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#but yeah turns out moving to a new country & starting a new job kinda takes a toll on you lmaooo
lenzimanotmoved · 2 months
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hello beloveds <3 I'll try to finally poke at things here again over the weekend!!
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36isstillmybitch · 1 month
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putting this under a cut because it got a lot longer than I meant for it to.
TW: loss of sibling
Sunday marks one year since my little brother suddenly passed. I keep going back and forth on etiquette as far as if I should call my parents, or leave them be. I don't want them to think he's forgotten he was a very keep to himself kid, most of the people that showed up to the service were family, my parents' friends, or people from the church my mom and brother went to. a few of his co-workers did show up, but he really didn't do much outside the house. we weren't very close, me and my brother (actually any of my brothers). we got along just fine when we were around each other but we didn't even attempt to talk outside of my visits home. he was kinda just starting to get it together. he'd gotten a new job that paid twice minimum wage and had good benefits, he was planning to move into an apartment with our other brother once he'd gotten through all the security processes to start the job. IDK we were all loners so I was excited for him to have an opportunity to get out. I also got out at 26 after having my first kid. I'm still not winning this life thing, but I'm happy with it, and he was just on the cusp of maybe discovering more about himself and what he could do in life.
I visiting my man's family halfway across the country with him and the kids when my stepdad texted me to say my brother was hospitalized. he's failed to take care of his diabetes before and had to go to the hospital, so I kept him in my thoughts and didn't worry too much. we were halfway home, in a motel room, when I got the call from my mom after everyone else had gone to sleep. it was horrible, being stuck in a tiny room a thousand miles from home with absolutely nothing to occupy my mind of my anxious hands. we spent the whole next day driving home, and the following day was my "regather" day where we unpacked all our stuff, I got it washed, and I repacked and turned around and took the 3 hour drive to my mom's with my kids, so we could be with her and my stepdad for a few days.
so yeah, do I call my parents? they're currently on a road trip, I think they'll be with my stepdad's mom (who "doesn't do funeral anymore" so didn't come last year even though my stepdad and his sister tried all sorts of things to facilitate it). I don't want to "bring it up" so to speak and "remind them" even though obviously they're both going to be thinking about it a lot. but I also remember him and love him and want them to know he's not just disappearing into the ether.
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the-last-concert · 7 months
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Chapter One:
The Show Must Go On
The crowd roared as Hayley’s red hair poured all over the stage like a bucket of blood. She shook viciously as the crowd matched her energy as she started with “All I Wanted.” The song brought chills to my body once again as it transported me to where I first heard it.
I slammed the door to Pepper’s pickup truck as I rushed into the diner. My age was 15. He was 16. It was pouring rain. I didn’t have a coat or an umbrella, and my coiled hair hung low with soaked droplets of precipitation.
It was fitting.An uncomfortable wet look for an uncomfortable teary situation.
Straight out of a movie scene. I ran into the women’s restroom without meeting anyone. I didn’t need lurking eyes judging the way I looked at this moment. Once inside, I sank down to the coldest corner of the stall and cried until my eyes were sore and my nose was soaked with snot. It wasn’t pretty. The station played “All I Wanted” and I knew then, I would remember this moment.
Forever.
Pepper received his college acceptance a little early. Aside from being in honor classes, he was recruited to UCLA for a football scholarship. It wasn’t normal for him to commit early, but he always dreamed of living in L.A. among the music scene. He wasted no time giving them the answer. He was going. He told me after picking me up from my art teaching job for children ages 2 to 5-years-old. We stopped at Rosie’s. He wanted to take me to celebrate.
That was until I told him where I applied.
Pepper slammed his hands on the steering wheel. “What the hell Moggie? New York?! That’ll be across the country from me.”
I didn’t look at him, I couldn’t. Not when he was like this. Instead, I looked at the rain pouring against the window. “I know it is, Pepper. But how the hell did I know you would commit to UCLA so early?”
“Withdraw. Now.” Pepper ordered.
This time I turned to look at him, dead in the eye. “No.”
“Mog- you’re pushing it. You think you're gonna make it in that big city by yourself?” Pepper mocked me. “You’re too fragile and too careless for your own good. You won’t last ten seconds.”
I laughed sarcastically. “Oh yeah? And do you think L.A. would really accept a washed-up musician like you?”
He punched my seat, causing me to jump a little. When he relaxed back in his seat, he looked forward, hands clenching the wheel as hard as he could.
“Get out now.”
Speedy ended up rushing into the restaurant after Pepper took off without me. By then, I had a towel and a cup of Cocoa in front of me from one of the servers. I sat at the bar, looking straight ahead motionless. It was like somehow I knew we couldn’t recover from this. We fought before, but this felt different. It felt final. I knew… my heart was breaking. When Speedy half-carried me to his car, he didn’t ask me about what happened. He just made sure I was secured with a seatbelt before speeding off into the busy highway.
“Let’s move closer. This crowd is kinda bananas.”
Speedy’s voice snapped me back into the present. The crowd had been roaring over some classics, like Misery Business and Decode. I couldn’t blame them. Those were my favorite songs too. Speedy grabs my hand and pulls me out of the mushed bodies screaming and hailing over every lyric in the dark. We managed to go to the VIP spot, which was between the crowd and the stage. It was where the photographers and security guards worked, as well. It was a much clearer area. He leaned closer and asked, “You okay?”
I nodded. Even now, Speedy couldn’t help but look out for my safety. Even if he was pissed before, this has always been our relationship. My stubbornness always tends to push it away at most times. But… seeing him after 9 years, caused me to be a little more sentimental than I’d liked. My hand grips around through the loop of his hugged arms. He looked down and smirked. His right hand gently reaches over to cover mine. We stood like this until the song, My Heart, was over. My face got hot from the rising friction of both our touches. It was a settled beat, but it still caused my heart to do backflips with every note transcending through the audience. I peeked to see his face. His eyes shifted at the same time and held over a risen gaze. I couldn’t turn away, my body shifted closer as I broke away to touch his face. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. I stroked his cheek several times, but I couldn’t bring myself to move any more than that. I’ve seen Speedy a certain way for so long, I didn’t know how to take the next step.
“Speed, I-,” I started, but his movements rushed to my body and held me as his lips sealed over my speechless ones.
We were kissing. I enjoyed the sudden rush that held both of us. It felt like flickering flames seeping through our limbs-like two stars colliding after constant dust left in the wind. I gave in. I gave in so much, I couldn’t hear the music anymore. All I could hear was my thumping heart, matching his. Our heartbeats grew even louder as we kissed more in the icy New York wind. Then, as if his body jolted. He pulled us apart.
“Shit- I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have done that,” Speedy explained, his head low and his eyes were still closed.
“What are you saying right now?” I asked, frantically. Maybe it was all too good to be true. Maybe my feelings for him shouldn’t last. It was too much history, and if he regrets it already, then that gives up my hidden misery.
“Mog,” He sighed, while palming his face. “There’s so much you still don’t know. And Pepper…” Then his eyes widened as he cursed into the wind. “Shit, shit, shit. I gotta find Pepper. Stay here.”
Like I had a choice, before I could even get a word in, Speedy was gone. I guess his speed only kicked in when it counted for him. Now, I’m hugging my body to hold my tears in. I couldn’t cry in the middle of a Paramore concert. That would only make me feel even more pathetic. Several songs played and I was too busy focusing on the storm inside my mind, I couldn’t even enjoy them. I just waited for Speedy in this hushed phone-lit crowd to return to me.
Another set played and still no sign of him. I gave up waiting for him and headed to the bar as soon as they called for intermission. I fluffed out my jacket and folded it to hang over the bar stool next to me. I ordered a glass of whiskey. Iced. With a strawberry syrup flowing down to the bottom. I watched as bubbles foamed around the rim of the cup. Club soda was added to bubble it up more. I threw it back and one gulp. Soon, my eyes lowered as my body felt slumped. I was drunk. An echoing voice called my name, I couldn’t make it out. My head hit the counter as I closed my eyes to stop the bar from spinning.
“Ah, just great Speed. Look at her, she’s drunk.” Pepper's voice found me first.
“You’re really blaming me? If you weren’t so much of an ass, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.” Speedy fired back.
“Careful,” Pepper warned. “Just help me get her backstage, alright? Maybe if we get some food in her, she’ll be okay.”
“Fine,” Speedy agreed. Speedy then patted my arm gently to wake me. “Mog, I’m sorry. Look- I found Pepper. We will get you outta here, don’t worry.” I tried to respond, but my mouth swirled all the words that were supposed to make sense.
“Just get her on my back,” Pepper told Speedy. “I’ll carry her to the Main room. I’m pretty sure there’s a buffet going on with plenty to eat.”
I felt Speedy lift me up and lower me down on Pepper’s back. His coat seemed wet. I didn’t know it had started to rain. Speedy helped me slip my coat on and cover my head with the hoodie. “She’s secure Pep. You better not drop her out there, either.”
“Just come on,” Pepper barked. “If you watch my 6, then I won’t have to.” That was the last thing I heard before I eventually passed out.
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jisungparker · 2 years
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So, whatchu do? … Yeah, that's interestin'
pairing: hwang hyunjin x fem!reader
song: alicia keys - you don’t know my name (3)
themes: fluff, angst, smut (warnings below), 7k
snippet: You quietly watch as people greet him, tiny bows of their heads met with even deeper bows from Hyunjin. You note your hand still in his, moving to retract it when he holds it tighter. You want to feel awkward, but in this space, people seem to regard you the same as him. As his guest. As his equal.
warnings: soft dom(?)!reader, sub(?)!hyunjin; piv, nipple play; unprotected sex; kinda emo jin; when talking about art: mention of cannibalism, death, misogyny; slight exhibitionism.. u’ll get the joke later.
a/n: can you tell i’m fighting for my life w these titles? The full line is ‘So, whatchu do? Oh, word? Yeah, that's interestin’, but it doesn’t look great on mobile. But anyways, this is me thinking: art hoe hyunjin.. but make him rich. Also hyunjin doesn’t own these pieces because i reckon if he could, he.. probably wouldn’t if he was a sweetie and let the countries of the artists keep their work so he just asks the museums/galleries to loan them instead. also hey it’s me, barbie & if i missed a warning i’m sorry pls let me know.
You never found the courage to text Hyunjin.
And while it’s easy to put it down to cowardice, who could really blame you? No one.. because, well, no one knew.
Firstly, it took a couple of days for you to finally rid yourself of the sickly dread that came with quitting your job, this lump in your throat brought on from the lingering fear that came with your new unemployment. It was easy to ignore.
Until it wasn’t.
It started with small things. Insisting you and Jeongin get through your fridge full of leftovers instead of ordering in, forgoing nights out with Felix and Jisung and instead having them round to enjoy cheaper nights in. You had even taken to walking to and from campus, employing every effort to making every penny last.
Things took a turn when Jeongin finally noticed. Your roommate turned best friend of four years, who at the best of times was very dense, had started pointing out your odd new habits and hobbies. You’d taken up couponing, turning lights off in rooms he was still in, shamefully enjoying free meals at the diner you’d just abandoned, shit finally hitting the fan one day when Jeongin wondered aloud when you picked him up from work why you agreed to it when you hadn’t been keen on driving of late, noting your unusually tidy car floor and half full tank of gas.
Your initial instinct was to lie. Blame it on a sudden urge to take better care of yourself. Maybe jokingly encourage him to do the same when he bit into his fourth cereal bar of the day. It was hard though, making yourself hold it all in. Trying to bear this weight on your own.
So you told him. Everything.
You told Jeongin how you really met Hyunjin, how that first date really went. You started slow of course, adding important details to the pieces of the truth you had given him the night the two first met, swallowing before it all unravelled, your hands gripping the steering wheel tight as you leaned into every turn, enjoying how the weight shed with each heavy word.
His initial reaction had been shock, evidence of which bled into every inch of his face as you turned the corner onto your street, his second being silence. He didn’t speak for a while, probably piecing together every detail you let fall from your chewed lips as you parked up, looking over to see him sat completely still in.. disbelief? Shame? Disappointment?
He didn’t utter a word after you opened your front door, the heavy door making no sound as he shut it softly behind him. When he just walked straight past you, you grabbed his arm, partly offended but mostly ashamed as he glared at you.
You wanted to apologise, unsure how to excuse yourself for throwing away your only steady form of income on the word of a practical stanger. You wanted to explain where your head was at when you decided to jeopardise not only your livelihood but his as well, on little more than the promise of a man you had refused to speak to for nearly two whole weeks since your last shift. You just wanted to say sorry-
“How could you not tell me?” Jeongin asked, his brows knitting into a seamless line. “I’ve been sitting here thinking you got dumped!”
“Dumped?” You said dumbly, falling onto your couch as he began pacing. “I’m not dating him?”
“Well! You made it sound like you were!” He had you there. You had only nice things to say about Hyunjin the night he came round, something Jeongin can’t say about the other people you’ve brought home. “You said you were going to see him again, and then when you didn’t bring it up after that and started acting all sad and mopey-”
“I was hardly mopey-”
“You didn’t shower for a week.”
“It was not a week!” You groaned, thinking back to your short trips to the bathroom, fearful of wasting money you didn’t have. “I just- I was scared. This is scary.”
Jeongin stopped then, turning to stare at you. When you just stared back, the early signs of a breakdown in your eyes, he huffed before sitting down beside you, a few seconds passing before he wrapped an awkward arm around you, holding you carefully. “You should have come to me.”
“I know,” you quickly say, hastily rubbing your sleeve over your eye. “It wasn’t fair of me to make a decision like that without talking to you first, this doesn’t just affect me-”
“Wait, what?” Jeongin began, happily retracting his arm as he frowned at you. “Don’t make this about me, Y/N.” When you just sniffled, frowning at him, he rolled his eyes in realisation. “I’m not mad about that! I’m mad you sat here sad about it this whole time and didn’t say anything!”
“But- but I quit my job.”
“And?’ He laughed, almost hysterically. “Fuck, if Hyunjin came in here that night and said all that to me, I’d be in a Lambo right now.”
“This isn’t funny, Jeongin!”
“I know,” he agreed, leaning back on the couch. “But if I don’t laugh, I’ll scream. And I can’t be mad at you for this. Yes, it’s dumb and crazy and scary but-” he cut himself off when he noticed your lip quiver, sitting up straight before looking you in the eye. “I’m only mad it wasn’t me. I mean, there’s tons of jobs out there- none as cushy as Districts- but there are jobs.. and if it falls through? I’ll help you apply to every single one of them, okay?”
You never found the courage to text Hyunjin.
But Jeongin did.
[20:34] Y/N: hey hyunjin. sorry i haven’t had a chance to meet up. been really busy with school and stuff. i’m free this week if you still want to hang out.
“Hang out?” You whine as you snatch your phone back off of him, in near hysterics as you read over the already delivered text. “Why the fuck would you say ‘hang out’?”
“Well, what was I meant to say? ‘Hey Hyunjin, sorry I ghosted you, wanna fuck?’”
You don’t get a chance to spit out your reply because Hyunjin has.
[20:36] hyunjin: Hey. Please don’t be sorry.
You realise you’re sweating as you rack your brain, thinking of a response when he adds-
[20:37] hyunjin: If you’re free tonight, can you meet me at the Clé Gallery? I’ll meet you at the south garage.
It’s almost half nine when you arrive, Jeongin pulling into the gallery’s garage, gulping as he approaches the security booth. The man gives him and his car one look before he hunches over and eyes you in the passenger seat before asking- “You Y/N?”
“Yes sir”, you say quickly, nodding. He doesn’t say anything else before the gate opens, gesturing for Jeongin to head into the empty lot. “You know,” you mumble as Jeongin winds up the window, moving the car into drive, “I’m kinda glad you insisted on driving now.”
“Right,” Jeongin agrees, both of you ignoring your choice of words. Insisted implies that he gave you a choice in the matter and didn’t hide your car keys before dragging you into his car instead. “Just wanted to make sure I knew where to tell the police to find you.”
“Thanks.” You huff, looking around the dark garage as he pulls into a space beside the only other cars in the empty basement, recognising one. “Make sure you don’t scuff it when you pull out.”
“Don’t you worry about my pull out game,” he jokes, turning off the ignition. “I can’t afford a kid, let alone the paint job on a car like that.” When you don’t respond, he turns to look at you, watching you take deep breaths, resting your head on the stained headrest. “Oi, look at me.” When you ignore him, he hits your arm, ignoring your yelp. “Look at me!”
“What?”
“You’re gonna be fine,” he assures, glaring when you nod like you don’t believe him. “I mean it. You said it yourself, he’s a nice guy, he’s not really.. expecting anything from you. Just take it slow, see how it goes. You’ll be in a gallery, what could even happen? It’s like a date! Imagine you’re on a date! You know how to date, you’ve gone on plenty-”
“Please stop talking.”
“No. Just, don’t be nervous, everything will be fine- oh my God, he’s here.”
And there he is. And God is he fine.
Hyunjin has a knack for making basic look extraordinary. He’s the most dressed down you have ever seen him - in black jeans and a white shirt peeking out beneath his matching black denim jacket. He has a black cap on, his hair pulled back beneath it, sunglasses perched atop his head, a black mask hooked around his ears.
You can barely see his face and you’re still reeling. His eyes look warm. Tired, but warm.
You move to get out of the car when Jeongin stops you by lowering the window down on your side, making Hyunjin lean down. When he goes to rest his arm on the car door to greet you both, Jeongin yells- “Hey! Watch the paint!”
“Can you not?” You groan quietly, turning to Hyunjin when he laughs, hands raised in apology. “Pay no attention to him.”
“It’s hard not to,” Hyunjin quips, laughing harder when Jeongin gasps.
“Oh? So you’ve got jokes now?” Jeongin reels as he looks over Hyunjin’s shoulder asking- “What? No muscle today?”
“Changbin?” Hyunjin asks, pointing his thumb over to the open lift he just arrived in, where Changbin’s masked yet stoic figure remains. “Where I go, he goes.”
“Good to know,” Jeongin nods, slamming his arm down on your shoulder before squeezing. “At least I know she’ll be safe.”
It’s quiet when you hit him, holding back a laugh when you see Jeongin’s brows knit, making you follow his gaze to Hyunjin’s suddenly serious face. You think he may have taken the joke wrong when he speaks, slowly- “I’d never let anything happen to her.
“I promise you that.”
He says the latter part to you, seeing the words sink in in real time.
It’s quiet for a moment longer when you nod awkwardly, slapping your hands on your knees before announcing- “On that note.”
When you go to remove your seatbelt, you miss the nod Jeongin gives him, the two sharing a moment you would have preferred seeing Jeongin scratch the Rolls beside you than witness. Thankfully, you’re none the wiser, whispering your thanks when Hyunjin opens your door for you, before he makes a point of closing it as gently as possible.
“I want her home by eleven-”
“Bye, Jeongin!”
And with that, and some very careful reversing, manoeuvring, and a playful wave at Changbin, he’s gone.
“I think he likes me.” Hyunjin says suddenly, almost proud.
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing,” you sigh, moving to walk towards the elevator before you realise he’s not beside you. Turning, you find him standing still behind you, looking awkwardly between you and the elevator. “What is it?”
“Uh, nothing, I just-” you don’t say it, but it always feels like something with Hyunjin. So you just wait patiently, watching as he pieces the words together before he finishes. “We won’t be alone up there.”
“I know,” you nod. “Where you go, he goes-”
“No, not Changbin,” he corrects, forgetting him completely. Which must be easy, it’s easy to forget one’s shadow. “I mean other people as well.”
“I have to meet people?” You blanch, looking down at your denim skirt and t-shirt. “Is it like an event? If you’d said-”
“No, no! It’s nothing like that. There’s just staff and security.” He rushes, relieved as your panic visibly subsides. He takes a breath then, and a slow step, closing about a foot of the space separating you. “I just wanted to say it’s good to see you again.. and I’m glad you came.”
“Oh,” you sigh, watching his eyes moon, imagining his lips pulling slightly at the sides. “It’s good to see you too.” You breathe, pinching the hem of his jacket. “You look nice.”
“I do?” He asks, looking down at his unusual attire. “I just- If I knew I’d see you I would’ve-”
“Would’ve what?” You ask, confused. “Don’t say you would’ve dressed up.”
“Why not?” He laughs, pushing your shoulder slightly when you roll your eyes. “What’s wrong with that?”
“I like you like this,” you admit, watching as a flush creeps up his neck and disappears behind his mask. “It suits you.”
“Thank you.” He says, earnestly. “You look pretty.”
“Oh, here we go.”
“What?”
“Are we gonna spend all night in this parking garage or is there something else you wanna bore me with?” He laughs when you walk off, following you into the elevator. “Hi Changbin.”
“Miss Y/L/N.” That’s all you get out of Changbin, his next words directed at Hyunjin- “Which floor, sir?”
“Fourth, please.”
It’s silent as you head up, the two of you standing behind Changbin, your eyes counting the floors as you feel Hyunjin’s eyes flit to you as you all ascend to the fourth floor of the building. If there’s something he wanted to say to you, you don’t get to hear it before the elevator announces your arrival, the doors opening on the third gallery floor.
“After you,” he offers, letting you follow Changbin out onto the level.
You knew little about the Clé Gallery besides it acting as a centre to the metropolis. You had been to the gallery a few times since moving to the city you had come to call home. You and your friends had spent many a drunken night on the marble steps that surround the north entrance, Jisung hurling over a ledge as Jeongin filmed him, you and Felix singing into the night. You’d never been inside, the entry fee a quick deterrent to many students, even with the discount, and as a lover of art in its more exciting form of animation, there’s nothing the gallery famous for its modern art has to offer you, bar a fun place to drink the night away.
“Have you visited the gallery before?” Hyunjin asks after a few seconds, nodding at Changbin who stands still as you both wander around, the bodyguard lingering a few careful feet away. When you shake your head he nods. “Not a fan of art?”
“Not unless it’s moving,” you laugh, a little bashful. “I don’t think it’s boring. I guess I just don’t.. get it?”
“A lot of people say that,” he says as he nods in understanding, hands clasped behind his back. “It’s not for everyone.”
“I take it you’re a fan?” You ask, watching his head bounce, a small smile taking his lips. ��What do you like about it?”
“It depends..” he hums, almost wistfully. “If it tells a story, if it just looks nice.”
“What’s your favourite?” You wonder, smiling at a less stoic but just as built security guard.
When Hyunjin just shrugs, pulling his cap down a bit lower, you look back to the man before laughing, the sudden sound forcing his questioning gaze back to you.
“I take it you’re famous around here?”
“Kind of,” he laughs, giving nothing away.
“Well, you look more famous dressed like that than you do every other time I’ve seen you,” you note, grinning when he tilts his head. “You come here a lot?”
“Every chance I get.” You can see his grin in his eyes, his eyes wandering over the gallery walls as you pass each piece. Part of you wants him to take the mask off, to let you see him enjoy what he evidently enjoys so much. But then you hear something behind you, the security guard from a moment ago speaking with Changbin before the two enter the same elevator you just left. When you turn back, you see it’s gone. The mask. And there he really is, his plump lips puffed as he fans himself, saying- “It’s awful in this thing.”
“Why’d you take it off?”
He tilts his head toward the corner of the room, letting your eyes follow before he speaks- “When I’m here, Changbin’s head of security. He can watch me through the CCTV from the floor above.” It takes a second for it to register. You think Hyunjin sees it too as your eyes widen. “My dad once owned a majority of shares in the gallery until I was eighteen, then he ‘gifted’ those shares to me.”
“You-” You’re no fan of art, but it doesn’t take a genius to know just how valuable art truly is. “You own the gallery?”
“Part of it.” He rushes, a little embarrassed. “I reckon he was giving me something to keep me here.. I got it just after Yeji left,” he says wistfully, pointing at the plaque above the door, reading ‘The Yeji Gallery’. “She hates that I did that, she thinks it’s pretentious,” he cackles, the sound definitely the sweetest you’ve ever heard from him. “But yeah.”
“Did you pick the pieces in here?” When he nods, you look around, recognising a few, unfamiliar with far more. “All of them?”
“Not all of them,” he says, pointing at a piece beneath the plaque before leading you to it. It’s a cloudy landscape with a road, a grassy, trodden path between two rows of trees, all beaten by wind and travel, the thinning leaves and branches thickening as you journey up. You’re not sure how long you’re meant to look at it, one of the things you always hated about field trips to your hometown’s gallery. So naturally, your eyes fall to the display card, Hyunjin gladly taking its place. “It’s her favourite: The Avenue at Middelharnis by Hobbema. He was a Dutch artist in the seventeenth century.”
“She.. bought it for you?”
“No,” he grins, shaking his head. “She hates the idea. Made me swear not to buy anything, just get it on loan. I like to think it was payback for the room, putting a Golden Age painting in a Modern Art gallery.”
“Right,” you hum, looking around. “I mean, it doesn’t really fit in here.”
“She knew that.” He sighs, looking at it again, pointing at a figure on the path. “I like it though. I imagine that’s her sometimes, walking down a European street, exploring.”
“Who says it isn’t?” He looks at you then, playful confusion on his face. “Art is subjective.”
“To an extent,” he laughs, bravely taking your hand to lead you to another piece. “I took a few liberties with this one,” he whispers as you look it over, eyes glued to the red head, her hands raised skyward, jewel toned flowers surrounding her as she floats down the picturesque bank. “That’s Ophelia.”
“As in, from Hamlet?” You whisper, your immediate thought to cringe at the way the clothes must feel on her skin before you remember. “Is she dead?”
“Mhm,” he hums, his hand still clinging to yours as your eyes return to her face, the lifelessness in her eyes, her hands possibly upturned to God. “Artists have always loved Ophelia, the tragedy that took her life. I think only two Pre-Raphaelites captured her really well. Waterhouse always painted her alive, I think moments before death, or before her father died. But Millais decided on this take.”
“Art has never been kind to women, has it?”
“No,” he muses, looking over his shoulder at another piece before explaining, “there has been a lot of debate about the pay for women who modelled, the conditions they were subjected to.” You feel him squeeze your hand then. Turning, you see a lingering excitement in his gaze as he nods his head behind him. “People like Picasso, Manet.. Even Rivera. They weren’t the nicest to their models. A lot of artists today hate the term ‘muse’.” He tells you, bringing you before a painting you’re proud to say you recognise. “Dali was big on it though.”
“And obnoxious titles apparently,” you mutter, heart hammering as you feel Hyunjin settle behind you, his chin resting atop your shoulder, cheek pressed to the fabric of your t-shirt to better see the painting. “‘Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening’, does anyone remember all that?”
“Most people just call in ‘Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee’.” He laughs, pointing over your shoulder, “When I was younger, I wanted to get the tigers tattooed-”
“You did?” You gasp, turning around to stare at him. “Why didn’t you?”
“Didn’t feel complete,” he says with a simple shrug, pushing you both closer before turning you to see the rest, “they’re coming out of the rockfish, which is coming out of the pomegranate, then the bee.. there’s too much to just take a part of it. Dali wouldn’t want that.”
“I see your point,” you hum, laughing to yourself at his loyalty to a man who died years before he was ever conceived. Letting yourself lean back, you feel him hold you, unthinking as he wraps his arms around you, his firm body pressed to your back. You suddenly picture the image on him. The tigers, the fish, the fruit, the bee, tainting him. “Dali was Spanish right?”
“Yes,” he says, unknowingly answering your next unspoken ask. “The Prado in Madrid loaned this to us.”
“What happens when someone flies all the way to Madrid to see it, just to find it’s not there?”
“I think Yeji would like you.” He says with a huff, grinning when you giggle. “I do feel guilty about that sometimes, wondering how I would feel if I flew halfway across the world just for the painting to be on loan.. but then I think of all the people here who wouldn’t have seen it if I hadn’t requested it.”
“That’s sweet,” you mumble, “I’m glad your generosity extends to the general public.”
“Har har.” Poking your side, he turns you around, watching you frown. “What is it?”
“This might sound dumb..”
“You’re not dumb.” It’s unnecessarily stern, enough to make you laugh.
“I said it might sound dumb,” you repeat, emphasising the word before you grow shy. You have to force the next words out. “How do you even go about it? Buying, renting.. whatever-ing a painting?”
You decide you really like Hyunjin like this, words easily pouring out of him as he explains, pulling you over to a nearby leather upholstered bench, taking you through his day to day. It surprises you how involved he is in the process, revealing a lot of his work here is in his own time, work he refused to delegate to another as his father had wrongly assumed he might.
It’s hard to ignore the love that emanates from him, his animated gestures, his hands pointing to different paintings as he rambles- no, gushes about the joy he draws from the art world. However, what is even harder to ignore is the fact that the Hwang’s wealth isn’t limited to paper money, or even digital currency.. it extends into infrastructure, investment and maybe the most valuable of all: ingenuity.
You tried to listen, you did, but it's hardest to ignore how perfect he looks in this setting, how right he looks. Dressed down, relaxed, happy. The way his lips move around the words, his pearly teeth revealing with every smile, his tongue lapping at them with every anecdote.
“This may sound silly-”
“You’re not silly, Hyunjin.”
“You've taken up comedy in your spare time I see-” you nearly cringe at his likeness to your best friend at that moment, your fist meeting his arm before you can stop yourself. He just grins. “It sounds silly, but there’s a lot you can put a price on. Creativity isn’t one. It doesn’t- transfer over, not like a business or an investment. It dies with its maker.”
“Is that why you like it?” You ask, wondering when you’d started playing with the rings adorning his fingers. He allows you though, his hand open and fingers outstretched in your lap. “Art? Do you like it because it ends with them? It can’t be remade?”
“Yes, exactly.” He breathes, frowning only slightly, before looking over your shoulder. “Come here.” His hand latches to yours, guiding you to a door in the far corner of the room. Sliding a pass over a keypad, when you enter, you quietly watch as people greet him, tiny bows of their heads met with even deeper bows from Hyunjin. You note your hand still in his, moving to retract it when he holds it tighter. You want to feel awkward, but in this space, people seem to regard you the same as him. As his guest. As his equal. As they clear the room, he turns to you, watching you watch them leave. “This room is where scientists work on all the pieces.”
“Work on them?” You ask, clearly puzzled. “As in, they alter them?”
“Not exactly,” he hums, leading you over to a random work space, careful to stand clear of the covered surface. The room is a lot darker than Yeji’s Gallery, a bit cooler even. “It’s called conservation. They sit in here, and literally work day in and day out to preserve every piece in this gallery. With every piece, they send over their own scientists to keep an eye on it, make sure it’s not over exposed to heat, or light. Be it a bust, a painting, a drawing, a sketch. It’s all conserved here.”
“Because once it’s gone-”
“It’s gone.”
“Isn’t that how it should be though?” You wonder, turning to look at him. “I mean, nothing is meant to last forever?”
Hyunjin just looks at you for a moment before he smiles.
‘I am a hwang. I am a drop of the sun. I’m resilient, independent, and eternal.’
“You asked me what my favourite piece was..” he recalls suddenly, voice just above a whisper. “I didn’t know if you’d want to see it.. it’s a bit graphic,” he warns, nodding when you shrug before guiding you around the work space, bringing you to a tall wall of metal drawers. He leaves you to hit a few light switches and turn a few dials, instantly bringing the room to a lower temperature before he opens one of the infinite drawers from memory alone. “It’s a Goya.”
When he opens the drawer, you frown, less perturbed than you expected to be, but confused all the same. “This one’s your favourite?”
“Mhm,” he hums, chewing his lip. “It was the hardest to get here. I didn’t think they’d ever accept, it took a lot of work.”
“How did you change their mind?” There's only a few times you’ve seen Hyunjin look smug. When he teased you and Jeongin earlier tonight might have been the first. But this time, in his element, in his department, in his arena? You can’t say you have seen anything that rivals it all night. You quickly collect yourself, rolling your eyes. “What a charmer.”
“I don’t know.. I couldn’t get them to let me have it for as long as I’d like as it’s part of a series, and they wouldn’t lend us all of it.” He sighs, and while the words seem despondent, when he looks down at it, his face is euphoric. “But I still count this as a win.”
“When did it get here?”
“Tonight.” He announces, grinning when he sees you frown. “Yourself, Changbin and I are the only people besides the team who have seen it.”
At this, you nod, watching him take a step back, letting you take his place.
It should repulse you. The large, dirty grey haired man- titan, Hyunjin corrects- with bulging eyes, his mouth agape, consuming what at first looks like a bloodied bone, before your eyes travel down, seeing the bare legs of a lifeless body. It doesn’t repulse you. It confuses you.
“What is it?”
“Saturn..” he whispers, teeth pulling at his lip as he adds- “Devouring his son.”
You turn to him at that. “His son?”
“When he painted the Black Paintings, Goya was in a dark place. Spain was in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars, and his work took a dark turn, both aesthetically and literally. Saturn was fearful of being usurped by his children, so he did what the Gods did back then.”
“They ate them?”
“Well,” he laughs, looking at your horrified face. “Killed them, but yes. He ate him.”
“And it’s your favourite?” You ask again, watching him nod slowly, his eyes still glued to the painting.
You never got art.
Be it visual or literary. How one could be so pretentious about paint on parchment, or pen on paper. How someone could devote their entire life to critiquing it, selling it, buying it, collecting it- or, as you learned tonight- spending every second of their free time pleading with Spanish gallery directors and trustees for the chance to look at a piece by a nineteenth century war time artist who portrayed the darkest parts of his fears in the form of familial cannibalism.
But that didn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful. No matter how strange, or morbid, or grotesque, you find it in you to try and find beauty and meaning in the macabre, even for a little bit. Because to understand Goya’s Saturn was to understand Hyunjin. His fear of responsibility, his repulsion for his lineage. How he didn’t see it as scary or ugly but relieving. How he wasn’t so much entertained by the painting but rather inspired, maybe even jealous. Hyunjin didn’t want to consume or be consumed, he wanted to live, to be free. And while it might frighten you to think he envied Saturn’s son, you remember what he has shown you tonight. That he wants this life, one surrounded by art he adores by people who are no more. He doesn’t want to live forever.
In the few times you’ve spoken to him, it was easy to see Hyunjin didn’t know how to tell you what he really wanted. Not for lack of want, but lack of words. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to be free, to forget he was a Hwang, a drop of the sun, something eternal.
Hyunjin didn’t want to be devoured by his father - unless that was the only way to be free.
You never got art. You think you do now.
“You’re the son,” you whisper, watching his eyes gleam.
“Art is subjective,” he reminds, closing the drawer, adjusting the settings of the room before heading to a door in the back, waiting for you to follow. “Shall we?”
When he opens it, you’re in an office. It isn’t massive, but it is lavish. Warm tones cover the room from the ground to the ceiling, a tidy, polished oak desk, a cream leather seat behind it, a brown throw strewn across a matching leather couch in front of a large television.
“This your office?” When he nods, you nod too. “It’s nice.”
“Changbin will be happy to hear that,” he smiles, taking off his jacket before heading to the mini fridge. “Until a few months ago, it was just a box with a desk, he decorated it himself, probably for security reasons but said it’s embarrassing when I have company.”
“Ah,” you sigh, accepting the bottle of water he offers you. You can’t picture it bare, or at least someone of his stature having meetings in an unfurnished box room. “So you bring all the girls here then?”
You realise Hyunjin isn’t really one for jokes, his head turning to you as you hide behind your bottle, chugging far more water than you need.
“I-I don’t bring anyone here,” he admits, scratching his neck as he leans back against his desk. “It’s perhaps the only thing that is truly mine.”
He’s suddenly pensive, sad even, eyes glued to the dark television screen above your head. You hate that you caused this, overstepping for the second time tonight. Third, if you count Jeongin earlier in the car. So you walk over to him, tilting your head when he looks down, trying to catch his eye. “Hyunjin?” When he looks up, you ask- “Why did you ask me here tonight?” You think you might have to elaborate when he quickly goes to answer, missing the meaning. “As in here, why not somewhere else?”
It might be too loaded a question to ever really answer. The new meaning is too tricky to distinguish.
Did you mean here as in the gallery? Here as in his office? Here as in the one place he feels most at peace? Most himself? Most Hyunjin?
When he swallows, exhaling a shaky sigh, you almost apologise, the words readied on your tongue when he speaks- “I wanted you to see all of me.”
“What do you mean?”
“After that night, at- at your place. I- uh, I did a lot of thinking.” He feels himself heating up, your gaze intense, unwavering as he stutters around his words, failing to think up an explanation that doesn’t make him sound crazy or deluded. But he knows it’s a losing battle. Not when in that gaze is so much warmth, he can’t help but hold onto it, cling to it, crave it. “I thought about how I feel when I’m around you. How I feel- how you make me feel.”
“How do I make you feel?”
“Loved.”
He hears your breath catch in your throat, and he fears the worst. Fears you’ll bolt out of here, turned off by the feelings he can’t help but feel around you. Because even he fears what he’s feeling, this overwhelming desire to give his whole self to you, for you to take all the best and all the worst parts of him and reduce them to nothing. To see right through him like he painfully did you.
“I left that night feeling guilty. About asking you all those things, offering all those things, using it all against you-” when you open your mouth to retort, to defend, he rushes- “I know you won’t agree- that you don’t agree. But that’s how I felt. And I just thought, what if you had asked me those things, things that terrified me, things I worry about everyday and night. Would I have told you?
“And I realised I would.” He says firmly, decided. “I realised I’d give you anything if you asked for it.”
“I never wanted anything.” You defend, a sharpness to your tone. “I told you that.”
“I know,” he whispers as he leans forward, your glare softening into a frown, frown softening into a gaze, gaze fluttering as he hovers over your mouth, breathing- “That’s why I’m giving it to you.”
Is it weird to think of Jeongin now? The thanks you owe him for snatching your phone off of you, unlocking it and texting Hyunjin earlier tonight? Or to think of all the ways he’ll hold this over your head for as long as you both shall live? For being right about Hyunjin?
It might be weird, but it’s easy to push him aside as Hyunjin’s lips cover yours, a sudden need for you filling him, taking over his every urge as he kisses you softly, practically purring when you pull him down into you, his body melting against you as you scratch along his nape, lulling his mouth open with gentle strokes, your tongue slipping between.
Snippets of your first night together peek through, his hands still shaking but more sure of themselves as he guides yours to his jacket, his wordless ask answered as you slowly peel it off of him, letting it fall on the desk then floor. You feel him whine as your palms run down his chest, and up, chasing your lips when you retreat, eyeing his buttons as you unhook them. When you look up, you almost gasp. The pure hunger in his eyes, his small pants, his daze.
When he tries to lean back in, you laugh- “Let me get this off of you first.”
“Just take it off.”
“I’ll pop the buttons-”
“I don’t care.” He whines, his head in your neck, panting. “I-I need you,” he whispers, heart racing as he presses himself to you. “Please.”
The clang of his buttons hitting the floor ring through the room as you tear his shirt off, your lips meeting in a clash, his hands clinging to your hips.
It’s a mess. His tongue lapping at your teeth, hands gathering your skirt, fingers inching toward the gap between your thighs. This last month apart unravels into a hot, filthy mess as he turns you, lifting you onto his desk before his lips close over your mound, his eyes finding yours as je laps at the skin, his rolling back as he takes you between his teeth, rolling his hips against your heat.
He kisses a path up the valley, up your throat and jaw before hovering over your lips, catching his breath as he watches you unbutton his jeans, envious of your steady hands.
“You okay?” When he just squeezes his eyes shut and nods, you pause, raising a hand to his cheek, guiding his face to you. “Hyunjin-”
“I’m okay.” Taking your hand from his cheek, he hooks his pinky with yours, instead kissing your fist in his haste. “Just missed you.”
“I missed you too,” you confess, pecking his lips before dropping your hand to unzip him.
“Then-” when you pinch at the waistband of his drawers, he swallows, his eyes dropping to the motion. “Why didn’t you call?”
“I-” you stop yourself then, hands moving to the soft skin of his waist, realising your spiral the last two weeks wasn’t one you had to spend alone. It wasn’t yours alone. “I was scared.”
“Of me?” He asks, frowning.
“No,” you say firmly, rubbing his skin gently. “Just- of everything.”
He nods then. You think he understands. “Are you still scared?”
“No,” you repeat, releasing a deep breath as you shuffle forward, pushing his pants and drawers down in one go, grinning when he shivers, eyes glued to yours. “Not anymore.”
He nods again, trembling when your hand closes around him, fist pumping him a few times, thumb gliding along his leaking tip. His eyes glaze as your lips move, the words forming in his head before they ever leave your mouth.
“What do you want?”
What do I want?
“You.”
“Then have me.”
It’s seconds before he enters you. His fingers dragging your damp panties down your thighs before he pulls you towards him, your bare legs gliding along the polished desk, his cock drawing a line up your folds. He sighs when you moan, his tip circling your clit slowly, his eyes caught on the way you chew your lip before he sinks in, his throat closing as you squeeze around him.
He rests his chin on your shoulder, an arm looped around your waist, holding you against him, his lips pressed to your ear. “I dreamt about this,” he groans, hips slow, steady as he pulls out before pressing all the way in, skin aflame as he engulfs himself in you. “Almost every night.”
“Almost?” You try to joke, breath catching as he bottoms out, your thighs spread almost painfully as he hits a spot that has your nails digging into him. “W-what about the rest?”
“Still you,” he mumbles, forcing words out as he builds up a pace, enjoying how your walls tighten around him with every stroke. “Always you.”
“Yeah?” When he nods, you gather his face in your hands, let your fingers comb through his hair as his hat falls, his jaw swung open as you wrap your legs around him, pulling him closer. You just stare at each other, his breaths shortening with every tug, hands pressed to the desk, forehead pressed to yours. “You feel so good, Jinnie.”
“You feel-” he wants to say better, but it isn’t enough and all the other words get lost when you kiss him. It’s unlike any other. It’s slow, careful, loving. You make him feel loved. And it too feels unlike any other. Because in a literal sense, Hyunjin has felt love. From Yeji, from Changbin. From his chef and his assistant. Hyunjin has people in his life who love him. But Hyunjin never thought he’d feel this. Feel wanted, feel.. love. Better isn’t enough. “Fuck, I’m-”
“Shh, it’s okay,” you whisper, pecking his lips a few times as you squeeze around him, your arms, your legs, your heat. It’s too much, the warmth pouring through him as you meet his strokes, slow raises of your hips as you lure his orgasm from him. When he moans, hands clinging to your hips, his lips finding yours, you feel his thrusts intensify before the crash, his hips snapping to a quick stop as he shakes, his groan pouring out into your mouth as you take it, milking him as he cums into you, your lips peck his open mouth. His comedown is intense, his slick forehead pressed to your neck as he pants, one hand still clinging to you as the other snakes between your legs. “Hey,” you whisper, shaking your head, “this is about you, don’t worry about me.”
“It’s about both of us.” He reminds you, his pout kissing your smiling lips, “Let me.”
“I will,” you sigh, “I just wanna go home now.”
“What?” He asks, his frown staining the smooth, slick skin of his forehead.
“With you, silly.” You correct, rubbing a thumb over his cheek. “Okay?”
He nods before you glare, making him smile. “I thought I wasn’t silly?”
When you just shrug, kissing him again, he just grins, kissing you back. It’s silent for a moment before you feel him tense, his back straightening as he looks up over your shoulder.
“What?” When he doesn’t say anything, and just stares, you follow his gaze. “What is it-”
Where I go, he goes.
He can watch me through the CCTV from the floor above.
He decorated it himself, probably for security reasons.
Jeongin might have been right about Hyunjin, but you weren’t. Maybe he was silly. Maybe you don’t care.
a/n: Here’s a list of the art mentioned in order for anyone interestedddd:
The Avenue at Middelharnis (1689) by Meindert Hobbema
Ophelia (1851-52) by John Everett Millais
The flight of a bee around a pomegranate (1944) by Salvador Dali
Saturn Devouring His Son (1820-23) by Fransisco Goya (part of the Black Paintings series)
The Kiss (1907-08) by Gustav Klimt
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boldlyvoid · 3 years
Text
ain't it fun?
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summary: reader just needs an NA meeting before they have a meltdown, they end up with the best friend they could ever make.
warnings: Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Drug Addiction, Trauma Bonding, narcotics anonymous meetings, Strangers to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, meet-cute,
word count: 3.3K
a/n: this is completely self-indulgent and overly personal but i def recommend writing why spencer would love you as a form of therapy
read on ao3
In the blink of an eye, she was up and racing around her apartment. Her mental health was like a teeter-totter, and right now she was on her way to the top. Mania was creeping in; changing from just anxiety-induced butterflied to the feeling that she could jump off a building and survive.
That was never a good time. All she wanted was to either spend all her money, fuck a stranger or get high as shit. It made her legs jumpy and her ears ring and she couldn’t take it anymore. It was all too much.
She threw on a sweater and jeans, her hair was up in a butterfly clip and she hastily threw on her fanny pack full of everything she needed as well as a big coat, and she then left her apartment. She got to the stairs before realizing she actually needed to lock the door.
Her hands shook and she tried to slide the key into the lock, dropping them as her neighbour rushed out of the room and startled her. “Sorry,” she heard him say.
She picked up her keys and turned to look at him, “can you help me? I can’t seem to stop shaking,” she asked as she held her keys towards him.
“yes, sure,” he rushed the words out as he walked towards her, only looking at the keys, never in her eyes. But that was okay, she was never a big fan of eye contact.
He placed her keys back in her hand and took a step back, “are you alright?” he asked.
“No,” she said honestly. “I’m going to find an NA meeting.”
“Do you have one in the area? I haven’t seen you around before?”
She shook her head, surprised that he was also an addict, he didn’t look like he’s ever even smoked weed.
“No, I moved in only a little while ago on a whim, but I think it’s time I got some support,” she said as they started to walk down the hallway together. “I’m Y/N, by the way.”
“Spencer,” he smiled softly. “I’m going to a meeting right now, actually, if you’d like to come? I won’t exactly be anonymous to you, but it’s a good one to go to if you just need one to fill the void until you find your preferred group.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I need.” She smiled at him this time as he held the door open for her. “So, have you lived around here for long?”
“For about a few years now.”
“The building is good then? I was a little hesitant but I needed to get away,” she said, this time holding the door for them to leave the building and turn down the street towards where she knew the subway was.
The moon should be out, she looked up but only sees buildings. It was the one thing she missed the most about not being in the country; seeing the stars and feeling like there was a reason to it all.
“Are you running from someone?” He asks as they start the walk down to the meeting.
“Myself,” she said softly. “I’m on disability and don’t drive and I lived in the middle of nowhere with my parents, well into my 20’s, and I needed a change so my parents surprised me by saving up money for a few month's rent and told me to follow my heart.”
“And you picked Virginia?”
“I stayed in Virginia, just moved into the city. I watch a lot of murder documentaries in my free time, I thought being near Quantico would introduce me to some interesting people, but I have yet to meet anyone from the FBI at all.”
She laughed to herself at how dumb it was that she wanted to meet a profiler like Holden Ford from Mindhunter, “either they are all very good at keeping their jobs secret or Virginia is a very large and densely populated area with a low percentage of FBI agents.”
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“How long have you lived here?” he asked, slowing as he walked so he could look at her.
“2 months.”
“It took you two months to meet the FBI agent across the hall from you.”
“You’re kidding?” she said, stopping on the sidewalk abruptly. “I knew that apartment was calling me for a reason.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but, are you really just coincidentally my neighbour or are you secretly spying on me because you have an evil plan to kill me and my co-workers?” he's completely serious, it's almost scary.
“No offence, Spence, but for a supposed FBI agent that’s a dumb question to ask,” she said, pointing finger guns at him, “you don’t think I’ll give up my cover that easily? Do you?”
He points a finger gun back at her, “technically, I’m a doctor.”
The two of them narrow their eyes at each other, slowly walking in a circle, still facing each other with their make-believe guns trying to hold back smirks. She lowered her ‘weapon’ first. “It’s okay, doctor, don’t worry. I’m not a spy just an idiot with an imagination.”
He giggled softly, “I’ve never felt this comfortable with someone this fast.”
“Well, you are with criminals a lot, right? That would be alarming if you bonded with them,” she said, bumping her shoulder into his as they walked. “But I feel the same. I actually haven’t talked to someone in person in forever.”
“No?”
“I do most of my work and socializing online,” She felt embarrassed, but in today’s day and age, it wasn’t that weird. “I’m not very good outside or with people.”
“If it wasn’t for my job, I don’t think I would go outside very often either. My co-workers are my only friends, they’re more like my family actually.”
“That’s so wonderful to hear, found family is very important,” her smile disappeared as she thought about how alone she was. “Um, can I ask what it is you do at the FBI?”
“Behavioural Analysis.”
“Holy shit," she gasps, knowing way too much about that unit thanks to fucking Netflix, "that’s what the BSU became right? Do you work with the really fucked up shit?” she asked softly.
He laughed, “oh yeah, I really do.”
“Do you share a lot at NA?”
“Kinda, I tend to ramble about facts when I’m nervous so sometimes my short talk becomes more like a ted talk and what was supposed to be just me saying I haven’t relapsed on Dilaudid becomes a lesson on how the human brain works,” he explained, rambling just like he said he would.
She nodded along as he spoke, “funny, that was also my drug of choice.”
“Liquid or oral?”
“Oral. I was given it after I had my appendix out when I was 17. They get you started real young now, big pharma has its hand in everyone's pocket,” she presses her lips together awkwardly, “it was rough.”
He hummed in agreement. “I was held captive by an unsub with multiple personalities. One personality drugged me till I died and the other one brought me back.”
“Spencer, Holy fuck?” she stopped and stared at him so incredibly concerned for someone who just met him. She reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder and looked him in the eyes, “I know I barely know you, but if you need someone to talk I’m literally always across the hall.”
“Thank you,” he smiled softly as he looked back into her eyes. “The meeting is right there across the street, do you want a coffee first? The place beside it is amazing.”
She nodded and he took her hand, looking both ways before J-walking across the street with her to buy her a coffee and a snack. Maybe that would help her stop shaking, he looked like he worried about her and she wasn't used to that at all.
He didn’t talk at this meeting, he sat in the chair beside the group leader, she sat down across from him in the circle so she could focus. When the floor was opened up to new members, Y/N stood at the first chance she got.
“Hi I’m Y/N,” she said, to which she was welcomed by the crowd.
“I’m new to the city and looking for a new home group, not sure if I’ll stay here because I know Spencer outside of here but I really just needed to come today.”
She takes a deep breath as she thinks of how to start it, opting to just explain it and let the rant go where it may.
“I’ve never lived alone before and it’s incredibly hard to occupy my time without drugs. I still smoke weed to help me sleep at night but my addiction is with Dilaudid and then Benadryl a little after having surgery in high school. I don’t know if it’s my trauma, my disability or my Autism, maybe it’s my OCD, I really don’t know, but I just feel so useless and alone and boring and lonely, the drugs used to help but they don’t anymore and I really just don’t want to feel this way anymore.”
They all looked like they understood, small smiles grew all around the circle as she took a lookout at the crowd, “Thank you for letting me get that out.”
Everyone clapped as she sat back down and wiped a tear off her cheek.
The meeting ended shortly after that, Spencer walked from his seat in the circle to where she was sitting, reaching a hand out to help her to her feet. “For the record, I think you’re funny, smart, kind and pretty. And you don’t have to be alone anymore if you don’t want to be.”
She slapped her hand into his and stood up with purpose, “Did we just become best friends?”
“I believe we did.”
The walk home was much like the walk there. They traded facts, they flirted, they laughed, she pushed him into a pole at one point, by accident as they laughed. The two of them stopping to sit at a bus bench, laughing so hard she felt like she would pee her pants right then and there.
By the time they were back on their floor, it was well after midnight. “I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to meetings with you.”
“Oh, why?” he looked disappointed.
“Isn’t rule 13 that you’re not supposed to want to sleep with your group members when you’re healing?”
“Wanting to and doing it are two very different things,” he corrected her as he waited at his own door.
She smirked, “you’re right. Still don’t think I can go back with you, however.”
“I’ll probably have a case tomorrow, they normally take me out of town for at least a week, but when I get back, can I see you?” he asked lightly.
“Knock on my door when you get back,” she said before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “See you.”
“Bye.”
They waved from their doors before departing, excited by something that felt better than drugs.
120 hours later there was a light knock at her door, she knows exactly how long it’s been because she’s been counting and looking out the door at every noise for the whole time he’s been gone. Waiting for him like a wife whose husband went off to war, not knowing when their next correspondence would be.
“Coming,” she called, stopping to fluff her hair and straighten her glasses before she opened the door.
“Spencer!”
“Hi,” he said softly.
She took a moment to look him over, a little in shock at what she saw. He was in a plain t-shirt and track pants, he had not one, but two black eyes, bandages on his brow bone and scrapes all along his arms.
“Are you okay?”
“You should see the other guy,” he giggled softly, rolling his eyes.
“Come in, let’s sit you down.” She worried, taking him by the elbow and helping him inside.
“I’m fine, really, I’m used to this.”
“Well I’m not,” she reminded him with a nervous pout, “am I allowed to ask about it or is it classified stuff?”
He sat on the couch and patted a seat beside himself so she would join him. He rested his arm against the back of the chair so that she could slide in beside him.
“Did you hear about the child abduction in Tampa?”
“Yeah? The two boys?”
“I was trying to talk the unsub down and he dropped the gun but he grabbed me as I turned him around and punched me in the face and we fell into the ditch and I luckily managed to flip over him and get his hands behind his back and cuffed faster than I ever have before.”
“You’re amazing,” she whispered.
He laughed, “if I really was, I would have waited for backup before talking to the guy.”
“I’ve always wanted to help other people get justice but not being able to go to school makes it hard to get a job doing anything meaningful,” she whispered, ashamed of the fact she wasn’t successful like most people her age.
“Our technical analyst was hired because she was an amazing hacker, they will hire anyone who is valuable.” He shrugs and watches her face light up at the idea.
“You know what, we have meetings all this week unless there’s an emergency, if you want I can show you around the office?” he offered. “It’s not illegal for you to pass by what I’m working on and notice something I missed.”
“Spencer, I don’t even know your last name and you’re inviting me to your government job? When just last week you asked, not so jokingly, if I was a secret agent trying to kill you and that you’ve been kidnapped before?”
“Doctor Spencer Reid, and what can I say?” he said shyly, “I’m trying to find excuses to see you smile all the time.”
She placed her hand on his cheek, the tips of her fingers lightly resting on his purple and yellow bruised eyes. She leaned in slowly and kissed him on the lips, so gently as if she’s afraid he’ll break or turn into a frog… he was too good to be true.
“You can see me whenever you want, Doctor Spencer Reid…”
He kissed her again, letting his hands roam her back and she trailed her free hand down his chest. She pulled back slightly to throw a leg over him carefully and sit in his lap. Holding his face in her hands now, she peppered kisses over his bruised face.
She stopped to look at him, still holding his face in her hands as his hands now rested on her hips. “I really like you, Spencer.”
“Really?”
She looks at him carefully, analyzing his response and seeing the hurt that rested deep inside of him, “I take it you’re like me?”
“What does that mean?”
“You try to not get too involved with people because no one has ever shown you true genuine interest or love, and you never think you’ll find it anyway so you push away all small acts of kindness, thinking it’s friendly because then you can’t get your hope up, just to have that person drop them?” she explained herself in a whisper.
He nodded, “you get it.”
She kissed his lips again, and then over his cheek and up to his ear, “I do.”
He looked extra sad when she pulled away, she just held his face gently as she mirrored his puppy dog eyes. Communicating with their eyes, she knew he was okay and he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so she smiled.
“Want to watch a movie?” She asks softly.
He nods, looking behind her to see she doesn’t have a tv in the living room. “How?”
“In my room, the TV is on my dresser if you don’t mind sitting in my bed?”
He shakes his head in a simple no, picking her up and taking her to her room. He knew where it was purely because her apartment was just his but backwards. She laughs, holding onto him tight as she rests her head on his shoulder.
He sets her down gently, watching her move up to the headboard and wait for him. They got under the blankets and she found the remote in the sheet before she cuddled into him.
“You’re really cuddly,” she complimented him as he wrapped an arm around her and held her close. He kissed the top of her head as a thank you.
“I think I’m going to end up falling in love with you, Spencer Reid,” she whispers the words, afraid of them more than his response.
“I beat you to it,” he whispers right back.
She shoots up, turning to look at him with surprise. “How?”
He looks at her like she grew two heads, “what do you mean how?”
“How did you fall in love with me? You don’t even know me?” She’s so confused, no one has ever loved her before and it’s a lot to take in.
“Y/N…” his face drops, his heart physically breaks in front of her. “I don’t know you, you're right. Not all of you, at least. I’m sure you have your hidden doors and locked cupboards but from the outside, I see you’re so beautiful, you’re radiant… your mind is lovely. You’re so kind, you’re so brave, you’re everything I wish I could be as charismatically as you are.”
She’s just swallowing over and over as she shakes her head and breathes through her nose, processing it. She’s breathing deeply then, staring off and she feels like she’s having a new kind of panic attack. A happier one, somehow?
“I don’t like myself, but if you like me I guess I must be pretty nice,” she smiles, accepting his praise and believing him. “Yeah. Thank you, Spencer.”
He smiles then, it’s cute and press-lipped and she swears he almost has dimples. His eyes are like honey and his lips are like roses. She leans in, kissing him and reaching a hand back to cup the nape of his neck.
He doesn’t know it, but he’s the first person she’s kissed in a few years. They’re soft, peck after peck as they hold each other softly, eyes open as they watch each other experience the happiness of finding someone good, finally.
“I uh, I wanted to tell you I’m almost exactly everything you described yourself as in the meeting,” he whispers against her lips, the air touching her skin gently as she absorbs the words.
“What part? My diagnosis or my self-hatred?” She smiles, okay with either really.
“Almost both, I’m pretty hard to be around.”
She shakes her head, “I invited you in for a movie, not a pity party. You can tell me everything you hate right now and then we should just share the good parts okay? Brag about yourself. Tell me what you’re proud of.”
She was really serious, keeping a stern look on her face as she spoke. He nodded, “I’m anxious all the time, I’m always worried because I’ve never had anyone to worry about me. I don’t know how to be a real person really, all I do is drink coffee and solve crimes and I barely sleep. And the only time I was relaxed and okay is when I was on drugs.”
She nodded, “it fucking sucks, doesn’t it? Like why did we get stuck like this, I don't care about peaking in high school but didn’t we deserve some kind of love and support? I’ve never understood if souls and shit are real, why did mine pick this terrible meat suit and awful traumatic path?”
She’s crying because she’s angry and because she’s never said it to anyone before. He cries because she understands. She truly knows.
“I love you,” he announces. “Just because of that.”
Taglist: @blanchardsbk @shemarmooresfedora @spencers-dria @spookyspence @reidsfish @manuosorioh @mochionly @samuel-de-champagne-problems @jswessie187 @k-k0129 @calm-and-doctor
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moonctzeny · 4 years
Text
First Times
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“Jae”, you whispered, gaining his attention, “We will still be best friends after this, right?”
He pulls you closer to him, making your face rest on his naked chest. He smelled like sweat and that intense body spray, like those days he came back from his basketball practice to meet you under the treehouse. He smelled like home.
pairing: childhood friend/ceo! jaehyun x fem! reader
genre: smut, angst
word count: 6.584k
warnings: loss of virginity, then not so virgin sex lol, squirting
summary: “Jaehyun had been your best friend ever since you were 7 years old, but after a certain incident he disappears, without informing you of his whereabouts. You had come to terms with the fact that you’ll never see him again until your paths cross unexpectedly, meeting as boss and employee”
a/n: I feel like ceo! jaehyun fics are overwritten so I tried to focus more on the childhood friends to lovers aspect, giving it a little twist
———————————————————————
There was no way that was him.
When you were 10 years old you couldn’t wait to have your first kiss. You were plain obsessed with the romance dramas that were playing on tv, your mom complaining about having to witness the same unrealistic tropes over and over again, but you stayed frozen in front of the screen.
Why were the characters so caught up in the thought of seeing each other? Why were they willing to risk everything they had for the other person? You were curious to find out about the love the grown ups talked about, and playing mommy and daddy with the neighbor’s son, Jaehyun, wasn’t cutting it anymore.
He was waiting for you in his treehouse, preparing his toys for your playdate. A table of pots and cutlery on one side of the room and a battlefield with ships on the other. He preferred when you two dueled for the “fate of your country”, but he knew you liked to play house so he compromised. One hour of what you like and one hour of what he liked, that’s what his mom had said.
You stomped inside, your pout not matching his excited smile.
“Finally, you’re here! Can we play my games first? My uncle got me new soldiers, look!” He ran up to you, a bunch of different green miniatures in his hands. You didn’t bother to spare him a glance, too caught up in your personal drama.
“I don’t want to play games,” you whined, “I want a boyfriend!”
Jaehyun blinked a couple times, confused. “But you have one, me. I am your friend and I am a boy”
You threw your head back in frustration, groaning so loudly that the rest of the neighborhood probably heard you. “Noo it’s not the same! We don’t kiss on the lips and stuff!”
The little boy came closer to you, scowling. He was starting to get really impatient with your whining over these dramas that you liked so much. So what if you don’t kiss and stuff? It’s no big deal anyways!
He grabbed your ears, bringing you closer to his face and he gave you a small peck. Your first kiss.
“There. Will you play with me now?”
When you turned 18 you exchanged your love for dramas with a love for art. You also exchanged your calculus workbooks for oil paints and acrylics, busy with piecing together a portfolio that would get you accepted into art school. There was one thing that stayed stable in your life, however, that followed you from childhood into adolescence.
“Hey, sorry for being late, basketball practice took longer than I expected”, Jaehyun apologized and joined you at his backyard. The treehouse had gotten too old for inhabiting but the trunk you were currently lied against served its purpose as your current hangout after school.
“Hey”, you sniffled and he finally noticed how watery your eyes were. He dropped his sportsbag immediately, and sat next to you on the slightly moist grass, your arms touching.
“I’m guessing Mark denied your offer to go to the prom with you?”
You nodded, hiding your face in his embrace before he sees you crying. Being Jaehyun’s friend wasn’t always easy. His easygoing personality and good looks on top of being president of four school clubs made him one of the most popular kids in high school. You reminded yourself that he’s still the same boy you’ve always known, that you don’t have to feel threatened by the army of girls always clinging by his sides, but it was hard. It was hard to recount your rejection from this morning when he probably has never truly felt that feeling before. Even with his college applications pending, you knew he’d be successful. Any institution would be crazy to miss up on him, and the rest of the world felt that way about him too.
“I don’t wanna talk about it”, you mumble, leaning back before you stain his t-shirt even more, “Did Mina find the dress she is gonna wear after all?”
Your genuine worry for his prom date, even after your failed promposal, broke his heart. You were always so empathetic, so selfless, so nice to him. He didn’t have it in him to let you stay in your state of misery.
“Nothing”, he blurted, rushing to explain after seeing the confused look on your face, “she bailed on me last minute”.
That was a lie, but you didn’t have to know that. Jaehyun cancelling on his date would be a dick move, he knew that, but you being happy was his priority. It always has, at least as long as he was still here. “So if you didn’t mind, I was thinking we go together? As friends of course”
“Jae! I love you!”
You tackled him with a hug, the grass tickling his neck and he just laughed at the adorable screech you let out. You both stayed there enjoying the chill evening, talking about renting cars and matching outfits.
He let you rant about the dress you’ve chosen to wear and he promised to convince his parents to leave his house empty for the after party.
The prom night was the last time you saw Jung Jaehyun. There you two were, sprawled out on his bed and tired off your asses, spending what seemed like the most fun night of your life together. Your feet were in blisters from all the dancing, head spinning from the after-party vodka. Jaehyun had turned his head towards you, tie undone and staring at a piece of glitter that had fallen on your collarbone. He looked as handsome as ever in his suit, red eyes glued on you and a satisfied smile on his face.
“Your parents are gonna be so mad when they see the mess on their carpet. I told you not to get Jungwoo drunk”
Jaehyun laughed, his deep laugh reverbrating through the room. “Not if you tell them in the morning. They can’t get mad at you. You told your mom you’re staying over, right?”
You nodded, maybe shaking your head a lot longer than needed but your tipsy self wanted to make sure you got your message across.
“You know”, you started with a snicker, “she gave me like a million condoms for tonight. Probably thought I was planning on losing my virginity like any teenager with a social life”
He kept staring at you, eyes lazily taking in the sight of your pretty smile. “Yeah, same with my dad. I think that’s the only reason why they gave me the house”
You whipped your head to face him at the speed of light, mouth gaped open and  staring at him incredulously. “Jae, you’re a virgin??”
It was hard to believe. I mean sure, you hadn’t had any experience in the sex department either but you were, well, you. Shy with new people, horrible at flirting and a bit standoff-ish if you were being honest. But your best friend, as likable and good looking as he was, had never been with a girl before?
“Well, yeah, I was just kinda- I was waiting for the right person, you know? Someone to make it memorable”
You sighed, relating with his words but also...
“I just wish I could get it over with”, you confess and you saw Jaehyun gulp visibly. He was glancing at the nothingness on his ceiling, lost in his thoughts.
“Yeah”
The silence lasted for a few minutes, only the distant sound of a passing police car interrupting it. He sat on his knees, the conversation sobering him up significantly. “Remember when you wanted to have your first kiss and I just did it so you wouldn’t complain about it anymore?”
You smile fondly at the memory, waiting for him to continue. There was somewhere he was getting at.
“Well, we both want to not be virgins anymore, right? So let’s just do it”
You felt an electric tension growing between you. It was like you were holding two magnets, begging to touch each other but you still held them apart, because if you let go you just knew things would never be the same again.
Jaehyun leaned in, dunking his head at the last minute and kissing your neck instead. It was tentative, a kiss that tested the waters. He was still holding back, wanting to make sure you wanted this as much as he wanted it too. You scooted closer to him, placing your legs to frame his closed knees, putting his face gently in your hands.
His pupils were dilated, shifting to a million places but your voice managed to make him concentrate to your eyes solely. You could hear his heartbeat bumping in his chest.
“Jae, I love you. You have to trust me, ok?”
“Okay” he nodded, eyes wide open and sincere, “I love you too, so much”
You kiss him finally, and the room around you spun even more. The feeling was strangely comfortable, yet your lungs were struggling to do their job. In that moment, it felt like everything in the world was the way it was supposed to be, and you two were a part of that bigger, perfectly orchestrated picture. 
He grabbed you by your waist, bringing you over his lap. His fingers danced from your thighs to the zipper of your dress, the cool midnight air spreading goosebumps on your back. You help him out by pulling your straps down, staying in your strapless bra.
“If I knew what was gonna happen tonight I would wear cuter underwear”, you mutter and Jaehyun chuckles. Why did your heart skip a beat at the sound? It’d be a lie to say you hadn’t found yourself staring at your best friend a minute too long in the past, but tonight- Tonight the effect he had on you held an intensity that you’ve never felt before.
“Underwear can only help you out so much. They can’t do wonders”
“Wow Jae, way to make me drier that the Sahara desert”
He dipped back down to your throat, sucking at the soft skin over your collarbones and earning an embarassingly high-pitched moan from you. You felt him smile against your neck as he licked over the nibbled flesh in little circles, wishing he would repeat that motion on another part of your body.
“We’ll see about that”
As if he wanted to prove his point, he grinds you over his erection, lighting your insides on fire. Your dress was short, meaning that you could feel all of him-and it seemed like a whole lot- over your panties that were damping up.
“Show me your tits and I’ll show you mine”
Jaehyun laughed at your comment; ridiculous yet successful at calming his ragged breath down. The buttons of his dress shirt opened one by one, each of them revealing another inch of his smooth chest. His skin was glowing, and his abs proved that puberty was starting to work its wonders on him.
You trace your fingers over two moles on his chest, leaving soft kisses over them. You could feel his pulse on your lips, fast and pumping blood all over his body. Despite his attempts at staying collected over the loss of his virginity, you realized that he was probably as nervous and scared as you are.
“Your turn”, he whispered, bringing you back into the moment. You reach back to unclasp your bra, freeing your boobs, and a smile cracked on your lips at Jaehyun’s reaction.
He stayed frozen and gawking at your chest, hands twitching and not knowing what to do with the sight you so generously offered him. Bringing his hands into your own, you place them over your mounds, guiding him into squeezing them. He continues on his own, pinching your nipples as he leans forward for another kiss, probably to hide his evident blush from you.
The making out continued, leaving you both with only your underpants on. He places you on your back, and starts petting your clit over your panties, the motion so soft it drove you insane. Hungry for more. 
You started whining, grinding forwards against his fingers and he chuckled, pulling the fabric away to leave you uncovered. The chilly air was quickly exchanged with the feeling of his warm digits, causing a different kind of shivering. 
When he inserted the first finger in you, you felt like your whole body was burning up with a high fever. You’d done this again, with your ex-boyfriend in summer camp but it definitely didn’t feel as sinful and delicious and pleasureable as this. It pulled at a knot in your stomach, begging to be untangled and Jaehyun was taking his sweet time with you. Quick circles on your swollen bud and a nibble on your neck, that’s what it took for him to enjoy you shaking through an orgasm.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful”
You looked angelic with the sweat trickling down your chest, skin glowing in the limelight and Jaehyun would just sit and stare if it wasn’t for the tent in his boxers that was screaming for attention. Pulling at the soft fabric, you sprung him free and the boldness that came when you did started to evaporate. It hit you in that moment, that he had seen all of you and now you saw all of him- yes you had been best friends for years but this intimacy was unprecedented. And you liked the feeling.
You put him in your grasp, moving your fist in a pivoting motion with his precum as your lubricant. He throws his head back with a grunt that almost made you cum a second time and urged you to pick up the pace. Unsure of what to do next, you licked your other palm and started to massage his balls hoping he liked it. He did by the sound of his moans, but stopped you abruptly, scaring you that you accidentally did something wrong in your inexperience.
“If you continue like this I’m gonna cum. Let’s do this“
You swallow on nothing and reach to your jacket on the floor for the condoms your mum gave you. 
“Want a pink one? A green maybe? Blue?”, you joke and he pets your hair lovingly, looking down at you.
“Blue. Your favourite colour”
You smiled warmly at his response, satisfied with your decision to share this moment with your best friend. With someone who knew you so well.
Unwrapping the plastic, you placed the rubber over his hardness with shaking hands, following the instructions as best as you could. Jaehyun leaned down over you, planting a dozen kisses over your face as he positioned himself over your entrance.
“Ready?”
You nodded, giving him permission to dip his tip in, the first inches stretching you out nicely. The wetness caused by your orgasm helped your situation a lot, the slickness allowing him to dive a little deeper. Then, the stinging started, making you hiss and he kissed you immediately, trying to soothe you.
“I know, baby, I know. I’m sorry. We have to go through the hard part now ok?”
The nickname playing over and over again in your head gave you the patience needed to endure him bottoming out, along with the first thrusts. It was uncomfortable, but the feeling of him inside you, of the two of you coming together as one, released some chemical in your brain that made most of the pain go away. He took his fingers from your hips to gently pat away the teardrops staining your cheeks.
“That’s it baby, you’re doing so well”
His words and the feeling of his cock dragging against your walls drew a moan out of your half open mouth, the sound carrying on the air you two shared and landing on Jaehyun’s lips. There was a tension on your belly and something told you it wasn’t just physical, more like an emotional revelation, a fire already ignited but flared up by this incident. Your feelings towards your childhood friend, a love that was more than platonic.
For you, at least.
Jaehyun was young and you felt so tight around him that he didn’t take long to finish. He pulled out last minute, taking the condom out and spilling spurts of his cum all over your stomach. It earned a scowl and an eyebrow raise from you but the way he apologized, saying you “looked too beautiful to resist”, was too cute to stay mad at.
You laid back on his bed, holding hands and trying to register what just happened. The ocassional car drove by, the lights illuminating Jaehyun’s eyes that you noted were glossy. Maybe it was just as intense for him, you thought and squeezed his hands a little tighter.
“Jae”, you whispered, gaining his attention, “We will still be best friends after this, right?”
He pulls you closer to him, making your face rest on his naked chest. He smelled like sweat and that intense body spray, like those days he came back from his basketball practice to meet you under the treehouse. He smelled like home.
 “Forever”
Forever must have a different meaning in the Jungs’s dictionary, because after that night, Jaehyun was unreachable. You tried to text him, call him, only to be ignored and faced with stupid excuses.
You thought long and hard about why your best friend suddenly decided to ghost you. Maybe he didn’t like the sex. Understandable, since it was your first time, but it’s not like you promised him a night of mind blowing love making or anything. You decided that he probably felt too awkward to talk to you after that night and you told yourself to give him some space.
Three days passed, then another, then a week and still no sign of Jaehyun. Tired of the radio silence and irritated by his attitude, you got ready to visit him at his house, confront him one-on-one.
No, you didn’t wear your favourite perfume for him. It just so happened that you chose to put on that dress he had complimented you on before. You didn’t hope for him to call you beautiful again, or have a retake of the prom night fun. The butterflies in your stomach were probably the heavy lunch you ate. Yes, it was all coincidental.
You walked down the stairs with a pep in your step, storming through your parents in the kitchen.
“And were are you going so happy, young lady?”, your dad chirps and you smile at him.
“I’m gonna go see Jaehyun real quick!”
“Real quick? To a different country? He came back already?”
You stilled at the sound of your mother’s words, confused.
“A different country? I’m going down the street to the Jungs, mom”
“Honey, the Jungs are there but not Jaehyun. He moved abroad to study Business. Didn’t he tell you?”
The ground beneath your feet seemed to melt and pull you under the third level of hell. How could he get accepted to a university and not tell you? How could he move countries and not even say goodbye? How dare he make you fall in love with him, give you the best night of your life and then leave you hanging like that?
You ran upstairs to your room, wailing in what seemed like a mixture of rage and sadness. You felt so dumb, in your sundress and shaved pussy and cute underwear you chose out for him. It was all so, so unfair and the feeling ate you alive. The feeling that you hated Jung Jaehyun.
So now, when he stands from across the room, all suited up but with the additional rank of CEO on his shoulders you couldn’t believe that it was him.
Your portfolio did get you into an art school after all, majoring in product design. Your innovative work of rebranding the latest releases, taking on the aesthetic part of the marketing, landed you a great deal in J industries. The product was good and your skills were better, so when the sales went off the roof you weren’t surprised. What you didn’t expect however, was that the boss of your boss, who was currently staring at you from across the launch party, was your childhood best friend.
Ex-best friend.
“Damn, y/n, Mr. Jung hasn’t taken his eyes off of you all night, huh?”, said Sook, the assistant marketing director who was working by your side on the project.
“Well, he should have come over and congratulate me by now. I did help save his company”
She laughed lightly, unaware for how deeply rooted your dislike for the man really was. You continue your conversation when you suddenly see her turn visibly tense, sweeping her hands on the front of her dress. Oh, you should have watched what you wished for.
“M-Mr. Jung, how are you enjoying this party? This is y/n, she did most of the designs for the campaign-”
Eyes widening in shock, you get lost in some passerbys, meddling with the other coworkers in the gathering. Sook left a little yelp when she realized you had dissolved into thin air in seconds. You could still faintly hear her apologizing merrily.
“Oh I swear she was sitting right next to me Mr. Jung”
Chatting up with friends and even strangers, you made sure you never stayed in the same place for too long. Jaehyun’s eyes were still boring holes into your face no matter where you went, a smirk plastered on his own every time he caught you checking out for him.
In a last attemp to turn invisible, you find cover on a small couch, slightly hidden by some ballon decorations and you shoved a book to your face, faking interest. But alas, a dip in the furniture next to you and the familiar woody smell soon rang a bell of danger in your head.
“You know your book is upside down, right?”
Wincing at your fatal mistake, you turn around to be faced with a pair of brown eyes you thought you’d never see again. You noticed how they’re glowing in pride and ambition and remembered how they shined that night from tears, how you tried to read through him, just like now.
“Jung. Got bored of your little staring game?”
Jaehyun had grown an inch or two since you last saw him, you notice, standing even taller in his exemplary posture. He still stuck with his long hairstyle, locks styled back sleekly and exposing his defined cheekbones. His skin was even paler than usual, glowing in the dark room. Being a CEO probably meant staying inside a lot, making tanning for his complexion almost impossible.
“Considering you applied to my company, y/n, I figured you’d come to me now as well”
Why was he using that voice around you? You‘d made fun of him numerous times in the past for that deep tone, only coming up when he was trying to woo some girl.
“I didn’t know it was your dumb company”, you start, rolling your eyes in annoyance, “I’m surprised you even remember my name”
“How could I forget the girl I went to prom with?” And took my virginity, you wanted to add but knew he censored his words on purpose. “Also, Sook mentioned your name like, five minutes ago”
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about”
His silence was uncomfortable, thickening the atmosphere even more. You saw regret and guilt in his features, lips struggling to find the right words and hands fumbling with his tie.
“I know you’re mad, rightfully so. But please, come over to my place for a drink. For old time’s sake”. The deep voice was persistent and that’s when you realized that Jaehyun wasn’t a teenager anymore. So many years had passed since that summer, enough to mature you both physically and emotionally, yet the wound stung still so freshly.
“You can’t just choose when to re-enter my life so easily”, you huffed and started to walk away from him, when you felt his fingers wrapping gently around your wrist.
“y/n, please. I’ve missed you. One drink, that’s it”
It was so annoying, you thought as you entered his condo, how his dimples were still so effective at convincing you. It was quite luxurious, definitely bigger than your apartment and by the looks of the fancy furniture, his hard work as CEO surely paid off. 
“You like it?”
“Not as much as your treehouse but it’s okay”, you reply him and he grins at the reminiscence of your old shenanigans as children.
“I’ll bring the wine”
You snooped around a bit more, examining the decorations of his living room. It was quite minimalistic, an abstract painting or two, a weird sculpture, no family pictures in sight. You always hated places like that, so lifeless, so impersonal. Jaehyun had too rich of a personality for that.
He sat on his leather couch, placing two glasses of white wine in front of him and motioning you to sit down as well. You took a seat as far away from his as possible and he winced at the distance you kept, now also turning physical. 
Jaehyun started a conversation by asking you about your work at the company, then moving on to your personal life. You politely answered him, even joked about how single you are. He started recounting the start of his company, how he got the idea to begin from scratch and the hardships that came with it. As it was expected from the bachelor’s vibes his place emitted, CEO position didn’t allow for enough free time for him to meet someone new, let alone something serious. Your little meet up seemed to be going well. Too well to be exact. One glass down and you finally had enough of feigning ‘happy old friends catching up’.
“Why did you bring me here Jaehyun? Really bring me here”
The man sighed at your tone, running his fingers through his hair and messing their gelled-up styling. Getting up from his position, he finishes up his second glass and sits closer to you, body facing yours.
“I guess... I owe you an apology. For back then. I should have told you I’m moving abroad”
“Yes, Jaehyun, you should have. Especially after what we did before you left”
He closed his eyes in shame, glossy after he reopened them. A serious expression darkened his features, looking as solemn as that last night you saw him before his disappearance and hanging from your lips. “Do you regret it? Going through with it?”
“No”, you answer immediately, because it was the truth. All the guys you’ve slept with in your time as an adult, though more experienced than high-school Jaehyun, were missing that one factor that none other than your best friend could offer you. Connection, vulnerability, care. True love.
He sighs, once again, clearly relieved by your answer but still speaking in a bittersweet tone.
“Good, I would really hate myself if you did. I was just, so scared you’d forget about me. I had to know you’d remember me. Then you said this whole thing about wanting to have our first time and-“. You knew it was the wine in his system that caused his rambling. Jaehyun wasn’t one to stumble on his words, definitely not sentimental like that. But alcohol seemed to bring you closer when in need and at the right time so you let it, once again, and you let him finish. “-and you looked so beautiful that I couldn’t help myself. If I knew you’d grow up to look like this I would have never-“
He stopped himself mid sentence, regretting sharing more. You, however, weren’t done with this conversation yet. There were so many years spent repenting your friendship, so many questions running through your head, and you weren’t leaving this room until they got answered.
“If you didn’t want me to forget you that much then why not tell me you got accepted to a university abroad? I was your best friend!”. Your words were emotionally charged, unwillingly making your voice turn up in volume. It was as if you turned back into the little girl crying in her bedroom, finally getting the chance to say all those things she was screaming in her pillow. “I would be so happy for you, I loved you”
“Yes you did! You literally said that every single day!”, Jaehyun yelled back, startling you, “And every single time it was as if you jabbed a knife in my chest! Did you know how much it killed me? To hear this from my best friend I’d been in love with for the past 10 years?”
“You- you were in love with me?”, you ask dumbly, voice light in disbelief, a stark difference from Jaehyun’s a second ago.
He settled his breathing, hands fixing his hair once again in abashment.
“I knew that if I told you I had to go abroad you would get all sad and start crying and I wouldn’t be able to see you like that. I knew that the moment you’d tell me you miss me I would drop everything to be with you. That night that we had sex.. I didn’t plan it but I thought it would be better for you if I made you hate me. And when I saw you again today- it felt like not one day had passed since high school. I didn’t know how to approach you, what to say. I’m sorry”
You sat there in shock, connecting the dots in your brain. All the feelings you were trying to repress around him, the lingering glances and butterflies in your stomach, were reqruited all along. You knew exactly what he meant earlier, about time seeming to freeze. The way he looked at you now, all teary eyed and red and shaking was utterly and overwhelmingly the warm Jaehyun that met you every night after school. And you wouldn’t let another day go to waste.
You lean forward, capturing his lips into a kiss long overdue. It was tentative and you started pulling back when he places both hands on the sides of your neck, keeping you from letting go. His fingertips grasp part of your hair and you lean your face sideways, melting into the kiss and his touch. A lick on his bottom lip and now your tongues were touching, groaning at how much better he got at this and wanting to put his skill to better use. Tugging on his soft locks, he moans and his baritone voice made the hairs on your arms stand on edge.
You moved your hands on his chest, palming the defined muscles and deciding you wanted to treat your eyes, ripping his shirt open in one move. Jaehyun grabs the meat of your thighs, hands gripping the edge of your dress and pulling it upwards until it falls over your head. He dipped into your neck immediately, sucking and nibbling passionately right in the middle, your moans sounding breathless with the pressure he puts on your throat. Trailing down, he left a path of open mouthed kisses, now focusing on the mounds of your breasts that your bra wasn’t covering. A flick of his wrist and the piece of underwear was gone, lips surrounding your nipple, releasing it with a loud pop.
You moan out his name and his growl’s animalistic, nails digging on the softness of your hips.
“Fuck I love that sound”
He probably made it a goal to hear it again as he started kissing on your inner thighs, the bruises he left behind teasing you to the point of begging. You lift you hips to discard the skimpy underwear you chose for tonight, Jaehyun’s breath fanning your clit. A few kitten licks and your back is already lifting from the leather, his hands intertwining with yours to keep you in place.
Practice makes perfect and Jaehyun must have had a lot of it, the interchanging of sucking, licking and spitting on your pussy making you lose your mind in the most delicious way. You were in the midst of murmuring a mix of praises when he finally finds that spot that has you trembling under his tongue. Riding out your high, you grind against his face, the pleasure not leaving any room for shame. Chest heaving and vision restored, you glance down at Jaehyun, looking as irresistible as ever wiping his wet lips and chin.
You were fully prepared and willing to return the favor so you motioned him to stand up, positioning the back of your neck over the hand rest of the couch. After opening your mouth wide he got the point, quickly ridding himself off his pants and boxer briefs, spitting profanities at how hot you looked for him right now.
You were upside down, but you could very well see Jaehyun’s hard and angry cock staring back at you. You always thought that maybe, since he was your first, you might have overestimated his size in your head. But your brain apparently hadn’t manipulated that memory in the slightest because that length and grith would definitely be a challenge for you. And hell, did you want to take it on.
He pushes through your lips, and your tongue is quick to engulf him. Licking up and down his shaft as best as you could, made Jaehyun grip the couch in an effort to keep his knees from buckling from pleasure. The position allowed him to push even deeper inside you, filling up your throat. He places his fingers over the bulge on your throat, watching it itently with every move of his hips.
Your eyes teared up and your throat started to burn but the sounds Jaehyun let out with every thrust made it all worth it. He finally pulls out, a string of saliva and precum landing on your lips and he is quick to to clean you up with his fingers. Collecting the wetness, he pushes his digits inside your mouth, and something changes in his glare, eyes darkening in the most lustful expression.
“I need you inside me”, you mumble with his fingers inside of you and he nods, asking if he should go get a condom. You search through the contains of your handbag, hands trembling with the way he is pushed up agaist you, erection digging in the softness of your ass as he’s nibling the skin on your shoulders. 
You handed him the square foil and as soon as he takes it in his grasp, he pushed you down to the arm rest, back against the cushion and legs in the air. Moving your hand between your legs, you distracted him by playing with your pussy, speading the juices around and pushing your folds apart to direct him to your opening.
The first thrust felt divine, thick cock filling you nicely and making your head fall back in pleasure. Jaehyun threw your legs over his shoulders, eyes glued to yours as he kissed your calves, picking up his pace. The moans started rolling off your tongue, echoing inside the big lounge and accompanied by the skin slapping sound of your bodies.
“I missed your body so much”, he muttered as he gripped your waist, setting an incredible pace that had your feet flexing. You turned your head to the side, catching your reflection on the huge window leading to the balcony. Tits bouncing, Jaehyun’s flexed arms, his dick digging inside you. What a sight.
“See something you like?”, he chuckled darkly and you smiled up at him, grazing your nails over his biceps.
“Show me something to remember you by”
Jae halted his thrusts, turning you over to your stomach swiftly, ass in the air. He kneaded his hands over your ass, giving it a little spank and spread your cheeks apart. Placing his right knee on the arm rest, he dives inside you again, and the moan you let out barely sounded like you. His cock was so deep inside you that you had to close your eyes to relish the feeling of fullness, amplified by the light pain of the stretch. Jaehyun collected your hair in his fist, pulling your upper body against his chest as he wrapped an arm around your own.
“Open your eyes. See how nicely you take my cock. Think you’ll forget that?”, he growls in your ear, thumb digging in your cheek and palm slightly muting your sounds. The dirty talk, his cock grazing against the spot that drove you crazy and Jaehyun’s godly reflection pounding the shit out of you brought you over the edge again. He didn’t let you take any time off, hips continuing to bruise against you as feverly as before, and you thought you just might combust.
“Jaehyun, p-please, it’s too much”, you plead with as much power is left in your system, and he pulls out, only to start rubbing quick circles over your clit that had you thrashing in his arms.
You melt into his arms, a pressing feeling in your belly that you had never felt before and soon you climax for the third time, droplets of cum squirting out of your pussy and dripping onto the wooden flooring.
“This is so fucking hot”, Jaehyun mutters and starts thrusting inside you, trying to coax as much cum out of you as possible.
The waves keep coming, gushing out of you every time he pulls out, until he can’t take the sight anymore, coming with a shiver and a ragged breath.
You were sweaty and exhausted, smiling faintly as he showered you with kisses.
“Let’s get you cleaned up”
You try to stand up futilely, knees wobbling and unable to keep your balance. Jaehyun chuckles at the sight but helps you up like the gentleman he is, moving you to the floor’s bathroom.
You hop in and he joins you, letting the water run down your body and helping you soap up. It was very intimate but comfortable at the same time, his gentle caresses belonging to your skin. Everything felt right.
He was occupied with running his fingers over two hickeys he had planted on you earlier when you snap him out of his thoughts, voice barely audible over the running water.
“I’m sorry you felt like you had to lie to me to go study abroad. I think it’s pretty obvious after what we just did that I liked you too, but... I still would have let you move. Force you even.”
“You’re right. I’m sor-“
“I mean it Jaehyun. I’m so proud of you”
His eyes glimmered at your praise, wet eyelashes framing them and fluttering closed as he leaned down, pressing the sweetest kiss on your lips. It left you breathless, almost hurting when he pulled back. You could kiss him forever.
“I know you said I can’t just come back to your life like that but I want to try. I’ve seriously missed you”
“How about taking me to a date tomorrow night? To catch up some more”
He grinned brightly, eyes turning into crescent moons and dimples making your heart burst.
“Wherever you want”, he promised and took a step closer to you, hand snaking down your ass and pulling you against his wet body, “And speaking of making up for lost time... How about a round two?”
2K notes · View notes
lightsovermonaco · 3 years
Text
Speed and Stress: Part 2
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Masterlist
Thank you to @acollectionofficsandshit for betaing, your comments on this one were unhinged gold 
Word Count: 3.1k
Recommended Vibes: “Perfect Day” by Tundra Beats
Part 1
Your brother was late. Not that anyone was surprised.
“Got the time mixed up,” he says as you climb into his absurdly tall truck. Living in Texas for three years had turned him into somewhat of a country boy, though not enough that he forgot his upbringing. He was still a blue blooded Los Angeles boy, just with a love for trucks and longhorn cattle.
“At least I wasn’t waiting for an hour this time,” you say and sling your bag to the backseat. Deciding to get right to the good stuff, you clasp  your hands together. “So! I have some news.”
Hunter grins at you. “You finally found a job?”
You roll your eyes and shoot him a pointed look. “No, dipshit. Better than that. I got us paddock passes for the whole weekend.”
“WHAT?” He jerks the wheel, horns honking at you as other drivers swerve. You grab the dash to steady yourself, laughing at his outburst. “Do you know how hard it was for me to get general admission tickets? How the hell did you get paddock passes?”
“May have met someone pretty high up at McLaren in Los Angeles,” you say, examining your nails.
“Like, Zak Brown? You met Zak Brown?” Hunter was such a fan boy, you had to laugh. His love for McLaren ran so deep he practically bled blue and orange. The only reason you watched the sport was because of him shoving it down your throat for years, but damn if you weren't glad for it.
“Daniel Ricciardo.”
Hunter choked on air but managed to stay in his lane this time. “And you waited until now to tell me?”
“I didn’t know it was him when I met him! He was on a motorcycle and I stopped to help film a tiktok and then-”
“Of course you’d stop,” he mutters, shaking his head. “You’re a sucker for bikes.”
“Yeah well, lucky that I am, cause all I had to do was flirt to get us those passes.”
Your intention had never been to take advantage of Daniel. It was more the opposite in fact; you were just living in the moment and capitalizing on the once in a lifetime opportunity to flirt with your celebrity crush. You had to admit, it turned out better than you'd ever thought it would.
“I can’t believe you seduced Daniel freakin’ Ricciardo,” he says, shaking his head. “You astound me.”
“I didn’t seduce him!” You protest.
"Sorry my bad. You charmed him. That sound better?"
You roll your eyes. "Whatever. I damn near had a heart attack when I figured out it was him but he was kind enough to let me brush it off."
"Well, thank god for your two-wheeled obsession because without it, we would be watching the prix from the nosebleeds."
You laugh and shake your head. Hunter tended to have a poor filter when he was excited and tended to spew whatever was on his mind. "Just watch your tongue this weekend, alright? I'd rather embarrass myself than have you do it for me."
Hunter gives a mock salute. "Yes ma'am."
**********
You'd stuffed five different outfits in your bag in preparation for the grand prix weekend. In theory, it shouldn't be hard to decide what to wear. But Friday morning you changed clothes so many times you lost count. No matter what combination you tried you weren't satisfied.
Finally, you give up and settle on a McLaren polo and denim shorts. Simple and comfortable, but form fitting enough to catch Daniel's eye should you run into him.
You knew you shouldn't, but you pull out your phone to text him anyway.
Thanks again for the tickets. Let me know if you've got any free time so I can properly thank you!
You hit send before your brain has the chance to overanalyze the message. You check your phone obsessively the entire drive to the circuit, only half expecting a response. You tuck your phone in your pocket when you get to the gates, determined not to let it get to you. Daniel warned you he would be busy, and you knew that responding to you was likely on the low end of his list of priorities.
Hunter gets you to the circuit a half hour before they let fans in and you have to listen to him ramble about driver stats the entire time. Normally you don't mind; guessing who's most likely to win each Sunday is something of a competition in your household. But today, you couldn't focus enough to put any thought into your prediction, instead just blurting Daniel's name.
"You're only saying that cause he's into you," Hunter says, grinning savagely. "He struggles in Austin and you know it."
"So? He's in a McLaren this year. You saw his pace in Bahrain, and that was with a damaged floor! He'll podium for sure." You cross your arms and return his grin. "Besides, he's motivated."
"Oh, is he?"
"I told him I'd buy the winner of the United States grand prix a drink. Up to him whether it's him or Verstappen."
"Oh my god you have a date with Daniel Ricciardo?"
"Dude, chill out. It's not set in stone. Honestly, he's probably forgotten that I exist."
"Has he texted you?"
You glance down at your phone and are greeted with an empty inbox. "No. Not after the initial time so I could have his number." You shrug and pick an invisible piece of lint from your arm. "But he said he'd be too busy anyway."
"Guess we'll see once we get to will call, huh? If he's forgotten about you."
"Yeah." An odd feeling rolls through you. It feels a bit like nerves mixed with hope, but you stamp down on it. You were here to enjoy yourself. The trip of a lifetime had been handed to you on a golden platter and you were wont to let something as trivial as nervousness ruin it.
Bells chime as you step into the blissfully cool will call office. A blonde woman with a bit too much blush dusted on her cheeks greets you with a smile. 
"What can I do for you?"
"Picking up some tickets that were left for me by a driver?" You try, unsure of the proper procedure. "I don't have a paper or anything."
She waves a hand in the air as if she expected as much. "All I need is your identification. They should be under the name."
"Oh uh, of course." You motion for Hunter to hand over your wallet and show the woman your driver's license.
"Great. Wait here and I'll grab those for you."
You drum your fingers on the desk while waiting for her to return. After what feels like ages she re-emerges empty handed.
"I'm not seeing anything here with your name on it," she says, her plastic smile at odds with her sincerity. "I'm afraid your tickets aren't valid until Sunday."
"Can you double check? Daniel said they'd be here-"
"So sorry. There's no record of anyone dropping tickets off for you."
You blink, holding your tongue in the face of her blunt response. "Okay. I guess ill try and get it sorted out."
Hunter breaks the tension. "Can't you call him?"
"I can't just call him, I'm sure he's busy."
"Either that or we don't get in. Just do it, he gave you his number and specifically told you to let him know if there were any problems, didn't he?"
Yes he had, but that didn't mean you wanted to disturb him. He was probably knees deep in some sort of race weekend press conference or drivers meeting and heaven forbid you interrupt.  But it was either that or you slink home disappointed and empty handed.
"Fine," you grumble, pulling out your phone with deliberate slowness. Hunter crosses his arms and tips his head to the side, a smile playing on his lips.
"Well?"
"It's dialing, you good for nothing busybody-"
"I was wondering how long it would take you to call," Daniel answers, voice radiating sunshine.
You cut right to the chase, not giving yourself a single second to evaluate how your heart skips. "Look, I don't wanna distract you on a race weekend but I'm at will call and they're telling me they can't find any passes left for me."
"Let me guess," he starts, raising his voice to be heard over the pneumatic tools in the background, "You're dealing with Jenny?"
Your eyes fall to the name on the woman's lanyard. She shifts under your gaze like she knew exactly who you were on the phone with. "Yep. Spot on."
"Kinda figured she would be a problem. She's got a huge crush on me and does this every time."
You fight back the strange sensation his offhand comment brings to the surface. "Oh, really?"
"I'll be right there. Give me ten minutes or so."
"Oh you don't have to-"
"Hey, no big deal. I gotta go that way anyway."
"Uh, okay. See you soon?"
"Yup. On my way."
You hang up and stare down at the phone, stunned.
"Well?" Hunter asks.
"I guess he's coming here to sort it out himself."
He blinks rapidly and shakes his head. "Hold on. Are you telling me that I get to meet Daniel? Like right now?"
"Can you relax?" You laugh lightly. "Honestly you're gonna freak him out."
"Uh, yeah sure. No big deal, just meeting one of my favorite drivers in the minus five minutes and I'm completely unprepared. It's fine."
If you roll your eyes any harder they'd pop out of your head. "Relax. He's laid back, but I don't want you to freak out and embarrass us both."
"Excuse me," Jenny breaks in, her distaste clear. "Please move aside if you're not picking up passes."
"Er, yeah. Sorry." You shuffle awkwardly off to the side to wait. Cheesy elevator music plays and Jenny shoots you glares until the door squeaks open and the human incarnation of the sun steps inside. Your breathing stutters when the Australian shoots you a wink and a grin before sauntering up to the counter.
"Why hello there Jen," he says, and she giggles coyly. 
"Hi Daniel." She lays a hand on his forearm, the touch light and flirty. "What can I help you with?"
Daniel leans into her, whispering conspiratorially. Whatever he says has her bold smile faltering, replaced by a mask of professional cheer. Daniel shoots you another wink as the woman retreats to a back room, returning moments later with your supposedly missing passes.
"Thank you," Daniel says sweetly, taking them from her and turning to you. "I think these are yours."
"Thanks." You take the passes and hand one off to your awestruck brother. You nudge him and he comes to his senses in time to shake the hand Daniel sticks out.
"You must be the brother," he says. "I see you're a fan."
Dressed head to toe in McLaren colors, there was no other conclusion for Daniel to draw. For once your brother is the one stunned into silence so you answer for him, "Yeah, only a little. He was crushed when you left Red Bull cause Max is his other favorite driver and now he has to split his loyalties between teams."
Dan's laugh snaps Hunter out of his trance. "I know you're busy but do you think you can sign something for me?"
"Of course. How about this?" Daniel snatches the hat from Hunter's head and produces a sharpie from his pocket, signing the brim with practiced efficiency. 
"He'll be texting the group chat about that as soon as you're gone," you tell Daniel who laughs along with you.
Heat rises to your cheeks as Daniel's assessing gaze sweeps you from head to toe. "McLaren orange looks good on you."
Channeling his easy confidence you flash him a grin. "Not as good as it looks on you."
He smooths the hem of his soft shell jacket, smile turning bashful. "Anyway. I gotta run. See you Sunday after I win!"
Your eyes follow him as he jogs back through the paddock until he's swallowed by the crowd. You sigh, shifting your weight from foot to foot. God, he was gorgeous. And he had such a big heart. It was a shame someone hadn't snatched him up yet, but then again, that meant you still had a shot, even if it was a slim one.
"So where exactly do these get us?" Hunter toys with the lanyard now placed around his neck. "It doesn't say."
"I'm guessing the McLaren lounge," you say and point to the logo on the passes. "Above the garage."
"That's the perfect vantage point for practice."
And it was the perfect view- before getting in the car Daniel walked out into the pit, suited up in his cobalt racesuit and minty helmet and glanced up. You weren't sure if he saw you or not when you waved but he gave a little salute nonetheless.
Hunter was practically glued to the bank of floor to ceiling windows for the entirety of free practice, immersing himself in the experience. You found yourself glancing at the timing tables every lap, silently hoping to see the RIC tag move up. By the end of the second session he had been fourth fastest, a few tenths behind both Mercedes and the Red Bull of Verstappen. 
By the time you make it back to Hunter's house, you're both exhausted from a full day of running up and down the paddock. The pair of you had been determined to soak up every second of it, sneaking into whatever offices you could and stealing bites off the buffets and cups of coffee. 
Saturday’s free practice and qualifying session pass in a blur of color. Daniel drags his McLaren up the ranks to qualify fourth, his best starting position so far this season. He had a decent shot at the podium- Bottas should be easy pickings and if Verstappen and Hamilton made any mistakes, Daniel might even have a shot at the win.
The excitement in the air is palpable as you both flash your badges and head back up the now familiar path to the McLaren lounge. An hour before lights out, the v6 engines rumble to life below. You venture out onto the balcony, watching and waiting for a glimpse of Daniel.
The Aussie does you one better by walking out, race suit on and helmet in hand. He chats animatedly with Michael before stopping and craning his neck upwards. Michael nudges him with his elbow but Dan ignores him, answering your tiny wave with a wink. He mimes taking a drink and you roll your eyes.
Dan throws his head back and laughs, audible over the cacophony below. He gives you one final salute before Michael drags him back into the garage.
Ten minutes later cars begin streaming out on track, Daniel taking the fourth grid place as his mechanics once again swarm him. Tire blankets are secured, keeping them warm and pliable ahead of the formation lap. Thirty seconds before the boys are released, they're peeled back off as everyone scrambles off the pavement. Verstappen leads them away down the 3.4 mile track for the formation lap. Dan does a few small power slides before taking his place on the second row.
One by one, the red lights illuminate and disappear quicker than your blink. Daniel gets away clean while Bottas stumbles out of the gate, leaving himself wide open for Daniel's overtake on his right side. Cheers erupt around you, your brother going so far as to lift you off your feet.
Maybe Dan had a shot at winning after all.
A nail-biting 38 laps pass without a change in the order of the top three. Finally, a mistake in Max's pit stop sees him return to track third, just behind Daniel. The McLaren driver puts up the fight of his life, late braking at every corner and defending his position for all he was worth. Lewis was twenty seconds ahead- he wouldn't be winning but he could defend his second place spot.
Lewis Hamilton, race winner for the seventh time at the Circuit of the Americas!
Daniel Ricciardo crosses the line second, Max Verstappen takes home that last podium step for Red Bull. An astonishing fifty six laps here today in Austin!
The box erupts around you, a roar of cheers making it impossible to hear what else Crofty and Brundle were saying. But it didn't matter as Daniel raises his fist when he swings back into parc ferme, jumping out to be congratulated by his team. It was his first podium for the papaya team and you can tell it means the world to them.
"Looks like you're taking Lewis out for a drink," your brother teases. "Told you he wouldn't win."
"He almost won," you counter. "But hey, I'm not above asking Lewis on a date. Could you imagine? I mean, he would never agree, but still. It would be a hell of a date."
If you crane your neck from the balcony, you can just barely see the podium. Everyone goes quiet for the anthems and erupts again when the champagne is sprayed. The McLaren team chant for a shoey, which Daniel obliges. He sits to unlace his mint green boot and pours champagne into it, drinking from the boot before passing it to Max who joins in on the fun. 
Just as quickly as it began, the celebrations ebb. Daniel is the first to leave the podium which seems odd, given that the PR department surely wants his first big win for the team to be well documented.
Your phone buzzes a second layer. You fish it out of your pocket, a Cheshire grin splitting your face.
"Shouldn't you be busy celebrating?"
"I am," Dan starts, sounding breathless. You can barely hear him over the sound of the crowds chants behind him. "But I want to celebrate with you. I know I didn't win, but how about you let me buy you a drink instead?"
You barely hear anything beyond his first sentence. I want to celebrate with you. Were you dreaming? There was no way this was real.
"Um, I'm sorry, you want to celebrate by going out with me instead of your team?"
"If you'll let me. Hey- just text me okay? I can barely hear you over everyone screaming my name. It may be going to my head."
You laugh, drawing the attention of the vip's nearest you. You give an apologetic smile and move further from the crowd. "I'll text you an address. See you later, second place."
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whaleofatjme1920 · 3 years
Text
Seeing Him Smile and Kiss Someone Else (Hoodie X F!Reader)
[Hoodie/Brian Thomas X F!Reader]
[Warnings: none]
[AN: Howdy! I cross post these on quotev under ‘Elsie I Guess’ and on AO3 under ‘Whaletales1920′ under the title ‘The Places You Shouldn’t Be’. Just thought I’d start uploading them here too.]
Part 2
Proxies aren’t supposed to do a lot of things: speak back to their master, challenge hierarchical roles, have relationships with each other of that caliber, and never, never ever absolutely never have romantic relationships with humans. 
Why? It’s a losing game. Everyone knows that. Should proxies seek any kind of attachment, platonic, romantic, even sexual, their best bet is to stay within their own kind: other proxies. It’s the polite thing to do. It’s the right thing to do. 
When you first came in, you bonded almost immediately to your group of four other individuals. There’s Masky, your group leader. He’s really sweet when he wants to be and seems to care the most about you - it’s probably because you’re new. Toby is akin to the middle child. He’s always buzzing around you a lot like a bumblebee. While he has his jerk moments, he’s got an eye out for you. So too does Kate, once the group’s newbie/runt. She’s the one you replaced. She’s relatively quiet and sticks to herself, but she’s never a stranger to helping you out and immersing you in the culture and world you’ve found yourself entangled in. 
And then there’s Masky’s right hand, a proxy named Hoodie, but you know him as Brian. Out of all your group members, Brian was the hardest to warm up to. He hardly acknowledged you when you were first placed in his group and was amongst the hardest in the hazing process (you’re still technically going through). But, after some time and getting to know each other, the two of you became the closest of friends, even going so far as to rival Masky’s friendship with him. It’s safe to say you got a bit of a crush on him, in simplest terms. 
Three times. Three times you felt you liked him.
The first time was when you were about to head out of your safe house on a grocery run. Proxies don’t have any leads, so cards are absolutely off the table. You walked out of the safe house, yawning slightly, and barely made it down the driveway when Brian had popped back out of the house. 
“Reader,” he called out, slowly moving to lean in the doorway of the empty house the five of you were squatting in. 
“Yeah?” You asked sleepily. 
“Forgetting something?” He holds up his hand - it’s the wallet. 
You feel heat rush to your cheeks as you speed walked back to the front door to retrieve it. “Guess I’m still kinda tired,” you admittedly awkwardly with a small chuckle. 
Brian shrugged slightly and threw you a smirk as he met you halfway, “Think I’ll accompany you this morning,” he said with a wink. 
The two of you began to walk as you mentally mulled over the man walking beside you - his hands in his pockets. You’d never really thought of him like that before, but the way he smiled and that wink… It planted a seed. You weren’t quite sure you were going to acknowledge it or if it was just a fluke, but the thought stayed, and then it remained. 
As the two of you traversed the grocery store for various things your comrades had asked for, you and Brian traded conversation about everything that popped into mind. 
“Oh, like you knew any better in high school,” you wheezed before tossing in a box of brownies. You’d just been discussing how terrible and how gods awful high school relationships can be and how at one low point, you got into one. Brian had said he knew better than to mess around in high school, but you had retorted that ‘we’re all young and dumb once.’ 
Brian raised a brow at the box but allowed it anyway. “I most certainly did and I knew how things were gonna play out before they even happened.” 
“On what basis? It’s not like you have future vision,” You snorted. You watched as he pushed the cart forward as you plucked items you needed from the shelves. 
He shot you a look. “I’m a guy, it’s practically flowing through our veins,,” he said as his eyes raked over the list. “I’d most likely be the reason those things are happening to begin with and knowing that is like it’s own future vision..” He flashed his smile at you. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever grew out of the dumb part,” he chuckled. 
Your heart skipped. 
The second time you thought you liked him was when you were in the car with him, heading back to your safe house (in an entirely different part of the country). The two of you were more than exhausted after clearing a house whose occupants the Operator wanted dead for one reason or another and Brian decided to steal a car. So, there you sat in the passenger seat. 
“Something on your mind?” He hummed, arm resting on the console. His hazel colored eyes flicked over to you with interest. 
You shrugged, “just thinking.”
“Dangerous for people like us,” Brian chuckled. “Care to get specific?” 
You sighed slightly and turned your eyes to the passing street lights overhead as the car pulled onto the late night expressway. “Thinking about all the things I’ll miss,” you admit. 
Brian nodded from the corner of your eye. “I think about that stuff too,” he said, a small frown pulling onto his face. “You were finishing up college?” 
“Yeah,” you said. “I mean, I guess I’m getting out of the college loan debt but… Y’know,” you trailed off slightly, your posture changing slightly. “Maybe I would’ve been normal. Get a cool job, live a non murderous life, have a family and a loving partner. I don’t know, like, whatever the American dream says we should have. Anything but this.” 
Brian laughed slightly, “sorry. It’s not - it’s not you,” he explained. “It’s just awfully similar to what I wanted.” 
You turned your attention from the passing lights over to Brian. “White picket fence is your thing?” 
“More or less,” he hummed. “Wanted to live the rest of my life like a normal person.
Certainly died like one, more or less,” he finished. 
You mentally hummed, already knowing what he was referring to. Died and got resurrected. “Don’t think falling from a floor up counts as normal.” 
“Hey, it worked out for…. Something nice,” he quickly chirped. “Fell and met an angel.” 
He briefly turned his head to look at you and flashed a grin. 
“Oh that’s so bad.” 
“You love it.” 
You really do.  
The third time was when the two of you were on the rooftop of some house you’d been spending a lot of time at. It was kind of nice to be able to settle down in one place for more than a month - it’d been going on close to a  year. It was your roof, the one you shared with Brian. Late in the night, when the crickets sang and the stars danced, the two of you snuck up against Masky’s best wishes to talk about the world and life before. 
When summer was giving way to autumn and sending cool breezes throughout the night, you and Brian had been up there once again. 
“You think EJ will be around?” You asked, looking up at the stars you barely knew the names to. “BEN did say he was in the area.” 
“Gonna say yes,” Brian hummed back, momentarily pausing to point out Altair. “He’s always had a soft spot for our group,” he noted. “Why? You looking forward to seeing him?” He chuckled, hand reaching out to ruffle your hair. 
You laugh as quietly as you can and shake your head, “we’ve hardly ever spoken!” You giggled. “I just think he’s cool.”
Brian snorted in response and nodded, “yeah, I think so too. Though, where’d you get the opportunity to talk with BEN?” 
“There’s a little computer cafe in town,” you said, eyes flicking towards the direction of said cafe. “I’ve been spending a lot of time there. Mostly to use the internet,” you admitted, a slight heat coming to your cheeks. Proxies really aren’t supposed to use the internet. “Toby also sometimes tags along.” 
“So that’s where he’s been getting those weird references from,” Brian said with a tone of understanding. “Next time you go, let me know. I’d love to see what you children are up to online,” he teased. 
You laughed again and nodded, “sure thing.” 
The two of you continued to talk before a particularly hard gust of wind came in. On instinct, you shivered - though you weren’t really cold. 
Upon seeing you shiver, Brian took no hesitation in taking off his hoodie, much to your chagrin. 
“Oh, you don’t have to-” you began as you attempted to push it towards him. 
“I insist,” he had said, already popping the thing over you. 
You relented and allowed the giant hoodie to envelop your form like a warm hug. It smelled just like him - something woodsy, smoke, and the faintest of graphite. When you looked back at Brian, he was staring up at the stars, a small smile on his face. His eyes did not leave the inky blueish-black, not even when your hand came within millimeters of holding his. 
All it took was three times. Three times to know you liked him, and once to know you’d lost him. 
As stated before, it is absolutely a losing game to get involved with humans. Humans are frail and prone to panic. They can’t understand the world the way you do, nor are they suited for life the way you are in their current form. In your society, humans are the lowest of the low, akin to cattle - albeit, sentient cattle. Only when they are lifted from their human status are they finally given the time of day. 
He never would have known about her if you never brought up that computer cafe. Truly, it was a mistake on your part. You didn’t mean to, but it had happened anyway. 
“Cute place, right?” You smiled, eyes traveling up and down the rows of tables. 
“The cutest,” Brian agreed with a small chuckle. “Do we go up to a counter and order or..?” He trailed off slightly as he inspected the place and took in all the minor details. 
“Just take a seat, a waiter will be around shortly,” you said, immediately pulling him to your preferred spot by the windows and tucked away into the corner. 
Brian followed your lead and took a seat next to you where he immediately powered on the computer. “It’s kinda weird that they let us have food this close to the electronics, no?” 
“Oh no, it’s super weird,” you nodded as you began flicking open tabs to get to the things you wanted - maybe say hi to BEN. “But, it works. So like, c’est la vie?” You giggled, fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. 
A few moments later, a waitress stopped by. You had already managed to pull up a chat with BEN and were so engrossed in catching up with him that you failed to notice her. You hadn’t even recognized she was there until you heard her giggling at something Brian had said. 
“Never thought I’d be that star struck,” Brian had finished the small anecdote with eyes that practically sparkled. 
Her smile only widened. “You? The star struck kind?” She teased lightly. “Have to see it to believe it.” 
Brian looked up at her, his lips now pulled up into a smile. “You’re looking at it right now.” 
It pulled you so hard out of your conversation with BEN that you’d accidentally sent him a half-baked thought. “Wait what?” 
Your sound of confusion had snapped the two back into reality. “Oh! I’m sorry, sugar,” the waitress apologized with a slight blush rising to her cheeks. “Was there something I could get you?” 
You blinked a few times, your eyes darting between the two before finally managing to stammer out your drink and pastry of choice. You watched as Brian’s eyes followed her out and when she came back in. 
Long after the two of you had finished, the two of you decided to head back. 
“That was fun,” you said. 
“It was,” Brian replied, thoughts drifting elsewhere. 
Ever since that moment, he’d been going to the café with and without you. Sometimes you’d find yourself heading there only to see him entranced in conversation with the waitress, and when that happened, you turned right back around. At first it was to give them space, and then it was to give yourself space. 
You wished you could allow yourself to weather through this one with grace and that it didn’t bother you, that it didn’t get on your nerves, but it did. Slowly but surely, it had chipped away at some odd part of you that you didn’t even know existed prior to. 
Masky was the first to bring it up. 
“Reader,” he began. “Can you wrangle Hood from that café? Operator wants us to do something - I just need him,” he said, barely looking up from his newspaper. 
“I can go if you want,” you suggested before poking your head back out from the refrigerator. 
“Hm?” That got Masky’s attention. “Are you sure?” He raised his eyebrow, giving you an inquisitorial look. 
“It’s no big deal,” you said with a small smile as you plucked your drink out from the fridge. “Besides, I think Hoodie’s busy.” You had to fight the unpleasant feeling that bubbled up in your chest after you said that. 
“Oh,” Masky gave a hum of recognition. “Toby did mention he was getting a little close to someone there,” he said in passing. 
You shot Masky a look. 
He shot one back. 
Internally, you both know that’s not the best thing - but Masky’s not going to stop his best friend. And you know you won’t either. 
Kate mentioned it next, though she seemed to be telling you that you’d get  over it. It came relatively out of the blue. See, the two of you were standing in the living room of a house painted in blood just chatting, waiting for the Operator to give you direction on what he wanted for the man he wanted alive when Kate got weirdly serious. She sat down on the sofa and invited you to sit down next to her. 
“You can’t keep avoiding him like that,” she hummed, her shoe digging into the man’s chest as he wriggled beneath her step. “I know it’s awkward, but he’s your comrade first.” 
You rolled your eyes and lightly pushed at her. “Come on, it’s not that serious,” you said, attempting to play off your feelings that were so gods damn obvious throughout the time you’ve been spending in this area. 
“Are you kidding me?” Kate chuckled. “Look,” her hand is on your shoulder as she digs her heel into the man’s chest, cracking his ribs slightly. “It’s uncomfortable. I get that. It’s why we don’t… Do that kind of thing.” She rubbed her thumb in little circles on your shoulder as she grounded you. “It’s probably for the best, even though you can’t see it right now.” 
You sighed and gave her a look of slight pain. “You’re probably right.” 
“I know I’m right.”
It’s not that Toby is bad at reading a room, but it’s that he’s really bad at reading a room. When the two of you went to the computer café for your outing, he was excited to see the girl Brian was ‘seeing,’ as he somehow managed to miss her from every other precious visit. It was so obvious that they had been - her perfume was practically embedded into his skin now - and his smile was brighter than the sun after seeing her. 
And here you were, not even wanting to know her name. 
It’s Fiona. 
“Toby!” She greeted as she bounded up to your table. “Reader! What a nice surprise!” There was no malice in her tone. She was genuinely happy to see you. “What can I get you two today?” 
“C-Chocolate croissant and some h-h-hot chocolate please,” Toby said. He then turned to you, and as if he read your mind, gave her your order as well. “H-How have t-things been?” He asked. 
“Really good,” Fiona replied. “He’s such a sweetie, got me this necklace.” 
Your eyes immediately left the screen and travelled to her neck. There it was. Beautiful necklace. Silver chain with a hunk of rose quartz at the bottom in the shape of a bullet.You remembered seeing that pendant. It hung on his mirror for such a long time. You once overheard him saying to Kate how it was your possible birthday gift. 
“It’s so pretty,” you smiled, eyes not quite following. 
You were damn certain if you were suffering from hanahaki you would’ve choked on flowers by now and died. The last nail in the coffin? 
Now. Right now. You came back to the safe house just wanting to relax, maybe star gaze for a bit and fall asleep outside - anything and everything sounded better than just being alone in your thoughts after the Operator had some harsh words to say to you on account of your performance slipping ever so slightly from his golden standards. You fix yourself a warm mug of tea and start making yourway to the rooftop. It’s the same path you’ve always taken: head up the stairs to the upper floor, last room on the left side of the hall, go in and open the study windows there and hang out on the roof. 
You make sure to take careful steps as you ascend, not wanting to spill any of your carefully made tea as you seek to unwind. With a deep breath, you start making it through the hallway, thankful no one else is here. Masky is away on business, Kate is doing something with Jeff and Toby left a few hours ago to meet with someone he deems important. Come to think of it, you haven’t had the house free in a while. 
But, as you step closer and closer to the last room on the left, you hear it. Giggling, whispers, conversation that’s so innocent and intimate at the same time. You notice the study door is closed. It’s never closer. You step closer. 
“You’re so sweet,” That’s Fiona’s voice. “You don’t have to get me all these things - I don’t even know where I’m gonna wear all of them.” She giggles. 
“Wear a different one every time I come to see you.” That’s Brian. “Gonna be burning through those things like crazy.” You hear the sound of a kiss. 
“You got a deal,” Fiona chuckled. Another kiss. 
You hear the roof shingles move slightly as they move closer together. Against your better judgment, you push open the study door slightly. Must you be so nosy?
There, sitting on the roof outside the window is Fiona and Brian. She’s wearing his sweater (it’s just polyester) and giggling as he peppers her face in kisses. When she’s decided he’s covered her in enough kisses for an entire year, she presses her lips to his. 
He smiles before kissing her back just as fervently. 
Without a sound, you begin to head back to your room. 
Perhaps tea in your room would be better. 
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Mother’s aren’t always the best [Corpse x reader]
Paring: Corpse husband x female!reader (platonic)
Summary: You’re the youngest in the group and recently moved out. When your mother decides to pay you a visit while you’re streaming.
Warnings: Angst, fighting, yelling. Big bro Corpse, kinda abusive mom
Words: 1.5k
A/N: My job just cut my hours in half, so yay. If anyone want to, I have a Ko-fi in my bio, if you buy a fic through there you get to skip the queue. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s only if you want to of course! <3 Also I’ve wanted to write this for quite a bit
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
You have recently finally moved out from your home and is now able to stream on a schedule and far more often. While living at home your mother had been very against the mere thought of her daughter putting herself out there on the internet. Which meant you have had to tiptoe around when you wanted to stream. Only being able to do so when she left you home alone. The only good thing about having a single mom, was that she worked a lot. So that meant a lot of alone time.
You’ve never really gotten along with her. The two of you having very different views on life, she wanted you to grow up and be a pretty girl, you were supposed to study social science, and get a project of your own, and while doing so you were supposed to meet the guy you would eventually marry, and give her grandkids with.
However, that’s not really what you want to do with your life. Despite only being able to stream when you’re all alone and having to chuck your entire set up into the shirt drawer, knowing your mother wouldn’t go through your drawer as one of the only things. You had managed to build up a small following.
“Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, I wasn’t able to find my microphone.” You tell on stream, and to the group in the discord call.
“Are you settling in nicely Y/N?” Corpse asks, the two of you have been talking behind your mothers back for quite a while, he has become like the big brother you’ve never had.
“Yeah, I still have couple of boxes lying around…” You look around your small one-bedroom apartment. You only have your dining table, two chairs, and your bed set up. And your dining table have been converted into a streaming set up. So, there’s that too. You are lucky enough to have a small hallway, that leads to a bathroom at the end, and the kitchen on your right, and the bedroom/living room on the left.
“I take that you haven’t done any packing out yet.” Corpse chuckles.
“Hehe… Yeah… I haven’t gotten everything out, so I have ordered some takeout, that will sadly arrive here during steam, in about…” You look at the clock, “in about half an hour.”
“Then let’s get started!” Rae says, as the countdown starts.
You get through the first round of among us alive, and wining as crewmates, you’re about halfway through the second game of the day when your doorbells goes off in the middle of discussing.
“Sorry guys, I’ll just go grab my food.” You apologise, and gets up from your chair, leaving your microphone behind, thinking it’s muted.
You open your door, with your wallet in hand, and takes a step back when you realise who’s on the other side. It’s your mom. The one who you moved halfway across the country to get away from. The one who you didn’t give your address to.
She looks angry, and more than pissed off. You know she is going to start a screaming match right here. In the hallway of your new apartment complex, only 4 days into your lease.
“WHAT THE #@!$ IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” She starts off, a normal way to greet your daughter of course. “I GIVE YOU SHELTER AND FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR 18 YEARS AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!”
You take another step into your apartment, knowing if it comes to it that you must push the door in her face. She will win that fight.
“HAVEN’T I BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH?! YOU UP AND LEAVE ME, ALL ALONE! YOU DON’T GO TO THE COLLEGE I CHOSE FOR YOU! YOU GO AGAINST ALL MY RULES!”  She’s screaming right at you, you can feel yourself starting to shake. “And I know your little secret, you think you could keep it from me, huh? You think I am stupid don’t you. I know you’ve been selling your self on the internet for money.” You can feel tears are starting to come, this is what she thought you were doing.
She throws down a binder of some sorts on the ground, making you jump a little. “You’re not my daughter anymore. I refuse to have someone as disgusting as you even share my last name. Here’s everything you need from me to change it.”  
You watch as she passes your delivery guy, who looks at you awkwardly with tears streaming down your cheeks and a shocked look on your face. He puts down your order, and slowly walks away again.
You get yourself together after a few minutes, enough to close the door, and pick up the binder and food. You dump the food on your table, along with the binder. You run your hands over your face, before you pick up your headset, and try to act as chipper as ever, not having noticed you never muted your mic.
“Sorry for the long break, had to fix a smaller cable issue, but I’m all good now!” You don’t look at chat, instead you focus everything you can on keeping your energy up, and not for anyone to notice you’re not doing the best.
“Y/N are you alright?” Corpse asks, extremely worried over the fact that he just heard you get disowned by your own mother.
“Yes, of course, I’m always doing good!” Your voice shoving no hints to what everyone and their own mothers head. You watch as your phone gets a call from Corpse. “I think the next game have to wait a bit longer if everyone is cool with that?”
Everyone agrees they’re cool, nobody knows what to say after hearing what just happened. You mute your microphone properly this time. Before picking up your phone.
“Hey there.”
“We just talked Corpse, get to the point, we shouldn’t let the others wait for us for too long.” You tease him.
“We all heard?”
“Heard what?”
“Y/N I’m so sorry.” You can hear his voice crack a bit, and you can feel yourself edging a breakdown.
“It’s okay, we all knew it was coming at one point or the other.” You dryly laugh, trying to get out of the topic.
“We both know she’ll be back by next week, it’s not safe there.” He worries, you can hear him already stressing at the thought.
“I can’t exactly move. I blew everything I had by getting this place.” Your voice is slowly starting to crack and you know if you keep talking. You won’t be able to get back on stream.
“Then stay at me, I have a cough. It’s not safe there. She only yelled this time. But who knows what else she might try to pull?” You listen to Corpse, and subconsciously wrap an arm around yourself, still able to feel the bruises from when she hit you, because she found a stack of cash you had been saving up for yourself to get out. You break down sobbing.
“Y/N are you still with me?”
“Y-yes.” Your voice reaches through the phones, nearly covered by sobs.
“Can you get up for me? I need you to turn off your stream, okay? You’re not going back on there for tonight.”
You shake as you push the right button abruptly stopping the stream and leaving the discord call.
“Good.” It comes from the phone. “Let’s get you to bed.” He talks you through the tasks you have to do. Helping to distract you from the bad thing. He stays on the phone worried for you all night, until you’ve tired yourself out enough to fall asleep on the call. He wishes he could help more as he hangs up the phone. Knowing he’s the last of your support system. As the call end, it leaves you alone in the world. Now mother and fatherless.
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hansols-yoda-boxers · 4 years
Text
Warming Up
Cat Hybrid!Hongjoong x Female Reader
Word Count: 7518 
Contents: hybrid au, rut/mating season, reader is referred to as a girl, lots of plot for no reason other than it was cute, hongjoong is a bit of a dumb little tsun who is easily flustered, dream sex (mirror, pet name (darling), slight degradation (whore), marking), sleepy reader is not the brightest bulb in the box, hongjoong is a tease, first time together, dry humping, sensitive ears, fingering, unprotected sex, creampie, cum eating, oral (female receiving), very slight hair pulling
Note: Okay this is a whole 18 DAYS LATE but HAPPY VERY BELATED BIRTHDAY @lustjoong this has been a long time coming. You are such a dream friend and it’s about a year now that we’ve been friends and I’m so happy about that. You bring so much light to my life and I so enjoy each and every word we share. I really hope you enjoy this gift also yes this is why i asked u about cum eating skjjadlhslkdj
Hongjoong’s ears twitched as he listened. He didn’t want to look like he was listening of course. He wanted to look unbothered because he was unbothered. So Seonghwa couldn’t keep him anymore, so what? He had to move, the city was bigger and the apartments were more expensive and he couldn’t afford the space and that was that. So Hongjoong was being dropped on someone else, on you. He didn’t care. If he really wanted to stay with Seonghwa that badly he could have tried out working more but that had never really panned out and a lot of places didn’t wanna hire a cat hybrid anyway. 
Seonghwa said he would visit. That was fine. It wasn’t like Hongjoong needed that, he wasn’t a baby. He was a grown adult if he really wanted to strike out on his own he would. It was just easier in this world to live with someone. Seonghwa was nice and they got along well for the most part and he was comfy and familiar. He’d met you a few times but you were new and different and he didn’t really like that. It wasn’t that he was upset or anxious or any of that. It was just different from normal and he didn’t want to have to learn how to live with someone else, that was all.
None of this bothered him.
It was fine.
~
“I don’t think we forgot anything. I double and triple checked all my boxes to make sure he’d have all his stuff and-”
“Seonghwa,” you hushed him. “It’s fine. It’s not like you’re leaving the country, you’ll just be a couple of hours away. If you forgot anything you can bring it by when you visit, or we can buy new stuff.”
“I know but Hongjoong is… particular. You know I have another day or two on the lease. I could-”
“Seonghwa,” you grabbed his hands, chuckling. “It’s really okay. We’ll be fine. Right, Hongjoong?”
“Huh?” The cat hybrid looked up at you. Apparently he’d been tuning you out. 
“We’ll be alright, right?”
“Yeah, whatever.” He muttered. “Can I take my stuff to my room?”
“Sure!” You tried to sound bright but you felt a little unsure. You’d met Hongjoong a handful of times. He seemed a little guarded and he wasn’t the easiest to get to know, but he had always at least been nice to you, pleasant. He seemed a little colder today, he seemed bored but was he really bored? You knew he and Seonghwa were close even if he wouldn’t admit it. Surly he felt something over the whole thing.
“He’s upset,” Seonghwa mumbled once Hongjoong was out of the room.
“Is he? He seems so… bored…”
Seonghwa sighed. “He does that when he’s upset. I know he doesn’t really love this idea but it’s the only option if he doesn’t want to go back to the shelter. And I’m not totally confident he can live on his own at the moment. He doesn’t cook much but when he tries to it always burns and I have to scrub it off the pans.”
“Duly noted,” you mumbled. “No cooking.”
“I think he could learn. And he might be happy if he lived alone but between you and me I think he’d get way too lonely. He won’t act like it at first but he gets really cuddly and sweet when he wants affection. And, oh god I almost forgot.” He dropped his voice, growing quieter. “If you get turned on around him, he’ll be able to smell it.”
“I’m sorry, what?!” You exclaimed.
“Shhh,” Seonghwa hushed you. “If he knows I’m talking about this… But you should know. It’s just a cat thing. It’s not too bad in the summer but in a month or so when fall comes around if you get worked up and he’s in the same room it’ll drive him nuts.”
“W-What does he do? I mean will h-he-”
“He won’t do anything,” Seonghwa said quickly. “He just-” A blush started creeping up his cheeks. “It’s harder for him to get over getting worked up, and he u-usually needs- o-or he uh- it’s good if you- uh- well anyway if it happens with someone else’s scent it just gets to him. And with you being a girl it’ll probably be worse s-so-”
“No watching porn around him, got it,” you said.
Seonghwa’s eyes went wide. “You just watch porn in the open?!”
“No, god no that was a joke,” you laughed. “Look, we’ll be okay. It’s not like I’m horny 24/7 so it’s all good. Besides I’m pretty sure he kinda hates me.”
“He- no he doesn’t. If anything he’s mad at me. You’re fine. Just… give him a chance to warm up to you and this whole thing. I promise you he’s really sweet when you get to know him.”
You glanced warily towards his bedroom. “I’ll take your word for it.”
~
The first week was, in a word, uneventful. Hongjoong was aloof. You weren’t sure at the moment if that was a cat thing or a Hongjoong thing. So far he hadn’t seemed to warm up to you at all. He barely spoke and spent most of his time in his room, though you did notice that the leftovers in the fridge had noticeable dents and he had left a few items in the bathroom. He was settling in, even if it was just a little bit.
You heard a door open, just barely making out the padding of his feet down the hallway. You didn’t move, listening and watching out for the corner of your eye as you sat on the couch. You saw him slip into the kitchen and listened to the fridge door opening, then closing, then the microwave running. He usually waited until you were out of the living room to get food.
You got up slowly and made your way towards the kitchen, peeking around the corner. Predictably, Hongjoong had heard you. He stood stock still, even as the microwave beeped, the counter reaching zero. The only things that moved were his ears, flicking back and listening to you.
“H-How are you doing?” Your voice was less certain than you wanted it to be.
“Fine,” he said simply.
“That’s good,” you tried to sound bright and happy. “I know this is a bit of an adjustment.”
Hongjoong finally relaxed just a little, opening the microwave, if slowly.
“I’m fine. Seonghwa doesn’t have room in the new place and you do. It makes sense.”
You crossed your arms, leaning against the door frame. “You’re really okay with it all? I know it uprooted a lot for you an-”
“I’m fine.” He said flatly. “It’s not like he kicked me out or told me he hates me. It’s money and space. It’s fine. He’s just a friend anyway.”
“He is? I thought you two were closer o-or…” you words trailed off as Hongjoong’s tail started to flick and a blush crept up his cheeks.
“He was more like a roommate really,” he said defensively. “I’m going to go eat.” Hongjoong took his food as you tried to find something to say, but he clearly didn’t want to talk to you anymore.
You bit down on your lip as he slammed his door shut.
You had done a fantastic job of putting your foot in your mouth.
~
“Hey.”
You looked up from where you sat on the couch. Hongjoong had barely talked to you in the last two weeks. You weren’t totally sure what you had said that upset you but you had apologized nonetheless. He didn’t respond from within his room at the time but he did start coming out while you were out and he said hello when you did first at least. But it was still unusual for him to talk to you directly.
“Hi,” you said, putting down your phone. “What’s up?”
Hongjoong shrugged, trying to look unbothered but his ears were partially flattened to his head, the tip of his tail flicking. “I just wanted to know if I could sit out here.”
“Of course,” you smiled, scooching over to leave more room on the couch. “Have a seat.”
“You don’t have to stop what you’re doing,” he mumbled, curling into a ball on the far end of the couch.
“Alright,” you hummed, grabbing your phone but keeping your eye on him. 
The longer you two sat there the more he relaxed. He let his legs extend on the couch, resting back and idly curling and uncurly his fingers as he watched videos on his phone. You tried not to move around too much, typing on your laptop and checking your phone, getting up and offering him water at one point which he accepted.
But the evening wore on and you found yourself more and more weary over time. Yawns slipped past your lips and it made you giggle when Hongjoong yawned as well, ears pressing back and then coming up, his tail curled comfortably around himself until he heard your giggle, perking up. 
“I yawned then you did,” you chuckled. “I don’t know about you but I think I’m ready for bed.”
“O-Oh, yeah,” he mumbled.
You frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Hongjoong’s cheeks started to blush pink. “Nothing, nothing’s wrong. You’re right it’s late I-”
“Hongjoong,” you said gently. “I know we’re not close or anything but you know you can tell me if you have an issue, especially with things to do with living here. It is my responsibility to deal with it.”
“It’s stupid,” he said, standing up. “I’m going to go wash up-”
“I was talking to Seonghwa,” you said quickly. “He said you’re not used to spending this much time alone.”
“What does he know,” Hongjoong said quickly. “It’s not lik-”
“Hongjoong,” you cut him off. “I know you probably don’t wanna say it but just so you know, it’s okay if you’re lonely. I won’t make fun of you for that.”
Hongjoong’s face was cherry red. “I-I’m not!?!”
“I-” You sighed. “It’s just- If you get lonely, it’s okay. That’s all.”
“Yeah, whatever,” he muttered, stalking back to the bedroom as you buried your face in your hands. You swore every time you tried to make him more comfortable you made it ten times worse.
You let Hongjoong finish in the bathroom, hearing his door slam before you got ready for bed. Part of you thought of asking Seonghwa what to do but you didn’t want to make him feel bad about the whole thing. You knew he already felt bad about not being able to stay with Hongjoong. You dragged yourself through your evening routine, finally flopping into bed and finding yourself restless and unable to really sleep.
Were you ever going to be able to be able to get to know him without saying something dumb? He barely talked to you and you messed it up every time he did get comfy. You were worried that he hated it here or he hated you and for a few hours things had been good. There had to be a way to get to know him and get him more comfortable.
A knock at your door had you sitting up suddenly in bed.
“Come in,” you called.
Hongjoong poked his head in. “Can I sleep here?”
You stared at him in surprise, taking a few moments to take in his request before realizing he was blushing more and more as he waited for your response.
“Y-Yeah, sure.”
Hongjoong mumbled out a “thanks” as he shuffled into the room, closing the door behind him. He cautiously climbed into the other side of the bed and rolled to face away from you. You tried to shake off your shock as you laid back down.
“Well, good night.”
“You were right,” he mumbled.
You looked over at his back. “Huh?”
“I get lonely, sometimes.”
A smile tugged to your lips. “Yeah, me too.”
~
“Hey Hongjoong?” You queried, looking up from your book. Hongjoong’s ears perked up even if he didn’t look up. You’d learned that he did that a lot, it was his way of showing he was listening to you, turning his ears in your direction. More and more you had been talking with him. He was getting more comfy with you as the weeks went by and it was finally starting to feel like you were friends.
“Do you do random cat things?”
His head flicked up to look at you from his spot on the couch. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” you shrugged. “I noticed when you’re really sleepy you do that thing that cats do where they curl in their little toes and then stretch them out. You do it with your hands.” You kept going as the blush rushed up Hongjoong’s cheeks. “Do you do other stuff like that? Like do you play with yarn? Do you run after laser pointers? Do you get up and run around at 3am and I just never hear you? Can you meow?”
“I- I don’t do that with my hands!?!” He said indignantly.
You giggled. “You do, and it’s cute. Don’t worry I’ve only seen it a couple of times. But I wanna know if you do other things like that.”
“N-No?!”
“Okay,” you hummed, a smirk pulling at your lips.
“Why are you grinning?! Stop grinning!” He cried.
“No reason,” you said, tossing out a ball of yarn from where you were hiding it next to you.
“I’m not gonna play with that.” Hongjoong deadpanned. “I’m still a person you know.”
“I know,” you said, still grinning. “But there’s no temptation at all?”
“None.” 
“Okaie dokie.” You grabbed the laser pointer from the pocket and shone it against the wall.
“I’m not gonna chase it!” He cried.
“Then it won’t bother you if I leave it on.”
Hongjoong looked between you and the laser shining on the wall before huffing and burying himself in his phone again. But his eye kept darting to the wall, his tail flicking and body shifting. After a few minutes he got up and moved to sit next to it against the wall. You grinned as he flicked at the spot and tried to grab it.
“I knew it!” You laughed, turning off the laser. Hongjoong hissed at you as he moved back to the couch.
“I wasn’t chasing it. I know it’s just a light. It’s just annoying I just did that to make you turn it off.”
“Of course you did,” you hummed. “Hey, can you purr?”
He gave you a glare. “I’m not purring for you, especially when you’re being so annoying.”
“So you can purr,” you grinned. “Who do you purr for?”
“N-No one,” he stumbled, blushing again. “It’s barely even a thing.”
You regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. “Can I try?”
“Try and what?”
“Make you purr.”
Hongjoong’s face went red. “W-Why would you want to?”
“I just wanna hear it,” you said. “I like when cats purr, I wanna know what it sounds like. I mean if you’re all embarrassed about it that’s okay.”
“I-I’m not embarrassed,” he hissed. “It’s just a thing cats do. Why would it embarrass me?”
“It’s okay Hongjoong,” you said, trying not to grin. “I get it, it makes you flustered.”
“N-No? I-If you wanna try whatever. If you figure it out yay for you I guess.”
You clambered across the couch gleefully. The blush stayed on Hongjoong’s cheeks as you pulled him closer while he played with his phone and started playing with his hair. He did his best to ignore you but you could tell from the way his tail swayed that he liked the contact. You relaxed, running your fingers through his hair and petting his head.
A light touch on his ear had it flicking forward and had him jumping and letting out a yelp. You pulled you hand back quickly as he twisted to look at you.
“Your ears are so soft,” you hummed.
“Yeah w-well,” he mumbled. “They’re sensitive, so be careful.”
“I will,” you said, “Of course I will.” You let your hand come out to play with his hair again, waiting for him to relax before you found the base of his ear and scratched at it.
Hongjoong let out a “mreow” and a deep rumble started to emanate from his chest.
His hand was quick to push yours away as you gasped and he crawled back the corner of the couch.
“There, you heard it. Happy now?”
“Yes,” you smiled. “Thanks for showing me.” 
Hongjoong blushed harder as he hid behind his phone. “Yeah yeah whatever.”
~
Hongjoong sleeping in your bed had become a regular occurrence. As the weather started to cool and fall set in he was there more and more. Since the first week, asking each night if he could sleep in the same room, and then just slipping in quietly. He talked to you more and seemed a little more relaxed around you and that made you happy.
Tonight you smiled to yourself when you found him already curled up under the sheets. You weren’t surprised, he’d gone out with friends during the day and seemed exhausted and maybe a little tipsy when he got back. Him getting to bed early wasn’t too surprising. When he first moved in you thought he stayed up late in his room but it turned out he went to bed early and slept in late.
You climbed into bed quietly, noticing his ears and nose twitching. It didn’t matter how quietly you moved his senses were too good. He stirred slightly and you tried to settle in smoothly and quickly so he could get back to sleep.
Hongjoong mumbled something you couldn’t make out. When you turned your face to look at him he was reaching out towards you. His hands were making grabbing motions and you couldn’t help the smile on your face. You had only seen him do it a few times but when he was half asleep, his hands kneading the air like cat’s paws.
“Cuddles,” a pout formed on Hongjoong’s lips as he mumbled and you felt heat rise in your face as you realized what he was asking.
“Hongjoong?” You asked softly. He grumbled again, tail flicking and hands grabbing at the air as he sleepily opened an eye.
“Cuddles,” he grumbled, clearly still half asleep.
“A-Alright,” you stumbled, shifting closer to him. As soon as you were within reach he wrapped himself around you, nuzzling his face into your neck.
“Warm,” he purred sleepily.
“Very warm,” you mumbled, wrapping your arms around him. “Goodnight.”
All you got in response was the loud rumbling purr emanating from Hongjoong’s chest as you settled and drifted off into a dream.
~
Hot breath fanned out against your ear and your fingers pressed into the cool glass of the mirror. Hongjoong’s hips snapped into yours quickly, building the pleasure in your core. You felt his wet fingers move from their ministrations on your clit and seconds later they gripped your jaw firmly.
Your eyes snapped open and you felt heat rush to your face as took in his intense gaze, meeting yours in the mirror.
“Keep those pretty eyes open, darling,” he purred. “You look so pretty when I fuck you like this.”
You whimpered, feeling shy and all the more turned on as you tried to look away but he kept your gaze trained at the sight of yourself getting fucking against the mirror.
“If you’re good, I’ll let you have my fingers in your mouth, just the way you want my pretty little whore.”
You let your eyes trail over yourself, heat rising through your body at the sight, his arm around you and his cock sinking into your heat over and over, sending a wave of pleasure through you each time. You took in the sight of the hickies all across your chest and felt the way he smirked against the skin of your neck as you clenched around him at the sight of yourself.
His fingers came to your lips and you sucked them in eagerly, head feeling even more hazy as you did so.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
~
You woke up feeling very warm. Your eyes blinked open blearily and you felt the soft ear flicking against your chin. Slowly, the memories of the night, and then your dream, trickled into your brain as Hongjoong came into your sleepy view. He seemed to be sleeping soundly, ears and nose twitching as he clung onto you, apparently having cuddled with you all night.
You let your hand rub his back slowly as you closed your eyes again. Maybe it was being so close to someone so warm and feeling someone next to you but your dreams had been anything but innocent. Could you fall back asleep? It would be so nice to sink back into those wonderful, heated images. A quiet sigh passed your lips as you pressed your thighs together, enjoying the feeling of Hongjoong’s weight and warmth on top of you and running through the images from the dream in your mind.
Slowly, Hongjoong started to stir. You let your hand travel up to his hair and run though it. The action was calming for you and you hoped in your sleepy brain that it woke him gently as his ears and tail started to twitch and flick more. His hands grabbed onto your shirt and he pressed his face into your neck as he woke, a quiet mew leaving his lips and quiet purrs emanating from his chest as he came too.
“Morning,” you hummed sleepily. Hongjoong answered with a groan, pressing tightly against you. You scratched at the base of his ear, and heard his purring grow louder. His hand found your hip, thumb slipping under your shirt and rubbing your skin soothingly. This wasn’t his usual behaviour, but you were sleepy and warm and it was so comforting to cuddle someone, especially someone who made such a wonderful, calming purring sound.
“What did you dream about?” Hongjoong’s voice was rough as the words left his lips, ghosting over the skin of your neck. The sounds sent a rush of arousal through your body. You felt heat rise to your skin as the images flashed on the back of your eyelids.
“I don’t remember,” you lied.
Hongjoong nuzzled his nose against your neck. “Are you sure about that?”
Did he know? Was your skin too hot? Did you moan in your sleep and somehow give it away? He couldn’t read your mind but he wasn’t buying it so he had to have some hint. You squirmed a little, pressing your thighs further together and trying to keep your breathing even.
“Nope,” you hummed, a little too high. You knew it sounded like you were lying now.
Hongjoong purred a little louder, lips trailing over the skin of your neck and up to your jaw. “I don’t believe you.”
“W-Why not?” Your voice started to betray you.
“Come on,” he purred. “I know Seonghwa told you about it. He doesn’t realize how good my ears actually are.”
You tried to reach back through your groggy memories, your brain was still sleepy and didn’t want to work too hard. But he knew something, what had Seonghwa told you that would explain this? You knew there had to be something but your sleepy brain didn’t want to think or try to remember. Meanwhile the way he was gripping your hip and running his nose along your neck was only turning you on more.
“Did you forget?” His voice was not helping matters and you pressed your legs together again as another shiver of arousal ran through your body. Hongjoong let out a groan, ear flicking against your jaw and tail swishing across the covers. “Or are you playing dumb?”
You felt your face getting even hotter. You weren’t play dumb, at least not on purpose. Your brain was being taken over with lust and was already sleepy. A small squeal left your lips as Hongjoong shifted over you, his thigh pressing between your legs. His hands found yours and he laced his fingers with yours before pressing your hands into the bed. Your gaze met his and you finally took in the hunger and lust in his eyes.
“You know I can smell it, right?”
Heat rushed through your body and to your face as you realized. The embarrassment washed through you and yet, you still only felt more turned on. You tried to press your legs together again, ending up squeezing them around Hongjoong’s thigh as you finally tore your gaze away from his.
“I-I forgot,” you mumbled, squirming under him. The way his fingers were laced with yours was so sweet but the way he held them down was only making you feel hotter. Hongjoong let his head dip, purring and nuzzling his face into your neck before pressing a soft kiss to your skin.
“This is going to drive me nuts,” he murmured. “But I can leave you alone.” Your brain tried desperately to process everything through the ever increasing lust cloud but your body had a mind of its own. As Hongjoong started to pull back you squeezed his hands, not letting them go. He gave you a curious look, the ghost of a smirk on his lips.
“Do you want me to stay?”
You felt your face burning but you tried to let your words out before your brain caught up to them potentially being a bad idea. “I-I- You could? I-I mean I’m- um- and Seonghwa s-said you- it- that it’s harder i-if…”
A blush crept up Hongjoong’s cheeks and his tail flicked as his gaze dipped away from yours and he squirmed a little. “R-Right. Yeah it- uh- it’ll be a long day if I-” He shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. If that’s that only reason-”
“It’s not.” The words were just on their way out of your mouth on their own now. Hongjoong’s ears perked up and a smirk tugged at his lips.
“Did you dream about me?” He teased.
“N-No?!” You stuttered. “I-I- it was just- you- but- n-n-”
Hongjoong chuckled, pressing closer to you again, the tip of his nose pressed to yours. He was supposed to be the needy one, how was he making you flustered so fast?
“I think you did,” he murmured.
“I-I-”
“You can tell me. Don’t you think I should know if my roommate is having dirty dreams about me?” He teased.
“I-I It wasn’t- Why w-would I-” the heat on your body only rose as he moved, lips trailing lightly over your jaw before brushing against your ear.
“I mean if it wasn’t about me then I could just go,” he murmured. “I can leave you alone to get back to your dream world… if you don’t want the real thing.” He pulled his hands away from yours.
You gripped Hongjoong’s shirt strongly and whined at him. You heard his breathy chuckle in your ear as you pulled him a little closer, not wanting him to go but not wanting to admit that you wanted him to stay. You squeezed your eyes shut, only getting more embarrassed by your actions and more turned on at the same time.
“D-Don’t…” you couldn’t bring yourself to say what you wanted. A much louder whine tore itself from your lips as Hongjoong sat up, resting back on his heels. He smirked down at you, tail flicking curiously as he let his hands trail down your sides, moving them out of reach of yours when you tried to grab at them. You jutted out your bottom lip at him and he chuckled.
“If you want something you have to ask,” he teased. “Otherwise how will I know?”
The way the frustration twisted your gut somehow only turned you on even more. You squirmed a little under his gaze, trying to decide if you actually wanted to say anything while knowing full well that you didn’t want him to go anywhere, and if you said nothing he might just actually leave.
You reached out to him cutely. “Please?”
“Please, what?” He grinned.
Heat licked at your skin. “P-Please stay. I don’t…” your own embarrassment was trying to get the better of you and dropped your gaze from his as you trailed off. Hongjoong leaned down swiftly and started to leave kisses against your jaw, hands finding your waist.
“You don’t…?” he murmured.
“I-I don’t- I don’t want you to go,” you mumbled, arms wrapping around him.
Hongjoong lifted his face just enough to look at you, but his expression was sweeter, less smug. “Then I won’t go, I’d rather stay anyway.”
He finally leaned in, pressing a kiss to your lips. Your heart melted a little at how soft his kisses were. He was gentle in bringing his hips down against yours, rolling them slowly. You let out a little sigh against his lips, pulling him closer and letting your fingers play through his hair slowly. You would think by now you would be wide awake, but you still felt sleepy and his warmth and weight on top of you felt so nice.
Hongjoong slowly deepened the kisses, his tongue pressing cautiously against your bottom lip before moving into your mouth. You pulled him in even closer, one of your legs wrapping around him of its own accord. Hongjoong let out a small mewl which had your lips tugging into a grin as you tried not to giggle at him.
His hips ground down a little more strongly as your fingers moved through his hair. You brought them to the base of his ear and rubbed them gently, feeling the soft fur under your fingers.
Hongjoong let out whiny meow as he shuddered, dropping his face down against your neck. You grinned to yourself, still playing with him and feeling him squirm, his hips bucking against you as he tried to hold in his mewls, eventually flicking his ear away from your touch.
“Th-They’re sensitive,” he panted.
“I know,” you hummed. “Does it feel good?”
Hongjoong whined in response, keeping his face hidden against your skin. He cautiously flicked his ear back to find your hand again and you grinned, petting and scratching at the base of his ear again. He did his best to muffle his sounds against your skin, shifting so he was fully between your legs and rutting into you more quickly. 
Soft sighs fell from your own lips. You were getting needier by the second and you knew now that he could smell it. Your hips tried to roll and grind up to meet his movements, fingers moving a little faster and his own hips getting a little more sporadic. His whines were growing louder despite his effort until he flicked his ear away again, lifting his head to look at you. His face was all flushed, a cute rose tint on his cheeks.
“Can we- c-can I?”
“N-Not right away!” You stammered, internally wincing at how that would hurt.
Hongjoong went redder. “I know that,” he mumbled. “But can I- we- move on?”
You grinned a little shyly and nodded. From Seonghwa’s warning you were aware this could happen but you had somehow not really considered it until now. Somewhere in your mind you thought you would simply never get horny all winter and that would be the solution, not that you knew he was going to sleep in your bed or cuddle with you but still.
It was ever so slightly nerve wracking.
Hongjoong pressed kisses to your neck sweetly as his fingers found the waistband of your pajamas. You lifted your hips a little and let him pull them off along with your panties, pressing the side of your face into your pillow as your cheeks burned again until you felt Hongjoong’s lips on your jaw, coaxing you to turn your mouth towards him.
You did so slowly, letting his lips meet yours in much needier kisses. Still, his fingers were gentle as they trailed over your lower stomach and to the tops of your thighs. Slowly he coaxed your thighs apart with his fingers, rubbing soothing circles into your skin as he went, moving along the sensitive skin until you started you push your hips up towards his hand. You felt him smile against your lips.
“Do you want more?” He asked, his tone mostly sweet but a little teasing.
“Hongjoong,” you whined and he chuckled, dropping his lips next to your ear again. 
“I already admitted I want more,” this time his tone was much more sweet, almost bashful.
“Yes,” you mumbled quietly, “I-I want more.”
He pressed a kiss to your lips while his fingers finally moved where you wanted them, rubbing circles into your clit slowly. You moaned quietly into his kisses as your hips followed the flow of his fingers. Your arms wound around him, fingers tangling into his hair and holding him close as you kissed him and his ministrations only made you wetter.
The pleasure started to slowly build in your core. The grinding hadn’t been nearly enough friction and the movements of his fingers were much more welcome. Pleasure sparked from your core and curled through you, drawing heat through your body that had your kisses growing more feverish bit by bit.
Hongjoong kept shifting and moving, eventually starting to shift your thighs apart a little more. His lips drew away from yours but before you could look at him he dropped his face into your neck, though what you could see of the edges of his face was blushing.
“Can I grind against your thigh?” He mumbled quietly, fingers slowing down a little.
You let out a slight giggle. “Weren’t you already grinding on me?”
“Y-Yeah? I just- it…” You heard the confidence waver in his voice and you were quick to grab his cheeks and bring his face up to meet yours.
“Yes, you can,” you hummed before giving him a kiss and keeping him there. His skin was hot to the touch, no doubt from the blushing and it made you smile a little. It felt kind of nice to know you weren’t alone in the slight nerves you were feeling, even if excitement did override it. Hongjoong started to relax into your touch again. You heard his tail swishing against the sheets as his hips came down, rutting against your thigh.
Small mewls and moans fell from his lips, swallowed by your kisses as his hand traveled lower. Your legs opened wider instinctively as his fingers teased at your entrance, fingers tangled into his hair telling him you wanted more so your words didn’t have to. Your hips pressed up towards his hand, urging his fingers to dip inside you and you were a little thankful that he didn’t tease you and make you even more flustered.
A moan that you couldn’t muffle, even with kisses, fell from your lips as he sunk two fingers into your heat. Your hips rolled up against his fingers, urging them deeper as you tried to capture his lips in another kiss but he pulled back just a bit. When you opened your eyes you felt heat rush through your body and clenched around his fingers at the heated expression on his face.
Hongjoong bit down on his lower lip as he started to move his fingers. The movements themselves were a little sloppy and unsure but you were too wrapped up in the darkening of his gaze and the feeling of finally having something inside of your needy core to care. You felt your skin burning as he gazed at you, at once wanting to look away and wanting to keep watching him, taking in the way his eyes devoured your expression and watched your features start to twist in pleasure.
His hips moved more roughly against your thigh, almost as if chasing his own high as he curled and thrust his fingers into you. He was a quick learner, ears perking and twitching every time you moaned louder and trying to repeat the action as the pleasure grew inside of you.
His fingers moved a little faster and you felt your hips starting to buck up into his hand more, your body begging for more all on it’s own. He only slowed down a little to press a third finger in, stretching you out even more and quickly finding that heavenly spot inside of you to curl his fingers into again.
Your head fell back as the coil in your core twisted tighter and you got closer and closer to your release. You tried in vain to get his hand against your clit as well, growing more and more desperate for just that little bit more. Moans fell from your lips with less and less abashment every passing second. Your hands had fallen away from his body and were gripping the pillow under your head as your hips jolted and bucked up, chasing the sensation of his fingers and starting to clench around them more and more.
Hongjoong cursed under his breath and pulled his fingers from your core. It drew a whine from your lips as you blinked your eyes open to see Hongjoong sitting up. He slipped his fingers into his mouth and groaned, his eyes rolling back before closing as he started to shuffle out of his sweats with his other hand.
You held in your whines as you watched him, only feeling more heated at the sight as he licked and sucked your juices from his fingers. Your bottom lip caught between your teeth and you squirmed impatiently, wanting more with no desire to wait.
“Hongjoong,” you whimpered. his ears flicked towards you and you lost the words that were ready to leap off your tongue as he opened his eyes slowly, pure lust filling his gaze. A gasp left your lips as he pounced over you, gaze drinking you in. You pressed back into the mattress, feeling yourself dripping and clenching around nothing as his hands pulled at your shirt to get it off.
He dipped his head down and dragged his nose along the skin of your neck, breathing in deeply before letting out a groan. He shifted only to pull off his own shirt before settling between your legs. You let your head tilt back as he kissed slowly along your neck, hands coming up and fingers lacing with yours as you rolled his hips against you slowly and you let out a shaky breath. 
Hongjoong’s lips came up to brush against yours. “Please,” he moaned, his tail flicking in the edges of your vision.
You nodded as he pulled his face back just enough to look at you. One hand left yours, moving between your bodies. He kept his eyes on you and you felt your face burn as he pushed into you slowly, drawing a gasp from your lips. You felt your eyelids flutter but kept your gaze on him as he moved slowly, sinking deeper into you, panting harder than you were.
His hand came back to yours, fingers lacing with yours again as he rolled his hips in a slow, deep thrust. Your eyes fell closed as you let out a moan and Hongjoong’s face fell to your chest, ears tickling your chin. He let out low groans as he moved his hips, picking up speed more and more until he built to a steady pace.
Your moans mixed with his own noises in the hot air as the pleasure built more and more, bringing you to your edge but not quite falling over it. You felt the coil in your core curled incredibly tight, pleasure rushing through you from each thrust. Your hips moved with his as best they could as you gripped at his back and tried to hold him closer.
Small curses fell off Hongjoong’s lips as he moved even faster, starting to chase his own high as his lips kissed feverishly at your neck. Gasps and moans fell from your own lips and your legs tightened around his sides from the feelings, each wave of pleasure and the way he sucked harshly on your neck, leaving dark marks blossoming along your skin.
“Y-You feel s-so good,” his voice was unsteady and rough as he spoke as he came so close to being unravelled.
You answered him with moans and digging your fingers into his back, pulling him as close as you could. A series of “please” fell from your lips, your mind only focused on falling over that edge as you started to clench around him, thighs shaking.
Hongjoong let out a loud, beautiful mewl as he came, hips starting to a stop, much to your needy body’s chagrin. You clenched around him as he released inside you, his body trembling and his hands squeezing yours as he panted. You slowly caught your breath as he finished, his face coming up to meet yours and a puzzled expression coming over his when he saw your frown.
“What…” colour rushed to his face as he realized and he quickly hid his face again.
“I’m sorry,” he whined.
“It’s okay,” you sighed, pushing down your slight annoyance. “I can just-”
“N-No!” His face snapped up to look at yours but he winced at his own tone. “I-I mean- let me… please?”
 A smile tugged at your lips as you nodded to him. Hongjoong pulled out of you gently and his hands left yours as he started to kiss down your body. You met his gaze and found sweetness in his eyes, tail swishing as he kissed over your stomach and to your hips before settling between your legs. His lips found your thighs and the purring rumbling from his chest calmed you as he pressed kisses to your skin.
He bit his lip when he pulled back for a moment, looking at your core. You could feel his cum leaking out of you and heat rose through your body as he stared before he quietly murmured. “That’s so hot,” more to himself than you.
His tongue peeked out and he left a little lick along your core, and then another, each time gathering some of his own cum on his tongue. The licks each made you gasp, your body so sensitive, thighs already trembling and core clenching and pushing out more cum with each lick. 
Hongjoong moaned against your core, tongue curling into your heat more feverishly, taking in your juices mixing with his cum on his tongue. Your hand found a way to his hair and he gave you a sweet gaze as he lapped at you, not wanting to waste a drop. His hands gripped your thighs and you let out moans and shuddering breaths with each movement of his tongue.
Your eyelids grew heavy and your gaze hazy as you got so close to your release again. Your thighs pressed around his head as much as his hands would allow as pleasure tied tight in your core. Your grip in his hair got stronger as you held him against your core, “pleases” falling off your lips.
Hongjoong’s ears twitched against your hand, intently listening to your moans as his tongue dragged up over your clit. He started to lick at it quickly, drawing gasps from you as your hips started to buck up and he moved his arm to hold them down. Moans fell off his lips and vibrated through your core as his tongue moved quickly, finally drawing you over your edge.
You cried out, back arching off the bed as you came hard. Your thighs fully crashed in around his head and he let out a slight whimper at the way you pulled on his hair as the pleasure crashed through your body. You felt the sensation rush through you from your core to the tips of your fingers and toes as the feeling sucked you into calm bliss.
Hongjoong moved out from between your legs. He wiped his chin off before crawling on top of you and resting his head on your chest, the loudest purr you’d ever heard from him coming from his chest. He nuzzled his cheek into your skin as his ears flicked affectionately against your chin.
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
You giggled. “I’m the one who woke up all horny and made you horny.”
“Yeah but it’s not like you had to- w-well anyway- that was nice-”
“It sounds like it,” you rubbed your fingers in a small circle on his back over where his purr was coming from and he hid his face in your neck.
“Don’t make fun of my purring,” he whined.
“I’m not,” you chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I’m really not. It sounds so nice. So comforting.” A yawn left your lips.
“Do you want to nap for a bit?” He mumbled, sounding hopeful.
“Yes please,” you murmured.
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shyficwriter · 3 years
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Temporary Home: Chapter 1
Guardians of the Galaxy fanfic | Reader x Guardians (With Yondu and Kraglin!) Guest starring Nick Fury and Maria Hill
Summary: The Guardians have pissed off some really dangerous people and need to lie low. Apparently your home is the perfect place to keep them, according to Fury.
Part 2 Here
Author’s Note: This will be multiple chapters, I already have so many scenes for this in my head. I hope you guys like it!
Word Count: 6,610
You had been called into a sudden emergency meeting one afternoon, and walked in expecting to be sent on perhaps an urgent but still run-of-the-mill mission, or briefed on a sudden change to an existing case. You didn't expect to essentially become the babysitter for eight aliens. Well, one of them was human, but still.
You waited in the briefing room with five other agents and Maria Hill. One of your fellow agents, you thought her name was Stacy, tried asking what the meeting was about, and Maria would only reply to wait for Fury, and that he should be there soon.
Admittedly that made you a little nervous. It wasn't often that you didn't get any information before a meeting, but you tried not to think too much into it.
Fury arrived a few minutes later followed by six people you had never seen before.
Two of the men looked normal enough- that is to say, human- but they were the only two. One with red hair and another with strange tattoos on his neck. Then there was a large shirtless greenish/greyish man with what looked at first glance to be many swirly red tattoos covering his body. He had what you thought was a raccoon holding a wooden doll sitting on his shoulder, until the raccoon jumped down onto the table and you saw that not only did the raccoon walk upright, but the "wooden doll" was actually alive, and walked around as well when set upon the table. The other man was a rough looking type, and he was as blue as the sky with what appeared to be a red metal mow-hawk. There were two women with them as well, a taller green one who looked like she could kill you without blinking, and a smaller paler one with antennae who actually looked kinda scared to be there, as she was all but hiding behind the larger shirtless man.
Now, with your line of work you were of course aware of the reality of aliens, but these were actually the first you'd seen up close other than some of the Skrull people Fury worked with.
This group, however, seemed a little... dysfunctional. The red haired man said something snarky to the raccoon, and to your surprise the raccoon spoke back, saying something equally snarky in return before snapping at the red haired man's hand. The man then mimed smacking the raccoon across the room only to then be smacked in the back of the head by the green woman, earning snickers from both neck-tattoo guy and the blue man.
Fury loudly plopped a folder on the table and looked at the group sternly, prompting them to silence. He then turned to you and your fellow agents. "You're probably wondering why I called you all here." Not waiting for an answer he continued, "In simplest terms, we need to provide sanctuary for this lot because they went and pissed off some very dangerous people, and the Nova Corps urgently insists that they need protection."
An agent to your right, you didn't know his name, spoke up. "Then why aren't they hiding them? Why pawn them on us?"
"This is their way of hiding them. Earth is considered primitive by the rest of the galaxy's standards. We have virtually no contact outside this planet, and Nova figured this would be one of the last places anyone might look. Buy them some time to diffuse the situation with the people after these guys before they blow them to pieces."
For seemingly no reason, the red haired man then flicked the raccoon, only to fall on his ass when the raccoon lunged at him, receiving many annoyed looks from the rest of the group.
The same agent spoke again, confusion on his face. "Pardon me, but why is this Nova Corps putting all this effort into hiding... them?" The inflection was clear. What was so special about these dumbasses?
Fury, after witnessing the buffoonery, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, in addition to them being idiots." He punctuated the sentence with a sharp look toward the group, making the man and raccoon attempt to straighten up. "They've also managed to save the galaxy on more than one occasion. Nova is understandably less than willing to see them come to deadly harm. This is where you come in. We can't keep them here, so we need agents who can house them until everything blows over. Now, we're considering dividing them them among the five of you-"
"Wait! Whoa whoa whoa! You never said we'd be split up! We're a team! You can't split us up!" cried the red haired man. The rest of the group seemed agitated as well, and started to argue with Fury.
You heard a couple agents to your left whispering that they were in no way going to house any of them, and you couldn't help but agree as you watched the scene in front of you.
The blue man had the red haired man by the arm, irritably telling the younger to "Calm down, boy!" as the red haired man tried to pull away, yelling and pointing at Fury about how "This wasn't the deal!" The green woman was also yelling at the red haired man, something about having no choice if they wanted everyone to be safe, as the neck-tattoo guy just stood there, almost as if he didn't know whether to be angry or sad. The woman with the antennae looked even more frightened, now burying her face into the chest of the large tattooed man while he simultaneously patted her head comfortingly and somehow also managed a deadly look at your director. The raccoon had now hopped back on the table to comfort the little wooden creature, which was now crying, soothing it and saying, "It's ok, buddy, I'm not gonna let them separate us, I promise. Look at me, it's gonna be fine."
That's all it took, and you cursed yourself.
You rubbed a hand down your face. Damn it. "I'll do it." you said, voice raised just loud enough to be heard over the commotion.
Loud enough to capture Fury's attention. He turned away from the now quieting group and shared a brief look with Agent Hill. "What was that?"
You sighed, a voice in your mind yelling at you to reconsider. "I've got a place. Out of the way." Wait, what the hell are you doing? "I can take them." No. Turn back! It's not too late! "I mean, people will have to double up in the bedrooms, but I have the space to take them all." Dammit! What's wrong with you!?
Fury nodded. "Where do you live?"
"In the interest of security, sir, I think that's a conversation best had in private."
Fury smiled. "Good answer."
***
After Fury dismissed the other agents and discussed the whereabouts of your home and its security, he surprised you by declaring that you'd all be leaving within the hour.
You were taken a bit aback, having assumed you'd have some time to prepare, but agreed, assuming that time must be of the essence. Preparations could be made as you went, you supposed.
The ride to your home was a bit awkward, to be honest. Fury split the group between your car and a larger black SUV that he would be driving. In your vehicle you transported the red haired man and the green woman, who's names you learned were Peter and Gamora, along with agent Maria Hill in the front passenger seat. You assumed she had been assigned to ride with you rather than Fury for security purposes, but you didn't ask. Fury transported the rest, which you were sure would have been an interesting ride to say the least.
Your journey, however, was quite quiet. Peter kept trying to make conversation, but it never went much further than a couple-word answers from you or Maria. Reason being that you honestly just didn't know what to say, and you weren't exactly the most open book, and you'd never known Maria to be much of a conversationalist while on the job, though you two usually got on pretty well together.
Your home was an old double storey stone farmhouse set in the countryside, miles away from the nearest house, and even further away from the nearest town. The back of the property was a decent sized lot that emptied into a forest that also shielded around the sides, and at the front there were hedges and tall trees blocking the property from the sight of nearest road. It was easy to miss if you didn't know where to find the drive path that turned off the main road and winded up to the house. For all intents and purposes, to any average person taking a country drive, it was as if it wasn't even there, lost among the vast amount of trees.
Therefore, when you did finally arrive at your home a good bit later, you were more than surprised to find three black vans already parked in your drive. You were first alarmed, worried that somehow your location had already been compromised. You stayed behind the wheel for a moment, unsure of what to do, until you looked in the rearview mirror to see Fury and his lot exiting his vehicle. You looked to Maria in confusion.
"Yeah, there may be a bit more you need to be briefed on." she said in reply to a question that hadn't left your lips, smiling apologetically.
You got out of your car, followed by the rest of your passengers, and walked over to Fury who was standing in front of his passengers as they stared up at their new (hopefully) temporary lodging.
"What's going on here?" you asked when you reached him, gesturing to the men coming out of your house.
"Slow workmanship. They should have been done and gone 30 minutes ago." Fury said flatly, gazing at a man who nodded apologetically to the director and spoke into his walkie for his men to wrap up.
"Fury-" you say, your tone unamused.
"Agent Hill was supposed to brief you on the way over." he said, looking past you to Maria with a raised eyebrow.
"I considered that it might be better to wait until we reached the destination, sir, rather than inside of a moving vehicle, considering."
Fury half nodded as if in agreement, then turned to look back at your home. "We already scoped your place out a week ago. You're right, it was nearly the perfect place."
"Excuse me?" you say, eyes widening in confusion and surprise. What the hell did he mean he had already scoped it out a week prior? You had been under the impression these people had just been spontaneously dropped in Fury's lap.
"Your home," he said as if that would clarify things. "We had already looked into it, and other than needing a few adjustments, it was the perfect safe house to hide them."
"You- How-" you sputtered. You took a moment to gather your thoughts. "You mean to tell me that this was all already decided before you ever called that meeting?"
"Of course. It would have been irresponsible to drop them off at the first place we found."
"Then why call the meeting? Why the damn charade if this wasn't really my choice?" You were fighting not to raise your voice too much, but it still came out irritated. You threw an accusatory glance at the group, who were clearly listening in on the conversation, not like you had been quiet enough for them not to hear if they hadn't been. "Were you lot in on this?"
Peter held up his hands and shook his head defensively, as did a few of the others. You only narrowed your eyes and turned back to Fury as he spoke.
"Oh, you always had a choice, I just wanted to make sure you'd be willing." Fury said calmly, only now turning to look at you. "I knew you'd say yes."
"How could you possibly know I'd say yes!?"
"Well you did, didn't you?" You could almost hear laughter in his voice. The fucker practically seemed pleased with himself. You could feel your blood boiling.
"Oh yeah? How do you know I won't take it back after this stunt?"
Fury turned back to watch the vans turn around to exit the drive. "You won't. I know that well enough."
"How can you be so sure?" you say defiantly.
The Guardians look to each other worriedly. What if you did take it back because this Fury guy pissed you off? Would they have to be separated? Would they have to find a whole new planet to hide on?
Yondu eyed you as you asked your director how he was sure you wouldn't take back your offer, expecting him to say that he would be paying you too much to refuse, but he didn't expect the answer that actually came out of Fury's mouth.
"Because you offered with asking how you'd be compensated, and you still haven't asked. That, and I read your face like an open book." He now grinned as he looked at you, saying much softer, "You don't have it in you to turn them away."
You felt your face grow hot and you stuttered a bit before looking up at the sky in defeat, sighing at the darkening clouds beginning to gather overhead, a testament to your torment, to be sure. "Fine." you say. Suddenly remembering what he said, you looked back at him, "What did you mean by adjustments?"
Maria smiled at Fury as she placed a hand on your back and guided you towards the door. The other's followed.
"I know this seems like an intrusion, but we promise we didn't hurt anything. We simply added a couple beds, stocked the pantry, and updated the plumbing and wiring."
"The plumbing was fine," you grumbled, "and I was working on the wiring."
"Your home is just over 200 years old. The plumbing might have been fine when it was just you here, but now you'll be housing eight other people. I think you can understand why we would consider improving it." Fury stated, almost like a reprimand to your stubbornness. You eye him, wondering how he could know how old your home was, but you supposed he knew that the same way he knew where to find your home a week before you ever told him where it was.
Because he was Fury.
Looks were exchanged among the Guardians as they entered the home behind you, surprised to hear of the age of your home to see it in such nice condition. Though, if you had been living here they supposed it shouldn't have come to much surprise that you would have cared for it.
The front door opened up to a large hall featuring a staircase to the left. On either side of the entrance were two more doors.
Maria lead you all through the door on the right into the kitchen to briefly show they had stocked the pantry with some foods they, The Guardians as you heard them referred to as, were used to, to make the transition to Earth foods easier. They would be making bi-weekly supply drops to your home to keep the pantry stocked to feed all of them, but the food would soon be coming only from Earth, as it would be both expensive, and a possible security risk to try and keep importing foods from outer space.
You all then exited the kitchen and travelled up the stairs while Maria explained that everyone's bags had already been placed in the rooms based on what they assumed would be the correct sleeping arrangements. Of course, everyone was free to switch it up at their discretion. Once at the top of the stairs you instinctually step forward and reach up to pull the string for the light, as the hall was a bit dim due to the fading light outside, but you find it missing.
"Where the hell did-" you think softly out loud, looking up to see the whole fixture had been changed. The light then came on by itself and embarrassingly resulted in you startling in surprise. You turn to see Fury grinning slightly while shaking his head, his finger still near a switch that definitely wasn't there before you left the house that morning.
"Man, they weren't kidding when they said you Terran types were primitive, eh Pete?"
You shot the raccoon an offended look before Fury reminded you that they had updated your wiring. You blushed and looked at the new switch suspiciously, wondering how they managed to rewire your house so quickly without destroying the walls, but resisted the urge to sarcastically accuse him of witchcraft lest you give these 'Guardians' the idea that you were actually scared of electricity. Not that you cared what they thought, or anything.
Maria motioned to the first door on the left of the landing, and said to you that they naturally assumed it was the one you slept in, as it appeared to be the only one currently being inhabited. You nodded that she was correct and she continued, opening the door and informing you that they had added an extra bed and had placed Mantis's bag inside. She pointed to the woman with the antennae, indicating that's who she was referring to.
You silently nod again, a gesture that you were accepting of this arrangement. Of everything else they had done, this was one of the lesser intrusive things, next to the pantry. The woman seemed like one of the least annoying of the bunch, so you weren't going to argue. Could be worse. They could have put the raccoon or the dude with red hair in there.
You didn't see, but Mantis let out a sigh of relief at this knowledge that you weren't going to be angry about sharing your room with her. Her mood immediately brightened, convinced she was about to make a new friend.
You peeked into the room as the others pushed forward with Maria. Inside was your wooden framed single sized bed, only now pressed against the right side of the room from where it had previously been centered beneath the window. A new bed had now been set up on the left side of the room, opposite corner from your own, to leave clearance for the attic door. This bed was a black metal framed single, already fitted with grey and white sheets.
You naturally assumed Fury's team decided to add similar beds to the other rooms while also making use of the remaining beds that were already there, and so you didn't follow the others to see. You didn't really care to see, hadn't been in those rooms much in years for a reason.
You just crossed your arms and leaned to rest back against your doorframe and watched on as Maria sorted them into the rooms and Fury took to standing in the corner opposite of you, watching everything.
Fury's team had apparently placed the belongings of the blue man and the man with the neck tattoos in the room directly across from your own, and you learned their names were Yondu and Kraglin, respectively.
They placed the large man, raccoon, and wooden child all in the room further down at the end of the landing on that side, and you learned the large man was called Drax, the raccoon was Rocket, and the tiny wooden child was Groot. Something twisted in your belly seeing the little wooden child shyly peek into the room from atop Drax's shoulder, but you forced it down. No time to think about who previously owned that room right now.
The raccoon could be heard complaining, "You're seriously gonna make me sleep in a crib?"
The twisting came back, and you looked at Fury, ignoring the snickers and banter from the raccoon's friends as they both teased him for his misfortune and told him to get over it.
"We might have taken advantage of some furniture in the attic." Fury said, shrugging.
"It was locked." you say, your eyes narrowed. How would he even know to look up there? Did they literally go through your entire house when they 'scouted' it?
"So was the front door."
You sigh bitterly, only eyeing him in response.
"Is there a problem?" Fury asked, not altogether sincerely.
You shake your head and break his gaze. "It's fine."
Directly across from the previous room, Maria informed the ones you now knew as Gamora and Peter that that's where their belongings had been placed, Maria stating that they hoped they weren't being forward in assuming the pair were a couple. Gamora only nodded and said it was fine, while Peter gave her a cheeky grin that made her roll her eyes. Them being in that particular room meant you'd be sharing a wall with them, and with the knowledge that they were a couple you hopped it wouldn't mean you'd wind hearing any... 'special' noises at night while you were trying to sleep.
Once everyone knew where they'd be sleeping and seemed happy enough with the pre-arranged sleeping arrangements courtesy of who you were now mentally dubbing Intruder Fury, neck tattoo man-Kraglin- looked at Maria and asked where the restroom happened to be.
You lowered a hand from where it had previously been crossed over your chest and rapped twice on the wall, getting his attention, and pointed to the only still closed door to your left, centered in the wall across from the opening to the stairs.
He nodded in thanks, seeming slightly embarrassed that he had forgotten that this was, in fact, your house and not Intruder Fury's or Co-Intruder Hill's.
Fury gave you an unimpressed look that you read as, "Use your words." and you spoke up saying there was another bathroom downstairs if anyone else needed it. Peter spoke up saying that he could use it, and so you nodded your head towards the stairs in a "come on then" gesture and lead him as well a couple others downstairs to point where it was, down the hall towards the back of the house, past the kitchen. It was the only door at the end the hall that could be seen from where you stood, so he couldn't miss it.
Maria and Fury met you at the bottom of the stairs behind the rest of the Guardians, sans Kraglin of course.
"We trust everyone will settle in nicely," Fury said, turning a pointed look at the Guardians as he said "and will be on their best behavior." This earned a few nods from the group and he then turned to you, adding almost jokingly, "Would you like to finish the tour?"
You pointed towards the kitchen and spoke flatly, "Food's in there, so is laundry," you pointed towards the bathroom Peter had disappeared into, "Shower and toilet's in there," you pointed upstairs, "Sleep's up there," you opened the door to your left, the only room not yet explored that you were willing to open, and pointed inside, "Sitting room is in there. Watch TV, read, knock yourselves out."
Fury spoke first. "I get the way we went about this situation may seem less than ideal to you, but I assure you there's no need to be testy."
"I have every right to be 'testy.' You couldn't have just asked? If you really somehow already knew I'd say yes than why go through all-" you waved your hands around, trying to find the words, "You had to go and be all... you?!" There was an edge to your voice that drove the message. He had manipulated you, if that were even the right word for it. He had this all planned out in advance, made you a puzzle piece, you fell right where he said he knew you would, and you were meant to what? Smile about it?
"I could have," he conceded, looking thoughtful, "But that's not how I do things."
"You shook your head. You're a real piece of work, you know that?"
Fury only nodded once in response before asking, "Do you have any further questions?"
You look out the door window briefly to see the clouds had gotten much darker. "Looks like rain, director. Better hurry, wouldn't want you to get wet." The edge to your voice got sharper. Fury simply nodded with a half smile. Message received. Get out.
The Guardians, who hadn't gotten your hint to go shoo off someplace, remain stood in the hall, glancing at each other awkwardly. It surprised them that a man like Fury, and the way he seemed to be, would be seemingly so cool with the way you were speaking to him.
You spoke again as he reached for the door. "See you tomorrow. Ottawa case, right?"
Fury stopped. "Actually no. You won't be coming in tomorrow."
You blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You've been moved off that case to this one, we won't be shipping you off to Canada. In fact, you're off all further cases for the foreseeable future."
"Am I being punished for something, sir?" you ask, the edge still not having left your voice, but it was now softened by confusion.
"No." Fury replied, "If anything, consider it a vacation."
"I did not ask for a vacation, sir." you say, trying to bite back the irritation in your voice. "I have no desire to just stay home."
Maria looked at Fury with a 'told-you-so' expression, stating to him that she had known you wouldn't have taken this well.
Fury looked at you firmly. "You're due for one, and we need someone to stay and guard them. You already live here, they're staying here- Two birds, one stone."
Your face hardened in indignation. "So I'm a babysitter now? Look, if you're retiring me just say so."
The Guardians still stood there awkwardly, Kraglin finally coming down the stairs to quietly join them, eyes wide and wondering where all the tension had come from. Maria tilted her head toward the sitting room, hoping they might get the hint. They did, awkwardly backing into the room, not wishing to interrupt your argument with Fury.
"You're not being retired-"
"Good. Then I can keep working. There's literally no reason why I need to stay home."
"You haven't taken a vacation in five years." Fury said, the authoritative tone in his voice rising, "This isn't a request. It's an order."
Peter then exists the bathroom, saying "What did I miss-" and almost shrinking back inside when he notices his friends are gone and the tense looks between you and Fury. Mercifully, Agent Hill gestures him to the sitting room and he sidesteps his way past while you ignore him, too focused on trying to burn Fury with your eyes.
Knowing you had no options and could make no further arguments, you angrily yielded. "Yes, sir." you say bitterly.
"That's better. If you need anything you know how to contact me or Agent Hill." With that he bid you goodbye and opened the door.
It was now beginning to rain outside.
"Warned you about that rain." you snarked as he made his way out the door.
***
Agent Hill looked at Fury as they entered his vehicle, the rain coming down harder now.
"Stubborn as hell, that one." Fury remarked, turning his key in the ignition.
Maria agreed, but also stated she thought this might be good for you as they drove away.
***
You stood there in the hall for a good moment before Gamora asked if everything was ok from the doorway of the sitting room. You looked at her, and she went on to apologize for their intrusion in your home but also said they were grateful you allowed them to stay.
She started to say something else, probably was going to be more apologies border-lining on 'please don't change your mind,' but you raised your hand and cut her off, "Don't worry about it. It's not you guy's fault he's an asshole," you say. You look at her and you can see she is tired, probably both from lack of sleep and worry. You try to be more gentle. "Look, it's fine. Just... settle in. I know it's late, but there's food in the kitchen if you guys are hungry, I'm- I'm gonna go clean something." You break eye contact and head into the kitchen, sure there was at least a plate or glass in the sink you could tend to.
Sure, enough, once you got to the sink you noticed a few dishes from the morning, and so you turned on the tap. You decided cold water was good enough, not feeling like waiting for the immersion to heat up, but you turned the knob for the hot water anyway out of habit. Realizing you had thrown the old dish rag in the laundry without replacing it, you allowed the water to run while you searched the drawer for another.
You heard footsteps entering the kitchen as you returned to the sink, and assume someone must have finally decided they were hungry. Not turning to greet whoever it was, you absently run the cloth under the tap to get it wet- only to immediately rip it back with a, "g-OW! Damn! Fuck!"
You doubled over, holding your burning hand.
"You ok? What happened?"
You look up, squinting through pain, to see Drax had asked the question, standing in the doorway with Mantis and Gamora, the little tree child sitting on her shoulder.
You breathed. "Yeah. One of those fuckers must have turned the immersion on and left it." You straighten yourself, your hand still smarted but you knew it'd be alright, and turned off the tap with the dishrag. "I'll check it out."
You exit the kitchen through the other door at the far end of the room to check the hot press to the right of the cellar door behind the stairs, intent to turn the immersion off, and bitterly wondering just how long it had been left on for. However, once you opened the door your immersion was nowhere to be seen. You stared in confusion at the new pipes that now ran straight through the floor into the cellar before noticing a note taped to the back wall that only said "Upgraded to boiler. Check basement. ♡ Maria."
You narrowed your eyes and opened the cellar door, already pulling out your phone as you descended the stairs. You quickly located this new boiler fairly quickly. It was cylindrical in shape and black in color, and much larger than your previous heating unit, probably why it was now in the cellar. You dialed the phone, the first word out of your mouth when you got an answer was simply, "Why?"
***
The other guardians in the sitting room had also heard your swearing and peeked out of the room just in time to see you walking very cranky-like across the hall. They looked at the three standing in the kitchen doorway and they only shrugged in response to their quizzical glances.
Curious, and hearing you walk down the stairs, Peter and Kraglin tiptoed over to the Cellar door to see what was going on, standing just off from the door. They caught bits of your end of the conversation.
"Why?" ...
"Well, yes I can understand that, but-" ...
"Well you could have warned me! I just about burned my hand off!" ...
"Fine. How does it work?" ...
"No, I'm not going to-" ...
"Yes, I know they-" ...
"You know what, I'll figure it out. Bye."
They hear you start to climb the steps and scurry back to the sitting room, not wishing to make it apparent they were eavesdropping on their new host.
You re-enter the kitchen and grab a glass of milk to soothe your nerves, seeing as it was now raining buckets and you couldn't be bothered for a walk as you would have preferred.
You sit at the table and look to see the three still standing in the doorway. You raise an eyebrow. "You alright there?" Thinking bizarrely that they must be shy you gesture towards the pantry. "Food's over there if you're hungry."
Drax merely shrugged and took up the offer, guiding Mantis over with him, but not before accepting Groot from Gamora.
Gamora stepped towards the table and took a seat across from you. "I couldn't help but notice you seem less than happy about this arrangement, I'm sorry-"
You cut her off once again. "Don't be sorry. I already told you it's not your fault Fury can be a dick. It's just a lot of new all at once and I wasn't expecting it. You're fine." You take another sip of milk, finally realizing what it was that she was actually afraid of. "You don't need to be scared that I'll send you back or anything."
She actually seemed to relax a bit. "Thank you. If there's anything-"
You set your glass on the table and fold your hands. Sentiment made you uncomfortable. "Look, as long as you guys clean up after yourselves and don't destroy my home, we're fine." Looking for a change of subject you said, "Why don't you introduce the rest of your friends. It couldn't hurt to get to know you a little."
Gamora smiled slightly. "Well, that's Drax and Mantis." she said, pointing to the two who were now coming back to sit down with their snacks. "And this is Groot," she added once Mantis sat the child on the table.
You smiled. "Cute little bugger, isn't he?"
"I am Groot!" he said excitedly, taking a bite of a food you didn't recognize. Must have been one of those outer-space types.
"Hello, Groot. How are you?"
"I am Groot."
You raised an eyebrow. "Um.." Maybe he misunderstood you?
Before you could ask again, Drax speaks up. "That's all he can say. He means he's ok."
"Oh." You nod slightly and take a sip of your milk, bemused. "I see."
The four of you conversed for a little bit. You learned that Drax liked knives, and he seemingly took everything very literally. Mantis was sweet, and she was convinced you two would be friends. She also said she was excited to share a room with you, because it would be like a sleepover. Gamora gave you a smile that seemed to say "forgive her," but you honestly weren't too bothered. It was almost sweet. Before you could ask about Gamora though, she stood up and asked if you'd like to meet the others.
You shrugged and nodded, placing your now empty glass in the sink before following her out to the sitting room where the other men were.
You walked in and saw Peter sitting in an armchair listening to a music player, seemingly ignoring the other two men as they stood looking weirdly at the TV. The blue man tilted his head at it, a hand to his chin in thought, while the other waved his arms slowly in front of it saying, "I dunno. Maybe it's broken?" He looked ridiculous.
You stifle a laugh and asked, "What are you doing?"
They turn to you, the blue man speaks. "Tryin' to figure out how to turn on this Terran TV of yers. Rat says they're motion activated, but nothin' we do is workin.'"
You give him a strange look. "Motion-? No- You just use the remote."
Then you hear a snickering and find it's coming from the raccoon, perched on the back of the couch. "Rocket." Gamora says in a mix of scolding and accusation, and he starts laughing harder, jumping down on the cushions to retrieve the controller from between them. "You guys looked so stupid! Ahaha!"
Yondu glares and Kraglin snatches the remote, flipping the television on and raising his hands in an annoyed "There we go!" gesture, sharing an annoyed look with Yondu at Rocket.
You motion to one of the game controllers on the coffee table, stating they'd want to use one of those if they wanted to actually watch something, as the first controller only turned the TV on.
Before you could offer to show them how to use Netflix, Gamora started introducing the remaining guardians.
Peter removed his earbuds and greeted you, standing to shake your hand, only to be shot down by you saying there was no need to be so formal, keeping to yourself the fact that despite working for Fury, you hated formal with a passion. He held up his hands and sat back down. "No problem there. We're probably the least formal people you can get." he said with a smile. You didn't see, but Gamora gave him a warning look that kept him from putting his feet up on the table.
The other two men and the raccoon seemed to agree with Peter, and nodded their greetings to you instead when introduced.
"Say, just curious, but how come it's just you living in this big ol' house by yerself?" came a question from Yondu.
You probably should have expected that question, but you didn't like it all the same. You were trying to decided if 'Don't worry about it' would be too rude of an answer when Peter notices the change in your expression and adds his own question out of fear that Yondu had offended you in some way. "How long have you been here? Fury said this place was old."
You chose to answer Peter's question instead. "Grew up here. House has been in the family since it was built."
"Oh. Cool." said Peter.
Not looking forward to any more possible questions about yourself you looked up to the clock and found your way out.
"Well, it's nearly ten, I think I'll turn in early." you say, excusing yourself.
Just then a loud thunderclap sounded and you heard a squeal from the kitchen.
"Kid scared of storms?" you ask, looking to Gamora.
The lights go out. You hear a scream.
"Nah, but apparently Bug is." says Yondu.
Realizing he likely meant Mantis, and that Mantis was your new roommate, you sigh. "I'll get a flashlight."
The lights flickered back on.
"Nevermind."
Everyone pretty much decided to go to bed after that, Mantis shyly shuffling into the bedroom a few minutes after you to retrieve some items from her bag and coming back dressed for bed as you scrolled through Tumblr, having already washed up and dressed for bed.
She crawled into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.
Thunder cracked again and she whimpered. You honestly felt a little bad for her.
"Do... does this happen often?" she asked.
"The storm? No." you answered honestly. "It'll be over soon. Just try to sleep." You stand up to turn the light off but pause, turning back to the curled up form on the bed opposite of your own, your face softening. "Would you like me to leave a lamp on?"
Mantis nodded.
You click on your desk lamp before turning off the overhead light and crawling into your own bed. You heard her say goodnight to you from across the room.
"Night," you return, turning toward the wall.
They were an odd lot, a bit dysfunctional, but you decided they were ultimately harmless. 'This whole ordeal will be over before I know it,' you thought as you closed your eyes.
You'd find out soon enough that you thought wrong.
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yikesharringrove · 3 years
Text
Egg the Cat
Chapter 3
Read on Ao3
-
Billy had to double-check to make sure he hadn't accidentally followed someone else home from the party.
Because Steve lived in a fucking mansion.
“Jesus Christ .” Billy stared at the house. “You didn’t tell me you’re fucking royalty .” Steve rolled his eyes, leading Billy towards the house.
“Can it. You got the booze?” Billy shook the bottle at him.
Steve looked better. Like maybe he had gotten a bit of a handle on himself.
Billy followed him into the pool of light cast over the porch, the unmistakable scream of a very excited cat sounding from inside.
Steve pushed open the door, bending immediately to scoop up his purring cat, holding her close to him as he went inside.
Billy gave a low whistle as he took off his boots, lining them neatly next to Steve’s shoes.
Steve just climbed the stairs, assumed Billy was following.
Steve’s bedroom was nice enough.
Felt as impersonal as the rest of the gaudy house, but there was a cat tree by the window, and a cat bed Egg ignored in favor of curling up on Steve’s lap as he settled in bed, sitting up against the headboard.
Billy didn’t know what to do with himself.
Last time he was in another boy’s bedroom, very different things were happening.
But then Steve gave him an odd look, eyes flicking to the spot next to himself, and Billy took that as his cue.
“I can’t drink a lot. Gotta be home in three hours.” His dad had a very clear rule about curfew: You miss it, don’t bother coming home.
“This is for me, anyway.” Steve gave him the weakest smile Billy’s ever seen, taking the bottle from Billy’s hand, and taking a long pull.
He grimaced at the taste, gasping for breath.
“That’s fucking rank .”
“Not used to cheap liquor?” Steve swatted at his arm, but took one more pull before passing the bottle to Billy.
Egg was still settled in his lap, and Steve ran long fingers through her dark fur.
“She can always tell when I’m feeling bad. Gets extra snuggly.”
“More snuggly than at the diner?”
“Nah, that was the more. She could tell I had been freaking out looking for her.” Her ear twitched and her tail swished, like she knew they were talking about her. “She’s the smartest cat in the world, I think.” He was quiet for a few moments as Billy took a drink from the bottle. “Took better care ‘a me than Nancy ever did. That’s for damn sure.”
“Sucks that she dumped you like that. All drunk and shit.”
“Isn’t there an expression? Drunk words are sober thoughts? Wish she had gotten drunk a year ago. Woulda saved me a lot of fucking trouble.” Egg perked up, standing to pace on Steve’s lap, curling up again, her chin resting on his tummy. “See? Has a fuckin’ sixth sense for when I’m upset.” She purred, her eyes closing as Steve scratched between her ears, down her back.
“How long have you had her?”
“Like five years? Someone was just, giving her away. Said he didn’t need bad omens, or whatever. ‘Cause she’s a black cat. I think that’s fuckin stupid. She’s brought me nothing but good.” Egg purred again, blinking slowly at Steve, nipping playfully at his fingers.
She really was cute.
Billy had never been much of a cat person, always favored dogs a bit more.
But Egg was so human, the way she tracked their conversation, like she could understand it.
“Man, don’t laugh.” Steve took the bottle from Billy, taking another long pull, shuddering halfway through. “I’m already feelin’ this. Haven’t drunk in so long .”
“Pussy.” Steve huffed a laugh, Egg meowed as his stomach shifted, jostling her head. He let the silence sit for a moment, just watched Steve’s fingers stroke through thick dark fur.
“So, uh, are you like, friends with Tommy?” Steve’s voice was way too measured, his tone far too light and casual.
“Who?”
“Tommy. The guy that was parading you around all night.”
“Oh, uh Karate Kid, guy?”
“Yeah.”
“No. He just kinda started talking at me, told me to do a keg stand. Said the guy that still held the record was a poser.” Steve outright laughed at that.
“Yeah, you broke my record tonight. I’m the poser.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
Billy turned to look at Steve, found him smiling this stupid fond smile at the cat on his lap. The room was dim, only one lamp clicked on, throwing a warm glow around the room.
“Can I ask you what happened? You said you used to be hot shit.”
“Nancy.” Steve’s smile evaporated like a flash. “I used to be a real douchebag. Ruled that fucking school. I mean, it’s not like I liked myself. I could definitely be called a bully, like, which sucks. But, you know. I had friends. I was popular. All that.”
“But she didn’t like that.”
“Nope.” Steve made sure to pop the ‘p’. “It’s not like she blatantly said that, but I could tell. I think that, I think that the changes have been good, like I’m nicer to people now. But I kinda cut off all my friends. Just hang out with her most of the time. And now-” Steve trailed off, taking another swig of shitty tequila. “Guess it’s just me and Eggy.”
“You say that like I’m not sitting right here.” Steve smiled at him, a real one, not the tight ones he’s been using all night.
“You hang out with me, you’re gonna be a fucking laughing stock, new kid.”
“Oh, come on. Have you seen me? I could literally never be a laughing stock. If anything, I'll make you cool again.” Steve just hmmmn ed at Billy, his eyes going a little far away.
“I don’t know if I really, really care about that anymore, if I’m being honest.” He swallowed thickly. “Some major shit went down last year. Like, more than Nancy shit. Kinda put things in perspective, I guess.” Egg had sat up, kneading at Steve’s stomach, making a noise like a little cat alarm.
Egg was so in tune with Steve it was utterly fucking ridiculous. They must be wired directly into one another’s brains.
“What kinda major shit?” Steve was quiet. Egg began walking up him, stepping softly until she settled on his chest, her chin resting on his shoulder, little pink nose tucked into his neck.
“Just like, major shit. Like, like people died kinda major.”
“Damn.”
“Like, I legally can’t talk about it kinda major.” Egg sniffed in his neck.
“What, you get mixed up in some kinda lawsuit or some shit?” Steve just sighed.
“Man, I just said I legally can’t say anything.” But he had a ghost of a smile on his face when he turned to look at Billy. “Can I ask you something?”
“Free country.” Steve rolled his eyes.
“Why Hawkins ?”
“You asked me that like, three times yesterday.”
“And you never answered.”
“I said my dad remarried and wanted a-”
“Fresh start, yeah. But you could move one town over and have that. You could stay in the same damn state and do that. Why Hawkins ?”
There was something more behind Steve’s voice, something strained.
Billy just looked back up at the ceiling.
He had to take a breath, talking himself out of actually telling Steve. Telling him how Neil wanted him out of California, where gay bars were only a short drive away. Where Billy could cruise the piers, where a carefully toned you goin’ my way? could lead to a sloppy blowjob in the car.
Hawkins wasn’t necessarily specific, but Neil had wanted a small, God-fearing town. One where he would know if Billy got up to anything unsavory.
“He found a job here,” he said lamely.
Everything in him was screaming to trust Steve. To tell him the truth. Which was just a fuck of a lot. Billy doesn't trust people. He just does not.
He blames Steve.
Blames those soft brown eyes.
“Well, that’s thrilling .” Billy rolled his eyes, smiling a little to himself.
“What were you expecting?”
“Something more exciting. You moved here from California. That’s like, the coolest place ever .”
“I lived in L.A., too.”
“So like, the coolest place in the coolest place.”
“You ever been?” Steve just gave him a dark look.
“Last time I left the state was ten years ago. My parents took me to Chicago.”
“Damn. You’re like, a true hick, then. Only know this little town.”
“That’s me. Pure hick .” He scratched Egg’s back hip. She purred softly. Billy took another long drink, officially calling that his last one. He needed to be sober by the time he went home. Couldn’t be loud and clumsy as he made his way to his room.
He just pressed the bottle into Steve’s hand.
They spent the rest of the time before Billy had to leave just talking.
It was nice, Steve filling him in on the Hawkins drama, told him which gas stations had better candy selections, that the liquor store on the corner of Haven and Burbank didn’t card. He told him that Andrew Conner always had good weed, but it was cheaper to buy from Lisa Kendle.
And the more Steve drank, the more his eyes drooped, the lazier his smiles got, the closer he scoot to Billy.
He was warm, pressed up to Billy’s side, cat still curled on his chest.
He listened with rapt attention as Billy gave him stories about California, about the boardwalk and metal shows, told him stories of his best hookups, told him they were girls.
He was in the middle of one story, switched out the name from Daniel to something more appropriate, when he looked over, found Steve knocked out, mouth hanging open, tequila dangerously close to spilling, cat sleeping soundly on his chest.
It made Billy falter.
He just took in the scene, wanting to remember it.
He moved slowly, tried not to shift the bed too much, and turned out the light in Steve’s bedroom as he left.
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Text
marry me
Summary: Shang-Chi and (Y/N) are best friends, but it's not enough. They want to be more, but can they be more?
Warnings: Angst? No spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the the Ten Rings, just one reference to the movie but it's not a spoiler.
Pairings: Shang-Chi x platonic!reader
Word Count: approx. 2,423
A/N: I based this off the song Marry Me by Thomas Rhett. Go give it a listen, it's a great song! I want to make more fics for Shang-Chi that aren't as angsty as this, but I wanna wait until more people have seen Shang-Chi so I can include scenes from the movie. Hope you enjoy this ❤️
“She wants to get married; she wants it perfect”
“So, when are you two getting married?” Your grandmother asked as she pointed between you and Shang-Chi.
You spit up your water, “Nana, we’ve been over this. Shaun and I are just friends.”
“Then why do you have a scrapbook in your room titled ‘My Dream Wedding’ if you don’t plan on getting married.” She sassed her granddaughter.
This isn’t the first time she had asked us if we were together. Every time (Y/N) just brushed it off as her being old and stuck in her ways. But this is the first time that I’ve heard of this scrapbook. “A scrapbook? This I have to see.” I grinned at (Y/N), her faced flushed and you could basically see the wheels in her mind working up an excuse as to why her nana had said that. But she couldn’t think of any.
“Nana, what did I tell you about snooping?” (Y/N) turned to scold her.
“What? I’m old and have nothing better to do. It has some very beautiful ideas. Have to both worked out the details or are they all your plans dear?”
(Y/N)’s face turned a deep red as I burst out in laughter. “Come on (Y/N), I have to see this” I held out her hand to bring her to her bedroom.
“Look, I’ve been planning my wedding since I was little, okay? I just want to let you know this isn’t some creepy shrine for you and me or something like that.” She said as she hesitantly took the book down from her top shelf above her bed frame.
“Oh, don’t worry, I KNOW this is a dedication to me and our love. You don’t have to hide it.” I chuckled as she punched my arm and gave me a threatening look.
“So basically, I have pictures that I’ve cut out from magazines or printed off from TV shows that I watch with my Nana that I think would go well with my overall theme.”
“She wants her granddaddy preach in the service”
“I originally was going to have my Papa do the service, but that was before he passed last year.” She looked down at the picture of him that she cut out and tapped down at the end of a poorly drawn alter. She put on a sad smile and sighed, “Hopefully by the time I do get married Nana is still around and I can get her ordained online. Then she can speak for both of them.”
“I’m sure she would love that.” I put a hand on her back to sooth her. She was the closest with her grandfather. Since her parents passed away in a car accident when she was young, they were all she had and he spoiled her rotten. Nana warned him not to let her turn too spoiled, they didn’t want her being a brat. But he assured her that he was just showering her with love. I couldn’t help but understand now why her grandfather would go through such trouble to make sure she felt loved. She is worth it.
“And she wants magnolias out in the country”
“I want to have the ceremony outside, have the alter be surrounded by magnolia trees.” She turned the page to pictures of roads and sidewalks lined with magnolia trees, beautiful shades of pink and white blooming across the page.
“Why magnolias?” I remember her telling me years ago that her favorite flower was a white rose, so I thought that she would for sure have those.
“They were my mother’s favorite.” She smiled, “If I’m going to have a ceremony where I’m bringing someone into my family, I want them all there. Even if it’s just in spirit.” She chuckled as she pointed to the single picture of her mother with a crown of magnolias on her head, spinning around in the sun. “I would always make her flower crowns of them, and I think that’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her.”
“I think that her seeing you on your wedding day would’ve made her even happier.” I say, hoping to reassure her. I never met her mother or father. They were gone before I even came to the US. But when I met her, she had this spark in her still, I imagine that it’s the spark she got from her mother. The same spark she seems to have in this photo.
“Not too many people, save her daddy some money”
“So, how are you planning on paying for all this? I mean, realistically a job valeting cars won’t get you far.” I was hoping to try to get her to change the subject so she wouldn’t get too upset looking through this book.
“My daddy left me his savings in his will. My Nana and Papa saved it for when I went to college, but I got enough scholarships I didn’t need it. So, I figured I’d save it for my wedding or buying a house.” She shrugged, “Like I said, I want all the people important to me with me that day. But I will have to have a smaller ceremony because it’s not that much money he’s left. I think I’d invite family and the few close friends that are like family.”
“She got it all planned out. I can see it all right now. I’ll wear my black suit, black tie, hide out in the back.”
“Of course, I’ve made sure you’ll be on the guestlist.” She flipped the next page and pointed to the picture of me and her on prom night our senior year. I’m in a black suit and tie, she had a soft blush pink dress that flowed down to the floor with white magnolias in her pinned-up hair. This was the first time I was able to really picture it all. Not just looking at pictures, but what it would look like as I walked around the place myself. I can see myself hiding in the back as we get ready for the ceremony to start, making some last-minute adjustments to my suit. Making sure my hair looked okay.
“I’ll do a strong shot of whiskey straight out the flask. I’ll try to make it through without crying, so nobody sees.”
I’d probably have to take a shot to ease my nerves. I wonder if I’d be one of those people who would cry as soon as she walked down the aisle.
“This is the dress that I want.” Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts, she showed me a dress that would fit her perfect. It was flowing but puffy. She had a long train and lace accents all over. She would look like a princess. I can see her perfectly in the dress, and not just because she cut a photo of her head out and taped it over the model of the dress, but because I think it is exactly the type of dress, I would expect her to wear. This answers my question, I would definitely be the first one to cry as I saw her walking down the aisle.
“It’s perfect. You’ll look perfect.” I whisper to her. I could see her holding onto my every word. Like she wanted to hear nothing more than those words. I slowly moved my hand from her back up to her cheek and cupped her face. “Everything is perfect.” I tell her. Her skin lights up under my touch, as if it’s a flame setting fire to her body.
“Yeah, she wanna get married. But she don’t wanna marry me. I remember the night when I almost kissed her. I kinda freaked out, we’ve been friends for forever. And I’d always wonder if she felt the same way.”
I’ve never wanted to kiss her more than right now. I’ve thought about it before, but never needed it like I do right now. She started to lean in, eyes fluttering shut. It’s now or never. But something stopped me. I don’t know if it was my nerves, or if it was just too much all at once, imagining us get married, but I just couldn’t do it. She felt me pull away and stopped herself, she shot her eyes open and realized that she read the situation wrong. But she didn’t read it wrong, I just chickened out. I’ve wanted this since the day I met her, but it was just too scary. What if we ended up breaking up and hating each other? She was too important for me to lose.
She just cleared her throat and acted as if nothing happened, turning the next page of her scrapbook.
“When I got the invite, I knew it was too late. And I know, her daddy’s been dreadin’ this day. Although he don’t know he ain’t the only one givin’ her away.”
I woke up to the sound of my alarm, turning over to shut it off I felt the paper I had cried over last night. An invite to (Y/N)’s dream wedding. After the night when she showed me her scrapbook, she seemed to become distant. I don’t know if it’s because we almost kissed and I seemed to reject her, or if she just got too busy with her new boyfriend, but it broke my heart more and more every day until I was just numb. That was 3 years ago, now she had moved on and found someone who wasn’t afraid to grow up and commit to her.
I’d been to see her Nana a couple times after she had started dating him and she scolded me just as I had scolded myself.
“You know, I was really hoping it would’ve been you. You would’ve been perfect together.” She shook her head in disappointment as I helped her in the kitchen while (Y/N) and her boyfriend set the table in the dining room. “I don’t like him as much as I like you.” She sighed and went back to chopping her tomatoes.
“No one’s more disappointed than I am Nana.” I looked down at my hands, feeling empty without hers in them.
“I’ll wear my black suit, black tie, hide out in the back. I’ll do a strong shot of whiskey straight out the flask. I’ll try to make it through without cryin’ so nobody sees. Yeah, she wanna get married, but she don’t wanna marry me.”
“Hey, did you get the invite?” (Y/N) called me shortly after I’d woken up, knowing when my alarm was set for.
“Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“I know that we haven’t been… the closest lately… but I hope you’ll still come. Afterall you’re in the scrapbook.” She chuckled, hoping she could bring me around to the idea of going. She still didn’t know why I’d distanced myself from her all these years. I can imagine I’ve hurt her, but I only hurt myself every time I see her with him, so I had to do it. “I asked Sam if he’d be willing to make you a best man, since I can’t have you as a bridesmaid. He said of course you could be. It really would mean the world to me if you would.”
While I wanted to be nowhere near Sam, helping him celebrate his wedding day with the love of my life, I wanted nothing more than to be there for her. No matter how she wanted me there.
“Of course, I’ll be a best man. I wouldn’t miss your wedding if the world was ending.” I smiled through the phone, knowing she wouldn’t see just how broken it was.
“Ah! Yay! I was hoping you’d say yes! I can’t wait to tell him. I’ll talk to you later, love you.”
I hung up before I could say anything back.
The day of her wedding came sooner than I’d hoped. It was a beautiful spring wedding with the pink magnolias surrounding the alter in full bloom. I was in a black suit and tie with a flask of whiskey hidden in my coat pocket. I was in the back helping Sam make his last preparations when I saw her.
“But she got on her dress now, welcomin’ the guests now. I could try to find her, get it off of my chest now.”
She was stunning. The sun shining off her in the most perfect way. She was out greeting guests before the ceremony started, in her reception gown, saving the real gown for later when no one would see. Even in this substitute dress I couldn’t help dropping my jaw when she turned my way. She came over to me and threw her arms around me. “I know I’m supposed to be getting ready, but I couldn’t wait to see you.” She whispered in my ear. God did I miss her.
“(Y/N), there’s something I want to tell you.” I start to work up the courage. It was now or never.
“But I ain’t gonna mess this up, so I wish her the best now. I’m in my black suit, black tie and out in the back. Doin’ a strong shot of whiskey straight out the flask. I’ll try to make it through without cryin’ so nobody sees. Yeah, she wanna get married. But she don’t wanna marry me.”
“Yeah Shang-Chi?” She looked up at me as she pulled away from me. She looked so perfect. I just wanted to tell her everything on my chest and run away from all this with her. Live happily ever after. But this is real life, this is a wedding she’s planned out since she was a kid. She wants it to be perfect. I can’t take that from her.
“Everything is perfect. You look perfect.” I force a smile as she grins and giggles at me.
“You’re so dramatic, but I love that about you.” She kissed my cheek and told me she’d save me a dance as she went back to her dressing room to finish getting ready.
I pulled the flask out of my jacket and took a strong swig. Sam was calling me over to get in line at the altar.
Bridesmaids one through four walked down the aisle carrying bouquets of pink magnolias. She followed them up in her beautiful gown, straight out of her scrapbook. A bouquet of white roses with pink magnolias blossomed out of her hands. She absolutely took my breath away, but it wasn’t me she was marching towards.
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rahleeyah · 3 years
Text
Did somebody ask for Nick Amaro punching Elliot Stabler in the face?
It's nice to be back in New York. He wishes it was under different circumstances - Christ does he wish - but he missed the city. LA isn't the same. Zara's there, and Gil's in San Diego, and they have both grown so much in the last five years and he wouldn't have missed that for anything, but he does wish, sometimes, that they could have stayed at home. In New York. 
He's come to bury his mother and clean out her apartment. Before that gets started, though, he's got some faces he wants to see. He doesn't know for sure if they'll still be there, doesn't know what he'll find, but he knows he has to look, and in his heart he believes that as long as Liv is still alive and in possession of two good legs, she'll be at SVU. That place, it's more than just a job, to her. It's a calling. She's a goddamn crusader. 
For a minute he stands looking up at the station, weighing whether or not he wants to go in. Whether or not he wants to know what's happened to Barba, and Carisi, and Fin, and Rollins. Shit. Rollins. No way is she still there, he thinks. 
He could have called. Should have called. Friends for life, he and Liv had promised each other, and they are, and they will be, but not the kind of friends who call each other and gab on the phone on Saturday afternoons. The kind of friends who'll take a bullet for each other, who'll drop everything and fly to the other side of the country after five years of no contact, if that's what they need. But not Facebook friends. It's just not in their DNA. They're bound by blood now; they don't need a phone call. 
So he takes a deep breath and walks into the station, gets on the elevator behind some asshole in a flashy suit like the kind Barba used to wear, and the guy is talking on his phone but he's pressed the button for SVU so Nick can't escape him, just has to stand there and listen. 
"I'm not asking, I'm telling," the guy says. "why? 'Cause I'm your father, that's why." 
The guy's tone and the words coming out of his mouth remind Nick forcefully of his own father, and that makes him hate this man he doesn't even know. The door slides open and Nick goes to step out but the guy must not have registered he's there; the guy almost steps on him on his way out of the elevator and doesn't even apologize, just hangs up his phone and goes heading towards SVU and Nick is once again following him. His knee never healed right and Nick isn't as quick as he used to be, and the guy gets further and further ahead of him. 
"She here?" The guy calls to a young female detective sitting at one of the desks. The squad room looks completely different, now, and for a second Nick feels like all the breath has just been knocked out of him. The girl says yeah, go on back, and the suit heads for Liv's office. Must be the ADA, Nick thinks. And shit, this is weird. It's like walking into his childhood home and seeing another family living there. It's like finding out there's no such thing as home, really. Like whatever home is, one day you stop belonging there. 
"Help you?" The girl calls to him. 
"Yeah," he says. It's too late to pretend he's not here. There's no sign of Rollins, or Fin, or Liv, but he's gonna do what he came here to do. 
"Is Benson around?"
The girl gives him an appraising look.
"Who's asking?"
Before he can answer, a voice is calling out behind him. 
"Nick?"
He turns, and there she is. Amanda Rollins. Still blonde, still beautiful, and shit, Carisi is standing right beside her. 
"Amanda," he says, and in the next second she's running at him, flinging her arms around him. They hit so hard he could have picked her clean up and spun her around, if it weren't for his bad knee. As it is he nearly goes flying, but he catches himself, and holds on to her tight. He's missed her, more than he wants to admit. 
"Oh, my God," she says as she pulls back. "It's so good to see you. You look good."
"Yeah," he says. "So do you." 
And she does, and he wishes that didn't hurt. 
"Carisi," he says next, and holds his hand out for a shake. Carisi’s hair has gone grey, and his suit is too flash for a cop, but he’s still Carisi, and he bats Nick’s hand away, and pulls him in for a hug.
“If we’d known you were coming we’d have gotten a cake or something,” Carisi says as they part.
“I wasn’t sure you guys would even still be here,” Nick tells them. “Kinda wanted it to be a surprise. Is Liv around?” 
As if in answer to his question the door to the Captain’s office opens behind them, and she comes walking out, with the suit hot on her heels. 
She stops dead in her tracks when she sees him, and shit, he just about stops breathing. That woman; she’s like a sister to him. Better than a sister; he trusts her more than his own blood. A thousand memories flash through his mind. The angry Liv he’d first met, calling him Serpico and looking at him like she was certain he wouldn’t last a week. Remember when you asked me about my father, and I told you it was a long story? It’s not that long. Standing beside her on the porch at the beach house, her clothes ripped and burned, her body bruised, her eyes wild. Liv’s eyes in the rearview mirror, Lewis’s blood sprayed across her face. Liv’s hands on him, while the EMTs wheeled him away after Johnny D shot him. Friends for life, Nick Amaro. 
Her hair is longer, and her face is more lined, but she’s still so goddamn gorgeous. She covers her heart with her hand, and he grins, and they both start to move, then, not running, but walking straight towards each other, determined, no one else in the world but them, in that moment, and the next thing he knows he’s got his arms wrapped around her, and she’s holding him so tight it almost hurts.
“Nick,” she whispers his name shakily, and he laughs, because he can tell she’s about to cry and shit he is, too. 
“Good to see ya, Liv,” he manages to choke out, and when he pulls back she reaches up and touches his face, her dark eyes searching his. She doesn’t have to say it; he knows she’s wondering if he’s ok, and he hopes she finds the answer in his face. Truth is, he’s doing better now than he was five years ago. Better than ten years ago. He’s settled. He’s happy. He hopes she is, too. 
“You gonna introduce me to your friend?”
This from the suit. The sound of his voice shatters the moment, and Liv pulls away, and Nick is thinking he really, really hates this guy. This guy with his easy arrogance, this guy whose voice, whose posture, whose belligerent expression reveals a possessiveness towards Liv that Nick doesn’t like, not one bit. Liv laughs and steps back from him but Nick keeps his hand resting at the small of her back. There’s a petulant part of his heart that wants this guy, whoever he is, to see Nick touching her. To know that he’s allowed to, that she’ll let him, that whatever problem the suit may have Liv cares about Nick. 
“Yeah,” Liv says, and a little bit of Nick’s anger fades, because she sounds happy. 
“This is Nick Amaro, my old partner.” He can hear the grin in her voice. “Nick, this is Elliot Stabler.”
It’s not something he can control. It comes over him so suddenly, so viciously; he always thought that when people talking about seeing red they were just exaggerating. He always thought people had more control over themselves than that. But Liv says that name, and damn if he doesn’t see red.
“Elliot Stabler?” he says. 
“Yeah,” Stabler answers, taking a step forward, and maybe he’s about to ask Nick if he’s got a problem with that, but he never gets the chance.
Stabler. The one who left her. The one who was the reason she was so standoffish, with Nick. The reason she was so angry all the damn time, walking around nursing a broken heart and letting it get her into trouble. The one with the anger issues and the dinged up service record that nearly derailed her whole career. The one with the wife at home, while Liv was half in love with him - Nick isn’t supposed to know that part, but he does. And anybody who could do that to Liv, who could hurt her so bad, treat her like she was second class, disposable, anybody who could stand there and act like he had a right to be by her side after all the shit he put her through, anybody like that, they’re gonna get what’s coming to them, courtesy of Nick Amaro. It’s been ten years since Stabler walked out on her, but however he came back, whatever the reason is for him standing here right now, Nick doesn’t give a single shit. He knows Liv and he knows she would never tell this guy just how bad he hurt her, just how much she lost when he left, knows she’s got a good heart and she’ll forgive the people she loves. She won’t hold this asshole accountable.
Nick, on the other hand, has no qualms about it. 
“Ok,” Nick says, and then before anyone can so much as take a breath, he hauls off and punches that smug son of a bitch right in the mouth, as hard as he can. And shit, but it feels good. 
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adorethedistance · 4 years
Text
City Slicker, Cowboyfriend - Owen Joyner x Reader
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JATP masterlist
Warnings: Swearing, nerves, mentions of covid.
Words: 2163
Summary: You’re starting to have doubts about moving all the way to Norman until a shopping trip to Ikea turns into the meet-cute you’ve been waiting for.
A/n: This isn’t a request or one of my Valentines day fics, this is just something that I have had stuck in my head ever since Owen posted this on IG and bc I’m facing total writers block with my other pieces I cranked this one out in a few hours to get the ball rolling again. Hopefully. Enjoy this totally unproofed, fluffy madness!! (Because who doesn’t need more Owen content in their life?)
There are perks to moving and one of them is undoubtedly: shopping. For furniture, home decor, kitchen utensils, whatever! Granted, shopping alone can be tedious and, for some, like pulling teeth, thus, I’ve enlisted the help of my best friends Leila and Chelsea. I didn’t even have to bribe them to come because everyone loves getting lost in Ikea. It’s one of the best things about the human experience.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been in an Ikea,” Leila says to no one in particular as we walk through the onslaught of staged bedrooms.
“What?! Are you telling me you don’t get meatballs and lawn chairs on a weekly basis?” My exaggeration makes Leila laugh as she steps into one of the display kitchens. Looking between me and Chelsea she asks,
“What would you do if I turned the handle then a jet of water sprayed out?”
“Die, I guess.”
The three of us continue through the faux house displays and past the mattresses despite Leila’s urge to jump on every single one. As we walk through the section of different lighting features, I sigh with a frown as I think about college. I changed my bachelor’s to an associate’s so I could graduate in two years. Chelsea’s parents moved out here at the end of our senior year in high school, and she moved with them to study in Norman. Leila in turn went to Arizona for an athletic physical therapy gig, leaving me to face college alone in L.A.. In the two years the three of us were apart, we missed each other more and more, and after determining which of the three states we lived in was cheapest, we packed up and headed East. Covid kind of delayed our plans. But after a few months, I picked Leila up from Arizona and together we chased open job opportunities into Norman, Oklahoma. The three of us found an apartment space to live in together and thus, we ended up in Ikea on this fine Sunday afternoon.
Snapping back into reality I see Leila standing directly under a light that’s hanging very low from the ceiling. Once standing directly underneath it, she pulls down her mask and opens her mouth, rising to her toes to eat the fixture.
“Leila, don’t you dare fellate that light bulb! You’re gonna get us kicked out.”
I swear I’m practically their mom when it comes to behaving in public. Figuring they can’t hurt themselves in the college dorm section, I lead them quickly through it and into the giant furniture warehouse section. On the far wall, I see a large poster of a couple smiling brightly behind Chelsea, but I don’t bother to read the text. Leila and I spot the poster at the same time, and the imagery jogs her memory.
“Chelsea, how’s Hunter? Haven’t heard from him slash about him in like a week,” she asks about Chelsea’s boyfriend of a year.
“Oh, yeah, he tore a ligament in his wrist.”
“What?!”
“Yeah, I guess he moved it wrong or something and put too much stress on the area that it just tore. He was moving hay bales into the horse stables.”
“As opposed to the chicken stables,” Leila judges under her breath, which makes me snicker as a result.
“I still can’t believe you’re dating a literal cowboy,” I interject, “Like, I know we’re in Oklahoma, and he’s from Tennessee, but we saw Texas on the way out here and that’s cowboy country. Norman seems more...” I trail off in search of delicate phrasing.
“Just barely marry your cousin territory, but still downing chewing tobacco whilst driving a lifted truck?” Leila hits the nail squarely on the head.
“Yeah, that sounds about right-” Before I can continue giving my thoughts on Norman, I cut myself off at the sound of laughter behind me.
“Sorry. We weren’t trying to eavesdrop, that was just really funny.” When I turn around, I see a guy roughly our age dressed in all black with bleach-blonde hair, speaking through light, broken laughter.
“No worries,” I dismiss the apology as we pass by one another, and out from the dressers section. The three of us continue into the different sections, and come to a stop once I see we’re exactly where we need to be: dining room shit!
“Cowboy boyfriends aside- oh my gosh: cowboy boyfriends. Cowboyfriends,” I say getting lost in my new terminology. Both of my friends share a mix of laughter and gasps and my ingeniousness. “Anyway. Cowboyfriends aside, how is Avery?” I ask Leila who begins blushing madly.
“She’s really good. We were just making plans for our three year anniversary, which reminds me to tell y’all I’m flying back to Phoenix to surprise her.”
“Awwww,” I nearly tear up and the sweet image of Leila and her girlfriend reuniting, “Y’all are so cute. Both of you and your partners. You know, being the only single friend in this group has made life suck a lot. Y’all are so happy and in love and not dead inside. Honestly? Get fucked both of you.” Despite my harsh words, the three of us break into a lighthearted conglomerate of laughter.
“We’ll find you someone… eventually.” Leila pretends she also can’t hear the last part of her sentence despite being the one saying it.
“I know, but I don’t think it’s in the cards for me to find love in Norman. I don’t need a cowboyfriend, and we’re not gonna find a true city slicker here either.”
When I finish my statement, I see our blonde friend seems to have followed us. I observe he comes to a stop in front of another guy in a flannel with a shopping cart. The way they jump into conversation with one another parallels the animated body language Leila, Chelsey, and I share. I continue to watch their exchange as Chelsea speaks up.
“Maybe you need someone right down the middle.”
“Yeah, like a guy who drives a truck but uses it to transport Ikea furniture instead of a whole ass tree that he’ll carve into a chair.” A small laugh escapes my lips, at both Leila’s statement, and the scene ahead of Blondie pretending to strangle his friend over something. I’m snapped out of my nosy yet endeared stare as a third guy appears. He’s a sandy blonde with billowing locks tucked under a trucker hat. And he came from behind me and my two friends to place something in their cart which keeps his back toward me. When he turns back around, my mind goes blank. Any thoughts of shopping for dining room chairs has left my mind. He is wearing a face mask, but he has such nice eyes that he could have a giraffe snout under the mask for all I care. I see him look up from the shelves, directly into my eyes. We stay locked for a moment before he breaks away and turns to his friends. I slowly turn to my friends too who are both giving me the exact same look of excitement and conspiracy.
“He’s really cute,” I sigh out with a laugh, swooning much louder than I’d have preferred.
“He has a face mask on,” Leila points out, her expression dropping from excited to cynical.
“Still! I can just tell.”
“Girl, what are you doing? Talk to him!” Chelsea whisper-shrieks.
“Shhh, I cannot take you anywhere!”
Glancing back at the handsome stranger, we connect eyes once more and I feel my face heat furiously as I realize he was already looking at me. I’m the first to break; I consult my friends for the best course of action and as I’m turned 180 to face them, Chelsea starts pretending to hyperventilate excitedly. Leila looks over my shoulder for me, discreetly surveying the other trio in the dining chairs aisle.
“Don’t look now, but he’s talking to his friends and looking between them and you.” I can hear in her voice she’s trying her best not to smile despite wearing a face mask.
“Should I give him my number?”
“Yes!”
“What are you waiting for?”
“I’m nervous! What if he’s gay?”
“Will you just get over there? I promise you a gay man would not be wearing what he’s wearing right now. Maybe a lesbian,” Leila adds for good measure.
“You guys are freaking me out, I need you to leave so I know you’re not judging my flirting.” I shoo my best friends out of the aisle as inconspicuous as possible. Kinda wish blondie would’ve done the same because when I turn back around, the other trio hasn’t moved and the only one looking at me is the one in all black. He quickly averts his eyes though and I take one last deep breath before walking over to the stranger. I tilt my chin up ever so slightly to fake a sense of confidence that I unmistakably don’t have right now.
“Hey.” Really, Y/n? Hey??
“Hey,” he greets back breathily. Why is he nervous? I’m the one who gets to be nervous! Man, he’s really cute. I can’t fuck this one up. I’m not doing so stellar right now. Perhaps you should say something else, dipshit?
“Uhm,” I should’ve scripted this. “I just wanted to say that-” You’ve got this. Don’t be a bummer. “I-uh, I think you’re really cute and I was wondering if I could give you my number?” My speech is slow, each word deliberate in spite of the fact that I feel like I’m having an out of body experience right now. I’m not the one in control of the words that are coming out of my mouth.
Upon realizing why I walked over, blondie’s friends take the question as a sign to leave and less than inconspicuously back away from the two of us. Trucker hat spares them one last glance over his left shoulder and judging by the look flannel gives him, they were definitely talking about me in their team huddle.
“Uh, yeah. I was gonna ask for your instagram- if you have one, that is.”
“I’m cool with both.” The two of us reach for our phones and unlock them with anxious hands. I move to hand him my phone with instagram open, and he trades me for his which has a new contact open. I type my name and put my favorite heart emoji next to it after triple checking the number is correct. Wow, you’re just so ballsy today, Y/n!!!!! I give him back the phone, scanning the instagram account he’s just opened and followed for me. I hear him exhale a little harder as a small laugh and can only imagine it’s from the stupid heart emoji.
“Owen,” I say in a hushed, endeared voice, fully not intending to say it out loud. “You have a million followers?! Oh, you’re an actor. OH… You’re an actor.” I really don’t need to be speaking my entire thought process right now in the middle of this Ikea. Exhaling a small laugh of my own, I see we already have a small bunch of mutuals, one of which is… Chelsea??? Looking up from my phone I turn around to see Chelsea and Leila watching the interaction from around the corner of one of the industrial shelves.
In the flurry of scattered likes, I see him find my account and follow me back. I accept the request, nervous of what he thinks of me without a face mask on. What do I think of him without a face mask on? Going back to his account, seeing his entire face is even better than just his eyes. I was right, Leila: he is cute.
“You’re really pretty,” I hear him almost sigh as he combs through the grid of my account. The comment makes my heart beat all the much faster and I finally look upward to get a glimpse of Owen in the flesh. Still as beautiful as the last time I checked!
Sparing a quick glance over my shoulder, he looks back down at me and laughs,
“I think your friends got tired of waiting.”
“I think yours did, too.” The other members of our trios come back into the aisle we had kicked them from more or less two minutes ago. We connect eyes once more and stare longingly, wordlessly at one another, so lost in each other’s beauty our friends have to break up the staring contest of infatuation.
“Y/n?” I hear Leila behind me.
“Uh, well, I have to get back to chair shopping, but- text me later?”
“For sure.”
“For sure,” I mimic his voice.
“Guess I’ll see you later. Y/n.”
“Yeah.” And with that, we’re pulled apart by our respective best friends, through the vast expanse of the Norman Ikea.
“What was that?” Chelsea asks, excitedly linking arms with me.
“I don’t know I- Wait, you have some explaining to do!”
*** 
Taglist: @caitsymichelle13 @kaitlyn2907 @itz-jas @crybabyddl @kcd15 @kinda-really-lost @calamitykaty @morganayennefertyrell @n0wornever @dream-a-little-bigger-x @mrstodorooki @vicesvsvirturesfanfic @curlybrownhairedboys @amazinggracy @kaitieskidmore1 @asdfghjkl-fanfics​ @ghostlygreenbean @juliefromaustralia @merceret​ @jemimah-b99 @ifilwtmfc @thesweetestsinner​ @imsydneywalker @lovesanimals @thebloodthirstyvampress @bumbleberry-pie @losers-club6 @tefilovesreading​ @dmcfarland1@joynerxmercer @kexrtiz @talk-on-the-street @phantompogues @konciousdreamer @sunsetcurvej @warmnesss0ul @lilyjoyner 
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marichat-verse · 3 years
Text
Mist Memories
Leo Valdez x reader for his birthday ahhhh (even though it's angsty) with a platonic/developing jason x reader cameo at the end (lmao im sorry i couldn't help myself 😭)
Based on this picture I found in pinterest + also [kinda] based on traitor by olivia rodrigo and omg i really recommend u guys listen to this edit because it reminds me so much of this fic that's been stuck in my head for MONTHS also kind of a run away with me prologue lol
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Your POV
I nervously made my way across the forest until I reached a limestone cliff. I knocked on the iron door, not really expecting to get an answer.
My boyfriend has been shutting himself in Bunker 9 for the past few weeks. I stood there counting up to seven before knocking again. I knocked again two more times, until he answered in the middle of my last knock.
He removed his goggles and winced as sunlight hit his eyes. He'd grown thinner and paler, making the dark circles in his eyes more pronounced.
"Oh, Leo..." I reached out to brush a few strands of hair away from his face, but he moved away.
"What are you doing here?" He said in a monotone voice.
I moved to walk inside the Bunker, brushing off his hesitation to let me in. "I'm your partner, remember? And I'm really concerned because you're shutting yourself out lately. You know everyone's starting to worry about you. Percy asked me to check on you because you missed pegasus riding with him. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Jason's coming back from Camp Jupiter soon. I was hoping you and Annabeth could be with Piper while Percy and I hung out with Jason because it's been a little awkward since their breakup. Plus Piper wanted to tell you something—"
"Please," he said forcefully causing me to stop and look at him. "Just... Get out."
Normally, he'd shut himself from the world for a few days to work on an important project or because he was feeling really sad and he needed space. But this was getting out of hand. He had never locked me out of his life when I offered to help him. He was never this mean when he asked for space. I was not having this attitude of his.
"Okay, Leo. I tried to play nice. What is so important that you blow off all your friends for nearly a month that you can't even tell your partner, or maybe say hi to your best friend who's coming back from the other side of the country?"
He didn't say anything. He pursed his lips and avoided eye contact. I scanned he room for any signs.
It was messier than usual with all the crumpled paper scattered on the floor, especially on his desk. He could have been drawing up new plans. Something in my gut told me that something wasn't right. There were no new unfinished projects, indicating that he wasn't starting a new invention. Harley's helicopter lay on his bench in the same state it was weeks ago. Huh, not even his siblings could enter the Bunker.
I turned and Leo was already changing Festus' oil. I took this moment of distraction to pick up a few pieces of crumpled paper on the floor and on his desk. I had to process the words a bit longer—too long that Leo took notice. Damn dyslexia.
I heard footsteps speed up behind me, but it was too late. I read enough and got the gist of what he had been trying to do these past few weeks.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled at me. Small embers started to erupt between his curls.
I laughed dryly. "So this is what you've been up to?"
His fists tightened, further crumpling the paper in his hands. His eyes flashed with anger, despair and confusion.
I sighed and focused my eyes on his desk, not daring to look at him any longer. Under some pieces of paper were old photographs of him and Piper from Wilderness School. Yup, those definitely were the mist memories she had with Jason. I read the latest draft he'd been writing:
Dear Piper,
Remember the mist memories from boarding school with Jason? They were real, but they were with me.
I miss you. I miss when it was just us. I miss the night on the roof.
Yours truly,
Leo Valdez
I tried to keep my voice from cracking. "How long?"
I heard him sigh. "Three weeks."
I balled my fists. Tears started to fall and smudge the ink. I wiped them away as fast as they came.
"How?"
"In a dream," his tone softened now. "Hera came to me in a dream and told me to check an old drawer in Bunker 9. I found the photos and the memories came rushing back."
"How long were you dating back then?"
"Two weeks."
"Were you ever going to tell me?"
Silence; then a deep breath.
"No."
I shook my head in disbelief. "Why?"
"Because I knew you'd get upset like—"
"I meant why would you throw away months of our relationship for a couple of weeks of your relationship with her? And without even bothering to tell me? Gods damn it, Leo. We've been together since you've first arrived at camp. And what about those promises you made when we were sailing to Greece? You've been keeping these feelings away from me and you've been lying to me, making me believe that there's still something between us and—"
"Oh, calm down," he said with an annoyed expression and tone, which only infuriated me more, "it's not like I did anything were her yet! I didn't kiss her or tell her how I truly felt for her! She just got out of a relationship with Jason around the same time I had that dream. I had to figure out how to talk to her about it. I've been alone in this Bunker for three. Fucking. Weeks. I didn't cheat on you."
"Oh, and that makes everything better?" I countered. "Being in a relationship isn't about not cheating, Leo. It's about being honest and communicating with each other."
"Oh, like you've been communicating with me? After the war, you take go back to Manhattan for school, and you take a job. I haven't seen you much during the holidays because work has been keeping you in the city. And you won't tell me what you even do for a living!"
I took in a deep breath. "I told you I needed to have a life outside of camp! I needed to know first that I could handle myself in the mortal world as a normal human being. I needed this demigod part of my life to be separate as much as possible! I've been in two wars, Leo. I needed time to myself, too. And I was about to tell you guys in a few more days. But I guess now, I'm glad I've kept you out of that part of my life. At least I have an escape from all of this. And now, especially from you."
I took another deep breath and walked to the door, about to let myself out. I turned back again, both our tear-stained eyes meeting each other.
"If it makes you feel any better," I said softly, "I would've hated the idea of us breaking up. But if you really love her, if you really feel like you have this special connection to her and she makes you happy, then I won't get in your way. You could at least have had the decency to talk to me so we could have left on a good note."
He looked at me with wide eyes, clearly regretting his actions. I sighed and looked around the Bunker, possibly for the last time. Lots of memories were definitely created in this room; all just as grand and meaningful as the inventions they made here. But just like some of Hephaestus' contraptions, some of them were flawed and dumped in his scrapyard, no matter how much potential it could have had.
"Goodbye, Leo."
I sat on a rock on the beach that gave me a beautiful view of Long Island Sound. To my left, the sun started to set, casting an orange filter on everything. My heart broke, remembering how everything glowed orange in the Bunker. Leo always left the fires burning when he was working. The sunlight twinkling against the sea reminded me of how small bits of flame peaked through his hair earlier. I remembered how mad he was at me. Or maybe he was mostly mad at himself.
"Hey."
I jumped when someone sat—or rather, landed—beside me. I turned and smiled, seeing one of my good friends back at camp.
"Hey, you're back," I said weakly. "How long have you been here?"
He smiled at me, although he could maybe sense that something was wrong. "Half an hour, maybe? I saw Annabeth making plans to expand camp to have a city. She made me do an aerial inspection and I told her I'll get back to her tonight. That's when I saw you."
"Mhmm," I mumbled, not really knowing what to say. It was silent for a few minutes before I spoke up again, knowing he was just waiting for me to open up.
"I broke up with Leo."
His head quickly turned to me. I guess he wasn't expecting it to be that bad. "What?"
"Oh yeah," I laughed dryly. "Turns out the mist memories Piper had in Wilderness School with you? They were real. But not with you."
His eyes widened. "Oh... With Leo."
"He locked himself in the Bunker for weeks trying to write a letter. It was heartbreaking. Like, truly heartbreaking. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her and how much he missed them. Then he said how much he missed that night with her under the stars and... It hurt. Like hell."
"Oh," he said. "I guess Piper didn't tell me everything then."
"She knew all along?"
He shook his head. "Maybe not everything, but she told me she's been confused about her feelings lately and she'd been having visions or dreams of possible old memories that were messing with her head."
"I'm sorry about you and Piper," I said.
"Don't be," he said. "I understand her. It did hurt, though. But I think I can get over it some day. We're still awkward around each other, but at least we left on a good note."
I scoffed. "Leo couldn't even give me a good ending to our relationship."
"Hey," he said as he put a hand on my shoulder. "You're a great person, y/n. You've done so much, especially for him. It's his loss that he was stupid enough to let go of you."
"I know that."
"Do you really?"
"I do!" I said. "I'm a great person and I know that. But that doesn't mean what he did doesn't hurt me."
"I know," he said. "You'll find someone who'll treat you like the queen that you are. You're a great person, and I'm not just saying this to cheer you up. I truly think you're amazing."
I smiled at him. "Thanks, Jason. And you'll find someone great, too. Maybe not as great as me but, then again, who is?"
We both let out a laugh. The conch sounded in the distance, signaling dinner. I moved to stand up before hearing Jason speak up again.
"Hey, do you maybe want to just grab a couple of plates and eat out here?"
I smiled. "Yeah. That sounds good. I don't really want everyone else hounding me about the breakup right now."
I don't know how long it was going to take me to get over Leo. We really did gave something special. It was cruel how the universe gave me something so good, to make me have hope that something was finally going right, then have it yanked away from my arms just as suddenly as it came.
He never cheated on me, but that didn't mean he didn't betray every promise we made to each other. I should have known it was too good to be true. Life has always played cruel jokes on me.
Then again, who's to say that things won't turn out for the better, right?
•••
Tagging: @drvrslcense @bubblybubbubs @dreamerball @quteez @aesthetxcimagines @chasingpj @beingleft @wadewilsonsgreatestfriend
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