#and the fact that she thought it was stupid

[f1lovr]

SILLY SUPERSTITIONS | LN4

pairing: lando norris x fem!reader

summary: the one where she doesn't believe in superstitions or otherwise known as he can't get into the car without his pre-race kiss

warnings: none!

Y/N didn't believe in superstitions, rather she thought they were stupid, lando on the other hand, he was a firm believer.

it had started as a joke between you both.

"kiss in exchange for a podium?" you had told him in a teasing manner, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before the race.

"guess we'll figure that out soon enough," he had said in response, a smirk dawning his face as you could feel the confidence coming from him.

he finished in second that race, he had insisted it was your kiss and from there he refused to get into the car until he got a kiss from you, saying he wouldn't do well or he couldn't drive without it, as if it would make him a better driver.

that led to here, minutes away from lando having to get into the car, you nowhere in sight.

the mechanics and engineers were rushing around him, last minute checks on the car, making sure everything was good before the race. the cheer of the fans from the stands as they wait for the impending race.

but lando couldn't focus, not on the race ahead of him, not even on the sounds around him, because you weren't there and he needed you to be because he hadn't gotten his kiss yet.

lando's leg was bouncing up and down nervously as his head scanned the surrounding area looking for any sign of you. his mind being consumed with thoughts about where you could be, about the fact that he might have to go into today's race without you, without his good luck kiss.

his mutters to himself broke his silence, "where is she?"

jon, his trainer, who was next to him turned and looked at him with furrowed brows as he heard the muttering coming from the driver, "who?"

lando's head turned to jon, a look being shot at his trainer as if his answer was obvious, "Y/N, i need her here but i don't know where she is."

jon smirked at lando's answer, "ah, so you mean you need your lucky charm?"

lando didn't deny jon's comment, his eyes only rolling in response, "she should be here by now, she's never this late," he mutters nervously.

jon's eyes fall to the watch at his wrist checking the time, "you've got three minutes mate."

he had three minutes. three minutes to somehow find you in the chaos that is the race or he'd have to go get in the car and race without the one thing that kept him from botching it turn one.

he was about to get up and leave when his ears perked up at a voice, not just a voice, but your voice.

"looking for me pretty boy?"

he could have gotten whiplash with how fast he had turned his head, watching as you walk up to, nothing but a casual nature in your step as if you didn't know the chaos you had caused with your absence.

"baby where the hell have you been?" he all but demanded.

"easy tiger, i got stuck, security guards and journalists kept harping on me. all of them acting like i was infiltrating the FIA instead of just trying to get to my boyfriend," you giggle with a grin, his reaction to your disappearance amusing.

lando didn't care, he could care less about why you weren't here actually, it was all just excuses to him. but you were here now and that was all that mattered to him as his hand grabbed your wrist pulling you close to him, the glances that were being thrown his way being ignored.

"i almost had to go into the race without you," he mutters, a tone so low that only you were able to pick it up.

"you wouldn't have let that happen," your hands coming to his shoulders as you smirk.

lando huffed as his lips twitched, the smile he was trying to hold back failing to stay hidden, "you have never been more right about something love."

next thing you know he was pulling you into a kiss, the kiss being soft and gentle but still firm. he didn't rush his kiss, taking the reassurance it provided as he let himself calm down from the storm of not having you.

he pulled away with a grin on his face, "now i won't crash turn one," he said with a chuckle.

your head shook as you laughed, "whatever makes you sleep at night pretty boy," you giggle out.

your moment was broken by the call of lando's engineer, letting lando know it was time to get in the car.

you watched as he let go of your hand with a sigh after giving it one last parting squeeze, reluctantly stepping back from you as he moved to climb into his car.

you were leaned against the garage watching as he settled. you could tell he was focused, he was ready, and you would never let him live it down if he got on the podium, reminding him over and over that it was your kiss that got him there.

did you actually believe that? no, definitely not, but if it meant more pre-race kisses and it helped him, then you'd remind him over and over.

[thoughtfulfiction]

While We’re Young

Author’s note: Anon requested, Hope you all enjoy!

“Wait,” you said, your voice breaking the comfortable silence in the car. You twisted one of your hoodie strings around your finger, tightening your grip on it and staring at Justin as if the realization had just crashed into you. “What if they don’t like me?”

Justin glanced over, his brows furrowing before his expression softened. His hand found its place on your thigh, his thumb tracing a lazy pattern through the fabric of your leggings. You were convinced that his soothing touch could change lives. “They’re going to love you,” he said simply, as though it wasn’t even a question. “My mom’s already planning to interrogate you about your favorite foods so she can cook for you. That’s her love language.”

You wanted to believe him, but your mind was already racing. “I mean, what if they think I’m not good enough for you? Or—oh god—what if I say something stupid and embarrass myself? Bad first impressions are impossible to recover from, and if this doesn't go the way we hope…” You trailed off, feeling the knot in your stomach tighten.

At the next stoplight, Justin leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to your temple. “First of all, you couldn’t embarrass yourself even if you tried. And second, I’ve seen you charm complete strangers. My family doesn’t stand a chance.”

Despite his confidence, your nerves didn’t fully settle. “Thanks, babe,” you murmured, managing a small smile. “But what am I supposed to do with the next thirteen hours? That’s so much time for me to go through worse case scenarios.”

“And to make me listen to your Sad Girl playlist,” Justin switched gears to remind you, his lips twitching into a grin.

“Oh, absolutely.” You laughed, connecting your phone to his car’s Bluetooth, taking a break from your negative self-talk. The opening chords of your favorite melancholic ballad filled the car as you leaned back in your seat.

Justin groaned dramatically but didn’t complain. Instead, he reached over to squeeze your hand, the warmth of his skin a quiet and comforting reassurance that you’d carry with you all the way to Eugene.

The fact that he was bringing you was a big deal already but to know that he’d only really done this a couple times made you feel special. Even if he didn’t really say it, he was falling for you just as much as you were falling for him.

Justin pulled you out of your thoughts when he asked, “are you hungry at all? Because I’m thinking about stopping somewhere. I’m starving.”

“Oh yeah, lunch sounds good. I think I saw a Wingstop sign towards this next exit but I can look it up.”

You opted to sit in the car and eat, giving him a long winded breakdown of what you wanted to do and see in Eugene.

“I want the works. Walk me down memory lane. And definitely take me to Nike. It honestly feels illegal not to go to a Nike store where it all started. I’m sure you’re looking to add to your endless collection anyway.” You note with a laugh. If Nike made suits, he'd definitely be first in line.

He gave you a pointed look. “It was an endless collection until I met and started dating a thief. Do you know how many of my sweatshirts I found in your closet this morning while helping you pack? I was looking for the purple one for weeks.”

You laughed so hard you nearly choked on your fries, swapping spots with him after lunch so he could take a break from driving. “Well I’m sorry! It’s not my fault your clothes are so big and they smell like you. Anytime you’re gone I just throw one on and it’s like you’re always with me.”

“Nice save…Catwoman.”

You scoff. “I prefer Robin Hood, actually. Take from the rich and give to the poor. You’re rich, so I take from you and...give to me. The poor.”

“That would work better if I didn’t get most of that stuff for free, but that is a pretty solid comparison.”

After about 8 hours of you being on aux, you decided to cut him so slack and let him take over on music as you continued to drive, mouthing the lyrics of the latest song that was playing from his phone, quickly getting lost in the rhythm.

He glanced over at you, chuckling softly, nodding his head along to the beat. “I didn’t know you were an 80s rock fan.”

“I didn’t either but you played this a few weeks ago while we were making dinner and I’ve been listening to it ever since. Hate to admit it but this is kind of a banger." You smirked, tilting your head toward him. "You know…I won’t tell anyone if you sing.”

Justin immediately starts shaking his head. “No shot. You’re not doing this to me.”

You turned up the music, singing loudly and deliberately off-key as he sighed deeply, his head dropping back against the headrest. But to your surprise, he joined in during the chorus. Both of you were screaming the lyrics to “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard, the car practically vibrating with your energy.

“What happens on the road trip stays on the road trip,” he said, holding out his pinky.

“Deal,” you laughed, locking your pinky with his before refocusing on the road.

A few hours later, Justin motioned for you to take the next exit. “Let’s hop out right here. I want to show you something,” he said cryptically.

The stop turned out to be a scenic lookout, the perfect place to watch the sunset with Mt. Shasta looming majestically in the distance. Justin laced his fingers with yours as the two of you walked toward the edge, stretching your legs after hours in the car.

“This is the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen,” you whispered, mesmerized by the golden and pink hues painting the sky.

Justin turned to you with a warm smile, his eyes full of something that made your stomach flutter. “Yeah… me too.”

You smacked his arm, keeping your gaze on the horizon. “Justin, focus. You’re not even looking at the scenery right now.”

“Sorry, I just got really distracted by the view in front of me. It’s kind of become my favorite.” He stepped behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on the top of your head. His beard—something that came and went whenever he felt like it—tickled your temple, making you smile.

Turning around in his arms, you finally look up at him, the sight still stealing your breath even after all this time. His green eyes were softer in the glow of the setting sun, flickering between your eyes and lips as if he couldn’t decide where to focus.

“You’re my favorite view too,” you murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “Wouldn’t mind waking up to you for a while...the rest of my life even.”

The words hung in the air, fragile yet heavy with meaning. His brows lifted slightly, and for a moment, you worried you’d said too much. You hadn't even meant to say that last part out loud and you almost backtracked. But then, his lips curled into a small, hesitant smile, like he was processing the weight of your words.

“Really?” he asked, his voice low and steady. His hand came up to cradle your face, his thumb brushing gently against your cheek. “You—you see us doing this? Getting married, spending our lives together?”

The vulnerability in his tone made your heart ache in the best way. “Yeah, I do. Which is funny because I’ve never actually been with someone that I see a real future with.”

Justin didn’t respond immediately, but his actions spoke louder than any words ever could. His hands slid to frame your face fully, his thumbs brushing over your cheekbones as if memorizing every detail. He leaned in slowly, giving you time to pull away if you wanted to—but you didn’t.

When his lips finally met yours, it was soft and deliberate, like he was pouring everything he felt but couldn’t say into that one kiss. It wasn’t hurried or frantic; it was the kind of kiss that made the world fade away until it was just the two of you.

His hand gently cradled your head, holding you in place as if he was afraid you might slip away. You gripped the front of his hoodie, pulling him closer, your heart racing as the kiss deepened. There was something so raw, so unspoken in the way his lips moved against yours—it wasn’t just passion; it was promise. Everything you saw, this bright beautiful future together? He saw it too.

When you finally broke apart, both of you were breathless, foreheads resting together. He let out a shaky laugh, his hands still cradling your face. “I’ve never actually been with someone that I see a real future with either,” he admitted, his voice hoarse but filled with a quiet certainty. “Until now.”

The kiss lingered for just a moment longer, both of you savoring the connection, the sound of your heartbeat matching the rhythm of your breath. When Justin finally pulled back, there was a brief moment of silence, a quiet understanding between you. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, giving you a small smile before pulling away completely to open the door of the car.

“I think we’ve stalled long enough,” he said, his voice a bit rougher than usual but still carrying that calm confidence you admired. “Let’s get this over with.”

You both shared a laugh, though it felt a bit nervous on your part as the reality of the day hit. You had no idea what to expect, but you knew this was a big moment for Justin—and for you.

Justin took the keys from your hand, giving you one last reassuring squeeze before getting in the driver's seat. You took a deep breath, trying to shake off the jittery nerves you hadn’t even realized you were holding onto.

The final leg of the drive felt like it stretched on forever, even though only a few hours had passed since you were on the mountain. There was something different in the air now. The soft, quiet hum of the road felt more like a countdown to something important.

Every few minutes, Justin would glance over at you, a soft smile curling at his lips as if trying to reassure himself just as much as you. His hand eventually found itself encasing yours, his thumb making lazy circles over your skin. He wasn’t saying much, but his presence, calm and unwavering, was more than enough.

When the exit for Eugene finally appeared, you felt your pulse quicken. This was it. This was the moment.

“Here we go,” Justin murmured, his voice somehow more steady than his movements, as he guided the car off the highway and toward the familiar road leading to his childhood home.

The transition felt sudden, but not uncomfortable. It was a quiet moment of realization that everything you’d shared so far had been leading to this point. He was letting you in. You were meeting the people who mattered most to him, the ones who had shaped him into the man he was today.

As you approached the house, you could see the familiar outline of the porch, a few trees swaying in the breeze, and a small garage you guessed held memories of Justin’s childhood. The house was modest, but there was a sense of warmth and familiarity that seemed to radiate from the front door, even from the car.

Justin slowed as he approached, his hand reaching over to squeeze yours one last time before he parked the car. He looked over at you, eyes soft but serious, like he was searching for your reassurance.

“You ready?” he asked quietly, his voice laced with both excitement and nerves.

You nodded, squeezing his hand back. “Yeah. Ready.”

And with that, the two of you got out of the car and walked toward the front door of his family’s home, the journey that had brought you here feeling like both an ending and a beginning.

The door swung open before you even knocked, and there stood his mom, her arms outstretched.

She was gorgeous, her dark hair a stark contrast to Justin's much lighter features. But she wasn't interested in him at all, making a beeline for you straight away. “Oh, you’re even more beautiful than he said! I’m Holly—come in, come in!"

You barely had time to process her words before you were enveloped in a warm hug, her energy immediately putting you at ease. Over her shoulder, you spot Justin’s dad, Mark, standing on the porch with a reserved smile, and Justin’s brothers are leaning against the doorway, smirking. Justin laughed softly behind you, side stepping you and his mom. "Alright, let her breathe please? It'd be helpful if she made it through this entire night without suffocating," he jokes as his mom pulls away, rolling her eyes as she gives him a hug.

A younger guy who looks almost exactly like a mustached version of your boyfriend greets you next. "Hi, I'm Patrick. Glad Mitch wasn't lying and you are a real person, but pro tip? You're way out of this dork's league," he says with a serious face, nodding his head towards his older brother.

Justin glares at him and doesn't respond, muttering something under his breath that only Patrick catches as he bursts into a fit of laughter. You give Mitch a hug—the familiar face of Justin's older brother a welcome sight. He was a first-year orthopedic surgery resident at UCLA, the perfect situation for him and Justin to live together again. You'd been able to meet him on several occasions which proved useful in easing your nerves about meeting everyone else. “How was the drive? Are you guys staying at the ranch tonight?”

“We are,” you replied with a smile. “I’m really excited to finally see this infamous place.”

Justin’s dad steps forward, his handshake firm but warm, his eyes studying you with quiet curiosity before his face softens into a welcoming smile. “Don’t let these two scare you off. We’re happy to finally meet you. Let's head inside, I think Holly already has the baby pictures set out and ready for you to go through," he smiles, patting Justin on the back as his son shakes his head.

"You're lucky your dad talked me out of making a PowerPoint Presentation because we were seconds away from watching a pre dinner slideshow." Holly says to him with a small smile as everyone steps inside.

Patrick's voice cuts through everyone's laughter, "she's not even kidding, it was about to have music included and everything but dad saved you. I was about to give her some of the best material." He looks over at you, overenunciating for emphasis. "Two words: bowl. Cut."

"See what I have to deal with?" Justin whispers, gently pulling you into his side. Mark and Holly exchange knowing looks but don't say anything.

The house smelled of cinnamon and fresh bread, like warmth itself had settled into the walls. Framed pictures lined the hallways—some faded with time, others vibrant and new—each capturing a story of childhood adventures and hard-won victories. The fireplace crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the cozy living room. This wasn’t just a house; it was a sanctuary, a place where love was stitched into the very fabric of its foundation.

On the table in the living room is a stack of photo albums from when Justin was a newborn all the way up until his senior year of college. Countless memories were shared in these frames, a clearly busy but joyful childhood filled with love, laughter and lots of sporting events of all kinds. You could see that this family valued quality time with each other and the home you were in radiated warmth and love.

You ran your fingers lightly over the plastic covering of one album, tracing the faded marker label: Justin – Year 3. Inside, a chubby-cheeked toddler grinned back at you, his tiny facial features stretched in a mischievous but slightly forced smile.

“He never changed,” Patrick teased. “Still hates cameras.”

His words made you laugh a little because it was true, but you also saw something deeper. A boy who had grown up in a home where love wasn’t measured in trophies or contracts but in moments. The same boy who had fought to protect his private life in the face of stadium lights and national attention. You understood now—it wasn’t about secrecy. It was about keeping his people, the most important part of him, safe.

Your gaze flickered to Justin, his fingers tapping against his thigh—a telltale sign of deep thought. He wasn’t just reminiscing. He was remembering what it felt like to carry all of this, to be seen as something larger than life before he even had a chance to grow into it. And yet, here, he wasn’t the NFL quarterback. He was just...Justin.

"He was the starter by the end of that season, kind of became the hometown hero from then," Mitch sighs, sifting through some of the photos. "Things kind of got chaotic after that, with comparisons and people talking on social media."

"It was annoying," Justin cuts in, "deleted my Instagram after that. Only got it back around the draft for endorsement purposes." His words are dry, like it was painful or embarrassing thinking back to that time.

You had always respected, even admired, Justin’s need for privacy. But sitting here, surrounded by the people who had shaped him, you understood where it all came from: it wasn’t just about keeping the world out—it was about keeping his world safe. The weight of expectations, the relentless scrutiny, the unspoken pressure to be perfect—it had started young. He hadn’t chosen to be private. He had been forced to learn how to protect the things that mattered most.

And that’s what this house and his family was.

His one refuge from a world that always wanted more.

"Alright," Holly says, breaking you out of your epiphany, "who's ready to eat?"

This was a family you could definitely see yourself being a part of. Justin seemed so much more relaxed and at ease here which was a stark contrast to what you'd seen from him recently. His job was unforgiving, unrelenting. And the fans? You thanked your lucky stars daily for the fact that Justin wasn't on Twitter, especially after the Houston loss. This is where he belonged, these were his people. They didn't care about the stats or the money or everything that came with it and that's exactly how he wanted to be treated. He had a home in these people. He'd only found that comfort and peace one other time since he left Eugene.

And that was when he met you.

Dinner went on seamlessly, Mark joking asked if you two had a wedding date set after watching his son not-so-subtly check in on you throughout your stay. There were inside jokes, little moments of laughter from your relationship with Justin like how you had to adjust to his crazy hours in the facility from Monday-Wednesday but Thursdays were the days that really mattered, it was just the two of you. And sometimes Mitch and Isabella. But those were the days that brought you even closer, those little moments, just like this one that brought you so much joy it felt like you'd explode. There was easy laughter, Patrick telling some story about Justin being so private and how much he likes to keep to himself that he never thought he'd see this day. You spoke up and reassured him that you think you've successfully peeled back some layers and found your best friend in the process. Out of the corner of your eye you caught Mitch giving Patrick a nudge. Even Mark cracked a little smile, but all you could focus on was Justin's subtle smile that spoke volumes, in his own unique way. After everyone was finished with their meal, you found yourself in the kitchen with Holly, helping her plate dessert while the guys debated football in the other room.

“He’s different with you, you know.” She nodded, wiping her hands on a dish towel before leaning against the counter.

Your hands froze mid-reach. A small knot of nerves twisted in your stomach. “Different good or…?”

She smiled, her eyes soft with something unreadable. “Good. Really good.” There was a wistfulness in her expression, something unspoken lingering in the air. “You remind me of someone.”

You tilted your head, curiosity sparking. “Oh?”

“His grandma. My mom,” she said, voice quieter now, like the weight of memory had settled over her. “She was the only one who could ever get my dad to slow down. He was always moving—always thinking about the next challenge, the next goal. But with her, it was…different. She had this way of pulling him back to the present, reminding him that love isn’t measured in achievements. That life isn’t just about what you do—it’s about who you share it with.”

Her eyes met yours then, her meaning unmistakable. “Seeing you and Justin felt very similar to seeing them together again. It’s really nice to see him be with someone who helps him to reel it in a little.”

Your heart clenched, warmth blooming in your chest. You swallowed past the lump in your throat, forcing out a small laugh. “Well, he’s still a workaholic, so I might not be that good at it.”

Holly chuckled. “That’s just who he is. But I see the way he looks at you. The way he’s always checking in. You’re his home. His safe space.” She paused, and added softly, “And that’s all a mother could ever want for her son.”

You blinked back the unexpected sting of tears and watched as Holly swiped at her eyes. Before you could really process what you were doing, you were hugging her again. All the nerves and tension from earlier have completely vanished. Justin might not say much, but his actions had always spoken volumes. And now, hearing it from his mom—knowing that she saw it too—meant more than you could put into words.

The two of you walked back in with trays holding little bowls filled with apple crisp and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top with caramel drizzle.

As Justin watched you, something settled in his chest—a feeling he hadn’t even known he was searching for. His mom was smiling at you in that way she only did when she had already decided someone was family. His dad—usually quiet, reserved—nodded along to your words like he genuinely enjoyed the conversation. His brothers, relentless as ever, had already started pulling you into their teasing.

And there you were. Sitting beside him, laughing like you belonged here. Because you did.

An hour later, after lingering goodbyes and a few last jokes, you walked side by side to his car. As Justin slid into the driver’s seat, he exhaled slow and deep. A weight he hadn’t even realized he was carrying finally lifted. Maybe it was the fear of his two worlds colliding. Maybe it was the quiet, unspoken worry that you wouldn’t fit into this part of his life.

But you did. Seamlessly. Effortlessly. Like you were always meant to.

“Well,” you said, patting his thigh with a teasing grin, “that went great. Can’t believe you were so freaked out.”

He turned to you, feigning offense before shaking his head with a laugh. The sound of it filled the car, warm and easy. You joined in, your laughter melting into his as he reached for your hand, lacing his fingers through yours.

This. This is what home should feel like.

Justin leaned over, pressing a kiss to your temple, his lips lingering for just a second longer than necessary. “Told you they’d love you,” he murmured.

But as he pulled back, hand still wrapped around yours, the thought hit him like a slow-burning realization.

I think I might love you too.

[archangeldyke-all]

Hello! I really REALLY love your writing, can I please ask for more ranvika and reader? Maybe about before they got together, how reader and ran make out around her and what she thinks, or when she walked in on them having sex, and her fantasizing about them? Or really anything you wanna write about them

HEHEHEHEHEHEH yeah let's do it

men and minors dni

sevika's always had a little bit of a crush on ran, though she'd rather die than admit it.

ran is annoying. they're always joking around and making sevika laugh when they're both supposed to be working. out of all the gang, ran's the least intimidated by sevika's scary scowl-- just snorting and rolling their eyes whenever sevika tries to scare them into shutting up. and they're always touching her-- an annoying poke in her shoulder when they pass in the hall, an excited smack on her back when they win a fight together, and worst of all, a kiss on sevika's cheek when they're drunk and sevika walks them home safe.

but sevika doesn't worry about it, she doesn't act on it. she figures if something will happen between her and ran, it'll happen when they're both old and grey and too tired to fight anymore.

but then you come around.

and ran starts being all giggly and stupid with you.

and sevika can't tell if she's more jealous of ran or you, because you're just as annoyingly attractive to sevika as ran is.

so now sevika's a butthurt mess, heartbroken and yearning for somebody she coulda had for years now, and somebody who looks like her walking wet dream.

it doesn't take long for you and ran to figure out sevika's issue.

she's always glaring at the two of you when you're together, but when you're separate she's all longing stares and wistful sighs. she's like a kicked puppy. a horny kicked puppy.

"how long do you think we can tease her before she snaps?" you ask one night at the last drop. ran giggles against your neck. the two of you are grinding on the dance floor, sevika's eyes laser focused on your bodies from where she's brooding in the corner. ran giggles.

"dunno. thought she was gonna do something today, she kept staring at your lips in morning meeting." ran says. you snort.

"i caught her checking out your ass at the docks today."

ran grins. "well, it's a great ass."

you grin and dart forward, kissing the cheesy grin on your partner's lips away, your hands trailing down from their hips to grope said ass. ran moans in your mouth. you sigh as you pull away. "yeah, it really is."

"you wanna do something stupid?" ran asks. you grin.

"with you? always."

ran shoots a quick glance over their shoulder to where sevika's brooding, then tugs on your wrist, dragging you off the dance floor and toward the stairs in the center of the bar.

you're vaguely aware of the fact that sevika's looming behind you-- stalking's never been a specialty of hers-- but you're too distracted by ran's giggles to care.

they drag you down the hall and toward sevika's office, ignoring the 'keep out' sign on the door, pushing you into the musty little office. it's more like a storage closet-turned office-- nothing compared to the stain glass background of silco's office; but it's so clearly sevika's it makes you coo a bit.

sure, there's the ashtrays full of cigarette butts and the half-empty bottles littering every flat surface. but beyond that it's sevika's in the vibrant purple re-upholstery of the lumpy couch crammed in a corner, the poster of a pin-up girl taped behind her desk, and the half finished game of solitaire spread out on the floor.

"she's gonna kill us." you giggle. ran shrugs and pushes you down onto sevika's lumpy couch.

"or she'll fuck us." they say as they dive on top of you.

you moan against their lips, letting them pin you to the cushions, winding your legs around their hips. for a few minutes, you let ran control the pace of your make out session, but when they duck down to suck a hickey on your throat you catch sight of sevika watching from the doorway, a cigarette lit and forgotten between her lips-- half ash now. her eyes are dark, and they don't look away once they catch yours. in fact, she smiles a bit.

you flip ran over, pin them to the couch, and keep your eyes locked on sevika's as you growl, "get your fucking pants off."

both ran and sevika scramble to do just that.

ran gasps when sevika reveals herself to them, stumbling into her office and slamming the door behind her, nearly tripping over her pants where they're caught around her ankle. "'re you gonna sit on my face?" ran asks dreamily.

you giggle. "which one of us, baby?" you ask as you stand to pull your own pants off

ran blinks, then whines. "i dunno! i wan' both of y--"

you cut them off with a kiss. "how about this, baby? how about i fuck you..." you rearrange your legs so your cunt is hovering over theirs. they whimper. "and sevika sits on your face?"

sevika scrambles to get in position before ran can even mutter out their sweet, dreamy "yes please."

fuck, this is the hottest thing that's ever happened to you. for a few seconds, you're so enchanted by the sight of ran diving face first into sevika's pussy that you forget your end of the bargain.

but then, sevika grunts out a "c-c'mon." and you start your grind against ran.

fuck, they're soaked. or you are. probably both of you. sevika is too, judging by the rivulets of cum trailing down their throat. as you grind against their soft, wet cunt, they moan into sevika's. sevika whimpers.

"you fuckers have been teasing me."

"you're just now realizing this?" you giggle. sevika moans. ran smacks her ass. sevika smacks one of ran's clothed tits in retaliation. you almost cum from the sight. "oh, fuck, sev. you realize you're comin' home with us tonight, right?" you groan, clawing at ran's thigh.

"just tonight?" sevika whines.

you grin and launch forward, smashing your lips against sevika's.

the kiss makes her cum, which makes ran cum, which, of course, makes you cum.

"a-any night you want baby." you whimper.

sevika smiles against your lips, then she jumps. "fuck! knock it off, asshole, i already came!" she scrambles off ran's face and they grin, pussydrunk and covered in her cum. you laugh down at your lover.

"any day, too." ran adds on.

taglist!

@fyeahnix @lavendersgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner

@kissyslut @chuucanchuucan @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther

@lavenderbabu @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai @my-taintedheart

@glass-apothecary @macaroni676 @artinvain @k3n-dyll @sevsdollette

@ellieslob @xayn-xd @keikuahh @maneskinwh0re @raphaellearp

@iamastar @sevikitty @mascdom @nhaaauyen @annesunshiner

@mirconreadzztuff22 @veoomvroom @lushh-s3vik4s @katyawooga @lesbodietcoke

@strawberrykidneystone @vkumi @fict1onallyobsessed @dvrkhcld @sweetybuzz25

@sluttysierraaa @snake-in-a-flower-crown @ruiwonderz @littlemisszaunite @biblicalcrybaby

@blackgaladriel @nightlyconfusion @dancingqu33n17 @losernb @p1nkearth

taglist!!

@sevikas-baby @ghostscandys @sevikasllver @runawaybaby3 @lesbones

[fratttymatty]

The Algorithm's Curse

(All characters are 18+)

Eliot Farrow sat in the farthest corner of the school library, hunched over a battered copy of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. The world around him didn’t exist—just the words on the page, the scent of aging paper, the quiet hum of fluorescent lights above. He adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses and pulled his oversized cardigan tighter around himself.

He had no patience for stupidity. And high school? High school was nothing but stupidity.

Loud voices shattered the peace.

"Bro, that new TikTok trend? Fire."

"Dude, that transition? Insane."

Eliot barely held back a groan. The table across the room was occupied by the worst kind of people—athletic, vain, TikTok-obsessed jocks. They spoke in half-sentences, grunted like cavemen, and used words like "rizz".

His best (and only) friend, Jasper, leaned in, whispering, “Imagine you on TikTok.”

Eliot snorted. “I’d rather be lobotomized.”

But later that night, lying in bed, he hesitated.

Just one peek. Just to confirm how dumb it was.

He downloaded TikTok.

And that was the last mistake Eliot Farrow ever made.

At first, it wasn’t so bad. His For You Page had political debates, book reviews, history facts—exactly what he expected. But then, an odd video appeared.

"Tired of being a nobody? Want to be HOT? Watch this every day."

The guy in the video was everything Eliot despised—tan, muscular, shirtless, flexing in a mirror while electronic bass thumped in the background.

Cringe.

He scrolled past.

But another appeared. Then another. And another.

"Stop scrolling, bro. This is the mindset shift you need."

"If you’re not at the gym, what are you even doing with your life?"

"Upgrade your look, upgrade your life. Trust the algorithm."

A strange sensation crept up his spine. His phone screen glowed, the TikTok symbol pulsing like a heartbeat. His vision blurred, the world warping around him.

His skin burned. His bones ached. His sweater suddenly felt suffocating.

Something was changing.

He looked down. His sleeves had vanished. In their place, a sleeveless compression shirt clung to his body, showing off—wait—his biceps? His fingers twitched. They were different. Tanned, veins visible, nails trimmed to perfection.

He stumbled to the mirror.

A stranger stared back.

Gone were the glasses, the soft curls, the pale complexion. In their place: tousled brown hair, styled in effortless, boyish waves—the kind that made girls comment "OMG ur literally perfect 😩." His once-slender frame was now toned, shoulders broader, jawline sharp enough to slice.

His lips moved on their own. "Bro, what the hell?"

Wait. His voice.

It was deeper. Smoother. Confident.

His phone vibrated.

"Yo, Axton. Where u at? Party’s lit, bro."

Axton?

His fingers moved before his brain could catch up. "Bet, bro. Omw."

The house party was packed. Music thumped, neon lights flickered, bodies swayed in sync.

Axton—because that’s who he was now—stepped inside. And people noticed.

Jocks threw up handshakes. Girls stared, whispering. His body knew what to do. His posture? Perfect. His smirk? Effortless. His TikTok-clout brain pre-loaded with the right phrases.

"Ayy, my guy!" Some dude clapped him on the back. "Bro, your last thirst trap? Wild engagement, man."

Axton laughed, though he barely remembered posting it. His memories were… fuzzy. Books? Gone. Political debates? Who cared? He didn't need intelligence. He had hype.

Then, he saw her.

The perfect girl.

Long blonde hair. Perfect tan. A crop top that read “Brat Energy”. Glossy lips, manicured nails, and a vacant but stunning expression.

She gasped, bouncing on her toes. "Axton, oh my God!"

His arms were around her before he could think.

She giggled, twirling her hair. "We are, like, literally couple goals."

Somewhere deep inside him, a voice whispered. This isn’t you. You’re Eliot. You love books. You—

The thought vanished as she pressed closer.

Because Axton was hot.

And when you're hot, nothing else matters.

In fact, if Axton ever got into controversy, people wouldn’t care.

"idc what he did he’s literally so fine 😍"

And honestly? Same.

[mrspiastri]

I would like to request a desi girl x lewis fic

desi munda 🪅

pairing: lewis hamilton x desi!reader

cw: fluff, lewis being a bit negative etc etc

wc: 2k words

an: thanks anon, hope u like my first lewis fic!

.° ｡𖦹˚ 𓇼 ｡𖦹° ｡. .° ｡𖦹˚ 𓇼 ｡𖦹° ｡. .° ｡𖦹˚ 𓇼 ｡𖦹° ｡. .° ｡

“The last time I felt like this before a race was probably in 2008. It’s madness,” Lewis lamented in his driver’s room as he put on his fireproofs, getting ready to review the final data before hopping into the car.

“Well, it probably has to do with the fact that you’re racing in India after more than a decade. Unfamiliar track and all that jazz,” Y/N responded from where she was seated on the couch, filing her nails and adding the final touches to her makeup.

“I think it might be more because my gorgeous girlfriend won’t even look at my face,” he commented with a slight grin as he shimmied into his race suit.

She playfully rolled her eyes, snapping her compact mirror shut and stuffing it into her purse before looking at him. “There, now I’m all yours.” She smiled up at him as he walked across the room, towering over her.

“I think you’ve got a lot of pressure on you today, and not just from Fred and the team,” Y/N stated, making Lewis groan before plopping down next to her on the couch in a less-than-graceful manner.

“If you’re talking about your family, then yes, it’s probably that. I think I saw all your cousins and your aunts in the first three rows of the grandstands,” he muttered pitifully, pushing his face into the crook of her neck. She took pity on him, wrapping her arms around him as he continued ranting.

“I know they’re excited to see their future son-in-law doing what he does best—” Y/N let out an incredulous grunt at this—“but this is INSANE! I might die of stress, honestly.”

She laughed at him before holding his chin and making him look up at her. “You’re going to do wonderful, Lew. You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone. They all know you’re the best damn driver on the grid; they’re just excited to see you in your element.”

“But if I don’t win, they’re going to think I’m useless. A washed-up, no-good idiot who can’t even win a stupid race,” he sighed, slumping further down, letting his negative thoughts take over.

Y/N sat up straighter at this. “I know you’re not talking about yourself like that. Lewis, you are an amazing driver, and you know that very well,” she said firmly, leaving no room for hesitation.

“Besides, my whole family loves you! You could come dead fucking last, and they’d still cheer. Heck, you could DNF, and they’d cheer as you brought your car into the pits to retire from the race.”

Lewis let out a dry laugh at that. He couldn’t exactly deny it.

“I just... I don’t want them to think I’m a loser. I want them to see me as a part of their family—as your future husband. If they see me lose, they’ll think I’m not good enough for you,” he finally admitted, revealing what had been weighing on him ever since Y/N told him her family would be attending the race.

Y/N was silent, emotions warring inside her. On one hand, she was shocked he thought so lowly of himself and his reputation in front of her family. But on the other hand, the fact that he had thought so far ahead about their future made her want to grab his face and kiss him until he forgot every single doubt in his head.

“Lew, I promise you—whatever happens today won’t change their perception of you. To them, you are the coolest, most enigmatic person ever. And you’re *definitely* the best catch out of all the other partners my family members have brought home. I mean, come on, who can beat a seven-time Formula One World Champion?”

A knock at the door interrupted them, a staff member reminding Lewis that he had to check the final corrections made to the car after qualifying before the formation lap started in 15 minutes.

“I’ll meet my parents in the garage; you go on ahead,” she said, standing up and adjusting the red dress she wore, showing her full support for the Ferrari driver.

Lewis got into the car, checking if the throttle and steering were working fine. “Seems good. Wanna start the lap?” he asked his engineers, receiving an affirmative response.

Y/N leaned down and kissed his cheek, leaving a red lipstick mark on his skin. “A kiss for good luck—and to remove the stupid thoughts in your head.”

“I was hoping for a proper one,” Lewis playfully pouted up at her.

“That’s for after the race. You gotta have something to look forward to, na?”

He simply laughed before putting on his helmet. The sound of his car revving up echoed in the garage as he exited. Y/N, meanwhile, made her way to the back where her parents waited for her, smiling at the conversation she had just had with Lewis.

“He seems stressed. Hope it doesn’t affect his performance,” her dad pointed out, making her sigh in worry.

“He is. Honestly, he’s more worried about disappointing the family than he is about losing,” she confided.

“I hope you told him he’s crazy for even thinkingthat,” her mother gasped.

Y/N winked while putting her headphones on. “You know it.”

🪺🪺🪺

It was the final lap of the race. Lewis had overtaken Max at the start of lap 37, after tailing him for more than half of the race. In the Ferrari garage, tensions were high, with both drivers in podium positions.

As the checkered flag waved, Lewis soared past it, clinching victory in front of his girlfriend’s home crowd and further cementing Ferrari’s Constructors’ Championship title contention.

The announcers’ voices boomed throughout the grandstands, the crowd erupting into cheers. Everyone at the Ferrari garage ran out to celebrate with Lewis and Charles in parc fermé, the latter having placed third. Y/N and her parents were escorted to where the podium finishers had gathered their cars.

Lewis stood on his car, bowing to the roaring fans with his palms pressed together in a namaste pose—just like she had taught him.

The team cheered him and Charles on, with pats on the back and massive hugs. Lewis was all smiles, scanning the crowd until his eyes found Y/N, waving at him from behind the barriers.

He ran up to her, lifting her off the ground in the biggest hug he could manage without hoisting her over the barrier. She hugged him tighter, his helmet getting in the way.

He pulled it off, handing it to a team member before pulling her in again. “Now, about that kiss you mentioned earlier...” he grinned.

“You are impossible!” Y/N laughed, playfully pushing his chest.

“Good thing you love it.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t let him suffer for long. She leaned in, closing the distance between them. Her lips met his in a kiss that was slow and lingering, as if they wanted to memorize the feel of each other. His hand slid to the nape of her neck, fingers threading into her hair, while his other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

She melted into him, gripping the front of his race suit, anchoring herself in his warmth.

The crowds, the cheers, the cameras—it all faded into the background.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless, their foreheads rested together, the air between them thick with unspoken words.

She let out a soft, breathy laugh. “I forgot we were in public for a second.”

He chuckled, fingers tracing her back. “Me too. Hope your dad doesn’t beat the shit out of me.”

Her parents decided to turn a blind eye to the couple, instead focusing on congratulating Lewis on his win. However, he couldn’t help but notice her father slapping his back just a little harder than necessary, a certain look in his eye that made Lewis straighten up.

🪺🪺🪺

Later, in the Ferrari hospitality, Y/N groaned as Lewis reached for her.

“Please shower! The champagne and sweat combined make me want to puke.”

Lewis, of course, ignored this, chasing her around until he finally caught her in his grasp—sweat, champagne, and all.

“You’re so disgusting. I just washed my hair, yaar.”

Her smirk, however, gave her away.

“Well, Lewis,” her cousin quipped, “you’ve definitely earned your spot in the family now.”

Lewis grinned. “Well, I’d hope so. It was very nice of you all to come out today—really motivated me. And scared the living shit out of me.”

The whole room burst into laughter. Her father cleared his throat, eyeing the two of them. “You’ve done well today, beta. You’ve got speed, skill, and determination—but most importantly, you make my daughter happy.

Lewis straightened slightly, sensing the weight of the moment. “That means the world to me, sir.”

Her father studied him for a beat before nodding approvingly. “Good. Now go shower before you suffocate us with that champagne stench.”

The room erupted into laughter, and Y/N rolled her eyes fondly. “I told you.” Lewis laughed, pressing a quick kiss to Y/N’s temple before heading off. “I’ll be back—don’t have too much fun without me.”

🪺🪺🪺

The afterparty was in full swing by the time Lewis and Y/N arrived. The upscale venue was buzzing with energy—team members, rival drivers, and VIP guests mingled over glasses of champagne, the hum of conversations blending seamlessly with the music playing overhead.

The air was thick with the scent of expensive cologne, celebratory drinks, and the undeniable electricity of victory.

When the doors opened, all heads instinctively turned toward the couple making their entrance.

Lewis Hamilton, still glowing from his win, walked in with Y/N by his side, her right arm slotted in the crook oh his left one. They were well dressed as always — Lewis in a well-fitted, deep blue kurta, a nod to Y/N’s heritage, and Y/N in a breathtaking red saree that shimmered under the golden lights. The rich fabric draped over her in a way that left little to the imagination, her bangles softly jingling as she adjusted her hold on his arm.

“Well, don’t we look like a power couple?" Charles teased, raising his glass as they approached.

Y/N smirked. "You’re just jealous, Charlie."

“Of the matching outfits or the fact that you two have already stolen all the attention?" Carlos chimed in with a grin.

Lewis chuckled, placing a protective hand on the small of Y/N’s back. "Can’t blame them. My girl does clean up pretty damn well."

Y/N turned to him, eyes dancing with amusement. "Only fair, considering I dressed you."

Lewis leaned in slightly, voice low and teasing. "And here I thought I was doing you a favor by looking this good." She rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it. Instead, she tugged him toward the bar.

"Come on, Mr. Race Winner, let’s get you a drink before you get too cocky." The bartender barely had a chance to ask before Charles called out, "A whiskey for the champion and—Y/N, what are you drinking?"

"White wine," she replied.

Lewis took the glass from the bartender and handed it to her before raising his own in a silent toast. "To surviving your family’s initiation," he joked.

She laughed softly, clinking her glass against his. "Oh, you’re not done yet. This is just the beginning. But let’s talk about that later, because the only thing I’m focusing on is how good you look in this kurta.”

He laughed, “Well you’re the one who said I should wear this instead of the red one I wanted to go with.”

“It’s called contrast, and we’re pulling it off well. Besides, you look much more handsome in this, like a proper desi munda.

Lewis narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "That sounds both adorable and terrifying. Should I be worried?"

Y/N smirked, "Don’t worry about it.”

Before he could question her, the music shifted to something slower, more sultry, and Lewis took that as his cue. Handing his glass to Carlos, he turned to Y/N with a familiar glint in his eye.

"May I have this dance?" Y/N raised an eyebrow. "You? Dancing at a public event?"

Lewis smirked, pulling her toward him without waiting for an answer. "For you? Always."

And just like that, in the middle of the celebration, the world shrank down to just the two of them—spinning, laughing, and getting lost in each other, a champion on the track and in love.

never written for lewis before so hope this is nice anon. honestly not very proud of this one but like fuck it we ball <4

[winterzsurprise]

Change My Mind [7]

Pairing: BTS x reader

SUMMARY: As a make-up artist, you were expected to glamorize your clients with brushes and products that cost a week-worth of food, not to befriend them outside of work, let alone have them save you from dates yet here you are five years later as one of their closest confidants.

Being a stylist of the world's biggest boyband is no easy feat, someone is doing flips, someone can't stay still and one's asleep but its fine, you can work around their chaos but then one day, you find out they're all your soulmates, a whole different can of chaos you don't think you can handle.

Tags: Soulmates AU, Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Not Beta Read, Slow Build, Polyamory, Attempts at Humor

Words: 8.6k

IM BACK

laptop problem is solved. Shit was shady though (i literally have to pay the guy money for his 'efforts' in lying to get my laptop fixed) but its worth the money so idc. Rushed to finish this so this shit ain't beta read nor proofed, that's for Vuinterro of tomorrow to stress about. Will still take long to post chapters, might take a month per chapter. It really depends since I'm using this fic to fix my horrid writer's block and brain fog but I plan to see this fic through so dwww

also, what do you all think about having purely the boys' pov at some point in the story? Been thinking about having the boys' perspectives once the courting starts but that's prolly just me

lastly, enjoy this chapter. I hope my tired mind was able to write my vision down clearly, I'll fix the mistakes and add more details later on. Pls comment or like, I'm in desperate need for validation lmao

<<Prev || Masterlist || Next>>

______

Jung Hoseok is not scared.

Sure he screams bloody mary at the sight of bugs a thousand times smaller than him, and yeah he’s easily startled but he’s not scared.

Especially not by a piece of paper, that would be ridiculous!

The reason he went to his noona’s house instead of heading straight to the dorms after the news broke out that his Seokjin hyung is tethered to you is because she needed his help on something, and being the dutiful brother he is, swooped in to save the day!

“At least wash the dishes for me if you’re going to hide in my house because you’re being a scaredy cat,” Jiwoo says from the kitchen archway, leaning on the wall with her arms crossed. “I still don’t get why you’re so scared of a piece of paper. The most it’ll do is give you a small cut.”

“Well, that ‘small cut’ still stings a lot!” He argued back, pulling the throw pillow closer to his chest. “And I’m not scared!”

It was irrational how he’s getting cold feet at the thought of the blood result. It’s not like he was hoping to see anything other than ‘negative’ there. 

Jimin would argue that he’s being pessimistic for thinking so but it was the obvious answer if you looked at his family tree. 

From his grandparents’ parents and down to him and his sister, there hasn’t been a single tethered from his bloodline like most of the world’s population. Unlike his Jin hyung who at least had one distant cousin who got a soulmate or his Yoongi hyung who at least had his grandparents as soulmates, his family was barren from such a blessing. His grandpa had joked once, saying their family was cursed for never birthing a single tethered. Ever.

Not even with the people they ended up had ever resulted in having a tethered no matter their family background..

For him to turn out to be a part of your nexus would be a miracle of the highest degree that would make the tales in the bible pale in comparison.

Daring to have himself tested is stupid, he already knew the result and submitting his DNA meant he was hoping.

But hope is nothing in the face of facts, he should be wishing instead; prayer sticks, shaman blessings and all that.

Hoseok knew he was being greedy, wishing to be a part of a nexus relationship as crowded as yours. Growing up with the rest, he knew how much of a handful Jungkook can be on his own, matched with Jimin who now possesses bottomless energy, he has no business trying to squeeze himself in places he can’t fit in. 

Sometimes he thinks he’s being influenced by the fact that he’s being singled out in the group. Now that their oldest has joined the harem, being the odd one out oddly felt ostracizing, being subjected to Taehyung and Jungkook discussing courting gifts, and Yoongi talking to Namjoon about their soulmarks shouldn’t have made him feel bitter but it did. 

“You saying that while pouting on my couch, miles away from your friends who now have your exam result, is not helping your case.”

“If you don’t have anything nice to say to your brother, you shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I’m saying a lot because I care about you. This,” She says, motioning to him to which he replied with an offended look. “Isn’t healthy. The more you’re hiding away, the more this will haunt you.”

“You’re just saying that because you’ll have hyung over soon.”

“That I am, so just get your shit together and go! I planned a night for us but I had to move it because of you.” She shot back but he knew it had no actual snark behind it. She had welcomed him with warm arms after all.

Hoseok had seen how his friends slowly fell in love with you while he continued to look at you and see a best friend. Seeing how everyone seems to have been captured by you, he got curious.

For a long time since debut, Hoseok had stopped perfecting his craft and pursuing his aspirations to pay attention to someone else. It was uncommon but he too once wished for a soulmate until practice, video shoots, and music production began to eat up most of his time and he forgot about his initial wish.

Seeing his brothers be taken by their best friend, his crush, he couldn't help but be curious how it came to be.

Was it because you were closer to their age and, for the lack of better terms, accessible to them that they had begun to seek the comfort of a lover in you?

“Do you think because she's also been busy with us that she began to seek comfort with us too?”

“Tae, just eat your breakfast.”

It was such a random thought from Tae one random morning, and Hoseok would’ve brushed it off like the other time he gets struck with an idea but this one stuck to him like an annoying ex. The idea loomed over him the whole journey to the company and back home. He grew hypersensitive to how he approached you since that morning and he began to notice the miniscule details he would’ve shrugged off any other day. 

From how your touches would linger on their skin, how you’d comfortably lean in closer to them without batting a single eye at how unusual it may seem to others, he took note of them all. It was how he knew their leader’s feelings for you, even if the man himself hadn't noticed it yet. 

Hoseok found his proof in Namjoon’s eyes that restlessly roamed the room until he’d find you in the bustle of the staff. It was also in the way he’d always reach out for you, may it be when you’d turn to leave and he’d catch a drama-esque scene where instead of calling out for your name, Namjoon would reach for your hand and speak to you with that soft look in his eyes and the genuineness in the dip of his dimples when he smiles.

Eyes never lie nor do the dimples on his cheeks whenever he grins, even when the beholder hasn’t realized it yet.

It was then did he realise how odd your relationship is with them and decided to take a step back to draw a line. 

Friends, especially ones whose gender are opposite of each other, aren’t supposed to be as touchy and comfortable the way you and his brothers are. You didn’t say anything when you noticed and wordlessly respected his decision. He was firm on drawing the line, his sister had questioned his actions but he’s determined, nothing is going to stop him from going back on his decision.

At least until he got sick.

Without any of his brothers available to tend to him as they had to leave for Japan the very day he fainted—he had to pass out while talking to the migration officer, so embarrassing!—, he thought he'd power through it alone for a few days. But then you volunteered to stay back to take care of him and everyone just let it happen as if it's normal.

Which is not.

He'd understand taking care of him during the job but to take a leave of absence just to watch over him because his family is unavailable due to the rough weather at the time, in a house far too big for the two of you while the rest flies to another country. It wasn’t appropriate, not normal at all. 

In the haze of his high fever, he had asked you how you were acting as if the situation was normal and in response, you had hit him lightly with the drenched towel you used to wipe his face.

“Don't be ridiculous. You're one of my best friends even if you’ve been acting up these past few days. I'm not about to leave while you're sick and alone in the dorms. If your family could come to Seoul, I would've left with the others so don't overthink. This is just me being a good friend.”

Cooking for him, wiping his face and making sure he's comfortable in bed—It felt far too domestic to be friendly. 

Familial doesn't sound like the right word either. There’s nothing familial about the butterflies in his stomach when you had kissed his forehead good night that day as a joke when Jimin had called you or when you had woken him up the next day.

Oh how beautiful you were that morning.

He knew at that moment that the goddess of beauty had favorites when she made your skin glow softly under the radiance of the rising morning sun like a halo and had your messy bed hair look frustratingly good on you. 

You were borrowing their clothes that day since you had already got your items shipped with the other staff, Taehyung’s white striped polo hung off on you like a dress and Jimin’s red basketball shorts gobbled up your form yet even with the fabrics dwarfing and hiding the curves of your body, he still thinks you’re the cutest sight he has ever had the pleasure of seeing.

You were especially cute in their clothes though.

In his feverish haze, all he could think about was how pleasant it’d be if you were to wake him up every morning like an angel welcoming him to heaven. What he’d give to the world to have you be the first thing he’d see in the morning.

Then you spoke and greeted him in that roughened sweet voice and Hoseok was gone.

Realization immediately had him freezing, tensing up as you let yourself fall across his blanket covered feet to groan about how sleepy you still are after putting down his medicine and breakfast on the bedside table. He hadn’t been able to reply, busy with tampering down the racing heartbeat echoing in his ears. 

Looking back a year later, him falling in love with you wasn’t as odd as he thinks it is, uncommon but still cliche. 

Jiwoo taking the space next to him made him jump, breaking off his line of thought.

“Seriously, just get it over with. The faster you see the result, the faster you can decide whether to move on or not.”

It was the most logical step to take but it felt…wrong somehow. 

He couldn’t imagine a day where he’d look at you and never feel the tickles of butterflies filling his stomach or the warmth your fingers would leave behind after carding through his hair or tilting his chin up to have a better look on his makeup. It felt like an offense to the fates.

Although loving you has its downsides, with your obliviousness to their feelings whether intentional or unintentional often makes him want to pull his hair out, he’d never regret feeling the joy of admiring someone when he’s with you. Hoseok has never felt more motivated to produce music with lyrics far too romantic to come from someone who has never had a lover since pre-debut. Not that you’d see that of course.

He couldn’t remember how many times he found himself wanting to grab you by the shoulders to shake you whenever you teased him about his creations, and hoped it would be enough to let you know that all those cheesy lyrics he had uncharacteristically puked out was all because of you.

“Don’t you go souring your face like that, you know that I’m right.”

“And just because you sound right, doesn’t mean I’m gonna listen to you.”

Jiwoo rolled her eyes and turned to her kitchen, probably to take a pan and hit him upside the head with it or to save herself from seeing the pathetic image of her brother being a fool for love. 

He knew not to hope, he repeated those words to himself but at the same time, he could sense the small, miniscule bead of it hidden within his heart, pushed down to the bottom of the barrel and awaiting its eventual death once he set his eyes on the negative results on his test.

In all of the times he got scared, Jung Hoseok has never been so terrified at the thought of being left out of your nexus. It would be the highest form of torture, a cruelest fate the heavens have dealt. 

How would he function seeing all his brothers do all the things he had imagined himself doing? Due to how sensitive the bond is, he wouldn’t be able to get a feel of your touch for a year, maybe two if the gods deemed it funnier.

What is he going to do then? Die from envy?

He wouldn’t be able to survive, it would ruin him completely. That parasitic feeling would eat him up from the inside and eventually spill out of him, it would damage the relationship he and his brothers had established through hardships and time. Something he too treasured as he does you.

A chime rang out and his eyes immediately fell to his phone on the coffee table. From the familiar set of emojis on the name of the messenger, he reached over to answer to his Yoongi hyung.

           [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: i know what you’re doing            [18:23] Me: i don’t know what i’m even doing right now hyung            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: you may fool the others but im not like them            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: jiwoo had already asked me last week about this problem ur supposed to be fixing so dont even try to lie to me            [18:23] Me: im just worried            [18:23] Me: you know about my family history right? We never had a single tethered so idk what even possessed me to take that test with jin hyung when we already know the answer            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: i think you’ll be surprised            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: not that i’m spoiling or anything, im just saying that if jesus could turn water into rum, then you can be the first tethered in your family            [18:23] Me: well im not a son of god am i?            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: don’t get sassy with me            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: im just saying, miracles can happen            [18:23] Me: i think i already lucked out with our jobs hyung            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: i doubt that            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: come home tomorrow            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: the maknaes are planning a party for you            [18:23] Me: LOLOLOL WHAT            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: they even bought two different cakes            [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: wont spoil what they say             [18:23] MinSyuga🐱: come home if you want know            [18:23] Me: i will 

Despite telling his hyung that he’ll return, he wasn’t sure if he’s going through that decision just yet.

“Did you at least bring a change of clothes with you?” Jiwoo chimes, reappearing from the kitchen archway.

“What if I don’t have any?”

“Then you’re sleeping in those.”

Despite her words, she eventually pulls out a pair of pajamas from her boyfriend’s temporary side of the closet for him to borrow. Sleeping that night was far from being an easy task when he could read and see from the images the maknaes are spamming the group chat, photos ranging from decent captures of moments to a blurry mess where the one holding the phone is running away from a figure that distinctly look like Jimin.

He tried to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of his head and the way his stomach seems to shrunk and eat itself up with every picture and video he sees. He truly does try to ignore the voice judging him for daring to squeeze himself in an already perfect dynamic.

Eventually though, the voices quieten and he falls asleep.

______

Jimin is falling in love with his soulmate. 

It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone but he's actually falling in love with his soulmate. Tingling butterflies in his stomach, skipping heartbeat, tickling warmth in the chest, the whole mile.

What started off as playful admiration where he’d tease you and lightly tug or pull your hair up while you were putting setting powder on his under eye, quickly developed into a giggly high school romance kind of love where he’d avoid your eyes just so his stomach would stop feeling weird and feel the heat of your touch linger from where you last held him.

Now that he’s thinking about it, the whole thing sounds silly because of course he’s going to fall in love with his soulmate.

The morning started as most mornings have begun for him since Jungkook’s birthday, with your face, bare and naked of any products, and the warmth of your body seeping through the fabric of his clothes. More often than not, he’d find himself coming to consciousness feeling your body weight pressing on his arms or your breath ghosting against his throat and he'd just freeze. 

 Every time it happens, electric shocks would run down his skin and he’d be taking a quick trip to the bathroom to calm his racing heart.

It was insane how often he had to lean over the ceramic sink so early in the morning, breathing heavily to try and ground himself before he reenters the room and sneaks back into his bed, but strictly keeping himself on his side of the pillow fort while careful to take your hand in his once again without waking you up. 

But today, he found himself wishing for time to stop just so he could stare at your face at this very moment.

With the light sheen of the light filtered through the curtains bouncing on one side of your skin giving you an ethereal appearance, he found himself at a loss for words at the beauty presented before him. His eyes traced the lines of the long lashes kissing the apple of your cheeks, the slope of your nose, and down to the plush of your lips. 

Jimin has lost count on how many times he has wondered about how it’d felt pressing against his.

In the peaceful silence of the early mornings, all he did was stare and wait for time to pass while wishing internally for the world to slow just so he could soak in the peace the morning brought.

Eventually though, he had to steer his attention elsewhere. Jimin rolls to the other end to reach for his phone on the bedside table.

He’s been scrolling on his phone for a couple of minutes, lurking in the fandom space—both international and local—when the door creaks open and Taehyung steps in with sleep-lidden eyes and body heavy with lethargy. Forgoing to close the door of their room, he trudged towards the bed like an overworked employee before promptly falling face first to the spot between you and him. He churned in the small space, making himself comfortable by throwing an arm around your blanket-covered form.

For a long while, the only sound in the room came from the occasional videos he plays.

It was weird. Having a soulmate who has multiple soulmates is weird.

He should be feeling disturbed seeing someone cuddle up to his soulmate but he wasn’t. Jimin, contrary to popular belief, is possessive, probably more than Jungkook was in his younger age. Although it wasn’t to the point of killing like people like to showcase in films these days, possessiveness for him is as tame as snaking arms around waists and narrowed eyes. 

Maybe there’s a bit of pulling them aside for a quick reminder in the middle of an event but the point is, he’s possessive. 

But he couldn’t find a single cell in his body who was bothered by the presence of someone else in the room. 

This soulmate thing is weird.

When he laughed at a post, Taehyung dragged himself up to shoulder level just to see what he was laughing at before giggling himself. Suddenly, you push yourself up and turn to them with squinted eyes.

“Good morning, noona.”

“Tae? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Seokjin hyung sent me up here to wake you both up—”

“It’s still too early!” she groaned, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m not built for working this early!” 

“— he said if you don’t go down before seven, he’ll eat the can of smelly fish you bought for him in Sweden as a joke.”

You paused, the threat successfully shutting you up before you let out an exaggerated groan and dramatically burying yourself back into the pillow.

“Can’t a girl rest? I have a bad headache, and I don’t even know if the beating is Namjoon’s or mine.”

It’s easy to forget how there’s six different soulmarks affecting her all at the same time. From how she’d hear their leader’s heartbeat no matter how far, to the altered taste due to his Seokjin hyung’s mark, and to his Healing Touch. He couldn’t even fathom how much of a nightmare it is sensing everyone.

They eventually dragged themselves down to the dining room after a quick bathroom break. Jin had immediately greeted them with heaps upon heaps of pancakes with maple syrup drooling over the side and scrambled eggs on the table. 

Yoongi and Namjoon were already nursing their cups of coffee on the table—with Joon hyung taking his rightful spot on one end of the table as the leader, Seokjin hyung taking the seat on the opposite side, and Yoongi next to their leader—Seokjin was occupied with his food when they arrived, one scrolling on his phone while the other crazily scribbled on his journal.

“You didn’t even try to at least cook me waffles, hyung. I’m hurt!” He exclaimed and the man rolled his eyes.

“In another life, if you were my soulmate, maybe I would’ve considered it.” Jin then flashed a smile at you before skipping back to the kitchen.

Jimin couldn’t help but notice how you shifted uncomfortably on your seat at the noticeably more generous portion on your plate and he switched his plate with yours, immediately shoving one into his mouth before his hyung returned. An action noticed by everyone in the room.

“Jimin,” Yoongi called out, voice gentle as a whisper. “Give me one.” 

He followed, standing up to bring his plate closer to his hyung and passing it over, adding the eggs into the equation when Yoongi motioned him to add it. Seokjin returns when Jungkook has trudged out of his room and taking the empty space next to Taehyung.

Jungkook immediately noticed the generous amounts on his plate and immediately reached out for two pancakes with his fingers and plopping it down on his plate before taking three more from the middle dish and practically drowning his towers in maple syrup. As if it wasn’t enough, he reached for the softened butter.

When Jin returned, it was with another dishful of bacon and slices of apple. If he noticed the change of plates, he said nothing. 

For a long while, they all occupied themselves with their food. A companionable silence 

“What’s the agenda for today?” Jungkook was the first to break the silence.

“Yoongi hyung is coming with us to buy furniture for noona.” Jimin replied.

Taehyung then stops slicing his pancake and jutted out his lips towards Yoongi’s direction.

“Can I come with you?”

“I need your voice for the new song I’ve been working on.” Namjoon replied, looking up from his journal with a stern stare directed at the pouting boy. “You’ve been gone for so long, I have a couple for you to work on.”

“I can do that tomorrow, hyung. Let me go just for today? Hm?” 

“I can go right? Since you need Tae’s voice instead of mine.” Jungkook sleepily chimed in, eyes still half closed and a hand raised halfway.

“You’ll do the carrying?” Yoongi challenges.

“I’ll even do the talking.”

Jungkook held his gaze with a small, playful grin, waking his face up which Yoongi matched after a couple seconds passed.

“Alright, you’re going with us, kid.”

“I have a touch-based soulmark, I need to come too!” Taehyung argued..

“It's not as drastic as Jimin’s. Even then, you’ve recharged enough.” Seokjin responds, pointing his fork at him.

But before Tae could reply, a shrill notification sound pierced through the air and Y/N pulled her phone out of the pockets of her sleep shorts. Eomma <3

Shit.

Seeing how fast the entertained lilt in her expression drops into dread, the table falls into a hush. As if sensing the approaching tsunami of words from her mother, Yoongi takes his mug and walks out of the room with Seokjin following close behind. 

_____

“What did I hear about you getting a soulmate? You ungrateful child, I carried you for nine months and raised you with my blood, sweat, and tears yet this is how you treat me?!”

That was how your mother had begun the moment you had accepted her call. Her voice, despite being carried through such a small device, had blasted out, her uncontainable rage far too grand to be limited by the phone’s initial features. How a small woman could hold such an explosive anger and powerful voice is a wonder no one in the world has the answer for.

Hearing her voice through the speakers had Seokjin, Yoongi and Namjoon fleeing the scene, but not without karma immediately hitting their leader who had accidentally checked his shoulder on the wall on his way out.

Jungkook followed quickly, dunking his milk in one go and taking his plate with him as he jogged to follow his hyungs, Taehyung behind him.

Jimin had tried to leave but was stopped by both your entangled hands.

“So damn ungrateful you are! Didn't even tell me what was happening, a fucking lawyer knocked on my door and there I find out that my child is tethered. What was my daughter doing to forget to tell HER mother she had soulmates? Why did I have to hear it from someone I don't know?!”

“Did you really think you could leave me alone here?” I whisper-shout at him.

“Noona, let me go. I know we can go for five minutes now.”

“You’re really gonna risk our health for that?”

“At least don’t turn the camera at me, let me hide under the table.”

“Is that my new son-in-law Jimin?” Your mother had chimed, her tone taking a sudden turn. I turned the camera to him despite the insistent shake of head and wide eyes. “When you said you were also trying to find a husband for my daughter, I didn’t think you’d mean you and your brothers!”

“I know right?! Who knew I’d be one of the husbands I’ve been talking about, right auntie?”

“Already talking about marriage, huh? Y/N!” You turn the camera to you and find her smiling so wide you feel your cheeks ache for her. “Your soulmates got good heads on them, already thinking about marriage this early on!”

You shake your head. 

While marriage had once been an issue you lost sleep on, you knew it was impossible to attain as idols. They still got stadiums to perform in, songs to compose and perform for the ARMY. Bangtan would continue on for years as long as they sing and dance or as long as their passion remains alive and roaring. They had worked hard to get where they are now, with the taste of glory and power that comes with their rise in fame, retirement is a far away dream when they’re just getting started. 

Not to mention, your brain still struggles to accept your new reality despite the very apparent a red string connecting you and Yoongi over the table, and hearing Namjoon's heartbeat at the back of your mind. Hoseok hasn’t even checked his test result yet but your mother is already looking decades ahead.

“Ma please, you know that’s after they retire which is thirty years from now.”

“Jimin,” she calls out, lip jutted out in a pout and he leans over to get into the frame. “Are you guys going to make this old woman wait to see her daughter be a bride? I’m not gonna last long you know? My bones hurt every morning and my appetite is beginning to weaken.”

Jimin laughed nervously, eyes wide as he turned to you for help but you're not going to jump in when his face has calmed the raging beast. 

“Don't think for one second that I'm done with you, you ungrateful brat! You haven't even told me why you broke it off with Guwon when he was about to propose!”

“D-does it really matter now?” You winced when Jimin narrowed his eyes at you. Suddenly remembering what was drowned out by the sudden revelation of your soulmate links.

“It doesn't, global popstars sound much better than a lawyer anyway but would it hurt you to tell me what happened exactly? Don't you think your mother deserved an explanation at least after I toiled away trying to find you a husband?!”

“Don't you worry about it anymore, auntie,” Jimin says, voice like a gentle caress trying to tame her fierce anger. “Noona now has seven to care for her now, we'll get to that bridge when it comes but for now, how about we treat you girls to a nice spa out in Jeju?”

“Oh? I wouldn't want to impose on your bonding period, but I'd like to take that offer later. How so nice of you, Jiminie.”

“It’s not the best of gifts but I assure you that there’s plenty to come. Expect a couple of fruit baskets from Yoongi hyung and other stuff too from the others.

“You seven better take care of my daughter, it would be a shame if you all mucked it all up and I have to resent you all.” Your mother sighed, feigning sadness. “Anyways, expect a visit from Soo-in soon dear daughter. She will deliver my heartfelt joy in my stead, your father still needs my help around the house, damn pride of his, he shouldn’t have mindlessly tried to fix the roof himself.”

A shiver wracks down your spine at the thought of your mother’s gift after ghosting her and Soo-in for almost a week now. 

The last time your sister had visited, it was after Jungkook had ‘ran-into-the-sunset’ with you on his shoulder and him covered from head to toe in black. The vile wrench had switched your sugar and salt, hid the lids of your tupperwares, hid lego in your shoes before eventually ending her wickedness by hiding the wires of your charger and the wifi router’s adapter.

If your mother only threatened to hang you upside down, Soo-in made sure everything in life became irritatingly inconvenient.

“She won’t be pinching my ears?”

“She’s classier than that, I raised her first so expect more. I love you, dear daughter! Visit us soon with your seven soulmates!”

__________

[Today, 12:42]            [12:42] The BADDEST💅: so let me get one thing straight and two things gay            [12:42] The BADDEST💅: ur linked with bangtan?            [12:42] The BADDEST💅: THE ENTIRE ROSTER?????            [12:43] The Mother😌: congratulations Y/N, I’m so glad you finally found your soulmates😊            [12:43] The Mother😌: always knew you’d be tethered            [12:43] The PRETTIEST🌸: so who’s the biggest?👀            [12:43] The BADDEST💅: girl I don’t even think you got the libido for two            [12:43] The BADDEST💅: how tf are you gonna handle seven?!?!?!            [12:43] The BADDEST💅: she was in the hospital u fiend @The Prettiest            [12:43] The BADDEST💅: she needs to be worrying about a different type of d to receive            [12:44] Queen Oblivious😮‍💨: SHUT IT MINHYUK            [12:44] Queen Oblivious😮‍💨: hoseok isn’t confirmed yet so its just six for now            [12:44] The Prettiest🌸: bet you wish he’s your soulmate too            [12:44] The Prettiest🌸: cuz the way that man thrusts his hips in baepsae?            [12:44] The Prettiest🌸: 🥵            [12:44] The Mother😌: have some faith in her, she’ll manage            [12:44] The Mother😌: gift giving for your birthday just got a whole lot easier though😊            [12:44] Queen Oblivious😮‍💨: wdym by that @The Mother😟            [12:45] The BADDEST💅: NO BUT SRSLY            [12:45] The BADDEST💅: HOW TF ARE YOU GONNA MANAGE SEVEN            [12:45] The BADDEST💅: ONE DICK PER DAY??? SEVEN DAYS A WEEK??/             [12:45] The BADDEST💅: lowkey wish that for me BUT            [12:45] The BADDEST💅: HOW??????             [12:46] Queen Oblivious😮‍💨: MINHYUK PLEASE            [12:46] Queen Oblivious😮‍💨: JIMIN IS LITERALLY NEXT TO ME            [12:46] Queen Oblivious😮‍💨: NABI CONTROL YOURSELF            [12:46] The PRETTIEST🌸: don’t scold me when ik ur thinking about it too            [12:46] The Mother😌: when’s the soulbinding?            [12:46] Queen Oblivious😮‍💨: Jihae please, its only been a few days            [12:46] The Mother😌: back in my days, people bound themselves and completed the bond on the first day…            [12:47] The PRETTIEST🌸: minhyuk i think you're forgetting the best part out of this            [12:47] The BADDEST💅: wut?            [12:47] The PRETTIEST🌸: imagine Alexa’s reaction when she finds out our dearest Y/N is Seokjin’s real soulmate            [12:47] The BADDEST💅: OH            [12:48] The BADDEST💅: she better HOPE she’s not in bighit anymore the moment the NDA expires            [12:48] The BADDEST💅: im going to be the most annoying fucker she’ll ever meet [Today, 13:02]            [13:02] The BADDEST💅: no but srsly how?            [13:02] The PRETTIEST🌸: R I P that pussy ayee

________

There’s nothing more infuriating than picking furniture with your soulmates, you decided.

Yoongi wanting everything to be practical and of the greatest quality matched with Jungkook’s penchant for only liking soft things, it was hell to be stuck in a furniture warehouse with the both of them. Jimin had never looked so godly when he insisted on letting you pick the brownish-red persian rug to be placed under the wide round canopy bed you had eventually settled with after a long debate with the rapper and the youngest.

What started as Jimin towing you around the shop to place you in front of every furniture before a mischievous grin spread across his lips, and the strength of the bed frames immediately turned sour when you both found your other two companions calmly arguing about the color of the curtains—they both eventually settled with thick white, and beige curtains, to Jungkook’s dismay.

He wanted black-out curtains for when he eventually ends up sleeping in your bed, he claimed.

The current dilemma, however, had you going silent as the prickles of irritation began to itch your skin.

Yoongi wanted to commission a carpenter he knew for a custom desk made for you and is insisting on you to skip shopping for tables and shelves, and take the cheapest one for now but Jungkook thinks it’ll take too long and wanted the boho vanity table set with a huge round mirror with stained glass around the edges. The rapper wanted the place you’d be doing work on, to be built with the practical features while keeping it organized but Jungkook, although he saw his hyung’s vision, refused.

“Imagine waking up with a canopy, great quality bed, amazing decor, then you have to stand up and work on a rackety blue plastic table because you have to wait months for that desk. How does that sound, hyung?”

Jimin not picking sides only added to the pounding headache you’re having.

While you understand both sides of the argument, either of those options didn't make you feel less guilty about having them skip work to spend all this money for your room, even if you knew how barely of a scratch their collective funds will take.

If Taehyung hadn't had the foresight to hide your wallet while you were in the shower with Jimin, the guilt would've been lighter.

You envy Jin who has been prickling your tastebuds with honey glazed fried chicken back in bighit, the lingering taste on your tongue making your stomach uncomfortably churn in hunger.

The disguises could only last for so long before people start noticing how familiar your soulmates’ eyes are, seeing as they’re plastered everywhere in the major cities. For the public to see your hands entangled in the pocket of Jimin’s coat would fuel the press for a year; hell, a century even with how the media moves these days.

As Jungkook’s voice picks up, you reach for the red string and Yoongi halts, looking down at the connecting line before gently grabbing it too.

‘Head hurts’

‘No more’

The rapper lets out an exhale and Jungkook stops.

‘Sorry’

‘Forgive?’

“Ok, so how about we take the set and I commission my guy then we’ll change it out once it's done?”

“Deal.”

Next to you, Jimin sighed in relief. “Thank god that’s settled, I thought I was going crazy listening to them debate on what’s better.”

“I don’t think either of them has ever fought for something they wanted that much.”

You turn to Jimin and a teasing smirk grows on his face.

“They love you like that, noona. Wanted nothing but the best of the best for you.” 

In a different context, you would've easily brushed off his comment but having the warmth of his touch thrum from your hand to your toes, the healing touch always at work, your cheeks flushed dark and you lightly slapped his arm.

Ever dramatic, he clutched his bicep and winced.

“Why are you hurting me like this?”

“Please, we have regeneration as our soulmark. You're barely hurt.”

“I'm gonna bruise and the fans are gonna see it then I'm telling them how much you like hurting me!”

________

When Hoseok arrived it was with a chorus of loud bangs!. The man had leapt at least a foot or two from the shock as confetti rained on him. 

Once he recovered though, he rained curses on the mischievous maknaes—and surprisingly, Yoongi and Namjoon too but they were spared due to one having his hyung privilege and Namjoon having retreated to the kitchen before his hyung had recovered from the shock.

Jin had clapped him in the back when he entered the dining room, fitting the huge and frilly birthday hat on his head and taking a picture of his dumbfounded reaction before the man could even realise what was happening.

Seeing them celebrate such a small thing, an odd feeling settles in your heart. You try not to be a killjoy but you couldn't ignore the mass settling on your gut.

Everything continued on as normal, everyone acted like they had before Jungkook's confession. They find out their links to you and suddenly, the past is behind them. As if you hadn't—although unintentionally—led them on and hadn't rejected three of them. A soul link appears and every fault was forgiven.

It wasn't only you who seemed to be feeling this way though.

Namjoon too it seems, seeing how he had kept his distance. Not in a bad way but rather a respectable, perfectly platonic way. You guessed it'll take long before the information would sink in for the non-believer, he was the one who had treated you more professionally than the others. You'd feel his concerned eyes ever so often but other than that, he'd treat you like a fragile glass.

Never to be touched and never to be perceived too long, fearing the weight of his gaze is enough to make you crumble.

(Or was it just you turning something that was normal before into fuel for your restless mind with the soulmarks now in the picture?)

You knew Namjoon is just having a hard time settling down with the fact that he's in a nexus connection with you but the ugly voice at the back of your head whispered a different tale. All of them are negative and judged far too harshly than you normally do yourself.

Jungkook bets his hyung will break after the third week, Tae says a month, and Jimin slyly says next week. You think it'll take Namjoon at least half a year before he properly processes him being tethered to someone, a non-believer.

The thumb that began to caress your knuckles snapped you out of your thoughts and you immediately found Jimin’s concerned eyes.

“You okay?”

You nod but he knew you better. Luckily, he lets it go.

“Open it, open it!” Jungkook chants, bringing everyone to gather around them.

Hoseok nervously laughed, placing down his car keys, phone, and wallet on the table before flipping the envelope’s flap. 

Unconsciously, you leaned forward as he carefully tears the paper, the sound seeming to echo loudly in the silence of everyone’s nervous anticipation. As his brothers had gone from standing at a respectful distance to noisily looking over the main dancer’s shoulder, Jimin had tugged you closer to join them, standing in front and peering over as Hoseok flips open the first fold.

Then out of nowhere, Yoongi had a burst of energy and screamed.

Everyone jumped at his sudden burst of energy making Hoseok’s hand shoot up to his heart and the three maknaes snapped their head to their hyung. The man in question laughed noiselessly, satisfied with the reaction he garnered.

“Hyung, why did you do that?! I just got out of the hospital and you want to send me back again!”

“You’re practically invincible, what are you talking about?” Yoongi shot back.

“Just open it, all I’m seeing is your information hyung and that’s boring!” Taehyung cuts in. “I already know what your blood type is, your last name—”

“You go open it then—”

His words died on his tongue when Taehyung snatched the paper up from the envelope and pulled it open. But before he could start reading the result, Hoseok took it back.

Waiting as he read through his results felt like watching the presidential race on the tv, heartbeat rising every time the opposing candidate gained more than the man you elected. You worried your bottom lip with your teeth. His eyebrows furrowed, his frown deepening as his eyes wandered lower and you began to panic.

Why are you even nervous? 

Aren't you being too greedy for wanting to have Hobi too?

Hoseok then crumbled into the floor, curling up to himself as he clutched the paper to his chest. Instantly, everyone panics as his heart shattering sobs echoed in the living room.

Suddenly, the colorful decorations hanging on the wall and the balloons scattered on the floor made

“Hoba? What’s wrong?”

“Hyung come on, don’t make me nervous like this!”

“What did it say?”

Jimin falls next to him, your hand momentarily forgotten to comfort his hyung and Jungkook follows, hugging the sobbing man while Seokjin reaches for the crumpled paper peeking out of Hoseok’s curled up form, a grim expression on his face.

“I am writing to inform you of the results of your recent soulmark evaluation and tethered status assessment. After a thorough examination and review of your diagnostic tests, it has been confirmed that you are,” Seokjin takes a deep breath then releases it shakily, a wide smile spreading across his lips. “Indeed tethered.”

You let go of the breath you had unconsciously held in as everyone in the room began to celebrate. Jimin pulled Hoseok to stand, laughing as the man continued to weep before reaching up to fix the birthday cap Seokjin had slipped onto his head. Jungkook, unable to stop himself from ridiculing his hyungs whenever he could, pulled out his phone to record them.

“How do you feel knowing you’re the first ever tethered in your family?”

Taehyung follows by placing his phone under Hoseok’s chin like a mic.

“You must be so happy being the first Jung to have a soulmate since the dawn of time, sir. Please tell us what you’re feeling right now.”

“Get that fucking… camera off my face or I’ll break it.”

Hearing this, Namjoon turns to the maknaes. “Stop teasing him, Seokjin hyung isn’t even done reading it.”

Despite this, Jungkook didn’t stop recording but Taehyung had skipped over to look over Seokjin’s shoulder.

“I think you’ll want to read this one yourself, Hoba.” The oldest says, handing the paper over to the sniffling man.

With his result back in his hand, Hoseok straightened himself, clearing his throat as Jimin gently wipes his tears off of his cheeks.

“This means you have a soulmate, a unique and profound connection that is both rare and significant. Furthermore, based on the characteristics of your soulmark and the energy patterns observed, there is a high probability that your soulmark is of the altering type.”

“They have the technology to figure out the soulmark type too?” Yoongi asks, surprised.

“Unfortunately, the global fated registry haven’t figured out a way to pinpoint what soulmark our patients have. It is with our deepest—”

“Didn’t know that, had mine cancelled when I figured it out before the results came.” Seokjin replied. Beside him, Taehyung pulls up his phone to rapidly type out whatever he had in his mind.

“I wonder what kind of altering mark it is. There’s a lot of documented ones but what if it’s also a new soulmark? A revived one from the 19th century like Jimin’s?”

“That’s unlikely.” Yoongi refutes.

“You don’t know that.”

With the initial elation ebbing away, everyone continued the celebration seated around the dining table where Jimin had parted from you to take out the congratulating cake from the fridge to light up and serve in front of their hyung who had almost toppled over with how hard he laughed seeing it.

Yoongi had insisted they also take out the apologizing cake so it wouldn’t go to waste. Upon hearing this, the group broke out in laughters, unbelieving until Jungkook brings out the ube flavored cake with the sentence “sorry your family nerfed your potential to be a lover boy.” placed on top in red icing.

The excitement never faded away through the night, dinner was lively, as if they had swept the four daesangs on both award shows. But instead of being influenced by the joy you feel down the red line from Yoongi and the practically vibrating maknaes sitting across you who keep cutting through conversations with suggestions on what soulmark their hyung might have, you find yourself standing behind a tall wall.

When everyone cheered and raised their mugs to toast, you only felt yourself mentally retreat further as a mass settled deep in the pit of your gut.

Seeing the men around you with wrists decorated in thick bands of gold that cost more than your yearly wage, faces flawless from careful maintenance, and names carrying the weight of their country’s pride, did you really deserve them? 

You, who was a nobody staff they just happen to gravitate to due to the closeness of age, matched with the members of the world’s biggest boyband. They weren’t just out of your league. You’re the human on earth wishing to reach the stars from another, far away galaxy, yet by fate’s generosity, you were given the chance to see the beauty of them from up close.

How does one come from dating sleazy men with oily hair and faces akin to an infant’s drawing to being tethered to superstars everyone in the world would sacrifice a life for a chance to talk to them?

When everyone had begun to retire for the night, Jimin had silently guided you back to his room. The sensation of him pressing a kiss on your forehead cuts off your thoughts, his arms wrapping around you in a tight hug grounding you further.

“Are you with me now, noona?”

“Of course, I always am.” You answered with a scoff, pulling away and he frowned.

“I could sense your feelings the entire dinner, don’t try to lie to me.”

Even in the shades of his room bare of any bright lighting, you feel Jimin stare past your physical body and peer into your soul. In the harsh darkness with only you and him standing in it, you felt exposed, stripped to the barest bone under his gaze.

Never have you ever hated having a soulmate than you do now with someone perceiving your feelings openly, sensing the slightest shift in your mood with a brush of skin. It's annoying, scary yet at the same time relieving that there’s someone who could hear the tune of the noise in your brain. 

Not many people have the same luck you have, seven soulmates with one of them granting you what technically is immortality, who else wins at life like that?

But do you really deserve it? Deserve them?

“Stop that. You deserve this, deserve all of us. If someone thinks otherwise, tell me their name and I’ll go beat them up.”

You laugh. “You can’t do that, that’ll stain your image.”

“I don’t think you understand just how important you are to me, noona.” He says, pulling you closer to him. “Before you think about it, I’ll beat someone up for you with or without the soulmarks.”

The image of someone with the face of an angel and a sweet demeanor like Jimin jumping someone in the parking lot to fight for your honor shouldn’t have made you cackle the way you did. The warm rumbles from your linked hands spread across your body and the thoughts were immediately silenced.

“I know you wouldn’t like it but I’ll be telling the other guys about this. I don’t like how you think you’re undeserving of all this when you do, in fact, deserve this bond after sticking with us through thick and thin. You saw all of our flaws and helped us in our bad days, you may think you haven’t done much to warrant this kind of luck but you do.” 

Jimin pressed his lips on your forehead and your heart skipped a beat.

“Namjoon hyung might have a problem expressing it, Yoongi hyung might not show it openly like Jungkook and Taehyung does, but they share the same sentiment. It’ll take them time to be more expressive so I hope you find it in yourself to be patient. We’re still in the adjusting phase so if anything bothers you, don’t hesitate to tell us.”

Tears were streaming down your face at this point, eyes burning as they poured out like a waterfall. The softness in his voice has eased its way into your heart and dispelled the gloominess surrounding it, replacing it with a crashing wave of relief followed by the warmth provided by the soulmark.

You didn’t realise how much your thoughts had been wearing you down until tonight. Comforted by his words and the tightness of his hug, the dam finally breaks and you falter in his hold.

“Shh, cry it all out, noona.”

“I-I shouldn’t be crying over something so stupid like this.”

He shakes his head. “It's not stupid. Don’t say that.”

There’s a tug on your pinkie and you feel the string grow heavier. Immediately, Yoongi’s concern bleeds into you.

‘Why crying?’

‘What happened?’

“Let’s go lay down, noona. I’m feeling the ache in my muscles bending down like this.” He says lightheartedly, giggling. “Don’t worry about answering the others, I’ll handle it later.”

Guiding you to the bed, Jimin tugs you to fall into his arms and you let yourself be pulled into his chest.

Between the sound of Jimin and Namjoon’s heartbeats, and his fingers tracing slow circles on your back while the other hand massaged your scalp, it was easy to be lulled into sleep. In the echoing sound of your sniffles and hiccups, his sweet humming permeates through the air. His song was familiar yet your sleep addled mind took a second to realise what it was.

Serendipity, your mind eventually supplied.

For a moment, in the solace his arms offered, the world became quiet and you fell asleep, forgetting to worry about what chaos yesterday will bring.

_________

TAGLIST: @wildestdreamsblog @canarystwin @prettywheenicry @jmnscutie @sassy-snassy @misuguru @11thenightwemet11 @yoongibaybee @rinkud @bri602 @igetcarriedawaywithyou @marvel-potter-1d-korea @comingupwithacoolnameishard @sooha-neul @juju-227592 @coffeewanderer @x-uno @diamonddia-mond @eggsysstuff @dearmyfavoritepeople-bts @sld88 @katsukis1wife

[shorthaltsjester]

sorry it so truly laughable to me to look at campaign 3 and determine the success of the stories therein based on screentime like. disregarding the fact that i personally take c3 to be the least valuable in terms of stories told, particularly ones about romantic love, for the moment: on principle it’s goofy as hell to think that a large amount of hours = a story that has something to say let alone something meaningful to say. like, yasha and beau, for example, have a fairly small amount of hours due to the fact that a) ashley missed half the campaign b) they were also generally slowburn, and while that influences the depth of certain aspects of the story, the time spent with yasha and beau has little to do with how meaningful their story is. it wouldn’t matter if they had 10 hours of screen time or 100 if what is in question is the story told; yasha’s story as someone chained by grief choosing to move on & beau’s story as someone angry after a life of being treated like shit finally getting justice for the wrongs done to her which both conclude in their campaign’s finales aren’t successful because I can launch some meaningless number of how many hours it took them to take build those stories together into the ether and say “they did this for women’s rights” just because two women existed beside one another. both yasha and beau resonate as stories that have a significant feminist read because they both deal with fantasy versions of things extremely relevant to women in a way that maintains their agency without shirking their responsibility, and they are particularly strong stories about queerness not simply because they’re two women who fuck but because they deal with emotional themes relevant to queer experiences — anger and grief — and how, while the reasons for those emotions are grounded ones, they both choose to grow beyond the boundaries they allowed those emotions to enforce in their lives.

further, the notion of screentime for a show that takes care to show all of the players on screen at a time in a medium where the player/character distinction isn’t always clear is such a subjective calculation and on top of being a stupid justification for ‘success’ or ‘value’ of a story, is also easy to manipulate to your favour.

it’s just, the screentime for im*dna’s relevance and success doesn’t ring true to me just because it’s a bad reason. but further it just isn’t persuasive. i don’t care if i see someone for 1000 hours or 1, if a story resonates it will do so with any amount of time. whatever amount of screentime they’re calculated to have does nothing to repair or hide the fact that their story as a couple says very little of value in the text, without whatever fanfic extrapolation has taken place (and to be clear, this isn’t to say fanfic can’t be valuable, it’s to say that the character explorations you do in fic or in meta for that matter doesn’t mean that analysis or elaboration is canon). like. halfway through the campaign, before they got together, imogen told laudna “our weirdness is what makes us right” and laudna agreed verbally but now 1 billion hours of screentime later or whatever, laudna has still failed to integrate that belief into her, which is made obvious in a scene after the divine intervention that ties laudna’s life to imogen’s when imogen tells laudna she’s grateful she got to hear the music of laudna’s thoughts, and laudna’s response is “it was probably a bit of the insanity, honestly”, something which on paper might read like a joke but in the moment is played like a (maintained from hours upon hours previous) dismissal of what imogen is saying she values about laudna, evident in the way laura/imogen deflates when she says “well, it was pretty…”. and simply because it’s been a trillion hours of screentime that’s supposed to be representative of a relationship in which the characters help each other to grow.

(addendum to say that stories that are about stagnancy can be just as valuable as stories about growth, but textually and by the sections of fandom im critiquing here, imogen and Especially laudna are treated as a relationship that grows)

truly, if anything, counting up as many hours as possible to dictate the success of imogen and laudna’s story actually ends up working against the story. because i’d probably be more forgiving of the stagnancy if it was a shorter story, but knowing that they had so many hours and still failed to deliver a story with actions and behaviour that matched the claims the characters would make and the tropes/themes that would get applied to them, that makes it worse.

[homuraakemis]

Ok, I need to get this off my chest, because it really annoys me when people blame Vi for having sex with Caitlyn because they think she should have known that Jinx was suicidal and gone after her. And it also annoys me when people say that she is "stupid" if she didn't realize that Jinx was suicidal. Because no. She is not stupid for not realizing it.

People severely overestimate the amount of time that Vi spent with Jinx after she got out of prison. She reunited with her sister in that tower and spent less than five minutes talking to her before the Firelights attacked. Then, she meets Jinx on the bridge and they don't talk, Jinx only shoots at her. Then Jinx kidnaps Vi, and when Vi wakes up, they spend around 10 minutes talking before Jinx kills Silco and blows up the council, and Jinx is gone again. The next time Vi sees Jinx, it's in Janna's temple and they only exchange a few words before they start fighting. Before Act 2 of Season 2, Vi didn't even have half an hour to talk to her sister and get to know her again. She didn't get the chance to know her sister beyond the simple fact that her sister has changed into a terrorist that needs to be stopped, but she couldn't possibly know all the details of Jinx's mental issues from such a short time she actually had to spend with her sister. The longest time Vi actually got to spend with Jinx after being released from jail was when they went to get Vander and spent a few days in Viktor's commune. And during that period, Jinx was in a much happier and healthier mindset, so it would not have been obvious to Vi that she had been suicidal.

I've seen people give some arguments that Vi should have known because of a few reasons, but I really disagree with all of them. The reasons I see people give as for why they think Vi should have known are: 1) Jinx blowing up herself and Ekko; 2) Jinx telling Vi in the tea party "you're the reason I'm still alive"; 3) Jinx telling Vi to kill her by saying "Go on. I'm ready. I'm glad it's you. Had to be you"; 4) Jinx's grief after Isha's death; 5) Jinx saying that she will break the cycle. And I don't agree any of these are enough for Vi to know for sure Jinx is suicidal:

1) Jinx blowing up herself and Ekko - Vi didn't see what happened in that bridge. She was carrying Caitlyn and only turned around to look back after she heard the explosion. She didn't see that Jinx deliberately tried to kill both herself and Ekko; she only saw an explosion, but that explosion could have happened for any number of reasons during the fight. Jinx could have tried to kill Ekko and got caught up in the explosion by accident. Basically, Vi didn't know what happened.

2) Jinx telling Vi in the tea party "you're the reason I'm still alive" - this line doesn't have to be interpreted as someone being suicidal. Vi says pretty much the same thing to Jinx ("I spent so many nights in that shitty prison [...]. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of getting back to you"), but that doesn't mean Vi was suicidal, only that Powder was the reason she kept going, kept hope. Vi probably interpreted what Jinx said the same way: she was the reason Jinx kept going, but that doesn't automatically mean Jinx was suicidal.

3) Jinx telling Vi to kill her by saying "Go on. I'm ready. I'm glad it's you. Had to be you" - Again, Jinx being suicidal isn't the only possible interpretation that Vi could have of this line. Jinx says this after Vi has her defeated and pinned down, so she could very well just be saying this as a way to accept death with dignity, not because she is suicidal.

4) Jinx's grief after Isha's death - a person can grieve and be sad without being suicidal. You don't jump to the conclusion that someone is suicidal just because they're sad.

5) Jinx saying that she will break the cycle - how exactly is Vi supposed to know what is this cycle that Jinx is talking about? Sure, we as the audience saw her conversation with her Silco hallucination, but Vi didn't. And even if Vi knew that Jinx was talking about the cycle of killing, breaking the cycle doesn't mean "killing yourself", it could simply mean walking away and leaving. Hell, when I watched the scene, I actually didn't think Jinx was going to try suicide, considering that right before that she had said to ghost!Silco that "killing isn't mercy", so I actually thought that she wouldn't think that killing herself would break any cycle. So if it wasn't completely clear that Jinx was going to kill herself even to me, who was privy to the whole conversation in Jinx's head, then I hardly blame Vi for not knowing.

I know some people might still argue that Vi should have remembered what Jinx said in (2) and (3) and pieced things together, as well as Jinx saying the line "doesn't matter what I do, I just can't seem to die" (this one does seem more concerning). However, not only they are not conclusive evidence that Jinx is suicidal, Vi probably doesn't even remember that Jinx said those things. Both were extremely stressful situations for Vi. During the tea party, she was focused on trying to apologize and get through to her sister, then she was panicked that Jinx might kill Caitlyn or that Caitlyn might kill Jinx. With all the stress Vi was under, I very much doubt that months later, Vi remembers the specific line Jinx said that might maybe suggest that she was suicidal. The same goes for what Jinx said in Janna's temple. Again, it was a highly stressful situation for Vi, and again it's highly likely she doesn't remember every detail of what her sister said after so many months.

So to sum things up: Vi had around half an hour of actually speaking with her sister between the time she gets out of prison and the time they fight in Janna's temple. She didn't have time to actually get to know her sister and her mental problems beyond the surface level, and yes, while it can be argued that Jinx said some concerning things that might indicate that she was suicidal, many of them can be interpreted in different ways, and Vi might not even remember exactly what her sister said after months have passed. The next time Vi does manage to spend more than 30 minutes with her sister while looking for Vander and in Viktor's commune, Jinx is in a much happier and healthier mindset, so again, it would be difficult for Vi to see that she was suicidal before. So no, Vi is not "stupid" or "bad at understanding mental health" for not knowing that Jinx was suicidal, she simply never got the opportunity to actually get to know her sister again.

And as we see in the sex scene, it's clear Vi didn't know. She tells Caitlyn "I was an idiot to trust her", which suggests that she believes Jinx simply betrayed her, that she was wrong to believe that Jinx had changed for the better, and Jinx is yet again probably going to do something violent. She clearly didn't realize her sister was suicidal.

And I wish people had a little more empathy for Vi in this scene. Think about this from Vi's perspective: she spends 7 years of her life in prison, being beaten up, with the only hope of reuniting with her sister. Then, when she gets out of prison, that very sister that was her hope is working for and killing people for the man that killed her family and is ruining Zaun; and then her sister also tries to kill her, kidnaps her, emotionally tortures her with the idea that she might have decapitated her girlfriend, and then asks her to kill her girlfriend. Jinx hurt Vi a lot. Vi has many feelings of betrayal and resentment towards Jinx that many people in the fandom don't really recognize. But because Vi is Vi, she is very loving and forgiving towards the people she loves, and as soon as she sees Jinx showing empathy towards Isha, she is eager to believe that Jinx has changed and wants to forgive her sister. Only for her sister to punch her, lock her in a cell and disappear when Vi tries to help. Think about how betrayed Vi must have felt here. Jinx hurt her so much, and when she gives Jinx yet another chance, Jinx betrays her again.

Yes, Vi is wrong here: Jinx didn't really betray her, Jinx did change for the better and is actually thinking about Vi's happiness when she locks Vi in that cell. But from Vi's perspective, this is yet another time where she tries to reach out to Jinx and gets burned in return. So of course Vi is feeling hurt and betrayed. Of course Vi is not immediately thinking about whether Jinx is suicidal or not, because right now, Vi is actually focusing more on her own feelings of hurt. And I wish the fandom would have some empathy towards Vi and allow her to have her own feelings, allow her to feel hurt because of Jinx's actions, instead of demanding that Vi should be paying attention to Jinx's feelings instead.

When Caitlyn arrived and told Vi that she allowed her to free Jinx, that Vi didn't lose her, that Caitlyn didn't blame Vi for what she did, think about the emotional relief and happiness Vi must have felt. In Vi's mind, she felt hurt and betrayed thinking that she lost not only her sister, but that she would lose Caitlyn as well for having chosen to help Jinx. So learning that she still has Caitlyn's love and support? No wonder she was so overwhelmed with joy. No wonder she needed to seize that moment of happiness for herself and let herself enjoy it. Because just like Vi had said before, that she was done blaming herself for her sister's mistakes, she is now also done chasing after her sister if her sister refuses her help. So she chooses to stay with the person who, despite also having hurt Vi in the past (though not to the extent Jinx has), is choosing to stay with Vi and support her. After everything Vi suffered, and after all that she has sacrificed for others, especially for her sister, she deserves to have a moment to focus on her own happiness without having people in this fandom pointing fingers at her for not martyrizing herself and going after her sister yet again.

[burning2know]

I agree wholeheartedly with OP and these tags from prev. prefacing that I will be ignoring the game that shall not be named and probably repeating some points.

There's nothing quite like the interactive medium of a video game that makes you examine your own choices and beliefs. And when it comes to politics, there's often a disconnect between ideology and lived experience. My favorite thing about DA was always the fact the it tried to bridge the two. Whether it's showing that various individuals in similar circumstances can have completely different ideologies, or it can be to explore what happens to individuals and their experiences after reshaping the world according to the player's ideology. That bridge, albeit implicit, has been formative in the way I think about my own world. When it comes to the lore and world building, it demands the player to use critical thinking, much like a historian might, to make sense of it. And I did end up feeling like I needed to make sense of the world to make my choices.

Even though DA has argued both sides, it does it incredibly well. The arguments it presents come from character perspectives that makes sense in the universe, and it makes it all feel real. I think a lot of credit should go to origin's writers for providing those arguments. It feels like the writers talking amongst themselves trying to hash out what each action means for the world and to eachother using the NPCs, and in the spaces of these discussions, I get to reflect on where I agree and disagree and what that means for me as a player. The experience reminds me of me watching Contrapoints videos in which she has a conversation with various parts of her own beliefs about her gender identity, and engaging with her inner-discourse lead me to a deeper understanding of my own identity.

That's the true value of arguing both sides. It lets the audience decide for themselves without being prescriptive. And while it does demand the audience construct their own reasons and values to explain their choices, it also provides a window into possible viewpoints that the audience might or might not agree with. And not in a judgmental way. That process shows how one character may arrive there, not through insanity or stupidity, but through various circumstances and experiences.

DA's goal was always to challenge the player. That isn't to say that there's no bias, or a particular perspective that the writers are coming from. But the point is that it opens a space for exploration. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do that without falling into the hole of appearing contrarian or troll-ish. And to some extent the writers themselves had to treat each argument with equal respect and legitimacy to display its outcomes in the game according to the rules of the world rather than their own ideals. And that itself is not easy. It doesn't surprise me that that world view and capacity disappears when the series changed hands.

And underlying all of that is a philosophy about how individuals operate, and how they operate when they come together into groups of individuals (many different words to say power and hierarchy). And that underlying philosophy is what resonated with me so much with over time. It's very compassionate to be able to hold space for these other perspectives. Not only rare to see due to the complexity required to show it, but easy to lose and difficult to gain back once you've lost it. And at this moment in the history of DA, we have lost it.

In some ways, I think the timing of this happening Makes Sense. We live in a tumultuous time where reality is uncertain and volatile due to the nature of new modes of information exchange. We see all kinds of people sharing things on social media that could easily be interpreted as lived experience or disinformation. And more than ever, our shared reality is being shattered into a million pieces by personalized content. (I too have felt the "we live in parallel universes" thought creeping up on me). In this chaotic environment, we Need the psychological comfort of certainty, of knowing what the world is like. The easiest and most familiar way is to find an authoritative voice and trust that single voice as the guiding star. That voice is only strengthened by others' agreement, and we contribute to this strengthening with our own psychological needs for certainty and stability. And we become resistant to dissent and critical analysis, because the amount of information to sort through gets very overwhelming very quickly.

What DA does has always been the opposite of that, it demands the player to confront multiple perspectives (albeit in a much more curated and coherent way). And it is logical to me that the game goes against such a primary psychological need in these trying times, perhaps now more than ever. But this theme has always gone against the grain, and media that goes against the grain in this way is so rare and So Badly Needed. We Need people to be able to think through and cobsider multiple perspectives, because there are so many perspectives accessible to us. At the same time I understand the draw of never ever having to do that. And I also understand that a lot of people just don't think that deeply ever. And that's why losing DA hits extra hard for me. Because it is another piece of resistance swept away with the torrent of greater trends that push us away from shared understanding with the people around us.

i feel like all of my pondering and analyzing and criticizing veilguard over the past few months has actually truly given me a better understanding of what dragon age meant to me, what about it specifically was so meaningful, and why, as a result, veilguard felt so wrong. it took a while for me to figure it out. about three full months of relentless essay writing, actually. but i think if you had asked me a few years ago what the core of my love for dragon age was, whatever answer i gave would not have truly gotten to the root of it, because i think i had to experience the disappointment of veilguard to fully understand why i love dragon age. and ive realized that core is that i loved how the previous dragon age entries demand so much of the player, and deliberately prompt introspection and critical, often political, thought.

dragon age games have historically forced the player to be self-reflective and introspective about their worldview and beliefs. solas is obviously a fantastic example, as he was deliberately written to be a reflection of the player in order to prompt them to reflect on how they treat people, how our expectations of people influence their behavior, and how people are pushed to extremes and turned into monsters or saved by love and kindness. how do people become monsters? what drives them to blow up buildings or start rebellions or destroy the world as you know it? are they right or wrong? does it even matter? how did you contribute to this? are you innocent? it puts these insane, politically and morally charged situations in your face and forces you to confront them. slavery, a refugee crisis, poverty, class disparities, racism, foreign occupation, the list goes on, and you are not given the option to look away or be a bystander. you have to ACT. you have to choose, you have to make judgements, you have to take responsibility and explore your role in this world as someone with the capacity to act upon it, to make your will a reality, to fail, to make mistakes. i honestly can't think of any other video game that does this to the same extent? nor any media at all because the act of being IN the world as one of it's people through the act of role-playing is essential to how it provokes this experience in the player. its ballsy. they deliberately try to make you uncomfortable. these games are full of liars, deceivers, betrayers. the games themselves lie to you. its character try to deceive you. did you catch it? or were you fooled? what else might you be fooled by? who else might be lying to you? in the game? in real life? and then you get to play it again knowing the end, and what the game prompts changes with your new knowledge. now it asks, do you forgive them? what makes someone worthy of forgiveness? where do you draw the line? what do you think?

i dont think i realized until recently how impactful this was for me considering how i first got into dragon age at 16 years old. i dont think i had experienced anything up to that point that would put a situation like judging a war criminal who ordered the deaths of children or another war criminal who just left me to die and orchestrated a near-coup or a traumatized terrorist who just blew up a church right in my face, and said MAKE A DECISION. and i didnt know it at the time, but looking back i can see how valuable it was for me at that age to have what was effectively an avenue of exploration and self-expression of all of these moral and political issues that i was grappling with as a young adult. i played inquisition for the first time just months before i voted in my first presidential primary. i already had a political consciousness at this point, but it was nonetheless new and vulnerable and still blossoming into something more concrete. inquisition, then, almost provided a sort of political, moral and personal sandbox for me from ages 16-20 to better help me understand myself in relation to the world. the RPG-ness allowed me to put myself into these situations - like the mage-templar war and its metaphor for mass incarceration and police brutality - while i was also simultaneously grappling with and trying to understand these issues in real life. having dragon age to help me further unpack my own beliefs and conception of these issues was undeniably impactful. it provided a space, through a narrative i enjoyed and cared about, to make choices and judgement calls and better understand who i was, and what felt right to me. it asked, "what do you think?"

veilguard lacks this. completely. and lets be clear that the previous games did not always do a perfect job. many of these depictions are messy and harmful and problematic, but they at least, by extension of their own existence in a narrative that forces you to THINK and JUDGE and DECIDE, give me the space and opportunity to judge them as messy, as problematic, as harmful. i can confidently say that i think da2 is too sympathetic to the templars as an organization because the fact that da2 presents me with so many narrative conflicts regarding the templar organization allows me to not just make in-game decisions and play as a staunch advocate for mage freedom and circle abolition, but to form opinions on the game itself by extension. i can confidently say that i believe the qunari's portrayal is islamophobic because the game has prompted me so many times; what do i think about the qunari? what do i think about the oppression of the elves? what do i think about dorian being a seemingly good person but defending the practice of slavery? who should rule orzammar; the progressive asshole or the conservative traditionalist? do i forgive loghain? do i forgive anders? do i forgive solas? this in-world critical thinking about issues in thedas leads to meta critical thinking. further questions naturally follow -> what message did the writers intend to send through anders? how can i notice the echoes of how this story came into fruition in the shadow of 9/11? what do solas's endings tell me about the writers view of retributive punishment? how is bioware's portrayal of the dalish, as inspired by indigenous north americans, reflective of deep-seated anti-indigenous canadian sentiment? why did the writers stop prompting these hard questions at all in veilguard? did they only like it when it was about characters, not when it led to critical thinking about them and the company as a whole? through these processes of in-world interrogation, i am inevitably invited to analyze the effectiveness of their narrative portrayals and the writing itself. perhaps this is why dragon age is so famous for its discourse lol.

ive said before that im not sure that veilguard could ever have been as impactful for me as the previous games, partly because when you are 16 everything is more impactful because your brain is an eager sponge, unless it did something that really resonated with me as an adult. but what it should have been, at the very least, is something that could have been as impactful and formative on a current 16 year old that sees a gif on tumblr and decides to check out the game, as inquisition was to me 10 years ago. and im sure there are teenagers and younger adults out there playing this game and loving it and loving the characters and the world and thinking its great, good fun. thats great. however it fundamentally cannot have the same profound, developmentally catalytic experience it had on me because it simply does not challenge the player. it does not prompt them to question their own beliefs and the power structures within their lives. it does not prompt them to reflect on the political narratives they may have been fed all their lives. it does not confront them with the sorts of topics that get books on banned lists in florida and force them to bear witness, to think deeper, to feel guilt or horror at the outcome of your own poorly-made decision, to make moral judgements, to make mistakes, and to live with the consequences.

i think i now understand why veilguard was so disappointing to me and ultimately would be a failure in my eyes no matter if i enjoyed the combat or the exploration or whatever other shiny coat of paint sits atop it. veilguard does not ask much of you. it does not prompt any sort of introspection or interrogation of your presently held beliefs. it does not demand anything from the player except to dodge at the right moment. this is a fundamental, core departure from what made me fall in love with dragon age in the first place. if you love dragon age because you want "fantasy escapism" and fun characters to smooch, then i am happy for you. but i would remind you that can find fantasy escapism all over the steam library - farming sims, cozy games, a witch looking for her cat in the alps, etc. what you cannot find are games that are willing and brave enough to challenge and provoke the player into a better, more thorough understanding of themselves in relation to our world and it's many, complex and daunting political and moral issues. to have lost such a thing, when media like this has become so few and far between, and during a time when we need it more than ever, is a devastating loss.

[greengoblinswifey]

Possession

pairing— fratboy!nicholas chavez x fem!reader

summary— After a week of ignoring Nicholas due to jealousy over his newfound attention on campus, you finally confront him at his frat’s party when another girl flirts with him, leading you step in and assert your claim over him making his dominant side come out to reassert control. Based on this request.

warnings— jealously, possessiveness, choking, praise kink, degradation, fingering, marking/hickey, oral(m), begging, edging, rough unprotected sex, creampie, aftercare, L bombs.

The first time you told Nick his glasses made him look hot, he was apprehensive. That being said, you fucked the confidence into him and made sure he knew exactly how attractive he was with those frames and lenses. Smug thing that he was, he wore them more often after that—especially around you.

What you didn’t expect, though, was for half the girls on campus to suddenly start noticing too.

At first, it was harmless. A passing compliment here, a doe eyed glance there. But then it was giggles from girls in his lectures, flirty comments from sorority girls you barely knew, and one too many whispers about how “Nick Chavez looks so good in those frames.”

And yeah, he was yours, but your brain needed a second (or ten) to reboot before you ended up saying something that would get you labeled as crazy.

It got worse when you were walking across campus with him one afternoon, his hand resting low on your back, when some girl you vaguely recognized from class slowed as she passed.

“I love your glasses, Nicholas,” she said, all sweet and flirty, her eyes lingering just a little too long.

He barely glanced at her, his arm tightening around you. “Thanks,” he said flatly, his attention never leaving you. But it didn’t matter. The damage was done.

Your jaw clenched as you stared straight ahead, anger prickling beneath your skin.

He must have noticed the shift in your mood because his fingers pressed a little firmer into your back. “You good?”

“Fine,” you muttered.

Nick hummed like he didn’t believe you, but he didn’t press it. Instead, he just pulled you in closer, his grip possessive as he continued walking.

You, on the other hand, weren’t fine. At all.

So you avoided him. Not in a dramatic, block his number way—but in a I need to cool off before I lose it way. You skipped out on dinners and lunches, ignored his texts, and kept your distance for a few days until the jealousy simmered down.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Your friends had other ideas. They dragged you to his frat’s party, insisting you “needed a distraction” completely ignoring the fact that the last place you wanted to be was his place, his party, where he was undoubtedly the center of attention.

And sure enough, the second you spotted him across the room, your mood soured all over again.

Nicholas stood by the bar area, laughing at something some random girl was saying, his stupid glasses perched on his stupidly handsome face, and the final straw? Her hand on his arm.

Fuck that.

Before you even realized you were moving, you crossed the room, slapping the girl’s hand away without so much as a second thought.

“Nah,” you said, voice sharp as you inserted yourself between them. “Hands off.”

Nicholas barely had time to react before you turned to him, arms crossing over your chest as you shot him a look.

“What?” he asked, eyes flicking between you and the girl, clearly trying to figure out what just happened.

You rolled your eyes. Big mistake.

His jaw ticked, and the next thing you knew, his hand wrapped around your wrist—not rough, not aggressive, but firm enough to let you know who was calling the shots

“Come here.”

You barely had time to protest before he was pulling you upstairs, weaving through the crowd until you were in his room, the bass from the party thrumming through the walls.

He shut the door behind you, arms crossing as he leveled you with a look. “Alright, what’s going on with you?”

You scoffed, folding your arms right back. “Nothing.”

“Yeah?” He stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly. “So you just went full mine mode downstairs for nothing?”

Heat rose to your face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Nick let out a slow breath, like he was trying to be patient. “You’ve been avoiding me all week, and now you’re out here swatting hands and rolling your eyes at me? Just tell me what’s up.”

You huffed, looking anywhere but at him. “It’s dumb.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He took another step forward. “Tell me.”

You swallowed, shifting on your feet before finally mumbling, “I don’t like all the attention you’ve been getting.”

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “You jealous?”

Your head snapped up. “No.”

He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “Lying to me now?”

“M’not lying.”

His eyes darkened just a bit, and before you could react, his fingers tilted your chin up, forcing your gaze to meet his. Not rough, not harsh, just firm.

“Look at me,” he said, voice lower now.

You did.

His thumb brushed over your jaw, and for a moment, all you could focus on was the way his touch sent a shiver down your spine.

“You have nothing to worry about,” he murmured, eyes searching yours. “No one else matters. Got it?”

Your breath hitched. You wanted to stay mad, to hold on to the attitude that had fueled you all week, but it was slipping through your fingers fast.

Especially when his lips ghosted over yours, teasing, waiting for you to close the distance.

And just like that, you forgot why you were mad in the first place.

After he took your breath away in an all consuming kiss, his grip on your chin tightened just slightly, his thumb dragged slowly over your jaw.

“You think ignoring me for days and rolling your eyes at me is cute, huh?” he murmured. “Think you can walk around with all that attitude and not deal with me?”

Your breath hitched, but you refused to back down, tilting your chin up in defiance. “Maybe.”

He huffed a laugh, shaking his head like you were testing every bit of his patience. Then, in one swift motion, his hand slid from your jaw to your throat, firm, thumb pressing lightly against the pulse point beneath your skin.

Your knees nearly buckled.

His eyes darkened, gaze flickering between yours as he took in your reaction. “Yeah?” he asked, voice dangerously low. “Still got something smart to say?”

You swallowed hard, but your throat barely moved under the weight of his palm. His grip wasn’t rough, he didn’t need to be. The sheer authority in his hold, the way he commanded your attention with nothing more than his touch, was enough to leave you breathless.

“Nothing?” he pressed.

Your lips parted, but nothing came out.

Nick smirked. “That’s what I fucking thought.”

His mouth was on yours before you could even process it, slow and consuming, like he was reminding you exactly who he was. His fingers flexed slightly against your throat as his tongue traced your lips, and when you opened for him, he took his time, deepening the kiss until your head was spinning.

You clutched at his shoulders, needing something to hold onto as he took you apart piece by piece.

When he finally pulled back, his lips hovered over yours, his breath warm against your skin. “You done acting up now?”

You didn’t answer, too caught up in the way his fingers were still resting against your throat, his thumb pressing teasing pressure just beneath your jaw.

He hummed, dragging his nose along your cheek before whispering, “You know you’re mine, yeah?”

Your breath came short, chest rising and falling against his.

“And you know I’m yours,” he continued, voice smooth and steady. “Always.”

The words settled deep in your chest, grounding you in a way you didn’t realize you needed. But before you could respond, he was guiding you backward until the backs of your knees hit the bed, and you had no choice but to sit.

He stayed standing, towering over you, his fingers tracing lightly down your throat before trailing along your tits, then lower. His touch was slow, a deliberate reminder that he was the one fully in control now.

“You been walking around with all this attitude for days,” he mused, tilting his head. “Ignoring me, rolling your eyes, swatting hands.” His fingers skimmed over your thigh, just under the hem of your skirt. “For what, baby?”

Your breath caught in your throat.

He clicked his tongue, eyes flickering back to yours. “You already know no one else gets to touch me. You already know no one else matters.”

His fingers slid higher to make your stomach tighten, but not enough to satisfy. His control was infuriating.

“You got all in your head over nothing.” He leaned in, lips grazing your ear. “And now you don’t even remember why you were mad, do you?”

You clenched your jaw, refusing to let him be right, but he saw straight through you.

Nick chuckled, fingers caressing your inner thigh. “That’s what I thought.”

His other hand still rested lightly at your throat, keeping you exactly where he wanted you.

“Keep your eyes on me,” he murmured.

Your breathing was uneven, your body tense with anticipation, but you did as he said, your gaze locked onto his. The intensity in his stare sent a shiver down your spine, his dominance leaving you dizzy.

His fingers dragged the softest touch along your inner thigh, making your breath hitch.

“Tell me what you want,” he murmured.

You swallowed hard, pride keeping your lips pressed together.

He just chuckled. “C'mon, baby. You had plenty to say before. Now’s not the time to get shy.”

Your fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, grip tightening as his fingers traced circles on your clothed clit—but still, still, he wasn’t giving you enough.

“Nick,” you breathed.

He raised a brow. “That’s not asking, sweetheart.”

You clenched your jaw, the ache inside you growing unbearable.

“Please,” you whispered.

His grip on your throat flexed just slightly. “Louder.”

You bit your lip, eyes flickering away for just a second, but his fingers pressed to bring your gaze snapping back to his.

“Eyes on me,” he warned, voice firm.

Your breath came short, chest rising and falling fast. “Please, Nick,” you said again, this time stronger, your body practically begging for relief.

He smirked, satisfied. “Good girl.”

And then he gave you what you wanted.

Your head tipped back against the mattress, a gasp slipping past your lips as he ripped your underwear and dipped two fingers into your pussy but his grip at your throat guided you back to him. “No,” he murmured. “Keep fucking looking at me, baby. Wanna see that pretty face while I take care of you.”

His fingers thrusted slowly, deeply, curling and finding that sweet spot inside you that made you writhe and moan. His thumb focused on your clit adding even more pleasure that made your breathing quicken. Your fingers dug into his wrist, body tensing, pleasure coiling tighter and tighter until you were right on the edge. But he wasn’t done with you yet.

"You want me to make you cum?” His voice was all control, all power.

Your breath hitched, body trembling. “Yes,” you choked out.

He hummed, dragging his lips over your cheek, his fingers never stopping, only thrusting faster. “Ask me nicely.”

You whimpered, your pride long gone, your only thought was him—his fingers, his mouth, his voice. “Please, Nicholas. Please make me cum,” you pleaded, your voice breaking.

His fingers pressed just right, flexing against the spot he knew all too well, and he murmured against your skin, “That’s my girl.”

Your body gave in, pleasure crashing over you as he fingered you through every second of it keeping you right where he wanted you.

As the high faded, your breath came in ragged gasps, your body melting against his. He finally loosened his grip, letting his fingers trail from your throat to your jaw, his touch now soft, soothing.

“See?” he murmured, brushing his lips over yours. “No reason to be jealous, baby.” His fingers traced up your thigh before pulling away, but his smirk remained. “These fingers?” He lifted them between you, wiggling his fingers just a little. “They're yours. They’ve only ever been inside you.”

You let out a shaky breath, still recovering, but Nick just grinned, pressing a slow, deep kiss to your lips.

“And next time,” he added, “you wanna act up? Just remember who I belong to.”

He didn’t give you a moment to catch your breath. Before you could even blink, he had your white top in his fists, fabric stretching, then—rip.

A gasp slipped from your lips, your naked tits exposed to the cool air for two seconds before his mouth was on you, hot and starved. His lips dragged down, his tongue tracing on your nipples.

Your fingers tangled in his hair, a whimper escaping as he sucked a mark against your tits. Red. He smirked against you. “Needy little whore, aren’t you?”

You squirmed, hands gripping at his shoulders as he trailed even lower, his fingers hooking into your skirt and hiking it up with ease.

“Nick,” you breathed, your whole body thrumming with anticipation.

“What do you want, baby?”

Your face burned, the words getting stuck in your throat, but you were too far gone, too desperate to care. “I- I need your mouth,” you admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

Nick chuckled, his hand squeezing your thigh. “Not tonight, sweetheart,” he murmured, pulling back to meet your eyes. “Not after ignoring me all week.” His grip tightened just slightly, keeping you grounded beneath him. “You wanna act like you don’t need me? Like you can walk around rolling your eyes, pouting, staying away from me?” He tilted his head. “Gotta make it up to me first.”

Your breath hitched. “How?”

He leaned in, lips grazing your ear. “Get on your knees.”

A shiver ran down your spine, heat curling low in your stomach.

His voice dropped even lower, coaxing. “C’mon, baby. Be good for me.”

There wasn’t a single ounce of hesitation in your body. You slid off the bed, sinking down before him, eager, desperate to please.

He smirked, watching you, eyes dark with satisfaction. He cupped your jaw, tilting your chin up so you had to look at him.

“Yeah,” he murmured, dragging his thumb over your bottom lip. “That’s my girl.”

You did exactly what he asked, eager, desperate to please, your hands gripping his thighs as pulled his sweats and boxers down. He was hard leaking from the tip and you immediately you worked him over, taking in every sound he tried to suppress.

You took him deep into your throat, moving your head while you stroked what couldn’t fit. You looked up at him all teary eyed, your mascara ruined.

Nick’s jaw was clenched, his head tipped back against the wall, and even though he was doing his best to hold back, you could feel the way his cock throbbed, how his fingers flexed in your curls, the way his breath came short and sharp.

“Fuck,” he hissed, his grip tightening. “You—” His voice broke, and that alone sent a surge of pride through you.

You knew he was close. You could feel it in the way his cock twitched in your mouth, in the way he fought to keep control, how he tried—tried—not to let go of his control completely.

But then, just as he was about to cum, his hands tightened in your curls and pulled you up.

A breathless gasp left your lips as you stumbled to your feet, but before you could even process it, his hand wrapped around your wrist, and his voice came low and firm.

“Get on the fucking bed.”

Your stomach dropped. You did as you were told, barely able to breathe as you crawled backward onto the mattress, your pulse hammering in your ears.

Nick followed, his presence overwhelming as he caged you in, hands bracketing either side of your hips. His eyes flickered over your face, sharp and knowing, drinking in your confusion, the lingering desperation in your expression.

“B-but,” Your voice was shaky, words laced with uncertainty. “Why didn’t you cum?”

He cut you off with a smirk, his hand dragging slowly up your thigh. “You don’t deserve my cum.”

Your breath hitched.

He tilted his head, his fingers tracing mindless patterns against your bare skin. His grip then tightened, making you gasp. “You really think you should rewarded?”

His other hand came up, fingers gripping your chin, forcing your gaze to stay on his.

“You wanna act like a brat?” His lips brushed against yours. “Then you’ll be treated like one.”

You swallowed hard, your breath unsteady, pussy aching for more—but he just smirked, brushing a soft kiss to your mouth before pulling away, leaving you needy and wanting.

“Next time,” he murmured, “maybe you’ll think twice before ignoring me.”

He didn’t give you a second to whine. His hands were firm as he grabbed your thighs, pressing them back, spreading you out beneath him with ease. Your breath caught in your throat, the position leaving you feeling exposed, but there wasn’t a single part of you that wanted to stop him.

“Look at you,” he murmured, his grip tightening to make you squirm. “All needy and wet now, huh?” Acted like you didn’t want me all week, and now look where you are.”

Heat flushed through your body, embarrassment mixing with the undeniable ache he’d built inside you. You needed him so bad. This side of him had you desperate.

He chuckled, dragging a slow hand up your thigh. “So much attitude. So much back talk.” His fingers gripped harder, making you gasp. “But now? Now you’re just a sweet little whore, waiting for me to touch you.”

A whimper slipped from your lips, your hands curling into the sheets, and he smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

He moved slow at first, almost teasing, dragging his cock slowly inside your walls, before his grip tightened, and he set a pace that had your breath stuttering. His hands held your legs back firmly, keeping you in place, his focus locked onto your face, watching every reaction like he was committing it to memory. The way you trembled, the way you bit your lip, the way your fingers fisted the sheets, he took it all in, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.

“Where’s all that attitude now, huh?” he murmured,. “Not so tough anymore, are you?”

A moan tore from your lips, your back arching as your pussy fluttered around his thick cock, but Nick just tsked, his hand sliding up your body, fingers wrapping gently but firmly around your throat, tilting your chin up to keep your eyes on him.

“Nuh-uh,” he murmured. “Keep your eyes on me.”

It built fast, the pleasure curling in your stomach, your breaths growing shallow, your pussy clenching around his shaft as you reached the edge. As it gripped him, you could feel the veins on his cock pulsating, teasing you, just begging you to cum. Your fingers dug into his arms, back arching as you felt yourself teeter—

And then he stopped.

A strangled whimper caught in your throat as your eyes snapped open, your head lifting in disbelief.

He just sat back, smug, his breathing even as he watched you, his fingers dragging over your jaw with amusement.

Your chest rose and fell rapidly, your brain struggling to catch up. “Wh—why did you stop?”

He tilted his head, a slow smirk tugging at his lips. “Because you don’t deserve to fucking cum”

Your stomach dropped. Nicholas leaned in, his grip tightening. “You really thought I was gonna let you cum on my dick just like that after the way you acted?” He ran his thumb across your bottom lip, watching you closely. “Nah, sweetheart.”

Your breath hitched, frustration and need clawing at your insides, but he just pressed a soft kiss to your pouty lips before pulling away entirely, leaving you wrecked, wanting, and desperate for more.

“Maybe next time,” he murmured, smirking as he sat back. “If I feel like making you cum.”

Then, he moved you, positioning you on your stomach, his hands firm as he guided you to arch your back. His breath was warm against your ear as he whispered, “You’re mine, and I’m not gonna be gentle.”

Despite his words, there was an undeniable tenderness in the way he held you, in the way he guided you slowly onto his awaiting cock, as if he wanted to remind you that he would never hurt you, no matter how intense things got.

He moved fast, pounding into your pussy with a steady rhythm that had your mind foggy. Each stroke was harsh, his body pressing into yours, pinning you down onto the bed, making your pussy feel every inch of his dick. He was determined, focused on making both of you feel everything.

He moaned softly as he felt your pussy tighten around him, each thrust pushing you closer to the edge. He could feel you getting close, the way your pussy twitched, your body shaking beneath him.

“Beg for it,” he whispered, his voice commanding, but the affection in his tone was still there. “Beg me, and I’ll let you cum.”

You could barely form words, your body craving release and only focused on his cock moving in and out of you from behind but all you could manage was an urgent, breathless plea. “Please, Nick, p-please.”

His grip on your waist tightened, his voice full of authority. “Apologize for the way you acted earlier. Tell me you’re sorry for ignoring me.”

You nodded quickly, your voice shaking as you whispered, “I’m sorry, Nick. I didn’t mean to be like that. Please make me cum.”

At your words, his pace quickened, a groan escaping his lips as he pressed his cock deeper, harder. If it wasn’t for the faint music, the whole frat party would’ve heard and wondered if he was murdering you. You could feel the tension building, everything inside you tightening, and with his final thrust, he made you cum, just as you felt the release you were desperate for.

A week of no contact in every aspect. A week of not having his dick inside you came crashing down and you cried out. Your pussy clamped around him, soaking him with your cream and juices as your entire body convulsed from the pure intensity of it all. Your fists grabbed the sheets, holding on to something—anything, as your release washed over you.

And then, moments later, he followed, his own moan escaping as he spilled inside you, every drop, not a single going to waste and he collapsed beside you, pulling you close into his arms.

“I’m yours, always,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from your face as he held you, gently tracing his fingers over your skin.

In that moment, everything was calm, the tension between you two finally dissolving.

He softly kissed your forehead, his breath still a little heavy, but there was a warmth to his touch, a reassurance that made you feel safe and cared for after everything.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he murmured, his voice sincere as he gently stroked your hair. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you weren’t important or that those compliments mattered. I know I kinda messed up, but I care about you too much to hurt you.”

You melted into his embrace, your own voice shaking as you responded, “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have let my jealousy get the best of me. I know you’re mine, but I just—I couldn’t help how I felt.”

He smiled softly, his hand brushing your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin gently. “I understand, baby. I get it now. I should’ve reassured you sooner, I just didn’t want to make things awkward. You’re everything to me.”

You nodded, feeling the weight of his words sink in. You hadn’t realized how much you needed to hear him say it, but now that he had, you could breathe again.

“I love you so much,” he whispered, a little breathless, his forehead resting against yours.

You smiled, feeling that knot in your chest loosen. “I love you too, Nick.”

You kissed again, slow and deep this time, savoring the closeness and the quiet understanding between you. There was just the comfort of knowing you were both in this together, learning and growing with each other.

After everything, the bond you shared only felt stronger, and in that moment, it was all that mattered.

‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿

Tags: @blackynsupremacy @hoffmansgirl @emluvsuxo @hopefully-saturn @chavezhoe @jennieonline @girldisrupted @nicholaschavezslut69

[ecoterrorist-katara]

What do you think about the fact that Sokka became chief of the SWT in canon? Did Katara want the position? If she did, what did she think about Sokka getting it instead of her? And if she didn’t want the position, why?

hello!!! Great question. Oh man I am Not happy about Sokka becoming chief of the SWT…I think he should’ve gone to Ba Sing Se University and gotten an engineering degree and spent his life making cool inventions…

I do think Sokka is a leader, but there are many flavours of leadership and he strikes me more as a very competent bureaucrat more than somebody who makes decisions on the world stage. I think he actually could’ve made a terrific technocratic advisor to someone like Katara, who is not quite as detail-oriented when it comes to solving problems. Like if the Water Tribes ever had, idk, a supply chain or procurement problem, Sokka would be all over that. If we’re talking about who displays more traditional qualities of leadership (willingness to take initiative, comfort with public speaking, tact and diplomacy, willingness to hear out different perspectives, ability to inspire others), Katara has a natural inclination. They could’ve been cool co-rulers too, actually.

As for whether Katara wanted to be Chief: so! Great question! I think if anyone had ever asked Katara “hey do you want to be the Chief of the Southern Water Tribes,” she would’ve been shocked, then said YES. Unequivocally.

But: we don’t see adult women in any positions of power in ATLA, and I think that’s something that Katara subconsciously internalized. As much as she’s a feminist icon who’d fight Pakku, I’m not sure she ever thought about women in positions of political power. Remember that the reason Katara was so set on learning combat waterbending was because the South did have female waterbending fighters, so she knew it was a possibility, but she’s never heard even a hint of the idea that a woman could be a ruler. Even Kiyoshi Island, the girlboss utopia, is run by a man. The only time we see a woman potentially becoming a ruler of anything is when Azula was briefly made Fire Lord, and even then it was pretty clear that she was supposed to be a puppet. In the North, Yue was never going to be Chief and everyone seemed to have accepted that, and Katara doesn’t find it unfair. This sounds so stupid, but I think this is why it’s important to have role models, you know? Katara would 1000% want to be Chief if anyone ever told her that it was an option.

What I do find super weird is how Katara also never seemed interested in a seat on the United Republic Council, even though working with people and pursuing justice and peace is very much Katara’s thing, and we do know that the URC had at least one Councilwoman. I don’t have a Watsonian explanation for Katara’s comparative political irrelevance that isn’t extremely sad (i.e. she decided she’d rather spend energy on restoring Air Temple Island and raising her children instead of pursuing a career in politics even though Toph also did a whole Thing while being a single mom).

I think if the writers of the comics and TLOK had gotten their heads out of the “girl power = girls fight good” mentality, they would have realized that Katara would be an amazing world leader. But they didn’t (and to be fair they seemed to have also forgotten that Katara fights at all), and we must live with the dumpster fire that is Katara’s canon arc.

[jjkarmy091]

The Boyfriend Game- Jungkook (finale)

-> synopsis: You never thought that fighting for a position in JV's team would end up with you falling for the guy who was helping you out with it, especially since he had the same rule as you: no date, no romance, just socceer

> pairing: Soccer playerJungkook x (f) reader

> genre: romance, strangers to friends to lovers; angst; fluff

> word count: 8k

Monday was the worst day of my life. Jennie ignored me all day and Sana tried to be neutral. Practice was the worst. Jennie knocked me to the ground three times and played the best I’d ever seen her play. Even with how much I’d improved during the time I’d been practicing with Jungkook, she was still better than I was. I was peeling my face out of the dirt for the third time when Sana squatted next to me. “You okay?” 

“Great.” I spit some grass out of my mouth and sat up. 

“You might want to apologize. That would help.”  

“Apologize? I was trying to help her!” Sana picked something out of my hair and tossed it on the field.  

“Well she doesn’t see it that way.” 

“Gee, you think?” She looked past me. “Especially when Tae showed up to practice again to watch you.” 

“What?” I twisted around to peer behind me. Sure enough, Taehyung was  lounging on the sidelines, wearing his Nike shades and his usual jeans. Jimin was standing next to him, kicking his toes in the dirt and shooting periodic glances at Sana. Those two really needed to get together. 

“Great. Like that’s all I need is to have Tahyung here to bug me . . .” But as I studied him, I realized he wasn’t looking at me, he was in fact studying the field where the action was. I turned to look in the direction he was gazing and my heart skipped, he was looking at Jennie! No way. But he definitely was. 

Grinning, I stood up and dusted myself off, watching Jennie sprint around like someone had given her a bad haircut and ruined her life. She had no idea Taehyung was watching her. She was simply being a pain in the butt to destroy me. 

“What are you looking at?” Sana asked. 

“Taehyung’s here to see Jennie, not me.” 

“Nuh-uh . . .” Then she faded to quiet as she saw what I was seeing. “Wow. 

She has no idea. I’ll go tell her.” I grabbed her arm before she could move.  

“No. Taehyung only liked her when she forgot about impressing him and stopped being a stupid, flirty girl. If you point it out, she’ll go all weird on him again.”  

Coach Merrill blew her whistle, signaling the end of practice and I saw Jennie shoot an evil glance at us before marching over to help Coach round up the soccer balls. My jaw tightened when I saw her chatting up the coach, she never talked with Coach. Ever. She was doing it just to get on the team just to displace me from varsity.  

“I never tried to take him from her, but she’s for sure trying to steal my dream.” Sana shot me a look but said nothing. What could she say? She knew I was right. 

As we watched, Taehyung sidled up toward Jennie and started helping her pick up the balls. She jerked her gaze toward him, then grinned, then said something and he laughed, his gaze latched on to her face like she was all he needed to survive. I pressed my lips together at the sight of their little bonding.  

I wanted Jungkook to look at me like that just one time. I wanted him to walk up and be all cool and casual even after finding out that I liked him. 

“Look at that. Tae ditched Jimin. You think I should go keep him  company?” Sana was watching Jimin with the most pathetically wistful look on her face I’d ever seen. 

“Yeah, you should. Go talk to him.” 

“Okay.” She nodded once, ran her fingers through her hair and then trotted over to him. He gave her a shy but totally adoring grin when he saw her approaching him. I stood there, alone, watching my friends make these guys smile, and I knew what I had to do. I marched over to “our” field and there he was, kicking goals while he waited for me. Enough! He was adorable and funny and talented and I simply couldn’t take it anymore. Jungkook glanced over at me and grinned.  

“Hey.” I took a deep breath and walked toward him. His smile faded.  

“What’s wrong? You look ticked off.” 

“I can’t practice with you anymore.” He frowned.  

“Why not? This is the big week. Crunch time.” 

“I know, but I’m going to do it on my own.” His frowned deepened.  

“Why?” 

“Because I am.” I started to turn to leave, then hesitated at the look of confusion on his face. Over the last couple of weeks, he’d become my friend and I owed him an explanation of some sort. It wasn’t his fault he was an idiot, so I caved. “Here’s the thing, Jungkook, that kiss was way out of line.” He grimaced.  

“But I said it didn’t mean anything.” 

“Exactly.” A little furrow formed on his brow.  

“So?” I shook my head, not quite willing to actually lay it out there. I mean it was one thing to hint at it, it was another to announce I liked him and I wasn’t interested in being treated like a leper from the guy I considered my friend. 

“So you changed the rules when you kissed me and I can’t go back.” He cocked his head.  

“Why not?” I poked him in the chest.  

“Because you’re wrong. A girl and a guy can’t kiss on the lips and have it mean nothing, okay? Not a kiss like that.” He stared at me as a look of shock started to fill his face.  

“Are you saying that you liked my kiss?” 

“That’s not the point!” 

“But did you?”  

“Forget it!” I threw my hands up in the air and started stalking back toward the gym. I could not have this conversation. Jungkook was beside me in, like, one second.  

“Can you stop walking for one minute? We need to talk.”  

“What’s there to say?”  

“Do you . . . like me? Like, like me?” he asked. I heard the hesitation in his voice and I bit my lower lip. This was it. The end of our friendship I could already feel him drawing away. I took a deep breath, steeled my resolve and then turned to face him. His eyes were wary and he wasn’t touching me. He looked so cute, so awesome and all I wanted to do was say yes, to tell him the truth. He took a step backward, away from me. “Do you?” 

I lifted my hand and he flinched and backed up another step, in case I was planning to touch him. My throat tightened up but I had my answer. There was only one response I could give him if I had any pride, so I set my hands on my hips and met his gaze.  

“Jungkook, I think you’re a great soccer player and I enjoy hanging out with you, and yeah, I think you’re a decent kisser.” His skin took on this greenish tinge and he shifted his weight, shoving his hands deep inside his pockets “But quite frankly, you’re not my type.” 

Relief cruised over his face making me want to bury my head in a pile of leaves and cry.  

“That’s great.” He chucked me on the shoulder. “You had me worried for a minute. Don’t mess with me like that. I can’t take it.” 

I started walking toward the gym again, noticing that Jennie and Sana with their boys were hanging out in a little foursome by the field. I could hear their laughter and it made me feel even more alone, so I shot Jungkook a haughty look.  

“You’re delusional if you think I could ever be interested in you.” I laughed even as my heart was breaking into tiny little pieces. The varsity girls were walking in the opposite direction of me, toward the field. I wanted to be with them. If I were with them, Jungkook wouldn’t matter anymore. His shoulders relaxed at my words and he fell in next to me as I walked. Then after a minute or two he cocked his head.  

“What’s so wrong with with me?” I rolled my eyes while I tried to come up with a reason that he’d believe. 

“Because . . . you’re like a girl.” His eyebrows shot up.  

“What? ” I coughed to stifle a laugh. “You’re like one of my girlfriends, except you like sports as much as I do. I can talk about anything with you, and we have fun and stuff.” I nodded. “Yep, you’re like a girlfriend with hairy legs.”  

“A girlfriend with hairy legs?” he repeated, his voice slightly elevated. 

“Yeah. And you smell worse than girls after soccer, but other than that, it’s pretty much the same.” I had to turn away from the look of horror on his face so he didn’t see me crack up. Pride salvaged, I guess. I yanked open the door to the gym and he grabbed it as I stepped inside. He was looking at me, like he couldn’t quite figure me out.  

“You’re some kind of piece of work, Y/n.” I managed a cheeky grin that I didn’t believe.  

“With compliments like that is it any wonder you’re like a girlfriend to me? That’s not the kind of thing a guy would say to a girl.” He frowned, but didn’t reply. Inside all I wanted to do was shrivel up and die. It was over between us, we’d kissed, it had been awesome and he still wanted to run away from me. The only thing that salvaged our relationship was the fact I’d called him a girlfriend with hairy legs, how truly pathetic. I stopped outside the girls’ locker room, where I could hear my teammates laughing and giggling.  

“I gotta go.” He grabbed my arm before I could open the door.  

“Why? Why are you ditching me this week? Just because of a kiss? I don’t get it. I didn’t think you were the type to get all worked up about things like that.” I looked at him with his brown hair all messed up and his intense brown eyes and for the first time wondered what I was doing liking him.  

I mean, seriously, should I really waste my time liking a guy who would freak out at the thought of me liking him? A guy who hadn’t noticed I was a girl even after I was dressed like a total babe on Friday night? It was time to stop liking him. I deserved more than to have to spend time around him, watching every word I said in case I scared him off being miserable because I couldn’t stop liking him and he didn’t like me.  

“Oh, I’m a girl, Jungkook. You were the one who didn’t notice.” Then I shoved open the door to the locker room and let it slam shut in his face.  

The next two days were even worse. I avoided Jennie and Sana and ducked into the bathroom once when I saw Jungkook walking toward me when I was on my way to English class. I arrived at the last second to classes and took off at the first minute the class was over, so Jennie and Sana wouldn’t have to make up a reason not to talk to me. 

I went to practice. I busted my butt. I tried not to notice Taehyung and Jimin there, cheering on Jennie and Sana. I didn’t go to the field where Jungkook and I used to practice, I wanted to sneak over to “our” field to see if he was waiting for me. I wanted to, so badly tho. 

But I didn’t. I couldn’t.  

Hanging out with him right now . . . I couldn’t take it. The thought of spending time with him and not having him even acknowledge I was a girl . . . it was just too awful, so I talked my mom into buying me a bunch of cones of my own and I took a couple of balls and cones and practiced at the middle school on Tuesday and Wednesday.  

It sucked, I was so lonely, but I wasn’t about to give up on varsity and I couldn’t bear the thought of all my friends and Jungkook seeing me by myself, like some pathetic loser, so I was a pathetic loser in private. Much better. 

I was so bummed out that it didn’t even help when my dad stopped by the house to drop off new cleats for me. I knew my mom must have called him and told him how miserable I was, so he’d brought the shoes. 

All it made me do was think of Jungkook—how he’d said that my dad probably really did care but was just too busy. I needed my dad, and he’d delivered, just like Jungkook had said. 

Wednesday night I was sitting on my bed, picking grass out of my new cleats and I thought of calling Jungkook to tell him that he’d been right about my dad. Jungkook would want to know, he’d be happy for me. I picked up my phone and pulled up Jungkook’s number, stared at it, then hung up. Polished my cleats. Eyed my phone. Opened it again. Pulled up. Opened it again, pulled up Jungkook’s number and then I hit send. 

Then I disconnected and threw my phone on my pillow. I needed to stop obsessing! It rang five seconds later and I dove for it, my heart jumping when I saw it was Jungkook. I flipped it open. 

“Hello?” My voice sounded breathless, and I cringed. 

“Did you just call?” I flopped back on the bed at the sound of his voice. Deep, soft, perfect. 

“Yeah. I was just going to tell you that my dad surprised me with new cleats for tryouts on Friday.” 

“That’s awesome.” I could hear the smile in his voice and suddenly I felt totally upset again. I so wasn’t over him. “See? Nothing to worry about, Y/n.” 

“Yeah.” I twirled my hair around my finger. “So, that’s it. I’ll, um, talk to you later.” 

“Wait!” I put the phone back to my ear.  

“What?”  

“Listen, Y/n, I screwed up with the kiss thing and I’m sorry.” I said nothing. What was there to say? He groaned and I heard something crash like he’d kicked something over. 

“Come on, Y/n, can you cut me a little slack? I want to be friends. Can’t we be friends?” Friends. What an ugly word.  

“I don’t think so. Not right now.” 

“Give it tomorrow. We’ll practice and see how it goes. You do want to make varsity, don’t you?” I pressed my lips together and nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see me.  

“Yeah.”  

“So, let’s do it. You need me.”  

“No.” I lifted my chin. “I don’t need you, actually. I think I have to do it on my own from now on. If you want a friend, go hang out with Winter, I’m sure she’d be happy to kiss you and have it mean absolutely nothing.” And then I hung up and tossed my phone aside. I deserved more than what he could give me and I didn’t need a pity practice from him. 

I was wearing my new cleats and walking across the field to JV practice on Thursday when I felt someone fall into step beside me. No, there was someone on both sides of me. I dragged my gaze off the ground and looked up. It was Jennie and Sana, one on either side, trapping me.  

“What do you want?” I snapped.  

“To apologize,” Jennie announced. I shot her a disbelieving look. 

“Are you kidding?” 

“Nope.” She and Sana exchanged glances. “See, I’ve been sort of hanging out with Taehyung this week.” I kicked at a tuft of grass and kept walking.  

“I noticed.”  

“He likes me.”  

“Great.”  

“And it’s because of you.” I looked up at that.  

“What?” Jennie shrugged, looking sheepish.  

“He told me about your conversation at Pop’s with him. How you told him I was actually cool, if he’d just look for it. Because of what you said, he noticed me and because of what you told me about acting dumb around him, when he did start paying attention, I dropped the act.” She smiled, her eyes bright with happiness. “So now we’re . . . kind of dating and I owe you for it. I love you and I’m sorry. Really, I’ve been a jerk.” She slung her arm over my shoulder.  

“And the cool thing is, that when I started working hard this week on soccer to bust you, I realized how much I love the game. It’s fun to sweat! So you got me the guy and helped me realize what I wanted. And I’m so sorry for how badly I treated you Y/n.”  

“I’m thrilled for you,” I mumbled. Or I would be, if she weren’t stealing all my dreams. Her smile faltered.  

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you happy for me? Do you want me to kiss your toes or something?” Toe kissing wasn’t going to cut it.  

“No, it’s fine.” They both frowned at me.  

“Are you still mad?” Jennie asked. “I meant it when I said I was sorry. Since when do you hold a grudge?” I shook my head as we approached the field for our last JV practice before tryouts happened tomorrow.  

“No, it’s other stuff.” 

“Like Jungkook?” Sana asked. I shot her a look.  

“What do you know about Jungkook? Did he say something to you?”

“No but I noticed you guys weren’t practicing this week. What’s up?” Coach Merrill blew her whistle for us to do a warm up lap around the field and we fell in together in the back. Jennie bumped me with her shoulder.  

“So? What’s going on?” I pressed my lips together and shook my head.  

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I actually did want to talk about it, but I was still too mad about their betrayal to tell them. I mean, yeah, she apologized but it wasn’t enough. I was still mad, so I sped up and left them behind and I could hear them whispering behind me. 

I didn’t care.  

After a few seconds they caught up with me again. 

“So, we’re going to stay and practice with you tonight,” Jennie announced. I snorted.  

“It’s Thursday night. Pop’s night. You never stay late on Thursdays, especially now that you have a boyfriend.” 

“We’re staying,” Jennie said firmly. “I’ve been hanging out with Coach Merrill and eavesdropping and I know it’s between you and Kathleen for the second spot. I know what her weakness is and I know what yours is.  I can help you fix it tonight.” 

I was completely unable to stop the hope from flaring in my chest. “Oh, come on.” She grabbed my arm and tugged me to a stop so I was facing her. “I’ll stay here all night if that’s what it takes to help you make varsity. I owe you.” I inspected her, she looked serious.  

“You’re the number one spot?” 

“Yeah, but if you don’t make it, I’ll drop out so you can have my spot.” She put her hand over her heart. “I swear on the watery grave of my dead goldfish Herman that I’ll drop out if I make it and you come in third.” That got my attention. To invoke Herman was way serious.  

“But I thought you just said that you realized you wanted varsity?”  

“I do but I owe you. I’ll walk away if I need to. Herman Swear.” I stared at her, my throat getting tight. I could tell that Jennie was totally serious about how much she wanted varsity, and she was willing to Herman. Swear her spot over to me if it came down to that. I nodded my acceptance of her apology.  

“Thanks.”  

“So, am I forgiven?” I nodded.  

“Only because of the Herman Swear.” Sana gave a small whoop of joy and threw her arms around both of us. “I’m going to miss you guys so much when you both make varsity!” I hugged them both back, and Jennie did too.  

“You guys are the best,” I said. “Even if I did hate you earlier in the week.”  

“Ditto,” Jennie laughed. Coach Merrill blew her whistle.  

“Girls! Aren’t you supposed to be running?” We giggled and started running again, hopelessly behind the rest of the team. And for the first time since Saturday I felt better. But I still couldn’t keep myself from checking out Jungkook’s field after practice to see if he was there.  

He wasn’t. “Our” field was empty. All week I’d thought that he was still there, practicing, hoping I’d show up. 

But he wasn’t.  

I’d cut him off and he’d let me. It was now officially over between us. Even as friends, it was no more and I felt like my heart was going to break. 

We practiced until almost eleven o’clock Thursday night. My mom came and brought us dinner and then hung out while we practiced. By the time I went to bed I was so unbearably tired that I almost didn’t lie awake thinking about the tryouts, or Jungkook or Jennie and Taehyung and everything else.  

And then it was Friday, the morning of the day of the tryouts. 

And then it was Friday afternoon when it was time for tryouts. I walked out onto the field, fl anked by Jennie and Sana, my nerves in knots. 

The JV girls practice was going to be combined with the varsity girls practice, but Sana and her group were going to be separate. Jennie and I were going to be matched with a varsity girl. I scanned the fields as we approached.  

Taehyung and Jimin were sitting in the bleachers and they gave us a thumbs up. But no Jungkook. I searched again, fighting against the disappointment. I’d been so certain he would come. This is what we’d been working for together. How could he not be here to support me? But he wasn’t there. He simply wasn���t there. 

“Who are you looking for?” Jennie asked.  

“No one.”  

“Duh, she’s looking for Jungkook,” Sana said. “What’s up with you guys? You still haven’t told us anything.” I shook my head and steeled myself against the wave of misery.  

“Today is about soccer.” No way was I going to screw up tryouts because I was bumming about Jungkook.“The varsity coach is here.” Coach Young stood next to Coach Merrill, with a clipboard in her hand. Suddenly I felt nauseated. I stopped where I was.  

“I can’t do this.” 

“Yes, you can.” Jennie grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the bench, but I twisted out of her reach, my hands shaking. 

“No, I can’t. What if I screw up?” I set my hands on my thighs and bent over, trying to catch my breath from my chest, which had suddenly gotten tight. I’d worked so hard for it, and now it was here.  

“I screwed up so badly at the last practice with them. This is my last chance.”  

“So, if you fail, you’ll be on JV with me and we’ll have fun,” Sana said. “What’s so bad about that?” 

“It’s just . . .” I closed my eyes and tried to breathe. They didn’t understand. No one would understand how important this was. I felt a hand on my back, then someone leaned next to me. My heart leaped, and my eyes popped open.  

“Jungkook?”  But it was my mom. She squatted next to me and patted my shoulder.  

“You’ll be great. You’re good enough. You don’t even have to play your best and you’ll make it.” I stared at her, the tension in my body beginning to ease.  

“What if I can’t play?” She smiled.  

“You’ll be fine.” She held out her cell phone. “Someone wants to talk to you.” I grabbed the phone.  

“Jungkook?”  

“Hey, Y/n,” my dad said. “How you doing?”  

“Dad?” I frowned. “Why are you calling me?”  

“Because I couldn’t make it there, but I wanted you to know I was thinking of you. You’ll do great.” I kicked a tuft of grass and took a deep breath. He was right. I could be great.  

“I can do this.” 

“You bet you can. How about dinner Sunday night?” I lifted my head.  

“Really? Dinner with you and me?”  

“Yep. To celebrate making varsity.” I grinned.  

“Okay.” Coach Merrill blew her whistle. “I gotta go. Bye.” I hung up and handed the phone back to my mom, feeling better already. Jennie slung her arm over my shoulder.  

“Okay, Y/n, here’s the thing. Last time you screwed up because you were trying too hard. All you need to do is focus, like you do in practice. Think about the ball and the game, not about varsity or anything like that.” She tapped her head. “Your problem is that you’re too intense out there. I’m better because I relax and go with the flow and let myself succeed instead of forcing it.” I eyed her, rolling her advice over in my mind. It made sense.  

“Thanks.” 

“Let’s go kick some butt, okay?” She gave me a smile that was all attitude. Her expression fired me up.  

“You got it.” We strode up to the group of varsity girls, and when Coach Young assigned me to pair up with the same varsity chick as last time, the one who had dominated me, Jennie leaned over and whispered  

“You’re as good as she is. Believe it, and go with your instincts.” I thought of how much I’d practiced with Jungkook and the late night drilling session with the girls last night and I knew it was true. I did believe it. 

Two and a half hours later, I was sweaty, exhausted and fired up beyond belief. Lisa, my varsity opponent, had dusted me a few times, but I’d beat her too. It was so unbelievably awesome to be up against such good players and once I took Jennie’s advice and stopped worrying about it, I’d just let myself go and I had a fantastic time. 

Coach Young whistled us in and I flopped next to my best friend on the grass. She was drenched in sweat as well and even had a grass stain on her shoulder.  

“How’d it go?” I asked. She beamed at me.  

“Awesome.” Sana sat next to us, still looking almost as fresh as she had when we’d walked out onto the field.  

“Well, practice was totally boring without you two there,” she announced. 

“If you both make varsity I think I’m going to try out for the musical and bag sports. Soccer’s really boring if you actually just play soccer, you know?” Jennie and I grinned at each other and I realized that for the first time in forever, someone besides Jungkook actually got me too. Coach Young blew her whistle.  

“First of all, I want to say thank you to the JV team for practicing with us today. It’s always great to see the up-and-coming talent.” The varsity girls politely clapped for us and Jennie, Sanna and I cheered loudly. 

“So as you all know, we have two open spots on varsity this year. I would like to welcome the following girls to the team: Jennie Kim.”  

My gut tightened as Jennie screamed and jumped to her feet and the crowd burst out in cheers. I was happy for her I really was, but I wanted it so badly as well. 

“And the second player is . . .” She paused to confer with Coach Merrill and I saw her eyes go to me. I sat up, my heart starting to race. It was me, they’d picked me. Coach Young looked up from her notes. “The second player is Kathleen Hoffman.”  

Kathleen shrieked and the place cheered, and I stared numbly at the grass as my insides shriveled up. I hadn’t made it. Sana touched my arm, but I couldn’t look at her. Then Jennie sat back down and leaned toward me. 

“Herman Swear, Y/n. My spot is yours.” But I shook my head and looked at her.  

“I don’t want your spot. You earned it. Getting a spot that way, it would be like cheating.” She frowned.  

“You’re sure?” I nodded, and saw the relief in her eyes and I knew then that she really would have given up her spot but I couldn’t take it. Not that way. 

A varsity girl grabbed Jennie’s arm and congratulated her and I clenched my fists. All I wanted to do was leave. One of the coaches blew the whistle again over the screams of all the girls. It took three more tries before people quieted down enough to hear what Coach Young was saying. I stared at the ground and wished this was over, barely listening to the yammering of the coach who was not going to be my coach.  

“Due to the talent of the JV squad, we decided to add a third roster spot. Y/n, welcome to varsity.” What? I jerked my head up as Sana shrieked next to me. Jennie yelled and tackled me in a huge hug that knocked me onto my back. I grunted as I fell over, disbelief making me numb.  

“We both made it,” Jennie shouted. “You did it!” 

“Oh, my God!” Sana dove on top of us, hugging us both. “I’m going to miss you guys so much! You’re so awesome!” Twisting to the side so I could see past Jennie’s embrace I looked up at Coach Merrill and she gave me the thumbs up. That’s when it sank in. 

I’d made varsity. 

I jumped to my feet, screaming. “I made it! I made it!” My friends screamed back and hugged me, and we all yelled and danced. And then my mom came over and we all hugged her, then we called my dad and I could tell he was happy. Then I realized Jungkook had been so right about him ---- 

Jungkook. 

After I hung up with my dad, I held the phone in my hand. My mom was talking to Coach Young to find out the hours of practice, and when games were. I watched Jennie get a hug from Tahyung and I envied Sana as she and Jimin bent their heads together in deep conversation. 

Jungkook might not have come today and I might not be talking to him, but he was part of the reason I’d made the team, he deserved to know. I was pretty sure he’d be psyched, so I dialed his number from memory hoping he would answer the phone, at the same time I hoped he wouldn’t.  

He didn’t. 

It went to voice mail. I smiled at the sound of his voice. He still made me feel good. “Jungkook, this is Y/n. I just wanted to let you know . . .” 

“Y/n!” Jennie was suddenly next to me. “We’re going to Pop’s to celebrate. You’re coming, right?” I braced against my instinct to refuse, and I nodded.  

“Of course I am. Wouldn’t miss it.” 

“Cool.” She kissed my cheek then ran back to Taehyung, Sana and Jimin.   

“So, anyway, Jungkook,” I continued, “tryouts are over and I made varsity.” I felt a smile break over my face. “Did you hear me? I made it!” I shouted the last bit still too excited to contain myself. “It was partly because of our practices, so thank you so much for all of your help. I really appreciate it. So yeah, just wanted to let you know this! Bye!”  

Shutting the phone and giving it to my mom I ran after my friends into the gym. Who cared if Jungkook had blown me off? I’d proved I could do it on my own and I wasn’t going to let him ruin my celebration. I didn’t need him. I was a varsity soccer player now! 

“Here’s to Jennie and Y/n- varsity soccer players.” Sana raised her root beer. “Yay!”  

We all toasted by tapping our red plastic cups against one another’s. I grinned at my friends, not even caring that I was there with two couples. I’d made varsity! Soccer was what mattered. Not guys! Not dating. And certainly not Jungkook. 

Taehyung had his arm over Jennie’s shoulder and even though Jimin and Sana weren’t near to that stage, they were sitting on the same side of the booth almost touching shoulders, so they were on their way. The cashier announced our number for our pizza. Tae jumped up.  

“My treat tonight. I’ll get it.”  

“I’ll help.” Jimin slid out of the booth and the guys headed up to the counter for our meal. They weren’t dating me but if they wanted to buy my celebratory dinner I wasn’t going to stop them. I grinned at the girls. 

“This is the greatest night. I never thought I had a chance, not after that horrible practice with varsity a couple of weeks ago.” Jennie cocked her head.  

“Last night when we were drilling, I couldn’t believe how much better you’d gotten. That practice time with Jungkook really helped, huh?” I shrugged and suddenly felt deflated.  

“Sure.” She studied me.  

“What happened with him, anyway? All of a sudden it’s like he’s disappeared off the planet. Sana moved her drink out of the way so she could move closer to me.  

“Yeah. What happened?” I fiddled with my napkin, shredding it into little pieces. 

“He’s a dork.” I shrugged. “I decided to blow him off. No biggie.” Sana cocked her head.  

“Why is he a dork?”  

“Because he thinks he can kiss me whenever he wants and have it not mean anything.” Two sets of eyebrows went up and their jaws dropped.  

“He kissed you?” 

“Yeah.” 

“On the lips? ” Jennie asked, her eyes glittering. “Was it nice?” 

“Yeah, on the lips.” I felt my cheeks get hot. “ Gosh it was really nice.” 

“So, what’s the problem?” Jennie sounded shocked. “Why did you blow him off? You like him, he kisses you and it’s great and you 

ditch him? Why?” I realized my napkin was fully shredded, so I pulled the dispenser toward me and tugged another one free and started working on that one.  

“He did it to show me that we were just friends, and—” Jennie shook her head.  

“No, no, you have got to start from the beginning.” I looked into the faces of my friends, realized how much I’d missed having them to talk to, and suddenly the whole story spilled out. The whole thing. When I finished they were both smirking. I scowled at them.  

“What’s so funny? He blew me away with the best kiss in the world and then ruined it by saying it meant nothing. How is that funny?” I saw Taehyung and Jimin finish paying for the pizzas and start to head back to the table. “Never mind. We’ll talk about it later.” Jennie chuckled.  

“It’s funny because you and Jungkook are both such idiots.” 

“Me? How am I an idiot?” The boys arrived with the pizza and I leaned back in my seat and gave Sana and Jennie the “I don’t want to talk about it in front of them” look. Jennie nodded, then looked up at Taehyung as he slid in next to her.  

“So if a guy kissed a girl on the lips, like a really good kiss, would you believe him if he said he did it to prove he didn’t like her?” 

“Jennie!” I kicked her under the table, missed, and slammed my toe into the leg, sending pain shooting up my foot. Taehyung snorted. 

“No way. If he claimed that’s why he kissed her, he’s lying. It’s just an excuse to cover up the real reason he kissed her.” 

“Jennie I swear I will kill you if you don’t shut up.” Taehyung looked at me as he tugged a slice of pizza free. 

“Why? Did Jungkook feed you that line after he kissed you or something?” I balled up the napkin and hurled it at him. He didn’t even flinch when it bounced off his forehead.  

“Shut up,” I growled. He grinned and Jennie gave me a smug look. 

“He kissed you because he wanted to, then had to make up a reason afterward,” She said.  

“No way.” I gave up trying to get them to abandon the conversation. “Afterward, I hinted that I liked the kiss and he totally panicked! If he liked me, he wouldn’t have panicked when he thought I liked him.” 

“Not necessarily,” Jimin said. We all looked at him in surprise. I didn’t realize the guy actually spoke in public. He shrugged.  

“He might have panicked because he liked you.” Sana nodded. 

“Totally! I mean, you both were totally anti dating, right? Then you start to like him and you panic. And he starts to like you but figures it’s okay because you don’t like him, then he realizes you like him and he isn’t prepared for that. So he panics and makes up that stupid line about kissing you to prove he doesn’t like you.” 

“That makes no sense.” I resumed my napkin shredding with even more force. 

“Guys make no sense,” Jennie agreed. She beamed at her boyfriend. “Even you.” He grinned back.  

“Girls make even less sense.” 

“No way. It’s all boys.” I rolled my eyes as the table descended into a totally annoying and cute argument between couples about which gender made less sense. I grabbed a paper plate and pulled two slices of Meat Lover’s Deluxe onto my plate, letting it wash thoughts of Jungkook out of my head. He was history and I was moving on. 

I picked up my pizza and blew on the end to cool it off before I took a bite, almost chuckling when I thought of how I’d spilled pizza onto Jungkook’s shoe. I tested the cheese with my finger to make sure it wasn’t going to burn the roof of my mouth off, then took a bite.A b oot landed with a thunk in front of me, right on the edge of the table. 

“Need this?” I looked up to see Jungkook standing there, his foot up on the table, grinning at me. I was vaguely aware of the rest of the table falling silent. I swallowed my bite.  

“No, I’m good. I learned my lesson.”  

“You sure?” After a second, I took a pepperoni off my slice and set it on his toe.  

“Thanks. I was looking for a place to stash that.” He grinned, took the pepperoni, and popped it in his mouth.  

“So, I got your message. Congratulations on varsity. That’s awesome.” I couldn’t help but smile.  

“Thanks. I was totally psyched.” He nodded.  

“I knew you could do it.”  

“Yeah, well, I had my doubts, but it worked out.” I shrugged, suddenly not quite sure what to say. “So, um, how have you been?”  

His gaze flicked to the rest of the table, all of whom were listening intently, then back to me. “Okay. You?” I refused to think about how cute he looked in his oversize plaid shirt hanging out of his jeans, with the cuffs rolled up, or how much I missed being with him, so I put on a big, fake grin.  

“I just made varsity, so I’m awesome.” 

“Right.” He sort of shifted his weight and shoved his hands in his pockets, moving his gaze to the gang again.  

“So, um, it looks like you’re busy, so I’ll just hit the road.” He hesitated and looked right at me. What? What was that look for?  

“Okay, thanks for stopping by.” He nodded a greeting at the rest of the table, then started to turn away, then turned back.  

“Congratulations again, Y/n. I’m really psyched for you.” Then, before I could answer, he turned around and walked out. The door had just shut behind him when Jennie whacked me on the side of the head with my stack of napkins. 

“Idiot! Why are you still sitting here?” I batted the napkins away. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Jungkook!” She whacked me again. “He came here tonight looking for you and you totally let him go!” 

“Hey!” I ducked as the napkin assault came back for a third try. “How would he know I was here? I’m sure he just ran into me.” 

“Weren’t you on the phone with him when I came up and told you we were going to Pop’s?” Jennie didn’t wait for my answer. She kicked me under the table. “He’s getting away! Go after him!” 

“So he can reject me again?” I jerked my throbbing shin out of her reach, then sat back and folded my arms. “Forget it.”  

“Reject you? He came here for you,” Sana said. She looked at Taehyung. “Didn’t he?” 

“Looks that way to me,” he answered. “But you didn’t invite him to hang with us and you said you were excellent even though he wasn’t around. If I were him, I’d take off too.” 

“But . . .” 

Sana grabbed the napkins from Jennie and whacked me on the head. “Go after him idiot!”  

“But . . .” Jimin nodded. “I think they’re right. If I liked a girl, and if she gave me your attitude I’d leave too.” Sana smiled at him.  

“I would never have given you the reaction Y/n gave Jungkook.” He grinned back.  

“That’s why I’m sitting here.” I stared at them, the two shyest people on the planet. 

They’d actually, somehow, figured out that they liked each other. Were they right? Should I go? Was there some subliminal boy/girl dating language that had just totally gone over my head? They all turned and looked at me, then shouted in unison, “Go!” 

“I’m going!” My heart suddenly racing, I slipped out of the booth, sprinted across the restaurant, ducking around kids and flew out into the street.  

No Jungkook.  

I looked both ways, looked down the street. 

Still no Jungkook. 

Shit! I’d missed him!  

Then I thought of him, and I knew where he was. Biting my lip in nervous anticipation, I started walking down the street toward the ice cream shop, then I broke into a jog, and by the time I reached it, I was in a dead sprint. I skidded to a stop out front. The place was packed with people, and our bench was taken by a mom and her three kids. 

He had to be here. I knew he had to be. 

I hauled open the door, then jumped back in surprise as Jungkook nearly fell into me, a massive chocolate dipped waffle cone in his hand. 

“Jungkook!” I jumped back as the ice cream flew out of his cone and onto my shirt. The top scoop landed with a thud and I caught it in my palm as it slid down my shirt. I lifted my hand up, chocolate ice cream dripping from between my fingers.  

“How did you know I wanted a bite? You’re so nice.” I took a slurpy mouthful, and was rewarded with a half smile from him. He held out his cone without a word, and I dumped the ice cream back into it, then started licking the ice cream off my hand. He tossed me a napkin.  

“Aren’t you missing out on your celebration?” He started walking down the street. My friends were right, he was miffed that I hadn’t invited him to join us. 

“Yeah, but . . .” Could I really do this? Could I really tell him I liked him?

“But what?” He didn’t look at me but I heard the expectant tone in his voice, so I said it.  

“I just thought it would be appropriate to celebrate with you since you helped me get there.” He slanted a glance at me.  

“Really?”  

“Really.” I took a deep breath, then chickened out. I just couldn’t take that look on his face again, the one where he acted like I had rabies or something. We walked in silence for a few minutes, and I realized we were heading in the direction of my house. He handed me his cone without a word, and I took a bite. “Thanks.” He nodded. And still we said nothing. So . . . what now? He stopped suddenly and turned toward me.

“Did you like it when I kissed you?” I blinked.  

“Um . . .” What was the right answer? What was he looking for? He scowled and spun away.  

“Never mind,” he muttered. “Forget I asked.”   

“No!” I ran after him, grabbed his arm and made him stop. “Yes, I liked it. I liked it a lot, that’s why I couldn’t take hanging out with you, because that’s all I could think about whenever I saw you, but you weren’t thinking about it at all and I felt so awkward and—”  

“Wrong.” I frowned.  

“What?”  

“You’re wrong.” He was looking at me intently, his eyes dark and intense in the shadows from the streetlight. “I was thinking about it. All the time.” Suddenly, I had trouble swallowing.  

“You were?” He nodded.  

“See, the thing is, I liked it too.” I felt like someone had just dropped a brick on my head.  

“You . . . did?”  

“Took me a while to figure it out, though. What I thought, what you thought.” He held out his cone.   

“Here.”  Ice cream? I didn’t want ice cream right now! But I took it when he practically shoved it in my hand. Then I forgot about the ice cream when he put his hands on either side of my face and leaned toward me, his gaze intent on mine. His hands were warm, and he gently rubbed his thumbs against my cheeks, like he was waiting to see if I was going to tell him to back off.  

When I didn’t, he got this little smile on his face, and then he bent down and kissed me and it was even better than before. Softer, slower, and perfect, making little chills rush down my arms. He tasted like chocolate, like warm, melted chocolate. He broke the kiss and pulled back slightly.  

“So, that was a test.” I blinked, trying to remember my name and how to breathe.  

“What?”  

“I had to see if my theory still stood. You know, that a guy and a girl can kiss on the lips and still be just friends.”  

“What?” I stepped back, clutching his ice cream. “We’re back to that again? Are you kidding?” He took my hand before I could get out of reach.  

“And my conclusion is that maybe other people can kiss and have it mean nothing, but we can’t.” I stopped trying to get away.  

“What are you saying?” I had to know for sure. 

“I’m saying . . .” He tugged gently on my hand and I let him pull me closer. “I’m saying that I like you. Like, like you. For real”  

“Are you sure? I mean, you kinda freaked that day on the soccer field.” 

“Well, the thing is I missed you this week. I’d gotten used to hanging out with you and when I couldn’t anymore . . . it bummed me out.” He tugged on my ponytail and this time it didn’t make me think that we were only friends. It made me think that I liked him, and I liked being with him.  

“So?” I grinned at him, my happiness nearly bubbling out of my head.

“So what?”He groaned. “Cut me some slack here, Y/n. I’m not exactly used to telling girls I like them, you know? Are you in or not?” I laughed, unable to keep it inside any longer.  

“Jungkook, you’re a total idiot if you can’t figure out that I like you too.” 

“Really?” He got this huge smile on his face. 

“Swear.” He slipped his hands around my waist and pulled me against him, tossing the ice cream cone over his shoulder. It landed with a splat on the sidewalk. 

“So does that mean I have a varsity girlfriend?” I giggled like a total girl and linked my hands behind his neck.  

“Yeah, I guess it does.” 

“Sweet, because I wouldn’t have it any other way” Then he bent his head, and I stood up on my tiptoes and we met in the middle. 

And it was perfect. 

Thank you for reading this far and for all your love <3 you guys are the best!

[overnightheartbeats]

She only rolled her eyes at his comment, not even worth addressing. Though, the roll of her eyes also communicated her growing annoyance and anger at his lack of a reaction. On the contrary, he was amused? That didn't make any damn sense.

"I don't need to be queen of the university to tell you that you just don't belong. Honestly if you weren't glued to my roommate, I wouldn't even know of your existence. That's how irrelevant you are." It wasn't intentional, her emphasis on my, but she couldn't help it. "Oh, don't act dumb! You know who I'm talking about. Laurel!" Still, as she spoke, she just sounded like a petulant child who wasn't getting her way. And, that really was her right now. Just a child throwing a tantrum. "Unless you already forgot about her," and that, kind of perked her up. Because, if so, maybe she won't have to do all this. "Maybe because you already got what you wanted from her." Laurel hadn't shared anything with her, but she overheard her gushing to her friend. It didn't take much to guess what had happened between them.

"Oh, you didn't say it," humorless laughter followed, flashes of all her classmates going on and on about him filled her mind. "Just everyone else. Like you're god's gift to this stupid fucking place." Laurel raved about him, so did everyone she met. Jenny was sick of it. She completely ignored his quip about Laurel's free will, instead just shaking her head at him. "You're below so much, you're not even close to us," she scoffed at his words. Did he really have such a naive view, just because he didn't come from money? Such a fairytale notion. It's not like Laurel was high up there, not the way Jennys's family was, but she was distinguished enough, she supposed. "I just care about her! In a way you can't understand. I'm here for the real deal, not some college hook up. You're just messing this whole thing up!" Jealousy was not easy to hide.

Her frown deepened at his refusal, a simple no and it had her riled up. "I don't need to ask you for a favor. Just need to get you out of the way, really." Jenny was just talking out of her anger, and had no concrete ideas as to how any of this would work. But, ideas would come soon enough. "No? You're going to regret saying that to me. I'll make her see, just how much of a wrong choice you are. Not worth more time than she has already given you. She's just dazzled by you now, but all things lose their shine. Sooner or later."

Laurel had just finished drying off her hair when she opened his bathroom door. She almost called out to him to ask about dinner ideas when she overheard muffled voices. It didn't make much sense to her, but as she stepped out of his bathroom, the voice became clearer. Jenny? It was her voice, but the things she was saying just didn't match the person she knew. She was quiet as she stepped closer to him, tapping his shoulder to silently ask what was going on? She had heard enough, however. Eli being the wrong for choice was absolutely ridiculous. But, that wasn't what infuriated her. It was the way she was expressing herself about him, and the fact that Eli wasn't saying anything either.

Laurel turned to look at him, confusion washing over her, before she wiggled in between him and the door. Her hair was still damp and a mess when she faced Jenny. Her features were a blend of annoyance and anger, something her roommate was quick to catch on to, because before Laurel even spoke up, Jenny was stuttering and trying to bring in some context to her earlier hateful words. "I...thought you were spending the long weekend at your dad's," she cleared her throat, trying to think of what else to say. "Well, no it's not what you think. I'm just," a nervous giggle fell from Jenny's lips as she tried bringing that sweet side back to the forefront. Harder than it sounded when the object of her sheer hatred stood right next to her. Damp hair, he was shirtless - it didn't take a genius to deduce. "I just, you know that overprotective friend conversation, I owed him that. It's nothing though." The story she was spinning really would only work if he didn't contradict her. And the chances of that happening were slim.

"Save it Jenny. I heard you and I can't stand here and have you spew all of this about him. He is one hundred times better person than you are, and just— you should go. I won't be back, find yourself a new roommate."

Eli chuckled out of amusement, clearly he wasn't even off put by her lame attempt at an insult. "You'd have bigger problems if you couldn't carry your own trash bags." Not that he truly would help her. He had no business with a bully. If he gave her the inch he was sure she'd barge in and make herself at home in his dorm trying to rip him a new one. But, still eyes were on her as she went on.

Surprised eyebrows knitted together as she told him to get lost. "Who died and made you queen of the university, last I checked I belong here. Just because you don't like doesn't mean you get to tell others if they belong or not. Stuck to her? Now, who do you mean?" At this point he was baiting her, he wanted her to be clear since digging her own grave would be her doing not his.

Eli laughed as he shook his head. "I never said I was all that. I'm just a normal human being minding their business. You're the one trying to disrupt that peace." he sighed and rolled his eyes. "It seems to me that you think I'm forcing her to be here. Laurel has got a choice and her own free will. Just because I didn't come from money doesn't mean I'm below you or her. Why do you care so much though is the question?"

"Hmmm that seems more like I'd be doing you the favor and I'm not in the business of doing that for you. So, no." He tried to be cordial given the many insults she had just given him but it was hard standing there taking it. Half of his head turned to see if Laurel had come out yet but also didn't want her hearing this given how much Jenny was talking out of her ass.

[pharma-tard]

So nobody knows if those text messages are actually legit and even if they are it's literally just thought crime at this point?

Also really brings in a question why you or anyone sat on these for what two or three years as everybody keeps saying so was it really about outing a dangerous person or more likely a vendetta considering other people you claim have allegations against that you didn't expose or what your play in all this is.

There are actual dangerous and creepy men running rampant but you choose this and to do so on the day you did for a reason but tumblr ppl like yourself are retarded and dont need much to bark up a tree.

Do better.

I'll break this down bit by bit

>So nobody knows if those text messages are actually legit

I confirmed they were real when I got them, there's no reason for me to post what I saw for that bc it drags multiple other parties in purely to convince like three people. I've been extremely diplomatic with this drop because it's real, and I think the fact he deleted immediately speaks for itself.

>even if they are it's literally just thought crime at this point?

This is literally the same logic as "no you don't understand, she only looks 10, she's 9000 in the lore". Yeah, it's a "thought crime" -- it's not acceptable to think children or dogs are sexually attractive, and it's even less acceptable to indulge those fantasies. This is not revolutionary thinking.

>Also really brings in a question why you or anyone sat on these for what two or three years

I got the screenshots at like 5 AM Saturday (Serbian time) and gave myself until Sunday to have the post ready. That's about 36 hours.

>so was it really about outing a dangerous person or more likely a vendetta considering other people you claim have allegations against that you didn't expose or what your play in all this is.

This is so stupid and I have to break this down into chunks

Yes, it's about outing a dangerous person. I don't see why "Pharma doesn't like people who want to fuck kids and dogs" is such a hard thing to believe.

I never had anything against him before I found this shit out, in fact I don't think I ever even talked to him the entire leadup to this. I'm extremely loud and annoying about people I hate, and the worst I do is start fights and talk shit. Like come on, you're writing fanfiction at this point.

All I've posted is that I have allegations in my inbox about other people, I didn't say which people, and the purpose of doing that is to encourage people who've actually got evidence to come forward. Would you rather I just post a bunch of "he said this", "he did that", anons with nothing backing them up? Use your head here.

>There are actual dangerous and creepy men running rampant

Yeah and we just got rid of one of them. Again, send me evidence and I'll do the same shit to whoever tf it is you're thinking of.

>tumblr ppl like yourself are retarded and dont need much to bark up a tree.

Very unfortunate choice to use a dog metaphor here is all I'll say to that.

[shadowthesim237]

ᯓ water fountain

warnings: angst, crying, cheating, commitment issues, a situationship, slightly suggestive if you squint.

( english isn't my first language so sorry for any mistakes! )

⋆.˚ i should've built a home with a fountain for us, the moment that she told me that she was in love - alec benjamin .𖥔˚~

"I love chris, and he loves me back, he cares about me..right?" that's what you kept telling yourself for a year. a whole year of pain and heartbreak. you were so honest with him and quickly opened up about your feelings towards him. but he never made a move or a step further into your relationship..

you shared almost every class in high school, you'd accidentally make eye contact and feel like the rest of the classroom froze and there's only you both in it, so you took the first step and asked for his phone number with the lame excuse of helping each other with homework, but he knew it wasn't true, because he saw the way you'd get all clumsy when he walks past you in the hallway, and how you lose focus when your friend group is trying to have a conversation but he's looking at you.

chris couldn't help it, he caught himself thinking about you all the time that it drove him crazy. he didn't know what made you so special. you're just his classmate and that's all, but his brain kept fighting that information and would still drift back to your stupid smile and your horribly perfect eyes. so when you asked for his number, his mind was a complete mess. but eventually gave up and handed it to you because he was so curious about you, he wanted to get closer and to actually know you.

after only two months of being friends, you were standing by the little water fountain in the hall, you thought he looked so handsome today that you didn't even think twice before saying "i love you", those simple three words escaped your lips while his head was burried in the sink drinking, he almost choked from surprise but reacted casualy and made your feelings feel seen, but what bothered you is the fact that you never heard it being said back once. with every passing day you felt more and more humiliated. why did you ever accept to be in this situation? you let him treat you like you were his, you could hear the jealousy in his tone whenever that boy would try talking to you. but why would he be jealous when you weren't even together.

chris had serious commitment issues and refused to admit it, but it was so clear to everybody else how he kept people at a safe distance, he never passed the talking stage once in his life with a girl, so you thought you were special, he made you feel different than the other girls from the way he treated you, but again nothing changed. you remained unlabeled to him god he never even touched you once it never escalated to anything more than long make out sessions. until one day you decided that you should stop this. he keeps this going and you couldn't take it anymore.

so at that night you were invited to a party and went without telling chris, why should he know what you're doing afterall it was none of his business? you saw that boy who kept asking you out repeatedly making his way towards you through the crowd. you were half drunk and completely unfazed by the guy's tries to talk to you.

you couldn't remember what happened next that made you wake up in that stranger's bed no matter how hard you try to squeeze your brain. you can only form a blurry image of that boy grabbing your hips and pulling you in, you kissed.. you let someone else kiss your lips other than chris. he whispered sweet things in your ear, about how pretty and valuable you are, you know you shouldn't listen, but you yearned that affection, you needed someone to fix that emptiness that chris didn't bother to fill.

you couldn't face chris after what happened, there's no way you were gonna tell him. so you ignored him for a couple of weeks, leaving him on read and not answering his calls, he was dying to know what happened out of a sudden. did he do something wrong? until you couldn't keep hiding any longer, guilt was eating you alive so you just asked to meet somewhere to talk.

the air was thick around you as you tried to put together your thoughts and confront him with the ugly truth that left you feeling dirty.

"I messed up.." your eyes were glistening with tears that your were fighting back. chris just sat in front of you trying to take in what you were saying. you simply cheated on him..

"why.. how could you?" chris was completely shattered and realized how bad he made you feel that it led to this. you tried to apologize but was too choked up from crying. and now nothing could be done to fix this.

he knew you both messed up, he regretted his choices and hated himself for letting you drift away from him. he lost you way before you slept with that guy. now he would often think about how lucky that other dude was, he wished he was in his place, he wanted to hold you close and cherish your body like you were the rarest diamond, but it's too late now, all because he was scared of commitment. the idea of being someone's boyfriend terrified him and now all he do is cry at the memory of you.

he would imagine that you're back with him, his heart now was broken like that water fountain's handle. but he was willing to fix it for you. he thought that if you gave him a chance, he'll open his heart and give it to you. but it's all for no use now that he had lost you. the two of you were still young and naive to go through all that. but you can't go back in time and change it. you're not even friends anymore because you know you did each other wrong and no matter what you'll do it will only hurt you more. so you decided to walk away quietly from each other's lives for the sake of keeping your peace and your dignity. it was the right decision because you still cared about each other's happiness and comfort after all and regretting won't change a thing.

deviders by: @bernardsbendystraws <3

taglist: @anyaa2s @m0nsterhighluvr32 @ily-tothemoonandback @nateismybf @cupiidk1lls @sturniolos4life16 @breesturns @domtorettosfamily @mamamadssss @caroline12b @reader-lola @dealerchr1s @lemonhoney2460 @freakshow-420 @emely9274 @mattsturniolofuckingsexy @jessie-essie @marrykisskilled @meatballlover10 @chrissturnioloslvt @trevorsgodmother @sophand4n4 @stvrnioloslvt @sturnshood @chrisslut04 @courta13 @pair-of-pantaloons

[internet1girl]

Chapter 9: Collision of Two Worlds.

Pairing: Johnny Cage x Fem!Reader

Summary: 😊

Word count: 5.0k Warnings/Notices: named!reader, johnny cage shenanigans

First Chapter / Previous Part

A/N: 😊

The past week has mostly been uneventful, but still good regardless. Liu Kang hasn’t selected you for any more missions recently, so you’ve been spending all of your time in and around Sun Do. You didn’t tell him, or anyone, but a break from all of these excursions was so nice.

All of this free time to yourself. At first, you didn’t know what to do. Lounging around and being unproductive felt… wrong, like you were wasting time (even though you literally had time to waste). You wanted to get the most out of your time here, in Outworld. So what did you end up doing? Why, spend the week training, exercising and studying in the palace’s library, of course!

Sometimes, it was like the meaning of rest was completely foreign to you.

彡彡彡

Johnny was also enjoying the week, the recent lack of work or anything important to do had given him plenty of free time. Plenty of time to himself. It was great!

He'd mostly been occupying himself with a mix of activities. Training, hanging with the boys, lounging around and, of course, screwing Kitana. Unfortunately for him, she's been busy for a lot of the past week! Princess duties or something like that. Johnny hadn't seen her nearly as much as he would've liked to. How unfair.

Whatever, though. There was more to life than having sex. He had all the time in the realms, and a large foreign city to explore. The world was his!

The fact that he kept thinking about you throughout the week was a little weird, though.

彡彡彡

All this to-ing and fro-ing, the past week had been busy for you. You didn’t even take one day of rest, you didn’t want to. Being alone with your own thoughts always turned depressing, without fail. Hiroshi this, your adolescence that, it was all too much. You’ve always been like this, occupying yourself as much as possible. For you, it felt right, like you were fulfilling your ‘purpose’ or whatever. And yet… there was one thought that kept reappearing occasionally throughout the week. You just couldn’t seem to get rid of it. It and his stupid smirk kept you up at night. He would be the only thing on your mind at the late hours, under your sheets.

Coming to terms with your romantic feelings towards Johnny was a bitter pill to swallow. The realisation that you did indeed like him, more than a friend should, made a part of you want to scream. You just… couldn’t stand it. Him? Of all people? Why? The noble, honourable, respectable woman that you are, how could you feel this way about this pompous, arrogant prat? Why? Why him? But… another part of you fully understood why. Him saving you from your close assault was the straw that broke the camel’s back, the kick that sent your view of him from platonic into something more. Johnny was amazing, unlike any man you’d ever met. Strong, kind, admittedly very funny and an excellent fighter. Even his typical irritation had a certain charm to it, it was weird. Also, probably the key factor, he was so unbelievably attractive. You just couldn’t convince yourself otherwise anymore. Johnny was one of the most handsome men you’d ever seen. He was a marble sculpture come to life, a work of art. Every time you saw him, it was like you were being tested by the Elder Gods. His voice was so smooth and sultry, it made the butterflies in your stomach go crazy whenever you heard it. He was so jaw-droppingly fine, you couldn’t help but stare at him for a little too long whenever you thought you could get away with it. He was so frustratingly funny, you had to fight hard not to give him what he wanted and laugh at his jokes. You wanted him, badly.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You woke up late today, the morning had long since commenced by the time your eyes eventually opened. Your heart sunk when you checked the time. It was the afternoon, you’d slept in! You flopped back onto your mattress with a groan, running your hands down your face. You couldn't believe how lazy you’d been. Extra training was due, punishment for being a slouch.

So that’s what you did. You spent the rest of the afternoon training, honing your kombat prowess. You’d been pouring your hours into this, pushing yourself to your limits over and over. Sometimes, you would think about taking a break, to ease the strain on your body, but you quickly discarded that idea. You didn’t need a break. You were fine. You weren’t weak, you’re strong. Strong, independent, capable. That's what you are. What you had to be.

By now, it was evening. Sun Do’s amber skies were darkening with each passing hour. It wouldn’t be long before night befell the city. You were still training in the palace dojo, going at it like there was no tomorrow. You were one of the only few people still in the training grounds, everyone else had either gone home or was out in the city. Not that the lack of people bothered you, though. You were too caught up in your own practice to care.

Your pace was fast, unforgiving and unrelenting. You were ruthlessly striking the training dummy, loud clangs echoed around the arena as the bō staff hit the faux figure in front. Today’s gym outfit, a simple green crop-top and some black pants, was dotted with patches of sweat. An excellent sign of your work.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

“Hey.”

CLANG!

The sudden sound of somebody’s voice from behind made you hit the dummy a little too hard. You winced, grimacing at the piercing overstimulation before slowly turning around to see the voice’s owner.

Johnny was standing a few steps away, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at you. The corners of his mouth were curled upwards in a smirk, his eyes were roaming her figure leisurely, studying every inch of her sweat-drenched body behind his Ray-Bans.

“Wow, you really are putting in the work today, huh?” He teased in a low tone.

Ah. Your tension was eased when you were met with the sight of Johnny. It was just your crush him, there was no need to be so on edge.

But that was the problem. It was him. Your face dropped. He was wearing a red compression shirt that hugged his broad form nicely. His muscles were practically on display with how his shirt’s thin fabric was clinging to them. On his lower half, he wore some black sweatpants and laced-up boots. Gods have mercy.

“See something you like?” He teased with a smirk. 

“…Hello, Johnny.” You eventually spoke up after a few seconds. A forced smile wore you, one that hopefully wasn’t picked up on.

He didn't say anything in response, opting to stand there with his arms crossed and a large smile on his face, like some sort of marble statue.

He was so attractive, why was he this attractive? The mere sight of him made your heart skip a treacherous little beat. A the desire to smack yourself for being so affected by him, by him of all men, was there. As if that would fix anything.

You wanted to ask why he was here, but the way he was dressed made it obvious. Stupid question, it would be like asking somebody who's sleeping if they're asleep. Why did he have to choose today to squeeze in a late gym session?

You gave him another quick, faux smile before turning back around to resume your training. You didn’t notice him continuing to grin at you, his focus lingering for longer than was appropriate, right on your-

With that, he decided to stop staring and walk away. He actually was here to work out, this was the only time he could squeeze in some exercise today. Finding a bench, he got right to it with some bicep curls, casually stealing at you across the arena every now and then. He couldn't take his eyes off of the way you so flawlessly moved, the blood in his veins making a beeline for his cock at the attractive blur of limbs.

You, unaware of this, returned to working the training dummy, trying hard to eject any thoughts of you-know-who out of your mind. You frowned when you realised your form was faltering. A missed strike here, a slip-up there… it was all so increasingly annoying. It was all Johnny’s fault, somehow. The knowledge of his presence was making you all clumsy and awkward. It was like your body was trying and failing to impress him, or something dumb like that. Ugh!

You looked over at the canvas of your projected frustration. He was currently in the middle of a little break, his thick arms were over his head as he stretched out his aching muscles. The deep sigh that you heard him breathe out was hot, it did something to your panties that you could feel. His shirt rode up a little, a strip of tanned skin peeking out from the gap between hems. You couldn’t stop your eyes from wandering all over, drinking in the delicious view with unabashed interest. Thank Argus he wasn’t aware of what you were doing, so you thought. He’s just so effortlessly-

Nooo no NO! You shook your head, forcefully expelling the lustful thoughts of this man out of your brain. For the Gods sake, you needed to focus! You were here to train, and that was that!

Your exercise comes FIRST!

彡彡彡

You were still at it half an hour later. You put in the extra work, hitting your humanoid target harder and faster than was really necessary. All of this was in an effort to focus on something else besides Johnny across from you. The sounds of your bō smacking the dummy echoed all around, a constant reminder of who owned the training grounds.

That would be good and all, if you weren’t pushing yourself to near-exhaustion. Your arms were aching, screaming at you to stop. You ignored their cries until you just couldn’t anymore. A few swings too many and you were keeled over, hands on your knees as you desperately tried to catch back your breath. Your body was in control, forcing you to listen to its calls for rest. Sweat droplets were dripping down onto the floor below as you gulped down lungfuls of air like you had just completed a marathon.

You regained enough of your bearings to fully stand back up a minute later. After stretching a little, the feeling of thirst started to seep in. You desired water, an icy cup of liquid to quench your thirst and cool you down.

Strutting over to the water station, you picked out a spare cup and placed it under the dispenser, a hand on your hip as you leaned back. You started to grow impatient, the tip of your boot furiously tapping on the ground as you stared the tank down. This damn thing was so slow for some reason, it was taking forever for your cup to fill.

With a groan, you turned away from the water station, only to be met with the sight of Johnny walking over to you. Yay(!)

He sauntered towards you, his face was straight with some sort of smug confidence, something that had your breath catch in your throat. Your face started to irritatingly feel warmer as he came into view. Just like you, he was also slicked with sweat. His compression shirt now clung to his body even more, his abs were practically bulging out with the way the material was sticking to them. Moving upwards, his hair was messy and undone. Damp with moisture, brown locks were stuck to his forehead, framing his face in a way that made your thighs subtly clench together. There were those butterflies again.

“Looking a little worn out there, Jade.” He flashed a smile, stopping just in front of you.

You mirrored the expression, though it was a little too forced to come off as authentic. As was the laugh you gave him before turning back around. You were really hoping that your leaping stomach would start to calm down, a wish that was thrown out of the window when you could feel him start to lean over you. 

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” He stopped behind you, back pressed against your chest, his voice a whisper by your ear.

"Have you come over here just to pester me?" You didn't look at him as you spoke, bending down to pick up your glass of water. To say that you really didn’t appreciate this was a vast understatement.

Johnny smirked at that. “Pestering you? Me? Pfft, never.” He was silent for a bit, taking a moment to shamelessly stare at your ass before responding. "Want some water."

You didn't say anything back, taking a sip of your water as you moved to the side, granting him passage, something he thanked you for. 

Silence hung in the air for a minute or so. Johnny gulped down his drink of water eagerly, refilling the cup when the last of its contents were poured down his throat, his 1st not quenched. All the while, you were doing the same, drinking at a calmer pace, sneaking a glance at the Greek God posing beside you every now and then. You looked around. By this point, you and him were two of the few people still in the training grounds. The minuscule amount of people still here were either cleaners or too focused on their own respective training to pay attention to.

An idea came to mind. It was so spontaneous, you almost didn’t want to say it. It probably wouldn’t turn out well, not with how you were feeling at the moment. Your teeth were gritting slightly, your thighs rubbing together at the vision playing out in your mind. In your mind, and not in real-

“…Would you like to spar with me, Johnny?”

“Would I?!” He slammed his cup down, turning to you with a wide, enthusiastic smile on his face. As if he would ever pass up this golden opportunity! “You bet I would, princess!” He pointed at you, eyes narrowing. “You’re on.”

You came to regret what had just been said, effective immediately. You couldn’t help it, you were acting on impulse. The way you blurted it all out sent a tingle throughout your being, it almost came across as eagerness. You felt a little embarrassed, a little ashamed, and now that he’s said yes you couldn’t back out. That would be rude.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you walked over to the mats in the middle of the training ground. You took a few minutes to stretch out your weary muscles and also mentally prepare yourself. All the while, your not-so-secret admirer was watching your warm-up intently. The way your sweat-slicked skin glistened in the evening light was tantalizing, Johnny’s pants tightened at the personal dance before him. He had to fight the urge to approach you and lick the perspiration off of your body, like you were a pair of mating wildcats. No matter how many times he looked, it didn’t seem to be enough for him. Would it ever be?

He downed the rest of his water and threw the cup in a nearby trash bin, strolling over to you with a pep in his step. The closer he got, the more impatient he became. He wanted this match, and what he was hoping it would lead to, to begin already.

Now, you both were circling each other, walking around the mat with their focus glued onto the fighter across the mat. The anticipation was gnawing at the two of you, for very different yet very similar reasons. You both wore matching looks of determination, as if each of you were silently testing the other to have a go.

“Checking me out, princess?” He quipped, smirking deviously.

You shook your head. “No. Assessing my opponent.”

Well, technically, you weren’t lying? Your eyes roamed all over Johnny’s form, focusing on… some areas of his body more than others. You weren’t checking him out, though. Ew. No. Gross. Never!

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say.” He stopped walking and took his stance, facing you head-on. “Ready to get your ass kicked?”

Oh you HATED this. You wanted to attack him, to beat and punish Johnny for having this effect over you. Him, his captivatingly handsome face and his perfect body were all infuriating. He made you so mad!

You were the one to initiate the first round. You flew forward with a shadow kick, a yell thrown into the air as green magic came to surround you. This caught Johnny off guard, he was just barely able to block your foot with his hands, grabbing onto your ankle. He stumbled back a bit, gritting his teeth.

“Damn, princess. Eager to get your hands on me, aren’t you?” He laughed as he pushed you away, regaining his balance. He lunged forward, flipping the tides, aiming for a strike at your side.

A sparring match ensued.

The two of you spun around the centre of the training grounds, solely focused on one another and their respective actions. Your movements were a blur as you both jabbed at and struck each other. Johnny was larger and stronger than you, but you were faster and more precise. None of his attempted blows deterred your need to best him and beat him down to his place. You channeled your sinful feelings for him into every one of your hits, an excellent source of strength.

Johnny was holding his own pretty well, well enough against your flurry of attacks. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you. The way you were attacking him, your moves so quick and graceful, just served to turn him on even more. The need to pin you down was growing by the second as was something else lol. He wanted to tame you, to make you submit, to have you entirely to-

All these thoughts distracted him, causing him to make a crucial mistake and allowing you to deliver a good kick to his chest. He came crashing down to the ground, a loud groan came from him as his body collided with the mat. You stood over him, each foot beside his hips. He was between your legs, and wow, what a view did you have below.

There was something about a cocky, annoying man being put in his place that pleased you, in more ways than one. A large smile was plastered over your face as you silently looked down at him, your eyes stalking all over his heaving form. You bit your lip, grinning wickedly as the filthier of thoughts started to overtake.

"Aww... was that your best?"

He chuckled, the sound breathy and a little strained. “Oh princess, that was nothing. I was going easy on ya.”

Ha! Yeah, right! You didn't believe him for one second! You audibly laughed at this poor excuse before leaning down and extending your hand out, grasping his own and pulling him up to his feet. Johnny was still a little dazed, his chest still aching from your strike. It didn’t help that he got a face full of your tits either as he stood up, the tip of his nose nearly tucking into your cleavage. Yeah, that didn’t make things any easier. But it definitely made something harder!

Once he was up, you strutted away from him. You flicked your long braid over your shoulder as you stepped away, your inner diva no longer suppressed. Winning a round against him had made you arrogant, some of Johnny’s cockiness had rubbed off onto you like cologne.

"Best two out of three?" You called out, turning around with a conceited grin.

He took a moment to gather himself, taking off his sunglasses and placing them down beside the mat. “You’re on, Jade.”

A second sparring match ensued.

You and him moved all around the mat underneath, jabbing at and blocking each other’s strikes. Your speed and his strength made for an even match-up. There were moments, but overall, neither of you seemed to have the upper hand in the fight. The brief contact every now and then between you both was electrifying, more so than it should be. Johnny’s feather touches made your skin burn, you had to fight off both this man and your desire for him.

At one point, your hand was pressed against his arm. The feeling of his large, hard bicep against your palm made you jolt backward in surprise, your stomach jumping at the realisation of what happened. This made Johnny laugh. A laugh that stuck into a grin when an idea came to mind.

Johnny quickly whistled to get your attention. This proved effective in distracting you. As you stood there, eyes quickly darting over his features to try and guess what he was plotting, he pulled up his shirt, giving you a view of his bare torso.

Ah. To say that you were visibly caught off guard by this little stunt would be selling it short. Your jaw dropped, a loud gasp came from your parted lips as you were presented by the sight of his bare abs. Any move you were going to make was lost to you, leaving along with most of your thoughts.

Six large, well-defined lumps of pure muscle were sticking out of his lower torso. The way they flexed and rippled with each movement had you completely entranced. You practically malfunctioned. You forgot all about where you were and what you were doing. Hell, for a second, you’d even forgotten how to speak. Your stance stalled, you just… stared at the sight. Can you picture the moment when Richie saw the Deadlights in IT Chapter Two? Yeah, that’s you right now. To a less dramatic extent but, still. Accept the damn analogy!

The way you reacted to this cheap trick made Johnny laugh out loud. He wasn’t an idiot, he saw right through all of your shallow denials when it came to your little crush on him. You may not have thought it, but he’d caught you staring at him for a little too long more than once. Of course you were.

With how stunned you looked, using this to his advantage more often would be fun. Not that he had time to properly think about this, though. He took the opportunity to pounce, quickly closing the distance. You didn’t even have time to make an attempt to move as he grabbed your wrists and swept you off of your feet, knocking you to the floor. He stood over you, eyes darkened with lust as they stared down at the view below, all over. Each boot was by the side of your waist, nearly pinning you underneath him.

You flopped onto your back, the feeling of your braid pressing against your spine making you wince ever so slightly. Your eyes met his as they reopened.

You… you couldn’t believe it! Johnny had used such a dirty tactic to best you, how dare he?! You were mad at him, of course, but you were also more upset at yourself. A part of you was screaming, yelling, so angry that you would dare fall for such… tricks!

You were looking up at him, your facial expression a mix of anger and befuddlement. The fact that Johnny would resort to such low means in order to win a round made you mad. The fact that the sight of him towering over you, in all his gleaming glory, sparked a feeling of arousal inside you that made you even more mad.

“Aw, what’s wrong, Jade? You look flushed. Did me beating you again get you all hot and bothered?” He teased, leaning over you, smiling in a way that made you want to swing your foot up.

You didn’t know what to say. You were looking up at this man with an unreadable facial expression. Never in all your years were you bested in a fight by such a… dishonourable tactic. You wanted to yell at, to chastise him for resorting for such means but it was pointless. You already knew that doing so would just fuel his already inflated ego.

When Johnny bent down and extended his hand out, you bitterly took it. You briskly walked away from him once you were on your own feet, a stark contrast from your little victory taunt before, something your victor took great pleasure in.

You both returned back to the center of the mat. The both of you took some time to stretch and fix your hair, though only one of you spent a considerable amount of time flexing their muscles before taking on a fighting stance. Can you guess who?

A third sparring match ensued.

Unlike the first two, this one was a little more… physical. Johnny was a little more… grabby this time. He was grabbing you in a way he usually didn't, like a man starved of female attention. Your hips, waist, arms, even your thighs, he just couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself. At first you refrained, but eventually you couldn’t help but reciprocate his close contact. Your intrusive thoughts took the wheel in the heat of kombat. His arms, chest, shoulders, even his hands, it was all driving you insane. Your bodies touched more often than appropriate as you fought. You both yearned for each other, in more ways than one, the walls containing your mutual desires were quickly crumbling.

At one point, he managed to lock you into a hold, your bodies were firmly pressed against each other. Both of his arms were wrapped tightly around your waist, pulling you as close to him as humanly possible. Your back was pressed against his chest, writhing against his front. Johnny’s grasp on you was firm, no amount of you hitting at his hands would falter the hold he had on you. Thinking quickly, you used your feet to sweep at his legs, knocking him off balance and sending him to the floor.

His back hit the ground with a thud, the impact of the fall knocking a little bit of air out of his lungs. His arms were still locked around your midsection, so as a result, you too came crashing down. His form broke your fall, your bodies landing on the mat made you both groan at the same time. Neither of you stayed like this for long, though. Johnny instantly reacted by flipping the both of you over, so that you were now underneath him. 

You barely even knew what had happened. One second, he was behind you, wrapping you in a bear hug. The next, he was on top of you and Gods… what a sight you had above. Each of his hands were beside your head as he crouched over you, his chest flush against yours.  Every feeling you were currently experiencing was on overdrive, it became increasingly difficult to control your… urges for him. The feeling of Johnny’s knees against your sides, as well as his body mere inches above hers, all of it had your clit twitching in anticipation, it was too much.

In one swift motion, you quickly hiked your knee up and made contact with his backside. Such a blow had him squeal in surprise, temporarily stunning him. In a flash, you switched your positions, pushing him off of you and rolling your bodies over, planting yourself on top of him, straddling his hips.

Now in control, you grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them down, above his head. Your things pushed into his sides as you settled your weight on him, there was no escape. You looked down at him below you, a small smile of satisfaction on your face shining through your heavy breaths. The sight of him all dazed made your smirk widen, that stupid cocky smirk was nowhere to be found. Once again, you had bested him. The sparring round was yours.

Minutes passed. No words were said between you two, you guys were both catching back your breaths after such an intense three matches. Your eye contact never faltered, though. Both of your focuses were on the other’s sweat-slicked faces, just… looking.

Johnny tried in vain to get his wrists out of your iron grasp, but you were just too strong. His body forced him to stop struggling and give up, going limp against the mat as he submitted to your mercy.

That’s when he looked up, meeting your gaze. Your face above him, your hands around his wrists, the way your thighs had him completely pinned, it was driving him crazy.

You were insanely attractive. You’re so jaw-droopingly gorgeous, it was crazy. Your body, your face, your hair, you were perfect, truly. You’re one of the hottest women Johnny ever had the pleasure of laying his eyes on. The amount of pressure in his pants grew in intensity every second, just by looking at you. 

Your smile faltered a little as your adrenaline wore off. With that, the feeling of Johnny’s body underneath you was starting to become more and more clear. He was so firm, he felt so warm. The way you were sat on him, your position on his body, you could feel… something rising underneath you. Right on your-

Your mind was like a storm, all of your thoughts were yelling at once, they were impossible to decipher. The sight of a breathless Johnny, the feeling of his muscles underneath you, the sweaty scent of him in general, it was all making you dizzy. Your eyes glossed over with desire, your heart was beating like crazy, whatever explicit thoughts were in your brain right now were going into overdrive. You were fighting tooth and nail with everything inside to not give in to your instincts, but that proved to be a losing battle the moment you saw the tip of his tongue dart out to wet his dry mouth.

Without thinking, you leaned forward and pressed your lips into his.

A/N: and so it begins…