#but instead i decided to walk to another major street and try the bus line there. walked down a hill in the semi dark which was stupid

[coquelicoq]

moi j'ai même pas l'option de prendre des mauvaises décisions météorologiques wesh, on est en alerte rouge cycloniques, donc interdiction de quitter le domicile. du coup tu devrais nous accompagner dans notre confinement je trouve! même sans obligation externe, décide tout seul comme un grand d'être prudent et de rester chez toi, yayyy?

alerte rouge cyclonique, c'est très inquiétante ! j'espère que tu et les tiens restez sains et saufs dedans et que les cyclones ne se matérialisent jamais !!

ici c'est pas si mauvais mais j'aurais dû t'écouter tout de même, parce que j'ai fini par rebrousser chemin quand mon amie n'a pas pu me rencontrer à cause de la congélation des serrures de ses portières...et au bout du compte il m'a fallu une heure et demi pour rentrer parce que j'étais déjà en route quand elle me l'a dit 😂 et j'ai dû aller tout le long du chemin jusqu'au centre-ville pour changer de bus ! et puis il y avait des détours bien sûr !! finalement je suis chez moi, au chaud, et je laisse tomber. d'accord, j'ai compris la leçon 😩 plus d'aventure pour moi, j'en ai ras le bol, merci !

[tangledstarlight]

2. “Sure, you can use me as a pillow.” For willex 😃

hello hi this could have been so much longer but it’s 2am and i gotta go to sleep, but i also felt compelled to do this tonight so here we go! and yes okay i nearly forgot there was a prompt my bad 😬 hope you like anon!! 

hurt/comfort dialogue prompts!!

2. “Sure, you can use me as a pillow.” 

The thing about traveling is that Alex really hates traveling. 

Sure, he likes going to new places and experiencing new cultures and buying hotdogs from street vendors in New York who don’t work out of a car. But that actual act of traveling? Of getting from one place to another long distance via plane? Absolutely hates it. As he sits around in hard plastic airport chairs he often finds himself wishing he could just teleport himself. Think of where he wanted to be and poof! there he was. 

But he couldn’t poof around the world and instead he was stuck on a flight back to LA from New York that was already an hour delayed and was now a further two hours delayed on the tarmac while they were on the damn thing. 

Balling up his jumper and stuffing it behind his head Alex tries to relax, to stretch his legs out in front of him a little and let the tension leave his shoulders. He thinks about the apartment that him and the band had rented for the three months they’d been in New York working on their new album. Of how he could be on the plush grey sofa right now, listening to Reggie talk over whatever film they’d picked and trying to throw popcorn into Luke’s open mouth after he’d fallen asleep ten minutes in while Julie tried with m&ms. 

But no. He’s stuck in a plane and starting to get cramp in his leg and regretting not accepting the travel pillow Reggie had tried to give him before he left. God there had better be an open bar at his sister's wedding to make up for this experience. Though he knows that’s partly a lie, because seeing his little sister walk down the aisle in her white dress will be worth it, but the way his parents will avoid him the whole weekend? Oh yeah, he’s gonna need an open bar for that too. 

“Sorry folks, looks like we’re going to be stuck here a little while longer. Please remain in your seats and if you need anything––” Alex, along with the majority of the plane, stop listening to the pilot's voice on the speaker. There’s a collective groan and he can hear people complaining and the little tell-tale ding of someone calling for assistance. 

Alex blows out a breath and tries to go back to relaxing in his seat. Which feels awkward and uncomfortable and exposed, probably due to the fact he’s got an aisle seat. Logically, he knows that. Logically, he knows that no one is really judging him right now because they’re all too busy dealing with their own shit. 

The sleeve of his jumper slips free, dropping to his neck and, without thinking, he swats it away. Belatedly, and okay yeah, only after the responding grunt, does Alex remember that there’s someone sitting next to him. 

Eyes snapping open he looks at the man next to him, takes in the long hair and the tie dye sweatshirt and the wires of his headphones and the raised eyebrow as he looks back at him. 

“I am so sorry I just––” Alex trails off because he doesn’t have an excuse. He just forgot there was someone sitting next to him. Which, the longer he looks at his seat neighbour and takes in the jaw line and the lips curving into a smile and the way his eyes haven’t left his–– how the hell did Alex not notice him when he first got on the fucking plane? (He’s going to blame it on how much he hates traveling, it blinds him to all hot people in the vicinity, even if they happen to be right next to him apparently.) He can feel his cheeks growing warm and he realises he’s just staring and hasn’t actually finished his sentence. 

“Fell– neck, y’know?” He gestures vaguely to his neck, and the sleeve of his jumper that’s still on the other man's shoulder and god fucking damn it Alex that wasn’t even a sentence, get it together! If Luke or Julie or Reggie were here right now they would be laughing at him. 

“It’s all good man,” the stranger says with a light laugh and–– god he’s got such pretty eyes that Alex is almost distracted from what he says next, “You seem a little tense there though man. You goo?” 

And see, this is exactly part of the reason why Alex hates traveling. It’s the awkward small talk on the plane or the train or when you’re unfortunate enough to end up next to an extra chatty person on the bus. It’s why he shoves headphones on and pretends he can’t see lips moving. Though, he’s maybe willing to break that rule just a little today.

“Not a big fan of traveling,” is all he says, trying not to grimace about how much of an understatement that is. 

“On planes or just in general?” 

“Just in general. Though after this it might be a plane thing,” he tries to joke, and he’s pretty sure it’s a terrible attempt but the stranger giggles and oh man Alex hadn’t thought he could get cuter. 

“Yeah, this has been a pretty shitty few hours,” he agrees, biting down on his bottom lip for a moment before seeming to decide something, “I’m Willie. By the way. Since we’re going to be stuck next to each other for a while.” 

“Alex. Hi,” and, for some strange reason he lifts his hand and waves at him. That magical teleportation power would come in handy right about now, he decides. 

But, for whatever reason, Willie doesn’t find it weird and they start talking. Alex learns that Willie’s flying back to LA because he’d been in New York for an art show, and that he’s into skateboarding and he looks really good when he ties his hair up in a bun. In turn, Alex tells him about the band and recording their first album and about his weekend. 

“So wait, your parents don’t want you going to the wedding?” Willie asks, body half turned towards him in his chair and there's a look of confusion on his face. 

“They’d didn’t explicitly say that but we all know they’re going to be disappointed when I show up,” he shrugs. It hurts, but it’s also just been a fact of his life for so long now that Alex sometimes forgets that not everyone has the same experience. And anyway, he’s not going for his parents, he’s going for his sister. 

“Man that’s fucked,” he mutters, eyes seeming to zone out for a moment, only to refocus as Alex claps a hand over his mouth to block a yawn. 

“Sorry. I put off going to sleep so I could sleep on the flight but,” he shrugs, shooting Willie a slightly sheepish smile but he just shakes his head, another smile on his lips. 

“You’re all good. When this thing finally takes off you can use me as a pillow,” there’s a slightly teasing edge to his words but a challenge in his eyes. 

And maybe it’s because he’s been stuck in an airport and then on a plane for four hours longer then he’d expected to be, or because he’s just really tired or maybe he’s just feeling brave in the face of his weekend ahead, but Alex smiles back at him and says, “You’re probably much comfier then my jumper.” 

There’s a beat before Willie laughs, knocks his knuckles casually against Alex’s shoulder. Half an hour later, when the pilot announces they’ve been cleared for takeoff and the majority of people cheer, Alex and Willie share a high five, palms lingering maybe a touch too long, but he’s not going to complain. 

He doesn’t sleep on the flight, but he does leave LAX in a taxi with Willie’s number saved in his phone with the first text he’d sent being the address of his sister's wedding and an assurance he didn’t need to bring a gift. 

So okay, maybe traveling isn’t the worst thing in the world.

[honeym4rk]

station (jjh)

college! jaehyun x reader word count: 3.0k summary: four times you find yourself alone with jaehyun at a bus station.

There is comfort in the silence.

With every step you take, there is a crunch of fallen, juniper leaves at your feet. Your canvas tote bag is looped around your shoulder, your fingers clinging to the straps like it would shield you from the awkwardness of the current circumstances.

He’s got his hands hidden in the cavity of his hoodie. His knuckle cracking is sporadic, and you cringe at just how many times they’ve made an encore in the past two minutes.

You really should have begged Mark to tag along and leave the shindig so that this wouldn’t have happened- but alas, the boy was still hooked by the prospect of winning the next round of Mario Kart against Donghyuck. ‘It does some good to my self-esteem,’ he’d said. 

So here you are, sauntering bashfully to the bus stop with Jaehyun.

“So, uh- what bus are you taking?” You muster up the courage to speak up after a few minutes of painful reticence. 

“I’d have to take 922 or 153 from the opposite stop to get back to hall,” he sighs. It’s clear that he reciprocates the weird, distinctive tension here.

“And you?” He faces you with his raised eyebrows and you’re baffled by the sudden eye contact made. Your eyes dart elsewhere.

“Oh, I’m taking 922 from here.” You nod your head imperceptibly at the bus stop ahead of you.

A few metres away, there’s a zebra crossing, and you thank your lucky stars that you’re finally about to part ways. Oh, you’re sure Jaehyun is a nice person and all, but that doesn’t change the fact that the unspoken, kind enmity in the air is capable of being taut so hard around your neck that you asphyxiate. 

Ten more steps. Come on.

Five steps. 

Three steps.

“I’ll see you next ti-” 

Yet he doesn’t stop at the crossing. Instead, he continues his stride in tandem with yours towards the station. You stop in your tracks, slowly gesturing towards the beaconing street light with the hand you raised to bid adieu. 

“Aren’t you going to, you know..?” Eyes hinting at the yellow streaks of light, at the bus stop across the road, anywhere away from his own. Jaehyun notices your halt and follows suit.

“Well, I mean, Mark did ask me to see that you got home safe....”

You immediately wrack your brain for an appropriate response to his chivalry. It’s unclear how you should react; he really caught you by surprise. And from the way he’s gnawing at his inner lip and raising a hand to scratch the nape of his neck, you infer that he’s abashed too. All you manage is a small, “Oh,” as more silence ensues, before you start to blabber,

“No, no, thanks, Jaehyun, but it’s really fine, you don’t have to.”

His lips are taut into a firm, straight line and he lets out a surreptitious hum.

“Let me just wait ‘til you board your bus. Is that okay? It’s getting pretty late.”

You want to vehemently object. 

And you’re about to, but you let out a consenting “Yeah, alright.”

He’s invading your desiderated solace- yet something about his offer seems so genuine and saccharine that you comply out of curiosity. You’d heard things about Jaehyun around in school before, good things, especially seeing that he was well acquainted with your friends like Mark, but you’d never really encountered him until tonight, thanks to Donghyuck’s birthday celebration. Being a Linguistics student, fate hadn’t really presented many opportunities for him to meet someone majoring in Pharmacy. 

Therefore- you think to yourself- it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s unlikely that you’ll actually talk to him again, since you’ll probably never be within a radius of at least ten metres from him again. It’s alright, it’s okay. You decide to let him be a gentleman.

So you bask in the quietude shrouding the two of you, as you sit on the metal form, awaiting the arrival of a yearned 922. 

After all, there is the slightest hint of comfort in the silence.

There is also comfort in the familiarity.

You’re sure there’s a sense of déjà vu. It’s a similar scene to what had ensued a few weeks ago, at least, and you’re definitely surprised to be here again, with him . However, you’ve both abandoned the multi-layered cake of unease. It’s almost been completely devoured now. Fortunately.

Jaehyun’s chuckling relentlessly- nearly doubled over laughing- as you recount the earlier occurrences of the Friday night. 

“Yeah, no, but I’d give anything to see the look on Donghyuck’s face again.” His eyes crinkle into small crescents as he runs a hand through his silver hair.

“He looked so confident that it was going to work and I’d already told him otherwise, but I really don’t know what he expected.” 

Tonight, there had been an effort to study in Donghyuck’s apartment; considering the looming exam season. This purpose was indeed fulfilled, to some extent. 

Then Donghyuck, feeling rather ravenous, decided that he wanted to indulge in a quick and easy two-ingredient Oreo mug cake. The video tutorial truly looked too good to be true- you’d seen multiple YouTubers debunk the content-farm produced recipes. 

The wide-eyed boy was too desperate, however, as he credulously decided to fill his mug with crushed oreos and milk to the brim. He swore that it looked and sounded promising until a loud Pop! reverberated in the kitchen 30 seconds into heating.

Everyone gathered around to watch Donghyuck cry over his spilt milk, literally, as his appliance perpetually emitted smoke, its glass door burst open. Burnt mounds of moist black and white cookies were thrown at the white, metal walls of the microwave. Donghyuck fanned the plumes of smoke hastily.

“It looks like a volcano erupted.” Mark added, coughing, as he tried to swallow the chuckle bubbling at the back of his throat.

“Dude- I don’t want to say I told you so but,” You began to implore, before Donghyuck interjected.

“Maybe I should just try again, I think the microwave setting just wasn’t right.” 

And so he did- but to no avail.

The two of you approach the tiny station side by side, and you relish the warm, fuzzy feeling establishing in your stomach. Not quite butterflies, but maybe more like a tiny sprout popping out of the ground.

“To be fair, though, it didn’t taste half as bad as it looked.”

You snort. “Sure, because it’s literally sugar and milk with a dash of hidden carcinogens.” 

He lets out a low chortle. Jaehyun nails the bellowing dad laugh right down to a T, and some part of you finds this endearing.

A flash of bright light emerges as you look up from your feet. 922 has arrived and you’re rummaging through your bag for your bus card. 

“I feel like I left my card at Donghyuck’s, shit,”

The bus halts. 

“Here, use mine, I’ve got a spare.” Jaehyun offers without a second thought, pulling his card from the pocket of his denim jeans. 

“Go on, the bus driver’s waiting.”

You would have thought this through for a little while longer, but he was right. A scowl that said ‘Stop wasting my damn time,’ is plastered on the driver’s face, and it urges you to carefully pick the card slotted between his fingers. 

“Thanks so much- I’ll return it tomorrow, or something.” Your eyebrows furrow together and you clench your teeth together in a grimace.

“Yeah! Yeah, whenever. Good night, Y/N. Get home safe,”

“You too, thanks again!”

Boarding the bus hastily, you wave at him through the glass door as the bus sets off. He doesn’t leave until you’re out of sight.

You can’t help but grin as you examine the portrait on his student pass. He’s handsome, skin clear and glossy, hair parted such that there are a bunch of strands obstructing his forehead. It’s black in this image. You wonder how many colours it's been dyed. His dimples replicate the poked slime in the myriad of videos you’ve seen, and his cheekbones are incredibly prominent. 

It dawns on you that you don’t have his number, or follow him on Instagram, or have any means to contact him at all. You guess that you’ll have to fish something from Mark, but Jaehyun seems to beat you to it.

Unknown, [2340]: hey this is jaehyun lol hope you get back safe :-)

A sudden flash of the many possible outcomes this could entail breezes past your mind. You’re quite uncertain about how this will play out, and you unlock your phone to reply.

Y/N, [2341]: hii hahah thanks again! i can return your card tomorrow, just lmk where i can drop by

Jaehyun, [2341]: yeah sure, i think i’ll be cooped up in starbucks doing work w my friends lol 

Jaehyun, [2341]: u can join if ud like :o

There is comfort in the unknown.

There is comfort in the noise.

Your whole herd of boisterous friends are walking uphill from yet another study session at Donghyuck’s- there’s been quite a number of them since the first. You’re honestly amused by how many people can fit in his apartment. The study group has expanded from a mere four to a whopping seven people in total.

Thankfully, there haven’t been any microwave oven explosions since then, but you’ve had your good share of fun and company, and more importantly, productivity. 

The pack of young adults currently divulging the extensive, latest gossip and hall horror stories, you and Jaehyun stray further behind. You’re trying to listen in and pick apart information, but you’ve joined the conversation a bit too late for context. 

“Oh my god, Lia, you’re going to hate hearing this, but…” Jungwoo begins, his voice entering a decrescendo.

“But Jeno has a girlfriend? Yeah, I figured.” Lia wails. “I saw them together in the library the other day, being all cute and shit. My heart shattered .” She emphasises this by hitting Jungwoo’s shoulder out of pure frustration. 

“How long have they been together, though?” Ryujin quips, to which she gets a reply, but you try to drown out the rest of their conversation.

You tug at the arm of Jaehyun’s sweatshirt, and he leans closer to you as you query, “Who’s Jeno, again?”

“Cute dude that she keeps bumping into at hall, I think,” he mumbles. His words are semi-intelligible, because of the commotion right in front of you.

“Sorry? I didn’t catch that.” The infinite frequencies are hard to tune out, and it gets increasingly arduous to do so when Ryujin gasps.

“Oh shit, the bus is here!” Your friends are immediately ready to break into a sprint, but Jaehyun’s feet seem heavy as he continues to meander with you. 

“Jae, aren’t you coming? The next one’s in thirty minutes!” Jungwoo shouts as they begin to dash across the road.

“It’s fine, go on! I’m just a little lazy. See you!” Jaehyun dismisses him with the wave of his extended hand, and receives an incredulous look. The lame excuse confuses you, bamboozles you, but you wave goodbye to your friends anyway.

It’s been long since you’ve been caught alone here at the bus stop with Jaehyun- you usually head home with Mark every Friday. He’s not here, though. He’s crashed at Donghyuck’s for tonight.

“Uhm, what was that ?” You chuckle nervously, the little sprout in your belly magically reappearing. Truth be told, after the many lighthearted, late-night messages exchanged over the past few weeks, and after unravelling Jaehyun bit by bit, the sprout has grown into a pocket-sized garden. It brings its own butterflies, but you don’t quite have the audacity to admit this. There’s a different kind of trickiness lingering in the air tonight.

“Well, you know- Mark…and it’s- it’s getting late, kinda.” He’s timorous tonight. Under the luminescence of the bus station’s lamps, you see the pink tint land on the tips of his ears, something you’ve learnt happens when he’s rather shy. 

“I wanted to ask you something, too, though.”

“Okay, shoot.” You take a seat. He sits a modest distance away from you, cracking his knuckles instinctively.

“Well, I uhm, I’m not quite sure how you’ll react to this but,” he licks his lips.

“But?” You encourage him to carry on, staring as you await his continuation.

He looks as if he’s got the words at the tip of his tongue, the sea of sentences about to overflow from his mouth, and they’re spilling when he starts speaking again.

“Would you-” You listen intently, attempting to read his lips. However, he’s cut off by the booming wails of a velocious ambulance. You whip your head around to watch the vehicle pass by. 

Jaehyun breathes sharply, exhaling in frustration. The cries subside, so he tries again. 

“Y/N,” he clears his throat, and you face him once more.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“I was wondering if-” 

A fire truck zooms past the bus stop, and your attention is grabbed by the monotonous siren that raids your ears. Jaehyun notices your bus approaching, and he panics. The air-raid isn’t becoming distant; the truck’s obstructed by the imposing red-light flashing. There’s only so much time left to ask what he’s been dying to- and he can’t believe he’s getting cockblocked by the emergency services right now. 

You’re hearing Jaehyun spill a string of words but they’re incoherent- all you can seem to comprehend is the blaring repetitions that are relentless.

“What?!” You shout, fighting past the cacophony. “I can’t hear you!” You’re signing this to him, pointing to your ear and shaking your hand vigorously.

Your bus halts before you. Jaehyun’s in an absolute frenzy now. He doesn’t want to do this online. Something about hiding behind his screen sounds so ingenuine to him, and you’re already standing, shit, but he can’t win against the absolute pandemonium and doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of the small crowd that’s alighted the bus, but he’s also not sure when he’ll get to talk to you in private like this again, 

So he clamours.

“Do You! Want To Go Out! With Me!” He’s cupping his large hands around his mouth, screaming into the makeshift amplifier with all his might, as you walk towards the front doors of the bus.

You look like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide open in disbelief as you gawk at the boy who’s sheepishly glancing at everyone and using his hand to defend himself from their stares. The butterflies that have erupted in you are merciless.

And then you burst into a fit of laughter- Jaehyun curses the sirens for piercing through such a pleasant sound- and you nod profusely, one foot already boarding the bus.

The glass doors shut close, and you’re enthusiastically gesturing to your handphone, waving at him. The bus whizzes away.

He’s shell-shocked, and he’s unable to will his hands in drawing his phone from his pocket. The sudden series of vibrations brings him back to his senses.

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝),[2257]: WAIT ask me again

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2257]: idk if i heard u right

Jaehyun, [2258]: k

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2258]: dude come back </3

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2258]: YES lol

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2257]: yeeeeeeees

It heavily hinders Jaehyun that night, but there is comfort in the noise.

There is comfort in the isolation.

It’s only the blinding fluorescent lights and the cool breeze presenting company at the bus stop- you’re grateful that the occasional cars speeding by are helping you break down the very last walls of tension between the two of you, if there are any.

Whoosh. 

“I really enjoyed today.” He smiles and steals a quick glance at you. You’re at a different bus stop now- a month later and you’re amazed that you’ve gone out with Jaehyun at least three times now.

You catch the slight twinkle in his eyes as he scoots a whole foot nearer towards you on the cool metal bench. The distance between the two of you is closing slowly yet your heart rate is augmenting. It’s accelerating now- faster than any of the rambunctious vehicles that race down the road, their engines revving dirtily.

Whoosh. A black BMW zooms past you both and you take the opportunity to reciprocate the cheeky glimpse.

“Me too.”

There’s fumbling of fingers and twiddling of your thumbs before you notice the sudden influx of light and buzzing and realise that your bus has arrived. Pure languish rushes through every vein in your body- you don’t want this night to end.

Jaehyun begins to stand and shoots a quizzical expression when you don’t follow suit. 

“Let’s wait for the next one,” you grin, your legs swinging back and forth as you continue to glue yourself on the elevated seat.

The sound of his chuckle envelopes you into a warm hug- it’s deep, and strong, yet soft at the same time- and then you’re pulled to your feet by your wrists before he embraces you with confident hesitation too.

“Is this- it’s okay, right?” He just wants to be sure.

“Yeah- very.” You breathe, and his boyish smell fills your lungs. There is difficulty in naming what scented cologne he’s used today; but you devote no more attention. You just wallow in the tangy, mellow fragrance that has permeated your senses.

He’s got his arms coiled around your waist, his palm extended to press your back closer to him. You’re playing with the sharp, freshly cut hairs on the back of his neck. You run your fingers through them and he dives his head further into the crook of your neck. Jaehyun’s muffled voice is tickling your shoulder-

“Your hair smells really nice.” The corners of your lips edge upwards into an unrelenting grin.

“Thank God.”

There is comfort in Jaehyun.

[soundofseventeen]

We Belong Together (Part Seven)

I planned to update last week, but life throws curveballs. But I hope you’re enjoying this!!!! 

Word count: 1327

“And then I said, ‘Just because I took a year of Japanese, doesn’t mean I can speak it.’” As expected, the small gathering of the bridesmaids threw their heads back and laughed at Jooheon’s cousin’s story, which apparently called for another round of spirits that had somehow made their way into the dressing room and you managed to stay composed.

One of the two requests you had for Jooheon was that you didn’t want anyone drinking anything alcoholic before the ceremony because you didn’t want anyone falling, fighting, getting nauseous, or anything else that you managed to forget, and here was his family, blatantly disregarding the rule.

“Y/N, have a drink!” his cousin said, already tipsy. She giggled, tilting her head back and finishing up whatever was left in her cup.

You forced another smile, shaking your head, trying not to let your temper get the best of you. “I’m good. Ahnjong went to grab me a coffee before you showed up.” You wondered how long she had been gone, and the paranoid part of you let you know that she abandoned ship and decided not to participate in the wedding.

“Aren’t you gonna start putting your dress on? You’re gonna be late for your own wedding.” 

“None of you are supposed to see me in it yet, so I have to wait for you to be ready.” How easily the lie escaped you, surprised you. “So why don’t you guys get ready first? I still have to look over some things.” As if you were expecting it, someone knocked on the door and in walked the long awaited artists, which left everyone screaming and squealing in delight.

*

The bridesmaids were so loud as you left, you weren’t sure how the vicinity wasn’t complaining to you or your fiance. You’d covered your ears multiple times, so much so that your earrings accidentally stabbed you once in a while. So, once the makeup artists and hair stylists finally set up their stuff, you managed to leave the room, saying you needed to use the bathroom and that you’d be back after checking some stuff that had no reason to be looked over. Ahnjong hadn’t returned yet, so you’d been left with a majority of Jooheon’s family, the claustrophobia hitting you slowly over time.

You were still in your robe, not wanting to dress up yet, but insisting to the bridesmaids that they needed to be ready first, somehow managing to convince them that you could be a few minutes late. You wandered through the corridors, surprised that you didn’t bump into any of Jooheon’s friends until you ended up outside his dressing room. You could hear them vocalizing and harmonizing nothing in particular and before you could stop yourself, you knocked on the door, hoping to at least complain about the no drinking rule being broken.

“Jagi,” Jooheon said when he opened the door. He was still buttoning the last of his white shirt, Kihyun behind him, swiping a lint roller through his back. The surprise lasted momentarily, which was quickly replaced with concern. He kissed your cheek. “You know we can’t see each other before the wedding. It’s bad luck,” he joked. Slowly, his familiar smile returned and you weren’t sure if that was worse. 

But, oh if he had known that if you didn’t see him, you would’ve run. This already felt more like a last viewing of a funeral rather than a union of two people. You couldn’t even offer him a smile in return. You wondered how he had done this everyday since you were together, and so sincerely! He didn’t even comment on how you were nowhere near ready and here he was, looking as ready as ever. Like if it was an everyday thing for him.

“Is everything okay? You look sick.”

You felt sick. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. You needed to be waking up from this nightmare soon. You finally forced a smile, nauseated. “I’m fine, just a little nervous.”

“I know. I am too. I’ve waited so long for this day and I can’t believe I finally get to marry you and spend every moment of my life with you.” He kissed your cheek again.

The piercing of your heart hurt you but you weren’t sure if it was the guilt of agreeing to be with someone you didn’t love and or because you didn’t wanna hurt him...all of which resulted with you never being happy again, and if this was meant to be your punishment, then you could probably live with it. But you also knew that Jooheon deserved better than what you could give him. He gave you one last hug and you finally went on your way, still contemplating if you could make it to the airport before the ceremony began. 

You even went as far as going to the front door, hand turning on the knob, ready to flee. The creaking sound it made set off your adrenaline and you had one foot out before you knew it. There was no breeze out, but the difference in the air made you sigh. The world felt happy and bright, unlike in here all stuffy and stagnant. All you had to do was slide out and you’d be on your way. The best pet was that no one would even know you had abandoned everything here. All you had to do was take that extra step. So you did.

And it finally felt like you breathe a little easier now that you weren’t inside a building. Your other request to Jooheon had been having an outdoor wedding and he had readily agreed to it, lifting the weight you had on your shoulders. It had been the smartest move you ever made since being with him and it was basically the only thing that made you happy. (Besides, you know, his cats.)

The few minutes you were out there, you saw everything moving, looking alive. You noticed the people running in and out of places in a rush, hopping into cars and taxis. You even saw the number of buses that kept coming and going across the street from you. Maybe if you just crossed the blacktop street during a red light, you could hop on the next bus and see where it took you. At this point, you didn’t care if it took you to the next city, or country….or an airport to a new continent. The possibilities were endless. 

“Y/N!” Ahnjong called you seemingly out of nowhere, holding out an iced coffee for you. “You wouldn’t believe how many places I had to go to until I found this brand! This is yours and Jihoon’s favorite, right?”

His name hurt you more than it should’ve but once again, you faked a smile and gave her a small nod. “We had to order them online so many times because they’d be out of stock and whenever we’d find one at any stores, we’d clean the shelves.” You didn’t tell her out loud how much you missed those adventures. The few times you were able to get them at your job, you just had to call to gloat, and he’d start yelling at you to give him half, and he snuck a lot of them to the dorms and stashed many of them at Universe Factory.

Ahnjong didn’t catch your trip down memory lane, so she skipped back inside the venue, leaving you outside and watching more and people line up at the bus stop, waiting for the vehicle to take them to your destination. Maybe if you just moved your feet, you could see where it’d take you.

But something stopped you before you could run and you went back inside, dejectedly. Instead, you closed the door as loudly as you could, releasing some of your frustration, and ran back into the dressing room, the outside world taunting you of its freedom.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Trudeau’s Liberals win Canada election, but miss majority (AP) Canadians gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party a victory in Monday’s parliamentary elections, but his gamble to win a majority of seats failed and nearly mirrored the result of two years ago. Trudeau’s Liberals were leading or elected in 156 seats—one less than they won 2019, and 14 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons. The Conservatives were leading or elected in 121 seats, the same number they won in 2019. The leftist New Democrats were leading or elected in 27, a gain of three seats, while the Quebec-based Bloc Québécois remained unchanged with 32 seats and the Greens were down to two. “Trudeau lost his gamble to get a majority so I would say this is a bittersweet victory for him,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. “Basically we are back to square one, as the new minority parliament will look like the previous one. Trudeau and the Liberals saved their skin and will stay in power, but many Canadians who didn’t want this late summer, pandemic election are probably not amused about the whole situation,” he said.

COVID has killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 flu (AP) COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did—approximately 675,000. And like the worldwide scourge of a century ago, the coronavirus may never entirely disappear from our midst. Instead, scientists hope the virus that causes COVID-19 becomes a mild seasonal bug as human immunity strengthens through vaccination and repeated infection. That would take time. “We hope it will be like getting a cold, but there’s no guarantee,” said Emory University biologist Rustom Antia, who suggests an optimistic scenario in which this could happen over a few years. For now, the pandemic still has the United States and other parts of the world firmly in its jaws.

Why Louisiana’s Electric Grid Failed in Hurricane Ida (NYT) Just weeks before Hurricane Ida knocked out power to much of Louisiana, leaving its residents exposed to extreme heat and humidity, the chief executive of Entergy, the state’s biggest utility company, told Wall Street that it had been upgrading power lines and equipment to withstand big storms. That statement would soon be tested. On the last Sunday in August, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana and dealt a catastrophic blow to Entergy’s power lines, towers and poles, many of which were built decades ago to withstand much weaker hurricanes. The storm damaged eight high-voltage transmission lines that supply power to New Orleans along with scores of the company’s towers throughout the state. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses were without power for days. Ida damaged or destroyed 31,000 poles that carry lower-voltage distribution lines in neighborhoods, nearly twice as many as Hurricane Katrina, according to Entergy. Lawmakers and regulators require utilities to ensure safe, reliable service at an affordable cost. The grid failure after Ida is the latest display of how power companies are struggling to fulfill those obligations as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather. In California, electricity providers have been forced to shut off power to tens of thousands of customers in recent years to prevent their equipment from setting off wildfires and to reduce energy demand during heat waves. In February, the grid in most of Texas failed during a winter storm, leaving millions of people without power and heat for days.

White House faces bipartisan backlash on Haitian migrants (AP) The White House is facing sharp condemnation from Democrats for its handling of the influx of Haitian migrants at the U.S. southern border, after images of U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback using aggressive tactics went viral this week. Striking video of agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants attempting to cross the border has sparked resounding criticism from Democrats on Capitol Hill, who are calling on the Biden administration to end its use of a pandemic-era authority to deport migrants without giving them an opportunity to seek asylum in the United States. At the same time, the administration continues to face attacks from Republicans, who say Biden isn’t doing enough to deal with what they call a “crisis” at the border. Immigration is a complex issue, one no administration has been able to fix in decades. And Biden is trapped between conflicting interests of broadcasting compassion while dealing with throngs of migrants coming to the country—illegally—seeking a better life.

Haitian journey to Texas border starts in South America (AP) Robins Exile downed a traditional meal of plantains and chicken at a restaurant run by Haitian immigrants, just a short walk from the walled border with the United States. He arrived the night before and went there seeking advice: Should he try to get to the U.S., or was it better to settle in Mexico? Discussion Monday at the Tijuana restaurant offered a snapshot of Haitians’ diaspora in the Western Hemisphere that picked up steam in 2016 and has shown little sign of easing, demonstrated most recently by the more than 14,000 mostly Haitian migrants assembled around a bridge in Del Rio, a town of only 35,000 people. Of the roughly 1.8 million Haitians living outside their homeland, the United States is home to the largest Haitian immigrant population in the world, numbering 705,000 people from the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. Significant numbers also live in Latin American countries like Chile, which is home to an estimated 69,000 Haitians. Nearly all Haitians reach the U.S. border on a well-worn route: Fly to Brazil, Chile or elsewhere in South America. If jobs dry up, slowly move through Central America and Mexico by bus and on foot to wait—perhaps years—in northern border cities like Tijuana for the right time to enter the United States and claim asylum.

‘We were them:’ Vietnamese Americans help Afghan refugees (AP) In the faces of Afghans desperate to leave their country after U.S. forces withdrew, Thuy Do sees her own family, decades earlier and thousands of miles away. A 39-year-old doctor in Seattle, Washington, Do remembers hearing how her parents sought to leave Saigon after Vietnam fell to communist rule in 1975 and the American military airlifted out allies in the final hours. It took years for her family to finally get out of the country, after several failed attempts, and make their way to the United States, carrying two sets of clothes a piece and a combined $300. When they finally arrived, she was 9 years old. These stories and early memories drove Do and her husband Jesse Robbins to reach out to assist Afghans fleeing their country now. The couple has a vacant rental home and decided to offer it up to refugee resettlement groups, which furnished it for newly arriving Afghans in need of a place to stay. “We were them 40 years ago,” Do said. “With the fall of Saigon in 1975, this was us.” The crisis in Afghanistan has spurred many Vietnamese Americans to donate money to refugee resettlement groups and raise their hands to help by providing housing, furniture and legal assistance to newly arriving Afghans.

‘Crisis of trust’: France bristles at US submarine deal (AP) France’s top diplomat declared Monday that there is a “crisis of trust” in the United States after a Pacific defense deal stung France and left Europe wondering about its longtime ally across the Atlantic. France canceled meetings with British and Australian officials and worked to rally EU allies behind its push for more European sovereignty after being humiliated by a major Pacific defense pact orchestrated by the U.S. Speaking to reporters in New York, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said European countries won’t let Washington leave them behind when shaping its foreign policy. Le Drian reiterated complaints that his country was sandbagged by the submarine deal between the U.S., Britain and Australia, which led to France losing a contract to sell subs to Australia. Washington, London and Canberra say the deal bolsters their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and it has widely been seen as an effort to counter an increasingly assertive China. But Le Drian, who is in New York to represent France at the U.N. General Assembly, said it was a “brutal, unexpected and unexplained breach” of a contract—and a relationship.

Pedestrians take to the streets of Paris to celebrate the city’s seventh annual ‘day without cars’ (Business Insider) On Sunday, Paris turned over its streets to pedestrians so that citizens and visitors could enjoy its seventh annual “day without cars.” Announced by socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo in 2015, the city received enthusiastic support from both ordinary Parisians and unlikely parties including the head of a French drivers’ association, USA Today reported. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., cars, motorcycles, and scooters are banned throughout Paris, and any offenders face a fine of 135 euros, according to the Paris Without A Car website. Certain vehicles like buses, emergency vehicles, taxis, and private drivers are allowed to circulate, although their speed is limited to 20-30 kilometers per hour (12-19 miles per hour) in certain areas. Events at this year’s “day without cars” included a techno parade, picnic, bicycle fair, rollerblading marathon, and street art exhibitions, according to the event website.

More evacuations as lava gushes from Canaries volcano (Reuters) Lava gushing from the Canary Islands’ first volcanic eruption on land in 50 years has forced authorities to evacuate another part of El Paso municipality on the island of La Palma and to urge sightseers attracted by the phenomenon to stay away. About 6,000 of the 80,000 people living on the island have been forced to leave their homes to escape the eruption so far, TVE said. The volcano started erupting on Sunday after La Palma, the most northwestern island in the Canaries archipelago, had been rocked by thousands of quakes in the prior days. It has shot lava hundreds of metres into the air, engulfed forests and sent molten rock towards the ocean over a sparsely populated area of La Palma. Experts say that if and when the lava reaches the sea, it could trigger more explosions and clouds of toxic gases.

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes near Melbourne (Reuters) An earthquake with a 6.0 magnitude struck near Melbourne in Australia on Wednesday, Geoscience Australia said, causing damage to buildings in the country’s second largest city and sending tremors throughout neighbouring states. The quake’s epicentre was near the rural town of Mansfield in the state of Victoria, about 200 km (124 miles) northeast of Melbourne, and was at a depth of 10 km (six miles). The quake was felt as far away as city of Adelaide, 800 km (500 miles) to the west in the state of South Australia, and Sydney, 900 km (600 miles) to the north in New South Wales state, although there were no reports of damage outside Melbourne and no reports of injuries.

‘An iron curtain’: Australia’s covid rules are stranding people at state borders (Washington Post) The four figures huddled in the shade on the side of the highway, eight miles from a border they had hardly noticed until it slammed shut behind them. As flies buzzed and crows circled and their supplies ran low, they waited for emails that would allow them to leave New South Wales and return to their home state of South Australia. Teresa Young and her husband had been stuck at the rest stop—little more than a toilet in the middle of the Outback—for 10 days. “All of a sudden, Australia has been cut up like pieces of a cake,” the 75-year-old said on a recent day. Welcome to covid-era Australia, where state border closures designed to keep the coronavirus from spreading have turned retired office workers into roadside nomads. When the pandemic began, many Australians found that the leaders of the country’s six states and two territories, rather than the federal government, suddenly controlled the most vital things in people’s lives, including who could go to work and where they could travel. The closures have upended domestic travel and stranded scores of Australians internally, even as a vaccination ramp-up means some states—and international airports—will soon open up. People in Sydney could find it easier to fly to Singapore or Los Angeles than to Adelaide.

Sudan’s coup attempt (Foreign Policy) Sudanese state media reported a “failed coup attempt” early Tuesday morning. The coup reportedly involved an attempt to take control of the state radio services. If confirmed, the attempted power grab would be the fourth putsch attempt the African continent has seen this year, following military takeovers in Guinea and Chad and an unsuccessful coup in Niger.

[lululawrence]

lululawrence’s Fics Posted in 2019

Master Fic Masterpost / Buy me a Coffee?

2019 was a bit crazy, but I’m so proud of the fics that I’ve been able to write and publish this year! There were quite a few of them, so here they are in order of when they were published. I hope you enjoy!

Hey Look, Ma (9k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

“I’m so sorry,” a deep voice said.

Louis made sure he’d only dropped his hat, reached down to pick it up, and was dusting it off when he finally looked up.

“It’s alright...mate…” Louis had seen this man before. He was gorgeous. He lived somewhere in the area, because Louis would often pass him on the street heading home from the tube or the nearest bus stop.

And now, here he was. Standing in all his fluffy, curly haired glory in front of Louis, apologising for nearly bowling him over.

“I really am sorry, though. Let me get you a coffee to make up for it?”

Or the one where Louis is a hybrid who agrees to go on a blind date with his neighbour's colleague's son the same night he literally runs into his dream man. Surely this isn't going to end well... or is it?

Charisma (5k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Harry was smiling, and maybe blushing a little as well, as he accepted the phone back. “Thank you,” he glanced down at his phone and then said, “Louis.”

Smiling happily at the way Harry had said his name, Louis watched him leave the room. The further away he got, the more confused Louis was. Yes, Harry was gorgeous, but how the hell had he forgotten that Harry was also the man who had caused him to almost have a major accident earlier because of his haphazard driving? How had he allowed Harry to distract him with his charm to the extent that instead of giving the man a lecture, Louis accepted the offer of a date?

Well. Whatever the reason was, Louis wouldn’t forget when Harry called. Louis would give him a piece of his mind then and see if Harry still wanted to go out with him at that point. Because yeah, Louis was not mad enough about his overreaction to Harry, both on the road and at the event tonight, to turn that opportunity for a date down. He wasn’t stupid.

Or the one where Harry feeds on awesomeness (possibly literally). Louis is awesome and also angry. They’re probably going to fall in love.

Drabbles for Harry's Birthday Drive 2019 (25k) - Various Pairings

Each chapter is a different drabble dedicated to a person who donated to Harry's birthday drive! The prompt requested as well as the pairing are in the author’s note for each chapter as well. There are multiple pairings due to various pairings being requested by the donors, so please pay attention to that information in each chapter! Pairings include Harry/Louis, Zayn/Liam,, Grimmy/Louis, Greg/Louis,  Zayn/Louis, and Niall/Shawn.

It’s the Climb (25k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Louis stretched out his back and turned around, startled to see the most beautiful man he’d ever encountered in his life riding towards him on a horse.

He had to still be asleep. This was one of those super weird dreams people had where the knight in shining armor (or in this case, red sleeveless flannel) literally rode up to them calling their name.

The Hannah Montana AU where Louis is a world famous punk rock singer with a stage name of William and Jay drags him back to Tennessee for the summer. In her attempt for Louis to get back to his roots, he just so happens to reconnect with Harry, and things never go quite as Louis expects them to.

It Was Only a Kiss (16k) - Various Pairings

I participated in a kiss prompt drabble challenge on Tumblr, and ended up writing thirty-three drabbles! Because of the amount all for one challenge, I decided to post them on AO3 to save them. Each prompt exists on its own without relation to others, so pick and choose as you like.

If You Want To Be Loved (0.5k) - Greg James/Louis Tomlinson

Greg can't sleep. For once, he doesn't really mind.

(Something’s Been) Hiding In My Heart (26k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

“My eyes must be deceiving me,” Harry said in his slow drawl. His voice was deeper than Louis remembered. Maybe some things had changed after all.

“They aren’t deceiving you. I’m here because I need you to finally sign these papers,” Louis said before he dropped the stack of paper on the hood of the car and held out a pen to Harry. “Just do it, Harry. Get it over with and then I’ll be out of your life forever, alright?”

Face blank of all emotion outside of a sneer Harry said, “You’ve gotta be shitting me.”

“God,” Louis groaned. Harry just couldn’t let this be easy. His pride wouldn’t allow it. “You know, I never really understood that phrase, but no. I am not ‘shitting’ you. Just sign the damn papers.”

“Ya know, I don’t think I will,” Harry said before turning back to the front door.

When the screen door slammed behind him, Louis realized Harry didn’t have anything else to say.

Or a Sweet Home Alabama AU where Louis comes home to finally get his divorce from Harry finalized so he can move on with his life. Alderford holds its own set of challenges when he returns, but by facing his past maybe he can find the healing he so desperately needs.

You Try To Be Everything (I Need) (36k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Wars, and rumours of wars, were nothing new for the world in the twenty-fourth century. The fighting had evolved over the years, and rarely did it involve traditional weapons. A group most widely known as the Southern Powers gained strength amongst portions of the western European continent and spread quickly.

There was a fight the Southern Powers didn’t expect coming from the north of England, though. Resistance came in the form of an organised underground; a group comprised of people with the Touch that did the best they could to enforce a line that would not be crossed. Slowly, that line was moved from the Channel to boundaries further and further north. It seemed only a matter of time before the Southern Powers took over everywhere.

Until that time, people did the best they could to live their lives in some semblance of normality. For Louis Tomlinson, that sense of normality was about to change when his best friend, Harry Styles, goes missing.

Louis embarks on the journey of a lifetime where he uses his newly developed abilities to search for his friend, even when it takes him to places he never thought he would see while surmounting trials he never could have imagined.

You Turned Up (Like a Friend of Mine) (10k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Louis padded downstairs, feeling incredibly thirsty. He filled up a glass of water and was about to take a drink when a loud knock sounded at the door accompanied by some yelling and ringing of the doorbell.

“What the hell?” Louis muttered, setting his glass on the counter and rushing towards the door.

As he got closer to the door, though, his mind stopped whirling because the voice was one that was etched forever in his mind, but one that he never thought he would ever hear again.

“Why’s the door locked? Did you seriously go without me? And who’s car is in the driveway? Lou, I knew you’d be late to get me. We’re going to miss-”

Louis whipped the door open, sure that he was just imagining things. There was no way…

Except there was. Standing on the front step was the curly haired, boy-faced Harry Louis had last seen ten years ago today.

Or the one where Harry disappears on graduation day only to show up on Louis' door looking exactly the same ten years later. Through a series of strange events, maybe they can finally figure out that they're destined to be together, no matter what.

Stealing Flowers (4k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

When Louis finally arrived, he walked in and grabbed an apron. Without even saying hello, he immediately approached Jesy and said, “Sexy Stranger steals flowers.”

She kept pouring the Tanqueray shots she had lined up in front of her, but her face screwed up in confusion. “I’m sorry, he what? Did you finally talk to him and that was what you learned?”

He nodded to another couple of tourists and welcomed them to the Way Station as they eagerly made their way to the Tardis restroom.

“No, I didn’t actually talk to him, but—”

“Then how do you know he steals flowers?”

She was wiping down the bar and stacking the empty glasses to take back to the dishwasher when Louis realized maybe he should help too. After all, he was there to work, not just talk to her about his maybe crush.

“I saw a poster.”

Or the one where Louis pines after the Sexy Stranger on the Subway and almost asks him out. That's when the strange posters start showing up around Brooklyn.

Yellow, Is It Me You’re Looking For? (3k) - Greg James/Louis Tomlinson

Standing in the mess Greg’s shift had left behind, Louis decided he would start small. He’d organise the paint colour cards that displayed the names and then get started on the sample tins. It wasn’t until he started opening the boxes of colour cards that Louis started to wonder whether Nick had been the one to name the paint after all.

Yellow, Is It Me You’re Looking For? was along the top left corner of a mustard yellow card. Nick was as big a fan of puns and music as anyone, so while it was unorthodox, Louis didn’t think too much of it. Part of the appeal of Annie’s Hardware was that they didn’t take things too seriously while always maintaining professionalism.

The names that followed did leave Louis to wonder if Annie knew exactly what the chosen paint names were, though. The Colour Of My Tears When ‘FRIENDS’ Ended for a soft white, Barneys Blood for a pale purple, and Blond. James Blond. for a sand tone had Louis convinced that it was a different co-worker who had renamed the colours.

Or the one where Louis has pined after Greg for what seems like ages, but when Greg renames the company's paint colors, something might finally be ready to give.

Like a Lighthouse On The Coast (I Need You) (19k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Louis placed his order with the server and was about to type up some possible lyrics when he heard the music being piped in go silent and a throat was cleared into a mic.

Oh God no. If Louis had known there was going to be live music, he would have chosen somewhere else. Why did they have to ruin what was truly the perfect ambiance for Louis with some sub-par wannabe singer-songwriter?

“Hello, I’m going to sing some songs for you tonight. I hope you like them.”

The voice was deep and smooth, slower than Louis had expected. It made him want to look up at the singer rather than cower into the corner of his booth.

So he did. The man didn’t look nervous at all, but he didn’t look like the cocky asshole Louis had been expecting either. Louis continued to brace himself as he took in the simple Ramones shirt and jeans the man was wearing, when something Louis hadn’t been expecting happened.

The man began to play his guitar, and he was good.

And then, the man began to sing.

Or the one where Louis has all the pressure of his sophomore album and none of the inspiration, but maybe all he needs is someone like Harry Styles to turn all that around.

Oh Honey, Honey (4k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Louis hated honey. He didn’t like the flavour, he didn’t understand why some liked it in their tea, he hated when it was put on sandwiches or cake or anything really. But, standing stock still in front of a rather large display of honey in that 24-hour Tesco, Louis found himself grabbing the largest jar of “100% pure London-local honey” and adding it to his trolley, simply because he knew it would make Harry smile.

Louis always wanted to make Harry smile.

Or the one where Louis pines after Harry, Harry is passionate about helping save the bees, and a late night shopping trip gone wrong doesn't end quite as horribly as Louis imagines.

You Don’t Care About Me (One More Night) (60k) - Nick Grimshaw/Louis Tomlinson

“Nick. You’re into guys. What should I do?”

Nick snorted. “You think just ‘cause I’m gay, I know what you should do?”

Louis blinked at him and Nick admired his eyelashes against his will. “Well. Kind of, yeah.”

“That is not how this works,” Nick said. “Besides, it’s not like you can just go and suck someone’s dick to be sure you like it the way I did. You’re too famous to try it my way.”

Louis’ expression changed to one of awe. “That’s how you figured it out? You sucked some random’s dick?”

Nick shrugged. “Yeah. Basically. I mean, I knew for pretty damn sure before that, mind you, but that did solidify the matter for me.”

“I need to suck a dick,” Louis said, turning to look at the wall of Nick’s room.

“You could suck mine, if it would help,” Nick offered before he could stop himself.

Or the one where Louis pines for Harry and Nick helps ease his way into figuring himself out through a friends with benefits sort of arrangement. Things quickly turn complicated.

A Taste of Honey (3k) - Greg James/Louis Tomlinson

Louis opened the door expecting someone with Deliveroo. Instead his gaze lifted so he could look at a very frazzled, incredibly fluffy haired Greg James who was inexplicably holding out a very large jar of honey.

“Hello, Gregory,” Louis said slowly.

Shifting around, Greg stepped forward and held the honey out towards Louis again. “This is for you.”

“Erm, alright,” Louis said before carefully taking the heavy jar from him. “Thank you?”

Greg flashed a wide grin, nodded, and then without another word walked back out the front door of the building.

Or the one where Louis has been pining after Greg ever since he started his job. Greg randomly showing up at his flat with a jar of honey might be just the push Louis needs to finally talk to the man.

Just Like Honey (3k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Louis opened the door and he looked so soft and beautiful. He was in a ratty pair of grey joggers and that was it. Harry had never seen him look so good.

When Harry finally raised his eyes from Louis’ chest, he realised Louis had likely said something.

“Uh,” Harry said, clearing his throat. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Smirking a little, Louis crossed his arms and popped his hip. “I said, ‘Hello, Harry. What brings you here so late on a Saturday?’”

Then his brain kicked in.

“Right, fuck. Hi, Louis. I just wanted to give you this.”

Louis’ brows creased as Harry held the honey out to him. Taking the jar from Harry, he said, “Honey?”

Nodding, Harry said, “Yep. Hope you have a great night!”

Fisting his hands at his sides in frustration, Harry left the building as quickly as he could.

Honey, Honey, How You Thrill Me (3k) - Greg James/Harry Styles

Harry knocked once more before coming to the conclusion that knocking for longer than that was rude.

He’d just decided to leave when the door opened.

“Fuck, you were asleep, weren’t you?”

“Well, it’s past 8, so yeah, basically,” Greg said with a yawn.

God, he’d been asleep for over an hour. Harry was the worst.

“I’m so sorry. Here. Take this and get back to sleep. I’m so incredibly sorry for waking you up,” Harry babbled, shoving the jar of honey into Greg’s hands.

Greg looked at the jar then back up at Harry, still not saying anything. Probably because his brain was still asleep just like his body would’ve been if Harry hadn’t been a fucking idiot.

“Sorry again!” Harry said before giving a lame wave and rushing off to the nearest tube station.

Or the one where Harry pines after fellow Radio 1 DJ Greg James but doesn't know how to start a conversation with him...until he gets the needed inspiration.

Our Love is Timeless (6k) - Niall Horan/Shawn Mendes

He rinsed out his shampoo and began to scrub at his body. Turning around to rinse his back and wash his front, Shawn was not prepared to be met with a cursing blond Irishman.

Letting out a rather loud, high pitched scream and covering himself as best he could, Shawn backed up into the wall behind him, which also turned off the shower.

“Thanks, mate. Was hoping not to get my clothes entirely soaked,” the man said as he began stepping out of the shower stall. “Say, what year is it?”

“I...what?” Shawn sputtered. “You just show up, fully clothed, in a stranger’s shower and your first question is what year it is? How the fuck did you get in here? Why my shower? Who are you?”

“Well, yeah. I guess so. I’ve not quite got a handle of the whole time traveling thing yet.”

Or the one where Shawn falls for Niall, who just happens to be a time traveler. The course of true love never did run smooth.

Like Honey to the Bee (3k) - Nick Grimshaw/Louis Tomlinson

Nick didn’t even remember knocking, but suddenly the door he also didn’t realise he was leaning on opened and he started falling inside Louis and Harry’s flat.

“Fuck,” Nick blurted as he tried to right himself. He was caught by Louis, which was great because he was exactly who he wanted to see and he didn’t really fancy dropping a massive jar of honey on his doorstep.

“Nicholas?” Louis asked.

Nick couldn’t help it. Hearing Louis call him by his full name made him shiver. He usually hated it, but there was something magical about Louis Tomlinson that made the usual negative association suddenly become an incredibly positive one.

“I brought you honey,” Nick blurted as he handed Louis the jar.

“I can see that,” Louis said, sounding confused. “Thanks?”

“Of course! It’s what friends do, yeah?”

Or the one where Nick has been trying to find a way to get past the banter stage with Louis for ages, and honey might be just what he needs to finally do so.

Rings and Things (2k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Niall: I know you’re a lesbian and all, but this is fast even for you

Or the one where Harry wakes up after a night of drinking to find her bed isn't empty and there's a ring she's never seen before on a very important finger.

The Only Thing That Keeps Me Grounded (28k) - Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

“Shit, I definitely missed the last train.”

“Oh no,” Louis lamented. “I’d offer a ride, but I’m part of a carpool and we’re full already. I’m so sorry.”

“Really, it’s fine.” Then, what Louis said sank in. “Wait, I thought you were here alone?”

“Oh, I am. I’m the only one dancing here tonight. The others were working. In fact, here’s Nick now.”

It felt like slow motion as a tall, lanky man with incredible hair came walking over towards Louis. He smiled before pulling Louis into him and giving him a quick kiss.

“Nick, this is my new friend Harry. He just moved to the area and he’s amazing at swing. Harry, this is my husband, Nick.”

Fuck.

Or the one where Harry moves to Washington DC to be a nanny and never expects that his past struggles with love will be brought to a head. He definitely never expects the solution to it all will be the man of his dreams that just so happens to be married to the other man of his dreams.

A Halloween M(ass)hap (1k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Harry was never going to forgive Niall. He’d been so distracted by his roommate’s cleaning and fussing while he had been looking for the perfect trousers for Liam’s annual Halloween fancy dress party that he’d not realised the black leather trousers he’d chosen to complete his vampire look were arseless.

Of course there was a no return policy, so he’d done the only thing he could do in order to not waste the money he’d already forked out online for the damn things: he added a cape.

Surely, nothing could go wrong.

I Wanna Love (Like You Made Me Feel) (28k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

By the time Harry and Louis are eighteen years old, they've known each other all four years of high school. Through those years, they never have a real chance to spend time together just the two of them. The summer after graduation gives them that chance, and it changes just about everything.

Ten years later, Louis returns home feeling like a failure after losing his job and not knowing where to go next. He never expects to run into Harry again, much less rekindle their friendship. Could this finally be their chance to finish what they started all those years ago, or did they really miss their chance at love?

Swipe Right for a Clean Flat (3k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Harry was done. He was over this shit. He literally only asked his flatmate to do one chore, and that was the washing up. He couldn’t even handle a few plates and cups. Harry obviously overestimated him.

Louis wasn’t that bad. It was just that he only did the washing if he was going out to pull and wanted to bring someone home. If the dishes were put away, that was how Harry knew to vacate the premises. There was no way he was going to listen to yet another girl moan Louis’ name while Harry laid in bed and wondered what it might be like if only Louis liked men.

Glaring at the full sink and debating washing up himself - again - Harry finally turned and stalked to his room.

“Dire circumstances,” Harry muttered as he picked up his phone and unlocked it.

Or the one where Harry and Louis are flatmates and Harry is tired of Louis not doing the washing up. He figures signing up on Tinder as a hot girl might be just the fix for this issue.

You’re a Nightmare, I’m a Disaster (7k) - Nick Grimshaw/Louis Tomlinson

As Nick scanned the shelves, his eyes caught on a bright blue binding. Snooki, it read, A Shore Thing.

“Oh my God,” Nick mumbled, trying not to laugh as he picked it up. He’d watched bits and pieces of Jersey Shore way back in the day.

Without bothering to look any further around the store, he headed up to the counter where Blue eyes was watching him. Nick cleared his throat nervously and set the book on the counter and the man immediately flashed him a look of disdain.

“Seriously? Out of everything we have available, you chose the book we special ordered for a customer?”

“Well, it can’t be that bad if someone specifically requested it, right?” Nick said, trying to keep a teasing tone.

“Why do you think we still have it if it was a special order?” the man asked with a scoff. “They returned it after reading something like three pages.”

Nick frowned at the book. “Well that doesn’t seem very fair.”

Or the one where Nick is a writer, Louis works in a bookshop, and things don't exactly start off on the right foot, but they might just end on it.

The Goat Guy of Bethlehem (26k) - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

“What a pretty little thing!” a voice cried, catching Harry's attention.

Harry looked up, assuming it was a merchant talking to Gemma or some other “citizen” of Bethlehem, but when he did, he found a woman with bright eyes and long dark hair walking over to him.

“Me?” He wasn’t sure what to expect from any of this since she wasn’t a merchant he had met before.

“Yes, you! I think you’d make a very good husband for my son. Are these your parents?”

“Uh, yes?” Harry said, almost like a question. Robin and his mom just watched on with amusement, much to his chagrin.

Turning to Anne and Robin, the merchant woman said, “I’ll give you six goats for the marriage of your son to mine.”

Or every year, Harry and his family attend a church festival called Bethlehem. Harry's freshman year of high school Bethlehem expands, bringing in new vendors, including one that just might change everything for Harry. But first, he has to see if Anne and Robin are willing to part with him for the price of a few goats.

[5-falsehoods-phonated]

(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written.)

I have requests and ideas for all of the prompts, so no more requests from this card will be accepted. I’m planning on writing and posting all of these within the month of December and probably a bit into January. If you don’t want to see these stories, block the tag #false bthb, if you would like to be tagged in future stories shoot me an ask!

This prompt got away from me a bit so it’s split into two parts. The prompt comes into play in the second part. Requested by @atlasistryingherbest​ I hope you enjoy it, the second part will be up tomorrow!

General tagging: @im-an-anxious-wreck (you're gonna be tagged in mostly bthb this month as that's the project I'm working on, so if you'd like this changed to only the multichapter fics or general one shots please let me know. Thank you again for the interest!)

My Sunshine Part 1

Summary: Patton thinks he’s finally caught the break he needs when he finds and falls in love with Roman. Ignoring the warning signs until it’s too late Patton ends up losing more than he had dared to gain.

Warnings: more for part two but story contains human trafficking, implied non consensual sex and starvation

Prompt: Denied food as Punishment

Ships: Royality, Patton x Roman

WC: 4, 166

Patton skirted around another group of students, clutching his rather heavy school bag and trying not to bump into anyone in his rush to his bus. The college campus wasn’t exactly large but the crowds remained a nuisance no matter how small the classes were. Seeing the bus start to pull up to the sidewalk for its hourly trip into the downtown area he quickened his pace, desperate not to miss it again. Thankfully getting to the back of the waiting line with time to spare he took a breath and finally managed to zip his bag closed, hoisting it over his shoulders and looking around to see if he could recognize anyone from his classes.

Having just moved into town for school a month ago Patton didn’t really have any friends yet, just people who would occasionally ask him for a pencil only to not give it back- but that was fine! Whenever he ran out of pencils to give he could just ask them for one and he would know they’d have one since he had given so many of his away. If nothing else he figures a missing pencil was as good an ice breaker as any to start a conversation with somebody.

Lost as he was in his thoughts he immediately snapped out of it when he caught sight of one of the cutest men he had ever seen. Tall, dark and handsome didn’t even begin to cover it when he saw the stranger laugh at whatever the person next to him was talking about and reach up to push longish, curly hair out of his eyes. The stranger seemed to suddenly become aware that he was being stared at, turning his head and somehow immediately locking eyes with an extremely flustered Patton. Offering a king smile and a small wave Patton was sure he turned at least ten different shades of red before he managed to tear his eyes away and trip up the stairs to the bus to plop tiredly in the first empty seat he could find.

Burying his face in his hands he groaned at his own stupidity, lamenting the fact that he had been caught ogling someone he didn’t even know or recognize from any of his classes. He had seemed so nice though, not even seeming fazed at being stared at- though with such a confident air that he seemed to have Patton thought maybe he was used to it by now. All he could hope was that he’d never see the stranger again and if he did he wouldn’t remember Patton as that creepy guy in the bus line who probably looked half dead for as much coffee he consumed to keep up with his life.

Deciding not to dwell on it too much he grimaced as he hoisted his pack up yet again as his stop came into view, dreading another afternoon spent on his feet trying to hear people’s orders and write them down correctly while the general noise of the restaurant made it a challenge to get his own forcibly friendly “Hello, what can I get for you?” to be heard. Shuffling off the bus with everyone else he quickly jogged down the block and around the back of the restaurant he worked at, swiping his apron on in the same motion of throwing his bag down and scooting it under a table and out of the way. Smoothing his hair bag and rubbing what he hoped was most of the tiredness from his eyes he put on his best smile and waltzed his way out onto the main floor, tagging out his shift swift for which he was barely acknowledged before they gestured to a family just getting comfortable for him to service.

Squaring his shoulders and taking one more deep breath he began walking over to them. It was just a five hour shift, he could handle a five hour shift.

-----

He could barely handle a five hour shift.

Frowning down at his bag that contained his barely started on homework his fingers fumbled with the knot of his apron as he desperately tried to work it off. Huffing in frustration he bent his neck painfully to get the top part off and shimmied hip hips while yanking the bottom part until he was finally able to kick it into a wall. Dragging a hand over his face he snatched it up and hung it up rather aggressively before getting his bag and hurrying out the back door to catch the bus back to his run down apartment. The ride was as uneventful as ever but he almost missed it when he finally reached his apartment only to see a corner of an envelope sticking out from under the door that would undoubtedly contain the rent bill he would have to scrape together enough change to meet again.

Although he was grateful to be away from his family and that he had been able to get into college in the first place it was an expensive path in life that he had to work hard at two jobs to maintain, still barely managing to scrape by each month. Since switching campuses to be closer to work opportunities it had only seemed to get worse. If he had a roommate it might be different, at least taking some of the financial burden off his shoulders but he didn’t know anyone in this town enough to ask and he definitely didn’t want to invite people he didn’t know into his life with an ad in the newspaper calling for a roommate- who knew if they’d even pay rent or pick up after themselves or leave his things alone. No, Patton was a little too paranoid for that. Flopping face down onto his couch he wormed his way half under the back cushions and seat cushions until it was just a little too tight and sighed contently, letting his eyes finally drift shut as he gave his legs a rest. His stomach growled not ten minutes later however, making him groan and debate whether making something would actually be worthwhile. Realizing he still had work to do anyway he carefully got up and rolled up his sleeves, wondering if that frozen pizza in the freezer was still good.

A little while later with pizza in one hand and a pencil in the other he worked his way through his math and science homework, stacking them to the side as he made way for the english paper he had yet to start. He was still trying to work through basic classes before he got to...whatever it wsa he would decide he wanted to major in, though sometimes he was intimidated but the already nearly overwhelming workload he had to tell himself it would all be worth it. He just had to smile through it and push through until he came out the other side with a bright a nd shiny degree and an even brighter future. Of course, that optimism could only take him so far as he stared at the book report he was supposed to be at least outlining, a quick glance at the clock telling him that if he wanted to shower, now would be the time if he didn’t want to be late for his stocking job. Working at a warehouse form one to seven in the morning definitely wasn’t ideal but it paid well and it was just enough to keep him floating while he worked his way through school. Wincing as he stood up on wobbly, half asleep legs he dumped his plate in the sink and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before he had to be at the warehouse for his shift.

Stumbling out of his apartment complex still struggling to get his jacket on he happened to look up and see an unfamiliar car parked across the street. I wonder if someone else is moving in, he thought, squinting in the darkness of the early morning to try and make out details. He thought he saw movement in the drivers side but the beeping of his watch let him know he had a very limited amount of time now to get to where he was going, so turning on his heel he booked it to the warehouse a few blocks down, any other thoughts drowned out by the apprehensionsion of the promised monotony to come.

-----

Patton was dead on his feet by the time his shift ended and he made it back to his apartment. Making side eyes at the couch wit his notes still scattered on the coffee table he shook his head and went down the short hallway to his bedroom instead, peeling off his shirt and pants as he went and flopped onto the box spring, flopping his arm around for his treasured dog plushie before curling onto his side and beginning to snore within minutes. When he woke up to his insistent alarm five hours later he groaned and threw the plushie at the offending machine to no avail. Stretching out his stiff muscles he reached over and pressed the button to get the thing to shut up while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Another day, another...well just another day really. He had half an hour to make himself somewhat presentable and make coffee, maybe try to scratch out part of that english outline before heading off to class and repeating the daily routine of rushing around and catching quick ten minute naps when he could. Thankful today was Wednesday, meaning he had two more regular days and then Saturday he only had to get through his warehouse shift before he was free for the weekend. He made a face at the dust clinging to nearly every surface in his room.. Maybe he’d use that weekend to clean a bit.

Coffee brewing, face washed and toast wolfed down he did actually manage to get a quarter of his outline done before he had to gather everything up and leave. Taking a thermos of caffeine for the road he made it out in record time to catch the bus, idly noting the car from last night was still parked across the street, though it was clearly empty now. A dark blue Sudan with tinted windows from what he could. Shrugging he went to wait in line with everyone else; what he wouldn't give for his own car.

----

It wasn’t until the following week that he saw the car in a different place, this time parked in front of his restaurant. The only reason he really noticed it was because he had honestly been wondering when the thing would be toed considering it never seemed to leave the same spot from across the street. Shrugging the fleeting interest off he quickened his pace and got his apron on, shimmying the bottom part over his head since he hadn't got the knot undone and bending his neck forward to properly don the front loop. Smoothing himself out while shoving his bag under the table and fishing for his notepad and pen he stretched his face into yet another believable smile and pushed his way out of the kitchen and to his shift switch, only to freeze in place when they gestured to a table with a lone figure sat at it.

This cannot be happening, he thought with dismay. At the table sat the very stranger who had smiled at him after catching him staring last week. He was just as cute as ever and had a relaxed, easy smile on his face that Patton instantly felt himself melt for. Now is not thee time Patton, he scolded himself as he straightened his apron and walked over, palms sweating an embarrassing amount with knees he hoped to God weren’t visibly shaking.

“Hello, what can I get for you?”

The man looked up and his smile only grew wider as he cupped his chin. “Have we met?”

Sputtering, Patton clutched his notepad to his chest as he struggled to string a coherent thought together. He knew! He knew and now he’d get to tell him what a creep he was and-

“I’m certain I would have remembered the name of a person as cute as you if we had.” The man leaned forward practically purring. “Patton is it? That suits you.”

Patton barely heard the other half of what was being said to him, the word “cute” bouncing around in his skull too many times for him to properly concentrate on the actual conversation. He turned his incredibly red face away from the others gaze, not quite sure what to say back, thankfully the man saved him from having to respond by finally leaning back and taking the menu up again. “I’m very sorry, where are my manners? I’m keeping you from your job aren’t I?”

He was but heck if Patton was going to agree with that statement. The kinder he was the more this person might tip, and besides, he actually was very cute especially up close. He didn’t mind a bit of casual flirting especially since the other didn’t seem to have anything against him.

“You’re fine sir! I um- I don’t mind.” That being the closest Patton could get to actually accepting a compliment he quickly moved on. “Are you ready to order?”

“Yes actually! I’d like a chicken sandwich with tomato and a chef’s salad on the side.”

Nodding, Patton looked back up from his scribbling. “And to drink?”

“Water would be lovely.”

Taking the menu, he nodded again. “It’ll be right out sir.”

“Thank you, Patton.”

The use of his name set him on edge for a second but he quickly brushed it aside. He was just being nice, sure maybe overly nice- but this was the first full blown kind of conversation he’d held with someone who wasn't his landlord or boss in weeks. If the stranger wanted to use his name that was fine. He’d just have to learn his!

Busy as the restaurant was in the afternoon he was slightly disappointed he hadn’t seen the man leave but made his way over to the table to start cleaning up while he had a free minute. Lifting the check book his eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the tip that was left. A solid fifty dollar bill lay next to the receipt, and on the latter a phone number was written along with a name.

“Roman.” Patton breathed out. He realized he was holding a third month's rent in his hands, he could get groceries this week...proper groceries! Like...Patton pursed his lips in thought, maybe fruit and vegetables? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d bitten into an apple that hadn’t gone completely soft from sitting in the cafeteria for far too long. With stars in his eyes and a name in his heart he pocketed the tip and went about the rest of his shift in a daze, not even noticing the dark blue Sudan still parkly in the parking lot as he made his way back home.

----

Roman was absolutely charming- in every sense of the word. After their first phone call where Patton had thanked him endlessly for the very generous tip they had been texting and calling nearly nonstop. The flowery, flirty way he spoke, the way he looked at Patton like he was hung on the moon, even the way he said his name like he was cradling something precious, it was almost too much. Patton’s workplace had become a regular place for Roman to eat, always sitting at the same place and getting there seemingly right as Patton’s shift started. Tired still though he was, he found the monotony broken at last by a welcome smile to greet him every day of the week, and he was absolutely living for it.

Patton was ecstatic when Roman asked him on a date the following week, securing Saturday as the day they’d meet up at a different restaurant and hang out. He felt like he was floating, like finally something was sliding into place and everyday that it got close to the weekend just made him even more motivated to finish his shifts and homework so he could talk to the one who had so quickly captured his attention. The days flew by, and when Saturday finally came he rushed through his shift at the warehouse to go home and sleep, wanting to be well rested for his first date in years.

-----

Despite his excitement, Patton ended up oversleeping and rushing in vain around his apartment, throwing together a haphazard outfit consisting of a soft blue, non-work polo and light jeans. Sliding his feet into his usual tennis shoes and running quick fingers through his hair he could only hope that was enough as he ran out of his apartment and down the stairs to the street below. The restaurant wasn’t far thankfully and he was able to jog there in no time at all, hoping he didn’t look like too much of a sweaty mess to the other man who always looked impeccably out together. Spotting him at a table on the far side of the joint next to the windows Patton made his way over and sat down nervously.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! I overslept and I tried to hurry but-”

“Please, don’t worry about it.” Roman lain a hand on top of Patton's leaving him to fight to contain his blush. “I wasn’t waiting that long and besides, this place has a lovely view.”

Turning to look out the window, Patton had to agree. The restaurant had a wonderful view of the local park, families playing with their children or pets as the Saturday afternoon wore on. He watched the families almost wistfully, almost but not quite missing his own as he watched one play hide-and-seek while another helped their child across the monkey bars. He was so enraptured by the sight before him he didn’t notice Roman’s gaze turn calculating before his easy smile slid back into place, placing his chin in his hands as he joined Patton in people watching.

“Someday, when I leave this town, I’d like to be settled with a family like that.” Roman’s voice brought Patton out of his own thoughts, making him turn to his date with a smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, I’d like to have someone to take care of and love, and have them love me back. It sounds perfect doesn’t it?”

Patton flicked his eyes away for a second before smiling again. “It does. To be stable and settled down with kiddos, that’s the life I want.”

Seeming to sense his hesitation Roman cocked his head to the side. “Got a bad experience with families?”

“I-” Patton again was slightly put off by the stranger's forwardness and apparent skills of perception but he brushed it aside, finding it nice to be listened to. “My family and I didn’t get along very well I guess. We don’t talk at all now.”

Roman’s eyes flashed as he nodded. “I understand that. My family doesn’t talk to me much anymore either. It happens.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Patton looked away again as the waitress walked over with water and menus. Quietly thanking her Patton skimmed the list of items searching for something cheap. Settling on a club sandwich with a side of coleslaw he closed the menu just in time for the waitress to come back. Taking their orders she quickly left them alone once again, Patton trying desperately to hide a yawn behind his fist.

“Am I boring you already?” Roman said teasingly, and Patton’s face burned in embarrassment.

“It isn’t that I swear I-”

“It’s okay! Tired from work, I take it?”

Patton nodded gratefully and scratched his neck. “I work two jobs with school and I just- I’m a mess.”

Roman chuckled and shook his head. Hardly! That’s quite admirable of you actually, you work so hard for what you have.”

Patton smiled a bit at the table, blush dying down a bit as he breathed. “I guess so yeah.”

“Well I know so!” Patton flinched slightly as he raised his voice but Roman didn’t seem to notice as their food was placed in front of them and they dug in.

“We should really come here more often, this was exquisite!” Patton’s eyes shot up as he heard that. We? More often? Did that mean-

“You think entirely too loud for my liking my sunshine. Please forgive my forwardness, but would you like to do this again sometime?”

Patton beamed at the other man, twisting his fingers nervously under the table. “I’d love to, Roman.”

-----

The next couple months went by in a blur, having dates when they could manage them and extended phone calls when they couldn’t. Then a weekend finally came when they could go out again, deciding meeting at the same restaurant was fine since it was so good last time. Thankfully Patton wasn’t late again, sliding in a chair across from Roman and taking the menu in his hands.

“Hey Roman!’

“Hello my love, it’s good to see that smile again.” Face heating quickly Patton hid his face behind his menu and ignored Roman’s soft chuckles, deciding to order the same thing for simplicity's sake. Giving their orders and receiving their drinks left the two alone and Roman took the opportunity to lean forward with a serious expression, making Patton squirm nervously in his chair.

“Patton, I have something I want to ask you, and you can absolutely say no if you wish to.”

Pressing his lips together Patton nodded for him to continue.

“I know how hard you work, what with two jobs and school on top of that; you’ve told me you sometimes struggle to meet the rent. We’ve been dating for a couple months now and I was wondering, would you like to move in with me?”

Taken aback by the question Patton could do nothing but gape at the other man, silence stretching between them as he tried to comprehend what he was hearing.

“I understand the hesitancy but I feel like it makes more sense. I could pay most of the rent while you contribute the rest, we could trade off making dinner, it’s a bigger apartment I’m sure so you could get out of that run down building. Plus it's closer to your campus so you wouldn’t have to take the bus, and I could always drive you to work.”

“Roman- that’s incredibly generous of you but I can’t ask you to do that.” Declining drove a stake through his heart but Patton was determined to stay firm. He wasn't a charity case, and even if the answers to nearly all of his problems were sitting right in front of him he knew he had to refuse.

“Patton, you aren’t asking, I am.” Roman looked imploringly into his eyes. “You do so much, let me take care of you.”

Biting his lip, Patton looked back at Roman nervously. This was an incredible thing that had just landed right in his lap- he wanted to say yes so badly but what if they didn't work out? If they broke up Patton would be on the street, he didn’t know anyone besides Roman and his bosses and the latter he knew wouldn’t think twice about some poor college student living on the sidewalk. Plus he felt like the relationship was moving so fast, though he didn’t really have much to compare it to other than little high school flings so maybe he was just paranoid. But it was so difficult to keep up with the rent, and if he had the security of Roman- not quite the roommate he had imagined but definitely better, maybe everything was finally looking up.

Squeezing Roman’s hand he took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Only if you're sure and I’ll of course help out around the apartment in any way I can!”

“I don’t doubt it my love.” Their food was placed in front of them, as Roman nodded. “We can move you in today if you like. It wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

Smiling giddily Patton nodded. Yes, everything was certainly turning around for the better.

-----

As they left the restaurant with Roman leading him to his car so they could start packing up his apartment, Patton nearly froze on the spot but managed to keep walking like nothing had happened. He climbed somewhat nervously into the car he had been seeing outside of his apartment, outside of his restaurant and even sometimes outside of the rather remote warehouse where he worked. He shut the door to the dark blue Sudan carefully and buckled his seatbelt, pushing the buzzing in his ears aside as he settled in his seat and listened to Roman’s idle chatter.

Everything was looking up. It would be fine.

This work is also available on AO3!

Part 2 here

[oumaheroes]

Rotten Luck and Mistimed Attraction

Summary:

Arthur Kirkland had waited all of his 27 years to meet his soulmate. The words on his arm were the first he'd learnt to read and he was prepared for the day that he'd finally hear them spoken. Although, of course for him, even the greatest moment of his life wasn't going to go as planned.

...............................................................................................................

Chapter 1: An Unideal Meet-Cute

Arthur didn't consider himself a very unlucky man, most of the time. On the contrary, he was probably considered by other people to be quite lucky, or, at least, not doing too badly for himself.

He was lucky enough to have done well at his exams, gone to a good university, and from there he was lucky enough to obtain a high-class degree in engineering. He was then lucky enough to secure himself a nice entry level job with said degree. At 27 he was on the way to owning his own flat – not something most people his age could boast about- and his commute to work wasn't terrible, despite the length. His family, whilst they weren't the closest with each other, certainly weren't horrendous and despite what his friend Alfred said he wasn't bad at making friends. There were just very few people he wanted to make friends with. But the few friends he had he was very close to.

Therefore, if anything, he was actually doing alright for himself. Sadly, Arthur Kirkland would not personally call himself a lucky man because every now and again something so terribly unlucky would happen to him that it would set back all of the luck he had managed to accrue by about 50%.

One major factor aiding this self-perception was that he was always losing things. Phone, keys, debit card; if it was loose and could fit into a hand it was high risk loss material. As a young child his parents found this out rather quickly when he'd often misplace his toys, but it only started to become a fixture of his personality after his dad had given him a £20 note when he was seven and instructions to get a pint of milk from the local corner shop. On the way there he'd either let go of or lost the money and afterwards neither of his parents were willing to trust him with the responsibility again.

The biggest and most painful loss coming from when he was seventeen, Arthur had worked all of the summer and saved up all of his money in order to buy his first motorcycle. He'd loved the thing, passed his test on his first try and happily told anyone who'd listen all about it, only to put his keys down somewhere on a night out and get it stolen after only 3 weeks of having it. He'd had to walk the 3 miles back home in the rain because no one would pick up their phone to collect him and he had no money for the bus.

Other than losing things, there was also the time when he was eleven; he'd finally been allowed to go to town by himself, a big deal at the time, to meet his friends. Enjoying his newfound freedom, he'd decided to pop to the off-license beforehand to get some sweets, feeling very grown up with the luxury of not having to ask first. However, upon entering he was promptly grabbed by a security guard and pulled into the back room where the police were called to arrest him. It turned out that a boy, around his height with his colouring, and wearing the same damn jumper of all things, had been caught by CCTV stealing quite a bit from not only that shop, but quite a few others that day. He was delivered home in mortification to his mother, who found the whole situation oddly endearing, and his brothers, who never let him forget it from that day forward.

His most exhausting unlucky moment came at university. He'd spent month after month toiling over his research for his dissertation essay only to submit it and have it pulled up for plagiarism. Somehow, he'd managed to unknowingly copy over 60% of content from other essays despite having never seen them before. Threatened with suspension, it was only after a few mental breakdown and weeks' worth of submitting evidence and writing emails that he was able to prove that, despite what it really did look like, he had in fact written the thing all in his own words.

He was also unlucky in another, more intimate, way.

Arthur had known all of his life that the meeting he'd eventually have with his soulmate wasn't destined to be...perfect, as it were. The words inscribed on the skin of his left arm, in deep black ink for all to see, read: 'Fuck, I don't have time for this,' leaving Arthur no doubt that he was in for a bit of a challenge.

He was more bothered about it when he was really young. When he'd first been told what his tattoo was for, he'd burst into tears. The idea that someone who was supposed to love him unconditionally could already hate him was the saddest thing he could think of. His brothers didn't help matters by teasing him that the reason he'd got his particular tattoo because he was so grumpy.

'Or!' Patrick, his second eldest brother, used to like to crow at him, 'Or, maybe, it's just you! Imagine that, they take one look at your face, think you're a troll or something and then realise just what they've been stuck with.'

Owen muffled his laughter with his sleeve. His own soulmate tattoo, a nice and friendly, 'Oh thank God,' meant that he was quite looking forward to his own meeting. Normally adverse to picking on his youngest brother too much, this was the one topic where Arthur's youngest older brother always felt as though he safely had the upper hand.

Thankfully, it was the one act of teasing Arthur that Ian didn't participate in. On his oldest brother's arm was a rather ambivalent 'really, it's you,' which could be read one of two ways. It made Arthur grateful that potentially he wasn't the only one in his family or social circle with difficulties in meeting his supposed 'perfect match.'

His concern with the whole thing only grew worse the older he got and the more people he met. Every new person had such lovely things written for them, the traditionally lines one could watch in soap operas and read about in soppy love books: 'You're more beautiful that I could have ever imagined,' or 'Oh, it's finally you!' Either that or the banal ones.

The banal ones, personally, Arthur thought were far worse. At least his was recognisable, as potentially confidence destroying as it was. Some poor sods were stuck with a 'hello', or a 'nice to meet you.' Ones like that meant that one's soulmate could, quite literally, be anyone. Arthur had to count his blessings where he could.

But although his soulmate would at least be easy to recognise, Arthur would lie awake at night worrying about what on earth could happen in his future for his soulmate to utter his tattoo upon meeting him. None else he met seemed to have a tattoo which could be interpreted as disgust and, as much as his friends tried to convince him otherwise, the flittering looks of pity they gave his arm said everything.

That was fine. He could cope with that. Sure, it was unusual. Sure, it made him self-conscious and uncomfortable when people stared at his arm for too long. However, he refused to let this become a defining part of his life and worked hard to minimise the time people spent talking about it or focusing on it.

But today, today might be the unluckiest thing that had ever happened to him.

He'd managed to get off work early, for once. He worked for quite a small company but business had recently picked up, so usually he had to stay a few extra hours or take on a few more projects than he'd like just to maintain their growth. It wasn't a big deal, if anything it only helped him – the more experience the better. But today he'd finally cleared a big enough dent in his to-do list to allow him to leave on time with the rest of the rush hour.

As soon as it hit half 4, he clocked out, shrugged on his coat, and left the office to come out onto the street below his building. It was busy, hundreds of others were leaving at the same time and he had to push against the flow of people to travel in the opposite direction.

Making his way to a pedestrian crossing, Arthur shuffled his bag strap on his shoulder and tugged his coat closer to his body. This January was a colder one than usual. There was a lot of traffic, he hadn't considered it was going to be this busy. At 7pm there were always far less people.

The light for the cars turned red and Arthur impatiently watched the pedestrian light, waiting for the sign that he could cross. A few seconds after the cars stopped - there it was.

Moving with the crowd he pushed forward only to bump into the wide back of the guy in front of him. The man didn't seem to be moving, nor did he look like he was going to be anytime soon. Muttering to himself, Arthur made to step around him only to be blocked by someone coming from the other side. Now beyond frustrated, he tried to go to the other side but when he glanced up to see that the lights had changed and the cars had once again started to move.

Bollocks, he wasn't going to leave early again if this is what constituted as rush hour. The traffic coming in in the morning was enough, he didn't need this. A crowd had started to gather around him again, pressing in to an uncomfortably squash. Grinding his teeth together Arthur tried to school bubbling temper and made to move away from the immovable statue of a human in front of him, only to have someone crash into his back. Taking a deep breath in he decided against pushing them back and instead tapped his foot in irritation, willing the lights to change.

'Fuck, I don't have time for this!'

Arthur didn't need to feel the slight tingle on his arm to know what happened. His breath caught. The speaker had the gruff voice of a man and their voice came from somewhere behind him on his right. This was it, that was his soulmate. A bubble of relief grew in his chest. After all those years of worry, his soulmate's ire wasn't directed at him after all! He couldn't wait to tell his brothers, he the look on Owen's face would be priceless.

He made to turn around, to say something back, but before he realised what was going on the crowd surged forward and dragged him along with it. Cold fear quickly replaced any happiness he'd felt.

Desperately, he tried to stop himself. Twisting around he tried to catch the eye of whoever had said those damn words but he could only see women standing behind him, looking rather annoyed at the hold-up he was causing. But there, pushing out of the huddle to walk in the other direction, was a man with shoulder length blond hair. His face looked stressed and he was striding away into the masses on the street and away from Arthur.

'Wait!' Arthur struggled around an old lady with a particularly large carrier back and made it back onto the pavement. Frantically, he craned his neck, hoping to catch sight of the man's head again and caught sight of him in the distance away, mixed in with the crowd.

'Hey! Excuse me!' He looked down for a split second to avoid a wayward child and then, that was it. He looked up again but it was too late, his soulmate was gone.

Arthur tried to catch his breath, feeling the panic well up inside him. He swivelled to his left, just in case the man had crossed the road but there was no one over there who looked even slightly familiar either. There wasn't even a huddle of people surrounding Arthur now but there were just so many of them and they were all moving so fast in so many different directions that it was hard to keep track of anyone, let alone someone who was obviously in a rush to be somewhere else.

Arthur stumbled his way to the nearest building and leant against it weakly, heart hammering in his chest and the sound of his own breathing in his ears. Oh God. Oh God. It had all happened so fast, but that was it. He'd met his soul mate and he hadn't even managed to meet him.

What if his soulmate hadn't heard him? Or worse, what if he was never supposed to hear him; not everyone had a tattoo. He could have been Arthur's soulmate, but maybe Arthur wasn't his- a one sided match. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and tried to calm himself down. It was okay, this could still be fixed. This wasn't the end; dammit he wouldn't let it be. There were websites for this sort of thing, Facebook even could work. He'd watched reality TV shows before about situations like this, everyone had. Poor souls who missed their opportunity to get to know their destined life partner and were now condemned to search forever and hope that they meet again.

He’d always read or watch stories like that with pity, but also with a grim fascination. Fleeting encounters on public transport, or meetings as children where they couldn't stay and swap contact information. There were hundreds of books and plays written about it alongside depressing love songs and operas. They made for great stories.

He'd never even considered that that could happen to him. This happened to other people, it wasn't ever supposed to happen to Arthur.

Arthur tried to swallow; tongue heavy. He couldn't tell his mother; he couldn't tell his brothers. It was hard enough trying not to break down on the floor now without thinking about other people and the look they'd give him. No, Arthur refused to become like those people on the TV, he wasn't some old sop who was just going to sit about lamenting this, he was going to fight as hard as he could.

With one last look around, just in case, he resolved to himself that no matter how long it took or what he'd have to do, he was going to find his soulmate again. Pushing away from the wall, he set off in the direction of home, stubbornly ignoring that little voice in his head that whispered that, despite all of the tough words, that might well have been it for him.

His soulmate could very well be lost forever and there was nothing he could do about it.

[oforamuse]

i had a dream (i got everything i wanted) 1/?

mickey milkovich hasn’t seen ian gallagher in over 9 years, not since the day he broke his heart and they shipped him off to prison for a crime he didn’t technically commit.

the last place he expects to bump into him is new york fucking city.

or, the one where two broken puzzle pieces find a way to fit themselves back together.

au from 5x12/6x01 onwards.

read and comment on ao3

They’re out of fucking milk. They’re out of eggs, butter and even bread.

There’s not even a bag of chips in sight - what the fuck is this?

‘Fuck.’ Mickey curses, he’s hungry and there’s nothing in his goddamn apartment to eat. He could’ve sworn Mandy went grocery shopping only a few days ago, how did they already manage to finish the lot off? He swears someone’s been sneaking into their fourth floor walk up to raid their fridge - it’s probably that bitch who’s always yelling at the ass crack of dawn on the floor below, Mickey’s constantly having to stomp on the floor at 5am to shut the bitch up. His stomach rumbles angrily, he got in late last night from work and couldn’t be bothered to throw something together before he passed out on the sofa. Mandy’s not even home right now so he can’t even be properly pissed at her for eating all their food as much as he would like to. He rubs his hands over his eyes, already exhausted by the day despite only waking up 10 minutes ago. He slept in late, later than usual, since work had been a bitch the night before. Too many drunken handsy people having to be thrown out of a club on a friday night - he definitely does not get paid enough to deal with that shit.

He opens the fridge door again hoping for some sort of fucking biblical level miracle but groans, it’s still as empty as before. There’s not even a 20c pack of ramen floating about, only a bag of flour, a few beers and a lonely can of soup sitting on the top shelf. There’s no chance he’ll be eating that can of shit. He begrudgingly resigns, it’s 2pm on his day off and he just wants some damn eggs.

To the overpriced bodega two blocks down he goes, he fucking hates that place.

He huffs and stomps grumpily into his room to quickly throw on some proper clothes, hastily picking out a clean t-shirt and pairing it with yesterday’s somewhat clean jeans. He shrugs at his reflection in the mirror - he ain’t got no one to impress, especially not on a run down the road. He goes into Mandy’s room and grabs the twenty bucks he’d seen sitting on top of the dresser - telling himself that he’ll pay her back somehow, despite the fact she’s the greedy culprit who ate everything. He throws a jacket over his shoulders, grabs his keys off the hook by the door and bounds down the narrow staircase. Their apartment sits on the top floor of an overpriced but barely used laundromat on a busy cross street in the high east nineties. New York is loud, people are rude and it stinks 99% of the time, but it works for them. Besides, it’s not Chicago, that’s the important part.

That’s the really important part.

Mandy had moved in here originally with an ex boyfriend she’d chased all the way out here from Chicago, and they’d actually managed to stick it out for a few years before he inevitably ran off with another girl. By that point, Mandy had already gotten a receptionist job at a gym downtown and somehow managed to score a relatively low rent with the landlord, so she decided to stick it out instead of moving home. Mickey isn’t 100% sure there wasn’t a blowjob involved or something, but he ain’t questioning it.

He got out of prison just over 3 years ago on good behaviour and pretty soon after found himself following Mandy out to the East Coast. He never thought he’d see himself leave Chicago’s city limits but as soon as he completed his 2 years of parole and he was free to leave the state, he hopped on a bus without looking back.

There sure as hell wasn’t anything left for him there.  

His few years of parole had been lonely and even though he’d never admit it if anyone asks, the last thing you want after being locked up for years is to live alone. He mainly kept to himself, picked up some shifts at a local mechanic that his PO had managed to organise for him. Stayed out of trouble and mostly kept his head down - which wasn’t the easiest thing for a Milkovich to do but his heavy ankle monitor constantly reminded him that he was barely even out of the clink, he knew he couldn’t chance it to toe the line. It surprised him how relatively easy it was to stay out of trouble and it made him wonder how different his life could’ve been had he not been brought up by a sadistic criminal of a father and a nonexistent mother. If he’d had a normal childhood without the scrounging and the hiding and the beatings.

He didn’t try and reconnect with anyone he knew from before. What was the point? Svetlana had skipped town for some rich guy, she’d mailed him the divorce papers and they’d finalised it all around the third year or so of his incarceration. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to the kid, not that Mickey particularly minded, but he had been growing somewhat fond of the fucker. His brothers’ still lived at home, but he’d heard from some fellow inmates that his dad was out so he steered clear of his childhood home and any of his dad’s old local haunts. He bounced around dingy motels for the majority of the year, which was a fucking hassle since he had to keep asking his PO to change the radius on his montior, but it out weighed having to go and ask anyone for any favours. He avoided his entire old neighbourhood, willing every single time he got on the L or walked down a busy street that he wouldn’t bump into someone he knew.

Even if he wanted to reconnect with people he didn’t even know where he’d start, it had been 6 full years. It took him for fucking ever to track Mandy down, let alone…

No.

No.

He’s halfway to the store when he stops. He can’t fucking breathe.

What the fuck.

He can’t move, he can’t physically move.

His bones feel like they’ve interlocked in place, sticking together and solidifying him into an ancient statue and he can’t. fucking. move.

Because it’s Ian fucking Gallagher.

Ian Gallagher standing right in front of him.

Ian fucking I don’t love you enough anymore Gallagher.

He’s standing right in front of him on the sidewalk in New York city, right outside a goddamn Duane Reade, hundreds of miles from the Chicago South Side.

What in the fucking fucking fuck?

Mickey could be dreaming, Mickey must be dreaming, because this can’t be fucking real. He’s often seen the ginger boy, man - he corrects himself, in his dreams over the last few years. He’s always appeared as a shadowy figure or even as a whimsical idea echoing in his subconsciousness but this is way too realistic.

He’s here, he’s here standing right in front of him in the living and breathing human bodied flesh.

Yet he’s still the exact same tall, red headed guy that a teenage Mickey fell for over a decade ago and it’s like being bitch slapped by a bus, full force and full of impact. Ian hasn’t seen him yet, he’s talking into his phone, laughing at something that’s been said and Mickey’s heart hurts. It’s been over nine years since he saw Ian laugh like that. His hands start to shake and his breath picks up in short, small uncontrollable bursts. There must be somewhere he can go and duck into. He checks the distance to the entrance to the Duane Reade, wondering if he could chance it before the other man notices.

He should turn around, groceries be damned, he should go right the fuck now before Ian see’s him and-

‘Mickey?’

Oh, fuck. Even his voice is exactly the same. God, Mickey has waited 9 years to hear that voice again but right now all he can hear is rushing wind in his ears, his entire world turned on its axis.

Is everyone around him moving in slow motion or is it just him?

He looks up and Ian is staring at him with a wide eyed, what the fuck is going on, expression on his face. Yeah, Mickey would like to know too, if only he could get his fucking breathing under control.

‘Mickey?’ He repeats without moving closer, the phone call hangs abandoned in his right hand. He wonders who from his past is on the other end of the line, Lip? Fiona? Perhaps a new boyfriend? Husband, even?

‘Hi.’ Mickey breathes out harshly, panic rising up slowly in his throat. He still can’t move.

This is a dream, this is a fucked up dream.

‘What, what are you- you’re out?’ Ian asks, finally breaking the barrier between them and moving a step closer. His face is practically the same as he looked the last time Mickey saw him, but it’s been clear the time that has passed. He’s lost even more of the baby face he once possessed, his jaw now sharp and precise. His eyes are bright and alive, worlds apart from the dead and sunken look Mickey recalls from their last interaction - the one where Ian had told him he’d wait and never fucking visited him again.

‘Fuck you doing here, Gallagher?’ He hears himself blurt out shakily and he barely even realises he said it, only noticing Ian’s eyebrows furrowing together in a response. He looks so confused and concerned but also somewhat hurt and Mickey wants to. fucking. bolt.

All he wanted was some god damn eggs but instead he gets sucker punched by history and the feeling he’s about to spew his guts out onto the sidewalk.

‘I could ask you the same thing.’ Ian replies, dumbfounded. Someone shoulders grumpily past Mickey and he’s suddenly pulled back to the fact they’re standing, staring at each other in the middle of a busy sidewalk.

‘Fuck you, watch yourself asshole!’ He calls after the guy in the classic New York fashion he’s managed to perfect in the last few months, he’s getting quite good at blending in. People continue to shove passive aggressively past them, though neither men move. ‘Been here almost a year.’ He says without bringing his gaze back to Ian, staring just over his shoulder at the busy traffic.

‘What? You’ve been out for a year?’ Ian’s ask incredulously, bringing Mickey back to the shocked expression on his face. It’s almost as if he never even considered the possibility that Mickey might’ve made parole early instead of sitting his full sentence. Behind the confusion there’s a small smile playing on his lips, it reminds Mickey too much of those days and it hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

How is it still hurting after 9 years?

‘Almost three.’ Mickey replies, his attempt at nonchalance hardened by the bitter taste flooding his mouth. He feels like he’s about to choke, he has to get out of here. ‘Listen, I gotta go-’

‘Mickey, I-’ Ian interrupts, stepping a foot closer to him. His arm is raised in front of him in a way that looks like he’s going to try and touch him or hug him or something-

Mickey spins on his heel and gets the fuck out of dodge.

Groceries forgotten, Mickey practically sprints back to his apartment, the streets a blur around him as he shoulders through. He takes the four sets of stairs two at a time, not letting himself register the sharp ragged tightness in his chest until he gets to his front door.

His hands fumble as he pulls the keys out from his pocket, but somehow he manages to steady himself enough to let himself into his apartment. He slams the door behind him and slumps immediately down to the floor, his back against the wood as he tries, unsuccessfully, to steady his breathing.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fucking, fuck.

What on fucking God’s green earth is Ian doing here?

Here.

Here in this world that Mickey has so painstakingly created for himself, for him and Mandy. A world that is hundreds of miles away from Chicago, from the South Side, from them. From the porch steps where Ian stood blankly, rejecting Mickey’s heart and crushing it in his hands. Hundreds of miles away from the Kash and Grab where they’d fuck in the back room but laugh out front, from his broken childhood home that was made just that little brighter by Ian’s laughter, from the prison he sat in for 6 fucking years doing time for Ian fucking Gallagher.

Mickey’s hands are shaking, the tattoos on his knuckles blur as he shoves them underneath his thighs in an attempt to get something under control and closes his eyes. He breathes slowly, his stomach nauseous, his rabid hunger from an hour earlier long forgotten. He doesn’t think he could eat anything for another week.

There’s a quiet, hesitant knock on his apartment door, a foot or so above Mickey’s resting head.

‘Mickey?’

It’s Ian again, Jesus, he must’ve followed him here. He curses the fact that the main door downstairs is broken so any random fucker can walk in. He’s told their landlord so many times to get it fixed, and God he should’ve done it himself because he really could’ve used a proper lock right about now.

‘What do you want?’ Mickey grunts out, pulling himself off the floor to grab the pack of smokes sitting on the small table by the door. His hands shake as he pulls out a cigarette and it falls to the floor, fuck.

‘Mickey.’ Ian’s voice persists, and Mickey rolls his eyes because the kid was never good at getting the message of go the fuck away. His stomach jolts at the thought of that persistent teenage ginger freckled freak that buried himself under Mickey’s skin and tattooed himself there when they were just kids. He remembers 16 year old Ian’s earnest way of looking at him like he held the world in his hands, following him around and slipping into Mickey’s life almost seamlessly. He remembers the feeling of agony he felt every single day, sitting in that cell and willing to turn back time and change things. Mickey registers something flowing through him, something fiery and hot, it’s anger. He feels it swarm from his fingertips all the way down to his toes, it pushes him forward. He swings around, unlocks the door and stares at the man standing in front of him.

‘What the fuck do you want?’ He spits, years and years of pent up disappointment and heartbreak coursing fiercely through his veins and he feels like he’s about to explode. This isn’t how he used to imagine seeing Ian again would be, he always imagined warmth and floating and butterflies in his fucking stomach. He imagined kisses and tears and I love yous.

He stopped imaging seeing Ian again around the 4 year mark. 6 years of sitting in a prison, waiting, changes people.  

And yet, everything feels the same. His heart still fucking pounds in the same way and his knees feel like they’re about to give out at the sight of those eyes and that ginger hair.

‘It’s you.’ Ian breathes, the surprised expression slipping away from his adult and aged features revealing the same kid he’s always been, ‘It’s you, here.’

‘Yeah no fuckin’ shit Sherlock Holmes.’ he snaps, patting his pockets to find a lighter in an attempt to give his hands something to do other than shake. Fuck, he must’ve left it inside.

‘I didn’t know you were out-’ Ian starts awkwardly, almost as if he doesn’t know what to do now that he actually has Mickey in front of him, like the bastard didn’t follow him up here and practically demand his audience.

‘Are we really going to do the fucking sentimentalities?’ It comes out way more breathy and defeated than Mickey would’ve liked but he’s tired, overwhelmed and really just wants a smoke. They stare at each other, it’s awkward and clunky and full of history. ‘Like, how's the fucking weather been? Really?’

‘No, I just- you look good.’ Ian offers quietly, his eyes flickering down, following Mickey’s entire body to the floor. It should feel good, getting checked out, but it doesn’t.

‘Not a lot to do in prison other than work out.’ Mickey says firmly, puffing his chest out slightly. He doesn’t miss the way Ian’s shoulders slump as a response at the mention of his incarceration.

Good.

Truthfully, other than his heart hurting every minute of everyday, the majority of prison feels like a blur to him now. It was hours of working out, fucking and volunteering in the canteen, the library, the yard. Anything to keep his mind off of things. He’s managed to keep up with the working out though, regularly running around the top end of central park and he sometimes gets one on one boxing lessons from a guy down the road. It feels good, he feels strong. Ian was always the strong one between the two of them - not any more.

‘How ya been?’ Ian asks casually as if it’s only been weeks and not years, the ease at which he says it slaps Mickey, it stings.

‘Oh real fuckin’ fine and dandy.’ Mickey replies harshly and Ian’s eyebrows drop, his forehead creased by the words that hang unspoken. Mickey can feel a heavy scowl form on his face, it hurts with the intensity he’s holding it.

‘We could, uh, go for a beer? and talk, maybe?’ Ian presses earnestly, somewhat testing the waters. Mickey can’t help but bark out a laugh. Nine years of fucking silence and the guy wants to go for a beer. His stomach churns and he feels like he’s going to vomit. He stares at him, his silent answer glaringly obvious. Ian’s eyes fall, they’re heavy and sad and they’re burning right into Mickey’s skin. He shakes his head, exhausted by it all and goes to close the door, but Ian steps forward sharply and grabs the handle.

‘Don’t- Mick, please.’

The nickname stabs Mickey in the gut. He can’t do this.

‘Really, Ian?’ Mickey asks in disbelief, ‘Nine fucking years of nothing and you want to go for a beer-’

‘I know that-’ Ian tries but Mickey keeps barrelling through.

‘Act like I never went to prison for your ass?’ Mickey fires back sharply, unable to hold it all back, ‘And you never fucking visited me? Not once after that first time- six years I sat there like a bitch and nothing.’

Mickey’s breathing is ragged, his chest heaving. He's angry, he's so fucking angry.  

Ian’s face crumbles. He resigns and releases his hand from where he’d been holding the door open and steps back cautiously, shame hangs in the air between them.

‘I just want to talk to you.’ Ian says softly, his eyes serious but desperate. There’s a glimmer of wetness in them that makes Mickey want to both scream and take him into his arms. They’re the same green eyes Mickey filled into the 'IAN GALLAGHER' filing cabinet and locked away in the back of his mind - he doesn’t think he’s even slept with someone with green eyes since Ian. He’s fucked a lot of gingers over the years, a lot more than he would ever probably admit, but those eyes? They’re something you can’t just replicate.

Fuck those sad eyes, he thinks, you don’t get to be sad.

You don’t get to be sad when you are the one that did this.

‘We had six years to talk.’ Mickey bites back venomously, he’s not sure where this surge of confidence came from but he’s grabbing it by the reins and riding it out.

‘I know, I-’ Ian steps forward, his hands raised up as a peace offering. Mickey wants to push them far away but also grab them by the wrist and never let him go. His head hurts, he’s confused. He wants to throw up.

‘Ian?’ A voice calls out from down the hall, slicing through the red hot tension between the two men. Mickey breathes out heavily and glances down the hall at his younger sister.

Fantastic, just what he needs. He braces himself.

‘Ian!’ Mandy all but squeals, throwing her arms around him happily, her skinny arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders. He lifts her off the ground easily for a moment before dropping her back on her feet. God, they're like a bunch of school kids. Mickey shifts his weight from foot to foot awkwardly, not knowing where to put himself between the two old friends, and ultimately, he just wants to leave.

‘It’s so good to see you, Mandy.’ Ian says quietly, the corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile, his eyes then shift plainly over to Mickey. He looks away sharply.

Mandy steps back, throwing a slow glance between the two of them, Mickey standing in the doorway, eyes down, and Ian a few feet back. The atmosphere shifts as her slow realisation sets in.

It’s an echo of a moment all those years ago, Mandy standing in the doorway just before Mickey’s disastrous marriage to Svetlana after Ian had begged him not to go through with it.

‘Am I interrupting something?’ She asks awkwardly, and Mickey wishes his sister could just read the fucking room for once.

‘Uhhh…’ Ian begins, clearly unsure where to start but Mickey rolls his eyes because fuck this.

‘No, you’re not.’ He grunts, turning around quickly and slamming the door on the two of them - despite knowing fully well that Mandy has her own key and Ian could walk right in there anyway.

He stomps into the kitchen and paces, the filing cabinet deep in the back of his brain marked ‘IAN GALLAGHER’ breaks open like Pandora's box and decade old memories he’s tried so hard the last few years to lock up come flooding out. They fall out onto the kitchen floor and Mickey feels like he’s drowning.

I love you. What the hell does that even mean?

Shut up.

Don’t. Don’t what? Just…

Shut up.

You love me and you’re gay.

Shut up.

Ian what you and I have, makes me free.

Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up. He slams his fist into the wall, pain coursing through his knuckles and up his arm. It does nothing to relieve his anxiety, only leaving him with an inch dent in the wall he’s going to have to fork out for at some point. He can’t bring himself to care.

He pulls the fridge door open and reaches to the back for a knocked over beer. He opens it deftly and chugs it in one. It’s bitter as it goes down and does nothing to suppress the swarming unwanted thoughts.

Chugging beer in the dugouts, covered in blood, breathless. Kissing. Fucking. The taste of beer and blood and sweat lingering on each other’s lips.

‘Fuck.’ He mutters, he can’t even have a fucking drink in peace without his brain reminding him and reminding him and reminding him.

Reminding him that if Ian walked in right now, heart and arms open, Mickey would probably fall into them willingly, years worth of heartbreak be damned.

Fuck, he thought he was done with this. He’s worked so fucking hard at being done with this, but apparently, Ian Gallagher is allowed to just walk back into his life - without notice - and set fire to years of his progress.

He reaches for the fridge door and has his hand wrapped around his next beer when Mandy comes storming in, knocking it from his grip. It clatters to the floor, spinning slowly to a stop below the sink.

‘You’re a fuckin’ rude asshole, you know that?’ She spits, her face twisted and ugly.

‘Fuck off.’ He fires back, once again going to open the fridge without bothering to pick up the fallen can off the linoleum. He just wants to get fucking drunk and forget, but of course, Mickey’s not one to usually get what he wants. Mandy’s hand slams the fridge shut before Mickey can even inch it open.

‘You haven’t seen the guy in years, you could at least be fuckin’ nice.’

‘Can’t a guy have a fuckin’ beer in his own home?’ Mickey snorts, feigning nonchalance but fooling neither of them. He steps out of her glare and bends down to collect the fallen can. It’s gonna be a bitch to open, but clearly access is denied to the fridge right now. He needs another drink.

‘No wonder he fucking dropped your ass as soon as you got locked up.’

He stops. Mickey feels like he’s been slapped.

One hand grips the can and the other balls instinctively into a fist. He stares down at the floor, he can’t move, panic and anger and sadness all flare up in his chest, like broken fireworks spitting out against a dark sky. He was brought up to never use violence against women, but fuck, this is the first time in his life he feels like punching, slapping, or doing something to his sister. Making her feel even an ounce of the agony he’s dealt with for the best part of a decade.  He won’t, but his hands are shaking, his breath is rising up his throat and he wants to scream.

He doesn’t. He stays there, halfway bent down to the floor, staring at his shaking white knuckles wrapped around the Bud light in his left hand.

‘Fuck you.’ He grunts without looking up. Mandy scoffs and turns away, padding slowly into her room. Her door slams shut and Mickey’s knees buckle to the floor.

He lies on the dirty kitchen floor and breathes.

[fandom-necromancer]

715. I wouldn’t call it stalking, more like far distance admiring.

This was prompted by a wonderful anon! Hope you like it!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900

‘Nines?’ Tina struggled opening her rebellious umbrella as she stepped out of the bus into the rain. ‘What are you doing here?’ She looked down on the android sitting at the bus stop. ‘Waiting for the bus’, he stated simply with an innocent look on his face that told Tina immediately everything he said was utter bullshit. ‘Aha. Then what have you done before?’ ‘Shopping.’ Yep, definitely bullshit. ‘And… no bags?’ Tina laughed. ‘Didn’t find anything, huh?’ ‘No…’ The RK900 broke eye contact and Tina swore these cheeks had just taken on a blue hue.

The bus had driven away, and Tina turned around to look at the bar on the other side of the street. From the bus stop she could easily see Gavin sitting in a booth looking at his phone. ‘Has he invited you too?’, Tina asked curiously. It was unlikely. Gavin would have told her if that was the case. ‘No.’ ‘Then what are you really doing here, Nines?’ She put one of her hands on her hip and jokingly added: ‘Staring at your partner?’ Now there really was a blush and Tina gaped at him. ‘Wait for real? You are stalking him?’ ‘No!’, Nines said with vigour but then murmured: ‘I wouldn’t call it stalking, more like far distance admiring.’

‘Nines, you can’t tell me you follow Gavin and stare at him!’ ‘Why not?’ ‘It’s damn creepy, my friend.’ ‘But it’s with good intention!’ ‘Then tell me what your “good intention” is, because otherwise I’m telling him!’ ‘I…’ There was a slight hint at his internal panic at that. ‘How else am I going to find out what he likes?’ ‘What?’ ‘Tina, I want to become friends with him. How should I do this when I don’t know anything about him?’ Tina sighed. ‘So, you decided to just stalk him? You know, instead of just asking him?’ Nines shook his head, hands jittery. ‘It’s very easy to say the wrong thing. I don’t… I don’t want to do this wrong, he’s very important to me.’

‘Ugh, Nines, really, you are the only person that can get away with stalking… Fine. Go home, okay? If he notices you following him, he will definitely get the wrong idea. Let’s meet up, say, tomorrow evening? I’ll help you get your crush.’ ‘He’s not my-‘ But he stopped himself realising this would be just yet another lie. ‘I- thank you, Tina, I will go home. See you tomorrow then.’

Tina shook her head in disbelief as the android got up and walked away. She hurried across the street, entered the bar and looked Gavin up and down. God, that idiot was lucky. Although Nines was the definition of awkward, he was a kind-hearted, affectionate guy. Absolutely better than the people Gavin had attracted in the past. Definitely too good for that lousy rat of a police officer but well, the ways of love were strange indeed.

-

‘Okay, big guy. You are a detective, so tell me: What did you learn from your “long distance admiring��� so far?’ Tina had stayed true to her promise and visited the android the next evening. She had been surprised to find a self-baked lemon cake on the table and a pot of rooibos-tea. To the question how Nines had known that she liked it, he just explained it had been what Gavin had gifted her on her birthday, at what she had claimed it to be her favourite. Although it should maybe be a bit worrying, Tina was quite sure the android hadn’t stalked her, too. Maybe he was just really attentive to his surroundings.

‘I know he likes cats. His desk at work holds a few pictures of them and there are cat hairs all over his chair. His favourite music is anything with a good guitar solo. He likes his coffee with cream, but no sugar. He is terrified by wasps. He likes to go out drinking with you but otherwise doesn’t seem to have any other friends.’ Tina sipped her tea and stared at the android over the rim of the cup. ‘That’s a beginning. How long have you been watching him, Jesus…’ ‘Only for the last month, but Gavin likes to stay at home a lot. The bigger part I got from being around him at work.’ ‘Ugh, a whole month. Gavin really is oblivious.’ She took another slice of cake. It wasn’t her fault it tasted like heaven. ‘Okay, so you basically got every major thing that is Gavin Reed in his personal life. I mean, yeah of course, there is more to him, but you got the essentials. Enough at least to start a conversation.’ ‘I don’t think I’m ready yet. I don’t know everything.’ ‘Yeah, that’s the point. You have to talk to him about the rest. Wouldn’t you think it is weird to walk up to him and just know everything about him already?’ ‘… I guess.’ ‘Good. But as you haven’t talked to him before I suppose you aren’t sure how to start a conversation?’ ‘I don’t know how to approach him outside of work, that is correct.’ ���Good. Let me tell you, his cats are a safe start. He can talk about them for hours and will gladly do so, too. How would you breach that topic? Pretend I’m him.’

Nines stared at her munching on the cake in bewilderment. ‘Come on’, she encouraged him still chewing. ‘It’s practice. Can’t do anything wrong here.’ The Rk900 nodded and his LED circled yellow for several moments. Then he looked back up and spoke: ‘You like cats. Tell me more.’ ‘Okay, very direct, but a start.’ Tina sighed. ‘Try to be a bit less demanding. Like this: I heard you like cats. Tell me more, please.’ ‘That’s the same content.’ ‘Yeah, but delivered a bit more polite’, Tina answered.

‘Okay. I heard you like cats. Tell me more please.’ ‘Perfect. Now he’ll most likely start talking and you are safe just listening. What do you do once he stopped?’ ‘I heard you like music. Tell me more please.’ That just caused Tina to laugh. ‘Okay, well, you can do that. But it would appear to him you didn’t listen to what he had just said. I would advise you to take something he said and ask a question about it. Okay, try again.’ Nines sighed. ‘I heard you like cats. Tell me more please.’ And this Time Tina answered: ‘I have two cats, one grey, one orange.’ ‘Please state their names.’ ‘Heeyy!’, she cheered. ‘That’s a good question. You learn fast. Although it is a bit robotic.’ ‘I am a machine, Tina. Also, Gavin is used to my speech pattern.’ ‘I hope so.’ ‘Is that enough practise?’ ‘Hardly’, Tina sighed. ‘But it will suffice for now. Just be yourself but not too much. Gavin is a total dumbass for a man this intelligent, but I think he’ll understand what you are trying to do. Try it in the break tomorrow. I’ll create an opportunity for you, and you’ll invite him out to a coffee. You know that place on the corner? He loves it.’ ‘Tomorrow already?’ Nines asked anxious and Tina nodded. ‘How much more time would you like to waste?’

-

Nines worked at his desk, looking up as Gavin stood up to walk over to Tina. He observed how he talked with her, the woman pulling a grimace. At the same time his phone pinged. > Now! Nines got up, still observing how Tina pointed at her desk littered in papers and saw how Gavin let his shoulders fall, lightly disappointed. But the android had already crossed the small space and tapped Gavin on the shoulder. As he turned around, he announced: ‘It is your break. I intend to invite you out to a coffee.’ There was a smack as Tina slapped her hand over her eyes, but Gavin just looked at him in surprise. ‘Err, sure, toaster. If it’s free you surely won’t hear me complain.’ Gavin was already marching down the hallway to the exit and Nines hurried to follow him, held back by Tina signalling him a thumbs up.

‘So, tin-can, what did I do to deserve this, huh?’ They were waiting in line and Nines panicked. This wasn’t what he had trained with Tina. ‘I wanted to get to know you more.’ ‘Uh-huh. Okay. What do you want to know?’ Was it really this easy? ‘I heard you like cats. Tell me more please.’ ‘Hah, It’s not really a secret. I love them! They are just so cute but secretly assholes, but they still care about you nonetheless. I even have two myself!’ The human went on until he was interrupted by the barista and Nines sucked it all up. Of course, he asked for the names. He also asked about their age, their preference in food and toys. He considered it a success until the human asked a question himself: ‘What about you? Do you like cats?’ That was something he hadn’t thought about, but of course Gavin would ask questions too. ‘I think I do’, he said carefully. ‘You think?’ ‘I only ever saw pictures. I know I like the pictures.’ ‘Oh, that’s kinda sad’, Gavin commented. ‘Hey, if you want to come over and see them for real, I intend to invite you, too. Just not now, it’s a mess.’ ‘I would appreciate that very much.’ So, it was a success after all. They went back to the precinct talking about music and Gavin proudly played a few of his favourite songs on the phone. They got along better than either of them would have thought in the beginning and Nines repeated Tina’s thumbs up to her as they entered the bullpen.

‘How did it go?’, she asked as he passed by. ‘Very good!’ He replied and quickly looked around to reassure they were alone. ‘Thank you. I don’t know why I didn’t ask you for help earlier.’ ‘Don’t worry. Good luck to you two. Conquer that man, yo!’

[ikonct95]

Happy Birthday!

A/N: It’s my birthday! :D

I decided to gift myself with this little one shot. I used a Korean name because I didn’t feel comfortable sharing my name lol. Also, I major in American English Linguistics only but everything else mentioned in this fic are facts. Another thing, I’ve never been to Namsan Tower and only mentioned things I’ve read in blogs and seen in that one NCT ep where the foreigners line went to Namsan.

I hope you enjoy! ^^

Also, please ignore any spelling or grammatical errors! 

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“Sorry! Pardon me! Excuse me!” Hanbin panted as he bypassed the sea of people while rushing towards the subway. He was on his way to Seoul National University to meet up with his best friend at exactly 1 pm. It’s 12:40 pm and it takes about 25 minutes to reach the street across the university.

“Damn it!” Hanbin cursed beneath his mask at the sight of the long line where people scanned their cards to access the metro. Checking his watch, he cursed when he realized he only has 20 minutes left and the bus leaves in 5 minutes. Inhaling deeply, the Korean idol pushed his way through, ignoring the curses and angry shouts of the people.

That all didn’t matter to him. Let them swear or curse at him. Today is a special day and he’d be damned if he missed it this year…again.

You see, Hanbin had met his best friend about four years ago at the Seoul National University library while he was reading through poems to find some inspiration to write the lyrics of iKON’s debut song. He went down isle after isle, hoping to find the right book when he suddenly bumped into someone who let out a loud squeak.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t see where I was go-” His words died on his lips as he watched the person in front of him stand up after picking up her books.

“It’s ok.” The woman said in accented Korean. “I was looking through the nombers.” She replied while holding up a piece of paper that had the number of the book required for class.

“Numbers.” Hanbin instantly closed his eyes. He didn’t mean to correct her mispronunciation but it just sliped.

Luckily, the woman took no offense and smiled up at him, “Right, numbers!”

Hanbin couldn’t help but return her smile while a sense of relief washed over him. “Do you study here?” He asked her and watched as her eyes lightened up as she answered his question.

And since that day, they’ve been best of friends. The woman’s name, Hanbin learned, was Eun Jung. Though, that was not her birth name since she was not Korean but an Arab. She explained that international students were encouraged to adapt Korean names to make things easier. Eun Jung explained that she didn’t mind the Korean name that much but she made sure when introducing her name, she would say both her Arabic and Korean names.

Hanbin also learned that she is currently studying Korean Linguistics with a minor in English Literature. She is also Muslim and that her birthday is on Feb 25th.

Eun Jung was a happy-go-lucky girl who tried as best as she could to be optimistic. She said her teen angst exhausted her and she wanted to move on from that lifestyle. Eun Jung also spoke two languages and can speak conversational Korean. The two couldn’t meet very much in public since Hanbin became so busy with his idol life but he made sure to meet up with Eun Jung at least twice a month to catch up. Eun Jung understood his lifestyle and never judged. She eventually became a fan of iKON despite already being a fan of several other groups. But what’s nice is that she never befriended him for his fame or money. She’s his friend because of he was and Hanbin is thankful for that.

Hanbin checked his phone again and inwardly cursed once he realized that he only had ten minutes to make it to the gates of the university where he had promised to meet her at.

You see, today was Eun Jung’s birthday and every year Hanbin missed it. It was either a recording on her day, a photoshoot or a performance that he absolutely could not miss. Thankfully, Eun Jung never seemed too upset with him missing out on her birthday even though he is her best friend. Still, Hanbin felt very guilty since Eun Jung always made sure to celebrate his birthday with him either on the day of or the day before or after. So this year, Hanbin wanted to make it up for Eun Jung by clearing out his schedule two weeks in advance. He made sure that he had the whole day free just for Eun Jung.

So, he called her up two days before her birthday and told her to wait for him at the gates once she is done with classes. Hanbin had a special day planned out and he was already screwing it up by being late.

“Right on time.” Eun Jung greeted loudly as she watched Hanbin jog up to her by the gates, “Only two minutes late.” She smiled at him. Over the years, Eun Jung’s Korean improved and now she has a native like fluency when speaking the language.

Hanbin’s reply was a big exhale of air, causing Eun Jung to chuckle at him. Her teeth as white as snow.

“Ready to go?” Hanbin asked while holding his arm out for her.

“Oh, my!” Eun Jung said in mock astonishment, “Such a gentleman.”

“Har har.” The Korean idol replied while his best friend linked her arm with his.

“So, where are we going?” Eun Jung asked after a moment of walking and catching up with Hanbin.

“A little birdie told me that you wanted to try this new Indian restaurant that opened uptown.” Hanbin said with a smirk.

“Donghyuk, that snitch!” Eun Jung said playfully with an adorable pout on her lips, “Are we really going there?” she then asked with hope in her voice.

Hanbin tried very hard not to coo at her cute antics. When it comes to Indian food, Eun Jung turned into the cutest thing ever and wished he could put her in his pocket.

“Yes, really.” He chuckled instead.

Fifteen minutes later and the two arrived at the restaurant. It was a cozy restaurant with beige, gold and red decorations. Although it opened recently, there weren’t a lot of people there. Which the both of you were thankful for because then you could eat comfortably without worrying about fans and paparazzi swarming Hanbin and bombarding him with questions about his relationship with you.

“This is nice.” Eun Jung breathed out while they’re being led to their table in the corner by the window.

“Just for you.” Hanbin said in sing-song voice, beaming at the tiny blush on Eun Jung’s cheeks.

The food was amazing. The whole time Eun Jung kept moaning and chewing loudly at the delicious food. She once told Hanbin that Indian food is similar to a lot of Arab foods and she grew up eating both so she’s thankful that there are Indian restaurants when she’s feeling homesick.

“Ahh, that hit the spot!” Eun Jung stated while patting on her tummy, chuckling down at it.

“I’m glad you enjoyed.” Hanbin felt so warm inside. It felt so long since he’d seen Eun Jung happy. She’s been feeling homesick lately and stressing out about school that her personality changed a bit. It was nice seeing her happy again.

“Alright, ready to go?” Hanbin asked after paying the bill.

“Go?” Eun Jung asked in confusion as she watched Hanbin stand up.

Hanbin nodded as he slid on his coat to protect himself from the cold February air, “There’s one more place to go to.”

“Oohh where are we going?” Eun Jung asked this as she put on her own coat and gloves, linking her arms with Hanbin as they excited the restaurant.

“It’s a surprise.”

Hanbin chuckled at Eun Jung’s slight whine, “You know I hate surprises!” She reminded him with a playful annoyance in her tone of voice.

“I know, but this will be worth it.”

They had to take the subway to their next destination and halfway through, Eun Jung quickly realized where they’re going and felt her stomach clenching, “We’re not really going there, are we?” Her voice was shaky and she began to sweat a bit.

“I know that you don’t like heights, Eun Jungie, but you always wanted to go there.” Hanbin replied as they entered the cable carts building and bought their tickets. Once he noticed Eun Jung turning pale, he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her shoulders.

“I will be here with you all the way through. But if you don’t want to go, we can go somewhere else.” As he said this, Hanbin’s voice grew soft, his breath brushing her ear while he pressed her closer to his side.

“No,” She spoke up minutes later, “I want to go and this is the only chance.” She tried to give a confident smile but Hanbin could tell she was still scared.

“I’ll hold your hand, ok?”

Eun Jung nodded and grasped his hand tightly before entering the cable cart. Her heart began to beat quickly as the cable cart jerked into movement. Hanbin’s hand was clutched in a vice grim while his other arm rubbed up and down her shoulder. At first, Eun Jung didn’t look up from the ground, too scared to see how far up they were and imagine how they wires would snap and they would plummet to their deaths. But once she noticed that the cart was going in a steady pace and nothing happened so far, she risked a glance at the window and became breathless.

Seoul was covered in a blanket of snow and the view was magnificent. It was as if they were gliding through smooth ice cream rather than being in a small box traveling through the sky.

“Wow.” She breathed out, inching closer to the window.

“Yeah.” Hanbin agreed. Though, his eyes weren’t on the window.

When they reached the top, Eun Jung gradually calmed down and her energetic nature took over. She felt giddy and excited. She never had the opportunity to visit Namsan Tower due to her very busy schedule and she felt a bit jealous whenever her friends went there. That’s why she forced herself through her fears and made the journey.

The first thing they did was wear traditional Hanbooks. At first, Eun Jung didn’t want to be a Koreaboo but Hanbin assured her that she wasn’t being one and that she enjoy it like everyone else. After they got dressed, they went to various places: the K-Star Gallery, the LG 3D zone, the LED tunnel, the Hello Kitty Island, the Ssen Toy Museum and the Teddy Bear Museum. Eun Jung’s smile never once faltered and her eyes shone brighter than any star Hanbin has seen. And when they went through the historical areas, Eun Jung shared all of her knowledge on how the Korean language was formed, changed and evolved through the years. It was nice listening to her for hours. Once they were done, Hanbin suggested they changed back into their everyday attire and buy locks to hang outside with all the rest.

“Regroup in 15 minutes?” Hanbin suggested once they stepped into the store. And with Eun Jung’s nod, the two went on their way, looking for perfect lock. And 15 minutes later, they regrouped by the exist, each holding a plastic bag. “Did you write on yours?” Eun Jung asked her best friend. Hanbin nodded then asked her the same question. After that, they went outside and searched for the perfect spot to hang their perfect lock.

“Here’s one!” Eun Jung stated loudly several feet from Hanbin’s right. It was by the corner, on the second row. Satisfied with the location, Hanbin took out his lock. Simultaneously, they leaned forward and hooked the metal onto the bar before locking it shut. Stepping back, they both read each other’s locks.

Celebrating the world’s most lovable person on the planet. I love her so much and I’m thankful she’s in my life – Hanbin

I was blessed to celebrate my birthday with someone dear to my heart. I will always love and support him – Eun Jung

The two were blushing a bright red color once they’ve finished reading each other’s little notes. They glanced at each other with a shy smile playing on their lips.

“Ready to go home?” Hanbin asked quietly as the sun behind him lowered, the sky a mix of dark blue, purple and bits of orange.

“Yeah.” Eun Jung answered just as quietly. Her eyes darted downwards and shyly held Hanbin’s hand and made their way home.

It’s safe to say that this was the best birthday Eun Jung has ever had.

[gingerlexi2897]

You would think after Tabor and our time in Hungary we would be ready for a bit of a  break. We were. However, instead, after a nice evening in Budapest with the Scottish team, we boarded a bus bound for Vienna.  For as much apprehension I had and as much smoke had been chucked by certain individuals about the bus, the 3-hour ride from Budapest to Vienna was great. In fact, that bus ride was nicer than some flights I’ve taken, and oh so much cheaper.

Now this being my first time in Vienna, I had very little idea of what to expect and pretty much all of it was based on the WWII reading I’ve done in my life. I expected the city to have modernized over the years, but I was genuinely surprised to see how it has almost split into two cities; Old Town with its historic buildings, narrow streets, and a wide variety of architecture, and the skyscraper-filled, steel city built further down the river.

We got off the bus and immediately set out to conquer the metro system and make it to our Airbnb. Everything was going smoothly, we bought our tickets, we caught the correct train going in the correct direction, and we had only wanted to fight one rude person. Now see here’s the thing, in almost any other European city I’m able to use the wonderful, magical app that is CityMapper. It’s clear, it’s easy, it tells you the exact time your bus/train/boat/space ship will arrive, it tells you exactly what colour the line is and it even tells you how many croissants you’ve walked off. Seriously, it’s great. Vienna however, for whatever reason, is not included in the list of cities which means we had to rely on the somewhat spotty service of Google Maps. This is where we ran into a small hiccup in our quest to find the flat. We rode the 3 or 4 stops to Schwedenplatz where we needed to switch lines to ride another 3 stops. It’s important to remember that wonderful, magical CityMapper tells you the COLOUR of the line to get on. Well, Google Maps does not. No, instead it tells you some random colour for the line with the name (ie U1) in very tiny letters that easily gets overlooked in the madness of trying to navigate public transport in a city you’ve only just stepped foot in. Oh, and it tells you that that specific train line doesn’t come into that station and you’re going to have to change stations. Lies. So we drag our bags, which thankfully were fewer and lighter because the AMAZING Scottish team took our two big bags back with them and we crammed just enough clothes and toiletries for 5 people for a week in backpacks and carryons, out of the station, over the tram tracks, and across the street to the river just to realize that we were actually supposed to be in that station. So I’m sure much to the amusement of those around us, we drug our stuff back across the street and the tram tracks and once more found ourselves standing in Schwedenplatz Station. So here is my shameless plug for CityMapper: get it. From there we had no major issues getting to the flat (well except for the fact that I apparently kept booking places on the top floor in a building with no lift…) and were soon showered and ready to go again.

As much as we love touring and seeing the sights, our main reason for coming to Vienna was to see friends. Becca, Phil, and their adorable kids have been living and working in Vienna for almost two years.  I’ve known the two of them since I was in late middle/early high school but it had been almost 6 years since I had last seen them. It was special to be able to spend time with their family in the city they now call home as well as hopefully be an encouragement to them as living overseas can oftentimes feel lonely and unrewarding. We were able to do dinner with them our first night in Vienna and met them the next day at Schonbrunn Palace.

Just like in Budapest, we grabbed a bus tour that Monday morning and used it to take us out to the palace and to get a feel for the city. Unlike our bus tour in Budapest however, this one I would not recommend. While you did get to see a decent amount of the city on the two routes it ran, the audio tour went into very little detail of the actual history of the city and instead went on and on about the same two composers. That’s all well and good, but there is a lot more to a city than two or three famous people. The best part of the whole tour was getting to see the architecture and street art on the way out to Schonbrunn. The palace itself sits at the base of a hill with the city sprawling out into the distance behind it. Even though it was an incredibly hot day (by European standards), we wandered around the grounds and climbed to the top of the hill to see the views.

After our time looking at the various sculptures and manicured gardens at the palace, we caught the hop-on-hop-off bus back to Old Town where we could change routes. Here’s where the already meh tour got worse: It was only supposed to be 6 or 7 stops back to where we needed to switch routes but because our lovely bus driver decided to get off and smoke a cigarette or twiddle his thumbs for 15 mins at every stop, it took us nearly an hour and a half. By this point, we were all tired, hungry, hot, and ready to be back at the flat. We eventually made it to the stop where we needed to switch buses and then had to wait another half an hour before it arrived. Slaphappy is the only way to describe how we were feeling. Backstreet Boys may or may not have been sung in the street and a tear may have been shed. We did finally make it back to the flat and were able to cool off and relax a wee bit before Mum and Dad headed off to watch the boys for Phil and Becca while Erin, Itty, and I made our way back to city centre.

We spent the next day just hanging out and finally made our way to a body of water to relax at, which is something Erin, Itty, and I had been trying to get to since we left Budapest. That evening we said farewell to Vienna and caught a flight to Paris and the next part of our adventure.

Things we learned during our time in Vienna:

Itty is not a fan of the fact that Erin and I not only enjoy walking cities but that we have a tendency to power walk everywhere we go. Erin and I are more than happy to walk for hours if need be in order to find the perfect place to sit down, which is exactly what we did. Itty, on the other hand, would have preferred that we take the 15 min metro ride and skipped the whole walking-through-the-city thing. 

Public beaches are a God-send when you’re in desperate need of a body of water and a place to relax. At €2 a person, a nice nap on the riverbank in the sun is the perfect way to enjoy Vienna without running around like a crazy person.

If you have time, try to see something arts-related such as the Lippizaners at the Spanish Riding School, the Vienna Boy’s Choir, or one of the many art museums throughout the city.  Schonbrunn is worth it but the bus tour isn’t. 

See you in Paris,

Lexi

    Strauss, Schubert, and Beethoven You would think after Tabor and our time in Hungary we would be ready for a bit of a  break.

[180abroad]

Day 144: Going East

Today, after two and a half months in (mostly) English-speaking countries, it was finally time to dive back into continental Europe. And we'd be diving pretty deep--all the way over to Poland.

After our last British breakfast, we took a taxi out to the Inverness airport. Our flight was at 10:55, and our host had recommended leaving at 8:30  to make sure we had plenty of time.

Back when we first arrived in Scotland, we'd thought that flying out of Dublin was as easy as it could get (not counting the Burger King incident). But Inverness was on another level. Checking in, dropping off our bags, and going through security took less than 15 minutes total. That left us plenty of time to browse the airports impressively stocked whisky shop and admire the airport's three gates. Not three terminals--three gates.

Our flight was with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and included a layover in Amsterdam. We were a little nervous about the layover because it would only be 35 minutes long. But the tickets had all been booked directly through KLM, so we figured that we could trust their judgement.

It worked out, but I’m not so sure about their judgement.

Our flight from Inverness actually left early, and we arrived in Amsterdam over ten minutes ahead of schedule. Which was a very good thing, because we were at the far end of one terminal while our next flight was at the far end of the opposite terminal. And half of the moving walkways were out of service. And we had to go through passport control.

There was a fast-track lane for short connections at passport control, but an attendant told us to go into the main line anyway. This wasn’t an Inverness or even a Dublin line–this was a major-international-hub line. After waiting in this line for about ten minutes, our mental math was raising red flags. We would have a hard time getting through the line before our flight took off, let alone getting all the way to the gate, which was still a considerable walk beyond the passport control desks.

Just as we were getting ready to ask again, another attendant came up and shouted for us to get over into the fast-track line.

Passports stamped, we speedwalked straight to the gate, bypassing several badly needed bathrooms, and only just made it to the gate at the scheduled opening time. If our plane from Inverness hadn't arrived early, we might not have made it to our gate even if we hadn't gotten stuck at passport control.

Luckily for us, our next plane was also late, so we had time to use the toilets and grab a cold beverage from a vending machine before hopping on the bus that took us to our plane. It was smaller than the plane we took from Dublin to Edinburgh, but it did have jet engines instead of turboprops–so I still count it as an upgrade.

The flight was smooth, and soon enough we were stepping out into Krakow's John Paul II Airport. We decided to get some Polish Złotys (pronounced “zwah-tes”) from the airport ATMs (or "Bankomats") before hailing a taxi from into town. We ended up withdrawing way more money than we needed--the interface had been designed to make it look like you couldn't pull out smaller amounts unless you looked closely.

As it turned out, we probably would have been better off skipping ATMs in Poland altogether.

I always imagined Eastern Europe as a very cash-based place, but that couldn't have been further from the truth--at least in Krakow. Everyone there seems to use credit cards for everything. Spending the 100zł bills that we'd gotten from the ATMs (worth about $25 US) was nearly impossible. Even at large grocery stores and tourist sites, the cashiers would just shake their heads and smile at us condescendingly as if we were simpletons trying to pay with rocks.

We eventually went looking for a bank or currency exchange that would break some of our larger bills for us and gave up after a frustratingly unsuccessful hour of searching. Two of the currency exchanges (or "kantors") practically laughed us out of the doors.

I have to admit that I got angry once or twice over this odd phenomenon. There are ATMs everywhere in Krakow. How is it possible that everyone is using them when the money they dispense is worthless?

It actually seemed like there was a shortage of small bills and coins going on. When I tried to buy 41zł worth of groceries with a 50zł note, the cashier was visibly distressed at the prospect of having to scrounge together 9zł in change. When Jessica managed to rustle up a 1zł coin from her wallet (bringing the change to a single 10zł bill), the cashier's face lit up with relief and gratitude.

All of this wouldn't have been a much smaller deal if my credit card hadn't stopped working back in Scotland. We never figured out why, but at some point my credit card's chip had gotten corrupted and slowly started working less and less reliably. By the time we reached Krakow, it had stopped working altogether. I eventually got comfortable using Android Pay at places that took it, but Jessica ended up making most of our in-person purchases for the remaining two months of the trip.

But all of that was still ahead of us in the coming hours and days. For now, we happily made our way to the airport taxi stand with cash in hand and got a ride into town.

The first thing that struck me about Poland–and I noticed it from the airplane window before we even landed–was the totally unique landscape. I’ve seen forests, farmland, and urban sprawl before, but never mixed together quite so thoroughly. On the 30-minute drive from the airport into town, we passed through dense forests, low-density farmland, and a wilderness adventure park. Even in the suburban periphery of the city, apartment blocks are separated by cornfields as well as vacant lots.

This patchwork aesthetic extends to the architecture of the old city itself. On any given street, the buildings form a mosaic that tells the long and turbulent story of Poland’s past, from the middle ages through the 21st century. Many struck me as ironically eastern European, with inward-sloping buttressed walls and steep, almost pagoda-like roofs. Others looked straight out of Renaissance Venice or Imperial Vienna. And, of course, there are the Brutalist mementos of Soviet austerity.

What holds it all together is a charmingly rough-around-the-edges spirit of making do with what you have. Concrete walls patched with plaster, plaster walls patched with plywood. Walking down an alleyway between two buildings, you might tread on tile, cement, and gravel all in the space of thirty yards.

But this is not a third-world country. Enter into one of these unassuming domiciles, and you might find a surprisingly luxurious abode.

Like ours.

Poland is not a wealthy country. But that means that a little money can go a long way. And while you may trip on a pothole or slip on a patch of sand outdoors, you can come home to a bathtub bigger than any I’ve enjoyed in the States.

The second thing I noticed about Poland are the people. They are both the most reserved and the most outgoing people I’ve met in Europe.

Professionally and in public, everyone is just a blank face in the crowd. Our taxi driver from the airport did not make a single attempt at small talk the entire ride (not that I’m complaining!), and shopkeepers have no trouble flatly declining to assist you if you ask for something they don’t want to do.

But if you engage them personally, as a friend, guest, or tour companion, you’ll have trouble getting a word in edgewise as they talk your ears off with kind enthusiasm, sincere questions, and thoughtful advice.

Obviously, this is a stereotype and doesn’t apply to everyone in Poland. But it’s exactly what Jessica–who spent a summer here in 2010–told me to expect, and it’s exactly what I’ve experienced.

Another funny quirk is that two of Poland's biggest chain stores are named after animals. The main supermarket chain is called Biedronka, which means ladybug, and the main convenience store chain is called Zabka, which means frog.

After checking into our Airbnb and stocking up on groceries, Jessica could hardly wait to take me into the old town. Rick Steves says there isn’t a better city in Europe for just wandering around in, and I can’t say I disagree.

The main market square is spectacular–like Venice’s San Marco Square and Madrid’s Puerta del Sol rolled into one.

The old Renaissance merchant hall dominates the center of the square, and St. Mary’s Basilica stands proudly overlooking its northern corner.

Technically, the church only has one tower. The taller tower on the left–the one with the crown encircling its spire–is officially a city watchtower. According to legend, a 13th-century watchman was struck silent by an enemy arrow in the middle of trumpeting an alarm. Now, every hour on the hour, a trumpeter plays the same traditional anthem almost but not quite to completion in his honor.

The curtailed call is also used by the Polish national radio broadcaster, so it is a familiar sound across the country.

After taking a peek inside the market hall and up at the nearby clock tower–the remains of an otherwise-demolished medieval city hall–we meandered up the main road to the barbican gate–one of the few remaining parts of Krakow’s medieval walls.

Unlike the many European cities that turned their medieval walls into ring roads, Krakow turned their walls into a green belt surrounding the old city center. Like many Polish names, it was unintentionally amusing to us as English speakers--Planty Park.

As we walked back down the main tourist drag, Jessica noted how much the place had changed in just the past eight years. A local café she'd wanted to take me to had been replaced by a Starbucks, and there were a lot more ethnic restaurants than she remembered seeing before. Though not all of them looked especially authentic.

Tired and thirsty, we headed back to our flat after stopping for drinks at a Zabka along the way. It was a warm night, but thankfully the windows were big and opened wide. As much as I had feared a culture shock, and our currency-related annoyances notwithstanding, our arrival in Poland had been surprisingly smooth. We were comfortable, well-fed, and excited to see what the city had to offer.

Next Post: Schindler’s Factory and St. Mary’s Basilica

Last Post: Resting Up (Markets, Museums, and More Pizza)

[la-appel-du-vide]

THAILAND 2019 - Day Twelve {Krabi}

Today was another free day for us - meaning we didn’t have anything specifically booked or planned, we just knew we wanted to go visit Ao Nang Beach and Railay Beach! We got up and ready, tried to eat some toast in the hotel lobby but all the bread was gone, and then caught a taxi to Ao Nang Beach.

This is a major tourist area as well. There are a million shops, restaurants, boats for rent, etc. We thought it would be a good idea to eat something before we started our day, so we grabbed something quick, and then went over to the beach.

I suggested we start over on Railay Beach, because that’s the most popular one, and I thought we should get there before it got too crowded. We got to ride on another long-tail boat to get there, and that never gets old. So authentic, so traditional, so fun.(Bring a poncho though - you’re gonna get wet haha.)

We got to Railay Beach, took some photos with the huge line of long-tail boats, and then set out to find a smoothie of course. Mel said she had one of the best smoothies of her life on this beach, so we hoped to find it. (Spoiler - We didn’t.) We each ordered one from a different shop, and they were both much more like drinks instead of thick smoothies which is always a disappointment, but at least they tasted good and were cold!

We set up base camp in a shady spot, and then I went off to wade around the bay. The water temperature is amazing and refreshing, every single time I step into it. This area has a super sandy floor, which was a nice change from so much coral and rocks elsewhere. 

Can’t help but feel like these kinds of days are really what makes life worth living. We get through the mundane, boring routine of normal life for moments like these, and they really are worth it.

I wandered around for awhile, but then noticed some kayaks for rent that I thought would be a fun activity for us. I went back to where Beach was sleeping, and asked her if she thought we’d be capable of kayaking with all our important stuff, and not capsizing and destroying everything haha. We decided to give it a try, so we put all our money and phones in our little waterproof cases, and then wrapped my camera bag in two towels, and put it in Beach’s backpack. Once we were prepared, we went over to the rental area and filled out the paperwork to get one. Only then did we learn that we could leave our bags in the office. All that work for nothing. (;

We had a hard time carrying that heavy thing all the way out to the water, but once we got it in, we were solid. We paddled around the island, and even ran into a live, wild jellyfish! I spotted him, and we circled back to get a closer look. Could hardly believe our eyes. We’ve been up close to so much wildlife here!

We paddled into a couple sea caves (which were sooooo dark), over to a rock that had a gold stripe made out of some sort of tin wrapped all the way around it, and then stopped at a different beach so Beach could take a dip. I waded around behind here, and on the way back in, I got stung by a jellyfish. I went from fine to severe stinging pain on and around my knee. I tried to use water and sand to stop the pain, but nothing worked super well. I learned later that using water can actually release more toxins into your body and make things worth, so that was knowledge that came a little too late. No fun. The swelling took quite awhile to subside, and my freaking knee hurt the rest of the day. Ow ow ow.

I finally sucked it up and got back in the kayak,and we paddled around some more. I enjoyed laying down on the kayak, and just feeling the motion of the waves... it’s one of the most relaxing feelings in the world. UNTIL we hit the rocks. We took a different route going in than we had taken going out, and we regretted everything. We got stuck and high-centered on so many different rocks, and it was nearly impossible to get ourselves backed out of there so we could go in the right direction. Omg so frustrating hahaha.

But we made it. Carrying the wet kayak all the way back was even worse than the first time. My arms were dead. 

We grabbed our stuff and started wandering around the tourist area just off the beach. It’s such a cute little area, surrounded by palm trees, and so many things to see. Such chill vibes. Very island-y. We loved it.

Beach stopped to try a sugar crepe from a food stand we passed, and I would describe the “crepe” as something more like very sweet chips haha. It was so crunchy! Unexpected for sure!

We stopped and had lunch at a small, rooftop restaurant, and it was pretty good. Filled us right up. But not enough that I couldn’t get some more rolled ice cream from a stand we passed on our walk! I’m obsessed! This time I went with plain chocolate and Oreo. So delicious. I need one right outside my hotel tbh. 

We checked out some more of the souvenir shops, and I finally got Aubrey a Buddha statue. She seems to love Buddha lately, so I’ve been looking for a good one for her this whole time. Mission accomplished.

Ended our day at Railay Beach with some more photos in the bay. While we were out there, we came across ANOTHER jellyfish. Took some up-close photos of it (though they aren’t great due to the murky water), and then we got spooked and jetted on out of the water. We warned a nearby family they were there too, and they got out as well. Let me tell you from experience - OUCH. Don’t mess with those things. On our way out of the water, we came across a dead jellyfish floating to shore. Beach dragged it to the water’s edge and marked it with a stick. We hoped people would notice the stick and be careful. But nopeeee, just a few minutes later we noticed a little Asian girl wandering over to it. We were nervous watching her, as she got closer and closer. Finally, it looked like she was bending over to touch it and we couldn’t take it anymore. We jumped up, started running over to her screaming not to touch it, and probably scared her half to death. Her mom didn’t have much reaction down the beach a ways, which is interesting haha. But I also can’t imagine being a little kid and having two strangers start running at me yelling in a different language! We had the best intentions though, truly. Her dad finally understood what we were saying, and he came over to pull her away from the electrocution just waiting to happen. So we were basically superheroes today. Changing the world one potential jellyfish sting at a time.

We grabbed our stuff and went over to the long-tail boats to catch a ride back over to Ao Nang. For the record, I should mention that this sand is high up on my list of quality sand for the trip! Powder white, so soft, and I’m obsessed that’s all.

We got back over to Ao Nang just as the sun was starting to set. So beautiful to watch the sunset over the ocean, wow wow. We went looking for a smoothie (I know it sounds like we get them all the time but they are literally a dollar so it’s fine I promise), but wandered in and out of souvenir shops on our way. We picked up a couple more things - oops. And every smoothie location we passed had smoothies that looked way more like drinks than smoothies (trust me, there’s a difference - and we are paranoid af). So we eventually gave up and settled for some ice cream we found. I got a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of coconut, but literally right after he handed it to me, I turned around, started licking it, and the top scoop fell RIGHT off. Just like the movies. SAD.

So I had a scoop of strawberry. (;

We finished those as we walked back to the main dock area to get a taxi, and passed hella drag queens on our way, all dressed up and advertising a cabaret show. Very interesting, I’m kind of impressed with how realistically they can make themselves look like women... Like, how?? 

We also made the decision to send it and buy a watermelon smoothie to try, because we’ve seen them everywhere and were intrigued. It was not a good purchase tbh hahaha, not great. Mostly tasted like we were drinking watermelon juice. But we tried it! Now we won’t wonder. (;

The first taxi we tried was a disaster. She drove us like 3 minutes to a La La Moon in Ao Nang, and when we tried to explain that this wasn’t what we wanted, she insisted it was. Finally we got her to understand, and she said Krabi was too far and wanted us to get out, BUT SHE STILL WANTED US TO PAY HER. Like, lady... we could have walked to this point in five minutes. You didn’t take us where we wanted to go at all. Dumb. So we gave her just a little bit and that was that.

Found a community bus that travels from Ao Nang to Krabi for way cheap, so that worked out ok. It dropped us off near Walking Street, and then we were able to catch our own taxi back to the hotel pretty easily. 

Then the typical night routine - Tumblr, checking our phones, editing/posting pictures, travel logs, Beach does homework, we shower, and then bed.

It’s really not a bad life. (;

[sometimesiwritetoo]

Blood Money - Chapter 17

Chapters: 17/?

Pairing: Noctis/Prompto/Luna

Rating: M for violence

Warnings: None

Summary: Look closely. In the shadows, there is violence. Prompto was engineered to do one thing, and to do it well. Contract by contract, he shaped a world he could only observe. Touching lives only by ending them.

Check it out over on AO3!

Crossing the border got a little sticky.

Prompto made it past the agents only to almost get mugged when he was staying at a motel in the nearby town. It was a quick scuffled that ended when his assailant was run through by a rusty pipe Prompto found nearby. He had to hide the body under the tarp of a nearby truck before the patrols caught him.

From the border it was a six day journey to the capitol. He took a bus to the local train stop then rode that to the next major city. He walked for a day, then took a six hour bus ride the next. He continued that trend until he arrived at the capitol early in the evening.

The capitol was a depressing place to look at. He’d been there several times before, one time for an entire month, and he’d never seen it quite like that. There had always been a notable police and military presence in the capitol, before it was always benign. More there to look pretty than to actually round people up or do anything. But security slowly began to get tighter and tighter the more people they killed. Now it was a police state. It was almost impossible to walk down the street without passing a patrol or a raid. Few people dared walk the streets. Those that did kept their head down and hurried passed in front of grey buildings. Some buildings were damaged from raids or street violence and were beginning to crumble. Prompto kept his head down and headed straight for the safehouse inside an apartment complex.

Vincent left some reports at the safehouse. He’d left a few days prior to handle a contract in the countryside. The reports shed a little more light on to the area. Protests to the increasing casualties between the empire and Lucis. Taxing to fund the already strained budget. The increased patrols, and the kidnapping of supposed rebels in the area. Vincent left a handwritten note stating that there had been activity from several organizations in the area either attempting to work for the Emperor and work against him. Some were contracted by his political allies and others by his opposition. The most notable were Scarlet, a small group contracted by the emperor’s cousin in his support, and treeline, a rebel group working independently. Brutus had a notable presence in the area as they specialized in gathering intel, but the organization had played both sides and was in hot water. Acts of terrorism were enacted by a group called freedom. The emperor’s personal investigation agency had two freedom agents and three agents from the group Silence which were a group employed by Jacob Spire, a political rival.

That was just the tip of the iceberg. Vincent had written a literal book on the current political climate and all the things that had changed during the week he’d been there. Prompto almost wondered if it was worth it to stick around. The capitol was clearly a lit powder keg. Eventually it was going to go down.

But he had a job to do, and do it he shall. Prompto set up the monitors and cameras at the safehouse and got to work.

---

They stayed on the coast for two weeks before moving out. This break was not a restful one, Luna felt dread build up in her stomach day by day. It first started when Prompto left and then sat firmly in the pit of her stomach when they moved out as a group. They drove further north until they got to the train line and caught a train heading north towards Niflheim.

It was sort of calm. Aranea read a book while the guys played some sort of card game. She slept for most of the twelve hour ride. At the border they showed their fake documents, which all were examined closely before being handed back by a heavily armed security guard.

During that break where they got their paperwork checked a person two cars over was not approved. Luna saw the woman get dragged from the cart. She put up little resistance, but instead of being escorted away as Luna expected, a man brought the butt of his rifle down over her head twice. They dragged the woman’s limp body down under the platform away from prying eyes.

Moments later the train started up again, leaving the woman behind. Luna buried her head in her coat and tried to sleep for a few more hours.

They stayed on until they were two stops away, where they split up and headed straight for the safehouse. Ignis, Noctis, and Aranea took a car. But she and Gladio were to walk the rest of the way.

The were given very simple directions. Look like a couple, find the address, don’t get caught. Aranea made it clear that they would likely not be rescued if they were captured.

“Should we get a map?” Gladio asked. He held her hand in a firm grip that she didn’t find comforting.

“No, it makes us look like tourists.”

He grunted, “I suppose. But it’s a big city.”

“They hang maps on the bus stations. We’ll look when we find one.”

She guided him along with a confidence she did not feel. She’d been to the capitol many times before, but she’d never wandered its streets. Even at midday few people were out, putting her on edge. All they needed to do was look at a person wrong for their cover to be blown.

They found their destination on the map posted at a bus stop downtown. It was across town, east of where they were, so they started walking.

They passed a raid on their way there. A patrol pulled screaming people from the house. She and Gladio turned the corner just as two were shot in the street The rest were pushed into a military transport car as they turned around and headed down a neighboring street. Luna knew that the Empire was capable of much, but she never expected it to be so low as to turn on its own citizens.

They found the safehouse at the end of one street just as the sun set. She and Gladio hurried inside and shucked off their heavy clothing. Ignis was waiting up the steps for Gladio so she checked the rooms until she found where Noctis was sleeping. She shut the door, crawled into bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

---

When Aranea arrived Prompto and Yuffie pooled their info together in one, comprehensive report. They had no info on the emperor or his two confidants. Several Brutus agents were active around town, some of whom sold information to treeline. Neither of them were able to find out what information was sold of if it was a purchase authorized by Brutus’ heads. Yuffie found out that Scarlet worked independently from the emperor’s personal guard, concerning themselves mostly with political opponents hiding either in their mansions or out in the countryside. Prompto found a list of their names and salaries in their sponsors house, and that list immediately went to Wedge for some digging.

A terrorist attack on the local police station was stopped due to a raid on a protestor’s home. Information on his plot and resources had been stored in a strong box inside the police station which Yuffie broke into several days prior. She’d used the money to purchase some explosives that Cindy began sprucing up when she’d arrived earlier that week.

“Scarlet and Brutus are our best bet on finding our targets.” Aranea said. “What do we know about Scarlet’s agents?”

“Most of them are former criminals.” Wedge explained. “My guess is that they’re receiving some sort of pardon in return for their services.”

“It’ll be difficult to sway Scarlet.” Claire warned. “Brutus has always been neutral, we should try them.”

“But that’ll cost money.” Yuffie said. “How much do we have to get locations on two prominent Duchesses?”

“You could always steal from them?” Biggs said.

“I don’t want to be on anyone’s shit list right now.” Aranea said. “treeline might have bought something useful, and they don’t have the resources to find us.”

“None of their computers are on a network.” Said Wedge. “Someone’s going to have to break in and get me on.”

“Okay. CIndy I’ll have you do that, Prompto you go as back up. Biggs keep an eye on Scarlet, once they know we’re here they’re going to be on us.”

With a path decided they all had to move quickly. He and Cindy headed out to treeline’s base after the city wide curfew took effect. It wasn’t as easy as they hoped with patrols filling the streets, but sticking to the rooftops provided a safe path. They made it across to the lower end of town where patrols were more constant. treeline’s base was a series of houses next to one another with look outs stationed on ledges on the outside houses. Prompto sat on a roof across from them and watched as Cindy ducked inside.

The trick with sneaking into an area as small as a home was to take your time. treeline likely did not have anyone patrolling their interiors and a lookout always had moments of inattentiveness. Cindy slipped inside a back window when one of the lookouts ducked down to light her cigarette.

Prompto ducked behind a wall during a passing patrol. Across the way the look outs ducked inside as well. The unified footsteps of the patrol echoed down the street, growing louder as they approached and softer when they passed by. Prompto stuck his head out to find that the look outs were back at their station still completely unaware of an intruder. For half an hour nothing happened, and Prompto began to wonder if he should phone in to see if something was wrong. But he avoided it, and his earpiece finally crackled just past midnight.

“I’m downloading the files.” Wedge said.

Soon after Cindy vaulted out of a window and they met up further down the street. Wedge gave them the run down as they headed back.

“I have one video of the exchange, but it’s too blurry to make out what the paper says. It looks like they scanned it in though because I can reassemble Brutus’ invisible I.D from the file.” Some silence. “They were getting information of Countess Lilah Tretch’s location. She’s a friend of one of our targets. Don’t know if she would know of their location.”

Wedge went silent for five minutes then came back with more info. There was corruption within the guard and a controversial vote to end the war that would never fly with the, very wealthy, weapons manufacturers and military sector. Another thing of note was a special gathering scheduled for three weeks in the capitol. Several nobles would be there, but there was no word on the emperor or their targets so Aranea was quick to label it a mid priority. He and Cindy arrived back at the safehouse just as Aranea came up with a plan.

“Claire, Yuffie. Go find this woman.” Aranea said. She handed Claire a wad of Niflheim notes, “Once you locate her let me know. Capture her if you can and extract what you can. Call Vincent if you need to.”

They left. And the rest of them waited. Aranea decided they had to spend their time wisely, and they were all assigned one or two known agents from other groups to follow and report on. Prompto ended up trailing a woman named Blair Connors, an ex-felon and professional hacker. She could most often be seen at one of the many coffee shops in town on her laptop. Prompto grabbed a spare laptop and spent his first day typing up a terrible screenplay about a man who wanted to open a coffee shop in the desert.

It was boring but important. He could see about half of Blair’s screen so he kept an eye on when she was attacking something and when she was just browsing a random website. He noticed that when she went up for a coffee that it typically meant she was going to attempt to hack into something, and on the fifth day began letting Wedge know so they could keep tabs on what she was doing.

On the sixth day he sat down for five hours and saw her do nothing but watch cat videos and research how to hand make a desk. It was boring, and he ended up downing two cups of coffee as he waited around for her to do something. Around noon Prompto went to stretch out his wrist he spied writing on his wrist.

What are you doing? In Noctis’ scratchy hand. Prompto searched through the laptop bag to find an old pen to answer with.

     Work. Y?  

 Bored. We’ve been considering asking Aranea for a job.

I’m watching Gladio do push ups with Ignis on his back. Luna wrote

     Fun. But I don’t know what you could do. It’s pretty delicate out here.  

What’s the plan then? Noctis wrote. We just sit here?

Blair packed up her laptop, Prompto dropped the conversation to follow her. She took a lap around the empty, unkept park then headed up to her apartment nearby. He watched the outside for an hour before calling it quits and heading back to the safehouse.

In the safehouse most people were asleep. But Aranea and Wedge were awake. On one of the laptop screens a dot slowly traveled across a map of the northern countryside.

“Claire and Yuffie were compromised.” Aranea announced. “Yuffie’s in a hospital right now. The countess is heading to a backup location, we don’t know where yet.”

“Is that a tracker on her?”

“Yes, you’ll need to leave soon to follow her.” She sighed. “I’m also letting you take Luna and Noctis. I’m a little nervous with them both being here, they’re too recognizable.”

“Being in Niflheim’s capitol is the last place anyone would expect to look.”

“Same with the countryside.” She tossed him a go bag full of equipment. “No loose ends.”

He checked the bag. There was a distress radio, a combat knife, a variety of scramblers and portable code breakers, and documents to get a train out towards the country. He added a second knife and a tourniquet, but there wasn’t much else he felt like adding to the already incriminating bag.

He found Luna and Noctis in their room playing a card game. They both looked surprised when he opened the door and handed them their papers.

“You guys want to go on a mission with me?”

---

Noctis would have done anything to get out of that safehouse, but he wasn’t expecting to be allowed out of the horrible city entirely. He felt a giant weight lift off his chest as the view outside the train window changed from bleak, grey buildings to the sprawling icescape of the freezing countryside. People slowly got off at stops for suburban towns until it was just them in a car heading to a remote village six hours away from the capitol.

“This is our stop.” Prompto said. He gathered up their food bag while Luna took a second to crack her back before they all headed towards the door.

The door opened and a rush of cold air flooded in. Noctis pulled his scarf up over his nose and stuck behind Prompto and Luna. Prompto hadn’t told them what they were all doing, and neither of them asked. They simply followed him out of town through a mostly empty field. Past that there were no road signs, no civilization. He was a little worried about what they were sent out to do, but bit his tongue and kept close.

The snow grew thick and difficult to walk through as they made their way through a forest. They spooked a wild animal and it darted off, which made Luna jump. As it grew darker Noctis began wondering if he should ask how much longer when they broke free of the forest found themselves on an overpass. Under said overpass was a large estate next to a frozen lake.

The estate was large and crafted from beautiful, red wood and decorated with a gold trim. The house and manicured yard were both blanketed in snow like a christmas card, and in the lake a speedboat was covered with a tarp. There were several garages, and a large, security van had been parked several yards from the end.

“This is our target’s house.” Prompto said. He dropped his device in his bag.

“We’re going to kill them?” Luna asked.

“No, we need information from them. Wait here.”

Prompto left his bag with them and headed down the overpass into the basin. It was difficult to follow Prompto after that. They caught sight of him again when he was at the house fiddling with some wires in a small, metal box. He sat there for ten minutes fiddling and looking around before heading back up.

“What’d you do?” Noctis asked.

Prompto held out a little device that listed a bunch of different numbers. “They have a keycard system. There’ve been six unique cards used inside in the last two days.”

“So six people inside?”

“Probably.” He dropped the device back into his backpack. “They’re not going to respond to anything outside unless it sounds dangerous or affects the home. So I was thinking that we cut the power.”

“Where’s the line?” Luna asked. She looked down at the house, searching for a power box.

“We’re not going to cut it at the house, we have to cut it far enough away that it separates them and back up can’t arrive in time.”

In snowy areas the power lines tended to be obscured. Prompto started the search in a nearby clearing and they eventually found the box later in the evening when the sun began to set. Noctis stood watch over the house as Prompto broke the lock and flipped the switch.

Noctis saw the lights immediately go out, and immediately two agents were dispatched. He bided his time until the men were at the edge of the forest before summoning a lance and chucking it straight at the two.

The lance beamed one of the agents in the back of his head. That agent crumpled to the ground in a bloody pile as his friend reached for his gun. Noctis rushed him, knocking him to his back and stabbing him through the chest with his summoned lance.

Prompto turned the power back on to keep more from coming. He and Luna soon appeared to help him search the bodies for a keycard which were clipped into the guard’s breast pockets. Prompto had them leave the men in the snow where the one still living man would definitely die. Noctis felt guilty over it, but it wasn’t the first time he killed someone. It’s what had to get done.

“Luna, do you want to stay out here?” Prompto offered, as they approached the house.

“Why would I do that?”

“There will be more in there.” He said. “And we’ll probably have to kill them.”

He saw uncertainty dance across Luna’s face for just a moment. Honestly he would’ve preferred it if she stayed outside. One less thing to worry about in an active battle zone. But she didn’t. She squared up her shoulders and took a knife from Prompto’s bag. He couldn’t tell her no.

The real trouble came when they used the keycards to get in. They couldn’t just swarm the place in case they tripped a silent alarm so they all stuck close together slowly went through the house. It was big, but single storied. The entrance opened up to a kitchen on the right and a series of rooms on the left. They followed the hall and encountered an agent as he left the bathroom. Prompto had a knife through his throat before he registered that there were intruders. He and Luna focused on dumping the body as Prompto went further inside.

They met up with Prompto just as he finished downing another agent who was left in the hallway. By that point they’d already passed a second sitting area and a library, and were at the end of the hallway with one final door. One last agent and their target.

Prompto put his ear on the door to listen in for a moment. Once he was satisfied he held a keycard over the reader.

“She’s probably in there.” He said. “You guys deal with the agent, I’ll restrain our target.”

He held up his hand and silently counted down. Three. Two. One. Go.

He shoved the door open and rushed in, dodging the agent who was standing near the entrance to go deeper into the room and find the duchess. Luna was next in and the first to engage with the surprised agent. She jabbed the knife into his gut then got smacked over the head with the barrel of his gun in the struggle. Before the agent could fire his gun Noctis ran up and jabbed his dagger into the agent’s stomach. He collapsed, still breathing but soon dead, to the ground in a bloody heap.

Noctis immediately helped Luna up and cracked one of the few elixers he had over her head. The bruise that was forming on her forehead quickly healed.

“You okay Lu?” He asked.

“I’m fine,” She rubbed at the spot. “Is he dead?”

“Yeah. I think it’s all over now.”

“Does Prompto have the duchess?”

Luna didn’t wait for an answer. She crossed the sitting room and opened the door into the duchess’ proper bedroom to find the duchess, bruised and a bit bloodied, tied up on the lush, red carpet. Her elaborate dress was still on, but her hair had fallen out of it’s complicated bun. A wad of duct tape prevented her from speaking so she struggled against her bindings.

“Everything good out there?” Prompto asked.

“It’s fine. Is this her?” Luna asked.

“Yep.” He sighed. “This is her.”

[angstymarshmallow]

Day Five “Decisions” (Drake x MC)

[A little note: I enjoyed writing this a lot mostly because it was my poor attempt at writing a somewhat Most Wanted crossover with my MC from The Royal Romance. In any case, I hope it’s enjoyable! This is what I do instead of sleeping on the bus ride back]

[Summary: MC (Robyn) feels more alone in the entire world than she ever has before. An unlikely person will help her realize it’s more important to face her fears, than run from them]

[Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four]

There were nearly four hours to burn until her next ride out of Los Angeles. She had stuck to the downtown part of the city for a better half of an hour; thinking she needed a distraction to keep herself awake but it wasn’t long before walking the streets of L.A. were no longer providing her that same excitement she had once craved.

The city came alive at night; with street performers and the constant shifting in between crowds rushing to get to their next destinations – it was a little too close to her New Yorker lifestyle than she had prepared for. It overwhelmed her senses, caused her to stumble and bump into shoulders that hastily wanted to pass by. It seemed after spending as many months as she did in the quiet simplicity of Cordonia and it’s comforting countryside – returning to any major city filled her with anxiety.  

She quickened her pace in between crowds of people, until finally giving up entirely.  Her heels swiftly swept trudged past uneven sidewalks, until her eyes in their frequent skimming located a bar as solace from the rest of the noisy world. A little disorientated, she muttered apologies when she pushed past bystanders until she could cross the street.

Thankfully, the bar she spotted hadn’t been particularly crowded as she ducked inside. She uttered a quick sigh of relief before slinking onto a barstool. She could barely hear the bustling street corners anymore from inside her, and her shoulders relaxed immensely as she waited expectantly for the bartender.

She hadn’t given the bartender her usual winsome smile when she caught his attention. Her mind was elsewhere. The word had been on her tongue – whiskey and it nearly fell from her lips until she remembered him. Then she shoved all thoughts of that snarky man aside and opted for a dirty martini instead.

Her eyes watched the crowd for awhile as she waited for her drink. Originally, she stepped inside here because there hadn’t been a lot of people, but now she realized her mistake as she watched the influx mingle. There were mostly large groups, and every so often she caught sight of hand-holding and kissing,

Her stomach sunk and she heaved a miserable sigh. There was nothing like other people’s public display of affection to show how lonely a person truly felt.

She glanced at her phone on a whim as it begun vibrating. The screen had been continually flickering on and off all day and she had stared at it in dismay more than once at the several missed calls from Liam. She found it odd that he was trying so hard to contact her. He was the crowned prince of Cordonia after all and she was quite certain he had more pressing things to worry about than being concerned about the welfare of a New York waitress. Ex-waitress, she corrected herself.

She hadn’t exactly thought they would have held her job for her the moment she got back.

Nevertheless, it stung a little the more she lingered on Liam. The coronation was still fresh inside her head, and while she had never intended to marry him; she hadn’t seen becoming quite spectacle for scandals either. She also hadn’t stuck around long enough for answers either.

Every time guilt and regret wormed its ugly root inside her head, she reminded herself that she left for them as much as she did for herself. Even if Liam had been a good friend to her, she couldn’t exactly waltz back inside his or his best friend’s life anytime soon.

This was easier, she decided. Ignoring everyone that had been apart of that life was the easier decision. Painful, but easier.

Nevertheless, she found her fingers hovering across the unread text messages that had been sporadically sent to her over time spanning hours. None of them she realized, with clinging disappointment had been from Drake – but Liam’s messages had increased with alarming rate.

Dragging her hand through her hair, she sighed and bit her bottom lip as she stared at the phone.

Should she read his texts? Could she, knowing that she had complicated things far more than she had anticipated before she left? Her fingers itched to slide across her phone, until finally she dropped it on the counter and sighed again. Why was this so difficult?

“A bad day or long day?”

Her eyes darted to the sound of the smooth voice; a lower octave of well-sounding practiced precision and poise. The type that probably belonged to a man that could sweep any woman off her feet at any given moment. Her assumption was correct as her eyes settled on his flirty smile. “Something like that.” She murmured thinly, brushing stray hair behind her ear.

His rich brown hair was carefully sleeked back, as if he spent countless hours brushing until it had reached the pinnacle of smooth. As her eyes drifted lower, she noticed he was solidly built under his expensive Italian suit. Fine toned with every sudden movement. “I’m surprised to see such a woman like yourself out here alone at this time of the night.”

She arched a single brow at him, “A woman such as myself?”

His grin grew. “A beautiful woman.” He explained further then nodded at her phone. “Unlucky man, whoever he is. What a pity to let such an exotic creature go.”

Despite her dull mood, she felt her cheeks turn into a timid smile. “It’s more complicated than that.”

The bartender brought her drink to her attention, momentarily silencing their conversation. As she brought the liquor to her lips and felt its familiar taste settling her sleep depravity she felt the man’s eyes studying her.

“Women and complicated seem to go hand in hand in my experience.” The man extended his hand to her. “But I wouldn’t mind getting to know your type of trouble.”

“My type of trouble will make your head spin.” She replied easily, but found herself taking his hand and smiling up at him. His charm and enthusiasm was infectious. “Robyn.”

“Dave.” The man replied, teeth showing as he gripped her hand in his.

They were strong and steady, the type of hands that were surprisingly warm in a way that had nothing to do with the heat inside the bar. She dropped her hand quickly as she took another long sip of her drink. “Okay Dave, so what’s a man like you doing out here so late?” She averted his earlier question to her. “You don’t seem like the type to spend time at bars by yourself.”

“I’m flattered.” A cheeky grin. “Actually I was meeting with a friend but he’s gotten held up with something else.” He drank the rest of his drink without breaking eye contact. “But lucky for me, it brought me to you.”

“Unlucky for you since I leave in a matter of hours.” She quipped back. “I’m only passing through L.A., but” her eyes skimmed him again, “you seem right at home here.”

“L.A. is the city of lost angels,” he replied quickly. “I suppose in some ways you could say I’m apart of those thousands – trying to figure what they’ve been put on this Earth for.”

“You don’t seem even a little lost. In fact, I think -you think you’ve got everything figured out.”

“Do I?”

Robyn studied him, the way the light caught his eyes until his lips curved into a playful smirk.

He was charming, she would give him that and if her mind hadn’t been hung up on someone else she might have been interested in getting to know him better. However every time he smiled, she thought of Drake’s scowl and the way his tone went flat over little things she said.

Drake wouldn’t flirt shamelessly with her; wouldn’t even tease her unless he was in the right mood.

God, why had she allowed herself to fall so far?

Robyn dragged her eyes away from Dave and pressed her lips into a firm line, a gesture she had picked up from the man she wanted to avoid thinking of. Trying to desperately distract herself, she turned to him again. “Okay, Dave – does this whole bit work for you?”

“Bit of what?” He drew his eyebrows up with exaggerated innocence.

“The rico suave vibe I’m getting.”

“You tell me,” He leaned forward confidently, until there were only inches between them. “is it working?”

She wanted to tell him yes. In a matter of minutes sitting here with, she had enjoyed herself far more than she would have if she had been drinking alone. She emptied the last of her glass, “I think I need a bit more sampling to tell.”

Dave’s grin could probably break hearts, and for a moment she imagined what it would be like if she dallied with him any longer. He was harmless and he didn’t seem the type for anything serious.

“Let me get you another drink,” He nodded to the bartender.

“You don’t even know what I like,” she protested and was surprised to notice he had ordered flawless for her. “Impressive, but actually I prefer whiskey.” She sniffed, and watched his eyes flash with interest.

“That was going to my first choices,” he ordered a drink for himself after her second martini had arrived. “I’m sure there’s more to get to know under that coat of yours Robyn, and I intend to figure out every bit before the end of the night.” He angled his glass to hers, “cheers?”

She waited a beat before bringing her glass to his. “Cheers.” She responded with a small smile.

By Robyn’s fourth glass, he had tried to kiss her. She doesn’t remember seeing it coming, but she was acutely aware of his arm and the fresh sense of panic that this hadn’t been what she wanted when he was almost close enough for their lips to touch.

At the last second, she turned her head in other direction and those lips of his haf grazed her cheek instead.

Dave straightened up in surprise until a knowing look crossed his features as she stammered an apology. “So I take it that was an ex of yours you’re still hung up on then?” He lightly encircled her wrist with his thumb, but otherwise kept himself inches away.

“No,” she replied honestly, “Even more complicated.” She sighed, “I’m in love with his best friend.”

He dropped his hand, “Ah.” He muttered, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“And I’ve left without any real explanation.”

He cleared his throat again. “Ah, I see.”

“It’s…” she frowned slightly, “sounds awful when I say it out-loud doesn’t it?”

Dave didn’t answer, simply raised his eyebrows at her.

Robyn opened her mouth to explain and then quickly shut it back seconds later. “I -“ She blew out an irritated breath, “In a nutshell, it was a competition for a prince’s hand in marriage, except I fell for the guy’s completely emotionally repressed best friend and ended up leaving to not hurt them both.” She bit her bottom lip, “that was probably too much to tell a stranger huh?”

Dave seemed lost in thought before speaking, “You’re right, the matter does sound very complicated. I think I’m a little too tipsy to really,” he squinted, “understand the severity of what you’re saying. Are you in love with them both?”

“God no,” she interrupted. “Liam is a sweetheart but he isn’t mine. He isn’t the one.”

“And his best friend is, I take it?”

Yes. The word had came out of nowhere, and had nearly startled her with its resolve. Instead she settled for a mute node, “I really messed things up huh?”

He tipped his glass to her, “Yeah, but it could be worse.”

“How so?” They clinked glasses again.

He paused. “I don’t know, but I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

Robyn laughed and Dave’s lips curved into a smile. “Thanks.” She mumbled, giving him her first real smile all day.

“For?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Oh I don’t know,” she wracked her brain for some reasonable explanation, “for making me laugh, for making me forget for a minute how utterly sad and alone I feel – for just listening you know?” She finished lamely. “Even it it hadn’t been what you were expecting, I hope I’ve made your night better.”

His smile was instant, and his eyes warm. “It’s not everyday a woman resists me, let alone confesses she’s in love with someone else. All in all I consider this a really great evening.”

Before she could respond, she watched Dave’s screen light up a second before his eyes had drifted towards it.

His expression changed, hardened a little and oozed of professionalism. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.” He shot her an apologetic smile, even as she mumbled it was fine before he stepped away and answered.

Robyn couldn’t make-out most of his conversation, however she did catch the end-tail of it.

“Duty calls.”  He downed the rest of his drink, before quickly slapping down a few twenties on the counter.

“Going to meet your friend?”

“Actually, it isn’t about him. Summers can wait.” At her quizzical glance he added, “my partner needs me.”

“Ah, well it was nice while it lasted. Nice meeting you.” Robyn smiled up at him.

Dave gave her a wistful grin in return. “It was nice meeting you as well Robyn, though I wanted this night to end differently, I do wish you luck.”

Chuckling under her breath, “Maybe in another lifetime,” she responded lightly before standing to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “I don’t need luck for where I’m headed though.”

Dave inclined his head at her, and tucked his phone into his pocket before bidding her a final farewell. However, until he was nearly out of sight, he suddenly turned sharply around to shout her name.

Bewildered, she glanced up at him as he waved at her from across the room.

“Don’t give up on love Robyn! Take it from someone who’s regretted it ever since!”

Her throat tightened and although she couldn’t tell if he saw her, she mutely nodded before yelling thanks at his retreating figure.

Settling back inside her stool, she picked up her phone and finally slid open. Her fingers trembled as she slowly tapped her inbox. She closed her eyes for a moment, and chided herself for the fear gnawing at the pit of her stomach.

Taking a deep breath, she slid her fingers across the glass surface until she was fairly certain her eyes had read through all of her missed messages. And with every text, her heart soared.