#but will always be grabbing the opportunity to yap about these two

[expectiations]

She knew she wouldn't be surviving that expedition when the Doctor asked her who she was. Prior to that, she had been fairly upbeat and familiar with 10. Familiar enough to flirt with him. Familiar enough to be unbothered when he just coldly snapped at her to get out in response to her sweet greeting.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW!

I'm trying to remember which moot (and which site) I had yapped about over the familiarity with which River initially greeted 10 with in Silence in the Library coupled with the familiarity 11 had with River jumping out of spaceships. How that quietly points out the fact that 10 had spent a considerable amount of time with River between Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead and his subsequent regeneration into 11 and the 2nd time we, the audience, see her and the Doctor meet again in Time of Angels/Flesh of Stone.

We have the privileged glimpse into the 10River dynamic in the Name of the Doctor novelization, where we see 10 being at ease enough with River that he slipped into a bath (there were no bubbles[!!] in that bath despite popular illustrations depicting otherwise) with her. I would also like to bring to the table that he spent about seven hours with her doing Gallifrey knows what before leaving to solve the Zygon issue.

Why did I start yapping about this again? Oh yes, this version of River is, to me, the softest, most mature, and most alive (see what I did there) one. She's seen all the previous (and a few future) faces of the Doctor already (yes we include the ones she was forced to forget as well). She's spent 24 something years of precious downtime with her Doctor (the one who knows who she is to him, not a specific regeneration, as is the unfortunately usual misconception).

We see her diary and their screwdrivers a few feet away from where 10 was handcuffed (why does she even have handcuffs).

SHET. Enough. I can't be crying over this shit again.

Wait. I can make you sob with me. These lyrics are particularly fitting for that scene.

And the years passed Like scenes of a show The Professor said to write what you know Lookin' backwards Might be the only way to move forward Then the actors Were hitting their marks And the slow dance Was alight with the sparks And the tears fell In synchronicity with the score And at last She knew what the agony had been for

The only thing that's left is the manuscript One last souvenir from my trip to your shores Now and then I reread the manuscript But the story isn't mine anymore

– The Manuscript, Taylor Swift

Crying screaming shaking throwing up imagine being married to a time traveler and the younger version of him is an asshole to you because he hasn’t met you yet

I’d actually hit him over the head River has patience that I don’t

[writersdrug]

OOOH bartender Simon when one of the regulars starts making comments about reader at the bar

Yes

Slight nsfw, someone makes derogatory marks about reader

Simon didn't understand why the man chose to be a regular at his bar. He never spoke much to the lad, Mitch, other than the occasional grunt and "'nother round?" Still, the bloke had been coming to his pub every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night like it was his religion - it very well might've been - spilling his guts over neat whiskey about his failing marriage, his estranged children, and his shitty job. Simon was surprised he managed to keep one, with how much he was drinking on a Sunday night.

"Don't ever get a wife, Simon." Mitch says, fidgeting his empty whiskey glass in his fingers. He'd already come in with a sour expression and droopy eyes - Simon wondered what the topic would be for tonight, but as usual, it steered towards his divorce waiting to happen.

"Already got one." He says, jerking his head to the liquor shelf. "Woodford."

Mitch laughs, letting Ghost take his empty glass and dunk it in the wash basin. "You got anyone waitin' for you after work?"

Ghost clicks his tongue, wiping the condensation off the bar top. "Rather not talk about my personal life 'ere."

"Bah - you need something young n' fresh." Mitch sighs, tapping his fingers against the wood. "Guy like you can't have something too committed, or else your work ethic will suffer."

Ghost grunts as his response. He reminds himself that Mitch was a customer, like everyone else, and he only has to tolerate his yapping for tonight - until next Friday.

Mitch turns his head to look at you, and Simon follows with his eyes: you're standing at a table, bantering with the couple seated there as you take their orders. Hair pulled back into that weird claw clip thingy Simon likes so much, posture relaxed as you leaned on one hip, a soft smile on your face as the couple takes their time placing their orders. He remembers how unfamiliar you were with it all in the beginning, and now it looks like you've been working here for the past ten years. Like you belong in his pub.

"How's she handling the job?" Mitch asks.

Simon shrugs. "Seems t' be managing just fine. Gets away with more shit than I should be allowin' 'er."

Mitch chuckles, looking back at you. "They always do when they look that good." He comments, making Ghost pause. "Price knew what he was doin' hiring her."

He feels his muscles tense subconsciously. "I hired 'er."

Mitch looks back at him, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "Simon, you ol' dog..." he begins, leaning his forearms onto the bartop. "Gotta keep the customers comin' somehow, eh?"

Ghost blinks. "I don't follow." He does; but he's giving Mitch a chance to redeem himself after his insinuation.

"C'mon, was it her face? What she wore to the interview? Did Johhny-boy see her and beg you to hire her?" He leans in towards Simon, who obliges and meets him halfway, just to hear what else the prick will say, so he knows how much damage he can justify.

"I'm telling you - the only reason she probably took the job was, well.." he raises and eyebrow.

Simon waits. "Hmm?"

"You know - three big guys like you lot - not to mention that old brewmaster assistant, Garrick, I know he frequents here... well, any desperate thing like her would be throwing themselves at the opportunity."

He's livid. "Wha' opportunity?"

"Gettin hit from all sides, if you catch my drift."

Ghost nods slowly, biting the inside of his cheek until he tastes blood. He wants to punch a hole through Mitch's chest, but two patrons roughhoused in one week would make Price get on his case. He turns to the bar and grabs a whiskey glass.

"Aww, don't be like that..." Mitch says when he senses Ghost's anger. "I'm sorry. Listen - if you don't want to show her a good time, me and my buddy will. I'll leave my number and you'll give it to her for me?"

"Drink this, sober up, and go home Mitch." Ghost says, slapping the glass of clear liquid in front of the man. Mitch eyes him with a huff as he returns to washing the glasses in the bar sink.

"Fuckin' loser..." he mumbles, grabbing the glass and downing a large gulp - he immediately sputters, the drink spilling all over his front as he coughs and hacks violently. The entire floor looks over at the commotion, you included, standing by the POS and watching with a furrowed brow.

"Fuck- was that goddamn Everclear?!" He rasps.

"I think it's time y' head out, Mitch." Ghost says, leaning both of his hands against the bar. "Call your wife and kids. Stop comin' 'ere every week." He then leans in close, right in front of Mitch's face. "Cuz if I see you back at my bar again, I'm draggin' you out the back myself."

His eyes crinkle with a smile as he claps Mitch on the arm, making him jump from the impact. He quickly gets up off his seat and stumbles towards the front door, sparing one last bitter glance between you and Ghost, before he angrily shoves his way out.

Ghost sighs, putting the Everclear back on the shelf; you walk over right on cue. "What was that about? He ok?"

Simon shrugs, closing Mitch's tab on his POS and assigning an auto-gratuity. "Dunno. Maybe my advice finally got t' the bastard."

[avonne-writes]

ooo i imagine when gale and john are in university they go grocery shopping and the entire time gale is grabbing things and checking the lists and john is just pushing the cart yapping like crazy, talking to people, taking samples, AND hitting on with gale when they separate by accident and find each other - i bet they love playing house

This is 100% canon in this AU. Grocery shopping together is like a date for these two. Bucky never runs out of topics to talk about and he follows Gale obediently with the cart. They discuss what they’re going to cook at home and always try to add stuff to the cart that they know the other likes. Bucky loves trying out new things and weird flavours, so they always check if there's something new on the shelves. They also use the groceries to flirt.

It's a regular activity they enjoy doing together but don’t like doing alone.

There's an added layer to this. Gale rarely went to the supermarket with his parents, but he always liked it when they took him as a little boy. Then he started hanging out with Bucky and Georgia, and he quickly realized that they often went grocery shopping together, Bucky pretty much doing the same 'pushing the cart and yapping' thing he does as an adult. Gale loved this, so he jumped on every opportunity to participate. Eventually, this ended up being the first thing he did alone with Georgia, without Bucky.

[archangeldyke-all]

Omg so ik your lil blurb about reader finding slayer ended with the two of them planning to go on a date, but what if after a few dates slayer's lil ass ended up going missing again, this time ending up straight at reader's door. Maybe reader finds her before heading to work and takes her with her or something just to take her back to sev? these are just thoughts

SCREAMINGGG

men and minors dni

slayer can tell her mom likes you.

sevika's been coming home smelling like you more and more often.

while she only spent one night with you, the little dog is a great judge of character, and she knows you're a good match for her momma.

so, after your third date (and after watching sevika anxiously talk herself out of taking things further with you about five times,) slayer takes things into her own hands.

the next day, as sevika's taking the garbage out, she leaves the door cracked, and slayer takes her opportunity.

she darts out the door and starts her trek to your apartment.

it takes sevika five minutes to realize slayers missing.

she calls you in tears, panicked and cursing her 'stupid little shit' of a dog for always sneaking out.

you stay on the phone with her for hours, trying to calm her down, promising her you'll help her put up missing dog posters tomorrow. you feel so fucking bad for her, that halfway through your call you jump in your car and put her on speaker, slowly driving through town to see if you can catch sight of little slayer.

when you get home (after sevika cried herself to sleep) you slowly trudge back to your apartment, worried about your (maybe?) girlfriend and her puppy.

when you get your door, you burst into laughter.

because there, on your welcome mat, sits little slayer, wagging her tail and yapping happily at the sight of you.

"you little shit!" you say adoringly as you scoop the puppy up into your arms.

slayer wiggles in excitement, licking your cheeks as she kisses you hello.

"you're evil, you know?" you scold the dog as you turn back around to get to your car. "your mom's worried fuckin' sick about you." you say.

slayer doesn't care. she's just happy that her plan's working.

you drive her back to sevika's laughing the entire way at the mischievous puppy.

when you get there, you knock on her door, slayer's tail wagging in your arms as you listen to sevika fumble out of bed and pull a shirt on before she opens the door.

you gulp as her door swings open.

she's just as upset as she was the first time you stood on her doorstep, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, her nose running.

but now, you're a little closer with sevika, and you can appriciate other things about her appearance.

like how she's in just her boxers and a wife pleaser, having just woken up. how her hair's a mess and falling into her eyes. how she absolutely fucking lights up at the sight of you and slayer, just how pretty her smile is, just how sparkly her eyes get when she laughs.

"you've got to be fucking kidding me!" she exclaims. you laugh.

"she was on my welcome mat, waiting for me to get home." you say, passing slayer to sevika.

sevika bursts into laughter, kissing slayer, and the, wiping her lips and pulling you forward for a breathtaking, knee-weakening kiss.

you gasp against her. you've only kissed two or three times, at the end of your dates, little goodbye pecks.

this is different. this is a kiss.

just as sevika starts to pull away, you reach forward and grab her shirt, pulling her back against you. she hums against your lips, and slayer whines at being squished.

when you finally pull away, slayer jumps out of sevika's arms and runs back into her apartment, ready to go to sleep after a successful mission.

sevika clears her throat, then looks at you.

"hi." she says. you giggle.

"hey." you say. sevika smiles.

"do you... maybe want to come inside?" she asks. you grin.

"fuck yeah i do." you say.

afterwards, when you guys are panting and naked and sweaty on sevika's bed, you laugh at the ceiling. sevika squeezes your hand.

"what're you laughing at?" she asks. you shrug.

"i oughta start kidnapping that dog if this is what her return gets me." you say. sevika laughs.

"y'know... you could just be my girlfriend. that way we can do this whenever, without the emotional turmoil beforehand." sevika says.

you grin and flop over to lay ontop of sevika's body, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"that'd be great." you say. "i'm not sneaky enough to get away with dognapping."

outside of the bedroom, slayer settles down on the couch, now that the noise coming from the bedroom has stopped. looks like her plan worked.

taglist!

@lesbeaniegreenie @fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @ellabslut @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther @gr0ssz0mbi3 @ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @leomatsuzaki

[eddiediazismyhusband]

Please yap to me about Buddie! Anything happy, honestly. I'm so sick of all the drama around here, so thanks for this opportunity. 🥰Here are some topics for you to choose from, and feel free to discuss them all if you like! 1) What would be your absolute ideal way for Buddie to get together? (it can be something that would be realistic for canon purposes, or just incredibly self-indulgent! Or both!) 2) Who says 'I love you' first, and how? 3) Tell us about a favorite headcanon you might have about them! It could be anything at all - how you envision their first kiss, a silly argument you know they would have, (how they make up from that argument....) literally any cute headcanon you would like to share! And if none of those things are topics you'd like to discuss, that's okay too. I just want to hear any and all happy Buddie thoughts!

omg we love options here <3

1. so i made a post a while ago but i really like the idea of buddie kinda paralleling bathena and getting together almost quietly? no bug emotional hurrah scene, no near death experience, but just… them both realizing it’s the next step for them naturally (after some dramatic feelings realizations ofc) but we hear buck mention in passing that he has a date or something and later on at the end of the episode we see him getting ready to go and there’s a knock on the door; he answers and we see flowers, before they are brought down and it’s eddie standing there all bashful and blushy and we get that big Buck smile and he’s like “hi” and eddie goes “hi, you ready to go?” and buck nods, grabbing his coat, taking the flowers, and then the episode ends with them closing the door as they leave. Of course i will take buddie however they wanna give it to us BUT i know they love their bathena parallels and i think this mirroring the s1 finale date w bathena would be super cute, especially if it was the mid-season finale and 8b could be focused on them settling into the relationship and having a few stumbles along the way as they get used to each other (maybe even a secret relationship plot 👀👀)

2. I really love the idea of Eddie saying “I love you” to Buck first, just because it would take a lot for Eddie to verbally admit that to anyone, and him admitting it to Buck would be so powerful and UGHHHH… meanwhile Buck is always the one diving into relationships headfirst and making the first big emotional step, etc, and i think having Buck be the one who gets confessed to would give him this sense of finally being wanted by someone (especially Eddie who is so guarded, even though he’s Buck) and it just feels so 🥰🥰🥰 to me (i think Buck would initiate their first kiss though)

3. I love my headcanon that they always make a point to sleep in the same bed even if they’re arguing bc they can’t stand the thought of losing each other in the middle if the night for any reason, and that even if they’re pissed at each other, they’re there, they’re alive, they’re okay. I feel like they wouldn’t have any major blow-out fights after maybe one or two early on in the relationship, just petty disagreements, arguments, things like that, but if they were it would be over one of them doing something dangerous and the other thinking they lost them, and they most certainly would not wanna let each other go after that.

[chateau-dilf]

One thing about me is I will NOT waste an opportunity to yap about birds 👀

Firstly I narrowed down choices on a location basis, both to make my life easier and because I like the geographical accuracy. I spent a long time scrolling the Collins bird guide app with the location filter set to France, experiencing some jealousy lol, Continental Europe has so many gorgeous birds.

Edmond could only ever be a sea bird. I briedly considered shags and cormorants but they felt too sedentary. Pre-prison Edmond is excited to live & fulfill his dreams and something about the way terns streak through the skies, slender and elegant, their entire existence revolving around life at sea, felt very Edmond. Aside from that I knew I could make a good Edmond design from a sandwich tern thanks to their partially black heads, I personally find species with areas of black more fun to work with. I did consider finding something with a smaller beak to make potential mask disguises easier but nothing else suited him as well as a tern.

Fernand as a hoopoe happened for two reasons: the first is self indulgent and purely because they're orange and a bit prettyboy which is just me leaning into a certain type of character I'm very fond of (though it does suit him), but also I very heavily associate hoopoes with Spain. I took my first steps on a holiday to Spain as a baby, and my parents always remind me they saw a hoopoe there, and I like to think I technically saw it too. So to me, though hoopoes are found across Europe, it's a nod to his Catalan origins. Entirely coincidentally I have a hoopoe as a minor character in my personal project who is Spanish and I realised shares the initials FM, lol. I think I must be quite prone to associations.

Mercédès ties into my decision for Fernand also, I realised if I made him a hoopoe I could make her a bee-eater, since those two species are in the same clade, in reference to them as cousins in canon (shakes my head so the audience knows I disagree but I'm still giggling.) Depending on what I do with this au I'd consider changing that fact but it amused me to link them by species. Also, bee-eaters are gorgeous, and again I felt I could bring a good design for her out of one. Long hair is very hard to design when it comes to birds but it helps that bee-eaters already have a distinct red/brown head.

Villefort was the most fun to draw but the hardest to assign, Ross wanted a bird of prey but I couldn't find one that really felt very him and I also inexplicably dislike drawing raptors (love them, it's just really hard) but I was very drawn to the black grouse and capercaillie. This was mostly a colour association based decision, though their courtship behaviour suits him (that man has such unprecedented rizz??) and in deciding between the two I realised I had no idea how to draw their eye wattles so went with the capercaillie instead.

Danglars was also really fun to draw, I wanted him to be a thick beaked species for the potential for harm but not something with any real grandeur, he is only a baron after all. So a passerine felt right, and I've heard a story about a Hawfinch taking out a sizeable chunk of someone's hand before.

I'm yet to draw Haydée but she'll be a laughing dove. I suppose I could have chosen something with a 'more beautiful' song but I think they're really lovely looking birds, plus they're only found sparsely across Greece, Türkiye and further south in Africa so to the other characters would appear striking. I never like to only use the 'coolest' birds in my projects and I felt something more 'unassuming' for her would be nice, especially a pigeon. It's pro-pigeon propaganda. Plus nothing else particularly grabbed me for her, I might've considered a falcon of some sort if I wasn't averse to drawing them.

Hits them with the birdification beam 💥

[woozten-x]

#. 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐲 | 𝐉𝐚𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧

‹3 gif originally posted by ohoshi

[ ; M.List including other Neos! ]

─ Synopsis: You and your boyfriend always have days where the two of you are busy and tired, but everything seems to be worth it once the day ends.

At the end of each day, you are always returning back to Na Jaemin with all worries laid to rest.

─ Pairing: Barista!Na Jaemin x Gender-Neutral Reader

─ Genre: Fluff/Wholesome, Humorous Moments w. Dreamies, One-Shot, Comfort 

─ Concepts: Domestic AU!, Barista!Jaemin, established relationship, yall have a pet samoyed aka jaemin’s daughter named Riceball jeno is riceball’s brother, NCT Dream Cafe are sassy to their customers (especially haechan), mark got bean boozled, lowk jealous jaemin towards the end

─ Count of Words: 3.7k

─ Inspiration of the work: End of a Day by Jonghyun + literally jaemin with a dog 

ෆ

“What do you think you are doing, hm?~ You don’t want me to trip on you while I cook for Y/N~”

Cooing at the white puppy near his feet with occupied hands of steaming, freshly cooked food; he carefully treads around the kitchen to avoid the excited furball. He lets out a low hum with a tilt of his head, a smile expressing from his pink lips - regardless of the possible dangers of the little canine jumping on her hind legs onto his legs, he continues to adore her without any irritation whatsoever.

To Na Jaemin, his furbaby has always been a bright little creature with lots of energy. If anything the little Samoyed is a walking fluffy cloud, purely white as though it belongs to the blue sky of a clear day; the energy of the puppy’s helps him relieve stress and simply forget his worries.

However, he is unsure if that was the case with you. Unfortunately, you’ve been arriving home late into the day due to your new job and haven’t been able to join Jaemin or Riceball - which Jaemin personally gave to the Samoyed - for any quality time to bond and relax. Even if you were to try and grab a few days off, the opportunity seems too far to grasp due to being a new employee; thankfully enough, Jaemin understood to stay at home for the first few days until your schedule becomes more flexible.

After all, little Riceball needs to grow familiar with her new environment!

Quietly cooking dinner, Riceball whines for attention at the male’s feet, the head tilted upwards with her cute beady eyes nearly resembling a stuffed animal. Jaemin pays no mind, stirring the sauce over the cooked rice cakes inside the pan before glancing down at the canine - “Don’t worry~ I am not cooking your family.” The playful comment leaves his lips, the puppy whining despite his light-hearted attempt to give her attention.

Suddenly, across the home the door unlocks and instantly the puppy scrambles off to the front door and Jaemin quickly turns the knob to lower the heat. “Is that my beloved Y/N?~” He sings out, following after the puppy yapping away at the door being pushed open to reveal you. Jaemin meets your eyes, instantly giving his signature bright smile with his pretty eyes glowering back with delight; it seems like his own excitement is similar to the puppy jumping on your legs in greeting.

Although, the tiredness of working without much rest with your boyfriend and newly adopted puppy, you felt your own lips lift up into a small smile. Shamelessly, his eyes trail along your figure and he instantly notices the tension within your posture, the wary smile enough proof of your own drainage; he approaches you and takes your bag while you shrug off your coat, a hand ghosting over your lower back when closing and locking the door behind you.

“How was work, darling?” He softly asks, guiding you into the home after placing down the bag elsewhere. You look towards him, a sigh leaving you upon the mention of your new job - “Same as yesterday. Don’t worry about me, I’ll get used to the routine.” You assure him, knowing your boyfriend is the type to worry about your well-being; surely, you will get used to the longer hours of your new job. “I know you will. You are my darling, after all~” he says with fondness twinkling in his eyes, the very stars brightly glowing back at you. 

Despite the dullness revolving your day, Jaemin’s very presence is enough to glow like those stars pasted on a night sky - to him, you are the moon he is willing to accompany throughout.

“How was your day? Was she okay?” You ask, Jaemin pulling a chair for you to sit at the table and you give him a smile of gratitude before settling down. You watch your boyfriend move towards the stove, intensifying the heat with a twist and stirring once again - “It’s going well, Riceball is finally learning not to potty inside the home. I am cooking some Tteokbokki with boiled eggs and rice.” He tells you, your eyes landing on the puppy hopping up onto your legs with a wagging tail.

You let out a small laugh at Riceball, hands reaching down to pick her up and place the canine onto your lap. Fingers run through the soft fur, occasionally you would entangle your fingers with the strands by accident; you always apologize whenever it occurs, not wanting to hurt her. “You’re a good girl, Rice! You are learning from your bad potty habits,” you chuckle out with Jaemin smiling at your words. The two of you are definitely proud parents for your furbaby.

Distracted with the puppy on your lap, her tongue meeting your skin and laughter escapes from you; momentarily, you’ve forgotten about the stress weighing you down for the day. White noise of Jaemin’s cooking and your puppy’s bright personality is what you needed after a long day. Setting up the table and placing down the cooked dishes, Jaemin walks to your side and leans down to kiss near your lips; the familiar touch bringing you to ease.

“I want a kiss on my lips,” you pout while looking up at your boyfriend and Jaemin gives a smug smile while tilting his head. “Do you?” he teases, you roll your eyes and reach up to grab him by the shirt and pull him down to reach his lips; though his physical affection is a remedy regardless of the actions, you always favored his lips much more - it was a cure for you, no matter the occasion. “Enjoy your dinner, my darling.” He mumbles against your lips, kissing you once more.

Suddenly, Riceball jumps up against your chest and licks at your face, both of you laughing at her interference. “Is my daughter jealous? I give you kisses all day and that isn’t enough, hm?” Jaemin leans down to Riceball’s eye level, murmuring at the puppy in a childish tone with his hands reaching up to squish her face in his hands. You look between the two, grinning and adoring the sight in front of you; you always cherish where your boyfriend is being incredibly soft for cute things.

Sometimes, he can go overboard but the smile plastered on his face with eyes shimmering is a sight you will never forget nor avoid the opportunity to witness it.

Jaemin looks towards you and leans forward, pecking the tip of your nose before moving away to sit down across from you. His touch lingers warmly on your skin, a small pink dusting over your cheeks at the giddiness of your boyfriend’s affection; you thank him for the food after placing Riceball onto the floor, reaching out to fill your plate with a longing for his cooking. Across from you, Jaemin lovingly watches with a gentle smile, watching how you glow with excitement ready to eat his cooking.

Taking the first bite, you sigh in relief - “You never disappoint, love.” The pet name causing Jaemin’s heart to flutter, the title of being your lover is something he could never let go of - it is his pride and one he wholeheartedly devotes to.

“Grab some! I might eat all of it,” you exclaim while pointing at the dishes with your chopsticks. You always remind him to eat after taking the first bite, a habit you grew to once dating Jaemin; for some odd reason, he is always waiting for you to eat first before taking a bite himself. He nods his head, “That’s right. It would be gone in a blink of an eye,” he chuckles. Finally, he gathers his own share of the food and begins to eat his dinner with you.

In a comfortable silence, the two of you ate and Jaemin would spare glances to you. His never ending adoration for you always distracting him, no matter how busy he is - it was something he couldn’t exactly ignore, an urge to take a look at his beloved as though you held a spotlight above your head and his eyes could never look away from. You are the moon of his own world, the celestial he could look forward to no matter the time of the day.

Jaemin pauses, a thought ringing in his head and he swallows before speaking up - “I have work tomorrow. Since, no one will watch Riceball, I was thinking about bringing her to work.” He said. You look up confused, “What? We can probably drop her off at some doggy daycare or have someone watch her. I think she’ll be fine,” You suggest. Knowingly, your boyfriend is a barista, how the hell would a puppy be appropriate at a cafe?

“I can bring her, I already let Mark know.” He adds, ignoring the other suggestions that could avoid possible problems in the cafe. Uncertainty expresses from your face, pursing your lips in consideration and instinctively sparing a glance at Riceball; the puppy chewing on her toy, small grunts leaving her when she tugs at the tough material of the toy. “Are you sure…? She might be too hyper to be handled in such a place,” You say with doubt weighing your words.

Jaemin observes your expression, “The others want to meet her. She is not really a handful to care for…” he trails off, taking notice of the lack of trust to bring your puppy to such a busy place. “I can probably look for a daycare tomorrow, if you aren’t comfortable with it.” He reasons, seeming to find a middle ground; after all, he understood your worries. You shook your head, “Are you sure you discussed it with Mark?” you question, emphasizing how this is a decision accepted by his coworkers also.

Smiling, Jaemin nods his head - “Yes, I am sure of it~ You can visit me and Riceball at the cafe too!” He said. The thought of seeing your barista boyfriend, cute puppy and having a cup of coffee or tea does seem like a good idea; in fact, you can go straight to the cafe after work and pick them both up and go straight home. It seems like an easy plan! You sigh and release the buzzing thought of hesitation, nodding your head in agreement. “Okay, well we do get off work at the same time so…I’ll pick you up, okay?” You tell him while he gets up to place his empty plate into the sink.

“Of course, darling. Don’t worry about us~” He says, placing the plate inside the sink before walking up to you and kissing the top of your head. Jaemin places his hands on your shoulders, the touch causing you to relax, his hands lightly squeezing and fingers massaging into the skin - “You trust me, right?” Jaemin hums, looking down at you with a lopsided grin and you look up at him. Reaching up, your hand meets his cheek and fingers caress the skin, against your touch he melts.

You smile up at him, “I trust you with all my heart, Jaemin.”

. . .

“Jaemin…Why do you have a puppy in your hands?”

Standing in the middle of the Dream Cafe with the wriggling puppy in his arms, Jaemin smugly smiles at his surprised coworkers. Among all of them, the pale blue haired male - Mark Lee - stood with bewilderment, seeming to not understand how this was anything they'd discussed. Even if Mark asked for more clarification, Jaemin had left him on seen; though this does deem inappropriate, maybe Mark should have insisted on details.

Jaemin bounces her a bit in his arms, treating her like some sort of baby - “What do you mean? This is my daughter, Riceball.”

The members looked at one another, specifically towards Mark the manager of the cafe. Unsure on how to react to the unexpected guest, a light haired brunette speaks up - “We thought you actually had a kid!” Lee Donghyuck exclaims. Zhong Chenle smirks, “I was right! It wasn’t some kid he was bringing.” He said loudly, turning to a blonde - “Pay up, Park Jisung!” he lets out a hand for the male to pay for the shared bet between the two of them. For a few moments, Jisung stares at the older with the puppy before turning to Chenle.

“Isn’t Hyung going to get fired?” Jisung asks, his eyes moving towards Mark after seeing Chenle shrug. A heavy sigh leaves the stressed Mark, seeming to be too late to scold Jaemin since it was almost opening time - the unexpectedness of the situation is one to be ignored of consequences until the cafe closes. “Will she behave?” Mark asks, motioning a hand towards the puppy and Jaemin nods. “Of course~ I promised my Y/N that I will look after her,” he replies back with a nod.

Clapping his hands, “Okaaay! Let's get ready guys. Make sure she’s on a leash, Jaemin.” Mark said towards Jaemin while Chenle and Donghyuck approached him, hands reaching out to pet the cute puppy in his arms. Jaemin places down Riceball on the floor, attaching the leash onto her harness with a click, the two members captivated by her already; Mark sighs, “Guys we have to get to work!” he calls out to Chenle and Donghyuck, the pair playing with Riceball with wide smiles on their faces.

Huang Renjun appears from the backroom with ingredients in hand, not seeming to be aware of the situation and he jumps once the puppy jumps on his legs after running up towards him. “Oh gosh, who is this?” Renjun laughs, regaining his composure and placing the ingredients down for the small cakes the cafe specially sells. “He probably thought it was a big rat that’s why he got scared,” Donghyuck teases the poor Chinese male. Renjun scoffs, “I never thought that! It’s obviously a puppy.”

“Hyung I can take care of her when you get too busy,” Chenle offers once calling for Riceball with Jaemin standing with the excited canine jumping onto Chenle. Jaemin hums in acknowledgement to the proposal, handing the younger the leash and Chenle enthusiastically takes it with a grin - “I am your uncle, Chenle!” He introduces himself to the puppy and Donghyuck joins the younger in babying the puppy. Mark looks towards Riceball, smiling a bit at the cute canine hopping around.

Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea for the puppy to join them for today.

Within a few hours into their shift after opening, the cafe collected more attention than usual due to Riceball’s popularity. Working excessively, especially with Jaemin working alongside Lee Jeno with drinks, Jaemin had trusted Chenle to look after his puppy - the young Chinese male advertising the customers to take photos of the special guest. Occasionally, an awkward Jisung would join them and had instances of mishandling Riceball and Chenle would scold him while taking her away from him.

“Who dropped chocolate here?!” Donghyuck exclaims, nearly stepping on the fresh stool on the floor. Jisung places down a few drinks for seated customers before following the light haired brunette’s gaze, he scrunches up his nose in disgust - “Hyung, clean it up before someone else steps on it or slips on it.” He said, Donghyuck scurrying off to grab a few paper towels. “Riceball is such a good worker for making the customers leave right away~” Donghyuck praises.

After some time, the bustling cafe calms down with only a few customers entering and a majority leaving with Donghyuck and Renjun’s persistence. Finally, for Jaemin, he could see his furbaby and settle down with a Iced Americano - or Namericano, as the cafe calls it; he sits down at a table with Riceball laying next to his feet, Chenle busy with cleaning up a few tables alongside Jisung. Jaemin looks down at Riceball, “Is my daughter hungry?~ Do you want a treat?” he coos while picking up the bag on the table, holding the canine’s essentials.

Riceball doesn’t seem to react, seeming to be tired as her owner and Jaemin laughs lightly at her while taking out a few treats and dry food into a bowl. Placing down the bowl, Riceball is up on her feet to fill her belly, Jaemin watching her with such endearment - he decided to take a photo and send it to you without any text message attached. After all, the photo is enough to stop you from worrying for these past hours. “You did so well today,” He praises the canine with a hand petting her.

Soon enough, closing time comes much closer. Jaemin finishes up a drink and places it for Donghyuck to serve, the male picking it up and handing it to the last customer - “Thank you, please never come again!” he says, bowing his head and the customer laughing before moving away with their drink. Jeno is sitting with Riceball, petting her and giving his signature eyesmile towards her; in a way, the two have similar facial expressions - as Jaemin noticed. Chenle seems to notice also, “Jeno looks like her brother.”

“Oh! I can see it,” Jisung agrees with a nod and Renjun places the leftover baked sweets on the counter. He looks towards Jaemin, “Do you want to bring these home? I am sure Y/N will like them a lot.” Renjun suggests and Jaemin nods his head, grabbing a few boxes to pack away the sweets. Surely, you would never reject these treats as you’ve been one to eat dessert after dinner; upon packing up, he decided on cooking some ramen for dinner tonight, a quick and easy meal for the two of you.

The bell rings above the door and Donghyuck groans, “Sorry we are closed. We just haven’t flipped the sign yet!” He calls out, turning his head to the door. “Yah!” Jaemin yells out, glaring at Donghyuck once taking notice of the arrival - it was you. You laugh and wave a hand, “Sorry but I wanted to grab a coffee late.” You jokingly say, Donghyuck instantly leaving the counter and going down on his knees in front of you to bow in apology. “Sorry! Sorry! My mistake~” He says, pressing his hands together.

Mark rolls his eyes and grabs Donghyuck’s shirt from behind to pull him up onto his feet, “Welcome Y/N! Did you get off work also?” he asks with an innocent smile. Riceball runs up to greet you also, her tail wagging quickly with renewed energy upon seeing her other owner - “Yep! I am here to pick up Jaemin and this little girl~” you sang out in reply, picking her up and securing her into your arms. You kiss her head, “How was she? She wasn’t a distraction right?” You ask while stroking her head.

Mark shakes his head, “Nope! We actually got a lot more customers. We might actually hire her.” He jokingly replies back and you laugh at his words. Jeno perks up once hearing the possibility, “Can we? She can be our mascot!” He said rather excitedly and you found it cute to see the raven-head gleaming like a child begging their parents for an item from a store. “I don’t know about that…Jaemin just came up with a dog in his arms, he didn’t really specify what his daughter is…” Mark tells.

You narrow your eyes at Mark before looking at Jaemin behind the counter, quietly packing away the sweets in boxes to take home. “You said you told him, Jaemin!” you scold and Jaemin looks up, “What do you mean? I did tell him. I said I was bringing my daughter.” He reasons and Mark looks between the two of you. “No it’s alright! We didn’t expect a dog that’s all,” he chuckles, not wanting to make it a huge deal than it seems - even so, Riceball did bring in lots of attention for the cafe’s business.

“I really do hope she wasn’t a problem while you guys worked,” You say looking towards Mark and bowing in apology. He lightly laughs and shakes his head, defensively bringing up his hands - “No worries! Really, it’s not bad. She did great today!” he said and you mentally sigh in relief. Sitting down at one of the few clean tables with Riceball running around with Jeno, you spoke with the other members. On the other hand, Jaemin collects his belongings and takes off his apron, silently listening in while making a warm cup of chocolate milk for you. Walking up to you, he quietly gives you the mug and you smile at him, taking it in your hands.

Warmth engulfs in the palms of your hands, blowing at the rising steam from the drink and Jaemin had sat down beside you. He watches you converse with his close friends, your expression laughing and smiling as you invest into the conversations, he pouts a bit with the lack of attention - weren’t you here to see him? You weren’t here for his friends. Jaemin leans over to rest his head on your shoulder, glancing at your empty hand sitting on your lap and he reaches out to hold it and intertwines his fingers with yours.

Mindlessly, he listens to your voice and lets his thumb massage the skin of your hand, rubbing small circles repeatedly, and he would swing both your hands occasionally in hopes of getting your attention. After some time, you finish speaking with Renjun and look at Jaemin - “It sounds like a very busy day, love. I heard you and Riceball did great,” you softly compliment with fingers brushing a few strands of hair from his forehead; you plant a chaste kiss on the exposed skin and he smiles at the contact.

“It was very busy, but I am glad to see you at the end of the day.” Jaemin gently confesses, love weighing his words and his eyes holding the familiar starlight. You smile and let your fingers brush against his cheek, caressing the soft skin with a loving touch - “I am also happy to see you at the end of the day also.”

Jaemin leans further into your touch, nuzzling his cheek against your hand - “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jaemin.”

At the end of each day, Na Jaemin is always seeking solace in the presence of the moonlight welcoming him back home.

[rezzyromance]

Idk if this is how you request things or if it's just asking, BUT-

How would the Lords react to an S/O that's usually the chillest person that you will ever meet (not to be confused with a pushover because they are not), they've never seen them even mildly annoyed when something bad happens. But then something happens and, turns out, the S/O is utterly TERRIFYING when they're mad.

Hope this makes sense!

Aw man I'm gonna feel awful scaring Moreau and Donna :(

Alcina

You're relaxing on a beautiful morning. The sun is shining through the window just enough to warm the room but not hurt your eyes. You hadn't even changed out of your sleep wear. "How are you feeling, my dear?", a sweet voice rang from the doorway. You were sitting in your favorite chair near the window. You turn and smile at her. She walks over and rubs your face in her large hand before leaning down and giving you a soft kiss. "I'm feeling amazing. And you?", you grab her hand before she pulls it away and you place a kiss on her knuckles. "I'm feeling alright. There's a new maid here. She's a bit slow. I'm giving her until tonight to finish dusting the entire castle or else she won't see another sunrise." It was almost comedic how dark her words were as you both stared out the window and gazed at the beautiful scenery. "Come on Alcina.", you stand up and place your hands on hers, trying to hold them despite the size difference. "Give the girl a break. It's a huge castle AND it's her first day.", you knew your words would probably change nothing. Alcina was rather cruel, but you looked past it. You tried your best to make the nervous maids comfortable whenever they arrive.

"We'll see how she does." She gives you one more kiss before leaving the room. You sit back down in your chair, enjoying the warmth of the sun for a little while longer. You lose track of time, minutes maybe even hours go by. Suddenly, there's a crash not far from the door. You jump and stand up, no longer comfortable after being startled. "What in the name of Mother Miranda?!", you leave the room and look down the hallway. The new maid stood there with a terrified look on her face. In front of her was one of the paintings Alcina had on her walls, now with a broken frame and a hole punctured. Your blood began to boil. It was a painting of you, her, and the girls all together. It was your favorite. "How in the hell did you manage to do that?!", you begin to stomp towards her. She cowers and struggles to find her words. "I-I-I was just dusting! It fell and I-I didn't mean t-", you cut her off. "How the fuck did you knock such a large painting over just by dusting?! DO YOU THINK YOU'RE ALLOWED TO MAKE SUCH STUPID MISTAKES HERE?!", you unravel. "I-I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!", she almost begins to weep. "SORRY ISN'T GONNA SAVE YOUR ASS!"

"MISS DIMITRESCU PLEASE HELP!", she cries out. You freeze, realizing that the lady herself is right behind you. You turn to face her. Her eyes are wide with shock. She has never seen you like this before and never even knew you had this type of side to you. She was impressed as much as she was terrified. "(Y/N)? Are you alright my love?" She had no idea what to do as your seething slowed down. "Why don't you go back to the room, yes? Settle down a little and deal with her later.", she places a hand on your back helps walk with you back to the room. Once you're there, she bends down to whisper in your ear. "I don't know where this side of you has been this whole time, but I am so amazed by you. And also a little frightened."

Donna

The Beneviento house was usually a calm place despite its creepy aura. You and Donna are both quiet and chill people. Never once have you fought or even raised your voices at each other. It was pleasant.

You had planned a nice dinner for the both of you. You wanted to try out a new recipe and surprise her, so you made your way to the kitchen to get started. "Okay, what first? I guess I'll need a pot.", you go rummaging through the kitchen and you find the pots stacked within each other inside one of the top cabinets. You groan and stand up on your toes, grazing the pots with your fingers. It didn't take much to cause them to tumble down, crashing on top of you with a loud sound that followed. "Aw shit.", you sighed and picked up the knocked over pots. A small but annoying pain began to throb in your head from where it made contact with a pot. What you didn't notice was you forgot to pick one of the pots up. It remained unnoticed. "It's fine.", you say to yourself as you maintain your composure. Next, a cutting board and knife. You turn around and begin to walk forward to find the cutting board, but you slam your toe into counter. You wince in pain and grab your foot. "SON OF A BITCH!", you yell.

You calm yourself, still wanting to have a pleasant meal with Donna. "Alright. Everything's fine." You step forward and kick the pot that you had forgotten to pick up. It caused your freshly kicked toe to ache even more. "OH COME ON! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!", you scream and swear as you throw your arms up in pure rage and shock.

"...(Y/N)?", a gentle voice whispered from the doorway, causing you to whip your head in that direction. It was Donna. She looked absolutely horrified and almost looked like she could cry. "Is.. is everything... are you alright?", she worried. "Yes. I'm sorry. Just got a little pissed off.", you took a deep breath to calm yourself down, feeling bad for scaring the poor girl.

Moreau

You were sitting on the dock together, looking into the water as your feet swung back and forth above it. It was a sunny day and you two decided to spend it outside. Your hand slowly made its way over to his. His feet stopped swinging for a second as you entangled your fingers. "I don't know what I'd do without you, (Y/N)." his words were bitter sweet as a gentle smile formed from his lips. "Oh, Sal. You don't have to think like that. I'll always be here for you.", you kiss his cheek and continue to relax as you sway your legs.

"There it is! There's the beast!", a voice yelled from not so far away. You both look in the direction of the voice and see a few young village boys. Possibly between the ages of 13 and 16. Moreau had become some what of a scary story for the villagers. A tale that kids spread on school court yard and bring up during dares. But, you've never seen a kid brave enough to actually make it far enough into the reservoir to actually see Moreau. Now, there were about 3. All of them stood and pointed, shocked and terrified.

"Hey beast! Come get me!", one kid teases. You glare at the kids as a newfound rage begins to boil inside you. "Let's go back inside.", Moreau says before standing up from the doc. The sadness in his voice was heartbreaking. Suddenly, one of the children gathers the guts to pick up a rock and throw it as hard as he could. His aim was off, but not by much. It slammed into the wood near Moreau's feet, startling him. "Take that you devil!", he laughs. "THAT'S IT YOU LITTLE SHIT!", you begin sprinting in the direction of the immature brats. Two of them run from the direction they came from while the one who threw the rock was frozen in fear. You took the opportunity to grab him by the collar of his shirt. "Listen here you little waste of space. I'm gonna give you 3 seconds to turn around and run for your goddamn life. If you or any of your little snot-nosed friends come around here again, they'll be goddamn fish food. Do you understand?" The kid was too scared to speak and instead began to nod rapidly. You let him go and watched as he ran as fast as he could, screaming the whole way.

You walk back to the shack and find Moreau standing in the same place he was when you took off. His mouth was agape and he looked almost as scared as the kids. "You alright Sal? I made sure those little shits won't be coming around here anymore." "Yeah... I didn't know you could be so... scary", he says. "I'm sorry. But those kids were being cruel. I had to do something.", you say. "Well... it was awesome!", he smiled. "But also very scary!" You laugh which helps sooth him a little.

Heisenberg

"Screw driver.", is all Karl said with an outstretched palm. He was working on some type of mechanical heart for his experiments. He wanted you to lend a "helping hand" even though he could easily do it all by himself. He did this because he wanted to be around you, he was just too stubborn with too big of an ego to simply say it. So here you were, handing him every little tool he asks for.

"Do you want the big one or the little one?", you say with a hint of boredom in your tone. "Aw c'mon don't sound like that! Isn't this exciting? It's like you're working on it with me! Also, hand me the big one.", you do as he says and hand him the big screw driver. "I just don't get it. You literally have powers. You can easily do this by yourself and have been for so long. Why do you need me to help?" He pauses for a second and looks over towards you, his brow slightly furrowed. "I don't NEED you to help. I just thought it would be nice for you to help out. Plus, you're the one always bitching about me constantly working. Well, here you are! Helping me work! So, either suck it up or you can leave." His harshness had no real ill will in it. He was just confused and a bit too ignorant to consider his words. But, he was testing your patience. He continued to use the screwdriver until handing it to you without saying a word.

"Hand me a screw.", he demanded with his hand facing palm up again. "Which size?" "They're all the same sizes, dumbass." You feel your blood begin to boil. "They're different fucking sizes! This one is smaller than this one!", you hold up two screws that are obviously different sizes. This makes Karl angry. Not because you were right, but because you seemed upset over something that seemed so insignificant.

"If you came here just to yap in my ear, then I don't think I need your assistance.", he huffed. You put the selection of tools and supplies he was making you hold on the table he is working on and ball your fists. "You're the one who told me to do this in the first place!", you yell. "Yeah, because you won't stop bitching! Non-stop you're always compla-" you cut him off before he can finish. "SHUT UP!", you yell. The room goes silent. "YOU SAY I'M BITCHING? HAVE YOU HEARD YOURSELF? JESUS FUCKING CHRIST KARL YOU BITCH AND MOAN ALL THE TIME! I'M DONE TAKING SHIT FROM YOU!" He wanted to be angry, but he couldn't. He felt something much more overwhelming. Was he.. intimidated? He didn't move from his seat. All he could do was look up at you with a confused expression. What now? What is there to do? If he pushes you further, what would happen? He was actually too scared to find out.

You take a deep breath to calm down before speaking. "Now, if you want me to help with your shit, I'll stay as long as you keep your mouth shut. Can you possibly manage to do that?" He gulps nervously. "Yes ma'am."

[kyun-toast]

[ATEEZ] Mafia!San - Will You Join Me?

word count: 2.9k warnings: explicit language, gun use, violence, description of death (not explicit), sexually suggestive, gets a lil steamy summary: cupid has a bullet with your name on it a/n: Y/N a little dramatic and San annoying af. I wrote this in a two hour flash at 2am, so this might be deleted after I reread it tomorrow because I’m pretty sure a lot of this is just me chatting shit.

1. Yoon, David – 12:45 Note to self: likes donuts. probs dunkin’, maybe krispy? idk just look for a man w a paper bag.

“I’ll have to warn you though, the lift is under maintenance, so you’ll have to take the stairs.” The receptionist smiled at you sympathetically. “I can get someone to help you with your suitcase if you’d like?”

“Oh no, it’s ok, I’ll just find another place to stay. I have weak knees anyway.” You forced a laugh and hoped the lady didn’t notice the dead look in your eyes.

“I’m sorry about that, love.”

Turning away with your suitcase in tow, you headed towards the building opposite the hotel and hoped that the rooftop would be easy enough to access.

It was quite irresponsible of you not to have a backup plan. It seemed that being named the sharpest shooter in the underground world had gotten to your head a little, but you argued that a bit of spontaneity never hurt anybody. Though your target would beg to differ.

Being a public building of offices, it was all too easy for you to reach the roof of the building. You found that walking with your held head high and gaze set straight ahead would never get you questioned. Who would ever stop someone with a walk so confident?

Thankfully, the rooftop hadn’t been turned into some garden space: an air-conditioning fan over here, a water tank over there. You checked your wristwatch reading 12:40 and muttered under your breath. The damn hotel lift had taken precious minutes of your time and compromised your view.

You opened your suitcase to set up your sniper, giving your little black cat charm on the side of your gun a squish. Cute.

Sitting on the case with your stock snug against your shoulder, you peered into the scope to get a closer view of the revolving doors to the bank. Oh great, there’s a lamppost in the way.

Mr. Yoon was apparently quite the punctual man, always seen stepping into the bank doors after his lunch break at exactly quarter to one and therefore, your window of opportunity was thin.

“I want it done today or you’re getting sniped yourself, Y/N.” You heard the voice of your boss yap in your head again. Blah blah blah, same old threat. You argued that procrastinating the man’s death was actually something very considerate of you to do.

You heard a familiar clatter of metal hit the floor and you turned your scope to the rooftop opposite to see a man in overalls with his toolbox open on the floor.

“Lift maintenance guy?” You muttered to yourself and wondered if the mechanics of elevators ran all the way through to the rooftop. You made sure that you wouldn’t be in his line of vision and swivelled back to your original position, cursing the man under your breath for ruining your first choice of setup.

12:44

“Come on, Yoon. Lunch time’s almost over.” Your finger lay restless on the trigger, itching to get a glimpse of the bank teller.

20 seconds.

“Krispy or Dunkin’ what will it be today, entertain me.”

10 seconds.

You saw the man turn the corner and waited for him to get a little closer for you to shoot.

5 seconds.

“That’s it, just past the lamppost and you won’t even know what hit y- what the FU-?” You shouted and quickly clasped a hand to your mouth. Mr. Yoon hadn’t even made it past the post, and he was already laying on the pavement in a growing pool of blood.

Calculating the angle in which he was laying, you spun your vision around to the hotel rooftop and saw the maintenance man begin to pack up a sniper back into his toolbox. Taking off his cap, you noticed a flash of white in his jet-black hair and just like he knew you were watching, he turned with a smug grin on his face and shot you some finger guns.

“Oh, you little fucker.” You spat, and watched the man jump down into a hatch to disappear.

You slumped dramatically onto the floor and splayed your limbs to stare blankly at the sky. Never in your life had you ever missed a shot, let alone have it stolen by someone else, and your boss had your phone ringing to rub it in your face.

“That wasn’t you, was it?”

“Listen, what if? You know, what if that was my thirteenth reason? I just couldn’t take it anymore and that was it. No more Y/N. You wouldn’t even come to my funeral, would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t because you’d be too broke to have one. You realise you’re not getting paid for this?”

“Why? He’s still dead?” You sat up in disbelief.

“Well, it turns out someone else wanted him gone too. I can’t lie to our client and say that we did it.”

“You’re oddly moral for someone that runs a hotline for hitmen.”

“I’ll call you if I find you another job.”

“Justice for freelance contract killers.” You muttered weakly as he ended the call. The faint sound of police sirens filled the air as you let out a heavy sigh and lay back on the concrete.

You pictured the man and wondered who it was that would even think to render the notorious Y/N L/N jobless. Though you did have to admit that it was a clean shot.

“Skunk-hair looking ass.”

2. Kim, Seungho – 18:00 Note to self: babysitting. easy target but kid knows NOTHING.

You were stationed by a corner window in an unfinished apartment building with a trainee by your side, setting up his kit.

Stood by the trainee, you scanned to see if everything was in the right place, checking the kid’s posture too. You had been sent by your boss to reluctantly train a young recruit and you joked if you had been demoted following your last predicament. You were never in it for the money though, you lived for the adrenaline.

The boy had potential and you saw it, he just needed to make cleaner shots because three bullets somewhat near the target’s vital organs wasn’t going to cut it.

“What’s your name again?”

“Jisung. Han Jisung.” The recruit replied, his eyes never leaving yours, in absolute awe.

“Eyes on the scope.”

“I’m sorry, nobody told me I’d be getting trained by you. The Seoul Shooter? Like wow.”

“Ew, is that what they’re calling me?”

“Yeah, well I think it’s a pretty cool name, they used to call me ‘Jitman’ in my hometown, not very creati-”

You shushed the boy and tapped his shoulder as you pointed to a small figure in the distance.

“You see him through the scope? Now keep your hand steady, never feel as if you’re being rushed. Death works to your schedule.”

“Got it.” Jisung said, following the man with his gun.

“Ok, on 3… 2… 1…”

You heard the bullet cut through the evening air and hit the target neatly through his office window.

“Bro? That was so clean? That has to be one of the sexiest shots I’ve seen in a while-” You began.

“Uhh, that wasn’t me, Y/N.”

Before you could even process what had happened, you heard the rustle of footsteps patter down the stairs behind you. Taking out your handgun, you moved towards the open door to find the same man you had seen on the hotel rooftop stop in his tracks on the landing. Clad in a fitted black sweater and jeans this time, he looked a whole lot more attractive close up.

“You again?” You exclaimed; gun still pointed at the man as he dropped his duffel bag to raise his hands.

His eyes widened, not in shock, but more with an excited glint in his eyes.

“Oh my, it’s Y/N, the Seoul Shooter.” A coy smile painted his lips as he shook his white fringe out of his eyes.

“See, everyone calls you that.” Jisung interjected from behind.

“Shut up, Han.”

“Word around town is that you’ve been unemployed for some time now,” nodding towards Han, he added, “and it looks like the rumours are true.”

“I’ve actually decided to take a break you know? Let the other kids have a chance at making a name for themselves. Bit of charity work.”

“Y/N kinda got demoted because you keep taking their shots.” Han interrupted again.

“Hey, who told you that?!” You narrowed your eyes at the boy. Han Jisung was a smart ass and you vowed then and there that you wouldn’t take on any more training sessions.

You whipped your head back around to the man eyeing your body up and down.

“My eyes are up here, sir. Unless you really wanna get shot.” You spat.

“Well, I’d die a happy man if you were the last thing I’d see.” He smirked in retaliation and studied your eyes carefully. “Well, my job here is done, I better be on my way. Got a big cheque waiting for me.” He grinned as he reached to grab his bag and carry his way on down the stairs with footsteps too light-hearted for your liking.

“Why didn’t you shoot him?” Jisung asked as you watched the man disappear into the evening.

“I don’t think killing a man for taking my shots is justified.”

“What, and sniping Mr. Kim Seungho just before he gets to feel the bliss of clocking out is?” He laughed. “Do you know what I think, Y/N?”

“What?”

“I don’t know, I’m not going to say anything.”

Han Jisung tormented you the whole drive back to the quarters.

“Y/N and Skunk Man sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes lo-”

Smack.

“Ouch, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was just kidding.” He laughed as an idea struck him, “K-I-D-D-I-N-”

Smack.

3. Park, Kiha - 10:32 Note to self: bad man. bad, bad man. but big, big cheque.

Having had your last two shots stolen, mystery Skunk Man was beginning to get on your nerves. You were seething to the point that you demanded your boss give you another job, itching to defend your title of being the finest shooter in Seoul.

Laying on the floor of a rooftop hangar, the man had the gall to pop up out of the hatch to set up his station right next to you, as if you were both on some picnic.

"Nice seeing you here today, Y/N." He said, sitting cross legged to mount a scope to the top of his sniper.

Not even bothering to take your eyes off the target, you muttered, "I got here first, you better back off." voice laced with venom.

"Well I've been promised a cheque too, we're all just trying to get fed around here."

Ignoring him, you glanced down at your watch that read 10:31. Any time now, Park Kiha would be walking through the glass bridge to get to his meeting in the twin building.

Steadying your finger against the trigger, you held your breath and counted down from three, two, o-

"I like your cat charm by the way."

You pulled the trigger only for it to stray a little to the right, still hitting your target, just a little less central than you would have accepted.

You shot up from your position to face the man laying on his side, head propped up against his hand to look at you.

"Do you have something against me? Do I even know you?" You exclaimed, carding your gloved hand through your hair.

"No uhh, but I saw your face on a bounty poster once and thought you were cute." He said, attitude too blasé. "That was a nice shot though, I was going to wait a few more seconds."

"So you saw my picture, and started following me around to antagonise me?"

"Nah, I just happened to be super lucky to have been put on the same cases as you. Big bad men have a lot of people after them I guess?"

Throwing your equipment back into your bag, you watched the man proceed to roll over onto his back with his arms behind his head to look up at the sky.

The mid-morning sun cast a golden glow over his skin and though you spent most of your life working with guns, his uniform and kit next to him looked a little different, almost attractive. They suited him a little too much and you thought that if a sleek sniper were to be personified, it would look exactly like this leather clad man.

"I should ask for your number, the way you're looking at me right now, Y/N."

"Good luck, you won't get it." You turned to step down the hatch as he propped himself up again to watch you leave.

Choi, San – 15:25 Note to self: he’s kinda hot tho :/

So, we had finally put a name to the face. As your boss handed you a folder, you were slightly taken aback at the small ID picture pinned to the top of the file.

“You might be a little happy about this one.” He said, taking a sip of coffee. “He’s been recently recruited by ATEEZ as their sniper. Quite a deadly one too. He was scouted shooting pheasants down in the Namhae countryside apparently.”

“Hmm, how much?” You questioned.

“A million dollars.”

“Excuse me? A mill-?” You choked on the air and composed yourself just as quick to nonchalantly lean against the filing cabinet and look out the window, “I don’t know, he didn’t look a million dollars-worth to me.”

“He hasn’t been in the game long, but man has he taken down some big names.”

Though you didn’t necessarily feel too attached to Choi San, you did think that you were going to miss him a little. It was nice having a friend on your level to spar with.

Who were you kidding? You thought he was hot and that it would be a shame to have to shoot him.

But on second thought, you had been itching for the adrenaline in the trigger again, and the million dollars looked a lot sexier to you than some man.

“I’ll take it.”

-

San was all too easy to find. He seemed to enjoy hiding in plain sight since no common person would recognize him in the bustling streets of Gangnam. Nestled in the corner of another rooftop, you zoned in on the recognizable black and white hair sat outside on the terrace of a café.

Once you were ready, you repositioned your finger on the trigger and focused the cross hairs on the familiar head. You were steady until San lifted his head and stared right back at you through the scope, sending you a wink.

“Shit.” You muttered, his actions throwing you off and when you repositioned your aim, he had slipped into the crowd, now lost.

“No, no, no, no, no, Choi San, ugh.” Seeing that he knew what you were up to, you got up to pace around the rooftop. Your mind worked nonstop to find an alternate solution but all you could conclude was to go home, stay low and pick another day to continue.

This man had thrown you into the worst slump of your life, but you were somewhat enjoying the chase and you hated to admit it.

The abrupt sound of a closing of a door behind you had everything clicking into place.

“You pretty motherfucker, had this planned, didn’t you?” You laughed.

Upon hearing the cocking of a gun, you turned to pull out the throwing knife strapped to your thigh and pulled his body in by his collar to reach his throat. And it just turned out that San had the same idea in pushing his handgun up underneath your chin at the same time, faces a little too close.

“I like your beret.” San said candidly, jerking his brow up at the hat on your head.

“Me, too. It’s Marine Serre.”

“Nice choice.”

“I’m going to count down from three and we’re going to drop our weapons, ok? And talk this out like adults because I for one, didn’t wanna kill you.” You bargained.

“Sure.”

“Three, two, one!” The both of you pulled away for a split second in bluff only to reposition your weapons against each other’s throats again.

“I knew it.” San smirked.

“No, for real this time. I mean it.”

“Go ahead, baby.” He smiled as his gaze dropped to your lips.

“Three, two, o-”

San cut you off by leaning into your lips, placing onto them a kiss so intense, almost mirroring the violent nature of the situation. However, what surprised you more was that you let yourself melt back into him. He let his gun clatter to the floor to walk you backwards into the wall behind, hoisting your leg up around his waist.

You broke away from the kiss for air when he smiled, “I mean, it is kinda hot, but I would appreciate it if you could stop holding that knife against my throat right now, Y/N.”

“Ugh, fine.” You muttered as San leaned back in to kiss you whilst roaming his hand around your thigh, ridding you of the rest of your knives and smirking against your lips in satisfaction.

Feeling his bulge grind between your legs, you both only grew more fervent for each other as you kissed.

“Wait, I wanna take you on a date first.” He pulled away to look you in the eye.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Mhmm, to Bar 1117.” He hummed, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck.

“Isn’t that your company’s place…?”

“Yeah, they’re gonna love you.” He whispered, peppering small kisses down your throat.

“Are you trying to recruit me or fuck me, San?”

"I mean, you can kill me now and leave for that million dollars or you can come with me for a new job and that million dollar dick."

"You're unbelievable."

“I heard you were doing freelance anyway, baby.” He looked into your eyes again, a mischievous glow blooming across his face, “So, will you join me?”

-

disclaimer: San’s pie chart hair is one of my all time faves but I also can’t stop thinking that it looks a little skunk-like. In the cutest way. a/n: I've edited this a lot since I posted it and I think I'm gonna keep it

-

Mafia AU Masterlist

[fairyoftbz]

impossible love | j. changmin

🍞 pairing: tailor son!Changmin x baker!fem! reader 🍞 word count: 3.9k 🍞 genre: angst, fluff, sort of crush-to-lovers, Middle Ages!au 🍞 tw: swear words, jealousy 🍞 synopsis: your relationship with your sister has never been good, and you completely lose it when you see her flirt with your crush. 🍞 a/n: everytime I write for Changmin i have to tag you @sainthwngs 🤍🤍🤍 i hope you will enjoy this "small" work of him!! 🍞 requested: nope!

╰☆☆☆☆╮

“Y/N, darling! Make some more bread after serving the Gatsby family, please!” your mother exclaimed from outside the shop as you actively kneaded the dough at the back, wiping your hands on your off-white apron before offering a smile to your customers.

The stretch on your face immediately disappeared as a sight on the other side of the street caught your attention. Sweat rose to your face, and shivers erupted in your body, resulting in you almost dropping the two loaves of bread you had subconsciously grabbed for the middle-class family. They didn’t even spare you a glance as you messily placed their order in the jute bag the servant was holding out to you, hands shaky as thoughts clouded your brain.

The woman threw a few crowns on the wooden counter with disdain before walking away, the servant hastily grabbing the bag and the son’s hand as the family walked out. You leaned your elbows on the counter and rested your hands against your forehead, biting your lower lip to prevent your tears from spilling out as your heart started hurting.

The tailor’s son Changmin was leaning against the shop doorway, a playful smirk painted on his face as he talked to your sister. While the man was completely oblivious of your feelings, your sister took the advantage of it. Much to your dismay, she knew that you liked him.

You didn’t want her to know at first, but you were a little too obvious of your attraction for the man when you stammered as you talked to him. He was really handsome, all the women wanted to marry their daughters to him, but he wasn’t interested at all. Changmin was nice to you, cracking a few polite jokes when he came to the bakery to buy some bread for his mother, making you feel like you could potentially have your chances with him. But you were wrong, oh so wrong. So naive and innocent to think that your sister wouldn’t seize the opportunity to plant you a knife in the back at this marvellous occasion.

You were trembling in rage as they were clearly flirting, and there was nothing more infuriating at the moment. You scoffed when she had the audacity to quickly turned around to check if you were in the shop, purposefully leaning closer to him with the same seducing smile she offered to every single of her conquests.

The relationship between you and your sister had always been difficult, her constantly accusing you to be your parents’ favourite child since you were born, and the time didn’t help at all. Many fights broke between you two for various reasons, but the most recurrent ones were about money. You were the most hard-working child, spending days and nights at the bakery to help your parents and make everything ready for each following day. Your sister, on the other hand, was busy roaming the streets, flirting and spending all the money you and your parents had given up hours of sleep to earn it in alcohol or street bets. You couldn’t even remember the last time you saw money in the clutch bag your grandmother sewed for your 18th birthday a few years ago, one of the many items your sister had the bad habit of stealing.

Anger boiled through your veins, letting the tears spill out of your eyes in rage. Stomping your ankle boots on the floor, you almost tripped on the pans of your dress as you went in the back office, slamming your fists on the table before crouching down while letting all the sorrow in your body come out in choked sobs. The smell of freshly baked bread gave you a small wave of warmth and comfort as you desperately tried to get this image of Changmin and your sister swooning over him out of your head, but it was to no avail.

And again, she had won. She was prettier, more confident than you, and there was nothing you could do against it. No matter how hard you fought, she’d always have the upper hand and take the slightest opportunity to ruin and humiliate you.

You don’t know how you found it, but you managed to gather some strength and get back to work as if nothing had happened. You were a bundle of nerves, kneading the dough angrily, imagining that it was your sister’s face instead of a pile of flour mixed with milk and eggs. Since you were the only bakery in town, you didn’t necessarily need to be nice, but you didn’t want any rumours to start about you. Some people got twisted brains and were ready to say some blatant lies to hear gossip and witness street drama.

Once you closed the bakery from inside, you walked upstairs and locked yourself in your bedroom without sparing your parents a glance. They asked you if you wanted to eat, but you just paid no attention to them, slamming the heavy wooden door behind you as an answer.

Without freshening up or eating, you drew the curtains and went to bed, head facing the wall. A few choked sobs escaped your pursed lips as you tried to control your emotions, but it was to no avail. You cried a major part of the night, your body fuelling with rage again when you heard your sister walking through the main door, shutting it like it was the middle of the afternoon, visibly drunk and in desperate need of attention. You almost went crazy when she stopped at your door and snickered, loving the way you had reacted to her provocations the same afternoon.

Chest heaving up and down heavily, you clutched your teeth to control your anger, not wanting to give her the satisfaction to get what she wanted. You heard your father scolding her for coming home so late and being so loud, and she immediately changed her tone, apologising to your dad profusely before going into your room. Your dad tried opening your door, but it was locked, whispering a few sweet words in case you weren’t asleep.

When you woke up a few hours later, the sun still hadn’t risen, but it was time for you to go to work. You felt sick to the stomach and dizzy, your lack of sleep and your self-inflicted fast from yesterday were not helping you to feel any better.

“Y/N, dear, come and eat something,” your father said as you got out of your bedroom, ready to start your day. His face saddened when he saw your tired state, resting a kind-hearted hand on your shoulder. You offered him a brief smile before shaking your head.

“I’ll eat some bread downstairs, don’t worry about me,” you mumbled, eyes flickering as you just wanted to go back to bed.

“Promise?” he said, raising his forefinger towards you. You nodded and offered him a tired smile before exiting your home.

Since you promised your father, you half-heartedly munched on some bread, watching the closed tailor shop in disgust. Your brain made you imagining again Changmin and your sister flirting together, your teeth angrily ripping apart a piece of bread from the small loaf.

“Woah, easy there Y/N, who came in your dreams and turned you into a beast? What’s gotten you so angry?” a deep voice got you out of your trans, mouth filled with bread as you noticed Eric, your childhood friend but also the farmer, holding a wooden crate filled with all the ingredients you needed to make bread.

“Sorry Eric, it’s just my sister again. Thank you for all of this,” you said as you walked around the counter and guided him in your workplace, putting everything in its place. “Your relationship between you two will never get better, will it?” Eric sighed while helping you in your task, only to see you half-shrug as an answer. “As long as she won’t behave, no, nothing will change. But it’s better like that, it’d be weird to have her being nice to me,” you said, and Eric shook his head. “I saw murder in your eyes when I arrived, I highly doubt it’s better like that,” he smirked, and you sullenly chuckled through your nose, walking with him outside the bakery, where his horses and his dog were waiting for him.

Eric’s hand landed on the side of your neck, his thumb caressing the edge of your jaw. His friendly gesture helped your muscles to relax, offering a small smile as a thank you, paying his products by sliding a few crowns in his pouch.

“Hey! That’s way too much, you’re not buying me a donkey! No please Y/N, take it back,” he said as he gave you back half of the coins you gave him, but you shook your head. “Take it as my way to thank you for being there for me since day one,” you sadly said, wrapping your hand around his to close his palm and pushed it back towards his pouch. “I don’t need your money to prove that you are my friend, I love you for what you are,” you rolled your eyes at his words and petted his dog’s head, who happily yapped at the display of affection.

You waved at him with a tired smile as he rode his horse further into the village, going back into the bakery once he was out of sight. This little encounter with your childhood best friend helped to clear your mind, reducing your anger close to zero. Of course, it was still there, but you will manage to tame it down for a moment.

However, this peaceful moment got interrupted when the bakery door creaked open, head peeking from your workplace, hands kneading the dough. Your heart skipped a bit out of anger as you rubbed your hands together to get rid of the flour before going behind the counter.

“If you’re looking for my sister, she’s still sleeping,” you spat as you stared at Changmin, who was surprised by your aggressiveness. “Well good morning to you too, Y/N,” he said, and you huffed, your hands gripping the edge of the wooden counter. “Well hello Changmin, welcome to the bakery. What can I serve you today?” you imitated the fake nice, high-pitched tone and body movements of your sister, your face falling back to neutral a few seconds later.

The tailor’s son was completely taken aback by your actions, not expecting this type of behaviour from you, who had always been sweet and helpful to him and his family. You placed the loaf of bread he usually asks for on the counter between the two of you, Changmin not moving an inch, still gazing at you with questioning eyes. His gaze fixated on you, and he was surprised when you didn’t blush and look away like you used to, your orbs boring into his with boredom.

“Anything else?” you dryly asked, and Changmin shook his head, extending a few crowns towards you. When you were to grab it, his other hand seized your wrist, your eyes widening. “What’s gotten you today? You didn’t look this mad when the farmer came here before me,” he said, and you raised your eyebrows. “Now you’re spying on me? Is everything alright in your head?” you frowned and freed your wrist from his grip, taking the crowns before turning your back to him. “It was hard for anyone to miss your little flirty moment in the street,” he bitterly snickered, and you scoffed loudly, feeling the anger boil back into your veins. All the hard work Eric had put into calming you just flew out the window in a millisecond.

You turned around to face the tailor’s son, your head shaking side to side at the boldness of his remarks. Changmin looked kind of angry, but it was nothing compared to your fury when you slammed your palms against the counter.

“The fucking cheek of it! You dare to accuse me of flirting in the street with my childhood best friend, when you and my sister were the ones making a spectacle of yourselves just yesterday, swooning and courting her like Romeo and Juliet!” you spat at him, feeling the tears rise in your throat. You swallowed them, as well as your pride, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing you hurt by his words. Moreover, you never knew when your sister could appear, and you were not giving her the opportunity to humiliate you again in front of him.

“What on Earth are you talking about? I am not courting your sister!” he retorted, eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t try to act all innocent, it’s not gonna work with me, I saw yours and my sister’s little game. Don’t take me for a fool Changmin,” you said through gritted teeth and went back to your workplace, kneading the dough as a way to reduce your anger.

Once the front door closed, you fell onto your knees, tears flooding your cheeks. You felt so remorseful for talking to him that way, you were never this impolite and aggressive, but your anger spoke before your reason and values. But at least something was clear, your chances with him were reduced to zero. With the way you behaved this morning, there was no way for you to win against your sister. It’s not as if you had the slightest chance, but it’s always good to keep dreaming.

Later in the day, your mother asked you to go and get her and your dad’s shoes repaired to the cobbler down the main street. You sent a death glare to your sister as you noticed her smoking tobacco in front of the tavern with the innkeeper, who was around the same age as your dad, sometimes extremely inappropriate and shameful for your family reputation. She discreetly raised her middle finger to you, and you ignored her, her fake laugh sending chills of anger down your spine as you walked past her.

Despite being the richest man in town, the cobbler had always been humble and sweet with you. Maybe the fact that he was Eric’s uncle helped, but you always appreciated going there. The dim atmosphere and the smell of the different types of leather always made you think of the bakery, feeling like you shared something for your respective jobs with the old man. He loved making and repairing shoes as much as you loved making bread, so you understood the other when you enthusiastically talked about your passions.

“How’s your sister doing? I heard she got a job at the flower shop,” the cobbler chuckled at your flabbergasted state as he finished his sentence, readjusting himself in his seat. “My sister is jobless, flirting with every man she encounters and spending all the family savings in street bets and alcohol, I highly doubt she hit upon a job by Mr. Kim,” you said as he handed you your mother’s pair of shoes, thanking him with a nod. “This is what she told me last week when she came. She had this wonderful pair of black heels that got stuck in the pavement,” you nodded, clicking your tongue as you found out that she stole something from you, again.

“Hey, hey,” the cobbler shook your shoulder across the counter, trying to prevent you from crying as he noticed the tears of exhaustion filling your eyes. You nodded your head as if to convince him and yourself that you won’t break, smiling through your glossy eyes. “Thank you, Sir. I’ll deliver your bread tomorrow as usual,” you mumbled and he offered you a reassuring smile, almost seeing some similar features with your best friend, knowing that you could always go back to the Sohn family if you weren’t doing well. “Take care, Y/N, take care,” he said as you walked through the door, waving at him before wiping your eyes and walk back to your home.

For once, your sister was at the bakery, swooning excitedly over a flower bouquet resting on the counter in a clay vase. Your eyes widened at the sight of the bouquet, your sister swatting your hand away as you were about to touch a yellow rose.

“Stop it! You’re gonna ruin it with your ugly fingers. Plus they’re not for you, so you’re not allowed to touch them,” she spat, and you walked past her, purposefully bumping your shoulder against hers, making her whine like a child and take a few steps back to take in the shock. Your mother was cooking lunch in the kitchen on the higher floor, and she asked you who was making this much noise downstairs.

“Your daughter, Mother,” you dryly said, clearing your throat before continuing. “She apparently received a bouquet from a special someone, and she feels the need to let the entire neighbourhood know about it, just like when she has a man over. Here are your and Father’s shoes,” you said as you placed them down next to yours, your mother thanking you as she reflected on your words.

“Sometimes I wish she was more like you,” she said as she stirred the liquid in the cauldron, her words making you bitterly chuckle. “I don’t think that will ever happen, Mother, she despises me too much to even consider me as a family member. Anyway, I’m going back to work,” you stated and walked back to the entrance, hearing your mother disagree. “Y/N, dear, what do you mean? Y/N!” She yelled, but her words fell on deaf ears, closing the door behind you before going back down in the bakery.

Your sister and the bouquet had vanished, much to your delight. You breathed in deeply as you started working hard again, focusing on your tasks to forget everything that happened today that scarred your heart. The afternoon went by in the blink of an eye, but it seemed like your faith had prepared still more trouble to come.

Just as you were about to finish your last loaf of bread of the day the front door opened again, this time you didn’t even bother to look.

“I’ll be there in two minutes!” you yelled from the furnaces as you pulled out freshly baked loaves with your big, wooden spatula, letting them rest on the side. You quickly checked if they were baked all around and nodded, inwardly praising yourself for your nice job.

Once you arrived behind the counter, you huffed heavily as you noticed who is standing in front of you.

“You know that the door to our home is on the left side of the house, you can go and knock there if you wanna see my sister,” you stated, lazily showing him the wall. “Stop thinking I’m here to see your sister,” Changmin said, looking annoyed at your words, “I’m here for you.”

You snorted and immediately apologised, letting out a true laugh as you thought he was joking. The tailor’s son frowned at your reaction, making him look ridiculous. His tongue poked his inner cheek and waited for you to calm down, his serious expression making you frown.

“Why did you want to see me, then? You had to come back to humiliate me again since doing it this morning was not enough?” you said, a sarcastic smile on your face. “I don’t know who planted this idea in your head, but I am not in love with your sister. She does not interest me. At all!” he exclaimed, and you had to laugh again. “Of course, you want me to believe that. That’s why you delivered flowers here this morning, right?” you said, and Changmin’s face decomposed in front of your eyes, his shock state making you raise your brows.

“No. No, she bloody didn’t,” he said and swiftly turned around to look outside, a hand pressed on his mouth. He quickly turned back to you and leant over the counter, resting his palms on it. “It was a bouquet of white tulips and yellow roses, right?” “Yes, in a white clay vase,” you confirmed, “those are not her favourite flowers by the way. She prefers purple hydrangea,” you added.

“Is nothing ticking inside your brain right now? Your mind is so clouded by hatred towards your sister that you don’t understand where I wanna get at?” he said, his face nearing yours closer and closer at each word. “Mh, who do you think those flowers were for? Why would I be gifting your mother some, my mother did that for her birthday a few weeks ago. Then if it’s not for your mother nor your sister, who’s left?” You thought in silence for a second before opening your eyes wide.

“They were for me?” you whispered, suddenly feeling all the pressure and anger reducing in your body as you pointed at yourself. Changmin was so close that his breath fanned against your face as he sighed deeply, his eyes searching for yours as you took in this confession. “Of course they were for you, Y/N. Sunwoo’s father told me that yellow roses were gifted as a form of apology. I was asking for forgiveness with those. But of course, I now understand your reactions if you believed they were for her,” he said, and you glanced at him.

“I don’t know what you imagined or saw yesterday, but I was only polite with your sister. I don’t want to be one of her conquests or just a one-night stand, this doesn’t interest me at all. I wanna mean something for someone. All the times that I came here, your sister was working, except for this morning. I was happy that you were the one behind the counter, I wanted to have a nice chat with you, but everything became so confusing to me when you were this dry and rude to me. But now I understand, I understand everything,” he quietly explained, and you felt like an utter idiot, looking at his large hands resting on the wooden counter.

“I should be the one apologising. I shouldn’t have treated you like that, but I was just… close to exploding,” you said, head hanging low as you realised you behaved like a temperamental child.

“Y/N, I’m responsible too. I shouldn’t have assumed you and your childhood best friend were a thing. I guess I was... jealous and upset that you gave another man attention and probably scared to see you slip through my fingers,” you looked up at him, and he smiled, your heart skipping a beat as you feel like breathing again.

He was interested in you. Not in your sister, in you.

And that simple thought just stretched a smile on your face, your breath mixing with Changmin’s as you were staring in each other’s eyes, so close to the other. A delicious shiver ran down your spine as your nose bumped into his, smiling as he rubbed them together. You closed your eyes, still smiling, millions of butterflies erupting in your stomach as you felt his lips locking with yours in a sweet kiss. It felt even more magical than you had always imagined in your dreams, and a groan got stuck at the back of your throat when he cupped your cheeks with his slender hands to deepen the kiss over the counter.

And for once, you were the one winning. Your sister had better watch out, because you were already excited to rub your relationship with Changmin in her face, a feeling of sweet revenge creeping up in your stomach as you kept kissing your crush.

[its-deputy-caleb]

would u possibly do some NSFW morbell? where they're up in colter ( i loved ur original morbell post on them ) pls do more as i love ur blog 💛

this is an absolute mess oml i literally have no idea how to write anything smutty but here we go i guess. I love this pair but i kinda went off topic and centred this on a praise kink for micah. ANYWAY this is probably terrible since i'm melting, its literally 40 degrees and the aircon is broken so its unedited af and i wont look at it again until i have a cold drink. but pls enjoy some morbell <333

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‘Cold up in Colter’

Fuck, what a mess Blackwater had been. The Pinkertons were on them faster than ever and they found themselves fleeing from a blood bath.

That was almost three days ago and Micah hadn’t had an ounce of sleep. He’d been sent out with John to scout ahead, having found a homestead which ended up burning at the hand of O’Driscoll’s. Okay maybe house burning down was his fault but he tends to make stupid decisions when he’s had little to know sleep. And it was so fucking cold.

That didn’t stop heat rising to his face when he felt Arthur’s hands on his shoulder, pushing him back with a roughness he could only wish for in another way. Damn Arthur Morgan and his ability to have Micah curling in on himself and blushing like a virgin at the mere thought of a hand on his shoulder.

He should hate Arthur, really the two are nothing more than rivals, competing for the spot of Dutch Van Der Linde’s right hand. At the beginning, almost six months ago now, Micah couldn’t stand the sight of the man but somehow that anger tapered off into something more akin to admiration and that admiration slowly turned to desire.

He’ll never admit to how badly he wants Arthur but he won’t deny however that he’s pushed the man’s buttons more than once just to have an interaction with him. All he had to do start a silly argument over camp earnings or a bet at five finger fillet to have the man shaking him by the collar and threatening to break his nose.

It almost always ended with Micah sneaking off into the woods with half a bottle of whiskey and his pants bunched around his ankles as he thought of the way Arthur roughed him up by his shirt collar. Fuck he was pathetic sometimes.

There were other occasions where the two had actually managed to get along and that’s what pissed Micah off more than any threats of violence. Arthur just had to go and bring him a beer as he grabbed one for himself, letting their fingers touch accidentally. Or he went and offered him a seat by the fireplace where they ended up much to close for his comfort. Damn Arthur for always leaving him short of breath with a hole in his heart.

Despite what Micah did to impress Dutch, Arthur was still the camp’s favourite by a mile and he never failed to outcompete him in the eyes of the gang. Micah never minded much, not looking for anyone’s approval, but the thought of proving himself to Arthur, of being worthy of his praise is enough to have his wild side reined in.

Naturally that didn’t stop Micah from losing it from time to time and wasn’t surprised when his jealousy shot up again as Miss Grimshaw announced Arthur got his own cabin while he shared with the rest of the fellers. And he’d be damned if he had to share a room with Williamson who didn’t stop snoring.

That’s why he found himself huddled in the makeshift stables, choosing instead to wrap himself in his coat and down a bottle of whiskey to wait the night out. He cold planks he was sitting on offered little comfort and the draft in the room had his lip shaking. But at least he wouldn’t have anyone in his hair and he’d be left alone, just the way he liked it.

Of course that didn’t last long when the cranky wooden door was barged open, spooking some of the horses in the opposite end of the room. A broad figure entered the room, blocking most of the door way but that didn’t stop to whoosh of cold air flood into the room, draining even more colour from his face.

It wasn’t until the door was closed and the man stepped closer when he realised it was Arthur.

“Micah? What the hell are you doing in here?”

Arthur sounded surprised, with only a hint of concern in his voice.

“Sleepin’— what the hell ya doing here Morgan?”

There wasn’t much of a response from Arthur, only a quiet noise which was barely heard over the whistle of the wind between the planks. He walked over to the horses, checking over them and ensuring none of them were freezing to death. Micah watched in silence, scared to disturb the man as he patted along Taima’s neck.

It wasn’t until after Arthur had checked over all the horses did he turn his attention to Micah.

Micah watched as Arthur’s gloved hand extended out and offered itself to him, he hesitated before taking before taking it and being pulled to his feet. Arthur’s hand draped over his shoulder which he didn’t realise had shaking in an effort to keep warm, having drunk the remaining whiskey from the bottle.

“Common now, yer gonna freeze in here alone.”

Micah dug his heels into the ground, not allowing Arthur to pull him any further to the door as he tried to hold his voice steady. He’d be damned if he ever let Arthur know just how much he affected him.

“I ain’t sharing a bunk with Williams—“

Arthur tutted, pulling Micah out the door as he pushed him towards his cabin in the snow storm.

“Quit yer yapping, you’re sharing with me and I ain’t having any more folk die tonight. Now let’s go.”

Arthur didn’t utter another word until they were well and truely in his room, wrapped in a blanket that was barely big enough for the two of them. The bed wasn’t much bigger, having been made for one person which was evident by Arthur pressing against Micah’s back in efforts for them to fit. The only thing that kept them apart was the fabric of their jackets, otherwise Arthur would probably hear Micah’s heartbeat which was beating much to fast for his liking.

The uncomfortable silence was broken when Micah cursed under his breath which caused his teeth to chatter and Arthur spoke up.

“Yer still cold, c'mere”

Micah’s breath fell short as Arthur’s hands slid under his coat, resting his hands on his tummy to use his body heat as a source of warmth. In doing so Arthur had moved even closer, ensuring Micah’s back was flush against his chest.

Despite that Micah wanted to protest, to go straight to his default of arguing he couldn’t help but feel as he began to warm up and he slowly relaxed under his hands.

A blush rose high on his cheeks as Arthur also relaxed into their embrace, accidentally letting his hands drift lower until he felt the hard press of Micah’s straining erection against his knuckle.

Micah instantly sucked in a breath, panicking and trying to push his way out of Arthur’s hold.

“Shit Arthur I—“

Micah froze as Arthur gently pulled him back to the bed and rubbed slow circles along his stomach.

“S’alright Micah, I’m not mad…”

Arthur held him close, letting him relax before talking again before he whispered right into the shell of his ear.

“…This what you want? Is this why you’re always staring at me from across camp, why yer always picking fights and asking me to robberies?”

A high pitched noise left Micah as he shivered, feeling Arthur’s hot breath against his ear. His blush deepened as he pushed back slightly into him, whimpering at the feel of Arthur’s own erection pressed against his ass.

Fuck it, he thought as heat pooled in his abdomen and he finally allowed himself to have the one thing he’d been craving for months. He nodded frantically, grinding back onto Arthur’s clothed dick and squirming in his grip.

“Relax boy, gonna give you everything you’ve been waiting for— just be good and you’ll get it”

Micah nodded in agreement, a needy, desperate sound leaving him at the promise of praise. He wanted, no needed to be praised by the man so badly that he’d do anything for an ounce of it from the man.

“Oh god Arthur! I need it, need you. Fuck I can be good I promise.”

He knew he was probably being too loud but apart of him didn’t have it in him to care. He moaned softly as Arthur moved him to roll onto his back, towering over him but ensuring they were still kept under the blanket.

Arthur spent the next ten minutes undressing him without exposing much of his skin to the cold. He unbuttoned the lower buttons of his leather jacket, enough for Arthur to work his fly down and pull one pant leg off. He whined pitifully, grabbing at the lapels of Arthur’s coat in a silent plea for him to undress him properly.

Micah mentally scolded himself at just how desperate he was for Arthur to rip his clothes off and fuck him like a bitch in heat but he knew that wasn’t happening any time soon. Arthur however caught on pretty quickly to what he wanted, it seemed the man knew just what made him tick.

“I know sweetheart, once we’re well and truly outta here I’ll get us a room and we can do this properly.”

Micah’s eyes beamed at the thought of Arthur taking him to a hotel in the future, panting as his mind raced with images of Morgan making him fall apart on his cock for hours on end.

While Micah was busy in his mind, Arthur took the opportunity to retrieve the gun oil from his satchel. It certainly wasn’t the best option but it was their only choice with their limited supplies.

Arthur draped himself back over Micah’s body, kissing at his jaw and nibbling as he coated his fingers. The air was cold, only making the oil feel colder as he slowly dipped his index finger past Micah’s rim.

A devilish grin came to Arthur’s face as he heard Micah sigh and take his finger easily, deciding to work his way up to two sooner than he was expecting.

“You’ve wanted this for a long time haven’t you? I saw you once, bout a week ago. Head down, ass up with three of yer fingers inside you while you cried out for me to fuck you. It all clicked in my head then when you started acting different around me at camp.”

Micah flushed a deep red, coughing on air as he realised Arthur knew about his little crush. He tried to think of an excuse, to weasel his way out of it but his thoughts died in his head when Arthur twisted his fingers, scissoring and stretching him open before adding a third.

Arthur dragged a lip along Micah’s cheek to his lip, ghosting his lips over his before kissing him properly. This time Micah didn’t even try to fight for dominance, opening his mouth instantly for Arthur’s tongue to enter. Instead he sighed into it, pulling his legs to wrap around his waist as his hands wrapped around his lover’s shoulder.

It went on like that until Arthur was satisfied that Micah was well prepped enough, simultaneously rubbing against Micah’s prostate while he kissed him deeply. He only pulled away to pull his own leaking member out, bunching his pants around his thighs so he had enough room to move but could stay warm. He coated the rest of the oil onto his member, jerking slowly as he stared down at the sight of Micah below him.

Micah looked like an absolute mess against the pillows already, his face was flush and the scarf around his head had unwrapped slightly, revealing his disheveled blond hair. His chest was heaving as he panted and his thighs shook from pleasure as the weakly wrapped around his waist.

“You look so pretty like this sweetheart”

To say that Micah hated the pet name was a lie, one that he didn’t try deny as he moaned softly. His back arched and he gripped Arthur’s coat tightly as he felt his cock slide between his cheeks and over his hole. He’s wanted this for so long now and yet somehow it still didn’t quite feel real as his mind was clouded with arousal.

Micah’s toes curled and he moaned when he felt Arthur push into him, slowly inching forward until he felt him bottom out.

“Ah— ah! Oh Arthur fuck! Please fuck me, I’ll be good I swear.”

Micah practically sobbed with pleasure as Arthur set up a fast pace, pulling almost all the way out till just the tip was left inside his tight hole before pushing back in quickly, brushing his prostate in the process. His cock twitched from where it rested against his tummy, pinned between Arthur’s jacket which caused a string of moans to fall from his mouth.

“Look at you, so good for me— fucking perfect Micah. Such a good boy”

Arthur’s hands came to hold onto Micah’s hips for leverage, pulling on his slight muffin top under the jacket to help pull him back to meet his thrusts. Beneath him he heard Micah whine and whimper at the praise so desperately needed to hear.

Micah bought a finger up to his mouth, biting on his knuckle to silence any more noises he deemed to be pathetic from slipping out of him. He hated how close he already was just from being praised by Arthur.

It seemed Arthur wasn’t having any of it when he pulled his finger away from his mouth before kissing him like he had done not that long ago. He swallowed every one of Micah’s noises, mindful of Dutch sleeping next door and slowing his thrusts to something deeper and slower.

His hands roamed all over Micah’s clothed body, breaking away for air and whispering praises down his ear.

“That’s it, make those pretty noises for me sweetheart.”

Micah eye’s rolled into his head as he cried out.

“You’re mine, all for me— my good boy.”

More moans slipped from his lips.

“Atta boy— taking me so well, so good.”

His back arched and he withered in his embrace

“So eager to please aren’t you? I’ll take care of you now boy.”

“—Arthur! I’m close— Ah, I’m gonna—“

“Go on sweetheart cum for me…that’s it good boy.”

Micah’s whole body when rigid as he finally came. His mouth hung open, tongue lolling out as his orgasm dragged out with each thrust Arthur delivered, eager to chase his own.

He collapsed into the pillow, thighs shaking as he whined at the oversensitivity. It didn’t last long before Arthur’s thrusts changed pace to something more erratic, picking up the pace as he spilled his load inside him.

Arthur groaned into his neck, pulling him close and collapsing into him as he regained his breath.

He pulled out slowly with a wet and obscene pop, sitting up and helping Micah put his clothes back on. Micah only weakly managed to fiddle with the button on his jacket while Arthur gently manhandled his jelly-like limbs to fit back into his pant leg. He used the blanket to wipe the cum off his tummy, a weak attempt at cleaning up and something they would both no doubt regret come tomorrow morning but for now they were keen to sleep after such a horrific and chaotic few days.

Arthur pulled Micah into their original position for the night, the only difference being that his face was now tucked into his chest. Arthur rested his chin of Micah’s head, littering his hair with kisses as he played with his hair between his rough fingers.

Micah was the first to fall asleep, curled up with his forehead against Arthur’s collarbone. Arthur wasn’t far behind him either, finally letting himself get some much needed rest but not before he pressed a soft kiss to his hairline.

[cdarkheartzero]

Today’s theme-

“Diary of a security guard part 4- “His own legs”

Data log entry 6553

I barely even started my shift before I got the news. Three smeets had disappeared at some point during the night and -OF COARSE- the little shit was one of them.

Receiving the names of Zim and Skoodge wasn’t surprising. Those two were always together and up to something but I was shocked when the keeper said “Smeet Tak”. TAK? She was usually fairly well behaved. Few fights here and there, sure but this? Especially because she hates Zim. Why would she join them? At least that’s what I hoped for anyway.

Since the “snack heist” episode, I assumed the boys were off to find another “treasure chest” of pure sugar so I figured I would check the pantries first. They weren’t stupid enough to do the same closet twice in a row but I would bet my monies that’s where they were.

[[MORE]]

Stumbled down the halls when I noticed a door slightly left ajar. Yup. There they were. As I approached I could hear a conversation being had between Tak and Zim. GOOD. I can grab them all at once. I slowly opened the door juuuust enough to squeeze my body through and crept in behind boxes , eyeing the mess of once-again ripped open junk food and wrappers littering the floor. I sat behind a rather large box (big enough to shield me from sight at the very least) and waited for the opportunity to pounce.

Skoodge was sitting on the floor very much invested in the “ploof puffs” he was shoving into his adorable chubby face. Not really paying much mind to the other two. Zim and Tak sat atop two boxes staring each other down. Tak had her back to me and Zim was so fixated on his enemy, that he didn’t notice me peeking out from the box behind her. I could see on Zim’s face that SOMETHING said before my arrival was eating at him. The conversation continued-

“I’m telling you the truth, Zim.”

“There is NO WAY you did it on your own, Tak.”

“You think I’m lying? Or is your pride eating away at you because I’m clearly the superior soldier to-be?”

“There is NO WAY YOU would hurt my pride. BESIDES, how could someone with your intellectual shortcomings accomplish something soldiers are trained YEARS to do?!”

“Okay, fine. This will shut you up, you reject!”

I couldn’t see her face but she stood straight and her body tighten, I could see her fists turning pale by the amount of pressure she was putting on them. The ports on her back slowly opened and her PAK legs menacingly emerged. Awkwardly crawling out and wobbling as the touched the ground and lifted her mid air.

Skoodge panicked and fled at the sight of the thin, metallic limbs- having never seen or been told about these things prior, this must have been quite terrifying. And it’s true. I was shocked myself. The shit was right. Irken soldiers are taught how to use these well into their military training and it takes a tremendous amount of skill and concentration to activate. For a smeet this was basically unheard of. Tak May very well be the most advanced smeet in Irken history.

Zim was.... far from impressed. He puffed his cheeks and pouted quietly as Tak spat insult after insult to him, Landing harsh and pride crushing comments. I almost felt sorry. It wasn’t until one of her legs abandoned its position of stabilizer and shakily made its way toward Zim’s throat that I knew I had to step in NOW.

Not wanting to use my taser on her, I did the next best thing. I took my boot off and smacked it on the PAK leg closest to me, knocking her off balance and bringing her hurdling downwards. The PAK legs quickly retreated back into their holder and the small Irken was left confused and slightly stunned by the secret attack.

Skoodge ran over to me, tears in his eyes, wailing about the scary legs. He clung to my foot tight. Real tight. Kid has a good grip. I (and my newfound leech) walked over to Tak to picked her up. She just stared at the floor, quickly blinking and not saying a word. Man.... I got her good. I put her to my chest and she didn’t budge. It was unnerving to say the least but she was still alive so.... I just gotta gather the last one.

Zim was spaced out. Totally lost in thought. Didn’t even twitch when I approached him. Seeing those legs really internally triggered something. I scoop him up and stare. I might have well had not been there as far as he was concerned. He was gone from this place.

We get back to the smeetery and I drop off Zim and Skoodge (Skoodge waved me good-bye too. He is so cute sometimes) and made my way to the medical ward with Tak. Just to make sure I didn’t mess her up too bad, you know? The staff there assured me she was okay and just stunned but I told them to keep her for testing anyway. Can’t have that on my conscience.

By the time I got back to the smeetery, Zim was gone and Skoodge was alone, doing some light reading in the form of a cooking magazine. Where he got it, I didn’t ask. It was unusual to see these two separated though. “Where is Zim?” I asked confused. “Hmmm?” He hummed with a slight jump. Must’ve startled him. “Zim wanted to go to the tube room. Is Tak okay?”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. She’s fine. You okay though?”

“Yeah. That was just scary.”

“They really aren’t. Just another tool we have to protect ourselves and aid ‘n battle. One day you will be trained to use yours too.”

His eyes lit up in wonder and confusion “I HAVE THEM TOO?????”

“Yup. But it’s totally normal you can’t use them yet though. The fact that Tak could is real unusual. I know you’ll get there.” I said ruffling his antenna. He let out a laugh and smiled “Thanks”

“Anytime. Imma see what the little shit is up to.”

“HAVE FUN!” He joyfully waved as I walked away. Skoodge is unusual too. Now that I think about it, everyone associated with the little shit is so quirky. This batch of smeets...they really do have bright futures ahead of them.

Walking through the doors to the usually silent unborn sleeping chambers, the room echoed with low, muffled grunts and heavy breathing. I know this voice. I just had to find him.

Tucked off to one of the corners of the massive room, Zim was doubled over panting, clutching at his chest. His PAK opened and his legs partially exposed, spazzing and sparking, filling the air around him with a dangerous electrical charge. Never in all my life have I seen a PAK respond this way. His body seized, confulsing constantly. His eyes welled with tears, sweat dripping down his entire frame. Veins bulged out of his skin.

Here is something ya gotta know about Irken anatomy. PAKs serve as a second brain and is connected to the organic brain through the spine by a series of wires. Some things are only possible BECAUSE of this connection. Like using PAK legs. The host needs to be able to simultaneously create a gateway both consciously and subconsciously to allow data to flow between the two. Using the legs as an extension of their organic bodies. Being able to tell each of the 4 legs to move independently but having enough focus to not completely be distracted by it. Kinda like breathing. Your brain knows to do it automatically. But if you wanted to, you could alter its patterns. Except a loss of control would mean a comrade getting empaled. Concentration and data input is everything. I’m gettin side tracked though, I didn’t even know it was POSSIBLE to see the bridge between the two minds. But here they were. I could see every ridge, every curve of the wiring violently throbbing.

This is bad. THIS IS SO BAD.

I tried to grab him- he needed medical attention ASAP. WHAT ON IRK WAS HAPPENING!? But as I reached for him, the legs became defensive and started stabbing in my direction. The electrical charge strengthened too. Zim coiled into himself more. He wanted to scream. I could see it in his face. But every time he opened that yap of his- there was nothing.

Oh, My tallest. The closer I got to him, the more his PAK simultaneously defended/harmed him. I screamed for help. Someone.... ANYONE, please. Come! I have no idea what’s going on!

“....z-zara....” I heard faintly between gasps and groans. He reached his hand to me. FUCK THIS. I cannot let the suffering go on any longer. I’m sorry, Zim. But I gotta do this.

I grabbed my taser out and gave his PAK a short jolt, praying that it would short circuit and reboot. His legs stabbed into my hand before going limp, just like the rest of him. The bright pink lights emminating from his back faded to a faint, dim color. But it was still lit. Please. PLEASE. Be okay.

There was a moment of silence. Felt like a decade though, wondering if it worked. Or if I just made the worst mistake of my career.

“REACTIVATING”

The PAK light shone bright again and gave the body a single jolt. The legs instantly retracted. He stirred, groaning. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked a few times, not a single word spoken between us. He looked at me, pained and spiritually drained. “Zara....” he finally said.

I grabbed him and gave him a hug. I was so relieved. He was okay. He just accepted my embrace. He didn’t have the strength to fight. Slowly pulling him away, I could finally speak. “Imma take you to the medical station, okay?” He replied with a humm. Response accepted.

The smeetery staff rushed in (it was so hard to believe only a moment had passed In real time) but I took it upon myself to hand deliver him where he needed to be. It was a long, unsettlingly uncomfortable walk. But this.... I wanted to be here. I needed to. Unfortunately, we soon arrived to the medical station and I finally had to hand him off and return to my shift. I didn’t wanna leave him. Not one bit. I can’t even imagine how he was feeling. But I have a job to do. We gave each other a sad look as we parted. There was a slight pain in my chest the whole time.

The rest of the day dragged on what seemed like years but within a few hours, Zim had been released from care and returned to the Smeetery by a member of the medical staff. She just silently walked in, spoke to a smeetery staff member, placed him on the floor and disappeared. I was thrilled (I would never tell him that though). But I can tell he was still deeply upset. I approached him and asked if he was okay. His eyes said more than his words ever could. I picked him up. I honestly don’t have a game plan but... he needs a few minutes to breathe, I think.

I wave to another guard and ask her to take my place. She saw the smeet I held close and said “fine. But you owe me one.” Wouldn’t be the first time Kira helped me out. She was probably the closest thing to a friend I had in this place. I thanked her and took my leave. Zim didn’t really ask any questions. Just kinda went for the ride.

We wound up in a pantry. I sat down on the cold floor and put him next to me. This... was awkward. I couldn’t figure out what to say or do. Or even why I wound up HERE of all places. Why not my office???? Thankfully, he tore me away from my thoughts and broke the ice.

“Why are we here? Don’t you usually want Zim OUT of the pantry?”

“Uhhhhhh.... you looked like you needed a few minutes to breathe.”

He hugged his knees. “Zim is fine.”

There was that silence again. I’m the adult here. I gotta do something....right?

“You know, the thing with Tak has never happened before.”

“Just rub it in...” he mumbled burying his face into his legs.

“But, you were able to pull yours out too. Even just a little. That’s impressive too.”

“I’m not sure if you noticed, but mine tried to kill me.”

“Maybe yours are just-“

“The medical staff-“ he cut me off “told me I might never be able to use them right. That Zim might be “defective”.”

I was agitated to say the least. How can you say something like that to a smeet? A BABY? This little soul who just began living this life he never asked for? My emotions got the best of me. “Listen here, Zim. Maybe you can’t use your legs the way she does. Or the way I do. But I know you will find a way. You have never bowed down when the odds were stack against you before. Why start now?”

He didn’t stir. I passionately rambled on “you are a lot of things. Cunning. Manipulative. Obsessive. Persuasive. Passionate. But you are damn smart. I’m constantly surprised by your ingenuity and craftsmanship. You know how good I am at dismantling your bombs at this point? You challenge those around you to grow and be better. I wish you WOULDN’T challenge me with explosives, mind you, but you aren’t defective. No way, no how. You are different. And no one said different is bad. Just means you leave your mark in ways no one expected before. And maybe that scares some but.... I believe that you can do amazing things. And screw em If they don’t see it.”

He let out a small chuckle. It was refreshing to hear, even if it was a sad, emotionally drained laugh.

“Does that mean you don’t hate me?”

“I didn’t say all that now.”

He smiled with sorrow and hugged himself tighter.

Maybe that was a little too deep. I was actually kinda embarrassed for that. But.... perhaps I could say something else to make him feel better. “You know” I started “when I have a bad day, I like to look at the stars. You can’t see them here but they always put me at ease.”

“Stars?”

“Yeah. They exist outside the planet, in space. Burning, exploding balls of chemicals. Mostly hydrogen and helium. But from Irk’s surface, they are just beautiful bright lights littering the sky. You can’t see them everywhere here ‘cuz of the brightness of the surface’s refelection in our atmosphere. But I came from the sugar mines before I was a guard. It’s a lot less industrial and darker there so it was always so much easier to see.”

“Burning balls? Really?” He scoffed, amused and confused but intrigued.

“I guess tellin’ you about ‘em doesn’t do it justice. Here. Let me show you. Computer.”

My PAK lit up and released a small floating, mechanical ball with a small circular screen used for projections. Zim just stared. “Show us stars.”

As instructed, the screen painted a gorgeous night sky (as “night” as Irken pink skies get anyway) glistening with hundreds of stars. Zim stared, taken aback. There was a slight sparkle in his face. Good. This helped. Thank the Tallest. The projection stayed active for only a moment before I thought it was enough. Without saying anything, the orb returned to where it had come from.

“You okay?” I finally asked, knowing the answer already but hoping for the best.

“.... can we stay here a little bit longer?”

I can tell in his voice, he was embarrassed. Ashamed. Depressed. Confused. Self-loathing. His whole world thrown in a blender. “Sure” I said pulling him closer to my leg. I kept my hand on his back, gently stroking it. Imagine my surprise when he accepted my compassion and snuggled up to me.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking but all my organic brain kept repeating was “just be there for him.” I dunno what this feeling in my spooch could have been but it felt knotted and twisted at the sight of his misery. I had to look away. What is this smeet? Why does he make me feel this way? Do I have a bug? Is this something else I don’t understand? ...You know what? It’s Best not to think too much about it, I guess. Just take in this silence with the little shit. He will be back to his old self tomorrow I bet.

Zara signing off

[heteroromanticbinsual]

Changbin Falling for You

My First Imagine (be merciful lol)

- Fluff, Romance, Angst, (tried to remain gender neutral)

Setting: During COVID19 Pandemic, Professor and Changbin (not a student teacher relationship tho)

PART 2

Scene: SKZ Dorm

Changbin was unable to sleep last night because he was pondering about what had happened the morning before; it was the most interesting interaction he had had with a fan. He stayed up all night thinking about what it would be like to meet you again. Would you be elated that he remembered you, that he sought you out? He was giddy with the thoughts that you would like him so much and that only made it more difficult for him to fall asleep.

When six o’clock rolled around, Changbin wasted no time and got ready. Surprisingly, he was the first to be finished and all dressed up. He quickly ate breakfast and waited in the van while the other members were finishing their food. 

Eager to meet the girl again, Changbin said to his manager “Hyung, so, uhm... yesterday I was helping this lady and she accidentally dropped her work ID and, uhm.. I figured we could return it back to her since, you know, it’s probably important to her.”  “So could we?” Changbin continued.

“Sure, yeah. I can return it to her,” the manager said.

Changbin replied, “Are you sure I can’t come along too, you know... since she might recognize you and wonder why you have her work ID?”

“It’s fine. You will be filming today and going on a trip, so I can do it by myself and just let her know that you found it.” The manager replied.

Defeated, Changbin agreed and became a bit sullen.

Upon the other members arrival, they realized Changbin’s change of mood and knew that Changbin’s plan to meet you was unsuccessful. Bangchan didn’t want him to be so sad, so they started to sing and I.N. tightly hugged him. How could Changbin be sad anymore, now that the maknae had been affectionate to him? Changbin became his joyful self and Stray Kids went on filming their two day trip in Busan.

After the trip, Changbin was no longer pondering about his encounter with you. He accepted it as just that, a brief encounter. He was not concerned with whether his manager had successfully returned your work ID and went about his life. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s been a couple of months since your encounter with Changbin.

You wanted to meet him again, and go the convenience store the following days, but it was raining heavily in Seoul. By the time the storms had lifted, it was Monday and your busy schedule began all over again. You had to attend meetings, hold virtual class sessions, complete final grades, hold tutoring sessions, and complete your research. So, you didn’t get the opportunity to meet Changbin again. Just as he had accepted that your encounter was brief, so did you. You went about your life and delved into your work as a Professor. But your visits to the convenience store did not stop though. It was still the best place to grade papers and grab a snack, while not being too far away from home. You came so often, that even the clerk knew what you would buy, how long you would stay and what you would be doing.

Scene: SKZ Dorm

Felix had bought hard boiled eggs instead of raw eggs again and someone needed to do a quick run to the store, so Felix could make brownies. As always, Changbin lost in “Rock, Paper, Scissor,” and had to get the eggs. Worried that he would take too long, Seungmin was told to tag along. While Changbin talked the whole way there, Seungmin simply listened and hummed.

Oblivious of their surrounding, they quickly entered the store, bought their eggs and returned home. To their surprise, they had bought the wrong eggs too. Everyone let out a disappointed sigh and decided they would just all go and Bangchan would show everyone the correct eggs to buy. 

Noise echoed throughout the streets and their voices were heard all the way from the store. The boys were yapping away about how useless Changbin, Seungmin, and Felix were. Bangchan, the only sensible one, told them to tune down their voices as to be respectful of the peace in the streets, but that did little to silence them.

Scene: Convenience Store

At the opposite end of these rambling boys, you had just settled down with your tea and last folder of papers to grade, when you heard all the chaos coming from down the street. Determined to finish your work load before the weekend began, you put in your ear buds and started working. Though you tried so hard to concentrate, the noise only got louder as you continued. So rather than fight all the noise, you decided to take a moment to just breath. You rested your head and listened to a calming song.

The boys, now at the door of the store, got carried away and bought more than just eggs. They filled their basket with snacks, drinks, chicken breast, and all sorts of goodies. When they got to the counter, the clerk asked them to be quieter because you were grading papers and the noise was distracting you. The boys apologized and started to put their items on the counter to pay, when Lee Know paused and quietly whispered to everyone, “Wait, is that the same person that Changbin met last time?”

Everyone stopped in their track and turned to see you outside. Changbin, just returning from getting Iced Americanos for Lee Know and Han, blankly stared with the boys.

“What is it,” he asked.

Lee Know whispered, “Is that the same person you met last time?”

Changbin, nervous that it was you, quickly hid behind the other members, only to have them push him to the front. The clerk, confused with all this, asked them what they were doing.

“Do they teach at a university, and grade English papers.” Lee Know asked.

The clerk unknowingly nodded and all the boys went into panic mode, hitting each other and yelling internally. They had all forgotten about this incident until now. Without hesitation, they all told Changbin to go talk to you and pushed him outside. Changbin a nervous wreck just stood there while Bangchan paid for the items.

Noticing that all the noise had subsided, you took out your ear buds and started grading  your papers. As you reached for your pink pen, you felt someone staring at you, so you looked back. Upon your discovery, you saw a group guys quickly turn away and act oblivious. This only made you feel more uncomfortable, so you decided to just finish your work load at home. You packed all your papers into your folder and began to leave.

“Wait,” Lee Know called.

You continued, hoping that they weren’t trying to get your attention.

“Y/N, wait” Changbin called this time.

END OF PART 2

[mypersonmyg]

Reader keeping secrets from ________ Reader leading a double life a an underground artist and ________ has no idea but is a fan? Sorry that’s all I can come up with on short notice lol Hope you have fun writing whatever you work on! 😀

Pairing: Taehyung x tagger!reader

WC: 1.7k

Genre: artist au

Rating: pg

Warnings: None. 

A/N: I may do a part 2 if you want. Idk, I’m just tired.

“Did you see?” You glance up  from your laptop as Taehyung walks through the front door, eyes glued to his phone. When you don’t respond he looks up expectantly and you shrug your shoulders with a tilt of the head. “Purple Panda tagged last night and it’s all over my feed.”

“Oh, cool.” You glance back down at your laptop, never interested in having lengthy conversations with your boyfriend about his favorite local artist and their hidden identity. “I’m kinda feeling pizza tonight, are you in?”

“Did you hear what I said?” He takes a seat on the arm of the couch and presses a kiss against the crown of your head. You hum continuing to type against your keyboard without pretense.

“Yeah, artist, tag, social feed. I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with this person,” You lower your screen and angle yourself toward him. “Sure they’re amazing at what they do, but what they do is also pretty illegal.”

Taehyung pulls his lip into a contemplative pout, his hands coming to massage your shoulders, the feeling relieving the tension that had taken over your muscles. The two of you sit in comfortable silence, the sound of Yeontan’s feet patter occasionally across the floor. 

“Why don’t you like them?” You’re caught off guard by the sudden question, never having said anything about your personal feelings. 

“What do you mean? I never said that.”

“True, but you’re always telling me that I shouldn’t invest so much time in this and you can’t help but to constantly point out the lack of legality in their work.” You huff, pushing yourself from the confines of the couch cushions and onto your feet. Taehyung is hot on your trail as you head to the kitchen, grabbing your keys from the counter.

“I don’t hate them, I just don’t think you should invest so much time in trying to discover a person who doesn’t want to be discovered. They have a pseudonym for a reason and that reason is not for you to try to expose their true identity.” It had become a sort of hobby for Taehyung to try and crack the code of Purple Panda. He enjoyed their art so much that he figured finding them would be next best to actually creating the pieces himself. 

He followed every lead that filled his social feeds and he even roped Namjoon and Jimin into the whole ordeal. You on the other hand were content with knowing nothing of this person aside from what they paint on buildings. You’ve tried and failed to get Taehyung to let go of this idea that he could find the elusive artist, but he just poked fun at you for being jealous or asked questions like this one.

“I’m going to go and grab us some pizza, why don’t you watch a movie or something, hmm?” You pat Taehyung’s arm and peck his cheek, your purse being thrown over one shoulder. 

“Yeah, sure.” He stuffs his hands into his pockets and watches you walk out of the house, the door clicking shut behind you. He walks to the front, pacing back and forth near the window to allow himself to watch you pull out of the drive. When he’s sure that you won’t be pulling back in he makes a beeline to the hall closet, Yeontan hot on his trail. “I think I know why she hates Purple Panda so much, Tannie.”

The dog yaps, jumping around Taehyung as he bends to the ground pulling at a box that’s stuffed deep in the junk filled closet. Yeontan nips at his pant legs, like he’s trying to stop Taehyung from completing his task, but Taehyung simply scoops the dog up and cuddles him to his chest. He manages to wrestle the box out with his one free hand and he places Yeontan back into the hall where the dog trots away indignantly.

Taehyung had grown increasingly suspicious of your behavior in the past few weeks and had taken to keeping a close eye on you. His first avenue was to assume the worst, the odd hours in which you’d claim to have errands or plans with friends not making the choice difficult. It was Namjoon’s comforting voice of reason that had talked him down from that ledge and since then he’s been grasping at anything to connect your behavior. 

The latest in his growing suspicions is the way in which you disregard his excitement for his most recent favorite artist. Purple Panda is a tagger, an expert in Taehyung’s opinion, and has been running throughout the city making their mark for the better part of a year now. The first time he’d come to you with full cheeks and his phone resting in his palm you’d been just as excited as him. The new artist becoming a popular topic of discussion between the two of you. 

That had all changed after the first month, when Taehyung had decided that he wanted to meet this infamous tagger no matter what it took. It was a usual night, the two of you cuddled up in bed when he’d shared his plans with you. The way you had stiffened beneath him should’ve been his first clue that something was wrong, but he’d thought nothing of it, the chill that often filled the room a logical enough explanation. 

Now, he had taken notice of your hasty subject changes and how you avoided fully answering any questions he had pertaining to the Purple Panda. In fact, it seemed that the more he dug in the more annoyed you got with him. You weren’t snapping, but there was definitely a slight edge to your voice when you would issue him a response. 

Taehyung had again expressed his beliefs with Namjoon who told him that the best way to find out the truth would be for him to confront you directly. That was when Jimin had opted to butt into the conversation and tell Taehyung that was the worst idea.

“She’s not just gonna come and tell you flat out. You have to be smarter than her, do a little sleuthing and wait until you have proof.” This idea sounded much more appealing to Taehyung, perhaps because it allowed him to put his detective skills to the test though he would never admit the underlying excitement. So he’d taken to paying extra close attention to you when you left and when you came home. The way you reacted to different questions and conversations.

When he’d spoken to you today he noted a twitch in your nose, a tell-tale sign that you were keeping something from him. Over the past weeks he had picked up on your routine. You would come into the house and sometimes immediately open the closet door before coming to greet him and oftentimes open it again before you left. One of these times he stepped into the closet and looked for any sign that you’d disrupted one of the multitudes of storage boxes piled into the tiny space.

He’d spotted a box slightly protruding from the back and pulled it out immediately to find that there was nothing inside save for an old dirty rag. He figured that whatever you were taking whenever you left the house must be kept in that box. If he was as good a detective as he liked to believe he guessed that the box would be filled with spray paint. He intended to sneak out of bed tonight to see if his assumptions were true, but your sudden decision to leave the house gave him a window of opportunity. So here he sits, the box before him, filled with what he hopes is the answer to his mystery. The box is much heavier than the first time he’d come across it which he found a good sign.

“Here goes,” He says to no one in particular, his hand coming to lift the cardboard flap that hid the contents from view. His eyes had involuntarily, his nerves getting the best of him. If what he finds isn’t what he’s expecting he isn’t sure what it could be or how he’ll react.

He takes a deep breath and peers into the box. 

“Gotcha,” He smiles from ear to ear, half used spray paint cans stuffed into a worn duffle greeting him. He lifts one of the cans, a purple one adorning the name of your chosen pseudonym and he smiles at his excellent deductive reasoning. 

When the shock and triumph wears off  he begins to wonder why you would hide something from him. But more importantly how you got into tagging in the first place. You’d told him plenty of times that there were many dangers that came from this form of expression and he can’t imagine a reason why you would put yourself in danger of getting caught. 

He slumps against the wall, tossing a can back and forth between his hands while he thinks. His head snaps toward the front door when he hears you struggling on the other side, the ruffling of your purse and the mumbled obscenities almost bringing a smile to his face. He glances between the door and the paint, contemplating his next move.

Confront or let it go?

He wants nothing more than to confront you, make you tell him why you’d kept it a secret from him, but he’s also certain that there had to be a logical reason and he doesn’t want to pressure you. Just as you’re sliding your key into the door he makes the decision to stuff the paint back into the box and the box back into the closet. 

“Hey, the line was so short today. Lucky us!” You hold the pizza you’d purchased out and he takes the box with a smile. “What have you been up to?”

“Nothing, just trying to find out more about Purple Panda.” He watches you visibly flinch, covering it with a smile as you lead him to the kitchen. “I was kind of thinking you’re right though.”

“Yeah? About what?” 

“If they want to be discovered then they’ll do it in their own time.” 

“I’m glad to hear it.” You send him a smile and slide the pizza onto the table. Taehyung slides into his chair and grabs your hand placing a gentle kiss against your knuckles. 

“And I will wait forever if that’s what it takes.”

[stormgardenscurse]

Happy Birthday, Yuki!

My first proper(-ish?) A3! piece, featuring Yuki’s birthday! Fem!Reader, suggested to be around the middle/high-schooler age. Kind of tomboyish (running around with Juza and Taichi, gaming with Itaru and Banri, etc.) This is a casual type of reader insert, since I’m just starting to write for these guys. Do drop by my askbox if you’d like to see more of this fandom!

“How much time have we got?” Banri asks you, surveying the pile of decorations.

School’s just ended, and the plan was to occupy Yuki on his way back in order to set up for his birthday. Normally you'd distract him yourself, but in light of a small time-frame you’ve decided that all hands on deck were needed.

“One hour by Muku, then we’ll send Taichi over for another hour.” You turn to Banri with a grin. “Just like a game, right? We’ve got all our pieces set up.”

Truly, spending time with him and Itaru was rubbing off on you.

“A game, huh?” A competitive gleam enters his eyes. “Then we’ll clear it, easy.”

“Stop standing around and yapping,” Sakyo enters the room. “If you want to surprise Rurikawa like you planned you better hurry up.”

With that as a reminder you begin to assign items to everyone, double-checking as you go to make sure nothing was overlooked. You’ve decided that since Yuki always looked out for you despite your quirks and troubles, you’ll do your best for him today.

Strengthening your resolve, you turn to the boys that’ve gathered. “Right, let’s get to work!”

-

"This was nice and all," Yuki says to Muku, picking up the takeout bag. "But it isn't like you to be so spontaneous and try out a new cafe."

Reading his suspicion, Muku quickly covers it up with a short laugh, waving his hands as if to clear the air. "I just wanted to do something with you for your birthday, is all~ The guys on the track team mentioned that the desserts here were stylish, so it made me think of you!"

Fortunately, nervousness isn't an oddity from Muku, so Yuki relaxes his guard a bit. "I guess that makes sense… Though I don't get why people make such a big deal of birthdays, sometimes."

"It's an opportunity for us to show our appreciation for you." Muku opens the door for them as they leave. He's bought the others an hour, but isn't sure if that was enough. "Speaking of, why don't-"

"Yuki!!"

The pair jumps at the sudden sound, turning to see Taichi running towards them at an alarming speed. He doesn't seem like he intends to slow down, which makes Yuki step back and raise his hands in an attempt to stop him.

"Slow down, you dumb-"

"Happy Birthday!"

Taichi attacks Yuki with a side hug, hanging by his arm like a child. This earns him an unimpressed stare from the green-head, while Muku manages a little chuckle at the sight.

"What are you even doing here?" An exasperated Yuki sighs, pushing the other boy off. "Shouldn't you be back at the dorms by now?"

"Actually!" Taichi reveals a shopping list, "I came to help with buying groceries, but there's a lot to carry so it’ll be easier if we all go."

"How did you know we were nearby?" He rests a hand at his hip, wearing a doubtful look. "Creep."

"It's not like that! Y/n gave me a heads up in case I needed the help."

"Ah, right! We sent her a picture of the desserts that looked cute." Muku joins in, asserting Taichi's excuse. 

In reality, you had planned out this entire scene by asking Muku to send updates from the cafe. Since you’re normally messing around rather than planning things like these, your strategic ability came as a surprise to most. Both he and Taichi make a mental note to never cross you, lest you use your powers for evil.

"...and Y/n is probably busy climbing the roof with Trianglian or something." Yuki shakes his head, seeming to have bought into the story. "Fine, we'll help you out. No one needs the groceries to be damaged from mishandling."

"I'm fine with that." Muku agrees, turning in the direction of the supermarket. "Shall we get going?"

-

- During the party -

“Why’d you go so far to buy two hours, though?” Yuki gestures to Taichi, who had intercepted him and Muku to further stall. “Did it really take that long to set up?”

“Well, Y/n was pretty adamant about having things up to standard.” Azuma smiles. “If anything was shoddily put up she’d go after whoever was in charge; no one would’ve dared to slack off.”

“It didn’t help that Banri and Sakyo were backing her up, too.” Tsuzuru recalls, grabbing another snack. “I thought I’d hung the decorations upside-down at one point - my heart almost stopped.”

You feel your face burn from their words. “It wasn’t that bad!”

The party goes on for a while. You and Yuki chat over at the side while the guys take to start a new video game (Itaru apparently bought it in honour of his birthday, so they were determined to clear it perfectly on the first try in his name).

Sounds of battle and intense playing sound over Kazunari’s narrations, which cause Yuki to roll his eyes. “Those idiots… It’s a good thing the place is large enough that we won't disturb any neighbours.”

“Not like anyone would dare come over, though.” You laugh. “The last time the mailman arrived Juza answered the door, remember?”

He shakes his head exasperatedly. “Those Autumn gangsters… They’re hopeless.”

As if summoned by the mention of them, Omi passes by. He joins in the conversation for a bit. “Hopefully the cake’s to your taste?” He asks playfully. “Kazunari helped draw on the cats on top as a memento to your second play.”

“I knew it… Those designs looked too familiar.” Yuki brings a hand to his head. “I guess I should be grateful he didn’t just paint a portrait on.”

Omi chuckles. “It would be quite a sight if he did.” As if a thought just occurred to him, he turns to you, voice melting into concern. “Y/n, did you ever treat your knee?”

You suddenly remember what happened - the injury had dulled away so it never crossed your mind. “Ah, I completely forgot… I’ll just wrap it up later at night. It doesn’t even hurt.” You try to assure them.

Yuki gives you a strict look. “No, you’re getting it treated now.”

When he starts off in the direction of the rooms, Omi bids you good luck. “It’s nice to know that he’s looking after you.”

Your shoulders slump as you make to follow him, guilt wrapping around your reply. “He shouldn’t have to… It’s his birthday.”

“I don’t think he minds, actually.” Omi lends you a knowing smile. “You should hurry so that you can return soon.”

-

“Seriously… How‘d this even happen?” Yuki applies the sanitizer to your knee, making you wince from the sting.

“We were hanging up the banners,” you sheepishly smile over the pain. “I tripped from the ladder and caught myself, but…” You gesture to the injury. “I scratched it on the roof.”

“You should’ve let the others do it.” He’s wrapping it up now. “Pretty sure Misumi or Banri could’ve done it quicker.”

You pout at that, crossing your arms defiantly. “I wanted to work hard for you! And I shouldn’t be let off from the work just because I’m a girl!”

Yuki sighs, clipping the first aid kit shut. “This isn’t about you being a girl.” He then meets your eyes seriously. “It’s about you being clumsy when you get too excited over something. You’re always running around with the others and come back fine, but once you’re distracted you’ll be open to injury.”

You open your mouth to rebut, but come up short. “Betrayal.” You say semi-dramatically. “I can’t believe you’re calling me out like this.”

He snorts, “I just don’t want someone important to me getting hurt.”

As if he didn’t just say something touching, Yuki gets up from the bed to store the things away. When he looks at you again, he pauses and raises a brow at how you’re staring. “What?” He asks, suddenly conscious of his surroundings.

You shake your surprise away, getting up as well. “Nothing, nothing…” By now you’ve made it to the door of his room. He’s a little ways behind you, to which you turn back, shooting him a happy look. “Love you too, Yuki. Thanks for patching me up!”

With that, you hurry away, leaving Yuki stunned in confusion.

What…?

“Hah?!” He exclaims, following after you. It’s not everyday you manage to throw him off like this, but with the ‘love you’ hanging in the air, no one can really blame him. “What was that about? Y/n!”

[babieyangyang10]

violent ends (chapter 11)

(chapter 11)

series masterlist

genre: hunger games!au

pairings: huang renjun x oc, na jaemin x oc

warnings: language, death, description of injuries, hallucinations, important character death,

previous | next

Athena's POV

It was quick the way he died. Before Haechan fell forward, his left eye cried tears of blood. There was nothing on his face, no acknowledgement or realisation of what just occurred. No evidence of any previous life in his face.

Just nothing.

People always say that your entire life flashes before your eyes once you die. However, there was not even enough time for that. No time to remember the eighteen years he once lived. He was just gone.

Mark Lee and I sprung forward. Once the corpse was thrown off him, Mark lifted up Jisung from the water. The young boy bent over and began coughing up the water in his lungs.

Once he finished, you could tell the reality of what just happened to him was sinking in. Frantically looking around, he saw Haechan laying face-down in the water, blood flowing out from his wound. Going pale, Jisung silently grabbed the body and flipped him over. He ripped his hand away and would've screamed if it wasn't for my hand covering his mouth.

Not used to injuries, Jisung was practically hyperventilating at the site of my throwing knife lodged in one of the body's lifeless eyes,

"Jisung, it's okay. Don't look at it." I brought my hand down and closed the remaining eye, thinking it would help. It didn't.

"Oh my god. What did you do?!" Jisung was about to throw up.

Mark looked around nervously, before saying, "She saved you. Quick, let's go." He grabbed the distressed boy's arm and pulled him to his feet.

After we had gotten a good distance away, I could hear the cannon go off.

"That could've been me." Jisung mumbled to himself in disbelief. He looked really bad. Almost as if he could go off the deep end any second. I mean, the kid has came to the brink of death twice in the span of only two days.

Trying to lighten his spirits, I suggest, "You're a lucky kid, aren't you?"

He considers my words before murmuring, "Yeah, I guess so."

Chenle's POV

I think I'm the unluckiest kid in the world, right now.

As the Careers and Jaemin start yapping away, I take this opportunity to look around the tree for something to help us escape. Alarmed, I look around where Jaemin is perched to see a raccoon sized nest. Swaying gently, I peek around to discreetly get a better look. Immediately, the bright gold body captures my eye.

No, these aren't just any wasps, they're tracker jackers.

Made in the Captiol's labs, they were placed directly in the districts during the war. Tracker Jackers were named according to their ability to 'track' down and hunt anyone who comes into contact with them. If they bite you, most likely you'll die. Even if you don't, most people will go mad from experiencing the hallucinations from the venom.

Our options are: we let Haechan come back and kill us or possibly die from these creatures. Reaching behind Jaemin, I discreetly began sawing away at the limb carrying the nest with my knife. Both Jaemin and the people below were too wrapped up in the conversation to notice what I was doing.

I kept sawing back and forth. Suddenly, a tracker jacker came calmly out of the nest. Holding my breath, I watch as it walks onto an unaware Jaemin's hand. Unable to warn him, I just speed up as quick as I can. More and more tracker jackers began leaving the nest to check out what was happening. Back, forth! Back, forth! Another jacker lands on Jaemin's shoulder.

Then there was a cannon.

The nest fell down right after. I could hear Jaemin yelp, however, I just pulled him out of the tree and bolt. I could hear the two Careers yelling above the buzzing from the army of angry wasps.

Once we've ran far from the chaos, I stopped to check on Jaemin. Right away, I noticed the plump-sized lumps on his neck and hand.

"I'm Jaemin," He slurs, "Nice to meet you, sir."

Oh my god.

Jaemin squints his eyes, trying to focus, "I have to admit. I've never met a three-headed, green person before. Are there others like you?"

It was almost dark, we have to get home, now. I grab him and began running again. Once we get to camp, I spot Mark, Athena, and Jisung all sitting down.

"Jaemin, got stung by tracker jackers!" I'm out of breath. Lee Athena immediately runs over to us, stopping in front of the disoriented boy.

"Athena, is that you?" His eyes are excited, but confused. The girl grabs his hand and quickly removes the stinger and does the same to his swollen neck. Green pus seems out from the now orange-sized bumps.

"I think-" His eyes roll over to the back of his head and Athena barely manages to catch him before he falls to the ground. Mark runs over and helps her carry him into the shack.

The next day, she took care of him. Every few hours, she would grind up a special leaf to put on the wounds.

She knew a lot about the wilderness. While Mark stayed to watch Jaemin, she would take Jisung and I out to practice hunting. It was nice learning, especially since I have always felt bad for relying on Mark so much. Not only does he have to take care of himself, but he also has to make sure two, weak kids don't die as well. After capturing a rabbit this morning, I felt happy knowing I got to help ease the pressure, even if it's just small.

"Good job, Chenle." He praised, making my heart swell. We were all sitting around the fire.

"I bet I'll get a even bigger one tomorrow." Jisung challenged, making us all chuckle.

Eventually, the conversation led to us talking about living in our different districts.

"Yeah, I swear all District 10 has is cows and desert. Although, I got to grow up with a lot of different animals, which was really fun." I explained.

"I wish I could see a desert, but we have that fence keeping us in District 11. Growing up, a lot of us had to climb trees in the orchards for fruit, which could be pretty fun. Although, it wasn't fun when you'd occasionally run into the tracker jackers." Jisung winced in remembrance.

"At least you guys have the orchards, District 12 is really small. When you turn eighteen, you work for the coal mines. Food is pretty hard to get also. To get grain and oil, I had to enter my name into the Reaping about forty times." We all gasped aloud  at Mark.

"I have a question that I've always wanted to ask," Jisung announced, "I've seen District 12 do that think with the three fingers so many times. What does it actually mean?"

"It's been around forever, I guess. It's a sign of love and respect to show thankfulness for someone or something. Sometimes we use it to say goodbye. That's what everyone did to me, when I left after the Reaping." Mark explained to him.

Jisung kissed his three fingers and held them up in the air, "Well, I love and respect all of you."

All four of us, Mark, Jisung, Athena, and myself, giggled and did the salute to each-other before heading off to sleep.

Athena's POV

It's now been two days, since Jaemin has first been stung. The swelling has gone completely down, however, he still has a bit of a fever and hasn't woken up.

The most nerve wracking part is that, until he wakes up, I can't feed him anything. I can't even give him water to drink. It's not like real life, where he would have a feeding tube. Even we were alone, we barely got anything to eat. Gosh, it really is so easy to die of hunger in here.

Today, the boys wanted to show off their new hunting skills to Mark. So, it was just Jaemin and I at the camp. Apart from Haechan, none of the other Careers have shown up in the sky so far. So, I have no idea if Renjun is the same way as Jaemin. However, his health shouldn't be of my concern, anyway.

Since they are just two members now, Mark and I have been discussing an attack on them. After he snuck to their territory, he saw that they have pilled up all the supplies. Protecting them are random mines, which, if you stepped wrong, could easily blow you up to pieces.

Instead of risking stepping on a mine by trying to fight them directly, we thought we should find a way to blow up the pile of supplies. That way, they'll starve themselves out.

Suddenly, I notice Jaemin stir. His eyes are confused and wide. He looks around his surroundings, before he sees me next to him.

"Athena!" His voice is excited and relieved, yet weak. His hand shoots out to grab mine.

I sigh, "You've been out for two days, you know."

"Are you serious?" He looks around again, "Wait, where are we?"

"We're at Mark's camp. Chenle brought you back." I said, knowing he probably doesn't remember anything.

I hear a pleasant beeping noise, which makes me nearly burst with happiness. Near our feet, a box drops. Inside is a container of warm soup and a spoon.

Knowing he was still in bad shape, I grab the spoon and scooped up some soup to feed to him. Smiling, he accepted the food. His eyes shut in delight, finally getting to eat a real meal.

He happily suggests, “You should eat some."

I know he hasn’t eaten for two whole days. This makes me feel warm, knowing that, even though he’s literally starving, he would still offer me it.

"I think Jisung and Chenle would kill me if I didn't eat what they catch,” I laugh before getting serious, “Besides, you really need it right now."

He’s disappointed, but still continues eating.

Concerned, I ask, "So, are you doing okay? I mean those hallucinations can be really messed up."

"I mean, apart from the trees turning into blood and thinking ants were eating me, I'm fine. Especially, since your here now." Jaemin laughs.

I shake my head, smiling at the ground.

"I mean it, though. I felt so bad after I lost you. If I had known you stopped, I would've gone back for you, Athena,” He stops me, “You know that right?"

"Well, I did have your supplies." I point out.

He provides clarity, "Supplies or not, you're still a priority to me. That's just not even a question at this point."

I felt a deep pang in my chest. There’s so many things I want to say. On instinct, with both of my palms, I hold his face in my hands,"If there wasn't cameras on us right now, I would-"

Jaemin breathes out, "Who's stopping you?"

His eyes darted down to my lips, then back up to my eyes. I checked his face to see if there was any hint of joking, yet his eyes were filled with warmth. It occurred to me that he was feeling the same need and want that I was. Like if I were in a black hole, I felt myself being pulled closer and closer into him.

"Hey Athena, look what I caught—oh,uh?"

Jisung, stares in shock, at the close proximity between Jaemin and I's faces.

I jump up, brushing myself off, "Come on, kid. Let's go see it."

Jisung brought me outside to see Mark and Chenle by the fire.

“Jaemin is awake.” I announced to the two boys.

“That’s really good.” I could tell Chenle had felt guilty about him getting stung.

Mark proposed, “Well, today I was thinking that we should go destroy the supplies.”

Chenle eagerly asked, “Can I help?”

“Well, I guess you could help us by starting fires with me to lead them away from the Cornocopia.” Mark turned to Jisung, “Jisung, could you stay with Jaemin?”

“What’s going on?” Jaemin popped his head out of the shack.

“We’re going to destroy Jeno and Renjun’s supplies.” I caught him up.

His eyebrows are furrowed, “Are you going?”

“Of course.” I nod, plainly.

After we ate, I headed into the shack to get my backpack. On the ground, Jaemin was looking up at me unhappily, completely different from how he usually looks at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s just,” He sighs, “every time we’re separated, something bad always happens.”

“Well, you still need to rest, besides I’ll have Mark with me.” I lie. Mark will be separated from me, but I didn’t want to stress him out.

“You better come back. I’m serious.” He deadpans.

“Okay, Na Jaemin.”

I brush his hair out of his face. He’s not aware, but I can’t help but thinking the way he’s looking at me reminds me of a lost puppy, “I mean it.”

“I know.” I smile.

Then, Mark, Chenle, and I began heading towards the Cornocopia. As we’re walking, I notice Mark fiddling with something on his jacket.

“What’s that?” I ask, intrigued.

“It’s a mockingjay pin.” He states. The pin contained the small golden bird with an ring around it. It’s connected to the ring only by its wing tips.

Mockingjays were the result of a failed project by the Capitol to spy on the rebellious districts. Because of this, they have become a symbol for the rebellion. It’s almost as if they are rubbing it in the Capitol’s faces.

“I like it,” I beam up at him, “It suits you.”

“I think so too. It’s cool.” Chenle gushes.

Mark blushes before coming to a stop, “This is where we separate. Chenle, after I set the fire, wait a little before setting yours. That way they’ll think it’s real and definitely come to yours.

All alone, I hide beneath the trees as I come to a stop in front of the Cornocopia. Sitting to the right of the supplies, were a group of boys. Along with Jeno and Renjun, I spotted a boy from District 3. I’m assuming he’s Haechan’s replacement.

“Guy’s look!” Jeno points out. There, hidden in the tree’s, Mark has created a fire. The smoke created a cloud in the sky right above his position.

“Let’s go, Renjun. Guard the place, until we get back.” Jeno tells the young boy.

Once they’re gone, I grab into my backpack and pull out knife. Getting ready to throw, I rear back my hand.

However, from the left, a figure darts out from the woods. Avoiding the piles of buried mines, she is calculated and precise. From the pile, the red-head grabs an armful of supplies and runs past the District 3 boy.

As a result, he stood up and began chasing her into the woods. Perfect.

I scan the pile, looking for something I could knock down to trigger the mines. That way, I would be kept safe from the blast. At the very top is a bag of bright red and green apples.

Taking a deep breath, I throw a knife as hard as I can. It manages to make a rip in the bag, but not big enough for the fruit to fall through.

So, I grab another one. I calm myself down, before I launch my second one. Almost in slow motion, I watch as an single apple drops from the fresh hole. Rolling forward, it halts on top of one of the piles.

One after the other, all of the mines are triggered. Before I can react, I am thrown back by the incredible force. I can feel ash and debris raining down on my head. In my head and ears, I can hear a sharp buzzing. With my fingers, I could feel blood coming out of my left ear.

Running back from the woods, Renjun and Jeno meet the District 3 boy in the middle. I was able to see if Jeno had even said anything. Although, even over the buzzing, I could hear the crack of the boys neck after Jeno snapped it.

Alarmed, I run back into the woods to hide. Blinking, I could feel my sight and hearing slowly coming back.

“Help!” I hear a young voice. Wow, that was quick. The Careers already found another victim.

“Mark! Athena!”

Chenle!

I run, following the shouts. Not even caring if I was about to run face first into a planned trap. His shouts continue and I feel can feel the quick tempo of my heart.

When I force my way into a clearing, I spot the young boy entrapped in a net on the grown. He stops struggling and smiles in relief when he spots me in front of him.

However, it fades when the arrow lodges straight into his chest.

To my left, I look just in time to see Mark shoot an arrow into the neck of the other District 12 tribute. Using my knife, I quickly cut Chenle free from the net. Mark runs over, propping him up in his arms. Blood is seeping through his shirt. I look up at Mark, giving him a telling look.

“Is it bad?” He doesn’t have enough strength to look down. I don’t know what to say.

“I never imagined I would go like this.” His voice is shaky, but knowing.

The cannon for the District 12 girl goes off.

Chenle reaches for my hand, “Please, don’t leave me.”

With my free hand, I wipe some of his tears, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Did you blow up the supplies?” His voice is in a hopeful whisper.

“All of it.” He smiles at this.

Looking up at Mark and me, Chenle breathes out, “Thank you both. For protecting me. Even in these circumstances, these past days have been some of the best days of my life thanks to you.”

I feel my throat become choked up. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to get attached to these people, who are supposed to be my competition. But I did and I don’t regret any of it for a damn second.

There’s fear in his eyes, “You two, don’t forget me, okay?”

“Never.” Mark and I say.

Then he’s gone.

It takes a few minutes for it to sink in for the two of us. For us to realize this boy, who was speaking a few minutes ago and laughing with us yesterday, was gone forever. I look up to see Mark distraught with the same realisation, “It’s not fair. He was just a kid.”

“I can’t just leave him here. He deserves better than that.” I agree with Mark’s words. Looking around, I spot violet, blue, and white wildflowers. I began loading my arms up with the flowers. With Mark’s help, we placed the flowers all around him.

How dare they. It’s shameful that they would do this to an innocent child. Not just him, but all of us children.

Placing my arm on his shoulder, I try to comfort Mark. Like a switch going off, he bursts into tears. I know it has been hard, the weight of caring for three people. I wrap him in my arms and cry with him.

It’s only before we leave does he turn around suddenly. After kissing his three fingers, he held them out in his direction. Myself doing the same, we both say goodbye to our friend, Chenle.