#but i just mentioned that like yesterday so

[qwimblenorrisstan]

(im back, christmas break is here!!)

tw: mentions of abuse, violence, sexism (but secondary gender), omegaverse dynamics, crying, heavy angst no aftercare (again)

The uncomfortable tension in the room was palpable as they all sat in their usual debriefing room. Usually, the nest was a place for such a personal and volatile topic such as this, but none of them felt worthy of being there now. Not with how they’d treated you.

Soap was tapping his foot against the floor, the pattern uneven and sporadic, until Gaz snapped at him.

“Could you quit it, mate?” It had come out harsher than he’d meant. Soap huffed through his nose but obliged. They were all tense and on edge, their usually oh-so-controlled scents now sour and bitter with unease and anxiety.

In the field, they had their skills and weapons to fix problems, to take out the enemy. But here, back home? They had absolutely nothing in this fight. No amount of backup or fights could win this for them. In this fight, they were the enemy, and the only way to win this was by fixing the sacred little strand keeping you together that they had so carelessly unwound until it had snapped.

Ghost looked to Price. His hand was in his beard, thoughtfully running through the hair, stressed as Ghost has ever seen him. A sour pang of guilt shot through him. If he hadn’t tried forcing you to his scent gland, then you wouldn’t be in this position, and he wouldn’t have messed everything up, again—

“Y’re thinking too much.”

Price muttered, Simon’s feelings clear through the thick scent that somehow seemed to overpower everyone else’s in the air. He swallowed thickly. They needed a plan of action, some way to fix this, and the only way Price saw things being mended was by a lot of time and effort.

Gaz let the silence simmer for a moment, before speaking up.

“Cane Baker Syndrome, I looked it up yesterday night, it’s just like the med’ said. PTSD. Do you think…?”

An alpha being abused wasn’t as commonplace as it had used to be. Only 50 years ago, if you’d stepped into the common era, you’d see alpha’s being forced to work for a family they’d been forced into providing, their protective instincts abused. Among the more insane practices had been scratching out an alpha’s scent gland, so they couldn’t scent or get attached to their offspring, meaning the omega got the child all to themselves.

Awful things such as that had been outlawed years ago, but still happened in little forgotten corners of the world where loopholes existed.

“We can’t know for sure, but based on their reaction, I’d say we have a safe assumption. When they’re in a better….state of mind, we can ask a few questions.”

Price answered, voice heavy with an edge of guilt that seemed to grow richer by the second. Soap’s incessant tapping started up again, anxiety clearly chewing away at him. He couldn’t defuse you or the situation they’d created so easily like any other bomb he might during a mission.

“Could we get a background check on them?”

He asked, a hint of desperation in his tone. All he wanted was for you to be better again, for things to go back to normal, for a second chance.

But as they all split up, and he went to the nest, usually all so warm and comfortable and smelling of their sweet, rich scents combined, all he found was isolation among his team, sour scents mingling with rotten ones, a few sniffles and the salty scent of tears, he knew one thing.

They’d made their bed. Now they had to lie in it.

(sorry for the short part I’ve been playing cod bo6 multiplayer a lot and I’m kinda addicted + depressive episode, but there’ll be more soon I promise!!)

Part 1 | Part 2 |

[nsharks]

bleeding blue | apocalypse au

part twenty-two —other parts

pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x fem!reader words: 5.2k tags: death. blood. cannibalism mention. zombies of course. AFAB reader. single dad ghost. there will be sex but it isn’t here yet. slow burn!!! enemies to lovers. summary: After losing your companions, you run into a skull-masked man and his daughter. They are your last hope for survival. a/n: I'm sorry lmaooo nine months... hopefully we can finish this thing!

B

"Hold him close to your chest, or he'll jump out of your arms. Here—like this."

Blue gently cradles the rabbit, then carefully tucks him into Ari's arms, guiding his hands to scoop under Grim's fluffy rear. She can't help but find it amusing that the boy who had taken her riding on such a large animal yesterday looks so wary holding a harmless bunny. A giggle bubbles up, and she bites her lip to keep it in.

"He's so... squirmy."

Blue keeps her hand on Grim, reassuring both the rabbit and him. "He's just ready for his breakfast. Want to help me feed him?"

"Sure."

Blue leads Ari to the hutch where the other rabbits are. She explains her morning routine, showing him how to supply the rabbits with enough grass, leaves, and berries to keep them healthy and plump. Not long ago, she was explaining this to Twix—the very person she forgot to say good morning to in a rush to find Ari outside. This time around, she wonders if Ari is genuinely interested or just being polite. She finds herself stealing glances at his face, studying his expressions perhaps longer than she should. His almond-shaped eyes and dark pink lips catch her attention.

He's cute.

It's not the first time the thought has crossed her mind since these strangers appeared. Cute like the men in her magazines, though he's not quite a man. Not in the way Ghost is. But he's taller than her by a head and two years older, evident in the notch on his throat and the deeper timbre of his voice.

But it doesn't matter. They are only here for a few days.

Blue closes the hutch and rocks on the soles of her boots. "Well, that was probably boring, huh? We could, um, go hunting if you want. Or to the pond. It's fun to swim there. Or maybe—" She pauses, mentally sifting through the limited activities available, frustration creeping in as none of them seem particularly impressive.

"This wasn't boring. Now I know rabbits are just as friendly as horses." He smiles.

"They are... except when Grim gets mad. Then he can be a bit of a jerk. Like if you accidentally step on his tail."

"I'd be pretty pissed if someone stepped on my tail, too."

"You don't have a tail."

"It's just a joke."

"Oh..." she fidgets with a strand of hair. "Right."

"The pond sounds good. It is fucking hot." Ari blows out a breath and swipes at the back of his neck.

"I know. So hot. Hot as balls."

Ari raises an amused brow. "Yeah, uh, hot as balls. Are you allowed to go by yourself, or do we need to ask your dad?"

"I get to do what I want," she lies easily with a shrug. "Buuuuut, we can ask Twix to go with us."

As long as Twix is with her, she suspects she can get away with not asking Ghost, who luckily is hunting with his old captain. It's not that he seems distrusting with these people as he did those first few months with Twix. Rather—she isn't thrilled about him knowing every little thing she does. She's never had anything just to herself. 

Twix is sitting on the porch, looking rather deep in thought as she skins a squirrel. Her hair is long, curtaining her face. When Blue asks if she wants to go to the pond, she agrees easily, claiming she has been meaning to cut her hair anyway with the encroaching warmth of summer. Nereida joins, too. 

Even early, the air is sticky, and the pond is cool and inviting. Ari rips his shirt off and jumps in without even a second to waste. Blue usually swims in her underwear and shirt, but she hesitates with her thumb in the belt loops of her jeans. She didn't consider that he would see her in her underwear. 

A soft touch to her shoulder. It's Twix. "Want me to grab you shorts real quick?"

"Um... yes. Yes please."

She changes into the shorts behind a tree. There is an odd pit in her stomach when she gets in the water. She doesn't quite know what it is, but it's similar to how she feels when she's scared sometimes. Ghost always tells her fear is a useless thing. It doesn't keep you alive. So she ignores it, shoves it down deep, and swims over to Ari with a purposeful splash that even wets Twix, who sits at the edge sharpening her knife.

"Damn. That's gonna cost you."

A splash is given in return, and then they are playing. High noon bounces shimmering light off the water as she tries to keep up with him, but at one point he sneaks up on her and she ends up with a mouthful. Nereida spends her time picking at some bunches of rosemary and Twix cuts her hair. But Blue doesn't notice any of that too much. When the water stills and they pause to catch their breath, Ari climbs onto a rock and shakes out his wet hair. She is quick to find a perch beside him. Absentmindedly, she pinches the bottom of her wet shirt to keep it from sticking to her chest.

"It's nice to have some place to swim so close by. Back at our old camp, there was lake but it was a few miles away, so my mom rarely let me go."

"I'm sorry, you know. About your mom. Mine is dead, too."

He half-smiles. "Thanks. I don't think about it too much anymore. My uncle and I have always been close so it helped to have him there." He nudges her shoulder. "You're damn lucky to have such a cool dad, huh?"

"Ghost?"

"Yeah, that guy is a beast. My uncle says they called him Ghost because no one could ever see him coming before suddenly, they were dead." 

"Oh, yeah, he is super cool," she quickly agrees. "He has taught me a lot."

"Shit, really?"

Nibbling the inside of her cheek, she shrugs to feign indifference. "I know how to throw knives pretty well."

"I gotta see that." His smirk etches a light dimple into his cheek. Then, his eyes flash behind her. "So what's up with his girlfriend?"

"Huh?" A divot forms between her brows before she follows his gaze, landing on Twix, whose hair is now just past her shoulders. She is wetting it, running her fingers through the newly cut strands. "Oh—Twix. That is not his girlfriend. She is my friend."

"You mean they don't sleep together?"

"Like in the same bed?"

"That's usually where people fuck, yeah."

He seems ready to laugh. She frowns, head tilting as confusion hums in her chest. "You mean like sex?"

He nods. "You know what that is, right?"

"Yeah, of course. I know all about it."

"You know they're probably doing it, right?"

"Ghost and Twix? No—no," she forces a laugh. "I mean, sometimes I catch him staring at her all weird. But I don't think—I mean, they hardly like each other and she is my friend, really, not his. He used to make me stay away from her, even. But I mean, they do spend a lot of time together now. It's usually to practice fighting and defense. Not to have...sex."

"Don't they share a room?"

"Just right now, because you guys are here."

Ari chuckles. "You really think they aren't fucking in there? She's really pretty. There's no way they aren't."

Blue looks back at Twix. Blue's fingers curl into the soaked fabric of her top. Her eyes flick back to him. "She would've told me if they were."

"If you say so."

---

T

Your thumb throbs in rhythm with the steady pump of Kyle's arms. Despite pressing it into your palm to dull the pain, the ache persists. You had nicked it while sawing off your hair, and now the taste of blood lingers in your mouth. You were still lapping at the painful pulse when the three men arrived to the pond, carrying a neon orange inflatable raft. They want to test it out on the water before embarking on the 35-kilometer journey across the channel. 

It is the third day of their presence and you can honestly say you've grown more comfortable, given that Kyle has gone hunting with you a few times now. He is easy to talk to, along with Nereida. Price—however—doesn't seem intrigued by you, or maybe you are insignificant in comparison to the rest that is on his mind. That's fair. You don't all need to be friends.

They've been spending most of their time gathering food. Ghost has been helping Price hunt deer to skin and dry into jerky they can take with them. Nereida showed you a patch of wild strawberries she found yesterday, boiling them down into jams before canning them. By having food with them, they will save time from having to hunt along the way. In perfect conditions, it would be a straight path, and they could make it to the Swiss mountains within a month or two. But it won't be a straight path, and obstacles are bound to hinder them.

Kyle audibly growls and straightens, wiping at his percolated brow. "This chamber just isn't inflating."

"It must have a hole somewhere. Check the seams," Price says.

Ghost flips the half-filled raft over with ease, running his fingers along the PVC. "Here." He taps what must be a minuscule puncture because you can't see it from where you sit. 

They patch it up with the little adhesive they have. The unease is noticeable as Kyle keeps pumping in air; they only have enough to cover a few holes, if they come across more. Finally, the six-person raft is full and they toss it onto the pond. Just the sight gets you thinking of all the variables they have to think of on the open water: the weather, currents, temperature. You had a friend in high school who swam across it once. She didn't get even halfway but having to pulled out, vomiting, and near-hypothermia. Open seawater is different than a pool. Unpredictable and quick to change.

"It seems sturdy." Nereida winds an arm around her husband's waist, pressing a chaste kiss to the underside of his jaw. "Don't worry about it."

"As long as it stays sturdy."

"It will," she assures him.

The cut has crusted over by the time evening settles and you have to will yourself not to pick at it. You find yourself alone with the horse, watching the sun set behind the trees, as everyone else eats. 

"You probably don't like being tied up here, huh? You'd rather be running around." The coarse mane engrosses your fingers. Cherry bobs her head and a wet muzzle brushes your elbow. It tickles and you smile softly. "I wonder what will happen to you once they leave," you whisper. "Horses can't fit in a raft, huh?"

"No, they can't."

A hand presses into her neck beside yours, the person's arm extending over your shoulder. You crane your neck at Kyle but his eyes are on the animal, thoughtful, brows lowered. You wet your lips and step to the side to bring more space between your bodies. 

"Not hungry either?" you ask.

Finally he looks at you, lips quirked at the side. "Nah. I had a big lunch." He stops petting her and crosses his arms, chin tilting. "Ever ridden a horse before?"

"Once or twice. As a kid."

His eyes almost lean dark green in the cast of orange light, but it must be a mere illusion. "Care to go for a ride?"

His eyebrow rises expectantly. You glance back at the cabin and then at Cherry. "Why not?"

He instructs you how to get on. You grip the knob of the saddle and flex your core, hoisting yourself with more strength than you've had to use in a few days. Kyle sits behind you and grips the reins after untying her. The last time you were on a horse was for a friend's birthday party; you trekked through a ranch on a white pony. Cherry is much taller than that one was, or maybe you're not fond of being so high up. You thread your fingers through her mane.

It is a silent ride at first as you try to ignore the sting on your butt, unused to firm leather seat. He must notice your discomfort because he tells you to relax and lean back. You do, until your spine brushes against his chest. It helps a little.

Cherry trots calmly through the trees, towards the circle of stumps that marks the east. 

"Do you think she will be able to take care of herself?" you break the quiet. 

"I'm sure she will be fine. Smart girl, huh, Cherry?"

The sun has disappeared but it isn't quite dark yet. "Are you scared?"

A breathy chuckle emits from behind you. He must realize what you are referring to—scared for the journey. "Yeah, always. I mean—I'm scared about Ari. He's the last family I got, and as old as he thinks he is, he's still young and naive. I still have to make choices for him."

"I was terrified of losing Joseph," you admit, and swallow. "He was so young and fragile. It felt like...like trying to keep an egg from cracking when your hands are made of stone. But at least I never had to take him to another country."

"That was your nephew? Joseph?"

You nod. 

"Tell me about him."

You rack your brain. "Well, he was seven. And he..." You smile to yourself. "He was the pickiest eater in the world, even when we were all starving. I could not get him to eat meat unless I practically burned it. And he liked to look at bugs. I did, too, when I was young. I used to dig up worms when it rained to show him." He hums a gentle laugh behind you. You find yourself lost in the thought of it for a second. "Sometimes I...I think about how once I die, there will be no one left to remember those little things about him. Then, he will be completely gone, you know?"

You don't know why you're telling him this. You shake your head. "Sorry."

"Don't be. We gotta talk about shit like that or else we'll go crazy."

"I'm pretty sure I'm already crazy."

"Probably." A deer passes to the left and Cherry startles, but he is quick to soothe her with a flick of the reins and a stern—easy. She settles. "Are you scared?" he asks after a moment.

"Of what?"

"Of traveling so far."

"Well, I don't know if Ghost..." you trail off, absorbing the tone of his voice. You stiffen. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"I mean how we're all leaving in a month."

"Wait—stop." You grip his hand over the rein with more force than necessary, urging him to bring Cherry to a halt. You twist your spine and gape at him. "What are you talking about?"

He eyes you with a frown, and rubs his neck. "Shit. I thought he already told you."

"No, he didn't. Tell me," you demand.

He clears his throat. "He, uh, agreed to come this morning, but only if we take another month to prepare and shit. Get his daughter ready, sort things out."

You try not tremble in anger as his words sink in, clenching your hands as your breath picks up. "Take me back," you breathe out, brain racing. "I want to go back now."

The ride back is silent. You feel shaken. Your nail digs deep into the nick on your thumb unthinkingly until there is a smear of blood over your fingers. The others are getting ready for bed when the two of you return, moon bright. You bite your tongue until Ghost leaves to his room, then you follow him, closing the door as gently as you can behind you.

He is halfway through peeling off his socks and stuffing them in his boots when you approach. "What happened to being a man of your word?" 

He looks up, resting his palms on his parted knees, looking far too relaxed for your liking. 

When he doesn't respond, you add, "You were supposed to tell me. You said you fucking would."

Your voice is low but harsh.

He stands, a calm understanding washing through his eyes. "I was about to tell you."

You throw up your arms but try to stay quiet. "Bullshit. You're just saying that now. You've had all day to tell me."

"I was waiting for the right time."

"You think I can't handle it," you accuse, an ugly snarl on your face. "That I don't deserve to be apart of these conversations even after everything I have done for you, and for her. I saved her life! You get pissed at me for not telling you about stupid things, meanwhile you don't communicate something so important like we are leaving with them in a month to fucking Switzerland. Does Blue know? Or do you keep your own blood in the dark, too?"

He growls quietly and takes hold of your chin, tilting your gaze to his. His touch is firm but far from bruising. "I am not lying to you. I wanted to have a conversation right now, where it could just be us. And no—I haven't told her. How I explain this to my child is not your concern." There is a command in his voice that forces you to calm down some, but your breath is still warm through your nose. He moves his hand to gently thumb a strand of shortened hair off your forehead, staring at it for a second, before gripping your chin again. "There is nothing I think you cannot handle. Now, who told you about this?"

Blotches of red crawl over your cheeks. "It doesn't...it doesn't matter."

He is visibly unsatisfied. He taps his thumb against your chin. "Tell me."

"It was...Kyle," you concede in an exhale. "He assumed I already knew."

His eyes darken. "It wasn't his place to assume."

"He didn't mean to." You reach up to pry his hand off, and he relents, leaving your jaw feeling sore. You rub it. "Why a month?" You try to change the topic.

He takes a deep, steadying breath and looks away, jaw flexing. "She needs time. I want to prepare her for all possible outcomes. I still don't think she is ready, but that doesn't matter. There won't be another opportunity like this in the future. I have to make her ready." He sits down on the edge of the bed and sits his elbows on his thighs, collecting his thoughts before adding, "And the weather is a big factor. Just because we have means to get across the water doesn't mean it will happen safely. The current is most predictable in July and August. We will wait until then."

You mentally sort through everything he is saying, willing yourself not to linger on the fact that you are beyond scared. Scared to leave the place you have finally felt safe in. Scared to clearly be the odd one out again. A tag-along. Everyone else in this group has a loved one looking out for them. You have yourself. You don't know if you have Ghost, really—not when Blue is the one he loves. His allegiance can only go so far.

"Okay," you whisper, more to yourself than to him. "A month, then. What about shelter? The nights will be our most vulnerable."

"We'll look for the safest places for the night. There'd be seven of us, so plenty of eyes to keep watch."

"And what if we run into a horde?"

"Well, we have plenty of ammo now for that." He flicks his eyes up to yours. "Thanks to you."

You nibble your cheek, palming your chest as if to calm your heart. 

"A month," he reminds you. "We will account for everything."

"Okay," you say again. There is a tinge of embarrassment over your outburst, but he doesn't seem fazed, as if you hadn't just barged in the room yelling at him. "Okay."

A click of his tongue. "Any more questions?"

"Not...not for now, I guess."

A few silent beats pass. The tension has left the room, leaving you with a wave of fatigue. Ghost must notice because he rises, gesturing to the bed. "Go on, then." 

The bed is yours again. Too exhausted to question it, you slip under the quilt, curling into a fetal position by the slanted ceiling. It's best to enjoy the warmth before you're back on the move. A week journeying through the woods was the worst you'd ever endured, barely surviving. Now, it'll be months, or however long it takes to reach the goddamn Swiss mountains.

The light flicks off. There is a groan in the mattress and heady warmth spills over you. Your eyes fly open. "What are you doing?"

"Getting some sleep."

You turn around to see him lying beside you, flat on his back, with his arms crossed behind his head. "Together?"

"Clearly neither of us fancies the floor."

You flush, feeling his firm thigh brush against yours. "Just... keep to your side."

"I'll be a gentleman, if you're worried."

"I'm not," you mumble. "How do you even sleep in that thing, by the way?"

"Like a baby."

"Don't you think it's weird that Kyle has seen you without it and I haven't?"

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Twix."

"And mental sanity doesn't suit you, Simon."

"Don't recall giving you permission to use that name."

"What, only your old captain gets to use it? How close were the two of you, exactly?"

Teasing him feels better than you're willing to admit.

He grunts. A pillow is thrashed against the side of your face. "Go to sleep."

"Yes, sir," you bite into the pillow.

Your instinct is to flinch closer to the edge, though it is difficult given the small size of the bed and the unnatural size of him. Your knees float off the mattress. Still, his sprawled-out position leaves points of connection. The bastard. Your back, his elbow. Your feet, his calf. Small touches that do a surprisingly good job at soothing the mess in your brain.

---

You awake. Warm and rested.

Safe.

Morning light streams in, turning the backs of your eyelids red. Your face nudges forward until your nose brushes against fabric—a shirt. Awareness settles in slowly. Your toes stretch and brush against another set of toes. You realize you’re curled close against someone.

He’s still on his back, his right arm draped across your waist, fingertips resting on your exposed hip. Your breath hitches, and you do your best not to flinch. Your face is nuzzled into his chest, close enough to discern ribs from muscle. His steady breathing and gentle rumbles indicate he’s still asleep. You’re ready to peel yourself away when you notice your leg is on top of his, practically trapping him.

Fuck.

You stay still, devising a plan to extricate yourself without him noticing the position you're in. Then, in one swift motion, you leap up, removing all contact, and breathe hard as if ripped from a nightmare.

His eyes open and he swears. "Jesus. What was that?"

"Just a dream," you lie. "Sorry for waking you."

You jump out of the bed and practically run out before he can say anything; before he can realize how odd it'd be for you to have a dream when you haven't had one since... since staying in his room.

You lock yourself in the bathroom and grip the counter, knuckles whitening in the attempt to erode the feel of his warmth that seems to linger. A lump is forced down your throat as you lean back against the wall and close your eyes for a moment. When they reopen, you look down and lift your shirt, only to find the indent of strong fingertips brandishing your plush hip. Jesus. Your stomach knots and unknots. 

"You didn't like that," you whisper to yourself. You brush your thumb over the marks, gently at first, then palming them hard as if to erase them. You drop your shirt and look at the mirror. "You did not like that."

Before someone can stumble upon you talking to yourself, you comb your fingers through tousled strands and slip out. It seems most others are awake. How could you and Ghost have slept so long? Usually, the two of you are up with the sun. 

"Hey. Morning," you greet when you spot Blue on the porch, belly down, as she plays checkers with Kyle's nephew. She glances over her shoulder. Something in her bright eyes seems...off, but you can't put your finger on it.

"Hi. Is Ghost up yet?"

"Hm? Oh, uh—not sure. I didn't check, really."

"Okay." She looks back at the game and says nothing else. You feel as though she saw right through you. Or maybe that boy has told her everything. Surely he knows about Ghost's plans? Kyle had to have told him. Maybe that is why Blue seems upset, but like he said, it isn't your place to say anything. 

You are itching for a hunt. 

It feels urgent, for some reason. Like you want to get out of here before Ghost can be up, too. You find Kyle and he suggests that the two of you take Cherry so you can get go further south where he claims there is a meadow to look for deer. It is difficult to ride with him behind you and a bow on your back, so he wears it for you. You can feel his eyes on the back of your head.

"Awfully quiet this morning. Penny for your thoughts?"

"I talked to him," is what you give. "Last night."

"Ah. How'd that go?"

"It was fine. I mean, I am getting used to the idea."

"That's good. It'll be worth it, you know. Once we get there. Finally get to have a semblance of a normal life."

A normal life. You almost snort at the thought. 

The morning grows longer, and not even the haircut can save you from the sweat that gathers. You make it to the meadow after an hour of horseback that leaves your thighs bristling. He helps you down and ties Cherry to a tree. You wade through tall, bright grasses that sway in the humid breeze. It looks vaguely familiar, stirring something in your gut that has your boots frozen for a moment. 

Kyle looks back at you, noticing that you've stopped following. "Good?"

"I just—I think I've been here once before. When I was on my own. I came this way." Your eyes scan the surrounding trees, where the meadow feeds into the forest, and an a gnarly oak with distinctive branches catches your eye. "I definitely have been here. I slept in that tree."

You push into the meadow, shaking off the memory. Staying close to Kyle, you listen as he lightly shares memories from the military, careful not to startle any potential deer. He talks about his time in Afghanistan, mentioning that his brother was also there, but at a different base. Kyle didn't even know his brother had died until weeks later because he was out in the field.

"After Afghanistan is when I met Ghost the first time."

"Oh?"

He nods. "He was my lieutenant when I went to Russia. I was scared shitless of him at first. I mean, he had a bit of a reputation and I was only 22."

"He was good at what he did," you say.

"More than that. People said he was up to some shit outside of what he did, but that was just rumors."

You think you spot a streak of gold through the grass, but it is just a stalk of wild wheat. You look back at him. "What do you mean?"

"May have heard a thing or two about him killing a guy off-duty. Of course, unconfirmed, otherwise he wouldn't have been enlisted again."

He killed someone? Like actual murder? You're about to ask more, your mind flashing back to your face pressed against him an hour earlier. Then you spot a deer. Kyle sees it too and motions for you to stay quiet. Your boots are nearly silent as you draw an arrow, squinting to see clearer. There are three deer: an adult female and two fawns. You draw the string and aim for the adult, the easier target.

"I'll get the doe," you whisper.

"Gotcha."

The beady black eyes turn your way, and you hesitate for a moment. There's movement, a flash of grey, and the doe snaps her eyes in another direction. What is she looking at? Your brows furrow, arrow following her gaze, when the answer appears: a Grey launching toward the deer. The three deer run off, and you release the arrow, aiming for the Grey's head instead.

"Motherfucker. Ruined the kill," Kyle mutters.

You weave toward the corpse, surprised to see such a fast one alone, indicating a new infection. The stench is pungent, enveloping you in a thick cloud. You shudder. The Grey writhes, your arrow lodged in its neck instead of its brain. You draw another arrow and aim when a hand suddenly grips your shoulder.

"Twix," Kyle breathes in your ear.

"What?" 

You look away from the Grey and follow Kyle's gaze, your eyes widening in horror as you realize the terrible smell isn't from this single creature. It's hundreds. A dark, grey mist that unfurls through the trees. A growing chorus of agony as their tattered bodies collide—some limping, others hurtling forward in a grotesque dance, but all converging on the meadow.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Twelve Days: Part 2^**

In days 5-8 Y/N confronts her sister about her behavior. The tension between Harry and Y/N starts to grow as they continue spending more time together after hours until it's just impossible not to address it. READ PART 1 HERE

Warnings: infidelity, break ups, mentions of depression and anxiety and their symptoms, mentions and use of alcohol and drugs, breast/ nipple play, dry humping

WC: 7.1K

Day Five:

When you woke up the following morning you were alone in the bed which definitely was for the best because you felt really guilty for the night before. Yeah, you hadn’t actually gone through with anything terrible, but you two had crossed a boundary that shouldn’t have been crossed. Maybe it was because you were both a little heartbroken over the things that you were going through personally, but ultimately, that didn’t really justify anything. 

Despite the very successful night of sleep you’d had, you felt a little unwell. Your stomach felt funky and your thoughts were going a hundred miles a minute. You didn’t want to get out of bed today even though you knew that a walk around the neighborhood would help you feel a little less gross, both physically and mentally. It seemed like a great day to just be lowkey and rot and then your door creaked open and you sat up to see your mom peering in.

“Sorry, I thought you’d still be asleep. Was just seeing if your sister had stayed with you or something.” She explained with a worried expression on her face.

“No. I was alone. All night.” You added with a nervous lump in your throat.

“Hmmm…did she say anything to you last night?”

“No. But she was out with Claudia, she’s not here?”

“She is, but she said they came back together.”

“Maybe she went out for a walk or a run. I saw her the other day when I went out.” You explained and she nodded and left.

The logical thing to assume was that she had spent the night with that guy she was sleeping with. Doing this on a family trip was a new low. Suddenly, you didn’t feel so bad for having the hots for Harry because she was out with another guy! That alone was enough to motivate you to get out of bed and you called your sister while you paced around your room back and forth waiting former to pick up. 

“Hello?” She hummed happily and you sighed.

“Where are you? Everyone’s freaking out!” You whisper shouted, trying not to sound too angry with her because you technically weren’t supposed to know what was actually going on.

“I went to have breakfast with a friend! I left a note by the door!” She said and you sighed, “I’ll be back in like an hour tops.”

“Why didn’t you text Harry back then?”

“I didn’t want to text him and wake him. You guys did a lot yesterday and he was pretty tired. I got back late and slept in Claudia’s room.” She fibbed and you hummed.

“Well just…hurry back.”

“Yeah. Bye!” She said and hung up quickly. 

You got your slippers on and headed out to the kitchen where your mom was making coffee for everyone.

“She answered my call. She’s out at breakfast with a friend who’s also here, I guess.” You said and just like that, the crease between your mother’s brows was ironed out. 

“Oh, thank god.”

“She said she left a note by the door.” You said and your aunt hurried over and was soon back in sight with a piece of paper.

“I may have missed it in my panic!” Claudia chuckled and your dad rolled his eyes.

“Well, what do you guys want to eat?” Your mom asked.

“I don’t care, I just want some mimosas.” Harry said and headed to the fridge to get the champagne.

“Excellent idea!” Your dad exclaimed happily and you smiled and started heading back to your bedroom.

“Hey, where are you off to?” Harry asked.

“Just gonna wash up and get dressed.” You informed and he smiled and got back to his task. 

Despite her promise to return in an hour or so, your sister was not back until nearly two in the afternoon. Your parents were inside watching a movie with your aunt and you and Harry were pretending to play tennis. Pretending because you had no idea what you were doing, you were just winded from all the back and forth. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed. You and Harry were laughing about you accidentally hitting the ball over the fence when your sister came out to the back and towards the pool house. Suddenly the laughter died down and Harry headed towards you.

“I should go talk to her.” He said and you bit your lip for a second.

“Ummm…let me.” You said, “I can get her to tell me the truth and then talk a little sense into her.”

“You shouldn’t have to…”

“I know. But this is super fucked up and everyone’s all confused and she’s just going to yell at you, so let me try.”

“Alright.” He agreed and you nodded once before heading towards the pool house.

You did feel extremely nervous as you reached for the door handle but you had to talk some sense into her. It seemed that she was just over pretending to be happy and didn’t care how it all came out. However, you knew that your sister actually really cared for how she was outwardly perceived, so this was extremely out of character for her. As soon as she heard the front door open she sighed.

“Spare me the argument, Harry. He’s gone.” She called out as you rounded the corner.

“Who’s gone?” You asked and she quickly turned around from walking over to the bathroom.

“No one. Just a friend Harry’s jealous of.” She mumbled with a shake of her head.

“Mmm…some friend that must be because Harry’s not the jealous type.” You said as you sat on the corner of the bed. Showing her that you had no intention of leaving any time soon.

“And how would you know that?”

“Because I’ve known the guy for almost 10 years, Julie! It takes a lot to upset him. Him not being the jealous type was one of the things you really liked about him when you were dating. You told me about it many times.” You reminded her. “You’ve got everyone thrown for a loop with how you’ve been acting.”

“Oh my god…don’t make this a thing.”

“I’m not! This is very much a thing already. What is going on, huh?” You pressed and she sighed.

“Nothing, Y/N! Just mind your business.”

“What’s really going on?” You pressed and she groaned.

“You wouldn’t even understand so just stay out of it, Y/N!” she raised her voice.

“Try me.” You said simply and her anger seemed to dissipate and she just stood there for a second, genuinely giving it some thought. And then her eyes started welling up.

“I can’t.” She said and you frowned.

“Why not?” You questioned.

“Because you’re going to think so badly of me.” She said and you frowned.

“Jules, I’d never judge you.” You said sincerely and she sighed. “Look ummm…Harry, h-he told me about you.” You said carefully and her jaw dropped as her tears started to fall. She quickly sat beside you and started sobbing, so you pulled her into your side. It was strange for you but you wanted her to know that this mistake she had made wasn’t enough to make you not love her. Despite your slightly complicated relationship, she was important to you and you wanted nothing more than the best for her. “It’s okay…” you assured her. 

After she calmed down some, you grabbed her Stanley for her and let her drink a bit as you grabbed some toilet paper so that she could blow her nose. She let out a long exhale and then let herself fall back onto the mattress.

“I’m a major demisexual and I’m in love with someone else and yes, I’ve been…having an affair with him.” She confessed.

“For how long?” You asked.

“There’s been three separate times.” She explained, “The first time Harry and I had been dating a few months and ummm…it happened at a work party and it went on for about a month. It ended because Harry caught us a friend’s wedding and he dumped me for a few days for it. Then again, right after Harry and I got engaged.” You frowned as you heard this, “And that one lasted like four months.” She explained and your jaw slightly dropped upon hearing this. “I know…and it just…it fucked me up! I started to doubt and was sort of on the fence until we were like three months away from the wedding! I just, I was trying to find the courage to end it with Harry.” she cried and you nodded as you listened, “And then it was the month before the wedding and I missed my period.” Julie explained and you nodded. “By that point Joey and I hadn’t seen each other for three months! Because he had given me an ultimatum and that’s what made me decide to leave Harry. But yeah, then that happened and I just…felt like it was a sign to stay.” She shrugged.

“So…what happened with that?” You asked carefully.

“Nothing. I mean, I was just late. Probably stress from the wedding and the decision I was making with Harry…and I think I had started on birth control a few weeks prior, so yeah, it was just a late. But I still took that as a sign, you know and I stayed with Harry. I didn’t talk to Joey all this time until last year. I decided that maybe being friends on social media would be alright after all those years. Like we were such good friends and I did miss that. But obviously, that was a slippery slope and here we are… and I mean, I’ve loved him all this time. But I’ve also loved Harry enough to stay. But then when Joey and I started talking again that love for Harry was gone.” She said sadly. She brought her hands up to her face and groaned into them. “I’m such a horrible human being! I’m a piece of shit!” 

“You’re not, Jules. You did a horrible and shitty thing, but you’re not that.” You assured her. “If you don’t love Harry anymore then why don’t you just get divorced?” You asked.

“This is what I hate myself for most!” She cried. “I just know that…leaving Harry is not the best option for me. Joey is flighty and kind of a fuck boy! But he still cares about me. So then I think if I show him that I am that committed to him he won’t be so afraid of trying with me for real.” She explained and you wanted to laugh. That was maybe the most delusional thing you had ever heard in your life. You felt so bad for her.

“I know how fucking delusional that makes me sound! Trust me, I know! That’s why I haven’t left Harry. Because logic is completely out the window right now! And I mean, m-maybe with time I’ll fall for Harry again? I mean, I did once before…” she explained as the tears streamed down her face.

“I’m sorry.” You said lowly. 

“Don’t be…I did this to myself.” She sniffled. “And now I’m dragging one of the best persons in the world down with me.” She whimpered before she started to cry again. “I know I’m being selfish but I’m so scared!” She broke down again and you pouted. 

“I know how scary it is to be alone, but you’re going to punish Harry for it and I don’t need to tell you how unfair that is. You get both things and he gets nothing? I mean, you both deserve the chance to be with people that make you happy.” You reasoned.

“Yeah…I know.” She whimpered before letting out another sob.

She continued crying for several more minutes before she had calmed down. You were gently rubbing her back as she was turned away from you. You could sense her shame, is was so great that it was suffocating the both of you. 

“Look, I think you need to have a nice relaxing shower. Wash the day away, yeah? And I can make you a really great cocktail and then we can watch a Mean Girls.” You suggested and she rolled over and gave you a confused look.

“That’s not a Christmas movie!” She exclaimed. Your family also had a rule that during the Christmas season you could only watch Christmas movies with another member of the family.

“Not entirely but it does contain one the most iconic Christmas scenes in cinematic history and that alone makes it Christmas-y enough!” You defended and she smirked.

“Your right. Love that movie.” She hummed and you smiled.

“I know.” You responded.

“Well, it sounds like a plan.” She said with a smile.

“Alright.” You confirmed. 

“On your way out can you send Harry in? I should apologize.” She decided and you nodded and got up to go. 

Harry was sitting on one of the pool chairs when you emerged from the pool house and he instantly sat up and glanced around to see you approaching. He looked a little nervous and you offered a small smile to reassure him some.

“She told me the truth.” You said and his looked surprised, “I know. And ummm, she asked if you’d give her a few, she wants to apologize.” You said and his features softened.

“Yeah, of course.” He said and immediately sat up.

“Good luck in there.”

“Thank you.” He smiled as you went your separate ways. Despite how badly you wanted to eaves drop in hopes for some indication of how the supposed apology was going, when you got to your bedroom you decided to have a shower instead. 

By the time you were out and making the cocktails, Harry was also arriving at the kitchen from his bedroom, freshly showered.

“Can you add a bit more f’me? I’m gonna watch the film with you two.”

“Oh, sure!” You agreed easily. “So it’s good with you guys?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” He assured and you were pleased with that.

And truly, for the rest of the day everything was great. It honestly felt like the tension that you’d sensed this entire time had evaporated and you hoped that it would stay that way for the remainder of the trip.

Day Six: 

It had been a really fun day with your family. You’d decided to go to the outlets, and on the way back stopped at the casino where you’d actually won nearly $1,200, just your luck. And then had an excellent dinner with everyone before you got back to the house. Despite your busy and exciting day, you found yourself staring up at the ceiling. To be fair it was only around 10pm, but you’d had a very long day. And then, the sound of a few quiet knocks on the door made you smile.

“Yeah?” You spoke up and Harry peeked into the bedroom with a smile on his face as well.

“Can’t sleep?”

“No.” You mumbled. “Come in.” You said and he hurried in and closed the door quietly.“Wanna smoke a bit?” You asked and he nodded.

“Yes, please.” He hummed with zeal and you chuckled as you got out of bed. You tended to get hot in bed, so you always wore something more revealing on top and some long bottoms. It was currently cool in the room though and the thin, baby blue tank you were wearing was leaving nothing to the imagination, so it was no surprise that Harry did a double take before quickly looking down at his phone.

“I’m gonna grab a sweater, s’cold out. Can you grab the weed? There’s a little black bag from the dispensary in the bedside drawer.” You instructed and he nodded. You hurried into your closet and grabbed the first one you saw and grabbed your lighter from your purse as you hurried out. And soon you and Harry were positioning the chairs so that the edge of the roof didn’t obstruct the view of the starry sky. 

“Just pick what you want.” You said and he started looking through the bag and pulled out a more indica heavy blend. “Ooh, good choice. But we’ll definitely need snacks. And water.” You said and he grinned. 

You made a quick trip to the kitchen and grabbed some cereal and milk because you figured that it would satiate the munchies and also hydrate you to counteract the cottonmouth. And with that settled you were finally passing the joint back and forth and staring up at the sky. You had been talking about TV shows and things you’d read, music you were into at the moment, it was really nice and comfortable with him. And after a moment of silence Harry turned to you.

“I have to ask…” he said and you turned to look at him and nodded, “Ummm, the day when you…walked in on me?” He asked and you nodded nervously, “Did you see everything?” He asked and your groaned and looked away bashfully and he chuckled. “No point in lying about it…” he said and you turned back, face beet red as you faced him.

“I didn’t. I promise!” You insisted.

“Okay…” he hummed, still in slight disbelief. 

“It’s true!” You pressed once more.

“I’m just teasing you.” He grinned.

“Well stop, it’s making me feel bad all over again!” You chuckled and he chuckled along with you.

“Don’t feel bad. I understand the curiosity just gets you sometimes.” He said and you hummed and shrugged in agreement. 

“So…what’s next for you. I-if you guys end things?”

“I don’t know…I’ve been approached about a tenure track opening at the university and I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it.” He said and you nodded in agreement.

“I know I could go back home…work at my alma mater…be closer to my family…”

“But?”

“In a way, going back would feel like defeat. Like I just wasted all of this time.” He said and you felt sad for him as he confessed this.

“Well, you got offered a tenure track position! Clearly you haven’t been wasting your time.” You encouraged him and he smiled.

“That’s true…”

“But I mean, if you decide to go back then at least you’ll be closer to your family.” You said with a smile.

“Well, my family is kind of a mess so…things are better with us when we have some distance between us.” He explained.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Sorry.” You said.

“It’s alright.” He assured you. “Let’s talk about you… I know you’re a caring person but you’re just deflecting at this point.” he said and you smiled a bit and shrugged.

“It’s just…when I think about it I still get really sad.” You explained, with a sad smile on your face and his gaze softened.

“I saw the depression meds in the drawer. You know, you really shouldn’t smoke while you take them. You could get serotonin syndrome.” He said with concern.

“Oh, I haven’t started them. I was supposed to a few weeks ago And well, I had brought them to start on Sunday but I forgot.” You explained.

“Why haven’t you started them?”

“I don’t know…not any good enough reasons though.” You shrugged.

“Like?” He pressed and you sighed and just straightened out and looked at the beautifully starry sky. You hadn’t seen that many stars in a long time.

“My pride…” you chuckled dry and he sputtered out a laugh as he tried to keep quiet.

“Okay…in what way?”

“Just in the most obvious way…like this person affected me so much that it broke my mind and unbalanced by brain!” You whisper shouted and then sat up straight and brought the joint to your mouth and took a small hit before blowing out the smoke. “How could I let someone hold so much power over me?!” You chuckled in disbelief as your eyes welled up with tears and handed over the joint.

“This is not your fault. You loved and trusted, that’s not wrong.” He reassured you and you sighed. You watching him take a hit and then sighed.

“You’re right. But I still feel weak for it, you know? So ummm…yeah, not taking those meds yet and still surviving and finding joy every now and again, it makes me feel a little bit better.” You confessed.

“And you feel alright?”

“Yeah and getting better, too. Slowly but surely.”

“Okay. Promise you’ll take them when you start to plateau.” He requested as he handed back the dwindling joint.

“Promise.” You assured before taking the last hit and then smashing it against the ashtray to completely extinguish it. “Should we put something on and eat our cereal?”

“Yeah, lets do it.” You smiled.

Before you knew it, the both of you were reclining against the headboard with your cereal bowls and watching SNL highlights.

Day Seven:

Once again, you had woken up alone. You had gone on your walk and when you returned Harry and Julie were already in the kitchen.

“Great, you’re back! Guess what!?” Harry exclaimed.

“What?” You asked as you put your AirPods back into their case.

“Save Ferris has a show at Pappy and Harriet’s tonight!” 

“Oh, no way?!” You gasped in disbelief and your sister turned to you.

“You know who that is?” She asked and you nodded.

“I had a ska phase in high school.” You shrugged and she knocked her head back and laughed.

“Oh, right! God… glad you got through that.” She said and you flipped her off as you started to head to your room to shower. “So what? Do you want to go?” Julie asked and you stopped and turned towards her and then glanced to Harry who was smiling expectantly.

“Ummm…yeah! I’d like that actually.” You confirmed.

“Perfect! We’ll get the tickets, don’t worry about it. Merry Christmas.” She said to you and you smiled, “And well, I’m just going to get drunk because I don’t know that the fuck that band is.” She added and you chuckled.

“Well I think you’re going to have fun. And this is like a huge dream come true for me because I never thought I’d ever get to see them!” You said excitedly and she chuckled, “Thank you! I love you.” You said pointedly and then hurried off to shower.

All day the anticipation for this show was building up and building up. By the time you were leaving the house Julie was already tipsy. You were driving since they had paid, it was the least you could do, and you were actually glad you had driven, it was a nice distraction from just wanting to talk to Harry about anything and everything while your sister just laughed at TikTok’s in the backseat. You were also kinda worried that she might make herself car sick, especially as you started going up the winding roads to Pioneer Town.

You guys had intentionally arrived early to take a walk through the historical little western town. You looked through a few shops and then made your way to the saloon next door to the venue and had some tacos while you guys drank and chatted until it was time to make the short walk back to the venue. You guys waited in the merch line for a bit before heading over to the outdoor stage area and finding a spot to stand. Despite this not being a genre that your sister enjoyed, she was having a pretty decent time. And you and Harry had enjoyed the opener and also Save Ferris. You guys were bopping along and singing the songs. Your sister had a few more drinks during the show and by the the time it was all over she was draped around you as you guys headed to your car. 

“Want me to drive?” Harry asked as he opened the back right door to help you get Julie inside.

“I’m alright.” You assured him. Your sister groaned as she dropped down onto the seat. “Jules, seatbelt on please.” You said and she hummed.

“M’going, m’going…” she slurred. Once she was all strapped in you and Harry got settled in and you were making the drive back. It had only been a few minutes before you heard your sister slightly snoring from the back.

“Did she pass out?” You asked Harry and he glanced back and smiled.

“Yeah, she’s out.” He confirmed and you chuckled.

“Thanks for mentioning this show. It was super fun.” You smiled at Harry quickly before turning back to the road.

“I’m glad you had fun. You deserve it!” Harry explained with a smile, “Also, are you generally this great to go to shows with?” He asked and you giggled.

“I don’t know…I guess?”

“It’s just so nice to be present isn't it?” He asked and you nodded.

“Definitely. I get what you mean.” You agreed, “But specially here. It’s such an intimate venue. We couldn’t haven’t seen Save Ferris in a better place.” You gushed and he nodded with a wide smile. 

The rest of the way you guys were exchanging brief but charged glances. Even if you were just talking about the show and music, the air between you two was once again tense and you finally got a break from it when you arrived. You were giggling as you tried to get Julie inside as quietly as possible on your own since Harry had to pee. While you struggled with the task at hand, you had eventually made it to the pool house. She trudged in and just dropped herself on the bed and you chuckled before letting her be. When you returned to the main house Harry was in the kitchen, grabbing himself a glass of water.

“Want one?” He asked and you nodded.

“Please.” You confirmed and he handed the glass over to you before grabbing another for himself. You quickly drank it down and washed it before setting it back on the drying rack and then asking for his glass and washing his as well.

“Thanks.”

“Of course.” You hummed.

Moments later you were both walking down the dark hallway to get to your bedrooms. When you reached his door you stopped and he turned towards you.

“I also wanted to say that you look very pretty tonight.” He said softly and you smiled.

“Well thank you.” You responded bashfully.

“Of course.” He smiled nervously. You both looked at each other for a moment, the tension from before was rising between you again.

“Ummm, well…I should get to bed. Thank you again for finding this. I really did have the best time. I needed it.” You stated with a genuine smile as your gaze met his own. It lingered for a few more seconds before you felt all bashful again and you blinked away quickly. “Anyway, good night!” You chirped softly before he bid you a good night and you hurried into your room. 

You got changed and got ready for bed, but before you could get into it you felt a funny tug in your tummy. Yes, you had spent a whole afternoon basically with Harry, but having him in your room at night, it helped you sleep, through the whole night. Which as you’d mentioned to him before, was a current struggle of yours. And more than that, you liked the warmth of him beside you. You loved how deep and raspy his voice got as you spoke late into the night. You liked that one of your pillows smelled like him from how much of a habit it had become to have him come see you and you were working up the guts to go ask him. You hurried to your bedroom door and swung it open only to see Harry already a few steps away from your door. 

“Hi.” He smiled as he came closer.

“Hi.” You smiled up at him as he stood before you. “Wanna come in?” 

“Yeah.” He smiled and stepped inside. 

Before long you were propped up on the pillowed side by side, TV on some old reruns. You were barely paying attention because you were using all of your will power to try and not turn to face him. If you did, surely you’d lose all self-control and do something stupid like lean over to kiss him. Already, the warmth coming off of him was enough to make you want to close the small gap between the two of you. But then, from your peripherals you saw him steal a glance quickly. Your heart started to race, you were buzzing from head to toe as you debated whether to glance over as well. Your heart won that battle as you turned towards him and he smiled slightly.

“What?” You asked and he shrugged.

“Nothing just…we get along too well.” He shrugged and you smiled.

“Too well?” You asked and he hummed. “Maybe our personal situations are influencing a lot of the…vibes, you know?” You asked.

“Why do you say that?” He asked.

“Because, we’ve both been a bit neglected and disappointed by the people we loved. Like…for lack of better terms I think we’re both a little…thirsty.” You said as you giggled and he smiled.

“That’s true.” He smiled.

“And well, then with like the underlying sadness, sometimes you just aren’t thinking all that clearly about things that you’d normally just… push aside.”

“Like what?” He pressed and you sighed.

“Like why we suddenly have the hots for each other!” You whisper shouted and he chuckled. “Like I’m suddenly very aware of you.” You explained.

“I think that was from seeing me half naked.” He said and you groaned in embarrassment as you let yourself fall onto your pillows. “Hey, hey…” Harry giggled as he turned onto his side to face you, “I’m teasing you.” He assured as he glanced down at you.

“I know, but still not my finest moment.” You reminded him with a playful roll of your eyes. But then he reached for your face and tucked your hair behind your ear. 

“I almost kissed you the other day, which…is equally as bad so I’d say we’re both on thin ice. And well, it’s not like I don’t want to now or something…Like I know that no one would find out about it-”

“What If they do somehow?” You asked nervously.

“They won’t. But if they did, it’s not like I was gonna be around you guys for much longer any way, with the divorce an all…” he said with a small shrug.

“So you’re going to get divorced?” You asked and he nodded.

“Yeah. Gonna get it going when we get back home.” He said and you nodded. 

Your eye contact with him didn’t waiver for another few seconds and before you knew it, you were both leaning in slowly. He exhaled shakily before you finishing closing the gap between your lips. It was just a small and quick touch of your lips together before you both pulled away. Your noses were nearly touching as you just hovered near each other for a few seconds. But from one second to the next, his will power snapped and he was kissing you again gently. Over and over, in quick little pecks, lips smearing together for seconds at a time, both too scared to kiss with a bit more fervor as to not find out just how far it could go. But like he said, no would find out…

“Fuck it then.” You whispered as you reached around his neck and he pulled you in closer by the waist. Your kiss deepened quickly, you moaned at the taste of his mouth, feeling his tongue smooth over your lips and for his teeth to nibble at your bottom lip… you were reeling. Falling blissfully into a state of non-worry as you sunk into the delicious mattress and were blankets by Harry’s warmth and weight over you. His constant squeeze at your hip was telling you that his body was screaming to do more with his hands, but he was trying not to do too much. You pulled away from the kiss quickly, smiling as he chanted after your lips, “Just wanna tell you that you can…” you trailed off as he smooched over your lips quickly, “Y-you can touch me more.” 

As soon as you gave him the green light he slid his warm hand down the side of your thigh and to the underside where he hoisted it up around his own hip. Then he smoothed his hand back up your thigh, then up your waist, but from under your shirt. And slowly, he covered more skin until he was sliding his big, warm palm over your breast. You moaned as he gave it a gentle squeeze. The curiosity with which he was feeling you out was reminiscent of a very early sexual experience you had with some guy at a birthday party in the 8th grade, with all that seven minutes in heaven shit. 

“So you’re a boobs guy…” you giggled as he swiped his thumb over your hardening nipple.

“Definitely a boobs guy.” He mumbled into your lips before kissing you a few more times. “Can I take your shirt off?” He asked and you bit your lip as you weighed out your options. But who were you kidding, the thought of having those same lips all over your breasts had you slicking up your underwear even more than they already were. 

“Yeah.” You consented verbally and you sat up as he helped pull your body free from the shirt and then dropped it on an empty part of the bed. 

Harry’s warm, smooth lips started to kiss down your jaw, nibbling a few times on his way down to the column of your neck. You held in your giggles as his stubble tickling your sensitive skin. He had both of his hands on your breasts now as he sat over you, he was teasing your nipples, being so light and airy with his touches, it had you squirming. You knew he’d get there soon, but soon wasn’t happing as fast as you wanted.

“Please!” You whimpered and he glanced up at you and smirked.

“I’m going.” He assured you and he lowered himself until he was face level with your breasts.

He wasted no time in parting his lips and sucking your nipple between them. You whimpered and wove your fingers into his hair. He sucked harder and you gripped at his hair harder. His other hand kneaded over your other breast as you writhed beneath him. And as you wiggled around trying to part your legs to wrap around him, he pulled one out from under him and lowered his hips a bit as you ground up and that’s when you felt the bulge in his pants. He was so fucking hard.

“Fuck.” He sighed as he kissed back up your neck and finally back at your lips as he started to grind his cock against you. One of your hands slid up his arm, feeling at his bulging muscles. The other slid down to his backside, encouraging him to keep going. It wasn’t so much the feeling of the dry hump as it was the desperation that existed between you two. It would feel wrong to fuck so quickly, but you wanted to so badly that you were both willing to settle for this. It was a little bit sick and a lot pathetic, a true reflection of you two as you made out sloppily while rubbing fronts. 

You’d been struggling with your sex drive since the depression and you really hadn’t needed to be in tune with it, seeing as you had planned to steer clear of anything with another person for the foreseeable future. But now here you were, wetter than you’d been in months, feeling the fabric of your underwear clinging to the skin of your pussy. You needed more if you were going to come and you really, really wanted to come. 

“Harry…Harry…” you mumbled against his lips, “Take these off.” you panted as you tugged at the band of his pants and boxer briefs.

“Sure?” He asked and you nodded.

“It’ll be easier to come like that.” You said and he smiled. “What?”

“I just…hadn’t really thought about that, I was just kinda happy to be here.” He chuckled and you giggled.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just got a little carried away, s’been a while.” You explained.

“For me too. I want to…I just want to make sure, you know?” 

“Well, thank you for making sure.” You whispered and he smiled down at you before kissing you again. You two struggled for a bit as he tried to get his pants off without stopping the kisses, but eventually you had to and you watched was he knelt up onto the bed. His cock was so fucking pretty, it made you salivate. He wasn’t shaved clean but he was definitely trimmed. You also wanted to get his balls in your mouth and make him squirm with pleasure. You also started to get your pants off and he helped you pull them off of your legs. Your underwear matched with the sleep tank you had on, a nice baby blue color, but they did nothing to hide how fucking wet you were. 

After tearing off his shirt, Harry had you legs spread, holding you down by the backs of the thighs as he slid his cock over your clothed crease. Back and forth, over and over, the head of his cock was colliding with your clit. His foreskin was starting to pull back to reveal his tip, meaning that despite how hard he already felt to you, he had more to go. You were trying to keep your sounds at a minimum, but you were starting to get close to the edge. The steady pace Harry was going at, plus the weight and warmth of his cock gliding over you and between your sticky pussy lips, you were started to fall apart.

“You’re gonna make me come so hard…” you moaned and he groaned and kissed you.

“Good, baby. Come for me.” He mumbled against your lips and you nodded. You were inhaling his exhales as you kissed sloppily. You could feel your legs starting to tense up and your walls starting to tighten inside of you as the pleasure started to become more concentrated in the pit of your core. It was so hot and tingly and lovely, it was starting to ache, you could feel your slick starting to pump out of your needy little hole. If Harry decided to try put it in you’d let him do it. Just processing that thought and how possible it was had your orgasm overcoming you. Your breath hitched and your whole body went stiff for a second before the pleasure just exploded. A gratifying moan slipped past your lips and Harry was quick to cover your mouth, chuckling lowly as you got lost in the pleasure of the orgasm. He watched your breasts bounce and jiggle beautifully as your body rolled gently with the waves of your orgasm. You were gripping the sheets so tight that your fingers slightly ached but if just felt so good. Even as he kept going, you welcomed the sensitivity. He puled his hand from your mouth and reached for one of your boobs again before glancing down at his cock all slicked up with your slick and cum.

“Fuck I’m gonna come!” Harry mumbled and you bit your lip in anticipation. Opposite of what you expected, he slowed his pace and then grabbed the crotch of your panties and pulling it to the side. He moaned as he saw your whole pussy and then laid his cock over it again a few times and then very intentionally, he pressed against your entrance, it was making your tremble. “Fuck…gonna let me come all over your pussy?” He asked as he looked up at you and you nodded, mouth agape, eyes nearly closed from the insurmountable waves of lust.

“Please, need it so bad.” You encouraged his orgasm. And moments later he was groaning lowly as you felt his thick, warm load start to spill all over your pussy. His slow ruts against you were making you melt and you propped your self up on your elbows to se the mess he was making against you. “Do you always cum that much? Fuck…” you chuckled as you glanced up at him and he just smirked at you as he came to a slow stop.

“Do you feel bad?” He asked and you shook your head.

“Not yet at least…” you added and he nodded.

“Okay, me either.” He assured you. “Just wanted to check before I kissed you again.”

“Oh, okay.” You whispered as he leaned in and kissed you slowly again.

Eventually you got cleaned up and back into bed with him. You knew that you would wake up alone, but still weren’t sure if you’d be happy about it or not.

Day Eight: 

When your eyes opened the following morning you felt fine. You weren’t afraid to face Harry, you weren’t regretful of what you’d done. However, you did find yourself wondering when you’d be able to get away with it again. What did concern you is how he would feel about it this morning. He was eager in the heat of the moment but what about now, after the post nut clarity? The more and more you gave it some thought the more you psyched yourself out and were avoiding joining everyone for breakfast. You were in your patio, smoking a joint to help you build up some appetite, but also to help you relax and be normal when you were in the same room with your aunt, parents, and brother in law who had just come loads over your bare pussy, and of course, your sister, his wife. Well, soon to be ex-wife, but still! It wasn’t official yet!

Finally you decided to bite the bullet and headed towards the kitchen. You greeted everyone good morning and then glanced to Harry who flashed you an easy smile. 

“You alright?” He asked. What sounded like the most casual question to everyone else was the most charged question between you and him. You smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. All good.” You reassured him and he smiled and nodded silently before continuing to eat his breakfast.

OMG SORRY FRIENDS! FOTGOT TO TAAAAG!

@daphnesutton @mads3502 @triski73 @xoxxjada @fangirl509east @stylesftcher @charlottesrecommendations @taintedwonder @goobernickle @loverofhsandallthings1d

[kingofthering-two]

Hi guys, Maïna / kingofthering here. You might have heard or noticed that I got my account terminated yesterday (and had the joy to discover you don’t just lose your sideblog but all the blogs associated with your account).

What happened? As I mentioned last week, I received my 2nd strike for copyright infringement on the 11th of December and I protested it (sent a DMCA counter notice) on the 12th. Tumblr forwarded the counter notice to the claimant on the 16th, leaving them 10 business days to answer before I could get the strike taken away and the content restored. Unfortunately, yesterday, on the 19th, I received my third strike and it came with the termination of my account. 

How is it fair that tumblr lets you receive a new strike so soon after the precedent one, when you couldn’t even have the time to finish fighting the first one? I legitimately don’t know. I’ve tried to contact them about this but they don’t treat the messages since it’s coming from a terminated account. I think I need to send the message with another email address, which I might do later.

Could my account come back? In theory, from what I’ve read online, yes, but that remains to be seen from my end for me to be completely sure of that. My only current hope is for the blog to reappear when I get my first and second strikes removed (the first is from January but I never thought of fighting it before because it was videos so I thought they didn’t stand a chance but now I genuinely believe the type of content doesn’t matter). 

In September, there were 14 days between the counter notice being sent and me getting my content back (10 business days + weekends) and I suppose we might have to take into account Christmas here. I think that in the best case scenario, I might hear from tumblr on the 30th of December, maybe the 31st.

What now? I briefly considered using this as a (forced) break from tumblr. I tried to have one earlier this year and failed miserably. I think that the older I get, the less patience and tolerance I have for things that annoy me (and get past the filtering system) (but also things outside of tumblr, seeing my gifs get reposted to twitter, something that happened again recently, really annoys the fuck out of me). But, at the end of the day, the good outweighs the bad (annoying) far much, when it comes to this website and this community. If I check my tumblr app screentime on my phone, I might cry at how bad it is. I do want to finish the projects I have ongoing (the RPF survey answers will be studied and treated and shared) and keep in touch with everything happening on here.

I’m going to use this current account to browse tumblr at least until the end of the year. I’ve already seen glimpses of stories that I need to catch up on and I’ve seen you guys being very supportive already (thank you) so I felt like making myself reachable here was better. Posting wise, I’ll probably post about things that I know are safe i.e. things of my own (stats, my progress on the 2025 journals) and gifs of things not coming from Dorna (e.g. reels/tiktoks, podcast videos).

What then? The only thing I can tell you for sure is that no matter what happens next, I’m going to create an archive blog on a separate account (with a dedicated email address). This blog will not have posts of its own but only reblogs of content I originally posted on kingofthering. If I can have my old account back, the job will be made much easier (and will obviously be more complete). If not, I’ll have to rely on a lot of research to get things back as best as I can. Don’t worry about this for now, I’m going to wait until I know for sure about my old account to start the process (since the method will be very different depending on the answer on that).

For 2025, we will see. The thing is, even if I get my account back, I know that I will keep getting strikes (even if I’m not posting anything because old posts of mine have been targeted as well) and honestly, even if fighting them works, it’s both stressful and exhausting. Also, people have been winning the battles against the strikes for now but who knows how long that will last.

And like I mentioned, it’s a sideblog connected to all my other blogs which also depend on kingofthering’s faith. That includes my main blog that I’ve had since 2011 (I don’t use it much but I use it to keep all the useful stuff like the photoshop tutorials, writing prompts, etc), my hockey sideblog (not been using it much either lately but it does have some history I’d like to keep) and a bunch of others.

A solution to keep those other accounts safe would probably be to move everything motorsports related to a new account (maybe this one if I can get my main back) and delete the original kingofthering. It would pain me because of the history of this blog and what I would lose in the process (mostly the asks I haven’t gotten to answer and obviously the following that I had grown but I suppose that I can grow back little by little). It would also mean I couldn’t see anymore the posts in my notes and the tags people add to their reblogs (which is like half the purpose of posting in the first place) and that’s annoying as well but I suppose I could grieve that too, in theory.

If I don’t even get the account back, well. I talk about creating a new dedicated account but if it also gets striked (which I suppose will happen), it will be equally exhausting to fight fo it so, I don’t even know if I want to do that.

At this point, I know which content is safe for sure (or what has been safe so far for me) and there are still a lot of stuff that I enjoy sharing with you and getting your opinion on but giffing race weekends was the major part of my blog and I don’t know how I feel about giving that up. Anyway, much thoughts to have still.

Can you do something to help? I don’t think so. Or, well, not with recuperating my account. In regards with the copyright issue as a whole, though? I don’t know what to say because I don’t know what’s the best course of action there. I’ve seen some discussions around about emails and a petition and involving other social media and bigger people but I genuinely don’t know what’s the best thing to do. I’ve personally always considered tumblr as this little (safe for everything) bubble and I don’t exactly feel comfortable “exposing” some of my content here to the rest of the world (some people on tumblr are already mean enough about RPF, I don’t need to see what people not on here have to say about it). That’s obviously just me and I’m not going to keep anyone from doing what they think is right. Part of me wants to believe that things will fix themselves once Liberty Media take over but that’s not a sure thing and the frequency of strikes lately has been quite worrying so I understand the need to do something. Some thinking over to do there too.

Where can you find me? For tumblr, on here for now. I’m going to post this on the motogp tag and I’ll try to follow my mutuals (from memory so, going to miss a lot of people for sure, sorry in advance). I might appreciate a reblog of this post to spread the word. I still have my twitter (mostly talking stats), the blog and my tiktok (barely being used but still in existence).

If I do the set ups correctly I’ll have my DMs open here and askbox open to anons. I am still bad at answering those, though, so apologies in advance there as well.

(Also, I just got home for the holidays and literally learned about the news when I was in the train yesterday afternoon, so, worst timing ever.)

[celli-ohs]

I Can't, I Have Rehearsal

pairing: socially awkward!park sunghoon x fem!reader

genre: high school au; crack, comedy, fluff

synopsis: What happens when you get seated right next to the most handsome boy in your entire grade? Well you thought it'd be a great excuse to get to know him better, but the guy won't even talk to you! After a mishap in the science lab, you come to find out that Park Sunghoon, the cold-hearted prince of EN High, isn't in fact rude, he's just afraid of women.

before you read: character profiles

warnings: language, stalking mention, cooties, wild subplot(s), loser enhypen, rickrolling, bad april fools pranks

word count: 3.62k

taglist (open): @ancnymcnzjy , @frankenstein852

note: part 1 of my and scene! series, loosely based off en-drama.

Log 4: Monday - April 1st, 2024

“I’m gonna say it. Y/n has been getting on my nerves recently.”

Everyone snaps their necks to look at Riki like he’s just admitted to committing a crime.

“Excuse me?” Sunghoon is appalled. “That’s my friend!”

It’s been about a month since you and Sunghoon had begun his “girlducation” lessons (You named it, not him). And luckily he’s been faring well!

Everyone’s noticed how he’s more open and friendly, and just last week he was finally able to look his homeroom teacher in the eyes and have a full conversation (about how he’s failing Algebra 2).

Talking to his female classmates has gotten easier too. He can’t say much though, as he still gets nervous whenever the conversation gets too complex.

You’ve helped him make leaps and bounds regardless, and Sunghoon can proudly state you two are friends.

“Come on you guys, you know what I’m talking about,” Riki shakes his head, clicking his tongue.

“No. We don’t. What did she do to you?” Jongseong raises a brow. Riki groans, rubbing his face.

“Yeah, there’s no need to be angry at her.” Heesung adds.

“This is exactly why! You guys like her more than me, I’m being replaced!” Riki throws his hands up in the air.

“Uh, no duh we like her more,” Sunoo rolls his eyes. “She’s nicer, funnier, and she’s prettier.”

Riki gasps. “I can be pretty!” He crosses his arms. “I’m prettier than you!” This time Sunoo gasps. “You can’t say shit to me cause do you got some guy stalking you because he thinks your idol material? I think not bitch!”

“Stalker? Sunoo! I thought you got rid of that guy?!” Jaeyun pauses, now the attention is turned towards the younger boy.

“He’s been on my ass recently, he even knows my order at my favorite cafe.” He shrugs as if this isn’t a concerning matter.

“Oh that’s not…” Sunghoon makes a face, eyeing the others.

“That stupid Belift guy is so persistent. It’s like he doesn’t take no for an answer.” Sunoo sighs. They all look at each other, skeptical. "I’ll walk home with you today Sunoo,” Jungwon decides.

“Speaking of stalkers,” Jongseong clears his throat, turning to Riki. “You’re banned from my house.”

“What?” Heeseung squeaks out in shock.

“Oh, so you liked my April Fool’s prank?” Riki grins, dodging Jongseong’s fists. “You went and switched my alarm clock forward! I was on my way to Jungwon’s at 5am this morning,” Jongseong grumbles.

As the others laugh and praise Riki for his joke, Sunghoon laughs the hardest. “Maybe you should keep your clock that way, you won’t ever have to worry about your mom nagging you to leave on time anymore.”

Jongseong rolls his eyes. “Haha, very funny.”

“How did you even do that?” Jaeyun laughs. Riki waves him off, smiling proudly. “Just asked his mom if I could come over to change it really quick while he was at baseball yesterday.”

“My mom was in on it?!” Jongseong looks betrayed. The boys soon make their way inside their school building.

“I totally forgot today was April Fool’s! I should’ve planned something,” Heeseung laughs, opening his locker.

“Don’t worry, I’m just getting started, I’ve got something for all of you.” Riki sends them an ominous smile. “Heh, what do you mean?” Sunghoon tries to hide his fear with a smile.

“Nothing. Just think of today as karma for replacing me with Y/n,” Riki waves before he jogs down the hall, greeting his other friends.

“We never replaced you?!” Jungwon shouts at him, sounding worried. “Oh my god, I’m scared, what if I open my locker and there’s like a dead rat or something?” Sunoo whines.

“No, Riki’s not like that,” Heeseung shakes his head, before turning to the others. “Uh, right?”

“Last year he put ink on my glasses, so when I took them off I had lines all over my face and hands, no one said anything till lunch!” Sunghoon reminds the others.

“In middle school we shared a class, I fell asleep and he clipped a hair extension to the back of my head. No one told me I had a mullet until I got home and showered.” Jungwon recites, shuddering as his fingers ghost over the back of his neck.

“He gets bolder every year, and somehow he convinces people to help him. I think he’s bribing them somehow.” Jongseong concludes.

“What if I just skipped school today? Huh? Anyone wanna join me?” Jungwon tempts the others. “No! If I have to be here, so do you. Plus it’s unfair that only I got pranked so far.” Jongseong huffs.

“Don’t worry Heeseung,” Jaeyun comforts the oldest. “You’re new, Riki will probably go the easiest on you.”

Heeseung doesn’t look pleased by this. As his friends try to figure out a way they can prevent Riki’s chaos from unfolding, Sunghoon slinks off down the hall to a certain locker.

You stand with your back towards him, talking animatedly with your friend Taehyun. As Sunghoon approaches, he signals Taehyun to keep quiet with a finger to his mouth.

“Boo!” He grabs you by the shoulder, causing you to jump. “Ah! Sunghoon!” You huff, punching him lightly in the arm. “Don’t do that!” You smile nonetheless.

“April Fool’s,” Sunghoon grins. You wave him off, your fingers grazing his own. He feels his ears heat up.

“I’m gonna get you later. You better watch out.” You warn him, but Sunghoon only smiles, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Taehyun clears his throat, reminding the two of you that you weren’t alone. “I’m gonna find Hyuka, see you later.” He waves to the both of you before departing.

But before he turns around, Taehyun sends you a wink, causing you to stiffen up.

“What was that?” Sunghoon asks, eyes trained on the back of Taehyun’s head. “Huh? Nothing, let’s get to class.” You cough, pushing Sunghoon down the hall.

“You remembered to do your slides, right?” You ask Sunghoon as you two sit down in your seats. “Yeah, it wasn't that hard.” He nods.

Your history class has just finished a project, and today everyone will be presenting. It was a solo project, but you and Sunghoon helped each other out.

“You’ll be okay talking up there by yourself?” You worry. Sunghoon feels special to know that you of all people care about him. A few days ago you’d voiced your concern to him about his fear or public speaking (around women).

“I think so, I usually just look at Jaeyun.” Sunghoon admits, shrugging.

“Well if you need to, you could look at me.” You suddenly suggest. Sunghoon feels the heat from his ears spread to his cheeks. “O-Okay.” He nods, focusing on his desk.

Even after all his training, you somehow had a way with words that could cause Sunghoon to shut right up again.

Not just that, you still made him nervous, there were moments he found you too beautiful to even look in your direction.

Home room goes by like a breeze, and soon enough it’s time for history, and one by one students begin to present their topics in the front of class.

“Park Sunghoon.” Mr. Song calls out, and Sunghoon awkwardly stands up, grabbing his notes.

“Good luck!” You send him an encouraging smile and a thumbs up. Just that alone made him feel invincible.

With newfound confidence, Sunghoon strides to the front, pulling up his powerpoint on the history of soybeans. But when he turns to his fellow classmates, his ego disappears and he’s suddenly reminded of how many eyes were on him.

He begins to panic, his words stuck in his throat and his thoughts become sludge. Everyone was looking at him. Everyone was whispering.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Why is he taking so long?”

“Soybeans? That’s so boring.”

He can hear his teacher call out his name, asking him if he’s alright, but Sunghoon feels as if he’s been nailed to the ground, unable to move.

But as he focuses on his feet, he hears someone clear their throat loudly, his eyes shooting up.

You’re smiling. At him.

“You can do it!” You mouth, cheering him on. Suddenly it’s like he can breathe again. He can feel his body moving finally. All thanks to you of course.

“T-Today I’ll be talking about the history of soybeans in Korea.” Sunghoon announces suddenly, eyes trained on you.

You lean back into your seat, smile never disappearing as you listen intently.

“Where the hell is Riki?! I’m gonna kill him.” Jaeyun stomps over to the lunch table. Heeseung shrugs, mouth full of food.

“He’s not here, what happened?”

Jaeyun groans as he sits down, Sunghoon also taking his seat beside him. “He got Rickrolled.”

Jungwon snorts, choking on his food as he laughs. Jaeyun glares, picking at his lunch. “It’s not funny! He cost me my grade!”

“Pfft! Mr. Song docked you 10 points, you still have an A.” Sunghoon reminds him. The youngest of the bunch somehow got control of Jaeyun’s presentation, adding a bunch of memes into his slides.

“And ruined my 100 streak!” Jaeyun whines. “He won’t let me take any extra credit.” He sighs, letting his hunger take over as he shovels food into his face.

“Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! Never gonna run around and desert you!” Riki sings and dances as he arrives at their table. He’s grinning from ear to ear, all the while Jaeyun glares mid-chew.

“Come on Jaeyun!” Riki nudges him. “Sing it with me! Never gonna make you cry-” He’s cut off when Jaeyun lunges at him, catching the boy in a headlock. “Nev-never gonna tell- a lie- ack!” Riki coughs as he continues to sing under Jaeyun’s grip.

“Shut up!” Jaeyun angrily sneers, just as Riki wriggles out of his arms. “Dude,” Riki is breathless. “Put on some deodorant or something! I almost died.” He gags.

“I’m seriously going to kill-”

Jongseong slams down his hand onto the table, making everyone jump.

“Uh, you good?” Jungwon eyes him. Jongseong zeroes in on him, his eyes ablaze. “No I am not good, Yang Jungwon.”

“Uh oh, cat fight,” Sunoo snickers to Sunghoon, earning a chuckle.

“Did I do something?” Jungwon eyes the others, before realizing Jongseong was only looking at him. “What do you think, Yang?!”

Jongseong suddenly digs into his pants pocket, and pulls out a crumpled piece of paper, tossing it to the first year. Jungwon catches it with ease, unraveling it suspiciously.

“Oh my God.”

“What? What is it? Show me!” Sunoo snatches the paper, his eyes reading as fast as lightning before he lets out a yelp, covering his mouth as he gawks at Jungwon.

“You’re being dramatic,” Sunghoon finally grabs the paper, sharing it with Jaeyun as Heeseung leans over the table to peer.

The paper turns out to be a list, and it has various names on it, including Jongseong’s and Jungwon’s. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. That is until he reads the title.

“How could you go behind my back and run for Student Council?! You knew I was applying!” Jongseong shouts.

“I didn’t!” Jungwon holds his hands up in the air. “Dude I promise, I think there’s been a mistake, I never even applied to be nominated!”

Jongseong eyes him, but concedes, looking just as confused. “But that doesn’t make sense. You can’t not know you’re running- for Student Body President!”

“Yeah, and to think you’re only running for Treasurer,” Jaeyun jabs. He earns himself a kick to the shin from Jongseong.

Riki is the only one who laughs, though it lingers longer than it should have, prompting suspicion.

“What did you do?” Jungwon questions. The youngest is too busy hugging his sides as he cackles.

“Oh my God! I’m gonna piss myself, you should have seen your face!” Riki wheezes.

“Riki, what did you do?!” Jongseong demands. After a few minutes, the boy’s laughter subsides. “We nominated Jungwon cause he fell asleep in homeroom,” He giggles.

“What?! Riki be serious.”

“Okay,” Riki shrugs. “Technically, I nominated Jungwon, but then everyone else voted for him. I found out the announcements were the same day as April Fool’s and thought it’d be a sick prank.”

“Someone’s feeling sick alright, me, that’s who.” Jongseong sighs. Sunoo pats his arm out of sympathy.

“Jongseong, dude, no one’s gonna actually vote for Jungwon.” Riki scoffs. “What kind of idiot votes a first year as their president?”

“The same idiots who voted for him to be a nominee?” Heeseung reminds him. Riki pauses. “That’s beside the point! Don’t worry, this will all blow over when they see how incompetent he is.”

“Hey! I’m competent!” Jungwon huffs. “I just choose not to be!”

“Make that your slogan, and you might just lose!” Sunoo teases. Jungwon rolls his eyes, rubbing his face.

“Hey guys! I heard the great news, congratulations!” Your sweet voice brings sudden joy to Sunghoon as you greet them all.

“Y/n!” He suddenly shoves Jaeyun to the side to make space for you to sit, causing both him and Riki to topple over. He ignores their complaints as you squeeze yourself in right next to him.

You finally take a good look around the table once you’re settled in.

Sunoo mindlessly picks at his food, beside him Jungwon seems to be experiencing his first ever existential crisis. Jongseong has a vice grip on a very beaten up piece of paper and Heeseung is too busy eating to notice the tension as Jaeyun keeps muttering about his grades. And Riki is blatantly glaring daggers at you.

The only person who seems relatively happy is Sunghoon.

“You guys seem to be having a really, uh- interesting day so far.” You cough. “As if you know what it’s like to be interesting- Ow! Jaeyun elbowed me!” Riki tattles.

“And you deserve it.” Jongseong sneers.

“Tough crowd today,” You whisper to Sunghoon as the others begin to bicker. “Yeah, Riki’s been burning some bridges, lately” He nods.

“Oh? Should I be worried?” You eye the boy, who is in fact now glaring even harder. “No.” Sunghoon shakes his head, trying to remain calm as you lean closer to him. “Um, maybe actually? Yes. Yes you should.” He finally decides.

“Uh huh.” You nod warily. “Well anyways, I was just wondering how you guys plan to run your campaigns? I have some experience since I helped last year when Taehyun was Secretary, and now he’s running for Vice President.”

Jongseong sits up straight, putting on a presentable smile. “I plan on winning by showing my responsibility and care for the students here at EN-High.”

The table goes quiet.

“Was that AI? Sounded like something ChatGPT wrote,” Heeseung looks around. “What? No! I’m trying to sound professional.” Jongseong sighs.

“Well I plan to drop out, I didn’t even want to be nominated, but someone thinks it’s funny to prey on the innocent.” Jungwon stares right at Riki, who is busy scrolling through his phone uninterested.

“I saw an opportunity and I took it, can you blame me?” He shrugs. “Yes! Yes, I can!” Jungwon shouts.

“Okay, so it sounds like both of you are losing.” You mutter beneath your breath. “Look, word of advice: students really value honesty and the ability to be realistic. People like it when you tell the truth.” You explain.

“Didn’t Taehyun win last year because he did magic tricks instead of a speech?” Sunghoon frowns. “Oh! I remember him! He was so cool! How did he pull that chicken out of that hat?!” Heeseung asks excitedly.

“He did have a speech, he just did his magic tricks after.” You correct him. “Also it was a parrot, not a chicken.”

“What does magic have to do with being on the student council?” Sunoo asks, looking confused. “If I vote for Taehyun, can he magically fix my grade back to 100?” Jaeyun questions. “Do you think if I partner with Taehyun, I have a better chance of winning?” Jongseong turns to you.

You hold your hand up to silence them, before looking at each of them individually.

“Apparently more than you’d think.” You say to Sunoo, before shaking your head at Jaeyun. “No, just take the L.”

“And yes, but only if you’re okay with him doing the Sawing-In-Half trick on you during the debate.” You tell Jongseong, who looks pale now.

Before you can say any more, the warning bell rings, signaling lunch would be over in five minutes. “Alright, see you guys later,” You stand up, getting out of your seat. “Let me know if you need more advice.” You joke.

“I’ll see you in class?” Sunghoon asks, as if you two weren’t seatmates. You laugh, and teasingly pat his arm, causing his whole body to burn.

“Yeah, see you!” You wave, running off. He watches you as you return to your friends at your table across the cafeteria, his heart swelling.

“Oooh! Someone’s got a crush!” Sunoo suddenly giggles.

Sunghoon feels his stomach turn excitedly, his ears burning a bright red. “Shut up!” He mumbles, covering his face.

His friends begin to tease him, Sunghoon shakes his head furiously, though he peeks through his hands to glance at you once more.

When you laugh at something Kai says, he begins to wonder if his friends are on to something.

“Ta-da!”

You’re grinning as you flip your paper around to present to Sunghoon.

He looks up, blinks, then frowns.

“You like to eat stomachs?” He reads your calligraphy. “Huh? No, I like to eat pears.” You look at your paper yourself, confused.

Sunghoon begins to laugh, before standing up to walk around the table to your side. “You need to press down lightly on this character.” He instructs, leaning over you.

Instead of taking your brush like he usually did when he showed you the correct way, he grabbed your hand.

“L-Like this,” He stutters, leaning even closer to you as you allow him to guide you on the paper. Your hand is really small compared to his own, his fingers are almost half as long.

Your skin is soft and warm, he doesn't want to let go.

“Oh!” You suddenly exclaim, and he jumps back, releasing your hand.

“So that’s how you do it? Let me try again.” You begin to attempt again on your own. He watches over you as you try your best, all of your focus on your calligraphy.

He finds the way you scrunch your face up as you focus endearing, you’ve made a lot of progress.

Your reattempt is still not the best, but Sunghoon can admit this time he could actually read it. “You’re doing a lot better,” He says as he returns to his seat. “Really? I’ve been practicing at home,” You admit.

“You’ve been practicing?” Sunghoon repeats, surprised at your dedication. If he were being honest, he thought your interest in calligraphy was only confined to the old library.

“Yeah,” You smile, getting shy. “I want to show you my best.”

Oh.

The two of you keep eye contact as Sunghoon feels his face and ears begin to heat up. He was probably red all over from just that one compliment. Didn’t help that you looked gorgeous while staring at him.

“I-I think-uh- You’re doing a really good job so far.” He finally looks away, his nerves getting the best of him.

“Thank you.” You hum, smiling to yourself. “Oh, it’s already almost four, we should probably get going.” You say, and begin cleaning up.

The two of you quickly grab your stuff and sweep down the table before heading out.

Outside the sun is still bright, yet it’s lower in the sky than before. You both walk down the street, shoulder to shoulder. Every time you bump into each other, Sunghoon feels his heart race.

“Hey, want one?” You suddenly ask, opening your palm to reveal two pieces of creamy milk candy. The bright bunny logo catches his eye.

The idea of sharing candy with you is exhilarating to Sunghoon. Your sweet nature mimicked the sweetness of the candy awaiting before him.

“Thank you,” He smiles at you, letting his fingers graze your palm.

Together you two unwrap the candies, poppin them into your mouths. Sunghoon takes a bite and-

“What the fuck?!” You spit your candy back into its wrapper, face contorted in absolute disgust. Sunghoon doesn’t hesitate to do the same, gagging as he does so.

“This is a crayon!” Sunghoon grimaces, wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. “Where the hell did you get these?!”

You shake your head, trying to get the taste out of your mouth, but to no avail. “I don’t- I don’t remember I just- Riki handed some to me, and-”

“Wait,” Sunghoon interrupts you. “Riki gave you these?”

You nod, first confused, then realizing what he meant. “Oh my god I’m so stupid.” You groan. “I should have known when he randomly apologized to me, he even suggested I share them with you!”

“He’s always one step ahead,” Sunghoon glares into the distance. “Ugh I can’t get the taste out of my mouth!” You spit.

“I swallowed a little, will I die?” He worries, voicing his concern. “I need water- juice, I need something!” You look around for a vending machine.

“There! A Family Mart!” Sunghoon points down the road. He turns to you with an eager expression, holding his hand out to you.

“Come on, let’s go!” He urges. You hurriedly grab his hand, and the two of you run down the street, groans of disgust soon turning into giggles of excitement.

Sunghoon's lesson he learned today was that he doesn’t mind holding your hand. In fact, he likes it.

He likes you.

Log 3: Wednesday - March 6th, 2024 | Log 5: Wednesday - May 15th, 2024

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[lacydollette]

BLESSING IN DISGUISE — CHAPTER SIX

PAIRING rafe cameron x lovely kook!reader x jj maybank

WARNING(S) trauma, flashbacks, alcohol, mentions of drug abuse, verbal fights, rafe being a dick, suggestive content, explicit language, angst, slight fluff between reader and jj

SUMMARY after days of painful silence, with Rafe pulling away and you still drowning in the aftermath of the incident, the annual bonfire becomes the breaking point. unable to hold back any longer you confront him, but rafe’s cold, detached demeanor cuts deep, leaving your heart in pieces.

“Waah, john b stop!!” Sarah screeched as her boyfriend chased after her, running around the sand like little kids. Oh, they were so in love. jj was nursing on a half-empty beer bottle leaning back in the sand like he didn’t have a care in the world. Everyone looked relaxed, like the weight of the world wasn’t sitting on their shoulders.

Everyone except you.

You sat a little off to the side, poking at the sand with a stick, dragging lazy patterns that the waves would eventually wash away. Your head felt fuzzy, likeyou were watching everything through a haze, the sounds of Sarah’s giggles and crashing waves muffled and far away. You knew you should be here, should be present, but you weren’t . You were somewhere else—thoughts still messy after the incident with Nate a few nights ago.

Of course the lack of your usual sunshine smile and teasing behavior didn’t go unnoticed, reverting back to the pogues questioning you and asking if you were really okay. You weren’t. But somehow you couldn’t bring yourself to talk to them about it. Cause if you were to talk about it, you also had to talk about Rafe. And you couldn’t.

It wasn’t fair, but your brain kept circling back to him. The way he’d looked at you that night, torn between fury and guilt, like the whole thing was his fault. And maybe it was, in some sick and twisted way, but you couldn’t let yourself go there. Not again.

Suddenly jj’s smooth voice broke through your dissociative haze, “Yo, earth to y/n,” his laugh cutting through your spiraling thoughts like a knife. You blinked, looking up just in time to see him toss a beer to john b, who caught it with a slick motion. JJ’s grin was infectious, his whole face lighting up like he didn’t have a single worry in the world. For a second, you felt your lips twitch, almost smiling. Almost.

“You good over there, sunshine?” JJ asked, leaning back on his elbows to look at you, his blue eyes practically glowing under the late afternoon sun. “You’ve been, like, a hundred miles away all day.” You shrugged, trying to play it off. “Just tired, I guess.”

JJ raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. He pushed himself up, brushing the sand off his hands as he scooted closer, closing the distance between you until he was right next to you. “Tired? Or, like, tired tired?”

“What’s the difference?” You asked, your voice coming out sharper than you meant it to. JJ didn’t flinch, though. He just tilted his head, studying you like you were some kind of puzzle he couldn’t figure out. His hand brushed against your knee—not in a creepy way, just JJ being JJ, always touchy, always close. And usually, you didn’t mind. But today, it made your skin prickle, like you were too aware of everything.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked again, his voice softer this time. You forced a smile, knowing he wouldn’t let it go until you gave him something. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just had a huge fight with my parents yesterday. You know how it is.” JJ made a face, clearly skeptical but not wanting to push. “Parents suck,” he muttered, leaning back again. “Tell ‘em JJ Maybank says to chill out, or I’m coming over.”

That finally got a real smile out of you, small and fleeting, but real. JJ grinned, clearly proud of himself, before turning his attention back to sarah and john b. But even as the conversation shifted, as JJ joked and teased and kept the energy light, you couldn’t shake the feeling of being… disconnected.

It wasn’t just Nate, the incident or the weird distance you felt with your friends lately. It was Rafe.

You two hadn’t spoken since that night. Not a single text, not a glance, not even one of those tense run-ins you always seemed to have. He’d disappeared as quickly as he’d came, like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t held you while you were shaking, hadn’t promised to keep you safe.

It hurt. And while you had slowly tried to piece yourself back together, he had distanced himself from you further.

Rafe thought it was his fault—just like he thought everything was his fault. The fight at Midsummers, the way you’d both blown up at each other, the reason you were even out that night in the first place. In his mind, he’d set the whole thing in motion, and now he was punishing himself for it.

The images were haunting him at night, you, crumpled in the dirt, nates bloody face gasping underneath him. The fear in your eyes. And worst of all—himself, standing there, realizing it was all his fault. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. How it all traced back to him, like a sick domino effect.

He tried drowning his thoughts with the usual, alcohol and coke. It hit hard and fast, just how he liked it, but it didn’t do much to quiet the voice in his head—the one telling him that you’d be better off without him.

That was why he hadn’t called, hadn’t texted, hadn’t tried to see you since that night. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to. God, he wanted to. Every time his phone buzzed, every time he heard a car door slam outside, his heart jumped, hoping it was you. But he didn’t deserve to see you.

Because this was just like before. Every time he got close to you, every time he let himself believe that maybe, just maybe, he could be good enough for you, he proved himself wrong. He was like poison, toxic and consuming, dragging you down with him no matter how hard he tried not to.

So, he stayed away. He told himself it was for your own good, that he was doing the right thing, even if it felt like hell. But the silence was unbearable. And that’s why he was going in and out of every bar on the island—spending almost every night in places like that, drowning in alcohol, drugs, and meaningless noise. He thought maybe if he leaned into the chaos hard enough, he could lose himself in it. He thought maybe he could forget. But it wasn’t working.

He couldn’t stop picturing the way you’d looked at him that night—so broken, so fragile, but still trusting him enough to let him carry you home. The way your hands had trembled as you patched up his knuckles, comforting him while you were the one hurting.

The way you’d pulled back, hesitated, like you didn’t know if you could let him in again. And who could blame you? He’d screwed up too many times to count. He wasn’t sure why you’d ever let him in to begin with.

He hated himself for what had happened to you, hated himself for not being there sooner. But mostly, he hated that even after everything, some selfish part of him still wanted you.

Wanted to see you, to hold you, to tell you he’d do better this time—even though he didn’t know if he could. But that part of him was buried under the guilt, the anger, the deep rooted belief that he didn’t deserve you. That he never had. So, he stayed here in the dark, hiding between drinks and strangers, telling himself it was better this way.

For you. For both of you. Even if it was killing him.

the gravel crunched underneath your shoes as you walked to the annual bonfire, the kind of event that blurred the lines between Kooks and Pogues. It was the one night that made everyone forget the labels, at least for a little while. You were standing with the Pogues, tucked close to JJ as his arm casually looped around your shoulders. His warmth was comforting, familiar even, and for the first time today, you let yourself relax into it.

But no matter how hard you tried to focus on the moment—on JJ’s laugh echoing through the crowd or Kie’s attempts to roast a marshmallow without setting it on fire—your eyes kept wandering, scanning the crowd like your body couldn’t help but search for him.

Where is he?

You told yourself you were just curious. That’s all it was. But deep down, you knew better. It was like he’d vanished entirely, except you could still feel the weight of him pressing against your chest every time you closed your eyes.

And then you saw him.

Rafe was standing near the edge of the crowd, a bottle in one hand, the other shoved into his pocket. He looked the same but different—his jaw tense, his shoulders hunched like he was holding something back. And just then eyes caught yours across the fire, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of you.

Every part of Rafe screamed at him to stay away, to let you have the life you deserved, but when your pretty doe eyes pierced through his, the air was sucked from his lungs. For a moment, everything else disappeared—the music, the voices, even the ache in his chest. All he could see was you.

You felt your body temperature rise, cheeks burning up. The pull of him was undeniable. It always was. You needed to talk to him.

“I’m gonna grab a beer,” you mumbled to the group, pulling away from JJ’s arm. “I’ll come with you,” the blonde offered, his voice easy, like he didn’t notice the shift in you. “No, I’m good. Be right back.” JJ shrugged, distracted by Pope’s latest story, and you slipped away before anyone could stop you.

Your feet carried you in the direction of Rafe, each step faster than the last. By the time you found him, he was leaning against the side of a column. Yet you hesitated for a moment, nerves twisting in your stomach as you reached closer.

“Rafe,” you said, your voice cutting through the noise of the bonfire behind you. His eyes flicked to yours, forcing his features into something cold, detached, hoping it would keep you at arm’s length. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” you shot back, crossing your arms. “Why are you hiding out over here?” He let out a hollow laugh, taking a swig from the bottle in his hand. Your boldness had always disarmed him, even now. Especially now. “Not hiding. Just avoiding the circus.”

“Avoiding me, you mean.”

Rafe’s jaw tensed, his gaze dropping to the ground. Don’t do this. Don’t let her in, he thought. “Maybe you should take the hint.” His words hit like a slap, but you didn’t back down. “You don’t get to do this, Rafe. You don’t get to disappear and act like nothing happened.”The flash of hurt in your eyes nearly killed him, but he held firm. Better to push you away now, before he dragged you down with him.

“Nothing did happen,” he snapped, the lie lingering bitter on his tongue as he was still avoiding your eyes.

“What is your problem, Rafe?” you sighed, the frustration in your voice obvious. “One day you promise me that you’ll keep me safe, that you would stay by my side and now you can’t even look at me?”

Rafe laughed, but it wasn’t the kind you remembered. It was bitter, empty. “Look who’s talking. You seemed pretty cozy with jj back there.” He hated the words even as he said them, but he couldn’t stop himself. It was easier to let anger take over than to admit the truth—to admit he wasn’t strong enough to stay away from you.

Your mouth fell open, stunned by his accusation. “Are you serious right now? JJ’s my friend. He’s just—”

“Sure he is,” Rafe cut you off, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “this is how you thank me? By fucking around with a Pogue?” Your chest tightened, tears burning at the edges of your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of him. “Go to hell, Rafe,” you whispered, your voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt.

But then you noticed it—the red rim around his eyes, the way his body trembled faintly like he was barely holding himself together. It wasn’t just the alcohol in his hand. He was using again, spiraling. But before you could say anything, JJ’s voice cut through the tension. “Hey! What the hell are you doing talking to her?”

You turned to see JJ storming toward you, his face dark with anger. He stepped between you and Rafe, his chest puffed out like he was ready to fight. “Back off, JJ,” Rafe said, his voice low but dangerous. “Or what?” JJ snapped, his fists clenching at his sides, “She’s with us now. Stay the fuck away from her.”

“y/n is not a damn possession,” Rafe snapped, his voice low and dangerous. “You don’t get to decide who she talks to.”

“Oh, and you do?” JJ sneered. “At least I don’t fuck up everyone I get close to.” The words hit their mark. Rafe’s face darkened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He took a step closer, his voice trembling with barely-contained rage. “You don’t know anything about me, Maybank.”

“Yeah? I know enough,” JJ shot back. “Like how you treat everyone like shit, especially the people who actually care about you.” Rafe wanted to hit back, to make JJ feel even a fraction of the pain he carried every second. But then your voice cut through the chaos.

“Enough!” you shouted, stepping between them, trying to cut the tension between the boys while no one seemed to notice the rising tension between you and Rafe except Sarah, who was standing a little further away, her eyes narrowing as she watched the scene unfold.

Rafe turned his attention back to you, his face twisting with anger and something deeper—something like pain. “You don’t get it, do you?” he spat, his voice cracking. “You’d be better off without me.”He saw the way his words cut you, saw the way you fought to keep your composure, not being able to look away from him. But it was true. He couldn’t give you what you deserved. And the only way to protect you was to keep you as far away from him as possible.

“Let’s go,” JJ said, grabbing your arm gently but firmly. “He’s not worth it.” You let JJ pull you away, your mind spinning as Rafe’s words echoed in your ears. But as you glanced back over your shoulder, you caught one last glimpse of him—standing alone, his body stiff like he was trying to hold himself together.

Sarah was looking at you as you returned, her brows furrowed as she pieced everything together. You knew she’d ask questions later, but for now, you let JJ lead you back to the group, his warmth steadying you even as your heart ached for the boy you couldn’t seem to leave behind.

LINKS .ᐟ series’ masterlist

TAGS .ᐟ @gibson-g1rl @beausling @littlelamy @rafescokewhore @starkeysprincess @starzify @rafeysbunny @rafeslacy @whinyangel @dolcekissy @httpsdrewstarkey @cherrygirlfriend @drewspinkbunny @rafesangelita @drewspinkbunny @rafey-baby @cameronsprincess @maybanksbaby @nativegirltapes @lilithblackkk @maybankslover

[akookminsupporter]

A few days ago, I saw a tweet saying BTS made it look easy. The person was obviously referring to everything BTS has achieved in terms of records, numbers, fame, and their ability to break barriers in the Western market, not to mention their success in grabbing the attention of mainstream Western media. As BTS fans, I think many of us can agree that, despite all their accomplishments and the barriers they’ve shattered, they are still treated differently. There are still significant hurdles to overcome, but it’s undeniable what they’ve achieved, both as a group and, more recently, as solo artists over the past two years.

Yesterday, I remembered that tweet when I saw another one from someone in a different fandom. They were saying that a certain group should be invited to perform at the Grammys, even though they weren’t nominated. This got me thinking: are there other groups that have broken the same barriers BTS has? And I’m not just talking about streaming numbers, but the level of interest from the Western market, the Western music industry. Even if that attention is sometimes driven by convenience—something I feel happened when BTS first gained significant media attention, even though they already had a massive fandom in the West and their tours were already selling out—are there other groups who’ve managed to get this kind of traction? Is there any group that the mainstream media talks about as much as BTS?

One thing I mentioned in a post a few years ago was how BTS, or one of its members, was always trending. News about them would pop up on my timeline, or in the newspapers and magazines I usually read. And that’s something I haven’t really noticed with other groups. I want to clarify that I’m talking about my personal Twitter feed, which is not specifically focused on BTS. I’ve occasionally seen BP or one of their members trending, but it’s rarely related to music. I don’t recall seeing other K-pop groups mentioned in magazines, newspapers, or even tabloids, not even when they perform on music shows. So again, this made me wonder: have these other groups really broken that same barrier, or is it just that I’m not noticing it? Of course, just because I don’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

I want to emphasize that this isn’t to say that other groups aren’t successful, or that they don’t deserve to be. It’s simply a curiosity about whether other groups have reached the level of recognition in the same way BTS has.

Note: I know that many groups are really popular on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, for example, and obviously have huge fandoms, which gives them a certain level of popularity. But that’s not what I’m referring to here. I hope that’s clear in the post.

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet-Cute - Zoro's Story - 3

Source for pic

Trouble 3

Word Count: 4959

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Protective!Zoro; Soft!Zoro; Sexual Tension; Teasing; Flirting; Mature Audiences (I'll always tag the NSFW chapters); Modern Day AU; Reader is being stalked; Fear; Paranoia; Angst; Rom-Com Vibes; Mild Gore-like Descriptions; Blood; Dead Animals Mentioned; Reader in a terror-like state; Fluff; Romance; Banter; Manipulation; Miscommunication; Frustration; Reader is very clumsy;

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Zoro are slowly returning to your easy friendship filled with banter and flirting and you actually begin to glimpse a future with the green-haired cop. But then you start to receive weird gifts. They quickly escalate to manipulative texts. And now you're stuck in a spiral of terror and there's no way to get help because the Stalker, whoever he is, is threatening something other than just your life.

Notes: I should have chapter 4 already finished... but it's not completed yet... I haven't written almost anything this week! I know with the hollidays it will be hectic around here, but I have a few days where the office is going to be closed, so maybe I can write a bit more! Fingers crossed! Until then, please enjoy the calmness before the storm!

Masterlist

“Morning, Bug.” Shanks fills a mug of coffee for you and sets it down on the table near your plate of bacon and eggs, beside a bouquet of wildflowers. 

“Morning, Dad. Thanks for the coffee, but aren't the flowers a bit too much? It's not my birthday…” You mumble between yawns. 

“They're not from me…” Shanks smirks and nods at a note that's tucked in with the silk ribbon. 

Brow rising, your fingers brush the petals of a deep crimson poppy before they catch the note between them. ‘Wild and beautiful, just like you.’

What? Who? 

Despite the lovely gesture, you can't shake the slightest feeling of unease, it tugs at your stomach, leaving you queasy and suspicious. 

“Who's it from?” Shanks tries to hide his curiosity but falls short when he reaches over your shoulder to glimpse the note. 

“I have no idea.”

“Come on! Not even the slightest hint?” You shake your head while your mind conjures up images of a slightly not-safe-for-work dream you had with a certain green-haired cop, and you blush unintentionally. 

Obviously. Shanks picks it up. 

“You and Zoro seemed pretty cosy when I arrived yesterday…”

“It's not from him… I think.” You deflect the implications, not wanting to read too much into it yourself. “He’s not the type for grand gestures.”

Shanks hums in agreement while placing his coffee cup in the sink. “I see what you mean.” But then he places his hand on your shoulder, forcing you to look at his unbearable smirk. “Though do not underestimate a man in love.”

“Dad!” You feel your ears getting hot as you get up suddenly, looking for a vase to set the flowers on. 

“I’m just saying.” He shrugs. 

“He’s not… we… we’re just friends! I just got back.” You fuss with the flowers until they’re all spread beautifully on the vase and then set them at the centre of the table.

Shanks pouts and stares at you through the flowers, across from you. “Friends.” He air quotes with two fingers. “I’ve been there, Bug.”

“Agh! You’re impossible, Dad.”

But he might also be right. Because if last night was any indication, you and Zoro might be crossing the ‘just friends’ barrier soon. 

And, honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. 

-*-

Shanks tells you to put a hold on your job hunt because he’ll be gone for about three weeks to a month for a horse show on an island in the South Blue and he’ll need you to take care of the animals and manage the farm chores. 

So you spend the next week getting reacquainted with most of your father’s tasks in addition to the ones you had taken over ever since coming back. 

The gifts keep coming. 

Every morning there are chocolates, or flowers, or stuffed animals, little trinkets… The notes are rather simple, always evoking your beauty, but short and nondescript. You are no closer to knowing who they’re from now than you were on the first day you got them.

Shanks keeps hinting that it might be Zoro, but you doubt that very much. Besides the fact that he’s not one for romantic gestures, he would’ve said something about the gifts after six straight days.

And it’s not like you haven’t been chatting… not in person, since you’ve been busy at the farm and he’s been pulling double shifts to have the Saturday off again, but you text every day.

Short texts, to the point, much like Zoro is, but he always asks how you are and if you need anything. 

And knowing he’s trying to take care of you leaves a very warm feeling in your chest. Especially because your clumsiness almost brought you to the clinic twice just this week. You have to thank whichever deity is watching over you because, even though you hurt yourself, it’s never serious enough to send you to the hospital. 

“When are you leaving?” You ask Shanks while packing beverages, muffins and a cake you’ve baked for today’s chosen group activity. 

“Let’s see, today’s Saturday, Beckman says his helper will arrive Monday morning to keep in charge of his farm, so sometime Monday afternoon, Bug. Why? Missing your Daddy already?”

You are.

“No! I just want to make sure you carry all of your medicine and that you have Dr. Law’s emergency contact with you, in case you need it–”

“I’m not going to drag Law all the way to the South Blue just because–”

“I called him and he said you should call anytime, so you’re going to call if you need him!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!” Shanks has got to be the most stubborn man you’ve ever met. 

“Where are you going?” He hisses when you swat his hand away as he tries to steal a salty bacon muffin you’re storing in a container. Then you relent and let him have it.

“Just one, Dad! We’re going on a picnic in the park.” You say with a grin. “Nami organised it, of course. We’re going to spend the day hanging out, playing games, and socializing.” 

Shanks nods, never breaking your gaze, while trying to surreptitiously steal another muffin. This time you slap his hand with the lid of the container, and he yelps. His pout is quickly replaced by a smirk. “Is Officer Zoro going?”

You’re sure your nonchalant look can’t disguise the crimson blush tainting your cheeks, but you try to pay it no mind.  “Yes. And Luffy, and Usopp, Chopper, Sanji–”

“I was going to tell you to be careful, but I’m sure Officer Zoro is going to keep you safe from all harm.” Shanks taunts and you seethe, hands flying to your hips. 

“What are you, Dad, ten?” He guffaws as he successfully manages to distract you and steals another muffin before sprinting away from you and the kitchen.

“Be safe, Bug! Have fun!”

Seriously. How is this man a father?

-*-

Nami swings by your house with Vivi to pick you up for the picnic. You notice Robin’s absence in the car, and both girls giggle.

“Sabo’s picking Robin up. They’ll meet us there.” Vivi answers, and your mouth hangs open.

“Are they a thing?”

“Not yet, but it shouldn’t be long.” Nami laughs as she fixes her hair in the rearview mirror while waiting for the light to turn green. “Much like you and Zoro, I think.”

You choke on your own saliva, and it takes you a good minute to regain proper breathing functions, all while Nami and Vivi erupt into cackles and giggles. 

“We’re just friends!” You say after you’ve caught your breath.

“Sure, honey. We all believe that.” Vivi turns on the front seat to pat your knee in a condescending manner while you blush. 

“There’s so much heat coming off you two whenever you’re close that I don’t know how you still haven’t spontaneously combusted.” Nami quips, and you purse your lips. She’s not wrong there. “I mean, you’ve always sort of clicked, but now… daaaaamn!”

You sigh and bite your lip, trying to contain a giggle from erupting. “Who else is going to meet us there?” You ask, changing the subject and Nami shakes her head, knowing all too well what you’re doing, but not pressing on the matter. 

-*-

It’s a beautiful day for a picnic, and the park is the perfect setting for the beginning of a wonderful midday. There are rows and rows of trees, shade galore, small cobblestone pathways for long walks, and even a small creek providing a soft lull alongside the soft giggles of children. 

You and the girls are setting up rows of blankets on the grass, by the shade of the tall trees, when the group begins to arrive. You lift your head, hand sheltering your eyes from the sun, and scan the crowd. Luffy, Barto, Usopp, Kaya, and Chopper are approaching the treeline. They probably rode together.

A slight breeze dishevels your hair as your eyes linger behind, but there’s no green mane of hair in sight yet. An absent sigh leaves your lips before you spy Nami’s knowing smirk aimed your way.

She doesn’t say anything, but you blush anyway. Her unspoken words linger around you like a thick fog. You are eager to see Zoro. She knows it, you know it, hell, anyone who saw you two interact lately knows it. 

But you vow to retain some semblance of dignity and pretend to fuss over the blankets and small folding chairs. You’re so absorbed in your task that you don’t even see him approach.

“Hey there, Troublemaker, making trouble?”

The smile that graces your lips is instant and unstoppable. You turn slightly and bite your lower lip when your eyes meet his. Why does every shirt he wears seem so tight against his muscles?

“Hardly! I’m just setting up chairs!” But as you deliver the words, the chair you were opening snaps shut, almost catching your fingers, and you yelp. 

“You’re a menace.” His tone is both amused and resigned, almost as if he knew something of the kind would happen, was expecting it, even. 

“It attacked me!” You defend yourself weakly, a giggle bubbling up in your chest because he is right. You are a menace.

Zoro ends up helping you set the chairs, and you don’t even try to stop him. Both because you’re very likely to end up either hurting yourself or breaking a chair, and because he keeps brushing his shoulders and hands with yours, and the touch is welcomed. 

Robin and Sabo arrive with flushed cheeks - you can almost see Nami registering that fact for later probing - and soon after, Franky and Brook, two older men you still haven’t met but Luffy quickly introduces you to, saying they’re also part of the gang. 

You see Sanji already setting up food on the blankets, and he greets you warmly. “Hi, Sanji. You rode with Mosshead?”

“Oi?” Zoro snaps, and you ignore him.

“I did, Madame, and it was the most unpleasant ride of my life. Please remind me not to do it again.”

You giggle when Zoro’s brows knit together, his hands clenched into fists. “Tch, shitty cook, next time you ride with me, it will be in my patrol car and I’ll be dragging you straight to prison.”

Sanji starts to fume, his pursed lips crumpling the cigarette dangling from his lips, and you grimace. “Hey, hey, boys, it was just a joke!”

Nami sighs as they butt heads and continue arguing. “Never mind that.” She tells you. “Any chance they get to get up close and personal, they take it. They have a weird bromance thing going on.” She raises her hands defensively in the air. “I swear, for a moment there I thought they were going to be a thing, but Sanji loves women too much and Zoro is a man with a goal-oriented mind. Even if it’s someone he set his sights on a lifetime ago.”

Your brow raises at her as she smirks that all-knowing smirk. But she leaves it at that and stands in the middle of the boys, dragging Sanji by the scruff of his dress shirt, telling him the girls are hungry, which promptly sets him back to the task of setting up the food. 

“Shitty cook…” You hear Zoro mumble as he sets his hands in his pockets and kicks a blade of grass. It’s cute how flustered he gets. Then his eye sets on you and he frowns with a low grumble. “Oi, I didn’t forget you called me Mosshead.”

You set a hand on your heart, feigning repentance. “Oh, do forgive me, Mr. Mosshead. I forgot your title.”

“Trouble…” He lowers his tone in mock warning, and you smile, taking a step back, hands in a defensive stance. 

“Lord Moss, Knight–” Your antics are cut short by a piercing yelp when Zoro jumps and tries to catch you, but somehow, you swerve away from his grasp and start to run, an unbridled laugh filling your lungs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I was just joking!”

“Repentance doesn’t dissolve the crime! Come here, Trouble!” He sprints, though you suspect he’s hardly even trying, and you cackle, running faster, the voices of the group fading into the distance. 

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Maybe you should’ve measured your words, because as soon as he hears the challenging tone in your voice, he sprints faster, and you barely have time to breathe before his arm wraps around your waist and he swirls you in the air, making you scream and laugh before he pulls your back against his chest.

Heart pounding against your ribs, cheeks flushed from running and breath catching in your throat, you feel your legs shaking when Zoro’s warm breath tickles your neck. “Gotcha.” He whispers, and you notice he’s not even out of breath while you look like you ran a marathon. 

The world dissolves into just this moment. The chirping of the birds and the rustling of the trees are nothing but background noise to the deafening pounding in your chest and the buzzing in your ears. 

Turning your head slightly to the side, you catch Zoro’s eye fixed on you, a wild smirk on his lips. “What now, officer? Are you going to arrest me?”

Damn. That was supposed to come out playfully, not sultrily. Right?

“Depends.” Did his voice get huskier? “Are you going to resist arrest, Trouble?”

You feel your throat bobbing up and down at all the wild fantasies running through your mind. The way he uses that nickname manages to send shivers down your spine and heat straight into your core. 

“Obviously.” You sound breathless, and it's a good thing you can blame that sorry state on the run, or you wouldn't know how to explain it. 

“Figures.” He chuckles low, and you feel it rumbling in his chest. Then, with a swift movement, he turns you, bends his knees, and hoists you up, slinging you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

“Wha–”

“Let's go.” Your flush deepens as you feel his strong hand against the back of your thighs, holding you in place. “The humiliation will teach you not to call me Mosshead.”

“Come on, Zo, I said I was sorry!” You whine, and he stiffens, his pace slowing for a beat, and you feel his shoulders shake slightly. Then he resumes his pace. 

“I like that.”

You stop pounding your fists against his back and raise your brow. “What? Me apologizing?”

He grunts and keeps walking, the blanket and your laughing friends nearly in sight. “That nickname. Way better than Mosshead.”

Oh! Zo! Another small blush creeps into your cheeks, but before you can reply, Nami whistles. “What you got there, Zoro?”

You hear your friends laughing and bury your face in your hands, feeling mortified. “Someone’s been naughty.” Zoro replies with a smirk and an edge of amusement in his tone. 

“Seriously?” You grumble, pushing against his back to try and wiggle out of his embrace, though it’s all for naught because he has an iron grip on your legs. 

“Well, either set her down so we can all eat or take her to naughty jail and punish her. Away from our sight, please.” 

“Nami!” You yell, exasperated, but Zoro merely chuckles, swerving right as if changing directions. 

“Naughty jail it is, then.”

“No, no!” You whimper. “I’m sorry!” Chopper stares at both of you, not sure if you’re being serious, so you try to take advantage of him and stretch your hand. “Help me, Chopper!”

He reaches his hand out before Nami swats it away. “Let them be, Chopper. They need some alone time.”

You seethe at Nami, a pout on your lips. “Traitor.”

Zoro lets out a low chuckle before settling you down at the edge of the blanket. “Learned your lesson, Troublemaker?”

You steady yourself, hands against his chest, and a permanent blush tattooed on your cheeks. “Damn you. I’m never calling you Mosshead again. You won.”

“I see you’re a fast learner.” His smirk is impossibly smug. “Zo’s fine, though.” Then he turns his back on you, opens the small cooler, and takes out a beer, cracking it open with one hand and chugging at it without another look back at you. 

And, damn it, if that doesn’t mess with your heart.

-*-

“Who wants another drink?” You ask and count the raised hands before getting up, heading towards the cooler to satiate your friends’ thirst. Zoro moves his hand before you reach it, and smooths the blanket before you can trip on its raised edge.

You smile at him, but he’s not even looking at you. His eye is shut, one arm behind his neck as he leans against the tree, though you know very well he’s attentive to everything. You pass the drinks around, then return to get your own.

“Watch your head.” Zoro mumbles, and you raise your brow but don’t heed his advice and, therefore, hit a low branch of the tree, releasing a string of curses while rubbing your forehead. “When are you going to start listening to me, Trouble?”

“When you stop sounding like a smug jerk.” You mouth, annoyed at his attentiveness and at how he seems to perceive danger before you even realise it’s there. He chuckles and you retrieve your drink, returning to your seat.

After a while of relaxing in the shade, Luffy drags everyone to a frisbee game. The boys are all down to play, but the girls just sit by a bench near the open space the boys chose to throw the frisbee and tackle each other. 

You sit on the back of the bench, a case of water bottles by your feet because you know the boys will be thirsty soon. Vivi sits on the grass in front of Nami’s legs, and Robin and Kaya are on the bench. 

After a small chit-chat about meaningless stuff, you decide to bring up something that’s been bothering you. “So I’ve been getting a lot of gifts lately…”

Four heads whip your way, and you sigh, already expecting that reaction and the bombardment of questions that follow. So you raise your hands, and they stop to let you continue. Though you decide to focus on the game in front of you instead of the way they’re all staring at you.

You especially focus on a very athletic green-haired man who constantly gazes up to where you are before focusing back on the game. 

“It’s flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals… It started last weekend, after the party at Luffy’s. They have notes, but nothing personal. No name, no nothing… I don’t know who they’re from, and I don’t even know if I should be flattered or freaked out by them.”

“How do they make you feel?” Robin asks, and you shrug, not quite knowing how to answer that question.

“The first ones made me feel good. I thought they were from– I thought I might know who they were from. But since he didn’t say anything about it, I doubt they're from him. So now they just feel weird…”

“Honey, we all know you’re talking about Zoro.” Nami says in a very condescending manner, and all the girls agree.

You sigh and bury your face in your hands. You’re so obvious it hurts. 

“Fine, yes. I thought they might’ve come from him, at first. But he’s not one for romantic gestures.”

“I wouldn’t say that, exactly.” Nami quipped back, a smirk tugging her lips as her eyes fell back on the game. Sure enough, Zoro’s eyes are back on the bench - on you, to be more specific. “I think it’s quite romantic the way he’s always checking to see if you’re safe. Keeping you away from trouble and making sure you don’t hurt yourself.”

A small blush creeps its way into your cheeks. It is quite romantic. “That’s just Zoro being Zoro. He’s a cop. He protects and serves.” You roll your eyes.

“Oh, I’m sure he would like to serve you.” Nami giggles and all the girls try to stifle their own laughs. “But you’re wrong about that. Sure, he’s always attentive to any kind of threats, but it’s different with you.”

“What do you mean?” You can’t stop the way your heart pounds maddeningly against your sternum. 

“She means that Zoro doesn’t usually go out of his way to keep people from tripping on stuff or from bumping their head. And with you, he’s always extra careful.” Robin finishes with a small smile. 

“Like the way he’s playing now, but keeps looking at you to see if you’re still in one piece. It’s like he’s expecting you to spontaneously combust or something.” Kaya adds with a giggle. 

“It’s very endearing.” Vivi finishes, and your blush deepens, so you bury your head back into your hands, stifling a loud groan. 

“But you’re still right.” Nami continues as if you’re not breaking down in front of them. “I don’t think he’s the one leaving the gifts…” She laughs suddenly. “But there’s one way to tell for sure.”

You raise your head from your hand cocoon to tell her to keep her mouth shut, but Zoro is already halfway to the bench and you squeak. “Nami…”

“Hey, Zoro!” She starts with a wave of her hand. You see Zoro raise his eyebrow at her, his long strides bringing him closer to the bench. 

Shit.

He’s sweaty all over. Fat droplets of perspiration drop from his temples to his perfect jawline and neck, and you gulp, feeling hot and bothered. So, it comes as no surprise that when he reaches his hand to grab a bottle between your legs, you lose your balance and fall back on the bench.

Yelping, you expect to hit the floor with a dry thud, air escaping your lungs and sharp pain blinding you. Instead, you feel a strong hand wrap around your forearm and tug hard, then your face being squished against a muscular, sweaty chest.

Zoro saved you from an ugly fall. Again.

“Seriously, Trouble? Why?” His voice is gravelly and rough, but with an edge of exasperation lacing it. “I’m starting to feel like I have to be with you 24/7 or you’re going to end up in the hospital.”

Your breath is still leaving your lips in ragged gasps because of the slight scare of facing an inevitable fall, and your face is still pressed against Zoro’s chest. You feel the girls’ gaze on both of you and Zoro seems completely unfazed by it, while saying you’re embarrassed would be the understatement of the year.

So you disentangle yourself from the predicament that is Zoro’s muscles and laugh it off, a hand scratching the back of your neck. “Ah, thank you. I got… distracted.”

“By what?” He asks while taking a sip of water.

“Well, Zoro,” Nami begins, and he shifts his focus to her, “we were discussing who could be her secret admirer, and then you showed up. Curious.”

“Secret admirer?” Zoro’s gaze falls back on you, his brow scrunched.

“Ah, no. It’s nothing like that. It’s just–”

“She’s been getting gifts. Flowers, chocolates, love declarations…” Why is Nami exaggerating? Is she trying to fish for information or make Zoro jealous? “You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with it, would you?”

He drinks the water in three long gulps before answering, his scowl now permanently etched on his lips. “Do I look like the kind of guy who would do that?”

You look down and bite your lower lip. You knew it wasn’t him, but maybe, secretly, there was still a little part of you that hoped he could be showering you with that kind of attention. 

“Well, I just thought–” Nami begins, but she’s swiftly interrupted by Zoro, whose eyes can’t seem to leave your figure.

“When I want someone, I make it clear I’m interested. You’ll know.” He finishes drinking the water just as your eyes meet his, and the fire burning there scalds and melts. Was he telling you he’s interested? Was he saying he’s about to make a move?

With a smirk, he turns his back, grunts a gruff ‘try not to fall again, Trouble’, and gets back to the game, leaving you more confused than ever. 

“Did he–” Nami starts.

“Nobody says anything. We’re going to act like nothing happened.” You mumble before getting up and chugging down an entire bottle of water yourself to try and calm your nerves.

It doesn’t work.

-*-

The frisbee game makes everyone tired - and hungry - so, after all the bellies are filled again, the crew is relaxing in the blanket, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon and the lulling sounds of the park. 

Chopper, Usopp, Luffy, and Barto are enjoying a card game. Franky seems interested, but he’s only overseeing and throwing advice that only seems to make Usopp lose the game. Robin has a book in her hands and Sabo’s head on her lap, his eyes closed with a blissful smile on his lips. 

You have serious doubts that she's paying attention to the book, especially since she seems to be stuck on the same page for over ten minutes, but you don’t say anything. Kaya is braiding Vivi’s hair and Nami is snapping photos of the crew, taking little candid shots with her cellphone. Brook is gracing everyone with a nice, mellow song on his violin - he's a wonderful musician - and Zoro seems to be sleeping peacefully, leaning against the tree.

Everything seems peaceful, quiet, and idyllic. 

But you can’t seem to shake the feeling of unease in the pit of your stomach. It’s like someone is watching you, but you can’t quite pinpoint who or where. It’s a prickling on your neck, something you’re already growing so used to that you start to think you should have this checked out by a doctor. 

With a heavy sigh, you stand up, stretching your arms to justify that action. “I’ll be back soon.” You say softly to Nami, who’s closer to you and she nods. Then, you look around before taking a step. The park is one big open space - with the exception of some trees here and there - except for the dense treeline behind you. 

So that’s where you’re headed. 

-*-

Zoro senses you getting up and opens his eye slowly, following you with his gaze and scowling when you don’t see the tree root sticking out and stumble a little before steadying your pace. 

You’re such a damn klutz.

And damn it, if he doesn’t want to be there to catch you and protect you from everything. 

His heart constricts slightly at the thought, and he sighs softly. He thought absence had made him forget how he felt about you. He even had some ‘relationships’ while you were away. Wait… can he really call something that never went past three months a real relationship? He never truly bonded with those women. Never truly cared.

No one ever made him feel the way you did.

The way you do.

But time and distance did nothing but make him pine harder for you. When Nami told him casually that you were returning, he almost didn’t believe her. You didn’t even come back for any of the holidays or to say ‘hi’, let alone come back for good after experiencing life in the big city. 

But you returned.

And then he thought he wouldn’t quite forgive you for having literally abandoned them. No text, no email, no letter, nothing. He would be salty, at least. Grumpy and upset, at most.

But he forgave you instantly. 

One look at your dishevelled form, chasing a goddamned tire with dirt all over your clothes and face, and he was a lovestruck teenager again. 

Fucking heart, what a useless organ. 

All those thoughts forgotten, he simply reached out. And you reached back, almost like no time had passed between you, and you could basically continue your story where you left off. 

And he was willing to try.

Though he didn’t want to rush too fast - damn Nami should just stop intruding and let you two figure things out yourselves. He’d get there. He almost kissed you already, so the feeling is mutual. 

He’s got time.

Sitting up, he watches as you peek behind trees, a cautious demeanour to your posture making him raise his brow. What the hell are you doing?

“Just go to her, dumbass.”

“Shut up, Witch. Mind your own business.”

Nami sticks her tongue out at him and snaps a picture of his grouchy face before turning her phone towards you and snapping another candid shot. 

“You look like a lost puppy in love. It’s cute, you know? The way you keep looking out for her.” Zoro feels his ears heat up and leans back again, trying to close his eye and return to a state of relaxation, but he can’t very well do that when you’re doing God-knows-what near the trees, looking creepily at everywhere and everything. “Just make sure you make your move soon… or maybe that secret admirer will one-up you and poof!” She makes an exploding gesture with her hand, and Zoro scowls at her. 

“You’re insufferable.” He quips before getting up and dusting his jeans.

“Word of the day? How smart of you, Zoro.” She giggles when Zoro passes by her and messes up her hair with his hand, earning an indignant gasp from the orange-haired girl. “I just went to the salon, you brute!”

Zoro smirks at her reaction and starts pacing towards you, Nami’s antics behind him. Well… all except one…

‘Make sure you make your move soon…’

Perhaps he should. He doesn’t want to lose you before even having the chance to have you.

Tag list: @rosidaze @beachaddict48 @armiliadawn @jintaka-hane @sprinkklz @baby5555 @hopelesslover06 @mars-mizuko @sleepykittycx @nerium-lil @eustasscapitankid @ren-ni @jqperi @lycoriskalmia @daydreamer-in-training @iloveyoushanks

[grogwrites]

The Sound of Sunshine - L.N. 4

Part Two • Navigation

Summary: Lando vacations in Hawaii for the first time over the winter break, where he meets a carefree surfer who turns his world upside down

Pairing: Lando Norris x Female OC

CW: so much fluff that you might get a cavity, mentions of being hungover/vomiting, very slight swearing if you squint hard enough

A/N: in case you missed my previous post, this fanfic is available to read on Wattpad as well! You can find it here 🌞💛 Divider by @enchanthings-a • Full Fanfic Soundtrack can be found here ✨

Word Count: 1.8k

* DISCLAIMER: I do not know any of the people in this fanfiction personally, these are all just the works of my imagination.

As the bright, Hawaiian sun filtered through the curtains in his suite, Lando groaned in annoyance. His head was throbbing in pain. He sleepily covered his face with his hands in a poor attempt to block out the light. He regretted his drinking yesterday, especially without any water. As he recounted his poor decision making skills, he was hit with a beautiful reminder:

Kiki.

He quickly dropped his hands, then clumsily fumbled for his phone on his nightstand. Even without the liquid influence in his bloodstream, Lando’s little crush was definitely still bubbling inside of him at the thought of the girl. When he turned on the device, he saw her familiar name flash across his screen:

Kailani: is the celebrity too busy for a bike ride later today? ;)

The lack of modern emojis made Lando laugh under his breath. Something about her made his adrenaline pick up speed, and crave for more. Like a damn drug. His thumbs quickly got to work, as they slid across the phone screen to type out a response.

Lando: Never too busy for you. What time?

As he locked it again, the realization dawned on him that he probably needed to make an attempt to cure his hangover—throwing up on a bike ride with a pretty girl was not something he wanted on his agenda for the day. He climbed out of bed, beginning the motions for his morning routine: shower, brush his teeth, get dressed, and continuously check his phone for any texts back. It was mildly embarrassing, having felt like he was a teenager all over again. 25 years old, and this hippie music teacher was driving him insane…in a good way, of course. In a great way. He had to remind himself that texting back on a flip phone took longer than it would on a smartphone, but god he was an impatient man.

Once he pulled a t-shirt on over his head, he grabbed the keys to his rental car and hotel room, then made his way towards the small restaurant in the resort—silently praying that they had something greasy for a hangover remedy. When his phone buzzed again in his pocket, he excitedly reached for it.

Kailani: school gets out just a little after 3. pick you up at 3:30?

Lando: it’s a date x

He wasn’t actually sure if that was her intention, but he wanted her to know that he had every intention on pursuing her. If there was anything he wanted to accomplish on this winter break, it was getting to know her. Lando was riding that vacation-situationship high, and he was going to ride the damn thing to the grave.

.

Kailani attempted to steady her breathing as she watched anxiously for Lando. Inviting him for this bike ride was a long shot, considering he was pretty far gone when they met yesterday. She wasn’t sure he would still be interested, or even remember her for that matter. She tugged at the straps on her overalls, finding literally anything to occupy her energy.

The weather was perfect today—not a cloud in the sky, or a breeze in the air. Kailani planned to take Lando through town to hopefully swing by her favorite smoothie bar, but it just depended on if he could bike that far. Sure, he said he was a race car driver, but she didn’t have anything in her disposal to back up his claim. She had her work computer, but with the Christmas program a few days away, she barely touched the thing within the last few weeks. Trying to wrangle over eighty kids in one small gymnasium was…a lot.

“Hey, stranger.”

The familiar British drawl pulled her from her thoughts, as she turned to find Lando sauntering over to her. Kailani was never very good at hiding her feelings, but why would she want to? Life was too short to try and beat around the bush—she made a promise to herself three years ago after treatment ended that she was going to live every day as if it were going to be her last. So, she smiled at him. She was going to continue to ask him on dates if he’d allow her, and she was going to make sure he knows that she’s interested in him. If you don’t swim, you’ll drown.

“You’re sober!” She happily observed, which elicited a laugh from him. His dimples alone could’ve killed her on the spot.

“If I knew I’d be meeting you yesterday, I probably wouldn’t have gone so overboard,” he replied with a shrug. He looked down at the two rental bikes that Kailani had propped up behind her. “Where’s your truck?”

“At home,” she explained while walking around the bikes. “I usually walk to work.” Lando frowned, then met her gaze again.

“How did you get these here?”

“I walked,” she repeated as she kicked the stand up on one of the bikes. She grabbed ahold of the handles, then swung her leg over to sit on it. “Now, are you done asking me questions, Romeo? I wasn’t aware that walking was such a controversial topic.”

“It’s not,” Lando laughed once more, holding his hands up in defense. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She watched as he climbed onto his bike. “You just…continue to surprise me.”

Kailani felt her heart flutter. Lando could say anything to her, and she’d swoon, she thought.

As they began their bike ride, they kept a comfortable pace, riding side by side. This was what she enjoyed the most about leaving her car at home: feeling the sun on her face, smelling the ocean, seeing the tourists and her neighbors walking through town…she loved life. She loved living. It took a lot of downhill slopes to get to where she was, but it was worth it—so beyond worth it. It was why she got rid of her phone, her TV, and her computer. It was why she often walked or biked around the island if the weather allowed—because it reminded her to look up at the world around her. She never wanted to miss a day, or a chance, or a moment ever again.

“So, Kiki,” Lando finally spoke up, breaking their comfortable silence. “Other than music and surfing, what do you do?”

“A lot,” she admitted. “Having no electronics has permitted me to learn a lot of different things. I crochet, sew, paint, make jewelry…sometimes I think I have too many hobbies.”

“You make jewelry?” Lando laughed. “Like what?”

“Mostly necklaces,” she smiled, glancing at him briefly. “I use shells that I find at the beach to make them.”

Kailani led them down a small side road, which she considered to be the scenic route to the smoothie shop. It took them through a small cobblestone path that was surrounded by palm trees, and beautiful plumeria trees. She could see Lando’s face light up at the different colors they passed, which made her chest warm. She wanted to do anything she could to make him smile like that again. She slowed her bike down by one of the trees, with Lando following in suit.

“Tell me more about your racing,” she requested as she propped her bike on its stand again. She began to pick a few plumerias—the orange ones were her favorite.

“Oh,” he paused. “Well, I began karting when I was seven. I’ve been in Formula 1 for almost six years, now.” Kailani looked over to him. She made her way back, handing him the plumerias she picked.

“So what exactly brings a race car driver to Honolulu?” She hummed as he tentatively accepted the plant from her. She watched the corners of his mouth twitch as he delicately held the orange flowers in his hand.

“Ah, a break,” he finally responded, meeting her gaze again. “We just won the Constructor’s Championship. I’m off until March.” She raised her eyebrows at him as she climbed back on her bike. He quickly followed, sticking the plumerias behind his ear.

“So does that mean I get you for a whole three months?” She teased as they turned back onto the main road. Lando smiled next to her.

“You can have me as long as you’d like.”

.

As they walked back to the resort, Lando had completely lost track of time. He didn’t even realize the sun was setting until they left the smoothie bar. By the time they returned the rental bikes, the sun was gone completely. He watched as Kiki happily chewed on her straw, observing their surroundings intently. Lando had noticed today that she was particularly intuitive to the world around them. She was emotionally present in their conversations, while also soaking in every ounce of energy that was around them. He could tell she loved where she lived, but he couldn’t blame her. It was beautiful here, and he was only three days into his trip. Despite knowing Kiki for a short twenty four hours, he somehow knew that leaving was going to be incredibly difficult. But he didn’t want to think about that. Not now, anyways. Not when things felt so…perfect.

“Can I give you a ride back to your house?” He offered. She looked up at him.

“If you would like to,” she sighed happily. “I’m used to walking at night, though.” Lando internally fought with himself on the decision to wrap an arm around her, before making himself pull the move. Much to his surprise, she seemed to reciprocate the gesture as she nestled herself closer to him. He could feel himself blush, and thanked god it was dark outside.

“Hmm,” Lando looked at the resort ahead of them, “I would like to give you a ride. I’d feel better about it, plus it gives me more time to spend with you.”

“How chivalrous,” Kiki teased, lightly nudging his chest with her elbow. “Lando, would you have any interest in joining me at the school tomorrow?”

“Am I even allowed to?” He laughed, looking down at her. He hadn’t even realized she was laying her head against him until now, which practically skyrocketed his heart into space.

“Of course,” she shrugged before taking another sip of her smoothie. He finished his drink ages ago, but he noticed she’s a rather slow consumer. “You could be my classroom helper for the day.”

“Wow, that sounds like a lot of responsibility,” Lando smirked as they stopped by his rental car. Kiki stepped out of the embrace, then looked up at him.

“It is,” she stated firmly, though her tone wavered with a hint of sarcasm. He could tell she was trying to hide her smile as she spoke. “So don’t mess it up, Romeo.”

“I won’t,” Lando held his pinky out to her. “I promise.” Kiki gave into the smile as she interlocked her finger with his. He held on to her hand for a moment, letting the simple gesture sink in. Who knew that something so small would eventually mean the world to him.

.

* None of my writing is available for reposting on other platforms. Reblogs, likes, and comments are appreciated.

©️ grogwrites, 2024

Taglist:

@lilaissa @cabbyhabs @gogeroni @fat-meh @xivilivix @henna006 @hadids-world @i-need-to-be-put-down @gigicisneros @ash88-yep

[taylsluvs]

Drawing Closer ♡

Jungwon x fem!reader

English is not my first language, so sorry if there are any mistakes :(

Warnings: angst, mentions of death, terminal illness,death of a reader. (Sorry) (If I forget something, don't hesitate to tell me)

This story is based on the Japanese Netflix movie "Drawing closer" but here Jungwon is not sick like Akito, mentions the other Enhypen boys and Rei and Wonyoung from Ive, in this universe they are not idols

It was a quiet afternoon, like any other, in the hospital where y/n had spent the past few months. The routine was monotonous: checkups, medication, and long hours staring out the window. Her world had been reduced to the white walls of her room, the beeping of the monitors, and the soft murmur of the nurses in the hallway.

However, that day was different. As she gazed out the window, her mind lost in thought, she saw a group of boys running in the nearby park. They were wearing school uniforms and laughing with such carefree joy that y/n felt a slight pang of nostalgia.

One of the boys immediately caught her attention. He had a bright smile that seemed to light up the place. He ran lightly, as if the whole world were on his side. When the group of boys stopped to rest, he looked up, and to y/n's surprise, he stared directly at her.

Caught off guard, y/n quickly looked away. But when she looked back, she saw him smiling and waving at her. Her heart skipped a beat.

The next day, as she flipped through a book with little interest, someone gently knocked on her door.

"Can I come in?" asked a young, cheerful voice.

When y/n looked up, she saw the boy with the bright smile, holding a small but colorful bouquet of flowers.

"Hi," he said, stepping in cautiously. "I'm Jungwon. Yesterday I saw you from the park, and I thought you might need something to brighten your day."

y/n looked at him in surprise, unsure of what to say. No one outside her family had cared about her in a long time.

"I... thank you," she murmured, feeling her cheeks warm.

Jungwon walked over and placed the flowers in a small vase by her bed. Then, he pulled out a bag of sweets and handed it to her.

"Do you like candy?"

"Yes... but I'm not supposed to eat too many."

"Then we can share them," he replied with a mischievous smile, taking one out of the bag and offering it to her.

y/n couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you always this friendly with strangers?"

"Only with those who seem to need a friend," he answered, sitting in the chair beside her bed.

That was the beginning of something y/n hadn’t expected. Jungwon stayed talking with her for hours, asking simple yet important questions: what her favorite color was, if she had a song she liked, how she spent her time in the hospital. At first, y/n answered shyly, but his enthusiasm was contagious, and soon she began to speak with more confidence.

Before leaving, Jungwon promised to return.

"I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?"

y/n nodded, feeling something she hadn’t felt in a long time: excitement for the next day.

That night, as she looked at the flowers he had left, a small spark of hope ignited in her heart.

The next day, just as he had promised, Jungwon appeared at the door of y/n's room, this time with a book under his arm and a smile as bright as the one from the day before.

"Hello, y/n! How are you today?"

She looked up from the notebook where she had been doodling. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she had been waiting for him.

"Better, I guess," she replied, trying not to show too much emotion.

Jungwon walked in confidently and sat in the same chair by her bed, placing the book on the table.

"I brought this. It’s a short story book, I thought we could read it together. Some are funny, others a little sad, but they’re interesting."

y/n took the book carefully and read the title quietly.

"Why are you doing this? You barely know me."

Jungwon shrugged, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Why not? You seemed interesting, and besides, I don’t think anyone should spend so much time alone."

Jungwon’s words touched something inside y/n, a wound she had tried to ignore for months. She lowered her gaze to the book, playing with the corner of the pages.

"I don’t have friends... I’ve never had any."

Jungwon stayed silent for a moment, watching her. Then, with a soft but determined tone, he responded:

"Well, now you have one."

y/n looked up, surprised.

"What?"

"Me. I’ll be your friend," he said with a smile so warm that it made y/n feel a lump in her throat.

She tried to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she nodded shyly, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

From that day on, Jungwon became a constant part of y/n’s life. Every day after school, he would come to the hospital with something new: a book, flowers, a game on his phone, or simply stories about what had happened in class.

He told her about his friends: Heeseung, who was the most talented in sports; Jay, who had a great sense of humor and always found ways to get into trouble; Jake, with his sweet and cheerful personality; Sunghoon, who was more reserved but incredibly kind; Sunoo, who always made everyone laugh; and Niki, the youngest but also the most energetic of the group.

"They’re like my brothers," he explained one day, showing her a group photo on his phone. "I’m sure you’d get along with them."

"I don’t know... I’m not good with people," y/n admitted, playing with the edge of her blanket.

"That doesn’t matter. They’ll love you because you’re you, just like I love you as you are."

y/n looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. It was hard not to believe him when he said it with such conviction.

With each visit, Jungwon managed to pull y/n out of the bubble of loneliness she had been trapped in. He taught her to play video games, introduced her to songs he listened to with his friends, and even tried teaching her some dance moves while she laughed from her bed.

One day, while they were in the middle of one of those fun moments, Jungwon asked her an unexpected question.

"Do you have a dream, something you’ve always wanted to do?"

y/n paused, thinking. She had had dreams once, but her illness had extinguished them one by one.

"I think... I’ve always wanted to feel like part of something," she said finally, in a soft voice. "I don’t know how to explain it, but I want to know what it’s like to have a group of people who accept me, who care about me."

Jungwon looked at her seriously, nodding as if he were planning something in his mind.

"Then I’ll make that happen. I promise I’ll make it happen."

y/n didn’t understand what he meant, but the confidence in his voice made her feel that, maybe, it was possible.

That day, as Jungwon left the room, y/n looked at the fresh bouquet of flowers he had left in the vase. For the first time in a long time, she realized that she didn’t feel alone.

A week later, Jungwon arrived at y/n’s room more excited than usual. He had a big smile on his face and was holding a bag with a female school uniform.

"y/n! This weekend is the festival at my school, and I already spoke with your doctors. They said you can go out for a while if you take care of yourself."

y/n looked up, surprised.

"A festival?"

"Yeah, it’s super fun. There are food stalls, games, music, and at the end, fireworks. I want you to come with me."

y/n hesitated. Her health had been fragile lately, and although the doctors had approved the outing, she still felt scared.

"I don’t know... What if I don’t fit in?"

Jungwon knelt down to her height and gently took her hands.

"I already told you, my friends will love you, y/n. Plus, you don’t have to worry. I’ll be with you the whole time."

The sparkle in his eyes and the warmth of his voice finally convinced her.

The day of the festival arrived, and Jungwon showed up with a wheelchair decorated with colorful ribbons.

"If we’re going out, we’re doing it in style," he joked as he helped y/n sit down.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Although she still felt a little nervous, Jungwon’s presence made her feel at ease.

When they arrived at the school, the place was full of life. The laughter and chatter of the students created a festive atmosphere, and the smell of street food filled the air.

"Jungwon!" shouted a voice from a distance.

A group of boys ran up to them. y/n recognized some of them from the photos Jungwon had shown her: Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Niki.

"She must be y/n!" exclaimed Sunoo with a big smile.

"Finally meeting the famous friend of Jungwon," joked Jay, winking at her.

The boys introduced themselves one by one, each one warmer and more welcoming than the last. Despite her shyness, y/n began to feel comfortable.

"Ah, there are Rei and Wonyoung!" said Jake, pointing to two girls near a game stall.

Jungwon pushed y/n’s wheelchair toward them, introducing them enthusiastically. Rei was a girl with dark hair and bright eyes, while Wonyoung had a sweet smile and a charming air.

"Hi, y/n. Jungwon has told us a lot about you," Rei said kindly.

As the group chatted, y/n couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Rei was. There was something about her confidence and charisma that made it hard not to admire her.

Later, when Jungwon and y/n were alone in a quiet corner, she dared to mention what she was thinking.

"Rei is really beautiful. I think she would be a great match for you."

Jungwon stopped in his tracks, surprised by her words. Then he shook his head with a soft smile.

"Rei is a great friend, but no. I’m not interested in her."

"Why not? She’s perfect."

Jungwon leaned slightly toward her, his expression serious but tender.

"Because there’s already someone I like."

y/n’s heart skipped a beat.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said, looking directly into her eyes. "And that person is right in front of me."

y/n was speechless, feeling her face flush with heat. Jungwon, noticing her nervousness, just smiled and gave her a light tap on the shoulder.

"Come on, there’s still a lot to see."

The night of the festival went on, and the energy in the air grew more magical with every passing moment. Jungwon’s friends and y/n had been touring the stalls, laughing, and sharing stories. y/n, although she had been shy at first, was feeling incredibly comfortable with the group. The guys were fun and kind, and Rei and Wonyoung had been a constant support, making sure to include her in everything.

Finally, the most anticipated moment arrived: the fireworks. The crowd began gathering in the open field behind the school, looking for the best spots to watch the show.

"y/n, come with me," Jungwon said, taking the handles of her wheelchair and moving it a little further ahead, away from the group.

"Why here?" she asked, looking around.

"Because I want you to have the best view," he replied with a smile.

They stopped in a quiet spot, where the lantern lights barely reached. They were close enough to the others to hear their laughter, but far enough to feel like they were in their own world.

The sky suddenly lit up with bursts of color, and y/n looked up, mesmerized.

"It’s beautiful," she murmured, almost without realizing it.

Jungwon, however, wasn’t looking at the fireworks. His eyes were fixed on her, watching the way the light danced across her face, how her eyes sparkled with awe.

"Yeah, it is," he responded, though he wasn’t talking about the sky.

y/n turned to him and noticed that he was staring at her. Her heart began to race.

"What’s wrong?" she asked, nervous.

Jungwon didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned a little closer to her, keeping his gaze fixed on hers.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked softly, almost like a whisper.

y/n felt her face flush. She had never been kissed before, and she wasn’t sure what to do. But there was also something in the way Jungwon looked at her that made her feel safe, like this moment was just for them.

"I... I’ve never kissed anyone," she confessed, looking down at her hands.

Jungwon smiled gently.

"Me neither," he admitted.

She looked up, surprised.

"Really?"

"Really. But I think this is the perfect moment to learn, don’t you think?"

y/n nodded shyly, and Jungwon leaned in even closer, stopping just before their lips touched, as if giving her a chance to change her mind.

When their lips finally met, it was a short, shy kiss, but full of tenderness. They quickly pulled apart, their faces as red as tomatoes, and started laughing nervously.

"That was... nice," y/n said, still feeling the warmth on her cheeks.

"Yeah, it was nice," Jungwon replied, smiling like a fool.

Behind them, Jungwon’s friends had seen the moment from a distance. No one said anything out loud, but they exchanged knowing glances and shared smiles.

"It was about time," Sunoo whispered, laughing quietly.

After the fireworks ended, the whole group gathered to take a picture. Heeseung insisted on taking it, making sure everyone was in the shot. Jungwon stood behind y/n’s chair, leaning slightly toward her, while Rei and Wonyoung stood next to her, hugging her warmly.

"One more, to make sure!" shouted Jay, as the camera captured another picture filled with smiles.

When the night came to an end, Jungwon took y/n back toward the entrance of the festival. As they said goodbye to the others, Rei and Wonyoung ran toward her, excitement on their faces.

"y/n!" Wonyoung exclaimed, taking her hands. "We really like you, you know? Now we’re officially best friends."

"Yeah!" added Rei. "When you get a phone, you have to message us every day."

"And we have to listen to and dance to K-pop together," continued Wonyoung, excited. "There are so many things we can do, even in the hospital."

"We’ll always visit you," promised Rei, smiling sincerely.

y/n couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she belonged somewhere, that she had a group of people who really cared about her.

"Thank you, really," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

Rei and Wonyoung gave her one last hug before saying goodbye, and y/n watched as they ran off, still chatting together.

That night, as Jungwon took her back to the hospital, y/n realized just how happy she was. Her heart was full of gratitude, both for Jungwon and for the friendships she had found thanks to him.

For the first time, she felt like life, although complicated, could still be beautiful.

The day after the festival, y/n was lying in her hospital bed, still smiling from the magic of the night before. Her mind replayed the happy moments: the kiss under the fireworks, the laughter with Jungwon’s friends, and the friendship promises from Rei and Wonyoung. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard hurried footsteps and familiar voices in the hallway.

"I think it was this way!" Wonyoung said, a little out of breath.

"No, we passed it, didn’t you see the sign?" Rei replied, sighing.

"You two are lost again!" Jungwon joked, sitting in a chair next to y/n’s bed.

Suddenly, Rei and Wonyoung burst into the room, slightly out of breath but with huge smiles on their faces. Both were carrying bags full of things and seemed ready for an important mission.

"We’re here!" Wonyoung yelled, waving a bag in the air.

"You took your time, don’t you think?" Jungwon said, smiling playfully.

Rei frowned, though she was clearly joking.

"Late or not, it’s girls' night. So… Jungwon, out!"

"What? But—"

"No buts!" Wonyoung exclaimed, gently pushing him toward the door. "Today is just for the three of us."

Jungwon looked at y/n, who was laughing uncontrollably at the scene. Though he hesitated to leave her alone, the happiness on her face convinced him.

"Okay, okay, I’m going," he said, raising his hands in surrender. Before leaving, he leaned in a little toward y/n and whispered, "Have fun, okay?"

y/n nodded excitedly, and Jungwon left, leaving the three girls alone.

"Finally! Now the fun begins," Rei announced, dropping the bags on the floor.

Wonyoung pulled out a box with a shiny pink iPhone and handed it to y/n.

"This is for you."

y/n blinked, surprised.

"What? I can’t accept this, it’s too much..."

"Of course you can," Wonyoung interrupted with a smile. "My dad has a tech company. This is nothing for him, and you need it."

Rei nodded, supporting her friend.

"Plus, how are we going to gossip with you if you don’t have a phone?"

With trembling hands, y/n took the phone, excited but a bit overwhelmed by the gesture.

"Thank you, really..."

"Don’t thank us too much, there’s more," Rei said, pulling out makeup, cute clothes, and even silly wigs from the bags. They had also brought food that they knew y/n could eat, like small cakes and fruit drinks.

The girls began setting everything up. While Wonyoung showed y/n how to use her new phone and create an Instagram account, Rei took out the makeup and discussed what look would be best for her.

"We’re going to do a simple but cute makeup, so you look like an idol," Rei said, determined.

"Me? An idol?" y/n asked, laughing.

"Of course. From now on, you’re part of our group, so we need to make you look spectacular," Wonyoung replied while showing her how to take photos for her profile.

When they finished doing her makeup, Rei and Wonyoung put on the clothes they had brought and ridiculous wigs, one blue and the other a crazy blonde. They turned on K-pop music on y/n’s phone and started dancing as if they were giving a live concert.

"This is our debut as a group!" Wonyoung shouted while Rei did an exaggerated choreography.

y/n couldn’t stop laughing as she watched them move around the room, filling the space with laughter and energy. Suddenly, the two girls came up to her, took her hands, and started moving them as if she were dancing too.

"y/n is leading the group!" Rei announced while they all laughed.

After dancing, they took lots of pictures, some cute and some completely hilarious. One of y/n’s favorites was one where the three of them wore the wigs, making silly poses in front of the mirror.

In a quiet moment, while they were looking at the photos, y/n began to cry silently. Rei and Wonyoung noticed immediately.

"What’s wrong, y/n?" Rei asked, approaching with concern.

"It’s just that... I’m so happy. I never thought I’d have friends like you."

Wonyoung hugged her tightly while Rei stroked her hair.

"We’ll always be here for you, y/n. No matter what happens, we’re a team," Wonyoung said seriously.

"Exactly. And not only that. You’re going to recover because you have to. We still have so much to do together," added Rei.

"Like what?" y/n asked, smiling through her tears.

"Like winning an award for best K-pop group, obviously," Rei joked, making them all laugh again.

"We already have a name, remember?" Wonyoung said.

"Of course," Rei said. "The Star Girls."

"I love it," y/n whispered, feeling happier than she had in years.

That afternoon, as Rei and Wonyoung left the hospital, y/n stayed looking at the photos on her phone, smiling. Though her body was weak, her heart was fuller than ever thanks to the friendships she had found.

A week after the unforgettable girls' afternoon, Jungwon arrived at the hospital with exciting news. He and his friends had planned a small beach trip, something simple but special, to spend time together. He had spoken with the doctors and Y/N's parents, who agreed to the idea as long as she didn't exert herself too much.

"The beach?" Y/N asked, her eyes wide. "I've never been to the beach."

Jungwon smiled, taking her hands in his.

"Then it will be your first time. I promise it will be unforgettable."

Y/N, excited, started telling Jungwon about everything that had happened with Rei and Wonyoung. She showed him the photos they had taken together, including the ones with wigs and funny poses.

"They look so happy," Jungwon commented, looking at the pictures with a soft smile.

"I am. I never thought I would have friends like them... and friends like you," Y/N added, looking at him with gratitude.

Jungwon looked away for a moment, a bit embarrassed, but he couldn't hide his happiness.

When the day of the trip arrived, Y/N was ready, her face glowing with a radiant smile. Jungwon arrived early at the hospital to pick her up, making sure everything was ready. He had a backpack with blankets and special food for her, prepared by Y/N's parents.

The drive to the beach was lively, filled with laughter and conversation. Rei, Wonyoung, and Jungwon's friends—Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Niki—were also there, ready to have an unforgettable day.

When they arrived, Y/N was speechless. The view of the endless ocean, with the waves gently crashing on the shore, was more beautiful than she had imagined.

"It's incredible," she murmured, her eyes shining.

Jungwon helped her out of the car and placed her in her wheelchair, pushing her toward the shore. Rei and Wonyoung were running on the sand, excited, while the guys set up an umbrella and started getting the food out.

The group spent the afternoon laughing and playing. They ate together on a blanket spread out on the sand, sharing stories and joking with one another. Jungwon stayed close to Y/N, making sure she was comfortable and happy.

"Are you having fun?" he asked her, offering her a small piece of watermelon.

"A lot. I never thought I'd see something so beautiful... or have friends like this," she replied, smiling at the group.

Before the sun began to set, the guys decided to get in the water, not caring that they didn't have swimsuits. Heeseung and Jake were the first to get wet, and soon everyone was splashing each other, laughing.

Y/N watched from the shore, feeling a mix of happiness and nostalgia. She wanted to join them, but she knew she couldn't. Her body was too weak.

Jungwon, noticing her expression, quickly returned to her side.

"Do you want to go in?" he asked.

"I want to, but... I can't."

Jungwon knelt next to her chair and took her hand.

"Then we'll stay here. No matter what happens, I'll always be with you."

Y/N smiled shyly, and Jungwon helped her get out of the chair. They sat together on a blanket, watching the horizon. The sky began to turn shades of orange and pink as the sun slowly sank into the ocean.

"It's cold, huh?" Jungwon said, pulling a blanket from his backpack and covering both of them.

Y/N nodded, leaning slightly against his shoulder. The moment was perfect, peaceful, as if the world had disappeared, leaving just the two of them.

After a while, Y/N broke the silence.

"Jungwon... there's something I want to tell you."

He looked at her, noticing the change in her tone.

"What’s wrong?"

Y/N took a deep breath, gathering the courage she needed.

"I never told you because I didn't want you to treat me differently... but I have a terminal illness."

Jungwon looked at her intently, his face filled with concern.

"What kind of illness?"

"It’s a condition that weakens my heart. The doctors say that, at any moment, I could...—" her voice broke, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I could die."

Jungwon felt a knot in his stomach, but he didn’t let his own feelings take over. Instead, he wrapped Y/N in a hug, resting his chin on her hair.

"Thank you for telling me," he whispered. "But you don't have to face this alone. I'm here, and I always will be."

Y/N cried quietly against his chest, feeling the warmth of his embrace. Jungwon gently pulled back to look into her eyes, wiping the tears from her face with tenderness.

"You're stronger than you think, Y/N. And even though it hurts to know you're going through this, I won't let you face it without someone who loves and supports you."

Carefully, he kissed her on the cheek, followed by a soft kiss on the lips, so tender and full of affection that Y/N felt her heart fill with love.

When they returned to the group, everyone gathered for one last photo together. Y/N, despite everything, smiled sincerely, surrounded by the people who had become her family.

That night, as they drove home, Y/N knew that this day would be forever etched in her memory as one of the happiest days of her life.

After their day at the beach, Y/N began to reflect deeply on her life and what she truly wanted to do with the time she had left. She knew she couldn’t change her fate, but she could choose how to face the days ahead. Inspired by the love of Jungwon, her friends, and the beautiful memories she was creating, she decided to live life to the fullest, without regrets.

However, she also made the decision not to tell Jungwon that her time was limited. She didn’t want him to be sad or worried. She wanted him to remember her as someone happy and full of life, not as someone losing the battle.

One afternoon, while Jungwon visited her at the hospital, she took his hand and looked at him with determination.

"I want to do many things with you, Jungwon. I want to live every moment as if it were the last."

He looked at her, surprised, but nodded with a smile.

"We'll do everything you want, Y/N. I promise."

The next day, Jungwon organized a small outing to the park with his friends and the girls, Rei and Wonyoung. Y/N was in her wheelchair, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the sun, the trees, and the sound of the birds.

"Let’s have a picnic!" Sunoo announced, pulling out a blanket and food.

As they ate, Heeseung and Niki began playing a guessing game that made everyone laugh. Rei and Wonyoung taught Y/N how to edit the photos they were taking together, showing her filters and effects that made her laugh.

Later, Jungwon took Y/N to a quiet corner of the park. He had prepared a surprise: a new sketchbook and a set of colored pencils.

"For you to keep drawing, like you did at the hospital," he said, smiling.

Y/N felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she held them back.

"Thank you, Jungwon. You always think of everything."

She began to draw while he sat beside her, watching her with tenderness. She drew a tree with flowers falling, and in the center, two small figures holding hands: them.

A few days later, Rei and Wonyoung came with exciting news. They had gotten tickets to a K-pop concert and wanted Y/N to go with them. Although Jungwon was a bit worried, the doctors and Y/N’s parents gave their approval, as long as they took precautions.

On the day of the concert, Rei and Wonyoung helped Y/N get dressed in cute clothes and a bit of makeup. Jungwon accompanied them, making sure everything was okay.

When they arrived at the stadium, Y/N was amazed by the energy of the place. The lights, the music, and the fans’ screams were unlike anything she had ever experienced. During the concert, Y/N sang and moved her hands to the rhythm of the songs, feeling more alive than ever.

At one point, Jungwon leaned toward her and whispered:

"Your smile is brighter than all these lights."

Y/N felt her heart beat loudly, not because of her illness, but because of the love she felt for him.

Jungwon and Y/N began spending more time together. Sometimes, they would go to small cafés where Y/N tried desserts she had never had before. Other times, they would simply stroll through the park or watch movies together in the hospital, sharing laughter and deep conversations.

One night, Jungwon took her to a special place: a hill where they could see the stars clearly. He brought a blanket and a thermos of hot chocolate, making sure she was comfortable.

"Did you know there’s a star for every person in the world?" Jungwon asked, looking at the sky.

"Really?" Y/N replied, amazed.

"Yes. And if I could choose one for you, it would be the brightest of them all."

Y/N blushed and smiled, feeling more grateful than ever to have Jungwon by her side.

Although Y/N tried to stay strong, she knew her body was getting weaker. She decided not to worry anyone and continue enjoying every moment, even though she felt the end was near. One night, while she was alone in her room, she wrote several letters for Jungwon and began to draw what she loved most: the moments she had shared with him.

Each drawing was special: one of Jungwon smiling, another from the festival, another from the beach, and one more of the fireworks, where two figures were kissing.

In one of her letters, she wrote:

"Jungwon, thank you for showing me what it is to love and be loved. Thank you for every smile, every laugh, and every moment we spent together. Although my time was short, with you it felt eternal. You will always be my brightest star."

Y/N's days grew increasingly difficult. Her body was weaker, her skin paler, and her eyes were tired. She had lost a lot of weight, and even the simplest activities, like getting out of bed or talking for long periods, took a lot of effort. However, her spirit remained strong. Every time Jungwon or her friends came to visit, she gave them a smile, as if she wanted them to remember only the best of her.

Jungwon didn’t stop visiting her for a single day. He spent hours by her side, reading her books, showing her funny videos on his phone, or simply holding her hand while they both gazed out the window. Although he tried not to show it, he was devastated to see her like this. Every time he left the hospital, tears escaped his eyes, but he always promised himself not to cry in front of her.

One day, while Rei and Wonyoung were with Jungwon at the hospital café, they came up with an idea: to celebrate Y/N’s birthday. Her 16th birthday was approaching, and they wanted to make sure it was special, even if she couldn’t go out.

“She deserves the best birthday,” Wonyoung said determinedly, while Rei nodded.

“We’ll bring balloons, gifts, cake... everything we can to make her happy,” added Rei, excited.

The boys also joined in the plan. Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Niki were in charge of buying balloons and confetti, while the girls picked out a cake and gifts. Jungwon, on his part, prepared something special: a necklace with a small star-shaped pendant.

When Y/N’s 16th birthday arrived, her hospital room was filled with life. Pink balloons decorated every corner, confetti was scattered across the bed and floor, and a pink chocolate cake sat in the center of the table, surrounded by gifts.

When Jungwon and the others entered the room, singing "Las Mañanitas" enthusiastically, Y/N was lying in her bed, weaker than ever, but with a smile that lit up her face.

“Happy birthday, Y/N!” they all shouted in unison, while Wonyoung and Rei approached to hug her gently.

“I can’t believe you did all this for me,” Y/N murmured, her eyes shining with tears.

“Of course we did. You’re our friend!” Rei said with a smile.

“And you’ll always be the star of our group,” Wonyoung added, winking at her.

Jungwon slowly approached and took her hand, kneeling by her bed.

“How do you feel, birthday girl?”

“Tired... but happy,” she replied, looking at him with tenderness.

Everyone sat around the bed as Sunoo lit the candles on the cake.

“Make a wish, Y/N,” Jake said, smiling.

Y/N closed her eyes for a moment, silently wishing: I want everyone I love to be happy, even when I’m no longer here.

Then, with Jungwon’s help, she blew out the candles, and everyone clapped.

After the cake, the friends began giving their gifts. Wonyoung and Rei gave her a makeup set and a new wig, while Heeseung and Sunghoon gave her a collection of postcards with beautiful landscapes. Niki gave her a large stuffed animal, and Jay and Jake brought an empty photo album for her to fill with memories.

Finally, Jungwon approached and took out a small velvet box.

“This is for you,” he said softly, opening the box to reveal the necklace with the star pendant.

Y/N looked at him, surprised, as he bent down to carefully put it on her.

“You’re my brightest star, Y/N. I want you to always remember that.”

Tears rolled down Y/N’s cheeks, but this time, they weren’t tears of sadness.

“Thank you, Jungwon. Thank you for everything.”

Although Y/N couldn’t move much, her friends made the afternoon unforgettable. Rei and Wonyoung began dancing a K-pop choreography in front of the bed, making everyone laugh. Sunoo and Niki tried to imitate them but ended up stumbling, causing the group to burst into laughter.

Y/N watched everything from her bed, feeling full of love. For a moment, she forgot her illness, forgot the pain, and simply enjoyed the happiness around her.

When the afternoon ended, her friends said their goodbyes one by one, promising to visit her again soon. Jungwon was the last to leave, and before he left, he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

“Happy birthday, Y/N. You’re incredibly special to all of us.”

Y/N watched him leave, feeling that her heart was full of gratitude and love. She had turned 16 surrounded by the people she loved most, and that was all she could ask for.

When Jungwon arrived home after the birthday party, he felt a mix of happiness and exhaustion. His mind kept replaying the images of the celebration: y/n smiling with everyone, surrounded by friends who loved her, and him by her side, feeling a unique connection with her.

As he entered his room, he grabbed his phone. The first thing he saw was an Instagram notification: y/n had posted a new photo. Jungwon smiled when he saw the picture she had posted of the whole group celebrating her birthday. Everyone was smiling, and y/n, though a bit pale and weak, looked radiant, surrounded by love.

But what really caught his attention was the second photo. It was a selfie of y/n and him, taken during the calmest moment of the afternoon, when they both sat together, wrapped in a blanket while watching the sunset. The photo was accompanied by a message:

"I love you so much, Jungwon. You're the reason I keep smiling. Thank you for being my star. 💖"

Jungwon's heart raced as he read her words. Though his face showed a happy smile, he couldn't help but feel emotional. y/n's love for him was pure, sincere, and even in the midst of her illness, she never stopped showing it.

He decided the perfect response would be to leave her a comment full of love:

"I love you more, y/n. Thank you for being the light of my life. 💫"

After doing this, he put his phone in his pocket, thinking about how lucky he felt. Not only did he have y/n by his side, but he had found something deeper than any other relationship he had ever had in his life.

That night, Jungwon had dinner with his parents, as usual. But this time, the conversation took an unexpected turn. As his mother asked him about his day, his father, as usual, was more serious and direct.

"How was your friend's birthday, Jungwon?" his father asked, though with a slight grimace showing some disinterest.

Jungwon, smiling, responded enthusiastically:

"It was amazing, dad. We were all so happy, and y/n looked radiant."

But then, his mother's expression changed.

"It's good that you take care of her, son, but... don't you think it's a little complicated?" his mother said with a tone that seemed somewhat distant to Jungwon.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"I mean... she's so sick. She doesn't have much time, Jungwon. Don't you think you're getting into something that might hurt you?" his father said, his words falling like cold rain on him.

"But..." Jungwon started to say, not knowing how to respond, feeling a knot in his chest.

"She's a burden, son. You know how it is... someone who's so sick can't be in a real relationship, not now," his mother continued, her tone filled with concern but also something that Jungwon couldn't identify as anything other than disapproval.

His father's words struck his mind, and his breath quickened. Something inside him ignited, a flame of defense that he couldn't extinguish.

"She's not a burden!" he replied, raising his voice, surprising his parents with his firm tone. "y/n is not a burden. She's my life. And I won't leave her for anything in the world, even if they tell me it's not the 'right' thing to do."

His parents looked at him, surprised. His father frowned.

"Jungwon, it's just... she's so sick. Why stay with someone like that? She's going to leave you soon."

"I don't want her to leave, but that doesn't mean she's a burden!" Jungwon stood up from the table, anger about to burst. "y/n makes me happy. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and the one I love most in this world. I won't leave her, no matter what happens. She's not strange or a burden. She's my love. And she always will be."

His mother fell silent, while his father gave him a disapproving look. Jungwon was about to continue, but when he saw his mother's sad expression, something inside him softened.

"I'm sorry, mom, dad, but I have to do what I feel. And what I feel is that y/n is the most important thing in my life right now."

With that, Jungwon left the room, leaving behind a tense atmosphere. He headed to his room, where, once alone, he let out a deep breath. He had defended y/n, but the conversation with his parents had left him exhausted.

He looked at his phone again and the photo of y/n. In that moment, he knew he wouldn't let anyone, not even his parents, tell him what he should feel or do. If his love for y/n was something he had to follow, he would do it no matter the circumstances.

The day was cloudy, and the fresh air filled the atmosphere of the hospital. Jungwon arrived with a shy smile, as he always did, but today there was something different in his gaze. Today, something more important than his friendship with y/n was about to take place. y/n's breathing had become more difficult with each passing moment, but still, her heart kept beating strongly for Jungwon, and she couldn't stop smiling as she saw him enter. Even though her body no longer responded with the same vitality, her spirit remained intact, and he was the reason.

Jungwon entered the room and approached her with a tender gesture. He was holding a small box in his hands, something simple but meaningful. He sat beside the bed, and for a moment, they just looked at each other in silence, as if words were unnecessary.

"y/n..." he said softly, taking her hand. His voice was so warm and sincere that it made the air between them feel lighter.

y/n tried to smile, but her breathing grew slower and more labored. Her eyes sparkled with emotion, but her words no longer came as easily. Her lips moved with difficulty, but Jungwon looked at her with a deep understanding. He knew their time together would not be long, but what he felt for her had no limits; it knew no time.

"I love you..." she said with difficulty, her voice weak but filled with love.

When Jungwon heard her, he squeezed her hand a little tighter, feeling the knot in his chest tighten. He couldn't wait any longer; he didn’t want to wait any longer. He wasn't afraid because what he felt for y/n was bigger than any fear of losing her. Life was uncertain, but his love for her was not.

"y/n..." he said with a gentle smile but filled with emotions. "I've been thinking a lot, and I don't want another moment to pass without you knowing how important you are to me. You're my everything, you know that, right?"

y/n tried to respond, but her strength wasn’t the same. Still, her face lit up with a look of happiness. She showed him that she understood everything with a gaze that said more than a thousand words.

"I... I want..." Jungwon hesitated a bit, but when he saw y/n’s eyes, he found the courage. "I want you to be my girlfriend, y/n. Despite everything, I want you to be with me, now and always. Will you be my girlfriend?"

y/n tried to speak, but the words didn’t come easily. However, her radiant face and eyes full of love were enough for Jungwon to know that her answer was yes. y/n’s smile, although weak, was the most beautiful one Jungwon had ever seen. Her eyes sparkled with tears of happiness.

Breathlessly, y/n finally managed to say:

"Yes... yes... I want... to be your girlfriend... Jungwon..."

Jungwon, his heart racing, looked at her intently. Emotion completely enveloped him. The simple fact that y/n accepted, even in her situation, was a gift—something so big that he couldn’t describe it in words.

He leaned toward her carefully, so as not to hurt her. Gently, he kissed her forehead, then her cheek, in a gesture of pure and sincere love. He kissed her softly, without rushing, giving her all his affection in that small but meaningful gesture.

"Thank you..." he whispered, unable to stop a tear from sliding down his cheek. "I love you, y/n. I always will."

And even though she couldn’t speak much, y/n smiled with her eyes, with that special light she always had when she was with him. Despite all the pain she felt, her heart beat stronger than ever. Because she knew that in her final moments, she had found the purest love, the love she had always dreamed of.

That day, Jungwon and y/n shared a connection that transcended words, one that only true love could understand. They looked at each other, smiled, and in that silence, they both knew that what they had was something eternal.

The days passed slowly in the hospital, and although y/n’s health was deteriorating, her love for Jungwon remained alive, as strong as ever. Jungwon, for his part, stayed by her side day after day, doing everything he could to make her feel special, despite the difficulties. They had shared many moments together, but now, in the calm of the hospital, there was a sense of urgency to make the most of every instant, to create memories that could last beyond the physical.

One peaceful afternoon, after the doctors gave her a little rest, Jungwon entered y/n’s room with a small box in his hands. y/n, though weaker than ever, lifted her gaze when she saw him enter, and her eyes sparkled with an indescribable tenderness. Despite everything that was happening, she had never stopped smiling when she saw him. Her love for him was so great that not even the illness could extinguish it.

"What’s that?" y/n asked, her voice hoarse but full of curiosity. She knew Jungwon always surprised her with small but meaningful gestures.

Jungwon approached y/n’s bed with a shy smile and a glimmer in his eyes. He opened the box and took out two bracelets, one with white beads and the other with pink beads. The bracelets were simple, but to him, they meant much more than just an accessory.

"These are for us," Jungwon said, looking at y/n with a soft expression but full of emotion. "I want us to each wear one as a symbol that we’ll always be together, no matter what happens."

y/n, although she didn’t have much strength, weakly lifted her hand to see the bracelets. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw how thoughtful and tender Jungwon was with her. Although she couldn’t move much, her feelings hadn’t changed one bit. She loved Jungwon deeply, and now he was giving her a piece of his heart through this small gesture.

"It’s... beautiful," y/n said with a broken voice, smiling as tears fell down her face.

Jungwon, carefully, took one of the bracelets and gently put it on y/n’s wrist. Then, he put the other on his own wrist. The bracelets fit perfectly, as if they were made just for them.

"Now we’ll always be connected, no matter what," Jungwon said, looking at y/n with a mix of tenderness and sadness. "Every time you look at your bracelet, you’ll know that I’m wearing one just like it."

y/n nodded slowly, her eyes shining with gratitude and love. Although she was already very weak, she felt that this small gesture from Jungwon kept her alive in some way. She took her wrist with the bracelet in her hands and gently caressed it.

"I’ll always carry you in my heart, Jungwon," she said, speaking haltingly, but her voice full of emotion.

Jungwon leaned toward her, kissing her forehead softly. He felt a strange peace knowing that, even in the hardest moments, he could make her happy with small gestures. He wasn’t afraid to show what he felt, and now, more than ever, he wanted y/n to know how much he loved her.

In those quiet moments in the hospital, they shared more than just bracelets. They shared looks filled with love, soft caresses, and silent promises that, even though the future was uncertain, they would always have each other, no matter what.

And even though y/n’s body was fragile and her breathing labored, the bond between them had never been stronger. They both knew that what they had was more than just a relationship; it was a connection that transcended time, one that didn’t need words to be understood.

The room was completely silent, only interrupted by the faint hum of the medical machines. y/n lay in her bed, wrapped in a white blanket that contrasted with her pale skin. In her hands, she held her phone, gazing at the photos of the happiest moments she had shared with her friends, and most importantly, with Jungwon. Each image was a reminder that, despite her illness, she had experienced pure love and unbreakable friendships.

There was one photo in particular that she couldn’t stop looking at: it was the one she had recently posted, from her birthday. She was surrounded by balloons, cake, and all of her friends, with Jungwon by her side, smiling as if the whole world was perfect. That image was her most cherished treasure, reflecting all the good that had come into her life in the past few months.

However, as she stared at the screen, a sudden pain shot through her chest. At first, it was mild, like a sharp sting, but it quickly became unbearable. Her breathing, already weak, began to accelerate as cold sweat covered her forehead. She tried to call her mother, but her strength wasn’t enough. The phone slipped from her hands, falling to the ground with a dull thud.

“y/n!” her mother shouted, seeing her writhe in pain. She rushed to her side and took her hand, desperate. “Doctors! Nurses! Help, please!”

The nurses and the doctor rushed into the room. In an instant, the room was filled with chaos. The monitors began to emit a constant beeping, announcing what her mother feared. y/n was suffering from cardiac arrest.

“Quick, prepare for resuscitation!” the doctor ordered, while the nurses adjusted the machines and prepared the defibrillator.

As they worked frantically to save her, y/n felt the world begin to fade. The physical pain was intense, but what truly tore at her was the emotional agony. She knew the end was near, and memories of her life began to flash in her mind.

She saw her parents smiling as they played with her as a child. She remembered her little sister hugging her, always full of love and innocence. Then, her mind filled with Jungwon: the first time seeing him, his shy smile when he spoke to her, the days they spent together in the hospital, the kiss under the fireworks. Then came the memories of Rei and Wonyoung, how they had accepted her and brightened her days. All those moments rushed by like a whirlwind, but in each of them, Jungwon was there, as if he were the center of her happiness.

“Jung... won...” she whispered weakly, though no one could hear her.

The doctor kept trying, again and again. Each electric shock made y/n’s body lift slightly, but there was no response.

“Again! We can’t give up!” the doctor said, though his voice was beginning to crack.

After ten minutes of attempts, the monitor displayed a flat line. The constant beeping filled the room, confirming what everyone feared.

“Time of death...” the doctor said softly, tears filling his eyes. The nurses looked away, unable to face the sadness of the moment.

y/n’s mother let out a heart-wrenching scream, falling to the ground while holding her daughter’s lifeless body. Her younger sister, who had been waiting outside, ran in and, upon seeing the scene, broke into tears, unable to understand why her older sister was no longer with them.

“No, y/n! No, please, don’t go!” her mother cried, as her father held her, tears in his eyes.

The room was filled with pain, a pain so deep it seemed unbearable.

At that same moment, miles away, Jungwon was in his room. He sat at his desk, looking at some pictures of y/n on his phone, remembering her smile and how she made him feel. Suddenly, an inexplicable pain pierced his chest.

He placed his hand over his heart, trying to calm the sensation he didn’t understand. It was as if something inside him had broken, as if a part of his soul had been ripped away.

“What’s happening...?” he murmured, staring into the empty space.

Unknowingly, Jungwon had just felt the emptiness left by y/n’s departure. Although he didn’t yet know the news, something inside him knew that the world had just changed forever.

Jungwon woke up the next day with a strange feeling in his chest. The inexplicable pain from the night before was still there, like a constant pressure he couldn’t ignore. He felt restless, but he didn’t understand why. He looked at his phone and noticed that y/n hadn’t responded to the messages he had sent before going to sleep.

"Maybe she was tired," he thought, trying to calm himself down. He wanted to believe everything was fine, that this discomfort was just a coincidence. Determined to brighten her day, he prepared everything to visit her: he bought a bouquet of fresh flowers, a small bear plush with a red bow, and her favorite food.

As he walked toward the hospital, he tried to maintain a smile, though part of him couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. When he entered the building, he noticed the atmosphere seemed different, heavier than usual. There was less noise in the halls, less movement. But Jungwon tried not to pay too much attention to it.

He continued walking, carefully holding the plush and flowers, until he reached y/n’s room. When he opened the door, his smile disappeared. The bed was perfectly made, the white sheets as if no one had ever used them. The K-pop posters that y/n adored were no longer on the walls. The plush toys that always kept her company were gone, and the flowers he had brought on other occasions weren’t there either.

For a moment, he thought he had entered the wrong room. "Did I make a mistake?" he murmured to himself, stepping back to check the number on the door. It was the right room, but something didn’t fit.

Then, he heard a faint sob coming from the corner where the sitting area of the room was. With his heart racing and a lump in his throat, Jungwon slowly walked toward the sound. There, he saw y/n’s mother sitting in a chair, her face covered in tears.

—Ma’am... where is y/n? —Jungwon asked in a soft voice, although he could already feel fear creeping over him.

y/n’s mother looked up when she heard his voice. She tried to smile at him, but tears kept falling down her face. She struggled to stand and walked toward him.

—Jungwon... —she said with a broken voice, placing a trembling hand on the boy’s shoulder.

Jungwon dropped the plush he was holding. His mind had already understood what his heart didn’t want to accept.

—No... no, please, no... —he whispered, his eyes filling with tears as he stepped back, unable to face the truth.

y/n’s mother hugged him, trying to calm him, but both of them crumbled at the same time. Jungwon broke into silent sobs at first, but soon his pain became uncontrollable.

—Why...? She was fine! We were planning so many things! —he cried between sobs, unable to understand why life had been so cruel to them.

At that moment, y/n’s younger sister entered the room. Her small arms tightly held her sister’s favorite plush, and her swollen eyes reflected the same pain Jungwon felt.

—She... she loved you so much, Jungwon... —the little girl said through tears as she approached him and hugged him tightly.

The scene was heartbreaking. y/n’s mother, her sister, and Jungwon joined in a hug full of pain, sharing the loss of someone who had brightened their lives, even if only for too short a time.

When they managed to calm down a bit, y/n’s mother took Jungwon’s hand and led him to sit down. Carefully, she handed him a drawing book and a package of letters wrapped with a pink ribbon.

—This... this is for you, Jungwon. y/n made them thinking of you. She asked me to give them to you if anything happened to her... She wanted you to read them at home, in private.

Jungwon took the objects with trembling hands, feeling his heart break even more.

—Thank you for everything, Jungwon. Thank you for giving my daughter a reason to live. She was happy... because of you. She never stopped talking about how much she loved you.

He nodded, unable to speak. His throat was closed with the tears that still threatened to overflow.

—The funeral will be in two days... If you want, you can come. She would have liked for you to be there.

Jungwon could only nod again. As he left the hospital, he pressed the book and the letters against his chest, feeling like he was carrying a part of y/n with him. His heart was shattered, but he knew he had to fulfill her last wish.

Jungwon arrived home with his heart in a thousand pieces. He tightly held the drawing book and the letters y/n had left for him, as if they were the only things keeping him standing. As soon as he opened the door, his mother, who was in the living room, saw him enter. Noticing his state, she quickly got up, leaving the book she had been reading.

—Jungwon... —she began to say, concerned. However, upon seeing the tears streaming down her son's face, she understood immediately.

She approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

—I warned you, son. I told you this was going to happen... —she murmured, with a tone that was both sad and resigned.

But when she saw Jungwon completely break down, releasing a heartbreaking cry as he clung to the drawing book, her heart softened. Without saying anything more, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

—I’m sorry, son. I’m so sorry...

Jungwon let himself fall into her arms, crying inconsolably. For several minutes, his mother held him, stroking his hair and letting him release all his pain.

—She wasn’t a burden, mom... She was the best thing that ever happened to me.

His mother nodded, kissing his forehead.

—I know, Jungwon. I know.

After a while, Jungwon went upstairs to his room. He closed the door behind him and sat on the floor, still hugging the book and the letters. He felt exhausted, as if the weight of the loss was crushing him. Finally, he took a deep breath and opened the package of letters, determined to hear the words y/n had left for him.

The first letter was written in delicate, albeit somewhat trembling, handwriting. Jungwon recognized the effort y/n had put into every stroke. When he opened it, he read:

**"My dear Jungwon,

I don’t know how much time I have left when you read this, but I want you to know that every moment with you was the best gift life could give me. Thank you for coming into my life when I needed you most and for giving me a reason to live again. You are my first love, my first kiss, my first 'boyfriend'... and also my last.

Being your girlfriend was the best thing that happened to me. I loved it when you came to the hospital, when you looked at me with those bright eyes full of love. You made me feel beautiful, even on my worst days. Thank you for staying with me, even when you saw me feeling down. I don’t know how to thank you for everything you did for me."**

Jungwon cried as he read, tears falling onto the letter. He continued:

**"Please, don’t feel guilty. Don’t think you didn’t do enough, because you did more than anyone else would have. You gave me pure and beautiful love, and even though I wish I could stay longer with you, I want you to move on. I want you to live for me, to keep smiling, dancing, and reaching your dreams.

I love you, Jungwon. I will always love you, even from wherever I am now. I hope you remember me as someone who loved you so, so, so much."**

The letter ended with a small drawing of the two of them together, holding hands, with hearts around them.

Jungwon put the letter aside and opened the drawing book. The first drawing was of him, in his school uniform with a radiant smile. He remembered the day y/n had met him and how she had told him that his smile was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

The next drawing was of the flowers he always brought her at the hospital, drawn with such detail that it seemed like he could almost smell them. There was a small note beside it that read: "I will always remember your scent of flowers and happiness."

There was a drawing of the school festival, with all of their friends and y/n in the center. At the bottom, she had written: "It was my happiest day."

Then, he came to the drawing of the fireworks, where she was in her wheelchair and he was kneeling in front of her, sharing their first kiss. Around it, there were words in Korean that said: "Thank you for loving me. You are my star."

Each page of the book was a reminder of the love they had shared, the happy moments they had created together, even in the midst of the hardest circumstances.

Jungwon took another letter and opened it carefully. This one read:

**"When you think of me, I don’t want you to cry. I want you to smile. Remember everything we did together and keep those memories in your heart. Be happy, Jungwon. Please, be happy.

And when you look at the sky and see a bright star, think that it’s me watching over you, reminding you that I will always be with you."**

Jungwon pressed the letter to his chest and closed his eyes, letting the tears flow freely. Even though his heart was broken, he felt a small spark of comfort knowing that y/n had loved him as much as he had loved her.

At that moment, he promised that, no matter how much it hurt, he would find a way to move forward because he knew that was what y/n wanted for him. She had left him not only her love but also a reason to be strong.

The day of Y/N's funeral arrived, enveloping everything in an atmosphere of sadness. The sky was gray and cloudy, as if even the universe was crying her loss. In the main hall, where the ceremony was taking place, there was a large photo of Y/N smiling, placed on a table adorned with white flowers and roses, her favorites.

Jungwon arrived early, wearing a black suit that seemed to absorb all the light around him. In his hands, he carried the stuffed animal he had bought for her the day before and a white rose. Despite his composure at first, his heart was shattered. He had spent the night without sleeping, reading Y/N's letters and looking at her drawings over and over again.

When he entered the hall, he felt the air grow heavy, almost unbearable. In front of Y/N's photo were her parents and little sister. Y/N's mother was completely devastated, her eyes swollen from crying. Her father tried to stay strong, but his hands trembled as he comforted his little daughter, who clung to Y/N's favorite stuffed animal.

Jungwon walked slowly toward them. Upon seeing him, Y/N's mother hugged him again, as she had done days before, but this time neither of them could hold back their tears.

"Thank you for coming, Jungwon. She loved you so much..." she whispered, her voice breaking as she said the words.

Jungwon could barely respond, he just nodded as he placed the white rose on the table and set the stuffed animal next to Y/N's photo.

Little by little, Jungwon's friends began to arrive. Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki entered with solemn faces. They, too, brought flowers, and although none of them knew Y/N as well as Jungwon, they knew how much she meant to him. They gathered near Jungwon, offering him silent support.

Rei and Wonyoung arrived shortly after, both with red eyes from crying so much. Rei held a bouquet of flowers and a photo they had taken together during one of their girls' afternoons at the hospital. Wonyoung carried a small letter she had written for Y/N, promising she would never forget her. Both approached Y/N's family to hug them, and then joined the group next to Jungwon.

The ceremony began with words from the priest, but Jungwon could barely hear. His mind was filled with memories: the first time he saw Y/N, her laugh, her smile, her soft voice calling him "my Jungwon." Everything felt unreal.

When it was time for some friends and family to share words, Jungwon slowly stood up. Everyone looked at him with empathy, knowing how much Y/N had meant to him.

"Y/N..." he began, his voice trembling. He paused for a moment to take a breath, trying to hold back his tears. "Y/N was... is... the most special person I've ever known. She taught me what it really means to love, despite everything. She showed me how to find happiness even in the hardest moments."

He paused and looked at Y/N's photo.

"I can't imagine my life without her, but I know... I know she would want me to move on. I won't say goodbye, because I will never forget her. Y/N will always be a part of me. Always."

With those words, he left the letter she had written for him on the table, next to the stuffed animal, and returned to his seat, breaking down in tears as Rei and Wonyoung embraced him.

At the end of the ceremony, everyone gathered at the cemetery. Y/N's coffin, covered with flowers, was slowly lowered. Her parents and little sister were devastated, crying inconsolably. Jungwon, standing next to his friends, felt his heart breaking even more with each passing second.

When the burial ended, everyone began to place flowers on the grave. Jungwon was the last. He knelt in front of the tombstone and whispered:

"I love you, Y/N. You will always be my star."

He left the last white rose on the grave and stayed there, even when everyone else began to leave. He couldn't let her go, not yet.

That night, while looking at the stars from his room, he remembered what Y/N had written in one of her letters: "When you look at the sky and see a bright star, think of me watching over you."

Jungwon smiled faintly through tears, promising himself that, even though it hurt, he would move forward for her, because he knew that was what Y/N would have wanted.

Time passed, but the memory of Vannia remained deeply rooted in Jungwon. The first few days after the funeral were the hardest. Every corner of his life reminded him of her: the hospital, the messages on his phone, the photos she had posted, and the letters she had written. But instead of letting the pain consume him, Jungwon decided to honor Vannia’s memory by living life the way she would have wanted: with love and gratitude.

Jungwon began spending more time with the friends they both shared. Rei and Wonyoung visited him often, and together they recalled the happy moments with Vannia. Rei even organized an afternoon where they recreated the "concert" they had done at the hospital, dancing K-pop songs with contagious energy.

"Vannia would be laughing at how badly I dance," Jungwon joked one afternoon, attempting a "Hype Boy" move.

"She’d say you're improving, even if just a little," Wonyoung responded with a smile.

Despite the laughter, there were days when Jungwon felt overwhelmed by sadness. During those moments, he sought refuge in the letters and drawings Vannia had left him. Each word she had written felt like a hug from beyond, reminding him of how much she loved him.

One night, while reading one of the letters, he found a page he hadn’t noticed before. It was a drawing of him looking up at the sky, with a bright star above his head. Next to the drawing, Vannia had written:

"Jungwon, don’t be sad for me. Every time you look at the stars, remember that I’m always with you. I love you more than words can say, and I want you to be happy, even if I’m not physically there. Live your life to the fullest, but don’t forget about me, okay? Because I’ll never forget you."

The words made him cry, but this time not only out of sadness, but also out of love.

As the months passed, Jungwon found ways to keep Vannia’s memory alive. He volunteered at the hospital where he met her, visiting other patients to cheer them up, just as Vannia had cheered him up. Over time, he began organizing small events with his friends, such as game afternoons, picnics, and beach visits, making sure everyone felt supported and appreciated.

One day, Rei and Wonyoung surprised him with a gift. They had created an album with all the photos they had of Vannia: the school festival, the beach, the birthday at the hospital, and many other special moments.

"We wanted you to have this, so you’ll always remember her with a smile," Rei said, handing him the album.

Jungwon received it with gratitude, feeling a warmth in his chest.

That night, while looking at the stars from his window, he smiled. He could imagine Vannia sitting on one of them, looking at him with that sweet smile he loved so much.

"I promise I’ll be happy, Vannia," he murmured, a mix of tears and a smile on his face. "And when it’s my turn to get there, I hope I’ll see you smile again."

With that promise in his heart, Jungwon closed his eyes, feeling that, even though she wasn’t physically there, Vannia would always be with him, guiding and loving him from the stars.

The End.

[kaccvcate]

Here in Mississippi the word "coon" isn't commonly used as a slur, but most often as a shortened form of raccoon, and I didn't realize most places the opposite is true until I went to new york - I'd travelled before but it doesn't come up much, imagine my surprise at my friend's flabbergasted reaction when I came inside his house and casually mentioned I stopped a 'coon from going through his trash. Yesterday I was visiting the Haunted Mansion, and I saw a dude selling meat out of his cooler on the side of the highway with a sign that said "FRESH SNAPPER, TROUT, COON." There isn't a taboo against the N word to most white people here, so there isn't a need to use any less offensive words...

My family are polite/of mixed racial origin, so the first time I even heard there was an N word I was 9. I probably heard it full out the first time from a rap song, I don't remember, but for most of my friends they grew up hearing their white relatives say it so often, they didn't even realize it was a slur until they were older. My ex said when he was a kid he didn't even know the words "black" or "african" in reference to people, he just thought the N word was what they are called because of his family. I can't even imagine the horror lol.

some people online consider "tar baby" a slur, but to me it's a specific reference to muskoke folklore. In one story Cvfe (Br'er Rabbit) gets mad at a doll made of tar and attacks it, which causes him to get stuck and caught by the fox. A tar baby is someone who it would be more trouble to punch than to walk away, because you would get stuck with their problems. It isn't exactly a compliment but it's not racially based. I can imagine being black and getting called that, and assuming it is because tar is black, so it sort of makes sense. No one knows shit about Muskoke folklore anyway. Some might even say that by starting a conversation about how slurs are used in Mississippi I am punching a tar baby.

People are so judgemental about you if you have light skin and are from the south, it's difficult to even talk about what life is like here without people randomly accusing you of being descended from slave owners or being racist. Well only a few rich people owned slaves, and I'm descended from escaped Scottish slaves who were sold off before African slaves even got here, plus many of my relatives on the Muskoke and Choctaw sides were also enslaved, and my only other "white" relatives are jews who left germany before they could get enslaved and put in camps by germans, so everyone with a persecution complex can kiss my ass. I only hate one race, the human race.

[aeyn]

An angel disguised in pink!

Aged up! No curse AU!Megumi Fushiguro x Jirai Kei! Reader

Summary : Megumi just turned 21, and has already received an invite from Gojo Satoru - to go drinking. It's Gojo, after all. He's seeing faces he vaguely remember from college, but fresh faces were uncommon, even in a Gojo party. You, dressed like an angel in pink, piqued his interest.

WARNINGS : people getting DRUNK, you can tell i've never been to a party and drank, mentions of addiction to host clubs, a smudge of angst maybe if you squint really hard, mostly fluff though

Word count : 1.4K (it's so short!!)

AUTHORS NOTE!!: Hello everyone... I started writing this like yesterday and wasn't aware today was his actual birthday..... ALSO this is my first time writing and i'm not 100% in my english..!! I'm not familiar with posting on tumblr as a whole, so with the layout and all that, i'm not quite familiar. Please give me some leeway with that kind of stuff. also, my laptop kind of broke while i was trying to post this, so im typing this from my touchscreen ipad. It's a little annoying, but oh well..

This was also LIGHTLY inspired by @lokissweater 's mlb megumi... i know its not anything close to their levels of writing, but i was kinda inspired to write megumi for my Landmine reader from her and how she writes Megumi.

I talked too much, i'll just let you read it already ^^"...

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

The club Megumi found himself in wasn’t particularly big, but it buzzed with energy. The space was packed with familiar faces—classmates, acquaintances, and a handful of people he’d crossed paths with at one point or another. As soon as he’d turned 21, Gojo had dragged him along to this club, boasting about it being owned by one of Geto’s many “connections.” What Gojo failed to mention was that it was a private party. Not that it mattered much; Megumi realized he wasn’t exactly out of his element.

Most of the crowd blurred together as people he vaguely recognized, but there were a few exceptions. Two were Shoko’s friends, chatting animatedly by the bar. The third was a girl—you—whom Megumi didn’t recognize at all. The strobe lights bathed the room in eye-numbing neon green, but even through the haze, the soft pink of your blouse stood out.

You caught his gaze from across the room, and when your eyes met, you offered a small, awkward smile accompanied by a polite nod. Megumi’s eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks warming with the faintest blush—thankfully hidden by the poor lighting. Still, he managed a curt nod in return, stiff and reserved as ever.

Nobara, watching the interaction from her spot by the bar, smirked to herself. She’d invited you along partly because she knew you enjoyed the club scene, but mostly because an idea had begun forming in her head. You… and Megumi… Yeah, that had potential.

While most of the party (including a very drunk Gojo and Shoko) had taken over the dance floor, Megumi stayed firmly planted at the edge of the chaos, arms crossed. He sighed, his gaze flicking between the reckless dancing and his untouched canned beer.

Adults.

Gojo, currently in a drunken dance battle with Itadori, was reason enough for Megumi to swear off drinking tonight. Witnessing the sheer level of intoxication his mentor had achieved was enough to keep him sober.

Lost in thought, Megumi didn’t notice you approach until he felt the chill of a bottled green tea press against his arm. He startled slightly, turning to find you standing beside him, a tentative smile on your face.

“Figured you might want this. You didn’t touch your beer all night,” you said, holding out the tea.

For a moment, he just blinked at you, caught off guard. Then, taking the bottle, he muttered a quiet, “Thanks. Uh…”

“Oh, right. Um, I’m Y/N.” You dug into your pink MCM bag before pulling out a similar bottle of green tea for yourself.

“So… you’re not a fan of alcohol?” you asked, idly adjusting the lace on your skirt.

Megumi shrugged, taking a sip of the tea. “Not when Gojo’s around. Someone’s gotta stay sober enough to drag him home.”

“Fair enough. He does seem… like a lot.” You cast a concerned glance at the “honored one” himself, doing the Worm on the floor.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Megumi said, the corners of his lips lifting subconsciously. For the first time, he felt like he was actually enjoying himself that night.

A comfortable pause settled as you both observed the other guests.

“You’re… friends with Nobara, right?” Megumi turned his attention to Nobara, who was on the dance floor with a cocktail in hand, her face flushed red from the alcohol she’d ingested, and a feather boa draped across her shoulders like something out of a ’90s movie.

“Yeah. She dragged me along tonight. Said it’d be fun. And I just figured I’d come over and say hi since you looked kind of… out of place.” You laughed softly, his plain shirt and baggy jeans a stark contrast to the vibrant, flashy outfits in the room.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked with a small sigh, running a hand through his hair he hadn’t cared to style.

“A little. You’re the only one here who looks like they’d rather be anywhere else.”

“I’m just not big on crowds. Or neon lights. Or drunk people.”

Another moment of silence passed as you nodded in understanding, observing the dance floor growing even more chaotic.

“You seem like you’re enjoying this,” Megumi said, cocking his head toward the unfolding disasters (Geto spilling his drink onto a very pissed-off Nanami).

“I, uh, I’m used to the nightlife. I used to frequent a lot of bars and nightclubs.”

Megumi raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “Used to? You don’t anymore?”

You hesitated for a moment, swirling the green tea bottle in your hands. “Not as much, no. I… got addicted at one point, I guess. I was filling a void in myself. But I realized it wasn’t healthy.”

Megumi’s expression softened, his usual guarded demeanor giving way to curiosity. “Addicted?”

You hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. Not just clubs—host clubs, mostly. I’d go out all the time, spending way too much money just to be around people who’d tell me what I wanted to hear. For a while, I thought it was fun, but… I guess I was filling a void. They hook you in, you know? They leave you alone, and when you start getting desperate, you spend more.”

He frowned slightly, tilting his head. “Host clubs?”

You glanced at him, gauging his reaction, and let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I know. It’s not the most… admirable thing. But when you’re feeling empty, it’s easy to get addicted to the attention. They make you feel special, even if it’s just an act.”

Megumi took a moment to process your words, his gaze steady but without judgment. “What made you stop?”

You smiled faintly, your expression a mix of self-awareness and vulnerability. “I realized it wasn’t real. I was paying for affection, not earning it. And honestly? It wasn’t making me happy—it was just a distraction. So I quit and started focusing on myself. It’s not easy, but… I’m trying.”

He nodded, his eyes thoughtful. “That… takes a lot of self-awareness. Most people wouldn’t even admit they were doing it to fill a void.”

You looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his tone. “Thanks. I’m not sure if it’s self-awareness or just running out of money.”

That earned a soft chuckle from Megumi, and for the first time that night, the tension between you eased.

“What about you?” you asked, shifting the focus. “You don’t seem like the type to… well, pay for attention.”

He leaned against the wall, thinking. “Not really my thing. I guess I’ve always been more focused on the people I already care about.”

You nodded, impressed by his grounded perspective. “Must be nice. Knowing you’re enough without needing to hear it from someone else.”

He glanced at you, his expression softening. “I think everyone needs to hear it sometimes. Just… not in that way.”

A quiet moment passed between you, the chaotic energy of the club fading into the background.

Finally, you broke the silence with a teasing smile. “So, if clubs aren’t your thing, what is? What would you do for fun?”

“Honestly?” Megumi said, his lips quirking in a rare smile. “Probably stay home with a book or go to a quiet park. Somewhere peaceful.”

You grinned, leaning closer. “A book and a park? You’re a walking cliché.”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t seem annoyed. “And you’re not, Miss ‘Host Clubs for the Guys’?”

“Touché,” you said, laughing softly. “But hey, if you ever get curious, I can recommend a few places.”

“Pass,” he said, shaking his head, but the amusement in his voice made it clear he wasn’t dismissing you.

“Your loss,” you teased, taking another sip of your tea. “But seriously, thanks for not judging me. Most people wouldn’t be so… understanding.”

He looked at you, his expression earnest. “Everyone’s got their reasons.”

Your chest tightened slightly at his words, and you found yourself smiling in a way you hadn’t in a long time. “You’re a lot deeper than I expected, Megumi.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he said, but there was warmth in his tone.

And just like that, the club felt a little less overwhelming, and the two of you felt a little more connected. Fein by Travis Scott played in the background of the packed bar at 1:23 a.m. Gojo and Geto slumped over each other groggily as the alcohol took its toll. Itadori darted around, still inexplicably full of energy, while Nobara stood barefoot, heels in hand, complaining to Maki. 

Somehow, amidst the chaos, this moment felt peaceful.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

(I hope everyone liked this... I probably will write a continuation or maybe make it a series when i have the time to.)

[jakef3ver]

Nishimura Riki | NDA

☁︎︎︎ Idol!riki x fan!reader | fem!reader

↯ fluff, crack maybe suggestive a little more into the fic, use of social media (instagram, twt), reader is just a regular girl going to school and stuff

⚠︎︎ will contain mentions of alcohol consume later

lil note: i wanted to post this wayyyy earlier but i couldn’t type because i broke my right arm like 3 weeks ago lmao

-xxx-xxxxx-xxxx Text me :)-

It was shortly after 10 PM when you arrive at your little apartment, just as you walked through the door you receive a text from your boss, Mrs Mina.

Of course you could cover a shift, a little bit of extra money is always nice, isn't it?

Also, it’s just 4 hours and you hadn't anything planned anyway.

Since you had to get up early tomorrow, you quickly got ready for bed, to sleep earlier today.

BUT you couldn't get Nishimura Riki out of your head.

This goddam smile this morning in the cafe and the fact that out of all coffee places,

Ni-ki and Jake showed up at your workplace, had you tossing around in bed until you finally could close your eyes for good.

As soon as Riki hears his alarm go off, he's awake. And he's nervous. But he wants to try and look where it leads him.

He gets up from the hotel bed, takes a pen and rips off a small piece of paper from a notebook he always carries around.

He starts writing after shortly thinking about it again.

xxx-xxxxx-xxxx

Text me :)

He puts back the pen and his notebook before standing up and getting ready to accomplish his little mission with Jake.

After dressing up in some baggy joggers and an oversized hoodie, he carefully folds the little piece of paper and places it in his wallet.

After locking his room, he heads down to the hotel lobby and sends Jake a message.

“So what's your plan?” Jake asks while walking along with Riki in the direction of the cafe.

Riki pulls out the little paper piece that he had written just minutes ago.

“Here” he shows it to Jake “should be okay, right?” Riki asks, looking at Jake.

“Yeah that should do it” he answers “Just smile at her again like you did yesterday” he chuckles while finishing his sentence.

“Shut up” Ni-ki snaps and carefully puts his paper back into his wallet.

“Come on it’ll be fine, trust me” Jake exclaims “You're a hot guy with a nice smile” he finishes and ruffles Rikis hair.

“sure” Ni-ki mumbles as response.

After a short walk of 10 minutes, they reach the cafe, your workplace.

Before entering, Riki takes a deep breath.

“You got this Riki” Jake encourages him and gives him a pat on the back.

Jake walks in first, Riki following directly behind him, already holding the piece of paper in his hand.

As they walk up to the counter, Ni-ki doesn't see you standing there, waiting to take their orders in. He subtly glances around, searching for you. But you were nowhere to be found.

In fact, there was no one behind the counter.

Jake rings a little bell with a sign in front of it that says “Please ring if no one is here”.

And there you were, just a minute before your shift is over.

Jake orders the coffee he had yesterday, now tapping Riki who was lost in thoughts, signaling him it's his turn.

Riki turns to face you and hesitantly starts to speak, with a slight stutter in his voice.

As you went to go to the staff room, to take off your apron you heard the bell ring, signaling someone wants to order.

So you instantly turn and go back behind the counter.

As soon as you see WHO wants to order, you take a deep breath to keep yourself together.

“Hi, what can I get for you two?” you say, more composed than yesterday.

Jake and Ni-ki both order their drinks.

As Riki speaks, you notice a slight nervousness radiating from him.

Is he okay? You think to yourself, while typing in their orders.

You tell them the total for their order and Ni-ki pulls out his wallet and hands you more money than needed

“Ju-just keep the rest” he tells you with a small smile.

You nod and put the money into the little cash register. While doing so, you notice a small piece of paper.

He must’ve accidentally given it to you with the money. So you decide to put it aside and give it to him when handing them their drinks.

And so you do, you hand both of them their coffee.

“here you accidentally gave this to me with the money” you say to Riki, your voice a little shaky.

He looks at the piece of paper and shakes his head. “it’s for you” he says so quietly it is nearly impossible to hear, but you still understand.

Jake says goodbye with a smile before going, while Riki just quickly leaves.

As soon as they were out of the cafe, you rush to the staff room to look at the paper, which you didn’t do until now.

xxx-xxxxx-xxxx

Text me :)

“No fucking way” you whisper. That couldn’t be happening right now, could it?

“No fucking way that this was meant for me” you speak to yourself.

You quickly get rid of the Apron and grab your bag to rush home, with the piece of paper carefully placed in your pocket.

masterlist | previous | next

tags: @chaevibes @yangjungwonnie @minskzy @d-dilemma @microwvdstrawb3rri3s @ssiiwave @deadpool15 @enhabooks

[holnnetd]

Catfisher!König Part 3

Part 1, Part 2, ..., Part 4 (surely will come)

Meow meow, I can't sleep, so here is.....

PART THREE, YUPPIE

Warning: Suggestive content, brief mentions of pornography, low-key incel behaviour, some sex talk, just a guy being loser, a little stalker behavior, a little obsessive, please be 18 or older if you read this, or just don't tell me you're minor, I can't stop you from doing anything tbh.

This is only fiction, please remember.

Three months spend texting eachother, and the intentions slowly changed. Fuck, they changed vastly.

Who would have realised the guy that's formally know not to care for any female validation, that has very conservative views on women, and refuses to talk with women just because he believes he's better -fucking virgin ass- actually fell in love with a girl that he always mocked for dressing so feminine.

That's some funny shit if you ask me.

Haha, incel likes bimbo! Wohoho!

Ahem.

From just wanting nudes from the pretty girl, he started to get genuinely interested in every little aspect of your life. You got new textbooks? Those are his her favourites of course!

Woah, the new set of markers. Surely the saturation must be great on those, write his her name down in different colours just so she can see if it's really that great!

You went on a date? Girl, please. He was an asshole! He didn't open the café door for you? You REALLY should block him. Maybe date someone taller.

What does height have to do with opening doors? A lot, really! Please just date the tall guy in your school.

He was starting to fall down that comfortable blanket if lies do much he started to genuinely believe you are best friends. He started being nicer to you in person. Which caught you off guard.

Oh, he brought a delicious pastry for the class just because? What a coincidence, just yesterday you told Alexandria that it's your favourite!

The grown ass college student started to get swooned. Well, he is swooned.

And you two have grown so close over this time, it's just girl talk when the topic starts to go into sexual direction.

Surely asking what your favourite sex position is, is normal between friends. Yeah. He- I mean she enjoys sex shower. I mean shower sex. Ehm.

Surely, you would like it too! Yeah...

It came to a point that hey, what about a meet up?

He fucking stilled. A meet up??? With you? As someone who doesn't exist...?

And how does he get out of this mess now....

Tell the truth? Haha... No.

You couldn't ever look into his eyes if you found out the big weird austrian student that really loves war actually catfished you into giving him literally every information anyone needed to blackmail you.

Hold on...

Blackmail.

Information to blackmail.

Lol, did I promise you guys smut in part 3? Sorry guys, I get too yappy. 😇

I swear smut will come somewhere. Surely.

Yeah....

Part 1, Part 2, ..., Part 4 (surely will come)

[mrs-barnes-rogers-writes]

A Second Chance Is A Better Chance - Part 19

Marvel AU

Pairing: Alpha Steve Rogers x Omega Witch Reader, eventual ? x Omega Witch Reader and Alpha Steve Rogers X Omega Witch Reader

Theme: A/B/O / True Mates

Series Warnings: A/B/O, eventual smut, violence in parts, witchcraft, shapeshifters

Chapter Summary: Chop, chop.

Chapter Warning: Mentions of witchcraft.

THUD

WHACK

CLATTER

THUD, WHACK, CLATTER.

THUD, WHACK, CLATTER.

What? What the fuck is that noise? Thud, whack, clatter.

You felt around in the bed trying to figure out where you were. Bed, cottage, Stark's cottage, Brookville. Thud, whack, clatter.

"For fuck's sake!!!" Your exclaimed pulling yourself from the bed. One of your feet got caught in the sheet and you huffed in frustration. Releasing yourself you staggered over to the window, still half asleep and used your magic to throw back the curtains dramatically.

That was when you saw him. Directly inline with the bedroom window and as close to the shield as he could physically get, stood your alpha.

And he was chopping wood. Thud, whack, clatter.

You unlocked the window and pushed it open.

"Do you mind? Some of us are trying to sleep?"

"Well, you need wood Sweetheart." Steve replied, not sparring you a glance and carrying on with his chopping. You heard sniggers from nearby and looked over to the old cabin to see Sam and Bucky rocking back and forth on the deck. Pietro was learning casually against one of the wooden posts that was somehow holding the dilapidated porch together. He shot you a wink. Really? Bunch of children, man children really.

Thud, whack, clatter. You looked back at Steve.

"Can you knock it off. It's first thing in the morning." You called out the window.

"Can't do that Honey. It's going to be colder today and you've already burnt through a stack of it when you got here."

"How do you even know that?"

"I've saw the smoke from the chimney"

"For goddess sake. WelI, I can make my own damn fire and there's heating in here."

Steve continued with his chopping. You called over to the others on the deck. "Really? Can you three get him to stop?"

They all shook their heads. You muttered as you called them the three wise, no not so wise, idiot stupid monkeys, and you saw Steve hesitate for a moment as he let out a chuckle. He righted himself and started to chop again. You watched as he lifted a piece of wood onto a stump. Thud. He lifted the axe over his head and brought it down. Whack. He lifted the logs he'd made and threw them into the pile he'd started. Clatter.

You watched as he did another and your omega and wolf began to watch intently. Your omega was especially drawn to his biceps as they curled bringing the axe down. You watched him bend as his loose fit jeans when tight over his ass. You tilted your head. Goddess, you could bounce quarters off that thing. Without realising you licked your lips. Was he ass better than yours?

The stirring of your omega was stopped by the sound of Pietro's voice.

"See, our luna is interested. He just needs to show her what a good man he is."

Your eyes snapped up to look at him.

"Shit. She heard you, you damn idiot." Bucky growled at him as he stood from the chair. You looked between the three of them and Steve. Were they teasing you? Was this because you'd played along with them yesterday? You felt a mix of emotions.

Being amused and happy that they'd involved you, was quickly followed by sadness and annoyance. Did they just think you were a stupid omega? That dangling the alpha like a carrot for a donkey would work? You looked down at Steve and he now had his hands on his hips and was shaking his head in disapproval at the others. He glanced up at you at the first time and you went to step away, suddenly concerned at what you looked like. But you couldn't move, you were trapped in your alpha's gaze as he looked at you. Your hair was wild and untamed and the white cotton pyjamas you were wearing dipped around your cleavage, as one of the straps fell loose on your shoulder. Steve took a heavy breath.

"Omega."

Your white wolf shot forward, annoyed at your omega for momentarily taking the lead.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you chopping wood at the ass crack of dawn anyway? I'm not a donkey, you can't just dangle yourself like a prized carrot!!"

"Sweetheart."

"Don't sweetheart me. Go back to bed. I asked that you went and got some rest and here you are chopping wood at god knows what time."

"I got plenty of rest Sweetheart. I did exactly what you asked."

"And yet here you are!!! Making a ruckus!!! The sun is barely up."

Steve looked around confused and pointed out the sun. He muttered something about witches being able to tell the time and you realised it did seem a little high.

"Look I'm sorry if I disturbed you but it's 10.15."

You'd slept for twelve hours. You were also meant to be on a call with the Roamer's Association in fifteen minutes."

"WHAT!!!???"

"It's 10.15 Honey."

"Shit, shit, shit."

You disappeared from the window quickly, shutting it and pulling the curtains closed again. Steve sighed and started to tidy up. Bucky sided-eyed Pietro, muttering and growling about how well it had gone. Pietro replied telling him to wait.

Ten minutes later they watched as you opened the living room curtains and opened the window a little. You were now in leggings and a soft looking cropped jumper. They watched as you walked around with your laptop open in one hand, a hot drink in the other. You seemed to be looking for the best light and you settled at Peppers writing desk in front of one of the windows, facing towards them. A few minutes later they could hear the faint chatter of a video call taking place.

As the call connected a sudden realisation washed over you. So distracted by your arrival in Brookville, Steve and the pack for the last few days, you'd forgotten that this was the first Roamer's Association call you'd been on since what at happened at Queensborough. Would they know of your involvement? You weren't sure. As the secretary of the head of the association went over what the call would be about, she checked in with everyone as she usually would. There were updates of people relocating, one of the omegas was now mated and pregnant and you'd all given your congratulations. As it rolled around to your turn your reply had been simple.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm in Brookville. My friend will be having her baby soon."

"Oh how exciting." One of the others had said.

"Are you OK though? It's been all over the news about Queensborough and Agatha. I know you spend time there." Asked the secretary.

"I'm fine."

"Were you there?"

You weren't sure how to answer. If you told them you'd been there it would bring about a whole load of questions, and you wondered if they'd believe you if you lied. You were saved by an annoying clatter outside.

"For goddess sake, what is he doing now?"

"Who?" Asked the secretary.

"Him!"

There was another clatter and you excused yourself and threw open the window with your powers.

"Will you knock it off!!! I'm on a call!" You yelled out at Steve.

"Sorry." He replied sheepishly. "I was just tidying up."

You huffed and turned away, muttering to yourself.

"Sexy lumberjack asshole."

You sat back down to smirks from the other attendees on the calls.

"What?"

"You didn't mute yourself."

You wanted to die from embarassment.

"Sorry, the alpha of the pack I'm staying near, with, kind of, it's complicated, he's chopping would right outside the window."

There were a rush of comments and questions, ohhhs and excitement that an alpha was clearly trying to get your attention. When one asked what he was like. Your reply was simple.

"Sexy lumberjack asshole."

Outside Steve glanced over at Pietro.

"You see Captain, I am always right."

Enjoy this fic? Fancy a cuppa? My Ko-Fi.

TAGLIST

@animegirlgeeky @mrsevans90 @slut4rogers @jvanilly @otterlycanadian @neocity-mel @jessjessmarvelandhp

[im-just-daria]

In The Dark Part 2

The Jackal x Reader

Fandom: The Day of The Jackal

Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: You finally make it to Munich.

Warnings: Mentions of murder and dead bodies, threats, stalking, just the usual assassin stuff.

A/N: I know it took me some time. Enjoy the second part :) Feedback is most appreciated, as well as any mistakes you see <3

Tag: @spiderstyles04 tagged as requested <3

Your eyes shot open as the alarm on your nightstand rang loudly. With a heavy sigh, you tapped your phone to stop the ringing and rubbed your eyes as you stretched under the covers of your warm bedsheets. It took you five seconds to remember why on earth you set that alarm in the first place. Today is the first day of juggling full-time pub work and helping a criminal impersonate some German janitor to do whatever he needed. You certainly didn't want to know more than is necessary for two simple reasons- in case you ever get taken by police, the less you know, the better, and because you weren't sure how well you would cope with the fact that you possibly helped someone in murder.

Your feet touched the cold floor, and you walked to a chair by your desk with more clothes on it than in your wardrobe. You put on a sweater from the pile of clothes and walked to the bathroom. As you were sitting on the toilet, your mind started to replay last night's events. You were surprised at how calm you were; it was actually concerning. 'Wow, my moral compass is so off', you thought as you wiped yourself and stood up. While washing your hands, you suddenly remembered something from yesterday that had escaped your memory. You opened the drawer under the sink and saw the nail scissors still missing; the corners of your mouth moved slightly upwards. You made your way to the kitchen and found the piece of paper with the phone number the man gave you yesterday. You debated whether to text him or not ' I mean, the guy has a gun and knows all your personal details, but at the same time, I do have some questions.'

You bit your bottom lid as you finally decided to pick up your phone. You typed in the number and texted;

"Do I keep the receipts?" you asked, putting down your phone as you wanted to start your breakfast. You hadn't expected him to reply within five seconds. 'Does he not have a life?' you thought with a frown.

''Yes''

''Do I use only cash, or can I use my card?''

''Cash''

''Do you have any allergies? The prosthetic glue sometimes causes a rash:/''

'Fuck', You scolded yourself. You were one of these people who use emojis religiously, so your muscle memory just put it in the message. 'Fucking hell (Y/N), it is a random man who hired you to help him commit international crimes, and you threw in a frowning emoji'.

''No allergies, cash only, go to only bigger stores where it's relatively anonymous, try to blend in, lie if someone asks what it's for. Anything else?'

You felt the passive aggressiveness radiating from the message, but you just couldn't help yourself. There was something so satisfying about annoying this man.

''You didn't give me back my nail scissors.''

He didn't reply immediately, like with the rest of the messages, and honestly, you thought he would just ignore you. You put down your phone and turned on the kettle on your kitchen counter. You heard the notification sound of your phone. You almost sprinted to the phone.

''I will add 5 £ to the overall payment'' You smiled. 'Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it' You lost the battle with your self-restraint.

''But the good ones cost 10 £.''

''You remember I have a gun, right? Do not text or call this number unless it is important, or you will make it from Germany in a body bag. Now delete all the texts.''

'Fine', you thought to yourself as you put down your phone and got ready for your day.

Your shoulder started to hurt from all the supplies in your bag. 'Now I understand the need for backpacks'. Since you haven't seen his face, you weren't really sure what colours of foundations and powders to buy, so you got a few just in case. After all, your life pretty much depends on how well you execute this. As you passed through Vauxhall to get to Waterloo, you glanced at MI6 headquarters and wondered how much they didn't know. I mean, here you are on the pavement across the river carrying supplies necessary for international crime. 'Is it really that easy?' you thought to yourself.

The rest of the week passed by really quickly. If you weren't working, you were working on the prosthetic; if you weren't working on the prosthetic, you were trying to sleep, eat, get groceries or clean the house. Your back was killing you from being constantly hunched over your desk. 'I have absolutely no idea how single mothers exist.' you thought as you tried to stretch in your chair. The whole face prosthetic was done, as well as the wig; you were just finishing up the facial hair when you heard the knock on the door. You weren't expecting anyone, and you didn't order anything. A wave of uneasiness washed over you. You grabbed a scalpel from the desk you used to cut through fake skin and hid it behind your back. You approached the door and looked through the peephole. A delivery man was standing on the other side holding a bouquet of flowers. Now you were nervous; your love life was non-existent, so there wasn't a single person who could send you those. You opened a door hesitantly; you half expected the man to pull out a knife or barge in through the apartment. Instead, he just smiled and asked,'' Miss (Y/L/N)?''

You stuttered ''Y-yes''.

"These are for you." He handed you a bouquet of flowers and an envelope. At first, you simply stared at him, still expecting him to pull out a weapon, but he didn't. You extended your arm and slowly grabbed the flowers and the envelope. You felt sorry for the delivery man. He looked so confused. You looked like grabbing those flowers was a life sentence, and your heavy breathing certainly didn't help.

''Um, have a nice day,'' he said hesitantly and left.

''You too!'' You said a bit too loudly as he was almost out of your sight.

You closed the door and locked it. Making your way to the kitchen, you set the flowers on the counter and opened the envelope.

IN Saturday 19th of April 19.25 RyanAir Stansted-Munich.

OUT Sunday 20th of April 22.45 RyanAir Munich-Stansted.

Premier Inn Munchen Messe Hotel Munchener Str.

Use your card; put everything necessary in the check-in bag. When you get to the hotel, send a text message. You will receive further instructions once you arrive. Don't do anything stupid, or these will be your funeral flowers.

You pulled out your phone and booked all flights and the hotel as the note instructed. The hotel itself was on the outskirts of Munich. You knew you would have to call in sick tomorrow to make this flight. Once all the bookings were confirmed, you ripped the note and flushed it down the toilet. While making your way to the desk, your eyes fell on the flowers you left on the counter. Your lips twitched upwards as you approached them. They were really beautiful. You filled a vase with water and smelled the bouquet before putting it in the glass. You moved them to the living room so they could get some sunlight. You were determined to keep them alive as long as possible. You let out a laugh as you realised that the first flowers you have ever received from a man were from a criminal who attached a note with a death threat. You made your way to the bedroom and finished the prosthetic for tomorrow. As you were packing and preparing, a shadow of a smile still danced on your lips.

The flight was as stressful as you thought it would be. You were sure you looked suspicious because every few seconds, you looked around, scouting the airport for security and police. You tried telling yourself that you had absolutely nothing illegal in the suitcase, which was true after all. Make-up artists travel daily with tons of stuff like yours and don't get stopped by border control. You finally reached the hotel, paid the taxi driver, and entered the Premier Inn. You approached the lady at reception, who smiled at you.

''Hi, I have a booking for (Y/N) (Y/L/N), 1 night'' You tried to calm your nerves and keep a relatively neutral face as you handed her your passport.

"Of course," she replied and started clicking on her computer. "Right, here is your key and a letter from your fiance."

You grabbed both items as well as your passport, to be honest; after the flowers, you expected him to pull some shit like this. 'What a psychopath, he really is enjoying this, isn't he? At least now I know he won't break into my room at night.'

''Thank you,'' you replied to the receptionist and made your way to the room. You only wanted to shower and eat, but you knew the envelope was a priority.

You left your bag on the floor, took off your jacket and left it on a chair. Leaning against the desk, you opened the letter.

16.00 Ludwig-Thomas-StraSe 27: The doors downstairs and upstairs will be open. Do not knock; just come in. Wear something with a hood, and make sure your hair isn't visible. Take everything with you; you will go straight to the airport.

Walk, do not use public transport. And try not to look suspicious; you already did a shit job at that at the airport.

''What the actual fuck?'' you actually said it out loud. Was he actually following you at the airport? You shook your head and exhaled deeply. ''This is a fucking joke''. You let out a dry laugh and decided to have a shower and sleep. A realisation hit you as you stood in a bathroom, about to undress. What if he had cameras in your room? A part of you- the logical part- wouldn't be surprised if he had cameras here and in your apartment. But the other part -the weird, unhinged, delusional part- tells you he isn't that type of guy. ''Jesus Christ (Y/N), you don't know that man,'' you scolded yourself and got undressed. It was a very brief and quick shower. Once you got into bed, you closed your eyes and tried to go to sleep. Fifteen minutes into your failed attempts at falling asleep, a phone rang; you immediately recognised the number, and your heart stopped. You accepted the call and said shakingly. ''Y-Yes?''

"Didn't you forget something?" You almost forgot how he sounded. It's been over a week, after all. His voice was calm and smooth, with a British accent dominating his pronunciation. You mentally checked everything you brought with you, nothing coming to your mi- ''Fuck I am so sorry, I forgot to text you when I got here,'' You said quickly.

''I need to know you are making your locations on time; I won't always have a way to track your phone.''

'Oh my God, ' you thought. So, this isn't a one-time thing.

"Um, yeah, that's fair. I have a question, though, and it is rather important," you said, trying to sound confident but failing miserably.

''Make it quick; I don't have time.''

''That's what she said,'' you whispered timidly, immediately regretting the words as they left your mouth. 'That's it. He is gonna hang up now; great fucking job (Y/N).'

Instead, you heard a chuckle on the other end of the phone. You suddenly felt proud of yourself, and involuntarily, your mouth formed into a smile.

''What's the question (Y/N)'' He said in much lighter tone. You felt a bit more confident now, knowing that he actually found you funny.

''Do you have any cameras in my apartment or the hotel room?''

You could almost hear the confusion in his voice ''No.''

''Okay, that's good, yeah, okay,'' you exhaled, and a silence followed.

''Anything else?''

Once again, you lost the inner battle with your self-restraint and grinned as you tried to put in your most seductive voice.

"So," you said, taking a pause. "What are you wearing?" You honestly thought he had just hung up. After about ten seconds, as you were about to check the phone screen, he simply replied, "Good night (Y/N)."

Little did you know, a smile adorned his face as he hung up the phone. A smile that hasn't visited his face in years.

The next day, you checked out of the hotel at 11 in the morning and made your way to a cafe. You had 5 hours before you had to be at the location given to you. You tried to focus on a book you took with you, but after rereading the same page four times, you gave up. You ate your food and drank your coffee before going for a little walk. You really needed to calm down. Munich was much warmer than you thought, you decided to see the city centre rather than sit in one cafe for 5 hours. As it was getting closer to 4 pm, you started to make your way to the address. You followed Google Maps as you saw the right flat complex. The man didn't lie; the doors were open downstairs. You made your way up the stairs, looking for number 27. Your heart started racing as you stood in front of it. 'Just go in. You are wasting time.' You stood outside for the next two minutes before reaching the door handle. You opened the door and stepped into the hallway; you were immediately met with a familiar face you saw 10 days ago; however, this time... it wasn't in the dark.

You knew already he was tall; his face perfectly reflected his usual voice, emotionless, graceful, calculated and confident. Freckles were scattered across his clear skin, and his ginger hair was messy, but somehow, it fit him perfectly. His green eyes were focused on yours. He was leaning against a wall with his arms folded. You closed the door behind me, not sure what to say. He beat you to the greetings.

''Lingering outside someone's door for 3 minutes is rather suspicious, don't you think?'' His eyebrows raised as the sentence left his mouth.

You just stared at him, ''Yeah, um, yeah, it is, and you told me not to be suspicious.''

'Yes, I did'' He said seriously.

You tried your best to lighten the mood ''Soooo, do I get the house tour?''

''No, the bathroom is on the left. Go there and don't leave; set up everything you need.''

''What, is there like a body in here?'' You said jokingly and chuckled. You looked up at him to see his reaction. He just looked at you with a specific look that answered your question.

''Ohhh, okay''. You swallowed and made your way to the bathroom.

'Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic'.

The bathroom was small and didn't have much counter space. There was a chair and a stool. You opened your bag and set all prosthetics and the wig onto the sink counter; all make-up brushes, palettes, foundations, and powders were left on the chair. You turned around to grab a towel behind you when you were met with a familiar build. You gasped loudly, startled. How could he move so quietly?

"You can sit down if you want." He didn't reply; he simply took his place in a chair and looked at you expectingly.

It felt weird. Being cramped with a killer in a tiny bathroom, you wondered if the body lying somewhere in the house belonged to the man you would help him look like.

You began examining his face, your eyes tracing every curve of his face. His eyes never left yours; you guess he still doesn't trust you enough to be this close to you with his eyes closed.

"Your face has a rather unusual structure," your voice hitched as you realised how it sounded. "It's not an insult, just," you exhaled. ''Your eyes, sockets, and cheekbones are very hollow, but your lips are full. I will need to add some extra padding to make it look believable."Your hands were slightly shaking as you waited for his answer.

''Just do what you must. Be done by 8.30.''

You nodded.

His skin was unbelievably smooth, and his eyes still hadn't left yours, examining your every move. As you were working, you tried to explain everything you were doing. However, with the lack of his replies, you felt like you were just conversing with yourself instead.

After two hours of silence from his side, you opened your mouth but hesitated to say the sentence you wanted.

''Did you know that red hair and green eyes occur in only 0.14% of people on the planet?'' Once again, you expected silence, but he replied simply ''Yes''. Well, it's better than silence.

''How did you know?'' You asked, trying to hold the conversation.

''How did you?'' You sighed.

''I asked first.'' It was a childish answer, but a small smile played on your lips.

''My friend told me years ago,'' He said hesitantly.

''That's nice; I learned that in school during make-up classes in my first year,'' you replied calmly, suddenly feeling at ease.

''Did you like them?''

You were taken aback by his question. ''The classes?'' Still in disbelief, he showed interest.

He simply nodded.

''I did; I always found it relaxing; it's like painting or drawing for other people.''

You decided to take advantage of his sudden talkativeness.

''I probably need a name for you, a fake one. I really don't mind; I just can't refer to you in my mind as 'him'.

His lips twitched, and he said, '' And just how often do you refer to me in your mind?'' You stopped all your movement and averted your eyes from his wig hairline you were just fixing to look at into eyes.

You opened your mouth in shock and said lightly, chuckling, ''Did you just make a flirtatious joke?''

''Don't get used to it,'' He said as you added finishing touches to his appearance. His whole demeanour is changed. He seems more relaxed, and his eyes don't seem so controlling. He also didn't flinch every time you touched his face without warning.

''Let's go with Charles.''

You hummed ''Fine by me,''

''Right, all done.'' You said proudly as you stepped back, allowing him to stand up and examine your work in the mirror. You personally thought you had outdone yourself. Maybe the overhanging thought of death if you fuck up had something to do with it, or perhaps you are just that good.

''This is incredible,'' he said, not taking his eyes off his reflection.

Somehow, his praise meant more to you than any compliment you've ever heard from your teachers. 'Yeah, because whether you live or die depends on this,' you explained to yourself, not even allowing yourself to think of any other reason.

''You have a plane to catch; you should go,'' He said, finally averting his eyes from the mirror towards you.

''Yeah, you are right, I'm just gonna pack up. Um, here is a glue dissolver and a brush. Don't rip it, or your face will flare up; ginger people have a lower impact tolerance, so um yeah,'' You said, trying to hold eye contact, but halfway through the sentence, you lost confidence. You simply handed him the bottle and started packing your things. As you were about to grab the door handle, you turned towards him. He was leaning on the same spot on the wall as when you walked in, and you stood in the same place as before. Except this time, the man looked nothing like himself.

''I will transfer the money tomorrow,'' he said once again emotionless.

''Okay'' As you grabbed the handle, you smiled and turned back to him. ''I just want to let you know that I had so many urges to say ginger jokes today, but I didn't, and I think you should know that and appreciate it.''

He stood there like a statue, motionless. After a few seconds, he smiled and walked away.

''Just go home (Y/N).''

You high-fived yourself mentally. Annoying this man was fun, but seeing him smile is even better.

You left the apartment smiling, not worrying about looking suspicious.