#anywayyyyy i love imagining them all together

[fandomsheadcannoms]

I LOVE YOUR TAKES AND HEADCANONS FOR THE CHARACTERS!! COULD YOU DO CLIVA (Clay x Viva) OR CLIVARB (Clay x Viva x Barb)??

Ooooh I haven’t seen much Clivarb before!!! Lemme try!!

Clivarb Headcanons ~

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Barb and Clay have a secret competition to see who they can make Viva the most flustered. Viva is well aware of this "competition" and is on her own mission to make them flustered instead.

Barb (expecting Viva to blush or stutter): Hey baby, you busy today? 'Cause I can think of a few things that might take up your time Viva: *Gets up in Barb's space and smirks* Oh yeah? What are you thinking then? Barb: *Barb.exe has malfunctioned*

Viva loves her partners very much, before they started dating she had a crush on both of them and soon asked them if they would ever be open to a poly relationship. They both said yes, but it took a little while for Clay and Barb being open to sharing Viva.

But after a little while Clay and Barb learnt to love/fell into love with each other and all three soon became an actual couple afterwards!

They cuddle pile every chance they get, it's very tiring looking after whole tribes of Trolls and whats better than having a power nap while wrapped around the trolls you love?

Barb will bring her partners things that remind her of them, just little trinkets that she finds around. Like a bright pink clip for Viva or a green pen for Clay.

Clay steals jumpers. He doesn't wear them that often he just steals them for the sake of having them. Viva will always do a lucky dip in Clay's collection to decide who's jacket she's wearing that day.

Many trolls who unaware of their relationship and have an on going bet of who is dating who, Barb dating Viva and Viva dating Clay are the most popular bets, but there are a few who ship just Clay and Barb. Clay, Viva and Barb secretly put in the bet that all three of them are dating, they await the day when they win that bet.

If you haven't figured it out already all three of them are wildly competitive. Game nights get extremely chaotic and they often have to invite some others to play with them so their competitiveness doesn't get out of hand.

Monopoly is banned.

No one, ESPECIALLY Clay and Barb, is safe from Viva's braiding rampages. If Branch's hair being put into two braids by Viva meant she liked him platonically imagine the state of Clay and Barb's hair considering Viva like likes them, romantic styles.

Viva will drag her partners to dance with her, she'll spin around and they all slow dance together, just holding one another tight and swaying to the music.

Clay often teases Barb about being so soft, but it's one of the things he loves about her, he loves that he gets to see her soft side and loves that it's for him and Viva only.

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I think Clivarb would be such a fun dynamic omg!!!! Clay and Barb would seem like they'd just piss each other off, but in a relationship they'd be teasing each other all the time and with Viva it all kinda falls into a perfect balance!

Anywayyyyy with might be one of my new favourite poly ships.

Thanks for the request!!!

[somegrumpynerd]

Okay, now I can't stop thinking about Cross and Killer, bc as much as Killer could take Cross under his wing (and how good it is, I'm gonna have brainrot over your tags for weeks) it might go a totally different way, could you imagine? Nightmare brings home a new recruit. Why though? Wasn't Killer doing a good enough job already? Why does this goody two shoes perfect soldier have to come in Killer's home and take all of Nightmare's attention?

He could feel replaced, especially since I think Cross would be very serious and closed off when he joins, he's a professional everything Killer isn't with his sharp edges and jokes, then it'd be more like an enemy to friends situation, where Cross doesn't understand why Killer's giving him so much shit and Killer needs to learn more about Cross to chill out

Anywayyyyy I love those two :3

Asdkugjdjgsj are you inside my brain I love this!!!

Like 100% Killer feels replaced, or at the very least like it's competition (I wanna do a whole thing for my truce au about this being how he was when Dust joined) and maybe by the time Cross comes along he's chilled out to the idea that Nightmare just likes building a team and Killer's still his favourite. Or maybe Cross is just a bit too close to his own position for comfort. Dust and Horror follow orders sure, but Killer is the one who does it fastest and the best. When Nightmare says jump, Killer's the one who asks how high. Killer is his right hand, so why does he need a left?

Maybe he falls right back into that mindset that he has to prove he's better, so he starts trying to show Cross up. Except Cross just joined, he's only known a demanding perfectionist father and harsh royal guard training, so he has to be the best. He doesn't know how to settle, so he competes with Killer right back, he has to impress Nightmare to prove he's worth keeping around! And it just falls further and further out of control until they're fighting in the castle when there is no mission, just because they both have something to prove.

(Catch Nightmare seperating them like a teacher breaking up a playground fight lol)

Maybe Nightmare says no more jobs for either of them until they can work together like a team, which makes both of them antsy because Killer needs to have a purpose and Cross has never had permission to just exist. His castle probably gets half destroyed in the meantime but maybe they finally just talk, see where the other is coming from and that there's enough room for both of them on the team (I had a more elaborate thing written out but this is already too long I'm sorry I didn't realise I had so many Killer and Cross thoughts in my head lol).

[yonemurishiroku]

Hiya yone! Recently my brain has been infested with bugs that want me to make a Circe Nico AU (Nico is Circe?? Kinda.) You are the glorious fanfic writer who can conjure up anything from anything, so please do your magic.

I'll try my best, however I only know like. 2 stories about Circe at best? So please don't put too much trust in me lol 😅😅

The first one is when Odysseus visits her during his return voyage to Ithaca. I forgot most of it (typical me) except that she turns his crew into animals, which Odysseus managed to convince her to undo and if I'm not mistaken, they live together for a while?? Let's just go with it.

As for this story, I think it would fit best with Jasico? Mainly bc they have that sort of enemies-to-lovers air (Jason distrusted Nico at first). Jason is best fit to be a returning hero, too. Though the Cupid debacle is like heaven and earth with mere convincing on Odysseus' part, I reckon we can work around it with enough maneuver. Why does Nico accept to turn them back? - Maybe he's feeling generous, maybe he's a petulant lonely witch who wants people to stay but never knows how to voice it, and ppl often run at the first sight of him, so he just turns them into animals to keep them by her side.

In the end, Odysseus leaves Circe. This aligns well with the fact that Jason just dropped dead shortly after he and Nico became friends. Which is a funny (and depressing thought) if you put thoughts into it. Which I can't atm lmoa.

Anw. think of it as a piece of quiet Jason has given Nico in the expanse of his loneliness. That, though he was swept away by the natural order of things at the end, Jason did try his best to alleviate Nico's pain. So I reckon there should be a little bit of affection - if not love - in there.

The second story is, well, Circe and Scylla. And the male lover whose name I forget.

This is a classic case of jealousy - so who fits it better than Percy, the canon epitome of every jealous trope in the history of fiction?

sorry that was my pettiness talking. Anywayyyyy, I suppose I don't need to talk about this... I mean it's pretty clear who is who and how the story transpires: Circe is in love with that-something-sea-god, who is in love with Scylla, so Circe turns her into a monster. The only difference between Circe and Nico in this is that he doesn't do anything to Annabeth (even refuses to hate her still. gosh).

But that wouldn't be Percico, is it? So I say just say fuck it and make Percy a sea monster or something Idk. A witch living secluded in an island with his beloved sea monster? I'm in.

Another choice would be to make Annabeth the bad one but I'm in no position to make that propose.

If you still want to keep the story, and if you're any of an unhinged person like me, just make Nico the villain. Well, Circe is the villain in this story, yeah? Embrace it - Nico as the powerful witch, whose loneliness-induced jealousy wreaks havoc on even a sea god. What's left is not love - because love is the last thing Yone needs in fanfics srsly - but an impression of terror, of how disastrous Nico's love can be.

The concepts mix well in this case btw. I remember a painting of Circe pouring a plate filled with poison into the sea. Just imagine it - a blinding blackness spreading rapidly across the lapping water with just a touch of Nico's dainty finger. The shadows overlap with the roaring waves - the black undercurrents raging all the same - and darkness swallows all those whom he call enemies. If Percy's the sea and Nico's the lightless bottom, dark, mysterious, and full of threats.

That's everything I have atm, I guess. Sorry for not being able to help much :(((

[greenandhazy]

I am getting like seriously obsessed with the idea of an AU in which Meng Yao, Wei Ying, and Xue Yang meet as children and grow up to be sworn brothers/an Abhorrent Triad (not sold on that exact adjective but w/e)

Wei Ying doesn’t get found/adopted by the Jiang clan, but a nice older boy who lives in a brothel helps him hide there when he’s scared of a dog and they become friends. Meng Yao doesn’t have much food to share, but he does what he can, and he does have books and that’s worth just as much. A few years later Wei Ying stumbles across a boy who has been walking for days trying to track down Chang Ci’an, despite the fact that he’s practically delirious from the pain of an injured hand. Meng Shi is ailing by that point and maybe Meng Yao is reluctant to take on another brother, but Wei Ying brings Xue Yang inside just to give him cool water and bandages at least and Meng Shi insists they help, and Xue Yang is already nursing a vicious streak that becomes really useful as the brothel becomes more of a hostile place to live.

A few years later, Meng Yao goes to Jinlintai. Gets thrown out of Jinlintai. But Wei Ying and Xue Yang are there to say fuck the Jin, we’re your family, and they swear it in an informal little ceremony in the cheapest room of the only inn they can afford. They go to the Nie. At some point, Jiang Fengmian comes across Wei Ying, realizes who he is, and insists on sponsoring his education with the Lan. Xue Yang is already kind of resentful because being a minor vassal for the Nie does NOT suit his temperament, so not being able to accompany Wei Ying is the last straw and he runs away. Neither of his brothers see him again until he’s slaughtered the Chang Clan—although I think this version of Xue Yang, where he has some family he can rely on from an early age, softens him just enough that he is a little more discriminating. He leaves the children alive, at least, and when he’s captured, his silver-tongued Da-ge can make an argument that he was enforcing some kind of justice.

Not enough to convince Nie Mingjue, but enough that Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan (who accompany the group to Qinghe this time because they’re obvi not letting this criminal’s brothers have absolute custody of him) are somewhat swayed. The three brothers end up escaping together—I’m going to say Wei Ying still ends up in the Wen indoctrination camp because he still managed to piss of Wen Chao, but I can’t decide if it makes more sense for Meng Yao to remain as the Wen spy or for Xue Yang to get that job? 🤔 Anyway ONE of them takes it, but regardless Meng Yao also is like “war is coming, that means civilian casualties, that means famine” and sets up like a proto-watchtower system with the help of XXC, SL, and other rogue cultivators.

Wei Ying still turns to demonic cultivation. Xue Yang still turns to demonic cultivation. By the end of the war, the major clans are still calling for their heads but they’re heroes and no amount of propaganda is going to convince the common people that the Abhorrent Triad deserves death, not after they saved so many of the lives that the major clans didn’t seem to care about.

Hand-waving the end of the war a bit because I’m not sure exactly how the Nie/Jiang relationships with WY and MY would change things, but. Imagining Xue Yang having a full screaming meltdown when Wei Ying dies, Meng Yao can just barely keep him from jumping over the cliff to catch him. Meng Yao asks Lan Xichen to promise that if they’re going to be executed, they kill Xue Yang first, because Xue Yang is practically catatonic and he can’t bear to leave his didi alone, even for a few minutes, not after all of this.

ANYWAYYYYY. I think the class and family politics of these three characters makes for a fascinating contrast and I would like it to have even more angst and love and the particular angst that comes from loving others more than you love yourself thnx bye.

[theharrowing]

Revisit Thoughts:

omg, i posted this revisit last night but somehow the chapter's read more was missing??? and i ended up just raw dogging 16.4k words on main without a cut, so i am reposting this morning SORRYYY hehehe.

i am not even joking, Haegeum came out on April 20, completely changing the trajectory of this story and solidifying once and for all that i would definitely have a sequel, and even causing me to write a good chunk of the first chapter of the sequel before i wrote this chapter and published it 4 days later.

and although the Taehyung POV comes before this one and includes details that were affected by this chapter, i actually posted it about a month later and snuck it in there. (i also wrote the Hoseok POV after this chapter and snuck it in way up above chapter 14, which is why there are conversations taking place that i did not even have set in stone until this moment in Collateral time.) i worried it would be confusing for readers, but they didn't seem to mind. 😅😅😅

adding in this chapter extended the story from 20 to 21 total chapters planned, and caused me to completely change large details in the outline. of course, i cannot tell you what those details are because they are huge spoilers. if i ever do a Reconciliation revisit in 1.5 business years, perhaps i will divulge everything then!

HEHEHEHE i found an errorrrr. when Namjoon's phone rings, it says you recognize the ringtone from when Yoongi called Namjoon while the two of you were at his house, but the phone only vibrated in that scene. whoopsie daisy hehe. (edited.)

man i really opened this chapter with a potential bombshell and then dove headfirst into a long ass smut scene. of all the things i remember from this chapter, this scene was not one of them lmao.

you know i couldn't resist an "I feel like Tony Montana." especially with him dressed that way.

🧼📦 ugh researching private jets for this fic (and for Dollhouse) made me wanna barf. i do not respect jets or yachts. they are such a waste of resources, including money!!! (i also do not respect any of the brands that i name drop tho, let's be honest. nor am i impressed when idols wear this shit. even if i praise how good someone looks in a certain brand shoot, it is likely they also look good in rags, so like...the brand really means nothing in the long run.) it is so wild to look up all this bullshit and pretend that it is exciting when i would rather watch it all burn so we could distribute that wealth and take care of our poor. "sleek marvels of modern design" 🤮🤮🤮 ANYWAYYYYY that's my soapbox moment lmao back to the fic. 🧼📦

oh man, spoiler alert for the end of Scarface haha sorry, friends!!! (it's a 40 year old movie hahaha.)

bringing Balming Tiger into the fold was fun, and i actually learned some of their names while writing this chapter despite being a fan of theirs (i had just seen them live about a month before writing this chapter!) it is not Seungmin from Stray Kids, but the member who goes by Mudd the Student.

i was wondering (after reading Jungkook's POV) if we would see the zippo lighter again hehehe.

take a shot whenever i use the word "harrowing" in a fic lmaoooo.

Taehyung casually calling Namjoon & Yoongi "the doom boys" (Sexy Nukim reference) is especially cute because i like to imagine that that's what the terror twins call them behind their backs in the same way that the doom boys call them the terror twins behind their backs.

Taehyung cutting himself during the knife game was inspired by my partner cutting me while trying to jokingly play the knife game (laying his flayed hand over mine and poking the knife between our fingers together) and look i know how that sounds okay, but i promise you, i am safe and loved in this relationship and the cut on the side of my thumb was not very deep (tbh he barely knicked me but the knife was stupid sharp.) this is the same person who suplexes me on every hotel bed we have ever slept on and i love him very much. 😅😂😂

i love that despite how chaotic these situations with all of them seem, they still find time to communicate boundaries. idk if i could write it differently, tbh. especially given both mc's and Jungkook's backgrounds, it feels best for the two of them to treat one another with a lot of care. of courses, that won't stop Jungkook from being a complete and utter menace, don't worry.

added Kamehameha by Balming Tiger to this chapter!!! i am off to sleep now, good night!!!😴💤💜

Collateral 🗡️ 15: The end of an era

Your ex-boyfriend gets in over his head working for the local mafia, and Boss Min has come to collect his payment: You.

But was it simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or has he always had his sights on you?

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🗡️ Yoongi x Female Reader x Namjoon, Jungkook x Female Reader 🗡️ word count: 16.4k 🗡️ mafia au, strangers to lovers, graphic violence, major character injury, poly, smut, angst, fluff, nsfw, explicit 21+  🗡️ chapter warnings: mention of heroin, complicated feelings, smut (oral and vaginal sex, mmf threesome), trauma response, Yoongi wearing a Haegeum outfit, cocaine use, description of the knife game, an unexpected soft moment and kiss (!!!) 🗡️ note: mc visits Hong Kong. just as i said in the master list post about Korea, all scenery is completely made up. i don't know anything about Hong Kong and i do not wish to describe any neighborhood of Hong Kong in a negative light, so if anything sounds familiar, it is a coincidence. we also meet some of the members of Balming Tiger! and i realize that the mood board is not totally symmetrical but it was important for me to put Haegeum Yoongi in the center.

🗡️ speaking of Haegeum: thank you to everyone reaching out to scream with me about Haegeum!!! it has been a very exciting time to be a crime boss Yoongi author, and sharing the excitement with all of you has been a fucking blast!!! 😍💜 i love my readers very much! thank you all for being here!!! 🗡️ beta read by @neoneunnajimin! 🗡️ posted on april 2023 | read on ao3

As you step out of your shower, the first thing you notice is the sound of voices coming from outside your bedroom door, shouting. One of them is deep enough to be Namjoon, and the other is hard to make out. Could there be something Namjoon is upset about? 

This morning, when you woke up to just Namjoon in the bed beside you, he mentioned that he and Yoongi had a surprise for you, and that you would find out in the evening. There was a tone to Namjoon's voice that you have been trying not to overthink, especially after he asked you for some privacy in the master suite, and you left him to himself with a kiss to his cheek, padding off to your cold, desolate room.

He just seemed…off. Contemplative, maybe. Something seemed to be bothering him, and now that it sounds like he is out in the mezzanine shouting at someone, you begin to feel worried. 

You dry off and take your time rubbing lotion over your legs and arms, curious for more sounds without trying too hard to overhear. Once you are finished and leaving the bathroom, making your way into your closet, his voice is much clearer through your bedroom door—it is definitely him. 

Somewhat thoughtlessly, you begin to push back hangers of clothing, listening intently while looking for something cozy to wear, not wanting to return to the master suite for some of Yoongi's sweatpants, when you hear Namjoon shout, "Jeon Jeongguk, don't you fucking play stupid with me!"

Your hand hovers over the row of dresses dangling from hangers, and you absent-mindedly begin to dance your fingertips over white cotton, curious for Jeongguk's response, but his voice is too soft to make out. Surprising, considering you would imagine Jeongguk to be with one with an explosive temper.

With a sigh, you decide you should get dressed and investigate. Perhaps your presence will help to calm Namjoon. And anyway, you have not seen Yoongi all day, and you feel eager to go ask after him. Last night, after he got word that his informant was dead, it took some coaxing from Namjoon to get him to come to bed, and he gave Yoongi something—a pill, you think—to help him sleep. You were surprised to hear Yoongi snoring; whatever Namjoon gave him really knocked him out. 

You step further into the closet and find a simple black sweater to put on, then rummage through your drawers for some underwear and black leggings. Once satisfied with how cozy you feel, you slide your feet into some plush dark grey slippers and make your way to the doorway.

"But this is much more serious, Jeongguk!" Namjoon shouts. "Everything we have worked for can fall apart if he starts using again!"

"I haven't been dealing fucking heroin," you hear Jeongguk respond, and that halts you in your tracks.

Could someone be using heroin? You think back to your days in the trafficking circle and how some of those men would get so fucked up on the junk, speaking nonsense and tripping over themselves. It was not rare to find a businessman slumped over dead in a dark corner or an alleyway; that drug will ruin someone's life. But none of the family men seem like the type, as far as you can tell. Could it be someone in their outer circle?

"Then where did it come from?" Namjoon asks.

You hate to eavesdrop, and you force yourself to keep pressing forward, toward the door. Regardless, this conversation seems pretty serious, and not something that should be had casually, on the mezzanine, where anyone in the house could hear, making you feel obligated to, at the very least, suggest the men take it somewhere else.

"We don't even know if that's what it is," you hear Jeongguk respond as you reach for the doorknob. "And anyway, I find it pretty fucking weird that you are going through his packages all of a sudden. Did he ask you to do that?"

When you open the door, both men jump. Namjoon looks like he has seen a ghost, face turning pale and widening with worry, and Jeongguk is no better.

"Fellas," you say, surprised when Namjoon only greets you with a limp lift of his hand.

"H-hey," Jeongguk responds. "How much did you hear?"

Dumbfounded, you open your mouth, and then immediately close it, shaking your head. Something tells you that you should not have heard any of that conversation, and you attempt to play coy.

"I only heard the sounds of shouting," you respond, holding believable enough eye contact and doing your best not to look scared. "I was in the shower. Just got out."

Jeongguk looks at your hair, and you hope he notices that it does, in fact, look freshly tended to. His posture is tense—hands shoved into the front pockets of black denim pants. It takes you off guard to see him in a simple black tee and jeans. After his brief inspection, Jeongguk lets out a deep exhale. 

"I need to go meet Taehyung," he says, turning his gaze to Namjoon and raising his eyebrows as he adds, "this conversation is not over. We'll see you guys later."

As Jeongguk begins to walk down the stairs, Namjoon's posture relaxes. His shoulders fall, and you can see him regain his composure. This exchange with Jeongguk really seems to have ruffled his feathers. 

"You alright, Joonbug?" you ask sweetly as you walk over and place your palms on his chest. Namjoon wears a black tee and black joggers, and as his musk hits your senses, you give him a soft smile and stand tall to press a kiss against his jaw.

"Yeah," he responds, offering an expression that is not a smile, but a failed attempt at raising the corners of his lips, making you scoff.

"Why am I not at all convinced?" you tease, kissing down his neck while your palms rub over his pecs. "You seem tense."

"I am," Namjoon mutters as he grips onto your hips with both hands, giving you a gentle squeeze and kicking up butterflies in your tummy. 

If there is one thing you seem to be learning from living under Yoongi's roof, it is the art of distracting someone using sex, and Namjoon seems to be eager for distraction. You begin to walk backward, toward your open bedroom door, gripping lightly to his shirt and giving him a tug. He barely shows any resistance, and this time, his smile is real. 

"Why don't you let me relieve some of that tension?"

"Yeah?" Namjoon asks, smile growing before he sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and gives it a little nibble, making you wish that lip was between your teeth, instead.

"Hubby coming home soon?" you ask as you step through the threshold of your bedroom. "Should we wait?"

"Nah, he likely won't be back for a while," Namjoon grumbles, eyes losing their brightness at the mention of Yoongi.

You wonder if, perhaps, Yoongi is still taking the loss of Hyunjin pretty hard. Watching a loved one grieve is never easy, and if Namjoon was also close with the guy, his emotions must be rather turbulent right now.

Rather than let you pull him all the way to the bed, Namjoon bends and lifts you from behind the knees, wrapping you around his hips as he turns and sits down on your bed. You drape your arms over his shoulders and straddle his lap, then lean in to suck and nibble on his lip—plush and perfect. 

"This how you want me?" you ask as you lick over his mouth and fix him with a dark, eager stare. 

"Yeah," Namjoon responds, rubbing his hands up your thighs and grabbing your ass firmly in both hands. "This is perfect." 

You lift your hips and grind them down onto Namjoon's lap, watching as his pretty mouth sighs open, and he removes his hands from you to sit back anchored on his palms, giving you more range to tease him. And tease him, you do.

With every roll of your hips, you feel Namjoon's bulge harden. Each of his gasps and groans is louder and breathier than the last, and you revel in how quickly he becomes lost in pleasure—a complete change in demeanor from how he gets when he is in control. 

A particularly loud moan bursts through Namjoon's mouth, and you glance over your shoulder, remembering the door was never shut. When you turn back to Namjoon, he raises an eyebrow and groans, "Forgot to close that."

You hum and say, "We did."

"I don't think I heard Gguk leave," Namjoon says, punctuated with a gasp as you grind yourself on his semi-hard cock. "Should we leave it open for him? Put on a show?"

You playfully smack Namjoon on the back of the head, but continue your movements, feeling the urge to check over your shoulder despite being certain there is nobody out there. 

"Why are you like this?" you complain, but Namjoon just grins and lays flat on the bed. 

Suddenly, you want to get up and close the door. You are not sure whether you would mind having Jeongguk as an audience, but you wonder if any of the other family men could come and go at some point, or if there are staff members walking through the mansion. What if you become so lost in pleasure that you do not hear them down there?

Your hips slow, then still, and you slide from Namjoon's lap, narrowly missing his hands, which make grabbing motions for you as you get onto your feet and tiptoe to the door to close it. Of course, there is no Jeongguk within eyeshot. And what is this feeling in your gut? Disappointment?

When you turn back to the bed, Namjoon is on his feet, pulling the black tee over his head and tossing it to the floor. You do the same, lifting your black sweater off and dropping it where his shirt landed, just to the left of where you stand. You both hook your thumbs into the waistbands of your pants and underwear and bend at the hips in tandem, letting the fabric drop. 

Then you stand tall and step away from the garments, raking your eyes from Namjoon's face, to his tattooed chest, down to his heavy cock and back up before placing both palms on his pecs and shoving him hard enough to send him crashing back onto the bed. Namjoon gasps and chuckles, scrambling to sit up on his elbows while you drop to your knees and spread his thighs with both hands, wasting no time to grip onto his hard, leaking length and give it a tug. 

"Fuck," Namjoon whispers, letting his head loll back. 

"I've barely touched you," you tease, rolling the dribbled precum into your palm and stroking over the head, back and forth with a tight grip. 

"Yeah, but—" Namjoon gasps, hips bucking, "—you never touch me, so everything feels amazing."

"And whose fault is that?" you ask as you sit high on your knees and lean forward to slowly huff out a warm breath over him. Namjoon lifts his head and watches you with wide eager eyes as you jut out your lip, pouting as you say, "You never let me."

Not without permission, anyway, are the words you keep to yourself. Whatever it is that bothers Yoongi and keeps him away from the mansion, you do not want to interrupt, nor consider the ramifications of. You and Namjoon can just share this moment together. 

There is something in Namjoon's gaze that you cannot decipher. It does not seem sad or angry, but it does seem a bit…lost? Distant? You are unsure. And you do not wish to find out. 

Without another word, you angle Namjoon's cock toward your face, delicately holding it by the tip, and you lick from base to crown nice and slow, eyes focused on Namjoon, whose expression melts as a whimper passes through his lips. As you take his tip gently into your mouth, just between your lips, Namjoon's hips tremble. 

There is absolutely no way you will be able to fit his entire cock in your mouth, but you suck as far as you can, bringing him close to your throat and swallowing around him while you slowly stroke the rest of his length with each motion. Namjoon is a mess of whimpers and gasps, resting back, anchored on his elbows while he fights between watching you and letting his head roll from side to side. 

How interesting, you think, that Namjoon so easily relinquishes control without so much as attempting to be in charge, even for a moment. You half expected him to be more like Yoongi is with you, touching and guiding, maybe even telling you what to do—how he likes it. But he simply lays back and takes it, and the noises he makes are unabashed and incredible. 

Perhaps, if it were later in the day, with the master of the home around, you would take your time and really pull orgasm after orgasm from Namjoon, making him cum in your throat before climbing on top to slowly fuck him until you get yourself off once or twice. But today, you want to get this show on the road. You have tentative plans later—some surprise, apparently—and you are not eager for Yoongi to walk in on the two of you like this, should his mood happen to be volatile. 

Once Namjoon's moans become a long, drawn-out chorus of sounds and his thighs begin to quake rather roughly below you, you slowly pull him from your mouth, letting all the pooled saliva drool down from your tongue to his tip before gathering it beneath your palm and slathering it along his length.

"Is it okay that I fuck you already?" you ask.

Namjoon chuckles, says, "Of course it's okay," and begins to sit all the way up.

"I want to ride you," you tell him, watching his pretty, flushed face become all the more excited. "Sit back against the headboard."

With a weak, dazed nod, Namjoon slides back and brings his legs to the mattress, then crawls, moves the pillows out of the way, and settles against the light brown wooden headboard, atop your yellow comforter. You stand and get up onto your hands and knees and crawl to Namjoon, taking in his spread, thick thighs, soft but muscular tummy, unfurling dragon tattoo, and breathtaking face. You cage his hips in with your hands and continue to crawl until your legs straddle him, forcing him to tilt his head back to look up at you. 

"You are perfect," he mutters as his hands lift to settle on your hips, and he stares at you with such reverence, it makes you feel shy. 

"Shut up," is all you can think to say in the moment, not eager to unpack the way his expression makes your heart gallop behind your ribs. 

"I mean it," Namjoon continues, voice becoming softer. "I'm falling for you, baby. You know that, right?"

Disinterested in confessions of love, of all fucking things, you reach between your legs, take hold of Namjoon’s cock and rub the head against your heat, squeezing your eyes closed and sighing through your words as you groan, “I said shut up.”

“Wait,” Namjoon breathes, brows knit when you open your eyes and gaze down at him. “Let me lick your pussy first.”

“It’s fine,” you insist, eager to be full and to get this over with before Yoongi returns. Suddenly, the thought of his presence has you feeling anxious, like perhaps you should not be doing this right now. 

Namjoon's head falls back against the headboard with a thunk as he mutters, "You sure?"

You nod and line him up with your hole, saying, "Yeah, I'm sure," as you sink down.

The stretch makes you suck in air and immediately huff it out, and you loll your head back as your eyes squeeze closed, rocking your hips up and then down ever so slightly. Namjoon's fingertips grip tightly to your hips, and his sweet little sounds get louder and more desperate as you slowly work his length deeper. 

"So tight," he groans, and you nod your head, still facing the ceiling. "Squeezing the fucking life out of me, baby."

Namjoon is far too thick for a quick fuck. As you lift your hips, a violent tremble of pleasure rocks through you, causing you to lean with your hands against his chest to steady yourself before you think better of leaning all your weight onto him and reaching one hand after the other to grip onto the top edge of the headboard. 

"God, look at you," Namjoon groans as his hands cup both your breasts, sucking and licking at one nipple after the other, hungrily switching sides as he gently squeezes and massages the soft flesh with his palms and thumbs. 

The pleasure is overwhelming as you sink back down, stretching and filling yourself while Namjoon licks, sucks, and gently nips. You take a second to let out a huff of air that blends into a moan, then lift and drop your hips, trembling through each movement as you slowly adjust to the pleasure-pain and pick up a steady pace. 

"Fuck, you're too big," you gasp, biting down on your lip as Namjoon moans and sucks harder in response. 

Riding Namjoon is dizzying—makes you absolutely lose your mind—and you lift your hips only to slam them down with force, feeling pleasure spark and burst throughout with each rough movement. Namjoon moans and gasps against your skin, covering you in a hot flush of goosebumps and sweat. 

"Touch me, Joonie," you whine, arching your back and neck with your fluttering gaze facing the ceiling. "Make me cum."

One of Namjoon's hands falls away, and he removes his mouth from your breast long enough to wet his fingers before latching back on. The pads of his spit-slick fingertips find your clit quickly and rub in tandem with the rise and fall of your hips, causing a wave of pleasure to shoot through you and make you tremble. 

"F-fuck," you whine, and Namjoon moans a deep, playful sound of encouragement.

Too easy, Yoongi's voice mocks inside your head as your arousal builds and builds. You lift and slam your ass, holding onto the headboard like a lifeline as Namjoon's fingers and mouth pull the pleasure from you steadily. At this pace, it will take you no time at all to come undone completely. 

"You feel like heaven around me, baby," Namjoon mutters against your skin, lips dragging hot and wet, sending a shiver through you.

All you can do in response is let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a hum, unable to form words as Namjoon's fingertips on your clit bring you closer and closer to the edge. With a quake of pleasure throwing your rhythm off, you grind your hips forward and backward, hitting a spot that shoots a surprising wave of ecstasy through you, making your head fall forward.

That is going to make you cum, and you redirect your movements and begin to grind yourself down on him, using his cock to get yourself off as your hips move front and back in quick, desperate ellipses. 

"Oh, fuck," Namjoon groans, slamming his head back against the headboard as one hand grips your ribs while he continues to circle his fingers over your clit. "That's it, baby; make yourself cum."

You whimper and moan, letting syllables fall loosely in failed attempts to praise and beg, so close to the edge that you cannot form a coherent thought, much less sentence. Namjoon must understand you, though, and he swirls his hips just enough to make every one of your movements feel more intense, causing your orgasm to hit hard and fast, throwing you completely from your axis. 

You continue to grind, rushed and frantic as you chase your high, moving until it becomes too intense and you can go no longer, falling forward with your chest against Namjoon's face and your forehead resting against the headboard. 

Namjoon wraps both arms around your hips and lifts, shifting beneath you without pulling out to lay you down on your back. You gasp and attempt to grip onto the yellow comforter for purchase, but Namjoon gets onto his knees and begins to fuck you through what is left of your orgasm so hard and fast that your back arcs, frozen in pleasure, with your hands open wide, unable to grasp onto anything, forcing the last ounce of your sanity to slip between your fingers. 

"This what you need, baby?" Namjoon groans as sweat drips from his forehead, landing on your neck. "Cum on this cock. Show me how much you like it."

All you can do is allow your orgasm to quake through you as Namjoon fucks you into your mattress, and you are grateful for the sturdy bed frame making minimal noise. With your mouth agape, you moan and sob, and finally, when your high begins to hinge on overstimulation, you grasp onto the blanket, clutching it tight. 

"Fuck," you gasp, squeezing your eyes closed. "Too much. 'S too much."

"Call your safeword if you need it," Namjoon commands as his hips continue to slam against your spread thighs. 

You do not want to call your safeword. Truth be told, you hardly want him to slow down, already feeling another high wash over you, covering your skin with tingling warmth. When you open your eyes, Namjoon is frowning down at you, brows knit with concentration as he pounds his thick cock into you with no remorse, and you stretch your arms over your head and tilt your head back, basking in the feeling. 

Sweat drips from Namjoon's forehead and neck, hitting your skin in cool drops, tickling as they trickle down to the comforter below. With your orgasm dissipating, you begin to worry that perhaps you should hurry up and finish before Yoongi returns. But Namjoon feels good—unrelentingly good. You do not want him to stop. 

The loud, shrill sound of Namjoon's phone ringing pulls you from your thoughts, but Namjoon does not slow down, slamming you into the mattress even harder, as if desperate to get off. But then, as if coming to his senses, Namjoon slows his pace, rolling his hips while his moans fade to pants, and he acknowledges the sound. 

With a sigh, Namjoon brings his hips to a stop, all the while his phone continues to ring, and you cannot help but worry that it is Yoongi on the other end. Namjoon pulls out, leaving you feeling cold and empty, and flops onto his side, hanging off the edge of the bed to search for the ringing device before pulling it to his ear and answering it.

"Hey, handsome," Namjoon says as he remains hanging from your bed, panting between words. "Yeah, we were just, uhh…keeping each other distracted until you returned."

Interesting choice of words, and although you admit that you were attempting to distract him earlier, you wonder what he thinks he is distracting you from.

"In her room," Namjoon responds after a pause, and you watch as his smile softens while he stares off to the side. He says, "We'll look forward to it...love you too," with his smile growing, then ends the call, tosses the phone back onto the pile, and sits up with a slight groan.

"I'm sure you could guess who that was," Namjoon says, getting back onto his knees and spreading your legs around his hips. His cock seems to have softened some, and he fists it slowly in one hand.

"Taehyung?" you respond teasingly, watching as Namjoon's eyebrows raise in amusement, then he leans with one hand anchored by your side, towering over you.

"Would you like that?" He asks, voice dark and deep. "Would you like for the doctor to join us?"

With a chuckle, you consider your words, raising your eyebrows much in the same way he had. You are not sure Taehyung's so-called fascination with human bodies—as Felix so colorfully put it—would translate to joining you in bed.

"I think I'm good," you finally say, failing to think of something quippy in response, making Namjoon's cheeks crease with dimples as he chuckles to himself. 

"Do you have the energy to keep going?" Namjoon asks, leaning closer and caging your head in with both hands. His breath is warm against your face, and you do your best to lift your head and strain for a kiss until he gets the hint and lowers even more.

With a low groan, you suck his lip into your mouth, then release it and say, "You didn't cum yet."

Namjoon shrugs, but you can tell by the curl of his lips that he is pleased with your consideration. 

"I don't mind," he responds, and you shake your head. 

"I want you to."

All Namjoon has to do is roll his hips forward and his cock slides into your wet heat, making you gasp and lift your own hips upward, searching for more. He goes slow, pushing forward until his pelvis is pressed into you then dragging himself out, making your eyes roll back as you feel every inch of him along your walls. 

"So big," you mutter almost mindlessly as he thrusts slowly forward, making you dizzy. 

"You take me so well," Namjoon groans against your lips, and you drop your mouth open to whimper through his languid movements, pleased when he dances his tongue over yours and fills your mouth with his own sweet sounds. 

From outside the door, you hear a raspy, "Knock, knock," accompanied by actual knocking, and you smile, feeling warmth bloom in your chest knowing that Yoongi has arrived. You assume that he was pleased with what you and Namjoon were up to based on Namjoon's expression while they were speaking on the phone, and you no longer feel trepidation about him finding you. In fact, with the door to your bedroom slowly opening, you become excited knowing that Yoongi is walking in on the sight of you and Namjoon together. 

Namjoon's mouth is still connected to yours, and his hips do not hesitate as Yoongi enters the room. A low, raspy groan of approval fills the space, and you sink further into bliss, feeling warmth cover you from the knowledge of being watched. And although you cannot see him, you can hear Yoongi getting undressed as fabric hits the floor, followed by the jangling of a belt buckle.

"Is it my birthday?" Yoongi asks, voice closer than you expect, causing goosebumps to bloom over your skin.

Namjoon breaks the kiss, and you whine indignantly, opening your eyes to find him sitting up to connect his lips with Yoongi's waiting mouth. Yoongi stands shirtless, bent over the edge of the bed, anchored on one palm, and his chest is already flushed a pretty, rosy shade, with a red welt the size of a bullet smack dab in the center, surrounded by streaks of healed scars. His slacks hang open, and he fists himself over his black briefs, getting himself hard as Namjoon continues to slowly fuck you. 

"Tell us what we can do for you," Namjoon mutters, rolling his hips at an angle that makes you shudder and whine, feeling a new burst of arousal alongside the familiar. 

"Just want to watch you two," Yoongi groans, hand tightening over his bulge. 

Namjoon kisses down Yoongi's jaw and neck, then backs away and sits up tall between your spread legs, all the while Yoongi turns to look at you, gaze soft and kind as he smiles and bites his bottom lip. You reach out for Yoongi, also eager for a kiss, but Namjoon pulls his hips back and slams them forward, causing your body to seize with pleasure before your arms and head fall back against the mattress.

"Fuck!" you cry, as Namjoon pulls back and ruts forward once more, hard and fast enough to make your head spin. 

"Just look at you," Yoongi groans, and you open your eyes to find his gaze has darkened. "So perfect."

Namjoon grips onto the backs of your thighs firmly with both hands, bowing his back as he fucks you hard and fast, and you clench the comforter as bliss crashes rapidly through you. Sweat beads and drips down Namjoon's torso, and you follow the movement as one particular droplet rolls to his tummy, disappearing against his skin. His abdomen tenses and relaxes as he ruts into you, and you attempt to watch the mesmerizing undulation, but you feel another high rapidly begin to build, and you squeeze your eyes tight momentarily as you reach one hand between your legs to play lazily with your clit. 

At the first touch of your fingertips, you tense up from the burst of arousal, and Namjoon moans while gazing down at you, eyes fixed and hungry. You can tell from the lift of his brow that he wants you to squeeze him again, and you do so, rhythmically tightening your muscles around him until his mouth falls open and he breathes out a deep moan. 

"Not gonna last if you keep doing that, baby."

With a pleased hum, you respond, "Good. Want you to cum," giving Namjoon a mock-innocent smile and flutter of your lashes when he glares at you frustratedly.

Namjoon picks up his pace, making it impossible for you to tease him further—if your walls do tighten around him, it is involuntary, caused by the accelerated pace at which you climb closer to orgasm.

"Fuck, Namjoon! S-so good!" you sob, circling your fingers over yourself faster. Desperate to cum again, you begin to beg, chanting, "Please, please, please," as your eyes roll back and your body arches.

Orgasm quakes and erupts through you, and you lay frozen in pleasure as only rasps and breathy whimpers leave your lips. Namjoon's hips begin to stutter, and he pulls out, taking you by surprise as his cock is replaced by his fingers. He roughly presses them up into your sweet spot, making another orgasm build and explode so fast, you scream, feeling the overwhelming gush of pleasure overtake you.

Your release sprays against your thighs, and Namjoon replaces his fingers with his cock, fucking you at a punishing pace for an intense but short-lived burst before his hips still, and he cums inside you. You babble somewhat incoherently, sobbing as Namjoon's hips tremble, and he sits back, pulling out.

Sweat covers you, turning your red-hot skin cold. Before you have a chance to catch your breath or get your bearings, two large hands grab you by the hips and tug at you, turning you forcefully until your feet fall off the side of the bed, and you find Yoongi yanking your hips to the edge while he sinks onto his knees and buries his face between your legs.

Your cunt is sensitive, and as Yoongi laps his tongue over you, from your hole to your clit and back down, you tremble and sob, overstimulated but already enraptured by the sensation. Yoongi's tongue enters you, and he slurps and hums, eyes closed as he devours you. 

"Holy shit," you whimper as your head falls back, and you lay pliant for Yoongi to taste as he pleases. The thought of him eating Namjoon's cum out of you sends a fluttering of arousal to your core, and you sink further into bliss, only coming back to earth after Yoongi manages to quickly pull a small, steady orgasm from you. 

By the time you open your eyes and meet his glistening smile, you feel as though your soul is barely tethered to your body, attempting to float up into the heavens. 

"No more," you whine, feeling spent beyond belief. "I can't take it. Sakura."

Yoongi's hands slowly rub up and down your thighs, and he chuckles, voice soft and light as air. He raises a brow and asks, "Namjoon fucked you that good, hmm?"

Warmth rises to your cheeks, and you nibble on your bottom lip as you nod, then tip your head to the side to find a sweaty, beautiful Namjoon sitting against your headboard, grinning. 

"I still have enough energy to take care of you," Namjoon offers, eyes drifting to Yoongi. 

You turn and watch Yoongi shake his head and say, "That won't be necessary," cheeks turning a faint, pretty red. 

"Nonsense," Namjoon responds, making his way to Yoongi, crawling on his hands and knees. "It's been too long since you've coated my tongue in your cum, baby. Be good for me and fuck my throat? Pretty please?"

Yoongi sits back on his heels and chuckles, softly shaking his head before glancing up at Namjoon with a fire in his gaze. 

"Well, since you asked so nicely," he drawls as he stands and rubs his palm over his bulge. "Who am I to say no to you, daddy?"

You are certain you are never going to get used to hearing Yoongi calling Namjoon daddy. And when Yoongi drops his slacks and briefs to the floor, taking Namjoon's face in his hands, sliding his cock back into his throat, and holding it until Namjoon turns bright red and gags, you are certain you will never get used to sights like this, either.

The instruction was to wear something comfortable for a long trip, so you opt for the black leggings you had on earlier and a simple burgundy knit sweater. There is a knock at your door, and you look up from the small black suitcase sprawled open on your bed, into which you have been placing loungewear and boxes of your favorite jewelry. 

Earlier, Yoongi insisted he would join you to select gowns and jackets for you to wear once he got dressed, so you have been killing time while waiting. As much as you wanted to join him and Namjoon for a shower, your hair was barely dry from the first one, so you opted to just get dressed and wait for them. You will likely want to shower at the end of this so-called long trip, anyway, so doing so again feels like an irresponsible use of water.  

After another knock, you say, "Come in, Namjoon," knowing it is certainly not Yoongi; he always just walks right in. 

Namjoon's deep chuckle gives him away, and he pushes the door open and steps inside, making you gasp. The sight of him standing in a simple white cotton short sleeve tucked into black slacks should not have the effect it does, but you still watch in awe as every curve of muscle is perfectly accentuated by his clothing. He has a jacket slung over one arm that matches the slacks, and you imagine that once he puts it on, he will look quite dapper.

"I feel underdressed," you complain, glancing down at your pedestrian cozy clothing. 

Namjoon shakes his head. 

"We need to make a pitstop and meet with someone before we head to our destination, and it will be for the best that you are underdressed and unrecognizable."

Although Namjoon delivers this news calmly, there is something about it that makes you uncomfortable. Where will the three of you be headed, and why should you be unrecognizable? Is it mafia related? The thought of being caught in another gunfight kicks bile up into your throat, and you attempt to swallow down the feeling and shake it off.

Namjoon must notice your shift in mood. He quickly rounds the bed and approaches, placing his hands on your upper arms and gently holding you while bending to look into your eyes. 

"Hey, sweetheart, where we're going is safe, okay? Don't worry."

"Safe," you respond, nodding your head slowly. Somehow, you struggle to believe it.

"Yoongi just has to meet with some old friends in Hong Kong. Nobody there should know who we are aside from his friends, and I only meant that you should be unrecognizable in some slim, off-chance that anyone does recognize him."

Namjoon's words are not fully making sense. It is clear that he wants to comfort you, but he also seems to be talking in circles, leading you to think that even he is unsure of what the truth fully is. If someone recognizes him, and you are seen with him, then you will also become a target. The two of you have been seen in public, with a very publicized engagement; surely his enemies must know what you look like now, too…right?

You decide to stop overthinking it until Yoongi joins you; it would be better to ask him about it. Despite how poor of a read Yoongi had on the last situation in which you were told things would be fine, this seems more like something he has planned rather than a surprise visit from unwanted guests, so you hope, at the very least, that he knows what he is doing. 

You nod once more, attempting to take in Namjoon's words, and he wraps you in a hug, pressing your face into his chest. His scent engulfs you, handsome musk dancing prettily with floral notes, and you sink further into him, allowing it to calm you as you take deep, heavy breaths. With another knock, Yoongi enters the room, and you let Namjoon break from the hug and pull away before you turn to Yoongi and, once again, suck air deep into your lungs.

Yoongi stands in a short sleeve button-up shirt with a white and red pattern that resembles palm fronds, which is left open and untucked. A white tank top is tucked into loose-fitting dark denim jeans with holes in the knees, accessorized with a black belt, and his hair is wet and hangs in waves, perfectly framing his face, driving you absolutely wild. He looks like a crime boss from an old 80s film, and it should not be so attractive, but it is.

With a deep, playful chuckle, Namjoon approaches Yoongi, who rounds your bed, and you follow, shoving Namjoon gently out of the way to approach and run your hands over Yoongi's chest, filled with the sudden urge to feel him. Yoongi seems pleased with the attention, quirking an eyebrow at Namjoon as if to tease him while wrapping his arms around your waist. Up close, there are little white stars on his shirt, in between the leaf patterns on top of a black background, and you dance your fingertips over them, surprised to see him wearing such a design. 

"Where did you find a shirt like this?" you tease, and Yoongi directs his quirked eyebrow to you as he chuckles.

"This shirt is Gucci, darling."

As if having a brand name attached to the garment makes it any less absurd. Still, the part of you that appreciates fashion feels a bit excited by the news. 

"We're going to Hong Kong, hyung, not Miami," Namjoon chides, coming into view on your left and stealing Yoongi's smile for himself. "You look like Tony Montana."

"Well, I feel like Tony Montana," Yoongi responds with a playful snarl. "So, I suppose it's appropriate, is it not?"

"Speaking of," you say, hesitant to ruin the mood, but already feeling your anxiety begin to rise. "What are we doing in Hong Kong?"

Yoongi turns his attention back to you and rubs a hand soothingly up and down your back. You wonder if he can tell that you are stressed or if the urge to comfort you is becoming innate. 

"I have to meet with some old friends," Yoongi unhelpfully supplies. 

As you watch him gaze at you, eyes slowly traveling over your features, you can tell that there is more he wants to say, and you wait patiently for him to gather his thoughts. His hand continues its gentle path, easing you into whatever he is planning to say next while his other hand raises to gently take you by the chin.

"There are some aspects of my operations that I would like to…offload, let's say…onto someone else."

After another pause, you pull your lips into a straight line and nod. 

"Well, that could not have been any more vague if you tried," you tease, though your voice is flat and gives no hint of playfulness; none of your anxiety is quelled. 

"Once the deal is finalized, I will answer any and all of your questions," Yoongi adds as he gently tugs you close for a soft kiss, and you crack a smile against his lips. 

Whatever it is, it must be a big deal for Yoongi to want to wait to discuss, and you suppose that it is better this way, in the long run. Although you would like to be in on his plans, as well, you realize that you may not quite be there, yet. Perhaps it is time to finally have a conversation about the state of your relationship. 

"So, Hong Kong, and then what?" you ask.

Yoongi's eyes brighten, and his lips pull into a wide, gummy smile, setting your heart a little more at ease. 

"It's a surprise, darling," Yoongi responds, standing taller and placing a kiss against your temple. "Let's pick out some clothing for the trip."

With a nod, you smile and allow Yoongi to pull you into your closet, straight back to the formal and semi-formal dresses, while Namjoon begins to rummage around, choosing jewelry and shoes. Wherever you are going, it must be expensive, and you cannot wait.

Although you are not surprised to discover that Yoongi owns a private jet, you are still in awe as you enter the airplane cabin and look around. You have been in a couple commercial planes before, but none of them are sleek marvels of modern design, with black leather, gold, and mahogany interiors—following the theme of everything else Yoongi owns.

There are large, comfortable chairs—two rows of four with an aisle between pairs—and a couch against one side of the aisle facing a flat screen television on the other. Through an entrance past the seats, toward the back of the plane, there even appears to be a bed.

You take a step into the space, unsure what to do with yourself, and Yoongi places a hand on the small of your back and guides you forward enough to let Namjoon into the cabin. Staff members have taken your luggage, so you are empty-handed, and your arms hang down at your sides as you fidget along the edges of your long sleeves with your fingertips. 

"The first flight is about four hours," Yoongi informs as you make your way toward the couch. "Would you like to sit and watch through the window, watch a movie, lay down…"

As he trails off, you look around and decide that it would be nice to distract yourself during the first flight, so you mutter, "Watch a movie," while taking a seat on the couch and scooting into one corner, leaving room for the others to join you. 

"Do you have Scarface?" Namjoon asks with a shit-eating grin.

Yoongi gives you an incredulous smile before sitting beside you and slinging his arm over your shoulder as he grumbles, "I have every movie you could possibly want, Joonie. Put on fucking Scarface if it makes you happy."

"Doesn't he die at the end?" you ask with a frown.

"He does," Yoongi responds, pulling you close. "Are you hoping for something with a happier ending?"

Although you are merely discussing a movie, you find yourself picturing Yoongi as the ill-fated Tony Montana, feeling a swell of negative emotion as you attempt to keep your voice from trembling while muttering, "A h-happy ending once in a while would be nice."

Because sure, Yoongi may feel like the world is his while dressed like a Hollywood mob boss, and it is fun for Namjoon to tease him. But you know how those movies go. None of them end on a happy note, and in many of them, the boss is murdered, or they become so hardened by the lifestyle that they wind up dead inside. And the idea of either of those realities befalling Yoongi at such a young age makes you feel awful.

"We can watch one of my comfort films if you'd like," Namjoon offers, taking his place beside Yoongi and leaning over his lap to look at you with a soft smile. 

You return Namjoon's smile and nod, eager to find out what a man like him watches for comfort. You wonder if it is some silly action flick where a himbo with a heart of gold wins over the girl in the end, surprised when he grabs the remote, turns on the television, and searches for Howl's Moving Castle. 

"Don't you want to be in the middle?" Yoongi asks.

Without waiting for a response, Yoongi begins to stand, and Namjoon scoots over, giving you all the room you need to slide beside Namjoon and settle into his side as Yoongi sits and lifts your legs to rest over his thighs. You barely make it through the opening scene as sleep takes you, blinking heavily as Howl whisks Sophie off her feet to walk above the rooftops before you fall fast asleep.

As soon as you arrive to Hong Kong, you exit the plane and head straight to an older model red car that is long and boxy, leaving behind your luggage with the promise to return soon. Two men sit in the driver and passenger seats of the vehicle, and you and Yoongi clamber into the backseat on the passenger side, while Namjoon rounds the hood and gets in on the other side. The back seat is roomy, but you still feel trapped between broad shoulders as you fasten your seatbelt and settle back against the tan leather.

A man with a green buzzcut sits in the driver's seat, and beside him is a man with short, dark hair. Both men have cigarettes hanging from their lips, and the passenger rotates his torso to look back and give a lazy smile while the driver glances into the mirror and grins. There seems to be a tension in the air that melts the moment Yoongi gets settled.

"Min fucking Yoongi," the driver shouts, rotating to look back and glance at you and Namjoon, "Kim mother fucking Namjoon. What have you boys gotten into? And where are you taking this pretty thing?"

"Uiseok, Wonjin," Yoongi responds excitedly, leaning forward and jostling you into Namjoon as he reaches over your lap to low-five and fist-bump the two men. "Good to see you guys. Thanks for having us."

From your left, Namjoon wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you gently into his side, and Yoongi introduces you, making your cheeks warm as you lift a hand to greet the two of them. And then you are off, driving through neon-lit streets in the middle of the night. Some dreamy track plays on the radio, and both Uiseok and Wonjin bop their heads to the beat, muttering along. 

You glance through the windows, alternating between staring out the front and bending to look through the left, past Namjoon, and through the right, past Yoongi. The streets are bustling with a calm chaos of food stands and pedestrians while cars zip by and bicycles weave through the traffic, causing your heart to flutter excitedly. And then the scenery shifts and the excitement fades as you enter an area with far less traffic, swerving through housing projects with tall, dense apartment buildings.

When the car finally pulls up to a curb, you are surprised to find yourselves outside a diner on what looks like a deserted street. Yoongi gets out first, holding his hand out to you, so you unbuckle your seatbelt, feeling a surge of trepidation as the other three men stay in the car. You slide out and get onto your feet, then notice a woman inside the diner who stands from a booth directly on the other side of the tall glass window from where the two of you are, making her way to the nearby door to come outside.

"Darling, this is Sohee," Yoongi says as he gestures to the woman. She wears a dark mauve shirt untucked over brown pants and has long, somewhat wavy dark brown hair with soft, almost innocent features that curl bright and pretty when she smiles. "The boys and I are going to head to that building there—" Yoongi nods to a corner over your shoulder, to the left, and you turn to see what looks like a brick apartment building on the corner, "—to discuss a deal. We will meet you back here when we are done. Shouldn't take long."

Although you are not sure you feel too great about being dumped off with a stranger, you have no desire to argue. You have seen enough excitement lately, so if waiting at a diner in the middle of the night with this new woman is what Yoongi wants you to do, then you are content in doing so.

"Right this way," Sohee sing-songs in a voice that is surprisingly soft, taking your hand and tugging you toward the entrance to the diner. 

You glance back and catch a fond smile pulling at Yoongi's lips before he gets back into the car, which drives across the street and rounds the corner. And although you know it is irrational to feel nervous about being left behind as you watch the white and red car disappear, you can't help it.

"Hungry?" Sohee asks, pouting as you take your seat across from her. The booths are hard off-yellow lacquered wood with a white rectangular table in the center, lining the window and teal tile walls, and the space is more dimly lit than you would expect from a restaurant. The white penny tile floor is chipped in places, revealing concrete, and you do not see a single menu anywhere.

You have no idea if you are hungry, but you glance around the space, noting that you are the only two people here and that nobody appears to be out in the streets. Even from where you assume a kitchen may be, past a steel door behind Sohee, you hear nothing. It feels eerie and ominous, weighing over you heavily.

"Not really," you respond sheepishly, pulling your shoulders high around your ears.

"Nervous?"

You nod and glance around once more before making eye contact. Sohee smiles, and it is sweet enough to make you want to relax, but there is something playful in her eyes, making you think that she is in on a joke that you do not fully understand.

"They won't be long," she assures you, sitting back against the booth and crossing her arms over her chest.

You hum and nod, then stare out the window at the empty street. There is no use watching for the men to return; they could take anywhere from five minutes to an hour—god forbid longer. But it is hard not to be distracted by the empty corner around which they disappeared. At least all the men seem to be on friendly terms, assuaging your fear, if only a little. 

"How'd you get roped up with these guys?" Sohee asks, and you turn back to her, mouth agape. 

It occurs to you that you have never told the story before. Can you tell the story? Does this group know exactly what Yoongi does? They have to…right?

"I, uh…" you trail off, blinking heavily, unsure what to say. And then the absurdity of the situation hits you, and you start to laugh. It starts small—a chuckle working its way through your throat. But then you find yourself full-on laughing—closing your eyes and shaking your head as you sink back further into the booth as you attempt to catch your breath. 

Sohee lifts her brows, eager to hear what you have to say, and you swallow a lump and chuckle again, shaking your head some more. You suppose you could try to explain it without being explicit with the details.

"We met through a, uh…a mutual…" you trail off thinking about your ex-boyfriend, the spineless schmuck who sold you out for drug money. Good riddance, honestly. "A-and I just started going around him and the guys more, and…"

You can tell by the small, knowing smile that Sohee does not believe your story. Or, rather, that she knows it is bullshit, and that you are purposefully holding back all the actual details. She is polite enough not to say anything, at least. You laugh to yourself once more, giving up on continuing what you were saying.

It feels…odd…to be sitting in a public place with a stranger, having a plain, normal, everyday conversation. You had not realized how rare moments like these have been until it sinks in and settles over you like a blanket that is cool to the touch, not yet having had a chance to absorb your body heat. 

When your eyes move to the street once more, you see two people coming around the corner who are unfamiliar, but who are clearly walking in your direction and appear to be dressed the same way Sohee is, looking at you through the tall window. Fear spikes through you, setting every nerve on edge, and you tense up and turn to Sohee, feeling yourself tremble as you ask with wide eyes and shaking lips, "D-do you know th-those two?"

Sohee turns to glance over her shoulder and nods her chin at the men, winning her a nod in return. Then you see Namjoon, Yoongi, and the two men whose names you have already forgotten walk around the corner, making you relax. Yoongi has a smirk that you can identify even from this distance.

And then, to your surprise, Taehyung rounds the corner, walking with a long black trench coat over a three-piece suit and tie with the lapels of the jacket pulled up over his neck, followed by Jeongguk, who is dressed head to toe in black leather and denim. What on earth are they doing here?

All eight of them approach the restaurant, and one of the people who you had not met, a shorter person with shoulder-length dark, wavy hair and bangs hanging into their eyes, pops their head into the diner and smiles as they say, "Shall we go celebrate?"

When you look between them and Sohee, wondering what the person means by go celebrate, she laughs while gesturing around with her arm out. 

"There is no food or drink to be had here. This place is a front."

"Oh," you respond, feeling silly because of course it is a front; there is nothing on the windows or door to indicate that this place serves food at all. 

Everyone enters the diner and files through the tall steel door behind Sohee, and you stand to make your way to the group in time for the terror twins to enter the building. Yoongi and Namjoon give you a smile before following the others, and Jeongguk falls into step behind you as Taehyung drapes his arm over your shoulder in a surprising show of friendliness, leading the two of you into a kitchen.

On the far wall there is a stove, several metal countertops, and a tall steel fridge. Dishes are stacked on shelves, and there is a small pantry shelf with boxes that you imagine are either empty or full of expired food products, such as oils, sugars, and so on. 

The man with the green buzzcut walks to a tall, steel walk-in cooler door, pulls out a set of keys, and unlocks it. Then he pulls it open and enters through a curtain of thick vinyl strips, and everyone follows one after the other. You imagine that the giant cooler you are entering is not in operation, but you hug your arms around yourself a little tighter, grateful for the warmth of Taehyung at your side.  

"How was the flight here?" Taehyung asks, voice deep and soft, giving you a chill as he reaches out and parts the vinyl for you to walk through.

The room you enter looks like a walk-in cooler, for all intents and purposes, with metal racks along the left and right walls. But the cooling mechanism is shut off, leaving the dark room stiflingly humid, and straight ahead, there is a doorway, through which the group has already begun to walk. 

"It was good," you respond, "Yoongi's plane is nice."

Taehyung hums and gives you a squeeze before letting his arm fall from your shoulder, hand running down your back before his touch disappears entirely. "You should fly in mine sometime," he says before falling back a step and letting you continue through a much smaller doorway ahead. 

The narrow door leads into a short, narrow hallway, which opens into a large room that looks like something out of a movie. The carpeting is maroon and gold, much like what you might see in the hallway of a five-star hotel, and all the furnishings are red leather, dark wood, and gold. A garish crystal chandelier hangs over the room, and four large red couches surround a massive glass table in the center of the space. 

Gold and jade green sconces dot the walls, along with an eclectic array of paintings and tapestries hanging here and there, and spread throughout the space is a collection of furniture pieces, vases, statues, and other tchotchkes from various cultures, some seeming Korean and others less recognizable. You get the sense that this group of people is rather chaotic, and the fact that they seem to mesh well together while staying in a place with this level of organized anarchy just makes sense. 

Everyone kicks out of their shoes and boots and makes their way to the sofas while the two men you met earlier walk over to what looks like a bar on the far left wall. You take your place on the furthest couch from the door, with Yoongi and Namjoon to your left, and Jeongguk and Taehyung to your right. Sohee and the two you have not met sit on the couch to the left, and the two men you met earlier return, hugging bottles of champagne in each arm and carrying stacks of highball glasses. 

"I forgot the guys' names," you mutter, leaning toward Yoongi, who wraps an arm around your lower back and rubs his palm soothingly up your side. 

"Uiseok and Wonjin," Yoongi responds softly, nodding to the men who approach, jogging your memory. 

Uiseok is slim and muscular, with pretty, sleepy features, smiling lazily through squinted eyes, appearing to be a bit stoned, and Wonjin has soft but defined features, with full lips that hang in a bit of a frown, and expressive eyes that also appear bloodshot and squinted. Both men wear the same dark mauve shirt and brown pants as the others, giving you a bit of a cult vibe, and you make a mental note to ask Yoongi about it later.

Yoongi lifts his hand and points his palm toward the two on the left who you had not yet been introduced to as he says, "And this is Chanhee and Seungmin."

You follow the movement of Yoongi's hand as he points out the other two, who sit on either side of Sohee, and they wave as you tell them your name. The one with long hair hanging over their eyes is Seungmin, and Chanhee has his hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, wearing wire-framed glasses over slightly elongated features. They both have light-colored button-ups tucked into dark slacks. 

As Uiseok and Wonjin pop open bottles of champagne, Yoongi leans forward to take glasses from the stacks, and sets them out around the table, in front of everyone. All but Jeongguk scoot forward in preparation for a toast, and you glance over your shoulder, checking to see whether he is paying attention. 

Jeongguk's expression is flat and his eyes are a bit glazed over as he stares ahead for several seconds before noticing you and meeting your gaze. He knits his brow and tilts his head slightly, and you interpret it as him asking what you want, so you lean back and shove your elbow into his leather-clad side until he grumbles softly and pushes you away. 

"What?" he mutters, and you lean back more to quietly ask, "What's the matter?"

With a shrug, Jeongguk mumbles, "Nothing," but his expression says otherwise, and you study him a few more seconds until he nods his chin to the glasses of champagne being poured. You concede to allowing Jeongguk to wallow in whatever is on his mind for now, resolved to press him for information in private later. 

"To the end of an era," Uiseok announces, taking you by surprise, and you turn to Yoongi, half expecting him to be displeased by what Uiseok says, but there is a wide smile on his face, pink gums on display as he reaches for a glass and holds it up. 

"Welcome to the family," Yoongi announces as he stands and holds his highball of champagne to the center, over the table. 

Everyone but Jeongguk follows suit immediately, and you reach for a glass and stand, holding it out while Yoongi leans back and instructs Jeongguk to get onto his feet and join the rest of you. Jeongguk clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth, then lets out a sigh as he grabs the last glass, standing in such a rush that he bumps into you. 

"S-sorry," he grumbles as a hand brushes over your lower back and then disappears, leaving a chill in its wake. 

"It's fine," you respond, turning your head toward Jeongguk but keeping your eyes forward. Clearly, something is bothering him, and you are becoming increasingly eager to know what it is.

"We are very happy to join the team, and honored that you trust us with the operations," Wonjin adds. "We believe that we will make the Korean empire even stronger, and look forward to seeing more of you guys."

You mutter cheers along with the others, tap your glass against as many as you can realistically reach, and then you drink back the tangy-sweet liquid, letting the bubbles settle on your tongue. Everyone erupts into excited chatter, save for Jeongguk, who sits back down on the couch with a huff. You sit beside him, not really feeling social and already disinterested in the boom of conversation. Despite Yoongi welcoming them to the family, you still feel very kept in the dark about everything that is happening, and listening in on overlapping voices is only making you feel tired. 

Jeongguk pulls a metal vial from the inner breast pocket of his jacket and hands it to you, so you wedge your glass between your knees and unscrew the top, then sniff back two small piles of cocaine, one into each nostril. When you hand it back to Jeongguk, his gaze is on you, soft and contemplative. You cock your head and ask, "What?" but he just shakes his head, sits forward, and reaches a thumb to gently brush just below your nose before taking his drugs back and inhaling two small piles of his own. 

Feeling self-conscious about Jeongguk's gesture, you lift a hand to rub under your nose while your eyes drift down to your lap, catching a small chuckle that Jeongguk lets out, pulling your attention back to him. He gently shakes his head, then leans forward and mutters, "I wanna get out of here."

You also want to get out of here, and you nod your head, then glance around, unsure where you might go. Luckily, Jeongguk stands and asks, "Is there somewhere I can go to get some fresh air?" leading Uiseok to point to a door at the far end of the room. 

Jeongguk leads the way, making a pitstop to grab his boots, and you stand and tilt into Yoongi saying, "I'm going to join him, okay?"

"Of course," Yoongi responds with a smile, then he leans toward the table, picks up a half-empty bottle of champagne, and hands it to you. "Take this."

Yoongi's hair is still wavy, just like it was when it was wet, but with a little more volume now that it has dried. You want to run your fingers through it and give it a little tug but resist the urge and instead take the champagne, swerving back for your shoes and following Jeongguk through a red doorway and out into another narrow hallway. This one is at least carpeted and leads to other rooms, and on the far end, there is a metal door that goes out to a street-level brick balcony. 

The street is quiet when you and Jeongguk step out, and you glance around, taking in tall brick buildings that seem to be more or less abandoned. It certainly is the perfect spot for whatever this group of people does to operate while hiding in plain sight, you suppose. 

"Brought you this," you say, handing Jeongguk the champagne. He appears to have left his glass inside and drinks straight from the bottle before handing it back to you. 

You happened to bring your drink with you, so you chug back the rest of your glass and set it into a potted waist-height tree, nestling it into the dirt for safekeeping before taking a swig from the bottle and turning to Jeongguk. He pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and uses his lips to yank one out, then fishes out a zippo lighter from the same pocket and flicks it to life. Jeongguk frowns slightly as he lights the cigarette, taking a deep breath and holding it in as his head tilts back and his eyes close. 

"Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?" you ask softly, testing the waters. 

Jeongguk lets out a huff of smoke and shrugs, keeping his gaze fixed on the street rather than looking at you. 

"Not really."

"Alright," you concede, not feeling particularly eager to push him. "Well, do you want to talk about anything? Or do you like to just sit and wallow in silence?"

This makes Jeongguk scoff, and he finally turns his gaze to you, reaching for the champagne, which you hand over after a little resistance. 

"And what would we talk about?" he asks with a sharp smirk.

You had not considered it before making the recommendation, and truth be told, you have no idea what the two of you would talk about. Does Jeongguk watch movies or listen to music? Does he have hobbies outside of his role within the family? What does he do in his spare time?

"Uh…" you try to think of something small to ease into getting to know one another and ask, "I don't know. Wh-what did you guys do on the flight here?"

Without breaking eye contact, Jeongguk says, "I snorted cocaine off Taehyung's dick and then he held me against the wall and fucked me."

Feeling somewhat stunned, you blink a few times and mutter, "Wh-what happens if the plane hits turbulence?" 

Jeongguk cracks a smile and takes a step closer, somewhat crowding your space and making your heart pound heavily. 

"While I'm snorting coke off his dick or while he's fucking me against the wall?"

"Ah-either way? I suppose?"

With a slight cock of his head, he says, "I guess in either instance, we end up making a mess."

"A mess?" you ask somewhat mindlessly, feeling your thought processes slow to a halt the closer Jeongguk gets. 

With an affirmative hum, Jeongguk advances, looming close while taking a drag from his cigarette and letting the smoke exit from the side of his mouth, as if being careful not to blow it in your face. His proximity makes your palms prickle, and you grip onto the champagne bottle, hugging it to your chest despite how dry your mouth is. A sweet, lightly floral scent blends with the smoke, feeling almost enticing in the way it surrounds you. 

"You're not shying away from me," he teases, and you glance back to find yourself cornered by a potted plant and brick on all sides. 

So you ask, "Where would I go?" in as much of a playful tone as you can muster, swallowing a lump when Jeongguk just shrugs and continues to advance, forcing you to take two steps backward until your heels hit the wall. Although your heart pounds, the high from the cocaine also calms you enough that you lean into the cold brick and attempt not to crumble under Jeongguk's intense, undivided attention.

Jeongguk is dreadfully pretty with his wavy dark hair growing past his ears. You wonder if he can pull it back into a ponytail, and what that must look like. There is a tiny mole under his bottom lip and a faint scar on his cheek, and you wonder if anyone presses soft kisses to those spots. You wonder if he would let you press a soft kiss to those spots.

And then, in a moment of clarity, you realize what is happening, and you lift a hand, place it on Jeongguk's chest, against the black tee he wears beneath the thick leather jacket, and you give him a firm shove, causing him to back up a couple steps. Jeongguk chuckles as he stumbles, and he reaches up to hold your hand in place on his chest, taking you by surprise as the warmth of his hand engulfs yours. 

You turn your head to the side so you can lift the bottle and take a long drink, then you hand it off to Jeongguk, who watches you with the same soft expression he had when you were sitting inside with everyone else. 

"What?" you challenge as he takes the champagne and has a drink, sloshing the diminishing liquid contents loudly inside. "Why do you look at me like that? What is on your mind? Is something on my face?"

Jeongguk laughs and squeezes your hand, then he drops his hand to his side and shakes his head. You take back the bottle but watch him for his response before having another drink. 

"You just seem much more relaxed," he finally says. "You don't look like a scared little dear anymore."

With a deep sigh, you drop your hand from Jeongguk's chest and lift one foot to anchor it against the brick wall. 

"What's with all of you and comparing me to animals? Deer, wolf, lamb, dove…"

"You're right," Jeongguk responds with a mischievous smile. "Buttercup suits you more."

"Oh, fuck off," you grumble, lifting your hand to shove at Jeongguk again. 

This time, he stumbles backward, clutching his chest while laughing, and you laugh along, tipping the bottle back to get the last of the champagne. Liquid nearly dribbles past your lips as you realize you underestimated how much was inside, and you pull the bottle away with barely any left, which Jeongguk swipes from you and finishes. Sheepishly, you wipe at the sides of your mouth using the back of your hand. 

Jeongguk flicks the rest of his barely smoked cigarette into the street and then looks out into the dark city with a hint of a frown. You follow his line of sight and stand in silence, letting the cool but humid night air settle to your bones. 

The street is scarce of life, with only overgrown plants taking over the sides of buildings, but nothing intentional or tended to with care. Whenever a small gust of wind picks up, you hear the sound of a metal sign creak and slam against a post, but otherwise, the only noise is the call of crickets. The night feels calm, and, to your surprise, being somewhere unfamiliar does not spark fear in your chest. Perhaps it is due, in part, to Jeongguk's company making you feel safe.

You are unsure how long you stand and stare out into the somewhat dilapidated urban sprawl of forgotten brick, concrete, and metal, but when Jeongguk speaks up, it takes you a bit by surprise. 

"Are you happy living in the mansion?" he asks, and you turn to stare at the side of his face for a moment, equal parts stunned and endeared by his consideration. 

You must take too long to respond, and he turns to you, fixing you with a curious gaze and making you feel put on the spot. 

"Yeah, I guess so," you mutter, feeling the urge to fidget with the ends of your shirt sleeves. "I'm getting used to it."

"That's good," Jeongguk responds as his gaze falls, and he peers out into the street again. "I guess."

Perhaps you should speak more positively about life at the mansion. You are getting used to it and becoming much closer to Yoongi and Namjoon. Despite the somewhat harrowing events that recently took place, you have not had the desire to run for the hills. You have considered it, but you have no idea where you would go; it seems your life belongs to the mansion, now. 

But the presence of another pulls you from your thoughts, and you turn to find Taehyung peeking his head through the doorway, glancing between you and Jeongguk. His eyes are bloodshot, and his lips are pulled into a pretty, droopy smile. 

"Am I interrupting something?" he mumbles, and you shake your head while Jeongguk rolls his eyes, saying, "You wish, hyung," in a deep teasing tone that suddenly makes you feel like a third wheel. 

"We're gonna head out soon," Taehyung says, standing straight and resting his head against the door frame. "How do you feel about getting a suite and leaving in the morning?"

With a shrug, Jeongguk says, "Whatever you want," and although his expression does not give him away, his voice does—sweet and caring, willing to accommodate. 

"You and the doom boys are welcome to join us," Taehyung says as he turns his attention to you, waggling his eyebrows.

It is your turn to roll your eyes, and you almost question the silly nickname that you assume is meant for Yoongi and Namjoon, but Taehyung stands up straight and turns, walking back through the hallway before you have a chance to open your mouth. Jeongguk follows behind with the spent bottle of champagne in his grasp, and you grab your empty highball glass from the tree pot and follow, closing the door behind you. 

When you return to the main room, Yoongi is laying back against the red leather couch with his face tipped to the ceiling, laughing so hard at something that his eyes are screwed shut, and he holds onto his stomach. On the table before him is a mess of empty champagne bottles, open switchblades, and a pile of cocaine.

The stench of marijuana and tobacco fills the air, and everyone seems to be in a fit of laughter, muttering about something you cannot begin to parse. Namjoon notices your return and stands, announcing that the five of you are going to head out, and begins to hug everyone goodbye as the conversations fade and stop. 

It takes Yoongi a moment to get up, and he is still doubled over when he stands, sniffling while wiping at his bloodshot eyes. When he sees you and his smile widens, you feel your heart pound rapidly in your chest. Yoongi is so beautiful, and in moments like this—when he can unabashedly be Min Yoongi, the ordinary person, and not some figurehead whose life is in danger—you think you could actually, fully, unequivocally love him.

"Ready, darling?" Yoongi asks, stumbling slightly as he approaches and wraps his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into a tight hug.

"Ready when you are," you respond, keeping your arms to your sides because, although you are comfortable with the family men, showing affection with the audience of the others makes you uncomfortable. Yoongi does not seem to mind, holding just a moment longer before bending to slide into his boots.

You wave and bow goodbye to your hosts as the five of you exit the main room and walk through the narrow hallway, into the cooler. Taehyung is at the lead, and he opens the tall steel cooler door, holding it for everyone to walk through, then takes the rear while Jeongguk leads the group through the kitchen, into the diner. 

"We should probably sober up for the other flight," Namjoon suggests, and Yoongi hums in response from behind you while gently placing a hand on your hip. 

"We're getting a suite," Taehyung responds as the five of you walk out onto the street. "You're welcome to crash there until you are ready to go."

Despite feeling comfortable on the balcony earlier, walking out onto the mostly empty and unfamiliar street makes you tense up, and you look around as you go across to the other side, toward the corner everyone came around earlier, checking for vehicles and for people standing in windows. There is no sign of anyone around, but discomfort quakes through you as you wonder whether you are being watched or if the fear of being watched is just psyching you out to the point of paranoia. 

The conversation between the men is all but lost on you until Yoongi gives your side a squeeze and asks, "Darling?"

"Hmm?" you respond, glancing to the side as he tugs you closer. 

"Do you feel up to going back with them for a few hours?"

At this point, you just want to get off the street, and you are not overly concerned with where you wind up. So you say, "Sure," and give Yoongi a half smile, hoping it is enough to convince him that you are open to whatever they want to do. He does seem to be more intoxicated than you, although the champagne is beginning to catch up and make you feel a bit too light and also too heavy on your feet, swaying the world around you ever so slightly. 

When you round the corner, there is a large SUV sitting next to the white and red car that Uiseok drove, and the five of you clamber in, with Yoongi and Namjoon sandwiching you in the backseat while Taehyung sits in the passenger seat, and Jeongguk takes over driving. The vehicle is just like the ones the men drive back home, and memories of the other night—collisions and gunfire—come flooding back, causing nausea to stir in your guts. 

Jeongguk takes off while Taehyung thumbs around on his phone and then begins to give directions. You wonder if the place they plan to stay at is somewhere familiar to them, or if Taehyung found something spur of the moment. It only takes about fifteen minutes for you to reach your destination, and Jeongguk gets out first while Taehyung sits back in his seat and lets out a deep sigh. 

"He's gonna make sure our room is available," he mutters, which only raises more questions than it answers. 

Several minutes pass before Taehyung's phone dings. He groans as he tips his head forward to check the notification, then nods, says, "Let's get it," and opens his door to stumble out into the street. 

You, Yoongi, and Namjoon exit, while Jeongguk returns with a hotel staff member who climbs into the front seat, presumably to drive it into a parking stall. Jeongguk removes two tall black suitcases from the trunk and places a palm on each one as he leans slightly forward and steers them through the glass front door, which slides open to the left and right as he approaches. Yoongi wraps an arm around Taehyung's upper back to guide him, and Namjoon takes your hand in his as you follow a foot or so behind. 

"Remember this moment," Namjoon mutters, leaning close to your ear, "you will never see Taehyung this drunk again."

"What happened to him?" you ask, trying to imagine how much a person could possibly drink in the timeframe you were outside. 

With a deep, amused laugh, Namjoon says, "Knife game. Wonjin bet that Taehyung couldn't stab a knife between his fingers as fast as he could. The loser had to chug a full bottle of champagne."

You struggle to imagine Taehyung being so reckless, and you regret not getting to see it for yourself, smiling at the thought of cocky Taehyung failing to poke the tip of a blade quickly between each of his spread fingers in front of everyone. 

"So he got waisted, and he cut himself?" you ask.

"Yup! He nicked the side of his thumb!" Namjoon responds cheerfully, making you laugh. 

The five of you walk through a somewhat luxurious lobby full of potted plants and decorative rugs. But all you pay attention to is your own feet and the backs of the feet in front of you as you imagine Taehyung and Wonjin playing the knife game for a captive audience. Is this what mafia men do for fun? It seems childish, but somehow, you find it a bit endearing. 

As you all get into the large elevator, Jeongguk uses a keycard to access the top floor, and although you are getting used to the influence these men have, you are still a bit surprised that the room happened to be available. Taehyung did refer to it as their room; do they own it?

The elevator opens straight into the penthouse suite, which is furnished mostly white and tan, with light wood and silver accents, lit by simple, round overhead fixtures. The room itself is not too flashy, appearing somewhat lived in with a variety of plants that seem tended to, but bare of personal belongings like books or photographs. Taehyung kicks out of his untied boots and stumbles off to the right, and Jeongguk wheels the suitcases a few feet into the suite before releasing them, kicking out of his boots, and going over to the large white couch in the middle of the space. 

An enormous glass wall overlooks the neighborhood below, and you glance out from across the room to see lights shine from the streets, some belonging to cars passing by and others a more permanent glow. Shoes and boots are left behind as Namjoon and Yoongi make their way to the open-concept kitchen, which is just to the left, and begin to rummage around, seemingly pleased to find the fridge is stocked with baijiu. Unsure what to do, you approach the couch and stand behind it, resting against the back with your arms folded over your chest. 

Although you could keep drinking, you are unsure whether it would be in poor taste to go on when both hosts seem out of it—Taehyung having gone off to who-knows-where and Jeongguk sitting on the couch with his head tilted to the ceiling and his eyes closed. You wonder if whatever was bothering him before continues to weigh on his mind. 

"Jeonggukah," Namjoon calls, earning a groan from the youngest. "Come on, sooner or later, you need to speak your mind."

"Don't want to right now," Jeongguk grumbles, sounding petulant.

"Don't be like this, Jeongguk," Yoongi teases as he brings four small baijiu bottles from the kitchen and sets them on the wooden table in front of Jeongguk. "Handing over drug operations does not mean you are getting demoted. I just need you by my side more, and I can't have you getting distracted with petty shit."

"I liked my duties," Jeongguk grumbles quietly, mostly to himself, and suddenly, it all makes sense. The responsibilities of handling the drug operations must have been passed off to Uiseok and his team, leaving Jeongguk to feel like he is being replaced.

Yoongi takes a seat to Jeongguk's right, and Namjoon sits to Yoongi's right, leaving the space to Jeongguk's left open, so you round the couch and approach slowly, first sitting on the armrest because this feels like a conversation that you are unsure you should participate in. But Yoongi reaches over Jeongguk's lap and pats the couch, grumbling for you to get comfortable, so you slide to the cushion and sit with your legs angled toward the men. 

Namjoon busies himself with opening the bottles and sliding them along the table to everyone, and you glance between him and Yoongi before asking, "I thought the goal was to sober up."

"After this drink," he responds with a grin, instantly winning you over with his dimples. 

You are in no rush, with nowhere to go until you are told it is time to leave, so you nod and smile, conceding to another drink. The champagne has made you tipsy, but you are far from drunk, despite never getting fed. 

Deciding you are tired of Jeongguk being a somber lump, you lean and nudge him with your elbow, right into the ribs, causing him to lift his arm as if to swat you away, stopping mid-air with his hand raised and giving you a mock-threatening glare. He looks so adorable you break into laughter, nudging him more and more, tauntingly.

With a wide, incredulous stare, Jeongguk mutters, "Do you want to die?" and that sets you off, making you laugh so hard you double over practically onto his lap. 

Yoongi and Namjoon join in on the laughter, clearly only serving to frustrate Jeongguk more, who firmly but playfully takes you by the biceps with both hands and shoves you away, toward the corner of the couch, muttering under his breath.

Jeongguk's smoke-filled floral scent is intoxicating, and you find yourself falling momentarily pliant with his hands on you, sinking back into the white leather. But then he releases you, and you have the sudden urge once more to push all of his buttons. 

Luckily, Yoongi distracts you by handing you a bottle of baijiu, followed by Jeongguk handing you a vial of cocaine. You take a long swig from the bottle, pleased by its tangy umami blend of citrus and floral notes, then you bend and reach forward to set it on the table and begin to unscrew the vial. 

Taking two tiny piles of white powder into your nose should not feel so good. Perhaps it is the way the lingering flavor of the baijiu fills your senses, or you have grown accustomed to the bitterness of the coke, but as soon as it hits your sinuses and begins to trickle down your throat, you feel alive, tingling with exhilaration from head to toe. 

When Jeongguk takes the vial back, his fingers engulf yours before sliding away, and you hold your breath, scared to gasp, or worse, exhale while letting out a sound. It was not long ago that Jeongguk's very presence was an annoyance, and here he is, affecting you in a way you had not expected.

Perhaps it was better when he was determined to be mean. Then again, with the way you behaved toward him in the mansion the other day, bringing up his noona kink to tease him in front of the others, can you really blame him for wanting to taunt you—if that is what he is doing.

Your heart races so hard, you bend once more, reaching for your baijiu to take a drink. Suddenly, your throat feels so dry again. Suddenly, the chill glass of the bottle feels cold against your fingertips, causing you to shiver as you settle back and take a drink. You wonder how long you are going to be at this suite and whether or not Namjoon meant it when he said you would sober up after this bottle, or if their plans are so loose that literally anything could happen.

To make matters worse, Taehyung comes into the room, still with a bit of a wobble, but much more cognizant than he had been moments before. He appears to have quickly showered, and wears only a pair of grey sweatpants, squeezing his wet hair with a white towel as he surveys the scene before him with a lazy smile.  

"Not doing anything without me, I hope?" he teases, words drawling lazily. 

"Just cocaine and baijiu," Namjoon supplies in a chipper, golden retriever fashion that makes your heart flutter. 

"I thought I heard giggling," Taehyung adds as he rounds the couch and sits on the arm to your left, effectively caging you in between himself and the others. 

Jeongguk hums and leans into you, knocking your shoulder and causing you to nearly crash into Taehyung's hip. You feel completely thrown off your axis as you wobble, wondering if the baijiu is having a profound enough effect on you to actually make you drunk or if it is caused by Jeongguk's change in demeanor.

"Buttercup was causing trouble," Jeongguk teases, making you gasp and turn to him, affronted.

"I—wh—you!" you stammer, unable to find the words to express just how much it was Jeongguk causing the trouble while you were merely a bystander—a lie, but one you are willing to defend with your honor.

"It was both of them," Yoongi says, leaning forward to make playful eye contact and effectively finding himself at the very top of your shit list. 

You fix Yoongi with your best serious gaze, muttering, "How…very…dare you," as you attempt to ignore Jeongguk's eyes burning into you the way that they do.

"The tension between them is palpable," Namjoon teases, making you gasp and flounder around syllables that never come because Yoongi adds, "You two should just kiss already," causing every hair on your body to stand up.

"Very funny," you say at the same time Jeongguk whines, "Hyungs, please," under his breath, sounding embarrassed.

With a heavy, defeated sigh, you chug back the rest of your baijiu, wiping your lips off with the back of your hand as you lean forward and place the empty down with a hollow thunk. You need to exit this suite before you wind up doing something stupid.

"Well, I finished my drink," you announce, staring at Namjoon, "so I suppose we can go, now!"

"But we still have our drinks," Yoongi pouts, holding up a bottle that is more than half full. 

Taehyung's voice is deep and far too steady for how inebriated he seems as he asks, "Why are you in such a rush, buttercup?" and you turn to find him practically draped over the arm of the couch, leaning with his elbow anchored on the backrest, propping his head up. 

The alcohol and cocaine combination makes you bold enough to face the elephant in the room, and you clear your throat before saying, "Probably because the four of you are menaces and for the sake of my sanity, I need to get the fuck out of here."

"Interesting," Yoongi drawls, and you turn to him with a pointed stare as you ask, "What?"

"Jeonggukie has the power to drive you insane," Yoongi responds without missing a beat, lips curling the way they always do when he is being particularly devious. "Why don't we explore this?"

You stare at Yoongi in a long silence, finally turning to Jeongguk only when the tension feels too thick to ignore. He gazes at you with that familiar soft expression, and you swallow a lump that has gathered in your throat.

"What are your thoughts?" you ask him before you can think better of it.

Jeongguk seems stunned by the question, staring unblinkingly for several seconds before blinking rapidly as if coming out of a trance. Then he licks his lips, and, like an idiot, you follow the movement. The way Jeongguk smiles tells you he noticed you looking, and suddenly, his sweet expression is replaced by a cocky one.

"Why?" he asks, tilting his head and making a show of looking down at your lips and back up. "You thinking about kissing me, or something?"

If he weren't such a brat, perhaps you would be willing to admit to the truth, but with this attitude, you scoff and roll your eyes, muttering, "You wish," under your breath.

"Find out," Jeongguk challenges, taking you by surprise.

You begin to ask, "What?" but he cuts you off, leaning forward until your lips are less than a foot apart. 

"Make your move, buttercup. Find out just how badly I wish you would kiss me."

When you glance over at Yoongi and Namjoon, they both have eager smiles, watching with their lips parted in concentration. Jeongguk's eyes seem to stay on you—or if they stray, it is too fast for you to notice—and you lean forward, challenging his resolve.

"Now why would I do something like that?" you ask, noticing the way Jeongguk's brow and lips quirk. The movement is slight, but you recognize it as frustration. 

Jeongguk is clearly not used to this kind of provocation, and it seems to be bothering him that you are not immediately willing to cave. This is the second time in a couple of days that you have pushed his buttons, but this time, he does not seem inclined to storm away. 

Slowly, Jeongguk lifts a hand, reaching just below your chin, but stopping before making contact. The warmth from his skin feels electric—like a charge zipping through the air and connecting the two of you. You concede just enough to lean into the touch, allowing Jeongguk's fingertips to graze your cheek, causing his pupils to dilate. 

With the warmth of Jeongguk's gentle contact, you feel emboldened, and you tilt your head to the side just enough to brush your lips over the heel of his hand, hearing as his breath catches in his throat.

"As much as I enjoy our banter, I am growing a little weary," you mutter, lips dragging over his palm before you return his hand to your cheek. "It's fine if you don't want to kiss me; I won't be offended. But if you really do want to kiss me, then just do it already."

Jeongguk's eyes widen, and you think for a split moment that he might back off and call it a night. But then he uses his fingertips against your cheek to guide you toward him, meeting in the middle until his lips are against yours and he is swallowing your gasp whole. 

It comes as no surprise that Jeongguk instantly nips and sucks at your lip, slowly but with enough force that it has you whimpering and dropping your mouth open wide. Wasting no time, Jeongguk licks into your mouth, groaning deeply and forcing a gasp from you as tangy baijiu and stinky cigarette smoke coat your tongue in an enticing tangle.

Despite how languid his movements are, there is an eagerness behind each of them, filling your mouth with his tongue until your lips are stretched wide before teasing your bottom lip with his teeth, alternating in fluid, dizzying motions. Arousal shimmers through your bloodstream like glitter, and you lift your hands to grip onto his leather jacket to hold him close, keeping your mouth open for him to use and explore, swallowing his soft groans and whines. 

Kissing Jeongguk feels cathartic somehow—as if the months of bickering and tension have been washed away, and all that is left is the two of you sitting open and raw and ready to be vulnerable with one another. Although the thought of it absolutely terrifies you, it also thrills you, and you whimper against his mouth, feeling yourself completely slip from any semblance of control you thought you might have been able to hold onto. 

Now that you have had a taste of Jeongguk, will it be enough? Or will you need to satiate a greater hunger? You are not sure that you are ready for it, just yet.

With a gasp, you break the kiss, tilting your chin downward, doing your best to steady your frantic heart. You tip your head forward just long enough to press a soft kiss against the mole beneath his lip, then lean your forehead against his. Jeongguk chases after your lips before seemingly coming to his senses and backing off, but staying close by, forehead still resting gently against yours.

Suddenly, you are exhausted. The weight of everything that has culminated to get to this point feels heavy and thick, and you find yourself succumbing quickly to its whim. 

"Sorry," you mutter, unable to fight the urge to apologize. "I feel really tired. I think we should stop."

Jeongguk nods his head, swallowing visibly, and you are unsure whether you detect disappointment, or if he is simply tired, as well. 

"We have two rooms," Taehyung offers softly, and suddenly, you remember that there are three other men who have been watching everything. 

Warmth floods your cheeks, and you release Jeongguk's jacket, dropping your hands to your lap as you nod and say, "Thanks, Tae."

Everyone seems frozen in place, waiting for someone to make the first move, so you do it, turning away from Jeongguk and scooting to the edge of the couch before standing on shaking legs and glancing around, unsure where to go. 

Yoongi gets the hint and stands, nodding toward the wall directly behind you as he says, "That way," so you nod and turn, walking several steps in that direction before rethinking your decision to just run away from the situation at hand. At the very least, you should say something. 

"Thanks for letting us stay," you begin, giving Taehyung a bow of your head and a smile before locking eyes with Jeongguk. "And thanks for…that…for finally doing that. We should talk about it later, but...it was nice."

You feel somewhat embarrassed by your inability to just say the words you want to say, but decide it is enough; you are tired. So you turn toward the bedroom and walk in that direction, not bothering to switch on any lights as sleep claws at every edge of you, dragging you down, down, down. 

In a last-ditch effort to get comfortable, and since your suitcase is still tucked away on Yoongi's plane, you get undressed in the dark room and climb into bed wearing only your underwear. The blanket is cool to the touch, and you shiver as you scoot into the center and cover yourself completely, waiting for the others to join. It does not take long, but you are already half asleep when warm arms engulf you in the form of familiar limbs on either side. You hope that tonight, you do not have any nightmares.

Someday, what I need Someday, what I dream 우리의 청춘이 진한 술 같으니 our youth is like strong liquor 달콤함이여 sweetness 오 독기여 oh, poison 붉은 피 같은 술 내려주소서 please serve me a red-blooded drink 우리의 청춘이 진한 술 같으니 our youth is like strong liquor

마셔라 쭉쭉 술이 들어가 drink it up, alcohol comes in 파워업 다 드루와 bitch don't kill my vibe power up, come on, bitch down kill my vibe

🎵 visit the playlist!

they kissssseddddd!!!! i know some of you are going to kill me for only making them kiss, but, listen: i like to build tension. and make you cry a little, too.

at the end of the last chapter, a lot of people asked after Jimin! he's off living his best life, so don't stress! he is not the kind of character to join the others in a gunfight, so having him there didn't seem right. we will see him again, soon!

shout out to Yoongi for the Haegeum video & photos! i was worried i would have to photoshop that scar onto a more recent photo in a few chapters, and he did all the work for me...😈😈😈

stream sos by balming tiger! thanks, bye!

tag list: @afangirllikeme-blog @angel-121 @artgukk @btsiguess-kpop @bts-ficreviews @che-er-ful @codeinebelle @curryshesus @dasexydevitt13 @giriiboyy @fringe-frank @illnevertrustmyselfagain @jalexad @kissme-ornot @leanimal90 @likeshatteredrainbowglass @m1sss1mp​ @mayeolorie @mgthecat @mushroom-main @mwitsmejk @openup-yourmind @pamzn @sleepilysworld @stocking221 @spookyminyunki​ @thelilbutifulthings @valhallawhispers 🗡️ comment or dm to be added!

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Collateral is copyright 2022-2023 theharrowing, all rights reserved. Don’t be a silent reader!

[house-of-slayterr]

Apologies that I'm just now talking about your recent Mags fig (amazing btw). I'm literally screaming my lungs out! Barry and Oliver already exist! Ahhh! The possible chapters are literally movie-ing(?) in my brain rn. I love how Mags is finally the bad bitch she is!! Ha! Take that Gotham! And Jim? You are sooo getting a spanking 😑 Like- how could you??? Are you that dumb?!?!

Anywayyyyy.. I am utterly convinced that [name] is just going to be batman/woman/non-binary hoe in this story and take Maggie as like a Robin? And I'm just imagining her passing the bat down to Maggie, and Maggie passing it down to Bruce. Yk wut? I'm gonna write a headcanon about this cause I love Bad bitch Maggie!!!

And Victor, you are also getting a spanking. And not the good kind:) Better make sure [name] likes your kid or the kid is getting yeeted out the window~

Oh, Jim is totally getting his ass beat when he heals from his gunshot wound. If there is one thing Maggie learned from her brother, its how to give a good speech. She's going overprotective, ex-girlfriend on his ass. She'll tell him to stop being a hero all the time, and prioritise himself.

But, Maggie is also about to get her ass beat by Basil. The fact that she kept her business with Ivy a secret for so long, everyone is going to be mad. But she'll con her way out of it because everyone loves her. I love the idea of her being an evil robin and training Bruce and possibly even Selena. Maybe that is where he gets the idea to have a robin from.

I'm imagining future Maggie coming back to Gotham to see Bruce all grown, and meeting all his little Robins. She would adore Jason and Damien so much.

I feel like Y/N won't mind Victor's kid. She's self-sufficient and doesn't feel the need to connect with her father. So she won't get in the way. She can protect herself physically cause she knows how to fight. So neither of them would have to worry about her. She is also quite witty and sassy like her father, so she probably causes mischief with Oswald. Which would make Y/N amused by her. Van probably hangs out with Basil and Maggie more. Omg, Imagine Mags introducing her to Bruce. They could train together. Like Victor is Van's father, but she just lives with bruce and is raised by Alfred.

She just comes and visits her dad when she wants to cause some chaos, or visit Maggie.

[liliplayschoices]

Do you have any headcanons for your ILITW MC?

My giiiiiiiirl 😍

I have a ton of headcanons for her ^^ most of them also include Andy though I gotta be honest so he might pop up a lot here 😂 also this is absolutely ramble-y because I just dumped all my thoughts here so... sorry about that lmao (also im on mobile so I can't use a read more, sorry xD)

Okay so I know in the events of the book, we don't see her interacting with other people at school but I think these weeks aren't representative of what her life looks like normally. I see her as an introvert, she won't enjoy big parties often or anything but she still has a really amiable nature so people tend to be friends with her easily.

I think Devon is a pretty artistic girl. She loves to read fantasy and sci fi, she loves to cosplay, maybe she's a theater kid, too. I think she draws too, but I don't know what kind of art she prefers (as in, digital, street art, painting,.... I don't know haha)

When the story starts she's had a crush on Andy for a little while now. Nothing major, mind you, but yeah, teenage crush, blushing when she sees him, that kinda stuff, you know ^^ so when they start hanging out again it comes naturally between them pretty fast.

When Andy is in the hospital after the events of the book (and after that when he's stuck at home until he gets better), she comes to hang out with him a lot. More often than not, Tom is there too, so the two of them become pretty close, they realize they have a lot in common so they hang out at school too and become close friends (yes I am ignoring the ILB canon that Tom doesn't know her well. I don't care.)

Anyway so the three of them play a toooon of video games during that time which leads to a tradition of game night for the three of them and it gets pretty intense, cause Andy gets super competitive 😂 ( @the-unconquered-queen and I talked about game night a few times and now I can't let go of this HC ^^)

And of course there are also a lot of times when Tom isn't there, so they basically have little date nights together, watching movies and shows. Devon brings junk food to him when he's in the hospital (the nurses know but they let it happen lmao) and she curls up on his bed and they watch movies on her laptop (cause the hospital tv never has anything interesting) and it's soooo cute cause they didnt really... get official at that point you know, but then they just start dating and falling in love and all 😍

Anywayyyyy back to Devon. So I think she never truly heals from what happened. She always felt like Jane's death was her fault, and even if rationally she knows that what Noah did isn't her fault, she can't help but feel guilty over it. So that's why she starts going into the woods again.

I think she never really held Noah responsible for what happened, because of her own guilt. Like, objectively she knows what he did was wrong but she also feels like it's her fault if Jane is dead so that's why she forgives him for his actions pretty quickly

She starts doing a lot of research into how she could help him, and the Power in general. She doesn't go to college after high school, but she starts working at the local library pretty soon and gets a little obsessed. After a while, she does starts college (to study graphic design), but she doesn't seem to be able to move on from Noah and wanting to free him. She doesn't focus much on studies because she can't get rid of her guilt and obsession to make things right.

She ultimately tells the rest of the group and it does not go well. Especially with Andy. They've been dating for years at this point but this is the biggest fight they ever have. I think Andy is the kind of guy who holds a grudge so he would still be pissed at Noah, and there's the added layer of him feeling like Devon didnt trust him and put herself in danger needlessly and he's scared that he might have lost her without knowing it. They do work it out after a while because ultimately they love each other enough to work through it but yeah, that happens and it's a pretty big fight.

I feel like most of the rest of the group are mad but they come around to helping her at some point. Ava is immediately jumping at the chance to help Devon with all the supernatural research and stuff.

Dan has another approach. He can see that what Devon does is pretty unhealthy because of how she's clinging to the past, so he tries to help her work through her guilt and her trauma. It does help, and she becomes less obsessed after a while (she's still hell-bent on freeing Noah's spirit but she also starts moving on in other aspects of her life, paying attention in class, thinking about the future,...)

Oh total change of subject lmao but you know how Andy is in college on a basketball scholarship? Yeah so I think Andy would be a total frat bro 😂 like, he'd go to frat parties and do keg stands and stupid harmless dares and stuff. You know the type of guy. So Devon goes to frat parties because she knows he loves it despite it not reslly being her scene ^^ but she stills ends up having fun and does make friends with Andy's friends too

Also she gets into the habit of stealing and wearing his basketball jacket ( I got @kingkangs on board with this one and i will get the whole fandom to accept Devon wearing Andy's basketball jacket) and he says he minds, but... you know... He really doesn't ;)

To be honest, I feel like Devon would never truly be able to move on while Noah was still trapped, she would still feel obligated to help him. So I imagine that after a long time, they do manage to free his spirit (I don't know how okay I'm not writing IL3 😂 let's just say they do!)

So after that, she starts truly thinking of the future. She starts looking for a long-term job, Andy and her move in together after college.

They still have game nights with Tom on the regular (Harper, my ILB MC, joins them cause her and Tom are dating ^^) and Andy is still super competitive cause that hasn't changed 😂

Devon still loves cosplay so she convinces Andy to go to conventions with her and he's like "....fine I'll do it" begrudgingly but once he's there he's having a blast 😂

Anyway I think that's pretty much it for now! I rambled a lot, sorry... But you did ask! That was super fun so thank youu for your ask!!!

[oikawasass]

shinsou taking care of his girlfriend when she’s sick? pleaassse

my first shinsou request…

it’s. SHOWTIMEEEE.

drink the cough medicine!

‣ pairing : shinsou x reader.

‣ oneshot.

‣ synopsis : y/n lands herself a cold after deciding not to wear her jacket in the snow, and shinsou does his best to help her feel better.

‣ wordcount : 1.1k+

‣ warnings : light swearing.

“I told you to wear your jacket y-”

“ACHOO.”

“-yesterday.”

A small sniffle came from the girl in front of him, wrapped up in a pile of soft blankets like a fluffy burrito. Y/n stuck her bottom lip out in a small pout, avoiding eye contact with her purple-haired boyfriend.

See, it was currently the middle of December, just about it the most bitter time of winter. Y/n and Shinsou had decided to go out the day prior, looking at Christmas decorations around the city and whatnot since the holidays were just around the corner.

Y/n decided not to wear her jacket, as it, “Didn’t match her fit.” in her own words. Despite all the protests of her boyfriend, and the boy attempting to give his jacket to her in the cold, she refused.

Now here she was, stuck in bed with a cold.

“It wasn’t even that cold out…” She retaliated, rubbing at her red toned nose with another tissue, tossing it in the full trash can beside her bed when she was finished.

Shinsou shook his head and playfully rolled his eyes. “It was cold enough to get you sick, obviously.” “I’m not sick!”

The violet haired boy cocked a brow, folding his arms over his chest before pointing to the thermometer on her bedside table, the trash bin full of tissues and empty juice boxes, and finally to the hermit that was his girlfriend. “Right, you’re not sick. You just take your temperature and blow your nose till it’s red because you’re bored.” He said sarcastically, a small smirk tugging at his lips whilst he spoke. Y/n opened her mouth to speak, only be interrupted by another loud sneeze echoing through her dorm.

“…..Okay so maybe I’m a little under the weather.” she pouted some more, crossing her arms under her cocoon of blankets. Hitoshi chuckled softly to himself, making his way to the door of her room.

“Go take a shower, I’ll make you something to eat for when you’re finished.”

“What if I’m not hungry?”

“Get hungry then, you need to eat.”

“I can make something m-”

Before she could vouch for herself, Shinsou exited the room.

————

“I’m not drinking it.”

“You’re gonna be sick a lot longer if you don’t.”

“Good, I’d rather die.”

“Y/n.”

“Hitoshi.“

"Drink the cold medicine.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Please?”

“Nope.”

“Just-”

“Not even a little bit.”

Shinsou sighed heavily, dropping his head to look down at his crossed legs. He’d been trying to get her to drink this spoonful of medicine for a solid five minutes now, and she wouldn’t budge. And Hitoshi was getting frustrated.

“I’ll give you a kiss if you do?”

Y/n seemed to consider it for a moment, before sticking her nose back up to the liquid the same way she’s been doing it all along. “You’ll give me a kiss anyway, I know you can’t resist me.” she joked, smirking slightly.

She’d been allowing the boy to take care of her without argument up until now, showering like he said, getting fresh blankets and pillow cases, eating the soup he’d warmed up for her, and she honestly enjoyed it. Shinsou was a very sweet and caring boy behind closed doors, and it especially showed when he was looking after her like this. So, of course, she allowed him to practically baby her, after some stubbornness of course.

But she drew the line at the spoonful of purple cold medicine.

He’d tried everything! But she wouldn’t do it. He offered her kisses, snuggles, to let her braid his hair like she always begged him to, he even offered to adopt a kitten for her, but nothing was working. So, he took one last jab at getting her to down the medicine she needed to drink.

“Hey, y/n?”

“What, Hito-mm!!”

When she went to pronounce the ‘o’ in his name, Shinsou stuffed the spoon into her mouth, finally forcing her to swallow it. Her face shriveled up as she tensed, forcing the liquid down her throat.

“I hate you so much.” “Don’t be so dramatic.”

————

Finally, things had calmed down, and now y/n and shinsou were peacefully curled up together in the girl’s bed. The cold medicine had finally made her drowsy enough to get over Hitoshi forcing her to drink it, which is the only reason she agreed to snuggle up to him once she fell tired.

Y/n had her back up against her boyfriend’s chest, laying her smaller figure between his legs while she struggled to stay awake, the way Hitoshi’s fingers softly ran through her hair, massaging her scalp and braiding small strands of it not exactly helping her fatigue.

With the struggle beforehand, you wouldn’t imagine that the couple actually shared soft and sweet moments like this quite often, enjoying each other’s company in comfortable silence while cuddled up to each other.

Hitoshi gently reached forewords to feel the cold cloth that rested atop his girlfriends head, feeling that it was no longer as cool and had started to dry in the air. He gently went to lift her body off of him so he could go re-wet it to keep her fever down, but the h/c haired girl whined softly, turn around so her head was now against his chest and held onto his shirt, tossing the damp cloth somewhere onto the bed beside them.

“’m comfy, don’t…” her voice was quietly muffled, burying her face into his chest as she hugged him tighter.

“It’s just for a minute, love. I need to-” The violet haired boy was cut off by another whine coming from his girlfriend. “mm mm.”

Her sleepy and soft state of being was enough to make him cave. With a soft smirk gracing his lips, he leaned down to gently place them atop her head, giving her a sweet and chaste kiss on top of her h/c locks.

“Fine, but only if you try to get some rest, okay?” She nodded softly against his chest, eyes remaining peacefully shut as she felt her body pull her into the soft lull of sleep.

“’Toshi?”

“Hm?”

The girl yawned quietly, nuzzling into him.

“Love you…”

Shinsou felt himself smile softy, wrapping his arms loosely around her shoulders and resuming his fingers running through her hair.

“I love you too, my kitten.”

————

yuuuhhhhh this is so rushed but I hope u like it anywayyyyy

[dottie-wan-kenobi]

They're sort of a fandom but Batfam!

thanks guys!!! this got so long omg, I’m so sorry dsjkfhdskajh

my favorite female character: CASSANDRA MFING CAIN. She is simultaneously one of the most badass characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing about, while also being just……….so adorable. Like, I love that she can be the scariest and most competent Bat (she is absolutely 100000% the next Batman I do not take criticism) but also, she’s such a sweetheart. She really loves people (Steph and Duke especially so), she’s an amazing friend and sister, and she is just so authentically herself and does what she wants when she wants, and she works so hard for everything, and I just. Oh my god I love her so much.

my favorite male character: this is so difficult but I have to say Dick Grayson. I Must. He’s basically what started all of this!!! I mean yeah okay Bruce was first, but Robin/Dick is what made Batman interesting and was the first member of the batfam, the one that made it a real family. In addition to that, Dick is just??? So interesting?????? He was the first kid sidekick, he lead the Teen Titans teams, he’s always kind of existed in this place of being the lighthearted one with the Batfam, but the serious one in most other contexts. HE REBELLED FIRST. Nightwing is a fuck you to his dad!!!! I love that! Plus he’s beautiful and has some of the best love interests (I’m talking about Kory and Roy here folks). He’s imperfect and has such depth and I love him kdsjfhjkdshfah

my favorite book/season/etc: I actually really like all the stuff that comes after Bruce “dies”? Seeing them all struggle and fight with each other and everything is really interesting. I love Tim here especially, just bc he’s so fucked up and such a teenager. When characters seem to be having two totally different conversations are SO INTERESTING and that’s what was kind of happening here with Tim and Dick – Tim feels betrayed and hurt, Dick feels stressed and like Tim is ready to move on. And Damian is just an adorable little asshole ksdjfshkjhakjh

my favorite episode (if its a tv show) issue: look I’m a sucker for Dick & Jason feels and I really enjoyed their moments (however few there are) in NTT/Tales of The Teen Titans/etc. They’re pretty small but so cute – it’s really nice to see them trying to figure out how to be brothers!!

my favorite cast member: David Mazouz!!!! Perfect perfect perfect Bruce. I also did like Batfleck, more for the look of exhausted 40 year old man than the story/characterization, but David takes the cake. He does all the different facets of Bruce – traumatized child, obsessive teenager, Brucie the party animal, etc – so well, PLUS THEY HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY. It’s meant to be yall

my favorite ship: most of my Batfam ships are one batfam member/one non member (like Dickkory/Dickroy, Dinahbabs, Timkon, etc). the only one fully in the fam would be Bruce/Talia. When written correctly, they are so sweet and so tragic. The star crossed lovers trope has never looked so good as it does when its them. 

a character I’d die defending: Damian!!!! Admittedly I do get annoyed by him,,,, a lot,,,,,, but really. He’s a child who’s been abused and manipulated and lied to. He was raised in such a dangerous, traumatic environment, and I fucking hate when people act like he’s always going to be the annoying, murderous brat he was when he was first taken away from that environment. He has to heal, and he IS healing. He loves animals so much, he learns to love Dick (and at least get along with the others), he makes friends, he doesn’t kill anymore. He is doing better. There’s no fucking way he ends up as cruel and cold-hearted as some people insist he will. If you don’t like him, just shut the fuck up

a character I just can’t sympathize with: Babs. It’s not that I can’t sympathize with her, it’s more that I just don’t like her lol. I find Batgirl!Babs really boring and regressive for literally everyone involved. The way Babs became Oracle was gross but it gave her such GROWTH and she got to be her own character as Oracle (and also tell people off for pitying her bc she’s in a wheelchair). Batgirl was passed on to Cass, who is both Asian and disabled rep, then to Steph, in a way that was much healthier for the Batgirls than how Robin was passed down. Babs being Oracle gives even more rep to disabled children/girls in wheelchairs, and she isn’t stuck in Gotham! She isn’t part of the Batfam, she’s a Bird of Prey!!!! So much more interesting!!!! Plus D*ckB*bs is boring as fuck and does a disservice to both of them. Let them grow and be their own people and stop making me see Batgirl!Babs alongside Robin!Damian. DC, that’s illegal!!!

a character I grew to love: Talia. I was sadly infected with the Grant Morrison bullshit when I first joined the fandom and I hated Talia. But I’ve read more comics and metas about her and I just. I LOVE HER. She is such a badass and I find her motives (when well written) to be really interesting!!! She’s loyal to her dad but wants the best for Damian, and does have genuine affection for Bruce and Jason. She’s not the heartless woman some people/writers make her out to be, she has compassion and drive. She doesn’t care what people think about her. I want to marry her sdkjhfjksah

my anti otp: Jason/Roy. In any context other than RHaTO, it makes no sense and does a disservice to both characters. Jason and Roy would not want to be together in most reboots of DC, because of the connection with Dick. Would you want to date your asshole older brother’s ex/best friend? Would you want to date your ex/best friend’s little brother? Would you like to date a man with that history who is also struggling with severe trauma/addiction issues (respectively) and doesn’t get help for it because of bad writing? Imagine Roy looking Dick in the face and saying “yeah, I’m fucking your little brother, who I sort of knew as a pre-teen”. In RHaTO, this is mostly fine bc Roy and Dick have no relationship at all, and Jason needs someone to take care of, and Roy is so incompetent that he fits that bill. But ANYWAYYYYY point is, I refuse to read fics with this ship in it thank you goodnight

send me a show/movie/fandom and I’ll answer these questions!!

[mss4msu]

“Do I Wanna Know?” (Chapter 4)

Summary: On a visit to a local nightclub, the lounge singer catches your eye. Soon becoming a regular at the club, the way you look on the dancefloor gets his attention. You begin to hear stories about the notorious crime lord who owns and operates the small nightclub. When your friends worry that you’ve gotten mixed up with a mobster, you wonder if it’s better to be left in the dark and find yourself asking, “Do I wanna know?” if you’re getting involved with one of the most revered mobsters in the city.

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky x Reader

Words: 2708

Warnings: Language, Sexual Tension/Innuendos

A/N: This chapter uses another Arctic Monkeys’ song (peep the summary for a hint as to which one). I don’t want to work on my thesis bc I have research writers block, so here’s a chapter instead bc this is more fun to work on.

Read the Full Story Here

The song in this chapter can be listened to here

You were in a daze as you went inside your apartment. You laid on your couch and turned on the tv, choosing something random on Netflix before opening up your phone and scrolling through The White Wolf and the Howlers Instagram again. At 5:00 you jolted up and realized you should probably get ready. You turned on your shower, and stared at your closet while you waited for the water to heat up. You felt like a zombie as you went through the motions of showering, combing your hair, blow drying it, and putting on your makeup, as your mind was preoccupied thinking about James Barnes and the night ahead. You finished your makeup and returned to your closet, continuing to just stare at it. You wanted to wear something sexy, but not blatantly sexy, and you wanted to wear something that would accentuate your curves, but not overly draw attention to them. Your heart began to race as you imagined seeing James that night and hearing him sing again. You grabbed your phone and opened your group chat with Jess and Rachel.

Me: Guys idk what to wear tonight

Rachel: Clothes?

Me: Haha. Funny

Jess: Just throw on a dress or something? Why does it matter? Also when is dinner again? Ya gurl is already hungry

You stared at your phone. You hadn’t told them about everything that had happened that week. Actually, you hadn’t told them about anything that had happened this week. You had meant to text them as soon as you got to your desk, but then the White Wolf account had started liking all of your pictures, and then James had come to talk to you, and then Tony had piled work on you, and you had just forgotten.

Fuck, you thought to yourself, your thumbs hovering over the keyboard, trying to decide how to explain yourself.

Me: Um….so…..you know that band from the club that we went to and we’re going to again tonight?

Jess: Yeah, what about them

Me: Shit. Ok so you know how I followed them that night? Well on Monday the lead singer was in my office and meeting with Tony and liking my Insta pics and then he messaged me about coming to the show tonight and then he got me out of work and gave me a ride home and now I need to look nice tonight and help

After 30 seconds you got simultaneous messages from both Jess and Rachel:

Jess: WHAT IN THE FUCK

Rachel: OMG WHAT THE FUCK

Jess: HOW DARE YOU KEEP A SECRET LIKE THAT!?!? DO WE MEAN NOTHING TO YOU

Rachel: AGAIN, WHAT THE FUCK

You laughed to yourself as you began to respond:

Me: Ok yeah, that’s my b for not telling you guys sooner. But anywayyyyy, WHAT DO I WEAR???

Rachel: Wear that off the shoulder burgundy dress?

Jess: Oooh yeah that one makes your collarbone look guuuuud. Also where for dinner??

Me: Yasssss that dress is perfect! And dinner at 7? Do we still want those burgers or we could do that Italian place in the middle of all our apartments?

Jess: Ravioli ravioli give me the formuoli

Rachel: 🍝 YEET

Me: I’m ded, ok see y’all there at 7

You pulled the dress Rachel had suggested out of your closet and nodded your approval at it. You checked how long it would take to get to the restaurant, and seeing that it would take 30 minutes, you quickly got dressed, brushed through your hair one last time, and grabbed your bag before rushing out the door. As you stood at the bus stop, an anxious feeling began to creep over you as you noticed the sun beginning to set. The bus arrived and you quickly got on and took a seat where you could see the driver in their mirror. You felt anxious until you arrived at the restaurant, thanking the bus driver as you departed the bus.

You were the first to arrive, and let the host seat you at your table. You pulled out your phone and texted Jess and Rachel that you had arrived and were seated. They both came in together 5 minutes later.

“Ok, so dish. You’ve actually met the singing angel?” Jess asked as she sat down.

You blushed, “Yeah, I have. I actually was rude to him at first because I didn’t realize it was him. I was at the elevator and he said something from behind me and I snarked at him and then looked and realized who it was.”

“And he’s been liking your pics?” Rachel looked at you over her menu.

“Yeah he has, I think he liked all of them through last October.”

“Daaaang!” Jess winked at you.

Dinner consisted of more discussion about your interactions with James all week and reading into them more than you should have.

“Shit, we should probably be going!” you exclaimed, checking your phone and seeing it was almost 8:30.

“Oh, how the time flies when there are exciting mens to discuss,” Jess replied, wiping her mouth with her napkin and placing it on the table.

The waiter came to the table and you all quickly paid your bills. You all went outside and waited for the bus. You were too excited to be nervous about possible gang activity on public transportation. The ride consisted of Jess and Rachel teasing you about James and guessing how the night would go.

You arrived to the club and departed the bus. Jess and Rachel got to the door first and were asked for their IDs by the doorman before going inside. You fumbled in your bag for your own ID and tried to hand it to the doorman.

“Go on in,” the doorman said, waving away your ID.

“You don’t need to check this?” you asked, confused, thinking back to your first visit and how intensely your ID had been looked at.

“Nope, you’re good to go, (Y/N).”

You double took the doorman, “Um thanks,” you awkwardly walked inside.

“What took you so long?” Rachel asked.

“The door guy knew my name.”

“Yeah, so? It’s on your ID,” Jess laughed at you.

“But he didn’t look at my ID…” you trailed off as the hostess walked up to the stand in front of your group and looking at the book on it.

“Table for three,” Rachel said.

“Oooh sorry, all the tables are booked up,” she replied, not looking up.

“Are there any seats anywhere?” you asked, stepping forward.

The hostess looked up, annoyed, but her expression changed upon seeing you.

“Oh, wait, we do have one open. Sorry for the confusion. Follow me,” she said, leading your group to the very front of the club.

The hostess apologized again before walking away.

“Ok, that was weird, right?” you asked, sitting down.

“Think your boyfriend stepped in?” Rachel replied, emphasizing boyfriend.

“Very funny,” you replied as a waiter came to your table.

“Three tall boys, on the house,” the waiter set down a beer in front of each of you and walked away before you could thank or question him.

“Oooh, your boyfriend def stepped in,” Jess laughed, drinking from her beer.  

You were thankful for how dark the club was as your face burned from how much you were blushing.

As you began to relax, the spotlight hit the stage and a voice announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, The White Wolf and The Howlers.”

The curtain opened and you couldn’t help the audible sharp intake of air as you looked up at him.

Stop making the eyes at me, I’ll stop making the eyes at you

What is it that surprises me is that I don’t really want you to

James was looking you straight in the eyes. Jess kicked you under the table and Rachel let out a high pitched squeal. You licked and bit your lips, your heart rate escalating.

And your shoulders are frozen (Cold as the night)

Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite)

Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand

And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh

I bet that you look good on the dancefloor

I don't know if you're looking for romance or

I don't know what you're looking for

I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor

Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984

Well, from 1984

James looked at you and began to move his hips to grind on the microphone stand as he sung. You crossed your legs and squeezed them together as you began to feel a fluttering in your stomach.  

I wish you'd stop ignoring me because it's sending me to despair

Without a sound, yeah, you're calling me and I don't think it's very fair

James looked right at you and gave you a toothy grin. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him and felt yourself beginning to breath heavily.

That your shoulders are frozen (Cold as the night)

Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite)

Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand

And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh

As he sang the “bangs” he deeply grinded into the microphone stand, causing you to squeeze your thighs tighter.

I bet that you look good on the dancefloor

I don't know if you're looking for romance or

I don't know what you're looking for

I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor

Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984

Well, from 1984

And no there in't no love, no Montagues or Capulets

Just banging tunes and DJ sets and

Dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness

He licked his lips and stared deeply into your eyes. He blew you an air-kiss before looking back out into the audience for the end of the song.

Well I bet that you look good on the dancefloor

I don't know if you're looking for romance or

I don't know what you're looking for

I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor

Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984

Said, from 1984

They finished playing and James gave you a wink as the curtain closed. Your heart rate was finally going down.

“Holy fuck, (Y/N)!!” Jess playfully slapped your arm, “He’s really fucking into you!”

Rachel just kept looking from the stage to you with her mouth open wide.

“Knock it off, I’m sure it’s nothing,” you said, but inside you were praying you were wrong.

“It fucking looked like something,” Jess said, looking you up and down with a side eye.

“Mhhhmmm,” was all Rachel could say.

You quietly sipped your beer in response.

The announcer called out the next group and the curtain opened again, distracting Jess and Rachel from making fun of you. Just as your breathing was regulating from the set, you felt a tap on your shoulder, you looked up and saw him.

“Hi doll, glad you could make it,” James gave you a mischievous smile.

You were surprised Jess and Rachel didn’t snap their necks with how quickly they turned to look from the stage to him. He snapped his fingers and a waiter appeared with a chair for him.

“Mind if I join?”

You gulped and the three of you nodded your heads ‘no,’ none of you able to speak.

“So, what’d you think?” James asked as another waiter appeared with a drink for him. “Need another round, ladies?”

Rachel nodded yes, and Jess was able to mumble out a “yes, please.”

“Thank you, James,” you managed to finally speak.

“No problem. So, what did you think?”

“You were great. More than great, fantastic,” you gushed.

“Oh, yeah?”

“So good,” Rachel blurted out.

James looked to her and Jess, “We haven’t met. James Barnes, it’s a pleasure to meet friends of (Y/N).”

He extended his hand out to shake those of Rachel and Jess. Rachel let out a squeak as he shook her hand and you could see Jess melting.

You were finally regaining your composure as he turned to you again, “Beats a night with Stark, doesn’t it?”

“You have no idea,” you caught yourself, “But it’s a great opportunity that I am very thankful for.”

“Don’t bullshit me, doll. I’m going into business with him, I know how Tony is. Shows how strong,” he paused and looked you up and down, “you are to be able to put up with him,” he growled.

You were again thankful for how dark it was in the club as you blushed intensely, “It would be nice to not be doing his grunt work, for sure,” you smiled back at him.

“Not big on grunt work, doll?” he licked his lips at you.

“I….uh...I...that’s not what I…,” you were thankful the waiter appeared with your new drinks, creating an opportunity for a change in topic as you took a long drink.

“Care for a dance, (Y/N)?” James asked, extending his hand to you.

“Oh, I’m really not big on dancing,” you replied, taking another long drink and begging for some liquid courage to kick in.

“Are you kidding? (Y/N) is a great dancer,” Jess chimed in, her shock having worn off.

“She really is! She was getting doooown at my sister’s wedding last year,” Rachel added, regaining her voice.

“Who invited you two out?” you asked through a fake smile.

“You know, I sang that song for a reason, doll,” James winked at you, offering his hand again.

“Well in that case, how can a girl say no?” you replied, rolling your eyes to hide the fact that you were internally screaming.

You put your hand in his and let him whisk you away to the dance floor. He readjusted the grip on your joined hands and gently put his other hand on your waist, pulling you into him. You rested your other hand on his shoulder. He led you across the floor, other couples making way for you.

“I hadn’t even realized there was a dance floor here,” you were glad you had worn heels so you were level with James’s ear.

“Too busy staring at me, doll?” James low voice rumbled in your ear.

You blushed, “That may have been the reason.”

James pulled you even closer to him, “Good.”

He continued to dance with you through the next three bands, all of which had at least two songs to perform. Your feet were getting tired, but you were enjoying yourself too much to care. As the last group ended, you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“Excuse me, not trying to cut in, but James, you have to go backstage,” a blonde man said.

“That time of night already? Thanks, Stevie, I’ll be right back.”

“James,” Steve gave him a knowing look, “I’ll escort (Y/N) back to her seat.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there in a minute,” James rolled his eyes and took his hand off your waist. “Well, doll, duty calls. I’ll see you after the show? By the way, you do look good on the dance floor,” He kissed your hand and went through a door, which you figured led backstage.

“(Y/N)?” Steve offered up his arm to you.

You put your arm through his and let him lead you back to your table.

“Thanks, Steve. And nice to meet you!” you said as Steve nodded and walked away into the shadows of the bar.

“Omg, (Y/N)!! Who was that???” Jess demanded.

“His name is Steve. I don’t really know? He seemed to know James though.”

“Oooooh, Jamesssss,” Rachel poked fun at you.

“Oh shut up! Plus I think they’re starting again,” you motioned to the closed curtain where the spotlight had just come on.

“Ladies and Gentleman, I am pleased to announce our final song for the night. Put your hands together and welcome back to the stage The White Wolf and the Howlers!”

“That sounded like Steve. That must be how they know each other,” you told Jess and Rachel.

The curtain reopened and there stood James Barnes, looking right at you, a grin on his face.

CHAPTER FIVE

Do I Wanna Know? Tag List:

@mrooks0205 @shann-the-artist-moon @ashtheteenagewitch @abschaffer2 @nuclearuniversalrage

Bucky Barnes Tag List:

@basementcafe @ria132love @courtmr

Permanent Tag List:

@sophiealiice​​ @mrsdeanwinchester19​ @thisismysecrethappyplace​ @ailynalonso15​ @221bshrlocked​ @hazellnut94 @libbymouse @nerdypinupcrystal

[novicewriterblog-blog]

The Lies and Truths of the RFA

This is my first story, so sorry if it’s not the greatest but I just loved this idea that I came up with.This story is told thru the chat and app of the RFA, which will include the chatroom, phone calls, and private messages of our leading lady Katelyn Cage. The story also includes some oc’s that I’ve come up with to spice things up.

Katelyn “Lynn” Cage has recently joined the RFA after an incident that lead her to help out the members in time of crisis. The story follows the months after the incident and we get to see how Lynn is adjusting to her new found friends. Is she ready to tell them the truth about what really happened that day? Or will she let the secret live on despite the oncoming threat?

Chapter One: Start of a Normal Day

NEW CHATROOM: Lynn, 707

*Lynn has entered the chatroom*

*707 has entered the chatroom*

Lynn: Oh hey.

707: Heyyyyyy

707: weird seeing you on here so late

707: lololol

Lynn: Yeah I couldn’t sleep so I came to see if anyone is on.

707: lucky for you God Seven is here to help

Lynn: Gee I’m so thrilled *deadpan*

Lynn: lololol

707: AGH! GOD SEVEN IS HURT

707: I HAVE HIT CRITICAL DAMAGE!!!

Lynn: *rolls eyes* Stop being dramatic.

707: lolol

707: dramatic is my middle name

Lynn: Maybe you should hang out with Zen less.

Lynn: He seems to be rubbing off on you.

Lynn: lolol

707: Aghhhh you have hurt me again!!!

Lynn: I’m pretty sure that’s a bigger dig to Zen lol

707: lolol

707: How come you couldnt sleep?

Lynn: I could ask you the same thing.

707: huh??

Lynn: Well your also up at 3am

Lynn: So that also must mean you can’t sleep either

707: Nopeeee

707: God Seven doesn’t need sleep when he is working none stop.

Lynn: Wait your working on something?

Lynn: What are you working on so late?

707: My lips are sealed Ms. Lynn

707: I’m just thrilled that for once you weren’t right

707: Woohoo!!! One point for God Seven

Lynn: Yeah like Seven- 1 and Moi- 100000

707: *sad face*

Lynn: lolol

Lynn: got a lot of catching up to do

707: Since I’m working what is “Ms. I know it all” doing up so late

Lynn: lol on that name

Lynn: But I told you, I just can’t go back to bed.

Lynn: I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep.

707: God Seven has a sneaking suspicion that there is more to this???

Lynn: Well as Ms. I know it all I can assure you nothing is going on

Lynn: Now then why don’t you tell me what you’re working on if we are trying to spill secrets.

707: Nope my lips are sealed

Lynn: Fine then your new name is now Mr. Mystery if we are giving out names

707: ohhhhh how about Mr. Mysterious instead

707: it sounds a lot cooler

Lynn: Nope!

Lynn: Your new name from now until you die is Mr. Mysteryyyy

707: NOOOOO

Lynn: lolol

Lynn: Even changing it in my phone.

707: MR. MYSTERY BACK DOWN TO CRITICAL DAMAGE!!

Lynn: You’re so childish lolol

707: I can be more childish then!!

Lynn: ?? Seven what do you mean

Lynn: Seven????

707: lol just wait and seeeeee lololol

Ms. KnowItAll: What-

Ms. KnowItAll: Omg!! Seven change it back!!

707: Nope lololol

707: It’s a perfect fit lol

Ms. KnowItAll: Seven! I swear change it back!!!!

707: looks like I have to go!!!

707: Duty calls!!!

707: See ya ;)

*707 has left the chatroom*

Ms. KnowItAll: Seven wait!!!

Ms. KnowItAll: Ugh…..

*Ms. KnowItAll has left the chatroom*

NEW CHATROOM: Christina, Jaehee

*Christina has entered the chatroom*

*Jaehee has entered the chatroom*

Christina: Morning, Jaehee!!!

Jaehee: Good morning Christina. Have you’ve seen Mr. Han this morning?

Christina: I just got off the phone with him. Did you need him for anything?

Jaehee: Well he’s running late for a meeting and he wasn’t answering my calls.

Christina: Sorry!! That was my fault we talked longer than we thought! I’ll make sure hes on his way for you!!

Jaehee: It is fine and thank you.

Christina: Omgggg

Christina: I just read last night’s log and those two are so cuteeeeee

Jaehee: I guess. Though it was really rude of him to change her name and then leave.

Christina: Yea… but they seem really cute when they are together!!

Jaehee: Can’t imagine anyone being able to put up with Seven’s antics

Jaehee: I wonder what Seven was working on though that late?

Christina: Idk probably something for his job or whatever that he forgot to do

*Ms. KnowItAll has entered the chatroom*

Ms. KnowItAll: …. I’m going to murder himmmm

Christina: Lololol Think it’s very fitting

Ms. KnowItAll: CHRIS!!!!

Christina: Okay, okay lolol

Jaehee: Good morning Lynn, I see you had a restless night I hope you got some rest.

Ms. KnowItAll: Morning! And I did get some thanks!

Ms. KnowItAll: Had to plan my revenge before I went to sleep though

Jaehee: Revenge??

Christina: Lynn what are you planning??

Ms. KnowItAll: Just wait and see…

*Mr. Mystery has entered the chatroom*

Mr. Mystery: WHAT IS THIS

Mr. Mystery: SOMEONE HAS HACKED GOD 707

Mr. Mystery: LYNN HOW COULD YOU!!

Jaehee: Oh god…. I thought I was going to have a good morning  

Christina: Cheer up, Jaehee!!

Ms. KnowItAll: Lolol

Mr. Mystery: Change it back *sadface*

Ms. KnowItAll: Eh no?!?! Not till you change mine back!

*Saeran has entered the chatroom*

Saeran: … jeez

Mr. Mystery: Saeran!!!!! Look what Lynn did!!

Ms. KnowItAll: lolol leave my accomplice alone!!!!

Mr. Mystery: Accomplice??!

Mr. Mystery: Saeran how could you!!!

Saeran: I’m not dealing with you two…

*Saeran has left the chatroom*

Jaehee: I have no idea how he can put up with Seven every day.

Christina: I feel bad for him.

Christina: Before you two dorks battle this out

Christina: Seven have you’ve heard from V?

Mr. Mystery: Eh No? How come you want to know?\

Christina: Well we’re trying to plan another party and need his confirmation??

Jaehee: It is weird that he hasn’t reached out to anyone in the past month.

Christina: I don’t think even Jumin has been able to reach him.

Mr. Mystery: No need to worry! He told me he would be back by the end of the month

Ms. KnowItAll: Thought you said you haven’t talked to him?

Mr. Mystery: eh

Mr. Mystery: lolol

Mr. Mystery: I forgot we talked last week

Jaehee: Well that’s good news.

Christina: Yea! That means we can move forward with the next party!

Ms. KnowItAll: Yea…

Mr. Mystery: Yep

Mr. Mystery: Anywayyyyy

Mr. Mystery: You outsmarted me Ms. Lynn and got my own brother to betray me so ill give you your name back lolol

Lynn: yaaayyyy lol

Lynn: I let Saeran decide if he wants to change it back XD

Mr. Mystery: Noooooo

Christina: Awwww you two are so adorable!!!!

Jaehee: You two seem to make such the odd pair

Lynn: What’s that supposed to mean????

Christina: Uh… your hopeless

Mr. Mystery: … Anywayyy I gotta go back to the world of 1s and 0s!!

Mr. Mystery: Farewelll!!

*Mr. Mystery has left the chatroom*

Jaehee: I have no idea how he has so much energy

Christina: Yea but I’m glad we can have the next party soon!!

Lynn: Yea just have to wait for V to get back from wherever he is at

Jaehee: Well I must get back to work

Christina: Oh! Jumin should be there in like 10 mins!!

Jaehee: Thank you Christina!!

Lynn: See yaaaaaa

Jaehee: Good bye.

*Jaehee has left the chatroom*

Lynn: Seems like you and Jumin are getting closeeeeee

Christina: Lynn!!!

Lynn: Omggg

Lynn: So when is the wedding? XXDDD

Christina: Lynn!! Stop it!!

Lynn: Okay, okay lolol

Lynn: What are you doing today

Christina: Working on some of the clothing for the fashion show and photoshoot next week

Lynn: ooooooh sounds exciting!

Lynn: Can’t wait to see it

Christina: Yea about the photoshoot…. :)

Lynn: …. What do you want?

Christina: Well I was wondering… if you could be the model for the clothes?

Lynn: Chris!

Christina: I know you don’t like doing stuff like this but you would be perfect!!

Lynn: Chris you don’t have to have me to do any of this. You could hire an actual model.

Christina: Yea but I trust you more and I know everything will look amazing on you!!

Christina: Pleaseeeeee

Christina: For your bestest friend *pleading face*

Lynn: ugh…. Fine

Christina: Omg yaaayy

Lynn: But just this once!!

Christina: Yea okay… Omg I can’t wait!!!

Christina: I’ll let you know the time and place by tonight!!

Lynn: Okay, but I mean it Christina just this once!!

Christina: mmhmm

Christina: Well I gotta go

Christina: See yaa

Lynn: Bye, Chris

*Christina has left the chatroom*

*Lynn has left the chatroom*

[fezrus]

A dog person - Young!Sirius x Reader

Warnings : nope, maybe the GIF that personally makes me weak

Words : 2.8k

Request : yes

Note : it's the imagine that I wrote a few days ago and that was deleted somehow, I'm sharing it again now. I know some people had the same request but anywayyyyy (thank you to the ppl who told me to post it again btw❣️). I just imagined a Patronus for Pettigrew, don't mind it if it bothers you. I loved this request and got a bit carried away, it was just so damn cute.

Even at Hogwarts everybody hated monday mornings, as they symbolized the end of the weekend, the return in class and especially, implied a lot of exhaustion. In fact, everybody except the 6th years, because to them Monday morning meant Defense Against the Dark Arts. Here you were, at your usual seat next to the wall on the first row. The classroom 3C had probably the biggest windows out of all the Turris Magnus, unfortunately you were too short to observe the view -everybody was- but you still tried to take a look everytime. You were on tip-toes, taking advantage of the fact that your teacher had not yet arrived to make another attempt.

« You know Y/N, I really enjoy the view you're offering me when you stand up like this in front of me, but I think you should just sit down as our dear Professor is here. » whispered Sirius behind you. Your cheeks turner red as you did what he said, sighing in exasperation and trying to focus on the tall man standing in front of the class. Sirius knew his little seduction game made you feel a bit flustered and that was exactly why he liked doing it so much, he didn't want you to be uncomfortable, he was only joking and you knew it. Out of the four Marauders, you spent most of your time with him or Remus, who actually introduced you to the others after meeting you at the library.

« Today I will try, and please notice that I said try, to teach you something that I know most of you have been waiting for. » said your teacher solanemly, holding his hands together behind his back. « The majority of witches and wizards are not able to produce it for it requires patience, concentration and determination. You probably guessed it already, I am talking about the Patronus charm, one of the most powerful defensive charms that exist.»

Immediatly, everybody started to whisper enthousiasticly to their neighbors, and even Lily who usually was the definition of the model student seemed hysteric. You smiled when you saw her, her dazzling hair flying in the air while she turned around towards the boys, already beginning to discuss on the shape their patronus would take. James had already managed to produce one and it was a deer just like his animagus. He could be turbulent, sometimes even insolent, but nobody could deny that he was an incredibly talented wizard just like Remus who was sitting next to him. Strangely, he stayed away from the general euphoria which spread in the class, playing almost nervously with his hands. You frowned, ready to ask him what was going on when your teacher knocked two times on the desk with his fists. The noises stopped and everybody looked at him once again.

« To produce a Patronus, it is necessary to concentrate on your most beautiful memory, and only this one. Find the memory that warms your heart the most and say clearly, wand in hand : expecto patronum. » Suddenly, a silver eagle flew from his hand and in the classroom. It was both beautiful and captivating. « This requires training, today we shall satisfy us with approaching the theoretical side of it and in the next class, I hope that you will be ready. Just know that it is difficult to obtain a corporeal patronus, and that its purpose is not to be beautiful, but to protect you from Dementors. Whether it is a rat, cat or lion, its power will be the same : the partonus is a shield, a messenger and a protector. »

He kept speaking during the whole following hour, adding that even if the animal shape the Patronus took did not define its strenght, it could mean something important for the wizard. Leaving the class everybody had only an idea in head : discover what their patronus was. The four boys, Lily and you had mutually decided to train together by the lake this afternoon. But right now you were going to eat, Sirius and James led the group speaking loudly and walking way too fast. Behind and standing by your side, Lily seemed to explain to Peter the details he had not understood. You left them silently to join Remus who walked at the back, alone, head low and dragging his feet. He raised his head when he saw you were waiting for him and turned the gentle smile you were giving him back to you. Interlacing your arm in his, you jumped at the opportunity to be alone with him to ask him what was wrong. Remus sighed, he seemed embarrassed and you strated to worry. He looked around to be sure no one was listening and then he bent a little towards you.

« I'm afraid my corporeal Patronus gives too much away, if you know what I mean. I already tried with James and it almost worked, and I swear I saw a long hairy tail before the light went off. » He whispered, biting his lip « With you guys it doesn't matter, but if anyone else sees it... » He didn't finish his sentence but you knew what he meant. Remus had always suffered because of his lycantropia, his parents and him had a nomadic life before he came to Hogwarts thanks to Dumbledore. Everytime someone started to be suspicious, they left and the little Remus never got to make friends. Even now that he had friends, really good ones, he was still afraid someone would found out. Taking his hand in yours, you squeezed it gently so he knew he wasn't alone and you were here for him.

« We can practice alone another day if you want to be sure, you don't have to do it today if you don't want to. »

« I think that's a good idea, thank you Y/N. »

Around 4pm, you sat in the green grass which lined the lake, between Sirius and Peter who seemed strangely concentrated into tearing away the petals of a flower one by one. You turned around towards Sirius who was already looking at you. You felt your cheeks burn a little when he did not look away which made him laugh, revealing his white teeth and his dimples.  He was a handsome young man, really, and you never knew if you just found him attracive or if it was something more. Anyway, you came back to reality when James showed up, back from his Quidditch session. A proud smile could be seen on his face as per usual, and it grew even bigger when a bunch of Gryffindor girls passing by stared at him like he was a piece of art, or a piece of meat. It always made Sirius giggle but Lily just rolled her eyes every single time.

« Did you mess your hair up on purpose again just so you can look like some Quidditch rock star ? » suggested Remus, looking quite amused. 

« You'll be authorized to criticize my hair when your furry little problem will be solved, Moony chéri. » teased James, winking before he spoke again while turning around « Let's get started folks, why don't we let the Lilliputian try first. »

Eveybody laughed, James flirting with Lily was the funniest thing ever, especially when he came up with these strange nicknames but you had to admit that for once it wasn't so bad. She stood up, pointing her wand towards him which caused him to slightly move to the side.

« In fact I'm two months older than you Potter, show me some respect. » Remus, Peter and Sirius giggled while James seemed outraged, but before he could come back with anything Lily exclaimed, her wand pointing to the sky « Expecto patronum ! »

You held your breath just like the others while slowly but very clearly, from the tip of her wand, a bright silvery light started to burst before fading out. She tried again multiple times with James giving her advices and finally, a tall and gracious doe was running in the air, following the rythm of Lily's laugh. Her green eyes were wide opened, she seemed proud and happier than ever. You all applauded, Peter even took a bow.

« It's strange, isn't it ? Your patronus is a doe and Potter's one is a deer. If it isn't a sign, I don't know what it is. » teased Sirius, winking to Lily. Her cheeks turned bright red before she exlaimed « Simple coincidence, that won't make me go out with you any sooner Potter. »

Finally you formed little groups, James and Lily stayed together, Sirius was with Peter and Remus with you. This way, the others didn't pay attention to the fact that Moony wasn't really trying to practice and he was pleased about it. You tried to remember all the informations your teacher gave you this morning, and took a deep breath. You hoped it would work but as Lily said again and again, it was a difficult spell and it was normal if you didn't succeed on your first tries. For what felt like an hour you persisted, repeating the two little words again and again, sometimes managing to produce a little shiny light at the end of your wand. But no animal, nothing. Frustrated you sighed noisily, which caught the attention of Remus, Sirius and Peter. The two others seemed too busy arguing about who-knows-what, and anyway they did not really need to practice anymore. Seeing your disappointment, Sirius smiled softly before suggesting to the boys to train together and that he would help you. After all if that did not work so well that way, you could try.

« I can't do it either, you know. Maybe it's because you distract me. » he suggested, teasing you once more with a grin on his face.

« That's not funny Sirius. » you whined, a pout on your lips.

He looked at them for a bit too long before coming back at your eyes. Finally he stood behind you, his chest pressed against your back. You were thankful he was behind, at least he couldn't see your burning cheeks but it wasn't finished yet because you could now feel his strong hand taking yours, holding your wand with you while the other one was placed on your hip. Your heart was racing and you were probably shaking too because he laughed soflty, speaking soflty.

« Maybe you're not thinking about your happiest memory. Close you eyes, the first one to come to your mind is probably the good one, focus on it. »

Even if his body pressed against yours and his breath crashing on the thin skin of your neck did not help you at all, his soft and low voice was relaxing and you now thought of nothing else. You no longer heard the sound of the wind in the trees, nor the murmur of the water of the lake, you did not see your friends staring at you a little farther : it was his voice and his body near you that occupied all your mind. You closed your eyes as he had suggested, and with trembling lips you pronounced the two words « Expecto patronum. » You opened your eyes slowly, just in time to see a magnificent light spraying out, more powerful than what you had managed to do until then. It grew larger, Sirius's hand still held yours and guided the movements of your wand. After a few seconds, you saw it. In front of you stood a brilliant, tall and perfectly formed dog. But it was not a common dog, you had seen this one several times already and you recognized it immediately. You understood that Sirius did too when you felt his fingers release your hand smoothly and his body move back slowly. Your concentration broke and the big dog disappeared. You did not dare to turn around, both shocked and mute, because you finally knew what your patronus was. And it was him. It was Padfoot.

You stood there, sitting on your bed without knowing what to do or even what to think. After the events of the afternoon you quickly ran away, stammering that you did not feel well and that you were going to rest. But everyone had seen the same thing as you, and everyone knew that your patronus was none other than Sirius Black himself, or at least his animagus form. You tried to convince yourself that it was just a simple dog, but you knew what you saw. Maybe it didn't mean anything at all, maybe it did. It probably did. Sirius and you had been friends for years and even though he liked to tease you all day long, it had never been more than a platonic relationship. As you kept thinking about this, images started to come to your mind. The day you met, how funny you found him, yet annoying. The first time you sat together in class, and how you spent the hour drawing stupid things on each other's books. That time in 4th year when he punched a guy who insulted you, and definitely got a detention for it. When one of his pranks hurt you and he brought you chocolate and flowers to make it up. The time he hugged you so tight after Gryffindor won the house cup that you thought he was going to choke you. Maybe he wasn't just a friend after all, and it took you a couple of years and a patronus to realize it. A knock on your door made you lift your head up, the person did not let you any time to answer and entered the room.

« Can I come in ? » asked the black haired boy. « A bit too late to ask, isn't it ? »

Sirius did not answer, he just closed the door leaving you both alone in the dorm. He sat next to you, your knees barely touching, but not a word was said. You looked at the floor for a few seconds before you saw him turning his head to you from the corner of your eye. Slowly, you looked at him too, your heart skipping a beat when you met his dark grey eyes.

« Why did you leave earlier ? You missed something, we learnt that Peter's patronus is a mole. » « You know why I left. » you said, smiling slightly at the end. « You don't have to be embarassed about it. » he shrugged « But I have to admit that I thought it would be something else. » « Like what ? » « A penguin. »

You scoffed, clearly not especting that answer. Sirius looked at you curiously, he didn't seem to understand why you were chuckling but he still smiled when he heard your laugh.

« What ? They're cute and funny, everyone likes penguins. » he smirked. « Nope, you're probably the only person to fancy penguins that much. » « Well I don't try to hide it. You shouldn't either. »

His last words were whispered in your ear before he placed a soft kiss on your shoulder. You knew what he meant, and you couldn't act as if the butterflies flying in your stomach weren't here. He bent down to give you another kiss, on the cheek this time, but the weight of his body made you both fall back on the bed. You laughed as he found himself lying on top of you and for the first time since you met him, you saw a light shade of red on his cheeks. You stayed like this before he kissed your forehead, and then your nose. You smiled and he looked at your lips, and back at your eyes again. Your hands made their way to the back of his neck as he brushed your lips with his own, without ever pressing them together. Your heartbeating probably echoed throughout the entire room, or maybe it was his own. He smirked again when he saw the look full of frustration and desire you gave him, biting his lip and kissing the corner of your lips and then your cheek, before whispering in your ear again.

« I always knew you were a dog person. »

And after that he finally pressed his lips against yours, tenderly, as if you were the most precious thing in the world.

[endlessarchite]

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser)

Guys, meet the dresser of my beach house dreams. Perhaps you’ve already been introduced on Instagram, but let’s dive into our love story (think: The Notebook, but with a dresser and a person instead of two people).

I actually found this amazing piece of furniture on Craigslist. YES CRAIGSLIST! Sorry I’m screaming, but you can imagine how shouty this entire experience made me. And dancey. And weepy (I tear up over beautiful furniture when I feel like it’s fulfilling its furniture destiny). Yes, I just typed the words furniture destiny.

Anywayyyyy, it’s safe to say this is the best Craigslist score of my life since I got it for $400 and the exact same dresser currently sells for $1,829 (!!!) at Restoration Hardware. The woman selling it on Craigslist originally listed it for $650. She had purchased it for $1200 at HomeGoods and even had a photo of the price sticker that was still on the back of the dresser in her listing. And as much as I loved it (OH HOW I LOVED IT) I just didn’t have that in the budget for any dresser at the beach house – which is where it felt destined to live.

So I did one actionable thing to help myself get over it, which was to email her and say “your inlay dresser is so lovely but I’m afraid it’s out of my budget – I’m sure someone will snatch it up, but if you don’t happen to sell it and ever decide to lower your price please email me as I’d LOVE to buy it!” She sweetly emailed back and said “yup, not willing to lower the price yet but I’ll keep you posted.” I stifled a few tears and tried to accept the fact that I’d never feel the warmth of this dresser’s embrace.

But if you know me, I’m incapable of moving on when something in the back of my head is banging around (I call these “persistent ideas” and sometimes John calls them “being in denial”) so I refused to buy any other dresser for that nook in the bedroom because I wanted to hold out for the beach house dresser of my dreams (I also call this “patience” and John sometimes calls this “being stubborn”). But then, miracle of all miracles, over a month later I got an email. And it was my dream dresser’s owner, saying “Ok, no nibbles on the dresser for $650 so I’ll do $400.”

Now $400 is probably the most I’ve ever paid for anything secondhand in my life, and she mentioned a few of the inlay pieces needed repairing, but I’d easily pay around $250-300 for a dresser for that nook from some other place like Target or Ikea and this is an extra special solid inlay dresser that sells for nearly $2K at Restoration Hardware. I made the same case to John, who was actually really into it too.

So that’s how this beauty came to live with us at the beach house (trust me I was tempted to keep it at our house, but we didn’t have the perfect spot). And then came the second obstacle in my dresser love story: repairing those cracked and shattered pieces. You could hardly notice them in the shots I posted on Instagram, but this was the corner of the dresser as we bought it. Looking pretty rough, eh?

If you’ve ever come across an inlay mirror, tray, or furniture piece in a store with a nice little “as-is” discount (like at HomeGoods) it’s usually because something has been popped out or cracked or smashed… which might deter you from taking it home. But wait. Don’t give up on them just yet.

I did a little research and learned that many inlay pieces are filled with plaster between the tiles, so I pretty quickly made the mental leap that some joint compound (aka: spackle) would be a good, easy DIY option to fill those cracks. It’s sandable so you can get it pretty smooth, and once it dries you can paint it to match. So that’s exactly what I decided to try. Here’s how things looked after I spackled the cracks to fill them in.

Next, I just used the paint we had on hand and attempted to match the colors as closely as I could. Remember: paint always dries darker, so you want to aim for a color match that’s ever so slightly lighter than whatever you’re painting.

The blue-gray was actually pretty easy to match with the colors we had on hand (the dark blue we used for the tub and our soft sand wall color mixed together to create almost an exact match) but we didn’t have anything yellow enough on hand to match the missing inlay piece in the front right corner, which is why you see that bottom “tile” looking a little whiter and rougher in the photo below:

It’s not perfect yet – but now that I know this method works, I’m planning to bring some yellow paint the next time we go to Cape Charles so I can mix up a closer match for that area. You’ll also notice I painted that missing inlay circle on the side (see how it’s gone in the picture below) so I’ll touch that up too. Spackle tends to shrink a little as it dries, so I also realized after painting it that it could have used a second coat to smooth things out even more, so I think I’ll do one more “plaster coat”, sand it smooth, and touch up the paint so it matches even better once I have that yellower paint on hand.

But even as it looks right now, it’s a whole lot better than it was! You really have to be looking for the patched areas to even notice that there has been some work done on this piece in person thanks to the busy pattern, which is really quite forgiving!

sconce / similar mirror

You also may have noticed that we hung a mirror over it (remember this one from our second house’s guest room?!) and added curtains, which we still need to steam (these are Lenda curtain panels from Ikea – we just cut off the tabs and used ring clips to hang them). With those touches, this front bedroom is really really close to done. There are even coat hangers in the closet! Just don’t look too closely at the art in those frames yet (it’s still the stock photo that comes with it).

bench / rug / blue blanket / frames / curtain rods / curtains

I love the airiness of this room. It feels interesting thanks to the high contrast bed frame and the dark curtain rods, yet soft and soothing thanks to all the textiles (the curtains, the bedding, the rug), and the little details – like the spool legs of the side tables, the geometric pattern on the lamp base, and the large framed art piece – add just enough “something” to keep things from feeling flat.

art / headboard / rug / blue blanket / side table / lamp

But I still have to hand it to the real stars of this house – like the gorgeous heart pine floors that we had sanded and clear-sealed and the doors that we stripped back to their original color. They’re such a nice balance with the cooler beachier colors in the room.

Look at that solid wood knob and the little keyhole under it. Is it weird if that makes me want to tear up too?

P.S. Want to know what paint colors we used or where a certain item in the beach house came from? We created a full source list right here for ya. And if you wanna see more pics & posts about this beach house renovation, we’ve shared dozens here over the past year. 

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) published first on http://ift.tt/2qxZz2j

[statusreview]

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser)

Guys, meet the dresser of my beach house dreams. Perhaps you’ve already been introduced on Instagram, but let’s dive into our love story (think: The Notebook, but with a dresser and a person instead of two people).

I actually found this amazing piece of furniture on Craigslist. YES CRAIGSLIST! Sorry I’m screaming, but you can imagine how shouty this entire experience made me. And dancey. And weepy (I tear up over beautiful furniture when I feel like it’s fulfilling its furniture destiny). Yes, I just typed the words furniture destiny.

Anywayyyyy, it’s safe to say this is the best Craigslist score of my life since I got it for $400 and the exact same dresser currently sells for $1,829 (!!!) at Restoration Hardware. The woman selling it on Craigslist originally listed it for $650. She had purchased it for $1200 at HomeGoods and even had a photo of the price sticker that was still on the back of the dresser in her listing. And as much as I loved it (OH HOW I LOVED IT) I just didn’t have that in the budget for any dresser at the beach house – which is where it felt destined to live.

So I did one actionable thing to help myself get over it, which was to email her and say “your inlay dresser is so lovely but I’m afraid it’s out of my budget – I’m sure someone will snatch it up, but if you don’t happen to sell it and ever decide to lower your price please email me as I’d LOVE to buy it!” She sweetly emailed back and said “yup, not willing to lower the price yet but I’ll keep you posted.” I stifled a few tears and tried to accept the fact that I’d never feel the warmth of this dresser’s embrace.

But if you know me, I’m incapable of moving on when something in the back of my head is banging around (I call these “persistent ideas” and sometimes John calls them “being in denial”) so I refused to buy any other dresser for that nook in the bedroom because I wanted to hold out for the beach house dresser of my dreams (I also call this “patience” and John sometimes calls this “being stubborn”). But then, miracle of all miracles, over a month later I got an email. And it was my dream dresser’s owner, saying “Ok, no nibbles on the dresser for $650 so I’ll do $400.”

Now $400 is probably the most I’ve ever paid for anything secondhand in my life, and she mentioned a few of the inlay pieces needed repairing, but I’d easily pay around $250-300 for a dresser for that nook from some other place like Target or Ikea and this is an extra special solid inlay dresser that sells for nearly $2K at Restoration Hardware. I made the same case to John, who was actually really into it too.

So that’s how this beauty came to live with us at the beach house (trust me I was tempted to keep it at our house, but we didn’t have the perfect spot). And then came the second obstacle in my dresser love story: repairing those cracked and shattered pieces. You could hardly notice them in the shots I posted on Instagram, but this was the corner of the dresser as we bought it. Looking pretty rough, eh?

If you’ve ever come across an inlay mirror, tray, or furniture piece in a store with a nice little “as-is” discount (like at HomeGoods) it’s usually because something has been popped out or cracked or smashed… which might deter you from taking it home. But wait. Don’t give up on them just yet.

I did a little research and learned that many inlay pieces are filled with plaster between the tiles, so I pretty quickly made the mental leap that some joint compound (aka: spackle) would be a good, easy DIY option to fill those cracks. It’s sandable so you can get it pretty smooth, and once it dries you can paint it to match. So that’s exactly what I decided to try. Here’s how things looked after I spackled the cracks to fill them in.

Next, I just used the paint we had on hand and attempted to match the colors as closely as I could. Remember: paint always dries darker, so you want to aim for a color match that’s ever so slightly lighter than whatever you’re painting.

The blue-gray was actually pretty easy to match with the colors we had on hand (the dark blue we used for the tub and our soft sand wall color mixed together to create almost an exact match) but we didn’t have anything yellow enough on hand to match the missing inlay piece in the front right corner, which is why you see that bottom “tile” looking a little whiter and rougher in the photo below:

It’s not perfect yet – but now that I know this method works, I’m planning to bring some yellow paint the next time we go to Cape Charles so I can mix up a closer match for that area. You’ll also notice I painted that missing inlay circle on the side (see how it’s gone in the picture below) so I’ll touch that up too. Spackle tends to shrink a little as it dries, so I also realized after painting it that it could have used a second coat to smooth things out even more, so I think I’ll do one more “plaster coat”, sand it smooth, and touch up the paint so it matches even better once I have that yellower paint on hand.

But even as it looks right now, it’s a whole lot better than it was! You really have to be looking for the patched areas to even notice that there has been some work done on this piece in person thanks to the busy pattern, which is really quite forgiving!

sconce / similar mirror

You also may have noticed that we hung a mirror over it (remember this one from our second house’s guest room?!) and added curtains, which we still need to steam (these are Lenda curtain panels from Ikea – we just cut off the tabs and used ring clips to hang them). With those touches, this front bedroom is really really close to done. There are even coat hangers in the closet! Just don’t look too closely at the art in those frames yet (it’s still the stock photo that comes with it).

bench / rug / blue blanket / frames / curtain rods / curtains

I love the airiness of this room. It feels interesting thanks to the high contrast bed frame and the dark curtain rods, yet soft and soothing thanks to all the textiles (the curtains, the bedding, the rug), and the little details – like the spool legs of the side tables, the geometric pattern on the lamp base, and the large framed art piece – add just enough “something” to keep things from feeling flat.

art / headboard / rug / blue blanket / side table / lamp

But I still have to hand it to the real stars of this house – like the gorgeous heart pine floors that we had sanded and clear-sealed and the doors that we stripped back to their original color. They’re such a nice balance with the cooler beachier colors in the room.

Look at that solid wood knob and the little keyhole under it. Is it weird if that makes me want to tear up too?

P.S. Want to know what paint colors we used or where a certain item in the beach house came from? We created a full source list right here for ya. And if you wanna see more pics & posts about this beach house renovation, we’ve shared dozens here over the past year. 

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) published first on http://ift.tt/2r6hzQy

[truereviewpage]

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser)

Guys, meet the dresser of my beach house dreams. Perhaps you’ve already been introduced on Instagram, but let’s dive into our love story (think: The Notebook, but with a dresser and a person instead of two people).

I actually found this amazing piece of furniture on Craigslist. YES CRAIGSLIST! Sorry I’m screaming, but you can imagine how shouty this entire experience made me. And dancey. And weepy (I tear up over beautiful furniture when I feel like it’s fulfilling its furniture destiny). Yes, I just typed the words furniture destiny.

Anywayyyyy, it’s safe to say this is the best Craigslist score of my life since I got it for $400 and the exact same dresser currently sells for $1,829 (!!!) at Restoration Hardware. The woman selling it on Craigslist originally listed it for $650. She had purchased it for $1200 at HomeGoods and even had a photo of the price sticker that was still on the back of the dresser in her listing. And as much as I loved it (OH HOW I LOVED IT) I just didn’t have that in the budget for any dresser at the beach house – which is where it felt destined to live.

So I did one actionable thing to help myself get over it, which was to email her and say “your inlay dresser is so lovely but I’m afraid it’s out of my budget – I’m sure someone will snatch it up, but if you don’t happen to sell it and ever decide to lower your price please email me as I’d LOVE to buy it!” She sweetly emailed back and said “yup, not willing to lower the price yet but I’ll keep you posted.” I stifled a few tears and tried to accept the fact that I’d never feel the warmth of this dresser’s embrace.

But if you know me, I’m incapable of moving on when something in the back of my head is banging around (I call these “persistent ideas” and sometimes John calls them “being in denial”) so I refused to buy any other dresser for that nook in the bedroom because I wanted to hold out for the beach house dresser of my dreams (I also call this “patience” and John sometimes calls this “being stubborn”). But then, miracle of all miracles, over a month later I got an email. And it was my dream dresser’s owner, saying “Ok, no nibbles on the dresser for $650 so I’ll do $400.”

Now $400 is probably the most I’ve ever paid for anything secondhand in my life, and she mentioned a few of the inlay pieces needed repairing, but I’d easily pay around $250-300 for a dresser for that nook from some other place like Target or Ikea and this is an extra special solid inlay dresser that sells for nearly $2K at Restoration Hardware. I made the same case to John, who was actually really into it too.

So that’s how this beauty came to live with us at the beach house (trust me I was tempted to keep it at our house, but we didn’t have the perfect spot). And then came the second obstacle in my dresser love story: repairing those cracked and shattered pieces. You could hardly notice them in the shots I posted on Instagram, but this was the corner of the dresser as we bought it. Looking pretty rough, eh?

If you’ve ever come across an inlay mirror, tray, or furniture piece in a store with a nice little “as-is” discount (like at HomeGoods) it’s usually because something has been popped out or cracked or smashed… which might deter you from taking it home. But wait. Don’t give up on them just yet.

I did a little research and learned that many inlay pieces are filled with plaster between the tiles, so I pretty quickly made the mental leap that some joint compound (aka: spackle) would be a good, easy DIY option to fill those cracks. It’s sandable so you can get it pretty smooth, and once it dries you can paint it to match. So that’s exactly what I decided to try. Here’s how things looked after I spackled the cracks to fill them in.

Next, I just used the paint we had on hand and attempted to match the colors as closely as I could. Remember: paint always dries darker, so you want to aim for a color match that’s ever so slightly lighter than whatever you’re painting.

The blue-gray was actually pretty easy to match with the colors we had on hand (the dark blue we used for the tub and our soft sand wall color mixed together to create almost an exact match) but we didn’t have anything yellow enough on hand to match the missing inlay piece in the front right corner, which is why you see that bottom “tile” looking a little whiter and rougher in the photo below:

It’s not perfect yet – but now that I know this method works, I’m planning to bring some yellow paint the next time we go to Cape Charles so I can mix up a closer match for that area. You’ll also notice I painted that missing inlay circle on the side (see how it’s gone in the picture below) so I’ll touch that up too. Spackle tends to shrink a little as it dries, so I also realized after painting it that it could have used a second coat to smooth things out even more, so I think I’ll do one more “plaster coat”, sand it smooth, and touch up the paint so it matches even better once I have that yellower paint on hand.

But even as it looks right now, it’s a whole lot better than it was! You really have to be looking for the patched areas to even notice that there has been some work done on this piece in person thanks to the busy pattern, which is really quite forgiving!

sconce / similar mirror

You also may have noticed that we hung a mirror over it (remember this one from our second house’s guest room?!) and added curtains, which we still need to steam (these are Lenda curtain panels from Ikea – we just cut off the tabs and used ring clips to hang them). With those touches, this front bedroom is really really close to done. There are even coat hangers in the closet! Just don’t look too closely at the art in those frames yet (it’s still the stock photo that comes with it).

bench / rug / blue blanket / frames / curtain rods / curtains

I love the airiness of this room. It feels interesting thanks to the high contrast bed frame and the dark curtain rods, yet soft and soothing thanks to all the textiles (the curtains, the bedding, the rug), and the little details – like the spool legs of the side tables, the geometric pattern on the lamp base, and the large framed art piece – add just enough “something” to keep things from feeling flat.

art / headboard / rug / blue blanket / side table / lamp

But I still have to hand it to the real stars of this house – like the gorgeous heart pine floors that we had sanded and clear-sealed and the doors that we stripped back to their original color. They’re such a nice balance with the cooler beachier colors in the room.

Look at that solid wood knob and the little keyhole under it. Is it weird if that makes me want to tear up too?

P.S. Want to know what paint colors we used or where a certain item in the beach house came from? We created a full source list right here for ya. And if you wanna see more pics & posts about this beach house renovation, we’ve shared dozens here over the past year. 

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) published first on http://ift.tt/2qCHnUt

[billydmacklin]

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser)

Guys, meet the dresser of my beach house dreams. Perhaps you’ve already been introduced on Instagram, but let’s dive into our love story (think: The Notebook, but with a dresser and a person instead of two people).

I actually found this amazing piece of furniture on Craigslist. YES CRAIGSLIST! Sorry I’m screaming, but you can imagine how shouty this entire experience made me. And dancey. And weepy (I tear up over beautiful furniture when I feel like it’s fulfilling its furniture destiny). Yes, I just typed the words furniture destiny.

Anywayyyyy, it’s safe to say this is the best Craigslist score of my life since I got it for $400 and the exact same dresser currently sells for $1,829 (!!!) at Restoration Hardware. The woman selling it on Craigslist originally listed it for $650. She had purchased it for $1200 at HomeGoods and even had a photo of the price sticker that was still on the back of the dresser in her listing. And as much as I loved it (OH HOW I LOVED IT) I just didn’t have that in the budget for any dresser at the beach house – which is where it felt destined to live.

So I did one actionable thing to help myself get over it, which was to email her and say “your inlay dresser is so lovely but I’m afraid it’s out of my budget – I’m sure someone will snatch it up, but if you don’t happen to sell it and ever decide to lower your price please email me as I’d LOVE to buy it!” She sweetly emailed back and said “yup, not willing to lower the price yet but I’ll keep you posted.” I stifled a few tears and tried to accept the fact that I’d never feel the warmth of this dresser’s embrace.

But if you know me, I’m incapable of moving on when something in the back of my head is banging around (I call these “persistent ideas” and sometimes John calls them “being in denial”) so I refused to buy any other dresser for that nook in the bedroom because I wanted to hold out for the beach house dresser of my dreams (I also call this “patience” and John sometimes calls this “being stubborn”). But then, miracle of all miracles, over a month later I got an email. And it was my dream dresser’s owner, saying “Ok, no nibbles on the dresser for $650 so I’ll do $400.”

Now $400 is probably the most I’ve ever paid for anything secondhand in my life, and she mentioned a few of the inlay pieces needed repairing, but I’d easily pay around $250-300 for a dresser for that nook from some other place like Target or Ikea and this is an extra special solid inlay dresser that sells for nearly $2K at Restoration Hardware. I made the same case to John, who was actually really into it too.

So that’s how this beauty came to live with us at the beach house (trust me I was tempted to keep her at our house, but we didn’t have the perfect spot). And then came the second obstacle in my dresser love story: repairing those cracked and shattered pieces. You could hardly notice them in the shots I posted on Instagram, but this was the corner of the dresser as we bought it. Looking pretty rough, eh?

If you’ve ever come across an inlay mirror, tray, or furniture piece in a store with a nice little “as-is” discount (like at HomeGoods) it’s usually because something has been popped out or cracked or smashed… which might deter you from taking it home. But wait. Don’t give up on them just yet.

I did a little research and learned that many inlay pieces are filled with plaster between the tiles, so I pretty quickly made the mental leap that some joint compound (aka: spackle) would be a good, easy DIY option to fill those cracks. It’s sandable so you can get it pretty smooth, and once it dries you can paint it to match. So that’s exactly what I decided to try. Here’s how things looked after I spackled the cracks to fill them in.

Next, I just used the paint we had on hand and attempted to match the colors as closely as I could. Remember: paint always dries darker, so you want to aim for a color match that’s ever so slightly lighter than whatever you’re painting.

The blue-gray was actually pretty easy to match with the colors we had on hand (the dark blue we used for the tub and our soft sand wall color mixed together to create almost an exact match) but we didn’t have anything yellow enough on hand to patch the missing inlay piece in the front right corner, which is why you see that bottom “tile” looking a little whiter and rougher in the photo below:

It’s not perfect yet – but now that I know this method works, I’m planning to bring some yellow paint the next time we go to Cape Charles so I can mix up a closer match for that area. You’ll also notice I painted that missing inlay circle on the side (see how it’s gone in the picture below) so I’ll touch that up too. Spackle tends to shrink a little as it dries, so I also realized after painting it that it could have used a second coat to smooth things out even more, so I think I’ll do one more “plaster coat”, sand it smooth, and touch up the paint so it matches even better once I have that yellower paint on hand.

But even as it looks right now, it’s a whole lot better than it was! You really have to be looking for the patched areas to even notice that there has been some work done on this piece in person thanks to the busy pattern, which is really quite forgiving!

sconce / similar mirror

You also may have noticed that we hung a mirror over it (remember this one from our second house’s guest room?!) and added curtains, which we still need to steam (these are Lenda curtain panels from Ikea – we just cut off the tabs and used ring clips to hang them). With those touches, this front bedroom is really really close to done. There are even coat hangers in the closet! Just don’t look too closely at the art in those frames yet (it’s still the stock photo that comes with the frame).

bench / rug / blue blanket / frames / curtain rods / curtains

I love the airiness of this room. It feels interesting thanks to the high contrast bed frame and the dark curtain rods, yet soft and soothing thanks to all the soft textiles (the curtains, the bedding, the rug), and the little details – like the spool legs of the side tables, the geometric pattern on the lamp base, and the large framed art piece – add just enough “something” to keep things from feeling flat.

art / headboard / rug / blue blanket / side table / lamp

But I still have to hand it to real stars of this house – like the gorgeous heart pine floors that we had sanded and clear-sealed and the doors that we stripped back to their original color. They’re such a nice balance with the cooler beachier colors in the room.

Look at that solid wood knob and the little keyhole under it. Is it weird if that makes me want to tear up too?

P.S. Want to know what paint colors we used or where a certain item in the beach house came from? We created a full source list right here for ya. And if you wanna see more pics & posts about this beach house renovation, we’ve shared dozens here over the past year. 

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Repair Broken Or Cracked Inlay (And The Fateful Tale Of A Craigslist Dresser) published first on http://ift.tt/2BedaSe