#and literally can’t even offer someone a snack without asking for permission first

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

I passed a very agitated night; my mother, returning to the house, had spoken to my father of the conversation she had just had with M. Le Bas; I admit to my shame that, from a room next to theirs, I heard their conversation. My father seemed happy; but my mother still wanted to marry off my sisters before me. Finally, I heard my father call our good friend: he was so good that we loved him better than a brother. My father informed him of the subject of the conversation and told him: “My friend, it’s our Élisabeth, our scatterbrain, that M. Le Bas is asking us in marriage.” – “I congratulate you on it,” he replied, “so much the better. Élisabeth will be happy; my dear friend, don’t hesitate for a moment: Le Bas is the worthiest of men by all accounts; he is a good son, a good friend, a good citizen, a man of talent; he’s a distinguished lawyer.” That good Maximilien seemed happy to see me asked in marriage by his compatriot and pleaded in our favor with my parents; he added: “This union will, I believe, make for Élisabeth’s happiness; they are in love; they will be happy together.” He praised me and my good friend; my mother made a few more objections on my distractedness; but our friend assured her that I would be a good wife and a good housekeeper. It was almost one in the morning when he retired to his room, wishing my father and mother a good night. I then heard my father say: “There is no reason to hesitate after the way Robespierre has just praised his friend.” Our good mother loved her children equally; she feared, in marrying her youngest daughter first, to harm the eldest; my father thought otherwise and said: “If they are in love, must we delay their happiness! No, wife, we must put prejudice aside and consent to this union.” My good mother appeared disarmed then and said to my father: “Well then! My friend, until tomorrow; he will come to ask for your consent.” I heard no more speaking and went to bed, but quite sadly, for I feared that some difficulty would arise. I did not sleep much, and that night seemed very long to me; I awoke before daybreak. At nine o’clock precisely I saw my friend arrive. God! How my heart pounded! I was at that moment ironing in the dining room. He passed close to me and said, taking my hand and holding it tenderly: “Courage, my friend!” He entered the salon where my father awaited him. I heard only these words: “You know, citizen, what brings me the pleasure of seeing you. You will have been told of my wish to enter your family; you know that the one I love is the last of your daughters; if not for a long illness from which I have just recovered, I would have asked you sooner. Having had the occasion to meet your daughter several times, I believed from my observation that she understood and shared my sentiments; but, having fallen ill, I could no longer see her. Judge of what I must have suffered during almost two months of absence.” After a rather long conversation, the rest of which I did not hear, my father called me to him and said to me severely that because of my lack of confidence in my mother, he would never consent to my marriage; he gave me a long lecture until I was sobbing. At last, my beloved came to me and told me not to make myself ill, to console myself, that my good father would pardon me and that my dear parents had consented to our union. Judge my happiness! I could not believe it; my friend was so good, so sweet-tempered, so caressing, that my father told him: “Well then, I want to make for my daughter’s happiness; I give her to you with all my heart: she’s a good little girl; she will make you happy, I hope.” What joy for my friend! We ran to embrace my father and my good mother, who cried with tender feeling. The good Robespierre came to share our happiness; that good friend said to me: “Be happy, Babet, you deserve it; you are made for each other.” Then my father, Robespierre, Le Bas and my mother took chocolate together while I returned to my work; the conversation lasted until after eleven o’clock.

Memoirs of Élisabeth Le Bas (1843)

Wow, you’re a real jerk here, Maurice.

[sundaysundaes]

Love Bites

Lee Donghyuck/Haechan X Reader, ft. Mark Lee | Vampire AU, Roommates AU | Smut, Fluff, Humor, Romance

Summary: Supernatural creatures don’t scare you, so when the cute neighbor who lives just across the hallway offers you a chance to move in for cheaper rent, you agree in a heartbeat--even when he consumes human blood on a daily basis.

Warnings: Smut, vampire sex, sex in front of a mirror, blood sucking, unprotected sex, slight choking. For the sake of the plot, Y/N is slightly intoxicated in this fic (drunk sex). Please don’t read this fic if this makes you feel uncomfortable. I also don’t approve nor allow taking advantage of your romantic partner while they are under the influence of alcohol.

Supernatural things don’t really scare you. Growing up in a family that tells urban legends and mystical myths as bedtime stories makes you feel somewhat reserved toward spooky stuff, to the point that you won’t even bat an eyelash during a jump scare at literally any scary movie out there. It’s not like you’ve seen any supernatural creatures with your own eyes but you believe in their existence, especially when you live in a town where freaky things happen on daily basis. 

You’re not sure about werewolves and zombies, but vampires do roam the earth the second the moon replaces the sun. It’s not merely a rumor anymore, it’s a fact. But they keep their presence in secret, trying to act as humanly as possible so they won’t gather unnecessary attention. And since no one has found any dead bodies with bite marks or severe blood loss, people don’t really identify them as a threat. You perceive things in a similar way. As long as they don’t bother you, then you can co-exist in peace. That’s what you believe.

So when you visit your neighbor in the middle of the night, the cute guy—probably still in his early twenties—who lives just across the hallway, you figure you’ll see him smiling back, maybe even offer you a cup of coffee out of courtesy. Now, you don’t usually barge into someone else’s apartment even when the front door is unlocked, but seeing how the two of you are already on a first-name basis, always greet each other with a nod whenever your eyes make eye contact, you think to yourself, “Yeah, he wouldn’t mind if I come in, would he? What’s the worst thing that could happen? He’s too cute to be a serial killer anyway.” Which, you realize soon enough, was a poor, terrible logic on your part. 

But you turn over his doorknob with a click and invite yourself in.

So clearly, you do not expect to see him sitting bare-chested on the couch with his girlfriend’s legs hooked around his waist. Clearly, you do not expect to see his hand yanking at the roots of her hair, forcing her to expose the column of her neck and making her call his name in the most wanton moan you’ve ever heard in your life—even if you’ve had a fair share of watching porn movies (for research purposes). And you most clearly do not expect to see him sinking his canines deep into her skin, not caring when trails of blood start to taint her bare shoulder and groaning in bliss as he relishes the taste of her blood.

So naturally, the only thing you can think of is:

Oh shit.

“Wait!” A hand finds its way to tangle around your wrist when you slip behind his front door to run back to your own. His icy cold skin makes you flinch in surprise but you keep your face still. As you turn around to see the owner, you’re greeted by the sight of him with his eyes turning as dark as the night. His brunette hair is made of curls and waves, seems unbelievably soft and silky with bangs almost covering his eyes. His lips and cheeks are smeared with fresh blood, possibly from trying to wipe his mouth in hurry with the back of his hand. His fangs are no longer shown and although he seems breathless, you can tell he’s not breathing from how still his chest is moving (but you’re too distracted with the sight of how toned it is). His black jeans are hanging dangerously low on his hips, unbuttoned but not yet unzipped, and it’s harder for you to not stare at his v-lines compared to the amount of blood that painted his lips.

Trying to act nonchalant, you simply ask, “Yes?”

“This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Oh, so you’re not a vampire drinking blood from your girlfriend’s neck?”

He gapes, eyes growing wide, before, “Okay, then it is what it looks like.”

You retract your hand, giving him a formal nod. “Cool.” 

“Cool?”  

“Yeah, as in, no problem. You have a kink. I understand.”

“No, I mean—” He pinches the bridge of his nose, somewhat dizzy from your reaction. “Why are you so calm about this?”

You frown. “I’m confused. Would you rather have me freak-out and tell our landlord that you’ve been spilling maiden’s blood on his carpet?”

“Well, no, but—” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Also, I’m a professional. I don’t leave stains.”

“Congratulations, I’m impressed.” You clap your hands twice, face blank. “Well anyway, I guess I owe you an apology. I didn’t mean to sneak into your apartment without permission and disturb your…” You scratch your cheek, attempting to find the right word. “Late night snacking time—”

“Oh, God.” He rubs his palm over his face but before he can protest any further, his lover is calling him from the inside of his room.

“Lee Donghyuck, come back to me. I haven’t come yet.”

You stare flatly at him, trying not to look as judgmental as possible but most likely failing terribly at it. “She sounds nice.”

He mirrors the look on your face. “Yeah well, she tastes nice.”

“Ugh, too much info there, buddy.”

“No, I mean, her blood, not—” You’re not sure whether vampires can blush but this one surely seems like one. “Why did you even come here again?”

“Oh, that’s right.” You remember. “This is totally cliche and I wish I could say a better excuse but I was making coffee and ran out of sugar. Do you have some I can borrow? And maybe some cream?”

“Seriously?” It’s supposed to be a sarcastic response, but when he sees you nodding your head, he adds, “Do I look like I drink coffee in my spare time?”

“You spend eternity without drinking coffee?” You gasp, laying a hand on your heart. “I feel sorry for you.”

“Leave. Please.”

***

On the next evening, you find yourself crossing the hallway and knocking on his apartment’s door again. Knowing how patience has never been one of your virtues, you try to turn his doorknob after your third knock. Like last night, it’s unlocked with a click so you invite yourself in, calling his name.

“Lee Donghyuck, are you here—”

“I really need to fix that stupid lock.” 

The sound of his voice startles you when he suddenly walks into view, but not as much as the sight of him with a white towel hanging around his neck, his wet hair dripping water to his bare chest, and another towel wrapped around his waist. 

He notices you’re staring so with a small smirk, he comments, “So you’re fine seeing me with human’s blood on my face but completely left in shocked when I’m half-naked?”

You put your best effort to act unfazed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You do know us vampires can tell when you’re lying, right? We can hear your heartbeat.”

“And yet, you didn’t hear me coming into your apartment last night.”

“I was…” He narrows his eyes. “Distracted.”

“You mean you were too horny to notice.”

“You—” He exhaled loudly, perhaps a habit he invented to make him seem more human. “Why are you here again today?”

“Can’t I greet my neighbor?”

He snorts loudly but walks away, throwing himself on the couch. “Seriously, why aren’t you surprised about this?”

“About you being a vampire? Or about your God awful taste in women?”

“Yeah?” He mocks back, making a face. “As if your boyfriend Mark Lee is any better.” When he sees a blush blooming on your face, he snickers. “Enlighten me, Sweetheart. How does it feel to have a lover that only last for one minute during—”

“Okay, I’ll take my words back. Everything. Can we move on, please?” You try to yank yourself back to your normal state, even when you feel downright ashamed. “So, this vampire thing. How long have you been a vampire?”

“Long enough.”

“How old were you when you first turned?”

“Young enough.”

“How often do you drink human blood?“

“Often enough.”

You glare at him, earning a sly grin in return. “You’re not taking me seriously, are you?”

He sends you the best serious expression he can manage. “Serious enough.”

“Right, okay, I’m leaving. Have fun being an asshole for eternity.”

But the second you turn around in your heels, Donghyuck is already on the other side of the room,  closing his front door and leaning his back against it. “Now, now, you come in as you please, uninvited. You don’t think I’ll let you go just like that, right?”

You raise an eyebrow in question. “What do you want?”

“I think it’s something that we both want.” He steps closer, voice sounding smooth and alluring. “You know what I’m talking about, right?”

You gulp, suddenly becoming nervous. He’s an arms reach away, and then closer, and closer until you can feel his cold fingers tracing against your cheekbone, lifting your face so his eyes are locked with yours. 

“I’m—” You can feel your breathing starts to stutter. “I’m not giving you my blood.”

“But it’s not blood that I want from you.” His eyes are half-lidded, his thumb tracing your lower lip. “I’ve been thinking about this so much lately.”

Your heart feels like a ticking bomb inside your chest. “A-about what?”

“About our rent. Do you want to move in together so we can split the rental fee?”

***

It’s both ridiculous and dumb, his offer to move in together for cheaper rent, so it’s even more ridiculous and dumb when you agree to it. There are several reasons that make sense, actually—at least, to you anyway: 1) your neighbor may be a vampire but he’s super hot and although that doesn’t make everything okay, it does make his offer sound incredibly tempting, 2) your landlord is going to raise the rent in the following two months, 3) your part-time job’s salary can only cover so much of your living cost and you have no savings whatsoever, 4) if you can ignore the fact that he brings random girls at night for midnight snacks, he becomes much, much hotter.

Of course, there are risks to think about as well. Sharing a place with another person can bring trouble, so you can only imagine how troublesome would it be to share your home with a vampire. What if he gets too thirsty and starts drinking from you instead? 

You gulp. The thought of it is actually kind of… sexy.

Mark. You mentally slap yourself in the head. You have a boyfriend. Stop crushing on your damn neighbor.

Well, there is nothing serious going on with Mark actually. You guys were just lab partners in high school, went on a couple of dates, had a terribly awkward first kiss, had a heavy make-out session with him ejaculating under one minute when you dry-humped him on the couch of your living room. 

So yeah, nothing serious.

“My apartment or yours?” You ask after a week has passed by, the second he opens his door for you. “Your apartment is bigger, but mine is cleaner.”

“Whatever you want, Sweetheart,” he smirks, leaning against the doorframe, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t mind as long we can split the fee.”

“Yeah, why is that? You’re running out of money?”

His smirk instantly falters. “Well, it’s not exactly easy for vampires to get a job these days.”

“You literally have superhuman skills.”

“Well, you guys have the technology!” He throws his hands in the air, absolutely disgusted with the word by the sight of it. “And the Internet! Sure, I can run pretty fast, I have super hearing, I can see in the dark but these fucking technologies can do literally everything I’m capable of—and everything I’m not capable of—with only a few clicks!”

“Do you need a hug?”

He’s still pouting but shrugs. “Can’t hurt.”

“There, there.” You give him a pat on his back as he leans down so you can reach his height. “I’ll teach you some basic stuff to get you updated.”

“Thanks.”

“You’ll get through this.” You pull away, squeezing his shoulders. “So, about moving in together. Shall we talk about house rules and stuff?”

“Sure, but before that,” he smiles, opening his door wider for you. “Come in. I don’t bite.”

It’s something about him using that poor choice of words with that teasing smirk on his face that makes your stomach feel uneasy but you nod and let yourself in. As he closes the door, he adds, “Unless it’s what you’re into.”

“Getting my blood drunk by a vampire?” You scoff, trying to steady your racing heart though he can probably tell already. “Why would it be something I’m into?”

“Well, my ladies surely enjoyed it,” he chuckles and you secretly think to yourself, yeah because you’re fucking hot, that’s why, but you keep yourself ignorant on the outside. “But if you’re ever curious,” he coos, eyes nearly glowing as he pushes his bangs back with one hand, “I’m down anytime you want.”

You shudder, but from disgust or excitement, you’re not sure. “Thanks, but no thanks. So, house rules?”

***

It turns out to be shockingly easy to share an apartment with an undead creature of the night. Your source of information regarding vampires are from the collection of your young adult supernatural novels, ranging from something serious like Interview with The Vampire, to something mediocre like The Vampire Diaries, and something absolutely ridiculous and downright outrageous like Twilight. So it’s not really surprising when your first assumption of vampires are dead people who look unusually pale but strikingly attractive, have constant frowns on their faces as they brood over literally everything that’s happening as if they’re constipated all the time (they’re not, since vampires don’t have that bodily function anymore) and kill people in their spare time by sucking their blood dry.

But Donghyuck isn’t like that at all, to the point you have to convince yourself that he’s a century-old vampire and not a brat going through puberty.

Because Donghyuck isn’t pale, his skin is tan as if he was kissed by the sun when he has been hiding from it his whole life. It’s smooth, unscarred, and almost golden under the fluorescent light of your apartment. 

He’s not heartless either. He cried during watching Hachiko even when the dog owner was still alive and well, shouting, “Bad shit is going to happen. Bad shit is going to happen to the dog—look how cute that dog is—look just how fucking cute he is—he doesn’t deserve any pain—if this dog dies by the end of the movie, I will combust,” to the screen. So the thought of him killing someone by sucking their blood dry? Seems very unlikely.

And he’s not broody or angry all the time. He’s extremely playful and annoyingly mischievous. He keeps his stock of blood in empty bottles of red wine and places them inside the fridge with a handwritten note that says: “It’s really just wine, Sweetheart. I bought some as a housewarming gift. Come take a sip.” You did, once, out of curiosity, and from that day on you promised yourself that you’d never ever trust his words for as long as you live.

Being a monster, he should’ve been the cause of fear, but in reality, he gets scared from a lot of things—even the things that shouldn’t scare a baby. You will never forget the day when a loud crash came thundering from his room, two seconds before he came barging into yours, screaming with wide eyes, “THERE’S A COCKROACH FLYING IN MY ROOM!”

“And what did you do?”

“I THREW THE TV AT IT BUT THAT FUCKING THING STILL LIVES!”

“WHAT?! But that’s our TV!”

“IT WAS FLYING TO MY FACE AND I PANICKED—WHAT THE FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!”

Even a butterfly that sneaks in from the window makes him jump on his feet. It was cute the first two times it happened, but seeing how he keeps on throwing random things—your phone, included—to keep the bugs away, you probably should start adding another house rule.

Speaking about rules, they’re pretty basic. It’s settled that you’ll both do your cleaning separately. No borrowing things without permission, no spending too much time in the bathroom because although he doesn’t need to go to the toilet, Donghyuck enjoys drawing himself a warm bubble bath for hours, as he takes a sip of his ‘red wine’. And you’re fine with him bringing girls over to your place as long as he does his midnight snacking in his own room. You were against it before but then you figure that you’re going to have Mark in your room from time-to-time (your date night is cheaper this way) so you really don’t have the right to forbid him.

But man, if only you could take back your words.

Because when Donghyuck said his ladies surely enjoyed it when he drank from them, you didn’t think that they would enjoy it this much. And you didn’t think that drinking blood from a human equals having sex with them all night long.

The sound of “Aah, yes fuck me just like that,” and “Bite me again, Lee Donghyuck, I want you to bite me as hard as you fuck me,” can be heard coming endlessly from his bedroom whenever he brings a girl—sometimes even two, for God’s sake—over. You have to plug your AirPods into your ears, blast the volume to the maximum until you can literally feel your ears going deaf while pulling a pillow over your head. And even then you still can hear them. Your apartment has excellent sound-proofed walls so your neighbors don’t really hear the loud screeches they’re making, but for you who sleeps in the room just across the living room? A living hell.

Fortunately, it doesn’t happen every day. It doesn’t happen every week, even, since he always keeps some stocks of blood in the fridge.

“Did you take this blood from those girls?” You grimaced one night, as you opened your refrigerator to slide in your pudding leftover and noticed three huge bottles of red wine completely filled up to the brim.

He laughed, waving a hand. “Of course not, stupid. How could I even do that in the first place? I bought some blood bags from the hospital, obviously.” He was sitting on the couch before but when he delivered his next line, he suddenly stood behind you, lips hovering dangerously close to your ear. “And just in case you’re wondering,” you could feel his smirk grazing your earlobe. “I only drink directly when I want to have sex.”

The heat was spreading almost immediately to your cheeks so you hid it by throwing a punch to his stomach, which he easily dodged. “Still,” you complained, “There’s blood in my fridge.”

“Hey, I never complain when you keep your celery juice in there.” He scrunched his nose in disgust. “I don’t eat or drink human foods, but who the fuck drinks celery juice?”

***

Donghyuck is also exceptionally talkative, you’ve learned along the way. It’s nice to have someone to fill the silence, moving from one random topic to another, never letting an awkward pause hang for too long. But he can also be exceptionally annoying when you have some papers to do and he’s bothering you because he’s bored out of his mind. He’ll start pestering you with questions—unimportant questions—like, “If you only have one eye, are you blinking or winking?” Or “Why is it that when you are sleeping it's called drool but when you are awake it's called spit?” And the stupidest of them all, “Why did Superman wear his briefs on the outside of his tights? This question intrigues me.”

And you’ll eventually start to lose it, throw a pillow to his face and yell, “GET OUT OF MY ROOM!”

But by the end of the day, it’s really fun to have him around. Not just because you can secretly enjoy the sight of him coming out of your shared bathroom with only a towel hanging low around his hips, but also because he’s a vampire and you can spend your time doing actual research about it.

“So,” you began one day after the sun has set and he crawled out of his room with the biggest bird's nest on his head. You had a romance novel on your lap, your fingers running through the pages. “Are you like an actual vampire or are you the romanticized, somewhat gay vampire they usually depict in books?”

“Well, I’ve never been with a man but I don’t really oppose the idea.” He took a seat beside you on the couch, laying his feet on the coffee table. You kind of just stare at him, not exactly judging his words, just… bewildered. 

He noticed the look on your face. “When you’ve lived for a century, you gotta learn how to keep things interesting, even if that means having a dick in my mouth.”

“That’s…” You swallowed. “Not exactly something I want to imagine.”

“You should, though. Try picturing me with your boyfriend Mark for a sec. Don’t we look hot together?” You had to look away when he wiggled his eyebrows at you. You just had to.

“So, these vampire books you said you read,” he went back to the previous topic after cackling for a whole ten seconds at the flustered look on your face. “How do they depict us exactly?”

“You’ve never read one?”

“Have you ever read any books about humans written by vampires?”

“Fair point. Well, it said that vampires couldn’t see themselves in the mirror.”

“Myth,” he replied, leaning his head against the couch. “I can see myself in the mirror and I like seeing myself just as much as you do whenever I come out of the bathroom.”

You almost blurt out the cinnamon cookie you just ate. “Excuse me?!” You cough, eyes starting to get a little teary. “Who said I like looking at you?”

“You don’t?” The way his eyes twinkled made you a little bit weak. A smirk grew apparent on his face. “You sure about that?”

You cleared your throat, flipping another page of your book. “Next question,” you continued, ignoring the soft laugh he emitted. “Do garlic, holy water, and silver scare you?”

“They don’t scare me,” he clicked his tongue, vexed by the way you composed your words. “I just don’t like them.”

“Right, so that’s a yes. Do you have to be invited in to be able to enter someone’s home?”

He tightened his jaw, quietly murmured, “Yes.”

“Can you read someone’s thoughts?”

“No, but I can tell how they’re feeling through their heartbeat.” His eyes were boring into yours, lips curving upward. “Like you, for example. I can tell that whenever I’m around you, your heartbeat runs just a little bit faster.”

You glanced away, rubbing your nose. “No, it doesn’t.”

“Ah,” he showcased his perfect marbled teeth as he grinned knowingly. “Just like that. Your heartbeat is increasing again. Are you lying to me, milady?”

“You’re freaking annoying, you know that?”

“It’s part of my charm.”

“Speaking of that,” you immediately said, knowing it was the perfect chance to avert his attention to another topic. “Can you charm someone?”

“With these looks?” He gestured to his entire body. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” But when you started scowling at him, he added, “But if you’re talking about mind compulsion, yes, I am able to do that. I can erase and alter people’s memories, even controlling them only by making eye contact.”

“That sounds pretty convenient.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like doing it.” He shrugged, staring at the ceiling with droopy eyes. “Hypnotizing them to get what I want just doesn’t sit right with me. I want to feel a connection, you know?”

“So doing one night stands with vampire groupies is the perfect way to earn that connection, I suppose?”

He tilted his head, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue. “You really know how to attack someone’s pride, huh?”

“Part of my charm,” you mimic him with a nod. “Okay, next question. Can you die with a wooden stake piercing your heart?”

He rolled his eyes. “Everybody dies with a stake in—what is this, an interrogation?”

“Do churches—”

“Okay, Sweetheart.” He closed your book, smiling at you though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I think that’s enough. My turn.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, not really pleased with the way he just suddenly changed the direction of your conversation. “What do you want to know?” You indulged him anyway.

He tilted his head, propping his elbow on his thigh, fingers tapping against his cheek as he rested his chin on his palm. Gazing at you intensely, he asked, “Are you a virgin?”

It didn’t take even a split second for you to blush. “T-that’s—What kind of question is that—”

“Ah, so you are.” His smile grew a bit larger, but you weren’t sure whether he was amused, aroused, or just excited to mock you about it. “Is that why you’ve been staring at me a lot lately? Because you’re curious?”

“For the last time,” you emphasized, though your heart was hammering against your ribcages. “I wasn’t looking at you. I never—”

“You’re adorable when you lie,” he snickered, a lopsided smile painting his face. “Your heartbeat sounds like you just did a marathon. Are you okay?”

You threw your book at him, successfully wiping the smirk on his goddamn perfect face, and raced back to your own room.

“Ah, she’s really cute.” Was the last thing you heard him say before you slammed your bedroom door behind you.

***

For a vampire, Donghyuck’s presence is as bright as the sun, always managing to lift your mood whenever you’re too stressed about your college assignments or too exhausted from your part-time job. Of course, he’s also the cause of your stress more often than not, but whenever you get into a fight with him—usually because he’s so disorganized and you’re too obsessive to keep everything in order—it doesn’t last long and ends up with him making you the best dinner you’ve ever had to compensate, even when he’s not the one at fault.

Donghyuck doesn’t consume human food but he makes the best cuisine you’ve ever tasted in your life. And also the sight of him wearing your pink apron while humming to a Michael Jackson’s song with his bangs tied to the side using your hairclip is really, really something to behold—which is weird because that obviously doesn’t scream sexy in any way, or masculine even, but it makes your stomach do somersaults most delightfully.

“Dinner is served, Milady,” he says, laying down a plate of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio in front of you, making you gawk at the sight. “And it’s special because it contains a lot of garlic—seriously, like a lot. I had to put some gloves on and everything.”

“You’re an angel.” You nearly cry and it’s not an exaggeration. “I can’t believe you did this all for me.”

“Well, I haven’t really thanked you for covering my rent last month so…”

“It’s fine, you can pay me back later.” You take a hold of your fork, already wetting your lips in anticipation, and waste not a second longer before you dig in. When the cheese melts inside your mouth, you almost moan in joy. “Oh my God, this is so good. I love you.”

He chuckles, suddenly standing behind you, leaning forward so he’s next to your ear. “Yeah? How much?”

You raise your silver spoon in the air and he immediately leaps to the other side of the kitchen, startled and scared out of his mind. “Hey, that’s not nice! I thought we’ve talked about this!”

Rolling your eyes at him, you take another spoonful of it. “Man, you should really make a job out of this,” you comment. He only cooks whenever he feels sorry for you for going through a hard day—whether it was because of him or something else—but if that’s what it takes to have this magnificent dish entering your mouth, you don’t mind suffering more often.

“I really should, huh?” He takes a seat on the kitchen counter, his legs dangling a few inches in the air. “I’m really running low on money.”

“I thought vampires were supposed to be rich and like, noble.”

“You’re confusing us with Aristocrats.” He grieves. “Do you think I can get a night shift at a restaurant downtown?”

“Oh, I actually know a place. I’ll take you there tomorrow.”

“Like on a date?”

You almost drop your fork. “Why do you have to make everything weird?”

His cheeky grin is contagious but you’ve become a master of handling your expression. “I just like seeing you blush,” he confesses. “Have I told you how cute you are?”

“Today? Not yet,” you mutter as you munch on your food. “Yesterday? Approximately two hundred and thirty-five times.”

“Then I’ll try to break another record today.” He throws you a wink.

“Shut up and let me eat in peace, please.”

***

“Donghyuck-ah.”

“Yes, baby?”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop posting a goddamn selfie every ten minutes!” You almost throw your phone to his face but since it’ll be a waste, you decide to throw your shoe instead. “I didn’t teach you how to use Instagram for this!”

Donghyuck easily dodges every single thing you’re throwing at him. “Didn’t you tell me to promote my cooking skill? That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“How does this—” You show your phone’s screen to him, almost smacking him on the face with how fast and hard you’re doing it. You slide your thumb over his Instagram feeds, showing more than fifty different pictures of his close-up face and he just made that account two days ago. “—promote your cooking skill?!” 

“But, look,” he guides you, clasping his hand to yours so you’re both holding your phone. He taps from one picture to another. “This is me holding a spatula. This is me boiling water and this is me pouring barbecue sauce—”

“Oh my God.” You almost yank every hair out of your head—or out of his head. “I follow more than four hundred people and all I can see is your damn selfies!”

“Correction, my damn cute selfies.” He pecks your cheek. “You’re welcome, babe.”

But all jokes aside, it actually works. His adorable selfies—no matter how bad you hate to admit it—are attracting more followers each day that by the time a week has passed by, he has gained more followers than you (and you’ve had your account for three years, shame on you).

And on the following two months, he gets his first endorsement deal.

“I can’t believe this,” you say, gaping as you stare over his shoulder to look at his phone’s screen, shamelessly reading his direct messages. He’s getting an offer to become a brand ambassador for this little bakery with a cover photo of a lady with chubby cheeks baking cupcakes. “I can’t believe there are people crazy enough to hire you.”

“Hey, privacy!” He immediately stands up from the couch, covering his screen with his palm. “I could’ve been sending nudes!”

“You’re sending nudes?”

“Well, not my nudes.” He rolls his eyes.

“How is that any better?!”

“Look, I’m busy. I got a gig.” He grins proudly. “I’m on my way to becoming a celebrity, babe. Do you want my autograph now before it’s too late? I could sign your bra if you want. I mean, I’m totally down if you want me to sign your tits, but if you ever think that could be awkward—”

You smack his head with a spatula.

***

It’s your first date night after nearly half a year of not contacting Mark due to him going overseas for student exchange, and you’re nervous for various reasons.

First, you haven’t told Mark you’ve been sharing a place with a guy.

Second, you certainly haven’t told him that this guy is a vampire.

Third, you absolutely in any way cannot tell him that you’ve been secretly crushing on this guy while your boyfriend was away studying.

And last but not least, you know that if anything happens tonight, whether it ends up with you fighting with Mark or finally losing your virginity to him, Donghyuck can hear every single thing.

So you barge into his room, hand laying on the front of his bedroom door as you push it open. “Donghyuck-ah.”

Like always, he’s laying idly on his bed, head almost dangling on the edge of it with his phone in his hands. “Yes, baby?”

You sigh, rubbing your temple. “How many times should I tell you? Don’t call me that.”

“You’re not my baby anymore?” He fakes a loud gasp. “I am shocked.”

“Mark is coming over tonight.”

His movements stop abruptly. “I didn’t realize you were still with him.”

“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be? He’s been nothing but sweet to me.”

His eyes lose the mischievous spark he usually displays in them. “And yet, you keep drooling over my body. Can’t say I’m not hurt.”

“I never—” You exhale loudly, throwing your head back. “I’m not going to have this argument again. He’s coming over tonight to have dinner—”

“But you’re a shitty cook.”

“By dinner, I mean take-outs,” you admit your defeat. “Anyway, I came here to ask you a favor.”

“Sweetheart,” he calls, turning over to his stomach so he can face you without having to see you upside down. “I know I said I wanted to make things interesting, but having a threesome with you and Mark? So suddenly like this? Don’t you think it’s gonna be a little awkward between us? I barely know the dude. You should at least tell me what kind of person he is, whether he likes action movies or romantic ones, whether he blames someone else when he farts—I need to know him before I have his dick in my mouth.”

Talking to him gives you headaches, you should’ve really come prepared. “Are you done?”

“Do you still want me to continue? Okay, well—”

“Shut up, please for the love of God, shut up.” You should take your leave before he starts yapping again. “Look, that super hearing thing you do? Can you turn it off just for one night?”

“Sure thing, click,” he says, snapping his fingers near his ear. “Done. Now I’m deaf.”

You flatly stare at him. “I’m serious.”

“Whaaaaat? I can’t heaaaaar youuuu.”

“Hyuck!” 

He groans loudly, rolling his eyes. “Well, it’s not like my ears have on-and-off buttons I can just switch, okay? What do you want from me?”

He’s right, there’s nothing you can do. “Then, can you leave the apartment for the night?”

He opens his mouth wide, hand going to his chest. “You’re kicking me out from my own apartment? This is heresy!”

“Donghyuck-ah, please!” Great, now you’re stomping your feet like a child. “I just really need some privacy for tonight.”

“Oh, you’re gonna get laid, aren’t you?” He raves mockingly, but his eyes are somewhat bitter. “Seriously? With that guy? I think you could do so much better, Sweetheart.”

Vexed, you jeer back, “Yeah? And who do you have in mind? You?”

You’re not sure whether it’s your words or the way you say them because his eyes suddenly turn darker, almost glowering at you but it only happens for a second or two so you’re not sure if you even see that clearly.

“Well, it’s not my business, is it?” He casually chirps, smiling at you again though something still feels off. “Don’t worry, I won’t eavesdrop on you two. I have a lot of kinks but voyeurism isn’t one of those. You won’t even notice I’m here.”

“You…” Something feels really off with the way he’s acting. It’s like he’s visibly upset but trying to act nonchalant about it. “You’re sure?”

“You have my words.”

“Okay then.” Whatever it is, you figure you can deal with that later. “Well, I’m gonna take a shower.”

As you shut the door behind you, uneasiness starts to fill your chest.

***

Your date with Mark is going well. It’s going so well, even, that you end up lying on your bed, perfectly naked,  lips swollen from his kisses, with him hovering on top of you, both breathless and speechless.

And unfortunately for you, also clueless.

He has a packet of condoms in his hand, and no matter how embarrassing it is for you, you already have your legs spread on the bed, waiting for him to… well, do whatever it is he’s supposed to do. Perhaps it’s okay for you to be clueless about sex because guys usually take the lead, right?

Wrong.

“Okay, wait, let me just—” Mark’s fingers are shaking due to anxiety. His poor, innocent mind cannot handle being so painfully turned-on and awkwardly embarrassed at the same time. Your boyfriend has always been awkward with literally everything, which kind of makes him adorable but it does not come as cute—not in the slightest—when he’s doing the exact opposite of what’s he’s supposed to do. Somewhere deep in his mind, he probably knows that he’s supposed to tear apart the packet sexily with his teeth,  put the condom on within seconds, and thrust into you as painlessly as possible. But in reality, what’s currently happening is he tries to catch the condom that flew out in the air after he managed to tear the packet apart with his shaky fingers. He then progresses to try putting on the condom for approximately fifteen minutes while flinching several times when he accidentally slaps the elastic band against his cock.

The whole thing is a fucking disaster (no pun intended) and all the passion, desire, and arousal that you once felt swirling in your stomach vanish in an instant. And when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, it does, because being a virgin himself, Mark doesn’t really know where to, for the lack of better words, put it in.

“Mark?”

“Y-yeah?”

“That’s my asshole.”

So with a reassuring (fake) smile, you lay a hand on his chest and gently push him backward, trying not to wince in chagrin when you suggest, “Maybe we should stop and try again some other time?”

You two dress back into your clothes in silence and after you escort him to your front door, Mark tries to kiss you at the same time you’re leaning in for a friendly hug so it ends up with him knocking his teeth against your forehead.

When he’s gone, you close the front door with a sigh, pressing your spine against the wooden surface as you soothe the pain on your temple away with your fingertips. It doesn’t take long before Donghyuck peeks his head from behind his door. Noticing you’re alone, he steps into the living room, leaning against the wall just a couple of meters away from where you’re standing. 

“So,” he begins, acting casual, “How was the date with—” He suddenly bursts out laughing, one hand holding his stomach as he nearly tumbles down to the floor, cackling like a mad man. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have eavesdropped but man, did he really put it in the wrong hole? Oh God, this shit is just beyond me, man.”

With your shoulders slumped forward, you walk back into your room, trying to gather back the pieces of dignity you have left.

***

“You know what I should do?” Donghyuck asks with a game controller in his hand. To stop him from making fun of you and your terrible incident with your boyfriend, you’ve borrowed a PlayStation from your cousin. Even though he claimed that he despised technology, Donghyuck is actually brilliant when he puts his mind to it. It doesn’t take more than two hours for him to master the game, already adapting to every button of the controller, even manages to land a few high scores in the last ten minutes. He used to prefer to live in the old school way, but that soon changed after your influence.

“Pray to God for forgiveness so He won’t send you to hell?” You offer, as you take a seat next to him on the carpeted floor, crossing your legs, eyes staring idly at the screen. 

“Cute, but no.” He clicks some buttons aggressively, trying to reach yet another high score. “I should become a historian. I mean, I’ve seen things happened with my own eyes—the first world war, the second world war, the birth of Jesus.” He sneaks a glance, but seeing no reaction coming from you, he juts out his lower lip in disappointment. “It’s cruel that you don’t indulge me with my jokes these days.”

“Oh, so you want me to respond? I thought you just liked hearing yourself talk.”

“Heeeeeey,” he hisses, leering at you. “I know you’re hurt that your boyfriend tried to butt-fuck you but don’t throw this all on me.”

Oh my God. “Right, then let’s try this.” You have no choice but to please him this way before he destroys whatever is left of your pride. You do a quick search on your phone, throwing a random question from what you found in the article. “Who led our country in 1950?”

“Easy. The guy with the bald head. No, wait, is it the skinny one with the huge mole on his neck?”

“Name, Hyuck. I need a name.” You exhale in exasperation.

“Oh, I got it! The one with the annoying high-pitched voice!”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?”

“Well, how the hell am I supposed to remember shits that happened seventy years ago?”

You give him a look, eyes staring at him lifelessly. “You’re right, you should totally apply for the job. You’ll nail it.”

***

“I can’t believe this.”

“Saying that multiple times won’t really change anything, Sweetheart.”

“I can’t believe this,” you repeat, this time while standing up from the couch, slamming your fashion magazine down to the table. “I can’t believe our air conditioner broke when it’s nearly thirty degrees outside! Aren’t you hot?!”

“Am I hot—” He snorts, flipping a page of his novel.  Yes, it is actually quite bizarre that he spends his spare time reading. “What kind of question is that? Of course, I’m hot. Haven’t you seen the number of girls I brought into this place?”

“Ugh, God!” You plop back into your seat, throwing your head back in vexation. “What are you even reading?”

“That vampire book you talked about yesterday.”

“Which one?”

“The one that’s interesting.”

“Oh, Interview with The Vampire?”

“No.” The way he rolls his eyes as if he’s disgusted with your guess is beyond you. “Twilight.”

“Oh my God, stay away from me.”

“What—this is actually good!”

“These vampires sparkle under the sun—aren’t you, at the very least, offended? Because I’m livid and I’m human.”

“That’s what makes it interesting, actually,” he retorts, eyes moving back-and-forth as he reads through a passage. “They’re so different than us in real life, so it’s like seeing through a new perspective. I’m Team Jacob, by the way.”

“Good Lord.” You palm the side of your face. “You’re more than a hundred years-old but you have the taste of a teenage girl going through puberty. I’m ashamed of knowing you.”

“You’re just cranky because of the weather.”

“I’m literally dying.” You can feel sweat drenching your back, all the way to your shirt and you just took a shower twenty minutes ago. “You’re lucky you’re immune to temperature changes.”

“Then wanna sit on my lap?”

Your ears must be playing tricks on you. “Excuse me?”

Donghyuck sighs, closing his book and throws it away to the side. Turning to you, he repeats slowly, dragging out every syllable. “Do. you. want. to. sit. on. my. lap?”

You send him a blank stare, annoyed. “I heard you, asshole. I’m not an idiot. I’m just shocked at your offer. You’re really going all out in harassing me these days, aren’t you?”

“What—” He throws his hands in the air, exasperated. “I’m a vampire, remember? I have cold skin. Here,” he takes one of your hands, sliding it down his shirt as if it’s nothing, and presses it against his stomach. “Can you feel it?”

All the blood rushes to your face, making you feel lightheaded but also conscious of how his skin feels under your palm. It is cold, though not as cold as he’d made a big deal out of it. It’s like the room temperature during the spring season, at most. But compared to how sizzling it is right now, his skin is nice to the touch, relaxing even. 

But all that thought just goes straight out of the window when he shifts on his seat and you can feel his abs muscles contracting.

“Whoa,” he stops, looking at you. “Are you okay? Your heartbeat is insane.”

You smack him on the head and try to suffocate him with your cushion. It doesn’t work since he doesn’t breathe, but at least it can stop him from seeing how red your face is turning.

But when another day passes by and your landlord is still taking his sweet time trying to find a cheap handyman to repair your AC, you decide to take on his offer. You know it’s weird for roommates to cuddle but, as you try to reason within yourself, you will be sitting on the-sexiest-man-you’ve-ever-witnessed-with-your-eyes’ lap, your back pressing against his (hopefully) bare chest, and snuggle close until your body heat is no longer screaming at you in agony. You don’t really see any problem with this. After all, you have been imagining how it would feel to sit on his lap every time he does that manspreading thing on your couch. 

So really, what’s there to lose?

“Okay,” you begin, standing in front of him in an already awkward position. “So, how can we do this without being weird about it?”

Donghyuck tilts his face up, leaning his back against the couch, phone in his hand. “Do what?”

“Do…” You fiddle with the hem of your shirt. “You know, what you offered yesterday.”

“Hmm?” He raises his eyebrow in question, but the way one side of his lips is curving upward betrays his act. “I forgot. What exactly did I offer to do?”

“You’re seriously going to make me say this out loud?”

“Baby, I’m clueless.” His smirk grows wider, his voice filled with allure. “Please. Enlighten me.”

He’s toying with you, that’s for sure. And no matter how much you want to feel those arms around you, there’s no way you’re gonna let him degrade you like this. “Fine, then forget it,” you sulk, turning around on your heels with your scarlet cheeks puffed out but Donghyuck laughs in the most innocent way when he’s clearly nothing like that in reality. Calling your name in a sing-song voice, he circles his fingers around your wrist and tugs you back until you tumble down to his lap.

“You’re never honest,” he says, his velvety voice suddenly only a whisper away. His arms are tied securely around your waist, pulling you close until you can do nothing but lay your back against his chest. “But you’re cute so I forgive you.”

You can’t form a word, too busy trying to compose yourself. You can’t hear his heartbeat—since he’s the creature of the undead, obviously—but you assume with the proximity you’re being, you would’ve definitely heard it if he had one.

You didn’t notice it before but now that you’re sitting on his lap, your palm pressed against his thigh for stability you realize that he’s wearing black ripped jeans with holes that are oh so terribly distracting. If you dare to move your finger, you’ll be able to trace the smooth skin at the inner part of his thigh.

You gulp hard.

You can hear him snickering behind you. “Thinking about something dirty?”

You almost swallowed your own tongue. “What—no!” Flapping your hands in panic, you almost fall from his lap but his fast reflex won’t let you, as he embraces you tighter, making you fall back to his chest with a small oof.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you,” he chuckles lowly, his lips grazing against your earlobe. “This is nice. We should do this more often. You fit perfectly in my arms.” He says his line with sincerity with no trace of humor or teasing in it, which effectively make you curl your toes in bashfulness.

“You’re gonna have a heart attack if you keep your heart rate going like that, Sweetheart,” he titters.

“Yeah, well,” you try to push him away by pushing your palm against his cheek. “Unlike you, I don’t really spend my time snuggling with the opposite sex, so of course I’m nervous.”

“You’re sure it’s not because of me?”

“Absolutely. In fact, I’d most likely have a bigger reaction if Mark was the one holding me instead.”

The way he suddenly goes stiff intrigues you, but you don’t dwell on it. “Is that so?” He simply retorts back, tone suddenly becoming cold and it makes you feel uneasy.

“So, uhh…” Your breathing tatters when he becomes mute, only the sound of the ticking clock on the wall can be heard. “Wanna watch a movie?”

He only hums, placing his chin on top of your head. Since he’s always so talkative, it gets really tense when he’s quiet. “Did I offend you or something?” You question.

“I don’t know, did you?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I knew.”

“Then let’s just leave it at that.” Seeing how you keep fumbling with the remote in your hand, he snatches it away and proceeds to switch the channels. “We’re watching Twilight.”

“Nooooooo, not again!”

But his arm, as he raises it high in the air, is longer than yours so you can’t steal back the remote no matter how hard you try. And as you jump up and down, shifting back and forth on his lap, Donghyuck warns, “I don’t know if you’re doing this on purpose, but if you keep doing that, I’m gonna get a hard-on.”

You immediately stay still, hands tucked neatly on your lap, chest thundering. “You—Why—” You shake your head, flushed. “How can you say things like that?”

“Things like what?”

“Sexual things like that.” The more you reveal your thoughts, the harder you blush. “Don’t you have any shame?”

“What, I can’t be honest?” He snorts. “I didn’t mean to harass you or anything. Just letting you know in advance. It’s completely a guy thing.”

“No, it’s not just that. You always flirt with me—calling me baby, telling me how I look cute all the time when you don’t even mean it—“

You’re interrupted with a loud sigh accompanied by an impatient groan. “Turn around, look at me,” he orders and his tone is irrefutable. When you turn slightly, making eye contact, Donghyuck has his eyebrows furrowed, almost glaring at you. “I know you’re gullible, and I know you’re dense when it comes to things like this but I swear to God, if you don’t start taking a hint, I’m going to have to push you against the wall and kiss you to prove my point.”

You’re dizzy and nauseous, and your stomach is flipping like crazy and you’re conflicted between believing him or laughing at him because although he looks dead serious right now, you can’t help but wonder what if, after you give in to your feelings, he sends you that signature cheeky grin of his to reveal he’s just joking all along? You’re not even brave enough to imagine, even when the vivid image of him pushing you against the wall, his knee slipping between your legs while he brings your wrists over your head, holding them still with one hand is enough to keep you awake for hours.

So you decide to take the easy path. “Okay.”

He blinks. “Okay?”

“Okay.” You shrug, acting casual. It’s really a miracle that you don’t stutter when you deliver the next line. “You told me to take a hint, that’s what I’m doing.”

He raises one of his eyebrows, confused. “Just like that? You’re not gonna say anything more? Or do anything about it?”

“Nope.”

Slowly, there’s a shift in his expression. He shakes his head, tongue protruding against the inside of his cheek both irked and amused. “You’re really something.”

Surprisingly enough, he leaves it at that. Though it’s somehow uncomfortable, you follow his lead and just lock your eyes to your tv screen as he chooses his movie.

You have no interest in watching Twilight—absolutely nothing, zilch, zip, nada!—so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when your eyelids start to become heavy in the first thirteen minutes of the show. You would’ve fallen asleep way sooner though, if you weren’t too distracted with the way he laid his hand on your thigh, sometimes unconsciously rubbing or squeezing it with his palm when he got a little bit bored with the scene, making your breath hitched in your throat.

The room’s temperature is still hot even when it’s in the middle of the night, successfully making your bangs stick to your temple but Donghyuck is quietly humming something to himself. Soft, melodious sound is resonating from his chest directly to your ear and you begin to drift away, floating into your dreamland.

***

“Hey, wake up. It’s almost morning.”

Your bleary eyes are greeted with the dim light of the room. The TV in front of you has already been switched off so the only thing that can be heard in your apartment is the buzzing sound coming from your fridge and the faint ticking clock. 

“What time is it?” You rub your eyes, not aware that you’re still sitting on his lap, with your spine leaning against his chest. It’s until you feel his arms loosening around your waist that you begin to think, oh fuck, what have I done?

You immediately jump off his lap, tripping over your feet but manage to hold your balance by placing a hand on the coffee table. “Why didn’t you wake me?” You screech, face aflame. “You kept holding me in that position all night?”

“Yeah.” He stretches his arms above his head, cracking his neck. “I wanted to wait until you wake up by yourself, but you know, the sun is about to rise.”

You’re still pretty much flabbergasted by the whole thing. “You really should’ve woken me up.”

“Well, you seemed like you were having the best sleep you’ve ever had.” He stares at you with a twinkle in his eyes. “Was it that good being in my arms?”

You’re about to explode. “Okay, wow, look what time it is.” You try to look at your wrist and mentally slap yourself harder when you realize you’re not wearing a goddamn watch. “A-anyway, you really should go back to your room before it’s too late.”

He shakes his head, chuckling at your stupid antics as he stands up from the couch. He ruffles your hair once, making a mess out of your strands before he heads back to his room. As he slides open his door, he spares you a glance over his shoulder. “Hey.”

“What?”

“You kept calling my name in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?”

Whether it’s true or he’s just flirting with you to get your reaction, you don’t want to know. “Just go to your room!”

***

A few moments after the sun sinks below the horizon, Donghyuck comes out from his room with bleary eyes and his shoulders slumped forward. 

“Good morning, Princess,” you joke, your hands busy mixing coffee powder, sugar, and milk to make your own version of Dalgona coffee. Donghyuck scratches the back of his head, his eyes are barely open as he heads to the kitchen, not even sparing you a glance. When he opens the fridge, he groans loudly, noticing that he forgot to restock his red wine. He slams the door with a loud huff, drags his body to the dining table, and sits down with his cheek pressed against the table. Seeing how you’re not paying him any attention, he groans again, louder and whinier this time.

“Okay, what?” You ask, leaning your back against the counter, a cup of coffee in your hand.

“I’m thirsty,” he grumbles, jutting out his lower lip.

“Then drink.”

“I don’t have any money to buy even a bag of blood. Why do they have to make it so fucking expensive?” He pouts. “I mean, I can always steal one but I’m scared of being caught.”

“Scared of being caught? You, with your superhuman speed and strength?”

“Well, they have those security cameras installed all over the place! I don’t want to get arrested or worse, go viral!” You resist the temptation to roll your eyes at his nonsense. “These fucking technologies, man, I swear to God, they’ll be the death of me someday.”

“Then just go outside. Our town is filled with walking blood bags.”

He groans again, now pressing his forehead against the table. “Man, the effort I have to make just to survive. I’m so done with drinking blood from slutty girls. They’re bitter.” He sticks out his tongue at the memory.

“Yeah, why is that? Why do you only drink from them?”

“Because they’re the only ones who’ll agree in a heartbeat.” His voice is muffled as his lips are brushing against the surface. “Also the sex isn’t too bad if you can ignore how annoyingly loud they are.”

“Trust me, I’ve tried.” You grimace at the flashback. It really has been a while since he brought one of them back to his room and you were ecstatic about it, knowing you were the only girl he had been giving his attention to. “Why don’t you just compel someone to give their blood? You can erase their memories too after you’re done.”

“I’ve told you, I don’t like doing that. It makes me feel like a monster.”

It’s cute, you suppose, the way he tries his best to defy his nature. “Then…” You tap your fingers against the mug, somehow feeling uneasy. “Why don’t you try being in a relationship with someone? I’m sure they’ll be willing to give you their blood if they like you that way.”

“Yeah? With who?”

“I don’t know, like…” Your cheeks grow hot, bringing your face down to hide your eyes behind your bangs. “Maybe just someone you like.”

“Are you volunteering?”

The way he suddenly has you backed against the counter, trapping you inside his arms, and whispers seductively with his lips almost grazing your own make you jump on your feet, your cup slipping off your fingers, crashing to pieces when it hits the marbled floor.

“Careful!” Donghyuck holds you by the waist, stopping you just a split second away from stepping on the broken glasses. You realize your hands are fisting against the back of his shirt, embracing him for support without knowing. You pull away immediately, clearing your throat.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you,” he says, letting you go. “I mean I did, but not like this.”

You sigh. “It’s okay, just step away. I need to clean this up.” He tries to help but you won’t let him, because having him in such proximity is going to blind your senses, unable to function properly. Even just thinking about the way his strong arm fits the curve of your waist already makes you lose focus that you end up cutting your finger with a shard of glass.

He catches the little surprised yelp that escapes your lips and immediately bends down to check on you. “See, this is why I told you to let me clean up instead,” he complains, carrying you to the sink and drenches your finger with running water. “Let me see.” With a hold around your wrist, you can barely do anything but to let him examine your cut thoroughly. “Well, it’s not deep but it’s… still…” 

Noticing how he trails off, you look up to check on his face seeing how his eyes are now glowing a bit brighter, his lips parted as if in awe from the way droplets of blood seep from your fingertip, trickling all the way down to your palm.

“Hyuck…?”

His eyes are drifting back and forth from your face to your cut and you know where this is going but when he brings your palm closer to his lips, his tongue darting out to lick the blood off your skin, you nearly collapse to the floor. 

“Hyuck—” You hiss, cheeks reddening as you try to retract your hand but his hold is firm on your wrist. He licks his way up before he brings your fingertip inside his mouth. Donghyuck has his eyes closed, a moan almost falls from his lip when the coppery taste taints his tongue. He sucks on the wound, wanting to taste more, to rip your skin apart with his teeth and—

“Hyuck!” 

He blinks awake, shocked when he sees your face painted with fear. His fangs are drawn out but he immediately retracts them back before you get a detailed look, his face flushed as he takes a step back.

“S-sorry—” He looks away, rubbing his nape with shaky fingers. “I didn’t mean—shit I really have to go—I have to drink—” and when you blink your eyes, he’s vanished from your sight.

With your heart thundering inside your ribcages, you lean back against the kitchen counter again, your legs trembling under you.

That was close. So fucking close.

There’s a fear growing inside you but it’s not from the memory of him with his fangs extended like the true monster that he was. You’re not scared of him, you’re scared of yourself because you know you want him, you want him in any way possible. You want him to belong to you, to be with you, to be desperate for your touch, your blood, your presence, your everything, just as much as you are about him.

You bury your face in your palms. I am so fucked.

***

Hours turn into days and days turn into months, and before you know it, it has been a year since he moved into your apartment. The friendship that blooms between you feels nice and you want to keep it that way but it’s getting hard when he keeps on bringing random girls in skimpy dresses back to his room. You used to be furious by how loud they were being, but now you’re pretty much angry just simply by imagining him being with someone else. And it doesn’t even have to be sexual—just picturing him bonding with another person, even when it’s not as strong as what you two have, manages to irk you so much.

The thoughts of him keep revolving in your head no matter how hard you try to push them away. It even puts your relationship with Mark in jeopardy, as you can barely pay him any attention. It doesn’t surprise you at all when he decides to break things off, saying something cliche like, “I think we’re better off as friends,” and “It’s not you, it’s me,” which in normal circumstances will piss the hell out of you but when that happens, you simply just reply, “You’re right. Let’s be friends.” And there are no hard feelings—no feelings at all, even, which is weird considering you were only a month away from having your first anniversary with him.

Now that Mark is out of the picture, you can finally bring all of your attention back to Donghyuck. But the more you think about it, the more you’re not sure about the whole thing. He’s a vampire, isn’t he? What future do you expect to have with him? Let’s say you date him and things go well with your relationship, and then what? He’s going to stay young with that cute, boyish look on his face and you’re gonna be all wrinkled and gross, how are you ever going to be able to stand that? What if he wants someone prettier than you? What if he gets bored?

Or maybe it’s just lust you’re feeling. You don’t love him, you’re just physically attracted to him. That’s right. Strictly physical.

And yet, as you see him dressed up in a white buttoned-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, running a hand through his hair and pushing back his bangs to showcase his temple, you thought: fuck.

And when he smiles at you, as he places a plate filled with the exact dish he knows you love down to the dining table, saying, “I went ahead and did some research about you. I was about to buy you some presents but I thought it would feel more personal if I cooked something for you so,” and stopping to gaze at you with tender eyes before he adds, “Happy birthday, Sweetheart.” You thought: Jesus fucking Christ, just marry me already.

Donghyuck goes all the way with everything, from placing scented candles on the table, playing soft music in the background, even escorting you to your seat, pulling your chair back for you, and placing down a napkin on your lap. It’s too much for your poor brain to comprehend, and your chest is suffocating from all the feelings swirling behind it and Donghyuck looks so beautiful—almost goddamn ethereal even—in that shirt, in that hairstyle, in the dim light of the room.

“You’re not hungry?” He asks when a few seconds have passed by and you haven’t munched at your food like a caveman—because that’s what you usually do. 

“I’m—you—” You splutter, taking a deep breath to calm your nerves before you try again. “You look nice.”

You can already tell that he’s about to say something along the line of “But baby, I always look nice.” So when he just softly smiles back and thanks you about it, telling how you look just as nice when you know you look like a storm just hit you, you’re pretty much lost for words.

“You seem exhausted,” he comments, frowning in concern. “Hard day at work?”

You can’t trust yourself that you won’t start rambling nonsense again while answering his question so you decide to just reply to him with a timid nod.

“Why are you so nervous?” He laughs, eyes turning crescents. “Your heartbeat is going through the roof again.”

You loathe yourself for being so transparent. “I’m nervous because you’re suddenly being so nice. I can’t help but think you have a hidden agenda or something.” That’s a lie. A complete lie.

And you’re sure he knows it. “And what if I do?” He asks, raising an eyebrow seductively. “What kind of a hidden agenda do you think I have for you?”

Why is it so fucking hot in here?! “I don’t know…” You start fiddling with the fingers you have on your lap. “Drinking my blood, maybe?”

His expression is a mystery to you, even when his smirk seems familiar. “And would you be okay if that’s true?”

You can’t answer but fortunately for you, Donghyuck lets out a chuckle, telling you he was making a lame joke. You force yourself to laugh but it sounds like a wheeze so you stop before it gets even more humiliating.

Donghyuck walks to your side with a bottle of wine in his hands, sliding glass to your side as he says, “Wine, milady? It’s not blood, I swear.” And you believe him because this time, the liquid seems more ruby than crimson.

“You really need to relax,” he comments as he leans his back against the edge of the table, raising the glass of his usual red wine in the air before he clanks it gently against yours. “To the cutest, sweetest roommate in the world.”

You immediately take a sip to hide the blush that creeps up your face, flinching when the burning, mildly bitter flavor hits your tongue. You’ve never drunk any alcohol in your life and although this first experience feels rather unpleasant, you keep chugging more of it down your system. 

“Does it taste good?” He asks, secretly smiling to himself as he witnesses how fast you’re drinking the whole glass down. You shake your head in response, which earns another laugh from him.

You’re not sure whether it’s because it’s your first time drinking alcohol or you just have a low tolerance when it comes to it, but you can feel yourself getting both lightheaded and drowsy. Donghyuck who takes notice of that, move you to the couch so you can rest more comfortably. “I better take this away,” he says, circling his lean fingers around your wine glass but you push him away.

“No,” you say, eyes a little bit unfocused. “I’m fine. Pour me some more.”

“Don’t you think it’s enough?”

“Just another glass, Hyuck, don’t be a bitch about it.”

He’s taken aback but collects his composure within seconds. “All right, just don’t blame me for it,” he states as he pours you another one.

“I have a question for you, Lee Donghyuck,” you coo as he takes a seat on the coffee table, facing you. “Does everyone’s blood taste the same to you?”

“It differs, actually,” he answers, taking a sip of his own drink. “But only faintly. I’m not that picky about it.”

“And how does it feel having your blood sucked by a vampire?”

“You’re asking the wrong guy.” He sways his head from side-to-side in amusement. “I mean, of course, I can have my blood drunk by another vampire but I’m not that kinky. I know some vampires who are into that kind of shit though.”

“Well, by the sound of your girls screaming like they were giving birth, it’s either very painful or very…” The sight of him staring at you intently, taking in your features, nearly throws you off tracks. “Pleasurable.”

There’s an awkward pause and silence hangs around to fill the space before Donghyuck speaks again. “How come you’re asking me these questions?”

“Because that’s all I’ve been thinking about,” you confess, not sure why, but you’re feeling very brave at the moment. “And it’s not just about you drinking my blood, but more about you entirely. You know what I mean?”

Donghyuck places his glass down on the table, leaning towards you. “Not sure, but I’m all ears.”

“I… just…” It’s getting harder to speak when he’s so close, you can start locating every tiny mole he has on his face and his neck. The small one near his Adam’s apple is the one that distracts you the most. “I just think we’re compatible with each other, you know? And I’ve never enjoyed someone’s company this much before. You’re funny, you’re smart, and you’re both endearing and freaking annoying at the same time—how is that possible?”

But Donghyuck isn’t laughing. His eyes are deep and dark, raking over your profiles with so much intensity but when he swats the bangs out of your eyes, his touch is tender. “What else? Tell me more.”

You lean closer to his touch like how a kitten would, making him gulp slightly at the sight. “I get so vexed whenever you spend your time with anyone else. I know I have no right to be jealous since we’re just friends but I can’t help it.” You sigh, rubbing the side of your face with your palm. “It’s so fucking tiring to think about you this much when I can’t have you.”

You’re too lost in your own thoughts that when Donghyuck reaches out a hand to touch your face, you jump in surprise, spilling wine all over your blouse. “Shit, this is my favorite shirt,” you whine, sliding your glass down to the table. “Can you get me some tissues?”

But what he does is lifting your body with both of his arms and carry you to the bathroom. You cling onto him with a yelp, trying to keep yourself away from falling even though you’re sure he’s perfectly able to hold your weight.

Donghyuck places you down on the bathroom counter, your fingers dangling at the edge of your sink. Sitting up straight, you begin to feel conscious of your surroundings. “What are you doing?”

“It’s your favorite shirt, right? We need to wash the stain before it sticks,” He explains, his fingers going to your collar. You nearly stop breathing when he asks for permission to undress you, “May I?”

You swallow hard before you weakly nod.

He takes time unbuttoning your shirt one by one when you know he can rip it apart easily with one finger. He’s so gentle, his touches are paper-thin but whenever his icy fingertips make slight contact with your skin, it sends electricity to every inch of your body. 

When he manages to untangle the clothing from your body, you’re only left in your bra and your black satin lace cami top. You can tell he tries to be polite by not staring at what you’re wearing, and instead immediately drags your blouse to the sink, drenching it with water.

“Where did you place the detergent again?” He asks, reaching up over your head to check on the top cabinet and he’s so fucking close that you can see the movement of his Adam’s apple as he speaks. And it’s really, really tempting to just lean over and—

Donghyuck flinches when he feels you sinking your face in the crook of his neck, mapping your lips on his skin, breathing in his scent. You don’t know how vampires usually smell like but Donghyuck reminds you of summer even when you’re not sure how summer smells like. It’s funny how you’re not making sense, even in your own thoughts.

Pushing you away by the shoulders, Donghyuck’s eyes gleam in the way you’ve never seen before. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I…” You can’t form a word—you can’t even form a thought as you’re too busy staring at his lips, how smooth they look, how thrilling they must feel against your own. And maybe he’s thinking the same thing about yours because when you lean in for a taste, he meets you halfway.

It’s warm and it doesn’t make any sense, because the rest of his body is icy cold but as you press your mouth against his, all you can think about is how his lips are warm and soft, so fucking soft and delightful and maybe it’s just your mind playing tricks on you but you don’t care.

You breathe heavily through your nose, yanking at the collar of his shirt so he’s closer to you than he’s ever been, and you tilt your head slightly, angling your face so you can meld your lips deeper against his. He instinctively reacts by holding the side of your face, fingers slipping between your strands, tips curling around your nape.

He kisses better than any man you’ve ever been with and you’re sure he’s better than any man you’ll ever date in the future because Donghyuck knows what he’s doing, even when he’s caught by surprise. 

Sliding your hand up to his chest, you can tell how his skin stands in contrast to the warmth of his mouth and it makes you shiver, your breathing rags, and you moan into his mouth, tracing your tongue along the puncture of his fang that’s still retracted, almost as normal as a human’s but something inside you tells you it’s not going to stay that long if you continue doing this.

So anticipation builds inside you because there’s absolutely no way you’re going to stop what you’re doing.

But Donghyuck is surprisingly more chivalrous than he looks. He pulls away, giving you a few inches of space to break the attraction. It’s not enough, your mind is still heavily clouded by the thoughts of him, so you reach up to kiss him again, catching his lower lip between yours.

“No, wait,” he says, voice sounding breathy though he doesn’t breathe. He circles his fingers around your wrists, holding them down against the counter so you won’t be able to move. 

“Let me just kiss you,” you plead, eyes dazed and desperate. “Please.”

His chuckles are soft, almost inaudible. “You’re drunk.”

“I’m not, I swear.” It’s horribly embarrassing how you’re itching for his touch as if losing physical contact with him causes you madness. “Hold up your fingers and ask me to count them. I’ll guess it right, trust me, so can you just—” You try to move your hand to pull him close but his grip around your wrist is stronger than your strength. “Hyuck—”

“Look, I want this just as much as you do—” He hisses when you’re using your knee this time, sliding it between his legs, giving him the friction that he needs. “Fuck. I probably want this more than you do, but—” He loses control for a split second, re-attaching his mouth to yours with so much fervor, tongues desperate to taste one another. The way you whimper against him makes him groan, his hand sliding down your thigh and spreading your legs apart so he can fit himself between them.

It’s when his fangs suddenly puncture your lips, drawing a hint of blood and making you cry out in surprise that he wakes up from his reverie, pushing himself away immediately to the other side of the room. You almost topple forward from suddenly losing him to lean on but manage to keep your balance by gripping at the edge of the counter.

Donghyuck turns around, facing the bathroom tiles as he leans one hand against the wall while his other one covers his mouth.

“Hyuck—”

“Sorry, let me just—“ His shoulders are shaking, trying his best to calm himself and the thirst that overwhelmed him earlier. “They’ll go back in a minute.”

“No.” You jump down from the counter, moving to his spot with careful steps. “Let me see them.”

He shakes his head, still not turning around to face you.

“I want to see them, Hyuck.” You place your hand on his shoulder, caressing him gently until he finally submits to your touch. 

You only ever saw him with his fangs retracted twice in your life but even then, it was always too dark and too fast for you to see him properly. Now, you can take your time.

He’s so fascinating.

His eyes, as they peer into you in concern and uncertainty that he might hurt you, are glowing brightly in the color of topaz and they’re strikingly beautiful that you can barely look at anywhere else. His fangs are larger but he can still hide them behind his lips if needed. It’s the way they become frighteningly sharp that sends a shiver down your spine but you brave yourself enough to reach out to him.

“C-can I touch…?” You hesitantly ask, and he looks conflicted by the question but soon gives you a timid nod. He parts his mouth slightly so you can trace your fingertip along his cuspid, and you flinch as it feels like a knife splitting your skin. 

He hastily pulls back, terrified at the thought of hurting you. “You’re okay?”

“Do it with me.”

“What?”

You take a deep breath, your heartbeat going crazy. “I want you to drink from me.”

“You’re crazy—”

“Please.” You lay a hand on his chest, tilting your head to the side, exposing your neck to his eyes. “Just try, Hyuck…”

The glimmer in his eyes shows that he’s yearning to fulfill your wish but he cups your cheek again, telling you, “You’re gonna regret this in the morning.”

“I won’t.” Your fingers find a home in his waves. “I’ve been wanting this for a long time so—”

A high-pitched yelp escapes your lips and you have to muffle the rest of your scream by mouthing against the fabric that covers his shoulder because Donghyuck doesn’t waste any second after he heard your confession. His canines are prickling against the skin under your jaw, just between the earlobe and the collarbone. And it hurts when he sinks them—so, so badly—that tears begin to form almost instantly behind your closed lids. Donghyuck suddenly lets you go, his eyes widening as he gazes at the way blood is gushing through his bite mark. “Fuck,” he says, “How can you taste so—” and he dives in again, moaning rather loudly when the warmth of your blood fills his mouth, swallowing a big gulp each time. “So fucking good,” he murmurs in pleasure, tightening his hold desperately around your waist as if you’re the thread that keeps him alive.

The pain only stays for a few seconds before a rush of endorphin seeps into your skin, running through your veins and pumping euphoria to every inch of your body. You slowly relax against his chest, eyes becoming half-lidded as you go into a trance, heartbeat slowing. You’ve never done any methamphetamine in your life but you imagine that it must feel somewhat like this. 

“Hyuck…” You breathe out, feeling a little bit lightheaded, the strap of your camisole falling off your shoulder. You can feel your knees slowly giving out under your weight. “I… I can’t stand…”

He yanks himself away for a second, only to lift you so you can wrap your legs around his waist, your arms around his neck. He carries you back to the counter, placing you down in the same spot as before, your legs dangling in the air.

“Better?” He asks, rubbing comforting circles with his thumb along your cheekbone. You nod, eyes going down to focus on his fangs again. His lips are painted with your blood, with some of it trickling down his chin. He’s a monster and he definitely looks like one, but his eyes are tender and his hands are silky smooth on your skin.

He slides his hand down to the hem of your camisole, fingers rubbing against the fabric as he peppers soft kisses along your jawline. “Is this one your favorite too?”

“Huh?” You’re having the hardest time trying to focus. “Oh… No, not really.”

“Well, then,” his lips are still sucking bruises on your neck when he rips both of your camisole and your bra with one flick of his hand, exposing your bare chest to the air, making you jump in surprise.

“Hyuck—” You’re silenced with another kiss, and it’s so consuming, so deep, so wild that you nearly sob against his mouth. The taste of copper makes you frown in discomfort but the knot starts to loosen when his tongue darts out to meet you in a messy kiss.

His hand is going down to your breast, cupping the side while he runs his thumb along your sensitive bud, making you rake your nails against his back in response. His other hand is tracing the curve of your waist, going down to your hips before he tears your skirt away, tossing the clothing somewhere across the room, following your previous ones.

“Tell me if you want to stop,” he says, hooking his hands at the back of your knees before he pulls your legs forward, pressing his hardness against the wetness of your lingerie. You whine, circling your legs around his waist for stability, and murmurs, “No, don’t stop, please,” against his ear.

It’s not fair that he’s still fully clothed so you frantically toy with the buttons of his shirt, pushing the fabric off his shoulders with so much eagerness before you roam your lips to every inch of his exposed skin. 

Donghyuck licks along the wound of his previous bite, emitting a sinful moan from the back of his throat when your blood sparks ecstasy in his mouth. His fingers are tentatively rubbing you over your lingerie and you beg with your lips muffled by the skin of his chest, “Take it off, just take it off, please—“

You can feel a tiny laugh reverberating from his chest over your desperation but you don’t care. You really are that desperate.

Donghyuck is more than willing to comply, sliding the lingerie down your thighs and you help him push it off your legs completely. You guide his palm to your heat, his fingers immediately sliding between your folds, the heel of his hand pressing against your clit. His mouth finds his way down the valley of your breasts and goes lower and lower until he has his head between your thighs.

You nibble at your lip in anticipation when he presses open-mouthed kisses on the inner part of your thigh. Donghyuck makes sure he has his eyes fixed on yours when he dips his fangs into your supple skin, making you quiver with the sensation.

“God, Hyuck.” You’re going insane, you can feel it. “I want you. I want you in me. I want you all over me.”

And he probably is too because he’s abandoning all of his self-control at once. The way he sucks bruises on your skin, lapping at the trail of blood that painted your body is almost animalistic, raw passion mixed with lust and uncontrollable desire. He unbuckles his belt in hurry, pushing his jeans and boxers down just low enough to release himself from its confines. You can feel his tip grazing against your clit before he glides his length down your folds, pulling you by the legs so you’re almost laying down on the counter, half of your back pressed against the mirror behind you.

His eyes are hooded but they speak reassurance when they bore into yours. “I’ll be gentle.”

Now that it finally sinks you’re going to do this for the first time, your lustful desire gradually changes into jitters. You nod, permitting him to proceed. 

The feeling of him stretching you little by little is absolutely painful and he can tell that too, hissing, “Fuck, you’re so tight,” as his eyebrows adjoin in the middle. You can barely stand the pain and you’re about to stop him by reaching out a hand, but he grabs your wrist and sinks his teeth to your skin.

Another jolt of pain sends tremors all over your body but just like before, another rush of endorphin hits you like a wave, gradually reducing your pain until you’re in haze again, blissful even, but also even more aroused than before, hungry for his touch.

“You’re okay?” He asks, licking the blood that trails down your arm. “Are you still in pain?”

You’re breathing hard but you can feel your heartbeat slowing. “Stop talking and fuck me already.”

His glowing eyes are gazing down at you with desire, intense with lust. He runs his tongue along his lower lip once, smirking as he says, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Even when he said he was going to be gentle with you, he’s doing the exact opposite. Or maybe he is going gentle, which only makes you wonder how wild can he be when he’s not holding back. The thought of him losing control of his mind as he pounds into you senselessly makes you shudder, tightening yourself around his length unconciously.

“My God.” The feeling of your heat enveloping him—squeezing around him—makes him drop his temple on your shoulder, dissolving him into a groaning mess. “You are driving me insane, do you know that?”

“Don’t hold back,” you hold his face, caressing his sharp jawline with trembling fingers. “Just do what you want.”

“But I’ll break you.” Although his eyes seem like he’s about to grant your wish.

 You let your tongue slide up from his chin to his lower lip, stopping just to whisper, “Then break me apart, I don’t care,” before you crush his mouth with yours again.

Donghyuck’s thrust is both deep and hard, knocking your breath with each pound as he holds you by your hips, nails clawing into the skin. Maybe it’s the trace of endorphin left in your body that heightened all your senses while at the same time washing all your pain away because everything feels so unbelievably good. His touches, his kisses, his thrusts, and the way he moves his hips faster and faster until you can’t properly breathe—everything feels amazing. 

And his voice—God, his voice—the way he moans and grunts against your ear, or when he sprouts expletives while he buries his face deep in the crook of your neck, lips scorching against your skin, makes you think fuck why did I waste a fucking year doing nothing when I can have him like—

You’re interrupted from finishing your thought when Donghyuck suddenly pulls out of you, making you whimper from the loss, and turns you around, forcing you to land on your feet again, your stomach pressed against the edge of the counter. You place both hands on the marbled surface as he pulls your hips closer to him, pressing his hardness against your behind as he presses his chest to your spine.

“Come here, look,” he says, holding you by the chin and lifts your face so you can gaze directly into the mirror. He shifts his hand, now holding back your bangs so your eyes are reflected perfectly. “Look how beautiful you are,” he purrs near your ear, the tip of his nose brushing against your jawline.

It’s both embarrassing and arousing to see yourself being held domineeringly by him, the curves of your body fit his perfectly even from behind. Your lips are bruised and swollen, blood smears messily around your neck, your wrist, your thigh even on your hips from the way he trailed his coated fingers along the skin. 

Donghyuck raises two of his blood-smeared fingers to your lips, mixing your lipstick with your own blood before he slowly drags his fingers away, painting blurred lines of crimson to your cheek. He sighs at the sight, eyes half-lidded as they glow brighter. “If I’m a monster,” he says, voice low and breathy, “Then you’re a fucking goddess.”

You shudder and avert your gaze, ashamed of how sultry you look in the mirror and how sinful his gaze is as they rake over your body. He presses close, completing the dip of your spine with his chest like a matching puzzle. His fingers curl around the front of your neck, forcing you to look at your reflection once more as he licks a stripe up your wound. “We look good together, don’t you think?”

You’re breathing hard, chest heaving up and down with each breath. “Hyuck…” You crave for him to fill you again like before. “Please, just—"

He glides his hand down between your legs, teasing you with small touches but strong and fast enough to make you quiver. “So sensitive too,” he chuckles, nipping slightly at your earlobe. “You’re so fucking cute.”

Before you can retort anything back, he pushes the head of his cock into your heat again, agonizingly slowly at first but slams the rest of it with one snap of his hips.

“I’ve thought about this—about us—I think about you a lot,” he confesses, with low groans interrupting his lines. “You’re really driving me insane with that face of yours, your lips, your voice—whenever you call my name, whenever you pout after losing an argument—the way you secretly stare at me wherever I go—”

“I don’t—” You gasp, thighs trembling under your weight and he wraps an arm along your stomach, holding you still while he pushes in deeper. “I never—”

“And the way you lie just like now, with that blush creeping on your face.” He chuckles, kissing the middle of your shoulder blades. “Fuck, you’re so cute—so fucking cute that it pisses me off whenever you talk about Mark when we both know he can’t satisfy you the way I do—he doesn’t understand you— doesn’t get your stupid jokes—” He begins to fall out of rhythm, hips moving faster with each thrust. “He doesn’t deserve you—I deserve you.”

You catch the sight of your reflection, noticing how he sometimes throws his head back in pleasure, his strong hands gripping on the sides of your waist as he rolls his hips again and again, thrusting into you until you can only cry out his name and nothing more. It’s too obscene, too erotic for your eyes to witness, and when he locks his gaze with yours in the mirror, you nearly faint.

“H-Hyuck—” You reach out a hand back, trying to find his for support but he holds your wrist against your spine, pumping into you with strong strokes, leaving you with no options other than pressing the side of your face against the marble countertop, mouth parting in a silent scream.

The sounds of his groans and your whimpers echo through the bathroom walls, along with the sound of your skin meeting his. His teeth prickling against your shoulder, his eyes going to see how you look underneath him in the mirror before he sinks his fangs deep into you, making various sounds of pleasure as he drinks your blood.

The sensation of his thrust, his fingers slightly choking you as he holds you by your neck, and the amount of endorphin that washes over you soon drives you to your release and he embraces you closer, feeling every shake that you emit directly with his body. And maybe it’s from the loss of blood or everything else combined, but your vision starts to blur and suddenly your world turns black.

***

When you wake up, you’re laying on your bed, staring at the ceiling you’ve seen a million times with your eyes barely open. You’re still pretty much in a haze, not sure if you’re still floating inside your dream or back in reality. It’s until your door opens with a click that you can start to differentiate.

“Ah, you’re awake.” He peeks inside through the door holding your favorite mug, already dressed back in his favorite black tee and matching jeans. “I was wondering when you’d wake up. Can I come in?”

He walks in without needing an answer and, weirdly, he doesn’t seem nervous or awkward when the sight of him already makes you blush fervently and your heart races fast. A flashback comes in like an unstoppable train and you almost reach out a hand to your neck, wanting to know if his bite mark is still there. 

The way he acts is so natural that you begin to wonder whether all that happened was simply your imagination. But when you try to move your body, jolts of pain runs like electricity to your bones, making you freeze instantly. It feels like somebody is trying to crack your head open, tearing your body apart and you fall back to the bed, weak and exhausted.

“You all right?” He immediately rushes to your side, sitting on the edge of the bed, checking on your face. “You lost a lot of blood, so I wouldn’t move too much if I were you. I brought you some coconut water, here,” he places the mug down on your nightstand. “And some supplements too. They’ll help with your blood loss. I’ll cook some fish and eggs for dinner later.”

You can only nod, too tired to even speak. His eyes begin to soften, his fingers reaching out to caress the strands of your hair. “I guess I went a bit overboard, I’m sorry.”

“A bit…?” You croak out.

“I’m sorry,” he repeats but can’t help a smile forming on his face. “I tried so hard not to, but you were so cute.”  He leans closer, his lips hovering above yours but he rethinks his decision before he closes the gap, and moves to press a gentle kiss on your forehead instead. “You should get more sleep,” he murmurs against your skin. “Call me when you need help. I’ll be right outside.”

And he doesn’t spare you a glance as he stands up from the bed, but the way he trips on his feet once makes you realize that oh, maybe he’s embarrassed about all this too.

“Hyuck.”

He stops in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder as he lays a hand against your doorframe. “Yeah?”

“Where does this leave us?”

His face slightly goes stern. Turning over to face you, he questions further. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” you pause, wetting your lip in anxiety. “Do you want us to pretend it didn’t happen?”

His eyes darken, somehow seem a bit upset. “Do you?”

“I… Uhh…” The way your heart is beating so fast makes you feel nauseous. “I don’t, but—”

“Then don’t suggest something like that,” he sighs, walking back to your bed again. He kneels on the floor so you’re eye-to-eye, squeezing your hand with his larger one. “Don’t scare me, okay? I finally have you where I want you.”

You look away, attempting to hide your flustered face. “But then, what are we now?”

“I don’t care what we are. I just want us to keep doing this.”

“Doing what, sex? You drinking my blood?”

“No, idiot.” He rolls his eyes. “I mean, yes, of course, that too. Plenty of that. But what I meant was I want to continue to have this kind of relationship with you. Us living together, making fun of each other, having dinners together, even spend hours watching re-runs of your stupid tv shows—”

“They’re not stupid.”

“They’re stupid. I only watch them because of you. You are my favorite show.” He winks, breaking the tension and you blurt out laughing, shoving him playfully by the shoulder. But when your giggle starts to fade, Donghyuck leans in to cup your cheek, smiling softly. “I just want to spend more time with you, as long as you’d let me. So can we have that? Please?”

“I…” You’re so captivated by his features, especially the shape of his lips. “I guess…”

“You guess?” He scrunches up his nose. “You’re playing hard to get again? Seriously? After all the begging you did in the bathroom?” Seeing you blush only makes him want to tease you harder. “What was it that you said? God, Hyuck, I want you. I want you in me. I want you all over me—“

“Okay, shut up, geez!” You slap a hand against his mouth, steam practically coming out of your ears. “Yes, we can have that. I’d… love to have that actually.”

Kissing your inner palm, he lovingly smiles against your skin, appreciating your honesty. “That wasn’t so hard, was it, Sweetheart?”

***

Read the sequel here

[koiblossom5]

tr characters at a sleepover

takemichi: probably the most normal one, which is not a good sign. he’s the type to chomp down aggressively on popcorn during scary movies bc that’s how scared he is. he’s also the first one to pass out, making him the ideal target for pranks (courtesy of mikey, smiley, and kazutora)

mikey: oh god oh fuck. this very violent gremlin will hog all of the snacks, and by all, I mean ALL of them (he’s willing to lend takemichi the popcorn though). nobody can get any sleep bc this little shit snores louder than a vacuum cleaner, much to everyone’s annoyance. oh and the nasty ass creature that’s stealing all of the food in your fridge at night? that’s not your sleep paralysis demon. that’s just mikey with his stupid 3 am snacking.

draken: takes on the role as mikey’s impulse control, but only because no one else will do it. everyone cuddles up toward him during the scary movie because he’s strong and has a very reassuring presence. by the end of the movie, he can’t feel either of his arms or legs. he’ll be willing to buy extra snacks from the local dollar store just so he can get away from mikey.

baji: honestly? just as annoying as mikey. he’s ready to get wild, and constantly squabbles over the snacks with mikey (but he’s willing to share with chifuyu). he lets emma play with his hair while he gets his nails done by chifuyu. before sleeping, everyone has to roll baji up into a blanket burrito because this mf will NOT stop kicking in his sleep. have you ever been strangled in your sleep? oh don’t worry that’s probably just baji dreaming of choking kisaki to death

chifuyu: sneaks peke j in because he can’t sleep without his cat. thankfully, he’s one of the calmer people, probably second to takemichi. he also brings over his nail polish and offers to do everyone’s nails! oh uh, ignore the barfing noises in the background: that’s just chifuyu after he’s eaten one pop tart too many. given up on sleep yet?

mitsuya: he’s willing to be more chill. he loves his sisters, but it’s practically a gift from heaven having one night to himself. he brings all of the snacks, much to mikey’s delight. he’s also probably surprisingly calm during the scary movie, but only because he had a weird but short phase sometime during middle school where he would watch nothing but horror movies. it explains a lot about luna and mana’s upbringing, actually. he’ll try to get inui to model in some clothes for him, much to hakkai’s jealously.

hakkai: slightly bummed because mikey has a super tight grip on the snacks and won’t seem to share (it’s fine, draken is going to get some more). also, mitsuya is asking someone ELSE to model for him, which he seriously can’t stand. luckily, he has someone to rant to (ahem, angry) while he gets his nails done by chifuyu. he’s terrified out of his mind during the movie, screaming really loudly during the jump scares. it’s an odd sight: hakkai’s six foot ass cowering behind mitsuya, who’s calmly munching on some popcorn with takemichi without batting an eye.

pah chin: don’t tell koko, but he somehow managed to sneak his dog, pochi into the fucking house. chifuyu’s not the only one who can’t sleep without his pet. peh-yan is the only one who knows pochi is there. they hide pochi in a closet, occasionally feeding pochi some leftover snacks that mikey hasn’t claimed yet. it’s literally the worst kept secret because these two share a collective brain cell, but somehow no one has noticed yet because there’s too much chaos going on. unfortunately, the closet they hide pochi in just happens to be where koko’s shoes and fancy clothes are stored. don’t worry! koko doesn’t find out until the very next morning, or the morning after THAT, because he’s so exhausted he literally passes out for two days. that’s how much of a headache these dumbasses are

peh yan: nervously helps pah-chin smuggle pochi inside koko’s house. he nearly spills the secret like three times to five different people, but everyone thinks he’s joking. he works off the stress by playing (several) rounds of mario kart with smiley, who is unsurprisingly good at it. after the end of his rage-quit, the TV’s shattered and broken, the consoles are split into two, and koko’s headache turns into a migraine.

smiley (nahoya): whatever you do, do NOT turn your back on this fucking demon. he’s all ready to party and get wild, and by party, he means pranking the shit out of everyone at least once. he’s already got to takemichi literally after he just stepped into the house with the classic bucket prank. takemichi seems to be his favorite target by far, partially because he’s so easy to prank. he reluctantly stops filling the water balloons with boiling hot water only because mitsuya catches him in the act. did I mention that his son of a bitch craves violence?

angry (souya): kind of becomes everyone’s therapist for tonight. he sympathetically listens to his friends’ ranting, purely because he just wants all the tea (keeping a secret? forget it. he’s gonna spill to smiley like ten seconds later anyways). during the water balloon fight, he grabs a giant nerf gun instead, which automatically makes him the winner because everyone’s desperately trying to escape his carnage. after all, he was closest to winning smiley’s paintball party last year. 

koko: man I feel so sorry for this guy. everyone chooses his fancy-ass mansion for the location of their sleepover (without permission because permission is for weak ass nerds ofc ). his blood stress and headache is higher than usual, which is saying something. you know that feeling when you’ve had a busy day at school, and your backpack is so fucking heavy it’s practically killing your spine, neck and shoulders? that’s what he’s feeling right now, but worse. don’t worry, everyone trashed his house, but paying for the property damage will barely scratch his bank account.

inui: it’s a little awkward for him because he’s rarely slept over at someone else’s house (other than koko’s), and he isn’t quite close to the others yet. he pointedly avoids other people (mitsuya, who he literally whacked over the head with a baseball bat, hakkai, because he used to be taiju’s subordinate, mikey. because mikey made it very clear that he doesn’t like inui very much, and koko, because fuck you, read the manga). he sticks close to draken’s side and kind of just follows him everywhere until draken tells him to get to know the others better. that leads to him chatting quietly with takemichi, who seems to welcome him. chifuyu’s very eager to paint his nails (red, because it’s the colour of mitsuya’s blood after he got whammied in the head!). mitsuya is determined to make inui his new model project (again, much to hakkai’s envy and distress), and tries to talk to him, which makes inui avoid him because he’s worried that mitsuya’s going to confront him. luckily, it turns out that mitsuya just wants him to try on some clothes, much to inui’s relief. he ends up making some new friends!

kazutora: you thought mikey and baji was bad, huh? well kazutora is (arguably) worse. he’ll keep it civil for the first hour, only making like, 20 snide comments toward chifuyu while chifuyu is doing his nails (the only thing that’s keeping chifuyu from dumping acrylic nail polish all over on kazutora’s stupid egirl banana hair is that the nail polish was expensive as hell ). kazutora’s favorite prank victim also happens to be poor takemichi, which leads to a competition between smiley and kazutora to see who can prank takemichi the most. suffice to say, takemichi had a truly awesome horrible night.

kisaki: i’d like to make one thing clear. this bastard was NOT invited at all. he’d be a mood killer to have around anyways. even if he was, chifuyu would have killed him before he could even take a single step inside the house.

hanma: in a hypothetical turn of events, let’s just say that if hanma WAS at the sleepover (hypothetically, of course), he would be just as chaotic as smiley, except his idea of “fun” is setting something on fire with those stupid cigarettes of his (don’t smoke kids!! protect your lungs). stealing baji’s forte? not cool hanma. :/

[kim-chann]

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

       ❝   Siblings  ❞        --       Chef’s Special

            - - - | Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki, Satoru Gojo

                                 Synopsis ;; being siblings with some of my favourites

                                                           ﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏ $ 0.00

               - - - Includes slight manga spoilers - - - 

༺ Chef Note: Another Chef’s special! This has been on my mind for quite some time. This is some just some indulgent stuff cause siblings relationships are so fun but the worst at the same time lmao. 

Also!! I’m going to reopen matchups soon once I hit only 5 left. Currently, I have 7 left to write. So if I finish two more today, they’ll reopen later today!

༺ Chef Note: Adding a border, cause this is quite long...

〄          ⤷ Yūji Itadori | 虎杖悠仁 - - - 

       ☉ Being Yuji’s sibling is a wild game, jesus dude

       ☉ It doesn’t matter if you’re older or younger than him, he’s still as wild as ever

       ☉ Yuji is such a brat, he pulls pranks on you, blasts music in your ear when you’re sleeping, uses your stuff without permission, and overall, just plain rude...

      ☉ Just kidding!! (but he will do those stuff listed above)

      ☉ Being his sibling is the two of you guys being stupid as hell

      ☉ And siblings fights! He’ll always win whenever the two of you guys are wrestling and might accidentally hurt you, and will profusely apologise 

      ☉ Hurting you is the last thing he ever wants to do

      ☉ He’s the type of sibling to throw things at you just to get your attention instead of calling your name

      ☉ Whether it’s from a snack that he’s eating, or even a rock

      ☉ “Heyy, heyyy, I said hey!!”

      ☉ Once Yuji gets bored, he will barge into your room and bother you until he finds something better to do

      ☉ If you’re on a call with your friends, he will embarrass you. I feel like it’s always a siblings job to embarrass the hell out of each other 

      ☉ Yuji will start spilling your deepest secrets in front of your friends and tell the most embarrassing stories about you when you were younger

      ☉ Also! He always does head pats and ruffles your hair whenever he walks past you and doesn’t care if you just fixed your hair or not

      ☉ He will always ruffle it, and there’s nothing stopping him

      ☉ Yuji is also the type of sibling to accidentally break your door down

      ☉ “It was locked!!”

      ☉ “But you didn’t have to kick my door down!”

      ☉ “I didn’t mean to!”

      ☉ That’s... not even an excuse, Yuji

      ☉ Sometimes, he’ll ask for your opinion on a subject cause he trusts your words of wisdom

      ☉ “Hey, (nickname), do you think that my muscles are getting bigger?” He flexes his biceps and even invites you to touch it

     ☉ Once you say that he’s fine, and tell him the answer that he expects, he’s self esteem will boost (honestly, positive comments from siblings just feels more genuine, ya know?)

      ☉Yuji will always ask for homework help and is ass at math

      ☉ “Help meee, I don’t know how to do Geometryyyy” 

      ☉ Yuji is always whining 24/7, which he redeems to be a puppy 

      ☉ If you don’t know how to do geometry either, or forgot, then the two of you will struggle together. 

     ☉ “If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.” Yuji whines

      ☉ Can I also say that he will cook for you? (And it’s always delicious, might I add)

      ☉ Be can try to cook you anything you want, by researching recipes, then improvising to make it “tastier,” according to him

      ☉ But somehow, it always tastes better than you expected?? What kind of sorcery does he possess? cursed energy

      ☉Overall, being his sibling consists of the two of you going wild and him making fun of you

〄           ⤷ Megumi Fushiguro | 伏黒恵 - - -

       ☉ Being his sibling is him being protective of you

       ☉ Like Yuji, he doesn’t matter if you’re older than him or not, he will always protect you because “you don’t know what could happen,” Megumi says

      ☉ It’s really sweet, but sometimes, it can get pretty annoying whenever he walks you to a friends place and he makes sure that you get in the house before he leaves

      ☉ Going somewhere? “Let me come.” Leaving the house? “Where are you going?” Eating food? “Can I have some?”

      ☉ Even though it seems like he wants to protect you 24/7, he wants to be with you because honestly, he can get lonely

      ☉ Megumi didn’t really have many friends throughout his life, and since you’re always by his side, he just thinks that you’re his best friend/sibling 

      ☉ He thinks that protecting you is sibling bonds, but if you’re uncomfortable with him doing so, let him know and he will stop

      ☉ Megumi isn’t one of those mom’s who uses an app to track you down and sees whatever web browser history you go through, cause that’s honestly fucked up

      ☉ Megumi respects your boundaries and wants to make sure that you’re comfortable and safe 

      ☉ Sometimes, he’ll even wake you up in morning so you can go on walks with him and even summon his Divine Dogs to have them stretch and walk

      ☉ Since he’s a jujutsu sorcerer, you know about all the curses, grades, and schools around Japan

      ☉ Even if you’re cursed yourself and can see curses or not, Megumi will educate you about them 

      ☉ He’s really reliable on information cause I always see him as a smart boy

      ☉ Need help with homework? He’s got you covered

      ☉ Sometimes, he’ll even offer to do it for you if you’re too tired to (Which is really sweet not gonna lie)

      ☉ He’ll make you coffee in the morning and occasionally cooks for the two of you, and makes sure that you’re okay and well taken care of 

      ☉ Since the two of you didn’t have parents to look up to, he’s basically your sibling and parental figure 

      ☉ He basically raised you, per se

      ☉ Overall, he’s a great brother that just wants to see you happy and safe. Cherish him!

〄           ⤷ Norbara Kugisaki | 釘崎野薔薇 - - - 

      ☉ Nobara is a wild sister to have, oh my god

      ☉ She’s pretentious and wants to be the one that’s basically worshiped in the family

      ☉ Nobara hates you with a passion

      ☉ She’s like a spoiled sister that wants everything, and if you ask to borrow something that she has, she’ll say, “Who’re you?”

      ☉ She won’t let you borrow anything and always gets mad if you just go into her room

      ☉ “I can’t talk right now, I’m doing hot girl shit.”

      ☉ Nobara always gives you the stank eye or rolls her eyes whenever you ask her to do something, “can’t you do it yourself? I’m on my phone right now.”

      ☉ “I literally hate you, get away from me.” 

      ☉ Will only do what you say if she’s in a great mood

      ☉ She’s a sister that bullies her older or younger siblings all the time, but will stop if they start to cry, but not with her saying, “don’t be such a baby. Grow up!” 

      ☉ However, if someone is bullying you or made a snarly comment about you, she gets all defensive like she’s the one who got insulted

      ☉ “Excuse me? The hell did you just say?!”

      ☉ She’ll argue towards the person that insulted you, even complimenting you to counter the comment that was made against you

      ☉ Nobara is only allowed to bully you, nobody else!

      ☉ If necessary, she’ll even throw hands against that person to prove that you’re not what they say you are

      ☉ Don’t worry about Nobara losing. Every time she fights, she will win 

      ☉ After the fight, she’ll walk back to you with ruffled clothes and a bloody nose, and say, “If they bother you again, let me know so I can kick their ass.”

      ☉ Sometimes, Nobara spoils you (keyword: sometimes)

      ☉ She’ll buy you something that you’ve been wanting to have, like a new phone or something

      ☉ Once you thank her, she’ll be like, “Yeah, yeah, it’s nothing.”

      ☉ Nobara doesn’t hate you, despite her bullying you in every way possible, but it’s the littlest things she does for you that proves that she loves you as a sibling that she adores

      ☉ Overall, you got a bully for a sibling but makes sure that you’re actually loved 

〄           ⤷ Satoru Gojo | 五条悟- - - 

      ☉ I-- dear lord, how do I even explain this?

      ☉ It’s a bit tough being his sibling at the beginning 

      ☉ So I’m going to explain something else for a minute 

      ☉ When you were born into the Gojo clan, the family often discriminated you because you were an accidental pregnancy 

      ☉ So you were often discriminated as a child instead of getting worshiped and praised by the clan. You were practically a servant to the clan (like Mai and Maki)

      ☉ However, Gojo was always there to protect you because he was worshiped for inheriting the “six eyed,” curse 

      ☉ Gojo has been protective of you ever since you were a child and even helped you with your duties as a “servant.” 

      ☉Even if you inherited a technique or not, the family still looked down because you were not the “six eyed” curse

      ☉ Gojo wouldn’t be surprised if you hated him as a child because the family always compared you to him 

      ☉ So once Gojo was legible to attend Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical High school, he made sure to bring you with him

      ☉ It took his family a lot of arguing and convincing, but in the end, you got your bags packed up and ready to leave for the school

      ☉ If you don’t have cursed energy, and you’re younger than him, you can be trained how to defend yourself along with your brother for you not to get left out (like Maki)

      ☉You’re going to be a first year way earlier than other students, but like what Kamo said, “age doesn’t matter in Jujutsu.”

      ☉ Gojo will sometimes tease you as the two of you are students, but he’s a great mentor whenever you need help about something 

      ☉ Suguru and Shoko will also be your best friend too!

      ☉ Currently, Gojo is still a protective older brother, but goddamn he’s such a tease and a bitch at the same time

      ☉ “(Nickname)~~, what’re you doing?”

      ☉ Like every typical sibling, he can get bored and he will bother you, even if you’re busy

      ☉ If you become a teacher like him, he will randomly interrupt your class and sit down in one of the empty seat and act like nothings wrong 

      ☉ He’ll even act like a student by raising his hand and answering the question

      ☉Gojo disrupts a lot of your activities quite often just because he wants to and sometimes enters your room, stares at you for a few seconds, then leaves

      ☉ Whenever the two of you are free, he’ll invite you to go have some lunch or dinner to take a break from the school

    ☉ Expect him to order a lot of desserts too lmao

      ☉ Gojo honestly pays for anything, even your groceries, necessities, etc

      ☉ Gojo is literally rich, rich, and doesn’t care about his spendings sometimes, and will buy you anything if you ask him

      ☉ He spoils you a lot, to secretly redeem his forgiveness for how the both your parents treated you

      ☉ Overall, he’s a great brother and he’s really fun! Being his sibling is just him being himself, but extra protective 

༺ Chef’s Note: Trying my best to clear my inbox. I have 7 matchups left, wish me luck!

[thebadgerclan]

SFW Alphabet: Severus Snape

Requested by Anonymous

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) Severus is quite possibly the most affectionate man to ever live.  I HC that his love language is physical touch, so he always has an arm around you, is holding your hand, has you in his lap, in his arms. Severus always wants to have you near him, always wants to be touching you in some way.  Kisses on your hand and cheek in public, on your forehead and lips in private.  He’ll also give you small gifts: a new quill when you need it, a book you’ve wanted to read, things like that.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?) Severus is a loyal friend, regardless of your house or blood status.  He’s kind, funny, caring, always willing to help you with anything you need; homework, personal issues, he’s always willing to listen.  It starts after you’re partnered up for a potions project and Severus realizes that he has a bit of a rival in that class.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?) Cuddles are one of Severus’ favorite things in the world.  Your arms are his favorite place, he loves holding you or being held by you.  When he holds you, he likes to lay on his back with you tucked into his side with your head resting on his chest, arms around your middle, or spooning you (he’s the big spoon)  When you hold him, Severus likes to be on his side, facing you, with his face buried in your chest, arms wound around your middle, keeping you close to him.  He also likes being the little spoon (even though he’s tall)

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) Severus does want to settle down with you, he dreams of a cozy little home somewhere with you, where you can just live your lives.  He wants to marry  you more than anything else in the world, he gets you a ring as soon as possible and pops the question.  The war keeps you two from having the wedding you want, but you make an Unbreakable Vow to each other, swearing to always love one another.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) The mere thought of breaking things off with you almost gives him a panic attack, but if he had to do it, he’d likely put up his Occlumency shields.  If he didn’t, he would break down and sob through it, unable to get through a single word.  He’d be brief and to the point: “Y/N, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this any more.  I’m so sorry, love.”  

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?) Severus is a very committed lover: once he’s yours, he’s yours forever.  He never has eyes for anyone but you, you are the only person he will ever love.  After about 4 months into the relationship, Severus is thinking about marriage, but he knows it’s too soon.  He does start looking at rings at around 7ish months, and about a year or so into the relationship, he asks you to marry him.  The ring is simple but beautiful: a silver band with a princess cut diamond, flanked by a few small emeralds

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) Severus is so gentle with you, physically and emotionally.  You are one of the very few people that get to see this side of him: he could be raging about something Potter did, but he melts when he’s around you, sweetly taking you into his arms and holding you close.  He’s very emotionally available, he treats you with reverence and respect, never taking his anger out on you.  He does sometimes get angry, and sometimes, you make him angry, but he will NEVER raise a hand to you, NEVER hurt you.  He might shout a little when he’s angry, but he apologizes immediately after.  Severus tries to never shout at you, but he’s human, and it happens sometimes, but he never takes his anger out on you

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?) Oh yes, Severus Snape LOVES hugs, he hugs you at least 15 times a day.  He’ll legitimately get sad if he goes a day without hugging you.  Severus will pull you close to him, wrap his arms around your middle, and rest his chin atop your head.  If he’s feeling a bit more emotional (sad, angry, frustrated, anxious, etc.), he’ll stoop down and bury his face in your neck, still holding you tight.  HIs hugs last for at LEAST 40 seconds, and he’ll pout when you pull away.  His hugs are warm and welcoming, making you feel safe and secure

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?) Severus wasn’t the one to say it first, mainly because he’s afraid you’ll leave him.  But when you say it, about 3 months into the relationship, Severus bursts into tears, burning his face in your chest.  “I love you,” he repeats over and over again.  “I love you, Y/N, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.”  After that, he tells you at least 20 times a day.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?) Severus is a fiercely jealous man.  When he sees someone checking you out, chatting you up, or heaven forbid, touch you without your permission (and I mean arm, shoulder, hand touches).  He sees red, coming to your side immediately and wrapping an arm tight around you.  People know how jealous and possessive Severus tends to be, and he doesn’t even have to say anything, all he has to do is glare at the other person and they know they’ve overstepped

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) All encompassing, all consuming, world changing, that’s what Severus’ kisses are like.  He kisses with passion, with love, with devotion, yes, with lust too.  Obviously, he loves to kiss you on the lips, and when he does, he pulls you flush to him, kissing you with everything he is, pouring every ounce of his love and adoration into it.  You tend to wind your arms around his neck, sometimes threading your fingers through his hair.  Severus doesn’t do “pecks”, he either kisses you for 30 seconds straight or not at all.  The exception to his is when he kisses your hand around others.  He loves to kiss your forehead as well, as he can just bend a little to reach.  Severus will kiss your neck too, especially when things are getting steamy.  He likes to be kissed in the same places as he likes to kiss you, with the addition of his left forearm, directly over his Mark.  It just makes him feel extraordinarily loved

L = Little ones (How are they around children?) The way Severus acts around the students is completely different than how he’d act around his own children.  Severus would be a doting, adoring father, loving his children almost as much as he loves you.  He would cherish them with everything he is, crying the first few times they cry, sleeping on the floor next to their crib, showing pictures of them to anyone who will look.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?) Most mornings are early because Severus has classes, but every morning, Severus wakes you with a kiss on your forehead before the pair of you dress in comfortable silence.  Breakfast in the Great Hall is spent with Severus’ hand in yours, pressing kisses to the back of it every so often.  After that, he walks you to your classroom, kissing you sweetly before going down to the dungeons

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?) Evenings are spent in your shared rooms, in each other’s arms, reading, grading, talking, or just enjoying each other’s company.  It doesn’t matter how stressful or bad Severus’ day was, having you in his arms (or being in yours if it was a really bad day) makes everything better.  Often, you’ll share a shower or bath (which may or may not lead to sex) before getting into bed and cuddling until you fall asleep

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?) It takes Severus a while to be comfortable to truly open up to you, but when he does, it’s an hour and a half of Severus telling you every single detail of his life.  You listen to every word, taking his hand when he cries, offering console when he needs it.  And when he’s done, when everything’s laid out at your feet, you take him into your arms and soothe him as he cries.  “I love you, Severus,” you say stroking his hair.  “I love you more than anything in the world.”

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?) Once again, how he acts around the students is different from how he acts around you.  Around the students, he’s snippy and short, but with you, his patience is endless.  He hardly ever snaps at you, and on the rare occasion he does, it’s usually because something else is bothering him.  And this is because you, simply put, don’t piss him off

  Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?) Everything.  Literally everything.  Severus remembers every single thing you tell him, from your favorite shirt to your favorite books.  He does not forget, and he uses this to surprise you.  You mention you want something for a snack?  It’s on the coffee table the next day.  You said you liked this book you read 4 years ago?  He gets it for you.  Severus remembers every little thing you tell him

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?) It’s not a super sentimental memory, it’s not connected to a major event, but it still makes his heart skip a beat.  Severus got out of bed at 2 AM to use the bathroom, and when he came back, you were tossing and turning, features twisted into those of discomfort and distress.  Severus was concerned, but when he got back into bed and pulled the covers over himself, you wormed into his arms, nuzzling into his chest.  At once, you relaxed, face going slack, sighing contentedly.  The fact that you not only noticed and missed Severus’ presence while asleep but made your way back into his arms and that soothed you while asleep makes him so happy.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?) Severus is a very protective man, as Voldemort’s servant, he has to be.  He hates letting you out if his sight, hates it when he has to leave you when he’s Called, hates the thought of anything hurting you.  Severus teaches you defensive and offensive spells, some of them Dark, so you can protect yourself if Severus isn’t there.  At the height of the war, Severus also likes for you to send him a patronus every hour or so (even if you’re both in the castle), just so he knows you’re alright, and he’ll do the same for you

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?) Severus putsa decent amount of effort into dates,especially at the beginning of the relationship.  Nice restaurants, candlelit dinners, champagne,the works.  He doesn’t put as much effort as the relationship goes on, but not because he’s slacking; quite the opposite, he just knows that he doesn’t have to “wow” you as much as he felt he had to in the beginning. That being said, Severus goes all out for anniversaries: fancy restaurants, champagne, candles, romantic music.  Gifts are much the same: jewelry, books, clothes, things that he knows you’ll love

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?) He’s very hard on himself, thinking he’s not good enough, not handsome enough, that you can do better.  His self consciousness about his looks, the fact that he sometimes bottles up his feelings.  But he’s working on it.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) Not very, he keeps himself presentable and clean, he shaves a few times a week, keeps his hair at his signature shoulder length, but beyond that, he doesn’t do much.  Apparently (according to Severus) he looks good enough for you, and that’s enough.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?) Absolutely, 1,000,000%.  You’re a part of his soul, when he’s apart from you, Severus is half a man, a shell of himself.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.) Severus smells like sandalwood, leather, and fresh parchment

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?) He doesn’t like it when people interrupt, him, you, or anyone else.  It makes him feel like they don’t care about what he or others have to say is important.  In terms of a partner, Severus can’t be with someone who’s not emotionally available.  He understands not opening up completely all at once and maybe keeping certain things to yourself, but he needs to feel like he knows you and what you’re feeling as well as being heard and understood himself.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?) Severus is a light sleeper, has trouble falling asleep, and he suffers from nightmares, but when he’s with you, he’s able to sleep 8+ hours and have far less nightmares.  They don’t go away completely, but there are waaaaayyy less, maybe 1 or 2 every month.

[ginkgomoon]

Gavin's New Rain Date- Analysis

Finally was able to watch this new Gavin date, and of course, the gears in my brain started to turn and analyse then type out each individual sentence. I love how I will never look at MLQC content the same way ever again ever since I started Tumblr.

This analysis will heavily be referencing Gavin and MC’s high school history which I made a detailed timeline that you can read before moving onto this analysis.

Following the sound, I discovered a cardboard box in a corner of a wall along the street, with one white and one black kitten crammed within, looking up at me and meowing incessantly.

MC: “Are you guys hungry?”

I squatted down and took out a little packet of sealed cat food.

“You two share now, okay?”

Seeing the two cats tussling over what was apparently their first meal in a while, I couldn’t help but chuckle. I placed the umbrella on top of the cardboard box and prepared to get up and run to the metro station but the rain pattering down suddenly halted.

A shadow blocked out the sky over me. I looked up in surprise to see Gavin holding an umbrella.

Gavin: “So there you are.”

-

He started walking, and we proceeded shoulder to shoulder toward the metro station under the broad umbrella. The rain dripped and splashed everywhere. Suddenly, a scene from the past flashed in my mind, giving me a feeling of déjà vu.

MC: “This seems to have happened before.”

He turned to look at me, a flash of nostalgia in his eyes.

Gavin: “It has, actually.”

He looked at the falling rain and the shining street lights, and thought back to a long time ago when they first met. That was also a rainy day, lit up with the dim lamplight. The drizzle on the girl’s bangs blossomed into a neon glow the boy had never seen before. -New Rain Date

-

As he passed down by the alley, he saw a girl squatting at the corner like a mushroom. She didn’t have an umbrella, relying on a thin, rundown roof for shelter.

Gavin could hear sounds coming from the paper box. Confused, he paused in his steps. It turned out to be a little kitten.  

The girl’s clothes and hair were already drenched from the rain and running down along the side of her face, but she didn’t seem bothered by it. The kitten, with a handkerchief covering it, would meow occasionally .

The girl chuckled softly and said, “are you hungry?”

At that moment, Gavin had thought the girl was asking that question to herself. She retrieved snacks from her bag and opened it, feeding it to the kitten.

The drizzle that accompanied the dim street lamps along the roadside, fell on the tips of the girl’s hair. A rainbow he had never seen before then appears. For an inexplicable reason, for a long time Gavin had stood there until the girl had turned back.

She looked at Gavin in astonishment, not knowing how he had been standing at the opening of the alley.

Water droplets dropped continuously onto Gavin drenching his light-coloured fringe on in front of his forehead. A few seconds passed, and the girl’s astonishment changed into a clear smile, warming into Gavin’s heart without permission.

Gavin frustrated kicked away a can near his feet. He then hurriedly removed his jacket, covering it over the girl’s head. He heard a faint “thank you!” from behind when he had gone.

Gavin ran in the rain, his white shirt fully drenched. In the eyes of that girl, Gavin had a different colour when compared to the tales told about him. -CN Tilted Time Rumours and Secrets

Just from a couple of sentences, we can make out a lot of parallels. I love how in MLQC, the writers make the effort for the storyline and events to juxtapose certain parts, as well. From here, we can also highlight new concepts, too.

On the first rainy day of high school, MC encounters a hungry kitten in a box and feeds it. At the exact moment, Gavin sees her for the first time. After a while, MC turns and smiles at him. In response to this, he takes off his own school jacket and drapes it over her head to shelter her from the rain. He runs off.

Similarly, in the New Rain Date, on a rainy day after work, MC sees two cats in a box and feeds them. Once Gavin sees her, he approaches her to shelter her with his umbrella, and she turns to smile at him. He smiles back. They both leave together.

In addition to the parallels, we can denote specific uses of symbolism that has been established.

The most first and most obvious one- rain. Rain is the symbol of renewal and rebirth. It’s the “washing away of the old” and “regrowing something better”. Without rain, you can’t grow flowers, right? In this context, rain represents the growing pain but also the beauty of life.

Gavin with the umbrella reinforces the physical idea sheltering her from the rain, but he also wants to protect her literally and metaphorically from any danger or any hardship. Like before back then in high school, he gives her his jacket to protect her from the rain- from being drowned like him. But this time, they are under shelter of the umbrella, together. As well of course, not to mention that he gave her his jacket this time around and found her in it, too.

Even within the date title, “New Rain”, we can also apply the contrast between back when they were in high school and where they are currently. The “old rain” would showcase the ideas of being with someone after waiting for them. This concept is what Gavin and MC both discuss, symbolic to their relationship because it unknowingly reminds them of how they were before. This develops into a higher understanding from reflecting, therefore catalyses the “new rain”.

I flipped through pages and stopped at one-

“All this time, I’ve been waiting for you to knock at this door and join me out of the rain.”

The delicate handwriting in blue ink was now a bit blurred. I couldn’t resist wondering what the story was behind the entry.

Gavin: “What are you reading?”

MC: “It seems to be a tale of unrequited love.”

I showed Gavin the entry in the guest book, and after reading it, a confused look came over him.

Gavin: “What makes you think that?”

MC: “Love is just like a sudden storm. One of them was out in the rain, wanting to knock on the door but hesitating. The other was waiting inside for a knock that never came.”

Gavin: “What do you think became of them?”

MC: “Perhaps the more you like someone, the more hesitant you are?”

Gavin: “But maybe at the end of the story, they were together.”

MC states that love comes expectantly, with the knock of intrusion to bring a house of cards down. You never know until it happens on hindsight- that the person is exactly what you want and need.

“It’s she who told me I could live a stronger life. And it’s she who told me I could live a more tender life.” -Spring Festival Date

Gavin had a tough upbringing contrasted to MC, with Gavin noting that she had a very pure look in her eyes when he first met her.

It is certain that MC (thankfully) hadn’t experienced when Gavin had back in his age, and although Gavin who had thought to be “damaged goods” to others, was willing to put that past him and take a chance with MC. Therefore, wanting to experience life- everything that it has to offer- together.

Upon flipping to a certain page, a familiar handwriting once again appeared before me. A simple sentence was written in the white space on the page. “It’s sunshine after rain. We’re together.”

-

MC: “Gavin, after you left, I read through the guest book some more and found the ending. They were together after all!”

Gavin: “Then one of them must have opened that door first.”

MC: Right. But if they had poured their hearts to each other from the beginning, then they wouldn’t have had to wait so long, would they?”

Gavin: “Maybe that person wasn’t afraid of knocking on the door. Maybe there was some other reason.”

His words made me think of that blood-stained letter, and the leaving without saying goodbye- or so I’d thought. The figure of someone waiting in a library seemed to form in front of me.

Again, MC had wondered “why couldn’t they confess?” almost like how people may have thought Gavin had every opportunity to confess to MC in high school.

But, the fact is, he really didn’t. Extrinsic forces, such as his father, his Evol and keeping MC safe from a distance had stopped him, or rather what MC further states, “perhaps the more you like someone, the more hesitant you are,” hesitated instead, because Gavin cannot fathom risking MC for absolutely anything at all. That is, until when he ran out of time and wrote the letter to her.

MC: “But if the rain had stopped, they would have missed it. If it was you, what would you do?”

Gavin paused. His hand holding the jacket stopped on my shoulder, while the other wipe away a bead of water from my face.

Gavin: “I would wait in the rain forever.”

He stared deeply into my eyes, and for moment I got the feeling that he wasn’t just speaking from hypotheticals. The feeling gave me an unexplainable hurtful sensation, and the rain continued to fall.

MC: “But the rain would stop in the end.”

“No, it wouldn’t.” This time he spoke without hesitation.

Gavin: “And if it did, I would wait for it to start raining all over again.”

The thing is, he really would wait for however long for her. He would persevere through life’s pains for her. He would be there time and time again to shelter her. He would go through all of it again just to meet her once more. SOBS SOBS SOBS

His calloused fingertip slipped from my cheek to my lip, bringing my breath to a halt for a second.

“Because there will never be another person like her.”

He caressed my bottom lip, and I could feel his warm breath clearly across my cheek. At seem point, my hand worked its way up to the side of his neck, an uncontrollable urge to get closer.

“Only you can find the real Gavin. Before meeting you, no one has ever entered his heart, because no one had ever reached it before. Only one person has ever broken though.”

Finally, his kiss fell upon my lips, along with a sightly chill wetness and that scent that only Gavin, had, taking my senses by storm. There was an emotion in his smouldering eyes that made my heart skip a heart, but it only scratched the surface, not going further.

The kiss was over in a moment, and only his scorching body heat still lingered distinctively on my lips.

“Now, I’ve knocked on the door.”

Without saying a word, I slipped my arm around Gavin’s neck and pulled him close, then closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his. Gavin froze, and his breath was immediately thrown off rhythm. But the next second, his hand was pressing the back of my hand, not giving me the chance to back out.

Perhaps… before you knocked on the door, I had already walked into the storm, to stand by your side.

The rain seemed without end. And we waited in the rain, for when the sun would shine again.

They’re willing to go through life’s pains in order to be with each other and live through the happiness they created together. MC fully accepts him the way he is, and instead of being under his protection, she’s willing to fight for him, beside him.

[marshmallowprotection]

I want to request something with Su-Jin but I have literally no ideas

Just... can I have some of the baby being cute?

Su-Jin could say one thing with certainty. There were times when the world felt very scary to him and overwhelming. Right now, he had woken up from a bad nightmare and he couldn't find his favorite plush. Saeran always put it back in the same spot but she wasn't there.

Why wouldn't it be scary?

He went from waking up from a dream where he was just alone in the darkness to a world where he was at his brother's side again and he wasn't alone in the house anymore.

It was very hard sometimes. He had so much freedom now that felt like he might get in trouble if he used too much of it. His mother used to try to trick him with that.

She would tempt him and dare him to go and do something that he really wanted, only to lock the door before he could reach it and then laughed in his face.

Everything was supposed to have a real limit and the fact that he had no idea how to do something without asking for permission or making sure it was okay to do first.

His brother always told him that it was okay to do anything that he wanted to do, but he always had to ask someone if it was okay to do something and if they would sit with him while he did it. He always felt bad if he bothered him for something. Saeyoung was busy! He had so many grown up things to do!

Su-Jin wanted to do things by himself too! But, he needed someone to hold his hand. He really wants to find her... she would make it feel less scary.

That's why he liked hanging out with you. You were his best friend! Saeran said you were nice and sweet. You always offered to do stuff with him before he could ask so that was nice. You made the world feel less... scary. There were a lot of things that helped but right now...

So, he knew he could ask you to do something! He tugged just a few times at your sleeves. "Hey, hey, hey... um..."

You glanced back at him and smiled. "Oh, hey there, Su-Jin. Did you need something?"

Suddenly, he felt anxious again. He tugged at the sleeve of fabric and chewed at his bottom lip as you tried to think about how to ask you what he wanted. You were patient and waited for him to think it through.

"Can't find my bunny," he mumbled.

You could probably tell he had been crying since he was rubbing at his eyes.

"Then, I have good news for you," as if you were able to read his mind, you held out his toy with your other hand. Su-Jin stared, amazed as if it had been like magic. He grasped st the toy and held it close to his chest. "I needed to give her a little bubble bath for you. I'm sorry l didn't put a note there, Su-Jin."

"S'okay," he beamed. "All better now!"

He didn't feel so scared anymore with her in his arms. He didn't even have to go and bother his brother! You were here and so was his toy. He thought something bad happened but it wasn't a bad thing. You wanted to surprise him by cleaning up his bunny.

You ruffled his hair a little and gestured your head to the side. "C'mon, that was very brave of you to try and find her by yourself. Let's make lunch, huh, how does that sound? After a nap and a bath, you two earned a snack!"

[scarletwinterxx]

First and Last pt. 1

Welcome to my new series! I’m so excited to write this one, I hope you guys like it.

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2020 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

PART ONE || PART TWO || PART THREE || PART FOUR ||  FINALE ||  BONUS

“I do have a girlfriend”

The moment those words left Donghyuck’s mouth, he knew he was in trouble.

There’s room for mistakes with the statement he just made, like for one he doesn’t have a girlfriend, two he wouldn’t know where he could find a girlfriend and number three he knows atleast one of his friends knew he was lying.

“Finally moved on from Lia?” Jaemin asked, making the rest of the boys turn to him and for Donghyuck to make a face

“I thought I made it clear we don’t say that name out loud” Renjun not so subtly said

“You know I can hear you right?” Donghyuck asked his three bestfriends

“Just pretend that you didn’t” Renjun told him. The rest of their lunch period was spent on talking about random stuff and what to eat for dinner tonight but Donghyuck was still thinking of a way to get himself out of the little white lie he just said.

“Yuta hyung texted, he said they’re throwing a party this Friday. You should take your girlfriend” Jaemin just when Donghyuck thought they let go of that topic

“I’ll ask her” He mumbled, Renjun eyed him before asking the ultimate question

“Do we know her? What’s her name?”

That made Jeno and Jaemin look at Donghyuck too, waiting for his answer.

At that exact moment, Y/N was in his line of sight. She was just walking past behind the three boys, her earphones on and a book clutched in her hand

“Y/L/N Y/N”

“Y/N? Like the same Y/N in our Chemistry class?” Jeno asked, he was trying to recall if he ever saw the two talk or have any kind of interaction but he came up empty

“Yea, but please don’t corner her. We’re trying to keep it on the down low” Donghyuck quickly added, a loophole he was lucky enough to thought of

“No promises, we need to go now or else we’ll be late again” Renjun said then pulled on Donghyuck’s arm, going the opposite direction his supposed girlfriend went.

What has he gotten himself into.

For the entirety of this semester, Y/N is probably the only student in this campus that hasn’t gone out to party atleast once. It’s never been her thing and she honestly doesn’t see it being her thing now.

“Why don’t you come with us this Friday? There’s a party we’re going to” one of her classmates said earlier, she was already thinking of an excuse to say as to why she can’t come.

Y/N thinks they’re used it by now. She does feel guilty saying no all the time. It does feel like she’s being a bad friend but the mere thought of being in a house with a bunch of people she doesn’t know is already making her feel very anxious.

“Call us if you change your mind” her classmate said with a smile before exiting the room

Y/N was just about to exit the room too when she heard someone call for me. Turning around to see who it was, it was a bit surprising.

Lee Donghyuck or Haechan as his friends and most people call him, was now walking towards her. Y/N knows him because they did an assignment together back in freshmen orientation week .

He was the kind of guy who is her total opposite, unlike her who cowers away from parties he was the life of it. He was always surrounded with his friends and everyone liked him. He has this aura about him that just makes you feel comfortable, she can’t quite pinpoint it.

Y/N looked behind her to see if it was really her he was calling out to, which was kind of dumb since he was calling her name.

“Me?” Y/N said pointing to myself, now he was standing infront of her.

“Hi, I’m-”

“Donghyuck, right?” she asked, cutting off his introduction

“I was going to say Haechan but yes I’m Donghyuck” He said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and pulling on the strap of his bag with the other

“Can I help you with anything?” Y/N asked him, it’s not like she felt uncomfortable talking to him. She did think it was weird that even people like her, someone who is very anti-social, feels comfortable around him.

“Yes, uhm this might sound a bit weird but I need to ask you a favor”

“What?”

“A favor”

“Yes, but why would it be weird?” Y/N asked, shooting him a confused look

He looked around the room, which was now empty before his eyes landed back on me

“I kind of told my friends you’re my girlfriend”

There’s so many things Y/N should be asking about, but of course the first one she thought of is,

“Why me?”

“You were walking past us when my friends were interrogating me, and we worked together before right? So I just thought why not, I kind of know you already” he answered. Y/N has never seen him nervous before but she guess this is how he looks like when he is.

“You’re friends with other girls though” Y/N mumbled, emotion flashed across his face. Was it rejection or hurt? She wasn’t sure but she’s already feeling guilty and anxious.

“I know, but my bestfriends know them too. You’re kind the only one who they don’t know yet. If you’re up for it, I totally understand”

It shouldn’t be her problem really. Why should she care? He doesn’t know her, why would he pick her to be his fake girlfriend?

A thousand things were already running through Y/N’s mind

“I’m not sure- I”

“Hey, it’s okay. If you don’t feel comfortable that’s totally fine with me” he showed her a small smile, before looking around the room again

“I’ll think about it”

Even Y/N was surprised with what she just said.

“What? You will? I mean that’s cool but like I said if you’re not up for it, it’s fine. I absolutely understand”

“Okay” she shot him a smile

“Okay, we can talk more about it later? At the cafe near town square?” he asked me. Y/N thought about it for a second, she really didn’t have anywhere to go.

“Sure” she agreed, he shot me a big smile before saying a quick thank you and then walked out of the room.

What did she get herself into?

Y/N’s last class for the day was done, Donghyuck texted her earlier to confirm our meet-up time.

He probably still had Y/N number from the last time they met, so she shot him a quick text that she was on her way.

Y/N’s not going to lie she did consider not showing up and making up an excuse like she didn’t feel good or she had a paper due tonight but for once she mustered up the courage to go out.

This being the only out-of-the-box thing she’s done her whole life seems a bit sad and disappointing, she kept thinking how other people her age would have double the amount of stories to tell.

As she walks to the cafe, she was already thinking of questions to ask him. But Y/N also thought what if she sound too pushy or something.

Y/N was a bundle of anxious nerves when she got there, she searched around the room to see him sitting alone in a booth.

Donghyuck was on his phone so he didn’t see Y/N come in, she made her way to where he was before clearing her throat which made him look up

“Hey, you made it”

she almost didn’t

“Hi, sorry I’m late” Y/N mumbled then took the seat across from

“It’s fine I wasn’t waiting that long, should we order something?” he asked her, they both stood up again to see the menu. Y/N was just looking around while he was beside her reading the menu,

“Do you want coffee or tea?” Donghyuck offered

“Uh, no thank you” she answered with a polite smile.

“You sure?”

“It’s like 5pm, I won’t be able to go to sleep if I drink coffee now” she told him

“Okay, how about those cookies?” He saw how she was looking at the cookies on display

“It’s fine really-” “My treat, I owe you anyways”

Y/N thinks she knows why she feels comfortable around him. There’s something about his eyes or just him in general that makes him look so innocent in certain moments. It’s not there often but you can see it if you pay attention

“Okay, thank you”

“Think of this as our first date”

That made Y/N turn to look at him so fast she thinks she gave herself a whiplash, he just chuckled at the girl’s expression

“What? Okay I’ll take you out somewhere better if this doesn’t cut it for a good first date”

“This is a date?” Y/N asked, again the boy just chuckled at her

“We can pretend it is, I did tell my friends that you’re my girlfriend”

Every time he says those words, Y/N get this feeling she don’t quite understand. Was it panic, anxiety, or excitement she wasn’t sure.

After getting drinks and snacks they went back to the table they were previously occupying,

“So I was thinking-”

“Actually I came to tell you I can’t do it” Y/N cut Donghyuck off

He looked straight at Y/N, after a few seconds she looked away. Feeling a little conscious under his gaze

“You can’t do it?”

“Yeah, uhm. I’m sorry but I’m not the girl for you, Donghyuck. Even if we can make up a pretty convincing story, I don’t see how you would like a girl like me”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he looked genuinely confused.

Y/N took a deep breath before starting the explanation she has thought over and over during the whole day

“You’ve said it yourself, you only picked me because I was passing by. You wouldn’t have even thought of me if I didn’t. We’ve never hung out during or after school, the last time we talked was last semester, you’re clearly the life of the party while I avoid them like a plague”

“So you’re saying we’re too opposite for me to like you?” he asked,

“You don’t like me, we’re just pretending. What I’m saying is no one’s gonna believe it. I’m not anything like Lia” Y/N said, referring to his ex-girlfriend. She wasn’t the one for campus gossip and all that but it was hard not to know when literally everyone in every class she was in was talking about them.

At the mention of her name, Donghyuck looked away. Another emotion flashing across his face but went as soon as it came. Y/N thought maybe she shouldn’t have brought her up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring her up” she mumbled, already feeling the guilt set in

“Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it”

“Doesn’t make me any less sorry” her reply made him chuckle, taking a quick sip of his iced coffee before looking at the girl sitting across from him

“It was messed up, what happened between her and I. I’m also sick of people looking at me with the pity eyes” he told Y/N, “That’s why I said I had a girlfriend. To get my friends off my back.”

“I’m sorry about that”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault, I’m the one who pulled you into this mess” he shot her a tight lipped smile.

Y/N did give his proposition a lot of thought. It will be so unlike of her to go with his plan but also she doesn’t have anything to lose. After hearing why he did it, he sounded like he did need her help but Y/N’s doubts about herself were already eating her away.

She was thinking about him and Lia, how similar they were. How pretty she is, how popular and kind and talented she is. She was nothing like any of those things. How can someone ever believe Donghyuck is dating her? Her of all people.

“I should be get going, I have some work to do” Y/N said, an excuse that she just made up. It was overused, even she was tired of hearing herself say it but she was so used to cowering back to her shell all the time.

“Okay, thanks by the way. For hearing me out atleast”

“Sorry I couldn’t help you” Y/N told him, he shot Y/N a small smile while shaking his head at her “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you around”

They bid goodbye to each other and went their separate ways for the night.

If Y/N only knew this wasn’t the last time Lee Donghyuck would be invading her mind.

A few days passed since their meeting at the café, Donghyuck was still thinking of an excuse to say when he arrive at the party alone. Which was happening hours away from now.

He thought about not going but that seemed like he was avoiding something, so that option was out of the window.

He didn’t want to push Y/N, she seemed like a great girl. Too great for him if he’s being honest. But she looked really unsettled with his plan so he decided not to insist.

Donghyuck would just have to live with his friends pestering him about his lovelife.

When Donghyuck arrived at the party, he quickly searched the crowd for his friends. They texted him saying they were already here, already asking Hyuck where he was and if he was taking his girlfriend with him.

He made a beeline for the kitchen to grab a drink, not in the mood to get drunk or anything so he took a can of cola from the fridge before leaning on the counter.

“Haechan, is that you?” at the sound of the voice calling out to him, Hyuck’s body felt frozen.

Why was she here? Why did no one told him she was coming and why was she talking to him

“Hi” he awkwardly said, mentally slapping himself for sounding too awkward

“Haven’t talked to you in a while” Lia said with a smile on, as if she didn’t just break his heart less than a year ago

“That’s because you broke up with me” He told her, his face stoic. Lia looked at him, she was still sporting an innocent smile on. Once upon a time that would have made Hyuck’s heart beat faster but now he just wanted to get out of this kitchen and find his friends.

“We should talk, Haechan-“

“I have nothing left to say to you. You’re the one who broke up with me remember?” he told the girl, this time the smile disappeared from her face. “I just wanted to say I miss you”

It was a lie. He knew that.

He would be the biggest fool if he believed that but Lia can be persistent if she wants to be

“Well I didn’t” Hyuck mumbled, he walked around her trying to get out of the kitchen and away from her but Lia’s hand caught Hyuck’s arm making him halt his steps.

“That’s a lie, we both know that’s a lie”

“Don’t put words into my mouth, Lia. I don’t miss you, not anymore”

“The last time I checked you’re the one who hasn’t moved on” she told him, in that statement he knew what she was trying to do. Lia knew she had Hyuck on the palm of her hands, but he didn’t want to be anymore.

As if the heavens heard him, someone pulled his arm away from Lia’s grasp and stood in between them

“And who told you that?” Y/N asked the girl, this was a surprise to everyone in the room. Donghyuck haven’t talked to Y/N since that day on the café, where if he remembers correctly he was turned down.

“Who are you?” Lia asked back, not in a bitchy way but in a confused way

“Donghyuck’s girlfriend” Y/N answered without missing a beat, Hyuck wasn’t going to lie he wanted to cheer her on out loud but he kept his mouth shut. Y/N’s hand was still around his arm, holding on to it tightly as she stood in front of him about to put his ex-girlfriend in her place.

“Donghyuck? Girlfriend?” Lia asked, looking behind Y/N to see Hyuck looking at his ‘girlfriend’ with a proud smile on.

“Yes and yes, I’m not the one to be territorial or be one of those girls who stop their boyfriends from being friends with other girls but I think you got the wrong idea here. Lia right?”

Hyuck wanted to laugh out loud. This was a side of you he didn’t know and he liked it.

“Well, Lia. I would like to say I heard so much about you but I honestly haven’t. But I would greatly appreciate it if you don’t ask my boyfriend if he misses you because clearly he doesn’t” Y/N said then sent Lia a smile.

Hyuck let out a little chuckle, this made Y/N loosen her grasp on his arm so Donghyuck took this chance to snake his arm around her waist and pull Y/N closer to him.

“This is Y/N by the way, my girlfriend” He said to the other girl, the gloomy night doing a full 180.

Lia looked between the two, a sour look evading her face before she quickly replaces it with a smile. A fake one. After that she walked away without a single word.

“Holy shit, I just that” he heard Y/N mutter to herself, “You’re here” he mumbled back making her turn to look at him

“Yea, Hi” she awkwardly said making Hyuck let out a laugh, “I thought you didn’t want to.. you know”

“I took some time to think about it, I don’t really have anything to lose here. And with just happened I think your friends are the least of your worries” Y/N said, referring to the scene earlier

“Yeah that was unexpected”

“You looked like you needed the save” she told him, her statement made Donghyuck smile.

He doesn’t know why but he was glad Y/N changed her mind and she was here. And she was right, he did need the saving. He just wasn’t aware that he did.

“Thanks”

“So boyfriend, are you ready to go out or was that enough show for the night?” she asked her with a smile

He held his hand out to her to which she just looked at, “You okay with this?” Hyuck asked, his voice quiet. Y/N shot him a smile before intertwining their fingers

“Don’t let me go or I might get lost” she mumbled, making Donghyuck laugh

“I won’t”

[jenoptimist]

request:

Can you maybe write something with Mark? ✨

ミ✭ WARNINGS: mentions blood, contains minor violence and briefly mentions injuries

✮ Pairing: mark x reader (gender neutral)

✮ Genre: angst (with a happy ending!)

✮ Word count: 5.7k

♡ Yakult says: thank you so much nonie for requesting !! 💙 admittedly, it could be waay angsty-er but, well, i’m happy with it and i sincerely hope you are too! sorry it took a while for me to upload it ://

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Hey it’s Mark– dude, shut up! Uhhh what was I saying? Oh yeah, just leave a message and I’ll get back to you whenever I can.”

“Mark? Um, Minhyung? It’s me. Y/n. Look, I know that we haven’t spoken in a long time but you said. . .”–you shake your head, as if it would miraculously banish the memory from your mind–“no, that doesn’t matter. At least probably not to you. Um, listen, if this is the Minhyung who prefers chocolate covered bananas over chocolate covered strawberries, and who told Youngho that the hideous red shirt with the blue stripes looked good on him, and who helped me count poker chips in Italy, then I really need your help. Please, please call me back.”

*

There were some moments that wished you could take back in your life. Meeting Lee Minhyung wasn’t one of them. Leaving him, however, was. It was nothing dramatic, nothing like those scenes in movies. There was no crying on either end but there was, however, heavy pleading from his side.

(In the years to come, his pleading would haunt you. The way his voice was small and how it trembled. Not to mention how he looked at you. God how he looked at you. He looked at you like he was being ripped apart from the seams.)

But you had to go. The life you two lead wasn’t a sustainable one, not anymore. Not since your older brother disappeared without a trace. Without you. And you were so exhausted. It was the bone deep kind of exhaustion that was built in layers by one too many brushes with death, run-ins with the police along with a hefty dose of the constant fear of living. How long had it been since you could roam the streets freely without the low thrum of unease?

It had been far too long for you to remember.

“You know what will happen once they notice your gone, right? It’s safer here! With me! Youngho might even come back!”

“I can’t keep doing this anymore.” You replied quietly, your grip tightening on the straps of your backpack that you hastily stuffed with essentials.

“But–”

“I’m tired, Minhyung, so tired,” you refused to meet his eyes as you said it, hating the expression he wore. “Please let me go.”

You would have offered him to come with you, the words were on the tip of your tongue, ready to be spoken at any moment. But you wouldn’t ask that of him. Minhyung had his parents to think about and he wouldn’t risk their lives, not even for you. And even if he had offered to join you, you would have declined for that reason alone. You weren’t going to make him choose, even as the ugly voice in the back of your told you that if you begged hard enough, he’d go with you.

“I’ll miss you.” Minhyung said as he reached for your hand and you allowed him to hold onto it, slowly meeting his eyes. His watery eyes were scanning your face as if he wanted to commit you to memory. And he probably did. You were leaving him after all. After a few more seconds of staring, he released his warm grasp on your hand and raised his own to cover his eyes. “Go,” he said before he clenched jaw tightly. “If you don’t go now, you’ll be caught.”

“I’ll miss you.” You echoed quietly and allowed yourself to look at him from head to toe, just one more time, and then you fled seamlessly into the darkness of the night.

*

Minhyung hasn’t asked any questions. He hasn’t asked why your hair is dirty and matted or why your clothes are grimy and discolored. He hasn’t even commented on the fact that you’re emitting a putrid stench–not that he would ever. Minhyung had always been too kind to say anything that would make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed. In fact, instead of saying anything, his grip on the steering wheel is tight enough that his knuckles are white. The speed that he’s driving at is concerning but then again you suppose that the way your entire body is aching is a large cause for concern, too.

You want to shut your eyes, maybe pretend that you are some place else. You could pretend that you are relaxing with Youngho at your side, telling you a funny anecdote that you’ve heard a thousand times before.

But you can’t do that.

There are loud warning bells in your head telling you that you aren’t safe, not yet. But you’re with Minhyung. This is the boy, man now, actually, that you know, no, used to know like the back of your hand. The man who was literally your partner in crime. And he called you back. He called you back. Even after all this time, he’s helping you. Surely that has to count for something, doesn’t it?

“Hey! Hey,” he says, a clear tinge of panic in his voice, “stay with me, y/n!”

“Safe with you, yeah?” Your voice comes out a little rough around the edges and slurred.

“Of course. Definitely. You’re always safe with me.”

“Need some sleep, Minhyung. G’na close my eyes, ‘kay?”

There’s a string of curses in reply as your eyes flutter close. You want to dream of pleasant things and the only way you can think to achieve that is to block out Minhyung and retrieve an old memory.

*

Youngho had Minhyung in a headlock, rubbing at his hair affectionately. You sat on the couch, laughing at their antics. The three of you were obviously still giddy from the outcome from the previous night.

It was your first job and it went smoothly. Youngho had worried tremendously and frequently spoke into your ear piece but you and Minhyung had done great. Compared to what Youngho had to do on a regular basis, it was nothing extremely dangerous. Besides, a seasoned member of the team did most of the talking so it wasn’t as if it you and Minhyung had a major role in the operation. Regardless of your role, the pay was good. Really good.

“Let’s get ice-cream!” Your brother suggested as he finally released his hold on Minhyung. His grin was wide, already making his way to the shoe rack that was positioned by the door.

You shared a pleased smile with Minhyung as you stood up and followed your brother. “Can we do a movie marathon too?”

“Absolutely!” he said once he slipped on his shoes, “we can stop by seven-eleven and by some snacks.”

Minhyung whooped loudly and you couldn’t help but beam at your brother as you looped your arm through Minhyung’s. In turn, Youngho ruffled your hair and pinched your both of your cheeks, and laughed as he dodged your lame attempt at hitting his bicep.

*

You can see Youngho laughing vividly, his eyes the shape of pretty crescents with his head thrown forward, while you and Minhyung throw bits of popcorn at each other. But then the vision starts to slip away and you desperately want to cling on to it, even as your eyes slowly open on their own accord. The brightness that spills into the room from the window causes a dull pain in them. You shut your eyes a moment later, trying to bring the dream back but it’s completely useless. The door opens just as you open them again. Minhyung’s expression changes to one of relief when he looks at you and is quick to sit by your side.

“What’s the damage doc?” You try for a light, playful tone but instead it comes out with a wince, your voice coarse with disuse.

“Worse than Mexico but better than Italy.”

You huff out a laugh that’s entirely too bitter. “Anything is better than Italy.”

Minhyung purses his lips together and nods in agreement. There’s a loud ‘smack’ that echoes throughout the room when he slaps his hands on his thighs.

“I’ll grab you something to eat.” He says as he stands up and makes his way to the door. With one last long look at you, he exits the room and leaves you alone with your thoughts.

*

Italy was as beautiful was in the movies and the pictures you have seen, and the food was incredible. You almost begged for permission to go sight seeing. Youngho would have allowed you and Minhyung to go and you knew it, however you also knew that the situation was serious. No dilly-dallying allowed, no matter how much you wanted to, or else there would be consequences.

Minhyung stealthily sent faces your way which had you clenching your hands into fists to keep you from bursting out into laughter. Your brother was doing no better, smothering his mouth with the palm of his mouth as the leader of the operation went through what needed to be prepared for the next day. The preparation and mission was relatively easy; the cash would go in the two black briefcases while the poker chips would go in the two brown briefcases. The money had to be counted numerous times, a job that was given to you and Minhyung, and the weapons would be prepared and examined by your brother and some of the others. The next day would involve going to a lush hotel where the trading of goods would occur and then you were on a flight home.

“Nine hundred and ten, nine hundred and thirty, nine hundred and forty,” Minhyung murmured as he counted the cash. You added another tally to your page once you counted another line of poker chips that equaled one thousand. “Nine hundred and ninety, one thousand!” Minhyung placed a rubber band around the cash to keep it bundled and shoved it neatly into the briefcase.

“This sucks,” you commented as he leaned back on his chair and sighed. “I keep losing count.” The tally system that you had could only help so much.

“Same,” he said, rubbing at his eyes, “should we get some gelato?”

A grin split your face, eyes twinkling. “Of course!” You answered. Then, with a frown, you added, “we should finish first.” Minhyung nodded in agreement and then the two of you began counting again, only this time with more vigor.

“Are you nervous for tomorrow?” Minhyung asked after he shoved a large spoonful of his cantucci flavored gelato into his mouth. The two of you were quick to count the money and purchase gelato before finding yourselves back in the hotel, sitting side by side on the tiled ground of the small balcony that connected to the room. Even though the door was closed, the two of you still spoke in low voices.

“A little bit,” you answered truthfully. Youngho already informed you that he would be giving you a gun, just in case, he said. The target practice that he’d given you and Minhyung was plenty but you still weren’t confident in your skills. “Aren’t you?” 

Minhyung nodded, his mouth in a thin line. After a moment that had you mulling over tomorrow, thoughts as quick as lightning filtering through your mind, he rolled his shoulders back and shook himself. “We’ll be fine. It’ll go well, like it always does.” He said optimistically, knocking your shoulder with his. 

-

The room was completely silent as the two people in charge from either side sat across from one another. The opposing leader was counting the money that was tucked neatly in one of the briefcases, the other three were being held by you and Minhyung. Your gaze swept from the table to the people surrounding the room. Everyone was standing as straight as a ruler and looked like they didn’t even dare breathe while they stared intensely at their opposing group. One of the women met your eye, a brow arched. The steely glint in her eyes made you shift your gaze and readjust your clammy grip on the briefcase. On your right, Minhyung moved the slightest bit towards you, his bicep pressing against yours.

With a nod from both of those in charge, you and Minhyung were waved over. No matter how many operations you were involved in, and it had been plenty by now, nervousness still overcame you. Being the target of several pairs of eyes made you swallow thickly, hand clenching onto the handle of the briefcase as if it was the only thing anchoring you to the room. Once you placed the briefcase on top of the table, you spun on your heel and made your way back to your designated position. When you turned to face the centre of the room, the money was being checked.

Chaos errupted not even a second after the briefcases were closed. The other side had taken out their weapons and aimed at your side, greed and malice painting their faces. Adrenaline flooded your system and you fumbled as you reached for the small gun that you tucked inside of the blazer your wore. Your eyes darted to where your brother was standing by the door. Or where he should have been standing because he was nowhere in signt. From beside you, Minhyung grabbed your elbow and hauled you to the direction of the door.

“We need to get out of here. Now.” Minhyung’s voice left no room for argument. You cocked your gun and nodded in agreement, still looking around for Youngho.

The path to the exit wasn’t an easy feat. You hadn’t even taken three steps when you felt a sharp pain in your shoulder. Minhyung turned as you stumbled into his back, quickly aimed somewhere behind you, his eyes sharp and his mouth thin, and then fired his own gun. From that point on, it progessively became worse and worse. Eventually, you and Minhyung, by some miracle, managed to escape the establishment. You were both extremely worse for wear, you more than him—with the amount of gashes and bullets your body now owned, it was a miracle that you were still concious.

“Youngho,” you slurred, slumped against Minhyung side as he lead the two of you the car. It was sheer luck that the streets were mostly empty. “Gotta find him.” You added, wincing as Minhyung carefully laid you on top of the passenger seat. He left the door open and left you, the telltale sound of the truck being opened and closed reaching your ears as you tried not to focus on the searing pain everywhere.

“He’s gone,” Minhyung replied and when your eyes snapped open to stare at him in disbelief, you found him rummaging through a first aid kit. The deep frown that he wore didn’t suit him. It sat strangely on his face, especially with the creases that imprinted themselves on his forehead–you wished that you could smooth them away, if you had the energy you would have said something funny to lighten the mood. “I’ll explain later, just– just let me fix you first, okay? I can’t– Not you too. Please, y/n.” He was frantically rummaging through the first aid kit, grabbing what he needed.

You weren’t going to deny him to begin with but the the pleading in his eyes packed an extra punch in the gut. Instead of saying: ‘of course you won’t lose me, you’ll never lose me. You’ll always have me.’ You nodded, squeezing your eyes shut and allowed him to work on you. The disinfectant stung and you had to clench your jaw as he stitched the majority of your wounds but you survived.

“Your turn,” You told him as you blinked rapidly, as if it would clear your slightly foggy vision. “C’mon, I’ll help you.”

“No it’s okay. I got it.” Minhyung replied but you ignored him and he didn’t even try to pick a fight as you helped him tend to his wounds. He probably would have been finished much quicker if had he done it himself but of course you were going to help him–the two of you were a team. A family. Even if it was just the two of you now, if he was to be believed. And you did believe him although it was difficult to ignore the part of you that raged and wanted to call him a liar.

Just as Minhyung settled into the driver’s seat, the back door opened and someone from your team slid in. She was panting heavily, dried red splotches covering her face like freckles. You and Minhyung traded looks, mouths pressed into thin lines as she demanded him to drive off. You were hoping to hear what his explanation about Youngho, but you knew that he wasn’t going to say anything while there was additional company.

It was later that you found out that Youngho and Taeyong had hatched a plan for the four of you and a couple of others to escape. They had been planning it for weeks and Youngho had only told Minhyung their plan the previous night while you were sound asleep. Initally you were outraged. You weren’t proud of it but you threw accussations at Minhyung and he did nothing to stop you. Then, you were angry at your brother because he didn’t inform you of his plan. Because he left you and Minhyung behind, and what kind of brother was he to do that? How dare he leave you behind when the three of you promised you would never do that to each other. Finally, once the anger left your body, sadness washed over you like a huge wave, drowning you in it. You moved as quick as you could when Minhyung opened his arms and sobbed, wailing about thw unfairness of it all. He cried quietly with you, your bodies trembling in sync.

The two of you slept side by side that night, gripping each other tightly, tangled together. The nights to follow were the same, until it became an unspoken nightly occurrence. The others thought that the two of you were weird but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care, and neither could he.

*

It’s been a almost two weeks since you called Minhyung – no, Mark - for help and neither of you have discussed, well, anything. There are questions that you have that keep piling up the longer you are here with him. Questions like how he managed to escape, how long has it been since he has been free and, most importantly, how he’s been doing. Judging by the nice, spacious house that he lives in, he has been doing really good for himself but you wonder if he has the same night terrors that you do–if he wakes up in cold sweat because of nightmares where they catch him and do what they did to you but worse. Way worse.

Your curiosity is never quenched because you are too busy befriending the people he lives with. There are six of them in total and they are all really nice; they never ask you intrusive questions, make you feel comfortable and seem to genuinely want to know you. You aren’t surprised that Minhy– Mark, has found them or vice versa because there has always been something comforting and safe about him. You aren’t sure about what he has told them about his past but it’s very obvious that they all care about him and admire him deeply. And Mark? He absolutely, definitely, one hundred percent deserves it. Of course he does. You think that he deserves the world and more. It’s just. . .when you see him with Kim ‘call me Haechan, everyone here does’ Donghyuck and how they interact with each other seamlessly, you feel a nasty case of jealousy and, maybe even worse, replaced. You are mature enough to admit to yourself that the jealousy you feel is completely ridiculous along with the whole being replaced thing. Obviously he has a new best friend. Why wouldn’t he? You are the one who left him all those years ago, not the other way around. If the roles were reversed, you probably would have gotten a new best friend too.

You suppress your feelings, try not to blatantly avoid the pair when you see them together, and instead focus on trying to fit in.

Surprisingly, it works–fitting in, that is. While the main issue is still a work in progress, you get along swimmingly with them group. You go cycling with Jeno and Jaemin, learn how to speak Mandarin thanks to Renjun and Chenle, play one-on-one soccer with Jisung and get roped into what Haechan and Mark do. Before you know it, you have slotted yourself into their lives and it has been a couple of months since Mark called you back. There is evidence of your presence in every room, from articles of clothing to little knick-knacks you have collected during your stay. You don’t have a room of your own or anything, Mark had set up a futon in his room and that was that.

It occurs to you over dinner as Haechan and Jisung fight for the last slice of garlic bread. The thought that you have been with them for that long has you dropping your cutlery on your plate and leaning back on your chair, staring at your empty plate. You should probably devise a plan to leave. You’ve overstayed your welcome and they’re all too kind and lovely to mention your long awaited departure to your face. Mark’s questioning eyes meet yours when you lift your gaze and you quirk the side of your mouth into a smile, shaking your head at him in dismissal. A small frown forms on his face at that so you tear your eyes away from him to the others. Jisung is smug as he purposefully chews slowly and exaggeratedly ‘mmm’s at the taste.

“I’m leaving,” you say lowly into the darkness as you lay on your futon, staring at up at the ceiling. They are the same words you said back then, too. Except this time you don’t want to go at all. As long overdue as it is, it’s hard to say the words confidently because you enjoy living here with them. “Tomorrow.” You add decisively before you can cave to your true feelings and end up staying with them forever.

“What?! No! You can’t!” Is Mark’s frantic reply. You hear him move around and then the lamp on his bedside locker is lighting up the room. When you turn to face him, he’s sitting up, facing you and staring at you with an expression that is a blend of disbelief and distraught. “I–” he falters, his eyes dropping from yours to his hands for a moment as he audibly exhales shakily. “I just got you back.” The words are spoken quietly, vulnerability spilling into it, and you hate yourself for doing this to him again.

“I know but Mark–”

“But what? You belong here, with us. With me. I can tell that you’re really happy here, y/n, so why are you saying this? Why do you need to go? Actually, where would you even go? And– And– Why are you leaving me again?” His voice is small. It trembles throughout the entirety of his words and cracks in the middle of the last question.

It feels like you’re nineteen all over again. Especially with the way he’s looking at you. It’s the same look that he gave you back then except it’s so much more worse. You avoid his eyes as you say, “I know I’ve stayed here way longer than I needed to and that you’re happier than I’ve ever seen you. There’s no way I’m risking your happiness in case they find me again. Besides,”–you swallow thickly, the next part of your sentence harder to say–“you don’t need me here.”

“That’s not fair,” although it’s still a whisper, Mark’s voice is stronger this time, the trembling gone, but still sounding terribly wounded. “You left me. And then my parents died and you weren’t there to see that I lost massive parts of myself.” He pauses, breathes deeply before continuing. “How could you think that I don’t need you here, or at all? Of course I do. I always have.”

“But you Haechan and all the others now, you don’t need me anymore.” You counter and there must be a sliver of something in your voice because Mark’s eyebrows furrow slightly. It’s clear when he has connected the dots because he says your name softly under his breath and looks at you tenderly. You flush, heat rising to your cheeks immediately knowing that he has found out how you have been feeling.

“It’s not the same,” he assures you firmly. “Haechan is amazing, they all are. They’ve taught me how to live again and confidently express myself. But you’re different, y’know? Just as amazing, of course! It’s just that we’ve been through a lot together and you played a really big part in molding me into the person I am today, and for the entire time that you were gone. . .I felt like I was missing my heart or my limb, or– or something.”

The sincerity in his voice soothes and untangles the knot that’s been weighing heavily in the pit of your stomach. You manage a small smile. “Your heart?” You repeat, teasingly, and there’s a snippet of a memory that unlocks in your brain–you, Mark and Youngho sitting in a small circle with Taeyong, Yongqin and Sicheng in a warm, sunlight room, listening to Sicheng intently as he read poetry aloud. You huff out a small laugh and, with mirth in your eyes as you look at him, your smile growing, you then follow up with, “I carry your heart with me.”

Mark, whose expression morphs from hurt, sincerity and concern to dazed before settling on a soft, sweet expression. He mirrors the mirth that you feel, a smile of his own adorning his face. “I carry it in my heart.”

Then, together, the two of you recite the next part. “I am never without it.”

The smile you wear hurts your cheeks but you can’t find it in yourself to care. Mark gestures you to his bed with a slight nod of his head and you waste no time climbing in under the covers with him, making yourself as comfortable as possible. The two of you don’t weave yourselves around one another, not like before, but Mark does grab your hand, his grip tight - although not tight enough to hurt - as if he were afraid that you’d run off in the middle of the night. You don’t blame him. What you do instead is give his hand a reassuring squeeze and then, gather the courage to ask the questions that you have been meaning to ask him for months. Mark tells you every little detail; he staged his death, he left almost a year after you and that for the most part, he is doing better. He admits that he has bad days and even worse night terrors but they aren’t as frequent as they were before. In turn, you answer the questions that he has for you, providing him with just as much detail as he gave you. By the time the two of you have stopped swapping stories, it’s early in the morning–you can tell by the slight brightness coming from the pale curtains.

“Hey Mark,” you call out quietly, not quite ready to sleep yet. Not with the remaining question you have for him. At this point, the two of you were spooning, your back against his sturdy chest with one of his arms thrown over your middle, your fingers laced through one another and his legs are flush against yours, copying how your legs fold. He hums, prompting you to continue. “Why did you call me back?”

“I told you didn’t I?” He murmurs sleepily, “Needed you. Missed you.” When the answer leaves his lips, you feel silly. He didn’t remember the promise he made you. It wasn’t a big deal–people break and forget promises all the time, so why wouldn’t he? “Besides,” he adds, interrupting your thoughts, “I promised you didn’t I?”

A lump forms in your throat and your lips quiver slightly as you feel the telltale signs of tears start to pool in your eyes. “Yeah,” you croak out, “you did.”

“Promise you and I will try our best to find your brother?” You give him an affirmative. “Good. G’na sleep now, ‘kay? Night”

“Good night.”

It takes a while for you to fall asleep although when you do, it’s the most comfortable and safest you have felt for a long while.

*

You sat glumly on the uncomfortable plastic chair, holding a bag of frozen vegetables on your swollen cheek to alleviate help the pain. Minhyung, the newbie, had rushed to give it to you the minute you limped through the door, clearly battered. That was before Youngho caught the sight of you, steered you into his room and promptly began lecturing you on the dangers of thinking you could handle certain situations on your own.

It wasn’t as if you particularly wanted to go by yourself. You would have loved if someone tagged along with you to scope out the area that you overheard some of the senior members whisper about to each other. The only problem was there was nobody here that you trusted, with the obvious exception of your older brother and his best friend, Taeyong. Unfortunately they were out doing a task that they were given so you had no choice but to quench your curiosity by yourself.

Evidently it was a mistake - which you knew now, obviously - because even with how stealthy you were, you had been caught. The ones who found you were taunting you by having a loud conversation about what they should to you. It had your heart palpitating uncomfortably, eyes wildly scanning for an exit. In the end, they tried to extract information from you by using some violent tactics–a punch or two here, a kick there and, the worst part of it all, they trailed a knife along your body, the tip of the blade extremely distinct under your clothes. When it became obvious that you weren’t going to reveal anything to them, they gave you a quick beating as a message and then let you go.

“This is why you haven’t been given any tasks yet.” Youngho said and then after a beat he added, “you’re sitting out for everything until I say so.” His tone was firm, his arms folded across his chest as he looked at you sternly.

You sputtered. “You can’t ground me! I’m totally good for action.” Your brother arched a brow at that, and even Minhyung shot you a look of disbelief. You wanted to argue but you knew it would be futile, so you gave him a quick nod.

“Good,” he walked over to you, petting your hair as he gave you a light hug so as to not bother your injuries. “Now go get some rest. Minhhyung, will you help them to their room please? I’ll grab some food.” And then he was off, leaving you with the guy you barely knew. Why couldn’t he have taken you there himself?

At first you hesistated as he stood close to you, prepared to catch you in case anything happened, but you slung an arm across Minhyung’s shoulder so that you could lean onto his side. It was an awkward walk to your room, the silence was so loud that you eventually gave in to talking to him.

“Thanks,” he hummed questioningly at you. “For the frozen veg,” you clarified, “you didn’t have to but I really appreciate it.”

You felt him shrug a shoulder, a reflex of his that you noticed while you slyly observed him conversing with the others. “It was no big deal,” he replied as he opened the door to your room and steered the two of you towards you bed. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” You answered as you tried to find a comfortable position to lay down.

“Why did you go on your own? I mean, like, why didn’t you call anyone or anything?”

“Nobody I trust was free,” you told him plainly. “And besides,” you began to say as he mulled over your answer. “No-one actually answers my calls. Except for my brother and his friends.” You felt really lame for admitting that to him but it was the truth.

There was a beat of silence that stretched long enough for your statement to hang awkwardly in the air. Just as you were about to tell him that he could leave, he spoke up. “If you called me I would have answered.”

There were a million things that you wanted to say. Out of all of them, what came out was, “I don’t have your number.”

Minhyung shrugged, slightly rocking back and forth on his heels. “I could give it to you? I mean, if you want it. It’d be nice since I’ve heard we’re the closest on age here and all. We could be, you know, partners in crime or something.”

“Literally partners in crime,” you said, a small laugh escaping you at the truth of it all. You gave him a considering once over, which he seemed to fidget under. “Alright, but this means that you’ll have to answer every call I make.”

Minhyung’s mouth curled into a bright smile, excitement lighting his eyes. “I can do that.”

“Even if it’s something silly?” It was a challenge and test all in one.

“Even if it’s something silly.” He parroted back.

You stuck out your pink finger towards him and there wasn’t an inch of hesitation in him as his hooked his own around it. “It’s a promise then.”

“It’s a promise,” he agreed. When you released your pinky from his hold, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. With the bright smile still in place, he said, “I have a really good feeling about this for some reason.”

You mirrored his smile. “Me too.”

[writings-in-ebony]

Extended Vacation - 2

Summary: You have to prove yourself to Steve’s friends and your journey finally begins!

Author’s note: Hello everyone! Why is Reader such a tease? Because SHE IS ABLE TO BE ONE! She’s a badass!

A reminder: Prompt was created by @sugarthicc​ and she gave me permission to write this.Thanks again! 

Prompt: Have reader have a personality like Meg the Stallion.

Word Count:1872

Warnings: Bad language

Chapter 2

“Steve falls off his bike, what do you do?” The questions and scenarios were seemingly endless, but understandable. You were sitting in a chair, a rather uncomfortable one mind you, facing the suffocating intimidation of Bucky, Sam and Natasha. However, unbeknownst to them, you were extremely prepared for this and any questions they threw at you. After Steve officially took you on as his assistant, you spent countless hours researching his friends, his enemies, and anything you felt like you had the right to know. You also made sure to study different scenarios and issues that might crop up during your journey. So, yeah, you were prepared for everything they threw at you. But the cold, killer expressions from Bucky and Natasha didn’t help in easing any nerves.

“I immediately pull over my car, survey traffic and proceed to help him off the road. If he sustained any injuries, I would go to my car and retrieve my first aid kit.”

“There is an attack on your hotel and the lights are shut off. All methods of contacting the outside are jammed or shut off. What do you do?” Bucky asked this questioned and leaned over the table, as if he was going to pounce you. As if he dared you to say something stupid. But you didn’t flinch because that’s what they wanted, you to break.

“I go get Steve in the next room,” you were cut off by Natasha’s hand slapping the table.

“What if he’s not in the next room? He’s in the pool, on the twentieth floor, while you are on the tenth.” She immediately made the situation more complicated.

“I would retrieve my phone since the pool is most likely open air if it’s on the twentieth floor. Quietly take the stairs since the elevators are down and make it to Steve as fast as I can.” You barely got out your last word before Sam was interjecting with his own additions.

“You get there, and Steve has a knife in his leg and a gun aimed at his head. What do you do?” Before you could answer, the door to the interrogation room slammed open and there stood both Steve and Tony. They aimed disapproving glares at the trio in front of you.

“You know when I said make sure the new girl feels “welcome”, I didn’t expect that “welcome” to be a full-blown interrogation session,” Tony ground out. He looked like he wanted to say more, but Sam beat him to the punch.

“We have to make sure that she is prepared for every situation. She is basically the only person in charge of America’s hero on this trip. Someone who just arrived only a month prior. Who has no knowledge of Steve and how- .” He stopped when he heard your chair abruptly scrape the concrete floor.

“I’m sorry to interject, Mr. Wilson. But I thoroughly researched and analyzed not only Mr. Rogers, but his enemies and his friends. Steven Grant Rogers has no physical health issues currently listed in his file. He suffers from insomnia, night terrors and nightmares, which I got by looking at his mental health notes and the inconsistent visitations to his psychiatrist. They usually occur on the weekdays but will definitely happen after a mission. He is not on any prescribed medications, primarily due to his metabolism, and his last panic attack was around three years ago.” You completely ignored the shocked expressions of Steve, Sam and Tony. Bucky kept his expression nonchalant and Natasha only raised an eyebrow. But you kept going.

“Mr. Rogers has fourteen major enemies whose whereabouts are currently not near any of the locations we will be visiting, but I talked with Mr. Fury about making sure that there’s security on standby in all our locations anyway. I also made sure that Jarvis is installed in all my devices so that he can monitor and track our locations and offer me any feedback and updates.”

“As for friends, Steve Rogers has a close connection with Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanov, Sam Wilson, and Tony Stark. I noticed with the younger Avengers they look up to him as a father figure or brother. It depends. With his friends, Mr. Rogers naturally relaxes and lets out his true personality. I’ve observed that he’s sarcastic, sassy, and loves listening to conversation even if he, himself, cannot understand what the subject is or its context. In unknown or strange company however, Mr. Rogers displays shy or reserved behavior. Negative behaviors include stubbornness, irrational thinking, and the tendency to thrust himself into dangerous situations without thinking of his own health. But I can literally go on about what I found, but it’s fruitless. Ms. Romanov has already researched into me and read my file, anyway.” Tony and Sam looked dumbstruck as their gazes fell on Natasha. She didn’t even look at them, instead she aimed a smirk at you and you officially took that as a win.

“How did you know Natasha researched you?” Tony slowly asked.

“Oh! Jarvis makes a note of everyone who views the files and she and Ms. Potts already researched me and read up on me. I just wanted to check to see who read my file.” You let a small smile slip and Bucky scoffed.

“I like her,” he grumbled, obviously trying to hide a smile. “Well, if Natasha read your file and you still have both legs, I take it you fit the bill.”

“She does,” Natasha admitted.

“But why the interrogation?!” Sam looked at her as if she betrayed him.

“Because I had to scare her and see her reactions,” she shrugged. “She passed, but I’ve been watching her this entire month. She’s fine in my book.” You smiled warmly at her and she winked at you, proceeding to exit the room. Bucky and Sam followed also, but Sam was giving her an earful for her deception. Tony apologized for their behavior which you quickly dismissed and excused. He made his exit and that left you with a blotchy-faced Steve.

“Wow, you…uh…know so much about me. Like a lot,” he admitted. He was extremely uncomfortable, and you walked towards him, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

“Steve, I just wanted to be prepared for my job. If I didn’t know everything that made you tick or could put you in harm, my job would be pointless and your friends wouldn’t even let me be in the same room as you, let alone accompany you on a cross-country trip. If you wanna know about me, I’ll send you my file immediately and you can read everything. I thought you would anyway.”

He bashfully looked at the ground, realizing that he should’ve done that. “I didn’t want to invade your privacy. I…uh…thought I could figure you out without a piece of paper telling me,” he sounded a little bitter and you understood where it was coming from.

“I didn’t get half of the things I just said from reading a piece of paper. This entire month was dedicated to me watching you from afar. I did my own character analysis, while asking others what they see you as. You might not like this, but you’re very transparent.” He visibly winced. “And as you’ll come to realize, I am very blunt. But just because I know about some of your secrets, does not reflect how I view you as a person. That very first day, when I called you a badass, was the truth and it still holds up. You’re a hero to America for a reason.” You lightly tapped his shoulder and walked away.

 ~~

 Steve should have known this trip was a bad idea. He should have known! He should have cancelled and claimed he had an illness. But no, that wouldn’t work because Captain America can’t get sick! He was being tormented and the tormenter was you! What could he do as you walked out of the convenience store, long legs bare and shorts riding up on your…? He couldn’t even bring himself to finish. He turned away and continued filling his bike with gas, face heating up and body reacting in ways he wishes it wouldn’t.

You were both stopped at a convenience store somewhere in Pennsylvania. It wasn’t too crowded, given there were already two cars filling up when you both pulled in. It wasn’t a small gas station, but it also wasn’t a large brand either.

Your car was already filled, since it didn’t burn that much gas, and you had decided to get some snacks and drinks for the road. And would he be lying if he said his eyes didn’t track the way you sauntered into the convenience store like you were a queen strolling past her subjects? What possessed you to wear those godforsaken shorts? And that deep V-neck t-shirt that gripped your thickness and put you on display? You were his assistant and here he was, drooling like a kid in a candy store.

“…something to drink,” Steve startled out of his stupor and turned to see you were raising a blue energy drink to his face.

“Huh?”

“I asked did you need something to drink. You look overheated, which is very uncharacteristic. Are you feeling okay?” She gazed up at Steve with big eyes, her lips parted and inviting.

“Thank you, yeah. I’m feeling okay, just a little hot and the wind…Yeah.” God, he sounded like a dumbass. Her eyes furrowed in even more confusion but looked pleased when Steve reached out and grabbed the drink. He really wanted his bike to hurry up and fill because he was running out of other things to stare at.

“So, you liking the trip so far? I know we’re only five hours into the trip, and we have two more hours before we get to Cleveland, but are you enjoying just riding?” She popped open the cap of her own drink.

“Yeah! It’s so…freeing? It’s like I can think about myself without thinking about others. It’s just me and the road. And I wanna thank you for allowing me to have that feeling,” he trailed off as he watched you drink. He fixated on your puckered lips around the top and actually flinched when you popped your lips and released a content sigh.

You turned back to him and smiled up at him, seemingly disregarding his creepy staring. “That’s good. But you know, I’m getting honked by angry citizens for your freedom.” She waggled a finger at him as if scolding him, but a humorous smirk was plastered on her face. He chuckled and heard the nozzle of the gas tank pop. Finally! He quickly removed the nozzle and screwed on the cap to the tank.

“Well, back to driving,” he beamed, swinging his leg over the bike. “You ready?” He looked at you expectantly and you threw him a thumbs up.

“Sure thing, Steve. And by the way,” she walked over to him and leaned down next to his face so that only he could hear. “You don’t have to be so bashful. It’s okay to stare. It’s actually very flattering.” And with that, she squeezed his bicep and sauntered back to her car.

[realityhelixcreates]

Beta, Theta, and Me

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Thor (Movies), Avengers (Movies) Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: PG Warnings: Swearing, Homelessness,  Relationships: Loki x Reader (But not right now) Characters: Tony Stark, Thor(Marvel), Loki(Marvel) Additional Tags:  A/B/O, Sorta, More Of An Exploration Of Life And Self Expression Within An A/B/O Framework, Loki Does What He Wants, But Loki Does Not Actually Do What He Wants, Antagonistic Bosses, Managerial Differences

Summary:  As it becomes clearer that your immediate superior hates you, and clearer that Tony needs to put someone somewhere else, you get caught up in things that are way above your paygrade.

“Mr. Stark!”

“And now I gotta deal with this.” He muttered, closing a holo-screen and whirling in his rolling stool to face her. “Florence! Surprised to see you. Isn't there somebody else to see to whatever problem you have?”

“It has to do with that new hire, Whom you forced on us. Since it has to do with her, I bring it to you.”

“Hey, do I pay you for sass?”

“No, you pay me because I am the best at what I do. I mean to continue doing it.” She slapped a paper down in front of him.

“I don't like being handed-”

“That's why I didn't.” She tapped the paper. It was an application. “She has falsified information. Look.”

He looked. He couldn't help it. Florence reminded him altogether too much of one of his old nannies. He could never disobey that woman either.

On the application, next to Secondary Gender, you had scrawled not the usual α, β, or Ω, but a θ instead.

“Maybe...it's a sloppy Beta? Like just a really sloppy B?”

“Except she writes a perfectly legible B later on. Also, this address is false. No one lives there, it's a storage center. I wouldn't put money on that phone number being legit either. On top of that-” She said, cutting Tony off. “I have caught her filching food from the employee cafeteria.”

“Oh yeah? What did she take?”

“Creamers, jelly, crackers, and salad dressing packets.”

“So...all the stuff we offer for free?”

“With purchase of something else.” Florence sniffed. “Also, I caught these this morning.”

She held her phone out, showing slightly blurry pictures of a person who might be you climbing out of the dumpster behind the building.

“Okay, that doesn't necessarily prove anything.”

“And I've caught her sleeping around the building.”

“On the clock?”

“On breaks, and sometimes before her shift.”

“So, not on the clock.”

“Sir, she is breaking the law!”

“Well, so did you when you took that picture without her consent. I don't tolerate spying on my employees.”

“Sir!”

“What's the real problem here, Florence? That she's homeless? Don't we want them to go get jobs? Then suddenly she's got one, and you're like, no not like that?”

“I just don't understand why you are rewarding a stranger for breaking the rules. Indecent exposure in the bathroom, and you give her a job. Lying on her application, and you defend her. You don't even know this girl, you don't know why she was on the street, what warrants might be out for her, what problems she might have, what havoc she might cause. That nonsense symbol on her gender identification alone shows she's not taking this seriously!”

“Theta.” He murmured.

“Pardon?”

“It's not nonsense, it's a Theta. It's just another letter. We use it in mathematics all the time; it means there's an angle.”

“Is she trying to tell us she's crooked?” Florence demanded.

“She's probably just a Beta who thinks secondary gender inquiries are an invasion of privacy. It's all the rage among the young people these days. In any case, just keep her on for a week or two. If she's gonna wash out, you'll know by then. It'll give you the chance to do a few more interviews. You're still looking for extra help, right? You've got permission, go on ahead and do it. Two, three more people.”

“Well...Alright.” Florence said, mollified. “Thank you sir.”

“You know I got your back. But we gotta shake things up every now and then, keep things fresh. Get in people from all walks of life, keep in touch with the pulse of society, all that. Now run along, dear. You've got a ship to keep shape, don't you?”

“That I do, sir.” Florence left, forgetting the application behind her. Tony held the paper up, examining it. Fake address for sure, and likely the number was for a burner phone. Age, education, and work history looked legit. There was a year and a half gap between your last job and this one: it probably marked the amount of time you'd been on the streets.

A Theta symbol. Why that, specifically?

“You're not too fond of Florence, are you?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked.

Tony shrugged. “Not really, but she's damn good at her job. That's all I really need from her. Would you do me a favor and look up gender expressions pertaining to Theta? There's a lot of new terminology I need to get caught up with. This might be one of them.”

                                                                                  *****

You sneaked another sugar packet from the ground floor coffee shop, fully aware that the amused barista was watching, and didn't care in the slightest.

You sprinkled a tiny bit into a little container of coffee creamer, then knocked the whole thing back like some kind of shot.

Everybody knew now that you worked here, and if they speculated about your bizarre eating habits, none of them said anything to you about it.

As long as you didn't break any rules, nobody seemed to care.

Fine by you. Even though they were small, simple snacks; salad crackers with tiny packets of jelly, butter, and salad dressing, sugar, salt and pepper packs, creamers, ketchups, mustards, and mayonaise, these were quick and easy sources of calories that hadn't been readily available to you before.

Having a fresh uniform each day was kind of amazing. Florence insisted that all uniforms be cleaned and disinfected properly, which meant they all got left behind at the end of the day, and were clean by morning. It had the added bonus of no one seeing you wearing a Stark-affiliated uniform while you were sleeping on the fire escape, or hanging around near the dumpsters outside

You weren't exactly friends with the baristas here, you never even talked, but ever since you had run a creeper out of the shop by being generally stinky and unpleasant to be around, they had started disposing of their expired muffins and cookies by wrapping them in wax papers or bags. Their boss hadn't caught on yet, but you were deeply grateful to them for every bite you salvaged from the trash.

Soon you would get your first paycheck, and then you could buy a decent meal. You'd been planning and dreaming of what it would be. Steak and potatoes? An omelet? Maybe just a regular old hamburger and Coke?

It might be the only paycheck you saw from Stark Industries though. You'd overheard Florence and Khalil talking, and she was determined to be rid of you. Khalil didn't really seem to agree, but he had kids at home, and probably couldn't afford to argue.

It didn't matter. Even if it was less than a week, you could put Stark Industries on your resume forever now. That would get you in the door. Janitorial training was a pretty good skill too. Every business needed cleaning staff, no exceptions.

Things were really looking up for you.

No one had even called you on all the weird stuff you'd put on your application.

You hadn't lied, exactly. Not exactly. Sure, you didn't live permanently at the address you'd provided, but you did sleep there sometimes. And you had gone to the school you named...before your parents completely succumbed to their paranoia and pulled you for homeschooling. The hadn't wanted public educators to fill your head with 'propaganda'.

And that was your phone number, though you'd have to buy some minutes when you got paid.

It was all at least semi-true.

Even the Theta was a symbol you had picked up off the internet, when researching what was wrong with you.

You tossed back another sugared creamer.

Having a routine again felt good. It had been over a year, but you slipped back into civilization pretty easily. You were so lucky. You always told yourself that.

Yeah, even if Florence gave you the boot, you still had options. This chapter in your life might soon be coming to an end.

Soon. You just had to wait, and work.

                                                                                                                                                    *****

Tony looked over the long, primly written list with amused disbelief.

“Is this...Is he serious?” He asked Thor. “I literally cannot tell when he is being serious, and when he is trolling me.”

“Welcome to the last thousand years of my life.” Thor said dryly, taking the list from Tony, and skimming over it. He held his hand out for a pen, and when Tony handed him one, he began crossing things off of the list.

“No...No...Absolutely not...Oh, he just put that one in there to annoy me...” Thor handed the list back. “But for the most part, yes. He is serious. Whatever else he may be-” He paused at Tony's muttering of 'war criminal' then forged on. “He is still the Crown Prince of Asgard, and the true King of Jotunheim. He is entitled to certain amenities. And then there is his...condition to think about.”

“Crown Prince of-no offense-a set of postage stamp sized fishing villages in Nova Scotia, and true King of a planet so far away that they can't even reach us to take him back. What exactly does he think he's entitled to on an enemy planet? He's here for punishment, right?”

“He's here for rehabilitation. And so that we can try to winkle out the information that we need. The goal is that he comes back to one of Asgard's 'postage stamp' villages eventually. But that man is still out there, and it's altogether too likely that he will make his way here. We're going to have to indulge my brother a bit, if we are to get information about it. Besides, he has proven himself a hero already, and suffered for it. He has earned a bit of leniency.”

“So you say, your majesty, but...” Tony scanned the revised list. “...I think I can provide most of this. But...servants? We don't really do that around here.”

“He will need assistance. And Loki has never been unduly cruel to servants who had done nothing to trouble him.”

“Okay, but what do you mean by 'trouble'? I mean, I have a few people in mind, but they all live here, and might not be instantly comfortable around him. Is he gonna whip someone over dropping a plate, or folding a cape wrong?”

“He is in no position to do so. And he never went so far back home, so I honestly doubt he would do so here. He knows full well the effect he has on the people of this world.”

“Anger and terror?”

“Pretty much.”

“Look. I'm not going to send him a servant. He'll get a maid, and nothing more. If he drives them off, he won't get a replacement. One chance. I'm not putting people at risk for his whims.”

“I couldn't ask for better than that. But time is of the essence my friend.”

“I better get some royal kickbacks for this.” Tony grumbled.

“I'll send you some Asgardian postage stamps.” Thor joked, leaving the lab.

Tony turned back to his desk, pulling up his holographic display. A short list of Greek letters that he'd been learning about popped back up.

“Okay, Theta.” He said. “Time to show me what you're worth.”

                                                                                *****

The fight started out as an accusation of theft. Florence had caught you with an Iron Muffin-a specialty of the ground floor coffee shop-which you had filched from the dumpster that morning. You'd tried to claim that you'd bought it, but then she'd demanded to see your receipt, and it had just escalated from there.

You were two words away from just quitting then and there, mostly so that she couldn't fire you, when Tony Stark had reached out of the elevator behind you, yanked you into it, waved goodbye to Florence, and shut the doors. As the elevator began to rise, you wiped a few angry tears out of your eyes, embarrassed that he had seen that.

You seemed altogether too prone to show this man your worst sides.

“I'm sorry sir.” You said. “Florence and I don't really get along.”

“She needs to be challenged sometimes. However, I am perfectly able to sass her myself, and I can't have disruption in the janitorial team. Can you imagine the uproar if the floors didn't get waxed properly at night?

Anyway, I thought we might chat about some of the information on your application.”

You were screwed. Could you be arrested for lying on an application?

“Oh geez. I'm sorry about that, but-”

“Yeah, I know. You have to write down an address, but you don't really have one, do you? But you can't leave it blank, so you improvise. I looked you up though. Your family seems to have a history of...shall we call them 'rebellious acts'?”

You hung your head. Fuck. He knew about that too.

“I'm not like them.” You muttered. “I'm not that stupid.”

“Sure hope not. Anyway, wanna tell me what a Theta is? Like, in your words.”

“You won't believe me.”

“Why wouldn't I?”

“Nobody does.”

“I can fly. I've been finding things easier to believe since then.”

Well, that was fair. He was Iron Man. He'd been involved with aliens, and killer robots, and terrorists. Why would this be too weird?

“It's kinda like a Beta, but I have an Omega's sense of smell.”

“And Alpha's pheremones don't effect you. Right?”

“R-right...” How did he-?

“You presented me with a conundrum, and I couldn't leave it alone. I needed to find out what you meant, but it wasn't exactly easy. I had to get on tumblr to figure this out. I had to learn what a demi-omega was, to figure this out. I never thought I was out of touch, but damn if you young-uns haven't come up with some creative new lingo.”

“It's just that the world is more complex than a mark on a paper.” You said.

“Don't I know it!” He laughed. “But that's not too bad, is it? Not being overpowered by Alphas? Sounds nice.”

“It's not so bad, but most people think there's something wrong with me. It's not just the Alpha pheremones, I just don't feel-wait a minute, where are we going?”

The elevator had passed the labs, far above the highest floor you were supposed to be allowed to access.

“We're headed to the residential area. Me and Pep aren't the only ones who live up on the top floors. Top dozen or so are basically penthouses, though they aren't all consistently occupied these days.”

You remembered watching footage on the news of a fight at an airport. Avenger versus Avenger. It was terrible; both you and your old roommate had cried a little. It was an awful thing, watching your heroes come apart.

You were kind of glad you didn't have any superpowers or anything like that. You wouldn't want to be at the beck and call of any government, much less more than one. It was something you had actually agreed with your parents on.

“Why are we going up there? I'm not supposed to be here.”

“You're with me kid; you can be anywhere. And anyway, the best way to keep cats from fighting is to separate them. So, from now on, you are a maid.”

“A maid? I don't know how to be a maid, I just started being a janitor!” You protested, then told yourself to shut your trap and not argue with the boss for not firing you.

Tony shrugged. “What's different about being a maid? You still clean stuff, only it's a home instead of a museum. You might need to cook something every now and then. Can you cook?”

“A little bit, yeah.”

“Not gonna lie; it's not a walk in the park. But it comes with a pay upgrade, and an apartment off the penthouse, so that's two of your problems solved.”

Suspicion began creeping in. This was all way to good to be true.

“Why me? You have to know that I'm not as qualified as the other janitors. What's the catch?”

“Well, the catch-” The elevator dinged. “Oh, look! We're here!”

The elevator doors opened. Standing right in front of them, in horned helmet and armor, stood Loki, the destroyer of New York.

[paper-girls]

Everywhen pt. 1 - Jae (Day6)

Everywhen - all the time; always

Pairing: Jae (Day6) x f!reader

Warnings: FLUFF!!!, best friends to lovers, college au, angst???, swearing, crackheadedness

Word count: 2.5k

Masterlist

a/n: this took less time than I expected. It’ll be a series, so keep your eyeballs peeled for part 2! 

PART 1┇PART 2┇PART 3

ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ

1997 - first day of grade one

It was your first day of grade one. Surrounding you in the school yard, there were parents crying as they sent their children off into the educational institution for the first time, embarrassed children begging their parents to stop crying, and teachers talking to parents. The principal came out and called for everyone to find their new class using the lists on the wall. Walking over to the lists with your parents, you found your new classroom. Sending a nervous smile to your parents and giving them one last hug, you entered and found your name on a desk.

Once you had taken out your crayons and were colouring contentedly, a boy sat down beside you. Jaehyung his name card said, not that you could read it given you were in grade one.

“Hi! I’m Jae,” said the boy with a big, goofy smile on his face.

“My name is y/n,” you said, remembering how your mother taught you to introduce yourself. “Do you want to be friends?”

Let’s be best friends!”

“Forever?”

“Forever!”

2002 - last day of grade five

“...and that you be as successful in middle school as you were here,” your principal finally concluded. With the end of her speech, names were called for people to come on stage and collect their diplomas. When that was over, awards were handed out along with a few more speeches. Finally, finally, you and the rest of the graduating class were released into the waiting arms of your proud parents and relatives.

“Y/n!” A voice called and you turned to see Jae sprinting towards you, family in tow, stopping to catch his breath once he was in front of you. “We did it!”

“Only seven more years to go,” You grumped, wishing you could be free from the hell that is the school system.

“Oh, don’t be such a sourpuss,” Jae teased, lightly poking you. “Where’re your parents?”

“They went over to the food tables.”

“Oooo! There’re snacks!”

After eating your fill at the snack tables, you and Jae wandered off towards the climber in the corner of the school yard. Climbing on top of the monkey bars, you and Jae sat next to each other, laughing about something that happened in grade three.

Talking a moment to pause, Jae asked “we’re still gonna be best friends in middle school, right?”

“Of course,” you replied without hesitation, thinking it was silly for him to even think of you two not being best friends. You’ve been best friends forever! Your house was his house, and vice versa! Your families knew each other, and your moms were basically best friends, too! Of course you’d still be friends in middle school! What a stupid question.

“Just checking to make sure you won’t ditch me for someone else.”

2003 - November of grade seven

“Why are you friends with a boy,” your friend Kira asked, standing with you in the school yard. “Don’t you know boys have cooties?”

“He’s my best friend, and he doesn’t have cooties,” you replied. “That’s just stupid.”

“I just think it’s weird.”

“What’s weird,” Jae asked, walking up to you and Kira. “You ready to go?”

“Nothing,” you respond, picking up your lunch box. “Lets go.”

Walking home together was the norm for the both of you. Jae’s house was far away and his parents worked late, so he would come to your house, do homework, eat dinner, and hang out with you and your family until one of his parents or his older sister could pick him up.

“Kira says boys have cooties,” you explained to Jae, sitting in your living room, homework spread out around the two of you.

“That’s dumb,” Jae said, distracted by the paper in front of him. “What’s eight times four?”

2004 - October of grade eight

It was around this time when everyone in your class had a “boyfriend” or a “girlfriend” and was having their first kisses. You, on the other, had no such thing. Unsurprisingly, neither did Jae. “I’m waiting for someone special,” he would say every time one of his friends asked. “I just don’t like anyone enough to kiss them.”

Strangely, his statement hurt you. What about you? Were you not special enough for a first kiss? Am I that unkissable?

You decided to ask him.

“Am I unkissable,” you asked him one day at lunch.

“No, why’re you asking me,” Jae replied, looking up from his sandwich.

“It’s just - no one seems to want to date me,” you said, crestfallen. “It made me think that maybe no one wants to date me because I’m unkissable.”

“Listen, all of these ‘relationships’ last less than a week and the guys are just trying to get laid.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” he said taking a bite of his sandwich. “If it means that much to you, I’ll be your first kiss. If you want, of course.”

Well. That was unexpected.

2005 - grade eight after winter break

When you went back to school after winter break, you were absolutely dismal. Not only did you have to go back to this hell, but you haven’t spoken to Jae for two weeks. Over break, you had been with family and Jae had been in Buenos Aires, so keeping contact was a little difficult (though you did receive a postcard).

Walking through the doors of you classroom, you spotted Jae instantly. Upon seeing you, your best friend stood up and yanked you into a bear hug, crushing your ribs and lungs.

“Jae-can’t-breathe-“ You spluttered out, him releasing you from the bone-crushing hug.

“How was your break,” Jae asked.

“It was okay. I got your postcard!”

“Did you like the picture?”

“It was really pretty. Where was it taken?”

“Plaza de Mayo. You’re prettier, though.”

Hold up. Jae, your best friend since forever just said. That you, y/n, are pretty. Prettier than Plaza de Mayo, one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen.

While you processed his statement, Jae handed you a rather large gift bag with colourful tissue paper stuffed inside. “This is for you.”

Shaking yourself out of thought, you took the bag from him and pulled out the tissue paper. Inside there was a wooden box.

“Open it,” Jae encouraged. “It’s not cursed. Probably.”

Shooting him a weak glare, you reached in a pulled the box out of the bag. The box itself was the size of a small shoe box and made of a dark hardwood. Practically buzzing with excitement, Jae urged you to open it. Proceeding with caution and curiosity, you lifted the lid and peered inside, a jumble of random trinkets meeting your eyes.

“What’s all this,” you ask with a laugh.

“They’re things I found in the markets that reminded me of you,” Jae explained, cheeks turning a rosy colour.

Pulling out a small wooden fish, you ask why it reminds Jae of you.

“Remember when we went fishing and you caught a fish? You cried so much because you thought you’d killed it even though it was still flopping around!”

“Oh yeah,” you admitted, bashfully. Pulling out a smaller box covered in red fabric, you asked what it was.

“Open it,” was all Jae said.

So you did. Sitting inside on a cushion of the same red fabric, lay a necklace with a gold chain and a gold charm of half a heart. Gasping, you gently extracted the delicate jewelry. “Jae!”

“It’s a friendship charm,” Jae explained, bringing the other half of the heart out of his shirt. “I have the other half.”

“Why?”

“So we can always be together.”

2005 - November of grade nine

“What’re you doing this Friday,” asked Cody, the guy currently in front of you, attempting to ask you on a date. He was okay looking and somewhat popular, but you just weren’t interested in him at all.

“I have plans.” You did not have plans.

“Another time, maybe?”

Boy he was persistent. “I’ll let you know when I’m free.”

“Oh, okay. See you around, then.”

Thank god he’s gone, you thought, walking to your next class. Taking your seat, Jae plops down on the connected table, smile on his face.

“What did Cody want?”

“I dunno. He asked if I was free on Friday.”

“And?”

“I told him I have plans.”

“Do you?”

“Pft. No.”

“Okay. Cool. See you.” Jae hopped off your desk, still smiling and shooting you some finger guns.

That’s weird, you thought. Usually Jae stayed at your desk until the teacher told hime to move. Maybe he wants to hang out on Friday.

Friday came and you and Jae made the trek to his house (his tv is better).

“So, wait. You never got your first kiss,” Jae asked, completely shocked. “I thought - what about Matthew?”

“Nope,” you said, popping the p. Matthew had been your “boyfriend” for two weeks in grade eight. Jae had been right about the guys just trying to get laid, so you dumped his ass before you’d had the chance to kiss him.

“If you’re ready to take me up on my offer from grade eight, it still stands,” Jae said, ears turning bright red.

“I mean,” you said lost in the thought that it might not be so bad to kiss him, but worried it would affect your relationship.

Jae leaned in and, not seeing an objection from you, gently pressed his lips to yours.

Once he pulled away, you remembered how to breathe and briefly wondered when you had stopped walking.

“Sorry, I just thought that-“ Jae started to say, you cutting him off.

“Don’t apologize. I didn’t hate it, and at any rate, I should be thanking you for getting it over with.”

“So we’re still friends?”

“No.” A worried look crossed Jae’s face. “We’re best friends.”

2006 - September of grade ten

“What’re you doing this weekend?” Jae’s voice asked over the phone.

“Literally, nothing,” you replied, bored with your own mediocrity. “I kinda wish I’d made plans or something.”

“Well, do you wanna come over and maybe have a two day sleepover? My sister’s staying at her boyfriend’s and my parents are going on a mini vacation to a beach resort or something, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

“Oh! That sounds really fun, actually,” you respond, looking forward to long awaited time with your best friend. “What should I bring?”

“Snacks, clothes, toiletries, parent permission, and a will to live!”

After asking your parents, who easily agreed because it was Jae, and waiting not so patiently for Friday to arrive, you were walking up the steps to Jae’s house, ready for three days of fun with your bestie.

Ringing the front doorbell, you heard frantic footsteps approach from the other side of the thick wooden door. Swinging open with a loud cry of “y/n!” and a bone-crushing hug, you were pulled inside, barely waving “bye” to your parents. 

“C’mon in! The parents are gone, the sister has left, and you, my dear y/n, have arrived to casa de Park!” Jae exclaimed, already wearing his favourite yellow pajama bottoms. 

Shortly following your spectacular arrival, you and Jae were sprawled out across the living room floor in your pajamas, surrounded by blankets, and happily munching on the pizza dinner Jae’s older sister had ordered him before leaving (”Jae, aren’t you lactose intolerant?” “It’ll be fine, probably!” it was not fine).

At one point, you decided to build a blanket fort in the living room to continue watching your Disney movie marathon in the utmost comfort and eventually fall asleep in. While Jae was building said blanket fort (”Aren’t you gonna help, y/n?” “Nah, someone’s gotta chose what we watch.”), you were looking through his collection of Disney movies, deciding on The Lion King. Following the blanket fort construction, you made an executive decision to get ready for bed, not that you would actually sleep.

Brushing your teeth in the upstairs bathroom, you reflected on your movie night thus far. 1) The Lion King was not your favourite Disney movie, The Little Mermaid being your preference. 2) Popcorn is the food of the gods, ‘nuff said. 3) Jae was acting strange. Whenever you tried to snuggle against him like normal, he would shift away or make an excuse to get up. 

Lost in thought and washing your face, you didn’t hear the sneaky footsteps of your best friend coming up behind you. Jae, taking this opportunity to scare you shitless, did so by tasering you with his hands and yelling “boo!” at the top of his lungs.

Shrieking, you whipped around to beat him for being an ass. Jae ran off yelling “you can’t hit a guy with glasses!” repeatedly, running and hiding from your rage all around the house. 

When the two of you finally made peace and were settled in the fluffy comforts of the blanket fort, you went back to your Disney movie marathon until you fell asleep, Jae finally letting you lay your head on him and snuggle closer. You fell into a deep sleep, legs intertwined with your favourite person on the planet. 

2008 - March of grade eleven 

By now, you’ve had a long-term boyfriend. His name was Jordan and he was absolutely perfect in your eyes. 

Jae hated his guts. 

Whenever you had, time you would invite both of them over, only for Jae to ask if “Jordy boy” would be there and cancel if he was. As you and Jae spent less and less time together, an odd void began to form in your heart. Wether it was from missing the company of your best friend or something else you hadn’t quite figured out yet, it still hurt to not have Jae around you. 

After a few months and a “long distance relationship” over winter break, you and Jordan broke up. Jae, being the amazing and caring best friend he was, saw how devastated you were and spent more and more time with you, seemingly to forget your months of negligence. 

Secretly, Jae was happy you and Jordan broke up, deeming him an unacceptable guy for you to date (”He smells like Axe body spray.” “His locker’s a mess.” “I don’t like the way he talks to you, like he’s looking down on you.” etc.) and wanting more time with just the two of you. Not to mention the fact that he may or may not like you as more than a friend. He never made a move on you, concerned you wouldn’t reciprocate, and instead tried to put a limit on the physical affection between the two of you. 

2009 - grade twelve graduation

“...you will go forth into this great, big, beautiful, blue Earth and make a difference! I wish you, our future, all the best on your chosen paths in life. Go forth and have no fear!” with the end of the principal’s speech, the crowd of gathered parents, the graduating class, and other family and friends erupted in cheers. Caps were thrown into the air, friends embraced each other, families yelled words of congratulations. 

In all the ruckus, you and Jae were clinging to each other, crying tears of joy into the other’s shoulder. 

“We did it,” you whispered, trying not to let out more sobs.

“Only university left to go,” Jae teased, recalling your primary school graduation seven years earlier. You gently hit his arm, which was still encircling your body. 

Still intertwined, you exit the school gymnasium with hopes and dreams for a once distant future, fulfilled at last.

[lokishornns]

Make a Wish [2]

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masterlist

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— send requests!!

pairing: loki x reader (fem)

type: series, some humor?

rating: pg13

word count: 4,419

warnings: cursing? probably. occasional mentions of being killed. loki being annoyingly arrogant

summary:  You’re a new employee for the Make a Wish foundation, struggling to make a living in the ever expensive New York City. When your boss - who, for the record, hates your guts - assigns an impossible task as a way to get you fired, you do everything in your power to make a kid happy. Even if that does include getting face to face with the most hated man in the city.

notes: im actually dead but i managed to crank this out, so hopefully, this does well. also, a huge thanks to @lady-loki-ren for being a saving grace for this chapter!

send requests

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“So, this kid wants to meet Reindeer Games?” Tony asks and you hum in acknowledgment.

“Yeah, not sure why, but I don’t really think it matters too much,” you shrug, eyeing the billionaire from the back.

In all honesty, he’s not super impressive. His presence is intimidating and practically terrifying, but presence set aside – he almost seems normal. He’s on the shorter side and his hair is starting to grey – from stress or age, you couldn’t really tell. His skin, however, is smooth as hell and you wonder what products he uses to get his skin like that.

Tony turns into a random room that’s shrouded in darkness and smells far too similar to a hospital. You glance around in the darkness, hoping to catch sight of everything, but you can only make out a few computer monitors. Tony goes to one, turning it on, the light piercing through the darkness.

“Unfortunately, Reindeer Games is hard to contact, but if I piss him off enough, he’ll answer,” Tony says, and you crack a bewildered smile at his words. They almost seem like teenage enemies.

Tony begins to type in some random credentials that you probably shouldn’t know or even be around to witness him doing it, but he doesn’t seem to mind, so you watch as he pulls up some sort of program, typing in what you could only decipher as code. He leans back in the chair, his fingers now interlaced and placed over his chest.

“What do we do now?” you ask, peering at the screen, unable to make out any of what Tony had just done.

“Give it a minute, Loki does not really care for the ever-pressing concept of time,” Tony explains as you nod. You resort to leaning back against a metal table, the edge biting into your skin in the slightest.

Time passes slowly in the room and the awkward silence seems to make everything significantly worse. On top of that, your stomach growls loudly, startling yourself and Tony.

I would kill for a piece of bread, you think, or maybe some hot chocolate.

“When was the last time you ate, kid?” Tony asks and you’re surprised at the amount of concern you detect in his voice.

“Uh, maybe last night? I’m not entirely sure,” you say, sheepishly.

“Well, we can’t have you starving, can we?” Tony says, springing up from his seat, then instantly regrets it. You watch as he sways in the slightest, his hand going to cradle his head. “There’s a price you pay for being a near-alcoholic,” he mumbles before regaining his composure and striding out of the room in his ‘Stark’ glory.

You’re not sure if you should follow, but you aren’t in the mood for being in an abandoned room that houses the only communication to the most villainous person in New York City, so you scramble after him, your feet almost tripping over themselves.

You soon reach what could only be described as a massive kitchen. There are white, polished wooden cabinets that are on almost every wall – save for the one wall that is purely windows – and around four or five ovens are pushed into one section of the kitchen. Drawers litter the kitchen and it’s hard to miss the impeccable stainless-steel sink that seems to be as big as your bathroom in your apartment. Your eyes land on two massive fridges that you initially thought were doors leading into the many rooms in this monstrosity of a tower.

“Whaddya want? We have pasta, some leftover beef roast, some pop-tarts; really anything you want,” he says, and you glance back at the massive room, surveying the large granite countertops and the grey backsplash.

“Whatever is fine, I don’t want to impose more than I already have,” you mumble and from what you can tell with his sunglasses on, Tony rolls his eyes in the slightest.

“Please. You know what, Bucky’s been annoying me lately; let’s just swipe some of his snacks,” Tony suggests – or more instructs – and heads over to some cabinets on the opposite side of the kitchen. He shuffles through some things before snatching up some chips and other random snacking items.

He motions for you to grab the snacks and follow him out of the kitchen, walking down the same hallway you had come from before entering the same dark room. He sets the chips and snacks on the table, grabbing a bag of chips and sitting down in his seat. You carefully pry some saltwater taffy from the pile, popping it in your mouth.

A loud beeping sound makes your heart jump and your attention is drawn to the monitor that is now flashing red and has words you can understand. Incoming call.

“Perfect timing,” Tony mumbles before hitting the enter button on the keyboard, answering the call. A loud, staticky crackling sound pierces your ears at first and you wince alongside Tony who’s practically cringing away from the sound. The crackling fades away to a light static sound before a voice comes through the monitor.

“What does my brother want now?”

You’re surprised at the voice. You had never heard Loki talk and his voice is surprisingly smooth – much smoother than Thor’s. He doesn’t sound like a villain.

“We have a special guest who is very eager to meet you!” Tony cheers with fake enthusiasm and you frown, not sure if Loki’s going to be all too happy with his enemy taunting him. But surprisingly, he bites back.

“A guest so special they came through you? How exciting!” the sarcasm drips from the monitor and you almost want to laugh before remembering that this dude terrorizes New York on a daily.

“Yes, I’m afraid so. I have someone from the Make a Wish foundation here,” Tony starts, and you hear what you presume to be a snort crackle through the speakers.

“And what does that have to do with me?” Loki asks, and before Tony can respond, you tap his shoulder gently, as if asking if you have permission to talk. He nods and you swallow thickly, your hands beginning to shake.

“There’s a little boy in a hospital right now who would love to meet you,” you pause waiting for some sort of evil comment. “He really idolizes you –”

“A terrible idea, really,” you hear Loki’s voice puncture through your sentence and a snort slips from you before you can control it. Who knew that Loki Laufeyson had humor?

“I was just wondering if somehow we could work something out for a visit? He’s in his last stages, so he doesn’t have very long,” you chew on your lip as you finish your anti-climatic speech to the literal God. You only get more nervous as the second tick on, feeling as if it’s been an eternity since you fell silent.

“This child can die happier without knowing me,” his words cut through you like a knife and before you can respond or plead for his assistance, the line goes dead and you freeze, your mouth open wide. At this point, you didn’t care about your job, but you sure as hell cared about this kid.

You groaned – loudly, staring at the now-blank screen. What were you to do now? Go back and tell this kid ‘hey Danny, what’s up, so you’re probably going to die without meeting your idol, sorry!’? You dragged a hand down your face, cursing the dumb villain that is too sure of himself and prideful to do anything for a dying kid.

Tony swivels in the chair, offering a sympathetic look towards you. You only smile weakly as reassurance before a loud clanging sounds from outside the room.

“Dammit, Bucky and Sam can’t work together to save their lives,” Tony mutters before racing out of the room to somehow stop a quarrel. You stand silently for a minute, surveying the room as your mind reels over the recent events.

Your eyes land on the keyboard, noticing a manila folder placed underneath it, as if a cheat sheet in a test. You hadn’t noticed it before so Tony must have put the folder there. You peer at the doorway, holding your breath as you wait for the Avenger to come back in, but he doesn’t, and the loud sounds are still erupting from the kitchen. You tiptoe over to the folder, gently scooting the keyboard off it. Your eyes widen a fraction when reading the name of the folder.

Laufeyson, Loki

You hesitate, your fingers tracing the small bends and creases in the folders as if it were ages old. You pry open the front, your eyes trained on the folder. In it are news reports, criminal records, and details of some of the encounters with the villain. You’re just about to shut it closed when a bright orange tab catches your attention. You flip the papers to the orange tab, shock filling you. There’s an address.

And it’s Loki’s.

You wave your goodbyes to the few Avengers, assuring that you would be able to navigate on your own, and thanking Tony and Thor for their hospitality. You actually cringe once you meet Steve’s gaze that holds a petrifying look, but you just escape into the elevator, giving an unsure smile.

You’re finally able to breathe in the elevator, your head pounding from the number of experiences you had gone through today. You had met with some of the Avengers, stole and ate snacks with Tony Stark, and contacted a Supervillain. Oh, and you also stole the address out of the file, but no worries. You may just get tracked down by a gang of superheroes and find yourself eternally imprisoned.

Why do they have his address, yet they don’t attack? You shake your head of the irrelevant thoughts. All that matters is this kid.

You meet Helda’s gaze as you step from the elevator, and somehow it makes you curl into yourself and reminds you that your clothes are still damp from the torrential downpour. You glance through the windows that are black and spotted with raindrops, your steps uneasy as you approach the doors that lead outside. You give one last look to Helda before pushing out into the rain.

You’re immediately met with burning cold rain that tears down your face and clothes, prompting you to shiver through the walk. You glance occasionally at the small post-it note that has begun to get ruined by the rain, the ink smearing slightly. You tuck it into your hands, hoping to keep it as dry as possible.

When you arrive at your intended destination, it’s well past ten and the sky has retreated its attack, only leaving a small drizzle in its place. You glance from the paper to the house, your brows furrowing. This was the right address. Loki lives in this?

It was a large, modern-style home with black doors and polished, white rock that made up the body of the building. Large, opaque windows stood ominously encasing the black doors. You gulped.

Well, Loki sure did have a flair for design apparently.

Your nerves begin to overtake you, anxiety springing through your bones like lava. Your hands are trembling, and you can’t tell if it’s from the damp clothes that are still on your back or if it’s from the prospect of coming face to face with the most feared dude in New York. You bit your lip.

You cautiously approached the door, knocking twice on the doors that now seemed much larger than when you surveyed them from across the street. You waited patiently, your eyes catching sight of a small and hidden camera in a crevice, the camera facing you. You narrowed your eyes at it before looking back to the house and knocking again. When you were once again met with only silence, you rolled your eyes, stepping up to the camera. You hoped this thing had a mic on it.

“Hey, uh,” you pause, not knowing what to say. Improv is obviously not exactly your forte. “I spoke with you over the weird communication thing with Tony. I know this is probably really weird and kind of imposing, but I really cannot have this kid let down. I am totally willing to let you kill me if it means this kid gets everything. Oh, and no Avengers are with me. Most of them didn’t seem all too happy with me anyways.” You glance back at the door, waiting a few moments for a response. You’re just about to give up when you hear a crackling sound.

“Ah, so this is the brave little girl who spoke to me on the phone. How delightful to see you for once,” you hear his smooth voice even over the crackling of an intercom and you think you’re about to pee yourself. You swallow your nerves.

“Listen, buddy, don’t think you’re slick by escaping me on the phone call earlier. I really, really just need a moment to speak with you. It won’t take long unless you’re down to let me camp out on your porch,” you call out and you sense a hesitation in his response.

“My, my, how mouthy you are. That mouth is in desperate need for discipline.” You can practically hear the smirk in his voice and your jaw drops. Did he really just insinuate that? You stand in shock, not able to process what he just said.

“I beg your pardon?” you ask incredulously.

“Oh, dear. You have much to learn,” he almost mocks and your stomach churns at the sound of his voice. You’re just about to lay one on his camera when a small chime rips your focus back to the door where it’s now swinging wide open.

You give one last look to the camera before stepping through the threshold, squinting your eyes in the darkness to make out details of the house. Two winding staircases meet at a second floor, a small table with a white orchid poised between the two of them. Further back you can see a sitting area, but for now, it mainly rests obscured from creeping eyes by darkness. You’re just about to start exploring for yourself whenever you hear footsteps approaching from above.

You glance up to find the Loki Laufeyson carelessly strutting down the stairs.

“You’re much more enticing when you’re not dripping on my floors like a wet dog,” Loki bites and you look down to see that you have indeed made a puddle around yourself and a small trail of water from the door. Your nerves hit you like a brick and suddenly you feel like fainting.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Such a submissive thing. Shielding when one hint of criticism is thrown your way,” Loki taunts and your eyes narrow at the villain, forgetting that he could very well kill you right now.

“No, I just happen to have respect for housing and nice floors,” you snap and surprisingly, Loki’s smirk is soon replaced by what seems to be an amused smile before it quickly fades.

“Are you here to plead to me about your insufferable cause?” Loki asks, making his tone very dramatically exasperated and you roll your eyes at the notion. You freeze, realizing you just rolled your eyes at a notorious criminal.

Jesus Christ, I’m such an idiot. I’m going to die. Yep. It’s been awful, bye world, you think. You manage to find your voice through all of your anxiety.

“Yes, and by the way, it’s hardly insufferable for you. I’ve lost my dignity multiple times today. I was almost detained by a woman named Helda; can you imagine how humiliating that would have been?” you babble, not noticing the way Loki seems to be scrutinizing you until you stop. You wish you were smaller. Loki’s facial details were hidden to you by the shadow that lurked over him, making all that you could see of him a lean and muscular body.

“I do believe you have no clue what this entails in terms of my appearance,” Loki patronizes, and you press your lips together, awaiting his next words. “First, the hospital will go under complete lockdown. Then, the police will arrive, and Odin knows that when that happens, the SWAT team arrives. Then your precious friends. I’m not particularly fond of searching for chaos.” You crinkle your nose in confusion.

“Aren’t you the God of Chaos?” Loki sighs deeply before rolling his eyes.

“While I do like chaos, chaos usually finds me, not the other way around,” Loki concludes, and you look away. Weirdo.

“Alrighty, bud. Aren’t you the most powerful guy in New York? Like isn’t that enough to go to the hospital? I’ll make sure no law enforcement reaches you, but I can’t promise for the Avengers,” you sassed. You realized a second too late that it’s probably not good to feed into his ego, but he only gave a small smirk.

“I may consider this pathetic deal of yours, but I need something in return,” he says and raises an eyebrow. Your face distorts in disgust.

“Uh, if you’re into sex stuff, I’m probably the last person you should ask-”

“What? No. You’re not my taste,” Loki says, startled, scanning your figure with his eyes and you become hyper-aware of the dampness of your clothes once again. Your face flushes a bright red and you attempt to cough the awkwardness away.

“I guess you get attention out of it.”

“I get attention all the time,” Loki deadpans and you flush even redder – if possible.

“It’s good attention. Someone who genuinely thinks you’re super cool,” you try to remember the marketing class you took in college, attempting to throw random rhetoric strategies in your words.

“I do hope you realize I get far enough of good attention too,” Loki lowers his voice, smiling suggestively at you, and you have to restrain yourself from gagging.

“Fine, what do you want?” you ask, exasperated. For a moment, Loki seems caught off-guard, hesitating in the slightest before his lips curl into a smile that eerily resembles a sneer. Sheesh. Pretty teeth, though.

“For you to work for me.”

“No,” you say quickly, your facial expression only showing bewilderment and disgust.

“Ah, that’s too bad,” he hums. “You could have gotten your precious boy a visit.” You almost waiver at his bargaining, but you bite back.

“You’re scared? And that’s why you’re escaping this?” you ask, making sure your eyebrows were raised for an extra effect.

“No-”

“You must be. And let me tell you,” you take a threatening step forwards, the god following you with his eyes, “I sure as hell know how to make this a lot scarier. So, I suggest that you concede to me and we be done with it.” By the end of your little escapade, you feel your hands trembling, hoping that Loki doesn’t notice. But Loki only cracks a smile.

“My, my, you are far fiercer than I initially believed. You have quite a bit of fire in you, little one,” Loki says, his eyes sweeping over you once again as you huff, attempting to stand taller.

Why am I even trying? This dude could probably kill me with his eyes. Whatever. Girl power, am I right? Black Widow would be proud.

“I thought you already had shitty morals, but this is even lower. He’s a child for god’s sake. Can you extend any sort of kindness? At all?” you almost plead, realizing that pleading like this was most likely going to be the best way to convince him. Let him know he had the upper hand.

“Kindness is not in my nature.”

“But mischief is, and I promise you, this will take a lot of mischief,” you say, watching as his eyebrows draw together to study you. You attempt to smile, but you’re sure your lips just pull into an uncomfortable, thin line.

“Why do you care so much?” Loki asks and you stand for a moment, unsure of what to say. Why did you care so much? Why did you even come here, in the face of one of the most dangerous criminals, to plead with him for a kid? You didn’t know, so you let your mouth run away from you, hoping that will be the best way to a truth.

“I don’t have a lot of time in my life like you do, and I guess it’s human need to leave an impression. Plus I love the kid; he’s super funny,” you conclude, your shoulders slightly relaxing from some unknown tension. Loki hums.

“Human nature is a repulsive and disgusting thing. You mere mortals usually end up tearing yourselves apart,” Loki decides to say before abruptly turning back into his monstrosity of a house.

You stand in shock at first before he turns around, waving you forward. You stumble to keep up with his steps, his long legs taking impossibly long strides. Damn him and his long legs.

“However, although you are quite persistent and annoying, you are far more intriguing than most mortals I have met,” Loki speaks over his shoulder, and you glare at his back, wishing you could pierce holes through him with laser eyes. Screw being a villain, he was an annoying ass. You huff, following him through winding hallways, a thought popping into your head.

What if he’s leading me to my death? What if he’s trying to kill me? Oh, god. I guess I deserve it.

You almost sigh in relief when he leads you to an open and covered balcony. You study him, careful to make sure the psychopath isn’t looking.

He’s attractive. Dammit! You are not supposed to find him attractive! He’s a villain! He could kill you in an instant.

You feel the ever-constant, ironic want of death rise in your stomach, wishing to erase those thoughts from your memory. You glanced at yourself, horrified that you even began to think any such thoughts of the villain. It’s over for you if you find out you’re somehow attracted to criminals and psychopaths.

Do they have standards? you wonder.

You’re caught red-handed as you look back up to the villain, who’s watching you with a bewildered look.

Oh great, he probably thinks I’m a lunatic now. I guess they do have standards.

“Why did you take us out here?” you ask, just as the cold begins to seep into your clothes, giving you a bitter reminder of what your day had entailed. Loki glances back to the door – which he’s thankfully left open (for needs of escape, of course) – and reverts his gaze back to you as if thinking that he couldn’t trust you. Haha, buddy. Very funny. You’re the villain here, Mr. Bad Guy.

“There are prying eyes everywhere, fierce one. In this storm, no one can hear us,” Loki says, this time his tone isn’t biting or sarcastic as usual. He’s serious and for some reason, that makes your stomach feel very unsettled.

You turn to survey the balcony. It was only what you could call enormous. There were occasional sitting areas and plants, leaves blowing in the wind. There was a firepit across the balcony and you wished you could somehow cuddle up next to a raging fire and fall asleep, warm and dry. You still shivered.

“Are you going to kill me?” you asked, apprehensively. You swear you almost felt faint when he chuckled.

“No, mortal, I have no needs or intentions to do so. You are not a threat to me, and nor am I to you,” Loki said, an amused smile on his lips. You almost felt comfort in his words. Almost.

“You’re the God of Lies; how can I trust you?” you ask, biting your lip again. He only cracks a bigger smile.

“Although I am the God of Lies, I don’t lie when I need to. What motivations do I have to kill you?” he asks, arching a teasing brow. Wow, his brows are nice. Ugh. This is so bad.

You think for a moment, trying to come up with some plausible reason that the bad guy in front of you would kill you. Your eyes narrow as you pick out a few reasons.

“I’m annoying you, plus, you get off on watching people die,” you state, pointing a finger at his chest before turning a dark shade of red and retracting your finger. Loki only quirks a brow, as if asking ‘Is that the best you can do?’.

“I happen to not find satisfaction in death. If I need remind you, I am the God of Chaos. I get off on chaos,” he says, and you furrow your brows. Uh-huh, sure buddy.

“Chaos makes people die, so, it’s basically the same thing,” you point out, thinking you have him in a corner, but he only laughs.

“Darling, we could debate all day about this, but unfortunately it is quite late, and I do want a good night’s sleep,” Loki responds, and you shiver at the nickname.

“I’m not your ‘Darling’,” you drawl, glaring at the God, but he pretends to not notice as he takes a seat on a nearby couch. You stiffly follow him, plopping into the seat across from him. Surprisingly, the seat cushions are warm and dry, contrary to the storm that seems to be picking up again. You curl into them.

“So, do tell, who is this boy?” Loki asks and you respond, filling him in on Danny – the one, who for some reason, loves Loki. Loki only seems to become more and more intrigued by each word, and soon it feels like he’s staring through your soul. You shift, unsettled by his stare.

By the end of your little biography of Danny and occasional, thrown in rhetoric devices, you blush, realizing you were taking quite a long time to explain it all. However, Loki doesn’t seem to mind as he leans back against the couch, his finger absentmindedly rubbing his chin in thought. He still studies you, yet this time is less intense, and for that, you’re relieved.

“Do you trust me?” he asks out of the blue, and you stare at him as if he lost a head.

“Of course not,” you respond, watching his mouth pick up the signature smirk that’s starting to annoy you.

“Clever girl, now, about the boy. Where is he located? We must plan this soon, for time is of the essence of you pathetic mortals.”

—

taglist:  @quenilla @darkprincessloki92

[creative-frequency]

Cayde-6 x Reader: The Trigger Ch. 3

Word count: 1904 Pairing: Cayde-6 (Destiny) x Female Reader Contains: Rating eventually up to mature/explicit. Cayde being Cayde, hunting, trips into the EDZ, bickering

Previous Chapter | My Writing Masterlist

Confidence usually grew with experience and experience was more valuable than Glimmer outside the walls of the Last City. The inhabitants of the wilds only traded in lives.

The bow string tensed in a swift, fluid motion with no time for thoughts to surface. Sharp gaze found its target quickly and stayed on it. There was almost nothing that could stop the predator about to pounce on its prey. And success always felt good.

Success, when your life literally depended on it, felt even better. The sweet rush of adrenaline, all instincts strained to their maximum capability. The focus. Your quickened but steady heartbeats were the foundation of the effort. Your body was the actor.

For the time of an exhale, the forest around you was still and silent. Only the sharpest ears could’ve been able to hear the air splitting. The mild pumping of adrenaline pounded in your ears with each beat as you waited.

Cayde’s admiring inhale of surprise was the first sign that your arrow had hit its mark. Not surprising, but satisfying nonetheless. The deer was taking its last breath as Cayde hurried to release it from its suffering.

“Nice shot!” he complimented and you saw how he eyed the bow in your hands with a glint in his optics. The background noise returned with a snap.

“Thanks,” you said quietly and looked over at the animal. It was a female of average size, probably a bit on the older side. Its movements had been slower than of the one from before. An easy kill, but it was probably for the best. Some other predator would’ve soon snuffed its life out.

As usual, you clicked on the communication device in your ear and waited for someone to answer. After the Guardian had made rounds around the EDZ, the connections had gotten a lot better. Begrudgingly you had to admit things would’ve been a lot worse without her. It was hard not to be thankful, especially since everyone around you, Suraya included, seemed to worship her.

“Come in,” a familiar voice from the survey unit replied. He wasn’t a Guardian, but he had worked at the Tower before the invasion attack. That didn’t make you like him more.

“Ready for transmatting,” you said as you eyed the deer. It was a good catch. You had been lucky.

“Copy that. Just a moment…”

You waited for a few seconds, trying to ignore the look on Cayde’s face. His gaze was glued to the bow in your hand and his head was tilted in a thoughtful gesture.

“Ready to receive whenever.” A hint of an amused chuckle got through the coms. “You were quick today.”

You didn’t reply but drew in a sigh.

Cayde’s Ghost circled around the animal and projected a transmat beam over it.

“Transmatting now,” Sundance said.

The comm device buzzed and clicked once in your ear before the clearance order got through. It was another thing that was hard to admit but having a Ghost along in the wilds did have its benefits. Unfortunately, it was always a package deal with a Guardian.

You let your posture relax and turned to Cayde.

He jumped to his feet from the ground and cheered. “We’re a good team! High-five! No? Okay. No high-five.”

You left him hanging and continued walking. A small pool of blood was all that was left of the deer and you felt relieved in a sense. It wouldn’t matter if you didn’t find anything else to hunt that day. Your daily quota had been hit for several upcoming days.

“Alright, that’s it then?” Cayde asked in a hopeful tone and swept dirt off his backside.

You bit your lip and let your eyes wander around the forest. The sun was still high, and the sky was clear. It would be a shame to waste such a clear day but staying in the wilds with Cayde wasn’t tempting either. Going back early for a proper rest wouldn’t be so bad once in a while. The Farm had nothing to worry about food-wise so there was no sense in trying to find more prey than what was currently needed.

“I guess,” you said when you couldn’t think of anything better to imply the hunt was concluded for the time being.

“Sooo, we go back now?” Cayde inquired.

You shrugged while walking. “You can stay here if you want.”

He hurried after you. “I know I said it already, but I’ll say it again: Great team. Us.”

“I don’t really do team,” you replied dubiously. It almost felt bad to shoot Cayde’s enthusiasm down like that, but you weren’t up for a bonding session with a Guardian.

“Okay, let’s just stay in the basics, then. I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine. That sort of thing.” He wasn’t ready to give up and as annoying as it was, it was slightly moving.

“I won’t hesitate to leave you to the wolves.”

“Ouch!”

Almost a full minute of walking in silence ensued with Cayde grinning behind your back.

“Can I say something else?” he asked, definitely not about to wait for your permission, “It’s been kinda rough for these past few days, but you’re making it hella lot easier for a lot of people.”

You cast a sideways glance at his sincere tone.

“Right. Where’s this coming from?” you asked.

Cayde shook his head, amused. “Can’t take a compliment, can you?”

“Not really.”

“Anyways, this was great. I’m looking forward to the next trip already. Now how far is the Farm? I’m craving a sandwich…” Cayde babbled, his voice trailing off in your ears as you focused on finding the right path.

Having someone cheer for you had left an unknown sense of warmth. You didn’t know how to deal with something like that. You quickly settled into the familiarity of ignoring most of what Cayde was saying, but his presence no longer felt like having a pebble in your shoe. It was almost comforting to hear someone talking as you trekked through the woods. And he didn’t expect you to reply anything besides the occasional mumble.

It was weird. As if he was constantly trying to cheer you up.

After walking for over an uneventful hour, Cayde began to pester you about taking a break.

“Oh man, my legs are killing me!”

He slumped onto the trunk of a fallen tree. You gingerly followed him, leaving a wide gap between you two.

“I don’t know how you do this every day,” he continued, blue optics fixated into you.

The forest around you was still and silent. Apart from the occasional chirping and faint rustling, the gentle wind blowing between the trees was the only sound. The midday wasn’t popular time for animals to be moving around.

You stretched your legs, reaching your fingertips towards your toes. “You’re just out of shape, Mister Vanguard.”

“Oi! That’s unnecessary and rude. Aaand probably true,” Cayde admitted with a chuckle that you joined into without realizing it.

It was good to stop to just breathe the fresh air once in a while. It was rejuvenating. You reached your arms up towards the sky and breathed in deeply.

Cayde cleared his throat.

“There’s something I wanted to ask.”

You turned to look at the Exo, brows lightly scrunched in suspicion. “Then ask.”

“What if…” Cayde began in a sly tone and it already drew a slight sigh out of you.

“Yeees?”

“Let’s say I wanted to, uhh, pull my weight here. What should I do?” He stared at you, completely, uncharacteristically serious.

“Stay out of my way,” you wanted to say but bit your tongue. If the Guardian really wanted to make himself useful, you shouldn’t shoot him down. Or Suraya would shoot you down as soon as she would hear about it.

Cayde looked at you intently, waiting for a reply.

“You need a bow,” you finally said.

“YES!”

“Talk to Hawthorne about it. Tell her I said so.”

“I will. Thanks.” He pointed finger guns at you and you rolled your eyes, hard. “Y’know how I said I’ve missed going out? They can never make me go back in.”

“Who’s ‘they’?” you asked, though the answer obviously included the Vanguard Commander.

Cayde shrugged. “Zavala and Ikora, I guess? Okay it hasn’t been that bad, but still…” Cayde looked up to the sun peeking behind the treetops.

Your gaze lingered on the happy expression on his face. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

“Hey, are you hungry? I think I still have a snack bar in here somewhere…” Cayde shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled out something wrapped in bright green. “Wanna share?”

You cast a dubious look at him. “Is that what you eat in the City these days? ‘Cause I’d rather starve.”

“What? Oh no, we do have real food. Like… ramen!” Cayde suddenly looked dreamily at the sky, the snack bar still hanging in his hand. “Man, I miss ramen.”

“So I’ve heard. Like a nine thousand times during these past few days,” you quipped.

Cayde turned to look at you and snapped the bar in half. He offered the food to you. “Well, if things turn out as well as they should, I’ll treat you a bowl when this is over.”

You were taken aback by his sudden offer and the wistful tone. Maybe he really did consider you a some sort of friend? You accepted the bar. It tasted like paper, so no surprise there.

“You think it’ll go down in your favor? Things are looking pretty bad for you guys…” you asked quietly as you munched the snack bar.

“Of course! You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Cayde said instantly, “Zavala is on it. Ikora too… And we have the Guardian. We could really have a shot at turning this around. Don’t you think?”

You cast your eyes to the forest floor and pursed your mouth into a thin line. You shouldn’t have asked. The snack bar was crumbling in your grip.

Cayde squinted at you. “What?”

Your eyes snapped up to look at him, realizing your reaction had been utterly suspicious. “Huh?”

“What’s with the long face?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“You don’t like Guardians but–”

“That’s not it!” you yelped. “I do want you to get the City back.”

“More room for you in the forest, eh?” Cayde tossed the leftovers of the bar into his mouth. He didn’t sound too convinced. “I don’t know who rubbed you in the wrong way, but not all Guardians are that bad. Look at me, for example! I’m great!” He pointed at himself with a thumb.

“’Not all Guardians…’” you muttered under your breath. Cayde was right, of course, but you really didn’t want to continue talking about it.

“I’m curious, y’know,” he said in a vain attempt at making you talk, but it only made anxiety rise bile into your throat.

“I bet you are.” You hopped off the log and shook your legs a bit. “Let’s go.”

“What? Already? It’s been like three minutes since we sat down!” Cayde whined but jumped down too. He didn’t really have a choice. Or he did, but that one was to anger Zavala by getting separated from you and getting lost in the wilds of the EDZ. And Cayde was rather fond of the last life the Light had left him.

“Okay, wait up! I’m coming!”

Next Chapter - Coming Soon!

Tagging: @bleucommelhiver @lucianhuntress @singlebecauseofthechocobros@sherniwrites @owlwrites @toastyfiction @sevansheart @xcayde6

[sairenharia]

Queen of Secrets pt. 4

Part 3

AO3

The link for a top of the line laptop and a text. 'One hour of your time. You don't have to agree to anything, don't have to answer anything, just hear me out, and that's yours. Or any computer of similar value, but according to Max, most any nerd would love it.'

Leave it to Chloe to request something while insulting someone.

Alya still pondered just saying no. It IS Chloe, after all, and they've never made it a secret how much they hate each other.

...but it is a very nice laptop and she's been thinking about getting a laptop. Her phone is good for basic posting, but anything heavy duty required her desk top. Having a laptop would be really nice. And she can't pretend she's not curious. The fact Chloe is being this blunt has to mean something. And she can't think of anything she's done to earn Chloe to put in the effort to actually trick her into some humiliation. It's one thing to take the opportunity when it presents itself, but usually it takes earning it for her to go out of her way.

Plus it'd give her a chance to ask Chloe a few questions of her own. Marinette and Chloe have been weird lately. They've never gotten along, usually only hang around each other when Adrien was around or if Chloe was trying to provoke her. Lately though, Marinette keeps staring at Chloe like she's about to have a panic attack and that would be cause for pure alarm if Chloe was throwing back smug looks or some kind of taunt. Instead, she seemed to ignore Marinette completely. Even when talking with Adrien, she was more focused on him then how Marinette might be reacting.

It's weird and Marinette kept saying it was nothing.

After some long deliberation, she finally agrees, but only if they're talking out of public eye and Chloe has to let her hold her phone so she doesn't try to take any videos. She knows Chloe isn't actually dangerous, and if it is a humiliation plot, there's only so much she can do while they're alone. Plus it keeps whatever Marinette is freaked out about private.

It's clear by the curt reply that Chloe is annoyed, but agrees.

So Alya comes to Chloe's room in the Grand Paris. They get drinks, Alya gets what is actually the best thing on the menu in regards to snacks because she knows her mother's cooking, thank you very much, and it's almost like a tea party except Chloe is handing over her phone with a look at Alya like she's taking her baby as well as a card for the website. "That has enough money to pay for the laptop plus warranty. I'm sure you'll need it," Chloe said.

Well, Alya can't say she's wrong. "Let me just check," she said, pulling out her phone even as Chloe rolls her eyes. She goes to the website and checks the balance on the card. And there it was. She hummed and pocketed the card and her phone and set Chloe's phone down on the floor beside her feet. "All right. You have one hour," she said.

"You're far too kind," Chloe said with all the insincerity she could muster. "I know you want to ask, so let's get it out of the way, but I'm not letting you drag it out," she said, picking up her tea to take a sip.

"What did you do to Marinette?" Alya asked, glaring at the girl.

"Absolutely nothing," Chloe said, prim and calm. "I found out something. She knows I know."

"And you threatened to tell?" Alya demanded.

"No, I have no intentions of telling anyone," she said.

And that. Catches Alya off guard. "....you can't expect me to believe you. You hate Marinette!"

"Yes, but I know Adrien finding out about her little crush isn't going to be the world ending event she's convinced herself it is," Chloe said with a scoff.

And that...

Well, yeah, that WOULD explain it, wouldn't it? Really, Alya loved Marinette, she did, but the girl jumped to some pretty big conclusions. She seemed convinced if Adrien found out about her feelings, he'd either be madly in love with her, or would try to get her exiled to Tibet. Of course she'd freak out if Chloe of all people 'found out' even though it was obvious to most people with eyes that Marinette had feelings for Adrien.

"Seriously? That's what the girl has been stressed out about?" Alya asked, lightly facepalming.

"I know! It's actually sad enough, I can't even enjoy taunting her with it," Chloe said with a despairing shrug.

"Is that really why?" Alya asked, disbelieving.

"Hmm. Well. She did throw that party for me. Maybe I'm a little grateful," Chloe said, picking up a cream puff. "Feel free to tell her, I'm sure she'll never believe you. No one else will."

Alya scowled and sat back, crossing her arms. "I'm not sure I believe that's the only reason why she's freaked out."

"Then ask her. I'm not a monster, despite what you might think," Chloe said dryly. "I have limits to what I might do, even to Dupain-Cheng."

Which. Alya did actually believe. Oh, she hated Chloe, without a doubt. But what Chloe didn't know was that she was Rena Rouge. She knew despite Chloe being Chloe, it was obvious she had been dedicated to being a superhero. She had even apologized after losing Mayura. She had handed back the Miraculous with a surprising amount of grace. Chloe was a terrible person, could be outright vile, but she knows she's caused less Akuma's lately, and no one can put that much effort in a life or death scenario and NOT have something noble in them.

It's like Mylene said. It's just really deep down.

Alya considered her a few moments more and she sighed. "All right. I'll believe you. For now. Why am I here?" She asked, picking up her tea to take a drink.

"A few reasons, but first? I want your help to figure out how to get her and Adrien dating," Chloe said.

Alya choked on her tea, barely managing to not spit it out. She grabbed a napkin, coughing violently into it. Chloe just kept nibbling the pastry, waiting. "You want-YOU want to play matchmaker? For Marinette and Adrien?! I thought you wanted him?!" She demanded as soon as she got air in her lungs.

"I did," she said. "And no, I'm not going to explain the story behind that. I've accepted I'm not going to win his heart, but he is still my childhood friend. I'm invested in his happiness and as much as it pains me, Marinette can give it to him. If she stopped being a coward and he stopped being as dense as a rock."

"Marinette is not a coward!" Alya snapped angrily.

"She is when it comes to Adrien," Chloe shot back.

Alya opened her mouth. Then closed it. Okay, Marinette was kind of a coward when it came to Adrien.

"I have a deal with Lahiffe. You can ask him in case you're afraid I'm trying to do something underhanded, but I told him if he thinks Adrien wants to go somewhere, then I'll use my pull as the 'approved' friend to get Adrien permission to go. I'm offering that up to you plus any insider information to set up a proper atmosphere. Of course, outings will need to be group at first, and Marinette needs to get a back bone before we leave them alone too long. If the Gorilla figures out Adrien is off alone with someone else too often, it might shake my pull. He's more than willing to look the other way at Adrien having 'more' as long as the literal orders are met. Which is 'watch Adrien while he's with Chloe,' or along those lines," Chloe said with a wave of her hand, picking up a finger sandwich.

"Whose the Gorilla?" Alya asked, looking confused.

"Hm? Oh, a nickname for Adrien's bodyguard. We called him that all the time as children and just never stopped. I think he thinks it's cute, at least he doesn't glare at me for it," Chloe said with a shrug. "I can't remember what his real name is anymore anyway."

"Huh," Alya said, tapping the table. "And you're doing this....for Adrien?"

"Yes," Chloe said simply.

"Not some under handed way to break Marinette's heart or something?" She asked.

"I have no control what Adrien's answer will be," Chloe said. "And I don't think he's aware of just how fond he is of Marinette. But I have seen a lot of girls kiss that boy's cheek, Alya. A lot. I've kissed his cheek a lot." She was looking down at her tea, expression sullen. "He's never looked at any of them the way he looked at Marinette." She sighed and looked up, composing herself again. "So, we need to expose him to her more. We need to sent up scenarios so he'll think about her more in that light. So hopefully when her backbone finally kicks in, he won't be an idiot."

Alya stared at Chloe, silent for a long while. She doesn't look away, though she can see Chloe's eyes getting more distant. Like it's hard to keep the strong face this time.

Before, Alya would have never believed her. Thought it was a plot, a trap of some sort. But she saw Chloe give up the Miraculous without a fight, because it was right. Because Ladybug asked. She knows she didn't want to. Alya knows it's hard to give up the Miraculous, even if it's right to and that's her. She can only imagine how hard it is for a girl as selfish as Chloe. And to do it after Ladybug hurt her by telling her she wouldn't be Queen Bee anymore to boot.

She finds herself believing that maybe she was actually being honest. For Adrien's sake.

"Why are you sure Marinette would make Adrien happy?" She asked.

Chloe snapped to attention and actually glared at that. She scoffed and drank the rest of her tea. She grabbed the pot to pour more. "Marinette encourages people. She listens to people. Adrien needs people like that in his life. But when she stops being so star struck, she'll be able to handle him when he's being a brat. And I assure you, he can be a brat, just not often," she said, starting to put sugar into her tea. "She'll be able to take all he is when he let's down his barriers and I do think she'll still love him. I don't know why she fell in love with him, but she isn't the kind to use someone's fame or connections, especially since she's doing well enough on her own to make her own name. She'll give him the love and support he deserves and she'll have a guy who will adore her, I guess, but I think she'll push him to be better than he is right now because that's what she's been doing so far and ugh, do I really need to keep saying nice things about Dupain-Cheng?" She asked, finally devolving into a whine.

"Yeah, especially since you ruined your tea," Alya said with a smug grin, pointing down to the cup that had a pile of sugar just under the surface.

Chloe looked down and scowled. She stood up, picking up the tea cup and moving to the private bath as Alya laughed to herself. She comes back, over sugared contents having been dumped in the sink, and pours herself another cup.

"All right. I'm willing to believe you're doing this for Adrien's sake," Alya said. Then gave her a hard look. "But I swear if this is some plot to hurt Marinette..."

"Yes, yes, you'll destroy me somehow," Chloe said with a roll of her eyes. "If you're worried about Marinette, I'm not the one you need to watch."

"What? Who else would want to hurt her?" Alya asked, looking caught off guard.

"Lila," Chloe said.

Alya groaned. "Seriously? Nino confirmed it, Lila has no interest in Adrien," she said.

Chloe laughed. "You really think Nino can tell if a girl likes a guy?"

"He asked her!" Alya said, throwing up her hands.

"Which doesn't do a lot of good if she's a liar," she said.

"Just because she has an eventful life doesn't mean she's a liar! She's been nothing, but nice since she got here."

"And yet Marinette hates her."

"Because she's jealous!"

"Marinette doesn't lie when she's jealous."

"And how would you know?"

"Because I saw how she reacted to Kagami," Chloe said. "I know she can be mean when it comes to Adrikins, but I had to talk her into it, with her complaining the whole time, never once saying a bad thing about Kagami. She made it very clear her only problem was Adrien might actually run off to Japan with Kagami. If she's being cruel unprompted, it's not fueled by jealousy alone."

"Wait, when did this happen?" Alya asked, looking shocked.

"A few weeks ago. But long story short, we just tried to make it so the girl would have to go home and change or risk embarrassing her family. I never saw a lick of hate, and Kagami is far more likely to steal Adrien then Lila," she said, flipping over a sheet of paper she had on the table beside her. Showing Alya the picture of Lila kissing Adrien's cheek. "That? That is Adrien's 'don't cause a scene because of the handsy girl' face. He would not consent to a selfie like that. Certainly not one that got sent to everyone in class," she said.

"So she got a little enthusiastic, I'm sure he told her not to do it again," Alya said.

"Oh, he definitely would not. Adrien has trouble coming to other people's defenses when it might cause a scene, let alone himself. About the only time Adrien sticks to his bodyguard is when he goes to events where stuff like this might happen a lot specifically because the Gorilla would stop this from happening," Chloe said.

"I'm sure she didn't mean any harm! It's just a misunderstanding!"

"Except it doesn't explain why Marinette hates her. But if she's a liar? Oh, it'd explain a whole lot. Marinette hates liars with a passion. You know that and I know that."

"Why are you even talking about Lila? What does she have to do about getting Adrien and Marinette together?" Alya demanded, trying to stamp down her rage at Chloe bad mouthing her new friend. Lila is new. Maybe a little enthusiastic about making friends, misunderstandings happen! She knows how hard it is to be new.

"Because you're supposed to be a reporter and check your facts," Chloe said, leaning forward, crossing her arms on the table. "So why the heck did you make a post about Lila saying she's best friends with Ladybug on your blog?"

"Because she is!" Alya said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Really? Really? How do they maintain their friendship?" Chloe demanded.

"Because she has a magic way to contact Ladybug," Alya insisted.

"Ah, yes, the magic spell. So, let me ask you this, Alya Cesaire, why did this girl get this close to Ladybug, get this special contact, within a few days of moving to Paris, before the number one reporter of all things Ladybug, and the girl who had been making Akumas on a weekly basis?" Chloe said, leading forward more. "Ladybug, who has told reporters off before for asking unprofessional questions, who never stays and chats beyond her duty, whose been unerringly professional. Why would she give special contact like that to some girl when she could give it to two people who have been first on the scene of many Akuma attacks? You know, a spell that would possibly let her know about danger faster instead of relying on the News or making sure her phone is on to get an alert from your blog? Why wouldn't she give it to me after I was made Queen Bee so I didn't have to rely on a giant light in the sky?"

Alya opened her mouth. Then she closed her mouth because, well, Chloe had a point. Anytime Ladybug needed Rena Rouge, she'd have to waste time on finding Alya. She wasn't always on the scene when she was recruited, after all.

"...and more than that," Chloe said. "And I will sue you for slander if you post this on the blog, because of some things I'll get into later, but Ladybug told me it's dangerous to ask for Queen Bee's help anymore. Because my identity is known. It puts my family and me in danger. She keeps that secret identity to keep herself and her loved ones safe. In what world do you think she would ever, ever trust someone that intimately who goes around saying she's Ladybug's BFF, they're close, she knows all sorts of things and let herself get interviewed on a blog most of Paris keeps an eye on? If it was true, it puts a big target right on her back to get hunted down and hurt repeatedly, the last thing Ladybug wants for anyone she cares about."

Alya was silent at that because Chloe had a good point. She had a lot of good points. Alya herself saw Ladybug tell Chloe she can't be Queen Bee because of that very concern.

"Plus Adrien and I saw Jagged Stone the first day he arrived. He came in with a crocodile," Chloe said, sitting back. "And he had a whole list of weird demands. That was a pet he had for a while."

Alya was staring down at the table, a feeling of dread growing in her stomach. Was it true? Was Lila lying this whole time? It's true, it would drive Marinette insane. And she has been weirdly insistent on it. Even for jealously, surely she would be at least a little inconsistent, right?

"....people who lie that often," Chloe started, looking away. "They hate being called out. Either they're desperately insecure, convince themselves it's true, or it's all about controlling and manipulating people. I can't say which one Lila is exactly, but I can tell you now, she's not honest. And if Marinette hates her and makes it known she doesn't believe Lila, there's a good chance it might come down to her word versus Lila's and no way the liar is gonna back down from Marinette. I'd be ready to fact check her before she feels threatened," she said.

"....I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least confirm her stories. Rose can talk to Prince Ali. And Jagged Stone is here, maybe I can talk to him about him those times he had to deal with Akuma's for the blog and just see if he remembers her," Alya said.

"Exactly. You don't even need to talk to her about it. If she does as much as she says, then surely people will remember her," Chloe said, grabbing another cream puff.

Alya nodded, grabbing her teacup, just to hold it. She didn't like it. Doubting a friend. A friend whose helped her. But not as much as Marinette. No one could compare to Marinette. But she'd doubted Marinette a lot, hadn't she? No, Marinette deserved Alya at least seeing if it was true. Maybe if she brought proof, she could show Marinette, and her and Lila could finally talk it out? Yeah, she's sure this is all just a misunderstanding, she just needed proof.

"That all?" Alya finally asked.

"...no," Chloe said, grabbing another cream puff, popping it into her mouth. Then she flipped over the other pieces of paper, showing a few pictures. All blurry, at a distance, hard to make out. It'd be hard to say what the image was.

If Alya didn't immediately know and she fights to react. Because while one picture has Queen Bee in it on top of a building, the other photos aren't. Some could be the same day, yet others showed signs of destruction, altered skies from other Akuma attacks. They're all at a distance and it's obvious she's trying to not be seen, but she knew who it was.

It was Mayura.

"What am I looking at? An Akuma?" Alya asked.

"No. That's Mayura," Chloe said. "Remember the strange moth creature that appeared on Heroes Day? After the scarlet army was defeated and we were confronting Hawk Moth?" She asked, Alya slowly nodding her head. "That wasn't him. That was someone else." She tapped the picture. "That is the Peacock Miraculous user."

"They've appeared? Why haven't they showed up with any Akuma's?" Alya asked.

"If they're never in sight, they can't be caught, probably. Ladybug and Chat Noir are pros at getting magical items off supervillains," Chloe said with a shrug. "That's just a theory. But I've been wondering if you've gotten any other pictures of her. People send Akuma sightings to you, don't they?"

Alya nodded, and the truth was, she had gotten a picture or two of Mayura. Not this many this. Usually only once every few weeks from Heroes Day. "I thought maybe it was a joke since usually the Akuma at the time looked totally different," she said.

"I think she's doing something else," she said.

"What?" Alya asked, picking up the pictures. They're all pictures low to the ground, too.

Chloe grabbed another cream puff and stuffed her mouth.

Alya looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Chloe?"

She grabbed her tea cup, taking another drink.

"Chloe!"

"I'm not sure. Not yet," Chloe said with a groan, slumping forward, hand over her face. "But I have some ideas, but I need to talk to Ladybug about it."

"I thought you said it's dangerous for her to use Queen Bee," Alya pointed out.

"It is! But it's not like I never see them or anything.... " she said, looking way.

"True. You do still cause Akuma's."

"I've gone way down and you know it!" Chloe snapped.

Alya hummed. "Why are you showing me this?"

"....I don't think Ladybug has realized how much she's moving around yet," Chloe said, rubbing her temple. "And I still...I still want to help. So. If you get a sighting of Mayura, I'd like if you could pass the information on to me. And. Keep her existence off the blog for right now."

"What? You can't ask me to hide a supervillain!" Alya protested. Honestly, she'd been trying to figure out how to post about Mayura without making it obvious she had been a superhero. Chloe saw that whole encounter and she's pretty sure she's not that dumb.

"And if one of my theories is correct, you could totally ruin a chance to catch her!" Chloe snapped, a fist hitting the table.

"I won't-catch her?" Alya said, looking confused.

"...yes," Chloe said, sitting back. "If I'm right, it's a situation that Ladybug could turn around. But only if Mayura doesn't suspect a thing. If Ladybug tells you about the existence of Mayura and gives the go ahead, okay, fine. Whatever. But I'm....asking you. As a....f....favor. To tell her to come talk to me first before she gives permission. In case it's a bad idea," Chloe said. Looking away. Then up again. "....please."

"...that looked painful."

"It really was."

Alya looked down at the photos. It's a roll of the dice how soon Chloe would see Ladybug. But Ladybug was calling on her more and more for help and she was always willing to take a question or two for the Ladyblog. She could at least send her Chloe's way, see what's up. It might delay sharing Mayura a week, maybe.

She looked up at Chloe. Chloe who was offering to help Marinette get her happy ending. Chloe who may have kept her from being taken for a ride, in case Lila really is as bad as Marinette said. At least giving her an idea on how to fix the problem if nothing else.

Chloe who still gave back that Bee Miraculous.

Alya sighed. "Fine. I'll send Ladybug your way, but the moment Ladybug gives the okay afterwards, I'm doing it," she said. "And she'll get all the Mayura information from me too, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to send the info to you for now. And I guess there's no reason to post about Queen Bee, public opinion really turned around on you after Heroes Day. It wouldn't reassure anyone to say you're on the bench for good."

Chloe sighed, slumping a bit. Then she shook her head and sat up again. "Then that's all I wanted to talk about." A very long pause. "Th....thank you."

Alya snickered. "You should see your face right now."

"Don't push it," she said flatly.

Alya laughed and sat up, grabbing the beef patties. "I'm going to take these with me. No need to waste them," she said.

Chloe waved her away. "Yes, yes, take it, I'm not going to eat it," she said.

"Thanks for the laptop. I'll talk to Nino, see what he thinks of your offer and we'll call you later."

She's still a little on the fence of how much she wants to work with Chloe, but a journalist checks her sources. She can decide what she'll do once she's verified what she can and get Nino's take on the situation.

And it's not like she totally hated working with Queen Bee.

[cynicallystiles]

Beach Sunrises: Ruin

 Author: @cynicallystiles

Warning: Mostly angst, but hey there’s slight fluff at the end. Cursing, embarrassment, yadda yadda.

Pairing: Shawn Mendes x Reader

Summary: While on tour one day, Shawn sees a woman watching the sunrise by herself. Thinking that he’ll never see her again, he tries to forget as he goes on with the rest of his day. But, serendipity seems to have other ideas…

Notes: Yo, this is hella late. But, like I’ve been so busy adjusting to college and I’ve already had a minor emotional breakdown this week! But, I persevered (for now)! But, this is hella long and I actually maybe like it? ONLY ONE CHAPTER LEFT AFTER THIS FOR THE SERIES. PLEASE REBLOG OR COMMENT if you like it! I always welcome messages and asks about my work! Enjoy!

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 10 Part 12

Words: 10,435

First P.O.V.

You know, I wasn't all that sure at first about Nick letting me use him as a distraction. It felt wrong...like, really wrong because I didn't know where it was gonna go or if I was ever gonna get over Shawn. And Nick is the sweetest guy I've ever met. So that made it feel triply wrong. But, he insisted and I'll admit that it didn't take me much convincing.

I mean, how often do incredibly sweet, funny, smart, and attractive guys give you permission to use them as a distraction? And without expecting it to become more than that once you've healed up some. Not a lot, that's how many.

It's true, he didn't push me to make it a real relationship. He lets me set the pace and respects my decisions. When you're with a guy that amazing...it's hard to set boundaries for yourself on whether or not you're really ready to start a new relationship. Which is why I didn't mean to elevate us to a couple...it just happened.

I can't say that I mind because I love being with him. It was easy to become close to him and forget about Shawn. But, people finding out about us was kind of my fault. I've been so out of my shell lately and more confident that I don't really keep all my secrets that guarded. If someone wants to know something, I'll happily tell them if I feel like it.

So while we were in New Zealand, I had been asked to go on the radio show The Edge NZ and I asked if Nick could come along. At the beginning, it was more about the documentary and when it'd be coming out and what everyone could expect. Stuff like that. Then, they wanted to play a question game that I, unfortunately, agreed to.

It was a game they invented for Shawn a few years ago called Please, Have Mercy on Me. In his version, they attached electric clamps to a shirtless guy and every time Shawn refused to answer a question, the guy got shocked. Well, I just felt really bad about getting someone else shocked so I insisted that the clamps go on my index fingers. I'm not scared of a little electricity.

The questions are a mixed bag of random facts about me that people want to know and more personal and intimate questions that they thought I would be reluctant to answer. I was in such a carefree mood that I slipped up toward the middle of the interview.

"Alright! We'll start out with an easy one...what is your worst habit?"

I clear my throat and lean closer to the microphone. "Ummm...I pick and scratch a lot."

"What do you mean by that?" He inquires.

I shrug. "Like...I pick at acne a lot, which is why I have scars. And my legs itch a lot after hair removal so sometimes I'll literally scratch until I break skin...it's really bad," I chuckle.

"Sounds like it! Onto the next one...how old were you when you lost your v-plates?" He questions.

"Oh, man. Straight for the dirty details," I laugh. "Okay. Um...seventeen," I admit.

He chuckles, "Late bloomer are ya?"

"Just really picky. Should've been pickier, to be honest," I confess.

He ponders my answer before moving on. "That seems like a good segway into...what is the number of sexual partners you've had?"

"Three," I say simply.

His eyebrows shoot up. "Just three? You're twenty-two, correct?" I nod and remember that it's a radio show so I say yes. "You've only been with three people. Wow, that's just hard to believe," he rambles.

"Why's that?" I quirk my eyebrows at the comment.

He shrugs. "Nothing, it's just that there are people younger than you who probably have a really high number and don't answer the question," he informs me.

I nod my head slowly. "People with high numbers at young ages are usually serial hook uppers. Not that I'm judging...I'm just saying that my number is low because despite what some people say," I take a deep breath, "I am serious about that part of my life."

"Roger that," he says clearly uncomfortable at my icy statement. I look at Nick who is trying to contain his amusement at me snapping on the guy. I shoot him a playful glare as the guy continues. "I gotta say, this game isn't very interesting if you don't get shocked."

I shrug as a confident smile comes to my lips. "I'm an open book," I challenge.

"Maybe this one will get you...who is the rudest celebrity you've ever met?" He leans forward in anticipation.

I relax further into my chair as I look at Nick. "I dunno...that one over there could definitely use some manners," I giggle. He chuckles at my antics. "But, in all seriousness...I've only met like a handful of celebs and no one's really been rude to me, per se. If I had to pick someone that was the least nice, I would probably pick Camila Cabello."

"Ooo, juicy. Do tell why," he insists.

I roll my eyes. "There's not much I can say. I met her once for like three seconds and she barely acknowledged my existence," I inform him. "She was a little preoccupied so I can't blame her."

"I think you're the first person to answer that question."

"I'm not looking for drama but I'm not backing out and getting shocked by a fetish toy," I laugh.

He nods appreciatively. "Fair enough. This one might get you shocked," he giggles excitedly. "What's the oldest lover you've had?"

"Twenty...four?" I say with a look of concentration as I do the math. "No! Babe, you turned twenty-five in March right? Yeah? Okay, twenty-five. Final answer," I chuckle.

The room falls silent as everyone has surprised and amused looks on their faces. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"Twenty-five...why?" I ask as I look at Nick, genuinely not knowing what everyone was gawking at. But when I see a look of nervousness on his face it hits me.

"You just asked Nick to confirm his age...which means you've hooked up with him recently!" He laughs and my face turns red.

I swallow and lean closer to the mic again. "Next question, please," I say lowly before bursting into laughter.

"I think we all know the answer to this next one...who was the last celebrity you kissed?" He smirks.

Too late to go back now. "Obviously that snack sitting over there," I chuckle.

"Alright and last question coming up...what celeb would you love to hook up with?"

I scoff. "Easy one...Ni-"

"Ah! Besides your boyfriend over there," he challenges.

My eyes flick from the interviewer to Nick. They both look genuinely curious. I swallow the lump in my throat as I take a deep breath and release it. "I'm gonna have to plead the fifth on that one...so go on and shock me," I say as I close my eyes and wait for the pain.

It actually didn't hurt that bad because it was the first one I didn't answer. So the voltage was on low and it felt more like a tiny little zap. Anyway, news of my interview slip up spread like wildfire throughout both of our fanbases and I didn't mind at all.

There's no reason to be ashamed of the fact that we're together in whatever way. We're both adults and we can do as we please. When we all got back to the states, it was really interesting. Like, I was surprised by the fact that people were actually not prying that much into our relationship or the nature of it.

I have to say we did have one weird experience while we were in Seattle, Nick's hometown. On a day off from Hailee's shows, he took me to the Space Needle since I'd never been. While we were waiting in line, a fan literally started yelling across the distance something about 'mom and dad'. I turned to Nick with a bewildered look and we both couldn't contain our laughter. Fans are super weird, but also super awesome.

August came quicker than I expected. It's hard to keep track of time when I'm so busy with work. But, also because I'm enjoying all my time with Nick. Sometime in April, he had gotten an offer for an amazing movie role. They shot some of the scenes before he left with us on tour, but he has to go back at the end of August to finish it.

At the end of July, I was contacted about doing another interview. This time, it was for The Late Late Show. And I have to say I'm pretty freaking excited about it. James is hilarious and I wouldn't want to do my American interview debut with anyone else. I was supposed to go in on some day during the first week or so of August. I'm not really keeping track of specific dates.

So, I get there sometime in the morning to shoot the interview. Which I was really shocked for some reason to find out that it wasn't actually filmed at night. Like, I just could not wrap my head around it. I arrived in a car with Nick and Hailee. As I got out, I moved to kiss Nick goodbye.

"I guess I'll see you later," I grin at him.

He quirks an eyebrow at me. "Um, no. We're staying," he chuckles. "Didn't anyone tell you that I'm the second guest and Hailee is performing?"

"I guess not...this is even more exciting then!" I squeal as they get out of the car and I walk hand in hand with Nick to the lot.

Once we checked in, they separated us all to get our hair and makeup done. The nice people did my makeup simply and put beach waves in my hair. We got to wear our own outfits so Nick wore something chill like he always does. Basic jeans rolled up at the bottom to show off his boots and a plain tee under an unbuttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up. There's something sexy about how down to earth he is.

I'm kind of the same as him in that way. I like dressing up when the occasion calls for it, but most of the time I just want to be comfortable. So I wore light blue, high-waisted ankle skinny jeans and some simple black and white sneakers. I also chose a loose, white, and hardly see-through tank top that barely outlined my black push-up bra. My shirt has a cool watercolor painting of a mom and baby gorilla and the front is tucked into my jeans.

I wasn't told about anything special happening besides an interview and maybe participating in one of his games. But, I was still on edge because James is notorious for bringing up embarrassing things.

They've already put us all in our own dressing rooms which is driving up my anxiety. Nick is to be announced first in the Orange Room, then me in the Blue, and lastly, Hailee in the Red as the musical guest. I'm pacing around, unable to relax when I get a text.

Nick: Quite pacing! You're gonna make a rut in the floor lol

I quickly respond.

Me: How do you know I'm pacing?

Nick: Because you're you😜

Me: Ugh, you're annoying...

This is taking too long. I open my door and check the hallway to see if it's clear. When I find that it is, I sneakily run down the hallway and lightly knock on his dressing room door. He opens it, full celebrity smile on and then sees me.

"Y/n, I didn't know you got a job with The Late Late Show," he teases.

I roll my eyes at him. "Har, har," I mock him before quickly looking around. "Are you gonna let me in or not?"

He squints at the ceiling in concentration as if he's thinking really hard about it. I scoff, turning around to leave when he grabs my hand and pulls me inside. Once the door is closed, his hands find a home just below my ears as he leans down for a lingering kiss.

All of my jitters melted away right into that kiss as my hands grab fistfuls of his shirt and he backs me up into the door. It amazes me how he can always make a kiss feel both electric and soothing at the same time. One of his hands finds the small of my back and applies pressure.

I hum into the kiss as we make our way further into the dressing room and fall onto the couch. My hands pull him back to me by the nape of his neck before gripping the roots of his hair. His hands wander under my shirt and his fingers make my skin burn everywhere they graze. We both completely forget about everything else but each other.

Until a knock sounds at the door.

We break apart and look at the door. The knock happens again, this time louder. Shit. We both look back at each other and burst into laughter as he gets up quickly and we move to the door. I stand behind it as he cracks it open, a shy and mischievous smile on his face.

"Nick! What's up, buddy? Took a minute to answer...we thought you might've been kidnapped," James jokes from his place on stage.

I hear Nick laugh nervously. I can't help but mess with him as I quietly lean up and place a kiss on the fingers that are on this side of the door. He wiggles them before moving them higher on the door where I can't reach.

"Uh," he chuckles, "yeah, sorry about that I was just doing some relaxation techniques to get rid of some nerves."

There's a pause and a little laughter from the crowd so I can assume that James is making a funny face. "Relaxation techniques, huh? Is that what they're calling it these days?"

"What, uh...what do you mean?" He asks, clearly guilty.

"You've got a bit of lipgloss smudged on your lip, mate," James points out.

I don't have to see his face to know that he's gone beet red. Biting my lip to contain my laughter, I let my head fall forward and it bumps the door. I lift it back up quickly, my laughter just barely being contained.

Nick clears his throat. "Oh, really? Man must've gotten messed up when I was eating that sandwich a minute ago. I'll have to go redo it now...see ya later," he laughs as he slowly closes the door.

As soon as the door is closed, I take the opportunity of James introducing me to open the door and run down the hallway at full speed. Just as I can hear him finishing up my intro, I can see the assistant about to knock on my door. I skid to a stop right in front of her and rush inside.

Not a second later, there's a knock. I open it up and rest against the doorframe nonchalantly. Although, I'm panting like crazy from the sprint. "Oh...hey James! How's it goin'?" I begin the little rehearsed spiel, but James has other ideas.

"Y/n! You, uh...you seem a little out of breath there," he snickers.

I clear my throat and take a final deep breath to subdue the panting. "Nah, I'm good. Just doing some jumping jacks to work out my extra energy," I explain falsely.

He eyes me suspiciously. "Y/n, you are aware that we all just saw you run into your room before we knocked? Yes?"

"Oh, um," my eyes widen and then I scoff playfully. "You caught me! I had to go to the bathroom since my dressing room doesn't have one...I'm a little offended, James."

He doesn't take my bait to change the subject. "You've got a little..." James says as he touches his upper lip with his finger. I brush my thumb over where he's indicating and feel the smudged lip gloss. "Anything you want to tell us?" He raises an eyebrow comically.

I make an over-exaggerated thinking face before looking back at the camera innocently. "Not that I can think of...I really should do some of those jumping jacks though! I'll see you out there," I wave as I close the door slowly while he tries to continue talking.

A short time later we come out to the stage for the game that we're supposed to be participating in. "Alright, ladies and gentleman! Tonight's game was a bit of a challenge to figure out because we seem to have a diva among us," James teases as he unsubtly nods his head to me.

I mock being offended as Nick chuckles beside me. "I'm sorry that you have such a limited selection, James," I joke back. Nick 'ooo's' beside me and it's James' turn to mock being offended.

"Well, we can't do a riff-off..."

"Because neither I nor Nick are singers," I point out.

"And we can't do Nuzzle Whaaa?..."

"Because I know you're gonna make me stick my face into something that I'm scared of! The last one I watched had snakes!! Nuhhuh," I shake my head as a shiver runs through me at the thought.

He chuckles and continues, "So that leaves...Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts!"

"I have a really weak stomach, but it's a good thing I'm honest," I laugh.

"But there's a twist! We're doing a couples' edition just for the two of you," he announces.

My mouth falls open in shock and amusement. "Ohh," I chuckle. "I can't wait to hear the rules," I say sarcastically.

The crowd roars and we go sit around the table.

Third P.O.V.

Ever since Shawn saw the photos of y/n and Nick together, he's been a moping mess. He's been obsessively following everything he can about her for the past few weeks. And to make matters worse it's his 22nd birthday, which he thought he was going to be able to spend with her.

So, when Shawn read the tweet about her and Nick and Hailee all being on The Late Late Show...of course he stayed up to watch it. James started out by introducing them as this summer's hottest trio and then singularly introduced them. Shawn knew it wouldn't be easy to watch them even be next to each other. But to have them be so blatant about their relationship threw him off.

She was obviously in his dressing room and they were doing god only knows what before the introduction. What makes Shawn's teeth grit and his skin hot is that she doesn't seem to even be remotely hurting anymore. How could that be? She told him that he was only the second serious relationship she'd been in and yet he was the one devastated.

They dated for six months, they were intimate, and the second Shawn fucks up...she jumps into bed with Nick. He just can't fathom it. As he continued watching the show, they got to the game segment of Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts. But, it's a couples' edition so the rules are a little different.

As they settled into their seats and took in the items in front of them, James explained the rules. "So, how it works is I'll ask each of you a question about the other and if you can't answer it you have to eat what I've chosen...you'll get to ask me questions about my wife and my family in return..."

"Sounds easy enough," she speaks enthusiastically as she shimmies her shoulders excitedly. She looks at Nick adoringly and he returns it. Shawn's stomach twists in its place.

James interrupts their loving gazes. "But! All of the foods have an aphrodisiac spin...and if either of you doesn't want the other to answer...you can eat the food for them! But you only get to save them once."

Both of their faces contort in a strange mix of disgust and intrigue as they chuckle. With one final look at each other, they turn back to James. "Bring it on, man," Nick challenges.

The questions start out sort of easy, but both y/n and Nick are determined to beat James at his own game so they're being pretty honest. "Guys! This game is no fun if you don't eat something gross!" James whines.

"Well," she quirks an eyebrow up sassily. "I guess you'll have to ask harder questions.

James nods approvingly. "Well, alright then..."

He spins the table, trying to choose what to give Nick to eat. He positions the oyster juice in front of him and he scrunches his nose as the smell hits him. Shawn smirks to himself. He hopes he has to drink it.

"So, Nick...out of these animals, which is y/n not afraid of: crickets, turtles, frogs, or spiders?" James asks.

Nick starts laughing nervously. And y/n looks down at her lap as she laughs uncontrollably. Her animal fears are the strangest ones Shawn has ever heard of, but he knows the correct answer. James notices her wheezing in laughter and he begins to do it as well.

"Uh..." Nick says, "I'm gonna have to go with turtles. Who's afraid of turtles right?" He asks jokingly as he looks at James. She slowly raises her hand and James points to her. "Really?" He shakes his head as he picks up the cup and takes a disgusting sip. He shakes his head at the taste as he sets it back down. "Please get her back for that."

She giggles as James turns the table to have the strawberry and salmon ice cream in front of her. Her smile fades and she visibly gags. "Oh! This is gonna be worse than Charlie's reaction if I have to eat that!"

"This one might get you in some hot water if you answer...how many of Nick's movies have you actually seen?" He giggles maniacally.

She blinks for a moment before answering. "I believe I've seen five," she admits. James' face goes still.

"I can't believe you answered that," he says in awe.

She shrugs. "If you think that's gonna get me in some hot water then I'd hate to hear what you think will start a fight," she chuckles.

The game continues and she still hasn't eaten anything. Nick and James have had their fair share. All Shawn can think about is how he wouldn't have to eat anything because he knows everything about her. "Nick, I think it's time to get her don't you think?"

"Yeah, I agree," he nods with a silly smile. Together they agree to set the honey covered crickets in front of her.

She frowns in distaste. "Ugh, two things I hate."

"You what?? You hate honey?" She nods at the same time Shawn does from his living room. "You are weird! This next one will get you, I know it will...is Nick the first celebrity you've hooked up with?"

She takes a deep breath. Looking between the crickets and Nick. Although, Nick already knows the answer. It's a matter of whether or not she wants the world to know. She shakes her head at the crickets and opens her mouth to answer. Shawn and James are on the edge of their seats.

"Well-"

She's interrupted by Nick reaching over and grabbing a cricket and throwing it in his mouth. He grimaces as he chews. "Nick! What the hell was that?? We were finally gonna get her!" James exclaims.

"Actually," he says as he swallows, "she was gonna answer and I don't think she should have to. So now I can say that I've eaten a cricket covered in honey!"

James frowns. "I have one last question for her...and you just used your only save. She'll have to eat or tell the truth," he rubs his hands together excitedly.

"Go for it..." she says nervously.

He has the evilest smirk on his face and she knows he has a question that will get her. James turns the chocolate covered chili peppers in front of her. She frowns as she lets out a little whimper.

"So, y/n...back at the Grammy awards over a year and a half ago when you attended with Shawn, he kissed you when he won his category..."

Her eyes widen and her nervous demeanor turns into uneasiness for a whole different reason. "Oh, god," she mumbles before covering her face, clearly knowing where this is going. Shawn almost chokes on his water at the mention of his name.

"...who...between Shawn and Nick is the better kisser?" He finishes and throws the card in the air in triumph. She's still as a rock as she contemplates her choice. In her mind, they're so different but are equally good. That might be a little lie...

She swallows hard. "Am I allowed to say neither?" She asks shyly.

"Depends on your reasoning..."

She picks at her nails in her lap as she avoids everyone's eyes. Nick's, James', the audience, hell even the camera. "Um...because I feel like they were the same on the level of good, even though they're so different..." she says quietly.

"That's bulls**t. I don't believe it one bit...one of them has to be just a smidge higher than the other," James challenges, an amused smirk on his face.

She clenches her jaw, clearly not happy about the question. Steeling herself, she quickly reaches up and takes a bite of the pepper and chews quickly. The crowd bursts into chaos as she chews and James is losing his shit.

"Oh my god!!! YOU ATE THE F*****G PEPPER!!" He wheezes in between laughs. When she swallows, she chugs her milk with a pained expression. Nick claps beside her, clearly not phased by her not wanting to answer. He knows deep down that she's still not over Shawn, and he's okay with that. He can't blame her for not moving on quickly from her first real love.

The segment cuts out for a commercial. Shawn leans back in his seat. So, Nick knows about them. He didn't think y/n was the type to disclose that if it wasn't important. As Shawn thinks about that, the show comes back on and they come down the stairs to the couch.

Nick sits closest to James and y/n sits on his left where his arm is slung around her. His thumb is lightly tracing patterns on her exposed shoulder. First, they talk about the new movie Nick is working on and then they throw in some questions about Hailee's documentary.

Of course, the questions shift back to their relationship. "So...when did the two of you actually first meet?"

"It was at a, uh...a birthday party," Nick answers and y/n nods with a smile.

James furrows his eyebrows. "Might I ask, whose birthday party?" Shawn has a feeling that James already knew the answer, he just wants to see them squirm.

"It was Shawn's," she says plainly, no emotion in her voice. Either she really had moved on or she was covering up something. Shawn couldn't tell which. But as he watches the screen, he finally gets a good look at her shirt. He couldn't see it before because of how high the table seemed next to her, but he could see it now. It was the tank top he bought her from their trip to the Toronto Zoo. His heart aches at remembering that amazing day.

James nods thoughtfully. "Ah, Shawn. He's a favorite here on The Late Late Show...and if I'm not mistaken...it's his twenty-second birthday today," he says theatrically. She bites on her bottom lip hard and briefly, looks down at her lap before pursing her lips together. "Do the two of you want to give a quick shoutout in case he's watching?"

Nick says a polite 'Happy Birthday' and then all eyes turn to y/n. She closes her eyes momentarily and she opens them as she lifts her head up and smiles politely. "Happy Birthday, Shawn! I hope you actually remember this one," she says that line with biting sarcasm and a hint of shade.

There's a twinge of old guilt that flares up in his heart at her words. He's apologized for that and she accepted it. She's clearly just upset that everyone keeps bringing him up. James notices the ice in her remark.

"I would say that it's getting hot in here but clearly you have enough shade to keep us all cool," he jokes and she laughs at her own pettiness. "I have been meaning to ask...what happened between the two of you? You haven't been seen together since the week the music videos released and your interaction on Insta has been nothing but crickets...pun intended, y/n," he chuckles. "Did you have a falling out or?"

She flips some hair off of her shoulder and slightly leans into Nick for support. He tightens his hand around her shoulder and it makes Shawn sick. He's supposed to be the one giving her support in interviews, not be the reason that she needs it from another guy.

"No...we didn't have a falling out," she lies. "I know that comment might have seemed like we're on the outs but the truth is..." she shrugs dismissively and if you look closely you can see the sadness in her eyes. Her eyes flicker to the camera momentarily as her fingers play with the word on her necklace anxiously.

"People get careers and they don't always have time for each other and they grow apart. With both of us having time-consuming ones like being a rock star...” she smiles wistfully to herself as she continues, “or following celebrities around the globe...it's doubly hard to make time for each other. It's sad but it happens," she explains. "But, I still love him and I'll always be his biggest fan no matter where either of us is. Shawn, I wish you all the best and know that I'm always rooting for you," she finishes as she looks at the camera.

Shawn smiles sadly as he listens to her words. Her words sounded practiced at the beginning. But as they progressed, he could see the struggle in her eyes under the shine of the tears that want to drip. She blinks to conceal them but that doesn't stop Shawn from seeing how much pain she's really in. The softest quiver in her voice when she said she still loves him struck something inside of him.

He wants to hope that she was trying to say that she wants him back. But, she has Nick. So, Shawn turns the TV off and goes to his room. He takes his ring off and tosses it on the dresser as he always does before going to bed. But, this time it bounced too far and slid between the wall and the dresser.

Sighing, he walks over and pulls it away from the wall slightly. When he reaches down to feel for his ring, he also finds a hard plastic case. He retrieves them both and looks at the cracked case under his lamp. His heart begins pounding in his chest as he sees the familiar handwriting on the CD inside.

For Shawn,

With Love, Your Muse

He immediately grabs his laptop and puts it in before waiting anxiously as it loads. After a few agonizing minutes, the window pops up and he clicks play while turning up the volume all the way. Within the first two strums of the guitar, he knows exactly what song it is. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur. She always joked that that could be their song because of how he took care of her the night they met.

Shawn's heart beats heavily as he watches the video. It's clearly her handiwork. The pictures and small clips tell a story. Their story. Or more of her perspective of the relationship. What Shawn could tell from the way she edited it was that she was in awe of him. And also that she was insecure at first before he opened her up.

From that very first night all the way up to including some from her last week in Toronto. It started out mostly of just pictures she took of him when he was asleep or not looking or screenshots of his snaps. Then as they got closer, there were video messages from Shawn, clips of him talking about her...the works. Then when the summer festivals came there were more pics and vids of the two of them having fun. Falling in love.

He felt the tears form in his eyes and he didn't try to stop them as they rolled down his cheeks. How could he have been so blind? She loved him back the whole time. She was just afraid that something exactly like what he did would happen. The last few videos and pictures were from the music videos and her week with him and his family. Some of the pictures were when they both weren't looking and he knows that Aaliyah took them. She looked so happy and at home with him.

The video began to fade to black. As the last ten seconds of the song played, a small note from her was displayed. He paused it so he could read it.

No more hiding. Not from you, not from the world, and not from myself. I am completely and stupidly in love with you, Shawn Mendes. Please, don't make me regret it.

His heart literally stopped in his chest for a few seconds. She must've been working on this before the interview happened. The case is cracked and was behind his dresser. He assumes she threw it and forgot about it.

His mind races as it tries to put together the puzzle pieces that are her. The video...the Euterpe necklace...the questions she wouldn't answer in interviews...the shirt from one of their dates...Nick letting her not answer that question...what she said for his birthday just now...click.

She hasn't moved on. She's still in love with him! Which means that there's a chance he can still get her back. He just has to act quickly before she and Nick become permanent. He already has the perfect plan forming in his head and he'll be sure to work out the exact details on his flight.

Within a few days, he arrives at the Sunset Hotel. He walks up to the front desk to find Xander scrutinizing a log book. Shawn clears his throat and he looks up as his shoulders jump.

"God! You have to stop showing up unannounced like this," he says. Though he clutches his heart in surprise, his tone doesn't suggest any actual contempt for Shawn.

Shawn shrugs as he moves closer and leans his elbows on the desk. "I can still get her back," he announces with determination.

"Wow, straight to the point. No small talk...no 'hi, Xander. How have you been?'...nothing," Xander teases.

He sighs in return. "I'm on a schedule. I can only get her back if I move fast. So are you gonna help me or not? Your input is vital," he reiterates.

"Shawn," he sighs, "I told you I'm not playing wingman for you anymore..."

Shawn is about to argue when a voice catches both of their attention. "I'll help." They both turn to find Anna standing there shyly.

"Really?" Shawn's eyebrows shoot up and she nods. "You hate me, though. You never wanted me to be with her," he reminds her.

She shrugs with a look of shame. "Yeah, but I hurt her far more than you did. I know that she still loves you so I want to help. I want her to be happy," she says quietly.

"Okay, thank you," he answered. "Xander, if Anna is on board then surely you can help too?"

Anna nods and they both look at him with pleading eyes. "Don't make me regret this, Mendes," he conceded. "You either, Anna."

They both cheer silently as they all lean in together for the details of his plan. "Okay, so first things first...I need all the footage and photos of y/n that you can find. I'm talking baby photos and home videos straight up until as recent as you can get...steal them from her Insta page if you have to," he instructs.

"What are you gonna do?" Anna asks curiously.

He takes a deep breath as he runs his hand through his curls anxiously. "I have to make a couple calls to get a few more people on board...hopefully they say yes."

"And if they don't?" Xander ponders out loud.

Shawn shrugs as a look of urgency crosses his face. "They have to. The plan doesn't work without them," he admits.

As they break to do their respective tasks, Xander lets Shawn stay in y/n's room to make the calls. A few hours later, he has everyone on board except for one. The phone rings as Shawn paces her room waiting for the last piece of the puzzle to pick up.

It finally stops ringing as someone answers, "Hello, this is Hailee's phone." Shawn's breath catches at the voice he hasn't heard in person for months. "Hello?" She asks again as if maybe he couldn't hear her.

"Uh...yes, is Hailee available?" He asks, slightly lowering his voice in an attempt to disguise it.

There's a pause. "No...she's doing a soundcheck right now. Who is this?"

He clears his throat before sighing. "It's...Shawn..."

"Why didn't you just say so," she responds, her voice less enthusiastic than before.

"I didn't want to upset you...I didn't think you'd answer Hailee's phone," he says honestly.

Silence fills the line. "Y/n? Listen, I can call back-"

Something shifts around the microphone as if the phone is being moved and then it clears up with a new out of breath voice. "Hey, Shawn. It's Hailee, what's up?"

“Hailee? Is that you?” He double-checks.

She lets out a small laugh. “Yes...y/n said you were on the phone so I took a five. This is Shawn...right?” She giggles nonchalantly.

“Yes! Sorry, I’m just a little caught off guard...” he explains.

“Why would you be caught off-guard? You called me, remember?”

He sighs. “Right. I did do that. I just wasn’t expecting y/n to pick up your phone-“

“Did you need something or not?” She asks slightly irritated that he interrupted soundcheck to ask about her.

He clears his throat. “I did. I need your help to get y/n back,” he says determinately.

She scoffs. “Why the hell would I help you do that? I saw what you said in that interview...plus she’s happy now! Why on this Earth would I help you rip her away from that?”

“Because you know just as well as I do that she may be happy with Nick, but she doesn’t love him,” he answers. There’s a long pause on her end so Shawn continues. “You and I both know the brave and strong front she puts up. She looks happy and together...but she’s not. Nick is nothing but a distraction-“

She interrupts him frustratedly, “Enough, Shawn! Jeez...you’re wrong. She is happy with him. Maybe even precisely for the fact that he isn’t you. And you just can’t stand that you’re not the one who does it anymore-“

“Hailee, I would bet you everything I have including my life that if you look at her closely...you’ll see it. Pay attention to what she wears, what she says...what she does. Because I saw her interview a few days ago. She’s miserable. And so am I...so just...watch her and if you don’t see it then fine. But the plan doesn’t work without you,” he pleads.

She swallows the lump in her throat from his words. Was she really so willing to believe that her best friend was magically okay overnight? And that she had gotten over Shawn that quickly? It’s naive but she’s unwilling to admit that he deserves her back.

“My five minutes are up...see you around, Shawn,” she sighs as she hangs up the phone.

Shawn’s grip tightens on the phone but he wills himself to have hope. Hailee loves her. She will look out for the signs and when she sees them...it’s only a matter of time.

First P.O.V.

In the blink of an eye, the end of August finally arrives and Nick has to go back to LA to finish the movie he started. It’s our last day together, which Hailee gave me permission to take the day off of work for. So, we decided to walk around Las Vegas and be silly tourists together.

The whole day was amazing and it couldn’t have been more perfect. As the hours ticked closer to the time that he’d have to leave, I could feel myself dragging my feet. At the hotel, I watched as he rounded up all of his stuff that was intermingled with mine.

“Do you have to go right now?” I whine like a child.

He chuckles as he walks over and pulls me off the bed into one of his amazing hugs. “Sorry, babe. But, yes. If we want the movie to premiere next year, we gotta finish it by Christmas,” he mumbles into my hair.

“I know. I know. But, I’ll see you in LA for my birthday right?” I say as I nuzzle my head further into his chest and smell his intoxicating cologne.

He pulls away and retrieves something from his bag as he replies, “Actually...I wanted to give you your present early. That way you can wear it on the occasion.” He smiles that goofy lopsided smile that makes me melt.

My eyes widen as he holds out a velvet rectangular box. As my fingers click the lid open, my mouth parts in awe. “Nick...it’s beautiful...” I whisper.

The inside of the box displays a dainty silver chain that is home to a small ruby heart. “Please tell me this wasn’t expensive...” I warn him.

“Well, I can’t lie to you so I won’t say anything...” he teases. I playfully push at his chest before my awed expression dulls. “What’s wrong?” He says, the small smile never leaving his features.

I try to find the words, but I can’t. Or I can. I just don’t want to. I look at my feet in guilt as my fingers do what they always do when I’m nervous. They trace the letters on my necklace that hasn’t left my neck for any longer than a shower.

“Oh,” I can hear the slight disappointment in his voice. “It’s a good thing I kept the receipt...” he tries to joke.

I look up at him with eyes glistening. “I’m so sorry, Nick...” I begin but he shakes he shrugs his shoulder as he waves his hand dismissively.

“It’s fine, y/n. It really is,” he tries to downplay the hurt in his voice.

Grabbing his hand, I squeeze it and his puppy dog eyes meet mine. “It’s not fine. I tried to let go...I really did. You make me so so happy, but-“

“But, you don’t love me. You love him,” he finishes.

I nod as a tear escapes and leaves a warm trail down my cheek. “I really wanted to be with you...because you are the most amazing guy I’ve ever known...there’s just...something about being with Shawn that’s...different,” I explain with a wavering voice. “And I wish I didn’t...” I shake my head as more tears flow, “but, I love him. And I never stopped.”

Guilt and shame wash over me. I should’ve never agreed to use him. He deserves more than that. I let my gaze fall to the floor as I cry. I expect him to just walk out the door. But, he doesn’t. Instead, he wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head soothingly.

“I knew when we started this that there was a possibility you’d go back to him. I don’t blame you for anything,” he assures me. “But, I’m glad I got to be with you for the time that I did. I don’t regret it and neither should you.”

I look up at him as I sniffle. How can he be so gracious about this? Before I can say anything else, he delicately places his lips on mine. They linger, just barely pressing against mine as I feel the warmth from him. As he parts from me, my breath staggers just a moment. Then, he places an even longer kiss on my forehead. I close my eyes and try to contain my sadness, replacing it with all the happiness I had because of him.

His lips leave my skin and I keep my eyes closed as I hear him gather his things. My breathing picks up in a jagged pace and soon I hear the door close. I clamp my hand over my mouth as I open my eyes and find him gone. It was the right thing to do. That’s what I keep telling myself as I make my way back to the tour bus.

As soon as I enter, Hailee takes notice of my state. “Aw honey. It’s okay...you’ll see him in October...” she soothes as she hugs me.

“No,” I shake my head as I wipe at my eyes. “We broke up...”

She audibly gasps as she looks at me with worried eyes. “Why?? You guys were so happy!”

I flop down on the bed and hug a pillow. “Because I’m still in love with Shawn, and it’s wrong to keep using Nick like that,” I confess.

“Bu...” She silences herself as her brows knit together. “I have to go make a call real quick...will you be okay for like five minutes?”

I nod silently and she leaves. I’m so lost in my own despair that my brain didn’t register her strange behavior. In the following months, I still didn’t pick up on all her sketchy mannerisms. Making secret phone calls, not letting me answer her phone anymore...October rolled around and it got even worse.

We were trying to prepare for her LA show and she just kept being more and more secretive. Disappearing and acting jumpy. I chalked it up to the fact that my birthday coincided with her show and maybe she was planning a surprise for it. Someone should have told her that I usually hate them.

It’s the day of the LA show (also my 23rd birthday) and I’m running around making sure all of the photographers and camera crew have their assignments. This show is an important one because it’s the last one of the tour, so the show is going to be next level amazing.

Hailee bumps into me as I round a corner. “Oh!  Hey, I was just looking for you!” She exclaims. I barely look up from my clipboard as I hum in acknowledgment. She snatches it from my grasp.

“Hey! I was just finishing that list for the show!”

She gives me a knowing smirk. “Delegation is a thing that’s allowed, ya know,” she informs me. I open my mouth to counter but she continues. “And before you argue, that’s not a request. Let someone else finish the list while you get changed and relax a little,” she demands politely.

“Why would I need to change?” I quirk my eyebrows in suspicion.

She looks up innocently. “No reason...just put on something nice! Now, hurry!!”

Groaning, I turn around and walk to the dressing room to do as she says. I find a black satin dress with a light purple flower print on it. The thin straps create an apron neckline and it’s backless, while the hem goes to my mid-thigh. I match it with a pair of black heels that have straps that criss-cross around my calves.

I do simple makeup and my hair is still wavy from earlier today when I curled it. Annoyed, I walk back out to the side of the stage where Hailee has begun her introduction. I try to grab the clipboard from someone but they tell me Hailee said I’m not allowed to have it.

I cross my arms as I watch her pump up the crowd. “I’m glad y’all are having a great time!! Before we get started...” I hear her say and my attention snaps toward the stage. She looks at me and I shake my head vigorously. “It’s someone’s birthday!! Let’s all welcome her out onto the stage for her surprise!”

With no other choice because of how loud the crowd has gotten, I stride over to Hailee. “This better not be anything extravagant,” I warn under my breath before smiling and waving to the crowd.

“So some of us, her friends, have put together a birthday video for you! You’re gonna sit here and watch the screen and we have a special guest coming in to perform a couple of songs to open for my show!” She cheers.

I roll my eyes and press two fingers to my temple. She holds the mic in front of me and I take it. “Well, then. Let’s get started! We’re on a tight schedule,” I chuckle.

“Roll the clip!” She shouts as she takes the mic away from me and stands offstage. Someone brings out a chair for me to sit on to watch the screen that comes down at the back of the stage.

Everyone goes quiet in anticipation as the lights dim so the screen can be seen more clearly. I twiddle my thumbs in an anxious manner as the screen finally lights up. A smile comes to my lips as a picture of me as a newborn in the hospital comes up. In the background, I can hear someone playing a very slow rendition of Happy Birthday on the piano.

The picture glides away and is replaced with a collage of baby photos and home videos that keep progressing in age. I giggle at some silly ones and my eyes start to water from nostalgia. The song begins coming to an end as the pictures shift into me at age 20. I clap and stand up as I think the video is over because the song is. But, Hailee points at the seat as an indication that it’s not.

My brows knit together as a guitar starts playing while the video leads up to me turning 21. The song sounds extremely familiar but I can’t place it. Not to mention it sounds way clearer than if it were on the screen. After about 25 seconds of strumming, a voice begins to accompany the guitar and the screen displays pictures and clips from my 21st birthday on. Starting with the Insta vid that Shawn took of me that morning.

Oh my god. My worried eyes flash to Hailee and I can see her holding her clasped hands in front of her lips in anticipation. I knew that I knew the song. Of course, it was one of Shawn’s. It was hard to place because it’s never been on an album. He only plays it live: She’ll Be the One. My heart is having trouble beating as I watch the screen.

All the photos and videos from the karaoke bar, the selfies we took later that night...the ones from the diner and so on. The lyrics of the song get to, “But, how can I not try...” and my muffled ears hear the crowd go nuts. I turn to the other side of the stage. Oh my god.

Shawn slowly walks out, playing the guitar and singing into a mic hooked around his ear. Immediately, my breathing flutters irregularly and my skin shivers. I turn back to the screen, trying to find a normal breathing rate, but he walks until he’s right next to me and gets on his knees in front of me. The crowd is going wild as he continues the song but I focus my stare on the video.

It was getting into pictures that he took of me, ones I usually didn’t notice. At the Grammys...his album release party...the summer festivals...and all the snaps in between that he saved. I clench my jaw and press my lips in a hard line in an attempt to not react, but he’s right in front of me.

This isn’t what I was expecting. Yeah, I’m still in love with him. But, who the hell is he to come out here and make a public spectacle of his apology? I’m not ready for this. I can’t even react right now. The drums and electric guitar kick in and I get the same quake in my heart that I always do when I hear it. He stands up and moves to a mic stand as the song ends. Oh, but he’s not finished yet.

I send a hard glare toward Hailee, but she doesn’t seem to mind. He begins playing an electric guitar and I have to fight the smirk that wants to appear. I shake my head and pointedly look at the screen because I can feel his eyes watching me as he begins singing. This fucker thinks he’s clever. What song did he pick to win me back? Ruin.

It fits perfectly with the video as it goes into all of our secret coupley photos and videos...and then behind the scenes footage of the music vids...the weekend of the Grammys when I was sick...our week in Toronto with his family. The middle of the song hits and it’s accompanied by a silent clip of the interview that made me leave. I hear the slight waver in his voice as my time with Nick comes onscreen.

I venture a small glance in his direction. Sure enough, his eyes have never left me. I feel the hard lump forming in my throat and it’s as if I’m reliving losing him all over again. I’m not the only one. His eyes are shining as the light hits the tears in them. The bridge begins and the crowd is chanting the lyrics with him. It’s a haunting experience.

As I continue watching him instead of the screen, I see the seriousness and passion in his eyes. The veins in his neck and arms protrude as he literally sings his heart out to me. I slowly stand up and take a few small steps toward him as the song winds down. His eyebrows furrow curiously at me and I swallow as I take a steadying breath.

“Not tryna ruin your happiness at all...” he beautifully sings the last lyric and the venue goes deadly silent. He hands the guitar to someone and takes the mic off the stand, making his way to stand a foot away from me.

My lip trembles as I breathe unsteadily. I can feel my eyes glossing with warm tears that want to drip. He slowly brings the mic to his lips as he holds my gaze. His breath is heavy from singing and he swallows dryly. Just when I thought he couldn’t surprise me more...

“I’m done hiding you from the world. I am completely and stupidly in love with you, y/n y/l/n. Please, take me back...” he begs. His deep brown eyes search mine intensely. I haven’t seen them up close in so long.

My mouth falls open as I choke on the breath I was holding. The entire venue loses their minds. I can’t believe he just confessed his love for me in front of everyone here. This will definitely end up on YouTube, so probably the entire world will see it.

I stutter as I try to respond with something. Anything. But, I feel the speed of my breathing accelerate while my heart pounds furiously. I don’t know what else to do, so I turn around and run. Running certainly isn’t going to help my breathing but it’ll help me get away from that situation.

I can hear Hailee awkwardly take over the stage and begin her set. I’m not even sure where I’m running to. At some point, I shed my shoes and grab my purse as I call an Uber quickly. It arrives as soon as I’m out on the street and I slide in, slamming the door quickly.

Everything is just too much, so I tell the driver to take me to the one place where I know my mind can slow down.

Third P.O.V.

Shawn hurries after her offstage, but she’s quicker than he thought she could be in heels. He finally finds them discarded in the dressing room and her purse is gone. His hand grips the roots of his chocolate curls worriedly. It’s late and she shouldn’t be out on the streets by herself.

He can’t do anything but think about the look on her face when she saw him. Surprise mostly. A little bit of pain. But, the rest was confusion. He knows he has a lot to explain and apologize for. Maybe he should’ve thought through the public romantic gesture a little more, but his heart was in the right place.

Hours go by as he looks for her everywhere he can think of. The entire night has past and he’s exhausted. Not from the lack of sleep, but the lack of not knowing if she’s okay. She’s not from here, so there’re only so many places she can go...and then it dawns on him.

It doesn’t take long for him to get an Uber to the last resort guess at where she would be. As he gets out and makes his way down toward the waves, he releases a breath. The small silhouette of her hugging her knees to her chest is illuminated by the tip of light from the rising sun.

Shawn takes off his shoes and slowly walks toward her, feeling the sand in between his toes. Before he reaches her, she stands up and stretches her arms out by her sides. Her fingers dance through the wind as she tilts her head back and soaks in her surroundings. He can’t help but take a picture.

He speaks softly as he approaches her, “I’m glad this part of you hasn’t changed.”

“I knew you’d find me,” she states simply as she lowers her arms and sneaks a glance at him.

He comes to a stop facing her at a respectful distance. “Is that so?” She nods, a tiny glimmer of a smile on the corner of her lip. “I can leave you alone if you’d like,” he offers.

“I think I’ve been alone enough already,” she sighs as she turns and looks up at him. He admires the way the rising sun shimmers off her skin. She admires the way the shadows of the previous night outline his statuesque features.

They stand like that a moment, gauging each other. And then Shawn breaks the silence, “I’m sorry. For everything. For the interview...for not coming after you immediately...for putting you on the spot like that...especially when I know you’re with Nick and I don’t want to be a bad-“

“I’m not,” she corrects him.

He stares at her with a quizzical look. “Not what?”

She releases a puff of air from her nose in a silent scoff. “I’m not with Nick. We broke up in August,” she informs him.

“You...I mean...why?” He stammers.

She closes the distance a bit before replying, “Why do you think?” She asks rhetorically. Shawn dares to let his features light up the tiniest bit. “You’re really gonna make me say it?”

“Mhm,” he hums as he pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. He gazes intently into her eyes. There’s so much she can see in them. The hope, the adoration, the love, but also a tiny bit of fear. Like if he didn’t make her say it then she would slip through his fingers again.

She notices how his eyes try their hardest to not look at her lips, but she has no qualms about her gaze flicking to his as she licks hers. “Shawn Mendes,” she begins teasingly, “I am in love wi-“

That’s all she can manage to say before Shawn is grabbing her by the small of her back with one hand and pulling her flush against him as his other hand finds its home just past her jaw and under her ear. His lips connect with hers and she’d expected it to be fervent after so long apart but it wasn’t.

It was the opposite. It was tender and slow. Almost as if he pressed too much that her delicate lips would shatter beneath him. It filled her up with warmth nonetheless. The kind of warmth that spread to her toes on that chilly October morning with the wind nipping their noses.

But neither of them moved. Her hands had reacquainted themselves with his neck and the roots of his hair easily. He didn’t want to break her, but she had been hollow these past few months. While he tried, Nick couldn’t fill the hole that was meant for Shawn’s touch. And now that she finally has the smallest taste of him, it isn’t enough.

She pulls him against her further, as if it were possible. And each tug of his curls tightens his grip on her skin. She deepens the kiss by swiping her tongue along his delicious lips and he eagerly responds. Soft moans and slight giggles escape their mouths and dance in the air between them as they continue to act as if they’re the only ones in the world.

And so they stood like that, drinking each other in after months of being in the desert while the sun finally rose over the horizon.

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