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dissociativewriter · 2 days ago

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Unnatural Affinity- Part 2

Isekai!Reader x Love and Deepspace

wc: 2.8k

cw: angst but not too heavy this time, allusions to self harm, questioning of worth i guess?, reader wonders if she’s supposed to be there and what’s going on, kinda awkward interactions tbh, lots of confusion; not proofread

Synopsis: You soon find yourself filling in the role of Em’s friend and roommate, and try to fit into your new life and new (?) job at the Hunter’s Association. At lunch break, you and Em eat lunch with Xavier only to find some… odd behavior from him.

author’s note: I really need to be updating my Once Upon Another Time PoTo x LaDS series but this has taken all my inspiration :( i feel like this is kinda weak but it has some good lines. i don’t know how to write xavier so ill try to figure that out before i write more of him

tag list: @animegamerfox @ixloom819 @magennta09 @an-ever-angry-bi @corvid007

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Em certainly knew how to hold a conversation, you quickly realized.

She was the exact opposite of you. Where you were quiet and reserved, she was loud and outgoing. She could talk to anyone, and it seemed as though she held all the energy in any room she entered.

That wasn’t a bad thing, of course. You almost envied her for it, the way she could so easily navigate social situations. She was charming and witty where you were shy and sarcastic. It was far from a bad thing, it was just something you weren’t used to.

And why would you be?

This is the life of the Main Character.

“So, anyways, I was trying to get him to switch with me so I could have a turn, but he insisted that he keep playing!” Em was complaining about one of the men wrapped around her finger, and you had honestly lost track of which one she was talking about now. For having five objectively attractive men practically at her feet, she certainly didn’t appreciate them all that much. “He said he’d use his Evol and it’d be fine, but then he still missed!” Her expression was exaggerated, her pitch rising as she kept talking. A small pout formed on her lips. “All that to say, we didn’t get a plushie,” she sighed.

“I’m sorry, who was this again?” You decided to just bite the bullet. You’d learned that Em was aware she could talk fast sometimes and skip out on details, so asking for clarification wasn’t that anxiety-inducing anymore.

“My friend Xavier. He’s a hunter, you might have seen him? Silver-white hair, big, blue eyes, tall, really quiet?” Em cocked her head.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve… seen him around.” You nodded. You couldn’t exactly explain he was a Love Interest in the only game you played daily.

“Yeah, it’s hard not to notice him. I think most people in the Association have at least heard his name, even if they haven’t seen him.” Em suddenly stopped, grabbing your arm and pointing to a small shop with her other hand. “That shop looks so cute! We have to go there.”

You didn’t argue, simply following her lead like a lamb as she guided you to the store. Another thing you’d realized: Em was used to getting what she wanted. But she was never rude or entitled about it. No, that’d be too negative for a Main Character. She could be a bit bratty at times, however, a trait often showed in memories with Sylus or Caleb. Clearly, though, this wasn’t something she only did with them. You’d fallen victim to her pouts, puppy-dog eyes, and guilt-tripping in the mere three hours you’d been together.

Despite all this, your differences, your slight annoyances, your envy, you’d managed to become somewhat comfortable around Em. Maybe it was her Evol helping her resonate with everyone, but it’s like she just knew how to make people like her and be comfortable. You weren’t sure how you felt about it. She couldn’t read you and your emotions, something you were thankful for, but she was clawing at the walls you’d put up defiantly, like the kitten Sylus so often compared her to.

After a few stops at a couple more shops, you two finally headed back to your apartment. You were filled with some kind of rotten eagerness. A person’s home can so easily show their secrets: their struggles, interests, and happiness. You wanted to see how you lived in this life. You wanted to see if it really was better than what you’d had before.

You wanted to see if what you were losing when you entered this world was really worth missing.

The apartment was… nice. Like the rest of Linkon, it was sleek and innovative. You recognized a lot of it from the screenshots in the back of the main storyline or memories, but there was something unnerving about the whole place. It reminded you of Em’s eyes. Pretty at the first glance but lacking substance when you look further.

There were a few things here and there that weren’t in the original art of her apartment. A stack of books here, an extra pair of shoes there; Your mark was evident. You weren’t just shoved to the side to make room for the main character. You were allowed to self-express in your own (new?) home.

“Why do you look so shocked? I mean, I know I straightened up, but it wasn’t that messy before,” Em laughed.

“Nothing… just thinking.” You shook your head. “It’s not important.” Em cocked her head but didn’t say anything more.

You hovered in the entryway for a moment after kicking your shoes off, taking it all in. Em stayed in the living room, scrolling her phone as she laid sprawled on the couch. Then, as if your body knew what your mind did not, you entered what you could only assume was your room, dropping your tote bag in the chair in the corner and shrugging off your jacket. You performed what felt like second-nature, like your body remembered this life where your mind didn’t. It seemed like force of habit, so you could only wonder if adapting to this new world would really be all that difficult.

“I’m going to sleep!” Em yelled outside your door. “You should soon. We’ve got to get back the Association tomorrow and I just know Jenna’s going to overload everyone with work after that whole issue in Skyhaven.”

Habit was a funny thing.

It was as if some things didn’t need a second thought, just something you did because your body knew to.

But how did your body know your exact routine in this life? There was nothing inexperienced about any of it. You didn’t bump into any furniture, didn’t look for where your shirts were kept for twenty minutes, didn’t question anything.

What was going on here?

You grabbed a bag you didn’t even know existed before and a travel mug from the counter before leaving with Em. This was routine, you realized, but whose?

As you were leaving the apartment building, Em turned around, zeroing in on a specific window. You curiously followed her gaze, only to find the curtains drawn.

“What’s going on?” you asked.

Em’s gaze suddenly snapped back to your own, as if she forgot you were there next to her. “Oh! I was just going to see if Xavier was leaving too and let him walk with us.” She laughed. “Of course, knowing him, he’s probably still asleep!”

I didn’t think Xavier usually went to the Association, you thought. Didn’t he just take missions without showing up?

What else is different?

You shrugged. “We can wait for him, if you want,” you offered. You didn’t know if you really should be interacting with any of the Love Interests, but if you both worked at the Hunter’s Association, you couldn’t really avoid Xavier.

You couldn’t change things that much anyway, right?

“No, it’s fine.” Em shook her head. “Let’s just go. I have a meeting with Jenna first thing and I do not need to be late again,” she groaned.

With bright lights and wide windows, the Hunter’s Association certainly left no stone unturned. There were no shadows to hide in, no darkened corners to find refuge, not even a closet to hide the skeletons you knew the Association had.

You subconsciously adjusted the tote bag on your shoulder, feeling the weight of your laptop and the folders containing God(Astra?)-knows-what. You’d tossed your copy of Frankenstein in before you left, too. You didn’t know why. It wasn’t even your favorite book, but it was something real. The annotations were fragments of another life. A life where you hadn’t been happy, so why did you find yourself missing it so much?

Your hands itched at your thighs again, feeling the healing cuts rub against the fabric of your pants.

“Well, I’m gonna go.” Em’s voice, bright like the Association, broke you from your thoughts. “Say hi to Nero for me!” You nodded and returned her wave as she walked away.

Wait.

Nero?

What did he do…? You wish you had the guide from the game giving you descriptions on everyone and everywhere. What did they say about him? He liked Wanderers… and didn’t he have social anxiety?

Your feet took your where your mind couldn’t and you saw Nero sitting at a slightly cluttered desk with an empty one directly across from him.

His little portrait in-game did not do him justice. He was honestly cute, especially with his slightly oversized glasses. He was shy, sure, giving you a weak wave of acknowledgement, but he was by no means lacking confidence. He dodged eye contact, but his shoulders were back and his posture straight. You could tell he was confident in himself, just not in others when it came to socializing.

“Hey.” His voice was soft, almost unsure. “I left a report on your desk for you to read over… just, whenever you have time!” he quickly clarified, as if he didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure on you.

“Alright, Nero,” you smiled, your grin only growing as he glanced away.

You quickly fell into a rhythm after getting settled at your desk. Nero was in data analysis, you finally remembered, which meant you were, too. At least, in the same department. You had a different job from Nero, compiling and proofreading all of the information from the reports. It could be confusing here and there, especially trying to decode any shorthand used or even just some messy scrawl, but it was overall easy work.

Now you understand why Em had mentioned you helping her by giving data. You had access to all the data that went through the Association. Even what they hid from the Hunters.

In a world where knowledge was the only thing you had, this realization held unimaginable power.

Between what you knew about a few characters from the game and what you could learn from all these reports, it didn’t seem like you’d be scrambling for some footing.

You and Nero fell into a rhythm, too. He would complete his reports, pass them over to your desk, where you would edit and transfer into the database. Not many words were exchanged, maybe a quick “here” or “thanks” muttered occasionally. With such a loud life next to Em, it was nice to find these quiet moments of reprieve with him.

A few hours passed quickly before the clock hit 1:30. You straightened up your pile of reports before rising from your chair. “Nero? Aren’t you going to lunch?” you asked.

He shook his head. “I’ll just stay here for my break. You have a fun time, though.” He gave a weak smile.

“Alright, if you insist…”

Em met you at the entrance to the Association, a tall blond in tow. “Hey!” she exclaimed as soon as she saw you. “I wanted to introduce you to Xavier since you said you’d never met, so I thought, why don’t we all get lunch so you two can properly meet!” She grinned widely, quickly glancing between both of you.

You gave a polite nod and introduction to Xavier, not expecting much from him. He never paid much attention to anyone beyond Em, you knew, and you didn’t want to incite any unnecessary jealousy if he thought you two were too close. You were roommates, after all, and you’d seen Xavier get jealous over only a neighbor.

You didn’t think his jealousy would stop at only men, either.

To your surprise, however, he grabbed your hand, giving you a chaste kiss on the top of it and a small smile. “Nice to meet you,” he murmured.

Okay, what?

You hadn’t expected him to be rude; he would never be rude to someone important to Em. But this was a bit kinder than you’d expected. Just a bit.

You, Xavier, and Em left the Association, walking down the street after Em proposed some hotpot. She was slightly ahead of you and Xavier, extremely enthusiastic compared to your relaxed pace. You thought it odd that Xavier had stayed back with you instead of hovering next to Em, but what was odder was the hand ghosting at the small of your back.

This was a comfortable motion, maybe not practiced, but definitely not awkward. You felt his eyes on you as you kept looking forward, his chin tilted up as he looked at you through his bottom lashes. He was searching for something. You could feel it, though his face betrayed nothing.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d say he was just as confused as you were with the amount of attention he was giving you compared to Em.

Hotpot was nice, if a little chaotic. Em and Xavier sat together in a booth, with you across from them in a chair. You were directly across from Xavier, and you noticed him watching you closely as the meats and vegetables cooked. There were even a few times when Em had to frantically tap him to get his attention and say it was done.

Conversation ended up flowing easily between the three of you, once you got settled. You and Xavier were putting in as much as Em, something extremely unusual for the both of you. Right now, Em was in the middle of telling of an interaction with a civilian during a mission, which was apparently so funny that she couldn’t breathe for a few minutes before beginning.

“He kept insisting that he be let past, like he knew what was going on!” She howled with laughter. “I said, sir, you don’t wanna be involved in that and he just held his hand up and said how can you know that, I’ll do as I please! Obviously, he took two steps, realized what was happening, and got out of there as fast as possible. Honestly, I don’t know what people are thinking sometimes.” Em wiped the stray tears from her eyes.

“Wait,” you chuckled. “So he was just like: ‘oh i can do this, i’m better than a trained hunter, step aside little girl’?” You raised your hand, the back of it facing you, just as Em had done to get your point across. Em didn’t say anything, merely laughing as she nodded. You laughed, too, keeping your hand raised although it faltered.

Xavier, who had completely dissociated for the entire story, snapped back into focus. He zeroed in on your outstretched hand, immediately drawing a conclusion you weren’t sure how he reached.

“Mind if you borrow my hand?” he asked, his brows slightly furrowed. He leaned forward a little, raising his own hand. “…Like this?” He tapped his hand against yours in a weak high-five.

Watching your hand falter, out of sheer confusion and shock for how this was playing out, a slight frown grew on his face. “It seems you had something else in mind.” He shook his head, his lips now curling up at the ends. He quickly entwined his fingers with your own, holding your hand tightly. “Can I borrow your hand, then?”

Your mouth was slightly agape. He was supposed to be acting all cute like this with Em, not with you!

“Is this what you call borrowing?” Xavier chuckled as he released your hand.

You stared at him, barely noticing Em glancing between you both. A frown was playing on her lips, and she shifted closer to Xavier. You watched him closely as he absentmindedly chewed his food. You were trying to figure out why he did that.

Why did it feel so familiar?

What was it so comfortable?

You figured it out later.

Finally, after a few more hours the Association and a quick dinner back at the apartment where Em was uncharacteristically quiet, you figured it out.

It was a Relax Time in the game. One of those little interactions you unlocked as Affinity increased. It was identical down to the dialogue. Except, those were always little couple-y moments shared between the MC and her Love Interest in Destiny Cafe, always adorable, always invoking your somber envy.

So why was Xavier doing it with you?

You didn’t think Em liked it much either. She wasn’t bitter about it, you could tell, just… confused. She isn’t officially dating any of the Love Interests as of now considering just the Main Story has happened, but it’s still odd for any of them to be doing something remotely romantic with anyone, man or woman.

You just hoped you wouldn’t run into any of the other men. Who knows what that could lead to?

You didn’t know what exactly was going on, or how you could deal with it, but you knew one thing: Something was wrong.

Maybe it’s your fault. Maybe you’re not supposed to be here. Maybe your very presence is throwing everything off-kilter.

In a game so based around Fate, unexpected events don’t seem very welcome.

And what were you, if not unexpected?

comments and reblogs appreciated! <3

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natalchartnurtures · 3 days ago

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Pick-A-Tarot Meme! What Are Your Person's Thoughts About You?

~~~~~~~<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3~~~~~~~<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3~~~~~

Cuz we can't have enough of these :p

____

Pile 1:

Gosh pile one.. your person seems to be soooooooo IN THEIR HEAD about you right now.. like i got so dizzy as i started your reading wtf like what's happening here? Let's find out together yea?

Mmm ok. It seems like they have FeElingS for you but it's like.. their feelings are causing them to get in their head? Maybe their terrified of emotional vulnerability or something?

Pile 1, is your person a tough cookie or likes to present as one? Cuz if so you're the one who cracks them!

You'll be the one who gets through to their heart and they low key know thiss somewhere at the back of their mind and.. I guess THAT'S WHY they're feeling so utterly anxious. They don't wanna fuck it up this connection I hear. I'm also getting that your person doesn't really feel much for people in general like if at all even. They're giving me aromantic energy ooooor maybe they've just been really closed off to romance maybe cuz of somw really and I mean REALLY bad experiences.

But. Something about you. Just. Unlocked. something inside of them and now they're FREAKING OUT lol. They're all "this wasn't part of the plan what the hell!" But in cute way lmao.

I see them veiwing you as a bit of a tower moment in their life right now and I'm not sure they're enjoying it very much. They may limit interaction with you at this point in time or if yall are together/dating they maybe a more defensive than usual but this is because they feel out of control (since they attach control with no feelings) cuz they genuinely care and could love you (like crazy)

Wow. Um this person doesn't have thoughts about you. They have mental breakdowns and panick attacks about you 😂😂😭😭 (it's not funny, but it kinda is 🙃)

This person prolly never felt this way (or expected to) about somebody and now it seems as if they're jus.. spazzing lol. They maybe an air moon or air dominant (especially low octave Aquarius energy) cuz these people tend to spazz when they catch feelings XD

Like they're having mental spasms and they don't know what to do when it comes to you. They seem like they're a fish out of water when it comes to you..

Broooo but when they're not busy spazzing abour you and their feelings for you.. they have deep passionate thoughts, mostly at nighttime, when this person feels safe I heard. Ooh. Interesting. Yea they're soooooo attracted to you and your body (lmao) they drool from the wet dreams they have about you 🤣

But I don't think you know this (which is why youre here reading this PAC lol) Also bro. this person LOVES you. Loves everything about you. Oh it's so precious. I hope they heal whatever wound that's stopping them from being with you cuz they genuinely want to be with you (their words not mine) no matter how much they try to deny it- out of whatever fear they're experiencing.. but yea let's hope your person finds the courage they need to heal so they can make their way towards you!

Love and light, to you my friend and thanks for reading!

____

Pile 2:

Ah it's my romantic pile 🥰

They love to think about you like all day, everyday.. I'm sitting and stirring in the energy of this person's love for you rn and man.. it's so NICE and warm and fuzzy and just.. pure. This person has probably thought about your future together and fantasized about you in every possible scenario when it comes to ya'lls life together. Very cute, pile 2. They have most of their thoughts at nighttime? Even though they spend alllll day thinking of you, it usually amplifies at night. I see them basking in their delicious feels for you (awwww stop this is way too cute!)

BRO they daydream about cuddling you! (you didn't hear it from me 🙃😉) ahhhhh they love the thought of you in their hoodie just basking in the bliss yall feel together for each other.. gosh so precious!! ><

It's like they think you complete them.. like you're their other half..

Bro. Wtf. I just heard the name Jake Gyllenhaal? Idk take that if it resonates lmao

AH I'm also hearing Sunset Blvd By Selena Gomez?

And Rare by Selena Gomez too so take them if you feel like it's significant for you :)

Ok! I'm getting something interesting now.. pile 2, arr you in a situationship with this person? Or maybe a friendship but yall caught feelings and now things are kinda awkward? Or maybe they tried to push you away and chose themselves over this connection at some point? Whatever the case, there seems to be HISTORY between the both of ya'll. And whatever went down, TRUST ME your person is feeling terrible about it. I see them process you guy's past through their thoughts and I see them becoming aware of everything did (or didn't do) in this connection and I see them taking accountability! Don't we love a self-aware king/queen? Lovely news! They want to be with you! Like you're front and center in their mind right now and they're gonna do everything in their power to not only clear up things with but also begin something brand new with you. If you guys are looking for a relationship then that would mean that this person will reach out and ask you out for the first time 👀

They'll be doing this at their own speed lol (differs for everybody reading)

Or.. say if you're just looking for closure then I see this person reaching out for a heart to heart after a few days/weeks of laying low for a bit. For this to be coming out rn.. I think that they're thinking about this right now as you're reading this. Ooh exciting heheheheheheheh

I love this for you pile, 2!

Love and light, to you my friend thanks for reading!

____

Pile 3:

Ooh.. pile 3, your person is doing some serious thinking! Phew! Let's get in.

Most of their thoughts are about your softness.. they find it really healing tbh.. they absolutely love how they can be themselves around you and you receive them just as they are. Plain and simple. Ah. It nourishes them. They think of you as a comforting figure who is the human embodiment of a big warm loving hug. Aw pile 3, this is lovely energy. I'm hearing the song- By Your Side by Sade so check it out if you feel called to!

You're a place of respite for this person tbh. This person thinks that you're a wonderful person to talk to (about literally anything!) Bestie vibes tbh BUT this pile has such a sutble and sweet romantic vibe underneath the friendly tenderness (if your asking about a romantic interest) that is shared among the two of you when you connect. I heard that they think you're not like the other people they've met before. So maybe they've met a lot of people who didn't care about them or maybe their childhood lacked a certain quality of love and care which.. you give to this person. And they honestly can't be more grateful to you for that. Aw. This warms my heart. It's kinda sad but it's sooo precious too?

You make them wanna care about people again. You make them wanna care about life again. You make them wanna LOVE AGAIN.

You've managed to build a space for this person to feel safe and this has been a rare commodity in this person's life like I cannot stress that enough, pile 3. Pat yourself on the back please you've done a wonderful job here :)

You're so patient and loving with them it's almost as if it's otherworldly... angelic almost.

You make them wanna truly believe again. Ah. So beautiful. They hold a lot of reverence and respect for you and your mind. They love how you function. They love you. A lot it seems like.

Love and light, to you my friend thanks for reading

____

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itdontmatter283472374 · 3 days ago

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What are we? Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Ok, so this is long and over a long period of time so that's my bad. Also with school being done, I am gonna be working more hours this summer, so posts are not gonna be as frequent for the next couple of weeks. Also, there is slight smut.

Ted’s was buzzing.

It always was on Saturday nights, but tonight there was something extra in the air—maybe the spring breeze sneaking in through the open windows, maybe the way the music seemed just loud enough to blur thoughts without drowning out conversation. The kind of night that made you forget about practice, papers, and pressure for just a little while.

Paige and Azzi walked in with the rest of the team, laughter trailing behind them as they pushed through the crowded doorway. Azzi’s hand brushed lightly against Paige’s as they moved toward their usual corner table, and for a second, Paige felt that same small thrill—the kind that had been catching her off guard more and more lately.

They were… them again. Not tiptoeing around things, not navigating awkward silences. Just them. The way it used to feel before things got complicated, and maybe, somehow, even better now.

Azzi sat next to Nika, while Paige grabbed the spot across from her. Caroline and Piath were already flagging down the waitress for pitchers, and the music shifted to something upbeat—Doja Cat, maybe. Something loud enough to sing along to and pretend it didn’t matter who was listening.

Paige caught Azzi’s eye across the table and grinned. Azzi grinned back, and for a moment, the bar around them faded.

Nika watched them over the rim of her drink, her expression unreadable but knowing. She didn’t say anything, just took a long sip of her cocktail and let the moment sit. Paige noticed, but didn’t flinch. Let her watch.

They were good. Maybe better than good.

But that peace was short-lived.

It happened fast—like these things always did. Paige was reaching for a fry when she heard someone slurring her name just a little too loudly over the music.

“Paige.”

She turned, and there she was—Madison, from that messy January weekend. Paige stiffened instantly.

Madison stumbled closer, her cheeks flushed, her drink halfway gone, her eyes glassy and locked onto Paige like she’d just spotted her lifeline.

“God, I’ve missed you,” she said, swaying slightly as she gripped the edge of the table. “Why didn’t you text me back? I miss your kisses… and your strap.”

The words dropped like a bomb.

Azzi blinked, pulling slightly away from the table as Paige’s expression froze somewhere between a grimace and a prayer.

Caroline choked on her drink. Piath coughed out a laugh, covering her mouth like it might help. And Nika? Nika just sat back and watched the chaos unfold with a smirk, like she’d been waiting for something like this all night.

“Jesus,” Paige muttered under her breath, glancing at Azzi, whose jaw had clenched just slightly.

Madison didn’t seem to notice—or maybe she didn’t care. She leaned in farther, nearly toppling into Paige’s lap. “You don’t even miss me a little? Don’t lie. I know you do. I can feel it.”

Before Paige could respond—before she could even formulate words beyond how is this my life right now—another girl stepped in and grabbed Madison’s arm.

“Okay, Mads. Time to go.”

The friend—blessed, blessed friend—gave Paige an apologetic look as she tugged Madison back.

“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “She’s had way too much and clearly forgot about basic decency. Again. Seriously—sorry.”

Paige nodded stiffly, her ears still burning.

Azzi stared down at the table, her fingers clenched around her glass.

As Madison was dragged away, still mumbling something about missing that energy, Paige exhaled sharply and rubbed her temple.

“Well,” Caroline finally said, breaking the silence, “that was... educational.”

“Ten outta ten,” Piath added, laughing. “Peak Ted’s content. I needed that.”

Nika raised her glass. “To strap girl. Gone but not forgotten.”

Paige shot her a look. “You’re not funny.”

“I think I’m hilarious, actually,” Nika replied, deadpan.

The table laughed again—Caroline even wiped a tear from her eye—but Azzi stayed quiet.

Paige glanced at her, feeling the familiar swirl of guilt in her chest. But Azzi didn’t look mad, not really. Just… bothered.

“Hey,” Paige said, leaning across the table slightly, her voice low enough to be private. “You good?”

Azzi looked up and met her eyes. For a second, Paige couldn’t read her. Then Azzi nodded slowly.

“Yeah,” she said. “Just... kind of kills the vibe, you know?”

“Yeah,” Paige agreed. “I didn’t—”

“I know,” Azzi said quickly. “It’s not like that.”

A beat passed.

“I just… don’t want to share you,” she added, voice quieter now. “Not like that. Not anymore.”

Something in Paige’s chest cracked open a little. She didn’t say anything right away—just nodded, letting the moment settle, real and raw.

Azzi reached for another fry. “Anyway, next round’s on you. For emotional damages.”

Paige smiled, relief flooding in. “Fair.”

—------------------

Later in the night, the table started to feel too loud—Caroline was trying to convince Azzi to dance, Piath was deep into some argument about who the real queen of R&B was, and someone had just spilled a bit of beer across the table without noticing.

Paige slid out of her chair and stretched. “Bar run,” she said to no one in particular. “Anyone want anything?”

“Dirty Shirley!” Nika called out immediately, standing up with a sly smile. “Actually—make it two. I’m coming with.”

They weaved through the crowd together, the warm haze of the bar wrapping around them like a blanket. Ted’s smelled like lime wedges and cheap vodka, with flashes of neon from the jukebox lighting up people’s faces as they danced or leaned in close to talk.

At the bar, Paige leaned her elbows on the counter while Nika flagged down the bartender. “Two Dirty Shirleys, extra cherry,” she said with practiced ease, before turning her attention back to Paige.

“So.” Nika’s voice was casual—too casual.

Paige didn’t look at her. “So…?”

“You and Azzi.”

Paige sighed. “Here we go.”

“I’m just saying,” Nika said, bumping her shoulder lightly against Paige’s, “it’s different. Like—actually different. Not just the ‘are-they-or-aren’t-they’ teasing from last year.”

Paige finally glanced over, her expression half guarded, half amused. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Nika said, accepting their drinks from the bartender and handing one to Paige, “that you two were eye-flirting through the entire appetizer round, and then syncing your sips like you’re in a rom-com montage.”

Paige took a slow sip of her drink. “You’re exaggerating.”

“I’m observing,” Nika countered, raising an eyebrow. “There’s a difference.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the thrum of the music and chatter filling the space around them. Paige tapped her straw against the rim of her glass, then finally said, “It’s still... new. We’re not labeling it.”

Nika nodded. “Sure. That’s valid. You don’t need to. But I see you, Paige. And I see her. And that Madison thing? You didn’t even flinch at her. But when you looked at Azzi afterward, you looked like you might throw up.”

Paige winced. “Yeah. That was... not great.”

“You’re not playing the field anymore,” Nika said, not unkindly. “You’re all in, even if you haven’t said it out loud.”

Paige swirled her straw through her drink. “I just don’t want to mess it up. I’ve... never really done the slow, careful thing.”

“I know,” Nika said, her tone softening. “But it looks good on you.”

Paige glanced at her, startled.

“I’m serious,” Nika added, shrugging. “She makes you soft in a way that doesn’t make you small. That’s rare.”

Paige blinked a few times, then looked away, not trusting her voice.

Nika took another sip. “And for what it’s worth? She’s been looking at you like you’re gravity. Like even if she tried to walk away, she’d swing right back around.”

Paige finally laughed—quiet, shaky. “When did you become the team’s therapist?”

“About the time y’all started acting like you were starring in your own rom-com,” Nika said, nudging her shoulder again.

They clinked glasses, and for a moment, Paige let herself just feel it—the truth in Nika’s words, the warmth in her chest, the steadiness of having a friend who really saw her.

As they turned to head back to the table, Nika added, “Just promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If y’all finally kiss or whatever… please do it where I can see it. I deserve that.”

Paige laughed so hard she nearly choked on her drink.

“Noted,” she said, grinning. “No promises, though.”

—--------------------------

Back at the table, the vibe had shifted slightly—still playful, still loud—but something in Azzi had quieted.

She hadn’t touched her drink in a while. Instead, she watched the bar, half-listening to the music, half-lost in thought. Her knee bounced beneath the table, a small nervous tick she hadn’t quite managed to outgrow.

Caroline, ever the observant one despite the tequila in her system, leaned in closer.

“So… Madison,” she said, dragging the name out like it was its own inside joke.

Azzi blinked. “What?”

“You know. The human wrecking ball who just confessed her undying love for Paige and her... accessories,” Caroline said, smirking. “That was... something.”

Azzi’s jaw tightened. She didn’t answer right away.

“I mean, look,” Caroline went on, swirling the straw in her drink, “we all have history. Paige especially. But it’s wild watching it come back and slap her in the face like that.”

Azzi finally turned to her, eyes sharp. “Is there a point to this, or are you just trying to be messy?”

Caroline raised her hands, mock-innocent. “Relax. I’m just saying... it was weird seeing that, and then seeing you just… sit there.”

Azzi’s fingers clenched slightly around the edge of her glass. “What do you want me to say? That I loved watching some drunk girl claim Paige like she still had access?”

Caroline’s smirk faded a little. “No. But I guess I thought you’d say something. Or get up. Or even throw a look.”

“I did throw a look,” Azzi muttered. “Just not one you could see.”

There was a beat of silence between them, filled only by the bass of the music and a cheer from somewhere near the dartboard.

“Okay,” Caroline said, more gently this time. “That’s fair.”

Azzi didn’t respond. Her eyes had drifted again—this time toward the bar, where Paige was laughing with Nika, sipping on something bright red with a cherry floating in it.

And then Paige turned, spotted her, and smiled.

Azzi looked away too fast, but it was too late—Paige was already heading back toward the table, drink still in hand, gaze locked in like she could tell something had shifted.

“Hey,” Paige said, sliding into a chair beside Azzi. “Miss me?”

Azzi blinked and gave a half-smile. “Always.”

Caroline raised her brows at that, but didn’t say anything—just turned her attention back to her phone, pretending not to listen.

Paige leaned in, just enough that her shoulder brushed Azzi’s. “You okay?”

Azzi hesitated. Then, with a voice low enough for just them, she said, “I don’t like her thinking she still has a piece of you.”

Paige looked at her for a long second. “She doesn’t.”

Azzi nodded, but didn’t speak. Her eyes were fixed on the table again.

“She never did,” Paige added, softer now. “Not like this.”

Azzi finally looked up. And in her eyes—past the hurt, the hesitation—was something else. Something vulnerable. Something real.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Good.”

Paige didn’t say anything else. She didn’t need to. Her hand found Azzi’s under the table, fingers brushing lightly, then resting there—steady, sure, quiet.

And just like that, the noise of the bar seemed to blur again, fading into the background.

—------------------

The walk back from Ted’s was a little quieter now. The cool air had sobered everyone up just enough to swap the chaos of the bar for the low murmur of tired voices and quiet laughter.

Most of the team peeled off toward their own dorms one by one, until it was just Paige, Azzi, and Nika left, heading in the direction of the dorm Paige and Nika shared.

Nika walked a few paces behind them, hood up, eyes very much not minding her own business.

Azzi bumped Paige’s shoulder lightly. “You sure it’s okay?”

“Yeah,” Paige said, eyes soft. “You’ve stayed over before.”

Azzi gave her a look. “Not like this.”

Paige smiled. “I know.”

Behind them, Nika made an exaggerated cough and muttered, “Subtlety is dead.”

Paige turned over her shoulder. “You good back there, roomie?”

“Oh, I’m great,” Nika said, tone dry. “Can’t wait to relive this story when I’m forty and you two finally admit you’ve been together since highschool.”

Azzi laughed under her breath, while Paige just shook her head and kept walking. “Don’t wait that long. You’ll get wrinkles.”

They reached the building, and Nika swiped her key first, holding the door open like she was being forced to witness something scandalous.

“Don’t mind me,” she said as they walked in, “just your friendly neighborhood third wheel.”

Once inside, Nika kicked off her shoes and made a beeline for her room, turning at the hallway with a smirk.

“I’m blasting music at 8 a.m., by the way. Just so we’re clear.”

“Love you too,” Paige called back.

Azzi and Paige stood in the living room for a second, neither moving, the energy between them soft now—lighter.

“Your roommate’s a menace,” Azzi said.

Paige laughed. “Yeah. But she’s kind of our menace.”

Azzi stepped a little closer. “Guess I’ll have to get used to her side-eyes.”

“You already have,” Paige murmured, and reached for her hand.

The apartment around them was still—quiet, cozy, safe.

And in the hush of that moment, neither of them needed to say what came next.

—----------

The lights were off now, the only glow in the room coming from the streetlamp outside Paige’s window, casting soft shadows across the walls. Azzi lay on her side, tucked under the blanket, but her body wasn’t relaxed — Paige could tell by the way her shoulder stayed just slightly tense, the way she hadn’t said much since brushing her teeth and slipping into bed.

Paige rolled over onto her side, propping her head up on her elbow. “You good?”

Azzi didn’t answer right away. “Yeah. Just tired.”

Paige narrowed her eyes, even though it was too dark for Azzi to see. “You’re lying.”

Azzi let out a short breath. “No I’m not.”

“Az,” Paige said, voice quieter now, “come on. I know you. You’ve been stiff ever since we got back.”

Azzi stayed silent for a moment longer, then finally rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. “Fine. I guess… I didn’t like how that girl was talking about you. In front of everyone.”

Paige blinked. “You mean Madison?”

Azzi nodded, jaw tight. “I know it’s not a big deal or whatever. And I know it was nothing. But the way she said it — like she was proud of it, like it was just some joke… I don’t know. It made me mad.”

Paige let the silence hang for a second. Then: “Az, it’s okay.”

Azzi turned her head, frowning. “No. It’s really not. No one should talk about you like that. Like you’re just some… thing to brag about. I don’t care if it was months ago or if you didn’t mean anything by it — people should respect you.”

Paige’s voice softened. “For what it’s worth… it’ll never happen again.”

Azzi gave her a skeptical look in the dark. “And how do you know that?”

Paige didn’t miss a beat. “Because you’re the only girl I’m gonna strap from now on.”

Azzi’s eyes widened, and she immediately sat up, throwing a pillow at her. “Paige!”

“What?” Paige grinned, very proud of herself. “I’m being serious.”

Azzi stared at her, half-flustered, half-annoyed. “You don’t just say that!”

“Why not?” Paige shrugged. “It’s true.”

Azzi flopped back onto the bed with a groan, covering her face with her hands. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet… you’re still here,” Paige teased, shifting closer until their arms were touching.

Azzi peeked at her through her fingers. Her voice came out quieter. “I just… I care about you. I don’t like people disrespecting you.”

Paige’s grin faded a little, her voice gentler now. “I know. And I’m not used to that. But I’m really glad you do.”

Azzi peeked at Paige through her fingers, then dropped her hands to her chest with a sigh. “Just… maybe don’t say things like that if you haven’t actually done it yet.”

Paige raised an eyebrow, a slow, mischievous smile creeping across her face. “So… should we do it right now?”

Azzi immediately sat up, eyes wide. “No. I don’t want some second-hand strap you’ve used on other girls.”

Paige blinked, caught off guard, then laughed under her breath. “Az, I always get new ones when I’m done.”

Azzi’s head snapped toward her. “So you did have a getting-around phase.”

Paige rolled her eyes, sitting up to match Azzi’s energy. “Okay, and you had two boyfriends while you were playing with my feelings. So, what are we doing here—point tallying?”

Azzi opened her mouth, then shut it, eyes narrowing. A pause. Then: “Truce?”

Paige nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Yeah. Truce.”

Azzi let herself exhale, shoulders dropping as she laid back down, turning into Paige’s side. She nestled her head into Paige’s neck, the tension slowly leaving her body. Paige reached over and pulled the blanket up around them, pressing a soft kiss to Azzi’s temple.

“Goodnight, Az,” Paige whispered.

Azzi mumbled against her skin, voice muffled but warm. “Night, P.”

And just like that, the air between them softened again—no scoreboard, no pasts. Just quiet breathing and the comfort of closeness, the kind that didn’t need fixing or defining. Just them.

—----------------

The gym wasn’t as loud these days. No fans, no cameras, no pressure.

Just sneakers squeaking against hardwood and the low thud of basketballs echoing off the walls.

It was May, and the sting of the national championship loss to South Carolina still lingered somewhere beneath the surface. But the team had settled into a quiet rhythm—offseason workouts, casual scrimmages, half-serious drills. No looming bracket. No buzzer-beaters. Just time. Space. Healing.

Paige wiped her forehead with the bottom of her shirt, taking a slow sip from her water bottle as she watched Azzi jog back to the three-point line. The lights above made everything feel washed-out and sleepy, but in a comforting kind of way.

“Still mad we lost?” Paige asked, voice low, teasing.

Azzi didn’t look at her. Just caught the pass from Nika, squared up, and drained the shot. “Only when I think about it.”

“Which is… every day,” Caroline muttered, rebounding for her.

“Every hour,” Nika added.

The team chuckled softly, not in bitterness but in that shared, “we went through hell together” kind of way. They weren’t over it. Maybe they never would be. But the worst of the ache had dulled into something manageable now.

Practice wrapped up with more stretching than drills, more side conversations than sprints. Piath lounged along the baseline with her shoes half-off, scrolling through music on her phone. She hadn’t said much about the transfer yet—not to the group—but everyone knew. It hung in the air like a quiet goodbye nobody wanted to say out loud.

Caroline sat cross-legged midcourt, trying to tie her braid back while complaining about finals.

And Paige?

Paige leaned against the bleachers, watching Azzi from across the gym.

They hadn’t really talked about what came next. About labels, or definitions, or expectations. But after that night in her apartment, something had shifted between them. Something steady.

Azzi caught her staring and shot her a look. “What?”

Paige just smiled. “Nothing.”

Nika wandered over, holding two orange Gatorades. “You guys wanna get smoothies after this or go full summer mode and hit DQ?”

“Ice cream,” Paige and Azzi said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

“Gross,” Nika groaned. “You’re that couple now.”

“We’re not a couple,” Azzi said automatically.

“Sure,” Nika said, smirking as she walked away. “Tell that to your sleepover record.”

Azzi rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it.

They finished up slowly—no rush, no tension. Just the low, easy burn of a season behind them and the summer stretching wide ahead. For once, it didn’t feel like they had to be anything other than who they already were.

And that was enough.

—------------------------------

The sun had started to dip low in the sky, casting everything in that soft, golden light that made the walk feel warmer than the temperature actually was. The team wandered in a loose pack down the sidewalk toward Dairy Queen—Caroline and Nika arguing about Blizzard flavors up ahead, Piath walking quietly beside them, earbuds in, her face unreadable.

Azzi and Paige lagged behind on purpose.

Not obviously, but definitely on purpose.

Paige kicked a stray pebble on the sidewalk, letting it roll a few feet ahead before nudging it again. “So,” she started, dragging the word out dramatically. “What are you getting? Let me guess—vanilla cone. Plain. Like your music playlists.”

Azzi side-eyed her, lips twitching. “First of all, I get twist. Second of all, my playlists are elite.”

“Debatable,” Paige said, nudging her shoulder lightly. “You literally had a Coldplay phase.”

Azzi gasped. “It was one week and it was finals season. I needed calm energy.”

“Oh, you were giving calm, alright,” Paige teased, leaning in closer. “Calm like a sad movie montage.”

Azzi shoved her gently, trying not to smile. “You’re so annoying.”

“And yet,” Paige said, grinning, “here you are. Walking next to me. On purpose. After practice.”

Azzi rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it.

They kept walking in step, Paige’s hands stuffed into the pockets of her hoodie, Azzi’s hair still slightly damp from her post-practice shower. The sidewalk stretched ahead of them, filled with their teammates’ laughter, the promise of sugar, and the soft feeling of almost summer.

“You know,” Paige said after a beat, a little softer now, “I like this. Us. Like this.”

Azzi looked over at her. “Me too.”

Paige bumped her arm again, not ready to let the teasing go completely. “Even if your music taste is questionable.”

Azzi groaned. “One more word and I’m ordering a dip cone just to spite you.”

Paige grinned. “Worth it.”

Ahead of them, Nika turned around and called out, “Hurry up, lovebirds, before they run out of Oreo!”

Azzi sighed and picked up her pace, but Paige lingered a second longer, watching her with a smile she didn’t bother hiding.

Whatever this was—they were finding their rhythm. One step, one tease, one walk at a time.

—-------------------------

The campus café was quiet for once, tucked into a slow Sunday morning hum. Sunlight cut across their table, glinting off Azzi’s iced latte as Paige stabbed another forkful of pancakes.

“You’re literally five bites in and you haven’t even made eye contact with your eggs,” Azzi teased, spreading avocado over her toast.

Paige gave her a look. “That’s because pancakes are elite and deserve respect. You wouldn’t understand.”

Azzi snorted. “You say that like I didn’t just drop 13 on you in practice.”

“Okay,” Paige said, pointing her fork like a sword. “First of all, disrespectful. Second of all, fake news.”

Before Azzi could come up with a comeback, someone hovered beside their table.

“Hi—sorry,” said a girl in a UConn hoodie, phone in hand and eyes wide. “Are you… Paige and Azzi?”

They nodded, already smiling.

“Oh my God. I’m such a huge fan. You two are, like, best friend goals. I watched every game this year. You’re both amazing. Can I get a picture?”

Azzi blinked once but quickly stood up, slipping into the familiar rhythm of fan moments. Paige joined her, smiling for the photo as the girl angled the camera just right.

“Thank you!” the fan beamed. “Seriously, you guys are my favorite duo. It’s like, you’re always in sync. It’s so cool.”

“Appreciate that,” Paige said, her smile not wavering even as Azzi sat down a little too quickly.

The fan disappeared, and the table went quiet for a moment.

Azzi sipped her latte. “That was sweet.”

“Yeah,” Paige said, poking at her eggs now. “Best friend goals, huh?”

Azzi gave her a sideways look. “We’re not correcting anyone.”

“I know,” Paige said, still smiling faintly. “It’s just funny. How people see what they want.”

Azzi didn’t answer right away. She chewed slowly, then set her fork down. “You going home this summer?”

“Probably for a few weeks,” Paige said. “But I’ll be back early for workouts. I kind of… don’t want to be gone too long.”

Azzi nodded. “Same. My mom wants me home, but... I was thinking it might be nice to have some quiet time here.”

Paige looked up at her, her voice soft. “We could stick around. Train a little. Chill. Just hang out.”

Azzi smiled faintly. “You planning our summer now?”

“Not planning,” Paige said, holding up her hands. “Just suggesting. Like, I don’t know... we’ve never really had time when we weren’t constantly in season or traveling or trying not to make it weird.”

Azzi tilted her head. “And now it’s not weird?”

“I mean,” Paige said, grinning, “not unless you make it weird.”

Azzi threw a sugar packet at her, but her smile lingered. They went back to their food, something lighter settling between them. Summer was on the horizon, and for once, it felt like it might actually belong to them.

A��zzi set her fork down again, this time slower, more deliberate. “Okay, but if we’re talking about spending the summer here… what would that even look like?”

Paige shrugged, chewing thoughtfully before answering. “Morning lifts, afternoon runs, maybe late-night ice cream runs. Couple days down at the beach if we’re lucky. You, me, and literally no one asking questions.”

Azzi arched an eyebrow. “So... a summer vacation disguised as training?”

“Exactly,” Paige said with a smirk. “We tell the coaches we’re locked in, but really we’re just trying every milkshake flavor in Connecticut.”

Azzi smiled, but her fingers tapped absently against her glass. “You ever think about how easy this could’ve been?”

Paige’s expression shifted—softer now. “Yeah. All the time.”

There was a silence that didn’t feel awkward, just full—like there were too many things they weren’t saying all at once.

Azzi picked up her drink again, avoiding Paige’s eyes. “Sometimes I think… maybe if we’d figured it out earlier, things wouldn’t feel so…”

“Careful?” Paige offered.

Azzi nodded. “Yeah.”

Paige leaned forward slightly. “We don’t have to be careful, Az.”

Azzi met her eyes now, guarded but open. “No? Then what are we doing?”

Paige smiled, not cocky, just... steady. “I think we’re just trying. And maybe trying slow isn’t the worst thing.”

Azzi looked at her for a long second, then reached across the table to steal a piece of pancake off Paige’s plate. “You’re lucky I like you.”

“I’m lucky you finally admitted it.”

Azzi laughed under her breath and shook her head. “Alright. Summer training. Ice cream runs. Minimal weirdness.”

Paige tilted her head, teasing. “But just us, right?”

Azzi didn’t answer right away. She popped the bite of pancake into her mouth, chewed, then looked right at her. “Yeah. Just us.”

Paige didn’t grin this time—she just nodded. Like it was already decided.

—---------------------

Later that night, the room was dimly lit, just the glow of Azzi’s phone screen illuminating both of their faces as they lay side by side, half under the covers. Paige’s head was tilted toward Azzi’s shoulder, both of them scrolling through TikToks and occasionally laughing quietly at the same clips.

“Why do we always end up on food TikTok after midnight?” Azzi murmured, voice soft.

“Because we’re weak,” Paige replied. “And also because people out here are building five-star meals with a bag of hot Cheetos and a dream.”

Azzi chuckled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “You better not be getting snack ideas again. I’m not eating another cereal sandwich.”

Paige sat up a little suddenly, her voice full of mischief. “Okay, but I actually do have a surprise.”

Azzi glanced at her warily. “I swear, if it’s a cursed TikTok recipe—”

“It’s not food,” Paige said, already leaning off the bed and reaching into her gym bag in the corner. “Well. Not exactly.”

Azzi narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean?”

Paige turned around with a small black box in hand, a cocky grin tugging at her lips. She tossed it gently into Azzi’s lap.

Azzi stared at it for a second, then slowly opened the lid. Her eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped just slightly. “Paige.”

Paige bit her lip, clearly holding back a laugh. “Too much?”

Azzi looked at her, a mix of exasperation and something warmer flickering in her expression. “You bought a whole new strap?”

“I figured you’d appreciate the gesture,” Paige said, shrugging but watching her closely. “Fresh start. No recycled history. Just... us.”

Azzi raised an eyebrow, trying not to smile. “You make it sound romantic.”

Paige leaned in a little, her voice low and teasing. “Isn’t it?”

Azzi shook her head, rolling her eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

“But you’re not mad.”

Azzi didn’t answer right away. She set the box down beside her and settled back into the pillows. “No,” she admitted, a little quieter now. “I’m not mad.”

Paige gave her a sideways look. “Curious?”

Azzi smirked, the kind that said she wasn’t going to give Paige the satisfaction. “We’re watching TikToks. Go back to being annoying.”

Paige laughed softly and slid back under the covers beside her, brushing their shoulders together again. “Alright. But I’m just saying... when you're ready, so am I.”

Azzi didn’t say anything right away, just let the next TikTok roll. But as her hand brushed lightly against Paige’s under the blanket, her fingers stayed there this time.

Neither of them said it out loud, but the moment had already shifted. It wasn’t a question of if anymore. Just... when.

—--------------------------------

The TikTok sounds faded into the background, a dull noise neither of them was really paying attention to anymore. Paige shifted slightly, her gaze resting on Azzi—not just playful this time, but full of something quieter, more serious.

Azzi looked back at her. “What?”

Paige hesitated, then said, “Nothing. Just… you.”

Azzi tilted her head, soft amusement in her voice. “That’s not even a full sentence.”

“It doesn’t need to be.”

She leaned in then, slow and unhurried, giving Azzi every chance to pull away. But Azzi didn’t. Her eyes fluttered closed just before their lips met.

The kiss started soft—familiar now, but still something they hadn’t quite figured out how to define. Paige deepened it slightly, her hand finding Azzi’s waist as she moved closer. Azzi responded instinctively, her fingers curling into the fabric of Paige’s hoodie, pulling her in without a word.

The room stayed quiet except for the subtle rustling of blankets and the occasional shared breath between them. Paige’s hand slid up Azzi’s back, not rushed, just deliberate, grounding. Azzi let out a quiet sigh into the kiss, her body relaxing into the moment.

They broke apart briefly, foreheads resting together, breaths shallow.

Paige’s voice was barely above a whisper. “You good?”

Azzi nodded. “Yeah. You?”

“Yeah,” Paige said, brushing her thumb along Azzi’s jaw. “But if we keep going, we’re… going.”

Azzi smiled, cheeks a little flushed but eyes steady. “I know.”

Paige gave a soft, almost nervous laugh. “Okay. Just checking.”

Bit by bit, they began to undress each other with quiet care, until they were both left in nothing but their underwear. Paige hovered above Azzi, steadying herself with one hand, their breaths mingling in the stillness between them.

Paige pulled away now just admiring the doe brown eyes beneath her, pausing only for a moment.

“You sure?” she questioned looking at Azzi.

All Azzi could do was nod, biting her bottom lip as she stared up at the blonde girl above her. Her mind flickered through all the nights she had dreamed of this—of Paige. The quiet ache of past moments when she’d imagined it was Paige, only to open her eyes and be met with someone else. But none of that mattered now. In this moment, it was them. Just them. And nothing else.

“I’m gonna need words, pretty girl,” Paige whispered, her voice soft but filled with awe as she looked down at Azzi.

“Yeah, you’ll get them,” Azzi replied, her face flushed with a mix of anticipation and playfulness, a small smirk tugging at her lips as she glanced up, already aware of what was about to unfold.

Azzi watched from the bed as Paige rummaged through her closet, pulling out the strap. She had seen it earlier, but not for long. This time, though, Azzi noticed the length, the girth of it. A wave of uncertainty washed over her, a hint of worry flickering across her face as she wondered if she could take it. But before those thoughts could fully settle, Paige turned around.

"You okay, Az?" Paige asked, walking back to the bed, concern flickering across her face as she took in the look on the girl's face—her girl. The truth of it hadn’t fully settled in yet. Azzi was hers. Right here, right now, in this moment.

Azzi nodded slowly, her gaze locked on Paige’s, those blue eyes filled with a calm intensity, like they’d imagined this moment a thousand times before. Paige leaned in, pressing soft, deliberate kisses across Azzi’s shoulders, then down the length of her abs.

Finally, she settled the strap just above Azzi’s center, then looked up at the girl—who was staring at it like she’d seen a ghost. Paige reached out, gently cupping her cheek.

"Hey," she whispered, voice soft but steady. "I’m gonna be gentle. I promise."

Azzi didn’t speak—she just nodded, eyes wide, trusting.

She pushed in slowly, watching as the girl beneath her closed her eyes and instinctively pulled back a little—then exhaled, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she adjusted to the length.

—-------------

It was quiet now. Azzi lay naked on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. Paige watched her for a moment, brushing hair back from her face.

“Az, you okay?” she asked softly.

Azzi mumbled something unintelligible.

Paige leaned in closer, concern tugging at her voice. “Az?”

Azzi winced slightly, then turned and buried her face against Paige’s shoulder, her voice muffled and tired. “Yeah… you can back up your talk.”

Paige let out a soft laugh, wrapping an arm around her. “Yeah.”

Azzi settled into her with a content sigh, body relaxing completely now.

“I’mma be sore tomorrow,” she mumbled.

Paige’s smile faded into a gentle frown. “I’m sorry, princess.”

Azzi, eyes still closed, reached down and gave Paige’s butt a playful pinch. “No you’re not.”

Paige laughed again, quiet this time, and held her a little tighter.

Moments later, Azzi drifted off in her arms—and not long after, Paige followed.

—------------------------------

The morning light crept in through the curtains, soft and golden. Paige stirred first, shifting slightly under the covers. Azzi was still tucked into her, face pressed against her chest, arms loosely draped around her waist.

A knock at the door broke the quiet.

“Hey,” Nika’s voice called from the hallway. “Me and Aaliyah are going out to breakfast. You coming?”

Paige didn’t answer—still half-asleep, eyes barely open.

Azzi blinked slowly, groggy but awake. “Yeah… we’ll come,” she called back, voice hoarse.

A pause. Then Nika’s voice, teasing: “Az? You in there?”

Azzi snorted, and Paige let out a groggy laugh, burying her face in the pillow.

“Just be ready soon,” Nika added with a knowing tone, her footsteps retreating down the hall.

Azzi smiled, eyes still closed. “She knows.”

“Everyone knows,” Paige mumbled into the pillow.

They both laughed.

The car was filled with morning light and the scent of leftover perfume and coffee from someone’s travel mug. Paige was behind the wheel, sunglasses on, one hand on the steering wheel and the other tapping the beat on her thigh.

Nika and Aaliyah were in the back, already hyped from whatever chaotic playlist Nika had queued up. The opening notes of "Nobody Gets Me" by SZA came through the speakers, and within seconds, all three—Paige, Nika, and Aaliyah—were belting the lyrics like it was a stadium performance.

“Took a long vacation, no make-up, just Jay-Z…” The car shook slightly with their voices and energy.

Azzi sat in the passenger seat, head leaned against the window, watching the city blur by with a smirk tugging at her lips. She shook her head slowly, amused, clearly trying not to smile too hard.

Then Paige sang louder, locking eyes with her for a beat:

“How am I supposed to tell you—I don’t wanna see you with anyone but me?”

Azzi chuckled under her breath and turned to look out the window, lips twitching with that little half-smile she gave when she was flustered but trying to play it cool.

Paige just grinned and kept singing, and the car rolled on toward breakfast, loud and full of life.

The diner was a cozy little spot tucked on the corner—brick walls, checkered floors, and the smell of bacon and fresh coffee wafting out the door before they even stepped in.

They slid into a booth near the window, Paige and Azzi on one side, Nika and Aaliyah on the other. Menus were barely glanced at before Nika waved a hand.

“We already know what we want. Paige’s treat, right?”

Paige raised an eyebrow. “You get so bold so early in the day.”

“I’m just confident,” Nika grinned, reaching for the syrup bottle even though no pancakes had been delivered yet.

Azzi sat tucked into the corner of the booth, still looking a little sleepy, legs lightly brushing against Paige’s. She sipped her orange juice in silence until Aaliyah leaned forward.

“You good over there, Az?”

Azzi glanced up, cheeks warming slightly. “Yeah. Just… tired.”

Paige didn’t miss a beat, raising her coffee cup like a toast. “She’s got stamina, though.”

Nika choked on her water.

Azzi side-eyed Paige. “Shut up.”

Laughter spilled over the table. The server came by and took their orders—Paige with black coffee and eggs, Azzi settling for something healthy, Nika going big with a full spread, and Aaliyah ordering waffles.

Conversation flowed easy—teasing, inside jokes, talk about upcoming summer plans, music drops, weekend plans. At one point, Nika pulled out her phone and showed a photo of the four of them from last semester, triggering a flood of memories and stories.

Azzi leaned into Paige, voice low enough for just her to hear.

“I like this.”

Paige glanced over. “This?”

“All of it.” Azzi gave her a small, honest smile. “You. Them. This morning.”

Paige reached under the table, squeezed her hand gently.

“Me too.”

And just like that, between the smell of pancakes and the chaos of her friends, Azzi felt like maybe—just maybe—she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

—----------------------------

Later that afternoon, the apartment was calm. The chaotic energy from breakfast had faded into the soft rustle of clothes being folded and bags being zipped.

Azzi stood by her bed, packing a weekend bag—sweatshirt, jeans, chargers, a book she probably wouldn’t read. Her earbuds were in, but the music was low, more background than distraction. She glanced around the room once more, then zipped her bag shut.

In the other room, she could hear Paige moving around, talking on the phone with her mom—laughing, telling her she’d be on the flight by seven, promising to bring huckleberry jam back from Montana “if she didn’t forget again.”

Paige walked in a minute later, her own bag slung over her shoulder, sunglasses tucked into the neckline of her tee. “You all packed?”

Azzi nodded, tossing her bag onto the bed. “Just finished.”

There was a brief silence as they stood there, facing each other, both clearly reluctant to step into the weekend alone.

“Montana’s gonna be freezing,” Azzi said finally.

“It’s May.”

“Still.”

Paige chuckled. “I’ll survive. I’ve got layers.”

Azzi smiled, then looked down at her hands. “You excited to see them? Lauren and Ryan?”

“Yeah,” Paige said, her voice softer now. “Been a minute. Mom’s probably gonna cook enough for a small army.”

—----------------------------

The drive to the airport was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt full rather than empty. The windows were cracked slightly, letting in the early evening air, and a soft playlist played between them—something chill and wordless, filling the space without interrupting it.

Azzi’s hands were steady on the wheel, eyes flicking between the road and the signs overhead. Paige sat beside her, one leg curled up in the seat, fingers absentmindedly spinning the ring on her thumb.

As they pulled up to the departures curb, Paige sighed.

“Alright. Guess this is me.”

Azzi threw the car in park and turned to her. “You sure you don’t want me to come in?”

Paige shook her head gently. “Nah. Check-in’s quick. Plus, I don’t wanna make this goodbye longer than it has to be.”

Azzi smiled, but there was something tight around the edges. She looked down at her lap, then back at Paige. “Have a good flight, okay?”

“I will.”

Paige leaned over the console, arms sliding around Azzi’s neck. The hug was warm and slow, neither of them rushing it.

“I’ll miss you,” Paige murmured into her ear.

Azzi closed her eyes. “Yeah. Same.”

They pulled back just enough for one last kiss—soft, lingering, like a promise that distance wouldn't shake anything loose.

Paige grabbed her carry-on and stepped out onto the curb. She turned back, resting her arms on the open window.

“Text me when you get to your mom’s?”

“You know I will.”

Paige grinned. “Good. And Az?”

“Yeah?”

“Try not to fall in love with anyone while I’m gone.”

Azzi smirked. “Guess I’ll just stay home, then.”

Paige laughed and blew her a kiss before turning toward the terminal. Azzi watched her disappear through the glass doors, her silhouette shrinking in the crowd.

And only when she was completely out of sight did Azzi pull away from the curb and head home—already counting the hours until Sunday night

#azzi fudd #paige bueckers #pazzi #pazzi fics #uconn huskies #uconn wbb #paige x azzi

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papayainsectorone · 2 days ago

Text

Bad Day Fix

════════════════════════

request: can you write about comforting kimi antonelli after a bad race or hes sad

content: angst, fluff, vulnerability, healing, comfort, reassurance, bad race, established relationship

word count: 1,7k

pairing: kimi antonelli x fem!reader

════════════════════════

You know it’s bad before you even see him.

The broadcast cuts off and the silence that follows feels heavier than the race itself. You’re left staring at the black screen, heart caught somewhere between frustration and helplessness — that gnawing twist in your chest when things unravel, slowly at first, then all at once.

The race had been chaos. A strategy that didn’t work. A pit stop that went long. The car fighting him through every lap. You watched the whole thing unfold from the couch, gripping a pillow like it could somehow keep the wheels turning, keep him afloat.

But it hadn’t. And now he’s somewhere out there, probably still in his suit, still wound tight, unraveling in a paddock garage with too-bright lights and too many eyes.

You wait for the message. A text. A sigh. Even a single emoji — his usual heart or thumbs-down when he's grumpy but okay.

Nothing comes.

That’s the second sign.

By the time the hotel room door clicks open, the sun’s gone. You’ve been sitting on the bed for hours, pretending to read, re-reading the same paragraph until the words mean nothing. When Kimi steps in, it’s like the energy in the room shifts — sucked out in one breath.

He doesn’t say anything. Just drops his bag by the wall like it might explode if he touches it too long. His shoulders are curled inward, baseball cap tugged low, jaw set like he’s trying not to crack his own teeth from clenching too hard.

“Hey,” you say, soft and steady.

He nods. That’s all you get.

You close the book, setting it gently on the nightstand, and pat the bed beside you. “Come sit.”

For a second, he doesn’t move — eyes fixed on the floor, the silence stretching too long. Then he does. Slowly. Like every step is a weight. But he doesn’t sit on the bed. He lowers himself to the floor in front of it, elbows braced on his knees, cap still hiding most of his face. He stares at the carpet like it said something cruel.

“I fucked up,” he says, voice rough and low. “Everything. The strategy was shit, yeah, but I should’ve adapted. Should’ve seen it earlier. I should’ve pushed, saved the tires better. I don’t know. Something.”

You slide closer, shift onto your stomach at the edge of the bed until you can rest your chin gently on his shoulder. You don’t push. Don’t try to fix it. Just offer the truth.

“You did everything you could.”

His shoulders tighten under your touch. He doesn’t lean into it, not yet, but he doesn’t pull away either. That’s enough for now.

“I hate how it felt,” he murmurs, the words thick, like they cost him something to say. “Like I wasn’t even driving my own race anymore. Just reacting. Like the whole thing slipped out of my hands and I couldn’t grab it back.”

You stay quiet, the weight of your chin resting lightly against his hoodie. You can feel the tension radiating off him in waves — jaw clenched, fingers knotted together, legs bouncing faintly with leftover adrenaline.

“I tried to reset,” he goes on. “Told myself, ‘You’ve got time. You can still pull something from this.’ But then I came out behind traffic, and the grip was gone, and I just—” He cuts himself off, exhaling hard. “I don’t know why it messed me up so bad.”

His voice doesn’t break, but it dips. Frustrated. Fragile. Like he’s angry for even letting it get to him.

You shift slightly, letting your hand move until your fingers curl around his bicep. Just grounding him. No pressure.

“It matters to you,” you say gently. “That’s not a weakness, Kimi. It’s the opposite.”

He finally looks at you. Just a glance over his shoulder, eyes ringed with exhaustion, but something in them flickers — like maybe, just maybe, he hears you.

“I just keep thinking about what I should’ve done. I keep playing it back like I can undo it if I watch it enough times.”

“You’re not a robot,” you remind him. “You’re allowed to be frustrated. But one race doesn’t rewrite who you are.”

Kimi swallows hard, and for a moment, it’s like the silence is going to win — like he’ll shut down again, slip into himself and wall it all off. But then he exhales, rough and long, and leans back just enough for his shoulder to brush yours. Not fully leaning. Not yet. But closer.

“Everyone always says ‘move on’ or ‘learn from it,’” he mutters. “But right now I just feel…embarrassed. Like I let people down.”

You shift off the bed slowly, sliding down to the floor beside him. Legs folded, back against the edge of the mattress. You take his hand — still clenched — and gently pry his fingers open so you can thread yours through them.

“You didn’t let anyone down,” you say, firm but soft. “Especially not me.”

His jaw ticks again. His fingers twitch around yours. “You always say the right thing,” he mutters, but there’s a trace of warmth in it now. Quiet gratitude buried under everything else.

“I say what’s true,” you answer. “Even when you forget it.”

For the first time, Kimi lets his head fall sideways, resting against your shoulder. It’s not dramatic or loud. Just tired. Real. His cap shifts, revealing a bit more of his expression — flushed from the long day, brows still pinched like his brain won’t stop replaying the track.

You nudge his head softly. “Come on. Scoot up.”

He blinks like he didn’t expect you to say anything — like he forgot, for a moment, that he’s allowed to ask for comfort. But after a beat, he moves, slow and wordless, crawling up onto the bed.

You shift too, sliding back toward the headboard until you’re sitting upright, knees bent slightly. Kimi settles in between your legs, his head resting on your stomach, arms curled loosely around your waist. He exhales again, the sound quieter this time, more resigned than tense. His whole body melts into you, like gravity’s finally winning.

Your fingers move instinctively to his hair, slipping beneath the edge of his cap to run through the soft strands at the nape of his neck. He lets out a quiet sound — not quite a sigh, not quite a groan — and closes his eyes.

“There we go,” you murmur, barely audible over the room’s hush. “That’s better.”

He doesn’t speak, but his grip tightens slightly around you, just enough to say thank you again without words.

You let him stay like that, gently carding your fingers through his hair, the slow rhythm of it anchoring you both. The hotel room is still, the only sound the muffled buzz of the city outside and the occasional shift of fabric when he breathes a little deeper.

Time stretches. Not in a heavy way — more like a blanket pulled up over both of you.

After a long while, he speaks, voice thick with exhaustion but softer than before.

“Do you ever think it’s stupid? That I care this much?”

You look down at him, frowning. “No. Never.”

His cheek is warm against your stomach. He doesn’t open his eyes, just listens.

“Because if you didn’t care,” you continue gently, “you wouldn’t be you. You wouldn’t fight this hard. You wouldn’t have gotten as far as you have.”

He shifts slightly, pressing his forehead more firmly against you. “It just hurts. Failing like that. In front of everyone.”

“You didn’t fail.”

He doesn’t argue, but he doesn’t agree either.

So you lower your voice even more, soft and certain. “You had a bad day. That’s all it was. A bad day. But you’re still Kimi. You’re still…you.”

Another beat of silence. And then:

“Keep talking,” he says, muffled against your hoodie. “I like when you talk like that.”

You smile gently, bending to press a kiss into his hair. “Good. Because I could say it a thousand times and it would still be true.”

#kimi antonelli #andrea kimi antonelli #kimi antonelli x reader #kimi antonelli x you #formula 1 x reader #formula 1 x you #f1 x reader #f1 x you #kimi antonelli one shot #kimi antonelli fic #kimi antonelli imagine #mercedes #mercedes x reader #f1 rookies #kimi antonelli x fem!reader #andrea kimi antonelli x reader #fluff #f1 angst

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theonlyonesora · 3 days ago

Text

The Third Rule

Lily x Oscar Piastri x You (Reader)

Chapter 8 - When the Line Blurs

You didn’t expect to cry in corpse pose.

It started as a joke—Jessy whispering “namaste, throuple” during warm-up stretches while the instructor chanted about inner light and outer release. But by the time the final meditation began, something cracked open in you. And there, on a yoga mat that smelled faintly of lemon and sweat, you admitted it out loud:

"I don’t know what the hell I’m doing."

Jessy glanced over but didn’t press you. Not until you two were walking home, wind tangling your hair, bodies loose from the heat of class and the honesty that always seemed to slip out with sweat and silence.

You told her everything.

Las Vegas. The wine. The look in Oscar’s eyes. Lily’s hand brushing yours like it had always belonged there. The way it kept happening, behind closed doors and between half-finished conversations.

How it wasn’t just one night anymore. And how you didn’t know how to stop it.

Jessy listened, the way she always did—quiet, sharp, the occasional interjection laced with disbelief and compassion. Then she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face you.

“Do you like Lily?”

You blinked. “Of course I do. She’s my best friend.”

“No,” she said gently. “Do you like her? Like… that.”

You swallowed. Looked away.

“No.”

“Then why did you agree to all that?”

You hesitated. “Because… Oscar.”

It felt shameful to say it, like putting a price tag on affection. Like you’d sold something sacred—your own comfort, your own truth—for the rush of being wanted. For the way Oscar made you feel seen, like you were part of a wild secret.

But that secret had started to rot.

“And now?” Jessy asked, soft but steady.

“I regret it,” you whispered. “Not because of Oscar, but because of Lily. I don’t want to hurt her. And if I tell her the truth… that I never felt that way about her, and I only did it because of him…” Your voice cracked. “I’ll lose her.”

Jessy exhaled, tugging you into a hug right there on the sidewalk. You let yourself lean into it, forehead pressed to her shoulder, body trembling with all the things you couldn’t say to Lily.

“You have to be honest, (Y/N). Maybe not today. But soon. Secrets rot friendships faster than anything else.”

You nodded.

But it didn’t make going home any easier.

Oscar was already there when you walked into the apartment—his duffel bag by the door, sneakers kicked off neatly like always. He was in the kitchen with Lily, laughing at something on her phone, their voices warm and familiar.

The kind of domesticity that made your chest twist.

Lily looked up first. “Hey! You’re home.”

You tried to smile. “Yeah. Yoga.”

Oscar gave you a soft grin. “I missed your commentary on my bad texting.”

“I missed your terrible grammar.”

You laughed. It sounded normal. Too normal.

Lily hugged you like nothing had changed. And for a second, you wanted to believe that was true.

But as you slipped into your room, closed the door behind you, and sank onto your bed, the truth wrapped around your shoulders like cold silk.

Everything had changed. And now, you had to figure out how to tell her.

It was a small thing that brought you into the kitchen that night. You weren’t hungry—your stomach had been in knots all day—but you needed something to do with your hands, some distraction from the sound of Lily singing behind the bathroom door. The scent of her shampoo already filling the apartment. Her laughter echoing from the hallway.

You opened the fridge. Closed it again. Useless.

And then—

“Couldn’t sleep?”

You turned. Oscar stood in the doorway, barefoot in sweats and a t-shirt, his hair slightly messy from running his hands through it too often. His voice was soft, but something about it made your heart stutter. Like he already knew what was on your mind.

“I wasn’t really trying,” you said, pulling down a glass and filling it with water. “Lily’s doing a concert in the shower, and I think I’ve hit my weekly limit of pretending everything’s fine.”

Oscar crossed the kitchen slowly, the distance between you shrinking like it always did when it was just the two of you. He didn’t touch you. He never did without invitation. But his presence alone had always been enough to scramble your thoughts.

“I figured something was off,” he said quietly. “You’ve barely looked at me since I got here.”

You laughed—dry, humorless. “Didn’t realize you noticed.”

“I always notice you, (Y/N).”

That stopped you cold.

Your breath hitched, glass still in your hand. You didn’t look at him. You couldn’t. Not with your throat tight and your body betraying you with the way it leaned toward his voice.

He took a breath. “Did we break something?”

“I think I broke something,” you said, still not turning around. “I shouldn’t have… gone along with it. With Vegas. With everything after.”

Oscar moved beside you now, close enough that you could feel the heat from his skin. His voice was lower, but careful.

“You never seemed like you didn’t want it.”

You set the glass down, finally turning to face him.

“I did want it,” you admitted. “I wanted you. And I thought… if I said yes, maybe I could have a piece of it. But Lily—” Your voice wavered. “Lily means everything to me, Oscar. She’s my home. And I can’t lie to her. I don’t feel that way about her. I never did. And now I feel like I used her. Or let her believe something that wasn’t true.”

Oscar was quiet. But not the kind of quiet that avoided. The kind that listened.

“She wanted it too,” he said gently. “It wasn’t just you trying to make her happy. And I think… maybe she hoped it would make you feel something. Maybe we both did.”

You looked up at him then, eyes searching.

“And did it?”

He didn’t answer right away.

Instead, his hand brushed lightly against yours on the counter, barely touching. A flicker of warmth that sent a bolt of guilt through your chest.

“Yes,” he said. “It made me feel a lot.”

You both froze when the bathroom door opened, steam rolling out like a veil. Lily’s voice floated down the hall, cheerful and unbothered.

“I’m gonna do a face mask! Either of you want one?”

Oscar stepped back, and you felt the loss like a cold snap.

“I’m good!” he called, voice instantly light.

You forced a smile and echoed, “Me too!”

Lily’s door shut again, and the silence between you and Oscar returned like gravity.

You didn’t speak again as you turned off the kitchen light and walked back to your room. But the truth was already there, unspoken between you: Something had shifted. And you couldn’t take it back.

Tag List:

@freyathehuntress, @mimisweetz, @aleatorio1234, @totallynotluluu, @rorabelle15, @prongslena, @linnygirl09, @mangotaitai, @forensicheart, @devilacot, @lilorose25, @landofotographyy, @paolexsstuff, @sanctify-mp3, @emma-manuhpe, @virtualperfectioncat

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elliespassagerprincess · 2 days ago

Text

Drunk texting - ellie williams x reader

this story is based off the song drunk texting by (name i will not mention) and Jhene Aiko. If you can please listen to the song as you're reading:)

Pairing: ellie williams x fem!reader

requests are open, send me your thoughts:)

Warning: Alcohol use, emotional angst, late-night texting, mentions of sex, unresolved feelings, soft heartbreak.

Setting: Modern College AU

Summary: After a night of drinking, a risky text is sent to Ellie — one that unravels buried feelings and turns their dynamic upside down.

Masterlist

1:58 AM

The party had long since blurred.

You were stretched across the living room couch, head tilted back, red cup dangling loosely from your fingers. Bass still pulsed faintly through the floor, though the crowd had thinned. You should’ve gone home. You should’ve stayed home.

But you were tipsy now. And stupid.

Which meant only one thing:

You were about to text her.

Ellie Williams.

Your ex. Or almost-ex. Or not-quite-anything that still managed to hurt like hell.

Your finger hovered over her name.

You hadn’t spoken in weeks—not really, not since that fight.

Not since you said you were done pretending.

She never said you weren’t.

She just... let you go.

But your chest was too heavy, your brain too slow, and your fingers too fast.

you:

you up?

Delivered.

Read.

Nothing.

You dropped your head back and shut your eyes.

This was a bad idea.

The last time you saw her was a month ago. Cold air. Hot tears.

You yelling in the middle of her apartment while she stood still, staring at you like you were a puzzle she couldn’t solve anymore.

“You don’t say how you feel, Ellie,” you’d snapped. “You don’t do anything until it’s too late.”

“You always want more from me,” she said quietly. “And I never know how to give it without ruining it.”

“I’m not asking for perfect. I’m asking for real.”

She didn’t stop you when you left.

But her hand lingered on the door longer than it should have.

2:14 AM

Your phone buzzed.

Ellie:

what do you want?

Your breath caught.

She was always like this—short, cautious. But she answered.

you, you typed. Then erased it.

you:

to talk

A pause. Three dots. Then nothing.

2:22 AM

Ellie:

you’re drunk

You:

so?

Ellie:

you only miss me when you’re not sober

you only remember how we felt when you can’t feel anything else

You:

that’s not true.

I miss you every fucking day.

That one stung. You knew it would. You meant it to.

Your phone buzzed again.

Ellie:

then why did you leave?

Your thumb hovered over the screen.

You:

because you never asked me to stay.

Silence.

You waited, heart racing, guilt settling like fog in your chest. Maybe that was too much. Maybe she’d block you. Maybe—

Ellie:

i didn’t know how

i still don’t

You blinked hard. The room spun.

You:

i’m outside

You didn’t even remember walking to her place. You just knew your hand was curled into a fist, knuckles lightly tapping her apartment door in the cold.

It opened slowly.

Ellie stood there in a hoodie and sweats, bare feet, eyes tired and red-rimmed. Like she hadn’t slept in days.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said. Voice small.

“I know,” you whispered. “But I needed to see you.”

She stepped back. Just enough.

You walked inside.

The place looked the same—records on the floor, your old hoodie still slung over the back of the couch. You stared at it.

“You kept it.”

“I keep a lot of things I shouldn’t,” she said quietly.

You turned. She was watching you like you were a dream she couldn’t decide was good or bad.

“Why did you answer?” you asked.

Ellie’s throat bobbed. “Because I always do. Because I want to hate you, but I don’t. Because even now... I still think about you before I go to sleep.”

Silence stretched like a wound.

“I hate that you only come back when you’re drunk,” she whispered.

You stepped closer.

“I hate that it’s the only time I feel brave enough to.”

She didn’t pull away when you reached for her hand.

The couch was cold. Her body was warm. You sat beside each other in that too-familiar way, knees brushing, fingers playing with the hem of her sleeve.

“You think if we were better at talking, we wouldn’t have fallen apart?” you asked.

Ellie laughed softly. “No. I think if I’d told you how much I loved you, you might’ve stayed.”

You froze.

She never said it back when you did. Not once.

Now you didn’t know what to say.

She turned her head. Her green eyes were glassy. Raw.

“I did,” she whispered. “I just... couldn’t say it out loud.”

You leaned in before you could stop yourself.

It wasn’t a kiss, not yet. Just your foreheads pressed together, your breath mixing with hers, that ache rising again, warm and hungry and full of everything you never said.

“I still love you,” you said, barely audible.

Ellie closed her eyes. “God, I wish I didn’t.”

Then she kissed you.

And it tasted like regret. Like forgiveness. Like maybe this time, you wouldn’t let go.

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cherryblossms · 3 days ago

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he laughed quietly. that was something he was still finding it difficult to admit; that he wasn't the biggest fan of pepperoni but ate them anyways because he knew angel liked them. he knew others, his friends, liked the topping as well. while he wasn't super picky about pizza toppings, he found pepperoni to be a bit too greasy once they were cooked. he much preferred veggies or sausage or ham for a meat over pepperoni. maybe it was just another quirk to fit into the people pleasing side to his personality — not wanting to cause any sort of rift over something so minuscule so he dealt with having to eat something he didn't care for. "i'll will definitely do the dishes, don't worry about that." he confirmed with a nod. honestly, he didn't even need the extra slices to be willing to do the dishes... even if it was on the bottom of his list of chores he liked doing. but he was eating as well and he felt the need to earn his keep so it only made sense. garam had mixed feelings, hearing angel had to work over the weekend. they'd have every day until then to spend together, if they chose to, because garam made his own schedule so it wasn't like they were going to lack time spent with one another. moreover, what bothered him was that axel didn't work weekends so he would have the time to try and harass garam if he wanted to. that could easily be resolved, though, if he invited somebody over just so he wouldn't be alone. or he could simply livestream while angel was out so he'd at least have others watching in case anything were to happen — he'd have people who cared about his wellbeing there to call for help if need be. "oh, that's not bad. i was thinking you'd have to go back immediately." garam was glad that he wasn't avoiding going to work because of darius, it'd only make him feel more guilty — as if angel was going to take the time off in order to make garam more comfortable. he really didn't want angel's friendship with the other man to change, all he asked was for the two not to be alone together for an extended time fame, however long to be debated. once angel stepped closer, garam couldn't help but freeze. his mind immediately going to 'he's spotted somebody' and 'is that somebody axel or his brother, again?' his body relaxed slowly once angel spoke, though. it was pretty busy, busier than he thought it would have gotten when he asked to go to the mall. to hide his guilt, garam plastered on a warm smile and nodded his head, humming in response. he shouldn't have suggested going to the mall, the very reason why he chose this place was angel's reason for wanting to leave. at least they were able to ditch axel's brother, or so he chose to believe since he hadn't noticed the man when they left the changing rooms nor when they left the store and started walking again. he should've stuck to ordering things he needed online and opt for going shopping on his own while angel was working so he wouldn't have caused the man any further issues. "we can go now, if you'd like? i can order the camera from amazon and have it delivered the next day." he'd likely end up purchasing his personal items at the same time and he could just make another trip back home to gather other things he thought he might need. "it is a bit suffocating in here. i knew it'd be busy but not this busy."

Angel listened closely, though his gaze drifted slightly, fixed on some distant store as Garam spoke. He heard every word, especially the parts Garam tried to keep light or dismissive—the subtle tension behind “no rush on that talk happening,” and the veiled protectiveness hidden in “prefer having you all to myself.” Angel knew what jealousy looked like, what it felt like, and he understood it even when it was dressed up in sweet tones and laced with humor. He didn’t blame Garam for feeling it—he knew firsthand how hard it was to share someone you cared about with people who’d once held their heart. But it still weighed on him. He didn’t like how familiar all of this felt. The way he was slowly pulling away from Darius, not because he wanted to, but because he felt he had to. Not that Garam ever told him to stop being friends with him—he never would—but Angel could feel it in the spaces between Garam’s words, in the way his jaw tensed slightly at Darius’s name, in the way he always softened afterward to make up for it. Angel had been there before. With Axel. The slow compromises. The quiet sacrifices. And always thinking this time it’s different. He didn't blame Garam for his actions. No matter how they made him feel Angel understood them. He went as far as to hit on Axel to prove a point. Even though Garam apologized for saying it, the words were prevalent in his mind. “you started it, you intended for something to happen between the two of you, you just weren't expecting where he decided to take it. It's his fault for not stopping you, for not stopping himself if you told him to stop. But he never would have done anything with you if you hadn't provoked him." as they walked through the crowd Angel clenched his fist and dug his nails into his palms. The crowded mall, all the noises and people swirled together with his thoughts it was all too much. Then everything went silent, when Garam smiled at the idea of making pizzas—truly smiled, warm and unguarded—it made something tight in Angel’s chest loosen. He was trying. Garam didn’t hide his flaws, and in some ways, that made it easier to accept them. His jealousy wasn’t cruel; it was human. Angel could work with humans.“You better not hog all the pepperoni,” Angel said with a light laugh, trying to match Garam’s levity. He was becoming a pro at pretending he was okay “And you only get extra slices if you clean the dishes after.” He smiled back, but his eyes studied Garam for a moment longer as if looking for cracks in the surface. Angel released a truly deep breath as he slowly released his palms, careful to tuck them away behind his back as they entered the store to search for a ring camera. When Garam suddenly asked about his work schedule, Angel tilted his head. The way he asked… it wasn’t casual, not really. He caught the way Garam’s eyes shifted briefly toward the door, the slight twitch in his fingers. Anxiety. Not about him. About Axel. Angel’s smile faded a little, and he softened. “I’ve got two shifts this weekend—Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. But I’ll be around most of the week,” he said gently. “And I won’t avoid work just because of him. I’ve switched shifts. No money lost” He paused, stepping a little closer, his voice lowering to something quiet and sure. “Let's be quick. Too many people I'm ready to head home.“

#threads #thread: garam #thread: garam & angel #ang3lmoans

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trappedinacomputer · 2 days ago

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Hey so in my depression about tr!WaterHalo falling apart again I started thinking about why and went down a rabbit hole of angst so if that was Bad's intention , great job :D (/neg but not really, just in a silly way)

Anyways: So i was thinking about how, yes tr!Bad is an oblivious aromantic son of a bitch (I'm aromantic as well, that doesn't explain away his lack of rizz /j) who fumbled the dragon lady for like the millionth time, but there is probably a little more going on to this given him saying "angsty lore is the best lore" so I went down a rabbit hole of where this all goes

Yes this is gonna be a lot and yes it is honestly lowkey embarrassing that I thought up all this because of tr!Bad nosediving a date so hard he might as well have ended up at the center of the earth, BUT I DIGRESS:

*warning: most of this has nothing to do with holywater, it's mostly just !Bad*

tr!Bad has kinda been going through Ultra Depression™ like I've mentioned before due to him losing everything he cares about, which has resorted in him becoming a Gold Medal Olympic Alcoholic but also he's started to push people away a bit more

I got to thinking maybe the reason why Bad botched this date so hard (if we ignore the fact that he is in fact just this oblivious and didn't realize it was romantic) is because he's trying really hard to not actually care about Water, because he knows that people he cares about get hurt/die, even given his best efforts to save them..so maybe if he lets Water start hating him on her own, she'll stay away and live a long life like she deserves

BUT then I started thinking about !Bad as a character and just how fucking depressing he is which led me down the path of thinking about what exactly happened to him/what is happening to him now which leads me to my theories of his character and timeline of events:

Bad is an angel chilling in heaven, doing what he's told like any good angel does when he's given the task of killing the dinosaurs, which he does because it's what he's told to do. However, when he returns he is told this is his purpose, his one task for all eternity is to kill and cause destruction which is not at all something that sounds inticing.

He, along with others, rebel against this idea that their fate and existence is predetermined against their will which directly contradicts their existence. They get thrown out of heaven leading to his fall and being trapped under Euphrates, only being able to escape when he, who would've guessed it, kills the angels guarding him, proving the heavens right.

Like a curse and a constant reminder, a halo continuously hangs over his head even if everywhere he goes, catastrophe follows and every person he learns to love dies by either his own hand or his own actions/inactions, reminding him that his fate is sealed and he can do nothing to prevent it, no matter how hard he tries.

And this gets proven for him when he stumbles onto an island and meets the first creatures in a long time he'd sacrifice himself for: his kids. This was a love that ran deeper than any he had felt before..so when they went missing and he couldn't feel their lives close, he spiraled. Believing he had lost them, he prepares himself to be a catalyst for the end of the world, torturing himself to feel a fraction of the amount of pain he was about to bring. If his kids were truly dead, then the end of life on earth would bring them together again, he would swallow his pride and do what the heavens sent him to do if it meant he could reunite with them again.

But he miscalculated. They were alive, being held somewhere horrible where he had to embrace the killing to potentially save them, but by that time, he was already prepared. When they were escaping from that place and he tanked a nuke to save Dapper, his decay got worse and he found himself in his own mind, between life and death, debating with himself and the different parts of his soul on what to do. He was so prepared to take on his mission, but now what? He was so dead set on completing his purpose to return to his kids, but now they were here with him again, he needed to protect them and take care of them, it wasn't time yet again.

That purpose ate away ate him, but he couldn't risk hurting his kids so when the opportunity to go back to that place of killing arose, he sent the part of his soul that wanted it the most, while the other parts got to stay and protect his kids from it. But his body was still in a state of decay, and actions always have consequences, he suffered for literal months slowly dying but stayed there for his kids, until his body and mind literally gave out, reliving the worst moment in all his lives: the day he lost his son.

When he gets to that desert again, with the scales laid before him and two doors on either side, he didn't even notice they were balanced, not until he looked towards the door "Home", the only place he was ever meant to exist. The door normally locked and chained shut not stood clean, almost welcoming..and he screams "why?" Why now does he get the choice to return home? Why when he finally has something to protect, that he's finally been able to protect, does he get the option to go? He contemplates for what feels like days, but he made a promise to return to his babies, and while it wasn't a deal, he couldn't bring himself to break it.

So he returns to them..but he only has limited time with them before he seemingly does what he does best and the people he loves are once again taken from him. Once all his kids are done, he has carved their memorial into the very earth, and the last of his comrades depart, he does as well. He kills himself seemingly in the only rift in whatever protection the island has and seems..surprised to arrive back in the desert in front of those scales. He turns and sees his kids run up to him from the wide open gates of his home. A beautiful sight, if it didn't come with a cost. Heaven basically dangles his kids in front of his face, knowing these creatures were what he chose over them, knowing the pull they have over him and using it as leverage to push him to complete his mission.. and it kind of works.

Now he finds himself in this new realm, meeting new and old friends, people he cares for, but knowing deep down he's here for a specific reason. He needs to finish this Cathedral to figure out the missing piece to the puzzle of what his mission is/how to complete it. But what's the rush really? He knows his kids are safe in heaven, they can't die again and are out of harms way, he can spend some spare moments enjoying life before he snuffs it out.

I don't think this Cathedral is to contact heaven, I think that's what Bad hopes it does. Bad has made it clear that his mind and memory are all over the place, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I believe that the part of his soul that remembers his mission and is fully prepared to kill the entire planet to see his kids again, is the one he left in Purgatory, and I also fully believe Heaven would trick him into bringing that part of his soul back and forcing Bad to combine it back with the rest of himself. And when not if his mind fails again, maybe it isn't alcohol or a broken heart, but a broken soul, torn between killing everyone to return home to his kids, or never seeing his kids again to buy humanity more time than heaven believes they deserve.

There are some more theories I have that are a lot more eccentric like Bad potentially going through with the apocalypse but betraying heaven to make a new world (maybe with the help of Foolish 👀) but that's not really something I believe is planned lol

#the realm smp #trsmp #qsmp #q!badboyhalo #tr!bad #tr!badboyhalo #badboyhalo #this is the big old angsty character analysis/theory I was talking about #yes this was brought on by me thinking too much about !Bad and how sad and pathetic he is #BRO FUMBLED WATER SO HARD I MADE AN ENTIRE CHARACTER ANALYSIS

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nijigasakilove · 3 days ago

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Operation rescue Maomao in full swing and my goodness what an episode, one of my all time faves. Jinshi’s willing to go to any lengths to get his girl back. We really saw him go mask off and crack today in a way he’s never done before. For someone as composed as he is to drop the facade and go a bit psycho at times shows you how much he cares about Maomao 🥰 but this conspiracy keeps getting bigger, can’t wait to get to the bottom of it.

What 10 days without Maomao does to a mf 😭 I’m surprised Jinshi made it this long without breaking down and moving mountains, but credit to him for staying composed up to today.

Hyuuga-sensei has a tendency to set up all these different plot threads and have them converge all together slowly, so I had a feeling Shisui and Suirei were gonna be related or have a connection to one of the victims of the previous emperor since we spent so much time focusing on that. But man seeing Shenlu have a full on panic attack and her PTSD flare up over Jinshi looking like the former emperor was sad. Even all these later she’s got all this pain bottled up and she’s just one of many little girls who went through that. Then they couldn’t even be free in death.. makes my stomach turn. Understandable Jinshi would be shocked by all that too, but none of that’s his fault. Sins of the father and all that.

HOLY SHIT didn’t expect Jinshi to crash out on Loulan’s stand in like that. Had to pause the tv to take that moment in because that’s the most aggressive we’ve seen him, certainly in a long time. Again just shows you how angry he is about his girl being missing. Feel bad for Renpu tho because she was just genuinely following orders. Poor thing couldn’t even speak :/ again going back to Hyuuga-sensei laying all this ground work, a few weeks ago Lakan was feeling Shishou out during a Go game, knew Shishou felt sus and he’s Loulan’s dad.. yea it’s all coming together now lol. This conspiracy goes deep, but what’s the actual endgame 🤔

Maybe it has to do something with developing weapons for another country under the table which explains the increase in grain and metal prices as well as why the foreign emissary was in the village Suirei and Shisui took Maomao to. Can’t wait to learn more next episode, sadly we gotta wait a couple weeks but it was dope seeing a Jinshi led episode and meeting Maomao’s adopted brother. He seems fun. Lol at Lakan destroying the palace gate. He’s such an overprotective dad 😂

#animangahive #animanga #animanga hive #anime #the apothecary diaries #apothecary diaries #kusuriya #kusuriya no hitorigoto #kusuriya anime #kusuriya maomao #kusuriya manga #kusuriya jinshi #apothcary diaries anime #apothecary diaries season 2 #the apothecary diaries anime #the apothecary diaries season 2 #jinshi #jinshi x maomao

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mapofsouthdakota · 2 days ago

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Caffeine, chemistry and Caleb IX

Synopsis: The café was supposed to be just another coffee shop. For a law student who enjoys her morning coffee and a shy newbie still learning the ropes, it should have been nothing more than part of the daily routine… But then there’s Caleb.

Details: 3200 words of barista Caleb, coming in hot. Non MC!reader as the law student. Expect: premium flirting, a generous pour of banter, and a whole lot of feelings. Harv shows up. The newbie continues to be an absolute legend. And—no spoilers—but let’s just say this story isn’t closing its tab anytime soon heeeh

Parts: initial, part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,

Tags: @gavin3469 @unstablemiss @i-messed-up-big-time @mipov101 @zukini-01 @ariakamil @zaynessdarling @gojosballsack69

Terms Pending | pt. 9

You were only planning on tea.

Nothing dramatic. Nothing reckless. Just a cup of something warm, maybe a quiet moment in your usual spot, and—if he was there—a little light flirtation.

And still—your brain, traitor that it is—flickers back. To Caleb. A few days ago. Saying he liked being around you. That it reminded him of someone he used to be, before everything got so heavy.

The last couple of times you’d been there, it had been… fine.

Nice, even. The drinks were still excellent. The lighting still soft. The newbie still mouthing silent commentary behind the espresso machine. But under the banter and half-smiles, something in the air felt tight. Like Caleb was trying to rewind.

Back to the beginning.

Back to when you were just another tired student with a caffeine addiction and a sharp tongue. When he was just a barista showing the newbie how to work the steam wand. Before the farmers market. Before her.

Before everything became something.

But maybe you’re just… the seasonal special.

Because you played along. Smiled. Sipped the drink he slid your way—a double macchiato with cinnamon, honey, and a dusting of powdered ginger that somehow tasted like winter break and bad ideas.

Perfect. Annoyingly so.

You caught his eye over the rim of the cup.

And for a second, you could almost believe he regretted it. Not kissing you. Not letting things shift when they wanted to.

Or maybe that’s just what you wanted to believe.

And maybe that’s why you never told the newbie what happened when he walked you back to campus that evening—because, painfully, at least to you, it felt like Caleb had been trying to rewind. To undo something you weren’t sure was even real yet.

But who knows anymore.

And just as you’re packing up in the library, sliding your laptop into your tote, you hear your name.

“Hey,” a voice says—low, confident, and not the one your brain’s been primed to react to.

You glance up.

Harv. Hair slicked back like he’s auditioning for a 1940s courtroom drama, green eyes sharp and easy.

“Heading out?” he asks, slinging his bag over one shoulder.

You nod. “Yeah. Just grabbing something hot before I crash.”

Without waiting for an answer, he falls into step beside you—like it’s already been decided. “Mind if I join? Thought maybe we could… consolidate cases.” He grins. “Two tired law students. One caffeine run. Efficient.”

You hesitate. Just for a second.

But Harv is… nice. And competent. And handsome in that effortless, second-glance-in-the-hallway kind of way. And bringing Harv along wouldn’t exactly hurt at this point.

Maybe it would help.

Redirect Caleb’s attention to a new target for his barista smugness. Let you drink your damn latte, get your shit together, focus on school.

And still—maybe—catch a glimpse of him.

Just enough to remind yourself that he was never yours to begin with.

And that he never will be.

So you nod. “Sure. Why not.”

The two of you head out into the cool evening. Your steps sync without effort, conversation light, easy. You talk finals. Professors. Nothing important. Nothing messy.

It’s only when you reach the café— lights glowing through the windows, familiar and golden—that you remember what you were actually coming here for.

You open the door.

The bell chimes as you enter, and Caleb looks up.

Standing behind the counter, he’s in a button-down today. Sleeves rolled to the elbows—his most lethal weapon, deployed with casual precision. The apron is perfectly tied and cinched at the waist, like always. His hair’s a little messier than usual.

And of course—the stupid apple charm is still there, catching the light like it knows you’re trying very hard not to think about it today.

For a second, his eyes warm—lit with that slow, beautiful smile.

Until they slide to your left.

To Harv.

And his smile doesn’t exactly vanish, but it shifts. Tightens.

“Golden Girl,” he says, hands already moving. “Figured you might show.”

You step up to the counter. “What gave me away?”

“Could be the look of superiority,” he says, popping open a box of tea like he’s testing the waters. He lifts it to his nose, inhales thoughtfully, then shoots you a smirk. “Or maybe it’s the way your hair’s practically glowing today. What are we feeling—spicy? floral?”

You blink. “Glowing?”

Caleb nods, grinning. “Yeah. Very golden. Very radiant. Not reflecting anything going on inside your brain, obviously, but still impressive.”

You snort. “Charming.”

The tea box tilts in your direction, Caleb raising one brow. “But you’re here late. So… tea?”

You lean in slightly, catching the warm, spiced scent, and raise an eyebrow while pretending not to be impressed.

“Chai latte,” he decides before you can even answer. “We got in a new spice blend. It’s borderline criminal, you’ll love it.”

Just as Harv starts to lean in beside you, curious—

Caleb calmly closes the box and slides it out of reach. Then turns to put it away—no rush, no acknowledgment. He doesn’t even glance up.

Over his shoulder, casual as anything:

“You look like a cortado guy. Double shot, splash of organic milk—something rare, expensive, and just pretentious enough to impress someone who doesn’t know better.”

He still doesn’t look back. Just reaches for the portafilter like he already knew.

You blink.

Harv tilts his head, caught off guard. “How would you know?”

Caleb finally turns then—only halfway—and his eyes find yours instead of Harv’s.

“I’ve got a sixth sense for predictable orders,” he says, slow grin forming. “Present company excluded, of course.”

His gaze lingers on you, warm and fond.

“Some people keep me guessing.”

Your stomach flips. You’re not even holding your cup yet and you feel caffeinated.

He turns back to the counter, reaching for a cup. The chai is poured smoothly, the milk frothed with an ease that almost feels personal. He sprinkles something light across the foam—cinnamon, maybe nutmeg—and sets the finished drink down gently like it’s a peace offering in ceramic.

Then, like it’s nothing, he adds, “Although you do always order for here.”

A beat. A tiny curve to his mouth.

“…Not that I mind.”

Harv clears his throat. “Uhhh… A cortado, yeah.”

Caleb nods once, already turning away—like the order just confirmed what he already knew.

Then he glances back at you, tone warm, familiar.

“How was your day?”

You open your mouth to answer, but—

“We had class together earlier,” Harv offers, lightly. “Contract law.”

Caleb doesn’t even blink in his direction. Instead: “What classes did you have?” he asks you, voice still soft. Still just for you.

You glance at Harv, then back at Caleb. “Uh… Just contracts. A lot of… brain drain.”

A smile tugs at the corner of Caleb’s mouth, like your answer landed exactly where he wanted it to.

Harv leans in slightly, muttering under his breath, just loud enough for you to hear:

“What’d I do to piss him off this time?”

You shake your head, honest and bewildered. “No idea.”

And you don’t. Because Caleb’s still talking—

“Remember Gideon?” he says, grabbing a filter, voice sliding right back into your orbit. “The guy I told you about?”

And just like that, Harv’s cut from the frame. Again.

But you don’t miss a beat. “Obviously. I don’t forget key witnesses.”

He grins, satisfied. “Last flight lesson? Almost threw up after push-ups. I’ve never seen a man flop that hard.”

You blink. “Why was he doing push-ups in a flight lesson?”

“Punishment,” Caleb says, voice light, eyes still on the milk he’s steaming. “Forgot his checklist. Again. He knows what he did.”

You laugh—too loud—and Caleb’s grin widens. Like you’re the only one here.

He froths the milk like it’s background noise, still looking at you. Still talking to you.

Still acting like Harv doesn’t exist.

And then, without a single beat skipped, he reaches for a to-go cup.

Pours the cortado.

Lids it.

Sets it gently on the counter like it’s nothing more than what it is.

“Cortado,” he says, without looking at Harv. “Enjoy.”

Harv follows you to your usual table like this is a normal study date, sipping from his very to-go cortado like it’s not an insult. He pulls out his laptop with a little too much confidence.

“So,” he says, settling in. “You wanna do a Cicero quiz or something? That history thesis isn’t gonna write itself.”

You nod, half-distracted, pretending to pull up your notes while mentally replaying every smug flick of Caleb’s hand. Your chai latte is still warm in its cup—because of course it is.

The bell over the door chimes, and the newbie walks in. Two earbuds in, a hoodie with something unhinged in pastel script across the front. They spot you instantly, eyes landing on Harv.

Then:

A look.

One that says who the hell is this?

You shrug, subtle. Text under the table.

You: he’s just a guy from class don’t judge me. He followed me and i need a distraction

You see them snort silently before heading behind the counter.

And then—

“Cicero, huh?”

Caleb.

Off-duty now, apron gone, shirt still unfair, jacket on, hair even messier. He walks away from the counter where the newbie’s halfway clocked in and ruffles their hair like this is just part of the routine. The newbie glares but doesn’t flinch.

Then Caleb looks over at you.

And without missing a beat, recites: “Law isn’t just statutes and rules—it lives in us. Part of the human spirit. The human experience.”

You stare at him.

Harv blinks.

The newbie ducks behind the espresso machine to not laugh out loud.

Caleb raises a brow. “What? It’s Cicero.”

Then, like this is completely normal, he pulls out a chair. “Mind if I join your study session? I’m off now.”

There’s a long pause.

You blink at him, then tilt your head.

“Right. Because aviation school isn’t difficult enough—you had to casually minor in legal theory too?”

Caleb grins, completely unfazed. “What can I say? I like a challenge.”

You mutter, “Apparently.”

He hears you. Of course he does. And Caleb looks entirely too pleased about it.

Harv clears his throat. “Uh. I should probably head out, actually. Got another group waiting on me.”

You barely glance up. “Sure.”

Caleb is still seated. Calm. Like he was invited.

You sip your chai, watching him over the rim. “So Cicero, huh?” you say, voice light.

He smirks. “What, you didn’t think I was paying attention?”

“To my law history thesis?”

He shrugs, unbothered. “Heard you and the newbie talking about it. Thought I’d help out.”

You raise a brow. “Help, or show off?”

“Both,” he says. “Obviously.”

And just like that—he’s in. Sitting across from you. Grinning like he hasn’t just wrecked you and your very-much-doomed attempt at a study date.

You narrow your eyes at him over your laptop.

“Okay, philosopher-barista. Since you’re so fluent in Cicero…”

He leans in slightly, interested. “Go on, Golden Girl.”

Blinking once, done hesitating, you say, “Then what does Cicero have to say about someone who clearly has a person—someone carved into their story, part of their human experience or whatever—yet still shows up to ruin a study date in public?”

The grin flickers. Just for a second.

Then he recovers. Shrugs. Smirks.

“Probably that the soul’s complicated. And occasionally reckless.”

You sip your drink, not breaking eye contact. “And loud,” you add. “Let’s not forget loud.”

Caleb tips his head, eyes dancing. “So you’re saying you heard mine coming?”

You snort. “More like felt the turbulence.”

His smile deepens. “Then buckle up, Golden Girl,” he says. “We’re just getting into crosswinds.”

There’s a sharp hiss from the espresso machine behind the bar—too sharp to be accidental.

You glance over.

The newbie is standing perfectly still, one hand paused mid-wipe on a countertop that’s already clean. Their eyes lock with yours like they’re trying to send an emergency transmission using only their soul.

Your phone buzzes under the table.

newbie: you’re INSANE. are you flirting or litigating because either way i’m sweating

Another buzz:

newbie: also. is this what straight people call “study sessions”??

You press your lips together, fighting back a laugh.

Beneath the table, your fingers fly across the screen.

you: his necklace is still on. we’ve lost. let’s just close the case and move on. i don’t have anything left to lose anyway.

newbie: i hate this plotline. but also i’m obsessed.

Caleb glances at your phone, then back at you with a brow raised. “Is that my fan club checking in?”

You raise your cup, deadpan. “Control tower, actually.”

A quiet laugh escapes him—soft and surprised—and it lands somewhere dangerous in your chest. Then he leans in a little—close enough that you feel the warmth roll off him like steam from your chai.

“I just don’t get it,” he says, voice low. “Why you’d want to flirt with someone else.”

A pause.

Then: “Especially not here. In my café.”

Your brows lift, a smile flickering despite yourself.

“Relax,” you murmur. “I never sullied this sacred flirting arena.”

He doesn’t smile back. Not fully. “So you’re saying you and Harv didn’t flirt here?” he asks, tilting his head. His tone isn’t angry. Just sharp.

You set your cup down. “Correct. No flirting happened in the café.”

His eyes narrow—mock offense softening the edge.

“Oh,” he says. “So only at school?”

You blink. “Caleb.”

“Just clarifying,” he says, hands lifted like he’s so innocent.

“I need you to settle,” you say flatly, staring him down. “There’s no logical resolution to this.”

His gaze doesn’t waver. And then—softly, deliberately—his thumb slides over his lower lip, ring finger trailing after it, slow and calculated.

“Is that suggestion still on the table?” he asks, voice dipped in something you’re not ready for. A pause. Then, quieter—rougher: “Or has Harv claimed it now?”

Your brain shorts out for a second.

You stare. Then—deadpan: “Are you actually jealous right now?”

Caleb’s smile is slow. Crooked. A little dangerous.

He doesn’t answer.

Just holds your gaze.

Then—quietly—he mouths:

Yes.

Before you can recover, Caleb reaches out and tugs the end of your braid, like it’s his version of a period at the end of a derailing sentence.

Then he stands.

And walks off.

Frozen in place, the warmth of his touch still clings to your hair—like it might whisper something if you listen closely enough.

A moment later, the newbie appears, slipping into the chair Caleb left behind. They don’t say anything at first. Just hand you a fresh napkin and a stare that says talk.

You press your lips together. Exhale.

“I wasn’t totally honest with you,” you murmur, fingers knotting the napkin. “About… him.”

Their eyebrows lift, but they wait.

“There was a moment,” you say. “Well, a lot of moments. And then this almost-kiss. And he said he liked being around me, and I said he could kiss me goodnight, kind of as a joke, and then he said we’d fail the test because he wouldn’t want to stop—”

They blink, slow.

“Okay, wow.”

You laugh, hollow. “Yeah.”

A beat.

“So,” you say, glancing at them. “If it were you. What would you do?”

They bite at their tongue piercing, thoughtful. Then shrug.

“I mean… I’m shy,” they say. “But even I’d kiss him.”

Your mouth opens, then closes.

“Because it’s basically there,” they add, eyes locked on yours. “Right? The tension? The orbit? You’re just circling.”

And maybe it hits harder because just five minutes ago, you texted them: his necklace is still on. we’ve lost. let’s just close the case and move on. i don��t have anything left to lose anyway.

Apparently, you do.

And it’s walking away from the café—still managing to rearrange your gravity as it goes.

You stare at your chai latte, heart still skipping like it’s on trial.

Yeah.

That’s the last straw.

You’re up before your brain catches up—grabbing your coat, nearly tripping over a chair, the newbie calling after you with a startled, “Wait, are you actually—”

But you’re already out the door.

The cold air hits you like a closing argument. You scan the street—there. Caleb’s halfway down the block, hands in his pockets, the wind tugging at his jacket.

You run.

Call his name. Once. Twice.

He turns just as you reach him, breathless and probably flushed to hell.

Fingers hook into his sleeve, tugging him toward you with zero ceremony. You meet his eyes and look him dead in the eyes.

“Okay,” you say, barely thinking. “Listen. We’re exclusive.”

His brows lift. “What?”

“Flirting partners in crime,” you clarify, breath still catching. “You and me. That’s it. Forever. No substitutions. No refunds.”

There’s a beat.

Then he laughs—low and stunned and real—and shakes his head.

“You’re trouble.”

Your smile curls. “So are you.”

And somehow, that feels like the most honest thing you’ve said all day.

“You’re ridiculous.”

You nod, eyes still on his. “And you like it.”

He doesn’t answer.

Not right away.

Because your eyes have dropped—to his neck.

The necklace is gone.

The chain, the charm—not there.

Your gaze flicks lower.

He’s holding it in one hand. Loosely. Like it’s no longer tethered to him. Like it’s just a thing now, not a weight.

“Noticed,” he says quietly.

You nod once. Breath caught. “I’m a law student. I notice everything.”

He steps closer.

His hands come up cupping your face like he’s memorizing it. The chain is still looped around one of his fingers, the charm cold against your cheek—something old brushing against something new.

And he’s looking at you like this—you—might just be the thing worth choosing after all.

“Do we seal the deal, then?” he murmurs, voice low and reckless and completely unfair. “… Legally speaking.”

You open your mouth. No words arrive.

He exhales, thumb brushing your cheekbone. “I should’ve kissed you that night.”

The words fall somewhere between confession and apology.

“I regret a lot of things,” he adds softly. “But not this.”

And then he leans in, gaze flicking from your eyes to your lips.

The moment you’ve both been circling for weeks.

And finally—he kisses you.

Like he means it.

Like he’s sure.

Like he’s sealing it in writing.

Your fingers curl into his jacket before you even realize they’ve moved. His hand’s at your waist, the necklace clinking faintly between you.

Just like that.

The chain slips from his fingers—not to the ground, but into yours.

He lifts it gently, his eyes never leaving your face, and with a quiet sort of reverence… fastens it around your neck.

A silent exchange.

No trial. No verdict. Just a temporary recess. Terms to be negotiated later.

“I should really be more careful around lucky girls,” he murmurs, eyes locked on yours.

You shake your head, smile flickering. “No. You should be careful around me.”

His breath catches—just slightly.

Then he nods once, like he already knows.

And leans in.

Breath against your cheek.

Mouth brushing yours.

And then he kisses you again—deeper this time, like he’s sealing something in place. Your fingers find his, resting at your collarbone now—right over the charm.

Whatever this is, it’s real.

Real enough for a date.

Real enough for a another chapter.

He pulls back, just enough to meet your eyes again. “This doesn’t fix everything,” he murmurs. “But maybe it’s a start.”

You nod. And try to breathe.

His past.

Your present.

Not forever. Not yet. But something real enough to hold onto—at least until the next latte.

——————————————————————————

Chapter 10 tbc

——————————————————————————

Writer’s note: Sooo… What was meant to be the end is starting to look a lot like a beginning. Because love stories don’t end with a kiss. Not when there are study halls, texted legal hot takes, suspicious baked goods, and way too many feelings left on the counter. So yes—we’re keeping the café open. We’re not done yet. Not even close. See you in Chapter 10. I might need a lil extra time to make the outline of where I want the story to go next hehe. Okey then, thank you for reading 🫶🏻

#ye ye yeeee barista booooi #love and deepspace #caleb love and deepspace #lnds caleb #lads caleb #you x caleb #non mc x caleb

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lavendersuh · 2 days ago

Text

isn't it delicate?

alpha!johnny x omega!female reader | nsfw | 11k words

author's note: omegaverse!au bc i'm crazy!!! but we are so back!!! obvi lots of smut, heat, scenting, typical a/b/o shiet… if u don't have a clue what this is, click here safe to say this is the craziest thing i've ever written… enjoy!!!

ao3 link

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Johnny was here. Standing in the middle of the busy coffee shop you worked at, looking down at you with that look that you could never read. His scent was as strong as ever, enough to knock you off your feet. Did he have to smell so good and also look like that?

You hoped your own scent didn’t spike like your heartbeat did when you saw him walk in. He smelled so good, like a rainforest in the middle of summer.

You remembered the first time you saw him, the first time you smelled him. Standing in front of the Neocity pack leaders, pleading for an open door, a new home. He had stared at you with a scrupulous eye, suspicious of your intentions. It wasn’t a secret that the Neocity pack was full of alphas. But there were more pressing matters at hand— you had to get away.

Johnny had never seemed as affected by you as you felt by him. Your knees nearly buckled every time you were in his presence, and it was often that he barely gave you a passing glance.

You weren’t even sure why he was here. You’d mentioned getting a job at the local coffee shop during the last pack meeting, earning a few supportive smiles. Mark and Jungwoo had come in earlier this week to see you, but in the short time in the city, you would consider them your closest friends.

But Johnny? He didn’t seem interested in being anything more than your friendly next door neighbor. Or, at least he was friendly with everyone but you. You saw how he acted with the rest of the pack. All smiles and jokes and support.

But with you… maybe you smelled bad to him or something. Why were you never on the receiving end of his silly dad jokes and supportive grins?

You stood behind the register, trying to lift your mouth into a customer service smile as he walked up to the counter. Your nerves were getting the better of you, but you held onto the register like it was your lifeline.

“Hi,” you said in a small voice, forgetting your rehearsed service lines. His presence was overwhelming. Sure, he was one of the three top alphas in the pack, which naturally made him more intimidating, but it was his physical presence that made you feel flushed and sweaty. You didn't even need to think about his power and authority.

“Hey,” he offered a smile. You found it was quite pretty when it was directed at you. “Could I get an Iced Americano?”

You nodded, plugging the order into the computer robotically. He paid for the drink with cash, and you prayed to the goddess he didn't notice your trembling hands or the way your fingers lingered against his. Every point of contact felt electrified to you. Your heat was coming in the next few weeks— it must be that.

He seemed to pause as you passed the printed sticker and cup to your coworker.

“Uh, actually,” he spoke up, “I was wondering if you could make it?”

Your eyes went wide, trying to stutter out a response about being on register today. Why did he want you to make it?

“Please?”

Johnny wasn’t the type of alpha who seemed like he was used to begging for anything. He asked nicely, the words soft, almost like he was trying hard to keep any hint of alpha command from them.

You always wondered if alpha commands were even truly a thing, or if omegas just melted whenever the right alpha asked. You felt like you might do anything to make him happy, despite his typically cold demeanor toward you during your few interactions.

Just as you called your coworker to return the cup, you heard the bell ring at the entrance. This was no unusual occurrence, but glancing up at the door sent your entire world spiraling in an instant.

You couldn’t contain a gasp, lowering your face to hide from the unwelcome intruder. How was he even here?

“Y/N?” Johnny spoke. You knew your scent was spiking with fear as he asked, “Omega, what’s wrong?”

You quickly glanced up at him, your eyes wide. Johnny’s own eyes were full of alarm.

The wheels in your brain were turning, searching for a solution before the alpha spotted you. You thought you were safe here. No one from your former pack even knew where you disappeared to. You didn’t think anyone, not even he would deign to follow you into the territory of such an alpha-populous city.

You couldn’t go back. You were finally settling into a new routine, in a new space, and for the first time in your life, you had a small taste of freedom. The city was wonderful, the pack was great and even the standoffish alpha that didn’t seem to notice you was clearly concerned for you in the present moment.

Suddenly an idea sprouted in your head. You felt yourself getting lightheaded as you heard yourself speak.

“I need you to scent me.”

Johnny looked like his brain malfunctioned, “What?”

You glanced over at the entrance where the man was still standing, looking around the coffee shop. He hasn't noticed you yet.

“He’s here.”

Johnny looked over his shoulder, seeing the older man and immediately putting pieces together. He had been in your hearing, as you pleaded for sanctuary with his pack. He had heard the tale of why you had run away. Seeing that man, recognizing him, made his blood run cold.

The alpha you had been auctioned off to in your former pack.

“Johnny, please,” you pleaded in a hush, trying to return his attention to you.

He looked back at you, his eyes calculating. Scenting you was probably the last thing he wanted to do, but it was the first solution you could think of that would get the other alpha to stay away from you.

Scenting was laying a claim on someone, usually before mating. Scenting signaled that someone was taken, that someone was protected. It wasn’t always between lovers; sometimes scenting was done between friends, especially when preparing to go into large crowds or busy city streets. You’d only been scented a few times before, for concerts and festivals, your packmates ensuring you were spoken for before some random alpha got the wrong idea.

It wasn’t always an intimate thing. But it could be.

Your skin prickled at the thought of Johnny scenting you. Coating you in his woodsy scent and making sure everyone knew who you belonged to. Standing over you and laying claim.

Scenting was the first solution you could think of, and even if it was a bad idea, your omega was much too interested in this option to think of any other ones.

You watched the gears turn in Johnny’s brain for a moment before he finally spoke.

“Come on,” he nodded his head toward the hallway leading to the store room.

Didn't have to tell you twice. You heard yourself mumble something to your coworker about taking a break, before you followed Johnny discreetly before the alpha from your former pack could see you.

As you approached the small hallway to the backroom, he grasped your hand, covering your small palm with his large one, flooding you with warmth.

You unlocked the storage room and flicked on the overhead light, before turning back to where Johnny had joined you in the small space. He towered over you, filling the space with his presence. You didn’t realize you’d been backing up until your shoulders hit the shelves behind you. Your hands were still connected and he gave you a squeeze.

“Have you been scented before?” he asked, coming closer. You felt like you were being cornered by a predator but you couldn’t find it in yourself to mind. Not when it was him. A rush of excitement went through you and you suddenly couldn't think of anything else.

“A few times,” you responded. “Sometimes, from a friend in my old pack, before concerts and things.”

Johnny said nothing, but his nostrils flared at the statement. His eyes asked for one last confirmation as he brushed your hair away from the side of your neck. The cool air made you flinch but the feeling was quickly replaced with the warmth of him stepping closer.

You closed your eyes, nodding slightly as you took a deep breath, bracing for impact. He leaned in, ever so slowly at first, before lowering his lips to the side of your face. He pressed a kiss to your jaw, beginning to trail feathery kisses down your neck.

He was taking his time, you noticed, warming you up instead of going straight for the kill. He hadn’t even reached the scent gland beneath your ear. You were already feeling overheated, what would the next few minutes bring?

You couldn’t help the gasp you let out when he pressed a kiss to your gland, letting his lips linger for a moment before he gripped your waist more firmly, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to your gland, fully scenting you.

Your eyes flew open at the feeling. You noticed his scent got heady as it began to mix with yours. You found yourself gripping onto his jacket, losing yourself in his ministrations.

Was there ever a time you were this turned on outside of your heat cycle? Johnny licked languidly at your gland, wrapping his arms around you fully as you began to melt into the feeling.

Just when you thought you might pass out from the overstimulation, he moved over to the other side of your neck, and you couldn’t hold back the whimper you’d been trying so hard to keep in. By the time it slipped out, it was a full on moan.

As if spurred on by the sound, Johnny gripped you tighter, sucking a kiss into your gland like it was his only mission in life. It left you gasping for air, letting out more sounds than you meant to.

Johnny was trying to devour you completely. Was this really the same alpha that gave you the stink eye in the elevator most days?

With his arms wrapped around you, you let your hands roam over his clavicle, his shoulders, up into his hair. His brown locks felt just as soft and fluffy as you’d expected.

By the time he finally let up and moved his mouth away from you, you were panting for breath.

You always knew scenting could be a sensual experience but this? It had never felt like this before.

When you caught Johnny’s eye, you noticed he was breathing heavily too. He bit his lip like he was trying to hold back from something.

Gently, he reached for the hand tangled in his hair. You pulled back apologetically, but he grasped your wrist fully, shaking his head. He ran his thumb over the glands that resided there.

He looked into your eyes as he lifted your wrist to his mouth. You could feel his breath across your palm just before he licked a long stripe down the inside of your wrist, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

“Should make sure you smell like me completely,” he mumbled before planting kisses across your gland.

Your wrist glands had never been very sensitive but with his gentle movements, you almost jolted back, feeling incredibly overwhelmed. You knew you were shaking but it wasn’t from fear anymore. In fact, you couldn’t even remember what you were afraid of in the first place.

Before Johnny moved to your other wrist, he twisted you around, letting your back fall into his chest. Your head fit so perfectly into the crook between his shoulder and neck, and you let yourself go limp as he supported you, letting his warmth engulf you.

He lapped at your other wrist, keeping his other arm securely around you. You watched his movements with awe.

You couldn’t tell how much time had passed since you’d come into the store room, but finally he was pulling away, placing one last kiss on the top of her hand. Despite him being finished, he didn’t let go of you. He was so close, you weren’t sure of where your scent ended and his began.

“You alright?” Johnny asked, the first words to pass between you in the last few moments.

You peered up at his face and found Johnny looking like he was coming out of a fog. You felt the same.

Anytime you had ever been scented, it was overwhelming, but this was something else. This was something you wanted to experience again and again. To experience forever.

With that thought, everything was coming back to you suddenly.

The alpha from your former pack was here, in this territory, in this very coffee shop. He’d tracked you down, and you couldn’t even imagine what he expected to gain from trespassing into foreign pack territory.

But Johnny was here, too, in this coffee shop, in this store room. He’d come in to see you, specifically, if his request to buy coffee specifically made from you was any indicator. You had barely had time to process all the implications of that before things had changed so suddenly.

And then he’d scented you. Johnny. The alpha whose presence had consumed your thoughts since you’d arrived in the city. The alpha who had been opposed to your petition to join their pack. The alpha who was kind and funny one moment, cold and standoffish the next.

You looked up in his eyes, and found them to once again be a mystery. They held a look of concern, but what else was he feeling? Did he feel as overwhelmed as you? You assumed probably not, despite the shiver of hope that ran through you. Do you feel it too?

You looked away, nodding slightly, still trying to catch your breath. “Could we just stay here for another minute?”

“Yeah, of course,” he adjusted his arms, letting you hug him back, wrapping your arms around his torso. He was so warm, both physically and emotionally. It caught you off guard.

His head rested on yours as you nuzzled your face into his neck, letting out a shaky breath. Despite the fear that had returned to you, you felt safe right here. You never wanted to leave his arms.

Johnny ran a hand over your hair, speaking softly, “Why is he here of all times? It's been months.”

Was Johnny keeping tabs on you? Paying more attention than you realized? The idea wasn’t so bad now that you thought of it. You noticed him often. In the hallway, at pack meetings, on the street. And you liked his attention. It felt good to finally admit that to yourself. His attention was so vastly different from the alpha you had run from.

You didn’t even need to think about the answer. Creeping up slowly, you were never not aware of the truth.

“He knew my heat schedule,” you replied, “I’m supposed to be close.”

There was silence for a minute. Your words hung in the air.

“Oh,” Johnny said eventually, and a lot was packed into such a soft syllable. A lot was packed into such a soft sound.

Your heat was still a few months off, thanks to some emergency suppressants you were granted while dealing with moving and transitioning into the pack. But it would come again and you were already fearing how bad it would be now that you had put it off for so long.

He cleared his throat and the vibration made you pull away slightly to look up at him.

“Well,” he said, “He can’t be here for more than 48 hours without alerting pack leadership. As an unmated alpha, he should’ve alerted Taeyong regardless.”

You buried your face in his chest, letting the warmth of this alpha calm you.

“How did he even find me?” you asked, mostly to yourself.

But Johnny answered anyway. “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”

You nodded into his chest, letting his scent calm you down.

“And,” he gave you a squeeze as he said the words, “If he sticks around, I’ll take care of it.”

His works were firm, full of strength and power. In that moment, there was no doubt in your mind that he would protect you. You felt warmth coil in your belly at the statement.

He finally pulled away, taking a step back.

“You should get back to your shift,” Johnny says.

You gasped at the realization. “Oh my god, your coffee! I’m so sorry, I’ll make it right now.”

He brushes it off as he opens the door and takes a peak out into the coffee shop.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says as he holds the door open for you. “But hey, I think I’ll stick around until the end of your shift, make sure you get home okay. Is that alright?”

You nod, feeling a rush of relief. You slipped back behind the counter and set to work making his Americano.

As you move around the small workspace, you realize you weren’t just enveloped in Johnny’s scent in the room, you were covered in it. Despite him going to sit in the corner near the entrance, his scent lingered, making you feel like he was right next to you. Even from far away he felt close.

While you were busy making the coffee, you finally glance up to see the unwanted alpha isn’t gone, but staring directly at you, looking like you’re his next meal. Unlike when Johnny had looked at you similarly, this felt violating.

You thought you’d feel more scared, but with Johnny’s scent covering your senses, it dims the fear and leaves you feeling a little stronger than before.

“Iced Americano!” You holler out to the shop, forgetting about the man watching your every move. He stands just as Johnny does.

Johnny comes over and takes the coffee, but not without lingering. His hands envelope yours, holding the coffee together.

He offers you a small smile, your worries melting away with his expression. Before you can pull away, he leans in, close like when he was scenting you just a few minutes ago. His lips ghost your ear.

“You’re safe now, omega, I’m right here.”

When he feels you nod, he sniffs lightly as he pulls away.

“You smell good,” he smirks.

I smell like you, you want to say, but the words do their job and have you fighting off a flustered blush.

“Thank you, Johnny.”

He lifts up his drink, “No, thank you.”

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

After that, Johnny gets a little nicer to you. The next day, you both go meet with pack leadership to discuss the intruder in their territory and they promise to look into it more. You thank your lucky stars you haven’t run into him since he appeared in the coffee shop. Something about the confident way Johnny walks into the meeting has you questioning if he handled the situation himself before alerting the pack leaders.

On the walk back to your apartment building, you notice Johnny seems a little more open with you, as he makes casual conversation about the weather and plans for the weekend. He keeps a protective stance as you walk, being the buffer between you and the road, and you see his head swivel to survey your surroundings as you go.

Weeks pass and Taeyong tells you the alpha that had tracked you down isn’t a problem anymore. He is vague about the details and the relief you feel makes you not question the vagueness. Johnny looks satisfied when you share the news with him.

Your job gets easier and you start to enjoy it more as you learn the regulars, how to make popular drinks and bond with your coworkers. You make more friends and you start to realize you could actually consider yourself to be… happy, for the first time.

It's a funny thing -- freedom, that is.

As you get ready to head out to the monthly pack meeting, you hear rustling outside of your door. You assume Johnny is headed to the same place you are, and when you open your door, you see him standing there casually.

He’s been coming into the coffee shop more often, and you suppose you could count him among your regulars. He always orders the same thing, and after the third time of asking you to make it, you just start making it by default when you see him walk in.

Your heart always warms when he gives you that dazzling smile as he picks up the drink and gives you the cash.

You aren’t really sure what he does for work, but he sometimes spends hours on his laptop in the cafe. He always takes a table with a view of the door, and occasionally you see him perk up when an unknown newcomer arrives.

He has a comforting presence and it makes you hopeful to find whatever animosity he held for you seems to have melted away. It’s not every day you have a big, strong alpha looking out for you.

Do you have a crush? Maybe. It’s fun to notice someone a little extra each day. Get a little giddy when you make eye contact. Your omega perks up and preens in his presence.

You’ve never even had the chance to have a crush before.It was kind of nice.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Mark knows something’s up. Mark took a liking to you from the start and you quickly became fast friends. Your energy matches well, and you find conversation is never dull with him.

But now he likes to think he knows you pretty well.

When you offhandedly mention Johnny one too many times during lunch, he scoffs.

“So what’s going on with Johnny?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

He waves his arms around at you, “What’s up with seeing him so much? You haven’t mentioned him before.”

“Well he lives across the hall from me,” you reason. “But yeah, I guess we’re friends now.”

You think back to him dropping off a dessert you like, or running into each other at the grocery store and unintentionally trailing after one other through the aisles. You think about how you let him borrow a book, knowing he would faithfully return it a few weeks later.

“When did this happen?” Mark asks.

You know he isn’t being jealous, just curious. Based on your conversations with Johnny, it seems like him and Mark have been close for a long time.

“Remember when that alpha from my former pack came here? Around then,” you say.

You pause but Mark’s raised eyebrow pushes you to continue.

“Johnny scented me… it sorta broke the ice I guess,” you say, hoping your small joke keeps Mark from thinking too much about it.

But this is clearly news to the man.

“He scented you? He never scents anyone!”

A rush of gratification flows through you but you tamper it down. “It wasn’t anything serious, it was just a safety precaution.”

Mark gives you a look, like yeah, okay. “I think he likes you.”

“He does not like me,” you reply. “He’s friendly to everyone, you know how he is!”

“Still… interesting.”

You poke your friend in the shoulder.

“You’re just jealous that I’ve got a new friend.”

“And a new mate if this keeps up,” he replies.

“Mark!”

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

When it’s time for the monthly pack meeting, Johnny lingers in the hallway as you lock up, casually pausing before you both get on the elevator. He asks how your day was and you ask him the same. This has become routine now, unspoken but not unwelcome.

He smells good today, like fresh laundry hanging out in the woods. While you’ve gotten more comfortable in his presence, his stature and status as an alpha seems to truly sink in. It's a basic instinct for an omega to fawn after an alpha. Normal, expected even.

And that’s just the issue isn’t it?

You love being friends with Johnny, from the little conversations to the funny jokes. The soft touches and the coffee shop routine.

But you also find yourself yearning for more.

And sometimes you wonder if he might be yearning too.

As soon as you get to the pack meeting at Taeyong’s place, he shuffles away to sit with his alpha packmates and you go visit with some of the omegas. Most of them are mated to the alphas already, but they welcome you with open arms, despite being a newcomer.

Even while you settle in, and the leaders talk through updates and share important information, your eyes glance around the room. You can’t help the way your eyes drift to Johnny.

Only to find him staring right back at you.

You quickly glance away, feeling your heartbeat race. After a few moments, you look over again, to see him still looking your way. A ghost of a smile graces his lips when you make eye contact.

It only takes a few moments for you to break away under the dominance of his gaze, feeling a flush rise across your cheeks. Was it always this hot in the room?

The other omegas take you with them to dinner and you bask in their presence, enjoying being around them. Your last pack rarely let you interact with other omegas, facilitating your movements until you felt suffocated.

You all end up at the mall afterward, strolling slowly through storefronts as the entire place begins to close. In one of the clothing stores, your group runs into a group of alphas doing the same thing you are.

It's mere seconds before your eyes hone in on Johnny.

His hair is a bit windswept and his face is rosy, like he’s been consuming alcohol. By the look of the rest of the group, he’s likely one of the more sober ones.

You all walk back to your neighborhood as night descends upon your city. You hang back, watching the wild alphas try to make the omegas laugh. It’s amusing, and you can’t help but bask in the comfort you feel among your new packmates.

Johnny gradually starts walking slower, moving from the front of the pack to closer to you, until he’s strolling alongside you. He doesn’t say anything, but his presence is massive, and you find yourself smiling to yourself as you both walk along the sidewalk.

As you cross a street, a bicyclist comes out of nowhere, and Johnny is quick to pull you out of danger. His arm wraps around your torso and holds you close for just a minute longer than necessary, but as he pulls away, you nearly whine out. You don’t want him to go away, you want him closer.

“Close one,” he says, as you both continue walking to catch up with the group.

It's only a few more blocks until the group begins going their separate ways, and Johnny wordlessly guides you to your apartment building.

As you walk up the stoop, you brace yourself to speak. Something in you wants to share a piece of your thoughts with him.

“Thank you, really, for everything,” you tell him as you walk into the lobby of your apartment. The elevator ascends slowly so you speak again. “I know things were rocky in the beginning, but I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me -- and the pack. I don’t even want to think about how I could’ve ended up in my last pack…”

You catch his reflection in the elevator doors as he stiffens, like he doesn’t like thinking about it either.

“I’m glad you’re here now.” His voice rumbles with the words.

The elevator dings and you step out ahead of him, pausing to look back at him. He looks like he might say something else, but he doesn’t.

“I’m really glad we’re friends, Johnny,” you say, trying to convey everything you feel.

It’s a delicate walk you two step along, but you don’t want to overstep. He would say something if he was interested in you, right? He is the alpha afterall.

Johnny makes sure you unlock your door before he steps back to unlock his own. The conversation is over now, you suppose.

You try not to question why your chest burns while you walk into your apartment.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Spring arrives in the city and you feel more and more settled as the world defrosts. Work gets more manageable and you find yourself bonding with the members of the pack and enjoying exploring your new life.

But something is looming.

“Y/N, you need to find someone to spend your heat with,” Mark said in a serious manner. You weren’t sure you had ever heard Mark say anything so seriously before.

You sighed. This wasn’t new information. You knew he was right. You’d received an extra round of suppressants to delay your heat while you got acclimated to the city, but you could only do that so many times before it was dangerous.

Your heat was coming whether you wanted it to or not.

You had gone through a heat alone before and it was no fun. Running a hand over your face, you let out a groan. Why couldn’t you be even a tiny bit compatible with Mark? Spending a heat cycle with a friend was what your old friends used to do. You felt like your body was betraying you.

“Is there anyone in the pack you think you might be compatible with? Even just for a week?” he asked.

Immediately your mind went to dark eyes and fluffy hair and broad shoulders. Overwhelming power mixed with a sense of humor. An alpha who brought you treats and made sure you were alright when you arrived back home every evening.

Mark’s eyes narrowed when your heartbeat increased. He might not be as attuned to your scents through your suppressants but he could still hear the little changes in your pulse.

Your body was betraying you. Betraying your innermost thoughts that you didn’t want to acknowledge. You could barely admit your feelings for Johnny to yourself, let alone anyone else.

Even though Mark clearly knew.

“It’s Johnny, isn’t it?”

Your eyes went wide and in response Mark scoffed.

“Come on, Y/N, we can all see it.”

You nearly shuddered with embarrassment. Did the others talk about you? About how obvious you were?

“I can’t ask him to do that. He already does too much for me,” you reply, shaking your head vehemently. “Sure, he’s nice to me, but he doesn’t— no, he never seems affected by my scent. And anyways, he’s older, I’m sure he knows what he likes. And he’s an alpha, he would approach me if he liked me.”

Your rationalizations sounded stupid as you said them out loud. And Mark clearly wasn’t buying it.

“He likes you, Y/N. Why do you think he was so closed off at first? He was in trouble from the first moment he saw you.”

You look over at your friend, letting the anxiety settle in your stomach. You wanted nothing more than to share a heat with Johnny. Share more than that. You wanted everything. But you loved your friendship with Johnny and it wasn’t something you wanted to lose just because you stupidly asked him to be your alpha for the weekend.

It was all too much. Too many moving pieces. Too much at stake for a stupid heat to ruin.

It all felt so delicate.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

It didn’t matter if you were indecisive though. Your heat was coming and it was coming fast.

You paced up and down the hall, trying to get the courage to knock on his door. Maybe if you did it on impulse, it wouldn’t be so bad when he rejected you. You could brush it off as no big deal when he says no.

But maybe he’d say yes. Maybe it would all be okay and not awkward at all and he would agree to fuck you all weekend, see you through your heat and maybe more— you couldn’t think like that. Just focus on one thing at a time.

You needed to get this heat over with. After so long without having one, it was making you especially irritated. You could feel your body temperature rising already. You were close.

You could always go through it alone. That’s what you’d done in the past. You’d never gone through a heat with someone, but knowing Johnny was across the hall was causing your omega to wail at you. It would be madness to endure it alone with him right there, so close yet so far.

You at least had to ask.

You took a deep breath before knocking.

As soon as you did it, you wanted to run but you heard shuffling on the other side of the door and then Johnny was standing there, looking as delicious as ever.

He was wearing a button up shirt and slacks, his hair tousled in that usual way that looked so effortless but you knew him better now, he styled it like that. It made you want to ruffle your hands through his hair and mess it up for real.

“Johnny, I have to ask you something.”

You’re sure he knows what it is before you say it. You can tell he smells you, and it makes you want to explode from the nerves. Your impending heat isn’t helping anything either. Omegas were not the ones who usually took the first step, and your behavior was grating against your instincts, but you had to do something.

He gives you a questioning glance, rolling up his sleeves haphazardly, seemingly nervous to see you. Why is he nervous?

Johnny glances behind him and you follow his gaze to his kitchen table, where a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates sits. You look back at him and see his dress shirt, his soft and freshly washed hair, and as much as it all sends a rush through you to see him like this, it also washes away all of your hope.

You should’ve known. Of course he already has an omega for the season. He’s probably been wining and dining her for weeks before her heat. Buying her flowers, chocolates, dressing up for her. Your heart hurts at the thought. How could you be so stupid? He carried in your groceries and came to your coffee shop because he was nice. Why did you let Mark convince you otherwise?

You needed to retreat. Your omega was in distress and you needed to leave before this got any worse. You felt lightheaded from the complete turn, but it was fine, it was going to be okay, you’d done this before alone, you could do it again.

“I’m sorry, I’m bothering you, I should go—” you say, backing up.

“No!” Johnny exclaims, reaching out to halt your retreat. “I’m not busy, ask me.”

His eyebrows are knit with concern but you’re already shaking your head.

“No, it’s okay, you’re clearly busy—”

“Omega,” he says, cutting you off. There’s a hint of an alpha command in there, and you think to yourself, oh, that’s what it feels like.

Johnny looks almost sheepish, like he wasn’t intending to use that tone. He lets out a breath before beckoning you to come closer.

“I think I know what you came to ask me,” he says, and you feel as if you might die of embarrassment. Here it comes, the rejection, the ruination of your friendship with this perfect alpha across the hall.

You open your mouth to apologize when he speaks again.

“Let me help you.”

You can’t help but be stunned into silence. What?

“Your heat,” he says, a tone of determination laced into his voice as he stands at the threshold of his apartment with you.

“I know you’re close,” he says and your insides feel on fire as he speaks. He takes a deep inhale to prove his point. “I know you came over to ask me to see you through your heat. My answer is yes. So let me take care of you.”

Your cheeks are on fire at this point. “But what about—” you gesture to the items on the table.

He lets out a sheepish laugh, running his hand through his hair. “It’s for you. I know we’ve been dancing around each other, so I just, I was trying to be romantic.”

“Oh,” you gulp.

He smiles down at you. “You just caught me off guard.”

You attempt a smile but your brain is fried, and you’re sure there’s a line of sweat down your back at this point. Not only is your heat approaching, but you’re feeling overwhelmed by the alpha in front of you.

Who is all dressed up, being all romantic, for you.

You let out a shaky breath, and Johnny inhales deeply as you do. You know he can tell your scent is getting stronger.

“Fuck, you’re close,” he says. “I was hoping to take you to dinner but I don’t think we’ll make it before…”

“Before?”

He grabs you by the waist, pulling you into him. You feel every ridge of his toned body, his warm hands, his eyes pouring into you.

“Before I fuck you senseless for three days straight.”

He doesn’t give you a chance to respond before kissing you. It’s forceful, like he’s trying to put all of his bottled emotions into the kiss, biting your lip and letting your tongue dance with his.

But it’s also soft somehow, just like how you’d expect him to kiss. It’s dominant yet careful, assertive yet gentle. You clutch his shirt as he continues kissing you, and you don’t even think of how many wrinkles you’re causing until he abruptly pulls away.

“But that’s okay,” he continues the conversation like he didn’t just kiss you within an inch of your life. What were you talking about? “Dinner can wait. I’ll take you out next week, alright? I promise. We’ll do things out of order, but it’s okay.”

You can’t help but giggle at his determination to do things romantically.

He presses a kiss to your cheek, lingering there to trail kisses down your jaw to your scent gland below your ear. You both shudder at the sensation, his mouth spreading shivers down your spine as he sucks a mark into your gland. You know your scent is spiking even more.

You push him back gently before you come right there in the hallway. He lets out a grunt of frustration but collects himself, knowing this isn’t the place to be doing this.

“Your apartment or mine?” he asks, running his hands up and down your arms softly.

You think about your room and how content you are with your new home. You’ve been unintentionally nesting for weeks at this point, making everything ready for your impending heat.

Typically an omega’s home is sacred, something only a few select people are allowed to see. When Johnny would bring in your groceries, he was always cautious, always asking permission to enter and being careful not to touch or move anything.

But now you want him there. Want his scent to linger and for your home to be filled with him. For the next few days and forever.

“Mine,” you reply, offering an affirming nod.

He tells you to go back to your apartment and get comfy. He’ll be over in a few minutes after he grabs some clothes and items for the weekend.

You pace around your apartment, with half a mind to just take off all your clothes before he gets there. But no, you can’t very well open your door naked. So instead, you tidy up your already clean apartment, moving things just right so that everything looks perfect.

Perfect for alpha.

Never before have your nesting instincts felt like they would be under such intimate scrutiny.

A knock on your door brought you out of your reverie. You opened it to find Johnny looming in the doorway, a tote bag in his hand and a dark look in his eyes.

“Do you want this? Make sure you want this,” he says, not moving to enter your home just yet. Asking for permission.

“I’ve been thinking about this for weeks at this point,” you say. “I’ve been thinking about you, alpha.”

His chest puffs with satisfaction at your words, but he still doesn’t move.

“I need a verbal confirmation, omega. Because if I come inside, I’m not leaving until your heat is over.”

Your entire body tingles at the thought. You appreciate his need for consent but your body continues to burn hotter and hotter, leaving you itching to get closer to him.

“Johnny, I want you to fuck me through this heat,” you say, opening your door wider, nearly pleading him to come inside.

He takes one step inside your apartment, setting the tote bag down on the ground near your entryway. You see some food and clothes inside along with the flower bouquet; your heart squeezes at the thought.

“And after that?”

His question catches you off guard. You can barely think about the next five minutes, let alone the next five days.

“After?” You squeeze your legs together.

He cracks a small smile, almost like he forgot you were about to lose all normal sense once your heat started in earnest.

“After your heat,” he said. “This isn’t just a one time thing for me, I feel like I’ve made that clear. We can talk after I just… if we do this, I’m all in.”

You grab his collar and press a firm kiss to his lips. Your heat is nearly upon you, but you hope the kiss conveys everything you feel for this man standing in front of you. It’s too much for words to express. You pull away and gesture to the tote bag.

“Oh, just some things so we don’t starve. Some clothes for me later,” he says. “I’m not leaving this apartment until your heat is over.”

You nod eagerly at his words and the serious way he reiterates that statement. Johnny looks around the space, and you watch his face carefully to see his reactions. You hope it’s enough for him, you hope you’re enough for him.

But his eyes are back on you, looking up and down from head to toe. You’re the only thing he’s focused on.

“Are you getting hot yet? Feverish?” he asks.

You gulp, noticing the way his voice seems to have dropped an octave. You roll up your sleeves, and realize that yes, the back of your neck is coated with sweat and your clothes need to come off. Soon.

Johnny thinks so, too.

“Take off your sweater.” The words are barely out of his mouth before you are doing what he says, thankful to be rid of the itchy fabric. You stand in front of him with just a camisole on. “Good girl.”

Your omega hindbrain preens at the praise, but you take a step back, feeling overwhelmed.

Johnny stalks toward you, and you look up at him like prey watching a predator. Your backside hits the back of your couch, making you jump.

“Are you sure you want this? You’re keeping your distance,” he asks.

You grip the edge of the couch to ground yourself.

“I guess I’m just a little scared.” you admit.

Johnny cocks his head. “Of me?”

You shake your head quickly. “No, just… this. I’ve never felt like this during my heat before, and it’s not even truly started yet.”

His smile is sly as he finally steps into your personal space, and suddenly all you can process is his large body in front of you.

“Do you trust me?” he asks.

“Of course.” There’s no hesitation.

He softly grabs your wrists, pressing his fingers over your scent glands. You let out a whimper from how sensitive you are. His touch is sending shocks through your nervous system and even though he’s barely touched you, you feel your panties dampen.

“Remember when I scented you?” Johnny asks.

You nod, unable to form words as he gently rubs the pads of his fingertips across the sensitive skin of your wrists.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about those little sounds you made,” he admits. “Wondered if I would ever get to hear them again.”

Before you can formulate a response, he brings one of your wrists up to his mouth, licking a long stripe across the gland. Quickly, he trades out to do the same to the other wrist.

You feel your eyes grow heavy as he presses kisses to your palms. He’s going slow, you realize, very slow. Warming you up, getting you comfortable with him. You haven’t been skittish around him in a while, but this is new territory.

Unfortunately, the slow pace is not what you want right now, no matter how much you appreciate it.

“Johnny, can you just…” you trail off as he presses a long kiss to your wrist.

“Hm? What’s that? Tell me what you want.”

You flush thinking of everything you want. His lips, his body, his cock, his knot, his everything. Your insides clench at the thought of his powerful man standing in front of you, offering himself up to you on a silver platter.

“You gotta tell me what you want, baby, how can I help if I don’t know what you want?” he teases, moving to press a kiss to your cheek, your jaw, your neck.

You breathe him in, feeling lost in all the sensations. He’s been doing all the touching, so you place your hands on his hips, moving them slightly. Then you decide to be bold and palm his dick through his jeans. He’s big. You let out a shaky breath, thinking of everything that is about to transpire.

“Just, just keep going? A little faster maybe,” you tell him.

“Oh? Not going fast enough?”

He spins you around so your back is against his chest. He brushes your hair out of the way, sucking a hickey into the sensitive skin around your glands at the base of your neck. You let out a moan at the sensation, at the suddenness.

His hands slowly roam across your torso, squeezing your breasts through your thin shirt. They are so sensitive, and you can feel a layer of sweat begin to coat your skin as your heat sets in more fully. Soon, you fear you won’t have any more coherent thoughts. Just Johnny and only Johnny.

His hands slide lower, lower, unbuttoning your jeans so smoothly, you barely notice it until they are already undone. He cups your core so firmly, your knees nearly buckle at the closeness of him.

“This what you want?”

“Mhm,” you mumble, reaching up to card your fingers through his hair, bringing his lips to yours.

You’re squirming against him at this point, feeling flush and sweaty but the most turned on you’ve ever been, rubbing yourself against his palm and fingers to get more friction.

His tongue mingles with yours while you both rock your hips against each other. It's a slow kind of pleasure building, like the calm before the storm.

Johnny trails kisses across your face, planting one last lingering kiss before pausing, drawing his face away from yours.

You open your eyes— you didn’t realize they’d closed. Staring into his dark eyes brings you a bit of clarity, brings you back to reality. You’re currently pressed against the back of your couch, locked in his embrace, still presently rutting your hips against his hand.

You let out a shaky breath, as you rock your hips against his hand, enjoying the steady pleasure emanating from him.

“Feeling okay?” he says, his voice raspy.

You gulp, feeling his fingers slide into your panties fully, his thumb massaging around your clit, not exactly pressing into it, but teasing.

“Yeah.” Your voice is raspy, too.

He nods, petting through your hair with his hand not currently occupied in your panties.

“Scenting should help the fever, calm your system,” he presses a kiss to your forehead, just as he directly rubs against your clit in the most perfect way. “You’re safe now, omega, I’m here.”

The words burn your core almost as much as his fingers. What a gentle, soft thing to say while he teases your lower regions. You’re calm now but the fire is building exponentially.

You left out a shaky cry, of pure emotion, of frustration and horniness. You just want to come just once.

You grab Johnny’s wrist and push the flat of his palm against your core, rubbing yourself against him, trying to find the right pressure. You pant as you rub yourself against his hand.

“I’m close, alpha.”

Johnny full on groans at the word, squeezing against you tighter, brushes his fingertips across a nipple that's now rock hard. Just as you’re finally starting to reach your peak, you feel him against your backside, hard and big, rutting against you himself.

His breath is heavy in your ear, panting for you.

“Take what you need, baby, I’m right here, I’m here for you,” he says.

Those words are like music to your ears, as you finally reach climax, slouching across the couch as your legs turn to jelly. If Johnny wasn’t holding on to you, you’re sure you would’ve fallen over.

You pant for breath, overwhelmed and overstimulated as Johnny keeps rocking into you, dry humping you like teenagers.

The orgasm leaves your heat sated for the moment, but you know you don’t have long before the fever builds again. And this was going to last all weekend?

Once you’re safely standing, or at least leaning into the couch, Johnny unzips his jeans and furiously strokes himself, focusing on himself for a second while still keeping you close.

He nearly shouts as he comes, the sound leaving you shuddering.

He picks you up after a few moments, carrying you to your bedroom. As you peel off your jeans and slide under the covers, you realize he’s slowly easing you both into this. Giving you what you both need without overwhelming you as your heat arrives.

“See if you can sleep a little before your heat sets in fully,” he says, brushing your hair away from your face and stepping away.

Panic slices through you. Where is he going?

He gives you a soft smile when he sees your reaction. “I’m just going to change my pants. I didn’t expect to ruin my shorts like a teenager.”

You let out a sigh of relief and giggle a little at his words.

“I’ll be back in a minute okay? Try to sleep,” he says again. “I have a feeling we won’t be getting much sleep this weekend.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He presses his lips into a firm line, standing over you. “Because the next time I come, it won’t be in my hand.”

Your core clenches, thinking about the image and you feel a rush of heat flow through you.

Johnny goes to close the door behind him, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I promise.”

You nod, feeling yourself calm down. You trust him. This is Johnny and you trust him.

You settle into your sheets and close your eyes, willing yourself to sleep for a little bit. The orgasm did make you tired.

And you have a feeling you’re in for a full weekend ahead.

��‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

You wake up to heat. Feeling hot everywhere. You’re burning from the inside out.

You kick off your sheets and try to sit up, but an arm across your stomach traps you in place. You whine at Johnny as you jostle him, trying to wake him up.

He turns over, freeing you only to have you climb over top of him, straddling his hips. He lost his shirt in the middle of the night, and you’re at the point where you have no shame as you lick a strip across his clavicle, grinding down on his dick that’s already standing at attention.

“Johnny, I need you,” you say, mouthing at his neck.

He clears his throat, blinking sleep out of his eyes as your hands roam across his chest, memorizing every inch of this tantalizing alpha.

“I can tell, princess,” he replies, squeezing your hips as you grind against him.

“I need more,” you whine. “I need everything, I need—”

He grasps ahold of you enough to get you to pause your hips, forcing you to focus on his face. His eyes are dark. He’s fully awake now.

“What exactly do you need?” he asks, rubbing his thumbs across your hip bones.

“I need your knot,” you say, surprised by how raw your voice sounds.

“Yeah you do, baby girl.”

Before you can even think of a response, he flips you over, hovering over you like a predator. He immediately leans in, devouring your mouth in a hungry kiss. You loop your legs around him, trying to get more friction. You’re burning up from the inside, wondering if you’ll ever feel normal again.

His hand dips between your thighs and his fingers circle your clit. Electricity and pleasure course through your veins, the sensation leaving you squirming underneath him. Your core aches, desperately needing more.

His finger dips into you, slowly pumping it in and out and collecting your arousal against his fingers. It’s not long until another finger slides into your soaking cunt with ease. Pumping his digits frantically, the palm of his hand meets your clit over and over again. The nerves in your body burn as you’re feigning for more.

Desperation entwines with your moans and he senses your need, causing his fingers to move at a brutal pace and helping you chase ecstasy. You come suddenly, the overwhelming feeling takes your breath away, leaving you panting. You’re so wet, you fear the stain your sheets will see after this.

As you try to catch your breath, you stare up at him, watching his eyes watch you. He doesn't move, and it leaves you a bit confused because 1. he said he was going to knot you, and 2. this orgasm didn’t provide nearly as much relief as earlier.

You need more.

Johnny knows it too.

“No worries, omega, I’ll give you my knot,” he says, and it sends shivers down your spine. “I just need to make sure you can take me.”

You furrow your eyebrows as he slinks under the covers, and in a sudden movement, he leaves you bare when he rips your underwear off.

“You won't be needing these this weekend…”

You don’t even have time to formulate a response before he flattens his tongue and licks a long stripe up your core, causing you to cry out from pleasure.

If you thought you were wet before, it’s nothing compared to now. You feel feverish as he goes down on you like you’re the first meal he’s had after a month of starving. His tongue laps over your folds before the tip of his tongue flicks against your sensitive clit. He laps up your juices, tasting you and everything you have to offer him. He skillfully sucks on your ball of nerves and the coil in your abdomen tightens.

Your fingers grip the sheets, before you move to grab at his hair, trying to find something to hold onto as his tongue draws shapes across your clit.

He groans when you tug at his locks and you feel the vibration in your core, making you groan in return.

It’s hard to believe this was the same man who held the elevator for you and bought flowers to ask you out. Right now, he seems like he wants to devour you.

His fingers rejoin his tongue and the feeling is too much, it’s all too much.

Everywhere is hot and there’s too much sensation.

“You gonna come on my fingers again?” he asks, peering up at you.

As you stare down at his face, his mouth slick with your wetness, you’re overcome with emotion for this man, this alpha, and how much he’s doting on you. It seems as if your pleasure brings him pleasure and just the thought brings you nearly to the edge.

“I’m close,” you reply.

“Come one more time, baby, then I’ll give you my knot,” he says, peering into your eyes. “I know how bad you need it.”

You whine as he buries his face between your thighs and it's just a few more moments before you’re reaching your high.

You feel worn out by the quick succession of orgasms but somehow still unsatisfied. You grab at Johnny’s shirt, pulling him back up to your level. He rests his head on the pillow next to you, gazing fondly as you come back to yourself.

You can’t help but crawl into his arms, clinging to his frame even though you’re still so hot and feverish. The emptiness in your core causes you to cramp, clenching around nothing.

“It hurts, alpha,” you cry out, finding yourself mindlessly rutting against his thigh, trying anything to cool the ache buried into your nervous system.

“Ready for me to fuck you?”

You press kisses into his skin, sucking a mark into his neck just below his jaw. Coaxing him to give you what you want. What you need.

“Yes please,” you sigh in relief as he disentangles himself from you to slide off his shorts.

His cock springs out, full and hard, and your mouth waters a little bit from just the sight of it.

He chuckles as he settles you into the pillows. Despite the desperate need hitting you hard, he refuses to speed too quickly through this, taking his time to make sure you are as comfortable as possible as he positions himself over you.

“Ready, omega?” he asks, nudging at your entrance with the tip. “Look at me.”

You obey immediately, looking into his eyes as he suddenly thrusts into you, not fully, but enough to take your breath away. You’re so wet, there’s no issue as he slowly inches himself in further.

The both of you let out a throaty groan as he bottoms out in you, stretching you out perfectly.

He stays still for a moment, letting you get adjusted to the feeling, as you move your legs to better accommodate him, letting him settle that much deeper inside you.

Despite the momentary stillness, you can feel him practically vibrating with want, raring to go. You open your eyes -- you hadn’t realized you’d closed them, feeling so full and content in the moment.

“I’m good, you can move now,” you say, hoping you don’t sound too desperate for him to fuck you fully.

He chuckles at your bluntness, but obeys your words, slowly rocking his hips against yours, gradually picking up the pace.

As he sets a steady, ruthless rhythm, you’re unable to stop all the little sounds leaving your mouth, your eyes rolling to the back of your head from the feeling. Johnny seems to revel in it, nodding along to your moans and egging you on.

“Come on, baby, tell me how you like it,” he says, rutting into you.

You tighten your legs around his torso and reach up to loop your arms around his neck, playing with the short strands of hair near the nape of his neck as he thrusts. You want him as close as possible, despite the heat consuming you.

“Feels good, John,” you mumble out, not sure if you can say anything more coherent.

“Yeah,” he lets out a breathless agreement, pressing his lips to yours in a sloppy kiss. “Even better than I dreamed.”

Despite all the sensations running through your body, the words stick to your skin like sweat. Had he thought of this as much as you had?

“Feel so full,” you say, unable to think of anything else.

“Gonna feel even fuller…”

The thought of his knot is nearly enough to climax again, and you run your fingers across your clit to get extra stimulation at he keeps fucking you. You get quiet as you focus, but it’s only a few more moments before you come, the sensation washing over you in a burst of ecstasy.

Johnny follows soon after, the way your pussy clenches enough to bring him to release. His knot swells, locking him inside of you as he collapses on top of you.

The weight of him feels good in your exhausted state, but quickly becomes too much as you feel yourself adjusting to his knot, sated from your heat fully, at least temporarily. You nudge him to move, so he transitions to his side, hugging you close to his body.

“How do you fit me so perfectly, omega? Beyond my wildest dreams,” he murmurs into your hair.

The quiet air around you leaves room for confession, and you find yourself speaking as well, despite the tiredness consuming you. You feel warm in a way that has nothing to do with your temporarily sated heat. It’s just him.

“I didn’t even think you liked me at first,” you tell him, drawing shapes across his chest.

“I’m sorry I made you think that,” he says earnestly. There’s a pause before he speaks again. “I was thrown off. I was a goner the first moment I saw you.”

You think back to the day you pleaded for sanctuary in this new pack. A little omega, face to face with an entire lineup of alphas, determining your future. It was just four of them, pack leadership, but the tall alpha on the end wouldn’t stop staring at you. It made you freak out, back then, especially when you realized he was the one emitting the delicious smelling pheromones. Little did you know, he was taken aback by you too.

You clutch even tighter to this big alpha surrounding you, inside you, consuming your entire body, physically, mentally and emotionally. It was everything you had dreamed it would be.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

You wake up dozing a little while later. You can’t tell how much time has passed, but it can’t have been long as you feel Johnny still buried deep inside of you.

“Feeling better?”

Johnny’s voice brings you to full awakeness, and you realize that yes, your heat is sated for the moment, your omega satisfied with the feeling of this alpha’s knot keeping you full and warm.

You nuzzle your head into his neck, breathing in his heady scent. The room is full of pheromones that leave you in a lusty haze.

“Once my knot goes down, we can eat something, that sound good?” he asks, threading his fingers through your hair. You made a sound of affirmation, but no words came out. “Keep resting, I’m clearly not going anywhere.”

His chuckle reverberates through him and into you. His presence leaves you vibrating with pleasure, but as you shuffle your legs a bit to get comfy again, you find it's hard laying side by side while he’s still buried inside you.

“Can I be back on top?”

He pulls back a bit to look at you, as much as he can while you two are locked together at the hips.

“Yeah…” he picks you up and lays you on his chest, a sly smirk settling on his lips. “Does my baby like laying on me?”

You revel in Johnny calling you his, your omega bursting with emotion at the words.

“Mhm,” you rest your head next to his heart, finding his heartbeat a steady rhythm that could lull you back to sleep. “You’re comfy.”

He settles in and wraps his arms snuggly around you, keeping you stationary. As if his cock deep in your cunt wasn’t enough to keep you close to him.

You could get used to this.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

The rest of the weekend goes the same, from scenting bouts to lots and lots of sex. It doesn’t take long for you to feel like Johnny’s meant to be here. In your home and in your life.

He makes sure you both shower and bathe, makes sure you eat some food and drink some water before your heat flares up each time. He takes care of you in a way that doesn’t feel restrictive, it feels like love.

Could that be what this is?

By the end of Sunday evening, you both are eating some cereal after a vigorous afternoon of fucking on the floor of the kitchen. You’d initially come into the room to eat lunch, but seeing Johnny fit so perfectly into your home had you climbing him like a tree before you could even get the cereal boxes out.

Despite the whirlwind, you can tell your heat is beginning to subside. A part of you will miss this simple lifestyle-- down to the basics and solely focused on each other.

By the time you both are settled into bed once again, his knot deep in you, you know your heat is over. You’ll wake up feeling sticky with sweat and aching with exhaustion, but you won’t feel the unbearable need to fuck him like you did this weekend.

But what comes next? Friday feels like a world away, when Johnny said he was all in. After the last 72 hours, will he still feel the same?

You burrough your face into his neck, taking a deep whiff of his scent, trying to memorize it and hold onto it forever. If this is the last of it, you want to take it with you always.

“Is this the last of it, do you think?”

Johnny’s voice brings you out of your reverie. You sit up, still straddling him with his cock buried inside of you, pulsing and all consuming.

“Yeah, it feels like it,” you tell him, reaching a hand up to move his hair out of his eyes, tracing the lines of his eyebrows, his nose, his lips. Memorizing everything.

He melted into your touch, a soft smile gracing his lips.

“Once we separate, I’ll help you change your sheets, clean up the bathroom. Do you want me to go after that?”

Did he want to go after that? You’d never done this before. The thought of him leaving you all alone for the rest of the night felt isolating. Your omega couldn’t handle that just yet.

So you decided to be brave.

“Could you, maybe, could you stay?” you asked, looking at the headboard above him instead of making eye contact.

When you finally looked back at him, he had a serious expression on his face, his eyebrows knit together. “Of course. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me out of your hair or not. I’ve never really gotten this far.”

Your omega was awash with satisfaction to hear he’d never seen anyone else through heat.

“I might be clingy for a few days…” you said.

“That’s okay,” he replied. “Cling away.”

He squeezed your hips in reassurance.

“I meant what I said,” Johnny says. “I’m all in. I’ll take you to dinner this week, we can keep this going. However you want me, I’ll be there. Maybe one day I’ll even mate you.”

You pressed your lips to his, unsure of what to say to his outpouring of emotion. How was he so perfect? It felt like he was everything you had ever dreamed of, everything you had told yourself wasn’t possible for you.

“I like the sound of that,” you replied.

fin.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

HAHAHA GUYS WTF IS THIS. *runs and hides*

um so hi… we are so back... lol i've read omegaverse for a few years now and always wanted to try my hand at it…. 11k words later…. LOL this is definitely inspired by every other a/b/o fic i've read in the past and i fr wouldn't be here without them. shoutout clicking on a random fic on ao3 in the middle of utah in 2018!! haha

special thx to @sehunniepotwrites for putting up with my endless ideas even tho she was like girl wtf are u doing…. and @aquarius-johnny who'd never before seen a/b/o before i explained it to her and immediately hopped on the train and genuinely made the spicy scenes sm better. LOL love y'all<3

if u liked this pls comment, pls reblog, pls send me asks, i'd love to know what u think of this craziness…

and if i told you i also have a haechan omegaverse fic almost done…… tee hee

#johnny x reader #johnny suh x reader #nct omegaverse #alpha johnny #johnny suh x you #johnny x you #nct x reader #werewolf au #a/b/o dynamics #omegaverse #nct fanfiction #my writings #johnny

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