#and it becomes very obvious when you randomly pick a seat and end up being the only person whose gender does not match everyone else nearby

[burningcomputerpersona]

the way spaces end up getting casually gendered is so weird. i normally try to get to my classes a bit early so i can choose where to sit and it's fascinating to watch how ppl will gravitate towards a certain spot depending on the gender of the ppl sitting nearby. by the time the lecture starts the classroom almost always has a visible distinction between the 'guys' section and the 'girls' section. and it happens individually too even when there's not a huge friend group clustering around the same place.

[leossmoonn]

Second Chance

masterlist

pairing - carl gallagher x fem!reader

type - fluff, lil angst

note / request - “hi! can we get a carl x reader during like season 10. they were together in the past and they broke up, but hang out everyday. but carl still likes her so he tries getting her back.” this is so trash lmao, but enjoy!

summary - you and carl dated a while back, but now are just friends. he spends the day with you, hoping to win you back

warnings - language, underage drinking, suggestive content but no real smut

————

*gif isnt mine* 

“Hey, C-Bear!” You called out.

“‘Sup, Y/n/n!” Carl smiled at you. You ran up the stairs of his porch and gave him a tight hug.

“How was Florida?” Carl asked once you pulled back.

“Hot as shit, but fun. How was Chicago?” You asked a giggle.

“Same old,” he shrugged.

You looked at your best friend and smiled. “So, what’re we gonna do today? It is the last day of summer.”

“I was thinking of just hanging out here. It’s too hot to do anything,” Carl shrugged.

You nodded, “Sounds good.”

You two walked into Carl’s house. You saw Franny on the couch with Debbie.

“Hey, Debs. Hi, Fran-Fran!” You squealed and went over to Franny.

“Y/n!” Franny exclaimed.

“How have you been, squirt?” You asked the little girl, picking her up in your arms.

“Good,” she smiled widely. “Good,” you smiled.

Carl looked at you while talking to Franny, absolutely mesmerized.

You and Carl had dated the previous summer. You two had a good run. You lasted for 6 months before Carl had met a girl named Anne at his job. You noticed him slipping away slowly everyday. It broke your heart and you knew that you had to end it. Carl obviously didn’t realize he was falling in love with someone else, so you sat him down and told him you were breaking up with him. It hurt like a bitch for you, but you knew it was for the best so you wouldn’t end up getting more hurt in the end. You handled it maturely, telling him that you two could still be friends no matter what. You two were friends way before you dated, anyways. 

Carl handled it differently, though. He was angry at you for accusing him for falling in love with another girl. He cursed at you, stormed out of your car, and didn’t talk to you for 2 weeks. You missed him, but you were kind of thankful he left you alone. 

In those 2 weeks, you were able to rediscover your self worth. You managed to convince yourself that Carl was just like every other guy at your age; stupid. You knew you were hot shit and if he didn’t want you, then that was his loss. 

Even though you said this to yourself everyday, the hurt feelings didn’t stop. It took you a good 2 months to stop thinking about Carl and Anne together, him possibly cheating on you while he was on the job. You finally got over all the anxious thoughts and were happier now. You’d never admit it, but you were still in love with Carl, and you knew that he was the one, but the one that got away. 

Those 2 weeks for Carl were absolute hell. He missed you so much and started to pull away from Anne. Pulling away from Anne made him realize that you were right. That he was slowly falling in love with another woman, but he also realized that he loved you more. He took those 2 weeks to straighten himself up. He did pep-talks with himself, had his brothers help him out in what to do. They gave him hell for letting you go. Even they knew you were the one for him and reminded him of it everyday.  

Carl called you up after those two weeks and you agreed to try and be friends. It was hard for the first month, for both of you. You two were quiet and awkward when you hung out. You wouldn’t even hug him goodbye when you left his house, much less a high-five. But, it gradually got easier. You two saw each other more and fell into a comfortable rhythm, which consisted of you ignoring your feelings of love for him, and Carl acknowledging his feelings for you, always thinking of ways to get you back, but none of them working out. 

Now it was a year later and you two were back to being best friends like you were before you started dating. You had pushed the feelings you had for Carl away so much, it was barely there anymore. It was the opposite for Carl, he was still so deeply in love with you. So now that it was the last day of summer, he had planned to spend the whole day with you, try and woo you and get you back. 

“Are you hungry?” Carl asked, grabbing back your attention. 

You nodded. “Starving.”

“I think we have some cookies we can bake, right Debs?” Carl asked his sister. 

“I think so. We also have decorating icing, too,” Debbie said. 

“Great! What kind of cookies do you guys have?” You asked, going over to the kitchen.  “Just chocolate chip, I think. Maybe sugar cookies?” Debbie said. 

You hummed and looked in their fridge and found two rolls of chocolate chip and sugar cookies. 

“Found ‘em!” You exclaimed excitedly. 

Carl went into the kitchen with you, smiling at the happy expression you had on your face.

“Help me put them on a tray?” You asked. 

Carl nodded and went next to you. He took the sugar cookie roll and broke it into pieces. Debbie walked over to the kitchen, taking a seat, wanting to catch up with you.

“So, why did you guys do in Florida?” Debbie asked. 

“Went swimming, went to Universal Studios. We went to a lot of nice restaurants. I met a few cute guys there, too,” you smiled. 

“Ooh, really?” Debbie smirked. “Any that stuck?”

“This one kid named Josh. We played volleyball on the beach for a while. He told me he liked my swim suit,” you smirked. 

“Did you two hook up,” Debbie asked.  

Carl tensed at her words. He hoped you would say no. You weren’t like someone to jump into things like that so fast. Sure, you had a few boyfriends before Carl, but he knew that you took time in getting to know him. Plus, your first time was with him. 

“Nah. I’m pretty sure he had a girlfriend. There was a girl on the beach that kept glaring at me and hanging onto his arm. I even saw them kiss a few times,” you snorted. 

“Wow, he sounds like an ass,” Debbie said. 

“Yep. That’s why I rejected his kind offer to fuck,” you laughed.

“Atta girl,” Debbie gave you a high-five. 

“Yeah, I didn’t really feel like becoming the talk of the town or whoever those people lived,” you chuckled. 

"It’s good you said no,” Carl chimed in. 

“Oh, yeah, why? Besides the obvious,” you raised a brow. 

“Because it’s not you to hook up randomly,” Carl said. 

“Are you implying I’m a prude,” you chuckled. 

“No, no. I just... you waited until we dated to fuck, I-”

“Yeah, yeah,” you cut Carl off. You moved to put the cookies in the oven. Carl couldn't see it, but you were very flustered.

Him mentioning your romantic past brought up memories. These memories were the ones you didn’t mind remembering. They just made your legs weak heart swell. 

Carl was right, you did wait until you two were dating to have sex. You wanted it to be special and even though you two were just friends at the time, before you two were dating, you knew that sex with him would be special. And to your delight, it was. He was gentle, sweet, loving. He payed attention to you the whole time. It was one of the things you knew would live in your memory forever. 

“You waited?” Debbie asked. “Yeah,” you stood back up and shrugged. 

“Wow, I wish I had your self control,” Debbie snorted.

“It wasn't about self control. It was just knowing who was right for me,” you said. Your gaze fell on Carl as you said those words. 

He had a small on his face, to which you returned. Your heart fluttered at the sight, which made you avert your gaze immediately. Even though you didn’t mind the memories, you did mind the feelings they and him brought. As much as you hated to admit it, a part of you was still attracted to him. 

That part of you was the one you constantly had to push away. You had to remind yourself what he did. How he fell in love with another girl. How he let go someone good, kind, so loving and supportive. You knew if you let that other part of you invade your mind and feelings, you would be in his bed making out with him and possibly getting hurt, which was something you didn’t want. 

“How long do these have to bake?” Carl asked. 

“Like 15-20 minutes,” you said. He nodded and put his tray in the oven. 

“Wanna watch a movie?” Carl asked. 

“Sure,” you nodded. 

“I’m gonna go and meet Claudia. Watch Franny for me?” Debbie asked. 

“I’d love to!” You smiled. You loved Franny. She was such an easy and good kid to watch. She took care of herself, too, so all you had to do was make her food whenever she was hungry.

“Great, thank you. I’ll see you guys later!” Debbie smiled and left the house. 

“Franny, do you wanna watch a movie with us?” You asked the little girl. 

“Yeah!” She smiled. 

“Great! What movie do you want to watch?” You asked. 

Carl smiled at you as you talked to Franny. Seeing you play with Franny was one of the things that made him fall in love with you. Seeing a girl good with kids was attractive as hell. 

“She wants to watch Sleeping Beauty,” you said and walked over with Franny to the couch. 

“Alright. I’ll put in the DVD,” Carl said. 

“Thanks,” you smiled.

He smiled back at you and nodded. You sat on the couch, Franny sitting next to you. Carl walked back to the couch and groaned internally. He was planning on sitting next to you so you could lay your head on his shoulders whenever you go tired, which was something you did during every movie you two watched together. But now you couldn’t do that because Franny was sitting in the middle. 

“What’s wrong, C-Dog?” You noticed his annoyance. 

“Nothing. I’ve just watched this movie a billion times,” he sighed. 

“That's what you get for having a little child in the house,” you chuckled and turned your attention over to the movie. 

About 20 minutes in the movie, the oven beeped, singling that the cookies were done. 

“Franny, do you want to decorate cookies or watch the movie?” You asked while getting up. 

“I wanna watch the movie,” she said. 

“Alright, kid. Don’t cause any trouble in here. Aunt Y/n and Uncle Carl will be in the kitchen,” you said and patted her head. 

She giggled and you left to go to the kitchen with Carl. 

“You’re really good with her,” Carl complimented you. 

“Thank you. I have two little brothers, so I’ve learned a thing or two about kids. You just gotta treat them like adults, but also make sure they know they’re boundaries. Franny is such a good kid, though, she doesn’t need a lot of boundaries or rules,” you explained. 

Carl nodded. “Oh, yeah. How are Lucas and Lyle?”

“Trouble,” you chuckled. Carl laughed with you. “I bet not as much trouble as I was when I was little.”

“Hm, true,” you giggled, recalling memories of when you two were in elementary school. 

“You’ve shaped up good, though. Military school helped with that,” you complimented. 

“Thank you. You’ve always been good. Even when we broke up,” Carl remarked. 

You met his eyes. A frown was plastered on your lips. “Thank you. I try not to be sour and shit. I know it gets me nowhere.”

“Yeah, I learned that the hard way,” Carl sighed, referring two his 2-week temper tantrum. 

You gave him a kind smile. “It’s alright. I’m glad we stayed friends, though.”

Yeah, friends, Carl thought in dismay.

He put on a fake smile though. “Me, too.”

You went over to the cupboard and got out some decorative icing that you found. You put them on the kitchen counter and picked up a sugar cookie. 

“What’re you gonna put on yours?” You asked. 

“A penis,” Carl said. 

You rolled your eyes, but laughed. “I take back what I said about you shaping up.”

Carl laughed with you,  “Hey! Not fair. You asked me and I responded honestly.”

“True,” you giggled. You squirted some icing on Carl’s face, irrupting into a fit of laughter when it got all over the left side of his face. 

“And I take back what I said about you always being mature!” Carl exclaimed, squirting some icing on you. It landed on your collar bone. Carl eyed the bare skin, licking his lips, wishing he could lick it up. 

You noticed his stare. Your heart couldn’t help but race. You felt yourself start to get sweaty under your armpits. You averted your gaze and got a towel to wipe the icing off. Carl grabbed the towel out of your hands. 

“Here, let me,” Carl offered. “I was the one to make the mess.” You rolled his eyes. You knew this was one of his ways of trying to flatter you and kiss you. You let him, though. You would never admit it to anyone, but you liked when he did these things. Not so much because he was still pining over you, but it reminded you of how much of a caring boyfriend he was. 

You leaned against the counter while Carl wetted the towel. He gently wiped the icing of your collar bone. Your heart skipped a beat as his fingertips brushed lightly over your skin. His face was abnormally close to yours, too. He was crouched down and looked up to you every so often. It made your stomach flip. It reminded you of when he ate you out, looking up at you with his lips glistening. You averted your gaze, feeling warmth spread between your legs. 

Carl was taking an annoyingly long time. You sighed heavy, hoping he would be done soon because if not, you would just end up kissing him. To your releif, he backed away from you, throwing the towel in the sink. He got another towel to wipe his face off.  

Even though you looked relieved on the outside, your heart was begging for him to comeback and be close to again, to tease you. 

“Did you like that?” Carl asked, smirking at you. 

“No, you were very slow,” you lied. Carl frowned at you and looked away. You felt bad, but you didn’t say anything.

“Let’s finish the cookies so Franny can eat some,” you said. 

Carl nodded. You two decorate the cookies in silence. You put them on plates, bringing them into the living room. 

“Here, Franny,” you said and put one of the plates on the table. You sat back down, Carl following slowly after you. 

You took a few cookies, giving Franny two and keeping two for yourself. 

“Thank you,” Franny said. 

You gave her a sweet smile. “You are very welcome.”

Carl took a couple cookies and slumped back on the couch. The tension between you two was thick. It hadn't been like this for a while, but you knew to just let it subside until you felt ready to talk again. Luckily, the movie was still going, so you had an excuse to not converse. By the end of the movie, Franny had fallen asleep. Her head was on your lap and the rest of her body was on Carl’s. When the movie was done, Carl helped you carry Franny back up to Debbie’s room. You two tucked her in and went back downstairs. 

You went back into the kitchen, grabbing two beer bottles for Carl and you. 

“Thanks,” Carl said when you handed him a bottle. 

You hummed in reply and sat back down on the couch. You turned on the TV, switching to re-runs. Carl sat next to you, leaving lots of space in-between you two.  

“How is everyone else doing?” You asked. 

“Good. Lip and Tami have Freddy and Ian has Mickey,” Carl said. 

“Wow, everyone is shacked up, huh?” You asked. 

“Yeah, even Debbie. She gets mad money, too,” Carl chuckled. 

“It’s weird the way the world works,” you remarked, half paying attention to Golden Girls. “Have you met any girls this summer?” You asked, your stomach flipping thinking about his answer.

“A few, but I’m not really interesting in dating,” Carl shrugged. 

You turned to him, fully surprised. “Carl Gallagher, not interested in dating? I think the world is ending.”

Carl chuckled, “I’m just not interesting in dating the girls I met.” Carl scooted closer to you while saying those words, putting a hand on your thigh. 

Your heart pounded against your ribcage. Carl was getting closer and closer to you. You didn’t move, though. You liked his touch and being in his vicinity. 

“Who are you interested in dating?” You whispered. 

Carl’s eyes burned into yours. They drifted down to your lips and back up to your eyes. Your body shivered and butterflies shot down your whole body. You found yourself moving closer to him, putting your hand over his. 

“You,” Carl spoke. 

You looked into his eyes deeply. You could tell he meant what he said. The look on his face was almost enough for you to kiss him, but you pulled away. His hand slipped off your thigh. You stood up off the couch, putting on your shoes. 

“I should go. It’s late and my parents are probably wondering where I am,” you said, avoiding eye contact. 

“No, stay. Your parents know where you are and probably aren’t worried. You always stay over,” Carl protested. 

“I’m tired, anyways. Plus, Lucas and Lyle probably miss me,” you made up more excuses and went  to the front door. 

Carl ran to you and put his hand on your arm. 

“Stay, Y/n. I’m not letting you go this time,” Carl said. 

You turned to him, tears in your eyes. “I don’t love you anymore, Carl, not like that.”

“I know you’re lying. I’m not as dumb as people think, okay? I see it in your eyes. I notice you breathing heavily when I come close to you. I know you still love me. I still love you. I’m still in love with you,” he confessed. 

“Listen, Carl,” you sighed. “I know you want to make it up to me, I appreciate it, but I’m not letting myself get hurt again.”

“I know I hurt you, Y/n. I’m so sorry for what I did. I’m stupid as shit. It hurts me every fucking time I see you. It hurt me so much to see you cry because of me. I do want to make it up to you, but I also want you back. I need you, Y/n. Please, give me a chance. I need you so fucking bad,” Carl pleaded. His voice broke and tears shined in his eyes. 

You shook your head. “I said I don’t love you anymore! Let me go!” You shouted. You wanted so desperately to get out of the house because you knew if you stayed, you would end up kissing him. 

“No,” Carl said. With that, he pulled you into his arms and crashed his lips on yours. 

With Carl’s arms wrapped around you, holding you tight, and his soft lips on yours, you could’t help but finally give in. You melted into the kiss, putting your hands on the nape of his neck, playing with his hair. Carl slammed you against the wall, his fingertips digging into your sides. The kiss was fast, rough, passionate. 

You were so glad that you gave in. You missed this feeling more than you would ever admit.

Carl pulled away, putting his hand on your cheek. His thumb ran across your bottom lip. His eyes stared into yours. 

“Give me another chance. I promise I won’t hurt you again,” Carl promised. 

You sighed and nodded. You knew he had good intentions, and that he was the one for you. “You better not. Or I will beat you up.”

Carl smiled, pulling you into another deep kiss. 

————

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[aomine-ryo]

hey! could i please request gom headcanons whee their s/o is kissing their faces and just being really affectionate w the boys?

My heart just melted while I was writing the one for Akashi idk why 😭 I hope you like this!! xx

Headcanons: GOM with an s/o that’s being really affectionate

Kuroko

He absolutely loves it when you’re affectionate

Especially when you two are alone

One kiss from you would be returned by at least five kisses from him

He gets very flustered when you do it in public though, so you tend to keep that to a minimum

One afternoon, the two of you were at his house to study together but you kept playing around with Nigou and randomly placing kisses on his cheeks

“Y/N, don’t you think you should focus?”

“I’m sorry, you just look really cute today,” you replied, wrapping your arms around him and clinging onto him tightly

He wanted to be more stern about it, but you began to leave kisses all over his face and neck, which brought a smile onto his face

“That’s sweet but—“

Nigou then pounced onto him, reaching to lick his face as both of you began to giggle

“See, even Nigou thinks so,” you grinned

“Alright alright,” Kuroko laughed, pulling Nigou off of him and trying to gain some composure, “I guess we can take a break for a bit.”

Next thing you knew, Kuroko tackled you to the floor and began to attack you with light kisses

And just like that, studies were completely out of the question as both of you got caught up in giggles and hugs

Kise

This boy is the human embodiment of a puppy

Any affection from you will make his eyes light up with excitement

So days where you get extra affectionate are his absolute favourite

You spotted him waiting for you outside of school once, but he didn’t seem to notice you, so you decided to sneak up on him

You pounced on his back and your legs straddled his hips as you began to bombard him with kisses on his cheek

Taken off guard, Kise panicked for a moment at the sudden weight on his back, but as soon as he felt your lips on his skin, he began to ease

“Someone is in a good mood today,” Kise grinned as you hopped down to face him

“I’m just happy to see my lovely boyfriend,” you beamed, making his heart melt

Kise didn’t really care that he was in public and everyone could see him, he immediately held your face in his hands and kissed you all over

“Ryouta stop, that tickles,” you giggled

“But your laughs are so cute,” he mumbled as he continued what he was doing

You smiled at his sweet words and began to ease as you let him kiss you to his heart’s content— receiving affection is just as good as giving it after all

Eventually, he stopped and let go of your face, only to intertwine his fingers with yours

“You done now?” you asked sarcastically

Kise brought the back of your hand to his lips and nodded

He was so happy at this point that he was practically skipping as he walked

That’s how it always was with Kise: you could never win in a game of affection

You would try to smother him with kisses, but he wouldn’t just take it; he’d always make it his mission to return the love— just ten times more

You didn’t mind too much though, you liked knowing that just a little bit of affection from you made him as cheery as ever

Aomine

My god, he does not know how to be on the receiving end of affection

The two of you would be hanging out in his living room and you’d decide to climb onto him and kiss his face and he’d just get really flustered

He’d much rather be the one clinging onto you and attacking you with his kisses than the other way around

He just never knew how to respond when you kiss him like that out of the blue

“What are you doing?” he’d ask you, chuckling slightly

“What does it look like? I’m kissing you, dummy,” you replied sarcastically as your hands cupped his face

“But why?” he asks, colour rising in his cheeks as your face was so close to his

You pulled away for a moment and looked him in the eye before giggling, “What kind of question is that? Because you’re my boyfriend and I love you?”

A small grin spread across his flustered face— hearing you say those words always brought him comfort

You were about to go back to kissing him, but his hands suddenly gripped your face, forcing you to look into his dark blue eyes

“I love you too,” he said, sincerity oozing from his tone as your entire body just softened

And just as you had expected, Aomine pressed his lips against yours

He didn’t seem to be stopping his kisses after that though, because he proceeded to just leave kisses of his own on your neck

He was never one to just accept affection for too long— he had to show you how much he loved you

Midorima

Like Aomine, he does not know how to take affection

He always gets incredibly flustered

Like, his cheeks become as red as a cherry

One afternoon, you were over at his house and he was just seated on the couch, engrossed in a book

With you being in a rather affectionate mood, you skipped over to him and took a seat on the couch too, swinging your arms around him and kissing his cheek

And like clockwork, his face was painted a shade of red

You continued to leave kisses all over his face, which only made him even redder

“W-What are you doing?” He asked, putting down his book on his lap

“Kissing my amazing boyfriend,” you said simply

“Oh,” he said, a small smile appearing on his lips as he picked his book up again

“Do you want me to stop?” you asked

As much as you loved to make him blush like he was, you also didn’t want to be too much of a bother to him

“No, no,” he shook his head almost immediately, “keep going— if you want.”

He’d never say it straight, but he loved the affection

Albeit it did make him incredibly flustered at first, he’d quickly ease into it

He adored the way your soft lips left kisses all over his face

It was almost reassuring to him; he knew that it meant that you still loved him

Sometimes, though it was very rare, he’d just return all the affection with one very passionate kiss on your lips

And when he did that, it was like the roles were reversed, and suddenly you were the one with the bright red cheeks

Murasakibara

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: he is CLINGY

He loves any attention you’d give him

So there is no doubt that he’d absolutely melt whenever you decided to be affectionate with him

So once, when he wasn’t already clung onto you, you decided to envelop him in the biggest hug you could muster while he was watching a game on the tv

You didn’t hesitate to kiss his face all over too

It was definitely a surprise to him, but it was a very welcome one

Almost immediately, a huge smile spread across his face as he hugged you back tightly, stopping your kisses as your head now moved so that your chin was resting on his shoulder

His smile somehow grew even wider when he heard you giggle

After placing a few light kisses on your shoulder, he loosened his hold on you a little so that you could pull away slightly and face him

He looked into your eyes for a few moments as your fingers began to twirl the ends of his hair

Neither of you needed to say anything to know what the other was thinking— there was nothing but love in both of your eyes

“Aren’t you gonna continue kissing me, Y/N-chin?” he pouted, feeling at ease as you continued to play with his hair

“Oh you want more?” you smiled

“Of course I want more,” he said, kissing your cheek, “what kind of question is that?”

After letting out a small chuckle, you leaned in and gave his lips the biggest kiss you could, before carrying on with your small little kisses all over his face and neck

And no matter how many times you’d kiss him, he’d never get tired of it for even a moment

Akashi

You were feeling particularly affectionate one evening, but your boyfriend was caught up in some work that he was determined to finish

Yearning for affection, you made your way to Akashi’s desk and hugged him from behind his chair

“Seiii,” you dragged on after placing a quick kiss on his cheek, “are you done with your work yet?”

“Not yet my love, sorry. This work just never seems to end,” he complained, glancing at you for a moment before continuing to scribble something down on his notebook

“That sucks,” you pouted, glaring at his laptop spitefully

You didn’t want to let go of him though

Once you clung onto him, it was hard to let go

So you just remained there with your arms around him, watching him do his work

It didn’t take long for you to get bored, and you ended up smothering his face with kisses, making him chuckle slightly at the ticklish sensation

“Y/N, you’re being a little distracting don’t you think?” He said voice firm yet loving, as his brain knew that he should be telling you to stop, but he genuinely enjoyed it

“Sorry, I can’t help myself; how can I not kiss a face like yours?”

Akashi sighed and put his pen down as he turned slightly so that he could look you in the eye

“I suppose I can take a tiny break,” he grinned as he pulled you onto his lap

He had his arms wrapped around your waist while yours were swung around his neck, and the two of you were smiling like idiots

He then began to leave kisses that were soft as a feather all over your neck and cheek and your giggles began to fill the room

“Alright I’m going to get back to my work now,” he said once he felt as though he had made up for all the kisses you had given him

“Fine,” you pouted, shifting slightly to get off his lap

However, he just gripped onto your waist tighter to get you to stop, “Where are you going?” he questioned, causing you to furrow your eyebrows

“You just said that you were going back to your work...”

“Yes, but I want you to stay here,” he said simply as if it should’ve been blatantly obvious to you

You began to grin from ear to ear at the sound of those words

So you remained seated on his lap as Akashi continued his work

Of course, you didn’t stop kissing him whenever you felt like it, though he seemed unfazed by it

Every now and then, he’d return your kisses with kisses of his own

And to be honest, you made his work ten times more tolerable

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Stu Macher

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

- You met Stu when you were both in middle school. The two of you became friends purely because Stu wouldn’t let you not become his friend.

- So the two of you grew up and entered highschool together. You had a bit of a crush on him but never said anything about it, thinking that he only liked you as a friend. Oh how wrong you were....

- It’s sophomore year when you get your first real boyfriend. Stu isn’t happy about it.

- It’s obvious to see that he disapproves when you tell him that you’re going on a date. He treats you coldly throughout the entire day, not as bubbly as he usually is. While it does seem odd, you chalk it up to him feeling protective of you and not knowing how to articulate his worries.

- The next day, it’s as though nothing has happened. He nonchalantly asks you about your date but doesn’t seem all too happy to hear that it went well. You figure you’re looking into it too much.

- As time goes on, on the outside, it seems like he’s warmed up to the idea of you dating the boy, though you’re sure it’s mainly because you weren’t planning on getting rid of him anytime soon. But on the inside, it’s driving him crazy.

- Theres an obvious yet subtle rivalry between your boyfriend and him, whether one sided; at first, or not. Sometimes you wouldn’t even notice but your boyfriend sure did.

- The certain way Stu would pop up when you were hanging out, the way he called you over to him when you were trying to talk, the way he touched you; it was like he was sending a message behind his cheerful smile. Can’t you see who’s more important to her.

- He hugs you for too long, enjoys it too much. You thought your boyfriend was going crazy. You’d assure him that you were just friends, that you’d been friends for a long time and that he was just reading into it too much. That that was just Stu being, well, Stu.

- But your boyfriend wasn’t too far off. Stu had feelings for you. He had a big crush that hadn’t let up for years, one which was slowly eating away at him. He hadn’t wanted to ruin your friendship, especially when he didn’t even know if you wanted to date anyone.

- Though, regardless of whether or not you thought your boyfriend was being silly; you talked to Stu about it. He makes jokes, teasingly promising to be on his best behavior. You aren’t even aware that you’ve given him all he needs to know. He is getting to the boy and everything is working out perfectly.

- In the following days, Stu ups his antics and your boyfriend finally loses it, starting an argument which evolves into a full on fight and ends in you breaking up with him. Single once more.

- The next day at school, Stu approaches you like normal and immediately notes how tired and bothered you look. Without even thinking, you relinquish the details and he comforts you, saying that he could tell he wasn’t good for you. He does feel bad, seeing you so upset, but at the same time, he’s happy that you’re finally done with the other boy.

- It’s a week or so later that he confesses his feelings to you, wanting to give you enough time to get over the jerk. Having waited this long, he didn’t want his plan to be foiled by post breakup confusion.

- His parents are out of town so you’re staying the night, the two of you laying side by side on his bed, dressed in your comfiest clothes. You’re watching some lousy made for TV movie when he shoves your shoulder lightly, prompting you to look at him. He’s now leaning on his elbow and facing you. You shoot him a curious look and he speaks.

“We’ve known each other for a long time, right? And you know that I care about you a lot. Well, the thing is.... I care about you a lot more than you think and I want us to be even closer than we are now, ya know? I guess what I’m trying to say is that I... I love you and I want to know if you feel the same.” He rambles nervously, eyes focused on his fingers which are tracing along the blanket beneath the two of you.

- It certainly comes as a shock though you can’t say you’re completely surprised. You don’t know what to say so you let your actions speak for you. You move closer to him, hands grasping his cheeks as his own hands find your hips, pulling you closer as he tilts his head up and let’s you press your lips to his.

- He pulls you closer until you’re practically on top of him, eagerly kissing you until you both need to break apart for air. When you do, you’re both panting yet he smiles, pecking your lips and saying he’ll “take that as a yes”.

- Congratulations, you’ve earned yourself an adorable goofball who also kills people.

- He hangs all over you in public. You can never get him off of you although, would you ever really want to?

- Hand kisses. He presses his lips to your knuckles whenever he grabs your hand.

- You arent allowed to walk to class alone; he won’t let you. It is his duty to walk you and he will fulfill it.

- He rarely says your full name. Instead, he’ll either call you a pet name; usually babe or darling, or whatever nickname comes from your full name. Even if your names short, he’ll wind up making it longer just because he can.

- Long makeout sessions.

- He always gets this lovestruck look on his face whenever you show up; no matter what was going on before you arrived. His day instantly becomes like ten times better at the sight of you.

- Getting to borrow his Walkman. He makes a very strategically constructed mixtape, filled with songs that the two of you love so that both of you can listen and enjoy.

- Tasteful groping and butt smacks.

- Going to all his parties.

- He is such a baby when he gets sick. He completely overreacts, whining, moaning and acting like he’s dying even though he’s just got a mild cold.

- He tries to make your hugs last for as long as they can, especially when you’re saying goodbye.

- He’s constantly trying to make you laugh, mostly through bad jokes that will either get you to laugh through their stupidity or have you rolling your eyes.

- Teasing you is his favorite hobby. He likes doing what he’s good at and what he’s good at is being a little shit.

- Sometimes he just randomly approaches you with little gifts; mainly flowers he’s picked you or something similar. It’s usually either because you look like you need some cheering up or because he’s trying to apologize for a “stupidity leak”.

- Big boy likes being a big spoon. He’s tall so the two of you fit together perfectly.

- Gettting randomly thrown over his shoulder. Sometimes he’ll just carry you off as though you weren’t going somewhere or having a conversation with someone. Or he’ll act like nothings out of the ordinary while talking to the person you were talking to.

- You always have a seat ready for you ...on his lap.

- He leans on you all the time, whether it be him resting his chin or arm against your shoulder or him full on laying between your legs with his head against your stomach.

- Getting... the tongue. The man is constantly flashing it at you. A part of you thinks he’s trying to send a message, the other part of you just thinks he’s a dog.

- On that note, he’s probably licked the entire side of your face before, especially when you aren’t paying attention to him.

- He craves attention; it’s like a drug to him. He loves having your eyes on him, and when they aren’t? He’ll give them a reason to be.

- He’s sort of insecure so you fawning over or complimenting someone else immediately makes him uneasy. His ex girlfriend dumped him for a football player and he’s kinda scared that you’ll do the same.

- He tries to reassure you whenever you seem nervous or apprehensive, usually through jokes. Not sure about an idea of his? Well, what if he makes some action movie reference and promises to protect you as he makes karate motions with his hands?

- The boy has no subtly. He’s always blunt and upfront with what he’s trying to say so you’re never confused by any “insinuations” that he makes.

- Getting random, unexpected visits from him, usually when you’re at work or home alone.

- This man is a cheerleader when it comes to you. He’s always hyping you up and complimenting everything you do.

- He’s constantly bragging about you; he’s so proud.

- Movie dates. He’s not as completely obsessed with horror as Billy is but he still enjoys sitting with his girl, watching a film and trying to “subtly” feel you up.

- Getting close to Billy by default. The two of them are constantly together so you wind up being costantly around him as well.

- Hanging out at the fountain with him and his friends.

- His parents are out of town a lot so you have the whole house to yourselves most of the time.

- He’s got a farmhouse on the outskirts of town with the perfect view of the sunset/sunrise. You don’t know how many times you and him have laid out on the grass, cozied up next to each other and watching the sky change colors.

- Stealing his sweaters when it gets cold. You should see his face when he sees you wearing them, it’s the perfect example of a lovestruck expression.

- Jaw and neck kisses. He doesn’t care if he’s giving or receiving; he loves them either way.

- Inside jokes.

- Having to stifle a laugh when he mocks or makes fun of someone. It’s so stupid that you can’t help but chuckle.

- He may not seem like a very jealous person but whew boy. For someone who is constantly bragging about how great you are, he hates other people actually seeing it and admitting that he’s right.

- He’s a protective boy, he hates the thought of you being hurt, upset, or take advantage of. And he’s like so buff, he’s got you covered.

- Defending him whenever someone won’t let up on him. He isn’t very articulate so if someone needs to be shut down verbally, you do it yourself.

- Local sensitive baby caves under peer pressure. It’s incredibly easy to make him do what you ask; thankfully, you aren’t trying to make him do something that will get him in trouble.

- He doesn’t quite grasp the art of being tactful so you’ll oftentimes have to interrupt or stop him from saying something.

- Since he always seems to say the wrong thing or do something stupid, the two of you; most likely, have more than a few petty arguments. They usually aren’t anything worse than a little bickering.

- He always does something adorable that makes you forgive him whether it be using puppy dog eyes on you or telling bad jokes until you can’t help but warm back up to him.

- Not a day goes by where he doesn’t say he loves you. He needs you to know!!

- He doesn’t really talk about the future but he’s planning on marrying you as soon as he can and that’s a fact. The man is in love.

[kalaluchi]

chapter 02: Rebellion

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Alya was going to lose her mind at any second. How did she become best friends with someone so damn stubborn?

“Girl, I’m telling you, there is no way that boy does not have a crush on you. It’s so obvious, please!”

“Alya. One: I think you are crazy. Two: he’s just friendly. Ok?”

It had been a little over a month since Adrien Agreste had joined their class, and yet he seemed to be getting along well with everybody. For Marinette, it had been hate at first sight and then love at second sight.

In her defense, she never intended to fall for him. Not when he was the best friend of her archnemesis-for-who-knows-how-long. Definitely not when he’d put gum on her seat on the first day of class, when he didn’t even know her. So, it made absolute sense for her to snob him back… except.

Except she’d been completely wrong.

It had all been a mix up… and as he’d smiled kindly at her, and she’d stared, really stared, into his eyes for the first time since meeting him… she’d realized she really wouldn’t mind getting lost in them and the way the fading sun turned them the most perfect shade of green.

That was when she’d realized she was in trouble. That was when she’d realized that despite her initial, intense hate for the green-eyed blond-haired boy, she’d fallen quite hard for Adrien Agreste at second glance… even though he was the best friend of her archnemesis-for-who-knows-how-long.

She continued to fall even further when she saw how cute he really was, how kind he was to everyone, how comfortable in his own skin he seemed, how he laughed softly at most anything, and a million other “how's” known only to her heart.

And then they’d started talking.

Of course, she’d always wanted to approach him, but never found the courage to, which was why she resorted to roundabout ways to catch his attention most of the time.

There was that one time she’d learned he loved macarons, so she’d stayed up nearly the whole night just perfecting a batch to bring to school. Then she’d spent the whole day loudly talking about them, waving them around anytime she thought he was looking -- in hopes he’d ask her for one, and they could strike up a convo. But to no avail.

And the time she’d heard that he loved cats, so she’d read about all the different breeds and their origins, even writing notes to remember the important parts. But she’d ended up forgetting to bring the notebook and getting a mind block in school, so that when he asked what her favorite breed of cat was, she’d replied, “Orange.” (She’d wanted to bury herself in a hole for days after that.)

And too many other instances, way more than she could count on her fingers.

Alya had quickly caught on to what her best friend was up to, and was highly against the plan. “Girl, just woman up and go talk to him yourself!” she’d said. “Adrien Agreste is literally the nicest boy I’ve met, and he won’t judge you or anything if you randomly talk to him! And anyway, if he does do that, then he’s not crush-worthy, okay?”

Marinette had seen the sense in her best friend’s statement, but knowing you have to do something and being able to actually do it are two different things. Because Marinette was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, not Alya Césaire, and as much as she’d wanted to talk to him, she just couldn’t bring herself to because she’d been scared, too scared of what he might say.

To her surprise, though, he’d actually reached out to her one day. And the conversation hadn’t stopped, like she’d feared it would. It had gone on for hours which turned into days, and it had felt good, felt right. And for a second, she could almost, almost believe that he could like her, too, despite their awkward beginning. But then she’d stumble over her words, and the fantasy would fade. Because how could he possibly fall for her when he was the most amazing person she’d ever met and she was just Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and there were so many other, better, more interesting people in her school -- in all of Paris for that matter-- that he could fall for? So there was absolutely no way he could like her back, could see her as anything more than a friend.

Right?

Marinette shook her head, clearing it of thoughts. Of course she was right. What could Alya possibly know anyway?

Alya gave Marinette the deadest stare she could muster. “Friendly,” she echoed monotonously. “You know what? I am officially appointing myself as your fairy godmother. And as your fairy godmother it is my duty to prove that Adrien Agreste has a crush on you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette sighed at her best friend’s antics. “Well, I won’t stop you, but I do still stand by my original statement.”

Alya pursed her lips. “Okay, how ‘bout this: if it turns out I am right, which I am, and Adrien Agreste does have a crush on you, you owe me an entire box of macarons.”

Marinette shrugged. “Fine with me. You do know this is a win-win for me right? If you’re right, it’s a win that my crush likes me back. If I’m right, it’s a win because I don’t have to bake a dozen macarons.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But I just want you to be happyyyy~!” Alya singsonged. “So, leave it to me. I gotchu.”

Marinette laughed and rolled her eyes playfully at the wink her best friend gave her. “Okay, then. Work your magic, please.”

“Alya Césaire, Fairy Godmother, at your service!”

.

.

.

The first time Alya had to work her fairy godmother magic, she had to admit it wasn’t the best attempt. But she was still determined to give it her all, and prove her point, no matter what. Her pride as a credible writer depended on it.

(Or so she liked to defend to herself.)

Hence her half-brilliant idea to dress Marinette up for school one day.

There was nothing wrong with her best friend’s style, of course. It was just that it was so… Marinette. Soft and cute, but always hiding her full potential. She just needed a little shaking up, a change in routine, just once.

So there was Marinette, with her hair styled, and dressed in all the clothes she’d been hiding at the back of her closet that Alya had always insisted would suit her. (And they did. Splendidly.)

Alya liked to refer to her plan as half-brilliant -- brilliant because Adrien reacted the exact way she’d hoped, but not brilliant because Marinette reacted the exact way Alya had hoped she wouldn’t.

The moment Marinette walked in the door, Alya noticed Adrien’s head whip around so fast she was afraid he’d gotten whiplash. He grinned shyly as Marinette passed by.

“Morning, Marinette. I haven’t seen you wear that before,” he chuckled lightly, though a faint blush spread across his cheeks. “It really suits you, though. You look very pretty.”

Marinette blinked at that, a little offended at the wording. “Uh. Thanks, I guess?”

Adrien cleared his throat as Marinette started up the stairs to her seat. “Uh, no, I meant, prettier than usual, of course. You’re already naturally pretty, you see.”

Of course, Marinette chose that exact moment to turn beet red and walk into the edge of her desk. “You too,” she wheezed out, doubled over and clutching her stomach.

“I-- sorry? A-are you okay?” Adrien asked, bewildered.

“I said, thank you. And, yes, I’m fine.” Marinette forced a grin as she slid into her seat.

“Well,” Alya said as soon as Adrien sat back down, “what did I tell you? He thinks you’re pretty. He just needed a little push to come out and say it. Boy def has a crush on you.”

“Alya,” Marinette chided, though she was trying to hide how happy the compliment had made her, “what did we say about jumping to conclusions, especially when there’s no diamond solid proof?”

“Don’t,” Alya replied with a sigh.

.

.

.

The second time around, Alya was surprised she didn’t even have to do any work to find something to pick on -- Marinette practically handed her the proof on a silver platter.

It was not unusual for Marinette to come to school late, or with eyebags under her eyes, as Alya knew her best friend had a habit of staying up late the night before and oversleeping. (Seriously, though, with the amount of times this had happened in the past, did the girl have a secret double life or something? It’s not like the school gave enough assignments to lose that much sleep over. Alya was always telling Marinette she really needed to sleep earlier...)

But this time, something seemed different.

Maybe it was the way Marinette was typing furiously on her phone under the table, trying hard not to smile.

Or the way Adrien, with similar eyebags, was doing the same thing.

It could just be a coincidence, though. Alya had to remind herself to take it slow, not jump to conclusions. But still, her best-friend-senses were telling her something was up.

She was just about to bring it up when Marinette turned to her excitedly. “Look at this picture Adrien sent me of his cat. Isn’t he cute? That fluffy black fur and those green eyes, Alya, loooook!”

Alya raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. “Wow, you guys chat now? That’s new.”

Marinette bit her lip. “Yeah, but it’s just your usual sending-memes and random-small-talk-about-your-life and i'm-drowning-in-acads-you-too? 4am kind of talks. It’s not the soft here’s-what-i-like-about-you 4am kind of talks, sadly,” she sighed, tapping her phone on her thigh.

“Wait. 4am?”

Marinette smiled sheepishly, and Alya knew her hunch had been correct. “Yeah. I don’t intend for it, obviously, but the past week it’s been like, we start talking, and next thing I know it’s 4am and I’m absolutely doomed because I haven’t started the assignment for Mme. Bustier’s class due at 8:30am.”

Alya laughed. “Okay, Marinette, there is something wrong with that last part, I’ll admit. But nevertheless, I’m so proud of you for holding a convo with the boy of your dreams for that long. And to think that he stays up the same? Damn. I really didn’t peg Adrien as the type to pull all-nighters. I guess there’s only one conclusion…” She trailed off dramatically, grinning at her best friend.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re gonna say, and I’m gonna reply-- it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just two people, talking, getting to know each other.”

“He stayed up. Till 4am. To talk to you.”

“Well… yeah.”

“The past week. An entire week.”

“... yeah.”

“Just for you.”

“You don’t know that. Maybe he was cramming homework,” Marinette argued.

“Girl,” Alya rebutted, “this is Adrien Agreste we’re talking about. When does he ever cram?”

Marinette shrugged. “This past week?”

“Girl, you’re hopeless. You’re lucky I love you. Go back to chatting your dream boy. But please start sleeping earlier.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

.

.

.

The third time was such a dead giveaway Alya felt like she’d been smacked in the head with a huge bag of “HELLO I HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU,” and she could not for the life of her understand why her best friend could not see the truth shaking its butt in their faces.

It happened one morning, when Marinette walked into the classroom wearing the cutest cardigan Alya had ever seen.

“Girl!” she exclaimed once the blue-haired girl was seated. “I love what you’re wearing, it looks so good on you! How come I’ve never seen it before?” The brunette flipped her hair over her shoulder and huffed. “As your best friend, I’m offended you never told me this heavenly piece of clothing existed. I’d have made you wear it every single day if only I knew.”

Marinette bit back a smile. “I know, it’s kinda super cute, right? It’s super comfy, too. Adrien made it for me,” she added shyly.

Alya waggled her eyebrows. “Mm, you mean he had it made for you, right? Must be nice to come from an ultra-known ultra-rich family or something.”

“No, I mean, like, he made it for me… as in he made it himself…”

“Wait, what. One: why. Two: how do you know he made it himself? I mean, girl, no offense to your boy of course. But that’s some high effort shiz to do for someone who is just ‘a friend’” Alya pointed out, using air quotes.

Marinette rolled her eyes playfully. “Okay, one: I know he made it himself because he sent Nino videos of his progress as he was making it, which Nino eventually forwarded to me once I’d gotten the gift--”

(“Nino, that little brat, how dare he not tell me something as important as this,” Alya growled, glaring daggers across the room at her boyfriend.)

“--and two: are you really still doing that? I don't like how you used air quotes because I have absolutely no idea what you mean by them.” Marinette crossed her arms, in denial. “I mean, obviously, yes, Adrien and I are friends and we are doing things friends do, yes that is normal even though he is literally the cutest human being I have ever met but it’s obvious he’ll never feel the same way, so--”

“Marinette, there are heart patterns on the pockets,” Alya deadpanned.

“There are?!” Marinette excitedly began pulling up the cardigan to check. Then she seemed to remember her stand on the matter, and wiped the smile off her face, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her clothes. “And if there were, it does not matter, because it obviously does not mean anything. It’s just a cardigan, I think you’re overthinking things,” she said nonchalantly, though her voice was an octave higher than normal.

Alya laughed aloud. “Just a cardigan, Marinette?! He crocheted you a whole freaking cardigan for your birthday! You love cardigans, it’s the most Marinette gift one could give you. Plus,” she continued, holding up a finger when it looked like Marinette was about to protest, “do you know how many days it would’ve taken to make that? And there’s the fact that you guys literally just started talking this month. Come on, you have to admit that means he likes you! Or maybe is just a little interested? Huh, how about it?” Alya nudged her friend, trying to knock some common sense into her.

For a second, it seemed to work. Marinette bit back a smile, took a deep breath, and-- “Maybe he’s just super super super friendly?”

Alya blinked once, twice. “Yeah, ok, I give up. Keep your macarons.”

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[missroserose]

Summertime Thing

Okay, so really I should be working on the first chapter of this (which I actually have a hard deadline for on the 18th, sorta—more on that later), but I promised @laveracevia and @redmyeyes and @notwhatiam (and also an anonymous Tumblr person) that I'd post the bullet point outline for my angsty wincesty teen Sam novel so here it is, all three-thousand-plus words of it. Still tentative and with a fair amount to fill in, but that's what makes it an outline. (Has anyone yet beatified the SPN showrunners for setting the bar for research so ridiculously low? Praise be unto them! 😂) So, without further ado:

• It’s the summer of 1999 and Sam is sixteen.

• They’re living in rural Arizona for the summer, in a little town in the Chiricahua Mountains called Bisbee that I definitely didn’t live in for three years.

• Bisbee’s a weird place. It used to be a wealthy mining town, but in the ‘70s the company pulled out and the economy crashed. Some of the residents are old mining families, some are old hippies and artists who moved there due to the picturesque scenery and bargain-basement real estate, some are early baby boomers looking for an inexpensive place to retire. There's a surprising amount of live music, an absolutely thriving conspiracy scene, and the local police blotter is a smorgasbord of weirdness.

⁃ John picked it because it’s the county seat (which means lots of local records) with cheap housing and residents who don’t ask too many questions. Dean loves it because it’s straight out of the a Western—several famous movies filmed on Main Street, and the theme-park-town of Tombstone is half an hour’s drive away. Sam hates it, but in fairness, Sam kind of hates everything right now.

• Sam’s getting regular beatdowns with the puberty bat—he’s growing what feels like an inch a week, his voice is randomly cracking, he’s ravenously hungry all the time, and his moods go from happy-go-lucky kid to moody teen to full-on young-adult angst on the turn of a dime.

• Most terrifying of all, his relationship with Dean is fracturing. Dean can tell he’s having a hard time of things, of course, and tries his best to cheer Sam up. Sometimes they get on great; other times, even being in the same room as Dean makes Sam feel like his skin is three sizes too small.

• The frustrating part is, no matter how much of a shit Sam is, Dean won't give up on him entirely, just gives him space for a day or two and then reaches out, like—“hey, come keep me company while I give the car an oil change,” or “hey, sounds like there’s a hell of a party going on up the gulch—let’s go sneak in, I bet they have booze, maybe we can get you laid,” or “hey, Dad said we can take the car, let’s drive to the new mall in the next town and go see a movie. Anything you want.”

⁃ Sam definitely picks Cruel Intentions, intending to make Dean sit through something he’d find boring, but it backfires—the incest subplot ends up making him even more uncomfortable and Dean, predictably, digs watching Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair make out onscreen.

• Dean is having the time of his life this summer. The town is picturesque, the bars don’t look too closely at his fake ID, Sam’s old enough to fend for himself mostly, and he even gets an evening gig as a bar back a few nights a week, which means he has a little cash. Sure, Sam’s been weirdly moodly lately, but it’s just puberty, it’ll pass.

• Sam, meanwhile, is on his own a lot, with John either out working, out drinking, or buried in his notes; he spends a lot of time walking down to the library over the post office, which is surprisingly extensive, but more importantly, air-conditioned. If he has a couple bucks he might go to the new coffee shop by the library and buy an iced tea for lunch.

• At some point when John’s gone, Dean brings home Tina, a local bartender. Weirdly, they don’t seem to be sleeping together, at least initially; mostly they just hang out, easy with each other in a way that makes Sam jealous.

⁃ Sam hates it when Dean brings home girls (for the obvious reason that he gets kicked out of the house, of course), but he actually hates it more when Tina starts hanging around regularly, all the more so because she’s always very sweet to him—but Dean’s into her and that means Dean’s attention is on someone other than him.

⁃ Tina keeps working on Sam, and eventually he confides in her—he hates their life, hates lying to people, hates the ceaseless travel and string of anonymous motel rooms and constant scrambling for cash, but Dean loves it and he loves Dean. She mentions having a sister that she has a complicated relationship with, too.

• One day John announces that they’re taking a day trip as a family together, and they drive up to the Portal-Paradise area, which is a sky island—a mountain forest surrounded by desert, surprisingly lush and peaceful, with stunning views from the peaks.

⁃ It’s also a fairly cursed place, with bullet-riddled “KNOWN HUMAN TRAFFICKING AREA” signs and a cluster of boarded-up hovels from the ghost town of Paradise that definitely don't look like a Bender compound waiting to happen

⁃ After they've wandered around a bit, taking in the gorgeous landscape and sheer relief of being amongst so much green after months in the desert, John has them all pile back into the car and takes them up to Sugarloaf Peak. As they're climbing the mountain, he mentions that the fire watch station at the peak is a great place to watch for {insert signs of supernatural phenomenon here}. Sam gets upset at that, accuses John of using their family time for hunting. Dean points out (quite reasonably) that their family time has always been hunting together. John goes into Marine mode and shuts down the conversation, Sam grumbles something about "just because it's always been that way doesn't make it right," and goes into a sulk.

⁃ As he's sulk-climbing up the peak, Sam becomes convinced at one point that he hears running water. John tells him that’s unlikely before monsoons start, and to keep climbing. Sam keeps hearing it, though, and asks Dean whether he hears it; Dean listens, but doesn't hear anything. Sam falls further behind, trying to see the source—he catches a glimpse of something shimmering amidst the few trees and strikes off looking for it—but there’s nothing there, only a cliff that he nearly goes over. Dean comes up behind him a minute later, urges Sam back up the trail.

• The next day at the library, perhaps driven by Dean giving him shit about hallucinations, Sam starts looking into the history of water in the area—they’ve driven over the San Pedro River but it always just looked to him like a muddy creek. He learns about the 1877 earthquake that broke the water table and reshaped the water in the area, lowering the San Pedro's level and transforming St. David from a malaria-ridden swamp into a town of artesian springs.

• Later that week, Sam’s sitting outside the coffeeshop possibly reading Flowers in the Attic when he hears the older woman at the table next to him insisting that mutants are living in Paradise, only coming out at night, kidnapping people and murdering them, mutilating their bodies and leaving them for the sheriffs to find (and cover up, naturally). Sam is only half-listening—conspiracy nuts are a dime a dozen in this town—until the woman's friend asks patiently where they're getting water from, and the woman says something about haunted springs in the forest. He pretends he’s Dean for a moment, cuts in on the conversation, says he’s doing an independent study project over the summer. The woman fills him in on not just the one disappearance, but several over the past decade, mostly border-jumpers and itinerants.

• Reading between the lines, Sam starts to wonder if there’s a vampire nest in Paradise; he takes down some names, starts putting the research skills he's been learning to good use. He looks up some of the newspaper records on microfilm, finding records—occasional mentions in the Bisbee Observer (and before that, the more legitimate and much less typo-filled Bisbee Daily Review) of people missing, reading up on the history of Paradise.

• He comes back from the library, excited to tell Dean and John what he’s found, only to find John gone and Dean and Tina halfway through a case of beer she brought; they invite Sam to join them, and Sam does. Drunk!Sam ends up talking a lot about how cool the sky island forest is and trying to convince Tina to come with them to see it, but Tina seems oddly resistant. She changes the subject, tells them about her sister, how she was so dominant that she couldn’t tell where her sister ended and she began. Sam starts to feel a sort of kinship with her.

• The next morning he wakes up, discovers that Tina and Dean are gone. He wanders out to where John’s working in the living room, tells him what he’s found. John, who got in late the previous night and is singularly focused on demon activity, is a little condescending towards Sam—there’s dozens of conspiracy theories circulating through town, and besides, if there were actual vampires in Paradise he'd have found some direct evidence by now, they’ve been here more than a month.

• Sam is adamant about going anyway—"you always say it's our job to look into things nobody else will"—and maybe John's a little swayed by Sam's passion (or maybe Sam threatens to steal a car if John doesn't take him). As a sop, John gives Sam the keys to the Impala and tells him to come back if he needs help; as he's about to leave, John calls Sam back, gives him a tenner and reminds him not to head out to the middle of nowhere without supplies. Sam stops at the Circle K, packs a couple jugs of water and some nuts and jerky, and takes off; he’s a little pissed at Dean for ditching him the previous night (and also for, he assumes, sleeping with Tina) so he doesn’t bring him along.

• A couple of hours later, he’s jouncing up the road. The road is empty, as usual, the sun is hot, as usual. Sam gets to the border of the sky island, where the sun is less ferocious, and pulls off at the first group of abandoned houses. He goes to investigate; the first two are empty, barely more than hovels. The third looks empty, but he spots a table with no dust on it; looking closer, he finds a trap door down to a cellar.

⁃ Sam knows he should go get Dean, but he’s still feeling jilted, so he goes and grabs a machete from the Impala’s trunk

⁃ Carefully, he makes his way down the rickety staircase into the basement, shining the flashlight around—and is nearly jumped by a middle-aged woman, yelling at him in Spanish. He has some high-school Spanish but not much; he manages to ward her off, convince her he’s not ICE or Border Patrol. She still doesn’t trust him, but he notices the two children in the corner, the chains holding them there. In Spanish: “Why are they held?” “Coyote,” the woman spits. “Went to demand more money from my family. Should have been back three days ago. Probably drowned in a bar.” Sam doesn't 100% understand but gets the gist—the empty water jug in one corner and stinking bucket in another tell most of the story. The disappearances, the mutilated bodies—it's nothing supernatural, just people doing awful things to each other.

⁃ Sam picks the locks on the chains, tells the woman to wait a moment; he goes out to the Impala, gets the food and a jug of water, gives them to the woman. She’s still wary, but accepts the gifts. She tries to give him a warning, something about water, though his Spanish isn’t quite good enough to make it out; she also presses on him a small figurine, clearly very old, something that looks like a mermaid.

• He gets back around twilight, finds Dean and John bent over photocopies of local records. John sees him come in, asks him if he found anything. Sam opens his mouth, intending to tell him about his day…then decides against it. Just says there’s no vampires. John grunts in acknowledgement, mind already elsewhere.

• The next morning, Dean's missing again, so Sam stalks off to go swimming at the community pool. He’s doing laps, trying not to think about anything, but Dean keeps coming to mind, the way his eyes met Sam’s when Tina was talking about her sister, the way they felt almost hungry. It keeps haunting him, something about that hunger—he's walking back down Main Street, past some of the shops and galleries that sell local art to tourists, when he sees a large painting of La Tlanchana that bears some resemblance to the mermaid figurine—the woman’s warning comes to him again, and two pieces click together in his mind.

• He starts researching La Tlanchana and her various legends and beliefs about her over the years, particularly drawn by the darker and more vengeful incarnations that the Aztecs worshipped. He starts formulating a theory about the disappearances, that they’re linked to…what? A haunted spring? A mermaid? He’s so tantalizingly close…

• He comes home when the library closes, all excited to tell Dean what he’s found and get his input, but John and Dean are both gone; Dean’s bed is rumpled, and the sheets smell like…well, they smell like Dean and Tina, in a way that makes Sam’s stomach flip with jealousy. It's not that he hadn't guessed that they were sleeping together, but...he’d thought Tina liked him. He’d thought…Dean belonged to him. Little things like the hollow of his hip when his jeans rode low, or the way his knees bowed out when he walked, or the tightness around his eyes when he was trying to hide something—

⁃ —does horny uncomfortable 16-year-old Sam sit on the bed and envision his brother and Tina together and end up desperately rubbing one out right there on the bed? Oh yes he does. Afterward, roiling with several emotions (of which only some are shame), he half-considers going to the bar to look for Dean—but he has more trouble passing for twenty-one, and besides, what is there even to say?

• The next day, Sam intends to sleep late to avoid Dean, but his brother comes in at ten or so, in a disgustingly good mood. “Come on, Sammy, you’ve been cooped up in that library too long. Tina was telling me about a cave up on Mule Mountain, supposed to be a great place for a picnic.” John is still gone, and Sam’s in no mood, but can’t really say no to Dean.

• The brothers strike out over Mule Mountain, watching out for snakes and wildlife, looking for deer. Sam tries to explain to Dean his half-formed La Tlanchana theory, but Dean just humors him. Sam, nettled, starts griping about Dean’s navigation skills, about the way he sounds like their father, about all the time he’s spending with Tina, etc.

⁃ Dean deflects, but Sam’s upset about a lot of things he can’t acknowledge, so he starts in on the major sore point in their relationship—ripping on John for trapping them here, for never letting Dean be a kid, for always demanding their unquestioning obedience and loyalty, etc. Dean tolerates Sam’s griping to a point but once he starts in on their father it’s only a matter of time before he’s threatening to kick Sam’s ass; when Sam gets to the “he’s never let you be independent” part, Dean informs him with no small amount of anger that John has offered to give him the Impala, let him take jobs on his own—but he refused, because he’s been taking care of Sam—

⁃ They’re so caught up in arguing that they miss the way the sky’s going dark—it’s not until the first crack of thunder splits the sky overhead that they shut up and look at the sky, which is incredibly threatening

⁃ Sure enough, a moment later it starts pouring, with all the ferocity of a full-on faucet. Dean whoops, shedding his shirt like it’s an old skin, and dashes for an overhang that might shield them from the worst of it

⁃ Sam swallows and follows, soaked to the skin and shivering as much from fear as from cold. Cue the most miserably sexually-charged moment possible—Sam tryiing desperately not to notice all those little intimate physical things about Dean that he loves, Dean oblivious and in his element watching the storm transform the landscape

⁃ There’s a moment—maybe Dean says something like “Whatever it is that’s been eating at you, spit it out, Sammy—“ where Sam almost confesses. But cowardice, or perhaps intuition, hold his tongue—some secrets don’t need to be told. So instead, he passes it off as moodiness, apologizes. Dean confesses that he’s not actually all that into Tina—she’s fun, and all, but he knows they’ll be moving on soon enough. He lets slip that John’s halfway convinced that there’s no case here, anyway; they’ll probably be moving on in a week or two. Reluctantly, they allows things to revert to the status quo; as a consolation, they find a waterfall and eat slightly soggy sandwiches alongside it.

• The next morning, Sam wakes up to an entirely different town—the hills are starting to turn green, people in town are making plans to picnic by the waterfalls, everyone’s mood is lighter. Sam realizes he’s already looking at the town differently—as yet another place that’ll be in the rear view mirror soon, not as a place he inhabits. He’s coming to terms with that—glad for it, in some ways—when something tips him off that things aren’t right. Maybe the crackpot dude tells him the cycle is beginning again, or he overhears some gossip about how Tina didn’t show up for her shift last night, or sees something in the police blotter. Regardless, he ends up convinced that Dean and Tina have run off to the sky island and that Dean is in danger. Sam once again channels Dean, steals a county truck and floors it out to the sky island, this time forgetting to bring any supplies.

• Sam arrives in Paradise but sees no sign of Dean or Tina. He realizes he's parched (even flooring it out to the sky island, it's a good hour's drive); he listens for the water sounds. Instead, he hears Dean’s laughter, low and beckoning. He follows it, finds Dean standing shirtless in a spring, the version of Dean that terrifies him, untouchable and threatening and irresistible. For a moment he's almost taken in—but he knows Dean like nobody in the world, and thus knows a copy when he sees one. Not-Dean smiles, shimmers, reforms into the more familiar mermaid form.

• La Tlanchana (or this version of her) tells Sam how he puzzles her. She usually kills violent men, and Sam has a lot of violence in his past, and a destiny of violence in his future—but he was kind to the migrant mother, and undid some of the horror she’s seen done in her land. She sings for him, a lullaby of sorts, luring him away from his life of violence and yearning—

• Sam’s about to submit to her song when Tina appears, tells her to stop, that Sam’s destiny is his own to choose. La Tlanchana sneers at her, the same way you did? and Tina says yes—I’ve chosen you. It’s been more than a hundred years, and you’ve seen so much horror, grown vengeful—but I still love you, your kindness, the way you give life in the desert. They sing together, their voices intertwining, until they turn to water, melding together.

• Sam shakes off the daze, goes back to the truck; a few minutes later, he finds the Impala, bogged down in the rutted post-monsoon roads. He shakes him awake, questions him to see what he remembers—Dean appears to have been hypnotized, or something similar. He uses the truck to pull Dean out of the rut, tells him to return to the town, everything's over. Dean will have questions later, but for now he goes.

• Once Dean is gone, Sam goes back to the pool, now a perfectly mundane little monsoon-fed spring. He takes out the little figurine of La Tlanchana, sets it on a rock nearby, tells both Tina and her sister goodbye, and thanks them for their help.

• Epilogue: Sam is beginning his junior year in yet another new school. The smell of the school is the same, as are the lights (flourescent) and the lockers (stamped metal that echoes when it slams); he finds the guidance counselor’s office, lets himself in. The counselor looks up at Sam, comments on both his excellent grades and his peripatetic record. Sam: “So, if I wanted to go to college…”

[zhonglishrine]

Can i have a oneshot for gogol comforting his crying s/o?

Pairing: Nikolai Gogol x Reader Word Counts: 2.3k Note: Hello anon! Please forgive me for taking a long time to do your request! Since it was the first request on my blog, I thought I wanted to make it special. But I was stuck with writer’s block. So I used my old work before and re-edit it instead so it will be slightly different to match with the request! I’m sorry and I hope you will enjoy it and special big thanks to @soukokuwu​ for helping me proofread this one! Really, thank you so muchhhh <3!!!

It was empty.

In this dark cold continent, there was nothing but void and darkness inside. You either existed or your mind was playing a trick on you. It felt like a grand illusion - that nothing was real. What you were searching for was not there. Nothing you did would ever make you feel complete in any sense. There was always this feeling that haunted you, always reminding you of how miserable and disgusting you were. Gnawed and woven to your very soul like wild ivy tendrils wrapping around your empty heart and kept whispering down to the deepest recesses of your mind.

You were a monster.

You were a demon.

You were a human with no heart.

You were no different than a dead soul.

Then, why were you still alive?

For what purpose were you even here?

You shut your eyes tightly. You wanted to scream and block every deafening sound that suffocated you in this insufferable world. It exacerbated and tightened in your chest the more you struggled. Had it not been your sanity that kept you sane, you would already be consumed by madness. But would it be better if you just let yourself loose? Let it take over and become nothing but a shell of a living monster? Would it be better just to let what remains of you and burn it into a fire of anguish and let it turn to ash? Let it destroy you with the spite and hatred you harbor towards everything?

You were desperate to reach for something.

Anything.

And that was when he came along, when you were at a loss, as though he knew.

"Would you like to join the Decay of Angels?" He had said, with eyes as vacant as yours, but his hypnotizing violet eyes beneath that moonlight was much deeper and darker. It feels like you would lose yourself and drown in it if you were to stare any longer. Yet without exchanging any further words, he seemed to understand the unspoken pain that has festered through your being at that very moment. You looked exactly like a lost child that desperately needed guidance, that needed to cling onto something.

"...What will I get if I join you?"

"You will be free. From your sins."

That was what he had offered. His soothing, saintly voice was like a remedy that could mend your broken soul that needed salvation, which had been beyond redemption at that point. You had nothing to lose and thus accepted his invitation back then, with a little hope thinking something might change. But after so many years, it still remained the same. You were still the same old you. No matter how much you wanted to pretend, you could never fake a smile and pretend to be happy. It felt like it would be hypocritical- like it would only make you lose sight of yourself even more.

Then, what is it that you were searching for, actually?

Why were you still here?

A soft sigh escaped your chapped lips as you stared long at the night sky above. The stars twinkled, a million light-years away from the orbit. Yet you still reached out your hand, as if attempting to pick one and keep it in your pocket in a futile endeavor.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?" a familiar voice chirped, interrupting your time alone. You were never one that liked the companionship of others, but even so, no matter how hard you tried to ignore him, he'd just pester you even more and pop out randomly, much to your distaste. He was the last member of the Decay of Angels that you would want to interact with.

"Why are you here?"

"Aww, don't be so cold with me~! I merely passed by and just wanted to say hello to you~" Gogol winked and gave you a finger gun, as though his intentions weren't obvious.

"Bother someone else."

"Ah, are you upset that I'm not Dos?" He smirked as he guessed that.

You felt that he could easily read right through you and you didn’t like it - the feeling of being exposed. Fyodor was a man of mystery, a puzzle that you couldn't solve. You thought of him as someone who understood you and despite the terror associated with his name, he was still someone that you respected profoundly. Not out of fear, but maybe, admiration. But you hated that Gogol was right. You wished you were talking to Fyodor instead of the clown, and Gogol had gotten it right on the nose. And yet here you two were, with different circumstances that bring you two to join the association, even with different goals.

"Shut up. Just leave me alone, will you?"

"Aw... but no one wants to play with me. Even Sigma is busy. But you have been doing nothing but stargazing~ Don't you get tired doing that every night? If it were me, I'd die of boredom!" He flailed his arms in an attempt to get your attention. You cursed under your breath. This clown was too energetic for you to handle.

"None of your business what I do." You replied back to him crudely. But he took a seat beside you anyway, sitting by the edge of the building and swinging his legs back and forth with those comical pointy shoes of his. For someone his age, he acted rather childishly. Though, maybe that's just one of his antics as a clown. But he was the epitome of someone you could never understand. Since you can ever be two-faced like he is.

Gogol hummed. "You always come here, why is that?"

"I told you; it's none of your business."

"Aw. Here I thought that we were friends~" Gogol made it sound like he was hurt by your words.

You ruefully snorted at that, "Funny hearing that coming from you." Did he think you were that naive? Naive enough to think that you two were friends in this organization that was solely established with terrorists that can backstab you at any given moment?

"Is it not right? You've been with us for years, yet you seem so distant. Just like the stars." He remarked while spreading out his left arm to the sky.

"Is that so?" You looked up at it again, attempting to count the innumerable stars, albeit knowing how futile it was.

"Say... why did you join the Decay of Angels?" You posed the question to him, though you weren’t really curious. You just needed something to fill the awkward silence.

"Why, indeed. If I must answer that, why don't you tell me your reason first?"

Reason. You were still unsure about it yet. Why? You had killed so many just for that answer alone but the book that was your mind still drew a blank. Nothing was written on it yet. Was it because you were drawn to Fyodor's words at that time? Had he lured you in with nothing but empty promises?

"Perhaps… I was searching for the meaning of my existence." You curtly answered, but your mind still pondered on it.

"Then, have you found it?" Gogol asked, evincing interest to know as he turned to look at you sideways. There was something between you, something that somehow made you feel connected to him. Both of you were pawns that would soon be disposed of once you have served your purpose. It didn’t scare you, though. You would do what you had to, even if that meant dying in the end. The only thing you were scared of is regret - of not finding what you were searching for in the first place.

"...I don't know. Maybe not yet. Maybe I never will." You said, feigning nonchalance. "Then, what about you?" Now it was your turn to look into his molten gold eye, the one scarred with a vertical cut. Was there a story behind it? You wonder inwardly, but you couldn’t bring yourself to ask Gogol about it. In the Decay of Angels, every member came from a different background and it was unknown what they did before. If you asked him he might tell, either in a jesting manner or make it overly complicated, like another riddle you had to solve.

"I search for my freedom. Just like a bird that soars the skies without being bound by anything," he replied with a wistful tone and his expression softened, "I am seeking for a perfect freedom, like that."

"Freedom, huh..." You repeated, "you're one strange guy." Indeed, he was. Nikolai Gogol was an enigma himself, just as Fyodor was. As though he was standing between the bridge of psychosis and rationality that he wants to get rid of. You failed at understanding his essence, but you could empathize with his pursuit.

"Funny hearing that coming from you~" He retorted with your earlier words. "But birds and stars, are they not so different?"

"How so? They are two different entities, to start with."

"Because both are up far in the sky, seemingly unreachable for a mortal like us. Even so, we still gaze at them longingly, wishing upon the star, wishing to fly, wishing to escape from this warm, wet hell."

You couldn’t refute that. Technically, he wasn’t wrong.

"Then, have you found it?"

Gogol looked at you again, his eye reflecting every little light in the world that you see. He softened his countenance as if he actually understood what lay within your heart that you tried to conceal.

"Maybe I do. Now that I met you."

Within the span of a second that felt like an eternity, your heart thumped loudly in your ribcage, like he took your breath away at that moment with his gaze alone.

No...

Don't fall for it.

Don't fall for it again.

It would be the same. He would just be like the others. He too, would leave once he saw what was inside - that which was hiding and cloaking you in the darkness, that which enshrouded and imprisoned you inside.

And just like he said, you were exactly like the stars.

You were in front of him, and yet you felt so distant and too far away to reach.

"...It's nice talking to you. But I must take my leave now..." You wanted to withdraw yourself before you started to harbor hope and belief in someone again. Before you fell for it again, only to be tripped afterward. Only to be deceived, left broken, and uncared for years.

But he held you back by your wrist.

"Won't you stay a little while longer, my dove? A star will one day perish, and I would feel so lonely if you are truly gone." His voice somehow pulls the strings of your heart. But you know better than to fall for him.

"Wouldn't it be better? You don't know who I am..." You tried to break free, yet he was stubborn, he didn’t want to let you go. "I am not what you think I am... I'm just another monster who has no heart. You shouldn't get close to me..." Your eyes were already starting to well up with hot tears. The stinging pain in your chest throbbed, each passing second with him made you feel suffocated, as though causing you to drown in your own misery. Inevitable it was that you would bring him down with you as well.

"...Or else, you would destroy yourself too," you warned him,

"You’re either human or you are not, either you are a monster with no heart or not, what difference does it make?" He questioned you back, "Be whatever you want to be. It's your freedom, it’s your life, it’s your call."

"It's easy for you to say that... I'm not like you."

"Then tell me, what do you wish for every time you look at the stars? Have you no will for yourself? Have you not wished to break free from your cage as well?"

"I..." Stumped with his questions, you gazed into his eye once again, tears blurring your vision. Everything that was pent up inside you until this moment felt like it was crumbling, disintegrating into dust. Like waves crashing against the sand, such brittle was your resolution now when faced with his raw, naked, and pure emotions when he took off his clown mask.

"I want to... I just want to escape from this place... from my demons..." You said with a trembling, shaky voice, all the remaining strength in you threatening to leave the more you looked into his eyes. What kind of pain does he hide behind them? Why did it hurt you as much as well? As ironic as it sounded, in this moment, he looked more human than you were.

"Then, I will be the one that frees you from it now, my dove. Go, fly to the stars as you wish." He said and held you near, and contrary to his words that coached you to be free, he actually looked like he never wanted to let you go, yet you felt strangely safe and found warmth in his arms. You felt like you were finally being liberated from that which imprisoned you in that bottomless darkness. Even if what you see is just a glimpse of light. Then, that should be enough rather than nothing at all.

"You are beautiful when you soar free that way."

Two humans. Two monsters. Two beating broken hearts.

Under that starry night that illuminated the sky with constellations, it's like your fate entwined and mirrored each other on how almost tragically similar it was, with the demons that were trapped inside the both of you, seeking solace in each other's existence to remind you that you two were still human beings that just wished to be free.

[rudemaidenswrite]

Can I Join You?

Part 2

BY: @pusantheamazonian

Fandom: Stranger Things          Jim Hopper X Reader

Part 1

It's been a few days since the carnival ended and your brother has left for the next town. And you have not seen nor heard from Jim either. You knew it was just a fling that would never get off the ground. He has a teenager at home. That alone will cause more chaos than trying to get back into the dating scene. So in a weird angry habit, you decided to bake cookies when you got off work.

El’s curiosity is still high about Y/N. With a plan she hides in the bathroom after school with Max guarding the door. Sitting on the floor, the radius tuned to static, faucets running and a handkerchief over her eyes. Taking deep slow breaths she's able to focus and locate Y/N. 

In the black nothingness Y/N appears, standing alone in a kitchen. Walking closer El is able to tell you're making cookies and singing along to the radio.

"Y/N?" El whispers but your sudden turn towards her threw off the connection. "Damnit!"

"You okay?" Max poke her head in.

"I'm fine." Grumbling El pulls the handkerchief down. 

"Did you find her?" Max asks sitting next to El.

"Yes, she even looked at me like she heard me."

"Weird. So what now?"

"Time to see her."

~

Opening the door you're surprised to see Jane for several reasons. 

1. It's a school night. 

2. You didn't tell Jim where you live. 

3. This was not how you expected to officially meet her.

"Jane what are you doing here?" Confused you are staring at a determined thirteen year old.

"Visiting. May come in?"

"Okay… does your father know you're here?" Absently you move to the side and let her in.

"Do you have any cookies?"

 "Yeah, why don't you sit at the table. I'll get you some. Do you want some milk?" Pointing off to the side at the table.  You instantly know that this child is smarter than she leads people to believe. 

"Yes please." 

You watch her sit at the table and wait for you. Jane stares at everything. Placing the milk and cookies in front of her you should probably know the real reason she's here.

"Jane-"

"El." She quickly interrupts while picking up a cookie.

"What?"

"I go by El."

"Ok El.” Sitting across from her you pick up your own cookie. “Do you want to tell me the real reason you hitchhiked 18 miles after school to my place?"

You watch her nervously curl inwards before responding.

"Dad and history class." 

"Why don't we start with history class." You quickly pick option two.

El nods and pulls out her book and folder. 

"There's a test next week and I don't understand anything." Handing you an outline. "Dad sucks at helping me with homework."

"Growth and Expansion is basically about the major changes in the U.S. during the 1800’s. So the Industrial Revolution, the changing role of government, and development of foreign policy." Moving to a chair closer you keep the outline handy.

As you go over the information with her you lose all complete track of time. You just happen to look at the clock to see the time.

"Shit!"

"What?" Frightened El looks for the danger.

"It's almost seven. We gotta get you home." You are up and out the chair. You need a plan.

"Why?"

"Why? El it's a school night and I bet you didn't tell your dad you were going to be home late." You're trying to process the carelessness of this child. Jim is in over his head. 

"I did not."

"Well do you want me to call him so he can come get you or you want me to take you home?" 

"Can you take me?" El pleads with her best frowny face.

"Yes but you'll have to give me directions."

"Okay." El packs her stuff up while you make her a snack baggie for tomorrow. That's filled with cookies and a separate bag for Jim. 

In the car El stares out the window bobbing along to the music. 

"So what is going on with your dad that you had to see me?" Reaching you turn the music down. Time to bite the bullet. 

"He likes you but thinks that I don't understand the complications of dating a single parent. He is being chicken. Mike explained it to me."

"You've definitely thought about this." Well if that’s not a child being a wingman you don't know what is. She definitely cares about his happiness. 

"It would be nice to see someone regularly at home. He works late and forgets the time."

"Well you'll just have to light a fire under his ass. In my experience single parents are the slowest moving people ever. Stubborn and grumpy." Chuckles you spare a glance.

"Your experience?"

"I was raised by a single dad too. Growing up it was just dad, my two older brothers and me." Reaching into your purse and pulling out your wallet. You open it to the pictures and hand it over.

"Mom?" El slowly flips through them.

"Don't know. She left one day, decided that she didn't want a family anymore." Shrugging it’s an odd thing that has always bugged you. 

"Sorry."

"Don't be dad eventually remarried and I got an awesome new mom and a little brother." You motion for her to keep flipping.

"New mom?"

"Yes."

"Mama… is not well. Dad let's me visit every couple of weeks. She lives with Aunt Becky."  Frowning, she puts your wallet back in your purse.

"It's nice that you visit her. I bet it makes her happy even if she can't show it."

"I hope so." She gives you a small hopeful smile.

El has you driving to the outskirts of Hawkins. Alongside a gravel road, turning onto a hidden dirt driveway. Pulling up you see the cabin setting on the hill.  You also see Jim walking frustratedly to his truck.

"He beat you home."

"Shit." She whispers seeing him too.

Honking your horn, he turns around making eye contact. As you nod to the passenger seat. There's a wave of relief for a split second before he walks closer.

"Next time you need help with homework. Just tell me, it's dangerous to be walking alone." You make sure to say loudly once you both are out of the car. Hoping to dampen the punishment.

"Jane." Jim grumbles, angrily throwing his cigarette. 

"See stubborn and grumpy. Just like I said." Nodding at him you give her a wink.

El laughs. "I like her." Jim sends El a furious look, which causes her to head directly inside. "Bye Y/N."

"Bye." Waving you watch her head up the hill before walking to Jim who has started pacing. "She's a firecracker but a good one." 

"Thanks for bringing her home. Where did you find her?" Huffing he runs a hand through his hair, still trying to calm down. 

"I opened my door and there she was. Don't know how she figured out where I lived."

"God… thanks again."

"No problem and here." Diverting his attention you hand him the bag.

"Cookies?"

"Yeah I was making some before El showed up. It's like the smell drew her in."

"I'm surprised."

"About what?" Confused, why would he be surprised? You're a decent person of course you brought her home. 

"Jane's very standoffish, won't interact unless she likes you and knows you're a good person."

"Oh! Well that's a good thing, not wanting to be involved with bad people." Nodding that's understandable. 

"She likes you, be prepared to see her randomly." Shaking his head in disbelief. 

"That's okay we can talk about our feelings again."

"You talked about feelings?" 

You watch him visibly pause. Apparently it never occurred to him that El would want to talk about feeling to someone else.

"Yeah like how she wants you to be happy because you want her to be happy. Also about how single dads are stubborn and grumpy all the time."

"That's what that comment was about? I'm not grumpy and stubborn all the time."  Scoffing he straightens up.

"I doubt it, I know the grumpy and stubborn attitude pretty well." Teasing you mender back to your car. Leaving him to his own devices.

"How?"

"Like minds think alike. I was raised by a single father." Winking you climb into the driver’s seat.

~

In your comfiest pajamas and ready for bed, you're finishing up with brushing your teeth when there's a banging on the front door. It's almost 10pm, you didn't plan on anyone coming out. Looking out the peephole, you're surprised to see who it is. 

"Jim? What are-" Opening the door you don't know what to say.

Cutoff, Jim's mouth is on yours. Hands hold you close as he backs into the nearest wall. Your hands find their way into his hair. Pressed closely, you can taste the lingering cigarette. 

"You came all this way for a smooch?" Pulling away you can't help but to smile. 

"....Yes?"

"Uh huh. You know I'm not buying that, right?" It's obvious to you that he had no set plan. 

"I figured you would." Shrugging he keeps a flirty smile. "What would you say if I said that I had to see you tonight."

"I would say that you're probably crazy because I look like a goblin." Saying that you realize you should probably let go of him. 

"No you don't. I'm the mess. I have no idea how to raise a teenage girl and I've been a grumpy father for years."

"If you say so.” Chuckling it's becoming clear how much El acts like him. “You know the police showing up late at night to my place is going to start gossip."

"Why don't we give them something to actually talk about?" In boldness he steals another kiss. 

"Well I'm no expert on firearms but I do know that's not a gun in your pocket."

"And the cheesy wisecracks." With a defeated sigh he head falls into the crook of your neck.

"Don't expect anything less. I have my own repriatore of dad jokes." Pulling on his collar to redirect his attention. "If you're looking for a hint my bedroom is the door on the left." Nodding down the short hall.

Next thing you know, you're looking at the floor and his ass. It's a short trip, inside he shuts the bedroom door with his foot as he dumps you on the bed. Scooting upwards you pull him with you. There’s no way in hell you're letting him escape without something happen.

"Fuck. Do you have any idea how crazy you make me?" Mumbling he kisses his way down your throat. Stifling a whine, you're beginning to lose all coherent thought processes. Just his presence makes you feel all tingly. 

"Do you know how hard it was not to kiss you outside the restaurant?" Delighted in this turn of events. You make your own little confession. Now is not the time for soft, slow romance. This is needy, rough lovin that you both so clearly need. 

[g7mafiascenarios]

His Sudden Kindness.

synopsis : It was obvious that the cold mafia leader has a soft spot for his childhood lover. It’s up to him to step up his game in order to talk to her.

characters : Lim Jaebeom, Moon Soojin, Moon Hyunjae

genre : mafia!jb, got7!mafia

a/n : i can’t say fluff but maybe a little, oh and maybe some swear words

“Thank you and we will come again as your repeat customers!”

“No problem! Thank you again!” Soojin exclaimed happily as she was holding the door for a few customers who had filled hands, seeing them waving to her. 

Soojin watched them walk further till she couldn’t see their figures, turning to the corner as she sighed in relief.

It was a busy day for her  and she has been cutting prickly leaves and dead petals all day, decorating the exterior of her shop with a bunch of bright and dark big flowers as she already catches attention from passer-bys.

Some people recognize her as the MOON Enterprise’s CEO’s daughter while some recognize her as the bright, helpful and kind girl who would always spend time in the shop as they walk past her shop, seeing the girl through the clear window glass making herself busy wrapping flowers all day.

Her shop got attention from all sorts of customers. From elderly women who have a liking for daisies, ederly men who buy red roses for their wives, young couples from school, office people - she noticed most of them were her colleagues in MOON headquarters to adults.

 There were even kids who just randomly asked Soojin for sunflowers.

Soojin who has a kind heart and loves kids would give them sunflowers for free to only return by their parents apologizing to her which she would always tell them that it is fine.

Soojin was somehow popular around the city.

Her attention fell to the pinned note on the board to find a red one, just by the cash register - seeing its request.

“Oh no, it’s the Lims,” muttered Soojin as she took out the red note, then checked the store fridge to see the request from them and she knew where the next location should be.

She already asked Hyunjae to pick her up in about an hour, so wanting to remind her older brother, she decided to give him a call through her flower shop’s phone line.

“Hello?”

“Hey Hyunjae! This is me! Picking me up in about an hour's time?”

“Well… about that…”

There was a slight pause on the other line and Soojin immediately frowned, somehow feeling nervous about what he was going to say.

“I can’t make it, I already sent someone to pick you up,”

“Oh… Okay.. Something happened at work?”

“Kinda… It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry.”

“Alright, I’ll give you a call if there’s anything.”

“Roger that. Bye sis.”

“Bye,” muttered Soojin, finally putting down the phone with a sigh before starting to prepare the bouquet of flowers for the Lims.

She was too into her work, trying to make the flowers as clean and wanting to make the bouquet visually aesthetic, she scored a first class for this - when the sound of a car engine made her jump a little.

Soojin glanced towards the clear window, to see a luxury car parked right outside her shop. As soon as the window of the car slides down, Soojin’s eyes slowly went wide - to see a very familiar looking pair of eyes staring at her from the passenger seat.

She was already keying the phone number in a hurry and pressing the loud speaking button, not bothering the privacy. In just 2 rings, he picked up the call.

“Is he there?”

“Are you freaking serious, Hyunjae?!”

“What? It’s just Jaebeom…?”

“Just?! Hyunjae! He’s the next CEO of the hotel I am working for! It’s like asking your boss for a drive,”

“I’m aware he is the next CEO, Soojin - and… to be honest I can’t relate since I am going to be a boss myself so…”

Soojin slapped her forehead, hearing how dumb Hyunjae sounds like on the other side - at the same time she was losing her mind.

“Why are you so scared of Jaebeom anyway? He’s a nice guy,”

“Nice?! That’s funny. All I know is if I made him mad again just like the other day, who knows he will kill me,” 

“Moon Soojin. That’s not funny and no, he won’t kill you. Heck he won’t even lay a hand on you. Trust me, lil sis. Stop being a pussy and woman up. I have to go! Call you later!”

“Hyunjae!— Great.”

The beeping sound of the phone indicates he ended the call, causing her to sigh loudly while putting down the phone in an attempt to stop the sound.

“He’s right, you know.”

Soojin immediately jolted, hearing the voice as she quickly looked up to see him leaning against the fridge, his hands placed in the pocket of his business pants, just across her. 

How did he even enter the shop when there is a class doorbell where when people enter the shop, it will automatically make a sound as an indication they entered.

“How long have you been standing there?” Soojin questioned, trying her best not to sound or look as frightened as always. Jaebeom noticed this as he decided to let his guard down - he came here for a reason after all.

Which is to make her talk to him, as a friend. Not as what she just mentioned to his older brother.

“Well.. not long, but yeah. What Hyunjae said is right. I am nice.”

His response made Soojin chuckle slightly, as she realizes what she has done - immediately covering her mouth.

Jaebeom raised an eyebrow as his eyes decided to move towards the interior design of the shop, admiring how pleasing it looked though he had no interest in flowers.

Maybe because he was interested in the owner of the shop.

This caught Soojin’s attention, seeing him looking around the room - analyzing his features and noticing that he had an eye mole on his outer eyelids. 

That’s weird, someone that I knew had eye moles but I can’t seem to remember who it is,

Other than that, he has a sharp jawline and not to mention his piercing eyes.

“Did you decorate the shop all alone?” Jaebeom decided to break the silence, immediately caught Soojin staring at him. He let out an obvious smirk, taking a few steps towards her.

“Checking me out? Need me to come closer?”

“Woah! Not so close, Mr Lim!” Soojin exclaimed flusteredly, taking a step backwards seeing him getting closer to her.

Jaebeom let out a slight smile.

“It’s Jaebeom, Soojin. You don’t have to be so formal and I’m not your boss as what you said to Hyunjae.” Now Jaebeom’s voice turned serious, his eyes never break eye contact with hers.

“We’re business partners and I appreciate it if you could stop saying I’m your boss. It doesn’t sound pleasing to me.” Jaebeom sounded hurt, though he doesn’t look like it which makes Soojin confused slightly but still obeyed what he said.

“Okay.. I’m sorry if I hurt you in any kind of way since you sounded a little hurt,”

“I’m glad you figured it out,” Jaebeom muttered slightly with a little smile. 

Soojin was amazed at how amazing he looked when he showed that smile. It was a slight smile, but still it considered a smile. 

That really sums up a mafia leader, attractive when he smiles or smirks but scary is angry.

“I’ll be outside while waiting for you to get ready,” Jaebeom pointed out by his thumb, earning a nod from Soojin.

As soon as the bell rang, Soojin immediately took out her apron and proceeded to rush herself.

For the first time, Soojin felt nervous riding in a car with someone. 

Not just someone.

“Why can’t you just relax, Soojin? I won’t bite you and I would never, would not, could never and mostly I don’t intend to even kill you.. Just like you said to Hyunjae.” 

They stop at the red light, which makes Jaebeom easily turn towards Soojin, seeing her side profile - her usual side partings covering her face. Soojin surprisingly turned towards Jaebeom with a raised brow.

“Are you offended by what I say to Hyunjae?”

“If you want me to be honest, yes I am, Soojin.” Jaebeom muttered before stepping onto the pedal, driving straight as the light turned green.

“Well… I’m sorry…? Look I— I find you scary okay?! So it’s normal if I had the impression of you!” Soojin exclaimed a little, earning a slight amused smile from Jaebeom.

“I’m disappointed but you’re not wrong though… Kids even find me scary, there was once a kid bumped onto me just by the lobby and as soon as I made eye contact, he ran away while bursting into tears. It’s embarrassing..” Jaebeom ranted with a sigh, causing Soojin to chuckle while trying to cover her mouth.

“Maybe you should lower your gaze, Jaebeom. Do you remember the day I bumped onto you? Maybe you could just make a 2 second eye contact then look away or smile slightly.” Soojin explains not realizing what position she was in, then not hearing Jaebeom’s response, afraid that she offended him.

“I’m so—

She was cut off by Jaebeom chuckling, a soft and genuine one, obviously taken aback by Soojin as she turned towards him with a shock expression.

“Believe me I tried doing that with others but it seems I scare them away more, so I just live it that way..” Jaebeom answered, glancing towards Soojin with a smile.

This is the moment that Soojin feels like she is mesmerized, his genuine smile was the most beautiful thing she had witnessed. 

It was so pure, and it could make her fall for Jaebeom if he kept smiling at her. But of course that won’t happen, she thinks that she was just an acquaintance to him.

“But in seriousness, I’m really not that scary.. unless one decided to test my patience,” answered Jaebeom slightly turning towards Soojin, seeing her loosen up just by looking at her untense shoulders.

Soojin finally smiled while nodding slightly.

“Okay then, I believe you..” muttered Soojin as she looked away from Jaebeom, and in coincidence this made Jaebeom smile widely.

“...And I believe we have reached my parent’s building,” announced Jaebeom as he immediately parked the car, rushing out of the driver seat to become a gentleman- helping Soojin out of the car with opening the door for her and helping her to get the bouquets of flowers to her.

Now they were just standing face to face with Soojin holding onto the bouquets while Jaebeom had his hands formed into a fist in an attempt to calm his beating heart.

“I’m sorry for burdening you, well.. mainly my brother..” 

“Don’t mention it and you don’t have to apologize everytime okay? You didn’t do anything wrong. The one who should apologize would be me,” confessed Jaebeom, his voice becoming soft as he tried to make eye contact with her.

“What for? You didn’t do anything wrong… other than looking scary and being a dick— I mean, being mean,” Soojin cuts herself off before revealing her true self, but Jaebeom was smart enough to catch her words.

“Dickhead? Maybe sometimes I am a dickhead,” Jaebeom shrugged slightly, seeing the shocking face on Soojin’s face - causing him to chuckle, his hands were rather fast than his brain as he pinched her cheeks.

Causing Soojin to gasp dramatically.

“Hey! You’re lucky my hands are preoccupied! I would already smack you on the head!” Soojin frowns deeply, her cheeks puffing out and that made Jaebeom relive his childhood memories - earning a smile from Jaebeom.

“I would wait for that day to happen. Just saying, it seems you are going to be late if you keep talking to me… not that I wasn’t enjoying but..” informed Jaebeom and Soojin can’t help but roll her eyes, then letting out a smile.

“Thank you for driving me, Jaebeom. Aren’t you going in too?” Soojin was about to take a step but stop immediately, turning towards him - seeing Jaebeom leaning against his car with folded arms.

“I have to attend a meeting with a friend in his own headquarters so go ahead,” said Jaebeom simply, smiling a little towards her as Soojin could only nod slightly as she continued walking.

“Soojin!” Jaebeom called out, causing her to whip her body towards his voice, seeing him standing in front of the driver’s seat door.

“I’ll see you around,” Jaebeom yelled slightly since they were a little far but still near for them to see each other.

Soojin waved at him, then to see him reply in the same gesture.

Jaebeom watches her, from talking to the receptionist then to entering the lobby as she disappears in the elevator with a wide smile from the driver seat. 

To think that kid Soojin was adorable, the Soojin he had converse with was more adorable - Jaebeom finds her kind of funny, clumsy and attractive. 

This was the first step of gaining their friendship back and he wished that as days passed while getting to gain her trust and trying to continue to where they had left back when they were kids.

But the problem for him is, how is he going to continue to where they had left when she can’t even recognize him?

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 ⇿ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

[purple-scarf-mistress]

Dark Truths

A Criminal Minds FanFic. 

Chapter 2

Summary: Jamie has been missing for a year, subjected to horrible torture. Her friends/team/family aka the BAU team scramble to find her. Once she is found it will be a challenge to help her get back to her normal life.  Master List (Multi Chapter)  Pairing:  ReidxJamie (OC) Warnings: This story is explicit and deals with s*xual assault and psychological torture.  I will add notes for where to skip and pick back up to for those who want to read this but avoid the warning content. 

June 3

Jamie clenched her teeth to avoid screaming. She was already paying for making noise when she was not asked to. It was one of the rules she was told to follow, even though her captors made it nearly impossible to follow a single one. She couldn't hear what the men around her were saying, she was becoming dizzy from pain as they beat her and called her names. She felt her ankle snap, biting down hard on her lip to keep from screaming out at the excruciating pain. The world around her began to spin before it all went black.

July 1st :

Hotch had everyone gather so they could review the new evidence they had collected. They couldn't be certain if it had anything to do with their long lost friend but they were working with it.

"The phone number that called Reid that night was made from an Irish pub about 5 miles away from here." Penelope said as she pulled up pictures of the pub, "I did some digging and looked into the visitors that frequent the pub and found that a good 90% of them have ties to the Irish mafia, or mob, or whatever you want to call the Irish bad guys. I am not sure what that has to do with Jamie unless they just randomly picked her for …" Garcia trailed off mentally kicking herself because they didn't know what they were doing to her, or what they had done with her.

Rossi cleared his throat taking over the conversation before the team could lose themselves in what-if scenarios. "The Irish Mafia, like many other organized crime groups, has a long history in grudges, robbery, assault, drugs, prostitution, illegal pornography, human trafficking, and murder. The Irish mafia and the Italian Mafia do not particularly get along and I might be able to call some people I know to see if they have any idea as to what's going on with their rival."

"I don't see why they would target Jamie…we haven't come across these people ever, as far back as I can see Jamie hasn't either in her personal life, what's the connection here? " asked JJ who was getting frustrated.

Hotch pulled out a file handing it over to them. He knew this held sensitive information that he should have guessed was connected with his baby girls' disappearance. "This was my very first murder case as a detective, in it has every detail on how I met Jamie McConnell." Looking around the room Hotch saw a lot of different emotions staring back at him.

"Jamie McConnell?" Reid asked dumbfounded looking through the file first. He pulled out photos of a man and woman, both dead, both with obvious signs of torture; behind the rest of the crime photographs, which he passed around the table, was a document.

He started reading out loud "Deckland and Mary McConnell were found murdered in their Los Angeles home on August 12th 1997. The way the bodies were found match other bodies similar to those that were killed by members of the Irish Mob. Upon looking through the house detective Aaron Hotchner found a young child. The child was determined to be Jamie McConnell, age 5, daughter of the deceased. It was estimated that by the time detectives had arrived on scene they victims had been deceased for three days. It was later confirmed that the child had stayed in the closet during the duration of the murder and the days after. The child will be placed in a foster home with a new surname for protection."

The room was silent as the agents mulled over the new information on their friend. Every person remembering how Jamie never talked about her parents and didn't really talk all that much about her foster families either. In fact, when the topic of the family was brought up Jamie simply skirted the topic or talked about the Hotchners.

"So, we have a lead with some actual evidence." Stated Morgan "Now let's find our girl, kick some ass and bring her home."

It had been a long day. Jamie felt numb and exhausted; she craved the cool, damp corner of her dark cell where she some sometimes was allowed to sleep. Instead, her captors carted Jamie to different "parties" where she would entertain them however her boss ordered her. She noticed what they dressed her in today was red, white, and blue and assumed it was some patriotic holiday today, probably the fourth of July but she didn't ask. She had given up asking questions or talking without permission… hell making any sort of noise without permission. She could still hardly walk from her last bought of punishment where they broke her ankle. Jamie was so tired, her body craved both sleep and the cocktail of drugs they had shot her up with so many times. She fought her body hard to stay awake as they drove to their next location, but she kept nodding off.

"Someone call the boss. She isn't going to make it the full day out... Let's give her a few hours rest, give her the shot, and clean her up." He chuckled "We won't want a crashing, dirty girl for our party tonight." She heard the man say.

She knew this man well. Knew everything he liked and everything he disliked. She knew how he enjoyed punishing her in all sorts of ways. She even knew that for this kindness he was giving to her, a slave, she would have to pay. The price for this would be high but she needed it. She would pay whatever he asked of her later so long as she could have one hour of quiet sleep, where no one was touching her.

"Hey Hotch, we have a problem" Jamie started shaking hearing that name. "The chick is crashing, I don't think another injection is going to keep her up right now and it could kill her if we give her it now. Quinn thinks we should let her catch some sleep so she is ready to entertain them later."

Jamie's heart started to race. She had grown to fear the man on the other end of the phone. The one who was responsible for all her pain, she couldn't argue it anymore, couldn't fight to not believe it, her dad was doing this to her. She pulled her knees up to her chest trying to calm down till she hears the man in the front seat start talking again.

"Yes sir." He hung up "were taking her back to the factory for some rest. Hotch says that we can let her sleep for a little while, clean her up, and have our own fun later. She earned enough money for him this morning."

When the car parked at the factory Jamie got out and slowly walked inside with Quinn. He led her to her cell, stripped her out of her "work clothes" and put her back into her usual old tattered shirt and panties. Once she was dressed for bed he pushed her hard into the ground, watching her weak body crash into the cement.

"Sleep. You have two hours, then you’re up and with us." He watched Jamie crawl into the corner before bedding down and gabbing her hair, yanking her head back to him, he kissed her cheek "Happy Independence Day" Quinn laughed as we walked out of the room, locking her in the dark.

It had been 3 days since they learned about his dear friend's true history. Since then it all became clear. They had quickly narrowed down where they believed Jamie was being held with the aid of Rossi's Italian contacts. The team took the jet to New York City and split up in groups of two at three possible locations where they might find their friend. Spencer sat at the window watching the old abandoned factory. A dark tinted SUV pulled up across the street at the factory he was watching pulling Reid from his thoughts.

"Morgan!" he called to his friend to come to see. He watched as the driver and passenger got out of the car, followed by the people in the back seat. Morgan and Reid watched them intently, making sure to snap pictures of the men. The two found it hard to believe what they were seeing; the fourth person was a girl wearing some skimpy Fourth of July attire. The girl looked weak as she walked getting pulled along by the man they would eventually know as Quinn, there wasn't a doubt in either of the men's minds. They found her.

"Jamie…" Spencer whispered so quietly to himself before grabbing his phone calling Garcia while Morgan took more pictures "Garcia! Call everyone else! We have eyes on Jamie! Get them on the line now!"

Penelope was so excited that her friend was really alive, that they were going to get her, that even as quickly as she connected everyone it didn't seem fast enough.

"Got them! I got them! Hotch, Rossi, Prentiss, and JJ you are connected to Reid and Morgan and me!"

"Guys! We found her! She is here! They just walked her inside the factory!" Reid said, his voice climbing higher as he was anxious.

Hotch spoke quickly, "Everyone gets there as soon as you can. Reid, Morgan you are not to enter until we get there and create a plan." He hung up before anyone else could argue. Grabbing his gun and his bulletproof vest he quickly made his way to the car with Rossi in tow.

"Ready to get your baby girl back?" asked Rossi trying to get Hotch to talk.

"More than ready. I want her home. I want her home tonight!" he took off when they were both in the car. Diving quickly to the apartments where Reid and Morgan had been placed.

Prentiss drove quickly as well, only slowing as they neared the location so that they would not attack attention. Taking a deep breath she looked at JJ "ready?"

JJ only nodded in response. She was worried about what state they would find her friend. She knew that getting her back was only the first half of the battle, the second half would be dealing with the psychological and physical damage that the youngest member of the team had sustained during her year in captivity.

JJ and Prentiss walked up the stairs and joined the rest of the team. They heard Garcia on the phone going over the blueprints of the old factory.

"When we enter, the likelihood that we will arrest everyone if anyone at all will be very small. There are two many exits. The goal here is to get Jamie out safely. We will find these people again later if we don't get them now and get Jamie the justice she deserves." Said Hotch.

Rossi looked out the window at the factory, "It would be better for us to go in when it's dark, so long as they don't take her anywhere. Someone should be watching for that at all times."

Morgan nodded taking up a post at the window while he listened to the rest of the group plan how they would enter and sweep the building. When the planning was done all they could do was wait. Hotch sat sating at the pictures that Morgan had taken of his baby. Seeing her dressed the way she was made Hotch's stomach churn. It was not something Jamie, his baby, would ever have chosen to wear on her own.

The other three agents went about filling their time in the best way they could, trying to sleep though it was hard to do. Spencer, who knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, sat in a chair reading a book he had carried with him since Jamie had been taken. She had bought it for him to read because it was one of her favorites and she desperately wanted someone to share in it with her. Whenever he missed her he read this book, and if he was honest, he missed her every seconded that she had been gone. So pretty much any of his free time was spent with reading this book over and over again so that when he got the chance they could talk about it as much as she wanted.

 Quinn checked the time as he smiled to himself; it was time to wake her. He grabbed a syringe full of methamphetamine and walked to her cell. He laughed to himself, looking at her huddled up on the floor, she truly was pathetic to him and he really enjoyed making her life hell. For no reason at all. Squatting down beside her, he took her arm, found a vein, and shot her up fast.

Jamie's eyes shot open, her heart beat faster and her lungs were working overtime. Her eyes hesitantly looked up to look at Quinn then back down as fast as possible. No eye contact. She was never to make eye contact with anyone. Property didn't have the right to do that she reminded her self. Quinn pulled her close to him, kissing her cheek like he always did when he had something horrible planned.

"Tonight I'll let you come and enjoy the fireworks with us. You will be able to see them from the bed in my room" he gave a long pause "But only after we get you cleaned up. You are too filthy to be allowed into a bed." He told her, putting the choke collar around her neck, adding a leash. "I like this one better than the shock collar I used to train you with." Pulling on it hard, forcing her to grab her neck in response as the prongs push at her skin and cut off her air.

"Walk" he commanded her.

Jamie didn't hesitate to obey his commands; the reactions had become a natural response. She crawled after him, keeping slightly behind as he led her to the showers. She stayed on her hands and knees watching him from the corner of her eye as he turned the water on. He knelt down by her undressing her quickly before tossing her into the tub keeping a tight hold on the leash.

Jamie winced feeling the cold water against her skin.

"Go on. Wash up" he smirked watching her shiver in the shower.

Jamie slowly began to wash. In her head, she prepared her self for what was to come as she went through the motions numbly. She was happy that he wasn't participating in the shower like he had so many times in the past. He always made them so much worse. Quinn saw she was done and yanked on the collar making Jamie lean towards him as she clung to the collar trying to keep the prongs from cutting into her skin and choking her. It didn't work. Jamie felt her body go weak as she blacked out.

/// Skip to next note to avoid s*xual assault content///

She woke up feeling sore. Jamie was careful to keep her eyes closed as she listened to what was around her. She could hear the three men, her stomach churned as she began to get more feeling back into her body. Jamie recognized the familiar sounds, smell, and feel of the man who wasn't talking with the others. She knew it was Quinn and that meant he would soon recognize that she had woken up. As if he had read her thoughts, she felt her head being lifted by a hard yank on her hair.

"Decided to join in on the fun, huh?" Quinn laughed as he kissed her cheek. "You have been out for a while and we didn't want to slow down the party to wait for you." He stated as he continued his assault on her body.

Jamie stared at a familiar comer of the wall, the one she always focused on in this room, trying to close her self off from the feeling of him. She made sure not to cry or make a noise as he continued. He was being more gentle than usual and she didn't want that to change. She didn't want to screw it up as they told her she did with everything. A big bang followed by some sizzles made her flinch, gasping in fear of what the noise was coming from.

You stupid girl, you may have just pissed Quinn off! Her mind berated her.

"She is still scared of loud noises I see" laughed a man who was watching them over in a chair. "I wonder what else we can conditioner her to fear, we have ingrained so many into her subconscious."

Quinn grunted his approval at her reaction, before he violently flipped her over onto her hands and knees, yanking her hair back hard again pulling her against him, "watch the fireworks, it's the closest to freedom you will ever be."

Jamie's eyes watered as she opened them and watched the light show trying to not react to the sound each time one went off. She swallowed bile as she felt him release inside her as the firework show finished.

Jamie got through the next couple of hours without disobeying too many rules. Each time she did they took the time to give her the punishment she deserved. Quinn and the boys were done with her for the night. So they dressed her back into her clothes, that in all honesty no more than tattered rags, and took her back to the cell. After they left her, Jamie cried silently to her self until she succumbed to some much-needed sleep.

 ///Pick Back up here///

11:15 pm July 4th :

The BAU team was dressed in their bulletproof vests as they approached the factory. It was time to get their girl back.

"Morgan, Rossi, and Prentiss, when we enter go left. Reid, JJ, and I will go right. Detain anyone you can, kill if necessary, but no matter what, we get Jamie." Hotch said before he nodded to Morgan to enter.

The team split, both clearing the hall and rooms as the checked for their safety as well as hoping Jamie would be behind one of the doors. Reid made his way to the staircase; slowly he walked quickly to the second floor. Upon seeing that Morgan was already checking that hall he worked his way up another level and proceeded in.

Quinn looked up at the security footage, "Shit FBI is inside! Get everything you can I'm going to get the girl!"

"No! they're almost to her! We got to let her go! We can get her back for the boss later!" said one of the other men as he grabbed as much video and documents of what they had subjected Jamie through into a bag.

The other man began wiping the hard drives of the computers after he copied all the information for them, "Let's GO!"

Quinn struggled to go after Jamie, his pet, he didn't want her taken but once he saw one of the agents pass by their door he had no choice but to run with the other two men as they worked their way down the fire escape.

Prentiss called out, "They are running down the fire escape. Three men. They don't have Jamie!"

Quinn Fired a shot at Prentiss who retuned fire missing Quinn but hitting one of the other men. She kept firing but Quinn and the other man were able to get into their car and drive off.

Jamie tensed hearing the gunshots but she didn't dare move. Her eyes darted to the door when she heard the knob turning. Reid slowly walked in seeing Jamie sitting on the floor, his heart pounded in his chest as he carefully walked up to her and knelt down.

"Jamie..." he saw the fear in her eyes as he slowly moved towards her, his heartbreaking as she scooted further back against the wall trying to get as far away from as she could.

~Can also be read on AO3 and Fanfic by anonymouslymine ~

[plutodexay]

For the first time in years (9)

Chapter 9, Maybe? Ao3 link

“You’ve moved that five times already mate, it looks fine.” Ron said as I went to lift the bowl of candy he’d brought. 

Sighing I put it back down where it was. Moving over to the blanket on the back of the couch and reaching to refold. 

“You’ve also done that three times now.”  He said as he walked over to me, snatching the blanket out of my hand. Then lazily throwing it on the armrest so it looked like a bunched up mess. He smirked at me while taking a drink right after, watching me reach to fix the blanket. 

“I know I’m going a bit overboard okay? I mumble back as I fold the soft fabric over my arm, trying to make it as symmetrical as possible. “Just want everything to be nice is all.” Carefully placing the again folded blanket on the couch end; Ron does his stupid ‘not laughing but totally laughing’ type noise at me. 

Walking over to the mirror, I tried to fix the neck of my shirt since I could feel it getting slanted. The cuffs of the sleeves were folded right beneath my elbows. 'It's the perfect length to show your muscles but as if you aren’t trying to’ Ginny’s words rang in my head as I moved one sleeve slightly down my arm. She wasn’t wrong, but I don’t quite know if it was her advice making my arms look this way or the shirt being shrunk a bit in the muggle wash. 

Ron came into my view, his drink no longer in his hand. Placing his hand on my shoulder and moving so I could see him in the mirror. 

“You look great okay?” 

“You don’t get it alright” I angrily whispered  back to him. Quickly I walk over to the couch, putting my head in my hands as I sit down. Trying to take deep breaths as I can hear Ron coming back over my way. 

“What don’t I get?” He asks back, sounding a bit angry. The familiar strain in his voice from the last time we got in an argument. I still think he fucked with my broom no matter how much he swears he hadn’t. There's no way it would just randomly become covered in fire ants. 

“It has to be perfect Ron.” I feel my fists clench as he starts to laugh next to me. 

“It has to be perfect?”

“Yes.”

“For Draco Malfoy?”

“That is exactly what I said Ron.” His laugh gets louder and I can feel my nails digging into my palm. 

“That’s insane” He barely gets out, his breathing heavy with laughter.

“Its not”

“Do you hear yourself Harry?” 

“Perfectly clear Ron” I say as I start to stand up, my hands going numb at this point. He sighs as he sees me get up, footsteps starting to follow me as I walk to go grab a drink. 

“Hey” His hand shoots out to grab my arm, quickly I turn to get him to let go. Concern obvious on his face. “I didn’t mean anything by it.” 

“I know you don’t.”

“It's just kinda ridiculous, doing all of this for him” His hand goes to point in every direction. From the constantly reheating tea kettle on the table that Hermione took days to teach me how to do. To the kitchen floor, where we could practically see our own reflection.

Looking around I noticed how everything was that way. The couch and chairs are perfectly aligned with one another, all in line with the tv, as I tested them last night so wherever he wants to sit he can be comfortable. Blankets scattered about, folded in line and put in various spots in case he gets cold he won't have to awkwardly get up. And the thermostat, which I tested in four different length shirts so I knew what to change it to depending on what he showed up wearing. 

“It felt right.” Finally looking him in the eyes. “I just really need everything to be perfect.” I sigh out, my breathing getting quick as I try to walk to finally get the drink I was going after. 

“Why?”

“Why what?” I say back as I start pouring myself a drink to calm my nerves.

“Why does everything have to be perfect?”

“I don’t know”

“What?”

“I said I don’t know Ron!” I scream back at him, my hand whipping around and knocking the small glass onto the floor as I try to face him. The shattering echoing as Ron looks at me, completely stunned. Only my breathing and the slight dripping of my drink off the counter could be heard. 

“You don’t know?” He whispered, keeping his eyes on mine. I feel my breathing speed up as he questions me with his eyes.

“No, I don’t.” Reaching down to pick up the glass shards he mumbles a quick incanation, reforming the glass before I could grab it. 

Ron reaches his hand down, waiting for me to grab it. Pulling me up before putting the drink far out of my reach. Mumbling about magic and how I always forget wizarding things. I just stood there, my heart practically beating out of my chest. 

Silence filled the house for a few moments, neither of us wanting to say anything. It was so quiet that I could hear the wind blowing through the leaves as the sun fell. 

“It’s okay.” Ron speaks up after a while.

“What is?”

“Not knowing why.” He offers me a smile, pulling out one of the stools and patting it, before sitting on the one right next to it. Sitting down he puts his hand on my knee, obviously trying to calm me. It proves true when he summons a bottle of water and hands it to me. “Have thought about why?” 

“Not before tonight” I reply back after taking a sip of the cold water. My breathing had already started to slow. “I never think about things like this.”

“Maybe you need to” Grabbing the bottle out of my hand and putting it on the bar beside us, he removes his hand from my knee before continuing. “You’ve never done this much cleaning in well, I think since the Dursleys mate.” A slight chuckle arose from the both of us. 

“I steam cleaned the carpet, Petunia didn’t even make me do that.”

“Bloody hell Harry!” He practically shot out of his seat, laughing while holding his stomach with one arm. I joined in and suddenly the entire room was filled with our laughter, very different from a mere few minutes ago. 

“I just did it, without much thinking really.”  He looked at me again after the laughing subsided. Taking his seat back, a much more serious look on his face. 

“Harry, do you think you like him?” 

“Well of course I do, I mean I invited him to my house.” I laugh in response, Ron not joining in this time. “Don’t really invite people you hate into your home do you?”

“That is not what I meant.” He speaks and a deep sigh follows. Eyes closed and fingers holding the bridge of his nose, exactly how he did every time he didn’t know a potions question.

“What else could you possibly mean?” Confusion clear in my voice, my head slightly tilted to the side. 

“Harry.” His voice gets quieter as he speaks. Taking a deep breath he looks back up at me. “Do you think it's possible you, um, well. Fuck alright.” He stands up quickly, putting his hands on my shoulder before continuing. Taking a breath to fix his words. “Is it possible you have some sort of romantic interest in Draco?”

Romance? Draco? Well of course not- Fuck. Do I? 

“Maybe?” His hands tighten on my shoulder as I bring my own up to my face. Taking off my glasses before shaking my head. “Fuck Ron.” My breathing quickens again as I start to realize. 

The crazy amount of cleaning I did, that I didn’t even do when I held the ministry party here last year for the minister himself.  How I dug in my closet for an hour, throwing on every single dress shirt Luna helped me buy over the years, before deciding on the tight fitting black one.  Buying that insanely expensive shampoo that Seamus had been recommending for the past year after I’d gotten Dracos reply. Hell, even the fact that I call him Draco in my head now should’ve  been a goddamn clue. Or the fact that I read it over a hundred times before putting it down, reading the line ‘Dearest Harry’ over and over. 

“It’s alright if you do.” Ron said, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Might not really get it myself but to each their own.” Tightening his hand once again before handing me the water to drink. 

“I didn’t think of it until you said it honestly. Didn’t even think I was into blokes.” Thinking about it now I should’ve known. I’d caught myself watching the quidditch games a little too closely back at school. 

“Maybe just think about it? Things like this take time.” Swiftly he pointed to the clock on the wall. “And hate to break it to you, but it looks like he’ll be here soon.”

Nodding back I just sit there as Ron heads to grab his things. So bogus excuse of needing to meet up with the twins barely registering. Just the sheer thought of Draco running through my head. 

How his hair flowed the first day I saw him after so long. The tapping of his fingers

against the table as we spoke that day causing me no anger, yet when Ron would do it I’d imagine cutting his entire hand off. 

Shit, maybe I am into Draco Malfoy. 

That's when I hear the knock at the door. 

“Right on time.”

[froggybaek]

healing - seo changbin

♛➩ genre: angst, mega fluff, a dash of suggestiveish content that lasts for .5 seconds, single dad!au

♛��� pairing: fem!reader x changbin

♛➩ warnings: mentions of death, disease

♛➩ summary: you’ve known seo changbin since your high school years. back then, he was surrounded by proud teachers, parents, classmates, and a wonderful girlfriend; now, he only has his little bundle of joy, a cousin from australia who barely knows how to manage a microwave, and you.

♛➩ word count: 9.2k

Seo Changbin has always been an enigma.

While you hadn’t been as lucky as others in being able to claim that you had known the mysterious boy since your elementary school days, you were able to make it known to the few friends you had that you got to witness his heydays; namely the four year period of high school.

You had been in the same year as Changbin, hell you happened to share a couple of classes over those four years with him. Anytime you needed to interact with him, more so assigned projects and less actual friendship related endeavors, you would find yourself stunned with his sheer intellect and determination to get an assignment done with the highest marks possible. If it hadn’t been for his endearing persistence in your music theory class - well, you probably would’ve been gifted with a big, fat F on your final report card before graduation.

However, Seo Changbin was not only remarkably intelligent; he was also incredibly friendly and helpful to just about everyone. Some folks with sour expressions and singed hearts tried to put down his accomplishments and overwhelming popularity, making rumors that he only acted so kind because it would literally be his job in the future. Obviously they might have held a teaspoon of truth to their stingy words, but it was even more obvious that Changbin was just a good person in general.

He liked to volunteer in his very, very thin amount of spare time; there wasn’t one set space for him to go, he just kind of showed up - everywhere. One time, you had spotted him volunteering at an animal shelter, cooing at a three-legged dog while he cradled a malnourished looking kitten in his arms. Another occasion you’d seen him volunteering was after you’d visited your grandfather at the retirement center, only to enter the common area and watch with a warm smile as Changbin danced with a pair of graying women, who had been giggling like young schoolgirls.

So, that was one spectrum of the boy that most everyone knew about. Some claimed that he had to have a sort of photographic memory, since he apparently didn’t need to study all that much to ace his hardest classes; which included the terrifying likes of anatomy and advanced placement chemistry. Those who said that he didn’t study much tended to trail off and make small talk of how they thought he did producing of all things on the side. While you knew the dark haired boy had an augmented creative side, you also knew very well that anyone aspiring to become a medical student had to focus mostly on their coursework - even if they had an impeccably large IQ.

You figured that was why he was so kind, even during the most stressful weeks of school. After all, committing your future career to become a nurse or a doctor was a difficult task that would likely lead someone to deal with even more difficult people. He would have to train himself to be patient and understanding, right?

Well, you wouldn't know. For one, you weren't all too close with him to make any sort of claim about either him or his dreams. Secondly, you were veering a great distance away from anything related to the field of medicine - you just wanted a simple job that involved kids.

That isn't to say you wanted kids of your own anytime soon, you just happened to get along with the vast majority of them quite easily, and they were entertaining in themselves. Surely a teaching career wouldn't be too far off the mark.

In any case, it was easy to say that you and Changbin were miles apart - from what little you knew about him, that is.

And that gap was only made larger not even a few months after your graduation.

“Morning babe.” Mark Lee hummed as he walked into the classroom, or studio, for lack of a better term. The brunette boy carried not only his giant backpack that was filled to the brim with textbooks and art supplies, but also a handful of snacks and two cups of - honestly you weren't sure. He tended to randomly pick and choose the drinks you would share during art class, so you could never be too sure what the next beverage could be.

You offer your friend a small wave of greeting, holding a hand out to grab the black reusable bag and one of the drinks from his trembling hands while he struggled to sit down in the chair next to yours. “Good morning, glasses.”

He whined at your choice nickname for him - all the while pushing his wide glasses farther up the frame of his nose. “I - will ignore your crude and very unimaginative nickname for once, because I have some tea to spill-”

“Please, for my sanity and your own, never say that out loud again.” You murmur in a monotone voice, bringing the lid of the cup up to your lips and taking a quick sip.

Hmm... hot chocolate with marshmallows. Delicious.

“- as I was saying until I was rudely interrupted,” he continued without missing a beat, though you happened to catch how he beamed gleefully at your small thumbs up to thank him for the hot chocolate, “do you remember Seo Changbin from school? You know, the kid that got like, three scholarships to colleges in America?”

“Yeah, I remember him. Why?”

Mark plops down in his seat, rustling in his bag to dig out his art supplies before the bell rang. “I found out from Lucas that his girlfriend got pregnant maybe two or three months before our finals. She gave birth to their kid about a week ago and she uh -...” He trails off quietly, too quietly for your liking.

“What? Mark, I didn't catch that last part.”

He gulps and looks up from the depths of his heavy backpack, nervously nibbling on his bottom lip before he meets your confused gaze.

“She died during the delivery.”

————————————————————————

Finding out that someone you knew had passed away was never fun. Even if you barely knew them, just remembering that they had at some point been part of your life - that was enough to have you slumped over in your seat for the next few days in each and every class.

She had been bright and always so full of life, as much as a high school student could be, anyway. The girl had her life planned ahead for the next ten years, from schools, to parties, even to when she would get married; and she had wanted so desperately to marry Seo Changbin.

While no one had expected the pair to actually stay together for the past three years of life, they had stuck to it as best as they possibly could for a young, naïve couple. Sure, they did have their ups and downs, like the time where she and Changbin argued in the middle of lunch about how he forgot one of their date nights; but then again, what was a relationship if there weren't a few mishaps here and there?

Around the middle of senior year, rumors had started to spread like wildfire around the school. People were speculating if Changbin would go off to America for his studies and leave his girlfriend behind, or if he would stay at home in South Korea just to be with her. Others, the more pessimistic ones to say the least, pondered crudely if he would dump her and leave without another word to the foreign country for their schools.

From what Mark had told you, Changbin had been planning to stay with his girlfriend - in a long distance relationship, that is. She hadn't been too thrilled with the idea of him going alone with no “evidence,” so to speak, of their being in love. Apparently she had actually been getting ready to propose to him instead of the more common, traditional route.

She never got to propose.

Instead, she had fallen pregnant with his child unexpectedly. She had begged Changbin to stay so they both could be real parents to their child, and he had quietly agreed. By then, they had started to fall out of love, even with their unborn child resting in her belly for nine months.

And then... then she had died, leaving their newborn baby girl in the arms of a now lonely Seo Changbin.

After you figured you had somewhat recovered from the shocking news, just about two weeks later, you’d debated on personally calling or messaging the man to express your condolences. For hours you sat in the rickety chair that rested in front of your desk, staring blankly at the screen of your laptop. For hours your gaze flickered back and forth between the text box that indicated you wanted to message the man and the now empty profile of his social medias.

Once the fourth hour had passed, you gave up and stood up, stretching before you went to shut your laptop - then you thought about how you would feel in his situation.

You would wish for anyone to express their condolences, right?

Wouldn't you want to know that someone else cared, that someone else was there for you?

Then, still standing in quite the strange, hunched over position, you reopened your silver laptop and typed the first words that came to mind.

‘She was a wonderful person, you know. She would be so glad that your baby is safe with her father.’

————————————————————————

“I’m sorry, you did what now?”

“I said that I - well um, funny story, actually! I might have, possibly, maybe, perhaps... let Chenle and Jisung monitor the toddlers?”

You let out a deep sigh of pure disbelief, running a hand through your hair before you ended up losing what little sanity you could possibly have left after such a long day of work. “So... you're telling me that you let the two youngest volunteers, who are practically toddlers themselves, watch over our own toddlers all alone for the past hour?”

The brunette shifting on his feet in front of you nodded quickly, offering a nervous yet cheerful smile as if it could magically make you forgiven his less than intelligent decision.

“Mark, I know that they’re your friends and you trust them dearly, but as volunteers they aren’t allowed to be by themselves with any of the kids under eight years old.” You explained to your coworker and friend, feeling a drop of guilt when his lips turned into a classic pout and his eyes drooped from his scolding. “I won’t tell Jongdae this time, okay? Just go watch over those two and I’ll handle the front desk for you.”

He glances up at you from where he’d been staring sadly at the carpeted floor, his shining brown gaze brightening up again at your soft words. “R-really? You would take over my spot just so I don’t get in trouble?”

“You’ve covered for me god knows how many times, dude. Don’t worry about it. I’d supervise the little demons myself, but I kind of want to get some homework done while I can.” You admit with a careless shrug, moving forward to playfully ruffle his already messy brown hair. “Hurry up before he gets back and sees whatever mess they’ve probably made.”

The boy (well, technically “man,” but you couldn’t really see him as one since you were the same age and still mostly acted like willy teenagers) practically bounces on the heels of his feet, all the while showing you his undying appreciation by vigorously spurting out soft thank-you’s.

Once he shuts the white, wooden door painted with a daft excuse of a sunflower behind him and enters the toddler room, you walk over to the front desk of the daycare and slump over in the rolling chair. The material is a bit worn and not too comfortable, but it would suffice for the next couple of hours while you worked on some sociology homework that might have been a few days late.

Since it is only the middle of the day, just half an hour past lunchtime, you weren’t really expecting anyone to walk into the daycare. When the dingy bell hung above the front door let out an all too familiar, but also unexpected sound, you nearly jumped out of your skin in surprise.

Now stood in front of the front desk, just a good two feet away from you, stands a man who looks a tad familiar. His entire ensemble reminds you of a middle schooler who just found out about Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, which probably would've made you snort in amusement at any other moment.

But this man - if he was one, since he looked eerily young, somewhat similar to how you viewed Mark Lee, pulled off the all black look perfectly. His black undershirt had an odd white signa, likely belonging to a business or brand, stitched into the presumed cotton material. The man wore worn, ink colored jeans that were somewhat baggy around his legs, but not sleazily slouched; and his undershirt was tucked into the waistband, too.

Clutching onto his leather jacket, which was also, unsurprisingly, a dark black hue, was a baby. No, not a toddler or a clingy child, but a baby who couldn’t be more than a few months old - not with how small and chubby its fingers were, and certainly not with how the poor man had dribbles of what looked like milk running down the shoulder of his jacket.

“Um - hi,” you breathe out after an awkward moment of silence, offering the tired looking man a warm smile, “how can I help you?”

“I - I was wondering if-” his words are cut off by a loud wail from the baby in his arms. Squirming about with the little tot, he clearly struggles to try and calm it down, hissing in pain when it gums on one of his fingers. “Shit - no, I mean shoot - do you guys w-watch over babies?”

The raven haired man continues to try and calm the baby down, but to no avail.

“We do, don't worry... not to pry, but are you - are you a new father?” The question slips past your lips before you can overthink them, as you usually do, according to most of your friends and coworkers. When he only nods in reply, you can’t help but chuckle softly under your breath.

The rolling chair slides backwards as you push yourself up from the bottom cushion, making an insignificant ‘thump’ against the back shelving unit. You walk out from behind the desk and end up right next to the panicking father, lips curled into a sweet smile. “Can I try something?”

He glances wearily between you and his crying baby, which did make you wonder what had to be going through his head if he was so hesitant to entrust his little one with a stranger even though he had first come inside just to make sure your center also took in babies.

“... sure, go ahead.” The stranger eventually caved and gave in, carefully handing off his precious little bundle of joy off to your waiting arms.

You’d handled babies countless times since you were the one in charge of them most of the time in the daycare, not to mention when you were younger you babysat the little ones quite often. So, handling this cute, wide-eyed baby was nothing foreign to you. Gently curling it up into the crook of your arms, you swayed back and forth like a ship at sea being swaddled by gentle ocean waves.

In no time at all, the baby had calmed down, its previous wailing cries now replaced by adorable cooing. “Boy or girl?” You ask the man quietly, still grinning warmly as your gaze met that of his baby’s.

“She’s a girl - her name is Eden.”

One of your eyebrows shoots up in surprise at the name, as it wasn’t natively Korean in any sense of the word. Seeing your interested and confused expression, the man rubs one of his arms and continues, “my cousin helped me name her. He’s Australian, so he kinda only gave me English names.”

“What about her mother? Did the missus not have any say in this matter?” You tease the stranger, looking over to him, expecting to see a flushed or embarrassed grimace on his tired features.

Yet, all you see is grief.

“Eden’s mother... she died giving birth to her.”

“I - I’m so sorry, sir,” you murmur sympathetically, furrowing your eyebrows at how strange it is to know of two cases such as his own in just the span of half a year, “I... well I wasn’t close to the mother or father, but I knew of a girl who died during childbirth as well. It’s absolutely awful.”

“Damn, I knew I looked different, but I didn't think it was that bad.” He snorts dryly, his deep brown eyes flickering all across your face.

Confusion etches itself across your features. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s me, Changbin. We uh, went to the same high school,” he explains to you, watching closely as your lips fall open into a surprised ‘oh’ shape, “you sent me a message ages ago, saying that... that she’d be happy since Eden still has her dad.”

He was right - he really had changed. Physically, that is.

When he walked in, you hadn't even been able to recognize the boy who just graduated along with the rest of your class a mere eight months ago. You were so used to his freshly shaven face and smooth, shining skin with full cheeks that reminded you of a junior named Han Jisung. Back then, he had short, black hair that was in an undercut, perfectly framing his face.

Now, Changbin had stubble that only added on to his tired persona, complimenting the faded purple bags sunken under his once bright, gleeful eyes. His cheeks, once round and full like a squirrel’s, were sharp and somehow sunken at the same time.

“Thank you, by the way,” Changbin muttered, “for the message. I mostly got half-assed texts saying they were sorry for my loss. Yeah, they meant well, but - no one besides you said anything about Eden only having me.”

“She’s very lucky you know,” you begin to reply, glancing back down at the baby girl staring up at you innocently, “to have someone like you as her father.”

“Someone... like me?”

You nod at his questioning, almost conflicted tone of voice. “Of course. From what I remember, the Seo Changbin I sort of knew in high school was so intelligent that he had over seven offers from universities around the world, just for medical school. He also volunteered, like, everywhere and made it his job to make sure everyone he met was happy.”

His eyebrows furrow as if he was in deep thought, clearly contemplating your kind, comforting words.

“I’m afraid to say it, but that side of me died a long time ago.” He replies shortly, coldly, leaving you no possible way to continue to conversation without it becoming awkward.

What had happened to him?

————————————————————————

Daycares were naturally very, very loud settings. You knew that, Mark knew that, just about everyone understood that single factor when signing up to work at the decently sized childcare center just down the street of the local elementary school.

That didn't mean that you were used to it, though.

“Eden? Eden - sweetie, we don’t eat crayons.” You exhale tiredly through your nose as you pick up the brunette haired girl in your arms once again, pushing aside the twinge of guilt that strikes your heart when she lets out a pitiful whine.

It was like she knew that she was your favorite of the bunch, always whining whenever you lightly scolded her for her wrongdoings. She was only a year and three months old, but she wasn’t lacking in the intellect department by any means. If anything, she had the mind of a two or three year old toddler, constantly testing your patience to see how far you would let her go.

Whilst you carry the girl in your arms, gently hoisting her up so her rounded chin rested on your shoulder, you could faintly hear Chenle and Jisung crying out over the most recent mess in the art room. From what Jaemin had told you, Eden had literally led a pack of older children into said art room and somehow found it in herself to convince them to paint - but not on the papers laid out appropriately on the desks, no; rather, they painted on the floor and the walls.

One of the older children, a six year old called Eunwoo, had promptly explained that Eden’s babbled words were law to them. She had pointed to the paint sets, then the walls, and let out a cute giggle followed by incoherent noises of pure joy. To them, that meant ‘paint everything you can!’

How her dad never gave into her oh so persuasive babbles, you would never know - simply because you occasionally fell for them, too.

“So she’s resorted to trying to snack on blue and green crayons, huh?”

Speak of the devil.

“She sure has. She has also become the leader of the other kids, according to my knowledge.” You laugh in an exhausted amusement, smiling tiredly as you turn to face Changbin himself.

He looked as utterly exhausted as you felt, truly. Not that you particularly blamed the man, since he had just arrived back from working at the mechanics shop, which was already a good hour drive away from the daycare center. And just this morning, he had to make a run to another part-time job he had at the gas station closest to the middle school a few blocks away.

To put it simply, he overworked himself, constantly. While his cousin’s parents from Australia did their best to send him checks every now and then, they did still have their own family to take care of - and neither his parents or the grandparents of Eden felt the need to support him.

It was awful and cruel, in your honest opinion; how both families treated their son and granddaughter, like they were sticks in the mud. Changbin’s parents claimed that he disappointed them the second they found out he was going to drop out of any scholarship opportunities to raise Eden, and truth be told her mother’s own parents were too stricken with grief to even look at her.

Since he had no time at all to actually go to school, Changbin ended up taking three different jobs all at once just so he could support his little ball of sunshine. Anyone could see the mental exhaustion that seemed to just radiate off of him most of the time - well, except when he was with his daughter.

Whenever he was able to have time with her, its like he had the whole world in the palms of his hands. Changbin would give up everything for Eden with no hesitation, even his own dignity and respect.

“Alright sunshine, you need to say sorry to Miss Y/N,” Changbin cooed to his little girl as he scooped her up carefully from your grasp, his previously cold, almost haunting gaze switching into one of warmth and pure love, “come on baby, say sorry.”

Eden parted her lips, and for a split second the two of you shared a look of excitement - would she finally say her first word?

Then a bit of drool dribbled down her chin, not a single word or even a babble to show that she had heard her father’s encouraging plights.

“Ah, f-fudge... totally not a bad word. Nope.” Changbin nearly missed cursing, having sheepishly caught sight of your narrowed eyes when he stuttered on the dreaded ‘f-word.’

“Once she starts picking up on the things you say - and almost say, Eden will only repeat whatever her dear dad says,” you hum knowingly as you scooch closer to the pair, gently wiping the drool off of the brunette baby’s chin, “hey, isn’t her doctor’s appointment today? Or am I confusing it with next Monday?”

The man in question is about to reply when you unconsciously use the dainty yellow tissue just on his daughter’s chin to wipe off the string of drool that had fallen onto his stained blue shirt. When he doesn’t respond for a moment, you tilt your head up and quickly recognize the faint flush to his cheeks.

You should probably move your hands off of his chest - which... was pretty broad; snap out of it!

Without a word you step back, nearly stumbling in your sudden moment of sheer embarrassment. As if he too had snapped out of his stunned daze, Changbin clears his throat and nods. “I - erm, yeah no; it’s today. I have to take her home and give us both a quick bath before we go, though.”

You nod your head, willing your cheeks to not flush a deep red color as he talks. Why in the world has he suddenly gotten you so flustered and riled up?

“Hopefully it’s just an ear infection and nothing too serious,” he added, “I really don’t know if I can handle more bills, you know?”

Eden wriggles in his arms, slowly becoming restless. He leans down and softly kisses her button-nose, a cute action that always resulted with the baby giggling and grasping at her father’s cheeks.

“I doubt it is anything serious, Changbin. Don’t forget, a lot of the kids tend to get some sort of pesky infection this time of year.” You try to reassure the worried, tense man, offering him a gentle smile when he glances back up from his daughter to you.

He pauses for a second, digesting your reassuring words before he mimics your small smile, a sight that was rare to see from the normally stoic man. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I guess it’s just the first time jitters, then.” Changbin chuckles softly, readjusting his now yawning child so she could rest her puffy face in the crook of his neck.

“Call m- I mean, call the front desk if she does have an infection, please. We want to keep everything extra sanitized if any of the kids get sick.”

Nice save.

His chapped lips twitch into a hint of an amused smirk upon catching wind of your stammer, but he doesn’t call you out on it; thankfully enough. “I will, don’t worry Y/N. Hopefully both of us will see you tomorrow.” He hums, using his fingers to guide Eden’s hand into making a tiny wave before they leave, the glass door swinging shut behind them.

————————————————————————

Two weeks have passed since then with no call from Changbin. You were a bit worried, to say the least, constantly waiting at the front desk for the call that should have gone through days ago. Your co-workers kept insisting that it was no big deal, that maybe she was sicker than believed and had to stay home while she recovered.

“Think about it, Y/N - he’s still pretty new at this whole dad thing. He probably got so worked up about making sure Eden is recovering well enough that he just... forgot to call.”

That was what Mark had said, but you just couldn’t shake this awful gut feeling stirring in your stomach; something felt wrong. You hoped dearly that you were wrong, obviously. You hoped and hoped and hoped that Changbin and Eden were just fine, maybe taking time off if she was, in fact, sick, or perhaps her dotting dad had randomly taken them off on a trip for whatever reason. While the former was less likely considering his financial issues, it was all your fried brain could possibly think of.

On the fourteenth day of playing the waiting game, you just about caved and looked into the records so you could potentially call Changbin yourself - but then the phone rings, startling you so much that you nearly toppled out of the rolling chair you’d been sat in the past three hours.

You lunge to the blue phone, though you don’t answer it until you manage to properly compose yourself - you didn’t know who the caller was, but you didn’t want said caller to hear your hitched breath and voice tainted with worry.

With another deep breath, you recollect yourself and bring the phone up to your ear. “H-hello, this is Chen’s Daycare Center! How may I help you?”

“Uh, is Y/N working today?” An unfamiliar voice rings out in the speaker, causing you to quirk an eyebrow, since it sounded a bit younger than you expected - and pretty damn deep, too. “I’m Seo Changbin’s cousin, he’s Seo Eden’s dad. This is kind of important.”

“Actually, I’m Y/N - you’re Felix, right? Changbin has mentioned you before.”

The boy breathes out in what sounds like relief on the other line. “Yeah, that’s me! I don’t really have a lot of time, sorry, but there’s something... well, not wrong, but - ah fuck, I’m so bad at this,” Felix huffs, pausing to collect the words he needed to say, “basically, Eden is sick. I’m watching her right now while Bin is working, and no one else will pick up their fucking phone. Could you maybe come by his apartment, please?”

Eden is sick.

Changbin left his cousin home alone to watch Eden - while she’s sick.

Eden is sick.

You would really have to pay Jaemin and Mark back after today. “Of course! What’s the address?”

————————————————————————

You couldn’t believe that you were standing right outside of Seo Changbin’s apartment. You couldn’t comprehend that you, of all people, were knocking on the front door, snorting in amusement at the deep accented voice of his own cousin calling out with a, “just a second!”

In the corner of your wandering gaze, you smile to yourself at the sight of colorful chalk strewn onto the concrete wall of the hallway on the second floor. It was evident that Eden had drawn the pastel pink and royal blue flower and sharp green grass, and it was even more obvious by the straighter, less messy lines of the bright yellow sun and poofy white clouds that her dad had drawn that section of the cute little portrait.

Eden, unlike the other rather mischievous kids at the daycare center, preferred to messily draw on the walls instead of the floor. This quirky little trait even transpired at home, as well.

You turn back to the front door when it finally swings open, revealing a boy who couldn’t have been a year older than you or Changbin. Felix - yes, that was his name, if you remembered correctly.

Even though he was a tad bit sweaty and clearly out of breath, Felix’s ginger hair with slightly darker brown roots was somehow swept into a perfect swoop, his freckled cheeks a little flushed and red.

How adorable.

“H-hi, you must be Y/N,” he breathed out a warm greeting, not hesitating to let you wander inside the apartment before he quietly closed and locked the front door behind you, “uh, b-before you do anything, I should exp-”

“Eden!” You hum in pure joy as you walk over to where the curly haired girl was sat on a wool carpet, her back facing you. You hadn’t meant to interrupt the poor boy, but going a solid two weeks without seeing the little tyke had deprived you more than you thought possible. “Hey sweetheart, it’s Miss Y/N!”

She didn’t turn at the sound of your voice.

Not wanting to startle her too much, figuring she just hadn’t been paying enough attention to hear your familiar, happy voice,  you bend down behind her and try again. “Eden? Hey, it’s me! I’m going to help Felix watch over you for a while.”

No movement, no nothing - she just sat idly in the middle of the living room, quietly playing with her wooden blocks.

Slowly, you tap on the little girl’s shoulder, finally managing to catch her attention. She practically whipped her tiny body around in excitement, letting out oddball gurgles of joy. Holding her stubby arms out, she wiggled and tried to stand up on her own two feet so she could climb into your arms; but you beat her to it, swinging her up with a gleeful smile and cradling her in your arms.

Now content with the giggling baby in your grasp, you turn back to Felix, your own wide smile fading slightly at his remorseful frown.

“She uh... Eden... you remember how I told you she’s sick?” He asked you softly, stepping closer so he could hold out a finger to her, the both of you watching as she clings onto him.

You nod in reply, prompting him to continue. “The doctors say that she has m-meningitis - technically it’s just bacterial meningitis, so not totally fatal, thank god.” He forced out a dry laugh, crinkling his eyes at Eden as she begins to nibble on the end of his finger. “Apparently she’s had it for a while, but by the time we caught on to it, it was too late. S-she’s already lost a majority of her ability to hear, so she’s partially... deaf.”

Oh no.

“They prescribed some strong antibiotics that are helping her recover, but they can’t help with her deafness. She won’t go totally deaf, hopefully, but she’ll have to learn sign language and will need hearing aids. Bin’s been beating himself up about not catching it sooner, so he’s been shutting down... he only goes to work and comes home to be with her as much as possible.”

“That’s why he didn’t call,” you murmur quietly, looking back down to the gurgling baby in your arms, noting the lack of a hearing aid as of yet, “how is he holding up? Besides what you just told me.”

Felix’s shoulders sag at your question, not that he blamed you for asking. From what he’d heard from his older cousin, you were one of the only other people that he talked to frequently and trusted enough to take care of his daughter. Other than himself and a select few co-workers from his various jobs, Changbin didn’t socialize much.

He also knew that you’d taken a liking to Eden quickly, and that in turn the father and daughter duo had gotten used to you just as fast; that in itself was pretty rare, for the dad, anyway. When neither Woojin or Minho had answered his frantic calls, he looked through the slip of paper that his elder had left him in case he needed help with Eden. One of them had been labelled ‘Daycare - Y/N.’

“He hasn’t been doing great, if I’m being honest,” he muttered, “he doesn’t really trust anyone other than me to be patient with Eden, especially now that she has to have someone around willing to walk her through everything again. He actually told me that he was going to call you, but he also mentioned that you spoke about being a bit flunked with schoolwork recently.”

Stupid, stupid Changbin - why, you would hit him when he returned from work! You constantly reminded him that you, or more so the center, was always on call in case he or the other parents needed anything. That was pretty much the policy, courtesy of the founder, Kim Jongdae, or as the kids called him, Chen. While the kids were the main priority and focus, it was also common knowledge that a handful of parents (especially newer, less experienced ones) would drop by for some tips or hands on experience.

On the other hand, you were a little less agitated with his lack of calls because he’d considered your own schedule - which had been pretty hectic for a hot minute, as you did tell him one day, but that didn’t mean you were totally off the handle. He knew that you adored Eden, as well as the other kids, and that you’d drop everything if it meant helping them.

“If I’d known about all of this, I would’ve come over to help...” you grumble under your breath, now going to follow the footsteps of the Australian boy as he makes way towards the tiny kitchenette area.

Felix chuckles at your mildly annoyed words, going to toss what looked to be a burnt pancake in the trash. “You know, he said that you would be pissed once you found out. Says that you have this natural motherly side to you.”

You blush a bit at his amused comment, but don’t try to argue against it. After all, you supposed that’s why you did so well in the childcare field; you just really liked kids and went with their flow.

“He also said that was part of what he found super hot about you,” he continued, a smirk spreading across his plump lips when your jaw dropped in shock, “he’s always talking about you, or Eden - or about how, and I quote, ‘fucking sexy it is watching an intelligent, kind woman taking care of his babygirl,’ course he says... other things, too, but I don't dare to repeat those words around his own kid.”

In an attempt to ignore the furious red blush heating up your cheeks, you clear your throat and hastily change the subject. “I’m guessing you needed m-my help with cooking lunch?”

Felix, thankfully, doesn’t bring up your sudden subject change, instead nodding sheepishly in response to your question. “I guess Bin didn't mention it, thank god, but I kind of... sort of... suck ass at cooking. Really, I just shouldn't step into a kitchen, it’s that bad.”

“Okay, okay - I’m not the best, either, but I can make some amazing mashed potatoes. And, by the way - pancakes for lunch is a fantastic idea, but not for babies.” You tease the younger boy as you make your way to the refrigerator, preparing to make the three of you a semi-decent meal.

The ginger flushes at your lighthearted teasing, but doesn’t choose to retaliate. Instead, he carefully takes a babbling Eden from your arms, giving you more space to properly make their food.

“We’ll go watch some SpongeBob, or something. Thanks for cooking, Y/N!” He calls out as he saunters out of the kitchen, bouncing and cooing at the brunette tucked safely in his grasp.

You laugh to yourself, lightly shaking your head as you pull out your phone to make sure you’ve got everything to make your lunch.

————————————————————————

Six hours have passed since the three of you were plopped down in the kitchenette, seemingly squished against the back wall with a pink and white backsplash. The dining table was a hand-me-down, likely purchased from a flea market, but you supposed it only made the small apartment all the more lovable.

You and Felix got along quite well, truth be told; he was almost the polar opposite of his older cousin, in a permanent state of bright smiles and bubbly, deep laughs that reverberated throughout the walls of the Seo household. He told cheesy jokes and switched between English and Korean if he couldn’t recall a certain word - all in all, he was simply endearing.

For now, though, the hyper boy was crashing in Changbin’s bedroom. You’d told him to get some rest since he’d apparently been at the apartment since eight in the morning and it was ticking closer to six at night. He mentioned having early classes the next day, hence why you’d shooed him off into the bedroom.

Eden was currently passed out beside you on the lavender colored couch, her head nuzzled into a beaten up Munchlax plushie that she insisted on carrying with her the entire day after lunch. She called him “Gyu,” which wasn’t technically a real word from your knowledge, but it warmed your heart to know that she could still recognize the name of the doll and actually speak it aloud.

Like Felix had mentioned before, she wasn’t fully deaf, more so 75% at a loss of her hearing; she could make out some words well enough, but she would definitely need to know sign language sooner or later.

Which was why you were scrolling through a plethora of YouTube videos in the early hours of the night, eyeballing and saving the more reliable looking ones to a playlist you’d made just thirty minutes ago. They all addressed the topic of hearing loss, both partial and in full, and some had guides on how to sign things such as the alphabet or more specific words. You saved tons of videos, ranging from English sign language to Korean sign language - just in case.

Invested in your journey to saving as many useful videos as you possibly could, you don’t hear the distinct sound of keys jingling on the other side of the front door, nor do you hear said door quietly opening and closing.

“Y/N?” A familiar voice tears you out of your focused state, making you jump in surprise. “What... are you doing here?”

You tilt your head up from the bright screen of your phone, flushing slightly under Changbin’s tired yet inquisitive stare. “Felix - Felix called me earlier, said he needed help with Eden.” You breathe out quietly, almost inaudibly to the curious man in front of you.

Tired as he was, he still looked absolutely stunning. On Monday’s, he’d go to work in a car dealership instead of the mechanics shop downtown - meaning that he kind of had to dress a bit better than he usually did, in terms of professionalism.

He was clad in a somewhat scruffy black suit, fitted well to his body but a tad wrinkled from his day at work. He also sported black slacks and shiny shoes with a classic red tie; although you assumed it was one his daughter had pointed out while shopping, since it was adorned with white butterflies.

“Oh - s-so he probably told you about her, erm... problem.” Changbin stuttered out, beginning to unbutton the top of his suit, not noticing how your cheeks heated up at the innocent action.

You also stutter out a soft “yes” in reply, averting your gaze as he tosses the suit aside onto the arm of a stray chair nearby, revealing a tight-fitting white polo shirt.

“I... I would’ve called, I fucking swear, Y/N... I just didn't know what to say. I mean, how fucking bad of a dad must I appear to be, not knowing that my babygirl was suffering this entire time?” His voice cracks as he curses at himself, and for a split second he steps aside to crash into the wobbly chair; but by then you’ve shot up from your place on the plush couch, your fingers wrapped around his wrist to hold him in place.

“You are not a bad dad, Changbin; far from it, actually,” you retort quickly before he can argue back, reassuringly squeezing his wrist at the same time, “please, don’t beat yourself up over this. Eden needs you to be strong right now, more than ever. You’re her entire world, she can’t lose you because you wrongly blame yourself-”

And with that, he crumbles into your arms, breathing heavily as he finally, finally lets his walls down. The man, just barely touching twenty years of life, a single dad to the most beautiful little girl in the whole world, finally gives into his emotions.

You don’t even flinch at the feeling of a tear staining your neck, or at the feeling of the raven haired man sobbing quietly against your shoulder. Opting to release his wrist in favor of bringing him into a tight embrace, you soothingly rub on the back of his white polo shirt, uttering soft words of reassurance.

Neither of you notice, but Felix had woken up by the time Changbin had first started to rant; in fact, he’d been silently leaning against the frame of the hallway when his elder cousin, who he considered his brother, crashed into your arms and started crying.

Changbin needed someone to help him heal, and in Felix’s eyes, you were just the right person to do so.

————————————————————————

Changbin was no longer an enigma, in your eyes.

You found out a lot about Seo Changbin in the following months, more than you ever would have thought you would know, in all honesty.

Like... how the Munchlax plushie Eden practically stuck to like glue used to be his, and that he even used it during and after his high school years; he would’ve kept using it, too, if it hadn’t been for the fact that his daughter had claimed it so quickly after she’d been born.

You also learned that the raven haired man had just, always been expected to go into the medical field when he was growing up; he didn't quite resent that, he simply didn’t have the same burning passion for it as he did with producing his own music.

You loved his music, too; it was so raw and real to you, especially with the tracks he still hadn’t finished since he was so caught up with working to support himself and Eden. He had three that stood out to you, although they still weren’t titled, lest you count the numbers indicating the folders they were long since abandoned in.

The first one was about falling out of love, and you could only assume it retold the story of how he had slowly fallen out of love with the mother of his child. It wasn’t as solemn as it was angry, his words harsh yet heartfelt as he wrote out how he was so, so thankful to Eden’s mother for giving birth to her, gifting him with the most wonderful little girl in the universe. He was angry that he wasn’t “better” for her, that he couldn’t love her anymore the way she had so desperately loved him.

The second one was purely all about Eden, or as he called her, his miracle. Yes, being a single dad with little to no outside support brought a shit ton of stress into his previously relaxed, simple life, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He’d poured his soul into the parts he did actually finish, and you were sure that Eden would beg him to finish it one day.

The third one was definitely your favorite, though you weren’t quite sure why. Changbin had made the song in his own attempt to rekindle his joy for producing, you supposed. He referred to two people simply called “CB97″ and “J.ONE” a fair amount, citing them as the sole people who helped him grow a love for rapping and making music; perhaps they could be reunited, one day.

Something else that stood out to you, not about his music, but himself, was that Seo Changbin was a sensitive person, for lack of a better term.

When Eden has finally gotten her hearing aids, he teared up. Then, they were turned on and he called out to her, only to have her respond with a bright “dada!” Then he full on sobbed, grappling onto your arm in the doctor’s office as his babygirl was given the chance to properly hear the world again.

He also cried when Felix had to go back home to Australia for a month so he could finish his freshman year of college - only for both of you to find out that he was going to move to South Korea for the rest of his college years. He and a friend had rented out the lone apartment right under Changbin’s.

Even now, you could faintly recognize a small sniffle that escaped his otherwise quiet persona. The two of you were on your weekly “date night,” as Jisung and Chenle called it, though you hastily insisted otherwise; not that... you would have minded if it were true.

“Hey, Y/N?” He murmured softly to you in the middle of the chilly night, his hands tucked safely in the warm pockets of his gray hoodie while you walked side by side through the heart of the city.

It was a Saturday night, so obviously the sidewalks and streets were infested with loud crowds and bright, flashing neon lights. You both were just heading back to his apartment after a night of drinking at a quaint but lively bar that one of his friends owned, not totally drunk, but tipsy enough to stick close to each other to the point where your fingers would occasionally brush against his.

“Mm, yeah, Binnie?”

You didn't quite catch how his cheeks flushed in the pale moonlight, or how his breath momentarily hitched in his throat at the nickname. “I - do you -”

“Spit it out, Binnie - if you don’t say whatever it is you wanna say now, you’ll forget by the time we get back to the apartment.” You hummed knowingly, having gotten drunk with the man before; needless to say, he frequently forgot what he was going to say mid-sentence, or he just got off topic for no real rhyme or reason.

“... I was w-wondering, d’you want to move in, with me and Eden?” He blurted out suddenly, albeit softly, nervously, with a hint of a drunk stammer to his voice.

Now, to put it lightly, you were the complete opposite of Changbin when you were drunk; even mildly tipsy. While he would cut himself off and put his thoughts aside, you tended to be very, very blunt and straightforward.

“Sure, why not? Dunno where I’ll sleep, though.” You shrugged honestly, content with the little diddy you were humming under your breath.

Your partner pauses in the middle of the moving crowd, attracting a few disgruntled grumbles and curses as everyone forces themselves to snake around your bodies on the paved sidewalk. Noticing he’d fully stopped, you turn back around to meet his doe-eyed gaze, confusion plastered on your face. “What? Did I say something?”

“Y-you actually-? You really want to mo-move in with us?” He exhaled in disbelief, his airy breaths forming into a thin, transparent puff of chilled air.

Feeling much more confident in your slightly tipsy state, you march towards him, right in front of him, actually; and nod surely. “Mhm. Is that why you were sniffling a second ago? Because you were worried I’d say no or something?” You ask him innocently, only to giggle when he gulps and nods in reply. “Wow, you must be pretty dense, Binnie-”

“W-what?”

“Cause’ I really fucking like you, and Eden, obviously - you’re really attentive and a great dad, which is like, reaaally attractive. Oh -! Not to mention Eden is the cutest baby in the whole wide world!” You say with full confidence, lips curled into a sweet yet bold grin, stretching your arms out into the cold air just to further your point.

Without warning, Changbin’s hands latch themselves onto your waist before he manages to maneuver your back against an out-of-order vending machine. His chest presses against yours and his breaths fan out onto your parted lips.

“Good, cause’ I really fucking like you too.” Is the last thing he says before he smashes his lips against yours, melding them together even though you were both in public, pressed against a vending machine of all things.

But - you could’ve cared less.

From then on it’s a giant blur of motions, the last part you remember ending with his knee rubbing up between your thighs with his hands tangled in your hair.

————————————————————————

You wake up with a soft gasp, eyelids snapping open to be greeted with the sight of closed blinds and Changbin - wait, was that... Eden, tucked in between your bodies?

Your sudden sounds cause the man opposite of you to wake up with a low groan, his eyes much slower and reluctant to open. But when they do, his lips part to mimic your surprised gasp from mere seconds ago.

“The fuck did we do last night?” His voice comes out quiet and gravely, involuntarily making your poor heart pound wildly in your chest.

“I - I think we crashed as soon as we got back.” You answer him, gesturing between your bodies as you silently point out that the both of you were still very much clothed and, thankfully, not completely naked in any sense of the word.

He lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank fuck we didn’t, well, fuck. Not that... I would mind, but Felix would’ve killed me since he was stuck watching Eden last night.” Changbin corrects himself with a deep blush, looking down at the sleeping form tucked neatly beneath the giant gray blanket engulfing a majority of the bed.

You giggle at how he covered up his words, sleepily smiling at the flushed man.

There’s a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes following that instance, your eyes flickering all over his bare, somewhat bloated features. He had a hint of purple bags under his eyes, though they were much better if you were to compare them with the sagging of his eyelids from when you’d first met him almost a full year ago; met again, technically. There’s a blemish or two dotting his puffed, red cheeks, but it only added to his charm. Not to mention his adorable bedhead and morning voice.

“Did you - did you really mean what you said, last night?” Changbin eventually broke the silence, opening his eyes once more to blink and take in your calm demeanor. “Y’know, with... the whole ‘really fucking like me’ thing, and the moving in with us deal.”

It’s your turn to blush at his teasing words as he recalls your mildly drunken state from the night before, a small smirk gracing his sleepy features. “Of course I meant what I said, Binnie - to both things.” You reply honestly, shifting in his bed so you could carefully tug the comfy gray blanket under your chin and over Eden’s exposed shoulder to keep her nice and warm.

“Good - that’s, really good.” Is all he says, suddenly caught up with staring at your sweet smile and pink tinted cheeks. “God, I really want to kiss you again.” He mutters, brown eyes fixated on your lips.

“I want to kiss you too.” You hum quietly, drinking in the little sunlight that manages to peek through the mostly closed blinds, the shadows casting a warm glow onto his and Eden’s figures.

He nibbles on his bottom lip for a moment, knowing that neither of you would dare risk waking up Eden just for a quick peck or a lazy morning make-out session.

You shiver in anticipation when his fingers suddenly move to your side of the bed and clamp onto one of your hands, then you’re left to become a blushing mess as Changbin brings your cold knuckles up to his lips, pressing a warm, delicate kiss to your skin.

“I’m so glad that you’re here, love.”

“I am too, Binnie. I am too.”

end.

[darkmorningdawn]

pairing: seungcheol x reader word count: 1224 genre: fluff

✎ You hated it but ended up being late for a lecture and continuously blamed yourself for it, but it turned out to be a blessing.

The cool lecture theatre was packed with many blue comfy seats and most of them were taken up by students, and had their laptops, paper and pen on the table in from of them. Most eyes were glued to the professor giving his lecture right at the front, except for some sleepy souls with heads drooping down and eyes closed.

You were slightly late due to oversleeping from staying up late to do some last minute readings. You cursed yourself for not doing your readings earlier and now you could not find a good seat since the only available seats are the ones at the top. You also had to deal with weird stares from the other students and it was getting increasingly awkward as you briskly made your way up.

You hurriedly sat beside a person without paying attention to who he was, because the only intention you had in mind was to find a seat as soon as possible. As you took out your stationery and had finally settled down, at the corner of your eye, you noticed the identity of the student beside you and cursed for the second time that day.

Of all people, why him? You closed your eyes in despair and tried to shake off the thoughts of the person beside you, also known as your crush — Choi Seungcheol. You gulped and felt your heartbeat quickened even though it had just returned to its normal heart rate. Seungcheol was quite popular in school, and he was always with his other twelve friends. They were one huge gang, really, to the point it was intimidating to approach any of them though they were all very nice. That one time he helped you when you dropped your books on the floor by accident was the first time you looked directly into his big brown orbs and realised how pretty they were. From that day onwards, you could not help yourself but your gaze would unintentionally wander off to stare at him and he would randomly appear in your thoughts.

It certainly didn’t help a single bit that he was wearing a basic black T-shirt and skinny black jeans that looked sinfully good on him. It certainly didn’t help even more when he leaned towards you and teasingly whispered, “Very early, aren’t you?”

You immediately felt blood rushing to your cheeks and instinctively covered your mouth in embarrassment. “I was studying late yesterday.” Your voice coming out as a raspy high pitched whisper. Seungcheol chuckled and nodded, “Most probably. I was just joking.” With that, he went back to his original position to continue listening to the professor, leaving you all red and flustered.

You tried to regain your composure, but it was difficult to focus, partially because of Seungcheol’s presence, but also the fact that you missed the first fifteen minutes of the lecture that was apparently useful and crucial to understand the rest of the lecture. You attempted to multitask and skimmed through the previous pages of lecture notes while listening to the professor but to no avail. The concepts were quite challenging to grasp, so without someone’s guidance, they were difficult to understand. You rubbed your face in your hands and perspiration formed little beads on your forehead as the professor mercilessly continued his lecture.

You turned slightly to have a short glance at Seungcheol beside you. He wrinkled his brows in deep concentration as he switched his gaze from the professor to the laptop in front of him. You sighed in despair and turned back to face the front. Everyone was extremely focused on the lecture. Everyone except for you. You didn’t like being left behind and always tried your best to keep on par with everyone else, hence the idea of lacking behind even in one lecture gave you anxiety.

Seungcheol tilted his head and noticed your obvious distress, with your pursed lips and constant flipping of the pages in the lecture notes. He gently tapped your shoulder, causing you to jolt in surprise.

“Do you need any help?” His voice was laced concern and his brown irises were coated with a tinge of worry.

“Y-yeah,” you stuttered, wiping your sweat using the back of your hands. Your cheeks became tinted pink again in embarrassment and rested your hands nervously on your thighs as you swore to never be late for lectures ever again.

Seungcheol nodded and replied, “Give me a second and I’ll show you.”

He quickly finished typing the sentence on his computer and as if on cue, the professor gave everyone a 5-minute break. He was internally just as nervous as you were. The fact that you were sitting this close to him for the first time made his heart flutter. Every time he passed you in school, you were always helping another student with the brightest and most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

With that, he made full use of that 5-minute break, carefully and precisely teaching you exactly what was being taught previously, addressing your queries at the same time. While it was a bit tight on time, he miraculously finished teaching you, partially thanks to the fact that you picked up new pieces of knowledge fairly quickly. It was nerve-wrecking, in all honesty, being this close to someone you both secretly held dear to your hearts.

After the break, the professor continued with his lecture and you felt a complete shift in the whole atmosphere. You no longer felt tense and pressured, as you were able to understand most of the concepts that were being taught. All you needed to do after class was to revise on all these information. Additionally, while being extremely close to Seungcheol gave you butterflies, it warmed your heart when he offered to help you.

Class soon came to an end. The more studious ones immediately rushing towards the professor and asking him questions about the lecture while the others were simply packing up their belongings. You shyly turned towards Seungcheol.

“Thank you very much for just now. It helped a lot.”

Seungcheol chuckled. “No problem. You looked evidently more calm during the second half of the lecture.” He grinned, showing his pearly white teeth, the smile that you loved so much and never failed to make your heart flutter.

He tore a piece of yellow paper from his post-it pack and scribbled some stuff on it, before passing it on to you. You stared blankly at him and looked down and noticed a bunch of numbers written on the paper. It took you probably 10 whole seconds to realise that Seungcheol just gave you his phone number.

You lifted your head, eyes widen, all the words you wanted to say were stuck in your throat.

“Here’s my number!” Seungcheol laughed at your utterly shocked expression. “I hope that we will become closer from today onwards.” He casually patted your head, and left the lecture theatre with his other friends.

You stood there, startled. Your delicate fingers felt the part where he touched you and felt heat rising to your cheeks. Somehow, you felt that this semester will be highly interesting fun filled and memorable, and you could hardly wait for what this semester would turn out for you.

It seemed like being late for lecture, was a blessing in disguise after all.

[schraubd]

New Congressional Black-Jewish Caucus Announced: Will It Go Anywhere?

Apparently brokered by the AJC, Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) announced the creation of a new bipartisan Congressional Black-Jewish Caucus. The other co-founding members are Reps. John Lewis (D-GA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Will Hurd (R-TX), and Lee Zeldin (R-NY). Its stated goals are to:

Raise awareness of each community's sensitivities and needs, in Congress and around the country.

Provide resources to members of Congress to empower them to bring African-American and Jewish communities together, combating stereotypes and hate and showcasing commonalities.

Support stronger hate crimes legislation and advocate for increased government resources to confront the threat of white supremacist ideology.

Support legislation and work to expand access to democracy and protect election integrity.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what to make of this. The concept is great, but I have to wonder whether initiatives like this ever do anything substantive beyond the press release.

I also find the list of founding congressmen and women to be interesting (are they seeking out additional members?). The list includes two Black Democrats (Lawrence and Lewis), one Black Republican (Hurd), one White Jewish Democrat (Wasserman-Schultz), and one White Jewish Republican (Zeldin).  Let's quickly run through who they are:

Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI)

Lawrence is a third-term congresswoman from Michigan; holding the seat previously occupied by now-U.S. Senator Gary Peters. Prior to entering Congress, she was the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of Southfield. She also was a member of the unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial ticket in 2010, serving as Virg Bernero's running mate. 

In Congress, she's a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus. I honestly don't know much about her, and don't think of her as a particularly high-profile member of Congress. But Lawrence's district has both a large Black and Jewish population, so it makes sense for her to try and take a leadership position on this question.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Former head of the DNC, Wasserman Schultz is probably best known as the favored target of 2016 Bernie dead-enders after they level up. That made her a target for a primary challenge from Sanders-backed Tim Canova, which got pretty nasty actually, but she ended up prevailing with 57% of the vote. She is one of the most high-profile Jewish Democrats in the House, and has what I consider to be a pretty standard political posture for a Jewish Democratic politician -- generally progressive voting record, while also being "establishment-friendly". Unfortunately, the 2016 election history means she is positively despised by the insurgent wing of the Democratic Party.

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

One of the legends of American politics and a civil rights hero, John Lewis has massive respect within the Democratic caucus and within the CBC in particular. He's also, throughout his career, been a stalwart friend of the Jewish people -- there's probably no more common "go-to" in Congress for Jewish-Black relations than Rep. Lewis. If anyone was going to join a cause like this, it'd be him. Unfortunately, that cuts both ways -- it is in many respects less interesting that John Lewis joined this caucus, because "of course he would". It doesn't actually signal the sort of broader buy-in one would hope for.

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY)

I was honestly surprised to see he was onboard with this, as Lee Zeldin is -- how to put this gently -- a monster whose spent the past year gleefully tossing molotov cocktails all over the "Black-Jewish relationship". Ideally, being part of an initiative like this will tame Zeldin's wilder instincts -- someone can perhaps explain to him why taking an antisemitic voicemail left at his office and randomly demanding Ilhan Omar (who is never cited, mentioned, or alluded to in the message) denounce it is not how we play nicely with others. More likely, Zeldin will simply end up blowing this thing up from the inside.

What's really going on here, I imagine, is a stark example of the limits of trying to form a bipartisan caucus of Blacks and Jews. If one is simply looking to foster healthy relations between the Black and Jewish community in Congress, Republicans are, with all due respect, kind of irrelevant. But if you absolutely insist on having a Jewish Republican in the mix, Zeldin has the almost singular virtue of, well, being one (the only other Jewish Republican in Congress is Tennessee Rep. David Kustoff. He's a right-wing extremist too, though I still suspect he'd have been a better choice).

Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX)

Speaking of slim pickings, Hurd is who you get when you decide you also need a Black Republican -- he's the only one in the House (swing over to the Senate and you've got South Carolina's Tim Scott as well). He is, to be fair, a much less offensive figure than Zeldin. He also barely squeaked out re-election last cycle against Gina Ortiz Jones, whose already gunning for a rematch, so he might not be around Congress next cycle.

* * *

What do we make of this set? Leave Hurd and Zeldin aside -- they're there for obvious reasons but otherwise are non-important. We'll even assume for sake of argument that Zeldin doesn't torpedo the whole deal.

Well, Wasserman Schultz is well respected in the Jewish community but also is a lightning rod for the Bernie-supporting wing of the party. With all due respect to the Florida Congresswoman, whom I actually rather like, she's carrying a lot of weight as the only Jewish Democratic Representative in the group, and I'm skeptical of the vitality of representing the "Jewish" side of Congress through her and Zeldin. Meanwhile, Lawrence is not high-profile, and I don't think really will do much to bring in more support from the CBC more broadly. Lewis is, of course, very high-profile, but he's also in some ways uniquely ill-positioned to signal buy-in from the CBC writ large for the reasons given above.

What's more interesting, then, is who isn't in the caucus. Now again, this was just launched, and so it's entirely possible more people will join. But the question is, who are the sorts of people who, if they did join, would signal that there might be a potential for success here?

On the Jewish side of the equation, you'd want to see both someone from new generation -- say, Elissa Slotkin or Max Rose, or perhaps Jamie Raskin -- and/or a less polarizing member of the old guard (like Jerry Nadler or Jan Schakowsky). Andy Levin -- newly-elected, but part of the Levin political dynasty in Michigan -- would be a great bridging figure here too. Another obvious name to look out for is Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, who actually represents a majority-Black district. If he joins, it suggests that this sort of initiative is actually being viewed as a positive. If he doesn't, well, it sends a different signal.

With respect to prospective Black members, you'd want to see something similar: someone from the old guard beyond Lewis, and then someone from the new wave. On the latter, I won't even bother mentioning she-who-must-not-me-named (though again, what does it say that Zeldin can be a member but she can't). But Lauren Underwood, Lucy McBath, or (dare to dream) Ayanna Pressley would be outstanding additions. With respect to more senior figures, Karen Bass or Elijah Cummings or even my own Congresswoman Barbara Lee would be great. There's also a "middle seniority" group that contains some promising figures, like Andre Carson (he'd be a fantastic pick-up, as the other Black Muslim serving in Congress right now) and Hakeem Jeffries (Jeffries, sadly, seems to be at risk of becoming a new Wasserman Schultz or Tom Perez -- which is to say, someone with a solidly progressive voting record who gets identified as a barrier to the advancement of some further-left hero and therefore is transmogrified into a tool of the neoliberal neoliberalist's neoliberalism).

In particular: I see the point of a caucus like this as not just comprising of itself of people who already agree on everything, but also ones who can fairly and effectively communicate their respective community's "sensitivities and needs" -- a project which often will involve explaining why practices by the other community which might internally seem innocuous are actually hurtful. In the Omar dialogues, for example, this is where we get Jewish members explaining why Omar's comments -- perhaps seen as just making the anodyne point that "AIPAC has influence in Washington" -- were harmful and seemed to leverage antisemitic tropes; and also where we get Black members explaining why the unyielding fury of the backlash -- perhaps seen as just "calling out antisemitism" --  were harmful and seemed to reflect a minute policing of Black politicians.

In other words, if you're running through potential members of the caucus with a red pen and looking for all the heresies that should bar them from membership, I'd urge you to stop. Yes, some level of overt antagonism is probably incompatible with productively participating in a project like this (but then: see Zeldin, apparently). But not all disagreements are akin to "overt antagonism", and I don't think any of the names I've listed stand outside the realm of regular disagreement. A functioning caucus that is designed to be a space where both community's can communicate their respective concerns and sensitivities can and probably should have some people who do not start out on precisely the same page. Speaking from the Jewish angle, it is in particular not reasonable to expect this caucus be "Black politicians come into the room and agree that everything the Jewish community has been saying and doing vis-a-vis the Black community is correct and laudatory" (and, of course, neither vice versa).

Finally, I don't want to say any of the people I mentioned above are obligated to join this caucus, or that it reflects badly on them or signals they "don't care about Black-Jewish relationships" if they don't. Congress is a busy place, and these people have things to do. This is one cause among many -- it's one I happen to think is important, but there are lots of issues lots of people think are important. And of course, these Congressmen and women are almost certainly better positioned than I am to see if this caucus has even the potential to turn into something "real" beyond the press release. If it's going to be a waste of time anyway, there's no need for them to cede their limited time to be wasted.

All I am suggesting is that, for a caucus like this to actually succeed, it needs to gain a membership that signifies buy-in from a solid cross-sample of the relevant communities. I don't think the initial membership group does that on its own.

via The Debate Link http://bit.ly/2KpE6VI

[studiobeebo]

DO YOU WANT APPLES, OR BEES!? @izukulove

anyways i decided to make this a kaminari x reader, ik u like izuku but i just thought this matched denki’s memeing ass so well fjsfh (also ik i dont generally do scenarios but o h w e l l)

Being friends with Denki was..surprisingly fun at the best of times and a downright challenge at the worst. To be honest, he was one of your best friends and no matter how many times his crappy jokes or horrible flirtation attempts annoyed you, he always had this way of drawing you back in with that electrifying smirk and lame one liners. Unfortunately for him, his lighthearted personality and the fact that he was very much a ‘class clown’ was his downfall when it came to you.

It was true that when he first met you, his initial greeting was ‘I may not be a photographer, but I could totally picture me and you together. Name’s Denki, and you are?’, which wasn’t all that serious as it was just part of who he was as a person to flirt with every attractive girl he saw and you were definitely in the ‘attractive’ category. The more he got to know you though, the less playful and more serious his flirting attempts became and before he knew it you were on his mind nearly twenty four seven. When he told his friends about it though, even they didn’t believe it as they just figured this was just another ‘crush’ he’d forget about in two days when he passed a cute girl on the street or something, but this time, for once, he really was serious.

He could hardly explain the way you made his heart race every time you’d laugh wholeheartedly at one of his jokes and he practically lived for the afternoons where the two of you would lay around and watch movies or play games together. Maybe his friends were right that he usually didn’t stay interested in one person for very long, but this was different, and he knew it was different because when the other girls he liked seemed to show interest in others, he just sort of shrugged it off and moved onto the next one, but when you mentioned to him that you had a date coming up he was inexplicably jealous.

“Well why the hell are you going on a date with him if you don’t even like him!?” He shouted after nearly spitting out his drink only for you to shush him since the two of you were currently eating in the cafeteria together.

“Jeez, don’t be so loud! And I don’t..not like him, I just don’t like like him!”

“Well what’s the difference!?” He whisper yelled back, trying his best to heed your warning but this was honestly just blowing his mind. One moment you’re talking about how you recently started talking to an acquaintance, not even a friend, might he add, and the asshole had the audacity to ask you out on a dinner date and you said yes even though you weren’t even into the guy in more than a platonic way!

“Well I’m just trying it out! Who knows, maybe i’ll hang out with him and we’ll click or something, I don’t know!” You huffed, getting increasingly frustrated with both yourself and your idiot of a friend.

See, you had thought that recently, once you realized how you felt about him, you had made your interest in him very obvious. You were practically begging him to finally legitimately ask you out rather than jokingly flirt with you like you were sure he did with every girl in sight, but every extra brush of your arm against his own or flirtatious comment of your own seemed to go unnoticed. You were starting to think that maybe he just really wasn’t into you and that your friends who had been reassuring you all along were wrong, so when you were asked out by an old ‘friend’ a few days after you began talking again, you figured why not? You could use the distraction anyways and maybe this guy really could be a rebound for your slightly broken heart.

Kaminari groaned for extra measure, but decided to shut his mouth about the topic as he sullenly played around with the food leftover on his plate. Part of him was screaming to just tell you about just how much he liked you, but the part of him that convinced him that he probably didn’t have a chance anyways kept him quiet. The two of you chatted for a bit more, but for the rest of the day it was clear that he was a bit down while you were preoccupied with your own thoughts.

By the end of the week you were so ready for a few days off considering how rigorous your school work and training had become and you were actually sort of excited for your ‘date’ and even went as far as to doll yourself up and dress like you weren’t exhausted for once. It was a bit awkward seeing your date for the first time since middle school once you met up at the train station, but after talking for a few minutes it wasn’t all that bad. You were also pretty happy to wind up at his restaurant of choice which happened to be an Applebee’s because you weren’t really looking to blow every cent you had on a meal and something casual  made you feel less pressured to appear too impressive. That, and you knew that recently Kaminari had picked up a part time job here so you figured if anything, if he was even working, you could get him to make some excuse for you if you felt like ditching.

By the time you had been seated, your date had excused himself to the restroom which left you fiddling with your phone before hearing that familiarly and annoyingly charming voice ring out from beside me.

“You really couldn’t spend a day away from me, huh [Name]?”

You rolled your eyes before even looking at Kaminari, thinking it was some sort of stupid coincidence that he not only happened to be working, but he appeared to be your server as well.

“How else am I supposed to make fun of you for that stupid outfit?” You teased, gesturing to the horrible ‘Applebee’s’ hat he was adorning.

“Well I’m not the one on a date at an Applebee’s.” He chided back, figuring he might as well put in his two cents about his everlasting distaste for this whole situation anyways.

While you waited for your date to get back, however, the two of you chatted about whatever came to mind and unsurprisingly, your date wasn’t too happy to come back only to find a server with one palm on the table leaning a bit too close to you for his comfort. You didn’t even notice him coming, so when Kaminari randomly stopped mid sentence only to say the most ridiculous shit you had ever heard, obviously in an attempt to weird out your date without you even noticing, you were honestly shocked.

“-It’s kinda dumb they don’t call boxing “fisting”, isn’t it? Anyways welcome to Applebee’s, can I get you guys something to drink?”

The second he said that you absolutely lost your shit, nearly choking on your own spit while doubling over in laughter, however your date didn’t find it nearly that funny. He simply scoffed at Kaminari, before sitting down with brows furrowed. When you noticed he obviously wasn’t happy, you tried to stop laughing by pursing your lips, but you couldn’t help the innocent little snorts that came out as you tried to order a soda since Kaminari was just giving you a ridiculous grin because he fuck did it feel good to make you laugh so hard and completely ignore your date’s new found dislike for him. The moment he left after also taking your date’s drink order, your date immediately started talking about how ‘gross that dude was’, and when your smile faltered and you began defending him, saying that he was a close friend of yours and that you thought his jokes were funny, he just shrugged you off.

The rest of the evening was painfully awkward as your date became rather childish and pouty the more Kaminari came over and made jokes or little comments that would send you into fits of giggles. By the time your meal was over, your date was kind enough to pay for your meals, but still made the excuse of saying he got a text about an emergency and couldn’t walk with you to the station, even though he hadn’t picked up his phone at all throughout your date, before dashing. You didn’t mind all that much though, so you just waved him off and when Kaminari came back around with a satisfied smirk on his face you gave him the best ‘disappointed mother’ look you could muster, though it was hard to keep yourself from smiling for long.

“You did that on purpose.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” He gasped out, acting astonished but smiling as you just shook your head and laughed upon realizing just how ridiculous this whole situation was. You were getting tired of dancing around him like this, acting like you hadn’t fallen for him and using lame dates you didn’t even want to participate in as a distraction, so with a final sigh you decided to just get it over with and rip off the bandaid.

“You know if you dislike my dates so much then maybe you should just try to improve them yourself.”

Kaminari laughed, but when he saw the questioning look on your face, his face fell flat as he realized you were being serious before choking out a shocked. “S-Seriously!?”

You shrugged in response, your cheeks beginning to burn a bit in embarrassment as you couldn’t really tell if that was a good ‘seriously’ or a bad ‘seriously’, but even though you could have easily made it out to be a joke, you decided to continue on anyways.

“Yeah seriously, I mean, If you want to.”

“Are you kidding!?” He exclaimed, his face lighting up again like an excited puppy. “I-I’d love to! That would be totally wicked!!”

His smile was infectious as a relieved smile of your own spread across your face, but before you could continue your conversation his name was called out by an angry looking manager who was pointing at a table of people that must have been Kaminari’s duty to serve.

“Jeez, that old fart can’t even give me two seconds! This is so lame to say, but I’ll text you! About the..the date thing.” He nodded excitedly about a hundred times while giving you a thumbs up before turning around and hurriedly walking over to the waiting table of people with a pep in his step.

You probably could have stayed there forever, watching him give that adorably sheepish smile while he apologized, but you gathered your things and began your walk back to the station, no longer bothering to hide the smile on your face and the enthusiastic racing of your heartbeat knowing that in the end, your date had gone even better than you could have ever imagined.

[nikki-romero]

GENETIC NEMESIS [SHUICHI HISHIKURA] ~ CHAPTER 9

It was the weekend, and I was on my way to the local florist. It would be my excuse to see Shuichi again. I didn’t think it necessary to buy a new cactus; a pot and some soil should do. I randomly picked a pot I thought was big enough, but as I tried making my way to register, I accidently bumped into the person in front of me. “Oh, excuse me…” I looked up and the person in front of me was none other than Shuichi himself. We both froze upon seeing each other. He silently tried to walk past me. “Hang on.” I grabbed hold of his wrist. “What is it?” He stared at me coldly. “Don’t give me that. I need to talk to you,” I replied assertively. “You never change, do you?” He sighed and walked over to me. “I lied to you. We have nothing to talk about. “Yes we do. I want to know why you lied.” “It’s none of your business.” His standoffish attitude, which usually annoyed me, did little to faze me today. “I’m the one you tried to manipulate here,” I pointed a forefinger at myself, “It damn well is my business. You don’t show up to our meetings anymore. I thought you were supposed to be watching me.” A surprised look crossed his face. “Why do you want to know so badly? I lied to you. Shouldn’t you never want to see me again?” “Which part of I want to know why I was being lied to do you not understand?” “I’m sure you do. I bet you hate me for lying to you.” “No, I…” I paused. “I don’t… hate you…” “What?” Hishikura raised his eyebrows in surprise. “How about lunch?” “Lunch?” He looked at me like I was insane. “I’m saying we can talk over lunch instead of discussing it here.” Shuichi sighed, but took me to a nearby restaurant.

For some reason, Hishikura insisted on ordering for us at the restaurant. He ordered grilled chicken kebabs, which were pretty good. “Do you like it?” he asked me. “It’s not bad,” I replied. “I come here often because the food reminds me of home,” he said nonchalantly. He quietly drank a cup of coffee while I ate. After, he ordered me a coffee as well. I stared into the cup of black coffee in front of me. “Where should I start?” he asked me quietly. “My goal is to clear my father’s name.” “Okay.” I nodded. “That wasn’t much of a reaction. Isn’t that what you wanted to know?” Hishikura murmured, puzzled by my lack of response. I laced my fingers and rested my chin on top of my hands. “I think we both know there’s more to it than that… Maezono told me a little about your father.” “Oh. I didn’t know you spoke to Maezono.” His expression softened. “He used to be my father’s secretary, but now he works for me. After my father lost his seat, Maezono gave me so much support. I can never thank him enough.” I smiled slightly. “What?” “Nothing. Go on,” I egged him on. “The reason my father lost his seat is because he was suspected of bribery.” “I heard about that.” “He lost the trust of his voters because of the bribery scandal.” “Who did he supposedly take a bribe from?” “I don’t know. Whoever it was covered his trail so well, it was never made public. I’m participating in the auctions to find information so I can avenge my father.” “I see…” I wasn’t sure if I believed him or not. I felt like he knew more than he was telling me. “I haven’t found anything yet, though.” He smiled sadly. “I thought you were the key to finding out inside information about the auctions. I thought you might be dating one of the managers, so I approached you as Shu.” I burst out laughing. “Me? Date one of those lunatics?” I slapped my hand repeatedly on the table as I laughed. “Like that’d ever happen.” Shuichi smiled. “I know that now. I wanted to use you to find out if any information regarding my father’s bribery scandal was being sold at the auctions or not, and then stop it. Since there was a possibility that very important information could fall into the wrong hands.” I nodded now and then, listening intently. “It seems despite your position, you’re not an integral part of the auctions. It was a miscalculation,” he said awkwardly. “Only Eisuke and his girlfriend know the specific information about the auction patrons. I don’t really want to, but I suppose I could ask him to help…” “No, I can’t possibly cause any more trouble for you. And you’re too unpredictable. You’re too much for me to handle.” I chuckled. “How long have you known that I was tricking you?” “I didn’t know that first night, but I found out shortly after. It was pretty obvious.” “It was?” Shuichi frowned. Using my fingers, I recounted all the reasons. “First of all a person being called a shortened version of his twin’s name? Unlikely. Second of all, siblings don’t refer to each other by their last names. As Shu, you always referred to yourself as ‘Hishikura’, never using your name. Siblings don’t do that. I should know; I have four. And third of all, think about who I am. I didn’t become a mafia leader by sitting on my ass and looking pretty.” “Your language is as crass as ever…” “…And I have a lot of connections.” I ignored his snide remark. “It’d be easy for someone like me to get my hands on your family background information.” “You’re much sharper than I gave you credit for.” I smiled. “I know, right?” Shuichi looked surprised for a moment. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing…” He frowned. “That time I went out with you as Shu… When I dropped you off at the embassy…” He didn’t have to say more than that; I knew what he wanted to know. I rested my cheek in the palm of my hand as I looked at him. “I knew who I was kissing,” I replied bluntly. “What…” Shuichi looked more shocked than I’ve ever seen him. I looked him straight in the eye, a small smile playing on my lips. “You don’t seem to get along with Ichinomiya very well…” After a long pause, Shuichi changed the subject. “Get along with him? I detest him.” I leaned back, resting my elbows on top of the backside of the chair. “I meant what I said when you went out with me that time as Shu: My life has been in complete disarray ever since he stepped foot in it. Having myself suspected of terrorism by a foreign government is proof of that. Eisuke uses whoever he can to his advantage and then casts them aside. He acts like the world owes him everything; like he’s the only one who can get what he wants, no matter who gets hurt in the process. All he ever does is cause trouble for other people and he doesn’t even feel bad about it. I know I called him my brother that one time, but the truth of it is, he’s just a stranger; a distant relative who happens to share my blood. Our definitions of family are polar opposites. The only people I consider my family are the parents who raised me and the brothers I grew up with. I’ve never accepted Eisuke as such, and I likely never will.” “If that’s how you feel, why do you spend so much time in the penthouse?” “The Ice Dragons and the Wings of Freedom signed a treaty little lees than a year ago. My eldest brother, Ayato, is in charge of the Dubai branch of the Wings of Freedom, but I tend to deal with the negotiations with Soryu in the penthouse. It’s safer that way.” “I suppose a stranger going into the penthouse would be too conspicuous.” “No, that’s not it. Aya doesn’t have a lot of patience. If he handled the negotiations in the penthouse, everyone else there would probably end up dead within the hour.” Shuichi looked surprised at that. “Maybe dead is too strong a word. But he would definitely beat them to a bloody pulp.” “You’re saying he’s more violent than you are?” “We’re about the same amount. I’m just better at ignoring people. I guess you could say I’m a bit calmer overall. Also, I don’t hate the others that much. They can be fun sometimes.” “Is everyone in your family mafia leaders?” “My parents are retired, but my brothers and I are, yes. Aya got promoted to branch leader a few months before I came here. My other three brothers are all squad captains in the homeland corps, and I’m the commander. I basically have control over all of the Wings of Freedom homeland corps squads in the world.”  

By the time we left the restaurant, the sun had already set. “I’ll take you back to your apartment,” he told me. “Thanks,” I replied. We walked through the streets together, the night sky hanging above us. Shu and I used to walk around like this a lot, even when I already knew the truth. This was the first time I’d done it with Shuichi as himself. “Do you have bad eyesight?” I asked. “Yes, it’s fairly bad. Why do you ask?” “You didn’t wear glasses when you were pretending to be Shu.” “Those were contacts. I had them sent over from Japan.” “I see.” He thought everything out to the last detail. “You really love your father, huh?” “…What?” He suddenly stopped in his tracks, which in turn made me stop too. “What is it?” “Why did you ask me that?” “You wouldn’t go to such lengths to clear his name if you didn’t,” I answered. “It’s even led you to try and use an uninvolved party. I get the feeling that’s not something you would do if you could help it.” Hishikura stared at me with astonishment. “I didn’t expect you to say that.” “Did I say something rude?” I didn’t ask that in seriousness; I knew the answer. “No… Quite the opposite, actually,” Hishikura turned to me and leaned over. “I’ll tell you a secret.” He brought his lips close to my ear. “Please don’t tell anyone.” His deep voice rumbled in my ear. “I’m going to avenge my father and become the prime minister.” I didn’t say anything in response. He pulled away and started walking away. “Hey.” I jogged up to him. He glanced at me. “You’re the first person I’ve ever told that,” he said. “Really?” “If I told any of the politicians I know, all they’d do is laugh and make fun of me.” “Why did you tell me then?” “I’m not sure. I suppose I just did it on impulse.” “Impulse…” I repeated in disbelief. Shuichi Hishikura, doing something on impulse? Now there’s something you don’t see every day.   “Emillia. I’m really sorry that I lied to you.” He bowed his head low to me. “I deserved your punishment for what I did to you. I know it’s not much of an apology. But if there’s anything you want, I can try my best to make it happen.” I walked over to him. “Shuichi.” As he lifted his head, I flicked his forehead. “You’re an idiot, you know that? Fine, then I want to keep seeing you.” “And do what?” he asked. “I don’t care.” Shuichi sighed deeply. “What’s with that reaction?” “I used you… I never expected you to make that request of me. I really don’t understand you.” I smiled self-deprecatingly. “Honestly, right now neither do I. I just…” want to be with you… I thought. “If you want me to watch you that badly, I suppose I can.” He pushed up his glasses and started walking again. “Don’t be an idiot. You know perfectly well that isn’t what I meant.” As he briskly walked away, I could’ve sworn I saw his cheeks turn pink. “Are you blushing?” “Please be quiet. That reminds me. You told Shu that you thought I was hard headed-and like a robot.” “You’re the one who asked.” “I don’t know about that.” We both laughed for a few seconds. “I’ll see you at the hotel tomorrow,” he said as soon as we reached the apartment building.   “Yeah. Have a good night. Shuichi.” I used his first name for the first time. He looked at me in surprise as I went inside.

To be continued…  

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