#but they eventually broke off and became their own little thing

[numberonetacostan]

ONE HEADCANON FOR EVERY II CHARACTER!

Hello everyone!!!!!^^ For a little holiday season special, I’ve typed out a little headcanon for every character!!! By character I mean contestants + host + assistants!!!!! Sorry to all the Nick Le fans out there, he is not included. Since everyone is here, there are characters I may not know as well as my main roster, so if I get anything like, objectively wrong, feel free to let me know!!!^^ Please enjoy!!! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

Apple- Her favorite song is Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan. She doesn’t really understand the lyrics but she really likes ponies!!!! I also think she’d start misspelling her name as “Appell” pretty often after she finds the song. 

Balloon- The first thing Suitcase does with her prize money is buy him a poetry book. He is so very moved by this and writes her dozens of poems with various styles he sees in the book within a few days. He’d read from the book and his own works to Suitcase every night before they go to bed. Some others could join in for a nice bedtime story :). 

Baseball- Once, while the hotel was under construction, Baseball fell down the stairs. And then kept rolling. And rolling. And bouncing. And rolling some more. Overall it set construction back two weeks and Paintbrush broke their leg trying to help stop him. Baseball was banned from the hotel until the elevators were finished. 

Bomb- He can’t eat spicy food. As in he’s banned from eating spicy food. If he gets too hot, he can accidentally set himself off, so despite his claim that he has a great spice tolerance, he is not allowed anywhere near the hot sauce. He doesn’t complain about the ban anymore post-canon, too risky, yeah? 

Bow- She watches so very many makeup tutorials, but being a ghost, can’t practice any of it on herself. That is, unless she possesses someone, like Marsh who would be very easy to put makeup on relative to other objects!!! She’d probably get pretty good at it, after some time, and Marsh would have some lovely new eyeshadow looks every day! 

Knife- He has a longer ghost tail than Dough and Bow do, so I propose him wrapping said tail around people and things he likes!!! Wraps around Pickle when they’re standing next to each other, wraps around Suitcase’s handle when they’re together, etc.!!! He’d get rather flustered if anyone called him out on it. 

Lightbulb- Gives incredible hugs. Incredible. How does an object made of glass and metal give such cuddly, warm hugs? Nobody knows. Sometimes she’ll turn herself on during the hug to make it extra warm!! As long as the person she’s hugging closes their eyes, it really elevates the already sacred experience of a Lightbulb hug. Luckily for everyone else, she is always happy to give one!^^

Marshmallow- She’s still pyrophobic after having been burnt all those years ago. As a very flammable marshmallow, fire would be scary to her anyways, but after having been roasted it’s a whole other story. She’d rather freeze than get close to a fire, but that’s not a problem since there’s a certain fruit always willing to warm her up with a hug <3!!

Nickel- He became very, very, very nervous to give his apology to Suitcase after she blew up Cobs and ate his corpse. He was planning to apologize either way, but clearly Suitcase could absolutely obliterate him if she wanted to do so, which means this apology has to be quite good or else. He has a serious amount of respect for her now. An upgrade, I’d say. 

OJ- His favorite Pokémon is Charizard. It’s orange, it’s very popular, OJ loves it. I know Justin has made a list of the contestant’s favorite Pokemon, but I have not read it in a while so Charizard it is!!!

Paintbrush- Experiments a lot with their image after season 3, mostly by dyeing their bristles with paint!!! Lightbulb helps :3!!! And by helps I mean makes it silly and very fun. Maybe she puts a little dot between Painty’s eyes to give them a “nose”. I think they’d try a solid color first, then maybe a fade, and eventually dye the nonbinary flag into their hair!!! They slay it of course. 

Paper- Pickle once wrote “Property of OJ” on Paper’s back and he didn’t notice for three days. No one told him it was there. When he asked everyone why in the world they would not inform him they said it was because they all thought OJ had written it and he was keeping it because he liked it. OJ did not know why Paper avoided eye contact with him for a week that one time but he did not like it. 

Pepper- Hotel OJ head chef. Yeah you heard me. Let me cook by letting her cook!! Salt wouldn’t like cooking, too much work, so this is something Pepper could enjoy on her own!! And it would be the sole reason that OJ has not yet kicked Salt out of the hotel- if he does than Pepper might be too sad to cook, and with the depressingly low amount of hotel residents that can make food, and the even smaller amount who are willing to make enough food for everyone, they need her. And, if Payjay help out, they can spend more time with her and get to know and enjoy her presence without Salt ruining it!

Pickle- With some help from Tea Kettle and Pepper, he makes Knife a new Dora doll post-finale, since it vanished with the rest of the stuff made by MeLife. He lets Knife possess him if he wants to hug the doll, but it also gets possessed by Knife so he can hug Pickle. Ah shit sorry my Knickle got all over the headcanon dang it. 

Salt- I headcanon her as the only cisgender, straight, alloromantic (I think that’s the right term?) member of the cast. Basically the only one who isn’t queer at all. But uh an actual headcanon for the ~60 or so Salt fans out there, both she and Pepper sleep with those little hair bonnets on to keep their salt and pepper from falling out of their heads in their sleep. 

Taco- This one is fitting for the winter season!! Taco is afraid of snow. Like, straight up terrified. I think she would grab a bunch of blankets and hide in the vents of the mansion whenever it snows, so she can be inside of the inside, as far and safe from the snow as she can be!! Having been homeless for years, she’s had some miserable experiences with hypothermia after it snows, and now that she has a home to live in, she’ll be staying inside until all the snow has melted. 

Mephone- I think he should have a pet bug post-canon. A little beetle or something that just chills on his head and feasts on the many crumbs he gets on himself while he eats. An intelligent one, like Baxter!!! Since we know Mephone will be stepping up into the more ‘big brother’ sort of role for 3GS, I think the bug would be a good outlet for Mephone to talk about his more intense feelings, specifically revolving around Mepad and the contestants. I also think, following his very creative naming of the contestants, the bug would be named Buggy. 

Box- I think she would be an insomniac. After years and years of living in an empty, timeless void-space thing, she’d have a lot of trouble getting to sleep!! She’d definitely need the whole works, warm milk, cheese, lullabies, etc., etc., just to get to sleep, and even then she probably wouldn’t sleep for very long. A lot of nightmares on this one, yeah? 

Cheesy- I think he’d actually quite enjoy eating cheese, as long as it’s not a chunk like he is. He’ll eat nachos, pizza, mozzarella sticks, grilled cheese, etc., etc., but he will not eat cheese cubes. He’d make approximately 5 cannibal jokes every time he does this, and this average goes up to 8 if Pickle is around. 

Cherries- They give Toilet their old Mepad mask post-canon, to try and make him feel better. Toilet might hang out with them a bit more after this- they can do some drawing together!! The more prank-buddies, the merrier, yeah? 

Dough- He eventually did get the recording of Bow saying that he was her brother!! Was it a cut-off version of her denying it yet again (though this time more playfully than anything)? Yes. Does that make him any less happy about having it? No. 

Fan- Out of everyone, he’s the most upset about II ending, and wants to find a new special interest!! He’d try a whole bunch of things, games, music, movies, TV shows, art, and I think it would be funny if he settled on the ii-universe equivalent of Survivor, since it was such a big inspiration for II!! He’d also occupy himself with being very interested in whatever Test Tube is doing and cheering her on!!! Also being a good Dad to Bot!!^^

Microphone- Has, on occasion, accidentally had her volume button pressed in her sleep and woke not only herself but everyone in the vicinity up with her snoring. The first time it happens post-canon it takes her a half-hour to get a very startled and scared but very sleepy and confused Taco to come out from her hiding spot under the bed. 

Soap- Her soap is french vanilla and rose scented!!! She’d find her own scent rather pleasant, yeah? I think being empty for her would have a similar effect on her as it does on objects like OJ and Test Tube, though if she’s in a real pinch she will use her own soap to get clean!! Letting someone use her soap would be a sweet gesture of love/appreciation from her!!!

Suitcase- Balloon would write her a lot of poems once they’re back together post-canon, and she’d keep them all inside of her!! She’d keep a lot of special little gifts from important people inside of her. The stone that Knife set beside her the first time they spoke on the docks, a dried flower bracelet from Box, whatever suits her fancy! (Get it? Ge- ‘cause she’s a suitcase? okay ill leave).

Test Tube- I think she would make phones for everyone post-canon!!!^^ It’s a big island, yeah? And they really need to be able to contact each other in case of emergency, with them being able to truly die now. She could make a functioning rocket out of a vending machine, I fully believe she could make however-many functioning phones out of what she can find on the island. (Or even better, Mepple HQ. I think they all should loot it.)

Tissues- He likes coding :) I personally hate coding, because I sucked at it in school and never want to look at one of those evil “easy kids coding” websites ever again. HOWEVER coding is something he could still do while he’s feeling sick, most of the time!! And we have quite a few gamers living in the hotel, so it would be a great way for him to connect with others!!!

Trophy- He always enjoyed photography as a hobby, but very much threw himself into it after being freed from the elimination closet. After months of seeing nothing but the snotty closet walls, he had a lot more appreciation for scenic and natural photographs. He’d hang a lot of them on the wall of his room to look at as he sleeps, since the rooms don’t have windows. 

Yin-Yang- This one is from my partner @galacticrain!! Because I consider them my resident yin-yang expert^^ Yang isn’t actually gluten free, like he says in season 2 episode 5, he just knew that Yin would confess to the eating of Dough if he put any ounce of pressure on him to tell the truth. 

Mepad- Another cold weather hc! As a Mepple device, he doesn’t really get cold! However, during their first winter together, Toilet worries that Mepad has no winter clothing!!! He buys Mepad one of those super fluffy, pink cases. Mepad does not take it off for months, until his systems start to overheat because of it. 

Toilet- I think he would be rather curious about what having limbs is like. He wouldn’t be particularly upset about his own lack of limbs, just curious!^^ He would ask Mepad about his legs, (try to) ask Mephone about his arms, and maybe make a little doodle of himself with a lot of limbs. A biblically accurate Toilet, if you will.

Blueberry- I like to think his white eyes glow a bit. He functions best in pitch-black darkness, yeah? So imagine you’re walking in the dark and two white eyes are staring at you from the depths. He would love scaring people with it, I think. 

Bot- Hanging out with everyone post-season 3 finale and even more so post-canon, they discover that they really do love videogames, similar to what they told Cabby!! They would absolutely dominate in fighting games, and would main R.O.B. in Super Smash Bros.!!! A fellow robot with a 3 letter name? Sign them UP. 

Cabby- She is endlessly fascinated by how Taco’s arms work. They just…go back in? How? Could she pull them out backwards? Both on the same side? Could she reverse them? Taco does not know either, and the two of them spend a full day together just trying to figure out how they work. Cabby gets a lot of new info about them, and Taco in general, after that :). I’m projecting but I think Cabby would be curious too.^^

Candle- Her meditation training post-canon is what keeps like half the cast from losing their minds after everything that happens. She is very very much needed after… all that. Meditation would help her too, of course, in the way that it usually does, but being so helpful would probably make her feel better than that. 

Clover- She was once blown across the entire island because someone dropped a penny on the ground. It was a particularly shiny penny, though, and the year was one her many, many lucky numbers!!

Goo- My little fella!!! Uh obviously he and Bot would make comics together. They like to draw, he likes to write, it’s perfect!!!! They could help him condense his writing down into a comic format as well!!! They could also make fanart and fanfics together!!! Goo would be a shipper I think he already ships Silver and Painty if you sit that little guy down in front of Steven Universe he will explode. 

Lifering- With everyone losing their immortality post-canon, he quickly becomes one of the most popular among the contestants. Twisted your ankle? Go see Lifering. Migraine? Go see Lifering. Ate the mushrooms that Taco very clearly told you were poisonous? Hurry to Lifering!! He’s happy to be of so much help, but gives some long and rather informative lectures on proper safety checks. 

Silver Spoon- Fills his room with candles. Particularly purple ones. And ones scented with lavender and chamomile. He’ll go on and on about how much he loves candles. Particularly purple ones scented with lavender and chamomile. No one can tell if Candle is trying to politely turn him down or really hasn’t noticed. He progressively gets more and more obvious with his candle collection and nearly sets a building on fire. 

Tea Kettle- #1 Nickloon shipper. I’m serious. Whether they get together or not, she ships it. I don’t think she’d be pushy about it, insistent that they get together if they’re interested in other people, but… we know silly Nickel, always chasing a Balloon. And if he needs a little help catching it, TK will be there in a flash!!!! She’d make them a little romantic picnic complete with hors d’oeuvres! 

The Floor- My guy The Floor still visits Mephone almost daily post-canon. I really don’t see the guy being super upset or holding a grudge over Mephone having made him. He’s pretty cool, if he does say so himself!!^^ And they’re buddies, anyways, so Floory would want to check in on him after his abusive father killed everyone and then was exploded!!!! He might even befriend 3GS while he’s at it :).

[melverie]

Love using these to create my own little lore btw

To our friends at the Newspaper Club!

What would this school be without our beloved newspaper club which always keeps us updated on the latest shenanigans happening at RAD? So in the name of all students at RAD, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your hard work!

Lots of love from us too and here's to a continued good cooperation! I hope the flowers and the small gift basket we sent you guys are to your liking! 💜

Here's to many more wonderful articles written by our lovely friends at the RAD Newspaper Club! <3

A shame Mephisto is no longer club president though. He always let me chill in the club room and would slip me tea and sweets...

-May 25th 2023-

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[dreamescapeswriting]

Stray Kids Reaction || You Find Out You're A Bet

⤜Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - August 2024

⤜MASTERLIST

A/n: before i get messaged about letting them “walk all over the reader” in order for it to have a fluffy ending there needs to be some give and take. 

CHAN:

You weren't even sure why you were at the party in the first place, Chan told you it was just going to be for ten minutes but you'd been wandering around for almost an hour completely alone now. Pulling out your phone, you were contemplating calling a cab when you heard faint voices approaching you in the garden. Curious, you stay hidden behind the tall bushes, not wanting to intrude but unable to move away from them. The voices become clearer, and you recognize them immediately—Minho and Hyunjin, two of Bang Chan's closest friends. Hyunjin was even in your art class.

"I can't believe Chan actually agreed to that bet," Hyunjin says, his tone filled with disbelief. Minho chuckles a little and shakes his head, he never would have expected it to have happened.

"Yeah, who would've thought? But he's pulling it off. YN doesn't suspect a thing." Your heart stops. The blood in your veins turns to ice as you strain to hear more, hoping against hope that you've misunderstood what they were saying. Your stomach felt as though it was going to drop out of your ass.

"Do you think he'll actually go through with it?" Hyunjin asks, looking at Minho with an uneasy look on his face. Chan wasn't known to be mean or malicious and maybe it wasn't a malicious thing they'd set him up to do...In fact, their friend seemed happy around you.

"I don't know. He seemed pretty determined to prove us wrong. But you know how Chan is—always needing to be the best at everything." Minho laughed softly and you felt like the ground had opened up beneath you. A bet. To get with you. Your vision blurs as tears sting your eyes. You can't stand to hear anymore. You step back, accidentally snapping a twig underfoot. The sound is loud in the stillness, and you curse under your breath.

"Did you hear that?" Hyunjin says, and you know you need to leave. Now.

Without thinking, you turn and run, the party forgotten, your heart shattered. You just ran and ran until you found yourself back at your dorms.

How could he? You trusted him. You liked him. You thought he liked you too. The memories of your time together, the laughter, the stolen glances, all feel like cruel jokes now. It wasn't as though it was just a few dates, it was three whole fucking months!

You didn't know how long you'd been sitting in your dorm, wrapped in your misery, but eventually, you heard footsteps approaching before your door opened, you hated that you'd given him a key. You look up to see Bang Chan, his face etched with worry and desperation.

"YN," he calls out softly, hesitating a few feet away as if he's afraid you'll run again, the boys told him what happened and he instantly needed to find you.

"Please, let me explain." You shake your head, standing up, your stomach flipping as you try to speak without crying. You didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

"There's nothing to explain, Chan. I heard everything. It was all a bet to you. Yn, the big fucking joke," Your voice cracked at the end and Chan took a step closer, his eyes pleading with yours as he shakes his head at you.

"No, it wasn't. It started that way, yes, but it's not like that anymore. I swear." His own voice broke this time as he reached out to take your hands but you snatched them away from his reach.

"How am I supposed to believe you?" you ask, your voice breaking as tears streamed down your cheeks.

"Everything feels like a lie now." You breathed out. This time Chan closes the distance between you, his hands trembling as he reaches out to touch your arm.

"Because I fell for you, YN. For real. Somewhere along the way, the bet stopped mattering. You became the only thing that mattered." You search his eyes, looking for any sign of deceit, but all you see is the sincerity and pain he'd caused you. You want to believe him, but your heart is still raw, you didn't want him to be able to walk right over you but you'd fallen for him too.

"Give me a chance to make it right," he pleads, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'll do whatever it takes to prove to you that this is real...That how I feel about you isn't some kind of joke and I'm utterly in love with you. I can't lose you over a stupid mistake." You hesitate, the battle between your heart and mind raging on, your mind screaming at you not to be stupid but your heart is beating it, fighting it tooth and nail to get him back.

Finally, you take a shaky breath look at him and nod your head.

"One chance, Chan. But if you hurt me again, we're done." Your voice came out stern as you told him, there was no way you were going to let him take advantage of you in any way. Relief practically washed over his face as he nodded,

"I promise, I won't." Chan looked at you for confirmation before stepping closer, wrapping you in a gentle hug. You whimpered a little before letting yourself melt into him, feeling the warmth and steadiness of his heartbeat against your cheek. It doesn't erase the pain not even close, but it's a start and Chan was going to prove to you every single day how much you meant to him. More than some ever silly bet.

As he holds you, whispering apologies and reassurances, you just close your eyes, enjoying the closeness between you both

MINHO:

Tonight was your birthday party, kind of. You were sharing it with a couple of other people from your class in University and Minho had thrown it for you. It was also to celebrate your anniversary with one another. 

"I'll be right back." You whisper to Minho, quickly kissing his cheek and going to get you both a drink from the kitchen but as you walk you feel someone watching you and it doesn't take long until, Seungmin approaches you, with a look of irritation on his face. 

"Hey, YN, can we talk for a minute?" He grumbles a little and you frown. You and Seungmin had only ever talked in passing whenever you were with Minho and he happened to be around. The two of you weren't the chatting type...with each other at least. You nod, curious about what he had to say to you alone. Without another word, he leads you to a quieter corner of the garden, away from the noise of the party.

"What's up?" you ask, trying to read his expression but it was blank, almost as if he didn't want to give anything away to you. Seungmin crosses his arms, clearly agitated by something.

"Look, you deserve to know something. Minho didn't start dating you because he liked you. It was a bet. He wanted to prove he could make anyone fall for him." The words were so cold coming from his lips and your heart stopped, the words hitting you like a punch to the gut as you shook your head.

"What are you talking about?" He sighs, running a hand through his hair clearly not in the mood for this anymore. 

"It was just a stupid bet between him and the guys. But now, he’s acting all lovey-dovey, and it's like he actually fell for you. It's annoying." Did he sound annoyed at you for it? As if it was your fault, HIS friend had fallen in love.

You feel a wave of emotions crash over you—hurt, anger, disbelief, everything hitting you all at once. Why the fuck he was telling you this now was beyond you.

"Why are you telling me this?" You snap at him,

"Because it's ridiculous," Seungmin says, his tone sharp. 

"He was supposed to prove a point, not fall in love. It's pathetic." he looked you up and down in disgust and you pulled your arms around your body, trying to shield yourself as if his words were actually hitting you physically. You don't bother to wait to hear more you march back into the party, searching for Minho. You find him laughing with some friends, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside you. You grab his arm and pull him aside, the anger bubbling up to the surface.

"YN, what's wrong?" he asks, concern flashing in his eyes, his hands holding onto you as you shake your head. Taking in a deep breath, trying to keep your voice steady you stared at him. 

"Is it true?" You didn't say anything else and Minho frowned,

"Is what true, baby?" He reached out to touch your face but you moved away from him, glaring at him.

"Did you start dating me because of a bet?" His face pales, and you see the guilt written all over it, his stomach twisting itself into knots.

"Who told you that?" He whispered, not even denying the claim.

"So, it is true," you say, your voice breaking as tears spilt down your cheeks. 

"I can't believe you, Minho. I thought you cared about me." You grumbled, shoving against his shoulders but he didn't even move, he just stayed in place.

"I do care about you," he says desperately, reaching for your hand but you yanked it away from him. 

"It started as a bet, yes, but that changed. I changed. I fell for you, YN. For real. This is fucking real!" He yells at you as he reaches for you once again. But his betrayal was cutting you deep.

"How am I supposed to believe that? How am I supposed to trust you?! This whole time, was any of it real?" You were sobbing by now and people were starting to stare but you didn't care. He steps closer to you, his eyes pleading. 

"Yes, it was real. Every moment we spent together, every laugh, every kiss—it was real. I know I messed up, but please, give me a chance to make it right." His voice was soft as he begged you to let him prove himself to you. You stare into his eyes, searching for the truth, you always thought you could read him easily but now you weren't even sure. 

The hurt is still raw, but beneath it, you see the sincerity and regret written all over his face. 

"How can I trust you again, Minho?" Your voice came out weak and when he reached to take your hand in his, you let him. He stared at you as he smiled, holding your hands tightly.

"I'll do whatever it takes to prove to you that I'm serious. I love you, YN. I was an idiot to ever make that bet, but I swear, you mean everything to me now." He whispers, one of his hands reaching up and cupping your face in his hands, stroking your cheek gently with his thumb. You want to believe him, but the pain is still fresh in your mind. 

"It's going to take time, Minho. I can't just forget about this." You gestured between you but he nodded, laying his forehead against yours,

"I understand," he says softly. 

"I'll wait as long as it takes. Just don't walk away from us...Please" You take a deep breath, the anger starting to ebb away, leaving behind a fragile hope that this would work between you, that there was a future here.

"Okay. But you have to be honest with me. No more lies." He nods, relief flooding his features as he practically yanks you into his chest.

"No more lies. I promise."

CHANGBIN:

Sitting in the middle of your history lecture, you find it increasingly difficult to focus, your new professor had a one-tone voice and you could feel yourself drifting off the longer he spoke. Sighing a little to yourself you reached into your bag for your phone. It had been buzzing non-stop for the last twenty minutes and you wanted to see what was happening. As you pulled it out a flurry of notifications began lighting up the screen. When the professor turns to write on the board, you sneak a glance at your phone, trying to figure out what was happening so much that needed this much attention on the matter.

Your heart sinks as you see a string of messages and missed calls from friends. One message catches your eye: a screenshot from an unknown number. You glanced up to make sure the professor was still busy and you caught the look of some of the girls in your class who were looking at you with pity, smiling weakly as they turned away from you.

Frowning you turned back to your phone to open the message, and your stomach dropped. The screenshot shows a group chat where Changbin discusses a bet with his friends—apparently to prove he could make you fall for him. The date on the message is from several months ago, shortly before you started dating.

Your heart races and a wave of nausea washes over you, your skin starting to sweat as you panicked more and more. You feel eyes on you as you hastily gather your things and leave the classroom, needing to get away from the prying gazes and the oppressive silence. The professor called for you but you didn't even give him a glance as you legged it down the hallway, trying to get away. It felt like all eyes were on you.

As soon as you are alone outside of Changbin's dorm, you dial Changbin's number with trembling fingers. He answers on the second ring, his voice bright and cheerful.

"Hey, baby! What's up?" What's up?! How could he even be so fucking calm about this?

"We need to talk. Now," you say, struggling to keep your voice steady. Maybe he didn't know that the photos were going "viral" around the college yet.

"Sure, where are you? I'll come to you." You could hear him moving to get his keys but you sniffled a little.

"I'm outside your dorm," you reply before hanging up, not giving him a chance to say anything else to you.

You pace back and forth, the minutes stretching out painfully. Finally, you see Changbin approaching, a concerned look on his face.

"YN, what's wrong? You look-" You hold up your phone, cutting him off midsentence, showing him the screenshot. "

What is this, Changbin? Did you make a bet about dating me?" You couldn't stop the hurt in your voice as you stared at him. Waiting for him to deny it, to say it was fake. Anything. Just to tell you that the two of you were real despite what that fucking thing said. His eyes widen, and you see the colour drain from his face.

"YN, I can explain—" You cut him off, your voice shaking with anger and hurt.

"Explain what? That our entire relationship is based on a bet? That I've been nothing but a game to you? That I'm the biggest fucking joke to you?!" You cry softly,

"That nothing between us was ever fucking real?" You finish as he shakes his head at you,

"No, it wasn't like that," he says, his voice desperate as he reaches for you.

"It started as a stupid bet, but I swear, I fell for you. For real. You're not a game to me, what I feel for you isn't a game...It isn't fake..."

"Am I supposed to get on my knees and thank you for it? I-I'm not some kind of fucking joke!" You yell at him, gaining the attention of passersby but you didn't give a shit.

"How am I supposed to believe that?" you snap, tears welling up in your eyes. "Everything feels like a lie now." He takes a step closer, his hands reaching out to you as you let him touch you.

"Please, YN, you have to believe me. I was an idiot, and I made a mistake, but my feelings for you are real. I love you." It was the first time he'd ever said those three words to you and yet it felt like a slap to the face rather than something you'd been dying to hear from him.

You turn away, trying to collect your thoughts. The pain is overwhelming, but so is the look of sincerity in his eyes, you hated him and yet you loved him all at the same time.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating this is? Everyone saw that screenshot. Everyone knows...People in class were staring at me, looking at me with pity!" You swallowed the lump in your throat as you shook your head,

"I know, and I'm so sorry," he says softly. "I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. I'll tell everyone the truth. I'll make sure they know how much I care about you, how real this is between us." You take a deep breath, trying to steady your racing heart.

"This isn't just about everyone else. You broke my trust and my heart, Changbin. I don't know if I can get past that." He looks at you, his eyes filled with regret as he realises just how badly he'd fucked this up between the two of you.

"I understand. But please, give me a chance to prove myself. Let me show you that what we have is real." But you just left him standing there, giving yourself space to think.

Eventually, you went back to him, deciding you wanted to try and make things work between you and it had taken months of hard work from him for you to finally trust him again.

HYUNJIN:

The wedding reception is in full swing, the joyous atmosphere filling the beautifully decorated hall. You smile as you watch your friends and family celebrating with each other, your gaze wandering over to your husband now who was talking to a few of his friends. Your wedding day has been everything you dreamed of and more, it was everything you'd ever wanted since you were a little girl.

As you move through the crowd, accepting congratulations and well-wishes, you overhear a conversation that stops you in your tracks, your hand resting on the lower back of someone who congratulated you but your mind is on the conversation. 

"I can't believe it all started as a bet. Who would've thought he'd actually fall in love with her and have a wedding like this?" Your heart skipped a beat, and it felt as though someone had just doused you in freezing cold water. You step closer, trying to catch more of the conversation without drawing attention to yourself.

"Yeah, remember how smug he was about it? But now look at him, married and everything," Seungmin laughs and you suddenly feel like the ground has been pulled out from under you. Your wedding day, the happiest day of your life, suddenly feels like a cruel joke between everyone there. Did everyone know it was a bet? How could he have not said anything to you? The two of you had been together for nine years now and he hadn't thought it bring it up once? 

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your racing heart, and decide you need to confront Hyunjin. Now.

As soon as you'd found him you dragged him away from listening ears and walked toward the toilets, shutting the door and ignoring the wolf-whistles from people who had seen the interaction. You bolted the door shut and Hyunjin smirked,

"Couldn't wait for the wedding night, baby?" He teases, stopping when you turn around to face him.

"Hey, what's up?" he asks, noticing the serious look on your face. He was ready to kill whoever had made you this pissed off on your wedding day of all days.

"We need to talk. Now," you say, your voice barely above a whisper. Where were you even supposed to start with this? 

"Hyunjin, is it true? Did our relationship start as a bet?" you ask, your voice shaking as you stare at him. The expression on his face was all you needed for him to confirm it was real. His eyes widened in shock, and you see the guilt flash across his face. 

"YN, I can explain—"

"All this time, everything we built, started as a stupid bet?" You whispered, almost as if you were scared someone was going to be listening outside.

"Yes, it started as a bet," he admits, his voice filled with regret. "But it changed, YN. I changed. We've been together for nine years! You think I'd marry you for some cruel joke?" He steps toward you but you take a step back, feeling betrayed.

  "How could you not tell me? How could you let me marry you without knowing the truth?" You stared at him. As if your vows hadn't included that you'd never lie or hide something from one another.

"I was scared," he says softly. "Scared of losing you, scared that you wouldn't believe me if I told you. But my feelings for you are real. They have been for a long time, nine years baby I'd...I can't be without you." Tears fill your eyes as you struggle to process his words.

"How am I supposed to trust you now, Hyunjin? On our wedding day, of all days? You could have told me nine fucking years ago and I would...I would have had time to"

"I know," He whispers, his eyes boring into yours as he shakes his head.

"I know I fucked up. I should have told you a long time ago. But I love you, YN. I love you more than anything. Please, give me a chance to prove that to you. I meant every single thing in my vows...This isn't a joke to me," You needed to believe him and you did. Nine years was a long time for a bet and you knew it was real now but it didn't stop the hurt you were feeling right now. 

"I don't know if I can just forget about this, Hyunjin. It hurts too much." You cry softly and he reaches out, wiping away the tears with a tissue trying not to ruin the makeup you were wearing.

"I understand," he says, his voice breaking. "But please, don't let this ruin what we have. We've built a life together, a future. Don't let a mistake I made years ago take that away from us." You take a deep breath, the anger and hurt slowly giving way to the love you still feel for him. 

"It's going to take time, Hyunjin. I can't just move past this overnight."

"I know," he says, relief flooding his features, holding you in his arms as he whispers. "I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. I promise." He rocks you back and forth slightly as he kisses the top of your head.

JISUNG:

The night was going amazing, you and Jisung were at your favourite restaurant, a cosy little place with dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. He told you he wanted to take you back to where your relationship started years ago, in the restaurant where you'd had your first date. He's been acting a bit nervous all night, and you have a feeling something big is about to happen, he'd made sure to let you know to get your nails done too...Jisung wasn't always the secretive guy he pretended to be.

"yn," He smiled as he reached over the table and took your hand. He looks into your eyes, a mixture of love and anxiety in his gaze, slowly he slides out from his chair and drops on one knee in front of you. Your heart racing as you giggled. 

"I have spent every single day loving you for the last four years and I wanted to spend every single day for the rest of our lives doing it the same," He tells you. But just as he starts to speak again, you hear a familiar voice from a nearby table.

"Hey, isn't that Jisung and YN?" You glance over to see Changbin who is staring at you both and you look back at Jisung trying to focus on the proposal but the following words make your heart drop.

"Remember how she was just a bet years ago? And now look, she's about to be his future wife!" His voice was full of amusement and your heart stopped. The words cut through the romantic atmosphere like a knife. You pull your hand away from Jisung's and turn to face Changbin, the shock and hurt evident on your face.

"What?" You whispered, staring at Changbin and then to Jisung who looked panicked as he shook his head. 

"YN, please, let me explain."

You stand up, your emotions boiling over as you knock into the table and knock the glass of wine shattering to the floor gaining more attention to you both. 

"Explain what, Jisung? That our entire relationship started as a joke? That I was nothing but a bet to you?" You shake your head, trying to get away but he reaches out to you, desperation in his eyes. 

"It wasn't like that...O-okay...Yes, it started as a stupid bet, but that was years ago!" You shake your head, tears starting to blur your vision, and people are staring at you both. 

"How could you not tell me? How could you keep this from me all these years?" You whispered at him as he shook his head. His friends told him to tell you years ago when he started falling for you but he thought he could hide it. That if you never found out the way it started it wouldn't matter because you loved each other.

"I was terrified," he admits, his voice breaking as he shook his head. 

"Scared of losing you, terrified you'd never forgive me. But I love you, YN. More than anything." The betrayal felt like a weight on your chest, suffocating you as you shook your head. You take a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. 

"I need some air." You whispered and walked away. 

You walked and walked until you stopped at a park, holding your arms around yourself and crying softly. It didn't take Jisung to catch up to you, calling your name, but you didn't look at him as your shoulders began shaking with silent sobs.

"YN, please. I never meant to hurt you. The bet was a mistake, a stupid, immature mistake. But my love for you is real. It always has been and it always...will be, baby." You turn to face him, the pain and anger still raw as you stare at him. 

"How am I supposed to believe that, Jisung? After everything?" He knew it wasn't going to be something quick he could move past but he was never going to stop until he proved to you how true this was.

"Because I’ve spent every day since then trying to be the best man I can be for you. Because I can’t imagine my life without you. I was going to propose to you tonight because I want to spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you." You stared into his eyes, trying to decide if this was real or just some extension of the bet but he stared at you, his hurt and guilt clear on his face.

"You broke the trust between us...Everything feels like a lie now." You whisper, allowing yourself to hold onto him as he rubs your back softly,

"This isn't how I wanted this night to go...I fucked this all up, and I will do fucking anything to make you realise that what I feel is real..."

You take a deep breath, the anger and hurt slowly giving way to the love you still feel for him, you wanted your life with him. Your life with him was everything you'd been dreaming of. 

"This...This isn't some part of the bet?" You gestured at the box in his hand and he shook his head,

"Never...Ever," He whispered as he looked at you, you nodded and he slowly knelt back down in front of you.

"I will spend every single day making this up to you if you agree to be my wife. I will spend every day, bringing you flowers, making you songs...doing whatever it takes to prove it's real...Will you-" You kissed him before he could even finish asking you and he whined.

"I-Is that a yes?" He panted as you pulled back from one another, you slowly nodded at him.

FELIX:

You and Felix are sitting in your favourite coffee shop, the one where you’ve shared many dates with each other when you started dating a few months back but something felt strange today. Felix seemed different than his usual self around you today and it was starting to worry you a little bit. He was being quieter, and more jittery than normal. You sip your coffee, waiting for him to speak, thinking he would come to you when he was good and ready.

Finally, he takes a deep breath, his eyes meeting yours but there is guilt and fear written all across his face as he stares at you,

“YN, there’s something I need to tell you.” You set your cup down, your heart beginning to race. Was he going to break up with you? Is that was this was?

“What is it, Lix?” You reached your hands over the table to touch him but he pulled his hands away and looked away from you for a moment, gathering his thoughts. The boys had warned him not to do this, that it wouldn't be good to ruin what you had but he no longer wanted to lie about why your relationship had started. When he spoke, his voice was shaky.

“Our relationship... it didn’t start the way you think it did..." He coughed a little as he cleared his throat,

"It started as a bet.” The words rushed out but you heard every single one of them as your heart sank to the pit of your stomach,

“A bet? What do you mean?” He winces at the hurt in your voice, he'd been trying to brace himself for this for a few weeks now but he hadn't done it enough.

“It was stupid and immature. Some of the guys bet that I couldn’t get you to go on a date with me. At first, it was just about proving them wrong. But YN, it didn’t stay that way. I’ve fallen for you, really fallen for you. That’s why I have to be honest with you now. I couldn't keep lying about why all of this had started.” One minute you'd been so in love with him and now it felt as though someone had ripped the floor out from under you,

“So, this whole time, I was just a game to you?” You whispered, shaking your head at him.

“No,” he says quickly, reaching for your hand again.

“You were never just a game. I know it started that way, but it changed. You changed me. When we went on that first date I knew I was going to fall for you and I made them stop the whole thing. I didn't take their money...” You pull your hand away, standing up trying to get out of the cafe without drawing too much attention to you both.

“How am I supposed to believe that, Felix? How can I trust anything you’ve said?” He stands too in a rush, knocking his cup over but neither of you moves, his eyes stare into yours, pleading with you.

“Because I’m telling you the truth now. I was scared to lose you, but I realized that if I kept this from you, it would be worse. I couldn’t keep lying to you. I love you, YN. That’s real. What I feel for you? It's so real.”

Tears blur your vision as you shake your head, the betrayal cutting deep inside of you as you shook your head, this all felt like a big joke.

“You should have told me sooner. You should have given me the choice...”

“I know,” he whispers, his voice breaking. “I’m so sorry. I’ll do what I can to make this right. Please, don’t walk away from us.” You look at him and bite your lip,

“I need time, Felix. This hurts too much.” You whispered as he nodded at you, watching you walk away from him.

One evening, as you sat alone in your dorm, there was a small knock on the door. Slowly you got up to open it and find Felix standing there, looking vulnerable and hopeful. There was a huge bouquet of flowers, not that you needed any more of them. There were already twenty of them sitting all around your apartment.

“YN, can we talk?” he asks softly. Slowly you stepped aside and let him into the apartment and he sat down watching you closely.

“I’ve been thinking a lot,” you say finally. “About us, about everything. I still don’t know if I can fully trust you, but I also know that I love you. I miss you.” Your voice cracked as he jumped up, rushing to your side and took your hand gently.

“I miss you too. I know I messed up, and I’ll spend every day proving to you that my love is real. No more secrets, no more lies.” You told him as you looked into his eyes, searching for the truth. All you see is sincerity and regret.

“It’s going to take time, Felix. A lot of time.” He nodded at you, kissing your hand softly,

“I understand,” he says, his grip on your hand tightening. “I’ll be here, every step of the way. I love you, YN. More than anything.”

SEUNGMIN:

It was a quiet and very lazy Sunday afternoon, and you’re curled up on the couch with Seungmin. He’s napping beside you, his head resting on your shoulder, and you’re idly scrolling through his phone, looking for the photos he'd taken of you both last week when you went to the animal sanctuary, you wanted to send them to your mum since she was always asking for photos. As you swipe through his videos, one catches your eye: a familiar group of friends, with Seungmin front and centre.

Curiosity piqued, and you tap on the video wondering what it could have been. The two of you had no secrets from one another, or so you'd thought.

The laughter and rowdy voices of Seungmin and his friends fill the room in the video. You recognize the setting instantly—it’s from a few months ago, just before you and Seungmin started dating. You knew that because it was the same outfit Seungmin had asked you out in, something you'd memorised.

"Alright, boys, here are the rules," Seungmin's voice booms from the video as people cheered around him, you frowned a little.

"The first one to get YN to fall for them wins. No cheating, and you have to actually date her for at least three months. Loser buys drinks for a year." You stared at the screen as if you wished it was some kind of nightmare you were having. But as you realise it was real your heart drops. The phone feels like it’s burning your hand, and you quickly pause the video. Seungmin stirs beside you, his eyes fluttering open.

“Hey, what are you watching?” he asks groggily, yawning a little before you scoff at him.

“Oh you know, just a cute little video of my boyfriend saying I'm a fucking bet,” you spit at him, showing him the screen and restarting to video all over again. His eyes widen in horror as he realizes what you’ve seen.

“YN, listen...I can explain.” He pleaded but you were already standing up, throwing his phone down onto the sofa beside him and trying to gather your shit.

“So, I was just a bet to you? Some kind of game? How long were you going to keep it going?” You laughed dryly. The video said three months but the two of you had been together for almost ten months now. Seungmin scrambles to sit up, panic clear on his face.

“No, it’s not like that. It started as a bet, yes, but that was before I really got to know you. I swear, my feelings for you are real.”

“How am I supposed to believe that? Huh? You sat there and you-” You barely got the words out, tears welling up in your eyes.

“You made me fall for you because of a stupid bet. I thought we had something real, Seungmin.” You grab your things, throwing them into a bag as he follows you around his apartment, blocking you from going into the bedroom,

“We do! We do have something real, baby! This is real!” he insists, standing and reaching out to you, but you move away from his touch and shake your head at him.

“I was an idiot, okay? It was juvenile and wrong, and I regret it every day. But YN, I fell for you. Truly. That’s why I need to be honest with you now.” You step back, the pain of betrayal cutting you like a knife and you shake your head.

"Send me the rest of my shit," You snap before storming out of his apartment and going home.

[X]

It had been a month, a month of pure torture every time you realised you still loved Seungmin despite him lying to you and hiding something huge from you and yet you missed him. Every single day you would get a new delivery of flowers or a teddy bear with a card that explained a reason why Seungmin had fallen in love with you and he was making it incredibly difficult to hate him.

"Seungmin," You breathed finding him at your door one more.

“I’m standing here, telling you the truth...okay,” he says, tears now in his eyes as he looks at you.

“I’m risking everything because I can’t lose you. I love you, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making this up to you if you’ll let me.”

You look into his eyes, searching for any sign of deceit and you can see how much he regretted doing this to you.

“It’s going to take time, Seungmin. I can’t just forget about this overnight...But I miss-" You barely had time to finish before he threw himself into your arms and hugged you tightly against him.

JEONGIN:

You’re having dinner at Jeongin’s family home, enjoying a relaxed evening with his parents and younger brother. They'd invited you over since you were Jeongin's first-ever real girlfriend and they wanted to meet the girl who had stolen his heart. The atmosphere is warm and lively, and it felt so easy to fit in with their banter. You feel completely at ease, having grown close to Jeongin's family over the months you’ve been dating. It would have been a year next month.

As you help clear the table after dinner, his younger brother suddenly speaks up,  

“Hey, YN, what did you and Jeongin do with the money?”

"What money?" You laughed softly wondering what he was talking about, behind you Jeongin had paled dramatically.

"From the bet...The one he made to ask you out." his tone was so casual but his words were like a dagger to your heart.

The room falls silent. You freeze, the plates in your hands feeling like they weigh a ton and it took everything inside of you not to drop them on the floor. Slowly you turn to look at Jeongin, who is pale and wide-eyed, clearly caught off guard by the fact that his brother had bought it up.

“What's he talking about?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jeongin's baby bother, oblivious to the tension he’s caused, continues,

“Yeah, Jeongin and his friends bet that he couldn’t get you to go to some party with him. It was just a joke, but I guess it worked out between you both, right?” You feel like the ground has collapsed beneath you. The warmth and comfort of the evening vanished, replaced by a cold, hard betrayal. You look at Jeongin, hoping for some kind of denial, but he just stares at you, guilt and panic written all over his face.

"yn..." He whispers but you place the plates down, shaking your head and heading out of the apartment needing some time to think clearly but it wasn't going to happen as Jeongin chased after you.

“YN, please, let me explain.” He begged but you stepped back, shaking your head. “Not here. We’ll talk about this at home.”

[X]

When Jeongin finally joined you back at home it was like the air was thick with tension and you stared at him,

“So, it was all a bet? Our entire relationship started as some kind of joke?” you demand, tears welling up in your eyes. Jeongin looks desperate, his hands trembling as he tries to reach for you. 

“Yes, it started as a bet. But YN, it was a stupid, immature mistake. I never meant for it to go this far.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” you shout, pulling away from him. 

“I trusted you, Jeongin! I thought what we had was real.” You yelled at him and he shook his head at you,

“It is real,” he insists, his voice breaking. “I fell in love with you, truly. That’s why I never told you. I was scared of losing you. You mean everything to me, YN.” He pleaded with you.

"I never would have taken you to meet my family if I didn't love you. I wanted you to see them, to see the family that would one day be yours." You desperately wanted to believe him but everything was still weighing down on your chest. 

“How am I supposed to believe anything you say now? How do I know this isn’t just another part of the bet?”

“Because I’m here, telling you the truth,” he says, tears streaming down his face. 

"Because I'm hopelessly and dramatically in love with you. I would fly a plane and write it in the sky if I could! In fact! I'll hire someone to do it, I'll....I'll do anything, please, yn." He held your hands in his and you started at him, everything still so fresh.

"Innie..."

“I know, Yn, I fucked up but please...” he whispers, stepping closer cautiously. 

“I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to deem me worthy of your forgiveness. I’ll prove to you that my love is real. No more lies, no more secrets.” You nod slowly, the anger and pain slowly giving way to the love you still feel for him, everything was real between you and you could tell that from his family but it didn't make it easy. 

“Okay. But you have to be honest with me from now on. No more lies, ever.”

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[rothpie]

❝FIDELITY❞ |part4

MASTERLIST -`✮´- Rafe Cameron x Kook!Reader x JJ Maybank

Summary: Kook!Reader’s world is upended by betrayal, and her only way forward might lie with the most unlikely person—JJ Maybank. But as they build a new life together, old flames and past mistakes refuse to stay buried.

Warnings: mentioning abortion, daddy issues, mentioning violence, kind of depression

previous - next

You missed feeling relaxed. You missed that brief period without all the stress packed into these last two weeks. Actually, it wasn’t just these two weeks. Ever since you noticed the symptoms, a constant worry had settled inside you.

What would Rafe say, what would your family say, how would they react—would they even want this?

Now, at least you knew what they felt. You knew they didn’t want this, that they were trying to convince you to end it. But the worry hadn’t gone away, not for a second. It clung to you like it knew your weakest spot, pressing down on it relentlessly.

Looking at the big picture, you didn’t really have anything left to fear. The people who needed to know had found out. Even though their reactions were awful, now you knew, and you’d have to carry on knowing it.

And that was what truly scared you.

You were starting to feel anxious about the future. Bringing a child into the world without anyone by your side would be incredibly tough, and you were sure of that. You were basically broke, with no support from your family.

Entering a dark, unknown path without any light ahead was terrifying.

This wasn’t how you wanted things to turn out.

“You’re quiet.”

Arms crossed over your chest, you were walking with your gaze on the ground. If he hadn’t spoken, you might not even have been aware of the state you were in. At the sound of his voice, you lifted your head and looked at his face. He was smiling at you, just like always.

His smile didn’t seem very sincere—it was almost infuriating. And you could tell he was doing it on purpose. He seemed to enjoy messing with you, and you hated it. The way he talked to you, as if you were some alien who just didn’t get it, made your blood boil. It was like he was observing you the way someone would watch a caged animal.

When it became clear you weren’t going to answer, JJ chuckled and turned his gaze forward. The sky was nearly dark, and the air was beginning to chill.

To be fair, he wasn’t oblivious to the fact that you weren’t exactly on a pleasant path. The evening was closing in, and the road had grown desolate. But he knew this walk would be worth it.

You were behind him, but JJ made a point of staying close to you. Not because he wanted to be near you, really—he just wanted to make sure you were ready for anything. Simply put, though he’d never admit it, he didn’t want you to miss out on this. He’d never say it, but these weren’t the safest paths to be on.

Hearing you sigh in frustration behind him, JJ rolled his eyes. Your impatience was practically a signature trait, especially for a Kook like you. “Not a fan of hiking, huh?” JJ’s teasing was obvious, and you disliked his tone. Just a bit.

“This isn’t hiking,” you muttered, trying to scrape mud off your shoe. You could swear you were in the most godforsaken corner of the world. "This—this feels more like a death march. Tell me there’s something good at the end of this, or else—”

JJ couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh. Sometimes, he thought your silent moments were his favorites, but hearing you complain actually amused him in its own way. Whatever happened, you’d keep following him like a little lost puppy. He cut you off before you could go on. “We’re almost there.”

When your complaints subsided, he found himself smiling involuntarily. He was absolutely certain you’d hate every bit of this, but for now, you were stuck here with him. You didn’t really have anywhere else to go. Sure, he did—he could go to John B’s place, and he would eventually.

It just didn’t sit right with him to leave you on your own. He hadn’t been raised with high standards, but—he was still the kind of guy who wouldn’t leave a girl alone at night.

And since he definitely wasn’t taking you to John B’s house—he was sure you’d say no—the only option left was his own style of a safe, quiet spot. At least you wouldn’t stand out around the Pogues, and you’d get some peace and quiet.

To say he was doing it entirely for you would’ve been a big lie. He needed some time, too. He wasn’t ready to show up at John B’s place, explain everything, and face them in this state. JJ didn’t want to feel their silent pity, even if they didn’t say it out loud.

You wouldn’t ask, he was sure of that—or at least he hoped. And even if you did, it wouldn’t stick in your memory for long. To you, JJ was just some random person, and to him, you were the same. Your lives didn’t really intersect in any meaningful way.

JJ pushed some branches and shrubs aside to clear a path for you, and you followed close behind. This hike was becoming increasingly strange from your perspective.

As the sky darkened and you nearly found yourself in the forest, JJ took out his phone and turned on its flashlight. You rummaged through your pockets, intending to do the same, when you remembered storming out of the house in such a hurry. Honestly, you were lucky you’d even put on shoes because you’d left everything—literally everything—behind. Wallet, phone, cash, hair tie, body spray, everything was still at home. You were truly penniless.

JJ jumped down from a ledge and extended his hand to you. The realization that you’d left everything behind had hit you hard, but you pushed aside the frustration and focused on the path.

You tucked your hair behind your ears and tested the ground with your foot. It was pure mud. “Come on.” JJ extended his hand a bit further. You hesitated, but something in you trusted he’d catch you. Even though JJ was unreliable in general, you believed he wouldn’t let you fall. Just as you trusted he’d keep your pregnancy a secret.

He could be obnoxious, foolish, and infuriating—but he wasn’t a bad person.

As soon as you jumped down and took his hand, JJ quickly leaned forward and caught you by the back to keep you steady. Your foot slipped on the mud, but his grip kept you safe from harm.

“You okay?” he asked. Once he was sure you were steady, he slowly let go of your back and hand, bending down to pick up his backpack. You gave him a quick nod, and he looked at you, nodding back and gesturing at the trail.

Even though he’d held onto you and kept you from falling, you were still frustrated at the path he’d chosen. “I already hate this,” you said, and JJ immediately started laughing. The fact that your irritation amused him made you somehow even more annoyed.

You crossed your arms and took a deep breath, tempted to fire back a few words. You just wanted to get under his skin, to rile him up as much as he seemed to enjoy riling you. But it felt impossible. No matter what you said, he just found it funny, like he was looking for any chance to mess with you. Was it your tone, the way you phrased things, or were you just naturally the kind of person he could laugh at? You couldn’t tell, and it only irritated you more.

But then, as you looked over at him, you realized—it was none of those things.

He was genuinely laughing. His dimples appeared. There was no mocking glance, no condescending smirk. He was actually amused. It was like he found you funny, not in a mean way, just… funny.

Just two seconds after you looked at him, JJ turned back with a wide grin—nearly every tooth on display. “Told you you’d hate this,” he chuckled, his voice shaky from laughter, as if still savoring his victory.

He had indeed told you, and he’d meant it. He wasn’t saying it just to annoy you; he genuinely knew you wouldn’t like this. Not that it mattered much. You weren’t alone, after all.

The anger simmering within you slowly began to melt, and for a second, you even wanted to smile back at him. After a brief exchange of glances, you both looked away, but a faint smirk remained on his face.

When JJ sped up a little and moved ahead, you opted to stay behind him. He paused just enough with each branch he brushed aside to make sure you could follow, eventually taking a deep breath as he passed through. “Home sweet home,” he declared, as though this place were actually his.

By the time you both finally made it through the branches and bushes, you were covered in scratches. You swore you’d kill JJ. No blood, but plenty of pain. As he flashed his phone’s light around, you rubbed your sore arm and looked at the scene around you.

Wonderful.

An abandoned dock. Was this his idea of a “nice place”? You figured you had about 15 minutes before the bugs and snakes launched an all-out assault. “I’m not staying here.” you announced firmly, crossing your arms. JJ turned to you with a smile.

Did he ever stop smiling? He nodded as if he agreed, surprising you. You almost thought he was crazy. You’d followed a madman all the way out here. Great decision.

“Same.” he replied, that knowing tone in his voice. Before you could step back, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you along, heading toward the edge of the dock. For a second—a single second—you thought he might push you into the river, but he didn’t.

It was too dark to make out everything around you, but as JJ's phone light lit up the surroundings, you saw it. Slowly, the scene became clear. Was that... a boat?

Did JJ get a boat?

Impossible.

“What are we doing right now?” you asked, pulling your wrist back as he crouched down to untie the boat. His phone light didn’t quite reach, so he handed it to you, gesturing for you to shine it on his hands. You did as he asked, though you watched him warily. What was he even doing?

He had to be nuts.

“Is this... your boat?” you asked, as he stood and stretched out a hand to help you aboard. JJ shook his head, still grinning.

Wait a minute... the boat wasn’t JJ’s. It wasn’t yours either. So—

“Are you stealing this boat?!” you blurted out, unable to hide the horror in your voice. JJ rolled his eyes, extending his hand again as he shook his head. He thought you were being dramatic. This wasn’t stealing.

“We’re not stealing it. We—remember? We’re in this together,” he said, his tone playful. You immediately shook your head, taking a step back, but JJ quickly placed a foot on the dock to steady the boat and grabbed your hand before you could retreat any further. “We’re absolutely not in this together. You dragged me out here on some unknown path, and now you’re stealing a boat—”

JJ couldn’t take your ranting anymore. Without a second thought, he tightened his grip and pulled you onto the boat. The world was pitch black out here, and even if you tried to turn back, you’d get lost. He just hoped you wouldn’t be foolish enough to attempt it.

Once you were on board, JJ stood in front of you, so close that you were nearly nose to nose. When you stumbled, he reached out to steady you by the back, speaking before you could protest further.

“We’re not stealing. We. Got it? We’re just borrowing it, and we’ll bring it back by morning. And if anyone asks, there’s only one thing you need to remember,” he said, his tone casual, yet with a hint of amusement.

As you stared at him, you noticed how close he really was. Your hand rested on his shoulder, and one of his hands was on your arm, the other somewhere between your back and waist. Silently, you waited, wondering what he’d say next. JJ smirked, clearly enjoying your curiosity.

“Deny, deny, deny... You tripped, fell into the boat, and it just happened to drift off on its own. And unfortunately—” he continued, pulling his hands back from you as he spoke. You were so focused on him that you barely noticed his movements. Fixated, you watched him start up the boat as though he’d done it a hundred times.

“We’re just two clueless kids who don’t know how to steer, and the boat just started moving,” he said, a grin still on his face. He turned to make sure you had something to hold onto before he started the engine.

You weren’t sure how long you both stayed silent, just that you hadn’t drifted too far. Sitting beside him, you enjoyed the cool breeze—until it started to chill you to the bone.

You didn’t know where you eventually stopped, but JJ clearly did. You followed his lead, keeping quiet.

Now, both of you were lying quietly at the back of the boat. JJ’s phone lay face down, its flashlight casting a soft glow. You both seemed to enjoy the silence.

You were an idiot. You hadn’t planned anything for tonight, and now, like a fool, you hadn’t even brought anything warm. A T-shirt and red shorts, no jacket. You started to feel the night chill, hoping you wouldn’t catch a cold. You didn’t have the energy for that right now.

JJ noticed. He knew if he handed you one of the blankets from under the seats, you’d wrinkle your nose at it, just like he would. So, instead, he took out his sweatshirt from his bag, took a deep breath, and handed it to you.

He waited for you to refuse, to say you didn’t need it, but you surprised him. You looked at the sweatshirt for a moment, then took it from him without a word, slipping it on quickly.

The slight movement caused JJ’s phone to slide, leaving his face illuminated by the flashlight. His hair, tousled by the wind, fell slightly to one side.

Your gaze lingered on his eyes, but something distracted you—a bruise you hadn’t noticed before. Probably hidden by his hair until now.

JJ realized you’d noticed. Instinctively, he ran a hand through his hair, rearranging it to cover the bruise. He knew exactly what he was doing, turning his head slightly.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was fresh. The bruises you’d seen two weeks ago had already faded. This one was definitely new.

JJ saw you looking. He shifted uncomfortably, yet he knew you were still watching him out of the corner of your eye. “What?” he asked with a smile, though it was different from the smiles you’d seen earlier. It just sat there, plastered on his face, almost lifeless. “Did you like what you saw?”

He expected you to look away, maybe even sigh in annoyance or give him a frustrated glare. But you didn’t. You just looked at him, knowing full well that something was wrong. And he knew you knew it, too.

“What happened?” you asked quietly. The words left your mouth almost as light as a feather. But JJ, listening intently, caught every word.

His smile turned bitter as he took a deep breath. He didn’t want to tell you, but things might change, given that you already knew his most guarded secret.

You were each other’s opposite. You were a Kook; you didn’t deal with Pogues. JJ was a Pogue; he didn’t associate with Kooks. You’d barely spoken to anyone from that crowd. Not that you didn’t want to—it just hadn’t interested you.

And yet, here you were with JJ. You weren’t trapped; you’d chosen to follow him willingly. He’d led you to this deserted, uncomfortable place, but it was relaxing. Sure, you’d hated it at first, but now you were starting to like it here.

This was one of those moments you’d never have predicted, not even if someone had told you about it hours earlier. What could you possibly want with a Pogue?

“Did I ever ask you about how that fight went?” JJ’s tone was cold, harsher than he intended. He wasn’t looking to bite back. He didn’t even know why he was saying it, only that he regretted it when he saw your expression fall.

You’d both come out here to get some peace—not to ask questions.

But instead, you withdrew, mumbling a soft, dry, “Sorry.” You drew your legs up, crossing your arms to brace against the chill. There was nothing to see in the darkness around you. Nothing but darkness itself.

JJ hadn’t expected this reaction. For a moment, he’d forgotten how rough your day had been. He’d anticipated a biting remark, even a small argument. But you remained silent, as if you hadn’t asked at all.

Maybe, JJ thought. Maybe you weren’t as stuck-up and unbreakable as he’d thought.

He hadn’t intended to add to your sadness. It was just that he felt his space being invaded. But he already regretted not biting his tongue. He could’ve said nothing at all, but now, it was too late.

You felt like you were meddling, like you were sticking your nose into someone else’s business. And maybe you were. But today, without knowing what had happened, he had helped you. There was no need to ask him anything; whether he chose to open up or not was up to him. Pressuring him for an answer had just happened in a brief, unintended moment.

JJ straightened up and moved his phone's flashlight aside, taking a deep breath. "My dad," he muttered. He hadn't planned on telling you. He hadn't even shared this with his friends. But then again, you'd also told him things no one else knew about you.

JJ trusted that you wouldn’t tell anyone. After all, who cares about someone else's daddy issues?

Your eyes turned back to JJ as he spoke. Feeling your gaze, he nervously ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t intend to tell you everything—just the basics. It was hard for him to explain.

You listened intently, and after his response, you thought he might stay silent for the rest of the night. You wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d stayed completely closed off. But barely a minute later, he began speaking again.

On a good day, you might have jokingly called him bipolar. But neither of you was having a good day.

"Long story short, he has a drinking problem. We don’t get along too well," JJ continued, struggling to articulate his thoughts. Besides his friends, he’d never opened up to anyone. His friends were his family, his only family.

JJ shifted slightly, watching as you leaned in a bit closer. You stood facing each other, and he avoided looking directly at you, worried that he might see pity or sympathy in your expression. If he saw even a trace of it, he thought he might just jump off the boat and into the river.

But when he looked up and met your gaze, he found none of that. You were simply looking at him with understanding. Your eyebrows weren’t raised, and there was no pity in your eyes—just empathy.

Nobody deserves to have terrible parents, no matter where they come from. It just wasn’t fair.

"Sometimes… things like this happen. But I'm used to it, Princess. No need to feel sorry for me. I’m still as handsome as ever." He extended his leg to nudge your own, a grin appearing on his face. It would’ve taken a fool not to see that his smile was a mask. He was trying to hide his pain behind a playful facade.

You decided not to call him out. Smiling in the same way, you pushed your legs away and gently nudged his back.

It felt like an unspoken promise had passed between you. You wouldn’t mention this to anyone. It seemed important to him. Even if he thought no one would care, you knew it mattered.

"Yeah," you teased, recognizing he was trying to change the subject. "I’m sure Pogue girls will be lining up for you either way." He threw his head back and laughed, his Adam’s apple prominent as he tilted his head off the side of the boat.

As you laughed with him, you felt, for maybe the first time today, a craving for something normal. It felt good to share a moment with someone who wouldn’t judge you. The same was true for JJ. You both exchanged secrets and now carried each other’s burdens. If one of you fell, so would the other.

But you couldn't help but wonder. Had his father caused the scars you saw when you first met, or had he really been in a fight? You weren’t bold enough to ask. Respecting the boundary he’d set, you didn’t make any comments.

"Actually, you’re funny," JJ remarked with a grin. Of course, you were funny—you just didn’t show it to people who didn’t matter. Why would you?

Rolling your eyes, you laughed, and JJ continued smiling. He’d always thought you were serious, not because he was always thinking about you, but because he’d never seen this side of you.

But now he knew better.

While JJ watched you, you didn’t look back. You hadn’t even noticed him observing you. With your arms crossed, you took deep breaths, savoring the fresh air, trying to unwind, and, in this moment, you finally relaxed.

Despite JJ’s presence, you felt detached from all the day’s stress. If you could, you would erase today from your mind entirely. But you couldn’t, and you felt deeply exhausted. As you thought of tomorrow, you couldn’t help but wonder. Soon, you’d leave JJ, the boat, and this river behind. Where would you go? You had nowhere to go except home, and you didn’t know if they’d continue being mad at you. A sigh escaped you, and you felt a nudge on your leg.

JJ was looking at you intently, with a slight grin as if he knew something you didn’t. "Stay in the moment," he said as if reading your mind. He tilted his head back, looking around and taking a deep breath. "We’re in a place no one can find us. Whatever it is you’re worried about—deal with it tomorrow. Let them wonder what you’re up to. Why should you be the one feeling bad?"

In a million years, you wouldn’t have thought you’d take advice from him. But what you couldn’t believe even more was that you actually wanted to follow it. He was right, and you wanted to hold onto his words.

He was right.

Let them think whatever they wanted. You were going to be fine. You’d figure things out. You just needed a little time—not much.

You and the baby.

The thought made you smile.

You nodded, glancing at JJ. Even an idiot could say something wise once in a while. Like a broken clock being right twice a day.

"I’ll stay in the moment," you said, agreeing with him. Your smile grew, and it was as if JJ had been waiting for this. He exhaled and clapped his hands. "Finally!" he shouted, startling you as he moved closer.

In that moment, a realization hit you: JJ Maybank made you feel better. He’d lifted the sorrow from your body, just with his words—the words you needed to hear.

Not Rafe, not your family. You didn’t want to remember their words. JJ’s words were enough.

JJ broke eye contact, still smiling, and picked up his phone. “Shit…” he muttered. You wanted to ask what was wrong, curious, so you leaned forward, realizing his phone battery was running low.

“Your phone—” JJ began but stopped, remembering you looked like a runaway with no phone on you. Of course, you’d left it at home. “Oh, great,” he mumbled to himself.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" he asked. You shook your head in response, even though, well… you might’ve been a bit scared. But you were on a boat with someone, so it didn’t really bother you.

JJ ruffled his hair and looked at you. "If we’re going to sit in the dark, I need a verbal answer. I can’t see you shaking your head.”

Just when you thought you’d found a way to get along with him, he managed to ruin it. He was driving you insane.

“Yes! Are you happy now?” JJ rolled his eyes and, adjusting his position, turned off the flashlight.

Your eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, but you could feel him sitting beside you, his shoulder almost brushing against yours. “More than happy,” he replied. You turned your head the other way, not wanting to look in his direction, even if you couldn’t see him. You sensed he was smiling from the tone of his voice. He enjoyed this—teasing you.

Even if he couldn’t see it, he knew he was getting under your skin, and it pleased him. Although he could’ve found other ways to connect with you, this playful sparring felt right to him. Besides, your reactions amused him.

"Pouting, are we?" JJ teased. He liked the quiet and the dark. Even if he couldn’t see you, he still felt your presence, your shoulder barely brushing against his.

“Not at all,” you replied, making JJ chuckle. He couldn’t help but enjoy every minute he spent with you. Your way of responding to him was entertaining, but deep down, he knew—you enjoyed this back-and-forth too.

You didn’t like the darkness. You weren’t scared, but you didn’t love it. JJ, right now, was your distraction. You’d been watching him or the boat to keep your mind off things, but since the flashlight had turned off, the heaviness inside you began creeping back. You couldn’t tell if your eyes were open or closed, and all you could think about was the day’s events.

Absentmindedly, your hand drifted to your stomach, as if feeling it might help you make the right choice. But the feeling you’d expected didn’t come. You felt nothing at all.

What am I gonna do?

Fears were starting to creep in. You didn't know if they'd be there for you if you went through with this, but you hoped you could overcome it. You were strong, ambitious, and capable of handling things on your own. If, of course, you wanted to. But did you even want it? Were you ready to bring a child into this world at twenty?

"Listen to yourself," JJ’s voice startled you. You turned to him, unsure of what he meant, and a small murmur slipped from his lips. Was he reading your mind?

"You asked what you’re going to do. Listen to yourself. Your body, your choice." JJ’s voice was close. You had turned to his side and didn’t expect to be this near. His breath was almost brushing your face.

"Rafe doesn’t want it," you said without thinking. Again. Yet you couldn't help but see JJ as a sort of mentor. He wasn’t on anyone’s side. He was an independent observer. "What would you do? If you were pregnant?"

At that, JJ’s laughter echoed through the woods. It was so loud that it made you jump a little, and you sensed him holding his stomach—not for the same reason, of course, but it looked like he was almost cringing. Not exactly an appropriate question, but—he needed to understand. Without meaning to, despite the difficult situation, you smiled. Laugh really was infectious.

"First off," he began, still chuckling, "Who the hell is Rafe to ask me to get an abortion? Second, fuck his opinions. He can shove it right back where it came from. And third—and this is the last point—as long as I want it, no one can make me do anything I don’t want to do." You didn’t usually like swearing, but coming from him, it was funny. You hadn't expected those answers, but then again, you’d thrown him a question out of the blue. It was fair.

"Besides, sorry, beauty, but I can’t get pregnant." You couldn’t help thinking how clueless some guys were sometimes. You’d meant what would he do if he were in your shoes. Of course, you knew he couldn’t get pregnant. You weren’t that dumb.

But JJ wasn’t dumb either. He just liked to mess with you.

No one could tell you what to do. You were the one carrying this baby. Abortion was your choice, and so was giving birth. You’d decide. Tonight, you’d know what you wanted. You might stumble at first, you might be afraid, but you’d make your choice.

It had been a long day. As the beginning of a headache began to make itself known, you leaned into the touch of JJ’s shoulder. Your lips parted, but only air came out instead of words.

You appreciated his words. Though you were two completely different people, from opposite sides, he’d supported you. He’d brought you back to yourself. Neither of you would call this helping, but it was. JJ had been there for you when no one else was.

So, without thinking, you said, "Thank you." And you meant it. You didn’t mutter it, nor did you look away. If there’d been light between you, you’d have looked right into his eyes.

JJ wasn’t expecting that. He didn’t even know what to say, but he took a deep breath. When you leaned into him, he leaned back. Now, your shoulders were fully touching. He didn’t know if he’d do this with the lights on, but the lights were off, and there was no need.

The unknown, dark path was terrifying. But it would pass. It would light up eventually—maybe with an object, maybe with a person, or perhaps even with a baby…

You couldn’t enjoy life by standing around, waiting in fear. You couldn’t let your paranoia stand in the way of living. This was your life, and you were the one in control. Your fears and anxieties were temporary; they’d go away, and in the end, you’d be left with yourself. This was your life. You had a life to live. Stay in the moment.

JJ took a deep breath. You both fell silent. There wasn’t much left to say. "Of course," he almost whispered, but you heard it completely in the stillness and quiet between you.

As your eyes slowly closed, you took deep breaths. The only scent you caught was salt and the sea.

You lay together until dawn, sprawled out in place. JJ would occasionally wake up and just lie there, only to fall back asleep, but you never stirred. It was as if you were lying on a queen’s bed.

When the sun’s rays started to creep into your eyes, JJ was the first to wake up. He moved to put the boat back in place. When he accidentally woke you, he muttered a small apology. You’d have woken up to any engine sound anyway, but he hadn’t meant to wake you. The two of you moved to the captain’s side as you tried to wake up and gather yourself. You didn’t chat much. JJ took you back to the old pier and helped you out of the boat.

After making sure there was nothing left behind, you took the water he offered without hesitation.

You muttered a few complaints about possibly getting bitten by bugs again, which JJ found amusing. A few cars passed by as you walked, and together you headed back to the beach where you’d been yesterday.

As you reached the entrance, JJ’s eyes wandered to the sea. You wondered if you should just leave him. You didn’t know what to do. To avoid making the situation more awkward, you looked away and gazed around. "Nice weather," he said, still looking around, but the ocean was his main focus.

"I have a change of clothes. Do you want to swim?" Your eyes shifted to the ocean he mentioned, your mouth opening and closing. If he wanted to see you go swimming in your underwear, he was in for a surprise. But you breathed a sigh of relief when you realized he meant clothes.

Fuck it.

"Let’s go." You left him behind as you walked toward the ocean. Without hesitation, you took off your shoes and socks as JJ, trailing behind, looked at you in awe. "Come on!" you shouted. A smile played on your lips. He smiled back, then quickly followed, dropping his bag near where your shoes were and tossing his shirt on the ground. He already had swim shorts on. You didn’t.

You took off your red shorts, tossed them with the other clothes, and walked toward the water. You couldn’t go in naked, but a T-shirt would work. JJ seemed just as eager.

The coldness of the water made you both shiver the moment you stepped in. It felt like something you had to do. "If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you," you said as you waded in deeper. JJ laughed, looking at you as you both continued shivering.

"We know a lot about each other. Isn’t that sweet…” Then he shrieked when you splashed water at him. Even though you were soaked, you hadn’t yet adjusted to the water. As you splashed him back, he scrunched up his face at the feel of water on his bare skin and tried to back away.

"No! No!" JJ yelled, but you didn’t stop. As you kept drenching him, he finally dipped himself underwater, unable to handle your relentless game. Smiling mischievously, you looked around to see where he’d resurface. He was nowhere to be seen.

Then he grabbed you by the legs and pulled you down, cutting off your scream as you went under.

That mother fucker.

He’d outplayed you.

As soon as you emerged, you pushed your hair back and looked around. JJ was already in front of you, catching his breath and fixing his hair, smiling. "Didn’t like that, did you?" he asked, moving toward you, still smiling, showing his dimples. Just as you raised your hands to splash him again, he caught your wrists and pulled you close.

"I didn’t like it either."

Then, he splashed you in the face and bolted away. You didn’t feel like yourself, and JJ didn’t seem like JJ. There were no names, no titles, no telling who was from where—you just had fun. You didn’t even notice, but you felt like you had nothing to worry about anymore. You lived in the moment.

You weren’t sure what had changed within you, but it felt like everything had shifted. You didn’t know how long you’d been in the water until a few people appeared in the distance, and as the area grew busier, you and JJ left the water. He gave you another shirt. You put on your own shorts and sweatshirt. He walked with you until you got to your path home and turned to you as you were about to part.

"Not very Kook-like, but I’m sure you didn’t hate it as much as you say." No, it wasn’t Kook-like. You were sure of that. And yes, you might have hated it just a little. But you didn’t tell him that. You smiled, feeling the chill on your face from your wet hair.

After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and said, “Take care.”

He was right. What mattered was you—your choices, your life.

Nodding to acknowledge him, you started walking toward home while JJ headed off toward John B’s place. Would you have had as much fun alone? Probably not, but here you were, laughing and living a bit more freely thanks to someone you’d never expected.

As you walked through your front gate, you were startled by the people waiting outside the door: your dad, your mom, and the sheriff. There was a whole lineup of officers, as if you’d been kidnapped or something. When your eyes met your mother’s, you could see her tears and the redness from crying, which made your heart twist painfully. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around you, her hands softly rubbing your back.

You didn’t want to listen to anyone. Without saying a word to either your mom or dad, you headed straight to your room. There on your bed was your phone, and you saw that you had a few unread messages—from your mom and dad, of course. They must have stopped messaging once they realized you’d left your phone behind. Even Rafe had sent you a few texts, as well as a couple of your friends.

But you didn’t care about what Rafe had to say. It was more of the same—messages about “thinking of your best interests” and a whole lot of other nonsense. He could go straight to hell for all you cared. It was you against the world. Even if you were alone, you could handle this. You were strong, and you’d get through everything just fine. You didn’t need anyone’s support; just your own belief in yourself.

So, fuck him.

You

Keeping the baby.

seen.

[genshin-obsessed]

Breaking Up hcs | Genshin & HSR

Have I done this before? I know I made that "what if we broke up?" post but I don't think I've done break up hcs before? I hope not anyway cuz i'm doing them now! Also, maybe I went overboard a little cuz even I felt bad lol and I usually don't feel sad when I write angst.

Characters: Aether, Diluc, Wanderer, Caelus, Jing Yuan, and Aventurine (lol I'ma try)

☽ Aether

That break up took a toll on him, more so than even he thought at first. Sleeping became his least favorite activity because he was constantly seeing your faces in his dreams. Constantly.

The entirety of Teyvat fell apart for the short time their favorite errand boy refused to do anything for them. Honestly, Aether didn't do anything for the first week or so. He was barely eating, barely sleeping, barely alive.

It was hard adventuring too, Paimon no longer wanted him to go because sometimes he'd just get distracted and take unnecessary hits. It was kinda bad. Eventually, she got Katheryne to no longer give him any combat requests because he just wasn't doing good enough.

All he wanted to do was talk to you, but you didn't want to talk to him, so that led him to just remaining in his teapot alone. He didn't even allow visitors for a short while. Paimon did her best to try and comfort him, but there were so few words that could actually get through that sorrow he was dealing with.

It took maybe a month before he allowed people to come visit him and under no circumstances were they allowed to bring you up. Mainly because he'd cry. Everyone did try in their own way to help him, even people like Wanderer or Arlecchino tried to give him some "words of wisdom". It... didn't work mainly because Aether wasn't receptive to it anymore.

☽ Diluc

He really did busy himself with work like he said he would. It's almost all hours of the day. He's rarely even seen at home anymore.

Ironically, Diluc is still very careful about getting hurt because if he did, then he'd need to remain at home and be on bed rest and he genuinely couldn't handle that.

He no longer sleeps in his bed either. Usually, he comes home later, collapses on the couch for a few hours until some dream about you wakes him up and he's back to work. He can't stand sleeping in that bed because you used to lay right beside him.

No one, I mean no one, is allowed to even say your name. Truth be told, Diluc is barely hanging on by a thread, someone saying your name and bringing your image to his mind's eye would ruin him.

Even Kaeya doesn't tease him. Actually, Kaeya keeps away because Diluc is quite irritable and not many people wanted to deal with that. While they understood the break up upset him... it was just too much.

☽ Wanderer

Oh boy. Breaking up with him was hard because he was angry and yelling (at the situation apparently), and just saying no. Eventually though, he relented and agreed. You didn't want to be with him and... well, it wasn't right to force you.

The aftermath was pretty bad. He was angry, didn't want to talk to anyone, and just up and vanished for a while. It wasn't until Aether and Paimon accidentally stumbled upon him while adventuring that they learned a little about what happened.

(W/n) explained that he never thought he'd lose you. Out of all the people he was "friendly" with, he never thought you would up and leave the way you did. It broke his heart- a heart he didn't even know started beating again.

Aether offered for (w/n) to join him on some adventures to just take his mind off of things and he, surprisingly, agreed. But it wasn't the same. Both Paimon and Aether noticed the lack of energy.

He was also constantly in his own mind. Most conversations happened between Aether and Paimon because (w/n) would just mentally check out and not even be paying attention. He didn't break down and cry physically but emotionally, he was a wreck. But it was so bad, he didn't know what to do. Cry, scream, try and take over the world, he didn't know.

What he did know was that the world didn't feel right without you.

☆ Caelus

You lived on the Astral Express with him and the others. Everyone thought you were the cutest couple and everywhere you went, you two received the same compliments. So, he definitely fell apart a little when you just up and ended the relationship.

The worst part was that he couldn't have time away from you. Not in the mean sense, but if you two were breaking up, he needed (for his own mental health) not to see you every single day. But... that wasn't possible.

It was extremely awkward for everyone on board. Welt and Himeko tried their best to keep things normal, the conductor did their best to keep conversations going, and Dan Heng just didn't bother coming out of his room. Caelus took a page from Dan Heng's books and just locked himself away for like two weeks.

When it was finally time for him to come out, he took time off of the express, choosing to go visit some old friends to regain some of that normalcy. Jarilo VI was where he spent most of his time as he hadn't been there in a while. He stayed there without the others for maybe two or so weeks, finding ample time to spend with Natasha, Seele, Bronya, Serval, and Gepard.

While he didn't openly state you two broke up, everyone knew. He did go and visit the Xianzhou which Dan Heng did join him in doing which was a good bonding experience for the two. It was when he finally opened up about losing you. According to Caelus, everything felt so wrong. Like a part of him was missing and that part was so close to his reach. But every single day, he had to pretend like it wasn't.

☆ Jing Yuan

He really didn't know what to do at the moment. He kinda stopped paying attention after you said you wanted to end the relationship. He tried to convince you otherwise, saying that breaking up wouldn't give him the chance to fix it but you were pretty adamant. He couldn't just say no... so he said ok and you were gone.

He tried to act normal. He did his job normally for the first day and that's when it all started to fall apart. The second he had time alone, it just hit him so painfully. You thought him losing his old friends was painful? This was a whole new level.

The second day, he couldn't really perform his duties as well and just handed them off to the first person he saw. Yanqing was most worried and desperately tried to get anyone's help because he didn't know what to do. It led him straight to the Astral Express and unsurprisingly, no one knew what to do.

Jing Yuan didn't even want help, honestly. He'd been hurting for years carrying the memories he did, so what was one more painful one? Maybe it was some sort of divine justice? Jing Yuan wasn't the most upstanding man, right? So he probably deserved this. What right did he have to just go and fix it?

Caelus did end up finding him out and about once, having the chance to share tea with Jing Yuan. The general explained he didn't know how to fix anything anymore. While it wasn't healthy to live life this way, it was his punishment probably. Caelus' concern led him to ask that burning question: why?

"I should've done better. Treated them better... maybe then... I'd still have them."

☆ Aventurine

He almost didn't register the words that came out of your mouth. You... break up with him? You were talking, explaining why, but he couldn't really follow. It's like his brain just stopped working and all he could think was 'this wasn't supposed to happen'.

At the end of it, you were gone and he was alone. Aventurine expected betrayal in his line of work, but he never expected it from you. Your "deal" with him was special. It wasn't like his normal deals. It was one that you two emerged equally victorious and no one lost anything. Right?

Even Ratio had pity for him. Aventurine waltzed around as if nothing happened but there was such a dramatic shift in his personality. He said the same things he always did, he acted as if he always did, but there was a distinct bitterness when he spoke of being let down.

When he told people to make use of him, there was a hint of resentment laced in his words. While he claimed he expected to be exploited at some point, there was still a twinge of fear. It never hurt before but for some reason, it scared him now.

He did briefly open up to Ratio, who was just berating him as usual, and it even took him by surprise. Aventurine didn't say much, but he did say how he figured everyone in the world to want to set him on fire for one reason or another. He just didn't expect it would be you to light the flame. Veritas called him an idiot and said you had every right to leave, which Aventurine wholeheartedly agreed with.

You did have every right to leave. You just didn't have the right to take whatever made him feel normal.

[darnell-la]

𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗣 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗥 (ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ)

pairing: dark!stalker!logan howlett x bartender!reader

warnings: kidnapping, breaking skin, manhandling, choking, hard orgasm, begging, change of mind, teasing, degradation, etc.

note: lil pervy bastard. fuck, I just know he’d make sure you knew who you belonged to.

follow our Instagram @ darnell.la so we can start posting random videos, photos, edits, and memes of the people we write about!

———

“W-Where am I?” Y/n asked as Logan finally played her down his bed. The layout on the room scared her, because it was similar to her own layout, just more things she’d been wanting to get that she has noted in her notebook.

“Home, princess — Gotta lay low for a couple of days though, after that stunt you pulled,” the man had glanced back at y/n as he went through his drawer that was full of clothes y/n would definitely wear, and some clothes that she noticed him missing throughout the months.

“Logan-“ y/n was scared at how much work he put in for her. He was a grade a stalker, and the worst one at that. She wouldn’t be able to fight him off. No one could, and he knew that.

“C’mere, princess,” the man said after finding a nightgown for her to wear for the night. “D-Don’t come near me!” She shouted, but it sounded so pathetic. She knew that once he laughed and continued walking towards her.

“N-No,” Logan pulled on y/n’s ankles until she was on the end of the bed. “You needa be comfortable around here, Bub. Can’t have my princess worried, stressed or anything. Not one issue,” the man said like he hadn’t kidnapped her.

Y/n could hear the sirens outside of the apartment, making her think he probably lived close to the bar, and he did.

He worked hard to earn money for his own apartment. He didn’t need to stay with the x men or anyone else for that matter. He needed his own place to have y/n in.

“Stop it, let go of me!” She yelled at the man as she kicked and swung, but the man eventually got her clothes off. Every last fabric.

“Don’t fuckin’ piss me off, y/n. I’m just gettin’ you ready for bed,” the man tried being calm. He didn’t want to hurt y/n, but she’s leaving him no choice just about.

“N-No! I wanna go home!” She yelled as she finally got loose from his grip somehow. It wasn’t long before his hand wrapped around her arm, but she was read.

The young woman had grabbed a lamp that seemed brand new and untouched. She raised it and broke it across the man’s face.

She soon regretted it as the man turned his head back to her with a terrifying look as his the cut in his cheek healed back in her face.

“You’re in for you fuckin’ bitch,” Logan cusssed before he lunged at the girl, two hands wrapping around her neck as he slammed her against the wall. The wind was knocked out of her.

Y/n cursed herself out in her mind, unlucky that she was completely naked and he was only in his boxers. If she had played along, maybe she could’ve snuck out. Or maybe she’d just stay. He’d come for her again, anyhow. She was fucked either way.

“Wanted to treat you like my little princess, but sometimes pretty girls like you needa be stooped down to a slut,”

Logan lifted the girl up and threw her from the wall to the bed. She flew across the room, shocked when she hit the mattress, but before she could process the fact he threw her like a baseball, the man lunged over her.

Logan waisted no time bite at y/n’s neck. She cried in pain, but she knew she was fucked when her head became light from the instant rush of lust.

“Mhm,” the man growled in her neck as he pulled his boxers down. Y/n pushed at the man’s thighs, begging for him to let her go, or maybe even take it easy on her, but he didn’t want to listen.

“Whores don’t get what they want,” the man whispered in the girls ear like some game, before he plunged into her, stretching her in an instant and violating her walls.

The girl cried loudly, feeling him deeper than when he fucked her over the bar counter. This man was a an animal, a fucking beast the way he bullied through her.

“Nah uh, you shut the fuck up! Fuckin’ callin’ the police on me and breaking lamps over my fuckin’ head. You’ve gotten on my last nerve tonight, y/n. Last fuckin’ nerve,” Logan’s hips snapped hard.

“P-Please, Logan — I-I’m sorry,” she cried out, regretting it all. She knew the cops were going to be no help, she knew that damn lamp wouldn’t do shit to Logan, and she knew she was so close to cumming dumb around his cock.

“Oh, really, baby? Well, you’re gonna have to show me how much you’re sorry to deal with me tonight,” Logan gave y/n a chance, but she barely wanted to take it, but she couldn’t lie anymore.

All the crying, all the trying to get away — It made no sense when the young woman knew she was going to fall apart on the man.

“S-So sorry,” y/n’s hands gripped the man’s shoulders. “S-So fucking sorry,” she cried as his teeth pushed at her neck, making sure to leave something, rather people would see it or not.

“So fuckin’ sorry, princess? You’re so sorry?” The man mocked as her head fell back. Logan looked down at the woman, watching her mouth part and eyes switch. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how fast she fell apart.

“So fuckin’ easy. I can impress this cunt in less than twelve hours,” Logan’s lips now grazed against hers. She chocked in her moans as her body stiffened. “Yeah,” Logan repeated in a low deep voice, feeling her juice soak into his mattress.

“That’s my girl — So damn good lookin’ when she goes dumb,” y/n finally cried out, feeling his thrusts get faster. “L-Logan,” the girl softly placed her hands around his neck to pull him closer.

Her mind was forced to forget every red flag about him. The way he fucked into her, made her clueless. She couldn’t understand how dangerous he was, knowing he fucked like this. She couldn’t deny how much she loved being used by an animal.

“Gonna fill this cunt up, and give you another chance to relax tonight,” the man said through his teeth as he felt his cock twitch.

Y/n never thought the man that got drunk everyday would be deep in her system one day. He was always out of it. She thought the man wouldn’t even be able to recognize her, but she was wrong.

Logan was a mutant, and the downfalls of being a good person, is y/n forgetting all about that. Forgetting that the alcohol doesn’t blind him from beauty. Forgetting he’s capable being a bad guy. Forgetting he’s capable of breeding her until she can’t carry anymore.

“F-Fuuuck,” the man buried his face in her neck as his hips rolled, stroking against the right spot, but she couldn’t react. She felt unconscious, but she was still there. She was high off of his cock.

“My fuckin’ slut,” was all her throbbing cunt could think of throughout the night as he pulled her into his hair sweaty body.

ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ

[from-izzy]

[01:34] | nct na jaemin

Your ceiling fell.

pairing » nct na jaemin x gn!reader (lmk if i missed anything!)​

trope/au » ​established relationship au!, non-idol au!

genre » boyfriend na jaemin who picks you up even though he's tired, summer is annoying to the reader (sorry, i'm really hating summer rn), fluffy fluff with a tinge of angst, clothes stealer reader!, but you never end up using it because you got too tired and fell asleep, i love na jaemin (can you tell?), reader is the little spoon, jaemin is so caring and cute (i'm in love with him), jaemin brushing his hand through your hair

word count, estimated reading time » 2496, ~9 mins

warnings (lmk if i missed anything!) » jaemin is taller, outside clothes on the bed (i don't do this but it's cute here 😭 forgive me), oh...it's not proofread 😭

navi/masterlist!! 🤍

recently went back to my wips and found bits and pieces that could work together and meshed them together as best as i can 🤣 just whipped up this little thing whilst i was at it hehe

also, not going to be specific but will you believe if i said that this is based on a (my) true story? 🤠 it's been...messy 🤠 to say the least.

thank you for proofreading (when you're supposed to be focusing on school) @cupidjyu !! 💕

Your ceiling fell.

Well...

To be exact, there isn't a hole that lets the spiders and birds able to look down and see the base of your kitchen sink but when the inside surface of the roof fell, so did the insulator that kept the house warm during the frosty winter, and cool in the scorching summer. Because of the unstable roof condition, your whole family was wary of putting the air conditioning system on. The vibration from the machine and the sound waves themselves may be the little push it needs to send other parts of the roof crumbling.

You hate the hot weather so much.

In this period of the summer, when opening the windows was barely an option as it also let the heat through, it has been hard even to do anything remotely productive. With every move of your body, it generates heat and energy, which when mixed with the thirty-five-degree heat, all you want to do is lay on your bed and let the sweat evaporate off your skin with the help of your tower fan. That's how the mornings would go. Sometimes when you're not too tired from the previous day's work, you would go and take shelter in the library, turning confused heads when you would be wearing a jacket as overtime, it became too cold. 

The worst thing is that there has been no word from the insurance company or the people who could help to fix the hole in your ceiling. Unfortunately, it did fall during the peak holiday season but at this point, when it’s no longer the festive season, no one in your family understands what’s going on with the back-and-forth messy conversations to fix the issue. 

The past three months have been full of frustrating calls to your boyfriend but Jaemin has been picking up your phone call at the second time his ringtone rings, greeting you with that emphasising smile of his as he sees the layer of moisture on your face. At first, you tried to give him the best smile you could, but you eventually broke down after the first month, completely done with changing your clothes every day in every hour. Jaemin, though busy with his own responsibilities, never fails to take you out whenever he can, accompanying you in your aimless night time walks or accompanying you to the library where he would start reading a random book while you snooze on his shoulder. 

Today is one of the nights where you can’t handle sleeping in the house, too hot and uncomfortable for your eyes to even think about closing. You guiltily text Jaemin, asking if he’s able to have you over and within a few minutes, the black-haired arrives at your house, air conditioner blasting in his car and a genuine smile greeting you as soon as you step in. He waits outside his car with his oversized shirt and short pants; his usual summer attire. He kisses your frown away as soon as you rush into his arms, dropping your bag of clothes to the floor. His affectionate gaze for you grows, cupping your cheeks in his hands to hush you from the apologies that you would say for going out so late at night even though you insisted that the five-minute walk was fine to do.

“No,” Jaemin juts his lower lip to you adorably. “Not letting you do that!” He presses another quick peck on your lips that makes your cheeks heat up and makes you a stuttering mess. “I’m hungry! Let’s go grab some food first!”

You let out a knowing chuckle, shaking your head at him fondly as you know that just means another movie night that will go on until five am. To Jaemin, this is the best kind of date: the one that is unplanned but is planned at the same time. With the way that you’re literally having the worst summer ever as well, all he wants to do is to make sure that at least when you look back on this summer, you will remember his air conditioner blasting in his room. Bonus, the later you sleep, the more time you’ll have in a cooled, comfortable and private environment. 

But you know deep down, that you will always remember his warm, kind heart first out of all. 

With hands full of takeout from the nearest fast food to his house, Jaemin talks you through his list of movies that he wants to check out before you both fall asleep. He was so excited that he nearly missed the step up to his room, almost waking up the whole house with how his body would tumble down the staircase otherwise. But oh how much he would if it meant that you wouldn’t be crying on the humid, summer night.

"It's perfect, Jaem." 

You comment when Jaemin asks you about the temperature of his room and he gives you a relieved look, smiling in satisfaction to know your thoughts. Jaemin starts to unload the snacks in his arm on his study table, prompting you to do the same. He turns his sleeping laptop on, waiting for his device to start up.

In the meantime, his attention falls on you once more. "You must've been overwhelmed." His arm spreads open, silently asking if you would accept his gesture.

All you gave was a quiet hum and it momentarily worries him before you step to bury your head into his broad chest. You sigh into his perfect body temperature that balances the coolness trapped in the four walls. The corners of Jaemin’s lips rise as he starts shifting his body side to side, giving the hug a little more dynamic and comfort as he starts to sing your favourite tune to your ears. His fingers rake across your hair, not minding the whines and complaints you gave about how your hair is disgusting and oily, even pressing a kiss to your scalp to ease your worries. 

Your arms start to find home around his waist and your palm grips the fabric of the shirt even more, feeling eternally thankful for having a loving person in your life. A mutter, “Thank you for all this.” Your voice trails off, eyelids heavy and honestly, quiet snores could leave your lips at any moment now. 

“Always, bubs,” he muses back. “Maybe we can skip the movie night today?” 

The suggestion pulls your lips into a sour smile but you can’t hide the drowsiness in your system after getting small hours of sleep for the past week. “We have food.” But truly, it’s nothing that food can’t fix.

A raised eyebrow meets you when you slightly pull back to see the reaction on Jaemin’s face. “Food and horror movies.”

The shared favourite genre makes you break out into a genuine smile, excited for the movie marathon cuddled up in his bedsheets and the smell of food as you both expose yourself to the light from the computer until the sun replaces the moon. Jaemin watches you excitedly walk back to the door of his room where your bag slumps over on the wall next to the frame. 

“You don’t want to wear mine?” The suggestion is said with a smirk from him and your hands stopping to unzip your bag halfway. “Guess not!”

“No! I do!” You drag the last syllable out and when you turn to face him once more, Jaemin only lets out a teasing smile. “Let me steal!”

Indeed, Jaemin already has everything prepared for you, tilting his chin to his bed where some of his and your favourite hoodies are spread across the duvet. You spot the emerald green one, immediately jumping from your kneeling position on the floor and making the neat pile topple over at your eagerness. 

Jaemin feigns fake offence and an exaggerated gasp, “All my hard work!” He weeps to which you just roll your eyes as a response, continuing to take out your shower and night necessities to prepare for the night. 

“Alright.” A heavy sigh follows after, “I’m going to sho—”

But before you could take another step towards the bathroom, a pair of arms pulls you backwards, your back colliding with a chest that you know all too well. You can’t see the expression on his face but another thing that you know about Jaemin is when he leans down to press his cheek on yours, humming once more into your embrace, his cheeks are painted with hues of red and pink—his love for you overflowing from the simple back hug gesture.

“What you doing, Nana?” It deepens his blush, melting with how the nickname naturally sounds lovelier coming from you.

“Just go brush your teeth and shower in the morning.” He mumbles against your cheek. “I want to go on this movie marathon with you right now.”

“But you hate it the most when someone lays on your bed without washing up.” 

That’s also true. He does hate that a lot. 

The idea of outside germs reaching the place where he would be closing his eyes and be in another space for hours never fails to bring a scowl to his face and he always makes sure everyone who visits his space is aware of that fact.

But it’s you—and Jaemin loves you more to overlook that fact for a day.

“I’m planning on changing the sheets anyway.” He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, “Plus, I literally get grease and pieces of chocolate on there anyways so I think I may need to change my mindset about that rule now…”

The mention of the substances makes you gasp, a similar one to the one he directed at you before. “Na Jaemin!” The playful slap on his arm only makes his hold against your body tighter, sending you both into a fit of laughter.

Amid the chaos you created, Jaemin makes his point clear with the previous topic, throwing himself still clad in his dirty clothes onto his bed and taking you down with him. You yelp at the sudden fall, throwing everything out of your hands to muffle the sound of your mouth, aware of the sleeping couple not too far away from this room. 

“Oops! Gotta change it tomorrow, I guess!”

“Na Jaemin, stop! I’m still going to shower anyway!”

So begins the shoving and wiggling for you to escape his strong grip on his bulky arms. You know shortly after running out of breath that it’s a better choice to rest your head on his pectoral, giving up on both the shower and possibly the movie night. The laughter dies down, but never the love that Jaemin shows for you. On the back of your head, you can feel his thumping heartbeat, the rhythm making your eyelids fall naturally.

Jaemin carefully slides you over to the mattress on his side, turning his body to face the girl he loves the most in this world. His eyelashes flutter quietly, quieter than the humming of the white rectangular machine stuck high onto his wall. He doesn’t bother waking you up, content with the tiny snores you let out through the small gap between your lips.

“And to think you were scolding me minutes ago.” Bopping your ice-cold nose with the pad of his pointer finger. “Okay, at this point you’re going to freeze.”

Though exhausted and body screaming to just fall asleep then and there, Jaemin pulls himself back to the edge of the bed, standing and stretching his four limbs. He quickly retreated to the connecting bathroom, picking up your discarded items that he made you toss to avoid his parents from waking up and scolding the young couple in love—though he knows they will just scold him given how much his parents adore everything about you.

Scared that you would soon wake up in the very uncomfortable posture that you have right now, more than half your feet dangling off the bed, Jaemin swiftly completes his night routine, skipping the one that would make his dentist question his habits but he pushed the thought aside for now. As quiet as he could, he makes his way over to your still peaceful figure. His knees sink into the bed, eyes observing you while he holds his breath to avoid any more unnecessary movements than the ones he’s making right now.

An arm lifts your upper body, and Jaemin quickly jumps behind you. You did stir a bit in your sleep when Jaemin undoes the noisy metal zipper of your jacket but nonetheless, he succeeded without bringing you back into full consciousness. In his head, he imagines himself doing a little celebratory dance under the shining disco ball, all the fluorescent light on him on the dance floor. Then, the same arm is placed on your upper back once more but now paired with his other arm tucked under the back of your knees. You quickly adjusted to the position, Jaemin raising your body high enough for you to relish in the remnants of his cologne on the crook of his neck. 

“I love you, Nana.” You confess to him earnestly. “I love you so much…”

Jaemin stands on one side of the bed, scanning the curves of your face intently as if he has never noticed the small mole on the slope of your nose. He couldn’t fight off the want to steal another kiss from you, bending his neck down to slot his soft ones to hug your plump ones. A satisfied hum is brought out after, Jaemin mirroring your content heart with another lingering press on your forehead.

Soon enough, your body is finally between his bouncy mattress and his weighted polyester. Immediately, your hands roam over to the other side of the bed where Jaemin would usually be, groaning when all you felt was the crinkles of the cotton that is not his shirt.

“Okay, okay. I’m here.” He assures the dissatisfaction painted on your face first by flicking the light switch off and then by wrapping your smaller frame into his own. 

The muscles of your whole body relax for the first time in a while at the thought of going to dreamland—maybe it’s the Jaemin effect. A hand makes its way to the curve of your head, fingertips half-buried into your strands. A slight gush of wind can be felt on your nose but you don’t mind the proximity, even continuing to scoot even closer, pleased with the hand on your lower back that pushes you in closer. 

“Sleep tight.” His eyes landed on the brown bag across the room and his muted laptop that plays your favourite comfort movie. He lets the movie play, strategically moving his forearm to block the blue light emitted. When he confirms that his shadow falls upon your lids, he places the lightest kiss as a final ‘goodnight’. “I love you.”

So maybe, you don’t hate the hot weather as much as you thought.

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 tags (send a dm/ask if you would like to be here or removed!): @k-labels 💙🤍 @k-films 🤎🎞️ @kflixnet 📺🍿 @sanaxo-o

[gffa]

The thing is, I think Jason's issues with Bruce center around how he feels like he doesn't matter to Bruce, how he's not being acknowledged and recognized in the eyes of the man that became his father. And I'm not married to any one interpretation that comes from that, but I can see some a lot of really fun ways to run with it, like. When Jason is resurrected, he's so angry that Bruce refused to cross the line to kill the Joker, because Jason didn't matter enough to him to break that part of Bruce. It doesn't matter that Bruce has reasons for it, that he knows himself well enough that he can't cross that line or he'll keep crossing it, if he justifies one kill, he'll justify them all, there's part of Jason that cries out, "Am I not worth that to you?" In Task Force Z, Jason agrees to work with Bruce to find the Lazarus resin, and the breaking point of their conflict is over Jason feeling like he only matters as a good little soldier, that he's not seen as someone worth respecting and trusted, that he doesn't matter as himself. That Bruce tries to tell him how and where he can fight, that Gotham is his city. When Gotham War happens, Bruce does cross a line, he's so torn apart by Jason's actions versus his own love for Jason that he does something monstrous. It's awful, it's horrible, but maybe there's some fucked up part of Jason that, underneath all the hurt and the anger, thinks, He did this because of me. He crossed his own morals for me. Yeah, it's fucked up and I'm pissed, but look what I made him do. ME. Every single Bat is kind of fucked up in a myriad of ways, their emotional boundaries are just absolutely bonkers, their emotional connections work differently because they've all been through the trauma wringer, so when something fucked up happens, they don't always react to it in normal ways, and especially so when it comes to Bruce. They know it's fucked up, but their whole lives are fucked up, and when you can make Bruce do something so against his morals? Because he's so torn up about you? That's the kind of acknowledgement that really scratches an itch that only really fucked up trauma for everyone in this bar can give you. He can come around on what Bruce did because it means he matters to Bruce, when Bruce trusts him to be the one to take on the fake death plan, when Bruce listens to Jason arguing back, it's the acknowledgement and importance that he's been seeking. It's fucked up, but what isn't fucked up in the Bats' lives? They're all walking trauma bombs ready to go off at any minute, eventually you find ways to get over that and cope however you can. Especially when it means your dad loves you so much that he broke his own rules for you, the rules that seemed to matter so much more than you ever did to him, maybe they're not such an insurmountable distance anymore. Bruce will never kill for any of them, but he can break other rules that drive a dagger into Bruce's very soul. Because of Jason.

[the-artist-grimm]

Following on from the wonderful "smecks lore" drop earlier, are there any other little headcanons of history within the world you would like to share that maybe you've not been able to incorporate into your work?

I'm sorry for calling it that but it is what it is

Love your work as always Yadda Yadda Yadda I'll shut up now bye!

Alright Miscellaneous Lore Lightning Round go!

Anthea

-Favorite color is green! They don’t mind the red since it’s on brand with the Red Crown, but Anthea would’ve preferred a green cloak had they the choice, it’s why they have green mixed in anywhere else in the outfit they can. 

-They're VERY petite and it's likely from their mother's side since their dad was a giant lol. They can get grumpy about it, but they do really enjoy how Narinder can just pick them up easily. They DON'T enjoy when the kits get taller than they are though XD

-Their love of stars comes from their father! Their village was hidden in the woods with little view of the sky through the trees, so when their father, Aries, started taking Anthea at age 4 out with him on supply runs he would try to always leave time for them to stargaze and tell them stories about the constellations.

-Anthea was the one who found their father’s remains-when he didn’t come home one morning no one else in the village knew his routes, so at just 8 years old they went out on their own to find him in secret. It took hours and was pretty far out, but they did find him eventually, first his bloodied robes and pack, then his charred remains. Heretics had jumped and sacrificed him via a fire to Shamura going off the sigils left burned into his skull, and it was only by the wedding band still left on his hand that they could ID him. From there they broke down for a while, and after crying themselves dry of tears, numbly packed as much of his bones and ashes as they could into the pack and returned home.

Bishops

All the bishops have several domains, but they do each have a main 2 each as follows;

Leshy: Chaos and Order Heket: Famine and Harvest Kallamar: Pestilence and Medicine Shamura: War and Wisdom Narinder: Death and Sleep (the sleep domain was inspired a little by both Greek Mythology and @hotchocolatedemon ‘s AMAZING fic Ichor Betwixt Mortal Palms GO READ IT)

Narinder

-Narinder’s more mellow/melancholic personality in this AU directly stems from his low self-esteem and his belief that his siblings hated him. Had the twins not ended up in his care Anthea likely would've met a VERY numb god, but as guilty as he felt about it, having two sweet kids around was a balm to that festering wound of grief.

-Narinder’s domain of Death is more specifically ‘Peaceful Death’ (Drawing from how Hypnos-the greek god of sleep, is a peaceful god) 

-Narinder's been mostly disconnected from his Sleep domain due to the chains separating him from mortals (he actually feared sleep would be impossible for a time after the chains but thankfully outside of more nightmares most are unaffected rest-wise), but when he starts hearing about Anthea’s nightmares from the crown he starts trying to get them to fall asleep in the Gateway to try and get a chance to peer in.

Heket 

-Heket is a big fucking lesbian ™ and has a thing for ladies that can beat her over the head with a hammer. (cough Forneus cough). While acting as vessel Forneus prefered to attack Heket's ranks the most since it pissed her off a LOT, but it gradually became a weird breaking each others chops to flirt thing. They haven't spoken since Forneus gave up the crown, but Heket is actually part of the reason why she became the one vessel not hunted down-post vesselship.

She didn't know Forneus had been pregnant nor that Shamura took the kits till after the fact, but after learning about it she felt so sorry for her that she told Leshy and Kallamar to leave her be, and that if any of their forces so much as touched her they'd be punished. Like Forneus could be a pain, but she could match her in a fight which Heket really respected.

Aym and Baal

-The twins are technically 300+, but since their aging has been so slowed they don’t recognize it, think children trapped in Neverland, so long as they’re in the gateway centuries can pass and they won’t perceive a thing. They would still be newborns without Narinder intervening with his magic, and the gateway age of 11 is just him guessing based off their teeth (he saved all their fallen kitten teeth since it was the only way to vaguely keep track of their age). When freed Aym still has 2 left and Baal 1, meaning they're just at the start of adolescence.

-Which on that note Narinder feeding them tiny amounts of magic over the centuries has kinda transformed the two-they’re more demi-god than mortal now, and stop visibly aging at 25 since they’re immortal. They also each took on minor aspects of Nari’s domains, Aym can sense when death is near, and Baal can vaguely sense the type of dream someone’s having.

Knucklebones Gang 

-Ranks while working as Ratau’s disciples:

Flinky - Medic and Spymaster, he still actually passes along old contacts/cashes in favors for Anthea now Shrumy - Loyalty Enforcer and Guard Captain, he used to be a pretty tough fighter and later became Anthea’s combat instructor after they entered Ratau’s care. He starts teaching the twins eventually too. Klunko and Bop - Tax Enforcer and Head of Trade, wasn’t very good at actually collecting tax but was good at getting good deals from traders

-I hinted at this in one of my COTLtober pieces but Flinky and Ratau are married! They got together during Ratau’s time as vessel and married after he lost the crown.

-The traps mentioned in the same piece are also to keep Heretics out of Ratau's territory since he's wanted.

-Ratau and Flinky are also technically Anthea’s adopted fathers-they alternate between calling them by their names or ‘Dad’ for Ratau and ‘Pa’ for Flinky depending on their mood/who’s with them. 

-The Cult knows that if the Leader is gonna be gone for awhile then the Rat's in charge-Ratau before Narinder's freed/reconciled with the lamb would often be asked to babysit, though once Narinder's officially Anthea's partner that role goes to him typically, meaning Ratau can go back to enjoying his retirement.

That's just some random bits for now!

[munsonsmixtapes]

Could i request a silly little friends to lovers where eddie and reader are kind of stepping around each other but one day reader gets a boyfriend and after steve and robin point out he looks like eddie, she doesnt want eddie to meet him but eddie walks into family video while reader and her boyfriend are there, it was just a casual thing that fades out and eddie n reader eventually get together when eddies all flirty about reader being into dudes that look like him n they admit their feelings

Um, yes, absolutely!! Thanks so much for the request, lovely!! Also, unpopular opinion, but I will always pick friends to lovers over enemies to lovers!

cw: hurt/comfort

Ever since you and Eddie had become friends, everyone seemed to think that the two of you were together, even your own friends. As much as you both tried to deny it, there was definitely something between you and Robin and Steve had been waiting for the two or you to realize just how in love with each other you were.

You seemed pretty close until you suddenly got a boyfriend. A boyfriend that suspiciously looked a little too similar to Eddie. You had brought him into Family Video a few days after you had made it official and Robin and Steve just shared a look after you had told them the news.

Why you were dating an Eddie doppelgänger when the real thing had been in front of you the entire time, they didn't know. But they did think it was a little funny. That you were in such denial of your feelings that you were willing to date someone who looked like your crush instead of going after him.

You didn't know why you felt the need to hide your relationship from Eddie, but you did it anyway. Perhaps it was because you knew that Adam looked exactly like him and knew that he would think it was weird. Or perhaps you had only been dating Adam because you were afraid to start something with Eddie and this was the closest you could get without officially pulling the trigger on starting something with your best friend.

Family Video wasn’t very crowded when you came in and you pulled Adam inside as both Robin and Steve avoided your gaze. They weren’t exactly sold on the guy because one, he looked like an off brand Eddie and two, for lack of a better word, the guy was just an ass. He was rude to them anytime they came into contact and even worse to you and they wondered why he was even with you in the first place since he seemed to dislike you.

“Do you want to get a romance this time?” You asked, pulling him over to the section and Adam just rolled his eyes.

“Sure," he nodded pressing his lips to yours just as Eddie walked into the building. He caught sight of the two of you and felt a pit form in his stomach as he turned and left.

He couldn't believe it. He couldn't fucking believe it. Since when had you been dating someone? And why hadn't you told him? That was usually something you told your best friend and there you were, keeping it a secret.

Eddie marched back into the building just as you and the man broke apart and when they turned to face Eddie, everything became clear. Looking at Adam was like looking in a mirror. Well, not exactly, but close enough.

"Eddie," your eyes widened and you tried to stand in front of Adam as a way to hide him, but the man slightly moved you to the side so he could get a look at the man.

"Adam, nice to meet you," your boyfriend out his hand out to shake and Eddie took it, plastering on a smile as he did so, not wanting to cause a scene even though he wanted nothing more than to yell at you for keeping such a huge secret from him.

"Likewise," Eddie nodded and pulled his hand away before grabbing a random movie and taking it to the register because he thought it would look weird leaving a second time without a making a purchase.

The tension between you and Eddie wasn't lost on Adam and he thought that it would only be right to break things off with you so you could tell Eddie how you really felt. You felt like it was a very mature thing of his to do, but that didn't stop you from being a little sad about it even though your relationship had been nothing but casual.

So, with a lot of hype from Steve and Robin, you went over to Eddie's to set the record straight, but he wouldn't let you in. You continued to bang on the door, pleading for him to answer until it finally opened, Wayne on the other side.

"He's in his room," he told you and opened the door wider so you could step inside. No one had been rooting for the two of you to get together more than Wayne he was hoping that that was finally the night where things finally became official.

but unfortunately for him, his nephew was a stubborn idiot that would rather be angry at you for something silly than just admit that he was really upset because you were in a relationship and not because you had kept it from him.

You stepped into his room and Eddie just turned his chair away from the door so that his back was to you. He had his arms crossed over his chest like a toddler who hadn't gotten their way and you just wanted to laugh because of how ridiculous he was acting.

"Eddie," you said his name and he only turned father away from you. "Eddie," you repeated and marched over to him, turning his chair so that he'd finally face you. "If it makes you feel any better, Adam broke up with me." That did make him feel better, but he wasn't going to tell you that.

He just turned his head away as you got on your knees in front of him, resting your hands on his thighs that he had to pretend that he didn't absolutely love.

"Eddie would you please look at me?" He only glared so you reached up and gently took his face in you hand, forcing him to look you in the eye. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lying to you and I'm a terrible friend and-"

"You're not a terrible friend, y/n."

"Well, you're treating me like I'm one."

"I'm not mad that you lied to me, okay?" He stood up from the chair and you just backed away to give him some room, watching him pace back and forth.

"Then what is this about?"

"This is about you, about me, about us!" His voice was getting louder with each word and you were trying to figure out why he was so angry.

"What about us, Eddie?" You were still unsure of what he was talking about and wished he would just get to the fucking point so you could be in on the secret too.

"God, do I have to spell it out for you?" He marched over to you and pulled you to your feet before pulling you into his arms and pressing his lips to yours roughly. You gasped into his mouth then eventually melted into him, your arms wrapping around his waist as you responded to his kiss. Just when you were getting into it, he pulled away and pressed his forehead to yours, all smiles.

"I love you, okay? I've loved you for a long time and now I'm not afraid to say it."

"Good, because I love you too," you replied before slotting your lips between his as you licked into his mouth, pulling him over to the bed, both of you eager to make up for all the time you lost.

[zerokurokawa]

Hanma falling inlove with a girl who beat him up at first meeting because he messed with her brother lmao then after a while they become friends because he doesn’t stop bothering her. He throws rocks at her window and loudly sings for her and stuff lol. And reader being more of herself around him (she’s actually really sweet but just don’t mess with her people lmao).. maybe a little bit of nsfw? Thank u in advance 🫶🏼

Falling For You | Hanma x Reader (Slight NSFW, MDNI) <3

Getting beat up by a girl was not on Hanma's agenda when it came to fighting and being one of the top delinquents of his time, however, when you found out that he had messed with your younger brother, you took matters into your own hands. You beat the total shit out of him with one kick, knocking his tall self to the ground and leaving him to practically drown in a puddle during the pouring rain. 

You had caught him off guard in the back of an alleyway and confronted him about picking fights with your younger brother who was in Toman at the time. With you beating him to the ground, you'd expect him to stay away, right? You were wrong. Hanma then became intrigued by you and wouldn't leave you alone after that. 

He would catch you out and about, offering to buy you things such as food or even steal you jewelry from the local shops. He'd follow you home and make it seem as if you were the one that needed protection. After a while of him doing this, you decided you kind of liked his presence and kept him around. After all, you were getting something out of it. 

Once you began to notice his weird antics and the way he would subconsciously flirt with you, you began to flirt back, teasing him about his height and build and would always joke about how easy it was to of taken him down, especially since you were a girl, after all. 

You had grown fond of him, wanting him around more often and even calling him a few times just to hangout. This only brought his interest back towards you even further as he began to increase his obsession with you. 

___________________________________________________________________________

It wasn't long before you started hearing him play music and sing really loudly outside of your window at night, begging you to come outside and take a ride on his bike. He would even throw pebbles on some nights or call you back to back just to get your attention. Eventually, you gave in and went on that bike ride that led you further into his grasp. 

One night, he took you back to his apartment and you were cozied up to him, lying on the couch while a movie played in the background. He moved slightly, looking down at you seemingly wanting to do something more than just cuddle on the couch. 

"What? What are you staring at?" You asked, while he was staring into your eyes, 

"I just thought maybe we could... have a little fun." He smirked. 

"Fun how?" You smirked back, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Before you knew it, he had you pinned to the couch, tugging at your clothes, and kissing all of your sweet spots. 

"You know what I mean," He started, "I want you, and I know you want me too." 

You giggled as he began to tease you, tickling you and touching all of your turn on spots. You knew what he was after, and you were going to let him. One thing led to another and both of you had ended up half naked, lying on the couch, in each other's arms. 

"I need to confess something... before we go any further." He said, beginning to unbuckle his belt. 

"And what is what?" You asked, shifting yourself underneath him. 

"I think... I know... I'm falling for you." He smirked, leaning down to give you a very long, passionate kiss. You broke away from the kiss, breathless, as you thought to yourself about how this might be wrong. You were fraternizing with someone who was against everything you stood for. You were meant to hate him due to what he did to your brother, but here you were, in his arms and down to your underwear. 

"I think I'm falling for you too... Shuji." You said with a slight hesitant tone to your voice. You knew what would happen if the others found out. You knew they would be upset and you knew for a fact that your brother would never approve. But, before you knew it, he was all over you and you were all over him. Something about it felt wrong but at the same time, it felt right. You wanted him and there was no turning back now. 

You had fallen for the enemy. 

(A/N: I hope you like it, all the love to you <3)

[hungermakesmonsters]

(Once Bitten) Twice Shy

Epilogue

Plot summary : Desperate to get away from your controlling family, you take a job in New York as a wealthy vampire's blood source. A million dollars awaits if you can make it through a year, but life with Billy Russo is not going to be as simple as you think.

Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader

Story Rating : R  Chapter Rating : R

Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] Smut and fluff. All chapters will contain mentions of blood. Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 

Word Count : 4.3k

A/N : 😭

CHAPTER ONE | CHAPTER TWO | CHAPTER THREE | CHAPTER FOUR | CHAPTER FIVE | CHAPTER SIX | CHAPTER SEVEN | CHAPTER EIGHT | CHAPTER NINE | CHAPTER TEN | CHAPTER ELEVEN | CHAPTER TWELVE | CHAPTER THIRTEEN | CHAPTER FOURTEEN | CHAPTER FIFTEEN | CHAPTER SIXTEEN | CHAPTER SEVENTEEN | CHAPTER EIGHTEEN | CHAPTER NINETEEN

MASTER LIST

Epilogue

It wasn’t easy.

But, then, when had anything in your life ever really been easy?

In the weeks that followed, you struggled to adapt to your new reality, your body waking you at daybreak and having you exhausted by nightfall, suffering with pangs of hunger that seemed almost unquenchable. Both Frank and Billy told you it would get better, that you would adjust, but that didn’t stop the occasional breakdown, the moments where everything felt like it was too much.

You watched as Billy’s heart broke over and over again, when he’d find you on the floor in your kitchen, sobbing and eating oreos, or walking around the penthouse in the middle of the day so exhausted that you could barely function.

On the bad days, he would take you into his rooms, close the curtains and hold you in pitch blackness, softly shushing you as you sobbed in his arms, whispering gentle apologies in your ear.

Feeding wasn’t any easier; you still gagged and felt sick sometimes, and certain kinds of blood didn’t seem to agree with you.

Finally you understood why Billy had made you follow such strict rules when it came to your health and diet as sometimes, some blood left you feeling ill like you’d eaten something that had gone off. And, as your senses became more acute, it only seemed to get worse.

But, eventually, a solution was found to every problem; Billy stayed with you for weeks, helping you adjust to your new day/night cycle, and special blood was ordered for you once he figured out exactly what you needed. And, once those issues were sorted, your breakdowns became fewer until you finally felt like you could handle your new life.

After that, the only issue left was Billy and your relationship. 

You loved him, and you knew that he loved you, but you needed time. Everything between you had happened so quickly and it felt like you’d missed out on so many steps. When you finally felt up to it, Billy started to take you out on dates; to dinner, to museum exhibitions, and even to the cinema. Little things, little steps that allowed you to grow closer as a couple. And, at the end of every night, he left you to decide if you wanted to sleep in his bed or your own.

The physical side of your relationship didn’t change or slow; Billy couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of you and you didn’t want him to. Being a vampire made everything feel heightened and you soon got why Billy craved moments of touch and intimacy. But, as far as your relationship went, you took things slowly.

And, after a few months, you were finally able to do what you’d told him you wanted to do. You found a job.

It was only a few nights a week at a local library and, for the first couple of weeks, Billy had insisted on walking you there and back, but he soon had to focus on his own work and you were able to gain the sense of freedom that you sought, both physically and financially.

Billy laughed every time you tried to pay for something or split a check, telling you to spend your money on yourself, on things that you wanted, things that would make you happy. At first, it annoyed you but, as you got closer, and you became privy to things like his finances, you realised just how wealthy he was.

But you didn’t let that deter you. You’d taken a job because you wanted to be able to contribute and that’s exactly what you started doing.

It was a cactus first. A tiny plant that you hoped would grow much bigger. You’d read that, in the right environment and with proper care, some cacti could live hundreds of years and that was what you wanted; something that would stay with you over the decades.

When you’d first brought the tiny little thing into the penthouse, Billy had frowned, then laughed, before getting a little table from the library for it to sit on and placing it by the window.

Over the weeks that followed, you got more plants, more things that made the penthouse feel like a home; cushions, lamps, artwork for the wall. You even insisted on hanging some fairy lights around that, when turned on, gave the place a magical and romantic glow.

And Billy went along with it, never complaining, always helping you, whether it was putting up more shelves for plants, hanging lights, or moving furniture to make space.

Karen gushed over the new furnishings, commenting on how Billy’s bachelor pad now looked like a real home, and your heart melted when he responded that it was a home now that you were in it.

And, every now and then, Billy would turn up with a new stuffed animal for you, until you had a small menagerie of stuffies, each with names more ridiculous than the last, all some loose version of Billy - though he threatened to stop when you announced that one of them was to be called Billiam.

After five months had passed, you’d fallen into a rhythm with Billy and, for the first time in your life, everything felt perfect. You were happy, you were in love. All the self-doubt and uncertainty that you’d carried when you first arrived at the penthouse was gone. And, no matter how much time passed, Billy seemed intent on constantly surprising you and doing everything he could to keep showing you that he loved you.

The moment Karen offered to pick you up after work on your birthday, you knew something was going on, you knew she’d been roped into one of his schemes. But nothing could have prepared you for the surprise party that was waiting for you when the elevator doors slid open and you stepped into the penthouse. 

Everybody yelled ‘surprise’ as they jumped from their hiding spots, but the moment your eyes found him, it felt like there was no one else in the room.

He stepped towards you and took your hand in his before kissing you softly.

“Happy birthday, hummingbird,” he said with a smile that always made you feel loved and safe in equal measure.

“Did you do all of this on your own?” You asked, finally letting your gaze drift about the penthouse.

“I had a little bit of help from Karen,” he admitted. “But I do have something else for you, something special that I want you to have before the party really starts.”

You looked at him, searching his face for some idea of what it could be, your mind racing back to the first party you’d attended in the penthouse. But on his face you found something you didn’t expect, an uncertainty, a nervousness, as if he wasn’t sure how you were going to react to his surprise.

“What is it?” You asked.

“I think it’s easier just to show you,” he explained.

Billy didn’t wait for a response before slowly starting to lead you towards the library. Whatever it was, your friends seemed clued in; you caught a reassuring smile from Karen and a nod from Frank. Even Foggy managed to look silently supportive of whatever you were about to face.

As the library door opened, a figure stood up from the sofa.

You froze in the doorway, a thousand different emotions going to war inside you.

“Irene,” your sister's name fell from your lips as little more than a whisper, too quiet for any but Billy to hear it.

She offered an apologetic smile but seemed just as lost for words as you were. Billy’s hand gave yours a reassuring squeeze, letting you know that he was still there and that he’d support you if you needed him to.

Finally she took a step forward.

“You’re all grown up,” she remarked softly and all you could do was nod.

You hand gripped Billy’s even as you managed to take a step, still not sure how you wanted to feel or what you could possibly say to her after so many years apart.

“Billy found me,” she tried to explain, “he told me about what happened and how you ended up here.”

Your eyes flickered to Billy and he saw just how lost you were.

“Madani tracked her down,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to say anything to you until I knew that Irene wanted to see you. I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case she decided that she didn’t want to see you.”

It made sense and you certainly weren’t upset about it, but you still struggled to deal with the situation.

“You left me,” you finally said, voice breaking as you turned your attention back to Irene. “You said you’d come back for me.”

“I -” she started before hesitating, “- I tried. Just before your eighteenth birthday. I came to get you, but dad caught me. He told me that if I ever left with you, he’d make sure I was arrested for kidnapping and I -”

She fell silent again and you watched as she tried to blink back tears. In the silence, you found yourself leaning into Billy’s side.

“I’d just found out I was pregnant,” Irene continued. “I have children now. Three of them. I wanted to take you away with me, but I...”

You watched her wipe a tear from her cheek and your heart ached for her, finally starting to understand what had happened and why she hadn’t come back for you. She had to choose between you and her unborn child, and you couldn’t fault her for putting the baby first.

Nodding, you struggled to find the words. It was overwhelming and, while you didn’t blame Irene or Billy for the situation, you wished that you’d had some warning, some time to prepare all the things you wanted to say to her. Although you’d played this moment over and over in your head since the day she’d left home, you’d never really been able to settle on what you’d say or how you’d feel.

You gave Billy’s hand one last squeeze before letting it go and moving towards Irene. 

“I’ll give you some privacy,” he said softly, waiting just a moment to make sure you didn’t need him to stay, before leaving the library and closing the door behind him.

“He seems really nice,” Irene offered, smiling at you.

“He is,” you answered. “He saved my life.”

“Can you tell me about it?” She asked cautiously. “I want to hear about your life, about everything I’ve missed out on.”

You took a seat on the sofa and waited for her to join you, your mind still racing, wondering how you could ever explain the last eleven months of your life to someone who wasn’t there to see it.

“Well, it started when I saw a job advertisement online, just over a year ago...”

Irene sat, mostly quiet, listening as you explained how you needed to leave home in order to escape a forced marriage, just like she had. You told her about coming to New York and how you and Billy had slowly bonded over your shared love of literature, and how it had culminated in you falling in love. Then, with a little less certainty, you told her how you were turned and how your life had been going since that moment.

At some point she’d taken hold of your hand and held it between her own on her lap, her eyes never leaving your face, completely caught up in your story.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you,” she told you at the end.

“It’s okay... I wasn’t on my own.”

You could see that now; Billy, Karen, even Frank, and Matt and Foggy. You had people in your life, people who cared about you. People who looked out for you. (People who would kill for you.)

She looked at her watch and a sadness filled her expression.

“I should let you get back to your party. Tom - my husband - and the kids are at the hotel,” she explained and you visibly brightened.

“You’re staying in the city?”

“Yeah, for a few days. I’d like you to meet my family. If - I mean, if that’s something you’d want to do, I know -”

“You want them to meet me, even though I’m a vampire now?”

“Of course,” she answered without hesitation. “You’re my little sister and I want you back in my life.”

“I’d love to meet them,” you told her, finally finding the strength to throw your arms around your sister’s shoulders and hug her tight.

Her arms wrapped around you and, for a few bittersweet minutes, you stayed like that, both of you trying desperately not to cry. After a few false starts, she managed to pull away from you and you both got to your feet. You walked her out of the library and towards the elevator, making plans to meet the next night so you could finally meet your niece and nephews.

No sooner had the doors slid shut, Billy was at your side, his arms wrapping around you as you pressed your face against his chest. You clung to him, feeling overwhelmed again, feeling so full of emotion that you might burst. His hand stroked your hair and he kissed the top of your head, muttering how much he loved you, holding you until you were ready to enjoy your party.

And you did enjoy it.

The night was spent laughing with your friends with Billy always close to your side, barely able to keep his hands off you for more than a few short minutes at a time. You talked about work and made plans for the future, and Karen managed to ruin one of your birthday surprises by telling you about a two-week polar night cruise around Alaska that Billy and Frank had booked so you could have a couples vacation that was vampire friendly.

Billy was a little upset that his surprise was ruined prematurely, but he seemed to forget all about it when you pulled him close and kissed him deeply, something that you didn’t usually like to do in front of other people.

You drank, ate cake, and laughed the night away, until it was time for your friends to start leaving.

While Billy lingered by the elevator, talking to Frank, you waved farewell to Karen and decided to go get ready for bed, stopping off at your room to pick up a little present you’d been holding onto for Billy that you finally wanted to give him. Then, you made your way to his bedroom. 

You quickly washed and changed into a sheer, powder blue negligee, and sat yourself on the edge of his bed next to his gift, waiting for him. It wasn’t long before he joined you, stepping into the room and pausing at the sight of you, making no attempt to hide the way his eyes took in every inch of your body.

Getting to your feet, you twirled, deciding to really give him an eyeful. Billy laughed and, before you knew it, you were laughing too.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s all this for?” He asked.

“I want to sleep in here with you, and -” you hesitated a moment as you turned and picked up the carefully wrapped gift and offered it to him, “- I wanted to give you a present.”

“You got me a present?” He looked down at the present in his hands, confused but still smiling. “But it’s your birthday.”

“I know, but it’s for both of us... kind of...” you said, a sudden feeling of nervousness causing a tremor in your voice.

Slowly, carefully, Billy tore open the wrapping and was left more confused than ever by what he found.

“It’s bed linen,” you explained.

“I can see that,” he answered, a hint of uncertain laughter in his tone as he looked at it.

You’d chosen a striking pattern of dark blues and petrol green, dark but still colourful, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t the bed linen itself that he didn’t understand, it was the gesture and what it meant.

You took a slow breath and started to explain; “it’s just... well, it’s really dark in here, and if I’m going to start staying in here, I thought we could make it a little brighter, and -”

“You want to stay in my room?” He asked, clearly trying to fight back a smile just in case he was jumping to the wrong conclusion. “You want to move into my room permanently?”

In the time it took you to nod, Billy had dropped the bed linen and cleared the distance between you, his hands framing your face and tilting it up so his lips could find yours. He kissed you with an eager desire that told you all you needed to know; he was happy, he wanted you to move into his room.

“I love you,” he muttered against your lips. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” you answered back.

As he kissed you again, your fingers started to tug at his shirt, untucking it from his pants before clumsily pulling open the buttons, so you could touch his bare skin. While you dealt with his shirt, Billy quickly undid and lowered his pants, leading you backwards towards the bed as he stepped out of them.

He kissed you in a way that left you feeling bereft, like you didn’t think he’d ever be able to match the passion and love that he was showing you then, that no moment would ever feel as good as that one did. But it was a silly thought, one you knew was wrong. There was no limit to the depths of his love. And there was none to yours either, not when it came to Billy.

His shirt slipped from his shoulders, joining his pants on the ground just a split-second before you were lifted off your feet and deposited on the bed beneath him. Already, you could feel the hard press of his erection between your thighs, and it was enough to have you moaning against his lips.

For a few wonderful minutes, he was content to stay like that, his body pressed down on top of yours while you kissed. You loved moments like that, moments where there was no frantic rush, moments where it felt like you had all the time in the world to just love and enjoy each other.

Finally, he pulled away from your lips and lifted himself, letting his eyes drift down your body, taking in the sight of you all over again.

“You’re beautiful,” he told you softly, just enjoying the moment of stillness before letting his hand trail over the sheer fabric of your negligee. “And I love this.”

“I thought you might,” you smiled up at him, content to let him take his time.

His hand began to trace the curves of your body through the gossamer fabric, making a point of running his fingers over the ticklish spot on your side that he’d discovered that first night you’d spent together in front of the TV. A smile spread across his lips as you squirmed and giggled beneath him.

“I love you,” he said again.

There was something so serious in his voice, something that had you reaching up to cup his cheek, wanting to settle any terrible thoughts or doubts that might be in his head.

“I know you do, Billy,” you reassured him softly. “And I love you. With all my heart.”

His smile grew wider and whatever had taken hold of him seemed to let go. And, finally, he started to move down your body.

Soft hands slipped up your thighs, fingers hooking the little panties that you wore beneath the negligee and quickly relieving you of them. And, still, despite all the months that you’d spent with him, he always managed to look at you like it was his first time really seeing you. Once your panties were gone, he slowly moved down the bed, settling himself between your thighs, slowly trailing kisses from your knee up your leg.

Even though you were more than used to his lips between your thighs and the way his tongue could make you feel, you still gasped at the first touch, each and every time. In your time together, he’d learned every inch of you and how to make your body shake with pleasure.

Your fingers slipped into his hair and tugged lightly as his tongue slid between your folds. He groaned against you, tasting your arousal before focusing his attention on your clit, circling the throbbing bundle. Unrestrained moans started to fall from your lips and, soon enough, you felt his fingers breach your walls, slowly thrusting into the heat of your body while he undid you with his tongue.

His name fell from your lips over and over as you felt yourself climb higher and higher, your fingers curling tighter in his hair.

You looked down at him, waiting for his permission as pleasure coiled tight inside you and, finally, he gave you the slightest of nods. It was all you needed. You came hard as his fingers and tongue continued to work in concert with each other, trying to prolong your ecstasy until it was too much to bear and your thighs started to tremble violently.

Finally he pulled back, wiping his lips and watching you as your head fell back on the pillow.

“Mmmm,” you hummed, breathless but smiling. “Best birthday present ever.”

“Oh, hummingbird, I’m just getting started,” he muttered.

You didn’t move until prompted, sitting up for him so he could finally remove your negligee, then dropping back to the pillow while he got rid of his boxers. And you watched him, you watched every little move that he made, taking in the sight of him just as he had with you only ten minutes before.

It brought a smile to your face to think how obsessed you still were with each other.

Soon, he was positioned between your thighs again, teasing you, running the leaking tip of his cock between your folds, trailing it up and down from your entrance to your clit until you were needily squirming beneath him.

“Billy, please...”

“What do you need, hummingbird?” He asked, as if he didn’t already know.

“You, Billy,” you whined. “I need you.”

And that was all he needed to hear.

Your head fell back and you let out a long moan as his cock notched into you and started to fill you. His pace was torturously slow and he watched every little flicker of pleasure that crossed your features. You loved these moments when he’d take his time, when he’d make love to you and show you how much you meant to him.

Linking your hands behind his neck, you pulled him down and into an eager kiss. More little moans slipped from your lips and into his as he started to move in slow, deep thrusts that sent bolts of pleasure up and down your spine. You back arched, heels digging into the mattress, lifting your hips to meet his every movement.

When the kiss broke, your lungs felt like they were burning. But there was no time to think about that, no time to think about anything but the way Billy was making you feel. His lips moved to your neck, kissing and sucking at your skin, while one of his hands played with your breast. He was everywhere and everything to you, and when you were together like this, you felt like two pieces of a whole.

He made you feel like the characters from all the books you’d read; you felt like Jane Eyre finally happy and free with her Mr Rochester (just minus the burnt down home).

He made you happier than you’d ever dared to believe you could be.

“Billy,” you moaned softly into his ear with reverence. 

“Come for me, little hummingbird,” he muttered in response.

On command, you fell apart for him, clinging to him as your body shivered and shook with pleasure.

“Billy, I love you,” you managed between your moans.

Billy gasped, suddenly overcome by his own orgasm. The movements of his hips turned sloppy as you felt him empty himself inside you, trembling almost as much as you were.

“I love you,” you said again, finding his lips and kissing him, wrapping your arms around him and holding him tight.

When he stilled, he lingered, not wanting to pull out or pull away from you but, eventually, he rolled away, ending up on his back beside you. You both basked in the afterglow as you slowly came down from your highs.

Turning on your side, you lifted yourself so your face was above his. His eyes closed and he let out a contented sigh as your fingers ran through his hair, lightly scratching your nails against his scalp just the way he liked. Then you leaned, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose, then one of each of his closed eyes and then, finally, his lips.

“Thank you,” you whispered softly.

“What for?” He dared to ask.

“For loving me for who I am,” you tried to explain, “and for letting me have a life of my own.”

“I should be thanking you for exactly the same thing,” he told you, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you towards him, holding you against his chest.

Neither of you said another word that night. 

You didn’t need to. 

You had each other, and that was all you needed.

End Note : It's finally over 😭😭😭 Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and messages over the last week, it really means a lot that so many people have enjoyed this story. I hope the epilogue gives an added bit of closure on a couple of issues (I know some people were interested in the sister) though I have also left some things open because I would love to come back to this version of Billy some time in the future. (Honestly, I need a little break from gothic stuff because I made the mistake of rereading Flowers in the Attic the other day and it left me emotionally broken 😅) There won't be any Billy fics from me next week, which feels so weird to me, but I realised that I've posted at least once a week, every week for the last 42 weeks so I think I'm due a week off. At the moment, I think I'll be starting the stalker!Billy fic on the 6th of September but, in the mean time I might also work on my omegaverse!Bucky fic. In the meantime, my ask box is always open if you have thoughts/feelings/questions/headcanons about anything I've written.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading and following week after week, and thank you so much to those of you who have liked/commented/reblogged! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in future chapters! If tagging doesn't work for some reason (aka Tumblr being dumb) I post most Fridays around 7:30 gmt.

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[sleepyparalysisdmon]

2 Minus 1 - Act One

Seungcheol is doing good without you. Really good, in fact! He’s got a great job, has his own apartment, and has many friends surrounding him. He’s even done some dating in the three years that you’ve been gone. On some blissful days, you don’t even cross his mind. But when you reappear in his life, he has to come to terms with the fact that he might not be doing as good as he thought he was. 

Genres: ANGST with a little bit of fluff here and there. One suggestive scene (minors, use caution). 

Word count: 6.6k

Requested? Yes!

You can find the series masterlist here.

You didn’t mean to ruin everything.

It’s something you think often, but especially right now, lying in bed just hours after breaking things off with your boyfriend of nearly three years. You tend to ruin a lot of things. You burn the food when it’s your turn to cook. You accidentally break your key off in the lock of your apartment door and have to call maintenance to replace the whole lock along with a new set of keys. You spill your drink all over your laptop midway through writing a paper, with the only saving grace being that the document was saved and backed up. 

You’re a bit of a clutz and sometimes don't think before you act, and most people let it slide. Your most recent ex boyfriend says it’s endearing, teasing you mercilessly for it as he pinches your cheeks and then rescues you, ordering food from the place down the street, or waiting with you while you’re locked out, or handing you his laptop so you can finish your paper. Or at least he did, before you broke the news to him.

You’d gotten a job back home, expecting to finish your law program in a few short weeks. You missed your family, you said. You had lost touch with your friends back home and would like to be able to reconnect. You missed the food, particularly your mom’s home cooking. You missed speaking your native language all the time. 

Some of these were kind of null and void, but Jeonghan doesn’t say anything about it. It’s not important that you both cook Korean food at least a couple times a week in an effort to mend the homesickness both of you have. It’s not important that you speak your native language with him all the time. What’s important is that he’s not going back home after finishing the very same law program because he’s already got a job lined up here. 

It’s devastating really and you tear up again thinking about it. He’s been your best friend since moving abroad for this program. A familiar face from back home that became more because you both clinged to each other in an unfamiliar new place. You’re pretty sure you’ve lost him entirely by deciding to leave, but he insists that’s not the case at all. That you both will still talk. That he’ll see you when he does eventually come home to visit family. That you can come visit him anytime. He even squishes your face, insisting you’ll never be rid of him.

But it feels like history will be repeating itself in a few short weeks, because that’s what Seungcheol said too, a little over three years ago. You know that’s why Jeonghan is being as delicate about this break up as he is. He knows you, Seungcheol, and your shared history. Knows how long you two were together. Knows how bad you felt about leaving Seungcheol to take this opportunity here. Knows how much it hurt when the phone calls and texts stopped, and eventually when you discovered you were blocked on everything. Jeonghan’s promising he won’t do that, that you were friends first and that’s ultimately what’s more important. He knows you've heard it before but he’s urgent about trying to get you to understand that it’s okay now and it will be okay later when you’re oceans away from each other. 

Still, this whole night has catapulted you back in time, thinking about the day after you got your acceptance letter to this program. Seungcheol was showing you apartments online, thinking you both would be moving in together following graduation from your respective bachelor’s programs. That was the discussion at the time, because making it into this program was a pipe dream and you’d already made it into one back home. You know you had to rip the bandaid off because there was no way you could turn down this pipe dream if it could be a reality, but in hindsight you should have done it more gracefully, with more care and consideration for his feelings. 

He hadn’t handled it well. Seungcheol’s emotions usually manifested in anger or frustration and you were on the receiving end of it all that night. Your knee jerk reaction was to be mad about that, specifically that he didn’t seem excited that you’d made it into such a prestigious program or that you were pursuing what you wanted to do in life. Seungcheol matched your temper and always had, so it was a nasty fight. The following week, it wasn’t a make up, but rather a break up. 

He’d calmed down for that conversation by then and didn’t look too surprised when you said that maybe you two should split. That maybe this was a sign that your paths were diverging. He was remarkably unemotional about it, seeming totally resigned to it, but you weren’t. You had weakly asked if he thought you could still be friends. It felt so cliche even back then to ask such a thing, but he had insisted. Yes, of course. We’ve been friends for our whole lives. Of course, we’ll still be friends. You had realized just how naive you’d been about that promise within just a few weeks of moving to California. 

From under your covers, you peer around your room, partially boxed up already. All of this would be back home in just under a month. You were so sure about your reasonings when talking to Jeonghan over dinner, like this was the only solution. Now there was dread in the pit of your stomach, wondering if you’d even be welcome back home anymore the way you felt welcomed here. 

~

Joshua comes over to help you pack. He says it’s payment for all of the coffee you’ve bought him and all the notes that you’ve shared with him over the years. He’s one of yours and Jeonghan’s classmates, a California native that helped you both acclimate here in a way that simply can’t be paid back by coffee and notes, or anything else really. Between the language barrier and not knowing your way around, Joshua had bailed you both out so many times. You and Jeonghan both love Joshua so much that neither of you are ever put out by him third wheeling constantly. 

You also recognize right away that Jeonghan is put him up to this and the payment in the form of packing is a ruse. Not that Joshua isn’t extremely helpful naturally, because he is. You could have called him anytime to help you pack and he’d show up in a heartbeat. But the first thing he says when he comes in is, “I heard you’re single.” He says it lightheartedly without an ounce of flirting, but he didn’t hear that news from you and you didn’t call him for help with the packing.

“You’ve been gossiping, I see,” you respond, trying to stay equally light. Your time is limited with one of your best friends now and you don't want to waste any time crying all over him, though he’d be one of your first choices for that sort of thing. He hands you coffee and sets a box of donuts on the table. 

“I wouldn’t call it gossiping to want to know that two of my best friends broke up. Want to talk about it?”

The question is gentle with absolutely no pressure and you know you can tell Joshua anything, but you purse your lips, shaking your head. “Not sure there’s much to say. I assume Jeonghan told you everything already.” You’re not upset by that. The three of you don’t really have secrets, even the things that should be secret, or at least private. 

“Still,” Joshua insists. “I’m devastated, personally.” You shove him, chuckling, but he doesn’t match the lightness in the moment. “No, I mean it. I understand why, but I was already planning my best man speech.” 

“You can still do that,” you chortle. “Hannie will surely find someone else one day. You’ll still be best man.” 

Joshua gives you a curious look, before shrugging it off and picking up an empty box. “Where do you want to start?”

~

After graduation, you join Jeonghan and Joshua for drinks. Some of your other classmates are there too, but have long abandoned the table, mingling or dancing instead. Joshua puts his head in his hands. “Oh my god, I’m not ready for the Bar.” 

Jeonghan matches with a groan. “Please don’t mention it. We literally just got our diplomas.”

“Fake diplomas,” you tack on. The sleeved one each of you have in Joshua’s car is just a sheet of thin printer paper and you’ll be getting the official card stock ones in the mail in a few weeks. 

“Man, I will not miss your smart ass corrections,” Joshua teases. 

“The better question is, will you miss us?” Jeonghan asks from beside you. He’s been shockingly warm given that you ended things a few weeks ago. He’s still seen you nearly every day and it’s almost as if nothing has changed. 

“You know I will,” you say honestly. “Who else is going to bail me out when I do something stupid or embarrassing?”

“Oh, plenty of people will,” Jeonghan says confidently. “Wonwoo and Mingyu seem excited that you’re coming back. You’ll never be able to get rid of them.” 

This make you scoff thinking of your little brother and his best friend. “You’re right. I’ll never be rid of Wonwoo and, by virtue, of Mingyu.” 

Jeonghan hums, grinning. “Yeah, but look at it this way. They aren’t kids that are following you and Seungcheol around anymore. They’re adults that can actually help if you need it.” He’s right and you know it, but you’re stuck on the mention of Seungcheol and Jeonghan spots it immediately. “Maybe you should reach out to him when you get back. Catch up.”

You automatically shake your head. “No, probably not. He’s made it clear that he doesn’t want anything to do with me, so I’ll leave it alone.” Both Jeonghan and Joshua look like they want to say something, but one of your female classmates comes over looking a little tipsy, asking if you’ll go with her to the restroom. It’s the perfect escape and you’d never let your friend go anywhere in a bar alone, so you jump up right away. 

Later that night, Jeonghan is lying with his head on your stomach and you’re brushing a hand through his hair. You two are in a weird limbo where you’re broken up but not quite. Best friends with a little something more lingering. You know it has to end, but it will soon enough. You can draw a line in the sand in a few days when you get on a plane and go home. The lack of physical distance is what makes this harder to have a clean break right now. 

“You know I’m not mad, right?” Jeonghan mumbles into your stomach. 

You don’t pause your motions in his hair. “Are you sure? I would understand if you were.”

“I’m sure,” he insists, moving to lay on the pillow next to you. “I know you missed home. I do too. I’m happy for you to go back, really. To see your family and friends. Maybe even rebuild some burnt bridges.”

You stare at him for a long time, something between anger and confusion building. “Why do you keep insisting that I do that?”

He stares back at you, unflinching at the frustration bleeding into your tone. “Which part? The burnt bridges part?” You nod. He bites his lip. “This is going to sound stupid and you have to pinky promise me that you won’t make fun of me.” 

You buckle up because it’s not often that Jeonghan admits to something embarrassing. “Of course.” You throw up your pinky for him to link with. 

“I had a massive crush on you for years.” Your eyes widen at the confession. It’s kind of funny that you’re hearing this after you’ve broken up with him rather than when you were actually dating or even before, but you can’t bring yourself to laugh because you’re so confused. 

“Hannie, what are you talking about? When?”

He snorts. “I’m not surprised you didn’t notice. It was for most of high school and all of college. Not that I ever expected it to go anywhere because there was always Seungcheol.” He doesn’t sound bitter about it, amazingly. “I still consider it a total fluke that we both ended up here together, much less dated.” 

You feel your eyes water and he spots it quickly, gripping your hand. “I didn’t tell you that to make you feel guilty. I promise. What I was trying to get to is that you didn’t notice anyone that wasn’t Seungcheol. You guys were it, you know. Everyone dreams of having a relationship like that. So, I’m not saying you should rekindle anything if you don’t want to. I’m saying he was a major part of your life and maybe you should see if you can salvage some part of that.”

You feel your bottom lip tremble a bit and you feel stupid for it. “I don’t know that there’s any point, Hannie. I don’t know if I’ll even see him, much less what he’ll be like if I do.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he chuckles. “Just think about it, okay? Now, serious question. What are the rules about kissing for the next few days? I have some serious cuteness aggression to get out of my system before you leave.”

This makes you burst into a giggle, but you do let him kiss you. It’s kind of like a long good-bye and it’s a relief to know he doesn’t hate you - not yet, anyway. 

~

Jeonghan and Joshua drop you off at the airport, going through security to smother you with affection at the gate. It makes you cry, which makes Joshua cry, which makes Jeonghan cry. You promise to send them a message when you land, and cry some more in your seat on the plane. 

The flight is long and you’re bleary eyed when you finally do land at your final destination. You keep your promise of shooting Jeonghan and Joshua a text once the wheels touch the pavement, even though it’s the middle of the night now for them. They must have stayed up waiting for your message, because they reply right away. You have to put away your phone before replying because it makes you tear up again and you’re eager to get off of this tin can.

You get your carryon bags and get your larger suitcase from baggage claim, wheeling them out to the pick-up lane. A familiar car is waiting and someone hops out of it when you approach. You pull up your bags short, jaw dropping. “Who are you and what have you done with my baby brother?”

Wonwoo laughs, pulling you into a tight hug. “Nice to see you too. But do you realize you’re just a year older? ‘Baby’ is a bit of stretch.” 

“Yeah, but you’re dwarfing me now! Look at those shoulders! What kind of battle are you preparing for?” You exclaim. 

Wonwoo rolls his eyes at the jab, though he’s smiling. “The battle of carrying a drunk Mingyu home from the bar. That shit is hard. I’ve been doing his workout plan for a while now.” He grabs both of your bags from you and heads to the trunk of the car. “Besides, did you forget that I’ve been taller than you since you were ten years old?”

“Forgive me if I’m coming to terms with the fact that my baby brother is a full-fledged adult now. I vividly remember teaching you how to tie your shoes,” you pout, crossing your arms. 

Wonwoo snorts, closing the trunk. “Yeah, two decades ago. Come on. Appa and Eomma are waiting.”

The ride home is quiet and familiar. When he pulls into the parking garage, Wonwoo grabs the bags and leads the way to the apartment, letting you in. You can smell the homemade food as soon as you walk in and you’re already tearing up when your parents peek their head out of the kitchen with big grins. “There’s my baby. How was your flight?” Your mother says and both greet you warmly, hugging you despite the fresh stains of sauce on their aprons. 

“It was okay. Nice to be home,” you sniffle. 

Your father looks like he might cry too, so he brushes past the conversation. “Food will be ready in a little bit. You should go rest, maybe shower. Your room is ready.”

“Are you saying I smell?” You chuckle. Wonwoo calls out a short ‘yes’ as he takes your bags down the hall, but your mother laughs shaking her head. 

“All that’s missing is your younger brother,” she says. Bohyuk is away at college, having already moved back into the dorms last week, so he can’t be here for your little welcome party.

You do take a shower and change, feeling a little refreshed and smelling less like an airplane than you did before, and you take a look around your room. It’s largely unchanged from last time you were here. Your parents had always insisted on keeping it that way until you were on your feet, and you were kind of thankful that they didn't turn it into a guest bedroom as soon as you left for college the first time, or even the second when there was no guarantee you’d move back. They did the same thing with Wonwoo and Bohyuk, though Wonwoo finally insisted on retiring his room by just moving his things out. You’re getting teary eyed again, so you go back to the kitchen to help your parents finish dinner. 

Wonwoo stays for dinner. Your parents give you their updates, even though they’re sparing. You talk to them every week anyway, and they both like their routine of going to work, coming home, and working on various hobbies in their spare time. Your mom has picked up a new book series, which tracks. You and your siblings are all voracious readers because of her. Your father is fixing up an old motorcycle. You tease him, asking if this is a midlife crisis, but he good-naturedly agrees that it most certainly is. 

Wonwoo tells you about his job at an IT consulting company - it’s fine despite being kind of dull and pays decently. He tells you that Mingyu loves his job at the architecture firm and really hasn’t changed much. He teases that his best friend is very excited to see you, someone he’s supposedly always had a school-boy crush on. You brush it off, because this has been brought up over and over for years. Mingyu’s a sweet guy no doubt, but since he’s never said anything to you, you haven’t addressed these rumors.  

Finally, your jaw clenches when Wonwoo says Seungcheol is also good, working as a business partner for one of the many companies that have offices downtown. He says he’s done quite a bit of climbing on the corporate ladder over the last few years and stays busy but Wonwoo still keeps up with him. This doesn’t surprise you. Wonwoo’s known him his whole life, just like you, but all you can manage to say is, “That’s nice.”

Then, your parents asks you for your updates, like when your shipment should be here. You’d had to mail most of your stuff and it will go straight into storage for now, but you’ll need help with it when it arrives, which should be in a couple weeks. Your mom asks when you start your new job, to which you answer three weeks. Your new employer was generous about giving you some time to settle in after moving. 

There’s something so warm yet so unfamiliar now about being here. It doesn’t quite feel like home and you don’t get a ton of sleep. 

~

Mingyu scoops you up and swings you back and forth a few times as soon as he sees you. Much like your shock at the airport last night, you have to acknowledge that Mingyu isn’t the little kid that chased you around with bugs or pushed you off the jungle gym. The gym workouts have been effective because you’re suffocating between his arms and chest. “Okay, put me down,” you choke out, not sounding nearly as demanding as you wish. 

Still, he plops you down on the ground again, grinning wide. “I’m happy you’re back!” His ingenuity warms you but you can’t let it show. You still have nightmares about bugs chasing you sometimes and you will forever have a fear of heights because of him.

“How did you get by without me?” You tease, having to look up at him. Just like with Wonwoo, he’s been bigger than you for most of your life, but there’s an absence of the childlike quality, or perhaps the immaturity, that both of them had when you left three years ago. 

“I was totally miserable,” Mingyu says and you can’t really tell if he’s joking. Still, he flings his arm around your shoulders. “Come on, you’re going out with Wonwoo and I.”

You groan. “But I’m all jet lagged.”

“And you need to adjust to this timezone by staying up for now,” he insists, sounding way wiser than you think you’ve ever heard him sound. “You’ll sleep well tonight if you stay up for now. Go get ready.” He shoves you back towards your bedroom. 

That’s how you end up at a BBQ place for lunch. You sigh at the first bite because KBBQ restaurants back in California can try, but it just can’t compare to this. Wonwoo and Mingyu take turns at the grill, keeping your plate full until you can’t eat anymore. You insist on a walk around the block or two to work some of it off.

Wonwoo and Mingyu are reminiscing about the time in college where you won a drinking contest, if only because you were bet that you couldn’t. Your stomach turns at the story and you wish you understood how they got onto this conversation. 

You groan. “Please, I was so sick that night.”

“Oh, I remember. We had to take turns holding back your hair because we were all sick too,” Mingyu reminded. 

“You are one of the two worst Leos I know. Can’t let a challenge slip by, can you?” Wonwoo chortled. 

You’re about to make a comment throwing Mingyu under the bus too for being the Aries that he is, but Mingyu’s interrupting. “Speaking of Leos.” 

A figure has exited the coffee shop up ahead and is heading your way. You feel your stomach lurch. This was precisely the thing that you were hoping to avoid, and naturally you’d have to face it the first full day you’re back home. 

“Cheol, what’s up?” Mingyu greets loudly. Seungcheol perks up, holding up a coffee in place of a wave. In his other hand is a bag, likely lunch. You remember it’s a Wednesday of all days, and Wonwoo and Mingyu must have taken off work to see you today. Even without the lunch in, it would have been obvious it’s a workday because Seungcheol’s in a business suit.

Seungcheol looks good, cheerful even. “Mingyu, Wonwoo. It’s been a minute! How are you guys doing?” 

“Good, good. Just out to lunch,” Wonwoo answered. 

“Same. Not working today?” Seungcheol asks conversationally. 

“No, we couldn’t go to work today. It’s too special,” Mingyu says, and Seungcheol raises an eyebrow in question. “Look who’s back?” Somehow, Mingyu knows you’ve crept around to hide behind Wonwoo’s back without looking your way and he tugs you out to stand between them, steadying you with a hand on your shoulder. 

Seungcheol’s response is instantaneous. Shock, and then anger, and then conflict flash across his face before he can slap a friendly smile back on. “Oh, Y/N. This is a surprise. When did you get back?”

“Hey, Seungcheol.” It feels awkward to call him that because he’s been Cheol since you could speak, but you have a feeling he wouldn’t want you to call him that. “Last night, actually. Wonwoo and Mingyu are trying to help me past the jet lag today.”

“Oh yeah, that’s tough. How long are you staying for?” He asks. Either it’s genuine or he’s gotten good at faking that he cares, but you can’t be sure. You don’t really feel like you know the person in front of you anymore. The Seungcheol you knew three years ago before your breakup, or even before you got together in the first place, would have scooped you up in a hug on sight, much like Mingyu did this morning. This Seungcheol wants his distance in every sense of the word. You’re kind of surprised he isn’t making an excuse to sprint away. 

You smile and shrug. “Indefinitely? I finished my law program and got a job here. We’ll see where it takes me.”

You see his eyes flare at the news, but he’s masking the rest of his reactions well. “Good for you, Y/N. I’m sure Wonwoo and Mingyu are excited to follow you around everywhere again.” It sounds playful and your brother and Mingyu laugh like it is, but the words sting a little. Growing up it was always the four of you - Wonwoo and Mingyu were following around both you and Seungcheol. Now the group is fractured and it feels like it's all your fault. 

“Thanks, Seungcheol. It’s nice to be home,” you say simply, only because you’re afraid of what else might slip out if you keep talking. 

“Well, I need to get back to the office. My lunch hour is almost over. But you all will be at my birthday thing this weekend, right?” Seungcheol asks. You’re fading behind the broad shoulders that you made fun of Wonwoo for yesterday because you’re sure you're not included in that. 

“Yeah, we’ll be there. We’re celebrating Y/N’s birthday the day before, if you’re free.” These plans are a total surprise to you, but when Wonwoo says it, Mingyu doesn’t look surprised. 

Seungcheol hesitates only for a split second, but that split second stings you even more than the rest of the conversation before. Until you moved away, you’d never not celebrated each other’s birthdays. Growing up, most of your parties were hosted together since you were born the day before he was. You remember crying on your first birthday away from him if only because he hadn’t even wished you happy birthday. And you couldn’t wish him happy birthday the following day because you discovered you were blocked. “Sure. Send me the time and place.” 

Seungcheol says good-bye and Wonwoo and Mingyu start walking again, albeit much quieter than before. Wonwoo pats your shoulder a couple times in comfort. “Well, we were thinking about surprising you, but the cat’s out of the bag now. What do you want to do for your birthday?” 

“Oh, you know we don’t have to do anything,” you start, but Mingyu’s putting you in a light headlock. 

“Oh no. We’re doing something. You should pick before we do,” he threatens. 

You groan, wiggling out of his arms, shoving him back, not that it does anything. You’re only free because he let you out of the headlock. “Fine, I’ll think about it. You know I don’t want anything big though.”

“Too bad,” Wonwoo says, totally unsympathetic. “We’ve already invited everyone, we just have to tell them when and where.” It’s clear you can’t win this one, so you just agree to let them know.

~

You pick a bar. You aren’t typically a huge drinker, but you have fond memories here from your undergrad days. The whole group does because you all frequented it, even when you probably shouldn't have. It feels appropriate to pick this place if only because this was the birthday celebration place for the entirety of undergrad. 

It hasn’t changed much. It’s still a college dive bar, complete with sticky counters and floors, squeaky stools, and totally flat booth seats, but it’s pretty empty of college students because the fall semester hasn’t kicked off yet. Soonyoung, Jihoon, and Jun are already there when you arrive with Wonwoo and Mingyu. Soonyoung might as well have tackled you, but Jun’s and Woozi’s hugs are a little softer. They all look genuinely excited to see you, and it eases some of the anxiety you had about moving back. You hadn't been the best at keeping up with them over the last few years, but it seems that it's all water under the bridge to them. 

Mingyu buys the first round and you can barely keep up with the interrogation that they have for you. How was California? How is it to be back? How was law school? When are you taking the bar? When do you start your new job? At some point in this interrogation, Seungcheol has snuck into a seat at the end of the table, beer in hand. If anyone is surprised to see him, they don’t say it. You’re certainly surprised, assuming he’d bail. 

By the third round, your interrogation has dwindled to the occasional question, but there’s lively conversation all over the table now. It’s frankly a little overwhelming, and at some point, you have to escape to the restroom for a breather. What you don’t expect is for Seungcheol to be waiting outside with a look you’re very familiar with. 

“Y/N, you know you shouldn’t run off alone in a bar like that,” he scolds lightly. 

The way he’s looking at you makes you stall out for a minute. You didn't think he’d notice or care. Then, when the wheels start turning, you speak with a little more attitude than you intended. “I’m a big girl, Cheol.” The nickname slips out before you can stop it, but you don’t bother correcting it, because he’s already heard it. 

He’s pursing his lips, dimples on display despite not looking very pleased. “I know you are, but still. You haven’t been away that long. Did you go by yourself like that in California?” There’s obvious concern laced in his voice.

“No, not typically,” you drawl. “But I had a few female friends there that I could go with. I didn’t really think about it just now.” 

You can see that he knows what you mean. All of your friends here are guys for the most part. Finally, he shrugs. “Just grab one of us next time to wait outside for you. Come on, they’re on the next round already and demanding that the birthday girl catch up.”

You go back to the table and do catch up. More than catch up really because your head his spinning that Seungcheol doesn’t seem to hate you, at least not as much as you thought. You really thought he’d never speak to you ever again, but he still seems to have a little concern for you. Wonwoo has to steady you when it’s time to leave. He takes you back to his and Mingyu’s apartment where you pass out on the couch almost immediately. 

~

Seungcheol picks another bar, albeit down the street. This one is not the college dive bar like you picked, but a little higher class. When you arrive with Wonwoo and Mingyu, Seungcheol greets you all warmly, or warmer than you expect anyway. Mingyu comments that the place is cool, and Seungcheol says that he’s come here with coworkers a few times and liked it. Then he tacks on, “Besides, Y/N took my idea by picking our usual place last night. Can’t go to a college dive bar two nights in a row at our big age.” It’s lighthearted and it somehow pulls a laugh from you. Before you two left, you’d always argue and say ‘Hey! That was my idea!’ It feels familiar and lighthearted in a way that you aren’t sure you deserve. 

The table has a lot of the same crowd as last night, plus a few of his coworkers. It seems a lot of your mutual friends already know them, but Seungcheol still introduces you to Minghao, Vernon, Seungkwan, and Chan. When he does, he simply says that the two of you go way back and have known each other your whole lives. They’re polite - friendly even - but you down the drinks again tonight if only to forget that Seungcheol didn't even call you a friend, much less acknowledge your former romantic relationship. You know you have no right to be upset by it, but you think you could cry into your shot glass if you don’t keep distracting yourself. At some point, Wonwoo and Mingyu trade your drink for water, cutting you off. 

Wonwoo and Mingyu also don’t say much when you do actually cry on their couch, instead just throwing a blanket over you and letting you curl up between them. Maybe you shouldn’t see Seungcheol again, if only for your own mental health. 

~

The weeks fly by after that. Your things arrive and are delivered directly to the storage locker you’ve rented, and Wonwoo and Mingyu show up to help you toss things inside to organize later. Your plan is to find an apartment sooner rather than later to not mooch off your parents any longer, so all of it will have to come back out anyway. 

It’s your first day at your new job. You get there early, dressed as nicely as you can with what you had in your suitcases, making a mental note of going to the storage unit over the weekend to dig for a few nicer things that you hope are stashed away in there. Otherwise you’re stuck shopping and you dread it because the flight back home wasn't cheap and neither was the shipment for the rest of your things. But today, you manage to find a pencil skirt, dress shirt, and heels. It’s the picture of business professional and the safest bet until you get a feel for what the dress code is really like here. 

The receptionist on the first floor sends you to the fourth floor to meet with HR and fill out paperwork. This takes more than an hour and then the HR manager walks you up to your direct supervisor’s office on the tenth floor. You’ve spoken with Mrs. Jang a few times over the phone since interviewing and accepting the position. She’s the manager over the Contracts department here and is a law grad herself. She seems strict, no-nonsense, and despite the urge to impress her, you think she’ll be a great person to learn from because of the experience she has in other facets of law outside of practicing as a lawyer. 

Mrs. Jang leads you to a small office, resembling a windowless shoe box rather than the glass paned, spacious office that she has. She’s even a little apologetic as you follow her in. “We’re a small department,” she excuses. “Just you, me, and Seokmin. So unfortunately there’s not a ton of office space for us.”

The man you assume to be Seokmin spins in his chair and waves, introducing himself. When Mrs. Jang hands you off to Seokmin to get acquainted, you learn he’s not just friendly. He gives off the vibe that he wants to be everyone’s best friend and it’s incredibly endearing. This is a good thing because you guys can touch each other’s computers from your own desks. You better like him, or this office setup would suck. 

Seokmin tells you that there’s not much going on at the moment for your department, because the company is coming out of a freeze on new deals, but there’s one on the docket to start drafting in just a few weeks to prepare for the new quarter. Simple enough, maybe you’ll have some time to adjust to the new place before being thrown into the fire.

Seokmin leads you to the cafeteria on the second floor at lunch time and you sit together, chatting about anything that comes to Seokmin’s mind, which seems to be a lot. He also seems to have friends in every department and many of them stop by to interrupt and say hi to him. Seokmin isn’t shy to introduce you and you feel like you’ve met a hundred people by the time you put your trays away. 

You’re exiting the cafeteria when you hear your name called out down the hall. It surprises both you and Seokmin and you see a group coming down the hall. A familiar group. Seungkwan is waving at you with a big smile, Minghao, Vernon, and Chan trailing him. Your stomach sinks, but you slap on a smile. 

“You did not say you were working here of all places,” Seungkwan admonishes good-naturedly. 

“That’s because I didn’t know you guys worked here. I had no clue it was relevant,” you excuse. 

“You know Seokmin, so you must be in Contracts,” Minghao observes light-heartedly. 

“That’s right, first day,” you respond. 

“I guess we’ll be seeing you in a few weeks then. Our team is the one with the first potential contract of the quarter,” Vernon says. 

You smile, nod, and pray you don’t look totally awkward. “I guess so. It’s nice to know a few friendly faces here right away.” You fear that your awkwardness has been unmistakable when Seokmin nudges you and says you both should head back upstairs.

As soon as the elevator doors close, you sigh, slumping against the wall. Seokmin raises an eyebrow, looking highly entertained. “Okay. Vending machine and coffee first, then you have to tell me what the hell that was about.” You give him a look, but he shakes his head right away. “Oh no, I just saved you back there. You owe me.”

You didn't intend on trauma dumping on your new coworker on your first day - or ever really - but the recent revelation had you spilling your guts between sips of coffee and bites of cookies. If those four are here, that means that Seungcheol is too because they were specifically introduced to you as his coworkers. Seokmin’s eyes widen as you explain, slowly propping his feet up on his desk to lean back in his chair and stare at the tiled ceiling. “Wow,” he drawls out. “So you’re the one that had him so bent out of shape when he started here.”

Your jaw drops. “What?”

Seokmin nods between bites of his own cookies, looking at you from his reclined position. “Oh yeah. I hear he was far from the most pleasant person to work with when he started. Rumor was someone had broken his heart pretty badly, but nothing was ever confirmed.”

You’re hung up on so many things. The casualness of the behavior of some of the employees here, namely Seokmin feeling comfortable to put his feet on his desk and let his computer go to sleep. The gossip that got around here, even to this seemingly little corner of the building. And the fact that Seungcheol was unpleasant. In all the years that you’d known him, you could count on one hand the number of times he was ‘unpleasant’, and you would argue that most of those were deserved.

With a groan, you ask when this meeting is. Seokmin jiggles his mouse and logs in, clicks to his calendar and tells you the date. Too soon, you think. He says he’ll forward you the meeting invite as you let your head drop onto your keyboard. 

[lunajay33]

Missing🖤

Summary: You and Daryl got separated at the started and now you’ve just been wandering hoping to find a secure place will you find Daryl again?

Pairing: Season 2 Daryl Dixon x f!reader

•Masterlist•

You and Daryl have known eachother since you were kids, growing up right next to eachother, along the way feelings grew and you got together right before graduation, you became a teacher and he worked at a mechanic shop, life was nice and simple together, you were even thinking about having a family but then things change, the world ended when you were teaching and you haven’t seen Daryl since, you search everywhere for him until eventually you had to leave down because of the walkers and venture out on your own, hoping you meet him again

Along the way you came across a barn, you scavenged for food finding some cans and as you looked out the window a horse was grazing the field, you packed up the rest of the food and ventured out finding a saddle approaching the horse steadily trying not to spook it away, thankfully it was friendly and approached you with ease letting, you strapped the saddle around her and hopped up, leading the horse as it trotted north

You’d be alone on your own for about 5 weeks now and it’s been lonely, you just wanted to see Daryl again just needed for him to hold you, you were on the horse walking through trees when a clearing opened up showing a farm house with people walking around, you were a bit wary since you’ve run into some shady people along the way but for some reason you were drawn to this farm, you lead the horse, you named Pixie, slowly as to not scare the people

As you and Pixie walked up the dirt road people started to gather, you hopped off Pixie holding her rope and waiting for the others to do or say anything and not just ogle you

“Who are you?” A man in a police outfit asked

“I’m y/n, I’ve been alone since the start, until I found pixie here” you said as you pet her shiny black hair

“Where’d you come from, who’d you find this place?” Another man asked he seemed a little crazy

“I’m from outside of Atlanta, I’ve just been wandering until I found something, I lost someone at the start and I’ve just been looking for him”

“Sorry to break it to you, he’s probably dead”

“Shane!” The officer glared at the man

“I still have hope, but do you guys have room for one more, I know how to hunt and I can help out”

“Of course, we could use another hunter, got one out hunting right now”

“Thank you”

The officer who introduced himself as Rick, showed you around introduced you to everyone even the owner of the farm, the sun was setting by the time all that was done

“We don’t have anymore tents we’ll have to go out tomorrow and get you one”

“Oh that’s no problem I can sleep out with Pixie” it was the normal for you now

“You sure?”

“Yeah it’s no problem…….shouldn’t your hunter be back by now?”

“Yeah oh there he is now” he said looking over you shoulder at the dirt road

A man with a crossbow and plaid shirt with ripped sleeves, you’d recognize that silhouette anywhere, you sprinted off towards him your heart racing, tears streaming down your face

“DARYL” you screamed as he looked up dropping his crossbow just in time to open his arms and wrap himself around you as you threw yourself into his arms

“Is it really you peach?” He asked in such disbelief it broke your heart

“It’s me, I can’t believe I found you I thought I’d never see you again, I looked everywhere for you I waited at our house hoping you’d come back but……I had to leave I had to find you” you said quickly your eyes not believing you found him having to tell him everything you’ve been thinking these 5 weeks without him

5 weeks may not seem like a lot but in the apocalypse there was no guarantee about anything so everything was precious

You held his biceps as he traced his fingers over ever features on your face completely forgetting others were around you both

“So I’m guessing you two know eachother?” Glenn asked

“She’s my girl” Daryl stated not taking his eyes off of you

“Thee Daryl Dixon got a girl?” Andrea laughed, you turned and glared at her

“You bet your ass I’m his”

“And ya ain’t ever leaving my side again”

[im-so-normal-iswear]

ok, I have this idea Shadow the hedgehog x female hedgehog reader who is Sonic's sister in an enemies to lovers relationship-----

O leitor odiou Shadow por tentar tirar a vida de Sonic e seus outros amigos várias vezes e mesmo quando tudo isso é resolvido, eles ainda são como água e óleo um com o outro, o leitor normalmente calmo e prudente se torna um vulcão em erupção ao lado de Shadow

Como Shadow lidaria com o fato de estar se apaixonando pela irmã de seu rival? E como o próprio Sonic reagiria a isso? Inglês não é minha primeira língua, peço desculpas por quaisquer erros, mas eu precisava compartilhar essa ideia.

A/n: I love this gdvjusbuf

Shadow x reader who hates him

Shadow never thought he’d find himself in this situation. He wasn’t supposed to feel this way, especially not about you. It didn’t make sense. How could he, the Ultimate Lifeform, be plagued by something so human??

At first, he refused to acknowledge it. He didn’t have feelings for you, he couldn’t. It was impossible. You were Sonic’s sibling, for Chaos sake! And after everything he’d done, all the destruction and pain he’d caused, you had every right to hate him. In fact, you should hate him. Shadow told himself that this was just some fleeting distraction, a passing inconvenience, something that would fade with time.

But it didn’t.

The harder he tried to convince himself it wasn’t real, the more it consumed him. Every word you spoke, every glance you spared him, even if it was just a scowl or an annoyed remark, burrowed into his mind and stayed there. And oh, when you smiled? That damn smile...

Frustration became his only outlet. Shadow found himself snapping more often, his temper flaring at Rouge, Omega, and anyone who dared to cross his path. Even you weren’t spared. His jabs became sharper, his words colder. Even then you always had a way of throwing his venom back in his face, unbothered by his attitude, which only made things worse.

He couldn’t escape you. He couldn’t escape this.

Late at night, in the quiet solitude of his own mind, Shadow broke down. He knelt in silence, hands clenched together as if in prayer, though he had no one to pray to. He begged for release from this torment. He didn’t want these feelings. He didn’t deserve them. Yet, night after night, they only grew stronger.

His chest ached when he saw you. His throat tightened when he heard your laugh. He’d catch glimpses of you with Sonic or Tails, smiling and joking as if the world wasn’t crushing him from the inside out, and it would tear him apart.

So he started to pull away.

Shadow became quieter than ever, withdrawing from everyone who knew him. He avoided Rouge, brushed off Omega, and disappeared into the shadows whenever you were near. The weight of his emotions was too much to bear, and he told himself it was better this way. If he stayed out of your life, maybe the feelings would fade. Maybe you’d forget about him entirely, and he could go back to pretending he didn’t care.

But no matter how far he ran, no matter how many walls he built around himself, the feelings refused to leave.

Every step he took away from you felt like a betrayal of himself. Every time he caught himself wondering how you were or what you were doing, he hated himself a little more. Shadow wasn’t supposed to need anyone, but he found himself longing for you in ways that made him feel weak and pathetic.

Eventually, Shadow stopped running.

The feelings were there, and they weren’t going away. He accepted that. But that didn’t mean he had to act on them. He would carry this on his own. He didn’t need your love. He didn’t deserve it.

So he watched from the sidelines, silently protecting you when he could. He’d slip into the shadows to fend off any threats you weren’t aware of, always disappearing before you could see him. He told himself it was enough.

But it wasn’t.

Because for the first time in his life, Shadow couldn’t fight his way out of this. He couldn’t run, and he couldn’t win. All he could do was endure the quiet agony of loving you from afar.

And that, Shadow thought, was his punishment. His penance. To love you with everything he had and never let you know.

You deserved someone better. Someone good. Someone who wasn’t him.

A/n: if you pay really close attention you see he's going through all 5 stages of greif lol

[genshinwomenontop]

Can you make a cloud retainer x adeptus reader? Like a continuation of the previous fic of yours but Shehe and Ganyu found out soon that their master was pregnant with reader child and want to protect the unborn child

Also keep it spicy if you can

-💜anon

Aww Shenhe and Ganyu's reaction to their master being pregnant 🥹

"Master's child"

☆Prompt: After you impregnated your adeptus wife, Shenhe and Ganyu became very over protective of her and their soon to be little brother/sister.

☆Warnings: G!P Adeptus Reader, smut, fluff, mother-daughters moment.

"That's it y/n keep hitting that spot ahh~" Xianyun moaned as your enormous cock kept hitting her g-spot. It's been five hours now and you seem to be unable to resist your wife. She looked so beautiful; her legs on your shoulder, her chest and boobs covered with hickies, her hair sprawled out.

You increased your pace, making her eyes roll to the back as her tongue came out, drool leaking out. Xianyun felt her nineth orgasm approaching and without warning, she squirted all over your dick, the force making you groan as you emptied your balls inside her womb. With your Adeptus strength and stamina, you wanted more, however, Xianyun couldn't keep up and you didn't want to break her.

Pulling out your dick, you saw your mixed cum pour out of her and the sight looked truly tempting but you held back, seeing the passed out Xianyun. You cuddled into her side and soon drifted off to sleep.

A few weeks have passed since that steamy night and you've noticed that Xianyun has been avoiding you. It hurt you and left you confused as to why she did that. You even went as far as to ask Shenhe, Ganyu, and Zhongli but didn't find an answer. The only thing left to do was to confront her and that you did. Xianyun and you were seated on Mountain shaper's Mountain. "Well, are you gonna answer me? Why are you avoiding me? If something is bothering you, let me know."

Xianyun sighed and adjusted her glasses. "There has been nothing bothering me but I..." this was the first time you saw her so vulnerable and scared. You gently pulled her into a hug as her eyes widened.

"Something is bothering you, I can tell. Please, what's going in that pretty head of yours? Hmm?"

"One has recently found out that one may be carrying your child." You blinked a few times before your jaw dropped.

"You're pregnant? How? When?"

"It seemed after that night. I wasn't feeling a tad okay, so I asked Moon Carved and Mountain Shaper to help well to basically check if I'm alright. Mountain Carver had felt another presence with us that day, but it wasn't strong. Moon Carver suggested I take a pregnancy test and well... it came back positive." You listened each word attentively, before a smile broke out from your face.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner instead of avoiding me?"

"I was scared. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologise, I'm so happy right now. You're carrying my child, my own flesh and Blood."

"Master is pregnant?!" Two voices shouted from behind you making you scream. Xianyun was startled as well.

Shenhe and Ganyu jumped out from behind a rock. "Master is this true?" Shenhe asked as she approached Xianyun who sighed but nodded.

"It is. I'm going to be a mother, well a mother to a third individual," she smiled as she rubbed her belly. Ganyu approached you and pulled you into a bone crushing hug.

"Congratulations you two! Oh this is wonderful! Oh we need to buy baby clothes! What will we name them? I hope it's a girl," the three of you watched as Ganyu freaked out over the unborn baby.

"I think it's a boy," Shenhe replied with a small smile. She felt extremely happy and suddenly pulled Xianyun into a hug. At first, Xianyun was puzzled but then she relaxed and eventually hugged Shenhe back, a bright smile adorning her face. Shenhe reached and pulled Ganyu into the hug and it became a trio hug. Xianyun couldn't stop smiling as she hugged both of her daughters and kissed each one of them on their foreheads.

"We can't forget the father of the baby," Shenhe smiled and both Ganyu and her embraced you as you did to them.

From then on, Ganyu and Shenhe were always buy Xianyun's side. Sometimes it's just Ganyu alone, then Sometimes it's just Shenhe, and even though you were there, they felt the need to protect their master (mother) and their little sibling.

When the baby was born, you watched as Ganyu and Shenhe got excited and it was the first time that Shenhe expressed alot of emotions. The two of them eventually fell asleep, cradling your son in their arms and you knew that, that boy will be extremely spoiled and you couldn't be more glad to have that little family.