you explain.

“Hmm. I know his office has a lot of money but these gowns would definitely blow up any contingency fund you have,” he chuckles. “So no, your assumption is wrong. Kook’s paying for all this.”

“What?” You exclaim. “But that’s— why?”

“Well, you do need these as part of your job, and he wanted to save you the inconvenience of spending for them. I mean, he did buy Lucas some suits, too. But between you and me, I think this is his way of apologizing to you, just in a very gallant way.”

“You mean unnecessary and undeserving,” you correct, still in shock that Jungkook is paying for all those, even if yes, he can easily afford them.

“Nope, not at all. I know he’s been difficult to deal with and I’d like to apologize on his behalf, seeing that he’s terrible at doing it. I know it doesn’t make things better but at least it’s something you don’t have to worry about anymore.”

“Well, that does help a bit,” you smile, following him as he heads out the door. “But thank you again, Mr. Kim.”

“Off with the formalities,” he laughs. “It’s Taehyung. And you’re welcome. It’s the least I could do to somehow make up for my ass of a best friend.”

“He’s not too bad. Not anymore, at least,” you counter. “I’ll go ahead. Have a good day, Taehyung!”

Jungkook manages to look down on his phone in time for you not to see him watch you talk freely and casually with his friend. That’s another person close to him who gets to experience how you’re like - joyful and warm, perhaps a little shy sometimes, but comfortable just the same. It’s something he’ll only see from afar; your positions necessitate some distance, but perhaps that’s better than not having you around at all.

You enter the car and you’re back to being quiet and reserved, your eyes focused on the road while Jungkook, in an effort not to keep glancing at you, turns to his leather notebook and doodles some designs that pop in his head. It’s his way of calming himself down most days, helping him focus given that his mind is often filled with too many thoughts that he can’t express. He hopes that in drawing them, he can somehow rid himself of the feelings he’s locked in and it helps, as he’s somehow able to get over the tension from earlier and the tiniest bit of jealousy over your casual engagement with Taehyung.

You both return to the office, with Jungkook proceeding to his room to prepare for a lunch meeting and you follow, taking some signed documents that he’d left earlier.

“Mr. Jeon,” you say as he settles in his seat. “Thank you for the dresses. I… I’ve never had anything as beautiful as those and undeserving as I may feel, I’m just really appreciative.”

Jungkook isn’t prepared for the softness in your voice as you say the words, and like the consistent jerk that he is, he brushes it off.

“Taehyung made them; you should thank him. I just paid for them,” he utters, his tone stern and uncaring.

His eyes flit to you when there’s silence on your end, and he wishes they hadn’t. There’s resignation in yours, as if he’s shattering another moment you’re creating where you’re just being sincere and he’s being dismissive. It’s his default, he reasons, not just towards you but towards everyone. Normally he wouldn’t mind how the other would take it, but with you right now, he wishes he was so much better than this.

You hold his gaze, as if trying to tell him things you don’t want to express. He’s not one to apologize, but he also won’t accept gratitude. You’re starting to think that what Jungkook can’t handle is any form of human connection. It’s something you struggle with at times, but you’re at least open to it, willing to accept kindness and appreciating people for what they have to offer. Jungkook deflects; he turns away. It seemed like it took so much for him to even verbalize needing your help and perhaps he was desperate; his reputation was on the line after all. But even then, he doesn’t give nor does he accept, and you wonder what made him that way.

“Is there anything else?” He finally asks after a long beat of silence.

“Nothing more,” you shake your head and excuse yourself.

Returning to your desk, you look at Jungkook from your seat. There’s a hint of emptiness in his eyes that you often mistake for apathy. Perhaps there’s more and perhaps the help he really needs isn’t just about dealing with his father or remembering names or navigating relationships required for his role. Maybe it’s about opening himself up a little, or smiling when the situation calls for it, or not questioning other people’s kindness towards him. Maybe it’s about realizing he’s more than just this heir to the company or the playboy he’s known as. Maybe it’s about seeing that he’s capable of sincerity and gentleness as well.

You sigh to yourself. It’s probably a long shot but you only feel strongly about it because you know what it’s like to turn people away. If it hadn’t been for your family and friends, you probably would’ve continued to do so. Jungkook may be your boss but he’s human, too, and he may just be waiting around to see who’d be patient enough to extend a hand and let him know that he’s not alone, that someone understands, and maybe that someone is you.

The days fly by too quickly for your liking and you haven't been able to take a breath. You had a meeting with the organizing committee of the Appointment Dinner most of last Friday and you spent your weekend coordinating with the designers for the Arts Center launch. It’s been last minute preparations these past two days and before you know it, Wednesday has come. You stayed late the night before and were gladly checked in at the hotel with the other assistants, so you at least got a bit of sleep even if your body felt like it continued to stay awake.

But tonight is important, as the newly appointed executives will be formally introduced to the corporation’s directors, shareholders, and subsidiary companies. You’ve been organizing this with the planning committee since the appointments were announced, and given that coordinating events like this is one of your primary tasks, you’re exhausted and excited and nervous all at once. But it’s the second time you’re doing this and you’ve learned so much since you did this for Hoseok. There’s more knowledge, sure, but there’s also more confidence. You also know enough to eat before the guests arrive and at 3PM, it’s exactly what you do, knowing you won’t have much else until the event ends.

The other employees compliment your dress, and you’re too shy to say who had designed it but you eventually do, knowing it’s good for Taehyung’s brand. But you don’t say much else, choosing instead to focus on the guest list as you’re tasked to do, and you go around the events hall to make sure that the VIP name cards are placed on their proper tables. You’re able to sneak bites of the canapes as you go, allowing yourself a flute of champagne for that kick you need to socialize with the guests tonight.

You engage with the early birds when they arrive, guiding them to their seats and putting on your most welcoming smile. You get Mr. Ri’s message that they’re nearby, so you head outside and stand by the entrance and wait for them, knowing Jungkook would want to know how things are going.

He exits the car in a black suit and white top, a statement brooch adorning his classic coat. The strands of his long hair are tucked behind his ears and he looks even more polished than usual, a look that catches attention; it definitely catches yours.

“Mr. Jeon,” you bow in greeting. “Some of your invited guests have arrived.”

“Have you spoken to them?” He asks, as you walk slightly behind him towards the venue.

“I have, and they’re looking forward to seeing you.”

He nods, and just as he’s about to enter the hall, he stops and turns towards you.

“You’re busy tonight, aren’t you?”

“Somewhat, sir,” you reply. “We all have our tasks but I’m free to move around. Do you need help with anything?”

“Just, uh, names.”

“I’ll always be nearby,” you assure him.

Your smile gives him the comfort he needs. He’s been without it since yesterday afternoon, given that you had to prepare as part of the organizing committee. And while the support team and Yoongi have been encouraging, only you really know why every event such as this is important for him.

Jungkook has already made gains with some of the Board members last week; this time, it’s about engaging everyone else - the staff, the partners, and key personalities in the industry. Hoseok and Ji-woo have done this before but it’s Jungkook’s first time. He’s no longer just an executive in the Southeast Asian office; he’s now the Vice President of the entire company. There’s a lot of pressure that comes from carrying the Jeon family name, and even more being the only one of the two sons who’s taking on such an important role.

The event hall is grand. It’s pretty special, too. It’s one of the projects he worked on as part of the design department years ago before he left for Singapore, and the thought makes him stop. Perhaps this is the reason why his father chose this venue for tonight; if anything, it’s a reminder of what Jungkook is capable of. He takes a breath and looks around to soak everything in before approaching his invited guests - partners and consultants he worked with in his previous role.

But that ends quickly, as many more people approach him for a greeting.

Jungkook is a bit overwhelmed. He tries to hold eye contact when he speaks to them but he can only do so for so long. Some faces are familiar but the names escape him, and he starts to regret all the times that he flew here for events like this and never engaged with the other guests. If he had, perhaps this wouldn’t be so hard.

There are those who introduce themselves, while there are those who don’t, perhaps assuming that he’d know who they are. Just like the couple who’s speaking to him excitedly, and he wants to return the energy by at least calling them by their names. His mind is blank, and just as he’s about to give up, he looks up and sees you, your eyes catching his as if you’re just waiting for his cry for help.

There’s pleading in his eyes and you get it immediately, as you walk towards his direction then greet the pair next to him.

“Mr. and Mrs. Yamada,” you say. “It’s lovely to see both of you again. I saw in the news that you’re launching a new project with our partners from Dubai. That’s quite exciting.”

“Ah, Ms. Cho,” they greet you back. “Yes, all thanks to Mr. Jung who helped us with that partnership. We’re excited for it as well.”

“Oh, I’m sure. We’re looking forward to it,” you smile.

“Thank you. I’m pleased to know that you remain as the Vice President’s assistant,” Mrs. Yamada says. “Perhaps we can invite Mr. Jeon to one of our hotels in Japan? Or even in London?”

You turn to Jungkook who looks less tense than he did a few minutes ago.

“Ah, yes, that would be great, Mr. and Mrs. Yamada,” he responds. “I’m sure I’ll find time during one of my trips and I’ll definitely give you a call. Perhaps we can talk about projects we can work on as well.”

The excitement in the couple’s faces is a joy to see and for their sake, you really do wish that Jungkook makes good on his promise. You ask him about it after they leave, and he says that the names were familiar. Ji-woo’s talked about working with them before and that they’re long-time friends of the family, so he should maintain that relationship.

A call of his name prompts both of you to look to the side, and he turns to you with a questioning face.

“Mr. Adam’s an investor. Behind him is Professor Zhang from SNU. They’re friends of your father,” you tell him. Seeing Bitna signal for you, you say, “I have to check on something, Mr. Jeon. I’ll be back.”

You turn around to head to one of the tables, but you look back to watch Jungkook greet those who approach him, his smile becoming more natural as the moments pass by. You briefly meet with some staff about the musical guest and some other last minute adjustments. You greet Taehyung and Seokjin who show up to support their best friend, with both men complimenting how you look.

Knowing that Jungkook will be needing you again after, you call over Do-hyun and Yohan and delegate some of your monitoring tasks to them, and then stand by one of the tables as you watch the socialization take place as more guests come in.

Your eyes find Jungkook again as he’s engaged in a conversation with some Board members and other partners, and you smile a little at how he’s able to maintain eye contact and look like he’s actually interested, especially after he looks up and gives you a look as if to say that he’s trying his best.

“Why are you watching him like some child who’s trying to make friends at the playground?” Chin-sun asks, the teasing tone of her voice making you chuckle. “He’s a grown man, you know? He can hold his own.”

“I know,” you reply, turning to her. “But it’s one of the many things that’s new about his role. And probably one of the more important ones. I just wanna let him know that he’s doing a good job.”

“Well, there’s no wife or girlfriend to do that. I guess that makes it your responsibility then.”

You disregard her comment’s implication and point out that Hoseok does that for Jungkook, too, but he’s just as busy and perhaps just as nervous as well.

“It matters a lot to hear it. Plus, social events can be overwhelming and isolating at the same time. He’s still getting used to it,” you add.

The prolonged silence prompts you to turn to her.

“You know, I admire you for a lot of things,” she says. “Your ability to remain kind after everything is one of them. I mean, after how he treated you those first few weeks? That was tough.”

Your resigned face pushes her to continue. “Do-hyun could’ve gone on without telling me about seeing you cry and I still would’ve known. You tried to hide it but your smile always fell too fast and your eyes were just always sad. Must’ve been hard, trying to get the team on his side when you couldn’t do that for yourself.”

“I honestly don’t know how I survived that first month,” you laugh to mask the sadness from that experience. “But that’s in the past. He still has his moments but at least there are good ones now. I’m here to do my job. Being kind after everything is part of it.”

“I wish you didn’t have to keep it to yourself though,” she laments. “If we couldn’t help, we could’ve at least cheered you up.”

“I didn’t want to bring you guys into it,” you say. “The team was incredibly busy with so many things and I managed. That’s what matters.”

“Oh, ___,” she sighs. “You put so much of yourself in your job. I think that’s why the bosses trust you. But that takes so much out of you, too. Do you have anything left for yourself?”

“What’s left is right here, Chin-sun. I don’t think I know what I am outside of all this.”

“Doesn’t that bother you? I mean, I’ve worked with you for three years and I can’t say I really know you outside of this, too. And if you can’t… well, that’s something to think about.”

“And I have. It’s something I’ve asked myself, but trying to find the answer isn’t as easy as asking the question. So I just put all my energy into my work because where else would I? It at least pays the bills and lets me enjoy little luxuries every once in a while,” you reason.

“Well, I know what learning who you are outside of this job would entail, and I’m a little selfish because I need you around,” she smiles. “No one does things the way you do, and that’s also why I figured that at some point, Mr. Jeon was gonna get himself together because he can’t afford to lose you. You’re so good at this, ___. He’s lucky you didn’t quit.”

“Apparently, it takes a lot to get me to quit,” you reply.

Or I was just never brave enough to do it, you want to say. Asking the question is indeed always easier than finding the answer.

“Let’s hope you find a way to find yourself without resigning. We can’t afford to lose you, too,” she winks.

“I appreciate that, Chin-sun. Thank you.”

“Well, I think it matters that you know that you’re doing amazing. I hope he treats you as you deserve.”

He tries, you think to yourself. At least that’s what you hope.

The call of your names from a familiar voice excites you, as A-yeong approaches you and Chin-sun. You engage in your usual hushed conversations until you see Jungkook in another sea of people and you decide to approach him, the relief on his face telling you that he’s indeed been needing you.

It’s not your preferred crowd. Something you’ve learned in your years of attending these events is that you would smile and entertain them and men would think it’s an invitation to invade your personal space. A lingering touch on the elbow, a hand on your waist, standing a millimeter too close… and they disregard your uncomfortable look or attempts at stepping away.

The man you’re introduced to is new but his ways aren’t, and you scan the hall to find Bitna who turns to you in time, the look you give her signaling another person to look out for. It’s a system they developed that they’ve filled you in on, and you immediately excuse yourself and check on the food served at the back even if you know they’re still well stocked. It at least allows you a breather. You’re not even a main actor but you’re tired as hell from socializing with people.

It’s not long after when the event starts. Speeches and a performance take place while dishes are being put out, and it’s after the main course is served when Jungkook steps away from his seat.

Choosing to stand towards the back before he’s called on stage to be introduced, he scans the hall and thinks about the work that the committee put in, including you, who had to deal with him while dealing with all this. He catches sight of you speaking with the other assistants, and he already knows there’s some planning going on. But like the last time, he felt you around even if you were busy; you held his gaze during the times he felt a little overwhelmed.

“You ready?”

Yoongi’s voice is deep but calming, and Jungkook takes it as his friend’s way of encouraging him.

“Not really, but I’ll manage.”

“Good. You’ve got people on your side,” Yoongi assures him. “Like me. And especially her.”

He gestures towards the left where Jungkook sees you approaching them. Since you started working for him, he didn’t expect how easily he could find comfort in your presence. He went from wishing you were someone else, to wanting to distance himself from you, to constantly hoping you were around. Those last two could actually coexist, and they do. There’s still detachment as his means to combat the attraction - he tries not to care about you, to not get to know you, to remind himself of who you are in his life, but he still depends on you for support, for comfort, for stability. You make his life easier; you also make it feel less lonely. And every time you’re there is a moment where he feels like he could breathe, like the noise in his mind stills because he’s forced to focus on you; somehow, you captivate him that way.

“Are you ready, Mr. Jeon?”

The contrasting tenderness of your voice gives him that boost and he nods despite the lingering nervousness.

“I guess so,” he huffs. “Let’s get this over with.”

He walks towards his seat up front while you stay behind with Yoongi who leads you to one of the free tables at the back. You both don’t say much to each other, focusing instead on the short speeches that Ji-woo and Hoseok give, both of them expressing their gratitude and giving previews of upcoming projects to look forward to. They’re masters at commanding a crowd, as evidenced by their engagement and loud applause at the end of it. You can already imagine Jungkook feeling even more nervous, knowing that’s not really his style, but you hope that your earlier encouragement lingers, as he walks towards the stage.

He delivers his speech flawlessly. Knowing him the way you do, you could tell he let his vulnerability shine through, even if it may not seem much to everyone else. The teaser about the Arts Center gets people excited, which he builds up on. He even slides in a few jokes that surprisingly get the audience entertained.

A small smile paints your face and from next to you, Yoongi chuckles in almost disbelief.

“Is it safe to say you’re proud of him?” He asks, as Jungkook walks down the stage and CEO Jeon takes the mic.

“You could say that,” you turn to him. “It’s silly, considering how things started. I… I didn’t think I’d be genuinely rooting for him, you know? But I am. I really want him to do well.”

“That’s good to hear, ___. I guess it means that things really are changing and he’s treating you better.”

“I think they are,” you hum. “I mean, not the best, but I also don’t know what that’s supposed to look like. I guess I’m just understanding who he is a little bit better now. And I think that makes the difference.”

“Like I said, he’s not a terrible person. He just needs… someone to be patient with him, someone to show him kindness,” Yoongi says. “I think that’s what he lost along the way. He stopped being that way to himself and so did people. They just didn’t want to upset him, but they also didn’t give or show anything more.”

“You think so?”

“Why do you think it’s so hard for him to forge even the simplest and most basic connections?” Yoongi questions. “They lack meaning for him. I think he’s forgotten what that’s like. Without sincerity or kindness, without intensity or honesty, there’s just… emptiness. Everything is fleeting for him.”

“And you’re telling me this, why?” You eye him curiously.

“Because I think your kindness did something to him.”

“And that is?”

“He’s showing a bit of that to himself, too. And I guess to others as well,” Yoongi explains.

“I’m a mere assistant doing her job, Yoongi,” you shake your head. “It’s a little selfish but I do what I can to appease him and to make our relationship good enough to make this job bearable for me. If it makes him a better person, good for him and better for me. I’ll just keep doing it then.”

Your friend’s silence prompts you to turn towards him. He seems to be in deep thought, perhaps analyzing what you’d just said, which he tends to do.

There’s no lie in your statement. You’d done your part of standing up to Jungkook at the start; you at least got to show you were capable of fighting for yourself in that sense. But after that, you learned that keeping things in and letting him see how his actions affect you works as well. You show kindness because it’s natural for you, but also because it keeps the peace, it keeps both of you stable.

But you can also admit that you do all that because wanting him to know that he’s got you on his side is a way to tell yourself that you’ve got people rooting for you, too, even if you’re not the best at keeping relationships nor keeping people close. You show Jungkook what you want to experience from people; you make him feel what you want to feel. Maybe that makes you selfish. You think it also makes you human.

It’s not something you tell Yoongi, though. But maybe with the way he looks at you assuringly, you suppose he knows it, too.

The event finally ends and the guests start exiting the venue. You bid them goodbye while instructing some in-house staff about cleaning up. Mr. and Mrs. Jeon greet you on their way out, commending you for your work along with the others, and it’s their encouraging smiles that remind you of one of the reasons why you stick to this job. They’re people you don’t want to disappoint as well, and seeing them satisfied is always a good thing.

“Hey, you’re officially off the clock,” Bitna reminds you. “A couple of us are staying for closing, remember?”

“Right,” you smile.

They have a day off tomorrow because of tonight but it’s not something you can afford, given that you’ve got the Arts Center event one a week from now. It’s almost midnight and you’d have to be up in 5 hours.

“I’ll get going then. I’ll just say goodbye to— oh, Mr. Jeon,” you say, finding him just as you were about to look for him. “Is there anything I can help you with before I leave?”

“Oh, there’s nothing. Just, uh, how are you getting home?”

“A cab,” you answer.

Yoongi nudges your arm from next to you with a pout on his face. “Yah! I’ll take you home. It’s not safe to take a cab this late.”

“Yes, that’s preferable, Ms. Cho,” Jungkook says. “It’s been a long night.”

“Okay, sir,” you nod. “And it has. You also did really well. I didn’t expect the jokes but they were obviously a hit. Yoongi laughed, that’s how I know.”

“You laughed, too,” Yoongi points out.

“I’m glad it worked, then,” Jungkook says. “You can get going. You can also report to my place at 8AM to give you more time to rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jungkook heads out and rushes to the car where Mr. Ri drives him home. His mind is still buzzing from what transpired but he’s glad he managed like he said he would, like you believed he would.

And amidst the relief that he did well and the nervousness from having to do something similar again next week, there’s you, a vision that he quickly shakes off and one he finds himself seeing after every big and small thing that he does.

Your warm shower and your bed have never felt this good, only because you’re as tired as you are and you want nothing more than the weekend to come. But you’ve got a few more stressful days ahead of you and you try to push through them one at a time.

You go to Jungkook later than usual that Thursday then spend much of the entire day meeting with him and the team about next week’s event. You conduct a visit to the venue the next day and then spend the weekend answering guests’ queries and helping Chin-sun coordinate with suppliers. Monday and Tuesday have you going from one place to another and hopping from one meeting to the next, all while balancing your executive assistant and events manager responsibilities.

It’s incredibly tiring, but you also won’t deny the exhilaration you feel. There’s something so satisfying about seeing everything come together, especially as you look around the venue - an industrial commercial space that Jungkook and Yoongi jointly designed specifically for tonight. The high ceilings allow for the large panels that project the Arts Center design, with bright lights Illuminating the curated sculptures and art pieces placed around. The space elicits a feeling of newness and familiarity, of hollowness and clarity. There’s integration of traditional and modern elements and essentially, of history and emergence.

It leaves you quite breathless as you look around. It’s not even the Arts Center itself but you know that this is the emotion that Jungkook wants the guests to feel. He wants them to be in awe, to look on in excitement.

“It’s pretty great, huh?” Yoongi asks next to you. “Worth all the hard work.”

“It is. Design and logistics did amazing in putting this together,” you say, given that you’ve spent the entire day working with both teams to set this up.

“Well, Jungkook’s vision is captivating to begin with. It really makes a difference when you’re led by a creative mind. Selling the idea won’t be so hard in a place like this.”

“I really hope so. We’re banking on the artists for exposure. There are gonna be articles about it, too. The whole process is being documented and that makes the final product much more exciting,” you explain. “I… I actually feel really good being a part of this. I’m glad I didn’t quit after that first week.”

Yoongi laughs along with you, knowing now that that experience no longer bothers you the way it used to. But he’s glad about it, too, not only because he selfishly wants you around but even more, he knew that you needed this, that you needed to feel redeemed in Jungkook’s eyes and in yours. Yoongi hopes that as the project goes on, you’ll learn more about yourself and what you want, what you’re good at, what you can give, and what makes you happy.

“That makes both of us. I’m sure Jungkook thinks so, too,” Yoongi replies.

“Well, we’ll never know because he’ll probably never admit it but it’s a good thought,” you smile. “As long as we maintain this unproblematic dynamic, I’m good.”

“Speaking of which, where is he?”

“On the way,” you say. “He had a meeting to attend and he said he’ll be fixing up here. He should be here in a few minutes.”

Do-hyun approaches you about the photographer and you excuse yourself, instructing Yohan next to her to lead Jungkook to the waiting room when he arrives.

Jungkook steps into the venue and like he’d hoped, he feels the energy as he takes it all in. There’s a lot of possibility as he looks around, and that’s what he wants the guests to see. He wants the artists to envision their own pieces displayed; he wants the creatives to imagine fashion shows and photo shoots and videos that come to life; he wants people to see the potential of an Arts Center beyond just looking at art pieces.

But underneath the pride is nervousness. There will be important personalities coming today and it’s his opportunity to engage with them, to make them want to be a part of this. Talking about the details of the project would be easy; it’s connecting with them that’s a challenge. He had last week’s Appointment Dinner as a trial and like you said, he did well. It’s tonight that matters so much more to him. He supposes that what happens will set the trajectory for how the promotion of the Center will go, so making a good first impression is crucial.

Yohan approaches him and leads him towards the waiting room where his outfit, which Taehyung had pressed and sent over here, hangs on a rack. There are two magazine publications that will feature this event and both include an interview with him and some photos.

Jungkook starts dressing up, knowing he’ll be called for those not long from now. He looks at himself in the mirror and the uncertainty fills him again. It’s not the look he would’ve gone for but his best friend was adamant that an event like this calls for something new. With his trousers and fitted shirt on, Jungkook breathes in and out, and it’s at the same time when there’s a knock on the door and your call of his name suddenly makes him nervous.

You enter, stopping as you shut the door, your eyes a little wide, and look at him. You’re a sight to behold in your floral-laced dress and if he was anxious seconds ago, he’s even more now.

“I knew I should’ve stuck to the classic,” Jungkook sighs at your unmoving form.

“What—what do you mean, Mr. Jeon?” You ask, finally finding your voice.

“You’re not saying anything,” he frowns. “Tonight probably wasn’t the best time to show up in an outfit like this.”

“And why is that?” You wonder, walking closer to him now. You try to calm your racing heart because Jungkook looking this good in a checkered flared trouser and white v-neck shirt was not something you expected. “You look…”

“Pretentious?” He chuckles, shaking his head and bending towards the mirror, his angled body making you feel even hotter.

You’ve long accepted that Jungkook is a very handsome man. It’s probably why it was more frustrating despising him and, like Soomin said, also satisfying. He’s got a perfect mix of boyish and manly features with his doe eyes and chiseled jaw; the aura of confidence and nonchalance perhaps add to that as well. It also doesn’t help that he has a really good physique, something you’d seen on his first day on the job and one you’d denied affected you. You’d gotten used to it somehow. Hard as it was to suppress those thoughts every time you fixed his tie or watched him walk about his penthouse in his gym clothes, you managed. You’ve always been professional, and you’ve always reminded yourself to not let it affect you.

But tonight, it’s just hard not to, especially with the way his biceps are popping out of those short sleeves; and if the shirt were an inch tighter, you’d probably be able to trace his toned chest and abs as well. He’s cut his hair, too, slick and pushed back as if he's starring in some western rockstar film.

“Good…” you manage to say after what seemed like minutes. “The outfit looks good on you, sir. It’s new and fresh, not like the usual formal attire that screams ‘businessman who only wants profits.’ This is posh and stylish. It makes you look more approachable.”

“This is what would make me look approachable?” He asks incredulously.

“Actually, a smile would,” you say too quickly, earning you a laugh. “But this works, too. It fits with the theme.”

“That’s what Tae said, too,” Jungkook sighs. “He insisted that at least for these Arts Center-related events, I should dress a little more boldly and more interesting, things I definitely am not but, well, I couldn’t counter him when he said that my usual prints and styles make me look like I’m just going to a meeting or some business conference.”

“And he’s not wrong,” you point out, walking closer to him. “You don’t need anything eccentric, just something exciting. This is simple yet sophisticated.”

“Have you seen the coat?” He asks, gesturing to the rack when you say no.

“Oh. There’s a corsage,” you say, admiring the matching brown checkered piece.

“An oversized one,” he rolls his eyes.

“It looks pretty.”

“That’s what he said, too.”

“If you don’t like it, why didn’t you tell him during the fitting?”

“I did like it but it’s Tae - he’s good at convincing people that they look good. And I probably thought that, too. But he’s not yet here and he’s gonna be late so right now, all I can think about is that I’ll look ridiculous.”

“Well, that makes one of us,” you say, surprising him. “If what I think matters, then you’d have to take my word for it. The outfit looks good. It captures people’s attention and that’s what you need. You’re just gonna have to follow this up with similar styles but that wouldn’t be a problem. Just carry yourself with confidence. It’s what Mr. Kim would say.”

“I know. He texted that same line to me five times today.”

“He’s your best friend, Mr. Jeon. I’m sure he’s looking out for your best interest.”

“True, but then again, we were forced to become friends when we were young so who knows?”

You laugh at his words. “Is that so?”

“Our fathers are best friends so we spent a lot of time together,” Jungkook shares. “We were all so different and we got on each other’s nerves but I guess that made us closer. I… I wasn’t close to my brother so I just stuck with those who stuck around. It’s a good thing they turned out to be decent people.”

“They’re very kind, I should say.”

“Yeah. It sucks that their kindness didn’t rub off on me,” he says as he holds your gaze.

The tension rises as you look back at him. It’s hard not to fall into his eyes, and you’re thankful for the knock on the door and Yohan’s voice on the other side saying that the interviewer is ready for Jungkook now.

“Five minutes,” you call out, breaking the moment and retrieving his last piece of clothing.

You assist him in wearing his coat and just like reflex, you immediately fix the sleeves and adjust the corsage that isn’t actually that big. You look at him from head to toe and see Taehyung’s vision. There’s something captivating about Jungkook in this fit; it makes him intriguing and someone to look out for. You suppose that was the intention.

“Respectable enough?” He asks worriedly once you meet his eyes.

“Respectable enough,” you affirm, hoping your smile can give him the encouragement he needs.

You open the door and let the first set of crew in. You watch on as they interview and take snapshots while your own team from the marketing department capture what’s happening as well.

Jungkook sits cross-legged on the sofa, his eyes looking out into the distance as he absorbs the questions and thinks of his answers. He gesticulates as he responds, something you noticed him only ever do about topics that seem very important to him. He’s done it during meetings with the team and with Yoongi, and you suppose there’s that level of honesty that he shows then. His responses are thoughtful and profound, as the questions revolve around the type of art pieces to be displayed, how culture can be celebrated and respected, and what the public can look forward to once the Center is open to everyone.

The next interviewer starts off with the practical questions before moving to the technicalities of the design and structure such as the materials used, the techniques utilized in renovating such a massive complex, and how the Center itself represents art and culture. This is when Jungkook fully relaxes. You see it in his body language, in the softness of his expressions, and in the mellow tone of his voice as he discusses in terms you don’t fully understand but somehow still make you feel like you know exactly what he’s talking about.

It’s different seeing him in this way. Your team vetted these interviewers and publications and they seem sincere about their articles and so you know they aren’t there to judge; Jungkook knows they aren’t there to scrutinize him. He’s not there to impress them or even to sell the idea; he just wants to share it, to make it known, to narrate the process of this project that may still be in its very early stages but which has lived in his mind for years.

He may not always be good with words but you can tell that he finds them when the ideas are clear to him. He’s able to articulate what he sees in his mind and there’s something captivating about that. There’s a lot you can learn from him, you think, and if what you develop after having stayed this long is even just a fraction of his creativity, then you’d feel accomplished.

You can tell even more now how important this is to him, especially when he emphasizes the individual’s need and desire for connection and how he wants the Center to be a hub for that, or perhaps its creator. You wonder if he knows so much about it, or if, like you, it’s something he also constantly seeks.

You’re so focused on taking him all in that you don’t notice that you’ve been staring. Your eyes fall on his fingers, waving about as he draws imaginary pictures; they land on his lips, pink and dry as they utter words that are perhaps the most he’s said, and suddenly, his voice is the most comforting it’s ever sounded to you. You look upwards and that’s when you notice it - his eyes are on you just as yours are on him yet he continues talking, and you hold onto it for a few seconds before you feel the heat reach your cheeks. It feels like a burn and you snap out of the spell-like feeling you were caught in as you turn away now and try to catch your breath.

You hadn’t meant to stare but you were drawn to him at that moment, and as he talked about how the designs reflect the tangibility yet elusiveness of human connection, you found yourself drowning in his words and in the way he said them. He’d caught you before you could look away, and you decide that the only way to go about it is to pretend it didn’t happen.

And that’s what you do, as you remain on your spot with your eyes scanning the room, no longer focused on him.

The interview ends right as Chin-sun enters to say that some guests have arrived. You instruct her to entertain them first with Manager Lee as you wrap up in here and it’s not long after when you’re left with Jungkook once again.

“Was that good?” He asks, his gaze on you as you look elsewhere.

“It was. You seemed more relaxed,” you state, unnecessarily fixing the couch to distract yourself. “That’s a good way to start the evening, Mr. Jeon. I’m sure the guests would enjoy speaking with you tonight.”

“That’s what I hope,” he replies. “I’ll need you close to me to keep track of scheduled meetings or any invitations. I’d also like them to be familiar with you as my assistant so they know who to reach out to in case I’m not available.”

“Of course, sir,” you say, turning around to face him again, suddenly feeling nervous about the intensity of his look. “I’ll take note of all those.”

He nods then exits the room and you follow. You trail him as he starts to greet the guests one by one.

There are heads of private foundations and curators. There are creative directors from entertainment agencies and some art enthusiasts. There are artists and authors and poets, all of whom are intrigued and seemingly excited about what’s in store.

Jungkook heads to the front after being introduced by Manager Lee and takes his time to introduce the project, utilizing the panels and all of the interiors’ walls to showcase the design virtually. He presents his plans and the role of artists, creatives, creators, and consumers. It’s a half hour speech that ends, followed by a light sit-down dinner that Jungkook takes advantage of to engage with the guests.

He first greets the deputy minister of the arts and culture ministry and then Mr. Saito, who’d likewise brought some of his artist friends from Japan.

You then follow Jungkook around as instructed, taking notes on your phone in between to list all the upcoming meetings and other activities scheduled on the spot. You’ve somehow developed this skill with Hoseok but it still doesn’t get any easier. The fact that so many of them want to touch base with Jungkook after his pitch says a lot about how well he did and how much it resonated with the people he wanted to connect with.

Based on your notes, you can already tell it’s gonna be incredibly busy moving forward, and the thought suddenly makes your head hurt. But you push through, knowing there are more people to meet with, even with Chin-sun and Manager Lee entertaining half of them.

Jungkook takes the stage again to introduce some of the artists whose works will be displayed in the Arts Center, and he gives them time to talk about their pieces and what drew them into the project. The company head who’s been contracted to create the products for the souvenir shop also speaks, and as they share, you feel the excitement heighten. The opening is still a long time from now but things seem so clear and so certain, and you know that was because of Jungkook - because he demands the same level of excellence he practices from others, because he’s committed to his vision and he makes sure to see it through.

More engagement takes place, and your only breather is when Jungkook decides to talk to his father and then Hoseok but after that, you’re back to following him around and running out of calling cards for people to keep and call you in the future.

The last of the remaining guests finally leave at 10PM. You look around and the art pieces are being carefully wrapped for transport. The panels remain but Do-hyun and Yohan will be returning in the morning to pack everything up. Slowly, you start to feel the soreness creep in and the headache intensify but you shake all the pain off. There are two more days left for the week and you just have to power through them to survive.

“You sure you don’t want me to drive you home?” Chin-sun asks as she readies to leave.

“I live on the other side of the city from you. From all of you,” you remind them. It’s really the only reason why you don’t hitch a ride with them, especially considering that they have families and pets they go home to. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“What about Yoongi?” Jungkook asks, surprising you because you thought he’d been on the phone. “Can’t he drive you?”

“He left an hour ago, Mr. Jeon,” you reply. “He has that early morning flight to Jeju tomorrow.”

“Mr. Ri can drive you home after he drops me off,” Jungkook says. “It’s too late in the night and it might be hard for you to get a cab.”

“Okay, sir. Thank you,” you mumble, waving everybody goodbye as you follow him towards the car.

You get inside and find him sitting in the backseat, his coat removed and his head rolled back. You can tell all the socializing drained his energy again, and you’d hate to remind him that there’s a Property Expo next week that his father assigned him to attend, as well as a Partners’ Fellowship Dinner where he has to deliver another speech. You decide to do so in the morning instead and let the soft sounds of the radio soothe your mind.

“I think tonight was a success,” he mutters, prompting you to turn towards him. “Everyone I spoke to seemed excited.”

“They were,” you affirm. “They wouldn’t be scheduling meetings with you if they weren’t.”

“That’s true,” he hums. “That’s one major event down and several more to go.”

“I hope the team was able to show you how well we work together, Mr. Jeon. And that like me, they’re all on your side.”

Jungkook lets your words settle. He agrees. The team was like a well-oiled machine. Each member knew their roles and performed their tasks excellently. And there was you, of course, handling every one of his instructions and requests with grace. You looked really beautiful doing it, too, and he doesn’t know if he wants to thank or curse Taehyung for designing another dress that makes you stand out from the crowd because that’s what happened tonight - everywhere Jungkook looked, it seemed like all he could see was you.

He shakes away the thought, knowing that constantly acknowledging his attraction towards you would just make things harder for him the way that denying it would, and while he doesn’t have a solution for that either, he supposes that not acknowledging it at all would be the best option.

So he focuses on the team instead, and he feels comforted to know that they worked hard because they knew how much tonight mattered to him, as Do-hyun expressed earlier.

“I’m glad they are,” he finally replies. “I… I still don’t think I’m their favorite person but as long as they don’t despise me anymore, then I’m satisfied with that.”

“They don’t,” you counter, although even you’d know that’s a half-lie.

“They do. Or did, at least,” he laughs dryly. “It’s easy to stay unnoticed outside of the team’s office, you know?”

The tinge of sadness in his eyes confirms what you’re thinking - he’s heard some of the team conversations about him. And while you’d argue that they’re not vile or anything close to that, you also know that talking about him not smiling or not expressing his gratitude are things you shouldn’t be saying behind his back. Even if they’re true.

“I”m so, so sorry, Mr. Jeon. We–”

“It’s okay, it’s not a big deal,” he interjects. “I mean, it’s not like I haven’t given you reasons to feel that way. You all did go from Hoseok to me and that’s quite the downgrade in terms of camaraderie and stuff.”

“We still didn’t have the right to say those things. And no, I’m not agreeing that you’re a downgrade,” you clarify. “Like you said, you and your cousin are very different.”

“I did. And that’s why I’m not surprised, is all I’m saying. But despite all that, the team did amazing tonight. Not like I’d expect they wouldn’t because they prefer someone more joyful or expressive, but it… it was also nice to see them enjoying themselves. I hope you did, too.”

“It was a memorable experience, Mr. Jeon,” you say. “It’s something new. The previous projects and events we handled were either residential or commercial in nature and our creativity wasn’t pushed as far as the Arts Center is doing. And we all appreciate that, even if we may not show it.”

“That’s good. At least there’s still something that you’re all getting out of this.”

There’s a sadness in his voice that you’re hearing for the first time. You don’t know what about tonight that’s making him vulnerable and honest with you. Perhaps it’s all the talk about human connection that he seems to struggle with, and maybe he’s realizing now that even with the team performing as well as they are, there’s still something lacking in soul and emotion that he thinks is because of him.

Whatever it is, you hope that he doesn’t let it bring him down too much. Working closely with him, you’ve come to see more of him despite his efforts to keep those layers unpeeled and you’ve come to understand him a little more. You’ve forgiven him in the process, too. The team is still adjusting and you know it’s your job to bridge that gap. You’ll just have to figure out how.

You let the silence end the conversation, not knowing what else you can say to comfort him at this moment. But you try though, as the car stops in front of his building and you call his name right before he closes the door.

“Yeah?” He asks, looking curiously at you.

You almost forget what you’re about to say as he’s bent forward, his arm propped on the car roof, the surrounding lights highlighting the features of his face.

“You did great tonight, too. And I learned a lot from you. Thank you for guiding us, sir.”

He’s left speechless, as he holds your gaze for a moment before nodding and closing the door. Mr. Ri drives away and you look back to see Jungkook walk slowly towards the building entrance, briefly looking your way before disappearing inside.

You arrive at the office the next morning at 9AM with a splitting headache, your body dragging itself towards your chair as you try to maintain balance and get yourself together. Jungkook had messaged late last night that he was going to have a breakfast meeting with his father so you could go straight to work, and given last night’s late finish, you could come at a later time as well.

That gave you another two hours of sleep, which you were thankful for considering the terrible state you were in when you woke up. Your body felt sore and the dryness of your throat signaled that you’re about to get sick - it was just a matter of when it was going to fully kick in. It’s how your body reacts to stress, a pattern you noticed since you started working in the company. It’s usually after succeeding weeks of late nights and big events when you give in - the headaches start then the sore throat; not long after, the fever hits and you’d have to spend days just doing nothing until you’ve expelled the exhaustion away.

On rare occasions, your mother or friends come, knowing you’d be too sick to make yourself some food. But they don’t always have that luxury. They have their own lives, too, lives that they just happen to have far away from you. But it’s why it mattered that you gave Jungkook that noodle soup when he was unwell. You know what it’s like to be sick and hungry and completely helpless, and you had a feeling that just like yourself, he’d deal with it on his own. You’ll probably have to stock up on food tonight to get you through the next few days; you just hope you haven’t completely fallen apart by then.

You take your medicines and try to focus on your tasks for this morning, scheduling meetings and screening photos from last night to be used for marketing purposes. Needing some tea, you head to the pantry and briefly check in with the team before heading back. You see that Jungkook has just arrived, as he accompanied his father to one of their project sites after their meeting. He calls you over and asks if Do-hyun and Yohan have come back from fixing things at last night’s venue.

“Yes, sir, they just got here,” you reply. “Everything’s been stored properly and Chin-sun’s working on the payments already.”

“Good,” Jungkook responds. “It’s lunchtime though, so you should all grab a meal. There’s a French restaurant that just opened a block from here. I heard it’s got great reviews, so take the team there and have them order anything they want. You can just use your card to pay but it’s under the office’s budget.”

“Okay, sir. Uhm, that sounds great,” you manage to say, excitement filling you because you spent the other night watching review videos of that restaurant on YouTube and immediately told Jimin and Soomin that you’ll be eating there when they visit you the next time. “What about you though? Aren’t you joining us?”

“I… Well…”

“You don’t have any other scheduled meeting other than the one we’ll have as a team at 2:30.”

“I don’t have to go,” he answers. “You all worked hard and deserve to enjoy yourselves and I don’t think that’ll happen if I’m around. We can all debrief during the meeting but lunch is your time to get together and bond as a group.”

“You’re part of that group, too, Mr. Jeon. You are our boss,” you counter.

“Exactly.”

“But Mr. Ju–” you stop, not wanting to draw another comparison, which you said you’ll stop doing.

“I know. Hoseok would join you for lunch or dinner and the team enjoyed his presence,” Jungkook states. “I don’t think that’s the case with me. This isn’t me putting myself down but… you know that I don’t really… do things like that. I’m still learning that part of the role and I don’t want to spoil their fun.”

“You can’t really speak for the team though,” you point out.

“Well, you represent them to me. Am I wrong to assume all that?”

“No, but I think it would be a good opportunity to prove to them otherwise,” you advise.

Jungkook sighs, knowing you’ve got a point. But he insists, claiming that he’s still figuring out the team and how to relate with them.

“I understand, Mr. Jeon,” you concede. “How about your lunch?”

“I’ll manage. You can all go ahead so you can get back on time.”

“We will. Thank you. I already know they’re going to enjoy it.”

The team is ecstatic when you tell them about lunch plans. They also only wonder about Jungkook’s presence once they’ve ordered and perhaps they’re still figuring him out, too. Much of their engagement with Jungkook is through meetings, as none of them, save for Manager Lee, feel comfortable or even free enough to just approach him. They also don’t know much about his interests or his quirks, and that puts you in the same boat as them.

You said once that you’re not sure if you’ve gotten used to him already. Maybe slowly you are, as you look around and wish that he was here to experience this, too. Somehow you just think he’d love the duck confit dish that you eventually order for yourself. Maybe you can let him know, and he can order it on his own time.

Lunch ends with everyone on a high from the delicious meal. Even you forget how terrible you’re actually feeling and let the laughs and scrumptious food compensate for the fatigue.

You get back to the office and head to Jungkook as the rest of the team prepares the conference room for the meeting. You see a half-eaten sandwich on his desk and hate to think that it’s all he had while you enjoyed a fancy lunch that he ordered you all to have. He seems to pick up your thoughts as your eyes flit from him to his food and he affirms you that he’s not that hungry, given the heavy breakfast he had this morning.

“How was lunch?” He asks.

“It was great. The food was really good. I had the duck confit that I think you’ll like and… uh, they were asking where you were.”

“They were?”

“Yeah,” you respond. “They were wondering why you didn’t join us.”

“What did you say?”

“That you were on a conference call,” you say. You didn’t like that you had to lie to them about it, but you also didn’t want to use that time to talk about Jungkook behind his back again. “Yohan said that it’s understandable; you’re always busy and he doubts you get a break while you’re here.”

“Oh. Well, he’s not wrong.”

“We had a good time though, and I’m sure they’ll tell you later but thank you. It’s nice seeing the team enjoy themselves. I wish you could see it, too.”

“Maybe one day,” he says sullenly, standing up right after to head to the meeting with you.

The room quiets down when you both arrive and Jungkook feels once more the shift in their disposition once he joins them. He can’t fault them for it knowing that’s because of him, but as time passes and the more he talks about the value of human connections - which the Arts Center aims to foster - the more he starts to think of exactly what he’s missing by keeping himself too far a distance from everyone else around him.

His father tries, he can tell. Most of their breakfast or lunch or dinner meetings aren’t actually meetings, and he supposes it’s just his old man’s way of spending time with him by disguising it as something work-related, knowing that Jungkook wouldn’t be into it if it wasn’t. His mother asks him over to their house on some weekends for lunch, her own way of reconnecting with him after years of being apart, but even with that, Jungkook just gives the bare minimum.

He doesn’t not like them; he just stopped being close to them at some point and he didn’t really care to mend it as he grew older. The women he sleeps with don’t count since he doesn’t even really talk to them, and other than Taehyung and Seokjin, and occasionally Yoongi, who keep up with his attitude, there really isn’t anyone else whom he thinks enjoys his presence enough to want to have him around.

He doesn’t know about you though, but he makes an educated guess and thinks there’s not much of him you’d miss just like anyone, and while the thought stings a bit, it’s one he tries to live with.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jeon,” Manager Lee greets and implores the others to do the same. “Thank you again for lunch. It was really delicious and pretty fancy. I wish I’d worn a prettier tie than the one I have right now.”

“Your tie looks fine, Manager Lee,” Jungkook replies.

“Ms. Cho said you were busy, that's why you weren’t there,” Do-hyun boldly says. “Hopefully next time you can join us. I mean, not to assume you’ll treat us again, although that would be nice, but–”

“Do-hyun just wanted to say thank you,” Chin-sun butts in. “And that we understand you have so many things going on, Mr. Jeon, so hopefully, when you have time in the future, you can join us for a meal, too.”

“That, uh, that would be fine, yes,” he mumbles, taking his seat and avoiding looking at everyone except you. “Let’s start the meeting.”

You’re there for over two hours, rehashing the entire process, given that it’s the first event out of many that the team organized. Jungkook is generous in complimenting everyone, including you, and he gives updates on the interest generated and all the artists he’ll be meeting in their respective studios as a result.

The Ministry of Culture minister likewise pledged support, promising a linkage with the international media festival organizers like Jungkook had hoped. You’ve all accomplished so much in so little time, but the rest of the timeline shows that there’s still so much ground to cover. You plan the next steps and then spend half an hour talking about the other small projects that the VP’s office is managing before Jungkook adjourns the meeting and orders you all to head home to get some rest while he stays behind to work some more.

You follow him this time, trying your best to be stable as you take the bus home. You manage to buy some beef bone soup on the way for dinner, and once that’s all finished and you take a long hot shower to hopefully get rid of the stress in your body, you plop down on your bed and fall asleep with no warning at all.

You wake up in the middle of the night, your clogged nose keeping you from breathing. With puffy eyes, you search for your eucalyptus inhaler and take your medicine before going back to bed and hoping that when you wake up, you’ll feel less terrible than you do right now.

But you don’t, as you wake up to your alarm not long after and feel even worse. Your body is sore, your head feels heavy, and it’s a struggle to even turn to your side to try to pull yourself off the bed. Knowing there’s no way you’ll manage today, you call Mr. Ri and inform him that you’re unwell and can’t make it to work.

“I can’t even type nor talk properly right now,” you tell him. “Can you–”

“I’ll tell Jungkook, don’t worry,” he assures you. “And just to remind you, you’re sick, okay? So stay in bed, don’t do chores or anything, and don’t think about work for even a second. You hear me? And update me on how you are.”

“Yes,” you cough out. “Thank you.”

You lie underneath the covers and hope to the heavens that more sleep would make you feel a bit of relief and it does, given that when your phone rings five hours later, you don’t feel like your head is splitting apart.

“Good, you’re awake,” Mr. Ri says on the other end after you greet him. “Can you open your door?”

“Okay, just give me a few minutes. I’m exceptionally slow this morning.”

Mr. Ri laughs but tells you to take your time. You put on a hoodie over your gray sweatpants and briefly wash your face before opening the door.

“Work’s got to you, huh?” He asks worriedly as he stands in front of you. “Is it bad enough to warrant a visit to the hospital? I can drive you there.”

“I’ll manage,” you mumble. “But what are you doing here, Mr. Ri? Mr. Jeon has a meeting in an hour.”

“I know. But he wanted me to give you this.”

The older man initially hands you a large paper bag but decides to just place it on your table given your weak state. He removes the containers of chicken noodle soup, rice porridge, and soybean sprout soup, boxes of soft bread, and a small jar of yuja marmalade for tea.

“What–”

“Your meals for the next few days so you don’t have to worry about preparing them,” Mr. Ri says. “Jungkook wants you to focus on resting. He wants you to take Monday off, too.”

You look at him and suddenly feel like crying. You knew that waking up, you’d be worrying about what to eat, given that you barely have ingredients to work with. You also don’t have the energy to make anything, especially something that’d help with your health. Jungkook just relieved you of that, and at a time like today, you feel what it’s like to be cared for. And though you can argue with him using his own words - your health isn’t his responsibility - you won’t pretend that it doesn’t give you comfort knowing that he’d made the effort to buy all this and have them brought to you.

You talk a little bit more before he heads out, and you lead him to the door where you look across the street where the car is parked. Your eyes may be puffy but you don’t miss the silhouette behind that backseat window.

“How is she?” Jungkook asks as Mr. Ri enters the car and slowly drives away.

“She looks like someone who’s been working hard these past months and in need of rest. She says it’s normal but this is probably the worst. These few days off will be good for her.”

“I hope so, too.”

“She’s thankful for the food, Jungkook,” the older man says. “I know she’d probably say you didn’t have to but I could tell it meant a lot to her. She doesn’t always ask for help, you know? It’s good you’re somehow letting her know that she can count on you when she needs you. If this is you making it up to her, you’re on the right path.”

Jungkook hums in acknowledgement, although unsure what it means for him. Is it to compensate? To apologize again? To return the favor because you’d done it first? Is it to let you know that he has your back, too, the way you’ve been showing him that you have his?

He’s alerted by a message, your name on his screen somehow making his heart jump. It’s a text message and not one from the usual messaging app you both use for work purposes because, well, that’s really the only thing you talk about.

[From: EA Cho] Thank you, Jungkook. I really appreciate it.

It’s the use of his name. It’s the sincerity in your simple words.

He smiles to himself.

Whatever it means to you, he knows it means another thing to him. He doesn’t want you to feel alone. And that in the coldest nooks of his uncaring heart, he actually does care for you. For this moment, he’ll acknowledge it. For this moment, he’ll let himself feel it. He can only hope you feel it, too.

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hanafubukki · 4 months ago

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Hello hello, sorry to barge in suddenly

I love ur content XD especially the family themed with Lilia. #1 Bat dad got me weak in the knees.

I do love to think that Lilia would be OBSESSED with his pregnant wife and unborn child, literally glued to his wife since he found out that she got pregnant and even when the child is born? Man won't let you alone.

What do you think? I love me some family fluff content with this bat dad

Hello Anonie 💞💚💙

Thank you so much 💞☺️ I’m happy that you like my posts. You don’t have to apologize Anonie, I enjoy getting asks.

Lilia with his family is an absolute fave of mine to write about. Him with babies?? *shakes you* my favorite kind of tea.

I was reading a manhwa and remembered this ask because there was this moment that a husband went through for his wife that had me going “Yes! Lilia would have that!!” 😆😎

✨sympathy pregnancy✨ it’s when the expecting partner (and in some rare cases, very close friends) experience the symptoms and behaviors of expectant mothers.

You know I’m just going to take this idea and run with it 🤣🫶

The day you and Lilia find out you’re pregnant is one of joy. It’s not a shock to anyone really. The way he’s practically by your side when he’s not with his boys, Lilia doesn’t hide the fact that he adores you.

He really doesn’t. In fact, Maleficia, herself, was waiting for the day she’d receive a letter about your pregnancy from Malleus. Everyone knew.

It was a good idea that Lilia spent some nights in your dorm.

When you start showing signs of fatigue and nausea, you visit a healer with Lilia by your side. Where you born receive the news. Both of you are over the moon, but Lilia looks ready to actually jump as high as the moon.

Your pregnancy comes with a few hiccups. Nausea in the morning. Fatigue. Appetite changes. Aches. It wasn’t easy for you once your pregnancy symptoms kicked in.

Throughout all this, Lilia was by your side. Helping you the best he could. If he wasn’t by your side, one of the boys was.

After a hard day of symptoms, of which Mrs. Zigvolt stated was normal for someone having a half fae and half human baby, Lilia couldn’t help but feel guilty. You’re human after all, it would be harder for you to deal with this baby. He wished he could help you.

The next few days, surprisingly, you felt better? You could eat more. Your body aches lowered and your fatigue practically disappeared.

But you noticed Lilia…seemed a little off. He tried to hide it but you knew his tics by now. When he suddenly got nauseous one day, you asked Malleus to call the healer.

The healer merely announced Lilia suffering from sympathy pregnancy. Rare amongst human and fae kind, but not unheard of. Eventually, it would pass.

You felt bad for Lilia but his boys on the other had:

“The dedication Lord Lilia serves is an example for us all!”

“Father will need medication to handle his symptoms.”

“How supportive you are, Lilia. Maybe I should ask the royal scriptors to write about your romantic tales.”

You knew If he wasn’t so nauseated, Lilia would be berating them.

Even after the revelation, Lilia was determined to stay by your side. Content that you were feeling well and full of energy.

He became the talk of town, but nothing he didn’t handle with pride and quips.

As time went on, the symptoms mellowed out. Soon, a new member of the family joined. Healthy and already loved more than the number of stars in the sky.

This kind of got away from me lol 😆 it’s been awhile since I’ve been this chaotic with an ask, especially for Lilia, so I hope you enjoyed. 🫶💞

You could probably see where I ran out of steam lol

The manhwa that inspired this is “I Failed to Divorce my Husband.”

#lilia vanrouge #answered #anonie ask #twisted wonderland #lilia vanrouge x reader #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x you #twst lilia #twst lilia vanrouge x reader #diasomnia

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ponderingmoonlight · 1 year ago

Text

How JJK men act when you have insomnia (can't sleep)

Pairing: Gojo x fem!reader; Toge x fem!reader; Megumi x fem!reader (special thanks to @belovedvamp for that jaw-dropping gorgeous Megumi requests, like wow)

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: nightmares, angst to comfort in everyone, I would like to point out that Megumi is my favorite part and that I'm thinking about doing a Part 2, so if you're invested definetely let me know 😭not 100% proofread yet

Gojo Satoru

„Huh, why are you still awake babe? Aren’t you tired?”

Satoru takes in your gorgeous sight, how you lay curled up in your shared bed with your sleepy eyes darted towards him. God, why do you have to be so stunning, why does the selfish urge to keep you awake a little longer become almost unbearable for him when he knows exactly why you’re unable to sleep?

The mattress gives in under your boyfriend’s weight next to you, his hand gently caressing your head. You feel drunk, as if your body doesn��t function properly anymore. No wonder, after all you were awake for more than 30 hours by now, fighting and fighting to finally exorcise a bunch of special grade curses while Satoru was busy somewhere else.

But you’re scared to close your eyes again, to get confronted with the horrible things you’ve saw today. After each and every mission, your brain haunts you with awful nightmares, reminds you of all the death, all the injured, all the things you’ve lost.

No, you just can’t take it. You’d rather stay up a little longer in desperate hopes to be spared than risking to have another bad dream.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it”, you mumble into your heavy blanket, eyes drifting to the window.

It began to rain, heavy droplets pounding against the glass violently, thunder erupting in the dark sky. Carefully, Satoru lays down beside you, wrapping his strong arms around your waist.

“I know you’re lying”, he mutters against your sensitive neck.

“Is it because of your nightmares?”

You turn around to face him in utter surprise. When did you ever told him about those nightmares? You always kept them to yourself, suffered through them on your own. After all, Satoru is a very busy man who shouldn’t have to worry about something like a bad dream. Yes, it seems pretty ridiculous to whine about your nightmares when the strongest of them all is the one you’re talking to.

“Don’t worry about that, I’m fine”, you lie into his face, gifting him a small smile to convince him.

But your eyes don’t lie. They show nothing but terror and dread, nothing but fatigue and alertness at the same time. Suddenly Satoru’s heart feels heavy. He should have realized it sooner, the way you always go to sleep after him when you were out on a mission. Why did it never cross his mind that all of this might be too much for you? Maybe because you’re so damn strong, maybe because you make it look so damn easy every time, carrying the weight of all those missions so that his students don’t suffer.

“It makes no sense to lie to me. Why didn’t you tell me about it, babe? I’m sure Shoko might be able to help you-“

“There’s nothing anyone could do about this”, you interrupt him immediately.

“Trust me, I tried everything out there. I guess this is just how my brain tries to cope with all those things, the people dying and stuff…”

“But you don’t have to go through this alone. We’re a team, remember? Why don’t you wake me up whenever you feel upset? Why do you go to sleep after I’m already passed out? (y/n), don’t do this to yourself.”

Gently, he cups your cheek with his hand, forcing you to look up at him. Oh, how much you hate that familiar feeling. That feeling of being useless, of being weak. Are you really too frail to even sleep after a mission? Why aren’t you able to handle the things you see like the others, like Kento and Satoru? All that training, all that power just to cry in your sleep over the things that happened hours ago.

Truly pathetic.

“Do you really think you’re alone? Especially in the beginning, Kento was plagued by nightmares each and every night so much that he couldn’t even fall asleep. Suguru and I…it is always rough, remembering the faces of those you weren’t able to save. But don’t let them keep you awake, don’t think you have to simply endure this. I’m here each and every night to hold you, okay? I’m here, you’re not alone (y/n).”

Oh Satoru.

Without thinking twice, you turn around and intertwine your body with his, desperately trying to keep your composure. How do you even deserve a man like him? A man who seems goofy most of the time but hast the softest side, a man who cares more about everyone around him than himself.

Your boyfriend, the strongest with a heart of pure gold.

“I hate when they haunt me in my sleep”, you finally give in, hiding your face against his warm chest.

“I know, babe. Trust me, we all do.”

Ever so gently, he strokes your hair and back, embraces you in his very own warmth. Satoru feels like home, like the perfection you are chasing each and every day. What would you even do without his loving arms as your home? Where would you be without his constant support? All those nights he stood by your side, watched a awful romantic movie so you’d feel good again. The countless times he cooked your favourite meal for you, only to throw it away and order food afterwards. All those times he rushed to your side when you got injured, how he always manages to be right by your side when you wake up. And oh, how tender is touch feels against your skin, how his warmth embraces you with every inch of his body. He feels so good, so comforting…

Satoru watches with a small smile as your lids grow heavy and finally close, your breath leaving your mouth evenly.

“As long as I’m the one holding you, no nightmare in the world will dare to wake you up, babe”, he breathes against your ear, holding you tightly in his arms throughout the whole night.

Inumaki Toge

You stare at the full moon blankly, mind racing. How are you supposed to get out of this alive? Are you even strong enough to lead your very own mission without someone by your side? This will be the first time you’ll be completely on your own. Without Maki, without Panda, without Toge…You trained hard these last months, you know what you’re capable of. But still…

Is it enough?

“Kelp.”

His tender voice rips you out of your poisonous thoughts immediately, glossy eyes shooting up to take in his sight. Why does he have to look so delicate with the moonlight highlighting his features? Why does his mouth have to be so damn captivating?

Why is it so easy to fall hopelessly in love with Toge Inumaki?

“Sorry, I thought y’all were asleep”, you explain visibly uncomfortably.

How embarrassing, getting caught by your crush while silently crying into the night about a damn mission. A silent yawning escapes your lips before you can stop it, tired eyes covered by a curtain of tears. God, you are so tired.

“Salmon roe.”

Before you even comprehend what’s happening, the white-haired boy takes his hand into yours gently, staring at you so intensely that you forget how to breathe for a moment. It’s like he wants to tell you that everything will be alright, that you have nothing to worry about.

“I don’t think I can do this alone, Toge. I don’t think I’m strong enough to do this…”, you finally give in.

“Bonito flakes”, he immediately replies.

Without thinking twice, he takes out a small notepad and begins to write frantically. You know he always carries a writing block with him for time that require more than a few words, more than gestures are able to say.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, you worked hard these last weeks. And you’re great! Just do as good as you always do, I’m counting on you, (y/n)! Please try to get some sleep now :)”

With every word you read your heart beats a little faster, with every word your grin grows a little wider. If he only knew how much his words truly mean to you…

“So you really think I can do it on my own?”, you question.

“Salmon!”

“Thank you, Toge”, you mutter touched.

You don’t know why, but suddenly your eyes start to burn in tears. Toge holds nothing but affection in his gaze, hand still resting on yours while squeezing it ever so slightly. He truly believes in you and your abilities, shows no doubt in your save return. Maybe…maybe you’re actually able to do this. Maybe you are indeed ready for your first solo mission.

Toge stands up again, signalling you with a gentle squeeze to stand up as well. You follow him through the dark hallways of Jujutsu High, right into the dorm you know so well.

“Tuna”, he whispers into the night before pressing you against his warm chest.

You feel as light as a feather, too stunned to speak by the way his arms feel wrapped around your body. He smells intoxicating, so good that you can’t help but sniff in and out. Is this really the first time Toge Inumaki hugged you for more than 10 seconds? It definitely is hard to let him go again.

“I believe in you, (y/n).”

Did he…Did he just speak?

“Toge…”, you breathe out, watching as his smile grows even wider.

With a last wave, he is gone in the darkness of the night, leaving you standing in the middle of your room on your own with your feelings scattered all over the place. Toge Inumaki just hugged you. No, Toge INumaki just spoke. He told you that he believes in you.

“How am I supposed to sleep now?”, you mumble to yourself.

Fushiguro Megumi

Your eyes snap open in an instant, ice cold sweat running down your face. Where are you? Is it over? You…

You breathe out. It was a nightmare. Again.

“Fuck”, you hiss to yourself while rubbing your aching head.

Why do you have to get haunted by these horrible nightmares, when will it finally stop? Even Gojo-sensei seems to be clueless about your condition, about what keeps you up each and every night.

But you know something that will help you to get through this night. Or rather someone.

Your bare feet stick to the wooden floor ever so slightly while you wander through the dark hallways on your way to his doorstep. Is he even awake? Maybe he won’t open the door at all.

Little do you know that Megumi sits in his bed with his eyes wide open, staring at the door knob in sheer excitement for your return into his arms. He knows it doesn’t mean much to you and at the beginning, it didn’t mean anything to him either. You just came into his room from time to time, searching for comfort in his hug to chase your nightmares away. And since you were friends, Megumi had nothing against stroking your head gently and wrapping his arms around you.

But something seems different now. Something about the sensation of you visiting him late at night sends shivers down his spine, your moonlit features let his heart hammer against his ribcage. It’s like he wants to hold you even closer, wants your breath to brush against his face. Why does it dawn to him how delicate your curves look and how soft your hair feels? There is no use in denying it, no sense in fighting against the obvious.

Megumi Fushiguro has fallen hopelessly in love with you.

The knocks against his wooden floor send him to his door straight away, opening it before you’re able to think twice.

“Oh, I didn’t knew you were still awake, Fushiguro”, you mutter into the darkness.

God, how much he hates the fact that you always call him by his last name. What would he give to hear his name out of your mouth once?

“What do you want here, (y/n)?”

His voice sounds harsher than anticipated while it takes all his strength to not swallow you in his arms immediately.

“I had a bad dream again…”

The vulnerable tone of your voice kills him from the inside. Without saying another word, he steps aside, allows you to enter his dorm without hesitation. You position yourself on the left side of his bed like you always do, hiding yourself in his already warm sheets. Without hesitation, he crawls back into his bed, inviting you into his arms with a long breath.

You smell as good as you always do. Why did it take him so long to realize that you smell absolutely intoxicating, that the mixture of your shampoo, body scent and perfume is addictive? Maybe he should tell you about the way he feels, finally confess how you make his heart beat out of his chest. But how would you react?

Would you…reject him? For all these years of knowing each other, you were never more than friends. Good buddies, pals, but not more than that. None of you ever crossed the line of plain cuddling each other to sleep. Not once did your lips brush over his, not once did your hands move further than his chest. Would you even love him back?

“Come on, you have to have a crush (y/n)! Is it Chris Pine, Tom Holland? Are you more into Korean guys?”, Nobara inquired over and over.

You just rolled your eyes with a playful grin, almost making Megumi fall out of his chair next to Yuji.

“I don’t have a crush on anyone. I’m perfectly fine by myself”, you insisted.

“I like tall woman with a big ass”, Yuji interrupted out of nowhere, gaining a punch in his face by Nobara.

That was it, the first time he noticed something strange. The way his heart suddenly grew heavier than metal, sunk into his chest, took his breath away. He was hurt by your words. Megumi Fushiguro was hurt by the stinging fact that you didn’t say his name like he secretly hoped for, that your eyes didn’t even flinch towards him for the split of a second.

“Hey, are you alright? Why did you tense up like that?”, you mutter against his chest while drawing circles onto his t-shirt with your delicate fingertip.

“Oh, it’s nothing for you to worry about”, he lies into this tender night.

He presses you against his own body a little tighter, watches how your eyes grow heavy with every passing minute that you listen to his steady heartbeat. This shouldn’t mean more to him than comforting an old friend, it shouldn’t make his heart flutter and palms sweaty. But the soft snores leaving your mouth sound oh so lovely, the way your eyes move behind closed lids makes his heart skip a beat. You have to be the most precious creature on this earth, so valuable that he never wants to let you go again.

Until he has in the morning. Until you return back into his arms when nightmares keep you up another night.

Thank you so much for reading! Tags: @arehzhera @ploylulla @tzubaki @beatrexworld @dazaisdick @hellkaiserinphoenix @lauv4chuuya @shadowfoxey @sindela @kayleegomez @sunshine7queen @magalimachete @gatitam @idontknow1123 @creative1writings @sanicsmut @mynahx3 @sad-darksoul@chilichopsticks @hellkaiserinphoenix @chuyasthighs0 @ynackerman9499 @keepghostly @froufrousnowman @tomiokathedepresso @gojosrealwife @coffeeluvr96 @mahi-tamashi @weebotaku21 @chaoticwinnercupcake @lees-chaotic-brain @risuola @sugurulefttesticle @wordskeeper @baku2345 @polarbvnny @ruixrei @bam-bam-bam-bame-blog @lavenderdrxp @localhehecat @alicerhr @kayleegomez @belovedvamp @wifenanami @dlwlrmas-world @oikawarz @darkstarlight82 @aeliusbbg

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larissasgirl · 6 months ago

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Can I request some HEAVY fluff with regina where reader have a terrible period (cramps, heavy flow, fatigue, always hungry, and just constant sobbing. Yes I'm on my period and I hate everything (except your writing)) (i love your writing)

You can always call me

Helllooo! Better late than never👉👈 Once again, sorry for the mistakes. As my friend would say, I'm just a girl😂 Hope you like it🥺

Saying you were in a bad mood was an understatement. Truth to be told, you weren’t angry per say, but rather in pain. In so much pain that it would knock the wind out of your lungs as you waited for the waves to pass. You had always been truly lucky in that department, as you could go months without feeling any discomfort. But when it happened, when it would be the exception, it would make up for the ones that were pain free. It made it almost impossible for you to function normally.

You had woken up after your girlfriend, as you reached next to you for Regina, only to find her side of the bed cold and empty. You knew she was under a lot of pressure lately, always going to work before you were even up and coming back at crazy hours of the night. You sighed as you started feeling the familiar wave of pain slowly creeping its way back to you when you got up and got dressed, only for it to grow in intensity as the day progressed. You had contemplated calling in sick, but you knew how hard it was to find a substitute at the last minute, and you truly didn’t have the energy to make up a lesson plan for the day to give it to them. You were working with Mary Margaret at the elementary school, which happened to be the perfect job for you. Regina would often roll her eyes and call you a child, but you could always see through her fake annoyance whenever she said it. She adored you. She adored the way you would often come home with messy braids done by your students during recess and your arms full of drawings, with I love you’s written in messy handwritings and mistakes, which she knew made your heart a little lighter. She loved how happy the tiny humans made you, how you’d often randomly get an idea of an activity during dinner and shared it with her excitedly, wanting her opinion on it. She loved the way you cared so much, not only for them, but for everyone around you. You were a breath of fresh air when she thought she was meant to be alone for the rest of her life, and she absolutely adored everything about you.

But today, you were completely drained, and you knew even though you were in pain, your kids would still be full of energy. In times like these, you would curse in every language you knew in your head, to be sure that the tiny humans wouldn’t hear, of course. You had managed to push though the morning by sitting down as much as you could, the medication you had taken after waking up slowly losing its effect. You were so thankful when the bell rang for lunch as the kids all rushed to the cafeteria, finally letting your head drop on your arms. You felt like you couldn’t move from your desk, the pain becoming unbearable by the minute.

“Hey, Y/N, do you think I can borrow a…” Mary Margaret, as her usual cheerful self, had just stormed in your classroom, looking to borrow something from you as she did every day. She was always a bit distracted and often misplaced her belongings, and you would usually just shake your head smiling before lending her your pen, your sharpener, or even your paper trimmer. “Are you alright?” she had stopped in her tracks when she had noticed your posture, and you slowly raised your head before you forced a smile on your face.

“I’m just in a little pain, but it will pass,” you shrugged it off as if you hadn’t wished to disappear into the ground over and over again just seconds before. You forced yourself to get up from your chair, leaning on your desk with both hands as a wave of dizziness suddenly washed over you. It wasn’t uncommon that the pain would lead to you to be physically sick, getting too much for your body to cope. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be in front of Mary Margaret and at your desk.

“Are you sure? You’re as white as a ghost,” she rushed to your side when she noticed your struggling, grabbing your forearms and helping you sitting down once again.

“It’s just my stupid period, I’m not the first neither the last,” you mumbled before reaching for your bag under your desk, attempting to find your medication in the mess you had made when you packed it up this morning.

“I think you should go home, Y/N. You’re clearly in pain,” you missed the way her brows furrowed when another wave of pain rushed over you, a small whimper leaving your lips.

“It’s too complicated. Besides, the day is almost over” you sighed, before finally finding what you were looking for in your bag, as you grabbed your water bottle to swallow the pill, hoping it would take effect quickly.

“If by almost over, you mean the hour that will be the lunch break plus the entire afternoon, you’re clearly not thinking straight. Come on, get your things and I’ll take care of everything,” she argued, her hands on her hips, her brown eyes defying you to refuse. With a sigh and no strength to fight back, you started grabbing your things on your desk, missing the way she quickly pulled out her phone from her pockets before typing something and putting it back there before helping you to get your belongings.

“Thank you, and I’m sorry,” you whispered the last part, ashamed of yourself for leaving work before the end of the day knowing she had to cover for you.

“Don’t be sorry, I’d rather have you back feeling better so I can keep borrowing your things. Nobody else will let me,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood, which seemed to work as it made you smile a little before guiding you to the school’s front doors. She held it open for you, pointing at the black Mercedes that was parked right in front of you. It took you a second to recognize it, even though it seemed oddly familiar, the sun blinding you momentarily.

“Did you seriously called Regina?” your eyes widened, feeling a headache forming behind your eyelids. You rubbed them off with your fists like a child, not caring about the mascara you had quickly put on earlier, which made Mary Margaret beam at you when some fell under your eyes, completely obnoxious of the anxiety raising inside of you. She waved at Regina who was walking towards you with her lips pressed together, an indication she was not happy. You were in trouble big time.

“I didn’t called, I texted her. See you later!” she turned on her heels and walked back into the school before you could answer back. You now understood a little better why Regina was aiming for her head back in the Enchanted Forest. You turned your gaze back to your girlfriend, who grabbed your bag from your shoulder, noticing the way her jaw was clenched, her eyes boring into yours with an expression you only took for anger even though her movements were nothing but gentle.

“I’m so sorry Regina, I didn’t know she would bother you at work,” you hesitated, looking at your feet, not daring to meet her eyes. It seemed so silly to pull her out of her office when you knew she was so busy simply because you had your period.

She grabbed your chin with her hand, her thumb slowly brushing circles on your cheek as she forced you to meet her eyes. They were much softer now, almost glossy, and you realized that what you had mistaken for irritation was worry.

“You never bother me,” she pulled you close to her, holding you the closest she possibly could, your face finding its usual spot in her neck. You breathed in her scent, your shoulders dropping as the anxiety left your body before wrapping your arms around her waist as tightly as you could. “I want you to call me when you’re in pain,” she whispered into your hair, swinging you lightly from side to side. “I want to be there for you, Y/N,” she pulled back to look at your face, but keeping you close to her, your eyes flooded with tears as she gently brushed away the ones that managed to escape. “You always come first. Please, never hesitate to call me.”

You were sure your knees would give in if she wasn’t holding you close to her, the love and worry filling her beautiful brown eyes making a new wave of tears escaping your owns. You simply nodded as she softly grabbed your hand, not before wiping the tears from your cheeks once again and kissing it when she was done. The way she would drop her stubborn, sarcastic attitude and become so caring, so gentle with you, even though you were in public, and no matter who watched never ceased to amaze you. It almost made you sob. “Let’s go home now, shall we?”

She led you to the passenger’s side of her car and opened the door for you, as you sat down with another wave of pain stealing your breath away. She noticed immediately, being familiar with your often painful episodes from the year you’d been together, and gently kissed your forehead before closing the door and making her way to the other side, sitting down behind the wheel and driving off right away. “We’ll be home soon, and then I can put warm water to heat for the bag and make you tea. Deal?” she briefly looked at you to make sure you had heard her before returning her attention on the road, seeing you nod in the corner of her yes.

“And we can cuddle?” you whispered, so quietly that she almost didn’t hear it.

Regina smiled widely and glanced at you again, pulling a hand just above your knee, rubbing your skin softly with her thumb. “Yes darling, we can cuddle,” she laughed, making you blush at the nickname, and also because you knew it meant she had taken the rest of the day off to spend it with you. It made your heart swell with love for the woman sitting next to you, not taking your eyes off her for the duration of the drive.

It appeared to be much faster than usual, even though you didn’t lived too far from the school. You blamed it on your fuzzy brain and on your lack of concentration, being too busy staring at your girlfriend, not knowing Regina had sped up a little, hating to see you hurting so much and wanting to take care of you as soon as possible. She helped you to get out of the car and argued with you over carrying your bag inside, before you finally gave in and let her do it. She opened the door and you went in, letting yourself fall on the couch with a sight. You closed your eyes and tried to take deep breaths, hence why you didn’t noticed when your girlfriend wrapped your shoulders with your favorite blanket that had little brown bears that you absolutely adored and that she hated, stating it was made for children and that she wasn’t one. It made you giggle a bit when you peeked through your heavy eyelids to see what she had wrapped you in with, only to notice she wasn’t next to you anymore.

“And what are you laughing at exactly?” she questioned from the kitchen, leaning in the doorframe to get a better look at you. You figured she had put water to boil as you noticed the empty water bag in her hand, your eyes softening even more at the sight in front of you.

“You gave me your favorite blanket,” your mouth was curved into a soft smile, hinting that you were finding it utterly adorable and were simply teasing her a little.

She rolled her eyes but smirked at you, happy to see you almost back to normal, turning her attention back to the kettle, the high pitching noise indicating the water was hot. She carefully filled the water bag and screw the lid shut as tight as she could, as the last thing she wanted to do was to burn you. Then, she reached for the tea box and quickly filled a cup with water before making her way back to you, setting the fuming mug on the living room’s small table and handing you the now warm water bag. She sat next to you, her leg touching yours, and studied your face carefully for any signs of discomfort. She was relieved to see the colors returning to your face slowly, having also noticed that you were paler than usual when she had picked you up.

“Thank you, Gina,” you smiled gratefully at her, the warmth seeming to help with the pain almost instantly, and the medication from earlier having probably kicked in too, a sigh of relief escaping your lips. “Lie down with me?” you battled your eyelashes and gave her a little pout when she unwrapped the blanket from your shoulders, feeling cold immediately. She kissed your lips gently before laying down on the couch, pulling you down with her, being careful to leave enough space for you to place the water bag. She draped the blanket on you both this time, which almost made you want to tease her again for being wrapped in the blanket she seemed to hate so much. You immediately wrapped your arms around her after making sure the bag would hold itself in place between you two, nuzzling your face in her neck and placing a kiss that made her shiver. She felt your lips curl into a smile again her skin at her reaction, holding you tighter than before.

“Thank you for everything. I love you, Gina” you mumbled, feeling exhausted from the pain that seemed to temporarily have given you a break.

“I love you too, sweetheart. I’ll always take care of you,” her nails tracing your back made it hard to stay awake, feeling more than content wrapped safely in your girlfriend’s arms. “Close your pretty eyes, I’ll still be there when you wake up,” she whispered, placing a kiss on the top of your head. And you did, knowing that no matter what happened, you’d always be safe with Regina by your side.

#regina mills x reader #x reader

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7ndipity · 10 months ago

Text

Take Care

Namjoon x Reader

Summary: Namjoon tries to remind you that looking after yourself is just as important as looking after you partner

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: slight angst, swearing, mentions of illness and medications, not proofread

A/N: Thanks to @coffeedepressionsoup for this request! Sorry it took me soo long to get to, I got a little stuck, so it might be a bit eh, but I hope you’ll still like it!💜

Masterlist

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“Just please make sure to look after yourself.” That was one of the top five things that Namjoon said the most to you, second only to “I love you”. It might’ve made him sound a bit like an over concerned parent sometimes, but you didn’t mind, knowing he meant well.

He had always worried about you, even before you got together, and with the past few hectic weeks of work, his concern had only worsened, but you had tried to assure him that you were doing alright and managing fine, which wasn’t entirely true, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. He didn’t need to know about the long hours and sleepless nights to keep up with the deadlines that were rapidly creeping up on you.

Your eye twitched with fatigue as you scanned through your notes for the nith time, casting a quick glance at the clock before saving and closing your laptop, trying to push down the faint uneasy, sinking feeling in your gut, and focusing on getting ready for your evening out with Joon.

He had asked a few weeks ago if you wanted to come with him to a special art exhibition featuring one of his favorite artists, which you had readily agreed to, although currently, the idea of spending multiple hours wandering around a gallery didn’t sound ideal, but you couldn’t imagine canceling on him, knowing how much he loved getting to share his interests with you.

You were putting the finishing touches on your look when you heard him knock, smiling massively when you opened the door.

“Hi.” He said, kissing your cheek. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you, you look pretty spiffy yourself.” You teased, turning to grab your bag, pausing slightly as you were hit with a small wave of dizziness.

“You okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine, just a little tired.” You assured quickly, flashing him a quick grin, but he still frowned slightly, unconvinced.

“If you’re not feeling well, we don’t have to go-”

“No, I want to.” You interjected, stopping him. “You’ve been looking forward to this, I want to go.”

He looked like he wanted to argue with you, but he let it slide for the moment.

The majority of the night passed smoothly, you talked and laughed with his friends, earning more a few proud smiles from him, though you also noticed him periodically watching you with a cautious eye, making sure you were okay.

You’d begun to feel increasingly unwell at various points through the evening, but you’d managed to keep a calm facade for the most part, not wanting to spoil you and Joon’s evening, until you were suddenly hit with another wave of dizziness, causing your steps to falter.

You instinctively reached out for Namjoon, catching hold of his arm for support as you tried to steady yourself.

Joon immediately glanced down at you in concern, his other arm coming to wrap around your waist to hold you.

“Are you alright?!” He asked, eyeing you anxiously.

“yeah, I just feel dizzy.” You said weakly.

He instantly went into protective caregiver mode, carefully guiding you over to an empty bench in the corner of the room, bringing you some water, and feeling your forehead for any sign of fever while going through the usual list of questions.

“Did you eat today?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Did you take your meds?”

“I-” You tried to think back through your day, but everything was a frenzied blur of work and getting ready to go out. “I might’ve forgotten it.”

“You might have forgotten?!” He asked sharply.

“I don’t know, Joon, I was busy! What does it matter?!” You snapped, not in the mood to be scolded by him.

“It matters if you get sick!” He said sternly, carefully pulling you up from your seat. “C’mon, we’re going home.”

“I’ll be fine, I just need to rest for a few minutes.” You tried to pull away from him, but the sudden movement caused another bout of dizziness to hit you, coupled this time with a touch of nausea that had you sinking back into your seat.

As soon as he saw your face lose color, every ounce of anger and frustration in his body disappeared, replaced only with worry for you.

“You’re not fine!” He said seriously. “We’re going home.”

You didn’t bother trying to argue with him anymore, feeling increasingly lightheaded and woozy, wanting nothing more in that moment than to just lay down.

Joon barely spoke on the way home, a growing sense of guilt brewing on your stomach as you watched him, his hands tight on the steering wheel as he drove.

“Joon-” You started, but he was quick to stop you.

“We’ll talk about it in the morning, okay? Right now, I just want you to rest.”

As soon as you got home, he carried you to bed, helping you change and making sure you took your medications before finally sinking into the bed, falling into a dreamless sleep almost immediately.

Joon however barely slept, waking every couple of hours throughout the night to make sure you were alright. Eventually, he gave up on sleep entirely, watching over you while you slept instead.

You looked so fragile to him like this, his mind couldn’t help wandering back to your earlier comments. How much had you been neglecting yourself recently? Were you eating properly? He knew you hadn’t been sleeping well.

Maybe he was overreacting and it was just a one off event, but it was still more than enough to scare him. He was well aware how hectic things had been lately, but he had hoped they weren’t taking such a harsh toll on you like this.

When you woke the next morning, your eyes immediately landed on his half sleeping form propped up next to you in the bed.

“Joon?” You croaked, your voice small and ragged from sleep, snapping him to attention.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” He asked softly, gently brushing your hair away from your face.

“ ‘m okay, tired.” You replied.

“That’s alright.” He smiled. “Are you hungry? I can order food. I thought about trying to cook, but I figured that might not be the best idea.”

“Yeah, probably not.” You replied with a grin, glancing around sleepily. “What time is it?” The light streaming in through the curtains indicated that it was well past your normal wake up time.

“About ten.”

“What?” You gasped, scrambling to sit up, the sudden movement causing your head to spin again.

“Careful!” He said gently, pushing you back down into the bed. “Everything’s alright. You just need to take it easy and rest.”

“I can’t, I’ve got a deadline!” You tried to sit up again, but he pressed you back down firmly. My boss is probably wondering where the hell I-”

“I already texted your manager and told them you were sick and wouldn’t be in today.” He said matter of factly.

You gaped at him. “Why would you do that?!”

“Because you need to rest.” He said, pulling you into him. “They’ll be fine, everything won't fall apart just because you took a day. You need to take time to look after yourself too, you know?”

You looked down, avoiding his eyes, the guilt from the night before bubbling back to the surface.

“I know, I just…I didn’t wanna ruin your night.” You sniffed, trying to fight back the frustrated tears that threatened to spill. “I don’t know, I’m sorry I upset you.”

He pulled you closer. “The only thing I’m upset about is how hard you’ve been pushing yourself. I know things have been tough, but I don't want you to hide from me. And I don’t want you putting everyone else ahead of you. You are far too important to ever neglect, you hear me?”

You nodded, letting Namjoon wipe away the few stray tears that slipped down your cheeks, “I didn’t mean to get so caught up, it just kinda snowballed.”

“I know, I’ve done the same thing.” He pressed a kiss to your temple. “But do you remember what you did last time it happened?”

You scoffed. “Basically kidnapped you for the weekend?”

“Yep,” He grinned. “So, consider this my payback.”

Joon helped you get settled back under the covers, resting your head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

“Thank you Joonie.” You mumbled.

“Always.” He wrapped his arms around you. “Get some rest, Sweetheart.”

You fell back to sleep in his arms, feeling safe and at peace for the first time in weeks.

Taglist: @sopebubbles-replies @btsw1fe @this-must-be-my-tardis @whitefoxgirl @bethanysnow @coffeedepressionsoup @main-bangtansmauyeondan @feminympho @a-gayish-unicorn @dfqcsqueen @mother2monsters @captainorangegoose @k4ngelz

#bts one shot #bts drabble #bts comfort #bts scenarios #bts requests #bts x y/n #bts x reader #namjoon scenarios #namjoon drabble #namjoon fluff #namjoon x y/n #namjoon x reader #bts fluff #namjoon one shot #namjoon oneshot #namjoon comfort #7ndipity

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creative-caramel-coffee · 6 months ago

Text

Off Day Or Day Off Part 2

Summary: Reader’s bad day continues as they struggle with (POTS). Luckily Lizzie and Scarlett look after her.

Tw: kind of fainting but not really, pots, exhaustion / fatigue,

Words: 1090

A/n This was me like two hours before I wrote this, but I was alone (I texted a friend tho so that was nice), so I wrote this to project. I just laid on the floor and watched Lizzie interviews on YouTube.

The next time you woke up you groaned softly knowing you had to get up to pee. Lizzie was still fixed on the TV as scarlet turned to you with a concerned look.

“You ok honey?” She asked softly in case your head was hurting.

“Need to pee.” You pouted making Lizzie laugh as she began paying attention to your conversation.

“That’s the electrolytes love.” She teased and you frowned at her, hating everything at at the moment.

“Do you need help?” Scarlett offered.

“No.” You huffed grouchily, throwing off the blanket that was keeping you warm, shivering as you suddenly felt cold.

“Are you sure?” Scarlett pressed. “There’s no shame in needing help.

“Im fine.” You said feeling embarrassed and tired.

“Ok honey.” Scarletts expression relaxed now looking sad for you. “Call us if you need us okay sweets?” She asked and your inclined your head just enough to let her know you heard her.

Bracing yourself you sat up, pausing before moving to stand up. You blinked for a second waiting for the spots in your vision to leave Scarlett watched with concern but before sheer could say something you left the room.

After finishing and washing your hands you were walking back down the hall when you suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over you. It was all too familiar as you lowered yourself to the floor sliding down the wall.

You debated calling them over, still feeling bad for ruining their day off as well as just plain old stubbornness. You decided to wait a second to see if it would pass before you called them.

But after a few moments you knew, it wasn’t going to. Gently laying yourself down you felt your body becoming heavier and your eyes drooping as exhaustion crashed into you.

“Mum! Auntie Lizzie!” You called using up as much of your remaining strength as you could.

You heard hurried footsteps and felt someone brushing their hand gently through your hair.

“Y/n/n, honey can you hear me?” Scarlett asked as Lizzie hovered nearby.

“Mum…” you mumbled feeling bone tired as your eyes remained shut.

“I’m going to pick you up ok baby?” Scarlett said, not expecting a response as much as just asking to provide a warning. It was always slightly scary when this happened as you were practically defenceless and despite knowing you were safe with Lizzie and Scarlett you still hated not being able to protect yourself. You had been stubbornly independent from a young age so you despised needing to be looked after.

As your thoughts drifted, your mind too tired to try and keep up with your surroundings you felt strong arms under you as Scarlett scooped you off the floor.

She was very gentle as she carried you into the living room. Gently she set you down on the floor after Lizzie laid a blanket down so it was softer to lay on.

“What can I do?” Lizzie asked.

“She needs salt. Can you go grab one of the blue drinks from the fridge door?” Scarlett said and Lizzie nodded as she ran off to grab it.

Meanwhile Scarlett lifted your legs onto the couch too elevate them. Once she was done with that, she pulled your head into her lap. She knew you were awake just too tired to move.

When Lizzie returned, she sat next to you on the floor. Passing a small bag of sea salt chips to Scarlett and a bottle of Gatorade. Lizzie shuffled over and held your hand in her lap.

“It’s ok baby. We’re here my sweet girl.” Lizzie said softly, knowing you could hear them despite looking dead to the world.

The three of you sat in silence for a bit as they whispered soft reassurances to you, knowing how much you hated being out of control.

After a bit you blinked your eyes, a bit feeling a little bit of energy return.

“There she is.” Lizzie said brushed a strand of hair from your face. “How are you feeling baby?” She asked.

“Mmm.” You mumbled, too exhausted for words as you nuzzled into Scarlett’s lap.

Lizzie and Scarlett sat for another few minute's waiting for you to feel ready to sit up.

After a second your gaze focused on them. “Sorry.” You mumbled.

“Don’t apologise baby, you have no reason to be sorry.” Scarlett hushed you. “Are you read to sit up?” She asked

You paused for a second taking mental stock of your body before nodding.

Lizzie helped you sit up as your back leant against Scarletts chest to support you. Lizzie twisted the cap off the Gatorade and passed it to you, her hands brushing against your fingertips.

“Jesus Y/n!” She said. “You're freezing.” She said.

You nodded sagely in response. “Cold.” You confirmed, taking a sip of the drink while Scarletts hands stabilised yours which were shaking and pale.

“Here.” Lizzie said, pulling off her hoodie and sliding it over your head and wrangling you into it while Scarlett held your drink.

It was warm and smelt like Lizzie which made you feel better.

“Have some chips baby.” Lizzie said opening the packet. Feeling like babying you a little Lizzie began hand feeding you the chips ignoring your whining as she started making little airplane noises to tease you like she was feeding a toddler.

You pouted at her and she giggled, her nose scrunching as you huffed softly.

“Feeling better honey?” Scarlett asked and you leant your head against her collarbone.

“Yeah.” You said softly, still not feeling a hundred percent.

“Hope about we move this party to the couch for some snuggles.” Lizzie suggested and you nodded. Scarlett smiled and scooped you up, passing you to Lizzie who had taken up her previous spot on the couch.

You laid on her stomach, heads resting in the crook of her neck as she rubbed your back in soft gentle circles.

“Get some rest honeylove.” She whispered and you nuzzled into her making her coo as you drifted off again after feeling Scarlett join the cuddle puddle.

@barbarasstar @charlie56

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internet1girl · 3 months ago

Text

Chapter 4: Jaded.

Pairing: Johnny Cage x Fem!Reader

Summary: You wouldn’t dare admit it, but something has shifted in your view of your fellow champion.

Word count: 12.4k Warnings/Notices: named!reader, changes in mk1’s story (sue me), dubious content?? idk both the reader and johnny are still covered in blood in the first scene, jealous!reader, drunk!reader, tongue kissing, love bites, grinding, sexual acts depicted but nothing too explicit (yet 😈), a smidge of angst, curse words, flirty johnny

First Chapter / Previous Part / Next Part

A/N: welcome back for another chapter!! i’m not going to say much, but this is where we get things in motion >:) enjoy reading <33

also i knowwww i said i'd make these shorter i swear i thought this thing was like 3k words wtf

By now, enough time had passed that it was now the early morning. The evening, as well as the night, came and went. Outworld was now starting to brighten after hours of darkness.

The carriage had finally reached Sun Do, Geras was now quietly steering the vehicle along the cobblestone roads. The city's streets lie quiet and empty, all its residents still sleeping soundly in their homes. A faint glimmer of the sun begins to seep over the horizon, casting a soft but subtle light over the city and its buildings. The cool morning air was crisp and fresh. If a person really focused, then would be able to pick up on the faint scent of damp earth and wood smoke, remnants of fires extinguished from the previous night.

In the distance, the soft clip-clop of horse hooves broke through the tranquil silence, growing louder as the carriage emerged from behind buildings. The wheels rumble softly over the cobblestones, echoing through the empty streets. Geras, bundled in his heavy cloak, parked the horses outside of Liu Kang’s estate with a steady hand, hopping down from the front seat and tending to the animals before making his way over to the carriage interior.

You and Johnny were inside, laid out on your respective seats as you both quietly sleep. At first, it was hard to get comfortable. Your blood-covered uniforms were just so uncomfortable to try and fall asleep in. But eventually, your fatigues got the better of you two, you both nodded off sometime in the night. Your bodies lay unmoving, curled up on your seat cushions as your minds explored the world of dreams.

You both didn't even move when the carriage stopped moving, nor did you both react to the sound of heavy footsteps making their way alongside the vehicle. You both did, however, react to Geras loudly opening the door.

Johnny's eyes slowly fluttered open, his body shifting around tiredly as he roused from his sleep. He took a moment to figure out his surroundings, his head snapping up and his eyes landing on the figure in the doorway. Grunting softly, he sat up from his seat and stretched out his back, wincing at every pop and crack that came from his sore muscles.

In contrast, you didn’t wake up so gracefully. In response to the sudden change of brightness, you hastily covered your eyes with your forearms. You rolled around a little, grumbling and groaning something about being woken up too early. You weren’t awake enough to realise that you were finally back in Sun Do, instead you were mumbling something about five more minutes.

"Wha... what's... going on? Are we…?” You weren’t a morning person, evident by how slurred and hoarse your voice was. To be suddenly woken up like this really fucked with you. A state of confusion had a firm hold on your psyche as you pushed yourself up and looked around, your vision clearing as it settled on your driver in front of you.

Geras, meanwhile, watched you two rise with the blankest of blank expressions plastered across his face. He generously waited for you both to wake up a little and regain more of yourselves before he spoke up.

"Jade. Johnny. Good morning to you both. We have arrived in Sun Do."

"Ugh, finally... my ass is killing me..." Johnny mumbled, now mostly awake.

He turned to the side, taking a moment to watch as you gathered your bearings. A small laugh came from him at how incoherent and unkempt you looked. You were always so prim and proper, to see you like this had him snickering like a schoolboy.

Not that you noticed. You were too busy pushing your body up, too focused on loudly yawning and stretching out your aching arms. After such a tough few days, you couldn't wait to have a shower and a proper meal, as well as get reinstated with society.

"Geras, good morning..." You groggily greet your driver, rubbing your eyes clear of sleep as you spoke. “…We are at Liu Kang's estate, yes?"

The construct emotionlessly nodded in response, the action short and confirming.

"Lovely.." You were fully sat up at this point. When you were done stretching out your arms for a second time, you turned to look at your companion.

There was something about him in the morning light that made him look… handsome. His messy hair framed his face rather well, and those eyes, heavy with sleep, did nothing to dispel his attractiveness. Although, you didn't dare say any of this out loud.

“Cage…” You greeted him, your vision finally focused. "I trust that you slept well?"

"Slept like a rock.” Despite the way he looked in the moment, his tone was bright and chipper, paired with a grin to boot. “You, sweetheart?"

“Slept as well as I could, given our current circumstances..." You were slightly keeled over, your hands planted on your knees as you prepare to exit the carriage and use your legs after a night of idleness.

He hummed at your response. Though he tried to hide it, his eyes couldn't resist roaming all over your body, he was practically drinking up the sight of you like this. Johnny’s gaze lingered on how your hands gripped your knees, thoughts that were far from innocent were flashing through his mind.

Geras stepped aside as you two got out of the carriage. He was emotionless at the sight of Johnny semi-recklessly hopping out of the vehicle, showing no reaction to the man loudly stretching and yawning.

You, meanwhile, were a lot slower in exiting. You took a moment to rid yourself of a yawn before you quietly and slowly stepped through the doorway, gemstone clutched in your hand as you looked around Sun Do's empty streets.

"Ugh, finally... I need a shower…” Johnny was grumbling under his breath, shaking out his hands as he got the blood flow back into them.

Geras had dropped you two off right outside Liu Kang's estate, a nice change compared to the dark alleyway he picked you both up in. The wall surrounding the manor towered over you three, the gates built into them parted for Johnny to step through. He made his way towards the entrance of the home, taking a glance back at you as he walked.

"You coming?"

"Right behind you." You called out, walking up the stairs and taking a place beside him as he knocked on the door. You tightened your grip around the gemstone a little, mentally preparing yourself to tell Liu Kang all that had been discovered.

There was a brief moment of wait that played out as Johnny’s knuckles left the wood of the door. You were zoning out, so you didn’t notice him looking down at you. His eyes drank up the way you looked in the light of daybreak. He didn’t even care about how dirty you were, you still looked as stunning as ever in his eyes. You were simply breathtaking, like a painting that’s come to life…

The sound of footsteps from inside the estate snapped him out of his thoughts, the door creaking open and revealing Liu Kang waiting on the other side.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The pair of you found yourselves directly in the Fire God’s study. By now, you two were just finishing up the process of debriefing Liu Kang about your time in the pyramid. The both of you were presenting him with all that had been discovered.

Well, to be more accurate, you were the one debriefing Liu Kang. Johnny just stood by your side for a few minutes before walking away and slumping down on a couch next to the wall, his eyes firmly glued to the phone now in his hand. He already interrupted you whilst you were speaking to tell Liu Kang about all the ass you both kicked multiple times, what else was there to do?

“…And this gemstone was powering that machine." You brought up the giant red stone to Liu Kang's eye level, turning it slightly so he could get a better look. "I don't know what it is, but it's absolutely rife with magical energy."

"I see...and you're sure that it was General Shao's men guarding this machine?" Liu Kang was very interested to hear what you had to say, his white eyes glossing over with intrigue as he listened patiently.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. The way they were all dressed fit the descriptions of his soldiers. Why they were there, however, still eludes me…”

He nodded at your answer, his expression grim as he thought about what could be going on. The fact that Shao had his men stationed around Outworld was a serious matter, it was unlikely that the pyramid was the only location his new army would’ve stopped at. This, coupled with the multiple recent disturbances, was most concerning.

"...If the General has his men stationed near powerful magic such as this... it's possible that he's not working alone." Liu Kang brought up a hand to his chin, delving deeper and deeper into his thoughts as his mind thought about the worst that could come.

But all of that speculation could be saved for another time.

"Thank you for your work, Jade." He brought his hand away from his chin and gently placed it on your shoulder, a small smile now on his face. "Both you and Johnny did well."

You nod and smile back in response, a feeling of pride making its way through your body at your mentor’s praise.

Johnny's head perked up from his phone when he heard his name mentioned, his eyes drifting towards the Fire God and you. He looked at Liu Kang's hand on your shoulder, eyes narrowing. He wanted to get in on some of that!

"Yeah, no problem..." He called lazily from his seat, his attention on you both for a few seconds before returning back to his phone.

Your prideful expression turned into one of slight annoyance upon hearing his words. You took your eyes off of Liu Kang for a moment to look back at your lazy partner. There you were, telling Liu Kang all that had been found on the mission that you risked your life for, and he was slumped in the corner scrolling through Instagram. Unbelievable.

Seeing this made a question form in Liu Kang’s mind. You and Johnny were never paired together for missions before. He had hoped that by pairing you together, you both would finally start getting along. Or, at least, that you two would cease arguing every five minutes.

He was curious. If you two managed to bring back all this information, just how did you both get along?

"How did the two of you fare?" He asked, bringing his voice down in volume slightly so only you could hear his question. He awaited your answer with bated breath, hoping that pairing you both together wasn't a mistake.

"Surprisingly, not that badly." You responded, noting his expression of surprise upon the unexpected news. "He was key in fighting off Shao's men. I was shocked to witness the excellent martial arts prowess that he possesses. Without him, I don't know if this mission would've succeeded."

You purposely kept your voice low, low enough for only Liu Kang to hear. You didn't want Johnny to hear your praises, you knew that he would never shut up about it. You also purposely omitted the heart-to-heart you both had on the way back. That wasn't for anyone else to know, some things must be kept secret.

This was a pleasant surprise, truly. To hear that you two didn't actually kill each other on this mission, as well as to hear that you actually had some good things to say about Johnny for once, had Liu Kang’s face light up. He never thought that the day would come.

"I see." He responded quietly, a small smirk tugging at his lips as he too played along.

Liu Kang thought more about the way you spoke. He took a brief glance back over at Johnny, still in his seat and scrolling on his phone, completely uninterested and oblivious, and then he looked back over you. You seemed to think more highly - or, at least, less lowly - of Johnny. And don’t think that he missed that compliment veiled behind the snark in your voice. Hmm…

He had heard all that there was to the mission. It was more of a success that he predicted. All this information brought back to him would be passed onto Sindel and the rest of the palace. He pocketed the gemstone now in his hand for further studying, having much to look over.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

For you and Johnny, the rest of the day was mostly spent cleaning up. Both of you didn't hesitate to take long, long showers. Finally getting a chance to clean off all the blood and sweat that adorned your bodies felt great, borderline heavenly.

You relished in how the warm water from above felt on your scalp. Cleaning out all the dried blood and dust from your hair was actually incredibly satisfying. After scrubbing at it for what must’ve been hours, your skin was finally clear of all the grime stuck to it, thank the Gods.

Luckily for you both, you had arrived back on the day that a banquet was being held. Yes, some event had happened the day before, and tonight, a celebration was being held at Empress Sindel's palace. The Empress, as well as the princesses, would all be there. As Earthrealm champions, both of you were formally invited, courtesy of Liu Kang. How fortunate!

You were now stood in your room, a towel wrapped around your body and your hair still wet from that long shower. Confusion fogged your mind, you just... didn't know what to wear.

By now, the banquet was in a few hours. You weren’t even fully dry yet and you had to be somewhere soon. This wasn't your first formal event, but it was your first in a long time. You had to dress to impress, you would be in the presence of literal royalty.

You had two dresses in your outstretched hands, your eyes narrowed as you studied the outfits intensely. One of them was a lovely emerald green, floor length satin gown. The other was a gorgeous royal blue kimono that was cropped just above the mid-thigh. Two of your favourite dresses, you… just... couldn't... pick. Well, you had to, unless you wanted to sit out on this banquet, which you didn't.

Out of options, you placed them on the edge of your bed and strode over to your bag. You rummaged around your belongings until you found a coin, flipping it off of your thumb and leaving the choice up to fate. Heads, the kimono. Tails, the satin gown.

As it was spinning in the air, the fact that Johnny would also be at this event popped into your mind, his pseudo-presence worming into your thoughts. Pfft, not that that mattered, right? It's TOTALLY not like there was a part of you that wanted to impress him. No, you really didn't care about how you would look in front of him, you were dressing up because it was a nice event, NOT because Johnny would also be there... right?

The clang of the metal coin on the floor jolted you out of your thoughts. It was tails, you were wearing the green satin gown.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The banquet was lovely. It was mostly outdoors - so, throughout the whole event, there was a nice breeze flowing through the evening. A scene of opulence and grandeur, a barrage of purple decorations adorned the courtyard, courtesy of the colour scheme of Outworld’s Empress.

Long, elegantly carved tables stretched out across the space, covered in the violet tablecloths that were draped across them. A barrage of guests were sat at these tables, the air was thick with conversation and the sounds of cutlery making contact with plates.

Servers in livery moved gracefully among the tables, presenting an array of dishes on silver platters as well as clearing away any empty plates. Umgadi warriors were stationed all around the courtyard, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity, as was their job to guard the palace. A musician was stationed on a grand piano nearby, a beautiful Edenian melody oozing from his fingers. The sound of the music harmonised beautifully with the laughter and conversation of the guests. So far, the night was going well.

You were sat at one of these tables, dressed to the nines in the emerald gown that you ended up picking. You looked gorgeous, wearing green eye makeup to go with your green dress. Johnny was right, the colour suited you. The way your gown clung to your form perfectly was something that brought a smile to your face whilst you were getting ready. It was a welcome change from the blood covered suit you were in just this morning.

Speaking of, Johnny was sat a table away from you, dressed in a sleek black suit and tie to match. His hair took on a neater style than usual, a clean side part dividing his brushed back brown locks.

He would sip the wine in his glass occasionally, looking up to glance at you every so often. This wasn't the first time he'd seen you look nice as you did now, but the switch from your usually frumpy clothes to elegance like this still surprised him every time.

Looking up from your meal, you noticed Johnny across from you. That jet black suit he was in, and the way his shiny brunette hair was styled, made a warm feeling sprout in your stomach. He looked really handsome tonight, there was something about him so formally dressed, his features so beautifully carved, that had you acting up a little. Ah, it was probably the wine... right?

The thing is... he was sat right next to Princess Kitana, the same woman who he had a… special relationship with. The both of them became further and further enamoured with each other as time went on, the wine being served loosening the two up a little. Johnny switched his attention from one beautiful woman to another. You left his mind as his focus was almost solely reduced to Kitana, not being able to resist how she looked in her glittering blue dress.

The two of them were so touchy, they almost couldn't keep their hands off of each other. He'd place a hand on her upper thigh and lean in to whisper something in her ear from time to time, making her shake with laughter. Looks like he wasn't lying back in the carriage, he really had bagged the princess.

Seeing this sent a certain feeling through your heart. One that took your attention off of your meal. There was something that you didn’t like about the way he had his arm around her shoulder, it made something ugly stir within your core. The two of them looked so happy, so pleased with each other. The sight alone sent a shiver down your spine. There was something about Johnny paying attention to another woman that made your face screw up and your eyes darken.

You were jealous.

Luckily (or, maybe unluckily) for you, Johnny was too focused on Kitana to notice you shooting daggers at them with your eyes. The beautiful princess next to him had completely captured his attention, at times it was almost like he was entranced, bewitched. He didn't even bother looking in your direction for the entire rest of the night.

Before your mood worsened to the point where you would do something you would end up regretting, something else captured your attention.

"Jade Houzuki, is it?"

Princess Mileena, Sindel's firstborn and heir to the throne, was sat next to you. She had heard tales of Liu Kang's Earthrealmers, and now one of them was sat right next to her. This was an opportunity that she was all too happy to take advantage of, she didn’t hesitate in striking up a conversation with you.

Upon hearing your name, you took your attention off of Johnny and Kitana. You swivelled your head to meet her awaiting gaze, your eyes widened with curiosity.

"...Princess Mileena. It is an honour." You were surprised, truly. The heiress to Outworld's throne was speaking to you? You, of all people? Wow, were you dreaming? Maybe if you pinch yourself hard enough, just to make-

"Please, I'm sitting at a public event with you, just call me Mileena. No need for ‘princess’ this and ‘highness’ that. We're both ladies here." Mileena looked at you, a warm smile on her face.

You returned her smile. Her humble nature surprised you, it was admittedly unexpected. There was something refreshing about her kindness, it warmed your icy jealousy. Mileena's presence took your mind off of Johnny and his “friend”. You turned your body fully to face the princess, eager to see where this conversation would go.

In turn, her own smile deepened, her lips parting to reveal her beautiful pearly teeth. She leaned in a little towards you, her eyes shining with a mischievous glint.

"I have to say… I'm impressed that you can deal with Johnny Cage. I was told that many Earthrealmers find him to be infuriating.”

You chuckled when you heard this. It’s not like she was wrong, Johnny's ego was something that was widely known. You lean in a little, too. Your voice was just above a whisper as you spoke next.

"Thank you. It is not an easy burden." You joked, your smile widening at the princess’ laugh. "Did Lord Liu Kang tell you about the mission we’ve just returned from?"

"Oh, l've heard quite a lot from him about the pyramid. The two of you apparently work extremely well together."

"He said this?” You nearly stuttered your words, more than a little taken aback on hearing about your mentor’s praise. Did Liu Kang really say this?

"Yes. His exact words to me were: "In the end, they got the job done and did a fine job, too”.” Mileena mimicked his voice as she spoke, before breaking into a small laugh. "Coming from Liu Kang, that's a hell of an achievement."

"Wow..." You really didn't know how to respond to her words. The idea of Liu Kang praising you to the heir to Sindel made you sit up a little higher in your seat.

"...I wouldn't say that we work together extremely well, per se. But, he actually isn't that insufferable." Your voice was now thick with confidence, any shyness that you previously held onto was now lost to the wind.

"Oh?" She teased, enjoying learning every new detail she could about you. "So you don't find him that infuriating?”

"Oh, no, I totally do. Just not as much as l always believed."

You both laughed, finding gossiping about Johnny with each other much about the most interesting thing at this banquet. Much like your companion and her sister, you and Mileena became further and further enamoured with each other as the night went on. The wine in your glasses swirled with interest, more tales and tidbits were drawn from the both of you with each sip, your combined laughters melding in with the air of conversation around.

“…Honestly, I can't imagine what it’s like to deal with such a man for long periods of time!”

"By the Gods, he would flirt with me every chance he had!” You laughed, a compilation of Johnny’s shameless advances flashing through your mind. "That man is a dog, truly."

"Oh, you're preaching to the choir!” Mileena glanced over her shoulder at him and her sister. The two were still very much enamoured with each other, nothing had changed in the time that had passed. Kitana had just said something in his ear, causing Johnny to burst out into loud, booming laughter.

"He really takes it to the extreme, doesn't he?"

You hummed in agreement and shared her field of vision in looking over to them, your dormant envy bubbling back up a little at the sight of the two shamelessly slapping at each other.

It was like a switch within you had flipped. You turned back to her with determination on your face, you felt compelled to tell what Johnny had told you on the way to the pyramid, the night before you arrived.

"You didn't hear this from me…” You looked to your left and then your right, like a drug dealer checking the coast was clear. “…but I was told that him and Princess Kitana have a… thing going on."

This made her eyebrows lift a small bit. She glanced back in their direction once more, her lip pursuing in amusement before turning back to face you.

"Oh, I know. It's totally obvious."

"You know?!" Your voice heightened by a couple of octaves. Mileena’s revelation made your eyes bulge wide open in surprise. Was this common knowledge? Was it really that obvious?

The princess just snickered at your shock, nearly choking on her wine as the sound slipped past her lips.

"Yes! Well, everyone does, really." A sly smile appeared on Mileena's face as she leaned towards you once more, deciding to spill a little more tea from Outworld's gossip mill. “…Kitana is not shy about sneaking him up to her room in the night."

"D-does the Empress know?”

"Ha! Gods, no!” She damn near busted into a bout of laughter, her palm shot up to cover the giggles coming from her mouth. “Nobody has the guts to tell Mother about something so illicit.”

"Wow..." You were baffled, truly. Your mouth hung slightly agape, this man truly had a talent at rendering you speechless, whether directly or indirectly. "Unbelievable..."

Both you and Mileena passed time by gossiping like two housewives, your words revolving mostly around Johnny. You each exchanged stories of interest, loud giggles and bouts of drunken snickers came from your general direction every now and then.

You didn't want to acknowledge it, but there was a part of you that had your teeth gritting at the sight of him and Kitana being so close. It just didn’t sit right with you, the mere thought of them together made your face screw up. So, why not get that frustration out of your system by gossiping about him with her sister?

You were just in the middle of telling the princess about one of the many depraved things that Johnny had once told you when everyone around fell silent. Empress Sindel was to make a toast, the courtyard of the Empire's finest and most powerful ceased their conversations to listen to their Queen. Even Johnny and Kitana's flirtations subsided for the moment, they too stopped and turned their attention to Outworld’s matriarch.

"Ladies and Gentlemen..." Her sweet, soft voice graced every ear. Outworld’s Empress stood at the top of the courtyard, looking down at her guests with a smile on her face.

Sindel carried on with her speech, going on about how she was grateful for everyone's presence, how much Outworld was prospering, how fun this event was and stuff like that. Honestly, you were too zoned out to really focus on any of it, all that wine you drank was really started to mess with you.

Before you knew it, the speech had concluded. Everyone stood up to perform a standing ovation, the sound of clapping echoing all around the courtyard. You followed suit, to not stand out too much. You mindlessly clapped along with everyone else, silently trying to remember what Sindel even said as you slammed your palms together. Something about the Empire or whatever…?

Throughout the rest of the night, you indulged in more alcohol than you should've. Thankfully, you didn't do anything that you would come to regret in the morning. No, you mostly spent the night either dancing or talking with Mileena. The fact that the princess was such a surprisingly good gossip partner was something that you were all too happy to take advantage of.

Eventually, all good things must come to an end. The party started to die down, and guests started to leave for their homes. This included you. You drunkenly bid goodbye to your new gossip buddy, stumbling out of the palace and down Sun Do's streets.

Headed for Liu Kang's estate, the thought of your bed seemed heavenly right now. The heels that you were in hurt like hell, you wanted nothing more than to kick them off and flop down onto your soft mattress.

Johnny was on your mind as you walked back home. The two of you actually never interacted at the banquet, much to your surprise. You were drunkenly mumbling out loud about him and Kitana, something about how he'd fuck anything and blah blah blah. Thank the Gods no one was around to hear you, you wouldn't be able to handle the embarrassment.

You continued your drunken one-woman rant all the way to your room door. Once inside, you kicked your heels to the corner and slumped face-first onto your bed, too tired to get undressed and clean off your makeup. You subsequently passed out upon contact with your soft sheets, your body going numb as you slipped into unconsciousness with drunken ease.

Johnny, meanwhile, didn't go back to Liu Kang’s. Instead, he unsurprisingly spent the night with Kitana. The two could be seen by Umgadi guards drunkenly stumbling through the palace, laughing like idiots all throughout the halls.

They wasted no time once they were in the confines of her chambers. Both of them were instantly stripping, their clothes flying across the room as they went at each other. Their bodies lay intertwined on her bed, his tongue was currently buried deep in her mouth, their lips smashed against each other in a messy dance.

The way his cock was rutting against her abdomen drew deep, muffled moans out of the both of them. Her bare stomach was sticky with his precum, his own shaft was coated in her slick as it moved up and down her folds.

Johnny broke away from her mouth, a dark smile on his face as he threw her legs over his shoulders, preparing for round one of many.

It's really a wonder how Sindel somehow still doesn't know about their escapades.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

By morning, your hangover had hit you like a truck. The sun was too damn bright, the birds tweeting outside were too damn loud, the memories of last night were too damn much. It was all a mess.

You groaned and rolled around on top of your covers, the memories of your drunken last night rant to no one in particular running through your mind. You were cringing heavily. Damn that addictive fancy wine!

Eventually, though, you got up. Pushing yourself off of your mattress with a groan, you stumbled your way to your bathroom, hoping that a nice cold shower will get rid of this awful hangover.

The sudden cold water of the shower against your bare skin made you yelp. You jumped back a little, now fully awake. At least your hangover was partially gone now, so there's that.

The icy water helped clear your head after the amount of wine you had consumed last night, as well as the memories of your rambles. You were giggling like a schoolgirl at all Mileena had told you as you scrubbed last night off of your body. You couldn't remember the last time you had a conversation with a woman like that, it was nice. Refreshing, even.

You thought about what to do for the rest of the day as the water rained from above. You DID have to be ready in case Liu Kang, the Empress, or anyone of importance needed you for something. And your hangover needed fully clearing, you can’t spend the whole day on zombie mode. AND your kombat needed a little work… so to speak. There was only one clear answer to your queries, it had admittedly been a little too long since you showed your face around the palace training grounds.

In contrast, Johnny was having a very different experience. He woke up very differently to you, the light that flooded into Kitana's chambers was not too overwhelming for him. His head didn't hurt, he didn't have a raging hangover. If anything, he was feeling pretty ok after last night.

The feeling of Kitana's warm body pressed up against his in her bed was familiar. The way she was clinging onto him, even in her sleep, only served to harden his morning erection.

He looked over at the sleeping princess, his finger reaching across to lightly trace the ridge of her spine. The way the blanket was positioned, her bare back was exposed to the elements, giving Johnny a view of all the marks he had left on her last night.

He was proud of himself, but in the way that a man would be. Once again he had successfully bagged a beautiful woman. Johnny smiled to himself as he continued to trace his finger down her back, wandering a little further down as he did so.

Kitana let out a small noise at his caress, the touch of his fingers on her bare skin bringing her out of her sleep.

"Mmmm... good morning..." She mumbled as she turned her head and opened her eyes, looking up at him with a smile on her face.

It wasn't hard to imagine what they did next. All that could be said was that the poor Umgadi stationed outside the Princess's bedroom could hear a barrage of noises coming from the opposite side of the door. Mainly creaking springs and muffled groans.

It seemed like most of the day continued on as it normally would have. You were busy training at the Palace dojo, Johnny continued the day mostly lounging around and the guards outside of Kitana's chambers tried to pretend they never heard what was going on behind her door.

As the sun set, it brought the start of the night, and with that came a messenger from the Empress. Liu Kang received word from Sindel not too long after, bringing the message to both you and Johnny. Something had happened, and it needed investigating.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

It was now late evening, bordering on nighttime. A few days had passed, you and Johnny were now standing outside of Liu Kang's estate, waiting for a contact of his to pick you two up and take you both to the site of your latest mission.

This time, there was something mysterious going on in the Empire’s rural regions. A once lively village, now entirely depopulated. Its residents were nowhere to be found, and every single building in the settlement was void of life. News of this spread like wildfire through Outworld, it was only a matter of time before it reached the ears of Sindel and Liu Kang.

Remembering the success of the last mission, Liu Kang thought it a good idea to pair you and Johnny up together again. He was making progress in forging a positive relationship between you both, he had hoped that this new mission would only strengthen it.

So there you two were, leaning against the wall in preparation for this supposed contact to arrive. You were clad in your mission uniforms, now freshly washed and cleaned of all the blood from last time.

You were leaning against the wall, mindlessly twirling your long braid around your fingers whilst Johnny was crouched beside you. His back rested against the wall, his phone in his hand as he tapped away on his screen doing Gods know what.

The both of you were bored out of your minds. There was a silence in the air, save for the sound of Johnny's phone keyboard clicking. Out of idleness, you looked over at your partner next to you, your eyes flickering up and down his perched form. You didn't dare admit it, but deep down you could feel a small semblance of gratitude for Liu Kang lingering, you were semi-thankful that he paired you both up for a mission again. There was truly more to Johnny than he let on. Who knows, maybe you’ll find out even more about your companion during your time away.

He continued to tap and scroll away on his phone, before stopping and looking up at you from the corner of his eye. He could see you playing with your hair, he craned his head fully to hone in on the way your fingers wound your braided follicles around themselves. He didn't know why, but it was oddly satisfying to watch her do it.

Unlike him, you noticed Johnny's staring almost immediately. You spoke up without turning to face him, your attention still on the buildings adjacent.

"Looking at something, Cage?"

He huffed, a sly smirk on his face. "Yeah, I am."

There was a small pause as he thought of what to say next, to capture your attention further.

"Just taking a little glance at that pretty face of yours, darlin'."

You just scoffed at his flirtatious words, rolling your eyes as you shook your head a little in disbelief. You would rather choke than admit that ever since the banquet a few days ago, a part of you longed to hear such drabble.

Johnny chuckled, eating up your adverse reactions like a five-star meal. If anything, the cute way you rolled your eyes only served to encourage him more. He pocketed his phone and pushed himself up, something far better than social media had now captured his attention.

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen you blush once with all my little comments." He smirked, his eyes shone with mischief.

"Didn't I tell you that your little tricks wouldn't work on me?" You turn to face him now, throwing your caution to the wind.

"Mhm, that you did." Johnny took a step towards you, shortening the - in his eyes - unneeded space between you both. His smirk remained, and his eyes still held that twinkle of mischief in them.

"But you know, l've never really had the chance to try my some of my ‘little tricks' yet. You never know, I might have a few things up my sleeve that'll get that blush of yours to come out."

"I very much doubt that." You replied with a snark tone, stepping to the side a little to put some distance between you and him.

Johnny chuckled, following after you. He closed the small gap you had created, so that now you both were side by side once again.

"Are you sure?" His voice was smooth, dripping with that classic Cage charm. Something entirely intentional, of course. His aim of you folding for him painfully clear, as it always was.

"...Very much so." You whispered in his ear, moving even further away from him in the process.

Hearing your voice so close to him, your breath ghosting on the shell of his ear, it made him shiver slightly. His smirk faltered a little and his skin pricked in anticipation. Although, he would never in a million years admit any of this. Nope, never. Johnny Cage isn’t a sappy romantic!

He accepted you distancing yourself, for now. The simp within him Something within him thought it wise to not ruin the minuscule chance he had of successfully bagging you. Well, more so than he already does, at least. Instead, he opted to stay where he stood and let a few moments of silence pass by, before he spoke up again.

"Saw you and Mileena talking at the banquet the other day." He casually informed you, resting his hands behind his head and he leaned against the wall.

"You... did?" This came as a shock to you. You thought he was too busy getting handsy with Kitana to even remember your presence at the banquet. A look of surprise flushed your face as you craned your head to face him.

Johnny chuckled again at the surprised look on your face. He looked over at you innocently, as if he were surprised that you’d be surprised.

"Yeah, I did. Couldn't really help but notice the way you two seemed so invested in each other. Seemed like you both were having a pretty good time." He added on the end, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm. Poking fun at you like this was such a premium form of entertainment.

“…Princess Mileena is a good conversation partner, that’s all." You looked away from Johnny, trying to play off your surprise. Gods above, if only he knew what you two were actually conversing about…

"Mhmm..." Johnny's eyes narrowed a little. He took note of your deflection, already dismissing whatever lies that he expected you to tell next. Seeing you react like this just fuelled the fires of his curiosity even more.

"Must have been a very interesting conversation then, considering you two were talking for a pretty long time."

"I was sat next to her, do you expect me to have not spoken a word to her all night?"

"I mean, yeah, kinda. You aren't really known for being the biggest social butterfly. Or, a social butterfly at all." He laughed, his eyes never leaving your face. He wanted to try and make you crack even the slightest bit. Partly out of boredom, partly because he wanted to know if your conversation with Mileena had something to do with him.

"Hm, maybe I was just happy to speak to a woman for once." You responded, turning away from him with a huff.

This wasn't false, either. Ever since Liu Kang took you in, it was rare for you to ever see women. The Wu Shi Academy was very much male-dominated, the male-to-female Shaolin ratio was tragically disproportionate. Of course, you had nothing but praises to sing for your Shaolin brothers, but you couldn’t help but jump at the chance to have a chat with a woman, in a way that you couldn’t with a man.

Johnny’s eyes followed you as you turned away. He paused for a moment, taking in the new bit of information about you before speaking next.

"Mmmm, I see... so you're saying that you haven't spoken to a woman in a while then?" He asked casually, his curiosity only continuing to inflate in size and quantity.

“Tch… why do you care?" You scoffed, folding your arms and not bothering to turn and face him.

"I don't. Just making conversation." He stated simply, although it was a flat-out lie. Johnny was starting to get just a little frustrated at your constant dodging, which only added to his growing desire to find out more on what you and Mileena spoke about.

He was unfortunately successful in riling you up a little. One of the reasons you were so talkative with Mileena that night was because of him. It was the main reason, actually. You tried not to give in to Johnny's taunts, you really did, but eventually your irritation got the better of you.

“…Well, I saw you and Kitana with each other at the banquet." You whipped your head around to speak to him, such a sudden change from your previous nonchalance. Your hands were planted on your hips as you began to berate him for his careless flirtation. "You couldn't keep your hands off her!"

"Ah, so you did notice me, then.” He said smugly, watching you triumphantly.

You were silent for a moment. He had gotten you, you had inadvertently given him what he had wanted; the satisfaction that was you noticing his presence. You thought about what to say for some time, before finally voicing the words you conjured in your mind.

“…Mileena brought you up. The way you two couldn't keep your hands off of each other drew even her attention."

He let out a small snort of amusement in response. He'd successfully managed to get a rise out of you, finally. Truth be told, he wasn't at all surprised that Mileena saw them, nor did he really care. But, the news that he had been the topic of conversation between you and her was what he wanted to hear.

"Oh yeah? What'd she say?" He asked, his smirk not leaving his face as he looked down at you. You were finally starting to talk back to him instead of dodging the conversation. Finally!

"She told me of your equal recklessness." You went on, finally releasing some of your days old frustration. "She informed me of basically how everyone in the palace, save for the Empress, knows of you two and your... relations."

Johnny let out a low whistle as you went on. It’s not like he took your ranting to heart, though. If anything, he found you lecturing him like this to be somewhat endearing.

"Damn, Mileena really is a big gossip, isn't she?" He said, grinning.

You were silent again. His lack of care had truly left you speechless. If he was even the slightest bothered about the fact that him and Kitana were basically public news, he didn't let it show. Either that, or you didn't pick up on it. His dumb grin was firmly plastered on his face as he stared down at you.

Johnny's smirk only widened as he watched you struggle to string words together. Like I said, this was such a premium form of entertainment to his silly mind.

"What's wrong? Can't get the words out, can you?" He teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Oh he was really starting to piss you off. His stupid grin made you madder and madder the longer you looked at it. He really just didn't care, did he? His indifference soured your mood more than it should’ve.

"...Get away from me." You finally blurted out, turning away from him with your arms crossed to your chest and a nasty expression plastered on your face.

"Awww... but where's the fun in that, darlin'?" He said, feigning disappointment.

Of course, your unabashed temper was oh so enjoyable to him. The way your face screwed up and your lovely self, usually so proper and dignified, turned all huffy in an instant was something that he could just never get enough of. He smiled at your reaction, his grin wide and childish. But then… it faltered. There was something to your anger that was… suspicious. There was a certain flair to your irritation this time, his eyebrow raised as he noticed it. Hmm, it was almost like…

"Wait... don't tell me. Are you jealous?"

You choked on the air a little upon hearing that word. Jealous. This really threw you out of the loop. You whipped your head around to look at Johnny once again, blatant shock plastered all over your face, your eyes wide and your mouth slightly agape.

The truth was that you were indeed jealous, even if by a little bit. Such an ugly, childish emotion, something that you didn’t understand or that you couldn't even bring yourself to admit. So, what did you do in response? Deny, of course.

"Absolutely fucking not!" You practically shouted at him, outraged that he would clock you like that say such lies.

Oh you have to understand that this was absolutely priceless to him. Your loud overreaction made him feel victorious, he didn’t believe you for a second. But, he wasn't going to back down, not yet. He needed to hear you actually admit this, to confess your envy.

"Yeah? You sure 'bout that?" He let out a small laugh and took a couple of steps closer, so that you were within an arm's reach.

"By the Gods, one thousand percent!" You retorted back, stepping away from him until your back was pressed against the wall behind. His dangerously high ego boost was something that made your stomach churn, knowing that he would most likely never let up about this.

"Mm. You're lying." He muttered smugly as he inched even closer, until he was practically towering over you.

"Are you really so deluded to believe that I would be jealous of your slam piece?" You spat back at him, only temporarily looking him in the eye. Your emotions were now starting to get the better of you, and Johnny’s teasing only fanned the flames of your anger.

"Slam piece? Really?" Your not-so-veiled insult to Kitana only fuelled his smirk more. This was damn near comedy gold!

He bit back a snicker as he tilted his head to the side, leaning down to look at you, taking in how you once again refused to meet his gaze.

"Jealousy doesn't look good on you, darlin'."

You were about to say more, but a noise in the distance cut you off. You leaned to the side to look around Johnny, eyes scanning the darkness around you, curious to find the source of the sound.

In the distance, a carriage was approaching. You got a better view of horses making their way down the road as Johnny took a few steps back. A certain hooded figure was guiding the animals along the cobblestones, before eventually stopping them right in front of you two.

This must be Liu Kang's contact.

This mysterious figure stepped down from the wooden vehicle, taking a moment to address the steeds before he took down his hood. His sepia complexion, glowing blue eyes and skin indentations were instantly recognisable to you.

It was Geras!

"Johnny Cage. Jade Houzuki. It is good to see the two of you again." He turned to face you two, wearing a small but warm smile as he clasped a fist and an open hand together, bowing slightly as a greeting.

Admittedly, both you and Johnny were slightly surprised that you were to be assisted by him again. Not that either of you were complaining, though. You both liked him, he was great. There was something about the construct that was just so calming - to you, at least.

"Nice to see you too, man." Johnny responded with a nod and a friendly smile, before turning to you and with a small smirk.

"Hello, Geras." You too greeted your driver, your mood lifting at his interruption of your other partner and his general self. You didn't even react to Johnny's smirk in your peripheral vision, your attention solely focused on the much more mature man in front of you.

"Are the two of you ready to depart?" Geras asked, gesturing to the carriage behind him.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Johnny answered with a shrug, turning his attention back to Geras. He gave your shoulder a playful nudge, his body tingling in anticipation.

You just scowled at him in response, turning to glare at him before you walked over to the carriage, thanking Geras for holding the door open as you graciously entered the vehicle.

Johnny followed behind you, slipping into the carriage without missing a beat. He claimed the seat opposite you, making sure to shoot a grin your way as he crashed down onto the cushions with a sigh.

The carriage was nice and cleaned from the last time you were inside. The blood that stained and smeared the cushioned seats was all gone. Geras truly kept to his word about deep cleaning the interior, everything basically looked brand new. By now, it was dark out, so the lovely pink lanterns in the ceiling corners dimly lit the small space, creating a cozy yet comforting atmosphere.

So there you two sat. Your legs were propped up on the seat adjacent, your arms crossed to your chest. You occupied yourself by quietly looking out of the carriage window, a less-than-pleased look written all over your face.

He busied himself with his phone, wasting no time in pulling it out of his pocket and pressing it on. Johnny allowed himself to wander the digital world of social media for a little bit, right before turning his attention back to you across from him.

Your silent brooding made him chuckle. Your pronounced irritation was just what he'd wanted, something that you seemingly always failed to realise in the heat of the moment. It took him all but a few seconds to start pestering you again.

"You know, pouting isn't a good look on you."

You ignored him, all your focus was on the outside world as the carriage rolled down Sun Do’s streets.

Johnny let out an exasperated sigh. Clearly, this silent treatment wasn't going to end soon. A fact that he did not like, or accept. So, in an effort to piss you off more, he thought of something to say that he damn well knew would get him a reaction.

"So... about your little crush on Kitana..."

Ooo this was effective. Your eye twitched at the sheer brazenness of his words. In an instant, you whipped your head away from the window and towards a grinning Johnny. Your face was awash with a mixture of shock and anger, much to his childish amusement.

"My WHAT?!"

He couldn't stop himself from snickering at your reaction, nor did he make any attempt to. After he was done giggling into his hand, he looked up at you, a cheeky smirk on his face.

“Ah, your little crush on Kitana!” He repeated himself, his tone teasing and intentionally antagonising.

You’d almost reached your breaking point by now. Like Icarus, Johnny was inevitably flying too close to the sun. It was bound to happen at one point, too lucky for him that it didn't happen right this instance. No, he was on his final straw.

That stupid grin diminished a little as he saw how your face was practically red with anger, your lips thinned to reveal how hard you were gritting your teeth. In a way, it was actually kind of scary. Maybe he would give it a rest for now, just in case you really did snap and attack him, he thought.

He couldn’t, however, stop himself from making a few more playful jokes at your expense.

“Oh, why the grumpy face, princess? Cat got your tongue?"

Honestly, you almost lunged him right there and then. By the Gods, he was such a nuisance, it truly drove you crazy. But, you caught yourself, restricting your dark thoughts to your mind only. Letting your emotions get the better of you was something that you refused to do, you’d be damned if this man would be the reason for a crash out.

You shut your eyelids for a moment, taking in a long, deep breath. You tore your focus away from the little shit across from you, and poured it into extinguishing the fires of your rage. You were silent for a bit, quite literally meditating a little as you worked hard to clear your mind of the anger clouding it. Finally, after some time, your eyes flicked open.

"I'm not doing this with you." You bluntly, but calmly stated. The fire in your eyes was gone, your tone now back to its usual icy self.

"Aw, come on! You were just starting to look more lively." Johnny teased, leaning forward a small pout on his face, trying to get a reaction out of you again.

You gave a glare in response, sucking your teeth at him as your lip pulled up in irritation. You silently wondered how the hell this prick managed to successfully pull Princess Kitana of all people as you turned back to face the window.

You both sat in silence for a few minutes as the carriage trundled down Sun Do's streets. It wouldn't be until sometime in the late morning that you would arrive at the village, so you two had a whole night to themselves in the confines of the carriage. Yay.

Johnny was leaned back against his seat, his arms crossed to his chest. He sat there a little sulkily, the silence doing nothing for him. There was so much more fun to be had than just sitting there in silence like this, he was bored, restless in his seat.

And that’s when an idea popped into his head. Something that he thought might get you to talk again.

"Hey. I have a question."

You didn't say anything as you took your eyes off of the carriage window and turned towards Johnny once again. Just what was on his lewd mind now?

His smirk returned a little as you turned around, your eyes finally back on him. Your silence spoke volumes, patiently waiting for him to speak next.

…Ok, the thing was, he didn't actually have a question for you. He just wanted to recapture your attention, to interact with you in any way where words were exchanged. He couldn't help it, you were just too hot to not pester.

But, now that you were awaiting what he had to say, he had to think something. His thoughts ran wild before finally settling on one of the more appropriate logical things his mind conjured up, taking a beat before speaking.

"When did you first hear of me?" “Excuse me?” You’re confused, evidently. What did he mean?

He couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the lost look on your face. "When did you first hear of me, movie star Johnny Cage?" He repeated his question in a more straightforward way, before flashing a bright smile your way

Ah. That's what he meant. The befuddlement on your face vanished when you realised that Johnny was asking about when you first heard of Johnny Cage, the celebrity, rather than John Carlton, the person.

You looked away from him for a few minutes, trying to recall your first introduction to the actor. Such a question admittedly had you so intrigued that you forgot that you were supposed to be ignoring him.

After racking your brain for some time, you looked back to Johnny with an answer ready.

"Years ago, when my brother was a boy, he made me watch this film with him. He kept ranting and raving about this actor playing the starring role who had his name tattooed on his chest. He thought it was just about the coolest thing ever..."

The fond memories of your estranged brother made a smile bloom on your lips, one that you attempted to hide by looking down to your fiddling fingers.

Johnny watched as you spoke. Your younger brother idolising him to the point of gushing about him got an honest laugh out of him. It was cute, he always loved hearing about his younger fans.

But he truly fell silent for a few seconds when he saw that smile on your face, despite your efforts to conceal it. To see you wear an expression that was even a little more than blanket neutrality was such a rarity. Seeing your icy cold demeanour thaw out, even for a moment, was a sight that he couldn't deny being fond of. He liked it, you looked even more beautiful in his eyes.

However, because he’s still Johnny Cage, he ruined the moment by muttering: “Damn right it's cool."

Your smile fell through upon hearing his stupid comment. You looked up at him with the most deadpan of deadpan expressions. You were so over this man and the bottomless gleaming pit that was his narcissism.

"Personally, I thought it was dumb..." You started, a slight snark in your voice as you began to indirectly berate him. “…like who thinks of such a thing? He must've lost a bet, I always figured."

Johnny let out a mock-offended gasp at that. He placed a hand over his chest feigning emotional hurt as your words. Though, a small smirk shined through his expression.

"Dumb? My tattoo is not dumb!" He exclaimed, acting like a child who had been told his idea wasn't cool. After a beat, with a grin on his face, he added in a joking tone: "Also, I would never lose a bet."

"Right... because having your name permanently scribbled across your chest is totally something a sane man does.” You sarcastically replied, finding Johnny's immaturity more amusing than you should’ve.

He looked at you with a pout, one that turned into a smile as he played along with your banter.

“Tattooing my name on myself isn't insane. It's called having confidence."

Your eyes narrowed as you looked over at him, it was incredibly hard for you to take this man seriously. The mental image of Johnny's name written over his chest enabled you to recall another one of your childhood anecdotes.

"...When Hiroshi was eleven…” You started, pausing mid sentence to laugh at the memory in your mind. "...one summer, he obtained some permanent marker and scribbled his name on his chest because he wanted to, and I quote, ’look exactly like Johnny.'"

You imitated him at the end, right before breaking into a small laugh.

“See? Even your little brother knows my name! It's a memorable one." Johnny laughed, splaying out his arms dramatically.

You rolled your eyes at Johnny's arrogance once again, though it did nothing to deter your jovial mood. The banter that you two had going on at the moment was loosening you up, the rare event of a nice conversation was born between you two.

"And it wasn't until five baths later did that marker finally start to come off..." You carried on, doing nothing to hide your smile now.

“Ah, that so?” He raised his eyebrows, wearing a bright smile to match yours.

You nodded in response. The memories of Hiroshi really warmed your heart. Despite everything that happened between you two, you still loved your brother deeply. You really cherished the memories that you still held of him, it was the closest thing to family that you had left.

This was great. For him, talking like this was much more entertaining than sitting silently. The sound of you laughing was like music to his ears, your beautiful smile near-blinding. The way you spoke about your brother was heartwarming to him. Honestly, he would’ve been envious but he was too distracted by the fact that he was actually bonding with you to care.

"What were Hiroshi's favourite Johnny Cage movies?" He asked, an almost uncharacteristic tone was present in his voice, wanting the conversation to continue.

"Ninja Mine 2, Son of Dragon Fist, Ninja Priest and Cage Match were always on the television when he was growing up..." You went on, listing all of your brother’s favourite movies on your fingers as you spoke. ”I've had to watch each of them more times than l'd like to admit."

This got another laugh out of him, his eyes twinkling. “And what about you, darlin? Are you a fan of my work?"

"No." You bluntly state, not even bothering to sugarcoat the truth.

Your answer caused Johnny's smile to fade a little. Though not unexpected, your response still birthed a pang in his chest. No one would expect the pretty girl in front of him to appreciate fast paced action films. Did you only like high-brow, cheesy rom-coms or something?

"What's wrong? My movies not smart enough for your taste?" He decided to pry a little (and maybe annoy you a wee bit more).

"Your films are made for men, by men. Men like my brother who are obsessed with masculinity and all things related. Testosterone-packed action flicks are not something that women are interested in."

Johnny's mouth hung agape a little. He took your critique words as a blow to his ego, how else was he supposed to take anything that wasn’t praise? Whilst it was… true that his male fans outnumbered his female fans by a considerable amount, it didn’t soften the emotional blow! Besides, it’s not like he’s going to let your snarky ass know any of this.

"What kind of movies do women like, then? Rom-coms and dramas?" He asked, a slightly vexed expression on his face.

You shook your head disapprovingly at his mildly stereotypical words, scoffing in disbelief. Johnny’s in his thirties, how is it that he knows so little about the female population?

"Weren't you once married? You should know information like this."

And that’s when things took a bit of a turn. Johnny’s smile dropped, his expression darkened a little at your very unexpected question. He felt a pang in his chest at the mere mention of his former marriage. Though it wasn't an outright insult, his failed relationship was still a touchy subject.

"How the hell do you know about that?" He asked, his tone guarded and defensive.

"Kung Lao once told me, back at the Wu Shi." You informed him, your eyes narrowing slightly as you took note of how his demeanour changed upon the mention of his spoiled marriage. "Well, that and you're a public figure. I wouldn’t be wrong to assume that it’s widespread knowledge that you had a wife.”

He muttered a curse under his breath, lips thinning in anger as he looked away from you momentarily. He always hated it when people spoke about his separation so freely, as if it wasn’t something so deeply personal that affected both parties. Being a celebrity came with downsides, he knew that, but that knowledge did little to ease the slight emotional sting.

"Yeah, I was married. What about it?" His voice was a lot nastier than before. The exasperation in his tone was clear, Johnny damn near spat his words out at you.

He was more sensitive about this topic than you’d anticipated. You were actually a little taken aback by the way he so quickly changed from joyful to snappy. This really wasn’t something that you wanted to happen - so far, you were actually enjoying holding a civil conversation.

"I did not mean to offend. I apologise." You spoke up, voice uncharacteristically sincere.

Your cordial words surprised him, truly. He didn't think you to be the type of person who apologises for anything, especially not to him. Hearing you apologise honestly made him feel better, your heartfelt tone made his face feel a little warm with guilt.

"No… it's fine. I'm used to everyone and their mother knowing what happened. I guess I'm just still a little sensitive about it." He apologised with a sigh, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he looked down.

The more time you spent with Johnny alone, the more interesting of a person he became to you. Your view of the man kept altering as you discovered more and more layers to him. Besides his admittedly good looks, there was just something about Johnny that kind of drew a part of you to him.

Not that you would dare say any of this out loud, though.

"You look less like you want to punch me right now." His attempt at lightening the mood drew you out of your thoughts. Your focus landed back on him, a small smirk greeting you.

You did laugh at this. Your desire to punch him was indeed lessened right now. Dare I even say almost non-existent? You looked him up and down, your gaze lingering for a bit longer than it should've.

"You're alright, Cage."

This nearly set him off. On the outside, his smile widened by just a tiny amount. But, on the inside, his heart was thumping in his chest. Seeing that small smile on your face, that he caused, was so endearing to him, but what you said next really took the cake.

"Just 'alright’? C’mon, I expect higher praise than that! You're in the presence of a movie star, after all." He responded, shooting a wink your way as the cherry on top.

Alright. Once again, he had pushed his luck a little too far. Your smile quickly dropped at the unwelcome return of his arrogance. He just couldn't hold it off for five minutes, could he?

"By the Gods..." You groan, rolling your eyes as you lean further back in your seat.

“What?” He teased, leaning forward a little. “Is me being a movie star not doing it for you, darlin'?"

"Not in the slightest."

Your denial felt like a jab to his chest How were you this stubborn?! He's THE Johnny Cage! Most women would kill to be in your position - you do understand that, right?

He was so used to women throwing themselves at him when rambled about his movies or his martial arts prowess. To have a beauty like you not care for his fame was such a new experience for him. In a way, this caught his attention more than mindless screaming fans ever did. To him, capturing your affection was a challenge, and Johnny Cage never loses.

"So, if I'm not charming you with my big screen career, how do I get you to like me?" He tried once again to pry at you, maybe a little needer than necessary.

"Not a chance in all the realms, Cage." You responded with certainty in your tone. No, his dumb flirting would never win you over, the chances were so low that the probability of him actually seducing you was in the negatives. You chose to further ignore that warm and gushy feeling in your stomach that would flare up whenever you looked at him and his stupid sculpted features for a bit too long, deciding that it’ll make it exit sometime soon.

You would never in a million years fall for Johnny Cage, and you were so sure of this that you would actually rather not think of such foolishness anymore.

Speaking of, he leaned back in his seat, folding his arms as he looked over at you with a defiant smile. He was determined to win you over, even if it killed him.

"Never say never, Jade."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

It's now the peak of the night, and all is silent.

Even at this late hour, the carriage was still on its way to this village. Geras estimated that you would arrive sometime in the late morning/early afternoon, if the journey was uninterrupted.

By now, the carriage had long since departed Sun Do, the vehicle was deep in Outworld's countryside. This night was moonless, so it was completely pitch black outside. The only thing visible in the area was the little lamp lit beside Geras's seat, something that aided him in see through the darkness.

Of course, the interior is now significantly darker, intensified by the lack of street lights in Outworld's hinterlands. The four small lanterns that hung in the ceiling corners thankfully provided some illumination inside the carriage, casting a nice low light for anyone awake at this hour.

Speaking of awake, this is something that Johnny was surprisingly not. He nodded off a couple of hours ago, he’d been in a deep sleep since. His body was slumped against the wall, light snores slipping from his slightly parted lips every now and then. The way his head was tipped down slightly would certainly ensure that he would wake up with a crick in his neck.

The same couldn’t be said for you, however. The opposite applied here, actually. You couldn't sleep, for some damned reason. No matter how many times you tossed and turned on your seat cushions, you were just was unable to fall unconscious!

Sitting up with a huff, you looked around the carriage with the intent to find something to pass the time. You couldn't gaze out of the window because it was pitch black outside, which was annoying. You didn't bring anything with you on this mission aside from the bare essentials, which was something that you mentally cursed yourself for upon realisation. You couldn't even pass the time by talking to Johnny, he was fast asleep! What were you to do...

Your companion remained fast asleep against the wall, blissfully unaware of your minor problems. He would mumble some incoherent words in his sleep every now and then, without a care in the world. His eyes twitched a little as whatever he was dreaming about played in his mind.

Well, this was dull. You spent some time of looking around the carriage, desperate to find something to dull your boredom. When nothing came up, you just resorted to try and fall back asleep again, as hard at it may be… but that’s when your eyes landed on a sleeping Johnny.

The way he was positioned, the small lamps above casted a pink low light on his sleeping body. It illuminated his features perfectly, you couldn't help but take notice. He looked so... peaceful. Your eyes focused, staring at his sharp jawline and his sculpted form. The way his nose would crinkle a little every time he breathed in made you unintentionally lean in a little closer. The way his perfect lips were slightly parted so he could shallowly breathe made him look even more attractive.

Ugh, there was that stupid warm feeling again.

His pretty eyelashes fluttered as he dreamt peacefully. He looked so different when he was resting, none of the suffocating overconfidence was present. His body moved in tandem with his steady breathing, his chest rising and falling under the material of his uniform, completely unaware that someone was staring at him with such intrigued eyes.

You were quiet now, careful to not disturb his rest. The way the soft, low light casted a certain glow on his features and body made him look almost like something out of a painting, like something beautiful and untouchable. This was not something that eluded you.

He looked so pretty... like a work of art displayed in a museum. His face was framed by the tousled brown hair that fell gracefully over his forehead. The dim lights overhead cast a pink hue on his skin, highlighting the defined lines of his jaw and the curve of his biceps.

For a while, you just... sat there. Silently analysing a resting Johnny. As much as he got on your nerves, you couldn't help but be captivated by him. His beautiful, picturesque features under the carriage's faint lighting had you practically entranced. The way he was positioned in this moment could easily be compared to a marble statue, his form looking like it was chiseled from stone. He was such a beautiful specimen, a figure meant to be immortalised in art.

That stupid warm feeling only grew in intensity.

A/N: again, thank you for reading!! another reminder that the story is nowhere near done yet. i literally have so many plans for this, you’d swear i don’t have a life outside of the internet(i don’t). many chapters will come, when i say that i can’t wait to share them all, believe it!!

#mortal kombat #mk1 #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 2023 #johnny cage #johnny cage smut #mortal kombat smut #johnny cage x reader #johnny cage x you #mk1 x reader #mortal kombat imagine #mortal kombat x reader #johnny and jade

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bellaveux · 2 years ago

Note

The soft college au is sooo amazingly written that I just can’t get enough 😩💕 Would u be willing to write something else for them? Maybe their first real fight with lots of angst but also hurt/comfort…

I adore the way u write, u have a beautiful way with words 💕

NOT A DISTRACTION | wanda maximoff x fem!reader

summary: being under constant stress from studying, wanda suddenly snaps at you when you try to get her to take a break.

content warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, some fluff (?), college au, arguing, wanda being a little bit mean (?), healthy relationship overall, happy ending, not proofread (thumbs up)

word count: 4.1k

note: i’m so so sorry for the long wait!! i have been having some busy weeks but i hope u like this :] n thank u for requesting!

You never really fought with Wanda. From the moment the two of you started dating, your relationship effortlessly embodied the essence of the honeymoon stage throughout most of your time together. Nothing ever escalated enough to the point where the two of you would yell at each other, and it was usually not a result of avoiding conflict. There were times when short-lived arguments would occur and last about an hour or so, but even then, they were never too much of a big deal. The two of you just talked a lot more. Communicated. She was patient and understanding, and so were you.

But soon, a subtle shift had taken hold of Wanda's world, and you couldn't help but notice the quietness that had settled upon the recent time you spent together. In the past few weeks, Wanda's presence felt somewhat distant, her thoughts seemingly consumed by a demanding pursuit. You could see it. Your eyes noticed the telltale signs almost immediately, the late nights spent poring over textbooks, the fatigue etched on Wanda's face, and the weight of countless assignments pressing upon her shoulders.

Sitting near her desk in the apartment you shared with a book in your hand, you watched the gentle furrow that creased Wanda's brow as she read through her notebook, a reflection of the mental strain she carried. The lulls in the conversations grew longer, the pauses filled with unspoken worries and unexpressed thoughts. You tried your best to support her, being in her presence in some way at least to remind her that you were always there.

But eventually, with each passing day, your eyes became attuned to the nuances of Wanda's silence. You wondered if she even noticed when you scribbled something on that empty, bright orange sticky note on one of her textbooks, hoping she’d find it later.

You then asked her to take a break, even if it was just for a couple of minutes, maybe drink the tea you had made for her a while ago, sitting cold atop the desk now, but you’d always get the same answer. No. It was a short answer, but it was firm. She made no room for any other comments as she continued to bury herself in her work. You witnessed the flickering of determination in Wanda's gaze, the flickering flame that desperately refused to be extinguished by fatigue — which, in the end, didn’t work. And it was hard to ignore.

Your eyes scanned Wanda's fatigued expression, etched with the marks of endless studying and sleepless nights. A gentle concern flickered across your face as you recognized the toll it was taking on your girlfriend.

“Hey,” you stood from your seat, moving behind her chair to wrap your arms around her gently. “I really think you should take a break.”

“No,” she muttered quickly under her breath, her focus unwavering as she read through her textbook.

“Just for a little bit, babe?” You reluctantly continue, asking softly for some of her time with a smile. “We can watch that show you like… I miss you. And, we haven’t hung out in a while—“

“I can’t, (Y/n).”

She spoke quickly and firmly, ghosting her palm over your arms to move them away from her. Wanda stubbornly clung to her determination, her eyes reflecting a steadfast focus that could not be easily swayed. The weight of responsibilities and academic aspirations weighed heavily upon her, causing her to resist the idea of stepping away, even for a short respite.

“You’re exhausted,” you tell her as if it were obvious. “You haven’t taken a break at all, Wanda—“

“I said I can’t. What part of that don’t you understand?”

You take a step back and furrow your eyebrows at her, “I… I do understand… but it’s been weeks. You’ve been studying nonstop for weeks. A tiny break would be good for you, and we’d be able to spend time together a bit, and it’ll help you relax, too—“

Wanda snapped and abruptly stood from her seat, slamming her papers down onto the surface of her desk as she turned to look at you, “I don’t have time, (Y/n). Please. There’s so much material I have to cover and my exams are coming up in less than two weeks and I still have so many chapters to go through and I cannot fail them—If you just understood the pressure I’m under, you wouldn’t keep asking for my time. I don’t have time to relax. I can't afford any distractions!”

Your hopeful anticipation melted away as Wanda's words sliced through the air with unexpected force. Your eyes widened, a flicker of hurt and confusion dancing within their depths. The color drained from your cheeks, leaving behind a subtle pallor that betrayed your shock. Your lips trembled, longing to utter a response, yet finding themselves immobilized for a brief moment by the weight of Wanda's unexpected outburst.

“I-I know that,” you shook your head, trying desperately to blink the tears in your eyes away. “I know they’re important. I just wanted to be there for you and help take your mind off the stress for a little while.”

“It's not about you being there for me right now! What I need is to focus, and it feels like you're just adding more pressure. It’s not fucking helping,” Wanda rolls her eyes and turns her back towards you, eyes glossing over her work.

“Adding pressure? I'm not trying to burden you, Wanda,” you tell her. “I just want you to take a break.”

Wanda sighs, rubbing her temples, “And, all I want is some peace and quiet.”

Ultimately, she gets what she wants.

You left the room without another word, leaving her alone with the peace and quiet she asked for. Wanda listened as you quietly gathered your belongings, your footsteps carrying a weight of sadness as you moved toward the door. Wanda's heart sank as she watched your figure retreat, the room suddenly feeling emptier than ever. She clenched her fists, desperately attempting to focus on her studying, but the longing to go after you tugged at her with every passing second. The textbooks before her turned blurry as Wanda fought against the overwhelming urge to abandon her books and rush after you, to apologize, to hold you close, and to reassure you that you mattered more than any exam ever could.

But for now, Wanda buried her emotions and tried to bury herself in her studies, the silence in the room a painful reminder of the rift between the two of you.

An hour passed with Wanda immersed in her studies, her mind grappling with the complex concepts on the pages before her. However, as time trickled by, the weight of your absence became increasingly unbearable. Thoughts of the argument kept interjecting her focused thoughts, distracting her from the task at hand. Wanda's eyes wandered from the textbooks to the empty chair where you had sat, and her mind replayed their last conversation, each word etching itself into her consciousness. She wondered what you were up to right now. She figured you’d be trying to relax by reading a book or something or working on your own schoolwork on your laptop.

The weight of regret settled upon her shoulders, pressing down with each passing moment. The silence amplified the echoes of the argument, and the memory of her sharp words hung heavily in the air.

“Fuck,” Wanda whispered, dropping her head down against the desk as she thought of you.

The stillness in the air made Wanda long for your presence, for the warmth of your smile and the tenderness of your touch. Wanda's heart ached with the realization of how much she truly missed you, and how much she craved the comfort and connection you shared. As she gazed at her unfinished work, a sense of urgency washed over her, a desperate desire to complete the tasks at hand so that she could have the chance to make amends, to embrace you once more.

Eventually, Wanda closed her books, the decision to head to bed finally crystallizing within her. Though the material lay unfinished, the ache in her heart took precedence. With a heavy sigh, she set her study materials aside, her footsteps carrying her toward the bathroom to brush her teeth before heading into the bedroom you both shared. As she entered the room, her steps weighed down by the lingering remnants of the recent argument, a flicker of anticipation mingled with the uncertainty within her.

“(Y/n)?” Wanda called out softly, nudging the door open quietly with her fingers.

The room was dimly lit, casting a gentle glow that danced upon the walls. In the quiet stillness, her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and she noticed a familiar shape nestled amidst the blankets. Drawing closer, her heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight of you, draped in Wanda's oversized, well-worn hoodie. Her heart softened as she stared, and the remnants of the argument faded away in the face of this cherished sight. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she found the sight undeniably endearing. She absolutely loved it when you wore her clothes. It never failed to make her happy.

But as Wanda's gaze settled upon your sleeping face, her smile waned.

Her eyes traced the delicate contours of your face. The dim light of the lampshade by the bed cast a gentle glow upon the room, revealing tear stains glistening on your cheeks. Wanda's heart clenched at the sight, a mix of guilt and sorrow washing over her. Eventually, anger slowly swelled within her, directed solely at herself for the pain she had caused you. The tenderness of your sleeping form, coupled with the traces of tears, shattered any lingering defense mechanisms Wanda had built. The weight of regret bore heavily upon her chest, intensifying with each rise and fall of your breath. She hated it when you cry, more so if she was the reason behind it.

She quietly sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair away from your face, her touch light and tender, as though she was afraid to disturb the fragile peace of your sleep. She lingered for a moment, taking in the sight of your slumbering form, silently vowing to mend the rift that had formed between the two of you. With a sigh of determination, Wanda leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against your forehead before going into the bathroom to get ready for sleep, then retreating to her own side of the bed, the weight of the night's events heavy on her conscience.

Wanda laid quietly on her back as she recalled what happened earlier, trying to repeat all the words you said along with hers. She didn’t mean to snap at you, and truthfully, she honestly should’ve listened during all of the countless times you told her to take a break. It would’ve eased her, relieve all that tension that was building up in her shoulders. But all of that bottled up stress came pouring out of her tonight, and you were the only one there to be on the receiving end of it.

After what felt like hours of staring at the ceiling, Wanda eventually moved closer to you, unable to fight the urge to reach out to you. Her arms circled around your stomach, drawing you in slowly and tenderly as she tucked her head comfortably in your hair, breathing you in. A soft sigh escaped Wanda's lips as she held you tightly. She could feel your rhythmic breathing, the rise and fall of your chest underneath her arms, and the tension that had plagued her since the argument gradually melted away. You felt so soft in her arms, and she wondered how she could even yell at someone who was just worried about her wellbeing.

Wanda closed her eyes, savoring the softness of your presence, the scent of your hair, and the gentle weight of your body against her own. Slowly, she let herself drift, falling asleep to the sound of your breath, snuggling so close to you.

A soft warmth spread through your being as you slept, the tension in your body gradually easing as you melted into Wanda's touch. Halfway through the night, you subconsciously slipped your hand into Wanda’s, the one that rested against your stomach, gently intertwining your fingers with hers.

Sleep was peaceful. Sometime during the night, you turned over to nestle your face in the crook of Wanda’s neck as she continued to hold you. Your breathing, gentle and steady, harmonized with Wanda's own as if they were creating a shared melody of forgiveness. Unwilling to let go, she held you close, her arms wrapped protectively around you until the sun came up.

You woke up first the next morning, as your classes started at a much earlier time than hers. In a way, you kind of didn’t want to start the day arguing with her, hoping to not annoy her as much as you did yesterday. And you still felt quite upset about what happened last night, so you felt that you should just get ready for the day quietly and deal with it later when your classes are out of the way — if Wanda wanted to deal with it later, that is.

You didn’t exactly know what to expect later when you see each other again when you get home. You thought about apologizing, for not leaving her alone when she asked you to, but you were stubborn and wanted her to take some time off away from all of that work for a while. Although, the weight of Wanda's harsh words still lingered in your mind. You then realized your own role in the escalating tension Wanda was carrying. You persisted, unwilling to give Wanda the space she had requested, and it had only fueled the flames of the fight.

Your college classes seemed to pass by in a blur, the minutes stretching out as your mind continually wandered back to thoughts of your girlfriend, wondering how she was doing in her own classes. The lectures that once held your attention became mere background noise as your thoughts were consumed by unresolved emotions.

Eventually, you stepped through the front door of your apartment, your weary footsteps echoing in the quiet space. The weight of a long day's worth of classes settled upon your shoulders, manifesting as a subtle slouch. You glanced around, expecting to find Wanda waiting for you, but the apartment was empty, devoid of the comforting presence you longed for. You immediately assumed she was at the library, and that she’d probably be home late sometime in the evening.

Weariness creased your brow as you removed your shoes, feeling the fatigue of the day seep through your bones. You didn’t have much work to do, school wise, but you wanted to do something anyway, to distract yourself somehow, so you ended up doing some of the dishes that you left in the sink from the night before. The argument put that chore on pause when you left the room last night.

As the warm water cascaded over your hands, you diligently scrubbed the dishes, finding solace in the simple act of cleaning. The clinking of porcelain against the sink temporarily distracted you from the lingering tension that hung in the air. Lost in your thoughts, you paused, your ears perking up as you heard the familiar creak of the front door opening. Your heart skipped a beat, curiosity mingled with trepidation as you rinsed your hands and stepped away from the sink.

You peeked your head out into the tiny hall that led up to the front door of your apartment, your eyes settling on the sight of your girlfriend who was kicking her shoes off, struggling slightly as she held onto a plastic bag with one hand. Wanda's movements held a mix of exhaustion and relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she shed the burdens of the day. The sight stirred a twinge of tenderness within you.

“Wanda?”

“Oh! Hey…” Your girlfriend whipped her head up at the sound of your voice.

For a moment, you turned your head away to look up at the clock, then back to Wanda, furrowing your eyebrows as you looked at her, “What are you doing here?”

“I-I’m home,” Wanda blurted out nervously, walking down the hall to make her way towards you—to greet you with a small kiss like she always does.

“Well, I can see that much,” you replied, voice hinted with a bit of sass as you stepped away and returned to the sink before she could get any closer. “I mean, what are you doing here so early? Shouldn’t you be at the library?”

The tiny smile on Wanda’s face faltered as she watched you back away from her, returning to the sink where you had left the dishes in. Her eyes dropped to the floor, sighing quietly in disappointment as she leaned against the wall. You were upset with her, understandably so, and she hated to live in the present with that fact.

“Uh, no, I… I was thinking of taking your advice. You know, taking that break, like you said,” Wanda fidgeted nervously as she spoke, trying to ease her anxiety by fiddling with the paper bag that was hanging by her fingers. “We can do movies tonight? Or something… Whatever you wanna do. And, I bought some food, too, from that place you like.”

You bit the inside of your cheek for a brief moment as you rinsed off the plate in your hand, still refusing to look at her, “I thought you didn’t have time for distractions.”

Wanda closed her eyes, remembering her words from the night before—words that had obviously hurt you. She walked up and set the paper bag of your favorite takeout on the kitchen table, wondering what she could do to make you look at her.

“No, (Y/n)… You’re not a distraction,” Wanda started, eyes settling on your back as you stood at the sink.

You paused after a moment before turning around to face her, crossing your arms, still guarded as you leaned against the kitchen counter. “That’s not what you said yesterday.”

“I know,” she replied, stepping forward as she ran her palms against her jeans nervously. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” You shook your head slightly, showing her a look of confusion as you listened to her words.

Wanda carefully took slow steps to get closer to you as she spoke, “For what I said. For yelling at you. I’ve been so caught up with studying and everything and… I’ve been stressed and I took it out on you last night. I said things that I shouldn’t have said, and I’m so sorry.”

You listened intently, your features softening with each word. Despite your own lingering hurt, you felt a twinge of empathy stirring within you. You understood the weight of regret and the courage it took to confront one's mistakes, and Wanda was trying her best.

“I… I’m exhausted,” she continued, voice trembling with sincerity and regret. “And I miss you. I didn’t realize how much I missed you. I just wanted to hurry and finish everything in one go, so I could give you all of my attention. To focus on you… without worrying about anything else.”

A soft sigh escaped your lips, a mix of relief and longing. For a fleeting moment, you held back, allowing the gravity of the moment to linger, savoring the sweetness of Wanda's heartfelt apology.

“Come here,” you said.

Wand paused for a moment, those two words taking a little bit longer to process in her brain. She watched as you opened your arms, a gesture of acceptance and forgiveness. Wanda stared at your outstretched arms in awe, her breath catching in her throat.

Unable to resist any longer, in one swift motion, she rushed into your waiting arms. Her head dropped instinctively to rest upon your shoulder, finding comfort in the warmth and security that enveloped her. Wanda inhaled deeply, allowing herself to be consumed by your scent. The tension that had settled upon her shoulders, weighing her down with remorse and uncertainty, slowly left.

“I don’t think you’re a distraction, I promise.”

“It’s okay, Wanda. I know. I know you’re tired,” you tell her, soothing your hand over her hair as you felt her grip tighten around your waist. “But, you should really listen when I tell you to take a break. You’re overworking yourself too much and it won’t be good in the long run.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles into your shoulder, planting multiple kisses there against your skin as she held you tightly.

“I forgive you, Wanda,” you say, planting a gentle kiss on her temple before using your hands to cup her face to get her to look at you. “But, just so you know, if you ever yell at me like that again, you’re sleeping on the couch.”

Wanda nodded eagerly, determination shining in her eyes, “Yes ma’am.”

Wanda's features softened as she looked at you, feeling your hands still cupping her face gently, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, spreading across her face like sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky. Time seemed to stand still as your soft touch grazed Wanda's face, your gentle hands tenderly cradling her cheeks.

She felt your delicate touch on her face, a gentle caress that sent shivers down her spine. The soft pads of your fingers traced the contours of Wanda's cheeks, conveying a tenderness that reached depths untouched by words.

“So what are we watching tonight?” you asked, moving your hands from her face down to rest them on her shoulders.

Wanda's gaze flickered, almost instinctively, to your mouth, her eyes tracing the delicate curve of each syllable that escaped.

Shifting the hands that rested on your waist, Wanda felt herself leaning in closer towards you, her voice barely above a whisper, “Can I kiss you first?”

Your cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink, your gaze shifting down, suddenly shy. You could feel Wanda's eyes fixed upon your lips, her gaze causing your heart to flutter. Sensing the intensity of Wanda's stare, your cheeks flushed, a shy smile tugging at the corners of your lips. You couldn't help but respond with a playful shake of your head. A mischievous glint danced in your eyes as you rolled them, a gentle tease to mask the tenderness she felt inside.

With a flicker of amusement, you leaned in closer, your voice laced with affectionate amusement, "Well, if you insist on asking, go ahead."

Wanda's smile grew, her heart swelling as she leaned into your touch. Her lips pressed against yours, sighing into them as her eyes fluttered closed. The touch of your lips against her own was pure bliss, a delicate mingling of warmth and softness that sent a wave of comfort and want coursing through Wanda's veins.

She missed this. She missed you. You tasted so good, and she missed kissing you. She began to think about how thoughtless she has been these past few weeks — how she could miss out on this and spend time with you instead of forcing herself to study.

After a while, your lips curved into a light smile against Wanda’s mouth, a soft giggle falling past your lips. You pulled away for a brief moment to catch your breath, but Wanda chased your lips, pressing hers against yours once again, moaning softly.

“Okay, okay,” you chuckled again when you pulled away once more, using your hands to keep her from coming closer.

“I want to keep kissing you, please,” Wanda said with a smile, grip tightening around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer.

You tilted your head slightly, meeting Wanda's eyes with a playful glimmer in your own.

“Ah, Wanda,” a mischievous smirk played on your lips as you wrapped your arms around her neck. “Hmm, I think it’s a little too early to be giving you rewards now, don’t you think?”

It was her turn for her cheeks flushed with shyness. Wanda's cheeks pinked, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her lips, breaking through any lingering tension. In that moment, a flicker of hope ignited, weaving through the darkness of the night before that had clouded your relationship.

In that lighthearted moment, the spark of your connection flickered back to life, and the room filled with the promise of forgiveness, growth, and love.

— navigation!

#bellaveux writes!#wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff fanfiction #marvel x reader #avengers x reader #marvel #elizabeth olsen

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deansdelicate · 5 months ago

Text

I CAN SEE YOU

CHAPTER III: TRYING NOT TO FEEL IT

seth rollins x fem!writer+producer reader

word count: [9.6K]

warnings: no use of y/n, mild cursing, slight mention of anxiety, pining and two idiots flirting not so subtly <3

🎧 the soundtrack

summary: You and Seth's paths are intersecting deeper than any of you anticipated. With a new storyline set to begin, it leaves you both filled with a yearning to know if it only ever will be platonic, even if biting the forbidden fruit is only just mindless dreaming.

Another week came with another Monday, and this time for you it meant not just being on screen, but finally getting the chance to work behind the scenes with one of your storylines being rolled out on Raw.

You were mentally ecstatic, finally getting a chance to be in your own element behind the camera, but your body told an entirely different story.

Exhaustion infested your bones, and the last thing on your mind was getting to TV, because all you wanted to do was sleep the day away. Your body was facing the consequences of the constant travel combined with jet lag that you were positive you’d never get used to.

Getting directly off a red eye only made matters worse, muscles aching with heaviness and longing desperately for your bed to make it all go away. The drive to the hotel offered limited solace, especially with the hustle and bustle of the city—road rage and honking keeping you up through the morning traffic jam during the stretch of time where you wanted to cram in more sleep.

Instead, you found yourself staring mindlessly out the window, taking in New York city through the tinted pane, zoning off into secret gardens in your mind, escaping into your thoughts, trying to get away from the chaos pulling you back.

And then, suddenly, everything shifted. The noise of the city seeming to fading into silence as a familiar name cut through the stereo’s hum.

“Welcome to the morning show. We’re joined by none other than the man and my personal favorite wrestler, Seth Rollins. How you doing, man?”

You perked up in your seat, a small smile becoming evident across your sleepy features, when his voice finally hit your ears.

“I’m doing great, looking forward to sight seeing the big apple after this. Thanks for having me.”

His voice sounded a little hoarse, fatigued from matches, the grueling travel schedule, and on top of that, having to do media in the early hours—nevertheless, it seemed as though he was championing it a lot better than you were. Clearly he was a veteran of the fast life already and you desperately needed to play catch up.

For the rest of the drive, you found yourself not only wide awake, but clinging to his voice as if he was the stimulant keeping you up. His laughter and quick wit filling the car, making you giggle despite his physical absence, that felt as if he was right there next to you all along.

You laid back, listening intently to the rest of the radio show. Eyes half closed as Seth talked about his run with Dean and Roman, his favorite matches he’s had, and some of the memorable cities he’s visited. He had so many stories to tell, and you surely wanted to pick his brain apart just so you could hear all of them and get to know him a little better.

“One last question before we let you go: Triple H’s daughter…” the radio host started curiously.

Seth hummed pleasantly, and you swore you could practically hear the smile in his voice.

“What a debut am I right?” He spoke with a mixture of pride and affection.

Your stomach twisted into knots, teeth digging softly into your bottom lip as you tried to hold back a smile that you didn’t even realize was creeping upon you so feverishly.

“The pop she got was insane! What do you think about her so far?” The interviewer pressed for more, and suddenly you felt yourself becoming interested as you waited for Seth’s response.

“I mean other than being extremely impressed, I think the company is going to be in good hands when Triple H feels ready to pass the torch onto her.” Seth’s voice softening with sincerity as he went on.

“She’s a hard worker, and she’s hilarious, and she’s completely selfless.” Seth said, honestly.

“Any chance we can see you two working together?” The interviewer prodded, a teasing tone in his voice.

Seth laughed lightly. “Oh man, I don’t know what the future holds, but if there ever comes an opportunity, I would love to work with her.” He admitted, making you feel giddy all over as you hung your head and tried to fight the smile.

“You heard it here first, ladies and gents…”

His voice was like a looped track echoing over and over again in your mind—the cadence of every answer memorized like the melody to your favorite song.

And even then, when hours passed, you couldn’t help but still feel warm all over just thinking about all the generous things he had to say about you. It was one of the qualities you admired about him the most despite the short measure of time you knew him for. All of things he said to your face, was the same things he said when you weren’t around—a kind of authenticity that was rare to come across.

Music blared through your phone speakers, resounding off the bathroom walls where you found yourself conflicted as to why you still couldn’t shake Seth’s kind words even after the time had passed. Everyone else had met you with the same kindness that he showed you, but not in the way that left you reeling the way Seth did.

But before you could ponder it any longer and get too in your head than you already were, a knock echoed against your hotel door, prompting you to pull back from the bathroom mirror and hit pause on your phone’s music, strolling over and taking a peak through the peephole to see who it was.

You grinned, unlocking the door and opening it wide to reveal your dad on the other side, already dressed in his suit ready to head out to the arena.

“Hey honey,” He embraced you in a hug before you stepped aside, letting him step into your room, “What time did you get in?”

“A little after nine,” you replied, retreating back to the bathroom to finish up your makeup and you continued to talk, “I checked in and decided to nap. I nearly slept through my alarm, but I’m all rested now.”

Originally, you both had planned to travel together, as you often did when arriving in new cities. But your dad had to cut his weekend short, heading out the morning after your sister’s birthday to join the crew because they were short a producer for the local house show. Knowing your dad, you had mentally begun preparing for more solo trips, seeing as though he was always prone to travel changes now that he was the big boss in charge.

“I forgot to ask, how was dinner last Friday?” He leaned against the doorframe, changing the subject after realizing over the weekend you hadn’t talked about work at all.

You barked out a laugh, trying not to poke your eye out while you combed the mascara through your lashes.

“The food was delicious, and everyone was great. They’re all really nice and welcoming—I even told them about the whole ‘suck it!’ car gate situation.”

Your dad smiled upon hearing you talk about the night so up beat, relieved that you were making friends with everyone since you were going to start seeing them more often than not.

He knew that being on the road meant the constant change of scenery, which in some ways were great for your writing process, but it also brought a certain kind of loneliness with not having any established friends around to keep you company—but thankfully that was all starting to change.

“That’s nice. I’m glad you’re feeling a bit settled.” He chuckled with satisfaction, happy that you weren’t miserable on the road after all the convincing he had to do to get you on board.

“Nepotism apparently makes great conversation starters.” You quipped finished up your mascara.

Sure, you loved being in the comfort of your hometown where you grew up and where all of your family and friends were just a drive away when you needed to see them most. And it certainly wasn’t easy coming to terms that your new job meant a lack of permanence but you knew you could adjust with the more time that went on, and you were positive that you could balance your home and the town you were a guest in.

“I actually wanted to talk about your final storyline,” He paused for a moment, catching your eyes in the mirror’s reflection as you stared anxiously.

“I read through it and man…it’s good.”

Your dad smiled proudly, prompting you to squeal mainly out of relief and clapped your hands frantically. He didn’t know why you were so nervous when he was constantly in awe of everything you created, even since you were a child with a rapid imagination that he couldn’t even keep up with.

“I honestly thought you’d hate it because it’s so work.” You whispered, reaching for your powder compact and a brush, beginning to swirl the bristles into the product and tapping the excess off.

“Does it require me to do a little more work? Yeah.” He laughed, as you half rolled your eyes, gliding the brush across your face as he went on.

“But I think if we do some chemistry reads with the superstars we can find the right fit. And if not, then we’ll put a pin in it. It’s still a good script. We just need the right people to play it out.”

You were pleased with his feedback, and if anyone knew creative direction as well as you did, it was your father. You trusted him enough with your ideas, and he respected them all to want to ensure they were brought to life as vividly as they could be.

You both were like the perfect little dream team, and you couldn’t have been happier to have the best boss and father in one person.

“Look at you using my director lingo.” You mocked with a smirk, tipping the brush at him while he rolled his eyes.

“Hurry up and a pin in this,” He retorted, gesturing to the messy bathroom counter, “We’ll drive down to the arena together.”

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you in the lobby?” You replied, getting up close in the mirror to see if you needed any last touch ups.

“Preferably in the next ten minutes.” He scoffed, shooting you a knowing look as he pressed off the door frame.

“Shoo!” You waved him off with a grunt, and he snickered his way out the door, leaving you to it.

Arriving at the arena a few hours early was far better than the early morning drive that consisted of bumper to bumper traffic, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss Seth’s voice over the radio to listen to throughout the way.

You guessed it was just you being a little self absorbed, loving the way he spoke about you, but you decided to steer clear of thinking too much of it because no way did it mean anything deeper than him just being a kind person.

As you and your dad pulled up to the arena, you both rolled down the windows of the car, waving hello and smiling for pictures with fans who waited outside the parking garage gates. Heading inside, you and your dad went separate ways, you dropping your stuff off into your office and heading to set where you were going to be working behind the camera.

The camera crew and sound engineers were already getting set up in a quiet hallway, where the lights were purposely dimmed for dramatic effect. You took it upon yourself to say hello and catch up with everyone as you got mic’d up and helped frame the shot for the pre-recorded promo that would air later in the show.

Soon after, you felt a tap on your shoulder, and there towered over you the one and only Braun Strowman.

“Hey! You excited?” You said eagerly, removing the headsets from over your ears and letting them rest around your neck.

“You know I am.” He rubbed his hands together before giving you a small side hug.

Braun was still fairly new to the main roster with no big storyline or arch that truly set him apart from everyone else except his stature and strength. But ever since you had been tuning into the show for your storyline research, you knew wanted to develop him into a more prominent character and you were glad your dad approved of what you thought up for him.

“Did you want to change anything about the promo?” You asked, grabbing your binder to pull up his script.

He flipped through his copy, looking at you skeptically with a shrug as he pointed to a specific section.

“I’m sorta confused about how I should play this part.” He confessed, hoping you wouldn’t take his critique the wrong way.

You nodded, flipping to the same page as him and reading it to yourself to refresh your memory of what you had planned. You reassured him with another nod, retrieving a red ballpoint pen for edits as you waved him over to a nereby cart where you two could go over what he wanted to change.

“Do you want to go through it and then we can feel out what you want to change?” You suggested, already beginning to make notes in the margins of the script.

“You sure?” He rose his brow, expecting you to tell him to do what he was asked, instead of trying to wiggle his way into the writer’s room.

“Of course!” You nodded, and he began to get into the parts he required more clarity on and the suggestions he had for his character.

You two spent a total of fifteen minutes, revising and going over the script, and much to his surprise, and the entire crew who were listening in, you took every single suggestion with stride and trusted Braun completely to do what he felt resonated with his character and the overall promo. All the edits and suggestions he made were approved, and you were happy he felt comfortable enough to come and tell you why he felt it was right to do so.

You watched closely on the monitors as Braun stood in front of the camera, situatating himself on his mark, before you peered past the lens and counted him down.

“Okay, we’re rolling in 3…2…” your voice died out, giving him the thumbs up and he began his promo.

Seth watched from the opposite end of the hallway, not paying too much attention to the words leaving Braun’s mouth, but more so the sight of you looking as if you were in your natural habitat. You silently helped the camera man pan in different directions as you followed Braun’s movement and gave him cues to speak louder or pause.

Usually in pre-taped segments or promos there were a lot of stopping and reshooting, most times because the producers wanted it absolutely perfect. However with you the process seemed a lot more laid back. A less stressful environment that they were used to back when Vince was around constantly picking apart everything to the point where everyone felt like they didn’t have any say whatsoever.

“And cut!” You announced out, clapping your hands as Braun relaxed up and came back around the camera to see what you thought.

Seth watched as you two exchanged a few words and nods, happy with the product that it didn’t need another take, so the crew began to clear out. You embraced in a quick hug, patting his back, before you spun around to get your mic and ear piece removed.

Seth then made his way to you, brushing past Braun in the process and giving each other a handshake before the giant went down another turn in the hallway.

“Hey, hey Ms. Director.” He chirped happily, getting your attention.

A smile immediately crossed your features, looking over your shoulder while your fingers fidgeted behind your back removing your mic and handing it off to a stagehand.

“Hey you,” you grinned, arms crossing over your chest, glad that he was stopping by to say hello.

“How was the sightseeing?” You eyed the wristband wrapped around his joint, the same one you recognized from the other superstars you ran into who had the pleasure of sightseeing the Statue Of Liberty after media this morning.

Seth rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, frowning somewhat, “Gotta be honest with you, it was pretty anticlimactic.” He confessed, causing you to laugh lightly with a scorn.

“You didn’t happen to get one of those ‘I Heart New York’ shirts did you?” You joked, and he chuckled, shaking his head.

“They did try to sell me one.” He retorted with a point of his finger.

In some odd way, the familiar knots that formed in your stomach when you listened to his voice over the radio were back again, only this time they kept you grounded, beaming warmly at him as warmth flushed over your skin. You knew it was nothing other than pure appreciation, guessing that if it was anyone else who said the things he did about you, you would be feeling the exact same emotions.

“Thanks for putting me over this morning.” You finally broke the momentary silence, politely reaching out to rest a cordial hand over his arm before dropping it back to your sides swiftly.

He thought for a moment, lifting his brows unknowingly not knowing what you were talking about before realization crossed his face. “You heard that?”

You giggled, nodding as you tucked your cheek into your shoulder. “It helps when you have a driver who only ever listens to the local radio.”

“Well, I meant what I said.” He said sweetly, watching you nod, before looking down the hall.

“Your dad wants to see me in his office. It’s about some chemistry read?” He supposed curiously, wondering if you knew what it was about.

You tilted your head, surprised for a quick second that your dad thought of him for the male lead, but you understood why—especially when he possessed the talent for it.

“It’s my final assignment storyline.” You revealed, wringing your hands together nervously, hoping he would like the script when he read over it himself.

“Really?” He was stunned, thrilled to read what you had after learning about it last week. “ I guess I really gotta nail it.” He cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck comically.

“I’ll see you, Seth.” You waved.

“See you,” He nodded, heading in the opposite direction.

You thanked the crew who were still hanging around, before setting off to your office to relax and answer some emails prior to the show starting. To your surprise, when you got there Xavier and his buddies Big E and Kofi were lingering around and immediately perked up when they saw you coming around the corner.

“Ah, Ms. Levesque! I’ve been searching for you,” Xavier stood, holding his arms out excitedly as he did a curtsy.

“What can I do for you Mr. Woods?” You said in your best English accent, bowing slightly making them laugh.

“So I don’t know if you know, but I run a YouTube channel called UpUpDownDown.” He explained, and you nodded enthusiastically, pointing to him.

“Yeah! You had my mom and dad on there, right?” You laughed to yourself, remembering the time you stumbled upon the videos and proceeded to tease them about how not so tech savvy they were these days.

“Oh, man, you really did do your research.” He complimented, happy that you had a jist of what he did outside of the ring.

“Anyway, I was wondering if you’d be interested in coming on the show? I think the fans would really love it, plus I’m always looking for new people to game with.” He shimmied his shoulders, hoping you would be down for the opportunity.

You grinned, immediately nodding, “Do you have Mario Kart?”

“You know I do.”

“Then I’ll be there!”

You invited them into your office so that you and Xavier could sit down and go over a day to film the content. You both settled for the upcoming week during on an off day where there weren’t any scheduled house shows or media to get in the way and cut the day short. The three were incredibly funny and made you feel extra included which was great because you wanted to form friendships and bonds, not just soley being the new writer or boss’s daughter.

You were thankful that Xavier thought about you for his side hobby that he was incredibly passionate about, and it gave you the perfect excuse to sit back and relax without worrying about work. Soon after they said their goodbye’s, a knock echoed on your door and the familiar voice rang through on the other side.

“Ms. Levesque?” It was Eddie.

You went to open it, smiling when you saw him. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Your dad wants to see you in his office.” He informed you, pointing down one side of the hallway as you stuck your head out.

“Did he say why?” You peered over at him and he shook his head with a shrug.

“Apparently, it has something to do with the chemistry reads, but that’s about all I know.”

“Okay, thank you.” You figured it’d be best to head to your father’s office first to see what he needed then get changed for the show.

“When you’re done, meet me in catering. You have some posters that need autographs, and we can catch up.” He offered with a smile, and you nodded.

Coming across your father’s office, you turned the knob, letting yourself in, assuming it must have been urgent if he sent Eddie as opposed to shooting you a text.

“Are we putting a pin in—hey!” You greeted, suddenly taken aback, with the setup in front of you.

A few creative members and producers sat along the elongated table with a camcorder set up on a tripod facing the opposite wall where none other than Seth sat, passing you a welcoming smile as he looked up from the script in his hands.

You smiled tightly, giving him a timid wave before peering over at your dad.

“You really weren’t joking when you said chemistry reads were you?”

He chuckled, shaking his head as he handed you another copy of the script.

“Have a seat, sweetheart.”

Your dad pointed you towards the empty chair next to Seth and with everything happening so abruptly, you didn’t question his instruction and went right ahead and made yourself cozy next to the superstar.

“I want you to read from the first page to right about halfway through the second.” Your dad directed you, and you nodded, beginning to go through the lines that were practically seared into your brain from all the proofreading.

You and Seth both gawked over at your dad, waiting for his cue as he fidgeted with the camcorder, hitting the red button before giving you both a silent nod and a thumbs up.

“Isn’t there something bigger you should be chasing after? Like WWE Championship for instance?” You began, eyes looking up to meet Seth’s.

He chuckled, shaking his head, wearing a maniacal grin. “If you have already forgotten, let me remind you…I’ve already held the most prestigious championship in this company. I’ve carried this company on my back, and even when my knee gave out, I came back to reclaim what I never lost, and now I want something else.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, trying to decode what he meant. “I can’t give you what you won’t say.”

“I’m looking at her.” He whispered, staring at you deeply as if you were the only person around.

Before you could get lost, a look of disgust covered your face, as you pulled back from him scoffing begrudgingly.

“You don’t possibly think I would want anything to do with you do you? I have my priorities straight and I don’t need you getting in the way of them.”

As Seth’s lips parted, getting ready to read the next line, your father cleared his throat, holding his palm up in the air and stopping you both as you looked in his direction.

“Now I want you both to improvise. Keep it rolling…” Your dad declared, guiding his hands in a tumbling motion and you both nodded getting ready to proceed.

Seth tsk’ed, fingers rolling up the script, as he tapped it against his leg.

“Haven’t you ever thought about it? The prodigy of Triple H, myself, and his genius daughter. What’s not to like about that?”

He smirked, looking you up and down before you promptly cut in, trying not to feel the warmth of your blood seizing in your veins. It was just improvising.

“You’re power hungry. Need I remind you this time that my father only did what he did because he wanted what was best for business? And sure, it might have gotten you high up that mountain, but it came crashing down just as fast when your loyalty meant nothing to him.” You retorted sharply, watching his smirk fall into a hurt expression.

“What makes you think I’m still that man? I changed, I became better, and I am better than I ever was before.” His voice suddenly held a gentleness, as if he was trying to prove himself to you.

You stayed indifferent, pressing yourself forward as you spoke with a sternness he couldn’t look away from.

“You’ll get clouded by that same power hungry haze sooner or later. You’ll never be able to outgrow the man that stabbed your bothers in the back with a steel chair, the man that sold out for his own success, and the man who reclaimed it all not because he was destined to, but because you care all too much about proving you aren’t who people think you are because you’re scared it might truer than you think.”

You both held eye contact, searching each other’s eyes for a fleeting moment all before a faint applaud broke the scene and caused you both to grin and look over at the table and your father who seemed rather fascinated with the chemistry you had.

“Was that any good?” You bit down on your lip anxiously, hoping their applause wasn’t strictly out of pity for your mediocre acting.

Your father stopped the recording, passing you a sly and proud nod.

“If I say ‘yes’ does it mean that you’re okay with starring in your own storyline with Seth?” He responded with a convincing expression.

Your eyes widened. “Seriously?”

He nodded and chuckled, walking around to stand in front of you both.

“We couldn’t find anyone who meshed well with the script playing opposite of Seth. Originally, I was going to put a pin in it, but I figured I might as well give you a shot before I called it off.” He explained.

“I mean, if it’s okay with you then I’d be glad to do it.” You sputtered, looking over at Seth with a mix of uncertainty and excitement.

The superstar immediately nodded, washing away your initial worry about him needing to work with a rookie like you. It was safe to say that you were clearly still getting used to be on camera, and you didn’t want to hinder the path of Seth’s career that was on a steady incline.

“I’d be dumb to turn this down. I would love to work with you on your very own storyline.” He grinned, your knees knocking into one another when he reached out for you to shake his hand as if you both were sealing the deal.

You clutched his softly, his hands giving yours a tender yet encouraging squeeze before you released at the sound of your father clapping his hands.

“Well, it’s settled…do you guys want to start tonight?”

Your eyes widened, looking at him in disbelief “T-tonight?”

“Yeah,” He shrugged, knowing you and Seth’s characters needed a little revamp, a different storyline would help a ton, “A little run in segment in the middle of the show. It’ll be great for your character and we can get the ball rolling on this thing.”

“We can work something out before the show,” Seth suggested, pulling out his phone to check the time, flashing it to you, “We have plenty of time.”

“Yeah, okay, that sounds somewhat reassuring.” You gave him a small smile, turning to your dad. “Do we have to hit anything specific?”

“The audience should know you know about him and his history, and that you aren’t too fond. That’s about it.” He looked back at the table of producers and writers who agreed.

“Wanna meet in my office in like ten minutes? I just have to get changed.” You looked down at yourself, still dressed in jeans and a fitted tee, plus some sneakers.

Seth nodded, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “I’m gonna head to catering for a little and I’ll come right over.”

You both got up, taking a moment to say thank you to everyone who approved of your script to get it this far this early. Seth took an extra moment to give his thanks to your dad who picked him out of the many superstars that could’ve fulfilled the role instead. As you exited his office, you pointed Seth down to where he could find you before you both waved a quick goodbye.

Seth had a smile glued to his face on the walk to catering, pleased that it was you who he was working with on a storyline that frankly was entirely different from any other he worked on in the past.

He certainly didn’t expect himself to be picked for the role, and to be fair he was a bit hesitant to take it because he knew your script deserved the utmost justice being served to it.

But when your dad called for Eddie to find you for the read, he just knew there was no way he would be able to let anyone else play the part beside himself if it meant getting to work with you.

It was safe to say Seth was in good spirits, honored that it was him getting to work with you for your first big storyline. And while he couldn’t take you on a proper coffee outing to thank you for last week, and now the storyline under his belt—he could totally try to make you the best cup of instant coffee to make up for it.

He walked through catering doors, making a beeline for the beverage table and retrieving two cups as he got to work.

“Did you get cut too?” Finn called out to him from the table nearby.

Seth chuckled, shaking his head as he twisted the spigot of the jug to dispense some of the coffee into the cups.

“Actually, no.”

“So who are they pairing you with?” Renee suspected, keeping her eyes on him curiously.

“Nattie?” Charlotte wondered, knowing she was also called in for the chemistry read earlier in the day.

“Over my dead body.” TJ called out from another table, causing them all to laugh.

“Sasha?” Finn pressed once again.

“Nope.” Seth said quickly, ripping two sugar packets and pouring it into your cup.

“Boss lady?” Roman called out jokingly.

Seth’s silence was all they needed to hear and before he could even tell them the good news, the entire room was filled with “oh’s” and “ah’s” coming from left and right.

“No fucking way.” Dean hailed, pressing his hands against the table, sitting up straighter in his seat.

“How in the hell did you manage to get paired up with her?” Renee choked, perplexed and entertained by the sudden news.

“Paul, made the call,” Seth exhaled annoyingly, turning to them as he stirred the contents of your cup. “He called her in to read and it just felt natural. We meshed and now we’re working together.”

The group of wrestlers whistled like a bunch of high schoolers struck with the fact that their very own friend was getting closer and closer to the principal’s daughter—or at least that’s how Seth saw it. Sure, they were all grown adults, but his friends especially were guilty of their childish play and this was one of those moments he wished ended sooner, but they were only getting started.

“Maybe Paul knew all along he wanted you and her together, and he held that meeting last week mostly for you.” Kofi quipped and everyone laughed, making him roll his eyes.

“Yeah, right, are you getting paid for these conspiracy theories?” Seth scoffed, shooting them all a glare.

“No, but I do know I’m not the one who’s potentially going to get his ass fired by Triple H if I get too cozy with his daughter!” He boosted, as everyone shook his hand and laughed cheekily.

“You wanna know what I think?” Seth got ready to leave, wrapping his hands around the warm cups.

“Please enlighten us Mr. Monday Night.” Renee grinned, propping her chin up on her fist.

Seth scanned the entire room with a smug smirk on his face. “That you guys are jealous that I’m the first one out of all of us to get a script written by her and I get to work with her.”

“Oh, shut it!” Charlotte rolled her eyes as everyone boo’d him out.

“Catch you losers later.” He singsonged, strolling over to your office with a victorious smile on his face.

Stopping in front of your office, he balanced his coffee against his chest, knocking firmly on the door, letting you know it was him. There was some shuffling and mumbling coming from the inside, smoothing out your skirt and top before you pulled the door open and met him with a smile as you tossed your hair over your shoulder.

“Hey, come in.” You opened the door wider, making room for him to pass, before shutting it behind him.

Seth stepped in further into your office, holding out one of the cups towards you, “It’s not the best coffee but I did promise you some last time.”

You pressed your lips into a thankful pout, taking it from him.

“I did need an extra buzz to get through the show, so thank you.” You laughed.

He watched as you took a sip, concern muddled in his orbs, hoping you’d like it, and if you didn’t, then he’d have to hope the sugar packets hidden in his pocket could solve the problem.

“Not too bitter is it?” Seth rose his brow skeptically, and you went in for another sip before shaking your head.

“It’s actually just right.” You swirled the cup in your palm, running your tongue over your lips.

“If we’re ever in Iowa, I’ll take you to a better coffee spot.” He offered, following your lead to the couch getting comfortable.

“You know a place?” You lifted your brow, falling onto the cushions, and hit him right beside you not a second later.

“I own it.” He said proudly, containing a chuckle when you snapped your head at him in awe.

“No way, you don’t.” You gasped, poking his arm thinking that he was just messing with you.

He shook his head, holding his hands up in defense. “Believe it or not, I’m a coffee connoisseur myself and decided to open up a little shop in my hometown.”

“Okay now you legitimately need to take me out for coffee.” You insisted with a stern point, the two of you began laughing.

“You have my word.” He promised, tipping his cup into the air towards you.

Sure it was a gamble to make such a promise, especially considering everyone’s concern about him getting in trouble with Paul for getting too close, but it also came with the territory of the business and if anyone knew what that was like then it was certainly your father.

You and him were strictly business…and friends. But nothing more than that. The way that you two smiled and held conversations with each other was strictly platonic—at least that’s what he was trying to convince himself as he stared at you tenderly.

He didn’t understand why his friends were causing such a ruckus between you and him, because surely they all thought that he was better than that, right? There wasn’t any plausible way that you or he could fall into something deeper than platonic friends…right?

“Oh! Let me grab my laptop.” You remembered getting off the couch, causing Seth to blink wildly, shaking his head at himself for getting caught up in his thoughts.

You sat beside him once more, this time with your laptop in hand as you set your coffee down on the ground before lifting the screen and typing your password in. He grinned behind his cup as he took a sip, eyes trained on the wallpaper of you and your sisters, plus a few dogs that he assumed were a part of the family.

“So, how should we do this?” You puffed out a breath of air through your nose, opening an application from the toolbar, causing another screen to pop up, an empty document.

You typed your name and Seth’s in the same line, followed by ‘backstage segment’ before assigning two different colors for your lines.

Seth slanted closer to you, and you looked up at him for a quick second, doing the same so you could tilt the laptop towards him, giving him a better view of the screen.

“Why don’t I come in looking for your dad, but it’s actually you I run into?” He suggested, looking at you for approval.

You thought for a second, eyes trained up to the ceiling, trying to paint the picture in your head, and before you knew it, there was a certain twinkle in your eye, suddenly looking at him with a thoughtful grin.

“Yeah, I like that.” You nodded, getting to typing away.

Effortless was the best way to describe the time that passed as you and Seth bounced ideas off one another. In fact, your office was filled with laughter, “oh’s” and “ah’s” that reflected the ease that came with the process that most times were filled with silence and pondering. He made it all feel easy, even with the worry that lingered in the back of your mind about being on live TV again.

You bit down on your lip, fingers working across the keyboard thoughtfully as you typed.

“Why don’t you do what your mother did and be gone witch?” Seth read it aloud as you typed and he covered his mouth, and you threw your head back laughing.

“No way! Your mom would kill, then your dad.” He grimaced lightly, causing you to giggle uncontrollably, sliding your laptop off your lap as you hunched over your legs.

“I personally think the crowd would pop over it.” You caught your breath laying back against the cushions.

“I like what we have so far. Usually sitting in script writing isn’t this fun,” Seth admitted, watching as you reached for your laptop and deleted the last line.

You hummed, tilting your head, “Writing has never not been fun for me. Sure, sometimes there’s writer’s block, but I always find that jumping from script to script can help.”

You saved the script to your laptop, pulling up your emails and sending it to Eddie with ‘please print’ in the subject line followed by a smiley face. He grinned, shaking his head as he sipped his coffee, watching you hit the send button before closing your laptop.

He swallowed the bitter liquid, the two of you sitting in short silence before he nudged your side with his elbow, getting you to meet his eyes.

“I’m lucky, really. There’s no one I would rather work with.” He spoke with a sincerity that made those knots loop and tighten in your stomach all over again.

It tugged inside of you in a way that you could not even begin to pinpoint. The idea of it being because you were starting to form a little crush on him just didn’t seem fathomable for reasons that you knew were obvious. He would never go after his boss’s daughter. You were the forbidden fruit he couldn’t have, and you were positive it was just you misinterpreting his kindness so foolishly.

Before you could even thank him, a heavy knock sounded on the other side of the door, causing you both to whip your head in its direction.

“Come in!” You called out, immediately standing and brushing your palms against your skirt.

It was a camera crew and sound techs lugging their equipment, as one of them spoke.

“Is it okay if we set up?” They proposed, looking between you and Seth.

You nodded, glancing over at the superstar who stood upright beside you.

“Yeah, of course, we were just wrapping up.”

They all nodded, letting themselves in to prepare for the segment tonight.

“I’ll meet you here okay?” Seth held his arm out, letting you walk into a small hug.

“Sounds like a plan.” You murmured, rubbing his back, watching him leave, hoping time would go by faster.

As if you manifested it, time certainly did pass by quicker than you anticipated and Seth was already changed into a fitted tee and black skinny jeans. His hair tugged out of the low bun he had been wearing and misted with leave in conditioner. He was reading over the copy of his script while you got your hair and makeup touched up and the camera crew began framing the shot.

One of the producers instructed you both to get into places, anticipating the end of the second match of the night where directly after the cameras would cut to backstage. You stood off camera, shooting Seth a thumbs up and a big ole smile, while a stage hand counted down and the cameras were live.

“Hello hello, is anyone here?” He tapped on the already cracked door, pushing against it and letting himself in, looking around.

You snuck in from the opposite side of the camera, revealing yourself.

“Can I help you?”

Seth stared at you surprised, for a split second before giving you a tense nod and looking past you.

“Actually, you can’t, but if you could get me your dad, then I think I’ll be able to get my issue resolved.”

You rolled your eyes, hands resting on your hips, “Well my dad’s actually a little busy right now, but I can assure you, whatever it is you need, I can assist.”

“Yeah?” Seth crossed his arms over his chest, meeting your eyes skeptically.

“Come on, hit me.” You nodded with a smile, feigning assurance as you guided him to tell you what he so desperately wanted.

“A match against—”

“Yeah no,” You cut him off, dropping the smile on your face and causing Seth to furrow his brows perplexed.

“Excuse me?” He spoke taken aback by your harshness.

“You don’t think I’m stupid do you? I know your history, Seth, and to be quite frank, I’m not the fondest of you. To be honest, I don’t even like you all that much.”

“Look lady, I did nothing to you, so I don’t see why you’re treating me the way you are right now.”

“It’s not about what you did to me, Seth. It’s about what you did to other people. What you did to your brothers, Roman and Dean. What you did to my dad after everything he did for you. And right now, I have my guard up because I don’t know what you’ll do to me.”

“I’ll have you know that I apologized to my brothers. We’ve moved on and they’ve forgiven me. As for your dad,” Seth paused, looking at you, “He got what he had coming…and so did you mom.”

You gritted your teeth, palm lifting up as if you were going to slap him before your dad, cleared his throat, entering the frame and you hurriedly lowered your hand and shot him a sweet smile.

“Hi dad!” You beamed, attempting to cut the tension in the small space.

“Hey sweetie,” He greeted you with a hug, ignoring Seth for a moment, before turning to face him finally, “You met my daughter I see.”

“She’s a real delight.” Seth faked a smile, and you rolled your eyes when your dad wasn’t looking.

“Was there something you needed?” Hunter requested, and Seth’s mouth opened about to speak.

“He was actually just leaving dad.” You interjected, shaking your head and gesturing Seth out the door.

But he stood in place, glaring at you until you hardened your gaze and pointed him out once more.

“Bye-bye now.” You twiddled your fingers, smiling evilly when he turned his back and walked out.

The camera cut back to the ring, and you immediately broke character with a giggle relieved that it went better than you had planned, and to your surprise you and Seth worked effortlessly. Your father shook his head, impressed by how good you were at playing the bad guy, even after you were initially opposed to being a heel because you didn’t know if you possessed any of the bad guy qualities.

“I’m sure everyone is now officially going to call me mom’s mini me.” You joked, meeting your father’s palm with a high five.

“You sure are.” Your dad grinned, ruffling the top of your head, a warm gesture of his approval that you always had.

The two of you moved towards your desk, allowing the crew to clear out with all their equipment, and it wasn’t long before Seth had made his way back in, wearing the same grin that you had glued onto your face even after the cameras called cut.

“For a second, I thought you really were going to hit me.” Seth shook his head playfully, rubbing his hand over his cheek where you were going to hit him.

You gasped dramatically, holding a hand over your heart, “I would never!” You insisted, the two of you laughing as your dad watched on.

He was well aware that the decision to have you and Seth work together was the best one he could have made, despite the oppositions who argued otherwise. Sure, many of the producers and writers were weary of Paul allowing his daughter to act in her very own script, especially a romantic one, but Paul knew better than anyone that you were the perfect fit, and Seth was the perfect partner to make it all happen.

While Seth was the one who named Paul one of his biggest mentors, Paul trusted Seth with not just his creative take on wrestling, but the ability to work with new talent not just to put them over, but to make him better in the process. It was no different from trusting Seth with you, knowing he would help you develop your character for the long run while also getting the chance to explore a creative direction that the fans had never seen from him before.

Your father knew you and Seth were the perfect match for TV and that was it.

“Wanna go to catering?” Seth suggested, hoping you’d tag along since he had virtually nothing else to do for the night.

You nodded, retrieving your phone off your desk. “Yeah, I’m actually meting Eddie there. I have a few posters to sign and he wants to catch up.” You shot Eddie a quick text that you would be there soon.

“Well, great job you two.” Your dad spoke, giving you both a pat on the back, content with how the segment went and hoping the fans would be excited for next week where they got to see more of you two together.

“Fun weekend?” Seth asked, falling into step beside you, walking through the hallways.

You nodded enthusiastically, retelling what you and your family had been up to.

“It was actually really fun and relaxing at the same time. Plus, I really hit a home run when my sister opened the present I got her.”

You unlocked your phone, opening the photos app, and scrolling to find the photo your mom snapped of you and your sister as she ripped open her present.

“What’d you get her?” He stared, watching as you slid through some images before finally finding the one and passing it over to him.

“It’s one of those vintagey polaroid cameras.” You explained, excitement woven into your voice, “And it’s not the modern ones they brought back into style. It’s like an actual one from the 80s I think? I found it at consignment store and picked up some film to go along with it.”

Seth laughed, fingers scrolling through the play-by-play photos which revealed your sisters surprised expression the more she got through the wrapping paper and realized what she got. It ended with you two embracing in a hug, and Seth smiled warmly at the thought you put in, making sure you got her something that was worth a reaction like that.

“She looks super stoked.” Seth chuckled, passing the phone back to you.

You hummed, pouting slightly at the screen a little at the screen and locking it. “I’m a little jealous because I’ve been wanting one myself.” You admitted with a laugh, shaking your head at your own wistfulness.

Seth smirked, opening the catering doors for you, letting you walk in first.

“You should get one. It’ll complete the whole director look you got going on.” He spoke, walking in behind you and gesturing his hand in the air over your silhouette.

You giggled softly, looking towards the table in the back of the room where Eddie was waving you over.

“I’ll be over there.” You pointed, and Seth nodded, giving Eddie a little wave before turning his attention back to you.

“Stop by if you have time.” Seth replied, tone inviting, tilting his head towards the table where all of his friends were seated waiting for him to join them.

“I will.” You assured him with a smile, heading to Eddie while Seth went to grab food.

The fine tip sharpie was nestled into your hand and you began the time consuming and finger cramping process of getting the stack of posters signed for the beloved WWE fans. Thankfully, you and Eddie both created an efficient rhythm where you would sign and he would stack them, keeping to process going smoothly.

“How was your sister’s birthday?” He swiped away another poster into the growing signed pile.

“Adorable! She had a few friends over for her birthday party, and she was surprised my dad and I flew down in time.” You gushed, hand working overtime to get everything done in one sitting.

“That’s nice. Why didn’t I see you Friday, by the way?” He was too busy with your father’s tasks for him to find you or shoot you a text last week.

“I got dinner with Seth and a few other people, and I caught a ride with them back to the hotel.” You stopped for a moment, looking at him with a soft smile. “Thanks for sending my stuff to the suite by the way.”

Eddie nodded, keeping the posters going, but not without a little laugh getting caught in his throat before he spoke, “Seth, huh?”

You furrowed your brows, the pen still working against the glossy photos.

“What about him?” You pressed, wondering what he was getting at.

Eddie shrugged, his knowing eyes avoided with yours trained on the photos in front of you. “Nothing, he just seems to cozy up to you that’s all.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not true.” You argued, shaking your head dismissively.

“You ran into each other like a billion times on your first day—two of which I was there to see with my own eyes.” He retorted, as if it meant something deeper than two people coincidentally bumping into each other.

“Well, we work together now, and now with the new storyline expect to see more of us together.” You replied, attempting to brush off any implications that it was deeper than surface level.

“In a cozy way or?” Eddie teased, knocking his foot lightly into your calves under the table.

“Oh my god, stop.” You groaned, rolling your eyes at his childish behavior that was borderline schoolgirl like.

“I’m messing with you,” Eddie eased up with a chuckle, “Plus, your dad already made it clear that talent is off limits.” He admitted, sucking in a sharp breath at the memory of the tense meeting just a few days ago.

“He’s not actually serious about that.” You countered with a huff, defiance creeping into your voice.

Eddie deadpanned, staring at you in disbelief, “What do you mean ‘not serious’? He is totally absolutely serious about it.”

You shrugged, not understanding what the big deal was anyway.

“Well for one, I am a grown woman who gets to decide what I want, and two, he and my mom literally did what he’s now tell me not to do, which is very hypocritical if you ask me.”

Eddie nodded, understanding your point, but at the same time weary of what your father was capable of if anyone thought about pursing you.

“No I know that, but…wouldn’t he like absolutely freak out if you went against him?”

“This is all hypothetical you know that, right? I’m not actually going to go after Seth.” You laughed lightly, shaking your head at him, hoping he knew you weren’t being actually serious about you and your new on-screen interest.

“What if Seth wants to go after you?” Eddie’s tone was suddenly a lot less teasing and more so serious.

“He’d be out of his mind.” You sighed, waving off the thought of that even happening.

“He already is.” Eddie muttered under his breath, eyes catching the sigh of Seth staring at you from across the room while you tried not to feel it.

Seth settled his eyes back on his plate of salad and grilled chicken, seated between Dean and Kofi as everyone began talking about the elephant in the room, which was you and Seth—of course.

“Nice segment,” Dean patted him on the back with a smirk. “You guys have chemistry.” He added, and the table agreed with hums and smiles.

Seth chewed his food and swallowed, nodding his head thankfully, “Well I mean, that’s why Paul picked her and I.”

Dean snorted, shaking his head with a lopsided grin. “I mean, romantic sexual chemistry.”

“Oh, fuck off.” Seth cursed, shaking his head in disagreement.

The table giggled and failed to hide their growing smirks, knowing damn well there was an unspoken chemistry between you both no matter how hard Seth tried to deny it.

“It’s no surprise when we were practically barging in on your date last week.” Charlotte piped with a soft whistle, sipping her energy drink through a straw.

“Hold up what?” Xavier’s eyes shot towards Seth, lifting a troubling brow.

Seth sighed, forking pieces of dressed lettuce onto the prongs as he spoke.

“We just went out to dinner and I walked her up to her hotel room. We were on the same floor, so it was just coincidence.”

“Chivalry, my man!” Big E hooted.

“Thank you.” Seth looked over at him with an empathetic expression, knowing at least he understood what it meant to be a courteous person.

But Kofi piped in, shaking his head. “Oh, it wasn’t a compliment. You’re down bad dude.” He corrected with a laughed, reaching across the table to give Big E a fist bump.

“What does that even mean?” Seth furrowed his brows confused, before ultimately shaking his head not wanting to hear it.

“We’re friends. And you guys have to drop this, we’re gonna be working together a lot and the last thing—”

Before he could even finish his statement, he felt a hand slide across the slope of his shoulder, causing him to look behind him, only to be met by you. Your stood above him, wearing your infectious smile as your hand remained on his clothed shoulder.

“I gotta run, but I’ll try to find you later if I have time.” You told him, eyes darting quickly to Eddie who was waiting up for you near the catering doors.

Seth nodded, immediately smiling, “Yeah, of course,” He replied.

He dropped the fork onto his plate, hand reaching up to cover yours. “Good job earlier by the way.”

You squeezed his skin tenderly, his rough fingertips grazing over your knuckles as you two smiled idiotically at each other. Everyone catching the way you both acted as if you were the only two people in the room—as if it really was just an innocent start of a friendship.

“Thanks. It always helps when you have a good scene partner to work with.” You spoke softly with another gracious nod.

With that, Seth let his hand fall off yours, and you brought your arm back to your side, finally tearing your eyes away from solely his and finally acknowledging everyone else with a wave.

“Bye guys,” you chorused, looking at Seth once more, mouthing “bye” and spinning on your heel, leaving with Eddie.

“That’s what it is.” Kofi muttered, draping his arm across Seth’s shoulder.

“What?” Seth finally tore his eyes from the catering door and his smile gradually dropped.

“That look on your face.” He pointed, gesturing a finger in a circular motion over his face.

“You being so gushy mushy over her? That’s being down bad my friend.”

Seth didn’t entertain the accusation, not even in the slightest convinced as he continued to eat his food and his friends went on with their badgering. He wasn’t down bad or whatever it was they were claiming.

All of it was completely and utterly foolish—he just wondered if you thought so too.

💌 reblogs, tags, comments, + likes are greatly appreciated! leave a comment and let me know if want to be added to my taglist!! 💌

a/n: i hope you guys like chapter three of icsy!!! i had been working on this chapter for awhile and it is longer than i expected it to be, but thats just me being a typical yappersorous (my bad). let me know what you thing!!! seems like reader and seth are down bad and they don't even know it just yet 😜

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misspelledwordswizard · 1 month ago

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Chapter 22 - It's good to be able to sleep again

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I woke up with the sun on my face, bothering me enough to wake me from my previously desired sleep. Opening my eyes, I was blinded by the direct light and blamed myself for my stupidity. I ran my hands over my face, trying to shake off the sleep that was haunting me, as I sat up in bed. I looked around the room, it took me a while to start processing the information, where I was and what had happened, so intense was my nap.

It was then that I saw Time, sitting in an armchair, not far from me, calmly reading a book. Suddenly the memories of the previous night came flooding back, making me want to bury my face in a hole in shame. I feel humiliated, I cried like a baby and revealed such personal things, and yet he stayed by my side and welcomed me. I am very grateful for that, but I can’t help but think that it was a little strange to talk to him, now that he knows my secrets.

— Good morning, did you sleep well? – The older man’s voice caught my attention again. – You seemed calm while you were sleeping, even smiling, so I guess there wasn’t a nightmare, huh?

I felt my cheeks heat up as the blond gave me a smug smile. Bastard, he’s making fun of me this morning after all the things I told him, that's evil, Time! Sometimes I forget that behind that older man’s posture he’s still that brat who likes to tease. The mangas were right.

— Yes, I slept well. – His soft laughter at my answer only fueled my sullen face, which was probably the reason for the joke. – Thank you, Link. I don’t know what I would have done without you.

The sudden seriousness in my voice, along with a certain melancholy, made a striking contrast with the previous mood of the room. When I looked back at the hero, I could see him with a sincere and comforting smile that calmed my nerves.

— Sure, dear, I’m here for you, anytime. – He said and then stood up, putting the book aside and stretching after having spent so much time in the same position. – Now, you don’t have to worry about that, okay? I’ll be downstairs, come down when you feel ready.

I watched him as he left my room, leaving me alone with my intrusive thoughts, which I blocked as quickly as I could. Time is an incredible man. He’s loving, caring, strong and protective, whoever his beloved is, she’s a very lucky woman.

I sighed, feeling more relaxed than I had in a long time, all that accumulated fatigue had had certain effects, I can see, and this rest was more than welcome. Opening the window and letting more light in, I was graced by the warmth of the sun that reached me, I could also see that it was high in the sky. Damn, I slept too much, it must be about ten 'clock in the morning. I left the room, after checking my appearance and fixing my hair, and went down the stairs of the academy, only to bump into Wind on the way. Literally, because he came out of the room just as I was passing by and we ended up bumping into each other.

— Ah, you’re finally awake! – He said excitedly. – Everyone has already eaten, but I can keep you company in the kitchen if you want, I have nothing to do anyway.

The boy said and shrugged, he spent the last few days exploring Skyloft, but I think this place is a bit small for someone with his adventurous spirit, he must be dying of boredom. I couldn’t help but laugh lightly at the thought of it, and also since he was proposing to spend time with me instead of his brothers, that’s cute, so I don’t feel so alone either.

Heading to the aforementioned place, I was surprised to see that one of the boys was still there. In one of the corners, distracted by something he was reading, was Legend. I thought he hadn’t even noticed our presence, so I was taken aback when I heard him talking to us, still without looking away from the book. God, is this place boring enough that Links would suddenly become interested in reading?

— Sky has already taken Warriors to the surface, the next one to go when he returns will be Rancher.

My attention turned to him, more focused on the information itself than on the boy himself. So, they’ve already started going down, huh? I can’t help but feel a little strange about all this, I think I was already getting used to the calm of Skyloft, to think that now we’ll have to go back to walking for hours without stopping, dealing with monsters and whatever else comes, it’s kind of distressing.

I mean, I was learning to deal with all this before, but this time of peace ended up unaccustoming me and I went back to square one of the whole thing. Suddenly, an anxiety at the thought of others ending up discovering my secret also hit me, especially if it happens during a moment of tension down there. I hope Time really is right, and knows the best way to do this.

— You... – The Veteran’s voice caught my attention again, while Wind went to the kitchen to look for food, oblivious to the conversation. – Time stayed in your room all night, and only came out a little while ago...

As soon as he spoke, I could notice a certain irritation in his voice, my brain worked to process this statement, and I finally understood what he was really asking, blushing like a tomato and completely indignant at this suggestion.

— What!? I was having trouble sleeping, okay? The old man just helped me with that. – I felt myself getting sulky about it, and the blond just snorted and turned his face away at my answer.

— If that was all, you should have asked for my help, I know what it’s like not to be able to sleep, it would have been much more useful.

— If you want to know, I didn’t even ask for his help either, he offered it himself and didn’t let me refuse...

I found myself saying this, a little quieter and calmer than before. Why the hell am I trying to explain myself? I just snorted and walked away from him, it’s too early for this. I mean, not that early, but I just woke up so I don’t feel like it either.

I just gave up on talking to this complicated boy and went to the kitchen, looking for something that could satisfy my hunger and end Wind’s munchies, who even after breakfast still wanted to eat something else.

◇

The sun was shining high in the sky, and it felt warm on my skin as I walked around the lake with the Sailor. I had seen some of the boys walking along the path, apparently, they were just as bored as we were, so it was no surprise when I saw the Champion and the Traveler approaching where we were.

— Good morning, did you get any rest? I saw that you seemed tired yesterday. – Rulie, who I hadn’t seen yet today, said with an empathetic smile.

— Oh, yes, I had the best night’s sleep in ages! – I found myself saying with a silly smile. It’s amazing how being rested puts me in a good mood.

— That’s good, because soon we won’t have the opportunity to rest so well for a while. – Wild commented, kind of complaining about what was coming next.

I laughed a little, hiding how disappointed I was about it too, and turned to see what the child was doing, only to find him poking around in the dirt looking for bugs. I’m sure it was Sky’s influence. What am I going to do with this kid? Early in the morning and he’s already getting dirty.

— Wind, take your hand off the floor, you’re going to get all dirty! – I complained, like a nagging mother, making him startle a little at my sudden call and get up, wiping his hands on his clothes.

— Oh, it’s okay, I’m not even clean, I’ll take a bath when we get back to the academy – The blond answered me, as he came back to me.

— What? When was the last time you took a bath?!

— Hm, yesterday... no, it was the day before yesterday! – He answered while thinking, trying to remember, leaving me completely indignant.

I pulled him by the arm closer to me and smelled his hair, which just by looking at it I could tell how dirty it was. The smell was terrible, worse than I had imagined. I know that children in general tend to be lazy about taking showers and such, but who in their right mind can stay dirty and smelling like that for so long? Oh dear, these heroes of the past are unaware of the importance of good hygiene.

— Ew, boy, you look disgusting! – I complained and he even had the audacity to laugh at my reaction. – Lord, have mercy...

Before he could react, I grabbed him under the arms, lifting him into the air momentarily and then threw him into the lake next to me, making him let out a cry of surprise. Proud of my attitude, I held my hands, as if I were cleaning the dust, with a sense of job done, at least until I heard laughter coming from beside me.

I turned to look at the two boys who were laughing at the youngest, that is until I pulled Wild closer too and sniffed his hair, making him stop laughing when he noticed my disgusted face.

— Look, we can do this for better or for worse, the choice is all yours...

Before I could finish, the boy was already taking off his boots and jumping into the lake too, along with the third of them who followed his brother’s wise example. Good. Very good, I’m not going to spend time around smelly people. These heroes, now just because you have a world to save doesn’t mean you can do it smelling bad!

The sound of laughter ended up catching the attention of Four, who was passing by at the time. He stopped next to me while judging his brothers without understanding the reason for all this. In order not to break character, I pulled the short boy closer and smelled his hair just like I did with the others. It was no surprise to me that he smelled super good. The Blacksmith is very clean and organized, when he’s not all sweaty after working in the forge, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. Before he could question my strange actions, I repeated what I had done with Wind, grabbing him by the arms and quickly throwing him into the lake, making him let out a surprised little scream while I laughed immaturely.

Well, since we’re in this situation anyway, I guess there’s no harm in participating. Following the example of the last three, I took off my shoes and threw myself into the lake, being graced by the cold water that hit my skin, bringing great relief on this hot sunny day.

The three started to take it more as a joke. Well, this wouldn’t be much of a bath considering it’s a lake, they went in fully clothed and will probably only come out smelling like wet dogs – no offense to Wolfie – but at least it will force them to take a full bath as soon as they leave here. In a short time, this game in the lake ended up turning into a mess of water being splashed everywhere, fun attacks, swimming competitions or even who splashed the most water when jumping back into the lake, between the Champion and the Sailor, while I and the other two acted as judges. The rest of the afternoon was spent like this, before I decided it was time to leave and force everyone to go back to take a hot shower and avoid a collective cold.

◇

— Rupee for your thoughts? – I said as I approached Time, outside the academy.

It was night, I had gone out to get some air before dinner, it was then that I came across the hero of time outside, observing the night landscape with a thoughtful and worried expression. I hadn’t seen him since morning, I was really getting worried, worried if something had happened, or maybe that the reason for his distance was everything that happened yesterday.

His blue eyes turned to me. He didn’t seem surprised, nor uncomfortable with my presence, but that didn’t make him seem any less thoughtful than before. I don’t know how, but he seemed to read my thoughts and worries, giving me a reassuring smile as I got closer.

— Hm, there are a lot of them, are you sure you want to hear them?

— Don’t think you can get rid of me so easily, old man.

— Hm, right. That’s the last thing I’d want.

— So, what’s bothering you?

Silence prevailed for a moment, the older man’s expression hardening, followed by a tired sigh.

— You know, that night I had time to think about everything, with all the things you told me, there was a lot to fit in and process, luckily, I had plenty of time for that.

— Thank my heavy sleep then. – I heard him laugh at my unfunny joke, and that alone made it worth it.

— Yeah, it was really welcome at the time. A lot of things started to make sense after that, the fact that the Shadow was so interested in you, the attacks, maybe that was even the reason why we met. But there’s still something there. I feel like there’s something big behind this. I can’t imagine that the only reason you’re involved in this is because you know us, especially because, from what you told me, a lot of other people do the same, right?

I nodded, confirming the information. He’s right, I’ve caught myself thinking about it several times, since I reincarnated, actually. Why me? Of all the people, of all the big Zelda fans, what makes me different from them? When I saw that I wouldn’t get any answers, I just gave up, but thinking about it now, maybe I’m closer than ever to those much-acclaimed answers. And even so, I’m still very far from them.

— Well, trust me, don’t rack your brains trying to find logic in this, I’ve spent my whole life doing this and haven’t gotten any results. But, from what I’ve seen recently, the best thing to do is keep going, eventually things will start to fall into place.

— Yes... I think you’re right. But I can’t help but worry, especially when it could mean you’re in danger. – He sighed, straightening his tense posture. – Well, I guess I’ll just have to double the amount of care I have for you then. Get ready for at least two of us to keep an eye on you at all times!

— Oh, Noooo! – I dramatized, earning a sincere laugh from the man.

— Just kidding, dear. I’m not going to invade your privacy. Well, I can’t say the same about the others, they can be quite nosy when they want to be.

— Well, then I think it’s best to keep all this as confidential as possible, hm?

— Yeah, it’ll be our little secret. – I felt shy with the wink Time sent me. Unfortunately for me, this guy is a natural born tease, and I have a weakness for handsome men.

— Now, since you mentioned last night, shouldn’t you be sleeping now, sir?

— Nah, I slept the whole afternoon.

— Ah

That explains why I haven’t seen you all day. Come to think of it, I’m not going to sleep any time soon either, considering how late I woke up. Although the day was tiring, after swimming for so long it’s no surprise that I fell right to sleep the moment my head hit the pillow. Oh, who would have thought, I guess it actually worked.

— Time, I don’t think I’ve been able to thank you enough yet. – He shook his head in denial, as if it were no big deal. – No, seriously. I hadn’t noticed until now, but all that irrational fear of sleeping and dreaming that was haunting me has gone away, I don’t feel anxious when I think about going to sleep anymore, thanks to you... Thank you, really.

— That was nothing, I didn’t even do anything. And don’t minimize your pain like that, your fear was completely fair. Know that if something like that happens again, you can come straight to me, I’ll take care of you. – I could feel the sincerity in his voice, which only made me even more grateful. – And besides, the experience wasn’t bad at all, you look cute dreaming, you know?

I playfully patted his shoulder, reprimanding him for all his teasing, while he just laughed at my reaction. Yeah, it really is great to get to know this side of Time. He acts like we’ve been friends for a long time, and that’s nice, it’s comforting. I found myself caught in his gaze, his beautiful blue eyes staring at me so intensely, there under the moonlight, he seemed so ethereal. Suddenly he was no longer Time, the leader of the group, an imposing man, a strong and serious hero. He was Link, a friend, a confidant to whom I could reveal my secrets and who I knew would help me, not as a hero who helps everyone, but as someone I care about and who is there for me when I need it. I hope he can see me that way too.

Both of our attention was cut off by the sound of the door opening right behind us, making us pull away and look back in surprise. There, standing in the doorway, was the Veteran, he looked at us for a moment, his lips parted, as if he was going to say something, but nothing came out, instead he just scowled sullenly as he looked at us, getting irritated for some reason.

— The Cook said to let you know that the food is ready, hurry up! – He said, entering again and slamming the door behind him.

— Geez, what’s gotten into him? – I commented and Time just sighed tiredly.

— Sometimes I don’t even understand. We better go in quickly, before he comes back even angrier.

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