#but when they meet some annoying guy they already fought before they revert back to that age just to shittalk each other and fight

[beaulesbian]

i was rereading some water 7 chapters, and the introduction of kaku was so funny. i love when luffy and zoro are using the same braincell even at a distance

luffy meeting kaku, ch. 325 "usopp?"

and zoro meeting kaku, ch 326 "oh, just usopp"

vs. Egghead arc and meeting kaku again post time skip - with nothing really changing of how luffy perceives some people (ch. 1078)

and also kaku meeting zoro on the sunny on Egghead prior the scene above and their lines echoing the first meeting on Water 7 - "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" vs here "Who dares to disturb my nap?"

[dr-m-r-ma]

The Design in Her Mind

Part 11/?

Genre: drama, romance Rating: PG-13 Group: Monsta X

Summary & Disclaimer here

Shownu lifted his gaze up to Sooyeon, his eyes moving with the direction of her face. When he saw that her expression continued to stay the same, never changing, he dropped his gaze.

It had been more or less a month since she called him out on how he looked at her.

It had been more or less a month since he completely froze in response.

It had been more or less a month since they stopped chatting as friends.

He knew how awkward it was for her when he froze, but Sooyeon also never pressed for an answer. In fact, she stepped back and it was like she reverted to her professional but cold personality. They still kind of talked, but it was more like surface-level talking. She was back to the business-only mindset, and they stopped calling and getting drinks together.

The distance between them had instantly grown through the lack of those activities, but there were smaller things that made his heart ache. The little subtle things he never noticed before -- such as the small smiles Sooyeon used to give him while doing his makeup or her fingertips brushing over the back of his neck as she adjusted his accessories -- showed how far the distance had grown. She stopped asking how his day was and even when he asked her how she was, she would only give short answers. ‘요즘에 웃는것도 보기 힘든것 같아…’ (Translation: ‘Seems like it’s hard to even see her smile these days…’)

It was clear she didn’t just take one step back. It was either a leg splitting step back or she practically sprinted back to square one. And he wasn’t comfortable with it at all. Not one bit. He didn’t quite get it, but he also didn’t want to delve in and get to the bottom of it either. It was just as if there was an itch he couldn’t reach.

“셔누씨, 다 끝나셨어요.” (Translation: “Shownu, you’re all finished.”)

His eyes flitted back to her. As he watched her clean up, packing her brushes back and wiping the loose powder on the table, his heart sank a little bit more. ‘웃는모습은 커녕… 이제 이름도 안 불러주네….’ (Translation: ‘Far from smiling… she doesn’t even call my name anymore….’) With that, Shownu stood up slowly, trying his best to hide his dejection.

“♫생일축하합니다~ 사랑하는 현우형~ 생일축하합니다!!♫” (Translation: “♫Happy birthday to you~ happy birthday dear Hyunwoo[-hyung]~ happy birthday to you!!♫”)

Shownu smiled happily at the members dancing around him with a small birthday cake.

As the seven members and their managers huddled around the cake, slicing a piece for each person present, they chattered away mindlessly until Jooheon whispered loudly, “그거 들었어? 우리 스타일리스트중 한명 -- 수연씨였나? 회사일 그만두고 준하형 팀에 몰래 들어온거래!” (Translation: “Did you hear? One of our stylists -- I think Sooyeon? She quit working at the company and secretly joined Joonha[-hyung]’s team!”)

Shownu momentarily paused before spooning another huge bite of cake into his mouth. Everyone stopped talking to turn their attention to Jooheon, who continued with the latest juicy news.

“못 믿기지? 근데 내가 직접 들었단 말이야!” (Translation: “Can’t believe it, right? But I heard it in person!”) He glanced at the managers, who were shifty in their seats, and said, “형들도 알았는데 회사한테 왜 안 말했어?” (Translation: “You guys knew but why didn’t you say anything to the company?”)

*Cough*

“악--! 야! 아 더러워!” (Translation: “Ack--! Hey! Ugh, so dirty!”) Wonho yelped, as Shownu tried to brush off the bits and pieces of cake that came flying out of his mouth onto Wonho’s shirt. He couldn’t help but choke when Jooheon picked at the suspicious parts that Shownu had tried to cover up.

The managers looked away, since Shownu had desperately requested them to keep it a secret. Keep Sooyeon a secret from the company, keep it a secret that he had asked them. When they questioned his intentions, he reassured them he was just friends with Sooyeon and he felt bad for how she was treated within the company. They seemed to doubt his reasons, and he only realized recently why they did and how much they knew him more than he knew himself.

“뭐… 아무튼.” (Translation: “Well… anyway.”) Jooheon poked at the cake as he continued, “내가 듣는바로는, 며칠전 누가 대표님에게 말 했는데, 난리났데! 막, 어? 막 준하형이랑 싸우고, 수연씨를 다시 회사직원으로 설득시킬려고 하고… 어우.” (Translation: “From what I heard, someone told the president a few days ago, and utter chaos broke out! Like, bro, like he fought with Joonha[-hyung] and trying to convince Sooyeon to switch back to becoming a Starship employee… yikes.”)

While the other members leaned in to prompt Jooheon to keep talking, Shownu shot a glare at his managers. It was the first time he heard about this. They continued to look down at the ground, but before Shownu could do anything or demand why they didn’t tell him, he was caught off guard by the others’ conversation.

Kihyun squeaked, “그럼 그것도 사실이야? 준하형이 친한 변호사 친구 데리고 와서 회사사람들이랑 싸운거??” (Translation: “Then is that also true? That Joonha[-hyung] brought a close lawyer friend to fight with the company??”)

Wonho and Minhyuk gasped, and everyone turned back to Jooheon. A single nod came from the younger boy, which generated another round of gasps and squeals.

“뭐야뭐야, 그… 수연씨? 준하형 여자친구야?” (Translation: “Wait hold up, so… Sooyeon? Is she Joonha[-hyung]’s girlfriend?”) Hyungwon asked.

Jooheon shrugged. The other members continued to whisper, and Shownu couldn’t take it anymore. He bolted up, grabbed his backpack and started walking towards the door.

“어--!” (Translation: “Eh--!”)

“형, 어디가!!” (Translation: “[Hyung], where are you going!!”)

Voices tried to bring him back, but Shownu simply shouted back, “얘들아, 고맙다!” (Translation: “Thanks guys!”) And with that, he was out the door. He could hear them shouting after him, asking where he was going or what about the leftover cake, but he continued to head for the elevator.

“현우야, 잠깐.” (Translation: “Wait, Hyunwoo.”)

Shownu looked back and saw one of his managers jog up to him. With one eyebrow raised, Shownu stayed quiet, letting the manager speak up.

“우리는… 네가 친하다고 그래서, 벌써 들은줄 해서… 말 안 했어. 너무 아무렇지 않게 있어서, 너는 다 알고 있는줄 알았지.” (Translation: “We… didn’t say anything because… you said you were close with her, so we thought you already heard. Since you seemed so fine, we thought you knew everything.”)

He squinted at his manager. In the corner of his eye, he saw the elevator light up, blinking to notify that it was arriving soon.

As the floor number changed to his current floor, Shownu gripped his backpack strap with his left hand and softly declared, “형. 미안한데, 그냥 친구는 못 할것 같아.” (Translation: “[Hyung.] Sorry, but I don’t think I can be just a friend.”)

The doors opened and he pushed himself into the crowd, ignoring his manager’s broken questions that sputtered from shock.

Once the doors closed, Shownu found himself squirming to the back, to avoid the confused stares from the other company employees. As he settled near one of the corners, he felt the person on his left shift away. Feeling self-conscious about the little space in the elevator, he tried to give more space by moving closer to the right corner. When his hand collided into another hand, he whispered, “죄송합니다.” (Translation: “Sorry.”)

“...”

Frowning at the silence, he looked to his right. When he was met with the back of a head, he squinted at the figure.

‘안 찾아도… 만났네.’ (Translation: ‘Even without searching… I found her.’) He pursed his lips, trying to hold back a chuckle at the way Sooyeon’s head was turned so far in her current position. Her body was properly facing the same direction everyone else was, but her face was facing the wall of the elevator. He wondered how flexible her neck was, but his eyes lowered down to her hands. Her right hand was holding a small duffel bag, while the other had just clashed with his hand.

The elevator was mostly quiet, so he couldn’t just talk to her normally. Whispering seemed like a bad idea as well, since his members had repeatedly told him he sounded like an old man in a horror film whenever he whispered. He was basically that person who couldn’t whisper questions during movies even if he was lost, since everyone would be annoyed. With the next best idea, Shownu lightly poked the back of Sooyeon’s hand with his right hand.

She flinched and flipped her head around, finally meeting his eyes. Something inside fluttered when her eyes stared into his. Without missing a beat, he poked her hand again. When she looked back at him confused, Shownu flipped her hand so that her palm was facing up.

“오” (Translation: “It”)

He used his index finger to write on her palm, but at the sudden touch, she moved her hand away. Slightly discouraged, he looked back at her.

Sooyeon’s eyes shifted from side to side -- she seemed worried about people possibly looking at them, but her cheeks were flushed with a soft pink. Noticing that she didn’t hide here hand from him, Shownu poked the back of her hand again.

As she sighed, she flipped her palm up, as if she gave up to his antics. He tried hard to suppress a grin as he continued to write on her palm.

“오” (Translation: “It”) “랜” (Translation: “has”) “만” (Translation: “been”) “이” (Translation: “a”) “에” (Translation: “long”) “요” (Translation: “time”)

Shownu then flipped his palm up, waiting for her response. His heart was pounding hard every second. He could almost feel her fingertips at his palm, causing him to feel the heat reach up to his ears. And yet… he didn’t feel anything. When he looked down, his enthusiasm calmed down and disappointment clawed back into his heart.

Sooyeon stood stiffly with her head facing the wall again, while her hand was back at her side. If he tried hard, he could make out a fuzzy reflection of her blank expression on the elevator wall. Dejected by her cold demeanor again, he let his hand fall back to his side. ‘이게 끝인가?’ (Translation: ‘Is this the end?’)

As the elevator continued to go down each floor, it only stopped a few times to let some people off and more people on. It started to get overcrowded fast, and even if she wanted space between them, Shownu couldn’t help but inch closer and closer to Sooyeon with the gradual influx of people.

Their hands were centimeters away from each other, just barely touching. It took everything in Shownu to not just reach out and grasp her hand -- no, he didn’t want to be rejected like before. Was this how she felt when he couldn’t admit to her question before? Tightly gripping his backpack strap with his left hand, he held his right hand against his jeans, so she didn’t have to worry about him touching her.

But his eyes widened, when he felt a poke at the back of his hand.

He relaxed his hand slightly, allowing space between his jeans and his hand, in which her small hand slipped between. He shivered at the touch. Not daring to move, Shownu stood frozen, like a boulder. It was his turn to glance around in the tight space, making sure nobody could see what was going on. As her fingers wrapped around his hand, his heart lurched forward once more. Like it had a late start to a race, it started thumping wildly. Like a gauge slowly but surely increasing, his emotions started to bubble up.

He continued to stare straight at the elevator doors, while Sooyeon continued to look away. Her head was less twisted towards the wall, but she still didn’t look straight either.

When he tried to squeeze her hand, she pulled her hand away briefly, causing Shownu to blink hard in confusion. She turned to face him. She motioned him to lean down so she could borrow his ear, and the next moment, he wasn’t sure if he heard her clearly.

“나도 좋아해요.” (Translation: “I like you too.”)

Like a feathery soft whisper, she breathed those words into his ears, before slipping her hand into his again. This time, intertwining her fingers with his and squeezing gently. His heart jumped, reaching the finish line, while the gauge broke. Emotions bubbled over, heart ready to burst from being so full, Shownu grinned and squeezed back.

.

.

A/N: yeayyy new chapter!!

[roraewrites]

thirty

[ sakura’s secret ] rating: m

// sorry for the long wait~

previous | next

Throughout the following days, it became their schedule that Sakura would return to his condo, meeting Sasuke a block away from her house and he would drive her to his building. Whether it started with kissing in the car, to waiting until they made it back to his condo, by the end of the night, Sasuke and Sakura would be lying next to one another on the mattress of his bed.

He wasn’t sure what he liked more — the way she looked when she was close to coming, or the way she breathed his name into his ear. Regardless, he would hold her close before she fell asleep next to him, bare chest to his and it was everything he wanted in life.

“Sasuke?” She murmured softly, voice tired and eyes glossy with promised sleep.

He glanced down at her while his fingers continued to run through her silk, pastel locks. He didn’t need to speak, only meet her eyes with his and that’s when she smiled one of his favorite smiles.

“I should probably go home tonight,” she whispered but there was something laced in her tone that didn’t sit well with him. He raised a brow in question, arms wrapped around her as he held her close.

Sasuke absolutely hated when she didn’t stay the night with him. It left a bittersweet feeling to sit on his tongue, mind running wild with thoughts when he laid in bed alone, eyes tracing shapes on the ceiling above as he continued to think of her. He wasn’t sure when he started to form feelings for her, but now all he craved and all he wanted was the pinkette.

“I can take you home.”

He used such a monotone voice, clearly unhappy but he wanted to do what was best for her. After all, she still lived under her parent’s roof and what they were doing was still risky business — even the dreams he endured sometimes made him wake up in the middle of the night, sweat coating his forehead while he tried to relax his breathing. He knew they were bound to get caught, but if they could make it until the end of the school year, then things would be good, right?

It was a question he always asked himself, especially when he was alone or on his way to work. It never failed that he would drive himself into a corner of his minding with pounding thoughts while anxiety swelled in his chest. It usually ate away at him, proving that his overthinking mind was stronger than his will of getting over them but Sasuke would always end up thinking about green eyes and soft, strawberry hair.

Sakura was a calming thought for him, one he would always refer to in the most stressful of situations and even now, lying in his bed looking at her, he felt his lips slowly curve at the ends before dipping his head down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

He finally let her go and once she left his side and walked to his bathroom, he already missed the warmth of her own body pressed to his.

.

.

.

Monday mornings always seemed to be the most annoying days to Sasuke. As he sat in his room, he continued to look over papers that he failed to grade over the weekend. It had been over a week since Sakura had turned eighteen and he felt like an idiot for reverting back to his teens years — he could hardly control his thoughts or his other head when it came to her.

He rolled his eyes and pushed his black locks from his face before exhaling. He continued to mark papers, reading through the answers and then grading accordingly.

Annoying, he thought as he read yet another paper. It wasn’t that his homeroom class had a lot of troubled kids, they just never elaborated or bothered to explain their answers and that’s what would take him longer to grade. The younger Uchiha usually gave them the benefit of the doubt, though.

Once more, he marked a paper with a good grade and continued onto the next, only to have a small knock on his door pull him from his thoughts.

“Hn,” he greeted to the man that stood in the entryway.

The silver haired man smiled from underneath his mask and although Sasuke didn’t mind it, the mask usually made his skin crawl. He raised his brow before welcoming him in.

“You’re here early.”

“I have some work to do, so I figured I would come in and get started,” he responded with an even voice. It wasn’t every day that the school’s principal would wander into his class, but Sasuke figured it was a nice break from the grading and reading.

“Have a busy weekend?”

He raised the opposite brow this time, clearly confused as to why this man wanted to know of his personal business when he never cared to ask before. He opted to shrug before sitting back in his chair, letting it squeak from under his weight.

“There were some activities,” he retorted while trying to fight the blush that itched to be let out. This was usually when he thanked himself for having longer hair, because it was easier to cover his face.

“Ah,” the man took a seat on one of his student’s desks. “I see.”

Silence fell upon them, making Sasuke squirm slightly from under the watchful eyes of Kakashi. He didn’t bother to look away though, only sat across from the older man and watched as he read the papers that sat on his desk.

“Someone had left me an email this weekend.”

His words broke the silence and while he shouldn’t have cared, a fire lit in the gut of his stomach.

“And?” Sasuke asked. Why should he care if the principal got a voicemail?

“It’s in regards to you, actually.”

Now he could feel his mind start to kick into overdrive, thinking of all the possibilities that it could’ve been about but the only thought that continued to circulate was that somebody probably saw him with Sakura. He swallowed hard before pressing his elbows to the flat of his desk, his chin coming to rest in his hands.

Deny, deny, deny, he told himself as he fought the nauseating feeling in his stomach.

“I’m not sure if you know him, but the man himself actually works at a different high school. He’s not from this city, but he’s taken great interest in you.”

Deny.

“He’s left both his email and number. If he doesn’t respond to a call at first, he says you’re more than welcome to email him. Although, I would be careful with dealing with this man, as he doesn’t have the best of reputations.”

It was more of a warning than anything, but Sasuke couldn’t quite figure out why Kakashi was telling him this. If the man had taken interest in Sasuke as a teacher, then why did he feel the need to tell him about the other things? He remained quiet and waited for Kakashi to clear his throat before continuing.

“While his high school does exceptionally well and his students excel at everything they do, it’s more of a private school than anything. The fact that he’s interested in you is a compliment, but as I said before, I’d be careful when it comes to dealing with him.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Sasuke couldn’t hold it in any longer. He was curious, partially numb to the overwhelming thoughts in his head as he continued to listen to Kakashi.

The man merely smiled from under his mask before shrugging. “Because you’re a good man with a good track record. Feel free to look him up before you decide if you want to go through with emailing or calling him. He goes by Orochimaru — should be easy if you look him up under the high school located in Oto.”

Before Kakashi left Sasuke to continue his work, he slid a piece of paper with the man’s email and phone number onto his desk which Sasuke grabbed at. He held the paper in front of him, eyes scanning the number and words before clicking his tongue.

“Thank you. I’ll do my research.”

“Have a good day, Sasuke.”

.

.

.

He usually took his lunch a little later in the day when he didn’t have a class going on. It was typically when Sakura was attending Gai’s class and luckily for him, they were doing a physical fitness challenge that day.

Sasuke remembered back towards the beginning of the year when Sakura easily ran the mile, clearly proving that she’s more than a pretty face with a tiny body — she’s stronger than she lets on, he concluded that day.

Now he’s sitting outside with more papers and a bowl of soup before him, eyes casually glancing in her direction whenever it’s her turn to perform. Today he’s making his class do an assortment of different exercises: crunches, push ups, pull ups and another mile run.

He must’ve missed her running the mile again, but he can see that she’s sweating as she continued to breathe with each crunch that she did. It was easy to see the muscles in her legs ripple when she came back up, while the muscles in her arms adjusted slightly when she went back down. He can’t help but smile, looking away and going back to grading paperwork.

He knows her body, knows the way it feels, knows how it looks when he’s grabbing her or she’s grabbing him. His heart then slammed into his ribcage as he clicked his tongue.

Orochimaru’s number is still in the pocket of his shirt and he can’t help but continue to think back to what exactly the man wanted from him. As much as he wanted to call, he doesn’t; after Kakashi left him in his room, that’s when the Uchiha decided to pull him up on the internet and casually scroll through the man’s information on there.

There wasn’t much, but he didn’t exactly have the best of reputations. His school excelled, just like Kakashi had said, but other than that, there wasn’t much that many cons to the man. He looked creepy with sleep black hair and snake-like eyes, almost like Sasuke had seen him somewhere recently and it sent chills down his spine.

Guy’s whistle pulled him from his thoughts then and that’s when he decided to pack his belongings and head back to class. He still had an hour to get through the day and one of his favorite classes was next on the schedule.

He gets to see Sakura, after all.

.

.

.

“I’m assuming you all finished your work that was assigned over the weekend,” he started his lecture for the day. His eyes take a moment to glance around the room, mostly to find Sakura’s vivid eyes staring back at him, and he can see the playful smile that pulled her lips back as he makes eye contact with her.

“Now,” he started once more. “If you could start by turning your books to page —”

“Uchiha-sensei, there’s a call in the office for you.”

He stopped, his eyes looking at the intercom and listening to the voice coming through it. A glare pulled at his brows before he sighed. He can hear some of his students giggle while others let out a soft hum, jokingly mocking him but he ignored it before walking to the door. What kind of urgent call could it be this time?

It best not be that Orochimaru, he thought to himself.

“Sakura is in charge until I get back. If anyone is to act up, I expect that she’ll tell me.” He doesn’t do it to intentionally embarrass her, but he hears her inhale almost immediately while some of the other students whined in protest.

He walked at a fast pace, practically rushing to get to the office only to take a call that would interrupt his last hour of the day.

They couldn’t wait until I was done with teaching? He thought to himself as he entered the office. He walked passed the school receptionist and straight to the room that allowed the school’s staff to make phone calls if needed.

He saw the light flashing on the phone, and as soon as he picked up, everything around him silenced.

“Sasuke?”

It was Itachi and the tone of his voice was enough to make him sick. Nausea rolled in his stomach while the blood in his body rushed to his ears. He could hear his heart thud there too, beating angrily as he waited for Itachi to continue; he couldn’t even speak, let alone answer his own brother because he sounded panicked enough that Sasuke wasn’t sure what to think.

“It’s mom and dad, Sasuke.”

“What? What happened?” He could hardly breathe now as he waited for Itachi’s answer. All he could hear was the rushing of people on the other end, tons of conversation and the occasional intercom that sounded in the waiting room at hospitals. His grip on the phone tightened as he bit back his answer and impatience.

“They got in a bad wreck. Dad is in critical condition and mom isn’t responsive. It took nearly two hours to get her out of the vehicle, according to the police. They weren’t responsible for the wreck, but it was a head on collision.”

The more he talked, the angrier Sasuke grew. He wanted to slam the phone back down and run away until he reached his family. Along with the anger, he bit back the tears — he couldn’t lose his mother or his father.

“I’ll be there soon,” he spoke quickly before hanging up and just like that, he excused himself from work for the rest of the day.

He couldn’t focus on the cars around him or the honking of people that he had cut off. It was a race to get to the hospital, and by the time he pulled into the parking lot, it was a dead sprint to get inside. From there, he found Itachi sitting in one of the chairs, cheeks pale and face resting in his hands as he rocked back and forth in his seat.

“Where are they?” Sasuke asked as soon as he walked up to his brother. It was clear to him that the staff there had been extremely busy, as there were multiple other people in the waiting room.

Itachi didn’t answer, let alone look at his brother. He only continued to rock in his chair until Sasuke placed his hand on his shoulder and stopped him. “Itachi?”

“They’re both in ICU. No visitors.”

His voice was cold and distant, enough to send Sasuke’s mind spiraling into another void of anxiety and overthinking. It became hard to breathe due to the lump that formed in his throat; he could hardly feel his heart in his chest as he let himself sit on the floor next to Itachi.

Sasuke checked his watch then, reading the time before he let his back come to rest against the wall. He knew he was going to be here all night and into the next day, possibly longer than that. Before he got too comfortable, he stood before letting Itachi know he was stepping out to make a phone call.

“Kakashi? It’s Sasuke.”

“Ah, I heard you had to leave today. Is everything okay?”

Is everything okay? Sasuke wanted to laugh, he wanted to scream and yell into the phone but he bit back the urge to get angry and opted to sigh instead.

“No.”

His response was short, cold, distant — much like Itachi’s voice had been only minutes ago. It took him awhile to continue, but there wasn’t anything left for him to say. On the other end of the phone, he could hear Kakashi type away at his computer before the squeak of his chair sounded.

“Take the rest of the week off.”

It wasn’t that Sasuke wanted to take the rest of the week off, but he wasn’t going to argue it. His father was in critical condition and his mother wasn’t responding; he needed to be here for them, be brave and strong for Itachi while they waited for answers and being at work just wasn’t going to cut it.

“Thank you,” he responded before hanging up.

When he glanced at the screen on his phone, that’s when he saw not one, but two messages from a certain pink haired girl. It set his heart ablaze, fire searing in his lungs as he thought about what he was going to say to her. Instead of opening the messages though, he instead pulled the piece of paper from the pocket of his shirt.

His dark eyes read over the number, taking in what Kakashi had said and what he had read on the internet about Orochimaru, but there was something nagging him in the back of his mind. Sasuke knew he was going to have to help out his family, whether it be with medical expenses or trying to get them back on their feet.

He knew that the job he had now wasn’t going to supply enough money. In inhaled deeply before shoving it back in his pocket and headed back into the hospital.

His mind was in too much of a haze to be making decisions that serious and permanent right now. Once he entered the hospital, he took his seat next to Itachi and in silence, they began the long waiting process until it was time to see their parents.

Even then, he didn’t feel any sort of attachment to anything in the world. His chest was numb, his mind empty and heart completely shattered at the news of his parents.

.

.

.

It was now three in the morning and there had been no news on their parents. Itachi was fast asleep next to Sasuke and as much as he wanted to sleep, he couldn’t.

Instead, he pulled his phone from his pocket and typed up an email, sending it almost as quickly as he had typed it.

I’d like to set up a time to call you in the near future, Orochimaru.

[coleymari-blog]

A War Fought at Home : Chapter 5

Corporal Natsu Dragneel has been through Hell, and unfortunately for him, the ride isn’t quite over. How will a new Rehab program at the local VA help? And will a certain blonde help make matters better?

Modern Military AU. Warnings for mentions of depression and adult language/situations. Other warnings to come as the story progresses. Cross post on AO3 and FF.net.

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

"How much longer are you going to be in there?!"

Natsu was pacing in the hallway, towel, clothes, and kit in his lap as he waited for Gray to finish in the bathroom. He'd been up since the crack of dawn because of one of his nightmares but had stayed in bed, staring at his ceiling as the droplets of cold sweat dried on his skin. By the time he was ready to pry himself off his mattress, he'd been annoyed to find Gray already showering.

"Come on, Popsicle Dick," he yelled while banging on the door enough to be considered agitating. "We've gotta meet Luce in an hour!"

Cracking the door open, Gray stuck his head through, cold water dripping on Natsu's exposed thighs. How he could shower with literal liquid ice was beyond the pinket's comprehension. Doing it overseas was enough. No need to do that shit at home when Gray, himself, maintained the hot water heater. "I get that you're excited to see Lucy, but can I finish washing my ass first?" he questioned gruffly, slamming the plywood door shut before Natsu even had a chance to answer. The Marine waited for an eternity, or ten minutes before his roommate finally exited the bathroom, nothing but a towel keeping Natsu from seeing everything. "There you go," Gray remarked coolly, walking back to his room, leaving a frustrated Natsu to wheel into the slippery tiled room.

After a rapid shower, Natsu made sure to look absolutely perfect for his day with Lucy. He spiked his salmon hair, picked his favorite jeans, and was even able to lace up his own Chucks. If it wasn't for the chair, he looked like he was going on an actual date. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but chuckle at himself and his patheticness. Spending time with a blonde goddess did not equal a date. He had to get that through his thick skull. All he was doing was helping her find a place to live. That was the real mission, to keep Lucy in Magnolia.

The two Marines, both in their civvies, piled into their van and took off for the VA. "Did she say how she was going to be transporting you?" Gray asked once he had Natsu locked in. Honestly, he hadn't even thought about it.

Reverting to his standard defense, Natsu shrugged. "Probably in her flying car," he quipped, "Or walking slash rolling. Don't really care."

Gray snickered under his breath and Natsu half-hoped that his buddy would give him some type of hell, but was left disappointed. The raven-haired driver remained silent for the rest of their drive, only speaking again once they arrived in the VA parking lot.

Lucy, standing by the curb, was the first thing that caught Natsu's attention. Her white linen sundress waved softly around her thighs, clutching onto the rest of her and her golden hair hung loosely over her shoulders. She looked like Summer incarnate and it took his breath away. The van pulled up to meet her and Gray couldn't move fast enough in the other's eyes.

Once they were on solid ground again, Natsu and Gray made their way to Lucy, greeted by her warm smile as always. "Hey you two!" she singsonged, waving excitedly at them both. Her voice always had this bell-like quality to it that made Natsu's stomach flip. She thanked them both for meeting her, and the group chit chatted for a few minutes before Gray finally took off, leaving them to their own devices.

"Thank you for offering to help me, Natsu," Lucy thanked kindly, her chocolate eyes dropping to the floor as her cheeks flushed. He wheeled up next to her in order to gaze up at her, trying to contain his sense of awe like always.

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't try to help?" the Corporal replied, his voice full of optimism. The obvious obstacle still confused him though. "How are we getting around today anyway?"

Brushing her hair back, Lucy nodded to the Subway platform near the street corner. "There's a stop right in the middle of the area of town I was looking at," she explained as the two made their way to the platform. She smiled brightly as she continued like she was proud. "I even made sure there was elevator access. AND there's wheelchair access on every cart." Lucy blushed again as if she was embarrassed by her own excitement. "Unless you'd rather something else. Maybe we can call Sergeant Fullbuster and use your van?"

No way was Popsicle Dick standing between him and his day with Lucy. Shaking his head assertively, Natsu grinned as they neared the elevator doors. He leaned over quickly in order to beat her to the button, chuckling at his small victory.

"Subway's fine by me," he answered as cheerfully as possible despite mentally preparing for the onslaught of people down in the terminal. As much as he hated to admit it, Natsu didn't exactly do well in big crowds anymore, not since coming back from Alvarez. Whenever he was surrounded by others he felt like he was lost in a sea of bodies, swallowed whole without a life preserver. Not to mention crowds provided way too much of a sensory overload, his eyes always shifting to cover all access points, always listening for the slightest out-of-place sound. Like they said, you could take the man out of the Corps, but you could never take the Corps out of a man.

Once they were both inside the elevator, Natsu instinctively let his fingers slide to the inside panel of his chair, instantly breathing a sigh of relief at the familiar cold feeling of steel. His tactical knife rested where it always did, assuring the Marine that he could handle anything that came at them.

"Do you always carry your knife with you?" came a small voice over the sounds of squeaking gears. Looking up into her eyes and finding only the smallest amounts of fear, Natsu decided to explain himself...to an extent.

"Can't carry my Colt anymore, but at least I can keep my knife," Natsu explained, bits of shame tinging his voice as they arrived at the underground platform. If you didn't pass the Eval upon Return Home (or in his case refused to take it), you couldn't get your carry permit unless you went through civilian channels. No way was he going through that bullshit again. The two of them made their way out of the cart before the Marine stopped off to the side in order to catch his breath. The crowds were shifting like the tide and it made him physically ill. Before he knew it, a certain blonde came into view and the feeling of weight on his shoulders jogged him from his haze.

"Are you alright, Natsu?" Lucy questioned, concern oozing from every pore in her body. She had placed both of her hands on either of his shoulders, pressing down lightly but just enough for him to feel her presence. It reminded him of his flak jacket bearing down on his chest and his heart immediately began to slow down a tad.

Swallowing, Natsu mustered the courage to answer honestly. Gildarts and the group really had made a difference after all. "Don't really like large crowds," he answered calmly, treasuring the feeling of having Lucy so damn close. He could smell the distinct scent that was her, like wildflowers and honey, finding it lulling and exciting all at the same time. Part of him wanted to explain himself further but something in him just wouldn't allow it.

Luckily it seemed that Lucy understood without him having to say another word. Nodding and smiling, she grabbed the handles of his chair and guided him to the mostly empty section of the station she could find, parking him next to a bench where she could sit beside him. There were a few bodies scattered around but nothing as bad as the platform entryway. The two of them sat and went over the ads in Lucy's newspaper, circling the ones that seemed most appealing. Time passed slowly but took Natsu's anxiety with it, allowing him to breathe in Lucy a bit easier and sit a bit stiller.

Half an hour passed before their train arrived. Luckily, Lucy held them back for a minute while people filed on and off the subway cars. Right before the final departure siren, she wheeled Natsu to the closest car which also happened to be one of the least occupied. Silently thanking her with his eyes, Natsu strapped his chair into the wall as Lucy took her seat beside him. The train took off almost immediately and they sat quietly as they waited for their stop.

That lasted until a small commotion caught Natsu's attention in the back of the car. Turning around, the Marine only needed to watch the scene for a couple second before knowing what needed to be done. An elderly woman, sitting by herself with a couple grocery bags, was being bothered by a couple of punk ass guys no older than 20. They had already knocked one of her bags to the ground before Natsu wheeled himself over.

"Didn't your parents teach you to treat women with respect?" he growled, gripping the wheel guides tightly. Even his chair couldn't curb his moral center.

The punks laughed at him, acting much tougher than he knew they were. The leader of the crew advanced on Natsu and pushed the pinket, causing him to roll slightly before catching himself. "Like you could do anything, crip," he fired back, his posse cheering him on like idiots. Natsu could see Lucy moving out of the corner of his eye but held his hand up to signal that he had control of the situation.

"Why don't you come over here and see what I can do about it," he teased, nodding the gangbanger over to him. The assailant took his challenge and darted at Natsu, only to be quickly apprehended and shoved into the wall of the car, all from his chair. His body simply reacted like normal, but it took everyone (including Lucy) by surprise.

The punk picked himself up and cupped his now bleeding nose. "You think you're slick huh?" he hissed before waving over his friends. The other two were just about to start in on the Marine as the train came to a stop, allowing the platform police officers to begin their patrols. The three quickly made their way off the subway and Natsu rolled back to the elderly woman to check on her. He was about to turn back to his seat when Lucy appeared beside him, the woman's bag fully refilled and placed on the bench next to her. They all chatted for the rest of their trip into town and she thanked Natsu for his bravery, commending him for aiding her and for 'restoring her faith in young people'.

Once the two of them were streetside, Natsu and Lucy immediately headed for the first location, a small studio apartment in an 'alright' part of town. Their mission went on for hours, each time becoming more and more disappointed at every location. After seeing ten different apartments, they settled in a nearby park while Lucy huffed annoyedly.

"I'm never going to find a place to live!" she yelled exasperatedly, nearly pulling her golden hair out by the roots. She was pacing on the manicured lawn, still ranting, as Natsu sat in his chair in the shade. As much as he hated the situation, he had to admit. Lucy was adorable when she was angry. Her tiny fists balled up as if they intended to do actual damage (which was laughable) and her face scrunched up causing wrinkles to appear all over. Still, he hated seeing her so distraught.

Natsu felt terrible for her. He couldn't imagine the kind of stress she was under and there wasn't much he could do to help… or was there? "You know, there's an extra room at our place," he murmured, half-hoping she wouldn't hear him. But of course, he wouldn't be so lucky. The blonde beauty's head snapped and she immediately locked gazes with him, sending chills down his spine.

"I couldn't do that to you and the Sergeant," Lucy replied honestly, coming to sit beside his chair on the grass. She brought her knees up and dropped her forehead to meet them, sighing. A moment of silence passed between them before Natsu cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Seriously Luce," her attention returned to his face but her lack of familiar warmth upset him. She wasn't Lucy without her thousand watt smile. "There's an extra room that we never use. We rent the house from our old Gunny for practically nothing as it is." Gently pushing on her shoulder, he grinned at her. "As long as you don't mind living with a couple of Jarheads, there's more than enough space for you."

Lucy's gaze gave nothing away, not even the slightest sentiment. He could tell that the gears in her mind were turning but that was all. Honestly, it scared him more than the sound of enemy fire. Did she think he was crazy for even offering? It wouldn't be that bad right? It's not like living with a girl would be that different from living with Gray. She blinked softly before sitting up, her eyes trained on his the whole time.

"Are you sure your roommate wouldn't mind?" she asked, her voice soft, mousey, and very un-Lucy. Natsu wanted to throw his fists up in the air in triumph. Had he really won?

"Nah, trust me. He'll be cool with it, promise," Natsu replied excitedly, saying silent prayers to whatever deity would be goodly enough to listen. "What do ya say, Luce?"

Smiling her trademark smile, Lucy shot up from her seated position and threw herself into Natsu's lap, throwing her arms around him in the largest embrace she'd ever given him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Natsu!" she cheered.

The happiness she felt overshadowed the obvious obstacle that stood in their way. Now to get the Snow Princess on board...

Hey y'all! Sorry this is so late! I got sick for awhile, and between my two stories and Nalu Week I got SUPER behind. Hope y'all enjoyed this installment. Originally I was going to make Lucy find her own place nearby but I couldn't resist. :D

[kinky-kpop-writer-blog]

My 5 Husbands

Chapter Four - Photoshoot part 1

11416 word count without space

I do NOT own SHINee but I do claim the idea and Kasumi

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Walking out of the studio, Kasumi moved to open the front door, but a hand stopped her when it softly took her wrist. Turning her head to see who was touching her, she found a smiling Jonghyun. “Why don’t you sit in the back with me, Jangiya?” Her eyes took in his pleading expression, the mere look reminding her of a begging puppy. She blushed at her thoughts, mentally scolding herself for thinking of him as a dog. Yet didn’t his fan club call him a cute puppy? A secret smile brushed her face.

“Sure.” Smiling, she climbed in after Kibum, slipping into the empty middle seat beside the window, Jonghyun moving to the seat beside her as Jinki took the front seat. Minho climbed into the back seat beside Taemin and Kibum and soon they were off heading somewhere else.

“I had a really nice time dancing with you, Kasumi-ah.” Warm fingers reaches out and took her hand, bringing her eyes down to the difference between her small hands and his big, masculine ones. “Do you dance often?” Moving her eyes slowly up the perfect specimen of man, Kasumi admires the square sculpture of his jaw, something she hadn’t known she liked until meeting Jonghyun face-to-face. His full, always smiling lips that seemed to draw her in, his cute, angular nose, and finally up to those emotionally filled, light chocolate brown orbs surrounded by long black eyelashes that were blessed every time he blinked, to be allowed to kiss his roses cheeks.

Passing the tip of her tongue across her suddenly dry lips that wanted badly to be kissed, Kasumi recalled his question. “I had to take dance lessons for a few different rolls, so yeah. I guess you can say I do dance a lot. However, I don’t dance nearly as much as you guys do.”

What was wrong with her?!? She must have been out in the heat too long, because she was starting to get hot, and this had nothing to do with the temperature outside. This was all due to the Adonis sitting beside her. Sure she had known all five men were attractive, but being up close and personal with them was not something she had prepared herself for mentally. Her body was begging to be closer to them and she didn’t think she’d be able to stop herself if things got too hot and heaven with one of them.

Shaking her head to get her thoughts out of the gutter, Kasumi looked around. “Does anyone have any water?” A hand reached out, grasping a bottle of water that was half gone, and she smiled. However, he didn’t smile back. Instead, Minho didn’t even look at her. He kept his eyes on the water bottle, even as she bowed her head and thanked him.

Reaching out, she took the water bottle, their fingers brushing for a moment. Her eyes shot up to his, but he still refused to make eye contact with her. Something inside of her was disappointed, leaving her feeling even more confused. Their dance moments ago was so enchanting and intense, yet now, he had reverted back to the distant man from earlier. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome.” Letting the bottle go, Minho turned to stare out of the window, avoiding her all together. Pulling the water bottle over the seat, she settled back into her seat, unscrewing the cap.

The ride home seemed to take forever, Jonghyun, Kibum, and Taemin singing along with the radio, Minho switching from the window to his phone while Jinki slept in the front seat. Kasumi leaned her head back on the seat, her eyes sliding closed. “Don’t be too distant that you can’t rest on your husband’s shoulder.” The words were spoken so softly that she had even wondered if she were already asleep. But that wasn’t the case when a warm hand moved behind her neck, an arm slipping in and cradling her shoulders as if she were someone precious. She could smell the familiar scent of rugged pine needles and cologne. She knew it was Jonghyun before his scent hit her, seeing as he was the one sitting beside her.

Her thumb absentmindedly played with the band of her ring as she fought off a yawn. When the van pulled to a stop, Kasumi peeked lazily through her lashes to see where they were at. “I don’t want to wake her, so you guys get out and I’ll carry her.” The van shook as the rest of the guys climbed out, Jonghyun slipping the “sleeping” girl from her place on the bench seat and into his lap. Peeking through her lashes up at him as he fixed her in his arms, she flushed, noticing the small wink she received from him. A small smirk slipped across her lips upon realizing that he knew she was awake.

Scooting to the edge of the seat, Jonghyun effortlessly climbed from inside the car and out into the heat. She turned her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as he adjusted her in his arms. “She’s a lot lighter than she looks.” Her eyes shot open, her face turning further into his chest as she fought the urge to bite him for that comment.

“Noona doesn’t look like she weighs much though.” Kasumi tried her hardest to remain still, but she had a feeling most of them knew she was awake and just wanted to be carried by Jonghyun. Which she wasn’t going to lie. She’d do anything to stay in his arms a little longer.

“She’s lighter than you, Minnie.” He teased, walking behind them as they entered the air conditioned interior of the building. Goosebumps broke out over her exposed skin, causing a small shiver to rock her body. The soft chuckle brushed her ear. “Your breath is tickling my neck, Jangiya.” Jonghyun looked down at Kasumi, his cheeks a light shade of pink that she was sure matched her own.

“Sorry, Jonghyun Oppa.” She whispered, lifting her head and looking shyly at him. “You can set me down. I know I must be getting heavy.” Jonghyun leaned over, letting her feet touch the ground. Taking her arms from his neck, she looked up as he stood to his full height.

“You don’t even weigh as much as Minnie, so no worries.” Kasumi glanced at an annoyed Taemin, who was glaring at Jonghyun like he was annoyed.

“Ya! Don’t keep comparing my weight to women, Hyung. If it wouldn’t be for the Noona’s liking my child-ish appearance I’d bulk up like you, ya know.” Laughter filled the corridor as we made our way toward the studio where our photographer must be waiting.

“Don’t keep Kasumi-ya to yourself, Jonghyun-ah.” Turning her head, Kasumi blushed in embarrassment as Jinki walked over and tugged her into his side. “It’s sad enough I didn’t win, but now your going to keep her to yourself?” Feeling like the last piece of candy surrounded by five toddlers all wanting her for themselves, Kasumi smirked. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t like being wanted by so many attractive men.

“Welcome. Welcome.” Kasumi glanced up at a group of women walking toward them. She blinked, looking at each one of them in turn. Would it be pettie of her to wish these women weren’t so pretty?

Chewing on her bottom lip, she glanced at each of her husbands to find them all smiling at her as if to say they only had eyes for their wife. Which was ridiculous in a way because she was beginning to have to remind herself that none of this was real. Their feelings for her weren’t real. Sure she loves all of them, she even had crushes on them, but if she had to put a label on her feelings for them it wouldn’t be considered love. No. She was more infatuated with them. A fan for her idols.

Right?

“This way, Ms. Han.” Following two young women, both of whom were very attractive in her eyes, Kasumi walked away from Jinki’s side and into a room separate from the boys. She looked around to find her wedding dress from the night before. Wondering how they had cleaned it and had it ready for today, Kasumi watched as the two women picked up the dress and turned to Kasumi. She smiled softly, wishing that her Ai was there to help her instead of two women she didn’t know.

“Do you need some help, Ne-San?” Kasumi turned around, finding a tall young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a lime green sleeveless dress shirt, a tight, pencil skirt that showed off her long legs and black high heels that added two inches to her already five foot five frame. Her usually waist length black hair was now cut to her chin at an angle that left the back short and pixie cut. Her oval face was shining, her smile as pure and happy as always while her soft mocha brown orbs stared at her behind black rimmed glasses.

‘In those heels she is a little taller than Jonghyun Oppa,’ she thought, her smile taking in her close friend. “Ai-Chan!” Rushing forward, Kasumi wrapped her arms around her taller friends neck, embracing her as if she hadn’t seen the woman in months. “Where have you been? I woke up this morning and you were nowhere to be found.”

The two women hugged before separating, Ai moving to help the women with Kasumi’s dress as she undressed from her shorts and top. “My apologies, Ne-San, but I had a few things to set up for you. Such as getting Mr. Lee here from Osaka and setting up a day for you to get in the studio to run over some songs with SHINee.” Kasumi stood up straight, stepping into the dress before the women shimmied it up her hips.

“You mean I actually get to record a song with SHINee?” Kasumi’s eyes widened in shock at her friend and personal assistant as the women behind her laced up the back of her strapless dress.

Ai smirked as if she should know the answer already before confessing, “I may have had a hand in making that happen.” Kasumi smiles with excitement and joy as she tried her hardest not to jump up and down in excitement.

“Ai-chan, your the best!” Once she was free, she jumped at her assistant and hugged the women tightly.

“Don’t wrinkle your dress, Ne-San.” Kasumi stood up and walked over to the dressing room mirror and sat down. The same woman from yesterday walked over with a smile and set to work on removing Kasumi’s makeup from that morning and setting her up with an elegant bridal style.

Walking out of the changing room, hair curled slightly around her shoulders, veil once more on her head, Kasumi shuffled into the room, the soft buzzing of chatter stopping the moment her dress swished inside. Suddenly she froze up.

She was used to this, all eyes on her. She was, after all, an actress. She had done more in front of the screen and people that she was happy to admit, but it wasn’t their eyes that had her frozen in her tracks. No, it was the eyes that belonged to five different young men. Her husbands were all staring at her as if she were the most beautiful creature in the room. As if no one else were there but her. Even Minho was staring at her like he was love struck.

Why did that make her happy?

Walking across the crowded room, Kasumi stopped in front of her husbands, looking them each over as if she were seeing them for the first time. Her heart skipped a beat. “You all look so handsome.” She felt her cheeks getting warm, an annoying trait she had. Kasumi could blush at anything that either embarrassed her, excited her, or even aroused her. And right now, standing in front of five very handsome men, she was definitely a bit of all three.

“You look beautiful, Jangiya.” They all spoke in union, sending her heart into overdrive as her face grew hotter. Taemin walked forward and wrapped her in his arms.

“You’ll make a beautiful bride when you really do get married, Noona.” Leaning down, he kisses her check softly.

“Arigato, Taemin-kun.” Leaning up, even though she wore three inch heels, Kasumi still found him much taller than her. She pushed up on her toes so that she could planted a soft kiss upon his cheek. Suddenly music began to play, SHINee’s very own “If You Love Her” filled her ears and she held down a squeal of excitement. “I love this song.” She took Taemin’s hand and put them around her waist as she hugged his neck. “Dance with me again, Taemin-kun.”

Happily, Taemin moved slowly with her in his arms, his cologne filling her senses as they moved in front of the white screen and danced. She wasn’t even aware of the cameras flashing, her eyes locked on Taemin's happy brown orbs. He was so handsome to her, the light from the studio only adding a halo to his features.

Suddenly she was swept from his arms and into her Jinki’s arms, the two of them waltzing around the set as they smiled and laughed. She cuddled his neck, her heart hammering in her chest as he clutched her tighter to him. Being in such confident arms was intoxicating. “They’re all watching you, Jangiya,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. Kasumi picked her head up and stared into his sweet eyes. The way he was looking at her she would think he truly was in love.

“They’re all watching you, Oppa.” A shy smile graced his lips before a pair of hands tapped their shoulders. Turning their heads they were greeted by Key’s smiling face.

“Sorry to interrupt you love birds, but it’s my turn.” Jinki nodded, blushing, before softly kissing the back of her knuckles. Blushing, she watched him wink before walking away, leaving her alone with the ever flirtatious Kim Kibum. Sliding her arms up and around his neck, Kasumi enjoyed the slow sway he brought them to, their bodies inches apart as his hand held her waist as if she would break any second now. Tilting her head to the side, Kasumi stared into his eyes.

“Kibum Oppa,” His eyes sparkled as he danced with her, humming a soft answer to let her know he was all ears. “Is it possible, truly possible, to love more than one person?” Her face flushed with embarrassment as he smiled softly at her as if to say that he knew what she meant.

“I believe we do not choose whom our hearts love.” He spun her around, the skirt of her gown flaring out, before pulling her back into his embrace. “So yes, I do think it’s possible to truly love more than one person at a time.” Reaching up, his thumb and forefinger captures her chin, lifting her face so that his lips could touch hers in a soft, gentle kiss. His lips seared through to her soul as she melted into his passion.

Heart hammering wildly in her chest, Kasumi kissed him back, arms encircling her waist before Kibum slipped from their kiss.