#can smoothly transition into my head voice

[dreamstar-moonlight]

WHAT?!?!?!?!

Another random poll because they are fun and tumblr has given me too much power and I love looking at data.

Masc / fem here does not indicate gender; I just wanted it to be easier to understand for non-music people. If your range spans more than one of these, first of all I fear you but just pick whichever you prefer to sing in.

If you don't know your vocal range, you can test it here!

[cece693]

Secretary (Hannibal Lecter x GN! Reader)

Summary: Hannibal told Crawford that his secretary was 'pre-dispositioned by romantic whims' and traveled to the United Kingdom. However, it's rarely as simple as that.

tags: reader is Hannibal's ex-secretary, possible Stockholm syndrome, no established relationship, Hannibal being himself, kidnapping

You've been doing everything right—not disturbing Dr. Lecter unless absolutely necessary, keeping his records meticulously filed, and, with much reluctance, keeping Mr. Chilton occupied whenever he threatened to storm into Dr. Lecter’s current session to demand more of his time. Your job wasn’t easy, but you excelled at it, surpassing even Dr. Lecter’s expectations. Perhaps that should have been your cue to quit.

But you didn’t. And now, standing in the center of this impeccably furnished home—with its locked doors and an alarm system ready to blare at the slightest escape attempt—you understood the truth. Dr. Lecter would never truly let you go. He might grant you the illusion of freedom, but he would always keep tabs on you. Because, at the end of the day, he found you interesting. So much so that he didn’t kill you outright when you finally saw him for who he really was.

It had been an accident. You weren’t like the other secretaries who snooped and whispered about his peculiarities. You didn’t eavesdrop. You were just…there at the wrong moment. Gathering your belongings after a late evening at the office, you opened the door to leave, only to be greeted by Dr. Lecter standing outside. He was composed, as always. But then you noticed it—the splatter of blood decorating the bottom of his suit sleeve. Your eyes weren't quick enough to look away, and in that split second, you saw his expression change, just the barest flicker as he crossed his arms behind his back and straightened his posture.

"Ah," he had said, tilting his head slightly as if you were a particularly intriguing puzzle piece that had just fallen into place. "It appears I've caught you at an inopportune moment. I trust you’ll keep what you've seen to yourself?" His eyes were not asking. They were demanding. You swallowed hard, barely managing to nod.

"Yes, Dr. Lecter," you stammered. "Of course." He smiled then, a small curve of his lips that made your stomach drop.

"Good," he replied smoothly, stepping closer until you could feel the warmth radiating from his body. "It's always refreshing to know who values their… position."

That had been the end of it. Or so you thought. Days turned into weeks, and you convinced yourself you had been imagining things, that perhaps you had misread the situation. But then came the gradual transition: the dinners you were "invited" to, the unspoken requirement to be available whenever Dr. Lecter saw fit. And finally, the inevitable—this place. His home.

Back to the present, you hear the front door click open, the soft thud of polished shoes on the wooden floor. Your heart jumps to your throat, but you force yourself to remain still as Dr. Lecter enters, his eyes immediately locking onto you with an unsettling intensity.

“There you are,” he greets, as if he were a husband returning to his spouse after a long day. “I trust you’ve been keeping yourself entertained?”

You manage a small nod, not trusting your voice to remain steady. "Yes," you reply, clearing your throat. "I…tidied up."

"Wonderful." He removes his coat with precise movements, placing it on the coat rack before turning to you, his gaze predatory yet casual. "Today was most eventful," he begins conversationally, crossing the room toward you with a grace that should make you feel comforted, but instead sets every nerve on edge. "One of my patients had quite the breakthrough. It’s fascinating, really, how easily one can guide a mind to certain…realizations."

He pauses just in front of you, his hand reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear in an unsettlingly intimate gesture. "You’ve always had such a strong mind," he murmurs. "That’s why I like you. And why I believe our arrangement will work out perfectly. Don't you agree?"

You swallow, searching for words that will appease him without sealing your fate even tighter. "Of course." you say carefully, hoping the neutrality of your response will satisfy him. He smiles again, that chillingly serene smile that never quite reaches his eyes.

"Good," he purrs. "Now, why don't you join me in the kitchen? I believe a little conversation over dinner would do us both well. After all," he pauses, his gaze darkening, "what's a home without a bit of warmth and companionship?" With a gesture, he beckons you toward the hallway, and you follow, each step a reminder of the delicate balance you must now maintain in this life you never chose.

[syoddeye]

kinktober - day 29 - hunter & prey

kate x f!reader | 3.3k words cw: horror/supernatural, stalking, victim-blaming, manipulation, gaslighting, violence, blood, compulsion/glamour, minor character death a/n: while reader is physically featureless, her voice is described for radio, including trained for clear diction + articulation, and sultry + rasping sounding. just a heads up. also, i took a lot of liberties wth the tech. this was meant to clock in around 1k. no, i don't know what this is. summary: kate places a certain kind of collect call. banner by @/cafekitsune | kinktober list

You arrive at the station well after sunset and relieve the second shift.

The time flashes when you clock in, a perfect and punctual 11:00 PM, and as you hang your keys, you hear the automatic coffee maker whirr to life in the kitchenette. You’ve been working these shifts for a while now, and the late hours and routine are like an old coat—heavy but well-worn. Comfortable and broken in to fit. 

You grab a mug and slip into the booth. 

Once the headphones are on, the world outside shrinks. It’s just you, the equipment, and the airwaves. Your job is simple: ensure the tunes persist, avoid dead air, and take calls. The latter rarely ever happens. Your coverage area is largely rural, with the highway sourcing most callers. Truckers and roadtrippers set on reaching wherever they’re headed, racing the dawn to shave off hours. Scattered in the night. For the majority of your shift, you're just there to keep things running smoothly and uninterrupted.

And although you know you’re never speaking to just one person, the calls feel personal and private. Like it’s just you and them on the air. Your tone is coached low and intimate, trained for clarity and articulation. Fine-tuned modulation. A sultry, rasping voice put on, in short, to keep your listeners company in the scarce moments you need to.

Some hours in, the switchboard lights up.

You feed them your usual greeting, eyes already surveying the song queue. Nine times out of ten, your callers are older men in their semi trucks, with some nostalgic number on their minds. Tonight, though, a woman chirps down the line. 

“Thanks for taking my call. Long night?”

“Isn’t it always?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The pause that follows makes you fidget. Even if nobody cares about your timeslot, even if you’re more security guard than host—you can’t entertain too much talking. Especially platitudes.

“Too true. What’s your request?”

Another pause. Your finger hovers over the dump button.

“You know the song ‘When the Sun Hits’?”

It’s already pulled up in the library by the time she finishes asking. Nostalgic, indeed. “Slowdive, 1993? Yeah, I’ll have add it to the lineup for you, caller, after–”

“What about ‘Some Velvet Morning’?” 

You stare at the blinking light of the call. Nobody ever interrupts you. Swallowing, you laugh, a touch irritated. “I can play both of those in a bit, I promise. Big fan of Slowdive? ”

“Not really, but oh, I bet you have a pretty face to match that voice, huh?”

Heat flares beneath your skin and you dump the last seven seconds, then disconnect. You check the computer, sighing in relief when the program cuts you off at ‘promise’, and seamlessly transitions into the next song. You jot down the time and a note about the incident, then block the phone number. 

You let go of a long, aggravated sigh and stare out the window closest to the booth. It’s pitch black outside. Dawn is hours away.

Being a woman on air, this is, unfortunately, part and parcel of your work. Creeps whisper some lines about your voice and what they imagine your body to look like. The fact it’s a woman is a first, but bad behavior is bad behavior. You add the songs to the queue for continuity and fetch another cup of coffee.

That’s the end of that.

Marc, the second shift host, points to a printout in the booth before he leaves one night.

“No need to run the story again, but the boss wants to make sure this place is locked tight. Alright?” 

You skim the notice, squinting at the text and then the blurred, black-and-white images: a man’s driver’s license photo and a plate. The word ‘missing’ below them, and a brief incident statement from the sheriff. Some man wandered off from his broken-down vehicle and hasn’t been seen since.

“Do they think he’s some psycho killer, then? An escapee?”

“Nah, don’t think so. I heard from my cousin,” Marc leers down his nose. “Who’s dating a deputy, that they found blood all over the car. Poor bastard’s corpse is probably face down in bluestem and buckthorn. Or in pieces at the mile markers.”

Your lips curl in disgust at the picture that paints and your coworker’s macabre. 

While Marc’s headlights in the parking lot shine through the panes, you check the door and windows.

“...and you’re live. What’s your request?”

“Hello again.”

Your heart jumps, fingers already flying over the keyboard to check the block list. “Hi. What’s your request?” The show must go on.

“How about ‘Private Eyes’? Hall and Oates.” 

Your brain struggles to reconcile what you’re hearing and what you’re reading: Blocked — inappropriate conduct toward the host. It’s right there, timestamped and all, but a second look at the current call slumps your shoulders. A new number.

She must’ve spoofed it.

“Yeah, I can play that. Have a goodnight.”

You hang up, cutting off whatever unwelcomed compliment she had for you this time, and block the number. It rankles, though, why someone would go through the trouble of using a fake number to call. And a week later? A shameful part of you preens, horrifyingly flattered by the idea of some disaffected woman finds your voice alone so alluring she’s compelled to hear it.

Not like many people trip over themselves for an underpaid, wannabe radio personality, anyway.

The woman calls again. And again. And again.

You’re a captive audience. Forced to keep the conversation as light and breezy as possible, as well as short. She keeps her requests locked behind small talk, always a compliment or two deep. 

You sounded great last night when you introduced that Fleetwood Mac hour, sweetie.

You’ve got no competition in the county, that’s for sure.

I could listen to you read Radiohead’s entire discography.

Your least favorite? 

Hope you keep yourself warm and rest your voice. It’s a cold one tonight.

However, you learn a single detail. A name. A token you earn after threading your desperation through the grit of your teeth.

“You know, you’re one of my long-time listeners, and frequent callers,” You cajole, stomach churning at the act. “What should I call you?”

“Watcher.” 

After the dozenth call, you stop allowing her past your spiel. She leaves you hot under the collar and squirming in your chair every time. Irritation sinks its teeth into your chest when you slam the phone down; its force crushing and unrelenting. Yet somewhere in your stomach, there’s a flicker of heat, unwelcome and mortifying, responding to the suggestion in her voice despite yourself. She’s wearing you down, draining what reserves you have. You think about ignoring the phone altogether, yanking its cord out of the wall, but you know it wouldn’t fly.

You write a report, detail your ‘conversations’ and their frequency, and stay late to intercept the station owner and morning host. Ron. He’s prime time, the commuter show that nets all the ads. The money maker. He gives you two minutes to explain the mysterious woman and her unsettling comments—but that’s all he gives you. 

“And ‘I bet you have a pretty face to match that voice’ is the worst she’s said? She’s only said ‘hello’ the other times?”

A muscle in your jaw twitches.

“Well, yes, but–”

“Look, kid, I don’t know what you want me to do. You have the power, it’s your show,” He handwaves, slapping the coffee pot as it sputters to life. “Block the numbers. Dump her calls. Sounds like another bored housewife with a chip on her shoulder. Probably unsatisfied, or her husband’s two-timing.”

Your nose wrinkles with every syllable. “So I’m just supposed to put up with it? I have to deal with it alone?”

His eyebrows lift, then plummet, as if they’re about to punch the wire frame glasses right off his face. “You don’t have to do anything. Plenty of butts want that seat. Podcasts and radio shows are cool again,” he emphasizes with an exaggerated undulation of his arms. “So yeah, I suggest you toughen up. Gonna need a thick skin if you want to move on, y’know. Those guys eat girls like you for breakfast.”

Ron excuses himself and leaves you seething outside the booth.

The worst part is that he’s not entirely wrong. While you plan to eventually move on to a bigger station, maybe head East—you’ll need grit. The shock jocks and talking heads? They’re old guard. Yeah, Ron’s a jerk, but you do wield some power here. Even if it’s only in the middle of the night and pre-dawn.

Another man disappears off the highway. Closer to the facility by miles. Troopers find his truck overturned in a ditch and publicly disclose that beer bottles were found strewn about the crash site. Probably a drunk driver.

Marc doesn’t believe it for a moment and tells you as much when you clock in.

Ron declines to hear you out about your stranger again, but he installs a bigger deadbolt.

“Why are you doing this? Why do you keep calling me?”

“Rockwell, if you don’t mind.”

“Please tell me.”

“And the song, well, you know which song,” she sighs, wistful. “A little on the nose, but…”

“Watcher—“

You panic and press the dump button three times, causing a glitch that leads to thirty seconds of silence between tracks. Ron leaves a scrawling, angry note the next day, written in a hand so furious, it’s near-illegible: any more dead air and somebody else will take your chair.

Maybe you ought to quit, but it’s his voice in the back of your head that echoes—thick skin.

You spend another week on air, fingers itching for Watcher’s next call.

It’s humiliating, the anticipation. It buzzes under your skin and along your nerves as if a circuit somewhere inside you is just waiting to trip. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as you pretend to focus on the queue, gaze darting to and from the phone. The few seconds between tracks seem longer than usual, each pause stretching thin with expectation. 

When the tiny green bulb finally lights up, you answer before it even rings, barely bothering with the script. She doesn’t interrupt, but she seems frantic.

“Don’t disconnect. Transfer me to the internal line. It’s urgent.”

Rolling your eyes, you mutter an agreement. You dump the seconds to preserve the show and move songs around to prolong your window of time. This is your chance to confront whoever the hell Watcher is. Thick skin.

“Are you there?”

“Yes.” She sounds relieved. “I appreci–”

“Don’t care. Listen, Watcher.” You hiss. “I clearly cannot stop you from spoofing your number or calling into the station, but I will report you if you keep saying weird shit to me. The sheriff will trace wherever you’re calling from, nail a restraining order to your ass, and they have enough problems right now.”

Silence hangs so thick on the line you could reach out and touch it. You imagine her on the other end, maybe drumming her fingers, listening, waiting for you to give something away. The longer you sit, the angrier you grow.

“Still there? What’s so goddamn urgent, huh?” Your molars grind together.

She hangs up.

A month passes. Four weeks of silence. Not long enough to lull you into letting your guard down, but enough that you jump when the internal line rings.

Fuck. You should’ve called the sheriff and told them about her, about your suspicions, as far-fetched as they feel. Chewing your thumb, you stare as she calls once, twice—three times—before she leaves a voicemail. It plays above the lowered volume of the music.

“I know you’re there.”

Reflexively, you glance at the window. It’s a void beyond the glass. You know she means the show.

“And I’m still here…Look, I’m calling to apologize. I know I pushed my luck. I’ve been trying to apologize for weeks, but you keep hanging up. So if you’ll—” 

You snatch the phone off the hook and hiss into it. “Yeah? And who’s fault is that?”

It takes a moment for her to respond, apparently taken off-guard.

“Mine, I know.” She says quietly. “And I am sorry. Really. I wish I could explain it. That first night I heard you? You charmed me immediately. That’s no excuse, I know, but…” 

There’s a whooshing on her end and tires rumbling on the road. Your ears perk further at the faint sound of music—Leather and Lace. She’s still listening to the show. A slight tremor runs through you.

“Are you driving truck? Is that why you’re calling? Because you’re bored?”

She hums. It tickles your ear. “Mm, no, but I’m on the road a lot, and I was bored until I heard you. I was just playing with the dial looking for background noise.”

“Not enough to act like a creep, so you have to call me ‘background noise’?”

Watcher laughs, and the metallic click of a lighter punctuates the sound. “Well, that’s what I used it for at first. Now it’s more of my soundtrack while I work and eat. I find the music pleasing of course, but I didn’t fully understand the phrase ‘voice for radio’ until I heard you. Ah, can you hold for a moment? I hope I’m not, hm, causing more problems like this. I’d hate to upset you even more.”

Maybe it’s because it’s the longest you’ve let her speak, but you find yourself admiring her voice. It’s clear, steady, and strangely insistent. It washes over you like a gentle tide, smoothing out your tension, each word suffusing you with a tranquility. They unwind something tight in your chest, and you’re suddenly nodding along as if she’s defanged your frustration. Uprooted each of its teeth one by one.

“It’s…fine.”

She mutes the call, and you snap out of it enough to double-check the line-up for the next break in music. When the line opens again, you hear footsteps on gravel.

“I hear you breathing. You’re still there.” The stranger laughs a little. Disbelief evident in her tone. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”

Hm. Why were you even mad in the first place?

The words tumble out in a dream-like state. “Yeah, I forgive you.”

“Good. I tend to be forward,” Her earnestness makes you grin. Traitor, something distant echoes from the recesses of your mind. “But I won’t pester you over the airwaves anymore. Do me a favor, won’t you?”

You hum. “Okay.”

“I want you to pack the queue for the next several hours, and then I want you to hang up. After that…Who is…? Oh he’s–Shit–”

The line abruptly cuts out, then click. Dial tone. You blink, surprised by how quickly the connection evaporates, the warmth of a conversation snatched away, leaving you almost reeling. The phone finds its cradle, but the disorienting rush that follows makes you feel both acutely aware and utterly detached. A few minutes pass in a haze.

Then, the door to the station opens. The missing notices taped to the booth flutter in the night’s breeze, and Ron appears. His hands lift in an enthusiastic greeting, though you can’t make out what he says. The dense paneling muffles his rambling as he slams the door behind him and engages the bolts.

As he trudges through the office, things sharpen. Clarify.

He is screaming. 

He is limping.

Blood pours from a deep gash in his thigh and a gaping wound on his shoulder.

Your chair clatters to the ground behind you as you scramble to your feet. The headphones wrench off of your head as the cord yanks them back. Reality frays at the seams right in front of you as he stumbles closer, struggling with how much blood trails behind him. You struggle to think, rooted to the spot in horror, with your heart thundering in your ears.

Ron shrieks and points. 

The phone.

Call for help.

You nearly fumble twice, tucking it into your shoulder to throw open desk drawers for bandaids or duct tape—but the line’s dead. You hear nothing but one track fade into the next and the booth’s door rattling open.

“You’ve got–got to help me,” He slurs, slumping against the door, gradually lowering to the ground. “It’s–It’s out–” He gurgles then retches, reaching for you with a trembling hand. Blood drips from his mouth, staining his lips and chin. 

The sound of wood splintering stops him short, reverberating through the office like a gunshot. 

Your eyes latch onto the station’s entrance, bulging at the warp of the wood and a fist-sized crater. The newer deadbolt is knocked clean off, the hinges bent and barely hanging on. Through the fissures, you see movement, and—something slams into it again, this time shattering the door into pieces. You flinch as jagged hunks of wood fly through the air, ricocheting off furniture and the walls. A few smash into the booth. Cracks spiderweb across the glass surface, fracturing across the width of the panel, but not enough to break.

“On air, g-get on air,” Ron wheezes, clutching his chest.

Nodding, you grab the headset and shove it to your ear, but before you can reach for the microphone, a figure appears in the doorway.

A woman. Watcher.

“Don’t do that, sweetheart,” She croons, mouth unmoving, her voice crackling through the driver regardless. It slips closer, an intimate murmur, even when the headset slips through your hands. Although she’s across the room, you almost sense her behind you, and each word susurrates into the shell of your ear. Meant for just you. “Not when I’ve finally found you. Won’t you come closer?”

You can’t move. Between the dying man at your feet and the esurient look on her face, you’re torn. Your limbs shake, wanting to go to her, but the death rattles of your boss and self-preservation beg you to stay.

“I can hear your heartbeat. Didn’t think I’d get your sweet blood pumping so fast, but I swear I didn’t mean to. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but that’s life.” Her head tilts with a shrug. “Now. Come here, sweetheart.”

Ron’s gasping turns wetter. 

You step over him.

“Remember what I told you, the first time I called?”

Swallowing, you weave through bits of smashed door and furniture. “‘I bet you have a pretty face…’”

“‘…to match that voice’, that’s right.” She finishes and smiles. This time, her mouth moves when she speaks. “I knew I was right. Felt it in my bones. You are a lovely creature, aren’t you? Give us a turn.”

It feels as though you’re moving through water, your limbs sluggish and far too relaxed for the amount of blood soaking into the carpet beneath your feet. The notion that something is wrong dances at the edge of your awareness. Easily ignored as you comply, twirling directly into her reach in front of the ruined doorway.

Through half-lidded eyes, you stare into your Watcher’s face.

Severe yet gentle. Penitent yet pitiless. Her mouth tugs upward, faintly, something in the taut line of her jaw, and a flicker in her gaze, a brief unease, like she’s sifting through her thoughts.

You wish you could comfort her. It seems like she needs it.

“You’re beautiful.” she whispers, gathering you to her chest. Her arms are lean, but there’s no give in her embrace. “Much too beautiful for radio.” She looks past you, where everything’s gone quiet save for the music. “We should go.”

That sounds nice. But.

“Okay, but can I load the queue until my boss comes in? He’ll be upset if I don’t at least do that.”

Watcher smiles and swipes a slick thumb over your cheek. It smells like iron. “Of course.”

The sun sits just beneath the horizon when the coffee maker runs.

Marc finds Ron’s body after hours of radio silence.

Nobody finds you.

[joeyalohadream]

turning the tables a little and requesting a sick bucky drabble… except he has NO problem accepting buck’s comfort and care. he’s extremely cranky from his illness but just wants to cuddle him

Hi anon! I took a LONG time to get to this one so I wrote a little more than usual. Hope you like it!

Here's a sick, grumpy Bucky (with everyone but Gale) and caretaker Buck. And, as always - softness and fluff! (Also my first time writing from Gale's POV, so that was fun!)

Word Count: 2,437

“You’re being ridiculous, Bucky. Just go to sick call and take the damn day.”

Gale’s steps stall outside Red’s office on his way to the briefing room. He listens in through the door, doesn’t even have to try really, as the men inside aren’t exactly being quiet.

“What would be ridiculous, Red, would be a healthy person going to sick call.”

Gale rolls his eyes and continues down the hall. He had his suspicions last night when Bucky had retuned much earlier than usual from the Officer’s Club that the other man had been feeling under the weather. But Gale had already been in bed and Bucky had brushed off his questions and given his forehead its customary goodnight kiss before falling into his own cot with a dramatic sigh. He’d been snoring within minutes and had been up before Gale for a meeting with leadership about the handover with Jack on Air Executive duties.

Gale was happy that Bucky would be back in the air with him. The happiness was dimmed by worry, but he knew that it wasn’t something he could affect. He worried about Bucky and Bucky worried about him and they’d both be going up into the sky and maybe wouldn’t be coming back down. It was something they’d have to learn to let into their relationship. To grow with.

But Gale wasn’t happy that Bucky would be spending all day today pretending he was okay when it was obvious to everyone that he wasn’t. There was no mission today, just a briefing on targets of opportunity and work with the ground crews on the forts they took up two days ago.

Bucky would be spending the day working with Jack on Air Executive duties, ensuring their transition went smoothly.

Sitting through the target briefing made his stomach clench with dread and flutter with anticipation at the same time. He exited the building, intending to grab some food before heading out to the tarmac.

Jack’s raised voice coming from the other side of the parachute storage door he was passing stopped him.

“You’re sick, Bucky! I don’t want to catch whatever you’ve got. This can wait until you’re not contagious.”

“I’m not sick. Let’s just get through this shit.”

“Breathe through your nose, Bucky.”

“Fuck you, Jack.”

Gale huffs a laugh and continues on his way.

----

Having to scrub engine grease from his skin is one of the pitfalls of spending time with Ken and his boys. He likes to know his Fort, all of the ins and outs, and he likes the way Ken lights up when Gale asks questions that allow the kid to share his expertise. So, the black grease he’s currently trying to remove from his forearms under the spray of the shower came from a good cause.

He gets the last of it off and moves to wet his hair as voices filter into the washroom. They stop around the wall where the sink basins are and Gale smiles when he hears its Bucky.

“Leave it, Curt.” Gale frowns at the nasally sounding tone.

“I’m just sayin’,” Curt’s accented voice joins the fray as Gale scrubs his hair. “Harding didn’t say he needed you to bring him the inventory report. Just give it to me and I’ll take it.”

“I’m not even fucking done with it,” Bucky groans.

“Then make Jack finish it. He’s air exec now,” Curt recommends. “The boring shit is his job as of today.”

“I just need to finish it and be done with it all.”

A lot of people look at Bucky and see a cocky pilot, which Gale will concede, he is.  But only the ones that really know him know that he has a tenacious work ethic. It’s paired with a shit attention span that makes things harder on him, but Gale admires the hell out of him.

“You need to go get yourself some medicine,” Curt snipes. “There’s some real pretty nurses in the sick bay, sure they’d love to get their hands on you.”

Gale rolls his eyes at Curt’s suggestive tone and then smiles when he hears Bucky’s reply.

“Yeah, not interested.”

“Since when?”

“And I’m not sick,” Bucky’s rough voice growls out and it makes Gale glare at the wall between them.

“You could literally cook an egg on your forehead.”

“Don’t fucking touch me!”

“You touch everyone all the goddamn time!”

Gale can’t help but chuckle at Curt’s fading words as he must be exiting the washroom. He closes his eyes and tips his back under the spray of the shower. When he opens them again, he can’t help but startle slightly as he sees Bucky’s flushed face peeking at him from around the wall.

“Lookin’ good, Buck,” Bucky throws him a roguish wink, eyes definitely not on his face. Gale throws his bar of soap in his direction and laughs as Bucky ducks back behind the wall to avoid it. His laughter fades out as he too exits the washroom.

That had been Gale’s first look at Bucky all day and he’d have to be blind not to notice the fever spots on his cheeks. He’d been planning to spend the rest of his day going over the mission planning briefs but he changes his mind as he turns off the shower, dries off and heads back to their quarters.

He leaves his hair mussed and falling over his forehead, puts on his PT gear and heads for the sick bay.

----

Gale’s sitting on his cot when the guys return from dinner, Bucky bringing up the rear. He smiles when Bucky’s eyes immediately search him out, heart warming at the relief he sees on the other man’s face when he finds him.

“Why don’t you want to go to Officer’s Club with us, Bucky?” Crank asks, voice teasing.

“I’ve gotta get up early,” Bucky grumbles back, making his way towards his cot, directly across from Gale’s own.

“We have the same schedule now that you’re back with us,” Crank points out. “And we don’t have anywhere to be until 1100.”

Bucky doesn’t answer, just sits heavily on his cot and glares back at Crank.

“Just get your shit and get the hell outta here,” Bucky snarks. “Those Red Cross girls are all gonna be taken if you all keep dawdling.”

“You don’t want to come find one for yourself?” Crank pushes.

“I really don’t,” Bucky pushes back.

“Now that right there proves it,” Crank laughs. “Just admit that you’re sick!”

“Just mind your own fucking business!” Bucky turns away from the room and starts taking off his boots.

Gale raises an eyebrow at Crank when he gets his attention and makes a motion with his head. Crank raises his hands in surrender and backs away.

Bucky gives Gale a small smile after he gathers his toiletries and moves to head to the showers. Gale returns the smile and then tries not to glare at the rest of the men until they all finally exit the barracks, headed for their drinks and their women.

“You got him?” Curt asks as he’s about to walk out the door.

“Always do,” Gale nods. Curt looks satisfied and heads out into the dusk.

Gale uses his time alone to prepare Bucky’s cot. He straightens the sheets, fluffs the pillow and adds one of his own to the mix. Pulls the blanket back so it looks inviting.

Then he sets up his supplies on his own footlocker and waits for Bucky.

Only a few minutes pass before shuffling footsteps draw his attention to Bucky’s slow-moving figure making his way to him, dressed in a pair of their cold weather PT pants and long sleeve shirt, rubbing a towel of his head. When he pulls it away, his curls are a mess.

Gale can’t keep the fond smile off his lips as he stands up, blocking Bucky’s path once he reaches their cots. He takes the towel and his toiletries from his hands and drops them onto Bucky’s footlocker and then he just looks at him.

They’re standing a foot apart and Bucky looks into his eyes for a beat before his shoulders sag and his eyes get a little bigger and he huffs out a pitiful sounding sigh.

“Buck,” he practically whines, and Gale takes advantage of their solitude by stepping closer and reaching forward to cup the older man’s too-warm cheek. “I don’t feel good.”

“I know, John,” Gale soothes, letting his thumb caress the heated skin beneath it. He smiles when Bucky rests the weight of head in his hand and closes his eyes. The fact that he doesn’t grouch at him, doesn’t try to hide anything from him like he’s been doing all day with everyone else makes affection bloom in his chest.

“Missed you today,” Bucky breathes out.

“Missed you too,” Gale admits. He misses Bucky whenever they’re not in the same room and it concerns him a little how attached he’s gotten.

“Come sit down,” Gale uses his free hand to latch onto the front of Bucky’s shirt and gives him a tug. He drops his hand from his face and moves it to his arm as he guides him to his cot. “I got you some stuff.”

Bucky sits down heavily, a groan escaping him, and Gale has been subject to enough sickness to know that his fever is probably making his whole-body ache. He winces in sympathy and grabs one of the fever-reducing tablets he’d gotten from the nurse earlier, places it in Bucky’s palm and hands him his canteen.

“Where’d you get these?” Bucky asks before he swallows the pill with a pull of water that leaves him grimacing.

“Sick bay,” Gale tells him.

“They just handing out these things to anyone that asks now?”

“Kinda told them I wasn’t feeling well,” he shrugs and sits down next to Bucky.

“You, Gale Cleven, lied to a medical professional?” Bucky looks scandalized, but there is a smirk playing at his lips. “And they believed you?”

“Sure did,” Gale reaches forward and grabs the mess kit from the footlocker.

“But you’re a terrible liar,” Bucky points out.

“I might have played it up a bit,” Gale admits sheepishly, still feeling embarrassed for his impromptu acting session. “Gave them that look you always say I give you.”

“You gave them the big, sad-puppy eyes?” Bucky looks offended. “Those eyes are supposed to be just for me.”

“They are Bucky,” Gale squeezes his knee. “I used them today for you.”

“You hate doctors,” Bucky reminds him. “You even hate nurses.”

“Love you, though,” Gale smiles at him and Bucky’s eyes widen a bit before he smiles back. Gale’s favorite big dopey grin lighting up his whole face.

“Now, eat this,” Gale put the mess kit into Bucky’s hand and unlatches the lid, revealing a salty broth. “Got it from the Red Cross van. It’s probably not hot anymore but should be warm. Guessing you didn’t eat any dinner.”

“Did you?” Bucky narrows his eyes at him, and Gale gives him his most innocent look. Knows that Bucky sees right through it, but he also understands that Gale hasn’t had much of an appetite since his first mission and he’s thankful when Bucky lets it lie. Knows that the fact that he does is evidence of how terrible he’s feeling.

Bucky foregoes the spoon and lifts the whole tin to his mouth, drinking from it like it’s a cup. He takes several big gulps and Gale laughs when he finishes it in under a minute.

“S’good,” Bucky wipes his mouth with his hand and gives the empty tin back to Gale.

“Should’ve gotten you more,” Gale frowns at the empty dish.

“It was perfect Buck,” Bucky knocks their knees together and then turns his head away to cough. Gale stows away the dish and turns back in time to see Bucky’s flushed face smiling at him. “This is perfect. You’re perfect.”

Gale feels his own cheeks heat up and curses Bucky’s ability to make him feel so damn flustered, wishes sweet words came as easily to him so he could return the favor.

“I just wanna go to sleep,” Bucky sounds tired, and a yawn follows his words.

“Lay down,” Gale moves aside and helps Bucky recline. He pulls the blanket over him and places his hand on his forehead, frowning at the heat he feels.

“Stop worrying,” Bucky tells him, blinking slowly at him.

“You always worry about me,” Gale points out. “Let me have my turn.”

He smooths his hand through Bucky’s curls, letting his fingers scritch his scalp, satisfied when Bucky’s eyes close and a look of contentment stretches across his features.

“Can you lay down with me?” Bucky’s rough voice asks.

And Gale knows he shouldn’t. Knows any one of the guys could come back for any number of reasons at any time. Knows he won’t have an explanation for being in Bucky’s cot with him. Knows the last thing Bucky’s fever needs is another warm body against his.

“Please,” Bucky opens his eyes and pushes head more firmly into Gale’s hand. “Just want to lay with you for a little bit. Just till I fall asleep?”

And how can Gale say no to him? He’s sick and tired and feels miserable and for some reason the only thing, the only person he lets see it all is him. Gale doesn’t know what he did to deserve that trust, but he’ll do anything to keep it. He’s never had anyone need him like Bucky does, never had anyone want him like he does, and he’s definitely never had anyone love like he does. Gale couldn’t say no for anything in the world.

He leans forward and presses his lips to Bucky’s over-heated forehead before crawling onto the cot. Bucky scoots over and pushes Gale on his back, arranges him how he wants him. He smiles at him, slow and sweet and then plops down, lays his head down so it’s pillowed on Gale’s chest, arm thrown over his waist.

Gale turns his head so his lips rest on the crown of his head, nose in his damp curls and puts his arm around Bucky’s back to hold him in place as he goes boneless against him.

“Can you pet my hair again?” Bucky’s sleep-deep voice mumbles into his chest and Gale huffs a laugh. But he brings his other hand up and buries it in his curls, scratches at his scalp.

“Go to sleep Bucky,” he soothes.

“Love you, Buck.”

Gale smiles into his hair and holds him a little closer.

[michaelsfavgirl]

not like the movies

Pairing: Michael Jackson x fem!reader

Synopsis: it's a cliché love story isn't it? The global superstar and a die hard fan who manages to catch her idol's attention during a concert. it's that simple, right?....right?

Warning: none

Word Count: 2.1k

Requested: yes/no

Author’s Note: I changed the req a bit, put a little twist on this trope to make it more interesting. I hope you like it. :)

Links: navigation | masterlist | taglist

“Is the mic working tonight?" Michael asks Frank DiLeo, his manager. his eyes sparkle with mischief as they walk towards the wings, closer to the stage.

Frank chuckles, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "God, Mike, You'll never let us live that down, will you?"

Michael throws his head back in laughter, recalling a not-so-distant memory when the crew accidentally messed with the tech. “You guys cut off my mic during she’s out of my life! I had to fake cry to trick the fans into thinking all that was a part of the show.”

Frank, shaking his head in slight embarrassment, adds, "We learned our lesson that night. It won't happen again."

"Of course, it won't. Or else, I’ll cut your check in half.” Michael says with a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. As much as Frank likes to have some form of authority over Michael as his manager he’s still not the one who calls the shots. 

Frank's expression shifts from amusement to a momentary flicker of concern. "You wouldn't..." he says as his voice trembles. 

Michael bursts into laughter, the carefree sound echoing through the backstage corridors. "Just kidding, Frank. Can't you take a joke?"

Relieved, Frank lets out a chuckle, feigning a scowl. "You know, you give me a heart attack every time you say something like that."

Michael, still grinning, pats Frank on the back. "Come on, you know I wouldn't mess with your money."

As he sees his manager’s face relax Michael can’t help but tease him again. "Or would I?" he says as he leans down slightly to Frank’s height, watching Frank's face momentarily shift from relief to uncertainty again. Before he can respond, Michael strides onto the stage, leaving Frank bemused, with his jaw on the floor. 

As Michael smoothly transitions between his iconic songs, the energy in the stadium is electric. The sea of fans undulates with excitement, but amid the frenzy, his attention is inexplicably drawn to a girl in the front row. 

The second his eyes land on her he feels like he’s in a trance of some sort. There's an allure about her, something that tugs at the edges of Michael's consciousness. It's not just the way she sways to the beat or how her eyes light up with each note; it's an inexplicable connection that he can't shake off. Lost in the spell of her presence, he fumbles the lyrics of a verse, drawing giggles from the audience. 

Michael Jackson, the perfectionist, is momentarily thrown off, a rare slip in his otherwise flawless performance.

Shaking his head to clear the distraction, he attempts to refocus. Yet, as the music continues, his gaze involuntarily drifts back to her. It's a puzzle, a mystery that unravels with each passing song. Why does she captivate him so? Why does she stand out in a crowd that's usually a sea of screaming adoration?

The realization dawns on him—she's different. Amidst the fervor of fans who've camped out for days, who've screamed themselves hoarse, in contrast she remains remarkably composed. She’s not crying, screaming, or fainting. Her demeanor is an enigma. It's not that she's unaffected; on the contrary, she radiates genuine enjoyment, but there's a serenity to her reactions that sets her apart.

Michael can't help but wonder. He knows the type of fans who are usually in the front row. They tend to be the wildest, most infatuated with him, having created an imaginary world in their heads where they’re in a romantic relationship with him. 

But her? She doesn't seem like that at all. 

How strange.

As he moves from one hit to another, the questions linger in his mind. His eyes continue to find her in the crowd, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. There's an intrigue. He thought he knew his fans inside out—their dedication, their unbridled passion. Yet, she challenges his assumptions.

Midway through his performance, Michael decides to playfully engage with the mysterious woman in the front row. He winks at her, not once but a few times, expecting a typical fan reaction—screams, swoons, or at the very least, a blush. To his surprise, all he receives in return is a serene smile. Just a smile.

The bewilderment creeps into Michael's expression. What's going on here? Is she immune to his legendary charm or something? Huh, he’d never in a million years admit it, but he feels his ego deflate a little. 

Refusing to be discouraged, he takes it up a notch. He points directly at her, a playful challenge in his eyes. Surely, this will elicit a different response right? But no, she remains composed, smiling and silently mouthing the lyrics. This is unheard of for Michael, and he can't shake off the perplexity. 

Jesus, what is she doing to him?

Unable to wait any longer, during a break where the band continues to play to give Michael a moment to breathe, he rushes backstage to his manager, Frank. He grabs onto Frank's shoulders tightly which surprises him. 

“Look, you see that girl over there? No, not her, on the left, her. Bring her to me after the show, okay?” The urgency in his voice is palpable as he hastily says, instructing Frank to bring the mysterious woman to his dressing room after the show. Frank, usually the composed one, is taken aback by his client's sudden insistence.

"What's gotten into you, Michael?" Frank asks, trying to make sense of the unusual request.

Michael, in no mood for delays, shakes Frank's shoulders, emphasizing the urgency. "Just get her here, Frank. It's important. You got that?"

Frank, still a bit shocked by the unexpected outburst, manages to nod in agreement. He watches as Michael walks away, leaving him to process what’s just happened.

The final notes of the last song resonate through the stadium as Michael wraps up his performance. The crowd roars with applause, and Michael, still riding the high of the show, takes a moment to thank his fans. "Thank you, I love you all," he declares, his eyes scanning the audience one last time. 

In that fleeting moment, his gaze lingers on the mysterious woman in the front row. Without giving it another thought, Michael dashes backstage, not even sparing a moment for his manager, Frank Dileo. He quickly instructs Frank to bring the woman to his dressing room and disappears, leaving Frank with his jaw on the floor.

After a refreshing shower, Michael reenters his dressing room, his mind buzzing with anticipation, heart beating unbelievably fast. And there she is, the enchanting woman who has captured his attention. Her back is turned to him as she admires the tour costumes on the rack, gently tracing the metal pieces with her fingers. Before Michael can utter a word, she turns around, her eyes meeting his. 

With the most angelic smile, she introduces herself shyly, “oh, uh, hello, i’m y/n. Someone told me to come to your dressing room, I swear I'm not a crazy fan.” As her sweet, slightly trembling voice fills the room, Michael feels a sensation akin to his legs turning into jelly. 

“I know don’t worry” he reassures her with a gentle smile, trying to keep his excitement in check. 

“I asked them to bring you here”

“Oh…do you often bring your fans here?” she asks with a little smile on her face, teasing him. 

Michael's eyes widen slightly, realizing how his previous statement sounded. “No, no, I’m not like that.” He defends himself. 

“Please y/n take a seat.” he gestures to the cozy couch. Her name feels familiar on his tongue, unfortunately, he cannot remember from where so he lets the thought go.

Casual banter flows initially, words revolving around music, the pulsating rhythm of the crowd, and the enchanting atmosphere that wraps around every live performance. Michael can't help but be drawn to the woman's composure, a serenity that stands out amid the usual fervor of his adoring fans.

As the conversation meanders through the afterglow of the show, the woman pivots with a sudden turn, shifting gears towards more personal territory. "How do you deal with all the relentless media during the tour?" Her question hangs in the air, curiosity etched in her eyes.

A contemplative sigh escapes Michael's lips, the weight of the question temporarily lifting from his shoulders. "It can be daunting," he begins, "But the music, the fans, that's what keeps me going."

Her eyes linger on his face, searching for something more profound beneath the surface. Unsatisfied with his somewhat evasive response, she persists, "But what specifically bothers you? There must be something that digs deeper."

Michael hesitates, a brief moment of vulnerability flickering in his eyes before he decides to share, "The…the rumors about me bleaching my skin. It's hurtful, and it affects me more than people realize."

“Do you though?” 

His eyes furrow, a mix of annoyance and anger flickering across his face. The probing nature of her questions stirs a cautious wariness within him.

She notices this and leans in, "You're so misunderstood, I just want to know the real you."

Silence hangs between them for a moment. Michael, caught in the whirlwind of emotions, contemplates the woman before him. Is she just a genuine fan seeking connection, or does she harbor ulterior motives beneath her calm exterior?

Gazing into her eyes, his hungry desire to be vulnerable and open his heart to some outweighs his concern. "No," he responds firmly, the word resonating with a quiet strength. "I don't bleach my skin. The rumors are just that—rumors."

Nodding in compassion she gently lays her warm palm on top of his in a soothing manner, this makes michaels senses spike. 

"I hope I haven't crossed any boundaries," she offers apologetically, her eyes reflecting a genuine concern for a split second.

He looks at her with a hint of confusion, not quite grasping what she means. "No, no it’s…fine." he says.

Taking a moment to choose her words carefully, she ventures into more personal territory. "I mean, after what happened... Do you feel lonely on tour?" The cryptic nature of her question leaves Michael momentarily puzzled.

"What do you mean, 'after what happened'?" he inquires, eyebrows furrowing inquisitively.

She takes a deep breath, her gaze steady. "In the media, you know the whole Brooke Shields turning down your proposal. It must be difficult for you."

Michael's sigh echoes through the room as he dispels the misconception. "Brooke never never said no because I never proposed," he states, a touch of exasperation in his voice. "That was just a story she made up to get attention for her new movie."

As Michael clarifies the misinformation, the woman subtly slips her hand into her handbag, a movement that goes unnoticed by him. Maintaining an air of compassion, she continues, "It must be tough for you, dealing with the constant scrutiny."

"Yeah, it gets hard sometimes," he admits, a weight apparent in his words. "She’s been leeching off me, leading me on since we met." he says and feels guilt creeping up on him, but he’s been bottling up his emotions for so long he can’t help but vent.

Her expression remains composed, her eyes attentive. "I’m sorry you have to go through that Michael," she commiserates, though the glint in her eyes suggests a hidden agenda.

Michael, relieved to share his burden, continues, "I just want someone who's genuine, can’t you understand that girl? Someone who understands me for me, not for the image they've built in their mind."

As the admission hangs in the air, the woman's hand tightens around an object in her bag, a subtle signal of her concealed intentions. 

After a conversation, well, more like Michael opening his heart while she nodded, the peculiar woman stands up abruptly and straightens the creases on her clothes. She grabs the doorknob and turns to face him.

“I hope you won’t be too surprised when you see yourself in the papers tomorrow morning Mr. Jackson” she says with one foot out the door.

Michael cocks his head to the side and hums in confusion, why is she speaking so formally all of a sudden. “What do you mean?” 

“Haven’t you read that article about Princess Diana?” 

Before Michael can open his mouth she’s already left the room and shut the door behind her. 

Panicking slightly he rushes to the coffee table and gets a hold of the newspaper from last week. He swiftly flips through the pages until he stumbles upon the tabloid junk he’d read on a plane half asleep. The title reads:

“IS PRINCESS DIANA A MASTER MANIPULATOR?”

          — By y/n y/l

Fuck, she’s a journalist. He  should’ve guessed from the get go. She was a little odd but he brushed it off as her being shy and awkward, and now look at what he’s gotten himself into. 

© michaelsfavgirl 2024

Taglist: @heartss444mj @yeriminist @yeaiamme2 @helloaugustmoon @cinnamoncunt @theladyofmylife @minekarina @kionaaa @theskinniestjackson-denny @youronlyonenini

[wannaeatramyeon]

Ryuhei Kuroda x Reader: Moon and Tide

F!Reader. Colleagues to Lovers. Mitsuki leaves, Ryuhei has some realisations.

Ryuhei experiences his first heartbreak at nineteen.

(In truth, his heart had broken time and time again with his unrequited love. Each time that Mitsuki dismisses him, each time he saw her with Shiba Inu.

But each time he used to see her, he also fell in love all over again too.)

.

.

Shortly after Sinu Han leaves, Mitsuki also departs.

"What?!" Ryuhei slams both fists down on the boardroom table, "Then I quit." 

"Haven't you harassed her enough? She obviously doesn't want you to follow." Samuel Seo gazes over the top of his glasses, smirk on his face and relishing the blonde's distress.

"Watch your mouth." Ryuhei snarls, low and menacing, a clear warning as any.

"Samuel is right," Eugene is calm, voice even. "Please respect Mitsuki's wishes this one time." Unlike all the other times you've ignored her boundaries does not need to be said.

The room stills at his words. The chairman has spoken, although it does nothing to dissipate the tension. The air hangs heavy. Like an elastic band stretched taut, to its limits. 

Samuel observes Mandeok tensing and Ryuhei’s nostrils flaring, and he wonders who will break first.

Ryuhei's eyes flit around the room. The silence, lack of support, from Kenta or even yourself is damning.

"Fuck you," he hisses. Leaving, not wanting to be here a second longer.

The door slams, reverberating off the walls.

"My apologies for Ryuhei's interruptions," Eugene gestures to you, "In Mitsuki's absence, Y/N will take on her duties and title."

You give a curt nod to the rest of the room, acknowledging your promotion, but your eyes stay glued to Ryuhei's empty seat.

.

.

To both of your surprise, you're the first one to reach out.

(You like to think it’s you fulfilling your new duties as president. The alliance, the uncomplicated relationship you always had with Ryuhei helped too.)

Gently knocking on his room door, calling his name. The voice, the tone, the pitch pulls him out of his mood. Briefly, for a second, before he realises the two of you sound nothing alike.

"Go away," 

He watches you respond by jiggling the handle aggressively. So much so that the entire door shakes then a second later - it opens with you striding in.

"That's handy," Ryuhei, lying in bed, glances over at you rearranging the pins back into your hair, "And a complete invasion of my privacy."

"Like you ever cared about anyone's privacy,"

Right. Another jab about Mitsuki. One that he used to take on the chin because it's true, he's not ashamed. He pines after her openly, certain that everyone in 2A would have heard of his antics by now, if not the whole of Workers.

Tonight is a different story. It's less the wound being raw and tender and more Ryuhei is missing an entire limb.

How can she leave without saying goodbye?

He misses her.

Ryuhei throws the covers over his head.

The message is clear though not enough to drive you out or to muffle your voice.

"You have 3 days to get yourself together, then I need you by my side."

Fuck off he wants to say. But what's the point anymore? 

"I have negotiations that could go wrong. I need all the manpower I can get my hands on."

Like you wouldn't be able to handle it by yourself, a small voice in his brain retorts.

Whatever. This, Workers, everything has all been a complete waste of his time.

.

.

Ryuhei was officially Mitsuki's bodyguard, and it makes sense that his duties now extend to you.

Everything else thus far has transitioned smoothly, except your current dilemma: how do you deal with a bodyguard that doesn't want to guard you?

After the three days, you barge in at the crack of dawn and try to wrestle him out of bed. Out of the room that stinks of despair and depression.

A one sided obsession that has run its course, ended in the best way it could. You don't voice these thoughts out loud.

Ryuhei is a dead weight in your arms, childish and insolent and completely unhelpful. 

He's a grown man. There's little you can do.

Your lips crease thin with fury but no words spill forth.

You leave without him.

.

.

It's a full week later that Ryuhei musters up enough energy to crawl out of bed, throwing on something half presentable to stretch his legs.

Wandering the corridors, guilt creeps over him when he sees you talking to Kenta, right arm bandaged and in a sling.

Kenta nods at his friend's reappearance, you ignore him completely.

Well. He supposes he deserves that.

.

.

Seeing you kick starts a little change. 

Not a lot, enough to get Ryuhei out of bed every day and put up an appearance of semi-normality. Key word: semi.

He slumps over a desk half the time, willing away the hours by fiddling with the edges of papers and documents, heart aching.

(A small part of him, maybe the most pathetic part, wants to doodle Mitsuki's name over and over.)

Other times he takes to training with a ferocity that surprises himself.

The only moments he feels anything other than a hollowness is when he's by your side. Eyes constantly attracted to your broken arm. 

Steel pins, Kenta had mentioned, face grim as he clicks his lighter, adding that it was only thanks to your quick thinking the executives of Workers made it out alive.

Huh, it was that bad?

.

.

The guilt builds, claws under his skin and at his conscience. Could have sworn you were ambidextrous except now he watches you struggle with your dominant hand out of action. 

He's not sure if it's out of stubbornness or forgetfulness that you have used chopsticks all week. Albeit your dexterity has vastly improved since Monday, watching you is nothing short of exasperating.

Ryuhei’s peace offering comes in the form of a spoon.

You've barely exchanged words since that day where you tried to hoist him out of bed. Only on a needs-must basis. Terse and to the point.

You were thoroughly pissed off and everyone knew it.

Righteous in your anger at first. You had explicitly said that you needed all hands on deck, implicitly asked for his help and frustrated he couldn't separate his personal feelings enough to do his job when there are lives at stake. Over the past couple weeks, your ire has reduced, cooled until he is now nothing but a thorn in your side.

"Go on, just take it," The thorn in your side holds out the utensil.

You ignore him.

"Or else I could just feed you?" He offers, a hint of mischief returning to his eyes.

Ryuhei huffs when you tell him he can try if he wants a broken arm to match yours.

.

.

Inch by inch, you thaw.

Would have thawed quicker if Ryuhei lessened his efforts to get back into your good graces, causing headaches and extra work more often than not.

Still, he tries. Following you around, part bodyguard, part puppy. You appreciate it in hindsight. It’s almost cute.

Little by little, he also regains the bounce in his step.

.

.

Ryuhei tries once to contact Mitsuki.

She says she has no plans to return or to see him again.

She doesn't offer anything else.

He stays silent the whole time.

.

.

Some may consider that a form of closure, Ryuhei isn’t sure. Things at least get slightly easier after that.

Once an all encompassing searing pain, the hurt and heartbreak eventually settles and dulls into a throb.

Normalcy becomes less of a facade.

Ryuhei flips off Eugene in earnest, tells Samuel Seo to eat shit with sincerity, struts 2A with his confident gait once more.

"Nomen," you nudge him lightly with your shoulder. Even with your mask on, he can hear the smile in your voice. "It's good to have you back."

"Yeah," he agrees. It is good to be back.

.

.

Not everything is smooth sailing, however.

In his more melodramatic moments, in which there are many, Ryuhei vows never to love again, endure a lifetime of chastity, promising to never so much as gaze at another woman.

You snort at the declarations.

"What?" He snaps and you pointedly return his gaze as he remains indignant, "You don't count."

You let that particular one slide but- "Who's going to sleep with you anyway, you're a pathetic asshole."

"A very handsome pathetic asshole," he corrects.

"Hmm." Yet you don't disagree.

It's only later that day, stuck in another godforsaken meeting with you and Eugene, when boredom strikes and his mind wanders that Ryuhei realises that you didn't refute his claim.

He watches you, head tilted and eyebrows furrowed.

Huh.

.

.

Ryuhei doesn't care about you, not like he cares about Mitsuki. Though he doesn't care about anyone the same way he cares (cared?) about her.

It's not personal.

His relationship with you has always been easy, flirtatious without intent. 

Sharp words and double entendres litter your conversations. Fun during the better moments, aggravating during others. Skin deep, superficial. He doesn't know you beyond the limits of your words, not really, and the experience is mutual.

Others have commented on your strength and character before. Formidable. A force to be reckoned with.

Even more have taken note of your looks, a common water cooler topic. 

To Ryuhei, you're like the moon. Sure you're nice to look at. Yet when Mitsuki is the stars and beyond; dazzling, glittering with untold adventures, how can anyone possibly compare?

.

.

(In the end, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Though not in the way Ryuhei expects.)

.

.

He carries out his new bodyguard tasks without complaint. 

It only made sense with your arm out of commission, and him technically and almost literally being your right hand man, that he carries your bag, your coffee too. Really, whatever you need.

What’s more, he now knows you take your coffee exactly like him. Quadruple shot, milky and disgustingly sweet.

Spends more time scrolling on your phone than a president probably should.

Hate sitting with your back to the door. And in meetings where there are no other options, Ryuhei makes sure to position himself opposite instead of being next to you. Himself sat where you would have preferred. One eye on any potential dangers and the exit route, giving a reassuring, roguish smile that eases your worries.

Bags under your eyes naturally mean a poor night’s sleep. Bags under your eyes and hair in a ponytail means you do not want to be here today. Something you would never voice out loud, but Ryuhei can read you anyway. 

On those days, he makes sure he’s always one step ahead and extra considerate. He’s not completely altruistic, he also doesn’t want to be shouted at again.

.

.

The emptiness still comes and goes, catches him out when he least expects it. Usually he feels Mitsuki’s absence more than remembers her presence.

Ryuhei notices you a bit more too, these days. Ever since your offhand agreement.

The way you say his name is nothing like how she used to. The way you look at him is nothing like how she used to. 

It’s actually warmer.

.

.

“You fucking idiot,” your tone is a complete contrast to your gentle hands, now completely healed and bandaging up his instead.

Ryuhei pouts with mock hurt and you roll your eyes. You will not give him sympathy, not for this.

(A yelp diverted your attention earlier today, and you rushed to find Kenta holding his lighter and Ryuhei cradling his own hand, wincing in pain.

You took one look at the two guilty faces and realised that the blonde moron wanted to learn how to set his finger alight like Kenta without hurting himself.

Ryuhei is one thing, but you expected better from Kenta. You turn to him, disappointment painted on your face and tell him exactly that.

“What about me!” Ryuhei had the audacity to pipe up. You roughly snatched his wrist and dragged him away.)

“Don’t set yourself on fire again,” you punctuate each word by sharply jabbing him in the chest with your finger.

Ryuhei flutters his eyelashes at you in a way he thinks must be quite charming and endearing. Who knows where the hell he got that idea from. You’re tempted to gouge out his eyes more than anything.

Somehow, you manage to resist. You also refrain from rolling your eyes at him again.

(You worry if you do that anymore, they might get permanently stuck and never return back to normal.)

.

.

Ryuhei studies his injured hand. Lying in bed, other hand behind his head, holding it up into the direct path of the silver moonlight cutting through the darkness.

He moves it, angles it this way and that. Letting the highlights and shadows illuminate your neat handiwork.

Something about this makes him feel funny. A little light headed.

He can’t recall the last time anyone touched him so kindly. Can’t recall anyone ever taking care of him when he’s been hurt before.

If he squints and looks at the neat little knot just right, he can almost see a heart shape.

.

.

It’s odd.

Were you always this flirtatious? Was he always this coquettish with you?

Did you always return his taunts with such a sparkle in your eyes?

When did you start having so many inside jokes, your own moments snickering together?

And it’s like he can finally see you. No longer subjected to his previous tunnel vision, he finally understands what everyone has been saying.

You’re much more stunning than Ryuhei remembers.

He also doesn’t remember your smile making him feel this way before.

Lastly, he remembers saying ‘you don’t count’. His words have come back to bite him.

.

.

Ryuhei wakes up at his usual time on a Wednesday.

It’s a nothing special sort of day.

Slinks out of his bed like he usually does, goes about his day as he usually does, teases you with intention and a quickened pulse. Which… ok, that one is new.

All in all. It’s fine. It’s an unremarkable Wednesday.

Except the dull ache in his chest, one he has had to endure for the last few months, isn't there anymore.

.

.

There’s a different type of guilt at play.

First-

When you’re used to something for years and years, it takes time to break out of a habit. For the first time, Ryuhei begins to see his attachment to Mitsuki as the unhealthy obsession that it is. 

He’s not fully ready to pick this apart just yet.

Second-

How do you separate a rebound from something real? That you’re not just a replacement, a new person to pass the time?

And that idea, that you’re a replacement for anything, shocks him. It’s unimaginable to think of you as a passing fancy because you deserve so much better.

That really should have given him an inkling. 

On the other hand. When Ryuhei has only surrounded his love life with the one red flag, and himself being the other red flag too… he has a lot to learn.

.

.

Unfortunately you did get one thing right: Ryuhei is pathetic. His baseline personality is an absolute simp. 

Maybe it would have been different if his informative years played out differently. Alas.

Alone, he tries to dissect his thoughts and feelings. In your company, he is much more simple. Constantly wanting to capture your attention, which you give easily and with minimal conditions. 

Ryuhei can now read you like the back of his hand, knows your preferences so well that he’s able to anticipate your needs before they develop into needs. Wants, at best. Perhaps not even that.

And when other people look at you, the desire shown easily on their face that he has tried to tamper down, his possessiveness and jealousy flares.

Unsubtle shoulder barges and sneers are thrown in their direction.

But Ryuhei is nothing if not patient. He supposes it won’t be so bad if you turn him down and you’re happy with someone else.

He’s used to that.

Giving you the opportunity to turn him down though, he’s not sure yet how to go about.

.

.

Conveniently, an opportunity does arise.

Celebrating the new Fifth Affiliates, Eugene had said, showing his face at the gathering for about ten minutes before leaving. 

Then the two newbies, who Ryuhei doesn’t bother to get the names of because he sure as hell doesn’t want to know anyone with tacky ‘H’ tattoos (on their forehead and neck for crying out loud!), leave shortly after.

Ryuhei also considers it a small victory when Samuel Seo departs, after a very witty verbal sparring to see who can tell each other to fuck off in increasingly creative ways.

“You’re so fucking juvenile,” you sigh, though you begrudgingly admit that you were impressed throughout that display.

“At least I got the last word in,” Ryuhei grins, giving the finger to Samuel’s retreating back.

The room empties out at a quicker rate now that the non-mandatory, completely optional (if you want to keep your job) gathering is devoid of the more severe senior management.

No more than another 30 minutes pass and only you and Ryuhei remain. Two small figures in an oversized room, full of empty tables but one.

Ryuhei rests one elbow on the table, propping up his head and looks at you with a cocky smile.

“Remember when I said I’m never going to gaze at anyone ever again? That was a lie.”

“Really.” You deadpan, resisting once more the urge to roll your eyes. It might be the most difficult thing you have ever had to do.

“I lied when I said you don’t count too.”

Ryuhei, for all his flaws, has only ever been forthright with his emotions. In his own roundabout and very sex-pest way with Mitsuki, though he did confess in the end. As for right now, well, he has learned his lesson.

You give him a response he didn’t expect.

“I think you should spend more time on your own first.”

.

.

Ryuhei is immediately placed on a leave of absence the next day.

You explain clearly to him as he sits opposite, his very official letter scrunched in his fist and feeling extremely petulant, that while you do like him, he needs some distance to everything.

He only hears the first part. You like him? You? Like? Him? The words swim round and round in his mind.

“Ryuhei,” you snap your fingers and him out of his daze.

“Then what’s the problem?” he whines.

“Don’t make me into another Mitsuki,” Ryuhei opens his mouth to argue that he won’t, there is no way- 

“Ryuhei,” you repeat his name again in an authoritative tone that leaves no room for argument. Echoing your words from yesterday. “You need to spend more time on your own. This is non negotiable.”

.

.

Ryuhei sulks like there is no tomorrow.

Tries to manifest you outside his door but to no avail. He doesn’t see you at all.

That just about surmises his first week.

.

.

The week after, he thinks about you. How strange that you started as colleagues, almost friends first. How well he actually knows you.

Now months after Mitsuki has left, Ryuhei can only piece together fragments of her.

Even still, he had never seen the whole picture. He never knew her in her entirety, only the portrait he painted.

What becomes exceedingly clear is his one sided behaviour.

.

.

The fog, the rose tinted glasses fully lifts in the fourth week.

.

.

The sixth week he carefully pries open the past.

Gently picks apart what he wasn’t ready to before.

Moments of self reflection are painful, embarrassing. If the earth could open up and swallow him whole, he would gladly take it.

He still feels something for Mitsuki, though pertaining more to the remorse and shame side rather than anything else.

In an ideal world, he would seek her out and offer an apology for his past behaviour. However, in the real world, that only helps to alleviate his own conscience. 

He has already reached out once before and she has given her answer.

Nothing else from Ryuhei now would benefit either party.

.

.

Two full months later, Ryuhei sees you once again at work.

Your smile still makes his heart flutter and brain short wire.

Except he can now see you as a whole person, all your flaws and faults too. What he used to ignore with Mitsuki, blinded by his obsession. 

His feelings for you don't change.

.

.

Ryuhei wonders when he started to like you.

Thinks his heart liked you before his brain even realised. When the time is right, he needs to apologise for how long it took him to fully catch up.

.

.

He remembers thinking of you as the moon once, paling in comparison to the stars and the great beyond. 

That wasn’t quite fair. Wasn't accurate at all.

If you are the celestial body, luminous and hung high in the heavens by the gods themselves, then Ryuhei considers himself the tide.

He understands now, with its lunar radiance, there is nothing that comes close.

Quite simply: 月が綺麗ですね

(The moon is beautiful, isn't it?)

.

.

At twenty, Ryuhei experiences real love.

Experiences what it truly means to love and to be loved.

[mc-lukanette]

Ladybug stood on a rooftop, dazed, staring up as the magical ladybugs flew up into the sky and dispersed into nothingness. It hadn't even been a year, yet she'd lost track of all the akuma she'd found.

All the time she'd lost.

Dropping her gaze to the roof under her feet, she wondered how many times she'd jumped across it. The rooftops of Paris had all blended together in her mind, which had long since stopped seeing them as buildings or shops so much as something to step across to get wherever she needed to go, or an object to throw her yoyo at to swing somewhere.

Down below, a crowd was cheering for her and Chat Noir. Their faces were hard to see with her vision occasionally blurring, but she felt they were grateful, at least, and the distance was the only reason why no one saw the tiredness in her eyes. Chat Noir, though he stood right there next to her, was simply too busy putting on a good smile to the cameras to see the way she swayed like she was about to fall over.

That's what she told herself, anyway. Besides, heroes didn't get tired, they didn't need breaks, and they certainly didn't demand sympathy from those around them. They were meant to serve as a higher being, perfect in the eyes of the public.

That was all.

As Ladybug raised a hand to give a smile and wave with energy she didn't have, a group of screams rang out.

"Oh no, i-it's another akuma!"

"Quick, everybody, run!"

"M'lady, look out!"

Everything happened so fast. It was hard to catch up and understand where the horror was directed to, but she turned around under the assumption of a sneak attack. Chat's hand came into contact with her shoulder at the same time, the motion of which indicated that he was about to shove her out of the way.

Instead, she saw a flash of teal and Chat was catapulted back onto one of the rooftops a few buildings away. She couldn't even call out his name before something thick and smooth wrapped around her and brought her to the ground, the air leaving her lungs from the shock. She looked down, noting the snake-like scales, and wriggled, but the grip was tight enough that it was hard to get her arms out.

Strangely, it wasn't so tight that it hurt. Maybe there was an opening somewhere?

"Ha." A smooth, strangely mellow voice spoke, preceding a few delicate, harp-like notes. "That joke Hawk Moth made it too easy."

Twisting her head any which way she could to see the source, Ladybug looked up to see the start of the snake tail she was wrapped in, connected to a seemingly male human body like naga in mythology. The boy - not looking that much older than her - wore a bodysuit matching his snake tail, transitioning so smoothly that it was hard to tell where the torso ended and the tail began. Darker teal lines snaked - quite appropriate given the theming - up his arms, all the way to the hood on his head.

The hood cast a shadow over his face, but she could still see the teal mask, the lower corners jutting down sharply into points to imitate fangs. Had she not been in the process of being restrained by him at the time, she may have complimented his style.

A lyre was clutched in one of his hands, explaining the music she'd heard earlier, and he played a few more notes over the cries of the few people who remained below. "You can call me Hoodstrum. I seek the most valuable things in the world and have had my sights set on this beautiful bug for a while now."

"Get in line!" Chat yelled out from afar. "That's my partner you're taking!"

Ladybug rolled her eyes, genuinely unable to tell if this was more about her being kidnapped or two boys fighting over a girl. "This is not the time, Chat Noir!"

Hoodstrum clicked his tongue, unimpressed by Chat's retort, then raised his free hand behind him in a fist. Slowly, his fingers curled open, and with them what Ladybug could only describe as the fabric of dimensions. A portal was opening at his command, more than large enough for the two of them and shaped like a snake's mouth opening wide. She couldn't see what awaited on the other side either, only colors zipping from side-to-side like lightning bolts.

Were they going to hurt?

"They always say that you don't know what you have 'til it's gone." Plucking one string at a time in a slow, taunting motion, Hoodstrum continued, "But don't worry. I'll be sure to put her in a nice little terrarium."

Chat called out for her again, followed by the sound of his boots against the rooftops, but it was too late. Ladybug felt the tail tighten briefly before throwing her, her world spinning as her surroundings blurred into nothing discernible. The sounds of Chat Noir, the crowd, and Paris itself faded in an instant and she braced for impact, her body curling in on itself to protect anything vital from the rough landing.

Only then to feel the impact against something marshmallow soft and pillow-y.

"Uh—?" Ladybug's body unconsciously relaxed at the unexpected sensation, then tensed again when she recognized what must be a trap. The ground below her would be unstable and hard to move around on, giving Hoodstrum the advantage as he floated above it.

Pushing herself up and fighting against the struggle for balance, her fists flew up into her fighting stance. Her eyes searched viciously for any sort of advantages she could have in this boy's lair, such as a defensive spot under the coffee table, the TV to smash over his head, the fridge in the other room to....

wait.

Ladybug blinked, staring at the weirdly normal living room she was in. The floor was a smooth, gray vinyl and the walls were black, curving into an equally black ceiling. The TV stand housed a couple of well taken care of gaming systems, and the coffee table had a deck of cards stacked neatly atop it. There was an opening with an arc shape in one of the walls leading into the kitchen, an electric kettle on the counter emitting steam and even a clear jar of sweets nearby.

Also, was that a bean bag chair near the couch?

She couldn't see any sign of a front door, but there was a hallway that she could only guess led to a bathroom and bedroom or something similar. Point being, this was not a lair, and certainly not a terrarium in the sinister way Hoodstrum had spoken it. Under her feet as well, there was no deception or trap to be caught in, but actual pillows that she'd landed on.

She had to admit at that point that she was officially, utterly confused.

At that moment, Hoodstrum's voice called out from behind her, "I'm glad I aimed right. I would've felt terrible if I missed the pillows."

Ladybug spun around to face him, but stumbled on the uneven surface. That one was her own fault and she went for the obvious solution of stepping outside of the "pillow zone" while Hoodstrum casually slithered past her, the portal behind him long gone. She watched, waiting for him to suddenly turn and pounce at her, yet he laid himself on the couch instead, looking totally vulnerable to any and all attacks.

"Um," Ladybug began, raising a hand to point around the room, "am I missing something?"

He tossed her a smile, stretching his arms before propping himself back up into a sitting position. The long snake tail made it awkward, but he didn't appear bothered by it. "Sorry. This is my first time doing this for someone."

The phrase 'doing this for someone' implied that it was to her own benefit, only making her more confused.

He explained before she could ask any further, "I'm not a villain. I'm part of a group against the Order of the Guardians."

"The Order of the Guardians?" she asked warily. "But how aren't you a villain then?"

He leaned against the backrest, unbothered by the half-accusation. "We don't want to harm anyone; they do. Before the accident, they took kids in even if those kids didn't want it, and starved them as part of their training."

Ladybug bit her lower lip, already eerily familiar with that story. That's what Master Fu had gone through before Feast happened.

Hoodstrum, staring at her with a wealth of emotional intelligence, seemed to know that she understood that already. "They wiped themselves out because they didn't care about anything but their rules. The first one of us knew that and ran away with some of their miraculouses."

At that, her gaze dropped, scanning his body over to search for something she hadn't thought to before. On his wrist, she noted, was a bangle designed like an ouroboros. "Is that what you're wearing?"

"You're learning the notes fast," he complimented with a nod. He raised his arm out to her in a silent offer, adding, "The snake was one of the ones they got away with."

Though still hesitant, she couldn't detect anything suspicious in his posture. One step at a time, she slowly made her way towards the couch until she was within arm's length of him. Taking hold of his forearm and hand, she examined the supposed snake miraculous in question.

It was bizarre. In her limited experience with the miraculouses Master Fu had, it definitely looked like a miraculous: it was an accessory to wear and his bodysuit had remnants of what she might expect, but something wasn't quite right. While the design of the miraculouses was done who knows how long ago, Hoodstrum's appeared modern as if made recently, or perhaps refurbished.

Looking upon her thoughtful expression approvingly, he told her, "I don't know everything, but the miraculouses they stole got taken all over to other people; people who could make them better with the times." He glanced down at it. "Think of it like a record of an old song compared to the music we have now. It's always changing, and we're finding new ways to play and record it."

"So that's why you have other powers," Ladybug deduced, recalling the portal he had opened. She wanted to leave it there, but the nagging voice in the back of her head refused to let go of the scale-covered elephant in the room. "...But the tail? And fangs?"

He grinned, inadvertently showing off the fangs in question. Closing his eyes, he took a deep, steadying breath...

and started to detransform.

She yelped, recoiling from the bright light. Her calves bumped into the coffee table, but she remained standing and instinctively covered her eyes in thought of seeing someone's civilian identity.

She could hear Hoodstrum chuckle, but a different voice was the one who spoke up. "It's fine to look, Ladybug. My holder trusts you."

"N-nggh, but why?" she whined from behind her hands.

She got no answer, but the permission had made her too curious. She lowered her hands first, then opened one eye at a time until she could fully take him in. Rather than the half-human, half-snake she had seen earlier, Hoodstrum looked entirely normal, if a little bit punk. His black pants were torn at the knees, under his denim jacket was a thick midnight blue hoodie - the hood of which had been put down to reveal fluffy black hair with blue highlights - and his white shirt had rips as well as—

"Is that Jagged Stone?" she blurted out, staring at the logo across the chest of the shirt.

"Yeah," he admitted, "he's my favorite singer."

"Mine t—" She clammed up, remembering that she wasn't Marinette right now. Hoodstrum had such a calm, amicable tone when speaking that it felt like talking with a friend rather than a stranger. Was this somehow part of catching her off-guard?

The voice from earlier, as she soon discovered, belonged to a snake-looking kwami flying beside him. He chimed into the conversation, explaining, "Gaining our features are a side-effect of the modern miraculouses. They might be inconvenient for our holders, but it's the price they're willing to pay for our will."

"Will?" Ladybug repeated for clarification.

Hoodstrum raised his wrist again, showing the disguised form of the miraculous. "I can't transform if Sass doesn't want to."

Sass crossed his legs, his long tail curling around them. "The modern miraculouses keep us from being used without our consent, or if we think it might put our holder in danger. It gives us more power in the bond we share and our holders are happy to take the consequence of that."

It was a lot of information at once, but she tried to follow as best as she could. The idea that kwamis weren't slaves to whoever had their hands on their miraculouses sounded almost fantastical, making her think of poor Nooroo under Hawk Moth. "You didn't have to detransform to prove that though."

"I know," Hoodstrum said. He got up from the couch to stand in front of her, gesturing to himself. "But I want to earn your trust if I can, so you don't feel uncomfortable here."

"Here?" Ladybug took another look around, reminded of the situation that led them to this moment, and raised a finger. "Wait, yeah! Why am I here? Where is here? And I thought you kidnapped me!"

He shook his head. "I'll take you back whenever you want. This—" He outstretched an arm to the rest of the room. "—is for you, and anyone like you."

She brought a hand to her mouth, brows drawn together in thought. "I don't get it."

Sass flew up, lounging lazily on Hoodstrum's shoulder, and "pointed" at her with his paw. "You're exhausted. That much is obvious in everything we saw."

Her eyes widened. They noticed? Had it been that obvious to these two that didn't know her? "That...that's normal."

"It's not," Hoodstrum argued with a frown. "Whoever your guardian is, he chose a cat who loves the job. He could've done the same for your miraculous too."

Sass clicked his tongue in a way not unlike what Hoodstrum had done towards Chat. "That's typical of guardians: never ask, just choose."

Ladybug swallowed, wanting to defend Master Fu but unable to. It was true, she hadn't wanted to be Ladybug, and in fact had to when the holder she had intended to replace herself with got trapped behind a car. There were so many times that she thought about giving up or lamented how overwhelmed it made her feel, but she hadn't wanted to question a decision made by someone who seemed so much older and wiser than her.

"So you brought only me here because of that," she concluded, "but... to do what?"

Hoodstrum and Sass exchanged glances that were a mix between concerned and amused, as if the answer were obvious and it was worrying that she didn't understand.

Simultaneously, they looked at her and simply said, "To rest."

"R—" She would have staggered back if the coffee table wasn't in the way, so she opted to wave her arms about in disbelief. "Rest? What? That's it?"

Hoodstrum turned away, moving to walk around the room. Sass remained hovering where he'd been, observing Hoodstrum's movements alongside Ladybug.

"I wanted to talk to you sooner, but I was still learning how to use my miraculous." He knelt down to the TV stand, feeling around for dust. He only stood back up when he was satisfied it was clean. "This place hasn't been needed in so long too. Me and my family tried to update it to make you comfortable, but it took a while."

Sass cleared his throat, Ladybug turning to him as he added on, "You could call this a pocket dimension inside our world. Here, time moves at one-sixth the speed as it does outside. Luka is hoping to make it better than that one day."

Ladybug almost didn't register that Sass had just used Hoodstrum's civilian name, her mind whirling thinking about the massive time bomb that had just dropped on her. One-sixth of the time meant that one hour in Paris was six hours here, and one day was six days, yet Luka didn't think that was good enough? That was already so much!

Even the idea of it being a pocket dimension, she could tell it was the truth. When she listened closely, she couldn't hear a thing that she wasn't aware of in the room: no birds chirping, no cars driving by, and no people chatting idly. Only the sound of her own breathing and Luka's footsteps filled the space.

It was just the three of them - four if one counted her growing disbelief at this point - all by themselves.

Luka continued the mini tour of the space as if none of this was particularly amazing; to him, who had experience preparing all this in the first place, maybe it wasn't. He wandered into the kitchen next, opening one of the cupboards to reveal a whole variety of tiny snack bags in just about any color she could imagine.

"I don't know what kind of food you like," he began, opening the fridge with his other hand to show her the fruits, milk, and such, "so we got whatever we could. I can give the rest to my friends, so you don't have to eat all of it."

Ladybug couldn't say anything, at a complete loss for words. Not moving her eyes from Luka, she went around the coffee table to follow him into the kitchen. Tearing her eyes from him to look at the food - the food for her - was difficult, because she didn't understand even after having it all explained to her.

It wasn't him alone who'd done all this, as he'd openly said, but he'd taken on the primary role. He brought her here, blindly trusted her to the point of letting her know his civilian identity, and for what? So she could rest?

Why?

"That act you put on..." she started to say, because she was certain now that it was an act.

"I needed a way to talk to you without accidentally seeing your identity," he confirmed. Looking off to the side, not wholly innocently, he admitted, "And I meant what I said about value: maybe they'll learn to care about you if they think they could've lost you."

"They care," she claimed weakly; an instinctive defense of the people she worked hard to protect.

She felt a small breeze to her side, Sass flying past her and into the fridge. He pulled a single hard-boiled egg from inside, then shut the door with his tail and flew over next to Luka. Taking a big bite of the egg's top, he almost looked like someone with a giant egg-shaped glass of alcohol.

"Ladybug," he said with patience she suddenly felt she didn't deserve, "We've seen the Face-to-Face interview."

She cringed at the memory instantly, her cheeks growing pink from embarrassment. Of course she recalled that: the interview with Nadja Chamack where she and the audience seemed to care for nothing more than whether Ladybug and Chat Noir were dating. Any time she tried to change the subject or tell the truth, she would be ignored or shot down.

Even Chat himself brushed it off as the price of being a star. Maybe then, the people did care, but only so far as to whether she could save them and get together with who they wanted her to.

She just hadn't wanted to acknowledge it.

Luka, meanwhile, had been ready for it. He'd made himself their bad guy so that he could offer her this. Guilt tore at her stomach, telling her how much she didn't deserve this.

"I...I have school," she tried.

"Tomorrow's Sunday," Luka supplied easily.

"My parents will wonder where I am."

"You can tell them you're staying with a friend."

"If Hawk Moth attacks while I'm here..."

"We can still get alerts. You'll know."

They really planned it all out. They had an answer for all of her questions and, as she'd already calculated earlier, she'd have six whole days to do whatever she wished even if she stayed there just for one Sunday. It was as Luka said: this was for her.

"...What's the catch?"

Luka smiled sadly at her, at the idea that they would require some sort of payment. There's a three step distance between the two of them and he closes that gap by two, his hands taking hold of hers and squeezing them reassuringly. It hadn't even occurred to her that he hadn't touched her until now, beyond what it took to bring her here. He'd let her get closer to touch him, but it was only when he felt she needed it that he gave it to her.

"No catch. We just want you to enjoy yourself. I'll give you my number and you can call me on your yoyo whenever you want me to bring you here. If you want to quit being Ladybug, we'll help you do that too, but you can still come." He squeezed her hands once more. "I saw you, I wanted to help you, it's that simple. It's not a favor, it's a reward."

She looked up at him. She'd noticed, but hadn't really thought about the fact, that his eyes had been green as Hoodstrum. When he was Luka, they were instead a deep, soothing blue.

She liked the blue, even more than the green.

Staring down at the hands holding hers, Ladybug curled her fingers inwards to squeeze him back. Unable to make excuses to get out of relaxing any longer - a thought she knew should give her much to self-reflect on in her future - she gave in and wondered aloud, "Can we do stuff together too?"

Luka beamed, more than happy to do just that.

[moon-huny]

Stole the Moon - Chapter Two

CW: My content is not for anyone under 18. Some sharp objects in this chapter. Mild language. Some coercion and, whats this, sexual frustration? You're still kidnapped so, mentions of imprisonment.

Word Count: 2.7K

Summary: Finally feeling generous, Buggy calls for his right hand man to bring you above deck. Can he smoothly transition into his plan, or do you have other ideas?

A/N: I know I already said it in an update post, but thank you all so much for reading and interacting with my work. And for all the new followers! It truly means a lot.

I am going to rip the bandaid off now. No clown smut in this chapter. I know, I know, okay, I'm sorry. This is meant to be a slow burn people, we need some push and pull before we get to the push and pull, ya know? That being said, there will be some nasty nasty in chapter three, I can promise you that. Okay, that's all, enjoy.

masterlist ✧˖°

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Days passed and you hadn’t received a visit.

Every evening, a small bowl filled with enough food to keep you alive is passed through the bars along with a small tin cup of watery tasting alcohol. Nobody spoke to you, nobody lit the candles when you ran out of matches, nobody offered you even a passing glance. You were left entirely alone in the darkened hull of a gaudy ship sailing to god knows where.

Maybe he forgot about you. What use could you provide to a man like that? You began to question what it was he even needed you for. What could you possibly know about the sea that he didn't know? You’d tried so hard to remember, hoping something, anything, would come to your mind.

You thought about the map. The one he spread out for you to see that night. You recalled the waiting look in his eyes, hoping you’d recognize it. Nothing. You replayed the moment again in your head, his broad gloved hands smoothing across the fabric of the map. What did the map look like again? All you could think about was the flex of his hand. The way his eyes had flicked up to look at you, under a strong brow and peering through long lashes.

Your memory wandered back to the moment when you were closest to him. When he had you caged against the wall, the heat of his body radiating off of him, hot breath ghosting over your lips. The way his knee pressed ever so deliciously to your –

You gasp, in shock and disgust at your own thoughts. “Oh, absolutely not,” you say aloud. The loneliness was getting to you.

You went to the port hole. In your time down here you’d searched the entire cell for anything you could use to escape. After coming up empty handed, you took it upon yourself to do some… redecorating.

You’d made the bed more comfortable with some fabric you’d found, and stacked the empty cargo into a more comfortable variation so you could look out the small round window. Climbing atop the sturdy mound of boxes and barrels, you looked out across the velvet waves. The crescent moon shone brightly, its reflection causing the gentle water to sparkle and flicker, as though tea candles were floating and bobbing on the surface.

A tear rolled down your cheek, another, and soon you were crying with too little energy to sob. That's when you thought you heard someone walking gently above you on the deck of the ship, humming a tune. It was different from the sea shanties you normally heard during the day, this melody sounded more like a lullaby.

The song was haunting, and yet, hearing another person, knowing somebody was sharing this moment with you in the moonlight, lightened the weight on your chest. Your crying stopped, the comfort taking over your exhausted frame as you leaned against the wall by the window listening to the voice pull you into the warmth of sleep.

Unknown to you, the vocalist leaning against the railing of the ship was devising a plan. A miserable plan to ruin you and lead you to a hell you wouldn’t recognize until it was too late – a sly smirk spreading across his red painted lips.

///

Buggy was spread out across his throne-like chair. The captain’s quarters were decorated like a big top circus tent – red and white fabric ballooned across the ceiling of the small room. The space was filled with gold and treasure of every kind. The desk was cluttered with navigation tools and maps.

“Cabaji, I’d like for you to retrieve our guest now,” his voice dripped with a sinister undertone. He barely paid any attention to the man before him, instead staring at a dainty silver necklace wrapped around his hand.

“Captain, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Cabaji wavered before his ringleader. The chief of staff knew what you had the potential to do, he knew what you were and it was only a matter of time before you figured it out too.

“I didn’t ask you to think,” his head fell to the side finally regarding the swordsman. “I asked you to go. GET. THAT. BRAT!”

“Yes, captain.” Turning about-face with a sigh, Cabaji made his way down to your cell.

///

Hearing footsteps this early in the morning was unusual. Unusual enough to cause you to bolt upright in bed. Through the darkened hallway – the morning light not quite reaching the lower decks of the ship yet – your eyes adjusted enough to see a recognizable swordsman stalking toward you through the shadows.

You sprang from the bed, your eyes not once leaving the taller man’s form. Standing in the middle of your room, you made your best attempt to question him before he could reach your cell door.

“It’s a bit early,” your voice wavered, a look of uncertainty on your face. “What do you want?” You questioned hoping that the increase in volume would make you sound more confident, it didn’t.

He unlocked the door and threw it open. “Get out, you’re coming with me.”

“Like hell, where is the clown? What are you planning on doing with me?”

This was the first time anyone had spoken to you in days. This was perhaps the only moment you might have to get some answers.

Cabaji sighed with frustration, he wanted nothing more than to sling you over his shoulder, carry you to the captain’s quarters and save everyone a lot of time, and yet, he recalled the final words Buggy said before sending him on this errand.

“And Cabaji, … don’t touch her.”

He wasn’t one to question Buggy’s orders but, on a crew that was so rarely regulated outside of performance, Cabaji had to wonder what the order was for.

“Come. Now.” You gave the green haired man a hesitant look.

“If I don’t?”

“Then I can only imagine Buggy will let you rot down here.”

Spending another moment alone might kill you, especially in the sensory deprivation chamber that was this room.

“Lead the way,” a weak response. Cabaji turned, leaving the door open.

At first you couldn't make your legs move. The idea that you could walk out, just step beyond the threshold of iron and rust and rot. Yet, you did, slowly at first then all at once speeding up to catch the stoic man.

Climbing up onto the deck in the morning light was reward in and of itself. The sun was just finishing its rise, gracing your skin, warming your face and causing you to squint.

“This way,” Cabaji called after you. He made his way toward an ornate door at the stern of the ship. He peeled the doors open, walked in, and stood to the side as you followed behind him.

His eyes scanned your appearance and, after consideration, displayed a distasteful look. You could have assumed you weren’t looking your best, being locked up on a pirate ship wasn’t exactly a spa retreat. The braid you had your hair in was full of tangled knots you had tried again and again to brush, your skin was dull, reflecting your time in the dark and your clothing could hardly be considered appropriate.

“He’ll speak with you soon,” said the swordsman. “Whenever he decides to collect himself,” and he slipped out behind you, shutting the doors.

Standing alone in the den of a predator, you naturally did what any prey would do, you began to inspect.

The room was beautiful – if not a little cliche for the circumstance – the big top theme was not lost on you. Though the room was small, something about the leading lines of the tent-like structure above you made the space feel larger.

On one end of the room, large draping curtains separated his bedroom from the rest of the office. The large wood carved bed dressed up with colorful weighted fabrics called to your aching body. Weeks of sleeping on a plank had taken its toll on you.

There was a large desk in the center with several detailed maps displayed across it. A small gleaming dagger staked into the mahogany kept a stack of papers in place. After looking around the room and seeing no one, you pulled the jeweled blade from the wood opting to carry it by your side just out of sight.

Behind the desk, a large chair with a circus motif. Golden lions wearing collars perched on the armrests, the crushed red velvet of the seat complimented the gold and ruby circus tent adorning the back.

As you reached out to touch the gorgeously detailed piece, a voice from behind startled you.

“It’s just as comfortable as it looks, ya know,” said Buggy. “Go ahead, have a seat.”

He was standing at the entrance. How did you not hear him come in? You both stood opposite one another in the room. A space between you that was comfortable and one you would normally prefer to keep, but you would rather have revenge. Holding the small knife behind your back, you stood stone still, hands becoming clammy and heart rate picking up.

“S’matter?” he said. “You look terrified.” Mock concern, his specialty.

“What do you want?” quiet, just above a whisper, it was like your voice had floated from your lips. The pillowy softness of your words drew him closer.

He made his way around the desk to you. Your eyes never leaving one anothers. He pulled the silver necklace from his coat pocket. He looked more relaxed without the garish captain's hat and the arsenal of weapons he usually kept draped on his person.

“I wanted to return something.” Your eyes glanced over at his hand holding a beautiful silver necklace. A dainty spiga chain wrapped around his fingers, but the real draw was the antique pendant encasing a gorgeous moonstone. You recognized it immediately. It belonged to someone close to you, but her face was blurry in your mind.

“I’ve never seen that before,” you said, hoping you hid your emotions enough to not draw intrigue.

“Oh? Because, I remember it looking gorgeous on you.” His eyes flicked down to where your arms crossed behind your back. Your breath stopped, squeezing the handle of the dagger hoping he wouldn’t ask.

“Put it on me then,” you say, fast enough to draw his attention away from your nefarious little friend. You spun around quickly to move the dagger in front of you, hiding it against your inner arm where your limbs crossed over your stomach.

The blue haired man smiled a sly smile. He stepped toward you, your back to him was not ideal but, as far as you knew, you still had the element of surprise on your side.

His hand came up to gently move your hair out of the way. His gloved fingertips just lightly brushing along the top of your back and over your shoulder, pushing your braid to the side. You tried to steady your breathing, feeling nervousness rising to your chest knowing what you were about to do.

His arms came up over your head to rest the pendant across your chest. As he brought the clasp together at your nape, he didn’t miss his chance to lightly drag his knuckles against the soft skin on either side of your neck. Clipping the silver together, his touch lingered for a moment.

By the way you reacted to such featherlight touches, Buggy knew Cabaji did exactly as he’d asked. Nobody was to touch you. Your hunger to connect with another person had to be fed by him and him only. If this was to work, he’d have to consume your every thought.

Right now, however, you were poisoning the butterflies in your stomach and focusing on executing your impromptu plan. In one swift motion, you spun to face the man behind you. His arms dropped to the side. His face contorted into one of anger, eyes narrowing at you. The dagger pressed into his jugular, a forceful stab is all it would take to kill him.

“Hands where I can see em, clown,” you spit.

His face pulled into a worried expression. Eyebrows furrowing together, eyes pleading, he swallowed a lump in his throat. You admit, you felt powerful. He began drawing his arms upward in order to bring his hands to the sides of head. You swore your peripheral vision was playing tricks on you.

You whipped your gaze to verify that what you were seeing was true. Both of his arms ended in stumps. Your eyes widened and you affixed your terrified gaze back onto the man.

“Nice try, sweetheart!” and punctuated his remark with a wink.

It all happened so fast, two cotton clad hands flew in from behind you and gripped your wrists. The strength of them hauling you back and pulling your arms up above your head. You looked up and confirmed your fears.

Indeed, Buggy’s disembodied hands were pulling you upward just enough so you were forced to balance on the tips of your toes. You dangled in front of him, chest heaving in panic. You let out various little feral sounds attempting to struggle out of the binding grip he had on you. Until, out of pure vexation, you let out a scream.

“Ooo, geez, honey please,” he said, frowning and squinting his eyes closed. “Little too loud for the morning, okay? Let’s maybe dial it back a bit.”

“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”

“Yeah, well doll, you missed that chance didn’t ya?”

You let out another few struggling grunts and then another scream.

His eyes rolled, “We done? ... Wanna do one more? Ya know, when women are screaming in my room it’s usually after cumming a third time.”

You just stared at him dumbfounded. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. The comment itself just about slapped you across the face enough to shut you up. He knew it too.

When he clocked that most of your fight had left your body from exhaustion, he made himself at home in your personal space yet again. Feeling his presence so close felt claustrophobic. His eyes scanned you. The weight of his gaze was enough to have you withering, his hands still holding you up.

“This dress is all wrong for you,” he said. “How about you get cleaned up, hmm?” the stump of his arm came up under your chin to lift your eyes to him. “I can’t have an exhausted dinner guest, you’d be asleep by dessert!” Then at a hushed volume, “and I prefer a conscious final course.”

Making a disgusted face at that last comment, what he was offering didn’t sound so bad. The things you would do right now for a bath, a chance to brush your hair, to clean the grime from your nails, to rest. The watercolor green eyes of the man before you softened, as if he knew what you were thinking.

“Alright then … I’ll leave you to it,” he finally dropped you as his hands found their normal resting place on his body. At the snap of his fingers, two young women opened the doors and came rushing in, immediately crowding you.

“Ladies, do you think you can help our guest get more comfortable?” he asked them as he backed up and began to take his leave.

They both stood before you, arms crossed with disapproving looks on their faces. Their outfits were perfect mirror images of each other, same for the makeup. Their hair was cut short, each movement they made caused their tight coils to bounce. The height and overall measurements of the two women were exactly alike as well.

Their only difference was their skin, hair and eye color. The red-haired woman had a pink tinge to her tawny skin – an obvious sunburn from being at sea – and bright blue eyes. The woman on the right had clearly added too much blush atop her natural sepia coloring in order to match her partner’s reddened condition, the hair framing her face was a smooth onyx color, her eyes a warm amber shade.

They turned to face him in perfect unison, “We can try.” They both said.

“Greaaat.” he replied, clearly off put by their synchronization. “Well then, doll, I’ll see you at dinner this evening.”

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚

taglist: @tokoyamisstuff @mommymilkerfanclub @chaoticqueen33 @tootoomanycats

taglist is open.

[campgender]

i was scrolling your “life is in your home too” tag, which I love btw, and saw a post about how you learned to be a good dom from experienced expert doms by reading how they dom and some of their best scenes, do you think you could point me in the direction of some resources for me to study that too? thanks in advance, if not, thanks anyway!

(post referenced is here - link 1)

first of all tysm for this ask (+ your incredibly kind follow-up), it was a delight to receive + i’ve been wanting an excuse to talk about a lot of this for a while so i very much appreciate the interest!

as always please keep in mind that i am Just Some Fem, nothing is universal including when it comes to D/s & i can only speak to what works for me. i try to focus on starting points rather than specifics but ultimately my advice will always be limited by what i needed to hear & wasn’t told, which may not be what’s helpful for a different person. with that being said, here’s some suggestions!

i’ve posted a previous reading list (link 2) with relevant recs; particularly the practicality + sex writing sections have the kind of thing you’re looking for. specifically, The New Topping Book (2003) is a solid starting point; i definitely have my issues with it (haven’t read it recently enough to recall many specifics but i have the sense of general pervasive racism & ableism) but it did a good job at making me think & i appreciate the supportive tone they were going for

another book added to my tbr since then is Coming to Power (link 3), released by SAMOIS in 1983

other authors whose sex writing has been influential in my life: Sandra Cisneros, Natalie Diaz, Joan Nestle, Judy Grahn

the fic At The End of His Rope by Letterblade (link 4) is genuinely some of my favorite sex writing of all time & accomplishes the incredibly impressive feat of representing a broad array of dom styles & changes over time in the same piece

my “impurity culture” tag (link 5) houses the building blocks of my sexual ethic

i’ve found many of those foundations by poking around the incredible bodies of work original & archived @newsmutproject @woman-loving @gatheringbones

for me, studying sex is the same as studying poetry – reading for craft is a different process than for pleasure (not that there isn’t a great deal of pleasure to be found in such practice, especially for sadists – perhaps that’s why as a child i never resonated with Billy Collins’ “Introduction to Poetry,” like i love tying poems to chairs & beating them idk what to tell you). so, keeping in mind that these are suggestions not requirements, here’s how i read for + work on craft:

there is no such thing as too much journaling. this can take whatever form you prefer – voice memo, discord message to yourself, the noble notes app, your own personal sexy red string corkboard, a vast & stunning array of other approaches i can’t even begin to imagine. i personally have an elaborate web of spreadsheets & google docs lmao. what matters is developing a collection of ideas you want to play with + a practice of continually reflecting on past experiences.

pay attention to structure, not just content. find a scene you think is disjointed and pick at the seams, brainstorm better transitions. then find a scene that flows so smoothly it carries you with it and figure out what makes it work.

rewrite a scene you’re drawn to or affected by to suit your own preferences. i first did this when i couldn’t shake “Interlude 3” (link 6) from my head after reading The New Topping Book; you can read my variation on the theme here (link 7) if you’re interested.

write or think through a scene fantasy you have from negotiation to aftercare. obviously it’s very difficult if not impossible to fully script a scene in advance; the purpose isn’t planning something you’ll later do but rather getting used to coming up with ideas to get from one disparate moment / act to the next.

revisit a scene you’ve read, written, thought about, etc and list the physical & mental acts that are required / expected of the sub (eg, kneeling for 10 minutes; making eye contact; counting to 30, etc). then rework the scene for a sub who has the same interests & goals who cannot do 20% (or 50%, or any) of these acts.

revisit a previous scene and list the places where you think a sub might safeword & why. then rework it with the sub safewording somewhere that isn’t any of these places.

i also recommend keeping in mind that like… for me, reading about ethical sex can often be a very distressing process for the same reason that it’s liberating: because it proves that things i’ve experienced are not the way sex has to be. i’ll tell this story in its fullness one day but the first time i read S/HE by Minnie Bruce Pratt i literally had a flashback to events i’d repressed for years, it was devastating, i’m so grateful for it. hell, in the process of compiling resources for this post i cried twice editing this quote (link 8) because between reading that book the first time & now someone did “respond with scorn or ridicule” when i safeworded. so i would really encourage folks to approach this kind of work with as much grace & comfort for yourself as you can muster or borrow – if it’s really fucking hard, you’re not alone in that, & it’s okay to take your time + pace yourself + seek support.

your + others’ interest is definitely motivating me to actually write posts i’ve been tossing around for months so thank you again & feel free to keep an eye out for more shut-in sex tips in my new “tomorrow sexting will be good again” tag. would love to hear your thoughts on any of this post / these or other books / whatever really lol. wishing you all the best & i hope today is kind to you! 💓

[nocturne-overtures]

𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

𓆩⟡𓆪Summary: You decide today's the day you try a bit of role reversal in the bedroom. It takes some...encouragement, but you don't think your boyfriends are opposed to trying a few new things if it feels this good

𓆩⟡𓆪Pairing: Fem! Reader/ Jackson Wang (Got7)/ Johnny Suh (NCT127)/Lee Jooheon (Monsta X)

𓆩⟡𓆪Genres/Aus: Non-Idolverse, Fluff, Romance, Humor, Smut, Polyamorous Relationship

𓆩⟡𓆪Tws: Swearing, Light Anxieties

𓆩⟡𓆪Sws: Role Reversal, Switch Idol, Switch Reader, Hickies, Hair Pulling, Praise Kink, Teasing, Handjobs, Cunnilingus, Blowjob, Riding, Unprotected Sex, Creampie

𓆩⟡𓆪Rating: Explicit/Mature (18+)

𓆩⟡𓆪WC: 3.3k

𓆩⟡𓆪A/n: *crawls out of hell with an upload finally* the following is one of the commissions from the lovely and every paitient @jacksons-goddess-gaia I hope you enjoy it as I get back into the swing of things mwah

𓆩⟡𓆪AO3| Taglist Form (Please make sure your urls are updated and able to actually be tagged) | Commission Sheet𓆩⟡𓆪

𓆩⟡𓆪Network Ping- @kwritersworld | @k-vanity |⟡𓆪

𓆩⟡𓆪©nocturne-overtures. do not repost, translate, or use my works𓆩⟡𓆪

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

"They’ll never let me do something like this. I’m going walk in there and they’re gonna be like; ‘haha! Just kidding, bend over kitten.’”

Jooheon watched you pace back and forth in front of your shared home, puffs of vapor leaving his lips as the occasional snowflake fell into his hair. In his hand, a bag is steadily collecting a small pile of snow the longer you two stand outside in the chill of November. 

“For someone who challenged them to let you take charge this time, you're freaking out more than expected.” His voice is even, but you can see his lips twitch up as you whirl around to face him, indignant. 

“You’re supposed to have my side!” 

“Why? It’s not as hard as you’re making it out to be. Just say you’re nervous.” 

You feel the heat of embarrassment creep up to your ears as you huff and unlock the front door, finally stomping inside. Jooheon could tease, sure. He’d taken charge and let himself be taken care of countless times in this relationship, more than anyone else. To him, this was second nature. 

As you toe off your shoes and shrug off your jacket, you begin thinking back to how these thoughts came to be. It started with a show the four of you were watching. It was cheesy and quite a predictable drama. The pushover of the main pairing had been insulted by some side characters only for that to devolve into some misunderstanding argument between them and their partner which ended up in the roles being the same as they always were. 

Heaven’s forbid one of those dramas change up the status quota and have a switch couple, right? 

So, like the genius you were, as Jackson was making a comment on the location of the shot in the drama and Johnny was laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole conflict, you spoke. 

“I bet I could take charge next time and not immediately fold like Yu Han here.” You proudly state while tossing a piece of popcorn in your mouth. The conversation around you seemed to fizzle out instantly and it took you a bit longer than you cared to admit to notice the three pairs of eyes locked onto you. 

Lifting your gaze, you blink. 

“....what?”

“Are you saying that’s what you want to do?” Jackson inquired. You replay the last thing you said in your head and sit with your lips parted. Johnny cocks his head from his spot on the loveseat, running his fingers through Jooheon’s hair. 

“How about the next time we fool around, we let Y/N take charge, then?”

None of them look like they’re mocking you for the suggestion, but the idea itself makes a mixed sense of anxiety and excitement float through your veins. 

So, of course, you went to the internet to try and figure out how to smoothly transition into the position switch. 

And, naturally, that ended up in you being more stressed out than ever. Some of them were endearing stories of success, while there was also a fair share of failure stories of someone ruining the mood or accidentally injuring their partner during play and it all made you way more nervous. 

Jooheon put his hand on the small of your back, kissing your cheek before he looked into your eyes. 

“It’s okay. Just take your time. None of us are going to laugh at you or something if you don’t find that it comes easily to you.” 

You smile at him and take his hand, raising your voice to call into the home. 

“We’re home!” 

The sound of a door opening and closing somewhere catches your attention. Johnny emerges from down the hall, hair tousled and a wide smile on his face as Jackson pushes past him, face ablaze as he muttered something about someone not having any self-restraint. 

You can see the fresh dark red marks along his throat that told you everything you needed to know about what they had been doing.

“Took you guys a bit to get back home. Was the drive alright?” Jackson inquired, straightening out and smiling when he spotted the two of you dusting snowflakes out of your hair. Johnny turned on his heel, jogging down the hall to go get some towels to help you dry off. 

“It was alright. Had to drive a bit slow but we got everything we needed.” You inform him, making your way to the kitchen. Johnny stops you, putting a towel over your hair and rigorously ruffling your hair while laughing at your shrieks of protest. 

“You gotta dry off properly babe.” He grins, laughing as you swat at his pectoral the moment he let you go. 

Jooheon had an easier time, humming as Jackson helped dry his bright orange hair. He was rewarded with a kiss before Jackson shook his head and pointed towards the bedroom. 

“Change, both of you. I will not have you both getting pneumonia.” 

You and Jooheon march off to the bedroom, neither of you keen on trying to argue with Jackson knowing he was 1000% right. Jooheon glanced at you once the door closed, pulling his shirt over his head. 

“Are you going to do it tonight?” He inquired. You bite your lip, fingers fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. 

It’s not that hard. 

Jooheon sees the anxiety that’s taken hold of you and comes closer, kissing the top of your head and sending you a dimpled smile. 

“There’s no rush, you know that, right? We’re not going anywhere.” His smile melts your heart a bit, and you nod, taking a calming breath. Jooheon stayed to ensure you were alright before leaving first in his fresh clothes.

You head out not too long after, wearing several articles of clothing from them.

Johnny’s button up, Jackson’s t-shirt, and Jooheon’s basketball shorts, the drawstring tied extra tight so it stayed on your hips. 

When you come back, you walk up to Johnny, tugging at the waistband of his sweatpants. He looked down at you and blinked before he saw you subtly pucker your lips. A smile stretched across his lips and he leaned over, kissing you slow and deep.  There’s something about the way he slots against you that makes you want to buckle on instinct. Not just him, all three of them. You wanted to push past this feeling and be able to give them the same sensation. 

Your mind wanders, and so do your hands, tracing over Johnny’s muscles, pressing yourself to him as you pushed back, giving slight challenge in this kiss. Johnny let out a muffled hum, hands finding their way to your waist, kneading. 

Your body is flush against his, and you lose yourself in the kiss, mind wandering, thinking of all the ways they’d gotten you completely turned out for them. Every touch, every kiss, every chuckle, how could you do the same for them-

“Mmph-’

Your eyes crack open halfway, and you look up, locking eyes with Johnny. 

That was a whimper. 

Your mind focuses and you take inventory of the situation. He’s panting, looking at you in surprise, his lips swollen, red from where you had bit him, and your hand was tangled in his hair, pulling him enough to make him tilt his head back. 

Your lips part, and you almost apologize, but you stop short seeing the look on his face. 

Dazed, flustered .

You hold his gaze, and there's a pleasant tingle that runs up and down your spine as you tilt your head slightly. Johnny moved to speak, but you experimentally push your weight against him ever so slightly, tugging his hair. 

“Tilt your head for me.”

He doesn’t hesitate, his Adam’s apple bobbing as your lips brush along it. His breathing is shallow, and you can feel he’s stirring slightly against your thigh as you try to lean more into the feeling that had gripped you. 

“ Good. Just like that. Good boy.”

Johnny’s knees actually buckled for you, and he looked at you out of the corner of his eye, letting out a shuddering breath. You can tell the words had their intended purpose as you hear him let out a small, off-guard chuckle before he murmured a breathy ‘ fuck’ . 

“You two gonna dry hump in the kitchen or get something to eat?” Jackson inquired, curiously looking at the two of you. You bite the inside of your cheek to keep back the whine of disappointment at being interrupted, but instead, you push off of the counter behind Johnny, smiling and running your hand down his body, over the telltale bulge in his pants for a brief moment before making your way over to the dining room. 

“Coming~”

Jackson glances between you and Johnny curiously and blinks at the flustered mess you’d made of your boyfriend. Jooheon smiled at you as you sat down, subtly nodding. 

‘You did it’.

You smile and sit beside him, listening to your boys as they begin to recap and talk about their day. Normally you were just as chatty as they were, but you spend your time watching them subtly. Johnny’s blush had only slightly gone down, but he had kept casting glances at you, subtly touching his neck every now and again. 

You catch him one of these times, smiling and blowing him a small kiss before you turn your attention to Jooheon, hooking your ankle against his and tugging slightly. 

The move made him stop mid-sentence, but he caught your eye and cleared his throat, continuing and not resisting the move and letting you tug a bit further, spreading his legs apart. You smile around the rim of your water glass, setting it down and listening more, your hand finding its way to his thigh, squeezing and kneading.  Jooheon took it in stride, though you can see red creep up to the tip of his ears as your hand inches higher, squeezing and kneading the toned muscle there. He kept his eyes on Jackson and Johnny across the table, but at this point, you’re sure both of them knew what you were up to. 

Especially after you make eye contact with Jackson while you squeeze and stroke Jooheon through the sweatpants. Jooheon jolted beside you before letting out a needy groan, spreading his legs and pressing into your hand. 

You remember past experiences, personal experiences, even the filthy novels and audios you indulge yourself in, and you find yourself speaking while holding Jackson’s gaze. 

“ Sit still.” 

Jooheon shuddered and planted his ass flat into the chair, biting on his chopstick with an audible ‘clank’ as he forced down his usual bratty challenging sass. As much as he liked to do so with the other two, he knew it took a lot for you to build the confidence to take control like this. He wanted to see how far you'd go and didn't want you to lose confidence in the middle of it.

“Yes ma’am.” was his response instead. Your lips curled up and you turned your head, kissing the underside of his jaw as a reward. 

Jackson looked between the two of you, brows up in interest before he wiped his mouth, cocking his head to the side. 

“What should we do next?” the question is open-ended, but he’s staring directly at you. He’s picked up on the vibes of the night and you smile, the last of your lingering anxieties melting away as you realize you were a lot more comfortable with this than you originally gave yourself credit for. 

“Jackson, come with me. I need a shower. Johnny, Jooheon, we should get ready for bed.” You stand, gathering your dishes and casting a glance over your shoulder. 

“Make sure everything is ready for us. We wouldn’t want to be cold this evening.” 

The youngest duo of the three men perk and look at one another, smiling and nodding, darting past you to put their dishes away. You set yours aside and turn to Jackson, reaching down to hook your fingers into his, pulling him toward the bathroom.

In no time, you have him against the shower wall, placing biting kisses along his soaked skin as you grab and stroke his cock in slow, methodical strokes. 

Jackson kept his eyes on you, nearly mirroring Jooheon earlier and bucking into your hand, but you push down on him, eyes flicking up and pinning him with a heated gaze. He finds himself speaking before he can think, throbbing in your hand. 

“I’m sorry, I’ll be good.”

You smile, your face flushed but that sweet, powerful tingle of electricity runs up and down your spine. 

“Good, I’m going to take care of all three of you tonight.” You whisper against his damp skin, feeling your confidence swell now that all three of them had responded well to your actions and what you had been trying to do all night. 

You carry that with you into the bedroom, where you find both Jooheon and Johnny rutting against one another, throbbing and nearly ready to cum already as they traded feverish kisses. You watch them for a moment before biting your thumbnail, cocking your head to the side. 

“I sure hope you two weren’t intending on cumming without me telling you to.” Your voice is cheery, bubbly, but has an underlying warning in it. Both of them stop short, looking at you while panting. 

“S-sorry, Y/n.” Jooheon licked his lips, eyeing the towel barely clinging to your body while Johnny ran a hand through his hair, remembering the sensation of you tugging it earlier. He decided to push back a bit. 

“You took a while to come back. Tell me what you want.” He smiled, eyes glinting. Jooheon glanced at him and Jackson looked at the side of your face, ready to step in at any time if the challenge made you lose confidence. 

His worries were unwarranted as your lip quirks, making your way over to him and smiling. You grab a pillow from the bed, one of the longer ones, and drop it to the floor at your feet.

“On the floor. Get on your knees.”

Johnny stared at you with a spark of chaos in his eyes, but he slowly peeled himself off of Jooheon, kneeling before you. You make your way over to him, standing in front of him and grabbing a fistful of his hair once more. A loving look crosses your face as hold each other’s gaze. 

“You know what to do if it’s too much or I go too far, yes?” You question tenderly. Johnny smiled and nodded, raising his chin to kiss your wrist, right over your pulse. He can probably feel how hard your heart is pounding at this moment, but he doesn’t comment on it. 

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. You don’t respond, raising your leg and planting it over his shoulder, pulling his face directly into your pussy, holding him still as you look up at Jooheon and Jackson. 

“Come here. I have something for you two to do.” 

The four of you fall into a rhythm, with Johnny’s tongue buried between your folds and both Jackson and Jooheon’s cocks in your hands as you traded sloppy kisses with them. You alternate between slow strokes and quickened ones, a purr and a giggle falling from your lips as you break the kiss, hovering just shy of Jooheon’s lips. 

“You sound pretty like this, you know.” You praise him softly, gripping and pulling Johnny’s hair as you feel him change pace.

“Ah, ah. Slow down.” 

He shuddered and nodded, spreading his knees apart, his cock standing tall against his abs as he greedily ate you out. You hum and moan breathlessly, letting him know how much you are enjoying it.

“M-More…please more…” Jooheon shuddered, fingers trembling along your skin. Jackson nodded from beside him, his precum dribbling down your fingers. You smile, nodding your chin towards the bed. 

“Come on, we’re getting to the best part. You all are doing so well for me.” you praise.

A bit of shuffling about later and you’re seated in Jooheon’s lap, riding him while Johnny greedily licked and kissed at the mess being made of your pussy and his cock. Jackson stood on the bed, holding his arms behind his back as he watched you alternate between teasing kisses and deep, throaty swallows, all while holding smoldering eye contact with him. 

“T-Thank you, thank you, please-” Jooheon groans, his cock curving just right. It was almost enough to turn your mind off, almost enough to flip the switch back, but you hold firm, clenching tight and smiling around Jackson’s cock before pulling off with a wet pop. 

Jackson whined in complaint as you caressed Johnny’s face until he noticed you wanted him to lift up. When he does, you kiss him deep and slow, tasting you and Jooheon on Johnny’s tongue before turning his head to Jackson, smiling sweetly as you whisper in his ear. 

“Be a good puppy and hold onto this for me, okay? Keep it nice and warm for me.”

“Fuck,” Johnny let out a breathy laugh and nodded, leaning in to swallow down Jackoson’s cock, his tongue curling against the underside. You press your back against Jooheon’s back, rolling and grinding your hips as he rocked his own up into you, balls slapping against your ass. 

“Thank y-you, Yn~ Fuck, it feels so good, thank you for, ah- taking care of us” Jooheon keens, eyes fluttering as he throbbed inside of you. You feel a wave of pride wash over you as you clench around him. You were sure he had been close to cumming inside of you, but he stilled his hips, sending you a pleading look over your shoulder. 

“Please, can I cum inside? I did well, right?” He pants, practically begging as your ass jiggles every time it made contact with his thighs. You run your fingers into his hair, pulling and leaving dark hickies along his neck as you still your hips. 

“If you want to cum so bad, go ahead. Get yourself off. Milk yourself for me so the other two can see.” 

You keep your lips against his neck, moaning in delight as you feel his hands land on your hips, a whimper of need leaving his lips as he sped up, thrusting into you and chasing his orgasm with near pleading desperation in his voice. 

You close your eyes, listening to the wet sound as goosebumps rise up along with sweat and precum running down your skin. Had you had looked behind you, you would have noticed Johnny had been pushed down fully onto Jackson’s cock, throat squeezing and constricting his cock as both he and Jackson watched you and Jooheon mere feet away. 

“Y/n! Fuck! Yes yes yes, thank you! Fuck!” He whimpered in need and finally pressed deep, throbbing, and trembling as he came inside of you. You moan, gripping him like a vice as you cum shortly after, hearing the sound get even sloppier as he milked every drop inside of you. 

You push his chest when he’s finished and spent, rolling your hips slowly and smiling with a glint in his eye as you look back at Jackson and Johnny. 

Both of them have their eyes locked onto your pussy and the messy creampie Jooheon had left behind. When you still yourself, they glance up, meeting your fervent gaze. 

You’re unsure where this strong wave of confidence came from after the earlier anxieties, but now that you’d let it wash over you, there was no stopping you now. 

You raise your hips, sighing in displeasure when Jooheon’s half-hard cock falls out of you, messy and covered in both your and his juices. You roll over onto your back, spreading your legs and rubbing your pussy, not minding the mess at all. Your next words cause both of them to surge forward eagerly;

“Well? Who’s next ?”

☆○o。Tag 　List　。o○☆

@jacksons-goddess-gaia @kimnamshiks @atiny-dazzlinglight @angel0taiyo @gettin-a-lil-hanse @dreamyinception-world @yunhofingers @violetwinters @babiebumm @seomisaho @drunk-on-hwa @twistedsiren @shymexican

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Hi can you write something about like an aftermath of a long day of court work with Eris

Long day struggles

From the moment you awoke, you had a feeling today was going to be a tough one. Ever since Beron died and Eris became a high lord, it felt like the meetings, gatherings, and whatnot were never-ending. You of course helped as much as you could, even if Eris told you countless times that you didn't need to. But you weren't about to leave your mate alone for countless hours of meetings with all kinds of lords and sulking while listening to their nonsense.

The fact that you two had to go separate ways today didn't help as well. Eris hated leaving you on your own. He trusted your ability to defend yourself. But he didn't trust others to not try and pull a stupid stunt. So two of his most trusted men went everywhere with you. You fought it long and hard, but you knew that it was either that or Eris would go gray from the paranoia that had coded his mind.

While still in your private chambers, you pressed yourself closer to your lover's chest before kissing his lips tenderly. "I'll see you tonight," you said. The idea of letting go was unsettling to him. "Please don't bite, and try to smile at least once." The fireling rolled his eyes and insisted on answering just flung the door open before turning to beam at you.

You checked in with your mate through the bond at the start of the day, but then Eris's side went cold, and you could only assume that whatever he was doing wasn't going too well. So you just focused on your duties, for now, smiling at the citizens as you visited different healers and craftsmen, to ensure that everything was running smoothly and the transition wasn't affecting them or their work badly.

Then the dinner hour approached, and you could sense your two guards getting tired, you sent both of them back to the main mansion. Even if they fought against it, you waved them off, promising to return before Eris did so they wouldn't get in trouble.

When you entered the main hall, the place felt way quieter than it usually was. However, in your tired state, you didn't pay too much attention, tiredly undoing your braids as you climbed the stairs. You felt Eris in your chambers before you saw him.

And when you did see him his eyes were wild as he approached you, "Are you out of your mind?", his voice was harsher than usual, and you found yourself frowning, "You infuriate me, woman".

The tips of Eris's fingers cracked with flames, but you didn't back away. "Eris, what's going on?", "What's going on?", throwing his hands in the air, Eris leaned even closer to you. "Why do I find out that my mate's guards were sent back but you stayed in the city?"

Right... So he did find out. Oh, mother, give strength. "Their work hours ended...", "Their working hours never end; even when they sleep, they are working!"

You knew that for the most part it was his tiredness and overthinking talking, so you walked closer to your mate. Pressing your palms against his chest. His skin was boiling and accompanied by a rapidly beating heart. Instead of talking, you closed your eyes and sent comforting and reassuring emotions through the golden thread that bound you.

"You need to take a day off and rest because this, this is not you," you pointed at him, "and I get that you are worried. But I'm also worried. Worried about you", your voice was calm, with every word that you spoke putting out the fires that blazed inside the high lord.

"If something happens to you...", you reached for him, wrapping your hands around Eris's torso, "I'll fight till my last breath to come back to you. You know I would give them hell", you hoped this would lighten the mood, but Eris only shook his head.

"I don't care about anything but you. I would go insane if you died." The worry that ran through him was deeply rooted. You knew that he blamed himself for many things that had happened before and for all the people he had hurt in the process.

"My love, we can't predict the future but I promise to not give you any more frights like today", Eris pressed a kiss to the crown of your head, "At least let me know in advance so I would know where to find you", smiling up at him you nodded your head, before leaning closer to kiss the last bits of Eris's fear away.

——————

All acotar writings taglist: @brekkershadowsinger @cityofidek

[vorrentis]

Male Reader x Mina - Blind Love (Part 2)

IT'S ABOUT TIME FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR THIS!

Anyway! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, SORRY it took a while to get a sequel and hopefully I did the moments here justice.

Especially the details of Mina being our eyes.

Tried my best to go into it.

AND this chapter isn't what most of you would have wanted as this is more of a bonding experience with Mina. 

Gotta build up that chemistry before we make history.

If it's not your liking well, I 'm sorry and hopefully the next chapter will be, but if it is then great!

SO! ENJOY!

WORDS: 22498

===================================

DING...DING...DING

"Alright class, pages 12 and 13 okay." The teacher called out as the kids ignored the teacher and started to rise from their seats to head to lunch.

You, not having much, placed your slate into your bag and waited, staring down while hearing the conversations going on.

"I wonder what's for lunch?"

"Thank god it's Friday..."

"I want to take a nap."

"I'm gonna need help with homework..."

You heard each want or complaint till the one you were waiting to hear from behind.

"Ready (YN)~"

Sana's voice was heard as you turned to your right.

She got up from the seat behind you with her items and smiled down as you picked your bag up and stood up with Sana.

"Yeah,"

"Hand,"

You held your hand up and Sana grabbed it and started to guide you along as you followed behind, "also we need to go to my locker, that okay?"

"Course," you answered as Sana nodded, and away the two were.

Now you weren't able to, but multiple sets of eyes were on you both walking out of the room, and upon hearing the many conversations and openings, and closing of lockers, you knew you were in the hall.

"You good?" Sana asked.

"Yeah, you would think it would get easier to roam around." You said as Sana, maneuvering the students, held onto your hand tight.

"It gets busy as busy can get, especially with lunch. But we are not going to let you go alone with the stairs." She turned her head to you looking forward.

"I wouldn't either." You agreed as Sana hummed, turned back forward, and headed toward her locker.

This was the norm since Monday and it was doing well as the days went by for the transitions between each of the three girls; meeting after classes to guide you and to sit by you.

Course, being high school, other students were curious about you and being with the three girls.

Some felt as though you were faking and even asked you if they expected a cane or even a dog...yeah, a dog.

You merely chuckled and explained it was no need and the girls, whoever was with you, stated they were your guide...much to the dismay of most of being with three very attractive girls.

Regardless, everything seemed to be going smoothly till this morning with Mina and Reo.

Afterward, Mina informed Sana when she came into class and Momo via text.

Sana loathed bullies and to know that one was picking on you was way too much for her to handle. She was fumid and constantly asked at that class, after, and this past class, and...

"And here we are, just give me a minute, stand right here," you heard her and she upheld your hand after having you move a step to the right and figured she was opening her locker.

You remained still as Sana spun the lock to her combo and opened the rectangular slab of metal, but before she did anything else, she turned to you looking a bit to her left, straight at the lockers.

"So are you really okay (YN)?" She asked as you smiled at her question.

"For the past five times, I'm fine Sana, the two think they're funny. What worries me is Mina." Sana nodded, "I just want to know if she's okay. I wanted to tell the teacher about what he said to her."

"Well, Mina doesn't let it get to her. But with what he was doing to you, I don't blame her for this morning," Sana reached to get her box lunch from the top section, "I still can't believe Reo is like that."

"Yeah. Mina told me he was like that since last year."

"It has. It hasn't been so bad I guess. But he did get more talkative with her when the school year was ending. Momo and I told on him, but other than a conversation, it didn't help since he wasn't really doing anything but chatting. Mina thanked us but said it was nothing to be fed up about. Thankfully he toned it down after that and we hoped he wouldn't after school resumed. Guess not."

SHUT

Sana closed her locker and turned her body to you.

"Why her specifically?" you asked.

"Cause he thinks Mina's attractive," Sana answered, "but he's too dumb to realize that Mina doesn't want anything to do with him."

"Wow, well if he's been trying since then, she must very attractive." You stated as Sana rose a brow as your realized what you said out loud, "uh sorry, that sounded a bit weird."

Sana held in a giggle and smiled at your thought...then figured that you couldn't even know what Mina looked like, neither of the three.

She wondered if you'd been imagining what they looked like in your head at the moment, but not the time to think as she didn't want you to feel apologetic.

"Hehe, it's okay (YN), Mina is very pretty,"

You nodded...and then a thought came up...

"Do you and Momo have issues with him or anyone else too?"

"Not us, Reo seems to only go with Mina. Although his friend tries to hit on us before, he was actually smart and backed off." She trailed as you nodded.

"Yeah? Well then you and Momo must be very pretty as well," you stated, not wanting to make Mina the only one feeling like that as Sana smiled in a cute manner.

"Hehe~ ah (YN)~ you're making me blush~"

You shrugged in response as Sana felt happy that you called her that...but that smile faded as she kept looking at you.

"...But now it scares me that Reo's gonna be messing with you now. Since you're with us three." Sana looked at you as your expression remained the same.

"Well there are people that are going to be like that Sana, I know it's not gonna be all perfect or nice." You shrugged, "don't worry. Reo sounds like a handful, but if anything does happen, I'll let you three know."

"Oh we'll know if he picks on you again, after all, you're stuck with us," and like that, Sana's had a shift in her tone as you smiled at her, "still (YN), I'm sorry that had to happen to you. Especially on your first experience of school."

"It's fine Sana, I appreciate your concern for Mina and me, but hey, at least I have you three to counter him. He's bad and you three are great."

Sana let out a gentle sigh and gingerly smiled at yet another compliment, Mina was right when you saw the bright side in most things.

"Alright," you nodded, "well if he does anything, we're not going to let that slide okay?" you repeated your notion, "good, I got my lunch so hand please~"

She asked and you held your hand out once more as Sana took it into hers and the two were off to meet the other two.

Sana, while slowly weaving her way past the less crowded students as most were already in lunch, smiled at the compliments you gave her.

'Even if he wasn't blind, he doesn't deserve to get picked on. We'll make sure it won't happen again. Still...' Sana stopped for a moment as you did as well, feeling her slowing down, thinking there may have been some obstructions in front, but Sana took a few seconds to look at you, 'he's brave for standing up for Mina.'

And Sana picked up the pace once more.

—-----------------

After a slow and careful walk, you heard the usual talk and laughter in the halls but now added with clashing of plastic and metals, assuming utensils as Sana kept on pulling you.

"We're almost there." Sana notified as you nodded and then...the talks seemed to be lowered and behind you.

"Mina~ Momo~" Sana waved her free hand, carrying her lunch as the two turned to Sana with you behind her.

Both Mina gave a faint smile and Momo frowned while glancing at you.

"And you're here with Momo," Sana guided you to your seat as you patted and felt the table and sat down with your legs going down into the slot and you felt the bench under you.

"Thanks Sana."

"No problem~" She said now joining Momo once you got settled.

"Hey Mina, Momo." You said looking down while gathering your items.

"Hi," Momo spoke up, but...

"..."

Both Sana and Momo noticed Mina simply observing you, almost studying you as Sana waved a hand in front, getting Mina's attention quickly.

"Mina?" Sana called out to her as you heard and slowed your motions.

Mina merely turned to Sana.

"O-oh, sorry, I was thinking of something..." Mina excused herself while picking up her fork and poking at her noodles.

You weren't a hundred percent sure, but your best guess was her thinking about Reo's incident, but you didn't want to budge into her thoughts and continued to lay out your meal.

"That's okay." Sana said bringing her lunch up on the table as Momo took a spoonful of kimchi, "so glad it's Friday. I'm excited for our going out today too," Sana furthered, opening her Tupperware, as Momo nodded.

"...we should do something else on the weekend," Mina suddenly spoke as the three's attention was now on her idea as you opened your Tupperware, "I would like to do more than just shopping you know," she explained and you three nodded.

"I do have an empty weekend to fill up." Sana nodded.

"Let's do it," was all Momo needed to say to be in.

"(YN)?" Mina asked.

"You serious?"

"Course," Mina affirmed, remembering what you said to her as you nodded.

"Okay, though I would have to convince my parents, aka dad," you answered right away, now more excited that it wasn't just today to be hanging out if you were to be able to go.

"Well, he should be okay since the four of us will be together. It's set then~" Sana smiled as the other two nodded, "let's talk about it at the mall, right now, I'm hungry...itadakimasu!"

And so the four started to eat...scratch that, three of you were.

Momo, being next to you, was overlooking you and your spoonful of rice going right to your mouth as you were facing downward.

Momo had a lot of questions for you when they first met, some she didn't think to ask as she figured it may have come out wrong, but you didn't seem to mind answering any and all that she had as days went on and were delighted to be buddies with you as you brought a new addition of humor and interest to the group.

Upon hearing what Reo did, Momo didn't know how anyone would want to pick on you and it hurt her more than Reo went to a new low level to you, a blind person.

She thought people can be despicable.

She never liked Reo or Satoshi and now, she despised him.

She wanted nothing more than to have him be in trouble, but Mina told her what you said and that to let it be for now.

Still...

"(YN)?" She asked as you turned in her direction, not on her but to the left of her, "I'm happy you're with us."

That caused the other two to raise their eyes at you as you smiled.

From what Mina told you, Momo was the most sensitive of the three.

"I'm happy I'm with you as well Momo."

Momo was at ease at the response and nodded as Sana and Mina smiled as well.

"Want some Kimchi for your rice?" She shook her container.

"Thank you, but I'm okay. Arigato Momo."

"Alright," Momo nodded and soon the four resumed eating and started to-

"Hold on," that got the attention of the table to you, "sorry you three, but can I ask you three something before we start?"

"Sure," "what is it?" Two of them asked as you inhaled slowly.

"It's early of me to ask considering I haven't asked my parents yet, but how long would we be out for?" You questioned as the three shrugged at one another.

"I don't know, usually like eight or something, you got something to do tonight?" Sana asked as you smiled and shook your head.

"It's embarrassing, I just wanted to spend a lot of time out."

They smiled upon hearing your statement and even Momo went...

"Aww~ that's cute (YN)~" and for once in your life, you were glad to be rid of sight to avoid the embarrassment of looking at the three.

"Well, then be prepared (YN), 'cause we three can shop like no other~" Sana's tone was up a notch as you nodded.

"Great," you said as Mina turned left.

"And since tomorrow is Saturday, we'll be spending as much time as we can, walking around, the food court, visiting each store seeing what's go-...may I ask about your shopping experience?" Sana questioned as Momo watched and Mina would listen.

"It's in and out. Dad's not really a mall person and mom isn't a clothes person so she would ask a store worker to pick the outfits for me. She describes it and if it sounds nice, it's good for me. Though I'm probably basic looking when not in uniform," you shrugged as the girls figured and no offense to your mom, knew the worker probably threw whatever and called it a sale.

"Well, I'm sure your mom has taste but we'll help you get some new outfits," Sana grinned, "you can trust us (YN)."

"Us three know fashion (YN), we'll make you look great." Momo joined as Mina kept her eyes on you and your smile.

Again, she felt ecstatic to see your emotion like that.

"I do trust you three. Very much."

The three smiled and nodded.

"Then looks like we got work to do ladies~" Momo grinned as the other two laughed with you feeling high-spirited.

—--------------------------------

TIMESKIP

"Hey sweetie," Your mom's voice was heard as Mina guided you to them in front of the school's parking lot.

Rather than waiting inside their vehicle, they stood close to the entrance of the school since Mina would lead you to them.

"Hey mom, dad here?"

"Yeah I'm here, how was it?" He brought up as you nodded.

"Pretty great, I might need some help with homework this weekend."

"You have homework already?" Your dad questioned as you nodded.

"Math and History," you returned as your dad looked concerned.

"Is it possible for you to do it?" He asked as you nodded.

"With Mina's help yeah, but Ms. Vale did say that the school might have something for me to use for homework and even exams. Though because I just got admitted, they couldn't quite get it in time. But Monday or Tuesday for sure." You explained as your mother smiled.

"I'm glad they're doing their best." She stated as your dad nodded slowly, "well then, let's go?" she asked as you turned into Mina's area.

"Mina?" 

"Right." Mina turned to your parents, "Ms. (LN)?"

"(Mother's Name), Mina. I don't mind," Mina nodded, "I'm guessing something's up?"

"Yes, it's sudden, but would you and Mr. (LN) be okay if (YN) joined my friends and I at the mall today?" She asked as your mom smiled while dad...

"Mall?" "That's wonderful,"

"Wonderful?" Your dad questioned her, "honey I don't think it's a good-"

"(Father's Name), he'll be fine." She excused herself as he rose a brow.

"Shouldn't we talk about this first?"

You figured as much.

"We'll take care of him," Mina spoke up to counter, "you don't have to worry," your dad turned to her and then you as you remained looking down.

"When?" Your mom requested as your dad shook his head as well.

"In an hour or less, I'll be coming by to pick him up if he can."

"You got our address?" Mina shook her head, "when you're ready I'll tell you," Mina pulled her phone out to put into text.

"(Mother's Name)-"

"We'll talk about this in the car." She cut your father off while raising a hand as his shoulders fell, and soon as she saw Mina ready, "it's (address)," Mina typed and nodded while putting her phone away, "arigato Mina," you instantly smiled as your dad sighed.

"Thanks, Ms. (LN)." Mina bowed to her and then to your dad and then looked at you and your smile, "guess I'll see you later (YN)."

"I guess so, thanks," you whispered the last part as Mina nodded and unheld your hand after as you walked forward to your folks and your mom patted your shoulder and signaled to have your hand out as she took it.

"Thank you, Mina," she said while giving a slight head bow to her as Mina did the same.

"Thank you for letting him come with us, drive safe," she waved and started to walk away as you and your mom did the same.

"You too Mina." You said back as Mina smiled and then she was off to her vehicle, "thank you for allowing me to go." You said to your parents after.

"Of course (YN),"

"..." your dad was silent as your mom gave a look at him.

"Honey..."

"You didn't think we should discuss this?" Your dad sounded stern.

"What's to discuss? It's not different than him attending here." She replied earnestly, pointing at the building.

"At least the school has safety and protection with staff, the malls a large place with many random people and-"

"Honey relax, that sounds like here as well," your mom countered as your dad licked his lips in tension, "and he's not going alone, Mina with Momo and Sana as well." She listed while remembering what you told them.

"Yeah...okay, but what if something bad happens? They wouldn't know how to handle it?" He looked at your mother, shaking her head in response.

"I'm sure Mina is capable of helping him just as much as any other person." She reasoned to him as he let out some tensed breath, "she's been guiding him around the school (Father's FN), she can certainly do the same at the mall."

"Yeah dad, you can trust her. She's been amazing this past week." You added with your head forward at nothing, encouraging Mina's support.

"..."

"..."

"...is she a good driver?"

Both you and mom weren't surprised by the question.

"I'm sure she's careful." You answered truthfully, obviously not knowing the answer, but knowing Mina, she was.

"'Sure' isn't very positive." He countered as you frowned.

"(FFN)..." He looked to his wife giving off a flat look.

Though it was understandable.

You attending school wasn't easy for him, even with Mina at your side, and now onto another location away from the protective school wasn't making him comfortable.

Your mom alleviated him, but it wasn't as working as she would hope.

"...just...please call us if anything happens alright?" Your dad topped off as you offered a large smile.

"You know I will dad." You confirmed, tilting your head in his direction as your dad gave a few seconds before turning his head and heading towards the car without another word as you both followed.

Silent minutes passed with no conversation happening as the drive happened, but you were excited to be with your friends out and about.

==========================

TIMESKIP

"Okay, you have our card?"

"Yes again," you patted your pocket, 

"Phone charged?"

"And again 100%, Siri is very useful."

"Okay...are you warm-"

"(FFN) he's going to the mall, not out of state," your mom was clearly doing her best to calm her husband down.

"I'm just making sure," your father tapped his knees.

After arriving home, you changed, with the help of mom, and waited in the living room for Mina.

She told you that it would be an hour before she was to be here, but you got ahead in changing so quickly that it was half an hour before the time.

Maybe you were too desperate to-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"And there she is." You stood up from your couch as did your parents with your mom heading towards the door as your dad went to your side while you walked to the door.

"Remember to call every hour." He mentioned as you waved a hand.

"I will, don't worry dad,"

"And if there's trouble-"

"Honey, he gets it." Your mom interrupted as your dad remained still while you held out your right hand to feel the corner of the couch.

You counted your steps to the door as your mom opened the wooden panel to reveal...

"Hello Ms. (LN)."

"(Mom's Name) Mina."

"Formalities." Mina held her hands together and then spotted you approaching your mom's side, resulting in Mina's smile largened.

"Hey Mina."

"Hey (YN), you ready?" You nodded, stepping forward while holding your hand out with Mina taking it in hers.

Your parents watched as you turned your head in their direction.

"I promise I'll text you every hour dad okay. Bye mom, dad."

"Bye sweetie," "Be safe," they both spoke as you felt Mina's hand pull yours and you followed her down the pathway with closeness till they boarded into their car with two others that they met briefly and watched as they rolled down the street.

"I'm happy he's enjoying himself," your mom said as he nodded slowly, "I guess having him go to school wasn't such a bad idea huh?" She said while patting his chest.

"..."

"Honey, he's going to be okay," He took a moment to view his wife before gazing back at the street's end where you were long gone, "it's not like he's alone."

"School is one thing (Mom's Name), but a mall. Whose to know what will-"

"I know what will happen," she rose her voice and turned to him, "he'll have a wonderful time with his new friends, just like he's been having at school. (Dad's Name)," he swayed to her, "I know you want to keep him safe. But he can't be cooped up here forever. I want him to be safe as well, but he's going to have to grow up and experience the world out there and he wanted to have that experience. One week and he has not one, but three sweet and nice-looking friends. And the way he talked about going to the mall with them; he was just as happy when we said yes to letting him go to school. He hasn't been this talkative or excited since..." she shook her head, "I care for his safety, but I also care for his happiness (Dad's Name). Don't you want him to be happy?"

She capped and saw your father's sight lower to the side.

He offered a hesitant look at her and nodded.

"I do want him to be happy as well." He admitted, "as much as I wanted to say no to him, I couldn't tear that smile he had." He licked his lips and took a deep breath, "you're right about everything, I knew (YN) would want to go out eventually, but I didn't know it'd be this quick."

His wife, again, patted his chest in reassurance."

"It's been thirteen years (Dad's Name). He's growing up," he nodded, "everything will be okay, trust me." He nodded again, "good, let's head inside; I'll put a movie on and you can put popcorn."

She grabbed his forearm and pulled him till enough to close the door behind him.

—-----------------------------------------

TIMESKIP

SHUT- SHUT

"Here (YN) I got you," Mina reached out and grabbed your shoulder as you unbuckled your seat on your own after feeling the belt strap down and pushing the button.

"Thanks," you returned as you felt and grabbed Mina's hand and stepped out carefully from the car.

"Just a few steps this way," Mina asked of you as she gently escorted you a few steps and...

SHUT

Mina shut the door behind you and continued to hold your hand and escort you to the back of the car.

"Well, not packed, but not empty either," Sana looked around the cars in the parking lot as they were parked a moderate space away from the entrance.

DING

Mina locked her car as the four huddled while you held Mina's hand tightly in yours, not wanting to let go.

While incredibly excited, there was a part of you that was scared you would get lost amidst a crowd, since you weren't familiar with the concepts of the mall and crowd.

"Let's do this," Momo said as you three nodded and started to walk to the entrance. 

"Excited (YN)?" Sana asked.

"Course," you admitted, aiming your head in the direction of Sana on your right as Momo was on your right, "hehe maybe a bit too excited,"

You explained as the three gave a soft look at one another before smiling at you, feeling content that they were going to make this a happy occasion.

And Mina, after dispersing from you, informed Momo and Sana of what you said after Reo's incident.

To say they were heartfelt was an understatement.

They too were happy that you were experiencing that and strive to make it remain for the rest of the school year.

"Well we feel the same way whenever sales happen here," Momo added, "not a lot of things actually happen here, but sales are pretty good."

"Yes they are." You agreed as your group walked forward.

STEP STEP STEP

STEP STEP STEP

"And here we are." Mina stated as Sana pressed open the automatic doors, you sighed deeply as the mall was an overload to your hearing as you walked inside the establishment.

The chatter of the mall was bright and refreshing, voices ringing around with many conversations going on at once.

The atmosphere was buzzing with tinges of mystery and excitement.

"Sounds busy." You noted.

You spoke up jolting Mina from surveying her surroundings to take a glimpse of you, and sure enough, your head darting around, with a sparkle of wariness and curiosity.

Mina smiled cheerily at your eagerness. 

It was brilliant for you to be so accepting since she wanted to teach you more about the surrounding world, to let you see the world for yourself after you hadn't in so long.

"Somewhat, there are lots of teens which is understandable since everyone is leaving school." Mina explained while observing the various groups of shoppers, "so I hope you don't mind," she asked as Sana's eyes lit up as she eagerly began to bounce in place, clapping her hands out of excitement.

"but we need to start at the k-pop store, I need to see if the albums of Nayeon and Somi are there," Sana suggested as the others nodded.

"There's a k-pop store here?" You questioned.

"Yes, there's one-wait, you into k-pop (YN)?" Sana pointed at you.

"Of course, I don't have a favorite so I listen to whatever. Some I'm eh on, but most are good, I don't know whose Nayeon though, she new?" You asked Sana back as the four started to move ahead.

"I didn't know that (YN)?" Sana said as you shook your head.

"I don't think we talked about our types of music before, but I'm into K-pop for sure," you answered as the three heard.

True, besides lunch, they didn't really talk out of it and they were focusing on helping you adjust.

But as you were blending in so well, they were getting natural, well some things can be better.

"Great! Then we'll check the k-pop store first, then the latest clothing line, maybe a visit to the arcade, a fragrance for myself, oh so many choices~" Sana chimed as the two girls shook their heads at her eagerness.

"Uhm exactly how many departments are here?" You questioned.

"I think the better question is what isn't here," Sana corrected, "there's a department just about for anything," Sana explained as you shook your head.

"Man, mom and I only go to like two stores..." your tone dropped after hearing as the girls mellowed down at how much you truly are missing.

"Well, we're gonna change that," Mina spoke up, disrupting the flow as the other two nodded after seeing Mina turn to them.

"We sure will!" Sana sure was happy, "so what other music are you into (YN)?" Sana turned to you.

"Well both Pop and K-pop, fast, great beat, and fun to listen to, but ironically, I also love to listen to both Classical and Ballets as well," You listed as Mina was...

"Wait? (YN) you're into Ballet?" Mina asked suddenly.

"Yeah, it's heavily enjoyable to listen to for me," You furthered as Momo and Sana turned to Mina, "sure, pop and k-pop are catchy and upbeat, but both ballet and classical are soft, full of heart and soothing to the mind and it relaxes me in a snap. I listen to it quite a lot."

"What composers?" Mina quickly shifted and asked with curiosity, evident in her voice.

"Tchaikovsky, Ludwig, Prokofiev, Adam, Stravinsky," You rose your fingers, "the list goes on, but those are my top five."

Obviously, you couldn't see, but Mina had a smile on her.

"Well guess you and Mina have a lot more to talk about then," Sana grinned as you heard her comment.

"You into ballet Mina?"

"Oh she's way into ballet, Mina's a ballerina. Top of the country." Sana pointed at her quiet friend as Mina tilted her head.

(AN: In adjusting around Mina's backstory for this one so rather than being into K-pop, she's more influenced by ballet. Same with Sana and Momo as they aren't interested in being idols in this one)

"The country?! That's incredible Mina," You showed your wowness as Mina shook her head.

"No, no I'm not, Sana's exaggerating." Mina excused herself as Sana smiled.

"Don't lie Mina~ You're the best in your class. She is the lead captain and won many competitions, she has the medals and trophies to prove it,"  Momo chimed in as Mina was embarrassed to be revealed as such.

"Wow Mina, it sounds like you're talented." You resulted as Mina, while still embarrassed, smiled at your assessment.

"Very talented, you should see her daaa-...." Sana closed her mouth as Momo and Mina turned to her, "uh be there when she performs." Sana quickly fixed herself.

"That's a great idea," you agreed quickly to dismiss what Sana said, Of course you weren't offended by it, but to have Sana forget about it too, "I would love to go to a performance."

'There's that positive outlook.' Mina had in her mind.

"I can arrange that," Mina spoke up as the two girls heard her, "I'm on break till next week though," 

"That's fine, I can wait."

Mina nodded to your agreement as Momo and Sana, who felt bad at her choice of words, agreed as well.

"Then it's settled...actually...no, never mind, I was just thinking." Mina strang a few words as you and the other duo wondered what she thought, "let's go to the music then, but you have to tell me what ballets you enjoy (YN)." Mina sounded as you nodded.

"Course, so I enjoy...

ONE WALK LATER

"...but I'd had to say Grand Pas Class Classique is one of my go-to." You ended as Mina nodded enthusiastically.

"Ah (YN) that's a really good one. That's one that I really want to perform to, but looking at how others perform, it's intense." Mina said as Momo and Sana were in front of the two as they conversed.

The K-pop store was a while to walk to so the two took the time to discuss that topic as Momo and Sana teased each other about their conversation, even Mina was getting into it.

"Well if you're as good as Momo and Sana say, then I know you can do it Mina."

"Hehe~ thanks (YN)." You nodded, "maybe I should tell my instructor ne-oh," Mina stopped as you felt her halt with you doing the same.

"What's up?" You asked.

"Oh, we uh, passed it..." Mina said while spotting both Momo and Sana grinning in front of the store.

You two were in discussion mode so Mina wasn't even paying attention as she trailed back with you in hand.

"Come on," she said and getting close to her friends, "why didn't you stop us?"

"Hehe~ and ruin your talk?" Momo tilted her head as Mina sighed, "come on, let's get in. Luckily there's not a lot of people."

You could hear the faint music coming from within the store already and knew it was BlackPink's newest song 'Pink Venom'.

"Mina?"

"Hmm?" She hummed while turning to you.

"You don't have to, but do you mind describing the room?" You asked as Mina smiled, "I would like to have an image of what the room looks like."

You didn't have to say why, Mina was going to say yes after your request anyway.

It was easy enough to figure why you would ask: curiosity.

"Course, before stepping in," she turned inside, "imagine a rectangular room. Now there are five dividers that don't go all the way, leaving space on the far left and right sides that separate into aisles that come up to your torso with merch and albums of various idols in between, we're going to step inside," she added as the music was now clear, "now there are posters and wall scrolls hanging on the edge between the roof and the walls and even the ceiling has posters flat facing down as well."

You nodded, taking in each description and Mina was making it easy.

"And underneath the posters and taking up the wall are shelves and each consist of groups with their larger items such as lightsticks, figures, dolls, and more various items."

"Wow Mina, you're very descriptive," Mina hummed, "one question, what's a lightstick?" You questioned as Mina turned at you.

That one question caused Mina to frown. 

It felt wrong to think but the list of what you were missing out on gets longer. 

Hearing a song is one thing, to see that artist perform live is another.

She and her duo have been to a few concerts and Sana has brought her own lightsticks waving around to the beat.

It was incredible to witness a singer or group lighting up the stage with marvelous sounds and attractions rocking to their song.

And for you to not be able to enjoy that...

"...Mina?" Guess Mina was a few silent seconds too long upon hearing your name.

"...a-ah sorry, I'm thinking of how to explain," she excused herself as she needed," Mina needed a few seconds to collect herself.

"Sorry," you excused as Mina shook her head.

"Don't be, so lightsticks are, Uhm, these hand-held objects that have different shapes or ornaments that light up at one end. Think of a flashlight that lights up with a certain color and fans wave that around during a song. It's a way to support that person or group." She explained as you nodded.

"Ah, didn't know that."

"Yeah, it's pretty simple but expensive," she said after, "anyway, there's the cashier on the left of us behind their desk and a couple of screens on top of them showing the video of BlackPink, on the other corner there's a couple of demo stations that have headphones and touchscreens to hear songs." Mina looked at a couple of machines, "other than that, that's pretty much the sto-oh, there's a couple of windows on each side of the door that has the most expensive items on display." She looked and turned to see anything else, but no, "yeah, that's what it looks like."

IF YOU WERE TRYING TO IMAGINE AS WELL, LET'S SEE IF YOU WERE CLOSE TO THE IMAGE BELOW

While Mina explained, images were brought into your mind, laying out the general area of the store.

While not able to tell what the stuff was, various sizes and shapes to place in the helm.

"Hmm, yeah I could lay it all out," Mina smiled as you turned in her general direction, "thanks Mina."

"Of course (YN), glad it's clear for you," Mina then turned to the duo of Sana and Momo in the third row, "hey let's join the other two?" 

You nodded as Mina held your hand tighter and brought you to the duo who was looking down the row.

"NMIXX, New Jeans, NCT...oh! here she is!" Sana's voice was heard throughout as Mina shook her head.

"Relax Sana, the whole store just turned to you," Momo sighed as Sana took each one in hand.

"Ah she's so pretty~" Sana admired her newly acquired albums.

"Huh, she looks like Jennie in this one." Momo pointed at one of them. 

"And both are very pretty~"

"Someone's in love~" Momo grinned as Sana didn't care.

"Based on her yell, I'm assuming she got them," you said, "congrats Sana."

"Thank you (YN)~ I'm lucky they had two sets left. Now to find if Somi is around but at least I got Nayeon...oh (YN)," you hummed, "there's a demo station here, want to hear a bit of her song?" She asked as you nodded and Mina guided you towards Sana.

"N for Nayeon~ and...okay, I put the volume on low so say if you need me to raise it higher," you nodded, "and here's the headset, mind if I put it on you?" you shook your head as Sana was gentle on placing a headset on you as you stood still. You reached up and adjusted to fix and after you rose your thumb as Sana pressed play.

Seollemi meotgi jeonе

"Louder please,"

 Sana pressed the 'up' button twice.

I wanna make it

Pop, pop, pop, you want it

Pop, pop, pop, teojigil wonhae

Gasеumi ttwineun i neukkim

I wanna make it

Pop, pop, pop, you want it

Pop, pop, pop, neol gatgil wonhae

The volume went down to silent and figured it was over as you removed the headset while the three looked at you.

"Catchy,"

"I know right," Sana rose her voice as you chuckled and nodded, "you should get her album (YN), there's a set left,"

"Album..." You muttered and then quickly nodded with pace, "yeah," Sana quickly went away to get the other set, "who knows, maybe she'll be my new favorite to follow."

"Oh yeah, she's gonna get popular for sure. 

"And got them," Sana's voice came in very quick, "there's four so I'm not sure if you want all or just one?"

"How much for all?" 

"Twenty-two each but tax so over ninety," Sana explained.

"Hmm...I'll take one, just pick anyone." You asked of her as Sana looked at the four.

"Tough choice...I'll go with this. She looks the hottest here." Sana explained as you nodded, "So we got that settled, I'm sure this will look nice in your collection." Sana assumed.

"Ah I don't have a collection," you pointed out, "that album will be my first," you admitted as Momo and Sana were stunned; Mina not so much, "I know I said I was a fan, but to be honest, I've never needed or wanted albums or merch or anything of the sorts. Even for non-k-pop groups. My parents have asked, but having stuff doesn't do me any favors if I can't spectate them in my room."

You explained with a normal gesture as the three turned to one another with a noticeable frown on each one.

"Oh..." Momo muttered, "sorry (YN),"

"It's all good." You waved it off.

"So why now?" Mina asked as your head turned in her general direction.

"Ahh hehe...it's silly really, but, I want something to have for today," You presented a gingerly smile looking down at the ground escaping their looks...ironic, "as you know, it's my first going around so I want to get at least one thing for every department we get to."

And those frowns turned to genuine smiles as the three hummed or giggled at your words.

"(YN), it's not like we come to the mall every blue moon, we can come here or anywhere you want anytime you want. We all prefer being out somewhere anyway," Mina voiced while pressing into your hand more.

"Yeah, and any one of us will be happy to be with you." Sana chimed in.

"I would." Momo joined as your smile grew.

'Man...I'm lucky for these three...'

"Hehe, right, thanks."

"Course," "Yup," 

"No prob (YN)," Momo said last and then added, "so, since we're still here, there are other groups around, if you got another group in mind, I'm certain they'd be here." Momo looked around.

"I'll think I'll stick with Nayeon first. I'm not sure if my parents would agree with me getting a haul coming back."

"Yeah I guess that's smart thinking, once you start collecting, you'll only be wanting more and more, right Sana~" Momo cooed at Sana as she huffed.

"Hey it's not a problem, it's a hobby AND she has good music. I want to support her." Momo rose her brows.

"I think more than 'support'~" Momo leaned towards Sana.

"You can say that again, she is hot~" Sana grinned as Momo chuckled, "now imma need to find Somi real quick,"

"I'm gonna check out BlackPink, maybe I'll get their new album." Momo walked from the duo as Mina turned to you.

"You sure you want just the album?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure." You answered.

"Okay, let's join Momo yeah?" You nodded as Mina guided you...though...

'Having stuff doesn't do me any favors if I can't spectate them,'

Mina glanced at you and the smile you had on.

Taking in what you said along with what she thought before.

'I couldn't imagine his life before attending school, but as each day passes, it's more daunting than I can think...you're strong (YN)...you really are.'

You felt Mina's grip in your hand tightened, but you weren't complaining.

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

After ringing up the albums, which was just the five Nayeons, the group went out of the department and into the middle of the hall of the mall.

"So what's next?" Sana asked while ensuring yours and her stuff was safe.

"I think it's time we get (YN) some new outfits." Momo poked your shoulder as you smiled.

"I'm excited." You gingerly accepted their help as Momo smirked.

"Oh we are as well (YN), now let's find a spot..." Momo pointed out as the four resumed to walk, "what about (Clothing Store 1), which has decent men's attire." Momo suggested.

"Yeah, but it's like plain clothing, (Clothing Store 2) has some fashionable taste," Sana denied and brought her idea to the fray. 

"Wait you two, let's ask (YN), what are you most into?" Mina asked as you shrugged.

"I don't know really," you answered, "but I guess I enjoy loose clothing. I know I don't like button-up stuff or formal wear or tight clothing."

"Loose huh? Long-sleeve? Hoodies?"

"Long as it's not tight, I'm good." You gave them as Mina nodded.

"Okay, I think we can work with that," Mina said as the other two thought away.

"Hmm...well, what about (Clothing Store 3)? It's not exactly trendy, but it does have a variety of each clothing." Sana fronted as Momo turned to Mina.

"She's not wrong," Momo sided as Mina nodded.

"Then that's our next stop," Mina finalized as the two nodded and you were happy to go along with what they have planned.

"Uh, Mina?" 

"Hmm?"

"If you don't mind, may you do the same around us as well as you did in the K-pop store?" 

Mina could only smile.

"Let's see, think of this place as a long hallway like school. Crowds of shoppers going forward on either the left or right, either resting on the benches and chairs or checking their phones. Most are carrying bags bearing store logos and browsing the glass doors and storefront windows where there are bright store signs announcing sales of retail stores with a variety of products such as clothing, housewares, electronics, and music as we were, uh, games and toys, jewelry, and more."

You nodded along at the list of objects as Momo and Sana listened. 

"And then there are the kiosks in between the stores selling jewelry, skin care products, phone accessories, the smaller products. There's bright lighting, a skylight, hideous tile flooring, plants, and a water fountain in the middle of the mall with an elevator and stairs to connect."

"Sounds nice," you commented.

"It's nothing too special though, let's see, there's the food court, but I'll get to that when we get there...uh, you two want to add anything?" She asked the duo as they shook their heads.

"Nope, I think you got it covered Mina," Sana expressed as Momo approved.

"Yeah, not much to describe besides that (YN)," Mina shrugged as you nodded.

"That's okay, it's a pretty good vision. Thanks, Mina, I appreciate it," you told her as Mina hummed.

"Anytime (YN), anytime."

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

TIMESKIP

Sana happily hummed to herself as she walked through the entrance of (Clothing Store).

"And here we are." Sana looked around with you being escorted in.

"So what's this place?" You asked.

"It's (Clothing Store). It's a variety of clothing here that we can mix and match," Sana explained, "I shop with mom for my dad's clothing here all time for birthdays and such. I'm certain we can find something for you (YN)."

"You're going to dress me up as your dad?" You questioned as Sana chuckled in response.

"Hehe~ don't worry, there's more than grown-up stuff. There's quite a mix of everything here, we just have to find a way to mash you up." Sana explained as you nodded, "first things first, the men's section," Sana led on as Momo followed and Mina turned to you.

"Want me to explain?" 

"It's okay, I know exactly since coming to this type is my usual. I'm certain it's as the K-pop store but with clothes instead." 

Mina nodded at your assessment.

"Pretty much, though instead of aisles, it's racks and clothes rail to hang on them and in squares. No posters of idols, but just the latest 'what's in' pics and writing. Other than that, you're right." 

"And I'm assuming you there know the layout."

"Like the back of my hand~" Sana rose her hand and swirled it to showcase, "now then, the men's section." Sana led the group towards the back of the place as you heard the sounds of metal, chatter, and rustling around you.

Even Mina was having you go left and right rather than a straight path as people's voices came closer and further around.

"Sounds busy," you were moving your head around.

"Quite, the line is even longer too."

Mina looked to her left and then forward.

"Hopefully it'll d-oh that's cute~," Momo said as she was looking at each piece of clothing as she passed, "that's cute too~" Momo played with the fabric of a t-shirt...till she saw the price, "cute to look at though...sigh, if only mom wasn't still mad at me for last time."

"With good reason, your card company had to cut your card off," Sana said in the front.

"It wasn't that much." 

"Not to your parents." Sana retorted while pointing at her friend.

'Wow, guess they weren't kidding when they come here quite a bit,' you thought.

.

.

It was about half a minute of walking when Sana...

"And here we are." Sana looked around the articles of clothing folded, hanged and displayed,  "okay, let me get a good look at you (YN),"

"Hmm?" You hummed as Sana stepped in front of you.

"I'm going to get a visual of you," Sana eyed you up and down as Momo joined Sana and Mina stood there, watching her friends checking you out...interesting.

"Should we start with the lower or upper attire?" Sana asked Momo.

"I'd say lower, it's easier to combine with pants," Momo added as you couldn't say much to the conversation.

"Alright, so for loose clothing, of course not jeans so sweats or something?" Sana asked her friend.

"Joggers?" Mina retorted as Sana nodded.

"Those could work,"

"Cargo pants?" Momo looked behind Sana's left while pointing as Sana looked in the same direction.

"You're onto something Momo," Sana went ahead and looked at each article, "these would look good on him. It's not tight with its elastic band and (YN) can work with it. Plus we can match up anything with a pair of black ones." Sana turned with the pants to Mina and you.

"Sounds nice," you put your opinion, "you mind if I feel the texture?" 

"Yeah, here it's right in front of you." Sana held up the pants as you reached out and felt the garment over your hand as you rose it. 

You adjusted your hand over and felt the material with your fingertips.

"Oh yeah, feels good."

"Right?" Sana agreed as you nodded and carried the cargo pants back to the others, "Okay, what size are you?"

"(Size), or (Size #) by (Size #)." Your mom checked before you left.

Sana searched through and found three pairs of your size and took one.

"Great, that's down. Now I'm thinking of a hoodie," she voiced her opinion as Mina agreed.

"I don't think there's a good selection though," Momo pointed out.

"I don't need anything fancy," you spoke after Momo's comment.

"Well let's see. There are over here." Sana lead the group as Mina aided you towards Sana, "Hmm, yeah no graphics or anything standing out, although let's not get too picky," Sana said as she spotted the hoodies hanging on racks.

It ranged from various colors and sizes as Sana combed through each one.

"What color?" Sana shoved a few hoodies as Mina tilted her head.

"Let's go white, it'll contrast the pants." Mina pointed as Sana took out a white hoodie in its hanger.

"Here (YN), this is the material," you did the same as the pants and nodded.

"Yeah that works."

"Okay, (YN), I'm going to press the sweater in front of you, can you hold it on the shoulders?" Sana asked of you as you nodded.

Soon, you felt Sana press her hands on your shoulders and you rose your hands up and pressed the clothing to your shoulders, feeling the hanger in it still.

"And Momo please hold the pants over him," after handing Momo the lower article, she held it over you as the other two thought about the two together.

"I think it works," Mina shrugged as Sana tapped her cheek, "although there's something that could mix this well..."

"..."

"..."

"Overcoat," "An overcoat," both Mina and Sana said at the same time as they turned and nodded at one another as they both smiled at each other's same idea and Sana rose her hands for a high five from Mina.

CLAP

"Oh, jinx. You owe me a soda~" Sana pointed at Mina who frowned.

"What's an overcoat?" You asked.

"It's a type of jacket, but it'll complete the look for you," Sana answered as you nodded, "now then~" Sana clapped her hands together, "luckily, the overcoats are around here I think," Sana pointed at the left of them and skipped her way to the rack with Mina trailing.

"We'll be back," Mina stated to you and Momo as both nodded and Momo saw them walking away.

"Do I still hold this?" You asked as Momo folded the pants over her arm.

"You can let it down," you nodded while lowering the hoodie, "so besides, music is there anything you're into while you're at home?" Momo sounded curious as you shrugged.

"Not really, I guess the most I do in my room is listen to the radio for sports. I also put on movies and TV too. Audio description is a lifesaver."

"Audio description?" Momo asked.

"When there's no dialogue happening, the TV informs the viewer what's going on."

"That's handy."

"It very much is." You nodded, "other than that, I got nothing."

Momo probably should have known that wasn't a great question to ask.

"Well, luckily for you, we can introduce you to many things we like, do you like dancing?" Momo asked upfront.

"Uh...indifferent I suppose. Are you into that?"

"My sister and I dabble in it. We make videos on Youtube, Tik-Tok, and Instagram," Momo shrugged.

AN: Like Mina, Momo's going to be more into dancing on social platforms rather than idol.

"Oh that's cool, are you famous as well?" 

"I don't want to brag, but we do receive lots of views. Though mostly my sister gets the most, she's far better than what I can do." Momo explained as you shook your head.

"Don't say that Momo, I'm sure you're equally as great as her."

Momo smiled and shook her head slightly. While what she said was true, and the fact that you just learned about her this minute, she found it kind of you to support her already.

"Thanks (YN)," 

"Hm-mh, well would you mind if you make accounts for me to follow you? I would like to support you," you asked of her as Momo...

"You don't have any social?"

"Well, there wasn't any point till last week." You reasoned as Momo nodded slowly, "so now I can follow you and maybe the other two as well if they have any."

Momo smiled at your gesture, though the question of how you use the social came up, and she figured to ask later.

"Of course (YN), I appreciate it~" you nodded, "and just to let you know (YN), I did mean when I said that I would like us two doing something together when you want, I don't mind." Momo encouraged you as you smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind Momo, thank you." You gave a head nudge in response as Momo mirrored your action.

"Yup!"

You counted yourself lucky to meet these girls so quickly.

"Sorry you two," Momo turned as you heard Mina's voice, "we saw other clothes next to the overcoats," she explained as Sana was behind her.

"I think he can work some of these outfits too." Sana showed Momo a few other clothing on hangers as Mina carried the overcoat in hand.

"You picked out other outfits?" You questioned.

"Yup~"

"You were only gone for a minute," You calculated as Sana grinned.

"We are masters of shopping (YN)~" Sana mentioned as the other two ladies smiled at her, "now come on, let's try these o-oh,  want to feel the material (YN)?"

"Sure," you held out your hand, repeating your action as before, and felt the jacket, it felt leathery in a way, though if it was going to be over your hoodie, it wasn't going to be a difference.

"Nice." You nodded as Sana nodded back.

"Great, then I have these couple of short sleeve hoodies that aren't clingy to be-

RING RING RING

Someone's phone rang out.

"That's me." Mina spoke up and slide her phone from her pocket, "Probably my pare-oh? It's my instructor," Mina was confused as she looked at the ID.

'Instructor?' You heard.

"Aren't you on break?" Momo questioned.

"Until next week, I'm gonna have to take this." The two girls nodded.

"Sure, here hand me that." Sana reached out and Mina handed her the overcoat.

"Be right back. He can change, don't wait for me."

And with that, Mina walked away with her phone over her ear to start her conversation as the duo watched her for a few seconds before turning to you.

"Okay (YN), let's get you to change." You nodded, quickly disappearing what Mina was talking about as they guided you to the fitting rooms.

"Hello, how many?" You heard a woman's voice in front of you.

"Three for him," Sana answered, and after a few seconds...

"Okay, he can go in any room." The random person responded while she waved towards 

"(YN) this way, it's a corner. Oh, mind if we go with him to guide him to the door? He's, uh, he's blind," Sana explained as softly as possible, even saying that felt sad for her.

The female store attendant looked at you and then back to Sana.

"Long as you don't do any funny business, you can go ahead," Sana recoiled, you were slightly embarrassed and Momo gave a chuckle.

"Hehe, don't worry, no funny business going on here. Let's go (YN)," Momo remarked as the girls ushered you forward to the left as the worker turned to the trio and shrugged.

"Funny business," Sana mocked after the three got into the hall where multiple fitting room doors were ready to be opened, "can't she tell you're really-..." Sana stopped talking and slowly closed her mouth while looking at the side of you.

"I have sunglasses on so she can't tell Sana." You excused as Sana shook her head.

"Still," 

"Hehe, 'funny business'" Momo repeated...and then you felt something going around your neck and right shoulder, "hmm~ interested (YN)?~"

Momo whispered into your ear as your jaw fell slightly with her arm bringing you closer to her as the trio stopped in place.

"M-Momo!?" Sana screeched as Momo grinned at her.

"Teasing! Relax~, although~ (YN) hasn't answered yet~" Momo cooed in your ear as you gulped.

"I-I'm good Momo..."

"Hehe~ For now, ri- Oww!" 

Upon hearing Momo's high-pitched yelp, you sort of jumped in between the two girls.

"What happened?" 

"Sana just hurt me..." Momo rubbed her forehead.

"Don't be dramatic, I flicked your forehead, wasn't that bad," Sana grumbled as Momo glared at her friend.

"That bad? Well, maybe I should return the favor." Momo rose her arm as you remained still.

"So you're okay?" Upon hearing you, Momo took at your look and her glare softened.

'Oh, right...'

"Ah, sorry (YN), I didn't mean to freak you out, me yelling didn't help," Momo apologized back while nodding in return. 

Sana caught on to what Momo was thinking.

"I'm okay, it's nothing, Sana and I mess around like this all the time. Though this time was a lot more force..." Momo pouted as Sana stared at the back of your head.

"Oh, alright, my bad." You answered as Sana realized that you couldn't even see the flick, even though you were looking right at Momo.

"No (YN), no 'my bad'. You didn't know we were messing with another," Sana said as Momo gave a soft nod, "that must be scary, not knowing what's going on," Sana added as you shook your head towards her area.

"It can be, especially when something unexpected happens and I can't tell what 'happened'. Mainly the reason why I was stuck at home and not able to get out, not that I blame my folks. I get it."

"To keep you safe, honestly I'd do the same," Sana said as Momo nodded, "well we'll make sure not to do anything too drastic," Sana said as you shook your head.

"I thank you, but don't change because of me. I don't want you two to mellow down. It's fine."

Both girls looked at one another as Momo shrugged while Sana sighed mentally.

"...alright," you nodded, "uh, we're in front of the dressing room. Do you need help in there?" Sana asked as you shook your head.

"Nah, thanks though,"

You answered as Momo led you to the room as Sana was behind Momo, "okay, we'll be just outside the door if you need us so you don't have to lock the door."

You nodded.

"In you go~ and there's a bench seat here," Momo guided you to the corner and Sana gently placed your clothes on it, "clothes are there and we're leaving okay," you nodded as Momo stepped out.

SHUT

"Alright," you muttered as you manage to sit after patting for the seat to remove your shoes and started to change.

As you did so, Sana and Momo...

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...hey," Momo came closer to Sana and whispered to her, "you okay?"

Sana nodded slowly.

"Yeah, just..." Sana shrugged and pointed at the door of your dressing room.

"I know," Momo whispered.

Both of them were feeling what Sana said about being scared of not knowing what was going on.

To be in the unknown twenty-four/seven...

At least you were away from harm being in your home but didn't please the two girls. 

"Let's just," Momo did a hand wave as Sana took a few seconds but agreed as Momo nodded and took a few steps back, "so you hungry (YN)?" Momo, now at a normal volume, called you out. 

Sana figured that Momo was wanting to change the mood quickly.

"I could eat, but I could wait as well," you answered as Momo rubbed her tummy.

"Well, I'm starving too,"

"When are you not?" Sana let a soft smile out as Momo playfully shoved her shoulder.

"Is today pick on Momo day..." Momo pouted as Sana now grinned, "but really, you want to get something after?" She asked as Sana nodded, "great we'll wait for Mina then...you know I have to shop for clothes myself," Momo looked out to the lobby, "probably not this store, didn't see anything worth trying."

"Yeah, I have to get new outfits as well," Sana shrugged as she looked outward to the store, "hmm...hey (YN)?" Sana turned to the door.

"Yeah?"

"When do you have to go back home?" Momo turned as well.

"Uh, not sure, not late of course,"

"Course, well guess we do have time then,"

"Sweet~" Momo smiled, "how you doing (YN)?" extending the conversation.

"Doing good," Momo nodded as she took her phone out.

"I think we should go to..." 

And Momo and Sana started to converse about the mall as you changed for a couple of minutes...

One talk later

"...then we can go here because I need a new phone case." Sana pointed at her cracked phone case.

"And you say I'm clumsy, you drop your phone like three times a week." Momo waved at her as Sana sighed.

"I do, I need a wriststrap for this thing." She waved her phone ar-

"Sana? Momo? I'm ready. I'm facing the door, I could feel the lock." They both heard and turned to the door.

"Alright, we're going to open the door then," Sana explained as she grabbed the handle and opened it to reveal your new attire consisted of-

-an overcoat over a comfortable hoodie, with cargo pants down to your white sneakers.

Paired off with your sunglasses and you were good to go as the two girls...

"Oh..." "Wow..."

"Hoping that's a good response?" You asked standing still.

"Very actually, uh here, step forward," Sana instructed while you took about four steps, "stop please." You halted your movement.

"Well?"

"You're looking very fine (YN)~" Momo suddenly commented as you smiled.

"Excuse Momo's frontness, but I got to say, she's right (YN)." Sana stepped on your right, "we're next to you so be still okay," you nodded as the two girls roamed around you, "oh yeah, you really pull this off well, a job well done right Momo?"

"Very well done Sana. I mean it (YN), you look hot," Momo grinned as embarrassment shrouded you.

"Momo..." Sana shook her head.

"Hey you agreed." Momo pointed at Sana with a headshake in return once more.

"Whatever, anyway, you do look great (YN), maybe we can style your hair as well," Sana placed a hand over your head, "we could maybe spike it just a bit with gel to get something going, but that's up to you."

"Do whatever you want with me." Having your permission, Momo grinned.

"Oh~ Does that mean, anything~" Momo grinned as Sana burrowed her brows.

"No. Bad Momo. Don't listen to her (YN), Momo's being silly as al-oh Mina!" Momo turned in the same direction as Sana and spotted Mina approaching them.

"I'm so sorry, my instructor wanted me-...(YN)?" Mina excused herself while coming closer.

"Yeah?" You called back as Mina stepped closer to you.

"Heh, wow, yeah you, you look good." Mina gave her opinion but it wasn't as high volume as the other two were.

"Do I really?"

"Very~" Momo grinned as Sana shook her head and you chuckled awkwardly in response.

"And we're thinking about giving his hair some style, would complete the look," Sana suggested while tugging a few strands of your hair.

"And new shoes too." Momo pointed at your feet as Mina nodded.

"Yeah, I think that's a nice idea. Anyway, sorry about stepping out for a bit, it was my instructor." Mina explained.

"What did she want?" Sana asked.

"I guess my break got shorter. She wants me to come in next Saturday and Sunday."

"The whole weekend?" Sana's shoulders fell.

"Yeah, but a few hours in the morning. She wants me to be a part of meetings for the upcoming performances."

"Can't she e-mail you?" Momo spoke up as Mina shrugged.

"The struggles of being the best I suppose," Sana sighed as Mina smiled at her.

"Cheer up you two, not like we had any plans for next weekend."

"We could have," Momo cut in as Mina shook her head while smiling, "oh well, guess it can't be helped."

"Nope, anyway," she turned to you, "you do look good (YN). This suits you very much," and then Mina spotted something...

"But your hoodie isn't over your overcoat," you were halfway on reaching your arms u- "I got you," Mina said as you stopped and felt your hoodie being fixed, "your hoodie must always be over whatever you're wearing," Mina explained.

You figured Mina was behind you or at the side, but from the direction of her voice, she was right in front of you.

Your faces were half a foot from one another as your arms circled around your neck adjusting your clothing, feeling her forearms patting your shoulders

Both Sana and Momo were watching her adjust, and when it should have been a quick pull of the clothing, she seemed to be taking her time.

The best part about it-

-was the smile that the two others saw on Mina and of course, thoughts ran through their mind about it and the constant teasing that they were about to unleash on her when the three would be alone.

'Oh, Mina~' Momo grinned as Sana...

'Interesting Mina, very interesting,'

What you were thinking was far from theirs with Mina was in close proximity

What did Myoui Mina look like?

You knew her long hair and slender frame and pretty (from Sana), but no other physical traits came to mind.

And as much as you wanted to picture what Mina looked like...

That's what you could imagine.

That's it.

It wasn't a dire need to know, but the more with these three, the more the question lingered.

'It wouldn't be weird to ask them what they looked like right?'

"There, now good went to great," Mina whispered and you could smell her minty breath of her as her arms held over your shoulder, holding onto the helm of your hoodie just for a few seconds longer than what it should have been before lowering her hands.

And it was that that point that Mina caught the other two staring at her and now that she was mirroring them, Sana winked at Mina as Momo rose her brows in teasing manner as Mina's eyes flashed and looked down; embarrassment evolving very quickly as she covered a part of her face with one hand as if it would accomplish something.

"So how do you feel (YN)?" Sana furthered as you moved around a bit, lifting your legs up to feel the pants fit and shifting your shoulders for the top half.

"It feels great, I feel different...is that silly to think?"

"Not at all (YN)," Sana stepped around while observing, "no offense to your mother, but it's a much more improvement than what you came in with." The girl's opinions boosted your confidence majorly.

"Alright, then I'll take this then." You were excited to get a new set into your wardrobe, even though you have no idea what your initial wardrobe even looked like.

"Great, then we have two more outfits for you." Sana spoke as you nodded.

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

TIMESKIP

"Well I'm stuffed..." Momo rubbed her tummy after finishing her burger combo.

"When you order the extra large, yeah we would imagine." Sana poked Momo's tummy as Momo swiped her hand away, "you should have eaten the pizza alone, but nooooo, you needed to get another combo as well, wasn't the pizza enough?"

"I'll make it up with my dancing..." Momo leaned back in her chair as Mina shook her head and saw you finishing up the last bite of the crust of your pizza combo too.

"How was it (YN)?" Mina asked as you nodded.

"I enjoyed it, you?"

Mina looked down at the teriyaki bowl she ordered that was wiped clean, along with Sana's.

"Very good as well," Mina looked at Sana as she and Momo were poking one another with both hands.

'These two...'

Mina looked around at the tables being filled with teens and families and couples.

It's been three hours since they arrived and they've been around eight department stores. More so for you, some for Sana and Momo; Mina didn't really see anything she wanted but ended up buying a lavender sweater.

"Well I think it's a great time to get these back in the car so that we don't have to carry much around." Mina suggested as you three nodded.

With cleaning up and bags being carried, the four backtracked towards the entrance of where they came.

...

...

That is until...

"Oh oh oh wait! Look!" Momo pointed forward, "we have to get some!"

"How do you still have the stomach for that I'll never know Momo," Sana folded her arms as Momo shoulder-bumped her.

"It's dessert Sana, it's a law to not skip it." Momo retorted as Sana snorted.

"Dessert?" You asked.

"It's an ice cream stall, instead of round balls of ice cream, they roll it up," Momo explained as you hummed, "I'm getting a cup, no one is going to stop me."

"I'm getting one too," you spoke up with the three eyeing you, "Momo's right, it's ice cream, I ain't gonna say no to that either even if full." You butted in as Momo pointed at you.

"Thank you (YN)! At least someone agrees with me," she looked towards Sana as Sana sighed with Mina smiling and laughing inside.

"I guess I could get a cup, small though," Sana agreed as Mina nodded as well.

"Alright let's go then, luckily there's no line. Then, we'll put our bags away." Momo suggested as the group followed her toward the stall.

Upon coming closer, the cashier noticed and smiled at the newly arrived customers.

"Hello, just let me know if you're ready to order." She said to the group.

"I know what I'm getting." Momo already started, "I'd like a small cup of vanilla with sprinkles and oreo bits." Sana ordered first.

"I'll take medium strawberry please with whipped cream and fudge on top." Mina went and Momo leaned forward.

"I'll have a medium with chocolate and vanilla," Momo pointed two fingers up, "with extra chocolate syrup and cookie bits please."

"Course...alright anything else?" She asked as Mina turned to you.

"You got a flavor (YN)?" Your guide asked as the cashier was ready to input.

"Do you have (favorite flavor)?" You asked the worker as the worker nodded.

"Yes they do," Mina answered as the cashier caught that.

(Unless your companions said your flavor, then...)

"I'll take (Chocolate/Vanilla/Strawberry) as well."

"Small, medium, or large?" The cashier asked.

"Uh, how big are the cups?" You asked back.

"Four rolls in a small, six in medium, and eight in large." She answered as you didn't know exactly how big the rolls were.

"How big are the rolls Mina?" You asked.

"They vary with the size of the cups. Can he hold onto a couple to get an estimate?" Mina asked as the lady arched a brow but took a small and medium-sized cup from the side of her and showcased them.

"This is small and medium." She explained.

"I'm sorry, but can he 'feel' them?" Mina emphasized again as the cashier gave her a strange look.

"Why does-"

Soon as both Mina and Sana pointed at your eyes, it didn't take long for her answer.

"Oh, here," she handed Sana the cups, "I'm sorry," she apologized as you wondered why she did, but quickly figured that your friends signaled your sight.

"It's fine," you said.

"Here, this is the small," Sana took your other hand and placed the small cup and watched you squeeze to get a measurement.

It was a palm-sized fit and while you did eat, it probably wasn't enough to fill that dessert craving, though large might be too much if you didn't like it.

"That's small?"

"Yup. Here's medium." Sana replaced the size and you felt another cup in hand, course it was bigger as it reached more toward your wrist and fingers.

"I'll take a medium," you answered, "chocolate syrup as well please," the lady nodded and entered the order and Sana returned the cups as the lady took the medium and threw the small into the recycle.

"And we have gummy bears, whipped cream, cherries, strawberries, sprinkles, cookie bits, and nuts as toppings as well." She furthered as you appreciated her explanation.

"Just the syrup will be enough thank you," you finalized the order as she inputted the last order.

"Anything else?" All four of you shook your heads, "right, now it'll be fifteen minutes to get your orders out. Would you like them all together, or one at a time?" She asked as you were quizzical.

"We'll get them at a time, and we're paying separately too," Mina answered as the lady nodded.

'That's long for ice cream ain't it?' You didn't want to say it out loud for rudeness as you felt your hand being pulled away.

"Over here (YN), we're going to wait on the side of the stall." You followed Mina's words-

CLAP

-and awakened at the sudden noise.

"Now for the best part," Momo started to shift her hands together.

"Eating it?" You figured Momo liked ice cream, but she seemed to like them a lot more than usual.

"They make your order in front of you," Momo explained to you being quite amazed.

"Make? Like literally?"

"Yup, they mix and mash cream and certain items to whatever you ordered in front of you. Momo's always excited to...be here when they make them," Sana adjusted her wording.

"That's unique," you said afterward, "in front of us?" 

"Yup, the clerk hands the order to another couple of workers who makes them in front of us behind a panel," Mina explained while watching that interaction happening in front of her eyes with the cashier handing a label to another female and male worker, "it's pretty popular, though guess we got lucky and got a no line, they're about to start," Mina watched the ice-makers nod while reading the paper and gather ingredients on the left from a fridge.

"Guess they're starting with Mina's and mine," Sana pointed as the girl maker had a cup of strawberries and a guy with vanilla bars.

"Ready to listen (YN)?" Mina questioned as you nodded, "Okay, first there's a metal pan with two spatulas on it, first-"

CLANK

CLANK

CLANK

"-she cuts the leaves of the strawberries and tosses them away, leaving only the fruit," you nodded, "now she's pouring cream over the berries and-"

CLANKCLANKCLANK

CLANKCLANKCLANK

CLANKCLANKCLANK

"What the..."

"She's chopping them with the two spatulas," Mina explained while hearing multiple taps on the metal pan.

SCREECH...SCREECH

"Now she's scooping them in the middle and..."

CLANKCLANKCLANK

CLANKCLANKCLANK

CLANKCLANKCLANK

SCREECH...SCREECH

"She's doing the same thing on repeat and it's starting to harden to look like ice cream. It's pink cream now because of the strawberries," you nodded as Mina kept watching.

You heard the scrapes and pounds of metal still.

"She's rolling it up into a ball while chopping," Mina added, "now it's looking like pink paste...and she's flattening the cream out and spreading it out on the mat into a rectangle while smoothing it down."

SLIIINNNG

SLIIINNNG

"She's cutting sections of it and rolling it into rolls," Mina said as she watched the lady roll six strawberry ice cream rolls, "now she has a cup and gathers the rolls into it vertically like columns in a circle and leaving the middle free."

The lady reached to her right after finishing up the positions and...

SHHHHHH

"Oh that's whip cream right?" you guess from the sound.

"Exactly, she's pouring it in the middle of the rolls.

"I know that sound anywhere," you said as Mina hummed and Momo nodded.

"I'm with you there (YN)," Momo joined in while the maker placed a lone strawberry on the cream, "oh and the fudge~ oh and plenty of it~" Momo watched the drizzle of chocolate fudge on the rolls, berry and whipped cream.

"That's the best part," you said as you felt something heavy over your shoulder.

"Oh I'm liking you more and more (YN)~" Momo grinned as Mina looked at her while leaning forward.

Momo caught her eyes and winked while unheeding you and dropping her arm while you stood still.

"Right, uh, now the lady is placing a spoon in the cup and that's it,"

AN: Below is the actual video

The lady arrived and placed the strawberry ice cream rolls near the register as well as the male with Momo's still in the making.

"It'll be around eight minutes for your two other orders," she stated.

"Looks like (YN) and my order now," Momo spoke up, "Mina, can I explain my order to (YN)?"

Mina nodded as Momo took your side with Sana scooting over.

Even though it would be literally the same, you didn't want to say no to Momo.

"Okay so first she..."

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

LONG TIMESKIP - Sorry for skipping the other

"And here we are," Mina parked the car in front of your home and unbuckled her seat belt, "I'll escort you (YN)," as she opened the door with you unlocking your belt as well.

"Alright," you then turned slightly to the right, "Momo, Sana, thanks for the day, it's been a blast."

"Same," "Course (YN), don't forget to ask about tomorrow." Sana reminded you as you nodded.

"I'll text you when I get an answer." She nodded as the door next to you-

SLIDE

-was opened and you felt the cold breeze of the night.

Yes, night.

You four were out for three-twenty-four to nine-forty-five.

From shopping at various clothing departments and a majority of all random departments like a candle, perfume, lego, arcade (even though it was impossible for you to actually play any of the machines, but you tried), etc.

And each one was a pleasure to be around.

After that, you all headed to a restaurant for dinner and enjoyed a(n) (Food Theme) meal and discussed what they can do tomorrow. 

Which was a trip to a lake.

Nevertheless, you were wanting to go so a quick ask was needed.

Plus it was the weekend, not like you're not doing anything else.

"You got your belt off?" Mina asked as you nodded and rose a hand up for Mina to hold it.

"You need help with the bags Mina?" Sana asked.

"No thanks, besides, I need to talk to (YN) for a bit," Mina said back as Momo rose a brow and Sana tilted her head as Mina turned to you, "you don't mind (YN) do you?"

"Not at all,"

"Thanks, I'll tell you two in a bit okay, be right back," Mina said towards the girls as she moved you aside.

"Alright, goodbye (YN)~" "Byeee!" Both Momo and Sana sounded as you waved behind you and-

SHUT

-the door was closed slowly and Momo and Sana turned towards one another while Sana twisted in her chair.

"Talk?" Momo looked behind her to see you and her opening the trunk, "bout what?" Sana looked back as well but turned towards Momo who was looking at her now but saw the trunk is opened.

"Most likely what happened this morning." 

"Will she tell his parents?" Momo asked as Sana shook her head.

"No, I think she really wants to make sure he's alright knowing her."

SHUT

The trunk was closed as the two waited a few seconds and saw the duo walking towards your door.

"...is he going to be okay?" Momo had a hushed tone as Sana sighed mentally as Momo looked at her.

"With Reo?" Sana assumed.

"Yeah." 

"He will be Momo, we'll make sure of it."  Momo nodded, "for now I'm glad that he enjoyed today, I'm happy we're able to give him this."

Momo nodded.

"Me too, especially Mina," Momo pointed towards the home and Sana turned to see you both gone, figuring the two were inside your place.

Your place...

"..."

"..."

"...to think he was here for more than a decade," Sana spoke up while giving a sad look towards your home, "I understand the circumstances, I do," she swayed her eyes to Momo, "but it's understandable why he wanted to be out too," Sana muttered as Momo knew the reasons why as well.

"Well, at least things are changing for him." Momo countered as Sana nodded, "I'm gonna try to spend as much time as I can with him." Momo nodded her promise in her mind as Sana smiled at her.

"You and him alone? He'd probably die of embarrassment." 

"Scoff oh please, what would I do to embarrass him?" Momo questioned while leaning back in her seat as Sana rose a brow.

"The whispering in his ear? The sudden tight hugs? Or maybe asking him to do THAT in the changing room?" Sana pointed at her as Momo leaned forward, arms crossed.

"My my Sana~ are you jealous?~"

Sana hung her head and sighed.

"Why do I bother..."

"Cause you're my best friend~"

Sana giggled while giving a cheeky smile.

"That you are Momo, and you're right, I'll spend a lot of time with him. I'm sure Mina is in agreement too." Momo smiled at her friend as Sana mirrored the emotion.

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

MEANWHILE

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Coming...SQUEAK...(YN), Mina," your dad opened the door fully, "how'd it go?"

"It was incredible dad! We did a whole bunch of stuff," you shook your bought bags, "the three were amazing to be with." You declared gazing forward as Mina smiled at your assessment.

She spotted your dad's shoulders lowered as well, as if weight was dropped off.

"Good, no that's great to hear, I'm glad you had fun," you nodded and your father turned to Mina, "thank you, Mina, we really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome Mr. (LN), (YN) is pleasant to be with." Mina turned towards your side and smiled, "if you don't Mr. (LN), may I chat with (YN) for a few minutes while putting his items away?"

He shook his head, though having someone over with you was a new concept.

"Not at all," he sidestepped his way, "come in, here let me get-"

"I got it dad, don't worry, but thank you. Where's mom?" You assessed while stepping forward.

"Napping, I was waiting for you here." He answered.

"Alright, I'll tell you all about it dad in a bit okay," he nodded while pulling Mina, "I'll lead you to my room Mina."

"Su-...lead?"

"Yup." You spoke with earnestly while moving forward and pulling Mina's hand, "come on," you stopped when Mina didn't budge.

"He knows his way around, we'll talk after." Your dad stated as Mina looked at him and then at you.

"Alright..."

Mina took a few steps forward and you continued forward as you guided her...yeah, Mina had to double take her position being the one PULLED by you.

Following a few steps, Mina observed your living room and surrounding walls.

Nothing too fancy, but it wasn't low either.

A perfect cozy setting.

"It's to the right here," you said as Mina spotted a hall going right.

She was going to tell you to be careful, but instead, you turned with ease as Mina slowed herself to comprehend that you just turned on your own, but sped up to catch your pace down the hall.

"Wow, you turned like nothing,"

"Living here for years, I memorize the layout, my room is the far right door." You nudged your head as Mina was dazzled at your navigation, even if it was one turn, but she really was amazed when you turned in place and reached feeling around, feeling the door frame, but not stopping before heading inside the open doorway.

"And here we are. Room sweet room."

You turned in spot, looking nowhere near Mina as she toured your room with her eyes.

It was simplistic as a room can be.

Plain.

Unlike hers, Momo's, or Sana's; no pictures, no posters hanging, no figurines or miscellaneous items around, no stuffed figures or any collectibles that she can see.

Imagine checking into a hotel room with the bare necessities.

'Guess what he said was true. Still, it's pretty sad not having any decor...' Mina shook those thoughts out and turned her attention to you who was standing still, staring forward.

"It's nice." You nodded and pointed at your bed.

"We can leave the bags there and-"

SQUEAK-SHUT

-you heard the door, while barely audible, close behind, but you still felt Mina's hand in yours.

"Mina?" 

"I'd rather talk in private," Mina spoke up as you assumed what she wanted to talk about when she asked you to come towards the front door of your place, but now you were certain.

"Okay, let's sit on the bed." You gestured and turned towards it and walked a few steps along with Mina as you two sat in comfort after placing the bags down.

You decided to take initiative.

"If it's about Reo-"

"It is." Mina effectively went in, "I'm not going to lecture you or him, I just want to know something." You nodded, "This morning with him, it's not that he just teased you, it's that he did so about your sight. I know you don't want to take it further than it has to and we'll stand by that," you nodded in appreciation, "but I need to know that you're okay with what he said. It was harsh (YN)," she whispered as you shrugged.

"I mean yeah, it was offensive, and I appreciate you checking, but it didn't bother me a bit, Mina." Mina stared for a few seconds as you didn't move expressions, "I've told you and the other two that this," you waved a hand in front of your eyes, "is who I am. Mom even said to be prepared in case of someone like that is in school, of course, I won't tell her or especially dad, but all that emotion about me being blind is long gone and done. He can make fun of me all he wants, it's not gonna affect me."

Mina released a soft sigh.

'I can't tell if he's that mature, or he's really well in hiding it. Either way...'

"He shouldn't in the first place." Mina cut in, "...are you sure you don't want to tell the teacher?"

You shook your head in response.

"No, because I'm certain Mina if we do, my dad is gonna hear it, and knowing him he'll do everything to-" 

"Pull you out." Mina finished as you nodded.

"He wasn't on board with this originally since he wanted to keep me near him and mom. I don't want him to freak out and keep me here again." You muttered as Mina offered a frown, "I get that it's for my safety and I don't blame him, but this short time in school and with you, Sana, and Momo has been what I wanted for a while. And If he feels that even school is bad, he's not gonna let me out anywhere." 

Mina understood you, be it she couldn't understand completely, she knew well enough that was enough reason.

'I understand him completely and I don't want to go against him, but I don't want to sit back either...'

"...well, even 'if' that does happen (YN), I assure you that we'll do our best to convince your dad not to get that far," that brought a bit of confidence in you, "but we certainly don't want to get to that. So if you're really okay, then we'll keep it to ourselves, but if Reo gets too out of hand (YN), we'll-" 

"Then we could tell." You agreed right away Mina was relieved to hear that you weren't swaying away from that, "sorry for this Mina, I know you three want to help-"

"It's okay (YN), I get your reasoning, honestly I'd be asking the same," Mina intruded back, she'd be fighting to get out as well in your predicament, "alright, that's all I wanted to know (YN). Thank you," you nodded.

"Thank you as well Mina, I mean it." 

Mina hummed in acknowledgment, "hey, before we go, can you do something?" You asked.

"Course."

"Can you lay out an outfit on the bed for me to wear tomorrow?" You pointed towards your left, "just in case we leave."

"Hehe, yeah, let's see what you can wear," Mina stood up and started to rummage through the bags...though she did stop and took a look at you gazing in at her direction, though not at her.

She didn't know what to feel about all this, but one thing was certain is that she'll do whatever to keep you in safe hands.

For now, it's doing your simple request.

"Well, if we are going, you'll pack light so..."

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

After a couple of minutes of placing your outfit on the bed, you walked out on your own, Mina still baffled by this, with her walking close just in case and into the living room.

There Mina spotted your dad on a lone chair as his head turned towards her from his phone, as well as your mother on the main couch, both turning towards her and now standing up.

"Hey, done chatting?" He asked as you both nodded.

"Hi sweetie," she spoke up as you waved, "sorry I was taking a nap."

"Hey mom, it's fine. And yeah dad, Mina wanted to talk about things about today and future plans while helping me with what we bought," you informed your parents as Mina didn't even think to come up with something if either asked.

"That's nice to hear, you know you can stay longer if you want Mina, your friends as well. We can make a quick dinner too if you're hungry." Your mother added as Mina waved her hand.

"Thank you Ms. (LN), but our parents are wanting us back home. I appreciate the offer though," she nodded at her.

"Of course, it's the least we can do. You've been a major help to us. All three of you," she stated and Mina shook her head.

Though the Reo incident popped into her mind, Mina forgoed it.

"No thanks needed, we're happy to be with him," she turned to you, "he's fun and nice to be around, my friends think the same." 

"Mina..."

You muttered in embarrassment as Mina smiled at you with your folks were delighted to hear. 

"And just to let you know, your father and I talked and since you were talking about future plans, (YN) can tag along as well, if he wants that is." 

Both Mina and you were glad she said that since that'll make tomorrow's plan guarantee, but more importantly...

"You too dad?" You asked as he nodded.

"Yeah," he joined the conversation as Mina nodded and you smiled, "before you head off Mina and to you too (YN), I need to apologize for the negativity when you asked us about your plans, it's all new to me with you going out and-"

"It's understandable why you were Mr. (LN)," Mina intruded, "any parent would be looking out for their child," Mina added the last part, not having a talk with your parents alone, she'd figured to give her sympathy, "but I, Sana and Momo promise you that he'll alright with us,"

"Yeah dad, it's fine, you don't have to feel sorry." You joined as your dad, once again, shoulders dropped and Mina saw him looking to the ground, smiling and then looking up.

"Thank you," he returned as Mina couldn't imagine how much guilt and woe your dad must have, "and she's right about you staying Mina, if you need anything, we're here and you're welcome anytime, that goes to your friends too," Mina nodded in appreciation as your dad walked towards the door, "I'll get the door for you,"  as Mina turned to you,

"Guess I'm off (YN),"

"Alright, drive safe Mina." 

"Thanks, I'll call you and let you know when we're heading here okay?" You nodded as Mina started to backstep towards the door as you stood there, your head in her direction, "have a good night (YN),"

"You too Mina," 

"And to you as well Ms. (LN)."

"Same to you Mina."

With one last look, Mina turned 180 and headed towards the opened entrance where your dad was ready to close the door behind her.

Upon stepping out, the door closed behind and Mina waved at Sana and Momo, both waving toward her as well.

"Good night Mr. (LN)."

"Night," He nodded as Mina stepped out, walked a few steps and-

SHUT

-the door was closed behind as Mina walked her way to her vehicle.

..

..

CLICK

"Hey," Mina spoke as she stepped into the driver's seat.

"You good?" Sana asked as Mina buckled up.

"Yeah, I asked (YN) a question about Reo." Mina straight up said while turning to Sana and then Momo, "if he was okay. He said he was. That's all."

"We figured," Momo said back.

"I asked him during History as well. You know you could have asked him here Mina." Sana returned as Mina shrugged.

"I know, I'm sorry I didn't tell, but, being there and seeing what Reo was doing, mocking his blindness as a joke," Mina gave a cold stare while defending her reasoning, "even though he pressed back, words can hurt just as much as anything physical," Mina muttered and looked at the steering wheel as the two nodded slowly, "(YN) is strong though, he didn't care, he still didn't, but I just wanted to make sure."

GRASP

Mina felt her shoulder being pressured as she spotted Sana's hand and followed the limb to her gentle smile.

"It'll be fine Mina, don't worry,"

"Yeah, we got his back," Momo said from behind as Mina turned to the two once and smiled at the close bond of her two girlfriends.

"Thanks, girls,"

"Yup~" "No prob Mina~ now can you drop me off first cause I want to sleep." Momo ruined the moment as Sana rose her brows and Mina giggled just slightly.

She then started the car and proceeded to tell them what you said to her as well as your navigation skills.

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

MEANWHILE

"So? How'd it go (YN)?" Your mother asked as you felt the couch, walked around, and sat down.

"Everything was amazing. It was a crazy, entertaining, and enjoyalbe day." You leaned back on the couch as your parents smiled, "thank you for allowing me to go you two."

"Of course sweetheart, we're glad you had fun," you nodded.

"..."

"..."

It was mute afterwards as your smile faltered and left confused.

"Guys?"

"...sweetie, your father and I would like to talk to you." Your mom spoke with the sudden question.

"Everything okay?" You asked as your mother sat near you and father still standing.

"Yes, everything is fine. Seeing you the past week, going out today and to school, we just wanted to let you know that before all this, having you here since 'then' was for your safety and well-being."

"I know that mom...did you think I didn't see it that way?" You countered-asked as your dad stepped in.

"Of course we did. We're not saying that it's bad or anything, but we also know that living in a bubble isn't exactly how most kids or teens would like their lifestyle to be. And since you've asked us about attending school, wanting to go out and be with others. We've talked afterward and today as well and we don't blame you if you've been wanting this for a while now and held something against us." 

You leaned forward.

"Well it's for a long while, but I promise you that I didn't think of anything ill about this. I mean, sure it can get boring, but it's not torture or anything. Me wanting to be out had nothing to do with you two. I wanted to experience what it would be like to be normal," your expression changed to panic, "wait that came out wrong, I-I didn't mean to say-"

"Don't worry, we get it (YN), there's nothing wrong about wanting to feel that way." Your dad assured with your mom nodding, "we want you to be happy (YN), happy and safe and we, well, I wanted to tell you that me having a hard time with all this isn't because I don't want you to want what you want, but because of me being worried about you."

"I know dad and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you and mom for everything you've done, especially for letting me be at school. And I am happy, with you two, being at school and having already amazing friends and experiences. This is what wished for and it couldn't be any better nor could I have asked for such amazing parents. Nothing in my life would have been without your strife and nothing I say or do could truly convey my appreciation and gratitude for you two. And dad, this goes double for you; you have been there day after day since to make sure my life turned out great this way with you showing me new ways to get around and entertained here and you still are with positivity and passion and no matter how bad things were, you were always there to help. Thank you, dad, really."

Your mom covered her mouth and smiled at your words and turned to your father; as expected, he was on the brink of crying.

Your dad had his eyes flutter and she could see the brimmed tears forming underneath as his lips were worming with a flatline.

Obviously, he was refusing to cry, but your mother couldn't let him refuse that.

"I think your dad needs a hug (YN)," 

You chuckled and stood up as your dad couldn't refuse that notion and gently hugged you into his body.

"I-I love you (YN)...t-thank you..."

"Love you too dad, love you too." You held him back, feeling the shakes from him as your mother joined the family hug of three.

=====================================

TIMESKIP 

THE NEXT MORNING

...

...

...

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

The sound of a dog filled a tidied bedroom of soft purple walls, and dark carpeting with multiple collectibles around the room and desk as a lone person groaned at the canine's piercing calls.

The dog then hopped onto the bed with the person as the individual felt the four-legged friend's action and sighed while opening their eyes and feeling the sniffles around their head.

They rose a hand up and petted their dog as they sat up with a fatigued look.

"Good morning Ray..." Mina yawned smiling tiredly at her dog aka alarm clock.

Ray returned a few licks to a tired Mina, as she sat up on her bed, stretching, while Ray reclaimed his sleeping spot on her pillow and out of the sleeping girl's hair. 

She chuckled at the sleeping dog and shook her head at how lazy he can be. 

Ruffling his hair, Mina gave a quick glance at her charging phone and saw the time.

8:12 AM 

"Well, guess it's time to wake up anyway," looking away to rub the sleep from her eyes, Mina turned to Ray who was lying down in a circle formation already, "alright, time to get up," she reasoned, as a smile quickly forming on her face. 

She jumped out of bed scaring Ray awake again and walked out into the hall and towards the bathroom to freshen up.

"Morning Mina." Mina perked her head at her mom's voice coming out of her room from behind as Mina turned towards her.

"Morning mom," 

"Heading to the kitchen?" Mina shook her head, "well your dad is making quick eggs and bacon,"

"Alright," her mother nodded and walked past her as Mina made her way into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

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

It wasn't long before Mina freshened up and headed into the kitchen to spot her mom sitting down on her phone and dad in front of the stove taking care of two pans with his signature apron on.

"Morning," she welcomed herself as her parents looked towards her.

"Morning Mina," "Hi sweetie, had a good sleep?" they welcomed as Mina nodded, "good, I got a plate coming for you soon," Mina nodded and sat down, "you want a drink? Coffee?" He asked while she waved her hand.

"Juice," she answered as her dad went to get that.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Ray joined the group as the three heard and dad saw his tray.

"I'll give him his breakfast too." He said while resuming his action.

"So how was yesterday?" Her mother asked since she was at work and came home late, though her dad was there to hear about it.

"It went very well, Momo course wanted to buy an entire closet again and Sana could start a fragrance store with what she owns now." Mina joked as her mom smiled, "and (YN) really enjoyed himself. We were glad to see him so happy enjoying his time, even if he couldn't-...well that didn't stop him from being ecstatic, no matter what it was, he gave his whole energy into it. You should have seen him, mom," 

Upon hearing this, her mother frowned.

"You said it was his first time going out?" Mina nodded, "how happy he must have been. It's pretty sad to think that after all this time he was cooped in his home." 

"Well it's understandable (Mina's Mom's Name)," her husband spoke up while delivering the cup of juice to Mina, "if Mina was in that position, we'd do the same." Mina grabbed the cup after a thank you.

"True, but I don't think I could have Mina stay for twenty-four seven, something about it just doesn't feel right," her husband shrugged, "no offense sweetie," Mina shrugged as well while taking a sip.

"Maybe, but it's for the best. Moving along, how's he adjusting to school?" Her father questioned while getting a bag of kibble from under the sink and pouring the contents into his food bowl of Ray as he started to eat up.

"Very well, if he didn't tell me, I'd say he's been in school before. For someone whose first week of it, he's not fazed by the sudden atmosphere. Of course, he asks us about notes and what the teacher write, but he's catching on quickly, his mom was a very good teacher it seems." Mina sipped another time as her dad nodded.

"To lose a feeling at a young age," her mother started, "I can't even begin to imagine the change in his life," her mother looked off into the distance, "to suddenly just stop seeing..." her mom seemed to be into the thought now till she turned to Mina, "...well I'm glad he's doing well,"

"Me too," her dad spoke up, "it may be wrong to say, but if anything it shows that he's adaptable, tough, and brave to go through all that and to persevere and keep going," Mr. Myoui spoke up as Mina agreed a hundred percent, "and we're happy that you're helping in that Mina." 

Mina nodded at him.

"Me too dad...do you two think that maybe he can come over sometime? You two should meet him?" Mina asked as both parents smiled at the suggestion.

"Of course, we'd be happy to." Her mom said back, "...but..." her mother started as Mina's smile went down as a 'but' is always a negative, "now I'm not saying it's wrong, we both want what's best for him, and with you helping him, we know he does have that," her mom said as her dad turned his head, "what I want to say is, and it please don't take it wrong sweetie; don't let the responsibility of helping him take over 'your' necessities of the school and your ballet." Mina rose a brow and an expression of a 'what' face, "I know you have a flawless (grade system) and are remarkable in your dances, but it's almost your last year of high school Mina. I know it's two years away till you graduate, but the time when grades, studies, career, and your life starts to take shape. We want what's best for you as well." Her mother laid her hands on the table as both studied Mina's expression.

Mina can't be mad at her parents for that explanation.

However, they don't realize the extent of how or who you were by not being or talking with you like herself.  

Plus it wasn't like it was anything too demanding and since it was your first week, you had to adjust to it as well, but you were fairing very well Mina had to say.

At least they aren't saying that she shouldn't help you, just to take care of herself too.

Maybe they could have worded it right better to begin with but Mina didn't want to upset them and she was glad that they understood the situation and embraced her role.

So with a nod...

"I understand," both parents were grateful that she didn't overreact, "but helping (YN) isn't going to overtake anything. It's only for school and when we go out. I assure you that I will step up my studies and work but I want to help (YN) in what I can as well." Mina put her words forward with a more serious tone as her mother smiled and dad nodded.

"And that's fine. As we said-" Her mom started but dad came over with a plate and presented it to his wife, "thank you, dear," she picked up her fork and started to pick up her eggs, "as we said, we do feel for him and we're glad that you and your friends are helping him out. And if he wants to come over, poke he can," She finished and started to eat her eggs as well, "Hmm~ this is good, thank you," she said covering her mouth as her dad gave thumps up, "I would love to meet him,"

While what she said kind of dropped Mina's morale a bit, she nodded.

"Thank you, mom. I'm sure (YN) will love to hear that. You too dad," Mina capped it off as her mom and dad nodded back.

"Course," he said while returning to the pan, "your usual Mina?" He asked as she nodded.

"Yes and if you can help me afterward pack for the trip?"

"I sure can." He answered.

"Trip?" Her mother questioned as Mina neglected to inform her.

"Ah, we had this planned yesterday. We're going on a picnic to Suma Beach, (AN: it's near Nishinomiya where Mina resided) sorry, I know it's sudden."

"That's fine, it's what half hour away?" Mina nodded, "I'm assuming with your friends and (YN)?" Mina nodded once more, "wear lots of sunscreens," her mom advised.

"Of course, both Momo and Sana are arriving at ten or something then we pick up (YN)...oh right, my instructor called, and said that I'm to start training this weekend."

"Really? You excited?" Mina nodded.

"Course, can't wait to see my group again. I'll be weird now that a handful left and new ones in." 

"Well with you there, I'm sure you'll put them in shape." Her mom joked as Mina hummed.

"I'm sure my instructor going to put me in that too. Anyway, how's was work mom?" Mina asked as her mom started to tell her about her night at work.

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

TIMESKIP 

TWO HOURS

"Alright, Ray. You've gotta me help out. What about this one?" She asked throwing a pink shirt and white shorts on the bed. 

Ray looked and didn't give a reaction at Mina as she gave the outfit a good look and agreed with her dog, "Hmm you're right. How about this one?"

This went on for about ten minutes till she found an outfit they were both satisfied with, well Mina, Ray didn't really give any response.

"Well? What do ya think Ray?" She smiled showing off her new outfit over her.

Sporting a white no-sleeve top with a graphic in the center with her jean shorts and dark leggings and finished off with a pair of vans. 

Ray kept his gaze as Mina nodded.

"I agree," as she looked at her outfit in the mirror, "hmm, well maybe-"

RINGTONE RINGTONE

Mina heard her phone ring out and figured Sana was already at her door.

So she fast-walked towards the door...

"Coming!" She smiled and opened the door, "hey," Mina smiled seeing her friends striking a pose.

"Hello, Mina~" "Mina~" Both girls adjusted their sunglasses while Sana stroked a pose.

Momo wore a red and white striped long-sleeve over jeans shorts that reached to her thigh with white sandals while Sana had the same idea for the lower half except for a white and aqua striped top.

"You two look ready," Mina eyed her friend's fashion as they nodded.

"Indeed we are~" Sana let her hand down, "you look cute too Mina."

"These are my PJs..." Mina pointed at her shirt.

"Still cute~" Sana winked as Mina rolled her eyes.

"Well come in, I'm gonna get ready, and then we can head out." Both Momo and Sana joined her inside as she closed the door behind.

"I'm excited for today," Sana spoke up while the three headed to Mina's room.

"So am I." Momo joined, "it's been a while since we been there." 

"It sure has, and the weather is perfect today too." Mina pointed out as the two nodded.

"Woof!"

"Hey Ray~" Entering the room, they spotted the dog on Mina's bed as Sana added her baby voice and patted his head, "whose a good dog~"

"He was helping me pick an outfit, though I can't really make a decision." Mina eyed her laid out clothes as Momo came closer to the fabrics.

"Well good thing you got us here." She was already shuffling through the items.

"I think I'm more excited for (YN) if I'm being honest," Sana spoke up while sitting next to Ray as the other two girls turned, "he's getting to explore more of the outside world."

"I agree," Mina agreed with Momo nodding, "I can't think of the level of excitement and maybe nervousness from him."

"Must be high," Momo joined in while deciding between two shirts, "though he was 'relaxed' at the mall yesterday,"

"Probably didn't want to be too excited in front of us,"

"I like excitement," Momo said after Sana's remark.

"Well he is more of a 'taking it in' than an 'explosive' nature like you are Momo," Mina smiled at her friend as Momo chuckled.

"I guess so, he's more like you then," Momo pointed out, "he's even into your ballets Mina. I can tell you that no guy in school would be like that," Momo added as Sana nodded.

"Who would have thought," Mina smiled.

"Anyway, I think I found your outfit," Momo said after as Mina joined her side while Sana played with Ray. 

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

TIMESKIP

41 MINUTES LATER

In the horizon, the vast ocean lay calm under the bright sun. 

Golden sandbanks lay spread around the beach. 

The temperature was hot, the water was clear, and there was hardly any in sight.

It was a perfect day for an outing.

The car ride had been fun with Sana and Momo singing along to songs on the radio. 

You joined in from time to time, singing along to whatever song you heard before and knew the lyrics to as Mina sat with you in the back with Sana driving.

SLAM

Sana stretched her hands up as she shut the car door behind her.

"Wow, we got really lucky, no one is here at all." Sana looked left and right down the beach, ", especially for a Saturday."

"It is the evening, so most likely most families are working or still waiting till the afternoon." Mina came out as she opened the door for you on the other side.

Momo appeared from the front of the car to join Sana.

SLIDE

"I got you (YN)," Mina spoke from behind as you stepped out with her.

Sporting a white graphic short sleeve top that Sana bought for you, athletic shorts and black flip flops, and with your dark glasses on, Mina would say you were prepared for the beach. 

"Thanks," you said as Mina hummed in response.

"And the sun feels just right," Momo felt the heat on her skin, "I really want to build a sandcastle,"

"Oh yes! We'll build the biggest castle!"

"I call the princess." "I call the princess."

Both of them said at once.

"Eh!" "Eh!"

Both chirped at one another.

"I'm more fitting to be a princess Momo, no offense."

"Oh no way, I'm the princess here." Momo pointed at herself.

"Do they always get into a bicker?" You asked Mina.

"You get used to it." Mina shook her head.

"Fine, Mina, (YN), who's the princess here?" Sana and Momo turned to you two as Mina shook her head.

"I'm not getting involved. Help me with the stuff." Mina let her hand go and went to the back of the car.

"Well then (YN), it's up to you," Momo then came forth and held your shoulder as you felt her being soft on the touch, "pick me and I'll give you an IOU, and I'm good for anything you want~"

Your breath hitched.

"Nonono! You can't seduce your way into the role Momo, no princess does that!" Sana came on the other side of you, "that's an automatic disqualification."

"Oh like you weren't going to do the same."

"O-okay enough you two," You spoke up, "just be co-princesses. It's your own castle, can't you just make up all the rules?"

"..."

"..."

Both girls looked at one another...

"He's got a point," Momo shrugged.

"True, I agree, co-princesses," Sana rose her hand as Momo returned it.

You were glad that was settled though Momo could lessen it... 

"Great now can you two "princesses" help me out," Mina huffed as the two looked at her with a backpack in one hand and a bag in the other.

"Sure," "Yup,"

"Anything I can carry?" You asked.

"Yeah, I got a bag and pack here."

"I'll carry the bag." You asked as Mina saw your outstretched hand and proceeded to hand it to you.

You felt the strap and fiddled around to get it over your shoulders.

While waiting for the other two, you opted for a little chat.

"You don't mind if I don't get in the water right?" you replied.

You weren't an avid swimmer and well, being blind didn't help.

"Course not, we'll stand in the waves." Mina answered, "let's start getting on the sand yeah?"

"Yeah, it's hot I'm assuming?" 

"Sand always is." 

Obviously, anyone who's been to the beach knows this, but you, of course, haven't been here at all.

You stated that you've been here once with your parents, but before the incident and after, it wasn't a thought to come here at all.

That had the trio think of the extent to which you could be missing out.

Nevertheless, it didn't falter them.

"So let me get your hand," you did what Mina asked as you both reached out and held hands, "and we're going to start stepping on the sand."

"Let's do it,"

"Alright, it's going to be a bit tough to walk on so be prepared." 

"Yup," you replied, some excitement filling your voice, "mind if I take my flips off?"

"I wouldn't recommend that since it's going to be hot."

"Just for a feel?" You furthered as Mina eyed your foot and then the sand.

"Alright, it's not going to be that hot, but just a warning."  

You removed your one flip-flop, moved to the left of it, and slowed a bit before sticking your foot on the rough sand.

You gasped as a warm sensation coursed through the soles of your foot. 

It was a soft feeling as you molded the ground, yet firm the more you pressed and you felt the little grains of sand surround your toes along with tiny rocks.

Problem was that it was hot.

"Wow, that's hot," you said before Mina laughed while you slid your foot back in the flip-flop.

"So, how did that feel, other than hot?" Mina asked.

"Soft yet firm, grainy like salt."

"That's sand for you," Mina replied and turned her head to see Sana and Momo joining the two with Momo and Sana both picking the cooler up and with bags on the other hands.

"We'll need to make another trip for the parasol, we'll get it after we put these down," Sana said as she locked the car...

DING

...and put the keys in her bag.

"Need help Momo or Sana?" You offered.

"We got it (YN), thanks," Momo answered.

"Thanks but we're good," Sana answered as well as you nodded. 

"Right then, where should we go? I guess it doesn't matter." Momo searched the grounds.

"Let's go in the middle of the trees and the water." Sana pointed as the group nodded and you followed.

Mina was right when you were treading on the sand. Your feet dug into the pile as you pulled with more force.

"You're right Mina, sand is tough."

"You good though?"

"Yeah."

You could feel the intense heat yet warm breeze brush up against your skin and heard...

SQUAWK SQUAWK

The high-pitched squawks seemed to invade above you.

"They sound close."

"Seagulls, they can be annoying," Sana looked up to see three of them circling them.

WOOOOOSH...WOOOOOSH

You also heard the sound of the sea as what you assumed were waves crashing onto the shore, as Mina told you before. 

"That the water?" 

"Yeah, it's coming in with some force. It'll be a nice time in there." Momo eyed the waves coming in and out.

Apart from that, it was some kids yelling, but those two previous sounds overtook those as you enjoyed the air, heat, sounds, everything to enjoy...till...

"Okay, let's set up here," you stopped moving as Sana and Momo plumped the cooler down in the sand to ground it, "now let's get the parasol, Momo?," Sana added as Momo nodded, "We'll be back," Sana said as they went back.

"Okay, I'm setting up the towels to lie on. (YN) you can put the bag down."

Soon Mina, who let your hand go, gathered the blankets in her hefty bag while you lowered the pack gently as you felt the ground make contact and stopped.

You stood up straight and adjusted your head.

The beach felt amazing so far. 

Course nothing was done, but in the presence of it, it felt grand.

Mina side-eyed you while flapping the towels.

"Want me to describe the beach?" She asked as you turned into her area.

"Actually, yeah...though, can you do something while doing so," you said as Mina stopped her actions and stood up.

"What is it?"

"Well, it may be difficult, but can you describe the colors to me too?" You asked and Mina blinked at your want.

"...you don't know colors?"

"I know colors since mom taught them, though I wouldn't mind if I got a refresher on them. And with the way you described everything yesterday, I enjoyed it." you smiled as Mina couldn't say no.

However...

Describing colors would be difficult, especially for a person who hardly remembered what they looked like.

Still, she didn't see a reason not to try.

"Well," Mina started, "I'll do my best,"

"Thank you," you said quietly, clearly a bit embarrassed for your lack of knowledge on colors, "And don't worry, you don't have to try to give great detail, just whatever you think you can get."

She hummed and looked outward.

Mina only smiled in return. 

Though she could not see it, you could almost definitely feel her smile.

"Okay, open your palm, I'm going to put a shell."

So with that, you held your hand up, palm side up as Mina dropped a quarter-sized shell.

"Describe the texture," Mina asked of you as your fingers pringled around it like a bug.

"Rough and hard," Mina hummed her approval in response. "That's what grey is like. It's strong and sturdy, like a rock. But at the same time, it's lifeless and cold like when there's a rainstorm, though some people enjoy that."

You nodded.

"Now then-"

"And we're back." Sana's voice was heard.

Mina turned to see her and Momo carrying the parasol together and Sana holding what looked like a sack.

"Need help?" Mina offered.

"You could dig a spot," Sana asked as Mina asked you to hold on as you waited there while she made a decent hole for the parasol to be put in.

Some teamwork later and the parasol was opened up to have a large shaded circular area to lie in.

"Nice job girls." Sana said, enjoying their 'hard' work, "so what's first?" She asked as Mina returned to you.

"Here (YN), get in the shade and we can resume." Mina held your shoulder and you nodded as Mina guided you.

"Resume?" Momo asked as a few steps was needed for you to be under the parasol.

"I'm explaining (YN) the scenary and the colors of them." She told them.

"Colors?" Sana repeated like Momo.

"I asked Mina if she could describe colors for me," You mentioned Momo and Sana turned to you, "and yes I do my colors, I wanted more detail." You assured as they might have the same thought as Mina, "and Mina was explaining what grey was by this starting with this shell," you showed a shell in your hand to them.

Both girls looked at it, then you and finally Mina as your main guide nodded.

"I get it, what color is next?" Sana asked.

"I was going to start with tan or brown of the sand. I would say it's that feeling you get when you sit in your room and just meditate or when you're feeling lazy?" You nodded. "I kinda think that's how I could describe tan. Neutral, a slight warmth and soothing," you nodded at that, "here, you can drop the shell," Mina bent down and grabbed a handful of sand as you dropped the shell, "I'm going to put sand in your hand, don't worry, it's not hot." You nodded and you felt droplets on your palm as they gathered and soon overflowed from your palm, "that's sand or tan."

You nodded.

"I agree with that," Momo snapped out of her thoughts mid-way as Sana nodded, "continue Mina."

"You could join in too." Mina offered.

"I don't think we'd be great as you just described it. You got this." Sana nodded at Mina.

"Alright, let's see," Mina looked around and found her next target, "the sun, it's a mix of red, orange, and yellow," she went on as Momo and Sana caught the sun but didn't stare at it for long, "we're standing in its sunshine and just soaking in the warmth. Though the same feeling, each of the colors is different: orange is vibrant and comforting, red's bold and hot, and yellow's the brightest and most energizing of the three." You nodded, smiling at the thought of the description, "I'm not sure if we have anything that describes that now."

"I could say it's you three," you spoke up as Sana and Mina smiled as Momo giggled, "I'm serious: Momo's red, Sana's yellow, and Mina is orange." You said as the three repeated their actions.

"Hehe, I like that~" Momo pointed at herself.

"You are the very definition of red," Sana agreed, "I'm yellow all the way, and Mina is very orangey, keep going, Mina,"

"Yeah, talk about the blue of the ocean," Momo spoke up as Mina turned to her, "I'm enjoying this." Sana nodded.

"Hmm...the blue of the water, feeling the water touch your ankles and hearing them coming in and out on the shore but it becomes a deeper shade of blue the more it goes on and...and even the green of the trees is a very down–to–earth color with the rustling of the leaves in the air is just like the water. I guess the best to describe the two is calming, refreshing, and relaxing. We'll show you those in a bit,"

You liked the way she described green and blue, though it wasn't your favorite colors as your mind was vivid with the colors, and while your parents had simple descriptions of what Mina had, Mina did it with such ease.

Mina took such care in describing them to you as if she really wanted to get it perfectly right. 

"What about the sky?" Sana asked as Mina was fully into this.

"I would say the sky is light blue, thankfully there are clouds to cover the sun, but when there aren't many clouds and the sun isn't burning us, the day itself is bright and lively...speaking of clouds, they're white like snow or milk: a pure and clean color,"

You hummed and rose your head upwards as Mina watched.

"Interesting, what are your favorite colors?" You questioned.

"Pink," "Pink," Both Momo and Sana answered as they nodded at one another.

"Purple," Mina answered.

"Can you describe those too?" You infringed.

"Well pink," Sana started, "umm, is a nice, bright, and sweet color that pops out. Seeing the color makes me warm and calming like flowers or cotton candy!" You nodded. 

"Purple is unique in my opinion, it's a very elegant color I would say. I could say it's like listening to classical music and what it brings." Mina pointed out as you smiled.

"Soothing then,"

"Yes, very soothing indeed." Mina nodded with you.

"Hmm...so the hard grey, lazy tan, comforting orange, energetic yellow, hot red, down-to-earth green, calm blue, pure white, sweet pink, and elegant purple...those all sound very nice."

"They all sound really cool," you said, full of awe.  

And it was. 

At that moment, it was almost as if you could see again, but not in a literal sense.

You almost saw the beautiful hues and shades Mina had told you about. 

The colors that you hadn't been able to remember or imagine had been replaced by a series of sensory-focused descriptions that gave you a sense of how to feel when you heard the names of the colors. 

They weren't perfect and they certainly didn't replace the faint black-and-white memories of colors you'd had from before you went blind, but they were better than nothing and you quite enjoyed hearing about them.

"Thank you three. Hearing those colors were wonderful to hear." 

"Hey it was all Mina," Sana pointed at her, "even I was touched by it,"

"True and I didn't say anything." Momo had to admit.

"You didn't to Momo, I'm sure you would do your best. And I'm saying thanks for everything prior to this. I've told Mina, but you and Sana are very kind for the past week."

"Hehe, no thanks needed (YN), we're happy to help." Momo returned as you nodded, "and I'll  be happy to describe the many other colors and stuff to you as well when we see them." She added.

"Me too."

"Same." Mina and Sana joined as you nodded afterward and now you wanted to get to the fun.

"Thanks, now then, I think it's time we start enjoying yeah? Shall we start building a castle?" You suggested as Sana was happy you said that and brought out her tools of buckets and toy shovels from her bag in swift motion.

"Yes! Let's do this!" Sana was happy that's for sure but before she could leave.

"Wait, our sunscreen," Mina spoke up.

"Momo and I already did before we left the car," Sana said.

"Then we'll catch up, you two can go ahead," she pointed at the shore as both Momo and Sana started to go.

"Hurry up! Come on Momo!" Sana with her child like antics was already running as Momo chased her.

"I call making the river!" Momo rose her hand as Mina shook her head.

"Their energy is high," you noted as Mina nodded.

"You can say that again. Here I'll get the sunscreen," Mina went into her bag and pull out a bottle, "hand out please," you did so and felt a cold liquid squirted onto your palm, "there you go,"

"Thanks." you said while rubbing your visible skin, you weren't going to take your shirt off and neither was Mina as the two finished after forty seconds or so.

"Ready?" She asked while you nodded, "hand," you held your hand as Mina grabbed it in hers and the two of you started to walk towards Sana and Momo already playing in the moist sand of the shore.

"..."

"..."

"...hey Mina," you said to gather her attention.

"Hmm?" She turned to you looking right at you and for a second, Mina felt like you had your sight, staring right at her.

"What color are your eyes?" You asked, thinking back to the time when they first met and you wanted to know what she looked like.

"Black," she replied, "I guess it can be described as...hmm...dark and mysterious." She nodded at her answer.

"...and pretty."

Mina stopped in place as you did as well.

"Pretty?" She repeated as you turned your body to her.

"Yeah, black is all I can see and I've grown accustomed to having it go from a negative to a positive. Since I can't see anything, I'd have to go with my imagination and figure out what the item, person, place, or anything really looks like. Of course, I know some stuff, but getting introduced to new things, it's sort of fun."

Mina kept her gaze.

"It's like a...what's the word that we draw on stuff?"

"Canvas?" 

"Yeah, my sight is essentially a blank, black canvas. The way everything is described to me, heard, felt, everything is shaped in my 'canvas' and rather than trying to be realistic, I sometimes tend to exaggerate or go with what I think. And sometimes those exaggerations lead to being cool, memorizing, and pretty and...and that's why," you turned towards Mina and was almost dead set on her eyes, just a couple of inches to the right of her, "so sure, black is mysterious and dark as you say, but I think your eyes are pretty too."

You didn't falter in your words as you meant what you said and Mina...Mina felt her heart swerve.

Boys have complimented her before, but she knew it was just to be a lucky night with her, but from you, it felt...genuine.

True.

Real.

You weren't trying to flirt, but giving Mina a boost in her self confidence and while she didn't think her eyes were dull, hearing what you said magnified her opinions. 

And now, Mina couldn't control her smile and even chuckled, not from embarrassment, but from the warmth and flattery you gave her.

She didn't say a word for it and instead...you felt something heavy on your shoulder and ticklish on your neck and side of your head.

It wasn't hard to figure that it was the top of Mina's head laid on your shoulder and you didn't mind either as you smiled forward.

"Thank you," 

"Of course Mina," you returned as the two slowly made their way.

Mina knew that she would get teased to oblivion if Momo and Sana saw the position but honestly...she didn't care.

Also...

If this was one week into the school with you, she couldn't wait to see what the rest of the year would consist of.

=========================================

AND THAT'S THAT!

Part 2 is done and now part 3 is in the works. 

I promise it won't take long as I have ideas ready to put down like our school experience, Reo/Mina/You, Mina's recitals, and a future situation!

Oh I can't wait (rubs hands)

No spoilers though.

Thanks for pausing your life to reading this! Vote/Comment and thanks again! 

[presleyhearted]

Yours Truly - Chapter 13: People and Promises.

・❥・pairing: Elvis x original female character

・❥・genre: slow burn, mystery, angst, fluff.

・❥・wc: 5.1k

・❥・summary: In which a 21-year-old girl suddenly finds herself having consecutive dreams of a particular rock ‘n’ roll star whom she has never met and who died 45 years ago.

・❥・ ratings & warnings: SFW. none.

chapter index | prev | chapter 13.5

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"For a long time, she held a special place in my heart. I kept this special place just for her, like a 'reserved' sign on a quiet corner table in a restaurant." - Haruki Murakami.

NOVA

THE HOURS PASSED by in fruitful conversation with Great Aunt Odette. It fluctuated between earnest expressions and sentences, to ignition of laughter that centered around silliness of memories past. I was grateful that after unearthing my secret to someone, to her, she did not push me further with questions. It didn't mean she brushed off my confession, nor showed any signs of dubiety towards it. It was like I kept a firm, tightly secured room and I let her inside. By opening the door for her, she encouraged a breath of fresh air to travel into the room of my mind. That is and always will be the magic of Auntie Dottie - you know she believes you, you just do, no matter how incredulous you may seem. And if she doesn't, you'll know too. But in the aftermath, she prevents your mind from racing into a spiral of thoughts - she is flitting in getting a burst of laughter or two out of you, smoothly transitioning both topic and mood to lighter subjects. 

"It's disgraceful that it's already half four." Auntie Dottie shakes her head, looking down at the watch wrapped around her pale wrist. 

"I know." I sigh, "Sorry that I've got to go." 

She chuckles, "Oh, hush child. This is the true antagonist of all, " She gestures at her watch, "Time."

And I know that she purposely used literature terminology. 

"The invisible enemy you can't defeat. " I chuckle.

She nods, "No, you cannot. . . but you can run against it." Her lips slide into a wide smile, the type of smile that evokes a sense of secrecy. This, paired with a twinkle in her eyes - a look that has surpassed my childhood. 

Auntie Dottie steps forward and wraps her arms around me, a bundle of warmth swims around my body. It's a while before she parts from the hug, and when she does, she remains in her place. Her hands cup my cheeks, amidst the rising coldness of the autumn wind. 

"You are always running, Nova. I do not think you have realized it, hm?" 

I say nothing, unable to detect what exactly she is saying. Instead, I shake my head. 

"When you stumble upon a question, don't you chase for those answers? I believe you do. I also believe. . . that is no different from searching and embracing the newness in life. You chase knowledge quite ardently, why not chase life? However, yes, certainty is sparse when you do that. But you'll know, that when the parallels of time and life do meet one day, you can be certain that you know you did all you can." 

I release a deep breath that I didn't acknowledge to be holding. Auntie Dottie releases her hold of my cheeks and takes a step back. She tilts her head at me with a knowing smile on her face. At that moment, my parents' words flood my mind, but the thought quickly speeds past me as Great Aunt Odette speaks again. 

"If you remain in the mundane, in the expected - it leaves no room for magic. " Her voice reduces to a whisper at the end, "And well, you and I both know that there is a part of you that still wants to chase a little bit of magic." 

Her eyes flit over to the hardbound cover of literature that I am holding in my right hand. 

Peter Pan and Wendy. 

The very book that was once forever lost in the corners of my childhood mind. 

I am at a loss for words, but I know myself well enough that her words will be circling my mind for a number of days. 

"Thank you, Auntie Dottie. " 

She nods and with another gust of wind, assembling the rustling of auburn leaves on the ground, Auntie Dottie's smile turns into a smirk. 

"Well, dear, you best go now. The clock is ticking." She says. 

・‥...━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━...‥・

The journey back to the city was filled with the quick darkening of the sky, making me miss summer skies. I had my playlist playing quietly in the background as I drove, just enough to keep me company. But not at a volume that shuts out my thoughts. 

None of what I rehearsed to say actually made the cut. The drive to Great Aunt Odette this morning involved practicing the multiple ways in which I could tell her about the situation. Nonetheless, the fact still stands that I have finally revealed it to someone. Hearing your own thoughts in your head, and actually omitting them into sentences? Both are vastly different. I'm glad that I did, albeit how nervous I was, it gave me this immense relief. Of course, it wasn't surprising that Great Aunt Odette listened, but for her to wholeheartedly believe me? I guess, I wasn't quite ready for that and for the feeling of relief that it brought. 

Even more so, a walk down memory lane - the book. The book that she explained was basically my favorite thing in the world as a kid. That was an unexpected part of my visit, but then again, I should've seen it coming - seeing as Great Aunt Odette's forte is the unexpected. 

I suppose I can't quite believe that I didn't remember that book. Sure I was a kid, but It wasn't like I was three years old, making me inevitably forget about it. Why can't I recall it? I suppose I'll blame it on the ladder of growing up, and the stresses that slowly creep into one as one enters adulthood. To blame it on time. 

Time. 

Great Aunt Odette's words regarding it, and its correlation with life - I was at a loss for words. She knows me all too well. I knew that there was an inevitable end for everyone, but hearing how she explained it woke me up more. The realization that time will pass, this life will end before I know it and that will be it. A terrifying concept that makes me shake my head, as I grip the steering wheel. 

It lies in the question of; if it ends today, am I okay with that? Am I content with how I lived?

Not entirely. 

・‥...━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━���━...‥・

After two hours, the driving finally came to an end. I turn off the ignition, grab my small purse and the book, and walk up to the entrance of the building. I was in no mood to climb two flights of stairs, as my body craved the comfort of my bed after the hours-long drive. But with the building's elevator under maintenance, I had no choice. 

As I insert the key and swing the door open, I am immediately greeted by the exclamation of my roommate slash friend. He appears in the doorway at lightning speed it seems. 

"Oh my fucking God."

"Hey." I let out a yawn, "Oh gosh, I'm so tired." 

"No shit, Nova. You just drove for TWO hours? Well, actually FOUR hours. But still, holy shit?" He exclaims in disbelief, grinning brightly at me.

I walk to the living room and place my stuff on the table, as I flop my body onto the couch. 

"Yeah, I did."

"You hear that Lottie?" He says to the phone in his hand, as he faces the screen to me. 

"Oh! Hi, Lottie!" I say, waving at her despite the exhaustion slowly taking over me. 

"Nova Katerina Sinclair, I am in complete shock." She laughs. 

I look at both of them quizzically, "At my driving?"

"No, you idiot!" Charlotte replies, shaking her head at my confusion. 

"Then what?"

"When you texted me saying that you'll be visiting your Great Aunt, and won't be able to meet me for lunch. . . I shit you not, I thought your phone was stolen." Luke raises his hands in defense, emphasizing his points.

"What?" I let out a laugh, "What are you on about?"

"Then imagine my reaction when Luke told me about it." Charlotte chimes in. 

"Guys, I still don't get it."

"It's just- it's so unbelievable. When did you make the decision to go?"

I shrug, "This morning. Spur of the moment decision." 

Luke turns the phone screen to himself, eyes wide, and returns it back to face me. 

"It just sounded so un-Nova of you."

I had to laugh, "Un-Nova?"

"Yeah. You don't just go somewhere just because. You literally have a whole damn color-coded calendar for fuck's sake!" Luke says, dramatically. 

"Oh." The realization settles in me, they found that unusual. Was it really that out of character?

"Then I asked Luke to make sure it wasn't an emergency because that would explain your sudden spontaneity. But when he said that you messaged nothing of the sort, I was like, " Charlotte's eyes widen as she retells the situation, "Well, holy fucking shit."

"I didn't even. . . " I shrug, "I don't know, I just felt like it." 

"Are you sure you are Nova?" 

Luke looks up at the ceiling with his hands in the air, "Has the Earth just shifted its fucking axis?" 

I laugh at his dramatics, "Is it really that big of a deal guys?" 

"Yes!" They reply simultaneously. 

"Bad or good?"

"Definitely good."

"It's fucking fantastic, bestie."

・‥...━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━...‥・

After much interrogation from Charlotte and Luke, I was finally able to settle down into my bed. Their shock at my actions didn't phase out quickly, even if I retold the entire ordeal in detail. Well, of course, leaving out the part about the actual reason I decided to visit Great Aunt Odette. I love them to death, but revealing that whole situation - revealing him - that's absolutely out of the question. 

I glance at the clock opposite my bed, reading the time : 8:45PM. 

Some say that is far too early to be going to sleep, which even I can agree with. I normally find myself drifting off to sleep at 10.30PM most nights, purely because of assignments and how I can't seem to completely escape my thoughts. It's like a thousand sealed vaults in my mind all suddenly opening at the same time, and endlessly overlapping one another. It's when I then tend to believe that the mind, and the brain are independent of each other. The brain generates knowledge and helps you process through the essential, practical things of life. The mind on the other hand, that's where all your deepest thoughts wander in. The mind houses the thoughts that is centred around yourself. Constantly editing and rewinding how you were before, right now, and in the future. It's the source of both reflection and destruction. 

The mind is a maze that you can so easily get yourself lost in, and I am all too familiar with that. Except for this time, where the fatigue of my physical body has fortunately pulled me into a slumber before any overthinking can generate. My eyes were heavy with tiredness, I felt this lift slowly as I shut them. 

"Woah, so pretty!"

"She's just like a princess!"

"Oh. I know! She's like snow white!"

"Shh. . . we might wake her up."

"But she's been asleep for so long-"

"What if you need to kiss her, Mister Elvis?"

Voices. I hear multiple voices, which only makes me open my eyes in curiosity. I seem to be lying down, with the blue sky right above me. My head turns in all directions, as I find the owners of the voices. A few children surround me, but their chatter seems to have come to a stop at the sight of my opened eyes. 

"Lookin' for me?" A familiar voice catches my senses, as I turn around to my right to see him a few feet away. He stands facing me, but the left side of his body leaning against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest. His foot so casually crossed over the other, as I saw that lopsided grin prominent on his face. 

I don't fail to notice that it's another version of himself that he's showing me. His hair was still stark black but with very noticeable sideburns accompanying it. Definitely 1970s. He wears a black shirt with a floral design, black pants, and boots. It's always interesting to see how he appears to me in each dream, but one thing I'm certain about - Elvis Presley was unapologetically fashionable. 

Elvis quirks an eyebrow at me, no doubt awaiting my response. I just hope he didn't notice that I stared for a while, well, only because I was curious about his attire. An attire that I am well aware of has a few buttons opened at the front, clearly exposing his tanned chest. 

I find myself clearing my throat. 

"And what if I wasn't?" I say jokingly, as I feel an uncontrollable smile pull at my lips. 

He chuckles quietly to himself and nods. Elvis takes a few steps before he is right beside me, as the children part to give him space. He takes a glance at the children and releases a dramatic sigh, "Well, kids, it looks like we have a liar among us." 

I gasp, "Elvis!" 

They giggle. 

Elvis laughs, "Yes, honey?" 

I push off my hands, sitting myself up. It appears that I am wearing a short, white summer dress with roses adorning the design. In my previous dream, it was the colder season, which is far from the outfit that I seem to be wearing at this moment. But then again, the sky is blue and clear, and the chilling bite of the cold appears to be absent. So, I guess it's summer now in this dream? 

"Oh, look! Miss Nova, you and Mister Elvis have flowers on your clothes!" One of the children, the girl with a beautiful, dark complexion alerts me in glee. Her finger pointed enthusiastically at my attire and Elvis.' 

My eyes cast over his shirt and my dress, and evidently, we seem to both be wearing a floral design. My cheeks heat up unexpectedly. 

I exchanged a look with him, which he returns with a proud smirk, "Why, I believe you're right, lil' Dorothy." 

"But mine looks better, right?" I ask, smiling at the girl, whose name I know now is Dorothy. 

She nods vigorously with a cheeky smile. 

"Ouch," Elvis says. 

"B-But yours looks nice too Mister Elvis!" Dorothy quickly sputters out.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"I think you look cool, Mister Elvis." One of the boys, with sandy blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, says encouragingly. 

"I appreciate it, Ollie." He smiles, patting the boy on the head. 

Elvis throws me a triumphant grin, "Oh, how the tables have turned." 

"You're unbelievable." 

Unbelievably gorgeous. 

My brain echoes a thought, in which I furiously shake my head noticing my cheeks heat up. 

Elvis swiftly pulls the conversation into properly introducing me to the children. There are four of them in total, two boys and two girls. I would guess they are around five or six years old, but that's just judging by their heights. Nonetheless, if I believe that Elvis is real and he's appearing from the afterlife, then that must only mean one thing - these children are those of the afterlife too. All of them died young. I feel my eyes water the slightest bit, which I quickly shake off. My sadness at the thought can't be displayed, not with the children's happy smiles as they chatter excitedly. 

"Dorothy, Ollie, Maisie, and Alfie!" I say, pointing at them one by one, learning their names. 

"Yay!" They cheer in glee. They run up to me and wrap their arms around me, well, more like my legs because of their height. I am taken aback and laugh, finding myself bending down a little to wrap my arms around them as best as I can. Not even a minute later, they are chattering amongst themselves, still not letting go of me though.

I look up, feeling his eyes on me. Elvis' eyes pierce through mine, his tongue smoothly swipes over his lips as he mouths words to me. 

I arch an eyebrow in confusion. 

He chuckles and mouths it again but with more exaggeration. 

"I've missed you." He mouths. 

Oh. Oh. 

Wait. . . did I interpret that correctly? 

It's really only been twenty-four hours. 

Suddenly, I feel the need to blame the sun for the sudden heat that I feel bleed on my skin. That would've been simple if it weren't for a slight skip that I feel in my chest. . . because that certainly cannot be the sun's doing. 

I tilt my head at him, "Really?" I mouth back, smiling. 

He doesn't say anything back like I thought he would. Instead, he strides forward until he's right behind me. Effectively finding a space, despite the bunch of kids that surround me. 

His chest is pressed to my back, a fact that only escalates the thump I feel in my heart. My breath seems to be trapped in my throat. His hands brush slightly against my shoulder, as he takes a lock of my hair and tucks it behind my ear. 

I feel his breath tickle my cheek as he leans in to whisper, "Always." 

・‥...━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━...‥・

Not too long later, I found myself sitting down on a field of grass with the children in a circle. I sat with the girls and the boys sat with Elvis. So, technically, not a circle as they sat quite a few feet away from us. The children insisted on a girls versus boys team. Upon hearing this, I expected to be playing a sport. But instead, here we are, making friendship bracelets. 

"This is really fun, " I admit to them honestly, "I haven't done this in so long." 

A box full of a variety of beads, elastic bands, and sticker sheets sat on the grass. I smile at Dorothy and Maisie, as I loop some beads through the elastic band in my hand - starting a new bracelet. It reminded me so much of my childhood, how during breaks in elementary school, we'd all be crowding around the craft area to find ourselves what we needed to make DIY 'friendship' bracelets. 

"It's my favorite thing in the entire world, Miss Nova!" Maisie says enthusiastically, as she leans over to a few shiny beads from the box. 

I chuckle, "I see that. I'm guessing your favorite color is pink?" I gesture towards the three finished pink-colored bracelets, which mirror the same color as her dress and shoes. 

She nods, smiling widely "Yes. Yes."

So adorable and so young. They didn't deserve to leave the world so young, with so much joy and life they never got to live. 

I feel a tug on the skirt of my dress, I turn my head to see Dorothy. 

"You okay, sweetie?"

"What is your favorite color, Miss Nova?" She asks, her hazel eyes awaiting my response. 

"Hm. . . um, I guess red. Yeah, I like red." 

"Okay! I'll make you a red one!" Dorothy replies, taking a handful of red beads, stickers, and an elastic band from the box. 

It's quiet for a while, in which I find myself taking a curious glance at Elvis and the boys. It seems that each boy is holding each of his arms, as they fit the bracelets on his wrist. It also appears that he has several bracelets on either arm, which I couldn't help but chuckle at the boys' enthusiasm. 

"Can I tell you something, Miss Nova?" Maisie asks me, as I turn to face her finding her tilting her orange-braided hair at me. Adorable. 

"Of course." I smile. 

"It's nice to have another girl to make bracelets with us, " She then pauses to release a sad sigh, "Because it has only been me and Dorothy." 

"I am happy to be here, Maisie." 

"Maisie's right," Dorothy jumps into the conversation, "It's really nice. It was nice when it was me and Maisie, because we are best friends forever. Mister Elvis is nice and makes bracelets with us, b-but he's a boy." She sighs. 

The braided girl nods agreeing with her friend's words, "Yeah, he's on the boys' team. We needed one more girl." 

I chuckle at how adorable they are, "Here I am." 

"Thank you, Miss Nova. For being on our team and for Mister Elvis." 

They nodded to each other. 

"Mister Elvis?" I repeat, not quite understand what the kids meant in the latter of their sentence. 

"Yes, for making him happy," Maisie replies cheerfully, as she ties the end of the newly-finished bracelet in her hands. 

"Oh, well-"

"He's happy when me, Maisie, Ollie, and Alfie see him. But when he's not looking," Dorothy pauses and whispers, "You promise to keep a secret?"

I accept the pinky promise, "I promise."

Dorothy then continues, but making sure to keep her voice lowered. 

"Sometimes we spy on him. We find a wall or a tree or a bus stop, and we hide. And he's not smiling no more. He's crying a lot, Miss Nova. And if he's not crying, he looks very sad. But now you're here, he smiles," Dorothy explains. 

"All the time," Maisie adds. 

My heart simultaneously crashes and mends at their words. It reminds me of Miss Esther's words to me at the cafe. How she described Elvis being 'very down' before I appeared. Now that the same words have come from more than one person, it almost makes me want to ask him about it. Not too directly, because I fear it's not something he wants to talk about. But I just feel this need to know what was it that made his emotions blend so easily with the dark of the night sky. For his eyes to cascade with tears so endlessly like the rush of a waterfall. I didn't need to know, but I want to know. I want to know what so desperately what hurt him enough for his emotions to slip out of the confines of his heart, and out into the open. 

But I know that will be easier said than done. Answering serious questions isn't exactly something that Elvis is fond of. It reminds me of the time when I asked him a series of questions, and he responded with only one word. But that didn't end well, with him being in a flood of tears. I don't want to cause that. I'll ask him eventually, but not now. . . just not now. 

"That's seven, Dorothy!" Maisie's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. 

"Oh, I know!" Dorothy claps her hands excitedly.

I look down and sure enough, the girls have made seven friendship bracelets combined. 

"Wow, that's a lot. You girls work fast." I say, clapping for them as they grin proudly at my compliment. 

"Thanks, Miss Nova. But not as many bracelets as Mister Elvis." Dorothy admitted. 

I glance over to Elvis and sure enough, friendship bracelets take up the entirety of his right arm. His sleeves rolled up. Elvis must've felt my eyes on him, as he looked up with a mock defeated look in his eyes. Those boys are really on their way to decorating his arms like the lights on a Christmas tree, and I can't help but laugh at the expression on his face. 

"Yeah, I can't exactly argue with that." 

"Not those bracelets, Miss Nova."

I turn away and face the girls. 

"Oh, then which ones?" I furrow my eyebrows. 

"You don't know?" Dorothy questions with a frown. 

Well, isn't that a million-dollar question? Seriously. 

I shake my head. 

"The ones he made for you," Maisie says casually as if it's the most obvious answer in the world. 

"For me?"

They both nod, as they use their fingers to count. No doubt counting how many bracelets Elvis made. . . for me. 

"Twelve. I-I think?" Maisie says, nodding with Dorothy. 

"Wow, that's um, that's definitely a lot." I chuckle.

"That's what we said too. People make friendship bracelets for people they care about. " Dorothy shrugs, "Mister Elvis made twelve for you. He must care about you like, I don't know, like a trillion times more." She chuckles, holding her fingers up as if she lost count. 

Every time I'm with him, in these dreams - I can never predict what will happen. The spontaneity of his character blended with the reserved nature of mine. That is a stark contrast. Each dream that I spent with him so far, has been full of experiences that I've never had before. All quite. . . grand and eventful. But this one right here, this unknown discovery, this small surprise - renders me speechless just the same.

No matter how uncertain I am about many things related to my dreams, I am certain about one thing. Nobody makes a dozen bracelets for a random girl. For a stranger. It brings me back to the question I asked him, a while ago, but feeling so long ago now:

Who am I to you, Elvis?

・‥...━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━...‥・

After what felt like an hour, we said our goodbyes to the children. The time with them wasn't only filled with making friendship bracelets, but also playing along with their games of hide and seek, and games at the park. They were an adorable bunch, but soon enough, daylight turned into night. In which, we found the children had lost their energy, and were ready to close their eyes into a slumber.

Now, Elvis and I walked down a long stretch of rural road. The gravel released a 'crunch' sound each time my feet met the ground. On either side of the road, a row of cypress trees accompanied the landscape. A picturesque atmosphere of solitude and beauty, with the blanket of the night sky overlaying everything around us. 

"Elvis, no! That's horrible!" I gasp, hitting his arm playfully. 

Elvis simply laughs. He laughs and even though, I've heard him laugh quite a few times before - but I notice something different this time. Well, not anything new, but just something I've never noticed before. He has a kind of hiccup to his laugh, it's just so distinctly him. It's melodious, as it always is. To the point where I semi-forget what he just told me, and end up laughing along with him. 

He points at me, "But you're laughing, honey!"

"No! It's just- it's horrible!" I try desperately reinstating my disagreed expression. 

We were talking about what more was on my list, and what was the next thing. This then went down the topic of conversation around theme parks. Now, I think theme parks are great, they are wonderful. But definitely not a fan of. . . rollercoasters. In this case, Elvis tells me he has a story about rollercoasters. He tells me how he'll get on a rollercoaster with a friend, or a date, and just before halfway - he jumps out. Logically, whoever he's with, ends up screaming and thinking the worst has happened to him. But there he was, on the sidelines, all safe and laughing his ass off at their reaction. 

"It was hellavu lot of fun," He defends, shaking his head as he grins at the memory. 

"Well, It's clear that you and I have different definitions of fun."

"Just try it, honey."

I squint my eyes at him, "I, well-"

He puts his hands up in defense, "I promise. . . no surprises." He says, with a smirk on his lips. Elvis sure does love the unpredictable, almost crazy things that he comes up with - it makes it impossible to believe him when he says this. 

"No jumping?" 

He shakes his head, "Nope."

"Here, gimme your hand," He urges, and I do so. 

He takes my hand in his and intertwines our pinkies, "What do ya want me to promise?" Elvis questions, a pure smile wrapped on his face, all void of playfulness. 

"That if. . . if I go on a rollercoaster with you, or that matter whenever you're with me - you won't do something batshit crazy. If you do, because I swear if you do, I-I'll never-"

He cuts me off, "Speak to me again?"

"Recover, " I say, my tone quiet as I look away from his gaze. I know this is all a dream, but I also have to face the possibility of things treading beyond what I think a dream is and what it is not. 

I am aware that Elvis does not. . . physically exist in the real world anymore. But here, right now, with me he's very real. And as far as I am concerned, if I can control one thing - in this mayhem of dreams - it's his safety. 

I swallow as I try to find my voice again, "I don't want to see you hurt." 

I gain the strength to face his way again, and his mouth begins to form words - seems like he's figuring out how to say something. But he holds himself back, resulting in a simple nod, "Okay, I promise." He whispers, intertwining our pinkies together. 

I clear my throat, in an attempt to dissipate the tense atmosphere. Elvis doesn't let go of my hand, instead effectively intertwining our hands together. The warm press of his palm on mine, as he squeezes my hand in reassurance. He has held my hand before, but this time - it doesn't fall loosely. It's tighter, but not heavy and unbearable. There's more urgency and a sense of security in this one, like an invisible armor separating us from whatever treacherous obstacles we might encounter. 

The purest message of a promise. 

His gaze joins mine, as I look down at our joined hands. 

"I'll be right beside ya. No one's gonna be hurt. " Elvis says, softly. 

I nod. 

I clear my throat, "Right then, where are you taking me?" I smile curiously at him. 

And just like that, in a flash, his cool laid-back demeanor returns. 

Elvis bites down his bottom lip, as he slowly tugs onto my hand - walking a few steps before me, but nevertheless, still facing me. 

"Just one question, darlin'." 

"Which is?" 

"Do you trust me?" He asks, with a mischievous grin along with that beautiful twinkle in his blue eyes. 

"Always." I breathe out in reply, without a second of hesitation. And perhaps, it's a word that is so easy for me to slip out of my mouth - so easy to say to him. Almost as automatic as breathing in air. 

Elvis chuckles, swiftly planting a kiss on my knuckles and tugging me forward until my chest is pressed against his. I squeal at the action. 

"Let's go."

・‥...━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━...‥・

taglist:

@literally-just-elvis-fics

@obsessedwithurlove

@simplyamberj

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Stepping Stones: Chapter 9

Vee walks into school on her first morning the same way she returned to the Isles: with Camila’s hand in one of hers and Luz’s in the other, the three of them shoulder-to-shoulder as they trudge through the snow to the enormous green doors.

“It looks bigger up close,” Vee whispers, and Luz squeezes her hand. 

“Make yourself taller,” she suggests, and Vee laughs a little, stretching out the legs of her human form until she’s as tall as Camila. It does make it less scary when Camila opens the door.

There’s a man waiting for them on the other side— taller than Vee and Camila both, with dark skin and bushy gray hair— and Vee quickly shrinks back to Luz’s height, praying he didn’t notice anything. It doesn’t seem like he did; he smiles when his eyes land on Vee, and he offers her his hand.

“You must be Vee. I’m Principal Hal. Welcome to Gravesfield High.”

Slowly, tentatively, Vee lets go of Luz’s hand to shake his. “Thanks.”

“We’ve enrolled you in all the same classes as Luz to make your transition easier. As long as there are no… disruptions, I think you’ll enjoy your time here.”

Principal Hal rubs a faint scar on his chin. Vee casts Luz a questioning look, and she mouths, tell you later.

Realizing the principal is waiting for an answer, Vee thanks him again, and he nods. “We’ve moved things around to give you a locker next to your sister’s, to make your adjustment easier. She can show you there so that you can put your things away before first bell, and then you two can head to your first class.”

Luz beams at the word sister, and even though Vee has had two sisters all her life, the word feels magical to her too. Sister meaning Luz. It’s sort of incredible.

“Thanks,” she says a third time. She feels a bit foolish repeating herself, but it seems to be what the principal wants to hear, because he gives her a nod. 

“Good to see you, Mrs. Noceda,” he adds to Camila, and disappears into a room marked Principal’s Office.

Camila turns to Vee, placing her hands on her shoulders. “I’ll have my phone on all day. Don’t hesitate to call if you need me, okay?”

“I won’t.”

“Good.” Camila pulls her in for a hug, kissing her head. “I love you. I’m so proud of you.”

Vee leans into the embrace, holding her tightly for a long moment. “I love you too, Mom.”

Even after two months, the word, more powerful even than sister, fills her with sparks of warmth. It took a few weeks after the adoption papers were finalized for her to stop stammering over it, and even though it comes out smoothly now, it still fills her with awe. That awe makes her brave enough to step back, squeezing Camila’s hands and giving her a smile.

She smiles back, then embraces Luz and heads for the door. “See you after school,” she calls, waving at them both.

They wave back, and then Luz turns to Vee. “All right, follow my lead. The crowds in these hallways can be dangerous, so you have to navigate carefully.”

“Got it,” Vee says, matching her solemn tone. Luz links her arm through Vee’s, leading her through a sea of kids, all of them laughing and shrieking, the sheer number of voices making Vee want to slam her hands over her ears. Thankfully, Luz leads them to a hallway that’s far less packed than some of the others, and she only has to nudge one person aside to get to her locker. 

She nods at the one beside it, the only cubicle without a lock already hanging from it. “That must be yours.”

She pulls her own locker open at the same time Vee does, and Vee’s stomach sinks a little as she glances between the two. Luz’s locker is crammed with books and crafts, photos and drawings, and Vee’s is an empty wall of gray.

Luz follows her gaze and smiles, reaching into her backpack. “I asked Willow to make copies of these in case you wanted to put them up,” she says, handing Vee an envelope, “and then I added a few more.”

They’re photos from Willow’s scrapbook: Vee, Luz, Willow, and Amity squinting at the TV during a late-night movie; Vee tickling a sleeping Willow’s forehead with a leaf as Luz and Amity muffle their laughter; Vee and Camila making empanadas; Vee making bunny ears over Luz’s head as Amity kisses her cheek and Hunter, Willow, and Gus beam at the camera; the whole group of them clinging to a raft, their faces ranging from excitement to terror; Vee, Willow, Gus, and Amity grinning in front of the map at the Gravesfield Historical Society. Below those are a few more recent pictures: Vee, Luz, and Hunter clutching gaming consoles and yelling incoherently; Vee and the gang from Cabin 7 sitting on the Nocedas’ porch and laughing at something on Masha’s phone; Vee arm-in-arm with her basilisk siblings on the day they all decided to try human form. Just looking at all those images, all the people she can now call family, makes the corners of Vee’s mouth turn up, and by the time she’s taped them all to the door and walls of her locker, she’s beaming.

“Looking good!” Luz says approvingly. “I can draw you some stuff later, if you want to—”

The bell cuts her off with an earsplitting ring. They exchange a look of horror and slam their lockers shut simultaneously, shoving their locks closed and running for the main hallway. It’s empty— they must have missed the warning bell entirely.

“It’s okay!” Luz gasps. “It’s not far!”

She sprints to the end of the hall with Vee on her heels, the two of them stopping in front of a door on the left. Luz pauses, glancing back at Vee.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Luz nods and pulls the door open and Vee follows her inside the room. And now there are twenty human children and a full human adult, all staring at her with unblinking eyes, and she’s positive she has just made an enormous mistake. 

The adult— the teacher, he must be— recovers first. “Everyone,” he says, “this is Vee Noceda. She’s new to our class this semester.”

A wave of whispers like the hissing of a nest of snakes rises up from the assembled students. Vee swallows hard, nearly choking on her own dry tongue, and only Luz’s hand in hers keeps her from fleeing the scene. 

The teacher looks at her with pitying eyes. “Would you like to say anything more to introduce yourself?”

The only justification Vee can come up with for what she says is that the introduction played well with Camila. Camila’s face had warmed, and she’d spoken with a laugh in her voice, and that’s the reaction Vee wants from these kids— so she opens her mouth and says, “hello, fellow humans. Skin’s sure weird.”

The whispers die within a split second.

“There’s two of them,” a blonde girl in the front groans, and the class dissolves into laughter. Vee isn’t sure whether she should feel relieved or even worse, but at least they’re not looking at her like she’s as much of an outsider. 

One laugh in particular, more dry and knowing, gets her attention, and she follows it to find Masha cackling to themself in a desk at the back of the room. There’s two of them, Vee repeats in her head, and gives a snort of laughter of her own. If only that girl knew. 

The two desks next to Masha are empty, so Vee takes a seat in the one beside them, and Luz comes to sit on her other side. She glances at the teacher for approval, and he gives her a nod.

“All right,” he says, blissfully taking the focus off of her. “Before we get into the course outline, I’m going to give you all a test to see how much you remember.” The class groans, and he holds up a hand. “It’s nothing new, all stuff you learned last year, and multiple choice. You’ll survive.”

He starts passing out booklets and scantrons, and Vee’s heart rate picks up. She’s spent every spare moment of the last two months studying Human Realm curriculum— but while she was fascinated by the literature and history, math always tripped her up. There’s just so much of it, and so many ways of doing it, and there was no way to cram all that into her head. She studied what Luz said she’d need to know for grade ten and barely managed that much— how is she supposed to know everything these kids learned in grade nine?

The teacher lays the papers on her desk, and she flips through the booklet, nausea rising. This is it. They’ll wonder why she doesn’t remember any of this, and discover she’s an imposter, and put her in a zoo, or—

Tap. Taptaptap.

The sound is quiet, but it interrupts Vee’s spiral nonetheless. She glances at the desk to her right to see Masha, their eyes trained on their booklet, one manicured black nail tapping against their desk.

Tap. Taptaptap.

And suddenly Vee’s mind isn’t in the classroom but back in Cabin 7, lying on her bunk above Masha’s in the darkness after lights-out, tapping messages back and forth on the walls. It took exactly one week of camp lectures for Masha to decide they were dead boring, and another week of everyone in Cabin 7 gathering around their phone under a blanket and memorizing the dots and dashes on the screen to become fluent in a language they could converse in without any of the speakers getting them in trouble. Vee hasn’t used it in months, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten. 

Tap. Taptaptap.

Dash. Dot, dot, dot.

B.

Vee fills in the circle and taps out t-h-a-n-k-s. She glances over at Masha to find a smile on their lips.

They tap out the next answer, and Vee fills it in. It only takes half the class, but the teacher spends the other half droning on about everything they’re going to be learning, so she doesn’t get to actually talk with Masha until the bell rings and they can disappear into the stream of students heading for their next classes.

“Call me crazy,” Luz says, once they’re out of the teacher’s earshot, “but were you two talking using morse code?”

“I know, I know, cheating is wrong,” Masha says, waving a hand, “but I felt like these were special circumstances.”

“Are you kidding? That’s so cool!”

“Thanks,” Vee adds, glancing at Masha. “I really owe you one.”

“Why yes, you do, and I know exactly what I want.”

“Wait— no—“

“Come on, Vee! You have to show me at some point!”

Luz glances between them. “Show you what?”

Masha lowers their voice. “Her true form.”

“She hasn’t shown you yet?”

“She has shown you? Do you have any pictures?”

“Okay, okay!” Vee cries, throwing up her hands. “If you come over after school, I’ll show you.”

“Finally!” Masha bounces up and down, clapping their hands gleefully. “Okay, I should really get to Bio, but I’ll see you at lunch. Luz can show you where we eat.”

They press a kiss to Vee’s cheek and darts for the stairs. A wave of heat floods her face, and she trips, almost plowing into a line of students before Luz grabs the back of her shirt and pulls her into a blessedly empty bathroom. Vee catches her eye, expecting to see the excitement dancing in her stomach reflected in her face, but instead, Luz’s expression is carefully gentle. It calms the flush in Vee’s cheeks, leadens her limbs, and she leans against a wall.

“I know, I know. I should have shown them a while ago.”

“Vee, they clearly like you, and they really don’t seem like the type to be weirded out by much.”

“I know. It’s just… when you grow up surrounded either by people who are like you or afraid of you, when every teacher in every school teaches every kid that you’re a monster, when you can count every member of your kind on one hand because the rest were all hunted down— part of you always expects that you’ll make people afraid. I know Masha’s probably not like that, but there are so many other voices in my head, and they’re all louder than mine.”

Luz wraps her arms around Vee, leaning her head on hers. “That’s really tough, Vee. I know there’s nothing I can say to make it better, but for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing.” She steps back, squeezing Vee’s hands. “The only way to quiet those other voices down is to let other people talk back to them. Masha will. I know it.”

…

Camila drives them all home after school, but when they get to the house, Luz convinces her to go get pizza for dinner. She rolls down the window of the passenger seat just to give Vee an exaggerated wink as she and Masha get out of the back, and Vee shoves her head back into the car with the palm of her hand. The car drives away, and she unlocks the house with shaking hands. 

She follows Masha into the entryway. Closes the door behind her. What now? Does she offer them food first, or try to give some kind of disclaimer or—

If you don’t do it now, a voice in her head warns, sounding suspiciously like Luz, you never will.

And she changes. Just like that. 

Ta-da, she opens her mouth to say, or here I am, or I’m ready, but nothing comes out, and so Masha turns around and sees her without any warning, her mouth open with an explanation that’s never going to come. 

They don’t scream. That’s something.

But Vee can’t bear to see their expression shift, and her eyes dart to the floor, her heart slamming against her chest.

“Hey, Vee.”

Masha sounds casual, but they sounded casual when that slime-covered rat waddled into Cabin 7 in the middle of the night. Brace yourself, Vee—

“Do you want to go out with me?”

Surprise makes her nearly snap her neck with how fast she looks up. She expects them to be laughing, but their expression is bright, if a little nervous.

“What?”

“I mean, like, on a date.”

“No, no, I got that part. But— why?”

“Vee, you’re cool! In any form, you’re cool! I couldn’t care less what you look like. I like you because you’re you. Because you get flustered talking to people but will pick up spiders with your bare hands, because you’re so happy when you learn things it can make me enjoy learning about taxes, because you have enough power to drain the magic out of an evil emperor but have never once threatened someone who didn’t deserve it. That’s what I care about. And if you want me to care about you as my friend— great. We can just be that. But I feel, like, a lot for you, and I want you to know that, too.”

Vee’s chest is tight again, but for the first time all day, she’s not terrified— she’s so happy she feels like she could burst just by inhaling. She’s grinning so hard her face hurts, and yes, part of her wonders if Masha is creeped out by that expression on a basilisk’s face. But they’re beaming too, and Luz is right; that doubtful voice gets quieter and quieter under the onslaught of their attention.

“I’d like that,” Vee says quietly. “I really would.” Glancing over to the clock at the end of the hall, she adds, “we’ve got like an hour until dinner, and I’m sure Luz will stall our mom until then. We could go now, on a walk or something? I know that’s not the most romantic, but—“

“Anything with you will be romantic.” Masha nudges her, and Vee flushes, burying her head in her hands as Masha laughs.

“Is this okay?” They ask, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Vee wraps an arm around their waist, beaming into their shoulder. “It’s perfect.”

She returns to her human form, Masha’s hold on her easy no matter what shape she takes. Her hands are steady, this time, as she opens the door, and as they walk out hand-in-hand into the winter sun, she can’t recall why she was ever so afraid. 

[helicopriorc]

hey this might be kinda weird but i was looking through the tags of an older post and you mentioned you are/were a dj for a college radio station! i'm going to have a radio show for the first time this semester and was wondering if you had any tips or advice! :)

Oh hell yes! I've only been at a few years, but I can definitely chime in.

I currently run a show that focuses on the punk music in my local area and more broadly in my state, but I've also run a jazz night and done other general programming.

Tips from my personal experience:

- take deep breaths whenever possible, especially when you're about to go on-air, this will help keep your nerves down and give you something to focus anxious energy into instead of your voice

- take some time to practice any required on-air content (ad reads, weather, etc) before reading it live, that way you can make the mistakes early and figure out your breathing patterns

- if you're going for higher energy, sit further forward in your chair when speaking and try to start speaking right after a deep inhale

- try to get a grasp on your audience. either ask around the station or envision who your ideal listener is and build around that

- ask for feedback from fellow station staff and listeners if possible. feedback feels bad sometimes, but it's in your (and your listeners) best interest to listen to it and decide how to apply that to your show.

- don't sweat the small stuff. radio keeps going even after a mistake. figure out if there are specific procedures or ramifications for the mistake, but otherwise let it go. shake it off and move on because the audience cares about what they're listening to, but once it aired, it's no longer in your control and that's okay

- try listening to other radio with a critical ear. what do you like/dislike? what feels awkward? did they transition between songs smoothly? what mood are they giving out?

That's all I have off the top of my head, but the biggest thing is to have fun. I'm so serious too. Your audience can tell when you sound flat or tired, and when you're having fun and being engaged, it's a noticeable difference.

Good luck! My DMs are always open to chat about it more.

[tegerton]

Dude, duuuuuuuuuuuuuuude! Does anyone even remember me? Sorry for the very long hiatus, but I’m dipping my toes back into fanfic writing. Hopefully I’m not too rusty. What better way to come back with trying out an original story, that’s right this bad boy is coming from my head.

You can all thank @justsomerandomfanfic for waking me up. Seriously, thank you so much for liking my writing. It means the world (I thought my writing was pretty bad not gonna lie haha) but I am so glad I can make someone’s day with it! Apologies in advance. Please let me know if I should add any specific warnings! Hearts, reblogs, and comments are lovely!

I am going to try and attempt a GN reader x Eggsy (please let me know if I need to fix anything)

Eggsy x GN Reader

Word Count: A little over 1k

Warnings: Implied fighting and not so great friends (it’s not too bad tho)

It was supposed to be just a chill night out with some friends at a rather less crowded bar. Yeah it was anything but that. Once the words “Manners, maketh, man.” were thrown into the mix and all bets were off the table. Various objects like tables, chairs, and umbrellas went flying as their eyes scanned to find various things.

1. Find a safe exit (The front doors had been barricaded shut, but there’s got to be an emergency exit somewhere in this dump).

2. Stick with the people you know.

3. Get out.

After a few close attempts the group decided to book it for an exit that was in the back of the little kitchen in the bar. The friends left in a hurry not giving their final remaining friend a clear plan.

“Thanks guys! Thanks for not TELLING ME THE PLAN!” The tone was in the midst of transitioning from rather annoyed to fearing for their life. But rather than hearing screams and carious grunts the room was eerily silent. It’s at this moment that they realized someone just saw their outburst. Turning to face the one man army they noticed the umbrella that had been previously used to take out at least half of the patrons in the bar who are currently laying on the ground. “Put the umbrella down.” The rather well dressed man slowly followed orders as he gently placed his Kingsman umbrella onto the floor. “Now, unlock the doors.” With some loud clicking the entrance was now unlocked. “Ok I’m going to leave.” It was an agonizingly slow exit as they never turned their back on the stranger.

“Sorry I ruined your night out.” Once his accent came out their heart dropped just the tiniest bit, it didn’t help that he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck exposing a rather good physique in the muscles of his arms.

“No, do not try to play the cute guy card with me.” Their hands pressed onto their hips as the shortness of breath from the entire situation finally caught up. A strained sigh came over as the lights reflecting off the rainy pavements were not helping.

“The cute card?” His hands fixed his suit as he finally exited the bar smoothly opening the umbrella right over both of their heads. “I’d rather say I’m just charming in general.” His wink was met with a side eye. “Alright I kind of get the sense that maybe I did something wrong.”

“Hmmmm I’m not sure let me go ask someone in the bar if they know,” It was the fake walk back to the bar that made him chuckle. “Oh yeah that’s right, they’re all passed out!”

“Would it make you feel better if I said I was Batman or something?”

“Batman doesn’t fight crime dressed like Bruce Wayne.”

“Batman isn’t Bruce Wayne.” The seriousness in his voice just made the joke even better. Their eyes rolled with a smile as a well deserved slug was met on his shoulder. “Let’s start over,” He offered his hand for a shake. “Eggsy.”

“Eggsy?” The bridge of their nose scrunched up in thought. “I haven’t been in the UK that long but I will admit that’s the most unique name I’ve come across so far.”

“Well my real name is Gary but I go by Eggsy!” His face was beaming as he explained the story of his nickname. On the other hand the poor bystander was just wanting to go home.

“Yeah that’s really cool and all but I kind of need to get home.” It was their polite yet desperate grimace and the shuffling of feet that made Eggsy connect the dots. Maybe don’t go straight for someone you’re interested in right after making them think they were your next victim. The string of muttered curses that left his lips made it hard to not fall deeper into the surprisingly chill and trendy guy. “Y/N, forgot to tell you. That’s my name.” Finally learning the mystery person’s name gave Eggsy a little faith that he wasn’t a complete failure with charming someone.

“That has to be the weirdest name I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh shut up!” In what would be the weirdest of situations the two found light at the end of the tunnel, a blossoming friendship that Eggsy only dreamed would turn into something else only with time. “No but seriously I have work at 7AM, I need sleep.”

“Do you need a ride?” A part of Eggsy was holding onto hope that the offer would be accepted but he knew the chances were slim.

“As much fun as that sounds, I drove here.” Y/N held up their keys as they pressed the lock button a couple of times causing the car to beep back. “Thanks for the offer.” The night was cold as they rubbed their hands together. “I hope to never see you pissed off at a bar ever again.” A cheesy smile was plastered on their face as Eggsy’s face flushed slightly but due to the cold weather he was able to hide it.

“Yeah hopefully next time we meet, it isn’t like this.” Y/N’s head turned towards him as they laughed a bit.

“What do you want my number or something?” The laugh died fairly quickly as they noticed the look on his face.

“I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed.” He gently kicked a nearby rock. After a quick number exchange the two finally went their separate ways. Y/N noticed the number scribbled on the back of some business card as they slipped it over for further inspection.

“Kingsman?” Some store they had never heard of as they just got in their car and headed back to their apartment. Opening the door their roommate came barreling through giving them a hug.

“Oh my gosh, I was so worried when we lost you at the bar!” Y/N’s shoulders slumped into the hug.

“Yeah you guys were real worried alright.” The tone and sentiment were definitely called for especially since nobody even reached out to help. Not wanting to give it the light of day Y/N just went to their own little room and locked the door. That whole friends thing was for another day, but not now.

The next morning was uneventful as their shift went by with nothing really special happening. Not a bad day, not a good day, just a day. But hey at least the customer’s weren’t the absolute worst today.

“Can I clock out?” The manager slightly jumped in her seat not noticing their hire, engrossed in their emails.

“Oh yeah, thanks for your help.” And with the okay to leave it was a race to find somewhere to get food. With food on the brain, they almost passed something until a shiny golden logo caught their eye. It was the Kingsman store, Y/N took a peek through the window to see what exactly was being sold there but was met with Eggsy who sat across from another man dressed up just like him.

“No way.”