#but we gotta be switches bc sometimes talking is exhausting

[justaz]

lance grew up in a large family that is used to so much noise that a lot of the time, lance isn't heard. it's not that his family is ignoring him but things just get lost and for someone like lance who cannot Shut The Fuck Up it happens very often. then his friends grow used to his prattle and it just becomes like white noise for them. lance is so used to being ignored that when he realized keith was actually listening to him and comprehending his babble, he is just a puddle.

keith is silent as he listens to every word lance says while lance is like barely paying attention to what he says (adhd x autism ftw) and it happens in front of the rest of the team but whatever lance just said caught one of their attentions and they interrupt to ask him to repeat what he said and lance is just like "you think i know what was coming out of my mouth?" and keith repeats what lance said perfectly. lance stares at him and is Soft but all he can manage is a smile.

it gets so much worse, lance turns his prattle to keith instead of the room in general and is so excited that someone is actually listening that his speech grows faster and faster until he's barely speaking anything intelligible (bonus hc lance speaks many languages so when he gets excited its just a combination of various different languages. it starts with spanglish then he incorporates samoan and then portuguese and italian etc etc)

i love yapper!lance x listener!keith

[myseungsunglove]

The Art of Meeting | Bc

Pairing: Chan x Reader 

Warnings: angst, fluff to wrap it up

Word Count: 5.4k (whoopsies)

Summary: the reader and Chan are meeting up after their unlikely connection via bubble and Instagram. The reader is heading to LA to meet Chan and the boys. Will this meeting be everything she hoped for or make matters more complicated than she imagined?

A/N: Part 3. For The Master of Flirting - This one really, really got away from me. Sometimes I include so much detail because I just feel like you NEED to know, you know? Anyway, I very much enjoyed writing this part, so I really hope you guys enjoy it. 

◠ ◡ ◠᭚ιαᵕ̈

Feedback Welcome

「© September 3, 2023 by mysweethannie」

Saturday, August 19th 12:15 AM CST

Chan: *received video*

Hey there, beautiful. We are on the plane and about to head out. It’s a long flight, and I’m exhausted. I can’t believe I’m going to see you in a little over 12 hours. I’m literally on cloud 9 just thinking about getting to see you. 

“Is that our lovely y/n?” you hear Han’s voice in the background. 

“Did someone say y/n?” Seungmin quickly interjects. 

It’s not long before both boys' heads pop into the frame. Stupid, goofy grins plastered on their faces. 

“Oh my god, Y/n Hi! We’re gonna see you soon. Get excited because this is going to be the most exciting weekend of your life,” Han practically yells at the screen. 

Seungmin scoffs, a small smirk briefly appearing on his face. He always pretends to be annoyed with Han, but you know the opposite to be true. His eyes don’t lie. He is extremely fond and protective of Han. 

“Seriously, you’re so loud,” he says, shoving Han playfully. “Can’t wait to see you, y/n,” He waves a tiny little wave that makes your heart squeeze in your chest. Han leans up and kisses the camera before Chan can swat them both away. 

“Anyway,” Chan laughs, rolling his eyes playfully. “Seems I’m not the only one excited to see you,” he smiles fondly. “Maybe for different reasons, but still those two don’t shut up about you. Hell, I don’t either,” he laughs at himself. “Now I’m just rambling, but I just wanted to let you know we boarded and are heading out. I know you probably won’t be up for a few hours, or at least I hope you took my advice and got some rest. I’ll text you when we land. Our flights are scheduled to arrive pretty close together, so I’ll see you at LAX,” he smiles at the camera, his eyes becoming tiny slits. 

“Byeom, darlin’” 

The video ends there and you smile contentedly at your phone. You watch the video over again, laughing at the interruption of Han and Seungmin, your heartbeat quickening when Chan admits that he can’t stop talking about you and is excited to see you. You type out a quick response, hoping you’ll catch him before his phone is put on airplane mode. 

Y/N: I’m so nervous and excited, I can hardly sleep. Though, I am getting a little tired now that I know you’re headed out. I can’t wait to see you. I’m not sure words can even explain how I’m feeling if I’m being honest. 

Chan: I was hoping you’d be asleep, but I get it. I’m gonna have to take something to make me sleep. Ah, they’re telling us to prepare for take off. I gotta go. Please get some sleep, baby girl. It’s gonna be busy once we’re in LA, trust me. My life is kind of crazy. See you soon, y/n

Y/N: I’m not sure how one misses someone they haven’t actually met, but Channie, I miss you. 

Chan: I know exactly what you mean. I miss you more, baby girl. 

Y/N: Travel safe, Channie. G’night babe. 

Chan: G’day, darlin’

You lock your phone, switch it over to silent and place it on the wireless charger. Sleep suddenly feels imminent now that you know the boys are about to be in the air. You smile to yourself as you roll over and cuddle up to your body pillow to fall asleep. 

August 19th 4:30 AM CST

Morning comes much more quickly than you anticipate. You wake with a jolt at 4:30 AM. Whoever is taking you to the airport is due to be at your house at 5:30 sharp. You peel yourself out of bed and drag yourself into the bathroom to go through some kind of morning routine. You debate on whether you are going to travel cozy and casual or dress up and actually put on makeup. You settle for something in between the two, a simple tinted moisturizer, a light powder, and some mascara. You have pretty healthy skin and it is glowing this morning despite your complete lack of sleep. Your freckles, one of your more charming features, dance across your round cheeks. Chan has mentioned absolutely loving them, so you decide to let them shine today. 

Your outfit isn’t complicated. You don’t want to look like you are going on a business trip but equally so you don’t want to look like a bum either. It is hot as hell at home, so you grab a purple sundress with white flowers on it and throw on your favorite pair of cons. 

You slip on your jewelry, a simple diamond pendant necklace, a few low statement rings, and your earrings. You assess yourself in the mirror and figure you are about as ready as you’re going to be. Your hair is short, so a little spray and a few tossles here and there do the trick. You look at the clock and it’s near 5:00, so you move to refill your water bottle and double check your luggage. You are a meticulous planner, so the likelihood you are forgetting anything with all the lists you have made is slim to none, but it doesn’t stop you from triple checking everything. 

Your phone rings at 5:30 on the dot, the person accompanying you on your journey arriving at your door right on time. You swing it open and are immediately greeted by a warm smile and a small Korean woman who looks to be about ten years older than you. 

“Y/n?” she asks. 

“Yeah that’s me,” you bow and reach out a hand to shake hers all at the same time, so nervous about the day ahead. She laughs softly and it’s a pleasant sound that calms you in an unexpected way. 

“I’m Lee Jia. It’s nice to finally meet you. Chan speaks of you with the highest regard,” she smiles and bows. 

You blush. “It’s lovely to meet you. Come in, I’ll grab my things,” you say as you usher her in. Lovely to meet you, you ask yourself. Who even are you right now, y/n? A nervous fucking wreck, that’s who. 

You scurry off to gather your things and you return to see Jia standing in your entry, looking down at her phone. 

“Ready,” you breathe. 

“Shall we?” she asks as you pull open your front door. She leads the way to the car and you’re off. The ride to the airport flies by. When you arrive at the airport, a large Korean man joins your little entourage. He introduces himself as Seok-Jin. He explains that he is your bodyguard and gives you a quick rundown of what to expect. Before you know it, you’re in line to board the plane after clearing security. 

“We can chat more on the plane,” Seok-Jin explains, “but essentially, I say, you do. Your safety may depend on that specific instruction especially once we are in LA.” 

You hadn’t even considered this side of your meeting. And suddenly you are starkly reminded that Bang Chan is in fact a world wide superstar. Internationally known. He doesn’t get to just exist like a normal person, and you’re hit with the fact that, from this point on, you may not either depending on the outcome of this trip. 

“Of course. You say, I do. Got it,” you repeat back to him. He gives you a small nod as you move through to board the plane. Chan had booked first class seats and that experience alone is shocking. You settle into your seat, both Jia and Seok-Jin close by, pull out your headphones and open up your phone. You type out a quick message to Chan even though you know he is currently somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. 

Y/n: Settled and about to take off. 

*picture sent* in the photo you have your eyes closed and your face scrunched up in a cute closed lipped smile. You hold up a peace sign feeling like a goober. 

Y/n: Guess I’ll see you in about 4 hours. I can’t believe this is real. 

You turn your phone on airplane mode, listening to the preflight instructions before take off. You look at your watch. 8:20 Everything is going off without a hitch and that makes you a little nervous but you try not to dwell on or overthink it. Things are allowed to go your way, you tell yourself. 

You stick in your headphones and turn on your music, Chan’s soft voice lulling you to sleep as you close your eyes and settle in for the flight. 

August 19th 11:00 AM PST

The flight is uneventful. You sleep most of the three and a half hour journey. Changing time zones always throws you for a loop, but with the difference only being two hours, you’d adjust easily enough. Easier than the boys would for sure. 

“The boys’ flight just landed,” Jia tells you quietly as the two of you settle at a table outside Urth Caffe & Bar. It’s located close to the terminal the boys will be arriving at. You can tell because the amount of people with cameras around is insane. Some of the people are from News Outlets, but others are just regular people, probably STAYS excited to see the boys arrive in LA.

You order a Green Tea Americano, in desperate need of some caffeine. You run to the bathroom while Jia waits at your table for your order. Seok-Jin accompanies you to the restroom, but waits a respectable distance away from the entry. It feels so weird to have someone right there watching every move you make. 

You take a few minutes to compose yourself in the mirror of the bathroom, giving yourself a little pep talk. You are about to meet someone you never expected to meet. Bang Chan still felt a little bit like a fictional character. Your brain can’t fully comprehend that you are about to actually meet him. Not only that, you are going to meet all of Stray Kids. You had formed a quick bond with Han and Seungmin, but your interactions with the other boys had been minimal thus far. That was all about to change. 

“You can do this you idiot,” you tell yourself in the mirror. “He’s just a guy. At the end of the day, he wants normal as much as you do,” you remind yourself. With that, you straighten your hair and dress one last time and exit the bathroom. 

Seok-Jin leads you back to the table where Jia is seated. Your drink is sitting on the table and you snatch it up, eager to have that rush of adrenaline in your veins that the caffeine will provide. 

“Okay, so the boys are clearing security now,” Jia starts.

You stare at her, your mouth agape. 

“Wait, already?” you ask, a slight panic in your voice. 

Jia smiles softly at you and it’s reassuring as you will your heart to slow down. 

“Already,” she confirms. “Your luggage is already on its way to the hotel. Now we just need to go meet up with them. Chan insisted that you would be riding with them from the airport to the hotel, despite my advice.”

“Your advice?” you ask.

“I’m not sure it’s the best idea for your first meeting to be here. I swear he forgets the level of his notoriety sometimes,” she sighs and you can tell she is a little exasperated. “They all do.” 

“Ah,” you nod in understanding. “That he does. Should we just go ahead to the hotel?” you ask, suddenly doubting the plan to meet with Chan here. 

Jia shakes her head. 

“We’ve got everything figured out as best as we can,” she assures you. “Seok-Jin will be right there. If he says…” 

“I do,” you answer with Jia. 

“Exactly,” she smiles. “Let’s move. We are going to head to the meeting place. We will basically meet up with them. There won’t be time for a grand meeting. Essentially, we will simply walk up and join the group. We will head to the cars from there,” she tells you. 

“Got it,” you nod nervously. 

You both stand, Seok-Jin close behind as you throw your cross body bag over your shoulder. You take a deep breath. You can feel your anxiety bubbling up as you take a step forward. There are so many things you hadn’t accounted for. So many factors you hadn’t considered. You briefly feel a little foolish for rushing into all of this, but there is no turning back. Not now. 

The three of you cover a lot of ground fairly quickly and suddenly you are rounding the corner. The noise of the crowd hits you before you actually see it. It feels like there are hundreds of people around you. They aren’t there for you, though, you remind yourself, though that doesn’t entirely help ease your anxiety. But you have a guard. You’ll be fine, y/n you tell yourself. 

“Oh my god, is that her?” you hear someone say, and you turn to look at whoever the voice is mentioning. You don’t stop moving, but when you look, you realize that the eyes are on you. That isn’t right. No one should be looking at you. 

“It is her!” someone else says, and suddenly it feels like the wolves are descending. There is a swarm of people closing in on you. They are shouting questions and pointing cameras in your face. Seok-Jin’s hand is on your back, his other on your arm as he shields you from the crowd, but he is just one person. It feels like the walls are closing in and you instantly feel like you can’t breathe. 

“Y/N! Y/N! Are you working on a collaboration with Stray Kids?” someone shouts from not far enough away. “Do you have plans to showcase your singing soon?” Another shouts. Your head is spinning. How did these people know your name? Why were they talking about your singing? You can feel your chest collapsing in on itself as you become so overwhelmed you aren’t sure you can keep going. 

You haven’t remotely paid attention to where Jia and Seok-Jin are leading you. At this point, meeting up with the guys is the last thing on your mind. You just want to get into a car and drive away from this chaos. Your breathing is quick and you stop, clutching your chest, trying to will yourself to keep breathing. You had not anticipated any of this. 

It’s then that you suddenly feel a pair of strong arms wrap around you, pulling you into their body. The person is too short to be Seok-Jin. 

“Y/N, I’m here. It’s okay.” 

He strokes your hair and gently kisses the side of your forehead. “We’ve gotta move, baby girl,” he whispers in your ear and suddenly you realize it's Chan. You are wrapped up in Chan’s arms and that’s all the strength you need to move again. You don’t know where he had come from or how he knew anything was wrong, but the two of you move together and head for the door which is much closer than you realize. 

What you hadn’t realized was that Jia had been communicating with Chan’s team the second things went south and people started recognizing you. She had been trying to get to the bottom of why anyone even remotely knew who you were to begin with. Chan had been filled in and demanded that he move ahead of the group to come to you. 

Chan’s arms are wrapped protectively around you as your group of five; you, Chan, Jia, Seok-Jin and Chan’s bodyguard, suddenly becomes a much larger group. You haven’t looked up at Chan yet because you are surrounded by people and completely overwhelmed. You finally take a chance to pay attention to your surroundings and you realize that the rest of the group has joined you. The crowd of people now feels further away as there were many people surrounding you and the boys. You take a deep breath and scan the faces. 

Your eyes meet a pair of round hazelnut eyes and he smiles, giving you a tiny wave. His eyes squint up almost closing completely, and even though you can’t see his smile because of the face mask, you know the person is smiling brightly at you. 

“Seungmin,” you breathe. 

You step outside the doors and the bright LA sun hits you along with a nice breeze and you take another deep breath. You feel as though it’s the first time you’ve breathed since you left the caffe. 

Chan’s guard rushes ahead of you and opens the door to an SUV. Chan’s hand is resting on the small of your back. 

“You first, darlin’” he says, guiding you into the car and following quickly behind you. The two of you settle in the back seat and Han and Seungmin jump in the seats ahead of you which are facing backwards so that you are all facing each other. You toss off your cross body bag, and let your head fall against the headrest behind you.  

“Oh my god,” you whisper, your breath coming out in a shutter as you run your fingers through your short hair. 

Chan places a firm hand on your bare thigh and squeezes lightly. 

“Are you okay?” he asks. You can hear the worry in his voice. ���I don’t know what happened,” he says, speaking to the situation back in the airport. 

For the first time you look up and your eyes meet Chan’s. He has a soft, concerned smile on his face, his hand staying firmling on your thigh as his round eyes hold your gaze. His skin on your skin is enough to send a thrill through you despite everything that has transpired in the last twenty minutes.

“I’m okay now,” you chuckle a little. “Hi,” you add, not knowing what else to say. 

He laughs then with his entire body, his head thrown back at the gesture. 

“G’day darlin’” he smiles. 

You grab his hand that is still resting on your leg and squeeze it. He turns it over and interlaces his large fingers with yours. His eyes never leave yours except for the brief moment they dart down to glance at your lips. You can feel the heat rising in your chest at that small action. 

“I don’t know what happened,” he repeats again. “I don’t know how anyone even remotely knows who you are or that you are connected to us in any way,” he says. 

“I don’t know,” you echo. 

Just then Han looks up, a nervous look on his face. He’d been fiddling with a rip in his jeans the entire time you had been in the car. 

“I might know what happened. Shit, I’m such an idiot,” he mutters, looking away from you both, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

“Han-ah?” Chan looks at him questioningly. 

“I may have posted that clip of y/n singing Iris to our instagram story before we took off,” Han admits, his head falling into his hands. 

Seungmin clears his throat. 

“And I may have mentioned something in a story post after it about meeting you in LA and not being able to wait until I got to work with you in person,” Seungmin groaned, mimicking Han’s motion, putting his head in both of his hands. If it wasn’t so sad to see them beating themselves up, the gesture would have been cute. 

“Oh,” you breathe out. Suddenly you’re laughing. It’s a little bit panicked, a little bit relieved, a lot of bit manic. “You guys are kind of idiots,” you tease as you pull your hand away from Chan’s to rub your hands over your face. “I was so not prepared for this. For any of this,” you admit looking at all three of them. 

“God, I’m so sorry,” Han half sobs. You can see that he is absolutely beating himself up. Seungmin is quiet and you realize that he is crying. 

“This is all my fault,” Seungmin manages, stuttering out his words before looking away. 

You glance at Chan, a desperate look on your face at the despair of your new friends. Chan’s face is unreadable, but you can tell from his body language that he is frustrated. You on the other hand just want to comfort Han and Seungmin. 

“Hey,” you say softly, reaching across you and putting a hand on Seungmin’s leg. “It’s okay. We made it through,” you smile reassuringly. 

Han reaches out and squeezes your hand that is resting on top of Seungmin’s leg, placing his other hand on the shoulder of his friend, rubbing gently.  

“You guys were excited. Hell, I was too. It could have easily been me,” you tell them. 

“Except you don’t have millions of followers like us,” Han groans. 

“Yeah, except that,” you admit. 

“Actually,” Chan speaks for the first time in a while. “Might better check your Instagram.” 

You grab your phone, open Instagram, and have thousands of requests to follow your account. Thousands. Your message requests are practically overflowing. 

“Oh my god,” you whisper, your small hand clapping over your mouth as you sit up and pull away from Han and Seungmin.  

“Looks like the video was screen recorded and shared a shit ton before anyone on our end realized it was on our story,” Chan says scrolling on his phone. “Look,” he says, scooting closer to you, your legs pressed firmly together.

“Holy shit,” you breathe as Chan scrolls through countless posts, all about you. STAYS had quickly shared your video, most of the feedback fairly positive to your singing. They had also put on their mega detective hats and found your private Instagram handle and shared it far and wide. “I can’t believe this,” you admit. 

“We’ll figure it out,” Chan smiles at you. “Together, yeah?” 

You look up, meeting his eyes and practically melt. The frustration that was there before is now replaced with determination. You’re fascinated by how quickly he can mask his feelings in order to deal with a problem. You admire it, but it also concerns you a little bit. 

“I mean, you deserve all this attention. I just wish you had been able to brace yourself for it,” Chan adds. “Obviously we aren’t the only ones who think you’re incredible.” 

You click off your phone, no longer able to look through all the posts. You’re incredibly overwhelmed and so unsure how to handle yourself. You’ve only just arrived in LA and it feels like your entire life has already been turned upside down. You slide the phone into your bag on the floor and bring your hands to rest on your legs as they ball up in small fists. Your knuckles crack at the movement, and suddenly Chan is reaching out and grabbing your hands once more. 

“It’ll be okay. I promise,” he says, holding both your hands in his, his thumb rubbing the top of your hand in a soothing motion. He has moved so that one leg is resting up on the seat between the two of you, the other resting on the floor. 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” you say before you can stop yourself. 

Chan drops both of your hands and moves them so that he is gently caressing your face. A small tear trails down your cheek and he gently wipes it away. He closes the space between you. 

“I will always protect you,” he whispers, his breath now warm against your lips. His eyes search yours for permission and you don’t pull away. He takes that as a positive sign, and closes the distance that remains between you. 

His mouth meets yours in a tender, hesitant kiss. His lips are soft and full. He tastes like sweet mint and smells like fall. The kiss is short, yet surprisingly intimate for a first kiss. 

“Always,” he murmurs against you and you are chasing after his lips at those words, this time the two of you meeting in a much more desperate kiss. Your hands drape around his neck as he tilts your head slightly, his fingers dancing along the nape of your neck. Your head is spinning again, but this time in the best way possible. You knew the two of you were connected, but you couldn’t have possibly imagined any of this. 

“I think we’re almost to the hotel,” Seungmin meekly whispers. 

You and Chan are reminded then that you are not alone and pull away from each other hesitantly. You’ve never felt this immediately bonded with someone before and it’s a little overwhelming. 

“Okay, good,” Chan chuckles, moving to sit up properly in the seat again, his hand finding yours once more. “Guys, we’ll all figure this out. Don’t beat yourselves up, yeah?” he assures the two younger boys across from him. “We’ve got a busy couple of days ahead of us. We’ll come up with a game plan,” Chan says, looking at all three of you. “I’m sure Jia is already working through it all.” 

“She is,” Jia chimes in from the front seat and you all chuckle. None of you realized she had joined the four of you in the car. “Everyone can get settled in at the hotel, rest up and then we can all meet to talk about logistics.” 

“All meet?” you question. 

“Yes, all 9 of you. Everyone needs to be on the same page,” Jia says and turns back around in her seat. 

You had completely forgotten about the other members that weren’t currently in the car with you. This would likely affect all of them in some way, and you could feel your nerves creeping back in once more. 

“We’ll be fine,” Chan says beside you as if he knows the thoughts running wild in your head. He squeezes your hand reassuringly. “We always are.” 

You chuckle nervously as the car comes to a stop. Someone comes out to the car with key cards for your rooms and Jia passes them out quickly. With that, the four of you retreat from the small cramped space and step back out into the sunlight. It seems that people don’t know where the boys are staying because there aren’t throngs of people waiting here for them. As if Chan can read your mind he speaks. 

“Our hotel is always a safe haven. No one will bother us here,” he says with a confident smile. You walk into the hotel and it’s beautiful. Chan leads you to the elevator, pressing the top floor and entering it with you, Han, and Seungmin. Your car arrived before the others, so you have yet to lay eyes on the rest of the members of Stray Kids at this point. 

The bell of the elevator dings and you all step out of the small space. Your room is the last one on the hall, past all of the boys’ rooms. As Han and Seungmin depart, murmuring their apologies once again, and you realize that you are situated across the hall from Han and Seungmin, their rooms adjoined by a door inside. 

Chan opens the door of his room and pulls you in behind him. You notice a door inside other than the bathroom door and closet door and realize then that your rooms must be joined as well. In fact, the door is open. 

“That room is yours,” he says with a smile, gesturing to the open door. “I didn’t want to have to be caught in the hallway every time I wanted to come see you, so I figured requesting a set up like this would be easier,” he admitted sheepishly. 

“Smart,” you chuckle. 

You walk into your room and see that your luggage is all safely there, just as Jia assured you it would be. You throw your cross body bag on an empty chair and retreat into the bathroom. You take one look at yourself in the mirror and realize what a mess you look like. You glance down at your watch and it reads 1:00 pm. You hadn’t realized so much time had passed from getting off the plane, the whole airport disaster, and the car ride to the hotel. Traffic must have really been crazy, but you were so caught up in your own world with the boys, you had had no time to notice anything like that. 

You wet a hand towel down with cold water and dab your face gently. You decide that you can refresh your makeup later, after you’ve rested. You use the bathroom and exit the room. You immediately notice Chan laying on the edge of your king size bed, an arm draped over his eyes. 

“Are you as tired as I am?” you ask as you sit down gently beside him. 

He chuckles and it's a low pleasant sound that sends a thrill through you. Sitting here with him feels so natural. Like it’s something you’ve done hundreds of times. It feels safe. 

“That’s the understatement of the century,” he says as he moves his arm away from his face and softly smiles up at you. 

You suddenly stand, holding out your hand to him. 

“Then I propose a nap,” you say, offering your hand to him. He takes it without hesitation and stands, his free hand landing on your hip and pulling you close to him. 

“That’s a proposal I don’t think I could possibly refuse,” he smiles down at you and damn it if you don’t go completely weak in the knees as his eyes lock with yours. You can see that he wants to kiss you again, but he hesitates this time. Something about being in a hotel room makes a kiss feel much more intimate and you both know you aren’t ready for where that could lead. Not after a day like today. 

“I’m gonna change real quick. I don’t want to sleep in my travel clothes,” he laughs and steps away and back into his room. 

“You’re too right,” you agree, moving to your luggage. 

You open it up and the urge to unpack everything like you usually do is strong, but you’re also completely exhausted. That type A OCD trait will have to wait, you tell yourself as you search for an oversized T and a pair of shorts. You find your shirt that reads, “President of the Big Tiddy Committee” on it and burst out laughing. You had entirely forgotten that you had packed this. You throw it on and slide on a pair of black shorts. 

You turn around, moving towards your bed and Chan is suddenly in the doorway between your rooms again. He is wearing a black tank top that sticks to him like his skin and a pair of loose black basketball shorts. 

Suddenly he laughs out loud, his head falling backward as he laughs with his entire body. 

“Oh my god,” he giggles, his hand going over his mouth. “Your shirt.” 

You look down at it with a proud smile, pulling it away from you and reading it as if you’re reading it for the first time. You shrug, a smirk spreading across your face as you look back at him. 

“Iconic, right?” you smile at him with a cocked eyebrow. 

“That’s one word for it,” he laughs, shaking his head at you. 

You wink at him and he blushes, a red tint spreading across his chest and face. 

You pull back the comforter on the bed and crawl in, turning on the lamp beside the bed and grabbing the remote that closes the curtains, pressing the button. The room goes practically dark as night despite the fact that it’s 1:30 in the afternoon. 

“You coming or what?” you ask, like you’ve done this with him a hundred times. 

“Yeah, okay,” Chan responds nervously, but doesn’t hesitate to crawl into the bed from the other side. He quickly scoots close to you and wraps his arms around you, pulling you close to his chest without hesitation. You melt into him and suddenly feel ten times more tired than you had just moments ago. You feel him sigh contentedly and you can’t help but look up at him. 

He is smiling down at you, his arm rubbing up and down your back gently. 

“This is gonna be the best nap I’ve ever had in my life, I can feel it,” he whispers, pressing his lips against your temple. 

“Hmm,” you hum in agreement and drift off to sleep, the chaos of the day on the back burner of your mind.

“Sweet dreams, darlin’” Chan whispers against your head before falling asleep too. You aren’t sure what you will have to face when you wake up, but in Chan’s arms, you feel like you can tackle just about any issue that comes your way. 

< Pt. 2: The Mystery of You |Pt. 4: The Complication of Life Connecting >

MoF Tags: @hoeinthehouse @drhsthl @chrizzlaptop @dna-black-and-blue @lynlyndoll @hufflepuffanddurinsdaughter @amararosesblog @flirtyskzbutterfly @spearb-99 @jascurka21 @colorguardlover14 @bangchansbiggestfeet08 @vxllxnsworld

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put the pieces back together

pairing: JJ Maybank x reader

warning: depression & all that good stuff that comes with it. (promise it’s really just soft JJ)

word count: 2057

(found the gif @rudypankows )

request: Could you do a scenario where the reader breaks up with jj bc she doesn’t want him to deal with her problems (depression,Anxiety, low-self esteem anger issues) and when jj finds out why she broke up with him he goes and comfort her if you will 👉🏽👈🏽🥺 angst to fluff 🤧❤️

summary: JJ is just the person to take care of the girl he loves

y/d/n = your dad’s name, y/m/n = your moms name, y/b/n = your brothers name

   “I just... I can’t do this anymore, JJ. I’m not good for you.”

That was the last time that the group saw you for weeks. 

You and JJ had been dating for six months at that point. Everything was going perfectly according to JJ, and everything was going perfectly until absolutely nothing was going perfect in your life. 

It wasn’t a sudden switch like you’d had before, either. 

You felt the way that you’d want to be home more often than going out with your friends. Even shopping felt like a drag, but you thought you could push past it this time. You didn’t wear your bikini anymore, though. You either wore a once piece or a swim shirt with shorts. Your body just looked... off when you put a bikini on, and your self-esteem couldn’t handle being around Kie while you felt like that. 

You weren’t eating, either. 

JJ was the first to notice that when you did come to The Wreck with them, you would steal fries from his plate but that’s it. 

Depression kicked your ass when it wanted to, and when anxiety joined the party, you felt like you couldn’t be around anyone. 

You were diagnosed with anxiety at eleven years old, and then depression at thirteen. You’d only known the Pogue’s for a year, and they only knew about your anxiety. Telling people about either diagnosis made you feel uncomfortable, but you knew that this group was insane and might just push your limits. 

When JJ got a text from your mom three weeks after you broke up with him saying that she needed him, he yelled at John B to drive the HMS back to his house at that second. His leg was bouncing the entire ride and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Did something happen to you? Did something happen to your siblings? Your dad? 

Kie tried to comfort him, but he didn’t listen to any of them. He was scared. He knew something was wrong with you and he didn’t tell anyone about it. 

JJ was off of the boat and on his bike before anyone could say a word to him. Yeah, you broke up with him, but you were still his girl. He wouldn’t have a problem beating someone’s ass if they came near you, and he would always be there if you needed him. And right now, you need him.

He knocked on the front door and your dad opened it after a few seconds. 

“We need to talk before you see her,” he said. 

JJ nodded and walked into your family’s home, sitting on the couch with your parents. 

“She told us that you know about her anxiety,” your dad started off. JJ nodded again and your dad took a deep breath before continuing. “She was diagnosed with depression a couple years after the anxiety. She’s on medications, but sometimes it’s too much for her to handle. Everything’s been okay since she became friends with you guys. But sometimes everything hits her at once and... this happens,” he sighed, running his hand over his face. 

“Is it my fault?” JJ asked weakly. 

He was so scared that he was the reason behind what was happening with you. Did he do something to set you off? Did he go too far in something?

“No! No, JJ. Sometimes her anxiety attacks are easier to figure out, but these... the depression episodes are hard for all of us, especially her. It could’ve been finals that started it, for all we know. The best thing that we’ve learned is that she needs someone she loves by her side,” Y/d/n said. 

JJ took a deep breath and looked at the hallway that led to your room. 

“She broke up with me,” he said quietly. 

“We know. But we also know y/n, and we know that she loves you, JJ,” Y/m/n told him.

“Can I see her?” JJ asked. 

They nodded and he stood up, walking down the hall and grabbing the door handle with a shaky hand. After collecting himself, he opened the door, relaxing just a little bit when he saw y/b/n sitting beside you. His heart broke when he saw you on the bed. Your comforter and his blanket were wrapped around you and you were laying on the bed, looking at nothing. 

The fairy lights that you always - always- had on were off. Your clothes were in a pile by your desk. Your room was just a mess, and you were such a clean person that it shocked him. 

“Can I...” JJ trailed off, looking at your brother. 

He nodded and whispered something to you before getting up. When he stopped by JJ, he looked back at you and sighed. 

“She’ll be okay. You just gotta remember that,” he told JJ. 

JJ nodded shakily and your brother patted his shoulder before leaving. 

“Hey, sweet girl,” JJ said softly, crouching down beside your bed. 

You looked at him and he smiled softly, tucking your hair behind your ear. You closed your eyes and he kissed your forehead before laying down beside you. While JJ played with your hair, you barely moved from your spot. His phone chimed and he looked at the screen, seeing a text from your mom. 

We’re going to get something to eat from the wreck. If you want something, you can just text it. 

p.s, y/n hasn’t showered in almost a week. if you can get her up, that would be great for her

“Want something to eat, baby?” He asked quietly. 

He barely heard the ‘no’ escape your lips, but he texted your mom to get your favorite order anyways. He loved it, and if you wouldn’t eat the main part, then maybe you’d eat the fries. 

There were texts from John B, Kie, and Pope, but he’d just text them when you were asleep.

“You sleepy?” He asked. 

You shook your head and he nodded, looking over your face carefully. He could tell from the dried streaks on your cheeks that you’d been crying, but your eyes held no emotion other than pure exhaustion. Your pretty pink lips were chapped and there was a small crack on your bottom lip. The eyebrows that you usually kept perfectly plucked were no longer in perfect condition, but he thought you still looked good. Even in what you thought was your worst, he still thought you were beautiful.

You were always beautiful in his eyes. 

“When’s the last time you showered, sweet girl?” He asked. 

You shrugged and he raised his eyebrows. “Dunno. A week?” You guessed. 

Your voice was broken and raspy like you had barely used it over the last three weeks. 

“Wanna shower? I can help,” he offered, running his fingers through your hair. It was a little greasy at the roots, but it didn’t bother him.

“You don’t have to take care of me. I broke up with you,” you muttered.

He scrunched up his nose and sighed, nodding. That one hurt just a bit.

“Yeah, true. But you’re always my girl. So, shower?” He asked.

Tears slowly filled your eyes and you nodded. “I’m sorry,” you choked out.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, baby. I know you’re hurting,” he told you.

He pulled you into his arms and kissed the top of your head, squeezing you tightly. You grabbed his hand and held it to your chest as your tears fell from your eyes and onto his chest.

The two of you eventually made it to your bathroom and he took his clothes off until he was in his boxers, then he helped you undress. For some reason, the people that owned the house before your family had a stool for the shower, but it came in handy now.

You sat on the stool with your back towards the showerhead with your forehead on JJ’s abdomen. He washed your hair for you, smiling softly at the smell wafting through the small bathroom. His favorite smell was your berry scented shampoo and conditioner.

When you first got it, you were always complaining about how you never got anything that smelled the way you thought it would. Once you washed your hair with that, he fell in love with it just as much as you did.

After washing your hair, he got down on his knees and helped you wash your body, kissing your cheeks as he went along. When he fished your arms, he kissed your right cheek. After your legs, he kissed your left cheek. He kept going until you told him you felt clean.

“Any other special pampering?” He asked, smiling softly.

“My face,” you answered. 

He grabbed the small pink thing that he always saw you use and put the face wash on it, rubbing it into your skin. You smiled when he mumbled a ‘sorry’ when going near your eyes. It didn’t hurt, it just felt weird that someone else’s hand was this close when your eyes were closed. 

“All done. Did we miss anything?” He asked. 

You shook your head and he turned the water off, getting out of the shower. He took his soaked boxers off and wrapped one towel around his waist and wrapped the other towel around your body. It was fluffy, just as you liked it, and you snuggled against JJ after he wrapped you in the towel.

“What pajamas, baby?” He asked.

“I dunno. Let’s figure it out,” you told him.

He nodded and went back to your room, stopping in front of your closet. You picked out one of his shirts that he left there and slipped it on, moving away from JJ to wrap your towel around your head. You grabbed a pair of underwear and shorts, then climbed into bed.

“Your clothes are in the top drawer. Get dressed and cuddle,” you told him.

He laughed and did as you said, quickly getting dressed. When he got into bed beside you, he realized that the sheets were different than before.

“Hang on,” he said, quickly shooting up and going over to your vanity. He grabbed your moisturizer and walked back over to you, gently rubbing it into your skin.

“You hungry?” He asked when he finished.

You shook your head like you did before.

“Okay. Well, I am, and I asked your mom to get me something. I’ll be right back,” he told you.

“Okay,” you said quietly.

He kissed your forehead and went into the kitchen, seeing your parents and brother eating.

“You got her up?” Your dad asked.

“Showered and changed. She says she’s not hungry, but I figured that she might want some fries at least,” he told them.

Your mom smiled happily at him, sliding the to-go box across the table.

“Keep the crumbs off those sheets,” she playfully warned.

“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned, taking the box and plastic silverware and going back to your room.

When JJ came back into your room with your favorite meal from The Wreck, your heart melted. Food just didn’t sound good at all to you, but you knew that you had to eat something today. Usually it was your brother that got you to eat, but JJ was definitely better than him. 

“J,” you said quietly. 

He hummed, pulling the covers over his legs and putting an old towel over the comforter to keep the crumbs from getting on the sheets.

“Thank you,” you told him.

His blue eyes met your loving gaze and he leaned in slowly, waiting for your nod to kiss your lips softly. 

“Anything for you, my sweet girl,” he said, pecking your lips again before digging into his dinner. 

You smiled softly and laid your head on his shoulder, occasionally stealing a fry. He held up the fork to your mouth and you took the bite, making him grin. He was simply just happy with making small progress. You knew that this was far more than small progress and it made you feel even better. 

JJ, the broken teenage boy, was able to keep you sane through your bad times. You, another broken teen, just happened to be one of the few people to help JJ through his bad times. 

You put each others pieces back together, one at a time. 

[nagichi-boop]

hi!!! can i get a matchup pls??? • im 170cm, very pale, i have a few freckles on my face and i have this mole below my left eye (other ppl look good w it why does mine look like dirt??? 😖), i lean more on the thick side but unfortunately not that thick 😔🤘, my hair is always up on a ponytail!! bc its rlly hot in my country, i only let my hair down at home. oh!! and my hair is shoulder length 🍰

im really quiet at first but when you get close to me i can get rlly loud. not all the time tho, talking too much exhausts me :d i appear as a very boyish person to others so i hide the fact that i like stuff like sanrio, pokemon, star butterfly vs. the forces of evil- ok i gotta stop. i like sending my friends weird memes at 3am. the reaction they give in the morning feeds my soul 👌 🍰

im a multimedia arts student!! i love editing photos and videos so thats what i do a lot on my free time. i write and draw too! but im not confident in it yet. im considered tall in my country so a lot of professors recommend me to be a student athlete, but i h a t e sweating.. i like watching people play tho! (but i almost never cheer even if its my brother or a friend im shy ok iM SORRY) this was hella long :000 i apologize bsbsjsb and thank you in advance!!! ❤ 🍰

Hey! Thank you for your request! I'm sorry it took so long for me to get to. Hope you like it anyways!

I'd ship you with...

Kuroo Tetsurou!

• I'm gonna assume you are in the class same as Kuroo for this, hope that's okay.

• He was walking with Yaku having another debate about their preferences for girls when he suddenly pointed at you and said "like her!", which caused you to freeze. Kuroo also froze as he realised what he did. He then ran up to you to apologise and explained that he was arguing about preferences and he was saying that you looked attractive. He then awkwardly blushed and jogged off, apologising as he went back to Yaku and the team.

• Honestly you were really shocked about the situation. Like...what just happened? This boy suddenly just came up to you, said you were attractive then left.

• You then saw him and Kenma the next day and he stopped and stared at you for a moment, before going over to you looking slightly flustered. He then said in a slightly nervous voice, "Uhm, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday, but the truth is I have kind of noticed you for a while. You look really pretty and I kind of wanted to talk to you. I noticed as well that you tend to doodle in class and when I glanced over, I thought you drawings were super cute...a-anyways, we don't have volleyball practice after school today, so did you want to go to a café with me later? My treat."

• Kenma quietly judged Kuroo because of how creepy he was being but also because he knew exactly what he was doing.

• You agreed without thinking since the whole situation caught you off guard, and he happily thanked you and walked off, saying he'd come find you after school. Then after he left, you realised what you'd done.

• You waited for him outside the school and he finally caught up with you, but Kenma was also with him. He then took the two of you to a cat café because of course he did and Kenma, who read the mood and realised he was third wheeling, left the two of you alone to talk while he went to play with the cats.

• It was a bit uncomfortable at first, but after Kuroo settled down a little, he became super easy to talk to and was really good at keeping the conversation going, which helped you to relax as well. Before you knew it, the two of you started sharing memes and cackling at them together. You could feel Kenma's judgement from across the room.

• Kuroo asked if he could have your number and you agreed. You sent him a 3am meme hoping he wouldn't get mad, and the next morning he sent you a bunch of messages about how he was wheezing and he couldn't breathe because of how funny the memes were, so you decided to add him to your target list of sending memes. Eventually, Kuroo started to participate as well, sending you memes as well as people on his team. Some found it funny, but others Yaku and Kenma got mad at Kuroo, which only motivated him to do it more. He also started to occasionally send some to your friends as well.

• You were afraid to be more open with Kuroo because you didn't want him to think badly of you because of the less "boyish" things you liked. One day, though, he caught you looking at pictures of Sanrio plushies on your phone, which made you panic. But he just smiled and said, "I like those too," which was really shocking. You assumed he was just trying to be nice, but then he pulled out his keys, which had a Kuromi keychain attached.

• (Apparently, he and Kenma found out about the Sanrio characters when they went to an arcade as kids and they bought each other keychains. Kenma bought Kuromi for Kuroo and Kuroo bought Gudetama for Kenma. Kenma's keychain was attached to the case for his Animal Crossing Switch. He told you to keep this a secret since he knew Kenma would get embarrassed, but it eventually came up in conversation at one point and Kenma showed his keychain.)

• As you and Kuroo got closer, so did you and Kenma. He was really good at noticing when something was off and he'd listen to your concerns. You also realised that you had a lot of common interests and you felt comfortable sharing your hobbies with him and Kuroo. When Kuroo saw the two of you talking comfortably about Pokémon one time, he had a really sincere smile on his face because he was amazed at how well the two of you got along and how you glew when you talked passionately about your hobbies. He fell in love with you a little more.

• You realised one day that you weren't exactly sure what your relationship with Kuroo was. You were friends of course and you'd spend a lot of time together, but you wanted more, you were just afraid to say since you didn't want to ruin what you had. Kenma noticed you seemed to be deep in thought and you told your feelings to him, to which convinced you to confess to Kuroo, saying it would make him happy.

• You nervously said to Kuroo that you'd like to date, and he just kind of froze and then said in a cracked voice "s-sure!" He then apologised for the strange response and then confessed that he'd had feelings for you for a long time, he just didn't know how to tell you. He then kissed your hand and thanked you for confessing, then he ran off to get ready for practice.

• Kuroo seemed to be a little bit more on edge with you now you were dating. When you confronted him about it, he said he wasn't sure how comfortable you were with displays of affection and the reason he was on edge was because he wasn't sure whether he was okay to hold your hand, hug you, kiss you, etc. You let him know what your terms were and he relaxed a little knowing what his boundaries were.

• You were glad Kuroo was taller than you because you loved being able to bury yourself in his chest or shoulder whenever he hugged you. And despite his tough-looking exterior, he really loves cuddling and he's super good at it and showing his affection in soft ways.

• Kuroo really loves watching you draw and edit. He either quietly watches you do it or he sits off to the side and let's you get on with it, maybe looking at you every now and then and smiling at how pretty you look. Either way, he is fine with quietly hanging around when you work and he does his best not to disturb you, but also likes to encourage you to take breaks and cuddles you when you do so you can recharge.

• The first time you let your hair down in front of Kuroo he just...stopped? You got confused because you didn't know why he reacted like that, but he had to turn his head away and cover his face because of how much he was blushing. Even if you don't think highly of yourself, to him you are the most stunning, attractive person ever, both in terms of how you look and your personality.

• Kuroo really appreciate you supporting him during matches, even if you don't go crazy cheering for him. Just knowing you're there is enough for him to feel grateful.

• The club members love you as well. Not only are you Kuroo's weakness which they sometimes like to exploit for entertainment, you also get along with everyone super well. They were so shocked when they saw Kenma talking to you so naturally. They started inviting you out whenever they'd go out as a team since you were practically a part of it now.

• Kuroo is super good at showing how much he loves you, even just through little things. You also make him super happy just by being you. Arguing with Yaku that day was the best thing to ever happen to him.

I was gonna pair you with Yaku but I felt like I was only doing that since I've already done Kuroo as a matchup before, but honestly I think Kuroo is a super good match. Hope you enjoyed this!

Sorry this is so long btw, I am in Kenma and Kuroo loving hours, so this was fun to write! To be honest, I could have written more if I wanted to, but I didn't wanna drag this out too much.

[knightofameris]

aaaAAAAAHHH THERE IS SO MUCH TO RESPOND TO OMG HOLD ON DHSKSN

before i start let me just say thank u guys (just in general) for being so kind and welcoming...,, today was so bleh and i just have been feeling worse and worse (yes i did cry for an hour but m ok now) and i go on tumblr and i almost cried again bc i saw all the asks...,, it’s so refreshing to just be hit w all this love........so thank u,,... much love from 🧸 dhdjd

onto the convos! hi ames i’m glad ur taking a break or at least are hopefully trying to!! i will kick ur shins and take ur kneecaps if u aren’t hehe :> pls take care of yourself and this goes for anyone else out there reading this!!! i’ll support u 100% :D

(i learned how to press return so my msg isn’t one big para im so cool) anyways fbdjdjHDKSSJ UGH that sounds like so much woRK dbskdndk WHAT WERE THE CONVOS EVEN ABOUT???? i get so drained so quickly and i always need a break from everyone so PROPS TO U??!!?? i personally take ss so i just switch back n forth between my photos and the ask box JDNSKD im so lazy

YEAHHH art !! i love art sm!!! practice sketches ooo of who i wonder? do tell more... AND I’M PROUD OF YOU MORE!! but like fr i’ve gotten so much better in the past 6 months and i’m really happy w how it’s been going, maybe i’ll show u sometime C:

WAIT HOW TALL ARE U??? are we both short queens????!!!?? JDBAKDJSK it makes it all the better having somewhat tall hq interests 👀👀 I GENUINELY DONT THINK SUGA WOULD HAVE BAD TASTE EITHER??? mf could be out here in sweatpants and a t-shirt and he’d look like he stepped off broadway istg. and GRRR seeing u talk so passionately about teaching HFJSNDKDDK im so proud of u and i have only been talking to you for so long LOL !!!! i cant wait to see u do great things in the future ames!!! i’m so proud of you :D keep going!! ok ok and finally, FINALLY, i’m glad you’re doing better!!! dummie thick surgeon but at least it’s somewhat resolved fhskdkdkq (sorry if i seem so out of it in this omg i’m so exhausted) -🧸

AAHHA oops SORRY AHFSDANFF

AWW baby, i’m sorry today was hard for you!! i’m glad that I, and everyone else, was hopefully able to make today a little bit better. WE LOVE YOU HERE <3 <3 sm uwu and crying feels good sometimes! yk, just gotta let it out. i hope you go get some rest because you deserve it, crying takes a lot of energy hgnfngkng. and if you ever need an ear I am here to listen <3

LJDFAL;SDJF the way I'm p sure you already took my heart,,,

I STILL DONT HAVE THAT FEATURE. AM SAD. and I DONT EVEN REEMBER we just kept sending memes on one thing or dog pictures on another, etc. and it just. different conversations ASDJFKDAJSF. AND DON’T WORRY i totally get it. i take a few days away from texting every so often and yk. I'm like simultaneously social and not tho adslfjdlsajf. ALSO THAT’S SO SMART,,, u have the brain cell here. 

AW i would love to see your art if you’re ever comfortable to share,, BUT IM SURE IT’S AMAZING ANYWAY!!! we LOVE IMPROVEMENT. look at you go IM PROUD OF YOU MOST!! and omg I, I can only draw girls recently for some reason. and if I draw boys they’re just pretty boys,,,, i mean it’s suiting for suga though he’s a very pretty boy u__u 

i ammmmmm 5′1″ (153 cm) owo. so I'm assuming,,, you’re also short AHAHAH. suga literally reaches the minimum height that i’d want in a guy. BUT LIKE SHORT BOYS ARE CUTE TOO I’VE BEEN “WITH” MOSTLY SHORT BOYS. asjldfasldfjasjf I'm mad suga can pull off any outfit and would be prettier than me smh. 

AJDFALSJF PLLSS ;-; I'm proud of u more...! what are you interested in for a career ?? 0: i know for me that I do want to be a teacher but I want to do other things too! something in the entertainment industry but who knows asdljfalsdfjasf 

LMAO my surgeon was kinda funny tho made it relaxing before going under anesthesia and donut worry about seeming out of it, I'm constantly out of it. no brain cells 25/8

[haeroniel-doliet]

Gotta love the fantastic return of the wonderful cocktail of whatever mental illness symptoms like to frequent.

(rambled longer than intended. why is it on main? who cares. its less obtrusive now i hope)

Aka. Ever feel so weighed down and exhausted in your own body you can barely make it from bed to couch? Cant even nap tho bc your mind is racing and heart beating too fast worrying about all the things you havent done and should be /so easy/ to do if i could just get up and have the energy to do it. And usually i also cannot start because i have no idea where to! Its equally important really if i went to pee or if i sent this email or if i did laundry. (but no, email is most urgent, but the least appealing. So. Stuck until i talk to someone reasonable who says: go pee, put on your laundry in 15 mins and sit down to do the email bc youve taken the productivity shortcut)

But awaken the distraction: the pleasant nice brain stimulating task. (today it was playing pokemon for about 8 hrs straight) nice! But what about that job application? But switching tasks is terriioible. I need warning and even then i might go nah 1 more hour. And sometimes its the middle ground where i do wanna put the game down but just this thing. And this. And this. Bc starting the difficult task is the worst.

Anyway. I have 2 and a half hours to get this application in. I think we're in luck lads, the last minute deadline trick might work. Lets get this bread. Tomorrow I have 2 simple ish tasks, someone to meet at 1pm and a counselling time. Today. Bar has been lowered to JUST these few applications.

Because i cant ask a normal humans workload for a day, because then we shut down and nothing happens. Little things. And then hope that works and i can get a second or third task in on that winning streak.

God i wish my brain worked.

[jordan102791]

Pixie Love Note part 10

"Thank you for watching them mama," Piper said. "I'm not sure how late I'll be out, so I appreciate you letting them sleep over tonight."

"Sugar, you know I will always take any chance I can get to have my precious angels over here," she said with a grin so full of love you knew what she was saying had to be absolute. "Besides, you need to get out and have some fun, or at least relax, every once in a while. I mean, it's not like you're really getting a break at home alone with them. And those hours you pull, I'm surprised you don't just pass out on your feet some days. Now, scoot. Go enjoy yourself."

"Yes, ma'am."

*****

Piper pulled into the gravel driveway that ran back a ways from the road. A generous lawn that looked well cared for to the right, with a modest wooden fence lining it. The manicured yard lead straight to a colonial, not small by any means, but certainly not as big as one would have expected for a rockstar's home.

She couldn't see the full extent in the dim light of night, but the river of starlight streaming through the clouds told her an impressive back yard went all the way back to the woods surrounding the place. She switched off the ignition and took a deep breath. She hitched her purse up on her shoulder, hopped down from the truck and made her way across the flagstone pavers to the door.

She rapped on the door and instantly heard shuffling on the other side and what sounded faintly like a voice shouting they'd get to her in a second. The door swung open, spilling light out at her feet before being blocked out again by the mountain of a man in front of her. He stood simply staring at her, for what she might have estimated as an hour, but was mere seconds.

"Hi," she said shyly.

He returned her greeting, finally pushed out of his stupor. She was even better than he'd remembered, and not a single one of his fantasies had really done her justice. The tightening in his chest and other places a bit lower confirmed what his eyes saw. His eyes tracked from the top of her head all the way to feet and tjen sprang back up to her pants. "What the hell are those? Are they llamas," he asked with a chuckle.

"Yep," her mouth curving up on one side. "Told you I'd wear my ugliest, comfiest pajamas."

"You did. You definitely did, I just wasn't expecting llamas I guess," his eyes meeting her own.

"Just wait. They get better." His eyes shot up, creasing his forehead.

"I'm really not sure it's possible for these to get before," his lips working to keep the laughter from leaking out.

She reaches up over her shoulder tugging something up over her head. He stares for just a moment before the leaking laughter becomes a sudden dam burst. "Are those ears?"

"They are in fact ears," her gentle laugh tinkling up his spine.

"I didn't know they made pjs like that that weren't a onesie or for anyone over the age of 6."

"Well now you do."

Still laughing, he says with watery eyes, "I so need to get some of those. I know what everyone's getting for Christmas this year."

"I think it looks quite dashing myself."

"Oh absolutely. Honestly, you're completely adorable in those and your plans have failed. Anyways, come on in. We don't need to stand on the porch all evening."

Piper nervously shifted on her feet a moment as he stepped out of the doorway. Stepping inside she was faced with a warmth and decor that she could only have credit to the homey feel a woman gives a place. "Did your sister decorate," she asked before she could stop herself.

A teasing smile warmed his face. "Now why would you assume it was Amanda?"

"Bc this doesn't look like how I would imagine a single man decorating his house. Usually those are stark and bare. This feels cozy and has a life to it all. It's a home not a house."

"Well, you'd be right. Our mom started it, but Amanda's definitely added and updated over the years. I'm not real great on the interior design front. If it were me there'd probably have been a single picture on still white walls." He chuckled.

Slipping his hand around her's, he leads her down the hallway towards a heavenly smell. They step into a kitchen Piper might very well kill someone to have, granted with as much as she works in a restaurant, she doesn't usually feel like cooking a whole lot by the time she gets home. A white marble island with gray veining sits in the middle of the room. The kitchen is lighter colored and feels so open and airy. Light walnut stained cabinets. The appliances each, within a few years old, the overhead lights glowing off them. It's all been very well put together, a lot of thought put into each piece. Function and form twisting together.

"Doll, you might wanna shut your mouth. You're starting to drool," Wulf snaps her out of her kitchen induced stupor. "Pix, get away from that. Leave it alone," he says a bit loudly directed towards the stove.

She hadn't realized he'd still been holding her hand until he released it, heading straight for the tiny woman peeking into the pot on the stove. Leaving her hand empty and cold, wonton for his warmth back. But she knew that was a dangerous thought and quickly pushed it down. She watching as Wulf's long strides eat up the distance to the woman. Places his hand to her shoulder she peeks up at him with a sheepish smile. Piper's struck by just how adorable she is. She's an itty bitty thing, with large hazel eyes hiding behind a pair of glasses. Her caramel hair cropped short, not quite buzzed, but short enough she probably wouldn't need more than five minutes with it in the morning. Her small, straight nose reminded Piper of little fairies in her daughter's books.

"Pix, leave the food alone. It'll be done soon, but you have to stop fiddling with it so it can finish."

"It needed stirring."

"No, it didn't. You just couldn't leave well enough alone to let it simmer. Now, go take a seat."

Amanda finally turns to see Piper from across the kitchen, watching their whole interaction. A small smile gracing Piper's face. A wide grin spreads across the woman's face as her energy is renewed and she bounds across the floor to Piper.

"You must be Piper," Amanda squeals.

"I am."

"Jase has told me so much about you." Piper's eyebrows inch up her forehead.

"Pix," Wulf says with a note of warning.

"Well, he has. I've so been looking forward to meeting you. Ya know, you're the first woman Jase's really brought home like this."

"Pix, will you stop?"

A sly smile on his sister's face as she barrels on through. "Well he brought girls home when he was younger, but more in the sneaking them in and back out before dawn kinda brought home. But never brought them home to meet me," a warmth filling her face as she takes Piper's hand in her cool one.

"Oh. Ummm..." Piper begins stammering. "We're just friends. It's not like that at all."

A knowing gleam sparks in her hazel eyes. "Right. Of course."

"I'm just here as his friend and so I could meet you."

"Yes, I did ask him to get to meet you. Gotta make sure there's a woman to look after big brother when I'm gone."

Any remaining smile on Piper's face instantly fading. "I'm really sorry. I... I..." Piper's stuttering begins again. "I should get out of here, so you can spend time alone together."

Wulf leaps around the counter, placing a hand to each woman's shoulder, but it's Pix that answers first. "No, no. You should stay. He needs some fun in his life, and I need to see other faces besides his ugly mug. It's ok. I've accepted everything. We've all gotta go some time, so don't be sad." Piper turning to look into Wulf's face reveals a glassy shine in each of his eyes. "And like I said, Jase needs someone who will look out for him."

Piper looks to Wulf for confirmation. "Stay," he says nodding. "Please."

"Ok. So... What's for dinner?"

*****

"So you made all of this?"

"Yea, I usually do the cooking when I'm home. I got in a bit of practice as a kid between spending so much time at the doctors with Pix," Wulf said gesturing to his little sister. "And then when our mom got sick, Pix was still pretty young. And well, dad couldn't boil water. So mom taught me a bit and I taught myself the rest."

"Can you cook too, Amanda?"

"Enough to get by, but I really do love when Jase is home to do it for me," she says with a warm smile for her brother.

"I can't really blame you, this is really good."

"Do you cook Piper," Amanda asks.

"Uhh... Well I can cook, but I'm usually exhausted by the time I get home from work, so it's definitely nothing as fancy as this these days. I spend enough time in a kitchen at work anyways," she says with a small laugh.

"Are you a chef?"

"I wouldn't go as far as to say chef, I do fill in back there from time to time, but mostly I'm a server in a little mom and pop place on 3rd."

"You're not talking about Dukes, are you?"

"Yep. That's the place." Piper follows a knowing glance from sister to brother. "What? What was that look?"

"Well, back when my brother could go places without being bombarded by everyone, he was obsessed. I mean obsessed, with their meatloaf and chili. He probably went there at least 5 days out of the week."

"And that pie," he adds dreamily. "You can't forget that pie. Apple something with that crumb topping."

"The apple maple pecan pie?"

"Yes, that's the one. So good."

"Ya know, I've taken on most of the pie and chili making duties there..."

"You what?" His eyes lighting up. "You know how to make them?"

"Of course. Ranch too."

"Mmmmm... They do have the good ranch," Pix throws in.

"God, will you marry me and make me pie and chili everyday," Wulf asks teasingly.

"Uhh... No, but I can make them for you some time. Or bring some over for y'all after work sometimes."

"That would be amazing and I'd love you forever."

"Uhh... Right," Piper shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

"When do you work? Maybe I can stop in and say hi some time," Amanda asks.

"I'm there most of the time. Lots of split shifts, unless I request off time. So, there's a good chance that you'll run into me there if you go in."

"Sounds like you work a lot," Amanda states.

"Yea, I suppose. Gotta make ends meet."

"So you need money," Wulf asks arching an eyebrow. Pix shooting him a look.

"I mean, there's only one income coming into my house. I have to pay my bills and buy groceries and put gas in my truck, so yea I guess I need money. Who doesn't? I have a few people who'd probably loan me money, but I don't like borrowing money from people, so I just work my ass off instead."

The tension running out of Wulf's shoulders. "So you don't have to work all those hours, but you choose to?"

"I don't think I'm choosing it. I have to work or rely on someone else and my life isn't their responsibility. So work it is," Piper added with a smile.

"Most people wouldn't care how it affects other people. They'd take whatever money they could get their hands on and live life as easily as possible."

"That's not really me. My mama always taught me to stand on my own two feet."

Pix gives her an appraising look before approval alighting her face and looking to the way her brother's watching the brunette beauty. Amanda sees the tiredness around her eyes, but it makes her no less beautiful. Amanda's not sure if Wulf has realized it yet, but she notices the gleam in his eye that she's never seen with another girl. Yes, she decides. This is who she'll be leaving her brother with when she goes.

*****

Wulf finishes loading the dishes in the dishwasher after practically shoving Amanda out the doorway to the living room to pick out a movie. "Need any help," Piper asks.

"Nope. I've got this. Why don't you help Pix pick something out to watch. I'll be out in just a second after I get all this loaded up," he tosses over his shoulder.

She wanders down the hallway, stopping to check out the family photos hung on the walls. A lot of them including a man and woman with a young Amanda and Wulf that could only be their parents, happiness flowing from each of their faces. Each picture drowning in love.

Entering the living room, the small woman's already flicking between movie options. A cuddly brown sectional that looks softer than Piper's bed stretches from one wall to the other. "Hey, come take a seat," Pix says when she spies Piper peering around the corner. "What kind of movies do you like? Romcom, horror, comedy?"

"I don't get to watch many movies these days, so I'm really down to watch anything you want."

"Hmmm... Ok. Oh, I know. This one."

"Really?"

"Yep. 'Tommy Boy' is one of Jase's favorites. We used to watch it with our parents all the time growing up."

"Yea, my mama and I used to love watching it together too. It's been way too long since I've seen it. Good choice," Piper adds as she settles into the plush couch.

"What are we watching," Wulf asks as he joins them. "Oh. Excellent," he says before either woman can answer.

He plops down on the couch near Piper, but not so close that they're touching. Amanda flips off the lights, plunging the room into darkness only the glow of the screen illuminating the room.

*****

The dimness of the room makes Piper's ability to stay awake harder than she thought it would. Her eyelids getting heavy. She curls her feet up underneath her, trying to get comfortable and keep her awake. The bottom of her pants riding up her leg. The shiny pink skin just above her ankle exposed.

"What's that," Pix asks as she points to the space.

"Pix." A single word, so full of warning. Amanda had always been one to asks questions that might seem rude in mixed company, Wulf wasn't even sure why he tried anymore. He couldn't stop her. He supposed it was the result of all those years of others asking her those rude questions.

"It's fine," Piper says laying a hand on his forearm to soothe him. "Ummm... It's from a car accident about three years ago now. Scraped it up pretty badly, but it's fine now," a sad smile on her lips.

"Sorry to hear that, but glad you're qll right," Amanda replies.

"It's all right."

Nothing but the dialogue of the movie filling the air again. It's not long before Piper's eyes are closing of their own accord, her head tipping back against the back of the couch. Her breathing deepening and becoming steady. Her body rolls slightly to slump against his shoulder, she barely stirs as a stray golden hair tickles at her face.

Jason looks over her head to his sister, question alighting each of his features. A devilish grin fills his baby sister's face as she stands from the couch and creeps to the stairs leaving them alone in the darkness.

She makes a quiet snuffling noise that has him smiling. He leans down to kiss her dark hair and lay his cheek upon it and watch the rest of the movie. Breathing in her calming scent, like fresh lavender meadows by a cool stream.

It struck him with how natural it felt for her to snuggle against his shoulder sleeping there. It was different, but he liked it. He could get used to it, and that scared him most of all. She said she didn't want this, but he wasn't sure how much of a choice he had anymore.

*****

The movie ends and Wulf shuts off the TV, the darkness taking over the space. His large head reaching up to brush her Chocolate hair back from her face. "Piper," he says trying to wake her gently. "Sweetheart, the movie's over." No response from the sleeping woman. "Piper, baby, time to wake up." Her eyes tighten as she snuggles in closer to his firm chest.

He exhales a heavy breath. He can't let her sleep down here alone by the door. It's a nice neighborhood, but his mom would be rolling in her grave if he left a defenseless woman by the door in the dead of night as he crawled down into his bed upstairs. He just take her up to sleep in his bed while he comes back to take the couch for himself.

He stands, gathering her up into his strong arms, her left arm flopping down. He bumps her up higher and tosses her hand up against her stomach. His thumb rubbing against the black strip of ink marking her finger. Wondering when she got it and why again. He starts up the stairs, her face nuzzling against his neck, her cheeck bone grazing the underside of his jaw.

A large puff of breath from her nose raising goosebumps down his back. His lower belly tingling. Her warmth pressed firmly to his chest. Her body begins to squirm like she's trying to crawl inside him, her lips pressing to his stubbled skin. Gently her mouth moves, seeking more of his salty sweet skin.

"Piper?" He tries to turn and look into face, tucked under his jaw. Her tongue snaking out to lap up more of his essence.

"Mmmm... Jason," her voice still dreamy.

"Sweetheart, if you want me to keep my promises to behave, I'm gonna need you to stop that."

She mumbles something incoherent before sucking his skin into her mouth, turning her body slightly to press a firm breast to his chest.

"Seriously, a man only has so much control and you're teasing me awful hard considering you only wanted one night," he says coming to his bedroom door. "So, unless you say that you want me, I'm gonna lay you right here and run back downstairs before I can change my mind about leaving."

He lays her down against the dark comforter. Her eyes opening to small slits in the darkened room. "Jason? Where are you going?"

"Nowhere if you don't want me to. Do you want me to stay with you?"

She nods. Her sleep-addled brain not able to think of a single reason he should leave.

"Sweetheart, you've given me some mixed signals here. I'm gonna need you to say it."

"Stay," she rasps out quietly.

"As you wish," he says moving her further into the bed.