#and there were two people sitting next to us

[reignpage]

Physics Tutor!Nanami

Conservation of momentum: if it's just us we can remain at a constant

Content: Friday night party, we're nearing the end y'all, mixed content of angst and fluff, a little sexual action but only if you squint Word Count: 3k Guide

“Nanami, seriously, you’re a grown man,” you mutter, a little annoyed. 

This isn’t how you expected to spend to your Friday night, wrangling a six-foot-tall man into his home but your ex-physics tutor came to a frat party and you had actually drank with him. Now you’re facing the consequences. 

Earlier in the night, the sight of Nanami in his cute blue sweater, sitting awkwardly as he eyed the couple making out next to him with disgust, was enough to warrant a heart attack. You had offered to drink with him in the garden, to take care of him so he could let loose. For an hour or two, you drank a couple shots, relishing the cool breeze which kept your head screwed tight as you sat beside him.

Gojo had passed by, wriggling his eyebrows at you and making lewd movements with his hands. That hadn’t gone by unnoticed by Nanami, who grew quiet. You thought maybe he was tired, maybe he wanted to go home, and when you suggested you part ways, he gripped your wrist. 

“No, don’t go with him,” he slurred. 

You didn’t have plans to go with your friend, you were just going to turn in for the night too, but as you looked at the man you’ve been madly in love with for months and saw his ruffled hair, slightly askew glasses, fogging up from the heat his face was producing, and the flush brightening his cheeks, you realised that there was nowhere else you’d rather be. 

So, you stayed, sitting on the garden sofa with him. There were a couple other people loitering around, but none really paid any attention, everyone too immersed in their own conversations and lives to notice the two of you in the corner, thighs pressed together and shoulder brushing once in a while. 

His heat was permeating, tickling your side, and you couldn't help yourself, you leaned in close, the alcohol in your system made it so effortless to just let his gravitation pull bring you closer. If he noticed, he didn't say a thing.

You made small talk, discussing lectures and assignments. It was easy to talk to Nanami; other people were always so eager to prove themselves academically superior, never really listening to what you had to say, but rather looking for weak points to attack. It was never a conversation and instead a battlefield. And when you complained to your friends, they never seemed to understand.

With him, however, he listened more than he talked. Always. He hummed and nodded, mulling and considering your words carefully like what you had to say was just as important as anything an esteemed lecturer was teaching. With him, you felt like equals. Which was insane because he was Nanami Kento, and you were just the girl he had to tutor.

"I hate that bald Professor!" You groaned. "He's so boring."

He chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "He is rather monotonous, I must admit. You aren't the first student to complain and likely will not be the last."

"Yeah, I bet. But I honestly just don't think he should be a lecturer. I'd probably be a better one than him."

Meeting your gaze, you see the crinkle in the corners of his eyes, the way they soften as they roam your face, stopping by your smile. His fingers twitch on the empty shot glass, skimming the rim just a little before he affirms, "I have no doubts you would be; I can't imagine anyone finding you boring."

Passing each other shot glasses, you'd sip and chat. Nothing about the elephant in the room, not about your confessions, about the odd tension permeating the relationship, certainly not about why he showed up to the party, or why he had become flirtatious. Perhaps it was cowardice that held you both back. Maybe it was the enjoyment of simply existing beside each other, not as classmates, not as tutor and student, and not as two people whose feelings have gotten all tied up.

But as just Nanami and y/n.

Eventually, you both ceased your chattering. Settling to watch the other partygoers or the stars twinkling. Once in a while, he'd point to a star and tell you about its story, and you'd sit entranced by his voice --it's so steady, so smooth and clear, you could listen to it for hours. And when he talked to you of astronomy and gravity and quantum mechanics and the probability of time travel, you thought he should be a lecturer. You'd attend every class, every seminar, and never complain.

"How do you know so much about stars? We don't get taught about constellations."

He lifted one shoulder. "I work at the Eden Observatory part-time."

It was so quintessentially Nanami you didn't question it even though you were bursting to ask. He would have given you all the answers you sought, you're sure by the way he gazes at you expectantly.

Silence passed by, comfortable and soothing. You had no idea what time it was, didn’t care enough to reach forward to get your phone from the table, and neither did Nanami. You thought maybe he was nodding off but when you peered up at him, he was looking down. 

At your hand. 

“C-can I hold it?” 

His voice was gravelly, a hesitation that you’d never heard from him. The way he was gazing down at your hand, limp on your lap, like it was precious, like it was made of glass, and he could be beheaded for daring to even look, made your stomach feel weird. It was the very feeling you had been trying to bury for weeks. 

It was dangerous. You’d been working so hard to walk away and he was erasing the line, stretching out his arms to invite you back over. Unwise was what letting him do as he pleased would be, and yet, you found yourself nodding. And when his own hands, warm and large, wrapped around one of yours, you couldn’t fight back the shiver that ran through you. 

He was holding you so softly, in a way no one ever has, and you could only gulp. It was as if you had entered enemy territory, foreign and riddled with land mines that could go off and blow everything up if you so as much as made the wrong step. When his thumb grazed your knuckles, your heart skipped a beat. 

“Nanami,” you began but his hand squeezed yours and you shut up.

Your ex-physics tutor was still staring at your hand, marvelling at the soft skin, his glasses slide down his nose just a little bit, and you had to push it up with your free hand. That caught his attention, as if remembering there was a person attached to the hand he was holding so carefully. 

Clearing his throat, he shook his head, clearly trying to get his bearings. “Y/n, please rethink your decision to drop out.”

“I can’t.” You pulled your hand out of his like it burned. And then you looked away, crossing your arms so you wouldn’t be tempted. “This is for the best.”

“No. You were doing so well, even Professor Yaga had said so.”

With a sigh, you turned back to him, finding his blush endearing. The longer you stared the more it threatened your defences. You couldn’t let him talk you out of it, your sister you could fight off, even Gojo, but not Nanami. Not when every word that came out of his mouth sounded like the Gospel, like undeniable, irrefutable facts. 

Standing, you brushed invisible dust off your skirt and looked anywhere but at him. Unsteady, you asserted, “Nanami, I’ll take you back.”

He shook his head, strands of his hair falling over his forehead, obscuring his vision. You brushed them off, so lush under your palm, and he looked up at you like you were an angel -- mouth slightly parted, he blew air in the space between you, eyes slightly glossy as he watched you. 

“You’re so beautiful, you know?” He whispered, and then added, his brows furrowing, softening his gaze even further, “It hurts to look at you.”

You staggered back, arms falling to your sides as you gaped at him. You didn’t understand what that meant, what he was trying to say, nor why your heart was clenching so painfully, like someone had reached in and squeezed. 

“Maybe you can get your roommate to take you,” you whispered breathlessly.

Nanami shook his head once more, standing up too. His trousers were all crinkled and when he got to his feet he swayed slightly. You rushed over to his side, letting him lean against you. He was heavy, even as he carried most of his weight, and he smelled amazing. Clean, fresh and sweet. It reminded you of a bakery, just after closing, with the scent of butter and vanilla lingering in the air. 

“No, Haibara’s with his sister.” 

You both began walking, ignoring the staring and whistling people were throwing at you as they noticed both of your existence then. Some girls pointed to Nanami, no doubt recognising him from the List. They whispered amongst themselves, blushing and roving his body. You urged him to walk faster.

“Hey, hey, where are you two lovebirds going?” An irritating voice shouted. “You know my rules about fucking in the house. You have to pay a fee.”

Rolling your eyes, you informed him, “I’m taking Nanami home, he’s a little out of it.”

Gojo scanned your ex-tutor’s face, really looking at him and realising you were right. Suddenly, his grin dropped, and he was nodding to the front door. “Alright, I’ll drive. You seem out of it too.”

And just before you all left through the front door, he yelled to his deputy, “Don’t let the place burn down, it's a pain to deal with.”

The car ride to Nanami’s place passed in another relative silence, both of you in the back as you strapped him in, and your friend hummed to the songs on the radio, drumming his fingers. As obnoxious as Gojo could be, there were these rare moments of maturity and wisdom that people didn't see. But you did. You and Suguru, and these were the very moments that reminded you, no matter what, you would always find a home with him.

Parked, you unbuckled your seatbelt, reaching over the slightly light-headed man and unbuckled him too. His hand brushed your hair, gently, always so gentle. You refused to look at him.

“Let me know if you need a ride back,” Gojo threw at you, going on his phone as you fought to get your ex-tutor out, ignoring the glares you were directing towards him. His helpfulness had reached its max, clearly.

“No, she’s staying with me,” Nanami croaked. He slammed the door a little harder than necessary and you winced. Pointing a finger at Gojo through the rolled down window, he slurred, “You can go.”

Not taking any offence whatsoever, the frat president grinned and winked at you. “Alright, have fun, babes. Wrap it before you tap it. Or not. I'm pretty ready to be a fun uncle.”

And then he was driving off, leaving you crumpling under the weight of your responsibility with your jaw on the floor. That prick. Oh, you were so going to make him pay. 

By some miracle, you made it up to his floor with Nanami's jumbled directions, and now here you are, muttering irritated complaints about how clumsy this grown man is despite his age and wisdom.

“Seriously? Nanami, I told you to get it before we reach your door!”

You’re watching Nanami dig through his pockets for his keys, pink tinting the tip of his ears, either with embarrassment or with the warmth of the alcohol. He’s fumbling, muttering curses under his breath as he struggles, clumsy fingers catching on each other. You groan and swat his hands away, trying to get a feel for his keys through his trousers instead. 

This is not your first time dealing with drunk men. But it is your first time with a man as adorable as he is, unfortunately.

“Are you mad at me?”

Glancing up, you look at him, exasperated and unprepared for the pout on his face. His glasses are slanted again, and you have no free hands to push them back up — one hand is already holding him up and the other is buried in his pocket searching for his keys and trying to get past the lip balm in there. 

"No, Nanami. I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed." You hate that you sound just like your mother, but someone has to be the responsible one. You just never thought it'd ever be you.

He winces. “Please, be careful.”

“Sorry, did I hurt you?”

Nanami flushes harder, the tips of his ears matching and he avoids eye contact, stilling your wrist with a firm hand. “No, you didn’t. It’s just…”

You follow his gaze, both of you looking down and seeing something that shouldn’t be happening. You blink, cartoon character style. This is so very bad. 

Taking a deep breath, you pull the keys out and mutter weakly, “Found it.”

Once you’re inside, you pull Nanami with you, eyeing his place and appreciating the cleanliness; your place is not nearly as tidy as his. But you do see a messy arrangement of papers on his table. You can imagine a busy Nanami, sitting on the sofa, going over the papers and reading out loud under his breath. You smile.

“Alright, big guy. Where’s your room?”

“Buy me dinner first,” he chuckles to himself. He slumps down on the sofa, the leather creaking under his weight and he shrugs off his sweater, the shirt underneath riding up to reveal his abs. You look away. 

Oh, so the man has jokes. 

You’re fighting the urge to walk away and with a shaky breath, full of frustration, you very calmly say, “Nanami, it’s late, sweetheart. You’re going to need to go to bed, okay?”

Then he’s smiling up at you, a gummy smile that’s so dopey you can’t help but smile with him. 

“I like that.” He tilts his head at you. “I like when you call me sweetheart. Do it again.”

Counting to ten, you try again, “Okay, Nanami. I’ll call you sweetheart when you get in bed. It’s a reward.”

He mouths it back, tasting the word and that seems to resonate with him. Raising a hand out, he’s urging you to help him up and so you step forward, ready to bear his weight again, but then you’re being yanked down, and the world turns upside down. 

Nanami’s pinned you to the sofa, leaning over you with a fierce look in his eyes. Gone is the nerdy lightweight, and in his place is the man you’ve caught glimpses of. The one that furrows his brown in a stern scolding, that scribbles frantically on his papers and argues with the professors. Suddenly, he no longer looks his age and instead, appears not as a clumsy college student, but rather as a man. 

The kind of man that could command the attention of an entire room. 

“You did this to me,” he gestures to his hard on, the very same one you’ve been avoiding staring too long at. “Take responsibility, won’t you, darling?”

You choke on your own saliva. What the fuck?

Shaking your head, you remind yourself, he’s drunk, you’re no longer his student, and you’ve been a pain in his ass the entire time. Don’t take anything he says whilst under the influence to heart. It’s just chemicals in his brain. Just a biological urge. It means nothing. 

“Nanami, you’re drunk, let’s drink some water, okay?”

“Four shots is barely anything. I might be a lightweight, but I’m tipsy at most,” he scoffs. Leaning down, he grazes your cheek with his nose, inhaling deep with a groan. “You always smell so good.”

He might claim to be sober enough, but you’re not convinced. Sure, you can’t deny that you want him, but you don’t want him like this; you don’t want to be wanted because the alcohol has clouded his judgment. You want to be seen, as you are and not just another warm body to pass the time. 

Slowly, gently and with as much patience as you can muster, you nudge his head from your neck, and say, “You need to let me go, Nanami.”

“No.”

“Nanami.”

“I don’t want you to leave me.” That gravelly voice is back, the one weighed down by some inner turmoil you aren’t privy to, and you can only bite your lip when he presses a tender kiss at the crook of your neck. “I want you any way you’ll let me.”

You’re tearing up. It might be because he’s whispering it right by your ear or because his words sound so sincere, but you feel your bottom lip quiver. This isn’t how the night was supposed to go; you wanted to let loose and forget everything by partying life away, but now you’re practically cuddling with your physics tutor. Ex physics tutor.

Despite being a little out of it and shaking with some unknown emotion, he isn’t suffocating you with his weight. He’s holding himself up in a plank, inhaling your scent and fighting off your weak pushes. 

“Please, Nanami. Let’s talk about this tomorrow, okay?”

“You promise?” He lifts his head, lashes fluttering as he searches your features for any hint of deception. “You’re not going to avoid me?”

You shake your head, and he sighs, smiling. 

“Good, because I really don’t like it when you do that.”

And then he’s pushing off. A cool breeze brushes past you and you’re shivering from the sudden loss of warmth. Nanami disappears into a room you’re assuming is his and you go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When you enter his room, he’s only in his boxers, climbing into bed. 

He lifts the cover up and pats the empty space beside him, grumbling, “Come on, I’m cold.”

You sigh, ripping the cover from his hands and tuck him in. “No, Nanami. I’m not sleeping with you. I’m going now so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Almost breaking out into laughter at the scowl that graces his face, you have to distract yourself by pulling his glasses off and folding them onto his bedside table. Like this, he looks so youthful. No longer frowning over data variables or anomalistic lab results, he’s just lying peacefully. 

"You aren't better off taking a different course. You work well under my tutelage. Grant me the opportunity to change your mind about everything. Let me show you I didn't mean the things I said," he pleads, eyes flutterings shut.

Hesitant, you say, "I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Nanami."

"Just one chance, y/n. Don't cross this off simply because we reached a bump. You trusted my guidance before, trust me now."

You don't know what exactly he's referring to and you're too scared to ask. All you can do is watch sincerity, a raw kind of pleading, swirl in his vibrant eyes. He has you in his palms and he doesn't even realise.

"Okay."

He’s fast asleep when you leave. 

You don’t bother Gojo for a ride back to your home, you texted him your sister's picking you up. She might be asleep by now but you'll wake her up anyways, so you can tell her about everything that's happened and ask for her two cents, because you think Nanami practically confessed his feelings for you. But that doesn’t make sense with all that’s unfolded, right?

How could he possibly like a girl like you?

You’re loud, boisterous, air-headed, and not the kind of girl one takes home to their mother. He deserves a girl that’s as smart, as put together, and mature and wise as he is. Deserves one that hasn’t been tainted by bad decision and nightmares.

Sighing again — you’ve been doing a lot of that lately — you walk home, in the dark, fighting the urge to look back. And as the night’s chill prick your skin, you wonder how Nanami will feel in the morning. 

Embarrassment, shame, humiliation?

Whatever it’ll be, you just hope it isn’t regret. 

You have enough of that for the both of you.

[ddarker-dreams]

A Deal's a Deal.

Yan Chrollo x F Reader

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, violence against minor characters, descriptions of anxiety, mentions of alcohol. Word count: 5k.

Next (TBA)

“... Sorry. This one’s no good either.” 

Sighing dejectedly, you sink into your seat. 

You can’t tell if your companion’s disappointed. He maintains a neutral countenance, betraying nothing of his inner thoughts. Still, you study him, awaiting some visual indication before moving the conversation forward. He must sense your intentions, for he catches your gaze and smiles. 

“Should we call it a day? You look tired.” 

“The hell? Isn’t it considered taboo to tell a lady she looks tired?” You grumble. “And here I thought you were Casanova incarnate. You’ve got to work on your charisma stats.” 

Chrollo shrugs halfheartedly. “What point is there if you’re immune to my many charms?” 

“Let’s be real — ‘many’ is overdoing it, a little humility won’t hurt. I commend your budding self-awareness, though. At least we’ve made progress on that front.” 

He hums, offering no rebuttal. You realize that you’ve perked back up, reinvigorated by his goading. He certainly knows how to get people going. Among his defining features, that’s one of the first you recognized; his uncanny way of orchestrating favorable outcomes. 

Sipping your preferred warm beverage, you canvass your surroundings. 

The café’s less crowded than when you came in. There are still a few students typing away on their laptops while consuming a concerning amount of caffeine. In the corner sits an elderly couple, whose order you overheard by virtue of the volume it was placed at — “Give me a regular coffee. Straight black, none of that ‘appaccino, grand venti’ nonsense. Decaf for my wife.” 

(You prayed for the barista’s sanity when he tried explaining the different ways ‘straight black’ could come). 

“... I am losing my touch, aren’t I?” Chrollo murmurs. You snap your head in his direction, having temporarily forgotten his existence. “You prefer older men?” 

You almost choke mid-sip. “Pleh…! That’s it, I’m retiring, good luck sorting your issues out.”

“You don’t mean that.” 

“How I wish you were wrong,” you deadpan. Lifting his phone off the table, you scroll through its contents. There’s nothing new to look at. “An exorcist, huh? You’re positive that’s a real thing?” 

“They exist. They’re just rare, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” 

“I blame the Protestant Reformation.” 

The skin beneath his eyes wrinkles. “... Cute.”  

His compliment makes you frown. 

“Quit it with the flattery, already.” 

“Flattery implies a degree of insincerity, no?” He challenges. “You of all people should know when I’m being genuine.” 

“You make it sound like I’m a walking polygraph.” 

His lips part and close as he considers his response. “That isn’t how I view you.” 

This guy’s clever with his word choice, you think. Too clever.

Disliking where this conversation might go, you redirect. 

“This ‘Hunter’ site you’ve been using… is there any way for me to access it?”

“Feeling a bit impatient, are we?” 

There’s a patronizing lilt to this tone that has you inhaling sharply. Closing your eyes, you ball your hands into fists, willing your agitated mind to relax. Your goal feels so close. This future you never believed possible dangles above your head, only to recede as if you were Tantalus whenever you grasp for it. Needling Chrollo won’t get you any closer, but at least it gives you something to do, mimicking progress. 

“The Hunter site has various measures in place to prevent account sharing. You don’t want to end up on their radar,” Chrollo retrieves his phone and tucks it into his coat’s pocket. “While your enthusiasm’s admirable, I suggest you leave this part to me.”

You swallow thickly. “... Right.” 

“Are you upset?” 

“No, I’m not,” you rest your hands on your lap. “Just, y’know. Reminded that we’re from two different worlds.” 

Outside the café’s windows, individuals from all walks of life bustle about. Some are on their phones, others chatting with friends, or holding their partner’s hands. It’s a picturesque display of normalcy. They’re likely thinking about what to have for dinner, when to set their alarm for the following day, if they can squeeze out of plans they halfheartedly agreed to over the weekend; you know this because you aspire to live the same way. 

“You’re closer to mine than you think.” 

A fervent disagreement blazes then turns to ash on your tongue. There’s an unidentifiable quality to his stare — neither kind nor outright malicious — almost clinical in its effort to elicit a reaction. You stir in your seat. Despite your time together, he’s as much an enigma as he’d been upon your first meeting. Charming and courteous, yet lacking genuine warmth, like a faux candle. 

“Do you get some kick out of riling me up?”

“Maybe a little,” he admits. “Your expressive nature is endearing. I can’t help myself.” 

His words resonate with such clarity that you can’t help but wish he’d been a little dishonest. 

“I’m not a toy for you to entertain yourself with.” 

His smile makes you squirm. 

“I know you aren’t.” 

“Then what—” you cut yourself off, fearing what might occur if you continue your original line of questioning. “Man, you’re exhausting to deal with. Has anyone ever told you that you have an awful personality?” 

“Few get to be around me enough to comment on its quality.” 

“I’m counting down the days until I’m no longer a member of that inner circle.” 

Before Chrollo can respond, his phone audibly vibrates. Newfound excitement overwhelms you at the sound. He glances at the notification and nods, confirming your speculation. He places it in your eager hands. While you prepare, he steeples his fingers and leans forward, intrigued as always with your work. 

You relax your breathing. This entire process is based on intuition, chasing after faint sensations until your desired outcome manifests. A pliable force thrums through you — what Chrollo refers to as ‘aura’ — awakening from its dormant state. Mindful of your public surroundings, you keep your dominant hand beneath the table. Where there was once nothing, a three-dimensional object rests snugly against your palm. Buttons of varying utility jut outward along its perimeter. This small item, shaped like a cassette recorder, stirs antipathy in your heart. 

Holding down rewind, the cassette whirrs to life. You prepare to record the latest audio note sent in for analysis. 

Instant Replay (One More Time!).

These past few months have seen your ability frequently leveraged. It was your personal conviction to refuse its use, lest paranoia eat away at you. However, freedom from this bondage necessitates further entanglement. You’ve parted with your long-standing morals, primed to pick through the syllables of others for your own purposes. 

Right and wrong no longer concern you. 

All you care about is surrendering this loathsome ability to the man sitting across the table. 

-

The night air is unforgiving in its chill. It infiltrates your layers of clothing with laughable ease, seeping into your marrow and demanding that you shiver as recompense. Gritting your teeth, you pick up your pace, cursing the parking garage’s elevator for being out of order. You knew parking at your friend’s apartment complex was sparse, but this is a new record. 

The heels of your shoes click against the concrete staircase as you rapidly ascend. A pale, yellowish hue illuminates your path, the lights occasionally flickering. The moon must be feeling shy tonight, for it hides behind thick, stationary clouds, refusing the world its silvery guidance.

Upon arriving on the third floor, you hear an ominous crackle in the distance. 

The consequences are immediate. Intuition tells you to pause, goosebumps erupting over your flesh from head to toe. Darkness swallows your surroundings whole in inky blots. Blinking rapidly, your eyes struggle to adjust. You feel around for your phone and turn the flashlight on. The sudden loss of power perplexes you, did the building’s breaker trip? From what you can see, the rest of the street is unaffected. 

You’re about to resume your journey when you feel something cold press against your temple. 

“Don’t move,” a deep voice demands. The roar of a car’s engine echoes nearby, as does the hurried screech of tires. “Not so much as a fucking inch.” 

Anxiety sets your every nerve aflame. You go stiff as a corpse, and perhaps you may have been mistaken for one, if not for the thunderous pounding of your heart. The moisture in your mouth dries up. Tortuous seconds drag on, devoid of any further commands. You’re ready to offer up your purse, wallet, or anything else he insists on, but he’s eerily silent. 

A pair of approaching headlights blind you. 

Is this more than a robbery? You struggle to comprehend the nightmarish events. The man holding you hostage radiates agitation, shifting his weight from foot to foot. In doing so, the barrel drags along your sweat-slicked skin. His apparent sloppiness has you weak in the knees — it’s your life hanging in the balance, why is he acting like the situation is reversed? 

Abruptly, the vehicle veers off course, crashing into a line of parked cars. A terrible cacophony follows. Glass shatters, metal debris shrieks whilst scattering, and car alarms angrily sound in disunity. What you’re witnessing doesn’t feel like real life. Your disbelief is mutual, for the man holding you captive spews curses.

You hear a click by your side; the gun’s safety being disengaged. 

“Shit!” He maneuvers you in the direction of the crash like you’re a shield. “There’s no way we were followed, no way, we did everything perfect—” 

The man never finishes his sentence. 

There’s a wet gurgle, then a wheeze, as something warm splatters on you from behind. Bile rises up your throat as the wretched noises continue. He must’ve fallen to the ground, for you no longer sense his lumbering presence, or feel the cold kiss of metal on your skin. Regardless, you refuse to budge. You squeeze your eyes shut and tremble wildly. 

“There, there. You’re safe now. ♥” A rich baritone speaks from behind. 

His declaration comes out discordant, belying the reassuring contents. You bristle at the new threat that’s presented itself. If what came before was a house cat, then this is an apex predator, the king of the jungle. The air around him feels oppressive, almost noxious. Even without a firearm directed at you, your panic reaches its zenith, soaring to heights untraversed. 

“Hm? Still scared? Ah, that’s right,” he muses to himself. “Chrollo said you’re sensitive to dishonesty. This could be troublesome.” 

“You… you know Chrollo?” 

“So you’re not in a catatonic state — how reassuring.” 

Slowly, you turn around, sensing a distinct lack of ill intent. Flashlight in hand, you try to make sense of what you witness. The scene that greets you is gruesome beyond your wildest expectations. The man who you assume held you at gunpoint has collapsed onto the ground, his jugular slit clean. Blood gushes from the wound like a geyser, forming a crimson puddle around his head. His eyes are wide, bloodshot, nearly bulging from the sockets. Liquids ooze from every visible orifice and a foul odor rises alongside them. This pitiful creature could’ve been your end. Instead, he met his, departing this world in abject terror. 

Unexpectedly, his muscles twitch. Out of reflex, you jump back and yelp. 

“Rest assured, he’s dead as a doornail.” 

“Why…” you wet your dry lips, “What… what just…?” 

While you stumble over your words, the building’s power makes a triumphant return. The lights flash intermittently, then go steady, allowing you an unobscured vantage point. Before you stands a tall, bizarrely dressed individual, with bright red hair. His beady, yellow eyes have a predatory gleam to them that he doesn’t bother suppressing. He holds a playing card in his claw-like hands, the three of spades. 

It’s coated in fresh blood. 

Your eyes fall to the fatal wound on your assailant's throat, the gears in your head turning. 

You take a step back. 

“Let’s try this again, shall we?” With a flick of his wrist, the offending card disappears, though its memory burns strong. “I’m Hisoka, Chrollo’s… colleague of sorts. Now, there’s no need to introduce yourself. I’m well acquainted with you. ♥” 

Is that supposed to make you feel better? 

You couldn’t hide your suspicion if you tried. At the very least, there’s no indication that was a lie. However, his familiarity with you is a double-edged sword. If he’s crafty, he can outmaneuver your ability. Dishonesty isn’t black and white, there are loopholes to avoiding your detection. For instance, one can remain purposefully oblivious, lie by omission, or speak in vague terms. These gray areas pass you by as if you lacked this ‘sixth sense’ to begin with. 

He was lying when he said I’m safe now, you recall. But he doesn’t seem interested in harming me…? Something isn’t adding up.

After much deliberation, you ask, “So you just happened to run into me?” 

“Nope. I’ve been following you,” he freely admits. Your aghast expression makes him laugh. “What’s the matter? You were baiting me for the truth, were you not? You’re welcome to have it. ♦” 

In your heightened state of sensitivity, you sense multiple presences converging nearby. Security guards, if you had to guess. You weigh your options. If you stay here, you’ll undoubtedly be harassed for a story that explains the chaos. Telling the truth would land you in a straight jacket whereas deception guarantees cuffs. Leaving in your car is off the table too, you’d be dubbed an important witness. There’s no way you can claim you drove by the carnage without noticing anything. 

“I can help get you out of this debacle,” he offers. “We’re both seeking the same end — the return of Chrollo’s Hatsu. The latest recording I’ve obtained is most promising. So, I’d rather we don’t continue this conversation in prison. ♣” 

Hisoka takes a step forward and extends his hand.

The security guards are getting closer, you think. There’s no time left.

And so you make your choice. 

-

You didn’t think places like these existed outside of the movies, or maybe you just don’t get around enough. 

You’ve found yourself in what you can only describe as a biker’s bar. The decor is old-fashioned, slightly worn yet authentic. There are pool tables, too many televisions to count, and a functioning jukebox nestled in the corner. Rough-looking men wearing leather jackets make up the main clientele. Fortunately, it’s Hisoka who draws the most attention, his gaudy getup acting as a magnet for the eyes. No one pays you any mind. 

For the second time this week, a weirdo treats you to drinks. The main difference is that this is a depressant and not a stimulant. 

You take hearty sips to calm your nerves. All that happened feels so surreal, like a collection of grotesque images that would be blurred out in a documentary. This is exactly what you wanted to avoid. You want to be normal, untethered by the oddity that is Nen, the ‘world’ Chrollo inhabits. You decided long ago that nothing good can come from it. Maybe if you were more adventurous, prone to taking high risks for high rewards. 

But you’re not. 

Endless money, power, and influence don’t sound appealing. Sure, there’s an allure initially, until you consider reality. Lots of money means either lots of taxes or lots of tax evasion. You barely know what a W-2 form is, much less the hoops you’d have to jump through if your income exploded. Power and influence aren’t all they’re cracked up to be either. All that scheming to stay at the top would take away from what makes life truly worth living — reading Wikipedia articles and watching eight-hour-long videos analyzing a video game from two decades ago. 

“Holy shit,” you press pause on the cassette recorder. “This Abengane guy’s the real deal.” 

“Oh?” 

“He’s familiar with getting rid o’ Nen. During his… huh, what’s it called again… oh. Yeah. Audition. Durin’ his audition for Greedy Island—” 

“ —Greed Island.” 

You wave his correction off. 

“—Yeah, yeah, whatever. But, basically, he’s legit. How’d ya even come across this?” 

“Magic. ♥” 

You make a face. “Is everyone who uses Nen annoying?” 

“Some more than others.” 

Speak of the devil. Craning your neck, you’re met with piercing gray eyes. Unlike Hisoka, Chrollo isn’t dressed like he’s auditioning for the circus. Instead, he comes across as a guy who’s going to pitch the worst idea for a startup you’ve ever heard. He’s wearing a dark blazer with a gray turtleneck beneath it, along with white pants and black loafers. You’re about to make your joke known when something about Chrollo’s demeanor changes your mind. Intensity pours off him in waves, giving you pause. 

“Good news, boss. We found your exorcist.”

The title Hisoka uses to refer to him has you tilting your head. He did refer to himself as Chrollo’s ‘colleague,’ but the word boss implies hierarchy. 

“I heard,” Chrollo smiles, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m surprised you’re not rushing back to Greed Island to track him down.” 

He slides into the booth beside you while never looking away from Hisoka. The tension brewing in the air perplexes you. Shouldn’t this news be a cause for celebration? You’ve helped Chrollo search for a Nen exorcist for months now. Chrollo’s been searching for a Nen exorcist for months now. You’re uncertain what reaction you expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. 

“All in due time. I’d hate to cut my time with your little assistant short.”

Hisoka makes a point of looking you up and down. 

Somehow, Hisoka has made Chrollo seem normal by comparison. Disliking the attention, you reach for your drink, only to notice how light it is. Have you already drunk that much? While inspecting the near-empty glass, you realize the room’s starting to feel warm. The stress of what you endured must’ve impaired your judgment. 

What time is it, anyway? Do I have work tomorrow? 

Your watch reads 2:05 a.m.

Shit. 

“I need— need to get going…” 

“Why the rush?” Hisoka questions. “Things were just starting to get interesting. ♥” 

You ignore him and stare Chrollo down, waiting for him to move aside so you can leave. Instead of getting up, he leans closer, pursing his lips. This is the closest you’ve ever been to him. Heat creeps over your face, from your cheeks to your ears. There’s no denying that the bastard’s handsome. Your friends love teasing you about him for that very reason. They never believe your insistence on having a ‘strictly platonic’ relationship, some even have bets for when you’ll end up together. 

Maybe you would’ve considered it if you didn’t know about his Nen proficiency. 

There aren’t any readily available statistics for Nen, but if you had to guess, you’d say most of the population is ignorant of its existence. People who do know about the Hunter’s Association consider it a private enterprise that specializes in exploration and taking on contract jobs. According to Chrollo, this is by design. You can barely go about your day pretending there aren’t superhumans roaming the planet, doing all sorts of crazy nonsense. 

Society would plunge into chaos if the knowledge reached them. 

You hear what sounds like your name coming from underwater. 

Blinking sluggishly, you discover Chrollo’s hand on your shoulder. “Hm? What?” 

“I’ve been calling your name,” he speaks languidly, likely for your benefit. “Are you alright?” 

“Well…” you trail off, pondering the question. “... Mm, yeah, probably not. I gotta get home, and— god, my car— it’s still back there. I don’t want… I can’t…” 

The anxiety you thought you buried resuscitates itself. It’s dull compared to earlier, yet your breathing grows shallow and your hands feel clammy. Your intenses churn like a parasite had been embedded inside. Everything feels far away, as if you’re in a dream, physically present yet mentally adrift. 

You could’ve died. 

You almost died. 

You’d fought desperately to scrub your mind of this knowledge, but the bottle can only do so much. 

“Say, Chrollo,” with a nearly imperceptible motion, Hisoka summons a playing card between his middle and pointer fingers. “If I were to slice her pretty neck, what would you do?”  

The old-fashioned glass Hisoka had been sipping from cracks. 

Pressure invades the air like a thick, heady fog, so tangible in its potency, that the chatter elsewhere dies down. The sudden silence allows for the clinging of billiard balls to reverberate throughout. Patrons glance around, vaguely aware that something is wrong, yet ultimately unable to identify the source. This primal sense of foreboding evaporates as swiftly as it arrives. The lively atmosphere reemerges, until all present seem to have forgotten anything unusual ever occurred. 

Hisoka absentmindedly cleans up the glass shards, piling them into the corner while Chrollo drums his fingers along the table. Chrollo’s jaw is set and the skin between his eyes is pinched in contemplation. 

Hisoka lets out an exaggerated sigh. “This is turning into a bore. I was confident you’d lose your cool, even if just a bit…” 

“Pathetic.” 

The unexpected vitriol has them both turning their heads in your direction. Chrollo blinks, while Hisoka tilts his head, staring at you owlishly. 

He points to himself. “Me?” 

“Yeah, you! You’re like— one of those birds, those showoff birds… dancing with your colorful feathers… ‘nd stuff…” your speech isn’t the most coherent, unaided by the irritation that’s boiling your blood. You leer at him, fed up with everything, especially whatever schemes he’s roped you into. A rough picture is presenting itself, one stroke at a time. To Hisoka, you’re nothing more than glorified bait. You don’t know if he played a role in engineering the evening’s events, but it wouldn’t be a surprise. 

At the very least, he admitted to following you. Even if he was a third party, he could’ve disposed of the impending threat. Instead, he waited, exposing you to bloodshed for his own ends. You wish you could come up with a more scathing insult. Unfortunately, your temple is throbbing and clear enunciation grows harder as your body digests the liquor you inhaled. 

Hisoka looks at Chrollo. “I’m a bird?” 

“She’s calling your bluff,” Chrollo clarifies. “Had you intended to follow up on your threat, she’d know.” 

You’re glad Chrollo realized what you were going for. The diatribe sounded better in your head. Nonetheless, he’s communicated the essence of things, lacking as it is in panache. Hisoka hums, eyeing you like you’d make for a fine appetizer before the main course. 

“You must have kept that detail from me on purpose. What an intriguing ability. ♥” 

Chrollo brushes aside his comment and refocuses his attention on you. “I’ll drive you home.” 

“But my car—” 

“I’ll handle it,” Chrollo reassures. 

He slides out from the booth and stares at you expectantly. You get the sense that trying his patience isn’t a good idea; his encounter with Hisoka must have soured his mood. He helps steady you as you stand, securing his arm behind your back. Neither of you acknowledges Hisoka while making for the door, though you can feel his eyes tracking your every movement. 

Upon emerging from the bar, the cool air you deplored earlier feels like a godsend. You hear cars rushing up and down the street, indicating the presence of a highway. Other than that, you don’t recognize the area. It’s a small, decrepit outlet, featuring shops plastered with neon signs and bars over the windows.

Chrollo ushers you in the direction of a black, unmarked McLaren.

“If you’re gonna do all that, at least get a less basic color… like pink…” 

“I’ll give it some thought.” 

Once you’re in the passenger seat, he fixes the strap of your purse and then buckles you in. It isn’t long until you’re on the road. He stays in the slow lane, mindful to avoid abrupt motions. You recline back and rest your head, hugging your arms close to your body. At the next red light, he sheds his coat, draping it over your person. The cashmere fabric is soft on your skin, embedded with his cologne and warmth. This, paired with the low hum of the engine has your eyelids growing heavy. You try resisting the temptation. 

“Thank you.” 

“Hm? For what?” 

“... Are you serious?” you murmur. “For comin’ to get me.” 

“Of course.” 

Relief rushes over you as the surrounding area becomes recognizable. Traffic is nonexistent this time of night, it shouldn’t be but a few more minutes until you’re home. Then you can crash out on your bed and deal with the existential weight of reality in the morning. Work can fire you for all you care, you just want to sleep. If you were on your deathbed, you’re ninety percent positive they’d ask you to find shift coverage before you croaked. 

Chrollo pulls into your apartment complex, parking as close to the entrance as he can. 

You fiddle with your seatbelt, intending to make the rest of the trip by yourself.

He places his large, calloused hand over yours, preventing further progress. 

“... Chrollo?” 

He doesn’t respond. His thumb rubs slow, steady circles against your skin. You swallow a growing lump in your throat. He hasn’t been himself all night. Or, to be more precise, he’s showing you a side of himself he’s hitherto kept hidden. You always knew there was more to him than he let on. You never wanted to open that Pandora's box, lest your plans be jeopardized. Playing with fire has its risks, yet cauterizing your personal wounds took priority. You don’t know if you have the right to pray the rest of your being doesn’t go up in flames. 

“I assume you’re aware of my fondness for you?” 

“I— well…” you stumble over your words, then meekly ask, “Is now really a good time for this?” 

Chrollo lowers his head and smiles. “No, I suppose not.” 

An uncomfortable silence hangs in the air. 

“One more question, then I’ll let you go,” he looks up at you through thick lashes, an enigmatic gleam passing over his eyes. “Do I frighten you?” 

Your body tenses. He addresses you so softly, so sweetly, had you not witnessed his mouth moving, you would’ve mistaken his voice for belonging to another. Your facilities aren’t functional enough to properly process his query. Perhaps that’s the point — him cornering you at this vulnerable junction. You don’t get why. You don’t think you could even if you were sober. 

Chrollo, for his part, seems to acknowledge he won’t get far in your current state.

Or maybe he gleaned his answer.

He lifts your hand to his lips, where he presses a lingering kiss. You can’t bring yourself to be the first to pull away. He lingers a while longer, as if stuck in a trance. When he does part, the skin tingles in his absence.

“I’ll be in touch.” 

-

For the past week, you’ve carried on as if nothing ever happened. 

It’s easier this way. There are instances where your performance is threatened, like when you ran across a news article detailing the ‘grisly murder of two men at a parking garage on 9th St,’ yet these lapses can be smoothed over. Ignore, distract, forget. This cycle lends you a credence of normalcy and eases you back into everyday life. 

You haven’t seen Chrollo since that night. You suppose he’s preoccupied with his arrangements to meet the Nen exorcist. While you don’t know the specifics, you imagine he’ll have to meet this Abengane in person. In the recording, he addressed two men — named Battera and Tsezguerra — where he proved himself qualified to enter ‘Greed Island.’ Aside from a few anonymous forums, information on this mythical game is sparse. All you know is that the price is exorbitant and that Battera obsessively tracks down every copy available. 

Wherever there’s Nen, things inevitably get weird, you think.

You begin tidying up your apartment. First is drying off the dishes, which saw their first use all week for a much-needed home-cooked meal. While doing so, your phone vibrates. You throw the damp rag down in a hurry and check the screen. All you find is a notification about your upcoming menstrual cycle. Sighing, you put your phone down on the counter. 

Chrollo had been truthful when he promised to take your Hatsu for assisting in the return of his. A part of you is relieved by his absence; the other is frustrated. You want to get this over with. It’s like when you have an appointment later in the day and spend the time leading up to it in a limbo, not wanting to get involved in anything until the commitment is over. Is it possible he already took it? Curious, you hold your dominant hand out. You haven’t used Instant Replay since the night at the biker’s bar. 

Aura surges through you, concentrating at the palm of your hand. Much to your disappointment, the light pink cassette tape appears. Maybe it no longer works? As a test, you rewind the recording of the audio Chrollo provided at the café. Once primed, you press play, listening attentively for certain cues. 

“It is my great honor to profess that I, Lilith, can purge you of any ailment, even scourges derived from Nen — for a small donation of…” 

The self-proclaimed Mistress of Panaceas sounds increasingly garbled as her lies surface. Clicking your tongue, you deactivate your ability. Everything remains operational. You don’t know what you expected, you’ve overheard the telltale sounds of lying the past few days. It just hasn’t been directed at you, which weakens the effect. 

Will you really have to endure this the rest of your life? 

Shortly into resuming your task, there’s a knock at your door. 

You ignore it, not in the mood to deal with a neighbor asking for something. After thirty or so seconds, there’s another round of knocking. You suppress a groan. Why can’t the world sense that you’re moody and let you brood in peace? Trudging over, you try to put on a pleasant face, unwilling to lash out on others even if you’re in a terrible mood. Erring on the side of caution, you glance out the peephole. 

Upon doing so, you almost lose your balance.

…

He must’ve decided he kept you waiting long enough.

[gracieheartspedro]

Cherry Stems

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 3.1k

description: eddie rejects your advances because his friends are around. so you use them to your advantage. piss eddie off and maybe you'll get what you want. maybe.

warnings: MDNI! 18+ only pls, age not specified but i imagine eddie/reader are 20+, porn without much plot, major teasing, reader is a brat, mentions of eating food, reader has no food aversions, nicknames, reader is flirting with eddie's bandmates, jealousy, possessiveness, name calling, face grabbing, eddie is lowkey a dom, unprotected p in v, fingering (vaginal), oral fixation, eddie puts his fingers in your mouth a lot, reader gets off on being bullied, orgasm denial, cum play, cum eating.... think that's it.

author’s note: hi i wrote this in one night. i am a whore for eddie, what else can i say. i'm also down to take requests, so if you see this, hey, send me an ask. maybe i'll cave and do some. as always, thanks bestie girl @amanitacowboy for helping me with this. let's never forget how much of a whore we are for this man. it keeps me (in)sane <3

Eddie had been teasing you all night and it was really starting to get to you. 

After a pretty electric performance at The Hideout, Eddie and his friends decided that they were hungry for some burgers from the empty Shiny Diner nearby. You had already had enough of Eddie’s shit at this point, so as soon as you sat next to him in the big half moon shaped booth, you knew it was game on. 

From eyeing you while he sang filthy lyrics from the stage, to the way he was working his hand up the hem of your dress when you sat at the bar, Eddie was truly being a menace. When the band got loud in the car on the way to the diner, you decided to make your move. You had rested your hand on Eddie’s crotch while sitting in the bucket seat next to him. While Eddie loved giving a good show, he was not keen on letting his friends see you in such a way. So he brushed your hand away and gave you the ‘not now’ eyes. 

You were for him and him only.

It aggravated you to no end, watching him rejoin the conversation with the guys, while you crossed your arms in disappointment.

But you were going to push some buttons tonight. You were going to get him back.

Gareth, Jeff, and Grant were all very sweet boys. Each of them have never been nothing but respectful of you. Gareth had known you longer than Eddie and he was actually the one who introduced you two. Jeff was usually a know-it-all, but he never dared question anything you said. And Grant… he was just quiet. Always following along with the antics and very well mannered. 

While you respected all the boys back, you also knew they found you attractive and that you could take advantage of that. After one specific smoke session together a couple months back, Eddie asked them all if they had a crush on you. He only ever said things like that to make them squirm. Teasing each other was the way they showed their love for one another. He also liked to remind people that they never stood a chance with you. And they all said that of course they found you pretty, but they would not dare go after you. 

Well, for one night only, you would give them believe they had a chance. Just to piss off Eddie. 

You had done this before. A year into your relationship, you had unintentionally made him jealous and it led to the most mind blowing sex of your life. The sex was so memorable that you do not even remember how you made him jealous. 

You needed that just about now. 

You were the only group there along with the waitress and line cook, so you were not worried about making a scene. You game plan how you were going to achieve such a feat as you scan the diner menu. You already knew what you wanted, but spotting the milkshakes on the list of drinks, a light bulb went off in your brain. 

The older waitress took down the boy’s order while you sat quietly staring at the menu. When it came down to you, you look up at the white haired woman and smiled. 

“One chocolate shake, extra whip cream and cherries, please.” You hand her the menu and glance over at a confused Eddie. You usually got a Dr. Pepper and a cheeseburger value meal, hold the lettuce. 

“Not hungry, baby?” He asks, reaching out for your black painted nails. You slide your hand away, acting like you are reaching for something in your purse. 

“Just wanna try something new.”

You pull your lipgloss out, still not looking over at Eddie. You twist off the top, placing the applicator on the middle of your bottom lip as your eyes flicker over to Grant’s. He is not paying much mind to anything, his eyes looking towards the window behind you. When he takes note of your gaze, he finally looks at you. 

You swipe the gloss across your lips, smirking devilishly. 

“What did you get, Grant?”

He thinks for a beat, realizing even he forgot what he ordered. “Uh… BLT with onion rings.”

You smack your lips together, rubbing your top lip on the bottom one painfully slow. 

“You gonna share your onion rings?”

He was not expecting the question, his lips curling upward before he chuckles. You can feel Eddie’s body stiffen as you ask the question. 

Grant nods, though, “Of course. You can have some-” “Baby, you’re not gonna eat his food.” You shoot a glare at Eddie, tossing your gloss back in your pocketbook. “Grant said I could, so… yeah I am.”

Eddie’s eyes search yours, trying to figure out what you are trying to do. You disguise your pleasure at his curiosity, rolling your eyes and pointing your attention at Jeff. He’s positioned right next to Grant, fiddling with his fingers. Before you can press him with a question, the waitress comes and puts down your drinks. She’s missing your milkshake. 

“That’ll be out in just a moment,” She says, grabbing her tray as she returns behind the counter, seemingly preparing your shake. You watch Jeff fiddle with his straw wrapper and you finally decide to bother him next. 

“Is that Dr. Pepper?” You ask, already knowing the answer. Jeff always got Dr. Pepper, just like you. It’s something you two bonded over often. He just nods, taking a sip of the bubbly beverage. You look over at the waitress quickly, seeing she’s still fiddling with the milkshake blender. 

You grab Jeff’s ice cold glass, your eyes glistening with innocence, “You mind if I have a sip? I’m parched.” And of course he’s too confused to say no. You pull the drink over and once it crosses to your side of the table, Eddie’s hand presses into your bare thigh. You do not react, taking Jeff’s straw into your mouth and sucking in a big sip, your eyes never leaving his. Once you pull the plastic away, you smirk. 

“Thanks, hun.” You push the drink back to him slowly. His cheeks heat up instantly when he notices your lipgloss on the tip of the straw. Eddie’s hand only squeezes more, trying to get you to look over at him. 

He wanted your attention so bad, his body curving closer to you. You can feel his gaze stuck onto the side of your face. 

Before anyone says anything else, the white haired lady returns with your chocolate shake. You giddedly grab the glass and stuff a straw into the frozen drink. 

You use your tongue to toy with the end of the straw, pulling it into your open mouth. Your eyes flicker away from Jeff and take aim at Gareth, who’s seated right across from you. Since he’s known you so long, you can already read on his face that he knows what you are up to. He may be a nice guy, but he too loves to fuck with Eddie. 

He was going to help you in whatever way possible. Instead of you initiating conversation, he speaks up. 

“Chocolate, huh? Thought you’d like vanilla.” Your eyebrow quirks up. You know Eddie’s face is bright red next to you. The heat radiating from him is pressing into your shoulder and thigh. 

“You got me pegged as a vanilla girl? That’s a bit offensive, Gare,” You smile, calculating your next move. You look down at the pile of whipped cream on the top of the shake. You drag your pointer finger across the top, gathering the cream all around it. 

You hear Eddie whispering beside you. “You better fuckin’ not.”

You smile, bringing your finger to your lips, not peeling your eyes from Gareth. You know the tension is palpable because Gareth’s smile is only widening when you lick the cream off your finger. 

The other guys are gawking at you at this point. You were putting on a show and they could not even fathom that it was happening before their very eyes. 

Gareth finally says something, nodding at the milkshake. “And extra cherries?”

“Gareth-,” Eddie’s voice fades over yours. 

“Oh yeah! You know I can tie the stems with my tongue?”

Eddie’s rings are going to be imprinted on your leg with how tightly he’s gripping onto you. You grab one of the cherries, getting your fingers covered in more whipped cream. You lean your head back a bit, your nose facing the old tile ceiling. You drop the cherry in your mouth, stem up. Tilting your head back, facing Gareth, you pull the cherry off the stem between your teeth. It’s unbelievably sensual the way you chew the red fruit. 

You show each of the boys the stem, even Eddie. When you glance over at him, you do not believe you have ever seen him so annoyed. He’s not hiding it well. You drop the stem on your tongue, returning your gaze over to Gareth. 

You roll the stem around, using your teeth slightly to do the stupid party trick you learned in 10th grade to impress a boy. It’s not impressive when every hot girl in school could do it, too. But nonetheless, it was something you could do to layer on the eroticism of the moment. 

When it’s tied, you contemplate taking it out of your mouth and showing it off. Maybe even drop it in Eddie’s hand. Instead, you decide to just extend your tongue out and show the stem on the very tip of your tongue. 

The color drains from Eddie’s face. It’s the end of the show for him. 

He grabs your forearm, ripping you out of the booth. You look back at Gareth, who’s still smiling, all the while Jeff and Grant look even more confused.  

When the fresh air hits you when he slams the glass door open, you flick your head to the side and spit out the stem in the gravel. His grip is so tight around your arm as he drags you to the van. It’s parked on the far side of the lot, occupying a spot that’s backed up to some woods. 

“What is wrong?”

Asking such a question only pisses him off further. Once you reach the van, his left hand flings the side door open. He practically tosses you onto the shag rug that lines the very back of the vehicle. 

“Are you fuckin’ with me right now?” His voice is intimidatingly deep.

Your legs hang out while Eddie stands over you, his hand resting on the top of the van. The back of your knees feel the sting of the frayed metal that hinges the door shut. You swallow, contemplating if you should continue messing with him. With the way he’s looking at you, you felt that this was not going to lead to the jealous sex you two had before. He’s actually angry. 

“You pushed my hand away when I wanted you earlier.”

Your voice is so small and unsure. His eyes narrow at you, his mouth slightly ajar in complete disbelief. The silence hanging in the air makes your heart rate increase. 

His mouth closes and you watch his jaw clench, “So you flirt with my friends right in front of me? Even when I explicitly said you better not.”

With his free hand, he swats your bare leg as you squeeze your thighs together. “Answer me.”

You watch the red mark appear on your flesh and decide to keep playing into the game. You had nothing to lose. If he’s actually angry, you could always have amazing make up sex instead. Eddie could not stay mad at you for too long. 

You shake your head, lifting your chin up in defiance. “All I did was tie a cherry stem.”

He does not accept that answer, slapping your thigh harder this time. 

You knew then that you had him where you wanted him. His eyes were giving him away. His pupils dilated as soon as he realized that you did not yelp at him slapping you around. 

Your eyes widen, watching him jump into the van beside you and dragging you back further. He slams the door, rattling the hunk of metal. The only light being let in is from the front windshield. A hazy warm lit streetlight only lights up Eddie’s face as he’s pining you to the ground. 

He positions himself between your legs, pushing the back of your thighs up with his knees. The skirt you chose for the occasion was pretty flowy, so it slid up your hips as soon as he props you up. “You want to act like a whore in front of my friends? All ‘cause I slapped your hand away earlier?”

His voice does not even sound like his. You hear the jiggling of his belt as he asks you the question. But the more twisted Eddie was, the more aroused you felt. You were drawn to him the first moment he teased you and bullied you a bit. You got off on him being callous. 

“Words. Now.”

You look down between your legs and see his cock springing free from his boxers as he shoves them down his thighs. You groan, the pulsating at your core coinciding with your heart rate. “Wanted to get your attention.”

He smacks your inner thigh, painfully close to your pantyline. You moan at the action, propping yourself up a bit more on your elbows. You watch as he carefully drags his pointer and middle finger under the hem of your lace. He smirks to himself, “That’s not what I fuckin’ asked.”

His fingers dip under your underwear, gathering the slick between your folds. You throw your head back, unable to hold back the sob as he spreads you open. You were putty in his hands, always bending to him. “Yes, Eddie.”

Your response leads to him sliding his fingers inside your cunt, a wet squelching noise filling both your ears. Your back thuds against the rug as your muscles give out under his touch. He fucks you with his fingers, the look on his face unreadable. He usually takes his time with foreplay, but this was different. He was testing how far he could take you in a limited amount of time. You were in a parking lot with his friends less than 500 feet inside, he could not take his time torturing you. 

His fingers retract from your pussy, gripping onto the lace of your panties and tearing them down your legs. When he sits back on his heels, you watch his long cock bounce with his movements. It sends a smile across your face. When he zeros in on you again, he tilts his head to the side. 

“I’m gonna fuck you until you can’t talk anymore.”

It makes you giggle at first, unsure if he’s really being serious. But when his face does not twist up into a smirk like it usually did, you realize you were in trouble. He takes ahold of his dick, leaning forward onto you. Your mouth falls open as you study Eddie dragging his tip between your slit, gathering as much of your wetness as he could. 

He sinks into you, raising your hips a bit to meet him straight on. The stretch is always overwhelming for you at first. You and Eddie fucked at least three times a week, but he always made you cum before shoving his cock deep inside you. Stretching you out for a couple minutes with two fingers is not enough for you. He hisses when he pulls back, his hands grasping onto you for dear life. 

He wastes no time setting a bruising pace. There’s no build up, he is simply taking his annoyance out on you. You are reaching out to anything around you, trying to find something to hold onto as he rams into you. You find a sweatshirt nearby, squeezing it as tight as you can as you breathe out to relax your pelvic muscles.

“Eddie, please-” You try to say, throwing your head forward. He shifts your hips a bit more, opening you up wider. As he does that, he rakes his hands upward, pushing your skirt up higher to your belly button. He shakes your head to your pleas. 

“Eddie, please.” He mocks, relocating his hand to squeeze your cheeks together. When your jaw unhinges, Eddie inspects your tongue as he drills into you. “Put my fingers in your mouth.”

“Ed-”

He sandwiches your face harder, cutting you off from being able to say anything. He fills your mouth with the two fingers that were plunging inside of you earlier. The taste of your own arousal is still present on his fingers as you swirl your tongue around the digits. You mewl as he grinds his pelvis into your clit. “Shut up,” he orders, his face centimeters from yours, “Now suck them while I fuck you.”

You have no way to talk back, so you do what he says. You hallow your cheeks out, lathering all your saliva around his fingers. The build up in the pit of your stomach only gets more intense when Eddie hoists your leg up over his shoulder. You clench around him, tears pricking your eyes as you vibrate his fingers with your moans. 

“Do not fuckin’ cum yet,” He warns, pulling his fingers in and out of your mouth. His hips are faltering as he chases his own climax. Your body feels like every nerve ending is about to implode under the pressure of you holding back your orgasm, and Eddie can sense that. He drags his fingers out from your lips, rubbing your own spit into your lips. He grabs your jaw with the same hand, pulling your face closer to his.

“Say you’re mine. You’re only gonna be mine.”

You nod, knocking his forehead slightly. “I’m only ever gonna be yours, Eddie.”

With your foreheads touching, you watch as he falls apart inside you. 

And with three vicious snaps of his hips, he spills his seed deep inside you. He does not let out a sound. His mouth is agape as deep heaves fan your face. 

When he finishes, he slides his cock out of you and sits back on his knees again. Him exiting your body is so frustrating, you want to scream.  

He uses one arm to hold your one leg back as spit covered fingers swipe up your cunt. His spend is leaking out of you and you know if he works his usual magic, you will cum in 30 seconds. 

“Please, Eddie. Please let me cum.”

He smirks villainously, “Why should I let you, hm?” He spreads your pussy lips, getting a good look as his cum dribbles down to your asshole.

You are getting desperate. You never had to beg Eddie to cum, ever. He was always so generous. 

“I promise I’ll be good. Please, please.” He chuckles dryly before sinking his fingers back into you. “Fine. Since you asked so pretty and promised to behave yourself.”

His fingers scissor into you, that familiar burn in the pit of your stomach returning. As his two fingers make work at your entrance, his thumb swipes your clit in meticulous circles. His bottom lip is tucked under his top teeth, watching you fall apart on his fingers. You are practically chanting his name as he brings you to your peak. 

When your chest heaves, finally relaxing from your orgasm, Eddie slides his digits out of you and brings them up to his plump pink lips. He licks them clean, just like you did with the whipped cream earlier. 

“Hm… Don’t see how Gareth thought you were a vanilla girl,” He states, smiling sinfully at you. “You, my dear, are a fuckin’ vixen.”

-

tags of friends who may like this idk (if you wanna be tagged in the future, just lemme know <3):

@hockeyhughes @pedgito @mediocredreams @the-unforgivenn

[yandere-writer-momo]

Hi I really LOVE your works literally so much😭, I just wanted to request, it may be weird, what about a witch reader who has social anxiety or just don't interacts with people, so when she would feel lonely she would bring her daily objects to life for company and turn them back into normal again, but one day one object manages to hide so reader isn't able to turn him back, and this object just feel absolute devotion to reader, bcs reader quite literally owns him

I haven’t really done a request in forever, but I absolutely adore this idea! Adore adore adore. Thank you so much, anon ❤️❤️

Yandere Head Canon: Prized Posession

Yandere Gargoyle x Fem Witch Reader

TW: Yandere content. You should know by now the content I write

You were often lonely in your cabin tucked away deep in the mountains. Your only living company was the animals that lived in the forest. Life was easier this way.

Humans terrified you due to their unpredictable and chaotic behavior. You appeared human for the most part, but you were a witch. And you never knew if they burn you at the stake if they found out, so you decided to live as far away from civilization as possible.

It did not help that you were incredibly, socially anxious, so you’d likely hiccup and reveal your identity anyways. So you decided stay in this forest in this old, abandoned gothic manor for the rest of your days.

You often wondered if the old master of this house with some kind of nobleman or maybe even a vampire. Regardless, this place was yours, and you could do with it whatever you pleased.

Yet, you were lonely. Painfully lonely. So you often used your magic to re-animate objects around your house for company.

It started off innocently. You would bring the teapot and the tea cups to life and they would be a happy little family as I talk with you about their mundane lives. You never realized how objects can hold memories… each object sharing memories with you until you ultimately returned them to their original form.

You began to grow bolder and bolder with the objects you brought to life until you finally stumbled across to gargoyle above the front door. It’s monstrous form crouched, menacingly above the manor to keep trespassers away. It’s large bat like wings spread out intimidatingly.

You decided to bring him to life. Your eyes widened when he flew down to stand before you. He was almost 7 feet tall and pure muscle. He was somewhat humanoid, but still obviously a monster. He stood on two legs his fingers and toes had sharp talons. His face elongated into the snout of a vampire bat.

His voice was deep, masculine, and gravely, like he had been a smoker for most of his life. Yet the gargoyle was very polite.

Out of all of the objects you brought to life, the gargoyle was the best company. He reminded you of those gentlemen written in romance novels with his manners and patient demeanor. It was only his monstrous appearance that startled you.

He would sit with you and stare at you with those piercing gray eyes, almost as if he was studying you like a specimen. He would hang on your every word, as if you were the most interesting creature in the world.

You weren’t used to such attention, especially not from the opposite gender. Yet he always made you feel special. Like a lady…

He would pull your chair out for you before he poured your tea, and then he would sweeten it exactly the way you preferred. You were both flattered and a bit frightened with how much knowledge he had of your habits…

The gargoyle would also dance with you under the moonlight, his hands were cold stone. Sometimes his hand would sneak around your waist and he’d pull you closer like you were his lover. A chuckle would always escape his lips when you’d gasp.

“ I want a name.” He whispered in your ear as he sat beside you as you read a book next to him in your study,

“A name?” You softly asked him. “Hmm… what about Grim?”

His face turned up into the slightest of smiles. His clawed hand took yours.

“Grim… my name is Grim.” He planted a kiss on the back of your hand. A shiver rolled up your spine from how cold he was. 

Since that day, Grim wouldn’t let you turn him back into a lifeless gargoyle. He would hide from you every time they broke.

“You’ll be lonely during the day if you don’t have somebody.” He would insist. Yet you couldn’t help the feeling that bubbled in your gut that something wasn’t right with him. Why was Grim so insistent on being by your side? Weren’t gargoyles always meant to be silent watchers over the home?

Sometimes, when you wake up from sleep, he would look through your spell books. Yet he didn’t even feel shame when you caught him. He would just give you that signature ghost of a smile as he held the book close to his chest.

“Good morning, mistress. I’m just studying these pages to see if I can find something to further deepen our bond.”

You hated confrontation, so you didn’t correct his behavior. A mistake that would haunt you.

A week later, and he became more and more animated. It began to scare you since he was no longer cold to the touch like a sculpture… no. He was warm like a body. He felt like a living creature.

You gulped when you felt a pulse. He wasn’t supposed to have one of those… this is why your instructors back in a day always warned you to never leave an object alive for too long. Objects could learn sentence and eventually become their own being… and now you had the full attention of a century old gargoyle. One that would never let you go.

He began to spin your body around in the daily waltz you always danced with him. His snout borrowed into the crook of your neck as he inhaled your scent greedily.

“I’m so happy I can finally smell your sweet scent, mistress. I was so lonely for a century in this manor. But you brought me to life. You listen to me and talk with me… I want to always be with you. Please… won’t you be mine as I am yours?”

You felt his bat like wings pull your body closer to his as he pressed his lips to the top of your head like a lover would. “I wish to be your one and only, mistress. I want to be your prize possession and you be mine. So won’t you stay with me?”

You sighed and wrapped your arms around him. It was not as if you had a choice. You had a responsibility now, and it was to keep this creature content. Even if you had to be his prized possession.

[r3starttt]

GUITAR

PAIRING: Ellie Williams x reader

SUMMARY: Where you fall for your bandmate.

CW: requested months ago, sorry for that. Fluff. Modern AU.

AN: thanks to @topimpabunny for helping me write this <3

TAGLIST: @twopeoplee @greysontheidiot @sapphic-ovaries @bilsvlt @tlouloser @marsworlddd @1-800-fantasy @prwttiestbunny @thesevi0lentdelights @lvlymicha @stickycherritart @abbys-muscles @lott6i @usuck @thalchmy @lovelyy-moonlight

As the tour neared its final, with only two cities left, the days felt heavier, not just with the physical but the mental exhaustion. There was about a week remaining—seven days of awkwardly dozing off on Ellie's shoulder during long drives between hotels, ot sharing late-night cigarettes while the rest of the band devoured greasy slices of pizza in the back of the bus.

Sometimes, Ellie would order the strangest dishes at fancy restaurants, pushing plates towards you with a raised brow and that silly smile on her face, silently daring you to try whatever odd creation sat before you because she never liked whatever she ordered.

It was the same routine you've got used to at home, just expensive and with a subtle shift you couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Your new album had become the album. You heard it everywhere—on the radio, in the restaurants you dined at, in the stores you wandered through. People recognized you more frequently now, and though the rush of success was thrilling, it came with suffocating attention.

The band had begun to earn a proper, equitable pay for the first time, unlike a few months ago when you were the highest-paid simply for being the voice, the face of the project.

Now, after endless rehearsals and countless hours spent side by side, the bond between all of you had deepened. It was impossible to go anywhere alone—someone from the band was always by your side. And truthfully, you preferred it that way. It felt like the early days, when the band was just an idea, and you were all strangers awkwardly navigating each other's space. Back then, you barely knew the teens who would later become family, waiting for the bassist to count you in, while now, they waited for your lead, their laughter contagious because you were the one making them laugh.

Yet, the fame you’d found felt strangely coincidental, as if it had happened by accident rather than design. It was your first proper album, and you wanted it to be special, so, each member had contributed a song, a break from your usual routine of writing everything yourself to later check with the band and other people to make it work properly and making something personal yet sellable.

Ellie had written one of them, of course—Ellie Williams, the girl who went viral a few months before the album dropped, the one who captivated the crowd with a stage presence that to you and everyone else in the band, seemed so unlike the quiet and shy girl who lingered offstage.

Her lyrics were tender, delicate, yet deeply abstract, they spoke about love in a way that couldn’t be easily directed at just anyone. You’d helped her shape them, fine-tuning the words until they fit with the band’s sound. There was a familiarity to her devotion, an intimacy that felt strangely personal.

The fans, naturally, ran wild with it. They created stories based on the stolen glances on stage and pictures a very intense fan took from late-night cigarette breaks, interpreting the alone moment as something more. A love story in the making.

But how could they not? After years of being side by side, didn’t you know Ellie better than anyone? She could read you, read all of you, with a glance. But the public, craving romance, chose to believe in something more.

You weren't the only one, the public would ship everyone in the band, and it was fun, so no one ever spoke about it.

And so, the rumors grew. What had once been innocent interactions turned into something else, something heavier. Still, you leaned into it, playing along with the joke. Sitting next to her during interviews, exchanging glances on stage, especially during her song. It became part of the act, a little game between you, Ellie, and the crowd.

By the end of the tour, it wasn’t even intentional anymore. It was just... your thing.

Before the show began, the backstage buzzed with the familiar hum of excitement, the echo of the crowd’s screams blending with the playlist the band had curated for the waiting fans. Your favorite song was blasting now, the melody spilling through the walls and bouncing off the concrete floors. The audience was singing along, their voices loud and passionate, filling the venue with a pulse you could feel deep in your chest.

You hummed the lyrics under your breath, half-focused as you scrolled through your phone, scanning social media for comments about your last performance in Seattle two days ago.

Around you, the controlled chaos of pre-show prep unfolded. A makeup artist dabbed eyeliner onto someone’s face in the corner, while another fluffed the drummer’s hair with quick, expert hands.

Next to you, Ellie fidgeted in one of those creaky rolling chairs, her knee brushing yours for what felt like the tenth time. She couldn't sit still, her fingers tapping out an erratic rhythm on the vanity as someone dampened her hair, her leg bouncing like she had energy to burn and no place to put it.

For a while, the two of you sat in an easy silence, the kind that only comes after years of knowing someone so well, words become unnecessary. But then, Ellie’s black, crooked nails crept into your view, tapping on your screen just enough to block it from your eyes. You sighed, shutting off your phone and tossing it into the mess of clothes, makeup, and half-eaten snacks scattered across the vanity—Ellie’s snacks, mostly.

"You good?" she asked, her tone teasing, but there was a nervous edge to it, her lips bitten raw from anxious chewing.

You gave her a sideways glance, rolling your eyes as you tugged at the collar of your shirt. "Are you?" you quipped, but your tone had more bite.

Ellie responded with a playful slap to your knee, her brows pulling into a frown, a silent question—Did I do something wrong?

"Fumbling the opening riff for the last three shows" you raised an eyebrow, your tone revealing exactly what you thought. A question and a statement in one.

As she does, her laugh brushed it off. With loud steps she pushed herself off the vanity, her converse dragging slightly on the floor as she scooted closer to you. The old chair creaked beneath her, and you could feel her knee against yours again, a quiet reminder of the space you shared. "That’s ‘cause I know you’ll cover for me," your eyes met in that playful glint, unmistakable. "It’s our thing, isn’t it?"

You didn’t have to ask what she meant. The way you two moved in sync on stage—the fleeting looks, the almost accidental touches that made the crowd lose their minds—it was all part of the unspoken act, the rhythm that made them believe there was something more than the love for music.

"Oh, so that’s what they’re here for?" you teased, leaning back slightly but keeping your gaze steady on hers. "To watch me save your ass every night?"

Ellie’s grin widened, her eyes narrowing with that familiar, quiet confidence. "Nah," she said, her voice dipping low, "they’re here for that look you give me right after I hit the wrong note."

It was the way she said it, the softness behind the teasing, that made your heart stutter for a moment. You were used to Ellie’s banter, the way she could disarm you with a smile or a well-placed quip, but this felt heavier somehow. The rumors, the touches that lingered just a second too long, the unspoken words hidden in the corners of her playful eyes—it all started to feel like something more. And for a brief second, you wondered if she felt it too.

"You keep talking like that," you murmured, your voice quieter now, "and people are gonna think we’re actually playing into it."

Ellie’s smirk softened, her gaze lingering on yours for a beat longer than usual. She didn’t respond, at least not with words, but her fingers casually reached out, grabbing a handful of sour gummies from the vanity, "Maybe we are," her tone almost too casual, lighter.

Just then, the familiar roar of a specific song boomed from outside— It was almost time. The crowd was waiting, growing louder with every passing second. Your pulse quickened, matching the beat of the music, and you could feel Ellie’s energy shift beside you.

It mirrored on how her chair came back to its original place, her way to give you both a moment to breathe until she stood, her movements slower than usual, and for the first time, there was a hint of hesitation in her voice, "C’mon." You nodded, counting to three in your head before standing up.

And then came the familiar rhythm of the night. The opening notes of the first song reverberated through the stage, and you forced yourself to move, pacing from one end to the other, your body pulling itself through the heat of the lights and the overwhelming roar of the crowd. Eventually you found solace in the other members. You caught their glances, subtle nods exchanged in the chaos, when the lights grew too bright or the sound too heavy.

But by the time the second song kicked in, something shifted. The rhythm found you, or you found it, and suddenly, everything clicked into place. Your voice carried through the venue, the echoes of the crowd’s chants blending with your own, and soon enough, the moment arrived where you could pause, breathe, and thank them—your people, your fans—for being here, for their endless support.

Then came the moment they loved the most. The part that had become a signature of every performance. Your hand slid gently beneath Ellie’s chin, lifting her face toward yours, your nails pressing just enough to leave the faintest marks on the edges of her lips. The mic hovered between your mouths, both of you singing the chorus in unison, voices blending in a way that felt intimate, almost too intimate for the stage.

And when the chorus gave way to her solo, you stepped back, your gaze locked on her with a look that was no longer just a performance.

It wasn’t fake—the feelings that surfaced as you watched her there, guitar in hand, fingers moving effortlessly across the strings. You still remembered when she’d first started playing, the way her fingertips had been rough, bandaged from the hours of practice. How you’d kept a stash of bandaids in your school bag, handing them to her with a teasing smile when she groaned in frustration at missing an easy chord. And sometimes, you swore she’d mess up on purpose, just to see you laugh. She’d helped you find your own voice, inviting you over to her place to practice together, pushing you to hit notes you didn’t think you could reach.

Now, standing on stage, so much time had passed, and yet, the memories felt as close as ever. You could still see that shy girl who had walked up to you after your first rehearsal with the band, gifting you a pack of mints and a bottle of nail polish the day after your birthday. She’d missed it, having barely known you then. "Good for your voice," she’d said, quoting something from Google about the mints. The nail polish? "I like your nails. Thought this color might look cool. Maybe you could do mine next time."

It was more than just an act, more than just something for the crowd to swoon over. It was the nostalgia of seeing how far you’d both come, from awkward first meetings to now, standing side by side under the blinding lights of the stage. And not just Ellie, but the whole band. These people who had let you in, who had become family. Every show was a reminder of that—of the gratitude that swelled in your chest, for being part of something so much bigger than yourself. For being allowed to belong.

-

“Thanks, I really mean it.” Backstage enveloped you in a familiar haze, a blend of sweat and excitement hanging in the humid air, even with the doors flung wide open. You held a beer in one hand, the cool glass resting on your knee, while the other leg stretched out under the small coffee table, cluttered with half-eaten pizza and discarded snack wrappers.

“Imagine if we’d given up on those quiet girls—our band would’ve flopped,” Jesse piped up.

He had been tough on you both at first, “If you never open up, it’s never going to work,” he’d remind you in every rehearsal until he finally broke down your walls.

Ellie rolled her eyes at him, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Imagine if we’d given up on you, dude. Stop bothering.” With a gentle shove, she sent him reeling slightly, causing him to spill his drink across his shirt.

“She’s right. You were an ass to us,” you chimed in, matching Ellie’s playful energy, your gaze meeting Jesse’s, who wore a mock hurt expression. “You’re so meant to be,” he shot back, laughter bubbling from his chest.

“Shit, actually—” you began, setting your drink aside. “They’re saying our songs are related, like the lyrics give off similar vibes and stuff-” But he quickly interrupted, familiar with the comments online. “So, are you two gonna kiss already, or…?” Ellie laughed shyly, a flush creeping up her cheeks, the thrill of the moment mixing with the awkwardness of the conversation. "Fuck off"

“I was actually thinking we should,” you teased, leaning into the moment, watching Ellie’s eyes widen with exaggerated shock. Her expression morphed into one of mock disappointment as she found herself trapped between whatever this was against her. “Bro—” she spoke, her voice muffled by a mouthful of pizza, “if you want me that bad, just say so.”

Laughter erupted around you, filling the small backstage area with warmth and that sense of belonging you dearly loved.

-

With the tour finally over, everyone was back home. After years of relentless rehearsals, sleepless nights, and grueling performances on any stage that would have you, the band had made it. The fame brought more than recognition—it had granted each of you the chance to finally own your own apartments, a small but significant milestone. But none of you had expected just how exhausting coming home would feel.

Tonight was no different than the old routine you were just starting to forget—at least until you’d called Ellie.

You hadn’t expected her to pick up, let alone offer to come over. But she did, and now she was on her way. For the first time in what felt like forever, Ellie had volunteered to help without any ulterior motive. Maybe it was boredom. Or maybe, though she'd never admit it, she missed you.

Ellie had been trying to keep herself busy since the tour ended. She’d spent a night at Joel’s house, picking up her cat—who, to her mild surprise, was slimmer than when she left her. Joel had apparently decided Ellie’s feeding instructions weren’t trustworthy and had followed some Google advice instead. He’d kept her up late, asking about the tour, her health, and, not-so-subtly, about you. Ellie brushed it off with a laugh, insisting, “It’s part of the contract and stuff.”

The quiet of his place, the chirping crickets, and not having to deal with dishes or city noise had been comforting.

Back home, though, the boredom set in. She’d spent hours in bed with her cat, alternating between snacking on an embarrassing amount of sweets and scrolling aimlessly through social media.

When you called, she jumped at the chance to escape. Crowds had never been her thing, and the fame made going out even harder now. So, she headed to your place.

Meanwhile, you’d been keeping yourself busy too, sorting through the mess of your apartment while trying to maintain some semblance of a routine—vocal exercises, and, of course, scrolling through fan edits and comments online.

You missed the rush of the tour: the exhaustion, the adrenaline, the late-night parties with the band. But mostly, you missed Ellie.

She’d always been the one you were closest to, the one who felt like home no matter where you were. Watching videos of her onstage, reading comments from fans who adored her just as much as you did—it warmed your heart. There was something so Ellie about it all, a mix of quiet charm and undeniable presence that you couldn’t help but love.

Your phone buzzed, pulling you from your thoughts. She was here

Minutes later, Ellie stepped into your apartment, cat carried in hand. You barely gave her a chance to close the door before your focus shifted to the cat.

“Did you seriously bring her?” you asked, raising an eyebrow but already reaching to scoop the feline into your arms.

“What? You call her your baby but don’t want to see her?” Ellie teased, extending her arms to take the cat back. You ignored her, cuddling the purring creature like a newborn.

“She is my baby,” you said matter-of-factly. “Is she skinnier?”

Ellie shrugged, following you into the mess of your living room before plopping down on your bed like it was her own. “Joel fed her like Google told him to. Said she was too fat.”

You chuckled, leaning against the doorframe as Ellie kicked off her shoes. “He’s not wrong.”

Ellie rolled her eyes, unlacing her dirty Converse while the cat curled against your chest. “So,” she asked, her voice playful, “did you miss me?”

You looked at her, her familiar scent lingering in the room. “Yup. Can’t live without you, Ellie,” you replied, deadpan but sincere enough to make her pause mid-motion.

“Dude,” she muttered, shooting you a look before tossing her shoes across the room with a loud thump.

You laughed, setting the cat down and joining her on the bed. “I mean it, though,” you said, groaning as you stretched out beside her. “I miss the partying, the chaos… I’m too bored here.”

“Yeah,” Ellie agreed, leaning back on her elbows, her gaze meeting yours. “But it’s kinda nice, isn’t it? Having some time to do nothing for once?”

You tilted your head, watching her for a moment. She had a point, but it was hard to appreciate the quiet when part of you just wanted to be back onstage with her by your side.

The silence crept in slowly until you chose what felt like the right words.

“I just think we should go back soon." Ellie sighed, tipping her head back. “We deserve a longer break, to just... I don’t know, be normal for a second?”

You turned to look at her, your expression tightening. “Normal... Sure just, being on stage," you paused, simply staring st her. "It feels... right.”

She frowned, rolling her eyes. “Oh, so this doesn’t feel right? Me, here, with you?”You quickly huffed. Sitting up “That’s not what I meant."

Ellie seemed clearly bothered by it, but when wasn't she overreacting about life itself?

“It’s just... I miss it. It’s like it’s the only time we—” you stopped yourself, suddenly feeling exposed.

Ellie’s eyes flicked to yours, something unreadable in them. “The only time we what?”

You swallowed, looking into your lap before staring back. “The only time we get to have those moments.”

Ellie shook her head, running a hand through her hair. “Well, shit. Sorry for wanting to spend time with you outside of that.”

You blinked at her, not surprised but... conflicted. "Why is it such a bad thing that I want to go back?” She just groaned, flopping back against the pillows. “When did I say it was?”

“You’re insinuating that I’m crazy for wanting it.”

“I’m not saying that."

There was a silence again, this time louder than before, the type to ring loudly in your ears. It was only interrupted by the sudden purring of the cat settling on your lap.

“I’m saying we deserve a break, and that includes you.” Ellie spoke again, her tone quieter than usual. “I know that” you cleared your throat, playing with the soft of the fur.

Ellie let out a heavy sigh, sitting up and dragging her hands down her face, fingers lingering at her jaw as if grounding herself. “You’re making me feel bad,” she murmured, her voice quieter, but still laced with frustration. “For just—wanting to spend time with you.”

The weight of everything—of missing her, of wanting more, of not knowing how to say it—pressed down on you, suffocating. You pushed a hand through the cat's fur, letting out a dry, humorless laugh. “Els, the whole reason I wanna go back on tour is to see you more.”

Ellie blinked, her brows pulling together in that sheepish frustrated look so characteristic of her. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

You scoffed, shaking your head as you stared down at your hands. “Because I was fucking- i dont know, it's awkward,” you admitted, the words spilling out before you could stop them. “And you’re not helping—playing into the whole us thing—”

Ellie’s jaw tightened, her hands curling against the blanket before she slowly released them.

Yet, she used her stubborn for good and just leaned in, brushing your lips with her chapped ones.

She looked at you then, really looked at you, and for a long moment, the room felt too small, too still.

[thekindlygrammarfairy]

There's a lot of important conversations that need to be had about international aid (or, in this case, the opposite), where it's just really difficult to target it. You give aid to a corrupt government and they'll just... keep it. But it's difficult to track down every person you could help, especially after a disaster, with that same aid. Like, sometimes it is more efficient to let a corrupt government take half of the money that's supposed to go to refugees than to try and, from outside the country, with no one already on the ground, try and build a robust aid network from scratch.

And in this case, the Canadian tariffs were about as laser-targeted as they reasonably could be - focusing on products (plastic, wood, orange juice, and hard liquor) that Canadians don't need, or can source elsewhere, while impacting the states (who produce those goods) most responsible for Trump's rise to power. And yeah, people are going to get caught in the crossfire. People's lives will be made worse if liquor factories have to close because no one will buy their products, and tax revenue drying up will affect the quality of pretty much everything in those states if it gets as bad as it could. There's no way around this, from where Canada is sitting. There is no other option that makes any sense. A lot of Americans, rightly so, have been cheering the tariffs on.

It's messy. But I'm cheering the tariffs on too. Maybe Americans haven't learned their history, but Canada has. Mexico has. We're on the path to genocide and world war three if things go the way they did last time, and strong international resistance is one of the only ways I see Trump losing his grip fast enough for us to right the ship.

The basic lesson from World War II is that appeasement for Hitler, letting him conquer *some* stuff, was a dire mistake. Had the League of Nations, formed in the wake of WWI (and predecessor to the United Nations) taken strong action to stop Hitler earlier, we probably wouldn't have even had a real World War.

The republicans control the house, senate, and presidency, but only just. The House of representatives is 218 to 215 representatives republican, with two vacancies, both from Florida. The special election is in April. So if Trump's tariffs, and the reasonable countertariffs happen, those two representatives' Republican canidates - those races will be in the middle of an entirely avoidable disaster for the state caused by the party the Republicans are running under. Trump holds a very narrow majority, that could theoretically just slip to just one seat in the house in the coming months. The senate is only slightly more favorable to him, with majority of just three seats in the senate and his VP as tiebreaker if the vote is exactly tied.

Remember: Trump is relying almost exclusively on executive orders right now (tariffs are the president's job now because of laws from the great depression era, which sucks, but that's what we're working with), because real legislation is probably going to struggle to get anywhere, and there will very likely be a significant influx of Democrats in the next house and senate elections in two years.

ok so these new tariffs are likely going to be primarily affecting red states. i want y’all to ignore the urge to respond by saying the people in those red states deserve it because of the political representation we have. not because some of us are progressives but because this is an opportunity. if conservatives from these states start complaining about higher prices and financial strain, do not respond with “well you voted for this!” this is your opportunity to pull them to the center. say “wow that is really awful. i’m sure this isn’t what you wanted when you voted last year. you deserve representatives that will have your best interests at heart, you should let them know how upset you are! you deserve to be heard!”

because listen to me. republican politicians don’t give a shit about what progressives in red states have to say. they aren’t gonna change their voting trends for us. but if a bunch of small town conservatives start to get restless and angry with their politicians, if they lose support from their most important demographics, that has a shot at changing things. so swallow your pride and disgust and have a conversation with that republican truck driver instead of taking the pot shot that’ll get you 10 minutes of dopamine. do the hard work.

[screamlet]

“I wish you would write a fic where…” Through whatever contrivance, Buck tries to woo Tommy back through trivia. Maybe he gets Tommy’s team in on it, or the emcee/host - but it’s all Tommy-themed questions because Buck is trying to prove he knows him. Does it work? Maybe it’s all surface level and it hurts Tommy as much as he appreciates it. Maybe he revealed more than he thought and Buck was listening, taking it all in. Maybe Tommy decided to participate against him and inadvertently reveals something or accidentally says he loves him or something. If you would like it, I humbly offer whatever you can do with this premise!

heeeeey it took one million years but here's something!!! i love shenanigans, i hope this lives up to them.

bucktommy fix-it, 2k

read on the ao3!

---

Tommy's not exactly kidnapped.

He's met in the parking lot at Harbor by Hen, Karen, and a couple of big smiles, and then shoved into the backseat of their car and driven off somewhere. 

"You know, it's been my experience that some people text when they want to hang out," Tommy says.

"So you did ignore my voicemails!" Karen yells. "I knew it."

"It's not personal!" Tommy says.

"I'm taking it very personal," Hen replies. "Like hell you're leaving the Christmas card list again." 

"I'll move."

"Not in this housing market."

Tommy groans because it's true. 

And see, that's a little crazy but a little fun, to know that they care enough to abduct him and take him out for the night. It's then not really surprising that Howie's waiting for them at the bar they used to frequent ages ago, when Tommy was still at the 118. 

"I got the cuffs," Howie announces, a pair of very-real looking handcuffs dangling from his fingers.

"Those better not be for me," Tommy says as Karen pulls him out of the car with shocking strength. 

"Don't worry, they're not LAPD property," Hen assures him. "They're Bobby's."

"Please stop making me learn things," Tommy says.

He's already handcuffed. Howie's living-with-a-toddler sleight-of-hand has gotten unreal. 

It's around this time that one shock wears off and another dawns: this is a scheme and Tommy is trapped.

"No no no no, whatever you're doing—"

"Chim, no!"

The bar's tables have been cleared from the center to make two long tables facing each other. Fine, cute, two teams, it's now clear to Tommy that he has to win Evan back or something with trivia. The difference, though, are the two chairs in the center, where Evan is already sitting (and handcuffed). He turns around, almost tipping the chair over except Eddie catches him. 

"Fine, whatever," Tommy says as he's sat in the chair next to Evan. To make things better/worse (because Evan's so fucking squirmy), their chairs are put back to back so they can be tied together, too. "Oh, we're going full Last Crusade, are we, Howie?" Tommy has to grunt because Athena ties a really, really good knot and again: he wishes he knew less. 

"If you had answered your phone," Bobby says coolly. "If you had bubbled less and texted more—"

Tommy whips his head around and smashes his skull right into Evan's. "Goddamn—you saw that? Why didn't you text, if you were just sitting there watching me type?"

Evan struggles against everything keeping them together, then finally says, "Because you left and you didn't want me! If you wanted me, you would have called! And now we're—" One more hard thrash that gets Tommy in the shoulder. "Kidnapped and this is your fault."

"It's my fault? You wanted me to give up—"

"No I didn't! I said something dumb and you walked out before—"

"No, no, no, we can talk later," Eddie says. "It's time for Buckley-Kinard Family Feud."

Tommy and Evan turn their heads at the same time. "The hell are you talking about?" Tommy asks. 

"It's time to draft your teams," Hen announces. "I'm hosting, so I'm removing myself from the pool."

"This isn't fair! It's Buck's family—"

"You didn't just call me that in front of everyone," Evan hisses. 

"It's Buck's family against me, I don't have anyone—"

"I'm drafting myself," Howie announces. "Buck, your turn."

"Fine, I pick Maddie," Evan replies.

"Don't sound too thrilled," she replies. 

"Your next pick?" Hen asks Tommy.

"I told you, I don't—"

Bobby comes over to his side.

"You're insane," Tommy says. 

"That's not fair!" Evan yells.

"I met him first, Buck," Bobby says placidly. 

"Yeah, but—ugh, fine, then I pick Athena." Evan turns his head and bumps into Tommy's again. "You better not pick Eddie."

"I'm picking Karen," Tommy says. "She's my friend who's a lesbian—"

He can feel Evan tense against his back, probably out of frustration and a deep, deep desire to slam his skull into Tommy's again. He doesn't know how Evan resists.

"I've been bisexual for like, nine months, could you cut me some slack?" Evan asks.

"You spent an entire afternoon reading me articles and watching videos about the three-body problem and you couldn't fucking bother—"

"Because then I'd know," Evan yells. "I'd know that you and me were too good to be true, and I'd know that it was just temporary, and I'd know that you can't live your whole life one way and suddenly a guy kisses you and everything, everything is different, and your life's completely changed! I'd find something that would tell me it can't happen, it's probably not real, and then I'd realize I was wasting your time because I can never really change. If I looked at us too hard, I'd know it was just—"

Tommy's so overwhelmed, his chest so tight, that all he can manage to say is: "Yeah, it's called biphobia, and if you had asked, I don't know, one of the three gay people in your life—"

"I didn't know what to ask, Tommy! Fuck!" Evan tries to struggle out of their bindings again, but then he stops. "Apologize to me for being such a dick about this." 

The room is tense and quiet, eerily quiet, until Tommy finally says, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? You're right and I'll stop throwing that at you. It's really unfair. It's unfair of me and unfair of, I don't know, the whole world, that made you think this could never be for you."

"That you could be it for me," Evan corrects.

"Sure, whatever." Tommy's voice is nowhere near as light and bitchy as he meant that to sound. "So are we gonna play this game or what? Now that we've got some teams of dubious quality?"

Bobby takes a seat at what is now, apparently, the Team Tommy table. "I know you like fresh pasta because then you can have soft pasta and no one will call you a heretic for not liking it al dente." 

"That's psychotic," Tommy says. "And no one cooks it true al dente, it's always just barely cooked and I shouldn't have to chomp on pasta like a horse to enjoy it!"

Evan says, "And all of you said I was the weird one and he was the normal one."

"Literally no one said that, Buck," Eddie says. "You're both absurd, that's why you're perfect for each other."

"Well," Evan says, "I know you were thinking it."

"You were thinking it, and sometimes thoughts have to make it out of your mouth for people to hear them," Tommy snaps.

The entire room bursts into an uproar and Tommy tries to struggle out of his chair again. "Fine, fine, I'm a huge hypocrite, can I get a point for admitting it!" 

"Yes, just one," Hen says. "Alright, gather up, teams. Bobby and Maddie, you're up first."

"This is a nightmare, this is a nightmare," Tommy whispers to himself. "I crashed my helicopter and this is hell."

"Hey, Mr. Keeping Your Thoughts Inside, we can't hear the question," Howie says.

"You're on my team, you have to be nice to me!"

Howie dramatically pops his piece of gum and says nothing.

"This first question is in the category of fashion," Hen reads off her phone. The TV over the bar has turned on to show a Family Feud style board with four options and Tommy can't believe his vision of hell is this detailed. It's impressive. "Name one novelty apron belonging to either Buck or Tommy."

Bobby slams his hand on the buzzer that someone brought for the occasion. "Tommy has one that says Warning: Fowl Language and it has a rooster on it." Bobby points at Tommy and says, "Sal gave it to you for your fake birthday, which is June 13, but your real birthday is in November."

The room is quiet again.

"You had a fake birthday?" Evan asks.

Tommy looks up at the ceiling. This means that he and Evan's heads are touching and he can't help but lean into it a little. He doesn't go any further, though. "Did I mention I'm like… that there's a lot of things wrong with me?"

"Yeah, these are really struggling to stay in the quirks category," Karen says. "But hell yes, one point! Let's go, Bobby!"

Bobby rejoins the team and Hen strolls down to their side of the room. "Now, Karen: can you name another apron that Tommy owns?"

Karen winces. "Okay, this can be any apron?"

"Any apron," Hen agrees.

"Alright, then I'm gonna say… a plain, utilitarian grey apron that he wears because he doesn't want to use the nice ones." 

Hen says, "Show me boring!"

The word charcoal appears on the board with a (2) next to it.

"Two charcoal ones?" Maddie asks. "Tommy, love yourself."

"Yeah, I think that's the point here and I hate it," Tommy replies.

"Alright, Chim," Hen says. "Name another apron in Tommy's kitchen."

"I think we all saw Buck's lockscreen this summer," Howie says. "Tommy in a sleeveless shirt with a black apron that said Flippin' Awesome and had two spatulas crossed on the front."

"Show me spatulas!" Hen calls out. Another point. 

"Cheap shot," Tommy says. "Evan gave me that, of course you knew that."

"Hey, genius, how do you think people learn things about each other?" Howie asks. "Hen, take it away." 

"Alright, Team Buck," Hen says, wandering over to Maddie. "Name an apron you can find in Buck's kitchen." She turns her head and says, "And don't think we didn't notice he's Evan again."

Tommy turns his head away and whispers to Evan, "Can you make them stop? Please?"

"Sorry, do you think I wanted to be tied and handcuffed to you tonight?" A beat. "Okay, that's not—whatever, I'm suffering here, too."

"Are you?"

Evan huffs. "I'm tired of chasing after people who don't want me, and you don't want me." 

Tommy stays quiet as Team Buck racks up bonus points for Evan's punny apron collection. 

"I thought you'd call or text, or come over," Evan says, voice quieter. "You said, no matter how bad I want to be, so I thought… I don't know. I waited, Tommy. That didn't feel like the end. And you never answered my voicemails, so."

"I haven't checked my voicemail in five months," Tommy admits. "I saw you left a couple the week after and I just—I couldn't. I knew I'd—I'd press play and before you'd even said Hey I would be in my truck on my way to you."

"And would that have been so bad?"

Tommy drops his head down. "I wanted a clean break so we could both walk away." 

"Tommy," Evan whispers. "No matter how bad you want that to be true… it's not."

Tommy nods to himself. "I'm sorry."

"I should have come after you," Evan says. "I should have broken down your door or, I don't know, hung onto your helicopter like Captain America."

"Yeah, good luck," Tommy laughs. 

Between them, Evan's fingertips reach for Tommy's. They cling the best they can, and Tommy—he clings back. 

"Do you mean it or do you just want to get away from everyone?" Evan asks.

"Well, apparently I can't get away from them." Evan laughs dryly, so Tommy clutches his fingers again. "I mean it. Both of those things. If they take the cuffs off, I won't run. Will you?"

Evan laughs. "Only if you'll follow."

"Then we should make a break for it."

"You got it."

---

read on the ao3!

[mj-iza-writer]

Whumpee snuck quick glances at the papers that had been left on the coffee table. They were certain that it was about them, but their new caregiver wrote in a strange handwriting.

Caretaker glanced out at them. They grinned as they watched Whumpee strain their neck... trying to see the pages.

"Могу ли я помочь?", Caretaker chuckled. (Can I help?)

Whumpee jumped back onto the floor.

"Sorry, sorry", Whumpee shook as they scooted farther away from the table.

"It's alright", Caretaker smiled as they helped Whumpee sit up, "what were you up to? Do you need help?"

Whumpee looked down with embarrassment, "I was being nosey... and I shouldn't be poking my nose in your work. I'm sorry."

Caretaker nodded, "Well, it is about you. You don't have to worry, I'm not upset. You were concentrating really hard. Were you able to read any of it?"

"M-my name", Whumpee admitted, "no offense, but your writing is hard to make out."

"Well, it's written in Russian, so I would hope it would be difficult", Caretaker chuckled as they picked up the notes.

"Rus... Russian?", Whumpee looked at them questioningly.

"Da", Caretaker nodded as they shuffled the papers, "I file my patient notes in two different ways. All of these notes will be stored in the secure program on my computer. I will transfer these into English then. My paper chart is kept in Russian as many people can not read it. That keeps my patient's information safe in case there was a break-in or something happened with the charts. When I finish with my patient, these papers will be shredded."

Whumpee glanced at the chart again.

"You can look at them if you like. I'm just about to start dinner", Caretaker handed the papers to Whumpee, "I hope you like кура с гречой."

"Uhm", Whumpee stared dumbfoundedly.

"It's chicken with buckwheat", Caretaker turned.

"Ku.... r..a... sss", Whumpee tried, but paused.

Caretaker slowly pronounced, "kura s grechoy", while Whumpee tried to follow along.

"Very good... Молодец (well done)", Caretaker cheered, "spoken like a true Russian."

Whumpee smiled excitedly, "really... I did it right?"

Caretaker nodded joyfully, "you did. Now, would you like to come help me cook, or do you want to stare at my writing for a while?"

Whumpee looked down at the pages, "it looks cool. I wish I could understand more of it though. I never really knew this was what Russian looked like."

Caretaker knelt down and took a page gently. They carefully read over the page in English to tell Whumpee what the lines said.

"Now this is the Russian", Caretaker read over the lines again.

Whumpee cocked their head to the side as Caretaker read to them.

Caretaker smiled when they looked up.

"Can I learn more?", Whumpee whispered, "please."

"Yes, you can", Caretaker nodded, "we can practice while you stay with me. How does that sound?"

"Good", Whumpee looked at them excitedly.

"Умелый (capable, good)", Caretaker finally stood, "I believe you are capable of learning the language, at least as much as you want to. I know it can be difficult, but it's possible. It's a great part of life to share in other's cultures. It can be a lot of fun. Would you like to learn how to cook something."

Whumpee nodded quickly.

"Alright, come on", Caretaker offered a hand to help Whumpee up.

Whumpee set the papers down and took Caretaker's hand.

"Ku...ra...", Whumpee attempted, "sss... uh... gre?"

"You'll get it", Caretaker promised, "it just takes time."

I just want to attempt something a little different and see if I could use a different language in my writing. I'm not Russian, but I think the language and writing are very cool. I also have a very good friend on here who is very very patiently helping me. This may be a sneak glimpse into a plan I have for SP Specail Containment as well. I am very excited for my next parts to hopefully come back soon. - Mj

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

@weirdthingweee @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@risk606 @electrons2006

@paperprinxe @whumprince

@kaz-of-crows @mis-graves

@decaffeinatedtimetraveler94 @sausages-things

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie @glennemerald

@jasperthecapser @does-directions

@deafeninglittlecrown @jumpywhumpywriter

@blackbirdsinatrenchcoat @mylifeisonthebookshelf

@thenormalestever @whatwhump

@galatic-worm @starmoon-constellation

[angstywaifu]

No Strings Attached - Garrick Tavis

Request: reader is fwb with Garrick you could even include some spice and they start to fall for each other but they’re not exclusive so one night she sees him talking to another girl and she feels extremely hurt seeing it. then she decides to ice him out and branch out to hang out with other people and he sees her talk to another guy and gets really jealous and feels very possessive. and then they get into a massive angsty fight Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI. Smut. Unprotected Sex (P in V). Angst and fighting. Jealousy.

Masterlist | Support Me

“Cmon sweetheart, just one more. For me.” Garrick whispers in my ear as his fingers dig into my hips as he guides me up and down on his length.

As per usual, Garrick was determined to get another one out of me. This would be the fourth? No, fifth? Fuck, I had no idea. My brain all foggy from the amount of times he’d pulled another orgasm from me. He was addicted to pulling them from me, and I was addicted to the way he made me felt.

The familiar knot in my stomach tightens again as I dig my nails into his shoulder as my lead lulls forward. Garrick notices the shift, grabbing tightly onto my waist as he holds me up, slamming his hips into mine hard and fast. I barely had time to process what was coming as I shatter in his arms, my whole weight resting in Garrick’s hands as I go limp. Eyes rolling back into my head, mouth open in a silent moan as my legs tremble either side of his. I feel Garrick shudder beneath me, his thrusts faltering as he comes undone beneath me.

He gathers me in his arms rolling us to the side as he lays my head down on my pillow, whimpering at the loss of him as he removes himself from me. I barely register him cleaning me up and tucking me into bed as I fall victim to my exhaustion and fall asleep.

The next day it’s back to normal. Everyone none the wiser to how Garrick and I had spent most of our night as we walk the halls the next day. Which is how I wanted it. Garrick and I were just friends. Friends who hooked up a few times a week. An arrangement that worked for both of us since it had started last year. No strings attached, no feelings and no exclusivity. Though neither of us had hooked up with anyone else despite this.

”Quinn and I are having a girls night in her room, did you want to come?” Imogen asks me as we leave the gym, both of us in desperate need of a shower after the training session we had just done.

I turn my head to look at her and tell her I’m in, but two figures behind her across the courtyard near the Rotunda catch my eyes. Imogen turns to look, both of us watching Garrick as he leans up against the wall talking to girl in second wing. I watch as he raises a hand, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. I don’t miss the way she tips her head downwards slightly, and I’d bet any money she’s blushing. I instantly see red. Wanting to march over there and pull her away from him, tell her to stay away. I shouldn’t feel like this. I shouldn’t want to do that. We were just friends. Friends who slept together. Nothing more. Why the hell did I feel like this?

”Sorry, I’ve got plans.” I tell her in the most monotone voice I’ve heard leave my lips as I turn and make my way to the dorms.

Another year done and over. Thank god. I’d been craving a drink since seeing Garrick talking to that girl two weeks ago. Since then I’d been avoiding him, which was pretty easy considering we’d all been sent away for War Games for five days and we were in different Wings. But since that night I’d opted to hanging out with my squad, mainly Imogen and Quinn. Something I knew Garrick had noticed as Imogen had told me Garrick had asked about me after I’d walked off when he’d approached our group at challenges. Even now I can feel his eyes on me across the room. It was not like me to ignore him like this, but I honestly couldn’t trust me feelings.

Movement next to me pulls me from my thoughts, one of the first year repeats sitting next to me. I remembered him from the start of the year. The scattering of freckles across his face had always stood out to me. He’d been apart of our squad till he hadn’t been chosen at Threshing. Which was a shame, from what Quinn and Imogen had told me he was one of the best in our squad.

”How was war games?” He asks me as he fills up his cup from one of the pitchers from the middle of the table.

”Tiring as usual. There’s only one time of year I will ever have thoughts on wanting to be back here, and that’s war games.” I tell him with a smile as he fills up my now empty cup.

We fall into conversation easily, laughing and telling stories and jokes. Something I had missed during the last week. And it was nice to be talking to someone new. Something to take my mind off what had happened. Though it’s not long before my mind wanders back as a tall looming figure hovers behind me, casting a shadow over me and onto the cadet I now know as Sawyer. I watch as his eyes widen as he looks behind me. A look I associated very well with Garrick.

”We need to talk.” He growls out from behind me.

I can practically feel the anger rolling off him against my back. I can see how worried Sawyer looks. Yeah, he was pissed.

”What do you want to talk about?” I toss over my shoulder before chugging the rest of my drink, definitely needing more alcohol in my system to deal with whatever was about to happen.

”In private.”

I turn and look at him. Yep. He was pissed. His eyes are narrowed at me, his jaw ticking from the strain of clenching it. Great. I tear my gaze from his, standing and pushing past him as I head towards the door, leaving Sawyer behind. I push through the door leading into the rotunda, barely making it a few steps before Garrick grabs my arm.

”What the hell was that?” He snaps, gesturing back towards the dining hall.

”Really? I could be asking you the same about you and the cadet a few weeks back in the courtyard.” I snap back as I gesture towards the door leading towards the courtyard.

His brow furrows as he looks towards where I point. “What are you talking about?”

Anger flares with in me. “That blonde who you had in the courtyard a few nights before War Games started. Tucking her hair behind her ear as she blushed and giggled at you.”

”So that’s why you’ve been ignoring me.” He drawls in a monotone voice.

”I haven’t been ignoring you. We’ve been away at War Games if you hadn’t noticed.” I retort as I walk a few steps away, needing to clear my head of the anger that was raging through me.

”Says the one who has walked away whenever I’ve joined the group and has been mysteriously absent from my bed.” He states as he walks over and steps in front of me.

”What do you want Garrick? Want me to confess that even though this isn’t technically exclusive that I’m a little jealous you start showing interest in another girl for the first time since this started happening? That maybe I realised I need to put some space between us and put effort into my other friends or find some new ones?” My voice echoing around the empty rotunda as I glare up at him.

”Please he didn’t want to be your friend.” He scoffs at me.

”Well I wouldn’t know because you couldn’t resist playing possessive guard dog after I start talking to a guy that isn’t you!” My voice cracks at the end, a tear rolling down my cheek that Garrick’s hazel eyes track.

”Trust me, there’s only one things guys want from girls in here.” Garrick looming over me as he takes a step towards me.

I scoff and shake my head at me. “Yeah, I’m starting to see that. Hope she can warm your bed till she also figures that out.”

”Sweethe-”

”Don’t. You don’t get to call me that anymore.” I snap at him before turning and storming back into the rowdy dining hall, wiping away another tear that rolls down my cheek.

[laswells-ashtray]

Which of the COD guys/girls would be trinket people?

Or what hobbies in general you you think they have?

I'm so glad you asked.

I've said it before, I'll say it again, I think John has a collection of lighters that he's accidentally or deliberately stolen from people throughout the years. Nikolai helps add to it after finding out about it and spotting two of his own lighters in there.

Kate keeps sword-themed trinkets but she isn't entirely aware of the fact that she keeps sword-themed trinkets. She has a sword-themed letter opener, bookmark, pin, set of paper clips and a knife that has no real purpose other than to look like a sword, it's barely usable. But she doesn't think she's a trinket person, those are just things she picked up because she likes the way they look. No one will tell her because they don't want to ruin her fun.

Ghost has been given so many silly ghost-themed objects over the years that he has a shelf full of them and then that expands to two other shelves. He starts to get offended when his birthday or Christmas goes by and he doesn't receive any mini ghost-themed items. He has a Ghoaster [coaster] on his desk with his ghost-themed halloween mug on it that he uses to hold pens.

Alex has a thing about mini items. Mini frying pan that came from a kids toy? In the box, mini dice? In the box, a tiny pair of scissors? In the box. He doesn't put them out anywhere, he has has a little wooden box full of mini items that he keeps for his own amusement and he tells Farah that he's leaving it to her in his will.

Rudy likes weapon-themed trinkets, he will just put them about the house and Alejandro is so used to it that he typically doesn't say anything. Slightly chipped ceramic revolver on the shelf next to their plant? Looks good, solid artistry. Switchblade themed hair clips that neither of them have a use for? Clip them to one of the ties that they never use either, they're nice decoration. Small, worn brass shotgun that just appeared one day? Paperweight for takeout menus.

Hobby wise, Graves likes fixing broken watches or clocks that he finds in his free time. He'll give the watches to a Shadow if he sees them without a watch and if not, he'll donate the clock/watch to a thrift store. His only exception was a small vintage clock he found that had been gifted to someone for their years of work at a home that helped kids. The clock was worn, scratched and just not that pretty, the owner of it was likely dead so he kept it for himself. It's the one thing he lets himself be sappy about.

Gaz can crochet, he just doesn't unless he's at his parent's place. His mum daughter him and his siblings when they were young, he was the only one who actually enjoyed it. When he's staying at home, on the nights he can't sleep or can't stay asleep, his mother will find him in the living room and she'll hand him hooks and yarn. They'll sit together crocheting for hours while they catch up on Coronation Street and bitch about what's happening.

Valeria only does so for herself and she rarely wears it outside but she can make jewellery with wire. It gives her something to do with her hands and she's good at it, it's the one thing she has to herself that no on else knows about and she can enjoy it privately.

[lieutenantbatshit]

CHAPTER 07 - once you go in, there's no turning back (hwang in ho x reader)

>> MASTERLIST

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----

You woke up to the sound of classical music playing over the speakers, as you stretched your arms out. You seemed to sleep comfortably, feeling energetic. You didn't worry too much about the next game, in fact, you were ecstatic.

You rubbed your eyes as you climbed down your bed, greeting Gi-hun and Jung-bae. You looked around to find In-ho, seeing him across Gi-hun's bed who was already sitting up on his bed. You carefully walked over him as he noticed you.

"Hi," you said shyly, giving him a small wave.

In-ho shot you a look, raising his eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

You tilted your head in confusion, furrowing your eyebrows. You couldn't deny the feeling as if your heart was stabbed. Did he really have no idea who you were? You knew he heard you last night, your eyes meeting knowing that something was there, that you go way back. He held you during the voting process, the same way that he did back when you were kids.

You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came out. In-ho stood up and walked past you, his arms brushing against yours softly, but brief. You looked at him, seeing him interact with Gi-hun and Jung-bae. You stared at him intently, trying to figure out if he didn't know you at all, or if he was pretending not to.

The alarm buzzed, a voice on the speaker echoing through the room. "Attention, please. The second game will begin momentarily. Please follow the instructions from our staff."

You shook your head and fixed yourself up, walking down the stairs just when Dae-ho calls out to you. "Miss, you should join us. Let's go up together."

You felt In-ho's eyes on you but you kept your gaze at Dae-ho, whose eyes were jolly, despite the brutality of this place. You gave him a nod as Gi-hun, Jung-bae. In-ho, you, and Dae-ho fell in line out the door.

Players started to walk up the labyrinth stairs, hearing Jung-bae mutter "triangle" in every step. You couldn't help but feel your heart heavy as you made your way upstairs, knowing you were just behind In-ho. You tried to keep your distance or at least not trip, or you would bump into In-ho.

You were led to a room that seemed like a play area, the ones you would see in school. You looked around as if you were in the middle of an activity center in an elementary school. Two circles were formed in the middle, bordered with rainbow colors. You tried to look for any signs if this would be the Dalgona game, but you didn't see any small containers.

"Welcome to your second game. This game will be played in teams. Please divide into teams of five in the next ten minutes."

You see Gi-hun's mouth drop in shock, his eyes with a hint of worry. Jeong-bae spoke up, "Is Dalgona a team game?"

"It shouldn't be," you said, sighing. Though you've already foreseen how the games could be different now, but you couldn't help but feel guilty for Gi-hun, knowing how the other players depended on his words.

Suddenly, Player 100, who you know as Jeong-dae, appeared from behind, his tone harsh. "Aren't we playing the Dalgona game?"

"No, it doesn't look like it," you noticed Gi-hun's lips tremble a bit, looking down in defeat.

"What's the game then?" Jeong-dae asked rudely, his voice starting to raise.

"I'm not sure," Gi-hun replied, his voice evident with worry.

Jeong-dae snapped as he talked to Gi-hun. "What? You said you'd done this before. That triangle was the easiest. Was that all bullshit?"

"I'm sorry," Gi-hun looked down, not knowing what to say.

"Sorry won't cut it!" Jeong-dae continued, earning the attention from the other players as he raised his voice. "You talked like you knew everything. All these people believed your bullshit. What are you going to do? Will you take responsibility?"

"Hey, hey!" You raised your voice back, much to the group's surprise. "Stop blaming him for everything. You demand too much. You should've thought that the games were gonna be different this time."

"Then you can go and die here, lady," Jeong-dae retorted. "Why don't you just go suck his dick as you're kissing his ass already?"

You glared at him as he tried to walk towards you, only to be blocked by In-ho's body, his eyes staring intently to Jeong-dae as his fists clenched. His voice was low, but enough to be commanding. "That's enough."

Jeong-dae seemed to be taken aback, flinching as In-ho kept his gaze at him coldly. You kept your glare at Jeong-dae as you clenched your jaw.

"Please divide into teams now," the voice on the speakers instructed, a digital timer ticking.

"Yeah, just drop it," the other players said, pulling Jeong-dae behind. "Don't waste your time talking to these nutjobs. We shouldn't have fallen for his nonsense."

Jeong-dae eyed you from up and down, a smirk forming in his lips. You shot him a disgusted look. You noticed In-ho stood still, his eyes not leaving Jeong-dae. The old man scoffed as he brushed Gi-hun aside. "Previous winner? What a lunatic." He stopped in front of you as he glared at you. "Whore your way out of this game."

Your eyes flared with anger as you followed your gaze to Jeong-dae. You felt a hand on your shoulder, his thumb circling around it. You looked up and saw In-ho, looking at you. You averted your gaze and removed his hand from your shoulder. If he could act like he didn't know you, then you could too.

"I'm sorry," Gi-hun turned to you and In-ho, looking down.

"I still trust you," In-ho said as Gi-hun looked at him, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'd like to play the game with you, if that's okay?"

Gi-hun nodded and turned to you, giving him a nod back to let him know that you'll be joining. Jung-bae and Dae-ho joined as well, completing the team of five. You could see In-ho looking at you, but you tried hard not to meet his gaze, as you didn't want to deal with his mixed signals. If anything, your life in this game depended on it, and you had to stay focused.

The time seemed to pass by fast as you see players forming groups. You noticed Player 120 still looking for a team. You looked up the time, there was only two minutes left. You cheered for her on your head, hoping she would at least form a team to win.

"Excuse me," a young woman approached you, as you felt a poke on your shoulder. "Can I join you?"

Jung-bae looked at her worriedly, his fingers counting your group. "Sorry, we've already got five people."

"Please help me," her voice pleaded as she touched her belly, earning a small gasp from you. "I'm pregnant."

You needed to think fast. You couldn't risk a pregnant woman to join the other groups. You wouldn't know how the other groups would react if a pregnant woman joined them. She was fragile. If something happens to her, especially her unborn child, the guilt would eat you up to your grave.

"You can join them," you spoke up, as Dae-ho stared at you in horror. "I can find another group. I see Player 120 who doesn't have a group yet, I'll join her instead."

"Are you sure?" Gi-hun asked, a hint of worry evident in his voice.

You touched his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll manage." You turned to the rest of the group, giving In-ho a subtle glance. You noticed him looking at you intently, but you started to speak. "Take her in."

You gave them a wave, making your way towards Player 120 who was with Player 095 this time. As you were about to approach them, someone grabbed your arm from behind, stopping you on your tracks.

"What are you doing?" The familiar voice said, knowing it was In-ho.

"Go back," you said, looking at him in the eye, but you wished you didn't. You forgot how narrow his eyes were, illuminating its brown color, close to a coffee bean. You swallowed, trying to compose yourself. "There's only a minute left. Let me go."

You removed his hand from your arm and walked away, successfully approaching Player 120 and 095.

"Hi," you said, giving them a small smile. "Will it be okay if I can join you?"

Player 120 nodded. You gave Player 095 a smile. You noticed your team needed two more people. Looking around, you saw Player 149 and 007 approaching your team, their faces catching a hint of hope as they noticed you only needed two from your team.

"Come join us," you extended your hand, motioning for them to join. Player 149 sighed in relief, a wide smile forming in her lips.

"Time for team selection is up," the announcer's voice echoed through the room. Each teams formed a line from each circle. To your luck, your team went at the back of In-ho's group, his back facing you. "The game you will be playing is Six-Legged Pentathlon. You will start with your legs tied together. Each member will take turns playing a mini-game at every ten-meter mark, and if you win, the team can move on to the next one. Here are the mini games, ddakji, flying stone, gong-gi, spinning top, jegi. Your goal is to win all the mini games and cross the finish line in five minutes. Please decide players for each mini game."

Player 120 turned her head to you, your eyes hinting a bit of shock when she spoke. "I'm Hyun-ju. Choi Hyun-ju. What's your name?"

"Y/N," you said. "I'll play what you pick for me, Hyun-ju."

Hyun-ju nodded as she turned to the others, asking what they were more confident in playing. 149, who introduced herself as Geum-ja, will be playing gong-gi. Yong-sik decided to play flying stone, then Young-mi wanted to play ddakji. Jegi was picked by Hyun-ju, leaving you with spinning top.

"We're all set," you said, giving them all a reassuring nod. "Let's do this."

You felt Geum-ja's hand rubbing on your back, bringing comfort to your spine. She gave you a smile as you smiled back. "Thank you so much for letting us join you, Y/N. You're an angel."

"We're here for each other. It's the right thing to do," you said. "Are you sure you can play gong-gi?"

"I played gong-gi with bullets back in the Korean War," Geum-ja said with determination in her voice, which you chuckled. "These stones are nothing."

You bowed your head and turned to the set in front of you, seeing the first two teams gather in front. Though you couldn't help but see In-ho despite his back turned to you, stealing glances at him. You see his head turned to Gi-hun, hearing them strategize.

"That leaves jegi and spinning top," you heard Gi-hun say. "Which are you good at?

"Well, I'll play what you pick for me, Gi-hun," In-ho replied, earning a confused look from Gi-hun.

"You know my name?" Gi-hun widened his eyes, much to his shock. You noticed In-ho glancing at you as he pointed his finger at you.

"Oh, your friend was calling you by your name, so I thought I'd try it," In-ho said as you squinted your eyes a bit, confused with the sudden acknowledgement. "Does it bother you?"

Gi-hun sighed softly, shaking his head. "No, it's fine."

In-ho shot you a brief look as he kept his attention to Gi-hun, waiting for Gi-hun's decision on which game he'd like to play. You hear Gi-hun say that he would be playing jegi, leaving In-ho with spinning top. You felt a bit of butterflies on your stomach, a small smile forming in your lips as you thought the both of you would be playing the same game. You quickly shook your head to suppress those thoughts. You were in a dangerous place, playing a deadly game. Instead, you turned your head to the players who were setting their locks to their legs. All players motioned their bodies to the first two teams to get a better view. That meant you and In-ho sat side-by-side, his knee brushing a bit against yours.

The first two teams lined up in each circle with each guard positioned with the games. Five games for each player with a five-minute timer. You calculated that each mini game should be completed in a minute, much better if less than of it. You see the players holding each other as their legs were locked. Their movement should be precise, with one wrong leg, everyone could stumble, eating more of their time.

Communication is key in order to complete this game. You figured gong-gi would be the most nerve-wracking game of all. You were never good at playing gong-gi despite In-ho teaching you back then a lot of times.

"Let's go!" You hear Thanos shout, the sound of a gunshot echoing through the room. Both teams chanted as they walked towards the first mini game, ddakji. The first team flipped it on the first try, the other team failing to do so. You can't help but feel a shack of nervousness into you, wondering what would happen if the other team doesn't make it on time.

A thought sprang on to you. This game is played by groups, meaning it would also be a group elimination. You stared in horror as the second team still failed to flip the paper, cheering for them internally as you hoped for them to make it out.

The first team made it out to the second mini game, flying stone. The announcer instructed to not step on the line, seeing the team move back a bit. Player 198 aimed at the stone as he threw it, only to not reach the stone. You heard the other players gasp, as he asked the guard for another stone, only pointing to the one he threw.

You figured you had to move fast. If you had to pick up whatever game you failed, you had to do it fast. You felt the pressure build on to you, knowing how you have to spin the top in just one try. You were confident, sure. But the last time you played spinning top was with In-ho.

You didn't realize the second team already made out ddakji and flying stone already, advancing them to the third mini game, gong-gi. The first team continued to miss, eating more of their time. You knew right then and there that they wouldn't be able to survive, knowing how the three remaining games can take too much of their time.

This is where you realize how time truly is of the essence. Back when you were kids, you played the whole day and enjoyed every single bit of it. Right now, you were playing to survive, to see more of the light outside.

You couldn't see much of the players playing gong-gi, as it was played on the ground with a small table on it. You only heard the sound of stones being raised and thrown. If you had to play this game on your own, you would require silence. The thought of having to play that in a room where all eyes were on you would definitely end you up dead, a relief washing over you that you wouldn't be playing it this time.

"Y/N," You heard Yong-sik call out, turning your head to him. You could see the worry in his face. "You can play spinning top very well, right? Are you sure?"

"I played it a lot when I was a kid," you replied, giving him a reassuring smile. Though you wouldn't disclose that it had been a long time since you played it. "I even used to teach someone how to play it."

Yong-sik nodded, seemingly satisfied with your answer. He seemed to whisper something to himself as if he was comforting himself. You briefly looked at In-ho, seeing him looking at you at the corner of his eye. He seemed to look away immediately, brushing his hand on his knee as he fixed himself up.

You noticed Dae-ho practicing the stones he found on the ground, training himself for gong-gi. You looked at the first team who was still stuck in flying stone. There was only two minutes left. The second team was already in spinning top.

You noticed how the teams were focused more on cheering for themselves than advancing on to the next game. You couldn't blame them, knowing how playing these games could be at the expense of your life. Maybe you would understand it more if you were in their shoes.

Time seemed to pass by so fast in this place, seeing the timer leaving with only five seconds left. You can't help but stand, the tension rising to your body. You saw the first team successfully hitting the stone, though they couldn't make it to the next game. You braced yourself as you heard the timer beep.

"Your time is up."

The sound of gunshots filled the air, hearing the bodies thud to the ground. It didn't even give you time to breathe, seeing blood splattered all over the ground. You didn't notice you were holding on to In-ho, gripping his jacket as you looked away and covered your eyes. You felt his hand grip on your hand, placing yours inside of his pocket.

"The following players have been eliminated: Players 016, 045, 178, 189, 198, 254, 286, 341, 395, and 416."

You sighed deeply as your hand trembled. You felt your body to the ground, pushing In-ho as well. As much as you've seen the evilness in this place, calculating its next moves, you couldn't help but still feel scared. You buried your head to In-ho's chest, your eyes still closed. You felt his hand on your back, rubbing it gently as if to comfort you.

----

The more you stayed in this room, the more you felt immune to the sound of gunshots.

It took at least fifteen minutes for the workers to clean up the bodies, revealing a casket but designed to be some sort of a pink gift box. Though you could see the eliminated players still moving despite being gunned down. You thought of it as nothing, knowing they would succumb to their wounds the more they stayed alive. You can't help but think they were simply losers who lost the game, though deep inside, you knew the killings will never be justified.

"The next teams, please get ready."

You stood up, fixing yourself as you felt your breath trembling. It was your turn, and you were determined to make it out of this game.

"Y/N," Dae-ho called out as you turned around. He gave you a thumbs up. "Good luck!"

You nodded and glanced at the others, with Gi-hun, Jung-bae, and Player 222 looking at you worriedly. In-ho looked at you as if he wanted to tell you the same, his stare longing for more, keeping your gaze. You were going to survive this game, you're pretty sure of it. You still had a lot of questions for In-ho. There's no way you would die at a place like this.

You felt Geum-ja grab your arm and Yong-sik's as the rest of your team's legs were locked together. You felt the tightness near your ankle, but there were still enough room for your skin to breathe.

"Let's show everyone else here that these games are no big deal," Hyun-ju stated, her voice motivating your senses.

You heard the gunshot sprung in the air as both your arms with Geumja's and Hyun-ju's, marching towards ddakji. You focused on your steps, trying to be as equal as their pace. You panted as your team cheered, reaching the ddakji mini game.

Young-mi grabs the ddakji paper as the guard put the other paper on the ground, ready for her to be flipped. You stayed silent in attempt to not pressure her, seeing her hands tremble. She motioned her hand in a swing, aiming to the paper to the ground.

"Fail."

The paper only moved a bit. You felt yourself groan as Yong-sik exclaimed, "Come on, again. Smash it!"

Another aim.

"Fail."

Third attempt.

"Fail."

"Shit!" You exclaimed, staring at the timer. Only 30 seconds have passed, there was still time to flip it.

Young-mi grabbed the paper again as she breathed heavily, panic evident in her face.

"Hang on, Young-mi," Hyun-ju called out, though her voice was calm. "Try it with the other side. The other side."

Young-mi followed, flipping the paper on her hand. With all her might, she swung her arm and aimed to the ground.

"Pass."

You can't help but scream, cheering for the win. You quickly crossed your arms with Hyun-ju and Geum-ja, marching towards flying stone. You panted as Yong-sik grabbed the stone and aimed it to the one on the ground.

"Fail."

"I'm sorry!" Yong-sik cried out. Geum-ja, being the mother she is, comforted Yong-sik reassuring him that it was okay. You had more time, one setback won't probably bring you down.

"All right, we'll go pick it up," Hyun-ju said as your team walked over the stone, as Yong-sik successfully picks it up. "All right, now walk backwards."

You went back to the line as Yong-sik motioned his arm to aim to the stone on the ground, though he was panicking. He breathed nervously, his hands trembling. Geum-ja pointed out to the stone as she held her son's back, "Yong-sik, look. Imagine the stone is the face of the crook who scammed you."

That was a good motivation, you thought. You noticed Yong-sik's eyes falter with anger as he cried, "That asshole ruined my fucking life!" His arm swung as Geumja eluded her body, giving way for Yong-sik to throw the stone.

"Pass."

You glanced at the timer, seeing there were still four minutes and thirty seconds left. You knelt down along the others as Geum-ja immediately grabbed the stones, her eyes focused on the game. You stared in awe as you see her doing it fast.

However, she failed to catch the fourth stone. She sighed softly but wasted no time. She rolled the stones again, successfully catching the rest of the stones. It was time for the second set, only for her to fail again.

"That's okay," you assured, placing a hand on her back. "These stones are nothing compared to the bullets you've played before, right?"

Geum-ja swallowed her throat as she nodded, seemingly motivated once more. Her eyes seem unfazed as she caught each stone successfully, reaching the fourth set.

It was time for the fifth set as she successfully caught all five stones. The stones landed perfectly on her fingers, she just have to flip it on the other side and catch them all.

"Mom, just imagine the stone is Dad's mistress' face," Yong-sik said, motivating his mother.

She looked at Yong-sik for a second and looked back at her hand. This time, her expression with wrath. "Rotten bitch!"

You held your breath as you kept your eyes on the stone as she flipped it.

"Pass."

You cheered, grabbing your team as you stood up. You locked your arms together once again, now advancing to spinning top. You grabbed the top from the guard as you wrapped the fiber thread around the axle first, then wrapping it around the top as you held it with your thumb. As much as possible, you kept your attention away from the blood on the ground and kept your gaze on your top.

You glanced at the timer, seeing there was only two minutes and ten seconds left. When you felt the thread tighten on the top, you held your breath as you looked in front of you. The blood on the ground wasn't a pretty sight at all. You gulped, trying to hold in the fear.

You glanced on your right, seeing In-ho from afar. His eyes seemed to shot up as if he wasn't expecting for you to look at him. As much as you hated how he acted as if he didn't know you, well, two can play in that game. You don't know what came to you, but you felt a rush of relief seeing him, giving him a wink. In-ho's eyes widened, his mouth dropping.

You turned your attention to your top as you flicked your wrist, smirking as you did. The thread unwinded as it propelled the top to the ground, successfully spinning.

"Pass."

You screamed as you dropped the thread to the ground, locking arms with your team again. Your team had more time, and now it was Hyun-ju's time. You heard the other players cheer for your team, your heart pumping hard to your chest. You glanced at the time, only one minute left.

The jegi must be kicked five times. Then, Hyun-ju turned to your team. "Please, look away."

"What?" Geum-ja asked in confusion.

"Please," Hyun-ju pleaded. She turned to the other players watching. "You guys too."

Confusion was evident on everyone's faces, but there was no time to think. There was only one minute left for you to survive. You cried out, "Don't look! Turn around, please!"

You looked away as you heard Hyun-ju breathe heavily before starting. You heard the jegi land on Hyun-ju's foot, kicking it up in the air successfully.

One.

Two.

You held your breath as you continued to count.

Three.

Four.

You closed your eyes, bracing to hear the last one.

Five.

"Five!" You screamed together with the rest of your team, seeing the jegi now on the ground.

"Pass."

You cheered with your team as you lock your arms together once again, seeing there were ten seconds left. The crowd cheered as well, as if forgetting the evilness in this place. Your team marched towards the red line, the finishing line.

You hear the timer beeped as the crowd erupted with cheer. You noticed the other team successfully made it out just like you did, feeling as if everyone had won already.

For a moment, every player united with each other, seemingly happy with the wins. You grabbed your team in a big hug, crying out as you realize that you've made it. You jumped cheerfully despite the guards unlocking your legs, not caring if you kicked them a bit.

It felt like you were part of the olympics, if only there were no killings involved. You remembered your conversation with In-ho, with him asking you before if there was an olympics held for games like this. Though you promised to team up with him when the time comes, only to fail at a time like this.

The gates opened as the teams exited the room, glancing a bit behind you as you saw In-ho, his gaze fixed on you. Although this time, you could see the relief in his face. He pressed his lips into a small smile, so brief that you wouldn't be able to notice much.

You hoped for him to come back in one piece as you walked away, terrified of the next things to happen.

----

A/N: I'm publishing this chapter now since I'll be doing a small group work for my college. I'll try to have the next chapter up as fast as I can since I, too, am excited for this series hahaha 😂 Feel free to leave out your thoughts here, and I'll gladly interact with each and everyone of you. 🫶

Don't forget to leave a comment in this post to be tagged on the next chapter! ✨

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>> MASTERLIST

TAGS: @machipyun @love-leez @enzosluvr @amber-content @kandierteveilchen @butterfly-lover @1nterstellarcha0s @squidgame-lover001 @risingwithtriples  (p.s. if i forgot to tag you, please let me know)

[momo-rambles]

Vine Reference

Imagine reader telling Task Force 141 a Vine reference and their reactions. I absolutely loved this idea!

Warnings: Language, minimal use of Y/N, not proofread

A/N: Hey, guys! Here’s my first round of imagines for our favorite task force! I can’t imagine that I came up with this idea, so please feel free to tag yourself if you came up with the idea! Also, I kinda got carried away with Gaz’s! Please be gentle!😭 Love you guys!

_________________________________________________

Price:

The sun shone brightly through the truck windows, making me involuntarily reach out and flip down the sun visor. Price sat next to me in the drivers’ seat, his focus maintained on the highway ahead. Soft music humming in from the low volume of the radio.

The truck’s atmosphere had been filled with a quietness that wasn’t uncomfortable. I’d become accustomed to the quiet that usually tended to follow Price around, intermingled with the small talk here and there. Captain Price and I had been traveling for a while now, our destination still unknown to me. He woke me early this morning and told me to pack up and load up, and I did so. No questions asked. I decided to test the silence that has surrounded us for the past two hours.

“How much longer until we’re there?”, I asked quietly. Price swiftly averted his gaze from the road to me in the passenger seat, and then back again. He adjusted slightly in his seat, the stillness from driving taking its toll on his joints. He swapped out his hands on the steering wheel and cleared his throat.

“Not quite two hours.”, his gravelly voice replied. I nodded in understanding, turning my gaze back out the window. I was still taking in the scenery flying past me when I heard Price sigh heavily. I turned back to see him rubbing his eyes quickly, then averting his eyes back to the road.

“What’s wrong?”, I questioned.

Price pointed out the windshield to a large orange sign sitting on the shoulder of the highway. Large black letters read “ROAD WORK AHEAD.”

“We’ll probably be stopped for road work ahead.” He sighs.

The gears in my head immediately begin turning. A grin appearing on my face.

“Road work ahead? Uh, yeah, I sure hope it does…” I spoke without missing a beat, making myself giggle. Price looked over to me in the passenger seat, confusion ringing on his features.

“I beg your pardon?”, He asks.

“You’ve never heard that?”, I laughed harder at his perplexed expression. “The Vine?”

Price shook his head, a small, amused smile becoming more evident on his features as he took in my laughing form. “No, can’t say I have. I’m not totally sure what ‘a vine’ is.”

“That’s a real shame, Cap. You’re truly missing out.”, I stated, finally calming my giggles. Price just smiled and shook his head again.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

_________________________________________________

Soap:

“So, this whole time, Allison has been seeing both Todd and James?”, Johnny questioned, stopping the shopping cart beside me as I examined the bread on the shelves next to me.

We were in the middle of our mid week grocery shopping trip. Conversation seemingly flowed easy during this time. Neither of us could truly understand it, but it was something we had grown accustomed to.

“Yep!”, I confirmed, recounting the latest chapter of the book I was reading. I continued my overlook of the shelves in front of me, never meeting Johnny’s eyes as I spoke. “And this went on for, like…a year or so before they both found out about each other.”

Johnny always entertained the retellings of my current reads. He said I had a knack for storytelling, and thus, continuously found himself enthralled in my books. Even if he himself wasn’t actually reading it. It never ceased to reel him in.

“That’s crazy stuff, there.”, he paused for a moment.

“Ya know, I’ll never understand how people can cheat and keep it a secret for so long.”, he states as he shifts from one foot to the other. I continued to peruse the loaves of bread lining the shelves before me, even going as far to feel a few of them. I plucked a loaf of bread from its spot on the shelf and placed it in the cart. I grabbed a hold of Johnny’s forearm on the cart, signaling him to start walking. We rounded aisle after aisle, quickly grabbing the respective items on our list.

“Me neither. I guess some people are better at keeping secrets than others.”, I mumbled. “Not to mention, Todd and James are roommates…well…were roommates.”

“And they were roommates?”, Johnny whipped his head in my direction, eyes wide as he took in this new information. I immediately looked over to him with a grin, the realization dawning on his features at what he had done.

I could feel the mirth sinking into my eyes.

“Oh my god, they were roommates…”, I mumbled through quick giggles. Johnny shook his head, trying to fight off laughs of his own.

“Walked right into that one, didn’t I?”, he said through small chuckles.

“Afraid so…”, I said trying to maintain my composure.

“You’re lucky I love you.” He states as he places a hand on my lower back to usher me towards the check out.

_________________________________________________

Gaz:

Game nights on base usually went one of two ways: easy and laid back or absolute chaos.

Tonight seemed to be leaning towards the latter.

Soap suggested a friendly game of Uno, which turned out to be anything but. Price was heavily puffing on his cigar, still trying to understand what exactly was happening at the table around him. Soap and Gaz seemed to be lucky tonight, laying down +2 and +4 cards left and right. Ghost, bless his soul, was beginning to look like he was holding a full deck of his own, and has been glaring daggers at his sergeants. I was doing okay, not as many advantage cards as Gaz and Soap, but still not holding as many cards as Ghost.

But, I had quite the competitive streak.

I laid down my wild card, picking blue as my color of choice. A grumble could be heard from Soap, and I felt my lieutenant’s gaze on the side of my head. Soap drew a card from the deck, laid down his blue 2 and gestured to Gaz that it was his turn. Gaz immediately slapped down a wild card of his own, and blurted out red as the next color. I couldn’t help the scowl on my face, as red was the least color of cards I had in my hand. But I wasn’t out yet.

Price laid down his card. Ghost drew three more cards before finally getting one to fit the round, and it was my turn again. I laid down yet another wild card and immediately changed the color back to blue. Soap took his turn. Gaz’s gaze shifted ever so quickly in my direction and slapped down ANOTHER wild card.

“Red”, he smirked.

“Seriously, Gaz? Stop picking red!”, Soap exclaimed with a laugh.

Price exhaled some smoke and laid down his card, which happened to be a +2. Ghost rolled his eyes, drew his cards and laid down his respective card. Back to me. I slapped down a +4 and muttered a quick “blue.”

Soap drew his four and turned it over to Gaz.

Gaz had a devious look in his eyes, pretending to thumb through his hand. I pointed my finger in his direction.

“Don’t you do it, Garrick…”, I warned.

Gaz clamped down his thumb and forefinger around the edge of a card in his hand, eyes challenging me.

“You better not!”, I exclaimed

In one swift motion, Gaz slapped another wild card down.

“Sorry, Y/N, but I’m afraid the color is now red…”, he smirks.

I immediately stood from my seat, threw my cards on the table and began wilding waving my hands.

“What the fuck is up, Kyle?! No, what did you say, dude?! What the fuck, dude?! Step the fuck up, Kyle!”, I chanted from memory.

All eyes were on me in that moment. Soap began laughing at my outburst, like he had heard the sentiment before. Ghost cut his eyes over to my standing form from behind the skull on his face. Price and Gaz stared at me with surprise and confusion.

“I’m sorry, what?”, Price asks through muffled chuckle.

“Yeah, what was that?”, Gaz questions, confusion contorting to amusement.

“You guys know? That Vine video from years ago?”, I state.

Price, Gaz and Ghost all exchange glances, then look back to me.

“We have no idea what you’re talking about.”, Ghost speaks up, voice muffled through his balaclava.

“Soap, you know what I’m talking about, right?”, I turn to the mohawk in the chair beside me.

“‘Course I do. That video’s all over the internet.”, the Scotsman replied, smile still evident on his face.

“Leave it to the muppet…I think I’ve had enough Uno for one night. I’m turning in.”, Price states, putting his cigar out in the ashtray in front of him. Ghost agrees, placing his cards in the table. Both men stand up and retreat to their respective places. Soap stands and stretches his arms above his head.

“Yeah, I think I’ll head out, too. Later.”, he says and exits swiftly, leaving Gaz and I in the rec room. Gaz’s eyes still on me from my outburst, I quickly began cleaning up the cards on the table. I could feel the heat creep up my neck from embarrassment.

“For what it’s worth,” Gaz started, pulling my attention back to him. He handed me the rest of the deck, “I was fully prepared to step the fuck up.”

_________________________________________________

Ghost:

“Alright, any questions on anything I just went over?”, Ghost’s low voice rang through the room. Gaz, Soap and myself were seated around the table in front of him. We had spent the past half hour briefing the next mission. Price conveniently left Ghost in charge of this one, knowing the lieutenant had a penchant for minute details. All of us at the table exchanged glances and shook our heads.

“Good. Because now we get to go over logistics…”, Ghost picked up a tablet from the table, and began flitting over it. We all groaned in disdain. Ghost ignored our protests and began his lecture. I tried my hardest to pay attention, but the drone of Ghost’s voice quickly became background noise. I found myself glancing over at Soap, who looked as equally as enthused as I felt. Gaz, ever the teacher’s pet, was locked in on Ghost’s every word. Soap motioned to Gaz and then clasped his hands at his chest, while mouthing an “awwww” at me, jesting at Gaz’s attentiveness. I couldn’t help the snort that came out of my nose.

“Something the matter, sergeant?”, Ghost stops his lecture to directly address me.

“No, sir. Just having trouble sitting still, is all…”, I explained while adjusting in my seat to get my point across.

“Well, then…make yourself useful and walk this to the garbage can. That should satiate your movement for a bit.” Ghost reached behind him, grabbed his empty soda can and slid it on the table in my direction. It was a reasonable response, given the distance from the table to the garbage can by the door. I picked up the can, and was immediately hit with an impulse.

I shook the can to confirm that it was empty.

“This bitch empty. YEET!”, I say as I chuck the can towards the trash can with all my might. The can just barely missed its intended destination. I sighed, got up from my seat and trudged over to place the can in the garbage. I returned to my seat to see Soap and Gaz trying their hardest not to laugh out loud. It was only then that I felt Ghost’s eyes on me.

“What the fuck was that?”, he muttered out, voice ever low and monotonous. His eyes were glued to my face from behind the skull on his balaclava.

“Not my best moment…” I mumbled back. “It was an old video from long ago. I don’t even know why I did that. I’m sorry, Lt.”

“Right…”, he says as he looks over at the other two sergeants trying to hold themselves together. “You know what, we’ll discuss this the day of. You’re all dismissed.”

Soap, Gaz and myself head for the door. I internally kicked myself for letting my intrusive thoughts win…in the middle of a meeting.

“Uh…Y/N?”, Ghost’s voice found my ears. I hesitantly turned back to face my lieutenant.

“Yes, sir?”, I questioned.

“What the bloody hell does ‘yeet’ mean?”

[lanaroff]

Is it too late?

Paring: WandaNat x Daughter Reader

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

It had all started as an impulse.

Y/N had always been a good kid. Straight A’s, a solid friend group with Peter, MJ, and Ned, and a happy life with her mothers, Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff. They were her everything—Natasha, the strict and disciplined ex-Black Widow, and Wanda, the soft, nurturing stay-at-home mom. Despite their differences in parenting styles, they both loved Y/N more than anything.

But something had changed the day she found out Peter Parker was Spider-Man.

It wasn’t just the shock of realizing that one of her best friends was out there risking his life to save people. It was the realization that she, too, could do more. She had potential—potential she was wasting by just going to school, studying, and hanging out. She was the daughter of two legendary heroes, and yet, she was doing nothing while people out there needed help.

That night, she made a decision. A reckless, exhilarating decision.

She snuck into Natasha’s weapons stash, her hands trembling slightly as she carefully picked up a pair of old batons and a small knife. They felt foreign but also... right in her grip. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, a mix of fear and excitement making her breath quicken. She wasn’t planning on killing anyone—just scaring the bad guys away. And so, with adrenaline rushing through her veins, she snuck out into the city, searching for trouble.

It didn’t take long before she found it—a couple of guys trying to steal a car. With her heart pounding, she stepped forward.

“Hey!” she shouted, gripping her weapons tighter. “Step away from the car.”

The men turned, laughing when they saw her. “And what are you gonna do about it, sweetheart?” one of them sneered.

Y/N didn’t hesitate. She charged, using her mother’s training that she had picked up over the years just by watching. Her movements were raw, unpolished, but effective. The fight lasted less than five minutes, and when she stood over the groaning, defeated criminals, she felt something she hadn’t before—power. The thrill, the rush of stopping them, the knowledge that she had done something good—it was intoxicating. So she kept doing it. Night after night, sneaking out, fighting crime, helping others.

But she told no one. Not Peter, not MJ, and certainly not her mothers.

At first, it was easy. She balanced school, family, and her secret life. But as the weeks passed, the exhaustion started creeping in. Her grades slipped. She became irritable, snapping at her friends and avoiding her mothers. Family time, something she had always cherished, now felt like an obligation. And her mothers noticed.

The next day, at dinner, Wanda finally spoke up. “Y/N, is something going on?” her soft eyes full of concern as she sat across from her daughter at the table. “You seem distant lately.”

Y/N barely looked up from her plate. “I’m fine, Mom. Just tired.”

Natasha, sitting beside Wanda, exchanged a glance with her wife. Her sharp instincts told her Y/N wasn’t telling the full truth. “Tired from what?” Natasha pressed, her voice calm but firm. “You’re not in any sports, and school’s never drained you like this before.”

Y/N sighed, forcing her frustration down. “MJ and I had an argument,” she lied. She could feel the weight of their stares on her, the concern in Wanda’s gentle eyes, the suspicion in Natasha’s narrowed gaze. “It’s nothing, really.”

Natasha wasn’t convinced. She had spent years detecting lies, and her daughter wasn’t as good at hiding them as she thought. One afternoon, while cleaning Y/N’s room, she found something troubling—her daughter’s latest math test, covered in red ink. Y/N was exceptional at math; there was no way she would fail a test unless something was very wrong.

That night, Natasha confronted her.

“What’s going on with you?” Natasha asked, stepping into Y/N’s room and holding up the test. Her voice was measured, but there was an undeniable sharpness to it. “Your grades are dropping, you barely talk to us anymore, and now you’re lying? This isn’t like you.”

Y/N clenched her fists. “I’m fine, Mom. I’m old enough to make my own decisions. I know what I’m doing.”

“No, you don’t,” Natasha snapped, stepping closer. “You think you do, but you don’t. And whatever is happening, it’s affecting you. We’re worried about you, Y/N.”

Wanda, who had been watching from the doorway, stepped forward, her voice softer but no less concerned. “Sweetheart, we just want to understand. Please, talk to us.”

Y/N’s frustration boiled over. “There’s nothing to understand!” she shouted. “I’m not a little kid anymore! You don’t need to control every part of my life!”

Natasha’s jaw tightened, but it was Wanda’s wounded expression that made Y/N’s anger falter for a second. Still, she couldn’t back down. She couldn’t tell them. So, instead of staying home and dealing with it, she did the only thing that made her feel better—she went out to fight.

That night, long after Y/N had gone to bed, Wanda and Natasha lay awake in their room, both lost in thought. The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated Wanda’s worried expression as she turned to her wife.

“She’s not okay, Nat,” Wanda said softly, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the blanket. “I can feel it. Something’s wrong, but she won’t tell us.”

Natasha sighed, staring up at the ceiling with a deep frown. “Yeah, because she’s lying,” she muttered. “That whole thing about arguing with MJ? I don’t buy it. I saw them together yesterday, laughing like nothing happened.”

Wanda bit her lip. “Maybe she just doesn’t want to talk about it yet. She’s seventeen, Nat. Teenagers go through things.”

Natasha shook her head, sitting up slightly. “This isn’t just a phase, Wanda. Her grades are slipping, she barely looks at us at dinner, and she’s exhausted all the time. I know Y/N. She’s not like this.”

Wanda reached for Natasha’s hand, squeezing it gently. “You think she’s in trouble?”

Natasha hesitated, glancing toward the door as if expecting their daughter to suddenly appear. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I know she’s hiding something.”

Wanda sighed, leaning her head against Natasha’s shoulder. “I hate this. She used to tell us everything.”

“She used to be a kid,” Natasha murmured. “Now she’s trying to be independent. But if this keeps up, we’re going to have to push her to talk.”

Wanda nodded, her heart heavy with worry. “I just hope we’re not too late.”

However, what Wanda and Natasha missed was that Y/N was not asleep, and that she was not at their house. She wa doing the one thing she thought was good for her. And she failed torealize how reckless she was being. She didn’t notice the men she picked a fight with were more than just common thugs. She was outnumbered, outmatched. And before she could react, a sharp pain erupted in her side, followed by another blow to her head.

For the first time since she started, she realized just how dangerous this was. Just how much trouble she was in.

As she collapsed onto the cold pavement, the world around her blurred. The last thought in her mind wasn’t about winning the fight or proving herself.

It was about her mothers.

And how much she wished she had listened to them.

[mommyslittlebird]

A Room of Your Own

Married!WandaNat x Reader

Summary: After getting kicked out of your college dorm, you find yourself living with two older strangers. It was never meant to be anything more than a temporary arrangement born out of necessity, but as the semester continues, something new starts to grow.

CW: Homophobia, Getting Kicked Out, Slow Burn (No sex or romance in this chapter), Age Gap

Word Count: 1.9k

A/N: I’m back from the dead, though probably not in the way you wanted or expected. I had to take a (not so) little break from one-shots and smut for the time being for some personal reasons. But I’m still finding ways to write and enjoy myself. Some of you probably have already seen this. It’s been up on AO3 for a while now. But I figured I’d post it here too.

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing any sort of slow burn, so we'll see if I can resist having them all fall into bed together in the first few chapters. I also don't know how to write an introductory chapter without making it boring as shit, so I at least made it short to spare you all. I promise it gets better.

Chapter 1 of A Room of Your Own

You sat, knees curled to your chest, on the curb in front of what used to be your dorm. It was late, a little after midnight, and absolutely pouring rain.

Three days. You had been in the dorms for three days and you had already been kicked out. You’d expect some pushback, going to a religious college and being queer, but nothing like this. Nothing like getting kicked out of your dorm in the middle of the night because you were making your roommates uncomfortable. You’d tried so hard to get them to like you. They seemed sweet. Not your type of people, sure, but you thought the three of you could get along just fine.

As it turns out, they were actually so repulsed by your presence they couldn’t even wait until classes started to kick you to the curb. Literally.

“Hey!” Somebody shouted from the doorway, holding a large umbrella. You turned to see her approaching and shrunk back in on yourself. You didn’t think you could handle anymore ridicule that evening.

When you didn’t respond or turn to face her, she sat down next to you, sure to cover you with the umbrella as well. She spoke softer now. “Hey. I’m sorry for what happened back there.”

You still didn’t speak, but you looked at her now, partially soaked from where she was sitting next to you on the wet concrete. “I’m Yelena.” She reached her hand out for you to shake.

You shook her hand. “Y/N. Nice to meet you.” You recognized her from your dorm floor, though you’d only ever seen her in passing.

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” she smiled softly. “I wish it were under different circumstances.”

You nodded, turning your gaze back to the raining night.

“Do you have anywhere to go? For tonight I mean. I would offer you to stay in my room, but…” she turned back to the door of the building. You both knew you couldn’t go back in there.

You shook your head. You hadn’t even thought where you would stay tonight. You could always stay in your car. It wouldn’t be the first night you’ve slept in the backseat. Still, the sopping wet clothes would surely make for a morning full of rashes and blistered skin.

Yelena sighed, looking at the ground. She was silent for a moment before she came up with an idea. “Let me call my sister. She and her wife have a massive place not so far from here. They’ll have a bedroom or two to spare.”

Before you could form a rebuttal of any sort, Yelena pushed the umbrella into your hands and dashed back inside. You tucked the umbrella between your leg and the crook of your arm, resting your head on your knees.

It wasn’t very long before Yelena was by your side again. “Okay she’s on her way. She’ll be here in about 10 minutes.”

You didn’t look at her, facing intentionally in the other direction. You felt so horrible. You just wanted to curl up and disappear. And now you were going to be picked and taken to the home of some random classmate’s sister? You try to formulate a response, a reason that you will be fine on your own, but there was nothing. It was either this or the back seat of your 1993 Toyota Corolla. Somehow, you bet Yelena wasn’t going to take that as a reasonable explanation as to why she should call off her sister.

“Are you coming with me?” You asked weakly.

She sighed and put her hand on your back. “I wasn’t planning on it, but I will if you really want me to.”

You finally turned to face her. She didn’t look thrilled at the prospect of leaving. She was probably a freshman. It was her first couple days in the dorm too and everything was so new and exciting. The last thing she wanted to do was go back home with her sister.

“No it’s okay,” you responded. The last thing you wanted was to inconvenience someone else tonight, and it’s not like a freshman you hardly knew was going to bring you much solace anyway.

She patted your back. “They’ll take good care of you, I promise.”

Before too much longer, Yelena stood up at the sight of headlights. She waved her arms in an “over here” motion. The car approached Yelena, stopping hard in front of the curb you were sitting on. The tires splashed you in rainwater and mud. Yelena winched, walking back towards you to usher you into the car.

She led you to the passenger door, popping it open and peeking her head in. “This is your girl,” she said, pointing back towards your soaked, mud covered figure. She motioned for you to sit.

You hesitated. The car looked nicer than any you’d ever been in before. The idea of ruining the nice leather seats made you want to shrink further into your ball of shame.

The woman in the driver's seat noticed your hesitation, but didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned with her seat. “Come on in,” she ushered. “Get out of that rain.”

You handed the umbrella back to Yelena, reluctantly taking a seat in the car. Yelena peaked her head back in to say “take care of her,” before closing the door and scurrying back into the dorms.

The woman looked at you, reaching up to pop on the overhead light. The sight of her in the light nearly took your breath away. She looked oddly familiar. Maybe you’d seen her around town. You sharply inhaled as the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen leaned over the console towards you. She frowned. “Oh you poor thing!” She reached out to wipe off your face. You cringed when you saw the mud smear across the sleeve of her jacket. “Let’s go home and get you cleaned up.”

You nodded and she turned the light off before pulling out of the parking lot. You fought the urge to curl up in her passenger seat, fearing further ruining her seats with the dirty bottoms of your shoes. When you didn’t speak, she offered up an introduction of her own. “My name is Natasha. I don’t know what Yelena’s told you, but I’m her sister. My wife and I have a place not so far from here.”

“I’m Y/N” you managed.

“A friend of Yelena’s?” She asked.

You chuckled a little. “I suppose you could say that. We met about 20 minutes ago.”

Natasha chuckled. “Of course. Leave it to Yelena to seek you out after such an injustice.”

You bit the inside of your lip. You wished you had heard the phone conversation so you could gauge just how much she knew.

It was as if Natasha could read your mind when she started next with the details of the phone call. “Yelena told me you got kicked out of the dorm by the other girls. They were uncomfortable because you were gay? I never expected to hear anything like that happening in 2024, but I guess I stand corrected.”

Well, that was one way of telling the story. At least Yelena had left out the peeping Tom allegations that got you chased off the floor by everyone who had to share a bathroom with you. They weren’t true, of course, but the fact that you’d made people so uncomfortable they were willing to name you a pervert without second thought made your skin crawl.

After a short, largely silent car ride, Natasha pulled the car into a garage. You hadn’t gotten a good look at the house, both because of the dark and getting lost in your own thoughts, but even by the state of the garage you could tell it was nice.

Natasha got out of the car, unlocking the door and leading you into the kitchen. You took your shoes off by the door, then decided to take your socks off too to avoid tracking muddy water through the house. The woman took your hand and guided you to the stairwell, then to a bathroom. She turned on the lights and opened up a cabinet, pulling out fresh towels and washcloths.

“I’ll get you some fresh clothes and sheets. The bedroom is through here.” She opened a door that revealed a sizable bedroom connected to the bathroom. You could hardly believe this wasn’t the master suite she’d led you too.

She turned to face you, exhaling as she once again took in your disheveled state. She picked some errant pebbles from your tangled hair and wiped it out of your face. “Now,” she started, “do you need anything else before I let you get cleaned up and off to bed?”

You shook your head. “No. You’ve done enough already. Thank you, Miss Natasha, for letting me stay here. It means a lot. Truly.”

“Of course.” She smiled. You didn’t notice the blush that crept onto her face at the formality. She swiped away the hair that had fallen in front of your eyes again. “We wouldn’t want a sweet girl like you sleeping out in the rain.” She booped the tip of your nose. “Now promise you’ll wake me or Wanda up if you need anything at all. We’re just in the room across the hall. Can’t miss it, it’s the only door on that side.”

You nodded slowly. There was no way in hell you were going to wake her or Wanda, who you assumed was her wife, for any reason. But you nodded anyway.

She smiled and rubbed your chin. “Good girl. Now go get cleaned up and try to get some rest.”

As she set off to her room, you hoped the mud had covered how pink your cheeks had gotten. You headed to the shower, sliding open the glass door and turning on the water. You decided to hop in with your clothes at first, hoping to get enough of the mud off that you could wear them again tomorrow. Then you wrang the clothes out and threw them over the door to dry. You took your time in the shower, letting the hot water warm you up from the cold rain. By the time you were finally clean, you grabbed the fresh towel Natasha had left for you.

Your clothes were, obviously, still soaked save for your underwear. You were thankful for the little time it had taken the thin silky material to dry. You put them back on and wrapped yourself in a towel before entering into the bedroom.

There was a maroon hoodie at the end of the bed. It had been there since Natasha first showed you the room, so it clearly wasn’t laid out for you. However, in lieu of other clothes, you decided the owner probably wouldn’t mind if you borrowed it for the night. You slipped the soft fabric over your head. It was much too big for you, going down to almost your mid thighs while the sleeves dangled over your hands. But it was, quite possibly, the softest material that you’d ever felt. It felt simultaneously brand new and freshly washed.

You crawled up into the queen sized bed, slipping under the covers. You held the fabric of the hoodie close to your face. It smelled nothing like the musky bergamot of Natasha, which had been equally as entrancing in its own way. This was distinctly different. It smelled soft and comforting like lying in a meadow on a spring day. The comforting smell and warmth, along with your own exhaustion, quickly had you asleep.

[hollyhomburg]

Prey Animals (12)

—  Pairing: Yoongi x ot6, Yoongi x reader, Bts x reader

—  Genre: Omegaverse, Mafia au, Polyamory au, Found family, Suspense, Eventual Smut, enemies to friends to lovers, Healing & Themes of trauma,

—  Summary: In a world where Beta's are rare, valuable, and often have more than one pack; Beta Min Yoongi does everything he can to keep his mafia heritage a secret from his primary pack. Little does he know he's not the only one who's living a double life.

—  Words: 7.0k

—  Warnings: Abandonment, Depression, Themes of grief, Anxiety, Worry, Hurt/comfort, Angst, Things get worse before they get better

—  Check in at the end for my notes on this chapter! — 

(The Pack, Mostly After)

He was only supposed to be gone for a few days.

To his packmates, it had felt a little like Yoongi was just distracted. They’d turn to him and find him looking at his phone or staring absentmindedly at the bright hot sun, or one of them sleeping in the nest. Or one of them brushing their teeth. “What is it?” they’d ask, and “nothing” he’d reply.

But it’s not nothing, because the next morning, Yoongi gets on a train. And then he’s just gone.  

No one had thought anything of it when he’d provided an explanation for his sudden departure. Of course, they were okay with him going. Of course, Yoongi had to go. For his family, he said. An emergency. Someone was dying. Someone was hurt and Yoongi needed to say goodbye.

(Family means different things for different people and goodbyes can be said in many different ways.)

Familial packs are rare things in general. Too many families have too many packmates and too many pups that some slip through the cracks (like with Namjoon, who hardly bothers going home every few years.). But besides Jungkook and Namjoon- Yoongi is the only one with anything passable for a familial pack.

The best lies are one part lie and two parts truths. Yes, Yoongi's grandfather is dead and telling them that didn't feel like a lie. But on the other hand, saying "I'll be back in 2 weeks, maybe 3 at the most," tasted like acid on his tongue. 

It’s not a lie when Yoongi looks at Jin and pouts, and blinks back tears, while he drags one of his sweatshirts up and down his throat. For Jungkook, a heavily scented item of clothing just in case his seizures get too bad while he’s gone. Even though the omega has his whole closet too.

But even if he wants to cry as he drinks in Jin getting ready for work. Fingers skimming over his meticulously organized slacks and ties, savoring his hands, his breath, his every movement. Yoongi doesn’t let himself.

Tears aren’t expected of him, it would give him away.

Instead of telling Jin or crying he says, “I’m gonna miss you.” Jin pauses, turns around to where Yoongi sits in the nest and kisses the frown off of his lips.

“I’ll drive you to the train, are you all packed? Are you sure you don’t want someone to come with you?”

“I’m sure.”

Maybe looking back on it, Seokjin would recognize the heaviness in his gaze as something that wasn’t caused by an impending simple few weeks absence. The pack is used to having their nest absent of at least one packmate (Jimin has business trips sometimes, whenever his clients necessitate it). And sure, it’s going to suck to have him gone, but they’ll be alright. 

(They won't be, and Yoongi knows this and leaves anyway because he doesn't have a choice.) 

“I’ll call you if it's any longer, okay?” He’d kissed Seokjin so quickly. Seokjin would have pulled him in for longer if he’d known this was the last time he’d see the beta for so long. (Seokjin would have also probably tied the beta to the bed if he knew he was about to leave, but that's neither here nor there. It's not a true kink if it’s born out of desperation).

He calls Namjoon when he’s on the train. Namjoon can barely hear the betas voice over the noise in the emergency room. A three-car crash just came in and the emergency room is crowded with the scent of dying people. There is blood on the linoleum and the bottom of Namjoon’s shoes. But Namjoon picks up because he’d asked Yoongi to call him before he left.

If he had to place it, Namjoon’s not sure he could really tell the last time they’d kissed, his job keeps him away from the pack for days at a time. Coming home to sleep and shower and change and then go right back. Was it yesterday morning? Or over the three-day weekend? It had to have been sometime in between.

The static stretches between them, and Namjoon hears Yoongi’s warbly voice.

“Yoongi? I’m sorry baby but I can’t hear you?”  If Namjoon had known that it was the last time he’d hear Yoongi’s voice. He’d have gone to another room. He would have begged and bartered with the powers that be. Namjoon have run out of the hospital to drag Yoongi back if he’d only known. Would have chased down the train. Namjoon is selfish, he would have rather saved Yoongi than the people dying inside his hospital.

(Or Namjoon tells himself he would, but he knows he won’t. Yoongi isn’t dying, he’s just leaving, and that’s almost worse.)

He hears static, and then disconnects the call, sending him a quick text back where he tells him he’ll call on his break (if he even gets one today). Weeks later Namjoon will sob as he realizes he never got to say a proper goodbye.

But they hadn’t known. None of them had. In later months they’ll hold onto that and hate it. “If it was the last time, we were supposed to see him- we would have felt something Minnie” Taehyung would say, always the superstitious one in their little pack. Their little family.

But Yoongi has that. Something that isn’t them. Someone that isn’t them now. It’s hard to feel like that doesn’t change anything. But it does. It really does.

Yoongi had always been so cagey about his family and had never let slip too much. The pack collect the facts that they know. No names or numbers. No identities or clues. His parents are dead like Jin’s, but he’s got an older brother he doesn’t like. Yoongi hasn’t been home since the last family funeral, since he was 18. Was practically raised by his grandparents, still alive, now dead. Both or just one? There are questions here. Questions the pack does not have answers for.

There are no numbers to call when weeks pass without any word from their beta. Only a text here and there. Jimin leaves for a business trip and comes back more somber and quieter than ever. Yoongi stops responding to their messages after the second day. And then it’s radio silence.

The day Yoongi said he would return passes without the beta showing up at their door (with flowers and an apology) and they all know something has to be wrong. Irrevocably wrong. Yoongi used to say even if he was dying in a ditch somewhere he’d still claw his way towards them.

They leave dozens of calls and voicemails, pleading with long-form texts. Some that they regret and some that ring with truth.

Koo: (8:57pm): Please, can you just tell us if you’re okay? Hyung’s are worried.

Jinnie: (12:04am): I hate you for this, I swear to God Min Yoongi if you do not call us soon, I'm going to drag you back here by your ear.

Jinnie: (12:04am): don’t even bother coming home if it’s not with chocolates and flowers and a fucking unicorn or something

Jinnie: (12:04am): I swear to God if you don’t respond soon I’ll cut holes in your underwear

Jinnie (12:05am): and your socks,

Jinnie (12:05am): and ding your records.

Jinnie: (12:05am) Yoongi please. Just tell me if you’re alive.

That, they decided, was the only explanation for it. That he was hurt- or hurting somewhere. The only other possibility is that he left them- and that just isn’t something that they can reconcile. They’d always counted on one truth; that Yoongi loved them and now not even that seems true.

At first, every call to Yoongi’s phone goes to voicemail until the box is full and then it just beeps dolefully until the number gets disconnected on the third week. Jungkook doesn’t want to hear “This number is no longer connected to a cellular device” anymore. He just wants to hear the voice of his beta. Misses it. He tries to be strong for the others, but Jimin still catches him sniffing over his phone late at night, watching old videos of the 7 of them. The rest of the pack can’t bear to watch them.

Hoseok doesn’t even listen to music anymore. He spends his commute to the record store with his headphones left behind. Collecting dust on the bedside table. Unused and unwanted. Every song reminds him of Yoongi.

After the first month of silence, they have to address the possibility that Yoongi might not be coming back.

Maybe he was trying to let them down gently. Maybe Yoongi had found a new pack and moved on to them. Maybe he had decided that their pack was complete enough without him. Maybe being gone for his grandparents was just a lie- it had to be. If that was the truth- then why doesn't he just call.

It would be a simple thing, two minutes. Yes, I’m okay. Yes, I’m alive and unharmed thank you for asking. Yes, I’m leaving you. Sorry. You know how it is.

They’d be happy with that. Well not happy- but at least satisfied. Anything would be better than the silence.

One of Hoseok’s co-workers at the record store- the one that filled Yoongi’s position catches Hoseok crying in the bathroom during his break and he makes the mistake of confiding in the other alpha.

“What did you expect to happen? That he’d stay with you forever. He’s a beta Hoseok.” 

He’s a beta. Like that justifies it at all. Like secondary gender holds a candle to love. Hoseok doesn’t know what he’d do if he saw Yoongi again. if he’d fall into Yoongi’s arms and beg him to take him back or if he’d bite his head off. He bites of the head of his coworker and gets reprimanded for it, but it’s no use.

Namjoon makes him quit the job at the record store when Hoseok tells him about it. Comes home in something of a fugue state of rage. The kind where Hoseok is too upset to talk about it, but an anxious and distressed cloud follows him and sets everyone on edge. A cloud that Namjoon as pack alpha cannot allow to linger for long. Fragile and broken that they are.

Hoseok wants to hold onto the one place that was just his and Yoongi’s but it’s not really healthy for him anymore. Hoseok looks for Yoongi in the stacks of records, behind every rack of recording equipment. Always about to turn- about to comment on the weird album art or on one vinyl over the other, only to find the store empty. Yoongi’s name hovering on the tip of his tongue.

Their playlist still playing over the loudspeaker because Hoseok can’t shut it off. Yoongi’s love for him like an earworm that never fades. A song stuck in his head never ceases looping. Over and over again the best lines and the worst choruses. Hoseok can feel the base in his hands when nothing’s playing. The rhythm and beat all off. The melody missing. Like c-bat only worse.

So Namjoon encourages him to leave- Because Hoseok is having a rough time in general. He Stays up late listening to music when he can’t sleep. He can’t ever really sleep soundly anymore- a rough time- like I said. They all are. Some time off will be helpful for Hoseok.

And Jungkook too honestly.

Jungkook cries all the time, tears constantly dancing at the edge of his waterline, his dark brown eyes constantly wide and glassy. This time, it doesn’t have anything to do with the seizures coming back with a vengeance, although that happens too. He’s never had two in the same day before but 2 months after Yoongi leaves it happens.

He takes a few weeks off of work just until he gets a better handle on his diet and sleep schedule again. His clients at the gym and its owner are more than understanding. (it’s hard not to be, when Jungkook is one of their most popular personal trainers and his classes book out weeks in advance). But it’s hard to adjust when he can’t sleep- keeps reaching out for a scent that’s slowly fading from their bed. Slowly fading from their memories too.

Jungkook makes chocolate protein shakes but it’s not the same. After a little while- he asks Jin to buy him a different flavor.

Jungkook's seizures feel more like withdrawal symptoms, a barely susceptible tremor in his hands. Namjoon has seen his fair share of addicts at the hospital. And he can't help but recognize the same on-edge sense of hunger in Jungkook. But Namjoon can't fix this with love or medication.

Even when Jungkook's doctor tells the younger about a new medication that could help him. "Kookie” Namjoon had pleaded, looking at Jungkook like he’s more of a pup than an adult that can make medical decisions for himself. He’s pack alpha, Jungkook has to remind himself (though he’s never had to remind himself of that fact before Yoongi left) he’s just doing what he thinks is best for me. 

Even if it pisses him off when Namjoon treats him like a child. 

“I've seen these medications in action before, a lot of the time their side effects are worse than the seizures," the alpha had gripped Jungkook's sleeves in the cold hospital room, hands hitting the sensitive scent glands at his wrists to try, thumbs digging into them with a zing in an effort to comfort him.

“Please Jungkook, we can find a better way to handle this, you've got us." Jungkook doesn't say anything, but Namjoon can read his expression well enough. They might be able to support Jungkook in every possible way, but at the end of the day they can’t be who matters. They can’t stop the seizures before they come.

They're not Yoongi.

He just wants Yoongi back. To say ‘Koo’ in that soft special way when he walks in the door from work and sees Jungkook sitting at the kitchen table. The words said like a croon that make Jungkook fuzzy and Omegaspace soft. That makes him feel like melted chocolate (not unlike Yoongi’s scent). 

It starts to feel hollow when the others call him ‘Koo’ instead of ‘Kookie’. He yells at Tae about it. Koo was just for them- Just for Yoongi to call him. It doesn’t sound the same when they say it.

Koo- soft and sweet, the same way he’d said Minnie at the end of a long day too.

The Jimin of years ago would have scoffed and growled at being referred to as anything but his name. So used to having to posture to prove he was alpha enough for his mates. Sweet-smelling alphas almost always get treated that way. But Jimin was always the vanilla to Yoongi’s chocolate. But now Jimin craves it- the way the elder would bring him down to his lowest and most hidden instincts. The part of Jimin that was just a puppy- that wanted pets and kisses and everything in between- to be a good alpha for his beta. 

He hungers for those hidden moments when Yoongi’s dominant streak seemed a mile wide and Jimin didn’t have to be so tough for once. Didn’t have to be so watchful or on edge. “There you go baby- I knew you could be good for me.” Jimin wakes up more than once with those words ringing in his ears. Jimin is a dog without a master. A stray. Herding the others two and frow, snapping at anyone who comes close feels like too much. If Yoongi tamed his instincts, they run wild in his absence.

Jimin struggles not to close up for the others. They still need him. He knows that. But it’s hard not to feel like a rabid dog with his leg caught in a trap, gnawing off his own leg to survive when they’re all this sad. When his inner alpha is yelling at him to just do something. It’s hard to be in control of his emotions when he feels like he’s anything but. Jimin can’t fulfill his most basic instincts as an alpha and provide for his pack. Certainly, he couldn’t provide for Yoongi, at least not enough to get him to stay.

Namjoon and Jin help. Namjoon who turns the lights down low for Jimin as much as Jungkook on the bad seizure bad days. When Jimin looks like he’s going to shake out of his own skin if something prickly touches him or if he’s asked to drink water that’s too cold. Jimin would rather cry until he’s so dehydrated he passes out. Sometimes he can’t even speak through it. But the pack alpha and omega don’t mind.  Jin sets out Jimin’s favorite pair of warn pajamas. Not just the right texture but the right color too, always black but with holes at the collar that Jungkook listlessly tucks his hands into. The holes where Jimin can feel his packmate's skin all sweet-sensitive and sensory.

They let him stay quiet and enjoy the feeling until he lets Namjoon pull him down for a scent mark. And the pack alpha rubs his chin against Jimin’s throat, his cheeks, everywhere spreading out his scent of coffee. Thick and comforting and alpha. Enough that everyone will be able to smell it on Jimin tomorrow when he’s away from the pack. A mark to stay away, a mark that shows Jimin isn’t a wild dog, isn’t a stray. That he belongs somewhere.

Jimin has to force himself to stay pliant. To let the pack alpha get at his throat when he’s like this- sensitive and vulnerable. His inner instincts are like a cornered dog, and the only person who he never nips at is Tae.

Jimin tries to believe it when Namjoon says, "There we go Minnie, let alpha make it all better. It’s going to be alright." when he finally lets out a choked grumble and his body goes slack. Like a marionette with its strings cut. The haze of alpha-space on the edge of his vision and the taste of his pack alpha’s scent on his tongue.

There is something intoxicating about the pack alpha; how much larger he is than Jimin and the way he drags him in and reminds him how to be soft after he’s spent the week bickering and getting angry over the small things. Jimin might spend his 9-5 protecting other people, but it's nice to let someone else do it for a change.

Jimin's Gunsmoke angry unhappy scent has always been one of the more pungent. Making Jimin relax helps all of them.

Through dinner, and the scenting, through even sleep. Namjoon’s phone sits on the table waiting for a phone call that never comes.

Their predicament isn’t exactly uncommon- most betas have a few packs that they stay with periodically. Maybe he finally got too frustrated with putting down roots. Maybe the restlessness finally overtook him, and he just wanted to branch out. Where they too stifling? Too needy? They couldn’t fault him for that- even if they are angry that he left without a word. 

He didn’t have to be mean about it is all. They were owed more than what they got. A shitty goodbye and unanswered calls.

As much as Jungkook tries to think through it, it just doesn't make any sense. Yoongi wouldn't do this to them. He would never leave them hanging unless he had to. But that anger becomes bargaining as the weeks become months.  

In the meantime, Taehyung puts his longing for Yoongi into words.

It’s been years since he wrote so much. Since before college before the inclination to create was burned out of him the pessimistic attitudes of his professors. According to them his works were always a little too grammatically incorrect and fanciful. A cross-section between poetry and prose, neither that nor this, and therefor ill-fitting in either category. Tae’s creativity is too intimate and vulnerable to survive an appraising eye for long. Like a flower with shallow roots. The things he writes are too close to his chest not to feel like wounds.

(Do you like the way I bleed? Should I make It more entertaining for you? Are you bored yet? Does it look pretty enough for you yet? Am I sweet enough to give you a tooth ache still?)

Back then, before the pack, he and Jimin had lived apart. And Tae learned to save the pieces of his sensitive heart and hide them in longhand love letters that they’d sent back and forth. Before Jimin had finally found a job and moved to the city with him.

Now Tae writes that longhand love letters for Yoongi- shoves them in between pages of books so that he doesn’t have to think about them. Compartmentalizing his hurt into sentences and paragraphs. No one loves me quite like you did he writes, red ink that might as well be his blood for how much it hurts to pen the words that Yoongi might never read. 

Isn’t it strange how we all love each other so differently Hyung? It used to feel like fabric- my strands pink, yours red, Jimin’s black. But you pulled out all your threads Hyung and we’re fraying. It can’t keep us warm like it used too.

And yet, that pain is still a paper cut compared to how much Taehyung hurts without Yoongi by his side.

These letters aren’t like the ones he wrote for Jimin all those years ago. No- those are saved and shared between the two of them when Jimin snaps at him and they fight (this happens more after the stress of Yoongi leaving and a very bad rut season- a perfect storm for their worst fight in years). They only open the shoebox that holds the love letters when he and Jimin need a reminder that the foundation of their love isn’t something that can be damaged by petty words, bad days.

Or even Yoongi’s absence.

Jimin has never abandoned him the way that Yoongi has; not when he wanted to go to an expensive school in the city away from their hometown. Leaving Jimin to work at the same martial arts studio as always. Not when they were so poor that they could only see each other when Jimin saved up enough money to take the train into the city. Once a month if they were lucky. 

In one of the first love letters Taehyung ever wrote, it goes; ‘I crave the easy look you give me when it’s the first time you’ve seen me in months. Where I am the earth and you the moon. And it feels dizzying like I am the thing you desire most, more than flowers want for sunshine, more than hunger wants for meat, Your tornado and your torrent. Under your eyes, I feel like a force of nature. Like luck or maybe like fate. Kissing you tastes like colors I don’t have words for.’

Losing Yoongi feels like that- disorienting, and Tae is unable to find a pattern in life without him. Sometimes he goes weeks without writing letters. Other times he writes Yoongi three times in the same day. On the backs of receipts and napkins. Stained with tears and oil from french-fries.

One night Namjoon finds Taehyung asleep at their dining room table, back hunched over some letters with a pen still in his hand. Tae wakes with a start when the pack alpha skims a hand down his back. Fingers carving lovingly down his spine. Waking him up softly to drag him back to the safety of the nest.

These days Namjoon doesn’t let any of them sleep in the spare room; too dangerous, to have the pack fractured further at nesting time. A kind sized bed smushed together with a queen that just barely fits all of them now full of empty spaces. The nest never feels full anymore. Tae knows just from the soft look in Namjoon’s eyes that he’s read some of the words. Maybe the ink has bled onto Taehyung’s cheek where it was pressed to the letter. 

Words like the tattoos on his soul, each of their names written over and over again. There is no more room left on Taehyung’s soul, no more room for another name and no room left for another person to make a home out of his heart- the same way Taehyung had found a home in Yoongi’s. 

(That’s a little bit of a lie- Tae just hasn’t met you yet). 

Taehyung’s worried about what Namjoon might have read, he doesn’t know if he could handle Namjoon trying to talk to him about his feelings right now. (It’s good that it was Namjoon who found him, if it were Jin- the omega would have probably stayed up late to psychoanalyze Tae’s emotions).

Taehyungs delicate hands splay across the page. Hiding it from view. ‘You were the knife to my cadaver. I understand that you had to leave, but what I don’t understand is why you had to take so much of me with you. If you weren’t planning on treasuring me, the least you could have done is leave me whole. Tossed me back into the ocean like a piece of sea glass that needs more polishing.’

Or even worse, the lines that aren’t as pretty but just as true.

‘If I ever see you again, I think I’ll start crying on sight. I don’t think we’ll ever really meet again. This body will never know your touch, your love again. Like stars never know wishes. Maybe we were just soulmates that met a lifetime too soon. Maybe in the next life, I will hold onto you better. Maybe at the pearly gates, you will be my only sweet regret. If you’re already dead, I’ll wish I was too. I wish I could hate you as much as I love you.’

Tae knows he’s better off having known Yoongi. However fleeting. 3 years wasn’t enough, a whole lifetime wouldn’t be enough. But that doesn’t mean he’s not fucking angry.

His hand crumples up one edge of a newspaper before Namjoon has the chance to see it. The words that Namjoon absolutely cannot see. The ones he doesn't let any of them read. I think it's a good thing that I never showed you that side of me, knowing how indelicate you were with leaving. At least you loved me once. This version of me. I guess I shouldn’t be so angry.

Afterall, I lied to you first.

Namjoon doesn't notice Tae throw out the tiny slip of paper and Tae knows from experience that it will go unnoticed and unturned over in the wastepaper basket.  

They look back and try to remember the last few months Yoongi was in their lives and think through what might have gone wrong. None of them can put their finger on it. Why did Yoongi leave and where did he go? Sometimes they’d settle for just knowing that he was alive and safe. Jungkook can't shake the feeling that something must have happened to Yoongi, something bad, for him to leave.

Four months pass without a word. Sometimes Seokjin wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, the taste of blood and rainwater on his tongue.

They all feel like they did before Yoongi collected them and made a home out of their house. Made people out of their fragile souls. Gave them purpose like hands search for hatchets and fire searches for fuel.

Maybe they should have expected this Seokjin thinks, lying awake in the nest at night, the nest absent of Namjoon and Jimin, on an overnight shift and a business trip a few cities over. Hobi near the edge of the nest, nose raised to the nighttime to scent any displeasure on the air. Seokjin has always been good at meditating his scent neutral. Controlling the pulse of his heart and the adrenaline in his body so as to not trigger a spike in his unhappy scent. As sensitive as all his alpha’s are- Jin is ever mindful. They all need their rest.

“Do you think he’ll ever come back?” Jungkook asks. Awake. The younger omega’s hands soft and downy like feathers fluttering through Jin’s hands, treading between his fingers.  Both of them happy for some quality one-on-one cuddle time.

The youngest omega has always been so sweet, and that sweetness seems twofold underneath the light of the moon spilling through the window. Jungkook doesn’t cry so much anymore and neither does Jin, just once a week or so instead of every night.

In the darkness- Seokjin can pretend that Yoongi’s there. The memory of Yoongi haunts all of them in different ways, right now he’s a ghost in the corner of their room. 

If Yoongi were here, would he be asleep between the two of them? Would Jungkook pull the betas legs between his knees just to get a little closer? Hands playing on the half almost abs steady softness that Yoongi's always had for a tummy. The perfect medium between plush and hard. Would he toy with the softness while Seokjin tucked his face into Yoongi's neck? Would they each take one of his hands in the darkness? 

Yoongi's hands were always a sensitive part of him. And now- Seokjin grasps at the bedspread and pretends, just for a second. This far into the city there aren’t a lot of stars to see, outside the window the night sky is empty, but the moon is always there.

Seokjin gets through Yoongi’s presence by pretending he never left. By closing his eyes and remembering that for a little while, for a long while really, He had something really really good.

“I’m not sure Kookie, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Seokjin kisses the distressed curve of Jungkook’s jaw, smoothing away the listlessness as best he can with a hand down his neck, to his chest and lower. He and Jungkook made the nest earlier to curl up in, just the two of them. And yet- it doesn’t ease the pain in Seokjin’s heart. Doesn’t comfort either of them as much as it should. 

Items of Yoongi are put sparingly in the nest, they don’t smell like him anymore, it’s more out of routine than anything else. It’s been too long. They’ve given up preserving Yoongi’s scent for Jungkook’s seizures. Unlike those first few weeks when it still felt like he was all around and Seokjin only had to close his eyes and pretend that his life partner- the man he’d been with for almost 6 years- was still there.

No one aches over the loss more than Seokjin, and no one misses him more. The others do their best to comfort their oldest omega, to be home at certain times so that he doesn’t get too nervous. But it only takes a small break in their schedule to get Seokjin pacing back and forth in front of the door. Nearly brought to tears at the thought that they might not be coming home.

His anxious spirals take him to dark places. There is no limit to tragedies that could befall them, hit by a car, or a victim of a train derailment. Worst are the days when they get stuck in traffic, when they stumble through the door and into Jin’s arms. 

The eldest omega bursts into tears the second he sees them, the second he hears footsteps by the door. “You were late- I thought you were- I thought I was-” I thought I was alone again.

“I know my love, I’m so sorry- it was just an accident on the road, traffic- you know I’m safe- you know I never speed.”

Seokjin couldn’t handle losing them. Not a single packmate. It would destroy him and he knows it. He knows what this is, a common symptom in omegas after they lose a pup or a packmate. He learned about 'nest anxiety' when he was in university, but knowing what it is doesn't help him cure it in himself. Making a nest doesn't give him the same satisfying rush it used to. And won’t again until all his packmates are inside of it.

That’s impossible now, Seokjin’s anxiety has nowhere to go.

It’s a terrible breach of the pack contracts to want a keep to beta for your own. It goes against all social convention and all reason. Society has come to expect this, that beta’s will jump from pack to pack. But that doesn’t make it any easier to endure.  

Whatever way you cut it the facts of their situation are the same. They weren’t enough. The 6 of them didn’t give Yoongi enough love. And he had to go find it somewhere else.

Missing Yoongi has carved a hole out of Seokjin’s heart- a space where nothing can fit besides fond memories, placed there delicately. Like to remember them too frequently would dilute them and make the love feel less real in memory. The more Seokjin wants him back- the more he feels like it never happened at all. Like their love story was only a good dream.

They all feel like they did before Yoongi was there. Before he made a home out of their house, and a person out of their souls and wants. They feel like graves, shaky and unsettled. The fallow ground where once there was fruitful love. Greif settles into their routine like the winter.

The house isn’t full of music anymore. They come and go from the apartment marking the hours apart without comment. Hoseok and Jimin don’t go for drives anymore. There are no more Doughnuts to be done in Namjoon’s car. There is no more wildness in Namjoon’s body left, only exhaustion.

Seokjin doesn’t cook nearly as often, take out is just easier. Seokjin doesn’t comment that it’s the first snow of the year when it begins to fall. His body already frozen solid.

Jungkook’s seizures gets marked on the refrigerator. 12 in October. 17 in November. 22 in December. Yoongi’s flannel hangs on the hooks by the front door, and no one touches it.

Hoseok and Yoongi planted flowers in the window boxes on the balcony last spring. Because Hoseok asked him to help and Yoongi obediently held the tray and swept the dirt over the edge. When the same plants come up again in March Hoseok can’t even look at them. It gets a little bit better when he starts to notice them around the city, the other touches of spring. The fresh leaves on the edge of branches. The bulbs poking up through the earth. The flowers aren’t just a memory of Yoongi. Not anymore.

Every hint of yellow in the grey winter landscape feels like a soft reminder of healing. Grief can only last so long, like the season it has it’s cycles. Big and painful one moment. A soft lesson that fills you with bitterness the next. That the sound of Yoongi’s absence gets quieter and quieter as the months drag on and they come to terms with it.

Hoseok isn’t unemployed for long. He gets a job at a flower shop sort of across town, it’s sort of a commute and sort of on the edge of suburbia where the houses grow big and old and fancy, but it’s alright. It feels good to have a reason to go outside of the apartment again. A different place to haunt where memories of Yoongi do not follow him like a disembodied life.

Hoseok gets to make bouquets that make people smile. Roses and peonies, daisies and sunflowers. It doesn’t matter that distance separates them. Hoseok will always be the sunflower pointing in the direction of his sun. Everything will always remind Hoseok of Yoongi one way or another.

Hoseok lets himself smile when he feels the impulse and cry when he can’t handle it anymore. He knows to appreciate a good thing even though it’s gone. He’ll always have memories of Yoongi; how he was the kind of lover to make your interests his own. Yoongi was always the kind of person who’d do something with you just to make sure you didn’t have to enjoy it alone, the perfect company. 

Hoseok walks to work, always with one headphone in, the other headphone is meant for Yoongi. The same way they did when they worked at the record shop together. 

(He’d never know because he switched jobs, but on the rainy days when fog sinks into the city like a fresh sheet, there is a figure outside the windows of that record store looking in. The record store owner is just closing up the day. Locking the door when he lifts his head against the rain. “He quit.” is all he says, all he needs to say before the figure slinks away without a word. Returning to the rain and fog.)

Yoongi finds the flower shop, and Hoseok. The stolen moment when he lets himself look through the foggy windows at the unmistakable red head bobbing to unheard music. One headphone in like always, it makes Yoongi smile. He leaves before Hoseok can spot him looking in. A spare 10 feet away, but Hoseok would never know.

Yoongi is their ghost- and he haunts them in more ways than one.  

When Hoseok looks up from his phone, he finds a palm print pressed into the fog of the window. But when he goes outside to look- the streets are completely empty. He doesn't tell the others. Can’t- he won’t get their hopes up when it was probably just some creep looking in. Hoseok needs to stop seeing Yoongi everywhere he goes, really. He feels like he’s gonna go crazy if he doesn't stop daydreaming about the beta. 

They never move apartments. They can’t. What if Yoongi tries to find them again and he shows up at their door? What kind of packmates would they be if they went to a place where he couldn’t follow? Months pass and Namjoon wakes up on the 6-month anniversary of the last time he saw Yoongi and just feels off.

There is something wrong, but he couldn’t tell you what. He puts on his suit feeling like he’s wading through fog. He commutes to work, drops off Tae and Jungkook. Goes on his way. Forgetting to check his phone for Jin’s ‘got to work safe’ morning text. The rotation of patients swirls around him like dishes on a lazy Susan. The one common denominator in their pain and suffering and sickness is Namjoon.

On his way home, he passes the parking lot where he and Seokjin and Yoongi did donuts in the first night they met. It’s being ripped up to make room for more retail space. Namjoon remembers the way that night had smelled, chocolate and cream mixed with the smell of burning rubber and French fries. 

Namjoon’s hands tighten on the wheel and all he knows is that he’s crying too hard to drive home. He calls his pack so someone can come and pick him up because he can’t drive in this state. He stays like that. In the empty parking lot walled in by chain link fences until Jimin pulls him from the car so carefully. His body smaller than Namjoon’s as he lifts him under the arms but no less strong as he puppets Namjoon into his car without a word, where Jin is already waiting in the back seat.  Wiping away his tears that just don’t seem to end.

He cries so hard he bursts a blood vessel in his nose, staining the front of Jin's shirt with blood. Hoseok drives his car home.

At every red light, Jin meets Jimin’s eyes in the mirror. Silently reassuring him that everything will be okay even if they both know that's a lie. Things haven’t been alright since Yoongi’s left.  

Namjoon is a wreck. Absolutely destroyed. He cries all the way home, until Jungkook’s popped the buttons on his shirt, until Tae has washed the sad off of him. Until he’s cried himself hoarse and exhausted. Like he’s stored the last 6 months’ worth of misery and missing Yoongi and let them all out right now.

He needs a full week off work to get back to where he was before; a different one of his mates uses their sick days on a different day of the week so that Namjoon’s not alone at the apartment. They’re all healing at different speeds. It just took a second for it to hit the pack alpha and for him to know that they’d be okay. Namjoon made sure each of them were going to be okay before he broke and that has to count for something.

Namjoon craves Yoongi. Craves his hands. He remembers Yoongi’s fingers sliding down his palm, tracing the lines there when they used to watch Jimin and Hoseok dance in their crowded living room- everyone keeping their feet tucked into their seat to give them both more room. Yoongi pressed tight against his side.

Namjoon remembers holding Yoongi’s hand when they would walk through the neon streets at night, a bottle of soju that they would switch back and forth, from lips to hands, to another set of lips. Indirect kisses.

It takes him a while. But eventually, things start to feel a little bit normal. Not quite the way that they used to be. But not straight terrible either. Spring is coming again. The daffodils are just starting to come up. And Namjoon gets up in the morning, knowing that even if Yoongi never comes back, he’ll be okay. They’ll all be okay. They can manage like this. Really. They’re going to be fine.

And then after 7 months- at a random fucking grocery store at 2pm on a fucking random Tuesday in April- Jimin sees him.

He finds Yoongi.

~-~

(Read the first Version of this story Here)

Notes:

-In my mind, if bily where a movie, the scene where Yoongi is cleaning the blood from his footsteps and the scene where Namjoon is calling him would blend really seamlessly into each other.

- Ahhhh I realize this was the first time we get a bit of Jimin’s internal monologue <3 it’s a shame that it’s so sad. I’m happy that I was able to touch on his sensory issues a little bit earlier in the story in this version.

- You cannot believe the hatred I have for the words ‘you’re so sweet you’re giving me a toothache.’ Honestly any man or woman who says that needs to be taken out back and shot. I have very few things that trigger me worse than that.

- After all these years I still love the line ‘Afterall, I lied to you first’ it’s so fucking good.

[aernx]

IT'S A WRAP ! ⌗ 이희승 ( THE TEASER )

synopsis ⟢ wrapping is easy when it comes to dumplings. but when it comes to your feelings…not so much. after getting separated from your childhood nemesis, lee heeseung, you think your life will go smooth like butter (js like what BTS sang). but fate has other plans when he was forced to help around in your family’s dumpling restaurant.

◌ wordcount﹒ tba

◌ pairing﹒ lee heeseung x fmr

◌ genre﹒ childhood enemies to lovers, hs au, takes place in their summer break, reader is taehyun’s (txt) older sister

◌ featuring﹒ txt, chaewon lsrfm, enhypen, brief mentions of other idols

◌ warnings﹒ profanities/cursing, heeyn annoyed at eo lol, lots of cursing guys

read full fic HERE

aerinotes ⟢ teaser!! I will post the fic in a week or two! COMMENT or SEND AN ASK to be added in the taglist. This is my first long fic, hope it piqued your interest! (for ppl who didn't know this concept used to be a smau but it's disc)

ONE WEEK HAS PASSED since you were forced to be Heeseung's mentor in your family's dumpling shop and you are now used to seeing him lurk around the area. Now that he’s already familiar with the register and serving people you have to go to the next step: teach him how to make dumplings.

At first, you were against the idea. But your mom insisted that Mrs.Lee wanted Heeseung to be more adapt than any other employee. Hence why he needed to master more than one skill to manage. So, you gave in.

Heeseung was ready to start his new routine. Coming to the shop everyday (excluding Sundays and Saturdays) at 8am and start preparing the register and other things before opening at 9am. He’ll be honest, the first few days, he was dreading it. But eventually, being surrounded with the busy yet calming atmosphere of the shop feels so comfortable? Or maybe because he was spending his summer productively. 

But yesterday, Yn had messaged him to arrive at the shop an hour earlier than usual. Seven am?! That’s basically dawn! Heeseung dragged his feet towards the welcoming door. The sun greeted him with a morning glow as he slowly entered his demise. 

“Morning, sunshine. Are you awake?” Sitting in one of the chairs, you chuckled, amused at his hunched silhouette. 

“You’re crazy for forcing me to work this early on. This is basically child labor!” He sat opposing you, hands folded above the table as he buried his head in between his arms. 

“Well your mother consented to this. Get up, lazy.” Your request was left hanging as Heeseung replied an audible “no”, prompting you to leave the boy behind.

Droplets of water soon trickled to the back of his neck, stirring him awake before he-hold on why was he wet? His fingers touched the source of coldness, upon realizing what you have done, his head jolted up meeting your gaze. ”You’re fucking crazy!”

“Awake now?” The smirk on your lips is evident and Heeseung swore that he was going to rip your face off.

-

“What are we doing?” Instead of answering, you hand a slightly-damp Heeseung an apron and ushered him to wash his hands before starting. “Just go wash your hands first.” He rolled his eyes before complying to your demands.

After finishing with such tasks he returned to his position beforehand. “All clean now.” He dangled his palms to align with your vision. Now that the two of you are clean it's time to start this mission. Wrapping dumplings.

Heeseung eyes lingered on the swift movement of your fingers. Quick hands easily wrap the ball of meat between a thin layer of dough. He shifted his attention elsewhere for a second and when he returned, you were already done with the process. The perfectly wrapped mandu sat in the heart of your palms, sitting proudly before him.

“That doesn’t look hard, let me do it.” The boy shrugged, earning an amused scoff from you. He took the initiative to try it for himself, but before he could reach the layers of thin dough, he felt a slight sting lingering on his arm. “Gosh! What was that for?!” 

“Do you ever pay attention? Lace your hands with some flour before taking the dough so it’s not sticky, bambi.” 

Bambi? Did you just refer to him as a Disney cartoon animal?! Well sucks to be you at least he was a Disney character. Not some meaningless being. 

“Crazy bitch.” 

“What did you say?!”

“I said I got the hitch!” Was hitch even a word? Probably. Or not.

Heeseung grudgingly dipped his fingers into the bowl of flour before spreading a light amount in his palms. He then took a thin layer of dough and a little ball of minced meat mixed with onions and other dumpling stuffings(?). He placed the ball in the center of the surface before…before…uhm what was the next step again?

His hands froze mid air for a second. Should he ask for help? Oh and get roasted for not paying attention again? No thanks, his ego was too big for that. Right he’ll figure this out. This is Lee Heeseung we’re talking about. Lee Heeseung vs dumpling, let’s see who’ll win this game.

The tall boy recalled your hand movements, trying hard to remember the steps you did. Right it was uhm….take the left corner, then the right, unite them to the center? Yeah that right. Next is…squish the edges! He’s too smart and talented for this. Heeseung 1, dumpling 0.

The satisfied smile he wore was so apparent. The tips of his finger lightly pressed onto the dough in an attempt to link them together. Except it was not sticking. He kept on applying pressure, more and more as the seconds tick. Once he thought that it would hold, he settled the…ill-shaped dumpling on the table. With his hands on his hips, he turned to face your observing stance. Not bad for his first try. Or so he thought.

Five seconds of victory was cut short when the dumpling slowly–but surely–unwrapped itself from the shape Heeseung molded it to. Heeseung 0, dumpling 1. 

The guise of his face showed it all–his mouth hung open, eyes deadpanning the dumpling like it was his sworn enemy–it was so hard not to erupt in laughter. You covered your mouth to contain your glee. This was too funny. 

Your oddly timed coughing shifted Heeseung’s gaze to yours. At first the look in his eyes reeks of annoyance but the sound of your echoing laugh was enough to leave a ghost of a smile on his face. You didn’t get angry, that was a first. Heeseung was shocked to see how calm you were after witnessing his failure (well except for the laughing part).  “I would be a hypocrite if I got angry at you.” You started. “The first time Eomma taught me how to wrap these, I would always rip the dough.”

“Oh.”

“Right, let me repeat the steps again, slowly this time.”

The clueless boy watched your movements distinctly. He noticed how eased you were as you did the task at hand, focused yet you were doing it so effortlessly. He also noticed how you poke your tongue slightly when your fingers pinched the perfectly folded dumpling’s little details, and the little specks of flour that landed on the tip of your nose. There was something about you  today that he couldn’t ignore.

Heeseung looked at your current expression, and suddenly you both were five again. You were sitting in his living room while your mothers chat in the kitchen.

With a crayon tucked in between your fingers, your tongue slightly stuck out as you fully averted your attention to your drawing before you. His gaze lingered there maybe too long than it should have been. You were so focused on that drawing and little Heeseung can't help but wish you would play with him instead. Maybe he could change that.

Shortly after, young Heeseung approached you slowly, attempting not to make any noise before tapping you in the shoulder from behind and whispered a "boo" that resulted in a big red slash in the drawing and an extremely angry Yn.

Twelve years have passed yet you still look the same to him. The first girl that entered his life other than his mother, the first girl he fought with, and the first girl he ever loved. Not that he realized, of course. But perhaps just for today, he would forget your fuse with him and pretend that you didn't hate each other's guts.

“That’s how you make a perfect dumpling.” The curve of your lips were so warm and inviting. Maybe because it was too early in the morning that’s why Heeseung felt so out of it right now. “Ehem, okay. I should be able to do it now.”

TO BE CONTINUED

©️ aernx 2025, do not steal, copy, or translate