#but also hana is my favorite followed very closely by garden

[lee-jinkis-ponytail]

ok but IF we ever get a who sings? volume 2 from onew and it does include a fujii kaze cover, which fujii kaze song would we want it to be?

[nominnation]

A Wilted Flower

Pairing(s): Jaemin x Jeno

Synopsis: Jaemin wasn't expecting to find the love of his life while stopping to get flowers for his dying mother, but that's exactly what happened. Only problem is, Jaemin doesn't realize the peril that Jeno's life is in until it's too late.

Warnings: fluff, angst, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, major character death, alt. ending doesn't include death, mentions of homophobia (but it gets better), Jaemin is the dom in the relationship.

Word Count: 7322 words

Requested by: Hana on NCT Amino

Author's Notes: This has been posted on NCT Amino as well as ao3. It is also incredibly angsty, but there is an alternative ending that is fluffy. Also, if you are suffering with depression, anxiety, or an eating disorder (or more), please, please seek help. You and loved and beautiful!

Marigolds and lilacs sprouted from window boxes, dangling their soft pedals onto the cobblestone streets. Their buds reached for the sky, eager to please their caretaker as their heads glowed with an array of colors that may have seemed odd at first glance, but upon further inspection, had the power to captivate even the stubbornest mind. Such was their owner's power.

Their owner, Lee Jeno, was a simple kind of man with cheeks that gleamed rose if a compliment fell from someone’s lips. He was tall and lanky, limbs long and strong, although they made him a little clumsy. His hair was cut short in a way that made it look fluffy and soft. His eyes were the kindest shade of brown. He was beautiful, and perhaps it was this reason that Na Jaemin fell in love with him the first time he saw him.

Jaemin’s feet had been lured away from his mother’s hospital bed by her command that he, at least, get lunch, so with a handkerchief swipe to his eyes, he left the building of sickness and made his way blindly down a nearby street, known for streetside food vendors and gift shops. Being in a bit of a rush to get back to his mother, he hurried down the street searching for the first food place that looked even the slightest bit appealing. However, he was stopped dead in his tracks as soon as his emotional eyes fell on the marigolds and lilacs sprouting beautifully in boxes outside a cozy stone-built flower shop with flowers popping out of every open window.

It wasn’t a question for Jaemin after that. His mother’s favorite flowers were marigolds, but it was so hard to find a flower shop that appreciated them too.

The wooden door to the small little shop was standing wide open, a green water hose snaking in through the entrance, leaving droplets of water nearby. Jaemin followed the path it lead straight through the door and to the most beautiful man he had ever seen in his entire life. A man that stole his breath away the second he saw him.

Sensing someone else’s presence, the man turned around and gave Jaemin a wide smile, eyes disappearing into crescent moons.

“Welcome to Jeno’s! How can I help you?” he asked.

His voice rang in Jaemin’s mind like a song he wouldn’t mind listening to for the rest of his life. His smile was so addictive that Jaemin couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hi, I’m Jaemin.”

A cheesy pickup line just seemed too good to use on this male. None would do him justice. They’d all simply be a disgrace falling on the beautiful pair of ears.

“Hello Jaemin! If you hadn’t guessed, I’m Jeno! What can I help you with today?”

Such a simple response almost had Jaemin’s knees buckling.

“I… um…” he stammered awkwardly before clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. “I’d like to get a bouquet of marigolds for my mother… and maybe to take you out for lunch,” he finally let out.

He had never been this nervous or awkward when talking to anyone else. For some reason, this male just had that effect on him.

The question seemed to catch Jeno off guard, and Jaemin thought he was about to get turned down by the only person he’d ever met that made his stomach do summersaults.

Finally, Jeno responded with another wide smile, possibly wider than the one he’d greeted with.

“Well actually, I’ve just finished eating, but I’d still very much like to join you!”

That answer was all it took to make Jaemin’s head get all fuzzy and bubbly like he’d had three glasses of wine. Perhaps Jeno was his new wine that Jaemin would never want to stop sipping.

The walk to a food vendor was pretty uneventful, save for the fact that Jaemin couldn’t keep his eyes off the gorgeous male that was walking beside him. The soft smile the man always seemed to wear and the clumsily way he stumbled over just about everything was adorable and fun to watch. Specifically how he bowed to everyone they passed that appeared to be some businessman or old couple out for a stroll. However, when they finally made their way to a vendor, Jeno perched in a seat at a table beneath a closed umbrella that Jaemin struggled to open.

“You don’t have to open it,” Jeno spoke softly after Jaemin let out a few strings of curse words, the effect of one of the mechanisms pinching his finger.

“I will get this thing to open!” Jaemin responded slightly angrily, his annoyance at the umbrella only growing as the sun faded material hit his cheek.

He struggled a bit longer, jaw locked into place and eyes glaring daggers into the cloth before his attention was drawn away by one of the most adorable sounds he’d ever heard in his entire life.

Jeno’s sweet laughter.

He paused in fighting, hands still gripping the mechanics of the umbrella, but now loosely as he turned his gaze to stare at the soft male who’d since drawn his lanky legs to his chest. A smile pulled itself onto his own lips.

“What?” he asked.

Jeno’s arms came to wrap around his legs and his chin rested upon his knees, making Jaemin desperately want to take a picture of the sight to save as his screensaver.

“You’re just so desperate to get that umbrella open, it’s cute,” he spoke, voice flowing out gently.

“Well I can’t have this sweet Flower sitting here getting too much sunlight,” Jaemin answered.

Pink tinted Jeno’s cheeks immediately and Jaemin had to fight the urge to pull out his phone for a picture.

Inside, he moved to release the umbrella, deciding it was better to leave it closed than spend his time with Jeno fighting with it, but as soon as his hand twisted slightly to release it, the shaft of the device twisted easily and the umbrella was flying open, shocking both boys into staring wide-eyed at the now proudly opened umbrella.

“Stupid thing,” Jaemin finally muttered, shaking his head as Jeno just shot him another smile.

Jaemin swore he could live off Jeno’s smiles.

“I’m going to grab something to eat now, are you sure I can’t get you anything?” he asked.

Jeno shook his head before pausing.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind a water,” he answered.

With a nod, Jaemin walked up to the window of the small food stall or ordered his own food, a simple burger and a milkshake along with Jeno’s water. It didn’t take long for the food to be in his hands, on a tray. He walked carefully back to their table and placed the water in front of the man before taking his own seat.

“Your water, Flower,” Jaemin spoke, grinning at the fitting nickname that brought pink back to Jeno’s cheeks,

“Thank you, my Gardener,” Jeno responded, cheeks going even more rosey.

Jaemin shot him another grin before taking a bite of his burger. As his eyes and attention settled on the food going into his hungry belly, he missed Jeno’s attention shifting away to play with the straw in his cup before taking a sip of water, keeping his eyes glued to the table and not the food entering Jaemin’s mouth.

“So why haven’t I seen you around here before? The people around here are usually pretty consistent,” Jeno spoke once he’d swallowed the mouthful of water, but his eyes still couldn’t meet Jaemin’s.

“I’m not usually around here. My mom’s in the hospital,” Jaemin said, voice audibly falling at the mention of his mother.

Jaemin watched Jeno’s eyes glass over with an apology and a question that was sure to come. Usually, he avoided the pity and questions, they were usually too difficult to answer, but for some reason, despite only knowing the man for a very short amount of time, he felt comfortable confiding in the male.

“She has breast cancer. She’s been struggling with it for about as long as I can remember, but last week it got really bad,” Jaemin found himself spewing, tears welling up in his eyes.

Jaemin was very much a mother’s boy. He loved his father, but he had always been closer with his mother. As her only child, he had spent most of his childhood being coddled and cuddled in her arms, given everything he ever needed and most of what he wanted.

“I’m so sorry Jaemin,” Jeno spoke, and Jaemin could hear the sincerity and heartache in his voice.

Jaemin gave a watery smile and shook his head lightly.

“She’ll be ok. This isn’t her first trip to the hospital,” Jaemin added, although he wasn’t sure whether it was meant to reassure Jeno or himself.

Jeno nodded although Jaemin could still see the way his eyes watered with unshed tears. It made him look even more beautiful than he already was. Jaemin swallowed a lump in his throat, as he trailed his eyes over the males face. Such a gorgeous man. Chocolate brown eyes, hair that fell just a little in his face, broad shoulders with a lean frame. Jaemin’s heart fluttered.

“I like you Jeno,” he said finally after staring at the male for a while.

Jeno seemed to jump a little, unsuspecting the sudden change of conversation nor the sudden compliment. He was even cuter when he was confused and blushing.

“I’d like to take you on a proper date sometime, if you’d let me,” he continued.

The blush on Jeno’s cheeks spread to his ears.

“I- really?” he asked, stammering in his nervousness.

“I’ll pick you up Saturday at 6.”

~

Saturday came and went, as did the next two month’s, and before Jaemin knew it, the September evening breeze had him wrapping his windbreaker jacket tighter around his body as he walked down the cobblestone streets. Many people passed him by, most bustling to the nearest food stand for dinner, other’s dressed up for dates. They were appealing, watching them run, each person with a different story to tell, and Jaemin would often find himself mindlessly watching them for hours. Now though, he had a higher priority.

The door to the flower shop was already closed, the welcoming sign flipped to closed and the main lights turned out. Jaemin paid no attention. It was the same way each day he returned from his own job. He pushed open the door he knew would be unlocked and waiting for him. The familiar bell jingled upon his entrance, jingling harder as he pushed the door closed and slid the lock into place. He turned around once the door was settled and walked slowly through the shop, careful not to trample on flowers Jeno had spent days nourishing back to health in the now warmed greenhouse room.

He found Jeno in the back of the shop, bringing in hanging baskets filled with purple and green flowers from the opened window, hanging them up on different hooks inside before closing the window. Jaemin didn’t bother announcing himself. Jeno already knew he was there, else he would have called out in a half frightened panic that the shop was closed. Jaemin moved up behind the male, still fumbling with flowers, and wrapped his arms around his waist, pressing a soft kiss to Jeno’s cheek, bringing a delighted smile to Jeno’s face.

“How was work?” he asked.

Jaemin scrunched his nose and blew a playful puff of air on Jeno’s neck, making the male shutter in his arms.

“Long. Those kids don’t listen to a word I say,” Jaemin complained, disdain dripping in his voice.

“You love them though,” Jeno pointed out.

It was true, Jaemin did, but he also sometimes wondered what in the world made him get an education degree for secondary school. Teenagers rarely listened, and when they did, they’d spend hours complaining about whatever lesson or homework was given.

“Well enough about them. How about you and I go get a pizza and watch a movie in your loft,” Jaemin suggested, changing the subject and pressing another kiss to Jeno’s cheek.

“Oh I’ve already eaten,” Jeno replied.

Jaemin pursed his lips. Jaemin always came home from school after tutoring at 6, yet Jeno had always eaten. It was curious, but perhaps the male just preferred eating early.

“One of these days I’m going to catch you before you eat,” Jaemin responded playfully.

Jeno didn’t respond, instead he pulled out of Jaemin’s arms and hung one of the baskets of flowers up on the rafters.

“How about you order a pizza and deliver it here. We’ll go upstairs after it gets here to watch that movie,” Jeno suggested.

Jaemin nodded and moved closer to grab Jeno around the waist lightly. The male squeaked, a small blush blooming to his cheeks as Jaemin leaned close and pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

“Can I stay the night?” he asked.

Jeno’s cheeks flamed redder as he nodded and Jaemin kissed him again.

~

Jaemin’s hand laced through Jeno’s tightly, squeezing the hand his boyfriend had offered him.

“She’s going to be ok,” Jeno whispered, giving a reassuring squeeze to Jaemin’s hand.

Jaemin didn’t respond. His body shook in it’s seat, trembling, his free hand wiping at the tears that rolled down his cheeks.

The moment was inevitable. He knew it was coming one way or another, he just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

The moment the nurse walked down the hallway and into the waiting room where the two boys sat amongst strangers, all tearful for their loved ones, Jeno nudged Jaemin’s side and Jaemin looked up, hot tears still streaking down his face.

“The surgery was a success. Your mother is in recovery,” she said kindly.

A small sob left Jaemin’s lips and Jeno was wrapping his arms around the male. Jaemin buried his face in his boyfriend's neck, basking in the scent of flowers that always seemed to be on his skin. He clung onto Jeno. His mother would live. The surgery a success. The cancer hopefully gone. He’d never been more happy in his life.

“She’s going to be ok, Jae,” Jeno whispered in his ear.

That voice. That beautiful voice in his ear on the day he needed it the most. Tears began falling from Jaemin’s eyes all over again, but this time, it wasn’t the surgery, possibly losing his mother, or the success of the surgery that drove this. This was all Jeno. The beautiful flower boy who had completely captured Jaemin’s heart.

“I love you, Flower” Jaemin whispered against Jeno’s neck through the tears.

He felt Jeno stiffen. That hadn’t said that to one another yet. He hoped it wasn’t too soon. They’d only known each other for four months. Not usually enough time for two people to fall in love, but for Jaemin, he felt as if he’d been in love with Jeno since the day he’d met him.

“I love you too,” Jeno whispered back.

Jaemin took a shuddering breath and opened his mouth to respond when a familiar grunt broke his train of thought. He sighed and slowly loosened his hold on Jeno, letting his arms fall to his sides. Confusion flashed across Jeno’s features, but Jaemin tried not to dwell on it.

“Hi dad, did you hear?” he asked the male standing at the edge of the waiting room.

The man had his arms crossed over his chest, his black suit jacket wrinkling around the sleeves. His face was drawn in a tight line somewhere between a grimmance and a glare.

“I heard. What I didn’t hear was you telling this man that you loved him like a friend.”

The man’s words were deep and harsh. His eyes shot a dirty look toward Jeno and anger welled up in Jaemin’s chest as he saw Jeno crumple beneath the weight of the disapproval.

“That’s probably because I don’t love him like a friend. I’m in love with him,” Jaemin shot back.

He could hear gasps around him from random people watching the scene before them like it was some soap opera.

“Men can’t love men!” the man across the room snarled.

Jeno sat down in the seat, curling in on himself. Jaemin turned to console him, his first priority being his boyfriend, but as an ajumma moved to sit beside him, pulling the tall male against her, rubbing his shaking shoulders, Jaemin felt eased enough to continue the fight, his blood boiling as he watched those precious shoulders move with the weight of tears.

“I can love whoever the fuck I want!” Jaemin snapped.

The eyes of his father narrowed, as if daring Jaemin to repeat himself. Jaemin didn’t care. This man had hurt his Flower. No way was he backing down.

“You have no right to dictate who I can and can’t love! I’m a grown ass adult! I make my own decisions!” Jaemin continued, voice raising in volume.

“Your name is NA Jaemin! That’s MY name! I still get a say!” he father yelled.

Jaemin crossed his arms, copying his father.

“Then maybe I’ll change it to Lee,” he said.

The look on the man’s face, a cross between anger and pain satisfied Jaemin enough to end the argument. “Tell mom I’ll come see her tomorrow,” he said, voice lowered.

He reached down to gently grasp Jeno’s elbow and haul the male up. He didn’t want to disturb him, but at the same time, Jeno was too good to breathe the same air as the homophobic asshole. The ajumma helped him stand and Jaemin shot her a thankful smile before wrapping an arm around Jeno’s waist. Jeno rested his head on Jaemin’s shoulder, tears still streaking his cheeks. Carefully, Jaemin guided him out of the hospital doors, past his still glowering father.

When the made their way out of the hospital, Jaemin sat Jeno down on a bench and knelt in front of him.

“He’s an asshole. Don’t mind him,” he said softly.

Jeno sniffled harshly, trying to bite back his tears but it wasn’t working.

“He’s your father,” he hiccuped.

Jaemin placed a hand on Jeno’s knee and rubbed slowly, soothing circles against the denim.

“I don’t care. If he wants to tell me how I can feel about you, I don’t want to know him,” Jaemin responded.

Jeno didn’t say anything after that. His hiccups and sniffles continued, but Jaemin stroked along his leg softly until finally, they quieted.

“There is nothing he can say that will make me love you any less,” he whispered softly.

This seemed to surprise Jeno enough to make him gape.

“Really?”

Jaemin nodded, a small smile covering his cheeks.

“I’m all yours and you are all mine. I will love you forever and if he doesn’t like that, I’ll take your last night and we won’t deal with him anymore,” he spoke.

The surprise grew even more, and with it, grew a watery smile that made Jaemin’s heart melt on the spot.

“We’re not married, you can’t have my name,” he laughed.

“We could get married.”

To this, Jeno’s response was one of immense shock.

“We’ve only been dating for four months!” he exclaimed.

“And yet I already know you’re the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with,”Jaemin responded, bringing a cute blush to Jeno’s cheeks.

Jeno leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against Jaemin’s lips and, for a moment, Jaemin thought he’d just gotten engaged, at least until Jeno broke the kiss.

“Ask me in a year, and I’ll say yes,” he whispered.

~

Jaemin wasn’t sure he could wait a year to ask for Jeno’s hand. Every day he struggled not to ask, but he wanted to respect the wishes of his Flower. He knew Jeno wasn’t ready. In truth, Jaemin wasn’t either. Despite the argument in the hospital, Jaemin really did seek his father’s approval. That seemed more and more like a distant thought though. It had been four months and Jaemin’s father still said little to him, which made Jaemin want to be around his parents less and less. If it weren’t for his mother, he likely would have blocked them out completely.

“Your father will come around,” the voice of a woman spoke as Jaemin sat beside her on the couch.

“We’re in the middle of March. It’s been over three months since he looked me in the eye!” Jaemin retorted.

His mother simply let out a sigh and patted Jaemin’s knee.

“He just needs time to process everything,” she added.

“To process what? It’s not like telling him I loved Jeno was my coming out to him. Both of you have known I liked guys since I dated that foreign exchange student, Phillipe, in high school.”

“Do you remember how things ended with that boy?” his mother asked, voice still gentle.

“Yeah… he ended up deciding he was straight and dumping me for some girl in his Chemistry class,” Jaemin responded.

“Exactly. Your father and I watched you mope around the house for months after he broke your heart. Your father is just afraid it’s going to happen again. He doesn’t know Jeno like I do. I was able to get to know the boy while I was in the hospital. He has a full time job. He doesn’t know Jeno well enough to know that he is completely and utterly in love with you,” his mother answered again.

Her response made Jaemin gape at her for a moment, memories flashing back through his head. She was right. He’d been a terrified fourteen year old, standing in the living room declaring, through stuttering breaths, that he liked men more than women and that he even had a boyfriend. They both had taken the news surprisingly well. Better than he could have hoped for. Even when he’d brought Phillipe to their house, his parents had been generous hosts and protective parents. Not even allowing the two to go into Jaemin’s room to play video games.

His mother must have seen the realization flash across his face.

“Give him some more time and I’ll work on him. In the meantime, are you serious about wanting to marry this boy?”

Though Jaemin’s mind was reeling, this was one question he could definitely answer.

“I am certain I want to marry him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. He is the love of my life and no one else will do. No one makes me feel like he makes me feel, and I know he feels the same.”

The smile that crossed his mother’s face was one full of pure pride and happiness.

“Then how about you let me handle your father and you start looking for rings,” she said.

This, again, caught Jaemin off guard for a multitude of reasons, yet he could only express one.

“But he said he didn’t want me to ask him for a year. A year isn’t until November…”

His mother pursed her lips, almost as if she was about to start scolding him.

“Do you know how much time it will take to find the perfect ring? The ring that is ideal for him? Then there’s saving for it. Then it’s finding the perfect moment. Son, it will take you until November or longer to get everything ready to propose to him,” she said.

And she was right. He knew she was. Yet here he was, wasting time.

“But what if I get everything ready, but dad doesn’t approve?” he asked.

Despite his threat to change his name, despite actually being convinced he would do it, he couldn’t. He loved his father dearly. Far too much to get married without the man who’d raised him there.

“He’ll come around when he realizes how serious you two are. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him,” she answered, and somehow, this put Jaemin at ease.

~

Burgers and water weren't the most romantic things in the world. Actually, it was probably exactly the opposite, but today, they would be romantic.

Time had flown faster than Jaemin could comprehend, and before he knew it, it was standing in front of the flower shop, holding two to-go boxes of burgers and two styrofoam cups of waters, on the exact same day he’d walked into the flower shop for the first time.

The marigolds were the same as they’d been a year ago, alluring enough to draw any passerby in, even if just to admire the beautiful flowers that Jeno put his heart and soul into caring for. The paint had started to fade off the walls of the shop, but somehow, that made the place look even more cozy and appealing. The shop was almost exactly the same as it had been then, except for the few picnic tables Jeno had installed last winter, equipped with umbrella’s like the ones from their first date. Both tables were currently vacant, and the shop sign switched to closed.

Jaemin placed the trays on the table and pushed open the door to the shop, the little bell ringing to alert his presence.

“Flower?” he asked into the jungle of blooming buds.

“I’m upstairs, give me a second,” the voice called from a distance.

Jeno loved flowers. This was news to no one that walked past the shop. But what most didn’t know was that when Jeno had bought the building, it had two floors. The bottom floor was obviously where all of the flowers were kept. The top floor Jeno had slowly turned into a small little apartment loft that he loved so dearly. Dearly enough to deny all of Jaemin’s attempts at getting him to move into a real apartment where the two could comfortably live together.

“You don’t have to get dolled up for me, Flower. You’re beautiful enough as it is,” Jaemin called up.

He couldn’t see his boyfriend, but he knew the male was blushing. He could almost hear it.

Jaemin waited by the door of the shop, casting glances back at their food to ensure no birds attempted to steal from the trays. When he heard the stairs creak with the weight of a human, his attention was immediately snagged however and he was drawn back to watch as Jeno’s form appeared at the bottom of the staircase.

Jaemin’s draw dropped. Jeno was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a few sensible rips in them, paired with a shirt that was much too big, a shirt that came down past the middle of his thigh and hung loosely on his shoulders. His hair had been bleached and was now styled in a fluffy mess of blonde hair on top of his hair.

Jaemin’s breath caught in his throat.

“Do you like it?” Jeno asked timidly.

Jaemin didn’t respond. Instead, he left the door to the shop slam closed, forgetting the food waiting outside. He made his way quickly to Jeno, reaching up to grasp the males waist and shoving him against the wall before planting a firm kiss against his lips.

“I love it,” he whispered before diving back in for more.

Jaemin carefully tugged the sheets up over both bodies, shielding them both from the cool air of Jeno’s fan.

“We should go downstairs to eat soon. I’m sure our food is cold by now,” he muttered, wrapping his arms around Jeno’s waist and pulling him closer.

“I’m not really hungry,” Jeno answered, snuggling his face into Jaemin’s neck.

“You need to eat something. We just burned a lot of calories,” Jaemin responded.

Jeno shook his head.

“I can’t eat. I’m not hungry. I won’t be able to eat anything without feeling sick,” he responded.

Jaemin gave the male an odd look.

“Well you’ve got to eat something. Like I said, we just burned through a lot of calories. I know your body isn’t hungry right now after that exertion, but you need to replenish those calories. You’re as thin as a rail already.”

He felt Jeno’s breath on his neck.

“Can we take a small nap first and then eat?” he requested, voice sounding already lidded with sleep.

Jaemin’s heart melted. He loved watching Jeno fall asleep. He loved holding him in his arms. Besides, how could he say no when the male was acting so cute.

“Fine, but when we wake up, we’re both getting some food,” Jaemin said sternly.

If only he had remembered to hold Jeno to that.

~

November came around again faster than Jaemin could comprehend. His mother had been right in that regard, but there had still been no such luck on getting his father’s approval.

It had been a work in progress. At least the man was saying more than a few words to him, but the look of contempt in his eyes whenever he looked at Jaemin threatened to tear him to pieces.

“Did you get it?” his mother asked, sitting down at the kitchen table with two steaming cups of coffee.

Jaemin nodded and pulled the compact velvet box out of his back pocket.

He wasn’t delusional. He knew there wouldn’t be a literal marriage between himself and Jeno. There would be no legal binding. However, the ceremony was still important to Jeno and whether it was accepted and documented by the country or not, he would still classify Jeno as his husband, and that’s all he wanted.

He placed the velvet box on the table and slowly popped the lid open to show her the stunning diamond ring cut like a rose on a silver band. The diamond was small and sensible. Something he knew Jeno would like. Around it were a few tiny green emeralds that gave the illusion of petals. It was a ring he’d found in one of the last jewelry shops he’d looked in, one on the other side of town that didn’t seem like it would have anything suitable, but Jaemin had taken a chance anyways. After finding the ring, he was quick to start paying on it and within a month, he finally had it sealed away in his pocket, ready for the day he’d get to present it to the male he hoped to soon be planning a wedding with.

“Sweetheart!” his mother gaped. “It’s beautiful! He’s going to love it!” she gushed.

A small blush tinted Jaemin’s cheeks as he let his mind wander to how Jeno would when he was presented with the ring. Would he blush? Would he cry? Would he jump into Jaemin’s arms with a gleeful shout? Hopefully all of the above.

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?” a masculine voice asked.

Jaemin looked up in shock. He hadn’t realized his father had been home. He also didn’t expect the male to regard him in the soft tone he was now.

“I am,” he responded, throat going dry.

He didn’t want to argue. All he wanted was to rush over to the flower shop and propose now, but how could he, knowing the man he looked up to didn’t approve, and would possibly never approve.

“And he feels the same? He honestly loves you too?” the male asked.

That was… very unexpected, but Jaemin didn’t hesitate to answer.

“He does. I know he does,” Jaemin answered.

He was getting hopeful now. This was as sincere as his father had been in a year on the topic of Jeno.

“Then go ask for his hand in marriage. But you better promise me that you’ll both take care of each other,” the man spoke, surprising Jaemin so much he was almost speechless.

He stared up at the man in shock, gaping at him with an open mouth before his mother clapping her hands on the table, startled him from his stupor an he was flying out of his chair.

“Thank you dad!” he cried, but didn’t stop for a hug.

He needed to see Jenone now.

Except… he wasn’t prepared for the sight that met him when he got to the flower shop…

As soon as he walked inside, the shop, he knew something was wrong. There was a group of people surrounding the door, all with worry etched over their faces. Nearby was an ambulance with flashing lights and silenced sirens and, for a moment, Jaemin looked around for any clues as to where Jeno was and who was hurt. That moment halted, however, the second two paramedics walked out rolling a gurney… with Jeno strapped to the bed, his head bleeding and an oxygen mask over his face.

“Jeno!” Jaemin cried, rushing toward the bed. “Jeno!” he cried again, tears welling in his eyes.

“Step back sir!” one of the paramedics snapped at him.

“That’s my boyfriend!” Jaemin cried out, reaching out to grab Jeno’s hand, only to find it ice cold.

He hissed. How long had his boyfriend been bleeding from his head before someone found him?!

“Sir, I asked you to step back! You’re no help to him keeping him from the hospital!” one of the paramedics yelled.

This seemed to snap Jaemin out of his stupor enough to jump back and allow the paramedics to load the unconscious male into the ambulance and leave with roaring sirens toward the hospital down the road.

“What… what happened…” Jaemin mumbled to no one in particular.

“I came in and found him passed out. It looked like he’d fainted and fallen on a ceramic pot that shattered all over the floor. I have no idea how long he was like that. There was a very scary puddle of blood around him,” one girl responded weakly.

When Jaemin looked up to find her face, he noted how sick she looked. Seeing all that blood had no doubt frightened her. But he didn’t have much time or energy to worry about that.

“Thank you for finding him,” he got out before dashing off in the direction the ambulance had taken.

The hospital wasn’t far from the flower shop. It was how he and Jeno had met a year and a half ago.

As his feet hit the sidewalk, breath coming out hard and fast, heart racing in anxiety, one thought plagued his mind.

Why had Jeno fainted in the first place?

“... Anorexia?” Jaemin repeated back, his mouth forming the word, but his brain being unable to process the meaning.

“It would appear that Mr. Lee has been suffering from anorexia for a very long time. Well over a year at least. He seems to have been eating just enough to get by, but his body was severely deprived of the nutrients it needed. It would appear that lately he’d been eating even less and it resulted in him fainting. Under normal circumstances, giving him an IV with sugar water and a psych consult would have gotten him back to health. However, with the severity of the eating disorder and the head trauma, this is not a normal circumstance,” the doctor explained, standing in front of Jaemin in the waiting room.

Jaemin’s parents stood on either side of their son, both of their faces etched with worry.

“What are you saying?” Jaemin sniffled.

The doctor sighed and placed her hand on Jaemin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry Mr. Na. Your boyfriend didn’t make it.”

Jaemin’s heart shattered like a glass vase suddenly being dropped onto the floor, shattering into a million tiny pieces that would make it impossible to put together again.

How had he not noticed how sick his boyfriend had been. They’d been together for over a year, and Jaemin had never seen him eat once. How had he not realized?!

His legs buckled and his knees hit the ground as a loud, screaming sob of his boyfriends name left his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Year Later

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So my students decided to test my patience today and try talking back to me, and as a result, I ended up getting sent home for screaming at them,” Jaemin said as he sat down on the well-kept grass.

“The school didn’t mind. They know why it happened. It’s sad that I have that leniency though, especially around this time of year,” he continued.

A tear welled up in his eye. One that he let slide down his cheek without a bother.

“Happy anniversary, by the way,” he added, another tear falling as he turned his gaze to look at the dark gray gravestone with “Lee Jeno” carved into the stone slab.

“I brought you your flowers. Lilacs. Your favorites,” he added.

Lilacs were Jeno’s favorites, so despite bringing flowers every day he came, Lilacs were reserved for special occasions. Holidays, his birthday, or the day that should have been the happiest day of their lives.

With shaking hands, he carefully removed the roses from the flower vases on both sides of the grave. He placed them off to the side, where they would stay until the grounds keeper disposed of them because Jaemin just didn’t have the heart to do it.

Once the roses were removed, he gingerly placed the lilacs in the vases and let more of the tears fall, watering the flowers cut at the stems.

“I miss you so much Flower! I wish you had told me about your sickness and let me help you. I wish I had realized it before it was too late. But now you’re gone, and there’s nothing I can do to bring you back,” he spoke, shoulders beginning to shake as the tears flowed heavier.

“If you would have waited thirty more minutes we wouldn’t be here!! You would be my husband! We’d be living happily together! I was going to propose you idiot! Why did you have to leave me?!” Jaemin’s voice raised in volume as tears racked his body.

His hands cupped around his face as he sobbed loud and noisily, tears dropping onto the soil beneath his feet.

“All I want to do is hug you or kiss you one more time. Just once more,” he mumbled into his hands as his sobs quieted.

He sat there for about an hour, not saying anything, just sitting on his knees, letting the breeze ruffle his hair as tears continued flowing silently now down his cheeks. He had so much to say, but his words would never be heard by the ears he longed to whisper into again.

After a while, Jaemin took a long, shaky breath and reached into his pocket.

“I’ve been holding onto this since the day you… died… I keep meaning to give it to you. It’s yours after all, or at least meant for you. I just… I haven’t been able to part with it. But I can’t keep it any longer,” he spoke, voice wavering as a few more tears fell.

He opened up the velvet box to expose the ring that hadn’t been touched since that fateful day.

“I love you my Flower. I always have and I always will. And even though you're gone now, I will always view you as my only true love. I hope that, had you still been alive, you would have said yes,” he continued, voice quieting to a whisper.

Carefully, he plucked the ring from the velvet box and dug his hand into the soft grass. Moving slowly, he dug a hole with his fingers right over where Jeno’s heart would be in the dirt. Once the hole was deep enough it wouldn’t be exposed by the lawnmower, he placed the silver-banded engagement ring into the dirt.

Working carefully, he moved the dirt he’d dug up back over the ring and patted it down to seal it into the ground forever with his love.

“My Flower… Will you marry me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alt. Ending

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“... Anorexia?” Jaemin repeated back, his mouth forming the word, but his brain being unable to process the meaning.

“It would appear that Mr. Lee has been suffering from anorexia for a very long time. Well over a year at least. He seems to have been eating just enough to get by, but his body was severely deprived of the nutrients it needed. It would appear that lately he’d been eating even less and it resulted in him fainting. Under normal circumstances, giving him an IV with sugar water and a psych consult would have gotten him back to health. However, with the severity of the eating disorder and the head trauma, this is not a normal circumstance,” the doctor explained, standing in front of Jaemin in the waiting room.

Jaemin’s parents stood on either side of their son, both of their faces etched with worry.

“What are you saying?” Jaemin sniffled.

“He doesn’t need to be left alone. We were able to get enough nutrients into him, this time, but next time, he won’t be so lucky. He’ll be signed up for rehabilitation classes and counseling sessions, but it’s his choice to go or not. Someone is going to have to get him to go,” the doctor said.

Jaemin felt the weight on his heart lesson. Jeno was going to be ok… This time at least.

“Can I see him?” Jaemin asked timidly.

The doctor nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.

“He’s weak, but he’s awake,” he said.

Jaemin nodded, a stray tear falling down his cheek as he followed the doctor down a few hallways until he stopped at a closed door and gestured for Jaemin to enter. Jaemin walked through the door shakily. He closed it gently behind him and moved further into the room. When he laid eyes on Jeno, his heart broke, but pieced itself together when Jeno smiled.

“Hey Jaemin…” Jeno’s voice was weak.

Jaemin gave him a watery smile.

“Hey Flower… are you alright?” he asked.

Jeno gave a weak smile but nodded as Jaemin moved around the hospital bed and took a seat.

“Then… HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME YOU WEREN’T EATING?!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Year Later

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaemin stood proudly at the alter on the private beach his parents had rented out. He was dressed in an expensive black suit with a flower pinned to the coat’s breast pocket. His hands were folded neatly in front of him.

“Breathe Jaemin,” his mother’s whispered voice came, forcing Jaemin to realize he hadn’t inhaled in several seconds and was close to passing out.

He took a deep breath, chest rising and falling as he did so, seconds before the music from the organ began playing. His heart stopped.

The audience in little white chairs stood up as the tent at the end of the walkway of flowers opened and Jeno, dressed in a white suit sprang forth, a bouquet of lilacs tucked in his hands.

Slowly, the male made his way down the aisle until he reached Jaemin. Jaemin kept his eyes locked on the taller man, his heart beginning to race.

When Jeno reached the altar, Jaemin took hold of his hands gently and the man standing in front of them facing the crowd cleared his throat.

“Jaemin and Jeno have decided that, although marriage is not legal in Korea, they would like to hold this ceremony as a symbol of their love for one another and for their relationship deeper than dating. Is there anyone against this joining of hands?” the man asked.

Jaemin didn’t care to look out on the crowd. Their opinions didn’t matter as long as he and his Flower were happy.

When no one responded, the man went on.

“Hearing no objections, may anyone with ill will toward these two men forever hold their peace.”

Jaemin smiled softly at Jeno before looking up as the ring he would place on Jeno’s finger was placed in his hand by his mother.

“Na Jaemin. Do you take Lee Jeno to be your unlawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

[hana-bean]

Close to you (4/7)

On the days of tears and on the days of smiles I will be by your side

---

“Wow, looking sharp, boys!”

Within the decorated front garden, already filled with aristocracy and guardians milling about, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako strode up to the three men dressed up in suits—Seiya in red, Taiki in yellow, and Yaten in light blue. Each man tugged at their jacket and re-adjusted their tie to settle into the new tailor-made outfits.

“Yeah, these aren’t bad.” Yaten moved his shoulders. “I never would have thought blue was my color.”

“Psh, of course, it is. I chose the outfits!” Minako raised a hand while tittering in victory. “You’re welcome!”

Makoto pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “Are you all thirsty? The queen went with strawberry mojitos this year for her birthday cocktail!”

“That’s okay, we’ll wait for the waiters to come around—what happened to your thumb?” Taiki lost interest in the liquor once he noticed the brunette’s scratched-up, bruised digit, and furrowed his brow in concern.

Blushing, she covered it up with her other hand while muttering, “Oh uh, just… playing a game of thumb war…”

“And losing,” Ami smirked as she took a sip of her drink. Though her own thumb didn’t come out of the war clean either and was bandaged up.

Rei rested her elbow on Minako’s shoulder. “So, Seiya, how’s your leg doing?” She eyed him up and down, hungry for a snack already as she was three mojitos deep.

“It’s okay. I took a pain pill this morning and it’s just kind of a dull ache right now.”

“So like, if you took another pain pill later, you’d be able to move around a bit more? Like in the hips… area… place?” She gestured her hand over her pelvis

“I mean, sure… if I don’t get too drunk and not feel either of my legs.” He chuckled.

“Oh yeah, no… right… can’t have that!” Rei shook her head vigorously. “Gotta have you feeling at least one leg tonight.”

Seiya’s laughter trailed into nervousness, wondering if Yaten was onto something thinking they wanted to eat them.

“Please direct your attention to Queen Serenity, the first!”

The atmosphere filled with confusion in the form of a dull murmur as everyone turned toward the source of the announcement to watch the queen enter the garden area clad in her standard white dress and platinum crystal crown.

“Is she finished with the parade already?” Ami looked to the other women, receiving only shrugs for an answer. Nevertheless, everyone curtsied or bowed in succession as Serenity passed until she approached the main group.

“Gentlemen, you look great!”

The three men came up from their bows with smiles on their faces. “Thank you, your highness!”

When Rei came up from her curtsy, she caught eyes with Serenity, who stared at her for several moments looking apologetic, but then quickly averted her gaze to Seiya.

“How’s your leg doing?”

“It’s good!” He patted his hip. “I should be able to survive the day.”

“Good! Does that mean you’d be able to ride in the parade with me?”

“The parade?”

“Yes, further in the city! I ride in a motorcade and just kind of wave to people… thank them for coming out and getting drunk on my birthday.” She giggled. “Usually my husband rides with me, but I was hoping you’d be able to since he’s away this week. And also you’re a guest of honor.”

Taiki and Yaten looked at each other feeling like chopped liver.

There was no need to ask him twice. Seiya’s mouth curled into the most genuine and honored smile. “Yes, of course, your highness.”

“Wonderful!” She bounced with excitement. “We have to leave now, though.”

Ever the gentlemen, he pivoted on his good leg and held out his bent arm, enjoying every half-second of the feeling of her hand grasping the crevice of his elbow. They then began their saunter through the crowd and toward the driveway at a waiting car.

Rei had to pick her jaw up off the ground and turned toward Minako to commence in some harsh whispering. “That dirty little liar!”

“She totally has a thing for men with canes.” The blonde shook her head.

She growled before downing the rest of her drink. “I’m splitting Yaten with you then.”

“Uh, excuse you.” Minako locked her hand on her hip and waved around a finger in protest. “Split Taiki—there’s enough of him to go around.”

“I can’t climb that, I have a bad back!”

---

As the car came to a stop once it reached the parade queue, the top retracted to expose the two passengers to the afternoon sun of the young summer.

From his position sitting across Serenity, Seiya shifted on the leather seat. “So do I have the king’s blessing to be riding with his queen?”

“You do, actually.” She smirked. “In fact, he requested it.”

“Did he?”

“Well… not you… specifically… but he wanted me to have a chaperone.”

“And you choose the most injured out of the three of us?”

Her face glowed red. “Uh, well… I didn’t… see you as that… there are a lot of bodyguards around us anyway…”

It was too entertaining to see her stumble over herself, but Seiya had to keep in mind she was still royalty, and he shouldn’t get too comfortable. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help sending her a wink.

“If I have to put my cane to another use for you, I will.”

Serenity took a few moments to look away, her stomach erupting in a swarm of butterflies. And then the mimosas began to talk.

“I just feel very comfortable and safe around you.”

“It probably helps that my real job is to protect a princess. So this is very familiar territory.” He didn’t want to give himself too much credit.

That’s not what she meant, but it was probably for the best that he didn’t know that. She humored him. “Even after ten years?”

“The guardian purpose never leaves you.”

“That’s very true. I still carry around my transformation brooch.”

“Have you had to transform since Galaxia?”

“No, it’s been relatively peaceful. Just the normal societal problems—bar fights… illegal aliens…” Serenity’s heart sighed in relief to hear him laugh at her joke.

“In all seriousness, I’d be scared of you too if I knew you defeated the greatest enemy of the universe.”

Visibly flattered, she touched her shoulder to her cheek. “I’m surprised anyone even knows that.”

“Everyone in the known universe remembers Galaxia. Her reach was vast. And rightfully, so is yours. We were very excited to come here.”

“Really? Did you expect to meet me?”

“No.” His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “But everyone talks about how nice Earth is. It was actually really hard to sneak in. The security is tight.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. We had to time it perfectly to shoot in during a fireworks festival. Took us weeks to figure it out.”

“Well then, I’ll have to assign you to border security since you know all the tricks.”

He waited for a punchline, only to realize she was serious. A grateful yet regretful grin spread across his face. “That’s kind of you, your highness, but whether we find our princess or not, we must move on.”

Her face dropped while her brow furrowed. “Even after you find her?”

“Yes. Our ultimate end goal is to return to Kinmoku.”

“Right… right, of course.” The sinking of her heart was apparent through her darting, descending eyes. “But are you sure?”

“We want to go home. We’ve been away for so many years and that’s where we belong.”

“You belong here, too…”

While touched, he was more confused by her words than anything. And it must have been written all over his face in flashing letters since Serenity cleared her throat and tried to smile through the seriousness.

“That’s if you want to, of course—I’m hungry. Are you hungry?”

“Um…” He breathed out a laugh. “Since we ate about two hours ago, I’m—”

“Great! Let’s get some food!”

“Do we have time to eat? The parade is about to start.”

“We have plenty of time to scarf down a box!”

“A box?” Pure dread drained the color from his face. “Of what?”

A bodyguard on foot had already approached the vehicle at the queen’s verbal summoning. And then a few seconds later, he was jogging further up the road and disappeared into the distant crowd.

“My favorite vendor is not too far away.” Serenity shook her shoulders in anticipation. “You’re going to love the dumplings there. Their pork and red bean fillings are heavenly.”

“Pork and red bean? Together?”

“Separate!” She giggled at the face he made. “They have savory and dessert ones.”

Her assurance helped Seiya’s slight appetite return and helped him relax. “I’ll only eat them if they look exactly like the ones on your head.”

“Maybe… They get more creative every year. It’s become a tradition for people to eat them on my birthday.”

“That makes sense. They don’t call you ‘Queen Odango’ for nothing.”

Her blue eyes rolled back in her head with a jaded groan. “Even in royalty, I can’t escape the nickname.”

“It’s cute. It suits you.” He tipped his chin toward her head. “What are your odangos filled with?”

“Secrets.” She giggled.

“Are you sure they can all fit up there?”

“The odangos are adjustable. That’s why my hair is so long.”

“Well, if you run out of room, I can always keep one for you.” He winked.

Unable to speak from the suggestive comment, Serenity’s blush extended down to her shoulders. They both sat in silence for a few moments until the queen felt her phone vibrate with a text notification. Her eyes widened in surprise once she looked at it, piquing Seiya’s curiosity.

“Is everything okay?”

“The database has a hit.”

---

---

Please note if you would like to follow this story, I will be updating the rest of the chapters under the tag: hana-bean closetoyou and other iterations of the spacing. I love you all!

[ffamranxii]

I’m only about halfway through Meteor Garden so I’ll save my major comparisons to Boys Over Flowers for the end, but I’d really like to get out my thoughts as of episode 25.

This is Shancai, and she is our protagonist. She is literal sunshine in human form and she deserves SO MUCH BETTER than what she’s getting. Seriously, she needs to tell every single character in this show to fuck off and then get the hell out of Shanghai. She’s been assaulted, insulted, harassed, kidnapped, demeaned, and had absolutely everyone in this show tell her “Oh Si’s just a total dickbag because he loves you” and “you’re just unsure because you’re in love.” No, Si’s a dickbag because he’s the fucking devil and she’s unsure because she’s been forced into an abusive relationship due to her inability to just say no and Si’s inability to take a fucking hint. At this point I’m watching the series to see if she makes it the fuck out alive.

This is the F4, (l-r) Si, Lei, Meizuo, and Ximen. Si has some serious anger issues that apparently stem from his father passing away and no one loving him enough, which I guess gives him the reason to be a passive aggressive asshole and beat the fuck out of random guys. Body count so far: 2. He’s also literally assaulted Shancai four times as of episode 25, once within the first episode (which is when Shancai should’ve noped the fuck out of there but of course did not, because women’s autonomy and safety mean nothing in this show.) I understand that a huge part of the Hana Yori Dango franchise is Tsubasa/Junpyo/Si learning to be an actual human being and deal with his emotions, but Si is disturbing close to his manga counterpart, and manga Tsubasa almost got Tsukushi killed, on purpose, within the first ten chapters. That being said, when he’s with his friends he does have some good moments and does grow, but he seriously needs to leave Shancai alone. 

Lei is who I thought I would ship Shancai with, since I shipped his Korean counterpart with her Korean counterpart hardcore in Boys Over Flowers -- but I was wrong. Lei is not a great person. He’s cold and distant and extremely hung up over his childhood love Jing, who he’s only slightly nicer to. He follows Jing to Paris, and when they break up he uses Shancai not just to get over Jing but to pull some weird passive aggressive stunt over on Si. In fact, Si and Lei seem to have this really bizarre, sadistic sexual tension between them and have more chemistry than Shancai does with either of them. I’d root for that ship.

Meizuo is not at all what I was expecting. So far everyone follows their Korean counterparts really well -- except Meizuo, who is nothing like Woobin. Meizuo might as well be an entirely different character, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Also unlike Woobin, he gets his own storyline apparently with Caina, which looks promising. Meizuo is arguably my favorite Meteor Garden F4 member because he dresses like he fishes every piece of clothing from the trash and I scream “what the FUCK are you wearing” at least once an episode. He’s also the sassiest.

Ximen is just a slightly more manipulative Yijung, which I kind of like. He also seems to have a dangerous side to him that the Korean adaption gave to Woobin -- it’s implied that he and Si have beat up people in the past together. His relationship with Xiaoyou is, I think, the only fucking healthy one in the entire show so far; he’s extremely sweet, attentive, and caring towards her, even though he’s a dick and a troll to his friends (though to be fair, Meizuo and Lei also troll Si at every opportunity, which is hilarious) and enables Si’s behavior towards Shancai and passive aggressively shames her when she tries to stand up for herself. I’m wondering if his relationship with Xiaoyou will pan out like that, or if it’ll be super cute and storybook like Yijung’s was with Gaeul.

Shancai has actual friends in this adaption, holy shit. Xiaoyou is the Meteor Garden counterpart to Gaeul so we’ve seen her before. She’s very cute and kitschy, and at times is one of Shancai’s only supporters (though she also hardcore Shancai/Si and tells Shancai multiple times “you’re just in love” when Shancai voices her very valid concerns about the man, which is worrying because Xiaoyou also doesn’t make good choices when it comes to romance.) Li Zheng (middle) and Qinghe (right) don’t exist in Boys Over Flowers and therefore are completely new to me (but not to the franchise, as they have Hana Yori Dango counterparts). Li Zheng has a massive inferiority complex that isn’t entirely undeserved in the beginning, as Shancai (accidentally) leaves her humiliated in the rain and unable to get into a big party. She almost ruins Shancai’s life by getting her drunk, sending her home with a strange guy, and posting pictures of them in bed together all over the internet -- and Shancai, for some bizarre reason, fucking forgives her, because she is a literal saint and we do not deserve her. After that stunt, however, Li Zheng seems to be a pretty decent friend, but like everyone else in this show is completely unreliable when it comes to giving Shancai dating advice. 

Qinghe and I were homies for a while, because he is THE ONLY GODDAMN PERSON who continually sees Si for the asshole he is and calls him out on it, and the F4 treat him pretty badly, using him a lot as a replaceable member for when they kick Si out (for all of five minutes) for being a little too unbearable. However, by episode 25 he’s fully into Nice Guy mode, and hates Si not because he’s a douche but because Si is dating Shancai. Dude went from Shancai’s best friend to one step away from being an incel and I am mourning the loss hard. 

Here we have the one-offs, who I expected to play a much bigger role than they actually are. We have Tian Ye, who also is brand new to me having not existed in the Korean adaption. He’s a chef at a restaurant Shancai works in (before Si chases her away from it) and he’s the only goddamn person in this entire series so far who likes Shancai and hasn’t treated her badly. He actually tells Si to gtfo out of his restaurant and stands up to him for Shancai more than once. I loved him so much and I am so sad to see him go, but the reemergence of his ex(?) fiancee makes me hopeful he’ll show up again too.

Xiaozi is the girl Si’s mother tries to arrange for him to marry, and I was SO EXCITED for her because I LOVED her counterpart in Boys Over Flowers... but Meteor Garden has left me very disappointed indeed. She’s extremely wishy-washy about Si, saying first that she hates him and won’t marry him and doesn’t want anything to do with him and then in the same episode deciding that they’re going to date before their marriage and asking Shancai for advice. I really liked her for the first half of that episode and I feel like they just completely fucked up her character.

Jing is Lei’s childhood friend and ex girlfriend, and the only other person who is unconditionally nice to Shancai -- with the caveat that she’s a horrible cunt to Lei. At first all seems well. They seem to be very loving and in a committed relationship, but the more times she appears (and we have the chance to get to know her a lot better in 25 episodes than we did Seohyun in 40 something), the more it becomes clear that she’s only leading Lei on and doesn’t truly return his affections. She resurfaces in their lives just to drop a bomb on them -- “Hey I’m going to Paris and never coming back and also disowning myself from my family, okay bye!” -- and Lei actually drops everything in his entire life to go after her. The flashback we get of them in Paris is supposed to be cute, I think, with soft lighting and dreamy atmosphere, but it actually just shows Jing neglecting Lei to the point of cruelty until he decides he’s had enough and leaves. While we had almost an entire season before Seohyun announced her marriage to some Parisian dude, Jing does the same within the first fourth of 48 episodes, and it paints her in a horrible light. She destroyed Lei and doesn’t even feel bad about it, and we haven’t heard from her since.

These three don’t have character posters and that’s a damn shame. I must say, Si’s sister Zhuang (left) is JUST as badass as Junhee, and takes absolutely no shit from her brother -- but she isn’t here for very long. I think we saw her for, what?, two? three episodes? Junhee didn’t play a huge part in many episodes in Boys Over Flowers but she was still there a lot in the background, usually making quips at Junpyo or arguing with their mother. I hope Zhuang comes back. 

Caina is a character who’s new to me and I think I’m enjoying her a lot. She was introduced in the same arc as Tian Ye, which makes sense as she is (and maybe no longer?) his fiancee through an arranged marriage. While the F4 were all congratulating Shancai for doing well in the cooking competition, Meizuo just sat there a little starstuck and talked about hooking up with Caina the entire time. WELL SHE COMES BACK in episode 24(or is it 23?) TO MY IMMENSE SHOCK, and apparently is into trash chic because she immediately jumps into a little arc with him. What concerns me though is how her extremely low alcohol tolerance, her blackout drunkenness around men, and her blackout-induced injuries are all treated as comedy. Meizuo and some creep fight over her for two entire episodes, and each time ends with her eating pavement and waking up hungover and extremely beat up from it. This show makes me fear for the safety of women in China, since Caina’s predicament is played for laughs. Also, what happened to Tian Ye?? 

And finally, there’s THIS BITCH. Si and Zhuang’s mother. She even looks like Zhuang (which means in-universe Si looks like his father, which is extra heartbreaking as his father is dead), and she is the biggest cunt I’ve had the delight to watch. I hate this bitch like I hate Dolores Umbridge. I thought Junpyo’s mom was bad but Si’s mom is ten thousand times worse. She’s cold and cruel and looks to humiliate Shancai whenever she can, and even her own son and Mrs Yu too. She’s literally just Umbridge as a mom except she doesn’t physically abuse her children. She’s the only person I can say I’m almost okay with being made more terrible than before, because the mom was always supposed to be horrible.

All in all, Meteor Garden should be subtitled “Everyone In This Show Is A Terrible Human Being, Except Shancai Who Can Do No Wrong.” And normally I enjoy shows about terrible people but this one isn’t a comedy like It’s Always Sunny or The Office. This is supposed to be some great epic love story between Shancai and Si and all I see is a girl who feels like she can’t voice her own opinion and tell a guy to back off, and a guy with rage issues who won’t back the fuck off. 

I mean, I’m finishing the series, but... it’s definitely a challenge. At least the soundtrack is popping.

[burnouts3s3]

Maria-sama Ga Miteru, a blu-ray review

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously.) Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry! Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):  99 USD How much I paid: 69.99 USD, the Pre Order price Animation Studio: DEEN Original Localizer: Nozomi Entertainment Licensed and Localized Currently by: Sentai Filmworks Audio: Japanese Audio with Subtitles Number of Episodes: 39 Episodes and 5 OVAs equaling a run time of 1237 Minutes. Length per Episode: 25 Minutes on average. 21 Without Intro and Ending song. Length per OVA: 50 Minutes on Average Number of Discs: 8 Blu Ray Discs Episodes per Disc: Seasons 1, 2 and 4: Episodes 1 through 9 on the 1st Blu-ray Disc. Episodes 10 through 13 on the 2nd Blu-ray disc as well as “Don’t Let Mother Maria Know”, funny ‘outtakes’ of the characters in Chibi From. Season 3: OVAs 1 – 3 on 1st Blu-ray Disc. OVAs 4-5 on 2nd Blu-Ray Disc. Aspect Ratio: 4:3 for Seasons 1 and 2. 16:9 for Seasons 3 and 4. Are there plans for a DVD release?: A DVD release of the series exists from Nozomi Entertainment. Does this come a digital voucher to redeem?: No. This only has the Blu-ray discs. Also on: HiDive, Sentai Filmwork’s Streaming Service. Bonus Features: Clean Opening Animation, Clean Closing Animation and “Don’t tell Mother Maria”, ‘outtakes’ of the characters in chibi form. Notable Localization Changes: Onee-sama, a popular phrase Yumi addresses Sachiko with, has been translated into “Dear Sister” (which is more or less the same thing). Honorfics such as –san or –sama have been omitted in the subs or changed. (For example, when a character refers to Sachiko as Sachiko-sama, the subs translate it into “Lady Sachiko”). Make of that as you will. My Personal Biases: I actually reviewed Marimite a long time ago on this site. I still hold fond memories of the show to this day.

My Verdict: A long running staple of the Shoujo genre and said to have kickstarted the Yuri trend that gave us Kannazuki no Miko, Strawberry Panic, Aoi Hana and Sasameki Koto, Maria-sama Ga Miteru still holds up to this very day. And thanks to Sentai Filmwork’s ability to print it on Blu-ray, now even newcomers can enjoy the quiet campus of Lilian Academy. Buy it! Maria Sama Ga Miteru, a blu ray review

“The Maidens who assemble in Mother Maria’s Garden have such angelic smiles that today, too, they pass through the tall gate. Their pure bodies and minds are wrapped in dark colored school uniforms. The pleats on their skirts shouldn’t be noticeable. Their while sailor collars should always be tidy. Walking slowly is preferred here. St. Lilian’s Academy is a Garden for Maidens.”

Our Protagonist, Yumi Fukuzawa, is a freshman in St. Lillian Girls’ academy, an all-girls Catholic School. One day, while praying in front of the Virgin Mary, Mother Maria, someone comes up to her. It is none other than the school’s idol, Sachiko Ogasawara. While Sachiko fixes Yumi’s collar, Yumi’s friend, Tsutako, takes a photograph and blackmails Yumi to get the scoop. While Yumi goes to the Yamayuri council, which acts as the governing body for the school, Sachiko storms out of the room and trips on top of her. Sachiko attempts to make Yumi her petite Souer. Through the Souer system, upperclass girls can make a lowerclass girl their ‘sister’ by handing them a Rosary. If the underclass girl accepts, they become partners and look after each other until graduation. While seemingly innocent at first, the system can lead to all sorts of conflicts and misunderstandings but also joy and laughter. This is the story of how Yumi first accepts Sachiko’s Rosary and ends when she eventually bestows that rosary to another.   I really love Yumi as a character. While she does act as the ‘ordinary outsider’ meant to be the audience Point of view character, there’s a charm to Yumi. She’s actually very quick on her feet, eager to help and very kind and friendly. She does make mistakes but there’s a very human quality and the small moments where she shines (initially rejecting Sachiko’s rosary, practicing her routine to impress the graduating Seniors, helping out during the school festivals, standing up to some rich snobs) that really makes her shine. (Though I will give some credit to Yumi as she manages to possess proper hand eye coordination and inner ear balance that her successors Himeko Kurusugawa and Nagisa Aoi seem to lack.) In some ways, Sachiko was the inspiration that lead to the creations of such characters such as Shizuru Fujino from My-Hime, Chikane Himemiya from Kannazuki no Miko and Shizuma Hanazono from Strawberry Panic. On the surface, Sachiko is a cold, stern and almost unbendable force of nature, bent on getting her way. However, slowly but surely, Yumi melts the icy exterior to find the human underneath. (It also helps that Sachiko occasionally is the butt of the joke at times, such as, being her first time at a fast food restaurant, she remembers to order correctly and pay the server, but forgets to pick up the food). Among my favorite characters is the adorably lovable Satou Sei, a senior of the school and the canon lesbian of the show. Sei is often flirtatious but also very humorous to boot.  There’s a sort of fandom clash as many people ship Sei and Yumi together and Shimako and Sachiko together.  (There’s the implication that if Sei had not picked Shimako to be her petite seour, she would have picked Yumi and Sachiko is jealous of that fact since she wanted to give Shimako her rosary first, but Shimako refused her). Rounding out the cast are Rei and Yoshino, a Kendo Senior and her sickly cousin who might switch the idea of a tomboy on its head and Touko, Sachiko’s cousin who’s prickly exterior might hide someone much more vulnerable and Noriko, a girl who might share a love of Buddhist statues the Shimako does. A lot of people cite Maria Watches Over Us (or Marimite for short) as the revitalization of the Class S genre, which focuses on romantic friendships between school girls. A lot of people have pointed out that the genre has had its fair share of negative stereotypes and doesn’t exactly portray a healthy or realistic relationships for young queer women. But, I’ve always stated I would rather have a problematic show that affects me emotionally over a well-meaning show that has a good social message but leaves me cold. Of course, the show is self-aware of its genre roots and occasionally pokes fun at it. (At one point, Yoshino does the ‘rich girl laugh’ with another person and all it does is draw unwanted attention from passerbys). If there’s definitely a weak spot to the series, it’s definitely the animation. Panning shots and freeze frames are all present here, but the direction is solid enough where you’re enjoying it even when you notice the stitches and seems. (It’s an early 2000’s show centering about the school lives of ordinary girls. What were you expecting, Darling in the Franxx?) Granted, Season 3 is when the animation quality (as well as the aspect ratio) picks up but even the older seasons are passable and enjoyable to watch. What sells the show isn’t necessarily the animation, but character interactions with one another. Those looking for Women Love Women relationships probably aren’t going to find it here, but it did lead to the inspiration for other works to tackle. Each movement, each subtle touch or facial reaction or slip of the tongue feels weighty. You can tell there’s so much more being said than what’s on the screen and the characters missing or picking up on those subtleties really is the highlight. Season 3 is where the show changes format from a half hour episodic series to an hour long OVA (Original Video Animation) format and they play out more like self-contained movies than a series of over-arching episodes. And yes, the blu-rays also include “Don’t let Mother Maria Know.”. These are a series of humorous shorts included with the original DVD releases that contain cartoonized versions of the characters engaging in very silly behavior and outtakes. 

After Nozomi Entertainment sold the rights off, Sentai Filmworks bought them and did a pretty good job localizing the show. The show contains no English Dub, but translates the Japanese text to pretty close to its original source material. One thing to note is the lack of honorfics. Honorfics are titles one refers to when addressing another person, like –san meaning Mr. or Ms. in English. “Onee-sama” is translated to “Dear Sister” while “Sachiko-sama” is translated to “Lady Sachiko”. (Though for some reason, Kashiwagi’s nickname for Sachiko, Sacchan, is kept in). CAVEAT: There’s the implication that Maria Watches Over Us feels dated in its depictions of girls’ relationships and class differences and promotes not quite so healthy relationships. But, had it not been for Studio DEEN and the characters of Yumi and Sachiko, we might have never gotten Himeko and Chikane or Shizuru and Natsuki or Fumi and Akira or Kazama and Sumika or Kase and Yamada or Touko and Yuu. Hell, even Flip Flappers did a parody of Marimite for an episode. With Nozomi Entertainment selling off the rights (as well as Seasons 2 and 3 DVDs being sold for outrageous prices), Sentai Filmworks has done the anime community a service by preserving this work and making it available to Western audiences. So, it all but depresses me to know that this great work will go unnoticed while the inevitable fans order the next Umaru merchandise instead. If you have enough of an attention span to watch a show that doesn’t have constant explosions, fanservice or attack names being shouted out, it’s definitely worth a look see. Of course, speaking as someone who binge watches Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure during his off hours, I enjoyed every bit I had with Maria-sama ga Miteru.

Verdict: Buy it!

[theworldisspinning]

So it’s been awhile since I’ve written on this personal/travel blog but I thought before my next trip (I leave for Utah on Tuesday), I should write about our Road to Hana experience in Hawaii! For those who don’t know, the Road to Hana is a famous road in Maui that goes around the entire island and has beautiful stops along the way. People recommend to break up the drive into 2 days and stay overnight somewhere along the road, but Campbell and I were ambitious and did the whole thing in a day. We also drove the whole thing and didn’t turn around to drive the “safe” way….Which was a little scary if I’m being honest. Literally the windiest, bumpiest roads on the edge of a cliff…But we made it and are alive to tell the tale. Here are the stops we did along the way. There are more stops than this you can do, but this is what we did!

Stop #1: Hookipa Beach Park

Campbell and I hit the road at the crack of dawn and started our trip at this gorgeous beach park to watch the sunrise. There was almost no one there and it was a beautiful way to wake up and start the day!

Stop #2: Twin Falls

This was our first real stop and was a quick one just to see some waterfalls! The upper falls were closed, but we saw the lower ones. At the gated entrance to the falls, you’ll encounter a cool food truck and later on, portable toilets. The gardens and greenery were beautiful too around the falls.

Stop #3: Huelo Lookout

We stopped here quickly for a really pretty view and a delicious acai bowl! Look out for a food stand on the side of the road and then the lookout is right behind the stand.

Stop #4: Waikamoi Nature Trail

We read that this was supposed to be a very rewarding 0.5-mile trail (each way) that leads  to a secluded picnic area via a thick forest of bamboos, mango trees, and eucalyptus trees. However, there was a massive tree fell down so we maybe went 0.2 miles before we couldn’t get any further and had to turnaround!

Stop #5: Honomanu Bay

This was just a scenic pullover on the side of the highway. There are gorgeous views of the ocean!

Stop #6: Ke’anae Peninsula

You have to stop here and go to Auntie Sandy’s Banana Bread! It was probably the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten. The peninsula is also gorgeous and it was a nice stop to stretch our legs!

Stop #7: Wailua Valley State Wayside

This stop actually had proper parking and you can climb up some stairs to a fantastic viewing areas and you can see views south to a gap in the Haleakala Crater and north to the Wailua and Ke’anae Peninsulas. It was stunning!

Stop #8: Three Bears Falls

This stop is also called Upper Waikani Falls in Google Maps, Three Bears Falls are definitely worth the stop though you might have to walk a bit as parking is prohibited directly in front of the falls. It was a really pretty view!

Stop #9: Pua’a Ka’a Falls

These waterfalls are located at the Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park! You can walk for five minutes and reach a swimming pool fed directly by a waterfall.

Stop #10: Makapipi Falls

Around mile marker 25, pull over just before or after the one lane bridge and inspect Makapipi Falls from above. This photo stop was one of our favorites!

Stop #11: Nahiku Marketplace

If you didn’t pack food or haven’t eaten already, this was a great stop for lunch. There are so many lunch options and variety in choices of things to eat! I got shrimp tacos and Campbell got huli huli chicken. There are also a few shops you can browse in!

Stop #12: Waianapanapa State Park & Pa’iloa Beach (Black Sand Beach)

In Waianapanapa State Park, you’ll find one of the most famous black sand beaches in Maui – Pa’iloa Beach. It was one of our favorite stops and we spent awhile just wandering around the beach and surrounding areas! It was absolutely gorgeous.

Stop #13: Kaihalulu Beach (Red Sand Beach)

One of the must-see natural attractions on the scenic drive is Kaihalulu Beach – a.k.a “red sand beach”. It was a little trickier to get there! Park your car near the Hana High School and follow the slippery path which hugs on the cliff. Parts are slippery so you have to be careful, but after about 10 minutes of walking, you’ll reach an overlook above the red sand beach. It was mind blowing! We stayed here the longest, swam, and enjoyed the views before it started raining. 

Stop #15: Haleakala National Park – Kipahulu

It was getting dark so we made our way to the national park to do two little “hikes” – one through a rainforest and one to some pools. This was a great way to end the day in the car and then prepare for the 2 hour drive back! The Kuloa Point Loop Trail is an easy 0.5-mile loop trail that takes about 20-30 minutes to complete including stops. It leads to the Seven Sacred Pools that meet the ocean. There’s also the Pipiwai Trail which is a 4-mile (return) trail that goes through the rainforest and leads to a bamboo forest and then at the end, supposedly a beautiful waterfall. Since it was getting dark, we just went to the bamboo forest and back, which was about 2-miles (return).

Seriously, doing the Road to Hana is a MUST if you go to Maui! It was the most magical day chasing waterfalls, seeing insane beaches and views, and eating delicious food!

The Road to Hana Experience So it's been awhile since I've written on this personal/travel blog but I thought before my next trip (I leave for Utah on Tuesday), I should write about our Road to Hana experience in Hawaii!

[mind-reader1]

Queen of Hearts (Ch.9)

Drake x MC (Emma Barnes)

TRR AU: What would happen if Emma loved Drake but had to marry Liam?

Catch up here

Warnings: None. Pure Fluff 

Note: If you’d like to be added to the tag list let me know! Also I love talking with you guys about the chapters and story to please don’t be afraid to tell me what you thought! :) 

Word Count:  2735

Summary: The first stop on the engagement tour is Fydelia, Madeline’s home! Will she be able to recruit her as a press secretary and Madeleine’s family’s support? Emma and Drake find a moment to themselves and she tries her best to teach him the waltz.

Chapter 9: I don’t Dance (Lee Brice)

I’ll never settle down, That’s what I always thought Yeah, I was that kind of man, Just ask anyone

I don’t dance, but here I am Spinning you around and around in circles It ain’t my style, but I don’t care I’d do anything with you anywhere Yes, you got me in the palm of your hand girl 'Cause, I don’t dance

Love’s never come my way, I’ve never been this far 'Cause you took these two left feet And waltzed away with my heart

Once he cleared the hall she went back into her room and started packing, it was the first day of the unity tour. She had just finished packing when there was a knock on the door.

“Maxwe- Bertrand?” She was surprised to see the elder Beaumont at her door. Now she was really glad that she had made Drake leave.

“I'm glad to see you're already packed and ready. Today is a very important day, it's the first stop on the unity tour.”

“Where are we going exactly?”

“Fydelia.” Emma laughed and looked at Bertrand whose expression didn't change.

“Good one, where are we really going?”

“We're going to Fydelia. It's an important stop, even more important since it's the first. It shows that you, Madeleine and Liam can put aside your differences and get along, and we're going to be recruiting Madeleine as your new press secretary.” Emma felt like she had walked into a nightmare.

Later that day in the boutique with Bertrand and Maxwell, Emma still hadn't wrapped her head around the idea.

“Of all the press secretaries in Europe, why does it have to be Madeleine?” Emma was getting desperate, she was willing to beg and grovel if it meant she didn't have to recruit Madeleine, her least favorite person in Cordonia.

“As you know Justin isn't an option because he was injured and is still in the hospital, he recommended Madeleine though. He was impressed by the way she handled the press during her brief engagement to Liam.”

“You have to admit she did manage to spin everything in a favorable manner.” Emma shot Maxwell a look, he was not helping her case. Maxwell being Maxwell however, took it in stride, he'd rather have Emma be upset with him for a few minutes than have Bertrand lecturing him about the impending doom of House Beaumont.

“If I must. I suppose it will be good to have her evil, snake charming powers working for me rather than against me.”

“Yes! The unlikely hero-villain team up against a greater threat.” Maxwell grinned.

“Exactly. She still holds much influence at court and is frankly far greater an asset than enemy.” Emma really couldn't argue with that, even if she tried it would be futile, Bertrand had made up his mind.

“This is all assuming we can convince her to help me. We never exactly had a close relationship, especially after everything that happened.”

“Precisely why you will need every advantage you can get, and why we are here.”

“A dress with the color of Madeleine and Adelaide's house. A dress as green as her envy towards you and as black as her shriveled heart.” With a flourish Maxwell pulled a dress off the rack. Emma grabbed the dress and slipped into the changing room. It was a club style dress, tight fighting so it hugged her curves but a halter, so it wouldn't slip while she was dancing. It appeared to be black with a patterned green lace over it, some of which extended past the end, just long enough to be classy. It was beautiful, as always.

“Don't forget this isn't only about Madeleine, you also must convince Adelaide to attend the wedding.” Emma brushed off Bertrand's concern.

“Adelaide won't take any convincing, if there's a party she's there.”

“Yes, but you will also need the support of Adelaide's husband, Madeleine's father which will be far more difficult.” Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Adelaide is married?”

“Duke Godfrey doesn't reside in Cordonia. He spends most of his time in England at his duchy.”

“The rumors at court are that Adelaide and Godfrey don't exactly get along.” Maxwell whispered as if someone may overhear.

“Which means his attendance at your wedding will be so important and hold a lot of sway, further into this tour.”

“So, do the impossible. Sounds like a normal day at this point.”

That evening Emma approached Madeleine's estate with her friends, but she hung back as they gushed over it, not feeling in much of a party mood.

“What's on your mind Barnes?” Drake fell into step beside her.

“What do you know about Godfrey and his relationship with Adelaide?” Drake sighed.

“Not much. Married for political reasons, as far as nobles go, he's as uptight and pretentious as they come. All he cares about is titles. My least favorite kind of noble.”

“Well I guess I have my work cut out for me then.”

“If anyone can do it Barnes, it's you.” Emma reached over and squeezed his hand, releasing it before they entered the ballroom which was…surprisingly empty.

“Wow, this place is like a ghost town.”

“Father mentioned that there would be a lot turn out. Fear is still high along the nobles after the attack on the palace and more recently the video.”

“They're afraid to be seen supporting the monarchy.” Drake scowled. He hated the idea that his best friend and love of his life had to put their lives in danger while the other nobles hid like the cowards he always thought they were. Scanning the room, Emma saw Adelaide speaking with Constantine and Regina, and a man with white hair, a permanent scowl on his face who she assumed was Godfrey as he took a seat right next to Adelaide.

“You'll win then over though, you always do. It's like magic!” Maxwell inserted himself into the conversation.

“It'll be easier to talk to them alone though.” Emma noticed Madeleine on the other side of the room, clearly not interested in the party. She approached Madeleine who properly greeted her for the sake of tradition.

“You've been greeted, could you leave me alone now, for once?”

“Actually, I needed to speak to you about something, an opportunity for you.”

“I'm sure it's of no interest to me.” Madeleine tried to leave.

“I want you to be my press secretary on this upcoming tour.” Madeleine stopped and turned, a satisfied smirk on her face.

“I knew it. You've come crawling back to me, begging for help because you've dug yourself too deep into a hole. Good luck getting yourself out. I'll be sitting at the top watching.” Madeleine hissed, and this time didn't stop as she walked away from her. Emma explained what happened to her friends and they decided to take a break. While they were getting some food, Drake accidentally bumped into Neville. Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes as she approached, he was amongst her least favorite people. He droned on and on while still managing to find a way to insult them all. Drake stepped in to defend Emma, some part of her loved that Drake would defend her even if publicly she was with Liam, but another part wanted to be able to elevate Drakes status so people like Neville would leave him alone. When Neville had the audacity to compare Drake to a dog she could see him losing it, Emma almost lost control of her own temper, it took all of her will power not to.

“He's not worth it Drake.” She whispered in his ear. As much as he hated Neville, he couldn't make things more difficult for her or his best friend and so he backed off, Emma was right. Drake had a feeling that Neville would get what was coming to him, even if that day wasn't today.

“We still need his support though. We need all the nobles we can get.” Hana said. The idea that Drake would have to watch Emma get married to Liam, knowing Neville would be in the crowd to mock him made his anger spike again. He needed a moment to himself and so he made a beeline for outside, hoping he wouldn't be followed. He turned when he heard soft footsteps, relieved to see it was only Emma.

“I'm sorry, I just needed some fresh air. I couldn't let my anger get the best of me. He was right, if I do something rash it only hurts you and Liam.” Emma gave him a sympathetic smile.

“For the record, I want to punch him too.” Drake chuckled.

“I don't suppose there's a metaphorical way I could punch him.”

“Maybe if you knew what fork was for what purpose.” Drake smirked.

“Guy like him, he'd know all that stuff. I did have one idea though.” Emma raised her eyebrows at him.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, something you could help me with.”

“What would that be?”

“Don't make me say it Barnes. You know what I'm talking about.” Emma really had no idea though, she shrugged.

“Dancing. Maybe you could teach me some fancy court dances.” Emma grinned.

“The Drake Walker is asking for dancing lessons?”

“I know. Can you help me or not Barnes?” Emma smiled and grabbed Drake's hands.

“Let's start.” He led her to a secluded part of the gardens under an arch filled with twinkling lights.

“Why dancing?” Drake sighed.

“We'll be going to a lot of balls, dancing is usually involved.”

“Neville got to you. Fuck what he thinks Drake.”

“It's not just Neville. I want to do this for you! For Liam! You guys need all the support you can get, and I can't be just the commoner friend who sticks around, I need to show them that I'm an asset.”

“Drake you don't need to change. You don't need to earn their respect to be helpful. I could never ask you to change for me.” He lifted her chin gently.

“I want to Barnes.”

“I love you Drake. Despite what anyone else thinks.” Drake kissed her gently and smiled.

“Okay, where do we start?”

“What do you know?”

“You know me Barnes, I don't dance. I know the starting position and that's it.”

“Let's start there then!” Drake gently placed his hand on her waist and grabbed her other hand with his, holding it out. She put her hand on his shoulder and slowly began gliding him through box steps, as she sped up, he struggled to keep up with her. His footwork became sloppy, almost stomping on her toes. Drake sighed in frustration, breaking hold.

“This is hard. You always make it look so effortless.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“That's because I'm not stomping like I'm part of some military marching band, you need to glide. Your movements need to flow together rather than stiff, and individual.” Drake just stared at her like she was speaking another language.

“Imagine you're dancing on glasses of whiskey, every time you stomp you break a glass.” Drake gasped.

“That's a tragedy Barnes.”

“Then I guess you better learn to glide.” It only took Drake a few more steps to finally learn to glide.

“Am I good? A perfect dancer now?” Emma smiled and shook her head.

“You still need to correct your frame, you have to hold it at all times.” Emma waited for Drake to find the correct frame.

“When you hold your frame, it helps your partner react to your movements accordingly.”

“Like this?” Emma pretended to be checking over Drake's frame and snuck in for a kiss. Drake immediately broke hold, falling into the kiss before pulling away.

“That's not the next move.” Emma giggled.

“You don't know that. You said yourself you don't know anything about dancing.”

“I've been around court for years Barnes, nobles don't go around kissing each other. That was a cheap move.” She winked.

“You loved it though. Anyways, my point was that you need to be able to focus through distractions. Your partner is trusting you to lead them through the dance, especially this next step.” Emma demonstrated and explained the next step before Drake took his place with her. Drake glided forward, and Emma took a step back, spinning under Drake's arm.

“What's the last step?” Emma grinned and jumped into Drake's arms, catching him off guard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and enjoyed the quiet moment together.

“As much I love this, what's the real move?”

“A simple spin.” Drake began twirling and Emma giggled until he lost his balance and they tumbled into the bushes.

“Aah!” Drake hissed and grabbed his shoulder. Emma rolled off him and looked at him, worried.

“Drake I'm sorry! Are you okay?” He nodded and let out a deep breath.

“I'm fine.” He pulled Emma back on top of him who wasn't convinced.

“Your shoulder, Drake.” He silenced her by kissing her. Her protests immediately stopped as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

“Drake? Emma!” Maxwell's voice forced them apart just as Drake's hand began wandering up her dress.

“We've been gone too long.” She whispered. Drake sighed and helped her up.

“Right here Maxwell.” They brushed each other off and stepped out from the gardens.

“What were you doing out here?” He looked them up and down.

“I was teaching Drake to dance.” Maxwell clearly didn't buy it.

“She was Maxwell.” Everyone dropped the subject.

“Thanks Barnes. I never wanted to learn because I didn't want court to change me. You've done it all though, you're going to be queen, but you're still the New York waitress that I fell in love with. If you can do it, then so can I. For Liam, for Cordonia, for you.” He gave her a meaningful look and she returned it, walking back inside to the ball behind Maxwell.

“Lady Emma!”

“Bertrand!” She mocked his rushed tone and waited for him to explain.

“I've been looking everywhere for you. Adelaide and Godfrey are alone, you should talk to them now.” Emma made her way over to Adelaide and tried to recruit her with no luck, she also had no luck with Godfrey, but she was able to figure out why everyone was so tense. It was something at least, she needed to talk to Madeleine again though, Bertrand would be furious if she didn't recruit her.

“Any luck?” Hana asked. Emma shook her head.

“I need to talk to Madeleine again, I know what's bothering them all.”

“I think that's going to have to wait.” Emma followed Maxwell's gaze to where Neville was asking Madeleine to dance. Emma's lips curled into a smile, Liam was nowhere to been seen.

“Let's show them how it's done Drake.” He looked at her wide-eyed and shook his head. “You want to give him the courtly middle finger, this is how you do it. You've got this.” Emma grabbed his hand and dragged him on to the dance floor. Drake took one look at Neville and his demeanor changed, he deftly began guiding Emma through the steps. She looked over her shoulder and saw him scowling at them, Emma turned back to Drake and grinned.

“We're definitely getting to him.”

“Guess he can't handle a little competition.” Neville grew increasingly showy, twirling Madeleine and gliding her across the dance floor, his scowl never leaving them.

“I think he's going to do something big. Can you do a lift?” Emma looked at Drake and was genuinely concerned, she wasn't going to ask him to do something that would hurt him. He nodded and met her gaze, he could do it. As the music crested, Drake lifted Emma by her waist and spun her as she threw her arms back, he gently set her down as the music stopped.

“That was amazing Drake!” Emma wrapped her arms around him and laughed as their friends rushed over.

“I guess she really was teaching you to dance. Stop holding out on me Drake!”

“Where'd you learn to do that Drake?” Hana joined them as Neville stormed over. Again, he tried to pick a fight with Drake and the others.

“Just because you did one waltz doesn't mean you belong here with us.”

“Why are you so threatened by Drake? It it because you know that no matter what you do in your sniveling life you'll never be as good as the commoner who took a bullet for the future queen.” Emma got in Neville's face and he took a step back sneering.

“That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.”

“Really? Then why are you running with your tail tucked between your legs?” Neville huffed and walked off, at a loss of words.

“Thanks Barnes.” Before Emma could say anymore, she heard a commotion and turned to see what it was. Madeleine and her parents had begun arguing in raised voices.

Tag List:  @notoriouscs @sleepwalkingelite @brightpinkpeppercorn @ooo-barff-ooo @princesstopgun @choicesyouplayandmore @leelee10898@roonarific @indigo39 @skyila @speedyoperarascalparty @andy-loves-corgis @furiousherringoperatortoad @blackwidow2721 @drakewalkerfics@findingdrake @sue9659 @smritysriv

[jjkookie07]

Always and Forever- Chapter 5

Jungkook x Reader ( Mayze) warlock x vampire AU

genre: Angst x Fluff x Smut

Chapter 4 Chapter 6

January 3rd  2018

The marble table, 4 meters long, was arranged for the feast. Three high chandeliers held black candles. Their feet were embellished with pink roses. The white plates decorated with gold leaf were perfectly assembled with tableware. Yoongi was playing the piano in the next room, both connected through a massive arch made of white marble with gold details. The song he sings brings so much calm to the tense atmosphere. Inside, he knew this meeting with her was inevitable. It's time to explain why he had to leave his younger sister behind with strangers.

It was going to be a closed party to welcome the new girl in town. Everything was perfect. Namjoon and Seokjin welcome guests. Hana ran with Taehyung in the impressive garden of roses that Seokjin highly appreciated. It was a new passion he had discovered besides cooking.

"Stop Hana! You are going to fall and ruin your pretty dress and your aunty isn't going to be happy about it" Taehyung warned the little girl that was enjoying the game. He places his big hands on her waist and raised her above his head pretending to drop her. Feeling the adrenaline the little girl started to laugh histerically. She really loved spending time with her favorite vampire beside her parents.

"When I am older I am going to marry you Taehyungie" She said placing her hands on Taehyung's cheeks and pulling them.

"I am going to wait for you then" He whispered and raised her again above his head. He never thought about this possibility and he wasn't going to act like a pedophile.

Placing the little girl on his hip he stared walking towards the big house, the little girl was dangling her feet in the air, enjoying the way the light was shinning on her ballet shoes.

The girl entered the door with confidence, everyone that sat around the table rose except for Mayze. She looked at the very beautiful girl, analyzing her from head to toe. The wolf girl had a peaceful and at the same time an almost rudimentary aura around her. Her dress was ripped and seamlessly sewn in some places. This makes Mayze stand up and head toward the girl. Jungkook walks behind Mayze to protect it but the real reason was that he wanted to escape the sharp eyes of his Hoseok.

“ Don’t worry I am going to provide her a dress” Mayze said  without turning around and looking at Jungkook. The girl followed her up the stairs into the big closet.

“ I am Mayze. I hope we can be friends. There are not many supernatural girls around here.” She said while browsing around the room for the perfect dress. Her eyes settled on a long black dress with trees painted from the hem up to the waist. “I think this would look lovely on you”.

“ I am Momo by the way and thank you for your kindness. I’ve never had such a refined girl friend. “ She spoke full of honesty.

“ I really do believe that we girls should always look after each other, plus I don’t want people look at you like you are a beggar.” Mayze said but quickly continued “ Not that you are but vampire are usually judgemental”

“ I will keep that in mind.” She raised her arms for Mayze to put the dress on her. Now everything was perfect.

Namjoon stood up from his chair, raised the crystal glass and slowly taped it with his knife, earning the attention of everyone in the room. The chatter stopped, a morbid silence falling on the room.

“As you all might heard we have a new wolf in town. Because I wanted to redeem myself and to apologize for my hurtful words and to show once again that family is above all, I decided to search for a long lost sibling. I want to present you, Momo or better said Yoongi's younger sister” He slowly motioned towards the girl that was staring at her lap, playing with the veil of her dress.

Yoongi stood up as well looking directly at his sister that has being avoiding him ever since the night begin. “ I am extremely happy to have her back into my life. Firstly I would like to apologize for not being there when she needed me. I was a coward and thought that she would be better off with her own kind. But the truth is that I was jealous that her life was much more interesting than mine, she was belonging somewhere and I was not. That is till I’ve meet Jimin and he literally saved my life. And so I would like to hold a toast for my baby sister.” As soon as Yoongi finished his speech everyone raised the glasses except Hoseok. He suddenly stood up and emerged out of the room leaving a trail of dust behind him.

“ I will need to have a word with the maid, there is too much dust here.” Seokjin commented trying to distract everyone from the scene Hoseok has caused.

"Why did you bring me here with you?” Jungkook asked placing his hand on her hip while his other hand was holding a glass of wine."Because I thought you could have fun some where outside your house. Plus you are also part of the community and you have to know who comes and who leaves, right?" She smiled, her red lip complimenting her pale skin. She was gorgeous and he was feeling his heart tighten thinking that she was his in anyway. "Let's dance" She said earning a frown from Jungkook that was just finding a place to sit down. This kind of parties weren't his thing but he wanted to make her happy, see her bright smile" I can't dance." he confessed and she turned around with a shocked expression. "It's important to know how to dance" She said. "Why is that?" He took a sip of his drink slowly pulling her hand, motioning her to sit next to him "I’ve heard someone once saying that men dance the same way they have sex. So, if you want everyone here to think you're the kind of guy who just sits around and—"  He stood up. "Let's dance.”

He placed on of his hands on her hips while the other one was holding her other hand. They moved slowly on the dance floor, enjoy the old and romantic song that was playing. "I haven't dance in years" he confessed then he pulled her closer and tighten the grip on her waist. "It's not that bad - the party. I always thought that those kind of events were boring." He continued. " I guess you do make all things better including my life. " Before she could say anything, he cupped her face and brushed his lips against hers. It was a soft and sweet kiss, long enough to bring attention. He pulled back gently not before whispering softly "I love you".

"You love me?" Her eyes went as wide as possible and her mouth was pressed in a second against his. "I feel the same but I can't say it yet, not until I am just yours" She murmured against his parted lips. The song soon came to an end and he grabbed her hand pulling her towards the balcony. The sky was so clear the stars were shinning so bright and for a moment they forgot there was a world down there that they were going to face in the morning. But the future should be left for tomorrow because now they are going to live in the present.  "I never want to hurt you. When I am not with you I feel alone. I want to always sit next to you on the old table while you prepare your spells. Even if it's quiet, it's a good quiet" He rested his elbows on the stone balcony and turned to face her. "That sounds like a marriage proposal." Her face turned into an amused one and she grabbed his tie pulling him closer and placing a peck on his lips. "Later baby"

“ You want to marry me?” He pulled away with a surprised expression. His heart was beating inside his neck now. Everything about her was always so fresh and unexpected. “Yes I would but maybe in like a few years.”

"I have his blood" She whispered and pressed her head closer, against his chest."I am so sorry I have such a complicate life. I wish you would have come earlier." She whispered and he tightened his grip around her body. His lips brushed against her hair, kissing the crown of her head "We all hurt. We all love. We’re the same. And your past, who you live with, where you came from, it doesn’t have to matter. You’re creating your own future, and I want to see where the road forward takes you and I want to walk with you". She covered her face trying to keep her tears from falling. This was overwhelming and sometimes everything was too much to handle but now she had him and he had her. "I didn't take you for a cry baby" He said out loud after few seconds only to earn a slap on the chest " I feel emotional lately". She turned her head to look at him and he did the same sensing her movement. I fight the grin that’s trying to surface. For all his sweet words and shucks smiles, Jungkook really was an alpha fucker. There was something sweet mixed with something evil about him but she loved it nevertheless.