#and it seems likely we’re going to get all three

[blossomcola]

OOOoooOoOoOoOoOoOoO OKAY OKAY OKAY SO Megan skiendiel X 7th Katseye member reader, where reader is younger and new and a bit oblivious, and Megan convinced the others to let her make the choreography and basically just makes it into reader having to do provocative actions and Megan being all over the reader (grinding on her, slapping her ass, squeezing her boobs ect…) 😛😛😛

pairing. pervy!megan skiendiel x fem reader.

content warnings. gropping.

an idea that probably popped into megan’s head after the performance manon and lara gave during m.i.a.’s choreography 😵‍💫 megan is always professional when it comes to dance because it is what she is most passionate about, but she can’t help but be perverted when the idea is constantly in her head! and of course she won’t miss the opportunity to carry out her plan after spending three days in a row begging daniela to let her implement her ideas and lying when she promised her that they would be serious things and not silly ideas that pop into megan’s head from time to time...

even megan makes you believe that you are the main choreographer only for you to fall perfectly into the trap and not suspect her ideas 👀 lucky she managed to lie well enough for you to think it would be like when daniela was the main character during ‘gabriela’, so you readily agreed when she told you the choreography would be focused on you or at least you’d have all the coolest, most iconic moves! sometimes megan knows how to use her brain and be believable without having to laugh during her lie 😋

maybe megan is focused on you really learning the choreography or maybe she seems desperate to get her hands on you as many times as she can... it doesn’t matter if you do the movement perfectly and just like all the other members of the group, she doesn’t see it that way! not even daniela is usually that demanding when it comes to learning new choreography, so why would megan be acting so weird this time? it’s probably just that she wants to make sure that the choreography she’s in charge of comes out perfectly, of course 👀 nor do any of the girls dare to say anything about it because absolutely all of them find the situation funny, it’s more than funny how megan is giving her all just so you can “learn” the choreography, of course!

“closer, trust me. choreography looks better when we’re not scared of touching.”

“mmmh, you’re catching on quick. maybe i’m just a good teacher… or you like my hands on you.”

“you’re doing fine, but if you want, i can guide you with my hands again.”

until megan seems to be getting more and more daring 😳 it is normal for a choreographer to touch his students to show a step or correct mistakes, but you know that things get weird once megan starts acting completely out of line with what would be the choreography for her next comeback...

“stand still, (y/n). i’ll move your body for you.” and she is “guiding” your hip movements but subtly making you grind your ass against her crotch and you are more than rubbing against her.

“this part’s all in the hips. here—feel mine.” but instead of standing next to you and dancing in front of the mirror to demonstrate the movement in its correct way, she moves her hips against yours and almost makes you whimper in front of the rest of the members

“you’re too stiff—let me loosen you up.” and she starts massaging your muscles to loosen you up a bit but out of nowhere she starts to shamelessly grope you???

and any kind of perversion because once megan has the opportunity to touch you she won’t waste it! she would be worried if she knew you were going to confront her and call out her behavior, but since you're even more shy and quiet than yoonchae, she has no worries because she’ll be able to have fun with you for a long time 💕

[cupidvision]

☆⋆｡𖦹why didn’t your person, and their ex work out?𖦹°‧★

🐞hey guys! i know this reading is kinda messy but hey, we’re all a little curious sometimes 😭. this reading will cover your persons energy, their exes energy, and why it didn’t work out. you can choose however feels right to you ! 🌹

🍒paid readings !!

⊹₊✮˙⋆ pile one

✰ their energy: the lovers, gemini

this is so sweet. your person is a lover at heart, they love connection, they love love. they like feeling bonded to people and enjoy harmony. your person may function better in life when they’re in a connection or relationship (7h sun, moon, venus, or 1h ruler in the 7h). theyre passionate people who crave connection, sensuality, and something serious or deep. they have a very light hearted energy to them. they could be young in nature, playful, joke around a lot, etc. they just have this really sweet and naive energy to them, and they could be connected to their inner child

✰ their exes energy: 6 of swords, aquarius

what’s interesting is that aquarius and gemini energy is compatible, so maybe it “looked good on paper”. like they were supposed to make sense together, but they just didn’t. their person could’ve been very distant in nature, and often left your person feeling abandoned and left behind. i’m sensing they never involved your person in anything, like told them last second or didn’t tell them at all. your person never knew what their ex was thinking, and left them in the dark. their ex could’ve been going through a transition period in their life, im also getting “rebound” energy. maybe your person was their rebound. it’s funny because in the beginning of typing this i felt that the ex was trying to move on from their ex, through using your person. and now i feel like this energy is confirmed

✰ why it didn’t work out: the hermit reversed, virgo

so this just confirms the exes actions. their ex was distant and cold. it left your person feeling alone and isolated. they felt lost in this connection like they didn’t know where to go or what to do. which hurts my heart because this person is literally a lover :(. they just wanted someone they could put their love and trust into, and their ex didn’t value that. their ex didn’t have their heart into it

⊹₊✮˙⋆ pile two

✰ their energy: 4 of cups, cancer

so your person didn’t show up as emotionally available as they could’ve. they just didn’t have their heart into it. they felt disconnected and detached from the connection. “i don’t really care” is what i’m hearing. they could’ve just felt careless in the relationship, and they lacked a lot of empathy and compassion in the relationship. they were emotional unavailable in this connection, and maybe even bored. but i do see this connection made them do some self reflection. they could’ve questioned what they truly wanted in a relationship

✰ their exes energy: the sun, leo

their ex was someone who was very vibrant and had a lot of energy in this connection. i do see that this connection for their ex made them get more clarity and truth from the situation. likely what they wanted out of a connection. their ex did seem to be a pretty happy and positive person. strong and confident in their identity. i’m also sensing they may have been “too much” for your person. they could’ve been dramatic and over the top at times

✰ why it didn’t work out: 8 of wands, sagittarius

their relationship moved wayyyyy faster than either of them intended or wanted it do. and it could’ve ended just as fast too. there’s a forceful energy here, like they rushed into everything because they could’ve felt like they had to. arguments and disagreements could’ve also got really heated very fast. i see that they could’ve felt distant from each other as well. the physical intimacy and energy could’ve been good, but the emotional connection wasn’t there. it almost feels like friends that forced each other to date

⊹₊✮˙⋆ pile three

✰ their energy: strength reversed, leo

they didn’t feel confident or strong in this connection. they could’ve felt weaker because of the connection. there was a lot of self doubt here as well. there could’ve been a lack of control, especially inner control. this person could’ve been very triggering is what i’m sensing. they brought out your persons shadow side, but not in a growing way, but in a traumatic way. your person could have scorpio/ 8h placements. or significant pluto aspects (pluto aspecting asc, sun, moon, mars, or venus). there was a lack of inner security for your person

✰ their exes energy: ace of swords, air signs

this person was very communicative. they seemed to be someone who took no bs, and was very blunt / honest about things. maybe even too blunt, and very logical. their ex could’ve put their head over heart, and tried to solve issues through mental resolutions rather than emotional resolutions. this person could’ve been very eye opening to your person though. possibly making them realize truths they’ve never notice before. this person could’ve also made your person have many mental clarities, and new outlooks on things.

✰ why it didn’t work out: 4 of swords reversed, libra

they got tired of each other and tired of the connection. this connection could’ve caused both of them to feel very mentally stressed. they felt burnt out from it. there was also too much mental energy and not enough emotional energy. there could’ve been a fear or awkwardness when it came to being vulnerable. there also could’ve been laziness in the relationship. going to bed upset at each other without trying to talk it out before hand. staying up at night thinking about the connection.

⊹₊✮˙⋆ pile four

✰ their energy: king of wands, scorpio, sagittarius

your person was very confident and mature in this connection. they also could’ve been the dominant one in the relationship. the one who “calls the shots” and make decisions for the connection. they could’ve felt pretty optimistic about this connection and often looking at the bigger picture about this connection. they also couldve shown up in a very sexual way in this connection, maybe even having more sexual energy for this relationship than any other feeling. or they felt like they were the one who always had to make a first move. your person could’ve also been noncommittal to their ex, although they show up pretty intensely or as a powerful person in the connection.

✰ their exes energy: the fool, uranus

this person was pretty naive. your person could’ve been their first real relationship. they could’ve fell into this connection without thinking first, and since your person was the more dominant one, they could’ve just went along with it. their ex could’ve been foolish in someways, maybe even too naive for your person. this person could’ve wanted a lot of freedom in the connection. they also could’ve been pretty unpredictable in nature

✰ why it didn’t work out: queen of pentacles, sagittarius, capricorn

there could’ve been too much independence in the relationship. too much self reliance and not wanting to depend on one another, and being too focused on independence, rather than togetherness. this relationship also could’ve been too physical or focused on material things. they cared more about sex, gifts, money, other physical things, rather than the emotional, spiritual, or mental aspects. it had more “roommates” or “friends with benefits” rather than an actual relationship. there also could’ve been coldness in the relationship, and fear of vulnerability

🍒paid readings !!

thank you for reading!!���️

[coquitokisses]

Burden and Blessing | Logan Howlett

Pairings: Logan Howlett x mutant!female reader

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: mild language, angst?

A/n: this is obviously an AU where Logan doesn’t die lol it takes place after Logan (2017)

After being hours on the road, you guys decided to make a stop to use the bathroom and to buy something to eat in the first diner that you saw on the road.

“I’m still not okay with leaving her there.” You spoke

“She’s not our responsibility, Y/n.” Logan said before eating what was left of his burger

You sighed. “She kinda is.” You responded looking at Laura who was playing at the pinball machine that was at the diner

“Y/n..”

“You took on the responsibility to take her to Eden, you did.”

“Because you and Charles wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“Because we couldn’t just leave her, she’s a child, Logan!”

“She’s not our child, it wasn’t our responsibility.”

“But you still took it.”

He looked at you. “I don’t wanna keep talking about this.”

“I don’t care if you want to, this is serious.” You replied “We’re leaving her there with god knows who, we can’t leave her, not with everything that’s been happening.”

“Y/n, I don’t care what happens, I just wanna take her to that fucking place and just get on with our lives, live in a cabin on top of a mountain far away from here with you and only you, okay?” He said “That’s all I need.”

“What if she comes with us?”

“We’re not doing this.” He shook his head

The topic of kids wasn’t really a conversation you guys had often. Logan didn’t want kids and honestly, for a while, neither did you. Of course the thought had crossed your mind a few times but you knew that it was something that was probably never gonna happen considering what has been happening with mutants in the last few years. And if you were being honest, you never really saw yourself being a mom and it was probably because of everything that’s been happening. But you have thought about it. But it’s a brief thought. Because you knew that considering you’re both mutants, if you had a baby, it would 1000% be a mutant and who knows what power it can have. You didn’t wanna risk that with everything that’s was going on in the world.

“We can’t keep her.” He added

“Seems like we can.” You shrugged “She’s your biological daughter.”

He turned his head looking at Laura put the last coins you guys gave her into the machine and then shook his head while letting out a sigh.

He turned to look at you again. “We can’t.” He says, softer this time

“Logan..”

“Y/n, we cannot give her a good life, let’s start there.”

“Yes we can and you know we can.”

“They’re already waiting for her.” He said

You shook your head. “I don’t trust it, what if something happens to her?”

“She knows how to defend herself.” He replied

“Logan..”

“We’re done with this conversation.”

“If Charles was the one telling you this, you would do it.” You said feeling your eyes get a little watery

His eyes met up with yours before letting out a soft sigh. He didn’t like seeing you like this. “We can’t keep her, baby.” He says softly

You just took a deep breath and decided to not continue the conversation. You finished your food and then got back on the road to get to your destination.

You didn’t realized when you fell asleep, but you did and then got woken up by Logan stroking your hair. You slowly opened your eyes only to see that you guys were parked at a gas station. Logan was looking at you.

“What?” You mumbled closing your eyes again

“Are you awake?” He asked in a low tone

You sighed. “Yes, what?”

“Are you sure?”

You open your eyes looking at him letting out a tired sigh. “Yes, Logan, what is it?”

“We’re three hours from North Dakota.”

“And you needed to wake me up to tell me that? You couldn’t wait till we got there?” You lazily ran a hand through your hair

“That’s the thing, I don’t wanna keep driving.”

“I can drive.” You say taking the blanket off of you

“No.” He stops you “You’re not listening to me.”

“I am listening.” You replied rubbing your eyes to wipe away the tiredness

“No! I mean I don’t wanna go to North Dakota.” He finally says and you looked at him a little confused and shocked

“What are you talking about? We literally had a conversation a few hours ago about how you didn’t want to stay with Laura.”

“What if I want to now?”

“Logan.” You sighed

“I just.. I can’t stop thinking about what you said, what if something happens to her? What if this place ends up not being real?”

“We’re almost there, we might as well just check it out.”

“And what if there are other kids? Then what?” He said

“Logan, you were the one who said that you didn’t care what happened.”

“Well I do now.”

You just sat there looking at him thinking about what the hell to respond. Of course you would love to keep Laura, but a part of you is also thinking about whether or not that place was real. And if there are other people who could actually help her.

“You drive me insane.” You closed your eyes for a split moment before opening them again and turning your head to look at him “So what are we gonna do?”

“Keep her.” He said

“And what about Eden?” You questioned

“We’re not going.” He shook his head

“Well apparently there are people waiting for her there.”

“You really wanna go?”

“Logan,” you sighed trying to understand him “Okay, listen, she’s expecting us to take her there so we need to do it.”

“I thought you wanted to keep her.”

“I do, but we cannot do it like this.” You replied “They’re waiting for her and she’s obviously expecting to get there.” You turned your head to see her sleeping in the back seat “We can’t just take her with us like that.” You looked back at your boyfriend

A part of you wanted to just turn back around and take her with you guys, but you knew that it wasn’t the right way to do it. For all you know, there were people waiting for her and even tho she has been fine with the two of you and you knew that she wouldn’t really mind to stay with you, you wanted it to be her choice. You told her you were taking her to North Dakota so that’s what you’re doing. Everything that happens after you get there, it’s really up to her.

“What do you think about Canada?” He asked after being quiet for a few minutes

You looked at him. “Canada?”

“We can’t live in this truck.”

“You wanna live in Canada?”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t sound bad.”

You gave him a small smile. “No, it doesn’t.”

“So, North Dakota and then Canada, sounds like a plan?”

“Yeah.” You nodded “Sounds like a plan.”

main masterlist • part two

A/n: I’m doing a second part to this, let me know if you wanna be tagged!

[redrose10]

Yoongi x Female Reader- featuring Jungkook

Warnings: Angst, abandonment, past abuse, a bit of harassment, swearing

Word Count: 10,126

I finally finished this one that I was supposed to write like months ago, but better late than never I guess…It’s not formatted super nicely but hopefully I can get to cleaning it up.

****************************************************

The pizza you were carrying was still hot and smelled incredible. You were starving and couldn’t wait to get up to your apartment to devour it. Politely you stepped around boxes and bags that a moving crew was currently working on getting loaded into the elevator. You chose to take the stairs instead to avoid them. You wondered if these were the belongings of your new neighbor that was supposed to move in today. Secretly you had hoped for a quiet respectful person about your age. Someone you could maybe make friends with. Even better if they were an attractive, sweet, gentleman than you could fall madly in love with. You had been feeling a little lonely lately, but to be honest anyone was better than the last tenant who was a cranky old lady who once called the building manager on you for somehow chewing too loudly in your own apartment.

Out of breath and even hungrier you finally made it to the fifth floor ready to get into your place and absolutely smash your dinner when you were brought to an unexpected stop. Aimlessly wandering around the hallway in front of your door was a small child, probably barely a year old. Her pink princess dress lightly stained with something purple. She looked up at you with big doe eyes and flashed you a smile showing three barely noticeable teeth.

In a daze you blinked a few times to make sure you were really seeing this. Quickly you looked around for any sign of a parent or adult or anyone that may be looking for the lost child.

“Hi there.”, you said kneeling to her level and gently placing your pizza box on the floor, “What’s your name?”, you asked. Of course you received nothing but a few incoherent babbles before she waddled away.

Annoyed that your dinner was going to have to wait, but also worried about a random lost child you pulled out your phone ready to call the police when there was a loud commotion coming from the stairwell.

Three men came tripping over each other and sprinting down the hallway. As soon as they reached you one of them reached down and scooped up the little girl into his arms squeezing her tightly. “Oh my god don’t ever do that again.”, he practically sobbed, “You just learned to walk a week ago and I already almost lost you.” The other two men also wrapped their arms around the pair with them all sighing in relief.

Then the first man turned his attention to you, “Thank you so much for keeping an eye on her. I’m so sorry. I turned my back for two seconds and she was gone. I think she got in the elevator or something. I don’t even know how she managed that.”

“No problem.”, you smiled and picked up your pizza and started unlocking your door since things seemed to be back under control and you were no longer needed.

“Oh you’re in 505. I’m in 504. We’re going to be neighbors!”, he excitedly exclaimed, “My name is Jungkook and this is Indigo.”, he said tickling her neck to get a laugh, “And they are Taehyung and Jimin.”, he said with the two men giving you a wave, “They’re helping us move in. My roommate Yoongi couldn’t get the day off.”

“Aww very nice to meet you both. I’m Y/N.”

“Sorry I don’t want to keep you from your dinner any longer.”, he said sheepishly eyeing your pizza box. With a smile of appreciation you finally entered your apartment. They weren’t exactly the type of neighbors you thought you were looking for, but maybe it could work.

Over the following weeks you didn’t see much of your new neighbors other than a couple times that you ran into them in the hallway on your way home from work resulting in nothing more than a friendly hello.

It was a rainy Saturday morning when you had your next real encounter with them. You had just woken up and were groggily sipping on a hot cup of coffee when there was a knock at your door.

Jungkook greeted you with a panicked look on his face. Indigo was sleepily nuzzled into his neck clearly not a morning person just like you.

“Hi Y/N.”, he smiled, “I am really really really sorry to bother you, but I’m having kind of a bit of a situation and I was hoping you could help.”

You nodded letting him know you were listening. He continued, “My babysitter just cancelled last minute and I have to get to work. I can’t miss another day or I’m fired so I was hoping you could watch Indigo for a few hours until my roommate gets home and then he can take over. I’ll pay you tonight and buy you dinner.”

Saturday was usually your sit on your couch and rot day so that you could decompress from the prior week, but he sounded like he was about to cry and the way he looked at you with those big round eyes made you feel like you would give him a kidney if he asked nicely so you agreed. Plus Indigo was cute and she was barely a year old so how much work could it be?

“Yeah of course.”, you smiled. He handed you the little girl, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Y/N. You have no idea how you just saved my ass.” He put a bag down on the floor just inside your apartment, “There are snacks, diapers, a few toys, formula in there…it’s basically a baby survival bag.”

“Got it.”, you laughed placing the little girl on the floor.

Jungkook kneeled down on the ground encouraging Indigo to come over. Excitedly she wobbled over to him collapsing into his arms, “Please be good for Y/N. She’s really helping us out so daddy doesn’t loose his job and we end up homeless. Daddy loves you so much. I’ll see later tonight.”

He got up and started to close the door, “Thank you again Y/N. Yoongi will be over in a few hours to pick her up.”

After he left you stared down at the little girl who was longingly looking at the door where her dad was just standing. It broke your heart. Luckily it didn’t take long for her to seem to forget all about her father though.

You thought you were going to have a relaxing morning with the child, maybe watch a few cartoons, have some snacks but Indigo was like a small ball of energy and chaos especially in your not baby proofed apartment. It had only been two hours and she had already broke your favorite coffee mug, a picture frame, and a vase. There were books and papers thrown around and a suspicious looking stain on your gray couch. You were sweating and sore when you finally got her to settle down by using a banana as bribery.

The banana bribe only last so long and just as she was gearing up for round two there was a knock at the door.

“Thank God.”, you sighed picking up Indigo and opening it up. Immediately you were hit with an overly strong scent of mint. You hated mint. Mint candles, mint car fresheners, mint lotion. Peppermint candies and mint chocolate ice cream. You even refused to use mint flavored toothpaste and went for cinnamon instead. It brought up some bad memories like when you used to try and use peppermint schnapps as a way to get through college or your cheating ex who used peppermint scented shampoo so you did your best to avoid it at all cost.

The man standing in front of you, while handsome, smelled too heavily of it and was looking at you with a scowl. Mint suited him you thought.

“Give me the kid.”, he rasped without a greeting or introduction.

“Ummm no?”, you replied, “Could you at least introduce yourself? How do I know who you are?”

He rolled his eyes showing that he was irritated, “Do you want to see my birth certificate? I’m Yoongi…the roommate.”

You took a deep breath to calm yourself down because this guy was getting on your nerves fast.

Just as you were about to say something back Indigo finally noticed him standing in the doorway. She squealed with excitement and immediately started leaning forward to reach for him and get into his arms.

“Hi my little squishy.”, he said squeezing her cheeks getting a laugh from her. The man turned into a completely different person with the little girl. Silently you gathered up all of her belongings and shoved them into the bag the best that you could.

Yoongi was too busy fixing the little girls tiny pigtails to notice you standing there so you placed the bag down next to him.

“Say bye squishy.”, he said to the little girl as he picked up the bag and walked her next door without saying another word to you. You waved to the little girl, but rolled your eyes at Yoongi and shut your door after them sighing as you got another look at the state of your apartment.

Later that night there was a knock. When you opened the door Jungkook greeted you with a big smile. “Here.”, he said handing you a few bills folded up, “Thank you again for this morning. You have no idea how much you helped me out.”

“No it’s okay. Don’t worry about paying me. It was only a couple hours and I’m happy to help.”, you said waving off his outstretched hand.

“Are you sure? At least come have dinner with us. It’s the least I can do.”, he offered.

You thought for a moment unsure if you were really in the mood for more socialization or not, but ultimately agreed.

Jungkooks apartment surprised you although it shouldn’t have considering he had a small child living with him. His place was neat and tidy except for a few toys spread around. Thankfully there was zero hint of mint and instead smelled very faintly of vanilla.

Indigo was sitting in her high chair babbling away. Most of her dinner was already on the floor and luckily it seemed like Yoongi was nowhere to be found.

“I hope pizza is okay with you.”, Jungkook said handing you a plate. “Is pizza ever not okay?”, you joked.

The two of you ate and talked a lot. You learned that Jungkook worked as a physical trainer. He showed you his tattoos and went over some of the meanings of the more important ones and embarrassingly told you about a couple of the drunken mistakes. He mentioned Indigos mother and how they met when they were in middle school. He was now a single father with Indigo’s mother leaving a few days after she was born and going no contact with them. His best friends were Jimin and Taehyung, the two who had been with him the day he moved in, and also of course Yoongi.

“Yeah what’s his deal by the way?”, you asked between bites of pizza.

Jungkook laughed like that wasn’t the first time he had been asked that about his friend.

He leaned back in his chair after wiping Indigo’s face with a napkin as she squirmed and tried to bite it. “Yoongi’s… complicated,” he said with a half-smile, the kind that was both affectionate and exasperated.

“Complicated how?”, you asked taking another bite of your pizza.

“He’s grumpy ninety percent of the time. Hates people, prefers cats, hates noise except for music, hates being asked questions.”, Jungkook smirked, “But deep down he’s a good guy. And Indigo loves him. She’ll choose him over me some days.”

“Ouch. Daddy gets ditched for the grouchy roommate?”, you laughed.

“Every time.”, he glanced at Indigo who was now enthusiastically banging a spoon on the high chair tray, “But he’s good to her. He’s good to me too. Just… don’t expect him to roll out the welcome wagon. He doesn’t do friendly.” You thought back to the way Yoongi had looked at you, like you were an interruption to his day just by existing, “Yeah, I noticed.”

As if summoned by your words the front door opened and in walked Yoongi. He wore a dark hoodie with the hood still up even though it wasn’t raining anymore and his expression said he already regretted coming home. Indigo shrieked, “OONGI!”, she squealed louder the closer he got holding her arms out. Yoongi’s whole demeanor shifted as he walked over and scooped her up her sticky spoon narrowly missing his hoodie. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. And then his eyes flicked to you. Hard again, like flipping a switch, “Oh. You’re here.”

“Don’t sound too thrilled,” you muttered mostly to your plate. He smirked the corner of his mouth lifting just barely, “Don’t worry. I’m not.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes so hard you thought he might sprain something, “Be nice you two.”

Yoongi ignored him dropping into a chair across from you with Indigo still in his arms. She immediately stuffed her half-chewed crust into his hoodie pocket like she was saving it for later. He didn’t even flinch just sighed like this was his life now.

“Fashion statement?”, you asked raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t be jealous that I’ll have a snack later and you won’t.”, his deadpan tone was so dry you almost choked on your pizza.

Jungkook tried to hide his laugh failing miserably. Indigo shrieked with glee again maybe just enjoying the energy at the table.

The rest of the evening was a strange mix of easy with Jungkook, tense with Yoongi, chaotic with Indigo. But when Indigo grabbed your hand later and babbled happily like she was telling you a secret you saw Yoongi glance at the two of you. His face stayed impassive, but his grip on his hoodie tightened ever so slightly.

It felt like the beginning of… something.

The next few weeks you couldn’t seem to escape Yoongi, no matter how hard you tried.

It started small. You would bump into him in the lobby when he was grabbing packages, Indigo perched on his hip, drooling on his hoodie. He never said much to you, just a curt nod or a muttered “move” if you were in his way, but Indigo would squeal and reach for you her little hands flapping like she expected you to be part of her entourage.

“She likes you.”, Yoongi said once. His tone made it sound like an accusation instead of a compliment.

��Maybe she just has good taste.”, you shot back earning yourself the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth. He covered it quickly with a scoff.

Then there was the laundry room incident. You had just stuffed your clothes into a dryer when Yoongi walked in, earbuds in, carrying a laundry basket that looked far too neat to belong to a man who barely tolerated human interaction. Indigo was toddling behind him, dragging a sock in each fist.

She squealed when she saw you immediately abandoning the socks to grab your leg. Yoongi sighed pulling one earbud out. “Traitor,” he muttered to Indigo before looking at you. “She’s obsessed with you. Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Too late.”, you said scooping her up. She babbled against your shoulder before pressing a sticky kiss to your cheek and you set her back down. You couldn’t help grinning.

And your cheeks reddened with embarrassment when you looked down and Indigo gleefully started twirling your black lace bra around like some kind of a toddler helicopter toy. Quickly you snatched it back shoving it deep to the bottom of your laundry basket.

Yoongi’s eyes lingered a little longer than usual. He looked away before you could decide if you had imagined it or not.

It all built slowly, like a pattern you couldn’t ignore. Indigo always ran to you. Yoongi always scowled like you were doing something to make that happen just to spite him. And yet… he never stopped it. If anything sometimes he’d hang back letting her tug you toward the playground behind the building or shove her toys into your hands like you were the only one who knew how to play right.

One evening you were sitting on a bench outside while Indigo stomped through a puddle splashing water all over herself. You glanced up to see Yoongi standing a few feet away with his arms crossed and watching.

“You could stop her you know.”, you said.

“She’s happy.”, he replied simply.

“She’s soaked.”

“So what? She’ll dry.”, he shrugged.

You laughed shaking your head, “You’re impossible.”

He looked at you then, really looked, and for a second the scowl softened. “Yeah.”, he murmured almost like it wasn’t meant for you to hear. And just like that he turned and called for Indigo to follow him inside, the moment gone as quickly as it came.

Jungkook had a way of asking favors like he already knew the answer. You had barely opened your door one Friday evening before he was grinning, Indigo on his hip, and saying, “Dinner’s on me tonight. Please don’t make me eat alone with Yoongi. He’ll just judge how much cheese I put on my pasta and I’ve already had a bad enough day.”

You laughed, “I wasn’t aware I was the buffer in this situation.”

“You’re the balance.”, Jungkook said with a laugh, “Come on. Indigo already clapped when I told her you might come and we can’t let her down.”

So you went.

Their apartment felt lived-in now, toys scattered in cozy corners, a purple blanket draped over the couch from Indigo’s last nap. Jungkook had actually cooked, lasagna bubbling in the oven, garlic bread making the whole place smell like heaven. “The green beans got a tiny bit burned, because Indigo had a meltdown and I kind of forgot about them.”, he sheepishly said putting the little girl in her high chair.

Yoongi was already at the table, scrolling through his phone with disinterest. He didn’t look up when you walked in, but you caught the slight pause in his thumb before he swiped again.

“Y/N’s here.”, Jungkook announced like an overwhelmed mother trying to coax her teenager to be friendly for once.

Yoongi grunted, “I’m aware.”

“Great. Starting strong.”, you muttered, slipping into the chair beside Jungkook.

Dinner was… surprisingly fun. Jungkook was easy to talk to and Indigo kept squealing every time you gave her attention. Even Yoongi, grumpy, overly mint-scented Yoongi, cracked once or twice, low chuckles slipping out when Jungkook burned his tongue on garlic bread…not once but twice or when Indigo demanded to feed him from her own spoon.

By the end of the night, Indigo was curled up in Yoongi’s lap fast asleep her tiny hand fisted in his hoodie strings. He didn’t move, just sat there like a statue, quietly stroking her back. You found yourself staring a little too long at the picture they made together.

Yoongi must have felt it, because his eyes flicked to yours. Whatever was there something heavy, unguarded was gone in an instant. He looked back down at Indigo, face hardening.

You excused yourself not long after with a thank you to Jungkook for dinner and a need to get to your own space.

The following Saturday you had a date. A coworker had asked you out; nice enough, cute enough, the kind of person you told yourself you should be excited about. You put effort into your outfit, a red dress you picked up a few more shifts to be able to afford and your favorite shoes.

The date itself was… fine. He talked too much about his mom, checked his phone too often, and was a little too touchy for your liking on a first date. By the time you got home all you wanted was to kick off your shoes and forget the whole evening.

You were fumbling with your keys when you noticed movement coming towards you. Yoongi walked up and began unlocking his own door, hoodie zipped up despite the warmth inside, Indigo asleep against his chest.

His eyes flicked over you, your dress, your makeup, your heels. His jaw tightened.

“Big night?”, he asked flatly.

You blinked at him, “Something like that.”

“Hope it was worth it.”, his tone was cool, edged like you’d done something wrong without realizing.

“Excuse me?”, you questioned. But he just shifted Indigo higher in his arms and muttered.”, Goodnight.”, before he disappeared into his apartment without any more of an explanation.

You stood there in your pretty dress, heels hurting your feet, feeling very unsettled. Your date had been forgettable. But Yoongi’s irritation? That stuck with your for the rest of the night.

It started with another frantic knock at your door.

“Y/N.”, Jungkook said the second you opened it, Indigo wiggling in his arms like she was mid-escape attempt. “I swear I’m not stalking you and it won’t happen again I promise, but my sitter bailed and I have a new client. Please, please, please tell me you’re free.”

You glanced down at Indigo who immediately stretched her chubby arms out to you with a dramatic squeal. “Looks like she already made the decision.”, you said, taking her.

“Indie.”, Jungkook sighed in relief, pressing his hands together like he was praying, “Please be good for Y/N. Yoongi’s shift ends in a few hours, so he’ll come grab you when he’s back.” Then he stood up and turned his attention to you, “Dinner’s on me tomorrow?”

You shook your head smiling, “Jungkook, you don’t have to bribe me.”

“Not bribing. Just trying to reward my hero.”, he grinned and jogged off before you could argue.

Babysitting Indigo always started the same way: chaos. She was small, but she was like a one-girl demolition crew, leaving snack crumbs and rubble in her wake. You were halfway through reading her the same board book for the fifth time when the knock came.

You opened the door to find Yoongi standing there as unreadable as ever. He smelled faintly of mint again but at least this time it wasn’t unbearable, his hair mussed like he had run his hands through it on the way over.

“She asleep?”, he asked, glancing past you.

“Barely.”, you said stepping aside so he could enter your apartment. She stirred, spotted Yoongi, and immediately reached for him.

“Traitor.”, you muttered as he walked over to pick her up.

Yoongi smirked, “Don’t take it personally. She just knows quality when she sees it.”

“Funny, she’s usually like that with me.”, you shot back.

That earned you a laugh. You weren’t expecting it and it made your heart skip. It startled you enough that you stared a beat too long. Yoongi seemed to notice because his smile faded his guard snapping back into place like shutters closing.

“Thanks.”, he said briskly, “For watching her. I couldn’t afford to leave work early again.”

“You’re welcome.”, you crossed your arms, “You could try being less… hostile about it, you know.”

His brows pulled together, “Hostile?”

“You act like I’m stealing your wallet every time I breathe near you. Sometimes I feel guilty for heir being in the same room as you.”, you huffed.

He exhaled sharply shifting Indigo to his other hip, “You don’t get it.”

“Then explain it.”, you challenged before you could stop yourself.

For a moment, you thought he might. His mouth opened, his gaze locked on yours, but then he shook his head.”, Goodnight Y/N.”, and walked away.

The tension in the air stuck long after his door clicked shut. You didn’t know what to do with your peculiar neighbor or why it was even bothering you to begin with.

A few nights later Jungkook invited you over again for a few beers. He said it was payment for watching his daughter, but something told you there was more to it. Indigo was already asleep, sprawled on the couch with a blanket tucked around her. Thankfully Yoongi was nowhere in sight which left the two of you sitting at the kitchen table.

“You know.”, Jungkook said after a while watching you pick at the label on your bottle, “I think you’re good for him.”

You blinked, “Who?”

He gave you that annoyed dad look, “Don’t play dumb. Yoongi.”

You almost choked, “Me? He can’t stand me.”

“That’s what he wants you to think.”, Jungkook leaned forward, lowering his voice like Yoongi might appear out of thin air if he heard him talking about him, “He’s been through… a lot. Stuff he doesn’t talk about. He built these walls so high I started to think no one was ever gonna get through. But then you showed up.”

You snorted though your chest tightened, “All I’ve done is babysit your daughter and annoy him without even trying.”

“Exactly.”, Jungkook said with a grin like it made perfect sense to everyone but you, “And for the first time in years he’s not shutting everyone out. He laughs around you. He acknowledges your presence. He argues with you. It might not seem like it, but trust me…that’s progress.”

You sat back taking another sip of your beer unsure what to do with that. The thought of Yoongi, prickly, scowling Yoongi, choosing to let you in even a fraction sent something warm and confusing rushing through you.

Jungkook clinked his bottle against yours, like he’d just solved a puzzle, “Just… don’t give up on him, yeah? We’ll get him there.”

You didn’t answer, but the next time you caught Yoongi watching you a little too long, you weren’t so quick to look away.

It happened on a Sunday afternoon. You’d taken Indigo out to the little park across the street, just a quick trip nothing wild. She was toddling around in her sparkly pink sneakers, clutching a stuffed bunny by the ear, when she suddenly tripped on uneven pavement.

It wasn’t a big fall. A tiny stumble, a scraped knee. She wailed like the world had ended tears spilling instantly. You scooped her up, soothing her as best you could, whispering it was okay, that she was brave.

That’s when you heard him.

“Indigo!”

Yoongi was running toward you. Running. You didn’t even know he was outside, but suddenly he was there, snatching her out of your arms, checking every inch of her like she’d been hit by a car instead of tripping on her own two feet.

“She’s fine,” you said gently watching the panic written all over his face.

“She’s bleeding.”, he muttered, voice sharp, though his hands were careful as he dabbed at her scraped knee with the edge of his sleeve. His eyes were wide, haunted, like he’d just lived through a nightmare. Like this was bringing back memories he had tried to forget.

“It’s a scrape Yoongi. She’ll survive. Little kids trip and fall all the time.”, you said trying to reassure him.

His jaw clenched. For a moment it looked like he might snap at you, but instead he let out a long shaky breath. Indigo had already quieted, distracted by your necklace as she tugged it with sticky fingers.

Yoongi pressed his forehead against hers, eyes closed, “Don’t do that to me again.”, he whispered almost broken., “Don’t scare me like that.”

You didn’t mean to hear it. You weren’t even sure it was meant for you. But the rawness in his voice made your throat tight.

When he finally looked at you, his walls weren’t quite rebuilt yet. You saw it, the fear, the fierce love, the exhaustion of someone who had carried too much alone for too long. You wondered exactly what he had been through in the past but you knew better than to ask.

“She’s tougher than she looks.”, you said softly instead.

His mouth twitched, but not in a smirk this time. More like he was holding back everything else he wanted to say. He nodded once, then straightened, clutching Indigo close. “Thanks,” he muttered, but it carried more weight than any of his clipped thank-yous before. You walked back with him in silence, your shoulder brushing his once. He didn’t pull away.

This was the last time you would ever agree to a blind date. This one was doomed from the appetizer.

He had talked with his mouth full, bragged about his crypto “empire,” and made a comment about how “girls who babysit must be really good at following orders.” You stayed polite, excused yourself early, and thought you were done with him.

You weren’t.

By the time you got back to your building you realized he had followed you from the restaurant words slurring with too much wine.

“Come on, don’t be like that.”, he said, trailing after you up the front steps, “You dressed up for me. Don’t waste it.”

“I said goodnight.”, you tried to keep your voice steady even with your heart thudding faster with each step toward the door.

He reached for your wrist, “I’m just saying…”

“Let go,” you snapped, but your voice shook enough to betray you.

And then, “She told you to back off.” Yoongi’s voice. Low, dangerous. Comforting in that moment. You whipped your head around to see him leaning against the doorframe of the building, hoodie up, eyes sharp.

The guy froze, “Who the hell are you?”

“The person who’s going to make sure you regret touching her if you don’t leave right now.”, Yoongi said calmly stepping forward. For once that familiar mint scent was a blessing to have around.

There was no yelling, no scene, just an edge of quiet fury that had the guy stumbling back down the steps in a hurry. Within seconds he was gone.

You let out a shaky breath then realizing your hands were trembling. Yoongi’s eyes flicked down and caught the tremor.

“Come inside.”, he said abruptly. It wasn’t an offer, but a command.

You followed him into his apartment. He handed you a glass of water watching closely as you sipped. “You okay?”, he asked.

“I’m fine.”, you lied setting the glass down.

His gaze sharpened, Don’t do that Y/N.”

“Do what?”, you questioned.

“Act like you’re fine when you’re shaking like that.”, his tone was rough, but not unkind. Just honest.

Silence stretched, the kind that felt like it could tip into something else if you breathed wrong. Finally, Yoongi exhaled running a hand through his hair.

“And maybe stop going out with all these losers. I won’t always be around to save you.”, he mumbled like he regretted saying it.

“Yoongi…”, you started but before you could say more, a soft whimper came from the bedroom. Indigo.

Yoongi tore his gaze away, pushing up from the couch, “I should check on her.”

And just like that the moment ended leaving you alone in his living room with your pulse still racing not just from fear anymore, but from him.

The next afternoon, you found yourself knocking on Jungkook’s door. When he answered, hair messy and finger paint covering his cheek and forehead he looked surprised and smug, “Well, well, well If it isn’t our favorite neighbor. To what do we owe the honor?”, he smiled. Indigo was smiling up at you while holding onto his pant leg. Somehow she was covered in less paint than her father.

You rolled your eyes, but your voice was softer than usual, “I… wanted to ask you something. About Yoongi.”

That wiped the smirk right off his face. He stepped aside to let you into the apartment and invited you to have a seat at the kitchen table where Indigo got right back to finger painting.

You hesitated, wringing your hands together, “I just… I don’t get him. Sometimes it feels like he hates me, and other times…”, your words caught. Other times he’s the one walking you home, scaring off creeps, whispering things that keep you awake all night was what you wanted to say. “Other times, it feels like he doesn’t.”, you simply added instead.

Jungkook sighed, “Y/N, you’re not imagining things. He doesn’t hate you. He just…”,

Jungkook ran a hand through his hair searching for the right words, “He’s carrying around a lot. Stuff that messed him up. Family, old relationships, even work…none of it left him untouched.”

You leaned forward, “It must have been bad.” Jungkook’s jaw tightened, “Bad enough he stopped letting people close. Easier to keep the walls up than risk another hit.”

The image stung. You had seen flashes of the man underneath, the tenderness when he held Indigo, the raw honesty in his almost-confession, the way he cared for Jungkook, but to imagine him choosing isolation felt…crushing.

Jungkook continued, “Yoongi’s been through hell. His family… wasn’t the kind that patched up scraped knees or gave out hugs and said they loved him. They were strict, cold, and when he didn’t measure up to their perfect mold, they cut him down instead of lifting him up. He left home young and pretty much had to rebuild himself from scratch and then he let someone in. A girl, a long time ago. He thought she was it, the one person who saw him and would finally love him as he was. But she didn’t. Not really. She wanted the version of him she could control and change into someone else. And when he couldn’t be that? She left. Tore him down even more on her way out.”

Your hands curled in your lap chest aching, “So now he doesn’t trust anyone.”, you nodded.

“Pretty much. He’s convinced people only stick around until they figure out he’s not what they want.”, Jungkook gave you a steady look, “But with you… I don’t think he knows what to do. You get under his skin and he hates it and craves it at the same time.”

You were quiet, feeling the weight of those words sink into your bones. The puzzle pieces of Yoongi you’d been trying to make sense of, the sharp edges, the sudden tenderness, the way he always seemed to want to step closer and then retreat, they all slotted together with painful clarity.

Jungkook’s voice softened, “Don’t get me wrong, he’s not some broken man waiting to be fixed. He’s… surviving. He’s strong, but he’s lonely. And he’s stubborn enough that it’ll take someone just as stubborn to get through to him and show him that he deserves to be happy….on his own terms.”

The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile “Honestly Y/N…I think that someone’s you.”

Jungkook leaned back, finally settling Indigo against his chest as if the rhythm of his heartbeat might soothe her. “There’s something else.”, he added quietly, “Yoongi pretends like he doesn’t care, but he always does. He notices everything. He just… doesn’t want anyone to notice that he notices. So maybe let him do his thing for a while or you might scare him off.”

Your brows pulled together, “What do you mean?”

“Like…”, Jungkook shrugged, “The other night when you came home way later than usual? He paced our kitchen until he heard your door lock. Blamed it on the fish we had earlier being sketchy and making him sick, but I saw the way his shoulders relaxed when he finally heard you come home. Or how he fixes that rickety railing on the stairs whenever it loosens because he saw you stumble once. He’ll never admit it’s for you, but it is. That’s how he is. He protects from a distance. It’s easier than letting someone close enough to hurt him again.”

You sat there stunned. You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, “He really does all of that?”

“Every damn time.”, Jungkook said with a soft smile, “Yoongi’s got this whole act of being cold, but it’s just armor. Doesn’t mean what’s underneath isn’t burning.”

Your chest felt too tight too full. And for the first time, you weren’t so confused by Yoongi, you were starting to understand him.

A few nights later Indigo was safely with her grandparents and Jungkook had promised it would be “a small get-together” at his apartment. You weren’t sure what that meant exactly, but you figured a little socializing wouldn’t hurt.

Jungkook’s friends were scattered throughout the apartment when you arrived. Jimin and Taehyung greeted you first with wide smiles making you feel instantly at ease. The apartment buzzed with laughter, music, and the faint smell of cheap liquor.

“You made it!”, Jimin said handing you a drink, “Finally some company other than Jungkook and Yoongi.“

Your eyes flicked toward the kitchen doorway, and there he was, Yoongi. Hoodie on, hands tucked into his pockets, leaning against the wall. Mint faintly in the air cutting through the alcohol and bodies. His gaze landed on you briefly before he went back to surveying the room like he was in charge of party security or something.

You tried to ignore him, but it wasn’t hard to feel his attention on you through the night.

And then Namjoon arrived. Tall, confident, with a dimpled smile that commanded the room. He made a beeline in your direction plopping onto the couch next to you.

“So Y/N.”, he said smoothly tilting his head, “I’ve heard about you. Babysitter extraordinaire. Jungkook tells a lot of stories about you.”

You laughed nervously, “He exaggerates.”

“Does he?”, Namjoon said leaning closer, “Because it sounds like you’ve got everyone in this house completely smitten. I have to say, it’s impressive someone who can survive that little whirlwind and still smile so prettily.”

You blinked, “I uh. Thanks?” It didn’t go unnoticed by you how he had claimed everyone in the house was smitten.

You didn’t have to look to know that Yoongi had moved closer, a subtle shift in his posture that made your stomach knot. His eyes narrowed slightly every time Namjoon leaned in, every laugh that touched your lips.

The night continued, drinks flowing, music rising. Namjoon was relentless…playful, flirty, leaning in a little too close, brushing his hand lightly against yours.

Yoongi’s jaw tightened. He didn’t storm in, didn’t shout. He just stayed nearby, silent, watching. Making small talk every once in a while but always brushing off any women that tried to get his attention.

Finally when Namjoon reached over to move a stray strand of hair behind your ear, Yoongi’s hand shot out. Just a light touch, enough to intercept…enough to claim. “Y/N isn’t fond of being touched without her permission,” he said flatly, voice low, somewhat possessive. Namjoon blinked, surprised, and he stepped back. Yoongi didn’t move, didn’t smile, just kept his gaze on you like a storm about to break.

Your chest pounded. You realized he cares. He cares more than anyone else in this room, more than he’ll admit. And maybe that was why your heart was suddenly doing things you didn’t know it could.

The music and chatter behind you faded as Yoongi slipped out onto the balcony, shoulders rigid, hoodie pulled tight around him like a comfort blanket. You didn’t think, you just followed.

“Yoongi,” you called softly stepping up beside him. The night air was cool, brushing against your cheeks a welcome contrast to what you felt inside. He didn’t answer. He just stared out at the city lights, jaw tight, hands gripping the railing.

You took a deep breath, “Talk to me Yoongi.”

He scoffed quietly, “What is there to talk about?”

“Don’t do that. Don’t pretend like I’m imagining something. I saw the way you were looking at me inside.”, you whispered.

His head snapped toward you, eyes flashing with irritation and something else, something raw and unguarded, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You saw nothing.”

“Yes, I did.”, you pressed stepping closer, “And I’m not going to ignore it any more. You…you care. I can see it, Yoongi. So stop pretending you don’t.”

For a moment, his expression softened, then hardened again, “I don’t—”

“Stop!”, you said voice a little louder and than planned, “Just… admit it. Admit that you care, even a little. You don’t have to explain why or how, just say it!”

His hands tightened on the railing, knuckles white. He exhaled sharply, running one hand down his face. “You have no idea… what I’ve been through.”, he muttered his voice almost breaking, “I’ve had people leave, people betray me… I can’t let anyone in, and I especially can’t…”, he cut himself off, jaw trembling.

Your chest ached. You reached out lightly touching his arm. You noticed he didn’t pull away, “I don’t care about your walls, Yoongi. Your past doesn’t scare me. I don’t want you perfect. I just…want you to let me in.”

The words hit him like a truck. For a long moment he stared at you and you thought he might step back vanish behind his mask again. But instead his shoulders slumped and he finally let out a shaky laugh, half humor, half despair.

“You’re insane,” he whispered voice cracking, “You know that, right?”

“Maybe…,” you said with a laugh even though your heart was pounding, “But maybe that’s what you need.”

For the first time the armor slipped completely. He looked at you, really looked at you, like he was seeing someone, not just a threat or a complication. The vulnerability in his eyes made your stomach flip.

Yoongi’s hands fell to his sides tense but trembling slightly and he muttered almost to himself, “God…I’m such a mess.”

“You’re human.”, you said softly.

And for the first time he didn’t argue. Shortly after that you left him at the party hoping that you had made some kind of an impression on him.

You were starting to think that you were getting nowhere with him but then almost two weeks later you woke to find a small, elegant bouquet sitting outside your door, white lilies, pale pink roses, and a few sprigs of delicate baby’s breath in a red glass vase. A tiny note tucked in the ribbon read: “For the girl who brightens even the darkest of days. -Yoongi.”

Yoongi didn’t seem like the flowers kind of guy, but it was sweet and you appreciated the effort. You knew it would be a struggle to get him to admit to it though.

And sure enough, later that morning, when you ran into him in the hallway, he looked slightly off, flustered, uncomfortable in a way he usually wasn’t.

“Uh… the flowers,” you started, trying to sound casual, “Were they…?”

He held up his hands defensively, “Not me. Definitely not. I don’t…uh…I don’t do flowers.”

You raised an eyebrow, smirking, “Right. Of course.”

He scowled and there was a hint of annoyance in his voice, “Seriously. Not me.”

You nodded and walked away deciding to let it go… for now.

That evening Jungkook knocked on your door a bright grin plastered across his face, “Dinner tonight! That French place downtown, my treat. You in?”

You hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding, “Sure, sounds fun.”

When you arrived at the restaurant you were surprised to see only Yoongi sitting at the table that was reserved under Jungkook’s name. You stopped a little taken back by just how handsome he looked. It was rare to see him in anything other than his hoodie and jeans or sweat. But the fitted black button down dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up looked very nice on him and also gave an incredible view of his hands and forearms and you wondered why he kept them hidden all this time. His hair was lightly styled and he was wearing a small chain necklace and hoop earrings. He looked very put together like he was expecting someone. “Yoongi?”, you asked stepping closer, “Where’s Jungkook?”

He sighed in annoyance, “I’m gonna kill him.” Then he got up and you expected him to storm out of the restaurant but instead he walked to the other side of the table and began sliding the chair across from him out for you like it was second nature, “Apparently he told me and you the exact same thing. Fancy dinner, my treat. But he had no intention of showing up himself. Guess we were both lied to.”

You blinked then burst out laughing, “Jungkook! He set this up?”

Yoongi’s lips twitched into a small smile, “Yeah I guess. I should’ve been more suspicious when I found the receipt for those flowers in his jeans while doing the laundry. I didn’t put two and two together.”

You laughed harder at the thought of Jungkook sitting at his kitchen table right now chuckling and being quite pleased with himself.

The two of you shared a quiet moment, laughter fading into a smile. The tension from before, the almost-confessions, the jealousy, the games, had softened. And for the first time, it felt like maybe you and Yoongi were on the same side, even if Jungkook’s meddling had been the push you didn’t know you needed.

You slid into the chair across from him still laughing from the Jungkook revelation. Yoongi’s sharp features softened under the warm candlelight, and for the first time, you noticed a scent other than mint, a subtle, woody note, almost like cinnamon and faint vanilla. It wasn’t overpowering, just… different. Familiar in a calming way.

“I’m kind of glad I didn’t back out like I was going to tonight.”, he said taking a sip of his wine, “This is actually kind of nice. I uh I don’t get out much.”

You felt your own nerves fluttering, “I’m enjoying it too.”, you admitted softly.

He gave a small almost embarrassed laugh, “Don’t think that makes me soft. I’m still… me.”

“Don’t worry,.”, you teased lightly, “I like you just the way you are.”

He drew in a sharp breath, “Don’t… don’t expect it to be easy.”, he murmured, voice low, vulnerable in a way he rarely allowed.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”, you said, smiling.

The rest of dinner passed in soft laughter and shared stories. Yoongi was quieter, but warmer subtle touches, fleeting glances, and just enough of himself slipping through the cracks to make your heart race.

By the time dessert arrived you realized something important: Yoongi’s walls weren’t gone, not yet, but they were cracking. And you were seeing, hearing, and feeling the man behind the armor for the very first time.

Yoongi walked home beside you in silence, the city lights flickering across his features. He kept his distance except for a few times when you passed others and he would instinctually put himself between you and the others in a protective manner. Simple yet something not everyone would have the motivation to do. Your heart kept jumping with every step.

When you reached your floor he slowed hands tucked into his pockets. You held your breath. His gaze flicked to your lips, lingered just a little too long. Your pulse thundered.

Then he straightened, gave a faint, awkward nod, and turned toward his apartment.

“Yoongi…” you whispered stepping closer.

He didn’t answer, just opened his door, stepped inside, and closed it quietly behind him. You exhaled, part relief, part frustration, and went into your own apartment, heart still racing.

A few minutes later there was a sharp knock at your door. Your stomach jumped.

You opened it to find him standing there, eyes wide, a slight flush on his cheeks. “I uh…”, he started but before you could react, he leaned forward and kissed you quickly. Just a brief press of lips, but enough to send sparks through your chest.

He pulled back almost immediately, eyes flicking away from yours. His hands dropped to his sides, posture stiff, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

“I… I should go,” he muttered voice uncertain.

“Yoongi…”, you started, but he was already stepping back, disappearing into his own apartment.

You closed the door slowly, lips still tingly. The armor had slipped even if only for a few seconds and you could feel the pull between you stronger than ever.

The sunlight filtered through your curtains, warm and cheerful, completely at odds with the fluttering nerves in your chest. You were still replaying last night, the romantic dinner, the spoken words, the quick kiss, the way his lips had tasted faintly of that awful mint but you didn’t mind, and the way he’d fled before you could say anything.

A sharp knock at the door made you jump.

“Y/N! Open up!”, Jungkook’s voice rang out too cheerful for this early hour. Groaning you shuffled to the door and cracked it open. He was standing there, hair messy, wearing a wide grin, “Morning! Or should I say… congratulations?”

Your eyebrows shot up, “Congratulations? On what?”

He leaned in and smirked, “Don’t act like you don’t know. Yoongi came over last night, didn’t he? He came home all out of breath and red in the face. I know that look.”

Your stomach lurched and your cheeks warmed, “I… it was… a kiss. That’s it.”

Jungkook’s grin widened even more, “Exactly! And that’s why I’m saying congratulations. My plan worked perfectly.”

You groaned pinching the bridge of your nose, “Jungkook…You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous? Maybe. But effective.”, he said smugly, “I just like to help people see the obvious sometimes. You two are ridiculously obvious together, and I’m honestly amazed it took this long.”

He stepped back giving you one last cheeky grin before heading down the hall leaving you standing there, heart still fluttering and a renewed awareness of just how complicated, frustrating, and irresistible Yoongi was.

Unfortunately after that brief kiss, Yoongi pulled away just as quickly as he had come. For the next couple of weeks, he was… distant. Polite but the quiet, magnetic pull that had been between you seemed to vanish almost entirely.

You caught glimpses of him in the hallway, fleeting glances that left your stomach twisting, but whenever you tried to push for more, he would retreat, hoodie up, eyes avoiding yours, leaving you feeling like you had been set back to square one.

You tried to keep busy, work, friends, the occasional babysitting stint for Indigo, but the tension hung over every encounter. You couldn’t help noticing every small thing he did, every half-smile or accidental brush of his body against yours.

And then, one rainy Friday night, a sharp knock at your door jolted you from your thoughts.

You opened it to find him standing there, soaked from the rain, hair plastered to his forehead, eyes glassy and red-rimmed. He swayed slightly, the faint smell of the cheap whiskey he liked filling the air between you almost more nauseating than the mint.

“Yoongi?”, you asked heart thudding, “Are you okay?”

He blinked at you, mouth opening and closing like he couldn’t form words. Finally, he stumbled inside, voice slurred but almost desperate, “I… I can’t… I can’t hide it anymore. I… I like you Y/N…no, I need you, and I’ve been stupid, and I’ve… been an idiot, okay?”

Your stomach flipped but not in a good way, “Yoongi—”

“No, you don’t get it.”, he interrupted voice breaking, “I’ve tried to be cool. I’ve tried to act like I don’t care, like it’s nothing. But I can’t. I can’t sleep, I can’t think, I can’t stop myself from… from noticing every little thing you do. Ever since that first day I met you. No one has ever had this effect on me and Y/N… it scares me. It fucking…terrifies me.”

You stepped closer, heart racing, hands trembling as you reached for him, “Yoongi…”

For a moment you didn’t move. The room was silent except for the rain tapping against the windows and Yoongi’s uneven breathing.

Then you reached out gently touching his hand, “Yoongi… I like you too.”

His eyes widened, and for a split second, the confident, guarded man you had known all along vanished, leaving only raw, honest emotion. He let out a shaky laugh, half relief, half disbelief, before leaning forward and pressing his lips to yours in a long, messy, fervent kiss.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, both of you breathing heavily. “I’m… sorry.”, he whispered, “I’m not… I’m not smooth. I’m not good at this. I don’t know how to move this forward in a way that won’t end up fucking us both over.”

“You’re fine,” you said softly heart still racing, “You’re perfect like this.”

And for the first time in weeks, maybe months, Yoongi relaxed fully into your touch instead of bracing for the pain.

Morning light spilled through your curtains, gentle and warm, but your apartment felt anything but calm. Yoongi was on the couch, hungover with his hoodie pulled tight over his head, hands tucked deep in the pockets as if he could shrink himself away from the world. The memory of last night his confession, the messy, desperate kiss hung heavy in the air.

You sat down on the arm of the couch beside him, careful not to startle him. “Morning.”, you said softly handing him a mug of black coffee.

He didn’t look up. A small groan escaped him. “Morning,” he muttered, voice rough, barely audible as he sipped on the drink.

You leaned a little closer, letting your hand brush his, careful, tentative, “Hey… about last night…”

“I said too much.”, he interrupted, “I’m embarrassing myself. I…”

“Shh,” you said quickly, putting a finger gently over his lips. “Don’t shut down. Not now. Not after everything that was said.”

You gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, “You’re not going to ruin anything. You’re not going to scare me away. You’re allowed to be messy and awkward and… you. That’s exactly what I like.

He swallowed hard, the tension in his shoulders loosening just slightly, “Y/N, you… you really mean that?”

“I do.”, you said smiling softly, “I mean it more than you know.”

For a long moment he just stared at you, as if trying to memorize every detail, every nuance. Then the hoodie slid back off his head, revealing the messy hair, the flushed cheeks, the vulnerability he usually kept buried. “I uh… I don’t know what to do,” he admitted voice low.

You leaned a little closer letting your forehead rest against his, “Just stay here. Just… be with me for a little while. No pretending, no walls. That’s enough. You don’t have to do anything to be here with me.”

He exhaled, a shaky, relieved sound, and let himself lean into you. He just allowed himself to be present, letting you gently hold the fragile, guarded piece of him that had finally trusted you enough to show itself.

And for the first time in a long time he realized that maybe letting someone in wasn’t so terrifying after all.

You were trudging up your hallway after a long day of work, feeling the kind of exhaustion that makes even your coffee taste bitter, when you noticed something on your doormat: a small, perfectly wrapped package.

Curious you bent down and unwrapped it. Inside was a tiny potted succulent in a little ceramic pot shaped like a black cat…Yoongi’s favorite animal. Tucked beside it was a note in his distinct handwriting:

“I saw this and thought of you. Don’t make a thing of it.”

Your chest warmed. It was a step in the right direction.

Just as you were picking it up to carry it inside you saw Yoongi standing there, hoodie up, hands shoved in the pockets he never seemed to know what to do with, and a faint pink tinge in his cheeks.

“I… uh… saw you looked tired the other day,” he muttered, “So I… thought you might like this. Don’t…don’t say anything.”

You blinked at him suppressing a laugh. “Yoongi… it’s perfect. But I thought you didn’t do flowers.”

His hands fumbled in his pockets, eyes darting around like he expected the floor to swallow him. “Yeah… well… they’re not flowers. It’s a succulent.”, he said matter of factly.

You couldn’t help it, you laughed, “You’re adorable when you’re nervous.”

Yoongi scowled lightly but couldn’t hide the tiny proud smile tugging at his lips, “I’m not… adorable. I’m… competent and considerate.”

“Sure.”, you teased setting the pot on your counter, “Very competent.”

The sun was warm on your face as you pushed the stroller down the sidewalk, Indigo babbling happily in her seat. Yoongi walked beside you, holding her tiny hand as she wriggled excitedly, eyes sparkling at every sight along the way. Today was simple: ice cream at the little shop a few blocks over and maybe some park time afterward.

As you walked into the shop, the scent of waffle cones and chocolate swirled around you. Indigo squealed in delight.

“Two scoops of cookie dough ,” you told the server before making a disgusted face when Yoongi ordered mint chocolate chip. “What?”, he shrugged, “This way I know I won’t have to share.” Some things never change you thought as you rolled your eyes at him.

After paying he took a seat by the window and Indigo giggled trying to climb out of her stroller to reach him. Yoongi caught her expertly lifting her gently and setting her back down in the chair next to him. “Easy, squishy,” he murmured ruffling her hair.

As you were grabbing the ice cream, a middle-aged woman at the counter glanced at the three of you her eyes soft. “You three make such a cute little family.”, she said with a warm smile.

Yoongi froze, eyes widening, a faint pink quickly creeping up his neck. “I… uh… we’re not…”, he stumbled over his words clearly flustered.

You laughed softly brushing a strand of hair from his face. ��Hey, it’s a compliment.”, you said gently, “Don’t look like you want the floor to swallow you.”

He glanced down at Indigo, who was now licking her ice cream cone with utter concentration, then back at you. His lips twitched, half-smile, half-nervous, “I… maybe… someday… that wouldn’t be so bad…I guess.”

You felt your chest tighten at the vulnerability in his voice. “Someday?”, you asked softly surprised he would even consider something like that.

He nodded still a little embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah… someday. Not today. But someday… it would be… nice.”

Indigo squealed dropping a tiny glob of ice cream onto the floor breaking the tension instantly. Yoongi laughed soft, genuine, completely unguarded and scooped her up holding her close.

You watched him, heart full, realizing that the walls he’d built around himself weren’t gone, but you were slowly chipping them away and maybe, just maybe, he was letting himself imagine a future he’d long thought impossible.

You stepped into the apartment just as Jungkook was buckling Indigo into her little car seat. Yoongi was sat on the edge of the couch, arms crossed, trying to look nonchalant but you could see the faint twitch of his lips that showed his excitement at your entrance into the room.

“Alright, we’re off!”, Jungkook said cheerfully slinging the diaper bag onto his back. Indigo babbled happily waving goodbye.

You smiled at the little scene then Jungkook turned toward you and Yoongi with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Don’t do anything too… romantic while we’re gone,” he teased wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Yoongi’s face went crimson and he muttered something about a needing new roommate under his breath glancing at you like he expected you to scold him.

You laughed, “Relax, Jungkook. We’ll be perfectly innocent.”

“Sure you will,” he laughed, “Just remember to use protection or you’ll end up with one of these.”, he teased holding the car seat up in the air getting quite the giggle out of Indigo who enjoyed the ride. You and Yoongi both shook your heads as he walked out into the hallway finally leaning you alone.

The door closed behind them and the apartment felt suddenly quieter, warmer somehow. You sank onto the couch next to Yoongi, who still seemed stiff, though a faint smile lingered on his lips.

You nudged closer resting your head lightly against him taking in the warmth of his body as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders.

Never in a million years would you have guessed that the key to your happiness would come in the form of a golden retriever type neighbor with big doe eyes and his adorable little girl who forced herself into your life with color and joy.

But you were thankful that the two of them did because it brought you and Yoongi together.

And even though it went against everything you ever believed, it turns out that happiness smelled strongly of mint and was painted in shades of indigo.

Permanent Tag List: @kam9404 @itsmina29 @amarawayne @coffeedepressionsoup

[emskryptonite]

Saving Grace

a/n: i know it's been a while since i've posted anything (i'm a liar i posted something at the beginning of the week) but it's partly bc i've been (slowly) working on a LONG fic that i think you guys will love! in the mean time here's a build-a-hero celly fic for richard! as always, feel free to continue making reqs for this celly! i love seeing how creative you all get with them, and i only have about three left! - Emmy ❤️

Request:

✨Teleportation - an enemy knocks at the door

☎️Telepathy - vanilla scent

🩶 “Admit it. I’m just an embarrassment to you.”

🩵 “Things would be simpler if I could just hate you properly.”

🛏️ - Bedroom

Anti-Hero - Hurt/Comfort

Pairing(s): Dick Grayson x fem!hero!reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Content/Warnings: reader is Catwoman's former protege (she's a hero now), her hero name is Claw but it's only mentioned once, ummm pretty angsty at first?, hurt comfort, dick is kinda mean, maybe rushed, some ppl might say reader forgave him too easily i say it was a hurt/comfort req and i like happy endings, enemies to lovers, i think that's about it

Build-a-Hero Celly Prompts | Build-a-Hero Celly Masterlist | Masterlist

You hadn’t even gotten your suit off when a loud knock sounded from your door in the tower. You let out a deep sigh before gruffly walking toward it, swinging it open only to find none other than Dick Grayson fuming on the other side. He’s still dressed in his suit, too, save for the mask. He storms in without an invitation, and you shut the door to hide any bystanders from the inevitable argument.

“Are you kidding me?” he screeches. “Do you know how reckless that was?”

“Can we not do this right now?” you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. He’s not wrong. You know that; he knows that, but you’re exhausted. You can’t deal with the usual bickering between the two of you. It had been this way since he was Robin and you were Catwoman’s protégé. Eventually, you changed your ways and joined the hero crew, but a certain batboy just would not let up.

“No! We’re doing this now! You can’t just put yourself in harm’s way like that! Do you know how many other people could’ve been injured if it went wrong?” he yelled, his hands flailing around dramatically.

“Well, it didn’t go wrong, did it? You could thank me for saving your life, you know?” You cross your arms, in part to be defiant, but also as a meaningless way to protect yourself.

“Saving my life?” he scoffs.

“Yes, or are you above admitting that I can actually help people?” you snear.

“Well, once a cat burglar…”

“I knew it! You don’t trust me! You never have!”

“How am I supposed to? Did you forget that almost the entirety of my years as Robin were spent chasing you and Selina down on rooftops?” He takes a menacing step forward.

You huff, “Only because your adoptive dad had, and still has, the hots for Selina.”

“God, can you be serious for two seconds?”

“Why don’t you just admit it, Grayson? I’m just an embarrassment to you.” Your eyes narrow as his face contorts in shock.

“Is that what you think?” He looks angry again, and you’re not entirely sure what that means for you.

“It certainly seems like it. You criticize every move I make in and out of the field. It’s like you’re trying to push me to the point of quitting or something, like you want me gone.”

“I never said that!” He moves toward you again.

“You didn’t have to! I see it every day, in the way you glare at me when you think I’m not paying attention, in the way you mumble under your breath when I say something! Just say it! You don’t think I’m good enough for this team!” The two of you are toe to toe now, and you really wish the blue of his eyes wasn’t so distracting. You had never noticed how bright they were until right now.

On the other hand, Dick is breathing heavily, fighting the urge to say what he really wants. Instead, his voice lowers, and if you weren’t two inches away from him, you wouldn’t have heard him. “God, things would be so much simpler if I could just hate you properly.” It came out breathily, and his eyes narrowed harshly at you just before he stepped away to pace on the other side of your room.

“What does that even mean?” You're more than frustrated now. Why is he being so cryptic?

“Nothing,” he huffs, “Just make better decisions, alright?” He shoves past you, but you’re tired of the endless arguments. You want to put this to rest, so you reach out and snatch his wrist before he gets too close to the door.

“No, you said we’re doing this now, so tell me,” you frown deeply. “What did you mean by that?” Your voice is at a normal level right now, much calmer than earlier, although he can still hear the tinge of anger.

“What do you think I meant by it?” While your voice has lowered, he raises his once more in frustration. “Honestly, use your head.”

“So what? You’re mean to me for fun, then?” you question with enough sass to rival his butler. 

“No! I’m mean to you because I can’t have you.” He hisses the last few words at you, and you quickly find yourself frozen in shock. He can’t have you? He’s never tried! When a moment passes without you moving a muscle, he scoffs before trying to leave once more.

“What, you’re worried daddy will cut you off for dating an ex-thief?” you call after him. He stops dead in his tracks just as his hand grabs the doorknob. He whips around in a way that only a bat could, and soon enough, he’s right in front of you again.

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is it, Grayson? I can’t think of a single thing other than your moral compass that would stop you and me from being anything more than teammates.” You’re the one taking a step closer this time, quietly challenging him.

The last thing you expect him to do, though, is to grab you by the face and kiss you like his life depended on it, yet that’s exactly what he does. It’s messy and intense, but it’s everything you didn’t know you needed him to do. You’d had a crush on him when you two were younger, and you’d always thought he reciprocated. You were even a bit hopeful about it when you switched sides and joined the team, but he began to be so cold toward you that your hope swiftly dwindled. You had almost forgotten, pushed it so far down that you didn’t even realize your rivalry with him was nothing more than tension and pent-up desires. 

It feels like hours go by before either of you pulls back in need of air. You chase him as he pulls away, already wanting more, but he holds you back.

“Did you feel that, how much that was?” he breathes out. “I can’t afford that. I can’t afford to have something so tempting constantly at my fingertips.”

“So, pushing me away is the answer?” you whisper back.

“I didn’t even know that you wanted this.”

“Well, how would you with how you’ve been bullying me. Besides, I think we’ve both always known that I’ve wanted this since I was young.”

“You have?” He seems genuinely surprised, and you wonder how he ever got to be good with women.

“Yeah, doofus. You’re the reason I left Selina, Dick. You’re the reason I wanted to be a hero. I thought…I thought if we were on the same side, then we could be together.” Your eyes dart to your left, afraid of looking at him, as his own widen in guilt.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve been horrible to you because of my own fears. I just- We barely even talk now, except when we’re yelling at one another, and the thought of something happening to you terrifies me. I know it’s kind of inevitable in our line of work, but just knowing from that one kiss how strong our connection is…”

“I know, it would be a whole new world of pain if we lost each other, but is that really a good enough reason to deprive ourselves of that spark? C’mon, you said it yourself, bird boy. You could barely even describe it. We’re good for each other.” You plant your hands firmly on his shoulders, and at some point, his hands find your waist, like they were always meant to be there.

“Don’t tell me you’re willing to look past everything I’ve said to you over the last few years just because of one kiss,” he grins easily, speaking with a playful tone.

“Oh, no, you have some groveling to do, Boy Wonder. I just refuse to deprive myself of that electric feeling any longer.” Your right hand moves to cup his jaw, and you find that you enjoy being this close to him when it’s not hostile. His skin is soft, his hair is fluffy, and he smells oddly like vanilla with a bit of musk, and you never want to leave his arms.

“I can grovel,” he shrugs happily. “I’m sorry, by the way, for, well, everything. I treated you horribly. I was scared to lose you, and I was trying to protect myself. But that’s no excuse. You didn’t deserve that.”

“No, I didn’t, but I have a feeling you’ll make it up to me eventually.”

“I will.” He leans forward, planting a chaste kiss on your jaw. “For the record,” he moves to whisper in your ear, “I think you’re a wonderful hero.” 

“Are you trying to butter me up, or is this your idea of foreplay?” He leans his head back while laughter falls from his lips.

“No, angel, my idea of foreplay is arguing with you to get you all riled up.”

“I knew that turned you on, you perv.” You squint your eyes, attempting to hide your smile. It almost felt like you were kids again, on two sides of the same coin, bickering back and forth through rooftop chases while your mentors flirted.

“What are you gonna do about it, Claw?” The use of your alter ego makes you smile. Yep, just like old times.

“Guess you’ll have to find out, Nightwing.” You waste no time in pressing your lips to his once more. The two of you could deal with your problems some other time. For now, though, you’ll let yourselves fall into your biggest temptation, which might just be your saving grace.

Taglist: @heartsforjh @alexxavicry @nic0-hischier @cosmixstar @navyhua23 @honethatty12 @lettucel0ver @httpstoyosi @weak-fragile-mortal @nekotaetae @mosseetrees @nightwingsgirlfriend @wast3-gvtz @leagueofsuperfriends @shirayukiuzukaze @circe143 @lauraisbiased @starssfall @l0singctrl @heartfully10 @queen-of-gotham @xenop0p @fri3nd-buddy-pal @mangoluver @catiwinky 

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[allwaswell16]

Happy Fan Fic Writer Appreciation Day 2025!

The first lines of some amazing fics by some of my favorite 1D writers! Since I've done this post for so many years, this year I limited it to fics that were published in the last year or so. Please check out the past years' lists here where you'll find even more incredible writers! Thank you to every writer in our fandom for your gifts of fic to us all!

The moon was peeking at Louis’ wolf form as he crossed into the Styles pack’s territory.

Louis tapped his fingers against his thigh, anxious for the meeting to move along.

“God, it’s good to see you again.”

Louis sighed, his mug clinking on the counter when he set it down as he caught sight of a freshly showered Harry casually strolling back to his room naked. 

Holding therapy sessions through a thick haze of incense in the living room of the therapist’s apartment isn’t the most conventional of choices, but it was one of the reasons Louis warmed up to the concept. 

“This one, right?”

Louis woke slowly.

It had always seemed so easy and straightforward.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Harry Styles sat with his head leaning against the wall, crackling the strawberry gum he was chewing while watching the athletic fields.

When the clock strikes midnight on the eve of December 24th, Louis Tomlinson’s birthday present starts singing out the song of the summer tanager.

Louis takes note of the cars lining the drive at Pembley House — five or six shiny posh numbers — and it’s nearly enough to send him back the way he came.

“Louis William Tomlinson, will you please quit rolling up your sleeves like that!”

It happened again.

It’s Friday the 13th.

Harry steps through the back door and out into the garden.

“This is my first live, so please be kind in the comments,” Harry says, squinting one eye, the live feed wobbling on Louis’ laptop screen as Harry apparently steadies his phone.

Growing up, Louis thought love wasn’t real.

Harry is not afraid to admit that she's a rather superstitious person.

Nesting was supposed to come naturally to omegas, but for Louis it never had.

The dappled multicoloured light, shining through the ornate stained glass window above the altar floods the grey flagstone floor.

Liam glances around the stuffy conference room, as he shifts a little uncomfortably in his chair.

Zayn doesn’t even notice the lift stopping.

The semester just started and he’s already over it.

Just put a sign on the window that says - not having a breakdown, im just here for the kid!

L: i know you like the blue shirt but that doesn't scream third date does it

Louis isn't sure if he actually has the aisle seat or not when he flops down in row twenty-three of the fourth plane that he has boarded in the last thirty-six hours.

Harry woke up with a smile on his face.

Louis sighs, unsatisfied, and wipes his sticky hand on a tissue after coming all over his belly.

Male, 30, can travel within the greater Manchester area

Harry knows exactly what having Louis’ attention does to an alpha.

Louis sank his hands into soft brown curls and tugged.

On Louis’ twenty-first birthday, he gets a call from the National Secondary Gender Services.

The first time Louis realised he might actually be in love with Harry Styles, was over a half-burnt piece of toast and an unreasonably charming bedhead.

Louis Tomlinson took a deep breath of the fresh air.

In all honesty, Harry had no idea what he was getting himself into this weekend.

Sweat drips down Harry’s temples as Louis leaps in the air. 

“I really don’t want to go,” Harry complains.

The click of the lighter breaks the silence, followed by a faint hiss, an eager inhale drawing the smoke into waiting lungs, a soft exhale releasing tendrils of gray into the still air.

Harry sits in his bedroom window, binoculars pressed tight to his face as he stares across the street. 

“You know what fuck you Louis, I’ve had it. We're done!”

“We’re sorry, the Demon you’re trying to summon is currently unavailable. Your ritual is important to us. Please hold--”

Harry winds a finger into one of the curls that grazes his shoulder as he stares at the jars of colored ribbons on the table in front of him. 

Liam narrowed his eyes from across the bar table.

Harry Styles sits in a discreet corner of the restaurant in the Sunset Tower Hotel in L.A., which seems a fitting venue to get to know the brightest upcoming star in LaLa land.

All things considered, Harry felt like he sort of had his life figured out. 

Waking up with the sun in his eyes seemed to be a regular occurrence.

There’s no greater love in the world than a soulmate.

“Morning, Louis."

Authors in order of first lines:

@loretheloner @haztobegood @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed @jaerie @forwhatiam

@disgruntledkittenface @lululawrence @reminiscingintherain @jacaranda-bloom @skipperxao3

@londonfoginacup @stylinsoncity @lunarheslwt @louandhazaf @tracksuitponytail

@juniperlightningwrites @kingsofeverything @voulezloux @freyaforestafay @homosociallyyours

@wishingforloushair @letthemusicmoveyou28 @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @evilovesyou @liminalkittyfics

@absoloutenonsense @all-these-larrythings @emmli28 @elleseekeepdriv @louislittletomlintum

@shimmeringevil @harruandlou @insightfulinsomniac @felinto-girl @becomeawendybird

@thelavendrhaze @crinkle-eyed-boo @galacticlarry @persephoneflouwers @loveislarryislove

@hellolovers13 @red-panda-28 @justanothershadeofblue @imogenleewriter @silverstuff50

@parmahamlarrie @srldesigns6277 @berzerkshires @badgerinbloom

[fruitcoops]

Palette Cleanser

Outsider POV, my love, my life. A bit of Coops for ya amongst the card games, painting, and adoration of public transit. Coops belong to @lumosinlove, Martin is mine!

Sun lanced through a rare break in the window’s grime to warm Martin’s ankle. It was late sun, the kind that made him drowsy in the mid-morning and dragged on to keep his paints warm and easy to blend. The young man in the window seat appeared to agree: he had been asleep for the last two hours, half-buried in a heavy sweatshirt. His phone timer told Martin he’d be getting off in Gryffindor as well. No need to wake him until then, he supposed.

It was another twenty minutes of Solitaire before the young man stirred, blinking pale eyes open and sitting up with a bleary squint out the window. “Won’t get much from there,” Martin informed him. “That dirt’s not going anywhere.”

The young man turned to him, obviously surprised. “Oh.”

“We’re about thirty minutes past Kingston.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Rhode Island,” Martin supplied at the man’s poorly-hidden confusion.

Understanding brightened his face all at once; he laughed, partly to himself, and nodded. “Thanks. Sorry, I’m…a little out of it, still.”

“Coming from New York?”

“Ouais—yeah, visiting my brother.” The man stretched his legs out and rolled his ankles in small circles.

Martin collected his cards with a delicate tap on the folding table. “I lived there for twenty years, and always felt like I was coming out of Neverland when I left.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Did you move away, or did he?”

The man seemed taken aback by the question. Martin supposed it wasn’t the most common thing in the world to talk to strangers on a train, but playing cards alone for two hours was boring, even for an old man. “Well,” the man began. “Both, I guess? We’re from Montréal. I moved to Gryffindor about nine years ago, he went to New York for school.”

Impressive. That explained the accent. “Smart kid.”

“He really is.”

“Finance?”

“Architecture.”

Martin’s low whistle pleased his seat companion; he turned slightly away from the window, losing the stiffness in his shoulders. “Did you study?”

“No, I went into sports entertainment right out of high school.”

“Impressive.”

The young man shrugged. “I had some good connections. What about you?”

“Retired for eighteen years,” Martin said proudly, pulling out his wallet. He slid a small photo from the back and held it out. “My oldest grandchild was born three days later. Best decision I ever made.”

“Wow, congratulations.” To his credit, the young man did a good job of seeming interested in Eleanor. “Is she at school?”

“Pre-law at Georgetown.”

“That’s incredible. You must be very proud.”

“Enormously.” He put the photo away and took a sip of water, clearing the dryness in his throat before offering a hand. “Martin.”

“Sirius.”

“That’s a very interesting name.” His handshake was as solemn as his name. “Your family was big on cosmology?”

Sirius snorted a laugh. “In some ways.”

Martin nodded. “I taught physics and astronomy for two decades. You often came up on exams when students didn’t know the real answer.”

Sirius’ laugh was full this time, kept low for the sake of the other passengers but genuine enough to make Martin smile. “Glad to be of service, I suppose.”

“So, Sirius.” The cards rattled in their box when he shook it. “Do you know how to play cards?”

“Not as well as you, I’m sure.”

“Flattery will get you far, young man.”

Martin dealt two hands, and they passed the next hour in comfortable camaraderie. Sirius tried to take it easy on him with poker, which went poorly for him, and learned his lesson for rummy, which went far better. They were on their fourth hand of a game of gin when the speaker overhead gave a hiss and a pop.

“Thirty minutes to Gryffindor Station. All passengers disembarking at Gryffindor Station, please make sure you have all your belongings before leaving the train.”

“You, sir, have certainly played this game before.” Sirius had held him to a meager twenty points so far. A new personal worst for Martin, though he would never admit it aloud. He had an honest face when he wasn’t focused on the game, and eyes of a pale grey that Martin had never seen before. They would be startling against the black of his hair if they weren’t softened by the awkward way he fit himself into his seat so they could play. As it stood, he reminded Martin far more of the young herons that roosted in the bay by his house: someday regal, but for the moment, merely burdened by youth. They were well-suited to oils.

Sirius glanced up with a grin that was only half an apology. “I fly often for work. My friends and I play.”

“Did they teach you?”

“No, but I certainly got better because of them.”

“Your father?”

It was infinitesimal, the twitch on his face. If Martin wasn’t watching him so closely for a tell, he would have missed it. A stutter of eyelashes, grey turning to slate. The pull of his mouth. “Ah, non, I learned from my brother’s wife.”

“In New York?”

“Different brother, in Gryffindor.”

“I’m assuming she routed you with great frequency.”

Sirius breathed a laugh. The grey softened into mist and drifted back to his cards. “She did.”

Martin let it lie for another five cards. “I apologize for misspeaking,” he said at last, laying down a six of clubs. “I didn’t mean to offend.”

“It’s—” Sirius waved his free hand in a gesture of light dismissal. He left the six where it was. “Really, it’s not a big deal. He was a difficult man. I had a far better time learning from Lily, even if she blew me out of the water most days.”

“I learned from my aunt,” Martin said, swapping Sirius’ ten of hearts for a four of spades to complete one of his small sets. “And she learned to play in speakeasies, where bartenders had billy clubs for cheaters.”

Sirius shot him an amused look. “Should I be worried?”

Martin raised his eyebrows. “Only if you cheat.”

“I’ll do my best to stay honest.”

“I never won a game against my aunt,” Martin continued. “Nor did anyone else. She didn’t believe in letting anyone win without merit, even small children. My father—” He paused, shifted a few cards around, and took Sirius’ ace of diamonds. “—was a difficult man as well. She won nearly twenty dollars off him every weekend.”

Sirius laughed quietly. “That must have been a show.”

“My favorite part of the week. Gin.”

Sirius tsked between his teeth and tossed his cards on the table with a dramatic flourish, peering over to check Martin’s hand. He shook his head and checked the facedown card. “There’s my seven. I can’t believe I gave you that ace.”

“Never give the low ones up that easily,” Martin warned.

“I know, I know. You got seventeen off me.”

“Which takes me to…a clean and tidy thirty-seven.” He marked it down on the torn piece of a receipt they had been using as a scoreboard. Still a remarkably bad showing from himself, but the entertainment was worth it. “Very nice. What are your plans for when you get home?”

“Nothing too exciting.” Sirius gathered the cards into a stack and passed them over with a pensive look. "I have more time off, so…we’ll probably walk the dog to get my legs moving. Make dinner after that. I’m taking my godson to the zoo tomorrow, since we didn’t go last week while I was gone.”

“We?”

“Ah.” Sirius raised his left hand sheepishly. “I forget to mention it, sorry.”

“Not at all. How long?”

“Two years this summer.”

Martin nodded and gave the cards a last shuffle. “That’s excellent.”

“You?”

“Fifty-two years in April. Josie wanted a spring wedding more than anything in the world.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“It poured rain and thunder for five straight days,” Martin mused as he dealt them out. Sirius bit the inside of his cheek, but he was the type of man where a smile could never really be hidden. “She was beautiful, though, yes.”

“Ours was at the family cabin in Wisconsin. Middle of nowhere, on a lake. Those hooting birds made up half the guests.”

“Loons?”

“That’s the one.”

“Son, every wedding has loons.”

“Tell me about it,” Sirius laughed. “We had more than enough. We were friends first, too, so trying to figure out how to split the group between sides was very difficult.”

“Did you want the people or the birds?”

“The birds, by far.”

“Good call.” It was a tricky hand he had given himself. Few patterns came loose at first glance; the next two cards they traded didn’t help. “Any children in the plan?”

It was a good question to ask. Sirius brightened like someone had turned a light on inside him, even without looking up from his cards. “A godson. He’s four.”

“That’s quite the character reference.”

“I try my best to deserve it.”

Another nine came his way, and Martin took it. “I doubt you have any trouble with that, son.”

Mischief glittered across his face. “I’m on probation from giving gifts at the moment, actually. Hence the zoo. Something about a toy motorcycle and the cat.”

“Oh, dear,” Martin said mildly.

“The cat can take it, trust me.”

“And how big was the motorcycle…?”

Sirius glanced up, clearly pleased with himself. “Oh, he can ride it, yeah. It’s one of those tricycle ones.”

“Ah, perfect.”

“He’s four. The cat should have been quicker. Gin.”

“Damn you and your motorcycle.”

They were still laughing by the time the train made it through the underpass. “Next stop: Gryffindor Station,” came the fizzing voice once more.

Sirius stretched both arms over his head and peered out the window again, though the dirt had gone nowhere and still blurred the world outside to watercolor smears. The badger screen-printed on the back of his hoodie was old enough to peel at the edges, pockmarking it with vibrant red. Faded letters in bold white ink spelled L-U-P-I-N across his shoulders like a varsity jacket. They were hidden in part by the hood, but Martin’s eyes weren’t yet so weak he would second-guess it. Martin flexed his creaky ankles under the seat in front of him and resettled himself on the cushions with a sigh.

“I still prefer the train to flying,” he said. “But my joints are liking it less and less.”

“Anything over more flights,” Sirius groaned, closing his eyes. “I’ve had enough for a lifetime.”

“Where do you travel?”

“Anywhere there’s hockey,” he said with a laugh. An odd expression crossed his face, but Martin didn’t care to look into it. “Thank you for the card games, by the way. It was kind of you.”

Martin shook his head. “Not at all, not at all. It takes a special kind of person to play gin with a strange old man.”

“Not so strange.” Sirius met his bashful tch with a smile and passed the card box back to him. Around them, people were beginning to pack their things and get their bags down from the racks. “Do you have anything up top?”

“No, I gave up on that a long time ago.” The train began to slow beneath them. Martin unfolded the last segment of his cane until it clicked.

Sirius frowned slightly. “Let me at least help you get your bag to the platform.”

“Save it for someone older than me, Mr. Lupin,” Martin said with a wink.

He did not anticipate the utter bafflement on Sirius’ face. Perhaps he had misread it. That boded poorly for his prescription. “How did you…?”

“I thought—well, I thought that’s what your sweater said, but it appears I missed some letters.”

“Oh!” Sirius’ laugh was loud. Barking, in a way, short and sharp and joyful. “No, I mean, you’re right. I forgot I was wearing that, sorry. I’m really batting a hundred today.”

“A thousand,” Martin corrected through a wash of relief, “and thank goodness, I thought my eyes were going for good.”

“A thousand.” Sirius rolled his eyes at himself, still laughing quietly. The train came at last to a stop, and Martin stood to make room. “Not much of a baseball guy. Here, really, let me get that.”

Martin didn’t even get the chance to make a grab for his suitcase before Sirius had closed the handle in one large hand and lifted it free of the seat as if it were full of air. He waited a polite two paces behind, hovering in the familiar manner of a certain over-concerned granddaughter Martin knew. While unnecessary, it was appreciated. He told Sirius as much when they finally made it to the platform and out of the way.

“It was the least I could do,” was the extremely predictable response. Sirius’ phone gave a gentle ping in his back pocket; a different sound than the default Martin was accustomed to, something bright that made Sirius’ eyes dart over the crowd before returning to him.

“Waiting for someone?”

Sirius held his left hand up again in answer. Martin had seen that smile on every teenage boy that had scored a date to the prom.

“Then I won’t keep you,” he said, holding his palm out once more to shake. “Sirius, it was a pleasure.”

“It was all mine, Martin.” Sincerity all the way down. If he weren’t already married, Martin would have had Eleanor’s phone number in that boy’s cell phone an hour ago. “Give your wife my regards, and happy anniversary in advance.”

“Get home safe.”

“I think that’s my line.”

“Oh, go, go on.” He made sure Sirius could hear his tutting, even as he shooed him away toward the exit. “Can’t let a man do a damn thing these days.”

Martin was slower than the crowd on average, but it wasn’t hard to spot Sirius in a sea of people. He was tall, and constantly looking ever-so-slightly over his shoulder. Such a worrywart. Josie would like him. The station opened up into a wide atrium below, warmed and brightened by the skylight above. Martin leaned his weight on the escalator’s railing and settled in for the ride. His blood was still making its way back down to his toes. There was plenty of time to watch people move through tunnels and platforms and swinging doors like a colony of bees, always moving, never without purpose. Even those standing still had their heads on swivels—for train times, perhaps, or loved ones back from whatever a person did on a weekend evening.

A few people in the crowd waved as the earliest of his companions from the train began to reach the bottom. Martin wasn’t paying much attention to each face from so high up, but that dark head of hair made a sharp shift to the left. Only five or six steps remained below him. Sirius hurried down them all, keeping a light jog across the dappled beige floor tiles while he slung his backpack over one shoulder. Someone met him at the edge of the crowd: a young man, blond, with an easy laugh that Martin could hear halfway down when Sirius pulled him into a one-armed, half-spun embrace.

It lasted for a long moment, from playful to sweet in the span of a breath when the blond man’s sneakers touched the ground again and his arms remained tight around Sirius. Their words were lost in the bustle of the station, but whatever was said made Sirius’ nose scrunch where it was buried in the other man’s shoulder, made him hold him closer. Hey, you, Martin watched him say when they separated just enough to look at each other. Sirius got a kiss for that, one palm folding across the back of his neck to pull him down. He was glad to see people still smiled into kisses these days. Those were the best kind.

He watched the blond man slip Sirius’ backpack off his shoulder, tugging on it with playful insistence until Sirius let go. I got it, he said, walking backwards with the kind of grin that matched Sirius’ exasperated hands reaching for him. Let me have this. He was handsome, too. For all of Sirius’ striking contrast, his husband (Martin sincerely hoped it was his husband) was hazel the whole way through. Sirius made a grab for the backpack and got only a hand in his instead; they side-stepped, the husband shifted his weight over, and Martin watched him slot himself under Sirius’ arm and against his side with expert precision. Even his steps were smug as they made their way to the doors.

Martin stepped off the escalator and over to the right. The phone rang twice.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey, Jos.” The doors swung shut behind Sirius and his husband. “I’m at the station.”

“Good ride in?”

“The best.”

[godmadeaterribleerror]

Chapter 3 - Headfirst

Main Masterlist - Mini-Series Masterlist

Tags: Bucky Barnes/Female Reader, avenger!Reader, soulmates, canon divergence, slow burn, light angst, eventual fluff, eventual smut

Summary/Warnings: You and Bucky have some conversations. Usual Warnings.

Author's Note: I love writing yapping. Enjoy!

Word Count: 3.2k

Chapter 2 - Chapter 4

Read on A03!

He’s everywhere. 

After your tour with Bucky of the compound, it’s as if he’s around every corner, in every room, walking down every hall. A day doesn’t pass that you don’t see him, and give him a polite smile before all but running away. 

Or try to run away. 

You’re not very fast. Most of the time you avoid people just by existing, so you’ve never had to learn how to dodge attention. Nobody wants to be around you. Whenever Steve or Tony have a mission for you, they try to relay it through Friday. Nat tries to start your training up again, every few months, but then she has to take another month off because it’s too exhausting, even for her. Once Sam ran into you in the hall, you steadied yourself on his shoulder, and he ran away looking like he was going to cry. 

The non-Avenger employees tend to simply leave the room, whenever you enter. They have nothing to prove about being strong, like Earth’s Mightiest Heroes do. There’s no requirement on their part to pretend you’re actually a welcome member of the team. 

You know for a fact that the new agents and doctors receive warnings about you. How to act if they run across you, where you tend to be, who to contact if there’s an incident. 

You know, because you helped Tony design the brochure. 

“Why does it have to be black.” You’d muttered, flipping through it, and Tony had shrugged from across the room. 

“It fits your aesthetic, Pitch. Makes the threat seem more real. That’s why everything is bolded, too.”

“And is that also why you made the picture of me black and white?” You’d given him a flat look, and he’d kept staring very intently at a pen on his table. “To make me seem like an 18th century demon?”

“That’s the only picture we have of you.” He’d muttered, and you’d sighed, closing the brochure.

“Can we put glitter on it?”

Tony had frowned at you, then remembered he shouldn’t and looked away again. “No. Glitter isn’t very mind melting threat-“

“Yeah, but it’s my demon advertisement.” You’d crossed your arms over your chest. “And I want glitter on it.”

Tony’s frown had deepened, and you’d pushed a little more. 

Because you know what you are. You know this needs to be something serious, or someone might seriously get hurt. But you also just needed something. To make you feel like you weren’t a demon. Like some tiny part of you might still be more human than pure, fucking nightmare. 

“I’ll test that pill you and Bruce have been making.”

Tony’s eyes had shot up—then down—again. “The immune builder? You know we’re pretty sure the side effects include insane emotional insanity-“

“Yeah, I know. And it can’t hurt me.” You’d given him a tight smile. “Nothing can.”

You’d gotten the glitter in the brochure. Tony got to test his pill, and—bonus for everyone—you got to go into self-isolation for three weeks. The screams and darkness that seemed to leak out of your room during the week of instability got added to the many ghost stories about who you were. The brochure proved effective, and people bothered you less and less. 

Except Bucky. 

You don’t know if he simply didn’t get the brochure, or if he didn’t read it, but he hasn’t been avoiding you at all. And you never fucking learned to run. 

So every single time you try to slip past him without being noticed, he catches you. 

Bucky calls your name and you grimace, half because you really thought you could get away this time, and half because you don’t look pretty at all. You’re wearing sweats and a hoodie, no makeup, hair barely done, lips chapped from the dry air of the basement. 

He won’t think you’re pretty. He won’t like you, or smile at you, or even entertain the idea of wanting you, when all you’ve been dreaming about for weeks is Bucky-

It doesn’t matter. You’re not going to tell him, so it really doesn’t fucking matter if he can feel the soulmate pull. You don’t really want to know if he can, because if he can’t, it’s just going to serve as further proof of what you already know.

You’re broken. 

Broken people don’t get real soulmates. 

And even if you did, of course you’d be the one person in the universe whose soulmate doesn’t feel it back. 

But Bucky’s hand lands on your shoulder—sending a soft, electric shiver through your body—and you take a deep long breath, rubbing over your soul-mark. It doesn’t matter. He’ll never know, so it doesn’t fucking matter.

You can repeat it to yourself all you fucking want. 

It doesn’t stop the rush of light through your body when you turn, and meet pretty, bottomless blue eyes. 

“Hey.” He grins at you—Tony said Bucky was the brooding member of a middle school girl’s favorite boy band, but all he really does is smile—and there it is again. Sunlight. The soft sound of ocean water, a gentle breeze making goosebumps stand on your skin, and that sweet taste. 

“Hi.” You whisper back, before clearing your throat and forcing your words to sound stronger. “I mean- Hello, Sargent. Do we- Is there a meeting-“

You’re trying to be professional, but he’s just looking at you with vague amusement, and it’s making you feel kind of dizzy.

“You alright?”

“I’m- yeah.” You swallow, and Bucky just raises his brows. 

“You sure about that? You, uh- You look kinda… Not bad, but worried.” He chuckles to himself, and you might be about to drool. He’s so pretty, it’s not fucking fair. “I don’t know what kind of stories you’ve heard about me, doll, but I’m only crazy when we’re speaking Russian.”

You let out a soft, breathy laugh before you can stop yourself. “No, I- I haven’t heard any stories. People just don’t usually talk to me unless…”

You trail off, because that’s kind of the end of the sentence. People don’t usually talk to you. Let alone seek you out. And Bucky’s just standing here, and you feel high, and you don’t know what the fuck he’s doing to you. 

He must be able to feel it. It’s itching on your tongue, to blurt out if he felt the burning sensation on his arm, even though you know it’s long gone. Maybe a phantom feeling, with a magnetic pull still sparked in his chest. 

But he can’t feel it. He just can’t. You’d know, if he did. He would have told Steve, and Steve would’ve made the misguided choice to involve Sam in the conversation, and Sam can’t keep a fucking secret for the life of him, so it would’ve gotten back to you that Bucky has a soulmate, even if no one knows it’s you. 

Oh, God. 

That’s a new, terrifying thought. Bucky knows he has a soulmate, but he thinks it’s someone else, and now you’re going to have to watch this perfect, handsome man be someone else’s when he should be yours, even though nothing should be yours, because you’ll raze and break and ruin it- 

Bucky says your name softly, and you blink at him. “Are you sure you’re good? I can help you to the doctors, if you need-“

“No, I-“ You take a deep breath, giving him a weak smile. “I’m okay. And I’m not welcome at the doctors, anyway.”

He frowns. “You’re- Why the hell aren’t you welcome at the doctors? That isn’t right, it’s the fuckin’ doctors, they’re supposed to help everyone?”

That makes you feel fuzzy. Glowy. Bucky’s standing taller, and his voice is deeper, and it’s almost like he’s worried about you, and it takes a second to remember you’re not supposed to be affected by him at all. 

“Bucky?” You ask cautiously, and he looks back down to you. His eyes are so blue. “What stories have you heard about me?”

“I dunno.” He shrugs, tongue flicking over his lips as he thinks. “Uh- People ain’t really talkin’ to me unless they gotta, and they’re definitely not telling me things.”

“Well, did you get the brochure?”

He nods. “Liked the glitter, but I threw it out. I’m not letting Stark tell me what to think of people.”

You flush slightly. He liked the glitter. 

But- 

You’re still you.

Bucky mutters your name, scanning carefully over your face. “Is there somethin’ I should have heard?”

You can’t be the one who’s supposed to tell him. That’s too much, and it will start to roll off of you, like a toxin storm could. 

“Ask Steve.” You mumble, and before he can keep talking, you turn and walk away. 

Bucky calls after you. It makes you stumble, every nerve in your body screaming to go back to him. But you just manage to fight it. You can’t let him build something with you. If he keeps seeking you out and making you feel good things, you’re going to tell him. 

And it’s all for the better. Because Bucky doesn’t stop you the next day. Or the next. You don’t really see him, for a whole week. 

Steve must have warned him away. Taken care of this problem, just like you wanted him to.

It feels like something’s been pulled out of your chest. Not your heart, but something deeper. Quieter, but more vital. It feels like you lost the ability to breathe, the longer you go without seeing him. The feeling seems to have always been ingrained into you, even though you couldn’t feel it, and you didn’t realize how hard it was without it under you held your breath. 

But it’s not breathing. So you get through it.

A week of laying in your room, doing nothing. Another mission where you beat Bruce at Uno, and file a mission report that no one is going to look at. For a brief moment you wonder if you should have mentioned that Bucky was your soulmate, just to test if anyone actually read these things. 

You’re pretty sure they don’t. Not yours, anyway. You’re whatever the opposite of decoration is. You hang on the wall, demanding attention, and everyone tries their best to pretend you’re not there. Like a severed head. 

You look around the crowded ballroom, trying to figure out who’s so afraid of severed heads. It’s hard to tell, in the ocean of rich, important fancy people. You know this is the kind of crowd that Tony loves to gather, at the exact type of party he loves to throw—where everyone can celebrate how good and helpful the Avengers are supposed to be—but you really wish he’d stop making you try to attend them. Nobody wants you here. All you ever do is drink with your back pressed to the wall, pretend not to see the nervous looks people dare to throw at you, and slip away unnoticed when it all gets to dark, and you’re really putting people in danger.

Because it’s one woman in a sleek dress, who’s terrified of decapitation. But there are about ten more who are obsessing over drowning, twenty who think everyone is going to think they’re ugly, and one older lookin man who’s deeply afraid the terrorists are going to ruin the whole night. 

That feels like a good place to call it. 

You leave—no one stops you, but you really weren’t expecting them to—and wander through the mostly empty compound halls. It’s a little aimless, but this isn’t about going anywhere. It’s about getting away from being where you are.

And you’re going to end up in the same place anyway.

But when you get to your spot on the roof, Bucky’s already there. Arms braced on the railing, giving you a small nod as you stop at his side. 

“Hey.” 

“Hi.” You mumble, picking at your nails. The feeling of pain and dread that comes with crowds is gone. It’s all sunlight once more. “Don’t like parties?”

“No. I don’t.” He gives you a tight smile. “Can’t imagine you would, either.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Bucky clears his throat, looking back over the peaceful, silent grounds of the compound. “I sorta talked to Steve. Like you told me.”

You swallow, bowing your head so your hair shield your face. You don’t want to see his horror, his discomfort, his rejection- 

“That’s kind of fucking insane, that you’re still able to walk around.”

“I-“ Your head whips in his direction, and he’s giving you a soft, tired look. “What?”

“Your thing.” He says, holding your gaze, and your heart feels like it’s floating. “I know I haven’t seen it yet, but it can’t be pretty when it comes around. Fuck, I’d start punching anyone trying to talk to me.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “I thought my shit was bad.”

You can only stare at him. He knows. Steve told him. And he sounds like he’s in awe of you, rather than disgust. He doesn’t seem to know that it’s always around, that you can’t turn it off. 

He’d avoided you, all week. 

But he’s talking to you now. 

Almost like he’s reading your mind, Bucky clears his throat. “I, uh- I’ve been tryin’ to give you space, cause of that. In case I set you off. You shouldn’t have to- See that. Feel it. Whatever.”

“I don’t.” You whisper, before you can stop yourself. “I- I don’t get that. From you. Or at least, I haven’t. Yet.”

You add that part so it doesn’t sound too obvious. That the same deep, ingrained part of you that’s starting to loosen again in Bucky’s presence makes it some sort of instinct to trust him. Be around him. 

Feel no fear, just as long as he’s next to you. 

Which is so. Fucking. Dangerous. 

“That’s good.” Bucky mutters, lips twitching slightly as he scans over you. “I mean, you never told me how much you do know about me-“

“All of it.” You give him a small smile. “I read your brochure.”

Bucky stares at you for a beat, then laughs. Loud and clear and echoing through the night, making a soft kind of light start to bloom in your chest. The sweet taste is strong. Somewhere in the distance, you can hear music. 

Not the sleek, polished music Tony likes to play at the parties. Something louder. Brassier. A little rough around the edges, like it’s not really being played by professionals, but people who just want to play. 

You smile. 

Bucky smiles back. 

And this is another moment you want to tell him. Another moment you have to strangle down. 

But you don’t want to. And that thought seems harder to force-feed yourself than last time. 

You’ll get over it. For Bucky, and the way he can smile at you now—maybe just as a friend, but that’s more than you’ve ever had before—you can very easily get over it. 

“So if you know my tragic backstory.” He says, leaning in a little closer. He really does smell like the ocean. “Do I get to know yours?”

You tilt your head. “My backstory? You mean- Why I’m like this?”

“Not how I’d say it, but yeah.”

“How would you say it?”

“Huh.” Bucky lets out a low whistle, then shrugs. “What did this to you?”

You let out a soft laugh. “In that case, me. I was born like this.”

“Shit. Must have been rough to go to school.”

“Wasn’t fun.” You shrug. “I mean, nobody wants the creepy girl in the corner telling them about how they should only be afraid of clowns that try to give them candy, because those are probably kidnappers who will do horrible things to them.”

“Jesus.” He snorts. “You did that?”

“Nobody spoke to me. I didn’t develop social skills.”

Bucky hums. “Social skills aren’t that useful anyway. Nobody ever won a war by talkin’.”

You give him an amused look. “Most wars ended with people talking.”

“Nope.” He gives you a crooked grin. “Wanna know how I know that?”

You nod, and he turns to face you a little more. “I’m the one who ended them. By killing someone.”

“You? Or the Soldier?”

You ask before you can stop yourself, and Bucky gives you an amused look. 

“You been talking to Stevie, doll?”

Doll. “No. I don’t have friends, remember?”

Bucky grunts, looking out over the grounds again. “Maybe. But the punk’s got nothing bad to say about you.”

You snort. “Thank you, Barnes, but I doubt that-“

“Bucky.” He mutters, his tone a little lower than before. “I said you could call me Bucky.”

“Oh.” You swallow, unable to look away from him. You should. Something might slip, you might lose control, and then he might start trying to kill you, thinking you’re a Hydra goon while your skin goes frostbitten.

But nothing bad does happen, as you keep looking. And he’s strong looking. Like he could wrap around you, and nothing would ever be dark again. Like maybe there could be a sorter kind of darkness, if you were just surrounded by Bucky.

You want to tell him again. It’s living in that sweet taste on your tongue. 

You swallow it back down, and clear your throat, but Bucky speaks first. 

“And I wasn’t kidding,” he says your name, and it sends a little rush up your spine. It’s like having a stupid crush, being so fucking thrilled he knows your name. “Steve likes you. He’s afraid of you, cause they all seem to think you’re some kinda demon, but he thinks you’re- Resilient. Dedicated. All his other Captain words.”

You smile, trying to move the conversation to anything but you. “He uses those in his pep talks. Bravery and commitment to doing the right thing.”

Bucky laughs softy at your Steve impression, but gives you an odd, tight look. Opening and closing his mouth, always looking like he’s about to say something, but he can’t figure out what. 

He finally seems to settle on something, licking his lips, and you brace yourself. 

“You really think you don’t have friends?”

Fuck. “I have Nat. That’s- The closest.”

Bucky nods slowly. “You in the market, then?”

“The- Market?”

“For friends.” He mutters, and that feeling in your chest kicks into a high gear. Lights up, like it’s been electrocuted. 

You know where this is going. It’s dangerous water. It’s going to make you drown. 

But you still nod, because Bucky is looking at you. And no matter how you try to paint it—patch it, maul it, cover it over and ignore it—you really don’t want him to go away. Even if you can’t tell him, you just want him around. Want the fantasy, that he could like you. 

It’s selfish. 

You have nothing in you to fight it. No will to stop it. 

“I could be. In the market.”

“Alright.” Bucky flashes you a wide, toothy grin, and this was a stupid choice. You wouldn’t go back and change it if you could. “You want to stay up here and ignore everyone all night?”

You beam at him, and it’s not forced. 

For once, smiling just feels like the right thing to do.

“Yeah.” You whisper, and the word feels sweet on your tongue. “I’d like that a lot.”

End Note: Kevin Fiege if you were brave you'd let them just fuck around.

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[lavenderchqn]

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: a single article is what it takes to throw one's life into chaos - multiple photos depicting you, an aspiring music artist, with world's renowned model scaramouche. all is fun and well… until nobody close to you actually takes news about said relationship seriously. and honestly, who could blame them?

'𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐤𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐮𝐳𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐢𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦'

𝟎𝟕. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐧 (1,8k words)

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭

You’ve spent most of the week in silence. With work piling up, you didn’t even have the chance to think about the meeting, not to mention the fight. Your friends are still kept in the dark about the fight. All they know is that a fight did happen — even if you didn’t say a thing, Ororon would eventually tell them. It’s all in good faith, though. Xilonen and Kinich would try to talk you into breaking up.

In all honesty, if you were anybody else and looking in, you’d agree with them. Nobody should be with someone who resorts to name-calling in a rage fit. Alas, you’re yourself… and don’t make the good decisions.

The weekend comes faster than you’ve imagined. If you had the chance, you’d probably get to researching Kuni’s friends before the meeting. Instead, you’re met with a messy room and nothing to wear. If only you had the foresight to prepare yourself an outfit the day before.

“You okay in there?” Xilonen asks, standing outside your room. Together with Kinich, the two have planned on hanging out today, bothering Ajaw and maybe having a good drink. “Not really…” You mutter, looking at the catastrophe your floor is. That's if there's a floor underneath. 

“It’s just an outing at a café, why are you so pressed about your outfit?” Kinich throws from the couch. “Yeah, girl, they won’t judge,” Xilonen adds. “They’re models.” You scoff. “Of course, they’ll judge.” 

You all collectively sigh. It’d be easier to reschedule (and maybe get a new and acceptable wardrobe). Unfortunately, it’s too late for that. The clock keeps on ticking, and Kunikuzushi will be here to pick you up very soon.

“We’re taking over.” Kinich opens the door with a thud, letting himself and Xilonen in. 

The two of them find you an outfit in no time. Working as a group of three, you even locate some matching accessories. While you’re not looking like a model straight from the runway, your outfit is presentable and, what matters most, comfortable. Business casual for the win… as always.

You’re in the process of double-checking the contents of your bag when the ferocious chihuahua growls quietly. Ajaw being angry at a reasonable volume is a first, but it lets everyone know somebody is nearby. Unless he’s angry at the mailman again, that must be your boyfriend. Even the murderous dog is getting bad vibes. If that’s not a red flag…

Kunikuzushi knocks exactly three times. The sounds are short, but firm. Like he’s announcing to the entire apartment complex he has arrived.

You gulp before opening the door. Anxiety is creeping down your back. Xilonen and Kinich are staring right in the direction of the entrance. They’re like hawks waiting for their prey.

“Hi!” You smile as you open. It doesn’t reach your eyes, but Kuni doesn’t seem to notice. “H-Hi, here you go.” He stutters, handing you a bouquet of flowers. He blinks a few times, realising he doesn’t know if you’re allergic. “Oh my god, you’re not allergic, right?” He asks, eyes darting straight to your hands. In case some sort of rash began forming. “Also, you look great.” He adds.

“Thank you,” You reply, stepping aside to let Kunikuzushi in. “For the flowers and the compliment. Let me put these in some water, okay?”

It’s more than okay in his eyes. He mutters a small hello to your friends, not realising the demon dog has taken refuge behind Kinich’s leg. “Xilonen— was it?” He asks, looking at the blonde. “What’s up?” “The earrings look nice on you. Compliment the outfit well.” “Oh, thanks, dude.” 

The two of them seem to fall into a conversation as you’re searching for a vase. Did… Did Kinich clean these cabinets recently? You can’t seem to find anything. “What makes you so interested in jewellery, if I can ask?” Xilonen’s question makes you stop searching.

“Oh,” Kunikuzushi scratches the back of his neck. “Used to do handicrafts a lot. Haven’t had the time since becoming a model…” He sighs, but your interest has already been piqued. You would’ve never thought he’d enjoy stuff like crochet or embroidery. This knowledge could come in handy one day. 

A vase soon appears. Sure, Kinich had to tell you where one is. Yes, Ajaw might’ve tried to bite Kunikuzushi’s ankles off. The moment you grab your bag, the two of you are off. But only after promising your roommate to notify him when you’re ready to go home.

And just like that, Kinich and Xilonen are left alone. 

“Getting convinced?” She tilts her head as she takes her mug. The age-old question is trying to determine if the relationship is real. The male only shakes his head. “Even if I wish her the best,” Kinich starts. “I’m not sure this thing will last, fake or not.”

The café where the meeting was planned brings back some memories. You’re not sure if Kunikuzushi remembers, but this was the place of your first meet-up. Over the week, you’ve decided that meeting in a public space was the safest. Although you don't hold prejudice for your partner's coworkers, it's better to stay safe.

By the time the two of you enter, only two people are waiting. Didn’t your partner mention there’d be four of them? Perhaps they’re running late?

“You must be Y/N,” One of them says, standing up to shake your hand. Adorned with a facemask and a baseball cap, his figure is imposing. Oddly enough, the tone of his voice doesn’t match. It’s down-to-earth rather than being vain. “I’m Thrain. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” You mutter, smiling shyly. “I’m Pantalone.” The other one also stands up to shake your hand. He moves much much slower compared to Thrain. “Hi…” Kunikuzushi is still by your side, but he exhales deeply. Almost in relief. “Zandik and Ajax are running late, my apologies for that.” 

And thus begins the process of waiting. Thrain and Pantalone, who you learned uses a name to conceal some sense of privacy, are seemingly lovely people. You’re pretty sure your boyfriend informed them about your affinity for music, given how many questions they’ve asked. Maybe your job, too. 

“Oh, I’ve never realised there was this much science behind social media presence,” Thrain says, focusing on every single word of your monologue. It’s really nice to be heard, you know. And especially for somebody to pay attention to what you’re saying. Doesn’t happen often.

Pantalone is engaged in the conversation, too. It's not as significant as for the elder, but it counts regardless. His focus seems to be taken mostly by a small heating pad on the table. He's resting his wrists against it. Perhaps he's one of those who get cold even in the lovely spring weather?

The atmosphere is warm. Not something you would’ve predicted back when Kunikuzushi proposed the meeting. There’s nothing able to warp your focus, despite being stimulated to the end and back. There were, however, familiar noises when somebody entered the café. Maybe somebody from the university?

“Ah, so you must be the poor soul who ended up dating the imbecile.” The coldness of the voice makes shivers run down your spine. It’s like somebody is looming behind your back. “Zandy, don’t be like that~” Another voice cuts in. It’s more youthful. 

It feels like the room dropped a few degrees just from the sentence. You turn around to greet them and introduce yourself. “I suppose that’s me?” You smile, albeit nervously. Piercing red eyes and a pair of blue ones. The agency bagged some of the most attractive people, that’s for sure. 

“I’m Y/N.” The one with lightly teal hair, whom you presume is Zandik, only nods before taking his seat. “Ajax, also Kuni’s roommate, but it’s not like he’d tell you that.” He leans down to place a small kiss on your hand, making everyone’s blood run cold.

“Dude, are you fucking serious?” Kunikuzushi, like all the others, are left stunned. “That’s how we greet where I’m from?” Ajax tries to deflect, citing how it’s been generations. Culture or not, some things are best left out in a first meeting. 

Pantalone even excuses himself… and Scaramouche wishes he had never proposed for you to meet his friends.

It’s awkward. You can cut the tension with a knife. Ajax is sulking in the corner. Thrain made him apologise profusely and, judging by how quickly the ginger complied, he must have a lot of respect for the guy. Pantalone also returned moments later, although looking a little worse for wear. Given how nobody clocked the change in his demeanour, you also decided to keep quiet.

The drinks will be delivered soon. Cups and pastries are placed on the table, with everyone picking their orders. Just as you’re about to take a sip of your coffee, Kunikuzushi perks up. “Thrain,” He taps on his mouth, making the older male realise his face mask is still on. “You have my thanks.” The moment he removes the mask, you notice there are some scars on his cheeks. That explains the cover. 

“So,” Zandik begins, eyes directly looking at you. “How did the two of you meet?” “Are we asking that already?” Ajax counters, while Pantalone chuckles slightly. “Ajax, that’s the only reason why Zandik is here in the first place.” 

You remember the day as clear as day. Well, the day when you’ve met face-to-face. Before that, most of your communication has been done online. You can remember the post thread that made you DM Kunikuzushi in the first place. “Will you believe when I tell you one of his drama tangents brought me here?” You ask.

“No shot his cinema obsession is coming in handy…” Ajax sighs.

That day was sunny. Surprising type of weather considering the creative slump you’ve been in. The week before, you had managed to score a big deal managing social media for another company. Small one, but still. While you were proud of yourself, the adrenaline of starting something new had run out fast.

That’s how you’ve ended up at the café, meeting your online friend. The two of you bonded over the internet fast, babbling about whatever came to mind. Ever since finding out you lived in the same city, a plan to meet was in the works. 

“You’re the espresso girl?” Pantalone leans forward, eyes wide open. You tilt your head and nod. Well, you did have an espresso that day. Your eyes dart between Pantalone and Kunikuzushi, trying to make sense of the thing. Did he really remember what you drank that day? How… cute.

“An espresso, huh?” Ajax mutters under his breath. “Not what I’d expect from such a sweet girl—“ The ginger is slapped on the back of his neck by Thrain. “You need to shush, Ajax.”

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: open! please comment under the masterlist post if you want to join~

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date of posting — august 20th 2025

[hunieday]

Rainbow City Arc chapter 7 - Like a Star

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

Please note that I am not a professional translator and I'm only doing this to share the side materials to those who cannot access it, if you notice any mistakes please let me know nicely. Enjoy!

Takanashi Tsumugi: (And then there’s the three high school classmates: Iori-san, Tamaki-san, and Isumi-san.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (Sometimes they study together for school exams or share notes with each other.)

Isumi Haruka: ‘Sup.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Yo.

Izumi Iori: Hello.

Isumi Haruka: Have you two decided on a club yet?

Yotsuba Tamaki: Club?

Isumi Haruka: Weren’t you listening to the teacher? It was optional before but now you gotta participate at least 14 days a year.

Izumi Iori: It’s not mandatory. It’s more of a recommendation.

Izumi Iori: The idea is to make it easier to casually join and leave club activities.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Ohh.

Isumi Haruka: If it’s just 14 days I think I can manage that, so I thought maybe I’d join somewhere.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Wouldn’t you just get in the way of the people who take it seriously?

Isumi Haruka: Huuuuhh? You think they’ll hate me?

Izumi Iori: It’s fine. It’s only natural that there will be conflict whenever a new system arises.

Izumi Iori: Due to the system itself or the unfamiliarity of it all, but not because of the participants.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Iorin, you’re cool.

Isumi Haruka: Izumi, you seriously never waver. Don’t you care if your classmates hate you?

Izumi Iori: I’m already hated anyway.

Isumi Haruka: I don’t think you are!?

Yotsuba Tamaki: No one hates you!?

Izumi Iori: Is that so? In that case, I need to worry about my classmates even less.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Iorin, are you gonna join a club?

Izumi Iori: What about you, Yotsuba-san?

Yotsuba Tamaki: I saw there’s a baking club. You think we get to eat sweets?

Isumi Haruka: Don't you have to make them? Normally… Oh yeah, Izumi, your family runs a cake shop, right?

Izumi Iori: That’s right.

Isumi Haruka: Then you gonna join the sweets club?

Izumi Iori: No thanks.

Isumi Haruka: You’re not…?

Yotsuba Tamaki: What about you, Isumin?

Isumi Haruka: Me… I don’t have anywhere in mind… Maybe I’ll just go with you two.

Yotsuba Tamaki: I don’t think we’re gonna be together.

Izumi Iori: I don’t think we’ll be together.

Isumi Haruka: What’s with that!? You better get along!

Yotsuba Tamaki: Our hobbies don’t match.

Izumi Iori: And our temperaments don’t really match either.

Isumi Haruka: IDOLiSH7 looks like they’re always chummy, but you don’t get all buddy-buddy huh…

Izumi Iori: ŹOOḼ seems like the lone wolf type, but you’re always together.

Yotsuba Tamaki: They’re always glued together, it’s kinda cute.

Isumi Haruka: Exactly! If they were classmates, they’d definitely join the same club!

Iori Izumi & Yotsuba Tamaki: Wow, so close.

Isumi Haruka: You two should be close too!!

Takanashi Tsumugi: (Recently, they also founded a gaming playthrough group that’s been bonding more.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (It’s not public, but they share videos of themselves playing games together among friends.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (The members are Tamaki-san, Nagi-san, Riku-san, Kujo-san and Isumi-san.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (They try out different games so they all seem to be having fun.)

Nanase Riku: The other day was so much fun! Though I panicked when I messed up the controls and almost spilled everything!

Kujo Tenn: That was nerve-wracking.

Rokuya Nagi: Very nerve-wracking!

Nanase Riku: Tamaki, Haruka-kun, you guys were so fast at catching the bandits! I wanna get better too!

Rokuya Nagi: I want to sharpen my skills to protect more villagers!

Kujo Tenn: There are so many zombie bandits, but only seven players can enter the lobby so protecting the villagers is really tough.

Kujo Tenn: Your drone skills are top-class, Rokuya-san. You’re dependable as always.

Rokuya Nagi: Thanks! Your headshots were excellent, Kujo-shi, so were Riku’s traps!

Nanase Riku: Totally! Te-... Kujo-san, your headshots were super cool!

Kujo Tenn: Really?

Nanase Riku: Yeah! I even thought for a second there that I wanted to be a zombie too!

Kujo Tenn: So you’re turning to the zombies’ side.

Nanase Riku: But it’s like fanservice! Like when you point and go “BANG!”

Kujo Tenn: BANG!

Nanase Riku: Whoa! So cool!

Rokuya Nagi: Buzz!

Nanase Riku: What’s that…?

Rokuya Nagi: My drone!

Nanase Riku: So cool!

Kujo Tenn: I hope Yotsuba-san and Isumi-san can master controlling the giant robot soon.

Rokuya Nagi: When they do, let’s all challenge a new map together! I’m excited!

Nanase Riku: Yeah!

Kujo Tenn: Me too.

Takanashi Tsumugi: (Through friendly banter and rivalry, the four groups affirm their bonds with each other.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (That’s why it’s always lively when they’re together.)

Yaotome Gaku: Once again, it’s been a while guys!

Nanase Riku: Long time no see! Did you check the main hall out?

Momo: Yeah, we did! Did you see the recording booths?

Inumaru Touma: We did! They’re super nice, right?

Osaka Sougo: The café and merch shop they set up for visitors are also really beautiful. I think they’ll love it.

Yotsuba Tamaki: The day this place gets packed with people will make it look like a theme park! That’s super fun!

Isumi Haruka: Sounds fun! I heard there’ll be tons of food stalls too!

Izumi Mitsuki: Kinda like a festival, huh!

Rokuya Nagi: A festival every day! And not just us, other idols and artists will also use it more and more!

Rokuya Nagi: It will become a huge entertainment city!

Nanase Riku: Even when there won’t be a live show, it still sounds like a fun destination. The ocean’s close too!

Takanashi Tsumugi: What should we do for the main theme and concept for the opening live?

Natsume Minami: I think that’s the part the audience will be most focused on, what kind of message we’ll be sending out from Rainbow City?

Natsume Minami: We need to connect the concept and song to deliver a clearer message.

Osaka Sougo: I was thinking the same thing. What kind of song should we make for everyone to sing together?

Yaotome Gaku: Right. Yuki-san, do you have any ideas?

Yuki: I haven’t really thought much about it.

Yaotome Gaku: Natsume?

Natsume Minami: I’d like to prepare something that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

Yaotome Gaku: Yeah. It’s a song to commemorate the opening of a large facility after all.

Nanase Riku: I think it would be great if we could convey the excitement we felt when we set foot here, and the feeling that something spectacular is beginning soon!

Yotsuba Tamaki: Since we’re all excited right now, then I wanna get excited with everyone!

Isumi Haruka: Yeah, we talked about that too. That excitement, the feeling that something new is beginning is important, but…

Isumi Haruka: I think it’s more important to show that this place is a long-lasting landmark

Kujo Tenn: You’re right. We had the same thought.

Kujo Tenn: If we can say, You can come here anytime. We’ll always be waiting here for you. If this place can be like that…

Yaotome Gaku: How do we make it into a place where everyone belongs?

Yaotome Gaku: I wanna tell people, We’ll always be here. We won’t change. We’ll keep shining forever.

Momo: Then it’s not about wanting to become top idols…

Momo: It’s about showing them that we already are top idols.

Nikaido Yamato: Everyone here is already a veteran idol, a natural top star.

Ryuunosuke Tsunashi: We’ve still got a long way to go, but that’s how we want people to see us.

Ryuunosuke Tsunashi: To protect the city we were born in. To make sure everyone can feel safe here.

Izumi Mitsuki: Then maybe the message should be that we’re not chasing dreams or aiming for the skies, but that we’re here! Right in front of you!

Rokuya Nagi: Wonderful! Everything you desire is here. It’s ready. Welcome!

Rokuya Nagi: That’s the kind of message we should send.

Takanashi Tsumugi: I think I’m starting to picture it!

Takanashi Tsumugi: Something unshakable, with arms wide open, welcoming everyone. A star that keeps shining forever!

Osaka Sougo: Then it won’t be a song about becoming a top star,it’ll be a song from a top star.

Rokuya Nagi: I’m excited! Legendary Idol Zero was loved not just by this country, but by the whole world.

Rokuya Nagi: And then, one day, he suddenly disappeared. That’s how he became a legend in the proper sense.

Rokuya Nagi: But the star’s disappearance left people with deep wounds.

Rokuya Nagi: When someone you love suddenly leaves without even saying goodbye, it’s incredibly, deeply sad.

Rokuya Nagi: You suffer, feel tormented. The deeper the love, the more unbearable the pain.

Rokuya Nagi: That’s why I think it would be wonderful if we could make a promise to never leave.

Rokuya Nagi: Even if there’s only one person in the world who still loves us, we’ll keep singing for them.

Izumi Iori: Though the promise to stay in this place, the conviction to keep sitting on the throne, is not very elegant.

Izumi Iori: Unlike when we’re starting out, when we’re climbing towards a dream, we might show a messier, ungraceful sight.

Izumi Iori: People will say our stubborn refusal to give up is selfish, they might scoff at us.

Izumi Iori: But we will never say goodbye. No matter what happens, we’ll always say… Ummm…

Rokuya Nagi: Welcome?

Izumi Iori: That’s right. We’ll always smile and say, “Hello, welcome.”

Izumi Iori: Not like a dazzling rainbow, but more like the white moon shining in the midday sky, still floating gently even through its faded glow.

Izumi Iori: Always watching over those who look up at us, day or night. That’s the kind of presence we should be.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Sounds kinda tough.

Isumi Haruka: Sounds tough indeed.

Yotsuba Tamaki: But maybe that’s actually kinda good.

Isumi Haruka: Yeah, I think so too.

Yotsuba Tamaki: We’ve always been aiming for the top till recently, right?

Yotsuba Tamaki: But now it’s more about, like, becoming the ones that people aim for. The ones they look up to and admire, yeah?

Osaka Sougo: That’s right.

Yotsuba Tamaki: It sounds tough, but I wanna try. Because honestly I always wanted something like that.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Something that sparkles every time you look up, that makes you feel stronger just by seeing it, something that makes you love yourself more.

Yotsuba Tamaki: I’ve always wanted that, but I didn’t have it. So I wanna become that for someone else.

Isumi Haruka: But you already have that, Yotsuba.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Huh?

Isumi Haruka: That pudding you’re always eating. King Pudding.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Oh yeah. I love King Pudding. Eatin’ it makes me super happy and full of energy.

Mido Torao: Though it still feels a bit early for us. We were just travelers aiming for the foot of the rainbow not too long ago.

Mido Torao: We thought we’d find treasures or happiness once we got there.

Mido Torao: But from now on…We’re the ones becoming that rainbow, right?

Inumaru Touma: True. We’ll be the rainbow itself, the one that travelers struggle desperately to reach.

Mido Torao: Don’t you think it’s a bit soon for that?

Inumaru Touma: I do. I think we’re still really immature.

Inumaru Touma: But if there are people who believe in us, then let’s pretend to be the real stars, the real rainbow. Let’s put everything we got into it.

Momo: That’s the spirit! I think so too! It’s not like we’re gonna puff our chests out and parade ourselves as rulers.

Momo: We gotta make everyone happy, no matter where they come from, who they are, and why they come to us.

Yuki: We’ll give them satisfaction. Every single day will feel like a festival. That’s the kind of pros we’ll become.

Natsume Minami: That’s pretty cool.

Yuki: Thanks.

Natsume Minami: Ah, I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about us in that position.

Yuki: Oh, is that so?

Natsume Minami: Yes.

Yuki: You know, I’ve always thought you were kind of cheeky.

Natsume Minami: I am.

Nikaido Yamato: Uh oh, sparks are flying here…Sou, I don’t know how you can sit between them and still manage to compose songs together.

Osaka Sougo: Working as MEZZO" with Tamaki-kun taught me the importance of teamwork and flexibility.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Hah, as if. Sou-chan’s stiff as iron, he never bends.

Yuki: He’s right. You’re the most stubborn of us all. When you’re composing you never give an inch.

Natsume Minami: You’re totally stubborn.

Osaka Sougo: I don’t think that’s true… Yaotome-san, what do you think?

Yaotome Gaku: Having a strong sense of self is a good thing. Especially when you’ve got something you can’t compromise on, that’s the best.

Yuki: See? He’s basically calling you stubborn. Even though it sounds like he’s praising you.

Osaka Sougo: You’re right…

Yaotome Gaku: Yuki-san, don’t tease him. I actually meant it as a compliment.

Natsume Minami: Hehe, Osaka-san. How about yielding a step or two to your humble junior just this once?

Osaka Sougo: Humble junior? Who’s that? Have I ever met him before?

Natsume Minami: …

Yuki: Whoa, that’s cold… Crazy comeback, Sougo-kun.

Osaka Sougo: Huh? I wasn’t being sarcastic… Ah wait, were you talking about yourself Natsume-kun?

Natsume Minami: Could you be any more obvious?

Yotsuba Tamaki: That’s what you think right? But he's actually serious. He’s just like that.

Natsume Minami: Hmmm…?

Osaka Sougo: I’m sorry, Natsume-kun. I like you and respect you. But I don’t think “humble” is a word that applies to you…

Natsume Minami: You’re really rubbing it in huh…

Mido Torao: Stop it, Minami. You’ll fight for your life trying to live in this country if you actually get on an Osaka’s bad side.

Natsume Minami: Hello? I wouldn’t call myself an extremist artist if I was scared of capitalists.

Isumi Haruka: …You’re an extremist?

Inumaru Touma: Then I guess that makes us extremist idols now.

Mido Torao: Not giving in to capitalism, that’s pretty badass.

Natsume Minami: Hearing that from a celebrity like Mido-san doesn’t feel too bad.

Nikaido Yamato: Anyways, everyone who’s working on the main theme should get along and do their best.

Ryuunosuke Tsunashi: Yeah, we’re looking forward to the new song that all of us will sing together! Gaku, you’ve got this!

Yaotome Gaku: Leave it to me! I already snatched a few good ideas from this conversation!

Kujo Tenn: That’s great. Takanashi-san, do you think the concept for the opening live is coming together?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Yes. I can see what we want to express on stage more clearly thanks to you.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Not like a shooting star, but like the sun… Not like a flower, but like a great tree, strong, sturdy and enduring.

Takanashi Tsumugi: A declaration that this will be a place to belong, perhaps.

Kujo Tenn: Exactly. Rainbow City, and we ourselves, will become that place of belonging.

Kujo Tenn: Even when someone’s not here all the time, they’ll be able to go out into the world and still come back home whenever they want.

Yaotome Gaku: Because this place will always be here, ready for them to drop by anytime.

Osaka Sougo: It’s like going from “movable property” to “real estate.”

Nanase Riku: But how cool would it be if we could convey that out loudl!

Nanase Riku: Saying something like, we built a playground In this dreamlike city! Let's keep on playing together forever!

Momo: Perfect! We’re gonna make this an unforgettable concert!

Yaotome Gaku: Let’s get started, this is where our story begins!

Isumi Haruka: Yeah! I wanna do it! Not for someone else, not to try to surpass anyone…

Isumi Haruka: But something that’s ours, something truly, completely us!

Takanashi Tsumugi: Yes! I’ll do my best,let’s all give it our best!

Everyone: Yeahhhh!

Takanashi Tsumugi: (From that day, we began preparations for the Rainbow City opening live.)

To be continued…

[coffeebunnysworld]

𝗈𝗍7! 𝗑 𝖿𝖾𝗆!𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋

𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀: talk about polyamory, teasing Ni-Ki about a crush, talk of breeding and heat cycles

WARNING: A/B/O classic tropes, female body reader/ Y/N insert,

Reincarnated, Fated Mates

minors DNI. 18+ only.

𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍: 1,442

Master list - FATED

Previous chapter - Scattered Glass

Next chapter -

—————

Ao3 - FATED

Ao3 - PRE-FATED

*EDITED BY @thehaizescape *

This also takes place during early 2024, before MEMORABILIA and ROMANCE : UNTOLD came out after NiKi turned 18.

Chapter 7 - Mint Chocolate

Sunoo knows Riki, he knows him well enough that he knew even before he presented that Riki had a hoodie a few sizes too big for any of the guys, that he would keep in his bed. That became something when he would start to get antsy; he would feel better if one of the Omegas in the group would wear the hoodie. 

They had always been careful and only done this inside of the dorms, not even at the studio, but this had been one of the first signs that he might be an Alpha, as betas normally didn’t care or were affected by scents. 

When Y/N first met Riki by accident, before anyone knew that's who Sunoo had been talking to, at the ice rink when she brought a photo of Sunghoon skating. He had been so captivated by Y/N, by her eyes, her smile, her laugh, her scent, that he locked him self in his room after the guys kept picking on him for having a crush on a Noona. 

He wanted to go crawl into a hole and disappear, and he did that with his bed and the hoodie. When Jake had asked for the hoodie the following morning, they were all surprised by the sweet new scent attached to it. 

It was at this point that Heeseung and Jungwon knew they needed to meet her, so in the recording studio after the staff left for lunch, the pair cornered Sunoo and finally got him to talk about this girl that he had been talking to for over a year. And in return, informing them that she had already met Jay and of his reaction to her as well. 

It had been Yuki who had put the thought of her being a mate to all of them in his head, as polygamy had been a normal practice in his pack due to the rapid decline in birth rates. 

Some of the guys seemed surprised by the idea, while others weren't. Poor Riki, only 16 years old, was red with so much blush that his ears burned and were hot to the touch, but this was a pack conversation that would affect all of them. 

Now, 2 years later and 2 weeks after moving out of the dorms and into a pack of their own, things were coming together smoothly. 

“Jake is going to stay with Y/N today while we’re in the studios,” Sunoo told Jungwon as the van pulled out of the parking garage. Jungwon looked to the third row, where Y/n and Riki took up the whole row to themselves. 

The driver and one of the other managers, as Yuki had the day off, took the front seats. Jungwon, Sunoo, and Jake took the second row, leaving Y/N and Riki the last row to themselves. 

“She’s asleep” Riki said as he ran a hand through her (hair color) hair, "what’s going on?” Riki added look up at the second row, thee sets of eyes look back to him “we think it’s your rut coming up” Jungwon started ”Y/N gets like this when her heat is getting close, but her heat isn’t for another few weeks. So in theory, we think with your rut getting closer that it’s bringing her heat on,” he explains to Riki, who was still very new to it. 

Riki just nodded, but his eyebrows furrowed. “That can happen?” Jake responded after a moment when none of the others answered. Sunoo and Jungwon glanced at each other. Jungwon took out his phone to send a message to Heeseung. 

“Ya, it’s normal for packs to sync up with each other,” Jake added, hoping that would be the end of the conversation, knowing Riki, it wasn’t. “Why” 

It only took the one word for the other three pack mates in the car to turn bright red, the manager in the front choking on his drink. 

“It’s to help with Breeding,” Jungwon said, not daring to look over at the two Omegas next to him or the Alpha in the back. Riki just answered back with “Oh,” and the rest of the drive was silent.

When the car pulled into the parking garage at the Hybe building, Riki carefully helped Y/N out of the car as the other Alphas walked over. Y/N leaned on Riki fully, her eyes still closed. Her hand gripping his shirt tightened. 

Jake walked over to her after speaking with Sunghoon and Heeseung. Both men were blushing. Jake removed her hands from Riki's shirt, so the alpha pair could pull him inside. 

Y/n’s omega cried at the loss of her alpha. Jake hugged her tightly, lifting Y/n with ease, carrying her into the building. 

“So,” Heeseung wiggled an eyebrow at Riki as they got into one of the elevators going up to the Be:Lift labs recording room, “the birds and the bees.” Sunghoon broke into a smile at the younger alpha's blushing face. Riki pulled his hoodie to cover his face. “It wasn’t ever talked about, and then I came here.” Riki fussed, “It’s fine, Riki. If you have questions, just ask them,” Sunghoon told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

For a long pause, none of the alphas said anything, just watched as the elevator numbers grew. “ Do they really sync?” Riki said, messing with his rings. The older pair looked at him. 

“You mean the Omega’s heats?” Heeseung questioned. Riki just nodded. “They do,” Sunghoon answered. “Sunoo and Y/N normal will, or she will have her the first week, and the other will follow, and then Jake will usually have his about two after,” Sunghoon added, looking from Heeseung back to Riki. 

“Y/N is acting like she’s trying to start early. We guess that hers is being brought on by your first rut. You’re a strong young Alpha capable of taking care of her, and Linaria, her wolf, knows this.” Heeseung explained as they drew nearer to the designated floor. 

“The first Rut is the hardest, but you have your pack with you.” Heeseung tried to reassure the young man who was growing nervous. He patted his shoulder as the door opened. 

—

As the group's alphas went upstairs to finish recording, the rest went to the in-building café that only staff has access to. All employees have signed NDA’s and make sure all phones are locked away at the start of each shift, making it the safest place for employees to bring their mates for a quick date or just to get something to drink. It wasn’t uncommon to see mates of other groups in the building as the idols had very little time outside of work. 

The café was small, around the same size as a Starbucks would be inside of a bookstore, with a matching table with chairs, and the artist's sign with the company playing over hidden speakers. 

The young adults at the counter were a mix of employees and trainees who got free coffee. Sunoo sighed and leaned on Jake, who was also holding y/n on his back. “I miss the free drinks,” Sunoo sighed dreamily watched as the younger trainee were handed their drinks and then walked away. 

“The free drinks were not worth it,” Jake spoke in English, causing Y/N to turn her face towards him. Her eyes are now back to their normal color. 

“You never talk about it,” she spoke softly as her face was next to his. Jake turned, kissing her nose before slightly jumping to adjust his grip on her. “When you were trainees, like I know you were on a show. But you don’t talk about it,” she said in her lighter voice, to be mindful of the people around them. 

“I-Land.” Jake swallowed hard. “It was not fun; it was lonely and a lot of us struggled with it.” I nodded as we watched Sunoo looking over the cake pops, knowing that he was just going to get the mint chocolate chip one. I lightly played with the collar of his shirt. 

Jay walked to us, taking my hand from his shirt. He kissed my knuckles, holding them for a second before releasing my hand. “You ok?” Jay was not questioning me; he was looking at Jake. I pushed my nose under his ear. “I’m alright,” he told the older boy. 

Jay placed a hand on the back of Jake’s neck, his fingers touching the side of mine, and then brought their foreheads together. I looked past the pair to Sunoo. He smiled at me, pulling his phone out to get a quick photo. Knowing Sunoo, he sent it in the group chat. 

The shit starter. 

[demiseeee]

Yandere curt and rod nsfw hcs pls if you can!

-🧁🔪

Jesus Christ anon you’re milking the shit out of me

Curt and Rod— NSFW AND SFW Yandere Headcanons

Warnings: Smut(duh)

GN reader (it usually is)

Pairing: Curt and Rod x Reader (A/N: I don’t really think Curt x rod is my thing, because I like the fact that they’re exes but they’re besties still :))

SFW:

I think Curt and Rod are pretty soft yanderes. They don’t think violence is necessary, but they’re both willing to shoot more than a few harsh words if anyone cuddles up too close.

It’s in their rules of shade— someone comes after your friend, it’s your duty to fire back.

but…lately it seems like everything is classified as another object ‘coming after’ you.

I think Rod would definitely use some of his shade to his advantage

specifically, with you

Dont get him wrong, he absolutely adores you

But you deserve to be at your BEST with him

Gently critiques your choices so you rely on his taste: “That shade of confidence you wore today? Yeesh…oh, Jerry said he liked it? The Junk Drawer. Who likes junk. Hey, hey, I’m just saying. Aight….Let me help you pick something that actually suits you.”

Encourages you to cut off others by planting aesthetic and emotional doubts. “You’re too good for these people who don’t even wash their feet, man.”

You won’t even notice he’s threatened someone until they’re softly excluded from your life.

He believes himself good-looking, yeah, and he believes you to be gorgeous, so why shouldn’t you be equals and more?

Wants to style your life as a shared “collection.” His wardrobe, his thoughts, your calendar—everything should match. Him and Curt are pretty much inseparable because of all they’ve got in common. They’d almost dated. So, if he does the same with you…

Curt isn’t outwardly intense—he’s constant. Always there, always knowing a little more than he should, always smiling like nothing’s wrong.

Hangs around subtly. Not clingy—just present. “Oh, you’re here too? What a coincidence. Again.”

He isn't clingy, he just wants to be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.

Curt won’t cry or freak out, he’ll compete. If someone flirts with you? He’ll outshine them. Or, he’ll get Rod involved to help him destroy their self-esteem.

They mask real insults over flowery language, so it does fall within the rules of shade, but whatever object was talking to you gets the idea

He’d never hurt you, but if you ever tried to leave? Expect a bit of crying I think. We saw how worked up he got over the neighbors drapes that he didn’t even know, imagine how he’d act if YOU left

Curt and Rod both balance each other, and you’re right in the middle. If you waver, they don’t tumble

they just double down on making sure you stay

No direct threats

just

”What, you really want life to be like how it was before us, huh? Listen, we love you know matter what, obviously, but like- you REALLY want that OLD version of yourself…?”

“Things are so great now, you really just wanna let it all go?”

”I mean- I think we make a lot of sense. Three pieces, one design. Easy. You’re safest with us, yknow? We’re your curtains, we see everything.”

They don’t want to OWN you. They want to be INDISPENSABLE to you

They want you to be talking to someone else and only be thinking about how much better they are.

NSFW:

Well, sometimes, you’re not all the way convinced

that’s fine. They know how to handle it

they need to rail you so good you’ll never even think of being with anyone else

Their thoughts are definitely ’more is better’. They’re both constantly doing things at the same time during sex. Rod’s ramming into you from behind you, while Curt’s got your legs pulled apart and hooked over his shoulders as his mouth works on you

They wont let you top them. (Not in this au :/) they like having control. You could top anyone. They want you to bottom for them so you crave THEM

Do I think Curt and Rod use those really long flowy outfit details to tie you up or gag you?

yup.

yup I do

They care much less about themselves cumming, it’s all about how much they can make you cum so they can remind you that they did

Rod’s def a big fan of eating you out. He’s really good with his mouth, wether it be using it to throw shade, or fuck you dumb on his tongue

They encourage you to be loud. Let the whole house hear, they don’t care.

No it’s not that they don’t care. They just want every other object to hear it all throughout the house and know you’re having a better time with them than anyone else

When you all fuck, it’s in every room of the house.

if they didn’t hear it, they’ll see it. And if they’ve already heard it, here’s if they didn’t believe it

A lot of objects really disapprove (duh), not rlly out of jealousy, but just purely out of the fact that Curt’s balls deep in you on the fucking living room table (poor Abel 😣)

they give pretty good aftercare too, they bring you water and ask you how you’re doing. They make sure you’re all cleaned up too (this leads to another round in the shower which had Johnny, for once, rendered entirely speechless)

afterwards, they look at you with matching smug smirks

”I’d like to see anyone else fuck you that good and then take care of you that well.”

”let’s face it, we’re the best you’ll get.”

[vxnusorbit]

just friends

you'd always assumed that the one lyney liked was you. well, apparently you thought too much. warnings: gn! reader, unrequited love, modern au, angst no comfort wc: 0.4k  a/n: orz this sat in my drafts for about 4 months i couldn't find the words to get it out of my system😞 i wrote a lyney fic with a similar plot on my other blog, but the difference is that the last one was inspired by a song and this one was inspired by my own experiences LOL reblogs w/ tags & comments highly appreciated <3

okay. maybe you weren’t the best at reading social cues, but surely your interpretations wouldn’t be this far off, right?

wrong.

you stare, almost in dumbfounded amazement, at the periwinkle-eyed blond standing in front of you. “i’m sorry?”

“she agreed to go on a date with me! you know, the friend you introduced to me?” his eyes sparkle, “don’t you remember?”

“ye-yeah, i remember...”

seriously? were your skills at reading social cues this bad?? weren’t you supposed to be the one he liked??? after all:

one. he was always the first to notice whenever you’d had a hard day. “are you okay?” he’d ask as he handed you the snack you once mentioned you were obsessed with in passing, finding his way to the spot next to you on the bench. “oh–” his eyes would widen in slight panic, “it’s totally fine if you’d rather not talk, um, just– i just thought you might feel better if you had, y’know, a friend with you, um, yeah...” and whether or not you chose to confide in him, just feeling his presence each time was enough to lift your spirits.

two. you were always the first one he sought out every time he figured out a new trick. “hey, guess what! remember that idea we had last week, the one with the hat and the aspic? i finally got it last night! wanna see?” and before you could even react, he’d already be pulling out his tools and spilling all the secrets right to you. though perhaps the even more fascinating magic trick was how he’d be able to talk for hours about a single trick without stopping.

three. for some reason, he seemed to adore seeking you out for spontaneous excursions. “c’mon,” he’d plead, his sad puppy eyes doing nothing to help you close your door in his face, “it’s gonna be a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon! you’ll never see a view like this ever again!” “lyney, that was what you said last year. meteor showers happen every year.” though you already had one foot out the door, slipping on a jacket, you’d always sigh. and he’d always pout, still tightly holding onto your wrist. “but it’s gonna be different! the vibe’s gonna feel different because we’re gonna be, well, watching it from a different place! don’t you trust me?” of course you trust him. you’d trust him with your life if you had to.

you’re back to staring at the boy who unknowingly stole your heart, and you can’t find the words to describe your inner turmoil. but if he looked this happy, who were you to ruin it?

your lips almost tremble as you force it into what you hope to be an encouraging smile.

“good luck, lyney. don’t mess up.”

“i won’t, i promise! don’t you trust me?” 

© vxnusorbit. do not plagiarise, repost, or feed to ai in part or whole.

[shintaru]

🪼m.list ♡ recent fics ♡ @zyart-jpg dividers🪼

Your love language was making people food. You enjoy seeing people sit around the table while sharing stories, laughing and having a good meal. Especially when you’re the one who cooked the food.

You know food has major importance to athletes. It helps them recover and get the nutrients they need to keep their bodies in good health. You’ve been looking for a sport that you could enjoy seeing everyday while you worked hard to make all the good for them.

Cooking was your hobby so that part would be no trouble for you but you didn’t like many sports. You wanted to find one that excited you. Unfortunately volleyball, soccer, basketball, & football didn’t fit your tastes.

You took a short walk trying to think of other sports that you might like. You stopped in your tracks when you spotted a poster for league of street on a cycling shop window.

“What’s league of street?” You’ve never heard of it before. You decided to ask the shop owner for more information when three guys pulled up on their bikes. One with a white helmet almost crashed into you.

The one with an odd smile and a snake helmet thought it was hilarious that you almost got run over. A red head with purple gloves ignored the scene they made outside and walked into the shop without paying you any attention.

The other two followed him in. “What a bunch of assholes” you say aloud crossing your arms staring at them through the glass windows of the store. “Ignore them” you hear a deep voice say from behind.

You turn your head only to see a large man standing before you. His hair is light blue and he has a scar alongside his lip. “He’s huge” you thought as your jaw dropped. You blinked a few times to make sure you’re seeing things right. You’ve never seen someone so tall.

He steps around you ready to head into the shop. “Hey, do you know anything about this poster?” You ask him. “It’s a cycling tournament” he says while looking down at you.

“Are you in it?” The guy from earlier steps outside. “Yeah we’re in it, why’re you interested?” he says while pulling out a pink lollipop from his pocket.

“That’s none of your business” you take a picture of the poster with your phone. You wanted to check out cycling, maybe this is the sport you’ve been looking for. You just hope there aren’t any more crazy guys like the ones you met today.

You walked away not sparing another glance in their direction. A week later you attended a race it was sabbath against ghost crew. You in the front row seats close to where one of the teams will enter once the race starts.

You’re looking at the entrance to see which team will come out. You did some research and there was a long list of teams competing in this tournament. It was going to be hard to pick a team that you’ll cook and manage.

You wanted a team that was capable of making it to number one on their own. Of course you wanted to boost their chances of winning but you needed a promising team first.

The loud mouth speaker announced it was time for the race to begin. That’s when you see the four guys from the store. You’re watching the familiar snake helmet guy make his way over to you. “Ah, you came to support us!” he says, smiling, holding his hand over his heart.

“As if” you scoff. He laughs and walks back over to his team and the race begins. You didn’t expect to be amazed by their team play. Thanks to the referee you learned their names while watching them. These guys weren’t just assholes, they were pros.

You watch as Hyuk and Wooin team up in a flawless fashion to take over the ghost crew. Joker using his head to turn corners and Vinny sprinting through to the finish line beating the ghost.

Once sabbath returned through the way they came you tried getting through to talk to them but security guards wouldn’t let you. It seems like Wooin and Hyuk found this to be funny so you flipped them off.

The guards suggested that you return to your seat so you walk a few steps away acting as if you’re complying. Once they let their guard down you ran and hopped over the fence.

You laugh at the look on the guards faces as they try rushing to open the gate to get to you. “I have a proposition” you say walking up to them. “Let me join your crew” you asked “you’re amusing but no” Wooin replied.

“Why not?” He didn’t even let you finish your proposal. “I prefer a small crew” he says while entering the locker rooms and slamming the door in your face.

You decided to come up with a plan they can resist you but they definitely couldn’t resist your food. Everyone you’ve come across has never been able to say no when it came to your cooking. You’ll use that to your advantage.

You spent the whole night doing research on the sabbath crew and you couldn’t find much. So you decided to stalk their instagrams. You're scrolling through Vinny’s instagram and you see he likes shrimp and ramen. You also found out he has a cat. This is perfect you thought.

You spent the next morning preparing shrimp skewers, egg rice onigiri with cat faces, ramen, tteokbokki, cat faced dumplings, mini shrimp salad, with a few pieces of Candy, and a coke. It wasn’t the healthiest meal but you had to win them over with food so you could join the crew.

You went out and bought a red bento box with a cute matching bag to put it in. You place the bento box in the bag and the coke in the drink pouch. You left your number on a sticky note hoping he’ll contact you. Now that you’ve made the food you’re not sure how you’ll find Vinny.

You decided to just drop the food off at their locker rooms leaving a note with his name on it. You thought hunting him down would be weird so this was the best option. Although technically you did stalk him online you weren’t a stalker you were just determined when you had a goal.

You receive a text from unknown “thx for food” you saved his name as shrimp emoji. You text back “so can I join the team?”

🦐: “no”

“UGH DAMMIT” you shout aloud receiving stares from innocent bystanders. You weren’t going to give up, you have three more opportunities in front of you. You’re glad he at least took the bento box most people would find it suspicious that a random stranger left them food.

This guy doesn’t even have Instagram… Thankfully he’s seen on some of Wooin’s highlights where they shared a hot pot. Then another where they got a puppy. Word around the street also says he’s an underground boxer.

You know weightlifters eat a lot and you’re sure he must do lots of harsh training or maintain both boxing and cycling so you’ll make him a beef bento. You even make a pup cup for his puppy.

You cooked up garlic butter steak, with two sunny side eggs, beef bulgogi, salad, slices of various fruits, two double cheese burgers with some meat buns. You hope this will all be enough for him after all he’s a very large man.

You package up two bento boxes unfortunately everything wouldn’t fit in one. You wrote your number on a sticky note again and you left it at their locker room with his name on it.

Days had passed and you never received a text, not even a call. “Maybe he threw it away or someone else got it” you thought. You sigh put in frustration you worked so hard gathering information and making their meals and you’re not getting anywhere.

You still had Hyuk and Wooin to cook for. Before that you decided to take a look near their locker rooms. The bag you left for Joker is gone, you even glanced in the garbage. It doesn't seem to be there so he must’ve gotten it you hope.

You didn’t know too much about the crew but one thing you did know what’s that Hyuk and Wooin would be the hardest members to please. Hyuk looked scary but he was good looking so you hope everything goes smoothly.

You stalked his and Wooin’s Instagram posts which had nothing but snakes, Candy, bikes, clubs, cycling tricks, few pics of Jay jo, and various banana flavored things. You can work with that.

Unfortunately you can’t stuff Jay Jo in a bento box and give him up as an offering. You sigh as you prepare their bento boxes. You hope all this work is worth it in the end.

After you finish both meals, you finally make Hyuk with banana milk, banana pancakes, pairing it with some other fruits. For Wooin you packed more candy than anything along with some rice balls and meat.

Thankfully you ran into Hyuk at a convenience store. He seemed to be looking for banana milk. “Looks like they’re out” you say thankfully since you have a whole bento box full of banana flavored things.

He looks at you with dark gray eyes not saying a word. “Um I have a banana bento for you if I can join your crew” you say handing him the bento. He takes it without saying a word and exits the store. You ran out looking for him and an answer but he was nowhere to be seen.

Wooin was the easiest crew member to find in fact he seemed to turn up everywhere you frequently went. You approached him, handing him the bento you made last night. “What’s this ?” He asks “a peace offering”

“One more crew member wouldn’t make your crew large, you're acting like five is a crowd” “That’s cause it is” you try snatching the bento box from him but he holds it in the air out of your reach. “Give it back” “nuh uh it was a gift” he says.

“Why don’t you find a different crew?” He finally asks although he wouldn’t admit it he was curious about your reasoning for picking his crew. “I like your crew's style, and no other crew's ride like that.”

“It’s dangerous for a girl to join” you take a few steps back hearing his response. “Are you some kind of pervert?” You ask while making sure he keeps his distance. “HAHA what ? No, our crew gets into a lot of fights, wouldn’t want our dear manager to get hurt now would we?” He says.

This time you laugh “Oh that’s not dangerous, I’d handle the cooking and you can handle the fights you should be able to handle at least that much” he doubles over in another fit of laughter.

“Can I join or not?” You ask “fine, fine, you can join” He says. “I want a pink crew jacket” “no that one is mine” “well I want it” “pick another color” you both bickered back and fourth until Wooin gave in letting you have his jacket. You were happy to finally have a crew you could cook for.

A/N ~ I forgot where the milk divider is from

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Blush of Robins

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Dick, Jason, and Tim run into each other in Gotham while on patrol, and they must race to find a way to get back to normal before Bruce finds out. The only problem is, they have to keep Damian, Duke, and Stephanie from telling Bruce everything.

Chapters: 3/?

Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas

Additional Tags: De-Aged Dick Grayson, De-Aged Jason Todd, De-Aged Tim Drake, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Rivalry, Multiple POV

Chapter Three: Fowl (Tim's POV)

I think Jason was the first one to wake up the next morning, and he wasn’t shy about it at all. He made breakfast for everyone, and he and Damian were whispering about something in the kitchen. Damian seemed groggy, but he paid close attention to every word Jason uttered with his covered mouth. Jason was a lot smarter than he seemed, but he wasn’t as crafty as I expected him to be, either. I wondered what he was hiding. Dick was the last of us to get up, but he was all business from the moment he opened his eyes. “Everything okay over here?” Dick asked with a hint of disapproval. 

Jason nodded, and I could tell by the way he shut down and went silent that he was pissed off. It was a silent kind of anger. I knew it all too well. That reserved and restrained fury that threatened to burst through if someone knew exactly what button to push. If I knew Dick well enough, I knew he’d push just that button. I don’t want to repeat any of the words that were exchanged, but Dick said something extremely hurtful, and Jason threw a punch that landed. Damian and I quickly pulled them apart, and I looked up once I restrained Dick, and I could see that Jason was shaking and teary-eyed. Damian let go of him, and he went outside to sit alone. Dick still wanted a fight, and it took Damian slapping him for him to realize he was in the wrong. 

“We were having a private conversation,” Damian snapped. “What’s wrong with you? I’m glad you grew up because I wouldn’t have liked you much this way.” Then, he followed Jason outside, leaving Dick and me to sit in perfect silence. Of course, Dick couldn’t let it sit for very long. 

“Secrets can get us killed,” Dick whispered. “If Jason and Damian know more than—.”

“I get where you’re coming from, but it doesn’t make us right. If we don’t trust each other, it can also get us killed,” I interrupted. “If we argue and split up, we might never figure out what’s going on. Or… We’ll get caught by Bruce, and we’ll all look incompetent.”

Dick made a face and nodded before looking in the freezer for frozen food. He wrapped a pack of frozen peas and carrots in a kitchen towel and held it to his eye. “I still think I could’ve taken him,” Dick muttered. 

“Hm… Black eye… Not a scratch—.”

“That’s not fair. I totally would’ve had him if you—.” 

“He’s faster than both of us. And he didn’t even wanna fight you. Imagine if he wanted to hurt you,” I replied. “We’re good, but he’s fast. And let’s be real, I don’t think we’re ready to go head up with Damian just yet.” 

“Speak for yourself,” Dick replied as he leaned against the counter. 

I glanced out the window behind Dick, and I could see Damian sitting beside Jason. It didn’t look like they were talking. It just seemed like they were sitting there, looking out into the nothingness. 

That’s when I realized Robin really wasn’t one thing to Bruce. I think he needed something different from everyone. Apart from the fact that they were his sons, they were all a distinct challenge to how he usually operated. I felt like an unnecessary outlier. Damian taking over had to be inevitable before I even considered taking the mantle. I was merely a placeholder. And that would’ve been okay if I were ready to explore what that meant for me and my dad. It’s not like we were close before, and I liked my independence… If we were time-displaced, knowing about Damian changed everything for me. 

I guess I couldn’t complain, though. It had to be way worse for Jason. I’m sure he felt awful and confused about the whole ordeal. However, I’m a little bit confused about how Damian knows him. 

“Are we close?” Dick asked. “It seems like Jason and I probably weren’t—. Were we close?” 

“Yeah, we’re pretty close. I hang out at your apartment a lot, when I’m not hanging out with Barbara,” I answered. 

“So, do you still have parents?” Dick asked.  

“My dad,” I answered. 

Dick frowned. “Why are you doing this, then?” Dick questioned.

“Because you didn’t want to go back to being Robin after Jason—.” And that’s when I messed up. I shouldn’t have let him know anything. 

“After Jason did what?” Dick asked. I shook my head. “Tim.” 

“No, I already said way too much—.” 

“What happens to Jason?” Dick asked. I didn’t want to look him in the eye, but he grabbed me by the collar. “Tell me.” 

“He dies,” I whispered. 

“No… Damian knows him. And—. And, I—. How?” Dick stammered. 

“You were busy… And Bruce and Jason weren’t—. They were going through something, and he didn’t get there in time. You didn’t want to be Robin anymore because you had your own life and—.” 

“How old was he?” Dick asked. He seemed hurt and desperate to amend something that was completely out of his control. 

“Fifteen,” I answered as I pushed him to hold the ice over his eye again. I don’t think he would’ve heard anything I said after that, so I stopped talking. 

“And I’m how old by the time you take over?” Dick wondered out loud. 

“Twenty-two,” I sighed as I answered him. 

“I get to grow up, and he doesn’t… That’s—. And I—.” 

Jason and Damian came back inside, and Jason extended a hand to Dick in apology. “No hard feelings?” Jason asked. Dick embraced him, and I could see by the smile on Jason’s face that it was long-forgotten on Jason’s end. Smiling ear to ear with closed eyes, he whispered a little, “Thank you,” and Dick moved to let go, but I think Jason might’ve really needed that hug. 

Damian smiled gently and cleared his throat. “We’ve gotta head out. Jason, you’re with Dick. Tim, you’re with me,” Damian commanded. 

“Why? No offense, but they just got in a fight,” I replied.

“Because that’s the order we were Robin in… And you still look like you. All Jason and Dick have to worry about is getting along and avoiding Bruce. Jason doesn’t even look remotely like that anymore… And I trust that they’ll be good partners on this one. Until we find a way to fix things, we’ll work as a team. 

“Dick and Jason, here. Call us if you guys get into any trouble. I already sent you the information. Tim and I will call you if anything comes up. We’ll meet back here tonight and get ready to go on patrol,” Damian explained. 

**

Damian didn’t tell me much about what we were doing or where we were going, but I think all of that was interrupted when we got recognized in the deli. “Shit,” Damian cursed. 

The blonde girl approached us and squinted at me. “Why is he a kid?” she asked. 

“You can’t tell anyone,” Damian replied. 

“Who is she?” I asked. She crossed her arms. 

“I’m pretty sure he hasn’t met you yet… It’s nothing personal. He doesn’t know me either. Tim, this is Stephanie. You two used to date,” Damian explained. I could feel my heart drop into my stomach when he said it. 

“We’re still friends,” Stephanie reassured me with a warm smile and a pat on the arm. “So, what is it? A time travel situation or a magic thing?” 

“Not sure,” I answered. “We used to date? What happened?”

“A lot of stuff, but don’t worry about that. So, is it just you? Or is anybody else a kid now?” Stephanie smiled. 

I looked at Damian for an answer. “Dick and Jason are fourteen, too,” Damian answered. Stephanie took a picture with me, and I flinched away. 

“Okay. Let’s not do that again,” I mumbled. 

“They don’t want Bruce to know,” Damian explained further. Stephanie held back a laugh. “What?” 

“Jason is fourteen right now?” Stephanie questioned. We nodded. “So, he’s walking around Gotham being teeny tiny. Shorter than literally all of us?”  

“Stephanie, I need you to be an adult about this—.” 

“I have to see them. I have to. I bet they’re adorable,” Stephanie giggled. And I was officially in hell.

[shovelandearth]

Having ADHD is so fun because work will be boring and your brain will suddenly go: 

ads from the SPCA make me cry

+

Please please please tell me there will be a dogstronaut 2. 

+

Let's go make love in the park

=

Helen tricking Madeline into being the celebrity guest at an SPCA ‘Puppies in the Park’ event. 

If you’d like to read that story, you can find it on AO3. Or keep scrolling and read all 1.6k words of MadHel fluff here: 

Ha! Take that, you stupid dalmatians.

Tags: Death Becomes Her. Madeline x Helen. Crackfic. Fluff. Domestic MadHel. 

 Rating: Teen and up audiences.

The mid-morning sun colors the park in a warm golden light, the hue of childhood. Some kids are running after one another while various dogs chase along, and the wind carries the melodic tune of laughter and happy barking towards her.

Helen’s in shorts and a volunteer t-shirt. She’d been there since the morning, helping to organize the various games and auction items they’d arranged as part of the fundraiser. Several dogs are sleeping in crates around the park, all hoping to find their forever homes. 

In the hours since she’d seen Madeline, sleep wrinkled and in nothing but their bedsheets, the blonde has taken the time to do her makeup to perfection. Her face looks gorgeous with or without paint, but Helen likes being the only person to see Mad when the rest of the world gets Madeline Ashton. In addition to the makeup, her hair is styled in a simple but elegant chignon. Her A-line dress has a bold floral pattern, and she’s traded her signature stilettos for a modest wedge. She’s still five inches taller than Helen and seems to be preening because of it. 

Helen gets a warm kiss on the cheek before Madeline offers her arm to Helen. It reminds her of one of those shows set in the nineteenth century that Madeline is itching to get on because ‘They’ve already hired everyone else from Broadway, Hel!’. They’re walking arm-in-arm, as if they’re bosom-buddies strolling the promenade looking for suitors. Maybe they’ll take turns practicing for their wedding nights later. 

“Why are we doing this again?”

“You know I love the ads.”

“Crying over a three-legged dog is not the same as donating an entire day to standing around in the sun and watching over children.”

Madeline’s lack of objection to babysitting the dogs is curious, but Helen has learned to allow some room for surprise this late in their relationship. 

“You know, you really didn't need to dress up.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Hel. I’m a beloved public figure.”

“A much beloved public figure; you do know that your sex tape is still online?”

“And it will be until the death of the internet.”

“Slut.”

Madeline only winks at her as they move past a group of parents sharing a picnic basket and a suspiciously pale and bubbly-looking bottle of OJ. 

“But seriously, why this?”

She makes a gesture to the entire scene. From an onlooker’s perspective, it’s a perfectly lovely outing, but Madeline has a good reason to be suspicious. 

“We’re here to take part in the auction.”

“Ah, there’s the motive. What do I need to buy?”

“Uhhhh…”

Her stalling is interrupted by Trisha waving them over. The MC has already made her way onto the dais and does a quick mic check. 

“Welcome, everyone, to the fifth annual ‘Puppies in the Park’. We’re so glad all of you could make it!”

Madeline cheers from beside Helen. 

“Now, as you know…”

Helen tunes her out and lowers her voice, “I need you not to get mad at me.”

It’s a terrible way to start this conversation but Madeline’s PR training means she’s more unflappable than a CIA operative. Her smile doesn’t move. 

“What did you do?”

“They needed something to auction off, and you were the leading lady in one of the highest-grossing films featuring a dog of all time.”

         “... which is why we’re so glad she’s agreed to be a part of our little auction. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming three-time Oscar nominee Madeline Ashton. The star of Dogstronaut One and Two!”

Madeline inhales sharply and shoots Helen a look so icy it could be used to refreeze the polar region. But she plasters on an even bigger smile and makes her way behind the lectern. 

“Thank you all for the warm welcome. Hollywood’s number one rule is no animals or children. I’ve worked with both, and I can firmly say that’s only true for one group— and it’s not the ones with opposable thumbs…”

While she waits for laughter, her eyes catch hers and Helen mouths the word Shellac. 

It's a catchphrase of sorts. A few months into their relationship, they’d realized that part of what drove them to one another and tied them so tightly together in the toxic web that was their relationship was their competitiveness. Their dating put a damper on any plots revolving around potential suitors, and their careers had diverged too much for anything resembling competition. 

But they could still throw one another into the deep end and see how well they swam. Last month was Madeline’s turn, and this little event is Helen’s revenge. 

From her spot on the grass, she watches the crowd watching Madeline. She takes the whole picture in. How beautiful Madeline looks in the summer light, the crowd tittering along with her jokes and watching as she proudly signs two movie posters, which will be auctioned later in the afternoon. The MC asks her to share a favorite memory from set, and she shares a story about her lead, Bruno, stealing an entire tray of donuts from the craft table. Her impression of the dog’s trainer involves a thick German accent and too many hand gestures. The crowd loves it.  

“Filming those movies brought me such joy. I believe that’s what pets are, a source of joy in all the confusion. A constant companion in the hard times. So, I hope you all take a moment to consider giving a home to one of the wonderful dogs up for adoption today. Or, spend a ton of money on a poster with my face on it— I’m happy with either option!”

She leaves the small stage to applause and one inappropriate wolf-whistle from someone’s drunk uncle. 

“Hel, my soulmate, the love of my life, what the fuck were you thinking?”

She says it while wrapping an arm around Helen’s waist and sending a sharp smile in Trisha’s direction. The woman had been shooting Helen looks all morning, but she hadn’t expected Madeline to notice so quickly. 

“Oh, calm down, Mad. You were wonderful. It’s all for a good cause.”

“What have I said about dogstronaut being mentioned in my presence?”

Her grip around Helen’s waist tightens as she says it. Both movies were banned in the house but technically this wasn’t the house. Besides, it’s not as if Madeline didn’t appreciate the attention. 

Helen turns so that she can place her hands on Madeline’s hips and look directly into her eyes. 

“Thank you, Madeline. Would you like your reward now or later?”

As always, Madeline’s genuine and smug smile rips into Helen to steal the breath from her lungs. 

“I knew we tinted the Rollses windows for a reason.”

“God, you’re insatiable.”

…

Madeline has her compact resting on the car roof as she fixes her hair. They’d only been gone fifteen minutes in total, but she looked wrecked enough that everyone would be immediately suspicious. 

“What did you mean, ‘one of’?”

She asks the question with a bobby pin in her mouth. Helen’s admiring the love bite on her neck too much to fully pay attention and misses the question entirely. 

“Hmmm. What was that?”

Madeline finishes her hair before tutting at the reddened mark on her neck and glaring at her through the mirror. Helen can only shrug; she refuses to wipe the proud grin off her face. 

“Earlier. You said we were one of the highest-grossing films. I’m sure we broke first on the list in our first month.”

“Nope. You’re number eight.”

Madeline is finished with her touchups and reaches for Helen’s hand as they make their way back to the park. The sound of childish squeals lets her know that George has finally arrived with the main attraction.  

“Puppies! Cmon, Hel. Let’s get one.”

“Mad. I’m a cat person. You know dogs freak me out. Besides, I already have one emotionally needy co-dependent animal living in my house.”

A small brown and white terrier has made its way to Madeline already. Like most, he’s pulled into the blonde’s orbit and looks happy to be there, rolling over immediately for belly rubs. 

“But he’s so cute. We can name him Boxer.”

“Boxer? Why Boxer?”

He gets up, and someone hands Madeline a rope toy for a quick game of tug-of-war. Madeline's laughter is high and carefree, and the puppy seems to be winning their little game. 

“It’s the name of that horse from that book you love. The one about pigs.”

Of all the books Helen has read over the years, Madeline chooses Animal Farm for her inspiration. 

“You want to name that sweet Jack Russell after a character from a book about the horrors of totalitarianism.”

“Oooh, seven syllables. Be careful, darling, you know I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

A mom walks by with her daughter tucked away in a stroller and lets out a cough of protest that’s also laced with amusement. Helen won’t stand for it. 

“We should call him Chance. Teach him how to drive.”

“I told you that in confidence. But I do love his coat.”

She rubs his sides twice more before throwing the rope toy. The puppy races after it and brings it back but refuses to let go. 

“Okay, Cruella. Calm down.”

Madeline throws the rope again, but the poor animal gets distracted by one of his littermates biting on his ear. 

“Eight-time Oscar nominee. You know, Glenn Close really was amazing in that movie.” 

“Not so amazing, it’s only number ten on the list.”

She gives Madeline her hand to pull her up off the grass. Once again, their fingers intertwine without a thought. 

“You’re joking.”

“Nope. The second movie made even less money than the first.”

“Ha! Take that, you stupid dalmatians.”