#best beaches cape town

[samacuteshop]

Start Your New Year in Cape Town: Where Nature Meets Festive

Click here to book your trip to Cape Town now!

Cape Town, South Africa, is the perfect blend of breathtaking natural beauty and lively New Year’s celebrations. From scenic landscapes to vibrant festivities, this destination is truly special.

What to Expect in Cape Town for New Year’s

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Fireworks:

Enjoy a spectacular fireworks display alongside live music, street performers, and food vendors.

- Table Mountain Adventures:

Table Mountain Adventures: Begin your year with a hike or cable car ride to witness stunning views of the city.

Beachfront Parties: Join locals and tourists alik for lively celebrations on Cape Town’s pristine beaches.

Explore Beyond the Celebrations

Visit Cape Point for incredible ocean views.

Embark on a wine-tasting tour in Stellenbosch or Franschhoek.

Experience the penguins at Boulders Beach.

Your Cape Town Journey Awaits!

Don’t miss this opportunity to kick off your New Year with an adventure. Click here to book your trip to Cape Town now!

[travelernight]

South Africa’s Winelands: Experiencing the Best Vines and Views

[literaryvein-reblogs]

some words for worldbuilding (pt. 1)

Air

billow, breath, bubble, draft, effervescence, fumes, puff, vapor

Arena

aquarium, bazaar, coliseum, field, hall, mecca, stage

Building

abbey, architecture, armory, asylum, bakery, bar, booth, cathedral, club, construction, court, department store, dock, edifice, emergency room, factory, food court, fort/fortress, framework, garrison, greasy spoon, hacienda, hangout, headquarters, hotel, inn, institute/institution, jetty, laboratory, mansion, mental hospital, monastery, mosque, museum, nursing home, office, pavilion, penitentiary, plant, prison, rampart, repository, ruins, sanctuary, shrine, skyscraper, stockade, storeroom, structure, temple, theater/theatre, treasury, warehouse, wharf

City

capital, metropolis, town, village

Furniture

altar, banister, bench, booth, bunk, cabinet, chair, couch, crib, davenport, dresser, furnishings, futon, jetty, lectern, partition, perch, platform, pulpit, rail/railing, screen, secretary, stand, wardrobe

Geographic division

area, county, desert, dynasty, kingdom, outskirts, quarter, sector, suburb, territory, tract, zone

Habitat

abode, ecosystem, environmentalist, habitat/habitation, harbor, home, land, nest, paradise, premises, refuge, settlement, tent

Habitat, human: accommodations, apartment, barracks, cabin, castle, condominium, convent, domesticity, dungeon, element, encampment, estate, grange, hacienda, home, house, housing, hut, jail, lodging, madhouse, monastery, neighborhood, old country, palace, prison, reservation, resort, sanctuary, shanty, suite, vacancy, villa

Habitat, rural: barn, burrow, conservatory, desert, farm, forest, grange, jungle, sanctuary, wilderness/wilds, wood/woods

Land

abyss, avalanche, bank, bay, bed, bluff, campus, cape, cavern, cliff, compost, cove, crevice/crevasse, dirt, downgrade, dune, elevation, estuary, expanse, field, fossil, garden, glacier, gorge, green, ground, gulf, harbor, hillock, inlet, knoll, landscape, lawn, lot, marshy, menagerie, mine, moat, mound, mountainous, nature, outlook, park, patio, pit, plateau, plaza, porch, prairie, projection, property, quagmire, ravine, ridge, savanna, shelf, soil, stack, table, trench, tundra, valley, well, wood/woods, yard

Nation

country, home, land, nationality, soil, state

Personal item

adornment, amulet, beads, best-seller, briefcase, cache, cargo, charm, contraceptive, disguise, effects, equipment, favorite, gem, glasses, handbag, jewelry, knickknack, luggage, marionette, memorabilia, necklace, novelty, object d’art, odds-on-favorite, paraphernalia, pledge, possession, pride, puppet, purse, resources, ring, souvenir, stuff, supplies, sustenance, thing/things, trappings, trifle, valuable

Planet

cosmos, Earth, galaxy, moon, planet, sphere, world

Region

capital, commonwealth, quarter, region, settlement, suburb

Room

alcove, attic, bath, bedroom, boutique, cellar, den, enclosure, foyer, gin mill, hall, lavatory, loft, outhouse, parlor, restaurant, saloon, shop, stage, store, tenement, theater/theatre, vestibule

Shape

angular, beaten, billowy, checkered, concave, conical/conic, crescent, curly, deformed, elliptical, flat, gnarled, kinky, misshapen, obtuse, round, shapeless, spiral, straight

Vehicle

camper, conveyance, motorcade, transport

Vehicle, air: aircraft, armada, blimp, dirigible, helicopter, shuttle, UFO

Vehicle, land: ambulance, bicycle, car, cherry-picker, dolly, excavator, model, traffic, truck

Vehicle, water: armada, boat, craft, fleet, sailboat, yacht

Water

abyss, aqueduct, basin, beach, blackball, brook, cape, channel, condensation, creek, deep, estuary, fountain, gulf, heading, inlet, lake, oasis, pond, promontory, reservoir, sea, spray, strait, tide, wash, wave, whirlpool

NOTE

The above are concepts classified according to subject and usage. It not only helps writers and thinkers to organize their ideas but leads them from those very ideas to the words that can best express them.

It was, in part, created to turn an idea into a specific word. By linking together the main entries that share similar concepts, the index makes possible creative semantic connections between words in our language, stimulating thought and broadening vocabulary.

Source ⚜ Writing Basics & Refreshers ⚜ On Vocabulary

[simonahasley]

Escape to Paradise: Discovering Oudekraal Beach

Are you looking for a secluded beach destination where you can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life? Look no further than Oudekraal Beach. Tucked away on the western coast of South Africa, this hidden gem is the perfect place to unwind and reconnect with nature. In this blog post, we’ll explore the natural beauty of Oudekraal Beach and why it should be at the top of your travel bucket list.

Getting to Oudekraal Beach

Oudekraal Beach is located approximately 13 kilometers from Cape Town, making it easily accessible by car or public transportation. If you're driving from Cape Town, take the M6 road towards Hout Bay and follow the signs to Oudekraal. Alternatively, you can catch a MyCiTi bus, which stops at several locations along the way.

What Makes Oudekraal Beach So Special?

Oudekraal Beach is a small and secluded cove that's surrounded by rocky terrain and natural vegetation. The secluded location makes it an ideal spot for relaxing and soaking up the sun, enjoying a picnic, or spending time with family and friends.

Apart from its unspoiled natural surroundings, what makes Oudekraal Beach truly unique is its abundant marine life. Visitors can often see dolphins cruising the waters and seals lounging on the rocks. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of migrating whales during the winter months.

Activities to Enjoy at Oudekraal Beach

Whether you're looking for relaxation or adventure, Oudekraal Beach offers a variety of activities to suit your mood. Here are some of the top activities to enjoy:

Swimming: The calm waters of the cove make it a great spot for swimming and snorkeling, and there are plenty of rocky areas to explore.

Picnicking: Oudekraal Beach offers several picnic areas with breathtaking views of the ocean and surrounding natural scenery.

Hiking: The beach is surrounded by natural vegetation, which offers plenty of hiking opportunities.

Where to Stay Near Oudekraal Beach

If you're looking to spend more than a day at Oudekraal Beach, there are several lodging options available in the area. From luxury villas to budget-friendly guesthouses, there's something for everyone.

Tintswalo Atlantic: This intimate boutique hotel is located on the slopes of Chapman's Peak, just a short drive from Oudekraal Beach. The hotel offers luxurious accommodations, fine dining, and stunning ocean views.

Hout Bay Manor: This elegant guesthouse is located in the heart of Hout Bay, just a few kilometers from Oudekraal Beach. The guesthouse offers stylish rooms, a restaurant, and a pool.

Self-catering Accommodation: There are several self-catering accommodation options available in the area, including apartments, villas, and cottages.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a beach destination that's off the beaten path, look no further than Oudekraal Beach. With its unspoiled natural beauty, abundant marine life, and range of activities, it's the perfect place to relax and disconnect from everyday life. Whether you're traveling solo, with friends, or with family, Oudekraal Beach is a must-visit destination.

[lisired]

where angels fear to tread

pairing: jaehyun x (f) reader

genre/warnings: fwb to lovers, fluff, implied smut, angst

summary: Three years ago, you had a summer fling with Jung Jaehyun, and what was simply sex turned into more after you caught feelings for him. Then, you find out he has a girlfriend, and decide to call it quits. Three years later, he's back in town, trying to come back in your life, and most importantly trying to come back into your heart, but you're a little hesitant to let him.

word count: 14.5k

a/n: i think this was my first jaehyun fic? LOL… as always, feedback is appreciated!

“Not fair.”

“It’s very much fair, Jaemin.”

“How come the blueberry head gives you shit on the house? I asked him for a free coffee and he told me the only way I was getting coffee for free was if he splashed it on my face. Very unprofessional. I demand the manager.”

You want to tell him that the manager would just suck up to Taeyong in private because the customer is always wrong, but something in you tells you to be quiet.

“Saved his life,” you shrug, digging a fork into your pie.

“Saved his life?” Jaemin repeats, wide-eyed, “you just said that like it was the most normal thing ever.”

“I don’t think he would have actually died,” you mutter, but decide to tell the tale anyway, “You remember when I told you I was taking a two-week vacation out of town because Yeri invited me and some of her friends to her stepdad’s beach house?” Jaemin nods, “Well Taeyong was one of those friends. Saved him from drowning in the pool, and ever since he thinks he owes me his life, so he gives me a lifetime worth of stuff on the house.”

You consider Jaemin your best friend, although him not physically being with you for the past two years was the reason why he’s unaware of some minor details of your life during those years. Of course, he knew about the vacation—you had so much fun that you told him nearly every damn detail of it—but there was still some things you kept to yourself. Such as how you saved Taeyong from drowning. You thought that you’d look like a praise-seeker for bringing that up anyway.

You scan the room for Taeyong (the blueberry head) and once your eyes find him, you wave and wink. He waves back and smiles bashfully, before tending to one of his customers. You also think that Taeyong might have a little crush on you, but that’s not relevant at the moment.

“Oh wow. I guess not all heroes wear capes. Some heroes wear pie crumbs on their mouths.”

You wipe the corner of your mouth with a napkin then squeeze it into a ball to throw at Jaemin, making him gasp dramatically and start rambling about how you shouldn’t treat the best friend you haven’t seen in two years like this, but the chime of the cafe door distracts you. Your face falls in horror, and you’re still as a statue as it all races back. The pain, the memories, the emotions, everything you gave him that you can’t take back.

“I have to go,” you say, but Jaemin grabs your wrist.

His voice is filled to the brim with concern, “What’s wrong?”

Where you do even start? You sigh, ducking your head on the table in an attempt to cover your face the best that you can. The past is intertwining with the present and you do not enjoy it one bit. Fortunately, he sits away from you and doesn’t seem to acknowledge your presence in the room, but it’s just your luck that for the first time you’re seeing him in almost two years, he chooses to show up right here, right now.

“See that guy that just walked in?”

Jaemin nods with reluctance, subtly scanning said guy with his eyes, “Yeah, what about him?”

With a deep breath, you brace yourself for uncovering a part of your past that you’d rather keep ancient history, “Remember that fling I told you about from the vacation? That was him. And I never told you this, but we didn’t exactly end on the best of terms. I called it quits when I found out that he had a girlfriend.”

Another one of the vay-cay details that you kept to yourself. Technically, you did tell him about the fling, but it was nothing too specific aside from the fact that you were getting dicked down. You never told him about the way things abruptly ended, and you sure as hell never told him that you caught feelings for a cheater.

Jaemin’s face falls, and you’re not sure why. You think that he’s offended because you never told him about something so huge (and he is, but the two of you have bigger fish to fry at the moment so he decides it best to complain later).

Eyebrows furrowed, you ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Jaehyun is…” he pauses, and your lips part to ask how he knows his name until, “Jaehyun is my roommate.”

If you had the energy, you would sigh. Of course, Jaehyun also happens to move back in town and ultimately transfer back into your college for the second semester. You had to be a criminal in your past life, what else could you have possibly done to deserve something like this?

Taeyong walks over to your table, wearing a discontent frown, “Jaehyun’s here, do you want me to distract him so that you can leave without him noticing?”

“No way the blueberry head knew about this before me.” Ah, there it goes.

Taeyong glares, but he doesn’t say anything, instead locking his eyes on you to catch your response and his face softens when he does.

“Please,” you sigh in relief, “Thanks Tae, you’re a lifesaver.”

Taeyong smiles at the weight of your words, “It’s the least I could do. Now you two get out of here.”

It isn’t something that you need to be told twice, Taeyong goes to distract Jaehyun and you two bolt the fuck out of there. Though even out of sight, Jaehyun isn’t out of mind. In the beginning you knew it was nothing serious, Jaehyun had other girls that he fucked. But the fact that he was cheating on some poor, innocent girl was more then you could handle, and it would be selfish of you to risk getting caught up in that mess.

For a while, you and Jaemin ride in near silence. It’s your car, but he claims you aren’t in the right headspace to drive and you didn’t argue. You don’t feel the best at the moment.

“Is this a bad time to invite you to my roommate’s Summer Break Kick-off party this Friday,” Jaemin asks over the radio, his voice cutting through the SHINee song playing lowly.

“Kinda,” you snort. “Is he coming?”

“Probably, yeah. I mean, he was invited. But my roommate’s other house is pretty big it’s been forever since we last partied.”

You blink. Why does your roommate…

“Don’t question it. I don’t know either.”

You fight the urge to laugh. Instead, you weigh out the pros and cons. Technically, you and Jaemin could always find another place to party if you wanted to so bad, and even if the house was big, there’s still a fair chance of you running into the one man you dread ever seeing again. You aren’t too sure if that’s something that you’re ready to risk right now.

You sigh again, pressing your face against the car window. “I’ll think about it.”

You haven’t stepped foot in a place this expensive-looking since Yeri invited you on that little summer vacation to her stepdad’s beach house (two years ago.)

Jaemin somehow managed to convince you to show up by pinky promising to do a week’s worth of your assignments next semester, and you’d be a fool for turning that offer down. It isn’t clear from the outside, but academically Jaemin is sharp. So now, you’re searching for Jaemin in a sea full of red plastic cups. He was right, the house is humongous, and now you’re really beginning to question why someone with this kind of fortune at their fingertips lives with three presumably broke college students.

At least they’re playing SHINee. That way you can sing along to your favorite boy band while you simultaneously search for your best friend.

It might be harder for him to spot you. You chose to wear something dull, deciding against standing out too much just in case Jaehyun wanted confrontation, so looking for you is like searching for a needle in a haystack. You two could have just spent the night karaoking with Jaemin in your living room just like the good ‘ole days, for heavens sake.

Na Jaemin, when I find you, you groan. He doesn’t answer your calls or texts, and just for this you should make him do your homework for two weeks. Three if you bump into Jaehyun. You stop at an empty spot to catch your breath.

“God, what are these guys’ parents? The CEO’s of Samsung?” you mutter, to yourself.

“Aw, so close.”

Not expecting an actual answer, you jump and turn in the direction of the voice. You find a tall, handsome man smiling at you. His teeth are so white that it looks like he eats Colgate for breakfast.

“Kai, I’m the host of the party,” he grins, yet then his expression falters, “do I know you from somewhere?”

“I was thinking the same thing!” You laugh, analyzing his face. He does look a bit familiar.

You tell him your name, and the way he repeats it once more then blinks a few times concerns you a little. It’s not that you have a bad reputation, but did he know you from something bad?

His eyes widen. “You’re Johnny’s ex-girlfriend.”

That, you are. Back in high school you and Johnny dated for some time, broke up after a while since you drifted apart from one another, but agreed to stay friends so you’re both cool. You’re relieved that’s all, but you still don’t remember where you know Kai from, and you’re almost one-hundred percent sure it isn’t high school. You don’t even think you went two to the same high school.

“That’s me,” you confirm with a nod, “I still don’t know where I remember you from, though.”

If this were a cartoon, Kai would have a thought bubble above his head, and moments later it would transform into a lightbulb, “Are you friend’s with Yeri?” he guesses, and you nod, “she’s my step-sister. She probably told you about me.”

Oh. Well now the dots are connecting. Yeri did in fact tell you about him, mentioning that his family is the one her mom married into when explaining how filthily rich she became—because her brand new step-dad is indeed a CEO.

You make an O with your mouth, “Small world.”

“I know, right?” Kai, or as you know him from Yeri (also why you didn’t recognize him immediately), Jongin, laughs, “Care to dance?”

At that, you frown, “I’d love to, but I should really find Jaemin. He’s my best friend and we’re supposed to be spending time together because he just moved back in town recently.”

Kai looks a little sad by the rejection but handles it well, nodding in understanding, “Good luck. Last time I saw him he was over there,” he points, “losing a drinking game.”

That could mean nothing good. That meant wherever he was, Jaemin was more than likely going to be shitfaced by the end of the night. You sigh internally, almost wishing he’d go back to being the shy and introverted boy you knew in high school.

You met Jaemin in your sophomore year, at a party his friends forced him to go to, and you had a couple of mutual friends, but until then you two were nothing more than strangers. Speaking of which, that’s how you bonded, even though it was a fight getting him to say more than five words at a time. You were sure your friends Sicheng and Yuta had a thing for each other, whereas he hadn’t suspected a thing. So you made a bet, and only a couple minutes later, they were found making out against a wall. He owed you 50 bucks.

When Jaemin is still no where to be find, you’re ready to cave in to defeat. You feel like you’re in a maze, walking around in circles and it shows in the ache in your feet. You’re about to give up and turn around, until you walk into something, or someone, and all audible to you is the sound of splashing before someone yells shit, I’m sorry!

Oh, you’ll make sure they’re sorry. You’re not sure what you should focus on. How your top is now soaked, or how familiar their voice is. Until you look back up and see a walking, breathing and unfortunately talking, nightmare.

He calls out your name.

Like before, you turn and walk away.

He says it again, louder, and follows you.

“I don’t want to talk to you, Jaehyun.”

Still, he tails behind you like a lost puppy, despite you obviously trying to stay far, far away, “Can’t you hear me out? It’s been two years.”

“Two very peaceful years,” you stop dead in your tracks and finally turn to face him. It hurts you to look at his face, because the memories wash over you like waves, yet you do it anyways. You want to show him that you’re strong without him, not weakness and vulnerability, “and I told you two years ago that I want nothing to do with you.”

Jaehyun’s no good for you, you know that. You know that all he’s ever wanted to do is get inside your pants, that he’s never cared for you. So why are you tempted to hear him out?

No, you refuse, you will not let nostalgia win you over. That’s all it is. You miss what you had, but you don’t know if you miss him as a person.

“At least let me help you dry your shirt, it’s my fault that it’s ruined,” he tries again, but you’re hell-bent on making him feel as miserable as he did you.

“No.”

“Y/n—”

“No means no, Jaehyun,” another voice cuts in, and while it isn’t the one you’ve been looking for, you’re thankful nonetheless. Beside you stands Kai, tall, angry, and intimidating, “you gonna make her tell you to fuck off?”

Jaehyun glances at you, and you see the emotion in his eyes, but you don’t fall for them. Not anymore. He’s already caused your heart to feel enough pain that you can’t bother to try and carry the burden that is his own. So he gives up and walks off, finally leaving you alone.

And you let out an exhausted breath.

“Show’s over, mind your business,” Kai tells the audience you hadn’t even known formed, and not willing to risk going against him, everyone returns to their previous activity. He looks at you, and all the anger is washed with concern. “You okay?”

Are you okay? You don’t know anymore. Nostalgia is kicking your ass, and though you try not to think about him, you can’t help but reminisce.

“Yeah,” you say, but you’re not too sure. “Thanks. A lot.”

Kai shrugs, “No biggie. Do you think you and Yeri match sizes? You can use the bathroom in my bedroom to change because no one’s dumb enough to go in there.”

You sigh in relief. Chivalry isn’t dead. “Yes. Thank you.”

Kai leads you upstairs to Yeri’s room, or at least the one she stays in when she’s here, and let’s you choose a shirt. It isn’t an easy decision with Yeri being the epitome of fashion, but you pick quickly to spare Kai’s time, even though he tells you that he doesn’t mind. He then takes you to the bathroom in his room because according to him, Yeri’s one is under repair.

Even though Kai is guarding the door with his life and you know he wouldn’t just barge in there without your say-so, you lock the door. You meet your gaze in the mirror, eyeing yourself closely. Everyone is insecure sometimes, but after things ended between you and Jaehyun, you were extremely self-conscious for months.

To anyone who had never been in your shoes, it might’ve made more sense than anything for you to feel better about yourself knowing that even though Jaehyun had a girl, he kept coming back to you. Yet who’s to say you were the only one? To this day, you’re still convinced that the only reason he keeps trying to win you back is because him losing you plus you being the one to end it put a major dent in his ego.

You hate that he had that kind of power over you, to the point where he made you hate yourself. You hate that a man like him made you cry so many goddamn tears and now he expects you to dry his own.

Reminding yourself that Kai is waiting, you tear your gaze from your own before tears have the chance to spill, and wipe yourself dry so that you can put on your - or Yeri’s - shirt. Now that you think about it, it’s too cute to return. You might take it. She’s too rich to notice, and even if she does, she’s still rich. She can easily replace it.

Kai greets you with a smile as you step back inside his room, and you find yourself smiling back at him. He’s been treating you so kindly this whole time, and now that you think about it, you’ve never heard a single bad thing about the man. Yeri clearly doesn’t mention him very often, but it’s never been anything bad when she does, and even when Jaemin was telling you about his roommates, he described Kai as “the funny one that called his mom a lot.”

“Ready to join the party?”

And then you frown. “I don’t know.”

Kai quirks a brow, “Well don’t tell me you look this good just to not show yourself off.”

Amused, you scoff. Kai’s been smooth from the beginning, yet now he’s unabashedly flirting with you. “Are you flirting with me, Kim Jongin?”

Confusion spells itself out on his face. You have never once said his name tonight, and the one time you do, it’s his government. “How do you know my name?”

“Yeri,” you shrug, “but if you want me to just call you Kai then I understand.”

“Well, usually I reserve my real name for my close friends and family,” he grins, and God he looks devilishly handsome when he does, “but it sounds so nice on your tongue that I’ll make an exception.”

It’s painfully obvious that you don’t know how to react, eyes a little round and your lips parting, yet nothing coming from in between. It makes Jongin laugh.

“And yes, I was flirting with you,” he winks, “but anyways, if you really don’t wanna go back out there, which is totally fine, we can just chill in here. You seem like a nice person, and I’d like to get to know you.”

“Get to know me?” You quip, finding enough balance to play into his game after being knocked down by his charm briefly, “or my body?”

He arches a brow in amusement. “That feels like a trick question.”

You shrug. “Be honest. I might feel the same way.”

Maybe it’s a good thing that tonight didn’t go as planned. Kai’s had you since the moment he introduced himself, and it seems every five minutes he gets better.

“Well, I don’t see why I can’t multitask,” He purrs, taking your words as an invitation. An invitation that he was accepting.

You giggle. He eyes you gently, noticing the way you slowly inch closer to him, “I like you.”

It’s an initiation, turning the keys and putting the car in drive, and you want to see if Jongin will take the wheel. And it seems that to your fortune, he does.

“Guess it’s a good thing I like you, too.” Jongin chuckles, and he’s so close. You can feel his breath on your skin, tickling your neck, and it makes something in you crawl with arousal.

And the gap between you closes.

You already liked Kai last night, but you definitely like him this morning.

You woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon, and not just any kind of pancakes, but chocolate chip pancakes, your favorite. If anything can make you like someone, it’s chocolate chip pancakes.

“How’d you know chocolate chip was my fave?” you giggle, not expecting a serious response, but after the whole scenario with him yesterday, you should have already known he would have one.

“Yerim’s told me about you, too, you know,” Jongin replies, “It wasn’t even too long ago, it was winter break. We were all staying at my dad’s house for a couple of days, and she invited you over one morning. Everyone was gone but me and her when I went downstairs, and I saw her making chocolate chip pancakes. It blew me, because she’s an avid hater of chocolate. Then she told me they were for her best friend, because you love them, and after last night I learned that the best friend in question happened to be you.”

You and Jongin learned a lot about one another last evening. After you had sex, you didn’t expect to hit it off like you did, yet you spent a great deal of the night talking on his silk sheets. For starters, he’s a wonderful man. Funny, polite, respectful, thoughtful, caring, and he has an amazing personality. The sole flaw you could find in him was that he likes Hawaiian pizza. What kind of sick person enjoys Hawaiian pizza?

And you fell asleep in his arms. It was perfect, almost too good to be true. You considered the possibility of a relationship with him, you enjoyed his company and he was shameless to admit that he enjoyed yours. And yet still, you couldn’t help but think of Jaehyun.

The way he had also made you feel the same way, all those years ago. How he never fucked you and then shoved you away, but he talked to you until the sun came up, or spooned you to sleep. It was ridiculous, and you can’t believe that one encounter with Jaehyun had you acting like a teenager in love for the first time again. Not to mention the encounter in question was horrible. Jaehyun isn’t good for you, but for some reason your heart seems to still want him.

“If you want know so bad, just ask.”

“What?” Kai blinks, unaware that you’ve noticed the way he looks at you, not just now but ever since that encounter with Jaehyun. The longing in his eyes to say something, yet he resisted.

“I know you’re curious about me and Jaehyun,” truth be told, it isn’t just for him, but for you. Maybe if you remind yourself of what Jaehyun’s done to you, hear it aloud, you’ll snap out of it and shake this weird feeling. “So go ahead. Ask.”

Jongin’s surprised at how well you read him, and you can only hope that he doesn’t read you just as well.

“I figured you didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries.” How utterly Kai of him. And honestly, he’s right. You don’t want to, but at this point it’s a need.

“It’s okay,” you assure.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, then that’s okay, you know. I understa—”

“Kim Jongin,” you say, and he pauses, a part of being because he still hasn’t gotten used to you calling him by his government name, yet he loves it when you do, “I am not about to beg you to ask me. I promise you, it’s alright.”

Jongin hesitates, but gives in reluctantly, “Okay, so… what happened for Jaehyun to be so intent on talking to you last night? Break-up?”

“Not really,” you say, trying to keep your voice level and flat. You weren’t the girl Jaehyun was in a relationship with, “It wasn’t a romantic relationship. Just sex, no strings attached.”

Jongin nods, “Ah, so a fling?”

“Mm-hm. I met him when Yeri invited her best friends to your dad’s beach house for a fun summer vacation during break. We hit it off well and it wasn’t much longer that he had me in his sheets. It really was fun, so we agreed to keep fucking around. And then some months later, I found out he had a girlfriend the whole time.”

He makes an understanding face, familiar with Yeri’s Pal-Cations (as she likes to call them.)

“Yerim didn’t tell you he was dating someone?”

“No one knew about us. He wanted to keep things secret,” you chuckle softly, “and that’s when I found out why.”

Silence falls over Jongin, and you sit there and let him ponder. Being able to say it all like this makes it seem so simple, and perhaps it should be. Jaehyun fucked up, and you owe him nothing. If he broke up with his girlfriend, maybe things would have been different, but he didn’t and that’s why he should leave you alone.

“Do you think he’s changed?” You shouldn’t ask. It doesn’t matter what Kai thinks, he doesn’t know Jaehyun like you do and he hasn’t known him for nearly as long. His opinion doesn’t matter.

Kai blinks. “I mean, you know what they say. Once a cheater, always a cheater.”

“But I’m asking for your opinion.”

You’ve never seen Kai so speechless. He’s always had something on the tip of his tongue, always. That’s when you consider that you’re probably dumping a shit ton of unwarranted info on him, especially since you had to practically coerce him into even asking you about Jaehyun. Before you have the chance to apologize, he answers.

“I don’t know him nearly as well as you probably do, but from what I’ve seen in the past 2 weeks, he’s nothing like some stupid, immature fuck boy. He carries himself well, cracks his jokes but he’s respectful and doesn’t push his limits, and I’ve never seen him with a girl,” Jongin says. “Come to think of it, he’s single. The boys discussed our dating situations and relationship statuses just so that we wouldn’t be surprised if we got up in the middle of the night and saw some stranger. Said he was single and wasn’t looking for sex.”

And you sigh in defeat, because the only thing that’s changed about Jaehyun according to that description is that he’s apparently single now and isn’t looking for sex.

Or maybe he was some stupid, immature fuckboy. You don’t know. And ever since you found out about her, you haven’t been sure if you’ve ever known him like you thought you did. You haven’t been sure about anything.

“Do you want him back?”

The questions catchs you off-guard. It isn’t exactly new, but you’ve never had anyone ask you this other than yourself. It’s all that you can think about. Do you really want him back? Or do you just miss what you had? What if it’s both?

“I don’t know,” you answer. And trust, you’ve been thinking about it since that whole ordeal at the café Monday. Even if you do, you shouldn’t. You don’t know Jaehyun’s motive, and there are plenty of other guys that can provide you everything he was giving you. One is literally looking you dead in the eye. He’s replaceable, you tell yourself. You don’t need him.

But that sure as hell has nothing to do with you wanting him.

“You don’t know?” Kai lifts his brow, “Or are you simply in denial?”

You feel like he’s your therapist, and the thought almost makes you laugh. Everything reminds you of Jaehyun. How sometimes, you’d play therapist for each other after you had sex, either directly afterwards or in the morning like now. It was so much more than sex, you think. To you, anyways. And that’s likely how you caught feelings.

Oh, dear god.

Even after two years, maybe those feelings you had for him still linger.

“I realized something,” you really don’t have to say anything, it’s written all over your face.

Jongin makes the conclusion, “You want him.”

Slowly, you nod. You think that you shouldn’t, but you do, and Jongin was right about you being in denial. You guess he really does read you just as well as you do him.

“I’m not gonna sit here and tell you what you should or shouldn’t do because it’s your choice to make at the end of the day, but let’s take everything into account,” Jongin starts, voice sterner than it’s been all morning, “I’m not saying age is an excuse, but he was eighteen. All eighteen-year-old boys are stupid. Take it from someone who’s been there. But he’s twenty-one now, and it’s been years. That’s plenty enough time for him to grow and change.”

You nod along. That’s true, and while you could never be too careful because who’s to say he’s changed, who’s to say he hasn’t?

Kai adds, “If you want to take the risk, take it. If you don’t, then don’t. He made an inexcusable mistake. But he’s human, and all humans make mistakes. You dont owe him anything, especially not forgiveness, but be a little open-minded.”

The decision is yours. You can hear Jaehyun out and try to salvage your relationship, or you can continue to shut him out. You don’t owe him a second chance, but god, you must admit that you’ve always secretly longed to give him one, just so that you could go back to what you had.

Whenever you contemplate giving him a second chance, you think about her. You try to put yourself in her shoes, wondering how she must’ve felt, if she ever knew that the man she loved was fucking around with another woman. Maybe that’s how they broke up. Days ago, the thought would have made you run further and further away from him. But now, it’s almost like you’re rooted in place, bumping into dead-ends.

If you were her, you’d be unforgiving. But you’re not her, you never will be her, and that makes you want to be a little more selfish.

That makes you want him.

“Thanks, Kai,” you say, truly grateful to have his unbiased opinion. Usually you wouldn’t trust people you met less than twenty-four hours ago with your personal business, but all the shit you and Kai exchanged last night makes you willing to permit an exception. And then, you feel bad because even after the kind things he’s done for you since last night, he’s still sitting here advising you on your complicated you-problems. “And I’m so sorry for dumping all my problems on you, you’ve been so sweet and the least I could do—”

“Hey, no worries. If you ever need to talk, I’m here,” Kai interjects, “and if you want me to do a bit of snooping around…”

You shake your head. “No way. You’ve already done enough for me, and I don’t want you to get caught up in my drama. I can handle it.”

“Sure, you can. But I don’t want a girl like you to wind up heartbroken, especially over a possible jackass, and at very least you should see if you can trust him before you, well, trust him,” As though he can sense you about to object, he adds, “No buts. I’m going to keep a few tabs on him and alert you if there’s anything suspicious.”

You sigh, and don’t argue because it’s obvious he isn’t changing his mind. You’re grateful.

You smile. “Thank you.”

“Of course. And if he breaks your heart, I’m here.”

You scoff, “Flirting with me again, Kim Jongin?”

“Oh, baby,” he growls, “Keep saying my name like that and I’ll make you forget he ever existed.”

Ten minutes ago, that would have been tempting. But now you know what you want, and you’re determined to have it.

Yeri thinks it’s a bad idea.

Taeyong thinks it’s terrible idea.

Jaemin thinks you’ve had better ideas, but he’s willing to cooperate nonetheless.

“I don’t get it,” Taeyong shakes his head, “That guy broke your heart.”

“He wasn’t trying to,” you mutter.

“And he still did, that’s the crazy part.”

“It was two years ago. To be fair, all of us were stupid at eighteen.”

“Not all of us were cheating on our partners with a girl we met on summer break, though,” Taeyong quips, incredulous that he’s even having this discussion with you. You’ve always been on the same page, what changed?

You groan, “God, Taeyong. Sure, he cheated. Duh, he was in the wrong. But it wasn’t me that he cheated on and it’s not like we were ever in a relationship. He couldn’t have known how I felt about him when I did everything in my power to hide my feelings. And what if he’s changed?”

“And what if he hasn’t?” Taeyong retorts quickly.

The silence in the room is deadly. Taeyong can’t believe that he’s having to talk some sense into you, all while your other two friends sit quietly observing your argument. Is he the only one thinking around here? Why aren’t they helping?

Then, Yeri speaks up from the other side of the room, “Instead of arguing, let’s just put Jaehyun to the test.”

“And how do you plan on going about that?” Taeyong grumbles.

“Letting her talk to him, dimwit, how else?” Yeri rolls her eyes, “I know that you probably think that allowing him within a ten-foot radius of her is going to break her heart, but you’re greatly underestimating my best friend’s strength. She isn’t stupid, she can identify red flags.”

“Ease up on the fighting words,” Jaemin chuckles, “but I dunno, Yeri’s right. The only way she’ll know if he’s changed is to see for herself. If she notices anything odd, she can give him the boot. It’s not rocket science.”

You glance at Taeyong. Truthfully, you don’t need his permission, and both of you know that. But it would be nice to feel validated by your best friends, especially the overprotective one.

Taeyong glances back at you, and his expression softens. He’s always had a soft spot for you, and it’s hard to tell you no. Plus, he doesn’t want to be the token villain when everyone else is telling you to go for it. To chase what you want.

And in all honesty, Taeyong wishes he could chase what he wants. But the last thing he is is selfish, so maybe now is the time he lets you go.

Finally, he groans, “Alright, fine. Whatever. Talk to Jaehyun, see if he’s really ready to commit. But if this guy breaks your heart, I’m going to quote-unquote accidentally spill the hottest coffee on his face, just to give him a taste of the fire that is hell, where he will burn for eternity.”

Jaemin shivers, having flashbacks to the first time he spoke to Taeyong, “You love a good coffee threat, don’t you? So many fighting words.”

Taeyong doesn’t reply, just glares at Jaemin sharply.

“Hostile, but I’m with him,” Yeri nods, “Mark my words, that man will die a slow, painful death if he makes one more mistake.”

“Yep!” Jaemin agrees, “Don’t worry, babes. We got your back.”

At that, you smile. Your friends are on your side. Now, here comes the real trouble.

Mustering the ability to talk to Jaehyun.

Fortunately, Yerim’s annual Pal-Cation was right around the corner, and would extend until the end of the week.

Last year, Jaehyun didn’t attend.

Correction: he wasn’t invited.

Yeri and Jaehyun haven’t been on amazing terms since she became aware of everything, which put a dent in their relationship. This year, she’s invited him in favor of playing Cupid.

You’re a little nervous, anxious about being in the same space as Jaehyun for more than three minutes after all these years. You’re scared and you’re not sure of what, because if Jaehyun’s really as changed as he implies he is, the result should be predictable.

Then again, you don’t really know Jaehyun’s reason for wanting to talk to you, and that makes you all the more panicked. Of course, he wants you to hear him out, but what does he want to come out of that? A second chance? At what?To you, your relationship was so much more than sex. But what if it wasn’t to him? What if he just wants to get inside your pants?

“Girl, please,” Jaemin scoffs, crashing against your hotel bed like he owns the place. He’s in comfortable awe, and probably wouldn’t think twice if someone told him the beds were made out of marshmallows, “you were defending his life choices like yesterday—god damn, these beds are soft—and now you’re having second thoughts? Since when do you back down from things?”

You throw a pillow at him, “I was not defending him!”

“I talked to him earlier, when he asked me if I was sure about wanting him here,” Yeri states, sitting on the seat in front of the mirror. “Told him that there’s no way in hell he’d be here right now if I didn’t want him to be. He laughed and promised me he wouldn’t do anything stupid, and I told him know, because if he does do something stupid it’s off with his motherfuckin’ head.”

Jaemin smiles, satisfied, “Yeah, that should do it. I’d be scared half to death, you could probably pay someone to kill him and no one would suspect a thing.”

“Enough about killing him,” you grimace, “I’m just, I dunno, nervous, I guess. What if he just wants to get in my pants?”

“Guess you better go found out, and tonight is the perfect opportunity. I reserved the pool, so we have the entire area to ourselves until midnight.”

“Yeah, and that wouldn’t be too bad anyways. When was the last time you got laid?” Jaemin adds.

You sneer and flip him off, “For your information, I got laid at that party Friday night when you left me for dead to go get drunk. And that’s why your ass was hungover. And Yeri, you never told me that your step-brother was so fucking hot.”

Yeri exclaims, “You slept with Jongin?”

“You slept with her brother?”

And that’s where you conclude that you’ve overshared, and it’s time for everyone to have some time to themselves, “Alright, everybody out,” you push and pull them both out, until they’re standing outside your door, “I’ll see you guys tonight.”

Then you shut the door, and lie on your bed, sighing with comfort. Jaemin’s right, the beds really are comfortable. You’re feeling drowsy already and decide to rest your eyes. There’s hours until it’s Pool Time.

Pool Time comes faster than you wished.

You’re antsy, but Yeri has SHINee’s Punch Drunk Love playing, so you feel more at ease. It also serves as a reminder that you’re going to need a drink or two to get through the night.

It doesn’t help that you had a dream about Jaehyun while you were trying to rest your eyes, about the night when you first you met him. You were at Yeri’s step-father’s beach house, and the dream was specifically when you made out in the middle of the pool. I’ll never let you drown, baby. You shake the memory away.

You glance around, and see everyone’s here. Yeri’s talking to her friend Mark who obviously has a crush on her, Jaemin’s engaging in conversation with Taeyong who for once doesn’t look like he wants to rip Jaemin’s head off, Yeri’s other friends are playing in the pool, and—Jaehyun.

Jaehyun’s seated at the bar, looking dead at you, which is exactly where you need to be but your lunch and your stomach seem to not be getting along suddenly. You tear your gaze, and glance back at Yeri. You need her help, one last push or words of encouragement, but you’re not selfish enough to interrupt Mark’s attempts at flirting with your friend and getting some.

Well fuck, you groan. You’re all alone this time, and deciding you look stupid standing there by yourself, you march to the bar and hoist yourself on the stool beside Jaehyun, ignoring the increasing speed of your heartbeat. It doesn’t help that this place only has two barstools.

“What can I get you, sweetheart?” The bartender asks you. She’s pretty, got long dark hair and a nice face. You wonder if Jaehyun flirting with her is the reason she’s been smiling so hard since before you sat down, trying to stifle a giggle.

And you frown at your own thoughts. Leave it to you to automatically assume the worst.

“No idea. Suprise me,” you sigh, and with a nod she gets to work.

It’s difficult, more like impossible to ignore Jaehyun’s presence beside you. He isn’t saying anything, isn’t doing anything as far as you can tell without looking at him, but the knowledge that he’s there has you on your toes.

The bartender brings back your drink, tells you to enjoy and you say thank you before having a taste. You need this before you dare say a word to him.

And then he dare speaks, “Hi.”

You can feel your heart racing and you don’t know why, but you do know that you don’t like it. There’s no reason to feel like this, you heard Jaehyun talk at the party. You somehow manage to chirp back quietly, “Hi.”

“Aren’t you gonna look at me?”

It feels like he’s challenging you, almost to say you’re too much of a pussy to look him dead in the face, and you know you’re more than likely making that up but Jaehyun’s the first person to know that you’re last person to back down from a challenge, so you do turn to look at him.

It takes everything in you to stay rational when you do. You get the chance to look at him, to really look at him, and you’re taken aback by his features. He looks the same, but different all at once, obviously a little older.

Beside you is no longer the teenage boy with the cute, high-pitched voice, but a man with a deep and matured sound to his voice. He’s smiling a little wildly at you. It’s the first time you’ve seen him smile in years.

You take a sip from your drink so that you don’t smile back and say, “I’m looking.”

“See something you like?”

“Nope,” you lie, as though you weren’t obvious checking him out seconds ago, “just you.”

“Aww, don’t be like that,” Jaehyun grins playfully, “smile a little, won’t you?”

“Let’s cut to the chase, Jaehyun,” you change the subject. You refuse to let his little games work on you. “Didn’t you want me to hear you out? Hop to it or I’m leaving.”

He blinks. “Here?”

Well no one can hear you other than the bartender, but it’s a personal issue that deserves the utmost privacy and it’s not like you’re willing to share your personal business with a stranger, so you agree to walk around the pool with him. Close enough so that you’re not bumping into walls, distant enough to not be overheard.

You glance at him, “So?”

Jaehyun sighs, “Rather than defending myself, I think I should apologize. For not telIing you I was in a relationship, for risking dragging you into drama, it was selfish. I was selfish.”

It was selfish. He couldn’t have been thinking of your feelings, or even her feelings.

“There’s no excuse for what I did, and I can’t imagine how belittled it made you feel. You don’t have to forgive me, and I know you’re probably gonna hate me forever for this and I don’t blame you. But I want you to know that I’m sorry,” he gives you those emotional eyes, the same dejected gleam in them, “Sincerely. And if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you…”

“Tell me why,” you want the answers that you’ve been searching for all these years. Not exactly closure, but you don’t want to live in doubt, wondering maybe you were never enough, and that’s why you were always the side piece.

“Why I did it?”

You nod, and he’s silent for a moment.

“I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know why eighteen-year-old me did the shit I did, but I know that I did it and I can’t take it back. I’ve looked back so many times and I still can’t fathom…” Jaehyun trails off, then starts shaking his head, “you know what? Maybe I do know why.”

Don’t cry, you tell yourself. You’re stronger than this. You’re blinking back tears, attempting to keep your voice level as you whisper, “Why then, Jaehyun?”

“It’s not the shocking, life-changing reason I always thought it would be,” he chuckles sadly, “it’s because I was stupid. And careless. I wasn’t thinking, but at the same time I thought I had the world at my feet, and I guess I did but then I…” Jaehyun stops to take a breath after he realizes he’s rambling. “But then I lost you. And that’s when I realized that this, the lying, the cheating, the going behind your backs—it was stupid.”

“It was stupid,” you agree, and he laughs a little more. “But let me ask you one more thing…” you say. He doesn’t reply, but his eyes tell you to go ahead. “Did you love her?” Or did you love me?

Jaehyun nods lazily. “At one point.”

You bite your lip, unsatisfied.

“Did you love me?”

That catches him off-guard. You almost expect him to stop walking the way he’s frozen, and you feel your stomach churning in regret.

“Nevermind, forget I asked that—”

“When you first left, I was unaffected,” Jaehyun interjects. “Like I said, I thought I had the world at my feet, so I thought you were replaceable. I tried replacing you. But it wasn’t the same, no matter how many times I tried, it was never, ever the same,” his eyes muse at you, “No one looked at me the way you did, no one talked to me all night and made me laugh like you did, no one ran circles through my mind like you, no one was like you. So I knew I needed you back, but by the time I realized you were already gone. And that’s when I knew I had fucked up.”

He adds, “So, yeah. I did love you. Maybe it was at the wrong time, maybe it was too late for me to love you, maybe I wasn’t supposed to, but I did and I don’t think I’ve ever stopped.”

Jaehyun’s thumb runs over your eyes, wiping a string of tears that you hadn’t even know you cried. He doesn’t say anything about it, just pulls you closer to his chest.

“What about you?” He asks.

“What about me?”

“Did you love me?”

Now it’s your turn to freeze, and then you almost laugh. Of course, you loved him. You were in love with him. Hopelessly.

“Can I be honest?”

Jaehyun nods. “Mm-hm. That’s what this is all about, right?”

You exhale a sharp breath, preparing to tell one of your deepest, darkest secrets to the one person that was never supposed to know, “When I told you the reason I wanted to end things was because of you cheating on her, that wasn’t the whole truth. It was part of it, and though I’m no homewrecker, there’s another reason. I was in love with you—hopelessly, helplessly, utterly—and I couldn’t stand the thought that you never felt the same, that I was just a plaything to you.”

“Y/n—”

“Let me finish,” you order, “I left to take care of me. I thought it would have been disrespectful towards myself to stay in that position, when from my understanding, I loved you yet you loved her,” you feel another trail of tears coming, and wipe them away before they have the chance to spill. “At that moment, when I found out you already had someone, I felt like I didn’t know you anymore. I thought that maybe you never really cared, and I was the only one that felt it.”

It, the love. The spark. The connection. The butterflies in your stomach when he held you close, or called you cute pet names. The emotion whenever he was deep inside you.

“It felt like I had given my heart to a stranger,” you laugh humorlessly, “because for all I knew, who’s to say I was the only one you were fucking behind her back? I felt so, so stupid. Like I was never enough. And when I first saw your face again after all these years, all of that hurt came back. But at the same time,” you look him in his eyes, “all my feelings for you came back, too.”

It’s silent for a moment, but it isn’t awkward. You’ve just confessed your feelings for one another, not only now, but for the you of two years ago. For the you of eighteen who never thought you’d ever have this chance.

And you can’t believe Jaehyun’s actually had feelings for you, too. It always seemed like some fairytale thing, but hearing one another out like responsible adults instead of immature teens changes things.

“Wow,” Jaehyun whispers in surprise, “Wow. I was such a fool. I made a simple thing so fucking complicated. Imagine where we’d be if I would have just broken up with her and realized my feelings sooner.”

Together. You’d be together, as one.

“Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve, didn’t,” you say lightheartedly, “There’s no use in worrying about that. You’ve apologized. And I forgive you.”

“You forgive me?” Jaehyun gawks. “Why? I thought you’d hate me forever or something.”

“I kinda still hate the you of two years ago, he’s an asshole,” you giggle, “but the you standing next to me right now, today, is a changed man who knows his mistake and won’t do that shit ever a-fucking-gain. Or else.”

Jaehyun snorts. “Of course not. I wouldn’t dare.”

You smile, “Good.”

“Good. So do we address our relationship too, or…”

“Later, please,” you groan. “Come sit by the water with me.”

Jaehyun agrees, and so now you’re sitting at the edge of the pool, your head resting on his shoulder.

“Is SHINee still your favorite band?” He asks.

“Yeah,” you mumble, heart warming at the fact that he even still remembers that.

Then he teases, “Do you still swoon over Lee Taemin?”

You give him a very, very icy glare, “Shut up. I’ll push you into the pool right now.”

“You wouldn’t,” Jaehyun challenges.

Wrong move, you smirk. You love a challenge.

So in one swift movement, you do push him into the pool, and the sound of him yelling and the water splashing is like music to your ears. You giggle, watching as he comes back up, hair heavy and soaked as it sticks to him like a second skin. You also take notice of his white t-shirt, or his abs through the soaked cotton. Six pack. Toned. Stupid dumb crazy hot. Damn, sometimes you forget why you kept coming back to him.

He sneers, unamused. “Not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” you disagree with a smile.

“Oh yeah?” he says, “Look, Lee Taemin!”

You turn without fully processing his statement yet, “Wha—agh!”

In an even swifter motion, Jaehyun’s pulled your ankles, and now a distracted you falls into the pool with a splash. Not to mention, your bikini cover-up is still on. This, unfortunately, is karma. Inconvenience aside, you’re getting deja vu, a distant memory seeping back into your mind.

You whine, “Not fair.”

“It’s a little fair,” he mocks, and you can’t help but roll your eyes.

“You’re lucky I know how to swim,” you wringe out your hair, “You would have had an lawsuit against you if I didn’t.”

You wonder if he’s taken the hint, if he’s gonna say it. You remember that exact moment, being so close to his face and feeling so warm. I’d never let you drown, baby.

And like a rehearsed line, he says perfectly, “I’d never let you drown, baby.”

“You remember.” Your tone is like a question, but it’s a statement.

“I remember a lot of things about you,” Jaehyun states, and perfectly timed, the current song fades into your all-time personal favorite—SHINee’s 1 of 1. “For instance, is this still your favorite SHINee song?”

One glance in Yeri’s direction confirms your suspicion that this is all her doing, as you see her giggling at you, phone in hand. It was already suspicious of her to play SHINee when she’s an Ariana Grande girl, but now you definitely see her her crystal-clear intentions.

“Yeah,” you mutter, but as you turn back around you notice he’s definitely close enough to hear you. Your noses are almost touching, and you can feel your heart racing. You feel like a teenager in love all over again, blood pumping, your heart beating in your ears. Deja vu.

Jaehyun must be feeling it too, because he asks, “Can I kiss you?”

Yet again, you blush. “Sure.”

And on cue, his lips are against yours. Jaehyun’s still an amazing kisser, he feels gentle yet he’s so fierce, gripping your waist as your fingers tangle in his hair. You know for a fact he’d be even rougher if you weren’t inside of a pool.

His lips feel better than you remember, and then he bites your lip. You moan, lips parting and he darts his tongue in your mouth. You can taste his drink on his tongue, faint remnants of whatever he had in his cup.

Fuck, you forgot how high kissing him makes you feel. It’s like an addictive drug, and you can feel nothing but your heartbeat and his lips on yours. You don’t want him to stop.

And then, to your misfortune, he does stop. You whimper, not really taking notice of how out of breath you are as you’re overcome with greed.

“Why’d you stop?” You frown.

“You need to breathe, babe. You wanna almost drown in the pool like Taeyong?” He laughs.

Speaking of Taeyong, you check on him with your eyes. To your surprise, he’s still talking and laughing with Jaemin, the pair obviously hitting it off and super into one another. It makes you smile. That boy’s had a huge crush on you that you both know you can’t reciprocate for years, and it’s time he lets you go.

“Hello… Earth to y/n? You look like the cute puppy eyes emoji.”

Your eyes snap at Jaehyun, “Shut up,” you reply, “And kiss me.”

“Bossy,” Jaehyun teases, but he must like that about you, because moments later he’s kissing you again, even more passionately than before.

“Oh, c’mon!”

Yeri giggles, “Sorry, y/n. The majority rules!”

For the second day of your California vacation, Yeri’s decided to take everyone to an amusement park an hour out from the hotel. You asked her why she didn’t do Disney Land this year, but she said it was reserved for her first Bae-Cation.

You roll your eyes. What happened to chicks over dicks?

The point is, you wanted to separate into groups, considering it would be easier to keep up with everyone. However, everyone else wanted to do pairs, arguing that there was more freedom and it’d be easier to come towards a mutual decision instead of arguing over what to ride.

So everyone grabs their partners, and you’re shocked when you see Jaemin and Taeyong step beside one another. You’re incredulous. Jaemin’s just been abandoning you left and right ever since he came back.

“You two in love or some shit now?” You fold your arms, eyes pointing at them accusingly. “What happened to those coffee threats, Yong? I thought you said Jaem was annoying. And Jaemin? You said he was scary!”

Jaemin shrugs coolly. “He was, but then I realized something. Taeyong’s like an egg, he has a hard shell—” Taeyong glares, “—nevermind, he doesn’t like that comparison very much. Taeyong’s like a smore, hard on the outside yet warm and soft on the inside. Oh, and very deli—ow!”

Jaemin holds his stomach dramatically, looking at Taeyong who stands with a satisfied grin on his face. Perhaps, Taeyong still is a little scary.

“Jaem! Yong!”

“Ooh, that reminds me,” Jaemin eyes twinkle, “I think our ship name should be Jaeyong.”

Taeyong disagrees, “No way. It should be Taemin.”

“First of all, you two will never be Taemin,” you interject with a scowl. “Anyways, you two figure that out. I’ll go be with my partner.”

And you stomp away to spot Jaehyun waiting for you with a cheeky grin. You’re optionless, you suppose. Yeri’s with Mark again, Taeyong and Jaemin are obviously a thing now, Seulgi’s with Winter and Jennie’s with Nayeon.

It’s not even like last night ended poorly. Last night couldn’t have been better, you spent your time making out and drinking with Jaehyun in the pool until midnight. It was too good to be true, you felt like Cinderella, having to slip back into her normal life by the time the clock struck twelve.

Now though, you have to be alone with Jaehyun. Okay technically, you’ll be surrounded by hundreds of people, and depending on where you go your friends may or may not be accompanying you, though still. It isn’t that you don’t trust him, but isn’t it natural to feel uneasy?

Jaehyun calls, “C’mon, princess! Let’s go get hotdogs. I’m hungry.”

“We ate at the hotel,” you snort.

“So? That was an hour ago. Plus the time it took for us to get through that crazy ass line. If you’re not hungry, I’ll buy you a lemonade or something.”

A lemonade does sound good, you ponder. It’s summertime, and no amount of sunglasses and mosquito-repellent sunscreen is going to help you beat this heat. It’s ninety-something degrees.

“Fine,” you give in, and an eternity later (curse these never-ending lines) you’re sitting down at a bench, you sipping on your humongous cup of lemonade and Jaehyun eating a hotdog.

To be honest, you really didn’t need the largest size that they had. You were just testing his reaction for the fun of it, expecting to have a giggle or two, but he totally surprised you, buying it and insisting you should have it even after you told him that you were just playing.

The Jaehyun you knew three years ago was many things, and rich was not one of them.

“Let’s talk,” he says after discarding his hotdog in the bin. Oh of course, Jaehyun’s brain cannot function when he’s running low on food.

Playing dumb, you ask, “About what?”

“Us,” he answers simply.

“In the middle of an amusement park?”

“It’s important,” Jaehyun grins, “You don’t trust me.”

Perplexity is written all over your face. You trust Jaehyun on the basic level, you feel safe around him and in his embrace. But you’re not sure if you trust him with your heart just yet, and after everything he did, you have the right to be scared.

“And I understand why. I hurt you once, you’re scared I might do it again. So let’s start over,” he concludes, and you blink. “From scratch. Past aside. I want you to get to know me, and I wanna get to know you. I’m sure there’s plenty of things I don’t know about you now.”

I mean, you know the gist. You didn’t say that aloud, of course. Through a discussion last night, he still knows your favorite color and your undying love for pie and SHINee, especially Taemin, your birthday, your mom’s birthday, even your dog’s birthday—okay, maybe he knows too much. Or you overshared. Who knows.

And you still remember a lot of facts about him, but at the same time, there’s still so much you don’t know about one another.

“Right,” you agree, “So by starting over, you mean…”

“Completely,” he answers quick. “Let’s re-introduce ourselves.”

Your lips don’t quiver, drawn into a line. “You gotta be kidding.”

“I’m serious!” Jaehyun claims. “C’mon, I’ll even go first.”

“Jaehyun—”

“Aht, aht! You’re not supposed to know my name,” Jaehyun chides. “Hi, my name’s Jaehyun, I’m twenty-one, and I like Cigarettes After Sex. The band, I mean. I don’t smoke.”

You roll your eyes. There was no need for him to explain, because literally everybody knows Jaehyun likes Cigarettes After Sex, the same way everyone knows you like SHINee. But for the sake of placating him and getting this over with, you refuse to make any comments.

“This is so corny.”

“The longer you wait the longer it takes.”

Reluctantly you give in, but not without a groan. “Hi, Jaehyun. My name’s y/n, I’m also twenty-one, and I like SHINee.”

Jaehyun claps dramatically, “Bravo! Was that so hard?”

“Yes, actually.”

He giggles, tells you to stop being dramatic and you two begin your mission to ride every ride that you can within the span of a few hours. You get more snacks in between, sharing a container of butter-y delicious popcorn and double-dating some rides with the other pairs (which unfortunately happens to lead to you witnessing Mark throwing up in a bush).

Unfortunately, time flies by fast when you’re having fun, and when Yeri texts the Pal-Cation Pals group chat to meet up by the first popcorn stand in fifteen minutes, you know you have little time remaining, enough for one last ride.

The Ferris Wheel.

Last but not least, the Ferris Wheel. You and Jaehyun have been saving it for last, agreeing the full experience is at dark night, when the colorful lights illuminate the indigo sky.

“Let’s go!” You pull him into a cart, and he laughs at your enthusiasm.

When the ride starts, Jaehyun holds your hand and you rest your head on his shoulder. It feels nice and comfortable, and you quickly realize you miss having him like this. Close to you. And it’s silent for a moment. You and Jaehyun have always had these moments together, where you’re not talking one another’s ears off, but holding each other in warm silence. You have always valued the other’s company.

You watch as the world gets smaller underneath your feet, how the Ferris wheel lights twinkle in vibrant colors, and shine on its surroundings. You see how the other rides glow in the dark, appearing so close yet so far away.

It’s beautiful. Your eyes flare different colors—red, blue, pink, green—as you gawk in wonder. If you could, you’d stay like this forever, watching this astonishing sight with Jaehyun at your side.

“You look pretty in the light,” Jaehyun marvels, snapping you out of your daze. The butterflies and their flapping wings come back, and he’s always been able to make you feel like this so easily.

Warmth fills your cheeks, and you turn around so that he doesn’t notice. “Don’t I always? Or are you saying I only look pretty in the light?”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes, “You’re still impossible. I’m trying to flirt with you.”

“Then do so,” you smile. “Keep telling me about how pretty I am.”

“Look at me,” Jaehyun whispers, but it’s loud and clear to you. Slowly, you do look at him, noticing the way his lips curl into a soft grin, and how the purple light casts on his gorgeous skin and features. “Your lips are pretty, too.”

Next, he’ll call your bones pretty and you’ll still feel your face flush with heat.

Jaehyun kissed you for hours last night, but when his lips collide with yours again you know that you’ll never get used to the feeling. Your fingers card through his hair while his gravitate towards your skin, cold hands sending a shiver down your spine as they mesh with the evening warmth.

You bite at his lip this time, wallowing in the sound of his moan as it tumbles from between his parted lips. He can feel you smiling, the corners of your lips spreading apart as you stifle a laugh.

It feels like fire consumes you, like you’re melting, melting into his touch, like candle wax as his fingertips trace your skin. Like a bomb’s ignited inside you, like you’re exploding, and the more you feel him the more you desire him. The more you crave him, the more your body yearns for him.

You know you have him when you move for his neck, marking a trail of red lipstick stains that look purple in the light. He takes it as a challenge, retaliating with a bite at your neck that makes you sigh in pleasure, and this is definitely why you get along so well—you’re compatible.

“When we get back,” you gasp, ignoring the complacent look he casts at you, “Meet me in my room.”

“What about the others?”

“They saw us making out in the pool, Jaehyun, literally nobody cares,” you roll your eyes. “No more sneaking around shit, right?”

He smiles, “Right. Can’t anyways, your lipstick is all over my throat.”

You giggle, and bring him back in for another kiss as the ride begins to slow to an end.

The next couple of days are equally eventful, yet fly by far too quickly for your liking. You hit the beach and unfortunately witness a woman being stung by a jelly fish, visit some museums, the zoo, and even hike near the Hollywood sign. You also make sure to spend Yeri’s money on some souvenirs, and Jaehyun buys you matching necklaces. You have his J, he has your first initial.

Today is Saturday—already. Tomorrow you will return home, and you’re not sure if you’re ready or not. You sigh as you scroll through your camera roll. You’ve had so much fun this week, there’s the pictures of Mark’s scared face on the roller coaster, Taeyong buried alive into the sand, Yeri and the girls trying on humongous sun glasses at the mall, and the video of Jaemin and Jaehyun arm-wrestling to determine who’s the better Jae to prove it (Jaehyun won).

Like a normal Saturday, today’s the one chill day. The whole week has been chaotic in a fun way, but Yeri had nothing else planned, so she told everyone to take a day to wind down and feel free to venture out to wrap up the vacation.

Which leads you to now.

Jaehyun and you agreed to visit the park, just walking around and talking, and perhaps doing some making out in between. You’ve been doing that a lot lately, and you’re pretty sure you’re addicted. It’s like there’s crack in his lips that cannot simply be fixed with chapstick.

“It’s hot,” you complain.

Jaehyun snorts. “We’re in California, babe. Imagine Yeri took us to Florida.”

You wince. You’re barely beating the Californian heat, there’s no way you’ll survive down south in Florida. It doesn’t even snow there.

“I thought you were gonna say some fake-romantic shit, like I’ll reach into the sky and throw the sun into the freezer, princess, just say the word,” you mimick his voice exaggeratedly.

Jaehyun rolls his eyes, but laughs nonetheless, “No can do, princess,” he teases, “but I can get us some ice cream from that stand over there. Stay put, I’ll be right back.”

“Wait!” You shout. “You even know what I want?”

He says your favorite flavor, and even your preferred container to consume it in, “Right?”

A smile spreads on your lips, and your heart flutters. He remembers. “Right.”

Jaehyun shoots you a smile then jogs over to the ice cream stand, pulling his wallet from his pockets. You gotta remember to ask him where he’s getting all this money from, this man could be a drug dealer for all you know.

Nonetheless, you sit at a nearby bench and pull out your phone. Nothing beats checking up on your Animal Crossing island while you wait.

You notice the presence of someone sitting beside you but don’t bat an eye, knowing without looking that it isn’t Jaehyun. And who are you to shoo away a stranger if they want to rest their feet?

“You must be y/n,” hearing your name, your eyes snap to the side instinctively.

And that’s when you realize that this stranger may not be as unknown as you initially thought.

Your eyes widen, “You…”

“I am, Jaehyun’s ex-girlfriend,” she, Victoria announces proudly, like it’s some achievement to be clipped onto the fridge.

You never met her, but you’ll never forget her name, or her face for that matter. It’s kind of stupid, how you found out. You were on Instagram, and you saw Jaehyun’s account in the replies of Yeri’s post. You clicked his profile, because you had never exchanged accounts before, and you quickly saw why.

He didn’t post her often, amongst all the flaunting images of himself, but when he did he made it crystal clear that she was his girlfriend, and what sole other woman would he continuously post onto his page?

“What are you doing here?” You ask, an obviously bitter edge to your voice. It isn’t she that you should be bitter towards, but you can’t help but feel slightly defensive.

“Relax, darling, I’m not stalking you on whatever summer vacation he’s had the courtesy to whisk you away on,” Victoria giggles. Of course not, that would be obsessive. “It’s actually a coincidence to see you, but since we’re here, let’s talk.”

Disinterested, you reply, “There’s nothing for you and I to discuss.”

“Of course, there is! You were fucking with him while he was with me, right?” she gives you a picture-perfect smile that makes you want to grit your teeth, yet you compose yourself. She sighs, “You know that, and yet you’re like what, dating him now? I’m telling you now, once a cheater, always a cheater. You might think he loves you now, but I promise you, he’ll stab you in the back the moment you aren’t looking.”

Victoria misjudges your silence as you giving her the go-ahead to continue, “I know that you know, and I know you’re trying to convince yourself that he’s changed, but he’s still the same old bastard he was three years ago. I mean just look at him, he’s even flirting with that lady now.”

With furrowed brows, you turn in Jaehyun’s direction, eyes finding that he actually is flirting with the ice cream lady. You can’t believe your eyes. Really? The fucking ice cream woman? He isn’t trying to be subtle with it, either.

She tilts her head as she speaks in your ear, “See? He doesn’t give a fuck. Not about you, not about her, not about any of us. You’re just yet another notch in his belt.”

And suddenly, all those doubts come back, the ones that you had pushed away and replaced with your growing feelings for him. Yet now that they’re existing within the same space, it’s even more terrifying, it’s exactly what you feared.

What if Jaehyun never really cared? What if all this is just some big act? What if he’s just been playing with your emotions this entire time? What if you don’t really know Jaehyun like you thought?

You want him, but what if he doesn’t really want you?

Jaehyun walks over, seemingly not noticing his ex-girlfriend’s presence, “I got the ice cream. Who’s th—Victoria?”

“Hello, Jaehyun,” she waves, offering him a smile. “We were just talking about you.”

“What the fuck did you tell her?” Jaehyun scowls, taking notice of your silence and the empty, unhappy gaze you shoot him. You don’t even smile, hardly even blink.

Victoria shrugs. “Nothing she doesn’t already know.”

“I’m walking back to the hotel,” you announce, sliding your phone back into your pocket and peeling yourself off of the bench.

“Wait!”

He calls out your name.

For the third time, you turn and walk away.

This time, though, he’s not letting you walk away. Not without putting up a fight first.

“Why are we doing this again?” Jaehyun yells. “Why? Did I do something? We can just talk this out, you know. What happened to no more secrets?”

You retort, “You fucking tell me, Jaehyun! How am I supposed to know that you don’t have secrets?”

“The same goddamn way I know you don’t have any! Trust!” And the realization hits him hard. He knows that it’s only been some days, but what could Victoria have said to make you back out so hastily? “Is that what it is? You don’t trust me?”

Tears sting your eyes. “Trust you? You want me to trust you? With you being the kind of person you are? You’re out of luck.”

That burned Jaehyun. After all of the bonding you’ve done lately, he would’ve thought that you would trust him a little more, but he sees clearly now. He sees that he’s done all he can do, and now it’s time for you to do your part.

“What kind of person am I, y/n?” He asks coldly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

You spit, “You’re an asshole.”

“Yeah?” Jaehyun laughs tonelessly, “Well frankly I think you’re an asshole, too. So when you’re ready to be assholes together, let me know.”

And this time, Jaehyun’s the one that walks away. This time, you understand his pain, as you have those tear-stung eyes and that quivering voice. That empty feeling inside, the pang in your heart. The way it’s killing you inside, but you don’t have it in you to move, to chase him. All you can do for now is let it eat at you slowly.

Maybe Victoria was wrong. Maybe you’re planting the knife in your own back.

Sunday comes slowly, and you’re glad you didn’t ride the same van as Jaehyun. You still have to deal with the curious stares your friends shoot you, but it’s better than confronting your emotions, or at least you think it is.

You’re not ready yet.

When you get home, the first time you do is order Panda Express via Uber Eats so that you don’t starve as you rot in your room. The next thing you do is flop against your bed and and sob.

A few days go by like this, in pure brutal agony. You drowning in your thoughts, the maybes and the what if’s. You feel like a teenage girl experiencing her first break-up, lost and confused and unsure of how to deal with the hurt. It’s no one’s fault but yours though, and it’s your job to fix it or forever hold your peace.

Love is hard. You know that. You accept that. If you couldn’t, then it would be wrong of you to try be in a real relationship. But loving, as a verb, is easy. Too easy. So easy, to the point where sometimes, you don’t realize you’re doing it until it’s too late. What’s harder is accepting the fact that love isn’t a choice, but a feeling. If it was, you would have chosen to stop loving Jaehyun years ago. You would have chosen to fall in love with Taeyong, or maybe even Kai.

But your heart chose Jung Jaehyun, and it must have a mind of it’s own, because no matter how much you tell it to let go, it doesn’t listen.

That’s why as the days go by, they’re slow and empty. Because Jaehyun’s not there. Not with you. And a little voice in the back of your head is saying he’s with another girl, but your heart is telling you to have faith. You are severely conflicted.

Just when you think you might just spend the rest of your life rotting here, you’re quickly proven wrong by the dedication and genuine care and concern of your best friends.

“Hey, bitch,” Jaemin strolls in casually, as though this is his room, “New guy already?”

“What?”

“Some guy opened the door,” he replies, flopping against your bean-bag cough.

You blink, gears turning in your mind as you try to decipher what man could possibly be inside of your house—oh. You roll your eyes, “That’s my roommate’s boyfriend, you dumbass.”

“Oh,” Jaemin mumbles, then his eyes twinkle as he makes a move for your desk, “Ooh, Panda Express.”

Suddenly, Yeri storms inside your bedroom, flickering on the lights inside your very much dim and deprived of life, sunshine and happiness room, chanting vigorously the lyrics to Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj’s The Light is Coming, “The light is coming to give back everything the darkness stole!”

You groan, yanking the sheets and comforter over your face to block out the light like a vampire, “You guys, please leave me alone.”

“Nope,” says Taeyong, who follows suit after your other friends, venturing into your room. You fight, you tugging the covers towards you while he attempts at pulling them off. It’s a quick battle which you lose, and you soon accept defeat. “You’ve been suffering in silence—and darkness—for far too long. So, fess up. What did that punk do? Do I need to prepare the coffee?”

You sigh, Saturday seeping back into your memory. “He didn’t do anything.”

Jaemin blinks. “What do you mean? Why else have you been sulking in your bedroom for the past four days like a divorced man who’s ex-wife took the kids and the TV? Shit, all you’re missing is a bar and some alcohol at this point.”

You roll your eyes, “I mean, I was the one that fucked up this time.”

“What?”

“What?”

“What?”

They all gasp involuntarily, and if you had it in you, you would roll your eyes at the chorus of what’s.

That day rewinds in your head, how it was so warm then so cold within a matter of moments. Your eyes water as you recall everything that happened, Victoria, your public altercation, walking back to the hotel alone while it felt like there was a rain cloud above your head, despite the piping hot conditions outdoors.

It isn’t like you don’t want to let Jaehyun in. You do, but you’re terrified of granting him that permission, of giving him your heart when he’s broken it before. But this way, you’re only breaking your heart more, and breaking his, too.

“I did something stupid. I assumed the worst when I shouldn’t have, and then I got scared. So I ran,” you want to bury yourself underneath the covers and sink into the earth to be forgotten, but you have to deal with your mistakes. “And I broke his heart. Now I need to fix it, but I don’t fucking know how.”

Yeri thinks you’re dumb.

Taeyong thinks you’re stupid.

Jaemin thinks you’re out of your fucking mind and an absolute fool for letting your thoughts destroy you, but he’ll do whatever he can to help.

“Talk to him, duh,” Yeri says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and it is, but easier said than done.

“How? I bet he doesn’t even want to see my face.”

“Are you kidding?” Jaemin gawks. “He’s been moping around the apartment like literally all week, and me and Jongin haven’t said anything because we thought it was his fault! He also has divorced man syndrome!”

Oh. You feel extra stupid now, and you can’t believe you let Victoria get in your head. Collapsing onto your pillow, you groan, “I really am an asshole.”

“Maybe, yeah,” Taeyong agrees, “but so is he, you guys are a match made in heaven.”

“Or hell,” Jaemin chimes in.

Taeyong glares. “With that being said—and I mean this in the friendliest way possible—get your head out of your ass and go talk to him.”

And you smile softly at that. If Taeyong’s giving you the push, you know that everyone’s right and you need to do something. Now.

You nod and whip out your phone with a sigh, opening iMessage. Can we talk?

(Delivered.)

(Read.)

Sure.

Antsy, you’re fidgeting. Your anxiety is spiking and you can feel your heartbeat directly in your eardrums, but this time your fears won’t scare you off. You wait for Jaehyun, feet tapping against the ground restlessly, until you see him nearing.

He walks over to your side, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets and you feel your heart wrenching a little when you notice that he doesn’t give you his wild grin he usually shoots whenever he sees you. His face is inscrutable, and you bite back the urge to run, because you know now that no matter how fast you run, you’ll never be able to hide from your feelings.

“Hey,” your voice is giving up on you, but you refuse to let it. Get a grip.

“Hey,” Jaehyun whispers back. His eyes are dark and empty, and that’s how you know you cut him deep. There’s always a gleam to his eyes, whether sad or blissful.

You can do this, you tell yourself. You’ve talked to him about much worse before, this should be nothing. But still, it’s never been quite like this. You’ve never made this bad of a mistake.

“About Saturday,” you begin, still fidgeting but managing to look at him, “I’m sorry. I jumped to conclusions instead of asking you, instead of trusting you, and I let Victoria get in my head—”

“Yeah, what the hell was that about?” Jaehyun interjects. “Sorry for interrupting you, but I’m still confused. Did I do something?”

“She pointed out that you were flirting with the ice cream lady. What was that?”

Jaehyun blinks, processing your statement, and when he does he begins shaking his head, “Seriously? You’re telling me this is all over the fucking ice cream? I was only flirting with her to get free ice cream! You know they was trying to charge me fifteen dollars for 4 scoops?”

“It’s not just that!” You exclaim. “Like, yeah, that triggered it, but—fuck, Jaehyun, I was scared, I was so fucking scared. I was overthinking, and all my doubts and fears came back, that what if you never cared, what if you don’t want me like I want you, what if I don’t know you like I think I do? I was scared to trust you, scared that I love you because I don’t want to lose you again—”

If Jaehyun was a dog, his ears would perk up. “You love me?”

“Yes,” you answer boldly. “I love you, Jaehyun. I’m in love with you, and up until now that scared me half to death, because I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to know that you love me, too,” and especially enough to stay. “But now I know. I trust you, Jaehyun. I love you, I want you, and I’m gonna be honest, I’m still a little scared. But that’s what love is, trusting someone to not break your heart. It’s a risk I’m ready to take for you.”

Jaehyun is silently stunned. He doesn’t have much to say, taken aback by your confession and the fact this actually happening. “You mean that?”

You nod, smiling. “Every word.”

In seconds, Jaehyun has you pinned to the wall, his lips against yours. God, you missed this feeling. The feeling of his plush lips against yours, his hands on your body. You miss kissing him irresistibly, every hour of every day, for moments at a time until you were breathless.

Jaehyun seems to have missed it just as much, kissing you with a passion—hungrily; greedily. He kisses you like he can’t have enough, like his lips have an insatiable hunger.

And you can’t believe you’re making out with him behind your apartment, but you’re willing to try new things for him.

Jaehyun taps your thighs, and by now you know that that meets to jump, so you do, shrieking a little, yet he doesn’t let you fall. “I got you,” he whispers in between kisses, breath tickling your skin, “and I won’t ever let you go.”

It’s been five days. You’ve been trying not to think too hard about the label thing, maybe Jaehyun is planning something, he wouldn’t just forget to ask you to be his girlfriend.

You’re walking back to your apartment when it happens.

“Excuse me,” a stranger with an oddly familiar voice calls at to you, and when you whirl around, the last person to see is…

“Taemin?” You nearly scream. He points his index finger to his lips, gesturing for you to be quiet, which makes sense because you’re in public but there’s literally no way the man standing before you is the Lee Taemin. You’re dreaming.

You even pinch yourself, much to his amusement, and come to the realization that this is very much real. You could faint. Taemin? Lee Taemin? From SHINee? There’s simply no way.

“I believe this is for you,” Taemin holds in his hands your all-time favorite SHINee album, The Misconception Of Us. You take it, staring at the album in disbelief. You’re gawking. “And one last thing. Come with me, please?”

Okay, what the hell. He has to be trying to kidnap you or something, it’s perfect bait. Who wouldn’t agree to follow their favorite artist after they randomly pop up behind you and offer you your favorite album for free? You’re lucky it isn’t some kidnapping scheme, because you ultimately end up following him despite your doubts.

He takes you to the cafe, which, to your surprise is empty. At least you think it is, until Jaehyun slips out of hiding, walking up to you with a smile.

“Jaehyun,” you can’t help smile back, “What the?”

“Flip it over,” he says, gesturing towards the album, and curiously, you obey. To the back is attached a sticky note that says, To my 1 of 1 girl, will you be my girlfriend? It’s cheesy, but it has you smiling so hard your cheeks hurt.

“Yes!” Instantly, you crash into his arms. “Yes, yes, yesyes yes—” he has to cut you off with his lips, and you melt into kiss.

You pull away the second you hear the intro to your favorite song, 1 of 1, and look onto the cafe stage (yes, the cafe has a stage for Friday through Saturday night performances) to see Taemin beginning to sing and cover the other members parts.

You’re mind-blown. A part of you is still convinced that this is a dream, because how the fuck did Jaehyun get a man as busy as Lee Taemin to do this? You forgot to ask him who he works for, but do drug dealers have Lee Taemin money?

“How did you—”

“Shh,” Jaehyun pecks your lips, “Taemin’s singing.”

You roll your eyes, yet giggle. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Jaehyun engulfs you in a warm, comfortable hug, “And only you.”

When he says it, you trust him. You believe him. Because the Jung Jaehyun you know and love today is a man of his word, and that means you get to love him with no fears, and no worries.

Love is a challenge. And in this moment and the next, it’s safe to say you’ve won.

[fanaticsnail]

Dancando Lambada

Hello everyone! This is my first time writing for Shanks, at the request of @commanderfreethatdust.

I set up a playlist and listened to so much bachata music it was insane. I hope you enjoy reading this one!

My Masterlist is here, just in case you want to see any of my other work!

Crawling to the shore, the weight of your completely soaked formal garment collecting sand around the hemline. You coughed slightly before springing to your feet and shaking the water from your body with large, exaggerated actions. You searched the beach for your companions, finally making eye contact with the man who scurried to shore beside you.

“Where is she?” you questioned him, helping him to his feet. He spluttered out a rough cough to rid his lungs of seawater as you clasped his arm in aid.

“I-,” he began, panting slightly, “I lost her.”

“You lost her?” you said, flittering your eyes to the other members of the vessel, “you lost your sister?”

“I did,” he confirmed, standing alert as he turned to search the beach. You saw a small bundle of heaped material above the flailing arms of the aforementioned woman as she struggled to keep afloat under the weight of her oversized garment. Without hesitation, you assertively made your way back into the water to aid her in her struggles.

You swam to meet with her as she clasped your arms and held on for dear life.

“I got you, love. I got you,” you reassured her, holding her to you as you slowly rode the tide into the beach. She began to sob as she attempted to make her way to the shore.

“It’s ruined, all of it,” she wailed slightly.

“Honey,” you said, drawing her attention to you as you felt the sand finally beneath your feet, “it was just the ceremony. The reception will still be beautiful.”

She sniffed as she began to collect the layers of her large white skirts as she made it to shore. She met the eyes of her brother before she sprinted to the best of her abilities before him.

“Really, Albert?!” she shrieked at him in rage, “you had to test out the barrel of a cannon before I could recite my vows?!”

“I didn’t know it was loaded!” he yelled back in fear, running to flee from the wrath of his sister.

“You ruined everything!” she again reiterated, picking up a small rock and throwing it at him. You groaned and brought your hand to rest on your brow before noticing a large ship sailing to make port in the docks ahead.

“Lilian, look ahead,” you attempted to gain the agitated bride’s attention to bring it to the ship.

“The captain can’t perform the ceremony on dry land, Albert. He doesn’t have that authority,” she continued to berate her brother.

“Lilian,” you said a little louder this time.

“And you sunk his ship, you stupid git,” she continued yelling.

“Lilian!” you bellowed over, finally bringing her attention to you.

“What?” she boomed, fixating her rage onto you now.

“There’s a ship approaching,” you began as you brought your hands into a soothing motion, palms facing the ground as one would make small themselves in front of a charging beast.

“What does that have to do with anything?” she said, finally exchanging her anger for a whimpering sadness.

“The ship is likely to have a captain,” you said, approaching the bride, “and you need one of those to marry you and Remy.”

At his mention, the bride turned to look at her betrothed who had softening features adorned as he looked to her with pure adoration.

“Now,” you began, bringing her eyes to you once more, “go and get yourself and your beau cleaned up. Leave the captain to me and meet me on the dock.”

-------------------

The sails swelled in the breeze at it carried the fine ship into a fresh port. Shanks and his troop of carefree crew began to cheer merrily at the thought of receiving fresh supplies from a new town.

“Looks to be trouble ahead, Captain,” Beckman informed the captain as he walked past him to begin hoisting the sail.

“Trouble?” Shanks said, retrieving his brass spyglass from within his large, dark cape. He lifted the object to make out the form of a sinking ship as the people aboard fled to the shore. He quirked his head slightly, furrowing his brows at the sight that lay before him.

“Marines?” Beckman called over his shoulder as he continued to make light work of the rigging, “Sailors?”

“A leisure vessel, I think,” Shanks said, placing his spy glass back from within his cloak and turning to his first mate, “and I think it was performing a wedding.”

“A wedding?” Beckman questioned, turning to face Shanks after completing an expertly tied knot, “how do you mean?”

“Look,” Shanks said, leaping down from the place next to the navigator, “you see?”

Beckman squinted his eyes to make out the form of a woman in a white dress as she stomped up the sand dunes with several other women in tow.

“Making port now, Captain,” called Yassop from the deck as he threw a lasso to the pillar of the ramp, successfully attaching the ship to the dock.

Once settled against the solid foundations of the dock and extending the ramp; Shanks witnessed a woman dressed in incredibly damp clothes aid the ship’s docking ramp to extend fully to the floor before placing a bare foot against the wood.

--------------------

“Which one amongst you be the Captain of this vessel?” you asked them, prompting the entirety of the crew to bring their complete attention to you.

Your hair was soaked, lying flat against your head, as the weight of your once fine gown hung from your body; hugging every single piece of your skin firmly. You paid the material no mind, although it became slightly transparent from the seawater you unwillingly swam in moments ago.

“That would be me, my lady,” a red-headed man said, stepping forward.

You looked over him. His face almost had a playful gleam adorning it. He had a light scruff on his chin, a three-clawed scar atop his left eye and a dark cloak wrapped asymmetrically from his torso as it completely covered his left arm.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain,” you smirked slightly, bowing ever so slightly to him, “please excuse my forwardness, I’m on a tight schedule and there is food about to spoil.”

“Food?” a large man wearing goggles called in glee, prompting you to bring your attention to him, “what food?”

“Salted pork, roasted vegetables, wheels of cheese by the dozen,” you relayed to him while waving your right hand dismissively before snapping your head back to the captain, “but again, I am on a tight schedule.”

“Oh?” the Captain said in a slight teasing tone, “and may I be privy to what would bring such haste upon a fine lady as yourself this day?”

You sighed in slight annoyance before shaking off any apprehension.

“My oldest friend is - was - getting married, you see,” you said to the captain before gesturing further out to the shore, “she has just descended the dunes to fix her attire.”

The captain of the vessel laughed wholeheartedly at your explanation, prompting his crew to also chuckle at the situation.

“And what would you have me do?” he laughed, “I’m no tailor. I have no idea how to fix a salt-soaked wedding dress.”

You snickered at his comment, tucking a damp strand of hair behind your ear and looking to your feet slightly before returning your gaze to the amused Captain before you.

“Well, sir,” you began, biting your lip slightly before fully allowing yourself to explain further, “we are in need of a ship and its Captain.”

His brows twitched slightly in confusion as he slightly shook his head.

“For what reason?” he asked you, placing his right arm on the railing as he began to descend onto the dock below.

“Well, we lost our ship, as you can plainly see,” you gestured to the completely sunken ship off the shore of the coast, “and our church had been ransacked by pirates a few months prior; forcing our priest to flee to his home monastery for funds to create a new one.”

The captain descended to fall before your being. You immediately felt small as his taller persona towered over your form, his cape falling to cascade over his left leg slightly.

“And you want to use my ship to what,” he paused before looking back to his crew, “throw a party?”

He and his crew laughed at the notion, prompting you to join them slightly.

“No, sir,” you directed him, “as I said. We have no trained leader or lawman among us presently. We have a captain, but his ship is now claimed by the sea.”

The red-head turned his gaze back towards your own, his laughter dying but his smile remained.

“I understand,” he said to you with a small smirk, “you need someone with jurisdiction of the waters to officiate the ceremony.”

“Yes,” you felt the words breathily leave your lips, “we need you, Captain.”

His smirk upturned further into a warm smile as he fully grasped your words of desire.

“And my ship, I presume?” he questioned, fully stepping onto the wooden dock to join with you in level ground.

“Aye, sir,” you said with a small nod, prompting him to breathe a laugh through his nose at your confirmation.

“And what shall we have as payment, my lady,” he teased slightly, his eyes playfully squinting full of absolute delight at your humility.

You stepped forward, unafraid of his taunt and proceeded to bring your body within an intimate proximity. You angled your chin up to be within inches of his scuffed jaw, as you looked up at him through your eyelashes.

This caught the captain slightly off guard, not fully processing the motion you had set in place.

You could taste the salt on his skin as you brought your lips inch by inch closer to his own before quirking your head to the side.

“Rum, dinner, and a good time,” you whispered your breath against his lips in a sultry tone, smiling as you felt him lean in slightly at your administrations. You held his unadulterated attention as you kept your proximity for a few moments before the Captain pulled away and looked to his crew.

“You hear that, lads?” the captain asked, “we’re in for a free feed!”

They all cheered in unison as they celebrated the knowledge of an abundance of food to be presented before them. He smiled and turned his face back toward your own and held an intensity in his gaze.

“By all means,” he smiled at you, “bring the love-birds aboard and I will marry them to one another.”

You smiled and breathed a sigh of relief at his generosity.

“Thank you, sir,” you bowed in a small curtsey, presenting your skirts outwardly to the best of your ability. The dampness of your gown made this particular gesture slightly more difficult than originally anticipated, but you extended your formality never the less.

“I feel like I should be thanking you, my lady,” he smiled, “and offering my sincerest apologies for the amount of good food and rum my crew is going to claim from you.”

You giggled at his remark.

“If I may be excused, Captain,” you asked with a slight uneasiness in your face, “I need to change out of my clothes. It’s awfully cold out here and I feel incredibly exposed before your wonderful crew.”

At that, the Captain drew his eyes over your form. He started at your partially dried but still incredibly damp hair before flittering down to your collar bone and holding his gaze there; using his peripherals to search pupilless over your form to take in how exposed your body was in the sea air before finding your gaze once more. You played a knowing smirk upon your features, noticing him searching over your figure with a small hint of desire.

“You’re excused, Miss,” he said, gesturing before the dock.

You felt his eyes fixate against your retreating form, relishing slightly at the attention of the attractive individual as you allowed a hidden smile to toy at your lips.

---------------

The second ceremony went ahead without a hitch. No cannon fire to sink your vessel at the hands of your close friend’s idiot brother.

The attractive Captain officiated the union between the two lovers and his crew cheered whole-heartedly as he expressed the union to be consummated within a covenant-sealing kiss.

You allowed a ululation to escape from between your lips, holding your right hand up to the side of your mouth to emphasise your joy as the young couple brought their lips together to seal the promise they made with one another. You smiled in glee as Remy dipped Lilian down to deepen their kiss, relishing at the love they found with one another.

At last, the festivities began. You offered your arm to the red-headed Captain to escort him from the deck of his boat to the shore off the horizon as the sun began to set its rays behind you.

You smiled as you witnessed the Captain and his crew gazed almost lovingly at the banquet laid before them, jaws going slack as they spied the sheer amount of food that was available to them.

Several large, canvas marquees were erected along the coastal shore; wooden, felt tipped torches aligning the pathway to their entrances.

Food stretched the left-most wall of the tent as it sat atop extended rectangular tables. The variety ranged from cold, cured meats and several varieties of cheeses to a suckling pig on a spit adjacent to a fattened lamb as they rotated over a freshly dug fire pit. Several variety of flattened breads, rounded loaves and lentils lay in woven baskets; the exotic scents lingering in the air. The indulgent sweets: chocolates, caramels, sweet honeys and moulded crisp sugar pillars adorned the table extended to the end of the room.

“Your payment as promised, Captain,” you gestured to the room before you, “take what you desire and please-,” you added, bringing your gaze slightly at his parted lips.

He turned his eyes to pull from the food to rest on your almost suggestive gaze.

“Please?” he whispered in question, looking through his half-hooded eyes at you. You smiled at him before looking again upwards to bring your eyes to his own.

“Stay for the party,” you demanded, rather than posed as a question to the cloaked captain in front of you.

“As you command, my lady,” he said with his eyes revealing his heavily utilised smile lines as he brought an absolutely honest smile to his lips.

You turned on your way after releasing him from his arm linked within your own, bouncing slightly as you ran to join in the lively dancing that was taking place against the warm coastal sand.

Approaching Albert as he rested wallowing atop the trunk of a fallen tree, you extended your hand out to him which he wordlessly took as his boyish grin returned to its spot atop his lips. You beamed at him as you began to pull him within the ring of dancers.

You arched your legs, placing one of Alberts own between them as you both swayed to the music. You cascaded your hands to the air as he embraced your lower and upper back and swayed your hips to the fast-paced, rhythmic music. Following his lead, you span your body to the music, allowing your now smaller skirt to swirl upwards to almost reveal your undergarments. He reached both of his hands to clasp your own and twirled you within them in a cross-hatched movement; embracing you as he held your hips against his own with his interlocking arms.

You both gleefully laughed as you danced together, as you both would often choose one another as dance partners in events such as these due to your prior mutual history.  He dipped you backwards and rotated you over his leg before snapping you back up. You pressed your forehead against his own and shimmied your shoulders while continuing to fan your skirt out in the sway of your hips.

As the song came to an end, you cheered again to the minstrels for their musical illumination. You laughed at Remy the groom, as he began to feel the effects of slight over consumption of alcohol and fell his back against the sand in exhaustion; prompting Lilian to do the same with her own gleeful laughter.

You squeezed the hand of Albert in thanks for the dance before wordlessly approaching the awaiting Captain as his gaze continued to focus on your approaching form.

“Captain,” you nodded to him in acknowledgement. He smirked at you, nodding his head to recognize your approach.

You began to make your way past him before halting your step and taking a small step backwards to fall before him once more.

“Were you,” you paused momentarily before continuing your sentence, raising your brows in question, “watching me?”

“I was watching you, yes,” he confirmed, nodding with a smile as he held his gaze to the ground to avoid your investigative eyes. You stepped again towards him, bringing your proximity closer to his own. He trailed his eyes to your bare feet and exposed legs before looking to your short, pleated skirt upon your hips.

“Why were you watching me?” you asked with a hint of coy, battering your eyelashes at him. He chuckled at your question, acknowledging he was absolutely caught-out in his desire for you.

“I-,” he began, his words being caught within his throat and halting his words.

You extended your hand to fall below his chin and bring his gaze up to your face.

“You-?” you trailed off to lead him in to further explain himself. He sighed with a warm smile in response, leaning ever to slightly into your hand. As he held no further explanation, you allowed a hint of assertive boldness to come over you.

“Would you care to join me for a dance?” you asked him, eyes flittering between his two orbs as you held a knowing smile on your lips. He chuckled slightly at your invitation before immediately recoiling from your touch.

“I don’t have all the right parts for a dance like that, I’m afraid,” he laughed, bringing his sights from you as he looked at the newly married couple as they circled each other in dance once rising again from the dunes; arms embracing one another as they spun rapidly together. They wove their arms in and out as their hips swayed with gyrating movements as they arched their backs and extended their legs.

“Oh?” you asked him, eyes unashamedly raking over his whole body before settling back on his face, “and what parts might that be?”

At that comment, he bellowed out a large and unrestrained laugh at your question.

“I’m intact if that’s what you’re asking,” he said, removing his dark cape from its placement on his right shoulder blade, “it’s just an arm.”

Your eyes widened at the sudden revelation of his absent limb, your sights holding to that place for a moment before meeting your eyes to his once more.

“So all the important ones are still there, then,” you shrugged with a slight jesting tone, prompting him to laugh further at your comment. Silence fell between you both again as you absentmindedly linked your left arm within his right and rest your head on his shoulder while you witnessed the couple continue to dance together.

“You’re self-conscious about it, then?” you asked, leaning your head back to have your eyes meet with his face as he continued to focus on the couple. He had a small, almost sorrowful expression fall to his face for an incredibly almost invisible moment before he smiled again.

“Not in the slightest,” he said, bringing his gaze to rest on the sand below his sandals. You hummed at his comment. You then pulled yourself away from its place huddled against his side and stood firmly in front of him.

“So it’s me then?” you asked with a quirk of your brow. He snapped his gaze up to you at that comment and open and closed his mouth as if to speak.

“I’ll find you someone to dance with,” you nodded before turning to look to the crowd before you as you began listing them.

“There’s Ariana; she’s incredible. Best bachata dancer in the east blue, I swear to you,” you said before turning to another woman among them, “or there’s Yasmita. She would seriously, and I might add shamelessly,” you said, while bringing your hand up to shield your mouth from the crowd before bringing it down again, “mould her body against yours and listen to your every direction.”

You laughed at your own comment before turning to gesture to another member of the crowd; “or there’s Zoe-,”

“-No,” you heard the Captain utter with an authoritative tone, bringing his right hand to your cheek and pulling your gaze to meet with his as they searched your eyes. His prior playfulness all but disappeared from his face as he held your cheek, caressing it as he stared at you with longing. Your eyes flittered between his two, searching for any unspoken reason he would not want to dance.

“Then,” you paused slightly as you inhaled a slightly shaken breath, “you just don’t like dancing?”

He smiled at you slightly, his eyes again returning its former playful glint to them.

“Oh, I like dancing,” he assured you with a nod, bringing your face closer towards his. You smiled at him, knitting your brows together in incessant confusion.

“I just can’t dance like that,” he chuckled, nodding his head to the couples as they swayed their hips together as they held their bodies pressed together in almost intimate juxtaposition.

“Oh,” you breathed out, quirking your head to the side as you comprehended what the red-headed captain confessed to you. You paused for a moment, the Captain releasing your cheek from his hold.

“Come with me,” you said, bringing your left hand to join with his and interlaced your fingers together as you made to lead him down to the shore; away from any undesired attention.

“And where are you taking me?” he laughed at you, following in step behind you.

“To somewhere secluded so you don’t make a complete ass of yourself,” you called over your shoulder, “I’m going to teach you to dance.”

Once arriving at a partially lit area still in ear shot of the drumbeat and up-tempo melody, you brought your hips flush with the red-head Captain. You noticed an immediate blush rise itself to his cheeks as he laughed at himself at the rise of his embarrassment.

“Oh, get a hold of yourself,” you playfully reprimanded, “now, put your hand here.”

“This is the stance,” you whispered to him, closing your eyes. He gasped out a small laugh as his own eyes closed.

You took his hand and hooked it below your left arm, using your right hand to direct the placement of his two middle fingers against your spine. You pressed your forehead against his as the two of you bent your legs.

You laced your legs over his right leg and wrapped your right arm around the nape of his neck and intertwined your left fingers into his crimson locks. You felt him take in a sharp inhale of breath through his nose as he felt the entirety of your body pressed flush against his own. You rose a wide smirk to your face at this action, prompting you to massage your left hand fingers against his skull.

“Wonderful,” he commented with praise before adding, “now what do we do?”

You giggled at his question before you began to sway your hips to the music in a very basic movement.

“Now, Captain,” you gasped out, continuing to embrace him closely, “you feel the music.”

He hummed in response as you felt the movement of his hips to the rhythm. He began very rigidly, almost awkward in his movements before relaxing into it as he fully embraced the music.

You held each other closely and began walking together, moving your hips in different directions as he pressed his hand against your spine. You rolled your torso against him before shimmying your shoulders slightly and continuing to rotate your hips against his right leg as he did with your own. He began to pant slightly at the rapidity of your movements and also the arising sensation building within him.

“And, how do I-,” he began, pausing his sway and holding you to him. You opened your eyes as your face flushed with how intensely he was staring at you.

“-How do I twirl you?” he whispered into your lips as he arched his chin up slightly. You gasped out a small laugh.

“Do you sword fight, Captain?” you asked him.

“Alright, Shanks,” you laughed before reiterating your point, “do you swordfight?”

“Shanks,” he said in a breathy sigh, “call me Shanks.”

“I have been known to engage in swordplay, yes,” he confirmed with a light laugh.

“Alright then, Shanks,” you said, “think of me as a sword; an extension of your body, if it please you.”

He hummed at the notion, as he continued to hold you closely.

“It does please me to think of you extended on my body,” he said before he could halt the words, immediately freezing at his unwilling confession.

You released a melodical laugh before unlacing your fingers from his hair and giving him a light tap on the chest in chastisement. He joined you in laughter before again bringing you back into him.

“As you were to flourish your arm to disarm an opponent,” you said again, bringing your arms to wrap around his neck, “tap me using your fingers to tell me which way you want me. Seriously now, give it a go.”

He inhaled slightly as he attempted to maneuver you in a spin, only to get caught slightly between his knees and topple you over; following your body in the process as you both fell to the ground with a thump. As soon as you fell over, a loud laugh escaped your lips as you gleefully fell into the body of the captain beside you. He laughed as loudly as you did before using his right elbow to lean himself upward to hover his face over your own.

He searched your face for any sort of apprehension as to his proximity, to which your eyes brimmed with no such trepidation. He carefully brought his right hand to your hair as he remained reclined on his singular elbow and wove his fingers into your locks as a sigh escaped his lips.

“Thank you,” he expressed in gratitude.

“What for, Shanks?” you asked him in response.

“For everything,” he uttered to you, “for welcoming my crew ashore with promises of a good time. For rum, for food. For everything.”

You giggled in response, rising on your elbows to bring yourself closer to his adoring face.

“And have you had a good time?” you asked him with an air of sultry flirtation.

“I will have if you let me kiss you,” he said, desire expressed in his low tone as his eyes flittered between the two of your own. Your eyes trailed down to fall on his lightly stubbled chin as you reached your hand up and stroked his rough cheek.

Music resonated in the distance, echoes of the gleeful laughter of his crew and the lively movements of twizzled lambada soared through the air as you closed the distance between you.

You gasped into his mouth as you felt the hunger from his kiss. The desire he had for you earlier in the afternoon toppling over as you engaged in dance together; finally reaching the crescendo of the pinnacle of flirtation within each other’s arms.

You pulled him into you, feeling the whole weight of the red-headed captain as he had no arm to catch himself on. You paid the feeling no mind as you circled your arms over his shoulders and held him against you, hungrily pressing your lips firmly against his. He moaned against your lips as he attempted to maneuver himself to not completely suffocate you beneath him. You hooked your legs over his own and thrust your hips into his, rotating him beneath you, with you straddled over his hips. He groaned at this and placed his hand against your left thigh as he rose his torso up to continue to seek out your lips with his own.

His lips were chapped slightly, tasting of rum and salt from the open sea. He seemingly expertly hoisted himself into a seating position, trailing his hand firmly upwards to the small of your back as he continued to lay rampant kisses into you. You brought your hands to his chest and pushed him back slightly, breaking the kiss but maintaining your former closeness.

“We should return to your crew, Captain,” you breathily mentioned, “they must be wondering where I have taken you by now.”

“I wouldn’t worry, love,” he said bringing his right hand to hook some stray hair behind your ear, “they would have absolutely no intention of coming to seek me out right now.”

“And why might that be?” you asked him in a teasing tone. He laughed lightly before gesturing to you.

“Have you seen what you look like?” he exclaimed while raking his eyes over your body and pausing as he fixated on your chest, “especially at how transparent your dress was earlier,” he growled with a hungry smile.

You again slapped his chest before unlacing your legs from between his own and rising to your feet.

“Come on, Captain,” you said, extending your hand out towards him, “I want to see the bride and groom off.”

He accepted your hand as you leant backwards to hoist him to his feet.

“And then well see where the night takes us,” you suggested, bringing his arm to wrap around your shoulders, in turn lacing yours around his red sash-covered waist.

He pressed his lips to your hairline before whispering against it, a groan exiting his lips absolutely dripping with unrestrained desire: “Promises, promises.”

[catladyoftheyr]

Too Sweet Ch 5

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4~

Harvey x gn reader

Summary: you get a letter from Harvey inviting you to join him at the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. You sit together and share a bottle of wine as you watch the jellyfish.

Tw: alcohol mention, drinking, tipsy but not drunk

A/n: I headcanon that he had Elliot help him write the letter bc he was nervous. And now after this chapter you’re both in that weird “what are we” space 😈😩

Word count: 2.2 k (this got out of hand whoops)

It felt like your first summer in the Valley had come to pass far too quickly. The air had a light chill to it and the leaves were showing the first signs of changing colors. You pulled the covers around you when you slid out of bed, your makeshift cape dragging across the floor as you flipped through the channels on the tv. The man on the screen was warning that summer crops would start to die soon, and that now was a great time to start thinking about crops for the harvest season. You’d already bid a sad farewell to your tomatoes and blueberries, and made a note to get pumpkin seeds from Pierre. You changed the channel and a full figured woman informed the audience on the proper way to make an omelet, boasting about a secret technique that guaranteed success.

Your stomach rumbled as if making a formal request. You rummaged through the fridge for eggs and milk. You gave the ingredients a thorough whisk before adding them to the pan. You diligently followed along as the woman on screen instructed the correct way to flip and fold the eggs. You added cheese and slid your work onto a plate. You’d never been much of a cook and the food was slightly misshapen. A cautious first bite proved it more than edible, tasting much better than it looked. You dug in eagerly and flipped to the weather channel.

The man pointed to different temperatures behind him and droned on about a cold front coming in this week. Your finger hovered over the power button when he declared that the evening temperature would be pleasantly warm, perfect for the moonlight jelly festival in Pelican Town. Your curiosity peaked, imagining the possibilities of what it could entail. You’d heard folks in town talking about a jellyfish migration, but didn’t know any of the details.

You opened your door and noticed the flag was raised on the mailbox. You opened the flap and thumbed through the stack of envelopes. Even in the countryside junk mail followed you, glossy ads from JojaMart boasting slashed prices and random goods. Even Pierre shelled out for printed coupons in an attempt to compete. A letter from Mayor Lewis invited you to join the townsfolk at the beach tonight for the festival. The bundle of mail hovered over the recycle bin when you were caught off guard by your cat weaving between your legs. You sighed as the papers fell from your hand and scattered on the floor. You knelt down to gather them when an unopened envelope caught your eye. Picking it up you realized it was from Harvey. You carefully tore it open and began to read.

“ I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to invite you to join me this evening at the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. Everyone is gathering at the beach tonight to watch the migration of jellyfish. It’s a special occasion that marks the change of seasons in the Valley. I’d be delighted if you’d like to sit with me to share in this memorable experience. Cross the wooden bridge and meet me by the tide pools at 10 pm if you accept my invitation.

Best Regards, Harvey.”

Your face flushed and you pressed the letter close to your chest before carefully refolding it. Was this… a date? You shook your head quickly as if to clear the thought from your head. You wouldn’t let yourself jump to conclusions or indulge in your delusions. It was a perfectly platonic invite to sit together at a festival. Nothing more and nothing less. You took the letter and pinned it to the fridge with a magnet shaped like a heart.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. You’d been busy prepping the farm for the change of seasons you’d hardly noticed the sun had set. You hurried inside to take a shower before you made your way to the beach. You wrapped the towel around your body as you stepped out of the steam; your hair was dripping when you looked in the mirror so you wrapped a towel around your head, hoping the last trace of summer heat would speed things up.

“What do I wear, what do I wear??” You mumbled to yourself as you rummaged through your closet. Something in your gut said farm clothes were out of the question tonight. You pushed aside hangers roughly and held a myriad of clothes against your form in the mirror before tossing them to the floor. After much deliberation you settled on a cotton button up and one of your nice pairs of shorts. You slid on a pair of sandals and turned to head out the door. You paused before exiting, wondering if you should bring a gift or a blanket to sit on. You yanked a spare top sheet from your closet and rooted through the fridge for something to share. You found a small bottle of your favorite wine you’d brought with you from the city. It was admittedly cheap and sugary, but you’d never been one for dry wine. You’d been saving it for a special occasion, but tonight seemed well enough.

You made it to the beach just before ten. You gasped softly, taking in the sight of dozens of small candles floating in the water. The soft glow illuminated the shoreline and the wooden dock by Willie’s shop. Most attendees had gathered on the pier to be as close as possible to the water. You said polite hellos as you headed east. That side of the beach was usually inaccessible, but someone had laid down several wooden planks to form a makeshift bridge. You hesitated before crossing and hoped it was sturdier than it looked. Despite some creaks and wobbles, you made it across safely and turned to scan for Harvey.

The tide pools took up most of the area, leaving small patches of sand near the shore free. You saw Harvey standing, pacing really, in a spot away from the crowd. He seemed more anxious than usual as he patrolled in a figure eight with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Could this be because of you? Maybe this really was a date.

“Hi, Harvey” you called as you approached. The doctor stopped in his tracks with a start. You think you saw his cheeks flush pink but couldn’t tell for certain in the moonlight.

“Oh! You came!” He looked surprised, like he’d been worried you wouldn’t show up. “I mean not that I was expecting you to not come- I just thought maybe you didn’t see my letter, or maybe you weren’t interested, or maybe you didn’t want to feel obligated, or-“

“Hey. It's okay. I promise” you interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. “I got the letter this morning and I want you to know that I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all day. I really like hanging out with you, Harvey.” You tried your best to sound cool and confident. Truthfully your stomach was doing backflips and you hoped you weren’t coming on too strongly.

Harvey seemed to deflate a smidge, visibly releasing some of the tension he usually held in his body with a soft sigh. “I’m glad you could make it. Is this spot okay? I don’t like the crowds very much” he confessed. “We should be able to get a good view of the jellyfish from here. They’re attracted to the lights.”

“This is perfect.” You pulled your bag off your shoulders and produced the wrinkled sheet. “I brought this for us to sit on.” Harvey immediately helped to spread the sheet over the sand and gestured for you to take a seat first. You sat criss cross applesauce on the sheet and Harvey took a place beside you, mimicking your form. If either of you moved much your knees would knock together.

You dug out the bottle of wine from your bag and held it out. “Oh, and I brought this too. I thought we could share it. I brought it with me when I moved. It’s my favorite kind. I was going to save it for a special occasion but I thought it’d be nice to have tonight”

“I think that’s a nice gesture.” Harvey took the bottle from you and rotated it in his hands, examining the label.

“It’s cheap, I know,” you explained sheepishly. “I like the sweet stuff. Oh and um it’s screw top so you don’t need a corkscrew or anything.” You were suddenly embarrassed by your taste in alcohol. The wine was popular among teenagers and college students for its low price and easy access. Nor exactly romantic beach date material.

Harvey didn’t seem to mind and peeled the label and unscrewed the top. He looked at you quizzically and you suddenly remembered you’d neglected to bring cups. “Oh my god I completely forgot to bring cups! Um we don’t have to drink it tonight it’s totally fine you can just screw the lid on or-“

“I know I’m a doctor but I’m okay drinking from the bottle if you are” he teased, this time interrupting you. You blushed bright red and felt hot, but took a breath and regained your cool.

“I’m okay with that,” you giggled. He passed the bottle back to you and held up an invisible cup as if to cheers. You met his hand with your free one and clinked your imaginary glasses.

“You first.”

You took a small swig and felt the warmth of the alcohol spread immediately. You passed the bottle to Harvey and he flushed as soon as the wine entered his system.

“So does this festival happen every year?”

“It does. It’s a sort of celebration of the end of summer and a way to welcome fall to the valley. When the jellyfish migrate, then you know that the seasons have officially started their transition.”

“It reminds me of bird migration and flying south for the winter. It makes me want to migrate too. I hate the cold to be honest. I’m not a winter person.”

“It can be sad to see summer end, but the town’s fall festivities are some of my favorites. I love attending the Stardew Valley fair and seeing people from all over the Valley come together. It’s a great opportunity to see the fruits of everyone's labor. Are you going to grow any pumpkins on your farm?”

You nodded. “I want to make a pumpkin pie from scratch this year. And I’m looking forward to Spirits Eve. I heard Abigail talking about a haunted maze the other day. She said it was pretty scary even for her last year.”

Harvey shuddered. “That maze gives me the creeps. I’m not a fan of being scared on purpose.”

You were about to respond when you heard Mayor Lewis raise his voice to make an announcement. “I’m lighting the candle boat. The jellies should start to appear any moment now.” As if on cue you spotted a small blue figure swimming in the ocean.

“Look! A jelly!” You pointed eagerly to the fish you’d seen and watched in awe as two more appeared.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Harvey asked. More and more of the jellyfish began to swim south to warmer waters, brilliant shades of blue swirling underneath the surface. You were both rendered speechless as you watched them make their way through the sea. The spot Harvey had picked gave a prime view, and it seemed that anyone else on this side of the beach had traversed toward the pier when Lewis had lit the candle boat. The two of you were alone by the tide pools, taking in the sight together.

You watched together as the jellyfish slowly disappeared, exchanging words about the beauty of nature as you finished the bottle of wine. You were warm and bubbly from the alcohol in your blood and felt emboldened. You moved your hand so that it brushed against Harvey’s and interlaced your fingers with his. You leaned in to whisper. “Thank you for inviting me.”

You sat with your fingers locked for several minutes as the very last jellyfish receded behind the horizon. When you finally let go, Harvey folded the sheet for you to place in your bag. “It’s getting late. Let me walk you home”

“Oh you don’t have to do that, Harvey. The farm is past the clinic anyways.”

“Nonsense. It's just past the bus stop, and I insist.”

“Well if you insist” you giggled, still tipsy.

You and Harvey walked quietly back to the farm. You tried to let him go once you reached the property line, but he insisted on walking you to your door as it was “the gentlemanly thing to do”. The two of you stood on the porch of the old farmhouse, illuminated by the moon and the porch light.

“Goodnight, Harvey. Thank you for walking me home. And thank you for inviting me to join you tonight. I had a wonderful time.” You acted on impulse as you pulled the doctor in for a hug. His warmth enveloped you and he pulled you tighter, his hands gripping your back. He smelled like wine and salt water. You inhaled deeply before letting go.

“Goodnight” Harvey seemed as if he was about to turn to head home, but paused and placed a light kiss on your forehead. He looked at you with warm eyes before he turned down the path back into town.

[familyabolisher]

Tennessee falls in love a lot too. “I have a funny heart. Sometimes it seems to thrive on punishment,” he admits. What other memoir has “loneliness” listed in the index? Provincetown, Massachusetts, that beautiful beach town on the very tip of Cape Cod, seemed to bring out the best in him romantically. Not only did he meet two of his best boyfriends there (and Tallulah Bankhead), he wrote the line “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” while holed up in a cabin before the summer season began. I felt the same way about Provincetown. I hitchhiked there in 1964 just because somebody told me, “It’s a weird place,” and boy, were they right. A very gay place too, but a different kind of gay. “I may be queer, but I AM this,” I remember thinking. I’ve gone back to Provincetown for forty-three summers and every time I pass by Capt’n Jack’s or the “little bar” at The A House, two places Tennessee got lucky in love, I mentally genuflect in respect.

[...]

I never met Tennessee Williams, but I saw him once at The Pier House restaurant in Key West, surrounded by admirers, looking a little woozy, and decided maybe this wasn’t the time for us to be introduced. But reading Memoirs is the next best thing—it’s like having a few stiff drinks with Tennessee on one of his good nights as he tells you juicy stories that were once off the record. Listening could save your life too.

John Waters on Tennessee Williams, 2006

[ratsoh-writes]

Hey y’all! Say hello to

Ebott~

Or at least the first wip of the ebott map! I have all the main (above ground) locations so far!

For those who are wondering, dark brown is rocky hilly land/cliff sides, rusty brown is mountain ranges, khaki is grassland, green is forest, and light tan is beaches obviously lol. I don’t think I need to say what the blue areas represent.

I’ll add descriptions of each landmark below the next picture.

Alright starting from left to right:

Atlantis: home of the hadal monsters, the majority of this city is underwater, but some of it is accessible through the cliffs of bluefin island as well as floating buildings anchored to the shallower ocean around the island. The majority of Atlantis city houses its people in the curved section of the ocean trench by bluefin island. The buildings are carved into the rock.

Seashore: ebotts second largest beach town, seashore is a beautiful place where the majority of ebotts fishing trade takes place. It’s a popular vacation spot more for ebotts residents, but it does get some tourism too during holiday season.

Echo hills: the southernmost city of ebott, echo hills is a small city surrounded by grassy farmland. Due to the location, the place is raining more than not, and is perfect for crops that need lots of water! Echo hills is best known for its rice, producing just enough to sustain ebott.

Remembrance: located to the west on wells island, remembrance town houses one of the maintained entrances to the connected underground’s. It is also the point where the famine monsters were found and rescued. Here the royals placed the memorial of those left behind. Massive stone statues carved all over with the names of family who died underground or were left behind in the crash surround the caves entrance. A small town of monsters maintain the area, and some livestock are raised there as well.

The great dam: exactly what the name suggests, it’s just ebotts biggest dam. It’s part of the national forest so only a handful of maintenance workers and rangers actually live there. The dam is connected to waterfall lake.

The national forest entrance: this is the official way to see the national park, and access the maintained trails. Most of the park rangers live near here as well. There’s a small tourist trap too selling gift items, and farther up is a hunting lodge that opens during open season.

The Temple: located right in the middle of ebott, the actual temple building sits on top of three large mountains near kidney lake. The temple houses ebotts history and is a popular tourist spot. It also houses one of the maintained entrances to the underground, connected to some of the upper levels of waterfall.

NEW EBOTT: the largest city of ebott, and the capital of the county. New ebott has it all! The education, entertainment, shopping and jobs! And of course all the important big government buildings are here as well as most of the royals! New ebott is the only city connected to all the railroads and has the largest airport.

Rails Way: a city surrounding an important train stop, rails way is the in between rest stop between Portland and new ebott. Besides the trains passing through, it also is where trucks in ebott are made and fixed for the most part. There’s a few other factories in the city as well, like a few metal processing plants.

Metta Land: north to new ebott, this is basically a theme park, mega mall, and Hollywood all rolled into one spot. Metta land is so big that there’s even a few villages around it where its employees live. It also houses the only man/monster made entrance to the underground, going straight to hotland of course. What happens in metta land stays in metta land

Portland: this is the second biggest city of ebott located on the east. Almost all trade ships stop here. Portland is a bustling business city full of factories, and has a few houses of education too! It also houses most of ebotts navy and has the second largest airport.

Cape resort: located on the southern rocky cliffs, cape resort is in fact not a resort. It’s rocky, cold and generally horrible to live in if you’re not an aquatic monster lol. However it has an oil rig. Lots of hadal and sea monsters live there maintaining that oil rig.

New hope: new hope is a beautiful mountain town housing the entrance to snowdin, the largest entrance to the underground. It gets the largest amount of tourists year round and is a popular ski location during the winters as well. The parts of new hope that aren’t for tourists are mostly farmland or forests put aside for logging. Plenty of vineyards are in this area

Ridgeside factory: Ridgeside factory is ebotts main power plant and is directly connected to the core in hotland as well. It’s surrounded by a few villages too where more outdoorsy monsters live. Those who don’t work at the factory are either from hotland or are miners. The mountains in the area are littered with natural caverns being used as mine entrances

Golden valley city: the golden valley refers to the surrounding farmland, but in the very middle of it is the golden valley city. It is a rural type of place, is where the majority of ebotts produce passes through before being sold, and is a huge art center of the country. Just about everything above ground is grown in the valley surrounding the city.

Steeler city, the third largest city of ebott, steeler is where golden valley ships their produce to be preserved and spread around the rest of the country. Steeler is full of factories and restaurants. The most famous eating places of ebott are located here!

Crimson gate bridge: it’s a massive bridge named after the Golden Gate Bridge in California. This bridge is actually a sunny gold color, but they named it crimson in fear of being called copycats

Corncopia: a third farming community located between the split between white water river, ebotts biggest river. Corncopia is absolutely gorgeous but space is limited so it’s a fight to get any land there. The prime spots are taken by the rich for their homes or by the big wig farmers who cemented their place when the country was first forming

Not listed on the map is the underground! Ebott still has all the underground chambers from when the monsters were sealed away. New entrances to the underground are being discovered each day, and still plenty of monsters live there, preferring the comfort of a home they knew from before. Since there no longer trapped inside, the underground has become pretty comfortable. At least the discovered parts are ;)

I’ll describe the three main areas from smallest to largest

Hotland: hotland is really only a small thin chunk of the underground. A long but thin lake of lava surrounded by rocky chambers makes up the areas of hotland. The most popular spot of course is hotland city, connected to metta land, it’s pretty much the Vegas of ebott these days. The less visited spot, core, is a small town housing the core, connected to Ridgeside factory, and housing several research centers.

Snowdin. Snowdin is actual just the name of the small quaint town close to the underground entrance in new hope. They have year round skiing, and a pretty boat ride through waterfall straight to hotland for tourists. The outskirts of snowdin however have several villages filled with farmers growing magical crops that thrive in the cold temperatures.

Waterfall: it’s estimated that nearly 80% of the underground chambers are waterfall lands. Humid, cool but not frigid, and filled with varying levels of fresh and salt water, waterfall is underneath the majority of ebott, and even extends into the ocean some. Almost all of ebotts magical crops are grown down in the lived in parts of waterfall. It’s because of this area that ebott is self sufficient in feeding its people. Waterfall also houses the fourth and fifth largest cities of ebott; New Shell and Lily pad Fields.

Whew! That was a lot! I’ll probably add more to the map later on, but I think this is good for now

[lunar-rcp]

Helly hcs?

/Nf

𖦹 ☘️ ˓ ミ Helly !! headcanons 𝅄˚ ♡̸

• Of course! I'm taking it a little slow with the oneshots, but do feel free to request for hcs for charatcers and what not!

☆ . Being the youngest, the entire team treats him like a little brother. When he is unable to go out due to his many accidents, they try their best to make spare time for him!

☆ . Back onto the first headcanon, if the rct team is free; they LOVE to build pillow forts together! Sometimes, Helly even asks to play 'kingdom' with them. Helly likes to protray himself as various things, but its usually him with a paper crown and a blanket as a cape.

☆ . Loves making artcrafts! For each member he had made one for them, and they all treasure it dearly.

☆ . Helly doesn't like the dark. It reminds him of when he fell in that ravine in episode 2 season 3. Usually Roy sits with him (because of his horrible sleeping schedule, hes usually awake) and comforts him until he falls asleep. Jin had made a little helicopter shaped lamp to solve this problem!

☆ . Droney and him are like best friends. They go on little adventures together, even if it causes total chaos.

☆ . Speaking of Droney and Helly, they LOVE to prank the entire rescue team. Once, they had filled up Poli's locker with fake catterpillars. Let's just say the entire town have heard Poli's screams that day..

☆ . Pretty sure this is a little canon but; he sometimes feels a little useless to the team. He has this mindset as to where they found him annoying because due to him being a child, he cant keep up very well. But the team reasures him that they love him and it will always be that way.

☆ . (This is a bit Royber related, forgive me.) Loves to tease Roy over his crush on Amber. The amount of times he has called Roy a hopeless romantic is priceless!

☆ . Loves food like any typical kid does. Candy, cake. And what not! And hates food that any typical kid does. Vegetables, especially green peppers. Poli and him have a shared hate over vegetables. (Little do they know, roy sneaks in veggies in their meals sometimes.)

☆ . He sometimes helps Jin out whenever shes making one of her many insane inventions. Sometimes, she even lets him screw a few things here and there!

☆ . On my GL2 design, he has a little hairclip of colors that represent the team. He just views the entire team as his older siblings.

☆ . Developed spring allergies. Spring is certainly not of his favourite seasons. It would be actually summer! He loves to play around on the beach.

☆ . Whenever him and Jin bicker, his way of apologizing is drawing Jin a little something. Jin had made a board to hang onto the wall so she can put his drawings onto there.

☆ . There's not a single day where you dont see him without a bandaid. It's practically an accessory to his outfit now.

☆ . He lights up the team in every way. Sometimes, he even manages to get them into one of his many silly shenanigans. (Besides Droney, Roy and him love to prank the others too. ESPECIALLY Poli.)

☆ . Ipad kid

☆ . Once tried to make a propeller for Roy when the fire engine said he wishes he could fly like him too. Lets just say, it didnt end up very well..

. . .

Thank you for the ask! :)

[rapha3liii]

Abigail, Emily & Haley! (part 1 of my bachelorette art!)

these are just my personal headcanons, mostly in line with my fic! the surnames are just ones I chose myself because I think these gals deserve a little more character :) Image descriptions and in-image text/captions are provided below!

Leah, Penny and Maru are next! (will get to the dudes eventually)

Abigail Mercer:

20 years old attending online university for Anthropology

tall compared to most villagers, even taller than her parents!

nose and bridge piercing done in Zuzu city

hearts drawn on with eyeliner

tattoo of thorned rose

Sam's old denim jacket, she cut the sleeves off with craft scissors

Amethyst gem-set sword commissioned from Marlon, her parents still haven't found it...

Silver bangle gifted from her mother

belly button piercing done by Emily in Sebastians basement, she definitely didn't get an infection from it-

sword tattoo inspired by the first sword she held

usually accompanied by her fathers retired leather satchel, holding her flute case and cool rocks she finds

her fishnets are the only thing shes ever bought from Joja Online and her dad is still mad about it

second hand doc-martins because her parents refused to spend that much on shoes (I don't blame em...)

Emily Larson

26 years old and the towns resident tailor

always wearing contacts!

average height

has helix, ear lobe and vertical eyebrow piercings

Always changing her hairstyle and colour, but blue seems to stick for longer than most!

She regularly attends ren-faires all over the republic

made this miniature cape for Zuzu ren-faire and hasn't stopped wearing it since...

hoop earrings and favourite lipstick given to her by her girlfriend, Sandy!

Wears lots of rings

obsessed with lantern sleeves!

always has her Nazar pendant on!

Acrylic nails are done by her younger sister, Haley!

exclusively wears gold jewellery

hand tailored dress and shirt

shoes are bought from a vintage clothes boutique in Grampleton

always wears her favourite ruffled petticoat under skirts

Haley Larson

18 years old and newly graduated from highschool, now a freelance photographer

shorter (and cuter!) than most

always wearing baby blue eyeshadow

shell necklace gifted to her by Alex, her best friend

cute face mole!

always wearing her grandma's bracelet

always using extra blush and face shimmer!

flowery blouse made by her sister, Emily

loves wearing mini-skirts, shorts and low-waist jeans!

regularly posts her landscape photography to her blog, and even won a local competition once!

her fav pleated skirt

loves swimming and paddleboarding in the sea by the beach!

despite graduating top of her class, she has little interest in academia - but loves art

really wants an ankle tattoo of a sea-shell!

cute strap heels she stole from her sisters wardrobe (Emily still hasn't realised yet)

[Image 1 ID: A digital drawing of Abigail from Stardew Valley holding a sword. She's smiling, with dark lipstick and purple eyeshadow, and has small hearts drawn on her cheeks in eyeliner. She has a bridge, nose and belly button piercing and blue eyes. She's wearing a sleeveless denim vest, with a black tank top underneath and black denim shorts with purple fishnets underneath. She has a tattoo of a rose on her upper right arm and another of a sword on her inner left calf. She has pointed black nails and two bangles on her right wrist. She has black platform boots and has a freckles all over her body. Her hair is a vibrant purple in waves reaching her lower back. In the upper left corner is her in-game sprite by 'ConcernedApe' and the artist's signature 'Rapha3liii' is in the lower right corner. /.End ID]

[Image 2 ID: A digital drawing of Emily from Stardew Valley pinching her dress in both hands in a bowing like gesture. The left side of her head is shaved while the right has straight, blue shoulder length hair. She has purple eyeshadow, pink lipstick and brown eyes. She also has gold helix piercings, a gold vertical eyebrow piercing and golden hoops in her lobes. She is smirking and looking to the right. She is wearing a layered red dress with a long pleated skirt. It has a white ruffled petticoat underneath. Under her red dress is a pink shirt with lantern style sleeves. She has a corset on over the dress with golden buttons and a miniature cape in dark red clasped to her shoulders. Two necklaces are hanging from under her shirt collar, one golden chain and the other a pendent of a 'Nazar'. She has long sharp purple acrylic nails and multiple rings on both of her hands. She is wearing dark red heels with button clasped straps. In the upper left corner is her in-game sprite by 'ConcernedApe' and the artist's signature 'Rapha3liii' is in the lower right corner. /.End ID]

[Image 3 ID: A digital drawing of Haley from Stardew Valley standing casually, smiling, with a tuft of her hair inbetween her fingers in one hand and blue eyes. She has golden blonde hair in waves just reaching her upper back. She has locks of hair over both of her shoulders. She has light blue eyeshadow and bright pink blush and lipstick, she also has a mole on her face just above her lips to the right. She is wearing a low crop blue blouse with short sleeves and a white lined flower pattern on it. She has pink nails and is wearing a necklace of a blue sea-shell with a golden chain and a bracelet with a golden chain and heart pendent. Her left arm is holding her hair while her right arm is crossed over her chest and resting on her other arm. She is wearing a pink pleated mini-skirt and blue heels with small straps around her ankles. In the upper left corner is her in-game sprite by 'ConcernedApe' and the artist's signature 'Rapha3liii' is in the lower right corner. /.End ID]

[Image 4 ID: A digital drawing with the three previously described characters all standing in a line. The order is Abigail to the left, Emily in the middle and Haley to the right. Each character has their in-game character sprite by 'ConcernedApe' on the upper left to them. The artist's signature 'Rapha3liii' is overlayed in three different places on the drawing. /. End ID]

This my first time ever writing image descriptions so please tell me how I did! I read some other blogs and advice prior to writing my own but I understand its likely I got some things wrong! Please let me know if I've formatted or written something in a way that makes the descriptions innacessible! Thankyou

[astralfms]

[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { CELESTE JAMES } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { SHE } is/are ? they kind of look like { CHIENNA FILOMENO } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { TWENTY EIGHT } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { TWENTY YEARS }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { CARRIE BRADSHAW } from { SEX AND THE CITY }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { SUNSET VILLA BEACH } as a { LIFESTYLE VLOGGER }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { VIDEOPHILE } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { SELF ABSORBED } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { CHEERFUL } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { TWO BEDROOM } apartment beside me over in { MANGO BAY }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you

STATISTICS:

full name: celeste james

nicknames: cel, cely, letty

birthday: may 12, 1995

hometown: cape cod, massachusetts

occupation: social media influencer, lifestyle vlogger

hobbies: vlogging, trying new food spots, serial dating, shopping

lives: mango bay lofts

BACKGROUND:

enter: celeste, first child of the james family. adopted after her parents were presumed infertile, her mother likes to tease that she was brought into the family to be an older sister. safe to say both she and her parents were ecstatic upon the news of their miracle baby, charlotte. in fact, she'd rub her mom's pregnant belly and say, "my baby, my baby." it's safe to say that her childhood was largely focused on playing with her sister, doing any silly thing she could to make her laugh, and getting into as much trouble as you'd expect of two girls under five. when their family packed up and moved to palmview, celeste made it her personal mission to show charlotte that moving was no big deal. so what, they'd packed up their whole lives and moved across the country? that just meant they'd have new adventures to go on, and it wasn't like they wouldn't go back to visit. this mindset stuck with her throughout her life, choosing to see the cup half full even when logic told her otherwise.

her teen years were as chaotic as you'd expect, celeste taking full advantage of her short summers in cape cod. parties, boys, sneaking out, boys, nights on the beach, boys. rinse and repeat. during this time she swore she was just making the most of her teenage years, but her parents would say they let her watch way too much sex and the city. this would become exaggerated one summer when celeste got the bright idea to take her dads boat out at night, all in efforts to impress a boy. she'd been sailing with her dad since she was a kid, what could go wrong, right? wrong. she hadn't accounted for the coast guard, who luckily let her off with a warning, ( and a call to her parents. ) for the rest of the summer, they cut her off entirely, forcing her into her first summer job.

this is where she met her first true best friend, who was able to speak some knowledge into that delusional head of celeste's. instead of pouring all that energy into boys, she was encouraged to take her ambition and ideas and put them into making videos. her friend was convinced she had what it took to make it big. following this advice was the best thing for her, although, her bad habits hadn't left entirely. after graduation, and throughout college, celeste was known to party on the weekends and seen with a new beau in what seemed like every other new vlog. it's not her fault she's a lover girl, right? at least, that's what she tells herself.

tldr; celeste is a silly goofy girl that hasn't quite grown out of her boy obsessed phase. her friends encourage her to put that ambition into something creative, and she does, but that only keeps her delusion at bay for so long. will she overcome the boy fever? will she ever not be a sleazebag wrapped in a pretty package? stay tuned and find out!

[alex51324]

Beach trip day two!

We got up and walked down to the beach behind the motel:

It's another gorgeous, unseasonably warm day on the Cape May peninsula! (Yeah, I know, but when global warming gives you a day of lovely beach weather at the end of October, it's not like abstaining from enjoying it helps in any way.)

Up on the deck for a little breakfast:

Our first stop was the Cape May Nature Center, which didn't have a whole lot going on this time of year, but the gift shop was great, and it had a few exhibits and a nice deck for looking out at the harbor:

We took a walk around the harbor, taking in the Fishermen's Memorial, honoring fishermen lost at sea:

The earliest names are from 1897, and the latest from 2020:

Then we ended up over at the marina where the fishing boats live:

The nature center has a beach wheelchair!

I didn't see any information on how one gets to use it, but if you or anyone you know uses a wheelchair and wants to go to Cape May, maybe give them a call and ask.

Next we drove through downtown Cape May, ending up at Cove Beach, which is the last of the city beaches. I got lunch at a little beach-shack type restaurant:

The fries were nothing impressive, but those were some of the best fried shrimp I've ever had.

By this point in the trip, Sophie had come to the conclusion that she likes best the part of the beach that isn't too close to the ocean, so she hung out in the car and ate French fries while I went wading on Cove Beach:

In the distance there you can see the Cape May lighthouse, which is our main destination for the day. But first, let's turn back and look at the restaurant:

It's the long, low building with the red roof. (No idea why those people are bundled up like that, unless maybe they're from Florida or something. It was about 70 degrees out. (Or 21-ish, Celsius).

After Cove Beach, we drove on to Cape May Point state park, where the lighthouse is. Since Sophie was going to skip the lighthouse climb too, we started with a nice walk on the dry part of the beach at the park, out to the World War II Bunker:

This is a big concrete structure on the beach, now unsafe and boarded up, that was part of the area's coastal defenses. There's also a lookout tower over by Sunset Beach (where we were for the sunset the previous night), but we skipped that. In the background, you can see the lighthouse!

Here's the ocean and a jetty or something:

And Sophie watching while I go onto the dangerously damp part of the beach:

We exited the beach on the far side of the bunker from where we entered, and walked back via a path that ran between the dunes and this pond:

Which was full of swans. There was also a snowy egret, and a lot of other birds I don't know. It's a very big pond, and there were tons of the swans:

Here's a shot from the same spot that is less good for swans, but better for the lighthouse:

There is a little museum, with some natural history exhibits, and this sign explaining about the bunker, and the beach replenishment project they had to do around the turn of the century:

And also a sign about the concrete ship, that we saw at Sunset Beach yesterday:

OK, now let's head for the lighthouse!

The windows, like you see here, are basically normal house-sized windows, to give you an idea of the scale. The lighthouse was built in 1859, and continues as an active lighthouse today, marking the entrance to the Delaware Bay.

The cast-iron spiral staircase has a total of 199 steps up to the viewing platform. Here we're on one of the six landings, looking toward the staircase:

Each landing has a little niche with a window in it, and as you go up, you can see how the walls are thicker at the bottom.

Here's a view from about halfway up:

Here we are up top!

That's the bunker and the pond, where we were a few photos ago!

Looking out over the town of Cape May Point:

It was incredibly windy out on the platform, and I was very nervous about dropping my phone and having to find my way back home without GPS. Let's go back inside!

This little room here was the lighthouse keeper's work area; back in the day before the light was automated, they had three keepers, who divided the time from dusk to dawn into three watches, with one of them up there at all times. The main things they had to do were lighting the lamp at dusk, refilling the fuel--kerosene, for most of the lighthouse's heyday--polishing the lens, and keeping an eye out for signals from ships in distress, but in winter, they'd also have to go out and clear snow and ice off windows at the very top, above the viewing platform.

The light:

The modern electric light is a lot simpler; in the kerosene-burning days, they had a huge glass lens, with lots of facets to refract the light out.

A short set of wooden steps up to where the light is:

Visitors aren't allowed up in that part--again, this is still a working lighthouse; it's automated now, so there isn't a keeper up there every day, but they do sometimes have to go up there for maintenance.

Back on the ground:

Our next stop was Highbee Beach, another beach on the bay side, for the sunset:

It was nice, but the temperature dropped precipitously in the hour or so before dark, and the wind was very strong, so it wasn't as pleasant a viewing experience as we had at Sunset Beach the day before. I'd been planning to stick around and see if I could see the Cape May-Lewes Ferry leaving for its 6:15 crossing, but it was too cold! We headed back to Cove Beach, to see the lighthouse in action:

That's it there; the light was less dramatic than I thought it would be, but I guess if you're out in the ocean in the pitch dark it stands out more. (Also, at this point the lighthouse is more of a backup in case a ship's GPS fails, rather than being the primary means of navigation like it was back when it was built.) Different lighthouses flash their lights in different patterns, so in the event that a ship's crew were completely disoriented, they could use that to figure out where they are and which direction is which. The Cape May lighthouse flashes on a cycle of 15 seconds, and the one on the other side of the bay at Lewes is on a 30-second cycle.

And I've hit the image limit! Stay tuned for part 2B.

[ghanatrails]

Discover the Essence of Ghana Vibrant Cities, Serene Beaches, and Rich Traditions.

Ghana, a country in West Africa, is a treasure trove of cultural diversity, natural beauty, and vibrant cities. From the bustling streets of Accra to the serene beaches of Cape Coast, Ghana has something for everyone. In this blog post, we'll take you on a journey through the best of Ghana, exploring its rich traditions, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cities.

Vibrant Cities

Ghana's cities are a fusion of traditional and modern culture. Accra, the capital city, is a must-visit, with its vibrant markets, historical landmarks, and nightlife. Kumasi, the cultural hub, is home to the Ashanti Kingdom and its rich heritage. Tamale, in the north, is a melting pot of cultures, with a unique blend of traditional and modern architecture.

Serene Beaches

Ghana's coastline offers a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Cape Coast, with its stunning beaches and historic castles, is a popular destination. Elmina, with its picturesque fishing village and beautiful beaches, is another must-visit. Busua, a serene beach town, is perfect for relaxation and water sports.

Rich Traditions

Ghana is renowned for its rich cultural heritage. The Ashanti Kingdom, with its vibrant Kente cloth and traditional drumming, is a highlight. The Akwasidae festival, celebrated by the Ashanti people, is a colorful display of traditional dance, music, and costume. The Ewe people, in the east, have a unique tradition of storytelling and music.

Natural Beauty

Ghana's natural beauty is breathtaking. The Volta Lake, the largest man-made lake in the world, is a stunning sight. The Afadjato Mountain, the highest peak in Ghana, offers breathtaking views. The Wli Waterfalls, in the east, are a scenic delight. The Mole National Park, in the north, is home to a diverse range of wildlife.

Ghana is a country that has something for everyone. From vibrant cities to serene beaches, rich traditions to natural beauty, Ghana is a destination that will leave you in awe. With Best Ghana Tours, you can experience the best of Ghana, with our expert guides and carefully curated tour packages. So why wait? Book your Ghana tour today with Best Ghana Tours to discover the essence of Ghana!

[eregyrn-falls-art]

Yesterday, a birthday day-trip up to Maine!

Lobster rolls at The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport (to which I'd never been); definitely in the running for "best lobster rolls in Maine", I tell you. Then, a photo of a cool model tall ship hanging over the entrance to The Stadium Gallery, in Kennebunkport's quaint little town square. I really should have ducked in there to ask about the sign's history; I blithely assumed I could look it up online later, but haven't managed to find any info on it yet. (The shop itself is relatively new, and carries sports memorabilia.)

Then, to the beach! We tried out Goose Rocks Beach, a little to the north of Kennebunkeport, and it was a real winner! Not crowded at all (to say the least), and we were there at low tide, so the expanse of beach was simply enormous. The water really wasn't terribly cold; there seems to be a really enormous stretch of very shallow water that goes out a ways, and it's shallow enough that the sun warmed it up a lot. The waves coming in were tiny and gentle. (The eponymous Goose Rocks offshore were taking the brunt of the ocean breakers.)

We walked along the beach, me in the water and my friends (who hadn't dressed for it) staying on the shore. As we approached the northern end, I realized that a river seemed to be flowing into the ocean at that point. There was a long sand-bar there, and I was able to walk out along it for quite a ways. Really fun to be that far from shore (20 or 30 yards, I guess?) and have the water depth still be only just over the top of my feet. I've included some screenshots from Google maps to show what the lay of the land was.

On the way back south, we stopped at Cape Porpoise, as I'd read that you can see Goat Island Lighthouse offshore from there. We went down to where the Cape Pier Chowderhouse is marked, and yeah, you SURE COULD see it! It was a lot closer than I had expected.

Then, home after a stop at the Maine Diner for blueberry ice cream, and pie. Very fun day exploring some bits of the coast I hadn't been to before. Weather couldn't have been more gorgeous -- a lovely break before the massive heat-wave that's supposed to descend on us tomorrow.

[brightdarkness-2013]

Chapter 5: Chapter 5?! No Way!

Summary:Prowl gets a new hang out.

Blaster and I had decided that our mer friend needed a place to go during the day. Being trapped in the cove and swimming in a tight circle around the rock wasn’t the best place to swim. There was no room to stretch and the water was only up to our waists if we stepped in. His injuries were healing rather well and it was painfully obvious he needed more space to move. Thus we set off one afternoon in search of a good spot along the shore. A little trekking through some light brush, grass, and some long stretch of beach littered with so many shells our steps crunched no matter where we stepped we found a little place far enough from the town it was unlikely anyone would head out here. The little cape was void of any garbage or evidence that anyone had been around the area. Even if there were some people who came out there were plenty of rocks and patches of seagrass to hide in. So early the following day we coaxed our mer friend out with some m&ms.

“Come on.”

We were running along the coast, our mer easily keeping up. We’d give him an m&m every once in awhile to keep him from turning back. However he didn’t appear to be thrilled that we were only giving him one at a time if that glare he gave us every time we threw one was anything to go by. Blaster and I on the other hand were laughing like we were having the time of our lives. Once we got to the slope that separated from the water our mer hesitated, giving out a few quiet sounds as he watched us as he lifted his head from the water.

“We’ll meet ya on the other side.” I reassured as I made the motion of going around something though he just gave out another noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine. “We’ll call ya if you get lost. I promise.”

Off we went again. Once we made it to the cape I stuck my hand under the water and snapped my fingers like I did to call him so many times before as Blaster called for him. Thankfully it didn’t take long. All in all the discovery of a safe place with more space had put our friend in a better mood. We’d still feed him in the cove on weekdays, but on the weekends we’d head down to the cape where we’d talk and watch our mer stalk the wildlife there. Either creeping around the rocks or hiding in the seagrass. The fish in the cape were small, but it wasn’t like he needed it to survive with us feeding him. I’d whistle little tunes every once in awhile and Blaster would watch as our mer gave me questioning looks. And one day I had my inspiration. Sunday at ten am I had it.

“Prowl.”

“Huh?”

“That’s what I’m going to call our mer.” I answered as we watched him.

“Prowl…” Blaster tried out the name. “It fits. You can only hope he thinks so too.”

“Eh, he’s a fish with-”

Blaster gave me a mildly disappointed look and I just grinned. “Mammal.”

“Ok, he’s a mammal with an attitude, but I doubt he’ll care too much what we call him.”

“Fair enough… Please tell me you haven’t been referring to him as a fish this entire time.”

“In my defense I assumed so because he lives in the ocean.”

“So do dolphins.”

“Oh whatever that’s one example.”

“Whales.” My friend was grinning smugly now.

“Shut up, Blaster.”

Blaster just laughed and I shoved him over onto the beach where he just continued to laugh much to my dismay.

444444444444444444 Even more fours!4444444444444444444

“Jazz! Finally! I’ve called you like twenty times!”

“I’m kind of celebrating my sister's birthday right now.”

“Oh please you’re in the corner with your headphones eating all the sweets.”

“I’m outnumbered and last time they locked me out in the backyard and ate all of the cake in front of me because they thought it was funny.”

“It was.”

“Blaster.”

“And it was good cake. Ice cream and oreo.”

“Blaster!”

“Ok, ok so I went out with Gaven and you’re never gonna believe what happened.”

“What did you find a giant squid? Did you fall in?”

“No. Prowl helped us fish. He herded them into the net. Gaven nearly fell off the boat the way he was leaning over the side. Kept yelling at me to get the camera.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. He must’ve seen me leaving with Gaven and followed. We got a ton of fish and Gaven even shared some with Prowl afterward.”

“I bet he was happy to have some live meat for once.” I couldn’t help, but laugh.

“You have no idea. He seems to be doing much better. I didn’t realize how much those wing fins helped. He can take some pretty sharp turns now that the right one isn’t torn.”

“Maybe if he can keep helping ya and your stepdad he won’t leave.”

“Jazz, if his pod comes I doubt he’s gonna stay and settle for a fishing boat. Not exactly a good pod member to befriend and bond with.”

“And what if they don’t? What if they’re dead? Maybe herding fish for ya guys will be enough to make him stay. I mean that’s basically what he did when he hunted with his pod, right?” I fidgeted in my seat as the girls laughter in the next room erupted.

“Possibly… But he can’t just stay in the cove.”

“And why not? If they’re dead he has nowhere else to go. What is he going to do out there alone? I don’t want him to just die out there.”

“I don’t either, but if he does decide to leave what then?”

“I don’t know… I just don’t want him to go. I mean we’ve made some great progress. He stopped growling at me. He twitches an ear fin when we call his name. I think we’ve bonded.”

“I know what you mean, but… Just… Prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best. Maybe they’ll come.”

“Is it really that wrong that I kind of don’t want them to?”

“Maybe, maybe not. I don’t want him to go either, but he misses them.”

“... Is there a possibility that he could be accepted into another pod? You know if they are dead and he still leaves?”

“I have no clue. I doubt he’d want another. They’re his family. Pods may mingle from time to time during a breeding season, but I don’t think they join unless they absolutely have to.”

“So that’s a no.” I let my head fall back in my chair as I blindly reached for another treat.

“Certain types are different and have different ways. I only have the barest knowledge on mers. For all I know they could be completely accepting of new members.”

I sighed and silence reigned for a time. In the end Blaster was the one who broke the silence.

“Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do, Jazz, no matter how much you want to.”

“I know… See you tonight at the cove?”

“I’ll be there.”

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