#bought a new phone charm but one of the attachments fell off but it was kinda flimsy anyway so it's okie dokie („• ֊ •„)੭

[latimeria-fell-from-heaven]

went antique shopping ( •̀ ^ •́ )✧

[thewritetofreespeech]

Hiii! I don't know if your requests are open. But i would still like to request one. I would a knb one where the gom+kagami gfs wore a skirt(which shrunk during washing and had no choice but to wear it) and every time they bent, their patience are tested until they couldn't take it anymore. Their s/o completed obvious to the attention they are getting from others.

GOM Boys + Kagami and Short Skirt Reader (f!reader)

Akashi

“[Y/N]-chan, lets go in here.” You pause in your walk with Akashi around town, spending the lovely outside, in front of a pose looking clothing store.

“Here? Why?”

“I thought you might like to buy something in here.” He replied with a soft smile.

“Oh...Akashi-kun...I don’t know. It looks awfully expensive.”

“It’s my treat.” He countered. The corners of his soft smile becoming strained. “I’ll get you anything you want.”

“I appreciate it Akashi-kun, but I couldn’t let you do that. Spending money on me like that would make me feel uncomfortable.”

“[Y/N] please.” Now not only were the corners of his mouth strained, but his voice as well. “I’m trying to put this as delicately as possible but, you’re skirt is too short.” You blink at Akashi. Not expecting that, nor did you really think your skirt was that short. Sure you’d had it since middle school but... “It’s incredibly distracting, and not just for me.” His mouth scrunched in an unflattering frown before it softened again. Those beautiful crimson eyes darting to the left, sending a pack of boys running off. “So please, let me buy you a new skirt or outfit. You look beautiful in anything, so you don’t need a short skirt like that to get my attention.”

That hadn’t been your intention in wearing the skirt today and you blush. “Well....ok.” It was always really hard to argue with him.

Akashi bought you a new outfit in the store; you dare not look at the price tags. You continue on your date hand in hand. Your skirt you had thrown in the shopping bag after changing mysteriously vanishing when you got home.

Aomine

The bell for second period ending chimed, and was soon drowned out by the sound of students shuffling through the halls. You were about to join them to your next class when Ryo asked if you’d seen Aomine. He wasn’t in class, apparently, and he took it upon himself to collect his teammate’s assignments to pass them on to him.

Such a nice guy.

You look towards the window, where the sun was shinning brightly, and sighed. “I’ll give them to him.” You knew exactly where he was.

Climbing the stairs to the roof, you of course find Aomine there. Stretched out like a cat in the warm sun, dozing the day away in the fresh air. 

“Honestly Aomine, you couldn’t even make it to second period?”

The tall, tan basketball star opened his eyes slowly from his cat nap and grinned at you. "What up with your skirt?”

Your cheeks turn red and you tried to futilely pull the front down. “I-I-It shrunk in the wash! The school was supposed to get me a new one but they didn’t have my size!”

“Nah. Keep it. I like this one much better.” His grin grew wider. “Did you wear those blue panties just for me today? Since it’s my favorite color?”

Your blush deepened and your growled at your boyfriend. You swing your arm to swat at his propped up knee but he caught your wrist and pulled you down. Forcing you to fall haphazardly on top of him; just like he planned.

“A-Aomine! Q-Quit it!”

“Nope. No can do.” He replied. His hand on your thigh. “I held out as long as I could. You can’t expect me not to react when you wear your battle panties in front of me.”

Needless to say, neither of you made it to third period.

Kagami

Another lively afternoon at Serin basketball practice. You were sitting on the bleachers, watching your friends and boyfriend, play 2-on-2 games around the court for training. You would cheer Kagami and some of the others on. Doing your part to motivate the team as your way to show support.

Riko finally blew her whistle to call for a break and the team let out a collective sigh of relief.

“H-H-Here!” You look put at Kagami when he came up to you, cheeks flushed, holding out his warm up jacket. “Put it on!”

“I...uh..thanks Kagami-kun. But I’m not cold.” You assume that why he gave it to you.

“It’s not that! Just put it on! Don’t worry. It’s not dirty or anything.”

“Um...ok. But why?” 

“Don’t worry about it!” He snapped. “Just put it on!”

You frown and grumble a little, before you demand, “no. Not until you tell me why.”

Kagami grumbled himself and looked away. “....your skirt....” He said it so quietly that you have to give a little ‘hn?’ and he repeated, “your skirt. It keeps riding up when you cheer. I can’t practice right.....”

You blink in confusion, then blush. You hadn’t thought about your skirt coming up when you cheered. Now you felt embarrassed.

You took his jacket and put it on. Obviously swimming in it with your boyfriend’s large frame, which was good for once because it fell past your skirt for coverage. “Is this better Kagami-kun?”

The red head’s eyes went a little wide, and his cheeks darked to almost the shade of his hair. “N-N-No!” He exclaimed, taking you by surprise, before he looked away and scratched his head. “Now you look even cuter......”

Kise

“It was so nice of manager-san to give me this skirt. I can’t believe I own something from a designer now!”

Kise grumbled beside you as you left his photoshoot. His hand attached to yours squeezing it tighter as you walked. “Kise-kun? Is something wrong?”

The blonde seemed to realize that he was frowning, and quickly bounced back to his jovial self. “What? Oh, no. Nothing’s wrong [Y/N]-cchi. Just tired I guess.” You give a suspicious hum at Kise. Knowing that when he did 180s like this that something really was wrong.

“Kise, you know you can tell me anything. If something wrong, just tell me.”

“It’s....your skirt.” He finally confessed. Looking slightly to the left, away from you. “I’m all for fashion, and it was really nice of manager-san to give it to you, but....it’s too short. And I didn’t want to say anything because I sound like a cranky old man, but it’s true! [Y/N]-cchi’s perfect legs are only for me! I don’t want anyone else to see them!”

You snicker at Kise’s outburst. He could really be so silly sometimes.

“If you didn’t want me to wear it, then why didn’t you say anything.”

“I didn’t want to insult manager-san.” He told you. “He’s helped a lot with my career. And he really was being so nice to you. Plus, green is not my color.” Meaning he was jealous.

You giggle again and lean up to give him a kiss. “Lets head back to my place then and I’ll take it off. I’ll put on something more ‘appropriate’ for you.”

“Or....maybe don’t.” His hand squeezed yours again, only this time his face held on to a bright grin when he looked at you.

“We’ll see.”

Kuroko

You fiddle with the charm on your phone as you head down the street, leaving your apartment to go meet Kuroko.

He was supposed to meet you at your house, but when you didn't see him outside you just assumed that he got mixed up and went to the bookstore you had been planning to go to instead. Boys could be so spacey sometimes.

"Short," you jump a little at the sound behind you, seeing Kuroko there. "Your skirt is short."

"K-Kuroko-kun! Don't scare me like that! Wait....what?" It took you a minute to process what Kuroko was saying, being startled like that. "My skirt is too short?"

"Yes." Kuroko replied in his normal, soft tone, with a little nod. "It's too short."

You grumble a little and stamp your foot. "Who are you to tell me my skirt is too short??"

"No one I guess. But, I'm your boyfriend." He said. As if you needed to be reminded. "And I don't like other people staring at you, [Y/N]-kun." You blink once back at him. You hadn't noticed anyone staring. Nor had you noticed the slight tightening in Kuroko's fist until now. "It's why I've been following behind you for a while now. To keep your butt safe."

You let out a startled squeal and swat Kuroko in the arm as your cheeks turn red. "D-Don't say stuff like that!" You scold while he rubbed his arm. But...maybe he was right. Maybe it was too short. "Fine. Follow me home and I'll go change."

"Right behind you." Kuroko said with a smirk as he came along.

Midorima

‘Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!’ You repeated over and over in your mind as you sprinted in a mad dash towards school.

You alarm hadn’t gone off, and it was honestly a miracle you had woken up even remotely close to the time with just enough time to make it out the door in a panic. If you some how made it to school on time you would never forget to set your alarm again!!

Cresting the hill, you see the gates to the school coming into view. And, more importantly, Midorima standing there. He was always on time, so he must have been waiting for you. Your heart swelled at the thought of it, and it gave you the extra boost to run fast towards him.

“Midorima-kun!”

“Don’t shout. In any case why are you so -- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING?!?!”

You come to an abrupt halt in front of your boyfriend. Not expecting that response when you got close to him. “W-What? My uniform?”

“That’s not your uniform! That skirt is too short!”

You look down and turn about as red as Midorima was as you realize the skirt you had pulled out of your closet was your middle school uniform skirt. Not your high school one. They looked close enough in color you hadn’t noticed, and thought the ‘breeze’ was from you running. Could this day get any worse!!

There was movement out of the corner of your eye and you look up from your moping to see a field of green being offered to you. “The Oha Asa is never wrong.”

“M-Midorima-kun.....” You feel like you’re about to cry as you take the scarf and wrap it around your waist. This would do, for now. At least until you could get to your gym locker after first period.

“Let’s go. We’ll be late for class.”

You smile at Midorima and fall in beside him as you head to class. Spirts lifted. Maybe you should listen to the Oha Asa more too.

Murasakibara

"What is the process called when an animal reproduces with itself? Is it A) Biomorphic reproduction? B) Symbiotic reproduction? Or C) Asexual reproduction? ....Mura-kun....? Mura-kun? Are you even listening to me?!"

"Ccccccaaaannnn'ttt...." Murasakibara whined from his place across from you at the table. Looking rather comical scrunched up like that.

"Jeez Mura-kun. I offer to help you study. The least you can do is pay attention."

"Ehh.... I can't. [Y/N]-chin is trying to seduce me."

"W-What??"

The towering teen smirked before he licked the potato chip salt off his fingers, then tugged at the hem of your skirt. "[Y/N]-chin's legs look like tasty mochi. I can't resist."

Your cheeks turn pink and you bat his hand away before returning to your book. "Y-Your...You're not going to get out of this so easy Murasakibara-kun! You need to study!"

Murasakibara frowned with a low hum of disappointment before retuning to his potato chips. "I'd rather have mochi......"

[achillieus]

let you down. (sebastian stan x reader)

summary: it's a universal truth but it's worth repeating; feelings eat us raw. or just an actor and a girl falling in and out of love over the course of three months.

(this was inspired by sebastian's visit to greece for his movie, monday, and is based on that, so that means in the story we’re in 2018. also i have this posted on ao3 too but while i’m writing the last parts i thought of posting it here too)

pairing: sebastian stan x reader

warnings: alcohol, sexual references, implied depression, don’t kill me because of the ending, sebastian and reader are the definition of right person wrong time, it's kinda slowburn because i love the yearning, also this part has some funny moments but overall it’s a big SOB

part: 6/6 (there will also be an epilogue)

(other parts)   (masterlist)

This is how it ends: broken hearts from crashed dreams.

Sebastian holds you until his muscles ache and your lungs burn from the feeling of too little oxygen. It is cold and dark, almost midnight, too dark, a starless night.

No more stars for you and I.

“Here,” Voice hoarse, eyes heavy-lid and itching from almost crying. He gives you one of the rings he wore in the movie. “I want you to keep this.”

Keep it close to your heart. Forget me not.

He takes a breath and a step back, tries to regain all the strength he still has, steady feet and shoulders fixed. He digs his nails into his palms, red marks in his skin, air catching in his throat, he’s on the verge of falling but he stays standing.

He remembers tears glistening down his cheeks, maybe they were yours not his, and the cold autumn wind hitting his face and he remembers feeling like he’s dying.

And then he closes the door of Argyris’ car and looks at you.

And his heart stretches and stretches and stretches and then somehow splits in half.

/

It goes like this:

There’s a ghost that lives in your apartment from now on. In the living room. Sitting on the couch. And it has steel blue eyes and a familiar heart. And it whispers a love story, half-finished, and you cannot make it stop.

The ghost touches your collarbone and he’s gone but there’s a ring in a golden chain around your neck and a white shirt forgotten in your laundry. And it smells like him. The clinging scent of his aftershave sticking to your pores. Eucalyptus. And no matter how hard you try to wash it off, it still lingers.

How could I ever forget someone like you?

The ghost lives here, but the place is empty, so empty. And it’s hard not to cry.

/

Sebastian calls and texts a lot.

He tells you he’s tired but excited because he started filming a new movie. It’s very indie and experimental, I can’t wait for you to see it. He tells you he’s missing his days in Greece like hell and that one night he dreamt of you. Didn’t want to wake up. What he doesn’t tell you is that he’s coming back in a month, Argyris needs him for some extra scenes. It’s nearly killing him but he doesn’t tell you. He wants to surprise you, see the pure light in your eyes when they’ll meet his.

/

You try sexting. It doesn’t go very well.

23:50, sebastian: if you were here in my bed right now what would you be doing

06:51, you: probably falling asleep hahaha

06:51, you: oh fuck was i supposed to sext back

06:51, you: sorry seb i just woke up and i have a class in an hour, love you <3

23:52, sebastian: fuck timezones

/

(three weeks and 10 seconds later)

“I can’t believe she doesn’t know you’re here,” Argyris shakes his head as he’s driving home from the airport, “If I were her, I’d kill you.”

“Good thing I didn’t fall in love with you.”

Sebastian laughs and looks out of the car window. The stars. There are so many stars tonight. He holds his breath; he’s finally feeling whole again. His heart isn’t split in two anymore.

/

You don’t know how long you stand there at your door, staring at him, but it feels like a century before he grins, almost laughs, takes your hands in his and you start considering that perhaps this isn’t a hallucination. Perhaps it’s real.

“Surprise?”

Something inside of you bursts, your organs twitch. You can’t think, you can’t speak, but you can move. You don’t lose any more time, you take a step forward, attach your bodies, your face buried in his neck, your fingers clutching into the rough fabric of his jacket. You breathe him in like an antidote.

“How?”

“Does it matter?”

“No.”

You kiss him and it’s like poetry, like art, like honey and you can’t separate yourself from him, not even hours later.

/

(looking back, these were the golden days)

You pretending to be mad at him for not telling you he was coming back and him pressing his lips on your skin, drawing patterns on your naked shoulder. A feathery touch.

Sebastian always touches you like you’re something made of gold and porcelain, something cherished that constantly needs to be treasured. And nobody has done that before. And you love him for it.

You try to decorate your Christmas tree together. He messes with the lights for a while, eventually gives up and goes on to eat too many reindeer shaped cookies.

He massages your muscles when you write a boring essay for college.

You go with him when he has to shoot a “driving a motorcycle naked in the centre of Athens” scene and you bite the inside of your cheeks to stop smiling like an idiot.

He gives you a dress he bought for you in New York.  

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know, but I wanted to.”

He calls you sweetheart in the mornings, still half asleep and later joins you in the shower.

“Why are you so hot?”

“Climate change”

“Oh, shut up”

It’s tender and it’s soft and it’s human.

And that’s the saddest part.

/

Soon you realize that him leaving two months ago was merely a rehearsal and you still haven’t said your actual goodbyes. Your chest starts to feel as if it’s full of crushed glass.

And it’s ridiculous because you fell in love with Sebastian sometime between the first ten days you spent together.

Who falls in love in ten days?  

Ridiculous or not, you know you are in love with him just as you know that sooner or later, whatever he is feeling will fade and wither. Maybe it’ll be in a week, maybe it’ll be in a month, maybe in a year if you’re lucky. But there will definitely come a day when he will step out of a gala or a party or a fancy gym in New York with a beautiful model in his arms and two paparazzi’s following him around.

What will you be then?

A past small cameo in his life. A side character. Will he remember your name?

He is your whole world.

(a bottle of cheap prosecco helps you decide that)

He is your whole world.

And yet, there will come a day when he won’t even remember your name.

/

It was difficult. No, it was the most difficult thing you’ve ever done. Telling him how you think it’d be better if you didn’t talk after he leaves.

“I don’t agree with this.”

“Seb, it’s for the best.”

Your body doesn’t feel strong enough to carry your heart. And you’re certain it will only get worse once he’s away. The world around you will melt. You’ll obsess over a phone screen and his messages. You’ll start chasing ghosts again. You can’t handle that.

“Why?” He says urgently and his fingers dance over the flesh of your palms.

“Because this”, you motion your hand between the two of you, “is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever had in my life and I don’t want it to become ugly.”

He nods, he understands.

“I love you, you know,” he says smiling and tugs you closer to him, “And I may not be here to show you but I think I’ll love you for a long time.”

Your hand grips his waist right to the bones and something flares in your eyes, something wild that wrenches you around.

“I know, I’ll love you the same.”

“Maybe we’ll meet again.”

“Only if I’m the luckiest girl on the planet.”

He laughs and you look at him, fully aware he’ll be ripped out of your life like a page from a cheap leather notebook. And when you kiss for the last time, there’s a hole forming in your soul.

And just because endings don’t leave visible scars to one’s body and soul, that doesn’t mean the scars don’t exist. You know they do, because you feel the aching pain of every single one of them.

/

(every night when you close your eyes you see him)

(every night you look at the stars and think of him)

/

A month passes and Argyris asks you if you miss him.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”

“He said the exact same thing.”

You tell him not to mention Sebastian again.

Two months pass and you need to stop stalking his instagram profile.

Three months pass and you almost text him.

Four months pass and you go to watch Endgame with some friends and you cry. You cry when Black Widow sacrifices herself and when Iron Man smiles at his wife while dying, and when Bucky Barnes appears on screen.

The others don’t understand and you don’t blame them.

Five months pass and Argyris’ girlfriend wants you to meet someone. A charming boy your age with blonde hair and a lip piercing.

And he's cute but you compare him to Sebastian even before he has the chance to say his name. His eyes are not the right shade of blue and he doesn’t look at you like you’re made of the world’s finest jewel.

And he doesn’t know any constellation names.

And then more than a year passes in a second and you learn to not look for him. Not anymore.

/

It’s early March 2020 and despite the rising fear of the upcoming pandemic, you’re doing well. Scars are starting to fade. And after spending two weeks in Prague, your best friend being there with an exchange program, Sebastian Stan is the farthest thing from your mind.

Until he literally comes crashing into you. At the airport.

No, it can’t be him.

You have your suitcase on one hand and a bottle of antiseptic gel on the other. He has two bodyguards on his sides and a black hoodie on.  And while half of his face is hidden behind a mask, you can see his eyes perfectly. A frozen lake in December. You would know those eyes in your deathbed, at the end of the world.

Your vision gets blurry and suddenly you feel cold.

He won’t recognize me, he can’t.

But then he looks at you and every memory you had buried inside of you resurfaces.

He motions to his guards to wait for him and he starts walking towards you. You breathe slowly, one breath at a time. He takes his mask off and you hesitate to take yours, not sure if you truly want him to see you.

You exchange the typical and very awkward hi, how are you, i’m glad you’re doing okay and then he smiles and it feels comfortable. Familiar.

It’s the whiff of another time that you always kept around. A reminder that you were once loved by a god.

“What are you doing here?”

“Filming Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

If you hadn’t unfollowed him on instagram, you’d known.

“Ah yes I heard about that, congrats.”

He nods a thank you.

“And you? In Prague?”

“I was at a friend.”

He looks conflicted, hurt, turns his gaze to his shoes on the grey cement. You want to say something, but you feel like throwing up.

And then he laughs.

“I was right.”

You’re confused, he notices.

“Back in Greece,” he swallows, “I told you this would happen.”

“It would have been an airport, different gates for each of us, but same waiting hall. Or a Greek island, where we’d both be for the summer.”

“I would have found you.”

You remember and you cannot help but smile. He was right. He found you.

“I didn’t believe you then.”

I barely believe you now.

He touches your hair. And his touch is like a knife. And you want to cry. Magnolias under your tongue. A love long lost is whispering in your ears until it hurts to listen. He’s like a magnetic field and you feel yourself drowning in him.

“I bet they’ll ask me a hundred questions about you later.” He says and looks at the two men waiting for him.

“And what will you tell them?”

“That you’re most probably the love of my life.”

Don’t cry, don’t cry.

“There’s no way we’d meet here if you’re not.”

“Sebastian,” His name sounds like a prayer coming out of your lips and you're ready to tell him you love him and you can swear he looks like he’s ready to faint, “I-”

The guards yell his name. And it's the same feeling people have just before a car crash.

“I’m sorry, I have to go.”

One last look.

Don’t cry, don’t cry.

You repeat it over and over again. But you fail.

“No, don't cry” He smiles, one last smile, “Just look at the stars and wait for us to meet again, because we will.”

He caresses the back of your palm for a second and you think your ribcage is shattering but it’s only your heart drumming frantically. Pushing your fragile bones to break. 

You want to stop him, wrap your arms around his torso, never let him go. Not again. But you don’t.

You just watch him leave, one more time, your knees weak, your head heavy and dizzy. For the split of a moment he turns and glances at you but then he’s nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps it was all in your imagination. Perhaps it was nothing but a wonder.

You get into your plane and you silently sob.

/

And then it’s summer.

And you overhear he was seen with a girl, the day before your vacation starts and you find a picture of them together a week later, a pretty blonde girl clinging to his side with a colorful bikini somewhere in Spain. And he’s smiling. And you feel so ashamed. And so stupid.

They say time heals all wounds but they must be wrong because you can’t forget how he used to smile at you or how he used to call you the love of his life.

Was he joking when he said you'll meet again? You bet if you asked him now, he wouldn't even remember saying it.

I’ll love you for a long time.

So long for nothing.

/

i really appreciate feedback, it motivates me tons and also tell me if you’d like to be tagged :) also i’m really sorry if you asked me to tag you and i didn’t  but i lost a lot of asks and the urls of the people that sent them :( 

tagging: @lharrietg @awkward117 @dannaloureen @broccoligf @cutestfangirlvevo @caitdaniels @arymb @buckybarnesishot310 @roguesthetic @itsaliceheree @sara-1705 @dorothea-hwldr @freshfreakoaftrash @drinkfantasy @christinamcdonnell ​@partypoison00 ​ @90ssantiago

[hes-writer]

drivers’ license

Summary: harry teaches y/n how to drive

Warnings: angst, a little bit of fluff

Word Count: 1805 words

A/N: the ‘blonde girl’ has no face claim.

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MASTERLIST

_____

There were many milestones that Y/N strived to remember; things that she wanted to embed in her memory because each fleeting moment was a few seconds away from being lost.  She was afraid that in a blink of an eye; everything would disappear, that she wouldn’t even remember what had been forgotten.

But she would never forget him. Harry. The best friend who taught her how to drive with the utmost patience, calm correction of her mistakes and gentle voice to ease her worry as soon as the shift went from ‘P’ to ‘D’.  He was there with precise instruction, detailing each rule and advice that would help her acquire her drivers’ license.  He was tolerant of her constant ability to doubt herself, always assuring Y/N that she could do it.

It was silly why Y/N was scared of driving.  It was because it felt so grown up, so adult-like and it bought a sense of responsibility.  It meant fully committing to adulthood.  There was a shift that everything was changing.  And by that, she meant everything.

.

.

.

It seemed like a distant memory now.

Y/N took the leap of faith to start learning how to drive, trusting him to teach her the ways. Harry was her light in a dark day.  His smile was bright enough for her to admit that through the haze of her nervousness; it wasn’t just caused by her fear of handling and operating a vehicle.

It also had to do with the way Y/N’s stomach fluttered with butterflies when she had parked in an empty lot, Harry sitting on the passenger’s seat as they talked to each other about anything and everything their minds could conjure up at that very moment. No filter.

How Harry enthusiastically shared his excitement about Y/N’s newfound ability to drive to and fro from her apartment to his place.  They would be able to go on drives on the coast with nostalgic songs blasting on the radio, screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs where no one would hear them.  The wind sifting through his hair to which she commented on maybe getting it snipped; it was why Harry opted to not trust Y/N with scissors anymore after a close-call with the sharp tool.  She didn’t know why he had decided to trust her with it in the first place--she was a clumsy one.

Yet Harry continued to spend each and every second of his free time with her, even when he was booked to the hilt with mandatory meetings and unplanned fan encounters, Y/N stood by his side as an unofficial photographer.  The dopey grin on her face must’ve been permanent every time that she was around him.  Sometimes she looked through the screen of the phone and wondered just how much she would break if Harry wasn’t around in her life and all she had to remember him by was the captured portrait of his kind aura leaking through the device; almost as if he was there right beside her because Y/N seemed to label her best memories with him around.

Harry was it for her.  Even if her feelings were not mutual, Y/N would take being his closest friend over being a stranger because at least she was near him.  Luckily, Harry returned her affection.  Though, it was humiliating to vouch for a relationship that would have to go through troughs and trenches in order to be rendered successful.  It seemed impossible with her stoic life compared to his fast-paced, always moving, always travelling situation.

Y/N was willing to work for it.  If she were to make a list of things she wanted most, it would be the unconditional love from the one that meant the most to her.  Harry was exactly what she wanted--what she needed.  Y/N didn’t know what she did in her past life or even now that caused the universe to gift her with a presence as charming and graceful as his but she would do it every day if it meant coming home to his warm embrace.

But Harry wasn’t so keen on commitment.  There was no denying that his thorough discourse of relationships hindered his ability to fully trust any future partners and Y/N understood that.  The distance gets to peoples’ heads, even his, admittedly.  Loneliness seeps through his fingers, directing his body to strangely familiar bodies. Ones whom he was not currently committed to. Wandering hands.

Despite that, Y/N knew that Harry was a good person.  Some may call her a fool for giving him a chance but he truly was a genuine guy.  She had seen it when he was coddled up, blankets bunched all the way to his chin, only showcasing his angelic face.  The crease of his brows free from any worries.  He was simply him.  She had seen him when he was the most vulnerable.

Harry was a romantic person.  He loved to love.  He adored the concept of having someone behind him, beside him and in front of him at all times to catch him when he fell, to support him in any new journeys and to lead him when he was lost.  Y/N could understand his shortcomings, aiming to better the other person instead of putting them down.  She wanted a dialogic approach instead of having a conversation where all she pointed out was his bad qualities.

What she couldn’t comprehend was how easily he had lied to her.

She wasn’t asking for much; Y/N promised to wait for him until he was ready. Until his previous baggage was deemed easy enough to carry, or at least when Harry was able to talk about it without anointing skepticism to his actions.  Though, Harry had blatantly disregarded her purity to be patient towards him.  Basically, he had told her that he was not ready for a relationship yet here he was now, holding hands with another girl.  The blonde woman had caused insecurities to sprout from deep within her since Harry kept citing her age and maturity, adding that she was ‘different’ from the rest as if he hadn’t mentioned it previously.

.

.

.

Y/N would ask herself from time to time; when a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound?

She compared it to the times’ Harry’s voice cracked in the middle of singing songs that embedded itself in her memory and the way his ears tinted a blush pink even under the night sky after Y/N quickly gave a glance in his direction.  She reminisced about the times when he would explain any ideas he had about new songs, thoroughly immersing not only himself but her as well, in his art.  He would sometimes stop midway as if lost in thought when really he was just mesmerized by the slope of her nose and the pucker of her lips.

He was so passionate.  So indulged and fervent in making sure everything he did was one-hundred percent, authentically him.  Harry spoke with grit when he was overly zealous and he tended with a soft voice when he felt vulnerable.

It was glaringly loud; Y/N could hear him everywhere she went.  But now that he was gone—out of reach—did those conversations ever really happen?  Was she even present when Harry shyly played a song he had been working on for her, singing stripped with just his raspy voice, serenading her with a tune describing how much gratitude he felt that she was present in his life.  He appreciated her so much for accepting him even when the world criticized his every action. For being there when he seemingly felt lonely.

.

.

.

Life itself was funny to her.

Sometimes Y/N wondered how she could let herself be vulnerable with somebody else other than herself.  It was plastered everywhere—love never lasts.  Relationships come and go, people leave and never return, friends, drift apart and detaching from oneself was even possible.  It was practically the motto of anyone searching for love—looking for a sense of comfort and belonging, yet she was practically crushed by the overwhelming reality that it may never happen.

She hated the way her heart longed for him to be near as if when he was too far away it ached in pain.  Y/N disliked the feeling of being out of place because where she truly belonged was in his arms.  Harry’s nose nuzzled at the top of her head, inhaling her scent as though it was the last time he would hold her—for a while at least.

And it really was because the next day he had left to catch a flight a mere continent away.

____

The night before was special to Y/N. Harry left with a promise of ‘forever’ and that he would return straight to her after his tour ends.  It was a dainty promise but Y/N chose to believe him because it was Harry and he never strayed from his words.

He promised to return and Y/N had sworn to wait for him. They both agreed, after admitting their feelings the night before he left, that a long-distance relationship was not how either of them wanted to begin.  Although their friendship had lasted years prior to finding out the bubbling flame between them, crossing the line as seamlessly as possible was the gateway to a healthy relationship.

Y/N could hardly wait for his return now that she was driving alone to where she needed to be.  Harry was always at the back of her mind no matter how hard she tried to distract herself.  He was attached to the episodic memory of Y/N successfully learning how to drive; that was something she couldn’t really forget.

.

.

.

Y/N unlocked the car doors, breathing deeply as soon as she was situated on the driver’s seat. The beeping of the car ringing in her ears until she was reminded to close the car door shut.

She blinked her lids tightly, feeling salty tears pooling at her waterline.  It was a sad excuse of trying to not start sobbing right then and there but she was successful.

Starting the engine, Y/N sniffled as she adjusted her mirror, making sure that she could see through them before driving off. As she focused her eyes on the road, Harry’s voice repeated in her head.

She didn’t know where she was going. Y /N didn’t really have a destination to arrive to because her brain was filled with images of Harry and her.  Kissing, hugging, looking at each other as if nobody else in the mattered; not even Y/N.

And it hurt a lot because she kept her promise of waiting for him to return but it seemed like he had no trouble filling the hole in his heart, unlike her.

He moved on.

_____

[dreamingofmilk]

Prompt: cockwarming MBaku or Thor

We had so much fun writing this!, we hope you like it! Thank you so much for sending the request.

All that you could hear was the rain hitting the window pane. Your eyes fixed on your phone screen as you lay in you and your husband’s California king bed, your ears listened to the hard rain outside. It had been raining all day and most of last night, but you didn’t mind the rainy day, in fact, you enjoyed the natural sounds it gave off.

From the constant rush of rain to the sound of the happy toads and frogs when the rain let up a little. You were at your most relaxed when it was raining like this, so you tried your best to enjoy it.

Despite your other senses focusing on the atmosphere around you, all you could feel was your husband under you. And you were thoroughly enjoying it, but from the grunt of your husband you felt like he was enjoying it more, even though he was asleep. You adjusted yourself on top of him, whimpering quietly at the delicious stretch his dick provided. His hands quickly gripped your hips. His thick fingers digging into your skin.

Thor groaned at your slight movement. His hands instinctively reaching up to grab your hips. Only the God of thunder could make you weak even in his sleep. He thrusted up slightly, causing all your nerves to stand at attention. A cry left your lips at the movement, you couldn’t breath with how good he felt within you.

You squirmed, uncontrollably clenching around him.

His rough voice broke the silence, “I believe I told you not to move last night, little one.” He lifted you up slightly then dropped you back down, his thumb brushing your clit, a small lightning static charge almost brought you to orgasm.

“That’s not fair. When you do things like that, I can’t help it.” You squirmed, clenching around him.

“It’s not.” Thor chuckled then brushed a soft finger across your face. “But you look so pretty just sitting here on my dick. So full of me.” He caressed your stomach. “You feel, ugh, you feel so good too.” Thor felt you tighten around him at his words. “Besides, aren't you the one who wanted to sit calmly and listen to the rain?”

You did want to lay with your husband and listen to the rain, but being stuffed full of him didn’t sound like a good idea, especially if you couldn’t ride him the way you wanted. But whatever Thor wanted he got, especially if he ripped your panties off and rubbed your clit to an orgasm.

So here you sat full of him all night.

“Well.” You shifted on him ready to break his rules because it felt like he would be bringing you to another orgasm with just his zippy fingers on your clit. And honestly you just couldn’t take it anymore.

“I need you to fuck me. Not just bask in my warmth.” Thor smiles broadly at you and thrusted into you gently. Then with more force. His strokes constant and powerful, you couldn’t help the sounds that slipped from your lips.

“Whatever you want my love.” It didn’t take long for the two of you to reach your climax as you had both been on edge for a long time. But when you came twice you almost lost it. A tear streamed down your face, causing Thor to smile as he coated your walls with his cum. His arms wrapped around your waist, holding you in place. You rolled your eyes when you felt him get hard again.

You both settled down again for several minutes, just basking in each other’s company. Your peace was ruined when you felt a drop on your head, then another, followed by another fat drop on your scalp. You looked up at the ceiling only to be blinded by another water drop.

You quickly stood from the bed, despite Thor’s protests, and grabbed one of your cleaning buckets from under the bathroom sink. Putting it in place, the steady drops of water into the bucket did nothing to calm your nerves.

“Fuck.” You whispered to yourself.

Thor stands in all his naked glory and embraces you. “I’ll never understand why you wanted this house. I have more than enough money to get you the house of your dreams.”

You shrugged, “This will be my dream home. It just felt right. Don’t worry about the leak, I’ll take care of it. There’s a bucket.” Thor nods and heads into the bathroom to get freshened up.

You walk as quietly as you can into Thor’s upstairs tool closet and get the items you think you’ll need to fix the roof and another bucket.

You grab a step stool from the laundry room and place it in the right spot to reach the main leaky area.

“Stop.” Thor’s authoritarian voice stops you in your tracks. You hand flies to your stomach protectively.

“I was just going to do it myself.” You say meekly as Thor approaches you and glances up at the ceiling. He quietly takes the items from your hand and climbs the step stool to start the work.

“You would not have even been able to reach this anyway. What were you thinking?” Thor starts patching up the roof the best he can.

“That our roof was leaking.” You respond with a slight attitude. “You didn’t seem all that motivated to fix it.”

“Yes my love, because everyday there is something wrong with this house. And I’ve told you before and will say it again. I do not want to raise our child here. It’s not safe for you or the baby.” Thor glances down at you and points at a tool he needs.

You glance at your three month pregnant belly and sigh. He was right. You just fell in love with the house and the idea of being able to make it a home for the three of you.

“I know you love the house, my love. But… I just.” You cut him off.

“I know. I made a mistake. I had these grand dreams of you and I working together to build this house into something wonderful. But I know now we can’t make it work.”

You smile sadly while looking at the poorly decorated room. The walls were bare because you wanted to paint them. The carpet needed to be ripped up and replaced. And the furniture had nothing on it because you wanted to make it easier for things to be moved out for when you finally chose your hardwood floor.

Thor’s fingers gently touched your chin forcing you to look at him.

“My love, I’ll do anything you ask of me. You know I’ll move the world for you. But this.” He gestured to the house around you. “Not right now. Please.” His large hand cupped your cheek. You sighed and closed your eyes finding comfort in the warmth of your large husband.

“Okay. I’ll move the world for you too. And as much as I love this house. I love you more. So we can look for something else.” You smile up at your husband.

5 Years Later

“Okay, my love, keep your eyes closed It’s just a few more steps.” You kept your hand wrapped tight with your son’s. His giggles brought a smile to your face. As promised you and Thor bought a beautiful new home in the suburbs. It was far more expensive than you planned, but Thor insisted that it was one of the most important purchases you would ever make. The home you would raise your family in. Of course he was right, and you definitely got used to the modern amenities.

Thor held your other hand as he led you down the sidewalk. You could hear birds and tree branches rustling but you had no idea where he was taking you. He finally stopped and held you steady as he untied the blindfold behind your head.

“Ok, beautiful. Open your eyes.”

In front of you stood an adorable little cottage. It was the perfect blend of old charm and new construction. The garden out front was perfectly done, you could smell the sweet aroma of the flowers from the sidewalk. You didn’t understand why Thor brought you here though.

“Baby, I don’t understand, what are we doing here?”

His smile was bright, “Did you forget your dream home so quickly, my love?”

And just like that everything clicked. The long hours Thor spent on the weekends getting work done, the constant questions about furniture and color palettes, and architecture. Your eyes welled up at the thought.

“You… all this time you’ve been…”

He pulled you into his arms, “You said this was your dream home. It just wasn’t the right time back then. I said I would move the world for you. Fixing up a house kind of pales in comparison.”

Parker started jumping excitedly next to you. “Hugs hugs!”

Thor chuckled and picked him up, kissing his cheeks until Parker dissolved into a fit of giggles. “That’s right, son. There are going to be a lot of hugs in this house, and hopefully, a lot of little sisters and brothers.” Thor wiggled his eyebrows, his eyes full of humor.

“Yay! I’ll be a good big brother! Can we please momma?”

You could never say no to him. His eyes were just like his father’s. You snuggled your son, your eyes glaring at your husband as he laughed.

“We’ll see buddy. Let’s go pick out your room.”

That was all the four year old needed to hear. He shot off toward the front door, you and Thor following behind him as a much slower pace.

You looked over at your husband, “Want to explain why my son is begging for a baby?"

Thor smirked, “I may or may not have shown him the nursery. He got really attached to the idea of a little sister."

"Of course he did. Seriously though, thank you for all of this. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

Thor scoffed, "Just grow with me forever in this house. That's all I want, Y/N."

You smiled, "Of course, but if the roof leaks, I'm leaving you."

Thor's booming laugh carried through the home, the sound softened your heart in a way you'd never felt before.

"Deal."

Taglist: @chaneajoyyy @aislinnsilver @marvelmaree @wawakanda-btch

[plutoismydaddy]

I can read you like a book 4

Jimin x reader Gangster au

In the midst of a gang war Jimin finds himself in his own war. A war between himself and the feelings he was developing for the girl with the fuzzy pink scarf.

CH1 CH2  CH3 CH4 CH5

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

“All of a sudden?” Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows “All of a sudden!” you repeated, “He was all fine, and then he flipped all of a sudden saying something about wasting our time or whatever.”. You leaned back in your seat, trying to not burst with anger. The car stopped in front of a red light and Seokjin turned to you “Believe it or not, but this is not something Jimin does. He might be a bit impulsive, but he never gives up just because it’s boring.”. Seokjin shook his head lightly as he spoke “Are you sure you didn’t say something?” you felt a slight pang in your heart at the accusation “No, nothing. We were laying in silence, but as soon as that girl, I don’t know her fucking name, walked in he decided that he had enough.”. “That girl?” a honk sounded from the car behind you, looking at the light the two of you realised it had turned green. “There is this one girl that visits the den regularly. She seems to be important or something just based on how people react to her and how many attend the meetings when she does.”. “Do you have any info on her?” reaching into your bag you pulled out your camera “No, she was actually the reason I wanted to go today, I got some good pictures. We might finally get something on her.” the last words fell quietly from your lips. Seokjin’s eyes flickered from the road to you scrolling through the pictures”...When did Jimin say he didn’t want to go back?” still concentrated on the photos you answered with a simple “Yesterday”. “But he was there today?” your finger stopped pressing the buttons, you had almost forgotten about that. A sigh fell from both your lips simultaneously “God my head.” the man beside you groaned and buried his face in his hands after parking the car. Sitting in silence, the two of you seemed in a trance as you stared into space. “Can I see the pictures?” you placed the camera in his open hand, “I couldn’t get a shot on her face but the jewellery her body might help”. “Were gonna see if we can find the jeweller and then see all the customers that have bought similar pieces?” you nodded slightly “exactly”.  

You had texted Jimin telling him you couldn’t meet him the coming week because you had to work overtime at the cafe, you physically cringed in pain at the sad response you had gotten, but you had to lie. There was no other way to explain why you would spend the whole week with Seokjin. Taking a deep breath, you returned your attention to the picture on your laptop, staring back at you was the belly chain the hooded person wore. You clicked to the next image, this time their feet appeared, the coal-black boot’s heel was covered with a golden plate. The buckle on the side held the same symbol as the one hanging from the waist chain, a golden tiger head with piercing deep blue eyes. You could probably draw it in your sleep with how many times you had stared at it. Trying to google the small charms that hung from the gold chain, resulted in nothing. But this wasn’t any bad news, the fact that it wasn’t known enough to come up on google meant that it was most likely handmade and maybe even requested. Your phone buzzed from beside you, your heart jumped for a moment at the thought of Jimin, but it was only Seokjin. 

Your eyes traced the jewellery laying under the glass, you had entered the jewellery shop alone, but you knew Seokjin didn’t leave you with his gaze. “You have some beautiful pieces” you spoke still pretending to be intrigued by the glittering metal “Thank you, we get everything by the best of the best” the woman spoke pride lacing her voice. “Is there anything specific you’re looking for?” the woman continued, you looked up at her. “Maybe a gold waist chain” the red-painted lips of the jeweller stretched into a smile “mmm, a waist chain” she walked eyes peering through the glass onto the jewellery. “A great way for a woman to show off her curves” you let out an embarrassed chuckle “But unfortunately we don’t have any” her lips slightly curled down as she spoke. “Oh”, this was going to take forever, you sighed in your head. 

Seokjin chuckled at the huff that fell from your lips as you plopped down in the car closing the car door, “Nothing?” you leaned your head back “Nothing.”. The vehicle hummed as Seokjin started the car “Well, it’s only the first store.”. Despite Seokjin’s optimism, the day ended the same as it had begun, fruitless. “Let’s just give up for today” Seokjin sighed beside you, as you rubbed warmth into your hands, you only nodded in response. 

Watching the street lights pass over the car you pulled out your phone, opening the messaging app, you felt disappointment, flood your stomach. Jimin’s face engulfed your mind, you hadn’t seen or heard from him in so long. A warm burning feeling creepy up your chest and tightened your throat, you swallowed trying to blink away the tears, what was going on? Were you really getting attached to a person you had only known for barely a month? Slowly sinking into your seat you swallowed again, he clearly didn’t care about you, the two of you were only colleagues, more images flashed in your head Jimin smiling and laughing. He didn’t care about you.

You stretched your arms, your fingertips grazing against the warm roof of the car, you watched the storefronts fly by outside your window, It was a new day, and hopefully, you would finally find something.

You bounced to the car, “Ooo.” Seokjin’s eyebrows rose as he turned towards you in interest, closing the car door behind you, you mirrored Seokjin “I found her.” you smirked at Seokjin. The man stared back at you, his face twisted in confusion, “The girl in the picture?”, you shook your head “No...but I found out where she bought her jewellery.”. You handed him a small white paper, the black ink spelling out the address. “The lady might be working for the Balck Doves or is at least close to them so we should be careful” Seokjin nodded pressing down the gas pedal.

“I’m coming with you” Seokjin spoke from beside you, the car parked beside a cafe not far from the jewellery shop, you simply nodded sensing this would be a bit different from the stress you visited before. The two of you stepped out of the car and walked towards the small store, you closed the space between you and the man beside you arms bumping against each other “We don’t know if she works with them or not, so we should probably keep this short” your voice was low as you spoke eyes not leaving the store. “I’ll leave the talking to you,” Seokjin whispered back. The bell let out a cheerful shout as Seokjin pushed the door open, once inside you watched the lady behind the counter turn to you. Her right arm was bent slightly under the counter most likely holding something. Your eyes turned into crescent moons as you smiled at the lady “good evening.” you greeted. The woman seemed to relax, her right arm straightening and her tense shoulder slumping back down, she probably didn’t see you as a threat. “What a lovely shop you have.” you spoke softly, eyes running across the wine red walls before turning back to the lady, her crows feet grew at the compliment. “Thank you”, her voice was rough and nasally “What brings you here? I don’t think I have seen you before” her dark eyes flickered to Seokjin before returning to you. “We were passing by and I couldn’t help but be entranced by this beautiful store” you chuckled. The lady ran her palm along the side of her greying hair “I would love to see what you sell, but…” you furrowed your eyebrows imitating confusion as you looked around the room “I don’t see anything. You are a jewelry shop, right?”. The lady straightened a sparkle taking over her eyes “Yes! But no ordinary jewelry shop, every jewlery is customised for the individual customer. No piece is the same!”. You tried your best to bite back a smirk “No piece is the same, huh?”, the woman nodded, her head held high with pride “I refuse to make duplicates!”.

The lady went on explaining the whole process, you gulped, keeping a smile on your face before turning to the man behind you, he blinked confused at you. So much for keeping it short, you thought as you turned back to the lady. Still, you were sure buttering her up with compliments would make it easier to get info out of her, “You’re truly talented you chuckled through gritted teeth. The woman seemed oblivious to the souring mood instead basking in the affection. “Well why don’t I design something for you? I don’t usually take customers outside my usuals, but you’re such a sweetheart.” the lady walked into the back room as she spoke, your eyebrows rose at the comment “Usual customers? Is this a family business?” you could hear Sekojin straighten up, interested in the answer as well. “Not really, a close… friend pays for the expenses of this store, and in return, I make jewellery for her.” the lady spoke as she picked through some colours stones eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Hmm, I think yellow would suit you. Yellow is very entrancing and represents happiness, which suits you perfectly.”. An image suddenly popped up in your head, it was one of the charms on the waist chain, a blue stone wrapped in a gold cord. You licked your lips leaning forward “Um, how- how about blue?” you stared at her with big eyes “No, blue is more for a person that is wise and powerful. I don’t get that from you, no offence” she chuckled. “How about animals?” you were basically leaning over the counter “My friend here is a loves tigers” Seokjin jumped at the sudden attention, stepping forward he nodded catching on. The lady froze for a second, her lips pulling slightly up in disgust before she returned to work. “...Tigers are spiteful animals, they only take with no regards of others...They kill and betray.” the wrinkles around her nose dug deeper into her skin as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Ungrateful” she hissed but were cut off by the cheerful sound of the bell. The three of you turned to the door, there froze and mirroring your shocked face stood Park Jimin, it had been so long since the last time you couldn’t help but let your eyes linger and drink all of his features. His now sharp eyes broke you out of your trance. He didn’t seem happy to see you, gulping hard you tuned to the lady “Oh my it seems that I have done it again and talked away the time,” you smiled pulling on your pink scarf in nervousness. “It seems like you have another customer too.” you turned to Seokjin who was glaring tough Jimin. Elbowing him slightly you bowed to the old lady “We’ll take our leave then.”, she reached out for the two of you as you walked towards the door. “Wait!” rounding the desk she handed you the jewellery she had worked on in your hand, you opened your mouth to speak. Still, she interrupted you “Thank you for the conversation.” Her eyes held a sadness that tore pain into your heart, giving her a smile and nod, the two of you walked out, you keeping your head low avoiding Jimin’s gaze. 

You stared into the air, not fathoming what had happened, “What is he doing?!” Seokjin slammed his palm against the steering wheel, the car slightly jerking at the movement. You watched him from the corner of your eye, his eyebrows were furrowed, lips pulled in a scowl. Terrifying, you thought. Your eyes fell on the small jewellery shelled by your hands, you brought your hand up letting the keychain hang from your finger, the little yellow star dangling from the glittering chain. “She didn’t seem that alarmed when he walked in.” you spoke voice low and eyes not leaving the keychain “Not like when we walked in”. “He’s been there before.” Seokjin said through gritted teeth. You let out a sigh, your hand falling back onto your lap “Let’s forget that now. We got a good amount of info” you let your head fall back onto the headrest “The girl we’re searching for is most likely this “friend” that bought the store. But the lady didn’t seem happy with her, seeing how she spoke about the tiger thing”. The car fell into silence as the man beside you didn’t answer, you didn’t mind feeling a headache creep through your scalp, a slight buzz caught your attention. You opened your eyes and looked down on your phone, eyes slightly widening—a message from Jimin. You swallowed eyeing Seokjin, but he seemed lost in thought before looking back at your phone, based on the way he had looked earlier this couldn’t be good, you thought as you unlock the device. The message was short and to the point, Tomorrow, the concrete sea 20.00. The concrete sea was an old neighbourhood that was stripped of all buildings leaving only a massive area of flat concrete… isn’t it where people get taken to be killed? You thought a small nervous chuckle fell from your lips.   

[sugarcookiesandsins]

Charmed [Episode 3]

➰ ot7 x reader, poly!bts x reader, mafia!bts ➰they wouldn’t notice her until she was standing above them, a smoking gun in her hand a bullet in their heart  🌡 M 🛑 heavy violence  🕛  6.1k+

✍️:  @yeomjoo​ - Thank you dear for editing this! 

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Stepping out into the main room of the restaurant, it wasn’t difficult to gather that something big had happened. You bristled at the sight of the men who sat at the bar only meters away. You knew that they had seen you from the way their brown eyes widened, but you glanced over that sudden movement not giving a reaction in favor of pretending to be looking for a seat which seemed to be the better option

Thankfully, the owner waved you over to the same bar and placed you in the next seat over from Kim Taehyung, whose eyes had already begun to trace your form. Neither he nor Jungkook had noticed that Seokjin had recognized you —and if they did — they didn’t give anything away as you sat down. In proper restaurant fashion, you were asked for your order and delivered your food shortly thereafter. Since sitting down, you had only lifted your head a few times, mostly noting the nearest waiter or watching the people around you in a rather absent-minded sort of boredom.

Soon enough, the boys had come to the conclusion that the man they were looking for was not there and nodded covertly to signal it was time to leave. Just as the two younger members started to put weight on their feet, they were dragged back down, a rough tug coming to lay on their shoulders. Glancing at each other in bewilderment, they looked up. 

[KTH]

I looked at Jungkook, my eyes widening. Shrugging my shoulders in response to the offending hand sitting on my jacket, following it down to the shoulder it was attached to. I wondered what reason Jin hyung had for keeping us here when it was obvious that Eli had given us the slip again.

His eyes lay  focused a little ways down the make-shift bar that Jungkook and I sat at. Sadly, the alcoholic selection was limited, but the ramen smelled divine; I had half a mind to ask if we could eat here but I already knew the answer. It would always be ‘one day’, and if that were truly the case, then I could wait.

The girl that  Seokjin was focused on appeared forgettable at best, she didn’t do much to stand out in the crowded restaurant. Her shoulders were hunched towards her phone in pure concentration, her eyes focused intently something colorful on her screen.

She was utterly forgettable. No need to think too much.

Eli on the other hand, he was someone that I had always loved to watch. He worked with such grace that it was difficult to tell whether he was even human with the way he moved. He was like smoke. He was just dark enough that you could feel the tendrils on your fingertips for a split second before it faded into the atmosphere.

Kim Seokjin, much like the younger boys had dismissed you swiftly as a commoner, only pausing momentarily to think back to that day at the mall.  Yet, he found that his eyes kept trailing back to your form, which sat illuminated by the soft light emitted from your smartphone. He didn’t know what it was that caught his attention — but like Hoseok, you had drawn him in.

He recalled the day in the mall. The contrast between your active form in the store and your currently relaxed one against the window was startling. Even now, you broke all the right stereotypes, forgoing the expensive restaurants for this hole-in-the-wall. True, there was an art to home-cooked comfort food, but most old-money didn’t have that appreciation due to having been fed gourmet food since the day they were born. This gave him more information about you: you were new money. There was no heiress under the denim jacket that you wore.

However, different from the prior situation in the mall, he could now come up with a reason to interact with you. Though not a very strong one, you were the closest person to them and they could question you about their current target. Deciding that there was no point in stalling, he stood up from his chair and almost rolled his eyes at the sudden silence that enveloped the room. Despite that, he kept his eyes on you as you realized the newfound silence and turned your head to find the cause.

Almost immediately, Seokjin locked eyes with you, continuing to stare in your direction. You simply raised an eyebrow and tilted your head to look around the room. After all, you were supposedly a foreigner who hadn't the slightest clue about BTS. Locking eyes with Seokjin once again, you acknowledge him as the cause and turned back to your phone with disinterest. Realizing their hyung’s target, the two glared at the rest of the patrons, who immediately snapped back into the conversation.

Stepping out into their walkway, Seokjin rounded Taehyung and made his way towards you. You sensed him but gave no indication that you knew he was moving in your general direction A sixth-sense was something only built up after years of training and would be a dead give-away if any of the boys were smart and you suspected that they were.

Keeping your eyes on your phone in one hand and your chopsticks in your other hand, you ignored his imposing figure until you felt a hand come to rest on your shoulder. You attempted to resist the urge to twist his arm, the more common line of self-defense if you ever felt an enemy coming at you from behind. Yet, nothing could stop the minute twitch of your fingers as you consciously resisted that urge.

This was what Jungkook zeroed in on as he watched the interaction between you and Seokjin. So, she had some self-defense training, he thought to himself as he recalled his own strategy for cowards who came at him in the same way. Taehyung, on the other hand, focused on your face and the expression of surprise. It was pure in a way that he hadn't seen on any of the girls he had been with previously. There was no sinner’s glint in foggy irises.

Pretending to startle, you whirled around to face the “unknown” assailant who had retreated into a placating gesture, both palms facing you, fully intending to ward off any attacks

“Sorry about the scare. I was just wondering if I could ask you some questions?”

Well, that wasn’t odd at all. You tilted your head, running through all the possible responses you could give. The love-struck fool was out of the equation, and so was the innocent dove.

Deciding that the less you interacted with them — the better you would be in the long run — you pulled out the ‘Levi’.

Raising your hand, you counted your statements, “No, we have not met before. Yes, I am new to Seoul. Yes, I come here often. No, I don’t want you to buy me a drink. And no, it did not hurt when I fell from heaven, but it did when I crawled up from hell.” 

Tilting your head at him, you followed up with a question. “Did I miss anything, or do you actually have something unique to try on me?"

Seokjin could only stare at the spitfire in front of him. Yes, he had met with all kinds of girls before, but never one with the audacity to immediately whirl around and continue her meal, ignoring his looming presence. It was an immediate dismissal and wounded his pride more than the snickers of his blood-brothers from behind. Clearing his throat to reign in his composure, he tried again.

“Actually, I was looking for someone and I was wondering if you've seen him.” 

Stupidly, it seemed, you had hoped that it was someone else that they were looking for. Coincidences were miracles, but they did happen. “well, you see, his name is Eli and he said he would meet us here, but we haven’t seen him. He’s about your height and has blonde hair.”

“I guess miracles won't just happen when I need them to,” you thought wryly to yourself, hiding your annoyance behind a mask of indifference.

“So you're not quite the same as the others, you chuckled, waving your hand, “and again, I have an answer for you. No, I haven't seen your friend.” You ended your sentence with a tone of finality as you tossed a couple bills on the counter and collected your backpack. This had taken enough time out of your day as it was. You still had to go to the mall and check the furniture store records.

With hardly a glance, you stalked out the door, not bothering to hide the form that years of training bestowed upon you. Mostly out of personal curiosity, you wondered how well Jungkook was trained. Apprentices had knowledge of it, while masters recognized it, not only in themselves, but in others. It was a bearing of the deepest shadows, light on the feet yet each step purposeful and in preparation. For what? No one could tell, but it was predacious to the core. 

A slight gasp of breath gave you an answer. He was very well trained indeed, but you were better.

“So, is she crawling into your bed tonight Jin-hyung?” It was a low jab and Taehyung knew it.

“Not tonight, but hopefully one day.” There was no backing to that statement, but a man could hope. Especially when a fellow predator was involved.

After leaving the boys in the noodle shop, you made your way back to the mall where you had bought furniture. Following long internal debates — each of which made you wince as you recalled the tattoo — you finally decided to say screw it and go through with it. Besides, worst case scenario, you would have to just follow the on the day they came to pick up the furniture from the store. Either way, you would be getting their home address before they found you or Eli.

The walk to the mall had given you time to think about what BTS could possibly want with Eli. It was obvious that his escapades had caught the attention of BigHit and now they wanted something with him. The real question was what? At this point, you were leaning towards the fact that they wanted to eliminate him. The reasons were clear. He had no loyalty ties to any one sect. He was a wild card that they couldn’t account for and they didn’t seem to like that. On top of that, you never  paid much attention to who you took for and it was almost guaranteed that those people may have been BigHit associates.

Thus, if you wanted to avoid death, you would have to hold an advantage over the boys. Not only did the surprise visit from Jin allow you to figure out Eli’s stance from here on out, but it also gave you an opportunity to observe them at a closer distance. It was then that you noticed the silver medallion. It was small to say the least, barely the size of the pad of your thumb, but it was enough. It seemed as if there was something carved on it and taking a small detour to your blurry mental images of Taehyung and Seokjin, you could have sworn  that they had the same crimson caressing their necks and shoulders before disappearing below the color of their button-ups. That wasn’t the only thing. While you were sitting at the shop’s bar, it was not difficult to notice the glare of the lights across their wrists.  Their watches were of a similar fashion too. 

Leaving that thought for the insomniac’s brain, you entered through the glass doors of Coex Mall, making a beeline for the same furniture store that had plagued your thoughts. Walking past the familiar store front, you encountered the very salesman that had sold you your wares. He was all too happy to oblige, thinking that you had come in to add more items to your already long list of deliveries, thus getting him a fatter paycheck at the end of the month. This feeling you knew all too well, having been subject to commission work under Maestro with only a percent of contract cuts delivered to your private account. Yet, that was more than enough considering the level of your clientele lately.

“How can I help you, Miss?” The man's voice was laced with the customer service sweetness that you had come to hate. Still, what could either of you do? Both of you were subject to a power higher than your own. You, to your need for revenge and him to fulfill his boss’s desires.

“I came in a couple weeks ago and ordered some items but I lost the receipt and the date of purchase.”

“Don’t worry ma’am. I can check our system for your information.” He turned towards the store’s front desk, motioning you to follow him. You obliged as if there were any other option. Soon enough — his search was done and with a small smile — you requested that a copy of the receipt be printed. The moment the door swung closed behind him, you leaned over the desk to view the screen that he had printed from. Clicking the back button, you were met with the screen of recent orders, yours highlighted in a blue so that it was identifiable among the hodgepodge of text. Scanning the lines above and below, it was surprisingly easy to find the order labeled 'Jung Hoseok'. Half suspecting the lack of a fake name and half thankful as your job became easier, you clicked the 'Print Receipt' button that was next to his name. The automatic pop up had a lot of information — but since you heard the familiar footsteps of the salesperson — you snapped a picture with your phone before maneuvering back to the screen with the list of names.

Before turning to the suited man, you plastered a face of slight panic across your features, like a child making up an excuse for why their hand was in the cookie jar. “I’m sorry. I was trying to read more about the  information on my  order, and I think I accidentally clicked something.” Eyes blown wide and a slight blush on your cheeks, it was an act that deserved an Oscar for best visual effects. The worker could do nothing but let out a small chuckle at your flustered state and rather ungraceful  Korean.

In all honesty, he wasn't too worried about you viewing the other orders. The font size was quite small and as a foreigner, and as your salesperson, he had already seen that your Korean wasn’t overly comfortable. Anything you had seen probably looked like lines of jargon. It was a blatantly easy way to dispel any concern about you being a security risk to the store.

If he had looked closer, he would have recalled the speed with which you understood the screen when the topic of discussion was your own purchases and order. If he had cared to notice, most of your writing to him had been in Korean, indicating a decent knowledge of the intricacies of the language. If he had shifted his gaze to the right by about a foot to your phone on the table, all the commands and labels were in Korean. Though there were a few extenuating cases, most of the time, a person’s phone was programmed in a language that they understood perfectly.

But he was only human, and a very untrained one at that. His brain liked to take the easy way out of troubles and subconsciously, that is what he did. Though he did not think of the paperwork a security risk would entail, some part of him did, so he chose to dismiss you and let the torturous documents float away in the breeze.

There was nothing stopping you  from snatching the paper out of his hand like the strike of a snake and making your way out of the store, letting empty words of ‘places to be’ fill the space you had  just vacated.

Making your way through the mall towards the entrance, you were pleasantly surprised when there were no signs of any of the Bangtan Boys. Then again, you understood why there was no one there. They were looking for Eli. A male with blonde hair who looked like he slept in the cheapest apartment in the city. They were not looking for you — a girl with enough money to make heads roll — decked out in attire that practically screamed wealthy.

Once in the safety of your own home, you wasted no time in getting comfortable in the office with the covert picture you had taken earlier. The order was most certainly under the name Jung Hoseok. It had bugged you ever since you first saw it on the computer screen. You had no idea why there wasn't a fake name on the screen. True, there would be no need to hide anyways. His presence in the shop would be enough to cause a stir, so, anonymity was out the window.

Pulling your gaze lower on the paper, you scanned briefly over the items that were ordered. It was an interesting collection of items. As far as you know, they had been together for quite a long time. Either one of them had destroyed a room, so they were setting up for a new housemate. Obviously one of the guesses would be Eli. They were looking for him, and you doubted it was for shits and gigs or a coffee date.

Or, it could be someone else that they were looking for and they wanted Eli to help deal with said other person. It was still up in the air at this point.

Towards the bottom of the paper, you were astonished to see an address within the information about product procurement.

 Huh. Miracles do happen when I want them too. 

Still, you were wary. Much like the mystery of the missing alias, your brain was confused by the mysterious nature of the delivery address. The second one didn’t have that same ring to it, but what did it matter? Both things puzzled you..

The delivery date was set within the next week or so and it wasn’t difficult to keep away from the people chasing you as you maintained a wide berth from the center of their search, the noodle shop which still housed a set of your costume. Thankfully, you always had extras so the mall bathroom became your new art studio as you painted on a more masculine face to cover the softer curves of your natural features. It would be useful to get more used to this personality. After all, you would be using it more often, especially when Bangtan finally got their hands on you.

There was something off-putting about the location of the delivery of furniture. Then again, empty warehouses always had a certain eeriness about them. Still, you'd be damned if the dark and shadows deterred you from your goal. Here you were — almost a day before the designated delivery date — and making yourself comfy among the rafters,  settling down to wait.

You hated yourself for your choice to come early. On the other hand, he trained side of you knew if it were any later, you would be on their radar. In true mafia fashion, they began to scope out the location five hours prior. Even then, the members were smart enough to know to never make a  direct reference to the building, choosing to only drive around its vicinity and a few other buildings erected on the waterfront. Police were on their tail 24/7 waiting for one of them  to mess up.  They wanted anything that would give them an excuse to blow Big Hit wide open with evidence irrefutable even by the higher-ups who were feeding their family off dirty money.

So you waited until one of the cars came closer than the rest and idled near the  front of the east entrance of the building. You listened to every movement: from the driver walking across the crunchy gravel to open the door, to the deep rumble of voices alighting from italian leather couches, and to the opening of the door as you finally saw the men that you would be staining your hands with. Granted, not all of them were there, but a majority were. You were more than happy with the outcome. Hoseok entered first. It was obvious enough. His name was on the order and he would most likely  be the one signing the papers. The four that followed were the ones that came for security purposes and to help move the boxes. Their physical strength was painfully obvious from the way that their jackets hugged layers of muscle that rippled with each step they took.

Their faces were like stone as the door closed behind them. By blocking out the light from the outside they also blocked prying eyes. It hit you with great intensity the pressure on their shoulders. There was a stark difference between their stone cold faces  and the bright grins they now directed towards each other. You knew they were still in their prime and they were subjected to far worse at a younger age, but it never hit you until now. Their voices floated up towards you as they cracked jokes in the fragile cage of a warehouse.

Taking the time to observe them, you noted that they were still in  semi-formal clothing that appeared to be the epitome of haute couture, tailored to follow every plane of skin. Tracing the flow of fabric down their arms — you stopped at the right wrist of each boy — pleasantly surprised at the familiar gleam of metal that hung there.

You continued to silently watch as the boys messed around, killing time until the furniture delivery arrived. Seokjin was the only one that didn't participate, opting instead to be on his phone a little ways away, typing away with such ferocity that you could hear the click every time a manicured nail hit the glass screen. You assumed that he was talking with the Kingpin, Kim Namjoon. It was no secret that the two were close, having been trained by their fathers together “So,” Jimin started, already bored of the antics of the younger two, “any news about our trouble making pickpocketer?” 

Taehyung and Jungkook both paused at the mention of the person that warranted them being taken off  other things they were working on and had therefore forced them to sit in a run-down noodle shop for the better part of the day. They didn’t even get to eat anything while they were there.

“It seems that he went underground,” Jin muttered angrily, frustrated at his own inability to complete the assignment. He had tailed the boy and had — only lost line-of-sight for a second when he had rounded a corner onto a side-street where the noodle shop was located —which had apparently been enough time for the boy to disappear among the bystanders littered across the street.

Taehyung snickered, amused by the annoyance on his elder’s face. It was a rare emotion that marred the normally soft features that characterized a conversationalist of Bangtan. It was amusing to see Jin so emotional about such an insignificant person. Well, perhaps not completely insignificant, especially if their boss wanted him brought in for a job. Normally, BTS wasn't bothered  to lose new street players to their partner groups as thievery was never part of their modus operandi. This could be the first time in history that BigHit was looking out of their familiar circles for a member, even if he was a temporary one.

“Annoyed, hyung?” Jungkook had grown up with the seven boys and was sensitive to their moods as the youngest. It may have been that he was practically raised by them, not having too much contact with his own father outside of training sessions which had ended pretty early due to the fateful disappearance of the previous Bangtan generation. He knew exactly who was responsible for taking them away, all the boys knew, and now they were just waiting for the moment to strike

“Probably not as annoyed as he was when that chick rejected him.” Taehyung’s snicker echoed through the giant warehouse You thought they would forget about you, dismissed as some eccentric foreigner and leave it at that. You didn’t think that your words would warrant getting attention from the males over whom you were precariously hanging.

Not even a bladed glare could deter Taehyung from spilling the details to a clueless Jimin who was looking questioningly at his partner in crime, who erupted into a full-body laugh. Being another one of the members with more of a social role — especially with the fairer sex — always made Taehyung interested in the unbreakable, especially when he was cocky enough to believe he was an exception. And from what he had seen, you were a diamond, but so was he.

Jungkook had been there that day and he had only filled in details such as your exact words when you took Jin down a couple notches, metaphorically in this case. Still, Jungkook had observed you stalk out of the shop, with the same controlled pace that he had. There had been no doubt that you could've knocked Jin down physically as well.

After he had heard the full story, even Jimin giggled. He may've been assigned a more introverted role, but his sharp looks were enough to draw any unsuspecting woman into his bed for a night. He had always enjoyed spitfires whose personality he could control like one would control a candle with an oxygen supply. The more he fed into them, the more they emitted sparks and crackles. It always made for a sore back the next morning, but he didn’t mind. It was a small price to pay for the immense pleasure that they gave him.

Hoseok could practically see the smoke rising past Jin’s ears and decided to make them quit before their new furniture became stained with blood. It wouldn't make a good impression on their guest. Initially, they had been tasked with repurposing the spare room in their home for a temporary guest, who they doubted even the company knew all the details about. This prediction was confirmed later when they were tasked with finding Eli. They needed a job done and had been planning for it since day one. It was only now that they decided on the person that would be involved with the boys for this.

“Shut up.” It was short, simple and to the point. 

He would've elaborated if it weren't for the familiar noise of an engine pulling up to the building. Hoseok nodded to Jin as he opened the garage door to allow the delivery truck to go into reverse.. Immediately after, Jin — who had exited at Hoseok’s signal — reversed their own truck into the garage. It was all hands on deck to transfer the boxes over in record time and none of the boys wanted to extend their interactions with civilians.

You remained silent as you watched the time,  bored at the lack of useful information. It took half an hour to transfer everything over and another  half an hour of annoyed glares at the unsuspecting males in the room. Once everything was finalized, you perked up. Finally, there was some action. Realizing that soon they would be leaving to go to the next location, you raised yourself into a crouched position, balancing on the metal bar with the balls of your feet. Keeping your eyes on the figures below, you crept backwards, careful to avoid faults in the metal.

Once you reached the wall, you waited until you heard the roar of the truck’s engine before sliding down a metal pole along the seam of a wall. While Creeping along the sides and staying in the shadows cast by dusty crates, you came close to the truck. Jungkook seemed to be the only one at the back of the truck, going over a final check of all the boxes to make sure none would shift on the ride back.

This was where your plan became slightly more risky. You needed to figure out where the truck was going without the boys finding out about your current location. You didn’t have Eli with you, and there was no way you could risk anything today. Silently berating yourself for not planning for all contingencies, you readied the tracker. Your plan was to place it on the underside of the tire protectors. If you were lucky, they would travel over dirt or mud and that would cover over the circular device for you. Still, Jungkook stood in your way.

From the slight encounter back at the noodle shop, you knew that he was well trained. It would be easy for him to hear the soft hiss of a gun. This model was powered by pressurized air, softer than regular guns so that the internal mechanics of the tracker would not be damaged, but still enough to propel the piece of technology towards the target. The downfall was the inability to use a silencer as there was the risk the disc would catch onto something and the concentrated pressure inside the barrel of the muffler would break the unit.

Your ears picked the familiar sound of an engine starting and — realizing that Jungkook didn’t seem like he was moving anytime soon — you decided to take the shot, hoping that perhaps the engine of the truck would drown out the noise. But you underestimated the acuteness of Jungkook’s hearing.

His head snapped in your direction, and you could have sworn that he made eye contact with you through the small gap in the crates. Still, as much as you would have loved to test that, you didn’t dare look back as you ran towards the other exit where your bike had been hidden away under some canvas.

Your step faltered a little at the sting that radiated from your bicep, and the liquid that got absorbed into your sleeve. You kept running. A graze didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. Being captured by them, however, would be worse. You wasted no time in ripping off the pale-colored canvas despite the heaving breaths that pumped your blood faster with each gasp. With the background noise of your own heartbeat and the muffled shouting, you rode off disappearing behind another warehouse.

[JJK]

I think the first coherent I had after hearing the air gun and pulling my semi-automatic would be to just question who was dumb enough to try to shoot at the Bangtan Boys, be it with an air gun or otherwise.

From between the crates, I saw the gleam of white as the lights reflecting in two eyes. Eyes that belonged to body and a body that belonged to a person. I recognized those eyes, wide and helpless for only a second before the turned tail and ran in the other direction. I saw them run; the controlled gait and the light steps that confirmed my suspicions.

She had been trained. Her body was human, but her mind was panther-like. She worked to blend into the background and moved in a way that kept her in the embrace of the shadows.

I wondered if she knew us in the ramen shop. She certainly managed to act like she didn’t. I don’t think Taehyung or Jin hyung noticed anything either. Still, I doubt Tae would remember a girl unless he had slept with her, and even then, it was still a little unstable.

“See you soon doll,” I whispered to the empty space between the boxes. It was a promise. There had to be more to the pretty little foreigner to handed hyung’s ass to him on a silver platter with her big eyes and bratty mouth.

Pocketing his semi-automatic, he let the sound of the motorcycle fade into the distance as he apologized for the sudden chaos. 

“It’s nothing. I thought I saw someone behind the crates,” The bashful look on his handsome face was replaced by the hardened face of an Ultra, “Better to be safe than sorry.”

That'ss how he left his brothers in arms, who glanced at each other before following in his footsteps. They knew better than to ignore his instincts. He may have been the youngest, but the older boys had been told of the training he had gone through. To this day, it rattled their bones when they thought of the horrors that he had faced and compared it with who he was today. It didn’t seem possible to them that their smiling maknae had once been forced to fight off wild animals or survive in a jungle with only a knife. Still, he was a smart boy and by the end of the month, his teacher had found him sitting pretty, sipping from a coconut.

Tucking away the topic of a possible witness, they regrouped in their transport. Immediately, the oldest reached for the glass bottle on the counter of the limo, and poured himself and the others a glass. He didn’t drink often but the adrenaline from the warehouse needed to disappear soon. What better remedy than the numbness of alcohol? None of the other boys shied away from partaking in the amber liquid, each nursing a tumbler as they escaped to their thoughts.

Jungkook’s mind still held the last image he had seen of you, your eyes looking up at Jin, an untamable look in your eyes and a silent challenge that he would have been more than happy to take on. His pink tongue swiped across petal lips as he imagined the many ways he could have tamed your bratiness.

Since the beginning, he had a thing for foreigners. Especially the spiced cider type that never knew when to stop pushing the limits.

He cleared his dry throat and treated it with a large swallow of the liquor in his grasp. He allowed the burn to go to his head as he composed himself. 

“Hey hyung. Any new information about Eli?” This was another issue that had been irking him since the start. This new player that had been better at evading their seven-man team than any other in this goddamn world.

The way Jin finished off his glass in one large gulp was enough to answer his question. Closing his eyes against the warmth in his belly, Jin leaned his head against the leather headrest and threw an arm over his eyes. “Ugh. Don’t even remind me Kookie. Namjoon is on my case about him.”

Taehyung scoffed, “Who the hell is his sponsor?”. 

All of them had agreed long ago, that not only did this mystery thief have the slipperiest fingers this side of the Atlantic, but he had some great connections. How else could he have stayed off their radar for so long? Since that day in the noodle shop, Bangtan had put out feelers both above and below ground for the blonde man. To this day, they had nothing. Zilch on a possible adobe, and nada on any personal information.

Hoseok, still the optimist, let out a loud laugh. “I hope he introduces me to them some day.” 

In his head, gears were already turning about the possible benefits of a sponsor that could successfully evade both them, but even more importantly, BigHit.

“I’m more interested in that girl,” Jimin grinned at the image he had concocted based on Taehyung’s recollection, “You said she had an attitude?” Taehyung solemnly nodded as Jungkook elaborated.

 “Even more than you do hyung.” 

The atmosphere was permeated with the laughs of the other boys, while the accused pouted.

Taehyung calmed down before allowing everyone’s thoughts to taint the air. “But she would have been fun to break. I wonder how feisty she can get when she's begging for it.” 

Even Hoseok had to hold in a groan. He had never thought of you much since that day at the mall, but based on what the trio had recounted of your encounter with Jin, he understood that you were not the type to bow to anyone. Even if they were the one with more leverage.

“Can you all just shut up? I said I didn’t want to talk about it.” 

By this time, Jin had recovered from the long drought of liquor he had taken and took to glaring at the younger boys for discussing his failure at a mission. Since day one, Namjoon had placed this mostly on his hyung's shoulders as he sorted out the new leadership of BigHit. And what does he have to show? Nothing more than an empty folder and a verbal battle with a girl too confident to give him the time of day.

[fanficimagery]

Imagine going to a new school, making new friends, and becoming good friends with possibly the cutest boy you've ever laid eyes on all because your niece gets attached to him. It's just your luck the cute boy also happens to be a vampire.

Stefan X Reader

Ever since you were little, starting a new school year always made you nervous. Even in high school it's never changed, but it's worse now because not only are you starting a new school but you're starting a new school in the middle of the school year. Everyone has their schedules and the path to take for each class memorized, as well as their locker combinations. You're the only one who's continuously looking at a schedule and map, and looking like a lost puppy as you try to find your way.

Thankfully the day seems to be flying by and before you know it, it's your lunch hour. So grabbing a tray, you follow some other students who take their food outside and quickly settle down at an empty picnic table. And before you dig in, you prop your phone up on it's side with the handy little kick-stand built into the phone case and face time your niece as promised.

When the call is answered, you can't help but laugh when you see that your niece has her own makeshift tray of food in front of her. "Wook, Y/N! I eat lunch too."

"I can see that," you muse, opening your drink and taking a sip. "Have you been good for grandpa today?"

"Yep. Papo sweep all day and daddy bought me nuggets!"

"Lucky. All I got to eat is this yucky burger." You hold the burger in question and grin as your niece giggles uncontrollably for longer than necessary.

She takes a minute to actually eat her food and you do the same, you watching her through the tiny screen of your phone as she then remembers that she wanted to show you something. As she scrambles off her seat, she takes the phone with her and you're stuck watching as the tiny four year old shows you page after page of her new coloring book that she's scribbled on.

"Excuse me." Someone taps on your shoulder. "But do you mind if I sit at the other end of this table?"

Glancing up and over your shoulder, you see one of the most prettiest boys you've seen so far at Mystic Falls High. Short, dark brown hair is perfectly tousled, the guy's jawline is to die for, and his pretty green eyes sparkle with mirth the longer you stare. Your niece shrieks your name, you startle and glance at your phone to shush her, and then turn back to the guy who's still waiting for an answer. "Shit. Sorry. The table end is all yours."

He chuckles. "Thanks. I'm Stefan, by the way.

"Y/N," you mumble, more than a little embarrassed.

"And I'm Kaywie!"

Your lips twitch as you glance once more at your phone, narrowing your eyes on your niece who's face is practically pressed to your sister's phone as she gets a good look at you and Stefan who's still standing behind you. He waves and your nieces beams. "For some reason her L's get turned into W's. Her name is actually Kaylie," you say, feeling the need to explain.

"Well hello, Kaylie. It's nice to meet you." Stefan waves again and your heart melts a little at his actions.

He moves to take his seat and you turn your attention back on your niece, lowering the volume now that there's someone else at the table with you. As Stefan digs into his own lunch and gets distracted by his own phone, you start eating once more and oohing and awwing at the various dolls she starts to name.

"Okay, KG, it's almost time for me to go back to class so we're going to have to hang up now."

"Nooo," she whines. "Y/N, I wanna tawk to you."

"I know you do, tiny terror, but I really have to go. I'll see you after school. Okay? You can come with grandpa when he picks me up."

It takes a moment, but she finally relents. "Okay.. but I wanna see Stefan again."

"W-What?" You stammer. Glancing at the boy in question, you see him collecting his trash before staring at you in amusement. Then glancing at your phone, you say, "What do you mean you wanna see Stefan? How'd you even remember he was here?"

"To tell him goodbye, siwwy."

"Jesus Christ. This kid has a better memory than I do sometimes." Stefan snorts and you look at him with a guilty expression. "Do you mind? If I don't show you to her, she'll cry."

"No. It's totally fine. She's adorable."

"Pft. You say that now," you mumble. Sliding your phone over to Stefan, you quickly collect your own trash as he gives his own goodbye. Then when you have your phone in hand, you blow her a kiss. "See you later, KG. I really have to go now."

"'Kay, Y/N. Wove you!"

"Love you, too. Bye."

As soon as you hang up, you look to Stefan. "I am so sorry! She just likes talking to new people, especially if she thinks they're my friend and-"

"It's no problem. Really," Stefan smiles. "I've never had a little kid interested in me. It's very good for one's ego." You snort, but feel like a weight's been lifted off your shoulders when you realize you hadn't been a bother. "Sooo.. that was your niece?"

Seeing as everyone is finally gathering their trays to dump, you do the same and keep pace with Stefan when you see he’s waiting for you. "Yeah. My sister and dad babysit her while my brother and his wife work. She was there this morning when I was leaving for school and was very upset when she couldn't come with me. Telling her I'd facetime her during my lunch hour was the only way to get her to stop crying."

"You two must be close."

You shrug. "I'm the aunt with all the cool gadgets and games. Of course I'm her favorite." As you near the trash cans, the both of you dump your trays before leaving them aside on the designated table. Then as you head for the exit, you flash him a feeble smile. "Well.. thank you," you chuckle nervously. "This was a first for me- meeting a stranger for the first time and making him converse with my niece."

Stefan grins. "It was an amusing lunch hour I'll give you that."

"Well I better get to class," you say, gesturing to the opposite direction he seemed to be inching towards. "See you around, Stefan."

The rest of the day passes in a blur and you're surprised to find Stefan in your last class. With him are two females- a brunette and a blonde- and the brunette doesn't seem too impressed when Stefan warmly greets you before introducing you to them. The blonde- Caroline- eagerly commented on your shoes whereas the brunette- Elena- smiled tightly before dragging her friend's attention back on her. Sighing, you take a seat as far from them as possible and grin at Stefan when he smiles apologetically.

Your first two weeks at Mystic Falls High is a fairly easy transition and it's only made easier thanks to Stefan. He introduces you to his other friends, Matt and Bonnie, and they help you memorize where your classes are located. They even join you every other day for lunch and Bonnie just so happens to be there one of the day's Kaylie facetimes you. When she happily greets you and Stefan, Bonnie doesn't stop cooing for the rest of the day after meeting your niece for herself over the phone. Yet another stranger immediately fell for your niece's adorableness.

Then one evening when your brother and his wife go to an out-of-town concert, your niece stays behind and wants to tag along when she hears you talking about getting food. She wants food too and being helpless to her adorableness you take her with you when you decide to check out Mystic Grill.

You sit in a booth and are grateful when Matt walks over with a booster seat for Kaylie, and then quickly place an order for the cheeseburger special and a plate of chicken fingers for your niece. As you're waiting for your food, you see and hear your niece get excited over something she sees. Following her gaze, you can't help but smile when you see a couple familiar faces beaming back.

Stefan and Bonnie soon make their way to your table, and you gesture for them to sit across from you. "Hey, guys. What are you up to?"

"Hi, Stef'n. Bonnie." Kaylie excitedly greets.

"Hey, KG. You're looking mighty precious today." Bonnie reaches across the table and tugs on your niece's pigtail. "You being good?"

"Yeah. Y/N got me chick'n."

"That's awesome! You have got yourself one cool aunt there."

Kaylie giggles and you roll your eyes, meeting Stefan's amused gaze. "We're waiting on Caroline, Elena, and my brother," he says.

"Ahh," you muse. "Does Elena still hate me?"

"She doesn't.. hate you," Bonnie then says, cringing.

"She does," you chuckle. "I mean I get it. Sort of. Not really," you settle on saying. "But it is what it is. I can't force someone to like me."

"She'll get over it," Stefan assures you. "How can she not? You're a pretty fun person."

You scoff. "Please. You were practically forced to be my friend because KG saw you and it was love at first sight for her."

Bonnie snorts and Stefan only smiles wide in response before he glances at Kaylie who's now too busy scribbling on a child's menu with Bonnie. Your food is then brought to the table and you mouth 'thank you' at Bonnie who takes it upon herself to cut up Kaylie's chicken for her. They decline ordering food since they're waiting for the others, and then the others in question are showing up and Kaylie screeches.

"Carowine! Weena!"

The dark haired, blue eyed guy with them smirks. "Weena?"

"She can't say Elena," Elena grins, winking at your niece. "She has trouble with her L's."

And though Elena isn't your biggest fan, you're grateful that her dislike for you didn't rub off on Kaylie. Just like everyone else, Elena was as fond of the four year old as your other friends were.

"Hi. Name's Damon. Stefanie's older, much sexier brother."

At his smirk, your nose wrinkles and you take the biggest bite of your burger you can. With a mouth full of food, you mumble, "Charming." Then looking at Caroline, you nod and swallow your bite. "Hey, Caroline. Good night?"

"Eh." She shrugs. "Could have gone better. I'd much have rather been here than with Damon."

"Y/N." Kaylie tugs you shirt sleeve.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"He's pretty."

You glance at Damon and roll your eyes as he preens under your niece's pointed gesture, and everyone around the table groans. "KG, no," Bonnie complains. "Boys like Damon are the ones you need to stay away from, not call them pretty."

"Girl, we have a lot to teach you," Caroline then says. Damon’s expression turns to one of being offended, but his little grin clues you in to that fact that he's really not.

"Well this has been fun, but I'm pretty sure we're still years away until we have to warn Kaylie about boys. Right, KG?" Your niece hums and then shoves a fry into her mouth and you smother a smile as you look back to your friends. "And I'm sure you guys all want to order your own food and chat, sooo.."

"Right. Yeah," Bonnie says, already pushing Stefan out of the booth. "We'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Uh huh. Bye, guys."

"Bye!" Kaylie then says.

Life in Mystic Falls is going great, so of course things take a turn for the worse just when you're at your happiest.

You're picking up dinner for the family when it happens. Arms full of takeout bags and making your way towards your car, the world around you suddenly blurs for a moment as a sudden grip on the back of your neck yanks you to the side. You end up being slammed against the wall in what appears to be an alley and then some maniac is hissing and sinking his teeth into the side of your neck.

Screaming, you struggle to get the stranger off and give a cry of relief when his weight suddenly disappears from you. Clamping your hand over the side of your neck, you manage to get your bearings just in time to see Stefan pinning the stranger to the opposite wall with one hand.. several feet off the ground. Stefan then slams a piece of sharpened wood into the man's chest and you yelp when Stefan drops him without a single care.

"S-Stefan? What did you just do?" You breathe in shocked awe.

Stefan's shoulders hunch and he keeps his face pointed away. "You're bleeding. You need to go."

Your hand comes away from your neck and you gag at the blood coating it. Covering the wound back up, you stumble forward. "What? I-"

"Now, Y/N! Go now."

"I don't understand," you sniffle. "He just- and you just-"

"Please just go," he murmurs. "The smell-"

"The smell? What smell? Stefan, what's going on?" Stopping just to the side of him, you notice how he keeps his face pointed away. Confused, you reach in and gently grasp his chin to turn him towards you. He resists for a moment before relenting, and you gasp at what you see. The whites of his eyes are dark red and dark veins pulse beneath his eyes. "What are you?" He cringes and steps out of your grasp, and you shake your head clear as you step back. "No. Don't answer that. I don't- I don't wanna know."

"Y/N-"

"No, Stefan, it's fine. I mean it's not, but whatever," you mumble. "I'm just- I'm gonna go home and probably have a good cry in the shower, and I won't- I won't say anything so you don't have to worry."

"Y/N-"

"What, Stefan?" Whirling around, you keep your gaze averted and bite the inside of your cheek to keep from crying. "I just wanna go home."

"..I'm sorry."

A glass bottle rolls somewhere in the alley and the space where Stefan was standing is now empty, as well as the body he had dropped. Tears quickly gather once more in your eyes and you hastily wipe them away with the backs of your hands before rushing out of the alley and towards your car once you realize you had only been on the side of Mystic Grill. The bags of food you had are still lying by your car, so you quickly salvage what you can before climbing into your car and leaving.

And then once you get home, there's a small sink area in the garage that you quickly clean up at and put your hair down to hide the wound on your neck before going inside. Seeing how crumpled the bags look and realizing some of the food is missing, you sheepishly make up a lie about tripping over the bumper blocks in the parking lot and losing some of the food. Your dad waves it off and orders in a couple of pizzas, and you quietly eat your fill before disappearing upstairs.

Then once in the safety of your shower with some music playing at a decent level, you step into the cubicle with the water as hot as you can take it. It stings against the bite wound on your neck, but you manage to wash off and rinse out the wound. You stay under the hot spray as your mind works a mile a minute to figure out just what the hell happened earlier tonight.

The biting, the blood, the wooden stake.. the pieces seem to fit one specific puzzle, but it's something that leaves you reeling. What you're thinking shouldn't be real! But then Stefan showed some impressive strength, his eyes were totally weird, and the smell of your blood unsettled him. Not to mention he was impossibly fast.

Your back hits the warm tile wall and slide down until you're hugging your bent knees to your chest. "For fuck's sake," you mumble. "He totally Edward Cullen'd me."

Having skipped the following day of school to physically and mentally take care of yourself, you're not surprised when you're ambushed by your friends. You are surprised to know that Stefan told them everything and that they'd known about his secret, and even more surprised when they offer to tell you everything. For once Elena doesn't seem cold with you and even asks how you're holding up, so you answer as politely and honestly as you can.

"I'm good. I'm still kind of reeling over the fact that Stefan Cullen'd me, but that's his secret or whatever. I really don't want to know any more than I already do."

"But we want to tell you. I need to tell you," Caroline says and then proceeds to tell her story and how she'd become a vampire herself. Elena too.

Everyone has been through so much and you're not at all offended to learn that the reason Elena didn't take to you right away was because she didn't trust someone as nice as you came off, and that you'd been close to Stefan from the immediate start. Bonnie and Caroline teased her for a bit over that since she was seeing Stefan's brother Damon, and then you were sent reeling once again when Bonnie admitted to being a witch.

"Holy shit. Did you guys have to dump all this information on me at school? We really should have skipped for this."

"We'll take off after lunch," Caroline says, shrugging. "Stefan's moping at the Boarding House and we need you to get him out of his funk."

"Sure. Why not?" You muse.

Getting Stefan to come around is far easier than anyone anticipated, especially after you picked up your niece from your sister. He had seemed shocked when you all trooped into his room and then gobsmacked when you settled Kaylie onto his bed next to him.

"Suck it up, buttercup. The girls gave me the 411. We're all good." Kaylie seemed over the moon with the location change and started talking nonsense to Stefan as everyone settled down, and you smiled in a reassuring manner at him. "Seriously, Salvatore. It's fine."

"But I'm a monster. And you have a four year old crawling all over me."

"If you were a monster, you wouldn't have saved me," you told him. "If you were a monster, you would have sunk your teeth into my neck when the scent of my blood hit your nose. But you didn't."

"I could have."

"I know. But like I said, you didn't. That makes all the difference."

The entire time in Stefan's bedroom was rather intense, but he was eventually wore down. He ended up going back to school and lowering his guard around you, and the entire student population seemed relieved that you and Stefan weren't on the outs anymore. Apparently everyone had thought Stefan had bagged the new girl and had somehow managed to mess it all up, something which your group of friends found hilarious since you and Stefan were oblivious to the fact that there were some serious vibes between the two of you.

Damon had then entered the room and deemed you as his new favorite person when you wrinkled your nose and sighed, "I'm totally Bella Swan. Fuck my life."

Sitting on the porch steps in front of your home, you're scrolling through social media when you hear footsteps approaching. Glancing up, you smile as you see Stefan come to a stop, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans.

"There you are. It feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Well you did say you didn't want to be involved in any of our vampire shenanigans."

"Can you blame me?" You laugh, scooting over and patting the spot next to you. "I got a niece who's attached to my hip most days and as much as I like you guys, I rather not be in the same place as the villain of the month when I got KG with me. I might not be involved, but Bonnie's constantly keeping me updated so I know where not to be."

"Speaking of KG," he muses, sitting down next to you. "Damon sends his apologies."

Laughing, you shrug. "Caroline told me about that. They staked a vampire right before my sister-in-law rounded the corner. He told her his friend was blacked out drunk and my in-law thought he was a creep until KG called him and Caroline by name."

"Damon was actually afraid he traumatized KG, so there's a new tablet and a few educational games at our house for her."

"Oh no. He doesn't have to do that."

"Let him. Please," Stefan huffs. "It's been a long while since my brother was genuinely fond of someone that he wasn't sleeping with."

Your soft laughter turns into full belly laughs and Stefan watches as you lay back on the porch, you then draping one arm over your face. "What even is my life? Not only am I friends with vampires and a witch, but said vampires and witch are totally wrapped around a four year old's finger. I should have freaked out more than I did."

"Admit it. It was my boyish good looks that kept you around."

Snorting, you remove your arm from over your face and meet Stefan's amused gaze. Instead of denying it, you shrug. "I thought you were hot before I found out about the fangs. And if I'm being completely honest, I've got a personal kink for pointy teeth. It wasn't that hard of a decision after I figured out how to bandage my neck."

Stefan laughs and reaches for your hand, he then pulling you up with him as he stands. "I blame your Twilight phase."

You gasp. "It was not a phase." Then standing side by side, you try to prevent the oncoming blush as Stefan doesn't release your hand. Instead he slowly fits his fingers between yours. Your eyes narrow as his grin broadens into a smirk. "I just.. read the books."

"And watched the movies?"

"You know I did. You saw the evidence in our DVD collection."

Stefan laughs, squeezing your hand gently. "Come on. Lets go find that niece of yours and take her out to eat before surprising Damon with her."

"You know you being all sorts of adorable and doting on KG only makes me that much more attracted to you, right?"

"Caroline might have mentioned something about ovaries exploding whenever KG starts climbing all over me."

"Well," you drawl. "She's not wrong." Chuckling, you start down the steps and drag Stefan with you. "Now lets go. I'm kind of hungry myself."

Tag list: @ravenmoore14

[sunflowerspectre]

The Backwaters | Commission Piece

This is a commission piece for an anon. Also available on A03 Title: The Backwaters Summary: As an agent of SHIELD, Shuri’s assignment is to find and rescue Wanda Maximoff who disappeared in the backwaters of West Virginia. But her training is put to the test when the town’s mechanic Bucky takes a liking to her. Aged up! Shuri Warnings: Omega!Verse, Beta/Omega/Alpha Dynamics, OOC

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The Backwaters | Chapter Two | Word Count: 2797

Apparently, staged car breakdowns isn't something new to SHIELD; she supposes it makes sense given their career, but it’s not something she particularly thought about until Fury gave her a specialized car. One press of a button and it kills the engine  give it a good second press, it’s back up and running.  Or something along those lines,  she just knew what button to press and when. He refused to just send her out there with a real broken down car with no emergency back-up plan to high tail the fuck out of there should it get ugly. 

Coulson is already stationed just outside of town, he gave her a somber good luck before they parted ways and she had told him the same, along with a side note to not get eaten by bears. The face he made told her that he didn’t quite think the idea of camping all the way through. She didn’t even bother to give him a little bit of comfort, just laughed before she hopped in the car.

Making her way through town, she wonders if they’re in the right spot. Hardly a soul in sight, it seems more like a ghost town than an active community. She spots a few cars, parked in otherwise empty lots and missing their drivers. It has the makings of a town, she supposes, small shops and all, but the closed doors and signs aren’t particularly welcoming. If there are people here, they’re definitely doing a great job of discouraging tourists.

There are only two places that have any sort of activity. She spots some movement in what seems to be an unmarked police department; she remembers that the town is unofficial, likely unlicensed, and unmarked on maps. She wonders if anyone in the department is the notorious sheriff from the next town over that was mentioned in the files, the famous Rodgers. It would make sense, becoming a sheriff in the place with the resources for the training before bringing it home. Especially if he’s stolen all the omegas he needs and doesn’t have room for any more.  Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Shuri.

The other activity, to her good fortune, is the small gas station that has an auto shop attached it and a bright, lit up open sign. 

Bingo. With a tight lipped grin, Shuri reaches into her pocket and feels the small discrete device that she needs. A press of a button later, the car sputters and begins to die off just as she pulls up to the service shop.  She’s not oblivious to the fact that she's the only car in the lot and despite the lit up open sign, she doesn’t immediately spot anyone inside the storefront. She can, however, hear the buzz and hammer of working tools which means she’s not completely alone.

She presses the pearls on her bracelet together and raises her hands into her hair, as if she’s just fixing her appearance in the rear view mirror. 

“I’m heading in Coulson. Sounds like there’s at least one person here in this ghost town working in the auto shop, but I’m not for certain. Could be a gang of them.”

There’s a brief moment of silence before a faint voice whispers from the bracelet, she raises it closer to her ear to hear Coulson’s voice more clearly.

“Just take it slow and easy, they have a lot of weapons close at hand in a shop.”

Shuri laughs, “Have some faith in me, Coulson. Update you when I can.”

Long legs swing out of the car as she walks into the open garage of the auto shop. She doesn’t spot anyone immediately and watches where she steps, the residue of who knows what splattered particularly everywhere. She peeks around the corner to see a man’s legs sticking out from under a raised car.

“Hello,” Shuri’s smile is bright and friendly, “Sorry to bother you, but do you think you can give me a hand? My car’s just outside in the lot, it’s completely useless, but at least it lasted long enough for me to find some help.” 

She gives a joyful laugh, eyes twinkling as the tools suddenly stop. The man drags himself out from the car in battered jeans and covered in so much grime that he’s just shy of looking like a bad fake tan. Long dark hair is pushed behind both ears, a bit greasy, but full and curling ends brush against his shoulders. The stubble on his face says he hasn’t shaved in a few days. He’s kind enough to grab a rag and wipe down his hands and his thick muscled arms that flex with each movement. 

His eyes are full of curiosity, looking her up and down as if he hasn’t heard a word she said and is instead only focused on the way her jean shorts hug her hips. Tense, she holds her head high and presses a firm hand against a swung out hip as she jabs a thumb to point outside.

“My car. Think you can fit it in anytime soon?”

His eyes snap to hers and it takes a moment before he speaks, matching her smile.

“Sorry, your accent is very… different.” His voice comes out in a unique smooth drawl, country, but not hick. “We don’t get a lot of Brits this way.” 

Shuri has been used to that reaction since she’s joined SHIELD; never from the agents, who come from everywhere and all walks of life, but always at least once on a mission from a passerby. 

“It’s nice,” he continues, “I like it.”

The statement, while not anything negative, gives her an unsettling crawl on her skin. He keeps smiling and staring just a bit too long for comfort. He doesn’t make any other movements or comments, an unnerving silence fell between them. Shuri’s smile doesn’t quite meet her eyes as she nods toward the lot.

“My car.” 

Her voice is a gentle reminder, causing his eyes to snap away from her, looking past her and into the lot.

“Right, right. Let’s take a look.”

He doesn’t bother asking which car in the lot is hers, she supposes he doesn’t really have to, but it still would’ve been nice customer service. She shouldn’t expect even that much in this town. At least the car is unlocked as he climbs into the driver’s seat to pop the hood, eyes darting all over the car, as if he’s trying to take in as much as he can. Aside from some luggage that doesn’t contain anything but casual clothes and a purse with a false ID, the car sits rather empty. He seems to pay a bit too much attention to the clean leather and dustless dash. She watches him carefully when he takes a few minutes too long to get out of the car and into the hood.  He doesn’t spend long digging into the hood before he pulls back, wiping his hands on the rag that’s now shoved into the pocket of his jeans.

“Your oil is pretty empty and the alternator’s shot. Engine looks like it needs a new battery.”

The battery part sounds more honest, she imagines it must look like something like that with the sudden stop of the engine. But the oil and alternator, she’s not sure just how much he’s bullshitting her and why. She could maybe believe the alternator, unsure with exactly how the car works to stop so suddenly, but if SHIELD really doesn’t have any oil in their car, she would personally pay for Fury’s next vacation.

But if this is what he’s giving her, it’s what she will work with. She knows how to play her part. She bats her eyes at him, akin to a damsel seeking a hero, and sits on the now closed hood, crossing her long bare legs over each other. She playfully swings a foot in the air, almost impatiently as if she’s unsure of what to do.

“I just bought the car, I didn’t know I needed to change the oil.” She pouts for good measure, hoping that it would take his mind off the rather empty and clean car.

It works like a charm, with him chuckling before speaking in a well honey tone as if he knows more than she does and is taking pity on her by explaining every detail. 

“Anytime you buy a car, new or not, you’re gonna want to change the oil, sweetheart. The engine may be out, considering the whole thing seems pretty dead. You’re lucky it didn’t go out on you before you got to town.”

A finger brushes against the device in her pocket, her tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip. Luck of course. She supposes she looks rather lost, with him looking at her with that intense glare, briefly looking over her clean shaven, long bare legs. She hoped that the tiny shorts would help pass her off as a younger girl who doesn’t know much about the world, keep suspicion off, but she uncrosses her legs and stands up, almost feeling protective against his gaze. 

“I suppose it’s going to take you awhile to get it running again,” Shuri muses, “Is there any motel nearby?”

She didn’t see any motel when she was driving through town, which hurts her idea of staying in town as much as she can while the car is getting fixed and the idea of staying a few towns over doesn’t settle well with her. She wants to stay as close and personal to the town as she can.

He shakes his head. “The next motel is over fifty miles out and too long of a drive for someone without a car. You got someone you can call to get you?”

Yes. She thinks of Coulson, worst case scenario, she will have to either sleep in the car or stay out in the tent with him. But staying with him could cause future problems if someone spotted them out there together. Staying in the car wouldn’t be awful. She has yet to see a single security camera, she could always turn the engine back on at night while she’s sleeping; but that would have a higher risk of someone seeing her supposedly dead car running. 

“No,” Shuri speaks evenly, “I don’t have a phone to call even if I had anyone. I suppose I can crash in my car on your lot until morning, if it’s not too much trouble.” 

“Can’t let you do that, sweetheart. Most folks around here are friendly enough, but it still isn’t safe for a young thing like yourself to be sleeping out here at night alone.” 

He looks her over, as if he’s weighing some other option that he hasn’t voiced yet, his brows drawn. She doesn’t trust that look, but is interested to see where it’s going to lead.

“My folks have a spare room, I’m sure they’d be happy to set you up for a night or two.”

Ah yes, that wouldn’t be compromising at all, Shuri debates for a moment, but the idea of at the very least meeting other people in this town sounds inviting, “I wouldn’t want to impose….”

He whispers her words over, as if he’s memorized by them, with a twisted grin and a sparkle in his eyes. 

“I like the way you think, doll, but my folks would love to have you. They don’t get a lot of visitors anymore, especially now that I’ve moved out. My cousin stayed with them for a while until he became sheriff in the next town over. He’s back home now, decided being a sheriff here where he’s needed is better. Newly wed too, so I’m not sure if he’s been up to visit the folks too much.”

Everything about what he seems turns her stomach sideways as she realizes that the Rodgers family is definitely bigger than they thought it was, making him one of the top contenders for being a kidnapper, or worse. If there was any doubt that this Steve Rodgers hadn’t been the reason for that disappearance in the same town he happened to be sheriff in, it’s definitely gone now. It’s too suspicious that he would return home so soon after becoming a sheriff, with a wife to boot. 

She’s not sure just how ‘friendly’ his folks really are either, but if it’s the same Rodgers family, then she can’t be for certain that his mom is actually here of her own will. 

It’s risky - very risky - and she’s not sure where this man, who has yet to even tell her his name, is going with all of this or what he’s planning. She has some ideas, though, which means she’s going to have to tread carefully. But the chance to meet other people in the town, see the Rodgers family herself, and have the admittedly small chance of even catching Steve Rodgers himself, it’s too good to pass up.

“Well if you’re certain,” Shuri’s smile has a dangerous edge to it that he doesn’t catch, “I would love to.”

_________________________________

He doesn’t drive her through the town, making her tense as she watches each tree pass by them the further they go into the mountains. He doesn’t even drive her off to a farm, just a dirt road that turns more into a beaten path as they dodge the overgrowth.

He tells her his name is James on their drive, but he insists on her calling him Bucky. Apparently nicknames are the norm in the area, with everyone treating each other like family. Bucky talks as if there’s a lot of people around, and she wonders just how many. But as long as Bucky is willing to talk, she’ll milk it for all its worth. The more information she can get, the better.

“Your parents live this far from town,” she asks tentatively and curiously, not quite glancing at him as she watches out the window. 

“My entire family has lived on the mountain for two hundred years, give or take. Houses are scattered about all over the mountain, we’ve always liked our privacy. My folks don’t really leave the mountain anymore, but a lot of the family still ventures to town when needed and for special occasions. Every so often, people like my cousin may venture out of town to find themselves a good wife to bring back home.”

“Sounds a bit claustrophobic,” Shuri ventures, testing the waters of the conversation, “You make it seem like no one’s allowed to leave.”

His knuckles are tight on the steering wheel and he glances at her through the corners of his eyes, his friendly demeanor is darkening rapidly and she sees it - that look in his eyes that tell her she’s walking on thin ice. Good. 

“Nonsense, living on the mountain is about as free as you can get.” 

The rest of the drive is silent and Shuri isn’t about to risk setting him off, not when she can be so close. Besides, he’s already told her quite a bit, enough for her to start to get a good idea of what’s really going on here. It does, however, make her skin crawl as she focuses more on what his motives could be for bringing her here.

His parents, thankfully, don’t live in some backward rut like she almost expected. The house is modern, larger than she thought would be needed, with big windows. Meeting his father, she can tell where Bucky got his structure from, but he definitely has his mother’s eyes.

The night goes better than she thought it would, with it being filled with friendly smiles and polite conversations. His mother was tickled when she offered to help cook, but it was more for Shuri to at least know what she was eating and to avoid any possible chance of getting poisoned. When they sit to eat, she watches every drink poured from a fresh spout closely and is tight lipped and vague about the way they fawn over her pearl bracelet, with his father saying that ‘it’s a beautiful piece of jewelry for a good southern woman.’ 

They fuss over her all night, careful to let her win any of their card games, and complement her often. She accepts every complement with a shy smile and a carefully worded compliment in return. 

But when the night comes, after she’s lead to a spare bedroom, Shuri waits until she is sure that every living being in the house is asleep and every light is off before she looks out the window and presses the pearls of her bracelet together.

“Coulson,” her voice is soft and tense, “There’s been a little bit of an unexpected development.”

Commission Information | A03

[just-some-random-blogger]

One Million In One Day | 3

GOT7 SugarDaddy!Jackson Wang x Reader | Part 1 2 3 4 5 ? Characters: Jackson Wang (+ other Got7 members in future) Summary: His mother’s final wish is to see him be happy in a relationship, knowing that Jackson would be fine when she left him. But, damn, he didn’t have time for relationships, especially not since he was busy running his father’s billion dollar empire, thus the compromise: you.

Preview | Alternate Moodboard

Word Count: 1k+ Warnings: class discrimination, slight degradation etc.

A/N: I HAVE NOT ABANDONED I PROMISE. Also i did this on the app so if its barf on your pc i am so sorry

I wore my new shoes for this. I wore my fucking new shoes so this Jackson Wang persona better not be standing me up.

As I turned to my phone, checking the time for what felt like the hundredth time, I started wondering whether or not I was just hallucinating the entire time I talked to him.

But no, I have the damn dress in a bag under my bed, dammit. How could it be a figment of my imagination?

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, brushing them around in frustration.

Listen, I called him and said I wanted to look into the deal and he tells me to go to this aesthetic little restaurant up-town and I'm so glad I tried to look cute and wore something kinda nice but it's been twenty minutes and I really don't like the fact that if I buy something here just to make myself a little less pathetic, I'd have to sacrifice the rest of my meals for the day.

"Don't pull your hair out yet, I'm here." a voice spoke behind me, making me abruptly halt my actions, pull my hands out of my hair, and turn to who spoke.

And there was, Jackson Wang in all his richness and handsomeness.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I nearly punched a jackass for being himself. Business, y'know." he said, mindlessly placing a hand by my waist, quickly retracting and going to the chair in front of me, all the while I stood to greet him, the chair producing an awful scraping sound.

"You look good." he stated, nonchalant, as he motioned I sit. We sat down and I turned to my ruffled off shoulder red dress and curled my toes in my white Adidas sneakers. I chuckled nervously at him and his scrutinizing gaze.

"It was the only thing I had remotely expensive looking." I spoke bluntly, but sheepishly.

Jackson laughed. He then signaled to the waiter, "Well, baby, you look like a million bucks."

Did he just call me baby?

"How much is the dress?"

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.

As Jackson flashed a smile that stayed on his face after laughing, he got the menu from the waiter and averted his eyes back to me. My expression made his smile somber. He shook his head a pursed his lips, "I mean no malice. Money is just money to me."

I clenched my jaw and huffed, piping out softly, "I- I don't really remember. I bought it on sale, so..."

"Ah," he chimed, "I like that. That means your smart." He closed the menu and gave it back to the waiter who looked like he was just about to leave. "May I order for the both of us?"

I pursed my lips and nodded.

"Right," Jackson said, "roasted chicked with mashed potatoes, garden salad, lasagna, and some water. Or would you prefer iced tea? I'm not really a drinks kinda guy." he turned to me.

"Me neither, honestly."

Jackson was about to say something, but a separate passing waiter made him stop. "What about some bubble milk tea?"

My brows quirked. I visibly tried to brush off the fact I really liked milk tea.

Jackson's eyes narrowed fondly, "And one milk tea, your best seller." The corner of his lips raised, "That will be all. And give us two separate plates, please."

The waiter nodded and went his way and Jackson turned to me with a smile as I shot him a questioning look.

"I find a date more romantic when you share food."

My brows raised and my cheeks burned, I felt. "This... is a date?'

"Well, I'm assuming you plan to agree, so it might as well be."

I looked at him expectantly, looking for some sort of answer behind his bright eyes. He seems particularly elated today. I don't remember him being so the day I met him. Must've secured a business deal or something.

I did some research on him, by the way. Jackson Wang, born in Hong Kong on March 28th, only son and heir of his family, current CEO of G7 Enterprises. He's legitimate, more than legit. He is every prince charming character you could ever dream of.

"Don't worry though. I'm not going to hold it against you if you say no however. I'll just be sad for a short while though."

I raised my brows as he took a sip of the water recently placed on our table. I fiddled with the straw on my bubble milk tea. His eyes crinckled. "Ya. I'm kidding."

Jackson put the glass down, "Right so, all I want from you is simple. You go out on a date with me, well, dates, considering I think you'll do just fine on our first one-"

"I thought this was already our first date?"

Jackson chuckled airily, correcting himself, "First public one."

I breathed out at his use of term.

"Everything you need, clothes, makeup, hotel suite, will be provided to you."

"Hotel suite? Why would I need a hotel suite?"

Jackson shrugged, "You never know. I like to be prepared. "Honestly, you don't have to do much... you just have to be, well, baby, for the lack of a better term, my trophy. You just need to look pretty and nod, and keep the things you hear to yourself, or better yet, leave them where you hear them.

"Another thing, I don't want a paper trail, so I'm trusting this agreement on both our words. And I'm not trying to scare you or anything, just laying down facts, if for some reason you want to get creative with our agreement and get into mud, don't think you won't get dirty. The thing about money is, it always wins in the end."

Loud and clear, Jackson. I gulped. Loud and clear.

In this moment, I saw his teeth, his predator teeth, and his playfulness slipped away between them. It's not that I didn't believe him in the first place, but, I just really believe him now. I decided to take a sip of my milk tea now.

“I can give you as much as one million for one day you spend with me.”

I choked on the pearls I was chewing, “W-wha– one mil–”

“But you have to spend it all in one day.”

“But I– WHAT?” I nearly spit out the chewy things in my mouth. I took my time to regain composure and turned to him.

"One mil... that's a lot of money."

"To you. Last time I tried hiring someone, they asked for much more. That's why I chucked her. She wasn't even nice to talk to. You on the other hand... I'm willing to make it higher if you'd like."

"ANI!" I choked out a little too loudly, making a few people turn over their shoulder to me. Honestly, I don't know why Jackson found this whole ordeal so amusing. Can he not smile like that. I'll... I'll get attached.

"Can... can you lower it?"

Jackson's expression fell, "You want me to lower it?"

"I-- I know I have a lot of things I'd like to buy, but I don't think I could do all that in a day."

Jackson waved me off, "Nonsense. I'm sure if you bought a car, a big lump would go away. Better yet, why not just buy a million dollar car? Or a house?"

"I-- I can't do that."

He knit his brows deeply. He looked genuinely preturbed by the notion of lowering the sum offered. "Why-- listen... I know this'll-- I know it'll sound arogant, moronic even, but one millions really isn't that big. Trust me, with all the snobs and high noses, you'll want more. I- I can't compensate for you in any other way. I don't know how to comfort or... do whatever you may want me to, which is why I can't lower it down."

I looked at him for a moment. The food came as I did.

"Good luck with school, baby."

I rolled my eyes and removed my seat belt, "Stop calling me baby, Jackson."

"How can I, you're my sugar baby now?" he grinned as I got out of his Audi, stepping on the side in front of my nice enough dorm. "Ka. Before anyone sees you."

Jackson pouted, “You don’t want to be seen with me. Sad.”

“Jackson,”

He snickered, "Send me a picture of you in your party dress, baby."

I shook my head and walked off to go inside the building.

Jacksom smiled from ear to ear, and leaned by the window, calling one last time. "Don't forget about our date, ya hear!"

[scornedlove]

Chapter Fourteen

ROBYN

Why didn’t I just die? I thought to myself as I stared at the ceiling. It was 2am and I couldn’t sleep. I hated nights like these. I had a couple of glasses of wine and smoked couple of blunts with Rorrey and Le. Mel asked Rorrey to perform at her New Year’s Eve party so he and Le were staying with me for a few weeks, before heading North. It was nice having them around. I miss my brother, so their company was always welcome.  

The wine and weed together usually helps me sleep, but tonight I was high and tipsy, thinking about the car accident that redirected my life. I was supposed to be a mother right now and on nights like these I drowned myself in pity.

Just think of the bright side, now I don’t have to forever be attached to the lying cheater who got me pregnant in the first place…. No matter how much I still love him.

I missed Chris like crazy. I missed his goofiness more than anything. I missed the times he would do or say something silly just to make me laugh, but most of all I missed his friendship.  

The last year or so was more than enough to drive anyone crazy but the two and a half years we were together without the drama was everything I ever wanted.

Suddenly I had the urge to contact him. It’s been over six months since I even considered reaching out to him, but I was curious. I grabbed my phone and dialed the last number I knew of his. My face got hot with anticipation, so I hung up before it could ring. I’ll just start with a text. I decided with a sigh. After typing and deleting several things, I decided on something simple.  

Hey, this is Robyn. Just wanted to see how you’re doing these days.  

I stared at my phone, hoping for a quick reply. After a few minutes, I decided to get up and do something productive since I was up anyway. I cleaned out my fridge, did a load of laundry, and started to go through the stack of mail I had been avoiding since I got back.

I was scanning the pile, sorting the bills from the advertisement when a pretty, lacy envelope fell to the floor. I opened it carefully and a smile crept across my face as I read.

They decided to do it anyway I smiled, remembering the last conversation I had with Nikki. She said it would probably be years before they actually walked down the aisle, guess she was wrong.

I paid the bills I could online then found myself shopping. I bought myself a new bag and a couple of pairs of boots. Finally, I felt asleep approaching so I laid down.

The minute my head hit the pillow, I heard a soft tapping noise, and quickly sat back up.  

“Oh, it’s just you” I relaxed as Ollie jumped into my bed. He snores pretty loud so I usually kick him out, but tonight I needed his cuddles.  

“How’d you know I needed some kisses?” I asked, as he kissed me on my cheeks and hands until we both passed out.

“The last day of this sorry ass year” I huffed, as I hit snooze on my alarm.  It took me so long to fall asleep that I probably would’ve been better off staying up all night. Then I remembered the text. He never responded.  

“Is he gonna be an asshole for the rest of his life?” I muttered to myself, dialing his number. This time I was prepared to give him a piece of my mind.

“Hello” Kate’s familiar voice answered after the third ring.

“What the fuck!” I groaned. I’d hung up so fast, she barely even got the whole word out.  

Why didn’t I realize they were probably still together…a happy lil family?”

Now I remembered why I forced him out of my mind to begin with. He’s with HER. That was just the confirmation I needed to let go of the past.

“YOU KILLED THE FUCKIN STAGE” I yelled, slapping hands with Rorrey. He performed two songs, opening the act for an up and coming artist from England, named Ryan. He definitely had the crowd warmed up for her.

“Just wait until I get in the studio” he grinned excitedly. We took shots and I started to let loose.  

I realized I’d been stressed out over so much and for once I needed to let go. I found myself on the dance floor and after a few songs of dancing on any and everybody in my way, I knew the liquor was hitting me hard because I felt like I was being watched.  

I looked up and could’ve sworn I saw Chris, but when my eyes focused, I realized it was Matt.

“You tryna have a repeat of last year?” he asked with a smirk.

“Hell nah, you bad luck. I had a fucked up year after that kiss” I laughed, overly obnoxious.

“Well my year was great. I think you’re my good luck charm” he winked.  

I started to ease my way out of the crowd, to get as far away from him as possible, when someone stepped on my foot. Before I could stop myself, I shoved the man in front of me and he instantly pushed me back, only he was twice as rough with me and shoved me into someone else, whose drink spilled on me.

“Are you ok?” He asked helping me out of the crowd. I was fuming with rage as I fought back tears.  

“No, I’m not fucking ok” I yelled in frustration.

“Whoa, I’m not the one who pushed you” Dre frowned, clearly offended. It took me a minute to recognize him.

“Dre!” I smiled giving him a hug. As his scent filled my nostrils, I was reminded of the last time we’d spoke (which was the day before my wedding that never happened) and I started to feel uneasy.

“I figured I would run into you here, but not literally” He joked at the wrong time. I was wet and irritated so I couldn’t help but give him an evil glare.  

“I saw Mel and knew you couldn’t be too far” He explained, taking off his jacket and placing it around my shoulders.  

“Thanks” I replied, gladly taking it.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where is your husband?” He asked looking around nervously.

“You know what, fuck you!” I cursed him and took off. My blood was boiling and it took a lot out of me not to slap him. I went to the bathroom and grabbed a few paper towels and patted my shirt, which was useless considering it was a white T.

“Robyn? Hey girl!” Lala smiled, giving me a quick hug. ” This is Chris’s ex I was telling you about” she announced to the girl behind her.

“Ooh, I love those boots!” the other girl smiled.

“Thanks how you been, where’s Trey?” I asked, giving up on my shirt and tossing the paper towels in the trash.

“He’s out there acting a fool. It's too packed in here and these hoes are disrespectful. They wanna dance all on your man and shit” she shook her head. “Matter of fact, let me get back out there before I have to be a bitch’s ass. It was good seeing you though” she called over her shoulder.  

When I walked out the restroom, Dre was standing nearby, obviously waiting for me. It was hard not to feel guilty for my attitude with his soft eyes locked on me.

“I’m sorry you probably didn’t even know” I sighed with realization. We hung around mutual people occasionally but maybe the topic never came up.  

“What happened?” Dre asked, confused when I held up my hand to show him the bare finger that once held that beautiful princess cut diamond.

“It doesn’t matter” I shrugged walking off. If Trey was here, there was a pretty good chance that Chris was too. I wanted to make it back to our section which had a pretty good view of the crowd, maybe I could spot them.  

After 10 minutes of searching the crowd, I found Trey and Lala but Chris was nowhere to be found.  

He’s probably at home with his family I assumed and my spirits dropped. Fuck him. I was here to support Mel and Rorrey, and considering Rorrey’s performance was over and Mel’s party was packed, my time was served. I was ready to get wasted, then beat the crowd getting out.

I looked at my watch, five minutes left this year. Good I’m out right after I decided.  

“You bored?” Dre asked, appearing behind me.

“I’m good” I muttered, taking the glass that was in his hand and tossing it back.

“Water? Why am I not surprised? You always playing it safe. Don’t you ever take risks?” I slurred, shaking my head. He answered me by pulling me into a kiss.  

I wanted to pull back but when he slipped his tongue in my mouth, I wanted more. It had been so long since I felt so much passion. I wrapped my arms around him pulling him closer and that only intensified it.  

Before I knew it, everyone began to count down to the next year, and when they got to zero, he pulled away to say Happy New Year.

What have I done? I groaned, slapping my forehead. Not only did I have sex with Dre, I also stayed the night. I came back to his place to catch up. I told him about the wedding I ditched and the baby I lost and he told me about his new life being stress free. Apparently, he was enjoying being a bachelor and focusing on his career. One thing led to another and we had wild, passionate sex on his balcony, sofa, and bed.

I turned my head ever so slightly to see if he was awake and almost had a heart attack when he started to snore. Thank God I sighed, relaxing and easing out the bed. I grabbed my clothes and boots and slipped out unnoticed.

“Bitch!! You got some last night, didn’t you? “Paige asked, interrupting my thoughts. I couldn’t believe last night actually happened, my whole morning was thrown off because I was off in lala land.

“Huh?” I asked dumbfounded.  

“Don’t play dumb, we all saw that kiss last night” she teased. Instantly, I could feel my face get hot with embarrassment.  

“Caught red handed” Jenn giggled, adding in her two cents.  

“A lady never kisses and tells” I winked and Frankie gave me a high five.  

“I’ve taught you well” he clapped and we all roared with laughter. I was even more embarrassed when Dre showed up at noon with my purse and some food.

“Well at least we know you put it on him” Paige whispered when she saw him walking in.  

“I tried calling you, but your phone was going to voicemail. I thought you might need this” he stated handing me my bag. Do you have time to eat with me?” Truth was, I turned my phone off so I could put this conversation off as long as possible, but he was here now so, there was no use in avoiding it.  

“What’d you bring?” I asked when we were upstairs. I'd changed my old apartment to a break area for the staff and used it for storage now.  

“Burgers and Fries” he replied handing me mine, then settling down to eat his.

“How long are you planning on avoiding talking about this” he asked bluntly. We were eating in complete silence, waiting for the other one to speak first.

“I’m not avoiding anything” I lied. “It was just sex, it’s not a big deal”

“Why did you leave before waking me up?" he asked, ignoring my statement.

“I had to work early. I didn’t want to wake you” I replied nonchalantly.

“So, it was better to wake Melanie and have her drive across town to come get you?”

“I took a cab”  

“Why would you do that? I could have taken you home.”

“Relax I take them all the time. It’s no biggie” I shrugged, tossing my last fry in my mouth, then reaching over to grab a couple of his.

“If that’s the case, you need a driver. It’s much safer, there are weirdos out there” he pointed out.  

“I guess I never really thought about that” I replied, realizing he was right. I hadn’t drove since the accident because I always use Mel or a taxi. It would be much smarter to hire a driver.

“So, you didn’t sneak out because you were regretting last night?” he asked, getting to his real concern.  

“No. I enjoyed last night” I whispered. “It’s been a long time for me and last night was a much-needed release”  

“Then what are we doing here?”

I had fun. If you did too, we should just keep having fun” I shrugged as he nodded in agreement.

“I want to have fun right now” he whispered, slipping his hand up my skirt, and sending chills up my spine.

CHRIS

The last ten days were straight bullshit. I couldn’t believe I was arrested for something I didn’t do. If I weren’t mad enough to kill Michelle before, I definitely was now.

Turns out she had blackmailed mama for money, art, and jewelry. On top of that, they had footage of my vehicle parked near her home the last day she was seen. I was in jail with no bond because I was at flight risk, until my lawyer proved Michelle was still alive the next night.

He found a video of her on Facebook. She was on the pole upside down, but it was definitely her. Her desperate need for attention had finally paid off.  

“I don’t understand how this got so far” Mama stated, breaking the silence. She’d come to take me home and after learning about all that she had given Michelle, I wasn’t all that excited to see her. I wanted to say she’s the one who let it get this far, but I held my tongue. I wasn’t trying to get popped in the head.

“I’m just glad this is over with and they can finally stop harassing me” I exhaled. I was glad mama came, but I wasn’t interested in the lecturing I knew I was going to get.

“Oh, and Kate was really helpful” she stated with a side eye. I had completely forgotten about that situation.  

“Yeah, she’s gonna be staying with me for a little while” I revealed. I didn’t expect to have to explain this to mama.  

“I hope you know what you’re doing with this girl. She’s already put you in some bad situations, just like Michelle did. You need to be more careful with these women and quit leading them on" she warned, and I realized she was right.  

“I’m just trying to do the right thing for a friend, like you taught me” I explained. I had absolutely no desire to be in a relationship, especially with K.

“How has Robyn been?” she asked unexpectedly. “That’s what you should be worried about. I ran into her a few months ago and she had lost a lot of weight. Poor thing is probably so depressed” she stated sadly.  

“Mama, I tried reaching out to her, she wants nothing to do with me” I replied feeling helpless. After the past week I was not interested in any other negative news. I had plenty of time to think while I was sitting in the cell. My mind needed a break, so instead of responding, I let my mom ramble on for the rest of the ride.

“Thanks for helping me out with Diamond” was the first thing I said to Kate. I swear Diamond was twice as fat now, then when I left.

“Of course, she kept me company” she smiled, making eye contact.  

“What?” I asked, when she continued to stare.

“Do you not want to talk about the fact that you were just arrested?” she asked. I was a little irritated that she would be all in my business, so I shook my head.  

“Well it’s just… the other day you said you could take care of Ty…did you have someone else taken care of?” she asked, fearful of my answer.

“No, I was wrongfully arrested, which is why I’m out now” I defended myself. Everybody wanted to talk about this, when I preferred to leave it in last year. It was New Year’s Day and I was free, I just wanted to eat a good meal and relax.

“Oh” she nodded. “Well I’ve been working from your office. I rescheduled your meetings, classes, and events for the past week but that means you’ll be super busy for the rest of this month” she informed me and I nodded.  

“Thanks. I’m sorry for the attitude, it’s just been a long week” I apologized, feeling guilty when I realized she was only trying to help.

“It’s ok. I’m on your team” she winked.

The next few weeks were busy as promised. I was barely even home. The past few nights I stayed at the studio, while working on a new painting, so when I came home to pancakes in the shape of a heart and Kate cooking in nothing but one of my shirts, I was highly confused.

“Happy Valentine’s Day” she grinned. “I didn’t know if you’d be here today or not but I made breakfast for two”

Before I had a chance to respond, my stomach growled. The food smelled great, plus I had been working so hard that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday, so I gladly accepted. I wolfed down my food while K bragged about a daycare she’d found for Cindy.

“I was hoping you could help me out on the first month’s bill" she pleaded. I swear every time I turn around, she was asking for something. Well, I was not in the mood for anymore favors, I guess she picked the wrong day.

“I hate to disappoint you, but I can’t give you any more money” I replied, dropping my fork. “I’m going to have to draw the line. You’re taking advantage of my kindness and you know what? I don’t blame you because everything you’ve asked for, I’ve always said yes. I love ya’ll and all but I’m going to give you thirty days to figure your shit out. I’m putting the house on the market.” I announced, getting up from the table.  

I was barely here anymore and it wasn’t like I had a family, so it was only logical. This house didn’t make me happy anymore, it held too many memories, and it was kind of depressing. I think it was her being in Robyn’s favorite shirt of mine that had me feeling some type of way. It meant she was going through my things and invading my privacy while I was gone.  

I expected her to go into apology mode and beg to stay, but she didn’t even respond. Just stared at me wide-eyed for moment before nodding.

I went back to the studio to gather the paintings that were ready to hit the gallery when I ran across the painting I done of Robyn last Valentine’s Day.

I ran my fingers over it, remembering everything that had happened that day. We fought that morning and made up that night. She never even got to see the finished product.

What better day then today? I asked myself, loading it up with the rest of the art I was taking. I made it to Robyn’s boutique before I could talk myself out of it. I was going to try and steal a moment with her, but she wasn’t in. My timing was never good. I decided to leave it with a note, letting her know that after all this time, she was still on my mind.

I told myself I was just going to show up for my bro and chill for a little while, then go home and crawl  in my bed. Trey had finally proposed to Lala, after 6 months of carrying around the ring, so here I was at their engagement party. It’s not that I wasn’t happy for my boy I was geeked for him, but I was exhausted. I just finished helping K pack and move her and Cindy’s, things including the brand-new furniture I had no use for. She decided to move back in with her parents while she continued to save more money, so I was happy to be done with that situation. “-And here is the best man” Trey announced, approaching me with a woman I had never seen before. “Chris, this is Shontae, Shontae-Chris" 

“Nice to meet you” I nodded, shaking her hand.  

“Good to finally meet you too” she grinned.

“Shonte is the maid of honor” Trey explained “Really? I guess I just assumed that would be Lexi” “Well she asked Lexi first but she be declined, I guess she’s going to be doing the catering so she doesn’t want to be overwhelmed.” Shontae responded. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still honored. She is one of my best friends so anything for the bride-to-be” 

“Why haven’t I met you before?” I asked intrigued. She was cute with her little country accent and it was hard not to notice her banging body.

“I’m from Texas. Lala and I went to high school together” she replied. “But I’ve heard quite a bit about you” she smiled shaking my hand.

“Good things I hope” I replied a little surprised, but not much. I know how women like to gossip so there's no telling what she’d heard. 

“Well I've been a fan of your art for some time now, I just wasn't aware of how attractive you are” she smiled, biting her full bottom lip.

“You're not too shabby yourself” I winked. 

“You should give her a tour at both of your galleries” Trey suggested, with a nudge. It was obvious he was trying to hook us up.

“I'd love that. I'm here for a few days figuring out the wedding stuff anyway. Would you mind?” she asked excitedly. 

“I'm sure I can make something happen” I smirked. We exchanged numbers and she promised she would be calling soon. 

“I see what you did there” I stated, punching Trey in the arm as soon as she was out of sight.

“She cute huh?” he laughed, waiting my approval.

“Yeah, she is fine, but don’t be trying to hook me up. Especially with Lala’s friends. She’s crazy so I know they are too” I laughed.

“You just need some fun. It’s obvious that all that Robyn shit fucked you up. You gotta get back to your old self, and why not start now....with her?” he asked with a smirk. I knew he was right, but I wasn’t interested in courting any women or starting something new, so all I could do was nod.

I was literally on my way out the door when I was stopped by Lexi. “Chris” she yelled, trying to catch up to me. “Where you headed?”

“I have some stuff to take care of. Why? What's up?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing, I was hoping we could hang out after this, but I guess you have stuff to do” she rolled her eyes and started to walk off, then stopped in her tracks. “You know, you could have just kept it real with me” she blurted.

“Girl what are you talkin about?” I sighed. I swear women are always in their feelings.

“Well I used to think you were just going through the motions and hoping to get back with Robyn, but after meeting her and seeing her new boo, I know that couldn't be the case. You could have just told me you're not interested, no hard feelings” she shrugged and continued walking off, leaving me confused.

I wanted to not feel affected after hearing that but I was. I knew I had no right to be upset, she’s made it clear she's done with me. I just couldn’t accept it.  I thought maybe if I gave her some time and space, she would eventually reach out to me. After hearing the possibility of someone new in her life, I realized I should at least give it one more shot. I had to think of a way to win her back before it was too late.

[honeywithblueberries]

I’m Nick, By the Way

a/n- The following takes place within The Perks universe. It’s Nick’s thought process leading up to his crash with Judy in the park.

Happy belated (very belated) Valentine’s Day, everyone. More Perks to follow! ……………….. “Hi!” The young todd had a hopeful smile on his muzzle as he swallowed his nerves and continued speaking what he had rehearsed. “I’ve seen you around, well, you know……Running around…. and you, umm…..Look pretty fast!”

His ears splayed as the meaning of his words hit him.

“I mean, uh! Not that you you look……slutty…or anything…….”

His grin started to fade as he watched the grey rabbit doe jog in place at a crosswalk. Her ear buds kept her from hearing his poorly executed speech, which was just as well. It obviously need some work. As the ‘walk’ sign illuminated, the doe started to run again at her usual quick pace. The todd watched her vanish wistfully and gave a small sigh.

“I’m Nick, by the way,” he whispered, kicking himself for missing another opportunity. …………………..

“So, I see you like the Otterton’s flower shop!” Nick said brightly. “I love the Ottertons! Katie Otterton makes the BEST candied crickets, they’re really addicting!”

He watched as the bunny, today dressed in jeans and a plaid button down, left the flower shop. A purple tulip was slowly dissected, each petal placed on the enticing, little pink tongue before it was consumed. The small smile she gave as it was chewed made the fox’s heart skip a beat, a small sigh being released as she turned and started walking away from her unknown admirer.

“I mean, I don’t know if bunnies eat crickets…..but their flowers are the best in Zootopia! Speaking of the best, have you ever been on the gondolas? They give you the BEST view of the city. It’s definitely one of my favorite parts about living here…..”

He trailed off again as she vanished into the crowd.

“I’m Nick, by the way………..”

“Ten bucks says he never talks to her,” whispered a wolf to a fennec fox seated on the hood of a van.

The fennec grinned and held out his paw to shake on it. Both watched their friend’s ears and tail drop as he turned away and walked back to them. Pawpsicles in paw, bought off a street vendor not far from the Otterton’s shop, the red todd smiled awkwardly at his friends.

“Long line,” he lied as he passed the pawpsicles to the waiting fox and wolf.

The fennec thoughtfully sucked on his, eyeing his blushing friend.

“Hey, Dave?” The grey wolf perked his ears towards him. “Wasn’t that bunny hot?”

“Really hot, Finnick,” Dave agreed. Nick turned his attention to his treat and tried to block out their conversation. “I bet she’s single, too. Maybe you should asked her out.”

Finnick nodded thoughtfully as his bit off a piece of his pawpsicle. Both noticed the red fox tense at Dave’s words.

“Maybe I should,” he responded. “I bet she would be down for anything. You know how bunnies are.” Finnick grinned and wagged his eyebrows at the wolf.

Before he could stop himself, Nick’s ears splayed and he growled lowly at Finn, baring his teeth as he did. Finnick and Dave raised their eyebrows, unimpressed at the display. The taller todd straightened, a look of mortification washing over his face. Melting into a smirk, Finnick hopped down from the van, his pawpsicle stick clamped between his teeth as he scooped his backpack from the side walk.

“Or you could stop being a chicken and actually talk to her,” he said, the stick tossed into a recycle bin nearby. “Let’s get out of here. There’s a billboard down the street for that new club in Tundratown. It’s begging to be re-designed.”

A small paw shook the backpack, the jingling of metal cans heard from inside it. The trio started to make their way down the street. Nick paused and looked back to where the bunny had vanished to.

Someday, he thought, you’re going to notice me. Someday. ………………………..

The bunny wore black running leggings and a hot pink tank top this time. She was running a different route then what she normally took, this one causing her to run in front of the courthouse, where a certain todd was skateboarding with his friends.

Trying to grind down the stairway railing before security came after them, Nick threw his fists up in triumph as he landed in one piece at the bottom. He didn’t fall, didn’t wobble, his balance was perfect, and his ankles weren’t over taxed. Happy to be in one piece, he pumped away from the building, knowing the others would follow.

But the familiar tail twitching in front of him threw him off. If it hadn’t had been there, he would have noticed the uneven sidewalk. And he would have taken precautions to not go flying off his board, and avoid rolling his ankle in the process. The earbuds she wore drowned out the sharp cry of pain he let out as he landed on the hard cement.

His skateboard rolling towards the street, pain filled green eyes narrowed after the cute little tail as the bunny attached to it continued her jog. A paw going to his hurt ankle, Nick imagined for a moment that she happened to glance at him.

The concern those beautiful purple eyes would hold made his heart skip a beat. Maybe her mouth would form a perfect little ‘o’ shape as her brow furrowed. It’s entirely possible she would lean in, her own small paws reaching out to his injury.

“Are you alright?” She would ask.

And he would simply smirk and stand up, brushing his khakis off before winking at her. That would make her blush.

“Nothing treating you to ice cream wouldn’t help,” he would say.

She would giggle, of course, and accept. Perhaps take his paw in hers as she gazed up adoringly at the strong todd accompanying her. He would get her name and some interesting trivia about her. He would then smile down at her before saying….

“I’m Nick, by the way……”

Nick found himself yanked up by the scruff of his neck, his board shoved into his paws.

“C’mon, grace,” said Dave as he smirked down at the smaller predator. “Shake it off. I really need a Bugga Burger.”

The red todd looked up at his friend before casting a glance back at the disappearing bunny. He nodded and followed after them, limping slightly from his fall. …………….

Half pure coincidence, half sly, stalker fox, Nick found himself yards away from the pretty grey bunny nearly every weekend he was out. He didn’t know her name, didn’t know what school she went to, or what part of the city she was from. But he did know he wanted to know.

He never felt much of anything for the females who went to his school. The vixens whom he had classes with and talked to in the halls were pretty, but they grated on his nerves after a while. The prey he went to school with were terrified of him, or ignored him completely, while the predators tried a little to hard to flirt. Or ignored him completely.

It was a paper he had to finish for history class that gave him his first glimpse of her. Standing in front of the Savanna Public Library, with a list of books he needed to check out, he looked up to see her paused just outside it’s doors. Her slight, trim figure got his attention, with those strong legs and nice hips, but her eyes peaked his curiosity.

Purple eyes that gave a quick glance to her surroundings before they fell to her phone. The cord to her ear buds draped around her neck, dressed in blue running shorts and a yellow tank top, she was scrolling through her phone as she made her way down the steps. An older swift fox, his paws filled with books and folders, found his path blocked by the bunny.

Nick had seen this scene several times around the city. Most of the time, it was a just a simple glance and nod of acknowledgment, no smile or words exchanged. Were the predator a fox, weasel, coyote, or ferret, an insult or barb would be normally be thrown out. As pretty as he thought the bunny was, Nick had scowled at her, expecting her reaction to no different.

Instead, she glanced up at the rumpled fox in surprise, gifting him with a kind smile as she stepped out of his way. She even followed him up to open the door, least he drop his things trying to do so. Nick felt his eyes widen as she bounced back down the steps, earbuds in place, and jogged away.

There was a whirl wind of things he was feeling after that moment. Confusion was the biggest, leading him to trying to flirt with Franchesca Bush, a ruby red vixen in his math class. Just to prove he wasn’t attracted to a bunny. He felt he could get over her shrill voice and maybe ignore how gossipy she was, until her tail brushed over his feet. That caused him to jump back in surprise and glare at her.

Other attempts to talk with females, both vixen and other preds, were met with the same results. An odd reaction, or lack thereof, especially considering each one was physically compared to a total stranger. One he was unlikely to ever see again.

That weekend had him sitting with Dave and Finnick in Savanna Central Park, boards strewn next to them in the grass as they tried figured out what to do. Then she came running past.

Eyes focused on the path in front of her, strong legs carried her small form across the park, away from the todd who tensed at the sight of her. He would bet anything she smelled as lovely as she looked. Even in unattractive, black sweatpants and white baggy shirt.

That night, Nick started to practice his speech. It always started in the bathroom before he showered in the evening, the sound of the water running drowning out his voice. He didn’t need his mother and older brother to hear him and start their teasing.

“So, do your feet get tired from you running around my mind all day?…….

“That’s lame,” he muttered to his reflection. “How about…….

“I got the latest issue of Hereafter! Have you ever read it? It’s awesome!

“But, what if she doesn’t like comics,” he asked himself, dunking his head under the shower head. “I could try……

“I aways wanted to know what an angel looked like,” the towel he was using to dry the fur on his head was pulled off, his most charming grin aimed back at his reflection revealed. He gave himself a quick look over, eyes half lidded, picturing her in front of him. “It was worth the wait.” Followed by a wink.

“Ugg, no!” He pulled pajama pants on, tightening the drawstring as he thought. “There’s always………

“Did you know the Natural History Museum does a star night? Once a month, they bring a projector in and highlight the constellations. Maybe you would want to go with me sometime?

“I’m Nick, by the way…….” he sighed out as he fell back onto his pillow.

With a smile he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with skateboarding trophies and an adoring bunny girlfriend with purple eyes. ……………..

“That’s it?” Nick looked at the tall railing in disbelief, before looking back at Finnick and Dave. “Grind this and then move on?”

Dave to a worn bar of wax and ran it down the beaten metal pole. Perfect hight for medium mammals, straight, even, no large gashes for their boards to get caught in. The wolf grinned and turned back to the two foxes.

“Yup!” He looked down at Finnick, who would definitely have the most problems grinding it. Maybe he could try for a lower rung. “You got this, short stack?”

He walked towards the fennec, who rolled his eyes and slammed his board into his stomach as he passed by. The wolf groaned and laughed as the smaller fox tossed it down and hopped on. A few pumps to gain speed and he ollied, gaining impressive hight.

The front truck made contact with lowest rung, giving him a short, but complete grind. Not enough to satisfy the small fox, but both his friends whooped in encouragement. Dave set himself up next. He managed to hit the top of the rail, drawing out a low whistle from Nick and Finn.

“Not bad, pup,” smirked the red fox as he backed up and stretched out his back. “But, and I don’t know if you know this, red foxes are the epitome of grace and fluid motion. Poems have been written to describe the beauty of which we-“

“Just fucking go!” His friends shouted, causing the young todd to smirk and shrug.

“Just prepare yourselves for the most awesome moves you have ever seen in your life..” he narrowed his gave at the rail, giving himself a running start, before throwing his board down and hopping on.

As he approached, Nick prepared himself for the ollie. And knew right away, he wasn’t ready for it. It was timed poorly, his feet feeling insecure in their placement, and he knew the truck wasn’t going to fall where it needed to. All he could do is focus on falling properly, to minimize the damage to himself. A plan that would have worked………

………had he not noticed her right in front of him. The sudden shock at see his crush in such close proximity threw his balance off even more, the truck sliding against the rail, the wheel catching on it and sending the todd flying towards the unsuspecting bunny.

“LOOK OUT!” He managed to shout before he collided with her, his board flying in the opposite direction.

In a jumble of arms and legs, pain filled yelps, and a spinning world of grass and sky, Nick landed hard on his hands and knees. What was left of his breath left him when something made firm contact with his lower abdomen. Dropping his head into the grass, he gave a hiss of pain before inhaling deeply.

Even if he never got another good look at her, he would remember exactly how she smelled for the rest of his life. He had expected some artificial, floral smell, maybe from her shampoo or body spray. Instead, she smelled like…….

Sunshine, right after a rainstorm. Like cool spring air, fresh with blossoming honeysuckle and daisies. It was sweetness and enthusiasm, it was laughter and mischief. It was a scent that would make any healthy, adolescent male weak in the knees and eager to do anything for another chance to near her again.

As he pulled back from the grass to look down at her, only one thought fluttered through his mind.

Don’t say anything stupid to piss her off, Wilde…… …………………………

a/n- And yes, the Hereafter mentioned in this story is a shout out to my dear friend, ScaraMedn. Hereafter is amazing and if you haven’t read it, please do so! Though, I’m fairly certain all of you are amazing, so don’t take my word for it :)

[pagesoflauren]

A Thousand Years (vampire!Jack x reader AU) - Part 2

Part 1

@ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff once again you are the BEST EVER :D

Warning: mentions of assault, violence, and death

Y/N wakes up startled. Her phone is vibrating under her pillow, the alarm going off. It’s 9:00 AM; she has a few more hours left before she has to go to her Friday class. She sits up, eyes focusing on the water bottle, ibuprofen and granola bar on her desk. She feels a slight throb in her head. Reaching out, she grabs the granola bar first, pulling at the wrapper to open it and takes a bite. She chews thoughtfully, looking down at the jacket she’s wearing; it’s not hers. In fact, it doesn’t even look like any jacket she’s seen in stores. It’s a brown Gingham coat and resembles something her grandfather would wear. She shrugs it off, looking at the tag. She doesn’t recognize the brand. When she looks it up, the Wikipedia article states it was established in the 1700s and closed in 1946. How the hell did she get it?

It’s only when she notices the smell that she remembers what happened the night before: her trekking to the bar, perching herself on the barstool and him. Jack. The one who smiled and made her forget her own name. The one who curiously forgot how long he’d been out of school and doesn’t even use his degree anymore.

Finishing her granola bar and taking two ibuprofen, she decides she wants to see him again. Maybe he wants to see me again too, she thinks, why else would he leave his jacket? She makes a plan to go to the bar after class, picking out a presentable outfit that isn’t sweatpants and a cable knit sweater. She feels giddy at the thought of seeing him again.

Jack isn’t sure if he wants to see her again.

He sits alone in his house, thick curtains drawn, despite the wooden boards he placed on his windows to shut the sunlight out, and the lights on a dim setting. He reaches over and scratches behind his cat’s ears. He had found him, Socks, picking around the trash at the local park a block away from the house. He saw him every day for a week while he walked home and decided to take him home on Friday. He stopped at a convenience store to pick up some cat food and fed him out of the can before going out the next day to buy him the things he needed and get him vaccinated. He named him Socks because he had a habit of stealing socks from his drawer and chewing on them, despite having a box full of cat toys in the living room next to his cat tower.

“What do you think, mate?” Jack asks, “Should I see her again?”

Socks, of course, doesn’t reply. He just turns over, laying on his back while Jack continues to pet him.

“You’re no help, you’re just using me for scratches.”

Jack stops, sighing heavily. He’s beginning to think maybe he’s just thirsty, maybe that’s why he can’t stop thinking about her. He decides he’ll go hunt tonight before he starts his shift at the bar.

Jack’s house is a decent way away from the bar, but he doesn’t mind walking. He doesn’t get cold and, if he really wants to, he could be there faster than a car. But he likes looking at the buildings he’s been surrounded by for the past few decades. They’ve changed some, whether it be a new paint job or they’ve been demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. He walks on the darker side of the street, avoiding sunlight as much as possible, which grows easier as the sun sinks lower and lower beyond the horizon. He listens to the sounds of the street: tires screeching to a stop, people singing badly to the radio and doors opening and closing as people go into different restaurants to grab dinner. A cry of “stop!” catches his attention. He moves quickly to the source of the sound, finding a woman fighting off a man who was reaching for her purse.

“Leave the girl alone, will ya?” Jack says, knowing exactly what the man is going to say. He’s seen this too many times. “Or what?” the man sniggers. He’d be easy to overtake, Jack thinks. He decides to go in quickly, not wanting to waste any time. The woman looks absolutely terrified, she’s looking at Jack like her life depends on it.

He simply walks over and grabs the man’s wrist that’s attached to the hand holding the woman. He squeezes and that enough to get the man to let go and cry out in pain. He grabs the man by his shirt collar and shoves him against the wall of a nearby building. “Go,” he says to the woman. She complies without any other word. “Hey take it easy, mate,” the man pleads. “Yeah?” Jack says, “And how many other women have you attacked like you planned to do to the one?” “Mate, please I won’t do it again, I swear.” He’s squirming, trying to get out of Jack’s grip. It’s hard to do with a broken wrist. “Really? I don’t believe you.”

Jack feels his fangs protrude, watching the man’s face twist up in horror. Before he can scream, Jack presses ever so slightly on his throat. He can’t breathe and Jack brings him into a darkened alley. “You’re a real piece of shit, mate, I hope you know that,” he says. With that, he leans down and bites. He sucks in, feeling the rush of blood come into his mouth before he begins drinking. He drinks until the man stops squirming and he’s limp in Jack’s grip. Once done, he lets him go, watching as he drops in a heap on the floor.

Jack wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, exhaling a breath he didn’t know he took. The guilt of taking another human life in order to survive was something he didn’t feel anymore. He’d grown numb to it, which he attributes to time passing. He wasn’t heartless. He didn’t pick up helpless, feeble humans to drink on. He picked on those who were the scum of the earth, traumatizing and wounding those who were helpless and feeble. He didn’t have interest in the men and women who willingly let vampires drink from them; the appeal was very short-lived. There was one beautiful woman he was undeniably attracted to, but there was nothing deep about it. It was the euphoria of drinking for both of them and the sexual tension that arose from having her in his lap while he drank. Jack didn’t want that.

Then he thought about Y/N. He felt that same tug in his chest, ignoring it again. No, he told himself, not again. I can’t.

But maybe I should.

Y/N walked into the bar, Jack’s coat folded over her arm. The bar was buzzing with students who just took exams, who were on a date and others who were celebrating birthdays. She found the same barstool she sat in earlier that morning unoccupied and perched herself on there. When the bartender came out from the back, she felt herself deflate. It wasn’t Jack.

“What can I get you, love?” he said, a charming smile making its way onto his face. “Um, a Manhattan, please.” “You got it,” he said, winking.

She felt her cheeks flush, liking the attention she was getting, but still disappointed that it wasn’t Jack. She waited for her drink awkwardly, and cringed away from the arm that reached for the counter next to her. “Hey,” a male voice said. “Hello,” she said quietly. “You come here often?” How original, she thought. “Um, no.” “Yeah I figured, I’d remember a face like yours.” Very original. “Yeah, no. I just came here this morning and I’m waiting for the bartender that helped me. Then I’m leaving right after, so…” she said, hoping he’d get the hint. “Ah, turning in early? Maybe I can join you.” “I don’t think she wants that, mate, but nice try.” Y/N turned eagerly when she heard the familiar Scottish accent interject. He smiled at her as he slid her drink over, “One Manhattan.” “Thanks,” she said, reaching for her wallet. “I’ve got it,” he said again. “Are you sure?” “Yeah.”

They smiled at each other, not feeling the need to exchange any words or any greetings. The man that had tried to speak to her earlier had disappeared without them noticing. “I’ve got your coat,” she said, handing it over to him. “Oh, thanks,” he says, “You didn’t have to.” “No, no I couldn’t keep it. I just…I looked up the company and it’s really old. I figured it was an heirloom or something.” “I don’t know if you can call it an heirloom,” Jack chuckles. “Why not? It’s old, it’s probably been passed down—“ “Because it was the first thing I bought after I came back from the war.” Y/N tilts her head, “The war…? Oh like, your station in the Middle East? Did you buy it in a thrift shop?” “No, lass,” he says, looking down at the jacket, the memories attached to it flooding back to him, “World War II.” No one else at the bar seemed to hear his confession to her, but her shock was extremely tangible. “You…” she starts, mouth falling open, “Oh my god, that actually makes so much sense. You guys don’t sleep, like, ever so you’re a nighttime bartender and you were freezing when you carried me and you carried me so easily!” “Figured you weren’t catching on last night because you were so exhausted.” “Well that’s part of it but I just…I don’t meet a lot of…you…” “Fair enough,” he says. He can’t stop the words that come out of his mouth afterwards, “Wanna go? I can get someone to cover my shift.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah, a lot of my coworkers owe me, anyway.”

Thirty minutes later, Y/N and Jack are walking out of the bar, heading toward a diner. He holds the door open for her and they find a booth at the back where they can talk privately.

“Can I ask you questions?” she says. “Sure.” “How old are you?” “I was born in 18…1850? Yeah.” “How old were you when you changed?” “Twenty-seven.” “What happened, why did you change?”

Jack’s gaze falls from her face to the empty table.

“Got caught up in a bar fight, of all things. M’friend and I were trying to walk away from these two blokes that were just upset that we got served before them even though they got there first. It was so stupid. We were just running down the street, trying to get to his dad’s place because they pulled a gun.”

He saw Y/N shudder.

“I just heard the sound of the gun then I fell to the ground. I couldn’t process what was going on. I was still breathing. I don’t know where my mate went, but I remember what they said when they got to me. ‘Just leave him,’ one of them laughed, ‘it’ll be more painful that way.’” “Was it?” “It was excruciating. Then my friend came back. ‘Jack,’ he said, ‘I can help. You want me to help?’ I didn’t know what he was gonna do, I was just thinking about how afraid I was. I nodded and he bent down and bit me.” “Did it hurt?” “I don’t know,” he said, his eyes drifting from the table to gaze out the window, “After that, I just woke up. My neck did feel a little sore, but I felt fine. I felt like I was invincible, and I was. I am. But I didn’t know the consequences. My parents…they refused me. I was some creature from hell, no longer their son.” “I’m sorry,” she said.

He smiled somewhat bitterly. “I just, I stayed with my mate. He taught me everything.” “Where is he now?” “He’s with some lass somewhere in the mainland. I lost contact with them when they moved and their phone disconnected.” “Oh. How long ago was that?” “Few years, maybe in the 90s,” Jack says dismissively. He really stopped keeping track years ago. “Oh,” she says. “I’m sorry, really. I know how it feels when that happens.”

Jack looked at her. Her eyes had compassion and sympathy, but behind them there was the slight sting you feel when you know you and a friend had drifted too far apart, however long ago it was. He didn’t want her to feel pain or sadness, or anything like that. She shouldn’t, he thought, She deserves to be happy all the time.

He doesn’t understand where this comes from. He had closed himself off for so long and suddenly these feelings were coming back. He doesn’t talk much to people like him, so he doesn’t know how common it is for a vampire to want a human this way.

“What bar was it?” she asks, interrupting his thoughts. “The one I work at.” “What?” “Yeah,” Jack chuckles, “Figured if those lads ever come back, I’d give ‘em a good scare, maybe rough ‘em up a bit. Then I just never left.” “You’ve been working there since…” “1877.” “Does your boss know?” “Yeah. So does her father, her granddad, her great granddad and her great-great granddad.” “You must be pretty close with them, then?” “I get invited to the occasional family event. I usually give them li’l gifts and such for holidays and their birthdays. They’re lovely. Probably the closest thing I have to friends nowadays.” “Ah I see.”

There’s a pause in questions when the waitress comes and takes Y/N’s order. Once she walks away, Y/N’s back on them. “So, it’s just you?” “Yeah, just me. And my cat.” “You have a cat?!” she says excitedly. “Yeah. Picked him up on my way home one day. He was poking around the garbage cans in the park a few blocks away from my house.” “Aww that’s sweet! What’s his name?” “Socks.” “That’s so cute,” she giggles. “Named him that because the li’l shit keeps stealing my socks. I find them behind the couch, under the bed, in the cabinets…anywhere.” She giggles for a bit, thinking about Jack finding a sock and lecturing his cat about how he shouldn’t take things that aren’t his.

The waitress interrupts again to bring Y/N her milkshake, fries and burger. She digs in, biting into her burger and causing Jack to laugh when ketchup smears onto her lips.

“What?” she asks. “Nothin’, you’ve just got a bit—here, I’ll get it,” he says, grabbing a napkin from the dispenser and reaching across to wipe away the red condiment. “So, um, what…what do you eat?” she asks quietly, picking up a fry and biting half of it off. “I—Well, it’s not—um,” he starts, not knowing how to say it, “I prefer going out of the city. I hunt bears and deer mostly.” “So,” she pauses. She’s thoughtful, trying to find the right words to ask, “You don’t…you don’t eat, um—“ “Not usually,” Jack says, understanding the direction of her question, “I just…it’s only those who attack others. I don’t pick just anyone off the street.” “Oh, well, that’s…good, in a sense. Or, well it is good for you and if you’re helping others then that’s even better, I guess. But that’s just my opinion. Wait, have you ever gotten caught?” “Couple times, by both human police and vampire—“ “You have your own police department?” “Of sorts, yes. They just make sure no one’s going out and over-indulging, committing mass murders or anything.”

She nods, picking up her burger again and taking another bite. “Enough about me,” Jack says, “Tell me about you.” “Well, what about me?” “Everything. I’ve got all night, and it seems you do too.” She laughs at the truth in that statement. “Well, I was born in the 90s…” “Guess I gotta find myself a woman closer to my age,” he says cheekily. He dodges the french fry thrown at his face. “Oh hush, you.”

By the time they’re done talking, it’s 2 AM.

“I’ll walk you back,” he says, sliding out from the booth.

They walk to the door of the diner, thanking the staff as they leave. There’s a comfortable silence between them, and Jack can sense the heat that’s building in Y/N’s cheeks.

He walks her to her building and she stops before the door. “I had fun,” she says, smiling. “Me too, more fun than I’ve had in a long time.” Y/N’s smile grows even wider and brighter and he feels that tug in his chest again. She looks down fiddling with the sleeves of her jacket. “Jack,” she starts. “Don’t say it,” he says. “Say what?” “I…I’ve been here before. And I can’t be here again. I had fun, I did. But this is where it has to end.” “I don’t understand,” she says, her smiling and bright eyes fading into sad ones. “You need to understand that we can’t be together. This is not something you want.” “What are you talking about?” “This life,” he says, “What I do, how I am…” “You’re right,” she says, “I don’t want to be what you are.”

That causes him to look at her. “I don’t,” she says, shaking her head, “At least, not right now. Maybe I’ll change my mind, I don’t know. But…I like you, Jack. I do.” “You do…” he whispers in disbelief. “Yes,” she says, stepping closer to him. She cups his jaw with her hand and strokes his cheek with her thumb. He is so cold. He’s so cold by nature and her body temperature contrasts that so drastically. He realizes he wants to keep her close all the time. He can’t step into the sunlight or else he risks being reduced to a pile of ashes. But with her so close to him, between his arms, he’s suddenly aware of the fact that’s he’s missed the warmth of the sun for the past one hundred and forty years.

Her hand travels to the back of his neck to bring him closer to her height, and she meets him halfway as she stands on her toes. He holds her close, arms tightening ever so slightly, and he can feel her heart beating against his chest.

For the first time in years, he feels human.

.

.

.

woohoooooo!!!

I really hope you guys like this series as much as I do!!! I’m hoping to put out three more parts before Halloween :3

As always feel free to let me know what you think! Love y’all :D

[definitelynotalibrary]

This is my Nightwish (long, under the cut)

It started with four songs.

Over the Hills and Far Away, Wanderlust, Nemo, and Sleeping Sun, mistakenly titled “Eclipse” on the file I had.

I cannot tell you exactly when I received them, or the name of the person who gave them to me. All I remember is that it was 2005 (possibly 2004), and it was a friend of a friend I met on Neopets.

Wanderlust especially intrigued me because I was deeply into Dragonlance and it reminded me of kender. Over the Hills and Far Away was cool. I have always wanted to write a short story about the plot of that song. I want to say my version of Sleeping Sun was the 2005 version, but I am not sure. Either way, I adored it. I still think of it as “Eclipse” sometimes because for the longest time, that is what I thought it was called.

But of course, Nemo is what won my heart. How many of us say the same? There is just something about that song that draws you in. You get lost in it, enfolded in its haunting beauty. It is easily Tarja’s best song and one that each of the subsequent singers has rocked in their own unique style. There are many excellent and gorgeous songs in Nightwish’s repertoire, but Nemo is the most famous and it is the song I am sure many of us use to get our friends into the band.

So the reason I know that I was introduced to the band in 2005 is because it is the year my uncle got married to his second wife. They were married in Vegas, and this was before I had an MP3 device, so I was still rocking the CD player. I burned all four of those songs onto a CD and played it on repeat. During the plane ride, while we walked around the Strip…I was solidly hooked. (Fun side fact: The real reason I know it was 2005 is because I got sick on that trip and had to stay in the hotel while my family went and saw the fourth Harry Potter movie. That was the only one I never saw in theaters, which was fine by me. I got to hang out by myself in a hotel room and watch The Mummy for the first time.)

“Woah. He looks EVIL!” <- My mother’s first reaction to Marco in the MV for Wish I Had an Angel. Again, my memory is bad, so I do not know when I started looking up music videos. But I remember that one moment very clearly. I mean…she’s not wrong.

My parents never disapproved of Nightwish though, despite their rather quiet fourteen year old anime and fantasy nerd suddenly obsessing over heavy metal. Sorry; symphonic power metal. Actually, the more I listened, the more it grew on them to the point where they were willing to drive six hours from Raleigh to Atlanta to see their show in 2007. But that is getting ahead of myself.

Learning about Tarja leaving was devastating. During the interim though, I was able to get deeper and deeper into the band. Once was my first album, and the others very quickly followed. It didn’t take me long to realize exactly why I loved this band so much.

Tuomas.

Tuomas was, and is, the heart of the band to me. The more I read about him, the more I loved him. He has such an obvious passion for his work. I love the music of the band, but it was the lyrics that sold me. I have always been a voracious reader of fantasy novels, and here he was creating these stories in song. English was my favorite subject in school (I now have a BA in Creative Writing), and I often had fun trying to decipher the symbolic and hidden meaning of his work. The songs are so full of literary allusions and metaphors…I still want to sit down and create an in-depth analysis of Song of Myself just for giggles. In fact, I DID use The Escapist in lieu of a poem in a college freshman English class. That was awesome.

As was everyone, I was apprehensive at the idea of a new singer. They announced Anette and she seemed fine. If I remember correctly, they released small previews of some of the songs and they were different, but not bad. I bought Dark Passion Play the moment it came out. I was so excited. I immediately played it when my mom and I got to the car.

That first time was breathtaking. Poet and the Pendulum regularly is cited as my favorite song of theirs. My mom immediately fell in love with 7 Days to the Wolves and Jukka’s drumming. She’s always had a thing for percussion. To this day, when we are in the car together and playing DPP, we will belt out most of the songs together in perfect time. My mom doesn’t often blast music, but Nightwish is an exception.

The concert in 2007 was a revelation. I had only ever been to one concert before, and it was an Aerosmith outdoors concert that I kind of appreciated, but we were all the way in the last row of an outdoor stadium, so it was difficult to get into it.

This one though…it was held in a small club that someone said was just waiting to fall down because the owner’s didn’t really repair it much. We were two or three rows from the front standing to the left in front of Tuomas’ pianos. Yes, I said "we." My mother stood right next to me the whole time. My dad, who it turned out was a bit of an introvert (and also was 6’6” tall), stayed in the back.

Y’all, nothing prepared me for this experience. The opening act was Paradise Lost, whom I honestly cannot remember. The sound was loud and the mics were fuzzy. Nightwish shined. The floor shook, the crowd surged behind me, I almost got kicked in the face by an attempted crowd surfer, my mom was a trooper, and I got to shake Marco’s hand. Poet and the Pendulum brought me to tears and gave me chills all over. We went home the next day with shirts and (to my surprise at Christmas), hoodies. That hoodie became my favorite article of clothing. I still have it. I wore it almost daily when it was cool enough.

The years went on. I learned to never read YouTube comments on Nightwish videos, I gained a deeper appreciation for the more “classic” albums (Century Child is my jam), and I phased in and out of my obsession.

Imaginaerum came out when I was in college. The preorder slip was one of my Christmas gifts in December 2011. I strong-armed a couple of my friends into agreeing to go to the concert in Salt Lake City with me on Sepetember 29th, 2012. Our college was in Idaho, and we did not have (reliable) cars to drive down, or the money for a hotel, but we made it. Found a ride on a rideshare board, stayed with my friend’s aunt(?), and begged a ride from a local friend two and from the concert. It was an unpleasant trip filled with too much junk food (I still cannot eat Cadbury eggs. Don’t ask; it was a bad idea).

As before, the concert was great. Kamelot was their opening act, and though I had heard some of their stuff before, I definitely fell in love with Tommy that night. I did notice Anette wasn’t quite as engaged with the audience and their whole show felt a little muted, but I attributed that to her having just been ill in Denver a day or so before.

My friends had a fun time, too. One of my friends is rather small, and we were concerned she would get swallowed by the crowd, but she was a champ. Pushed people who pushed her back. She was great. There was this annoying teenage girl in a corset or something that pushed her boobs into everyone’s faces and she was trying to brag about how her daddy paid for her ticket. We just deadpanned her and talked about how we three grown-ass college students paid for our own tickets and drove 4+ hours to get here.

The highlight of that concert was that the people behind us, more Kamelot fans than Nightwish, proved to be really cool people. We talked a bit and I expressed my love for Tuomas and later the girl caught a towel he threw into the audience. And she gave it to me. I was over the moon.

Once again, shock when it was announced Anette was leaving not TWO DAYS LATER. I was at her last concert and had no idea.

I’d grown very attached to Anette, so I was slow to warm up to Floor. She was this tall, Amazonian woman with a nose ring who headbanged like I had never seen before. I wasn’t totally sold on Elan when the music video came out.

To be honest, I didn’t WANT to like her. There was too much change. First Troy was added and I was like “OK, not surprising, he has been touring with them,” and THEN my mother’s dear Jukka announced he was stepping back and someone else was replacing him. It was all just too much change! I almost tentatively purchased Endless Forms Most Beautiful, hesitant and almost afraid. And I learned how wrong I was.

Floor was perfect. She combined what I loved about the other two singers and added her own flair on top of it. The songs were as epic and grand as any of the others, and above all, it just felt like Nightwish. I still loved Tarja and Anette, but I found that I had room in my heart for Floor, too.

So when I found out they were going to be in my town (which was now Kansas City), I of course had to go. My mom came too, though my dad passed. Standing in line, people went through and asked if anyone wanted to upgrade to VIP. I worked up my nerve and did it! I figured, why not. Third time’s the charm.

I was nervous as anything and shyer than I have ever been. And, of course, woefully unprepared. I had them sign my ticket and my phone case. Over a year later and they are mostly faded, but I had put a little clear nail polish over them, so some of them really aren’t TOO bad. I met everyone except Marco, who was bizarrely absent.

The concert started, and for the third time I was almost front row, but off to the left. Delain and Sonata Arctica were fantastic. Nightwish came on and Marco looked PISSED. He ended up throwing his guitar and walking off stage midway through the first song. He reappeared with another guitar, but still looked angry. I guess there was something wrong with his sound. After another song, he apologized and everything was alright again. They shone, the energy was intoxicating, and they left everyone wanting more.

I do not think I can adequately describe what Nightwish means to me honestly. They were my first band, really. I had liked some music before them, but not quite the same. They elevated my taste and changed me forever. I taught myself to sing by listening to Tarja (was devastated to learn I am not an actual soprano ahah), and their music has consistently helped me write when blocked. I fall asleep like a baby when listening to their music, it pumps me up when I am excited, it helps me vent when I am angry, and it calms me down when I am depressed. It helped me when we moved across states after my freshman year in high school. It was there during the worst roommates of my college time. It’s helped me get through my dad’s death. Any time I need to, I can sink into their sound, letting it envelop me once more and carry me off to a peaceful place. In so many ways, it feels like this band was MEANT for me.

[iksathrob]

Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge This single-fronted Edwardian home in Kew — one in a row of similar-looking houses — has a classic storybook charm that allows it to blend into the streetscape with unassuming style. But first impressions aren’t always what they seem. A glimpse of two charcoal grey gables peeking from the back is a hint this home is full of surprises. Architect Rebecca Naughtin, who owners Mark and Suzette Dawson engaged to renovate the property, said the gables on the newly built second storey made people curious. RELATED: Ross House: Century-old Kew Italianate mansion could almost double record Cambridge Street, Armadale: Heritage house up for grabs Port Melbourne landmark home snapped up for millions without physical inspection // // Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge “There is nothing that gets me more excited than seeing those two little gables at the back when I am standing out front. It just makes me want to see more,” Ms Naughtin said. The gables on the first floor sit atop two new bedrooms and an ensuite. Another gabled ceiling forms part of the ground-floor extension, which includes an open-plan living and dining zone overlooked by the kitchen. Mr Dawson felt the angled ceilings gave the home a “quiet confidence” by accentuating the sense of space. “It has also stopped the rooms from feeling too boxlike,” he added. Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge Remote access When the Dawsons bought the house in 1994, it was rundown but had plenty of period appeal and eye-catching features. These included original skirting boards, architraves, leadlight windows and beautiful old fireplaces, which they chose to keep and restore. What they did get rid of was a poky kitchen tacked on the rear. “We wanted to retain the architectural integrity and show the history of the house, but didn’t want the place to feel like a museum,” Mr Dawson said. They did a mini makeover to help modernise the home before renting the property out while they lived and worked overseas for 20 years. Before returning to Australia, the couple decided to renovate on a bigger scale so the house had more connection with the outdoors, and to create spaces that reflected how they liked to spend time at home. “We are both retired now and our needs have changed quite a bit,” Mr Dawson said. While overseas, they started researching renovating ideas through Houzz, an online renovation and design ideas platform that connects people with home experts. This was how they met Ms Naughtin. After a series of video conferences, phone calls and emails, they nutted out a renovation plan together. Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge New benchmark The kitchen was particularly important for Ms Dawson, who loved to cook. But given it was in a south-facing part of the home, creative ways to bring in extra natural light needed to be considered. Large sliding stacker doors now connect the kitchen and living room to an outdoor entertaining area and garden. A long skylight near the island bench also means the pair rarely need to switch on a light during the day. “It has really transformed the space,” Ms Dawson said. The kitchen’s tailored storage and big island bench also get her tick of approval. “I fell in love with the look of the textured benchtop, but was a little worried it may not be that practical when I was cooking,” Ms Dawson explained. After taking a sample of the bench surface home, she discovered it was easy to clean and work on. Together with the custom timber shelving unit at the front, it has turned the bench into a real feature of the space. Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge Bathing beauties The ground-floor bathroom was designed around one of the home’s old fireplaces, and is a perfect example of how old and new have been successfully mixed. “Having the fireplace there really warms the space up visually,” Ms Naughtin said. “It is a bit of artwork in a way and a beautiful backdrop to the freestanding bath.” An oversized dual shower with access to a very private balcony is a highlight of the ensuite upstairs. The balcony is also attached to the main bedroom and is another clever design aspect that allows additional natural light to stream inside. Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge Talking points Part of Mr Dawson’s wish list, apart from the study off the front entry, was a wine room. Adjoining the dining space, it features a fully glazed wall and LED lighting. “The lighting really brings the room to life and even though the fireplace isn’t in use, it adds to the look and feel,” Mr Dawson said. A recessed handrail next to the staircase is one of Ms Naughtin’s favourite design features. Having it set into the wall has made a tight stairwell feel more open. “We also recessed some LED strip lighting which makes the staircase easier to navigate at night and look amazing,” she said. “It’s features like this that give the home longevity and a level of interest that ensures it stands out.” MORE: COVID-19 quarantine hotel: Rydges on Swanston, Carlton sells Noel Jones runs competition to help pay winners’ rent, mortgages Rent reductions, Victoria: REIV backs down on reduction ‘strike’ rnarchitect.com.au Elmhurst House by Rebecca Naughtin. Photo: Daniel Fuge The post Elmhurst House, Kew: Storybook charm goes up a gable appeared first on realestate.com.au. from news – realestate.com.au https://ift.tt/33dph0q

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Producer tells story that inspired his new movie Breathe

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Producer tells story that inspired his new movie Breathe

Travelling with my father, Robin Cavendish, was not straightforward. He had contracted polio in 1958, just before I was born, and was completely paralysed from the neck down.

He was entirely dependent on a breathing machine fitted to a wheelchair, built by his great friend and Oxford professor Teddy Hall, which pumped air into his lungs. 

Dad had also supervised the design of a Dormobile van with a hydraulic lift, so he could travel. He decided he wanted to see the sun set over the Mediterranean, so off we went to Spain. I was seven and it was my first holiday abroad.

Disaster struck just outside Barcelona. My uncle Bloggs (named after Henry Blogg, the most decorated lifeboat man in RNLI history), my mother’s brother and not the most practical of men, plugged a cable for Dad’s breathing machine into the wrong socket. There was a loud explosion, flames and smoke, and both van and breathing machine ground to a halt.

Andrew Garfield as Robin and Claire Foy as wife Diana in the film

Two minutes without air and my father would be dead. My mother swiftly attached a pump to his tracheotomy and we took it in turns to pump by hand. The only answer was for Teddy to build a new breathing machine back home, fly with it to Barcelona and take a taxi to meet us. We had been hand-pumping for over 36 hours, so we were very glad to see him.

With the new machine fitted, we finally arrived at the Spanish seaside. It all seemed quite normal to me then, but I now realise it wasn’t normal at all.

I am a film producer, always looking for stories, but it took me a long time to work out that I had a great one under my nose. If I had been a writer, I might have penned a memoir or a novel. But making a movie about my parents’ life seemed too risky – what if I didn’t get it right?

But the more I thought about their story, the more I realised how remarkable my parents were. Their’s was a great love story which created the victory of optimism over despair. My father had lost control of his life, along with his movement and independence, but with my mother’s love and willpower, he was released from his captivity and enabled so many severely disabled people to escape in the same way. We all need films that give us hope.

The story starts in 1956 when Robin Cavendish meets a beautiful woman called Diana. They fall in love, have a whirlwind courtship of just six weeks, marry and go off to Kenya to begin a new and adventurous life. Two years into their fairytale marriage, however, everything changed.

My mother was just 24 and pregnant with me in 1958 when my father took a tumble during a tennis match. He woke that night with a sore arm and soon realised the rest of his body was rapidly losing sensation. Hour by hour he felt the paralysis creeping up his body, first losing the use of his feet, then legs and arms until he could not move at all.

He was rushed to a hospital in Nairobi where he was diagnosed with polio, which resulted in total paralysis. Doctors performed a tracheotomy to help him breathe. My parents were in shock, unable to grasp the enormity and finality of what had happened. Dad was just 28. He wasn’t expected to survive, and was flown back to England in an Army transport plane.

In hospital in Oxford, having to re-learn to speak, he begged doctors and visitors to turn off his mechanical ventilator and end his torment.

Pioneer: Jonathan with his father in the 60s

I was born a few months after he fell ill. In a moving moment in the film, his newborn baby (me) is placed next to his cheek. I can’t imagine the pain he must have felt at not being able to cradle his son.

Dad suffered extreme depression for two years. He would not look at me when I was brought in to visit him in hospital. But Mum steadfastly refused to give up. She told him he had to live to see his son grow up.

I believe it was purely his love for us both that pulled him through. And it was a love that was unconditionally reciprocated.

No-one like him had ever lived outside hospital 

She willed Dad to turn himself around, to contemplate and ultimately accept his terrible restrictions, and to start living again. Her optimism seemed unfounded.

By this time it was 1961 and nobody with Dad’s degree of disability had ever lived outside hospital before. Many polio victims – but not Dad – were kept alive on special wards equipped with rows of ‘iron lungs’, mechanical respirators imprisoning the entire body right up to the neck. It was unheard of for anyone to question this but my father asked doctors: ‘Why do you keep your disabled people in prison? We should open the gates and set them free.’

Mum bought a dilapidated house outside Oxford, and against very strong opposition from the doctors, they broke out of hospital.

Actors Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield attend the New York special screening of Breathe

My mother, helped by a junior doctor and a nurse, had to swiftly wheel my father on a gurney through the dark basement corridors of the hospital in a failed attempt to evade detection.

Mum, now a sprightly 83, still remembers their furious consultant shouting after them: ‘You’ll be dead in two weeks!’

They carried on regardless.

And so my parents had to invent a new way of living. Friends flocked to help.

Teddy Hall was a charismatic, eccentric inventor, whose personal wealth (his grandfather discovered the world’s largest lump of gold in Australia) funded the early-stage development of the ‘Cavendish’ wheelchair. Three versions were built and paid for by Teddy with my father urging him on to make further improvements.

Once they had a reliable and comfortable Mark III, my parents raised money from rich individuals and institutions to enable many chairs to be produced. They would transform lives, giving independence to countless respirator-dependent people all over Britain.

Beloved Tid, who had been my mother’s nanny when she was a child, came to live with us to help look after Dad and me. It took several hours in the morning to wash Dad, give him breakfast and a bed-pan, and hoist him out of bed into his especially adapted wheelchair.

Apart from his total reliance on his breathing machine, Dad’s main enemy was boredom. He always had new plans – travel, helping other disabled people, filling the house with friends. As my father said, he didn’t want to just survive – he wanted to truly live.

My childhood was very happy: my father was always at home and always wanted to do things with me. He never showed the frustration he must have felt at not being able to hug me or play football with me.

His chair was always surrounded by pretty girls 

My parents made it all look so easy and fun, when of course it must often have been exhausting, repetitive and sometimes frightening. I never saw that. To me our lives were an exciting adventure.

Mum has always said that it was easier for them because they had some money, given by my maternal grandparents for her wedding dowry. I looked into this while researching the film. My parents returned from Kenya to England with £25,000 – a sizeable sum then.

Their house cost £7,000, leaving £18,000. Dad could not go out to work and Mum was a full-time carer. Knowing the money would run out, Dad started reading the Financial Times and investing on the Stock Exchange, following the precepts of the great Warren Buffet. These investments grew modestly but steadily and funded a thriftily managed household.

When my parents were alone, they lived very frugally but when friends came round the hospitality was lavish and corks popped. Dad was very much the head of the household, making all the major domestic decisions, which is exactly how my mother liked it.

He realised that people then were scared of severe disability because they had never encountered it. He became adept at helping people through the awkward moment when they futilely reached out their hand to shake his. He was charming, funny and full of gossip – much of it mischievous.

His wheelchair was always surrounded by the prettiest girls at parties. My parents were never the object of pity.

I wanted Breathe to be truthful to my parents’ story, to capture the spirited fun and resilience of their love for one another while modestly and quietly, through their brave example, helping to change the lives of so many other disabled people.

I commissioned Oscar-nominated writer William Nicholson to write the screenplay. I’d seen his wonderful play Shadowlands in which he conveyed the tone of restrained but powerful emotion that I was looking for.

Andy Serkis, best-known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, came on board as director. He knew the world of disability as his sister Kath is a wheelchair-bound MS sufferer.

The moment I met Andrew Garfield, I knew he was the man to play my father and, bit by bit, he became my father. A few weeks before filming started, I was shocked to receive a phone message from Dad, 22 years after his death. The message ended: ‘How am I doing with the voice?’

He begged doctors to switch off the ventilator 

Remarkably, Andrew would stay in character throughout the day, motionless in his wheelchair, and, when he wrinkled his nose with an itch, my ‘mother’ Claire Foy – known for playing the Queen in The Crown – would come over and scratch it for him, just as my mother used to for Dad.

There were, of course, the usual difficulties along the way: my two- year-old self was supposed to pull the plug out of my father’s breathing machine, as I had once done. We could not get our two-year-old actor to do it, and, just as we were despairing, our dog actor Pixie – playing my dog Benjy – got tangled in the cord and pulled it out on camera.

My father didn’t just transform his own life but, with my mother’s unstinting love and support, he battled to revolutionise the lives of severely disabled people in the UK and all over Europe. He was awarded the MBE in 1975 for his services to the disabled.

I especially wanted to convey the fun and joy it is possible to create, even in a life so blighted, when the protagonists share a great love, willpower and the ability to laugh disaster in the face. In all those years, I only ever saw Mum cry once – when her highly eccentric mother gave her a kettle for Christmas two years running.

We have watched audiences from several countries laugh and cry at Breathe. But the most important audience member was always going to be my mother.

When she watched the final version, she was amazed and loved it, shedding rare tears. She loves Claire’s performance and cannot believe that Andrew so uncannily brought Dad back in every detail and every breath. My only regret is that Dad, who died in 1994 aged 64, never saw the film. I think he would have enjoyed it.

Breathe opens in cinemas next weekend. 

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