#but all my efforts are making me look like mr messy

[tallymali]

and so i shall scream

[stunie]

ok so i hit 30 tags pretty early so i wanted to add extra thoughts under here i am SOOO SORRY OMFG ITS SO MUCH 😭😭 GOD

attempt 1 at reading - thoughts:

i love how you wrote the nervousness and hesitation of both reader and atsumu ): this relationship feels so genuine and realistic, like every thought is so real and complex and it all just plays out soooo vividly in my head. i can literally feel every single thing in MY SOUL. it got me holding my breath, my heart racing, my stomach churning

the kiss . the first kiss where mr suna interrupted . when i tell you i read it like this >//////< EXCEPT MY HAND WAS CLASPED SO TIGHTLY OVER MY MIUTH. oh my god the reaction i had. it really felt like a first kiss all over again, i was genuinely WARM and all blushy

attempt 2 at reading - thoughts:

i loved how u wrote out the tension again .. and your characterization for all of them ?? kita being all observant? osamu being all curious ?

the emotional rollercoaster i am on in this chapter is crazy. i took my first break after suna interrupted (the kiss killed me), and im taking my second break right after atsumu confesssd (i was killed a second time). i was irritated during the cafe bc WHY r u avoiding me, and then the next second i’m like squealing 😭 the way that u write yue !! the way that u write . i am such a mess right now give me another moment

attempt 3 at reading - thoughts:

holy shit this scene . the kissing ? THE AAY YOU DESCDIBED IT from the first kiss ?? this one made my stomach FLIP omfg .

oh god the neck kisses . the .. the everything . my left leg has goosebumps idk why it’s only my left leg am i okay yue ? am i okay what’s wrong with me

i have a little ways to go i’m almost done but i need yet another break holy shit i have been reduced to a dizzy lil mess what have i become

attempt 4 at reading - thoughts:

oh my god ): oh my god ): what am i even supposed to say here. i love how u wrote the smut part ?? it feels like actual love ? he is so sweet pls

osamu interrupting had me jolting upright BECAUSE SUNA FIRST NOW OSAMU ? is kita the next victim ?? poor baby

AGHHH THE ENDING IS SO CUTE i fr feel like im in an anime ): i feel so pretty and so lovely THIS WAS SO LOVELYYY TYSMMM YUE FOR WRITING THIS

v. MISUNDERSTANDINGS

miya atsumu x f!reader

── next: vi. Epilogue: Sakura sweetness | series masterlist

synopsis: A drunken conversation with Atsumu leads to a cascade of events that has your mind practically exploding with endless questions, and with the way Atsumu has been acting, you want clear answers, and you’ll get them one way or another—even if it meant arguing in the twins’ shared apartment on a late Thursday afternoon.

chapter content warning: college au, mentions of alcohol use, intoxicated characters, cockblocker suna (rip), angst, hurt/comfort, awkward tension, atsumu & reader are dumbasses, arguing, light smut (mdni; nothing too explicit), nsfw, implied unprotected s*x, fluff towards the end yay, kita graduates from uni!, mutual pining, slow burn, requited unrequited love, friends to lovers, not beta read.

word count: 6.1k

notes: AAACKKKK last chapter!! also happy 1 month to this series !! i’m surprised i got to finish this in less than 2 months lmao considering how slow i am w writing :< divider: cafekitsune.

Light. Everything felt light—your head, body, voice, heart.

It felt like all the weight of your shoulders had been lifted, and you could be as carefree as a bird soaring through cerulean skies to be one with the wind. Because right this very moment, nothing mattered at all, not even the fact that you stood before the person you’ve been trying to avoid since the new year rolled around.

Tucked neatly at the back of your mind like a silent reminder, you knew you shouldn’t trust your intoxicated self right now—whether it be your thoughts or feelings but the urge to stop wasn’t there, and you felt extremely optimistic about this—all thanks to the burning alcohol that clouded every bit of your judgement.

Everything felt right.

As you met his caramel gaze, your vision tunnelled, everyone, and everything that surrounded both of you slowly turned into nothing but a mix of hazy hues, upbeat music that spilled from the speakers fading into the distance as you, and Atsumu entered your own world—even the orange-haired male with the bright, doe eyes melted away from your view.

Just you, and Atsumu, exactly how it was supposed to be.

With a bated breath, Atsumu wordlessly nodded, and awaited your next move, as if shackled in a hazy trance. He was fully aware of the thundering heartbeat that rang in his ears, the way his slender fingers ever so slightly dug into the scarlet plastic cup in his hand, cheeks burning with unexplainable emotions.

“Let’s talk somewhere else.”

It took all the effort for Atsumu to ignore the feeling of your bare skin against his, the searing touch of your fingers around his wrist as you hurriedly whisked him away into the intimate space of their kitchen, as if to shield you both from everyone else’s prying eyes. Despite a stained judgement, the blonde was sure no one gave a single damn if you were to talk it out in the living room, everyone was in their own buzz anyway.

Nonetheless, Atsumu let you take the lead, whatever you wanted, he obliged. As though he was floating on cloud nine, his body became lighter with each step taken, head lightly spinning, warmth that radiated from your palm seeped into his flushed skin, prickly, miniature kisses engulfing his body.

“I’m okay now.” Resting your lower back against the ivory granite countertops, you stare up at Atsumu through your lashes, not noticing your lingering fingers curled around his wrist. For a brief moment, your breath hitched, stomach churning at the sight before you. The lighting behind Atsumu made him look like absolute heaven, flaxen strands glowing like the first rays beneath the warm illuminant, casting an ethereal halo at the back of his head. It didn’t help how he stared down as if your eyes held the cosmos in them, completely awestruck.

Whatever, you chalked it up to his intoxicated state. What else could it have been?

For a brief moment, Atsumu wracked his brain for context behind your words, and as the invisible lightbulb atop his head switched on, he was reminded of the situation at hand. It definitely pulled his consciousness into sobriety. Just a tad bit.

“A-are y’sure?” A breathless, almost dainty whisper slipped past his rosy lips. He took note of the way your gaze shifted ever so slightly downwards, eyes crudely lingering on the plush of his bottom lip as his tongue briefly swiped against it.

Atsumu’s Adam’s apple bobbed at your not-so-subtle stare, stomach churning with want. He knew this feeling all too well—it visited him whenever he was alone in his room, mind wandering over to thoughts of you which filled every corner of his mind; sometimes the feeling was too strong, other times he could bear it. Tonight, though, Atsumu wasn’t sure if he was immune to this feeling, let alone erase any impulsive thoughts from his intoxicated mind.

What pulled you into this decision was something you’d never figure out; maybe it was the fact that your yearning heart grew tired of the icy distance between the two of you or maybe you’ve truly come to terms with his unreciprocated feelings—you didn’t know. All you knew was that nothing good ever came out of inebriated conversations, especially when it involved feelings. But this could be an exception, right?

“So . . Does that mean we can be friends again?”

It was weird. Atsumu’s voice brimmed with a sense of hope—as if he’s been waiting for this very moment for the past two weeks—but the strange glint in his caramel eyes betrayed the blonde entirely.

Despite your better judgement, you chalked it up to the warm light that casted a soft shadow upon his features; maybe you were too dizzy to see things clearly, or maybe you were looking too deep into Atsumu’s expression—hoping to find some sort of sadness upon hearing your decision to move on, and accept his rejection.

Atsumu watched as your eyes traced his features, closely observing them as if to find some kind of answer; as selfish as it seemed, the intensity in your eyes gave him a tinge of hope that perhaps you could let yourself pine over him just a little longer because he wasn’t sure what he’d do with the knowledge that your heart would no longer yearn for him.

The situation was a double-edged sword, really.

You let out a puff of breath, “Yeah, of course. We’re friends again.” Friends. That word should have given you more relief than sorrow but could you really blame yourself? It felt like a bitter reminder of cold rejection which resembled salt pressed against an unhealed wound, a searing itch that left your skin feverish.

Even if it meant selling yourself short.

Avoiding his eye contact, you swiftly unwound your fingers from his wrist, mentally cursing yourself for not noticing any sooner. A cold embrace engulfed Atsumu’s wrist, where your fingers were mere seconds ago, he tried his best to ignore how his body yearned for your warmth. He gave a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

For a moment, you stood in each other’s silence like two predators sizing up one another, eagerly waiting for one’s move before pouncing, the silent hum of the fridge making up for the lack of conversation between one another.

How strange, this agreement should have cleared the unsettled air between you, and Atsumu but why did it feel like the complete opposite? As if the air turned into something more uncertain. You both knew you could feel the uncanny tension rising up, up, up but not one dared to address it.

Swiftly burying it under the rug, Atsumu spoke, thinly slicing through your trance, “You’ll find someone better.”

God, he must’ve really matured this new year because he didn’t know how he was able to say that straight to your face. Being one to wear his heart on his sleeve, this was completely foreign for Atsumu—or maybe he just got better at masking his true emotions.

You closed your eyes upon hearing his response, as if doing so would help you brave the weight of his words. It didn’t. That was the last thing you wanted Atsumu to say to you, ‘someone better’, it was brazen of him to think so poorly of himself, as though he wasn’t that certain someone. It was entirely unfair on your end because who was Atsumu to determine which person was for you?

Even just thinking about it had you fuming, rejection was one thing but completely disregarding the reason behind your feelings for him was another because in your eyes, Miya Atsumu was that ‘someone better’; he was the one who understood you the most, the one who always looked out for you, the one you fucking wanted.

And despite your mind telling you to nod along, and suck it up, the alcohol in your body was stronger; so, you opened your eyes, and furrowed your brows at him,

Nothing good ever came out of inebriated conversations.

“But I don’t want anyone better, Tsumu. I want you.”

Atsumu’s eyes widened, the desperation in your voice was something he hadn't heard before, it definitely pulled at his heart, guilt gnawing at his skin for being the sole reason for your drunken actions. He may be drunk but he wasn’t stupid, Atsumu knew you should’ve kept that one to yourself, he could practically see you brimming with temerity but he’d be lying to himself if he said his heart didn’t skip a beat or two.

I want you, too. God, he wanted to say it back badly. The words were lodged in his throat, unable to slip past his lips despite the best efforts to do so.

It dawned on him—right then, and there—the severity of your feelings for him, the immense weight of it. Now, guilt really ate him away; he could only imagine how the past two weeks were for you. Did you cry while thinking about him?

That was the last thing Atsumu wanted.

Though, amidst the guilt, something else blossomed in his chest, it made him feel like he stood upon the highest pedestal. Atsumu didn’t know whether it was pride or greed; as fucked up as it was, he couldn’t bring himself to push the impulsiveness away as though you’ve infected him with your own. His heart hammered at a thought that formed in his mind, even just thinking about it stirred his chest.

Despite Atsumu’s better judgement, he held onto the feeling with a tight grip, and opened his mouth, tongue nervously swiping at the bottom lip,

Nothing good ever came out of inebriated conversations.

“Is . . Is it bad that I really want to kiss you right now?”

You sucked in a breath, heart pounding at Atsumu’s sudden confession. If you were sober, you’d have a million thoughts racing through your mind right now, questioning the feelings he really had for you but unfortunately, only one thing was on your mind—how badly you wanted to kiss Atsumu too.

Dragging yourself further down, down, down the void of uncertainty, you shook your head in a daze,

Nothing good ever came out of inebriated conversations.

“What if I say I want to kiss you, too?” 

Barely audible but Atsumu heard it just fine over the pounding of his heart, over the incoherent conversations beyond this kitchen, over the muted bass music because as long as it's you, he’d always listen, even if it meant drowning out the entire world.

Then, there was a heartbeat, a passing second, a dip of a finger to test undisturbed waters; the funny thing was that even a minute disturbance could cause a ripple effect for miles, and miles, awakening the dormant creatures that lay beyond the azure surface.

It was swift, as though Atsumu had been waiting for this very moment to happen—one second you were locked in a trance, the next his lips were pressed against your own, a shared warmth of intimacy searing both bodies in an eternal blaze like a blue flame that dangerously destroyed everything in its path.

Shy. Warm. Soft. Rosy. Like it was meant to be. The list could go on, and on but it was as though your thoughts came quickly before your mind could register them, leaving you in a white, empty haze. With the plastic cups long forgotten on the counter behind, you closed your eyes as Atsumu’s body eagerly pressed against yours, strong arms coming up to rest on the granite countertop behind you, fingers digging into the material to ground himself.

For a moment, everything was still, lips unmoving against each other, a time to bask in this newfound intimacy—the foreignness of one another’s body. The earth felt like it spun on its axis way faster than usual, as if day, and night merged to become one; hues of late dusk, and early dawn intertwined like your bodies.

Bitterness from Atsumu’s rosy lips lingered on your own; you never liked the taste of beer but oddly enough, you didn’t mind it at all.

Your hands cupped Atsumu’s jaw, fingers gently digging onto his soft skin, eager for more as your lips moulded together. Slowly moving his mouth against your own, you followed suit to match the sensual pace he had set, falling deeper, and deeper between the hazy boundaries of friendship, and something a little more. Low whimpers slipped past between each feverish kiss as a drunken greed gradually controlled your bodies.

The initial softness of the kiss dissipated as each second passed, slowly turning into something more carnal, and passionate—breaths becoming heavier, and faces eagerly pressed against one another, angled in a way to grant more access.

Was this what cloud nine felt like? Exhilarating? Euphoric? As though there was no one else—

“Oh!—Holy shit. Did I interrupt?”

A familiar voice violently pulled you, and Atsumu back into reality, swiftly jumping away from each other’s hold, and looking over to the owner of the voice. Suna. The brunette stared at both of you—looking like a deer caught in headlights, chests heaving—his expression was unreadable, almost like a mix of shock, and amusement. You, and Atsumu kissing in the kitchen was absolutely not in his new year bingo card.

Well, this encounter certainly was enough to strip you into sobriety.

Your head spun a little, lungs severely deprived of oxygen. Shame, and realisation settled deep in your bones—shame because Suna just caught you, and Atsumu almost sucking the soul out of each other, and realisation because everything about this whole situation was so wrong; a million questions formulated in your mind as each awkward second passed.

On the other hand, Atsumu was equally as horrified, albeit annoyed that he didn’t have the chance to kiss you longer. The thrumming of his heart pounded in his ears, his mind trying to come up with anything to say just to stop the thoughts formulating in Suna’s mind—oh, he knows that look on his friend’s face very well.

Your view became obstructed by the expanse of Atsumu’s back, a subtle attempt to block you from the brunette’s gaze.

“W-what the hell, Suna?! Don’t jus’ barge into the kitchen, ya scrub!” Atsumu tried his best to act tough but miserably failed with the shakiness in his voice betraying him.

As if to make matters worse, Suna didn’t back down, a smug look painted on his flushed face as the blonde shamelessly blamed him,

“Well, how was I supposed to know that you two were sucking each other’s faces in the kitchen?!”

Did he have to word it like that?

Atsumu opened, and closed his mouth, trying to think of ways to deny Suna’s accusations but his mind went blank, even with just the brunette mentioning your kiss had him blushing like a mad man. Silence yet again occupied the kitchen, low bass music spilled from the speakers, and incoherent chatters from beyond the space making up for the lack of conversation.

Before the situation could get even more awkward, you spoke up, “I . . think I’m just going to go . . ” This gained both their attention, carefully watching as you navigated past Atsumu, and out the kitchen.

The blonde watched as you staggered past him, and Suna; he wanted to go after you, and talk about what just happened but the soles of his feet stayed rooted on the ground, too heavy to lift, even the words he wanted to say were lodged in his throat.

So, Atsumu decided it was best to let you go.

Monday. 

Everyone’s enemy but also a day to gather around the campus coffee shop with friends, and be productive for a while. The calming aroma of coffee engulfed your senses; low chatter from other customers, faint jazz music, and the occasional hum of the coffee machine filled the table from the lack of conversation. Despite the café’s light ambience, it didn’t do much to hide the growing tension that surrounded the group, specifically you, Atsumu, and Suna.

Kita was the first to notice the subtle shift of aura that emanated from you three, especially after catching a glimpse of Suna’s narrow eyes trailing from you to Atsumu over his laptop screen; though, he had much more things to worry about than to indulge himself in whatever tomfoolery this was. He’d ask questions later.

On the other hand, Osamu was more than curious, especially after his older twin started acting out of character—Atsumu wasn’t one to engulf himself in thoughts to the point where he’d be staring at an inanimate object, in a complete daze but lately, Osamu has seen him behave as such.

The latter could practically feel the weight of awkwardness pressing against his skin as he subtly watched the three of you. Of course, he did his best to pry off information from the blonde only to no avail; Osamu didn’t know why Suna was even caught up in this but he suspected it was from the party a few days ago.

He remembered seeing you stumble out of the kitchen when he was on his way to grab more drinks from their fridge, the younger twin thought nothing of it until he was met with Suna, and Atsumu awkwardly standing in the kitchen. Normally, Osamu would’ve asked questions that night but the alcohol in him couldn’t care less about the situation.

Staring at the untouched document pulled up on your laptop, you ducked behind your screen to avoid Suna’s wandering gaze, and Osamu’s not-so-subtle curiosity. This was hell. You didn’t even know why you decided to turn up today after that shit show at the party—maybe because you thought you could shove down that memory especially after telling Atsumu that you were fine or maybe you craved the closeness you two once had, and now you were here to rebuild that.

As easy as it sounded, you feared it might not be so with the way Atsumu has been avoiding you like the plague. First, it started when you walked into the café at the same time as the twins, Osamu greeted you at the door before heading inside leaving you, and Atsumu outside. Now, that would’ve been fine if the latter didn’t make a show of taking a couple of steps back to let you go first as though you carried some kind of incurable disease.

The second time was when Atsumu realised the only vacant seat was next to your own, thus, asking to swap with Osamu just so he could sit farthest away from you. And the third was when you had asked him if he was alright while waiting in line to order only to be met with a mindless nod before returning to his phone in his hand.

You tried your very best to ignore the blooming pain in your chest; sure, being sad about Atsumu possibly avoiding you was reasonable but then again, you were the one who told him you were okay now—how Atsumu decided to act after the party was beyond your control.

God but it pissed you off. Swallowing one’s pride, and making effort to rekindle a cold friendship was not an easy feat when the other doesn’t do the same. It shouldn’t work you up this much but it did, and now you were second guessing yourself that maybe it was an irrational decision to abruptly tell Atsumu that you’ve come to terms with moving on.

That night at the party, were you lying to yourself just so you could be around him again?

Whatever. It was too late to take it back anyway.

The days ahead were monotonous, and boring; you, and Atsumu remained orbiting around one another, careful not to get into each other’s path of trajectory but it was tiring. Not only did it feel like navigating through eggshells while he was around but the constant questions from your friends tested your limits. Though, it wasn’t their fault for simply being curious, and getting left in the dark about the whole situation but the prying felt like endless jabs of sharp needles along your skin.

From their point of view, you, and Atsumu were stubborn about the whole situation. None dared to speak up about it, acting as though everything was fine, so your friends were left with very little to work with.

It felt like a game of cat, and mouse where you were the feline chasing Atsumu around. The longer the days dragged on, the more thoughts formulated in your mind, and they all involved the blonde in some way or another. And just like everyone else, you had your limits too; you were tired of Atsumu acting like a stubborn idiot.

When you confessed to Atsumu, sure, you expected an awkward phase but this was even worse. There wasn’t just distance between the two of you, it felt like you were strangers.

He was known for brashly saying the sharp truth, so why couldn’t he be straightforward with you? Was he disgusted by the kiss, and deeply regretted it? Did he think you were weird? You didn’t know, but you were bound to find out even if it meant knocking at the twin’s apartment door at 5:45 PM on a cold, rainy Thursday.

With the sun hidden behind the looming grey clouds, the late winter afternoon was even darker; the roads were packed with vehicles while the sidewalks occupied students, and company workers alike trying their best to shield themselves from the heavy downpour. Despite the streets being illuminated with a tinge of warm yellow from cars, and streetlights, it did nothing to brighten up the gloomy day.

Funny, it was as though the universe knew how you felt today.

“If yer lookin’ for ‘Samu, he won’t be back until 8 PM.” Greeted with Atsumu’s shocked face as the ivory door to their apartment opened, you couldn’t help but visibly roll your eyes at his stubbornness. Yeah, like you’d be here at their apartment looking for Osamu—you knew each of their timetables like the back of your hand.

Flaxen strands that sat atop his head were unruly, a sign that he must’ve been taking a nap sometime ago. Atsumu donned a light blue hoodie paired with black sweats; you tried your best not to ogle the man, after all, you were here for a sensible talk.

“I’m here for you, Miya.”

Atsumu gripped the metal handle a little tighter, the coolness of it seeping into the warmth of his skin. He tried not to flinch at the sudden formality of the conversation. Nonetheless, the blonde pulled the door wider, a wordless invite to their humble space. Giving him a small smile before walking inside, you tried not to think about the last time you were here, and how you found yourself drunkenly kissing Atsumu in their kitchen.

The sound of the door closing shut behind Atsumu reverberated throughout the walls of their apartment, followed by a deafening silence. Met with his honeyed stare, you awkwardly coughed, and played with the hem of your jacket, “I’m not going to take up too much of your time . . but I do just have one question.”

There was a momentary silence as Atsumu waited for you to proceed; he had so many questions running through his mind right now, and it took all his willpower to hold them back, and let you speak instead. It was getting harder, and harder to focus as each second passed with the pounding of his heart—Atsumu didn’t know what to expect.

“Did you—Did you regret that kiss . . ?”

Your skin burned as the question lingered in the air, a beat or two before Atsumu finally spoke up, “. . N-no, why’d ya ask?”

Sighing, impatience prickled your feverish skin. ‘Why’d you ask?’  What the hell does he mean by why would I ask? We made out for fuck sake, that’s something friends don’t do! Why is he acting so casual about it? 

“God, this just made it a lot worse. I have so many fucking questions that my mind wants to explode right now,” Pinching the bridge of your nose, you slowly paced back, and forth, the floors beneath silently creaking with each step. So, Atsumu didn’t regret the kiss but he’s acting like you’re strangers—fucking hell, why did he even kiss you in the first place?!

Your mind was a complete mess.

Trying to calm yourself down with slow, deep breaths, you decided to address the elephant in the room first, “Then why have you been avoiding me, Atsumu?—I’m sorry but I’m the one who got rejected, I cannot think of any reason why you should be avoiding me like this.” Atsumu hated that look on your face—the desperation, the sadness, the frustration. He never thought that he’d be the one making you feel all these negative emotions, and it pained him as much as it pained you.

Atsumu let out a sigh, carefully formulating the right words into a coherent sentence, “I’m just . . trying to be careful, okay?” His stomach dropped as your face contorted with more confusion.

Did he say something wrong?

“Careful about what, Atsumu?! You—ugh! It’s so hard to talk to you when you’re giving me all these stupidly vague answers! I’ve already told you I was fine. I don’t care anymore that you don’t like me back. I just want us to be back to normal again.”

Now, it was Atsumu’s turn to be upset. He couldn’t bear the thought of you moving on so quickly, and that’s why he’s been acting distant lately; it annoyed him how easy it was for you to talk to him like nothing happened but Atsumu knew he couldn’t tell you the reason—why couldn’t you just try, and understand his situation? Rejecting wasn’t an easy task to do, especially if it was the person he had been hopelessly pining for.

“Well—maybe things aren’t meant ta back ta normal!”

What?

You stared at him for a second, brows furrowed as you tried to comprehend his words that lingered in the cold air of their apartment. Silence engulfed the two of you, the distant sounds of Hyōgo’s late afternoon rain seeping through the slightly opened window.

“Do you feel uncomfortable around me after knowing the fact that I have feelings for you? Is that it?” “God, no—I could never feel that way.”

It took all of Atsumu’s patience not to wrap his arms around you—he wanted to hold you against him badly; that defeated look on your face broke his heart but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Maybe Atsumu was the coward after all.

“Then tell me what’s wrong, ‘Tsumu!”

“It’s hard f’me as well, y’know?!” “What is?”

Atsumu closed his eyes, the words he’s been wanting to scream at the top of his lungs lodged in his throat, threatening to slip out. A wave of adrenaline rush coursed through his veins, heart pounding like crazy with this newfound high, it made him feel as though he was invincible—as if he could say anything, and everything without a care for its consequences.

Fuck it.

“Fuck—It’s because I like ya back, okay?! I always have! And rejectin’ ya was so goddamn hard f’me because I’m still not over ya. God, I think about ya every single second, and it pains me so much because yer already movin’ on, and ‘m still stuck here.”

What?

Flabbergasted, you stared at Atsumu all wide-eyed, the thrumming of your heart becoming increasingly loud against your ears as each slow second passed. Did he just say he liked you back? As though mother nature was watching, the rain outside poured harder; sounds of droplets of heavy water against the roof filled the silent apartment, pulling you back into reality.

“Then why—If you feel the same way then why did you reject me?”

When you knocked on the door to the twins’ apartment, you expected a sincere conversation with Atsumu, not him confessing his feelings out of the blue. You were absolutely speechless—you didn’t know whether to jump for joy because he actually does like you back or whether to massage your temples from pure confusion.

“Back then during the trip, ya told me ya weren’t ready for a relationship yet, and that ya only wanted ta confess ta get rejected n’ move on. I wanted ta respect yer decision, so . .”

Flashbacks of said conversation from the trip quickly came into mind, and how you told Atsumu about not being ready for a relationship yet.

Oh.

Oh.

The weight of frustration from your shoulders slowly dissipated, the pent up annoyance you held in your heart was gone too. Suddenly, you weren’t so frustrated anymore after learning about the whole truth behind the situation. You were able to breathe better with the bad air finally cleared between you, and Atsumu.

Looking at it now, you felt absolutely silly. The whole situation turned out to be one big misunderstanding, it was almost laughable—now, you truly understood the essence of communication is key.

You let out a humourless laugh, “You’re so stupid, you know that?” Taking a few steps toward the blonde, you leaned your forehead against his chest, a hand coming up to curl into a fist to lightly hit it; a faint scent of his musky cologne lingered on the fabric of his hoodie, effectively invading your senses. Atsumu didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around your torso, pulling your body flush against his before resting his chin on the crown of your head.

For a beat or two, you, and Atsumu remained in each other’s hold, basking in the cosy atmosphere. 

“Would I be more stupid if I tell ya I want ta pick up where we left off at the party?”

Before you knew it your lips were sealed in a searing kiss—this time, it felt raw, all things passionate, and eager. Hands impatiently roaming each other’s unexplored bodies, sounds of wet kisses slowly filling up the apartment. The atmosphere shifted from cosy to something more sensual, light groans, and moans slipping in between each kiss.

Your hands rested on Atsumu’s golden strands, fingers gently tugging at it as he worked his lips down the column of your neck, teeth lightly nipping at the feverish skin. Atsumu focused on a certain spot just below your ear, nipping, and sucking at it which pulled a dainty whine from your lips.

“‘T-Tsumu—Ah!” You gasped, his tongue leaving trails of goosebumps beneath its sinful licks against your skin. He cursed under his breath, the dizzying tone of your voice awakening the slumbering carnal beast that resided in his core. With each dulcet moan that slipped past your swollen lips, Atsumu became greedier, he wasn’t going to settle for mere kisses on your skin—he needed to hear more.

Pulling away from your intoxicating scent, Atsumu looked down at you with parted lips, and hooded eyes, caramel gaze clouded with nothing but pure desire. “I think we should take this ta my room.” He panted.

Nodding at his proposal, hurried footsteps padded over to his room as though each second wasted was crucial. As soon as the door behind Atsumu slammed shut, his lips were on yours once again, strong hands deftly working on the layers of clothing you wore, slowly slipping them off of you one by one; Atsumu could practically feel himself shaking with nervousness, and excitement.

Discarding your top on the wooden floor beneath, Atsumu stared wide-eyed at your torso, both hands coming up to cup your breasts through the fabric of your bra, earning a low moan from you. The air of the room felt cold against your skin but Atsumu’s touch was enough to ignite you.

“So beautiful . .” He absent-mindedly gasped, a lovestruck look in his honeyed eyes.

Hands eagerly tugging at the hem of his hoodie, Atsumu swiftly pulled the fabric off his torso in one movement, golden strands tousled from the action. Goosebumps formed upon his sun kissed skin, bare torso met with the cold winter air; your eyes raked Atsumu’s physique up, and down, shamelessly ogling his muscled chest in all its naked glory. God, you used to just fantasise about this, and now it was served right in front of you on a silver platter.

You decorated each other’s skin with endless love bites, sinful hues of dark red, and purple peppered along your chest, and neck. Atsumu took his sweet time to savour every bit of you—your taste, your scent, your sounds, everything. He made sure to bask in your serene beauty, the gentle glow of your bare figure before utterly devouring you like a starved animal, ravaging your purity with carnal desire.

Atsumu let himself go at the raw intimacy of your bodies, the feeling of your sweet warmth brought tears of pleasure in his eyes as he pushed, and pushed towards the newfound ecstasy you both shared. The chant of his name slipped past your lips like a sinful melody, mere fuel to the relentless drive of his hips. But Atsumu held you dearly against his naked body through it all, fingers intertwined with your own as he keenly chased both your pleasures, choked out moans of your name whispered hotly against your sensitive skin.

And as you both tipped over the edge, Atsumu didn’t fail to tell you how much he loved you in between each pathetic moan as he painted your insides white, the dizzying pleasure contorting his handsome face in pure ecstasy. You held him in your arms, nails digging crescent-shaped marks on his skin, whispering saccharine praises to him as you let go, and emptied the words of your heart.

As the gentle aftermath of the passionate exchange rolled around, Atsumu held you in his arms, hearts beating as one, and lulling you both to sleep. The last thing you heard was a faint ‘I love you’ before passing out from exhaustion.

“‘Tsumu, what did ya want for—Oh my god! What the fuck?!” 

A familiar voice abruptly pulled you, and Atsumu out of your sleep, followed by the loud bang of his door slamming shut. Muffled expletives from outside the room could be heard as you both stirred beneath the ivory sheets. “‘Tsumu, what the hell?! Ya should’ve warned me before I went into yer room!” Osamu yelled from the other side of the door.

Atsumu groaned, rubbing his face before turning to the door, “Shut yer trap! Ya should’ve knocked!” At his twin’s silence, he let out a sigh, and slung a heavy arm around your waist, pulling you flush against his naked body before closing his eyes once again.

You let out a soft chuckle, “We really need to stop getting caught. First, Suna, and now Osamu.” Atsumu hummed in response, too sleepy to even think or form a coherent sentence. Snuggling closer to him, you closed your eyes, and went back to sleep as well.

Oh, you could get used to this.

Winter slowly turned into spring as March rolled around—the end of the academic year.

Trees that were once bare slowly blossomed with flowers, hues of yellows, and browns were replaced with endless greenery, and frigid air became more welcoming like a warm embrace. Most importantly, the cold distance between you, and Atsumu no longer existed, instead, it was replaced by fluttering heartbeats, and fluffy moments that hinted at a sweet forevermore.

“There he is! How does it feel to be a fresh graduate!” Suna whistled as Kita walked over to the group, clad in a black academic gown with a matching trencher propped neatly on his head, the golden tassel on the cap swayed with every step taken; he donned a warm smile, one hand holding his well-deserved degree.

The buzz of excitement outside the venue was high, the graduation ceremony having finished just a few minutes ago. You were all surrounded by graduands, all with heartfelt smiles on their faces as they conversed with family, and friends alike. 

As your friends fell into a merry conversation, a warm hand interlaced with your own, giving your hand a comfortable squeeze. Atsumu. Looking up at your boyfriend, he cheekily leaned into your ear, whispering an ‘I love you’ before slowly blinking at you, mirroring a cat’s action. You let out a small laugh, shaking your head at his antics.

“Are you two lovebirds done, now?” Suna coughed, pulling you back into reality.

Met with amused expressions plastered on your friends’ faces, you, and Atsumu returned a sheepish smile before joining in their conversation. “Anyway, we were talkin’ about how we should celebrate Kita’s graduation. It can also serve as a treat for us for makin’ it through another academic year.” Osamu explained, earning a hum of approval from you, and Atsumu.

“How about a spring trip to Kyoto?” —

taglist (open)

tags: @ushijimaschubbs @tsumudoll @startlitsawamura @littlemiyastars @h3art-ablaz3 @eggyrocks @integers @rrosiitas @food8me @schelamski @honeytwo @nyaaa-cat @cherribxio @aloesstuff @bontensh0e @willshebloved @yogurtkags @hyori2 @hibernatinghamster @theepitomeofswag @yawnjjunz @animesimpingismyjob @acowboykisser @rntrsuna @rjreins @prodhyuka @loonalockley @cheesypuffkins87 @kos-misch @iluvaquaphor @stunie @cathyket @empress-pug-pug @plutoxxxworld @sunawhore @jaegerfiles

affiliated with @houseofsolisoccasum !

© atsumou 2024 | don’t plagiarise, repost or steal my header.

[adventuringblind]

So Powerful, So Vulnerable

Landoscar x Reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Mafia AU, more crack than anything with the way I wrote it.

Summary: Lando has a meeting on neutral ground. Oscar has to make the switch. How'd she get caught in a petty crossfire?

Warnings: Attempted r@pe, gun violence, knives, blood,

Notes: This was far more fun to write than I expected. Another request done!

Masterlist // Request Form // My Website // buy me a Ko-Fi

She sighs, watching Lando hit his head on the steering wheel of the car. She wants to laugh at his dramatics. You'd think he wouldn't be so whiny since he's in charge of the areas strong Mafia, but she knows the truth.

"I Just - they had one job!" He moans and throws in a fake cry for good measure.

Oscar keeps throwing her looks from where he's spread out on the backseat. He and Lando also make it a point to keep her in the passenger seat and switch who drives. "It's an easy fix. Ten minutes tops, in and out, then back to our original plans." The Aussie shrugs.

"You'll make the switch?"

"Obviously, and if they shoot first, I'll shoot better."

~~~~~

The club rages around her. Not her preferred method of doing business. Dealing with people isn't her strong suit unless it's with a bullet to the head from the top of a building. Knives are fun to when things get messy.

The crowd is safer than the car if this does go south. Not that she's expecting it to, but better safe than sorry.

Oscar is already gone. He drops the money and gets the hostages while Lando goes to meet them on neutral ground. Simple as that.

Her job is to look pretty and watch the door that Lando had disappeared through. Mocktail in hand to make it look like she's part of the normal crowd.

Technically speaking, they'd only been together for the last year. Her and Oscar much longer than that. Though she has a sneaky suspicion Lando kept assigning both of them to the same jobs for a reason. If any jobs came up that required Lando to go out and needed people with him, they were the first he contacted.

If she had to guess, she'd say he orchestrated this relationship. She wouldn't have it any other way. It's not like any of them know how to do anything normally.

She tries not to grimace as a man saunters up to her. His movements unflattering and he smells like cigarettes. Her nose scrunches up in an effort to fight back her gag.

"You here all alone?" Even his voice is grating to her ears! Can this get even worse?

"My boyfriend is busy killing the guy that flirted with me earlier."

"Yeah right, anyone with that kind of attitude must be hard to flirt with." He scoffs. How mad would her partners be if she stabbed this man? No - she can't - they are trying to finish a deal. She'd blow the whole thing if she did that.

Actually - this guy looks familiar... She takes another drink of the non-alcoholic beverage.

"You alright? you look a little flushed."

"Yeah I'm-" Shit, she knows this feeling. More than that, she knows this man.

He's a hitman for the other gang. The one who has Lando's men. The one he's meeting with right now.

Her heart lurches. The fog in her head and heat are too much. Her body is going to give out on her.

She ends up stabbing him. The knife strapped to her thigh finds a home in Mr. Hitman's chest. He cries out in pain but doesn't pull it out. He smiles at her instead.

She tries to bolt, but three other sets of hands pin her. They drag her outside. The ground scraping against her skin in an uncomfortable way.

She sees the hitman fall to the ground; hears the thud as the pull her out the back where he was trying to follow.

Damn, she kind of liked that knife too. She'll have to go back for it later.

They already have Lando outside. Her blurry vision is enough to see him covered in blood, licking his lips. "You trying to take my girl?"

"Shut it, Norris. This is payback for what you did."

They start attempting to remove her clothes. Like she was going to go down without a fight. Her nails dig into the skin of whoever is close by. She pulls as hard as possible, skin from another getting stuck in her nails as she does.

Her body doesn't have the energy for more than that. She misses her knife. This would be easier if she still had it. The stabbing motion isn't difficult, and gravity would help.

"Get your filthy, fucking hands off of her!"

There is another round of fists clashing. "Maybe you shouldn't have killed four of my guys."

"You killed mine first! They made the deal exactly as intended and you still put a bullet through their skulls!"

This was all a setup then. They were planning on them showing up. Though, there is no way they know about Oscar. If they never intended on sending someone to make the switch, then they wouldn't have anyone on the roof.

Hands are everywhere, wrestling with her clothes. They don't get far, their intentions now clear. The shot echoes off the buildings. To close to be from the roof.

The man directly in front of her crumples to the ground. The spray of the blood from the shot sticks to her skin.

"I believe Lando said not to touch her." Oscar stands there holding the smoking gun.

She watches the fight break out around her. It's messy and loud, but her boys come out on top. As per usual with these things. She would've gladly joined in if these stupid drugs would let up.

The boss had scrambled away with his tail between his legs. Serves him right after this stunt. "Did he really not like you that much?" Oscar throws a raised eyebrow at Lando.

"Jealousy, I think." They work in tandem to heave her body upright and support her back to the car. "What happened on the roof?"

"I was waiting for any kind of signal but got nothing. Nobody showed up. So, I came back down and was greeted by six guns pointed at my head."

"They shot first, I presume?"

"But I shot better."

She doesn't need to see the smirk to know it's there.

~~~~~

The hot water of the bath feels exceptional against her skin. They'd scrubbed at blood for far too long. The raw skin finally being soothed is relaxing.

The drugs still haven't worn off. Her motor function is lacking, and her words are slurring together, but it's better than it was.

Lando and Oscar are keeping her upright. Her body resting against theirs. Fingers caress her skin. This is safety.

"Can't believe we've had to cancel our date." Lando plops three rubber ducks inside the bath. Oscar's ducks, mind you.

"Frankly, I think we could consider that a date. We went out, got covered in blood, now we're having a relaxing bath."

"You just don't like going out."

She's going to fall asleep here. Relaxed and at peace with her boys. The possibility of drowning unlikely. "I love you both."

"You're drugged and still got blood on you."

"Sexy."

"I killed someone for you."

"Romantic."

[badaseyebags]

private lessons ⋆｡°✩ chapter 2 ⟢

fluffy, suggestive, smut in upcoming chapters

word count: 3k+ (phew)

warnings: very obvious power dynamics, just some making out, a bit of begging, lots of praise, lots of pet names, BADA CALLS HERSELF MOMMY!!!! aaaa

author’s note: i’m back 😳 i’m sorry that this took much longer then i expected, pls don’t block me 😞 i hope this is readable and not too disappointing @-@ i promise there’s actual smut coming soon! feel free to leave some feedback/suggestions! thank you so much for reading ♡ -booger 🍞

with one last glance in the mirror you gathered the remainder of your courage and slipped on your shoes, grabbing your purse with shaky hands. why were you so nervous? it’s not like you’re going over to her house to get bent over. you’re simply going to get tutored. unfortunately you remind yourself why you’re in this position in the first place, due to your lack of concentration during her classes. you sigh shaking your head, applying a second coat your favourite lipgloss nonetheless, just for good measures! was it too much? was it obvious you put in a little more effort than you usually do? would she notice? why would she? and why do you even care so much in the first place? she’s just a teacher after all..

she had texted you the address and you realised she actually lived a bit further, which is probably why she offered to come pick you up in the first place, not wanting to inconvenience her any further you politely refused. maybe you were starting to regret it knowing it’ll take a long time to get there by bus, and you’ll most likely be late.. late to your first ever tutoring class, what a great way to start. woohoo!

you put your headphones on, making your way into the bus and finding an empty seat all the way in the back. that way you could have some privacy to collect yourself before you meet her. actually.. that wasn’t really working and you began getting more nervous so you decided to pull out your notebook to mindlessly doodle for the time being. it turned out quite cute you thought to yourself, staring at the sketch, imagining those two figures kissing were you and her. oh no, you’re doing it again. you and your stupid imagination! and that’s not even the first time you caught yourself doing something so silly. you close your notebook shoving it back into your bag, just a few stops away from your destination. phew. time to actually collect yourself!

with wobbly knees you make your way to her apartment, palms sweaty as you smooth them over your skirt. 10 minutes, you’re 10 minutes late.. would she notice? she’s having a day off that she sacrificed specifically to help you, and you dare come late? oh no, you’re definitely screwed. you start panicking as guilt washes over you, practicing your apology in your head, accidentally ringing her doorbell in the process. fuck. you didn’t mean to do that just yet, you weren’t ready. if you’re fast enough you can just ru-

you heard the door nob turning, soon revealing a tall slim figure in front of you. “oh miss y/n! you decided to show up after all, and here i thought you didn’t need my help anymore” she teases giving you a half smile making your heart jump, not only due to you being late, but because of how effortlessly attractive she looked with her two toned hair tied back into a messy loose braid, complimenting her light blue button up paired with some slacks. not to mention the sound of her half groggy voice calling out your name and the way it slid past her lips so smoothly.

“h-hello mrs. lee i am so sorry for being late! i didn’t”before you could finish your apology she chuckled, shaking her head. “no need to apologise sweetie, i was just teasing a little. come on in, make yourself at home.” you blink up at her, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. you just greeted her and messed up? damn already? was it because she called you sweetie?! god, you’re hopeless.

“i won’t bite.” she chuckled again, walking into her apartment leaving you with no choice but to follow behind her, timidly shutting the door as you entered. you swore you could hear her quietly mumble something under her breath, but you decided it was your twisted mind playing tricks on you once again. for the sake of your sanity. “here here, have a seat. care for some tea? coffee perhaps?” she pulls out a chair for you and this small gesture alone has your heart fluttering for no reason. you look down shyly, taking a seat and avoiding her gaze. “i..uh.. anything is fine, thank you.” you mumble trying not to keep yourself composed. she smiles nodding as she reaches for the jar of instant coffee. “i haven’t had my coffee yet, since i wasn’t sure if you’d like to drink some with me. do you like yours with milk, sugar?” was she calling you sugar or was she asking you whether or not you wanted sugar in your coffee? …and she waited for you to have coffee? yeah, as if. you need to stop being delusional. “miss y/n?” she glanced back at you knocking you of out your prolonged silence. “i-i would like both please.. i like my coffee s-sweet” you close your eyes in embarrassment as another stutter leaves your clumsy lips. you swear you never stutter. she chuckles in response as she prepares your drink. “we are quite the opposite, i prefer mine black.” she gives you a soft smile, sitting down across from you, setting your drink in front of you. you mutter a shy thank you as your hands reach for the spoon, mixing some sugar into the warm beverage. “oh that’s nothing, i usually make really good coffee but my coffee machine broke recently so.. instant coffee will have to do for now.” you nod quickly, fingers gripping the handle and side of the cup. “that’s fine! any coffee is good! i actually prefer instant it’s not like i know much about coffee anyways-” your lips are faster then your brain causing you to blurt out such a fact about you, which only made her smile wider. “oh we really are opposites, maybe i could change your mind once i make you a proper cup, hm?” you blush nodding fast in agreement, did that mean you’d be seeing her more then just this one time? you try to calm your nerves by bringing the cup to your lips, taking a little sip. maybe it’s better to keep your mouth busy so you don’t end up embarrassing yourself even more.

“so y/n… just how much experience do you really have?” she also brings her own cup to her lips, eyes fixated on yours. your eyes widen, the coffee you tried swallowing getting stuck in the back of your throat at her question, resulting you in coughing out loud making her put her cup down and lean towards you in worry. “are you alright sweetie? was it too hot? did it burn you?” you cover your mouth, calming yourself down as you shake your head noticing bada is very professional and calm despite asking such a personal question.

maybe you are too shy after all and you should be more open when it comes to talking about your sex life. people do it all the time, it’s totally natural. you hear others talk about it all the time. but then again why would she ask you such a private question out of nowhere? maybe she’s just a very social person, this is how adults talk and there shouldn’t be shame. it’s not like you ever talked about sexual things with anyone, but you know others do. like with their friends, parents, therapists, lovers.. you just need to get over the embarrassment and step out of your shell, you could learn a lot from her, be as mature as she is, even when it comes to such topics. she sure wouldn’t judge you no matter what, she’s a teacher after all. “i’m fine! i’m just.. not too good at talking about such topics.. but i… well…i don’t have much experience… none at all actually. that’s really embarrassing to admit. others my age have already done so.. many times.. maybe i am really slow or something..” you chew on your bottom lip, struggling to keep your head up to look at her, choosing to look into your cup instead. if you could see your own reflection in the coffee you’re sure your face would be beet red by now. that’s when bada herself chokes a little as your unexpected response.

you totally misinterpreted what she was asking. she was asking about your experience on the subject she was supposed to tutor you on, not your sexual experience. did she give you the wrong impression? was she being too obvious with her interest in you? were her flirting attempts not as subtle as she attempted? no way, with how empty headed you are they probably flew right past you, she thought. well.. it’s not like she wasn’t curious about that in the first place, but she wouldn’t have asked so suddenly. however, she didn’t have the heart to embarrass you like that by correcting you and telling you that you misunderstood her question.

she just cleared her throat and went along with it. was she willing to risk it all? this made her want to corrupt you even more, but she can’t. not yet. you made her lose her composure. she needed to fix that and get back in charge. she won’t let it, let you, fluster her. “sweetie..there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. that’s exactly what i’m here for.” she decided to test out the waters, see if you were as submissive and truly empty minded around her as she painted you to be. her hand was itching to get a feel of your skin, she was struggling to fight it. she needs to take this slow she reminds herself, she doesn’t want to scare you away. but it seems like you’re already falling into her trap. your eyes instantly snap up to meet hers, to make sure weather you heard her correctly.

“it would be such a pity if you left without learning anything.. wouldn’t that make me a bad teacher, hm?” she furrows her brows in faux sympathy as her hand finally reaches out, gently cupping your cheek making you look up at her. you gasp at the sudden contact and your current situation. “oh y-yeah… i’m here to be tutored-“ you try to avoid her gaze, once again looking down in embarrassment. your nervousness made you think of studying again, which is the reason she invited you over. right? you must be totally misunderstanding this. you’re just being delusional, you tell yourself.

despite you both sitting down she visibly towered over you, not just in her height, but in her presence alone. you could feel her knees ever so gently pressing against your own if you weren’t trying so hard to distract yourself.

was she sitting so close to you from the start?

she scoffs in amusement, her lips forming a fake frown. “oh you poor little thing.. you really thought i wouldn’t notice the way you look at me during class? that i can’t see right through that pretty little head of yours? you’re a smart girl y/n, we both know you don’t actually have a issue with learning..” your cheeks heat up as you’re forced to meet her gaze that looks more intimidating then ever. she just exposed you. she knew it this whole time. you didn’t think your crush on her was that visible. your lips part to speak but no words come out making her grin. her thumb slides past your bottom lip ever so gently, almost knocking the air out your lungs. “i think.. you could do so much better, all you need is just a little motivation.” she hovers over you, her thumb now reaching the corner of your lips, collecting the remainder of coffee and bringing it up to her own lips. her eyes flutter shut momentarily, licking her thumb clean and savouring the flavour with a hum. “so sweet indeed..” she hooks her pointer finger under your chin, making you look up at her. chuckling softly she leans in further, her thumb stroking just below your bottom lip as her eyes trail from your eyes to your lips and back. “are you gonna let me have a taste, doll?”

you gulp, your own eyes focused on her lips, slowly nodding as you look up at her. “now now, wouldn’t that be too easy?” she leans in closer, lips near your ear. “you’ll have to be a good girl and ask for it.” your mouth goes completely dry as you gulp. your hands clutch a fist full of your skirt, tension so thick it could cut air separating you two. you mutter under your breath, scared your voice will betray you. “mrs. lee.. could you.. umm.. can you kiss me?” you shut your eyes tight, hoping she would kiss you then and there. instead you only hear a dry chuckle.

you open your eyes, attention on her as she tucks a stray hair behind your ear, confusion painted on your face. “thats not how a good girl asks. not even a please? now that’s not very polite, is it? i’m starting to think you don’t deserve it.” you whine shaking your head. “no no i’m sorry! please… please kiss me?” you look up at her desperately. “aww you want a kiss that bad?” she coos cupping your cheek, smirking at the heat of it against her hand. you nod fast, leaning into her touch, totally submitting to her.

“use your words, tell mommy what you want.” she raises her brow, waiting for you to finally say it. your cheeks feel like they’re on fire now, heart beating faster then before as you stumble over your own words. “m-mommy?” you shyly repeat after her, eyes widening, cheeks painted red. you could see the shift in her eyes, and the way it affected her.

she closes her eyes for a little, biting her lip almost as if she’s savouring the sound of your voice calling her that. “how fucking cute.” she rests her thumb against your bottom lip, softly pulling it down. “doing such a good job begging mommy for a kiss…” you close your eyes tightly at her praise, almost whining from such a small action. she leans in, her lips just a few millimetres away from your own. you could feel her breath against your lips, covering your skin in goosebumps. she keeps one of her hands against your cheek, while the other rests against the top of the chair you’re sitting on. she gives your cheek a soft stroke before finally connecting both of your lips.

her soft plump lips smashing against yours felt like a reward. it felt like they were on fire, the way your lips burnt when she pressed her own against them. her fingers against your skin were so gentle, tracing the outline of your cheek, barely touching your skin as if you were made of glass. her lips were telling a different story as her kisses only deepened. you didn’t know what to do with your hands so you loosely griped the fabric of her blouse. she felt you fidgeting and decided to slide one of her hands down to reach for your hand, giving them a soft squeeze before wrapping them around her neck. this gave her the opportunity to drag her hands down your body as she scooped you up in her arms. without breaking the kiss she lifted you and placed you on the table next to her, making you wrap your arms around her tighter. she experimentally dragged her tongue against your bottom lip so gently, your lips parted in surprise. she smirked sneaking her tongue inside your parted lips that granted her access. you let out a little whimper at the feeling of your tongues gliding against each other. you could almost taste the bitterness of the coffee aftertaste mixing with your sweet one and for once, it was delicious. you were everything she wanted and she wanted.. needed more. eager to be closer to you, one of her hands slid down your thigh, slightly parting them as she pushed herself in between, she just couldn’t get enough. with one of her large hands hand stroking the outer side of your thigh, and other one playing with your hair you couldn’t help but shiver in her touch. it was like she was devouring you whole. your body feeling so soft and tiny pressed up against hers. it was driving her insane. she pulled away breathing heavy, admiring your flushed face and slightly messed up hair, remainders of your lipstick smeared all over your lips as you look at her with what she could only describe as hearts in your eyes.

fuck, she’s so screwed. she knows it’s over for her. you wrapped her around your pretty little finger and you didn’t even know about it. heck, you didn’t even have to do anything. you submit to her so easily and that was more then she needed. there’s no way she could just return to just being your teacher, she had to make you hers. you pout slightly as she pulls away, already reaching for her, wanting to feel her lips against yours again. you got her heart beating as hard as she made yours. subconsciously shivering in her arms. as she leans in placing gentle pecks on your lips followed by your cheeks, so much more gentle and affectionate then she was just moments ago. “mommy has to stop before she gets too greedy..” she breathes out as she cleans your messed up lips with her thumb, knowing what she meant you nod, still leaning into her touch. she pressed a final kiss to your lips before pulling you into her embrace, your head in her chest, hands soothing your back.

“let me drive you home precious, it’s way too late for you to be going out on your own.” she gently pats your head, before she realises. “you didn’t bring any jacket with you?” you shake your head at her question, once again fidgeting with your skirt, slightly swinging your feet back and forth as they dangled off the table. “i’m not letting you leave like this.” you blush looking up at her as she brings you her sweater that is much bigger on you then it is on her. she taps your arms signalling you to raise them which you do, making her smile as she dresses you up. “how cute..” she admires you for a moment, fighting back the urge to squeeze you in her arms before offering you her hand which you accept as she helps you off the table. unable to keep her hands off you, she’s smoothing her hands over your clothes in attempt to fix them. “are you ready to go, pretty girl?” she pecks your nose, grabbing her keys as she grabs your hand. you giggle nodding as your heart flutters at her treatment, clinging onto her arm, letting you guide you to her car.

of course she opened the door for you and closed it after you sat down before she got in herself. of course she told you to keep the sweater because she wants to see you in it more often. of course she told you to keep this a secret as she pecked your forehead goodbye. of course your head was filled with nothing but her as you laid in your bed, wearing nothing but her sweater as you drifted into slumber, hoping you could see her even in your dreams, the scenes from earlier on repeat. you were starting to really look forward to these private lessons..

[thewhitewitch-bitch]

In Astris Supra (Chapter 6: Profectus Semper Deinceps Sub Ligneo Adyto)

Agatha Harkness x F!OC

Read it on AO3

As written in Familiaritas et Maleficis, the familiar of a witch can take any form, but commonly take the form of birds and small woodland creatures, or most common of all, the form of a feline, in an effort to conspicuously serve their mistresses without fear of capture or persecution. Not every witch may have a familiar; it is not within the rights of a witch to claim one, rather, they must be chosen by a familiar who deems them worthy of their service.

To be chosen is an incredible honor. It means that you exhibit not only talent as a witch, but also the potential to do and be more than what you have been limited to in your current station. More often than not, the arrival of a familiar comes in the form of some great tragedy or victory, a sign so clear from the Divine Mother that it cannot be ignored.

Mine was the former. 

He was young. Couldn't have been older than seventeen when he was carted onto the deck of the HMS Collie, but if he survived would forever carry the scars of a man who had seen enough tragedy to haunt him for a lifetime. Rupert and I were running triage, sending the operable cases to the surgeons below deck, taking the dead to the stern to be wrapped, treating the wounded who could be saved with a quick fix. When the boy came in on a stretcher, his head wrapped in the bloodied scarlet wool of a redcoat, a gaping wound against his right side which he clutched at in agonizing pain. When he was lowered onto the table, he let out a low groan. 

"Private Theodore Hatchet, sir," one of the soldiers who had carried him explained, "Caught the edge of a cannon ball as we tried to make a forward push." 

It had been like this for nearly a week now, everyone was hit as the British tried to make the forward advance, whether it was bullets or cannon balls, there was no escaping it if you weren't a commissioned officer sitting on the back of a horse. But this boy, this Theodore Hatchet... he didn't deserve this.

"Just... doing my duty, sir..." Hatchet said with a wince as Rupert began to inspect the wound in his side. I moved to unwrap the makeshift bandage on his head to assess the damage beneath it. Bits of singed flesh and clumps of coal black hair peeled away with the congealed blood as I pulled gently back on the fabric. He hissed in pain, his bloodstained teeth grinding against each other as it finally came loose. 

"Not much we can do about the pain, right now, lad." Rupert said apologetically as he took hold of a pair of forceps, "Miss Stuart, what can you make of it?" 

I leaned in to get a good look at the gash across Hatchet's forehead. It was messy, no doubt a result of hitting his head on a stone or against the butt of his rifle as he fell. But most blows to the head were shallow, easy to clean and care for. If he survived the injury to his side, the cut on his head would be of minimal concern. 

"It's minor, I can clean it and stitch it up."  

"Excellent." Kingsley replied, not bothering to check it himself, "It'll give you the opportunity to practice your surgeon's knot while I clean this up. You're awfully lucky, Private Hatchet, not many men could take a cannon ball to the ribs and have a chance at survival."

Hatchet tried to laugh, cracking open his pale green eyes a sliver as he tried to look down at Kingsley, but the pain became too overwhelming, making him groan again. Once the wave of discomfort passed, he opened his eyes again and glanced up at me as I prepared the needle and catsgut before taking a cloth to the wound to wipe the dried blood away. 

"A woman as a doctor," Theodore muttered, his voice barely audible above the distant gunfire and shouting soldiers, "I must truly be in heaven then." 

I smiled at him, pressing the rag gently against his forehead, "Not yet, Mr. Hatchet." 

"Please, call me Hatch." 

"Hatch." I corrected myself as I continued to clean his wound, "And I'm not a doctor. Not yet, anyway. Just a student of Dr. Kingsley's." 

Hatch’s smile broke through the pain, his bloodied teeth still forming a handsome half-grin as he watched me dab oil of vitriol and ethanol on his wound to numb it. “Well, even so, I’m grateful for your gentle hand, Miss uh?”

"Stuart. Aislin Stuart."

"Pretty name. You Irish?" 

I began to start stitching up his wound as Rupert continued to pull shrapnel and dead flesh from the gaping wound on his side. I shrugged as I worked, "I wouldn't know. My mother never spoke of her heritage, though if I had to guess, she might have actually been Welsh." 

"And your father? What about him?" he asked. My smile dropped, replaced by an apathetic expression at mention of fathers.

"I don't have one."

"Everyone has a father, Miss Stuart."

"I don't." 

My eyes became emblazoned with warning as I met his innocent look. He dropped the subject, instead glancing down at Kingsley who was starting to bandage the wound. 

"What about you, Doctor? Where all are you from?" 

"London." replied Kingsley blandly, "But my father was born in York."

Hatch's smile returned, "I was born in Kingston upon Hull. Father is a Commodore in the Navy, I suppose I was meant to serve. It's in my blood." 

I turned away for a moment, just a moment to grab a clean rag to dab away the blood that had formed at the base of the stitches. But glancing up for just a split second, I saw her again. Death stood across the deck with that entertained smirk, watching Hatch with a hungry gleam in her eye. Everything around me seemed to freeze in place, no cannons fired, no screams of pain rang out. I looked over at Hatch, whose smile was still plastered on his face as Kingsley was caught in place tying off the bandage around his abdomen. This boy... this kind, hopeful boy, deserved better than this. 

"No." I said firmly. I knew only she could hear me. Her malicious laugh echoed in my ears again. 

"You think you can tell me no?" 

Earthy brown met hazel, I didn't flinch or shy away. Theodore Hatchet had more to give this world, he was good, he didn't deserve to have such a kind light snuffed out when so much life was left to be lived. 

Death's grin fell away, her expression became disturbingly reserved, "He won't survive the night. Theodore Hatchet is meant to die, nothing can stop that." 

"One thing can. I can convince him to pledge his service to me."

She tilted her head curiously, almost... impressed, "He'll never walk the earth as a man again. He won't be able to say goodbye to his family." 

"He wouldn't have been able to do that if you claimed him either." I quipped, "All I ask is that you give me 'til dawn to try." 

The air hung heavy between us. Things slowly started to move again. Soldiers started to run as if they were moving through molasses, the faint echo of crackling gunfire finally reached my ears. I felt as though my heart would stop beating in that frozen moment, the hardened look of Death making me wonder if she might exchange Hatchet's life for mine. But then she nodded, and her gaze softened ever so slightly.

"Fine." she said, her nose scrunching up a bit in the disgust of having to cave, "You have until first light. But don't expect this to be a regular occurrence. I'm only doing this as a favor to her." 

My brow furrowed, my eyes narrowed, "Her? Who are you talking about?" 

Death's smirk returned, "Who indeed?"

She vanished, and everything started to move all at once, making me flinch as the noises and smells of war flooded my senses. 

"Are you alright, Miss Stuart?" Rupert's gentle baritone interrupted the noise, drawing my attention back to where he and Hatch were sat. My wide eyes and stock-still position must have been off-putting as they both looked at me like I had suddenly sprouted a second head. 

"Yes," I replied, returning to Hatch's side with a rag in my hand, "Just tired, I suppose. It's been a long week for all of us." 

The boy's smile faded a bit, becoming more wistful, "Last I knew, we were breaching the wall. Our cannons can't be more than a hundred meters from the fort. I wager by the end of the day, the Union Jack will be flying over us." 

"Well, I certainly hope so." Rupert said with a stiff, practiced grin, "We've done all we can do for you, Private. Miss Stuart will check on you in a few hours. For now, we'll get you below deck so you can rest." 

Hatch nodded slowly, painfully. A pair of soldiers stationed on board moved toward us when Kingsley waved them over, carrying a stretcher. They gingerly rolled the boy onto the canvas and lifted him with ease, ignoring the pained moans and grunts they elicited. I watched them take step after step until they vanished below deck and my timer officially started.

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

The boy certainly had a knack for predicting the future, but I wouldn't call him a divination witch just yet. By sundown on the twelfth of October, the French had surrendered, and terms had been agreed upon. It was over. 

As the faintest sliver of a waxing moon offered no light on board the Collie, I sat beside Theodore Hatchet, the only one awake below deck. A chorus of heavy snores echoed through bowels of the ship as we talked in hushed tones. It was tricky, trying to find the right way to propose what I wanted to propose. Most people would curse my name or try to kill me if I blatantly announced that I was, in fact, a witch. To offer to save a young man's life by less than normal means would certainly take some careful wording. 

"In the end, it took my mother three hours to get Louis out of the tree and to this day, he won't take any sweets from her." Hatch said, concluding a rather entertaining story from his primary school days. I smiled softly as he chuckled a bit, though the pain in his side quickly put a stop to it. My smile faltered as I glanced down toward his bandages. Blood was starting to soak through them, he was going to bleed out by morning. 

"I'm not going to make it, am I, Miss Stuart?" he croaked. Looking back into his eyes, they were sad, heartbroken even. I didn't say anything, but I knew he was able to read the expression on my face. He knew. 

"I'm sorry, Hatch." I finally whispered when I couldn't fight the apology forming in my throat, "I'm so sorry." 

He swallowed harshly, blinked hard to fight back the tears that were pooling in the corners of his eyes, "Is there nothing you can do?" 

There was no avoiding it now. No beating around the bush or distracting with alternative topics. 

"There is... something." I started, my voice quiet and shaky as I leaned in nervously, "But you would have to trust me entirely. And... you would not be the same person as you are now." 

Confusion replaced his sadness, his sharply defined brow furrowed, "What do you mean?" 

I leaned in, huddling over him to form a shell around my hand as I conjured up a few silvery wisps of my magic in my open palm, "I can offer you an alternative, but-"

"You're a witch?" he whisper-yelled, looking quickly around the deck to make sure no one was listening in. The only sign of life around us was the continuing cacophony of snores. He looked back at me, "Why couldn't you just heal me then?" 

I rolled my eyes; of course that would be the first thing he would ask. I shifted back on the stool by his bed and threaded my fingers together, shaking my head. 

"That's not how it works, Hatch." I said lowly, "Magic isn't a cure to every ailment. And I... I haven't been studying magic long enough to heal wounds as serious as yours. What I'm proposing to you is not healing, it's transformation." 

An inkling of fear crossed his face, "So, w-what you want to turn me into a- a toad? A newt? A cat?" 

I clapped a hand over his mouth to shut him up as his tone started to become loud. I held my hand there for a moment until he calmed down before withdrawing it, but the look on his face was still one of fear and partial disgust. 

"I am offering you the chance to become my associate." I explained, "Every so often, a candidate appears to a witch, usually in times of tragedy or triumph. This candidate can either pledge their service and take on a new form or deny it and..."

"Die?" 

"Or go about their lives as they used to."

"But not me."

"No... not you, Hatch." I said with a heavy sigh, "You're going to die."

Tears sprang forward. He sobbed, despite the pain it was undoubtedly causing him. I sat beside him quietly, my eyes glued to the seeping bloody bandage that was right in my face. He continued to cry for a while, but when his sobs finally ceased, and his chest rhythm fell back to normal, I took a gentle hold of his hand and directed his gaze toward me. 

"Theodore, you need to decide, and you need to do it now." I told him, "You said it yourself; you were always meant to serve. Serve me and I promise you that your life will be long and fulfilling. Refuse and you leave this world without ever having truly lived. What do you want to do?" 

He froze, took a minute or two to think on it. 

Then he nodded. 

"I, Theodore Edmund Hatchet, pledge my service to you, Miss Aislin Stuart, 'til death divides us."

I rose from my seat and set a hand on his chest. His eyes widened as he watched me prepare myself. I knew what he was silently asking me. A small, reassuring smile decorated my face. 

"It won't hurt, I promise." 

Looking back at my hand I muttered the famous incantation under my breath, "Derivare et formare, mutare et ministrare. Derivare et formare, mutare et ministrare."

As I continued to repeat the spell over and over, silvery tendrils wrapped around Hatch's body like long, ghost-like fingers. Slowly, they began to constrict him, encasing him in a shroud of pure moonlight. The pale glow grew brighter and brighter until I could no longer see Hatch beneath it. Glancing around the room, I was shocked that no one had awoken yet, that no one was even disturbed. But then I thought back to my brief interaction with Death earlier in the day. This was a favor, not to me... but to someone else. My mother perhaps? If anyone would be so daring as to court Death, it would be her. 

The light became dimmer, the form it encased became smaller. I continued my recitation without pause until the light was finally gone and the comforting sensation of magic at my fingertips faded away. Where Theodore Hatchet's body had once been, a raven stood, with gleaming obsidian feathers and the faintest smattering of green in its dark, beady eyes. It looked up at me curiously, then stretched out its wings as if it still expected them to be arms. 

"Hello, Hatch." I said with a wide grin, "How do you feel?"

What would have sounded like the call of a raven to any mortal sounded like Hatch's voice to me, clear and strong, as it had been before he was wounded. 

"Strange," he replied, "as if my body isn't really my own. But... it feels... right somehow. Miss Stuart-"

"Please, call me Ash." 

"Ash... was I always meant to become... this?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, Hatch. No one really knows if familiars are born or made. But when the opportunity presents itself to find one... we know it. A part of us can feel it. That sense of duty and service that you carry within you is what makes you special, Hatch. It's what brought you to me. And because of it, you will get to live a very long, very interesting life." 

If a raven could laugh, he would have. Instead, it came out as a cross between a caw and a chuckle, an amalgamation of his former and current forms, "Well, then I suppose I made the right choice. So... my lady, what would you like me to do first?"

I lowered my hand and allowed him to perch on it. With no one left to watch over, I left the lower deck and took Hatch up top to feel the gentle, cool breeze wafting across the bay. I shut my eyes for a moment, letting the chill of autumn bathe me like it had the first night I had set foot in the Colonies. I reached into the pocket of my coat and produced a piece of folded parchment that I had written on two days ago. 

"I'd like you to take a crack at flying." I said, holding up the letter, "I need you to deliver this to someone in Salem, Massachusetts. Are you up for it?" 

Hatch bobbed his head, his new way of nodding, "Of course. May I ask who I have the pleasure of delivering it to?"

"Her name is Agatha Harkness. She's the only living witch in the village, it should be no trouble to find her." 

Hatch took hold of the letter with his broad beak and started to flap his wings. After a few efforts, he lifted off my hand and flew upward, turning south and disappearing against the star-flecked navy sky. Giving a small sigh, I continued to watch the stars until they gave way to the faintest rays of morning light and for the first time in nearly a year, I felt happiness tug at my heartstrings. 

[onyourhyuck]

MRS NA? | NA JAEMIN. | PART FOUR.

— Prologue: “I’m not your servant, I’m your wife Jaemin.” + “Okay, I sense I may have said this wrongly to you.”

— Summary: Wherein Go Yeeun wakes up from a coma and meets Na Jaemin claiming to be her husband and have five children together.

— Genre: jaemin series. Romance. Found family. Mystery. Smut. Crack. Fluffiness.

— Notes: THIS IS A JAEMIN SERIES ON MY BLOG. reblog and follow me for more daily updates.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Go Yeeun walks down the plains of the farm. The animals were groomed and dressed into newer coats. The different hairbrushes for the horses had to be used which took longer than doing a simple hairstyle for yourself. Taking care of a farm alone was no joke a very hard job and task. Many of the animals were very important and so Yeeun had no choice but to take care of them, because her lovely husband who works a 9 to 5 job couldn’t do that. Yeeun doesn’t remember anything to say to Jaemin. She doesn’t know if she actually agreed to these chores, to do them. But she took a wild leap and believes her so called husband.

Was he even a husband at this point? Yeeun has been stuck for two months trying to regain her memories of Jaemin and the five children. Nothing came to mind. Sometimes her dreams feels like a puzzle more than a dream with no meaning.

At this point the young woman feels so misplaced. Like a red wine bottle placed between two beer aisles. She feels like a stuck out sore thumb that you can point out in a second. Something about this place doesn’t feel like home. This place feels new and foreign to Yeeun.

And she cannot believe she chose a life like this? I mean a farm? Chores all day? Take care of children all the freaking time and when the kids go to sleep, Yeeun has to deal with an emotionally unavailable husband who barely makes an effort to understand her? This life sounds far from perfect. Far from normal. Far from what Yeeun believes she would have wanted in the past before her memories were erased from her mind.

Opening the backyard door, the young with the black long hair stuck in a messy bun wearing rain boots and overalls sweating from head to toe because she was doing everything to make the animals happy and all fed and cleaned, the overalls had stains of mud and reeking of cow’s straws from the hay. Not expecting anyone to be home. Yeeun’s round beautiful shaped eyes resembling a diamond nearly widen at the sight of the man with a slight tone and muscular build in the kitchen making himself a hot coffee. He wore a reddish and white flannel with crossed squares, a white tank top that make his muscular chest and pecs visible at times.

As much as Yeeun was shocked she was slightly confused too. Why was he back so early? He only left three hours ago.

The woman takes off the boots and then comes forward watching him sip the warm coffee. “What are you doing here back so early?” Yeeun questions with an eyebrow raise and he looks back seeing that Yeeun was already finished with her chores. He smirks raising his eyebrows at the question. “Oh hey bunny lips.” He smirks twirling around like a jelly bean with his body.

Jaemin leans against the counter as his eyes watch Yeeun’s figure. She looks slightly exhausted from doing chores all morning until afternoon. It makes him become smug as he saw Yeeun sit down with a groan as she looks at him.

He turns around when Yeeun was waiting for his answer clearly and he opens his mouth. “Ah. I’m just so good at my work that I finished early. Aren’t i a good husband my darling wife?” The tone he used was somehow mocking and a bit condescending.

Yeeun frowns but doesn’t say anything. She already feels slightly annoyed at him since the last time. They haven’t really spoke much. Not like they had much to talk about unless it’s about children. “Right…” Yeeun trails as she sighs. “Why don’t you help around the house then if you’re so good at your job?” She now blasts an invitation to Jaemin, that wasn’t so much of an invitation.

She is tired of doing chores all the freaking time. Jaemin should take some responsibilities around this household too.

His expression fell down. “But Yeeun that’s your job.” He expressed with an obvious hint that he won’t be doing that since it’s meant to be ‘hers’ to do and not Jaemin’s end of the deal.

The woman wasn’t pleased with the answer and any minute now Yeeun feels the boiling pent up rage inside her stomach aching and screaming to come out and tell her so called husband off right now. Yeeun would’ve divorced him by now, just saying she would’ve picked those papers up in a heartbeat. But Yeeun was thinking about the children and so she didn’t do that; the children matter the most. So Yeeun feels only more and more angry and frustrated at Jaemin’s lack of responsibility.

Yeeun slants upwards on the chair at the table as she takes off the boots now, with a stomp on the ground now. It’s clear that her body was showing anger but her voice was silent. He could imagine fire burning on her eyes whenever Yeeun looks at him.

It is also slightly misogynistic isn’t it? Yeeun is a woman so why is she doing the womanly house chores in the house? Surely Jaemin is a bit more modern than that considering his not so-fatherly acting decisions.

“Look are you here to just come and go? You’re meant to be here in this house too and as long as you’re living here you should do some chores around to help.”

There was a moment for their eyes to make contact. Jaemin stares at the woman telling him now this as she’s staring back at him unamused by how his blank eyes were slightly different than before. He looks like he didn’t want to help at all but when Yeeun phrased it like this he feels like he has no choice but to do it? He just never did a single chore in his life. Jaemin opens his mouth to say something but nothing came out so he closed it, and he raised his finger and puts it back down when his lips sealed. Yeeun’s voice comes off as a tired and annoyed sigh.

“I’ll be fair on you. You can wash the dishes on Saturdays and Sundays. And you can also do the laundry on those days too.”

Really? Jaemin couldn’t believe it you’re seriously giving him chores to do on his alone time! On his weekend where he doesn’t have to go to work. It’s the only time he can relax without the children wanting his attention too. And usually he would be at the bar or hanging out with his friends too.

He gave a slight frustrated fake smile at his wife. “Yeeun can you be slightly more lenient on me? I work. I want my alone time too.”

“Funny. I want my alone time too but I don’t get any at all.” Yeeun shot back and Jaemin felt his brain shutting instantly down. Fair enough, it looks like Yeeun has him cornered.

Hands running through his hair as he stares back at Yeeun and he gives her a slight nod as he sits down now in front of Yeeun as they’re at the table watching their faces. He was staring at her as he spoke now with a perusal sweet smile. “Alright how about just Saturday and i clean the dishes.” Jaemin now asked with both of his eyebrows turning up raised, as his voice was clearly trying to convince and change Yeeun’s decisions.

But she was too stubborn and Yeeun wasn’t the type of woman to fall for Jaemin’s tricks from getting away from doing his own chores. Yeeun was fair considering she does everything around here so it was fair. Jaemin was just avoiding her and her demands as his wife.

She leans forward and slams her hands in front of the table shaking it a bit which then flinched Jaemin as he wasn’t expecting Yeeun to really be this commanding and close to his face when shaking that table that held their elbows together on it. “I’m not your servant, I’m your wife Jaemin.”

Yeeun’s words echo in his ears. She feels more like a servant than a wife right now, and Jaemin’s eyes widen a little.

He groans a bit back at her words but he was now truly feeling like there’s no way he can get out of this now. Jaemin sighs.

“Okay, I sense I may have said this wrongly to you.” Jaemin replies to her as he looks at Yeeun again and he finally nods, without much choice, he doesn’t like this at all. “I’ll do the chores on Saturdays and Sundays.”

He then adds quickly causing Yeeun’s expression to falter downwards. “But on one condition.”

Yeeun has a bad feeling now that he’s saying one condition, and she can only think of bad things right now. “What condition will that be?” She sighs.

Yeeun’s expecting the worst.

He smirks leaning closer. “I take you on a date how about that?”

She furrows her eyebrows. “Why a date?” This was very sudden and somehow when Jaemin always suggests something there will always be some weirdly suspicious motive behind it all. Yeeun can’t help but shake this off.

He hums a bit. “Do I need a reason to take my wife on a date away from the kids?” He now stated and it makes Yeeun silent.

He had a point and she has no comeback to say to counter this so Yeeun trails quietly. “Have we went on a date before then?”

There was a little silence as Jaemin smirks and leans closer nodding. “Oh yeah. We did before once. You can tell how that went.” He states with a flirtatious laugh and smile as he’s now suggesting something completely different.

What did he mean? Yeeun thought.

“How did that date go?” She said confused and Jaemin found it surprisingly very innocent reaction of hers. He leans a bit closer and wraps one arm around Yeeun as he shifts her weight and chair to move even closer towards him where he sat in the chair. His playful eyes never leave Yeeun’s confused and curious eyes. It’s clear that she has no clue, and of course she has no clue.

She has no memories. No recollection. It just makes this more or so funny for Jaemin.

When their faces are even closer he whispers to Yeeun’s ears. “How do you think we made Yongsoo, bunny lips?”

The heart raced like crazy. The eyes widen like sweats coming down the Iris pupils. She grew redder on her complexion now and Yeeun snaps away from Jaemin as she scowls now. “Oh god do you have to say this to me?” Yeeun complained, it was unpleasant and it made her flustered. Embarrassed.

Jaemin on the other hand was loving her reactions. He just loves it when she rejects him so equivalently to how much she’s squeamish at the thought too.

It only takes more for Jaemin to throw in a baby-making joke there and there to have his wife Yeeun leaving him alone.

“You asked. Don’t be complaining to me.” Jaemin smirks as he looks back at Yeeun caressing some of the strands behind her ears.

He took a moment to admire her red cheeks. Somehow she has a feeling there’s a bigger motive behind his ‘date’ he’s asking her to go on right now. “So is that a yes then?” He now asked her again with a playful smile. “Don’t leave your husband hanging here, Yeeun.” He sweetly adds.

She groans mentally. Yeeun looks at him with a flat expression between her eyebrows and eyes. “Okay I guess we can go on a date.”

“Perfect. Thank you, Darling. Get ready because we are leaving at 6.” Jaemin remarks standing up and leaving the kitchen which makes Yeeun widen her eyes.

She wasn’t expecting it to be this quick? Now she’s left thinking what was his whole deal with this deal thing. They really haven’t been communicating much to be going on a date despite having children together. Yeeun sighs. This is going to be a long day.

The children were all rousing up at their father when they now were told they won’t be home with Yeeun or him. They were shocked at first. Haewon, the cute little girl with two braids holding her bunny plushie was the first one to speak out with a pout clearly not liking this. “Awh I want mommy. I don’t want uncle Jeno. He’s not fun at all. He thinks he’s funny like Kevin Hart.”

Oh wow how awkward Jaemin thought, he wonders what his best friend has told his children last time when telling a joke considering they all find him extremely unpleasant right now, or maybe they want their mother so bad they don’t want anyone else right now. Usually the boys like Jeno when they get babysat by his friend.

But now? Yeeun completely changed them. Jaemin was left there trying to make his children calm down and not be so disappointed. He didn’t expect the children to be so attached to Yeeun but hey, they are and they really look up to her so much.

“Dad can you take Jeno on the date instead? Mommy can stay with us.” Insu the one with the slight wispy lips on his words whenever he talks now said tugging on Jaemin’s wrist.

Jaemin laughs a little. “Come on what will me and Jeno do on a date if we go together? Anyways we won’t take too long.” He said now as he would huddle the kids as he kneels down. “Be good to Jeno, kids, and I mean it.” When he brought them in a circle to tell them the rules again. He was serious with them now and he spoke with intentions of not having them repeat what they did last time to Jeno…

He starts to list their mischievous pranks they always do and get in trouble for when they get babysat.

“No paper bombs.”

“No filling the water tub until it overflows.”

The boys whine when he said no more pranks with the bathtub. Hanuel was enjoying that one, especially when it was his idea. Despite being the eldest he was a genius at pranks.

Jaemin looks back at Insung, the twin with the wider cute ears sticking out. He flicks his son’s ears warning. “And that counts no playing with fire, Insung. I mean it.”

The boy nods slowly, he looks disappointed when his father said no to fire. Jaemin really doesn’t know how these kids came up with these ideas.

“Alright. Be good kids. Mommy and i will come back home soon.” Jaemin said now and the front door revealing their mother coming out wearing a new outfit that they never once saw on their mother before. She looks more dressed up and she even put on makeup?

Haewon gasps wowing first as behind Jaemin Yeeun was walking outside the house. “Whoa mommy you look so pretty.” Her daughter exclaims and she was literally eyeing her mother as if Yeeun was like a real life-doll.

The eldest boy Hanuel and the twins Insu and Insung were watching their mother with a jealous eye. Why did their mom go with their dad? She was meant to be with them watching their new episode of their cartoon show on tv!

Yongsoo was already crying. “Mommy nooooo nooo don’t goooo.”

The children didn’t want their mother to go and have fun with their dad because let’s be honest, they love Yeeun too much to let her go right now and their attachment issues? Are severally attached. They like Jeno but they can’t compare him to their amazing mother who does everything for them. She knows everything they like. Meanwhile Jeno doesn’t know anything except bad jokes and he ends up getting pranked by them.

The last time Jeno actually babysat them, he woke up ducktaped in the pig pens. He spent the next hour that day with the pigs, his entire body covered in the grey thick duck tape. And the kids were all making a mess at home too with the freedom they had back then.

Yeeun was surprised to see her children so unhappy and it somehow made her heart beat so much. She gives them a loving smile all and hugs them all in a crowding manner and a huddle. “Oh you guys, I’ll be back soon and I promise when I come back I’ll buy you your favourite ice lollies on the way yeah?” The children seem a little more obedient and happy with that deal.

The two men, Jeno and Jaemin now make eye contact as they try not to smile too much. Jaemin has to give it to Yeeun. She has found a bond with the children he couldn’t do at all. Yeeun was so good with them now.

And not to mention how beautiful Yeeun looks right now Jaemin found his eyes stuck on Yeeun. The short sleeve top with slight pale-ish green colour really goes well with that milky soft complexion. The little handbag strand on her arms and the long flared jeans with the boots? It was definitely an outfit that he likes. It shows off every curve and every beautiful detailing Yeeun so much.

Yeeun sighs and looks at Jaemin who she saw staring at her in a very obvious and different manner and direction.

“What?” Yeeun blurts out confused, she looks down at her outfit and then back at her husband. “Do I have something on my face?” She half panics and Jaemin shakes his head. “No, no,”

He clears his voice. “Nothing. I was zoning out.” He brushed away the own thoughts of Yeeun looking beautiful. “Get inside the car Yeeun, we gotta go.” The woman was brought to reality and she nods getting inside the passenger car.

The car clicks and she looks out the window waving at the five children. “You sure your friend can handle them?” Yeeun would ask looking at the driver seat where her husband was sitting now starting the engine with the key in the car hole and they soon drive off slowly leaving the farm and their house property. The drive in their town roads were slowly coming into view and Jaemin let’s out a soft laugh at Yeeun’s question. He trusts Jeno. They went through high school, through kindergarten. They were friends since they were very small at this point Jaemin would put his life on the line for Lee Jeno.

With one hand Jaemin would drive the steering wheel on the car turning round the corner while his left hand was now moving forward to hold Yeeun’s hand softly. He looks back at her for a second only because he needed all his attention on the road as he was driving. “Don’t worry about them being okay, yeah? Jeno is someone I trust with all my heart. He will take good care of them until we go home.”

The hand contact was something new it made Yeeun’s heart race as she saw their hands touching now a lot longer than a second too. She sighs. Jaemin was right this was a date and not a worrying therapy session about her children. “You’re right. So where are you taking me then? Some fancy restaurant?” Yeeun smirks guessing.

She hopes it’s a fancy restaurant where she can have steak or something like that. It would be a perfect date in her book. If Yeeun had to pick. The steak and wine combination for a date at a fancy eloquent restaurant would be an amazing date to go with Jaemin at.

The mention of a fancy restaurant makes Jaemin laugh and shake his head, he was amused to say the least that his wife has high expectations. Well. He’s about to lower them and say goodbye to a fancy restaurant idea. “Oh no no darling. No fancy restaurant.” He smirks.

“I’ll be taking you somewhere more fun and traditional bunny lips.” He smirks wiggling his eyebrows forward which makes Yeeun already think something so bad.

She shouldn’t be having negative thoughts but the way Jaemin was lowering her expectations of what their date was gonna be like. Well. Yeeun was seated in the far tightly as she lets her husband drive them to the secret location.

The drive to the place Jaemin was taking Yeeun to was a bit far from their home but not that far if you don’t walk. By far it was a decent drive. He would come out of the car and Yeeun opens her car door by herself. She wasn’t even sure why she expected Jaemin to open the car door for her, he was walking ahead and when he saw behind that the woman was not following he yells in front motioning a waving hand at her to follow him. “Come on, we can’t miss this tickets!” He yells.

‘Ugh he can’t even open the door and wait for me?…’ Yeeun sighs in her head thoughts.

The area they lived in was always the countryside and almost kinda poor-like with working class. So when she starts to walk following Jaemin behind who bought their fair tickets. It was like an open fair that opened up today. He took her to a local fair with many running games available to do. They walk side by side and Yeeun’s eyes widen at how many rides there was too.

It wasn’t something Yeeun expected, that’s for sure.

He saw her expression searching everything she’s seeing as if getting information where she was at. Jaemin smirks and grabs her hand now. “Come on, don’t get lost. Take my hand.” The man lead her and Yeeun let’s him taking her hand as they held hands while walking amongst other people.

Somehow the warmth in her heart grew when Jaemin was holding her hand so tight leading her to a certain stand where it caught her attention. They were selling all sorts of prizes if you manage to shoot the running duck toys on the wall with the shotgun that has pebbles in it.

Yeeun raised an eye at one of the prizes. It was a a bracelet made up of string but it had a little gemstone in the middle, it was something the young woman noticed first.

Her husband looks at Yeeun and stands behind her to see what she was watching so intensely. “Ah you want the arm bracelet, Yeeun?” Jaemin smirks and he thinks it’s an easy one way job to get for her right now.

He didn’t waste a second but motions to the stand owner. “One shot gun. I want that bracelet up there as the prize. How much do I need to shoot?” The stand owner looks back at the prize and then looks back at Jaemin. “Five ducks.”

‘Five… there’s no way he can manage to shoot five ducks right?’ Yeeun wasn’t sure actually. She can’t remember if he was good at shooting or if he knew how to work it out.

When staring at the man grabbing the shotgun and getting it ready with a proper aim at the running ducks on the walls. It’s like goose hunting. He was chasing the ducks with the aim trying to get one. He was silent and focused when Yeeun was watching him and it feels almost intense right now. Even the owner of the stand was now watching Jaemin with not much expectations.

But even if no one was believing in him. Jaemin shown no fear and no mistakes. The shotgun runs up and he ends up getting the first duck. It struck so quickly that when Jaemin reloads the shotgun it makes Yeeun’s eyes widen trying to make sense of how quick the pebbles were shot at the duck.

He got one, and that one duck turned into four other ducks as he manages to shoot all five remaining ducks to win the bracelet prize.

Jaemin smirks as he takes the bracelet and puts the shotgun back. He then whistles approaching Yeeun on the side. “What’s with the surprised look?” He laughs a bit seeing Yeeun pale as she wasn’t expecting her husband to be so good at aiming with a shotgun.

“I didn’t know you knew how to shoot?” Yeeun said back with a laugh. Jaemin’s smirk never leaves his face as his big round eyes and his long fluttering eyelashes poke at Yeeun’s expression when taking a step forward holding out her arm. The softness of his touch makes her heart race so much more prominently; and his breath was deep as Jaemin’s soft still eyes looking down at her wrist as he tied the bracelet on her wrist finally. “There is a lot of things you don’t remember about me, bunny lips.” Jaemin’s deep and low voice spoke with a smirk as Yeeun looks up at him taking back her wrist when he was done putting on the bracelet.

There was silence between them but Yeeun and Jaemin were brought back to reality when the smell of food passing the fair streets makes her stomach tingle. The growling sound makes Yeeun feel slightly exposed.

She completely forgot to eat earlier today. Jaemin looks at Yeeun with a soft laugh when seeing her become slightly shocked to hear her stomach make such a loud sound. “Hmm, hungry Yeeun?” He grins and she looks at Jaemin with an eye roll. “No, I’m starving.” She emphasised.

There was Yeeun again, with her little eye rolls thrown at his words as he asks the most obvious questions. They begin to walk somewhere more quiet. The fair was getting quite busy the later it gets and so on. Jaemin didn’t really want to eat dinner filled with crowds. And he most certainly prefers some alone time too with Yeeun. It’s a luxury to be alone like this after all. They might as well make most of it.

There was the coastal sea and the brick walls that you can watch the sea crashing against. Yeeun puts her handbag down on the brick wall as she leans with her elbows forward watching the ocean waves crashing down, back and forward, upwards. It sounded so magical to be close to the sea like this and Yeeun closed her eyes inhaling the air.

It feels so cold and refreshing. It makes Yeeun’s body feel so much better. Currently she was alone waiting for someone to come back. Jaemin told her he’s getting food so he told her to wait here for him until then.

When Yeeun was wondering where the man could’ve gotten lost Jaemin appears behind her and leans on the brick wall. He takes out a foiled food. Yeeun was expecting something cleaner, less greasy. The sight of the filled up sandwich with chopped up meat and melted cheese makes Yeeun salivate but also, she wasn’t expecting to be eating greased up meat and cheese.

Jaemin hums taking a bite of the sandwich too. “Here you take a bite you’re hungry aren’t you?” She scowls and shakes her head. “I’m good, you eat up. I’ll eat at home.”

The words she said makes Jaemin smirk as he took another bite and puts the sandwich under Yeeun’s nose which makes her smell how good it actually was. She was just stubborn to want to take a bite out of something that’s greasy and more un-healthy in her eyes.

“Come on, Bunny lips. Don’t be stubborn. One bite?” Jaemin urgently said as he watches her fighting her inner urges and conflict.

Yeeun murmurs. “No I’m fine, not hungry anymore. Looks unpleasant.”

But the moment her eyes were watching the sandwich Jaemin takes a bite out again she couldn’t help but gulp. Her hungry stomach was growing more hungry watching Jaemin eat and she slowly comes closer.

“Fine. Give me one bite…” Yeeun trails as Jaemin smirks giving her the sandwich in the foil paper. When he saw the girl take a bite out of the sandwich it fills his loving eyes on her. He loves seeing Yeeun try the food he eats only.

It’s something he’s used to. Yeeun wasn’t so used to this kind of food, but when he saw her obvious reaction it was clear that she loved it. The moment the bite she took from the sandwich Yeeun let’s out a soft moan and nods as she ate. “Mhmm…” It was clear that his wife loved it, and she was wrong about this food. Jaemin smirks. “Is it good?”

She gulps down chewing the sandwich, she takes another bite going back for seconds, it makes Jaemin almost proud he introduced Yeeun to some good culture over here. “Oh god how come i didn’t find this earlier?”

Yeeun exclaims.

He chuckles and he motions his hands to the sandwich. “Let me take a bite too—“ Yeeun moves her hands away and she shakes her head. Jaemin laughs as she moved away. “Okay okay you eat up, it’s good you’re eating.” He states giving up. It’s obvious she won’t be sharing as it’s too good to her right now. Like a new addiction probably.

Yeeun and Jaemin turn to the ocean view as it was nighttime with a cold breeze running against them and their clothes. She finished eating the sandwich now but Jaemin and Yeeun continue to watch the waves crashing.

“Hmm did you ever travel, Jaemin?” Yeeun asked the man and he softly smiles. “No, but I wish I did.” He sighs.

“Many people born in these deprived areas don’t have the money to travel.” Jaemin started to state the facts. The poor people stay poor.

Yeeun looks at Jaemin softly and she gives him a gentle smile as her hands brush over his hand intertwining their fingers together. Somehow holding hands became natural today. They never held hands before until today.

“Someday we can travel. I’ll make it a promise.” Yeeun softly said to him. She spoke in a soft spoken tone that Jaemin couldn’t even imagine to hear from her ever.

It was different. They’re now speaking openly with softness. It wasn’t like before at all.

Jaemin’s eyes watch Yeeun’s as she said that she would make this come true for him and it made his lips seal together in a thin line.

Sometimes he can feel this invisible thread pulling him towards her heart even more.

The pull, the rough drag, the urge to kiss Yeeun too. Deep inside beneath his harden skin and his high iron walls Jaemin keeps up, there was this heavy heavy gravity of Yeeun’s words resting at the end pit.

And it’s changing him very slowly, breaking at the iron walls he keeps on.

Their bodies were still but Jaemin’s head tilts on the side and softly moves closer letting their lips touch softly. The kiss feels like standing on top of the finest silk or on top of a cloud. Yeeun’s eyes closed and Jaemin’s hands brushed up on her face caressing his thumbs down her cheeks, deepening their soft kiss, she feels the hitching breath stop and her cheeks growing warmer.

The sound of their lips leaving, it was like a wet soft small sound between them that their kiss made when it came off. Jaemin looks down at Yeeun and he slowly brings his hands down her face, admiring how beautiful Yeeun looks tonight.

“I want to apologise for you know…not helping around the house and for not being there for the kids.” Jaemin trails awkwardly. He wasn’t the best at making apologies but it was his goal to give one to Yeeun.

Yeeun was the most shocked though. An apology from Jaemin?

Perhaps Jaemin was changing, Yeeun thought. “Thank you, Jaemin…”

Meanwhile back at home the children were having the time of their lives with their uncle Jeno. But it must be the opposite for their uncle right now, because this feels like utter hell on earth.

Jeno was tied against the stairway railings now with his hands handcuffed by dog leads. One of the children, he can’t remember who, managed to tie his hands with dog leashes!

“Whoever tied me come untie me! Your parents will be hearing about this.” Jeno warns as he sighs, he wishes judgement day came and took him now because he can’t deal with babysitting five rotten devils.

Hanuel the eldest was watching tv with a tub of ice cream and a large spoon. “Uncle Jeno you should really stop shouting, it’s pointless.” Hanuel smartly suggests.

“Be glad you’re not stuck with the pigs like last time.” The older boy said again with a smirk as Hanuel went back to eating the ice cream.

Jeno wants to roll his eyes at the boy’s smart-ass attitude. This kid is meant to be the oldest but why was he the meanest?

Then the twins, those twins were making a mess in the kitchen playing with pots and pans. They rattle and rattle everywhere. Meanwhile their older sister Haewon was trying to bake a cake right now. She’s making the cake batter.

‘Oh how brilliant,’ Jeno thought. Jaemin and Yeeun are having the time of their lives but back home it was chaos running wild like a spreading fire.

Then Jeno’s thoughts stop when Yongsoo was by the top of the stairs with a skateboard. The youngest boy was there ready to roll over with a skateboard down thinking it’s going to be a smooth ride, but Jeno was there in the way and he will be crashed into.

“Oh… Yongsoo! No! Don’t slide down.” Jeno shouts but he came too late to warn the boy as he rolls down with a skateboard and crashed into Jeno’s back knocking Jeno out cold while Yongsoo was sliding down with a little ‘Weeeeeeeee’ happy sound coming out of the boy’s lips.

Jeno will never be babysitting here again, even if Jaemin paid him like this time! He won’t do it again!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Sorry this took so long, chapter 5 is coming out this week too!! I decided to release 2 parts this week because I was very far behind this series </33

@onyourhyuck please refer from translating copyrighting and plagiarising my work thank youu! Reblog this fic and follow me for more updates on my blog this is a series!

[stayandot8]

A Case of Friends and Lovers

Genre: Fluff

Relationship type: best friends to lovers

Important Contents: Thank you @bangtanmix73 for the idea 😙😙

WC: 6.1k

masterlist

Chan became my friend in the third grade. 

Mrs. Yoon’s class was tough enough. A tall, slender woman with her black hair streaked with the gray of her years of experience with us youngins. Constantly dressing like she was stuck in the 80s with her long skirts and her turtlenecks, she was a no-nonsense kind of lady, which wouldn’t have been the ideal kind of teacher for third graders if you asked me. If she peered over her glasses at you, you knew from her beady eyes that you wanted to never be the subject of that gaze ever again.  As the “talker” of the class, she sat me next to Chan, the quiet and good one, in hopes that he would encourage me to behave like him. Unlucky for her, her plan backfired. I instead opened him up and brought him out of his shell to his own demise. The first time I got him into trouble was still burned into my mind.

Mrs. Yoon was droning on and on about something called fractions and I had had just about enough of her voice for the day. My worksheet long since forgotten on my desk, I leaned over the aisle to poke Chan in his side rather hard and quickly sat back straight, my eyes back to the front in case the mean lady was watching. Chan yelped and pursed his lips to the side in fake anguish. I would continue to see this look a lot over the course of our friendship. Mrs. Yoon heard his squeal and glared at him. 

“Mr. Bang, do not interrupt my class.” Her angry eyes were enough to make Chan’s face burn bright like a tomato. I couldn’t help but snicker as he apologized. He didn’t sit next to me at lunch that day. It wasn’t until I brought him the prettiest rock I could find, a smooth, round, white stone with dark spots to look like the moon, that he finally spoke to me again, all forgiven. That was the longest we had ever gone without speaking.

Chan became my best friend in the 6th grade.

We were walking down the cold hallways, the stench of rubber erasers and preteens still learning about deodorant forcing its way up my nostrils. It was an effort not to scream daily in those hallways, children screaming every direction you looked. This particular day was the day my period decided to rear its ugly head for the first time. It wasn’t like I didn’t know it was coming, my female friends had gotten theirs fairly recently so they had prepared me for what was to come. What I didn’t expect was for it to be quite so…. messy. 

It was a very normal conversation we were having, about how his mom had gotten his lunch mixed up with his sister’s again, when I felt it; a sudden gush coming from between my legs. I stopped mid-step, kids shoving my shoulders as they kept moving. Chan had stopped a few steps ahead, just realizing that I wasn’t by his side anymore and turned back with a confused look. And then those kids started looking at me to find out why I had stopped walking, that was when the laughing started. And the pointing. I had my first panic attack that day, under the cruel eyes of everyone in that hallway. 

Chan rushed to me, seeing the tears and panic in my eyes and quickly took off his jacket to tie it around my waist. He grabbed my shoulders and rushed me to the nurse. He followed me around all day to make sure no one else laughed or pointed or stared. And when someone even glanced at me with what he deemed the wrong way, he would shout at them. 

“And what are YOU looking at, huh?” 

They would quickly find something else much more interesting to look at and rush past us. Chan would nod at his job well done and continue whatever we were talking about, trying his best to get my mind off of this sudden change. That day we had some of the weirdest conversations we had ever had, him pulling every bizarre subject he had in his arsenal to shock me into talking about it. It was a very effective method and became a fallback in the years to come.

Chan became my secret crush in 10th grade. 

It was my birthday and while my mom was a good mother, she sometimes just got too busy with her work to pay enough attention to what was going on around her. This particular birthday she forgot about. I had gotten to school and looked for Chan but he was nowhere to be found until lunch period. I was sitting by myself with my headphones in, listening to my own personal curated playlist by my one and only best friend when the doors to the lunchroom flew open and a slew of balloons were pushed through them, everyone turned to stare at the loud bang. I wondered who could possibly be coming through the doors and assumed it was for some sort of prom proposal or something. I turned my attention back to my chips and was putting one in my mouth when I looked back up to the collection of helium when I saw who was attached to them. My chewing paused and I took out my headphones.

Chan was beaming as he scanned the lunchroom and locked eyes with me. That was when I realized the balloons had ‘Happy Birthday!’ written on every. single. one. He sprinted as safely as he could without tripping over to my table, a small cake and a fast food bag in his hands along with a bright pink gift sack. My jaw dropped. I felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head. 

“Happy birthday!” He yelled as he drew closer. He set down the cake, balloons, and gift bag to throw his arms around me and suffocate me with his love. I couldn’t help my grin as he let go, his own smile infectious like always. He sat down, grabbing the food bag and laying out a nice spread in front of me.

“Is this why you’re late to school?” I giggled as I put my home lunch back in my lunchbox.

“Well duh. I couldn’t let you get away with going unnoticed on your birthday. I had to get the best for my girl!” My heart fluttered in a way I hadn’t noticed before when he said that. My veins sang as the butterflies took a hold in my stomach and remained there. 

We had our lunch as the rest of the school watched, people wondering what the balloons were for when their friends explained it to them in hushed whispers. They weren’t there as far as I was concerned. All I could see was him. 

That’s also when other girls started to notice him.

Chan became distant in college.

He had started dating and I hated all of the other girls that weren’t me. He always wondered why his girlfriends and I never got along, not one of them. He only saw what they wanted to see, them putting on their sweetest, most perfect facade for him as I glared at them from the sidelines. Our friendship started to suffer too. 

I couldn’t blame him for wanting to be the perfect boyfriend. I just wish he would’ve realized he didn’t have to try so hard for them. He was perfect the way he was. None of them were worthy of him anyways. It annoyed me to no end how hard he would try for them while they took it and never gave it back to him like I could have. They simply weren’t good enough for him.

He hated it when I told him that. The conversation would always start the same. He would bring up some petty argument they were having and I would try my best to be objective for him, but it was so hard. It was simply that all of the fights he ever had were always the girl’s fault, either demanding he spend more time with her or do more for her or that he was too much work for them. I would make this point and he would retort with a way that it was somehow his fault. HIS fault that she felt this way. That he needed to be better. I would say it wasn’t his fault, he already spent so much time with her. We disagreed every time. I was surprised he couldn’t tell that I was in love with him. He was oblivious when it came to me. But his friends weren’t.

Feix questioned me first but Minho was the first to break me. He got me intoxicated and asked me one too many questions and the beans came tumbling out in a drunken babble. In front of all of his friends and God herself, I wouldn’t shut up about how I missed his laugh, his smile, and his hugs. The boys just looked at each other awkwardly, taking turns trying to comfort me in their own ways. Minho tried to tell me Chan’s poor qualities, walking around naked all the time, he worked too much, he never bought anything for himself. But these were all qualities I already knew and loved about him. Seungmin was just calling him old and ‘why would you want someone so close to old age in the prime of your life’ and such things. I wasn’t much younger than Chan so in reality, he was also calling me old. He ran out of things to say after that, not wanting to put his foot in his mouth any more than he already had. Jeongin and Hyunjin offered to take me shopping the next day, which I took them up on. Hyunjin pat me on the back gently and grimaced. Changbin just tried to tell me that exercise was the cure for everything. That earned a glare from everyone, to which he just shrugged and looked away sheepishly. I thanked him for his suggestion. He meant it in earnest. Han took my mind off of it, offering his best controller to play video games with him all night long. And when I had successfully beaten Han enough for him to admit defeat, Felix followed me to bed and just cuddled me until the heavy weight on my chest had lightened. 

Every time we fought about his girlfriends’ issues with him, it was always on the tip of my tongue. It was always ‘Just talk to her, try to work it out’ instead of ‘I wouldn’t treat you like that.’ It was a laborious effort, keeping all of the emotions inside. I would feel the build-up when he was in between girlfriends, he would get more touchy with me, no longer under a watchful eye or a guilty conscience. I could feel myself begin to tell him my feelings and then another girl would pop up and they would last too long that the moment was over. But I was always the one he ran to when he had problems. And they hated that. 

The first girl that had a problem with how much time he spent with me didn’t last long after that. But after the third girl, he noticed that it was maybe not just a single issue. So I saw less and less of him when he was involved. Then she appeared a year later. 

She was everything I was not. She was popular, beautiful, and just cool. She still didn’t deserve him though. I hated that I could tell she did care about him a little more than the others but not enough it seemed. She became obsessed with the idea that he would cheat on her with me. Eventually she convinced herself that he did. That was a particularly hard fight for him to get through. He came over afterwards and explained it to me, that he couldn’t spend more time with me if he wanted to keep her, so that was it. I haven’t seen him in a while.

That was a couple months ago. I’m in my own apartment now, reading my book far too late into the night again. The pounding at my door broke me of my trance and I scurried to open the door to see Chan, his curly hair a little wild and his eyes rimmed with red. 

“She cheated on me.” 

His voice was hoarse, like he hadn’t used it in a bit. I opened the door further to let him in but he just fell into my arms, his emotions hitting him harder. I hugged him closer, closing the door behind him. He fell to his knees in the hallway and brought me down with him. We stayed this way until his sobs turned to sniffles. My only form of comfort was rubbing his back up into his hair. When his breathing slowed enough for his strength to return to his legs, I nudged him up to bring him to my couch where I left him only long enough to make him something to drink. I decided tea was the way to go, alcohol no good for him in his current state. He simply stared blankly at my coffee table, his silence scarier than yelling. I nudged him with the mug and he took it, letting it warm his hands. I sat beside him gently, letting him talk if he wanted to. When he didn’t, I asked the only question I would dare about the subject.

“Do you want to talk about it?” His eyes still looked blank. His mind was elsewhere. I didn’t think he heard me and I was resigned to stay quiet when he shook his head. I could only nod faintly, finally looking him over fully for the first time in months. His eyes were tired aside from their current puffiness and his clothes smelled like him a little too much, as if he’d been wearing them a little too long. 

“Do you want to sleep here? You’re more than welcome to.” I said quietly, hoping he would take me up on it. I could feel my body yearning to be closer to his natural warmth but I stayed where I was, not wanting to invade his space just yet. He nodded slowly, his mug remaining untouched by his beautiful lips. I had forgotten…

“Do you want to sleep on my bed? I can take the couch.” He leaned to place the cup on the table in front of us and he grabbed my hand. He stood, forcing me to move from my spot as he led me back through my own bedroom door. He only dropped my hand to land face first on my pillow. I couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped my lips. The way he fell was just a little comical, like a cartoon almost. Luckily I had been in my pajamas for about an hour now so I just turned off the light and climbed in next to him, still not touching him. I was too keenly aware of every breath he took, every small movement he made. He turned his head to face me, still stomach down. His eyes bleary, he took a breath in as if he was about to speak. And it was taking all of his strength.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered the words I didn’t need, but craved anyway. I shook my head.

“Don’t worry about it. Just sleep right now, okay?” He nodded, closing his eyes. 

“Don’t leave me.” Never. I tentatively pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes, testing his limits of the moment. He didn’t shoo me away. In fact, he hummed in contentment. His breathing slowed to even draws and gave me the opportunity to really look at him. I thought with these months apart my feelings would die. I should’ve known better. If they could survive college, they would unfortunately survive anything. Simply looking at him was enough to bring them back to the surface in full swing. Maybe this is my opportunity. This time I’ll tell him, I promised myself. Maybe when he’s better. 

“I love you.” I whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. 

I woke up before him the next morning. I felt more than saw the arms around my waist, the leg intertwined with mine. My heart broke slightly as I untangled him from me, moving off the bed as slowly as I could so as not to wake him. He didn’t, simply rolling over, remaining in his slumber. I watched him sleep, the crease between his brows a cause for concern. I tore myself away and exited back to my kitchen. I didn’t know how hungry he would be, so I figured I could always make more if he wanted. As the waffle iron was warming, I heard his shuffling coming down the hall. I kept my back turned to give him a second to breathe and collect himself if he wanted to. When he crept up beside me at the counter, I gave him a half hearted smile and weak ‘hi’, still unsure of his mood. I thought I still knew how to read him, but he had changed so much in these past months, I found it harder than I remembered. 

“I didn’t know how hungry you would be so I was preparing for the worst.” He simply nodded, turning to the coffee pot. He started it up and returned to the couch he was on the night before. He turned on the TV to the morning news. I got the feeling it was just for background noise. 

Once the waffles and coffee were done, I put on my best display of domesticity. I brought him his own plate, which he scarfed down. I talked about anything but the one thing I was dying to ask about. He merely nodded along until a particularly awkward silence hit us. 

“I’m running out of subjects here, Chris.” No response. Another long pause.

“She broke up with me a while ago. I’ve spent the past couple months trying to get her back but it wasn’t working. She finally told me why. She slept with some guy back near the end of our relationship. Didn’t even remember his name.” He got quiet again. Then uttered the few words that consistently broke my heart for him. “I don’t understand what I did wrong.”

“Not everything is your fault though.”

“I had to have done something for her to do that. Why else would she have done it?”

“Some people don’t need reasons.” It was the only response I could think of. He shook his lowered head. 

“It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. So I ran to the only place I thought of. I’m sorry I barged in on you like this, I didn’t know where else to go.” He finally looked me in my eyes, I could see his apology in the gleam between blinks. 

“It’s okay, really. You’ve clearly been busy.”

“But you’ve done nothing to deserve me ignoring you for so long. And then to just show up here? Out of nowhere? I’m sorry, I should go.” He started to rise, eyes, aiming for the door. I panicked, not knowing when the next time I would see him would be. I lunged for his arm, grabbing it tightly. He jerked, but didn’t pull away, looking back at me. Those same apologies still in his eyes. 

“You don’t have to go. I promise, it’s okay. I’m just happy to have you back. No matter the circumstances.” His shoulders fell in relief as he sat back down. He gave me his best smile, which was only a sliver of what I knew it could be. It still made my butterflies jump.

“I don’t deserve you.”

Boy, you have no idea…

That was a few weeks ago. He still wasn’t completely over the betrayal, but he was slowly getting better. He showed up to my apartment regularly, just like before. We would talk about everything but that night. And when he got particularly down on himself, I would drag him out with all of his friends to take his mind off of it. Being of the legal drinking age had its perks.

This particular night, he had been the one to initiate it. He texted the entire group asking which bar we wanted to start on our pub crawl for the evening. We knew what that meant. If it was a club night, he just wanted to forget the day. If it was a club crawl, he wanted to forget the week. But an actual pub crawl, something had to have happened. Minho was always ready with a suggestion. He knew all the best spots in town. And walking through the doors of our first stop of the night, everyone could tell Chan was ready for the night to begin. 

“Let’s gooooo!” He shouted at the top of lungs, approaching the bar and smiling at the bartender, a short woman with enough cleavage to make a porn star jealous. I respect the hustle of it, but did he have to smile at her like that? He flashed one of his famous grins that reached his eyes, which she of course returned. It was hard not to. 

“What can I get you, sweetie?” She wiped down the glass in her hand with the rag in the other, used to the shouting of men ready to forget their troubles. Chan leaned on his elbows on the bartop and cocked his head, ready to charm whoever was a willing victim. 

“A round of shots for me and my friends, angel. And make them doubles if you please.” She smiled and nodded, grabbing the bottle from the shelves and nine bigger shot glasses. Chan started to chat with her as she poured, making my fingers go numb. The intense eye contact between them was enough to force my hands into fists. Felix noticed, because of course he did. I was surprised he couldn't hear my raging heartbeat. Thundering so loud in my ears I could barely hear what he was whispering to me. I felt his warmth bear me as he said

“Don’t take it too close to heart, you know he does this when he needs to release.” That didn’t stop the chill down my spine though. I wanted to deck the poor girl. She had no idea who I was or what I was going through. But if she laughed at one of his stupid jokes again…

Chan grabbed the tray of shots and winked at her, making her blush. God damn it.

“Relax. He’s not going home with her.” More whispers in my ear. I couldn’t place the voice until Seungmin gave me a shy smile, nodding in encouragement of his words. I nodded back, trying to breathe as we all followed Chan to a table near the shadows of the back of the place. Seungmin placed his hand on my back, following my lead and staying close. 

Chan was doling out the shots in everyone’s direction, each conversation happening in tandem, the noise level doing the best job of drowning out my own thoughts. I decided to let this night be as much for me as its initiator. We all clinked our glasses together, tapped the table, and downed our shots in one go, Felix coughing a little as he got used to the burn. 

“Another round!” Jisung shouted over the noise happening around us.

“I’ll go!” Chan started to walk towards the bar, but Jisung stopped him with his arm. 

“Don’t worry buddy, I’ll get this one.” But Jisung’s eyes were on me. I could swear he nodded to me, a small sign of solidarity. 

“Was I that obvious?” Hyunjin shook his head a little too quickly to be anything but honest. I grimaced in his direction, sure that everyone would see through any kind of mask I could put on. Well, everyone except the one it mattered for. He was currently balls-deep in a conversation with Changbin about something to do with…sports? Cars? I couldn’t tell nor did I care. Jisung came back quickly with twice the amount of shots as the first round. I shot him a greatful smile, our unspoken plan working. Another round of shots and we were off to the next bar, pulling the same routine until it was evident that Chan had had quite enough when he wouldn’t let go of my shoulder. He hung on my arm like he hadn’t known anything else in his life, clung to me like he had for the first ten years of our friendship. It was like nothing had changed. 

“Baby, let’s go to another one down the street. They’ve got the best margaritas on the block.” Baby. It almost made it feel real when he called me that. Like, maybe one day, I could be… I snapped back to the moment at hand.

“I think we both have had quite enough there, mister.” His eyes were drooping, his gaze unfocused. His words were blurring together, all of the alochol he had consumed finally hitting his system. He would be turning into one of two people and I didn’t want to be there if the one that wasn’t the cuddly, kind Chris showed up. Not being quite as drunk as the others, I volunteered to take him home, thinking we had had enough for one night. None of the others were ready to go home as much as I was, so they let me take the invalid home by myself. 

The weight of Chan’s body was too much for my single shoulder as we stumbled down the hallway to his apartment. His giggling had turned into a small laughter here and there, which eventually had made him go quiet now. We arrived at his front door, just as I remembered it. 

“Chan, where are your keys?” He grappled with his pockets before he giggled again. 

“Doormat.” was all that came from his mouth. This mother… His spare key was hidden under the mat.

Once we were inside, he went straight for the couch, sighing as he lay flat on his stomach. I couldn’t help my panting from carrying him up his stairs, my breath the only sound in the room. I leaned on the counter, just watching him as he closed his eyes. 

“Chan?”

“Hm?” 

“How are you feeling? Anything coming back up?”

“Not yet. Give me a few minutes though, you never know.” A slight chuckle from the man across the room followed by a groan of regret.

“That is true.” I laughed along with him, not feeling great myself. “Come on, let’s get you set up in your room before I go.” I started for the hallway when his head snapped up from his resting place, his eyes now sad and full of something I couldn’t place. I blame it on the alcohol. 

“What?” His voice had gone high, cracking. “You’re leaving me? Don’t leave me, you can’t leave me. I’ll have no one left.” I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. The words he was saying didn’t make sense in response to what I meant, the fog in my head from the multitude of shots I had clouding every logical thought. 

“Huh? I have to go home at some point. I can’t live here with you, Chan. As much fun as that would be.” There was some truth to that, I realized. I could picture it in my drunken mind’s eye and for a split second, it was everything I had ever wanted come alive. A reality that would always be there in another life where I had the guts to say something. And the even rareer chance that he felt the same. 

“Ha. That would be fun. You would never have to leave then. You could take care of me all the time.” What I wouldn’t give… He was slow to rise from the couch, I suspected any sudden movement would make his insides turn out. And that was a mess neither one of us wanted to clean up. 

“Come on, superstar. Let’s go.” He grabbed another hold around my waist now, his touch more intimate than the one around my shoulder when we first arrived. I tried not to read too much into it. It’s not like it meant anything to him. He was out of his mind, didn’t know what he was doing. We shuffled down the hall to his room, him falling on the bed like he fell on the couch. He burst into laughter into his pillow, my fit of giggles not far behind. 

“Why did you fall like that? You looked like a domino.” I sat on his bed at his feet, getting comfortable.

“I don’t know.” His laughter got louder before it died down. What I couldn’t see was his face scrunching up as his own memeories of the day flew together, ready to attack him as soon as he would let them. I wasn’t expecting the sniffles to come. Well, maybe I should have considering how many shots he had. 

“Chan?” I said again. A long pause, the air thick with a new sadness. 

“I saw her again today.” I knew he was talking about her. I sighed but stayed quiet, afraid of what I would say if I spoke. My words tonight had slipped past every filter I ever had, a new sense of honesty I never had before. Another thing to blame the alcohol for. 

“Why didn’t she love me? Why doesn’t anyone love me?” Not a question meant for my ears. 

“I do.” 

It was barely a whisper. A response to a question that didn’t require one. His retort was too quick for him to realize in what way I meant. 

“You have to say that. You’re my best friend.”

“But that’s not how I meant it.”

He was still. I wasn’t sure if he was breathing but I didn’t care. Now was the time. This was the moment. When I had no filters or second guesses. Now would be the time I would spill it all out, everything. Risking our entire friendship in sixty seconds. I could only stare at the wall.

“I’m in love with you. Have been for a couple years now. I hated keeping it from you but I had no other choice. So all those old girfriends were right. Of course, all the other boys know too. Have for a long time. And now that I can face the fact that you don’t feel the same, I can tell you this and I can move on. I can release it. I can let you go. I love you. I am in love with you. And you do not feel the same. And that’s okay.” I took a deep breath, still without the courage to look in the space around his direction. “Because at least now you know and I can start to kill these feelings one by one until I can stomach you being around other girls. Beause it kills me inside when you talk about yourself like that. Every time you and I would argue about your girlfriends complaining to you and you think it’s your fault. It kills my very soul. You are the best person anyone could ever know. They way you make people feel about themselves, they way you make me feel… I’ve never found that in anyone else. Only you. The way you care about me, you make me feel loved.” My shoes were dirty from the path we walked. I would have to wash them when I got home. 

“I love your laugh the most I think. It makes me feel whole. I love the little squeak you get when you laugh too hard. It sounds like a door hinge.” I smiled to myself, a sudden sadness as I thought I wouldn’t hear it again after this. Not for a long while at least. “I always get butterflies when you touch me. They started back in high school and they never left. I would always try to hug you when I could, which was good because I knew you liked touchy people. But the more I would do it, the more I craved it. I started to crave you. I never knew I liked attention until I tasted yours. And that was it. I was ruined.” Another sad smile as I stood up. He was probably asleep by now, listening to me drone on and on. I could make it home now on my own, the sudden pouring of the build up of the last however many years finally coming to a breaking point. I was never drinking again. I longed for some fresh air, this room suddenly too small. My hand had just brushed the door handle, ready to leave the dream I had held onto for so long in this room, in this moment for good. My life’s sustainment, the only reason I had bothered to come this far. To leave it all on the table for it to be brushed under a rug, never to be looked at or mentioned again.

 Until I heard it.

“And what if I love you too?”

It was so quiet, I thought I had imagined it. 

“You don’t mean that like I want you to.” I opened the door further, certain that I didn’t want to hear his next words.

“But I do.” The grip on my heart, my veins, tightened. There was no way.

“But-” I turned slowly, still not sure if I was dreaming. But if I pinched myself, I wouldn’t get to see how this dream would play out. “What-” I couldn’t think of any words. I could only shake my head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. You’re drunk, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Look at me. Please. And tell me if you think I dont know what I’m saying.”

I looked, really looked at him, for what felt like the first time. Into those eyes that held nothing but clarity and truth. And I felt like I was falling into them all over again. 

“I don’t believe you. I can’t. I don’t believe this is actually happening to me right now.” 

He sat up to lean against his headboard, head lolling to the side, no doubt feeling heavy.

“You know that box I keep by the front door for my keys? Have a look inside. If you still don’t believe me, you can call Changbin and tell him he has a free pass to hit me as hard as he can.” On shaky legs, I raced as quickly as I dared to the front door, eyeing the little wooden box, just big enough for keys and… 

A small, round, white stone. With dark spots. To look like the moon.

I cradled it, afraid it would break or disappear if I blinked. I simply stared at it, unaware that Chan had crept up behind me on silent steps. I felt his eyes on me a second later.

“Why did you keep it?” My voice was as shaky as the rest of me, still coated in disbelief that the one thing I wanted more than anything could actually be mine. 

“Because that was when it started. I’ve been yours ever since.”

I felt myself turning to face him, still locked on the stone in my hand. I heard him come closer, tilting my chin up to look him in his beautiful eyes. Open for me to see every wonderful thing he had ever thought of me, the warmth inviting me in to stay forever. His hands moved to cup both my cheeks, his body so close I could feel his heart racing alongside mine. 

“I still feel like I’m dreaming.” I whispered against his lips, so close to mine. Too close. There was nowhere I could run to, nowhere I could hide from his fire, his want for me. For me. 

“Me too.” He whispered back.

And then he kissed me.

He poured everything he was into me, his apologies, his laughter, his sincerity. I threw everything I had at him. My darkest thoughts, my hardest moments, my deepest fears. He still did not budge. He waited for more, wanting, needing everything. Every part of me was his for the taking. My soul was his for good. 

It was the feeling of finding money in the pocket of a pair of jeans you hadn’t worn in a while. It was a warm summer night after a day spent with friends, comforting and familiar. It was love, wrapped in your favorite blanket with a warm drink in your hands. He was love, finding me at long last. 

He was mine. 

No one else’s.

Not back then.

Not ever again. 

Only

Mine.

[idle-compy]

*JWCT SPOILERS BELOW*

extremely messy live reaction

watched ep 1 from the roblox thing and didn't live react so

ep 2:

BEN GET UR EYES ON THE ROAD

ben eating out of a boot what is wrong with him

this whole van scene is fucking hilarious

BEN BROOKLYNN MEMORIES?? ON A ROOFTOP???

gonna make me cry on ep 2 I see how it is

darius just being overall disgusted with bens lifestyle I'm drying

"benjamin if you don't pull over I'm jumping out of your moving van is that what you want"

"is your friend ok?" "no 🙂"

USING THEY THEM PRONOUNS AS A DEFAULT HELL YEAH

ben has brown eyes at 17 mins

the roadtrip vibes are immaculate once u get past all the conspiracy stuff

why are these 2 licorice fanatics I hate them sm (affectionate)

ep 3:

"that is not at all what Hay smells like. have you never been around Hay before?" I'm obsessed with the dialogue

SAMMY HAVING AN ESTRANGED RELATIONSHIP WITH HER PARWNTS HUH????

"why are we running? we do not have a good track record with running!"

BUMPY CHASIMG BUTTERFLIES MY BABYGITL

she still picks him up 😭😭

mantah corp island investigation hmmm..

"that destructive carnivore" DONT SPEAK ABOUT MY DAIGHTER LIKE THAT

ANOTHER BROOKLYNN MEMORY KILL ME NOW

is that the fuckimg pink jakcet

sammy holding thr box with no effort anf bens big ass almost dropping it

why is so much happening in Sammy's life I wanna give her a hug

"he's getting more than a mud pie! he's getting a knuckle sandwich!" "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

OH SHIT CARLS DEAD

now sammy has blue eyes wtf

damn that atrocitaptor really hates pies

SAMMY RUN GIRL

bumpy basically telling ben to leave omfg 💔

do his eyes ever stay on thr road

the hug 😭😭

THE BROOKLYNN CONSPIRACY BEGINS

MYSTERY WHISTLE PERSPN

Ep 4:

this eps called "brothers" time to cry

darius mocking ben I love him

"she's fine 😌" "I'm not fine!"

ben calling bumpy a "strokg independent woman" " strange thing to say but ok"

TWO BENJAMIMS??

BEN HAS A GIRLFRIEND NOOPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

fuxk this

"she lives in.. europe?" he met her on that fucking conspiracy site didn't he

THE ALLOSAURUS

ben u eat food out of a boot u cannot talk ab kenjis place like that

"were not exactly on speaking terms" WHEN ARE YOU EVER

did kenji fucking shrink why does he seem so small

HE SHUT THE DOOR ON DAROUS STOP

THE STICKERS 😭😭

"this is. really something kenj!"

THE FANILY PHOTO IM GONNA SOBBBB

oh good lord the tension

"that's where my dad lives" OH FUCK

"I think we should split up" "you and yaz?!" TJE DISTRESS IN HIS FACE

his hand on his heart for the rest of the conversation he would've been more hurt by a breakup then they wouldve omfg

sammy tickle attacking ben THE FACT THAT SHE KNEW IT WOUD WORK

kenji masterfully climbing while darius is fighting for his life trying to put the gear on

WHY ARE THEY FIGHTIJG ON A MOUTNAIN SIDE

KENJI DUMPED BROOKLYNN?? OMG??

ANOTHER MEMORY

"I can't be with you anymore if you're not going to be with me" 😭😭😭

OH HES CRYING

ope kenj I saw that smile

KENJI AGREED TO SEE HIS DAD THE ANGSSTSTTSTSTST

NOOO THEY GOT BUMPY

ep 5:

WHY IS SO KUCH HAPPENING AROUMD THIS SANDWICH

WHY IS IT EVEN IN THE ROAD LIKE THAT

"that bush looks like ben" what does that even mean darius

KENJI CALLIMG DARIUS' MOM EVERY WEEK HE LOVES HER SM

I love this relationship ben and sammy have they're acting sm like siblings

ANOTHER BENJAMIN

HE STILL EATS CAROB

ben and sammy being dino activists ik that's rihht

mr king dino they could beat ur ass

FUCK YOU DANIEL STOP LOOKIMG HAPPY

THIS MAN TRYING TO LOOK GUILTY STFU

"did you have brooklynn killed?" straight to the point ok

"worried what?? that I'd double cross ya??" WHAT WAS ON THAT STICKY NOTE

BEN PUTTING SAMMY AS A SUSPECT?? ID BE PISSED TOO

he can't say the right thing to save his life

DANIEL TEYING TO KEEP SECRETS I VATE HIM

"just never had a father around to practice with" YEAH YOU GET HIM KENJI

NAH WHATS HE GOT PLANNED

"yeah ok I'll get my violin" kenji ily

NAH DANIELS STILL A SNAKE DONT TRUST HIM KENJI

sammy and ben causing mass destruction without meaning too hold habits die hard ig

YEAH SAMMY BEAT THAT MAN

bens list of loyal and amazing friends:

1) bumpy

2) corndogs

3) his van

DINO KING IS SUSPICIOUS?????

4) sammy

"he's just so!" "graah?" "yes! yes! exactly"

THE BROTHERS ARE COMMUNICSTIJG YEAAAHH

oh God I hope kenji has a backstabbing plan with this agreement

"I won't let you control me anymore" YEAH KENJI WALK AWAY

NUH UH YOU DO NOT GET TO LOOK SAD DANIEL YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF

"there was something about her that was different. almost dangerous" I am taking everything be says with a grain of salt but things are getting so suspicious??

OH SHIT ANOTHER DEAD GUY

LET 👏 HIM 👏 DIE 👏

THE WHISTLE AGAIN

what in the goddamn green earth is that woman

daniel u may have saved kenji but I still don't like u

THEY KILLED DANIEL WE ALL CHEERED

she seems so robotic I'm terrified

now who is this

not him speaking Japanese 😭 he needs a hug so bad

ep 6:

YAZ I MISSED YOU

her ptsd is hurting her so much omfg

ANOTHER BROOKLYNN MEMORY

moment of respect for the outfit changes in the memories

brooklynn got yaz into dino immersion therapy 😭

these memories are killing me man am I allowed to stop cryjng

SAMMYS CONTACT PHOTO 🫶🫶

BEN LIKES ROCK MUSIC CALLED IT

WHATS HE DOIN THE BG

"we haven't really talked much lately" does ANYONR have a good relationship in this show

"It'll be good for you two to reconnect"

"yeah.. I hope so" IT WILL BE SAMMY IT HAS TO BE

the gfs are still healthy all it good all it well in the world

"no dinosaurs?" "judging by the look of that thing I'd say we have one now"

oh sammy really is treating her like a fragile flower

I already watched this scene in the released clip but bens scream is somehow even more funny

ben still callimg her fadoula I love their relationship

THE GIRLF ARE FIGHTIJG NO

"girlfriend?" "why does everyone act so surprised when insay that" bc u are gay

I feel so bad for all these people like imagine dinos get into the place ur promised they won't be

OH THAT AINT DPW OH SHIT OH FUCK

IVE BEEN WANTING TO SEE THE AFTERMATH OF THE VAN GOING OFF THE BRIDGE YEAH

off topic but I am obsessed with the end credit cards

ep 7

the ep is called "that night" I am in fear

oh that's the moment sammy saw how much yaz has grown calling it now

I feel so bad for kenji rn hes in so much pain :((

he's probably so conflicted rn. daniel only ever hurt him but he's all kenji knows as his dad

THE HUG THE HUG THE HUGGGGG

"I'd be dead if it wasn't for her!" what do you know mateo WHAT DO YOU KNOW

"it was there on purpose" AAAAAAHHHH I mean we knew but AAAAAAHHHHHHHH

HEY DONT DO THE HOPELESS MHSIC WHILE THEYRE TRAPPEDBIN THE VAN I DONT LIKE WHAT IT INDICATES

"I can't have the last thing I see be bens soggy van!"

YEE HAW THEY GOT OUT

MATEOS STORY WOO HOO TIME TO GET SOME GAPS FILLED IN AND SOME ANDWERS QUESTIONED

oh shoot did he accidentally help the bad guys

now why would he get out ofbthe truck in such suspicious circumstances

WE HAD TO SEE HER DIE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?

OH HE TOOK THE PHONE

THEY SWITCHED SCENES BEFORE WE COULD SEEBWHAT WAS ON THE PHONE AVAAAHAHAH

oh wow the wet hair animation is so much better omg

GIRLCEIEND MOMENT GIRLFRIEND MOMENT

"I guess we need each other huh" *makes out*

them having their moment while bens grieving his baby

"ciao cara mia" I hate him

BROOK HAD A SECRET HOUSE

kenjis night just keeps getting worse

bros been DYING to throw those phones

"oh I am so gonna haunt them from beyond the grave" never change yaz

where on earth are they gonna hide on that truck

mateo seemed like a decent guy hope all goes well for him

her apartment was cute asf ok brooklynn

DID YALL SEE THE MOTORCYCLE HELMETS ?????????????? YEAH BROOK U WERE THAT GIRL

kenji stop reminiscing ur gonna make me cry

THE BROS ARE BONDING THEYRE GETTING ALOMG

KENJI WHAT DO U SEE

darius putting all the pieces together is so rad bc I sure am not

A SUSPICIOUS BAG OF MONEY???? IN HER CLOSET??? BFOOK GIRL WHAT WERE U A PART OF

SHE WAS WPRKING WITH DANUEL SHE WAS WHAT WHAJAJDHSLAJHFJSLAJD

I hope she was doing it for an investigative purpose SHE BETTER HAVE BEEN

but why didn't Daniel bring it up HMmmmmm...

"or what else she was hiding from us" OH HES HURT HURT

darius driving the motorcycle instead of kenji I'm cackling

ep 8:

THEY HID WITH THE SEDATWD DINO ARE THEY INSANE

not the dino smacking rhe lips it doesn't have

now why is she gonna stand on the dino instead of getting bens giant self to look out the gap

the drop is gonna be how they reunite isn't it

kenji screaming bc of a spider he's so real

THEYRE BEINF BROTJERS YEAH WERE SO BACK BABY

oh so they're working for extra cash too hmm

oh this place actually looks nice

VIDEO MEMORIES IM GONNA SOB

I am sufficiently uncomfortable thanks for asking darius

the boys are fighting again JUST VET ALOMG PLEASE

darius misses her so much seeing a bird made him think of her 😭😭

lookimg at the dates on the voicemails it's been at least 3 months since she died

DARIUS IN BATHTUB I laughed this is supposed to be sad and I laughed

I sense something big coming I gotta walk around for a bit

"I was in love with brooklynn" OH FUCK OH SHITNOH AJAHDKLAQKHFLAKHFKLAL

now I REALLY have to walk around for bc WHAT

WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WJAT WJATBQKHRLAJFLAHSLALKFHAL AAAAHAAHAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

rewatched the scene and I am no more sane ab it

BEN THIEVING ABILITIES MAKING A COMEBACN HELL YEAH

NAH WHATD THEY DOBTO BUMPY THEY BETTER NOT HURT MY GIRL

"boo." Yaz ily

THE VIDEO THE VUDEO AAAAAAAAAAAA

"were brothers righr?" HE SAID IT HE SAID IT WE WIN

every single moment with these 2 is so painful how am I supposed to exist in these conditons

WHAT DID THEY DO TO BUMPY WHAT DID THEY DO TO HER

THE GFS SAY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ❤️❤️❤️❤️

THE DINOS JUST CHILLING INSTEAD OF STAMPEDING

YES QUEEN DINO U KILL THE MAN THAT TORTURED YOU

love the steggos just watching everything

yaz was smart with the lights u go girl

my heart is genuinely pounding for bumpy I am too attached to this fictional dinosaur

avocado costume?????? girls be fr

KENJI AND DARIUS ARE HERE TOO??

DARIUS IS GONNA FREE THAT BABY I KNOW HE IS

I hope the sino causes chaos later

"with me by your side, you kon climb anything too"

YEAH THE SINOS CAUSING CHAOS WOO HOO

"bumpy.. are you dying?" NUH UH BEN DONT SAY THAT NOPE

ALL THE CRYING SCENES THEY GOTTA STOP

kenji doing everything with graceful agility vs darius and his childlike experience

sammy kicking kenji TWICE now

TWO HUGS?? IN A ROW?? IM FED

the hugs are so much more natural in this series the animation improvement is insane

"creepy micro bangs'" that is a fantastic description kenji

THE ALLOSAURUS AGAIN

sammy being bumpys other parent 🫶

istg I'm already cryjng

if they kill bumpy idk what'll happen

bumpy is genuinely a part of their family they are completely falling apart rn

"move her tail!" IS SHE ABOUT TO LAY AN EHG

BUMPYS A MOM????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!???@?!?!?!?!?!?!??

them passing the egg around like a baby in a hospital such a proud family

"wait what?" "don't think about it bud"

"ben! you're gonna be a grandpa!" glad they also see her as his daughter

NAH THE GUY I FORG9T THE NAME OFNIS EVIL

ep 10:

LAST EPUSOXE ALREADY??????

cabrera thats his name

YEAH SAMMY BEAT HIS ASS U GO GIRL

NAH FREAKY BOB LADYS BACK

she is genuinely somebhorror movie shitnor something

that scene was genuinely so intense I completely froze

EHOS DRIVING THE TRUCK

MATEO MY MAN I KNEW YOUNWERE GOOD

THE DINOSBARE GOING FREE BEAUTIFUL GEORGOUS THROWUNG BOUQUETS

obsessed with the shot of the t Rex in front ofbthe explosion hell yeag

"leave my girl alone!" SCREAM IT YAZ

DARIUS FREEING THE ALLOSAURUS I SMELL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

WAS THAT BUMPYS EGG IN THAT CASE

about time this man died

creepy lady is actually super pretty I hate that she's evil and kinda insane

darius finally stopped blaming himself 😭

"my guy. you're still here?" "unfortunately yeah. you all get real vulnerable with each other. it's weird" I'm dying

FUCK DUXK A AKHDLAKWYAPAHHFLAHWLAK

BROOKLYNNNANNAMANANNN

OH MY GODBOHNMYNGOD SHES SYDNEY GUYS SHE FUCKIMG SYDNEY ITS FUCKIKG BROOKLYNN AKSHALAKQLLQKDJALJFL

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJKALAFJAJ

[laura1633]

A million times over

Just a little fluffy Lestappen fic

Max blinks a few times as he tries to open his eyes. The room is bright, too bright really. As he squints he can just about make out that he’s in bed but everything is hazy around the edges. 

‘Where am I?” The Dutchman mumbles groggily, his voice so gravely it takes him by surprise and he jumps a little before realising that it is definitely coming from his lips. 

“Here we go Mr Verstappen, if you just want to take a few sips of water”

“Water. Wa-t-er. Wat-er” Max laughs to himself, he has no idea why though, it’s just the word water, it sounds funny somehow, he tries it out a few times fascinated by how it sounds in his mouth. 

“Yes water, just a little bit for me” 

Max hums his agreement but as he tries to lift his arm to take the cup his hand feels too heavy to move, it just sits there all limp and useless. He stares down at it suspiciously before trying to encourage it to do something, “Move. Stupid hand. My hand  is not listening to me. Hellooo? Hand?”

The Dutchman sighs and gives up before unceremoniously face planting the cup of water as he brings his head down to meet it. There’s the faint sound of laughter ringing out but he doesn’t have time to look, he’s too busy lapping the water from the cup with his tongue. It’s messy but it’s worth the effort as he swallows it down and feels it easing the dryness in his mouth. 

“You are in the hospital. You’ve just had an operation” whoever is stood in front of him is talking so slowly they seem to be in slow motion. 

“Are you sure he’s okay?” Charles looks across to the nurse a little concerned as Max starts giggling to himself.  

“He’ll be fine, it’s just the anaesthesia wearing off, it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll leave you two alone and I’ll come check on him in a bit” the nurse gives a reassuring smile before she wonders off. 

“Bye bye, thank you” Max manages to get his hand to start working and waves exaggeratedly in the direction the nurse has just disappeared off to pretty pleased with himself that he has somehow convinced his limbs to start doing as they are told. 

“Max how do you feel?” 

There’s another voice in the room, a sexy voice. Max listens out for it again trying to work out where it is coming from.

“Max, are you okay?”

The voice is back but this time the Dutchman manages to locate it As he turns to his right and sees who the voice belongs to his heart flutters. Stood next to him is the single most beautiful man he has ever seen. He feels his face heating up, his cheeks blooming red as he tries to say something. The stranger is all toned and muscular but he has cute little dimples and pretty eyes. Really, really pretty eyes. 

“Oh wow, you are so pretty. Are you a doctor? ”

Max can’t tear his gaze away from the person stood next to him. The stranger takes his hand in his and holds it gently. The Dutchman tries not to get too excited but he’s sure his palms are sweating. He’s still pretty dazed, the rest of the room feels out of focus but he tries to pull himself together so he at least looks presentable. 

“Max” Charles chuckles to himself as he squeezes Max's hand. 

“Can you date patients? I bet you are popular” Max slurs, it’s not exactly the smooth chat up line he was planning but his tongue is so heavy in his mouth he can hardly get any words out. He doesn’t want to miss this opportunity though. 

“I’m not a doctor..” 

“You could be, you’ve already made me feel better” Max smiles to himself a little more pleased with this attempt at a pick up line.

“I’m married” 

Max’s heart sinks in an instant, of course he is married, men that attractive don’t stay single for long, The Dutchman tries not to scowl but he bets the handsome guy's husband is also attractive, he’s probably rich too and successful. Just some attractive, successful, rich idiot, he hates him, “Do you like him?”

“Yeah he’s pretty great” the man laughs again, “Max it’s me, Charles and I’m married to you. You are my husband.” 

Max’s eyes widen as he tries to make sense of what Charles is saying to him. He looks down to his left hand and there is a ring on there. He brings his hand closer to his face to try and inspect it but goes too far and smacks himself in the eye, “Ow. My hand hurt me” 

“Max let’s just give the hands a rest yes?” Charles takes both of Max’s hands and rests them by his side before he can do anymore damage. 

“Are we really married?” Max hums happily, he shouldn’t really question it too much incase it’s all a practical joke, if it is he just wants to stay in this imaginary bubble a little longer. A nice little bubble where he has the most beautiful husband in the world. 

“Yes we are married” 

“Wow lucky me” Max mumbles, his eyes fluttering closed a little before opening again, “Do we kiss?”

“Yes we do a lot more than kissing” Charles grins.

“Can we do it now?” Max blurts out and then giggles childishly, “I mean the kissing not the naughty stuff” 

Charles leans in and presses his lips up against Max’s delicately, he never has and probably never will refuse Max a kiss,  “We’ll save the naughty stuff for when we get home I think” 

“Home. Home. We have a home?” 

“Yes a beautiful home”

“Why are we here then?” Max grumbles, this place looks cold and lifeless, he wants to be in whatever home he has. He wants to be all snuggled up in bed. God he can just imagine how Charles feels pressed up against his body, he’s probably all warm and cuddly. 

“You’ve just an operation Max. You had to get your appendix removed. You’re fine though, we’ll be home soon” 

“Okay” Max murmurs, Charles seems to know what he’s talking about so he trusts he’s doing what is best. 

“I’m going to look after you when we get back, I’ll make sure you get lots of rest” 

“That’s good. We are definitely married?” 

“Yes Max we are definitely happily married”

“This is the greatest day ever” Max smiles and rests his eyes but not before grabbing Charles’ hand. Charles seems like the perfect husband and he doesn’t want him going anywhere, “And we are in love?” 

“Yes we are in love” 

“That is good” Max’s eyes are still closed but he nods his head, “It is good to be in love. I love you Charles” 

“I love you to Max, now try and get some rest for me. ” Charles smiles to himself as Max drifts back off to sleep. 

When the Dutchman finally wakes an hour later with a blinding headache but feeling far less confused Charles delights in telling him all about how he tried to seduce him all over again.

Max groans knowing Charles isn’t going to let him live this down for a while but as he looks across at his husband he doesn’t care, he’d happily seduce Charles a million times over, his husband is worth it. 

[issie-https]

Would you write Nikki Sixx x reader fluff like him waking you up on your birthday with like breakfast in bed and could it be 90s Nikki?

Birthday Girl

Nikki Sixx X Reader

A/n: I need to have a tea party with Nikki and Slash😩 Anyway, I feel like I got a tad carried away? Not that it’s long because it’s a short one but idk. I’ve got a handful of requests to do and I’m so excited! And thank you for 32 followers❤️

Word count: 770

Warnings: Nikki being adorable asf

Masterlist

༺✩༻

I woke up to Nikki slightly shaking my shoulder. "Is everything okay?" I yawned. "It should be," he replied, placing a tray on my lap once I'd sat up. "Aww, Nikki. You didn't have to," I cooed. He gave me a kiss and sat down on his side of the bed. "I did, it's your birthday," he replied, stealing a piece of fruit from the bowl. "Where'd you learn to cook?" I asked, putting a forkful of pancakes in my mouth. "Your mum. I called her the other night and she came over and taught me," he replied. "Is that why Katie invited me to hers?" I said. "Yep," he said. "It all makes sense now," I smiled, taking a sip from my tea. "Happy birthday," he cheered, almost nocking the plate of my lap. "NIKKI!".

"Okay, now that you've finished your food. It's present time," he said, placing three gifts and an envelope on the bed. I looked at the presents and the wrapping was messy but I could tell he made an effort. "Aww, Nikki," I said, my emotions and hormones taking over making tears well in my eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked concerned. "You're so fucking sweet," I cried, pulling him in for a hug. "Open this one first. You can wear it tonight," he said, handing me a rectangle-ish present. I tore the wrapping off to reveal a blue Tiffany & Co. box. I looked at him and he just nodded his head, indicating for me to open it. I opened it and inside was a gorgeous diamond necklace. "Oh, Nikki. It's the one we saw in Italy," I sighed. When Mötley went to Italy, I tagged along and while we walking around, we passed by Tiffany and I stopped to look in the window and saw the most breathtaking diamond pendant on a silver chain. "I got it when you went to the toilet," he added, making me laugh. "Thank you, Nik," I said, kissing his lips. "This one next," he said, handing me a big box. I opened it and saw 'Christian Louboutin' on the lid of the box. "Nikki, I can't," I said, feeling guilty he spent all this money on me. "Open the fucking box or I'll do it for you," he said. I opened it and there were my dream pair of Louboutins looking back at me. "Nikki, I-". "You're keeping these shoes. And you're wearing them tonight whether you like it or not," he cut me off. "Okay. Thank you so much," I replied, taking one last look at the shoes and replacing the lid. He next handed me a thin box, smirking as I tore the wrapping paper off. I looked inside and saw a red set of lingerie. I looked at him and saw him grinning from ear to ear, thinking about me wearing it later. "Very cleaver, Mr Sixx," I laughed. He shrugged and pointed to the last gift. It was an envelope this time, making me confused as fuck. I opened it and it was a handmade card with a Polaroid of us on the front of it. I opened it and saw his messy but adorable writing.

Hi, princess.

I'm not the best with words or stuff like this but I'll do my best. Since we first met eight years ago, I've never stopped thinking about you. Since we started dating six years ago, I've never stopped loving you. Not once have I thought about another woman(not even Sofia Vergara). I don't ever want to think of another woman, you're all I need. I need you in my life forever. I love you, gorgeous.

Love, Nikki xx

I looked up at him, tears streaming down my cheeks. Everything he said about me, I could say about him. It's true, Nikki Sixx is the only man I need. He turned to his bedside cabinet and took something out the draw. He got up and kneeled on the floor, opening the box to reveal a jaw-dropping diamond ring. "Y/n Y/l/n, i said everything in the card so now if the last part, will you marry me?" He asked as I clasped my hands to my mouth. "Yes," I managed to say. He got up and engulfed me in a giant hug, kissing all over my face. He grabbed my hand and put the ring on, kissing my knuckles after he did. "Mrs Sixx," he said, starting to cry as well. "Mr Sixx," I replied, hugging him again. I looked at the diamond on my finger. Mrs Y/n Sixx. I like that.

[themissingleftsocks]

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON: Eyes

Word count: 1k

Authors note: First chapter of take two of a fic! I'm super duper excited because it explores a show I very much enjoy.

There’s a body on the steps of the church. Daniel Meyers, Forty-Two, father of a ten-year-old son. He doesn’t– didn’t know the boy. He lived with his mom, and she divorced Daniel when their son was only a year or so old. Next of kin is listed as his sister in Star City. The clock reads close to 11:45 pm. The blood is still there even though a drizzle casts down from the cloudy sky, coating the ground in a constant dew. This was recent, not too recent though because CSI and any decent detective or officer who got some look at the body, and has been around the block a few times when it comes to seeing dead bodies, knows that it’s in Rigor Mortis. This meaning, it’s only been between two to six hours since death. The blood is cold, but the body is still warm.

Gotham City Police Department Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon ducks under yellow tape, red and blue lights flashing across aging features and his long tan coat with the smell of cigarettes clinging to it. He’s been doing this job for too long, Barbra says he should look into retirement but Jim doesn’t listen. He’d carry the weight till his eventual death. They’d tried to put him out of the position before, but hell, it never worked. Some parts of him want to be done, but he still gets up for the odd hours each day and faces the night. His steps are even, subtle thumps on the concrete as he weaves through the people. The ones that aren’t busy part for him, everybody knows Gordon, and everybody respects the man enough to make way for him without a hassle. Lord knows he already deals with enough shit.

“No respect,” Jim murmurs, looking down at the body. The eyes are empty, staring up at the starless sky filled with too much light pollution and just general pollution for stars to be seen anyway. Daniel hadn’t been a bad person, just involved with bad people. It’s a song and dance he knows too well. Something had just finally gone wrong, and Mr. Meyers was caught in the blast. Hopefully, he got to meet God, seeing as he was dumped on the steps of his house. He doesn’t look all that bad, lying on his back and limbs spread. If it wasn’t for the blood and bullet hole through the skull it almost looked like he was asleep. There’s a new noise beside him after a pungent beat, the sound of aggressive clicking, and then an audible huff. It doesn’t take much effort on Jim’s part to know who that is. “Are you playing Animal Crossing, detective?”

Beside him, Kristen Bester looked up for only a moment before focusing back on the red DS in her hands. “It’s fucking depressing here, Commissioner. Give me a break.” Jim can’t help but chuckle. Kristen has only been here for a few months, not even a full year yet he trusts her more than he probably should. She’s young, twenty-one years old with messy bleach blonde hair, fair skin, and brown eyes that look creepy if you stare too long. Kristen is an oddball, too. Always carrying that damn Nintendo DS and the gloves– black leather clinging to her hands at every given moment. He thought she might be germaphobic, but he’d seen her rummage through trash for evidence. And, it’s been months since she joined the force, asking now just seemed so impolite. So, he leaves her be.

Saving the game and pocketing the DS within a trench coat pocket, Kristen kneels beside the body, eyes narrowing and head tilting just slightly as she looks over the bullet hole. “Done with a pistol is my guess, close up. This was personal.” She speaks, standing back up and turning to face Jim. It’s not a difficult assessment to make, he’d made the same one earlier. The question is who did it and why. Probably get the guy’s phone and– oh. Kristen is already ahead of him like she’d read his mind. She’s beside the body again, gloved hands prodding the body to find a phone. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Jim reiterates, surprised. This wasn’t just personal, this was personal and thought out. Kristen is pulling out her DS again, flipping open the screen as she walks, ducking under the yellow tape. Jim follows next to her, reaching for the pack of cigarettes in his coat pocket. He slips a stick from the box, exchanging the package for his lighter, and carefully balances the cigarette between his lips as he cups the lighter flame and holds it to the end, lighting it up successfully and depositing the lighter once again. Kristen gives Jim a side-eye, and he's pulling out the box again, handing one to Kristen. She doesn't light it, instead switching out her DS for an old Altoid container and putting it in there amongst others she's bummed off of others in the GCPD that smoked. Gordon doesn't know what she does with them exactly, but again, he doesn't ask.

“Nothing—” Kristen reiterates, shutting the container and slipping it back into her coat pocket. She stops walking away from the crime scene, turning slightly and looking over her shoulder, up at the church being soaked gently by the drizzling rain.

“Which means there's something more.” Gordon finishes with a sigh, looking back at the body. CSI had finished, and the clean-up crew was moving in to get it all gone by the morning. “See you back at the office, Bester.” He bids Kristen goodbye, walking away further, puffing on his cigarette. She only gives Gordon a hum in response, continuing to stare up at the church. Its facade is dark, like everything in Gotham, with simple stained glass murals visible, even though the street lamp is lit semi-dark. However, something isn't right and it's making her mind buzz in a way that isn't the normal cacophony of broken hums that she can't ever get to stop. Her eyes trace upwards, landing on another pair hidden in the darkness. Sharp, pale white, attached to a looming figure that blends in too well with the night around it. Kristen can only give a small nod, watching as Batman disappears soon after. A cold breeze nips at her face, and Kristen takes that as her sign to leave, hands shoved in her pockets as she continues on with her work shift.

[theflixdiaryproject]

"okay, fifty percent talking about the money, fifty percent talking about I truly miss the boy." - Mr. Krab

when SpongeBob’s (voiced by Tom Kenny) beloved pet snail, Gary, goes missing, SpongeBob and Patrick (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke) set out on a zany journey to bring him back.

read my review below (may contain spoilers):

watched August 12th, 2021 on netflix

I love SpongeBob, but this movie leaves me with mixed feelings. don’t get me wrong, the movie has its fun moments, but for me it’s like eating too much chocolate - sweet and exciting at first, but then it leaves me feeling overwhelmed. the story feels all over the place, like it doesn’t know where to focus. I try to enjoy the chaos, but even SpongeBob’s goofy style needs a bit of structure. the plot is simple: rescue Gary. but somehow, the movie keeps throwing random flashbacks and extra scenes that confuse the timeline. I like a bit of nostalgia, but this feels like too much. it tries to tug at my heartstrings with SpongeBob’s memories of meeting Gary, but it’s done in a messy way. it’s hard to feel emotional when the scenes jump around so much. now, the animation? that’s a big win for this movie. the 3D glossy style works really well for Bikini Bottom. the underwater vibe is bright and fresh, making everything look more alive. the characters look different, but in a good way. I have to admit, the animation kept me entertained even when the story didn’t.

one of the highlights is Keanu Reeves as a tumbleweed named Sage. his cameo is fun, but let’s be honest; it’s a gimmick. they think just because it’s Keanu, I’ll forget about the weak plot? nice try! his scenes are entertaining but don’t really add much to the story. I wish they used him better instead of relying on his charm to distract me. the movie is a mix of boring and enjoyable moments. some jokes land, but others feel forced. it’s like the writers are trying too hard to make me laugh, while not putting enough effort into the story. still, I stayed until the end because I wanted to see how SpongeBob and Patrick save Gary. the ending is cute, but it doesn’t make up for the messy middle. in the end, Sponge on the Run is not terrible, but it’s not great either. it’s okay for kids and fans who love SpongeBob no matter what. for me, it’s a fun distraction, but it doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

final verdict: I have mixed feelings about it

maturity rating: all ages genre(s): animation, comedy, adventure duration: 1h 31m (91 mins) countries of origin: USA, Canada language: English screenplay: Tim Hill, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger based on: SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillburg voice cast: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence, Carolyn Lawrence, Keanu Reeves

[wordsvomit101]

7. Crooked ribbon

(1 year after the death of Mr and Mrs Lee)

After a long and dreary winter, spring finally made its welcome arrival, and the month of March ushered in a new start for both Minhyeok and Raon in middle school. As the days grew longer, the skies that once held the dull gray of winter now cleared up, allowing the warm sunshine to peek through.

People left their heavy winter coats as the temperature rose, and the air took on a refreshing crispness. The sound of birds chirping joyfully in the trees provided a sweet melody, while the sight of flowers beginning to bloom painted a stunning picture. It was as if new life was breathing into everything around them.

Minhyeok couldn't help but feel energized by the atmosphere of it all, the last year had been rough on everyone around him after, well, the loss of the two people he could consider as second parents.

Raon had and still has a hard time dealing with the absence of her parents but thankfully she seems to get better from handling the loss as life comes back to her eyes more lately.

"Minhyeok, please go and bring Raon downstairs if you both don't want to be late," his mom called out. She was preparing some light snacks for both of them. Minhyeok had already turned off the air conditioner and opened the curtains in Raon's room, but she might still be curled up in her blanket.

"On it!" This is not the first time he has done this. He knew Raon all too well, and her sleeping habits were nothing short of abysmal, she would likely get herself in more trouble with the school if Minhyeok didn't always drag her out of bed on time.

At least his efforts keep both of their academic records blemish-free.

Minhyeok pushed open the door to Raon's room and was surprised to see her already dressed in her school uniform, with her ribbon half-tied.

The early morning light that filtered through the window cast a soft glow on her face, which still looked sleepy and barely awake. It was a beautiful sight, and he wouldn't deny that his heart skipped a beat at it.

It doesn't stop him from teasing her though, "Wow, someone's feeling quite energetic today, isn't she?", he said as he approached her bag to check if she had everything ready for the day.

Raon, with heavy eyelids, shot him a sleepy glare as she continued to brush her hair. Her movements were sluggish and lethargic as if the simple task was taking all of her energy.

"I know you set up multiple alarms in my phone, you asshole", she mumbles grumpily, glaring him down as if she is being generous to a peasant. Minhyeok let out a laugh as he remembered his little antics last night before giving her an insincere apology.

"Sorry, sorry. It certainly did make you wake up, isn't it? Besides, did you enjoy yourself with that new 'horrible' novel you found?", he checked it out later, and apparently, it was mostly a drama and romantic comedy story with a bit of sci-fi time travel element.

"You know me and my brother can hear your profanities through the wall tearing the poor author down", he can still hear the stream of curses from last night as he tried to hold back his laugh with his brother shook his head and chuckled fondly at the girl's colorful use of words before going back to his studies.

Raon seems to be awake right away at the mention of her new fixation of the week as she finishes pulling her hair up in a messy bun and now focusing on her ribbon. Not a bit of regret that she wasted her sleep over it. A stubborn trait he wishes she could change but can't help but find it quite cute.

"Ha! Calling it horrible is too weak of a word for that dumpster fire! I still can't believe that the so-called 'clever and insightful' heroine would choose to break things up with the man, who is CLEARLY, head over heels for her, just because he had an ex-fiance whom he broke out of the arranged marriage FOR HER! Stupid! Absolutely Ridiculous!", more awake than ever, the girl went on even more tirades and insults at the author and the novel while angrily trying to tie her ribbon properly.

While he wouldn't mind listening to her rage-fueled criticisms, it best that they reserved it for another time.

"Be gentle with the thing, or else you might tear it off", he gave her an amused look and finished checking her bag, putting in another notebook for her just in case.

When Raon saw herself in the mirror, she looked at herself in annoyance and planned to just let her crooked ribbon be, not that Minhyeok let her, "Come here, give me the ribbon, we wouldn't want to show the school your funny look on the first semester", she huffed and handed him her ribbon.

Reaching over her shoulders, Minhyeok carefully took the ends of the ribbon in his hands and brought them together, his fingers deftly moving as he created a perfect knot. Raon watched, her eyes wide with wonder. For a cynical person, she is adorably easy to be impressed by many things, even by this, despite years of him doing it for her.

Her expression did make him a little proud of himself, the activity is repetitive, but he enjoys doing it till now. Minhyeok's movements were fluid and graceful, like a dance. As he tightened the knot, he gently tugged on the ends of the ribbon, creating a neat bow. It was the perfect finishing touch to her uniform.

"Done, now let's head downstairs," he said with a smile. "Eomma is already making breakfast and some light snacks for us. And my old man will be driving us to school today. Also, Hyung left earlier this morning"

As they made their way downstairs, he took her bag and carried it with him out of instinct. Raron's eyes were still fixed on the neat bow that Minhyeok had tied for her, something she had been trying to replicate on her own but had not yet been successful at doing. The bow was perfectly symmetrical, with each loop and knot crafted with precision.

When they entered the dining room, the air was filled with the delicious scent of miyeok guk, banchan of doraji namul, gosari namul, and sigeumchi namul along with kimchi. The table was set with two small bowls of rice, utensils, and glasses, all neatly arranged. Mrs. Kim greeted them with a warm smile.

"Good morning, dears. Also, Raon, you're up early today!" she said cheerfully. "Breakfast is ready, so take a seat. Be quick now, your Appa is waiting for the both of you." "Thanks, Eomma" "Thank you, Ajumma"

As they settled down in the union, Minhyeok and Raon savored their breakfast in the cozy embrace of the morning sun. The soft, golden rays filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow that enveloped the room, creating a serene and inviting ambiance. Amidst the peaceful surroundings, both of them exchanged pleasantries and engaged in light conversation, enjoying the peaceful start to their new day.

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

End notes:

Miyeok guk is a traditional Korean seaweed soup made with miyeok (also known as wakame in Japanese), a type of edible seaweed. Miyeok guk is commonly consumed in Korea as a comfort food and is especially popular for its nutritional benefits, particularly for postpartum mothers due to its high content of vitamins and minerals. It's also enjoyed as a simple and nourishing dish for any occasion.

Banchan refers to a variety of small side dishes served alongside cooked rice in Korean cuisine. These side dishes can range from pickled vegetables, seasoned greens, kimchi, tofu, fish cakes, and more. Banchan is an essential component of a Korean meal, adding a diversity of flavors, textures, and nutritional elements to the dining experience. It's common for restaurants to serve several types of banchan, allowing diners to customize their meals and enjoy a wide array of tastes.

Doraji namul, gosari namul, and sigeumchi namul are Korean side dishes made from vegetables like bellflower root, fernbrake, and spinach, respectively. They're blanched or stir-fried, then seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and sesame seeds. These namul dishes are commonly served as part of banchan, offering a variety of flavors and textures to complement main dishes and rice in Korean meals.

"Appa" is a Korean term that translates to "dad" or "father" in English. It's a warm and affectionate way to address one's own father or to refer to someone else's father respectfully.

[alparlaboratories]

To Another Abyss - Chapter 4: Pray on me

(Chapters -which are usually between 500-1000 words- will be posted daily here first on Tumblr, and will later be posted in 7-8 chapter batches on AO3.)

-

Kanto has changed a lot in the past ten years. The League is no more, and trainers are now only tools for the rich and powerful, either mercenaries or dogs of the government.

Sabrina is the latter. She is to play the role of Gym leader in a sick, twisted mockery of the art she once admired, bearing the name of her childhood idol, a woman who is now wanted across the region. All for the entertainment of Kanto’s shadowy new rulers.

It’s a role she doesn’t mind playing. At least until an unusual challenger comes into her Gym, into the life she’s worked so hard to build, and begins to unravel it all.

-

Chapter 4: Pray on me:

Over two years had passed since Sabrina's arrival at the Gym, and as expected, she'd taken over the place in its entirety. Her word was law. Although deep down, she knew that Azure could take that power away with the snap of his fingers.

Inside the little run down shack she called home, an Abra -suspiciously similar to the one from her first fight- slept soundly next to a moldy mattress. And, above a pile of discarded books, a Mr. Mime meditated in silence.

"Cut that out," grumbled Sabrina, looking for Mew-knows what amidst the disaster that was the room. "You're a special attacker; in a real fight you'll be shoving that meditation right up your ass."

The door opened just then with an ominous screech. A familiar man with salt and pepper hair peaked through.

"This one's dangerous," he said, more hopeful than worried. "He blasted through the other five trainers with practically no effort. You better not underestimate him."

Sabrina stood up, stretching, and let out a big yawn.

"We'll see about that."

The man shoved a bunch of Pokeballs at random into a small box, and both he and the Gym leader headed out. The Gym was filled to the brim that day. Half the audience loudly cheered her opponent, while the other half clamored for his blood.

Just another day…

Sabrina entered the enormous cage, hands in her pockets, a lit cigarette in her lips. Cheers and insults rang throughout the arena. Lazily, she let her gaze fall on her opponent. A pretty unremarkable man, tall and with wild, messy black hair, a smile full of enthusiasm on his lips. She couldn't make out his age, but he must've been a couple years older than her.

She narrowed her eyes. There, hanging from his neck, resting against his chest, an iron cross gleamed against the powerful lights hanging from the ceiling.

A priest, eh? Let's see what he's capable of.

She stuck a hand inside the box and pulled out a Pokeball. Her foe did the same, never dropping that irritating smile.

"Let's have a nice, clean battle," he exclaimed, bowing respectfully.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. Around the audience, comments and bets were already being made.

"Heh, that guy's not gonna last a minute against Sabrina."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Didn't you see how his Pokemon fought before? It wasn't… normal," someone else replied.

"He has the advantage in typing, that's for sure," a third commented.

"Type advantage ain't gonna be enough against Sabrina. Just watch."

Opinions and predictions -all scandalous and arrogant- flowed freely from person to person like the bills being passed around before the battle. The bets were high this time, although it wasn't terribly unusual for this gym. For a good portion of the audience, the two trainers inside the large steel cage were little more than investments.

Pokeballs in hand, they both stared deep into each other’s eyes, gauging the level of danger.

Then, something strange happened. The young man noticed the cigarette hanging from Sabrina's lips, and frowned.

"Aren't you a little young to be smoking?" he asked disapprovingly.

"Aren't you a little old to be believing in god?" she spat back.

"Ah… Still in that rebellious phase I see. My little brother is just like you."

"Less talk, more action, priest."

The young man chuckled. "And to think you're the famous Sabrina. The original being so striking and beautiful, I didn't expect her imitator to be a short, emaciated brat."

At that, Sabrina lifted an eyebrow, the smile going cold in her lips.

I'm going to kill him.

"Are you going to fucking start or do you want me to attack you first?"

"Geez, young people sure are impatient nowadays…"

The man with the silver cross threw his Pokeball toward the center of the arena, and from the burst of light emerged a tall, imposing insect-like beast, its body green and segmented, two long, sharp blades protruding out of his forearms in the form of scythes.

A Scyther.

[folliesandfolderols]

Writing prompts day 119-122

From this prompt list. If you’ve read this far, I’m not sure you need any explanation, but the short version is I hadn’t written any fiction since 2019, I set a goal to write at least 150 words/day in 2024, and this list was my way to restart. Also I abruptly decided on day 2 I would write an entire Tim/Damian story connecting all the prompts, because I am Good at Judging My Limits. /sarcasm Anyway, I finished the rough draft a while ago and am now unlocking the old entries as I edit.

Read from the beginning here, or on ao3 here.

Also, perennial warning that, like a magpie, I collect shiny bits and pieces of canon I like and utilize them in my own messy AUs. So, Mr. Camera bears more of a resemblance to his Golden Age self than to his more recent iteration, because that's way more hilarious than the embodiment of living in a surveillance state that he'd be now.

Day 118 here

***

45. “Fuck, just touch me already! Just— just do something!” “Not so fast. We’ve still got the whole night/day ahead of us.” (slightly modified for characterization purposes)

***

Damian was standing in the middle of the living room, maskless but still in costume, when Tim came in through one of the secret entrances. He crossed his arms and glared at Tim, chin lifted high. Tim would have been willing to bet he could calculate exactly how pissed off Damian was at any given moment by determining the elevation-of-chin to level-of-fury ratio. Something to consider for future arguments.

“Hi.” Tim stripped off his gloves and threw them on a side table. “Good work tonight.” Internally, he sneered at himself. Wow, well done.

Damian apparently shared his low opinion of that particular conversational gambit. “I found your phone and tested its functionality while I waited for your return. It's fully operational, which begs the question of why you chose not to use it to have any sort of non-case-related conversation with me this week.”

Tim bit his lip. "I don't have a good reason. I'm sorry." Nausea roiled in his stomach.

Damian spread his hands in an incredulous, graceful gesture that screamed Talia. "Then tell me the bad reasons, Drake. Be honest without being at the point of death, for once in your life."

That flipped the switch. Nausea faded before the comforting heat of anger. He ripped his mask off, ignoring the sting of the adhesive giving way. "Hey. Just because I don't throw every little bit of negative emotion I experience into your face doesn't mean I'm not being honest, Damian. It just means that maybe I'm mature enough that I handle my shit internally instead of burdening everyone around me while I process it."

"That is not maturity." Damian stepped forward, using his height to tower over Tim. "It is hiding. Which makes it cowardice."

Tim clenched his fists at his side. Before they'd started sleeping together, he would have shoved Damian back, out of his space. Now, though, that sort of behavior would carry a different sort of connotation. 

He ground out between his teeth, "I'm not a fucking coward. Back off."

Damian waved away his objection, but he did turn away slightly to give him more room. "No one is calling you a coward. You're one of the most courageous men I know. That's why I don't understand this behavior. Why conceal your true thoughts from me unless you know I will object to them? And if you know that I will do so, why delay the inevitable?"

Despite the clear effort he put into sounding aloof, Damian's furrowed eyebrows gave away his confusion and hurt. Tim paused, a new idea occurring to him.

"Wait. Damian. Humor me for a second. What's happening right now from your point of view? If I tell you everything I'm thinking and feeling about you at this exact moment, what does that mean to you?"

Damian's face smoothed out into a complete lack of expression. "That I don't have to look for and decipher hidden messages. What else?"

Ah, fuck. Tim dragged his hand down his face and crossed the living room to plop down on his couch.

"Will you please come sit down?" he asked after a long moment of Damian staring at him, unmoving. Damian settled down on the cushion farthest from him and stared at him in cool expectation.

"Okay," Tim said, leaning his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. He tried to keep going, but the words got stuck in his throat, so he swallowed them down and tried again, this time looking at Damian. "All right."

Damian leaned back and crossed his legs, the image of studied disinterest. "If you're breaking up with me, spit it out so I can go home and get some sleep."

Tim jolted upright, sheer terror turning every muscle in his body to ice. "What? No!"

Damian's shoulders slumped the slightest bit. Some of the defiance faded from his eyes. "That isn't what you're trying to say."

"No, that's the opposite of what I want!" Tim wrung his fingers, shaking with an abrupt excess of adrenaline. "Can I—" Unable to explain what he needed, he swung around to straddle Damian's lap and buried his face in his neck. All the body armor made it less than comfortable, but it was worth it for feeling Damian's pulse against his cheek.

After a second, Damian's hands came to rest on Tim's waist, a tentative weight that still felt like reassurance. Tim sighed and burrowed closer.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I can't look at you and talk at the same time."

"All right."

They sat with nothing but the sound of their breathing between them for a few more seconds, then Tim found the words he needed. "I don't like to argue. It feels like I've lost control and I'm telling the other person my private business."

Damian nodded against his head. "The private business is . . . what? Your thoughts? Your emotions?"

Tim laughed weakly into his skin. "Yes. Both. It feels dangerous." More tension drained from the big body beneath his with every word he spoke.

Damian sighed and kissed his temple. "And since when has danger prevented you from taking any course of action you felt was necessary?"

"Since I was with Bernard."

"Ah." Damian fell silent for a long moment. "You think you should have admitted your secret identity to him."

Tim shrugged. "I'm honestly not sure. I knew he knew, but I thought, if anything happened to him, having plausible deniability would protect him."

Damian leaned his head against Tim's. "I'm assuming you don't want our relationship to end the way yours and Bernard's did." At Tim's headshake of denial, he continued, "In that case, I'll tell you that I see honesty as the safest course of action."

Tim finally felt capable of sitting up enough to meet his gaze. “I'm not disagreeing. But I also think you're forgetting that there are things you don't tell me, either.” Damian’s hands tightened on his body before they loosened with deliberate care. “I know we both can remember times you've said stuff I asked you about was none of my business.”

“. . . That is true,” Damian admitted with clear reluctance.

Tim’s thoughts, now given a focal point, became less scary. This was just detective work. He could do that. And he knew Damian well enough now to have working theories. “Is the reason you want me to tell you because you don't want to be taken by surprise by the consequences of something I refused to say?”

Damian’s breath paused for a second, the only clue Tim had that he was close to the target. “Why do you ask?”

Maybe putting it in martial terms was the quickest route to understanding here. Sparring partner, Long-Ago Damian’s voice echoed in memory. “I'm trying to figure out what I can cede that doesn't leave me feeling like I've completely exposed my position.” Unable to keep his hands to himself anymore, he reached to stroke through Damian’s hair.

Damian sank deeper into the couch cushion behind him as Tim petted him. “I see.” He kissed the inside of Tim’s wrist. “Then, yes. That is correct.”

“Okay.” Tim considered the problem. “If I tell you that I really like being with you, and I'm happy with you, and I don't want to stop or change what we’re doing, does that help? All of those things are true.”

Now that he wasn't geared up for a fight, Damian’s exhaustion came through loud and clear, eyes blinking more and more slowly as he relaxed under Tim’s hands. “Mostly. Though I would argue—” He suppressed a yawn. “Argue that I do want to change what we're doing if it means we go an entire week without spending the night together. That's too long.”

“Yeah, that's fair.” Tim kissed his forehead. “I got stuck in my head this week. I'm sorry. You didn't do anything to earn that.”

He scooted backwards to stand, then offered his hand to Damian. “Let's get out of these gross costumes and into the shower. I feel disgusting.”

Damian allowed him to pull him to his feet, but didn't start moving toward the bathroom yet. “Drake.” Tim looked up at him in inquiry and spotted a faint smile gracing the corners of his eyes. “I also am happy.”

A near-painful wave of love buffeted Tim at the declaration and left him swaying on his feet, saturated with longing. He fought to keep his voice normal but it trembled the slightest bit. “I'm glad. You should maybe tell that to Dick. I’m pretty sure he's afraid we're going to kill each other in our sleep.”

Damian began leading him in the right direction. “Tt. Does he not know us at all? We would never be so careless. If we murder each other we’ll each give our opponent the courtesy of a fair fight.”

Tim grinned, shuffling in his wake. “Something to look forward to.”

***

Tim had told Damian the truth. But, as the days wore on and things became more normal again (as normal as Gotham could produce, anyway), he realized he'd been lying to someone else: himself. There was no way he would be able to keep his feelings hidden now that he'd realized they existed.

Every time he saw Damian, the words perched on the tip of his tongue, ready to fly to their object: I love you. Sitting opposite him at a restaurant at a business lunch, running a flash drive to his office on some spurious excuse, backing him up in a fight, it didn't matter. Love, he was discovering, demanded to be spoken.

The problem was, he didn't want to expose himself that way. Not when he had no idea how Damian felt about him and no real way to find out, short of interviewing the few people who knew they were together.

Well. He could have asked Damian. But that was obviously out of the question. What if Damian felt pressured to say something he wasn't ready to talk about?

(What if Damian didn’t have anything to say in response?)

He settled for being as close to Damian as he dared, as often as he could. The words couldn't be spoken if he were too busy using his mouth for other things.

Which was how he ended up on a rooftop at 2 AM, stretched over Damian's prone form, kissing him like he needed the contact to survive.

"This—mmf—isn't what I thought you meant when you said you wanted to try a new throw," Damian managed to say, before Tim shut him up by kissing him harder.

"Why aren't you touching me?" Tim demanded against his lips a second later.

"We're out in the open," Damian reminded him, a tiny smirk brightening what little of his face showed. “You’re distracting me from surveillance of a probable robbery.”

Tim pretended to consider that, then nipped at Damian's chin. "Doesn't matter. Just—touch me already. Just—just do something." Quick, before I say something I can't take back.

"Not so fast. We’ve still got the whole night ahead of us." The rapid rise and fall of Damian's chest belied his reproving tone. Tim made a disappointed noise, and Damian's smile became more pronounced. "You're so impatient."

“Maybe I’m on borrowed time,” Tim said without thinking about it, his constant worries shoving their way out of his mouth heedless as lemmings.

Damian tilted his head in inquiry. His body went hard with tension beneath Tim’s, muscles preparing to take on whatever threat Tim faced. “How so?”

Tim opened his mouth to reply, and the whole world went white. When his domino faded the flash to acceptable levels, he crouched, ready for action four feet away from his original position. Damian had leaped onto a nearby ledge and held a tonfa in each hand.

"Haha!" crowed the man who had joined them on the rooftop through his camera-shaped helmet. "What a picture-perfect moment! Shrike and Red Robin, caught in the act!"

Tim rolled his eyes so high he was sure he sprained a muscle. "Mr. Camera, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I can't allow you two to ruin the opening act of the thrilling sequel to my original heist film!" Mr. Camera straightened his bow tie with a jaunty flourish. "The audience deserves to delight in my costumed capers."

"The audience deserves to have their valuables undisturbed," Damian said, and pounced.

Tim leaned on his bo staff, watching the show, as Mr. Camera tried his best to fight back with his strobe flash and even tried a bit of hypnosis. Damian ignored all of it and took him out with an efficient series of hits to his knees, back, and head. Mr. Camera lay on the roof with his lens cracked within a couple of minutes.

"Anticlimactic," Tim commented, tossing over a zip tie.

"I won't complain, since it leaves me with more time for other things," Damian replied. Tim couldn't see his expression with his hood covering three-quarters of his face, but he was pretty sure he knew exactly what other things Damian had in mind.

days 123-126 here

[unravellingknots]

Cracking Under Pressure

Me with Mr. Eggo during judgment day

I'll be frank and say that this project was trivial to me at first. Bringing an egg every meeting for it to be stamped on? Sounded a bit silly. Though, that's the thing with this project - you don't really get to understand the point at first. It's the time you spend with the egg that teaches you stuff.

So here was the situation for the entire semester: classmates being careful with dropping bags in the classroom because it could crack the eggs. Even the assigned stamper for the day would be anxious, fearing breaking other eggs. The room smelled so rotten every time we brought out our eggs. Even our instructor would make a face! HAHAHA!

Every time I opened Tiktok and saw recipes with cracking eggs, I'd visibly flinch and think immediately of Mr. Eggo. This project was THAT anxiety-inducing to say the least.

I first put Mr. Eggo in a cup full of salt, but I found that it was messy every time I took it out. So I instead filled the container with cotton.

Mr. Eggo in his cotton bed

Me and Mr. Eggo were doing fine until that sad, sad day in March. :(

Mr. Eggo, despite my efforts to keep him safe, cracked.

And the funny thing is that this egg literally cracked under the pressure of the lid I put it in. It was going so well, but it didn't occur to me that my egg's shell was already touching the lid upon closing it. The lid wasn't closing easily, so without really thinking, I tightened it a little more- and there it was, the crack that I had dreaded for months.

The cracking sound echoed in my head for days, and I'm not even joking.

Three months in, and I had already cracked the egg. I even posted it on my Instagram stories that day.

Screenshot of my Instagram Story about my egg on March 6

As seen in the photo, I tried to tape it. It did work for a bit, until it started getting smelly. A few days later, I couldn't stand it anymore. So I carefully removed some of the egg's contents. Just so that it wouldn't smell more.

"Thanks for putting me back together. Thanks for not giving up on me&lt;3" - Mr. Eggo (2023)

As expected, the shell cracked more as I forced it. But here it is, in all its glory- with a 12-peso shoe glue from the school supply store across our university, I managed to put the pieces back together.

Look at the egg carefully- I put it back together, but it isn't like before. The cracks are quite noticeable, and the pieces aren't glued to perfection.

At times, I wish I hadn't removed some of its contents because it did worsen my egg's state after all-but it was a choice I had to make. An egg that slightly cracked but smelled so bad OR an egg that had many cracks but is less smelly than others.

UPDATE: Mr. Eggo got 17/18!

Mr. Eggo's Judgment Day

Moreover, taking care of things entail a huge responsibility, and I think that's what this project wants to convey- we have to be more careful with the things we hold.

Did you store the egg in a safe place? Did you organize the cotton in the case to hold the egg better? Did you not let the stamps dry first?

As anxiety-inducing as it was, I also found a bit of fun in this activity.

It's safe to say that it's not only the egg that cracked under pressure with this project.