#but now we've gotten used to the glasses it's way more obvious that there's a load of weird glare and blurriness without them

[thethingything]

🍬, less than a minute after taking his glasses off, having completely forgotten he took them off: why is everything suddenly so blurry and weird looking

[autumnywinter]

Filthy Desires - Harper x Reader

TW: Obsessive behavior, doctor/patient relationship, past dubious consent, abusive power dynamics, mentions of hypnosis, male Harper

NSFW! MDNI

Reader is gender neutral + AFAB

You don't know how long you had been here, and you were sure Harper and the rest of the nurses purposefully kept that information from you. Longer than a month, surely. Long enough for the other patients to call you "Harper's bitch", that was for sure.

As offended as you were by the crude nickname they had given you, it was still undeniably true. Harper controlled almost every aspect of your life. Sure, he essentially controlled all the patients' lives as long as they were in his ward, but you were a different case. You got a certain kind of privilege (that's what Harper called it, at least) not afforded to any patient. Your room was always the closest to his office, meaning he could just "stop in and check in on" you any time of any day.

Sometimes, it was a simple chat. He'd ask you how you were, give you a quick peck on the lips, and leave.

Other times, it was more serious sessions. Sessions that went on for far too long and made you extremely exhausted for days afterwards. He hypnotized you into being complacent, dumb, and forgetful, but you knew fully well what he had been doing to you. There were moments he didn't even bother going through hypnosis first. Those times he was obviously more pent up and frustrated, which used to be rare, but now it seemed like he got like that at least once a week.

Occasionally you enjoyed his attention and praise, but the toll it took on you to please him had gotten so mentally taxing that there were days you considered trying to break out or notify the outside world. Unfortunately for you, Harper never let patients use outside technology like cellphones.

As humiliating and invasive as the daily routine was for you, he also showered you with attention you never got outside of the hospital.

"Time for your session," a nurse calmly notified you.

You nodded and walked your normal route to Harper's office. You've memorized the way after having to go there so many times each and every day. Harper sat behind his large oak desk, reading a file on another patient.

"Y/N," Harper greeted. His piercing pink eyes peeked out over the rim of his glasses. He had his straight blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it from falling into his face while he's working. He raised his hand in the air and made a gesture for the nurse to leave. Once the nurse shut the door behind him, Harper spoke again. "Come sit."

Obedient as ever, you quickly sat yourself on Harper's lap. It had became your usual spot at this point.

Harper peppered gentle, loving kisses along your cheek, jaw, neck, and lips. It was hard to understand anything about the doctor, but one thing he made obvious was he loved kissing you.

When he pulled back, he ran his hand through your hair affectionately. His hand traveled down your torso, rubbing and touching at whatever pleased him. He pressed sloppy wet kisses over your neck and ground his knee against your clothed cunt. You keened and leaned into him, grinding down on his leg in hopes of stimulation. He chuckled darkly, always amused with how needy and desperate you got so quickly.

"Do you know what today is?" he asked in between pecks along your collarbone.

You shook your head.

Harper trailed his finger lightly along your side. "It's your birthday."

For just a split second, you felt happy. But then you put together how long that meant you had been here. Your face fell. Harper hummed, noticing your shift in attitude. His warm, broad hands skimmed over your stomach.

"We've been doing such good work recently, haven't we?" he said, ignoring your sudden dejectedness. Harper was good at shifting topics subtly. You hummed quietly in affirmation. "Then tonight," Harper tilted your jaw so you'd make eye contact with him. "I can give you a special treat for your birthday." He kissed your nose.

"Okay, Doctor Harper," you whispered, leaning into his hold. His strong hands pressed into your sides, encouraging you to keep grinding against his leg. You weren't getting any real stimulation that way, but he loved hearing your whimpers and moans regardless.

You gripped onto the doctor's broad shoulders and arched your back, rolling your hips. Harper watched you with an intent expression on his face.

"What do you want for your special treat, darling?"

"Uh..." Your breathing was getting heavy and he could tell how frustrated you were getting not being able to come from humping his leg. Harper let a hand trail along your torso, stopping to rub your labia through the standard hospital attire you were expected to wear. Your hips shuddered at the indirect touch and a squeaky moan escaped your lips.

"Be descriptive. I can't give it to you if I don't know what you want." Harper rubbed your core faster, encouraged by the high pitched noises and half-formed words coming out of you.

"I-I don't know," you shakily admitted. You just wanted to cum, it didn't matter how at this point.

Harper raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Then would you like to figure it out on my desk?" He didn't even wait for an answer, next thing you knew, he had hoisted you up with a shocking amount of strength. He sat you on the cold wood and made a place for himself by parting your legs open. "So cute, you're soaking already," Harper muttered to himself. He rubbed the dampened fabric between your legs, cooing when you jerked and let out a satisfied gasp.

"Doctor," you whined.

Just as Harper planned on removing your underwear, there was a knock on the door. His usual composed expression was gone, only for a second. He stood up straight to smooth down his hair and fix his tie. "Under the desk."

His tone was soft but stern. You crawled under, sitting on the floor comfortably in between Harper's legs. Harper seated himself in his comfortable, office chair and pulled it in so you would have just enough room.

"Come in," he answered, already back to his professional voice. You sat in the dark beneath the desk and listened to the nurse come in, talking about something related to the medication being stocked low again.

They began exchanging words back and forth, but your mind wasn't on that. It was rather on the obvious sight of his cock straining in his pants right in front of your face. You looked up for any acknowledgement from Harper, but his attention was focused on the nurse.

Without any sense of urgency, your hands slowly trailed up his legs. Harper didn't bat an eye. You played with the buckle, undoing and sliding the belt off. Your fingertips skimmed along his trousers, feeling the shape of his cock with a gentle press and rub. A small sigh left his lips.

Unzipping the zipper, you reached your hand into his trousers and pulled his underwear down just enough to give yourself some freedom to work with. His erection stood tall against his abdomen. Harper glanced down at you momentarily, meeting your eyes right as you were bringing your lips onto the tip of his cock.

His fingers tensed against his pen in his hand but he said nothing.

"Doctor Harper?" The nurse was worried about his sudden shift in focus, which prompted his gaze away from you. "Are you okay?"

"It's fine," Harper answered a bit too quickly. His face was lightly flushed pink and he was trying his best to not give himself away. You enjoyed how swiftly he could lose his composure.

You hollowed out your cheeks and took in the head of his cock, rolling your tongue around to tease the head.

"Are you sure?" the nurse pushed further. You wrapped your lips around Harper and swallowed his cock deeper, inch by inch. A jagged inhale sounded through the office. "Should I go get you a coffee or some water? You don't look very well."

Harper coughed. "That's unnecessary. I- ah -just get back to work. Please. I-I'm busy. Very busy."

As much as you could get annoyed with him, he was cute stuttering like a mess above you. It wasn't a common sight, so naturally you'd want to take advantage of it. You took a slow, teasing drag up his length, stopping just as the tip left your lips. Harper was used to you being needier and greedy by now. Something as simple as a painfully slow blow job threw him for a loop. His hips jerked for the feeling of your hot mouth to be back on him, which you complied.

Once he was sure the door shut behind the nurse, Harper put down his pen, rolled his chair in further, and bucked into your mouth without warning. You sputtered from the intrusion of your throat being filled.

He wrapped his lithe fingers into your hair, holding you in place. Your throat swallowed around the thick length, and Harper shivered from the pleasant feeling. He was frantic to chase his release.

With a shuddering breath, he bucked into you a final time and came, keeping your head pushed down as he did. He looked down at you with a proud gaze. "Make sure to swallow, dear. It's good for you." He freed you from under his desk, still panting. He caressed your cheek once you resurfaced and kissed over your sensitive lips. "Good job."

"It was supposed to be my birthday, and here I was pleasing you," you grumbled.

Harper didn't seem to mind your pouting at all. He glanced at the clock in the top right of the room. "Don't worry, darling, you still didn't tell me what you want for your birthday." Harper's fingers brushed through your hair, straightening any stray hairs and loose strands. "I'm afraid we don't have any more time now, but I could pay you a visit tonight. Would that make you happy?"

Happy wasn't exactly the emotion you'd associate with Harper visiting your room late at night. Yet you nodded. "Can I have some birthday cake, too?" You couldn't recall the last time you had sweets like that. The hospital's version of sweets were fruit cups and yogurt. Harper must've noticed how excited you were at the simple mention of a cake since he smiled, a toothy and genuine smile. You found it a bit hard to believe that Doctor Harper of all people could do such a thing.

"I'll see what I can do."

[bitchfitch]

"He must have been Terrifying," Scarlett shivered, her porcelain hands clinking against her empty glass as she fiddled with it.

"I heard that by the end of it the prince was fully a beast. Sharp claws and everything," Brigadier nodded his agreement. "Ate the corpses that lab of his churned out if the rumors are to be believed."

Lou listened intently to them both, his eyes wide and curious as the monster hunters traded tales of the alchemist that had created his kind. "Why? Why would someone Do something like that?"

"Power... And laziness," Scarlett responded, "Probably. No real knowing now that he's dead."

"Laziness? What's lazy about a mad scientist going feral?" Brigs raised his brow at her as he took a sip from his own drink.

"He was still a Prince! The man must have still had servants bringing him meals. I reckon he ate those bodies because he was too lazy to leave his lab to eat something else."

"Cadfael didn't eat people," Montgomery sighed, "Ignore the rumors, Lou."

"How can you possibly know that," said Scarlett, "It's not like you were a fly on his wall."

"Why would he need to be a fly on the wall? Weren't you the prince's guard?" Lou turned his attention to his handler, not bothering to properly move in his seat and instead just twisted and reformed straddling it backwards.

"Wait- No fucking way. Montgomery isn't old enough to have been part of the court," Scarlett was about to scold him for lying to Lou but Montgomery just shrugged.

"Yeah, I was. For near on twenty years."

"How!? The man's been dead just about that long and you can't be a day over 25." her dolls face didn't do as much to convey her confusion as the rattling of her joints did.

"I'm 48."

"Yeah I'm calling Bullshit," Brigadier scoffed. "No fucking Way you're older than me."

"And that math doesn't even work out. Twenty years dead and twenty in his service means you would of only been 8 when you started guarding him."

Montgomery sighed, "It's been 18 years since he died, not 20. Noble families sometimes take on child guards, kids who's job it is to train to be a proper guard while giving the royal brat some companionship. I was 10 and he was 9 when I started working for the crown. Spent every single day between that first and his last at his side."

"How come you told Lou before us? We've known each other years," Brigs put a hand on his chest, his face pinched with mild hurt. "Thought we were friends."

"That's your gripe with this? He's a royal sympathiser, and Hid this from us!"

"Stop it you two," Lou scolded them, "He never told me. I figured it out on my own, and I figured it out because he was also the one who killed Cadfael. Not much of a sympathiser now is he?"

"You fucking killed Cadfael!?" Scarlet slammed her hands down on the table, breaking the glass under them in her disbelief. "Wow- Oh fuck, sorry, I'll get you another glass. No- You are the guy who took down that Fucker. I'll get you Three!"

"Shut the fuck up. We're not-" Montgomery grit his teeth, his hand white knuckled on the arm of his chair as he forced himself to calm down. He did manage to catch his temper before it could do more than make the wood under his palms smoke. Taking a deep breath and returning to his usual firm but neutral tone, "Do not celebrate his death in front of me. Cadfael was a Good man. He screwed up, and by the end of it he wasn't himself anymore, but I Promise you, the man I swore to die for when he was crowned would have Never done what he did."

"How'd Lou find out?" Brigadier tried to quickly divert the subject to something Hopefully less likely to make Montgomery furious. It was rare to see him anger this quickly, and rarer yet to see him struggle so much to real it back in.

"When we were investigating the bird monster that had gotten into the closed off parts of the castle."

"He knew more than he should've. All the hidden paths and nooks and everything. It was Real obvious... I even got to see where Cadfael died-"

"Lou, Stop. We're done talking about his death. Anything else." Montgomery didn't look any of them in the eye.

"Then tell us this," Scarlett sat back in her chair folding her hands in her lap to stop herself fidgeting and breaking things further, "What was he like?"

"Smart. Smartest man I've ever met. Liked to sing to himself while he was working. Always had to be moving and danced to whatever song was in his head when he didn't think anyone was watching," he considered stopping, his lips pursing with the split desires to keep all the little things they had shared between himself and Cadfael's grave, and to finally let himself speak freely and honestly about his long dead best friend.

Eventually it was the latter that won out. For just a single moment the Cadfael he had known so dearly would be allowed to remembered instead of what came later.

"He liked to be twirled, and always preferred to follow instead of lead. He loved citrus and oranges more than anything but hated the sinewy bits in them. Couldn't stand to have his hands be sticky so he'd spend hours carefully peeling them with tweezers and a scalpel if I didn't do it for him. He loved his brother and did everything it took to make the kid laugh anytime he came to visit. He had constant nightmares when we were teenagers and would wake up screaming for me. Every single time it happened he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep until I promised him I would never put myself in harm's way for him despite that being my fucking job. After he got sick he made me promise him I'd retire to the beachside and name a dog after him when he died because he hated the idea of me doing something as dangerous as being a guard." He eventually stopped, taking a shaky breath and blinking back against unshed tears. "He was a Good man."

There was a lull as he tried to collect himself, the others all mulling over the complete contradiction his words were to what they had known about the prince.

Before Scarlett or Brigs could bring up the endless questions they now had, Lou cut in, "I don't think monster hunting is less dangerous than being a guard... Did you get the dog the dog at least?"

That was the straw that had Montgomery breaking. He laughed through his tears as he tried to wipe them away, "I'll fulfill my promise when my jobs done. As long as there's monsters, there's no on who will remember Cadfael for who he was."

[theninjasanctuary]

Another unnecessarily long break, perhaps partly because I've got an upsetting number of tags open and even finding Tumblr is a hassle.

Swamped with work I'm not at all in the mood for, so I've been procrastinating as hard as I can, and spending money like there's no tomorrow. (Although to be fair, I did get almost a 15% pay rise.) Pet store order, The Ordinary sale, repurchases from NowZenith, big Sellpy order with the intent to try stuff on and probably return, etc.

Since we've had a relatively decent cold snap, I've at least managed the yearly chore of taking all my wool, silk, etc., items to overnight on the balcony as a means of moth control, and have reorganized my wardrobe upon bringing them all back in. I have actually done a decent job getting use out of my wintery sweaters - only 2 I haven't worn at all this year, and one because I'm too fat for it and am currently very over v-necks, and the other I will try to give a go, but will probably donate it in the spring (it's soft and not ugly, but I've since found better ones). Less so with cardigans, a couple of them I am arguably too fat for, again, but I've just got too many. And lots of trousers I'm not wearing at all, and haven't worn a skirt nor a dress in months.

I need to mind my calories a bit more. And aim for 150 min of moderate to intense physical activity per week, because I don't think I'm currently getting that.

In other news, am low-key freaking out over my eyesight, that is, my left eye seems to be extremely short-sighted now, to the point where using a laptop is annoying, since both eyes open gives me semi-blurry vision. I mean, one of my eyes has pretty much always lagged behind - not that I'm sure it's always been the same one; the lag showed up again pretty soon after I got laser, but the first eye doc I saw a year post-op at the same clinic, which should have paid for a revision in case there were issues, just fobbed me alllll the way off. (I should have refused to leave unless she answers my questions.) Then, a few years later at a different clinic, I got a prescription for glasses since I was becoming slightly short-sighted again, but once I actually went to get said glasses many months later, it became obvious it was not sufficient for the left eye, and now it seems there's been further deterioration. I've intended to see an optometrist this entire autumn, but haven't gotten round to it... am kind of thinking I should see an eye specialist on top of that. If it's just short-sightedness returning, I might consider another round of laser for one eye.

Sleep cycle is at a terrible place again, and it's depressing to only wake up while the last of the daylight is fading.

[lebomboniere06]

Eiji Akaso: "Mai-chan (Haruka Fukuhara) I always have been admired you since I was little" "Maiagare!" What are Takashi's future highlights?

Interview with Akaso Eiji, the serial TV novel "Mai Agare!"

——How do you perceive Takashi’s growth so far as you act?

Akaso: Takashi, I think you've become more reliable. In particular, when I read the script, I felt that the way he was close to Asahi kun (Akihito Matano) in the 12th week was very nice. It's similar to how Mai-chan (Haruka Fukuhara) interacts with people. Don't walk on your own, sit next to you and wait, cherish being together. And she observes, "What kind of person is this person? What are they interested in?"

Takashi is sensitive and has always been good at adapting to those around him. Also, through tanka, I strongly feel that by facing myself firmly, I am moving forward without hesitation on the path I am walking now.

Meanwhile, in the 16th week broadcast, the old man (Iwao Yagi / Naoki Matayoshi) hands over the key to the used bookstore "Derashine". Personally, I wondered why he suddenly disappeared, but I think you were overwhelmed by the feeling of being happy to see you. I really respect my ochan Therefore, it became a scene where nature and gratitude overflowed.

——There was also a scene where Bamba (Sachiko/Junko Takahata) saved Takashi who was worried by saying, “It’s okay to meet the people around you.” Are there any Bamba words that touched your heart?

Akaso: Banba have a lot of truthful lines. I feel that there are many words that remove anxiety, such as "It's okay to fail" and "It's better to accept yourself." There are times when you can't think of such obvious things. It's a simple word, but it really touches your heart.

After that, a scene was drawn in which my father (Katsu / Tomomitsu Yamaguchi) and my mother (Yukino / Kuwabata) approached each other in an attempt to understand Takashi. I got a call. I myself felt a strong sense of family ties in this scene, and I thought it was really wonderful how the two of them tried so hard to understand each other.

——Akso-san, have you ever been told something that made you feel lighter?

Akaso: That's right. For me, most of my troubles have been overcome by giving up on myself. .

When an actor told me, "To get something, you have to give something away," it made sense. When you are torn between two paths, even though you are not prepared to give up one of them, even if you choose one, you will be half-hearted and you will not be able to see a new world. I strongly feel that when you gain something, you always lose something.

Also, my uncle often talked about philosophical things. When I was in the third grade of elementary school, he suddenly asked me, "What is a friend?" (laughs). Even if I answered, "Friends are the ones who are fun to be with," they only said, "Yeah." I was asked many other questions, and thanks to that, I think I've acquired the habit of thinking for myself. Even now, I sometimes unconsciously think about things like, “What does it mean to live?”

——How do you feel about the growth of the heroine Mai?

Of course, I feel that she has grown up, but the feeling that Mai-chan has always been straight-forward and has not changed since long ago is stronger. The way she approach people and the way she talks to them hasn't changed at all. For you, Mai-chan has been someone Takashi admired ever since he was little. I think that feeling became even stronger through the appearance of Mai-chan, who sincerely faces Asahi-kun.

——Are there any memorable episodes from when you were filming with Haruka Fukuhara and Mizuki Yamashita?

Akaso: Lately, we've gotten so close that I can't even remember what we talked about (laughs). That's how much I talk about silly things (laughs). For example, if someone speaks with a strange intonation, like “o↑cha↓”, they will speak with that intonation all the time.

Also, there was a scene of a Christmas party in the studio, and for the first time in a long time, all the childhood friends were together. At that time, we took a lot of pictures while wearing Santa's hat and mysterious glasses. Everyone was in high spirits, and I spent my time thinking, "You're the best childhood friend" (laughs).

Do you feel any changes in Fukuhara and Yamashita as you act?

I'm at the shooting site as Akaso-Takashi, so I can only think of Fukuhara-san and Yamashita-san as Mai-chan and Kurumi-chan. So, rather than saying, "That's a good play," I could only think, "I wonder what Mai-chan and Kurumi-chan are thinking."

Both of you are stoic.Yamashita repeatedly practiced the Kansai dialect, and Fukuhara talked (with the director) to organize her roles, I am happy to be with you on the “morning drama”.

——How do you feel about Takashi tanka?

　I feel that it's Takashi's way to express the beauty in tanka it's unique. It's nice to use simple words, such as "When a flying fish flies, he knows that there is a world outside the water that other fish know."

Influenced by Takashi's, I have also written some tanka. For example, when I remember and reflect on a word I said while drinking, I sometimes repeat that word over and over, so I try to make it into a tanka... It's like, "When I'm waiting for a taxi late at night at a drinking party, I repeat the words of regret" (laughs).

Also, when I bought a 110-yen plastic bottle for 200 yen, all the change came in 10-yen coins, so I made that into a tanka as well. The quality isn't high enough to show widely (laughs), so I'm only disseminating it through my fan club. If I can raise the quality a little more, I would like to post it on SNS as well.

——Finally, please give a message to the viewers.

After winning an award for Tanka, creative worries began to arise when it came time to create a collection of poems. In the midst of all this, the distance between Takashi and his loved ones has increased, he has more time to face himself, and he also encounters new people, leading to various conflicts.

I think it will be an angry development for Takashi but I would be happy if you could watch it. Personally,I played the role of growing a beard for the first time in my life, so I hope you will pay attention to that (laughs). I hope you will enjoy “Mai Agare!” until the end.

Source: NHK official web press

[positivelybeastly]

It hurts but doesn't surprise Hank to see the other teen stay cowled, to stay the Cyclops, staring out with its one, long red eye. Everyone else is usually more than happy to shuck off the yellow and black uniforms the Professor provided them with, happy to walk away from the funny little names they'd picked for themselves and go revel with the humans they were apart from but still a part of - but not Scott. It's not as if him taking off the cowl and putting on his ruby quartz glasses would magically fix anything, but it would make Hank feel better, make this feel less like it was a training exercise or a field operation.

But then, the future has felt like hostile territory almost since they've gotten here, so maybe Cyclops is right to treat it as such.

"I think . . . I think Jean knows." Is this the right thing to say? Jean and Scott had been - on the outs, figuring things out, he really isn't sure where that sits now, despite having been such an obvious development that he, Bobby and Warren had been placing bets on when it would happen, not if. But now it's up in the air. "My older self, he showed her parts of the future that the rest of us haven't seen. He seems to trust her implicitly. Or perhaps it's just sentimentality, I'm not quite sure. But what she knows about what made you . . . what you are, she hasn't said."

I think it traumatised her, is the unspoken subtext.

"Oh, believe me, I get it, Scott. There are moments where I recognise the parts of me that are still in him - the obvious parts, the . . . 'stars and garters,' which appears to have become a very common part of our lexicon as we've aged, those speak for themselves, but there's the little things, too." He takes off his glasses, the red frames shimmering a little in the light.

"For those who know what to look for, it's obvious he's still me." He slides his glasses back onto his nose very slowly. "But there's a way he looks at me . . . and it's not the way he looks at you or the rest of us. When he looks at you, there's just - a lot of pain, a lot of wishing things were different even though they so obviously are not. When he looks at me, there's . . . ." What? How to say this. "Hatred. I'm not sure why, but . . . I feel his eyes on me, and it's like he's blaming me for turning into him. I don't - I don't like being in the proximity of that, Scott. I really don't."

By god, but this was a miserable state of affairs, wasn't it? Hank sighs and turns, crossing his arms, looking out onto the city. It really isn't all that different from their time, but there are enough new landmarks, enough changes to the skyline that even that isn't the same.

"Do you . . . want to go out and do something? I know you're not the type for a night on the town, and I'm smart enough to know I can't tempt you with a visit to the arcade, but maybe things'll seem a little clearer and less - awful, with some forward momentum."

Awfully, Hank almost hopes they'll find someone to give them an excuse to let off some steam. Anti-mutant thugs, that awful HYDRA lot, that scraggly blonde haired ruffian - what was his name again, Sabretooth? - at this point Hank would take anything to just get his mind off of things. It's not often he curses being smart, but he is now.

"You can think of it as putting a few extra steps between you and the future, if that helps."

He hates this.

Hates being this far from his friends. Hates not being able to check in on them whenever he needs to. Hates having put this much distance between him and his friends like this. But he can't help it. Having his convictions, sticking to his guns, they make things harder more often than not.

There's supposed to be some saying about great power and great responsibility, but Scott isn't feeling particularly powerful in the moment. Just responsible. The same kind of responsible he's felt ever since Charles Xavier first approached him. Like the world rests upon his shoulders and all he can do is lift it like Atlas.

The Jean Grey School always felt like a strange place to Scott. The statue of her in the courtyard, the fact that the school was named after her, even the way people talk about Jean... the school feels like a mausoleum for someone who's still alive. Someone who's walking and talking and seeing the world for what it is.

Still alive to Scott, anyways. It's impossible to forget that he's like a apparition to everyone else. Him and the O5. Ghosts from a bygone era, walking reinders of what feel like better days that are impossible to go back to. The march of time is a fickle, sinister thing, especially for what it does to people. Some people in the future, Scott barely recognizes.

"Good. I'm glad that everyone is okay." Even if they're not with him. Even if they're in the last place Scott wants them to be, as long as they're safe, Scott can learn to deal with it. Even if being away hurts like hell. Even if they're the only friends he has in the world and they're stuck on opposite sides now. No one said that he doesn't have to hate it every second, though.

"I'll keep that in mind." But not really. Scott knows that he can't bring Bobby back with the promise of activities and a common room. If they're going to come back, then Scott has to appeal to ideals, and convince them that the new Xavier School is the wrong place to be, that his future counterpart isn't going to help anyone, no matter how good his intentions are.

It has to be an actual convincing argument.

Scott thinks about taking off his hood and visor to have the conversation as Scott Summers instead of Cyclops, but he can't. The two identities are the same for him. There's no switching back and forth between the two. His powers never turn off, so he always needs to be behaving this way. Always needs to be in complete control of himself, to have complete mastery over his entire being. The visor has to stay on, then.

"That's just it, though. Even if my future self looks and sounds like me, I don't recognize him as me. I didn't the first time we met, and I still can't possibly fathom that he's me. Who he is as a person is completely alien to me. I don't know what happened to him, or me in the future, that would cause him to practically be a different person to me."

And he doesn't know how to process that. Doesn't know how to handle the fact that he turns into someone completely unrecognizable. Someone with more in common with Magneto than Xavier.

"You get it more than the others, that feeling of looking into the future and not recognizing the face that ends up looking at you through the mirror."

[rubysunnday]

your song | c.b

Summary: Being in love with Colin Bridgerton is hard when the man keeps running off to different continents for months at a time. But the letters he writes and the songs he sends keep the romance alive.

It had been six, long months since Y/N had last seen Colin Bridgerton.

He had gone off travelling again, disappearing off one night with nothing more than a kiss on the cheek goodbye and a promise to write.

The romance between Y/N and Colin had struck out of nowhere. One night they'd been dancing as nothing more than friends and the next moment, there was something more. The way his hands tightened on her waist whenever Cressida said something mean felt different. The way he wrote her notes with every bunch of flowers he sent read differently.

The way he took her hand as she stepped out a carriage, his fingers gently entwining with hers, felt different.

Y/N had fallen head over heels for a man who hated staying in the same place for more than a week. And it was annoying.

He'd written to her more than he had his own family. He wrote to her everyday, judging from the dates on his letters and they arrived in bundles from the postman, all tied with a ribbon that somehow managed to match the dress she was wearing that day.

In the dozens of letters Colin had sent her, he wrote down every detail of the place he was in from the sunsets to the colour of the postboxes. The friends he was traveling with were both music students, desperate for either a career break or to find a new purpose in life.

One of them, Freddy, has been teaching me about the beauty of song writing and how all great pieces of music begin. I'm nowhere near the grandure of Mozart or the beauty of Beethoven or any musicale we've ever attended, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

I've found that in my writings there's always one thing I can never quite describe correctly. I search through books for the right words that could even begin to do you justice, my dear Y/N, but I find none. There's no word for describing the way you watch a musicale, or the way you talk about art and reading. There's no word on earth that could do you justice.

So, I hope this poor man's attempt at a song, written under strict guidance and a watchful eye, will begin to convey, just how much I love you.

Y/N had read the letter over and over, her eyes scouring each and every line, taking in the sloppy slant of Colin's handwriting and how he smudged the ink in his desperation to write and write and write.

She pulled out the final sheet of the letter and let out a small surprised gasp. It was a piece of music, the notes written precisely and intricately, the lyrics written messily and scrunched up underneath it. It was obvious which part Colin had been trusted with.

To Y/N

Your Song - by Colin Bridgerton

Y/N stood up from her desk and walked over to the pianoforte that sat in the corner of her room, covered in a thin layer of dust. Y/N wasn't an expert on the pianoforte, her and Colin had bonded over their failed attempts at playing. Colin could sing, though. And as Y/N read through the lyrics, tentatively playing a couple of notes on her dust keys, she could hear him singing it, his hand in her hair as they watched the sunset from the garden bench at Bridgerton House.

Their romance had been kept quiet. The ton was used to the two being openly affectionate with each other, constantly hugging or holding hands and none of them realised when it turned from friendship to romance.

Y/N and Colin had sat in the rose garden of Aubrey Hall one summer night, the sounds of the ball drifting over to them along the gentle breeze. Colin had quietly begun singing along to the song, his hands gently tracing a dance on Y/N's bare arm as she rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes shut.

Colin's singing voice was beautiful. And as Y/N played the song he'd written for her, she could imagine him sitting beside her and singing along, his hands over hers as she slowly played the notes.

Attending the opera without him felt bizarre. They'd begun a routine of sitting next to each other in the box, sharing the opera glasses and softly commenting on the music, the costumes, the lighting.

Y/N sat down in the box, scooting her chair close to the balcony. Her mother sat down next to her and sighed happily as she took in the view.

"Isn't this lovely?" She asked, picking up her opera glasses and looking through them at the stage. "I do love a concert."

Y/N said nothing, merely nodded. She kept thinking back to Colin's letter, of his promised return home in time for the concert. In time for him to sit down next to her, take her hand, and whisper about the music.

Y/N glanced up at the box the Bridgerton's sat in and tried not to let out a defeated sigh - still no Colin. Francesca caught her looking and gave her a sympathetic smile along with a shake of her head and Y/N turned back to the stage, trying not to let the disappointment sink in.

The orchestra began warming up, the music notes blending in with the quiet chatter of the audience. Y/N couldn't stop her eyes from constantly scanning the audience, the stage, the boxes, for any sign of Colin.

An excited whisper went over the audience as the lights were dimmed and the lights on the stage that illuminated the thick, red curtain were turned on.

For a minute there was silence. And then the orchestra began playing as the curtain flew up, revealing the actors on the stage.

My gift is my song, and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody

Y/N felt her heart do a bizarre skip. She recognised those words. She'd read them over and over again each night before she went to sleep. The piece of paper they had arrived on was now well worn and creased and she'd meticulously copied out the notes and the lyrics for fear of loosing them.

She scanned the audience again and felt her heart stop. The concert faded away as she focused on the man standing in the corner near the side door, a tiny smile on his face.

Colin Bridgerton stood with his hands behind his back, smiling up at her, his chin covered in the stubble of a beard. He was tanner then before and his hair had gotten lighter but it was still Colin.

Her Colin.

You see I've forgotten, if they're green or they're blue Anyway the thing is, what I really mean Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

Y/N giggled and felt a smile appear on her face as she gave Colin the smallest wave possible, not wanting to attract attention. Colin waved back and nodded to the door that led to the auditorium. Y/N nodded in return and watched Colin disappear out the side door.

"Go on, then," Y/N's mother said, tapping her daughter's knee. "Go find him."

Y/N quietly slipped from her seat and pushed open the curtain, blinking at the bright lights in the corridor.

As she made her way down to the auditorium, she could hear angry voices that were trying not to yell. She rounded the corner and saw Anthony, Violet and Benedict Bridgerton all standing in front of a bemused looking Colin.

"You said you'd be back by the concert!" Anthony hissed, clearly irritated by Colin's lateness.

"It's hardly my fault the train got stuck by a tree, is it, Anthony?" Colin asked, sighing. "I'm here now, however, am I not? Stop fussing."

Anthony went off again, flailing his limbs around as he tried to knock some sense into Colin, his mother trying to be the peace maker between the two as Benedict tried, and failed, not to laugh.

"This isn't funny, Benedict!" Anthony snapped, turning to face his other brother as he snorted.

Benedict's smirk faded as he realised he was about to be on the end of Anthony's rant. He sighed and crossed his arms, physically bracing himself as Anthony went off again.

Colin, looking both bemused and annoyed at his family, turned and spotted Y/N, hovering at the stop of the stairs. His face fell from an annoyed smirk into a stunned smile as he stared up at her.

"They're actually both," Y/N said to Colin, her voice quiet enough that the three other Bridgerton's present had yet to realise she was there.

"What are?" Colin asked, walking up to meet her, taking each step slowly.

"My eyes," Y/N replied, smiling, dropping the skirt of her dress. "They're both colours."

Colin chuckled and looked like he was blushing. "I told you I wasn't good at song writing."

"Everyone else seemed to enjoy it," she replied as she heard the audience applaud loudly.

"Because Freddy worked on it for months until tonight," Colin replied. "Even then he wasn't sure about performing it. If he'd performed the version I'd written the ton would be complaining. I'm not very good at it."

"I think you're better at it than you believe, Mr Bridgerton," Y/N said as she continued walking down until they were both on the large step that broke up the stairs. "I'm not sure about the beard, however."

"Why?" Colin asked, a hand subconsciously flying to his chin and running across the stubble.

"Well, it just means that every time I go to kiss you, I will have to be tickled and scratched by it," she replied, her hand covering the one resting on his chin. She entwined her fingers with his. "But I can live with that."

Colin laughed and leant forward, kissing Y/N with the passion and desperation of not seeing her for six months. His hand rested on the back of her head, carefully minding her hair as his thumb stroked her skin.

"I think I'm going to stay here for now," Colin said softly, breaking apart from her, resting his forehead on hers. "Stay with you."

Y/N looked up at him, feeling his breath on her cheeks. "Colin Bridgerton, are you -"

"Yes," Colin said, cutting her off. "I am. Because it took being apart from you for six months to realise what I was missing. To realise that I travel the world searching for purpose and reason, when, in reality, my reason is you. The purpose of my entire being is you.

"Without you, I'm half a man. Without you, the travelling begins to feel like running away and I don't want to run from you. I want to take your hand and run with you. Forever if we wanted. I can run until you can't run anymore. And when you can't run anymore, I'll carry you."

Y/N smiled, pressing her lips together as she savoured the taste of his kiss. "Words are your forte, Mr Bridgerton," she said softly, stroking the side of his head, threading her fingers through his curls. "I'll run with you to the end of the world and back again. I'll take your hand in mine and I will never let you go. Not again."

Colin pressed his lips to her and Y/N smiled against his lips before returning the kiss. He smelt of his cologne, the sweet caramel biscuits he loved and, somehow, the floral, homely scent of Bridgerton House

He smelt of home. He was her home. Simply being in his arms was enough.

"I've just realised something," Colin whispered in her ear.

Y/N looked up at him, staring into his eyes. "What?"

"My family is watching us."

Y/N glanced behind him and saw the three Bridgerton's pretending to occupy themselves with anything else. Benedict was investigating a painting, Anthony was admiring the ceiling and Violet had been reading the program but glanced up at them with a smile.

And despite it all, Y/N let out a snort of laughter and dropped her head on to Colin's shoulder. "Of course they are."

Colin giggled, actually giggled, and rested his head on top of hers. "Better get used to it, love, I doubt they'll ever stop staring."

[sunjaesol]

juke | human au | title: fearless // taylor swift

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

As they were walking up the front lawn of her childhood home, nerves wrecked her body. Even her hand, snug in Luke's, felt clammy and sweaty and suffocating. God, this was such a mistake — going home, not him. He didn't even realise what he had gotten himself into by falling for the youngest darling of the matriarch.

Or rather, she shouldn't have fallen head over heels for the swoon-worthy Luke Patterson, but she never really stood a chance.

But everything had happened so fast! One second banter easily flowed between them, warm and easy flirtatiousness without consequences, the next she was at IKEA helping him pick out a bookshelf while he somehow knew whenever she needed pizza and a good cuddle. They were very much in a committed relationship, something the Molina women very much frowned upon.

It wasn't as if they were all deeply scared of love and relationships, but the Molina family was a matriarchy. All women raised families on their own, no man to help. Divorced, cheated on, died, a donor, infertile and therefore adopting children — men were of zero priority.

So, coming home with her boyfriend whom she deeply loved? Definitely a risk. She was surprised he was still standing, that she hadn't scared him enough yet.

Spinning on her heels in front of the door, she shot him an anxious smile. "Are you... sure you wanna do this? We're, like, really intense."

Luke smiled, tender. "Do I wanna meet the family of my girlfriend? 'Course I do." When her expression didn't change, he added, "Jules, just 'cause they all did the 'no guy' thing, doesn't mean you have to follow that, right? And I'm not scared."

Oh, God. His courage was as admirable as it was stupid.

She chuckled, antsy. "You haven't met my mom though."

His smile widened as he dipped down to kiss her, gently, hands caressing her cheeks. For a moment, stress fled her system.

But then the door flew open.

"There you are!" Mom exclaimed, a glass of red wine in one hand and music booming over her shoulder. "And is this the boy toy?"

"Mom!" Julie grumbled, embarrassed to be caught kissing (God, she's twenty-three!) as well as putting Luke in a bad position.

First impression of him: seeing him kiss her beloved daughter on the doorstep. Great.

"Hi," Luke said, dazzling her with a smile while he stuck his hand out. "I'm Luke. And I'm, uh, older? So..."

"Meh," Rose trailed, lamely shaking his hand. "Still a boy toy. Anyway, come in! Food's warm!"

Following her mom inside, Luke shot her a strange look, like it was only registering now all her tall tales were, well, true. Shrugging with a sheepish grin, she placed their shoes and jackets in the wall closet and then made the agonising trek to the loud, jumbled chatter.

As expected, all the California-based Molina women were present. Which meant ten, including her, all staring at Luke like he was a weird specimen. Her hand squeezed his beneath the table in support, and he was finally squeezing back just as tightly.

Was it bad she felt some sick pleasure he understood how fucked he was? Probably. It seemed warranted.

When everyone had their plates filled, the interrogation began.

"So, Luke, how old are you?" Victoria asked.

"Twenty-five."

"Going around town with a twenty-three year old?" She sniffed. "Interesting..."

"Do you have any siblings?" Donna inquiried.

A wry grin ticked up his lips, sensing the irony of the situation. "I, uh, I'm an only child, actually. Mostly raised by my dad, 'cause my mom worked long hours."

Shoving a fork of meatloaf in her mouth, Julie withheld a guttural wince at his words. Luke Patterson was the poster child of everything the Molina's didn't like and she brought him in their cave.

"What do you do for a living?" Abuela croaked, peering intensely.

His smile didn't falter, but instead widened. "I'm in a band, but I also bartend a couple of nights a week."

"A band, huh?" Mom leaned forward, intrigued. "Has Julie told you I used to be in a band?"

"How can I not, mom?" Rolling her eyes, Julie added, "You'd tell him anyway..."

"I was in The Petal Pushers, the best protest punk-rock feminist group of the 90s." Her fist punched in the air as she spoke and Julie could imagine the fingerless leather gloves and purple streaks as she did. "What kinda... band do you have?"

Her endearing Luke didn't read the warning signs humble himself, so he enthusiastically perched himself at the end of his chair as he said, "Punk-rock too, actually! Yeah, we're really killing it right now at all the clubs."

She smirked. "I'm sure you do."

"What are your plans with Julie?" Elena asked, one of her cousins.

Both her and Luke froze at that. Shit. That... was not something they've discussed. A relationship of seven months was still pretty fresh, not ready for a confrontational talk about futures and plans.

He scraped his throat, briefly let his gaze flicker to her, and then uttered, "I'm, uh, a one day at a time kinda guy."

Julie cringed, not hiding it this time. To her, it was an alright, albeit lame answer. But to her family? Horrible. So, so horrible. Gah, she had to put an end to this!

Abuela scoffed, nearly choking on her hard seltzer. "One day? At a time? What is this, the 70s? My little girl deserves more than carpe diem!"

Mimi hissed. "Wrong, wrong answer, boy toy."

The questions kept shooting at lightning speed, each one more outrageous than the other, while Julie's grip on her fork tightened and tightened in anger.

"How many times a week do you shower?"

"What's your least favourite colour?"

"Do you pick up women? Is that how you make extra money?"

"What's your view on children?"

"Can you handle spice?"

"How did you even find our darling, huh? Did you lure her into that bar of yours?"

"Is Luke short for Lukas, or Lucrative?"

"Alright, enough!" Julie screamed, standing up with a stomp of the foot.

A hush crossed the table, aghast and surprised, her mother perpetually amused as always (too many in drugs in the 90s, she presumed) while Abuela feigned to be sleeping. 'Resting her eyes' would likely be the excuse.

"This is insane! Stop acting like this and start treating Luke with a little respect!"

From the corner of her eye, she vaguely noted he was staring at her, gobsmacked. He did well, given the circumstances, but she couldn't just idly sit there and let him take all this shit.

Mom puffed, leaning back in her chair. "We haven't been disrespectful, Julie."

"You have, mom! Can't I just have a boyfriend without—"

"We've invited him," she interrupted. "That's enough of a courtesy."

And before Julie could fire back, furious beyond belief, Rose added, "You know how the Molina cookie crumbles, honey. No men stay. Not for long, anyway."

That smug response made her explode. "Mom! Can you just for once—?!"

"I love her though," Luke quipped, shy.

The fight halted instantly, all ten women gawking at him like he just spoke a new language.

And he did, to Julie at least. Luke loved her? Even after all of this? She obviously knew he wasn't impartial to her, those seven months equalling tenderness and partnership like nothing she's ever experienced before, but... love? He was in love with her?

How could she abide by the 'Molina Women Rule!' rules when he confessed that, no hesitation or stutter heard?

And so, Julie's heart melted. "You love me?"

"Of course, I do," he whispered. "Why else would I be here?"

Elena nodded, sympathetic. "Good point."

Unable to stop her smile from becoming a dazzling, lovesick beam, she repeated his words with as much conviction as she could muster. "I love you too, Luke."

Abuela shot up from her sleep with a cough and a snicker. "Yeah, right."

Mom waved her glass around, congratulating them. For the first time tonight, her tone held kindness instead of poorly veiled contempt. "That's very sweet, Luke. Tell me in seven more months how you're feeling then."

Though Julie couldn't expect her to suddenly change her ways. Damn.

Mimi scowled. "We're letting 'I'm a one day at a time kinda guy' slide?"

Disgruntled chatter rose again, and that was her cue to go. Tapping Luke's shoulder, she mouthed home — something she hadn't done before and wasn't sure which apartment she meant either, but it left flutters in her chest regardless — and he nodded in understanding.

Oh, God. He loved her. That still hadn't set in.

"And if you'll excuse us, me and Luke are going," Julie continued. "Thanks for dinner, mom."

The woman laughed, baring all her teeth. She clearly had a fun time. "See you at Victoria's birthday, mi amor. And Luke? Who knows!"

He forced a chuckle at her remark. Awkwardly bouncing on his heels, he waved at all the ladies. "It was really cool to meet you all. Now– now I know why Julie's so incredible. So... thanks." A true smile appeared. "This was great."

No one said anything after that. Abuela gurgled her drink and her cousins prodded at their leftovers, mom peering at her like she was trying to find something. Sometimes, Julie and Rose were so alike, and other times, they were complete strangers. She liked that. It kept dinners like these exciting, she supposed. Mom seemed to think the same.

They bid goodbye one last time with a kiss on the cheek, and then they hurried out the door. A giggling breath left as the cool wind hit her skin. Luke was buzzing with adrenaline, unable to keep his limbs still.

Clambering in her car, the comforting quietude wrapped around them as the doors slammed shut. A beat passed. No one spoke.

"What the fuck," he whispered, horrified. "What the fuck. What the fuck did just happen? What the fuck—"

Julie squealed. "You love me!"

"That's what you got from that?!"

"Of course!" Her arms curled around him, teasing. "You love me!"

"That shouldn't be the most surprising thing tonight, Jules," he grumbled, though a playful shimmer sparked within his beautiful eyes. "I thought I was, y'know, obvious."

She shrugged, bashful. "It's always nice to hear, no?"

"Oh, man," he sighed, eyes flickering across her face as though he couldn't decide what to focus on, as though she was indescribably stunning. Her heart swelled tenfold at the thought. "I love you, Julie. So fucking much. Even with your crazy family."

Laughing, she reached forward and kissed his lips, fingers pressing in his neck and their silly grins preventing them from deepening the warm touch.

"Let's go," he mumbled, noses nudging, eyes hooded and pouring with the love she somehow hadn't noticed before. "Before they're ready for round two."

But before he could move away, she kissed him again, better this time, and cherished his sigh when they slowly seperated.

"I love you too," she whispered. "Like, a lot."

He grinned, breathless. "Good to know."

Victoria's birthday was four months later, and Luke attended as well. And also for Mimi and Elena and mom and Abuela and Donna and every other Molina member. And when Julie got surprised with a 24th birthday party, she figured out Luke and mom combined their powers to host it.

Molina women were independant and lived life by their own rules... which included Julie.

Loving Luke Patterson unconditionally probably made her the most unique Molina of all.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

@bluefirewrites @blush-and-books @ourstarscollided @thedeathdeelers @pink-flame @constantly-singing @willexx @unsaid-emily

[jeonjk1998]

Fall For You | Jungkook

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: college!au playboy!au bestfriends!au tattoo!au piercing!au fluff!au angst!au

Wordcount: 6006 words

Summary: You and Jungkook has been friends for almost 3 years when you started college since the both of you hangs out in the same group of friends but when you and Jungkook started to hang around each other more often, your friends started to get suspicious about Jungkook having feelings for you and in order to prove that they’re wrong, you kissed him and that’s when he knew that he fucked up

Notes: I’m so sorry that it took so long for me to post the second part 🥺 Anyways, thank you so much for the love and support! Also, here is the BONUS part if you enjoy reading this series 💗💗

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You smile when you felt your boyfriend breathing down against your neck as he holds you from behind. You were helping Jennie and Rosé to arrange the flyers at their fund-raising booth since they needed help from you to hold up the event. Your try to ignore Jungkook when he started to leave small kisses below your ear, making your heart to pound faster. He was talking to some of his friends who were also working at the booth when you felt his fingers went under your shirt as he softly circles his thumb on your skin which you gently nudge him away with your shoulder.

"Jungkook, please." You whine as you turn around to look at him which made him smile and before you know, his has his lips pressed softly against yours.

"Aw, look at you two love birds." You heard Jin teasing you when you saw the rest of the guys head towards your way which made you blush as you lightly bite on your lips and look away, trying not to grin at what he just said.

"Don't be jealous." Jungkook smiles as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

"As if." Taehyung scoffed as he came to grab the flyers while handing them to the guys which made you smile softly.

"Thank god you guys are here!" You then heard Jennie exclaimed which made you turn around to see she was carrying a hand full of flyers as she slams it on the table. You then quickly went up to give her a hand, seeing how stress she is. "God, if it's not because of those stupid curricular marks, I would be shopping right now." Jennie complains, making you smile when your phone light up to a message from Rosè, asking you for help.

"Oh no... Rosie needs my help." You said as you show it to Jennie which made her pouts sadly.

"I guess I'll just ask the guys to help me out, especially Jungkook. I think he could help me attract the crowds." She said at you which made you chuckle.

"We can attract crowds too alright." Jin said as he snatched some of the flyers away from Jennie which made her scoffed.

"Please, he's so much better than all of you, especially you." Jennie said like it's the most obvious thing while pointing at Jimin which made him rolled his eyes like he has gotten used to it. "And I'm not stupid, you guys just want to flirt around with the girls." Jennie said as she faked a smile at both Jin and Jimin.

"At least I'm prettier than you." Jin mumbles which made Jennie scoffed as she glares at him. "Alright fine, you're the prettiest princess in the kingdom, happy?" Jin murmured which Jennie then just rolled her eyes and look away from him. You chuckle at the both of them before grabbing some of the flyers as you head over to look for your boyfriend.

"Hey." You called out for Jungkook when you saw he was in the hallway talking to Taehyung and Hoseok.

"Hey guys." You greeted them as you then turn around to face your boyfriend. "I need a favor." You asked as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, looking at him which made him furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously.

"Stop looking at me like that." You smile as you wrapped your arm around his shoulders and continue. "I just want to ask if you can stay here and help Jennie cause I have to help Rosie. Just keep an eye on her." You said which he then just nods.

"Cross my heart." He said which you then just smile as you simply place a kiss on his cheeks before he left.

"Oh! There you are!" You then heard Rosè squeaky voice echoing through the hallway which made you turn around to see she was stomping towards you and before you knew it, you were already pulled away by your dear friend as she started complaining about how busy she is.

❀ ❀ ❀

You were laying in your bed with Jungkook's arms wrapped around your body as the both of you were watching Netflix together. You then felt your boyfriend place a soft kiss on your head which made you smile as you look up to see him staring at you.

"Can't believe you're mine." He confessed as he gently caressed your face and lean down to kiss you which made you smile when he pulls you up and sat you down on his lap as he deepens the kiss. You then felt his huge hands wrapped around your small waist while he pulls you closer to him. You then rest your hand on his chest for support when he started planting soft kisses on your neck. You couldn't help as a soft moan escaped your lips when you felt his hot breath running down your neck while he softly nibbles your ears. He pulls himself away from you and smiles, leaning his head against yours. "That sounded so cute." He confessed which made you blush as he leans back in to kiss you.

"__! Your Mum's here!" You got startled when you heard your roommate called out for you when he knocks on the door, making you jumped. Jungkook then chuckles at your reaction which made you sigh as you rest your head on his shoulder.

"I hate family reunions." You mumbled as you look up to your boyfriend and pouted. "I just want to stay here with you." You said which made him smile. You knew there is no way you could've get away with this since your Mum is here to pick you up.

"Go you lazy ass." He said which made you chuckle as you pull yourself up from him.

"Please put on a shirt before you go out." You said as you grab your sweater from the bed and put it on.

"I'm sure your Mum won't mind." He smirks as he then grabs his t-shirt to put it on before he follows you out which made you rolled your eyes playfully as a small smile forms across your face. You almost forgot how much your Mum adores Jungkook, along with your Dad as well.

"Wow, these look so nice." Jungkook said as he took the gimbap from the plate and feed it to you before he takes another one from the plate. "You really should open a restaurant, Lisa." Jungkook said which made your Mum smile.

"You're too sweet." She smiles at Jungkook while putting the rest of the food into the fridge.

"Mum, can I not go?" You asked again as you drape your arms around Jungkook's while you rest your head on his shoulder.

"__, we've talked about this. You promise me that you'd go." Your Mum said as she frowns while looking at you which made you pout.

"Don't make that face, it isn't going to get you anywhere." She said which made you sigh as you turn to pout at your boyfriend which made him smile as he simply placed a kiss on the side of your head.

❀ ❀ ❀

"Miyeon will only be staying with you for a week, I promise. That stupid girl booked the wrong flight ticket back." Yugyeom, Jungkook's best friend who is also one of his childhood friends complained as soon as Jungkook picked up the phone. "C'mon Guk, you know how much she likes you. It's just for a week. I promised." He heaves out a small sigh as he knew he had to cancel the trip that he had promised to bring you to since his friend needed his help and he couldn't possibly leave his sister alone.

Jungkook practically grew up with both Yugyeom and Miyeon since both of their families are close with each other and he's sure his mum would've called him and ask him to look after her too if Yugyeom didn't call.

"Yeah, I'll pick her up tomorrow. I'll text you later." Jungkook said before he hangs up the phone as he heaves out a sigh.

"What is it?" Jimin asks as he stares at his friend while taking a bite of his toast.

"Yugyeom called, saying Miyeon booked the wrong flight so she will be staying with us for a week since no one's around." Jungkook explains which made Jimin frown.

"So you're saying that she'll be staying with us for a god damn week?" Jimin asks as he stares at Jungkook with one of his eyebrows lifted which Jungkook then simply just nodded in response. "Oh god, I'm going to give Tae a call then." Jimin responded which made Jungkook chuckle lightly as he grabs a glass of water on the counter to drink while trying to figure out a way to talk to you about it.

"Don't worry about Y/N. I'm sure she won't mind." Jimin said when he saw the look on Jungkook's face.

"You know how Miyeon is, she can be a little..." Jungkook tilted his head slightly to the side while trying to explain it to Jimin.

"Mean? Annoying? Spiteful?" Jimin blurted as he took another piece of toast from the countertop and continues. "I can literally hear her right now." Jimin complains which made Jungkook smile as he slightly shakes his head at what his friend just said.

"I'll go to talk to __. See you later." Jungkook said before he stood up and grab his jacket as he heads out of his apartment.

❀ ❀ ❀

"Hey love." You startled the moment you saw your boyfriend walking into your room from the mirror while you were fixing your fits. Jungkook then went up to you and sat down on the couch beside the mirror as he looks at you.

"How did you come in?" You frown a little while you were adjusting your earrings in front of the mirror.

"Your Mum let me in." He explains with his eyes fixated on you. "I have something to tell you." Jungkook said which made you turn to look at him while waiting for him to say something. "Come here." He then swiftly grab your wrist as he pulls you down and sits beside him.

"You remember Yugyeom right?" Jungkook asks which you then just nodded since the both of you have met before once. "Well, his sister just came back from Japan and she needs a place to stay for a week so I have to go fetch her tomorrow and her brother called to ask me if-" Jungkook wanted to explain it to you when you interrupted him.

"Tomorrow?" You asked since the both of you were supposed to go on a road trip tomorrow but at the looks of it, the trip would most likely to be canceled. Your heart instantly dropped at the news but you knew if it weren't important he wouldn't have canceled it.

"Guk, it's fine." You said as you held onto his hand. "We'll go next time." You gave him a small smile as you assured him while you softly brush his cheek with your hand.

"I promise I'll make it up to you." He said as he places a kiss on your palm which made you blush.

❀ ❀ ❀

"Are you sure you're not coming?" Jungkook asks again as he pressed a soft kiss on top of your head. You simply shake your head while you look at his veiny tattooed arms as you softly traced it with your finger.

"I promise the girls I would meet up with them, they said I spent too much time with you." You said, looking up at your boyfriend which made him smile, intertwining his hand with yours.

"Let's on a date tonight." He blurted out which made you turn around to look at him as a small smile form across your face.

"I'd love that." You responded as you press your lips against his when you heard your phone buzzed. You moved away from Jungkook as you reached out to grab your phone to see your friend has texted you, asking when are you coming.

"I have to go now." You said while getting out of bed to get yourself ready since you were already late. "Pick me up at 8?" You ask before you head into your closet to see Jungkook was putting on his shirt as his arms flex when he slides it back on. God, he keeps getting hotter no matter how many times you look at him.

"Yes ma'am." Jungkook smiles at you as he heads over to you, pulling your chin up closer to him and places a soft kiss on your lips. "I'll see you later." He said and with that, he then heads out from your room as he winks playfully at you, making you chuckle.

❀ ❀ ❀

You were at the kitchen talking with Jimin while making coffee when Jungkook wrapped his strong arms around your shoulder, making you jumped.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jungkook asks as he looks at the both of you while sliding his huge hands around your waist.

"Why should we tell you?" Jimin responded while drinking his coffee which made you smile, that's when you saw someone came out from the guest room, yawning which you assume that might be the girl who Jungkook had mentioned to you about. You were about to say hi to her when your eyes fixated on what she was wearing. It was one of Jungkook's favorite t-shirt that you got him a few weeks ago.

"Good morning." She smiles adoringly at your boyfriend as she nibbles her lips nervously. "I hope you don't mind." She said as she stares at Jungkook shyly while looking down at the t-shirt she's wearing as she tugs softly onto it. God, you can't believe this is happening to you right now.

"It's fine." Jungkook said as he gave her a small smile before he turns to face you. "Hey, I have to go change now, the guy's are waiting for me, I'll see you at dinner, okay?" He said as you then just nodded when he placed a kiss on your cheek before heading back into his room.

The girl then took a seat down beside Jimin and looks at you timidly. You then took a quick glance at Jimin, hoping he would say something as you have no idea what to do or what to say.

"Hi, I'm Miyeon." She introduces herself to you with a polite smile before Jimin could even speak up which caught you off guard as you then just simply stare at her.

"O-Oh... I'm __, nice to meet you." You stuttered as you simply responded back at her with a small grin.

❀ ❀ ❀

You woke up when you heard noises coming from the kitchen while you were taking a short nap. You just came back from your lecture class around an hour ago but you still have another class to attend so you decided that you'll just head over to your boyfriend's apartment to take a small nap before you head back to school. You were exhausted from staying up so late yesterday night while working on your assignments. You yawned as you stretched your arms before you make your way out to the hallway to look for your boyfriend.

"What are you doing? I thought you went out." You said when you saw Jungkook was chopping the strawberries in the kitchen which made you frown a little as you simply grab some of it to eat.

"Go get your own strawberries, these are mine." Jungkook said as he grabs the bowl away from you when he saw your hands keep reaching out to.

"You know how much I love them." You whine while trying to grab the strawberries back from him which only causes him to grab it further away from you.

"I know baby, but I can't let you finish it." He responded which made you pout as you slowly put your hands away from the bowl. A smile spread across his face when he saw how you were looking at the strawberries. You then watched him head towards the back of the kitchen when he brought out a strawberry cake from the fridge which made you gasped in surprise.

"Is this mine?" You were amazed by how much effort Jungkook has put into the cake when you saw how pretty the decorations look.

"I told you not to eat my strawberries, didn't I." Jungkook chuckles as he softly pinched your cheek which made you grin as you watch your boyfriend place the rest of the strawberries around the cake which made Jungkook smile when he saw how amused you look.

You really have no idea what have you done in your past life to have such a hopeless romantic boyfriend in your life. You don't deserve him at all.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" You look up to see Miyeon walks into the kitchen as she simply greeted you with a small grin before headed towards Jungkook. "Oh my god, is that strawberry cake?" She exclaimed excitingly as her finger went and scoop a small amount of cream to taste it. You then look at your boyfriend shockingly as you couldn't believe what just happened. You were so mad that you wanted to scream.

"Miyeon, you can't just do that." Jungkook tried to talk to her as she then just shrugged like it was nothing which made you so mad. "I made that cake for-" Miyeon's eyes light up as soon as she heard what Jungkook just said.

"Really? Can you make one for me too?" She interrupted before Jungkook could even continue. She then looks at him with her big doe eyes which made you scoffed in disbelief as you then just stood up and left.

God, you swear the girl has been getting onto your nerves ever since you first met her, and you honestly can't stand her anymore.

You felt tears slowly swarm into your eyes as soon as you head back to Jungkook's room. You then sat down on his bed as you heave out a small sigh. You didn't want to be a bitch about it but you were so mad.

"Hey, I'm coming in." You quickly wiped away your tears when you heard Jungkook softly knocking on the door.

"You okay?" Jungkook came up as he knelt down in front of you, softly caressing your cheeks which you then just nodded. "God, you're cute." He smiles, gently tugging your hair behind as he wipes your remaining tears away before he places a kiss on your forehead.

❀ ❀ ❀

"God, I hate her so much. Does she even know that Jungkook's my boyfriend and not hers?" You groaned in frustration when you barged into Jimin's room. You certainly didn't want to be a bitch but you knew how much it meant for Jungkook to help his friends out so you didn't want to talk to him about it.

"Tell me about it." Jimin said while he was scrolling through his phone, laying on his bed. You then grab his phone away when you saw he wasn't paying any attention to you which made him sigh as he then just stares at you. "What?" He asked which made you groaned as you threw his phone back to him and head back out to grab your purse from Jungkook's room.

"Is she on her period or something?" You heard Jimin mumbles as you leave his room when you saw Miyeon walks out from the guest room wearing your dress which made you frown.

"Is that my dress?" You asked as soon as you recognize the red dress that she's wearing which Jungkook has bought for you on your 21st birthday.

"What? No... I bought it from the store yesterday." She explains which made you scoffed since you knew the red dress Jungkook bought for you was a limited edition and there is no way she bought it yesterday.

"You're lying. Take it off." You said which made her frown, looking at you innocently as if you're bullying her.

"No way I'm doing that!" She raised her voice at you which made you sigh as you don't feel like arguing with her.

"Is everything okay?" You then saw Jungkook walks out from his room to check on the both of you when he heard you and Miyeon were arguing outside.

"Your girlfriend accused me of stealing her dress which I promise I didn't!" Miyeon was practically acting like a baby at your boyfriend which made you rolled your eyes. "Jungkookie you have to believe me!" She held onto your boyfriend's arm begging him to believe her.

"Oh my god. This can't be happening. I'm leaving." You said as you then just walk away from them and left before Jungkook could call out to you.

❀ ❀ ❀

You didn't know how long but you have been avoiding Jungkook for a while now. Even though you didn't mean to avoid him, you just didn't feel like talking to him. You were being unreasonable and you knew it. It's better for the both of you to take a break from each other. You knew you were going to act out if you ever get to talk to him.

"I'm telling you she's getting on my nerves. She kept flirting with Jungkook in front of me like I don't exist. Can you believe that?" You groaned while complaining about it to the girls.

"You know what? Screw her. Let's beat her up." Jisoo suggested as you then just heaves out a sigh.

"Let's just-" Rosè was about to say something when Jennie nudges her which made her stop.

"Uh..." You then saw Jennie stares at you while she's eyeing behind you, making you frown as you have no idea what she's trying to tell you with Jisoo constantly mouthing Jungkook's name which confuses you even more.

"Jungkook's here." Jennie whispers which made your heart skipped a beat when you hear his name. "I'll see you later." Jennie said as she then just left with the girls.

"Are you still avoiding me?" Jungkook asks as he took a seat down next to you.

"Jungkook, I..." You sigh as you didn't really know what to say to him. Everything between the both of you seems so out of place right now.

"Is it because of Miyeon?" He asks which you didn't feel like answering as it made you felt really bad and guilty about it since you're the one who's being unreasonable right now. "Look, I'll have her move out tomorrow." Jungkook said which made you sigh as you've lost count on the times he's been putting you first before him.

"Guk-" He didn't let you finish before he interrupted you as you can see how hurt he is by the way he looks at you.

"I can't stand one more day not having you talking to me, do you have any idea how much you've put me through? I called you every day, I texted you every day, I even waited at your house for you. I-" You then felt tears swarms in your eyes when you heard what Jungkook has to said as it made you feel like a fool for even trying to avoid him.

"I'm sorry." You apologize to him as you heave out a soft sigh. "I didn't want to get angry at you just because I'm being unreasonable and you have been keeping up with me for so long. I hated myself for that and I hate it when I feel insecure all the time even though I said I trust you and I do but I..." You tried to explain but nothing came out.

"Hey, don't. Don't apologize for that. You're my girlfriend, you can get mad at me as many times as you want. I don't care, I'll make it up to you no matter what it takes, you know that." He said as he caressed your cheeks softly.

"Aren't you tired of me?" You mumble as you couldn't help but to feel bad about it.

"Well, I tried." He said which made you smile.

❀ ❀ ❀

You were hanging out with Jungkook and the guys at the parking area across the campus while waiting for Hoseok and Jennie to finish their classes since all of you were going to have dinner together.

You were laying in Jungkook's arms, listening to your friends bickering with each other which made you laugh. You then heard Jungkook's phone rang as he simply takes his phone out to answer.

"Hey pumpkin." You smile when you heard the nickname he gave his sister as you look up to see he was grinning at himself while answering the call. "Yeah, we'll be there, don't worry about it." He said, looking down at you as he places a soft kiss on your head which made you smile. "Okay, I'll see you soon, love you." He said as he hangs up the phone.

"Is everything okay?" You asked, looking up at your boyfriend.

"Yeah, Ryujin called to ask if we were going to her birthday party." He said as he shoves his phone back into his pocket. "Plus my Mum is dying to meet you." He said as he turns you around to face him.

"Don't worry, I know my Mum will love you." Jungkook assured you as he softly caressed your cheeks. You sigh as you started to feel nervous about meeting his parents.

"Okay." You murmured out as you simply nodded your head which made him chuckle.

"God, you're so cute." He said as he pinched your cheeks softly, making you smile.

"You guys do know that some of us are still single right?" Taehyung asked while teasing the both of you which made you blush.

❀ ❀ ❀

"This is your house?" You asked when you saw your boyfriend drives his jeep into a huge mansion. You knew Jungkook is rich but you didn't know that he's billionaire rich. He never asks his parents for money, most of the time he would be working as a visual producer for some famous company back in Seoul to earn his living expenses and he even bought the Jeep all by himself.

"You okay love?" Jungkook asked when he saw the look on your face.

"You could've given me a heads up or something." You responded which made him smiles as he turns off his car engine.

"Didn't think you needed." He said as he lifts your chin up, pressing a kiss on your lips which made you pout. He then gets off from his Jeep as he took your bag from the trunk before getting you out.

"Welcome home sir." You turn around and saw two butlers greeted Jungkook as they head towards his Jeep to take the rest of the stuff out from the trunk when one of them came over to ask for your bag.

"I'll just hold on to this." Jungkook says as he gave them a polite smile which they then just simply nodded before heading back to the mansion. You were surprised as you did not expect to see butlers coming out from his house.

"C'mon, I'll show you to my room." Jungkook smiles when he saw your reaction as he simply pressed a kiss on the side of your head before intertwining his hands with yours.

❀ ❀ ❀

You were so nervous when you first met Jungkook's family and you ended up making a fool out of yourself. They were all so nice and sweet, especially his Mother and sister, the both of them have been so kind to you ever since you arrived.

"Your girlfriend is really pretty." Ryujin says which made Jungkook smile as he was admiring you from afar while you were on a phone call with your Mum.

"I know, I got lucky." Jungkook said as he then turns to look at his sister as he simply ruffles her hair which made her smile. "C'mon, let's go." He said as he places his arm around her shoulder, pulling her over to you.

You were out in the mall with Jungkook and his sister to pick up some things for her birthday party. You weren't planning on going at first but she insisted you to come along with them since she wanted to spend more time with you.

"Everything okay?" Jungkook asked when he saw you hung up the phone which you then just nodded as he simply places a kiss on the side of your head.

"Yeah, Mum's just calling in to check." You smile as you look at the both of them. "Have you guys pick out anything yet?" You asked as you shove your phone back into your pocket.

"No, have you ever gone shopping with him?" Ryujin rolled her eyes as she pointed at her brother which made you chuckle.

"Fine, since you don't need me here, I'll just go pick up some things for Mum." Jungkook says as he flicks Ryujin's forehead playfully which made you smile when you saw how her eyes flared at him.

"Bye love, I'll see you later." He pulls you closer as he pressed a soft kiss on your lips which made you smile.

"See you, pumpkin." Jungkook winked at his sister as he simply ruffles her hair before he leaves.

"Wow, I've never seen him so smitten before." Ryujin said which made you smile as you could feel the both of your cheeks flush.

"C'mon, let's go find you your dress." You said as you held onto her wrist and head over to the next boutique store with her.

❀ ❀ ❀

"Do you think she'll like it?" You asked while you put the cheesecake that you and Jungkook just bought in the fridge.

"She will, don't worry about it." Jungkook says as he softly runs his fingers through your hair. "My sister literally eats everything she sees." He said which made you chuckle as he then placed a soft kiss at the side of your head.

"How rude." You heard Ryujin when she walks down from the hallway, heading towards the kitchen to get some snacks.

"I don't eat everything I see, you do." Ryujin defended herself as she rolled her eyes at her brother which made you smile.

"Well, I guess maybe we shouldn't have bought you the cheesecake." Ryujin's eyes light up as soon as she heard what Jungkook said.

"You guys bought me cheesecake?" Ryujin gasp in excitement as she rushes over to the fridge to take a look at it which made you smile.

"It's fine if you don't want it." Jungkook teases her which made Ryujin glared at him with the corner of her eyes.

"Screw you." She said as she then took the cake out and take a sniff from it. "Oh my god, it smells so good." Ryujin pouted adoringly at you which made you chuckle. "Can I have a bite?" She asks, ready to dig in.

"You can eat all of them if you want to." You said which made Ryujin squeak excitingly as she grabs a bite to eat.

"Oh my god, this is so good." Ryujin's eyes immediately light up when she took the first bite. "Where did you guys get it? God, I have to get Daddy to try this." Ryujin said as she grabs the whole cake in her hand and heads out from the kitchen.

"See, I told you." Jungkook said as he watches his sister clumsily waddle away with the cheesecake in her hand which made you smile. "Anyways, I was wondering if you want to have dinner with me?" You felt your boyfriend's arm wrapped around your waist as he places a soft kiss behind your head.

"I'd love to, but I promise your sister that I'll help her out with her birthday party tonight." You said which made Jungkook groaned. You chuckle as you simply place a kiss on his cheeks.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." You turn around when you heard a tiny voice echoes across through the kitchen to see Ryujin's friend standing awkwardly in the middle of the hallway which you simply gave her a small smile.

"It's fine." Jungkook said as he greeted her with a warm smile. "Chaeryoung right? Can I get you anything?" Jungkook asks which she then just nodded shyly at him.

"I just came here for some milk." She mumbles softly as Jungkook went to grab a carton of milk out of the fridge for her.

"Thank you." She nodded politely as she grabbed the milk from him and pour it into her glass.

"You're welcome." Jungkook smiles at her which made her blush. You grin, remembering Ryujin told you about how her friends have crushes on her brother ever since high school, it makes you wonder how popular Jungkook is back then.

"Hey, I gotta go meet up with the guys. I'll see you later?" He asks which you then just nodded as he places a kiss on your forehead before grabbing his car keys from the countertop. "Bye Chaeryeong." Jungkook smiles as he bid goodbye to Ryujin's friend before he heads out from the kitchen.

"You guys are really cute together." Chaeryoung mumbles which made you blush.

You've always wondered why Jungkook would choose to be with you when he can literally get any girl he wants.

❀ ❀ ❀

"Thank you for helping me out today." Ryujin said while you were packing your stuff in Jungkook's room when she came in.

"I had fun." You said as you smile sweetly at her when she sat down on Jungkook's bed.

"You know, I never thought my brother would settle down for anyone but I'm glad he did. He was such an ass back in high school. All the girls were so obsessed with him." Ryujin exaggerated as she plopped down on the bed which made you smile.

"I thought so too." Your smile grew wider as you grab your clothes and shove them in Jungkook's duffel bag together along with his stuff.

"Really? So how did it happened? How did he ask you out?" Ryujin asks as she stares at you with her puppy eyes curiously that caught you off guard.

"What are you girls talking about?" You heard Jungkook as he came in with a bouquet of daisies in his hand.

"I got this for you." He said as he places the daisies on his bed, taking you by surprise.

"It's beautiful." You smile as you look at the daisies while picking up the bouquet.

"I'm gonna leave, you two lovebirds enjoy." Ryujin teases you which made you blush as she climbs down from the bed before she leaves.

"You really don't have to get me flowers." You said as as you simply rest your back on your boyfriend's chest while you gaze at the daisies in your hand.

"I love seeing you like this." He said, staring down at you which made your heart flutter. "C'mon, There's something I want to show you." Jungkook said, intertwining his hand with yours as he pulls you to the terrace. "Close your eyes." He said as you look at him confusingly before closing your eyes. That's when you felt something cold rest against your chest. You opened your eyes to see a rose gold necklace placed around your neck perfectly with a beautiful ring on it.

"I know it might be too soon but I can't stop thinking about our future together and when I saw the ring, it made me think about how life would be if we were you know, married and all, and maybe have our own kids." Jungkook smiles at you softly when he confesses to you as it made your heart skipped a beat. "I think I wanna marry you." He said as he softly brushes his hands over your cheeks as he couldn't believe how lucky he is.

"Promise me you'll wear it when you're ready?" He asks as his gaze grew softer while waiting for your answer.

"Promise."

[toomanyfandoms02]

Evidence // Spencer Reid x Reader

HEY guess who's back. I'm SO SO SO sorry for the delay. I've been having the most SERIOUS case of writers block and I'm finally pulling myself out of it YAYYYY. So here ya go.

Not a request, but I couldn't resist this prompt!

Summary - Spencer and Reader get locked in the evidence room.

Prompt - “What on earth happened in here?"

Word count - 2.9k

Spencer and I often stayed after together to finish up work. We didn't like to have to wake up so early to make touch ups. So here we were, sitting on the floor in the back of the evidence room. We were sat behind tall filing cabinets, a dim lamp lit beside us.

We were working a case in Arizona involving 3 girls. It was running relatively smooth, the problem was that the police station that we were placed at was in the middle of nowhere. And that was proven by the signal warning on my phone.

*unable to send message.*

Good thing it wasn't anything important.

There were multiple pages sprawled out in front of us, we looked between them all.

"I don't think we will have to stay too long after today." I commented. "It looks like we are working pretty fast this time around."

"I guess we're getting the hang of this " Spencer laughed, writing something down.

*click*

I craned my neck around the cabinets, wondering if someone was coming in the door. Seeing no one, I turned back to him, shrugging my shoulders.

We continued for another hour (and 28 minutes by Spencer's count). I stacked the papers together, shutting them in a folder and tucking it under my arm. I stood from my previous position, stretching my back.

"That's enough sitting on a concrete floor for me." I complained, hunching over and dragging myself to the door. This earned a laugh from Spencer. I reached for the knob, eager to get to the hotel and sleep.

But the knob only jiggled.

And jiggled.

And didn't budge.

"Uh. I think, I think the door is locked." I whispered, turning to Spencer slowly.

"No way." He stated, lightly pushing me out of the way. I listened as he jiggled it, desperately trying to turn the door knob. His head was placed against the glass, hands framing his eyes while he looked out the small doors window. "The lights are all off out there. I think they are on night patrol."

"Well this is thrilling." I laughed, slumping onto the floor. I pulled my phone from my pocket, holding it in the air and attempting to call Emily. The call started, my excitement being crushed by a warning on my phone.

*Your call cannot go through at the moment, we are unable to find a signal.*

Well fine then.

"Do you know how to pick a lock?" He asked.

"If there was anyone that knows how to pick a lock, I thought it would be you."

"Why?" His posture looked stiff and offended.

"You know everything." I deadpanned offering a dumb look. He rolled his eyes at this and sat down across from me. "Do you think we'll die in here?" I asked nonchalantly. Spencer squinted his eyes at me.

"Well statistically, no." And that's all he said.

"Is that all you got?"

"I'm too tired to ramble." He groaned. His head was leaned back on a cabinet. "But I will say that on average night patrols and at around 3:30 to 4 am. So we have quite a few hours to kill." The clock on the wall read 11:17. Yeah, we had some time to kill.

"Alright, we aren't just gonna sit here. We are gonna play games, I can't stand to sit in silence." Spencer sat up slightly, flashing me a confused look.

"Like what?"

"We are going to start with would you rather. I'll start." My head started sorting through all of the would you rather questions I had been asked that I loved and found the perfect one for this genius.

"Would you rather lose the ability to read or the ability to speak." I watched as he opened his mouth to answer then closed it, thinking again. I thought this would be a pretty obvious answer for him.

"I think I would lose the ability to speak. I could do nearly everything the same. I would just have to write my findings down." He sat in thought for a moment. "Would you rather have unlimited international first class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?" I was thoroughly surprised by the question.

"That's a good one! I definitely want to travel, but I do eat a lot... First class tickets. I want to see ancient ruins, can't walk to them." I laughed. We played this game for around 10 more minutes before getting extremely bored of it.

"Alright enough of this." I groaned, coming up with a new idea. "We are gonna play two truths and a lie. Pretty straight forward, I'll start and you try to guess which one is a lie." Spencer nodded and waited. "I broke my leg while falling from a tree when I was 9, I've had a crush on someone on the team, and I once ate nerds candy for a whole week when I was 7 and had to get my stomache pumped." The last one had his eyebrows furrowing. I remained still and emotionless so he couldn't read me as well.

"I completely believe that you ate candy for a week and had to get medical attention as a result." He pointed out oh so graciously. "And you're a total klutz too, so it wouldn't surprise me if you broke your leg. Plus I think I'd know if you ever liked someone on the team. Final answer you've never had a crush on anyone on the team." He looked so smug in the moment, this just got me more pumped to wipe that smile from his face.

"Nope." As expected, his face immediately fell.

"Who did you like!" Spencer's arms were flailing in exasperation.

"I don't have to tell you that." I chuckled. "Now you go." My foot kicked his lightly, egging him on. He gave a glare and moved on reluctantly.

"I'm afraid of the dark, the only reason I drink coffee is because I had a crush on a girl who liked it, and I drank 11 cups of coffee one day and was up for 39 hours straight."

"You definitely drink coffee because you like it and not because of a girl, lie." There was no question about it, that would be a dumb reason to drink something.

"Actually that is why I drink coffee."

Huh?

"The lie is that I was up for 39 hours straight, I was only up for 35."

"Christ Spence!" I shook my head in disapproval. "Tell me about the girl." I could see his cheeks flush in the slightest. ~~Silently wishing that I could make him feel like that~~

"Her name was Josephine and she lived on my street. She and I would play chess together in the park whenever I wasn't studying, and she would bring a cup of coffee every day. Eventually, in my own way to impress her, I started bringing coffee too. And she liked that, but of course we drifted apart because of how fast my life was moving. It's unfortunate." He was staring down at his hands now. "You and her are very similar. I think that's why we've gotten so... close." That comment got me very curious.

"How were we alike? If you don't mind me asking."

"She was kind and funny, never let anyone down. And she was intelligent. Not only in personality either, you have the same color hair and eyes. I bet you guys would have gotten along really well." I could see him making his thinking face, I assume he was looking into past memories.

"That's so sweet." I kicked his foot with a smile, bringing him back to reality. "So, last round until we are playing the dreaded truth or dare ooooOooOooOooo." Spencer laughed and rolled his eyes. "I use to have a cat named Piglet because of how obsessed with Winnie the Pooh I was, my first boyfriends name was Spencer, and I play guitar."

"There is absolutely no way your first boyfriends name was Spencer, it's the 828th most popular name. That would be nearly impossible or a crazy coincidence." His hand gestured were out of this world at this point, completely flabbergasted that I would even try to tell him such a *lie*.

"Wrong again pretty boy, that's true. His name was Spencer Allen Sallow. The only reason I remember his middle name is because I remember his initials being 'SAS'. Are you ready for truth or dare?"

"I guess." He mocked annoyance and threw his head back.

"Ok, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"If you could make one wish, right this second, what would it be?" He stared at me intently for a moment, as if he was looking for the answer in me. He then lightly shook his head, it was so small, but hard to miss considering we were practically having a staring contest.

"I would wish for the door to be unlocked so I could sleep at the hotel." His head nodded.

"Boring, I choose dare." I was now sitting much closer to him, waiting for whatever that beautiful brain could come up with. Spencer looked to the papers on the floor and then back at me, an evil smirk forming on his lips.

"Do a snow angel in our paperwork." My shoulders slumped.

"What if I rip something!" I wouldn't usually whine like this but *geez* I did not want to redo all this.

"Just be careful then." I looked at him with a pleading look. "Oh so you're *boring*." That's what got me.

"**Fine!**" I slowly lowered myself onto the papers, flattening out and looking up to Spencer, he was hovering over me slightly in a criss-crossed position with that evil smirk. His hands gestured me on.

I laid my arms and legs and and moved them, hearing the paper scrape against the floor and giggling. I had to admit, it was fun. And if having fun with Spencer meant I had to redo a few papers.

Then so be it.

I sat up after Spencer told me I'm done through fits of laughter, holding his stomache and nearly toppled flat on the floor. I looked around happily to see most papers were only crinkled, not ripped. I'll just have to flatten them out tomorrow.

"Okay asshat, truth or dare." He tapped his chin, looking daring for once.

"Dare." Perfect.

"Serenade me." I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched his face fall.

"With just my voice?"

"Oh no no, I have an instrument, the bag I carry with us on cases is like a never ending bag." I reached into the giant bag and pulled out a ukelele case, but not an *ordinary* uke case, a *mini* uke case. "Can you play ukelele?" I pulled it from the case, handing it over to him.

"No, but I may be able to pick it up."

"So you will actually serenade me!?" I got my hands ready to clap.

"Sure, why not." I clapped infinitely fast, watching him pluck at the strings a bit and lean back into the cabinets. Then he started on a beat, one that I recognized.

"Put your head on my shoulder, hold me in your arms, baby. Squeeze me oh so tight. Show me that you love me too." I listened to him through the whole song, knowing full well that as soon as he was strumming that ukelele I was already done for.

"How did I do?" He strummed the last chord and look up at me with a smile.

Oh how I wanted to tell him that he serenaded me to the sun and back.

"That was amazing! You learned that om the spot?"

"Yeah, like piano. It's basically just math and note remembrance." He shrugged, setting it back in my case. "Truth or dare."

"Truth."

"What's the first thing on your bucket list and your biggest secret?"

"You can't ask two questions, that's cheating!" I laughed.

"You technically never specified that so, answer."

This little shit.

"Fine. The first thing on my bucket list has been the same since I was an 8th grader, which is to fall in love. And I know that's cliche but I'm sticking to it." I didn't want to tell him my biggest secret. Truth be told I had a pretty normal life, so my biggest secret was my attraction to him. After telling my mom about it she told me workplace romances were dangerous and wrong, so I tried so hard to get over it. But it's not going away, it's doing anything but that.

"Come on y/n, I'm not going to judge you for your secret."

Yeah uh huh, sure.

"It's embarrassing, and I would prefer not to tell you in a locked room so I can immediately escape after I tell you. So can I just tell you when the door gets unlocked?"

"It can't be that bad."

"It is."

"Please Y/n!"

"I like you!" His mouth shut quickly, tilting his head like a confused puppy. Now that I had given out my biggest secret, I felt a little... powerful. I crossed my arms firmly over my chest, maintaining eye contact, my heart pounding out of my chest. He wanted the truth and he got it, I hope he's happy to be stuck with me in this room for another hour and a half.

"Really?" Was all he could say.

"No. I just said that I could have awkward tension swirling around the room for the next hour, I love doing that." I replied in the most monotone voice I could muster. A very faint smile was appearing on Spencer's face, making me a little nervous. He quirked one eyebrow.

"Are you sure it's not sexual tension?"

What?

My eyebrows raised at the question. Was he... flirting with me? I didn't know he knew how to do that, let alone so *well*. He began speaking again.

"Truth or dare?"

"It's my turn to ask you."

"Truth. Or. Dare." Who knew Mr. Sweatervest could seem so intimidating.

"Dare."

"I dare you to act on your biggest secret." Is this some weird way to make me kiss him, because it's working. If we aren't on the same page, this is about to get Mega embarrassing, but I don't think this could get any weirder. I crawled forward, placing myself on his lap and staring into his eyes. I've never seen him smile so big.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Actually no, this is awful you should really stop." He deadpanned, lightly placing his hands on my hips.

"One, since when do you use sarcasm. And two, I hate you." I giggled, pulling his face to mine. One of his hands fled to my cheek, rubbing his thumb across it. He pressed further into the kiss, all while pulling me impossibly closer.

Is this real?

I pulled one hand away from his face, putting it on the skin of my thigh and pinching myself.

"Ouch shit!"

And apperantly I don't know my own strength.

"Are you okay?" Spencer's face was a wave of concern, scanning over my face quickly to make sure he didn't do something wrong.

"Yeah I was just, pinching myself to make sure this was real." I lifted my hand to his shoulder, resting it there.

"Why? Is this like a lot of your dreams?" He winking obviously at me as I slapped his chest.

"Please stop." I whined, pulling myself off of his lap. "I'm very tired and we still have an hour left, are you up for a cat nap?" I pulled a blanket from my bag. "We can use this as a pillow, it's already pretty hot in here."

"Definitely." I made it into a pillow, giving him enough room. He slung his arm around me, burying his head in the crook of my neck. "Thank you for telling me. And for the record, I wouldn't want to be locked in a room with anyone else." And with many papers scattered messily around us, we fell asleep.

-

I shot up, hearing voices I knew all too well.

"What the hell is happening, since when it pretty boy a playboy."

"Finally! Now y/n can stop silently pining and telling me about it."

"I knew those two had chemistry."

I blinked slowly, trying to release the sleep from my eyes. Spencer's sleepy arm was still wrapped around my waist, unmoving. Once my eyes adjusted I was met with the staring eyes of Derek, Garcia and Emily. Then there was Hotch, just entering the room.

“What on earth happened in here?"

"We got locked in here and played some innocent party games." I explained gesturing to the messy papers. "Spencer dared me to make a snow angel in our files." I smiled sheepishly. Spencer was now stirring awake, sitting up and looking at our teammates. Derek held out his hand for a fist bump and Spencer highfived it weakly.

"Told you you would rope her in." He chuckled. I rolled my eyes at the comment and stood up.

"Let's finish up this case. We've only had 1 hour of sleep and I want this day to be over with already. Save the comments for when I'm asleep on the jet." And with that we were off.

But let's not ignore that Spencer and I's hands were clasped beneath every table we sat at that day, it's not to be ignored.

And I won't be forgetting that day any time soon.

[tanix-dragon]

steeples fingers Hi. Aegis here, not Tanix. I know, I don't think I've ever posted, myself, on this blog before. As it turns out, though, I'm going through some strange times and thought that documenting it might not be a bad idea.

Our system... it's a complicated beast, but long story short, our first (or second?) split was catastrophically bad and, as a result, Null and I aren't really... full people. Not like Tanix is (not that he started that way, either.) We're fragments, pieces of broken glass with a couple of personality quirks and a short list of likes/dislikes. We primarily handle "negative" emotions. I deal with anger, she deals with trauma responses, usually fear.

In the years following all of that, we've gotten a gaggle of fictives and whatever Research is. It's been increasingly obvious that Null and I aren't complete people, and it's been... bothering me. Somewhat subconsciously, I've started latching onto fictional characters and filling the gaps in myself with them and their personality traits. It's like I'm the frame of a person with a few pieces filled out, and I'm just copy and pasting the rest to add mass to the frame. A little bit of Sarah Kerrigan from StarCraft, a lot of Axia Giovanni from the same TTRPG game that a third or more of the system is from. It's at the point that "Aegis" is my personal identifier, but "Axia" is my... name, I guess, although I don't really use it.

I'm not a fictive. Or, at least, I wasn't before, and I'm not purely a fictive. I also don't think I'm fictionkin, necessarily. Maybe with Kerrigan, but with Axia, it's a lot more... immediate. In this system (and I won't speak for anyone else, don't get on my ass about this), we tend to tell fictives apart from fictionkin by the immediacy of the identity. Research's name isn't Gordon, it's Research, even though he is Gordon Freeman--he's fictionkin. Goratrix's name is Goratrix, all he is is Goratrix, that's all he's ever known and all he ever really intends to know--he's a fictive.

But I'm Axia-not-completely, right-now but also I'm Aegis, and I guess I'm in a bit of a strange situation given that I'm literally filling in missing pieces of myself with "someone else," not just... attaching to them and Becoming, I guess.

So who knows what that's called. If anyone has any idea of how to label this, or deal with it, or... anything, that would be great. If it makes you think something about your own identity, great. I'd love to hear about it.

[heloisedaphnebrightmore]

First of all, I was so nervous I sent that last message without flipping the anon switch because I didn't double check like usual. Lol. It's only a matter of time so hopefully you figure it out before then. 😉

Also, I could not get through this entire post without dying of laughter. I was laughing so hard I was crying last night. It took me 10+ minutes to get a hold of myself. I'm over here having the time of my life and you're going crazy trying to figure it out. I'm sorry I'm laughing but it's just so much fun for me. 😂

Aw Gina, I love you too!!! I'm glad to be back too. I'll try to be more consistent. 😊

Welp, at least now you know I'm not from the UK if I don't know the difference between pounds and euros. Haha. But I Googled it and omg 120 pounds is even more than 120 euros! Geez!

Oh gosh no, I'm alright. No need to be nervous. I just catch a lot of colds because I spend a lot of time in the cold and as we've established, I only kind of take care of myself. Haha.

That draft is everything! I'm gone for two days and you're ready to send out a search party for me. 😅 I wish I'd waited so I could see that post. 🤣🤣🤣 I say post it anyway just so I can see. Maybe you can get the entire Harry Potter side of Tumblr searching for me. (I'm kidding! 😅)

Omg I'm just glad that at least last night it wasn't me that kept you up until 7am but instead it was Tiktok. I'm only responsible for the hour between 4 and 5am. So that's something at least. 😅

because no, I don't want to talk about me, I am ready to find out who you are!

I think we might have to come up with a rule here. I think when you ask a series of questions at the end (like in your last message) I get to pick one identity question from the group but you also have to include a getting to know you question that we both answer (like favorite color or favorite movie or something). 😊

Here are my highlights from your lists:

The Shadowhunters thing actually could be a useful clue if you know where to look or who to ask. So I'm glad you remember that. 😉

Personal Edition:

Ok the first three made me smile so much. You're the best. 😊

4. 6 days ago you wrote; the new semester has started

Dang Gina! You're really out here making a timeline of all our interactions aren't you? 🤣🤣🤣

5. You are hoping you'll be able to read and interact a little more.

Once again, this actually could be a clue if you know where to look.

7. You only kind of take care of yourself; Let me get my slipper 😅

No slippers needed today. After this I'm gonna have brunch and I promise to drink a full glass of something with my meal. (I hate water but it'll be something)

9. You are doing a research project on landing mechanics in a specific sport; This is where I thought I knew who you were. Then you destroyed it by saying; You are majoring in science and you like testing and analyzation 🙈

I'm super interested in who you thought I was with this one. I am curious to know how the second portion destroyed that, because research and analyzation go together, do they not? I'm confused.

18. We talked a few times in different places; How is that a clue?! 😂

That's literally the most important clue I've given you! It means you might have to look outside of our asks to find answers to my clues! I actually thought I gave myself away the other day, and I was absolutely dying of laughter watching you respond and realizing you hadn't noticed.

Conclusions:

You are actually correct on all three of those! You do follow me, I am over 18, and I am from the US!

It sounds like the science thing is what's tripping you up the most, so I will clarify (kind of) "I'm majoring in a science"

Of those clues you asked for, many of them will give me away! So instead I will technically answer one but make it extra vague; There are 3 names people on Tumblr call me, and in alphabetical order the letters they start with are E, I, and M.

Yes, I much prefer these vague clues... 😄 But to be honest, I threw in a couple good ones this time so hopefully you've made a little progress and have some ideas of where to look next. I also honestly think I gave myself away today, so I am anxiously awaiting your response. 😬

(I wish I could put a read more in asks, this has gotten super long so apologies to your followers. Although by the looks of the likes on some of our messages it looks like some people are enjoying this as much as I am 😅) -⭐

Shoot, I wish you forgot to switch the anon xD

Actually, it is hilarious, so I completely understand xD I’m feeling like Sherlock Holmes but a dumber, less useful version. Like a faulty Sherlock Holmes xD

Rest under the cut :D

I don’t want you to feel like you have to message me or it’s like an obligation so if you have no time and you are too busy, then just take your time, I completely get it, we are not rushing anywhere. <3

Hahaha you would love it if everyone searched for you :D The anonymous Tumblr celebrity xD I might post it regardless, but I don’t want to get attacked about trying to expose my anon’s identity. I have seen posts where people went off on accounts saying they shouldn’t try knowing their anon’s identity as they chose to be on anon for a reason. I don’t really want to have to explain myself to everyone and coming off stalkerish and you are the only one who knows the whole story and a couple of my followers xD I will have to think this through, until then it sits in my drafts. :D

Okay, pink and black are my favourite colours and I don’t have a favourite movie. Now that it’s out of the way, back to you xD

You see, you said you spend a lot of time in the cold! Once again this makes me think of the same person I initially thought of. When you referred to Shadowhunters, again it’s the same person I am thinking of, but there is also another person in my mind so now I have two options.

Research and analysis go together, but again the person I thought of said something about studying sport stuff, exercise science thingy, that’s why it threw me off. That’s why I changed my mind and decided you are not that person. But now that you say A science it makes me think of that person again, but on the other hand I don’t know what the other protentional person studies. God, you are killing me!

You say we have talked the other day. There was only 4 people I have talked to outside of my asks recently and one of them was the same person I thought of from the beginning, but also my second option was between those 4 people too.

Both of my options are 18+, I follow them, and they are from the US. You see, both of my options have at least one of those letters, but now I’m off to confusion land again, because you said they call you 3 names. Who on earth uses 3 names? xD

5. You are hoping you'll be able to read and interact a little more. - Once again, this actually could be a clue if you know where to look.

This did not help at all xD I think what you consider clue is not a clue for me and what I consider a clue is not a clue for you xD This is getting twisted at this stage xD I honestly think we are both in the same Discord server, I am quite sure at this point.

The fact that you think you gave yourself away makes me feel utterly useless. I am trying to think of all the people I have talked to recently and all of them has I, E and M in their name or their name starts with those letters, but only one of them talked to me about cold and science. Whether I am missing something very obvious or I know who you are, and I am simply questioning myself at this point.

Let me ask you one question, which would help me find the right answer. Have you got any injuries and if yes, what’s that? :D

I feel like I’m close, but at the same time I keep questioning it <3

[sunsiac]

king and queen / jaehyun [2]

genre: murder mystery, romance, angst

member: jaehyun

word count: 2k

warnings: none

summary: a young prince and a knight's daughter are an unlikely pair, but nonetheless, these two were attached at the hip as children. Without any royal duty or stress, it proved to be an unexpected yet beautiful friendship. even as they grew up together, they only developed to be more inseparable. they proved this when she, hakyeong, turned 16, and he, jaehyun, gave her one of the most precious gifts he could; both of their first kisses. but it was bad timing. their respective responsibilities dawned on them quicker than they would've imagined, forcing them to grow apart. 5 years later, the both of them 21, meet again after jaehyun's older brother who is about to be crowned king is found dead. A string of murders throughout the castle force them to come together and find the one behind it before one of them is next.

—

JAEHYUN :

There was a certain point, I don't know how long ago, that I couldn't bring myself to face Hakyeong anymore. Though I can't remember my exact reasoning, I remember thinking heavily about the fear of change.

'change isn't always a bad thing,'

I was told this the first time I was denied going out to visit her. And I didn't believe them, because, well, why would I? Back then, change was the only thing standing in the way of me seeing my best friend; my secret lover.

So, for a good time, I resented change.

But, as time went on, I began to fear it. I began to fear the possibility that she had changed. I was afraid to see the girl I fell for a completely different person.

And though I knew change was inevitable in both of us, I couldn't help but be afraid. I didn't want everything we'd been through together to be swept away by all the things we'd gone through separately.

But, soon enough, she stopped trying to reach me too. We cut off all contact, and though I did regret it for a few years, I had no time to myself to act on it.

We never officially separated after that, but with the way we both acted, it obvious that it probably wasn't salvageable.

And eventually, my sadness faded. Change was another normal part of life again, and I condoned it with no extra thought. And after that, it seemed like she had done the same. We went through years of exchanging glances across the room, or small conversations when needed.

Though I could tell there were still a few things hanging in the air every time we spoke, we said nothing about it every time.

But, seeing her now, her hands to her mouth as she stared, I realised that maybe she hadn't changed as much as I thought. Her eyes were glossy as they filled quickly with fat tears. She looked completely wrecked, the sounds of her sobs reaching even where I stood.

That's when her tears began to spill, and, god, I would be lying if I said that didn't make me cry a little more too.

--

HAKYEONG :

I hated going through the whole next day with the feeling of tears in the back of my eyes, the risk of them spilling over growing every time I spoke. I felt too vulnerable in the unusually empty halls while I was on guard, Hyeonsik missing from the spot he usually occupied next to me.

Because of that, I felt depressingly lonely the entire day, seeing almost no one as I stood on guard constantly. All day, there was only one person that came up to me, or, more fittingly, tried to. Jaehyun was, understandably, surrounded by other guards at all hours of the day. So, when he tried to come up to me, it came as no surprise when someone held him back, telling him he shouldn't talk to someone like me. Someone that he didn't know if he could trust.

I wanted to think that he did trust me, that he knew I would never hurt Hyeonsik, much less him. But, the look in his eyes said nothing. So, I just watched as he nodded.

Though I did wish they wouldn't have stopped him. Because, at this point, I was almost aching for someone familiar, for anything to help lift my mood. But somehow, at least seeing him looking fine after everything, had undeniably lifted my spirits a little bit.

The rest of my day was bland. I had nothing else to do but wait for the sun to set, so that way someone else would come around and take my place for the night. After that, even though I wanted to, at that point I was too burnt out to do much else. So, I decided to just let the entirety of my thoughts encase me and keep me still, ending up in hours spent sitting in the courtyard outside.

It was a strange time to feel homesick, but at that moment, the red roses growing nearby reminded me strangely of the white ones in my mother's garden. God, how much I wanted to go home. Back to my own bed and even Yuta's tricks. I think I would do anything to hear his laugh right now, even if it took a few bruises or bad jokes.

But, I swallowed those thoughts and went back inside, careful to walk quickly through the dimly lit halls before falling asleep in my room in the dorms.

I was on guard for only half the time the next day, but it was still almost dark when I went back to my dorm. And thankfully, besides all the expected things, today was mostly a normal day. Except, there was something I was left to wonder about. Throughout the day, people were being pulled from their posts, returning silently around half an hour later.

It was most likely just questioning about Hyeonsik, so I didn't worry about it much. At least, not until I got a knock on my door.

I was greeted by someone I didn't recognise, a higher-up knight, I guessed. Their uniform was different than a standard knight's; being made a little stronger and a deep red rather than a dark green.

"Lee Hakyeong?"

After my parents had passed away, my adoptive mother had made the choice to let me keep my given surname instead of becoming a Nakamoto. Which, I had probably thanked her for at least one thousand times since then.

I nodded. "Is something wrong?"

His expression was a strange mix of exhaustion and alertness as he spoke, no doubt less than thrilled to say, "Please follow me,"

I should have known he wouldn't have told me.

But, I had no choice but to just follow him. It was an awkward walk, stiff as uncertainty radiated from both of us. But the thing was, I knew why I was nervous, but I didn't know why he was.

We stopped a few minutes later, in front of a door I'd no doubt passed at least a million times before. I'd never thought much about it, but walking in, I realised that maybe I should have.

Though it had the same overall structure of the rest of the castle, it also had a little-personalised flair that really made the room look beautiful. Shelves lined the walls where windows were absent, giving the room an old-fashioned charisma. There were stacks of papers strewn neatly across the desk that veered the left side of the room, and there was even a little glass sculpture of a crown laying near the edge of it.

The rest of the space on the walls was filled with paintings and maps, adding colour to the otherwise brown and gold accented room.

"Miss?"

I looked up, expecting to see the person who had brought me here, but it seemed that in the time I had been distracted they'd left. Now, I was left alone with someone that I did recognise

The royal supervisor was a relatively young man, not too young, but definitely younger than you would expect someone of his position to be. Besides a uniform that was unique to him, he wasn't really visually stimulating in any way, only otherwise adorning smooth black hair and eyes of a similar colour.

Despite his simplicity, he was a powerful man. He was in charge of almost everything the king wasn't; events, training schedules, you name it.

He walked over from his previous spot by the window, dropping what looked like a checklist on the desk before he turned to me expectantly.

"Ah," I let out a soft apology as I sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

He gave me a polite smile as he stuck out his hand. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. My name is Hyunjin,"

I took his hand, shaking it. "Hi. I'm Hakyeong, it's nice to meet you,"

He nodded, not bothering to make any other small conversation as he reached for his paper and a pen.

"I'll assume you know what happened to Sir Hyeonsik?" He asked, his eyes flitting up to meet mine.

I just nodded, looking away.

He let out a soft apology. "I'm sorry. I'm told you were close,"

I didn't know what to say to that.

He cleared his throat, seeming to handle the silence badly as he moved on almost immediately. ���I only have some questions for you. So, if you would, please answer them as truthfully as possible,"

This just made me more nervous, as he was obviously just trying to ease me into whatever he was going to ask. But, I agreed as I subconsciously shifted around in my seat.

I knew there was no reason to be nervous, seeing as I really had nothing to do with what happened. But, his impending gaze as he looked at me from over the paper made me feel as I did something wrong.

"Hyeonsik has a fiancée, but you two were also close. Did you two have," he paused, giving me enough time to take in what he was saying. "Anything besides that?"

"No, god, no." I sighed out, almost repulsed as I admitted, "He was like a brother to me,"

He just nodded again, marking something down as he moved on.

"Alright. Now I'll move on to simple questions. Where were you the night when it happened?"

"I was sleeping." I answered, being completely truthful as I added, "My roommate is a chamberlain, and she had gotten back a little before then. So, she woke me up when there was noise,”

A few more pen strokes.

"You were also at the scene quickly, someone said. How?" He asked.

"I asked someone what was going on when I went into the hall," I explained. "I was there so quickly because I ran as fast as I could,"

He squinted slightly at my explanation, seeming a little skeptical, but still kept writing.

"Do you know anyone that would want to hurt him?" He asked, looking up at me expectantly.

I shook my head. "Never. He was everyone’s favourite instructor, and got along with just about everybody he came across. Everyone loved him,"

For whatever reason, he seemed to be slightly disappointed at my answer.

"Okay," he leaned back in his seat and let out a breath. "Last question. The younger prince, Jaehyun, are you close with him?"

I hesitated.

"No. We haven't spoken in months."

He rose a brow. "In months? Are you implying that you had talked more before that?"

"We used to, yes, but what does this have to do with Hyeonsik?" I asked, my brows knitting.

He didn't answer me, making what seemed like last adjustments to his paper as he said, "Thank you for your cooperation. Hopefully, with more information, we'll discover who's behind all of this,"

I didn't know what to say to that, but it seemed like at that point, he just wanted me to leave.

After that, my eyes wandered to his windows where the skies had since melted down from a faint blue to a pitch black. I wasn't exactly looking forward to walking to the dining hall alone when it was it was dark, but I was too afraid to ask for anything, just saying,

"I'm happy to help,”

—

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