#because i wanna read fanfiction lol

[microwavestim]

im back yay

[iwanttobepersephone]

Okay, you know what. You know what. I wanna know. I've had plenty of people ask me to write fanfics, and every time I say I can't. BUT! I CAN write movie-script esc "fanfics". And I wanna know if people would actually be interested in that? If they are, I can try and figure out how to use A03 if people would rather read on there than Tumblr. But if nobody is interested in "fanfics" that aren't really... stories, just. Descriptions of scenes and emotions. Then I won't bother lol.

I'll have examples below the cut, and also tag a couple people I think (EMPHASIS ON THINK) have asked me to write a fanfic in the past

@permettez-moi (or @golden-bubblebee ? Idk which one you prefer to be tagged for) @solarishashernoseinabook @ragingadhd @dragonslovecoins @rangertessadarling @ranger-tater @reine-du-sourire @biggestqiblifan

The quality WILL be better if it's an actual fanfiction, less references to the reader and more immersed and stuff, but the general writing style/pov probably won't change

[satyricplotter]

there's a multitude of reasons why i struggle with the idea of actually properly writing out once more to see you even though the angst is angsting and the playlist is fire (ngl my two main motivators to write lol) the first of which is the absurd amount of work that would be setting it up. i don't mean exactly writing it, but the prep work of ironing out the details and keeping track of all the relationships (i really really shot myself in the foot making clark your sister's father but like. the angst! i love dysfunctional families!) and, worst of all, the continuity. i think i could get away with reading up on final crisis, being that one of the temporal lines is set after bruce disappears into the time stream, but keeping track of Everyone's fucking whereabouts for the whole duration of dick's tenure as robin and onwards just so i could feasibly portray your incidence in the world and the batfam's life is so....... just thinking about it gives me a headache. everything literally happens so much.

[decoy-sammy]

New fic rec for me it seems. I'm scared already🥲

*clasps your shoulders gently and looks you straight in the eye*

Keferon. Please read Ninth by Kyn on AO3. I think you would love it very much. It has a large chapter count, but don't be intimidated, it's very easy to get into. It is currently unfinished, but is being updated regularly.

You are the seventh person that recommended this fic to me so ahahahaha yeah

I’m doing great Help I hate some parts of it but I love the other parts I’m spinning in the blender

…..I made the moodboard….

[transfusible]

ive never gotten into stardew valley but i just gotta vent bc the only npcs in stardew valley i wanna marry r unavailable

winning pam & jodi's approval is like 😍 & i wanna rescue pierre's mormon wife Caroline too. i would rescue sandy from the desert and personally hold an umbrella over her every day. I love so many of the unmarriable npcs. The bachelors/bachelorettes just don't pique my interest v much idk maybe i just want people who are unavailable lmao

[astraea-linden]

Dammit, I read the life changing fanfic everyone said was life changing, and now my life has in fact been changed, and I’m this close to deleting all 90k words of my own fanfic because how the fuck am I supposed to measure up to that??

[boyapologist]

my goooooood I hate hate hate 5 am flights

[comically-callous]

Can I request headcanons for Kurt, Remy, Logan, and Wade being stuck with his gender neutral crush in close proximity please?

Love this 👅👅👅

Wade, Logan, Remy, and Kurt with gn!Reader in close/forced proximity 💕

Warnings!!!: Mild language, tad bit suggestive in a few parts (nothing crazy, don’t get excited), Wade being semi aware that he’s in a fanfiction lol, forced proximity in smallish places

A/n: Hello, I’m back. I liked writing this one, it brought me joy even though I had a mental breakdown halfway through writing it for unrelated reasons. Anyways, requests are open 😛

Wade Wilson:

Wade drags you out to a casino after a successful mission together because you guys are in Vegas and he wants to celebrate!! and definitely not because he wants to spend more time with you

But, of course, as soon as you two exit the lobby area of the casino and enter an elevator, the thing comes to a sudden halt.

“Uh-oh. The good ol’ forced proximity trope. Better get comfortable, Y/n. I’ve read enough fanfiction to know we’re not getting out of here anytime soon.”

Obviously, you call the front desk. But, they tell you it’ll be a while till they can send someone over to get you guys out of here.

Despite the shitty situation, Wade is happy to be spending time with you.

The two of you sit on the floor after a while and even though it’s a pretty spacious elevator, Wade sits right next to you. Like, shoulder to shoulder.

He’s sure to keep you entertained while you wait to be rescued. And by keeping you entertained, I mean he won’t shut the fuck up.

And it’s really all fun and games for him until you show any signs of being genuinely upset or nervous about being stuck here.

That’s when he basically pries the doors open himself and somehow manages to climb through the elevator shaft and fixes the problem himself.

“How the hell did you manage to do that?”

“I can be useful when I want to, hot stuff.”

You guys leave a negative review on the Casino later.

Logan Howlett:

You two have to share a hotel room together while on a mission, and unexpectedly, (say it with me, now) there’s only one bed.

“I can sleep on the floor.”

“I don’t want you sleeping on the floor.”

“Do you wanna sleep on the floor?”

“The bed can easily fit two people. Besides, It’s just for one night.”

“…”

“Come on…. I don’t bite.”

So, now you two are sharing a bed. And to your surprise, he’s being very mindful about it.

He sets up a little wall of pillows between you and says it’s to protect you in case his claws come out while he’s sleeping.

And obviously, you don’t know about it, but he’s pretty nervous.

He knows it’s stupid and he knows he shouldn’t be nervous because it’s not like anything is going to happen between the two of you. But, still.

He gets up once or twice to leave the room to smoke and definitely not to go outside and contemplate every single thing he’s done tonight.

When he comes back, you apologize and he realizes that he’s probably made you think that he’s somehow uncomfortable by your presence.

“Don’t be sorry. I don’t mind this, honestly.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

And so, the two of you get into bed together. Don’t worry. He’s going to be a gentleman about it unless you don’t want him to be 😈

Remy LeBeau:

The two of you are tasked with grabbing some spare blankets from a closet after some of the children at the school ask to build a pillow fort.

Easy enough task, right? Wrong. Somehow the two of you get trapped in the blanket closet together.

One can only bang on a door and shout for help for so long before giving up.

“Don’t worry, Mon Ami. Gambit’ll keep you company.”

The two of you can’t really move too much, both settling for leaning against the walls opposite from one another.

He assures you he wouldn’t mind you getting closer. Which, of course, gets you flustered and you just have to hope he doesn’t notice in the dark.

He’s having a great time. He loves teasing you, and getting to see you get all nervous.

“You sure you don’t wanna get a little more comfortable?”

“It’s fine, really. Someone’s probably realized we’re gone by now. They’ll find us here any minute.”

“Shame. I was hoping we’d get a little more time alone together.”

Anyways, it turns out if there are people looking for you, they’re doing a pretty shitty job, because you haven’t even heard anyone walk by the closet and it’s been nearly 20 minutes.

And Remy knows he unfortunately can’t just stay in here with you forever. So, he’ll knock down the door the second you give him the word.

Kurt Wagner:

You, Kurt, and a couple of the other X-Men take a little road trip. Or are all driving to do a mission. It doesn’t really matter, you’re all in a car together.

You and Kurt end up drawing the short straws and are forced to be crammed into the small backseat together.

Now, could Kurt hypothetically just Bamf over to wherever you guys are going? Probably. But, why would he do that when this is the perfect excuse to spend time with the person he’s been pining after for…. Weeks? Months? Who knows.

It doesn’t matter! He’s happy to be here with you. But, also nervous.

He doesn’t wanna upset you, or weird you out, or make you uncomfortable at all! That’s the opposite of how he wants to make you feel!

So, he may or may not end up basically smushing himself against the car wall.

He chills out eventually and gets comfortable. But, fuck, those first 30 minutes were ROUGH.

You two get to talking and he’s just so happy to be spending time with you. So happy his tail subconsciously wraps around your ankle.

You either don’t notice or don’t say anything. Either way, the tail stays there.

After a couple hours, your eyelids start to feel heavy. And before you know it, you’re asleep. On Kurt’s shoulder. AND HE’S FREAKING OUT ‼️‼️

-Y/n? Y/n? Mein Gott….”

And that’s the last thing he manages to get out before going completely ghost and still. He wants you to get your rest.

Eventually he falls asleep too. Turns out the two of you get very good rest when sleeping together. Maybe you should do it more often.

[cains-daughters]

dating stefan salvatore headcannon (pt 1?)

needed to start my own fanfict page to scratch my own nasty, daydreaming mind because i'm rewatching my fave shows/movies n im obsessed (sorry for typos its 2am n i dont care)

warning: some nsfw shit, minors go away

he's literally the type of guy that your grandma wants you to marry

he feeds the sapiosexual bitches; conversations with him are so fucking intellectually stimulating and while he's talking about a topic/explaining it, you're just staring at him like "this man is so damn smart... I need to ride him" (lol)

has history teacher vibes/has teacher kink vibes sorry but he would def see how turned on you get while he's talking and use it to his advantage

slow mornings with stefan>>>>>>

hearing "good morning baby" as he's stretching/getting closer/putting his arm under your tits to hug you while you're still in bed😵‍💫😵‍💫

he will def love to spend alone time with you, just being in each others solitude while being in the same room reading, writing, drinking coffee or just thinking

you basically give him the opportunity to create more peace and silence in his life in between all crazy shit

because you're not in the supernatural world, he would try so fucking hard to protect you from even knowing of it. will even compel you without thinking at the beginning if you find out and would confess everything if it puts you in a life threatening situation

people will use this to their advantage but somehow he got Damon to be protective over you and you will have both of their protection

Damon can't stand how you complement each other, he feels like having two Stefans giving him advice but he mostly listens to you because you're hot to him lmao

When you first met Damon all he could do is disrespectfully flirt with you just to make Stefan mad

Stefan writing you poems, novels and dedicating journals for you in which he writes love letters (I NEED HIMMM)

he loves slow, deep, intimate makeout sessions. having you on his lap or sitting infront of him while he's holding you with one hand on the lower back and another one on the back of your head guiding you while he grips your hair not hard enough to hurt but hard enough to want him to face fuck you <3

he's dominant, he truly enjoys leading you and not just sexually, he will always be giving you non-sexual dominance like guiding you in crowded spaces, makes decisions for you if you need assistance, will be watching you/making eye contact with you if not together in the same room

he loves having you sit on his feet while your head rests on his lap and he caresses your face and plays with your hair (I NEEEED HIIIMMMMMUGHHHHH) (also this gives me Klaus/Elijah Mikaelson vibes im dead)

im so tired, but i will sleep thinking about our daddy Stefan Salvatore AMEN and i wanna write more shit PEACE

[shelbycragg]

hi shelby! can i ask how you feel about the work you did for homestuck? if i’m not mistaken you drew for Calliope (and other art) and i was wondering if it was “fun but in the past” or more “in the past dont wanna talk about it”- your work inspired me a lot back in “the old days” lol (i has a diff tumblr and diff life) so i hope it does not cause u grief! i just dont see much mention of it on ur blog. have a good day~

i did all that work when i was in my late teens-early 20s in college and i am 32 now so i mostly just look back on it with some nostalgia and a healthy amount of "oh honey" about my younger self. i was a part of the small indie webcomics/livejournal fanfiction community before HS inexplicably blew up with multitudes of young teenagers in 2013 (and the story went off the rails...) and i got pulled on to work on it officially, so my experience with it is a little different and it definitely a time when i was finding myself as a young writer. i met a lot of awesome people along the way, and i learned a lot about myself and what im willing to put up with, let's just say that. i left the team because of creative differences and it kinda just is what it is. that was like 10 years ago at this point LOL i'm much happier now writing my own story about problematic aliens, syn7ropy, which has yet to be released publicly but if anyone is interested in beta reading we do have a small and chill discord server with links to all the drafts and WIPs and tons of art

i still do homestuck related commissions for people though because gotta get that cash. LMAO.

[wynn-43]

his golden hues to your shattered soul

han jisung x gn! reader  wc: 2k warnings: detailed description of a panic attack and a flashback, in depth talks about abuse/manipulation, non-sexual nudity, not super proofread, hurt/comfort, so fluffy, santa a/n: this is deeply personal, (i sobbed whilst writing it) but i wanted to share in case it brought anyone comfort <3 also partially based off of a song i wrote lols

"Hey love, you okay?" Your boyfriend asks from his spot in your bed. Tonight was supposed to be another normal sleepover, where you doom scroll together before curling up and falling asleep watching an anime.

You take a deep breath, trying to ignore your spiralling thoughts and the tears pricking at  your eyes.

"Yeah." You whisper hollowly. "Just... read something I shouldn't have." You try to control your breaths, try to breathe in deeply but you begin to feel yourself inhale and exhale sharply and uncontrollably.

"Woah, hey, hey baby." Jisung soothes, moving to sit in front of you, holding your hands in an attempt to ground you. "It's okay. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

You barely notice the tears spilling down your face as you hyperventilate, avoiding eye contact. “I-” Your voice breaks as you begin to spiral out of control, too far gone to bring yourself back.

“It’s so silly. It’s so stupid.” You mutter, your insides and thoughts twisting into a coil of knots.

"Baby, I promise it's not stupid." He says, resting his hand on your face and gently wiping away your flowing tears. "Hey, look at me." 

You look at him and suddenly you break, you immediately jump into his lap, hiding your face in the indent of his neck as you sob.

"Oh honey. It's okay, I've got you." He murmurs, holding you tight and drawing gentle, soothing shapes on your back.

“You’re safe.” He draws zigzags along your spine. “I love you, and I’ve got you.” He traces a swirling spiral along your skin. “You’ll be okay.” He murmurs against the side of your head.

He continues to hold you, whispering comforting words in your ear, as your sobs turn to hiccups and your breathing slows. He moves to situate the two of you more comfortably against your bed-head as he gently presses soft kisses to your hair.

"Do you wanna talk about it sweetheart?" He murmurs into your hair, continuing to draw soothing, invisible patterns down your spine.

"Don't wanna upset you." You mumble tearily into his shoulder.

"Don't worry about me baby. I'm here for you. If you want to tell me, I’m here to listen." He comforts you, continuing to press soft kisses to your hair.

You lean back, "Promise you won't laugh?" You look into his eyes, taking note of the care and concern reflected in them.

"I promise baby." He takes your hand in his.

You look away, too embarrassed to make eye contact. "I was reading fanfiction about you..." 

"Why love? I'm right here." He inquires, head tilting and brow furrowing  in confusion.

"I don't know!" You exclaim, tears springing to your eyes again. "I was bored!" 

"Okay, okay, I'm not judging baby." He hugs you close to his chest, hoping the new position would ease your worries about eye contact and make you more comfortable. "Then what?" He gently traces invisible lines along your arm.

"I stumbled across a random one, and I read the warnings and I thought I'd be fine." You lament, voice thick with anguish.

"Then I read it and..." You pause, voice breaking as fresh tears spill down your face once again. 

"Ji..." You say and you must sound so broken because you hear him inhale sharply. "They made you sound just like them." He hums in melancholic recognition, knowing exactly who you were talking about.

"And I know that it's fiction." Your voice quivers, "But it just brought me back to that. And them." 

You feel so broken, exactly like you had with them– shattered and haphazardly stuck back together a million times until you were shaped into who they wanted you to be. A misshapen and distorted resemblance of the person you once were. They had destroyed you so many times, chipping away at your identity, your ideals and your self worth. Then they glued you back together, proclaiming their love for you and promising change. And yet, they immediately fractured you again, often before the glue had even dried. This endless, almost monotonous repetition of torment and control left you fragile- collapsing in on yourself with a single sentence, just as they desired.

Now, even years later, you still fractured easily, but Jisung was there to decorate your sharp edges with golden paint and piece you back together. Always holding you gently as you cried, whispering soft nothings that somehow meant everything- his golden light shining through the cracks in your broken person.

Your chest tightens with guilt, guilt that Jisung was the one being made to fix the mess you now were.

You suddenly hear him sniffle and you immediately pull back, confused and concerned. 

You notice tears streaming down his face as he looks at you with a heartbroken expression.

"Wait, no. Don't cry. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you." You stand to try and leave but you're immediately stopped by hands wrapping around your waist as he hugs you, his face pressed into your back as he cries.

"I love you so much. So. So. So much. I will never, ever, ever hurt you like that, or treat you as anything less than the amazing person you are. You are so incredibly strong and I am so proud of you and so privileged to be part of your journey." You feel sobs wracking your body and you swear you feel the warmth of his love flowing into you as he pulls you into his lap. 

"You are my world, and I will never understand how anyone treated you as anything less than that. I adore you more than life itself, I worship the very ground you walk on and I will never do anything less." He turns you so that you’re facing him and you wrap your arms around his neck and you cry together.

“I am so, so, so proud of you baby.” He presses a soft kiss to your forehead as he rubs soft circles into your waist. “They're so lucky that they're in a different country, otherwise I swear to god I will hunt them down." He emphasises the last part, making you giggle through your tears.

"I love you. So much. You could never be anything like them. I'm sorry for overreacting." You nestle your face into the crook of his neck.

"Whoaaa. Excuse me! You did not overreact. You have trauma. You had a panic attack." He gently brushes your hair out of your face. "It happens baby. I'm just glad I was here for you like you're always here for me." Tears spring to your eyes once again, however this time it's more out of the sheer love you feel for the man in front of you.

“How are you so pretty when you cry?” You whisper, gently wiping away the tears decorating your lover's face as he laughs.

“You’re pretty all the time.” He murmurs looking up at you as though you’ve strung the stars that now shine in his eyes.

He falls backwards, making you lay down on top of him. 

“Gonna marry you someday.” He cooes as he falls backwards, pulling you down to lay on him as you blush.

“You feeling better now?” He asks sleepily, eyes closed as he rubs your back.

“Much better.” You hum, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose, making him giggle.

“You know one thing that would make me feel even better.” You scheme as he suspiciously opens one eye to peek at you.

“Bubble bath?” He whispers excitedly, making you gasp.

“HOW DID YOU KNOW?” You exclaim, giggling as he hugs you tight, pressing chaste kisses to your neck and cheeks.

“Husband's intuition,” he smiles at your giggles.

“Ohhh. Did you get a promotion?” You smile down at his beaming face.

“Not yet. But soon.” He flirts, making you blush. 

“Cutie.” he whispers before pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

Later, he slides in behind you, his bare chest pressed against your back and his chin resting on your shoulder as the two of you play with the bubbles.

He smiles at you when you turn, unprepared for your bubble attack that leaves him looking like a wise, old man.

You laugh at his shocked expression. “You look like Santa!”

“Ho, ho, ho?” He says hesitantly, making you laugh harder. You turn properly, resting your chin on his chest as you float above him.

“I love you so much.” You whisper, smiling up at him.

“I love you too sweetheart.” He smiles down at you as he tries to remove the bubbles, making you giggle. 

Suddenly you’re being pulled up and you squeak as the cold air bites at your arms.

Jisungs arms wrap around you, holding you up, faces inches away from each other.

“Hi,” he says, eyes locked onto your lips.

“Hi baby.” You murmur, bringing your gaze down to his lips.

“You’re pretty.” He whispers, looking back at your eyes.

Instead of replying you cup his face and press your lips to his. He immediately kisses you back and your lips work in unison, a push and pull of love, adoration and desire.

You pull back, “You’re prettier.” You press kisses to his round cheeks, his neck and his chest, making him giggle.

─── .✧.☽ .✧. ───

The two of you lay there for what feels like an eternity. 

“Ji,” you whine, “The waters cold.”

“D’you wanna get out?” he mumbles, lazily chasing droplets of water down your back with his finger.

“No…” you groan dramatically, making him laugh.

“Come on bub. Time to get out.” he says, patting your back.

“Fine” you grumble, gently extracting yourself from his limbs before standing up and wrapping a towel around you. Grabbing another one you spin, careful to help your clumsy partner out of the tub before you wrap him in a towel, using the motion as an excuse to hug him.

The two of you giggle as you dry each other off, pressing soft kisses to every inch of bare skin you can reach.

“Go stand outside, I’ll sacrifice myself and pull the plug out.” You laugh before doing as he says.

You giggle as you hear the sound of the drain groaning and his soft footsteps as he runs to escape the sound. All of a sudden you’re being picked up as he carries you towards your room, dropping you on the bed in a mess of laughter and towels.

“Which pyjamas will it be tonight, my liege?” He asks, dramatically opening your wardrobe.

You hum, considering your options before your eyes light up. “Can we wear the matching ones?”

“The cinnamoroll ones?” he asks, smiling as he searches for them.

You excitedly hum in confirmation as he pulls out the matching set, tossing it onto the bed beside you. He helps you get dressed, despite your complaints, gently pulling the light blue, fuzzy pants up your leg before kissing your stomach, making you giggle. He then pulls the dark blue cinnamoroll hoodie down over your head, pressing a soft kiss to your lips as he ruffles your now fluffy hair.

He pulls back to go and to put his set on but you stop him, pulling him close before quickly switching positions so that he’s now seated on the bed. You press a soft kiss to his lips before you gently clothe his legs with the soft, dark blue fabric. As you stand up, he pulls you close, resting his chin upon your tummy and wrapping his arms around your waist as he looks up at you.

“I love you so much.” He murmurs, looking almost starstruck.

“I love you too beautiful, thank you for everything.” You run your fingers through his hair for a moment before noticing the goosebumps adoring his arms. You lean over and pull the fluffy, light blue cinnamoroll hoodie onto him and he immediately pulls you onto his lap once the soft, warm fabric engulfs him.

He presses kiss, after kiss to your lips, gently holding you as you cuddle together.

Later, when the two of you are curled up comfortably in your bed, you rest your head on his chest, smiling at the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat.

“I wonder if we’ll ever go on tour to their country…” Jisung muses out loud.

“JI! NO!” You gasp, sitting up and smacking his arm as he giggles. 

This is a work of fiction, based entirely on my personal perception of him, and does not reflect his actual character or actions.

[linosaurus-ikuklk]

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ SKZ - On Track: I Know I'm a Fool

Summary: After that cold night in the street, where Hyunjin had confessed what he really felt for you, a dense atmosphere had begun to form between the two of you. You thought that he might only be infatuated.

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Trope: Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn (kinda), School Love

Word Count: 6.9k

Notes: This fanfiction is inspired by SKZ's song "바보라도 알아 (Mixtape: On Track)" and its music video. So, this is the part 2! And I think I had it inspired by Horimiya by the tiniest bits lol! You'll see HAHA.

.° ༘🎧⋆🖇₊˚ෆ -바보라도 알아 (Mixtape: On Track)

⟡ ݁₊ . Pt. 1 ⟡ ݁₊ . Part 2

It's so quiet in the office, maybe since the night of the premiere. Awkward atmosphere never seemed to be lifted from the air. You sat there in the uncomfortable silence, your foot twitching as you sat with your legs crossed. The article you're holding is what keeps your eyes and attention occupied even when you've read it 10 times already. And the only sound was the muffled music from Jisung's headphones which spares him from all this unease.

You've been feeling Bangchan's eyes on you since he came in and started editing sounds on his laptop. And now you could tell that he's just staring at you because he has stopped moving from your peripheral vision. Someone coming into the room gains your attention, it is Hyunjin, who immediately catches the atmosphere. He goes to the desk across the room, his cautious eyes glancing at all three of you, especially on you.

You instinctively roll your eyes because that just adds to the guilt that's suffocating you right now. With the laptop closing on a thud that makes you all turn your heads, Bangchan calls your name. “You wanna explain to me what happened after dinner?” You blinked at him a few times before sighing, setting the article aside, you leaned in with your elbows resting on your lap.

He waits for you to speak with that knowing look on his face. Sometimes you would just forget that Bangchan is older than you which he takes advantage of to discipline you. “So…? Care to explain what that was all about?” Bangchan inquires, his eyes searching yours for any clarity. “Jeongin and Seungmin won't tell me anything either, saying that it's best if it'll come from you.”

Your eyes wandered for a bit, wanting to have a break from Bangchan's intense gaze and in doing so, you met Hyunjin's. His expression was unreadable, but something in his eyes tugged at your chest. A lump formed in your throat as you quickly turned back to Bangchan. He wants to know everything that's happening between all of you so that he will know when to step in. He wasn’t just a leader; he was a cornerstone—the pillar of the group, and you're lying to yourself if you didn't see him as a father figure. Not to mention that he has a soft spot for the girls of his group—you and Jaein, being the girl dad he is.

“Jaein and I already talked about it… right after dinner. I…” Your voice faltered, and your eyes betrayed you again, flickering back to Hyunjin. He wasn’t looking this time. Instead, his focus was on the papers in his hands, his jaw tight, as if distancing himself from the weight of your words. “I really liked Minho,” you continued, the words heavier than you expected. “I didn’t think he’d be in a relationship with Jaein. And when I found out… I felt heartbroken.” The admission lingered in the air, raw and unguarded.

Bangchan’s expression softened, his worry now edged with compassion. The warmth in his gaze was almost too much, and you forced a small smile, trying to reassure him—and yourself. “But we’ve talked. Jaein and I… we’re fine now. I’m working through it, one step at a time.” 

He nodded slowly, taking in your words. Then his hand reached out, resting gently on the top of your head before ruffling your hair. His touch was light, but his voice carried a quiet strength. “You know,” he said, his tone soft but steady, “it’s okay to feel this way. Heartbreak doesn’t just disappear because you talked it out—it takes time. And it’s okay to take that time. You don’t have to rush to be okay.” His words hung in the air for a moment, grounding you in their sincerity. “You’re stronger than you think,” he added, his gaze holding yours with unwavering support. “And we’re all here for you—me, Jaein, the others. Whatever you need, don’t forget that, alright?”

The knot in your chest loosened, if only slightly, and you managed a small nod. His smile returned, warm and reassuring, as his hand gave your hair one last affectionate ruffle. 

And as if he hadn’t been breathing for the past thirty minutes, Jisung finally let out a dramatic exhale. His headphones were off in an instant, clattering onto the desk as he shot up from his seat. Stretching his arms high above his head, he let out a loud, almost primal scream that echoed through the room, startling anyone who hadn’t been paying attention. “Finally! I can move again!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with exaggerated relief. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his phone and stuffed it into his pocket, practically bounding toward the door. “Bye!”

He didn’t even bother looking back, his energy bouncing off the walls like a released spring. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the room in stunned silence for a beat before a quiet chuckle escaped from one of the others. “That guy,” Bangchan muttered, shaking his head, but there was no hiding the amused grin spreading across his face.

But the uneasiness still clung to you and it doesn’t seem to go away. Your eyes drifted again, this time landing on Hyunjin, who was sitting on the other side of the room. He looked like a painting—one of those broody, artsy types people would analyze for hours—but instead of depth, it was clear his brain was caught in some train of thought that had probably derailed three stations ago.

Not being able to handle the dense atmosphere between the two of you anymore, you excused yourself and exited the room in a fuss. ~~

You spent your afternoon with Jaein, just the two of you navigating the fairgrounds like it was old times. Today was the last day of the fair, and you both decided—almost telepathically—that it was the perfect excuse to step out of your heads for a bit. And honestly? It helped. The smell of fried food, the distant laughter of the other students hanging out, and the clinking of carnival games seemed to peel away some of the heaviness hanging in the air.

Jaein was over the moon to see you loosen up. You could tell by the way she kept stealing glances at you, her smile just a little too wide, like she was making sure it wasn’t an act. And maybe it wasn’t quite the same yet—maybe it would take a while for that effortless closeness to come back—but there was something comforting in the effort itself.

“I’m glad we’re doing this,” Jaein said as you both sat on a bench, sharing a paper tray of greasy fries. The sun was beginning to set, painting the fair in warm golden hues, and for a moment, it felt like the world had pressed pause. “Me too,” you admitted, plucking a fry from the tray. “I didn’t think we’d get here so quickly, though. I mean, after that night…” You trailed off, unsure if you were ruining the mood.

Jaein sighed, leaning back against the bench and watching a group of elementary students run by with cotton candy bigger than their heads. “Yeah, that night was… rough,” she said, her tone soft but steady. “But I think we handled it, didn’t we? Like, mature adults and everything. Who knew we had it in us?” You laughed, the sound bubbling out before you could stop it. “Speak for yourself. That was the most adult thing I’ve ever done in my life. I half expected balloons to drop from the ceiling in celebration or something.”

Jaein chuckled, nudging you with her shoulder. “See? Growth. We should be proud. Look at us—handling feelings and not making a total mess of things.”

“Not yet, anyway,” you quipped, biting into another fry. She tilted her head, her smile softening. “But seriously, I’m glad we talked. I’d hate to think of losing you over… all that.” Her voice dipped just slightly, enough to tell you she meant every word. You looked at her, the weight of her words settling in. “Same,” you said simply, because sometimes a single word was enough.

The fair buzzed around you—laughter, music, the hum of rides—but between you and Jaein, there was a quiet kind of peace. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real, and for now, that was enough.

~~

You didn’t even notice it at first, but somehow, a week had already slipped past you. Time felt strange—too fast when you were distracted, too slow when you were alone with your thoughts. With Jaein’s help, you’d manage to loosen up around Minho. It wasn’t exactly effortless, but it was progress, and you were proud of that in your own quiet way.

The film club had gone silent, with no projects or meetings to fill the gaps. Midterm exams loomed on the horizon, casting a shadow over everyone’s schedules and making it harder to run into the others. Yet, amidst all the absences, there was one you couldn’t quite adjust to.

Hwang Hyunjin.

During your afternoon class, you would catch glimpses of him in the courtyard. He was always perched somewhere quiet, sketchpad balanced on his knees, pencil flying across the page like it held the answers to every question in the world. Sometimes, his gaze would flicker toward your classroom window. But when your eyes would meet, he gave nothing away. No smile, no wave—nothing. He would look away, as if you weren’t even there.

It confused you. Maybe even offended you, though you wouldn’t say that out loud.

There were times you’d see him with Minho and Changbin too, their laughter spilling through the halls like everything was perfectly fine again. The tension between them was gone, leaving behind the easy camaraderie they’d always shared. And you were happy for them—genuinely, you were.

But when it was just you and Hyunjin, even in a crowd, something shifted. When your group gathered at the gates, his guard went up as if he’d been expecting an ambush. He stayed at a deliberate distance, avoiding your eyes and keeping his words clipped and impersonal. And there you’d be, standing beside Jaein, the confusion thick in your chest as you watched him retreat into himself.

And that wasn’t all. There was something else lingering beneath the surface—a guilt you couldn’t quite name, a longing you didn’t want to admit.

His words echoed faintly in your mind, as if carried back to you on a stray breeze. “I can’t lose someone again. I can’t lose you.” He’d said them with so much weight, so much sincerity, that you still weren’t sure how to carry them. And yet, you’d left him standing there on that cold street, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to feel.

The doubts had crept in like shadows. Hadn’t he just liked Jaein a week or two before that? Wasn’t it possible that you were just a placeholder, the only person who happened to be there when he needed someone? Maybe it wasn’t you he wanted at all—maybe it was the idea of not being alone.

But if that were true… why was he avoiding you now?

You couldn’t shake the questions that gnawed at the edges of your mind. Why couldn’t he even bear to look at you for more than a second? Why did he keep himself just outside your reach, like the distance between you was the only thing keeping him afloat?

You needed to know. You needed to understand the reason behind his sudden distance, the way he seemed to shrink away from you like you were the one who might break him. Or worse, like he thought he might break you.

~~

“Come on, please! I need someone to look after my nephew!” For the past twenty minutes, Jaein had been clinging to you like a koala on its favorite tree, tugging at your arm with increasing desperation. She was relentless, her big, pleading eyes boring into yours as if sheer willpower alone could make you change your mind. 

“Jaein, I already told you, I can’t,” you said softly, trying to keep your tone gentle, as if she were a fragile porcelain doll. She may have been younger and undeniably cute, but that didn’t mean she could get away with everything. “Why not?!” she whined, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet now. “You’re literally free all day! What else are you going to do—stare at the ceiling and mope?”

Your deadpan expression didn’t falter. “It’s called self-care, Jaein.” She groaned dramatically, throwing her head back as if the weight of the world had been placed on her shoulders. “You don’t even like staring at the ceiling!”

“Exactly,” you replied dryly, crossing your arms. “That’s how serious I am about not babysitting your nephew.”

“But it’s Minho,” she said, shaking your arm again like an overexcited puppy. “I finally got him to ask me out, and you’re just going to let me cancel because of a four-year-old who likes dinosaurs and doesn’t even throw tantrums?!”

“Jaein,” you said, fixing her with a pointed look, “Junho doesn’t throw tantrums because I do when I’m left alone with kids. It’s self-preservation.” She pouted, her lips forming the kind of exaggerated frown that might’ve worked on a parent—or a more gullible friend. But you weren’t falling for it. Not this time.

“Please, please, please! I’ll owe you for the rest of my life! I’ll do your laundry! I’ll buy you coffee every day for a month!” You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Jaein, I don’t even drink coffee every day.”

“Then I’ll… I’ll buy you a cake! Or noodles! Whatever you want!” She was practically vibrating now, it could almost break your tough facade. You stared at her, weighing your options. On the one hand, you really didn’t want to babysit because babies aren’t really your forte. Heck, you’re scared you might even kick them out of annoyance. On the other hand, the idea of helping them actually brings a smile to your lips. And the fact that you could actually ask them back for a favor—like letting Minho handle the essay papers he’s all too familiar with, it may not be a bad idea at all.

“Fine,” you muttered finally, throwing your hands up in defeat. “YES!” Jaein cheered, jumping up and down before tackling you into a tight hug. “I knew you loved me!” You just muffled a laugh on her shoulder, actually loving the way she seemed so bubbly.

She pulled back, grinning from ear to ear. “I promise you won’t regret it. He’s an angel. A literal angel.” You raised an eyebrow. “If he’s an angel, why are you so desperate to pawn him off on me?” She laughed nervously, already backing toward the door. “Gotta go! Minho’s waiting! Thanks, you’re the best!”

“Alright, enjoy!” And with that, she was gone, leaving you alone in your living room with a growing sense of dread—and the realization that you had absolutely no idea what you’d just signed up for.

~~

By the afternoon, you finally dragged yourself out of the house, wearing a loose shirt and black sweatpants. You didn’t even bother fixing your hair—after all, it’s just a four-year-old kid. You grabbed some bread you knew the kid would like and headed to Jaein’s house, just a street away.

When you got there, you noticed a pair of unfamiliar slippers by the door. You guessed they might belong to Minho, already making himself comfortable. The thought of feeling jealous that he was with Jaein made you laugh—it was just the usual best friend and boyfriend dynamic.

You quietly entered, took off your own purple slippers, and as you turned the corner, you stopped dead in your tracks. You blinked, almost dropping the bread in your hand. It wasn’t a dream or a hallucination. It was Hyunjin.

*+:｡.｡ Earlier

"Have you ever wondered what tissue paper tastes like?" Minho teased, chasing Hyunjin around the apartment with five sheets of tissue in his hand, a mischievous grin on his face. Hyunjin’s eyes widened in panic, and before anyone could react, he dashed across the room. "Yah! Stop it, it’s not funny!" Hyunjin shouted, his voice rising in fear as he hid behind furniture, trying to escape. For the next ten minutes, the two of them ran around the apartment, weaving around the coffee table, jumping over the couch, and almost knocking over a lamp. Whether you were Hyunjin, out of breath and barely holding it together, or just a helpless bystander, it was exhausting to watch.

"You’re not going to convince me to babysit if you keep chasing me with tissue paper as your weapon!" Hyunjin crouched behind the couch, shielding himself from Minho’s next move. After a moment, he dropped his arms and sat down on the couch, still holding the tissues. He wore his signature : ] smile, looking way too pleased for someone who’d just put his best friend through such madness.

The half naked guy raises from the ground with his guard still up, eyeing the murder weapon on his friend’s hand. “It’ll only be until eight,” Minho offered casually, as though the past ten minutes hadn’t happened. “Eight?” Hyunjin echoes. “Aren't Jaein’s parents at home?” The cat shakes his head at that.

Hyunjin bites his lower lip, shooting a skeptical glance between Minho and the tissues. “I’m not gonna feed you anymore tissues,” he raised his hands up in the air and the younger friend cocks an eyebrow at that. “Or ask you to bathe my cats.” Minho added, the corners of his mouth twitching as though he were fighting back a grin. Hyunjin sighed, finally reaching for his shirt, which had been unceremoniously abandoned on the floor during his escape attempt. “Fine. But you don’t get to bully me—” 

Before the sentence could leave his mouth, Minho struck. In a flash, a wad of tissues was stuffed into Hyunjin’s mouth, and Minho’s triumphant, diabolical laughter filled the entire apartment.

*+:｡.｡

“So… this is why you’re here too,” you said, your voice quieter than you intended. The words hung awkwardly in the air, as if neither of you wanted to fully acknowledge them. Hyunjin nodded, but his eyes stayed on Junho in his arms, his fingers absentmindedly smoothing the fabric of the child’s tiny shirt. “Yeah,” he replied after a beat, the corner of his lips twitching in what was probably meant to be a smile. Instead, it looked more like a grimace. The laugh that followed was strained, thin enough to make your stomach twist with unease.

Junho tugged at Hyunjin’s sleeve then, mercifully cutting through the tension. You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, grateful for the distraction. The boy’s wide eyes wandered to the piece of bread in your hand, and he reached out with both hands, his focus so determined it almost made you laugh. You handed it to him, and he took it gingerly, mumbling a barely audible, “Thank you.”

Something softened in you at his words. Hyunjin’s gaze flicked up to meet yours, and his lips curved into a faint smile that felt more sincere this time. “Polite, isn’t he?” You nodded, watching the boy nibble on the bread with a concentration that seemed almost comical. “Yeah,” you murmured. “He’s proving me wrong.” Hyunjin raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. “About what?”

“About not wanting to babysit him,” you admitted with a half-shrug, hoping to sound casual and not let the lump in your throat strain your voice. “I thought he’d be a lot harder to handle.” Hyunjin let out a small laugh—this one genuine, light, but still tinged with something you couldn’t quite place. “He’s actually pretty easy. Way easier than Minho’s cats.” The mental image of Hyunjin chasing after Minho’s perpetually moody cats teased the corner of your lips but the smile never formed. “That’s not saying much.”

“Nope,” Hyunjin replied, a grin flashing briefly across his face before his attention returned to the boy. “But still. He’s a good kid.” There was something tender in the way he spoke, the way his hand rested lightly on the boy’s back, steadying him as he leaned forward to grab another piece of bread from the tray between you. It was rare to see Hyunjin like this—calm, patient, and utterly present.

For a moment, you simply watched them, your earlier reluctance fading into something softer. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

Junho glanced up at you then, crumbs clinging to his cheeks, and offered you a shy smile. “You’re nice, auntie” he said, his voice so earnest it caught you off guard. You blinked, feeling a warmth spread through you as you returned his smile. “You’re not so bad yourself, kid.”

Hyunjin laughed again, a quiet sound that felt more like a sigh of relief. And as the three of you sat there, the earlier awkwardness melting away, you realized that sometimes, even unexpected situations could turn into something surprisingly comforting.

When the boy finally fell asleep in Hyunjin’s arms, his head tucked against his chest, Hyunjin stood carefully. “I’ll put him to bed,” he murmured. You nodded, watching as he disappeared into the small room down the hall.

Left alone, the silence felt heavier again, wrapping around you like an unwelcome blanket. Your thoughts swirled—questions you hadn’t asked, feelings you didn’t want to face. Now’s the opportunity for you to confront him, even the anxiety that you’ve been carrying won’t be enough to weigh you down and stop you from knowing what happened between the two of you. By the time Hyunjin returned, you’d already sighed more times than you could count.

He closed the boy’s door gently, his movements careful as he rejoined you on the couch. The seat beside you dipped slightly as he sat down, his quick glance brushing yours before darting away again.

You swallowed hard, biting your lower lip. The words you’d been holding back threatened to spill over, but you didn’t know where to start. Finally, you broke the silence, your voice quieter than you intended. “Did you tell them?” Hyunjin frowned, turning to look at you fully. “Tell who what?”

You shifted uncomfortably, your fingers twisting together in your lap. “Jaein and Minho,” you clarified, your tone unintentionally sharper this time. “About… us. About whatever this is.”

The moment the words left your lips, you saw it—the slight flinch, the flicker of guilt that passed through his eyes like a shadow he couldn’t quite hide. His shoulders slumped as he shook his head, his gaze briefly falling to his hands. “I didn’t say anything,” he admitted quietly, the defensiveness you expected nowhere to be found. Instead, his voice carried a weight that matched your own. “They probably just… noticed.”

You blinked, his response hitting harder than it should have. “Noticed what?” you asked, the frustration you’d been trying to suppress breaking free. Your words came faster now, tumbling out before you could stop them. “That we’re barely even talking? That everything feels off? That we can’t even be in the same room without—”

You stopped yourself, your voice catching. Without what? Without feeling this ache, this unspoken tension that seemed to grow every time you were near him? Without pretending everything was fine when it clearly wasn’t?

Hyunjin winced as if your words physically hurt, his hand moving to rub the back of his neck—a habit you recognized all too well. “Yeah,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe.”

It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t even close to enough, and the hollow ache in your chest swelled, threatening to consume you. You shook your head, exhaling sharply as you leaned forward, resting your elbows on your knees. “That’s it?” you muttered, more to yourself than to him.

He didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched unbearably, thick with everything you both refused to say. When he finally spoke, his voice was unsteady, like he was trying to hold something together that was already cracking. “What do you want me to say?”

The vulnerability in his tone made your heart lurch, but it wasn’t enough to soothe the frustration bubbling beneath the surface. You sat up straight, meeting his gaze head-on. “I don’t know, Hyunjin. Maybe… maybe just tell me what you’re thinking. Because I’ve been trying to figure this out on my own, and it’s exhausting.”

His eyes searched yours, and for a moment, you thought he might actually say something, that he might finally let you in. But then his lips parted, only to press together again in a thin line. His silence was deafening, and it made your chest tighten painfully.

“Forget it,” you said, standing abruptly, the motion sharp enough to make him flinch. “If you can’t even talk to me, then what’s the point?”

“Wait,” Hyunjin said quickly, his voice desperate now as he reached out, his hand brushing your wrist before you could move further away. “I—” He hesitated, his fingers trembling slightly against your skin. “I’m scared, okay?”

You froze, his words catching you completely off guard. Slowly, you turned back to him, your expression softening despite yourself. “Scared of what?” Hyunjin’s hand dropped back into his lap as he looked away, his jaw tightening. “Of saying the wrong thing. Of making this worse. Of losing you.” His voice cracked on the last part, and he exhaled shakily, his shoulders hunched as if bracing himself for a blow.

Your anger ebbed away, replaced by a wave of something much heavier, much harder to ignore. “Hyunjin,” you started, your tone gentler now, but he cut you off, his voice rising slightly. “I don’t know how to fix this,” he admitted, his eyes finally meeting yours. They were glistening, his raw emotions laid bare in a way that made your chest ache. “But I don’t want this to be it. I don’t want us to just… fall apart.”

The sincerity in his voice was almost unbearable, and for a moment, you couldn’t find the words to respond. But as you looked at him—really looked at him, with all his flaws and fears and everything that made him Hyunjin—you realized that maybe, just maybe, you didn’t want to fall apart either.

“I’ve been scared since the night you left me on that street,” he confessed, his voice trembling as the words spilled out, raw and unguarded. The pit in your stomach grew, heavy and twisting as the memory resurfaced. “I tried to act like it didn’t matter, like it was just another moment, but it wasn’t. You walked away, and it felt like… like you took a piece of me with you.”

You swallowed hard, your hands gripping the fabric of your shirt as your mind raced. You remembered that night, the way you’d walked away from him with the weight of your emotions bearing down on you, unsure of what else to do. It had been easier to leave, to avoid confronting the feelings neither of you seemed ready to face.

“I didn’t know how to reach you after that,” Hyunjin continued, his voice breaking. “Every time I tried, it felt like I was making it worse. So I stayed quiet. I thought… maybe you didn’t want me to try.” He pulled back slightly, his gaze meeting yours, and the sheer vulnerability in his eyes nearly broke you. “But I never stopped wanting to.”

Your heart clenched painfully as you took in his words, the depth of his emotions, the way his voice cracked like he was unraveling right in front of you. “Hyunjin…” you started, but your voice faltered. You didn’t know what to say, how to respond to the storm of emotions he was laying bare.

He shook his head, his grip on your arms tightening as if afraid you’d slip away. “I don’t want you to say something just to make me feel better,” he said, his tone desperate yet firm. “I need to know, even if it hurts. Do I have a chance? Or is this… is it already over before it even started?”

The question hung heavy in the air, the weight of it pressing down on you like a tidal wave. You wanted to answer him, to give him the clarity he deserved, but your thoughts were a tangled mess of emotions—fear, doubt, longing, and something deeper that you couldn’t quite name.

“I don’t know,” you admitted finally, your voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t the answer he wanted, and the pain that flashed across his face felt like a knife twisting in your chest. “Hyunjin, I’m scared too. I don’t know how to handle this, how to handle us.”

He exhaled sharply, his hands falling to his sides, and for a moment, he looked utterly defeated. But then he nodded, as if steeling himself against the heartbreak. “I can handle being scared,” he said softly. “I can handle not knowing. But I can’t handle losing you without even trying.”

The raw determination in his voice made your breath hitch. He wasn’t giving up—not on you, not on whatever this was between you. And as you looked at him, his face etched with pain and hope all at once, you realized that maybe you didn’t want him to give up either.

“I’m not ready to lose you either,” you admitted, the words escaping before you could stop them. They hung between you, fragile but sincere, and for the first time, you saw a flicker of relief in his eyes. It wasn’t a resolution, but it was a start. A small, tentative step toward something neither of you fully understood but couldn’t bear to let go of.

Hyunjin nodded again, his lips pressing into a faint, trembling smile. “Then we’ll figure it out,” he said, his voice steady despite the tears that still lingered in his eyes. “Together.”

And in that moment, with the weight of the past still heavy on your shoulders but the promise of something new lingering in the air, you let yourself believe that maybe, just maybe, you could.

~~

By 8 pm, Jaein and Minho had already returned home, both practically buzzing with excitement from the day spent together. It was as if they hadn't seen each other for weeks, even though they spent nearly every moment of the day in each other's company. The thought of coming home to find you and Hyunjin in the same space, perhaps finally working things out, thrilled them both. Jaein, in particular, had a feeling that if anything was off between the two of you, you'd never let it drag on. You’d confront it head-on, and she knew you were getting your chance tonight. And she was right.

When Minho opened the door for Jaein, the sound of laughter drifted through the house, light and carefree. The couple exchanged a knowing glance, their smiles both playful and victorious. The sound of you two together was the answer they’d hoped for.

“Told you it would work. You’re welcome.” Jaein murmured with a satisfied grin, nudging Minho with her elbow. Minho chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around her, rolling his eyes as he gave her a squeeze. “Alright, alright, but you’ve got to admit, the timing was a bit perfect.”

Their playful conversation faded as they neared the kitchen, the warmth of the laughter growing louder. They peeked around the corner, and the sight before them made them pause. You and Hyunjin were standing by the counter, the kitchen a chaotic but homey scene of flour, mixing bowls, and baking sheets. There was no denying the bond that had developed in the brief span of time since they’d left—Hyunjin was laughing as you scolded him for some baking mishap, his expression full of lightness and amusement.

But what caught their attention was the little boy, Jaein’s nephew, who was sitting at the kitchen table, happily munching on a cookie you’d apparently just finished. He had flour all over his face, but the grin he wore was pure joy, a reminder of the innocence and simplicity of childhood. “Hey, I told you to pour it slowly!” you exclaimed, trying to stifle your laughter but failing miserably. “I did!” Hyunjin protested, though the trail of flour down his sleeve suggested otherwise. “This bag just hates me, okay?”

“Uncle is not good at cooking, you shouldn’t marry him,” the boy comments at Hyunjin, a wide grin present on his cookie dusted mouth. Hyunjin gives him a playful glare, a pout that could make you want to kiss him is present on his lips. “How dare you?”

Jaein coughed to announce their presence, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Looks like you three are having fun.” Both of you froze, turning to look at the couple in the doorway. Hyunjin quickly tried to dust off his hands, though it only made the mess worse, while you reached up to brush some flour off his hair, your cheeks flushed from embarrassment—or maybe something else.

Junho jumps down from the table with the help of the chair and runs toward Jaein and Minho. He greets them with a joyous smile that makes it obvious that he enjoyed being with you and Hyunjin. Minho picks up the kid in his arms and he ultimately clings onto his aunt’s boyfriend. “Hey,” you said, your voice a mix of nervousness and excitement, as if you’d just been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to. “You’re back early.” Jaein raised an eyebrow. “It’s 8:30. That’s not exactly early.” Her gaze flicked between you and Hyunjin, her smirk widening. “But I’m glad to see you two… working things out.”

Minho chuckled, slightly swaying . “Yeah, this is definitely better than the ice-cold tension from these past few weeks.”

Hyunjin rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. “We, uh… talked. And played, then we got hungry. And then…” He gestured to the mess around you. “This happened.”

“Looks like you’re making memories instead of dinner,” Jaein teased, her tone playful but warm. You rolled your eyes, tossing a balled-up paper towel in her direction. “We’re making cookies, thank you very much. They might not look perfect, but they’ll taste amazing.” Minho nodded approvingly. “Good to know you two are finally channeling your energy into something productive.” You only glared at him with your expression scrunching up, making not only Minho but also Junho laugh.

Jaein stepped forward, plucking a spoon from the counter and sampling a bit of the dough. She hummed in approval, her smile softening as she looked at you and Hyunjin. “Keep this up, and you might just make us proud.”

The weight of her words lingered, a subtle but meaningful reminder of the support she and Minho had always shown you. Hyunjin’s hand brushed yours briefly, and you glanced at him, catching the slight curve of his lips—a silent acknowledgment of how far the two of you had come in just one evening.

~~

Things started to feel more natural after that day, the tension between you and Hyunjin easing with each passing moment. The awkwardness that once clouded every interaction was slowly replaced with a sense of ease, a quiet understanding. Conversations flowed more freely, no longer burdened by the weight of unspoken words. There was a shift—subtle but real—as you both began to adjust, to learn the rhythms of each other’s company.

You found yourself smiling more, especially at the small, fleeting moments you once might have overlooked. The way Hyunjin would playfully nudge you when something amusing happened, or how he would laugh at your offhand comments, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Whenever you’re hanging out as a group, he would always be by your side, looking when Changbin or Jisung would crack a joke just to see you laugh. He would even have this hand on your back since you’d tend to lean so far back when you’re laughing, eventually losing your balance.

You loved how he didn’t rush things between you and would do things that would make you fall for him bit by bit. Whenever you’d study together, he’d slip a small sketch of your face between the pages of your notebook. He would take you to places that he knows you’d love to take photos of. Not to mention the slow dancing to the jazz when you’d forget about the assignment you were working on.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. Enough to make you believe, even if just for a moment, that maybe this could work. You and him, figuring it out one step at a time. Both of you seemed less guarded, as if the walls you had built around yourselves were finally crumbling, piece by piece.

Jaein and Minho continued to check in on you two, their teasing only lightening the mood. They were so sure things would turn out okay between you and Hyunjin, and with time, you began to agree with them. But it was a slow process—every day, another small piece of understanding, another little shift in the dynamic between you.

~~

Hyunjin couldn’t have been more content, sitting there with you. You were his quiet reminder of everything love should be—patient, kind, and unassuming. His elbow rested on the table, his chin propped on his palm as his eyes traced every detail of your face while you slept as if re-tracing it like one of his many sketches of you. The soft rise and fall of your breath, the way your lashes kissed your cheeks, and the faint crease in your brow—all of it captivated him.

A few strands of hair had fallen across your face, and he reached out to gently tuck them behind your ear, his fingertips brushing against your skin. The sunlight pouring in through the window threatened to disturb the serenity of the moment, casting a golden glow across your features. Without a second thought, he raised his hand, shielding your face from the intrusive rays, his fingers splayed like a delicate barrier.

Your eyelids fluttered open, stirred awake not by noise or movement, but by the quiet weight of Hyunjin’s gaze. Your drowsy eyes met his, and a soft smile crept onto your lips, the remnants of sleep still evident in your expression. “How long did I fall asleep?” you asked, your voice husky from the nap, as you rubbed the back of your hand against one eye.

“Not too long,” he murmured, his voice impossibly tender. His hand lingered near your face as if reluctant to pull away. Pretending to brush away an invisible speck of dust from your cheek, his touch lingered just long enough to send a faint warmth through your skin. “Maybe 10 minutes.”

You chuckled softly, leaning back in your chair and stretching. “Sorry for dozing off. I didn’t mean to leave you hanging.” Hyunjin shook his head, his smile deepening. “You didn’t,” he assured you. “Watching you sleep... it felt like time stood still for a while.” His words were soft, but there was a vulnerability in them that made your breath hitch.

Your cheeks warmed at his admission, and you reached for his hand, lacing your fingers with his as you rested them on the table between you. “I guess I should thank you, then. For blocking the sun. And for being here.” Hyunjin’s thumb brushed lightly against the back of your hand, his gaze dipping to your joined hands before meeting yours again. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

The weight of his words hung between you, the air charged with an unspoken depth. Slowly, you leaned forward, your free hand reaching up to tuck a strand of his hair behind his ear this time. “You’re too good to me, you know,” you whispered. Hyunjin caught your hand as it lingered near his face, cradling it gently. “I just want to take care of you,” he said earnestly. “If that makes me ‘too good,’ then I’m fine with that.”

The moment stretched, intimate and unhurried. Your eyes locked, and without thinking, you leaned closer, your foreheads nearly touching. The sound of your breaths mingled, the world outside forgotten. Hyunjin’s hand slid to your cheek, his touch featherlight but deliberate, as if afraid to shatter the fragile perfection of this moment.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” he whispered, his voice barely audible, as though the words were meant only for you and the universe.

You smiled softly, your heart racing in your chest as you closed the gap, your lips brushing his in a kiss that was as tentative as it was electric. It wasn’t rushed or dramatic—just a quiet, heartfelt affirmation of the connection that had been growing between you.

When you finally pulled back, your cheeks flushed and your breaths shallow, Hyunjin rested his forehead against yours, a blissful smile curving his lips. “I think I could get used to this,” he murmured, his voice tinged with awe. You laughed lightly, your hand still entwined with his. “Me too.”

And in that quiet moment, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, the weight of all you had been through settled around you—not as a burden, but as a testament to how far you’d come. Every awkward silence, every misunderstood word, every moment of doubt that had once seemed hopeless now felt like pieces of a story you were both learning to cherish. As Hyunjin’s thumb traced soft circles on the back of your hand and his forehead pressed gently against yours, it wasn’t just the promise of a beginning—it was the quiet triumph of two hearts finding their way to each other.

~~

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

1 Corinthians 13:4

Soooo, that's it!! Idk why but I feel like this one is a little rushed and I think that's because I wrote this during the New Year's LOL. I'm not really confident about the emotional depth this time RAAHH!

And I'm also starting on a new fic which is inspired by another song of SKZ but this one might be a little long—a few chapters longer than On Track: IKIAF. I'm gonna try to finish it before I go back to school huhu.

Happy New Year everyone~!

[lover-of-mine]

I need to read something buddiee.... Whats your favorite buddie fic? And your favorite that you have written? If you don't mind sharing ofc! Thanksss~

My all time favorite buddie fic is listen to you breathing (is where I wanna be), I legit reread this every month, it as presumed dead fic that makes me cry my eyes out every time but it is AMAZING. @buckgettingstruck recommended me Buck Day Afternoon and I've been thinking about it since I read it lol. when the hardest part is over is a short Eddie begins coda that I think about all the time. the stick-around fundamentally changed me as a person and has the best opening line I've ever seen in fanfiction. Don't take the money is time loop lawsuit fic that might be the only good lawsuit fic I've ever read. drench yourself in words unspoken is a fic where everything is the same but Eddie is a best selling romance author and Buck is reading his books that I just love. a night in early october is a shorter getting together fic that I read a lot because it feels warm, I don't know how else to explain, it makes my heart warm.

And written by me, my favorite fic I've written is tell me how it feels (say it ain't so) and i love that it is my most popular fic lol it's a fic dealing with the cemetery scene. Followed by it's gravity after all, where Buck and Eddie are trapped in an elevator and talking shit out. Wedding bells were just alarms is my most recent fic and has my favorite getting together I've ever written, where Buck proposes to Natalia, picks a fight with Eddie and they proceed to have a really bad week. I need to recommend this one because I want people to read it even tho I know why people aren't reading it, but in too deep to find a safe way out it's a very short, deep with the imagery, unrequited love type thing of Eddie realizing his feelings during madneys wedding. And people seem to like in case you don't live forever, that one is Buck and Eddie trapped in a collapsed building.

[mako-the-zora]

imma rant a lil, you can skip this lol

ya know what i hate? when in writing a romance they use the fact of being a man or a woman as a personality trait.

Like of course being a gender or another is going to shape your experience of the world, how people see you how you see yourself, I'm not talking about that.

I mean things like, you know when they describe a characters as "being a man with needs".... are you an animal???? I'm sorry it's just- or describing features as "masculine" or "femenine" like hands, or other body parts like...

Maybe it's just me, but referring to one's gender when it's not like a commentary of their environment, or like a struggle or something like that it's not needed.

Like reminding the reader of their gender.... like that shapes their relationship on some tipe of way, no ok, i like this two characters that have a deep bond but at the end of the day are people with their own hopes and dreams and fears, that's why i want them to be happy together, i like seeing characters connect and understand each other.

And frankly seeing two deeply complex characters being reduced as "man" and "woman" it's just- and it's always portrayed as "every woman wants this" or "every man wants that", no dude, not EVERYBODY wants something because they are the same gender.

And i know this is mainly done in smutty stories, but dude- I've read a lot of stories that don't fall into that, you know how easy is to explain a character wants to bone another until morning because they love them so much, and they love how bright their smile is, how soft their body is, love that mole in their shoulder, insted of like "im a man and she's a beautiful woman, so of course i wanna bone her, like any man would!" like WHAT THE HELL.

like just the fact that those statements erase any queer identity makes my blood boil.

Like i know I'm reading a "straight" romance i guess, but that doesn't make queer people disappear. like im aroace right, and every time i come across a story that is like "everybody has and wants sex haha" im like SHUT UUUUP and i know those statements are often played for shits an giggles but it's still annoying, you can just say x character wants to have sex because they are their own person with their own desires.

yes this is mainly about zelink fanfiction, look I'm not gonna hate in any author who writes fanfic ever, but I'm gonna bich about tropes i see repeated time an time again.

like how can you make link (a purposefully androgynous character, that dressed in femenine clothes and blushed when is refered as "a cute girl") your typical macho-man.

the amount of fics ive seen making link EMBARRASSED or even ANNOYED at having to dress into the gerudo vai set should be illegal- like have we not played the same game????😭

little dude probably keeps his hair long because he likes it that way, he's a fighter you know how annoying it would be to fight with that long hair of his??? i had shoulder long hair and it got in my way and the only thing i do is draw😭 imagine him!!! he just likes having it long!! like zelda had a haircut, so nintendo can chop off a characters hair if they wanted, but they kept link's hair longer than Zelda's and im GLAD they did.

and people portray him and his relationship with zelda in such a... straight way- im sorry but like, that's just boring-

They are two PEOPLE with complex backgrounds, and an even more complex relationship and they are human before anything else.

I guess that's the point I'm trying to make.

and i know me saying all this won't change shit, but i don't have queer friends so im bitching about it to you guys🫶

follow me if you want to see me bitching about more shit

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  @hairstevington! With 38 Stranger Things works, they've published 25 in the Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson tag and counting!!

@marvel-ous-m recommends the following works by @hairstevington:

Deaf Steve AU

call me when you get this

i wanna cut to the feeling

They’re such a fantastic author!!! I love their fics so so much. They bring such joy and realism into their writing, and have a fantastic sense of humor. Sending so much love to @hairstevington for being such an inspiration, cheerleader, and for breaking my heart just to put it back together again whenever I read their writing. <3 -- @marvel-ous-m

Below the cut, @hairstevington answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I got into Steddie completely by accident. I hadn’t written fanfiction prior to Stranger Things Volume 2, and I basically fast-tracked the learning curve lol. I think it just took a couple posts on Tumblr for me to see the vision, and then the brainrot just did its thing for 2+ years and counting. I like their dynamic, their banter, how they’re both idiots. Chef’s kiss!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I’m such a sucker for slow-burn romance, enemies to lovers, and fake-dating. 

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I write what I like to read, mostly! But I tend to do a lot of “firsts.” First time falling in love, first kiss, etc. 

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

That I’ve written? Oh, gosh. “Freaky Friday (Steddie’s Version)” or “i can’t tune you out.” I think those two inspired me the most while writing, so I have a soft spot for them. OF COURSE I also love and adore the Deaf Steve AU. Hard to choose! If it’s one I’ve read?? Oh man, too many to list. There are so many amazing writers out there <3

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Not really a trope, but maybe podfic?? It’s an interesting avenue I haven’t explored yet!

What is your writing process like?

I take a lot of notes on my phone throughout the day about what I want to add to my stories when I get home. For the Deaf Steve series I’ve got a playlist I listen to a LOT and that keeps me in the universe. I also map out the general plot. My current season 4 rewrite has the most extensive outline I’ve ever done (character and group arc breakdowns, motivations, etc). But most of the time, I just sit at my computer and go!

Do you have any writing quirks?

I HAVE to write in chronological order. If I write a future scene, I’ll fall in love with it, and by the time I get there it won’t fit anymore. Tragic!

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I don’t have a schedule. I would love to have one, because I like routine and it gives people something concrete to follow, but at this point I can’t commit to a schedule since I’m so busy. 

Which fic are you most proud of?

It has to be Deaf Steve, right??? Both parts of that have taken a LOT of brain power. Learning how to incorporate sign language into my writing was a huge challenge. It was interesting though to write Steve’s POV, because he often is left out of the conversation, which was frustrating for me to write and frustrating for him as a character. 

How did you get the idea for songs that voices never share?

Oh!! That was ENTIRELY a fluke. I am in the Stranger Things Writers Guild, and every day we have a “daily drabble.” One day, the prompt was “quiet.” For whatever reason, I wrote about a hundred or so words of Steve having gone deaf, then being introduced to Eddie, who knows ASL. A lot of people requested more, so I fleshed it out and made it a full fic!

When writing songs that voices never share, what was something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect so many people to resonate with it!! The amount of comments I got about how important the representation was motivated me to keep going, even when the project went above and beyond its roots. It started as a drabble, then was planned as a 7 chapter fic, which turned into a multi-part series. Wild!

What inspired call me when you get this?

That was another one from the Stranger Things Writers Guild! I wanted a writing exercise, and someone suggested a story through voicemails, and I thought that was so cool I ran with it. 

What was your favorite part to write from we can be heroes?

Oh, man!! I had never written suspense/horror before, so that was new territory for me. I wanted to capture the energy of season 1, and I tried to do that by diverting from canon and subverting expectations. I also loved being able to change all the things from canon I didn’t like lol. And, for the record - the part I’ve been MOST excited to write since the fic started hasn’t happened yet, so more good stuff to come!

How do/did you feel writing i wanna cut to the feeling?

Aww, this fic <3 I started writing it while I was sick with Covid the week of Christmas, 2022. It was my first long-form Steddie fic, and I had a blast, but it’s interesting now to look back and see how I’ve evolved as a writer. You can even see my writing skill develop over the course of the fic! Very cool. I also had so much audience engagement for that one. The Trish Takedown™ was extraordinary - I have NEVER had so many readers band together to hate a single character lol.

What was the most difficult part of writing i wanna cut to the feeling?

At the time, it was the most popular thing I’d ever written, and I felt a lot of pressure to get it right. I had a WHOLE inner conflict about whether I “needed” to include smut. I was so worried people would drop off if I didn’t include it, but ultimately decided to do what I was most comfortable with. I don’t think a single person complained, and now I don’t feel the pressure!

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

One that I have always adored is from i can’t tune you out. (That’s the one where Eddie and Steve are rivaling musicians who are fake-dating as a PR stunt to promote their new albums). Eddie listens to one of Steve’s new songs and goes on a whole rant about how all music nowadays is formulaic, soulless, and predictable with no fire in it. And he says, “but this? I felt it.” And Steve asks, “the fire?” and Eddie says, “No. You.” It’s a huge turning point in their relationship and things keep growing from there!  Oh, also, the entirety of Chapter 13 of songs that voices never share!

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I am currently writing a fic that is a modern day AU where Eddie, Steve, El, Max, Chrissy, and Argyle are in group therapy, led by Bob (it’s called “the hardest part is who we are”). If you like the thought of the characters processing their trauma together and Eddie and Steve falling in love with each other in the meantime, go check it out! It’s full of feels and at times heavy but also soft at the same time?? I’ve loved writing it so far. 

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

TO WHOEVER NOMINATED ME - thank you!!! I am genuinely so honored. These questions were awesome, this account is awesome, and so much of the joy and inspiration I feel while writing comes from the people reading who resonate with it. It makes me feel so connected to you all, and so seen. So, thank you’s all around, my friends! 

Thank you to our author, @hairstevington, and our nominator, @marvel-ous-m! See more of @hairstevington works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[daylesspax]

Favorite transformers ship, favorite mech out of all of them (or a list)

and fic recs? Just because I wanna get to know you

Okay! So sorry it took so long to answer this, lmao

My favorite ships rotate every month depending on what fanfiction I’m reading

Currently, my favorite ship is Jazzprowl!

My favorite character also rotates depending on the fanfictions I’m reading, but Rodimus is a classic for me ;)

For fic recommendations… wow, I have a lot but I obviously can’t name all of them so I’ll give a short list of some good ones (almost all of them are finished)

The Crime in Crystals series by Aard_Rinn, amazing Jazzprowl and exquisite world building and storytelling! Super fun and amazing badass moments!

And I Alone Have Escaped To Tell You by astolat, a time travel fic centering around a G1ish Cyclonus, very fun time with an engaging plot and incredible characterizations! I adore this rendition of the classic Cyclonus!

Echoes of Messatine by MileMusketeer… Ooh boy, this one is a doozy. This fic is a long-term commitment, and it will take you for a ride— Megatron angst and dark topics galore!

The Echo Garden by AltraViolet is a classic in my opinion, a masterpiece in worldbuilding and some truly professional work on Soundwave’s character arc! Some of the most well-done content on the Rodimus/Soundwave ship, on the use of dimension travel, and with the Lost Light in general!

Attack on Prime by melishade! Because of course I’m going to promote it lol, this is an incredible, in-depth crossover story of Attack on Titan and Transformers Prime— I consider this a personal classic and one of the best TF crossovers I’ve had the joy of experiencing :)

I have none-TF recs too but I really don’t feel like listing more… 😅

Read my fic, Exception, too if you want, idk, I think I did okay on it