#and if so I'd be more than open to hearing it

[mickyschumacher]

[SUMMER SUNSHINE! PT.5]

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: you're fulfilling your promise to go to waterway, but the trip leaves more than one thing unanswered or in which the rumours are true - waterway is a nightmare.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: fluff, poor humour, petty jealousy, mentions of mental health/emotional regulation - not dealt with, therefore angst, set in nov/dec of '24, an our unwritten seoul reference

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: oscar piastri x childhood bsf!fem!reader

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 2.8k+

tag list (lmk if you wanna be added): @kakashiislut @taetae-armyyyyy @satorinnie @at-a-rax-ia @op814kitty @anayaverse @edgyficuselastica @anonomano @sltwins @utopiakys @fullyinsanepartlywriting @justvibbinghere @obxstiles @freyathehuntress @that-dress @hevzo8 @curlylando @cianrol @gigigreens @mxxnsr @introvertstoriesblog @lilyofthevalley-09 @syd649

🏎️ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | ⚽️ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒

You had been dreading this particular morning. All though circled on your calendar, you had wished for any sort of obstacle to prevent it from happening.

A thunderstorm in the middle of summer. Perhaps tornado warnings. Maybe a duck invasion on the beach. Dare you say, a temporary water outage.

But no.

The sky was perfectly clear. The clouds looked happy as always and the sun shined brightly.

You sighed, staring at your calendar as you rummaged through your clothes.

"And you can't come with me because..." you trailed off, turning from your dresser and towards Hattie who was once again occupying your bed.

"I told you... I have things to do," she maintained.

You narrowed your eyes, hand on your hip because you knew very well what was on her schedule for the day as you were the one who had brought it up. "I don't think I appreciate you choosing a SEVENTEEN live over me and my worst enemy."

Hattie rolled her eyes, leaning up. "You'll be fine. Waterway isn't out to get you and your theatrics. Besides, you're the one who lost the bet, so..."

You curled your lip in feigned disgust for your friend. You couldn't believe it. You shook your head, finally finding the swimsuit you barely had last utilised with Oscar also being the reason. "No support in this household, I swear," you mumbled out loud.

━━━━━━━━━━━

You opened your door begrudgingly, eyes squinting at the figure waiting in front of you. "Shit," you mumbled under your breath as your brain processed that Oscar was indeed right in front of you.

Oscar tilted his head, holding his car keys in one hand as he leaned on your doorframe. "You didn't think I'd actually forget, did you?" He huffed with amusement.

You gave him a dry smile, holding your beach bag while you locked your door door. "Of course not," you murmured, eyeing the wood while you silently grumbled.

In fact, you had actually thought Oscar would've forgotten. Scratch that, you had hoped he had forgotten.

You internally sighed, eyeing the silver sports car in front of your houses and the Kiwi-based logo. Christ. Brighton Beach... here we come.

━━━━━━━━━━━

The route to Brighton Beach wasn't too far from your house. A ten minute drive. Waterway could be felt kilometres away from the beach itself. Crowds of people in their swimsuits and summer outfits, lathering on sunscreen, trying to find parking, and with some already pre-drinking at ten-thirty in the morning.

"I'm kinda worried your car's gonna get smashed into," you told Oscar as he locked the vehicle.

Oscar pursed his lips, giving a slight careless shrug. "Company damages, I guess. The most they'll do is take a picture with it pretending it's their car."

You raised your brows, giving a slight nod in agreement. You sucked in a sharp breath at the sight, already hearing the thumping music. You frowned, distaste swarming your face.

Oscar walked over to you, slowly registering your expression. "Why do you hate Waterway so much? It's all everyone ever wanted to go to as kids."

You swallowed, one eye squinting from the sun invading your space. Putting a hand to shelter your vision, you sighed. "Crowds. Noise. An uncontrolled environment. Need I say more?"

"Forget about the rest. Just focus on me," Oscar shrugged.

His words were simple, likely with no intention behind them. Yet you couldn't help widen your eyes slightly. You gulped at the brown eyes staring back at you, bunny teeth on full display. You cleared your throat, diverting your gaze to your surroundings. "Easy for you to say."

Oscar rolled his eyes, hand reaching out in a gesture to get you to follow him. "Come on."

You looked at his hand and back at him, giving him a raised brow. Oscar remained determined, fingers still twinkling towards yours.

You pressed your lips together before a relentless sigh escaped your throat. Tentatively you held his hand, watching his fingers clasp around yours as he guided you towards the noise.

Oddly enough, all the chaos seemed to fall on deaf ears. You could only think about the fact you were holding Oscar's hand. This was... weird. You should've let go. People were going to think that something else was going on. Because Oscar wasn't just yours or Hattie's, or Nicole's anymore. He was also everyone else's.

Still... you let him.

You didn't really have a problem with it. Not really anyways. Was that strange to say?

Pushing away your thoughts, you opened your mind back to reality as a spray of water came crashing over your body. You blinked rapidly, looking down at your thin cover up now lined with a stream of wet fabric. You flickered your eyes over to Oscar and the wide grin on his face. "I really hope you didn't just put a bucket of water over my head."

Oscar pursed his lips, looking over at group of people holding the water guns. "Well, I certainly didn't," he mumbled, voice tight, suppressing the waver of laughter rumbling through his body.

Before he knew it, you had released his hand and spotted a bucket full of water balloons nearby. The globes of colourful water-filled plastics were launched into the air one by one, all very clear of their target.

"Why am I getting attacked?" Oscar spluttered, hands moving frantically to cover his face and body as the splashes of water soaked his shirt.

"That's for laughing at me!" You retorted humorously, arm swinging yet again. You chuckled loudly at the shriek falling from his lips as he poorly defended himself.

Oscar groaned, wiping his face. He blinked through his lashes, he captured the sight of you keeling over, smile wide on your face as you laughed.

The sun shining behind you, the warm breeze travelling through your damp tresses, and swim coverup sticking to your skin. He could see you. No barriers. Nothing to hide behind. The real you. Your soul.

It made him warm. His chest felt light and yet so deep. Oscar had already understood. He liked you. But today, he felt like the happiest person on earth. And he hadn't felt like that in a while.

Not in Hungary.

Not in Baku.

Not in Abu Dhabi when Lando crossed the line and clinched McLaren their well deserved constructor's championship.

"Oscar?"

He blinked, seeing your hand wave in front of him. He raised a brow. "Yeah?" He queried, suddenly aware of how close you were to him.

"Are you okay? You just seem kinda of... frozen," you murmured, clearing your throat.

Oscar nodded almost instantly, noticing the nervous expression on your face as the beach became busier. "Yeah, fine. I'm fine," he assured. He took a deep breath, looking around him before fixating on the swarms of people in the water.

Once again his hand reached out to you. "Come on. Let's go."

You pulled your brows together. "Where are we going?"

The smile on his face hung loose. And it was enough to have your heart beating once again. What on earth was going on with you. He shrugged casually. "I know a place."

━━━━━━━━━━━

What Oscar really meant was that he knew a place fifteen minutes down the sand and near the wharf. An area secluded and away from the chaos, decorated with a singular bathing box.

This one wasn't like the rest lined up across the beach. The rest were all brightly painted with pinks, blues, yellows, and oranges. This one... this one was simply stained wood. Not a lick of chemical colouring.

"How did you find this place again?" You queried, eyeing the empty area as you placed your beach bag down.

"Well... I can't take all the credit. I asked Hattie if there would be any part of you that would even like Waterway. Then Edie said there was a place here where no one else goes... so," Oscar shrugged.

You smiled softly to yourself. "That's sweet, Osc," you murmured, enjoying the peaceful quiet. You turned to him, your eyes gentle. "Thank you."

Oscar nodded slowly, letting the silence take over for a minute or two. "Wanna take a swim?" He queried, pulling off his damp shirt and removing his shoes, leaving him half-naked in front of you.

"Um..." you started, forcing your eyes to peel away from Oscar's body. You hadn't noticed it during your midnight visit to the beach. But in this light, it was hard not to. You cleared your throat. "Sure."

Oscar pressed his lips together, fighting between turning his body and remaining still as you shrugged off your cover up. God, you looked so beautiful.

"What?"

Oscar blinked, dread filling his chest while his face grew warm. No way he had said that out loud. He swallowed hard, hand darting out to the sky. "The sun! The sun is so beautiful... you know?"

You squinted, looking up at the sky and then back at Oscar. "Right..." you trailed off. Maybe you were hearing things. But you could've sworn–

"Last one in buying dinner!" Oscar shouted, already breaking into a sprint.

You sighed, watching the water splash into him within seconds. You had no chance with that one. You pushed your legs further, a shudder rippling down your body the moment the cold water had wrapped around you.

"So... I was thinking Charlie's for dessert. And the pizza shop for dinner," Oscar stated, the teasing heavily underlying his voice while his head peeked above the water.

You shook your head, arms and feet wavering in the water. "And I thought you drivers were rich," you clicked your tongue in feigned disappointment.

Oscar rolled his eyes, curling his hand through the water to send a small splash your way. He chewed his bottom lip, taking a glance at you and then the rest of the horizon. "Wanna see how long we can hold our breaths?" He queried.

You raised your brows, a grin slowly making its way onto your face at sound of the childish suggestion. "Please... I would smoke you. I was on the school swim team for since year seven."

Oscar furrowed his brows at the new piece of information. That wasn't how he remembered it before he left. "You were? I thought it was a swimming club."

You snorted. "No I was on the team," you quipped. "I won awards and everything. Regionals. The whole nine yards or whatever. I guess you might not remember. You always had karting and well, then you left."

You winced at the blank look on Oscar's face. "Sorry, that came out weird. I didn't mean like left left. I meant like–"

"I know what you meant," Oscar reassured, soft smile on his face. He pursed his lips, a frown appearing soon after. "It just sucks I missed so much. Hattie's recitals. Mae's going to graduate school soon. Mum and Dad, they're getting old, slowly but surely. I mean God... it's so frustrating," he breathed out, running a hand through his hair. "And I'm still missing all of this."

You could feel your heart clench at the small crack in his voice. "I think you think they don't understand. But they do. We're all living life for the first time. It's not easy, Oscar. But you should remember that they're by your side. Always."

Oscar looked at you. What about you? He wondered. Who was by your side? It couldn't always be Hattie. And it couldn't just be your parents. He had watched you hole yourself in your room to study this summer more times than he'd like. The lamp in your room still on at two in the morning when he couldn't sleep.

"Hey, you know if you need to talk about anything I'm all ears, right? I mean I might not get the whole uni thing but I know it's stressful. Just don't let it eat at you. Yesterday is over. Tomorrow is yet to come. Today is yet unknown. Get some sleep, eat some food, and rest. You don't have to fix everything all at once."

One would think you got salt in your eyes. They were welling. You looked up at the sky, taking in a deep breath. Your eyes felt hot against the air.

You took in another gulp of fresh air before dunking your head into the water. It sounded clear under there. You could think better. But you couldn't do it forever. You pushed yourself up, the water rivets running down your face, perfectly mixing in with your tears.

You gave Oscar a tight smile. "I'm gonna get something to drink. Need anything?"

Oscar eyed your face, brows kneading together like he was trying to understand you. He nodded slowly. "I'll take something to eat," he murmured.

"Sweet. I'll be back, okay?" You told him, turning towards the shore before he could say anything else. You sucked in a sharp breath, harshly rubbing the tears from your face.

No one had ever told you to stop fixing. To rest. Not even Hattie. You supposed it was because you were a constant variable. Always there to do it. But when you needed it, there was no one else there.

You enjoyed it most of the times. The idea of solving and fixing, it came with the need to organise. What was planned and fixed couldn't hurt you.

But Oscar seeing right through you felt like he had ripped a part of you entirely and now you were left bare. Nothing to guard you. Nothing to pretend. And you weren't sure if you liked it.

━━━━━━━━━━━

"Well, I got some hot chips, fish, juice, and these questionable looking sandwiches," you stated, dangling the poorly wrapped bread in the air.

Oscar nodded with a thankful smile. "I'm so hungry I could eat those sandwiches and not question them," he commented.

You laughed to yourself quietly, taking out your towel before sitting on it. You both sat quietly, taking a chip at a time while you watched Brighton be, well, Brighton. While the chaos was far removed, you could still hear it in the distance, guitars strumming, the squeals of consequence as people were drenched in water... classic Waterway.

Your eyes fell to your phone, a ping capturing your attention. The purple bubble on the screen made you wince internally.

Shit.

"Who's that?" Oscar queried, dipping a chip into some tomato sauce before putting it into his mouth.

"Blake," you muttered, unlocking your phone to message him back.

Oscar's body went rigid. Blake? School Blake? He looked over at the water, swallowing hard before turning to you. "A-Are you texting him back? About that date from last time? Are you sure you want to do that?"

You peered at Oscar from your phone, giving him a curious look at his sudden newfound interest. "I might be... but why does that matter to you?" You asked.

Oscar blinked at your question. He tried to shrug, head shaking lightly with feigned indifference. "No it just.. I don't know, he seemed... weird," he confessed, wincing as the words came out of his mouth.

"What?" You furrowed your brows, straightening up. "He was nice and sweet. Even to you, watching your races."

Oscar huffed with amusement, dry smile on his face. "Right, was he now?" He retorted, throwing a damp strand of seaweed away from him. He clicked his tongue, dry smile on his face. "Ah... sweet and neighbourly Blake who can do no wrong."

What the hell?

You rested your phone down, looking at Oscar incredulously. "Oscar why are you being such a dick?"

Oscar looked back at you, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

You swallowed hard. "First you avoid me for a week, which you didn't apologise about by the way, and now you're... I don't know, interrogating me about my life, telling me what to do. I mean I just–I don't understand you," you exasperated, chest heaving.

Oscar closed his eyes momentarily, unable to say anything. He opened them again, watching you pack your things into your bag. He blinked, turning his body. "W-Where are you going?

You huffed, cheeks flushed while you hoisted your bag onto your shoulder and stood up. "I'm walking home," you simply stated.

Oscar's lips parted. "It's a thirty minute walk," he pointed out.

You shrugged. "I don't care. Maybe I'll get Blake to pick me up," you stated casually.

Oscar clenched his jaw, eyes briefly shutting once again as the idea infiltrated his head. Lord have mercy on him. He pushed himself up from the sand. "Come on. Don't be be like this. We don't have to talk. Just get in the car. Otherwise Hattie– my mum's going to kill me.

You sighed, pausing while you stared at him, nose flared and eyes firm. "Fine," you muttered, bending down to pack the rest of your items up.

Oscar watched you briefly, chest heaving before doing the same. He took small glances at you and sighed under his breath. How the fuck had he gone from watching you laugh to this?

© 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐘𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑

[ateezscupid]

─── 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝒀𝑶𝑼.. ꕮ 005 ─ Puzzle Pieces.

SUMMARY / When Yunho tells you about how he killed his father when he was younger, and still has the urge to kill, you don't know if you can trust him, but you can't seem to let him go. That is, until an old murder case resurfaces, and the more you look into it, your fears are confirmed.

WARNINGS ✩ Sensitive Topics!! (death, murder, stalking, abuse), reader has doubts about Yunho after hearing he has the urge to kill, Yunho assumes reader knows about his murders (she doesn't), reader does her own investigating into the murders!

WORD COUNT ✩ 2,72k

tags ✩ @desirehorizon @felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna @starillusion13 @mingitheskzstan @lezleeferguson-120 @hwallazia @hoe4yunho @prettylilack @lustfxq @shownumiss @hwxbibi@nneteyamss @joonhasjiminsjams @herpoetryprincess @napipope-ta @wyrated @leeseokiwi @trinityobsessesovatings @kittykat-25 @yourallaround-simp @ewsnup @kysstar @tunafishyfishylike @hwxbibi @hannieblue128 @piecessoull @heiswan @0323yuyu1024

ATEEZ MASTERLIST / SERIES MASTERLIST / REQUEST ─── Next Chapter ౨ৎ 

He killed his father.

He killed…his father.

His FATHER.

The words were still replaying in your head like a broken record. "He killed his father." You stared into the mirror, your damp hair covering the majority of your face. The towel around your chest slipped a little, but you didn't bother to fix it. The gravity of what you had just learned was too overwhelming to care about something as trivial as modesty. You had to tell someone. But who? The thought of Yunho's gentle smile and his sweet whispers sent chills down your spine. How could someone so charming be capable of such heinous acts?

But-- but he had to. His father was abusive, he had to. He had no other choice but to do it. So, it's not entirely bad, right?

You try to convince yourself. It didn't matter how you twisted it in your head; he killed someone. And he confessed that he still is dealing with those urges. The weight of the truth felt like it was suffocating you, but you couldn't bring yourself to hate him for it. Not yet.

"Y/N? You okay?" Yunho's voice rang from outside the bathroom, his hand gently knocking on the door. You took a deep breath, trying to compose yourself. You couldn't let him know that you were freaking out. Not yet.

"Y-Yeah! Yeah, just- just getting ready!" you called out, your voice shakier than you would've liked. You quickly dried your face and put on your best 'everything's fine' mask. When you opened the door, Yunho was leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest, looking as casual as ever. He raised an eyebrow when he saw you, but said nothing.

"Where are you going again? And who are you going out with, I wasn't keeping up." Yunho asked as he sat on the bed, scrolling through his phone.

You paused in the doorway, your hand on the knob. "Oh, just out with friends. You know, the usual," you replied, trying to keep your voice light. "Yunjin wanted to go out again, so…"

"Are you okay?" Yunho looked up, his eyes meeting yours with genuine concern. "You've been acting weird ever since we talked."

"Ever since you told me you killed your dad." you say bluntly, watching his reaction. His thumb freezes on the screen, his eyes snapping to yours. He stands up, his phone slipping from his grasp, the screen lighting up the dark floor.

"I-I just-- it's crazy to think about… N-Not that I think you'd do it again, but… I just need some space," you managed to spit out, avoiding his gaze.

"Do you think I'd hurt you?" Yunho's voice was low, the concern in his eyes now replaced with a hint of something else. You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but it sent a shiver down your spine.

"No… no, baby, no." you walk over to him, placing a trembling hand on his chest. "It's just- just a lot to take in, you know? It's not everyday you meet a guy who killed his dad." You force a smile, hoping it's convincing enough.

Yunho sighs, his hand cupping your cheek. "I know it's a heavy thing to know about me. But you're the first person I've ever told that to. And I only did it because I trust you." His thumb traces your cheekbone, his gaze searching yours.

"Yunho, I… I just need some time," you whisper, stepping back. The warmth of his hand leaves your skin cold. "I promise, I just need to… think."

"Okay, well… I got your outfit ready," he gestured to the nightstand, where a neatly folded pile of clothes sat. "But if you're not feeling well, we can always stay in."

"I'll tell Yunjin I only wanna stay out for a few hours, okay? I'll be home soon." You give him a peck on the cheek, hoping it's enough to ease his suspicion. He nods, his eyes still searching yours.

"Alright. Have fun, be safe," he murmurs, his thumb tracing your jawline before you pull away.

You smile and grab your clothes from the nightstand, shuffling back into the bathroom. You dress as quickly as you can, your heart racing. What are you going to do? The idea of being with a man who's killed somebody and told you to your face that he still feels those urges… it's too much. But then again, he's been nothing but sweet to you. The guy that everyone says is a monster is treating you like a princess.

You shake your head and stare at yourself in the mirror. His dad deserved it. Yunho's not some sort of cold-blooded killer. He's just a man who basically made a life-or-death decision when he was young. You've read about cases like that before, seen movies. It happens. And now he's here, with you, trying to be better. He's trying to live a normal life.

He wants to have that normal life…with you. Just the thought of spending the rest of your life with him makes you smile, it's bittersweet. You know you can't tell anyone. You can't risk them taking him away. So, you lightly slap yourself across the cheek and tell yourself to ignore it.

You leave the bathroom, wave to Yunho, and leave the apartment. As you step into the elevator, you let out a shaky breath, feeling both relieved and guilty for lying to him. The doors close with a gentle ding, and you lean against the cool metal wall, trying to collect your thoughts.

Now, it wasn't a complete lie. You were definitely still hanging out with Yunjin, but not really hanging out. More so, you were doing your own investigating. The police didn't seem to care about the uprising in women dying and their bodies being found in random places, so you decided to take it into your own hands. You couldn't just ignore it, especially knowing that you or any of your friends could be next.

"You okay?" Yunjin looked at you with a concerned expression as you sat on the couch at her place, your eyes glued to your phone.

You nodded, trying to keep your voice steady. "Just a little tired."

"You might be putting too much energy into this investigating stuff. I mean, the only thing they have is that all the women met their killer off a dating app." Yunjin handed you a cup of tea, her eyes full of concern.

"I know, I know. But, dude, think about it. We could be next." You took a sip of the tea, trying to play it cool. Yunjin's apartment was warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the chilling thoughts in your head.

"Well, you're already in a relationship. Why would you be a victim? You're not using the dating app anymore." Yunjin plopped down next to you, her voice filled with sarcasm.

"Okay, but the killer could change his M.O. at any time!" You set down the tea, your eyes wide with fear. "We can't just sit around and do nothing!"

Yunjin sighed, her eyes softening. "Look, I get it. But maybe it's time to let the cops handle it?"

"Ugh…" you groaned, slumping down on the couch cushion. "You're right. I've been so obsessed with this whole thing. I just… I don't know, I feel like I need to do something."

Yunjin nodded, patting your back. "It's admirable, but also dangerous. Promise me you won't go poking around by yourself, okay?"

"I promise," you replied, though the words felt like a lie. You couldn't just sit idly by knowing these women around you were dying left and right and nobody knew who was doing it.

Later that day, you were walking in a park, the same park you had first met Yunho in. The sun had set and the chilly breeze of the night whispered through the leaves above. You pulled your jacket tighter around you, trying to fight off the cold that had nothing to do with the temperature. The bench where you two had sat was empty, but the memory of your first conversation felt like it was etched into the very wood.

You sat down, feeling the cool metal beneath you, and pulled out your phone to scroll through social media, hoping for a distraction. But every post you saw was a reminder of the fear that had been growing in you since Yunho's confession. The smiling faces of friends, the joking comments, all of it felt so…fake.

What did he even mean by still having "urges"? Like, he still wanted to kill people? You had to know more. But how? You couldn't just ask him, could you? You felt like you were walking on eggshells around him. Every time he looked at you with those piercing eyes, you couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about it.

For a split second, you thought Yunho could be the killer.

But you pushed the thought aside as quickly as it came. He was too perfect, too loving. Sure, he had his issues, but who doesn't? And you've seen his kindness, his gentle touch, his soft-spoken words. No, he couldn't be the monster that's been leaving a trail of dead women across the city.

Yet, it was weird how he was talking to you on that dating app under a different persona. That had to be a coincidence, right? You shivered, wrapping your arms around yourself. You had to talk to Yunho about it. Maybe there was an innocent explanation. You stood up, deciding to head home, feeling the need to be around him again. The warmth of his presence could be your salvation.

When you arrived, the lights were dim, and the apartment was eerily quiet. You slipped off your shoes, padded through the living room, and found Yunho in the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee, his eyes scanning over a book. He looked up when he heard you enter, his eyes lighting up when he saw you.

"Hi, baby," you greeted, trying to keep your voice casual as you leaned against the kitchen counter opposite him.

"Hey," he replied, setting down his coffee and walking over to kiss you gently. "You're back early."

"Told you I would be back soon," you said with a small smile, trying to keep your nerves at bay. Yunho nodded, his eyes studying your face, looking for any signs of distress. You took a deep breath, trying to play it cool. "So, what's new?"

"Just reading. Wanted to wait up for you," he replied, his voice low and soothing. The way his eyes searched yours was both comforting and unnerving. You couldn't shake the feeling that he knew something was off, that he was waiting for you to crack.

"How was your night?" you asked, trying to keep the conversation light as you sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island.

"It was fine," Yunho replied, his gaze never leaving yours. "How was yours?"

You shrugged, taking a deep breath. "Same old, same old. Just Yunjin being Yunjin," you said with a forced chuckle.

"How is she?" Yunho's voice was calm, his eyes never leaving yours. It was like he was looking right through you.

"Fine." you gulp down the word with a tight smile. "Why are you looking at me as if you're about to eat me whole?"

Yunho laughs, the sound echoing through the quiet apartment. "I'm just happy to see you," he says, his smile never reaching his eyes. "But, you do seem a bit… off."

"What do you mean?" you ask, trying to keep your voice even. Yunho's smile widens, but it feels forced.

"You just seem… distracted. Like you've got a lot on your mind," he says, stepping closer. His hand rests on your shoulder, and you can feel his thumb gently rubbing circles.

"It's just… the whole dating app situation," you reply, trying to keep your voice from shaking. "It's weird how many people are just… disappearing."

Yunho's hand pauses for a moment before continuing its soothing rhythm. "It's scary, I know. But you're safe with me."

"I know," you reply, your voice barely above a whisper. "But what if it's someone we know? Someone who's been hiding in plain sight this whole time?"

Yunho's thumb stops moving. "What do you mean?"

"I dunno, just- recently, y'know… the girls who were found dead were all dead by places I hangout by a lot. It's just… eerie," you say, taking a sip of water to moisten your dry mouth.

Yunho nods, his eyes never leaving yours. "Yeah, it is. But you're safe with me, remember?"

"What're you gonna do? Stalk my every move so if something happens, you can defend me?" You laugh nervously, trying to keep the conversation light.

"If I have to," Yunho says with a smirk, his hand sliding down to yours. "But let's not think about that, okay?"

You nod, trying to ignore the way his words send a cold shiver down your spine. You don't want to think about it. You just want to live in the moment, in the bubble of love you've created with him. So you force a smile and squeeze his hand back. "Yeah, you're right. Let's just chill."

He nods, his eyes searching yours, as if looking for the truth you're hiding. But you just sip your water and pretend everything's fine. The silence stretches between you, thick with unspoken secrets.

"You're scared of me." Yunho's voice was softer than the hum of the fridge in the background.

"What? No!" you protested too quickly, your heart racing.

Yunho's expression didn't change, but his grip tightened around your hand. "I can tell, Y/N. Your eyes give you away," he said, his voice soothing yet firm. "You found out something tonight, didn't you?"

"What would I find out?" You furrow your eyebrows, genuinely confused.

Yunho's eyes bore into yours, unwavering. "You know what I'm talking about." He leans closer, his breath warm against your cheek. "You went out to find answers, didn't you?"

"Well- yeah! There's too many girls dying around me! It's scary!" You try to laugh it off, hoping it sounds like a joke, but it comes out hollow.

"I know it is," Yunho says, his grip on your hand loosening. "But you're okay. You're with me now."

"Mhn… what do you mean by 'found something out'?" you ask, playing dumb, hoping your heartbeat isn't as loud to him as it is to you.

Yunho just nods, his eyes still on yours. "I know you're not okay. You've been acting weird since we talked about my dad," he says, his voice calm yet firm. "My whole childhood, actually."

"It's not that, Yunho. Your dad had it coming. It was…" you sigh, "It was you saying you still had that urge.. The urge to hurt people."

"Oh," he says, his eyes searching yours, "that."

"Do you…get the urge to want to kill people?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper, the question hanging in the air like a heavy fog.

Yunho's expression doesn't change, but his eyes seem to darken a shade. "Sometimes," he admits, his thumb still tracing circles on the back of your hand. "But I control it."

"How-?" you start, but he cuts you off with a shake of his head.

"It's complicated," he says, his voice low and even. "But it's something I deal with. And I swear, I'd never do anything to hurt you."

You nod, trying to believe him. "I know, I trust you." But the doubt is still there, lingering like the scent of his cologne in the air.

"You don't have to be scared, baby," he whispers, leaning in closer. "I'd never hurt you." His breath tickles your ear, sending a shiver down your neck.

"Really?" you murmur, your eyes searching his for any signs of deceit. But all you find is the same gentle gaze that had captured your heart from the start.

"Yes, really. You're safe with me," Yunho says, his voice a gentle murmur that echoes through the quiet apartment. You want to believe him so badly, but the nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach won't let you fully relax. You take a deep breath, trying to steady yourself.

"I'd kill for you."

[bbina]

its safe to say you didn't get much sleep

the sheer thought of your new routine starting today wherein your boss would start driving you to and from work just kept you up all night tossing and turning

thinking about how a kind gesture led up to this?

but somehow deep inside, you feel like it's just some fluke. maybe bossman was just tired and cranky last night. the joint meeting did take four hours of everyone's time of day yesterday

yeah. maybe it really is just a fluke. just some in the heat of the moment type beat. chenle probably already forgot about it in his sleep

since you barely slept at all, you woke up a tad bit earlier than your set alarm so you took your sweet time getting ready for the day. for the first time in a long time, you were able to brew your own coffee today. you actually had time to prepare which has become rare these past few weeks

by the time you had finished doing everything, it was already 7:30 AM. you made a mental note to get a move on so you could catch the next bus by 7:45 since it takes 30 minutes to get to work from your apartment

you were taking your sweet time gathering your things for the day when your phone vibrates three consecutive times and then you get a call

your eyes widened when you read the I.D caller

fuck.

letting it ring two more times, you accept the call

"hello–"

"you're late" chenle cuts you off

your brows furrow, checking the time. it's 7:31

"huh? i'm not" you say, "i clock in at 8:30 case you forgot"

on the other end of the line you can hear chenle scoff

"didn't i say i'd be here at 7:30 sharp last night? and i told you not to be late"

your blood runs cold. what did he mean by that? was he actually downstairs?

you run up to your window that was facing the road. you look down below, trying to identify chenle's car and holy fucking shit. he was actually being serious last night

there he was, in front of the entrance of your apartment building. his sleek black car that you've ruined the seats of, parked directly in front with chenle leaning back on the car doors with his phone up against his ear

he really kept his word, huh

"i see you. you're already ready after all. i'll see you down here" and with that, he ends the call

you blink once. twice. going thrice before you let out a strangled scream

your phone vibrates in your hand again. you open your phone to see it was a message from chenle

[7:36 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): we're going to be late. [7:36 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): don't make me come up there [7:37 AM] you: ALRIGHT. I'M COMING DOWN ALREADY [7:37 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): finally. jesus. i'm deducting a small cut from your pay for making me wait this long [7:37 AM] you: for making you wait 5 minutes??? [7:38 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): time is money [7:38 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): why are you still texting me maybe if you just get down already maybe we could've had this conversation in real life

chenle sees that you've read his message and pockets his phone. he clicks in tongue in annoyance once more when he checks the time on his watch for the nth time today (it's been 5 minutes)

he thought you had understood his new implemented rule last night. did he not sound serious enough through text?

chenle was about to send another message when you finally walk out of the door

"good morning, boss" you greet, walking up to him while adjusting the straps of your bag

chenle narrows his eyes, "don't 'good morning' me. you're late" he says sternly, fishing out his car keys. "i told you i'd be here 7:30 sharp"

you purse your lips together, walking around the car to get to the passenger side. "i didn't think you were being serious.." you muttered

chenle's eyebrows shoot up and you instantly cower

"you've been working with me for a month and you still don't know when i'm being serious or not?" he says incredulous

"okay fine i'm sorry!" you stomp your foot like a child, "i thought it was just a fluke and you'd forget about it in the morning, turns out i'm wrong and you were being serious after all"

chenle scoffs, unlocking the car and getting in. you follow suit and close the door immediately. when you get in, you realized this was the car which seats you've ruined. he had changed the color of it. it went from brown to black

"well now you know i'm a man of my word" chenle huffs, bringing the engine to life. "you ready?" he asks, turning to you. you nod your head yes and he hums

his hand turns the gear shift to reverse and he starts to back out of the curb and before you know it, you were on the main road on the way to the company

the drive for the most part was silent. save the occasional mutters from chenle about getting caught in a red light or how the radio was playing shitty songs. luckily he didn't strike a conversation

and before you know it, you two have arrived at the company. chenle quickly parks at his designated parking spot and turns off the car but he didn't get out just yet. you two were just in there, in silence, unsure whether to leave already or not

"so who's getting out first.. me or you" chenle starts, staring at the dashboard. if he was being honest, he didn't really mind if people see but he's not exactly ready to explain what prompted him into clocking in at work together with his assistant when he was notorious for doing things alone

hell, he doesn't even come in with kun to work unless it's absolutely necessary like an important VVIP client was visiting and he had to be the first one to open the office

things like that. definitely not things like this

"uhh..." you paused, thinking about a good escape plan. "i think it would be best if i walked out first? since there's barely anyone in the parking lot" you suggest

chenle shrugs, not really caring who gets out first

"okay"

"okay.." you repeat, blinking at chenle who just leans back and whips out his phone. you look down at your lap before you look at the door. taking a deep breath, you put on the straps of your bag on your shoulder and open the door first. "thanks for the ride.. boss"

chenle just nods and continues to scroll through his phone

you take a good look around your surroundings. since it was still kind of early, it was basically a ghost town so you take this time to get to the front doors without any drawing suspicions from any employee whether they were a janitor or interns. word can spread around fast in office settings

when you finally enter the building, it almost feels like you just won a marathon. why did that walk from the parking lot feel like it was 5 kilometers away. maybe your thoughts were becoming excess baggage from overthinking everything

like what if anyone saw you getting out of chenle's car? what if someone found out that chenle had implemented a new rule last night that he'd start driving you home after jeno offered to? what if—

"good morning, my work bestie!" hyuck's voice rings your ears, greeting you at the front desk

fuck. the one person you hoped and prayed you wouldn't bump into first thing in the morning today specifically

"g-good morning!" you stammer, completely fucking yourself over. why were you so nervous for no reason?

hyuck raises a brow, a little skeptical at your reaction. why were you acting weird when the day barely started, let alone you just clocked in at the same time as he did

before hyuck could even ask a question, the man of the hour walks in

"boss man clocking in this early?! oh today is going to be a long day" hyuck exclaims in the middle of the lobby, causing a few visitors to look at him in bewilderment

chenle gives him a look before smiling at his receptionists, greeting them warmly

"good morning everyone" chenle greets cooly, he then nods to you in acknowledgment. "morning, assistant" he teases, smirking to himself when he notices you freeze for a second

you actually can't believe him right now. acting like he didn't just show up at your apartment early this morning to drive you to work. like you two weren't just in the same car for the past hour

you almost forgot that you were with hyuck at that exact moment. because the way he was shaking your shoulder vigorously asking why boss man was teasing you this early on in the morning

"hey what's up with that look bossman just gave you? you two have inside jokes now?! SPILL PLEASE" hyuck shoots out questions every 5 seconds

"what look are you talking about? you mean the same look he torments me with every waking day? yeah.. no" you shut him down before he could even start instigating or worse, making things up

hyuck cackles and pushes you towards the elevator where chenle was currently waiting in

"oh look at that! boss man is still here" hyuck muses, getting in the elevator with you in tow. "feels weird seeing you this early dude" hyuck wraps his arm around chenle's who just chuckles

"figured i need to start showing up more especially to my employees so that they could actually admire their boss" chenle boasts. to you however it almost sounds like a jab towards jeno who boasted (or at least, you think that's what chenle felt when he heard jeno say it last night) about how he treats his employees well

"you got my respect no matter what, dude" hyuck smiles widely at chenle

hyuck suddenly gets a call and excuses himself to the other side of the elevator. chenle takes this time to press the button to his floor. you could've done it for him since you were standing right in front of the elevator buttons but chenle had other plans

chenle leans a little too close for your liking and mumbles something to your ear. just loud enough for you to hear

"don't be late again tomorrow or i'll start charging late fees"

BUSINESS PROPOSAL ᝰ.ᐟ . . . CHAUFFEUR

✎ . . . things aren't going as planned the way you thought it was going to be. especially the part where you find yourself falling in love with your own boss– which was definitely not part of the agreed proposal.

[ PREV / NEXT ]

✎ AUTHORS NOTE . . . chenle is so hot i cry every time i remember

✎ TAGLIST . . . @mrkleelvr @jenodigital @https-dandelion @rik0shii @spacejip @yyangj3lly @multifandomania @taroddori @222brainrot @amouriu @defzcl @va1entinaa @carelessshootanonymous @onlywonb @flaminghotyourmom @do-you-remember-summer-127 @grimlinshere @yayayaiheardyouthefirsttime @hoeingthefuckup @meltinghershey @alwayswook @dutifullyannoyingstrawberrie @dudekiss3r @sibwol @mey-archive @morklee02 @httpsxnox @firydst @yuyita-rosier @ayukas @cottonjaems @monomya @neocults26 @greenyweirdo @cinneorolls @morkleesgirl @jising-jisang-jisung

[queersyourgender]

Could you possibly maybe write a Mateo diaz x reader??? The plot could be whatever you want but if you wanted a couple ideas it could be

Mateo and reader are dating/engaged, she works in psych but got padged to the ER or sent there either to deal with a patient or she got assaulted by a patient and needed help.

Or

Mateo x reader where shes jealous about Victoria having such an obvious crush on Mateo

Love your work sm! I hope you can write somthing for Mateo, I cant find any x reader with him and hes my favorite <3

Run of the Mill — Mateo Diaz x F!Reader

Notes: Eeee tysm for your sweet words! Mateo is a gem and I'd be happy to write something of him for you! Here's what I've got, I hope you like it! Brief references to accidental elbowing!

———

“Don't tell Mateo,” is the first thing that flies out of your mouth as your curtain slides open and Cassie's eyes land on you, instantly going wide and horrified by the sight of your gnarly black eye.

“Holy shit, what happened?” Cassie asks worriedly, immediately cradling your face in her hands and turning it side to side to observe you. She shines the light in your eyes, watches how your pupils react, the whole shebang. “How long have you been down here? I didn't even see your name on the board.”

You grimace as she lightly touches the area around your eye, clearly assessing for fractures in your skull. The thought frightens you a little, but after being a psych nurse for who knows how long, this is pretty run of the mill to you. “I just got here,” you confess, shrugging sheepishly at her. “They wouldn't let me walk it off upstairs.”

Cassie shoots you a glare that tells you just how bad an idea that is. “Of course they wouldn't, have you looked in the mirror?” She tells you, shaking her head in that every-disappointed motherly way she does whenever one of you lot is being stupid. “You look terrible, hon.”

“Jeez, Cass, tell me how you really feel,” you try to joke, only to end up winning as she presses her thumb at a particularly tender spot. She gives you a sympathetic smile and starts rattling off the things she's about to send you to do, from x-rays to CTs, when you see him in the distance.

The margin of spotting each other is quite literally the tiny gap in between the closed curtains, but you'd recognize that mop of curls anywhere. He's walking towards you, and you make a panicked noise, flailing your hands about and grabbing at Cassie's scrubs.

“Quick, don't let him see me!” You whisper-yell, trying to physically hide behind her as your fiancé gets ever closer to the two of you. Cassie doesn't budge where you pull her, because she's a traitor who wants you to get caught, just stands there and laughs.

“Is that my sweet angel future-wife's voice I hear behind this curtain?” Mateo's playfully days from the other side, cheerful and happy as he always is, until he pushes the curtain aside and sees the scene. Immediately, his smile falls and his easy going nature makes way for abject shock. “What the fuck?”

“Baby, don't freak out!” You immediately try to placate, holding your palms out for him to take. He does so immediately, of course, and you feel guilt gnaw at you at the slight tremor of his hands in yours. “A patient accidentally elbowed me during an episode, but they didn't mean to! I'm okay, promise. Tell him, Cass.”

“It looks worse than it is,” she offers weakly, and you shoot her a glare that says that's not helping as Mateo makes an even more worried sound and cups your face in his hands. He does the same exact spiel Cassie just did, but you don't bother trying to stop him. “She'll be fine, if she's a good girl and gets her scans done.”

“My girl is always good,” Mateo retorts quickly, almost reflexively, and your face flushes slightly as Cassie shakes her head in endearment at the two of you and walks away, tugging the curtain closed behind herself to give you two some privacy.

Carefully, Mateo pushes his forehead against yours, cautious to keep away from the bruised side of your face as he does so. “Would it kill you to be more careful?” He asks you exasperatedly, and you give him a shit-eating grin, twirling one of his curls around your finger to play with.

“It was an accident,” you remind him, and Mateo rolls his eyes fondly at your insistence. Instead of lecturing you, though, he settles on placing a chaste kiss over your darkened brow, thumbing at your swollen cheek and exhaling softly.

“You're going to be the death of me,” he murmurs against your skin, and you laugh as you thread the fingers of your other hands together and pull him down ever closer to yourself.

“Is that why they say 'til death do us part?” You ponder aloud, and Mateo snorts and quiets you by moving down to kiss your lips instead.

[emskryptonite]

Dinner

a/n: the first fic of the southern!batmom au let's gooooo!! I'm so excited to share this with y'all and i hope you all enjoy it as much as I've been enjoying planning it! also please remember that my inbox is always open!! if you have any thoughts, ideas, questions, or even little headcanons about this au, come share it with me!! i'd love to hear it!!

Summary: Bruce's wife talks him into inviting the Justice League over for dinner. They're quite shocked, however, when they finally get to meet the Dark Knight's wife for the first time.

Pairing(s): Bruce Wayne x southern!fem!reader

Word Count: 1.3k

Content/Warnings: reader is very much depicted as a southern woman, she has an accent, not proofread, that should be about it, this is just silly and fluffy :)

Masterlist | Bruce Wayne Masterlist | Southern!Batmom Masterlist

She’d been pestering Bruce for weeks. Now that the Justice League was closer to friends than teammates, she thought it was the perfect time to meet them all. Bruce, of course, was much more wary. He wasn’t overly keen on his teammates knowing so much about his personal life (no matter how much he had known about theirs from the start). After all, the two of them weren’t overly public with their relationship anyway. Gotham only really knew that Bruce was married, but they knew barely a thing about who his wife is. 

Eventually, though, she talked him into it (he can’t really say no to her anyway, but he’d never admit that to her). So, here Bruce is, standing in the Watchtower, cowl and all, begrudgingly about to ask his friends over for dinner at his wife’s request.

He approaches silently, as he always does, and clears his throat to gain the attention of the others, “I would like to invite you all over for dinner tomorrow night at Wayne Manor. If that’s something you all would be interested in, that is.” He looks away from them all quickly, more embarrassed to be doing this than he would like to admit.

“Uhh, yeah, sure, Bats. Is it okay if Lois joins?” Of course, Clark is the first to respond.

“Yes. The more the merrier,” he gives them all a tight smile and silently hopes he doesn’t appear as awkward as he feels.

“Welp, you know I’ll never turn down Alfred’s cooking. I’m in!” Barry decides.

“Same here!” Hal agrees, throwing an arm over Barry’s shoulders.

“Actually, my wife will be cooking dinner. She’s been wanting to meet you all, and she’s been looking for an excuse to cook.”

“Your wife? I didn’t even know you were married,” Oliver screeches.

“Yes. My wife.” Bruce leaves no room for questions, and as the rest of the League members tell them they’ll be at dinner, he takes his leave.

“Oh, dear God. Do you think she’s as broody as he is?” Barry shoots a nervous glance at the other heroes.

“Barry, give the woman a chance. I am sure Bruce has chosen well for himself.”

“Diana is right. Have some faith in the man. Besides, Dick doesn’t get his whimsy from Bruce. It’s gotta be from Bruce’s wife, right?” Clark looks around.

“I don’t know, Clark. I just can’t picture the guy with anyone who doesn’t aesthetically resemble Count Dracula.”

Just as Lois and Diana are about to scold Ollie for his words, the door swings open, revealing Alfred, Bruce’s more-than-kind butler.

“Ah, welcome in. Madam Wayne is finishing up the meal in the kitchen, if you all would like to join her. It’s just down that hall and to the right. I’ll go retrieve Master Bruce from his study.” Alfred wanders off in the other direction, leaving the League members to trade looks. Soon enough, they all give a silent shrug and head down the hall to finally figure out who in the world could handle being married to Bruce Wayne.

As they enter the kitchen, they’re met with the welcoming smell of a home-cooked meal. On the other side of the room, they can see a woman, Bruce’s wife, stirring a pot of something on the stove. She seems calm, in her happy place, definitely a contrast to Bruce’s usual brooding. Their observing is cut off, however, when Clark Kent decides to speak up.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry, but do I smell green beans?” He takes a cautious step forward, not wanting to spook you. She turns around with a bright smile, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Hey, y’all!” she greets them all warmly, her accent seeping through every syllable. “Ya know, I was just wonderin’ when one of y’all was gonna speak up. You’ve been standing there forever.” She turns back to the pot on the stove, making sure to turn slightly so she can still speak to everyone. She ignores the shocked looks on their faces; she was more than used to people not expecting Bruce Wayne to be married to some hillbilly. It made her laugh, really. “Clark, right? Yes! This is green beans, straight from the garden! I also made some fresh corn, some fried chicken, some mashed potatoes, a garden salad, and some banana pudding for dessert! I left the actual bananas out, though. I promise it’s better without them!” She gives them all a bright smile, and their jaws drop even further.

“Well, sounds like all that’s missing is some cornbread,” Clark jokes, and the rest of the team is shocked even further to hear Clark’s own accent peaking out. They watch as a light bulb goes off in Mrs. Wayne’s head, and she quickly dons oven mitts and bends down a bit to retrieve a cast-iron skillet of cornbread out of the oven. She stands upright, presenting it to the team of heroes in her kitchen with that same bright smile on her face.

“You reminded me at the perfect time! Now, Bruce likes to complain because my food is greasy, but that’s just how we cook where I’m from. If you’re like him and think it’ll mess up your diet, let me know, and I can see if Alfred will whip something up for ya real quick.”

They all share a quick glance with one another before silently agreeing that they wanted to try her food. Diana speaks up for everyone, “That’s alright. We are perfectly happy to eat the food you’ve prepared for us.”

At that moment, Bruce follows Alfred into the kitchen. He doesn’t spare a single glance at his teammate as he immediately moves to kiss his wife on the cheek and begins helping her plate everything.

“Well, everything is just about ready, so why don’t y’all go have a seat at the table while me and Bruce take everything up?” Once again, she hits them with that same honey-sweet smile.

Lois steps forward, shyly offering the couple the bottle of wine she and Clark had brought along. Mrs. Wayne takes it gingerly, thanking the other woman before telling Bruce to get out some wine glasses.

“Bruce, you complain about that? That meal was amazing. You have to share your recipes with me!” Lois jokingly scolds Bruce before complimenting his wife, and she wasn’t lying. Each of the League members had eaten well, especially Barry and Hal.

“I do not complain, but I mean, it is a bit greasier than what I would normally eat…”

“Darlin’, just the other day you were telling me how Timmy was craving some of my gravy and biscuits, and then you ate half the pan!” She laughs as she spills the story, and Bruce is looking at her like she hung the stars, the moon, and everything in between. Lois takes a moment to really look at the couple, and she decides, yeah, this makes the most sense. Someone as dark as Bruce needs someone like her to brighten up his life. After all, the Earth would be in complete darkness without the sun there to provide a way for the Earth’s beauty to be seen. If anyone ever wants to see the best sides of Bruce Wayne, they’d just have to watch him while his wife is around.

“Hold up. You put gravy on biscuits? The brown sauce most people put over mashed potatoes and various kinds of meat?” Barry questions, leaning forward in his seat.

“Oh, honey, you’ve got to let me make you some breakfast sometime. I had to open Bruce’s eyes, too. Don’t worry. Gah-lee, you people from up here just have me running ‘round like a chicken with its head cut off sometimes. I’ll fix you up, though.”

“Honey?” Barry whispers in Bruce’s direction.

“It’s a southern thing. She calls everyone either honey or sweetheart. It’s not always a compliment, though.”

“So, what? You have to share your pet names with everyone else?”

“Oh, no. Darling is reserved for me.” The Dark Knight couldn’t fight the smile that crept up on his face when talking about his wife.

Tags: @heartsforjh @alexxavicry

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[ohcorny]

How was your experience at ALA?? Did you get many pre-existing fans visiting or was it mostly newbies? What books did you get? Tell us everything!!

other than being Punished by train gods i had a great time yesterday! i ended up only being about thirty minutes late to the signing but everybody was super nice to me about it and nobody had minded. i drew So Many little bat wicks in people's books. if you ever make a piece of work you might be expected to sign, make sure there is at least one character that is easy to draw quickly.

that said i do wish i'd taken my time a little more. it is my instinct not to make people wait longer than necessary for Anything, and i had no idea how long the line was, so i didn't get to talk for very long with anybody. next time (fingers crossed) i want to slow down and actually chat with people.

as for the sort of people that came, there was a good handful of folks who'd already read it and it was a Delight to hear from them. but it was mostly teachers and librarians who'd heard of it and were excited to get it for their kids, or offer it as a prize in a giveaway. the idea that something i made, and i signed, could be a Prize, even a prized possession to the winner, is such an incredible thought.

this is what i came home with!

the author of the incorruptibles came by to get a copy of hunger's bite and i'd remembered her mentioning she was there as an author too, so when i saw she was doing her own signing after mine was done i had to grab a copy!

i made eye contact with the booth book-waver for the girl who sang and was invited over so there was no reason Not to grab a signed copy. i haven't read a lot of memoirs so though it wasn't one i planned to pick up, i'm looking forward to reading it.

i grabbed meat eaters because it sounded like it was playing in the same spaces as hunger's bite vis a vis hunger-as-metaphor and i was familiar with meredith's work in certain iron circus anthologies. i've read the opening of it now and i'm excited to read more. meredith if you read this please forget whatever dumb way i phrased 'our books play in similar spaces and i think that's cool' when i was at the table, you were the first author i talked to and i was still so fried from my own signing.

i also finally got my hands on a paperback of my own book lmao. all my comps were the sexy hardcovers.

go-man was given to me by one of the guys running my publisher's booth. hamish did the blurb for hunger's bite and i was interested in finally reading one of his books, so they gave me the display copy because it was the last day anyway lol. i read it on the train home and it was fun + cute! i love go-man's design.

i waited in a long-ass line for gender queer and had a delightful time talking to the literary agent who happened to be next to me. the people at ALA are sooo friendly, we got to talking because she saw i had a big pile of books in my arms by that point and was like OKAY WHATCHA GET!! and we just gabbed about what we were excited about and what got me into comics and what got her into repping artists. it was nice!

and meeting maia kobabe was v cool but most of the interaction was us pointing out that we were dressed practically identically. i wish i got a picture, you'd think we were both cosplaying the same guy. it was very funny. i'm excited to read the most banned book in america.

overall i had an extremely nice time and it broke my heart to leave and see the "see you next year in chicago!" sign because that means it won't be easily accessible for me to go again right away because chicago is too far ; ; maybe by the time book 2 comes out it'll be closer again.

[askoverkill]

ooc: i cant find any posts complaining about overkill au, are we sure anon isnt just overreacting to something? have they provided anything that shows theres a lot of people complaining about it?? otherwise i think its best to just block/ignore, you're free to do what you want to with your story, just as they are free to block the tag if they don't like it

// that's how i feel, i'm more than happy to tag and mind my own business.

// but if you check the replies another user mentioned they left 2 discord servers because people were complaining so much. that's... really worrying me and idk what to do. i want to try to fix things, i don't like upsetting people! so an open call to change things isn't a bad idea in my eyes, i'd be more than willing to address people's problems

// but otherwise if its not something i can fix, then, well, i'd just prefer not to hear about it. so that's my stance on things.

[h4mmiee]

dont mind me i just wanna yap about kpop demon hunters for a second from the perspective of a mixed korean-american

ive been seeing a lot of posts about how rumi being half demon is a metaphor for her being mixed (and the troubling implications of what demon hunters are then), and while i get where that theory comes from, id like to propose an alternate theory based on my experiences as a korean-american and how becoming a demon relates to shame and stigma !!

personally, i think rumi being half demon is more about the circumstances of her birth than her being actually mixed. it's mentioned a lot in the movie that becoming a demon has more to do with sin and shame than what you are -- it's a result of your past actions and choices, your "patterns" that physically reflect on your body. jinu is a human first but turns into a demon because of his selfish choices, but as rumi points out, she was born with patterns and born a demon. she's a demon as a result of the choices her father most likely made during his life.

korean society as a whole, in my experience, is still pretty judgmental over the circumstances of someone's birth and how a child is raised. circumstances like single parents, having children very early, being mixed, and struggling with substances and addiction are heavily stigmatized in korea still, and that judgement can often be (unfairly) passed onto the child as well. to me, rumi being half demon is a reflection of how she carries the weight of her parents' actions and who they were, and how she struggles to reconcile that with the person everyone else sees her as. for that reason, jinu is initially the only person she feels she can trust, as he's also carrying the shame of his own actions.

what's important though is when rumi, mira, and zoey ultimately do fight, it's not because rumi is half demon, but because she was hiding that from her friends and lying to them. mira and zoey are rather open about their insecurities and flaws, but rumi especially is closed off to them because she's terrified of their judgement. but something that's important about mira and zoey, however briefly it's mentioned, is that both of them also come from dysfunctional families. mira is an openly rebellious child and it's implied she doesn't speak with her family anymore, which is not as common in korea as it is in western countries. zoey is korean-american and it seems implied her parents are separated and she's struggled to find a place where she feels comfortable as a result. of course they'd understand rumi's struggles -- they deal with their own too. i think that's why in the finale sequence you can see small "patterns" on their clothing too, because they're similar to rumi in that way.

rumi being half demon is ultimately what allows her to receive jinu's soul, upgrade her sword, and turn the holmoon rainbow -- her past and her "shame" is what gives her even more strength to not just fix problems, but heal them. likewise, jinu isn't absolved of his past, but he's shown to still be able to make good choices now and change as a person in a way that benefits the world. gwima says early on jinu never does anything that doesn't serve himself, but he ends up being the first one to jump in and support huntr/x in their fight, giving his own soul to rumi so she can fight.

i love kpop demon hunters because the themes of it spoke very heavily to me as a mixed korean-american. the feeling of shame that jinu and rumi discuss is something that i really identified with, and i just wanted to yap about my thoughts on it. please feel free to add/discuss -- im only one perspective coming from my own personal experience, and i'd love to hear more !!

[samazing0831]

All the Voicemails I Never Erased - Steve Harrington x Reader

After one too many words left unsaid - and one too many that never should've been said at all - you stop answering Steve's calls. He leaves voicemail after voicemail, each one more desperate than the last. But when he shows up at your window, like he always used to, you're forced to face everything you've both been avoiding. Because friendship never came with rules... but your heart's already broken them.

689 words

The answering machine clicks again.

"(Y/N), I don't know what happened. I - God, I should've just told you earlier. I don't even care about Nancy anymore. She's not the one I'm thinking about. You're all I've been thinking about..."

Click. Beep.

Another message. His voice again.

You're lying on your bed, knees pulled to your chest, staring at the ceiling as the guilt claws at you like static. You stopped answering after the fight - after he brought up Nancy. You couldn't take it. You couldn't stand there and smile like it didn't split something inside you to hear him talk about getting back together with someone else.

Because it was always you.

Always.

But Steve never seemed to notice.

He left message after message. Pleading. Rambling. Regret stitched between every syllable. But you couldn't pick up. Not when your heart was still trying to piece itself back together.

You roll over, staring at the silent phone, daring it to ring again.

And then -

Tap. Tap. Tap.

You freeze.

Of course. The window.

You pull back the curtain, and there he is - Steve Harrington, clinging to your trellis like he used to when you were kids sneaking out past curfew. His hair's a mess, his jacket half unzipped, and his eyes wide with a mixture of nerves and something that might be hope.

You open the window just enough to speak.

"Go away, Steve," you say softly. "I just need time. I'm sorry about earlier, it's just - I don't want to talk about it."

He exhales sharply, his breath fogging the glass.

"I get that. I do," he says. "But I can't let it end like this."

His voice is quieter than you expect, less confident. "I messed up, (Y/N). I didn't even realize I said it - that thing about Nancy. But it's not because I want her. I don't. Not anymore."

You stare at him, silent.

"I thought you'd be better off without me," he says. "I thought maybe I'd already missed my chance."

He reaches for the windowsill, knuckles white. "But I was wrong."

Something cracks in your chest.

"Steve," you whisper, voice thin. "You made your choice."

He shakes his head. "No. I didn't. I just didn't know how to make the right one."

There's a pause. His gaze meets yours, steady now.

"I don't want to fight with you. I just... I want to be with you. And I know that's selfish, and I should've said it a long time ago, but I didn't. And I'm sorry."

You want to scream. You want to cry. You want to fall into him and let everything disappear.

But you don't.

You open your window the rest of the way.

"Come inside," you say. "But we're talking about it. Really talking."

He nods, climbs inside, and for the first time in what feels like days, you're not holding your breath.

He sits at the edge of your bed. Hands in lap. Still nervous.

"I didn't know how to tell you," he says. "You're my best friend. And I kept thinking if I said anything, I'd ruin everything. But I think not saying it ruined it worse."

Your voice comes out quieter than expected. "I wanted you to say it. I waited."

"I know," he says, looking down. "And I'm sorry. I was scared. But not anymore."

Silence falls between you like a held breath.

"I love you," he says simply. "I know that's a lot, but I do. And I think I have for a while now."

You blink. Once. Twice.

Then: "You're lucky I didn't erase those voicemails."

He chuckles, a breath of disbelief. "So you were listening."

"Of course I was listening," you say, voice cracking. "I've always listened. Even when I didn't want to."

Steve reaches out, takes your hand gently.

You let him.

"I want to get it right this time," he says.

"You'd better," you whisper. "Because I can't do this again."

"I won't let you," he says. And he means it.

He squeezes your hand. You squeeze back.

And for the first time in days, maybe even weeks, you believe him.

[fabuloustrash05]

Hi! I've been wanting to publish a tmnt rewrite post for a long time about what if April's "Half Kraang" arc had lasted a little longer and how will she walk the path after "The Kraang Conspiracy" episode. You, as a writer, I'd like to hear your version of how she would deal with such news rather than accept too quickly that she has been lied to throughout her life.

I'll definitely credit you as an author if I take some of your thoughts in my future post.

Thank you in advance if you read it ^^

Ooo! Yeah, I've been thinking about this too actually. In the 2012 series April seems to accept the fact she's a mutant way too quickly. I wanted to see her come to terms with it, explore how she and others (her dad specifically) feel about it and when did she fully embrace it.

April seems genuinely shocked, scared, like her whole life has been a lie, when first learning she's a mutant and rightfully so, but then the episode ends. After that reveal, she just moves on with her life, not really talking about it and showing concern about her new found identity.

The very next episode is the Fungus Humgus episode so I think it would've been a good start to explore her identity crisis. Maybe instead of the fear she's seeing being her dad as a bat trying to eat her (which can still be included) its her seeing herself transform into a Kraang like monster. Indirectly showing the audience that she's scare and confused, unsure of what exactly she is: "Am I human or a Kraang?! Why and how did this happen to me?! What am I??!!!"

I feel it would also be a good moment for her to talk with Splinter, since he's the only human turned mutant she knows (that this point) who can enlighten her on what it was like, feeling his body change and move into something else entirely, and how he came to accept his new life as a mutant. I think Splinter would admit to April he hasn't fully adjust to his new rat body and there are times he hates what he sees when looking into a mirror, but it's his sons are the ones who keep him going and appreciate the life he has now. It would also be a good bonding moment for her and Splinter, which we needed more of.

I remember one time I made a Tiktok a LONG time ago that basically went like;

Casey: You didn't say your friends are mutants! April: What's wrong with that? Casey: Mutants are dangerous! April, shocked and hurt: I'm a mutant...

So April would have moments like that where she's conflicted with mutant subjects. She's not human enough to be considered "normal" but she doesn't look mutant enough to be with them. She'd torn between two worlds and neither will accept her (cause it's established in later season that some mutants HATE humans: Punks Frogs, Alopex, etc.)

I feel there was also a missed opportunity for April to discuss this with her dad. Kirby must have SOME KNOWLEDGE about April's Kraang origin because he was LITERALLY THERE WHEN THE KRAANG TRIED TO CAPTURE HIS DAUGHTER BUT GOT HIS WIFE INSTEAD!!! (i'll get to more of that later)

The April's mom episode will also really take a toll on her, seeing that Kraang creature and fearing that is what she truly is on the inside. She has seen what she is capable of by this point and I think it would've been interesting to maybe have an episode during the farmhouse arc where April goes away for a bit, scared she'll hurt her friends until Raph is the one who finds her. He'd open up to her and tell her that while he won't understand what she'd going through, he knows he fear she has of hurting loved ones. This would also give a good April and Raph bonding moment of his sharing with her his fear of letting his anger getting the better of him that he harm hurt his brothers. Raph's words will give April the courage to go back the farmhouse.

I've always stood by the concept of April getting more Kraang features the more be begins to embrace and understand her powers. For me, it would start with April having green eyes instead of blue for the entire show (her mom has green eyes and so do the Kraang, subtly foreshadowing, you know?). Then after the season 3 finale, that's when things get crazy.

This moment is when April's Kraang side will really show. After April's freak out of Splinter's death, 6 long skinny pink tentacles will sprout from the back of her neck, pink antennas pop from the top of her head, she eyes glow full green. This is April's new look for the rest of the series. She can easily retracked them but whenever she's feeling intense emotion or even during combat, they sprout out and assist her. I can even imagine her using the tentacles to help her hold things lol.

Once April is in space, that is when she truly comes to love and embrace her Kraang mutant side. Being in space was like a self discovery journey. I feel her befriending and training with Fugitoid would help her embrace that side of her. Fugitoid would train her to properly control her powers, making her comfortable with her Kraang features being out (note: beginning of space arc she'd hide them in shame for looking like the enemy, Mikey thinks they're cool and wants to test them, but the Turtles tell him to give her space and let her adjust). The Utrom Council could also play a role in April learning more about her Kraang side, or even her mother's origin. By the end of the Space arc April would fully embrace her Kraang features and show them off with pride. This will lead to conflict with her father later in season 4.

Side note: I'd also like to add the concept of April befriending Mona Lisa and her being the one to give her ideas of how to fight with her Kraang tentacles, since Mona fights with her tail. Just a cute idea lol

April would finally confront her father about their family connection with the Kraang after returning from space, and it's reveal Kirby has always known she was a mutant Kraang, and her mother had ties with them. He just never wanted to tell her and hoped the Kraang would never find them. He never wanted that side of his daughter to come out, after all he's been through with losing his wife, he feard this Kraang side of his daughter would make him lose her too.

Spoilers for Kpop Demon Hunters, but it will be like the scene when Rumi confronted Celine for making her cover up her demon patterns;

April: Why can't you love me?! Kirby: I do! April, Kraang side coming out, full of rage: ALL OF ME!!

This drama would also tie into The Power Inside Her episode (which btw would've been a good season finale after all that build up). I don't know fully how it would play out, but her dad will play a big part in the whole Za-Naron situation. It will end with Kirby finally realizing he's fear is pushing his daughter away and he accepts her for who she is fully and is supportive from there on out.

But those are just a couple of ideas I have for this concept! I hope you like them and I cna't wait to see what you'll do with them! Feel free to add your own creative ideas too :D

[all-our-turf]

🎀+ all of the warriors for the hc prompts?

[ 🎀 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is their main love language ?

cochise: i think quality time, she just likes being present with the people she cares about, regardless of what they're doing. she's versatile yknow.

cowgirl: physical touch. she's constantly linking arms with someone when walking or grabbing onto someone when she's excited and leaning on the others on the couch or fidgeting mindlessly with someone's fingers or hair. i feel like cowgirl is very physical even in small gestures.

fox: i have zero evidence for this but i want to say gift giving. like i think fox constantly finds random trinkets and such that she loves giving to the others. she’s scarily good at stealing from stores or talking a stranger into getting her something or convincing a cashier to lower a price (all of which partly inspired her name) and so she’s constantly collecting things to give to the others. and they’re always for specific reasons or reminded her of a specific person.

cleon: i'm thinking words of affirmation but like. in subtle ways. she always makes sure her warriors know that they've done good. she knows she asks a lot from them and its important to her that they know how valuable they all are to the gang.

ajax: acts of service for sureeee. ajax is most comfortable expressing herself through action and will go to unimaginable lengths for the people she loves.

rembrandt: i'm also thinking quality time for her. rembrandt just loves existing in the same space as the people she cares about - she likes to watch them and hear their voices and idly sketch while her favorite people are around her.

swan: also acts of service. she's similar to ajax in the way she protects and cares for the people she loves.

mercy: definitely physical touch, we've all seen the photoshoot content right?

send a character + hc prompt from this list

[whippetcrimes]

We went out to our first ever straight racing meet today. I was intending to just talk to people, check things out, and let Misty observe, but she had an opportunity to do a practice run and we took it! This is right after I caught her and got her off to the side, do you think she loved it??

There is the usual plastic bunny I'm familiar with, but there's also a squeaky stuffed animal that makes noise as it bounces along the ground and. This is a dog who is obsessed with the bunny. This thing had her in full crazy mode. I've never seen her run so intently. She is muzzle trained, because I've been wanting to try this someday, but today was her first time running in it. Muzzle? Forgotten. We'll have to go out again and get more box practice, but she's otherwise good to go!

[dailymanners]

Tips and ideas for how to respond when someone is being rude to you

For personal reasons I won't get into, I have a history of just freezing when some is rude / hostile / aggressive / condescending / patronizing / etc. It's obviously not something I'm happy about at all, most people who freeze or fawn aren't happy about it and would change it if they could.

One day I confided in my co-worker, a middle aged woman in her 50's, that this is something I struggle with. Considering how confident and assertive she always struck me as, I was shocked when she told me this is also something she's struggled with.

The advice she gave me is to just memorize and practice a few broad statements or reactions that you can pull out of your pocket so to speak when someone is being rude or disrespectful to you. It's not easy if you're someone who's been conditioned to freeze or fawn, but practice helps. Practice saying these things when you're alone. Put up a sticky note next to your bed or on your bathroom mirror with these phrases and practice them when you see them. Practice saying these with a partner or trusted friend, role-play scenarios where you might need to use these phrases.

Here's a few phrases that have worked for me. The nice thing about them is that they tend to shut down the situation rather than escalating, while still letting the aggressor know that you don't find their behavior acceptable.

"Are you okay?"

This works well in professional settings, because it's not like your work place's residential bully can run to HR about you asking if they're okay (but they might if you try to retaliate and give them a taste of their own medicine). However, it still effectively sends the message "I think there's something wrong with your behavior and don't accept it". It's also not likely the response they're expecting, so it'll likely throw them off and prevent further verbal aggression.

"Could you repeat that for me? I didn't catch what you said."

This one is most effective for people you believe to actually have a conscious and might regret what they said if they actually thought about it a little more. I find that often when I do this one, when people repeat the rude/snippy/patronizing/etc thing they either shamefully stumble over their words and show some remorse, or they change altogether what they say. In the off chance they don't regret what they said and end up repeating exactly what they said, this at least buys you some time to think of a better reaction since you're no longer caught off guard by a sudden rude and snippy remark.

"Can you explain what you mean by that?"

Similar logic to the last one. Often when people are being rude/snippy/patronizing/etc they're caught up in their own emotions in that moment and didn't think it through. This is a polite and civil way of putting their rude behavior in the spotlight and making them reconsider what they said. The other advantage to this one is that in case you did misread their intentions and they meant no harm by what they said or did, this gives them an opportunity to clarify that, instead of you just feeling bad over a statement or actions they actually had no ill intentions with.

If anyone has any further examples of reactions / responses / statements that have worked for them, I'd love to hear about them. I'm new to studying the art of how to civilly yet effectively shut down bad behavior from others, so I'm always open to hearing more suggestions.

[suksatoru]

smile for the camera! — ft. k. bakugo x fem!reader

katsuki bakugo is tricked into smiling during an interview when they bring up your name!

you didn't notice it at first, but katsuki bakugo developed smile lines after meeting you.

he didn't smile much as a kid. most of his baby pictures consisted of him either crying, screaming, or making some sort of vulgar gesture at the camera. it only got worse as he entered his teen years. his temper calmed down a bit, sure. but the chances of catching katsuki bakugo smiling were as rare as catching lightening in a bottle.

the paparazzi were well aware of the famous dynamight barely having any pictures of him smiling out on the internet—there were three singular photos out there that consisted of him with a somewhat pleased expression on his face, and the only reason he looked that way was because you were in frame right beside him.

it seemed to be a well known fact that getting bakugo to smile was nearly impossible—but the current interviewer sitting in front of bakugo was determined.

"great explosion murder god dynamight—or, well, just dynamight sir—what would you say is your favorite part about being a hero?"

katsuki stops himself from rolling his eyes, already anticipating the rest of the interview's questions as he answers flatly

"the glory. the strength. and kicking ass—make that the first thing, actually."

"okay! now, i'd like to ask you a few more things..." the young woman chirps up, and katsuki sighs and tells her to continue. the next dozens of questions were just as he'd predicted—stuff like asking who his biggest inspiration was, what kind of merch his team would be putting out in the upcoming months, and what he thought his weaknesses were.

"—and i don't have weakness. i'm fucking perfect, ask anybody. now, are we done here?" he snaps, rolling his shoulders as he moves to stand up, eyes flitting towards the exit with nothing but disinterest

he'd spent an entire hour answering these stupid questions when he could've been out fighting villains, finishing up his paperwork, literally anything else would be more time fulfilling than answering baseless questions like these ones.

the interviewer's eyes widen when katsuki stands up from his seat, stretching his arms above his head with a grunt before she quickly interrupts him

"what about your wife!"

"....eh?"

"your wife!" she says, quickly collecting herself

"could you tell us about her? it seems like many of your fans are interested in learning more regarding you two! you have a very private relationship, so it's only natural for people to be curious!"

katsuki blinks, absorbing her words. slowly, his feet—once pointed towards the exit—shift ever so slightly towards the woman

"well...what do you want to know?"

and that's how katsuki found himself sitting in the same seat another hour later. except this time, he had the dorkiest grin ever plastered on his face.

"oh i knew i wanted to marry her the first time she yelled at me—she was pretty feisty back in our ua days. still is, but now all the insults she throws my way usually have the word babe or honey added at the end. she has a clever mouth, i'm warnin' ya—you don't wanna get into an argument with her."

the interviewer laughs, and katsuki decides he might come back to this station another time if they asked. he's... well, simply put, having fun.

he leaves after another forty minutes, only because his manager literally dragged him out of the room—he had a meeting to attend and then his patrol—but he left waving at the camera crew and in a far more better mood than he'd arrived in.

katsuki spends the rest of the day getting through all of his hero duties, the interview slowly being pushed to the back of his mind as he focuses on finishing all his work and coming home to you.

it's nearly nine pm when he opens the door to your shared apartment—groaning about how tired he was and how you better not be asleep—when he hears your padded feet running towards the main entryway to greet him

"you're home!"

he offers you a slanted grin, opening his arms for a hug

"missed ya today," he mutters, pressing a kiss onto your scalp as you peer up at him with a grin—looking a little too happy.

"what're ya cheesing so hard about?"

you hum, tapping the back of his thigh with a knowing grin

"your ma called. guess what she told me?"

katsuki groans, shrugging off his gauntlets and boots before tugging you towards the couch in the living room, flopping onto it while mumbling under his breath and pulling you towards his chest

"you two devils were probably gosspin' about me, that old hag better not have sent you any pictures or i swear—"

"she told me to turn on the tv and head to channel seven."

katsuki pauses, staring at you with furrowed brows. well, it couldn't have been him on channel seven, right? he didn't have any crazy villains to deal with for once, so it wouldn't make sense for him to be on one of the main channels today.

"what..."

he smacks his forehead with an embarrassed groan when you pull out your phone and show him your recording of his interview. you're practically bouncing on the couch beside him with glee as you shove the screen in his face

"you're smiling! they made it the cover of their video, too—gosh you look so cute when you smile! and you're talking about me!"

katsuki huffs, but watches you play back the video with a cheesy grin on your face. your round eyes are illuminated by the screen, and you re-watch the video with your lips parted in awe

"you got the real thing right in front of you but you'd rather watch that...i see how it is." he grumbles, something similar to a pout forming on his face when you still don't acknowledge him—too busy watching his video as you bring the phone closer to your face

"i'm going to screenshot your smiling face in this video and make it my profile picture on insta—"

he snatches the phone out of your hand, powering it off before tossing it aside and wrapping his strong arms around your waist in an iron grip

"i'll make that one of you snoring and drooling all over my chest my profile picture if you even think about it."

"i'm pretty sure half the comments on that video literally have your smiling face as their profile picture."

"...well that's a lot of people i'm gonna have to sue."

[nezuscribe]

there’s been a couple nights where you and arranged!gojo have had to host little dinners at the estate to show face and let people know you two are still alive.

it’s before the big confession, when the two of you were becoming closer, so it was just pretend niceness hiding the tension for a couple hours.

you tried to talk to the people around the large dining room table, sitting near gojo as you listened in on the conversation, but it was better to just be a part of it rather than the center of the spotlight. gojo had become increasingly aware of the long looks people gave your way, the hushed talks behind the women’s hands. you didn’t notice, maybe you’d been jaded to it, but he did, and he was becoming more tense under their stares.

he noticed how you’d try to jump in and say something, but was instantly cut off by somebody else. gojo had told you before the dinner started that the two of you should hold hands, but you hadn’t let go of his, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to let go of you either. he’d give you an encouraging squeeze, one which you gave him a little smile to, but still clammed up, sitting back in your seat.

"want me to tell them to shut up?" he whispered to you, dropping his head near your ear so that nobody else could hear.

"no it's okay," you say with a laugh, waving it off, "i was just going to ask what cashmere is," you say, in relation to a previous story one of the girls was telling about cashmere moth, and how her entire closet was chewed to bits because of the creatures.

"it's a type of fabric," he explains gently, his eyes searching yours, "very soft," he adds with a little smile and yours grows wider.

"i'd like to see it," you comment, leaning a little bit closer to him.

"i'll have your closets full of cashemere by the morning if you'd like," he says, but you know deep down it could be a promise if you simply said yes.

but you giggle, shaking your head.

"no," you're looking up at him in that way that makes his tongue feel heavy, "the moths, they must be huge," you murmur and he snorts, squeezing your hand a little bit tighter in retaliation.

to be honest, gojo hated these dinners. these people he grew up with were dull and annoying, their conversations full of lame gossip and cheap jokes, and he’d much prefer your lively stories with just you, but they were a necessary evil.

when the servants had cleared the meal away and had begun setting up for dessert, he could feel the stare of one of the girls, anya, and the way her eyes squinted when he caught her looking. he saw the way she sneakily tipped her head back, chin pointing to the opening near some of the stone columns, and excused herself a couple seconds later, looking over her shoulder at him before she disappeared.

gojo knew anya. he’d fooled around with her a couple of times long before the two of you got married, but he found her a bit shallow and dim, nothing he found interesting. he looked over at you to see if you had seen her, but you were looking at your plate, moving some grains of uneaten rice around with your fork.

curiosity got the better of him, wondering what it was she wanted, and so he stood up, his chair scraping behind him as you let go of his hand, you, along with everybody else, looking at him as he excused himself to the washroom.

he walked briskly past the table, leaving through one of the openings of the stone columns, looking around until he say anya at the end of the hall, waiting for him.

“what?” he bit out, hushed, looking behind him to make sure that nobody had followed him out.

anya smiled, her teeth glimmering as he neared her, standing a safe distance away as she pouted slightly.

gojo winced. he forgot how her smile up close was unnerving, the way it wasn’t as soft or full of emotion like yours. her eyes, a deep hazel, glimmered as she took a step closer, her fingers reaching for his collar.

“i missed you,” she whispered, lips glossy as she peered up at him, her lashes batting against her cheeks as he felt his mother dry up, feeling a sudden air of nausea overtake him as he swatted her hand away.

he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“is that all you wanted to tell me?” he hissed out, knowing how stupid he sounded seeing how he had followed her out, surely expecting this.

“what?” anya tilts her head, “thought you’d like to hear it.”

gojo rolls his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest.

“i thought you had something important to say,” he shrugs, looking away, focusing on a crack, getting ready to leave until she laughs, shaking her head.

nobody said he was the brightest soldier in all the land. he’s not above some actually good gossip, but he had a feeling this ain’t about to be that.

“you’ve always loved gossip,” her eyes glimmer as she takes another tentative step closer, “is that why you married the center of it?”

his eyes narrow slightly, but she just sees him listening to her.

“come on,” anya snorts, her hand coming up to his face until she stops at his cold gaze, pulling her hand away, “we all know it’s not rank or looks that made you marry her.”

gojo feels his arms tighten, a vein bulging in his neck as he swallows thickly. he doesn’t say anything, wants to see how she continues, wants to see what everybody else thinks without saying it.

"i mean, your mother keeps saying it was reciprocal," she rolls her eyes, laughing mirthlessly, "but i know that's a lie. you look miserable whenever you're around her."

gojo feels his eyes twitch, his ring shining in the slivers of moonlight through the large, overarching windows.

"did you call me here to talk ill of my wife?" gojo bites out, but she can't sense his tone, giggling as she shoves him, his body not moving.

"drop the theatrics 'toru," he feels bile in his mouth at her sweetened words, "it's just me," she says, biting her lips as indiscreetly as she can, eyes raking over his toned body as she looks back up to his face, "but regardless, no, i had something else i wanted to tell you."

she sighs, her voice a little higher as if he wouldn't notice.

"i'm staying at the hostelry in the town near here for a couple of nights," she bats her eyes again, and suddenly gojo wonders if he had been insanely ill when he had slept with her those months ago because now he feels sick just looking at her, "if you wanted...i'm there for you."

he raises his white brow slightly.

"gods anya," he breaths deeply through his nose, his eyes darkened, "you have audacity if nothing else."

she smiles brightly, taking it as a compliment.

"i know," she winks, "i looked around the area, and nobody of import comes near there. i know you need it as bad as i do," her voice drops a little, eyes falling slightly to the ground, "people are talking. i know how lonely you must feel."

his nose wrinkles slightly in confusion.

"what are you talking about?"

anya looks at him briefly before looking away, shrugging.

"everybody knows you two don't share a room," she explains, "and how she's not even showing signs of pregnancy. is she frigid in bed? you know, some people are saying she's infertile."

gojo straightens up, a new look taking over his face that makes her voice die down.

"what? who's saying that? who's talking?" he presses, and she feels her mouth dry up, suddenly picking up on the fact that he doesn't seem to be at all interested in the deal she's trying to make.

he feels a sudden wave of mixed emotions washing over him.

are the maids taking? gods, that makes him feel even worse. it surely couldn't be yours, they care for you too much. but it must've been somebody who knows your situation, somebody who sees the way you live on different sides of the estate. gojo feels a sinking pit in his stomach. these rumors that are growing because of his own selfish actions, rumors at your own expense, ones you have no control over, by people you've been trying to befriend for ages.

he knows people look at you whenever you enter a room, hears their awfully concealed whispers. and despite the fact that you try to hide the hurt on your face, he sees the way you avade their glances, hide into yourself to act like it doesn't bother you.

are these whispers now because of him?

"i don't know," she mutters, annoyed, "everyone. you barely look at her. did your parents pay you to marry her? she must've been-"

"stop it." gojo warns, and she shuts her mouth, eyes shimmering with shock.

she looks like she's about to say something but stops, looking over his looming body at something.

"gojo? is that you?" another voice calls out, and he turns around, all the anger melting off of his face when he sees it's you, standing near the pillars as you try to find him.

you smile when you see him, still not seeing anya who's hidden behind him, and wave for him to come back.

"they're about to serve dessert," you say, trying to be as quiet as you can, "oh, are you with someone? sorry, i didn't mean to interrupt..." you trail off, your smile falling when anya shuffles around, making sure you see her behind him, your eyes widening.

gojo feels his world slipping beneath him as your shoulder drops, looking at him and then at anya, a somber look taking over your features. you look for another second, not knowing what to do. gojo feels like a fish, gaping silently at you, never looking back at anya, but you excuse yourself, going back to the dining hall without saying another word.

gojo stares aimlessly at the wall in front of him, not sparing his energy to look at the girl peering up at his face.

"get out," he murmurs, his voice low with timber.

"w-what?" she stammers, brows furrowing in confusion.

"get out before i call the guards," he snaps, looking at her from the side of his eyes, "fucking now anya, leave."

she looks up at him, swallowing thickly, but gets the memo that he's being serious. she scammers away, sniffling dramatically as she disappears through another hallway.

he drops his head into his hands, massaging his temples.

his eyes fall to his ring, the one that seems to be growing cold on his finger.

he feels his heart burn in his chest, every step feeling like he had stones tied to his feet as he makes his way back to the hall, hearing the edited clammer of the people welcoming him back, but there was only one person he cared about.

and you weren't looking at him.

in fact, you didn't speak to him that entire night. nor that following week.

gojo has almost bled to death before and has had arrows pierce his back and exit through his chest, but he'd rather experience that ten times again than feel the agonizing silence of the woman he's starting to love.

(second part)

[your-internet-bf]

We hadn't always gotten along. When our parents got married, we could barely stand each other. How could we get along with some brat we barely knew? Luckily, I had an idea. I bought a clicker - you know, the one they use to train dogs? - and got to work.

I started with "thank you". Every time you said it, maybe at dinner, in the car, at a restaurant, I pressed the clicker. You couldn't tell where the sound was coming from, and nobody else seemed to know what you were talking about. But soon, I started helping you with chores around the house and when we finished, *click*. And without really thinking about it, you'd say "thank you."

A few months passed, and you'd started to notice things about me. I took care of myself. I was clean, and I exercised regularly. You'd hang around when you knew I'd be back from the gym just to catch a whiff of the sweat and metal on me when I returned - our eyes caught once when you got a little too close, and for the first time you saw something primal, a little dark, in my gaze. But it passed in an instant.

We started getting along better, now. So one day, when you were lying on the couch with a snack bowl, I snatched it up and motioned to throw it into your mouth. Well, innocent enough, right? And it wasn't like I was eating much, so it's fine, right? Every time you open your mouth to catch, *click*, *click*, *click*.

Then, I invited you to come work out with me. Every time you did a squat, *click*. I told you it was a metronome to keep your intensity up, but you noticed the bulge in my sweatpants was bigger than usual. Wait, when did you start noticing my bulge, especially enough to know that...?

Finally, it was time. I'd been listening outside your bedroom door for weeks now, and I knew when you'd be asleep. I quietly opened your door and stepped into your room, locking it behind me. You stirred at the sound of the lock clicking, but I wasn't afraid.

I gingerly pulled down the covers and just... stared for a while. I'd never taken the time to really look at how beautiful you are, how gorgeous those curves were. I could hardly stand it. As you lay on your side, I took out the clicker, and *click* it once. Laying on your side, like you were on the couch with the snacks, you obediently open your mouth.

I pull down my pants, my long, thick cock swinging between my thighs. I brush the back of my hand over your cheek, then set it firmly against the back of your head, and push into your mouth.

You wake up almost immediately, but my hand stops you from pulling back as I force inch after throbbing inch down your throat. The more you struggle, the tighter you feel, the harder I push, until you felt your nose press into my hips. You push as hard as you can against me, but I'm so much bigger and stronger than you it doesn't do anything. I don't even budge.

I start to grind into your skull, making you swallow the thick, heavy head of my cock again and again, as I groan in pleasure. I start thrusting harder and harder, making your eyes water as I slam my hips into your face again and again, until finally, mercifully, I release inside you, deep inside your throat. You feel me pulse with your whole mouth, and you struggle to swallow each load of thick, hot, sticky cum while I'm still inside you.

With a shuddering breath, I pull out, letting you breathe properly for the first time in minutes. I watch while you cough and catch your breath, and then I ask, "what do you say?"

You breathe in intending to scream, but then you hear it, just one soft *click*, and all you can say is "thank you".

You stare at me, confused. I wipe my cum off your chin with my thumb, and *click* again. "Thank you", you say.

"I knew it. You're such a good girl, aren't you? Now," I push you onto your back, "spread for me."

*click*

You raise your legs to either side, exactly like you're doing a squat.

"I don't - I don't understand," you whimper, legs still in the air.

"You don't have to," I reply, reaching one hand between your legs to feel how wet you are.

"You're soaking, little girl," as I bring my hand up for you to see... Then make you taste it. I reach back down and slip in two of my thick, strong fingers, and cover your mouth with my other hand as you moan. I press up in just the right spot, rubbing in tight, quick circles so deliciously that you can't help but arch your back and grind into me. You feel the pleasure build and all thought leaves your mind; the only thing that matters is my fingers inside you, the scent of my hand over your mouth, and the lingering taste of me.

But before you can finish I pull my fingers out, pressing up and out, leaving you twitching and gasping. "Not yet," I mutter, and I move myself down between your legs. I line up my cock, slapping it down on your tummy first. It reaches your navel, and you feel a wave of fear that only makes you wetter. I pull back, then start pushing in.

It's thick, thick, thick, and heavy. I stretch you out wider than you thought possible, pressuring you in every direction, spreading your aching cunt and making you feel full inside for the first time in your life. Long, deep strokes, moving your whole body with every thrust, reaching inside you, my breath coming fast and hard.

And you hear it again.

*click*

"Thank you," you choke out between sobs.

*click*

"Thank you," you moan.

*click*

"Thank you," you plead, tears in your eyes.

My strokes come faster now, slamming inside you like an animal as you continue to thank me for raping you. Finally, finally, finally, you feel me tense up and slam deep, deep, deep inside you, pressing your whole body into the bed, as I cum again. Huge, hot, sticky white loads of my cum shoot inside you, filling you, as my breath comes in gasps, and as I do you feel it too, now, the wave of pleasure cresting, and you cum, your legs squeezing together, your face screwed tight, moaning with the release of months of tension. And as you cum, you hear a new sound, a familiar sound, but it's deeper than the others...

*click*

And you cum harder, knowing I'm training you like a bitch in heat.

I climb up next to you, and just gaze into your eyes for a moment. Then I smile. "Let's go again."

*click*