#but this was fun to do! hope its what you're looking for :]

[perotovar]

from May to August (or later)

hello friends! i really liked doing my Offering of Frith challenge last summer and have been wanting to do another one ever since. and well, if you've been following me for a minute, you know that Sleep Token is my favorite band. so i figured with their latest album having just released, this was the perfect time to do another one!

this one is going to go a little differently, and hopefully more people can join in on the fun this time around!

disclaimer: you do not need to listen to Sleep Token to participate, or even know who they are.

i'm hoping people will be open minded at the idea of having a song and its lyrics inspire them to write something!

let's get started!

shout out to @scenaaario @kedsandtubesocks and my mom for the help on this ♥

so, the way this will work is like this: i have 4 groups of pedro characters. one group per album. i'll list out those groups and you tell me which boy you'd like to write for and i'll assign you to a group.

for example: say you wanna write for Dave York.

calm down, grumpy pants, sheesh.

anyway, say you wanna write for dave. you'd send me a message saying so and i'll respond with what group you're a part of and most importantly, what your song is!

this way, if someone else wanted to write for dave, they could be assigned to a different group. this makes it a little easier for me to keep track of and hopefully more people happy!

if you have any further questions, don't hesitate to dm me!

now, what do each of these groups look like? here are your options!

GROUP 1

1. Max Phillips -> taken by @noxturnalnymph 2. General Acacius -> taken by @grogusmum 3. Marcus Pike 4. Dave York -> taken by @ghoulettesinspace 5. Pero Tovar 6. Joel Miller -> taken by @evolnoomym 7. Lucien De Leon 8. Clint Flood -> taken by @mandaloriankait 9. Javier Peña -> taken by @stitch-away 10. Frankie Morales -> taken by @romanarose 11. Ezra -> taken by @cas-readsandwrites 12. Din Djarin -> taken by @probablyreadinsmut

GROUP 2

1. Joel Miller -> taken by @beardedjoel 2. Lucien De Leon 3. Marcus Pike 4. Comandante Veracruz 5. Silva -> taken by @javier-pena 6. Dieter Bravo -> taken by @jessthebaker 7. Reed Richards -> taken by @obsessedwithpedritoofc 8. Jack Daniels/Agent Whiskey -> taken by @beelzebeth87 9. Dave York 10. Javi Gutierrez -> taken by @qveerthe0ry 11. Frankie Morales -> taken by @quinnnfabrgay-writes 12. Din Djarin -> taken by @dilf-din

GROUP 3

1. Ezra -> taken by @kedsandtubesocks 2. Javier Peña -> taken by @almostfoxglove 3. Lucien De Leon 4. Clint Flood -> taken by @sp00kymulderr 5. Pero Tovar 6. Maxwell Lord 7. Frankie Morales -> taken by @jolapeno 8. Joel Miller 9. Marcus Moreno 10. Oberyn Martell -> taken by @oonajaeadira 11. Dave York -> taken by @goodwithcheese 12. General Acacius -> taken by @ak-vintage

GROUP 4

1. Joel Miller 2. Frankie Morales -> taken by @nonbinairyboi 3. Dave York 4. Max Phillips -> taken by @pedritofics 5. Dieter Bravo taken by @rulexofxnines 6. General Acacius -> taken by @cuppajoel 7. Javier Peña -> taken by @grayandthyme 8. Din Djarin -> taken by @5oh5 9. Lucien De leon -> taken by @whocaresstillthelouvre 10. Ezra -> taken by @beefrobeefcal

considering how my last challenge went, this tends to be on a first come first serve basis, but ST have a few singles/extra songs so if someone really wants to participate, i have a few more songs to hand out!

now, what are the parameters of this challenge?

i don't really mind how long your fic is. whatever the lyrics bring out of you makes me happy, so go nuts!

i'm also not super stressed about deadlines, but my little selfish self wants to read these fics super bad LOL and i'd love to see how creative y'all get! i'm going to have this go for the whole summer and you're free to post them whenever during that time. but if writer's block or life happens, there's no rush ♥

have fun!

[pomefioredove]

can I have uhhhhh, a sugar cookie, sugar order 5 , with frosting, sprinkles, and powdered sugar :D

(i hope i did this right, love ur writing <3)

ofc and thank you!!

order #5, sugar with frosting, sprinkles, powdered sugar

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ runaway, runaway

summary: you take in a runaway, not knowing he's the son of the richest man in the land tropes: hurt/comfort, only one bed (kinda), coffee shop au characters: kalim additional info: romantic, gender neutral reader, reader is not yuu, pre-nrc so both reader and kalim are younger, had fun writing this :)

Heavy is the hand that holds the OPEN/CLOSED sign.

Stained are the sleeves that wear the apron, sore are the arms that grind the coffee, and so on.

Your family had fallen asleep hours ago, and you had only now finished cleaning the cabinets, sweeping up straw wrappers and stirring sticks, wiping the windows, and seeing to the stock.

When you promised your parents you would close the coffeehouse, you... well, weren't counting on this much work.

It's half-past twelve, and you think you could sleep for two years after this. There go your aspirations of being a business owner... but, at least nothing is broken. No trouble. Right?

You wander to the wide windows to close the curtains, one by one, shrouding the deserted coffeehouse in darkness. No one is out at this hour, and so you can take your time, admiring the night sky and all its sparkling stars through the-

ACK!

You startle, stumbling back into a low table and falling flat on your butt. Something moved out there- stray dog, it had to be- but it's right against the window, standing on two legs, palms pressed against the glass-

It's a boy! Not a child, but not yet grown, in a brown robe, hood pulled over his head.

You stand, bracing yourself with a broom. "We're closed,"

You were hoping he'd leave, though you were expecting him to shout profanities and pound against the glass.

Rather, he smiles. "Oh, hello! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just smelled something delicious, and I had to see what it was!"

You blink. This isn't a rough neighborhood, but you weren't expecting a polite chat with a boy in rags at midnight.

"What's your name?" he asks, smiling as if he'd just made a friend.

You tell him, and he laughs. "Wow, pretty! You don't hear names like that in my home. I'm Kalim al- uh, I'm lost, I mean. Where am I? It's too dark to read the signs,"

He can read, too. Still, he's wearing what looks like a burlap sack, baggy and brown, beads of sweat on his forehead from the dying heat of the desert, or perhaps from wandering, walking to nowhere all night.

He must be really poor, you reason. How sad, to not have a home to go home to! No bed to bundle up in! You wouldn't know what you'd do without your family, or your coffeehouse, or your room, your music, your clothes...

You balance your broom against the wall and let him inside. The door closes behind him with a thud.

"North, near the edge of the desert. Where are you from?"

"Oh, I'm..." he starts. "It's not important. I'm not going back. What do you guys make here?"

"Coffee and tea,"

"Oh, I love tea!" he smiles. "And coffee! Well, I love everything delicious. Jamil brews me this really good kind..."

"Who's Jamil?"

"He's- oh, right. He's, um, no one," Kalim says, crossing his arms and pretending to be disinterested. "Thank you for letting me in- you're really nice."

"Well... I wouldn't have let you wander out there. The desert here isn't the safest at night,"

His eyes widen. "Is it? I had no idea,"

How strange. He's so... happy, for someone who's led such a hard life. You suppose there's something admirable about that- smiling in the face of suffering.

"You can stay in my room," you say. "Just don't take anything, okay? My family doesn't have a lot."

Kalim nods and lets you lead him to another door, his voice dropping low. "I would never,"

There's something strangely familiar about this boy. Maybe you'd seen him on a milk carton, or something. You'd heard adults say that they do that in some towns. But not here- what are you thinking?

Kalim looks around your room, eyes wide at your clothes, your books, your desk full of paper and splattered with ink. He only sits on the bed when you ask him too (seeing him spin around the room was making you dizzy).

"So, what brings you here?" you ask, drawing your knees to your chest. He does the same, imitating you.

"I ran away from home,"

He admits it in an ashamed sort of way, as if he had committed a crime- you're not sure someone so sewn with guilt could do such a thing.

You tilt your head to the side. "Why? Were your parents cruel?"

"Oh, no, they were the best,"

"Were you being forced to marry someone you didn't love?"

"No, but that sounds scary,"

"Were they going to send you away to become a man?" you'd read that in a book, once.

"Oh, no!" Kalim says. "Worse than all of that. I did something awful."

As you'd suspected. "What did you do?"

He hugs his knees tighter to his chest, his head hung low. "I hurt someone I care about,"

"On purpose?"

"No,"

"Then why do you feel bad about it?"

"It was my fault," he says. "If I wasn't... who I am, then it never would have happened. Jamil is sick and it's all my fault."

There's that name again. His eyes glisten, reflecting the light of the stars in his tears. His hair is white, like the midnight moon. Where have you seen him before?

"I think Jamil will forgive you if you tell him how you feel," you offer. You'd also read that in a book, once. "If he cares about you like how you care about him, then he'll understand."

Kalim sniffles, wiping his nose on his burlap sleeve, pushing it up to reveal a sliver of silken white beneath. "But what if it happens again?"

You don't know how to answer that. The dark of the room makes everything feel more serious, solemn, as if you're at a funeral for someone you don't know.

"But what if it doesn't?"

Kalim is quiet, mumbling that question to himself. "But what if it doesn't...?"

You place a hand on his shoulder, almost protectively so, to give him peace of mind for the moment.

And then he hums. "But what if it doesn't? I like that," he wipes his tears on his sleeve and looks at you with that smile again. "You're really smart, you know. If I had to marry anyone, I'd hope it'd be you."

The sentiment, as sick with emotion as it is, stirs something in you.

Kalim is gone by morning. He might have left so as not to disturb you, but you know that he had gone home running, eager to see his friends again.

His family will be happy to see him, you wager. And you wonder if you'll see him again- will he be a boy at a bakery in another town? An apprentice at a blacksmith? Will his family own the next farm you find?

You can't be sure.

All you know, for now, is that somewhere in the world, there's a boy named Kalim, with a friend named Jamil, and you can only hope that they're happy.

[moriitis]

HIII, how are you?? I hope you're having a great day/night!

I just wanted to tell you that I REALLY loved the HCs about Toby being a father (and the one where the child died left a severe trauma in me..)

So I was thinking—could you please write one where him and his child (maybe a girl?) have a day out together? Like going for a walk in the woods or.. maybe going to the mcdonald's or something like that? Or just doing something fun together! I would really love to read that! C:

you're one of my favorite writers, and I really enjoy your work! :3

(also, I’m really nervous bc I’ve never requested anything before, so please don’t make fun of me or smth😭🙏) srry if bad english :b

Oh my god, bet.

But quickly, admire;

HCs under cut!

"Hey, w-wh-what toy did you get?" Toby utters, leaning over the table to peer over toward the box in the kid's hands. The young girl admired the box closely, with a steady precision before shrugging softly. "I don't know," she whined softly, narrowing a glance at her dad that had stolen a fry from her side of the table. "They're all different inside." Holding out a hand, Toby lifted an index finger. "Let me look." Quickly, the young girl pulled the box close to her chest - protecting it with a furrowed brow. Confusion etched across his features as he studied her and her prized toy intently. "What?" he asked with a shrug in his shoulder, taking a moment to take a cautious gaze around the McDonalds. It was quiet, which was no surprise, it was a moody, midday Monday. There weren't many people inside; which is how he liked it. Last thing he needed was more attention, especially when he technically snuck his kid out to grab something to eat. "You're going to open it," the kid whined, earning an honest chuckle from Toby. Shit, he hadn't thought of that but now she gave him an idea. Immediately, he threw his hands up in surrender and shook his head softly, a big dumb grin across his features. "Whoaaa, damn, I-I- I won't," he chuckled in-between a stutter, the child eyeing him suspiciously for a moment before sliding the box toward his direction. Catching it with ease, Toby assessed the box. It was probably another crappy, cheap toy; at least it wasn't a book or something. The promotion was from this upcoming kids film he'd never heard from but it had some cats and dogs in it; something the kid loved. "Looks boring," he mumbled, sliding the box back toward the little girl that sat opposite him. "You know, when I was a k-kid, t-these toys were wayyy b-b-better." There was a smug grin across his face, like back in his day he was even allowed to eat at McDonalds - his family were too broke even for this greasy shit.

"So, was that like.. forty years ago?" the child asked, fingernails toying with the edge of the box as she peeled it open. Toby could feel a dagger in his heart, shit, did he look that old?

"I'm nn-not that old-" he protested, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand as he observed - finding himself way too eager to figure out what kind of toy she got.

With a soft shuffle, the kid pulled out the toy and out fell out a little plastic toy of a ginger cat. Sure, it was a kids toy, but was that it? It opened its mouth and.. that was it? Toby's lips narrowed, trying to surprise some laughter at just the thought alone.

"Awh! A kitty!" the little girl exclaimed with excitement, holding it up in front of his face and waving it about proudly. Toby's eyes fluttered, trying to focus on the toy before leaning back a little to take one more look around the restaurant.

"Hey, you g-gonna eat that?" he asked, pointing at a lone nugget that sat on the table. The girl, who was too preoccupied with the cat at this point, simply shrugged; which gave Toby a clear signal that he'd just eat it for himself. He'd only just managed to scrape by enough for a kids meal, so he'll eat whatever was left behind.

A silence fell between him and the kid as he run his tongue over his bottom teeth, remaining on high alert. The last thing he wanted was to get caught.

"Daddy, look, look, you're not looking!" Toby blinked and glanced toward his daughter, narrowing his brows for a moment. The kid pottered the toy cat along the table, meowing loudly and suddenly attacking Toby's other hand he had flat on the table.

"This cat's l-l-loud-" Toby mumbled, watching with a little smile across his face. A part of him still couldn't believe this was his kid? He could see Lyra in her eyes. Lyra would've loved her; he hoped anyway.

"Well, yeah, they are loud, look - listen, I can do a really loud meow-"

Before she even got a chance to suck in a deep breath, Toby clamped a hand over her mouth quickly.

"No, no, no, no, I believe you!" he exclaimed in a hushed whisper, cautiously removing his hand away from her mouth. "Plus, my m-mmeow would be l-louder." He shrugged with a challenging smirk.

"Daddy's are not allowed to meow," his daughter chuckled, leaning back on the leather chair with a glint of mischief in her eyes. Toby took it as a challenge, the whole 'responsible parent' being thrown out the window at the thought of out-meowing his daughter in a restaurant.

"What?! Who the h-hell made that rule up? Dad's are t-totally allowed to meow."

The little girl continued to giggle, shaking her head with a little, "nuh-uh" following.

Toby took a look around, cleared his throat and quickly sucked in a breath before releasing a loud 'meow' that practically stopped everyone in their tracks; looking over toward him with concern. The kid was a giggling mess, Toby watching with a hint of satisfaction across his features.

"See?" he asked, pinching another fry from her happy meal box. They were pretty cold, but he'd take it. It took a moment for the little girl to recover from her laughing fit, shaking her head softly.

"Not loud enough." Toby raised a brow, shaking his head softly with a little chuckle to himself.

Maybe becoming a dad made everything worth it.

[vintagestarlight]

Say The Word

Pairing: Aaric Graycastle x fem!reader

Summary: The tension between you and Aaric finally comes to a head after the Battle at Basgiath

Warnings: angst(?), fluff, canon level talks of violence, 18+ only

Word Count: 1.9k

Author's Note: This took me so long to write because I had to keep redoing it and I'm finally happy with the results! This was going to be spicy(👀) but I'm still getting back into the groove of writing smut so I thought it would be fun to do a part 2 of this so stayed tuned for that! This was requested by an anon(see here) so I hope you like it and I'm sorry it took so long! As always my requests are open so send me what ya'll want to see!💕

The silence in the Barracks was louder than the battle had been. Your ears still rang from the battle and your mind felt foggy as you drug your feet toward the locker room showers. The sound of shouted orders, roaring, and swords and daggers clanging against each other kept echoing in your mind. What was worse was the smell; the smell of blood, death, and smoke thick enough it covered the sky and threatened to choke you. But now? There was nothing save for the occasional drip of a leaky faucet. You sat hunched on a bench staring at your boots; they were caked with mud and blood-whose blood you weren't sure but you didn't want to know. You had made it back. Barely. A Venin had set their sights on you and Lèirsinn, your Brown Daggertail. You had killed the Venin and Lèirsinn had taken care of its Wyvern but you had lost your balance and fell off your dragon's back. Lèirsinn had caught you, wrapped her body around yours before slamming into the ground. Your uniform was torn in some places, armor dented and cracked, and your body was littered with whatever bruises and lacerations the healers hadn't had time to fix before moving onto the next person. 

You knew you should shower and wash away the dirt, sweat, and blood that caked your skin but even the thought of getting up exhausted you. You sighed and leaned back against the wall, propping one leg on the bench and closing your eyes. It flashed in your mind again; Lèirsinn clamping her jaws around the Wyvern's throat ripping it open. The Wyvern fell as the Venin grabbed hold of Lèirsinn's back leg. You rushed along the brown scales of your dragon before plunging your dagger into the Venin's neck. It had grasped your leg to pull you with it in a last attempt to end you before the alloy tipped dagger did its job. You had kicked free and that's when you slipped. Time had seemed to slow down as you screamed and Lèirsinn had roared and plummeted after you. You remembered the darkness as Lèirsinn shielded your body with hers, you remembered the jarring impact of hitting the ground, and you remembered hearing someone shout your name. You didn't know who thanks to the temporary disorientation and your dragon roaring at you along the bond. 

The thump of boots brought you out of thought and you looked up to see Aaric standing a few feet away. You watched him as he made his way to sit on the bench; his armor was undone and hanging off of him. His shirt clung to his frame, sticky with sweat and blood. You could see the outlines of the muscles underneath his shirt and you swallowed hard, hoping he didn't see your face grow red. You knew you shouldn't look but Cam, not Aaric, always managed to take your breath away; even if you sat covered in bruises after a battle. He had always done so; even when you helped train him back in Calldyr City as teenagers. Even though you knew you shouldn't look, your eyes drank him in and it took everything to stop staring when he finally spoke up. 

"You're alive," he said, though it wasn't out of relief. Not entirely anyway. Cam's perfect posture sagged with exhaustion and the usual sharp, commanding stare he fixed on everyone but you was now replaced with raw uncertainty. "Yeah I am," You nodded. "You fell. I saw you," He replied, his voice quiet and clipped. "Yeah but Lèirsinn caught me," You said. "Wasn't really part of my plan," You half joked in an attempt to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "No shit," Cam scoffed, humorlessly. You stayed quiet, unsure of what to say, and kept your eyes fixed on the floor beneath your boots. Cam sat down beside you, not across from you, like he needed to be close enough to make sure you were really there. The silence passed on for a beat and you still didn't know what to say. Cam always managed to steal the words right out of your head. "You scared the hell out of me," He said softly. You glanced at him, quickly, but it was enough. His expression was raw and open in a way that made your chest hurt. "I didn't mean to," You said, unsure of what else to say. "I don't care what you meant," He said. "Excuse me?" You blinked. He wasn't actually mad at you was he? Cam's voice stayed quiet but it shook in a way that was uncharacteristic of him. "You don't get to just brush it off like it was nothing. Like I didn't think you died." "So were worried about me huh?" You tried joking. You always tried to joke when things got too close. He turned sharply towards you and his green eyes flared. "Don't do that." "Do what?" You asked, suddenly uneasy.

"Make this a joke. Pretend like it's not real. You almost died Y/n," He replied and you looked away. "I know that," You whispered. Cam stood abruptly and ran his hand through his hair. "Then act like it meant something!" Cam shouted and your head snapped up. He had never shouted at you. Not ever. "You don't think I know how badly it could have ended? Of course it meant something!" You snapped back. The words hung in the air as they seemed to echo around the locker room. "Then why do you keep acting like it doesn't?" "It's just easier that way," You said. "Easier for who? You? Because you just don't want to deal with the fact that people care whether you live or die?" Cam pressed on. "Because if I started thinking about what it all meant I'd fall apart!" You said, exasperated and you knew you weren't talking about your near brush with death. "It's easier not to think about it because I don't know how to deal with that," You said, quietly. The words kept coming and you couldn't get them to stop. From the look on Cam's face, he knew you weren't talking about the fall either. "You do with everyone else," he said, his voice softer this time. "No, I pretend to with everyone else. But with you.... I can't pretend and I don't know why," You responded. 

You had never planned on admitting anything to Cam; your feelings for him weren't something you ever entertained even as teenagers. He was noble and you weren't; not to mention it wasn't a secret that he liked a woman's company in bed. Why would he ever choose you when he could have anyone? You looked away and moved to step aside; you always did when it got like this. When the two of you got too close. But Cam didn't let you this time and he moved in front of you. "Look at me," Cam said but you didn't. You couldn't. "Y/n," You brought your eyes up to his. Cam's jaw clenched and his voice dropped. "I thought I lost you. I saw you fall and there was nothing I could do. I froze," He said, his voice rough. "You were just... gone. I couldn't stop thinking about how quick it was; you were here and a heartbeat later you weren't. I saw riders die but not you. All I could think about was everything I never said to you and that I would never have the chance again,"

You knew then that he wasn't angry with you, he was scared. Cam was never vulnerable with people; he learned to set himself apart from the rest and he never allowed himself to open up except for a few rare circumstances with you and your heart ached as you listened to him. "I didn't mean to scare you Cam," You whispered. Cam huffed a tired laugh. "You're the only one who calls me that you know," He said. "I know," You nodded. "And every time you do it wrecks me a little inside," He admitted. Something shifted between the two of you; a line that you both had been toeing for so long seemed to fade into nothing. You let your eyes roam over him; your eyes drifted to the blood drying just beneath his collarbone, to the bruise forming along his jaw, to the rip in his sleeve exposing the muscle along his bicep. You really shouldn't have been staring. Not when your body was still screaming from battle and your mind was processing the fact you were still alive. Not when everything inside you screamed that you had no idea what came next. 

But Gods, were you looking. And Cam saw. 

Cam took a step closer, slower and more deliberate. "You keep doing that," He murmured and your brows furrowed. "Doing what?" You asked. "Staring at me like you want something. Like you're about to say something and then change your mind," Cam replied. You opened your mouth and closed it again because he wasn't wrong. You weren't afraid of the battlefield. You weren't afraid of pain. But this... this was uncharted territory. You didn't know how to handle it. "Say it," He said. His eyes burned into yours, pinning you in place. "Say what?" You said breathlessly. "Whatever it is that you keep wanting to tell me. Just say it. Or don't and I'll kiss you anyway," He said. Your heart fluttered but you hesitated. Not because you didn't want him but because it was unfamiliar. You were trained to follow orders, to survive, to endure. But not for this. Not for being seen. Not for being chosen. Not by him. This was all new and it made you want to run out of the locker room and never speak of it again. "I'm not like you Cam I don't know what I'm doing," You whispered. "I don't know what this turns into." His gaze softened in a way that you normally don’t see and he stepped closer; you were toe to toe now and your back brushed against the wall. "Then we'll figure it out," He said. "Just say it Y/n" Cam said, almost begging you. You stared at him for a moment, taking in the face you loved looking at. "Kiss me Cam," You whispered. 

Cam didn't wait, the second the words had left your lips he was there. He cupped your cheeks in his hands and pressed his body against yours. You ignored the sharp pain from the sudden pressure against your fresh bruises as his lips crashed onto yours. It wasn't perfect; it was desperate but still gentle and absolutely perfect. You gasped as his fingers slid into your hair and he took that as his invitation to deepen the kiss. His movements softened and moved slower, exploring instead of claiming and your hands gripped the front of his ripped bloody shirt to pull him closer to make sure this was real. Cam tasted like sweat and iron and something that was uniquely him; something that felt like home. You felt him sigh into the kiss as though the weight of every moment between the two of you finally disappeared. Cam pulled his head back just enough to rest his forehead on yours, his breath ragged. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Then do it again," You whispered back, a new found confidence settling over you. Cam smiled and kissed you again, slower intent on taking his time. He finally pulled back again enough to look at you fully. "Please tell me you aren't going to stop me," he said. "I don't want to stop anything," You replied, grinning. "Good," He said, a smile curving on his lips. "Because I'm not done with you yet,"

[ongreenergrasses]

hey I hope you're having a good day! I really enjoyed the latest chapter of Serafina and it's made me wonder how you imagine Career training in d4 to work? Like what does that process look like, and what aspects of the Career mindset felt most important to include while writing?

I feel like we don't get a lot of info in canon on why the Careers volunteer/why those programs exist (besides Katniss's basic explanation of honor and fame) so do you have any thoughts on why d4 trains kids to begin with?

loving the story! <3

hi!! day is going well, new chapter is up so I felt it was a good time to hit this ask 💜 thank you for your kind words and I’m so glad you’re enjoying!

I think for me the most important thing to include in terms of the mindset was that these kids believe they’re protecting the less fortunate with their volunteering, and they don’t see that as a sacrifice, necessarily. they see this as them supporting and helping their district by removing such an oppressive source of fear and having better odds for a win which will make sure the district’s fed and as comfortable as they can be for another year. the terms they’re fed around it are duty, honor, and service, which is why those come up a lot when the kids talk about it, but that’s what’s the underlying feeling and motivation. they justify everything they do by seeing it as protecting their people, who they see as inherently vulnerable, and simultaneously doing a service to their country (especially when it comes to their sacking/murdering “criminals” as part of training). so the propaganda element and mindset was to me the most important part, that was why I pulled out specific events that showed Annie’s interiority and the depth of her indoctrination in the last chapter.

In terms of why 4 trains kids to begin with, I think they approach it from a much more service oriented mindset than 1 and 2 do. I hc 4 to have a more collectivist culture, and while I think the desire for glory and representing the district well absolutely comes into it, I think training by the time Finnick and Annie come around is based in that idea to protect and serve their people. (yes, this is very akin to the mentality in the military. that was intentional.) as for how training started, I’m sure that the goal was to just keep kids alive. I think it started to take on a life of its own and become more grounded in moral ideals sometime around the first Quell, after the atrocity that was having those kids voted in. I think that Quell was very eye opening and the trainers in 4 would’ve seen the fact of the other districts probably sending in the weakest kids, as opposed to 4 sending in prepared kids, as an indication of how 4 protects its people and they would start to spin that as an honorable thing - because in a twisted way, it is.

(Fun fact. In my head, Robin, Annie’s mentor, is the victor of the first Quell.)

I would talk about the process of training but this ask would get enormously long if I did, so maybe I’ll make a separate post about it, lol. thank you for reading!

[whiskeythefishski]

FICLET REQUEST ✨

spencer and alex domestic bliss (bc they are games mom and dad) working late after a shoot day then they make out on the games stage teehee :3

ily and congrats on 250 kudos 💘

EEEEEEEEEE!!! OKAY I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE! ABSOLUTELY went wildly overboard and wrote essentially a one-shot, but that's okay. HUGE shoutout to Del not only for submitting this request, but also helping me pick a name for this piece! I hope it's everything you imagined it would be :)

All My Dreamin' (Is Only Put to Shame)

Spalex - 2319 words - Rated T

"What a fuckin' shoot, huh?" 

Spencer grins through a yawn, shaking his head as he works to sweep little plastic locks into a Ziploc bag. "God, you can say that again."

Alex chuckles, but Spencer feels his gaze linger on him as he turns away. Alex regards him with concern, noting the slump to his shoulders and the bags beneath his eyes. 

"Hey, you okay?" he asks. 

"Yeah, yeah!" Spencer says, blinking. "Sorry, just kinda tired. As fun as that game was to watch, I think it wiped me out."

"I feel that. I'm probably gonna pass out as soon as I get home," Alex laughs. "Thank god it's the end of the day, right?"

"Yeah," Spencer agrees. 

It's just the two of them cleaning up Tiny Laser Heist pieces at the end of a Friday shoot block, and the set feels oddly quiet without its usual production buzz. The gray couch looms in Spencer's periphery like a devil looking to make a bargain. God, he's really feeling that end-of-week exhaustion in his bones. It would be so nice to sink into those cushions and veg the fuck out right about now. 

"Spence! Yo!"

Alex waves a hand in front of Spencer's face, pulling him back into the moment. "Seriously, dude, are you good?" 

"Yeah, sorry. Sorry, man." Spencer shakes his head to clear it, readjusts his grip on the bag of game pieces before it slips to the floor. He looks up to find Alex frowning, gaze hopping from Spencer to the couch to the table and back like he's solving a puzzle.

"Hey man," Alex says gently, placing his handful of plastic grabby-hands down. "Why don't we take a break?"

"A break?" Spencer asks, incredulous. "We're done shooting, we're practically about to head home. What do you mean, a break?"

"I mean, you look like you're about to topple over," Alex chides. "Seriously, you're like dead on your fuckin' feet, man. Let's take fifteen. It's not like there's anyone around to argue, if anyone even would."

"I—" Spencer opens his mouth to protest, but his already waning resolve quickly crumbles against Alex's expectant-teacher face. 

"Fine," he sighs, setting down the bag. "Fifteen minutes, no more."

Alex grins, that real genuine grin where he shows off almost his whole top row of teeth and his eyes crinkle up. Spencer loves that grin. 

"Good," Alex says, coming around the table. He puts a hand on Spencer's back, half-guiding, half-pushing him over towards the couch, and smiles again, satisfied, when Spencer sits. "Get comfy. I'll be over in a sec."

"Whatever you say, dude," Spencer yawns, eyelids already drooping.

He manages to hang on a few minutes longer—long enough for Alex to fish out a fluffy blanket and two ice-cold Yerba Mates. He nestles in beside Spencer, tucking the blanket over both of their laps. The pleasant warmth of having someone beside him feels extra nice when he's this beat.

It's not long after, barely five minutes into whatever YouTube video Alex puts on, that sleep finally takes him.

-

When Spencer wakes, there's an odd weight on his shoulder. He shifts a little, disoriented, only to realize what it is: Alex's head, pillowed on Spencer's collarbone. Seems he must have dozed off as well. Spencer checks his watch with bleary eyes, quietly groaning when he realizes they've been out for nearly an hour. 

He reaches to rouse Alex and—stops.

Alex is easygoing enough awake, but asleep he looks as peaceful as a fawn in a flower field. Little wisps of hair slip from his ponytail to frame his face, unmarred by furrowed brows or wide smiles. It's just serene. He's got an arm thrown halfway over one of Spencer's thighs, fingers gently fisted in the fleece blanket. Spencer never really noticed how long Alex's fingers were, or how nicely his purple nail polish looked against his tan skin.

He reaches gently over with his right hand (the left pinned half-asleep beneath Alex's torso) and brushes a stray lock behind Alex's ear. The other man stirs but doesn't wake, nuzzling further into the gray fabric of Spencer's hoodie. He exhales softly through gently parted petal-pink lips, and Spencer's heart flutters.

He sits there for longer than he means to, just… looking. Taking in the way that Alex's chest crests and falls like the waves of a calm sea, the way his eyes dance beneath their lids as he dreams. He wonders, fingertips still in Alex's hair, what the other man is dreaming about.

Eventually though, he starts to feel like a creep—like Edward watching Bella in Twilight or something. So as much as he hates to disturb the scene before him, he reaches down and gently shakes Alex’s shoulder.

“Hey, bud, hey,” he says softly. “Yo, Alex. Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey.”

“Hmphf,” Alex mumbles, rolling his head back so it rests on Spencer’s shoulder, chin in the air. “Go away, Mom, five more minutes.”

Spencer chuckles. “Sorry, no-can-do. You’re gonna miss your bus.”

Alex squints grumpily against the light of the soundstage, looking strangely reminiscent of Spencer's cat when she wakes up from a nap in his freshly dried laundry. There’s something adorable about it. Something that makes his heart sing.

Before Spencer realizes what he’s done, he’s dipped down and pressed his lips gently to Alex’s forehead. 

They both freeze, eyes locked across a distance of mere inches.  Alex looks flabbergasted, his unruly hair making him look even more like a mad scientist’s harried assistant. Spencer gapes like a fish, trying to summon an apology that's too tangled in his vocal cords to appear. He can’t move, can’t talk, can’t do anything but panic at the misstep and hope he can grovel enough to salvage this friendship down the line. 

“…am I awake?” Alex asks after a silent century.

Spencer nods, shame-faced. “Yeah. I’m so sorry, Alex. I’m still waking up, my brain’s still all foggy—”

“Bet,” Alex says, tilting his head like a curious animal. “You missed, then.”

Spencer blinks once, twice. “What?”

“You missed,” Alex repeats, then closes the distance.

Spencer startles at the first brush of Alex’s lips against his, jerking his head back against the couch. But Alex pursues him, kissing him like the sunrise kisses the clouds at dawn, warm and soft and slow, and for the life of him Spencer can't bring himself to push him away.

“Let me know if you want me to stop,” Alex says sleepily. He smiles when no time-out is called and brings his purple-painted fingers up to cup Spencer’s cheek, stroking the flushed apple of it with the pad of his thumb. The next kiss is just as languid as the first, but Spencer feels Alex flick his tongue across his bottom lip, sighing contentedly when Spencer opens to him.

Alex lounges with his eyes closed and his head back, exploring Spencer’s mouth with his tongue like they’ve got all the time in the world. He moves his hand into the sleep-flattened curls on the side of Spencer’s head, nails gently scratching at his scalp, and hums happily at the little groan that slips from Spencer’s mouth. Spencer’s hands twitch where they’re fisted in the blanket, his desperation to reach and hold and feel stopped fast by the lack of verbal direction.

Lucky for him, Alex is an excellent director.

“Take my hair down,” he murmurs. Spencer surges to obey, disentangling the checkered hair tie from his tresses as gently as he can. Alex’s caramel hair tumbles down his back, and Spencer runs a tentative hand through it. It’s the softest fucking thing he’s ever felt.

“How do you feel about a new angle?” Alex asks, pulling back. “My neck is starting to cramp.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatev—whatever you want,” Spencer stammers, hypnotized. 

Alex smirks. He slides off of the couch to his feet, interlocking his fingers and stretching his arms up as he rolls his neck a little. Spencer’s eyes drift traitorously down to the flat plane of tanned skin where the other man’s shirt rides up, but he snaps his vision back to Alex's face almost immediately. 

Alex notices though. Alex notices everything. It’s why he’s Spencer’s second-in-command in the first place. His ability to sense the slightest change of mood or energy in a room, to sculpt an incoherent mess of a shoot into something incredible, it’s the whole reason Spencer wanted him directing. Some days, he wonders if their roles should be reversed—if Alex should be the one in charge.

Alex smiles when he sees Spencer snatch his wandering eyes up, sly and hungry like a cat with a cornered mouse. He moves slowly, dragging the blanket onto the floor before he approaches, a panther stalking through the jungle, and plants a knee on either side of Spencer's thighs. Spencer sucks a breath in as Alex settles in his lap, but Alex isn’t finished; he reaches for his hands, moving them under the hem of his baggy rugby shirt to rest on the warm skin of his waist, pinkies brushing the top of his jeans. 

“That’s better,” Alex purrs, pressing a chaste kiss to Spencer’s cheek. 

“I’m glad,” Spencer mumbles. 

“I bet you are.” 

Despite the constant humming of the A/C, Spencer feels like he might be contracting heatstroke. Alex pries his lips apart with his teeth this time, biting as he tangles his hands in Spencer’s curls. His own curtain of tea tree-scented locks falls loosely around their faces, shielding them from the harsh fluorescent lights. Spencer whines when Alex sucks on his tongue, the other man’s beard a pleasant scratchy feeling against his cheeks. He runs his hands up and down Alex’s sides, relishing the way Alex kisses him harder at the touch.

“You’re really pretty,” Spencer says when they pause to breathe, looking up at Alex in bashful awe.

“You’re pretty gay,” Alex laughs, but he preens at the compliment anyway. It makes Spencer smile. He feels a little of his usual unearned confidence bubble up again as he drinks in the sight of Alex, messy-haired with pink lips shining, blushing in his lap.

“For real,” Spencer says. He traces up Alex’s side again, letting him feel the edge of his nails this time, and marvels at the way he shivers. “Prettiest fuckin’ thing I ever seen.”

“Shut up,” Alex says.

"I think you mean 'quiet on set.'" 

"No, I mean shut your fucking mouth," Alex laughs. He looks so good like this, arms tossed over Spencer's shoulders, hair diffusing light until he's glowing gold.

It's Spencer who initiates this time, extricating a hand from beneath Alex's shirt to guide him back down by the chin. Those purple-polished fingers find their way to Spencer's hoodie strings, grabbing and pulling him up to meet messily in the middle. Alex hums again as Spencer nips at his lower lip, and the sound makes Spencer's heart race somehow even faster. 

Devastatingly though, every bubble has to pop. 

Spencer's phone suddenly shrieks to life in his back pocket, vibrations thundering through the couch cushions. Alex yelps in surprise, releasing the hoodie strings and nearly crashing to the floor; by some miracle, Spencer manages to catch him.

"Jesus Christ," says Alex, clutching his chest like an old lady.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asks. He gently rolls so they're each laying on their sides, eyelines locked as they catch their breath.

"I'm good, dude. Are you gonna get that?" he gestures towards the phone, still yowling for attention like an unfed cat. Spencer pulls it from his pocket and swears when he sees the Caller ID.

"Fuck, it's Kiana. I was supposed to get dinner with her after work." He swipes the call open and tries not to sound too flustered. "Hey, Ki! Sorry, running late."

"Okay, sounds—wait, why are you out of breath?"

"Just, um, just—" he stammers for an explanation as Alex watches, bemused, straightening his clothes and tying his hair back up out of his face.

"I'm just teasing you, Spencer, you're fine. Will you be here soon?" 

"Yeah. Fifteen tops," Spencer answers. "Oh, Kiana, would you, um. Would you mind if Alex maybe joined us?"

"Works for me, as long as both of your dork asses are here soon."

"We will be. Thanks, Ki. Love you."

"Love you too," she sighs, clearly stifling a laugh.

Alex stares at him as he pockets his phone, head tilted curiously again. Spencer cards a hand through his hair, trying to make it a touch more presentable. He plays with the string of his hoodie as he squirms under Alex's gaze; the fabric is still warm from the other man's touch.

"We're getting Chili's," he offers. "Um, would you maybe want to come?"

Alex's face is soft with something like hope; the expression pricks at Spencer's heart, and words flow out before he can plug up the leak. 

"Maybe if you're feeling up to it after, we could… I don't know. Pick up where we left off here? I don't… I don't think I want this to stay, like, a daydream."

Clouds part as Alex flashes him a dawnburst grin. 

"I'd really like that," he says. 

"Cool," Spencer says, praying the relief in his voice isn't too evident. "Let's finish cleaning up, then. If I'm any later I think Kiana might skin me alive."

They move quickly, though Spencer spends a decent chunk of time trying not to blush when his fingers brush Alex's in the Tiny Laser Heist box. In no time, the game is packed away, soundstage lights off, personal effects gathered as they head for the parking lot. 

"Mind if I bum a ride?" Alex asks. 

"Literally never," Spencer answers.

As they settle in the car, Alex laces his fingers with Spencer's and squeezes. 

"You know," Spencer says. "You were right about taking that break. I feel a lot better now."

"I bet you do," Alex smiles. "I bet you do."

[rafeys-angel13]

✿ 𝒮ℯ𝓁𝒻-𝒸𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓎! ✿

summary: you always do the same routine every sunday, no matter what. in fact, you do it that often that rafe knows your routine and will help you with certain things or even join in sometimes.

warnings: none

wc: 607

writer’s notes: omg first fic… i know it’s kinda short but it’s my first one so cut me some slack queens. also i thought this would be easy to write but it took a lot more brain power than i thought it would, okay bye i hope you enjoy! ( ˘ ³˘)♡

bunny!reader x rafe cameron

rafe walks into the house, its unusually quiet. he checks the lounge, the kitchen and the laundry room but you're not there.

"bunny?" he calls, there's no response.

he walks to the bedroom and hears the quiet sound of water sloshing in the bath, he smiles to himself. its sunday, how could he forget about her sunday evening ritual.

rafe sticks his head into the bathroom,

"there you are, sweet girl." he smiles, walking over to the bath.

you're laying in the bath, eyes shut with a glass of wine in your hand and a face mask spread tediously over your face.

"oh hi!" you grin when you hear his voice, "i missed you, rafey."

he kneels down next to the bath, dipping a hand into the steamy water,

"missed you too, sweetheart..."

you lean forward and press a chaste kiss to his lips.

"how was your day, you went to the country club, right?" you tilt your head, your eyebrows furrowed slightly as you think back to this morning when he told you his plans for the day.

"yeah, yeah... just with some of the guys." he nods, his eyes briefly drifting down your body then back up to your slightly glistening eyes.

you sip your wine as he gently picks your foot up out of the water and rubs it gently, you lay back again and watch his face as he concentrates, biting his lower lip slightly.

"you have fun?" you smile softly.

"mhm..." rafe hums. he picks up your other foot and rubs it too, not too hard but just right.

you watch him for a minute, wondering why he's so quiet. 'did i say something wrong?' 'i didn't forget to do something, did i?' you finally decide to speak up.

"what's wrong, baby?" you speak quietly, not wanting him to think you're annoyed.

he seems to snap out of his daydream and look up at you,

"hm? nothing. why, baby?" his eyes soften, looking over your expression.

"nothin' you're just kinda quiet is all..." you shake your head slightly.

"oh, i just figured you'd want some quiet time. you seemed half asleep when i came in..." he gives you a small smile, almost reassuring you he was okay.

you giggle and sit up, your foot slipping from his soft grip and peck his cheek a few times.

"you're the sweetest, rafey" you hold his chin, looking up at him.

rafe chuckles slightly and kisses your nose,

"something like that..." he rests his forehead on yours.

it's been an hour now, rafe is now briading your hair. two french braids. you watch him through your vanity mirror, he catches you and smiles slightly.

"you daydreamin', sweetheart?" he ties off the end of the second braid and kisses your head.

you nod slowly, still zoned out,

"feels nice" you say quietly.

he waves his hand infront of you, tapping your nose lightly,

"earth to bunny..." he smirks, finding your tiredness amusing.

you slowly come back around and yawn. rafe picks you up and sits down at your vanity with you sideways on his lap. he kisses your cheek then grabs your toner, he then continues to do your entire skincare routine for you.

rafe has watched you do this exact routine many, many times before so he's basically a pro at this stuff by now.

eventually, when hes finished he carries you to the bed and tucks you into his side, turning the lamp off and kissing your forehead.

"goodnight, sleepy girl..." he whispers, tracing gentle circles on your lower back.

you hum softly in response and fall asleep, rafe soon drifting off along with you.

[calamitys-child]

My purpose and singular mission in life is to make sure queer and/or neurodivergent kids know that sometimes it really is their parents who are stupid and other adults are on their side. This, unfortunately, does not make me popular with their parents. Gonnae keep doing it though.

[splattergai]

hi can we request a godzilla / general kaiju id pack ? ty in advance & no worries if not !

[ Banner Mask By @/Imjustchillinghere! ]

Names: Titan, Ghidrah, Hydra, Condor, Eagle, Gimantis, Milla, Depth, Spiega, Abyss, Fin, Hazard, Nuclear, Atom, King, Spiral, Ray, Destoroyah, Mech, Pulse, Spike, Chaos, Tsunami, Empire, Iguana, Kaiju, Aqua, Tyrant

3rdpp: mon/monster, monster/monsters, sea/seas, slumber/slumbers, prehi/prehistoric, liz/lizard, lizard/lizards, mutate/mutates, mutant/mutants, depth/depths, oce/ocean, ocean/oceans, nuclear/nuclears, radio/radioactive, radiation/radiations, hazard/hazards, atomic/atomics, danger/dangers, fight/fights, king/kings, bomb/bombs, heat/heats, mech/mecha, regen/regens, revive/revives

Genders: Kaijuguy, kaijumasc, nuclewastoxin, monsdeepial, mutatelexic, mutationlexic, mutanic, altumencreature, leviathangender, thalateravel, genderhydra, maristrocen, kaijugender/genderkaiju, tharas, adaptagender, prehigender, reptilarian

Titles: the prehistoric titan, the prehistoric one, the one who lurks in the depths, prn who slumbers in the sea, prn who has been mutated, the [king/queen/ect] of kaijus/monsters, the one who levels cities, prn who adapts, prn who dwells in the ocean

[kurp-stuff]

.

[skrunksthatwunk]

just finished s2 of kaiji and it was good i really liked it but i hope i never see that fuckass pachinko machine again!!!

[foxgirlmoth]

I don't talk about this stuff on here pretty much at all, but a past relationship really broke a ton of bits and pieces of my brain and heart in weird ways (I'm finally thinking about him almost never but the shit he pulled was abusive as hell and still affects me sometimes). Being in love with my current girlfriends for a while felt almost. Painful? Almost like I should be ashamed I can fall so deeply in love with people, and especially how quickly that can happen sometimes too. Thats how it kind of felt. I tend to get overwhelmed with emotions if I'm feeling them very strongly, and that has been extremely embarrassing and also felt almost like I was being a burden to those I love (which love is the main emotion that can 'get dialed up to 11' for me). It IS debilitating in some ways!!! It hasn't gotten bad enough I've been nonverbal in a really really long time but that happened this past week and it was wild to me.

Things are getting better now though! Therapy in the past has helped, and honestly having such patient and understanding partners has made a world of difference ;w;. my wife is someone who was one of my best friends and I had a huge crush on and now I can ask for cuddles and we can nap together and I've fallen so much in love. Her and her presence are literally heaven for me, I don't know if anything has ever made me happier than just laying next to her and feeling her warmth.

Worries of course flare up and I feel like I need to lean on her a lot during those moments, but I don't feel like too much of a burden to her. I love seeing the posts that say stuff like 'Its okay to be a burden' or 'its okay to be annoying' because really truly I think I need to be those things to survive sometimes. I can be 'a lot' and I can be a little bit obsessive and those things aren't inherently bad or evil of me. I just make sure I'm feeling okay during and after and make sure I'm checking in on myself often. I'm a bit of a broken girl, but that doesn't mean I'm not extremely happy and living a life I love. I've written poems and everything about how it feels like it must hurt to love me and my broken jagged edges, but hey, even if it does a little bit, it doesn't mean someone like my girlfriend/wife won't go through a little bit of burden to love me, and I'm more than happy to return all of this and more for her as well if she's ever in need or feels broken ;^;

[crushedsweets]

CREEPED VISUAL NOVEL Link, tutorial, extra art, Q&A, some chatter

The CREEPED Prologue is completely free and browser-ready. Gameplay is about 10 minutes. Please read the "tutorial" and notes before playing!

Follow Y/N and their dog, Max, through their grandparents' farm and a mysterious forest filled with...less than fortunate people!

PLAY HERE; works best on PC

This visual novel is powered by GOOGLE SLIDES! It has 0 programming and was created by one person in a little over a month, so please bear with any "bugs" and clunkiness!

TUTORIAL

>Click using mouse/trackpad >Go slowly to not break game >Do not use arrow or space keys

EXTRA NOTES:

>Works best on PC/Browser, I haven't tested the full game on mobile yet >In general, clicking the PNGs on the textbox (Apple, Teddy Bear, Hatchet, etc) will lead you to the right page >If you land on a page that tells you to "go back," that's when you should click the back-arrow key. If your cursor disappears, it doesn't register the click correctly >I recommend moving your cursor periodically to avoid it disappearing and sending you to the wrong page

EXTRA ART

some WIPS and the original sprite-style i was gonna choose LOOOOOOOL

Q&A

Q: Is this an x reader? A: This is a reader-insert, but it's not romantic and I try to keep it as neutral and unidentifiable as possible! Q: What's the plot? A: GENERALLY AND WITHOUT SPOILERS, your dog gets you into trouble and you're just looking to help him!

Q: Who is in the prologue? A: Tim, Brian, Toby, and Kate! More will be added in future chapters.

Q: When will future chapters be posted? A: Not sure! This took me about a month to do, and half was spent over winter break. I will try to get chapter 1 posted before summer, but I am a full-time student, employed, have extracurriculars, etc etc

ok thats all i only remember 4 questions feel free to ask more LMAO

CHATTER(because you know i can talk forever)

ok i just wanted to be able to talk about how the process was with this and how i feel about the results and whatnot...

ive been wanting to make a google slides visual novel since i was like 13 LOL it hit the point where i was repeatedly told i should just learn to code but i was like NOOOOO ITS GOTTA BE GOOGLE SLIDESSSS which is totally stupid but hey. i think that gives it some sort of simple charm that reminds me of being 16 and doing little projects in my room LOL i like working with the easiest tools . my bad

anyway. im just very happy LOL. it's not perfect but i feel like i came full circle in a sense?!?! i've been into creepypasta since i was 9 and it comforted me when things were really hard, and when i was 18 i was going through a really hard time and got back into creepypasta as a way to distract myself. i've always had a habit of throwing myself into fiction for escapism when things suuucked.

i'm 20 now but i've met SO many amazing people, had so many fun awesome exciting projects with friends, created tons of stuff im proud of, felt more motivated to create since i was like 13, have been inspired by so many amazing artists/authors on here, etc. just so so so lucky to find community in such a tight-knit cute fandom that thrives off of creativity and playing around! i hope i can keep the momentum and make a couple more chapters this year, but im kinda busy with school and work...LOL . i'm just excited to have this posted so i can have more discussion about it T_T

anyway thank you if you read this far and thank you if you played etc etc yaahhhhhh omg ok BYE THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING im just so grateful to be in this fandom

[jakesimfromstatefarm]

fine line ── l. hs

↳ summary ── heesung's got two problems: (1) he can't sleep, and (2) he's addicted to the 1AM combo of instant ramyeon and coffee milk from his favorite convenience store around the corner. the only thing more consistent than his insomnia? his nightly visits for his beloved snacks (and maybe to glare at the new night shift employee, too). & pstt, spoiler alert: you're the said new night shift employee. and you don't know what's worse: his weird food choices or his apparent superiority complex. either way, if you have to watch him inhale another bowl like it's his last meal ever, you might lose it. but hey, you know what they say—there’s a fine line between love and hate...

↳ pairing ── heeseung x f!reader

↳ genre ── idol!heeseung, e2l!au, strangers to lovers!au, convenience store worker!reader || angst hehe, crack, eventual fluff

↳ ✎ᝰ 15.4k (gasp, she kept it under 20k????)

↳ contains ── so much bickering and banter, reader is kinda sassy and a lil crazy, heeseung is a lil weirdo at first, CRACK (this entire fic revolves around EXTRA HELL FIRE RAMEN PLS), angst, both heeseung & reader can't communicate their feelings & are stubborn as hell, tension tension tension! , deep conversations about life choices lol, cursing

↳ addie's ✉ .ᐟ ── IM ALIVE (barely) ! i survived a global expedition (one 12 hr flight) just to come back and face an apocalypse (i got a bug infection and a cold) but dragged myself out of my deathbed (my comfy bed) to finish editing this because i told yall i would and bc i felt bad ghosting everyone for a week LOL apologies (if anyone cares,,,pls tell me u do or i'll cry rn) anyways i hope yall enjoy this one,,,this one was fun to write, it felt very sitcom-y and was lowkey based off of backstreet rookie vibes (only bc it's set in a convenience store). i hope you all enjoy & pls let me know what you think :') thank u for the support & love always <3

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・

It’s simple, really. 

Customer service voice on, a smile plastered on your face, greet the customer, scan the item, take their money, bag said item, throw in a half-hearted ‘Have a good night!’

And repeat. 

Well, most of the time. 

Occasionally, there’s the fun of kicking out a few drunk teenagers looking for a bathroom that you definitely don’t have (yes you do). But otherwise, this graveyard shift at your local corner convenience store? 

Total dream job. 

You get paid—as in actual, legit money—to sit behind a counter, scan snacks, and feast on your personal holy trinity of microwavable cheesy ramen, peach juice, and potato chips. What could possibly go wrong? 

At least, that’s how the manager sold it during your interview. And by interview, you mean the three-minute conversation that went something like: 

“Can you work nights?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Cool, you’re hired.” 

No background check, no follow-up questions, not even a glance at your resume. A broke college student with insomnia and schedule flexibility? You were the perfect candidate. 

And it’s not like you’re picky. You needed cash, and this seemed like a pretty solid deal. What can you say? College is expensive, and someone’s gotta fund your caffeine addiction and deeply specific (and yet completely necessary, you would argue) habit of playing at every single claw machine game you stumble across. 

So yeah. Easy work.

At least, that's what you thought.

Because on the night of your first shift, exactly at 1:09AM, the doorbell gives its friendly little ding, and in walks...something.

Someone?

Whatever it is, it's a walking shadow. Oversized hoodie. Baggy pants. A baseball cap shoved under the hood. A black face mask covering whatever’s left of his identity. You think it’s either a ninja, a celebrity in disguise, or—more likely—a vampire who hasn’t seen sunlight since the Joseon era (you’re leaning more towards vampire).

But more than the wild theories running around in your head, something else piques your curiosity.

Because unlike the other weirdos that usually shuffle in at these ungodly hours, this one moves with true purpose. He beelines straight to the ramen aisle, snags something off the top shelf (most likely the ultra-spicy soup one because, of course, you already have the shelves memorized), and then grabs a bottle of coffee milk from the cold drinks section without even so much as glancing at it.

No hesitation. No second-guessing. Like he’s done this a thousand times before and is now on autopilot mode.

You watch, intrigued. And then—horrified.

Because who in the right mind pairs volcanic spicy ramen with coffee milk? Is that even legal?

You’re barely recovering from your own appalled thoughts before he’s already at the counter, placing his borderline apocalyptic snack combination on the counter in front of you with the same eerie precision he has.

You fail to keep your poker face on when you scan his items, your face scrunching up in disgust.

“Uh,” you shake it off, forcing yourself back to reality, “That’ll be—”

But before you can even finish your sentence, he’s already fishing out the exact amount—three crisp bills—out his back pocket and holds it out for you.

There’s a beat of silence.

You stare down at the money in his hand for a second too long, suddenly convinced this guy practices his convenience store interactions in the mirror or something.

When you don’t show any further signs of moving, he eventually gives up, placing the money on the counter with a quiet sigh, grabbing his ramen and coffee milk, and striding off to the self-service corner like he personally owns the place.

All of this. Without. A single. Thank you.

Wow. Okay. So tonight’s customer is potentially a vampire with a side gig as a professional jerk. Good to know.

You internally scoff at the entire interaction, but—unfortunately for you—you can’t look away. Because this guy? This walking shadow?

You’re weirdly intrigued. Like when you accidentally click on a pimple-popping video and immediately regret it, but still end up watching five more.

It’s a curse.

Out of the corner of your eye (because obviously you’re not staring, you’re just…hyper-aware of your surroundings), you watch him execute his ramen-and-coffee-milk routine with the precision of a man possessed.

Step one: Hot water in the ramen cup.

Step two: Ramen into the microwave.

Step three: Wait for exactly one beep before yanking the microwave door open with alarming speed, as if he's scared to even give the second beep the chance to ring.

Step four: Peel the lid back in slowly—so painfully slow you're about to march over there and do it yourself.

Step five: Insert the straw into the coffee milk—of course, perfectly right in the center. Bullseye.

Honestly? It's all kind of impressive. Horrifying, but impressive.

And, of course, just when you think you might finally look away, because out of sight, out of mind—he slides onto one of the bar stools by the window, right in your direct line of vision. The perfect spot for you to get a pristine view of his back, which, spoiler alert, is completely unhelpful in your personal mission in trying to see even a glimpse of what this guy looks like.

Maybe if you squint hard enough, you can make out his face in the reflection of the store window. Maybe. Just maybe—

Nope.

All you catch is a brief glimpse of his eyes—barely visible beneath his excessive hoodie and hat combination. Even his mask stays glued to his face and you wonder how he even plans on eating his outrageous meal.

But even so, you still can’t look away. What even is that color? And why can’t you look away?

Whatever. It’s just eyes. Totally normal. Everyone has them. Not noteworthy at all.

Except it is.

Because you catch yourself still squinting, hoping the glare of the fluorescent lighting against the window hides your not so subtle mission from him. You’re probably risking retinal damage at this point with how hard you’re trying to decode this guy’s entire identity from literally just his eyes.

You catch another short glimpse of his eyes as he shuffles in his seat and just as you’re trying to piece together why his eyes look oddly familiar—

He looks up.

His eyes catch yours in the glaring reflection of the store's windows, and you freeze.

Abort mission. Now.

You cough—loudly, dramatically—and your eyes immediately dart elsewhere, your hands shuffling on the discounted candy bars displayed on the counter top, pretending to look busy and silently praying he didn't catch you looking for too long.

When enough time passes by, you risk another quick glance back at him, to see he’s now digging into his ramen, head tucked so low you can’t even see his eyes anymore. He’s gone full turtle mode.

You lift a brow.

Weirdo.

A weirdo with an ego. Slurping and sipping away at his crime-against-humanity meal as if he owns the building.

Maybe he's mute. Or a people-hater. Or a cryptid who thrives on ramen and coffee milk instead of human interaction. Maybe I'm being pranked?

You shrug it off, because no matter how hard you try to figure him out, one thing is glaringly obvious: he does not want to be bothered.

And you're not sure if that makes him more intriguing or more annoying.

You’re in the clear. At least, you think you’re in the clear. 

After your first weird encounter with Mr. No-Name-No-Face—spicy ramen enthusiast and potential vampire—you’ve begrudgingly adjusted to his nightly visits. 

He shows up at 1:09AM like clockwork, grabs his neon red Extra Spicy Hellfire Ramen (yes, that’s the real brand name, and yes, your soul dies a little every time you even have to think about it), and parks himself in the window seat across from your counter like it’s a Michelin-star ramen bar—and not your humble convenience store with a health inspection rating of B+ (don’t ask). 

By night three, you’ve downgraded him from potential murderer to mildly annoying ramen connoisseur. 

By night four, you’ve decided he’s your own personal karma sent by the universe. 

It starts off with the door chime. You don’t even flinch. 1:09AM. Right on schedule. 

You don’t look up from the colorful juice pouches you’re restocking. You’re halfway through creating a perfectly symmetrical pyramid display—color-coded, of course—because, clearly, you’ve peaked as a human being. 

Behind you, footsteps head straight to the ramen aisle. And sure enough, you peek over your shoulder, and there he is: drowning in black hoodie layers, hood up, mask on, the patron saint of please don’t perceive me. Same old routine, same old—

Wait. 

He freezes, mid-reach for his usual ramen on the top shelf, his hand hovering in the air. And then, horrifyingly, he turns. 

And looks directly at you. 

Your face heats up—probably not as red as the hellfire ramen he was about to grab, but it’s close, you imagine. You find yourself clutching onto the random juice pouch in your hand as if it’s your lifeline before you clear your throat, “Uh—is something wrong?” 

He glances from you and back to the shelf in front of him, and for the first time in…ever, he speaks. 

Gasp. 

So we can cross mute off the list. 

“They’re out of my flavor,” he says. His voice is deep, which isn’t surprising to you, given he’s the literal human embodiment of the color black, but it’s also serious. So unnecessarily serious that you almost laugh. 

Almost. 

Because his tone isn’t just serious—it’s accusatory. As if you personally raided the ramen aisle and hid his favorite flavor for entertainment. 

Excuse me? 

Your mouth opens then closes, flopping like a fish that now deeply regrets every life choice. The fire rising in your chest is about two seconds away from erupting into a full-blown lecture on how supply chains work, but you keep it in, deciding getting fired on the fourth day probably doesn’t look good on your resume. 

Instead, you plaster on a flat, unimpressed look. 

“Uh..yeah, it looks like it,” you deadpan, inching closer to where he’s standing to investigate the shelf. 

Leaning up on your toes, you scan the shelf for any hidden Hellfire cups, hoping some miracle will save you from continuing this interaction. 

Nope. It’s empty alright. Emptier than your will to entertain his dramatics. 

“Tragic,” you glance back at him, strategically avoiding eye contact, and settle on offering a shrug. “There are plenty of other flavors. Maybe try…the regular spicy?” 

You grab the flavor below his usual one and hold it up as an olive branch, but he cuts you off with a tone that even convinces you that you’re deranged. 

“No.” 

You blink. 

“No?” 

“It has to be Extra Spicy Hellfire.” 

You blink again. 

You wait for the punchline.

It never comes. 

This man is dead serious. 

You’re standing in the middle of a fluorescent-lit ramen aisle, at your minimal wage night-shift job, at 1:12AM on a random Tuesday, and this guy is dead serious. 

And he’s staring at you like this is a life-or-death situation. And judging from the look in his eyes, it’s looking like you’re facing death. 

But then, you really notice his eyes. And for a split second—just a split second—you’re derailed from your rising anger. 

They’re brown. But not just any brown—the kind of brown that makes poets write bad metaphors. Cinnamon swirls. Autumn leaves. Possibly falling in love in a Hallmark Christmas movie. 

But then you blink again, hard, snapping yourself out of whatever ridiculous moment your sleep-deprived brain just conjured. This is not the time. You’re literally staring at, like, three inches of this guy’s face. 

And he’s a jerk. Get a grip, Y/N. 

“Uh, yeah,” you clear your throat, trying your best to sound professional through your disbelief. “Sorry. We probably put in our shipment request late. But I’m sure you won’t implode by going one night without it?” 

You tack on a small laugh and smile at the end of your sentence, hoping to lighten the mood. 

He does not smile back. 

Not even a flicker. 

Instead, he continues to stare at you like you just suggested he eat plain, untoasted bread for the rest of his life. 

You want to bury yourself into a hole. Maybe getting fired on the fourth day won’t be so bad afterall. 

“I’m sure the regular spicy one is just as good. What’s the worst that could happen?” you offer weakly when he makes no sign of saying anything, and you really hope this guy doesn’t explode in front of you—mainly because you’re not confident in your own ability to explain that situation to your manager. 

“I’m not risking it,” he finally deadpans. 

Your jaw drops slightly. 

“You’re not ris—” you hesitate, debating whether you want to ruin your night further. But you’ve come this far. “You’re being…serious?” 

The question lined with your clear judgement hangs in the air between you two, and no amount of fake customer service can mask the expression of disapproval on your face. 

His eyes narrow at you as he scoffs, “You wouldn’t understand.” 

“Oh, I understand,” you tilt your head, your annoyance slowly reaching a boiling point, throwing all professionalism out the window. All you wanted was to enjoy your juice-sorting in peace, not babysit this walking ramen manifesto. “I understand that you’re just picky.” 

At that, his eyes flash—sharp, unreadable. “I’m not picky.” 

“You won’t eat a perfectly fine ramen just because it’s not named after the ninth circle of hell.” 

Silence. 

He stares at you with the intensity of someone about to write a strongly worded online review. 

Finally, with an exaggerated sigh, he finally mutters, “Fine. I’ll take the mild one.” 

You blink at the flavor in your hand—the one that’s clearly labeled in giant, blazing-red, font: Regular Spicy. Then you look back at him. 

“You mean regular spicy.” 

“Right. Whatever. Same thing.” 

He grabs the ramen cup from your hand and stalks off to grab his usual coffee milk, leaving you stranded in the middle of the ramen aisle, questioning every life choice that brought you here. 

Before you’re about to mentally spiral, his voice cuts through the store. 

“Hello?” 

Oh. Right. Your job. 

You scramble back to behind the register, quickly moving your hands to ring him up and get him out of here as soon as possible. 

He hands you his three crisp bills, and before you hand him his glorified ramen and godforsaken coffee milk, you hesitate, pulling them back slightly. He freezes, his hands hanging in the air between you two. 

“You know,” you narrow your eyes as you look up at him, “some people would say thank you for the recommendation.” 

His brow arches—or at least, you think it does. It’s hard to completely tell under his stupid hat. Then he fires back—

“And some people wouldn’t forget to restock the ramen.” 

Your mouth falls open, your words failing you as he grabs his goods from your hands, heading to the self-serve station to continue his nightly noodle worship as if he didn’t just verbally body-slam you. 

Yeah. It’s going to be a long night. 

Life is unpredictable, uncontrollable, and chaotic. 

Lee Heeseung’s life? Heeseung’s life is that times ten, with an extra sprinkle of what-is-even-happening-anymore? 

Between back-to-back choreo sessions, recording tracks at hours that shouldn’t legally exist, and navigating the emotional and physical minefield of constant shows, interviews, photoshoots—you name it—nothing about his life is consistent. 

However—

There are two things—two sacred constants—that keep Heeseung from spiraling into total madness. 

The first? 

Insomnia. 

Not by choice, of course. He doesn’t love being awake at 3AM, staring at his ceiling and waiting for sleep to take over. But it’s a loyal companion, like a stray cat that keeps showing up at your house no matter how hard you try to shoo it away. Heeeseung’s insomnia is always there for him, night after night, ensuring he gets exactly only four hours of sleep—with a side of existential dread. 

And the second? 

Extra Spicy Hellfire ramen and coffee milk. 

Yes, it’s a weird combo. 

No, he doesn’t care. 

This unlikely pairing is Heeseung’s personal slice of heaven he can actually control and choose in a life otherwise ruled by the rest of the world. 

Every night, he drags himself to his favorite corner store, grabs his fiery ramen and sweet, creamy coffee milk, and plants himself in the window seat to enjoy his culinary masterpiece in peace. 

Then—and only then—can Heeseung catch a few hours of sleep, the spice-induced euphoria lulling himself into a temporary state of calm. 

Does he have a problem? Absolutely. 

Is he addicted? Without a doubt. 

Does he care? Not in the slightest. 

Because in a world that demands he change at the drop of a hat, this little routine of his is the one thing that stays consistent. 

Well, except for last night. 

Because last night, someone dared to disrupt the cosmic balance of his existence. Someone failed to restock his precious Extra Spicy Hellfire ramen. 

He had stared at the empty spot on the shelf, the betrayal hitting him like a personal attack. He went home last night only a quarter satisfied from the mild spicy ramen he had settled with. 

And the worst part? 

He couldn’t stop thinking about the someone responsible. 

Now here he is, stepping into the corner store at 1:09AM, ready to make up for last night’s disappointment of an outcome. 

Heeseung steps into the brightly lit store, the familiar ding ringing behind him as he enters right on time. He continues his familiar route to the ramen aisle, but not before shooting a quick glance from below his hat toward the counter. 

Yup, there she is. 

You. 

The new graveyard shift employee. The one who dared to challenge his sacred ramen ritual and stared at him like he was a walking poor life choice. 

You’re here again. This is five nights in a row. Heeseung wonders if you 1) are insane, 2) have no life, or 3) are purely here just to spite him. 

But tonight, he’s prepared. His focus is razor-sharp, his mission clear: Extra Spicy Hellfire and coffee milk. Nothing will get in the way tonight. 

Heeseung looks up, exhaling in relief when he spots the fiery red packaging of the Extra Spicy Hellfire sitting innocently on the shelf. There you are. 

He grabs the cup (with too much excitement that it should honestly embarrass him), cradling it like a long-lost love, before he makes his way to snag his coffee milk. 

Perfect combo. Perfect routine. Perfect night. 

Except—

Except, of course, you’re watching him. Again. 

He doesn’t even need to look up to know it. He can feel your judging eyes burning into the back of his head like you did the other night—like you’re seconds away from filing a report against his own taste buds. 

He doesn’t get it—what’s so strange about ramen and coffee milk? It’s not like he’s dipping the noodles in it. Why you’ve made it your personal mission to antagonize him, he has no idea, but it’s really throwing him off his ramen zen. 

Heeseung sighs to himself as he steps up to the counter, making sure you hear the sheer misery in this voice—because, of course, fate has cursed him with yet another encounter with you.

“So…do you actually enjoy these together, or are you just trying to destroy your stomach lining?” 

He freezes. Great, you’re talking. So much for a perfect night. 

He adjusts his cap to peer at you and that same unimpressed, judgmental look sitting on your face as you lean against the counter behind you. “What’s wrong with my choices?” 

Your eyebrows shoot up, “What's right with them? This combo screams, ‘I have unresolved issues I’m trying to boil away with spicy and sugar.’” 

Okay, ouch. 

Heeseung narrows his eyes, trying to ignore the weird pinch in his chest at how quickly you read him, whether he likes to admit it or not. 

“I like them. That’s all that matters,” his voice drips with a certain sharpness, hoping the edge in his tone is enough to make you back off. 

You, however, seem entirely unfazed.

“Just trying to help,” you shrug as you scan his items, “looking out for your poor taste buds.” 

For a moment, Heeseung considers firing back, but then his gaze catches yours for a millisecond too long as you take his cash and, immediately, he’s wondering—for the hundredth time—if you know. 

Do you recognize him? 

The thought has been gnawing at him since the first time he stepped into this store and saw you sitting there five days ago. Sure, he’s got his identity pretty much concealed under his borderline clinically insane hat-mask-hoodie combo, but still—most people at least give him a double take, a lingering glance. Something. 

But you? Nothing. No flash of recognition. No curiosity. Nothing to indicate you know you’re talking to Lee Heeseung—part idol, part insomniac, 100% ramen enthusiast. 

And for some reason, that both annoys and intrigues him. 

“Thanks for your concern,” Heeseung mumbles dryly, quickly grabbing the ramen cup and cold drink from your hands. 

“No problem,” you chirp just as sarcastically, an annoying smile on your face. “Enjoy your…uh, gourmet meal.”

Heeseung throws you one last glare before shaking his head and stalking off to the self-serve station. He puts the cup down on the counter with a little more force than necessary and pours boiling water over the noodles, glaring into the steam as your voice rings in his head. 

What’s wrong with ramen and coffee milk? He scowls. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And I definitely don’t have unresolved issues. 

But as he steals a glance back at the check-out counter and catches you sorting bills like nothing happened, a weird unease settles in his chest. 

He looks down at this ramen, then at the coffee milk. 

For the first time ever, he feels…self-conscious. 

And now you’re in his head. 

Great. 

By night six, you don’t know whether to pity the guy or stage an intervention.

The ding of the automatic doors announces his arrival, as usual, at exactly 1:09AM. You know it’s him—Ramen Guy. The guy who you’re convinced single-handedly continues to keep the Extra Spicy Hellfire ramen business float. 

You lean against the counter and subtly watch him make his usual pilgrimage to the ramen aisle, internally scoffing to yourself at the weird moment he picks up his ramen like it’s his newborn child.

He’s so weird. 

You wonder what kind of person he is outside this convenience store. Does he always make such objectively strange choices? Like, does he wear socks with sandals? Does he mix his cereal with orange juice instead of milk? 

Your haunting thoughts are interrupted by the sound of his usual unholy pair of snacks hitting the counter in front of you with a soft thunk. You look down at the items before glancing back up at him with a skeptical look on your face, “You ever think about switching it up?”

Ramen Guy, clearly expecting the snark, doesn’t miss a beat, “You ever think about minding your business?” 

“Not really. Boredom makes me nosy,” you shrug. “And at this point, you’re the only thing keeping me entertained at this hour.” 

He rolls his eyes so dramatically you’re mildly concerned he might sprain something. 

“And I’m starting to think you like judging me a little too much.” 

“Wrong. I like judging everyone equally,” you scan his items, then tilt your head. “But maybe you’re a special case. With issues.” 

To your surprise, he snorts. Like, an actual, out-loud laugh. 

“Says the girl who voluntarily works the night shift.”

Your smirk falters for half a second. He catches it.

Ramen Guy raises an eyebrow, leaning casually against the counter. “What? Too close to home?”

You shift in your spot, “Bold of you to assume I have issues.”

He shrugs, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

You shift the attention back to him. “What about you, then? Why do you keep showing up here, huh?”

At that, something changes. The words in the air, and for the first time, you notice a slight shift in his demeanor—the slight awkwardness in the way he shifts his weight. 

Then, after a brief pause, he meets your gaze and throws the question right back at you.

“Why do you keep working the night shift?”

You freeze, putting his items back down on the counter, caught off guard by the reversal. "Touché. But I asked first."

There's hesitation again for a moment, his fingers tapping the edge of the counter impatiently—nervously?

"I like the peace and quiet,” he finally says, and for the first time tonight, he meets your eyes.

For a split second, you’re startled by the sincerity in his gaze and sudden shift in tone—it’s almost distracting. But you shake yourself out of it just as quickly.

"Nothing about Extra Spicy Hellfire and coffee milk sounds peaceful or quiet," your voice softer now but still teasing.

"Okay, Miss Graveyard Shift," he fires back, leaning a little closer over the counter. "Why are you here every night? Do you have a thing for fluorescent lighting and cleaning up after drunk customers or something?"

You don't miss the faint challenge in his voice as you narrow your eyes at him.

Then, you settle for a shrug and take a breath, answering honestly.

"It's flexible. Pays well enough," you start, before looking back at him, and add, almost as an afterthought, "...and I like the quiet too."

It’s an honest answer, one that seems to hang in the air between you two for a beat too long. His gaze softens ever so slightly, and you swear you see something shift underneath that stupid cap of his, but before you can dwell on it, he straightens up.

He places his three bills on the counter, grabs his items, and pauses.

“So,” he starts, his lighter tone breaking the silence, “do you have a name, or should I just keep calling you Graveyard Shift Girl?”

You raise a brow, amused, as you start putting his bills away, “Do you have a name, or should I just keep calling you Ramen Guy?”

For a split second, you think you see something flicker in his eyes—something smug, something entertained. And you don’t know it, but under his mask, his lips twitch, fighting back a faint smile.

“Touché,” he murmurs, echoing your earlier words before stepping back from the counter, items in hand, but lingers just a moment longer than necessary—like he wants to say something else.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he turns towards the self-serve station, falling back into his regular routine.

And you should do the same.

You try to do the same. But as you go back to your usual tasks—wiping down the counter, restocking shelves, pretending to be productive—you find yourself sneaking glances out of the corner of your eye toward his window seat.

He just sits there, just like he always does, stirring his ramen absentmindedly as he stares out into the empty street. And yet, tonight, something feels…different.

It’s nothing. You tell yourself it’s nothing.

Just curiosity. Natural, given how he keeps showing up every night, breaking up the monotony of your shift with his weird food choices and even weirder personality.

And yet—

No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to stop thinking about him—the way he looked at you earlier, the way his demeanor shifted even slightly.

It’s nothing.

Still, your gaze flickers back at him, catching the way his fingers tap lightly against the table, lost in thought. You wonder what kind of things keep a guy like him up at night.

And maybe—just maybe—you’re starting to find his weird little habits endearing, too.

The faint sound of the store’s music plays in the background, the clock ticks, and eventually, he finishes his ramen, tosses his trash, and makes his way toward the door.

And then—he hesitates.

Just for a second. A small pause, a barely-there moment where he stops, glances over his shoulder just slightly—just enough to look at you.

“See you tomorrow, Graveyard Shift Girl.”

You blink, caught off guard, and for a moment, all you can manage is to stare at him. Then, as you fail to ignore the weird blooming feeling in your chest, your words slip out almost on instinct:

"Goodnight, Ramen Guy."

The next night, you do something completely out of character, entirely unprovoked, and maybe just a little bit unhinged—you take your cheesy ramen, peace juice pouch, and bag of potato chips and plop yourself down right next to Ramen Guy and his usual window seat. 

He pauses mid-slurp. Keeping his head low, he turns to you slowly. Suspiciously.

“What…are you doing?” 

“Having dinner,” you say matter-of-factly, popping open your bag of chips. 

His gaze drops to your meal, and then back to you. “It’s almost 1:30AM.” 

“Okay? Dinner, early breakfast, midnight snack, call it whatever you want,” you shrug, unbothered as you continue unwrapping your meal. 

Ramen Guy exhales through his nose, shaking his head to himself like he’s just accepted his fate. Without another word, he turns back to his own meal and resumes eating. 

A surprisingly comfortable silence follows—the only sounds filling the empty store the quiet hum of the store’s playlist, the buzz of the lights above you, and the synchronized slurp of two insomniacs with poor diet choices. 

Then, without thinking, you tilt your bag of potato chips, holding it out between you two, “Want one?”

He stops mid-motion, as if he’d almost forgotten you were still here.

Almost.

A glance into your bag, a small shrug, and then, just like that, he grabs a chip and pops it into his mouth, moving so fast you barely catch a glimpse of his face without the mask.

“Thanks,” he mutters before taking a sip of his coffee milk, still keeping his head low.

You hum in response, your fingers drumming against the counter before your curiosity wins the best of you, “So…what kind of life leads you to seek peace and quiet in a convenience store?”

It’s a question that’s been on your mind since last night’s conversation. What can you say? You’re a creature of curiosity.

Ramen Guy shrugs next to you, “What do you mean?”

“Like…you’re here every night. Why at night? Why not during the day?”

He lets out a short chuckle. “You want me to leave?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Sure sounded like it.”

You exhale sharply, your fingers now absentmindedly swirling the noodles in your bowl. “Look, I’m just saying—most people are asleep at this hour.”

He smirks. You can hear it in his voice without even looking. “You’re here too, aren’t you?”

“That’s different, this is my job,” you scoff, amused, before pointedly gesturing at this meal before him, “Unless you want to call your weird habits a job. Which, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone was paying you to subject your tastebuds to that every night.”

And he laughs. It’s small, barely there, but you catch it. Then, with a quiet exhale, he finally answers, “It’s like I told you before, I like the quiet at this hour…I don’t get a lot of that.”

You stop twirling your noodles, the air shifting into that same unspoken understanding from last night. Faint, but unmistakable.

Something unsaid hanging between the two of you, something that tells you this guy is more than just an insomniac with questionable food choices.

You tilt your head. “So, what, you got a bunch of loud roommates or something?”

A small, almost knowing smile tugs at his lips. “Something like that.”

You raise a brow at his vague answer but don’t press. Instead, you nod towards his food. “And your criminal meals? That part of the quiet too?”

He huffs, “Maybe I just have superior taste.”

“Right, totally,” you laugh, the tone in your voice almost testing him. 

Ramen Guy finishes up his meal, wiping his mouth quickly with a napkin before putting his mask back on and finally turning to face you fully.

He narrows his eyes at you, “You think you have me all figured out?”

You mirror his actions, facing him fully for the first time tonight, folding your arms, “Oh, I do have you all figured out, Ramen Guy.”

“Oh yeah?” He leans forward slightly. “Alright, go on. Tell me who I am, Graveyard Psychic Girl.”

You roll your eyes but accept the challenge, leaning back in your seat.

“You’re a creature of habit, clearly. You like consistency. Probably because your life is very inconsistent otherwise.”

Ramen Guy doesn’t react, so you continue.

“You’re a night owl, but not by choice. You want to sleep, but your brain won’t let you.” Your eyes flick down to the coffee milk. “So, instead, you drink this, even though it probably makes it worse.”

Still no response.

“So now, you just keep showing up here because it’s predictable,” you finish with a small shrug. “And maybe…‘cause you’re kinda lonely.”

That makes him pause.

You immediately regret saying it. Because…what was that?

That was too much. Too deep. Too intrusive.

But to your surprise, he doesn’t deflect. He doesn’t scoff, or roll his eyes, or peer them at you the way he does a million times a night.

Instead, he tilts his head slightly, eyes glinting with something you can’t quite place.

“…Not bad,” he says finally, reaching for another chip from the bag in your hands.

You blink. “Wait, really?”

“I mean, kinda harsh, but…mostly true.”

“Oh,” you don’t know what you expected, but it wasn’t that.

A beat of silence passes before Ramen Guy speaks up again, “So basically, you’re saying we’re the same.”

You let out a snort, “Not even close.”

“We both work weird hours. We both like the quiet. We both eat the same convenience store junk food.” He holds up the bag of potato chips before eating another one.

“You just started eating those,” you deadpan. 

“Yeah, but I’m still eating them, which means my taste is obviously elite.”

“You literally eat coffee milk with nuclear ramen.”

“Okay, you’re the one who made it weird.”

A mischievous smile starts forming on your face as you snatch your bag of chips back from him, “So you agree your food choices are weird?” 

His smirk falters as a small giggle rises out of you. 

“Whatever you say, Graveyard Shift Girl.” 

The next night, Heeseung does something completely out of character, entirely unprovoked, and maybe just a little bit unhinged—he’s late. It’s 1:30AM, well past his usual 1:09AM show-up time, and the store is Heeseung-less.

He blames late-night dance practice. He also blames Ni-ki for stealing his usual black hoodie—forcing him to spend an extra thirty minutes looking for another one. Not that the hoodie matters, he would argue (yes, it does).

When he finally steps through the door at 1:32AM, the familiar ding barely finishes echoing before—

“Wow,” you drawl from behind the counter, arms crossed. “Tragic. Unbelievable. I was starting to think you found a new place to bother.”

Heeseung snorts, making a beeline for the ramen aisle, “You wish. Wouldn’t want you to get bored without me.”

You let out a dramatic gasp, “Wow. Thoughtful and self-aware. Who knew you had layers?”

Heeseung tries to ignore you, moving to grab his coffee milk. But his lips twitch under his mask, and he’s glad it’s hiding the way he’s failing to fight the smile growing on his face.

When he finally reaches the counter, you push off from where you were leaning against the counter, hands settling on your hips. “Okay, be honest. Outside of this, do you have anything else going on in your life?” 

Heeseung raises a brow, completely caught off guard. If there’s one thing he’s learned over the past few nights, it’s that you’re incredibly nosy. And for someone who claims to like working the night shift because of the quiet, you’re absolutely terrible at keeping things that way. 

“Excuse me?”

“You mentioned that you work weird hours yesterday,” you gesture vaguely at him. “So, spill.”

His stare remains blank, debating if he can distract you by handing you his three bills of cash (he can’t).

“I do…stuff.”

“Stuff,” you repeat, “Quite riveting.”

Heeseung exhales, “Why do you care?”

You shrug, taking his cash and putting it away. “You must do something interesting. You’re too weirdly confident for a guy who just bums around convenience stores at night.”

Heeseung scoffs. "Weirdly confident?"

"Yeah, like—" You wave around you. "You walk around like you have some big, mysterious purpose. But all I ever see you do is glare at instant noodles and sip milk like a sad Victorian child."

Heeseung shakes his head, letting out a breathy laugh. "Maybe that is my purpose."

Then, he simply shrugs. But there’s something in his gaze—something unreadable, like he’s deciding exactly how much he wants to say.

"It’s hard to explain,” he finally says. “I just…have a weird work schedule.”

"Weird how?"

"Weird as in, I don’t really get normal hours. Always moving, always working. Makes sleep kinda impossible."

You pause, taking in his words. Then, you shift slightly, crossing your arms. "Sounds exhausting."

Heeseung exhales a laugh, leaning against the counter. "You have no idea."

For a moment, a familiar and warm quiet fills the air as the two of you linger, as if waiting for the other to say something more.

And he doesn’t know why, but his chest feels a little too tight—like he’s let you stumble into a part of him you weren’t supposed to see yet.

“Well,” you say quietly, your lips curving into a soft smile that sends a weird jolt through his body that he chooses to ignore. “I’m honored you’ve chosen this fine establishment as your official sanctuary.”

He scoffs, reaching for his items. "Don’t let it go to your head, Graveyard Shift Girl.”

He then turns to head to his usual corner when—

“Y/N.”

Heeseung pauses, turning back at you like an awkward child lost in the middle of a store.

“My name,” you clarify, casually returning to sorting the register’s bills. “A lot easier to say than Graveyard Shift Girl.”

Heeseung gives you a slow nod, something unfamiliar and unplaceable twisting in his stomach as he turns back around.

And when he finishes his meal and leaves that night, he calls out—

“See you tomorrow, Y/N.”

And, this time, he doesn’t fight the smile under his mask when he hears your voice, a little softer, call back out:

“Goodnight, Ramen Guy."

It happens the moment he steps inside.

Heeseung doesn’t even make it past the threshold before a familiar melody drifts through the weak convenience store speakers and to his ears.

Familiar because he’s heard it a thousand times.

Familiar because it’s literally his voice singing the line.

His stomach drops.

Instead of his usual beeline to the ramen aisle, Heeseung turns towards the counter where you’re idly tapping on your phone, oblivious.

The hum of the melody continues, and Heeseung is suddenly too hyper-aware of how loud his own voice sounds in the otherwise dead-silent store.

Panic creeps up his spine.

He moves fast, crossing the store in a few long strides, slamming his hands down onto the counter that divides the two of you.

You jump in your seat.

“Geez—” you clutch your chest, wide-eyed as you take in his very sudden, very urgent presence. “What the hell?”

Heeseung ignores you, pointing above him, “Did you put this on?”

Your brows furrow as you put your phone down, glance up at him, then at the speakers he’s pointing at. You barely register the song before recognition flickers across your face.

“Oh—this? Nah, it’s the store’s playlist,” you gesture towards the iPad behind the counter, currently playing a Current Hits playlist on shuffle. “It’s some group’s new song. Pretty catchy.”

Heeseung just stares at you, mind racing.

You don’t recognize it.

You don’t recognize his voice.

The realization sends relief crashing over him, but he quickly snaps out of it with a brand-new problem—because now he has to decide what the hell to do with this information.

Does he tell you? Drop the act and lay it all out? Would you believe him? Would you even care?

“You okay?” Now you’re staring at him, suspicious. “Why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?”

Heeseung clears his throat, realizing his stance is way too conspicuous, and slowly removes his hands from the counter to stand up straight, attempting to sound normal, “No reason.” 

You squint at him.

Then—

“Oh my god,” you gasp, eyes suddenly lighting up. “Wait.”

His heart stops. Oh, shit. She figured it out. This is it.

“Are you a fan?” you blurt, leaning forward in your seat eagerly.

Heeseung blinks.

…What.

“Oh, you totally are,” you continue, completely missing the way his soul is currently leaving his body. “You came straight to the counter like a man on a mission. Oh my god. Are they, like, your favorite group or something?”

Heeseung has never wanted to laugh and cry at the same time more than he does in this moment.

“Something like that,” he mutters, bringing a hand to rub this temple, because no way this is happening right now.

You beam brightly from your seat, “That’s cute. Who’s your bias?”

At that, Heeseung does laugh—because this is now officially the most ridiculous thing that’s ever happened to him.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

There’s a long pause.

And then—after a deep breath, a long and heated internal debate, and one last glance at your innocent, completely oblivious face—he finally exhales, looking you straight in the eye.

“This guy,” he says as he hears his own voice ring out through the store. “Because that’s me. That’s my voice.”

Silence.

You stare at him.

You blink. Once. Twice.

Then, after what feels like an eternity—

“…Huh?”

Then you tilt your head. "I'm sorry—what?"

Heeseung watches as your expression cycles from confusion to skepticism to outright disbelief. He braces himself.

"My name is Lee Heeseung," he repeats slowly. "From Enhypen."

Another beat of silence.

Then—because you’re you—

You burst out laughing.

"Okay, Ramen Guy," you snort, crossing your arms. "Very funny.”

Heeseung sighs, "I knew this would happen."

"Because you’re delusional?"

"Because you don’t pay attention."

You roll your eyes, "Oh, I’m sorry, but when in our thriving relationship have you ever given me a reason to believe that you’re actually a famous idol and not just some guy who has concerning dietary habits?"

Heeseung groans.

He regrets everything. He regrets this entire conversation. He could have lied. He could have said literally anything else. But no—he had to be honest. And look where that got him.

"I’m serious," he insists, leveling you with a look.

You stare back at him.

Then, something seems to click in your brain, because you suddenly lunge for your phone.

"Oh, we’re doing this," you mutter, fingers flying across the screen as you type in his name. "Let’s see if—"

You stop.

Heeseung watches as your eyes widen, scanning the images in front of you. Then you look up at him. Then back down at the phone.

Then back at him.

“Take the mask off,” you mutter quietly, slowly holding your phone up next to his face.

With an exhausted sigh, Heeseung does what he’s told and pulls it down for the first time in front of you.

You scan him. Then the phone. Then him.

"You've gotta be shitting me," you breathe.

Heeseung shrugs, "Told you."

You gape at him, your mouth opening and closing.

You don’t know what shocks you more—the fact that a literal celebrity has been standing in front of you this whole time, or the realization that the once-random stranger you used to relentlessly tease has, somehow, always been this ridiculously good-looking all along. 

"So…you’re famous?"

"Something like that."

"Something like that?" You shove your phone toward him, your screen now displaying the group’s Instagram page. "You literally have fans. Like, millions of them."

Heeseung cringes, "Okay, you don’t have to say it like that."

"Like what? Like you’re a superstar and I’ve been treating you like a regular guy who can't cook for himself?"

"Because that’s exactly what I am?"

“Unbelievable,” you scoff, shaking your head. “So you sing. You perform. You—commit crimes against humanity with your ramen choices each night.”

Heeseung groans. “Oh my god.”

“Oh my god,” you echo, standing up from your seat behind the counter. “So you’re telling me that every night, an actual, real-life idol has been showing up here, inhaling a week’s worth of sodium, and I—” You pause, eyes narrowing. “Wait. Are you even allowed to be eating this garbage?”

“And are you ever able to mind your own business?” Heeseung counters, now fully regretting this entire conversation.

“Absolutely not, Lee Heeseung, because this is literally the plot of a drama,” you wave your hands in disbelief. “Mystery insomniac convenience store guy turns out to be a world famous pop star—”

“Okay, let’s not get carried away.”

“—and I, the unsuspecting cashier, unknowingly roast him every night like he’s just some sleep-deprived college student instead of a millionaire with talent. Wait—” you then pause again, placing your hands on your hips, staring at him with a newfound judgment. “—you’re loaded, aren’t you?”

Heeseung pinches the bridge of your nose, exasperated, “Why is that your takeaway from this?”

“You are!” you exclaim, your smile widening as you ignore his suffering. “You’re rich and you’re out here eating instant ramen every night!”

Heeseung groans again, dropping his head onto the counter in front of you, “Oh my god.”

Grinning, you bend down to this level. “So this whole time, you’ve been lying to me?”

He lifts his head just enough to glare at you. "It’s not lying. It’s…selective honesty.”

You scoff, straightening up just as Heeseung does, meeting his gaze with an accusatory squint. “That’s literally the definition of lying.”

“Look, it’s not like I planned to make a habit out of this,” he gestures to the store around him. “I came in one night, and then I came back, and suddenly, I had a thing going. Then you showed up and started running your mouth, and—”

“And you kept coming back anyways,” you finish, crossing your arms, a slow, amused smile tugging at your lips.

Heeseung freezes. His mouth opens. Then closes.

“…Yeah.”

A silence stretches between you—charged, almost personal—until you decide to cut through the tension with a smirk.

“What if I play your group’s music over the speakers every night?”

The look on his face is deadly. “You wouldn’t.”

Your grin grows, “Wouldn’t I, though?”

“This is the worst night of my life,” Heeseung drags a hand down his face and turns towards the ramen aisle. “I’m leaving.”

“Aww, c’mon,” you tease, calling out after him and delighting in his suffering. “Also can we talk about how you literally just said you’re your own bias?”

“Shut up.”

You’re still laughing when he returns to the counter thirty seconds later—Extra Spicy Hellfire and coffee milk in hand, cheeks tinged pink.

“Alright, serious question,” you say, leaning in slightly from your seat at the window barstools. “If you had to give up either Extra Spicy Hellfire or coffee milk for the rest of your life, which would you choose?”

Heeseung immediately stops chewing, his chopsticks frozen midair as he turns to you with a look that says you just personally offended him.

“That’s straight evil.”

“You must choose, Ramen Guy.”

Heeseung groans, throwing his head back dramatically. “You can’t just throw life-altering hypotheticals at me like that.”

“Choose.”

He stares at his ramen. Then at this coffee milk. Then back at you.

Then back at his ramen.

Then back at you.

“I hate you, you know that?”

“Aw,” you flash him your sweetest, most infuriating smile. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me. Like, ever.”

Heeseung shoots a glare at you, “I hope your regular spicy ramen tastes like disappointment.”

“Oh, it totally does,” you look down at your own ramen in front of you and take an exaggerated slurp, “It’s just so awful.”

Heeseung’s lips perk up into a smile at your weirdly endearing antics before shaking his head, “You’re a lost cause.”

You giggle to yourself, taking a sip of your own juice when you hear Heeseung, barely audible, suddenly mutter:

“…I’d give up coffee milk.”

It’s quiet. It’s barely there.

Your jaw drops.

“I know, okay?” He rubs his temples as if the decision is actually hurting him. “It’s like choosing between two children. But at the end of the day, ramen is ramen.”

You nod along, pretending you understand the gravity of his heavy decision (you don’t). But still, you smile—because you were the one who got him to betray his beloved coffee milk.

Heeseung takes a sip of it anyway, groaning as he swirls the bottle in his hand. “I hate that you made me think about this.”

“You should be thanking me. Y’know, character growth and all that.”

“More like character damage.”

You grin, victorious, and he just rolls his eyes before pausing for a second to think, then—he nudges his ramen cup toward you.

“Here. Try some.”

You recoil immediately and look up at him with a look that tells him he’s absolutely psychotic.

“Absolutely not.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Why? You scared?”

“No, Heeseung, I just have these things called taste buds.”

He scoffs, shoving the bowl between you two closer. “Just one bite. C’mon, Graveyard Shift Girl, live a little. For me.”

You hold his gaze, suspicious but faltering, because—damn it—he’s looking at you like that. All smug and teasing, head tilted slightly, and it affects you.

And then he moves. 

He picks up his chopsticks, twirls them in the bowl, and catches a perfect bundle of noodles before leaning forward, holding them up between you two. He waits.

Your breath hitches. Your eyes flicker to the steam curling from the noodles, twisting in the air between your faces, fragile and fleeting.

Heeseung doesn’t move.

Neither do you.

It’s ridiculous, really. I mean, it’s ramen. But the way the space between you suddenly feels thin, the way his grip on the chopsticks stays steady, his fingers just inches from your lips, the way his dark eyes stay locked onto yours, watching you with something unreadable flickering beneath the usual teasing glint—it feels like time slows down.

You blink rapidly, clearing your throat. It’s fine. It’s cool. You’re overthinking.

Heeseung tilts his head slightly, watching. Waiting.

You let out an exaggerated sigh and slowly lean in to take the bite.

Your lips brush the chopsticks as you close your mouth around the noodles, and for a split second—one charged, unspoken, split second—neither of you move.

Heeseung is so close.

So close.

You can see the soft curve of his mouth, the way his gaze flickers over your face, the way his breath catches slightly like he just realized something.

You’re suddenly painfully aware of the close proximity and it sends a rush of heat to your cheeks. Panicked, you pull back quickly and settle into your seat like nothing happened.

But then you start chewing.

And that’s when you realize—

No, wait. Wait. That heat in your cheeks?

Oh.

Oh no.

Yeah. It’s definitely not because of Heeseung (well, maybe a part of it is). 

Because the second you swallow down the bundle of noodles—the embodiment of heat, pain, and suffering all slams into your mouth instantly.

You freeze.

Your brain short-circuits.

And then—

“Oh my GOD—” you choke, slamming your hands onto the counter, your body shaking as the spice courses through your veins.

Your throat ignites, your sinuses clear, and you swear you can hear colors.

Heeseung? Heeseung loses it.

His laugh bursts out of him—loud, unguarded, and completely delightful. He clutches his stomach, nearly hiccuping from how hard he’s laughing, his eyes crinkling at the corners, dimples deep in his cheeks.

If you weren’t literally physically dying in this current moment, you’d probably be absolutely too flustered to function at the sight.

“No way—” he wheezes through his laughter,“—are you actually struggling right now?”

“WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, HEESEUNG?!” you glare at him through the tears forming in your eyes as you desperately flail your arms around, searching for your juice pouch. “You eat this voluntarily?!”

“Every night, baby.”

“You’re sick.”

“And you’re dramatic.”

Your hands finally find your drink and you gulp it down as if it’s your lifeline, eyes still watery, throat still burning, lungs barely breathing. But somewhere in the middle of your suffering, you catch yourself staring.

At Heeseung.

At the way he’s still smiling, like he just had the best meal of his life. At the way his eyes sparkle when he laughs, his dimples peeking out like his own hidden secrets, the way his nose scrunches slightly when he’s amused—

Weird.

You blink the thoughts (and your tears) away, shaking it off, and blame the spice, the delirium, and sheer trauma of what just happened.

You clear your throat, sitting back with a desperate huff.

“I hope,” you catch your breath, gesturing to his bowl, “that when you come in tomorrow, we’re all out of this horrid flavor.”

Heeseung smirks, leaning back in his chair as he gives you a knowing look.

“You’d still restock it for me, though.”

Damn it.

Your shoulders slump, and both of you know you’re defeated.

He knows you know you’re defeated. 

Heeseung just grins, then, without a word, slides his coffee milk toward you in a silent truce.

You stare at it. Then at him.

His smile grows.

And you accept it.

Begrudgingly.

It’s 1:20AM when you find yourself behind the counter, surrounded by half-unpacked boxes of instant noodles and bottled drinks. The store hums with its usual white noise—lights buzzing above, soft music humming overhead, the low whirr of the coolers. 

And Heeseung? 

Heeseung is across the counter, perched on a barstool he dragged from across the store, doing absolutely nothing to help. 

For the nth time tonight, he flips a soda bottle into the air. 

And for the nth time tonight, he fails to land it upright, the bottle clattering onto the counter.

“You’re supposed to be helping me restock,” you remind him, tossing a pack of chips at him. 

“I am helping,” he argues, dodging the bag in time and letting it fall flat onto the ground. Great. 

You cross your arms, scoffing, “Oh yeah? What category does sitting there and flipping Diet Coke fall under?” 

Heeseung finally puts the bottle down on the counter and hums, tapping his fingers against the counter like he’s deep in thought. Then, he flashes you a meek smile, “Moral support?” 

You roll your eyes playfully, turning back to unbox another package from the pile stacked in front of you. 

Another silence falls between you and Heeseung watches as you go back to your job before he breaks it—

“How do you do this every night? Does it not get…I don’t know, tedious? Boring?” 

You freeze in your spot, caught by surprise at the question.

“Hm,” you turn to him, head tilted as you think.

Heeseung glances up at you, intrigued. The way your lips purse slightly, how your fingers fidget absentmindedly with the torn edge of a cardboard box. 

You exhale, leaning back against the counter, “Yeah, the hours suck, pay is…alright. And—” 

You hesitate. Your gaze drifts toward the floor, fixating on a dent near the register, “—and I think, at some point, I thought I felt stuck.” 

Something in Heeseung’s expression shifts. 

“I mean, I’m a college student, for god’s sake,” you continue, a small, humorless laugh escaping you. “And I spend my nights serving cigarettes to barely legal teens and cleaning up after ramen spills. It kind of felt like I was just…watching life pass me by, you know?”

Your voice quiets and it’s just the soft hum of the store again. You pick at the box without thinking, fingers grazing over the worn edges, and Heeseung watches you.

Because he gets it. 

He gets it in a way that makes his chest ache a little.

Because despite the differences in your lives—despite how he’s constantly moving while you feel stuck—you both know the feeling of watching life slip between your fingers, of wondering if you’re ever going to feel like you belong in it.

Heeseung holds the soda bottle between his hands, rolling it back and forth, murmuring, “Yeah, I get that.” 

You glance up at him, making eye contact, but you don’t push. 

“But then,” you say quietly, “I started seeing this place differently. Instead of somewhere I was stuck, it became more of a…break. An escape from everything. A breath of fresh air from expectations and routine.” 

And that—that makes Heeseung look up. 

Because deep down, that’s exactly what all of this has become for him too. 

He doesn’t know when it happened—if maybe it was the first night he found the store, maybe whenever you showed up, maybe all the sarcastic exchanges, or somewhere in between all of that—but these late-night visits, these stolen moments in a world that demands from him, have become something steady. Something his. 

And he wonders if maybe…maybe you’re the reason for that. 

Maybe you’ve been keeping him grounded in a life that never stops moving. 

And maybe he’s been keeping you from feeling stuck. 

Just maybe.

It’s late. Way later than usual. And Heeseung is still here. 

And you don’t know how, but you’ve both abandoned your usual spots—his self-proclaimed window seat and your stool behind the register.

Instead, you’re both sitting cross-legged on the floor behind the register counter, backs pressed against the shelf of over-the-counter medications that you just re-organized, with a laptop and plenty of empty snack wrappers sitting between the two of you.

“See this is exactly my problem with this movie,” you point at your laptop screen, your voice slightly muffled by the gummy bears in your mouth. “One idiot makes one bad decision, and suddenly everyone’s dead! Like, be so for real.”

Heeseung scoffs, leaning back on his hands, “It’s a movie, Y/N. It doesn’t have to be realistic.”

“And I don’t have to pretend this isn’t garbage,” you shoot back as the credits roll, unimpressed. “This is objectively the worst thing I’ve seen.”

“I think I just have an acquired superior taste,” Heeseung quips, his eyes teasing. “Just like with my food choices.” 

“Right,” your voice drags out. “Superior delusion, maybe.”

Heeseung shoves your shoulder with his own, and you laugh, the sound natural, unfiltered, and totally at his expense.

As you shut your laptop and start gathering the remains of your late-night snack feast, the conversation quiets for a moment into an easy, warm silence. It’s the kind of quiet that feels good, the kind that’s been happening more lately—something you never would’ve expected that first night you ever saw him enter the store. 

Then, Heeseung exhales, stretching his legs out in front of him as he leans back against the shelf, “You know, this might be the longest I’ve sat and relaxed in months.” 

You glance up at him, brows raised, “What, you don’t get to laze around on the floor surrounded by junk food with your favorite convenience store worker on a regular basis?”

“Unfortunately, no,” he huffs a laugh. “But I thought a lot about what you said the other night. And sometimes it’s like…”

He pauses and tilts his head back, his eyes following the way the light fixture above him flickers in and out, “Like I’m moving so fast I forget what it’s like to just…be.”

Something in his voice makes you pause in your actions, your hands putting down the miscellaneous wrappers between you.

“Is it hard?” you ask quietly.

He lets out a breathy chuckle from beside you, “It’s…a lot. You’re always being watched, always expected to be on. And even during breaks I’m already thinking about the next thing. The next schedule, next performance, next practice.”

You watch him for a moment, watch the way his fingers tap absentmindedly against his knee, something you’ve started to notice over time whenever he’s lost in thought. 

“But there are moments that make it worth it,” he continues, a small smile playing on his lips. “The music, how fun it is to be on stage, the fans. The feeling of performing and knowing people are there because they love what you do. It’s unreal.”

Your own smile unconsciously appears as you listen to him reflect, taking in his words. You never stopped to really think about his life in-depth before—and it does sound like a lot. Like something people dream of but don’t realize the weight of until they’re carrying it themselves. 

You nudge his knee lightly with yours, “For what it’s worth, I think you deserve to just exist sometimes, too.” 

Heeseung turns to look at you, and for a moment, his expression is unreadable.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you say, reaching into the closest bag of gummy bears to you and tossing one to him. He catches it easily, popping it into his mouth with a grin.

“See, this is why I keep coming back,” he says, chewing. “Gourmet snacks and free therapy.”

You roll your eyes. “Unbelievable. I take it back. Suffer.”

Heeseung laughs, popping another gummy bear into his mouth, before his fingers start tapping his knee again. Then, after a beat—

“You know, I’ve been thinking.”

When you look up at him, he’s already looking at you with a new…something. A newfound sincerity, maybe. Or uncertainty. Or both.

Your eyes meet, and suddenly, he visibly hesitates—shifting almost awkwardly in his spot, as if he both rehearsed what he’s about to say and yet has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. He clears his throat, breaking eye contact.

“I—um,” he swallows hard. “I’m sorry? For, y’know, being kind of a jerk when we first met. I think I was pretty…” He trails off awkwardly. “Jerk-ish.” 

You don’t move for a second. Slowly, one brow arches.

Heeseung thinks he regrets everything.

Then, a smile—slow and sweet—curls at your lips.

And suddenly, Heeseung realizes he doesn’t regret a damn thing.

“Oh, absolutely,” you say, nodding along dramatically. “You were a menace. Like, an insufferable, grumpy, little menace.”

Heeseung lets out a noise that lands somewhere between a groan and a laugh. “Okay, I get it.”

“But,” you continue, locking eyes with him again, “I guess I should apologize too.”

Heeseung perks up, now his brow lifting, “For what? Finally admitting I was right about—”

“For judging you and your still…very questionable choices.”

“Ah, there it is.”

You giggle, nudging him with your elbow before pausing. 

“But seriously…you’re, like…” you dramatically draw out the moment as if the words physically pain you to say.

Heeseung smirks, leaning in slightly, waiting for you.

“…pretty cool, I guess.”

A slow, satisfied smile spreads across his face, “I’ll take it.”

“Don’t let it get to your head,” you scoff. “You’re still a ramen-addicted jerk.”

Heeseung hums, still smiling, “Might be too late.”

Then, he tacks on, without thinking twice, “You’re pretty cool, too, I guess.”

You laugh at the hesitancy in his voice, “Okay, that sounded almost sincere.”

He rolls his eyes, but his smile softens, “No, but seriously, it’s…nice. Having someone I could talk to outside of…you know, my whole chaotic life.”

The sudden shift in the air quiets you for a moment as you look at Heeseung, noticing the slight drop in his shoulders, the way his fingers continue to drum against his leg. When you don’t say anything, he continues.

“I don’t…really talk to people like this,” he quietly says, as if admitting something to himself more so to you. Then, after a pause, he glances back up, eyes searching your own. “Now like how I do with you. Like…I could tell you anything and everything, really.”

Your breath catches, but you keep your expression neutral, “Oh?”

Heeseung shifts, looking down at his hands before exhaling a quiet laugh, “Sorry. Too serious?”

You find yourself quickly shaking your head. Because although, yes, most of your interactions with Heeseung are filled with jokes and teasing, the serious conversations or shared warm silences in between recently—have started to mean something more. They’ve become an outlet, a quiet escape from reality. It’s like the moment he steps through the store’s doors, the door rings, the outside world fades, and for a few hours, it’s just the two of you in this shared space.

A space that feels safe, untouched by expectations, where both of you can just be.

“No,” you say, softer this time. “Not at all.”

You hesitate for a beat before adding, “I…really like talking to you too. It’s—” you let out a small laugh, “almost unnaturally easy, actually.”

Heeseung doesn’t respond right away. He just nods, and then looks up at you from the ground and his eyes are serious—no teasing, no usual smugness, just something…real. Vulnerable.

Something that makes your heart beat a little too fast.

You should say something. Something light, or something sarcastic, or something normal.

But you don’t.

Because you’re too busy looking at his face.

Then, without thinking, his lips.

And he’s looking at yours.

You don’t know who leans in first, but suddenly, you’re close. He’s close. Too close. Close enough to hear his quiet inhale. To see the way his lashes flutter. To feel the space between you two thinning into something dangerously nonexistent.

You should move. You should break the moment before it turns into something neither of you can take back.

But you don’t.

And he doesn’t.

And then—

Ding.

The sound of the automatic doors sliding open shatters the moment.

You both jolt apart like a pair of teenagers caught guilty, and your heart is practically breaking out of your ribcage as you scramble to your feet, wiping your sweaty palms on your pants, your face burning as you appear from behind the counter to greet the customer that was blissfully unaware of whatever was definitely not about to happen behind the counter. 

You clear your throat as you look down at Heeseung, who’s still frozen in his spot and trying his very best not to lose his mind, “I should—um. Go back to work.”

Then, suddenly, Heeseung stands too, nodding quickly as he runs a hand through his hair, his face slightly pink, very much not looking at you, “Right. Yeah. Work.”

Right when you turn back to the counter, the customer is there, waiting for you to ring them up. You plaster the most normal smile you can muster, scan their snack, take their cash, and hand them their change—all while pretending you don’t feel Heeseung’s presence still lingering behind you.

You don’t turn around, and he doesn’t move.

And despite the complete lack of physical contact, you still feel his warmth. The same amount of warmth as when he was only mere inches away from your own face.

The door chimes as the customer leaves.

Then, finally—Heeseung clears his throat.

Hesitantly, you turn around, bracing yourself.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, avoiding your gaze before forcing out, in the most casual voice he can manage—

“So, uh—same time tomorrow?”

You blink.

Then, finally, you let out a small laugh, “You’re so weird.”

The tension in the air cracks just enough, and Heeseung exhales a quiet laugh, “And yet, you’d miss me if I didn’t show up, wouldn’t you?”

You open your mouth, ready to argue, except—nothing comes out.

Because, unfortunately, you know he’s right.

And he knows he’s right.

So, naturally, instead of admitting defeat, you suddenly grab a rag from behind the counter and start aggressively scrubbing at a perfectly clean surface.

“Go home, Ramen Guy.”

Heeseung just grins, shoving his hands into his pockets as steps out from behind the counter and backs away. “Night, Graveyard Shift Girl.”

When he’s finally gone, you’re left standing there, staring at where he just was before you.

And finally, when the reality of what just happened fully settles in—

You groan, dropping your head against the counter.

Because now he's in your head.

Great.

The clock above you ticks, a sound that usually fades into the background and becomes a part of the store’s white noise. But tonight? 

Tonight, it’s your biggest freaking nuisance. 

You think if you have to hear it tick one more time, you’re taking the ladder from the backroom, climbing up there, yanking that thing off the wall, and tossing it right into the dumpster. 

Why? 

Because, it’s 2:21AM. 

2:21AM, and you’re alone. Stuck in this sad, empty convenience store with nothing but your own annoying thoughts and the snacks laid out in front of you with no one to share them with. 

Same time tomorrow, my ass, you think bitterly, aggressively straightening a stack of receipts near the register that don’t even need straightening. 

Heeseung’s voice from a few days ago still rings in your head—completely, and unfortunately, uninvited.

You don’t even know why they’re stuck in there, his words looping around, constantly taunting you.

The worst part?

His words had been entirely untrue.

Because it’s been three days.

Three full days since Heeseung has walked through those automatic doors, plopped down in his usual seat, and proceeded to either a) annoy you, b) argue with you over his food-related crimes, or c) make you laugh against your will.

And you don’t know why it’s bothering you so much.

Frustrated? Yeah, you’re frustrated. But the real question is—at what, exactly?

Frustrated that he just disappeared without so much as a heads-up? No warning?

Or maybe you’re frustrated at the very fact that you’re even thinking about this at all.

It’s not like he owes you an explanation. It’s not like he belongs to this store…or to you.

So why does it feel like something’s missing every time you glance at the entrance, half-expecting to hear the ding of the doors and see him stroll in with his stupid hoodie and even stupider smirk?

You shake your head, trying your best to snap yourself out of it.

It’s fine. You’re fine.

You don’t care.

You don’t care so much that, for some reason unbeknownst to you, your brain—your traitorous, overthinking, hardworking brain—itches with a thought.

A stupid, ridiculous, subconscious thought.

And before you can fully even process what you’re doing, your fingers are already unlocking your phone, your thumbs moving on autopilot as you do something you swore you wouldn’t.

You search up his name.

It’s pathetic. It’s sad. Even you’re disappointed in yourself. 

You told yourself you wouldn’t associate Heeseung with his job, with the persona that everyone else sees. Because to you, Heeseung is just…Heeseung—the insomniac who bickers with you every night, who somehow turns every conversation into an argument he has to win, who sits cross-legged with you behind the register eating spicy noodles and giving objectively bad movie recommendations.

And to him? 

Well. You thought that to him, you were just you. Just some convenience store worker he happened to befriend. Someone outside of his world, outside of the blinding lights. Someone he didn’t have to be anyone around. 

His words echo in your mind as you think—just a person he could tell anything and everything to. 

You push the thought along with their feelings down as you continue scrolling—quick, desperate, your fingers flying over your screen, swiping through posts, comments, anything that could explain his sudden absence—

And then. 

You see it.

A tweet. 

Tagging his group, followed by a message. It’s short. Sweet. Simple. 

Yet entirely soul-crushing. 

“Can’t believe they’re leaving for tour already tomorrow! So excited to see them in a few days!!” 

Your breath catches. 

Your eyes flicker over the words again.

And again.

Leaving. For tour.

Tomorrow.

Your stomach twists violently as you scan for more confirmation, your hands gripping your phone with a newfound frustration as you tap through articles, fan accounts—anything to tell you this isn’t real. That there’s some mistake. That you didn’t just foolishly spend three days waiting for someone who was never going to show up.

But there it is. Everywhere. Right in front of you.

Confirmed dates. Cities. Posters.

Heeseung is leaving. Tomorrow.

And he didn’t say a word.

You don’t know how long you sit there, staring at your screen. The words all blur together, but the sinking feeling in your chest is sharp, clear, and undeniable.

And you hate it.

You hate that you feel like this. You hate that your first instinct wasn’t to be happy for him, or proud, or even remotely understanding.

Instead, you’re angry. Upset. Hurt.

And what you hate the most?

You know exactly why you feel this way.

And just as that realization settles in—just as the blur of your feelings finally sharpens into something unmistakable, something you can no longer ignore—the familiar ding of the automatic doors cuts through the quiet store and the screaming thoughts in your head.

You almost don’t look up.

Almost.

But then you do, and your stomach drops.

Because there he is.

You blink, because at first you think maybe you’ve been drowning in your thoughts for so long that you’ve started hallucinating him—manifesting his presence out of sheer frustration towards him.

But, no.

Heeseung stands there, at the entrance, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets, looking at you like nothing’s changed.

Like he hasn’t been gone for days, like he hasn’t left you suffering with your own emotions—like he hasn’t been the only thing on your mind even when you really, really, didn’t want him to be.

“Hey,” Heeseung nods at you casually, walking over to his usual stupid aisle, grabbing his usual stupid Extra Spicy Hellfire, then reaching for his usual stupid coffee milk—all like clockwork, all like he never left.

You don’t respond.

Instead, you busy yourself—wiping the spotless corner of your counter, smoothing out a crumpled receipt, pretending you’re looking for something in the shelves beneath you.

Anything to keep yourself from looking at him.

And you might actually lose it.

Because if you have to stand here and pretend like you’re fine, that these past few days haven’t felt like an eternity for you—you might actually lose it.

Heeseung finally walks up to the counter, places his things between you, then pauses before repeating, tilting his head, “Hey?” 

He shifts slightly, waiting for you to acknowledge him.

You don’t.

A beat passes. Then another.

“You mad at me or something?” he asks, his head still tilted, his voice light, hesitant.

You inhale, your fingers subconsciously tightening around the edge of the counter.

Then, you let out a quiet laugh—an empty, humorless scoff.

“Should I be?”

Heeseung frowns, clearly confused, “What?”

You finally look at him. And you think it was a mistake. Because the second you meet his gaze—uncertain, searching, so annoyingly familiar—you feel your throat close up.

He looks the same. Same stupid hoodie. Same messy hair. Same tired eyes that you’ve somehow come to find comfort in.

And that makes you hate this even more.

“Is this because I haven’t been showing up?” Heeseung tries again, a small, teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Damn, I didn’t realize you’d miss me that much. Sorry, Graveyard Shift Gi—”

“When were you going to tell me?”

Your voice is quiet, but he doesn’t miss it.

And he stills.

There it is.

He shifts in his spot again, his eyes now darting down to where his fingers are tapping against the counter.

“What?” he says again, but this time, it’s different. Careful.

You swallow, forcing down the lump forming in your throat, forcing yourself to look at him.

“When were you going to tell me you were leaving?”

It’s soft. Barely above a whisper. But lined with something raw, something vulnerable, something hurting.

And Heeseung hears all of it. He feels all of it.

He doesn’t answer. He just stares at you, lips pressing into a thin line.

Somewhere in the background, the clock continues ticking, the lights overhead buzzing, a song from the speakers humming.

And Heeseung stays silent.

“You weren’t,” you murmur, the words caught in your throat. “Were you?”

Heeseung exhales sharply, dragging a hand through his hair, “I—” 

He stops. Starts again. 

“It’s not—it wasn’t—”

You cross your arms tightly, more so to ground yourself more than anything.

He lets out a quiet, frustrated laugh, shaking his head.

“Look,” he gestures vaguely, between you, at the store, at the shelves, at the space you’ve unknowingly carved out for him here. “This—this is the only thing that’s felt normal for me in a long time.”

Your stomach twists.

“Everything else—my whole life, it’s all…chaos. But this?” He swallows, his eyes finally looking up to meet your gaze, his voice quieter now. “You?”

His eyes flash with something new, something softer, something that lingers in the way he looks at you. The same way he has over late-night snack feasts, whispered movie nights, conversations that blended into the early mornings. 

“You’re the closest thing to normal I’ve had.”

And somehow, that makes it worse.

Because you get it. You know him, so you understand.

But it doesn’t change the fact that he was going to leave without telling you.

You inhale slowly, your heavy gaze holding his.

“So what?” your voice is still quiet, but now edged with a new sharpness. “You thought if you didn’t say anything, it wouldn’t have to be real?”

Heeseung presses his lips together. “I thought maybe if I didn’t say it, I wouldn’t have to lose this yet.”

Your breath catches.

You want to laugh. You want to cry.

Heeseung didn’t tell you because he didn’t want to ruin this.

Whatever this is.

Whatever the two of you had built over the weeks between instant noodles and snacks, between arguments over food choices, between all the unspoken moments that made you feel like maybe, maybe, this was something more.

You let out a wavering breath, shaking your head, “That’s not fair, Heeseung.”

“I know,” his voice is rough now, like he’s tired of saying it. Like he’s already told himself a million times and accepted it. Like he wants you to just accept it and move on.

But you can’t.

“Then why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Because I didn’t know how!” His voice rises in frustration, an exasperated sigh slipping out. “Because you—this—whatever this is, it started feeling real. Too real. And I just didn’t want to fuck it up, alright?”

The words knock the air out of your lungs.

Because suddenly, everything you’ve been trying so hard to ignore, every feeling you’ve been trying to convince yourself wasn’t there, is suddenly painfully undeniable.

And worse than realizing how real this is?

Knowing that Heeseung knows it, feels it, too. 

But heavier than that realization is the anger.

Not just at the situation.

Now, at Heeseung.

“So you thought it’d be better to just disappear instead?” Your voice shakes, biting down on the thick emotion rising in your throat. “You didn’t even think to tell me.”

Heeseung steps closer, and for the first time tonight, you see it—his own frustration bubbling beneath his surface, the barely restrained emotion.

“What does it matter, Y/N?” his sharp voice cuts through the heavy air lingering between you. “What difference would it—would you—have made? It’s not like this was ever going to change anything.”

Your heart stops.

At that, you falter, and Heeseung sees it.

He sees the way your eyes move away from his. He sees the way your posture suddenly deflates, as if his words physically hurt you.

Because they do.

Because you know what he’s saying.

He’s leaving. And you’re staying.

And no matter what, no matter the amount of realness, no matter what either of you feel—that was always going to be the reality.

“Right,” you finally say, your voice dangerously close to giving out. “Because it’s not like any of this really meant anything, right? At least not enough for you to acknowledge.”

Now your words hurt.

Heeseung winces. His jaw tightens. His fists clench.

Then finally—

“…I don’t know,” he mutters.

The final crack.

You let in a sharp inhale, nodding once, your lips pressed into a straight line. “Got it.”

Heeseung clenches his jaw, like he wants to take the words back, like he wants to fix whatever just broke between you.

Instead, he exhales, stepping back from the counter, “I should go.”

This time, you don’t stop him.

You don’t say anything at all.

Heeseung hesitates for a half second, like maybe—just maybe—he’s waiting for you to say something.

But you don’t. 

Not when you feel so utterly lost in everything you’re feeling that you can’t even begin to put into words. 

So he nods once, shoving his hands back into his pockets, turning away.

The automatic doors slide open.

The ding rings, taunting you.

Cold air rushes in.

And then—he’s gone.

And you?

You’re left at the counter, staring at his abandoned cup of ramen, untouched coffee milk, and the ghost of something that never got the chance to be.

Heeseung doesn’t think. 

He wasn’t thinking four days ago, when the space between you two had grown impossibly small—when he was this close to you, when the air felt thick with something unspoken, yet undeniable, something that made his pulse race and his breath hitch. 

He wasn’t thinking when he let fear creep in, when the weight of him realizing his own feelings sent him running, keeping him from stepping foot into the store at all. For three days. 

He wasn’t thinking when he looked you in the eye last night and told you this didn’t matter. That none of it ever did. 

He wasn’t thinking when he walked out of the store, leaving you to think that you didn’t matter to him. That you never did. 

And he definitely isn’t thinking now, when he’s supposed to be leaving for the airport in an hour, but instead—his feet pound against the pavement, tearing through the empty, quiet streets like a man possessed, like maybe if he runs fast enough, he can outrun the regret clawing in his chest. 

The cold air stings against his face, streetlights flicker overhead, and the city hums all around him—but none of it matters. None of it even registers. 

Because all Heeseung knows, all he cares about, is getting to you.

Because Heeseung?

He can go months on tour without his Extra Spicy Hellfire ramen.

He can go months on tour without his coffee milk.

He can go months on tour without those, even if it means braving his insomnia.

But what he can’t go without?

Heeseung can’t—he won’t—go months on tour knowing you think you meant nothing to him. That you didn’t bring him relief after the longest days, laughter when he forgot how to find it, comfort in a world that never slowed down for him.

That you weren’t the one thing that felt real in a life that so often didn’t.

And if there’s even the smallest chance to fix this—to make sure you know—then nothing else matters.

The neon glow of the convenience store sign comes into view, and Heeseung’s heart lurches in his chest as he approaches, his staggered breathing visible in the cold air in front of him, his hands clammy.

He stumbles through the sliding doors, the familiar ding barely registering in his mind as his eyes dart around—only for his stomach to drop.

The counter is empty. The soft sound of your absentminded humming, the teasing lilt of your voice, the annoyed glare in your eyes—it’s all missing.

And all wrong. Too quiet, too empty, too…not you.

Instead, some guy he’s never seen before glances up from behind the register, staring at the way Heeseung just lingers frozen near the entrance.

“Uh,” Heeseung swallows thickly, his voice strained from his sprint. “The girl who usually works nights. Is she here?”

“Oh, Y/N?” the worker raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, she called off tonight.”

Heeseung stills.

You’re not here.

You’re not here.

And it’s his fault.

Because last night, you were here—waiting, hoping, and he walked out on you.

“Oh,” is all Heeseung can manage before he feels the words getting caught in his throat.

His jaw clenches, his stomach twists. The weight of regret settles deep, heavy and unrelenting.

“Right. Okay. Thanks,” he mutters, nodding absently, then turns towards the door.

The automatic doors slide open.

The ding rings, taunting him.

Cold air rushes in.

And just as Heeseung steps out—

He sees you.

You.

Right there, walking towards the store, hands shoved into the pockets of your coat, face buried into your scarf.

You stop.

He stops.

For a moment, neither of you move. Neither of you breathe.

The neon glow of the store’s sign reflects off your face, casting a shadow over your widened eyes. A car honks in the distance. A gust of wind blows past.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Heeseung says without thinking, almost breathless.

A small laugh escapes your lips, airy and uncertain, “Yeah, well…neither are you.”

You’re right.

He should be on his way to the airport. Bags packed, schedule set, moving on.

But instead? Instead, he’s here, standing in front of the only person who has ever made him hesitate.

Heeseung takes one step forward, “I was looking for you.”

You tilt your head, your lips pressed together like you’re weighing something in your mind.

Then you take a small step forward.

“And now you’ve found me.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry.”

It comes out all at once and rushed, but utterly honest. Honest and heavy, the way it’s been aching in his chest—and he can’t hold it in anymore.

You blink, unmoving.

“I’m so sorry,” Heeseung says again, stepping closer. His voice is steady, gentle, but nervous, scared you won’t believe him. “For everything. For not telling you. For leaving like that. For being a completely fucking idiot about—”

He stops. The look in his eyes is vulnerable, genuine. Longing.

“About this. Us.”

You don’t say anything right away, just watching him carefully.

Heeseung runs a hand through his hair, letting out a dry laugh as he realizes he’s about to lay everything out bare.

“I think I was scared,” he admits. “Of what it all meant. Of what you meant to me. I kept telling myself none of it was real, that it didn’t matter. But then I walked out yesterday and, I realized—”

He swallows hard, looking at you and the way your eyes soften with something unreadable.

“It does. You do. So, so much, Y/N.”

Another pause.

Then, you let out a soft exhale, shaking your head, as if something’s finally clicking into place, “I’m sorry too.”

Heeseung’s eyebrows burrow in confusion.

“For not—,” you sigh, your hands now fidgeting with the ends of your scarf. “For not saying something sooner. Because the truth is, I’ve been denying it too. I didn’t even realize how much I—how much you meant to me until I saw you last night and…”

You trail off, your cheeks warming. Then, with a deep inhale, you take another step closer, meeting his gaze from an arm’s length away.

“I was just so angry and upset, but I think…I realized it’s only because I like you, Heeseung. So much.”

Heeseung swears his heart stops. It feels like his whole world has just shifted, and all his thoughts are tangled up in the way you’re looking up at him now.

“And…I should’ve been more understanding,” you add softly. “I shouldn’t have held it against you like you owed me something. I was just hurt, and I didn’t know how to handle it, honestly.”

Heeseung doesn’t say anything right away, not when his thoughts are running wild and his heart is beating like it’s about to fully grow legs and escape.

Then, he exhales a breath of relief.

And lets out a quiet laugh to himself.

You blink at him.

“We’re both idiots,” he says finally, shaking his head softly. 

A small, knowing smile dances on your lips, your eyes locking onto his, “Yeah. Looks like it.”

The tension eases. Just a little.

Heeseung takes a small step closer, close enough that he can feel the warmth radiating off of you, despite the cold air surrounding you both. 

“So now what?”

You tilt your head as you look up at him, eyes searching his, “Aren’t you supposed to be catching a flight soon?”

Heeseung’s breath hitches.

Because he knows he should say yes.

That’s what’s been planned all along. That’s the reality.

But, for the first time—

He hesitates.

“Maybe."

Your eyes narrow slightly, a playful glare sparking in them, "Maybe?"

Heeseung exhales a quiet laugh, running a hand through his hair, his fingers lingering at the nape of his neck. "Yeah. Maybe."

The warmth in his chest spreads when he sees the way you bite back a smile, the way your weight shifts just the tiniest bit closer—like you're testing the space between you.

Then, you reach into the tote bag slung around your shoulder and pull something out. 

“Here.”

You press a small bottle of coffee milk into his hands.

Heeseung stares at it in his hands.

Then at you.

And you’re looking at him with something gentle—something that makes his chest tighten in the best way possible, something that makes the world feel just a tiny bit warmer.

“Just in case you need a reminder,” you say, your voice light and grounding. “Of what’s normal.”

Heeseung stares at you for a moment, and suddenly—everything makes sense. 

The missing piece clicks into place as the static in his mind all fades away, leaving only this—only you. 

You, standing here in front of him, looking at him with that small, steady smile, and Heeseung knows. 

He's never been more sure of anything in his life.

A laugh escapes him before he even realizes it, soft and breathless, bubbling up from somewhere deep in his chest, where warmth curls all around it, wrapping around his own heart like a quiet, undeniable truth. His heart races and his fingers tighten around the bottle in his hands—slightly trembling, not from nerves, but from the realization of something so much bigger. Something so much realer. 

And then, without even thinking, he steps forward like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and closes the small space between you before wrapping his arms around you. He pulls you in, slow but certain, with a gentleness that catches you by surprise. 

You freeze, breath catching, but only for a second. Because then—like a reflex, you melt into him, your own arms tightening around him.

Holding onto him just as much as he’s holding onto you.

Neither of you say anything.

There’s a quiet calm between you two—no need for words, just the rhythm of your heart beating against his own. Steady, calming, like it’s syncing with his, like they’ve always known each other’s pace.

Like they’ve been moving in tandem all along, even when neither of you realized it. 

And in a way, maybe that’s just how it’s always been with you two—balancing on the fine line between pushing and pulling, between sharp words and lingering glances, between pretending you didn’t care, yet feeling everything all at once. 

So easy to cross, so easy to blur, so easy to mistake for something else. 

Maybe you spent all this time thinking you were standing on opposite sides, only to realize you were always moving toward the same place.

And now, as one of his arms moves across your back, the other threading gently through your hair, holding the back of your head against his chest like he never wants to let you go, his heartbeat still steady against yours, you know for certain—

You were never meant to stay on one side. 

You were always meant to cross it. 

Life is unpredictable, uncontrollable, and chaotic.

Lee Heeseung’s life? Heeseung’s life is that times ten, with an extra sprinkle of what-is-even-happening-anymore?

However—

There are three things—three sacred constants—that keep Heeseung from spiraling into total madness.

The first?

Insomnia.

Not by choice, of course.

The second?

Extra Spicy Hellfire ramen and coffee milk.

Yes, it’s a weird combo. And no, he still doesn’t care.

And the third?

You.

And honestly?

You’re the only one he really needs.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・

the end! if you made it to the end, i'll ship u some extra spicy hellfire ramen & coffee milk rn ! <3 luv u mwahmwahmwah !

<3, addie

m.list here!

tag list pt.1 (luv u all):

@xylatox @vivimura @leehsngs @puma-riki @lezzleeferguson-120 @enhaprettystars @laurradoesloveu @sievenderz @somuchdard @kristynaaah @heejamas @jiyeons-closet @sagegreenhairclip @betda @ineedsomezzz @motherscrustytoenailclippings @bussolares @soobnuuy @deluluscenarios @chrrific @vvenusoncasual @rairaiblog @mwahvvis @lveegsoi @desssss-0 @hoonkishoe @sunhyeswife @ilovbeshotaro @dearestdreamies @starry-eyed-bimbo @planetmarlowe @lovialy @ambi01 @elairah @therealmrsbahng @lov4hoon @hollxe1 @lovenha7 @ilovhoonie @coqhee @i03jae @letwiiparkjay @manuosorioh @mintysunoo @amiraazzz @renaishun @enhadd @ikeulove @starniras @heartheejake @zaycie

(bolded didn't let me tag, sorry :( )

[gothgoblinbabe]

She Wolf

A/N: I said I was gonna get this done and it took me way too long and has an absurd word count but I am incapable of holding in word vomit! Inspired by She Wolf by Shakira cause idc its GOOD and it got me thinking' so here it is. Also you don't have to listen to the song as you read but I think It's fun!

Summary: You've got a crush on your best friend and he's a bit of a dick. He regrets it and tries to apologize but you're already trying to push yourself to move on any way you can, even if it's in some shady club you'd never been to before.

Warnings: MDNI 18+, swearing, Logan's kind of an asshole for a minute, Possessive/jealous!Logan, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it), friends to lovers cause that's my fave, fem reader, mutant reader, unnamed creepy guy (?) aaaand Logan absolutely has a pain kink. I think that's it but if there's any I missed please let me know!

Word Count: 7K (im so sorry but I'm not though)

divider credit here

“Are you ever gonna tell him?”

You looked up from your desk towards Ororo’s voice, sighing and taking your glasses off your nose.

“God, I don’t know, ‘ro. I don’t think I should. It’s just going to end with me being humiliated and him never wanting to even be in the same room as me again.”

You’d had a crush on Logan Howlett since the day you first walked through the doors of the mansion six months ago. You’d probably be considered best friends by now with how much time you’d spend together, doing jack shit around the mansion on your days off. Just about everyone could tell he had a soft spot for you and that you had one for him. Logan was a classic ‘tough guy’, constantly trying to hide his kind nature with a hard exterior, but it took only a couple weeks for you to crack that barrier. You weren’t exactly a seemingly ‘soft’ type either.

You’d spent the majority of your life before you joined the X-men hoping from couch to couch and hitching rides with strangers, not really having a destination or a place to call home. You’d been dropped off at a church when you were fourteen, around the time you started to turn every full moon. Your parents couldn’t live with having to chain their mutant daughter in their basement once a month, and so they dropped you where they thought you’d find some ‘help’. You’d been passed from foster home to foster home till you were eighteen, each one passing you up the moment they realized you were not like them. It was always a slip of the mask, something setting you off to make you so enraged your eyes gleam yellow and your sharp canines make an unfortunate appearance. You took off the second you could and being on the road came with its fair share of creeps; men with terrible intentions looking for opportunities. You’d never wanted to hurt anyone - truly - but when cornered by a creep, it was hard to think anyone would miss them. A couple of local newspapers caught on, debating where the wolf that tore men to shreds had gone. You weren’t an animal. You just had teeth like one.

Knowing you couldn’t lurk in town much longer, you’d hitchhiked your way to a camp occupied with people like you; lost with no place to call home. It was there that you’d met a couple of mutants who told you about Charles Xavier and the place that seemed completely unreal until you set your eyes on it. That felt like a lifetime ago by now. 

“I think you're underestimating how he feels about you,” Ororo said, bringing you back to reality. She was sat on the edge of your bed, flipping through one of your magazines as you worked at your computer to try and make a lesson plan for the coming week. 

“I think you’re overestimating how he feels about me,” you let out a short laugh, shaking your head.

Just as she was about to retort, you both heard someone shout your names from the hallway. You looked at each other curiously and left the room, hearing shouting again. 

“Are you guys gonna play Monopoly with us or what?”

You both giggled and made your way downstairs towards Scott’s voice. Him, Jean, Marie, Bobby and Logan were all sat in the living room, the game already set up on the coffee table. Bobby and Marie were picking out their game pieces, assigning everyone else to their own piece.

“Okay, Logan, you’re gonna be the dog,” Marie smiled, dropping the little metal piece into the palm of his hand. 

He was definitely not as amused, “why do I have to be a damn dog?”

Ignoring him, she handed another piece out to Jean, “you’re the thimble.”

She then handed the boat to Scott, the top hat to you, and the iron to Ororo. You all began the game after Scott painstakingly over-explained the rules and how to play. 

It was a good bit into the game that you all became distracted with conversation, eventually leaving the board game untouched. The topic of compatibility came up somehow, the conversation focused on the joy of Bobby and Marie. 

“I think anyone would be lucky to have what you guys have,” Ororo smiled, shifting her gaze between the two of them.

“And what we have, obviously,” Scott joked, hanging his arm around Jean.

“Gross,” Logan chimed in, taking a sip of the beer he’d hidden in the back of the fridge.

“I think someone is jealous,” Ororo said in a singsong voice, poking his arm.

“Of having someone hang on me all the time? No, thanks,” he scoffed.

As stupid as it was, it made you a little sad to hear he had no interest in even entertaining the idea. It wasn’t a surprise, but still a disappointment nonetheless.

Ororo brought up your name and your eyes went huge, silently begging her to keep her mouth shut.

“You don’t seem to mind her hanging on you all the time. I think you’d be cute together,” she said, smiling mischievously at you. Scott and Jean agreed and you had never wanted to smash your head into a coffee table as much as you did in that moment.

“Nah, definitely not my type of girl.”

It was just seven words, out quick without a second thought, and yet it felt like you’d been punched in the gut. You couldn’t take your eyes off the monopoly board on the table, avoiding everyone’s gaze. 

Definitely not my type of girl. 

“I think I should head to bed, it’s getting late,” you mumbled, keeping your head down to hide your blushed face as you got up from the couch and practically ran out of the room and up the stairs. 

“What the hell was that?” Scott scolded Logan the moment you were out of sight.

“That was so mean,” Ororo chimes in, backhanding him on the arm.

“I didn’t mean to be,” Logan said nervously , shrugging his shoulders, “…do you think she’s mad at me?”

“Probably more hurt than mad,” Jean said honestly. 

“Shit,” he sighed, putting his beer down to rub his face with his hands, “what do I say?”

“Not that,” Marie replied, “why did you even say that anyway? You could’ve just said no.”

“I think you like her and you’re being mean so that she wont like you back because you’re afraid,” Ororo said after a moment of silence. 

Logan sat quiet for a moment, his hands still over his face.

“Am I that easy to read?” His voice was muffled through his hands.

The rest of them couldn’t help exchanging knowing smiles.

“So you finally admit it,huh? You’ve got a crush,” Scott teased.

Logan moved his hands from his eyes to glare daggers at him, “you shut your fucking mouth or I’ll shove that monopoly board where the sun doesn’t shine.”

“I think that’s a yes,” Jean whispered to her boyfriend.

“Talk to her when you see her tomorrow. We’re not going to let you hurt her feelings just because you can’t accept your own,” Ororo advised, lightly patting him on the shoulder.

“Do you think she’s even gonna talk to me?”

“Only one way to find out.”

───────♡──────────────♡───────

Logan tried to catch up with you the next day, always seeing you as you were leaving a room he was entering or passing by and even then, you ignored his calls of your name.

It was a little after dinner now and because it was a weekend, a couple of kids were up playing the PlayStation in the living room. Bobby and Marie sat with them, taking turns with the controllers. 

Logan entered the room after about three laps around the mansion, mentioning your name to the both of them.

“Have you guys seen her? I’ve been trying to talk to her all day, she keeps running from me.”

“Can’t really blame her,” Bobby muttered, his eyes never leaving the TV screen as he button smashed. 

“She’s in her room,” Marie answered before Logan could come up with a retort, “she went up before dinner, said she wasn’t hungry.”

He groaned, running a hand through his hair, “she’s skipping dinner now too, great.”

“Go talk to her!” She insisted, shooing him away with a wave of her hand.

He made his way to the stairs and up to your bedroom, knocking lightly on your door. Hearing nothing, he knocked again, a little harder. Still, nothing. 

“You can’t avoid me forever, you know. I wanna talk about yesterday, I was a dick.”

Silence. Now he was a little worried. He tentatively grabbed the doorknob and turned, cracking it open a bit.

Your bed was made, your desk was neatly organized and you were nowhere to be seen. He noticed your purse was gone from the usual spot you’d leave it in and your closet was open, a couple garments and some shoes strewn about on the floor. It looked like you’d gotten dressed and dipped. He figured maybe Ororo or Jean might know where you were, leaving your room and looking for them instead. He found them shortly after, huddled in the kitchen. Again, he asked if either of them knew where you were.

“She’s in her room, she went up before dinner,” Ororo answered.

“No, she’s not. And her purse is gone.”

Both women turned to each other with the same worried expression.

───────♡──────────────♡───────

Having tried your cellphone about thirteen times from just about everybody’s phones, they all decided they had to tell Charles. He used his ability to connect with every mutant on the planet to try and locate you, visualizing with his eyes closed. Everyone stood in his study, anxiously awaiting his conclusion. After a moment of silence, he started to silently chuckle to himself.

“What’s so funny?” Logan asked immediately, crossing his arms and furrowing his eyebrows.

“I’m afraid you all have your work cut out for you,” he replied, finally opening his eyes.

“So, where is she?” Ororo asked, worry in her voice. 

“There is a club called The Nightcrawler - “ Charles began to explain, but Logan interjected impatiently. 

“Club? What, like a book club?” He nearly scoffed. There was no way you were at some sleazy nightclub in the city. You were a homebody and an introvert, neither of which made clubbing enjoyable. 

“Maybe we should just let her have fun,” Jean began to say, but Logan was already halfway out the door.

Uncharacteristically, you found yourself dressed to the nines in the middle of a dance floor full of people. You’d spent a while trying outfits in your room, searching for something you could actually wear out that wasn’t sweatpants and a hoodie. You’d settled on a halter top that tied at your neck and in the back and a pair of ridiculously tight pants that you’d bought forever ago and never had the guts to wear. You ended up standing in front of the mirror, choosing a pair of very cute but very uncomfortable shoes and looking over the outfit. If you weren’t Logan’s ‘type of girl’, you sure as hell were somebody’s. Trying to get yourself out there may be the best solution to forgetting the heart-crushing infatuation you had with your best friend who would never see you as anything more. 

“I feel ridiculous,” you chuckled to yourself, turning in the mirror to see the back of your outfit. You did look good, just super out of your comfort zone. You grabbed your bag and ended up slipping out when everyone was eating dinner. That’s how you ended up where you were, pushing your way through the crowd of people with a drink in your hand. You passed the raised lounge area and felt a hand on your shoulder, making you turn suddenly.

“Hey, you wanna dance?”

He was tall, leaning down a little to shout over the music. He was pretty good looking but didn’t look like Logan in the slightest, which you realized was exactly the point of going out tonight. He was dressed nice and smelled like expensive cologne. 

“Sure, why not?”

As you abandoned your half finished drink on a table and let him pull you a little further into him, a familiar song started to thump through the speakers.

“I love this song!” You exclaimed, letting the nameless guy rest his hands on your hips.

S.O.S., she's in disguise

S.O.S., she's in disguise

There's a she wolf in disguise

Coming out, coming out, coming out

“Ironic,” you muttered under the music.

───────♡──────────────♡───────

Logan walked ahead of Ororo, Jean and Scott, his long legs taking him much further at a much faster pace.

“Logan, slow down!” Ororo called out, jogging a bit to catch up with him.

“What if she didn’t even want to be there? What if some guy dragged her there?”

“Oh,” Jean laughed, “ I see. You’re jealous.” 

“No.”

“Yup.”

“Nope.”

“So you’d be fine if we walked in there and she is with a guy?” 

Logan slowed his pace as they approached the entrance, “sure, whatever,” feigned disdain in his voice.

The second the door opened, the bass of the music was overwhelming. It was dim, save for a few colorful lights projecting around the room. The four of them were squished together near the door, trying to pick you out in a sea of moving people. 

“This is gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack,” Scott shouted.

“Not necessarily,” Ororo replied, a smug smile on her face.

“What?” Logan furrowed his eyebrows.

She pointed across the room and he followed her gaze.

There's a she wolf in the closet

Open up and set it free 

There's a she wolf in your closet

Let it out so it can breathe

You didn’t even look like you. He’d never seen you in anything that showed that much skin or any clothes that even hugged you like that, for that matter. 

And you were with a guy.

Sitting across a bar, staring right at her prey

It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way

“So, what did we tell you?” Jean shouted, waving her hand in front of his glaring eyes.

“Just some kid,” he replied dismissively, turning to her, “doesn’t mean anything anyway.”

“You sure?” Scott nudged his shoulder, making Logan look towards you again.

That kid had his hands up the sides of your top with his head craned down to kiss your neck, your back to his chest. You were giggling, playfully smacking his arm. Truthfully, you thought the attention was nice for a change. After trying so hard for too long to get Logan to notice you, it felt good to have someone pay attention to you in that way. 

Not looking for cute little divos or rich city guys

I just want to enjoy 

By having a very good time

And behave very bad in the arms of a boy

You felt his hands squeeze your hips a little harder, enough for his nails to dig into your skin. Out of instinct, you felt your canine teeth start to poke against your lower lip. You tried in vain to tug his hands from you, only making him tighten his grip.

The switch in demeanor was obvious even from across the dark room, your smile turning into a grimace that bared your sharp teeth. You yanked the sleeves of his jacket to make him finally let go, turning around while he still had his arms ghosted around you.

S.O.S., she's in disguise

S.O.S., she's in disguise

“Touch me like that again, you son of a bitch, and I will rip you to fucking shreds.”

You gathered fistfuls of his shirt, bringing him down to eye level so he could see your snarling teeth and gleaming eyes as a hint that you weren’t bluffing. 

There's a she wolf in disguise

Coming out, coming out, coming out

Before anyone could even tell him to stay put, Logan had already disappeared into the crowd of people.

“God damn it,” Scott huffed, following Jean and Ororo when they went after him. 

“Logan!” Jean yelled, trying to grab his jacket to slow him and only having him slip out of her grip. 

There's a she wolf in the closet

Let it out so it can breathe

“Shit, I’m kinda into the fangs. What, you gonna bite me?” He was whispering in your ear, your hands still on his shirt. Before you could do something you were going to regret, you felt someone tug your upper arm and pull you away from him.

“Come on,” Logan snapped, “we’re leaving.”

“What the hell are you doing here? What do you mean we?” You yelled back. You didn’t want to stay anywhere near that guy but you weren’t ready to leave either and sure as hell not with Logan dragging you out like an angry parent.

“Hey, she doesn’t really look like she wants to leave with you, man,” the other guy interjected, keeping a grip on you by looping his fingers through one of the belt loops on your pants. 

“Yeah? She doesn’t want to stay with you either, jackass,” Logan moved his hand from your arm to hold your hand instead, “she’s not interested.”

What the hell had gotten into him? You felt like you were in the middle of a tug of war with two dogs. 

“No one’s gonna fucking ask what I want, right?” You tried to complain, neither of them hearing you. 

“Your little doggy girlfriend here was just about to take care of me. You mad about it?” The other guy laughed and you nearly lunged at him, Logan’s hand tugging you back. He intended to pull you away so he could get to him first, but Scott, Jean and Ororo jumped in just in time. 

“Alright - enough, enough, we’re leaving!” Jean yelled, pushing you all towards the door, Logan dragging you the whole way. When you finally were out in the cool evening air, you angrily yanked your hand from his.

“What are you guys doing here?” You asked, turning to Logan, “and what the fuck was that?”

“What was that? You’re welcome - “ 

“I didn’t ask you to come save me - from what, having a good time?”

“Oh, yeah, it looked like you were having a lot of fun,” he scoffed, “he had you by the hip so hard he probably left a bruise.”

He instinctively reached his hand out to check and you swatted it away, “Don’t - Don’t touch me!”

None of them had ever heard you sound so pissed off and you’d definitely never snapped at Logan like that before. 

You took a deep breath and reached down to slip off your shoes, leaving you barefoot on the concrete. 

“I’m sorry,” you apologized to the rest of them,” but why are you guys here?”

“You left without saying anything, we couldn’t find you and we wanted to be sure you were safe,” Ororo sighed, hugging you in relief, “we’re so glad you’re okay.” 

You hugged her back.

“I just - I wanted to disappear for a while,” you explained apologetically, avoiding Jean and Scott’s gaze. 

“Do you know how stupid it was to run off and not tell anyone where you were going?” Logan scolded you, but Jean clicked her tongue at him.

“Shut it! Enough from you! You’ve done enough damage control!”

The ride home was almost silent, your tired body slumped in the backseat between Scott and Jean, until Ororo spoke from the front passenger seat.

“Honey, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but,” she paused, thinking over her words, “what were you gonna do to that guy if we hadn’t stopped you?”

You understood what she meant immediately. 

“What, you think I was going to kill him?” you asked, crossing your arms and leaning forward in your seat, “I wasn’t. I don’t do that unless I have to and you know even then I hate doing it.”

“I know…so, what were you doing with a guy like him anyway?” she asked, trying to move on from the question that had clearly made you upset, “he seemed kinda shady.”

Logan was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white, dreading the answer.

You shrugged your shoulders, staring at the synthetic fabric of your pants.

“Liked the attention, I guess,” you answered honestly, kind of hoping you could throw anyone off the idea of you being interested in Logan, “it’s been awhile since a guy has liked me like that.”

“He only wanted one thing from you anyway,” he scoffed from the front seat. Ororo glared at him, about to tell him to mind his business before you stopped her.

“And I can’t want it either?”

That shut everybody up and Ororo turned to him again, a look on her face that said ‘you asked, you got the answer’.

You tried to bolt to your room when you all got home but Logan was quick to follow, catching up with you to stand in your path in the hallway outside of your bedroom. 

“What’s going on with you?”

“Leave me be.”

You tried to dodge around him but he stuck his arm out. 

“Logan.”

He raised his eyebrows, waiting for you to continue speaking.

“Move.”

“I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me what’s going on with you. You don’t disappear like that, ever. And I wanna talk to you about last night - “

“There’s nothing to talk about. Goodnight,” you huffed, ducking under his arm and opening your door.

“I care about you, you know, I was worried,” he began to explain.

You tried to slam the door in his face but he stuck his foot out, jamming his boot between the door and the doorframe. You let go in defeat and turned away, gathering your pajamas as if he wasn’t in the room.

“Yeah? Why?,” you scoffed, trying with everything in you to bite your tongue but failing miserably, “I’m not your type of girl. What’s there to worry about?”

Logan’s face fell. He pushed the door closed behind him. 

“Is that what this is about? That’s why you went out?”

“Why do you care?” 

You still had your back to him, furiously shuffling through clothing in your dresser.

“Stop.” 

You felt his hands on your arms as he came up behind you, paralyzing you in your spot.

You let him turn you around gently, almost chest to chest.

“I didn’t mean that.”

“You don’t have to lie to spare my feelings -“

“I’m not.”

He leaned back a little to force you to look him in the eye.

“I only said that - listen, I only said that because - “ Logan paused, biting his lip till it nearly bled, but you shook your head and slipped by him again.

“Please, don’t treat me like I’m stupid, Logan.”

You sounded so exasperated, tears forming in your eyes when you turned your back to him.

“Fuck,” he sighed, “I only said that because I didn’t want you to like me.”

You wiped the tear that rolled down your cheek and turned back to him, a confused expression on your face.

“It worked, are you happy?”

“No, I’m not - “

“Well, guess it backfired. Get out of my room.”

You were face to face again, keeping your mouth in a tight line so your lip wouldn’t quiver. It felt stupid to cry in front of him, but you couldn’t really help it once it started. 

“Oh, god, please, don’t cry,” he begged, leaning down and actually bringing a hand up to your face to wipe away a tear that rolled down your cheek. You wanted to smack it away, tell him again to just get the hell out , but you couldn’t.

“Why would you do that?” You mumbled out quietly, finally letting the overwhelming feeling of sadness cancel out any rage you had for him. You couldn’t look him in the eye again, concentrating on the throw rug you were standing on.

“I’m so sorry, princess, I am. I’m really fucking stupid,” he huffed. 

You were surprised by the softness of his voice and finally tore your eyes from the floor. He’d called you that before, but usually in a teasing way. This time it sounded endearing, like a plea of your name. 

“And what happened there, at the club? ‘She’s not interested’, what was that about?” You continued.

He sighed, still trying to figure out what exactly it was that he wanted to say. He realized there probably wasn’t much of a way to beat around the bush and he groaned, closing his eyes as he stood in front of you to make spilling his guts a little less agonizing.

“I like you - like you a lot, and I was an asshole because I figured if you hated me, you couldn’t like me back and it would save you the trouble.”

Hearing no response, he finally opened his eyes to see you still standing in the same spot, your lips parted.

“Save me the trouble of what?”

You were confused, your eyes narrowed as if you were angry.

“I don’t know…having to deal with me, I guess. I - I’ve never felt the way I feel about you for anyone else and it scares the shit out of me.”

You could hear him swallow hard, his eyes looking everywhere around the room except at you. 

“And earlier, when we picked you up,” he continued, “I acted like that because I was jealous, alright? Can’t stand to see some asshole on you like that, and you were dressed all nice and - I don’t know.”

You’d never heard him sound so nervous in all the time you’d known him.

“You are my type of girl,” he finally choked out, “only type of girl I’d ever want.”

All you could do was inhale sharply, his words echoing in your mind. 

“It’s alright if you hate me, I can’t say I really blame you. Fuck, I’m sorry.”

He began to walk out, convinced he’d fucked up beyond repair.

“Logan.”

Your voice stopped his hand from turning your doorknob and he turned back to you. 

No longer crying, you tentatively stepped forward a bit, nervously playing with the front hem of your top. 

“You’re not something to deal with, you know,” you muttered, letting your hair fall in front of your face.

You supposed this was the point where it was your turn to explain.

“I’ve liked you for a long time, Logan, probably since the day I walked in here and I just - I think I wanted someone to distract me so I wouldn’t wallow in self pity because you didn’t want me.”

“You were trying to get over me,” he realized aloud, a small smile on his face to hide the hurt, “I deserved that.”

After a moment of tense silence, he spoke again.

“Did it work?”

His voice was low and soft, a tone you’d rarely heard him speak with.

You pursed your lips and finally lifted your head, taking a deep breath. 

“No. I don’t think it was ever going to, either,” you laughed a little, “when that guy asked me to dance, the first thing I thought of was that he didn’t look anything like you.”

Your voice trailed off a little at the end, a little embarrassed to confess that even if Logan had already flat out told you he was interested in you.

Without another word, he came close enough to reach for your hands and gently intertwine your fingers with his. He cleared his throat, nervously chewing his bottom lip before he spoke.

“Can I kiss you?”

You must have had this dream a million times over, waking up night after night and feeling so empty because none of it was real. But now, with his hands in yours, it was very real.

You eagerly pressed your lips to his, not wanting to waste another second. His lips were soft and you were encompassed in the scent of his body wash and cologne, smelling of pine and cedar wood. You brought your hands up to play with his hair at the back of his head. Logan moved his arms to wrap around your waist, pulling you further into him. 

When you finally pulled away from each other, you were both smiling like idiots.

“We should’ve done that much sooner,” you giggled.

“Agreed.”

His fingers traced small circles on the exposed skin of your back, making you shiver.

He kissed you again, this time with much more intensity. It wasn’t long before your tongues were in each other's mouths and you both had fumbled yourselves over to the end of your bed.

“Wanted you for so long,” he mumbled between kissing your neck and jaw, his hands still sliding up and down your back, “I was so stupid.”

“We both were,” you giggled a little, cut short into a moan when he licked your neck all the way from your collarbone to under your ear.

“L-Logan,” you gasped, unable to hide your blushing face.

He hummed into your neck, bringing his mouth to your ear, “Can I show you how sorry I am? Let me make it up to you.”

His voice made the hair on the back of your neck stand up and you let him pull you onto him to straddle his lap, lost in the feeling of his hands on you.

“Mmm, uh-huh,” you hummed, mouth hung open as he sucked light marks into your neck. 

“You have to use your words, pretty girl,” he brought his head up to rest his forehead against yours. He cupped your jaw tenderly, almost as if you’d disappear if he let go. 

Before you could answer, he moved his hands to drag your hips over his, grunting when he felt the pressure.

“Y-yes, yeah - please,” you choked out between moans, tugging his hair harder every time he pushed and pulled your hips.

“Please what, baby?”

“You - you can make it up to me,” you groaned into his neck. 

He effortlessly lifted you by your thighs and laid you with your back to the bed. You untucked his white t-shirt from his jeans as he crawled over you, desperate to get your hands underneath it. You lightly scratched your nails along his back, making him groan into your ear. He kissed down your neck to the center of your chest, gently slipping his fingers under the hem of your top and around the back. 

“Can I take this off you, baby?”

You were already sitting up before he could finish his sentence, reaching to try and untie the knot at the back of your neck.

“Eager, huh?”, he chuckled, “let me, sweetheart.”

He wrapped his arms around your lower back to tug at the knot, feeling it come loose in his hands. He snaked his hands up to the back of your neck, doing the same to the tied strings there. When it came loose, the only thing holding the piece of fabric to you was his hands at the back of your neck. He let it slip from his fingers, a smirk on his face when it fell completely.

You threw the garment somewhere to the floor and tugged on the collar of his t-shirt, bringing him down with you as laid back again and pressed your lips to his. He pulled back for a moment to yank his shirt off and immediately return his mouth to yours, making his way down to your neck. He brought both his hands to your chest and swept his thumbs over your hard nipples, eventually bringing his lips to them and sucking. 

“Ah - Logan,” you whined, making him smile against your skin.

“I like it when you say my name, pretty girl,” he mumbled, dragging his fingers down your sides and hooking them into the waistband of your pants. He kissed all the way down to your hips, moving himself to lay on his stomach with his head between your thighs. 

Before he could ask you if it was alright to rid you of them, you were already unbuttoning your pants and pushing them down your hips and thighs. He took them off the rest of the way for you and you kicked your panties off with them.

He hooked his arms around your thighs to pull you closer, licking his lips and resting his cheek on the inside of your thigh.

“I thought about you a lot, you know - like this,” he huffed, his warm breath fanning over your pussy.

You had your hands in his hair already, swiping fallen strands of hair out of his face.

“I thought about you like this, too,” you admitted, sighing as he started to plant kisses right above where you wanted him the most.

“Yeah?”

His teasing voice brought goosebumps to your skin and you nodded, gasping when you finally felt his lips graze your clit.

“This what you think about when you fuck yourself?” He mumbled into you, the vibration of his voice making you tighten your grip in his hair. He growled like an animal, trying to push you even further into his mouth by the grip on your thighs.

You were trying to choke out an answer, distracted by the wet sounds of him messily eating you out.

“Y - ah, yes, yeah - not as good as the real thing, though.”

He laughed with his mouth still attached to you and you tightened your thighs around his head, keeping him in place.

He could have spent hours with his mouth to your cunt, practically fucking you with his tongue while you whined his name. 

A knock on your door sounded through the room, the both of you freezing in place.

“Hey, I just wanted to check on you. Are you feeling okay?”

It was Scott.

 You grimaced, thankful at the very least that your door was locked, but Logan had a terribly smug smirk on his face. 

“Y-yeah, I’m alright, just - just tired,” you managed to choke out, stuttering when you felt two of his fingers slip into you effortlessly.

“You sure?”

You sighed, hating and loving Logan at the same time for what he was doing. 

“Yup, th-thank you, m’ jus’ gonna go to bed.”

Scott responded with a goodnight and you groaned in relief when you heard him walk away.

Logan was curling his fingers inside of you, still lapping at your pussy and letting you use your grip on his hair to angle his head however you wanted him. You felt the pressure in your lower stomach rise and you tried to warn him, tugging on the hair on the back of his head.

“Logan, I’m - “

“C’mon, pretty girl, c’mon.”

His encouragement sent you over the edge, euphoria blooming from your lower stomach and spreading through you. You had to cover your mouth to muffle your pornographic moans, but Logan reached up to tug your wrist.

“Uh-uh, wanna hear you, beautiful,” he mumbled into you, practically pushing your thighs even further around his head.

“Fuck, L-Logan, too - too sensitive,” you stuttered out, trying to pull his face away by his hair and failing miserably because of his grip around your thighs.

He eventually reluctantly detached himself and crawled back on top of you, sucking the taste of you off his fingers. 

“I could do that for hours, you know, if you let me,” he groaned, pulling your hips up to him so you could feel the weight of his hard cock underneath his jeans.

Still sensitive, you reactively gripped his biceps and dug your fingernails into his skin. You were going to apologize and were quickly cut off by the guttural moan he let out into the side of your neck.

“Fuck,” he groaned, rocking his hips against yours.

“You’re into pain, huh?” 

You figured it was your turn to tease him, dragging your fingernails from his shoulders all the way down his back.

“You’re gonna pay for that, pretty girl,” he grunted, moving quickly to undo his belt and strip himself of the rest of his clothing. 

When his cock sprung up and hit his stomach as he took off his boxers, you swallowed hard; already feeling a wanting ache in your stomach again. You figured he was big - he was already a tall guy, after all - but he was far bigger than any guy you’d ever seen. Logan noticed the way you bit your lower lip, resting himself on top of you again and bringing his thumb up to pull your lip from under your teeth.

“What, are you nervous? It’s alright sweetheart, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

His voice was so soft and gentle, a tone you rarely ever heard from him. 

You could feel the weight of his cock against your inner thigh, heavy and already leaking. 

“ ‘m not nervous, I want you, please,” you begged, wrapping your legs around his waist. You reached your hand between your bodies to line him up with your entrance, trying to push him in with your legs around his waist. 

“You sure?” he huffed, trying with every muscle in his body to not slam into you in one thrust. 

You nodded eagerly, scratching at his lower back. 

Logan couldn’t help himself and gave in, slipping himself into you.

“So tight,” he groaned into your neck, pushing himself in even further.

“You - fuck - you’re so fucking big,” you admitted truthfully, nearly drooling at the feeling of him stretching you out. 

“Feels good?”

It was hard for him to speak when you were so wet that he was nearly slipping out of you as he gently rocked his hips back and forth, trying to be gentle and let you adjust to his size. 

“Mm - uh-uh,” you hummed, gasping each time he pushed further.

“Use your words, sweetheart,” he huffed and you groaned, digging your nails into him. 

“Y-yes, yeah - want you all the way in,” you whimpered.

That was all it took for him to be buried in you, grinding his hips into yours so that you were pinned to the mattress. 

He worked up to a devastating pace, practically slamming your headboard into the wall.

“S-someone’s gonna - someone’s gonna hear us,” you managed to gasp out, out of breath every time he filled you and pulled back again. 

“Don’t care, let ‘em,” he pressed his forehead to yours, bringing a hand up to your face to affectionately cup your cheek. It was so sweet and almost disgustingly hot, the caring gesture contrasting the intense feeling of him repeatedly slamming into the sensitive spot inside of you. 

He really didn’t have a care in the world about who heard you both, far too lost in the feeling of finally being able to have you under him like that. You had sweat soaked strands of hair stuck to your face, your eyes squeezed shut, and he was almost sure you’d never looked more beautiful. 

“So fucking pretty,” he huffed, his thumb swiping your bottom lip. He had an idea, one he’d considered many times when he thought of you under him like this.

“Bite me.”

You raised your eyebrows in surprise, threading your hand through his hair, “are you sure?”

“Please.”

You forcibly unsheathed your fangs, letting them tentatively poke at his thumb that was still to your lips.

He moved his hand to your throat, resting it there without tightening his grip. 

“Please.”

His pleading had the heat in your lower stomach rising and you obliged, sinking your teeth into his shoulder. You felt guilty - you didn’t enjoy hurting people - until he was whimpering in your ear, moaning your name over and over again. 

You bit his neck, his shoulders, his lip - all the small puncture wounds healing themselves within seconds. 

Having him so pussy drunk and groaning praises into your ear brought the pressure in your lower stomach to a max and you cried out his name, letting him fuck you through your second orgasm. 

“ ‘s good, huh, princess? Come on me, c’mon,” he was begging, feeling your muscles tense around him. That drove him over the edge, his hips rutting into you and his thrusts becoming sloppy. He finally let himself go, filling you and letting it drip from you onto the sheets. He pulled back a little to see the mess you had both made, your inner thighs painted with a mix of his release and yours. He went to pull out completely and you clamped your thighs around his hips again, keeping him still.

“Want me to stay?”

“Mhm - please.”

The sexual tension was replaced with loving comfort, Logan keeping you to his chest as he laid you both on your side. His chin rested on the top of your head and your face was against his chest with your eyes closed. You smiled at the thump of his heartbeat in your ear, nearly letting it put you to sleep. 

“Hey, pretty girl,” he mumbled into your hair, planting a kiss on the top of your head, “you know I love you?”

The last three words made your eyes shoot open and you looked up at him, worried you’d misheard him or maybe he was just messing with you.

“Really?”

“Of course. You think I would’ve done that with you if I wasn’t in love?”

You thought hard for a second, realizing he was right. It wasn’t that he hadn’t had hookups before, but it had been quite a long time since he’d bothered to even get to know someone like that. He wasn’t the type to lead you on, either - always up front with you, even if he didn’t have to be. 

“I love you too,” you answered, unable to hide the wide smile on your face.

“I should’ve told you much sooner,” he sighed, his eyes fluttering closed as you snuggled into him again.

Before you could both fall asleep from exhaustion, he yanked the comforter over the both of you, hearing you mumble sleepily.

“You can make it up to me some more.”

───────♡──────────────♡───────

A/N: If you made it to the end I love you <3 pls lmk what you think and reblog+like if you enjoyed!! also still navigating how to write smut without using cringe terminology so forgive me if that part sucks

[thehoneybeestings]

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥

𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐱 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Word Count: 2.6k

Request: "hiiiii! i love your writing soo much, i’m not sure if you take in requests but if you do, could you write something about sevika w/ chubby reader where she’s feeling insecure and sevika worships her body alll night (maybe gentle sex?) byeeeee😚"

Content/Warnings: nsfw, reader referred to w fem pronouns/terms, reader has female anatomy, top! sev, bottom! reader, fingering (r receiving), strap (r receiving), talk of body insecurity

A/N: omg doing requests makes me nervous bc like... what if it's not good lol anyway i still really enjoyed this request and i loveee me some soft!sevika. i hope you enjoy, and that perhaps this will serve as a bit of comfort for when you're feeling down on yourself. all bodies are good bodies, and all bodies deserve love; that is a non-negotiable. praying to Aphrodite for blessings to anyone needing an extra boost of self-love today <3

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐁𝐞𝐞 ୨ৎ

 ──˚₊୨ৎ•‧₊˚──

You're taking far too long to get ready. 

This certainly isn't an uncommon occurrence, and Sevika has come to learn that you will almost always underestimate the amount of time you need to get dolled up. Thankfully, when it comes to you, she has the patience of a saint. 

But still, you're taking too long to get ready. 

She peers down at the watch you got her for her birthday last year- it’s 30 minutes out from your dinner reservation at one of the nice restaurants topside- and rises from the couch, contemplating which cliche she'll use to poke some lighthearted fun at your lengthy getting-ready routine. 

“Not gettin’ any younger-”

No, she'd used that one last time. 

“You're running on turtle time in here.”

She snorts to herself. She recalls the way you always stop what you're doing to roll your pretty eyes at that one, but never without a grin. 

Once upon a time, she considered her one and only purpose to be fighting for the prosperity of Zaun. That was before she made you smile for the first time. 

A grin adorns her own face as she crosses the threshold from the hallway into your shared bedroom, but when she makes it to the door of the attached bathroom, the upward quirk of her lip falls. 

The door is slightly ajar, just enough for her to see your reflection in the mirror. 

You're pinching at the fullness of your sides, your stomach, your thighs. A deep frown is etched onto your face, and when she sees tears begin to prick your eyes, she leaves two gentle knocks on the door. 

Your eyes go wild for a split second, but when you meet her gaze through the reflection, your shoulders drop with a sigh. Not in relief, but in defeat.  

No lighthearted quip falls from her lips this time. Not when her girl is upset.

“You okay in here, baby?”

She opens the door wider before leaning on its frame, concerned eyes glued to you. 

“These don't fit anymore,” you mumble, looking down at the jeans you're now peeling off.  

“Yeah?” 

You look up to find that a lazy smirk graces her face, her gaze shamelessly trailing up and down your lower half. 

“Sev.”

Her eyes snap up to meet yours upon hearing your curtness. Usually, you wouldn't be able to help but crack a little smile as she checked you out. 

Her own words are somber now. 

“Hey,” she says, gingerly tucking away the stray tendril of hair that had fallen into your face as you bent over to tug your pants off of your ankles. “Talk to me. What's going on?”

An irritated huff escapes you as you squeeze your eyes shut and place your hands on your hips. 

“What's going on is that I’m…”

Your words come out harsher than you’d intended. You open your eyes to find that she stares back with nothing but warmth. 

The patience of a saint.  

You exhale through your nose, turning back to the mirror to examine the fullness of your figure. 

Your eyes begin to water again. 

“I've gained so much weight, Sevika. I look so bad.”

She rears her head back, and for a good 10 seconds, she stares at you with pure, incredulous offense. 

“What?” She finally spits, but you know she isn't angry with you. “What are you talking about?” 

“You don't get it,” you grovel. You knew she wouldn't. There wasn't a universe that existed in which she regarded your body as anything less than worthy of worship; you just wished you could see what she saw. 

“Listen,” she begins, brows raised in disbelief, “I don't mean to make you feel silly or anything, but… baby.”

She slots herself behind you, strong arms wrapping around to circle the form you'd just been scrutinizing. Her touch has always reflected the reverence she has for your body, for you. Her palms will splay across your body, savoring every curve and dip, traveling like a steady stream through peaks and valleys. 

Now, her mech hand sits cool and firm on your hip, its flesh counterpart snaking up your arm. She leaves a squeeze when she gets to the junction between your shoulder and your neck- tight, she notes; she'll work some of the knots out later tonight- before planting a kiss in its wake. 

Her chin rests there now, her eyes meeting yours in the reflection of the mirror.

“You're so fucking gorgeous.”

Her breath fans your ear as she speaks. The purr of her words rumbles through you like a chill down your spine.

She knows your weaknesses. 

Your lips quirk up into a small smirk. 

“That's what you think,” you rebut.

“I don't think; I know.”

Indignation never did get far with Sevika, even in tender moments like these. More often than not, she knows she's right, and she has no problem refreshing your memory of that. 

It's why she suddenly pulls out her phone, looks up a phone number unbeknownst to you, and gives it a call. 

You watch in confusion as she saunters back into your room, phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder as she begins to fumble with the buckle of her belt.

“Hey, yeah, I've got a reservation for Sevika tonight at seven,”

She slides the belt off through the loops of her pants,

“Yeah, for two; that's right. Hate to do this so late notice, but something's come up and we won't be able to make it.”

You quirk a curious brow. Her socks are off now, and she’s fumbling to take her watch off her wrist and place it back on the dresser. 

“Perfect. Appreciate your understanding. Yeah, you too.”

With that, she hangs up, tosses the phone onto the plush comforter, and strolls over to you unassumingly. 

Your head is tilted to the side as she approaches and wraps her strong arms around your waist once more. 

“What’d you do that for?” 

“Don't pout, mama,” she keens, twisting you around to face the mirror. Her hand sneaks around to dip underneath your top, her hand inching up your waist and taking the material of your shirt with it. 

“You heard me. Something else came up.”

You chortle as her intentions are made obvious by eager hands pulling your shirt over your head and dark eyes taking in the lace garment hidden underneath.

“Honey, you didn't have to-”

“Nuh-uh,” she interrupts. “We can go out to dinner anytime. Right now,”

Her grip is gentle on your jaw as she turns your head, her eyes now meeting your own,

“if I can make you feel as gorgeous as I know you are, even if just for a second,”

And then, she plants a kiss on your lips, on your jaw, just below your ear, before she asserts,

“Then you're damn right I’m putting everything on the back burner to do just that.” 

Your breath hitches in your throat when her fingers dip below the band of your underwear, lingering just for a second, just above where she knows you want her, before she pulls them away with a growing smirk. 

“C’mere, baby,” she mutters, twisting you around once more to face her. “Let me kiss you first.”

The first one she plants on your lips is soft, tender, like you’re made of porcelain. She holds your face in her hands like you’ll fall to the ground, shattering into pieces below her if she lets go. 

She knows that words have never been her forte- that she’ll never be able to articulate just how achy her heart gets when she thinks about how special you are to her- so she’ll try her best to show you this way. With a kiss that grows deeper, more eager, as fervent as the love she harbors for you, if she can manage it. She’ll catch your bottom lip between her teeth, tongue darting out to soothe it before the muscle finds your own, inviting it to dance. She’ll grab your jaw, grip the hair at the base of your skull, press her body against yours as she pulls you impossibly close; so close that hopefully, for a fleeting moment in time, the two of you become one. 

Maybe then, you’ll feel what she feels. You’ll see what she sees. 

Perfection. All she sees is perfection.

She guides you to face the mirror again, breathless as she whispers,

“Look how pretty. Can’t get enough.”

She’s trailing kisses along your shoulders as she unbuttons her own shirt, the fabric parting to reveal that she dons nothing underneath it. 

“Scandalous,” you tease. 

“You’re the one who yells at me when you go to grab my tits and there’s something in the way.”

Her lips quirk up into a smile when you punch out a laugh, throwing your head back against her shoulder. 

“Pretty girl,” she muses again, dipping down to place a kiss on your neck. 

Her hands are back on your waist as soon as her shirt hits the floor, kneading at the fullness that never fails to drive her crazy. She hums in approval, a deep rumble that nearly escapes her as a growl. She pulls you flush against her body, her mech arm wrapping around to anchor you in place. 

Your breath quickens. You know what she’s doing. Holding you up, because when she’s done with you, your legs will have given out. 

She smirks at the hitch in your breath. 

“You ready for me, baby?”

There’s no need for her to ask. Her fingers have already found the arousal pooling at your core. 

“Oh, you’re ready,” she coos. 

“Please,” you whisper as her finger trails up, parting your lips with no resistance, but never making it to the aching bud of nerves above them, never dipping lower to plunge into you. “Please, Vika.”

“So pretty when you beg,” 

You gasp as she presses a finger into you, walls clenching down onto its thickness,

“so pretty when you take my fingers,” 

Your walls flutter back open, ready to take the second finger she has poised at your entrance. You practically swallow the two digits, hissing at the fullness, and then, she’s pulling them all the way out, 

“always,” a thrust, “so,” then another, “pretty.”

She makes due on her silent promise, fucking into you until you can’t stand on your own. You whine when suddenly, her fingers are completely unsheathed. She just chuckles as she effortlessly turns you around, lifting you up to sit on the counter and slotting herself between your legs. 

“You could really stand to have some patience,” she scolds, but the way she smiles into the kiss she leans down to deliver belies her attempt at sternness. 

Still, you plan on retorting anyway; that is, until she unbuttons her pants, pulling them down to reveal the strap she’s had on. 

“You were packing?” you exhale.

She shimmies out of her pants with a lazy grin. “I was planning on bathroom sex,” she shrugs, before stepping forward to pull your underwear down your legs and toss them who-knows-where. “Looks like I got what I wanted after all.”

You inhale through your teeth when she drags the head of the toy through your slick, your hips bucking up for more. 

“Patience, mama,” she warns again. “You’re open for me. Won’t take long.”

You bite down on your lip, brows knit together in pleasure as you watch the silicone slowly sink into you. You’re holding your breath, and you don’t realize she’s been doing the same until she chokes out a grunt at the sight of her strap buried to the hilt inside of you. 

“Fuck, Y/n;” she grits, “so fucking good. You’re so fucking good for me.”

You can see her hips stutter with restraint as she tries her best to hold back, tries her best to keep slow and steady as she begins moving in and out of you; but when your hands wrap around her neck, one hand clawing at her shoulder as you spit, “harder,” she unravels. 

She pulls you closer by your thighs, and you yelp as her hips snap up into you. Her eyes are glued to the way you take her, cock slipping in and out of your pussy over and over, so easily, so effortlessly. 

“Shit,” she rasps, driving into you, “so good. Gods, I love you.”

And when her eyes snap up to meet yours, it’s written all over her face. Her eyes are blown out in pure adoration, like she loves you more than she’s loved anything in her entire life. You can’t help but tear up. 

“Woah, hey,” she immediately consoles, coming to a halt inside of you. Her hand reaches up to cup your face, worried eyes scanning you. “Good tears or bad tears?”

“Good tears,” you immediately confirm with a watery smile, “Good tears. Keep going, baby; I just love you, too.”

A breathy chuckle of relief leaves her as she leans in to press her forehead against yours. 

She wraps her arms around your waist, pulling you flush against her chest. You pull her closer, too, breathy moans floating through the air as you rock your hips against the fullness inside of you.

“Fuck, I’m so close,” you mewl, hand flying down to rub tight circles onto your clit. 

“That’s right, baby,” she croons, bringing her hips forward to meet every buck of your own. “Gods, you’re so fucking sexy. Wanna see you come; wanna see your pretty face when you fall apart on my dick.” 

The sound of skin on skin joins the chorus of grunts and whines as she picks up her pace again, coaxing you over the edge. 

“You gonna come for me? Gonna give it to me?”

You nod frantically, wordlessly, fingers working at your clit, your other hand pulling her closer, closer, until finally, you topple over the edge. 

Your legs shake around her waist, nails digging into her shoulder as you cry out.

“There we go,” she purrs, arms holding you close as you ride out the shockwaves of pleasure coursing through you. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, sweet girl.” 

She doesn’t let go. Just holds you, plants kisses all over your face as you catch your breath, whispers praises into your ear as your muscles relax; and only when you let go, does she take a step back, careful as she pulls out, hands massaging the plush of your thighs. 

You stare up at her through your lashes, eyes already becoming heavy with sleep as contentment washes over you, warming the blood in your veins.

“Let me clean you up before you pass out,” she teases. “We’re already in the bathroom. That’s half the battle.”

You chuckle, watching with a soft smile as she wets a soft wash cloth with warm water, brushing gently over your sticky thighs, jumping in surprise as it makes contact with your sensitive core. 

“Sorry, love,” she mutters apologetically. 

She tosses the rag aside, taking your face in both of her hands as she steels herself with a deep breath.

“You know I’m not good with words…” 

You giggle at her sudden sentimentality. She refuses to admit it, but she always gets this way after sex: soft, ungaurded, vulnerable. Laid out for you to have and to hold. 

“...but you know that I don’t lie either. Ever. So, when I tell you that I’ve never seen someone so goddamn gorgeous, I need you to believe me. Can you do that?”

She raises a brow, lips quirking up into a smile.

You shrug with a smirk. “I’ll try.”

She rolls her eyes playfully before placing a kiss on your temple. 

You were stubborn; she knew that much. 

But Sevika’s stubborn, too. For the rest of her days, if she can make you feel as gorgeous as she knows you are, even if just for a second, then you’re damn right she’ll spend the rest of her days trying.

𝐄𝐧𝐝 ୨ৎ

──˚₊୨ৎ•‧₊˚──