#blinking anyways my charms haven’t arrived yet but I got an email asking about the ummm pic stuff

[jinkiesmariz]

Forgot that like I have irl friends (plus me saving a couple of charms for myself) for the MCD charms so ermmmm good luck y’all

[darkhymns-fic]

The Stars Pull Us Together

Having recently transferred to Luin Academy, Colette prepares to start on one of her first assignments - which she needs to use the school's own observatory for.

She didn't expect to literally run into Lloyd on the way.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel Rating: G Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: For Colloyd Week, Day 4: Stargazing! Because I need to write at least one modern au fic of them.

--

It was still early evening when Colette arrived at the observatory, the sun just teetering at the edge of the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink. There were only two of the dome structures, a bit smaller than she expected, just off to the side of the campus grounds and overlooking the undulating hills that made up the Asgard terrain. The autumn season made the air brisk, the wind slightly strong as it tugged at her hair. She had to hug her books close, hunch her shoulders just to withstand the sudden cold.

I just need to get inside, she told herself, feet crunching against the gravel. A hand reached out to the door handle of the first observatory, pulled on it and… found it stuck? Oh…

It took Colette a good minute to realize that this was the wrong observatory anyway, once she saw the construction sign to the left of her, half-hidden in the shadows. Slightly embarrassed, but at least relieved that no one was around to see her blunder, she then walked to the second observatory.

She sensed there was something different here, until she noticed the rows of potted plants that lined the steps and small ledge that circled around the building, from small ficuses to even a charming aloe vera. It was a pleasant spot of greenery over the stark whiteness of the observatory’s walls. There were no construction signs here – unless you counted the little greeting by the small steps (with a small cactus plant placed next to it) that said, ‘Welcome to the Luin observatory! Please watch your step!!!’ The letters looked to be handwritten, and Colette couldn’t help but draw her attention to it, marveling a bit at the multiple exclamation marks…

And by looking at it, she didn’t watch her step at all.

Colette flailed, and by doing so, she had let go of her books to fall to the ground. She was about to crash headfirst into the door until it suddenly opened inward, along with a shout of, “Whoa what-!?”

So she wasn’t the only one at the observatory tonight. 

Papers falling around them like lost wings, a groan beneath her chin, and Colette was ready to faint from the shame of not only falling down, but bringing another person down with her… “Ah… I’m so sorry…” she voiced, blinking open her eyes to find herself inside the observatory now. It was mostly bare except for a few laptops on a nearby desk, a coffee maker to the side, and of course, the great telescope that was in the middle, its end pointing upwards to a currently shuttered roof.

Another groan. “S’okay… I kinda walked into that one anyway.”

The voice was familiar to her. Colette looked to see a guy half-seated, one hand planted against the floor. His plaid jacket caught her eyes on the rich redness of the fabric, reminding her suddenly of winter flurries that would freeze her cheeks, and summer storms that always came by so fast, and how he would try to shield her with a broken umbrella… “Wait, Lloyd?”

He blinked, looking so confused for a moment that she wondered if she was mistaken. But the tousle of brown hair on his head, going off in different directions, told her otherwise. “Hold on a sec… Colette! It’s you!”

“Y-yeah!” When he smiled, she was brought back to the boy with the scuffed sneakers, whose home she’d visit that was off the road, overrun by bramble on the way. “I haven’t seen you since we graduated.”

“Right, like that was what, three years ago?” Lloyd mused on that as he tried to shift upwards, and then couldn’t with Colette still half on him. “Um.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” She giggled as she hurriedly got to her feet, trying very hard to not slip and fall again. She inwardly winced at her laugh, that nervous tic that she could never get rid of, even now. “Guess I’m still a klutz.”

“Don’t worry about it… It’s good, because I’m still catching you!” He laughed too, and the sound brought back even more memories out on the grass, with the sky stretching overhead that, for a brief moment, she was lost in it.

Lloyd looked older, now that she got a better look at him when she wasn’t at a tilt anymore. There was only the hint of a stubble at his chin, but his hair had grown out more, even as it made the same waves that she remembered back from childhood. He wore similar clothes from high school still, with his plaid jackets, his frayed jeans, and his work boots. It was so familiar, that she wondered if maybe they had never separated at all.

“…Colette, you alright?” Lloyd asked her, in a tone that felt comforting all at once. “You didn’t really hit your head, did you…?”

“Ah, no no, don’t worry! I’m still just… surprised to see you!” Her hands clasped each other as she looked up at him, noticing the few inches he had gained in height now. “Does this mean you go to Luin Academy too?”

“Oh, well… about that…” Lloyd’s gaze shifted to the side, and she thought she caught something pass in his expression – that is, until a flying piece of paper smacked him right in the face. “Ack!”

“Oh no, I forgot!”

After a hectic dash of Lloyd and Colette trying to grasp the sheets that had escaped her textbooks, some of them flying far back outside to the second observatory, eventually they’d gotten them all. Or, Colette hoped they did. But at the end, she was shivering and felt a little winded from chasing about various articles that her professor had given her all over the grounds.

“It’s seriously cold out. You don’t have a jacket with you?” Lloyd had latched shut the metal door, leaving them both in the observatory that was basically one mid-sized room with a giant telescope in the middle. Colette noted the metal staircase on the side, leading to the curved ceiling and any other mechanisms that she missed. There was even more of an assortment of plants here, some set nearer the ceiling while others were at the table she sat at. There was the soft hum of a laptop next to her, which she carefully placed her books near. Lloyd was already brewing up coffee, the scent quickly filling the air.

“I didn’t think I’d need it.” Colette shivered in her blouse. Though long-sleeved, the material was still light. She gratefully took the warm mug he handed to her, heating up her palms. “It gets even colder out here than back at home.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Lloyd took a seat next to her easily. “I can give you one of mine if you want.”

“I’m sure I still have the last one you gave me!” She laughed, making sure to swallow her sip of coffee before doing so. Not too hot, not too bitter. In fact, it had a sweetness to it – of vanilla creamer – and she was surprised he still remembered.

“That old thing?” Lloyd asked with such curiosity in his eyes that it made her smile even more. “It’s fine if you wanted to throw it away! Does it even still fit?”

“Yup! It fits me like a blanket still!” And it was true, that old spare jacket that Lloyd had once given her as a joke gift, but she had treasured it all the same. It wasn’t uncommon for her to wear it often when they went to school together, getting stares from other students, but neither caring at all.

She clutched the now half-full mug, looking at Lloyd with a bit of awe. He was holding his, its surface a bit more scratched, but fitting him oddly well. “You know, I thought you went to that other college?” he asked, scrunching his forehead as he tried to remember the name. “The…Spirit…something?”

“The Spiritua University,” Colette corrected kindly. “But, I was having trouble adjusting, so I transferred to Luin instead. Sorry, I think I forgot to tell you that in my last email.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Lloyd rushed a hand through his hair, grinning. “I kinda…forgot the password to that email anyway… Genis was supposed to make me another one but he’s been busy over at Palmacosta.”

“I haven’t talked to him much either.” It had been so many months without seeing her old friends – yet here was Lloyd before her, as if walking straight out of her memories.

Maybe she had been staring for too long – a nervous chuckle from Lloyd, the exact same tone that she remembered from years back. “It’s probably weird to just find me here, huh?”

Colette shook her head. “I don’t think that’s weird. I think it’s lucky that we’re able to find each other again.”

Lloyd visibly relaxed his shoulders. “Heh, you know, I think so too.”

She took her time studying him even more, from his more grown-out (but still messy) hair, to the way he sat on the plastic chair. The lights inside of the observatory were dim, just bright enough for reading, but not too much light pollution to make using the telescope difficult. It felt relaxing being in here, with him.

She remembered his words from earlier, then gently asked, “How come you are here though?”

It only took a moment longer before Lloyd explained himself. “Well… I did actually try to get into Luin. Did the application and everything. I think I wrote the longest essay of my life too. But… my grades really held me back anyway, I guess.”

Lloyd had still been undecided when she left for school back then. He would travel instead, he told her, or he’d take over Dirk’s specialty workshop. She’d never asked him if he’d wanted something else entirely. “I’m sorry.”

“You dork, you’re still apologizing for nothing after all this time?”

“I can’t help it!”

Another laugh, feeling as warm as the dim lights around them. “I don’t think I’m a good fit for it anyway.” Lloyd shrugged, but she saw the grin still on his face, boots tapping the floor in barely concealed excitement. “But you know? One of the teachers read my essay and contacted me! He…kinda kept talking about all the spelling mistakes and junk, until he told me about a side job I could do here. I wouldn’t have to be in classes but he said he’d teach me anyway.”

Even Colette was stunned at this random act of kindness from a stranger. “Really?

“Yeah! And, it definitely seemed a little weird that he just offered, but then I thought, why not? So that’s why I’m here!”

Curious on the story, and having her suspicions, she asked. “Who was the teacher that spoke to you?”

“Oh, it was…” Lloyd scrunched his forehead, but then his eyes lit up, remembering. “Kratos Aurion, I think. Maybe you know him? He really liked what I wrote.”

“He’s my astrophysics professor! I’m actually doing an assignment for his class.” Colette was slowly figuring out what he must have written. She gauged it from where they sat at, from the past nights they’d both lay on the grass of his backyard, matching patterns in the black as much as they could go. “You did always like the stars, didn’t you?”

The same smile she would sometimes think about before she slept beamed at her just then. “So do you. That’s why you’re here, right?”

She nodded, feeling more excited than before – or maybe it was just the caffeine in her system taking over. “And now you work at the Luin observatory. That’s great, Lloyd!”

“Yeah! But uh… I didn’t realize that you basically needed to know math to be an actual astronomer… So I just clean up things here and make sure stuff is working alright. It’s good enough!”

Colette giggled, looking around at the small room, neatly tidied up, just how much coffee he drank in here. “You even got some of your plants here too!”

“Hehe, well at least the ones that at least don’t need much sunlight. So no flowers or anything..”

So natural had they fallen into the rhythm of talking aimlessly like they used to, that Colette nearly forgot why she was here. It took the beeping of her phone alarm – to warn her of the small time window that she had – to jog her memory, as well as Lloyd’s.

“Oh shoot, sorry! You came here to use this thing, didn’t you?” Lloyd quickly got to his feet, downing the cup of coffee in one go, surprising Colette that he could do so while it was still fairly hot. “I may not be smart, but I’ve been learning how to operate these machines. It’s not too hard once you get the hang of it.”

“Ah, well, maybe then…” Colette went to grasp the papers, at the numbers she had written out hastily over the gridlines. “Professor Aurion gave me some coordinates to look up, can you use these?”

She suspected Lloyd wasn’t as bad at math as he claimed. Because when it came to something he really liked, he always did try his best. He looked at where she pointed, then gave her a thumbs up. “You got it.”

Luin’s observatory was a first for her, but she had used such things before. She gathered her notebook in her lap, looking over at the telescope that was bigger than most. It swiveled gently as she moved it to the right, checked over the viewing piece. It was well-maintained, which she had expected.

“Ready?” Lloyd called from the side, hands hovering near a panel.

“Ready!” she called back. Her hands turned the dial of the telescope, and then adjusted the contraption just a bit on its tripod so that it hit the exact angle for her. It was a tall piece of equipment, so she had to perch on a metal seat just underneath to view it properly.

Once the lights dimmed even lower, the ceiling of the dome shifted. She could see it rotate to the coordinates she had told Lloyd of. Another small shake, and then the middle shutter of the dome slowly panned open, revealing the now clear night sky, the blanket of stars up above.

Sometimes it was a gamble when the skies would be good for observing, especially during the cold seasons – but the cold season was also the best time to stargaze too. That was one thing that she remembered from back then.

And looking at the stars had always calmed her.

“Can you see through it okay?”

“Um, just a bit…” She tried to get more comfortable in her seat, but the metal of it was prodding her leg, and soon she knew she had edged out too far to nearly stumble off.

By then, she already felt hands on her shoulders, Lloyd quickly climbing up to join her in the observing seat. “Do you need me to be your seatbelt?”

Colette hoped her happiness didn’t show off too obviously, but his hands felt even stronger too now. “Hehe, maybe for a little while if you don’t mind it.”

She leaned back to the telescope and near the eyepiece, hands gently placed on the handles while she felt Lloyd nearby, keeping her steady.

The night was clear, and the coordinates Lloyd had set the observatory had been right. She didn’t have to get used to any haziness, or peer through a cloudy sky. The stars were so numerous, painted against greyscale, or an old film reel. But she found the cluster she had been looking for, and already set to write down her findings.

“Lloyd, you should see this too!”

“You sure? I’ve looked through it plenty of times this week.”

Colette shook her head, bringing Lloyd’s hands from her shoulders to the telescope. “I think you’ll like it.” She winked at him. “Besides, have you seen it from this spot?”

“Ya got me there.” And like an excited kid, which she had already suspected had never left him, he looked through it too, hands handling the telescope with care and precision. Colette craned her head to look past the instrument to the sky above. While specific nebulae and clusters were hidden from her, the stars to the naked eye were still spread out, like a trail through the dark.

“That’s awesome! That’s the Hercule something, right?”

“The Hercules cluster, yeah!”

It was and yet wasn’t like stargazing out in the fields, with just the crickets and the gentle breeze for ambience. A metal room instead of outdoors, (though the plants helped) and the sky partially blocked from the roof, but she still saw the same light in Lloyd’s eyes – always whenever he would look up at the starry skies.

“So, what did Kratos wanted you to do for this?”

She tilted her head. “You know, it was kind of strange but… he just said I should count the stars here.”

Lloyd turned to her in disbelief. “Huh? Wait… all of these stars? There’s too many! And just plain impossible!”

“He said that too! That an average human lifespan isn’t enough to count every single one…not to mention new ones appear while others fade away.” She tapped her pen against the paper, feeling a smile curve her lips. “But he said we should try anyway.”

“Man… this guy’s weird.”

“Hehe. But he’s very kind. Don’t you think?” Colette took Lloyd’s hand, held it like it was second-nature. “I told him about Iselia. I wonder if he figured out that we knew each other.”

“Huh.” Lloyd gripped her hand back, still half perched on the side of the observing seat, not at all mindful to the height. “He could’ve just asked one of us.”

Colette, feeling more confident then she had in years, scooted a bit from her seat and gestured for Lloyd to come near. “There’s room for both of us here! Maybe if we counted together, we could get it all.”

Lloyd barely hesitated, sitting next to her in only a somewhat tight fit. But she didn’t mind the feel of his jeans pressed against her leg, the scent of him comforting in its familiarity. “I bet I could count more! Though, can we even share the telescope between us?”

“Hmm…we can take turns!” And even as they did at first, giggling as both tried to take their stay at the eyepiece for longer, they eventually leaned back to watch the stars through the open shutter, clear from light pollution and misty clouds.

She had always liked the stars too, she thought, with Lloyd leaning against her shoulder, eyes bright as the night continued, way past the closing hours for the observatory. But now, she knew the exact reason why.

[kwrittink]

Wrong - EARTHQUAKE

Pairing: F!Reader x AdoptedBrother!Jungkook

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Warnings: Language

<ABISM                                                                      AFTERSHOCK>

"You're positive it was JungKook? Our JungKook?" NamJoon asked for the fifth time in the night, as you two made your way to the bar after your workday was done. You sighed tiredly, hopping on a stool at the counter and signaling for the bartender to give you your usual - a shot of tequila and a lemon juice as follow up - before turning to your best friend, nodding heavily.

"I'm sure it was Jeon JungKook, not our JungKook." You rolled your eyes, throat burning even before the shot had even arrived. It had been a huge shock seeing the man that was once part of your daily life and disappeared without much trace - well, what the media didn't release at least - back, and as your employer, to top.

"I don't see the difference, he's still your broth-"

You cut him off with a sharp gesture, turning forward to where your drink was being served. "He's not my brother, he has made that very clear, Joon. A long time ago, when he abandoned me after turning twenty-one."

That made NamJoon hesitate before speaking, as he asked the bartender for a beer.

"Y/N, I think you should use that opportunity to talk... I'm sure there are things you two haven't said to each other," he tried and you groaned while kicking your head back, the tequila doing its job by burning your digestive system. You sure had a thing or two to say to him, but it seemed like JungKook was pretty much done with your relationship so maybe it was better to left some things unsaid.

NamJoon sighed at your lack of response. At the same time, you understood why he tried so fiercely to reunite you all since it had been such a violent break for everyone and all he had was you and his little sister, which by the way would be turning eighteen soon.

Oh no a birthday. My birthday! You suddenly realized, palm meeting your forehead with a great smack, startling even the man by your side, the cup of beer hanging midway to his puckered lips.

"I made a mistake, Joon. Of all days, he should know this and I fell right into his trap!"

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

"You're probably reading too much into this," NamJoon tried to say but you glared his way, phone pressed to your ear as you spoke to Mou after you called her to explain the situation.

"I'm so sorry, I've talked to Jeon's secretary and it seems the only available day for this meeting is that Tuesday." Mou hummed at the other side of the line and you whimpered, downing your third shot of the night.

"Okay Mou, I'll suck it up then, but if there's any change please-"

"Don't worry sweetie, I'll try a change of schedule for you. Y/N..." Your friend hesitated before speaking, her voice dropping the volume and you breathed out, imagining what she would ask next. "Is NamJoon with you right now?" You could barely hold off looking to the side at the friend who was currently working his charms on a random girl some tables to the right. It wasn't that NamJoon didn't know about Mou, he did but there wasn't much anyone could do besides looking like a jackass - and mayhaps sometimes playing the part too well, was the girl from the hickey anything to go by. Mou had a difficult situation relationship-wise and Joon could like her back all she wanted, but in the end, it wouldn't work out. Besides, she chose to not talk to him to avoid making things worse. As if she wasn't falling for him harder by the day. In all, everyone had some complicated situation on their table.

"Yes, I'm having a drink because I'm stressed, I'll be back soon to my apartment and maybe we can talk better then?" You chanced, eyes glued to the floor to avoid warning NamJoon of something. He was a good guy and would most times leave so you could talk with your friend - most times about him - but at that moment you needed his company. Agreeing to call you in a couple of hours, Mou hung up and you turned to NamJoon, which was displaying a very sympathetic - and rather cute you had to admit - smile to yet another woman walking by, which made you snort.

"Where you got all those moves, Joon? I almost feel uncomfortable," you joked, punching his arm lightly. He turned to you rolling his eyes, nonchalant as if he hadn't turned - basically in the blink of an eye or at least since you two graduated college - a fine man, that could most of the time pass as awkward, but once anyone heard him speak, there was this immediate enchantment to him. A charm.

"Good, 'cause I'm not trying to woo you," he mocked back and you made a face of disgust, stealing his mug and giving a chug to the already warm beer. It was probably a bad decision to mix drinks like that but you were having a bad day and apparently, you'd be working on your birthday, so why not just take a sick day ahead and get wasted? It seemed proper. It's the first time I've seen my ex-brother - fuck, how it hurts to think like that - in three years and seems like he still hates me while I...

"You know there's a probability that he doesn't remember," NamJoon hummed beside you, chugging the rest of his beverage after snatching his cup back. You frowned, suddenly not getting what he was talking about. "Your birthday, I mean. JungKook may not even care."

At that you snickered, perching your chin on your hand. "Whoa, how reassuring of you, Joonie. Sure hurts less than to think he's doing that on purpose just to make me suffer on my birthday," you quipped but was also glad that he was saying it, so you would ease up a bit on your paranoia. It wasn't as if JungKook was after you, anyways.

"You know that's not quite how I meant it, Y/N. I just want you to stop worrying about this since it's your job on the line too." NamJoon sighed and you could see his point quite clearly. Wouldn't do you any good to dwell on this for long, since it was job-related. You couldn't let a personal matter into it.

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

That's why you just let the days go by, till the fateful Tuesday came around.

As you woke up, your phone was already filled with messages and emails - mostly promotional newsletters, and you should unsubscribe from a lot of them - wishing you a happy birthday and all, your closest-ish friends confirming their presence for, later on, the little gathering after work the only redeeming event of that dreadful day.

You tried to not think about it yet but as you showered, it was unavoidable to wonder what would be best to wear for the meeting, very aware that your go-to slightly sensual - but highly professional - attire was off-bounds. Sure, Mr. Park would be there and it worked beautifully in the first meeting you had before his company was bought - at that time you had another team leader too, so you were just there for eye candy, just like you were bringing TaeHyung for - but that was off the table since your, ahem, former brother was there too. It just felt wrong for some reason.

So deciding for another tactic, you chose something more high class to wear - since you'd be going to a building that wouldn't allow you stepping in the lobby if you weren't looking like you co-owned at least two companies - and decided to go by Jin's patisserie and grab his famous doughnut holes as a sweet treat, reminded that NamJoon brought a bag of them the other day and thinking at least JiMin would enjoy them.

"You're looking so grown-up today Y/N," TaeHyung commented as you waited for your car to arrive just outside Jin's, where you asked him to meet you. You scoffed, lowering the coffee cup he had bought you.

"I don't know what you mean, I am a grown-up - at least it's what my little cousins say," you quipped playfully, watching him snicker cutely into his cup of hot chocolate, which you would call him out later on.

"No, what I mean is that you look like a future-you, successful in all aspects of your life and..." He trailed off, looking away as if a little shy, prompting you to tilt your head in wonder.

"And...?" You pressed, finding his nervous expression something unusual on him. Usually, TaeHyung was a cheerful guy, reliable worker and you'd even go as far as calling him cute. Of course, he was the same age as you, but the description fits him well.

"I was going to say well-married to a successful guy, but thought that might offend you since you look very independent all the time, you know."

"It's kinda flattering the way you think of me actually," you smiled at him, getting a shy smile back. "Though yes, I'd like to get married someday but only after achieving all the other stuff." Chuckling, you bumped his shoulder lightly, taking another sip of your coffee.

"Oh, so there's still hope, huh?" You head him say as you turned to look at your phone once more, slightly concerned that the company's car would make you late to the meeting. Not today, please... Wait, what did TaeHyung say?

"Wh-"

Before you could ask him what he was on about, an expensive-looking car smoothly came to a stop right beside you, a cheerful man shouting your name across the other side, window rolled down. "You should be Miss Y/L/N, as the boss told me!" He spoke with a smile as you leaned down to the door to talk to him.

"Boss? Mr. Min YoonGi?" You chanced, wondering if YoonGi did own a car like that and if he would be kind enough to dismiss the company's car service - because you were well aware they didn't use those kinds of cars - and 'borrow' his.

"What? No, I mean Mr. Jeon. He asked to pick you at the company, but you weren't there. Good thing a friend of yours knew your location, though." You licked your lips, suddenly nervous. Jeon JungKook sent someone to fetch you? "So, shall we go?" He asked, and you jolted with a startle, glancing at TaeHyung that didn't seem to be much phased about the whole thing. Sure, he had no idea of your past with JungKook. NamJoon, on the other hand, would probably have a stroke. Or maybe you were exaggerating and had to check yourself.

Inside the car was sorta normal, but at the same time all-too-much like JungKook, the way he liked dark colors and cool appliances and his smell. The whole interior smelled like him and your heart was doing somersaults thinking about that.

"Seems like you made a good impression at that pre-meeting, huh?" TaeHyung whispered, bumping your elbow to call your attention. You chanced a smile back at him, shrugging.

"Mr. Park may have asked to do this out of kindness. We've worked with his company for some years, so..."

The driver snickered softly in front of you, drawing your attention to him, eyes meeting through the rear mirror. "Oh, I'm sorry miss, I didn't want to sound rude. It's just that Mr. Jeon asked me personally to fetch you and, sincerely, he doesn't do that to anybody. I'm his most personal driver."

At that information, you could only utter a tiny exclamation, something that the man sitting beside you must had thought amusing if his smile was any indication. It didn't matter at all that JungKook had sent his chauffeur instead of a regular one from the company. And that you were the one he'd ever do that for.

Maybe he was just trying to throw you off your game, intimidate you in some way? It sounded insane even in your head.

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

If anything, Park JiMin was a very pleasant man, most of all the best client ever and you were very sorry to have to work with anyone but him when it came to that beauty company.

"Ah Miss Y/L/N! On-time as always!" he chirped, getting up from the secretary's table where he had been probably waiting for your arrival, straightening his well-tailored dark grey suit before extending his hands to take yours in warm greeting. You smiled at him genuinely happy to see him, before introducing TaeHyung, that looked almost shy on the presence of JiMin, which whatever height he might lack - he was taller than you either way -, his charisma made up for it. So much that you even let yourself delusion that he was actually a friend and was currently wondering if it was okay to invite him for the later gathering in your apartment. Maybe that's a little too far, Y/N.

"I've brought you some treats to, you know, sweeten the deal we'll make," you motioned to the bag of patisserie hanging on your arm, that immediately caught the auburn-haired man, his little chuckling to your bad joke making your face warm.

"Then that probably came in a good time," he started, expression falling just a little as he looked up and sighed. "Today's not a good day for my partner as you will see when we arrive at the meeting room, so maybe those will ease his mood a bit." JiMin ran his fingers through his hair, the soft locks falling back to their place in beautiful waves and parting in the middle, revealing his forehead. At the mention of the other man you'd be meeting, your blood ran cold, heart racing as you glanced at TaeHyung that seemed quite calm, glancing around the floor. "But don't worry, I gather is something personal so I'm sure he won't let that interfere in our appointment."

You smiled tightly in an attempt to show that you weren't so worried about whatever the new owner of JiMin's company could be going through and started walking right beside him when his palm smoothly pulled your arm in guidance. Yet, the only thing in your head was that you were the only personal matter Jeon could be annoyed with. That, given he did recall your birthday too.

                            --------------------------------- As promised, Jeon JungKook was pissy once the three of you arrived at the room, frowning expression barely smoother before getting up to greet everyone. You couldn't help swallowing dryly when he squeezed your hand, trying not to look him in the eyes but failing upon feeling his burning gaze on your face. Truly a threat to your professionalism.

Still, the meeting went as smoothly as it could, with barely any interruptions to your presentation - TaeHyung also managing to respectfully take some points and answer their questions even as a trainee on the team - and minimal changes to the whole project, which would be put to processing the next week. It had been the most you've spoken to Jeon in three years.

His mood, on the other hand, was still a little sour even if he had, by himself, finished all the doughnut holes you've brought, which clearly had made him a little more agreeable. JungKook had always been snackish, that was a fact.

In the end, the deal was made, but when you got up from your seat with a relieved sigh to greet both men in front of you goodbye, never would guess that your hand would be held tighter by no less than Jeon JungKook, hesitant eyes looking back at your utterly surprised and confused expression.

"Uh," he started, licking his lips in what you would understand as nervousness, breathing in quickly. "What about we all go to celebrate?" And then JungKook grinned expectantly, glancing from you to Jimin, which had his eyes trained to Jeon's hands still holding yours before snapping back to reality.

"Well, we could surely... Oh wait, this is the first deal you've ever closed!" And then JiMin turned to you with a bright, gleeful face. "We should definitely celebrate, it's JungKook's first deal and your great work today! What do you say?" The puppy that was Park JiMin yapped happily and so excitedly that saying no would certainly feel like you had just kicked the pup. Looking at TaeHyung for some sort of support - he'd been so talkative when it came to explaining the digital stuff and now had closed off again you wanted to kill him - but only got a shrug in response. It was up to you to decide, how nice.

"I'll give a call to our boss, see if he doesn't have anything else to work on." You said, knowing quite well the only appointment for the day was that meeting but hoping that YoonGi came up with something last minute.

No such luck.

So as you waited for the partners to organize everything and check their schedule - fingers crossed for unavoidable appointment-, you decided to text NamJoon about the matter, quickly letting him know you'd probably be late for the party but that he could, as always, let himself in with his spare key.

"Hope we didn't interrupt any plans with your boyfriend," JiMin popped in beside you, positively making you jolt in surprise, hand to your chest as you chuckled.

"No, NamJoon isn't- And it's just a small party later on, I was just..." For some reason, you couldn't find a way to explain properly and ease his worries, even more, when Jeon was also walking up to you three, gaze always on you.

And as if you had prompted him to, TaeHyung gasped in surprise, eyes wide as he touched your shoulder. "Right, today's your birthday as well!" He exclaimed loud and clear, prompting your cheeks to burn and the need to punch him felt practically unbearable. Now he decides to speak?!

"Congratulations are due, I see!" Ripping away your glare from TaeHyung that had the nerve to look guilty after practically yelling at the company about anything else that not an emergency, you turned to JiMin and his bright smile to thank him for the good wishes. JungKook was also smiling, looking even pleased for your awkwardness.

"All the more reason to celebrate then, don't you agree, Miss Y/L/N?" He asked with a hum, expression just a tiny bit defiant and smug. What could you say? No? Impossible. So with an inner sigh, you only nodded meekly.

"Great, I'm paying then. Shall we go?" JiMin grinned, extending his arm to you, always the gentleman. Giggling you humored him, linking your arm to his as he guided you to the elevator, taking the front. If there was a good thing on this whole mess, it was Park JiMin.

__________________________ masterlist

[all-hail-the-witcher]

questionable government spies: chapter 12

well well well

here we meet again

its only been like huuuuuuu one two seven eleven months

jk 4 I think

anyway todayyy is the 1 year anniversary of this series that so many of you seem to enjoy for some reason

I would like to personally thank my physics teacher for not yelling at me for writing this every day last year in her class, twitch for keeping The Secret and especially fizz n mikey for doin the Encourage and also my sister for putting up with my planning sessions and editing my stuff

its gonna get Spicy kids

but not tonight ;)

HERE IS THE MASTERLIST or you can find it under #spy boys

_________

ship: blush, eventual spruce, the usual

words: 1979

warnings: lots of Bad sex jokes, alberts arm muscles, and black lace underwear

editing: yahhh

_________

quick recap: spot is working with al n race to take down The Gang. they just had their first Official Mission at a factory stealing fake snow and used oscars computer to email the person behind the gang. race has a sprained ankle and is very far gone for spot. Albert and Romeo work at medias coffee shop. blink and much are older than everyone by a few years and work as doctors at the fbi hospital.

________

Race pulled his blue scarf tighter around his neck as he hurried along 8th avenue. Curse Manhattan for being so cold and windy. He definitely hadn’t missed this part of living there.

Finally he stopped outside Medda’s coffee shop and dug around in his bag for the copy of Albert’s key that he had made. It was after 6 so Romeo and Albert were likely already beginning to clean up. Quietly, he unlocked the door and snuck inside.

There was whistling coming from the kitchen which Race immediately recognized as Albert and it was being accompanied by the most horrible off key singing that could only be coming from Romeo. Race smiled as he discarded his dance bag and scarf near the door, pulling his black trench coat around himself tightly as he inched in the direction of the kitchen.

He peeped around the corner and was greeted by the sight of Romeo pretending to be Cinderella as Albert acted out Prince Charming - or, at least that’s what it looked like to him - and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He backed up several feet to get a running start and launched himself into the kitchen, thrusting out his arms so his trench coat looked like wings and screamed menacingly before landing in a heap on the floor.

Romeo let out a yelp of surprise and there was the sound of a gun clicking.

“FBI. State your name, and get up slowly with your hands in front of you,” Albert spoke in a well-practiced tone.

Race dramatically flipped up off the floor. “GOTCHA!!” he screamed triumphantly, jumping in circles around his friends.

“Race?” Albert said disbelievingly, withdrawing his gun and putting it back in the holster. “What are you doing here? How did you even get in here? And why can’t you knock like a normal person?”

“I just wanted to see if you still remember the procedure for a 995,” Race smirked as he brushed himself off.

“A 995 is a self reported kidnapping,” Albert sighed. “Sudden entrance of a possible dangerous person is a 741.”

“Same thing,” Race said as he shrugged off his coat.

“It’s not the same thing!” Albert groaned. “They are two very different procedures which you would know if you stuck to- wait a second. Are you wearing dance clothes?”

Race looked down at himself as if noticing his clothes for the first times and Romeo stifled a laugh. “Oh, would you look at that,” he mused, “it would appear that I am.”

“Race,” Albert said, closing his eyes and pinching his nose. “You’ve got a sprained ankle, you shouldn’t be dancing. I told you not to dance today!”

“And I didn’t listen!” Race sang dramatically, doing 5 pirouettes for emphasis. “Really though, I’m fine. I’ll ice it when I get home. But I wasn’t about to pass up having a closing-up-shop dance party with Romeo again.”

“Oh!” Romeo said excitedly, jumping up and down and clapping his hands. “Can we?!”

“Why else am I here, broski?” Race winked, completely missing Albert’s look of complete and utter disapproval in the background.

“To annoy the hell out of us?”

Race considered. “Well, yes that too, but mostly to have a dance party,” he smirked. “Let’s just get out of the kitchen before Medda appears out of thin air and slaps me for being in here.”

“Oh shit, you right, you right,” Romeo said, chasing Race out of the kitchen with a spatula. Albert followed them out a few minutes later, shaking his head and smirking.

“Aright.” Race hopped up on the counter and opened his phone to Spotify, pulling up his and Romeo’s “Trash Pop Playlist” as Albert had so lovingly named it. “Let’s get this party started.”

“Aren’t you going to help us clean?” Albert called from the table he was wiping off.

“Nah man,” Race said, jumping off the counter as Party In The USA began blaring through the shitty bluetooth speaker. “I’m not an employee so therefore it’s not my job. Suck it.”

“Suck it?” Albert asked, his face screwing up in confusion. “What is there to suck?”

“DEEZ NUTS!” Race screamed, launching himself across the room in a single bound and tackling Albert to the floor, effectively using his elbow to pin him down as he stared deeply into his eyes. “You want some?”

Albert blushed furiously as his eyes looked everywhere but at Race. “Um, no….?”

“You sure babe?” Race winked, drawing out his words for extra emphasis. “Nobody can keep their hands off of this bod.”

Albert squirmed under Race’s hold. “I’m ace?”

Race rolled his eyes and crawled off of his friend, reaching down to help Albert up. “Ah yes, you have discovered the one loophole to my apparent charm.” He peeked over Albert’s shoulder and smirked. “Still got a nice ass though, babe.”

Albert slapped him lightly on the shoulder before returning to wiping the tables.

“Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?” Romeo asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Shut up and sing your Miley Cyrus crap,” Albert mumbled as he shot Romeo a look from across the room.

“ITS NOT CRAP!” Race and Romeo screamed at the same time.

Luckily for Albert though, the song changed before he could argue more.

Unluckily for Albert, the next song to play was Power by Justin Bieber.

Extra unluckily for Albert, Race and Romeo had an extremely shitty hip hop dance that went along with this song.

And most unluckily for Albert, the two of them had just jumped up on top of one of the - freshly clean, mind you - tables and begun to perform the nightmare choreography.

Race watched with a smirk as Albert rolled his eyes when he and Romeo reached the chorus. Just to annoy him, he kicked his leg extra hard so that his shoe flew off his foot and landed on the table Albert was cleaning.

“HEY!” Albert yelled, whirling around, his face hot with anger, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips like he was fighting the urge not to laugh. The very look on his face caused Race and Romeo to stare at eachother and double over laughing.  “Keep your shoes on you dumbass.”

Against his better judgement, Race jumped down from the table and strode up to Albert, flexing as he could without laughing - which wasn't very hard. “What did you call me bro?” He asked in his best tough guy voice, sticking his chin up for good measure.

“You heard me,” Albert countered, also flexing, although his arm muscles were much more impressive than Race’s - curse his love for benching. “No shoes, no shirt, no service.”

Race flicked his eyes over to where Romeo was still standing on the table. He had pulled out his phone and was definitely recording. Race bit his lip, knowing that this next trick he was about to pull would be forever documented on snapchat and played on an endless repeat until the day he died. Oh well.

“Really now?” And with one aggressive yank he pulled his shirt over his head, causing it to rip a little, which he honestly wasn't even mad about, it just added to the overall effect. “Cause I’ve now got no shirt, no shoes, and I’d still get service.”

“You technically have one shoe still on,” Albert pointed out rather unhelpfully and Romeo scoffed behind the camera.

“Well then, if you're going to be so painfully literal,” Race turned around and did a glorious hitch kick, effectively wailing his other shoe off of his foot and behind the counter somewhere, ignoring the small crash that came with it. “There. No shirt. No shoes. And I’d still get service.”

“You're just quoting that Pitbull song,” Romeo whispered from his spot on the table.

Race flipped him off without taking his eyes off of Albert.

“That’s all you got?” Albert scoffed. Before Race could blink Albert’s shirt was on the floor and he was being thrown back and pinned on one of the table tops. “How’s that for service?” he winked.

“Is that all you got?” Race imitated Albert’s voice from earlier and raised his eyebrows.

Albert opened his mouth as soon as the door banged open and Mush’s booming voice filled their ears.

“Hello kiddos! The voices of reason have arrived and-” out of the corner of his eye Race could see Mush’s eyes flick over to where Albert had him pinned against the table. “-not a moment too soon apparently. Please, for the love of god, what the hell are you two doing? Are we shooting for the cover of Playboy and nobody told me? I would have brought my black lace underwear!”

“Hi Mush,” Romeo waved, still perched on the table.

“You have black lace underwear?” Blink asked, coming in the door behind Mush and shaking out his long dark hair like a dog would, effectively splattering snow and water all over his boyfriend. “Why haven’t I seen it yet?”

“Cause I’m saving it for after the wedding that's why,” Mush said, sticking his tongue out at Blink who rolled his eyes in annoyance as he pulled off his coat.

“YOU'RE ENGAGED?!” Race screeched, pushing Albert off of him as he ran forward to Blink and Mush, not caring that he was still shirtless and shoeless. “Who has the ring? Who proposed? When’s the wedding? Can I be the flower girl, I’ve always wanted to be a flower girl!”

“Whoa! Hold on bean stick!” Mush laughed. “Of course you can be our flower girl, first of all. I was going to ask you today actually.”

“He was,” Blink confirmed, putting his arm around Mush’s waist protectively as Albert and Romeo walked over. “And I proposed to him on our anniversary last month at the diner where we had our first date.”

“Awwwwww,” Race sighed and he saw Albert crack a smile.

“I cried,” Mush volunteered.

“Yes you did baby,” Blink said affectionately, leaning in to kiss his fiancee.

“Ew,” Albert groaned. “Take your pda elsewhere, some of us are trying to have a nice time here.”

“You're literally shirtless,” Blink pointed out and Albert looked down at his chest as if noticing it for the first time.

“Oh. Well…”

“Why don't you tell them what you were up to, hm?” Romeo raised his eyebrows.

“I was teaching Race a lesson in how to properly receive restaurant service,” Albert said confidently.

Blink looked confused at best and Mush looked intrigued. Romeo laughed and Race shook his head, suddenly remembering that he didn't have a shirt on either. Or shoes…

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Albert said. “I have to go get my shirt.”

“Hurry back,” Mush called. “I want to hear all about your field agent adventures. I feel like I haven’t seen you guys since I lectured you on the detriments of blowing up the weapons lab.”

•••

Albert had just finished recounting the time where they had accidentally released 100 five dollar bills into circulation when there was a knock on the window. Race looked up, surprised to see Spot standing on the other side, dressed haphazardly in adidas pants and a tank top despite the cold weather, a wild look in his eyes. He could almost ignore the butterflies swirling in his stomach as he noticed how toned Spot’s arms were. Almost.

Across the table, Albert made eye contact and the two of them rose while Romeo quietly explained to Blink and Mush what was going on.

Albert unlocked the door silently and Spot was on top of them in a second. Before Race or Albert could even get a word out, he was blurting out the reason for his unexpected visit.

“Thank god you guys are here,” he huffed, almost as if he had run there. “We got a response to our email.”

________

ooo a cliff hanger we Stan

DONT YOU GUYS LOVE BLUSH I DO THEYRE GREAT

also my sister said I used the word smirked too many times but I was too lazy to fix it

what do we think is gonna happen next yall

feedback is always appreciated hmu to be on the taglist

tag list @fairly-awkward-trashcan @well-the-kids-do-too @racetrackcook @bouncyscreamingnewsboys

@ughwaitwhat @aw-jus-let-em-try @ben-cook-can-cook @the-woild-is-my-what-now @tommy-s-s0cks @voice-foundshoe-lost @galaxy-tree @stopthe-presses @ridin-in-style @pinecovewoods @i-got-no-clue-what-im-doing @bencookisagod @be-more-chill-evan-hansen @hellasoulless @stellar-alpaca @saxoph-ella @smolcanadiankid @disney-princess-sized @the-newsies-justice-for-zas-blog @insane-tomato @spot-conlon-king-of-brooklyn @have-we-got-news-for-you @thatfancyclam @myidkwhatmynameisblog @legoflambwrites @that-one-newskid @not-a-scab @albertdasillvaprotectionsquad

@entschuldigung-bitches

@thebroadwayaesthetic

@tea-and-theater

@thomasbeingthomas

@seasickdolphin

@auspicioustarantula

@newsies-of-ny

@mrs-higgins

@sunshine-e-cigarettes

@spot-me50-papes

@santafe-cafe

@papesdontsellthemselves

@king-of-new-yoirk

@deathcast-s

@the-poodles-of-pulitzer

@hopefully-not-the-ghostbusters

[ellipsesarefun]

FOR @konaharts​ !!!!! This is my pinch hit for @keitorexchange​ event!!!

Hope you enjoy this??? kinda my first time to do a keitor huhu please go easy on me

  Prince Lotor has one of the most outstanding albums of the year and Keith has yet to buy one. Word around the gossip mongers, though, say that Prince Lotor himself will be arranging his first private concert in the nearest mall right across the music store Keith works at. Additionally, anyone who signs up and wins a private concert ticket also gets a signed copy of P. Lotor's latest album (plus, if anyone's feeling lucky, a selfie with P. Lotor himself). 

And no, he's not that excited like his friends claim he is. He definitely hasn't stared at the sign up page every time he's on break and no he definitely wasn't checking his phone for any notifications. Not at all. 

"You definitely are." Pidge teases him and he flinches at the use of a present tense while stacking a pile of music records at the corner of the store, "Just listening to you rave about him with those adorable sparkling violet eyes of yours for hours on end is already a nuisance." 

Keith shoots his mouth open but Pidge shushes him with her complaint, "I can't even do my homework around you!" His cheeks pooled when he eyes her quirked lips and gleaming eyes. 

"First of all, my eyes don't sparkle." Keith shoot her a bland look as he careful places the last stack of records, "Second of all, I haven't been talking about him-"

"Raving. About it him, Keith." Pidge corrects, Cheschire grin in place, "Raving."

"For that long, Pidge." He continues on as though she hasn't opened her blasted mouth, "Not that long." He crosses his arms over his chest. Pidge's giggles burst into guffaws. 

"Sure," she stutters through her laughter, "Tell yourself that." She pauses and then the same gleaming smile shines back on. "Fan boy." 

He grumbles a sigh and turns back to the list of things he has to do today. Why is he friends with her again? And why is she here again? He rolls his eyes and checks his phone for a small email notification bell and was met with only a lockscreen of P. Lotor's latest album photo. His friend caught the image as well, responding a not-so-subtle sharp arch of an eyebrow and a dry expression.

He knows what's coming and prepares himself for the mockery that'll be thrown his way but jolts to a stop when a Ping! from his mobile phone caught his attention. His eyes swoop down and widen at the email notification. Immediately, he swipes his password, opens his mail and-

Congratulations! 

You've won!

Hey Keith Kogane,

Congratulations, you've won a private concert with the one and only talented Prince Lotor, along with a signed copy of his latest album, 'Vrepit Za!' Selfies and pictures are permitted by the given guidelines (see page 2 on guidelines). You are allowed to bring at the maximum of three guests. Send a message through this number xx-xxx-xxxx for us to let you know when and where to claim your ticket! Have a great day!

 There's a hitch in his breath and a thump in this heart before his head suddenly bursts into squeals for joy as his hands shake at the and the muscles on his cheeks ache for a blinding smile. He was so wrapped up in his own euphoria that he almost forgets that a certain presence is still in this room. Almost. His teeth wrench his lower lip to stop the smile. 

"So who're you bringing with?" Pidge asks from behind and by now he knows that she's playfully batting her eyelashes. Pfft 

He turns around with a curl on his lips and a gleam in his eyes and says, "Who else?" Pidge beams and cracks a grin at him.

"Awesome!" She says as they clasp their palms together, "I'll be there as punctual as possible!" Of course she'll be early. "And I'll call up Lance and Hunk too!" ...And of course Lance is coming. Hunk is tame and he can handle Pidge, but Lance? He'll never hear the end of Lance's teasing. He shakes his head. 

"Anyways," Pidge slings her bag over her shoulder, "I gotta go! Try not to embarrass yourself!" Before he could form a comeback she aims a punch on his shoulder and when he finally does find one (because, come on, it's Lance is the one who should try not to embarrass himself), she's already sauntering of to wherever. Probably something to do with that new robot she, Hunk, and Lance have been scheming and building for the past couple months now.  

When he's finally left alone, he breaks down his barriers and lets a smile fall on his face. He lifts his phone and looks to the email he received. No matter how many times he reads through the paragraph word per word, line per line, he still could not believe his luck.  

He has so much to prepare.

 +++

 He has little to prepare at all. He's only going to bring his wallet, ID's and what not but nothing academic of the sort.  

Still.

It's the fifth time he's checked himself in the mirror and he's not satisfied. Slightly rustled hair, accompanied with a tiny eyeshadow and stoic mien to mask his blazing excitement, along with plain red t-shirt that says "May the 4th be with you" and simple black jeans and sneakers isn't going to cut it. Maybe he needs more gel to flatten his tousled hair? Maybe the shirt's too much (but this is the fifth shirt he's changed)? Or maybe-

 "Stop thinking about it so much." Pidge pesters him from his seat by the desk with a nudge on the shoulder, "Another wardrobe change is going to mess your closet and I'm not going to be the one who's going fix it!" He parts his lips but she shushes him once again This is happening too often. 

"And no need to change your underwear," she pesters him some more as she throws his favorite underwear at his face until all he can see is light-sabers on a blue background, "No one's going to know your little secret."

He daintily takes the underwear off his face and slowly sets it on the table, as though his own blunt nails can rip through the threads, and glowered at her. "Can you not?" He says, fiddling the edge of his shirt and patting his hair. Unmitigated by his annoyance, she smiles.

"I can and I will." She replies, that same gleaming smile on her face, "I'm going down and meet with the others." Pidge stands up and pats him on the shoulder more than once and he falls for the bait, batting her hands away. She's already by the door before he can make a quip and she flashes one last giggle at her overly tense friend. 

"Don't take too long!!' She reminds him and she slips out of the door before he can bang it on her face. Once her footsteps fade, he grunts to himself and checks his phone for the nth time. It's five minutes till six in the evening and the concert won't start until it's seven. Seems like he's got time but every tick of the clock counts and he's losing bit by bit of this safety net. 

He heaves a sigh. It doesn't abate his nervousness but his excite hasn't waned in a moment, instead it multiplied to thousands. He's meeting his favorite artist today. Today. Today.  

"KEITH LET"S GO." Right. Yes. Going. He's finally going. With friends. Oh quiznack. 

"Coming!" He yells from his room as he rummages his things in a small slingbag. He hastily fixes his shoelaces and he gives himself one more look at the mirror before zooming down the stairs and out of his apartment where his friends are grinning like mad and greeting him with a tease and a pat on the back.

 It took fifteen minutes for them to arrive due to a heavy traffic along the highway and limited parking space but he's glad to have sometime to compose himself (and he's also silently grateful for Hunk offering to drive them all there even when he's been poking at him by playing P. Lotor's album on the radio the whole ride here). The four of them decide on a place to eat and settled for a semi-empty restaurant with fair enough food. 

By the time they've packed up to leave, it's already fifteen minutes till seven. Keith restrains himself from brisk walking. Part of him wants to dash out of the mall and find a cab to drive him back but Pidge, of course, somehow notices and grasps his hand and pulls him along, their paces doubled. Lance and Hunk follow on beside him, and Keith has no where to escape. Great.  

They walk past a couple of stores, turned right, and before Keith comprehends, they're all standing in front of the glass doors of a studio, the view obstructed by black paper. Pidge releases him from her hold and she knocks on the glass door. No one had to wait long and then they're all inside, sitting on comfy velvet couch and drinking cool ice teas offered by the staff. They're all facing a mini stage, with the whole set of instruments and the like and a closed door to the right.

 And then suddenly, that door opens and Prince Lotor comes in along with his other friends. Prince Lotor. PRINCE LOTOR. In high ponytail, black turtleneck, ripped jeans, and black boots. Prince Lotor. He feels as though his heart has collided with a brick wall and he stops his mental screaming for a moment of breath. 

"Hello everyone!" The familiar satin and sulky voice he's heard in those albums greets them with a saccharine smile, "Welcome to the private concert! How are you all?" His friends throw a hoot while Keith offers a shy smile. Lotor's beaming yellow eyes flit from face to face until it lands on Keith. His smile stretches to a full grin.

"Who here is Keith?" Lotor asks, keeping his gaze on Keith. He stills his body from fidgeting when his friends blatantly point at him. For some unknown reason, Lotor pulls a charming grin (then again, everything about him is just so charming) and stretches out a hand.

"Hello Keith," He greets him, and he can't refrain his own smile from stretching any wider nor his cheeks from blushing into a rose pink color. Keith replies with a small nod and takes the hand offered to him. He lets himself linger at the calloused feel of Lotor's skin before letting go a few ticks later. Dazed, Keith blinks the moment away while Lotor introduces his friends: Acxa, Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti. Ezor rushes, blazing in pink long fringes and pink-black ensemble, to them with an enthusiastic hug, immediately reintroducing herself ("Nice to meet you all!"). Zethrid follows up with an iron grip handshake while Acxa and Narti politely wave.

The events turn towards everyone greeting everyone with waves, gestures, or even some flirtatious marks (Lance). Lotor initiates the conversation first by asking how their day went (pretty chill, for a Saturday, exams just finished), what they do for a living (they're all students with part-time jobs), and anything mundane. They bond over food, with Hunk sharing his kitchen hacks and Ezor and Zethrid supplying with a combination of their favorite dishes. The conversation drags on to other random topics before Lotor interjects between a debate on a TV series, asking Keith what song would he like to play while flashing another one of those saccharine smiles.

Keith ignores the flame heating his cheeks and suggests, "Your favorite." He swears that Lotor's eyes soften at that. He watches his favorite musician sit on the chair by the mini stage. Lotor places a guitar on his lap and a foot on the guitar footstool as though he's following his muscle memory. There's a pause where Lotor lets his eyelids fall to a close and he breathes for several ticks until his fingers move in tandem.

Keith hasn't seen much of Lotor playing the guitar, not even through past live concerts he's watched through GalraTube. He hasn't heard this song, either, not from the previews in the GalraTube or anywhere else. It's different from any of the songs of the recent album because while they're fast-paced and techno, this one feels like he's on a slow drive accross the sunset with the wind kissing his face. Mesmerized, Keith lingers on the fingers dancing across the fretboard as Lotor's silky voice carries with his right fingers tiptoeing on the strings in a melancholic lullaby.  

The tune spins in his head with memories of his own past, the ones longed buried now dredged up to the surface. He feels like he's floating on an ocean full of emotions he never wanted to revisit. They ripple through his thoughts over and over and then he gasps at his eyes welling up with tears. He blinks once, letting them streak down on his cheeks. By the end of the bridge, he wipes his face, unbeknownst to him that Hunk is doing the same.

This is the side of Lotor's music Keith's never delved into before. It's as though he's touched his heart in an intimate way. He muses if Lotor would ever produce this music live but his train of thought stops when Lotor ends his music with one last strum. There was that same pause again, where the song has ended yet the feelings linger as residue. And then everyone gives a round of applause.

 "That was beautiful." praised Acxa.

 "I just..." Hunk bawled into tears again.

 The others around him clapped and gave their own sentiments. Keith finds his gaze intertwined with Lotor's once again. The corners of his amber eyes crinkled as Lotor wordlessly winks at Keith's direction. Keith gleams another shy smile in return and then he turns away and hovers his glass over to his lips. No one catches them except, well, Pidge. She shoots him a knowing look before returning to her conversation with Zethrid and Narti.

Lotor continues playing for awhile, indulging his own covers of his favorite artists as well as his music from his recent album, Vrepit Za, and music from his past albums. Zethrid and Narti harmonize on some occassions, making silly faces and over-the-top voices. Lance also has his own share of spotlight, only as a means to humor everyone.

 When the last music cover ends, it's already past eight by fifteen minutes and everyone decides to wander around the mall. Zethrid, Acxa and Hunk hop over to the nearest bakery store while Narti, Pidge and Lance saunter off to the hardware store for their robot schema. Keith, on the other hand, is idly eyeing the music sheets in one of his favorite music stores a few minutes away from the studio they left.

 "Looking for something?" He jerks at the charming voice behind him. Lotor's smile invites his own as the music artist walks to stand beside Keith. He tears his dazed look away from Lotor and instead continues roaming the collection of music sheets.

 "Not really." He replies, casting a quick side glance at Lotor for less than a minute and then he's back again idly naming the records in his head, "There are some I don't have in my collection at home but I'm not interested in."

 "If there's something you'd like to try, let me know." Lotor states his offer, flashing him a wink. He saunters past Keith, brushing shoulders as he touch so Keith responds with a quirk of an eyebrow and a small curl on his lips. He follows.

 Keith begins another conversation again, praising Lotor for the first music he performed earlier. Lotor shares his insights and inspirations for the music, saying it's a personal piece for his family and Keith shares his sentiments earlier. Gradually, breaks away from his own aweness about Lotor and they begin to goof about over classical music.

They continue on amidst the slight crowd of people, knowing that it's already two hours before the mall closes, until they settle themselves outside by the park, where the full moon bares witness to them all and only a flicker of a few blinking balls of light can be seen from below. Keith and Lotor flip past the mundanity of their lives as they converse over their lives of then, now and the future. Of friends and embarrassing snippets. Of lovers and lamentations.

Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short by their friends hollering from afar. Soon, the mall would eventually have to close (as well as the park they're staying at) and there would be no place to sit. Keith, however, doesn't mind.

"I had a great time today."

"As do I."

Because at the end of the night, he got something more than the signed copy of P. Lotor's album, and that was a piece of his music still singing in his heart (plus his personal mobile number and a kiss on the cheek). Definitely worth it.