#but it was more recently that i noticed they also move as a startle response

[the-moons-not-haunted-you-are]

fun idea for a poll I just had!

[mysicklove]

cw: sub! megumi, dom! gn! reader, overstimulation, handjobs (as always), dacryphilia, slight sadism in reader, slight masochism in megumi? teasing, "good boy" used once.

wc: 1.3k

a/n: i have been recently hating my writing style guys what do I do </3 also I did this instead of hw so tonight is gonna suck.

“waitwaitwaitwait!” megumi mumbles into your neck for the third time this night. you feel another round of tears drip onto your collarbone, and shaky hands grip your t-shirt in a plea. he was naked — his pale skin seeming to flush a shade of red, and his spine was curved as he caved in over himself.

your thumb circles around the tip, teasing it until you watch another glob of precum bead at his slit. you crane your neck to look at him, using your free hand to tilt his chin up to press a small kiss to his lips. “doing so good,” you mumble into his mouth, and he lets out a broken sob, “staying still and taking it. we don’t need any rope today.”

his whole body feels to be on fire, and with every stroke of your hand, a whole new wave of overstimulation forces another shiver. the boy's mouth hangs open, lip glistening from a mix of saliva from your mouth and tears. “you’re so mean to me."

“poor thing,” you coo, knowing that you aren't going to do anything about his complaint. instead, you use your thumb to brush away some tears. he sniffles at you, nodding his head to hopefully coax some more praise. but your mind travels back to your movements, your wrists twisting back and forth as you focus on the red tip. “but you look so cute like this, i can’t help it, y’know that.”

his head falls back onto your shoulder, and immediately, he plants kisses on your neck, nibbling at the skin to try and distract himself. the top of his dark hair was matted with sweat, but the tips of it tickled your collarbone. you use your thumb to rub at his cheek as you continue to stroke him off, ignoring his sporadic jerks of pain. “can you cum again? just one more time, for me?”

the noise megumi lets out is meek, pathetic even, and he shakes his head into your chest. he has begun to hiccup from the intensity of his sobs, and his hand hasn't moved from gripping fiercely at your shirt. "last one," he breathes, rubbing his nose into your skin, "p-promise its the last one!"

you grab his face again with one hand and begin to pepper it with kisses, successfully wiping away more tears as he whines with shut eyes. his eyelashes are globbed together, and when he opens them again, he narrows them at you, slightly peeved and scared at your lack of response. "promise," he manages to get out before he bites his lip from you rubbing your pointer finger over his slit.

"fine, fine, I promise," you concede, and your hand stops teasing him, instead fully pumping him from base to tip. the act makes his thighs tremble, and you push them slightly more apart to give you easier access. the redness of his cock contrasts his pale skin adorably, and you can't help you're staring as he continues to leak.

"it hurts," he whimpers, mostly to himself, because all he can think about is how overwhelmed he feels. his thoughts are spinning, and even just the slightest touches on other parts of his body seem to startle him due to him focusing his entire attention on trying not to rip your hand off of his cock.

you don't pay attention to the whine, instead just pressing more kisses to his flushed cheeks, nibbling gently at the flesh while he sniffles. but, even with all the complaints and whines he was letting out, you've noticed that his hips have begun to buck back into your hand, only making the lewd noise louder. he tries to pretend that it was you who was torturing him, but his movements were of his own free will.

"you like it now?"

"no!" he says much too quickly, flashing you panicked eyes. "i-i just. 's not my fault!" at this point, you have fully stopped your movements just to watch in admiration of the boy. he was desperate in his movements, and with each thrust of his hips into the makeshift hole a coo leaves your mouth.

"aw, look, now you're getting excited. do you want to cum, megumi?" you purr, brushing his bangs back while twisting your other wrist. his eyes roll back, and his mouth remains open as he lets out quick, short breaths. now, his noises consisted more of moans rather than pained whimpers as he started to chase his high.

"n-no—yes. fuck I-" is all he manages to get out before your mouth is pressed onto his. but he pulls away only five seconds later due to his rapid heartbeat and the need for oxygen to keep up with it. you just chuckle at him and increase your speed, eyes flickering from the sight between his legs and his flushed face.

his thighs begin to squeeze shut, and his moans begin to increase in pitch, a telltale sign that he is teetering near his high. you chuckle at him when he begins to latch onto your neck, planting sloppy kisses to whatever surface he can. "are you close?"

he doesnt even attempt to speak, instead just nodding his head lazily. the act makes you roll your eyes and squeeze just a tad too hard on his dick in warning. he lets out a squeak at the feeling, and this time he does speak up. "yeah. yes. yes. c-close."

you pet his head, satisfied with his answer. "good boy. you can cum, alright?"

another set of tears pools in his eyes, and this time you cock your head to the side. "why are you crying 'gumi? I didn't hurt you that bad, did I?"

"no," he sniffles, "sorry d-dont stop. feels good, don't know why I'm crying. just don't stop!"

"relax. relax. I'm not," you reassure, kissing his face again. "you're lucky you are so cute, with all your demands."

he ignores you like he usually does when you tease him, but you are unsure if it is because he is being his usual self or because he is lost in pleasure.

seconds later, his hands grab at your shoulder, and he goes silent for a breath. then, just as the first rope shoots out, he cries, "cuming! of fuck. fuck!"

your lover's entire body quivers, and his mouth latches into your skin as the first wave washes over him. his eyes roll back and his mouth falls open with a silent scream. more tears come tumbling down his face, and you watch as the most pathetic amount of cum tonight comes dribbling out. it slides down his flushed cock and mixes with the movements of your hands.

eventually, when he comes down from his high and feels the stinging lick of overstimulation once again, he immediately forces your hand off, pinning the white-stained limb to the ground with frantic eyes. then he turns to you, even with his body jerking every couple of seconds from the aftershock, and glares at you — it doesn't hold much effect, considering his cheeks were flushed red and eyelashes were wet with tears, but it was cute nonetheless. "no. more."

you grin at the demand and use your clean hand to ruffle his hair. "your wish is my command, princess."

he narrows his eyes at the nickname, and the man tears himself from your arms. "I am going to shower," he mumbles before using all of his strength to stand up. he takes a step forward, and immediately he comes tumbling down.

megumi pretends he doesn't see the way his legs are trembling, but you see the way his ear twinged red in humiliation. you, of course, use it to your advantage. "need a little help there, Bambi?"

"you're not allowed to touch me for a week," he grumbles but grabs onto your arm and lets himself be left to the bathroom. it was an empty threat, as they usually are.

[roseblog-rog]

I Guess I Do Belong in the Woman’s Room.

It’s always a scary endeavor: going into a public restroom as a trans person. There’s always that fear of being outed or shunned or screamed at or punished or SOMETHING. So many risks, all for pissing. But I digress, I have no time to worry due to how badly I have to go.

I enter the woman’s room to find a group of five girls doing makeup in the long mirror which spans the whole bathroom, lined with sinks and soap dispensers. The floor is white with recently cleaned tiles, the gray stalls packed together on the opposite side. The walls are a soft shade of pink that almost feels…comforting. Inviting.

Though no other people aside from the group appear to be in here, I move quick. I swiftly and quietly do my business and exit the stall to wash my hands, moving to the opposide side away from the group of girls, who are now giggling and applying their different colored lipstick. They’re all really fucking pretty, and I feel a warm blush creep up onto my face. I pray their laughter has nothing to do with me. That hope is short lived, however, as one of them—the one with red lips—speaks in a deep airy voice once I finish washing my hands.

“Hey girl, your fly is still open.”

Shit. Well that’s embarrassing. I nod and quickly fiddle with my zipper. I must’ve forgotten to zip it up after buttoning my pants with how much I was rushing to leave. Hopefully they didn’t notice my—

The one with pink lips speaks now, her voice being much higher and softer. “I’m sorry…but is that a bulge?”

Fuck. Now all five girls are glancing down at the bulge in my jeans. It looks so much more obvious in this new light. My face goes completely red.

“No! No. I uh…uhm…” I struggle to formulate an excuse, voice on the verge of cracking with how high and feminine I’m trying to make it combined with the tears starting to form my eyes. My worst fears were being realized, and the most embarrassing part is my gock begins twitching from all the attention.

Red chuckes and speaks again. “Hey, don’t worry girl. In case you haven’t noticed you’re not the only one packing here.”

The blunt response startles me, but with the invitation to look I now notice that all five of them also have bulges, though theirs are much harder than mine, which makes me shiver from…something.

“We didn’t mean to startle you.” Purple speaks in a rough, bright voice, elbowing Pink, who looks down in shame. “We were just, well,” she glances back down at my crotch and smirks “curious.”

“Yeah, sorry for the scary question. We get how it can be in public restrooms.” Pink looks incredibly guilty.

“Haha…yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to get so startled.” My voice settles in it’s natural state, which is still fairly feminine, though deep enough to warrant ‘suspicion’. The blush slowly fades from my face, the tears subside and my breath levels. I’m safe.

“Though I have to ask…why were you so afraid? You belong in here just like anyone else.” Blue pipes in with her quiet and monotone voice, raising an eyebrow at me.

I itch to leave, but something about the group is so comforting and intriguing that I endulge their curiosity. “Well…not really. I mean, I’m at a point in my transition where I’m much more feminine……” I trail off.

“But..?” Purple prompts.

“But I’m still so tall and lanky, my voice is deep, my stubble is annoyingly apparent…I guess I don’t feel pretty enough to be in here comfortably.”

The last member of the group, Orange, walks forward towards me at this response, clearly checking me out. I fidget in place as she gets closer. She’s taller than me, just an inch or two, but still noticeable as I slightly tilt my head up to look at her face. She’s beautiful. Her voice is so silky smooth it brings my blush right back onto my face.

“I think you’re pretty.”

I look down at the ground, my blush reaching embarrassing levels of red. I blush way too easily. “Thank you, uh, I think you’re pretty too.” I notice just how much my voice wobbles, whether it be from embarrassment or being so flustered.

Orange lifts her right hand up to my chin, using her pointer finger to gently lift my face back up to meet her gaze. I twitch again, ugh. “I mean it, how could you think you aren’t pretty enough to be here?”

She turns my body to face the mirror, and I really look at myself: my red and freckled face, my long blonde hair, my wide hips, my bulked up arms, my boobs…everything. Orange stands right behind me, softly smiling as she moves her hands down my waist. It feels so fucking good, I’ve always been so sensitive to touch…but…

“W..wait! I barely know you.” I stutter out as I move away from her. My hardening gock betrays my sentiment, but I ignore it.

Orange’s gaze softens. “That’s okay…forgive me for being so forward.” She glances down. “Though it seems like someone wants more.”

My face feels so hot I think I might just die. I can barely even get any words out, just mindless stutters. The only word I manage to speak before my mind completely blanks is “Please.”

Orange’s gaze darkens with a smirk. “Girls! Let’s help her realize just how pretty she is.”

The five of them now crowd around me, moving me so I once again face the mirror. I’m shaking, my now fully erect gock starting to drip as Red lifts my shirt off of me. Pink goes to undo my jean button and zipper while Black pulls them down. Blue undoes my bra while Orange once again begins feeling up my now exposed body. Despite the circumstances it feels so…freeing. So beautiful and—oh FUCK.

Red begins to kiss just above my right breast, leaving a very obvious lipstick mark. The five of them grin so simultaneously it’s almost terrifying. Almost. They all begin feeling me up while kissing me with their multicolored lips. I’m moaning and whimpering so much at this point that one of them exclaims “Looks like someone’s a noisemaker. She’s adorable!” However, my mind is so fuzzy and warm at this point that I can’t even tell who says it.

They’re pressed so closely against my shaking frame that it’s impossible for me to fall to my knees despite my wobbling. I can feel their hot bodies against mine, hear their heavy breathing as we all start to sweat. My skin begins to be covered with red and pink and purple and blue and orange. Little reminders of this wonderful group.

Soon enough one of them pulls my panties down and immediately makes an excited noise at my hard, dripping gock. “Holy shit! You’re gorgeous!” I then feel the now familiar sensation of a mouth being closed around it, a tongue starting to feel around it, and this earns several loud moans. The kisses from the other four girls get rougher and more sensual: sucking and biting and licking all over my quivering frame.

I feel bliss, seeing my naked body being marked and used and sucked by all these women, and I start to feel so beautiful. I notice the clear markings and lip stains…but I also notice my soft skin and nice curves and all the little things I don’t usually stop to look at. I notice how pretty and shiny my gock is, as each girl takes turns sucking on it.

I feel everything. There’s so much stimulus that I start shaking harder and moaning even more. I can barely hold myself up, but one of them is clutching me tightly by the hips to keep me from falling. “I want you to say how pretty you are.” Of course. Who am I to deny her?

“I’m pretty.” I barely get the words out.

“Again. Say it like you mean it.”

I feel myself teetering on the edge of an orgasm, a rare sensation for me with how far my transition is. I’m now completely coated in multicolored lips and bite marks and hickeys and various fluids. It’s…well, it’s pretty.

“I’m pretty!” I shout it this time, staring myself down in the mirror.

“One more time, you’re doing so good.”

“I’m pretty! I’m so fucking pretty!” I lock eyes with myself as I cum into whoever’s mouth is sucking me. I’m breathing so heavily I’m almost afraid for my safety…but these women are here for me. I’m okay.

They help me sit down and crowd closely around me, the scent of our sweat and their makeup becoming much more apparent. It’s all so wonderful and safe and relaxing that my eyes start to shut as they coddle me and play with my hair.

“It’s okay baby, you can rest.”

The last thought running through my mind is how pretty I am before I fade out of consciousness.

~~~

MY FIRST TIME WRITING SMUT WOAG!!! Because this is such a momentous occasion and I am so awesome, @xenasaur @lilithtransrights enjoy my cool lil thing.

[revelboo]

I was recently on twitter and i came acrost a post that said "A knight in clean armor has not seen battle". I started thinking about Sunstreaker and what it means to him.We all know Sunny has seen battle but we also know he likes to keep his armor clean.So I thought about it and i realized maybe he keeps armor clean not only because of his looks but because he can hide how truly terrible he is inside with a clean exterior....

Idk just a thought more Sunny and Sides?

(P.S. Happy Halloween!>_<)

Ooh, I like that

Can’t Finish What You Started Pt 5

IDW Sunstreaker x Reader, Sideswipe x Reader

• Venting as he tugs you closer by his grip on your arm, Sideswipe hesitates. Noticing the way his servos overlap, because even mass displaced you’re just so much smaller than he is, soft and warm. Fragile. Almost against his will, he remembers Sunstreaker warning him when he’d tried to keep a hold on you while you struggled. Accidentally squeezing so tight you’d been unable to breathe. And he gentles his touch. “For being so small, you sure do make a big mess,” he murmurs, reaching for your face again with the cloth. And little shoulders slumping, you allow him to wipe the corner of your mouth even as you glare at him, defeated.

• Fighting the urge to roll your eyes, you tolerate as he fusses over you like you’re a toddler. “You understand I’m an adult, right? That humans are intelligent? Not puppies?” You ask, because you’re not really sure he understands the difference. Or maybe he just doesn’t care. That anger buried under the wary fear is trying to bubble up to the surface, all vitriol. Making you want to lash out at him, especially when he’s a little more your size. Most likely you’ll just break your hand on his face if you smack him, but it might be worth it.

• Laughing at how frustrated you look, he reaches out to tap you on the nose with a servo, grinning as you lean back. Startled expression quickly becoming angry. “You think I don’t know that? Too cute.” Using his grip on your arm to gently tug you closer, watching you go up on tiptoes and slap your free palm on his chassis to keep from crashing into him. That glower you angle up at him does funny things to his spark. “I know you’re not a pet.” And he does, but how to explain the truth? Sunstreaker’s always there, always watching him. Worrying. Sideswipe doesn’t think he can stop at this point. That Sunny needs someone to care for, but he doesn’t need Sunny to look over his shoulder anymore. Always reaching out a hand, putting himself at risk to protect Sideswipe. Because the truth? It’s that he’d deliberately taken you for Sunny, not himself. You’re his responsibility, but maybe having something to focus on instead of trying so hard to protect him, will help Sunny.

• Blowing out a breath as his grin wavers somewhat, you tug against his grip. “Then why are you doing this?” Why ruin your life? For amusement? Boredom? Your absence has to have been noticed by now. Are people looking for you? Assuming the worst? What about your family? “Why?” You thrash against his grip, stumbling back when he finally releases you. That smile falling away completely.

• If you know the truth will you hate him more or less than he’s sure you already do? Sunny won’t open up to him, his twin always on edge, alert for threats since Kaon and haunted by the past. And he knows that Sunny sacrificed so much for him, suffered to keep him safe even if he won’t talk about it. He remembers that jangling fear, of temporary places to rest that had to be abandoned suddenly. Always moving. Never feeling safe no matter where they went, only the two of them. If Sunny can’t talk to him, maybe he can talk to you. It’s a gamble, he knows and not at all fair. But for Sunny? He’ll sacrifice anything, because it’s his turn to look after him.

Previous

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[sgnjimmy]

𝓙𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓻 𝔁 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻

a/n: I got this idea after one chat with the lovely human @tarotsandpotions a while ago. So this been here for months 💀💀💀 but heeeeey. i know im doing the event now but recently i got the inspiration to finish this draft that was actually rotting, so idk. here it is.

warning(s): mentions of violence, bruises, and a bit of angst (it gets better).

Today was fight night.

Joker wasn't a fan of fight night, especially since he started dating you — it was bloody, tiring, and humiliating.

He always felt like a dog in a cage doing some stupid trick for crumbs. It was pathetic, and today was no different.

As soon as it ended, he went to get his pay with Wooin and saw himself making his way through the door to exit the building as fast as he could without dragging attention.

Joker first went on the route for his way home but stopped on a store to grab a bite since you were probably asleep, and he didn't want to make a fuse at home by cooking.

He took his time eating his food there and then continued to make his way home, only to start to drag his feet on every step.

It has not been long ago since you moved in with him, and he thought he was used to you by now, but something always feels off when he's getting home from a fight now.

Joker's usual routine after every fight was to buy a few drinks from a convenience store, then head home to sit on his couch while the news channel was on the TV. He would sit there in silence with all the lights off, drinking the strongest drink he could find waiting for his thoughts to get blurry and his mind to finally get silent.

But now, he has you. And you rocked his world in the most violent yet gentle way. You came into his life and changed him, but also accepted him as he is.

Joker stops his feet when he sees he's almost at his destination.

Why does it feel weird to get home now? He asks.

He moves again after a couple of minutes, each step he takes so heavy he almost wonders if the world's gravity increased.

He highly doubts so.

Joker wouldn't like to admit it, but he was afraid. Afraid that you'd wake up one day and get tired of all his disgusting and sick world.

He wouldn't blame you. From the bottom of his heart, he wouldn't. It's just reasonable that you'll eventually go away and look for something better, someone better.

It wouldn’t be hard for you, he thinks. Anyone would be lucky to fall into the coffins of your heart. Joker knows he is.

But, eventually, when you do go away, he knows he'll be devastated — crushed even. It would hurt more than any punch he ever felt.

Argh, why is he thinking about this now?

He should just enjoy it while it lasts.

Sooner than he'd like, he arrives at his front door. With his bruised hand, he reaches for his keys, and with a bit of trouble he gets the door open letting himself enter the house.

Of course, the lights are off, and Joker doesn't attempt to turn them on. He just moves forward, stopping in front of the couch to lay on it.

He feels like he should turn on the TV given old times sake… but he agrees against it. Not only for your sake, since you have work and all tomorrow but also for his fatigue.

The couch, which can't even fit him whole, suddenly feels so comfortable for him, and he notices how beat he is and how strong the punches that hit him really were.

He is about to drift off and rest when the sound of a door opening startles him. He scrunches his face from the pain when he forces his body to sit up to see what's happening.

"Baby?"

Your figure appears from the hallway. Joker sees you rubbing your eyes.

"Did I wake ya?" He closes his eyes, and his head drops on the arm of the couch. His arms give up soon later, and he's laying on the sofa once again.

"No… Well, maybe." You smile sleepy. "I don't mind."

"Are you okay?" You approach him. "Why didn't you come to bed?"

Given his lack of response, you just sit down on the little table in front of him.

"Baby." You sing in a whisper. "Does it hurt?"

Joker feels your hands tenderly touching his jaw and moving slowly to his chin.

"Nah, don' wo'ry."

"Help me get you up. Can't have you sleeping on the couch."

You try pulling his arm, but he's not bulging.

"Baby, come on."

"M tir'd."

"I know, but you can't sleep here!"

Your boyfriend grunts, and then he slowly moves his body. You help him out how you can, and he's finally on his feet. You both make your way towards the bedroom.

As soon as you show him the bed, Joker falls on it, hitting the mattress with a tumpt. Snoring fills your ears no long after.

He must be really tired. Normally, Joker would take a while to drift off.

It pains you to see him all bruised and hurt, but you know it's not up to you to change his lifestyle. You're not with him to order him around. You're with him because you accept all of him. His messes and flaws.

Picking up a blanket from the closet, you walk towards your boyfriend's sleeping figure and put it over him. You move to the other side of the bed to accommodate yourself and lay beside him underneath the covers.

Joker looks good sleeping, you think. He looks happy... Without a worry in the world, and you wish you could keep him like that all the time.

"I love you so much." You tell him, brushing his hair with your hand. "You wouldn't believe just how much."

Moving forward, you place kisses on his forehead and cheek.

Joker shifts in his sleep and you feel his arms reaching for you. They wrap around your torso and bring your frame closer to him. His breathing hits your chest.

You're not totally sure if this relationship will last if you think it through. Both of your worlds are so different, but… But you'll stand by his side as long as he wants you to. As long as he allows you to.

Because with him you feel safe and sound, because with him you want to cry and laugh.

Because with him you have this need to protect the absolute beast of a man that lays sleeping calmly above you.

Because you love him.

© 𝙨𝙧𝙜𝙣𝙟𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙮 2023

[bedlamsbard]

Some concept writing! Deaging isn't usually a trope that does anything for me, but I've been toying with this particular concept for a while now, and wanted to play with it while I was still too discombobulated from moving to work on Home. I do have a pretty good idea of where this would go, but I'm not sure that I'll return to it as a full chaptered fic. also I would have to do a lot of research in order to make Sokovia like. work.

About 4.1K below the break; CACW AU. (Would be SteveNat but they don't actually appear in this sequence.)

*****

By the time Tony got off the stage and checked his constantly buzzing phone, he found he had twelve missed calls from Rhodey, two from Pepper, and one each from the Vision, Sam Wilson, and Clint Barton.  He stopped just past the curtain, waving off the dean when he tried to speak to him, and called Rhodey first.

“Who’s dead?” he demanded.

“What?” Rhodey said.

“Who’s dead?” Tony repeated, feeling his shoulders brace in anticipation of the response; he could think of plenty of reasons for Rhodey or Pepper to call, but the others weren’t very likely to.  Well, Vision, but not Wilson or Barton.

There was a momentary pause on the other end of the phone, then Rhodey said slowly, “No one’s dead.”

“Okay, so who’s been horribly maimed?” Tony demanded, glancing around.  No one was running toward him to tell him that there had been some kind of terrible Avengers emergency, so whatever had happened hadn’t hit the news or social media yet.  In his experience, there was no one more willing than college students to put their noses in where they weren’t wanted, and considering some of the people Tony had met in his life that was saying something.  “I know the Lagos thing was a shitshow, but I thought all of us were fine.”

“You need to get over here now,” Rhodey said.

“Where is ‘here’?” Tony demanded warily.

“I’ll text you the coordinates.”

“I got a thing.”

“Cancel it.”

“You know I’m retired, right?” Tony said, but he was already walking toward the closest emergency exit, ignoring the dean’s startled expression and attempt to stop him.

He had come in the helicopter, not the suit, which he was ostensibly trying to wean himself off of on Pepper’s insistence.  He’d built a suit into the helicopter, though, and it would be the work of a few seconds to get into it and take off; it would get him to the coordinates Rhodey had just sent faster than the helo would.  On the other hand, that would probably get the attention of all the reporters who had been in the audience and who were waiting for the press conference that was supposed to follow the event.  If Rhodey didn’t want the press to know that they were apparently having an Avengers-level emergency, then Tony wasn’t going to be the one to alert them.  At least not yet.  He wasn’t about to leave the helicopter parked here for some curious undergrads to dissect, though.

He let FRIDAY take the helicopter out of MIT’s airspace before he engaged the suit and fell backwards into the freedom of the wind, letting himself take a few lazy loops for the hell of it before turning towards the coordinates Rhodey had sent.

As soon as he got there, it was obvious from the air where the Avengers had been and presumably still were.  The complex had probably once been an old SHIELD facility, which meant in practice it had really been an old Hydra facility; that was presumably what had brought the team out here.  Not only was it in the middle of nowhere, but the area around the site was heavily forested; Tony guessed that none of the scarce population in the vicinity had noticed when the Avengers had flown in.  He could see the Quinjet parked on the remnants of a helipad, near the far end of one of the still-standing buildings.  The two other structures had both collapsed, one sometime ago from the look of the wreckage and the other so recently that it was still smoking.  Wanda Maximoff was sitting cross-legged on the ground outside it, holding a water bottle and looking shaky while the Vision stood beside her.  Steve’s shield was propped up against the Quinjet’s ramp, but the man himself was nowhere in sight.

She jumped as Tony touched down next to them, though the Vision looked as implacable as usual.  There was a long scrape across Wanda’s cheekbone and dust on her leather jacket and in her hair, but otherwise she looked unhurt as she scrambled to her feet.

“Where’s the fire?” Tony asked, putting back his faceplate.

Wanda looked like she was going to cry, and after a moment, Tony corrected himself and asked instead, “Where’s Rhodey?”

“Colonel Rhodes is on his way,” the Vision said, which turned out to be an understatement, since before Tony could respond Rhodey slammed down beside him, making Wanda jump again.

“Finally, someone sensible,” Tony said, turning towards him in relief. “You know I’m retired, right?  Emergency calls are supposed to be Cap’s thing.”

Rhodey had put up his faceplate when he landed, which meant that Tony saw his face go grim as soon as he heard Steve’s name.

Tony felt an odd looping sensation in the pit of his stomach.  He and Steve weren’t friends exactly, not the way that Tony was friends with Rhodey or Bruce, but they were friendly.  They weren’t not friends.  It took him a moment before he could ask, “What’s happened to Cap?”

Rhodey pressed his lips tightly together, then confessed, “We don’t know.”

Tony stared at him. “What do you mean you don’t know?  What about –”  He looked around at the compound again, taking in the overgrown buildings and leaning fences.  There wasn’t another living being in sight.  “What about Romanoff and Wilson?”

“Sam’s fine.  Natasha –”  Rhodey hesitated.  “She’s missing too.  Sam’s looking for them.”

“What?” Tony said, feeling like he had missed some important details somewhere.  “Missing?  How?  What happened?”

“It’s my fault,” Wanda said, clutching the water bottle to herself.  The Vision put a hand on her shoulder and she leaned back into his grip, her eyes sparkling with tears.

Tony turned to stare at her.  “What, like – you snapped your fingers and went abracadabra and sent them to Timbuktu?”

“No, I mean –”  She hesitated. “Maybe?”

“Maybe?”

“Nobody went to Timbuktu,” Rhodey said impatiently, making Tony return his stare to him.

“What happened?”

Rhodey made a helpless gesture, oddly delicate despite the bulk of the War Machine suit.  “Well,” he started, and then stopped before trying again, “Well –”

“Oh, god, they’re dead,” Tony said.

“They’re not dead,” Rhodey said. “That would be easy.”

He glanced up as Sam Wilson’s shadow passed over them, circling once before he backwinged and came in to land alongside them.  “No sign of them,” he reported grimly as his wings folded themselves back into his harness.  There was an empty spot there; Redwing must have still be off somewhere. “But I don’t think we were ever really going to find Nat around here, not with the woods this thick.”  His mouth twisted.  “Not from the air, at least.”

“What, like she went feral and ran off?” Tony demanded, more confused than ever. “And took Rogers with her?”

“Well –” Rhodey said again, then thought about it and admitted, “Well, actually, sort of, yeah.”

*

There was video.

It wasn’t very good video; FRIDAY edited it together from the War Machine’s, Falcon’s, and Vision’s cameras, which meant that it was jumpy and incomplete, overlaid by Rhodey’s and Wilson’s HUDs.  All three of them had been outside the building when whatever had happened inside had happened; the only witnesses had been Wanda, Steve, and Natasha.  Steve and Natasha were gone; Wanda herself didn’t seem to have a clear idea of what had gone down.

“There was a man –” she said, and then stopped, still holding the water bottle against herself like a teddy bear.

“There was a man, okay,” Tony repeated, prompting.  When she didn’t go on, he muttered to Rhodey, “When’s Barton getting here, again?”

“He’s meeting us at the compound,” Rhodey muttered back.  “We’re not going to find anything else here.”

There was something terribly final about that.  Tony looked at him sharply and said, “Nothing?”

“Not at this point,” Wilson said.  There was a grim set to his mouth that Tony didn’t like, though his expression was still a little baffled by the turn of events.  He didn’t know Sam Wilson well, since the other man had been Steve’s friend more than Tony’s and had only joined the team after Tony had left, but Tony knew him well enough for government work.

Tony glanced up, where the Vision was just visible hovering above them, using his scanning capabilities to search for Steve and Natasha.  The general consensus was definitely that they wouldn’t be found if Natasha Romanoff didn’t want them to be found.  Everyone seemed to agree that whatever had been true about Steve Rogers’ woods capabilities in 2016, his ability to get around in them in his current circumstances was probably highly abbreviated.

Tony went to look at the footage again, frowning to himself behind his faceplate, since he had had to lower it to watch the video.  From outside, the building had looked well and truly deserted.  He watched Steve, Natasha, and Wanda go inside, all three of them careful and wary.  For exactly twelve minutes, nothing happened – nothing visible from outside, anyway.  Then scarlet energy exploded outwards from the building, making Rhodey and Wilson bank away; Vision had stayed where he was.

For a few moments the energy hung suspended in a nauseating red cloud, like something out of a horror film, then all of a sudden it was sucked back inside as part of the building collapsed in a pattern that was uncomfortably familiar.  The video veered dizzyingly as all three men swooped in, the radios suddenly crackling with overlapping voices.  At the last minute Wilson pulled back and veered away to fly circles around the building; of the three of them, he was least maneuverable inside, where his wings wouldn’t do much good.

Tony watched the three views on the inside of his helmet, a rather nauseating experience.  Rhodey had to force his way through the rubble of the building, while Vision simply phased through it; Wilson kept looping the outside of the building, asking periodically for status updates.  It was through his HUD that Tony spotted the figures slipping out of the ruins of the building.  As Wilson swooped in for a closer look, he saw that one was a slight red-headed girl in black.  She was half-dragging a boy with her, tall and lanky and awkward with it; he actually tripped over his own feet once.  As Wilson stooped on them, the girl turned, a pistol in her hand, and shot at him.

He got one wing up to block the bullet, though the action dropped him a few feet in the air and gave the two teenagers enough time to make the tree line that had been encroaching on the courtyard.  The girl went unerringly to the thickest place, where Wilson wouldn’t be able to follow with his wings out, still dragging the boy behind her.  He looked back at Wilson, his eyes wide, his face thinner and younger than Tony was accustomed to, just like the girl’s was.

They vanished into the woods as Wilson swept after them and had to stop, dropping to the ground as his wings folded up behind him.  He followed on foot, or tried to.

Inside the ruins of the building, Rhodey and Vision had found Wanda passed out on the floor.  The shield was next to her, covered in a fine coating of dust but otherwise untouched.  There was no sign of Steve or Natasha.

Tony retracted his faceplate and said, “What in the Freaky Friday hell?”

Wilson took his goggles off and rubbed a hand over his face.  “They looked right at me and didn’t know me.  I spent twenty minutes following on foot – trying to, anyway, never found a trace of them.”  His mouth twisted a little.  “If it’s what it looks like, then that’s all Nat; Steve said that the first time he ever left New York was to go to Camp Lehigh when he was twenty-four.”

“It can’t be what it looks like because what it looks like is insane,” Tony said.  “Also impossible.  Where’s Thor when you need him, the guy who actually knows about shit like this?  How long has it been?”

“Four hours.  They could have reached the highway by now, gone anywhere from there if someone picks them up.”  Wilson grimaced.  “The way Nat looks right now, someone would have picked them up.  And she has a gun, so…”

“This is America, everyone has a gun.”  Tony started to rub at his temples and remembered just in time that that would be an extremely painful experience in the suit.  “Okay, just so we’re all on the same page and I know I’m not hallucinating, what…was that?”

Sam and Rhodey exchanged a significant look, Vision’s expression remained inscrutable, and Wanda clutched her water bottle more tightly to herself, her gaze darting to Steve’s shield.

“They’re kids,” Rhodey said.

Tony winced. “Yeah,” he said. “I was really afraid that was what you were going to say.”

*

Clint Barton was waiting for them back at the compound.  “What happened?” he asked as they all filed out of the Quinjet.  The question was obviously directed at someone who wasn’t there; Tony saw him waiting for Natasha and Steve to come out last, and when they didn’t he actually stepped up on the ramp to look inside, where the shield had been stowed in a corner.  His gaze went to it, then he hopped off the ramp and repeated the question, his face going serious.

He didn’t take the answer well.

“They’re what?”

Wilson made a helpless gesture in response, stepping aside to let the Vision tenderly lead Wanda into the compound’s main building.  Tony eyed them as they passed; Wanda still hadn’t offered any explanation of what had happened, though it was clear that she had been at the center of it.  He still wasn’t entirely sure that he agreed with Steve’s decision to bring her onto the team over a year ago.  Against Ultron, maybe, but that should have been a one-off as far as he was concerned.

Clint’s expression was grim.  “Let me see that footage,” he said when Wilson had finished laying out the situation for him as best he could, which wasn’t very.

He watched it silently once they were inside, then looked around at the five of them – Wanda and Vision had reappeared, Wanda out of her field garments and now in comfortable clothes, the Vision looking as imperturbable as ever – and said, “You know the problem, right?”

“They’re kids?” Tony said dryly. “Or – teenagers, I guess.”  Long experience had taught him how to recognize jailbait at a glance.

“No.  Well –”  He tossed his head, looking uncomfortable, and went on, “If this is what it looks like, then they don’t know us, they just know – uh, whatever age they…are.  Were.  Are?”

“Uh-huh,” Tony said warily.

“Nat was with the Red Room up until eight years ago,” Clint said, sounding like he was expecting that to mean anything to them.

“Yeah, but she’s a kid, so –”

“She was raised in the Red Room,” Clint said.

“Yeah, but they’re gone,” Wilson said.  “They have been for years.”

“She doesn’t know that,” Clint pointed out.  “And Steve –”

Wilson winced.  “He was a kid in the twenties and thirties,” he said.  “But – I’ve seen pictures from before Steve got the serum, and that wasn’t – that was Steve, Steve now.  I mean, Steve as a kid, teenager, whatever, but with the serum.  Which means whatever happened to him couldn’t undo that.”

They all looked at Wanda, who had sat down heavily on the couch.

“Wanda?” Clint said.  “What happened in there?”

She fiddled with her rings, not meeting anyone’s eyes, and then said, “I didn’t know he was there when we went in.  I don’t – I have to know someone’s there before I can read them.”

Tony gritted his teeth but didn’t interrupt her; he still didn’t have a good grasp on what Wanda’s powers actually entailed, which grated on him.

“Do you know who he was?” Clint said, sounding very patient.  He sat down on the couch beside her, his fists clenching and unclenching before he stopped them with an obvious effort.

Wanda nodded slowly. “Only from the papers,” she admitted. “I never met him.”

Clint blinked and looked around at the rest of them, his eyebrows raised.  Wilson had perched on the edge of the coffee table, clearly trying to make Wanda feel more comfortable by not looming over her, but Tony and Rhodey were still standing.  Vision had gone over to the kitchen to get her a glass of water; he returned, his passage eerily silent, and pressed it into her hand as he sat down beside her.  Wanda took it, then had to cup her other hand around it too to keep it from shaking as she took a sip.

“Our newspapers?” Sam asked. “Someone one of us knows?”

They’d all made plenty of enemies over the years and not all of them had ended up behind bars; theirs wasn’t a profession that guaranteed friends.  On the other hand, Tony couldn’t think of a single person who could have produced this result – well, not one that was alive, anyway, since according to Thor Loki was dead.  Even if he hadn’t been, this seemed a little too petty for Loki.

Wanda shook her head.  “From home,” she said, then clarified, “From Sokovia.  He –”  She said something in her own language.

“The equivalent would be a baron,” the Vision translated for her.

It was JARVIS’s voice, of course – it was always JARVIS’s voice, and now as always it made Tony flinch a little to hear it.  It had been his call and they’d needed the Vision to beat Ultron, but at seventh and last he still didn’t know if the trade had been worth it.  He hadn’t even thought about it at the time, what the real cost would be.

“A baron?” Rhodey said, his eyebrows climbing. “They still have those?  I thought the Soviets –” He hesitated, clearly uncertain whether or not it was a sensitive subject, but Wanda just shrugged one shoulder.  Tony did the math and realized that she probably wasn’t old enough to remember the fall of the Soviet Union.

His memories of the event weren’t particularly great themselves, since it had been the same year his parents died.  Even without that, though, he hadn’t been all that interested in what was going on in the Eastern Bloc; at the time the closest he had ever come had been when he and Rhodey had crossed over into East Berlin a few years earlier just to see what all the fuss was about.  He didn’t remember having been impressed.

“Families like that don’t forget,” Wanda said, with a faint note of bitterness in her voice. “A lot of them left when the Soviets invaded during the war – the Great Patriotic War – World War Two,” she clarified when they all looked blank.  “After independence, when the ones who left came back, they brought it back with them.”  She put the glass of water down on the coffee table and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and added dryly, “Some of them wanted to restore the monarchy, too, but nobody would vote for it.”

Tony looked at Rhodey, who shrugged helplessly back at him, then asked, “This guy have a name?”

“Zemo,” Wanda said, like that was supposed to mean something to them.  “Helmut Zemo.”

“Sounds German.”

Wanda shrugged again. “A lot of people in that part of Sokovia have names like that.  Some speak German, too.”

Tony remembered abruptly that he still couldn’t find Sokovia on a map.

“What did he want?” Wilson asked.

She hesitated.

Tony felt himself tense, unwillingly remembering the greasy feeling of Wanda sliding into his mind the previous year.  His fingers twitched a little, wanting the security of his suit back, but he had left it in the Quinjet and it would have to smash through several walls to get here.  Not that walls couldn’t be replaced, but it would be so messy.

Besides, Wanda Maximoff was, technically speaking, on their side.  Even if right now it didn’t feel like it.

“Wanda?” Clint prompted gently. “What did he want?”

She was quiet for a long time, long enough that Tony started twitching. His phone buzzed in his pocket, probably Pepper wondering what was going on, but he didn’t reach for it; he wanted to know what was going on.

“Sokovia,” she said finally, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.  She dashed it away impatiently with the back of one hand.  “His family died at Novi Grad.”

Tony felt a muscle work in his jaw.  “And?” he demanded.

Wanda was quiet again, and then she said, “I don’t remember.”

Tony opened his mouth to call bullshit and then stopped himself with an effort.  Maybe it was bullshit and maybe it wasn’t.  Right now, at this exact moment, it didn’t change anything.  They could get the truth out of her later.

Wilson and Barton joined him and Rhodey in one of the labs later, leaving the Vision to fuss over Wanda.  Tony, not being stupid and definitely not wanting to relive his teenage years, waited until the door had shut behind him before he said, “So she did it, right?  Whatever happened to Steve and Natasha?”

Clint grimaced.  “It sounds like it, yeah.  You guys see any sign of this Zemo guy?” he asked Wilson and Rhodey.

They both shook their heads.  “He must have gotten out while Vision and I were looking for Wanda and Sam was chasing Steve and Natasha,” Rhodey said.  “Ever heard of him before?”

The question was directed at Clint, who shook his head. “Never had anything to do with Sokovia,” he admitted.

“FRIDAY?” Tony said.

“On it, boss.”

“We’ll get something on the guy,” Tony assured the other three men. “If he was in the news, even in a shithole like Sokovia, then we’ll at least know what he looks like.”

Clint shrugged.  He sat down heavily and clasped his hands together, pressing them to his forehead.  “This guy’s not the problem,” he said. “Well, not great, obviously, but not the biggest problem.”

“Steve and Nat,” Wilson said.

Clint looked up. “Nat, mostly,” he said. “Steve’s probably harmless right now; he doesn’t know anyone.  Nat –”

“Come on, she’s a teenager,” Tony said. “I mean, a teenager with a gun, but –”

“She’s still a Black Widow,” Clint said meaningfully.

“You said that already,” Rhodey pointed out. “Look, whatever Nat thinks is going on right now, the Red Room’s gone; she can’t go back even if she wants to.  That’s not a problem we need to –”

“Just because the Red Room’s gone doesn’t mean that no one in Moscow’s going to pick up the phone if she tries to check in,” Clint cut him off.  “We did all the clean-up we could eight years ago, but there were loose ends that even Fury couldn’t get tied off; SHIELD never had all that much pull with Russia, even after the end of the Cold War.  And Nat’s high profile.  Leviathan – whatever Leviathan turned into – whoever’s running it now would probably pull out their own eyeteeth to get her back, especially if she can bring Captain America with her.  Leviathan was the USSR’s answer to the SSR and SHIELD,” he added in response to the blank looks he got.  “As far as I know, Russia kept the name, the same way everyone keeps talking about the KGB even though it’s been the FSB and the SVR for years.  As far as we know, they didn’t go belly-up when the Red Room fell, but that’s a big ‘as far as we know.’  And I never had all that much to do with the Russians anyway; it was mostly before my time.  You’re going to have to call Fury and Hill to find out more.”

Rhodey massaged his forehead.  “You really think Nat’s going to want to go back there?”

Clint’s mouth twisted. “It’s not about wanting.  That’s not how places like this work.”

“And Steve does know someone today,” Wilson put in suddenly.

“What, Peggy Carter?” Tony said, doubtful.  “She’s, what, a hundred years old?  You think he’s going to turn up on her doorstep?”

Wilson shook his head.  “If he’s a kid, then he hasn’t met her yet as far as he knows.  But there’s someone out there now that he did know when he was a kid.”

They all stared at him, and then Clint said, “Jesus.  Steve’s been looking for the Winter Soldier for years and getting nowhere, you don’t really think he’s going to find him now.”

“No,” Wilson said. “But Bucky Barnes might be able to find him.”

[hornkneebee]

//no warning tags applied, 502 words//

How irresponsible, Mark thinks. The Farmer is always stretching themselves thin. From managing their farm, running people's errands, fighting monsters within the shadows–the Farmer has a lot on their plate.

And despite Mark's initial indifference towards the Farmer, pity begins to well when he sees the Farmer sleeping so soundly beneath the tree in the Woodlands. Sleeping so peacefully that even the bypassing insects weren't startled by their moving chest.

Might be from exhaustion, he thinks. No wonder; day and night the Farmer goes here and there doing things of many sorts.

Mark sighs. How can the Farmer be so irresponsible. Sure, sleeping on the open grass under the shade of the oak tree seems nice, but he'd reckoned the Farmer might get rashes and itches all across their body.

Mark approaches the Farmer, crouching so that he can see the Farmer's face that is partially obscured by their straw-hat (did the Farmer bought it recently?), gently nudging the Farmer to wake.

Yet, the Farmer remains oblivious towards Mark's nudging. Instead, they lean more towards the tree, a small, satisfied smile etches across their face as they say "Just five more minutes," as though Mark was waking the Farmer up from their daily sleep.

Mark sighs, again. How helpless. With one swift motion, Mark hoists the Farmer up, craddling them protectively to ensure their security within his arms before walking. Their home is not that far, so it is not that far of a journey.

But such sudden movement immediately jolts the Farmer awake, their eyes widen as they were lifted out from the earth below before they begin to register the presence of strong arms around them, securing them in place. Only when the Farmer turns towards Mark does they speak.

"M-mark?!" the Farmer's mouth agape, still trying to make sense of the situation, "What are you doing?"

"Bringing you home," Mark says, his face stoic and cold as ever yet his tone betrays the warmth that already exuding within, "You're tired."

The Farmer doesn't know what to say to that. Indeed, they were tired.

"I..." Alas, there's no other appropriate response but a little, "Thank you... Mark..."

Despite his overall apathetic aura, his lips quirk upwards a bit, though not noticeable enough for anyone to notice.

"You know, it's amazing how you manage to keep all those plants alive..." he sighs, now the Farmer's farm is within views. He sees a vast piece of land decorated by nothing but crops that the Farmer had planted. Otherwise, there's untouched land beyond the fences.

"Yet you can barely take care of yourself." and Mark's expression soften a bit. He then looks down at the Farmer, who has a bewildered expression across their face.

"You ought to take better care of yourself, okay?" and as if the last wall had collapsed, the Farmer witnesses Mark smiling. Not at anyone else. Or anything else. But at them.

The Farmer smiles. Again, still confused, yet they're slowly taking in this development.

"Thank you, Mark."

⬦⬥⬧⬨✿⬨⬧⬥⬦⬦⬥⬧⬨✿⬨⬧⬥⬦⬦⬥⬧⬨✿⬨⬧⬥⬦⬦⬥⬧⬨✿⬨⬧⬥⬦

🌻A little note from me🌻

Thank you for reading! I hope you like this one! I really love Mark and the only other fan fiction of Mark is about him adopting a pet and I love it so much!!! To contribute to the scarcity of Mark-related content, I wrote this one just for fellow Mark-lovers out there!

Also, if you notice, the last few dialogues from Mark is heavily taken and inspired from his own dialogue in game;

Which I interpret as Mark softening up with the Farmer, which is a development I yearn for!!!

Anyway, again, thank you for reading and see you guys when I see you!!!

[acphengene]

Chapter 26 - Dining room table

₊ ⁺ pairing: Jay x fem!reader

₊ ⁺ genre: brothers bestfriend!au, college!au, neighbors/strangers to lovers!au

₊ ⁺ warings: smut, fingering, voyerism, dirty talk, use of good girl, reader is afab

₊ ⁺ synopsis: you move from sydney australia to seoul to get your degree, what will happen when you spill coffee on a handsome stranger?

₊ ⁺ taglist: open - updates every monday and friday - might update on other times if i want a chapter out sooner rather than later

₊ ⁺ note: it's finally here! Please let me know what you think of the smut, its not something I'm used to writing, which is also why it have taken so long to get published.

₊ ⁺ word count: 4120

₊ ⁺ masterlist

You were seated in the restaurant, leg bouncing off the ground as you bit your bottom lip. You were nervous, something you weren’t used to being around Jake. 

He had always been the one to have your back, even though the two of you grew up on different continents, he always had your back. That was until that night, where it all came crashing down. 

You’d never expected him to react like that, to lash out at you. It had broken you to an extent you never thought possible, it had highlighted every insecurity you’d ever had. You couldn’t help but wonder if it was what he really thought of you. 

You knew Jay had explained your past to him, but had that been enough to change his mind? He had apologized, but had he meant it? The anxiety had been eating you up from the inside out.

Deep in thought you didn’t see him as he entered the small restaurant. He was as nervous, if not more nervous than you. He had hurt the one person he loved more than anyone else. 

Whereas you wanted nothing more than to forgive him, all he could think about was how he could show you that he deserved that forgiveness. 

“Hey” he said with a small voice as to not startle you. You looked up, tears already threatening to spill. 

He had spotted you the second he entered the restaurant, and he had never seen you seem so small. You’d always been a force to be reckoned with, but this? He felt how his stomach twisted by the mere thought that he was the reason for it. 

“Hey” you answered, voice shaking. 

You were glad you had requested a booth in the far end of the restaurant. It was hiding you from prying eyes. 

Jake sighed as he sat down. “Come here” he said as he opened his arms up. A sob escaped your throat, and you had quickly thrown yourself into his arms. He rubbed his hands up and down your back as you sobbed silently into his shoulder. 

“I’m so sorry” he kept repeating like a mantra he was determined to teach you. 

It had been hard, you wanted to be strong for Jay and Sunghoon, and you knew the men would have your head if they knew you’d kept your emotions hidden from them, but you didn’t want to burden anyone. Least of all them with everything they’d gone through had been because of you. 

“Sit down lil’ Sim, and let’s get you some wine to calm down that head of yours, yeah?” He ruffled your hair the same way he had done when you were a little girl, it earned him a laugh as you tried to wipe away your tears with your napkin. 

Jake didn’t speak, he just held your hand until the waiter brought over a bottle, and as soon as he had gotten a glass of his own he chugged it. 

“Easy there” you said as you sipped on the red liquid, a small smile on your lips. But he noticed instantly how it didn’t quite reach your eyes. 

Red wine was somewhat of a tradition for the two of you, whenever you’d talked about your childhood, you had always done so while sharing a bottle or three. So it only seemed fitting that was what you were drinking. 

You had both hoped you could meet in a more private setting, but because of your recent move that hadn’t been possible. 

He ran his hands up and down his thighs. “Sorry, I’m just… nervous I guess” he said and you nodded in response. 

“I really am sorry Y/N. If I’d ever known…” He began. 

You held up your hand. “Stop that, okay? I chose not to tell you for this exact reason, I knew you’d blame yourself” You said, your eyes as kind as they’d always been. Leaving him feeling even more guilty. 

“I talked to mom” he said. Confusing you a little by the statement. “Well talked might be the wrong word. But I texted her, so I guess I’m gonna cut her off too” he shrugged. 

“You don’t have to do that Jake, I know what she means to you” you said, but you couldn’t help the warmth that spread through your chest at his loyalty to you. 

He shrugged with a small smile on his lips, eyes as gentle as ever. “I know I don’t have to, but honestly I should’ve done it a long time ago. I should’ve kicked and screamed before letting her take me away from you. I should’ve insisted on staying behind, so that I could shield you from his schemes” 

He squeezed your hand a little. 

“I mean it Y/N” his gaze was firm, almost cold. “I should’ve stayed behind with you, I was your best friend, your big brother, I should’ve know you wouldn’t wanna stay behind” 

“It’s okay” you said with a small smile, this time squeezing his hand. Gaze locked on your fingers, you feared meeting his eyes. Afraid of them spilling the truth behind your words. Yes, you should have … 

“It’s not, and I’ll do my best to earn your forgiveness” he bent his upper body, forcing your eyes to meet his. “Okay?” he said as his grip tightened around your fingers. 

You just shook your head as to get the lingering thoughts of your father, your time alone with him, out of your mind. “I want to apologize too,” you said, voice small. 

“Sis you have nothing to apologize for…” His voice sounded almost disappointed. 

“I do… The second I started catching feelings for Jay I should’ve sat you down, then this whole thing could’ve been avoided.” 

He nodded. “That's true. But I think I at least needed it to happen like this. I know he can protect you now, I know he’s willing to risk everything to be with you… Even me” A small smile crept onto his lips, you saw how he looked down at his glass as he blinked furiously, desperate to get the tears that were now held in his eyes to disappear. 

“Don’t say that” you said, voice almost a whisper. 

He sighed. “It’s true though… I’m not saying it to be spiteful, and I’m not jealous, well I am but not like that. He deserves love as pure as the one you provide, just like you deserve love that I’m sure he gives you. And love like that should be allowed to come first, it should always come first” 

His voice was stern, but it was in a loving manner, he meant every word he said, you had no doubt about it. 

“Thank you” you didn’t know what else to say in respons. 

“Or I assume you love eachother, right?” He said, as he raised his brows, wiggling them. It earned him a laugh. 

“Yeah, it’s love,” you said as a blush spread on your cheeks. 

“Good” he took another sip of his second glass of wine. “Oh did Jay tell you that mom wants me to break the two of you up?” he said. 

Your brows furrowed. “Why?” 

He shrugged again. “I have no idea, but she was very passionate about it” 

A whirlwind of red was now to be seen in your glass as you groaned. “This isn’t over yet, is it?” 

He pulled you close before he kissed the top of your head, resting his cheek there afterwards. “No, I don’t think it is… Dad still need to find out we went against his direct orders” 

A dry laugh escaped you. “Don’t remind me” you looked over the menu, weighing your food options as the two of you sat close to one another. 

“Do you think he’ll be as mad as the time we played in the mud while at that, what was it? Flower event thing, in Sydney?” 

A laugh escaped you as you were suddenly reminded of you and Jake, 6 & 8 years old, bored out of your mind at some event your mother hosted and had insisted you join. You had at one point decided that the best way to pass the time would be to jump and throw mud at one another. In your pretty dress, in your pretty shoes, in Jake's first fitted suit. 

“He was as red as a tomato!” You almost couldn’t breathe as you remembered your fathers face as you strolled through the white hall of the building who laid on the grounds, soiling it with your dirty shoe prints. 

Luckily for the two of you, the babysitter had whisked you away before your fathers wrath had hit, and she had been replaced the next day. 

Jake smiled. A genuine, happy smile. And in that second, you knew you’d be okay. 

The two of you spend your meal and most of the night sharing memories of your childhood, laughing and crying, but only the good kind. And somehow you left the dinner, closer to one another than you had ever been. 

_____________

Jay had texted you after about an hour into your dinner, the texts were somewhat cryptic, not making a whole lot of sense. That was until that one message. 

I wanna bury my head between your thighs. 

The Uber ride back to the apartment had you bouncing one of your legs once again, but this time it was in excitement. You couldn’t help the biting of your lips or the fiddeling of your fingers. You were nervous. He made you nervous. 

You could feel how blood rushed into your cheeks by the mere thought of it. Is this really happening? 

You were no virgin, but the dating scene in Sydney was something else completely than that in Seoul. Much more conservative, so you didn’t wanna just jump into bed with Jay in case he’d be uncomfortable. 

The two of you had taken everything so painfully slow that your vibrator had been working over time when he wasn’t home. And you knew that he was as desperate as you were. His showers had gotten longer, colder, and the thought of him touching himself to the thought of you was enough to make you squeeze your legs together to get some sort of relief. 

You took a deep breath before you pressed the code to the door, finally letting you see the man of your dreams. 

The room was dark, only candle light, lighting him up. He couldn’t help but smile at you. You looked so pretty. Long coat, bare legs, little skirt. You were leaving so little to the imagination, and he absolutely adored you for it. 

As soon as you’d dropped the jacket, and tried to remove your stilettos he was right by your side. 

“Don’t.” He whispered as his cold hand came in contact with your warm cheek. “Keep them on” he said, eyes locked on your lips before he kissed you. 

He was needy, his tongue was instantly asking for permission to enter your mouth, as your hands got lost in his locks, pulling the roots, leaving groans to escape his mouth in between kisses. 

You couldn’t help but smile. 

“Such a tease, huh?” He said as his hands finally traveled down the back of your thighs, urging you to jump into his arms. 

“You have no idea” you said, kissing his nose before you did exactly that. 

His hands were big, holding you up by grabbing your thighs, fingertips teasing your bare skin. He walked you over to the kitchen counter, sitting you down on the cold marble, earning him a choked moan as your skin came into contact with the stone. 

He smiled at you. Mouth finally traveling from your lips to your neck. Nibbling and kissing your skin on the way. 

He always knew you would sound pretty, but the moans leaving you at this moment were enough to make him lightheaded. Dizzy. Drunk on you.  

“The boys aren’t here, so I want you to be loud for me. Can you do that darling?” His voice was in his lower register, and it lit a fire under you, desperately wanting to do whatever he asked of you. So you nodded, violently. 

He couldn’t help but smile at your enthusiasm. “Good girl” he praised as his hands slid up your back, pulling your top from your torso, leaving you in your small lace bra. Nippels perky when suddenly exposed to the cold. 

“You’re so beautiful” he whispered into your neck, before his hands came to rest on your hips, pulling you closer to him. 

Your mouth fell open as he pressed himself into your core, earning you both a loud moan. 

“I love you” you whispered in between kisses and grinds. 

“I love you too” he whispered back, as he kissed your neck, down your chest, cupping one of your breasts, teasing your nipple with two of his fingers. He smirked at your reaction, as his pupils dilated even more. 

He held you close to him, hands caressing your hips as he kissed from the top of your breasts down your stomach. 

He then quickly picked you up from the kitchen counter, the sheer height of it making what he had planned impossible. 

You couldn’t help but smile as he threw you around without a care in the world or any kind of struggle. It turned you on, him being as strong as he was. 

Before you knew it he had placed you on the dining room table. “What a fitting first meal” he said before kneeling in front of you. His hands caressed your calves as he kissed the inside of your thighs, urging you to spread your legs for him. 

“Let me help you out of those” he whispered, eyes trying to look up under your skirt to catch a glimpse of just how wet all the teasing would’ve made you. His hands snaked up underneath your skirt, pulling the useless piece of fabric that was your panties from his most prized possession. 

He then moved your skirt up around your hips finally revealing you to him. The way he was staring down your dripping core, you couldn’t help but feel self conscious and tried to close your legs in front of him. 

“Don’t.” he said as he spread your legs out in front of him. He couldn’t help the low curse escaping his lips. 

“You’re so pretty darling. Look at you, all wet and clenching around nothing, so fucking eager for me to touch you” he licked his lips, eyes never leaving your dripping core. 

He helped your legs over his shoulders, the back of your knees now resting on them. He steadied himself between them, giving the flesh a little squeeze. “Are you ready?” he said, waiting for the smallest indication of consent before he would lose himself in you. 

It felt like he had been starving his entire life, all of it leading up to this. You let out a whiny please, just before he starts kissing up between your thighs as his grip tightened on them. 

You feel how your breathing became heavier, as he got closer to where you needed him most. He’s so dangerously close you can feel his hot breath on you, but he doesn’t put his mouth on you yet. 

“God you’re beautiful” he says as he looks up at you with blown pupils, almost drooling at the sight of you so close. If you had your phone on hand, you would’ve snapped a picture of him, he has never been more beautiful or pussy drunk than in this exact second, and it makes your whole body tingle with anticipation. 

Before you knew it he dived in, tongue slowly licking circles on your clit. Your eyes close, as your body reacts instinctively to the sudden feeling of him. Your head falls back as your hands instantly find their resting place in his hair. It earns you a low hum from the depths of his chest, sending vibrations through your whole body. 

“God you taste so good darling, I could eat you for breakfast, lunch and dinner” he says as he comes up for air before diving back in. 

His hands pull you closer to his face, forcing you to lay back on the giant dining room table, arching your back as his tongue starts to drift up and down between your folds, slowly teasing your aching hole. 

“Please Jay” you moan out, as his tongue comes in contact with it. He stops and looks up from his hiding place between your legs. The loss of contact with his mouth making you whine in need. 

“Are you needy, huh? Need to be filled?” he says as if his voice has been dipped in honey. 

“Please” you just repeat as you lay your head back down on the table, expecting him to begin again. But to your dismay, he doesn’t. 

“Use your words like the good girl you are darling, no need to be rude now” he says before he tsk’s at your manners. 

Jay had always been respectful with good manners, and the fact that he brought that with him into the bedroom, somehow made him even hotter. 

“I need you to use your fingers Jay, just give me your fingers?” You asked as you finally looked at him with pleading eyes. 

“As you wish” he said before removing one of his hands from your thigh, before putting two fingers into his mouth to wet them. You moaned before he even touched you, the mere sight of him being enough to send waves of pleasure through your body. 

“You’re such a needy little thing, aren’t you?” he said, an open question he didn’t expect you to answer. 

His wet fingers slid up and down between your folds, collecting as much wetness as they possibly could before he entered your hole with one finger. 

“God you’re so tight and warm darling, I can't wait to bury myself inside of you” he said in a sinister tone before he once again latched on to your clit while he curled his finger inside of you. Earning him a loud moan. 

“Can you take one more finger? Need you to get used to the stretch if I’m ever gonna fit” he states as you whine out yes's before he adds another finger. 

“Fuck you’re taking them so well, you’re being so good darling, so fucking good for me” he says between his low moans as he pumps his digits in and out of you as you come undone on the table. 

You can feel the build up in your lower stomachs, and he feels it too, how you tighten around him with every push of his finger, with every brush of your clit or touch of your g-spot. 

The two of you are so lost in each other you don’t hear the door being opened, so lost that you don’t even sense the entering of your roommates. 

The two of you stop for a second as you hear the sudden sound of bags hitting the floor. 

“That table is for eating?!” You hear Jungwon scream out. 

Jay quickly removes his head from your core, drying his mouth on his t-shirt's shoulder as he pulls down your skirt to hide your body. Jay was smirking, he was kind of happy he hadn’t pulled your bra off with his teeth now, as it at least covered some of you. 

He looks at you with a sinister sparkle in his eyes. 

Jungwon quickly turns around to give you your privacy. But Sunghoon just shakes his head at his best friends as he can do nothing but smile at him. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what he’s doing,” he says with a small laugh. 

“If you don’t wanna watch my girl come all over my face I suggest you leave now, because I’m diving back in, in like 5 seconds” Jay says as he finally looks at the two guys, sending his best friend a smirk as he lift a hand with glistening fingers, as he starts counting down- 

Sunghoon rolls his eyes as he grabs Jungwon by the neck to pull him away from the obscene scene that is splayed out in front of them. 

As the door shuts to one of their rooms, Jay stands up between your legs, and starts to draw circles on your clit with one hand, as the other once again start pumping in and out of your heat. 

“You like that darling? Like that I’m showing them who you belong to? Like that people know I’m the only one who's gonna make you feel like this?” 

He says it all in between kisses of your stomachs and boobs, before he bites down on your bra and pulls you up in a sitting position. Finally allowing you to grind on to him. 

“Answer me darling” he whispers into your mouth. The circles of your clit growing sloppy, which somehow just makes him hit the right spot. 

“Yes, I love it. Want everyone to know I’m yours” you almost cry out. 

“I’m glad, thank you for not lying. My darling likes being caught, huh?” 

He adds a third finger, stretching you out so perfectly it makes you wonder how big Jay is if he needs to get you used to this. 

“God you’re squeezing me so tight, fuck!” He says as he looks down on his fingers as they get painted with your fluids. 

“Can I come Seong? Please? Please let me come” you whine out as you kiss him, tasting yourself on his lips.

“What have I ever done to deserve you? Such a good girl asking me for permission and everything… yes darling, come for me” 

As he finishes his sentence you grab onto his shoulders as you kiss him hard. Rocking yourself on his fingers, chasing your high, and when you reach it he looks at you as he moans out.

His hair clings a little to his forehead. Pupils still blown, as he smiles at you with both need and adoration. 

And as your breathing is steadying, he pulls himself from your core, right before he shoves his fingers into his mouth, cleaning every single one of them as he holds eye contact with you. 

“Park Jongseong, you’re fucking amazing” you say between breaths. 

He kisses your forehead. “So are you” 

You laugh a little as you look down expecting to see a massive tent in his pants, the lack of it worrying you a little. 

He picks up on your somewhat disappointed expression quickly. “Don’t worry, seeing you in that much pleasure is more than enough” he says as he pulls you closer to him, helping your skirt to cover you up once more. 

“Do you mean…?” You ask with big eyes. 

“Yes darling, the taste of you is enough to make me cum” he smirks. 

“Fuck” you whisper out before you lay back pulling him with you. He’s suddenly laying on top of you on the table, kissing you as you’re trying desperately to get him out of his clothes.

“No, nope, no no no!” You suddenly hear as a door shuts with a loud bang in the other end of the apartment. 

“Eating her out is one thing, but you’re not fucking on the dining room table!” Jungwon yells as he comes right at the two of you, forcing you to stop the moment you were both riled up again. 

“A little help?” Jay says as he looks towards his best friend. 

“If you don’t wanna be watched or interrupted, don’t fuck your girl in public places” Sunghoon says with a grin as he leans against the doorframe. 

You laugh as you hide your face in your hands. 

“It’s a little too late to be embarrassed!” Jungwon groans as he buries his face in the couch pillows. 

“Oh she definitely has nothing to be embarrassed about” Jay says as he looks at you with a loving smile, all the while he pulls a strand of hair from your face. 

He kisses your lips so tenderly you’ve never felt anything like it. 

“I love you” you once again whisper to him. 

“Come darling, let’s get you cleaned up” He picks you up bridal style and carries you to your room. 

“I’m totally gonna regret moving in with those two aren’t I?” Jungwon asks as he finally looks up from the pillows. 

Sunghoon plops down next to him before he turns on the tv. “Well if you think this is bad, just be grateful you aren’t living with Jake, he’s a lot worse. Like a lot!” he says laughing, before Jungwon screams down into a pillow.

₊ ⁺ Taglist: @addictedtohobi @deobitifull @blackhairandbangs @eclipse-777 @luvnicho @aerivrs

[marshmallowimagines]

looks better | bang chan

Honest to god Chan’s last day or so messaging on Bubble has made me really sad, like... I really wanna hug him. I don’t know what he’d going through but I know I struggle the same in a lot of ways and just felt like I had to write something.

also hi, um, i don’t write much? but i wrote this in one go cause i needed to get it out of my brain

cw: vague mentions of struggle with weight, image issues (if you have seen chan’s recent bubble messages you know what i mean)

“Chan… what are you doing?”

It was one thing to find your boyfriend standing in your shared bedroom half naked.

It was another thing to find him standing in your shared bedroom half naked with what seemed to be every piece of clothing he owned scattered across the room in a way that could only be described as a tornado having ripped across the space. Your lovely boyfriend stands at his mirror, a t-shirt clenched in his hands, seemingly shocked at you peeking into the room.

Your boyfriend startles, eyes wide and jumping in surprise like a deer caught in headlights.

“Ah, nothing nothing.” Chan shakes his head, immediately moving to yank the t-shirt onto his head. “I was just… clearing out my old clothes y’know?”

Though something tells you that your boyfriend was otherwise not spring cleaning, you make your way across the mess of space, eyeing all the clothes on the floor.

As you approach him you find a shirt he had definitely bought just a little while ago scattered in the midst of half his clothes. “Spring cleaning? Really?”

As you present the new shirt to him, his shoulders drop with a sigh.

It’s not believable in the slightest.

“Okay okay, maybe I’m not spring cleaning my wardrobe.” Chan holds his hands up in defeat, sighing and refusing in the moment to meet your eyes. “I, uh…”

He pauses, tugging on the oversized shirt he’d tugged on in haste. You won’t push him on the issue, mostly concerned about the mess, but after a few moments he continues.

“I think I need to go shopping… I don’t look good in anything I’ve bought.”

The surprise that crosses your features is evident; going from confusion to a scowl to a very fond but sad look at your boyfriend. “Chan, really?”

“I need shopping lessons clearly.” Chan huffs in such a way you almost feel overly fond, cheeks puffed out and hair tousled in a manner that really just makes you wanna mess with it more. Any other time your boyfriend would have been just in his boxers the situation would have ended very differently. “Nothing looks good at all.”

“Now that can’t be true.” You frown, and step forward to take your boyfriend’s hands. His hands, big and warm as always, seem to shake just the slightest at this series of events.

“It is though.”

“Chan, baby-” As you hold his hands, even when you comfort him, you notice his thumb gently ghosting across the back of your hand. You know this isn’t just about you comforting him though, you both take solace in being able to voice anything to the other. You don’t want to press him, but you coax him to explain.  “-is this just about the clothes?”

Chan’s next response though, is a lot smaller than you anticipated.

“I don’t think so…” His voice seems so tiny, so gentle, his hands gripping yours to ground himself. “...I don’t like how I look either.”

Though you sigh, a wince escaping Chan at the sound, you don’t mean to sound defeated. You keep tight hold of one of his hands gently, the other gently caressing his cheek. Your boyfriend still won’t look at you, and you know he’s afraid to admit the struggles that vortex in his brain.

It’s a difficult issue.

“I’m sorry I should have said something sooner instead of making a mess of our bedroom.” The weak laugh that escapes him is coupled by him leaning into your touch. His cheek is soft and warm, and the hum that he sighs is content. “I’ll pick it up I promise.”

You laugh and the grip of his hand laced with yours gets tighter, like he needs to ground himself further in your embrace.

“I’m not worried about the mess babe-” You take a deep breath and tilt his cheek up, eyes meeting. His soft brown eyes seem to plead to not be seen, looking elsewhere once again. The firmer grip on your hand is not lost on you either. “-I think I’m worried about you.”

Chan is silent for a moment, still refusing to meet your gaze. It’s almost as if he lingers on the clothes on the floor for too long, before finally glancing up at you.

“I’m sorry…” He sighs. “I think it’s just a passing feeling again y’know? Like I tried everything on and nothing seemed right… almost like I don’t know how to dress myself. If a stylist does it it’s one thing, it looks coordinated and everything flows. They like that. But when I dress myself I feel like I look sloppy… I don’t even know how to style my own hair.”

The frown that settles on your face is more of sadness than frustration. “Oh Chan…”

When his grip seems to be as tight as it can get, his following statement breaks your heart.

“Are you really sure I’m attractive?”

You suck in a breath, tensing.

Yes, your boyfriend and you both have your insecurities. They come and go like fleeting, burning shooting stars, leaving either of you exhausted and drained from fighting them. They stick and ache, flickering through your brains like bad black and white films. But the other is always there to comfort the one struggling like a breath of fresh air.

You tilt his head to look at you, his eyes soft and earnestly begging for comfort. Your palm that cups his cheek wipes away a brimming tear, and a faint chuckle escapes your boyfriend as he sighs. Just asking that single question seemed to make him all the more tired.

“Of course I do Chan.” You smile gently, cupping his face once more as you press a faint kiss to his nose. “I think everything about you is attractive.”

The chuckle that escapes him makes your heart warm.

“Even if I lose my muscles?”

“Even if you lost your muscles you’d still be attractive.”

“Even if I was bodybuilder buff?”

“Even if you were bodybuilder buff. As long as that’s what you want.”

“What if I dress myself in neon?”

“Might be mistaken for a traffic cone, but of course.”

As the two of you exchange banter, Chan increasingly gets more silly with each question. It seems like laughter seems to break through his fog.

“As long as you’re sure…” Chan breathes deep, eyes gentle and trusting to your words in the moment. The battle in his head is long from over, but in this moment he feels more content. “...thank you.”

“Of course I’m sure.” You hum. The hand of yours that held his is loosened, and you find yourself with your fingers clasping the hem of his oversized shirt that you’re pretty sure is actually now your pajama shirt you’d stolen from him. “You’re attractive inside and out. Even if I need to tell you every day, I’ll always be here to do it because it’s true Chan.”

“Promise?” Chan asks quietly.

“Always.” You confirm.

The giggle that escapes him seems to lift the tension in the room, soft smile finally blooming on Chan’s face.

“In fact, even this t-shirt looks really good on you.” You hum, rubbing the hem between your fingers.

Truth be told, you thought your boyfriend looked good in everything though. From stylist chosen attires to simple shirts and shorts. From heavy concert fits to the most casual jeans and polo shirt. Each suited him in a way you couldn’t explain, though out there somewhere there was someone with colorful vibrant passionate language to explain all the-

-well without getting too deep, needless to say there were a lot of things people found attractive about him.

“You think so?” Chan looks down at his ensemble; a huge tee and his boxers. “I’m basically in pajamas. I don’t look that good.”

“Oh I think you do.” You can’t help but giggle, pressing forward against your boyfriend as his arms find their way around your waist. This feels much more familiar. “But…”

“But…?” Chan’s strong arms wrap around you as he pulls you to him, the comforting rumble of his deep voice wrapping around you as he hums near your ear.

You grin against his shoulder, fingers from his hem skirting up underneath his shirt against his abs.

“You look really good in anything, but it’d look all the better on my floor.”

The exasperated laugh that escapes Chan is nothing short of the most beautiful bells.

[cupidjyu]

kiss me under the mistletoe!

(hyung line) what happens when there’s a mistletoe above the both of you

genre: this is literally so cliche, fluff, kissing ofc, shyness notes: so this was my christmas idea!!! btw, if you don’t already know, the tradition is that when there’s a mistletoe above you, you have to kiss the person that’s also under it. i just thought the idea was really cute and i hope you like it! its the first day of December!!!! also, if u don't celebrate Christmas, its totally fine :D just think of it as a great excuse to mwah mwah kiss word count: 1.1k

sangyeon

“are you busy?”

you felt a strong arm wrap around your waist, bringing your body close to his chest. you were just organizing the christmas gifts, getting ready to give them to your friends and family. 

you patted one of the gifts and melted into his incredibly warm touch. 

“i just finished, why?” you answered, your back still facing him as he continued to hug you tightly.

without a word, only a mischievous chuckle, he began to shuffle the both of you to another part of the room. you made multiple confused noises as he continued to drag you in such an awkward position. the doorway was where you ended up.

finally, he let you go. you turned around, giving him a weird look.

“sangyeon, wh-”

but then he interrupted you with an oddly loud voice. 

“oh! would you look at that!” he pointed up. skeptical, you looked, and there it was. a mistletoe that was hung, hovering over both of you. it must have been recently since it wasn’t there earlier in the day.

you snorted, feeling a bit flushed. you knew very well that he had put it up himself.

“really?” you eyed him, knowingly.

“really,” he nodded, looking incredibly proud of himself.

you shrugged and then leaned forward, waiting for him to kiss you.

he giggled and brought you closer with a smile. then, he closed the distance, giving you a longer kiss than the ones you usually share, his hand gently reaching up to cup your cheek.

“you planned this didn’t you?”

he only grinned in response. you laughed as he brought you back in by the waist, kissing you once more.

jacob

“y/n?” you looked up at the sound of your name being called from another room. “i need your help with something!”

you put down the christmas lights that you were just hanging up. you walked over to the bedroom where he was supposedly, adding decorations as well.

you paused when you noticed that he’s simply standing at the doorway. 

“so, i don’t know where i should put this-”

you interrupted him with loud laughter. he stared at you startled. but he also looked so incredibly fond, since he always liked when you were happy.

“why, what happened?” he questioned, his eyes wide and innocent.

you glanced at the mistletoe hanging right above the both of you.

“jacob, my love,” you pinched his cheek. “was this your intention all along?”

he only stared at you confused. but then, he looked up and he practically jumped at the sight of it. it seems that he really didn’t know it was there. he stared back down at you, looking incredibly flustered. his cheeks and even his ears were red.

“wha- no,” he shook his head, hurriedly. “i- i didn’t even notice! i think sunwoo put it there…”

you had to hold back your giggle as you stared at him with sparkly eyes. he looked so cute.

he continued to try to explain himself, in an utter panic, rambling on and on. 

"see- because i invited him in earlier so, i think..."

so instead, you took matters in your own hands and grabbed him by the collar. you brought him down into a kiss, your hand sneaking around his neck. he let out a surprised squeak at your actions.

when you moved away, the only thing he could muster was a simple, “wow.” he looked at you, dazed and breathless. and then he pulled you back in again, a widening smile on his lips.

younghoon

“oh y/nnnnnnnn!” you could hear your boyfriend singing your name from down the hallway. 

you were currently getting ready for a party, all dressed up and ready to go. you were just about to add your finishing touches when younghoon practically burst into the room, looking incredibly excited and mischievous. 

“hm?” you looked at him. he had one hand hidden behind his back. 

he smiled, cutely. “look.” he brought his hand out, and there was a mistletoe held in his hand. he stepped closer, and with his tall height, he easily brought it up over you.

you paused, only staring at him with unfazed eyes.

“really? right now?” you eyed him skeptically.

he looked at you firmly, “yes.”

“but-”

“you look lovely tonight,” he dropped the mistletoe on the ground. instead, he chose to wrap his arms around you, swaying you slowly side to side and you couldn’t help but melt into his touch, the christmas music in the background only adding to the atmosphere. 

“could’ve just asked for a kiss,” you grumbled. but you could feel your face start to warm at his blunt compliment and his cheesy way to ask for a kiss.

“no,” he pecked your cheek. “this is more fun,” he whispered. 

and then he leaned down, bringing your lips to his. your heart felt like it would explode as he placed his hand gently on your hip, still swaying.

hyunjae

“y/n.”

you were busy, setting up all the plates and cups for the grand dinner that the two of you had planned with each of your friends. it was all coming together, the multiple pops of Christmas colors on the table sparkling like a diamond. 

you turned around and marveled at how he was dressed, a simple dress shirt accentuating his shoulders.

you see his arm move in the corner of your eye and suddenly there’s a shadow blocking the light on the ceiling. a mistletoe. he’s holding up a mistletoe.

you huffed, feeling your ears warm up as you immediately avoided eye contact with him.

“no…” you complained. “hyunjae, it belongs over there-”

you try to reach up and grab it, about to put it in its rightful place. but then again, hyunjae is a tall person. you struggle and struggle to even get a slight grasp on it but he just keeps on holding it up even higher, out of your reach.

all of a sudden, you stumbled over your own feet. but of course, you were cushioned by a certain man’s chest, your arms instinctively wounding around him.

you stayed there frozen, feeling even hotter than before.

you cleared your throat, trying to back away.

“sorry-” but you were stopped because you felt a hand on the small of your back. you looked up shyly.

“hey there,” he smiled, his eyes twinkling as he craned his neck to look down at you.

you couldn’t even get a word in because he immediately threw the mistletoe behind him and brought you closer, against his chest. you let out a giggle as he leaned forward and kissed you passionately.

“you’re annoying,” you said after.

“all for you,” he cheekily smiled.

[tar-thelien]

I´ve had this idea for a fic on my mind for a bit over a year, and then suddenly I felt the need to get at least some of it down

Summary:

Elrond has found Maglor, who, consumed by sorrow upon hearing of his nephew's demise, has turned to madness, but perhaps he was mad even before that. The question arises – where has Maglor been during the numerous years following his abandonment of Elrond and Elros?

TW: past self harm

Words: 1546

Elrond´s POV

Elrond's sigh was heavy as he made his way into Maglor's chamber, seeking a peaceful evening in his foster father´s company, only to find his hope in vain when entering the room. 

"Atto...?" he tried to ask in a composed manner, “don´t you… never mind,” he paused himself with a shake of the head. If Maglor desired to wear a simple tunic and it was what was needed for the older Eldar to be content, he would let the matter be. They weren´t in public and with the Yestarë in just a few weeks bringing warm breezes at times, there was no risk of his foster father suffering from the cold despite his frail condition.

Walking towards the window where Maglor sat, with his cheek pressed against the glass as he playfully huffed to create shapes with his breath, resembling the innocence of a young child, Elrond moved a chair next to the older Eldar to have a seat for himself close to the other without bothering. He also carried a light blanket with him, for the possibility of Maglor suddenly feeling cold or just if the other needed something heavier to stay grounded and ensure comfort.

"Shall I open a window, Atto?" he asked. However, it seemed more like a rhetorical question, as he did not expect a response, particularly evident as time passed without any indication that Maglor had even heard him. The windows had been secured to prevent the distressed Eldar from attempting to escape and causing harm to himself, a precaution taken after his previous "escape attempts", as Glorfindel so unhelpful had called them, during his early days at Imladris.

Looking at his father and letting time slip as he found himself in a calm trans like state he failed to notice the moment when a servant quietly set a tray down on a side table, carrying two cups filled with hot, fragrant tea and a small plate of pastries. To his surprise, Lindir appeared suddenly, presenting the tea along with a book placed beside it. The book Elrond had recently started reading just the evening before.

Lindir, bowing deeply despite the tray in his hands, addressed Elrond, "Hîr nín, I have brought you your cream tea along with Hîriaur´s lavender and chamomile tea, that you told us to make him," he said as he carefully placed the tray on a nearby table, which required Elrond to lean in over himself and stretch his body to reach. Lindir was unaware of Elrond's struggles as his attention was stuck on Maglor, who seemed lost in his own thoughts, oblivious to the activities around him.

"Thank you, Lindir, that shall be all,” Elrond spoke his gratitude to Lindir as he raised himself from his seat to bring the table over, to avoid startling Maglor with any sudden noise by dragging the table over the floor. After ensuring the room was calm, Elrond settled back into his chair and addressed Lindir again, encouraging him to depart yet again, “Lindir?” he asked as he sat down, “you can you leave. I´m sure Maglor will want to speak later when he feels better.”

“Of course, Hîr nín,” Lindir said with a deep bow to no one in particular as he continued, "I was contemplating a theatrical piece and thought it would benefit from Níniaur's valuable voice of thoughts. I-"

"But it can wait," Elrond interrupted as he rose from his seat and calmly approached Maglor by the window as the evening sky started to dim.

“Yes…”

... rest on AO3

[lilveeblog]

HOH JJ headcanon

a short little drabble focused on a deaf JJ

“Jay it’s time to go!” Emily shouted up the stairs but received no response. “JJ!” she shouted louder only to once again get no response. Emily sighed and put down the car keys before heading up the stairs.

JJ was in her nursery, playing sweetly with her building blocks. she was rocking back and forth, keeping herself in a little rhythm.

“Jay,” Emily said softly from the door trying not to startle the girl.

“Hi mama,” JJ replied, rather loudly. Emily giggled and walked further in. She kneeled down beside the young girl and moved back her hair which was covering her ear. JJ didn’t have her hearing aids in, although Emily remembered putting them in that morning ready for work.

“Where are they baby? Why did you take them out?” Emily asked loudly, looking around the room - also partly signing.

“Loud,” JJ whimpered, tapping her ears. Emily understood that. Sometimes all the noises and sounds get overwhelming for little JJ. JJ, in her adult headspace, could usually handle it but little JJ struggled more with her sensory issues in general.

“Where did they go?” Emily asked, putting up her hands and exaggerating her facial features.

“Bathroom,” JJ said softly. Emily got up and went to the bathroom and noticed them on the side. She put them back in their case before heading over to the young girl.

“We have to go to work because mama has a meeting but these can stay out, okay?” Emily said to JJ.

“I play,” JJ replied, shaking her head.

“You can come play in my office,” Emily said, stroking her back.

“Play,” JJ whispered. Emily could tell she was in a much younger headspace which was common recently.

Ever since Emily and JJ found out about her hearing problems, and received help for them, she’d been regressing a lot younger. Whether this was a subconscious thing where JJ’s senses were working as hard as they do as a learning child or whether it was a way for JJ to cope with the loss of such an important sense. Emily didn’t mind, it just meant she had to keep an extra eye on her girl.

“Come on sweetheart, mama has blocks in her office,” Emily took JJ’s hand and headed out to the car. Although no longer allowed to work in the field, Emily had fought for JJ to remain a profiler. That way she still got access to the building.

Emily knew she had to be there for JJ even more now, but she didn’t mind. JJ was her sweet girl regardless.

[canidkid]

sorry you're not having a very nice time, friend:( but! i'm here to send some more superstore stuff if that's alright! :)

Kelly;

seems to be a big fan of lifetime/hallmark movies, so i just imagine her setting up a movie night! making popcorn and bringing out the warmest blankets to make sure you stay cozy while watching the movie.

she also just seems like the type to go all out for any holiday! like having a small easter egg hunt at easter, or dressing you up in cute matching costumes at halloween! she'd definitely be the type to get personalized stockings with your name on them for christmas, and do adorable little christmas crafts.

Jonah;

small hc that after the golden globes party, jonah was just so excited to show kelly all of the old commercials she hadn't seen so he could rant about them and so that she would 'be in the know'.

also just the quote, "i never yell. even when i'm mad. i just push it down really deep, and then sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night panicked and sweaty for no reason. " it just seems like something that would cause him to regress. i like to think it was something that happened while he was still with kelly (since he said it after they had broken up), and she helped calm him down afterwards. just like she'd do after a nightmare.

*weep* thank u for this TwT

I've been missing superstore stuff hehuhehe

This somehow spawned a whole little fic,, so,,, for everyone's reading pleasure

I'd say it's more agere adjacent than anything explicitly mentioned, but I really really love the idea of Kelly jumping to calm Jonah down like "No questions asked, you're getting a kissy on the head. Ok, goodnight."

cw: brief description of anxiety

Kelly turned over in bed, throwing her arm over her face. What time was it?! And why was she awake again?? She tried to glance at her alarm clock, only to realize it wasn't there. Moreover, she wasn't in her own bed, or her own home for that matter. She'd been spending the night with Jonah more often than not recently. She almost let herself drift back to sleep when she remembered why she'd been woken up in the first place.

She propped herself up to look at her partner through sleepy eyes.

Kelly startled slightly when she saw the state he was in. Sitting upright against the headboard, staring at the opposite wall, hardly breathing. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. His blankets had been kicked far from where they should be, and Kelly could see him trembling even in the dark.

“Jonah..?” Kelly whispered, not wanting to scare her boyfriend. “Did you have a nightmare, what's wrong?” Jonah physically flinched when she spoke up, which sent a pang of something unpleasant straight to Kelly's stomach.

“I'm-good. No nightmare. I'm fine, I'm good I'm-” Jonah's hasty response caught in his throat and he brought his hands up to hide his face. He fell silent again, and all Kelly could hear was his ragged breathing. She tentatively placed a hand on his back, like her own mother had done when she'd had a bad dream as a kid. She felt her boyfriend sob silently in response.

“Whatever it was, um, you're safe here? Yeah?” The sleepy fog in Kelly's brain was steadily lifting as she tried to understand the situation. She moved her hand in slow circles against Jonah’s back in an attempt to comfort him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and turned to look at her, still teary. “S’ too much, sometimes,” he croaked, his voice hoarse and small, “..everything.”

Kelly nodded. She understood. “Oh, I know,” she cooed, “you've been dealing with so much lately. Work's been crazy and with trying to find a place to live and-”, she stopped in her tracks. “C’mere.”

Jonah readily let himself be pulled into her arms, immediately tucking his face against her neck. Kelly noticed how tense he felt, and instinctively began to rock slightly from side to side. One of her hands found purchase in his hair, her baby blue manicured nails drawing soothing circles across his scalp. She pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “You don't have to think about any of that now.” She whispered.

They stayed like that for a while as Jonah's racing heartbeat slowed down, his muscles relaxed bit by bit - certainly aided by Kelly's expert comfort. Until, eventually, he just felt like a pile of sleepy goop in her embrace, instead of an anxious mess.

“Thanks”, he mumbled against her, feeling his cheeks heat up with the embarrassment of the whole situation. He felt so stupid and immature, like he should have rejected the comfort she offered and just…dealt with it. Like he always did.

Jonah shifted to sit beside Kelly, vehemently avoiding eye contact. “You should go back to sleep now. Sorry- sorry I woke you up.”

Kelly wasn't having that. She turned Jonah's face up with a gentle touch of her hand to make sure he was listening. “You don't have to go through everything by yourself, Pumpkin.” Kelly mentally kicked herself for letting the sillu pet name slip, but Jonah didn't seem to mind. He only responded with a tight-lipped nod, not wanting to cry again. She was just so sweet. Kelly gave a small smile before settling back down into her pillow. She held the corner of her blanket up, and Jonah accepted the invitation, crawling underneath and letting Kelly pull him close again.

…maybe it wasn't so bad to be fussed over.

[collettexjimenez]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐉𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐙 !

[cisfemale and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [COLLETTE JIMENEZ]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [LINDSAY MORGAN]. You must be the [THIRTY-THREE] year old [TATTOO ARTIST AT CRESCENT MOON TATTOO]. Word is you’re [INDEPENDENT] but can also be a bit [SHORT-TEMPERED] and your favorite song is [A MISTAKE BY FIONA APPLE]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [FISHERS COVE]. I’m sure you’ll love it! [mel, 23, est, they/them, no triggers]

TRIGGER WARNING: complications from childbirth, parental death, child neglect

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒.

Name: Collette Maria Jimenez Nicknames/Alias: Coll

Faceclaim: Lindsey Morgan

Age: Thirty-three Gender: Cisfemale Sexuality: Bisexual Date/Place of Birth: October 15th / Queens, NY Currently: Aurora Bay, California

Positive Traits: Hard-working, independent, confident Negative Traits: Short-fused, outspoken, aggressive Astrological Sign: Libra Archetype: The jaded

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘.

Collette was born into fire, one that was fueled by anger. Her parents relationship was fragmented when she came into the world, but this did not stop her from feeling the weight on her shoulders and trying to fix what was already broken.

Collette's mother, Camila, died soon after she was born -- due to sudden and startling complications from childbirth. Minutes after she held her daughter for the first time, she passed on.

While the husband and wife were on the brink of divorce, Joseph Jimenez made his daughters life a living hell from that point onward and blamed her for her mother's death. For the longest time, Collette believed that she had murdered her mother and deserved whatever pain was coming to her.

When she was thirteen, Joseph remarried to a woman who had two children of her own. While Collette thought that maybe, just maybe things would change considering that her father was happy and in love again -- they didn't.

Olivia, her new stepmother and Joseph fell into a repetitive pattern. Fight. fight some more. make up and forget about their responsibilities, specifically their children, in the process.

This left Collette more often than not to care for her stepbrother and stepsister as if they were her own children, something she certainly wasn't prepared for. Even still she tried her best to give the younger two the life that they deserved.

The moment she got her drivers license, she was driving her siblings to and from school every day and it was as if her parents practically dropped off the face of the earth.

By the time she was eighteen, she was packing her bags to move out. While the guilt over leaving her siblings behind was overwhelming, she knew she couldn't live another second in that house, for it wasn't truly living. She also hoped that maybe her absence would serve as a wake up call for her parents to get their shit together (spoiler alert: they didn't).

The years between then and when she ended up in Aurora Bay are a bit of a blur. However, much of it included a wide variety of odd jobs from retail to food service.

She couch surfed for a while, both due to a lack of finances and a fear of settling down somewhere for too long. She would remain avoidant for the remainder of her teens and far into her twenties, that is, until she discovered tattooing.

Collette had always been a very talented artist, but had little time to hone her craft until she left home. It had been the only thing that brought her peace. She stumbled into Aurora Bay when she was twenty-three, and soon began her apprenticeship.

While she hadn't anticipated to stay in town, years soon passed and folded over into each other. Before long, she didn't want to know anything else. She moved into a small place along Fishers Cove, somewhere where she could have her privacy and isolation.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒.

Collette has only just gotten back into contact with her two step-siblings, one now being in their late twenties while the other has just recently turned twenty-five (a connection will be sent into the main when I'm not being a lazy butthead).

Wears a whole lot of leather and black in general, and, to the "bad girl" stereotype -- owns a motorcycle that she's named Bessie. No, she won't explain why.

Her avoidant attachment may have not continued when it comes to where she lives, but it sure has when it comes to relationships. She is a fan of the one night stand, or so she says.

While a lot has changed since she left home, one thing that hasn't changed is her protective nature. If she cares about you, you're family. Period.

A bit of a spitfire, occasionally says shit at the wrong time. However, she's learning to catch herself a hell of a lot more.

MORE TO COME.

[rikinikigrl229]

"Crossing Paths With a CEO: An International Love Story" Ft Niki CH:9

CH:9

First Person POV (Lavanya)

As I walked through the bustling aisles of the department store, my mind still filled with thoughts of the organization and the impact we were making, I noticed a young boy browsing through the toy section. He looked lost in his own little world, mesmerized by the colorful displays.

Curiosity piqued, I approached him with a friendly smile. "Hey there! Finding something interesting?"

Startled, the boy turned to face me, his wide eyes meeting mine. "Oh, um… Hi," he replied, a hint of shyness in his voice. "I was just looking at these action figures. They're so cool!"

I glanced at the action figures he was pointing to, recognizing some of the popular superheroes and characters. "They certainly are! Do you have a favorite?"

The boy's face lit up with excitement. "Spider-Man! He's the best! I wish I could have all these toys, but they're so expensive."

His words tugged at my heartstrings. I remembered feeling the same way as a child, yearning for toys that seemed out of reach. "I understand how you feel. Sometimes, things can be expensive. But you know what? There are other ways to have fun without spending a lot of money."

He looked at me, his curiosity evident. "Really? How?"

"Well," I began, "my friends and I organize events and activities for a good cause. We're always looking for young volunteers. Would you be interested in joining us? You can make new friends, have fun, and maybe even make a difference."

His eyes widened in amazement. "That sounds incredible! I've never done anything like that before."

I smiled warmly. "It's never too late to start. What's your name?"

He hesitated for a moment before responding, "Jay. My name is Jay."

"Well, Jay, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said, extending my hand. He cautiously reached out and shook it, his excitement shining through.

Over the next few weeks, Jay became an integral part of our organization. He brought an infectious enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to our team. Together, we brainstormed ideas and worked on various projects, from creating handmade crafts to organizing mini-fundraising events for kids.

As our friendship grew, Jay opened up about his own struggles. He had recently moved to the city and found it challenging to adjust to a new school and make friends. Being a part of our organization gave him a sense of belonging and purpose, just as it had for me.

Third Person POV (Jay)

Jay couldn't believe his luck. Meeting Lavanya had changed his life in more ways than he could have imagined. He had found a place where he belonged and people who genuinely cared.

As days turned into weeks, Jay's friendship with Lavanya blossomed. They spent countless hours discussing their dreams, their favorite hobbies, and the projects they were working on. Lavanya became his mentor, guiding him through the ins and outs of organizing events and helping him develop new skills.

With Lavanya's encouragement, Jay took on more responsibilities within the organization. He discovered a talent for graphic design and started creating eye-catching posters and flyers for our events. He also helped manage the organization's social media presence, engaging with the online community and spreading awareness about our cause.

But it wasn't just about the work. Lavanya and Jay shared laughter and made memories together. They explored new places, discovered hidden gems in the city, and even had impromptu dance parties in their spare time. Their friendship brought joy and light into their lives.

Through their collaboration, Lavanya and Jay discovered the power of teamwork and the impact they could have on

others. They saw the smiles on the faces of the people they helped and realized that making a difference, no matter how small, was incredibly fulfilling.

As time went on, Lavanya and Jay's friendship continued to thrive. They faced challenges together, celebrated victories, and inspired each other to reach for the stars. Their bond became an essential pillar of their lives, giving them strength, support, and a sense of purpose.

Little did they know that their journey was just beginning, and the impact they would make on the world would extend far beyond their expectations. Together, Lavanya and Jay would continue to uplift others, spread kindness, and create a community that would inspire change for years to come.

Please remember that this story is my own, but I'm sharing it on different websites. Also, if you like K-pop edits, you can check out my Instagram or YouTube accounts by searching for CrazySinger22. I hope you enjoy this story and please vote for it. If you like my work, please follow me. Thank you

[liacontilde]

TXT - The Fanfic: CHAPTER 6

I woke up in the middle of the night, startled. Before I knew it, I was crying. I had dreamt that a car like the one from yesterday hit Soobin right in front of me and I couldn't do anything about it. My heart was racing, and I felt a lump in my throat.

I tried to calm myself down. I drank some water and got out of bed. It was very hot in my room. I opened the windows, trying to create a breeze, but it was very humid outside.

I approached the window and stared at the house across the street for a while. There was only one day left before the Choi family would leave. I hated the idea. I couldn't deny that the seven years I had known Soobin had been the best of my life. I also couldn't deny that what I felt for him was different from anything I had felt for anyone else before.

Looking back, I realized that I had been feeling strange around Soobin for over a year. His voice had changed, and his features had lengthened, making it impossible for me to see him as the child he used to be.

The truth is, I wasn't a child anymore either. It had been almost three years since I had my first period. My breasts, though small, were already developed. Plus, my hips had widened.

These weren't things that were normally noticeable, at least not when wearing a dress. But I had been going to the river with Soobin every summer, and I was convinced that under my wet clothes, these details became much more evident. I didn't think this had escaped his notice either, as he had also been more distant in recent years.

I think Lea was right. On several occasions, she had asked me if I liked Soobin. I had never known how to answer her because I didn't understand my feelings well, but she insisted and warned me that she thought Soobin did like me.

It's ironic. I had read and written about attraction and love hundreds of times, but I hadn't been able to identify them in myself. Until now.

My eyes filled with tears again and I sat down in my chair. I rested my elbows on the desk and buried my face in my hands. Suddenly, something caught my attention: a light had just turned on in Soobin's house.

I mentally calculated the position of the room and figured out that it was Soobin's room. I felt a cool breeze caress my face and had a hunch. I reached out and turned on the small bedside lamp. Within seconds, a figure approached the window and looked out. It was backlit and not clearly visible in the distance, but I could tell it was Soobin. I waved timidly, and the figure repeated my gesture.

However, the silhouette moved back into the house and the light went out. I remained seated, my cheeks still wet, gazing at the nighttime scenery. Suddenly, the door of the house opened, and the figure ran towards my house. I quickly stood up and leaned out the window.

Soobin arrived and stood directly under my window, gesturing for me to come outside with him. I hesitated for a moment. I didn't want to disturb my parents since they would wake up early the next day.

I signaled for him to wait and turned off the light. I quietly left my room and headed down the stairs. When I reached the landing, I realized the hardest part was still ahead: unlocking the bolts without making any noise.

I did it very, very slowly, more carefully than I had ever done anything before. I'm sure it took me several minutes to unlock all of them, but I finally made it outside.

Soobin greeted me with open arms, and I rushed straight to him. We hugged tightly and for quite a long time. We both remained silent and just stood there. I could feel he was sweaty and warm, just like me. I rested my head on his shoulder and asked in a very low voice.

"Are you okay?"

I didn't get a verbal response. I felt Soobin shake his head and hug me even tighter.

"And you?"  he asked, even softer than I did.

"I had a nightmare," I explained in a few words.

"At least you slept," he said, burying his head in my shoulder. "I have a thousand things on my mind, and my head is spinning. I woke up distressed from the heat to wash my face, and when I came back, I saw light in your room. I was worried you were going through the same thing as me."

I pulled back a little to look into his eyes. The lack of sleep gave him a more tired look and pronounced dark circles. Still, there was something in his expression that I found endearing.

I couldn't help but feel my heart pounding due to the stealthiness of my actions. I sighed, placing a hand on my chest, trying to calm myself, and after taking a deep breath once more, I said.

"Sorry. This is the first time I've snuck out of the house, and I'm not used to these levels of adrenaline," I tried to justify myself, letting out a silly laugh, maybe due to nerves.

"Well," he began. "I'm sorry you had a nightmare, but I was drowning in my thoughts, and I'm glad you're awake now."

"You know I'm always here for you, Soobin…" I said, gently caressing his cheek.

He gave me a sweet smile and leaned in, giving me a warm and long kiss.

"I could get used to this," he murmured, breaking the silence.

"To what?" I asked, curious.

"To your kisses."

As he said this, a playful smile appeared on Soobin's face, something I had never seen before. This made my heart race even more, and unconsciously, I bit my lip. I wasn't aware of my gesture until I noticed Soobin's gaze fixed on my lips.

His hands gently cupped my cheeks, and he kissed me again. Then, he slid them down my shoulders, wrapped them around my waist, and pulled me a little closer. I intertwined my hands behind his neck, letting myself go as the kiss became more passionate.

When our lips parted, we needed a few seconds to catch our breath. We both felt shy for a moment, but Soobin hugged me again, and we stayed silent for a while. Suddenly, an intrusive thought invaded me, and my doubt broke the calm.

"What will happen to us when you leave?" I said, taking a small step back.

He looked around, I suppose searching for the right words. Then, he placed his hands on my shoulders and looked at me intently, beginning to speak.

"Nothing. Nothing will happen," he expressed in a fairly flat tone

"But, what are we?" I asked, intrigued.

Soobin looked at the ground with a half-smile. After regaining his seriousness, he lifted his head again and continued speaking.

"I don't know. Honestly, I'd love for you to be my girlfriend, but I don't need you to be."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if I make you my girlfriend now, I won't be able to enjoy it." He paused. "I'm leaving for Korea the day after tomorrow, and I won't have the chance to introduce you as my girlfriend."

I remained silent, processing what he was saying. He was right. We only had one day left to enjoy each other's company, and it felt strange to think of living it as a couple.

"What then?" I finally asked.

He lowered his gaze and took my hands. After a pause that felt eternal, he took a deep breath and looked at me, answering my question.

"If you can wait for me until I come back next year, I promise I'll make you my girlfriend," he said, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

I threw myself into his arms, completely speechless. I hugged him tightly, filled with hope and excitement, yet saddened by his departure. I wished that moment could last forever.

"Youvre aware that our friends will find out about this soon, right?" I laughed.

"Do whatever you want. In Korea, I'll talk about you to everyone as my girlfriend," he shrugged, laughing with me.

The sky was beginning to lighten. We shouldn't stay out on the street much longer. However, Soobin and I seemed incapable of letting go of each other. We hugged and kissed playfully. Our laughter was so loud that I had to remind him several times to keep quiet.

Finally, we prepared to part ways.

"Do you think you'll be able to rest before the sun rises?" I asked, concerned.

"I don't know, but I promise I'll try," he smiled at me.

The distance between us began to increase. We were only connected by a hand and our fixed gazes when I remembered something I had learned in Korean a long time ago.

"사랑해요," I pronounced slowly in a sweet voice.

Soobin smiled widely upon hearing me and immediately replied, "나도 사랑해."

He quickly came back to me and gave me one last kiss before finally saying goodbye and returning home.

I slipped quietly through the door, burdened by having to lock the bolts again. After several minutes of tension, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed, my mind spinning with everything that had just happened. Not even in the most romantic novels had I ever read about a moment as serendipitous as two sleepless lovers meeting in the middle of the night.

"I am so lucky…" I said to myself.

I also remembered the words I had just exchanged with Soobin. It was the first time I had confessed my feelings to someone, and for a second, I thought that doing it in English was too much for me, so I decided to do it in Korean. I think it was a good choice because he seemed very happy to hear me.

I hugged the pillow and imagined it was him. Doing this relaxed me instantly, and I managed to fall back asleep despite the nocturnal adventure I had just experienced.