#anyway. apocalyptic birthday fluff!!

[strangeswift]

Will had assumed —reasonably so, he thought— that a year into the actual apocalypse, birthdays wouldn't be a very big deal. Maybe a passing acknowledgement, if that. Really, it felt a little selfish to expect anything at all. 

Like, People are dead, and your friend is still in a coma. She might not wake up. Congratulations on being alive, asshole. 

Though admittedly, for Will specifically, being alive was sort of an accomplishment in itself at this point, given everything. And Will was happy to be alive. Most of the time, at least. 

He just didn't expect anyone to throw a party about it. 

It wasn’t until Will groggily descended the Wheeler's stairs and spotted the notebook paper sign strung up in the kitchen, Happy Birthday Will, distinctly in Mike’s handwriting, that Will realized they were indeed doing the birthday thing. It still felt weird, but he couldn’t help the embarrassed smile that spread across his face as everyone in the kitchen sang Happy Birthday to him. Nor could he help the hammering in his chest when Mike made his way over to him and slung his arm across his shoulders midway through the song.

All in all, the day was fairly uneventful after that. They let him have the last can of SpaghettiOs for lunch while everyone else had watery vegetable soup, which was nice. 

He didn't have to go on the supply run they had planned for the day. Actually, he would rather have gone, especially since Mike went, but Mike was oddly insistent that Will stay behind, so he did. It wasn't until after Mike returned that Will found out why he had to stay behind. 

"Can you just trust me?” Mike asked.

“I do trust you,” Will said, “It’s just that letting the clumsiest person I know lead me down stairs blindfolded is a little nerve-racking.”

“I’m not gonna let you fall. Jesus,” Mike said, exasperated, as he slowly led Will down the basement stairs, “Just three more steps.”

Once they reached the bottom, Will asked, “Can I take this off now?” gesturing to the bandana that was tied over his eyes.

Mike answered by taking it off for him, and Will blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light. Mike looked incredibly pleased with himself, and Will soon saw why.

On the coffee table, set out on a plate, were two perfectly square brownies with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles on top. A lit candle was sticking out of one of them.

"Where did you get these?" Will asked in disbelief. None of them had tasted anything sweet in months. "I know damn well you didn’t get this shit at the grocery store. Or Melvald's."

Mike grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry about it."

Will frowned "You– Where did you go for this?"

“Doesn’t matter,” Mike said, “just blow out your candle!”

“Mike,” Will said, crossing his arms.

Mike sighed, "You're relentless, you know that?"

Will looked at him expectantly. 

"The gas station on the other side of town, but it’s not a big–"

"Mike!" Will scolded, "What the hell is wrong with you? You went all the way across town? That is so not safe!"

Mike shrugged. "I didn’t go alone. I had Nancy and her big ass gun to keep me company,” he said, “Besides, it was for a good cause?” he tried.

“You’re an idiot,” Will said, grinning in spite of himself.

Mike grabbed his hand, and Will tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach as Mike led him to sit on the couch in front of the coffee table.

Once they were sitting, Mike dropped his hand, but he stayed close. He knocked their knees together. “Go on. Make a wish,” he said quietly.

Will shook his head, searching Mike’s eyes. “I don’t have one,” he said.

Mike cocked his head. “There’s nothing you want?” he asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

Oh. Well, Will could think of one thing.

“I mean, maybe,” Will said, averting his eyes, “It’s stupid, though.”

“If it’s what you want, it’s not stupid,” Mike said firmly.

“Well, it’s embarrassing,” Will amended, flicking his eyes back to Mike, who leaned in, ever so slightly.

“I’m sure it’s not,” Mike said, “But you don’t have to tell me, anyway. Actually, you can’t tell me. If you do then it won’t come true.”

Will huffed a laugh. “I wouldn’t tell you anyway.”

"Fine," Mike said, "blow out your candle, make your secret wish."

Will laughed and leaned forward, blowing carefully on the candle and watching the small flame flicker and fade into a wisp of smoke.

"Think it'll come true?" Mike asked.

"I don't– I mean, probably not," Will said, "I'm still not telling you, though."

“Really?” Mike asked, pouting. “Can I guess? I think if I guess it, the wish is still valid.”

“I think you’re just making up wish rules now,” Will teased.

“Maybe,” Mike conceded. “Can I guess anyway?” he asked, leaning even closer – and god, he had no idea what he was doing to Will, did he?

Will raised his eyebrows. “You have guesses?”

“I have one,” Mike said.

It was a bad idea, Will thought, to let Mike guess. A very bad idea.

“Please, share,” Will said.

"Okay..." Mike said nervously, "Yeah, okay." His cheeks went a little pink, and he flicked his gaze down to Will’s lips. Or– No, that was probably… Wishful thinking. 

“God, I hope I’m right about this,” Mike breathed, and he leaned in even closer, so close their noses were almost touching. Will watched with wide eyes as Mike brought shaky hands up to cup his jaw.

Mike let out a breath, and Will could feel it on his lips. 

Mike closed his eyes, pressed forward, and kissed him.

Kissing Mike was nothing like Will expected it to be. It was soft and slow, and Will wanted to melt into it. He wanted to stay in the moment forever. If Vecna did come for him, that was the happy thought he would run to. He wouldn't even need music, just the memory of Mike's lips against his – that would be enough. 

Mike pulled back, and Will resisted the urge to chase him.

"Did I guess right?" Mike asked breathlessly, letting his hands slide down to rest gently on the sides of Will's neck.

"What?" Will asked, dazed. 

"Your wish," Mike said.

"Oh," Will said. "Yeah. That was– Yeah."

Mike beamed. "Cool," he said.

"Cool," Will repeated, a smirk playing at his lips.

Mike leaned back. "Now eat your birthday cake," he instructed. 

Will picked up one of the brownies. "These are gas station brownies," he pointed out.

"Birthday cake," Mike insisted. 

Will took a bite. It was heavenly. 

"Oh my god," he groaned, "I've missed sugar."

Mike picked up the other brownie, taking a bite. "Oh. Wow, yeah. Holy shit," he said, taking another bite. 

"It's so good," Will said, laughing giddily. He popped the last bite in his mouth.

Mike smiled warmly. "Happy birthday, Will."

"Thanks," Will said, "but if you ever risk your life for brownies again–"

"Oh come on," Mike said, "Cut me some slack. I was romancing you."

Will's eyes went wide. "You– What?" he squeaked. 

Mike flushed. "I mean– Whatever."

Will burst out laughing, and Mike couldn't help but join him. Somehow, Will felt years worth of tension dissolving as he laughed so hard tears began to form.

After a couple of minutes, they settled into comfortable silence, grinning at each other. "I want to kiss you again," Mike announced.

"Well, if that’s what you want," Will said, leaning in.

And for a little while, nothing else mattered. Just Mike, who was warm and tasted like chocolate, who was romancing him with stolen brownies and kissing him like he needed it.

It was a good birthday. 

[adorablele]

@riothae ♡ to my darling table leg 💞 this is to push the doyoung dream boy agenda. and also i’m sorry for not releasing this on your birthday, please accept this belated birthday gift.

☍ pairing; kim doyoung x reader ☍ genre; fluff, romance, a little bit of angst but mostly fluffy // apocalypse!au, zombie apocalypse!au, strangers to lovers!au, soulmate!au, parallel world!au ☍ word count; 4, 210  ☍ summary; you have your very own dream boy, a literal man of your dreams and he goes by the name of Kim Doyoung ☍ a/n;  don’t be fooled by the beginning, 99.9% of this is just dialogue. also I tried my very best to avoid using the word zombies to describe the people who were affected by the virus because...yeah it has something to do with the characters mindset but i didn’t get to explore that because I wanted to focus on the romance lmao ANYWAYS PLEASE ENJOY AND FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED since this is my first ever apocalypse!au and longest fic (in general and for doyoung)

trigger warning(s); mentions of weapons, use of weapons (doyoung uses a machete, mc also uses a weapon to kill the zombies), mention of blood 

This has got to be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. 

“Hey!” you screamed, banging together two pots. 

The growling behind you started to multiply. 

You smirked, continuing to clash up more noise, “C’mere!” 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw two rotted figures make their way towards you. The adrenaline in your veins pushed your legs to move faster. You heard the growling behind you grow louder, more shuffling of feet syncopated between your own. Out of either confidence or pure insanity―quite possibly both―you turned around to admire the hoard of creatures that you managed to gather.   

Disgust swirled in your stomach. They were ugly with skin so pale that you could see the infected black veins running through their body. They snapped at you with rotted teeth, blistered lips and blood-shot eyes. 

You laughed. “You’re so slow.”

Those vicious, viscera eating monsters didn’t seem to like your taunt. With inhumane twists of their bodies, they started to sprint towards you. This was, without a doubt, the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. Still, you shouted at them and banged your pots. Your pace was already outmatched by theirs, but it didn’t help that you were walking backwards. 

“Just a little closer, I know you can do it!” you cheered. 

By now, more monsters have noticed the ruckus that you’ve caused and they decided they wanted to join in on the fun. That’s when you decided to continue running. You could hear their growls growing closer and closer. For a split second, there was a single drop of fear that touched your spine, or rather, a finger. Acting on instinct, you slammed the pan into the head of the intruder. 

You were done for. They were catching up to you. 

And yet, you kept running, faster than you’ve ever ran. Despite the fact that any one of the, probably, hundreds of virus-infected bodies were one step away from tearing you limb from limb, you laughed. 

This was it. This was the end. 

This was where you die.

The maniacal smirk on your face never ceased. You didn’t know how long you’d be able to run for, but you kept going. At least, you tried to until you were suddenly slammed by a body quite larger than your own. The wind was knocked out of your lungs, the buildings behind you a blur until you were pulled into an abandoned convenience store. 

“Are you insane?” the stranger scowled. 

One second, two, three before you gathered up your wits. 

“Let go of me,” you shouted, pushing off the stranger, “and yeah, I am.”

You aimed your gun at the stranger who held his arms up in surrender. 

“A thank you would be nice,” he frowned. 

The tall man was dressed in tattered jeans and a fitted black t-shirt. Around his wrists were newspapers bound by masking tape. He was covered in blood, dirt and grime; chapped lips and sharp eyes; black hair nestled messily on top of his head. Aside from all the cuts and bruises, you would deem him handsome. Although, that’s not of importance right now. 

“What would I be thanking you for?” 

“For saving you,” he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I didn’t need saving.”

He scoffed, “You were about to die.” 

“I’m already dead,” you muttered, “we all are.”

The stranger raised his brows, “Is that so?”

“There’s nothing to live for,” you replied.

He stared you in the eyes. “Then go back out there. Go say hello to your fanclub.”

A brief staredown occurred, his gaze challenging your own. Both of you knew that you wouldn’t walk back out there. At that moment, you wanted to see how close you could get to Death, but when it really came down to it, you didn’t want to die, not to those things anyways, and―as much as you’d like to say otherwise―most definitely not now.  You were on the brink of insanity, yes, but you weren’t completely diving in head first. You also knew that deep-down, you’re relieved that he saved you. 

And he knew that too. 

“Don’t move!” you shouted when he started to lower his arms.

He paused and looked over to the counter, “I’m just reaching for the candy.”

You eyed the counter where a bag of food laid and followed his movements closely as he reached for the opened bag of gummy bears on the counter.

“You’re human, just like me. We’re not like those...beasts out there, but if you really want to become like them, then go ahead.” He reached for the backpack lying on the floor by the counter and slung it over his back, “I already tried saving you once, though your actions aren’t in my controls.” 

He opened the back door of the grocery store and left. 

Your shoulders finally relaxed. You lowered your gun, then glanced out the window at the horde of monsters that roamed around aimlessly looking for the meal that had escaped them. Those soulless creatures were easy to read, easy to know what their intentions were. You turned back to the door where the stranger walked through. Who knows what his intentions were?

Yet, you decided to follow him.

For a block or two you followed him, watching as he slashed through the creatures with his machete. Occasionally, you too, killed the monsters that made their way towards you. Eventually, he entered a building and climbed all the way to the roof. 

You found him sitting at the edge, feet dangling as he stared ahead. His weapon lay next to him and his previous bag of opened gummy bears sat in his hand. You joined him by the edge, and this might be even stupider than attracting a mob of bloodthirsty fiends. 

Rather than shoving you off, he offered you some gummy bears which you accepted. He didn’t turn to look at you once. In silence, the two of you observed the abandoned city in front of you. Rubbled buildings weakly stood, streets filled with crashed cars, various monsters (who were once human) lingered on the sidewalks. The prettiest of all the ruins was the sky. A toxic mix of orange hues. Shapes of clouds filled the sky, providing no rain and no shade. The Sun was half over the horizon. It sent out constant waves of warmth. 

“I’m Doyoung,” he whispered, as if it were sacred to share his name. He turned to you, eyes vulnerable, a soft brown like the fresh soil used to plant a flower, “Kim Doyoung.”

You gasped out your name as you woke up. 

You sat up in your bed, dazed from the dream. Or, was it a dream? Panic slowly tickled your spine and you immediately turned on the news, phone dialing with numbers of your loved ones. 

After constant reassurances from your friends and family, you slumped on the couch. It was all just a dream. It was just a dream! You shook your head and went to wash your face in the bathroom. It was just a dream. A dream that you vividly remember. 

A dream with Kim Doyoung.

-

For the next few months―each month―you had one overly vivid dream that included Kim Doyoung and the apocalyptic, orange skied world. It mostly consisted of the two of you running around in empty fields, abandoned cities and hacking away at monsters. In many ways, it was you and Doyoung against the world. 

“Any updates on dream boy?” Kara, your best friend, smiled, sitting at the bar-counter of the diner you worked at. 

You placed her usual order of coffee in front of her. “You’re still calling him that?”

“Well, isn’t he?” she shrugged.

“Yeah…”

She smiled, “Any updates?”

Your heart thumped slightly at the question, the memory of the dream you had this morning resurfacing. 

The squelch of flesh echoed against the walls of the room as you and Doyoung explored the bakery. 

“Believe it or not, I was a baker,” he shared, slashing at a crazed waitress

“A baker?” you asked, raising your brows, quickly opening the door to the kitchen area. Running towards you was a murderous customer who, you assumed, didn’t receive the food they wanted. After taking care of the virused creature, you frowned at the disemboweled chef on the floor, “Should we bake in this kitchen?” 

“Do you want to?”

“Not with this on the floor,” you mumbled with a pout, “I thought we finally found a place!”

He shrugged, “Let’s just move the body.”

Together, the two of you, while trying not to gag, dragged away all the dead bodies in the kitchen and tossed them out. After another check around the bakery, the two of you barricaded the windows and doors, also checking through them to make sure no more rotted mouths were running towards you. 

Once all safety precautions were taken care of, Doyoung took out a container of sanitary wipes.

You snorted, “Are you really going to clean?”

“I told you, I was a baker, and in order to cook or bake, you need a clean area.”

You didn’t say anything, only smiling in amusement as he started to wipe the counter. 

“Aren’t you going to help me?” he asked.

Your smile turned upside down as you saw the dusty counter, bloodied floors and molded dishes. “Do I have to?” 

Doyoung threw the container of sanitary wipes at you. You caught it with a grumble. After a good three hours, the kitchen was finally clean enough for Doyoung’s standards. 

“I can’t believe you wanted to clean on your birthday. We could’ve just grabbed one of the pastries or gotten a cake from another place,” you sighed. 

“Well, if we did that, then you wouldn’t make me a cake.”

“Aren’t you the baker?” You countered. 

“Yep!” he leaned against the counter, “but you’re the one who promised to make me a cake.”

“Fine,” you grumbled, dragging your feet as you made your way over to the pantry. 

Somehow, you managed to follow the recipe that you tore from a cookbook and not burn down the entire building. You grabbed the cake from the counter, “Let’s hope you enjoy this, Mr. I’m-a-baker-so-I’m-going-to-give-your-novice-attempt-at-a-cake-a-rating-out-of-ten.” 

“Just an FYI, I had my own bakery,” he proudly added.

“Showing off now, I see,” you chuckled, placing a one tier cake with a very messily and unnecessarily large ‘Happy Birthday Doyou’ written on it. “I ran out of space for your name,” you explained as you added a candle, “but it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“2 points off,” Doyoung called out, “didn’t complete your decorations, y/n? Not good.”

“No mercy, huh?” you tsked, lighting up the candle, “not even one point for the effort?”

He shrugged. 

“Guess I’ll just have to impress you with my singing skills,” you sighed. 

Doyoung watched with amused eyes, “You can try.”

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Arden- ” 

“Minus another two points.” 

Your jaw dropped, “What, I totally was hitting that high note!”

Doyoung shook his head, “First off, no. Secondly, who even is Arden.”

“Don’t know, maybe it was a classmate of mine whose birthday just happens to be today,” you shrugged. 

He raised a brow.

”Look, I just wanted to say a random name other than yours.” 

“Another point off.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Insulting the judge,” he shook his head, holding back a smile, “another point.”

“Doyoung!” you whined.

He laughed, “Okay, okay. I’ll give back two points if it tastes good.”

“Four if it blows you away,” you bargained.

“Deal.” 

Although you watched with a confident smile, your heart pumped nervously in your chest. You weren’t the best cook, nor baker, so you knew that there was a chance that the cake wouldn’t taste that good. And you were right. 

Doyoung’s face twisted into a sour expression. 

“It’s…”

“Just say it,” you sighed, “don’t hold back.”

“Horrible.”

You sighed and sat down next to him. You took a piece of the cake to taste. Upon the abomination you called a cake landed on your tastebuds, you realized that you deserved a final rating of -54325/10. 

“This tastes like…very salty sand,” you gagged, “did I forget the sugar or something?”

Doyoung got up from his seat and analyzed your ingredients. “My love, I think you did.” He then placed the bag of what you thought was sugar in front of you. 

“It’s salt?!”

Needless to say, Doyoung saved his own birthday cake by making one himself. You insisted that you should help which, reflecting back on it, you weren’t sure was a good idea or not. Multiple times, you got distracted by the way the dim lights of the kitchen seemed to highlight his face, or the way it felt too comfortable with his hand over yours when he would teach you how to do something. It left your stomach flipping, palms a little sweaty, and your heart ready to burst out of your chest. 

“And it’s done!” he smiled, finding the last flower decoration on the cake. 

It was clear who decorated what. 

All the orderly placed strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, along with the prettily swirled flowers and legible font were obviously Doyoung’s expertise whereas the little random patches of unevenly placed blueberries and poorly attempted flowers that ended up looking like dots were your humbly added touches. 

“Wait, I want to add one last thing,” you told him.

You took the piping bag full of royal icing from him and started to shakily draw on the corner of the cake. 

“Is that...a bunny?”

You bit the inside of your cheek as you concentrated, “Yep.”

“Why a bunny?”

“You look like a bunny when you smile,” you nonchalantly confessed.

Doyoung didn’t say anything.

“Alright!” you smiled, proud of the animal that you drew. You turned to Doyoung who you were surprised to see already looking at you. “Doyoung?”

He looked towards the cake and cleared his throat, “You uhm, you ready to sing?”

“I thought we were just going to eat it?” 

“Oh…”

“Well, I mean, unless you want to hear my amazing vocal-”

“Let’s just eat,” he grimaced.

You laughed, taking a knife and slicing a piece. You offered for him to take the first bite. 

“No, no, you taste it.”

“You’re the birthday boy,” you countered.

“And as the birthday boy, I want you to take the first bite.”

You frowned, “Pulled that one on me, huh?”

He only gave you the bunny smile that made your knees weak. 

“Fine,” you grumbled, taking a bite of the cake. It tasted a thousand times better than the cake that you made. “Oh my- This is really good! You need to try it.”

You didn’t get a chance to fully give Doyoung a piece of cake because he gently cupped your jaw, turning your chin to face him. 

“I think I’ll try it now.”

Before you could respond, he kissed you. It was quick, unexpected on both sides of the party. That didn’t stop him from kissing you a second time though. This time, it was less hesitant and a little longer. He pulled away, yet again. 

The two of you took time staring into each other’s eyes. His thumb rubbed against your cheek. 

“You’re absolutely breath-taking,” he confessed.

You smiled, “Doyoung…”

“Completely stunning,” he whispered, leaning closer. 

Your eyes started fluttering close as you muttered his name.

“Yeah?” 

“Kiss me.”

Kara’s smile widened, her eyes glinting with mischief, “Oooo someone did have a dream.”

Your face felt hot. 

“Someone had a dream?” Felix asked curiously. He took the seat next to Kara and placed a plate full of waffles in between the three of you. 

Kara stuffed a piece in her mouth, “Dream boy strikesh ahjain.”

“What?” you mused.

She swallowed her food. “I said, dream boy strikes again,” Kara smiled, “perhaps, a little something happened?”

“Maybe a little something.”

“Like…” Felix trailed off. 

“Like… a kiss.” 

“You kissed him?!” your friends both exclaimed. 

Luckily, at the early hour of 6 in the morning, the diner was always empty except for the three of you. You rolled your eyes. “So what, we kissed,” you shrugged, “it’s just a dream.”

“Y/N,” Felix sighed in an exasperated tone, “it’s not just any dream-”

“It’s a dream with your dream boy!” Kara finished. 

“He could be your soulmate!” Felix gasped, “What if he’s having dreams like this too!”

“C’mon,” you gave your best friend a look of disbelief, “he’s not even real.”

“You don’t know that,” Kara told you, “there are people out there named Kim Doyoung.”

Felix tilted his head and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “You know, his name does sound pretty familiar.”  

You shook your head, “You guys are crazy.”

They continued to converse about people named Doyoung and possible suitors for you which you ignored and, instead, focused on continuing to wipe down the counter. The door to the diner then jingled as a customer stepped in. 

“Welcome in!” you greeted, still not looking up from the counter. Not hearing a response from the customer, you looked up. The rag in your hand dropped onto the counter. At your reaction, your friends stopped talking. 

Doyoung.

The man dressed in all black that stood at the door, smiled slightly, “Hello.” 

You felt the eyes of your friends. 

Clearing your throat, you nodded, “Oh uh, hi. Sit where you want.”

He nodded before making his way towards a corner table. 

“Looks like someone likes-” Kara started, but you interrupted her. 

“It’s him,” you told them quietly. 

“He’s the man of your-” they both exclaimed.

“Shut up!” you hissed before they could finish their sentence. 

They both glanced over at the man looking out the window before turning back to you with wide grins.

“He’s the man of your dreams?” they both asked excitedly.

“You two are unbelievable,” you mumbled, taking a menu and walking over to the man.

“Here’s your menu. My name is y/n, I’ll be serving you today. Just let me know when you’re ready to order,” you smiled. 

When Doyoung, or the man that looked like Doyoung, heard your name, you could’ve sworn that his eyes widened slightly, but you shook off the thought and left when he mutely nodded his head at you. 

“It’s dream boy,” Kara immediately said once you returned back to the counter. 

You shook your head in disbelief, looking over at him before back to Kara. “No.”

“What do you mean no?” Felix quietly whispered.

“Just because it looks like him doesn’t mean it is him! He’s just a dream,” you nodded over at Doyoung, “that guy, he’s real.”

While you bickered quietly with your friends, Doyoung spared another glance your way. It was odd seeing you in normal clothing, ones that weren’t tattered or bloodied. You weren’t holding your usual weapon, and you most definitely weren’t bashing heads. Though, he couldn’t help but admire you in the same way he had in his dreams. 

“Completely stunning,” he mumbled. 

When you dropped the rag, he was sure that you recognized him; recognized him as the Kim Doyoung from NCT. When your friends kept whispering and looking back at him, he knew that, not only you, but also your friends knew who he was. Doyoung turned back to the menu.

He doubted you knew had the same dreams as him. He did feel a bit awkward considering the fact that he dreamt of kissing you without knowing that you were an actual person. Maybe he should leave? After all, he was hoping to come to this diner because it was relatively empty, and he just hoped that the people in here wouldn’t know him. 

He glanced once more over to the counter where your friends quickly turned their gaze away from him. 

“Guys, he’s looking over here,” you muttered, “you’re making him feel uncomfortable.”

“You’re right,” Felix mumbled, “we can’t destroy your chances at dating dream boy.”

Kara nodded, “Yes, we’ll leave.”

“What?” you exclaimed, a bit louder than intended. Lowering your voice, you sent a panicked glance at your friends who were packing up, “Where are you going?”

“Well, I have to go to work now,” Kara sighed loudly, slinging her bag over her shoulder, “I’m going to get going.”

Felix followed Kara’s lead and stood up, “Yeah, I have to go walk my cat.”

Before you could process that Felix doesn’t have a cat, they were out the door, leaving you alone, in the diner, at approximately 6:37 AM with a boy that―just this morning―you dreamt of kissing. Your face felt heated again. 

Shaking your head, you looked over at Doyoung who was analyzing the menu. 

For the first time, you could clearly see him. His hair matched the color of his black long-sleeve turtleneck that was tucked into some black jeans. No blood, no dirt, no machete, just him. Just him and the highlight of the Sun on his cheeks. That reminded you of the dream you had and you shook away the daze, turning your attention to the very interesting tile of the counter that looked like it needed some serious scrubbing (not really). 

“I’m ready to order,” Doyoung softly called out. 

You quickly walked over to him, jotted down his order, then ran away to hide in the kitchen. Your body worked on auto-pilot as you prepared his meal. With his drink and food in hand, you started to walk back towards his table. Doyoung was staring out the window and he was humming. 

As you got closer, you realized that you knew that song. 

“Do you remember what the stars looked like?”

In the middle of an empty grass field, you laid with Doyoung. Your head was rested on his chest, and you felt his voice vibrate throughout his chest. 

“Yeah,” you told him, “they look like your eyes.”

You could feel Doyoung roll his eyes, “I’m serious.”

“So am I!”

He chuckled and brushed his fingers through your hair. “Did you ever stare at the stars and see everything you wanted? Did you ever see your ambitions? Your achievements?”

“Getting deep here, aren’t we?”

Doyoung sat up, “Have you?”

You stared at him for a moment before turning to the endless orange sky. The Sun never seemed to move from its place over the horizon. 

“Yeah, I have.”

A pause of silence. 

“When I looked up at the stars, I saw my future. I saw the plans I had, the answers to my problems, I saw hope. However...” you smiled sadly at the orange hues, “they all went up in flames.”

Doyoung placed his hand on yours. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get that deep,” you crookedly smiled, but Doyoung only pulled you into a hug. And the two of you stayed like that for a while. 

“What did you see?” you asked when the two of you were back to laying on the floor. 

“Honestly?”

“Honestly.”

“Me on stage, singing.”

“Singing?”

He sighed, “Yep. It was nothing more than a hobby, but my grandmother would tell me that I was a singer in some other life. She told me that if I looked at the stars, they would show me.” 

You chuckled, “Kim Doyoung, a singer.”

“I’m sharing a heart-touching story and you’re laughing.”

“Sorry,” you gave his knuckle a kiss, “it’s my coping mechanism.”

He intertwined his hand with yours, “I’m just kidding, but is seeing me as a singer that funny?”

You shrugged, “A bit hard to believe.”

“Really?” he asked, sitting up, untangling your hands.

“A little,” you admitted. 

He stood up and lent you a hand. “C’mon.”

“Where are we going?” you asked, taking his offer. 

The two of you were back to traversing through empty fields and abandoned streets (fighting zombies along the way) until you stopped in front of a music store. Ripped posters hung from the window, a broken open sign dangled from the door, and a few savage creatures were lingering inside. Using the power of teamwork, you and Doyoung were finally able to do what you pleased.

“So why’d you bring me here?”

He sat a keyboard, “I’m going to play for you.”

“Doyoung, that’s going to attract a lot of noise,” you peeked through the boarded windows, “is this really a good idea?”

“Aren’t you five kills behind me?” Doyoung asked.

The competitive side of you perked at the mention of your kill counter. You were reminded of the little daily game that you and Doyoung decided to play. It was simply just to see who could kill the most virus-infected barbarians you could in a day. 

But, your smarter side still worried about safety. 

“I’ll sing you two lines,” he told you, “just two lines.”

“Fine,” you sighed.

“This is an original, by the way.”

“Wow, an original song,” you teased, “just for me.”

He winked, “Of course.”

“What’s it called?”

“Lost Souls,” you mumbled, “the song is called Lost Souls.”

“You’re actually my dream boy,” you blurted.

“What?” 

You awkwardly placed his food down on the table, along with his drink, “Uhm-”

Outside the window behind him, you could’ve sworn you saw the setting change and a creature run head first into the window. You gasped as Doyoung quickly turned towards the noise. “The apocalypse,” he mumbled. 

Slowly, the blue sky started to change. “Orange skies,” you announced.  

The tables were rusted, chairs torn, walls peeling. “Empty buildings,” he added. 

Doyoung turned to face you, the same warm eyes as in your dreams staring right into your own. A certain dream resurfaced. 

You looked at the familiar looking convenience store, “Is this the building where we met?”

Doyoung didn’t answer you, only saying, “I hope you like watermelon ring pops.”

“What?” you laughed, watching as he reappeared from between the aisles.

He stood in front of you, unwrapping the watermelon ring pop. He then bent down on one knee. 

“Just you and I?” he asked.

“Against the world.”

[kara-knuckles]

What the heck is Flat? 1

User jibetatravel on Twitter celebrates Flat's birthday by talking about their vision of him, which inspired me to finally put to pen my own theories on the matter. I figured I can describe more or less all of my thoughts by looking at Flat from three different angles, so I will make three posts, one for each theory. They aren't mutually exclusive and I don't take them particularly seriously (I do headcanon the nature of 'it' (Perspective 3) as an explanation until Narita proves me otherwise, though). Anyway, here I go!

Perspective 1 - Narita surely likes his references

Whenever people talk about similarities between Flat and other characters from Nasuverse, they always talk about Manaka. And I can understand where they are coming from, however, Flat actually reminds me of another character instead, namely...

Spoilers for Fate/Strange Fake and Angel Notes (an old short story by Nasu; you can read it in an hour, go do that, if you haven't already!)

...V/V, also known as Type-Venus. A quick summary of her story: Type-Venus, along with other Types, was summoned to kill humans, after Gaia freaked out that they would outlive her. It got killed 5 years prior to the story; atop it's corpse was made a city with many people living here because of good conditions. While Type-Venus's body died, it's consciousness remained. It was shaped by the thoughts of people and eventually manifested as an "Angel". This Angel lived with the only true human left in the post-apocalyptic world of Notes, until their city was about to be destroyed. The human left, while the Angel remained since otherwise Type-Venus's powers would kill everyone.

So, how that relates to Flat? Here are some parallels:

According to Narita, if Flat is left unchecked, he becomes a World threatening menace, requiring Conter Force to destroy him. Type-Venus is here to kill everyone. Ironically, their situations are opposite.

Flat has a very unique worldview. Type-Venus is literally an alien.

V/V was shaped by people's thoughts and imagination and she likes observing people. Flat's personality developed thanks to his interactions with various people (mainly Waver and his class); he is also easily influenced by popular culture.

V/V is very eager to help (and play guitar) but she only makes everything worse at first and it takes her some time to learn how to do basic stuff (but she still sucks at guitar). She also doesn't quite grasp more abstract ideas. Flat is always eager to help but he isn't good at it, so he just ends up annoying everyone. However, Waver is hellbent on not letting him go until he learns how to human, and even if Flat doesn't quite grasp why he is supposed to act in certain ways, he is influenced by Waver's example.

They are both blond and have happy dispositions.

When V/V explains why she won't leave, she describes her powers as releasing countless angels. Flat's Servant can create multiple copies of itself and, after some modifications, shapeshift into Flat. Flat also used a spell that created images of himself in Case Files.

Both Flat and Type-Venus were killed by headshots.

Ultimately, V/V came to love humans after gaining knowledge of them and says she would rather stay as "fake angel" and prevent her body from fulfilling its purpose of killing everyone. I have, like, negative amount of doubt that in the end of his storyline Flat would want to stay a "fake" (aka our Flat) and wouldn't want to go with whatever he is programmed to be, which is something dangerous for humans.

I will talk about it in Part 2, but Flat's Command Seals form an octahedral symbol that (among others) is associated with Ishtar, who is a Goddess from whom was derived Venus.

Here is also some bonus fluff that is neither here nor there: According to the timeline from TM Ace 11, Flat became Waver's student 5 years after Zero (Angel comes to Godo 5 years after he killed Type-Venus), which makes it 1999 (the world of Notes is called Overcount 1999). Godo is a normal human in the world where everyone else is magically enhanced and he has a weapon that only a normal human can use without any drawbacks which gets stronger the more Grain the target has. Waver is barely capable of using magecraft, but he can deconstruct other people's magecraft with logic. Give Waver anti-magic gun, you cowards!

So, what does all of that mean for Flat? I think that his true nature is something Type-like (a common theory that he might be an artificial True Ancestor also falls here), but Waver's influence made him develop an "Angel" personality before he manifested. I don't know what exactly his role is supposed to be: maybe it is a weapon to fight Types (probably created to fight ORT?), maybe it's to be the Ultimate One of Earth so it doesn't call other Types in case of emergency, maybe it is something that may help people to leave the planet ("jump off the Earth") and adapt to other living conditions (as "true humans"). I find it interesting that Boku talks about how his purpose was to exist and wait and that he needs to become "a true human" "even if that mean[s] . . . wiping the species defined as “humans” from the face of the earth." That might be taken as him needing to be the strongest being and him needing to be on stand-by in case he is called to wipe out humanity if necessary. Flat can also use magecraft in whatever way he wants, that might add to that "strongest being of Earth" point. If he is an artificial True Ancestor, that would explain why Dead Apostles seem to be oddly knowledgeable about him and his family. Flat also may be a reincarnation/reconstruction of someone hence why his true name is unrevealed (would be funny if it's Venus).

[florenceandthemachine]

it took me a while to think of something but how about a dialogue prompt? "I don't know what you want from me." for buddie!! fluff or angst, you get to decide :)

COMBINED WITH BUDDIEWEEK2020 PROMPT 

July 10th   - Day 5: “It’s okay, you can cry.” + comfort

living that two birds one stone lyfestyle bc I am what? a lazy pos. 

anyway here's some fun Buckley siblings feat Buddie xoxoxo

There were several things that Eddie knew to be true about Buck.

One, was that he loved Buck, with every piece of his heart.

Two, that Buck loved him with his whole entire soul.

Three, that no matter what happened, no matter who came into their lives, long after Eddie was dead and gone, Buck had Maddie, and Maddie had Buck.

The Buckley siblings were both bound by trauma, so to speak—they had survived natural disasters, complete miracles, their parents, and they were more or less connected at the hip. It was good, a camaraderie that Eddie wished he had with his sisters; who were nice enough when they wanted to be, but who's teasing remarks cut a bit too deep when they weren’t careful. 

Buck and Maddie had a built in support system with one another, and that much was obvious. 

What was slightly less obvious was how fiercely, painfully competitive the Buckley siblings were with one another; a fact that was typically forgotten until it was too late.

It started out harmlessly enough. 

Hen had invited everyone and their kids to Dave and Busters for Denny’s birthday. It was a nice enough gesture in a fun, neutral location—a huge building filled with games, prizes, and that kind of greasy food that looks amazing in the moment and leaves you feeling sluggish for days. Buck and Chris were stuck together like glue—Eddie had learned long ago that simple acts of fun were as good for Buck as they were for Chris, and it was easy for Eddie to cheer them on in whatever shenanigans they took on; he wasn’t about to allow anyone to call it out and risk Buck feeling an ounce of unnecessary shame. 

Besides, he really couldn’t find anything in him but delight as he watched Buck scoop Christopher up in his arms and promptly launch them both into a ball pit, the bright peal of Chris’s laughter ringing above the low din in the building. 

Chim, as usual, was the one to ruin everything.

(Okay, not ‘as usual’, but still.)

He and Maddie had arrived a little later on in the evening, their arrival perfectly timed between the stampede of children and cake cutting, their gift bag nestled securely on the present table that Denny kept eyeing with growing excitement. 

Chim was the one who let out a whistle when he walked into the building, taking in everything around him. 

Chim was the one who bent down to greet Chris, letting Buck’s attention stray from Eddie’s kid, going over to hug his sister.

And it was Chim, who opened his fat mouth, when Maddie and Buck were less than an arms length from one another, as he ruffled Chris’ hair and looked over to the far wall of the building.

“Who the hell thought a Mario Party tournament would be a good idea?”

Eddie could feel a cold chill run down his spine, his stomach dropping in despair as he caught the matching glints in Buck and Maddie’s eyes.

“Mads, do you wanna…?”

No, no, no, Eddie could literally feel his sanity sliding away as Maddie pretended to think it over. 

“I mean, if you’re in the mood to lose…”

Eddie shot a nasty look at Chim, who was blissfully unaware of what hell he had just served up on what was supposed to be a child’s birthday. A fun night. A night where the kids got to be kids, and the adults were supposed to know how to act.

--

Correction—the adults knew how to act. The adults were just choosing to act like kids. 

Because that’s what they regressed to; Buck and Maddie were both two professional adults, who worked with high stake situations for a living. They were both mature adults. And when they got into it, they literally regressed into teenagers, shoving one another, bickering at a rapid fire pace, hell, Eddie was surprised Maddie hadn’t gone for a noogie or a wet willy yet, anything to assure her victory.

If Eddie had to be honest, he was pretty impressed with Buck’s focus, and Maddie’s state of mind (it didn’t feel right to say he was ‘proud’, so impressed would have to do). Most of the time, when the Buckley’s got into it, the rest of the world was a blur, but they were more than a half hour into a game and there was not a single fuck word dropped so far. 

That wasn’t to say that the tensions weren’t high—and somehow, the mini games made it so much worse for everyone involved. As amusing as it was to watch Maddie self-sabotage when she was paired up with Buck to ensure he wouldn’t get any points, Buck’s stress levels when he was paired up with one of the CPU’s were nearly apocalyptic. 

At the very least, Eddie seemed to be far from alone in thinking that the competition between the two was at least a little bit funny—by the time the Buckley’s had entered their final turn, they had a small crowd of children gathered around them. Eddie wasn’t sure if they were watching the game or just laughing at the antics of the two overgrown children, but honestly, he couldn’t blame them either way.

“Nooo! I don’t know what you want from me, Luigi!” Buck wailed—literally wailed—as he sunk down to his knees, looking more dejected than Eddie had ever seen him before, just moments after his CPU partner had pushed him into an oncoming bomb.

That moment seemed to be enough to turn the tide of the game—Maddie was able to pull ahead in coins to secure her spot in the lead, and when the last mini game started, Eddie couldn’t help it. He was actually holding his breath, secretly rooting for Buck to absolutely trash her. But in a supportive, future-sibling-in-law kind of way.

He felt himself groan as the game swung the other way—something about Maddie literally cackling when she got the final, tie-breaking bonus star sending a shiver down his spine. That woman was vicious, and part of him wanted to warn Chim to watch his back—but then again, Chim was the one who got them into all of this in the first place. The group that had gathered around them started to disperse as Maddie started her victory dance, and Eddie had to sigh as he waded through the sea of children.

For now, he had a man to attend to. A man who was literally laying down on the floor of a glorified Chuck-E-Cheese’s, but that was his man none the less, damn it.

“C’mere Buck, come on.”

“Eddie, it’s not fair.”

“I know, baby.”

“I was so close!”

“It’s okay, you can cry.” Eddie said, sighing as he easily scooped his overly-dramatic boyfriend into a bridal carry, kissing his temple. It was almost amusing—at the very least, Eddie was biting his lip, doing his best not to laugh as Buck made a sound that actually sounded like he was on the brink of tears as Eddie deposited his dead weight back into his side of the booth. He knew better than to suggest that it was just a game, because it was never just a game, not when the Buckley’s were concerned. 

Maddie was beaming as she slid into the booth across from Buck, her eyes lighting up with another win beneath her belt, and Eddie could appreciate that; hopefully, it meant that they would cut it out, and Eddie could actually enjoy some time off with Buck, and—

“Buck, they have an air hockey table open.”

“Oh, you’re on.”

—and nope, Buck was already on his feet, previous trauma forgotten as he bolted to the ATM to get another stack of quarters.

Eddie wanted to be annoyed, he really did—but he couldn’t seem to get the dopey smile off of his face as Buck started to cackle. All he could do was order another beer on Maddie’s tab, clinking bottles with Chim as he cracked it open.

“Damn, you got it bad.” He really did.

“Shut up, Chim.”

He really, really did.

[darkpoisonouslove]

Favourite Fanfic Tropes Tag Game

Thank you @intothewickedwood! This looks fun!

1. Slow burn or love at first sight

2. Fake dating or secret dating

3. Enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers

4. There’s only one bed or long distance correspondence

5. Hurt/comfort or amnesia

6. Fantasy au or royalty au (most of what I watch is already fantasy anyway and royalty AUs can be so deliciously angsty)

7. Mutual pining or domestic bliss

8. Smut or fluff

9. Canon compliant or canon divergence

10. Reincarnation or Major Character Death

11. One shot or multi chapter (How am I supposed to pick?)

12. Kid fic or pregnancy fic

13. Arranged marriage or accidental marriage

14. High school romances or aged-up romances

Please, I don’t want to hear another person talking to me about high school romances. I refuse to listen about them let alone write them. (Two exceptions about outlines have been made for my OTPs but don’t push it.)

15. Time travel or isolated together

16. Neighbors or roommates

17. Sci-fi au or magic au

18. Angst or crack

19. Apocalyptic or mundane

20. Linear storyline or nonlinear storyline (but tbh both)

21. Holiday fic or birthday fic

22. Love triangle or miscommunication (Ugh, neither. Though, if I had to pick, miscommunication it is then. I just despise love triangles.)

Tagging: @her-majesty-wears-jeans, @trashcankitty12, @darcyinstilettoes, @bloomvalyria, @magixwitch, @theonceoverthinker if you want to.

[ohwriteiforgot]

Favourite Tropes

Thanks so much for tagging me @eowima and @daisylincs 💖💜 (and in case anyone else tagged me too and I missed it)

slow burn or love at first sight // fake dating or secret dating // enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers // there’s only one bed or long distance correspondence // hurt/comfort or amnesia // fantasy au or royalty au  // mutual pining or domestic bliss // smut or fluff // canon compliant or canon divergence (most of the time) // reincarnation or MCD // one shot or multi chapter // kid fic or pregnancy fic // arranged marriage or accidental marriage // high school romances or aged-up romances // time travel or isolated together // neighbors or roommates // sci-fi au or magic au // angst or crack // apocalyptic or mundane // linear storyline or nonlinear storyline // holiday fic or birthday fic // love triangle or miscommunication

This was actually pretty hard, if it wasn’t obvious by my non-decisive answers 🤣🤣 Anyway, I’m tagging @thereisnocabbageinbasingse, @2minutes2midnight, @springmagpies, @aurum-fidei, if you want to!

edit: guys, I’m stupid and just realised @everythingirl44 and @2minutes2midnight also tagged me for this, so thank you too 💗💘

[jostenneil]

thank you lis @xingiu for the tag! this is pick your favorite fanfic tropes 

1. slow burn or love at first sight / i immensely enjoy both but when done well i find love at first sight to be incredibly entertaining. it can be a bit corny and unrealistic obv but i like seeing ppl who fall head over heels for each other and prematurely enter a relationship, only to have to learn how to actually navigate it afterward 

2. fake dating or secret dating / i don’t particularly care for either 

3. enemies to lovers or best childhood friends to lovers / i'm a diehard edwin fan therefore this is the only conceivable answer. not to say that i don’t love enemies to lovers bc in its best iterations i definitely do, but the latter calls to me more esp bc there is so much you recognize and understand about a person you’ve known since you were children 

4. there’s only one bed or long distance correspondence / it’s about the angst of separation and going your respective ways bc each of you has your own goals or part to play in the greater landscape of the world! love it love it 

5. hurt/comfort or amnesia / i don’t think these are rly comparable tbh and both pack their punches really well. i am amnesia trope lover obv as someone who has extensively read through nearly the entire clamp catalogue and i am a hurt/comfort lover bc it’s literally the only thing i am capable of writing myself. (also here is one of the best amnesia trope fics absolutely ever, to bnha fans) 

7. mutual pining or domestic bliss / from a strictly fanfic perspective domestic bliss is just not something i am interested in or think about much like i have even tried to think about domestic things with characters i like and inevitably it always turns into angst, so 

8. smut or fluff / this is only bc fluff tends to severely annoy me with it’s mischaracterizations, and that’s not to say that smut can’t be totally ooc either but usually the good stuff is written well and with a pointed purpose that i can appreciate 

9. canon compliant or canon divergence / i am a naruto fan 

10. reincarnation or major character death / i don’t actually read a lot of fics with this trope but it’s something i think about regularly when i write meta so it’s kind of the same thing. reincarnation mostly feels like a copout to me with the only exception being clamp’s brand of it because it’s not just a throwaway thing done at the end of the story and is actually an extensive plot device 

12. kid fic or pregnancy / neither due to similar reasoning for domestic bliss 

13. arranged marriage or accidental marriage / it’s about the aaaaaangst. i only think people of color should be allowed to write about these things tho 

14. high school romances or aged-up romances / ig? i don’t really read a lot for fandoms where high school romances would come up. i like focusing on that college period instead usually esp if it’s about like how people drift apart after high school but coincidentally cross paths years later. good angsty stuff 

15. time travel or isolated together / idc about either 

16. neighbors or roommates / i like these in books but in fanfic idc 

17. sci-fi au or magic au / i don’t like reading aus in fanfic 

18. angst or crack / amy made a meme for me that said writing about characters’ trauma 24/7 on twitter is not therapy get help. so i think that explains this one quite aptly 

19. apocalyptic or mundane / [pulls up several tweets where i talk about the worth in stories about normal people doing everyday things and still suffering bc ultimately they’re human and have a capacity to hurt and be hurt] 

20. linear storyline or nonlinear storyline / either is fine and depends more on the mastery of the writer than the use of the trope itself 

21. holiday fic or birthday fic / these are just lukewarm aus so idc about these either 

22. love triangle or miscommunication / since this is talking about fanfic i’m going to say neither bc it’s honestly not something i look for at all. but i am a staunch advocate for love triangles and miscommunication in published media bc when used well they’re exquisite. unfortunately a lot of mainstream media does not use them well so it’s lead to complaints over the years but i have good taste and don’t suffer from that problem. amen 

i’m not going to tag anyone bc i honestly do not have a lot of mutuals i actually talk to on here gjdfkhjldgf but feel free to do it anyway! 

[infinitestarsintheskye]

fav fic tropes

I was tagged by the ever lovely and wonderful @daisylincs! Thanks a lot lovely Lily!

slow burn or love at first sight // fake dating or secret dating // enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers (I am such a big sap for ANYTHING in the x to lovers genre, if that is in your tags there is a 90% chance I will read your fic) // there’s only one bed or long distance correspondence // hurt/comfort or amnesia // fantasy au or royalty au  // mutual pining or domestic bliss // smut or fluff // canon compliant or canon divergence // reincarnation or MCD (I don’t think i have ever read a reincarnation fic and I DO NOT care for MCD fics) // one shot or multi chapter // kid fic or pregnancy fic // arranged marriage or accidental marriage // high school romances or aged-up romances // time travel or isolated together  // neighbours or roommates (I will read both until the end of time) // sci-fi au or magic au (these are two genres I don’t particularly tend to read) // angst or crack  // apocalyptic or mundane // linear storyline or nonlinear storyline // holiday fic or birthday fic // love triangle or miscommunication 

this was SO H A R D, but really the takeaway here is that I will read just about anything. Even some of the stuff I haven’t bolded I would still 100000% read in a heartbeat, like I have been reading fic for like 8 years I know what I’m about son. 

ANYWAY

I’m going to tag @besidemethewholedamntime @valentinaonthemoon and @2minutes2midnight

[chiefladylightyay]

Favorite Fanfic Tropes Tag Game

Tagged by @writer-and-artist27​ Hurray!

1:  Slow burn or love at first sight... Both have their own appeal, I guess. If I had to choose, leaning more towards slow burn than anything.

2: Fake dating or secret dating. Secret dating is closer to my jam than fake dating, so eh.

3:  Enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers. This trope tends to overlap with victorious childhood friend, so...

4: There’s only one bed or long distance correspondence. Both have about equal potential for fluffy jams for me, the bed one might have more humor to it I guess.

5: Hurt/comfort or amnesia.

6:  Fantasy AU or royalty AU. About equal, I’m down with either.

7:  Mutual pining or domestic bliss. Eh, both are good.

8:  Smut or fluff. Fluff is much easier for me to get in the mood for, that said I read smut as well.

9:  Canon compliant or canon divergence.

10:  Reincarnation or major character death. Reincarnation has such potential for fluffy jams.

11: One shot or multi chapter.

12:  Kid fic or pregnancy fic. I’m down for reading either one, really.

13:   Arranged marriage or accidental marriage. Both, and neither. The IMPORTANT part, is both parties are happy anyway. If either one or both are unhappy, it’s not a fluffy jam!

14:  High school romances or aged-up romances. Both, I guess.

15:  Time travel or isolated together. Time travel, I guess?

16:  Neighbors or roommates. Either one works for me, I suppose.

17:  Sci-Fi AU or magic AU. Of course, the ultimate version is clearly the Magi-Tek AU! You get both for the price of one.

18:  Angst or crack. ... Uh... I mean... Crack, I guess? At least there I have potential for Jams?

19:  Apocalyptic or mundane.

20:  Linear storyline or nonlinear storyline. A Linear storyline is easier for my brain to comprehend.

21:  Holiday fic or birthday fic. About equal, I guess.

22:  Love triangle or miscommunication. Neither.

[flakandforay]

Weekly Fanfic Recommendations: Taehyung’s 23rd Edition

i mean, what a look??? taehyung in bandanas really, can we all just appreciate this!!!

anyway, happy birthday to kim taehyung!!! our favourite cutie tbh who has a strong passion for acting, photography as well as music. dont we love an all-rounder taehyung oh god. honestly, i didnt think taehyung could shine even more but here he is, driving us mad with his looks and talent!!! to think that he started sharing his photographs with usb and honestly i love it all, its so raw and wonderfully taken!! not to mention how he shines more vocally and in his dancing!!!!!! i wish you would have a great birthday this year taehyung!!! happy birthday again to taehyung!!

so this is my special fic rec edition that would comprise mainly of taehyung x y/n stories that are my favourites!!

lets start~

Oneshots

1) Nerves

by @tayegi

scientist au 

( this was so funny i died )

2) Holiday Spirit

by @workofteaguk

christmas au 

( christmas aint over till i say so )

3) Dichotomy

by @kpopfanfictrash

oneshot

part of the bound series, a collab between @kpopfanfictrash , @knockknocksoosthere and @bread-jinie

( bless me ) 

4) Broken Rings & Queens and Kings

by @gukyi

royalty au 

( this is so cute )

5) After Hours

by @bts-sinning

teacher au 

( bless me )

6) Hippogriffs

by @beeguks

hogwarts au

( i am weak for hogwarts au )

7) Rent-A-Boyfriend 

by @jimlingss

a taehyung x y/n fic 

part of the service series ( i love all of it )

8) Between us and Infinity

by @taechubs

soulmate au 

( im so soft )

9) The Crimson Prince

by @taechubs

vampire au, apocalyptic au ( bless that twist !! ) 

10) Frisson

by @taesthetes

college au 

( i died over the fluff ) 

11) Elevator 

by @jiminisalier

one shot

Series

1) Tamer

by @btsinned

hogwarts au 

2 part series with the 2nd part called Not a Monster

2) Zaddy

by @btssmutgalore

12 part completed series 

Multi-member

1) Indulge

by @bangtans-baby

a taehyung x y/n x hoseok fic 

one shot 

( is it hot in here ) 

2) In the Middle

by @emboyz

a jimin x y/n x taehyung fic 

one shot 

3) Delivery Boy

by @min-yoonyi-fic

a taehyung x y/n x yoongi fic 

completed 3 part series 

4) Guess Who

by @silhouetted-beauty

a yoongi x y/n x taehyung fic 

two parts are out ( not too sure if its completed or not ) 

( bless me ) 

5) Number 23

by @bangtansohotdamn

a jimin x y/n x taehyung x jungkook fic 

one shot 

( bless ) 

6) Between otherworldly Creatures

by @btsjeonjazz

a jimin x y/n  and y/n x taehyung fic 

ongoing series with 2 parts out 

7) Lust & Limerence

by @btsfanficss

a taehyung x y/n x jungkook fic 

hogwarts au 

ongoing series with part one out 

once again, happy 23rd birthday kim taehyung !!!

this is all for this fic rec, another one up soon~

[fearingtwd]

don’t need a mistletoe (carl grimes imagine)

a/n: im in a christmasy mood so hope u enjoy this!! summary: reader and carl plan an apocalyptic christmas (fluff) gif credit: christmas-winter

masterlist

the snowfall is heavy this year in virginia, covering the streets of alexandria in slushy, slippery ice that crunches underneath your boots. the harsh winter is no doubt taking a toll on everybody, and going out on runs is a thing of the past until the weather starts to clear up. so most people spend all day in their houses, or other people’s houses, keeping warm and sharing stories from before all of this. 

you look out your bedroom window at the blizzard. it looks like a snow globe, you think, a picturesque arctic fairyland in a world with no walkers, no death, and no fleeting memories of every awful thing ingrained into your brain leading up to your arrival at alexandria. despite the domesticity of settling in such a quiet place, and apart from the few incidents mostly out of the group’s control, you still had trouble sleeping at night. 

carl understands. he has trouble sleeping some nights too. this was something you bonded over. 

you snuggle into your bed and open alice’s adventures in wonderland to the page you last left off at. invested and immersing yourself in a different reality, you don’t hear somebody calling your name until you see your door swinging open from the corner of your eye. 

lowering the book, you see carl standing in your room, arms crossed, a clear lack of sleep displayed under his sole eye. “y/n,” he says your name in a hush though it is only mid-afternoon and his father is downstairs with michonne and judith.

“yeah?” 

“i’m bored,” he tells you. 

since you aren’t able to go outside for as long because of the cold, or climb the walls and wander off alone because of the snow, you were both spending a lot of time inside - which you wouldn’t mind so much if you had the internet or a better variety of video games to entertain you. 

you hesitate but place the bookmark back into the novel and set it aside. letting out a deep breath you respond, “so what do you want to do?”

he invites himself further into your room, plopping down onto the end of your twin size bed. “don’t know. can we just talk?” 

“sure,” you nod. 

he leans his back against the wall. “do you think it’s almost christmas?” 

your eyes dart to the floor, not expecting him to ask that. you hadn’t thought about any kind of holiday for so long, not even birthdays. nobody celebrated anything anymore. 

you gnaw at the inside of your cheek. “hm, maybe.” you didn’t want to put a damper on his already glum mood and say it’s not like it matters anyway, so you shrug. “why do you ask?”

“it feels like it’s been snowing forever. it just got me thinking about winters before the turn. i looked forward to christmas dinner every year. i mean, not as much as opening the presents of course.” he lets out a dry laugh. you watch him carefully as he continues on. “i just miss it. and all the snow... i don’t know. it just made me think of that.” 

the room falls silent, save for a roar of judith’s laughter from downstairs. 

you purse your lips. “maybe we should celebrate it even if today isn’t actually christmas. it won’t be the same, but... it will give us something to do.”

he raises his eyebrow. “you serious?” 

“yeah.”

“you want to celebrate christmas today? we don’t have any gifts for each other or anything to unwrap.” 

“so? that’s not what it’s about. it’s about family. we don’t need to give material things.” 

“good,” he says, still a bit lost, “because we don’t have any.”

you jump up from under your covers and give the most endearing grin you can muster. “want to run over to scott’s house and see if he still has that monopoly game he found?”

“why?”

“so you, me, michonne, and your dad can play. it’ll be like a fun family thing,” you explain. he reluctantly complies before bundling up and heading outside. he returns with the game and you set it up on the coffee table. 

rick ends up winning, which for some reason doesn’t surprise you. michonne is cleaning up the game, putting it back into the box when carl blurts out, “i guess this was a pretty good christmas.”

rick furrows his brow. “today is christmas?” 

“we’re saying it is,” you chime in.

rick smiles in response and looks at michonne who is fighting back a grin. “oh, do you have presents to open?” 

“no, target was closed,” you joke. she lets out a laugh and carl lightly grabs your elbow, getting your attention. when you glance at him, he subtly cocks his head in the direction of the stairs and you get the hint that he wants to go up. he begins walking toward the staircase. you look back at michonne and then rick, who was now bouncing judith on his hip. “cool, so that was fun. just give the game back to scott whenever. or tell him it’s christmas and maybe he’ll let us keep it.”

neither get the chance to respond because you turn and promptly rush to the stairs. when you get to the top, carl is standing there waiting for you. 

“everything okay?” you ask, walking over to him. 

“yeah,” he says before taking your hand as if it’s a fragile piece of glass and leading you too his room. 

your palms begin to sweat as you wonder what’s happening, so you’re grateful when he lets go. but then he closes his bedroom door and your breath hitches in the back of your throat. 

he sighs, “i was thinking about what you said earlier, about christmas not being about giving material things. but i still want to give you something. it’s just... it’s something that’s been on my mind for a while i guess.”

he goes quiet, so you urge him to go on with a simple “okay.”

“you and me, we’ve been through so much together,” he says, and you hear the slightest shake in his voice. “and, um, it’s been nice to just live sort of normal lives here. i like playing video games and reading comics with you, y/n. i like spending time with you a-and talking to you and stuff. uh, and we don’t have have, like, a mistletoe or anything, but i want to kiss you if that’s okay. but it’s okay if you don’t want-”

you’re smiling ear to ear. “carl,” you interrupt. “we don’t need a mistletoe.” 

he looks relieved as you take a small step closer. your stomach is fluttering as the both of you lean forward and your lips touch. it’s a short, simple kiss but it makes you heart skip a beat. 

“merry christmas,” he whispers. 

“merry christmas,” you giggle before leaning forward and pressing your mouth against his once again.