#can we ask about something that wouldn't be answered by a five second search of a six letter word. your commenting on my post just open a

[wtfaniii]

I can do it alone, but he can also save me

Fem reader x Hwang In-ho / Fem reader x Hwang Jun-ho

Part 1 // Part 2

•Summary: Jun-ho's girlfriend was a decorated policegirl, strong and brave, she, along with Gi-hun were taken to the games to stop them, however, there was a setback in between

•Note: Thanks for the support! Here I bring you the second part of this one shot that is personally one of my favorites.

•Warning: Maybe some drama, Some violence and attempted abuse, ¡Don't worry! this man arrives on time like a prince on a white horse

N/A: I haven't checked this yet, sorry if it has spelling mistakes

Gi-hun had told some participants that the next game would be dalgona, but it was not so and now they were upset with him, surrounding him and complaining about his mistake, calling him a "liar."

—You guys decided to play these games —the girl said standing in front of Gi-hun —Face the consequences and don't expect someone to come and save us.

—He's a fraud! —Player 100 shouted at him, pointing at accusingly and with contempt.

—ibelieve in him word —001 interrupted, standing next to her.

Due to the first impression that the two made on all the players, the complaints immediately stopped and retreated.

—It's nothing, I really believe you —Young-il said with a friendly expression

—And if you allow me... I would like to be on your team.

The next game would be in teams of five players, counting the girl, Gi-hun, Jung-bae, Dae-ho and now Young-il, they were full, however, when they were talking to get to know each other a little, a woman with the number 222 on his uniform approached them cautiously.

—¿Can I be on your team? Please —Jung-bae was going to interrupt her to tell that they were full but the young woman finished his sentence first —I'm pregnant.

The five pairs of eyes fell on the small bulge of her belly and noticed that it was true. Immediately, the woman spoke. —I'll look for another team.

—¿Are you sure you'll do it?— In-ho asked, looking at her carefully. A person who looked out for someone else's well-being in these games was rare to see, but considering the situation, it was quite understandable. He wouldn't give up his place if he wasn't so interested in his enemy.

She nodded confidently and left to find another team, it didn't take long, after all, most people took advantage of having someone like her on their team just by considering the word "police" in their introduction.

Once the teams were formed and they were told what had to do, they sat on the floor to wait the turn.

As time passed and gunshots mixed with screams sounded in the background, the young woman thought silently.

¿Will Jun-ho be okay? She really hoped so, she had known him for four years and knew that there were times when he could go to extremes to get what wanted.

It was something she loved about him but right now just worried about.

—¿What game are you going to play? —246 asked sitting next to her, momentarily taking her out of his thoughts.

—Gonggi —answered immediately, she was very good at that game, it had been his favorite since she was a child.

The others nodded and continued talking, she didn't go there with the intention of socializing too much.

For starters.

She was only there because Jun-ho had asked her to.

Jun-ho...

She just hoped him could find her and Gi-hun in time.

The policeman had no intention of stopping now, even without having the tracker active and with the fact that apparently someone was sabotaging them from inside, he was not going to stop searching.

The woman he loved was in those games, that wasn't going to be the plan, she was only supposed to be Gi-hun's bodyguard but things didn't go as planned.

—I think we should stop, it's almost time to eat and we're a bit far from the shore.

—We can't be so close now —he said, somewhat irritated and helpless. —Every minute they spend on that island is a danger.

He felt guilty for having dragged her into his own problems.

He remembered the last conversation he had with her before he lost sight of her.

[...]

—We are police officers —Jun-ho said, showing his badge to the guard who was guarding the entrance of the place

—Just like everyone else tonight —the man said with a mocking laugh, pointing at the long line waiting to get into the Halloween party.

Jun-ho didn't have enough patience to tolerate this, so with no other choice he went up to the man and took his gun out of his pocket.

—¿Do you want to see if this is a toy?

The guard stepped back in fear, giving them free passage.

The girl smiled proudly and waved her hand as if it were hot while sighed.

—That's my man —she boasted to the guard as they crossed the entrance. Jun-ho managed to hear her and inevitably a sly smile appeared on his lips.

—We have to find him before they do —he said, referring to Gi-hun searching the crowd but no masked pink guard was visible.

—It will be faster if we separate —she added, taking out her weapon and pointing it at the ground just to be ready in case used it —When we leave here it will be fondue night —she said without losing her charming touch.

It was something they both shared, despite being in tense situations like this, comments like that were never lacking, especially from the girl and that was something Jun-ho adored, her daring was part of what made the policeman fall in love with her.

—Maybe I should drag you into my problems more often —He replied with a smile and separated from her.

The girl was the first to find Gi-hun and surprisingly they let her get into the limo with him.

Jun-ho was unhappy about that but he couldn't change her mind and just when they thought they could intercept the front man of those suicide games they were forced to make a last-minute decision by shooting at the tires of the cars.

[...]

His stomach turned just remembering what people go through inside those games, he trusted that she could survive but the odds of not making him tremble and want to vomit.

—Okay... we'll call off the search —He relented after a few minutes.

He looked up at the sky and asked whoever would listen him to keep the woman he loves alive.

Meanwhile on the island, they had managed to get through the second game alive, she was sitting with Gi-hun's team silently watching around them when 001 sat next to her.

—Hi... —he greeted her with a soft smile, hoping that the mask being Young-il was convincing enough to fool her —I'm curious... if you're a police officer, ¿how did you end up here?

—¿Debts? —She replied with a false smile —My job was to take care of Mr. Seong but it didn't turn out the way I had in mind —she admitted, looking away again but feeling Young-il's intense gaze on her.

—So... ¿you're here as an undercover agent? —he asked, feigning surprise and curiosity.

He himself was the one who gave the order to allow her to also get into the limousine to accompany Gi-hun.

In-ho knew his brother would be worried about her, searching for her relentlessly, but it was inevitable, he needed to meet her in person and be sure how good of an influence she was on Jun-ho.

Or at least he thought it was a good excuse.

—Yeah... —She looked at him silently and attentively when she noticed a certain peculiarity in him appearance —¿Do I know you from somewhere? I feel like I've seen you before...

Him face seemed familiar but she couldn't figure out why. In-ho kept eye contact with her, waiting for her answer.

It was a pity, if she recognize it him had no other option to let her die in the next games but luckily for the girl she denied it.

—Forget it, I'm just stressed ¿And why are you here?

—My wife is sick and pregnant.

She looked at him with pity as he told her his story, it wasn't a lie, it was just that it happened years ago and he couldn't do anything to keep her alive.

—I'm sorry —The girl said after he finished his words.—I promise we'll get out of here and I'll help you as much as I can with the expenses.

The police had money, not to say that she was a millionaire but she lived in a good social status, she was willing to help him only because her heart was softened by him story.

–You barely know me, ¿why would you do that?

—My boyfriend has also had a somewhat hard life and I took this job for a reason, to help others.

She did not consider herself a saint, but if she had the opportunity to do something good for other people, she would do it regardless of the consequences.

—Also... I think I'm pregnant —She said with a small smile.

How chaotic and unfair could fate be that just one night before she was to go to the medical laboratory for her results, she was taken to those games against will.

On the other hand, she could also feel a slight connection with this stranger, which was why she revealed that to him so naturally, but she still didn't know exactly why.

—I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back.

He nodded and watched her leave but his eyes also noticed three other suspicious looking players who followed her into the bathroom.

Without thinking twice he also stood up.

Not even two minutes had passed since she entered the bathroom when a woman grabbed her by the collar of the jacket and threw her backwards, making her fall on back.

–¿You remember me? —the woman demanded, looking at her with disdain and annoyance

—No —She answered standing up.

—You threw my husband into prison and won't be out for another twenty years —The woman pulled out a small pocket knife and another woman stood behind the police girl to hold her —I thought about how to kill you for days.

—Very cute, I still don't know who you are.

Those words only made the woman even more furious as lunged at her and tried to stab her,

Her hard training served her well in this unarmed fight.

But she was counting on another man to come in to help the two players who were trying to kill the young policewoman.

—Three against one unarmed is not fair... —she gasped for air as saw that he had a small opening in his head, her had hit himself on the sink at one point during the fight.

—¡It was also not fair that my husband was sentenced to twenty years in prison for attempted abuse!

—Oh, believe me, I tried to make it forty.

A kick to the face from one of them managed to stun her long enough to give them time to pin her down on the cold, damp bathroom floor.

She couldn't hear clearly what they were saying but when she saw how the man placed himself on top of her, their intentions were quite clear.

She didn't have enough strength to continue defending himself, her felt bleeding from his leg from the knife and the cut on his head hurt, but like a hero coming to save the day, Young-il walked through the door and shouted "Hey!"

That small interruption was enough for her to hit the man in the genitals with her knee, making him move away and moan in pain.

She was too stunned to see what was happening, but before she knew it, he had her in him arms and walked out of the bathroom leaving the two women unconscious on the floor and the man with a bleeding nose.

—¡You should do a better job as guards! —he yelled at the two pink soldiers guarding the door, she didn't know it but that scolding was enough to fire those two.

He carefully led her to the men's room where, due to his front man advantages, he was able to have a guard deny another player access until he said so.

—Thanks... —Her murmured as he dropped her on the ground—But I had it under control.

She let out a giggle that made his ribs hurt, In-ho refrained from laughing, now he had to focus on fixing her wounds.

—Being a police officer you made many enemies —He said while using his jacket with some water to clean her.

—You have no idea.

In-ho continued to clean her wounds and after a few minutes everything was better for her, the girl stood up cautiously because of the wound on her leg and thanked Young-il with a small bow.

—Thanks for helping me, for the second time.

—I hope it doesn't become routine —he said with a soft smile, looking her up and down unconsciously.

When they came out of the bathroom there were suspicious glances but neither of them cared.

It was cute, she liked the way this man treated whenever her found himself in trouble, in a way he reminded her of Jun-ho,

She liked that even though she could defend herself, there was still a knight in shining armor who would arrive in the worst situations.

Young-il, the gentleman who arrived just in time and the only one who knew about her suspected pregnancy.

tag list:

@raya4643 @lvspedri @iloveoldermen0204 @ravenslocked

[omgfangirlland]

I really hate my brain.. It's 1 am and I gotta be up by 4:30am..but this are the current thoughts that I have just when I'm about to sleep.. :

1. Talia al Ghul twin sister but she's the opposite of her sister

2. neglect invincible sister.. Where is is normal but something happen that I can't think of yet that made the other like/love/obsessed of her

3. SCP scientist reader getting transported to another universe

4. Reader with a super power of luck (inspo from Deadpool 2? I think it was the second movie.. I don't remember)

5. Dazai reader? I don't know what to do with a dazai reader yet..

6. Danny phantom reader..

Okay.. I'll stop for real now.. My head is seriously killing me

-🔱

PART TWO

Am I answering more and more asks to avoid writing the next ch of TSTN?... Yes. (I'll go back on it soon-ish- just need a refresher)

I'll take the Talia al Ghul twin sister, AND throw in the Luck Manipulation meta gene Domino has.

So, the "lucky" powers Domino has is actually luck manipulation, meaning she can bring bad luck just as easily as she can bring good luck-

Now- I always found the "Actually- Ra's loves his kids and grandkids"" headcanon funny- because we definitely see a bit of it in "Murder in the family" or the second one about it(can't quite remember) where he is like "I didn't wish for your son to die, wouldn't wish that on anyone" so I'm taking that and turning it to a 100 making Ra's an official girl dad.

I'm starting this during the era when Ra's was mortal, before he lost his wife, pure headcanon, refusing to acknowledge The Dark Knight Rises-

My initial idea was honestly angst- but fluff felt better-

At first, your mother and father don't notice it, taking everything as a coincidence. When you were younger, maybe nothing happened, but during your toddler to kid years, they sure started noticing stuff-

You wanted the mangy cat that honestly kinda scared your mama?? "Maybe when pigs fly, beloved," were Ra's joking words. Cue chaos as two pigs are launched through the air. Talia immediately backs you on the two "flying" pigs.

You got the mangy cat.

Talia looked for too long at a cookie? The baker made too many in the wrong shade and couldn't simply scrape the icing off, and by tomorrow, they won't be good anymore, so he just gives them out for free as he mutters about wasting ingredients.

Your mother broke her shoe? A new shoeshmith comes out of a build offering free repairs to gain some popularity right after your mom complained that they were her favorite pair.

Baba Ra's sad that he can't find the relic of a tome he keeps searching for? The next day, it slams onto his toes and stops his whining.

I think Talia is the first to notice that it's because of you good things keep happening, so she tests her theory. She stops in front of a pomegranate tree, standing five meters tall, points at it, and in a sad tone says she'd love to get one, but it's just too high. She watches as your eyes follow her finger, watches as you pout as you realize that not even an adult would reach it, and she smiles as she hears all the fruits fall to the ground. She keeps at it for a while, until she is sure of her theory, and soon decides you are their lucky charm. The best lucky charm she could have in her life, and she tells you as such.

Soon enough, the luck seems to run out, to you at least. The middle of World War II, your father got busy with his work in that room nobody but him was allowed in, your mother grew more and more worried about Qayin, and then, one dreadful night, little Talia came running to Ra's, who was soothing you because you woke up puking, crying about your nightmare.

A nightmare only confirmed reality by Talia. That's when Ra's found out about your powers. In his mind, everything settles into place, every lucky thing he brushed off as a happy coincidence, every story your mother had about good things happening in the weirdest ways.

He didn't blame you, and neither did Tali, but you did. And it took a while to get rid of the irrational guilt, but the constant reassurance of Talia, who knew there was no way you could have influenced that without being there- she knows because she tested the long-distance luck too, she was thorough- helped. And soon finding out that the man died painfully from a freak accident, did wonders.

Ra's didn't want his girls to mingle with the League of Assassins, but after that night, he insisted on them training to at least know how to protect themselves, and while Talia seemed eager to know more and more, you didn't much care for the League.

Now, Talia didn't want to be the heir, not for a long while, she wanted to be a doctor, and Ra's was happy to hear that her daughter was pursuing something besides his dirty work. And when she left, you decided to do something far closer to home, mostly scared to leave your baba's side. Not like the old man was complaining, he still had his girls in his life, he still had you close.

The more Talia found out about Bruce, the more she thought he'd be a good protector and husband for you. She liked him, really, she did, but you always came first in her mind, it was you who she thought of when Bruce got her flowers, unknowingly, your favorites, when he stumbled over his words, she thought of how cute you'd find him.

So she plotted. She wasn't yet in love with him, she liked the idea of him, sure, but she wanted to see how he'd react to you.

Talia couldn't stop the smirk and mischief in her eyes from appearing as Bruce's breath hitched as he saw you, as he stuttered- almost calling himself by another name-, as his face got red as a tomato as you giggled at him.

Bruce was hooked, line, and sinker- and a bit guilty as he went from flirting with Talia to stumbling over the simplest words when it came to you. He felt embarrassed, honestly. He could make the biggest business deals at 14, but he could barely look at you without feeling his cheeks heat up.

As Bruce jumped at the opportunity to train under the League, just to keep close to you, Ra's glared at Talia, knowing what his daughter had cursed him with- a fool in love.

Bruce, with a threat from Talia to treat you right, and a letter to the school saying he dropped out, he found himself being led to his new room. He shook as you turned and looked at him, words catching in his throat. You were a problem. But he would love to be in your life.

It didn't take long for Bruce to find the truth about Ra's work, and he wasn't happy, but he didn't have it in him to leave- not without you.

When it came to you, he was stupid. Tripping over his feet, choking on air, almost being hit because his eyes caught yours- but somehow- with shaking hands and a shakier bouquet, he found it in him to ask you on a date.

As soon as your door closed, he dropped to his knees, crumpling like a folding chair, sighing in relief, and his hand stuck to his cheek where you kissed him. If Harvey were to see him, he wouldn't be able to live it down.

All the courage and poise he had as Batman, as Brucie Wayne, went out the window when it came to you- he was afraid, he realized. Afraid of being too cool as Batman, too much as Brucie, afraid of not being the right one for you. He didn't know what to do, so he froze, he stuttered, he fell in love deeper and harder like he was a puppy and not a man.

The more he hung out with you, the more at ease he became, and while he put on his Brucie persona with Talia, he was himself with you. Slowly learning to be just Bruce, no need for the cowl.

Ra's hated it- he thought once or twice of just throwing him into the pit, but at the end of the day, he also liked Bruce. Determined and clearly in love with you, and when the little bastard came to him and Talia to ask permission for his hand, Ra's growled a hateful yes between his teeth, while Talia laughed like she hadn't laughed in a long while.

Bruce was confused at the contradicting emotions- but he took the yes and ran.

Ra's didn't cry at the wedding, and he'll kill anyone who says otherwise.

He did bawl as he held Damian, and everyone saw it, though.

Some meme's I couldn't resist thinking of:

Bruce, Alfred, Ra's, Dick, Jason when holding Dami for the first time:

Tim when asked if he wants to hold the baby who just opened his eyes and the first thing he did was glare at him:

Cass with toddler Dami:

[icycoldninja]

FLUFFCEMBER DAY#21: (Idia x Reader)

Save me

Oh man.

Oh man.

What were you thinking? What kind of delusional high were you on when you asked Idia to come with you to a friend's Christmas gathering? You should have known better, especially since that friend of yours had promised a "fun" "wild" party with loud music and lots of people. Seriously, that description alone should have told you this place was not for Idia, not at all. You had to have been drunk when you begged him to come with you, that's the only answer that doesn't destroy your confidence in your own intelligence.

"Where are you?" You mumbled, mostly to yourself. Half of you hoped he would hear you and emerge from the crowd of chattering bodies; the other half was sure he wouldn't. Why would he? He was probably terrified out of his mind, lurking in the corner curled up in the fetal position and crying. Even if he caught sight of you maneuvering through the room, he likely wouldn't have the courage to leave his hiding place.

"Idia?" You shouted in vain, the booming beats of a vaguely familiar EDM track drowning out your words. The subwoofers continued barking; the bass vibrated in the floorboards beneath your very feet. "Idia! Can you hear me?"

A woman standing next to you who was tipsy on spiked punch heard your cries and turned around to ask you if anything was wrong.

"I'm looking for my friend," You told her, hoping she wasn't too drunk to help you. "He's about this tall, kinda pale, got pointy shark teeth, and has bright blue hair that looks like it's made of fire--well it is, but most people don't believe us when we tell them that--and he's got a big jacket on. Have you seen him?"

The woman gaped at you for five whole seconds before slowly shaking her head and making her way back to the punch table.

"Well, she was no help," You grumbled bitterly, continuing to push through the congregation of swaying people, squinting into the neon-illuminated darkness, looking for any signs of your partner. You debated calling his name again, and after a few moments of internal discussion, decided against it since it was pointless, and kept searching quietly. Then you caught sight of a flicker of bright blue that glowed like eerie fire from a ghostly candle, the kind you normally only find sitting around in Halloween.

"Idia, there you are!" You couldn't help but hiss, as you bounded over to the source of the flickering blue flames. Sure enough, there he was, sitting on the floor, his nose buried in not a book, but a glowing game console, his pale skin given a sickly glow by the white-appearing bluelight. He didn't notice you approaching him at all, not until you knelt down and gently flicked his forehead.

"Oh, hey," He droned emotionlessly. "Nice of you to come visit me." His words were dripping with sarcasm, a fact proven in the little eyeroll he gave you before returning to his game.

"Now stop that," You began, before catching yourself and realizing how nagging you were beginning to sound. "Look...uhh.." You found yourself scratching your head, unsure of how to proceed. "I'm sorry, for dragging you here. I really shouldn't have asked you to come, but I see now that this was a mistake, and--hey, are you listening to me?"

Judging from the vacant, almost lifeless expression in Idia's eyes, no, he wasn't.

Blowing out an irritated sigh, you placed your hands on your hips and began pacing back and forth in front of him, trying to work out a plan of action. You could try to drag him away, but he looked pretty comfortable in that spot, and since his fingers were mashing buttons like crazy, he was in the middle of something so important, he might get mad if you interrupted him. Then again...he was so invested in his game, he might not even notice you pulling him away until you were already back home. Oh, what to do, what to do?

"Save me already, what are you waiting for?" Idia suddenly mumbled, though it was unclear whether he was talking to the game or you. You decided to seize the opportunity, blame it on miscommunications if he got upset, grabbed his arm, pulled him to his feet, and dragged him towards the exit. Surprisingly, no one noticed the unusually tall, pale man with flaming blue hair who was swearing at his game console while literally being towed to the door. Ah well, it's all for the best.

[helloalycia]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄 [𝐓𝐖𝐎] — 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐑

one / masterlist / wattpad

summary: when you find yourself in a situation where you want to kiss Jackie, you're not sure you can make the first move. A fact made even harder when Nat is there to tease you about it.

warning/s: none really.

author's note: here's part 2! hope you like it whilst i sort through a ton of wips lol

I nodded along as Taissa was telling me about a colourful bird she'd seen earlier. We were eating some deer stew together outside the cabin, with the other girls settling down for dinner too, and it was basically a five star dinner with what we had out here.

"It was so pretty," Taissa finished. "And I swear it was following me."

I tried not to laugh. "Tai, I think you might have officially just lost it if the highlight of your day was a bird following you."

"Oh, shut up!" she said with a laugh, smacking me on the arm.

"Hey, don't take it out on my dinner!" I said lightheartedly, clutching my bowl of stew tightly with my one good hand.

"Idiot," she mumbled, but was smiling still.

"Hey, guys," Jackie said, joining us. "What did I miss?"

"Tai here was telling me about a pretty bird that wouldn't stop following her," I said with an amused smile, and it wasn't even an attempt at teasing her, but she nudged me again anyway.

"Quit it!" she warned, before giving Jackie a look. "It was so cool, Jackie."

"She's lost her mind," I told Jackie as she sat down opposite us with her dinner.

Jackie chuckled as she let Taissa tell her the story, and I stayed quiet as I heard it again. After Jackie gave her surprisingly positive input that didn't make fun of it, we all finished dinner and were about to get up together when Van called for Taissa, wanting her for something.

"It's okay, you go, I've got it," I told her, holding out my bowl. "Just put yours here."

"Thanks, Y/N," Tai said with a smile before stacking her bowl in mine, then looking to Van. "I'm coming!"

Joining Jackie, the two of us walked to the washing up area together when, suddenly, someone – I think it was Javi – ran past me and made me stumble backwards into Jackie. I bumped my broken arm in the process, making me curse as I inhaled sharply at the shooting pain up my shoulder.

"Watch where you're going!" Jackie yelled after Travis, who was running after his brother for God knew what reason.

"Come here," Jackie said softly, leading me to the steps of the porch of the cabin to sit down.

She took the bowls from my hand and set them to the side before leaning down before me, her hazel eyes searching mine worriedly.

"You okay?" she asked.

I breathed out slowly, trying to imagine the pain leaving my body, but the abruptness of the shove had hurt pretty bad. "Yeah, I think so."

She sighed, shaking her head. "They're jerks."

"It's fine," I said dismissively, knowing it was an accident.

She frowned, eyes flickering between mine, and I was forced to look away because I hated the sudden attention, my cheeks flushing at it. After what felt like forever, she grabbed the bowls from beside me and stacked them in hers.

"I've got this," she said, squeezing my knee comfortingly before standing up.

When she walked away, I let out a quiet breath of relief, not realising how nervous I'd been. So maybe this crush thing wasn't so fun anymore.

—

With crushing on Jackie meant wondering if she even liked me back, a question I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to. Sometimes I'd feel like she did, whether it be her lingering glances or ability to make me flustered, but then I'd second guess it as her personality and feel stupid for even considering otherwise.

For example, one time I was playing cards with Coach Scott when the blonde found me, asking to join in. So, we let her and played a few rounds of Go Fish before coach's leg was hurting and he left to take a nap.

"You wanna play acorn soccer?" Jackie asked with a playful glint in her eye.

I chuckled at the immediacy of her question. "Sure, why not?"

As we packed the cards away and left them on the side, I glanced around, noticing a few of the other girls were free.

"Should we ask the others?" I asked Jackie before we headed off.

She pretended to consider it. "We could... or we could save the hassle and just stick to us two?"

"Jackie!" I scolded lightheartedly.

"What?" she played along, flashing me a smile. "Someone's just gonna complain and then they'll spoil the fun. I like when it's just us."

I sighed, but gave her a small smile. "Fine. Let's go."

She grinned and led the way, and I had no choice but to follow her. It warmed my heart to know she enjoyed our time together too, but it was also one of those moments where I couldn't tell if I was seeing more into it than there was.

Luckily for me, I received an unbiased opinion on the matter without even asking for it. After Jackie and I played some acorn soccer together, we returned to the cabin before dinner and Jackie left to go catch up with Shauna. As I hung around to help with the fire, Nat found me.

"Hey," I greeted her with a smile. "You just come back from hunting?"

"Uh-huh," she said, before studying me curiously. "I have a question for you, Y/L/N."

Intrigued, I nodded encouragingly. "Shoot."

She knitted her eyebrows together with curiosity. "Since when did you and Jackie become so friendly?"

I shrugged, tossing some wood into the fire.

"Ever since she's been hanging out with you, she's been... nicer," she decided. "What d'you do?"

I gave her a disapproving look. "She was never mean, Nat, c'mon."

Nat weighed it up. "I guess, but sometimes she could be a real b–"

"Nat!" I smacked her arm gently, making her laugh.

"Look, all I'm saying is that girl is different," she said, motioning to the blonde who was chatting with Shauna, thankfully not in earshot of us. "And she definitely likes something about you."

"What can I say? I'm pretty likeable," I said jokingly.

She smirked knowingly. "Not like that, Y/N."

I lost my smile as she left me to it, wondering if she was right. I'd always thought it, but maybe if Nat was seeing it too then I wasn't going insane?

—

A few days later, I was helping Mari to hang some wet clothes on the washing line we'd strung up when something caught my attention.

"And where've you been?" Van asked someone, and I wouldn't have been intrigued if it weren't for the nonchalant response.

"Nowhere," Jackie replied, clearing her throat.

Curious, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Jackie returning to the cabin from somewhere or the other. The strange bit was seeing her clothes a little dirty, earth staining her denim shorts and white shirt. It was very unlike her to be so unkempt and dishevelled, from the mess of her hair to the mud on her nails. As the only one of us who seemed to actually still care how she looked, this was very out of the ordinary.

"Seriously?" I asked, reading Van's thoughts.

Jackie shrugged, wiping her hands on her shorts before heading around back, no doubt to wash off. I exchanged confused looks with Van before resuming with my job. Weird.

—

Struggling to sleep was something that hadn't really gotten better as time went on. You'd think it would considering it had been a month since we'd crashed here, but it was quite literally a hit and miss to whether I could actually fall asleep or not. And even then, at most, I'd get around five hours.

Tonight wasn't any different, and I was getting tired of the tossing and turning and forcing my eyes closed, so I accepted defeat and got up from my spot to sit in front of the fire. It was getting a little chillier in the air, the nights a little colder, and I feared what would happen when summer was over. But I tried not to overthink it right now, instead watching the wood burn a hot orange, embers crumbling off in the fireplace.

I sat there, hoping I'd succumb to fatigue soon enough, and then ten minutes passed and I heard movement from behind me.

"What are you doing?" It was Jackie, and she was yawning as she took a seat beside me, blanket hugging her.

Feeling bad, I said, "You don't need to–"

"Are you in pain?" she asked, waking up some more as she studied my expression.

"No," I breathed out, to which she relaxed. "Just couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?"

Another yawn, this time she tried to stifle it, and she shook her head. I wasn't stupid though, a frown on my lips.

"You can go back to sleep," I reassured her, in case she felt any moral obligation to be here.

Sly smile on her lips, she tilted her head to look at me. "Eager to get rid of me?"

I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips, and she chuckled quietly as to not wake anyone.

She nudged me with her shoulder, taking on a serious approach. "What's up?"

I stared back at the fire, finding it easier to tell the truth when I wasn't looking at her. "Just a lot on my mind."

"Like?"

Sighing quietly, I said, "This. My arm. Being rescued. It's been a month, Jackie."

She fell quiet, exhaling softly. "I know."

I wasn't sure why, but hearing the defeat in her voice only confirmed my fears – that we might be stuck here forever. Frowning, I looked down at my arm, remembering the day we crashed. The day everything broke down. The last day of our old life, but the first of our new one. How depressing.

"I had a dream about a cheeseburger last night," Jackie suddenly spoke, surprising me at the randomness of her comment.

"What?"

"Yeah," she continued like it was normal, nodding, "it was fresh from the grill, had cold lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, that really good burger sauce with the bits of pickle in–"

"Jackie," I stopped her.

She looked to me, confused and almost offended that I'd interrupted. "What?"

Bizarre, that's what she was, and it made me laugh. Worried I'd woken up the others, I looked around, thankful that everybody was still fast asleep, and looked back to Jackie with a stifled smile.

"What are you going on about?" I asked her in a low voice.

The fire was casting shadows across her face, making the glimmer of gold in her hazel eyes shimmer as she spoke. "There were fries too. Hot and crispy and perfectly salted."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically, though smiling. "Now you've just made me hungry."

She laughed quietly, looking to the fire with approval. "Better than sad."

My smile didn't disappear as I admired her profile, the curve of her jaw, the soft smile imprinted on her face, her hair that was still messy from being asleep. I could have watched her forever, sat there like that, but then I noticed something stuck in her hair. A remnant of a leaf or something.

"You've got something in your hair," I said in a hushed voice, and she lifted a brow as she glanced at me.

"Huh?"

Figuring it was easier to get it out myself, I leaned forward and used my fingers to gently remove the leaf from behind her ear. She stayed still as I did, then I flicked it in the fire before looking back to her, realising she was watching me closely. It could have been the quiet of the night, the crackling of the fire, the proximity between us, but I was amazed by her beauty, eyes taking in her whole expression.

I was close enough to make out the freckles dusting her nose, her earth-coloured eyes which were focused on mine, even the pinkness of her lips as she licked them subconsciously, making my heart race in my chest. It would have been so easy to lean forward, to close the gap and kiss her, but I was terrified. What if Nat was wrong?

What if she was right?

No, I wasn't bold enough to make the first move. If Jackie wanted this – which, the longer she didn't move away from me made me feel like she did – she'd have to do it. Like the wimp I was, I pulled back, looking away. She sighed as she looked back to the fire, and if I couldn't sleep before, I definitely couldn't now.

"Thanks for staying up with me," I said, "but you should sleep."

"So should you," she retorted.

"I promise, I'll try," I said, before standing up and returning to my bed.

She did the same, the two of us tucking ourselves in a few beds over from one another. My heart was hammering away as I laid down, thoughts of Jackie infiltrating my head.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

I swallowed thickly. "Goodnight."

—

If wanting to kiss Jackie Taylor one time wasn't bad enough, having Nat tease me was even worse. She never outright said anything to me since telling me what she thought that one time, but she was certainly enjoying watching me squirm. Especially one evening, when we were all settled around the campfire.

I had my blanket wrapped around me as I sat close to the fire, appreciating the warmth. It wasn't super cold out tonight, but it was comforting nonetheless. Nat was sat on my right, a space between us, and then Jackie appeared, glancing down at me with a smile.

"This seat taken?" she asked.

Before I could even answer, Nat glanced at me with a stifled smirk, and I knew what she was thinking which made me embarrassed all over again.

Trying to ignore Nat, I answered Jackie, "No, go for it."

She grinned and sat in the space between us, and I gave her the other side of my blanket which she wrapped around her shoulders. It wasn't huge though, and she was forced to sit a little closer, close enough for me to make out the smell of the perfume she still spritzed on every morning for a sense of normalcy. It was distracting, as was the feeling of her arm and leg pressed up to mine, and I willed myself to snap out of it.

Suddenly, some of the girls were cheering on the other side of the fire, and then I tuned in when I realised they'd agreed to play a game of truth or dare. Nothing like a typical dumb party game to get everyone's minds off being stranded in the wilderness, right?

Admittedly, it was a little funny going around the circle and watching the stupid dares involving the girls drinking moonshine and flashing themselves, or listening to the amusing truths about someone stealing money from their parents or lying on school tests. For a moment, it was like we really were just at a dumb party.

Then it was my turn to go and Mari asked me if I wanted to pick truth or dare.

"Hmm," I thought aloud, being sure to choose wisely. "I guess I pick dare. I mean, how bad can it be when I only have one working arm?"

"Wanna bet?" Van threatened playfully, a devilish smile on her face which made all the other girls laugh.

Smiling with amusement, I didn't doubt her ability to make a fool of me, broken arm or not. "Damn, truth it is."

Everybody fell quiet as they thought of something to ask, and I wasn't worried in the slightest until Lottie decided to speak.

"This is such a go-to, I'm surprised it hasn't been asked," she said with a chuckle, before looking at me. "Do you have a crush right now? Maybe a long lost love back home?"

My smile was still on my lips, though wanting to disappear as I blinked and became acutely aware of everyone's eyes on me, especially the blonde beside me who was very much the root of my crush.

"Nope," I said as convincingly as I could, making everyone groan at my boring answer.

I truly believed I'd gotten away with it until I looked to Jackie beside me as she was next, but instead caught sight of Nat's mischievous grin beside her. Swallowing thickly, I pretended she wasn't there and looked back to Jackie who was already considering her answer as Mari asked the question.

"Truth," she chose excitedly.

"Oh, I've got a good one," Van said eagerly, before fixing Jackie with a curious look. "What's the most disgusting thing you've done since being here?"

A few girls snickered, and I hid a smile as I awaited Jackie's answer. Everybody knew Jackie acted like a princess, so this must've been good.

Jackie thought about it for a moment, looking up in consideration, before she scrunched her nose with disgust. "Okay, nobody kill me," she disclaimed, piquing everyone's interest, "but I accidentally used someone else's toothbrush one time."

Almost instantly, everybody began to talk over one another, demanding to know whose toothbrush she'd used, but Jackie wasn't having it.

"I don't know whose brush it was!" she exclaimed, embarrassed and avoiding everyone's eyes. "I answered your truth and there's no follow up questions. Also, you should really keep your things out of the communal areas. Just saying."

I suppressed the urge to laugh as a few girls scoffed with disbelief. Jackie glanced at me, both embarrassed and amused, a smile on her lips.

"Okay, Nat, you're up next," Mari moved on. "Truth or dare?"

Nat leaned back on her hands as she answered nonchalantly. "Truth."

"I've got a good one," Shauna said, entertained smile aimed at Nat. "Who do you think has lied tonight?"

Everybody began to 'ooh' at her question, knowing it would be the start of some drama which we had so little of out here. I didn't consider it much, until Nat answered without missing a beat.

"Y/N."

I widened my eyes at her response, looking past Jackie and to a smirking Nat. Everybody was watching the two of us like a tennis match.

"What? Why?" I asked Nat calmly, not wanting to betray anything.

Nat only shrugged indifferently. "Dunno. It just can't be true that you don't have a crush."

I kept my cool as I said, "Well, it is."

"Maybe," Nat said, "but I don't believe it."

"Well, you're wrong," I said a little too quickly.

She laughed, unbothered by my defensiveness. "Okay. It's just my opinion."

My cheeks were flaming as I looked to the fire with embarrassment.

"Doesn't matter anyway," Nat added as an afterthought, enjoying tormenting me. "There'd be no way of you letting your crush know. It's not like they're here, right?"

I hoped Jackie couldn't feel the heat exuding from my skin as I sat there silently, distracting myself with my bottle of water and unable to respond to Nat's teasing. Thankfully, the subject was changed with the next person's turn, and I reminded myself to kill Nat later. She was enjoying this a little too much.

Once we'd gone around the circle once, it was getting late and a little nippy outside, so a few girls began to leave. Nat was one of them, winking at me playfully as she walked past, and just as I rolled my eyes, Jackie looked to me with confusion.

"What was that about?"

"Just Nat being Nat," I mumbled.

Unconvinced, she continued to stare at me with furrowed brows. "What was she doing earlier? Why did she say you were lying?"

"What?" I said, hoping to buy some time as I thought of a reason, because I definitely didn't expect her to say anything about it. "Oh, nothing. She was just trying to be funny."

Jackie licked her lips before pursing them. I thought she'd drop it, but then she narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously.

"Is it Nat? Your supposed crush?"

I almost choked on my spit. "What?"

Her expression softened. "Is that why she was teasing you? Because you like her?"

Shaking my head instantly, I said, "No, no. That's literally not it at all. If anything, Nat is a pain in my arse."

Jackie hummed quietly, looking back at the fire which was on its way to burning out. I exhaled with relief, finding it ironic that she thought it was Nat who I liked. Oh, how wrong she was.

"So, whose toothbrush was it?" I asked, changing the subject, knowing she was lying earlier.

She paused. "Misty's."

I snorted with amusement. "Yeah, she would've killed you if she found out."

Jackie smiled in agreement, hiding her laugh. I couldn't seem to look away, lost in her stunning profile, lit up by the fire. It was deja vu. Her blonde hair appeared golden, her eyes a kaleidoscope of green and brown, and her lips... they were pink and soft and I wanted to kiss her again, just like last time.

She suddenly turned to look at me, soft smile gracing her lips, and I was too warm in this blanket, our bodies so close that I wouldn't be surprised if she could feel the heat from my skin, a consequence of how nervous she was making me with a simple glance. All I had to do was lean in, but I couldn't.

"I think you're lying too," she muttered with amusement.

Dumbfounded, I asked, "What?"

She clarified, "About not having a crush."

I raised my eyebrows, making her chuckle quietly before patting my leg.

"C'mon, it's cold," she said, before standing up and leaving me with me the blanket, probably assuming I would follow her.

But I was too surprised at what she'd said. That was a hint, right? She knew? She knew I liked her?

Should I have kissed her?

—

I wet some scrap material in the lake, my only source for something cold in the wilderness, and carefully wrapped my broken but healing arm in it. It acted as a terrible ice pack, but I sighed with relief at the cool feeling.

It had been a month and a half since we'd been stranded, a month and a half since my arm broke. I couldn't be sure it was healing correctly, since it still hurt when I moved it and looked a little weird, but the swelling was gone and I didn't need to rely so much on the limited medication we had.

Still, I couldn't do everything I wanted to and I really missed having two working arms. Even now, as I looked out at the lake and saw some of the others swimming in the water, I was jealous. God, I was so bored. Even a swim would be nice, but I physically couldn't.

Instead, I took a spot by the shore and laid on my back, using my arm to shield the sun from my eyes and have a little nap. I didn't completely doze off, just enough to tune out my surroundings for a little while, but then I felt a shoe gently kick at my leg.

"Huh? What?" I asked tiredly, lowering my arm.

Jackie was stood above me, eager smile on her face. I hated the way the butterflies began to swirl in my stomach, all because the sun crafted her silhouette so perfectly. Stupid. Crush.

"I've got a surprise for you," she said.

I sat upright, rubbing my eye. "What does that even mean?"

"Come find out," she exclaimed, before grabbing my hand without warning and pulling me up.

"Jackie–"

"Close your eyes," she instructed with a suppressed grin.

I gave her a disapproving look. "Seriously?"

She shook my arm encouragingly. "C'mon! You're gonna love it. I hope."

Very curious and also still a little out of it from my nap, I decided to entertain her and closed my eyes. She didn't let go of my hand as she dragged me somewhere carefully. I wasn't sure where at first, but then the ground was full of grass and sticks, and leaves were skimming my bare arms the further she led me, and I guessed we were back in the woods.

"Okay, we're here," she said suddenly, stopping abruptly. "Open."

I sighed, opening my eyes and blinking a few times. We were at the usual spot we played acorn soccer in, and I didn't know what the surprise was, but then I saw it. It was some sort of goal or net made of sticks twisted together in an awkwardly shaped dome, about the height of my knee and the width of my outstretched arms.

"What is this?" I asked with an amazed smile, running forward to study it closely.

"You gotta have a target, right?"

I laughed. "This is sick, Jackie!"

She chuckled from behind me. "I'm glad you like it."

"Wait," I realised, turning around to look at her. "Is this what you've been doing?"

It explained why she would sometimes return to the cabin looking a little messy, but I never expected her to be building this. DIY wasn't really her thing.

"Why? You been keeping tabs?" she teased, crossing her arms.

I sighed softly, thinking back to the first time I'd said that to her. Funnily enough, in this very spot.

"You're such an idiot," I said, rolling my eyes playfully, before moving forward to hug her.

She returned it before asking, "Wanna test it out?"

I stared at her with an obvious look. "Duh!"

She grinned and we returned to our usual positions for acorn soccer, though this time we had an actual 'net' and it raised the stakes in the best way possible. I still couldn't believe she'd done this for me.

As I dribbled the acorn 'ball', throwing in some fancy footwork just to annoy Jackie, she put her foot out and I tripped over it, hitting the ground instantly. It didn't hurt, though was definitely surprising, but I thought it would be funny to make Jackie feel bad anyway.

"Ow!" I shouted, rolling onto my back and pretending to clutch my broken arm.

Her expression transformed into one of concern as she gasped. "Oh, shit, are you okay?! I didn't mean to–"

I pushed my foot out slightly before she could finish, easily knocking her forward onto the ground, landing right next to me with a thud. Laughter spilled from my mouth almost instantly, only increasing when she lifted her head to playfully glare at me, a dirt mark on her cheek.

"You asked for it," I said knowingly, before sitting upright.

I offered her my hand as she sat up too, legs intertwined with mine as she wiped her hands onto her shorts.

"Did I actually hurt you?" she asked, tilting her head towards me with a smile.

"You did not," I assured her with amusement, making her sigh with defeat.

"Not funny," she pointed out, which was hard to believe when her eyes were sparkling with anything but seriousness.

I snickered, before my eyes fell to the dirt mark on her cheek. "You've got a little something..."

Motioning to my cheek, she furrowed her brows and lifted her hand to her own to try and get it, but she missed.

"What?"

"Just right–"

"Here?"

I scoffed lightheartedly before using my thumb to get rid of it for her, wiping it away in a few swipes. I had to cup her jaw as I did, not even realising what I was doing until she exhaled softly and her breath dusted my lips. I paused, eyes flickering to hers, and that feeling came back, along with the nerves that always accompanied them. She looked between my eyes before hers fell to my lips, and mine did the same. I wanted to lean in, so so badly, but as usual, my body became paralysed with fear. Why was this so hard?

Like the wimp I was, I was about to let go of her jaw and pull away, ready to pretend this never happened. But she surprised me when she spoke up.

"Just do it."

I blinked, surprised, briefly meeting her half-lidded gaze, and that was all the confirmation I needed. Pushing away my fears, I finally leaned in, kissing her. She sighed into my mouth, moving her hand to the back of my neck to pull me even closer, and I had goosebumps all over at the feeling of her lips on mine. It was slow, long-awaited and wonderful, and I regretted not making a move sooner.

When we pulled apart, my heart was racing and I opened my eyes, only to be submerged in pools of hazel.

"Getting a kiss from you is like pulling teeth, I swear," she murmured, lips curving into a satisfied smile.

Flushing with embarrassment, I cleared my throat and let go of her. "Nothing stopped you from making the first move, y'know."

"And do all the work?" she asked rhetorically. "I left so many hints. I thought you would've taken them."

"I wasn't sure," I admitted, lips still tingling. She rolled her eyes teasingly, but I continued, "I couldn't be sure. Not with you. Not for me."

"You still sound doubtful," she noticed, smile fading a little.

I wasn't sure what to say because a small part of me still was. Accepting that Jackie Taylor had wanted me to kiss her was something I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to.

Suddenly, she kissed me again, brief but enough to have me second guessing my own name. When she pulled away, a knowing smile was on her lips.

"How about now?" she asked, and all I could do was swallow hard with warm cheeks.

She laughed before helping me up off the ground. We dusted ourselves off and then she held out her hand towards me.

"Let's head back," she said, and I smiled as I accepted her hand.

We walked back to the cabin, me personally feeling like I was on cloud nine because the girl I liked actually liked me back.

"So, the thing with Nat," Jackie brought up as we headed back. "The crush and the lying thing. That was about me?"

Oh, God, why was everything so embarrassing?

"Yes," I admitted reluctantly. "She was teasing me because she knew I wouldn't make a move."

This made Jackie chuckle. "She wasn't wrong."

I shot her a sideways glance. "Thanks for the reminder."

"Oh, c'mon," she said between laughter, "don't pout."

I rolled my eyes lightheartedly. "It's fine, don't worry. Let's just all laugh at Y/N because she couldn't kiss the girl, ha, ha, ha."

Jackie kept laughing, though I knew it wasn't out of spite. Besides, at least I'd finally made a move. That was all that mattered.

At least, it did for the next two minutes until we reached the cabin and I saw Nat sat on the steps, taking note of the two of us holding hands.

"And here we go," I whined to myself.

Jackie's smile, still on her face from the amusement of my inability to make the first move, faded as she glanced between Nat and I.

"Hey, Nat!" she called to the blonde, confusing me and earning her attention.

As soon as Nat looked our way properly, Jackie let go of my hand and kissed me, cupping my face between her hands  and taking her time. I was so surprised when she pulled away, as was Nat, not expecting her to be so outright with it.

"What–"

"Anything to add?" Jackie cut me off, instead looking to Nat with a quirked brow that dared her to tease me.

Nat shook her head. "Not at all. Huh."

Satisfied, Jackie smiled sweetly and I was sure my face was hot with embarrassment. I probably should've seen that coming, but also, how could I have?

"Good job," Nat said to me as she walked past us, impressed smile on her lips.

I blinked, before looking to Jackie. "Erm, thanks?"

"Hey, she may have been right, but only I get to tease you about it," she said in a way that sounded like she was joking but I knew she wasn't.

I breathed out, small smile on my face. I may have been the shy one, but at least I had Jackie to rely on. It's not like I'd ever have to make the first move again anyway. The hard part was over.

[yaksokhay]

a walk to remember

plot: in which you go out with your new friend circle in your new school, including the guy you like, and your friends come up with an impulsive idea to let you two walk to the cafe while they use the cab.

ᵍᵉⁿʳᵉ: ᶠˡᵘᶠᶠ, ᶜᵒᵐᶠᵒʳᵗ

the school bell rang. releasing us into the afternoon with a screaming sun. we gathered our things and headed out. we laugh and jostle each other, our footsteps echoing on the stairway as we make our way downstairs. we try to search for a cab, and suddenly my friends come up to me and him with a sudden, mischievous plan.

'how about we take a cab to the cafe, and you two walk? there aren't enough seats in the cab for all five of us to fit in, and on top of that we have bulky bags. you can give us your bags and walk, the cafe is close by anyway" my best friend suggesting, eyes twinkling with mischief. i looked at her with my wide eyes as she barely suppressed a grin. oh you are so dead when i see you later.

in the background the others slowly get the hang of what's going on - "yea, it's just a short walk." they chime in.

feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, i glanced at him. he shrugged, giving a small shy smile that made my heart flutter.

"sure, why not" i said, trying to sound casual and not give it away. with that, my friends piled into a cab, leaving the two of us standing on a sidewalk. the sun-drenched afternoon felt warmer than it should. every second step made me conscious about myself - was i looking alright while walking? why is it so hot? am i sweating too much?' i prayed to the gods above that he wouldn't notice the singular drop of sweat dripping down my temples.

we started down the tree-lined street, the sound of our footsteps mingling with the chaotic hum of traffic. we weren't that close as friends, not like i was with the rest - I was never really able to break into his protective 'shell' so to speak

i glanced at him as he walked a little ahead of me. he was wearing a black hoodie, his classic, with the grey school trousers and the hem of the white t-shirt peeking out from beneath. his hair looked soft with a few black strands sticking out due to the lazy breeze.

"so," clearing my throat as i began, breaking the silence, "tell me something about yourself. what are your plans after school?"

he smiled, looking a bit shy but willing to share. "well, i'm not entirely sure yet."

i let out a sound of 'oh i see' but was internally dying because he clearly seemed like the type to give short answers and not open up much. i shut my eyes tightly in embarrassment and let out a soft sigh as i mustered up the courage to ask him my next question.

'so what are your hobbies?" we both asked each other at the same time. for that moment we paused, looked at each other amused and laughed lightly.

"ahh i like music, maybe something in composition or performance, i enjoy the idea of creating something new, even if its just a small part of a bigger piece" he said.

"oh my god, no way! me too. i want to do something in music producing and performance too. i like singing and dancing, lets pair up for the end of year talent show this year. oh and maybe one day you'll produce a track for me". i joke excitedly, bumping his shoulder and looked at him smiling brightly, a little too brightly in my opinion. quickly realizing that, i looked in the front, feeling a little embarrassed.

he nods, a chuckle leaving his lips as he notices you looking away. "i can see that. you have that kind of energy. and i'd like that." although the last part was soft, you'd heard it. and your heart was on fire, it was beating so fast, max verstappen wouldn't be able to beat the speed.

we look ahead and realize we need to cross the road. stepping out from the cool shade of the trees into the warm embrace of the sunlight. the light dances on the road, the shadows of our figures blend, creating a fleeting moment of connection. of course, i am the only one who noticed that. thinking to myself as i internally chuckled at my silly behavior.

once we reach the other side i curiously ask him "so who's your favorite artist?"

he looks thoughtful. "i really like the beatles, and nirvana. their music is so introspective. what about you?"

i grin, excited to share. "i love the beatles too, these days i listen to a lot of seventeen and ateez though."

as we approach the cafe, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods wafts through the air. i realize how easy and natural it feels to talk to him. when we finally reach the cafe, our friends are already there, waving from a corner booth. i glance at him, and he gives me a shy but genuine smile.

it's a small moment, but oh boy my heart did a little !

pt.2 - 'warm lights & bold moves'

[serenadeonacanoe]

Waiting for Something (Namjoon x OFC) Chapters 36-38

Pairing: Kim Namjoon x Original Female Character Genre/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Smut, Pining, Emotional Realism, Slice of Life, Media/Celebrity Dynamics, Bangtan are truly good friends to OFC, travel, Seoul, this has a bit of it all... Word Count: ~126k | Chapters so far: 45 Status: Incomplete Yes, this is a bit of a monster of a fic. It was my first one, five years ago. At the time I just wanted to get my mind off Covid, no editing, just writing every day. Now I finally found time to edit it all, my goal having been to finish before BTS returns. So you have been warned: This covers quite a few years and is full of tropes and cheesiness. I hope you enjoy. =)

More already on AO3

Summary: It starts as a joke. A red carpet wink, a viral clip, a late-night show stunt. Ollie, a rising music journalist, never meant to become the girl who accidentally flirts with Kim Namjoon on live TV... and definitely not the one who ends up texting him afterward.

But what begins with playful banter and harmless curiosity slowly becomes something else. Through late-night messages, missed opportunities, chaotic schedules and quiet moments of honesty, Ollie and Namjoon find themselves circling something that might be real. If only the timing weren’t always slightly off.

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

Chapter 36

I wish I hadn't been so tired. The party was fun but I couldn't help yawning every other minute. Even after I had managed to make the fancy espresso machine in the kitchen work, I knew I wouldn't last much longer. Tomorrow we would be filming some interviews in the afternoon and the knowledge that no one had to get up as early as usual seemed to revive the spirits. I had basically never seen Jimin so much in his element. Surrounded by friends and the other guys, the music was a mix of French and Korean and from what I could gather, everyone seemed to behave. The few times strangers took pictures on their phones, someone rushed to them to make sure nothing would end up on Instagram. I didn’t want to be a party pooper, so I just hoped that would be enough. They deserved to have some fun. To feel normal. Even if normal in this case meant celebrating in an absurdly expensive Paris apartment. Which probably was far from normal...

"Want to head home?" Namjoon asked, putting an arm around my shoulder after a particularly big yawn. "Yeah, I think so. But you can stay. How are you not tired?" I kind of knew the answer. That he really was tired as well, but enjoyed the company. The boyfriend of the woman who owned the apartment was an art history PhD and Namjoon had spent half the night nerding out with him. Finally, someone who didn’t just listen to his enthusiastic descriptions of some exhibition he had seen, but actually knew what he was talking about. "You sure?" I nodded with a smile. "Go. Talk about forceful brushstrokes and connections to early impressionism." Joon chuckled and after he kissed me good night, I said my goodbyes to some people, found my coat after quite a bit of searching and headed to the elevator.

Trying to call an Uber, I almost bumped into Sue who was also waiting. "Oh, shit... sorry..." I murmured, a little embarrassed at how much I had focused on my phone. "Are you also heading back to the hotel?" When she turned around I could tell that something was going on, but I honestly thought she was just really tired as well. The fact that she hardly spoke two words in the cab didn’t seem particularly unusual. She was often quiet, especially when she was tired. We said our goodbyes in the hallway and when I finally fell into the big bed in Namjoon’s room, I didn’t mind at all having it to myself for a few hours.

Falling asleep next to Joon - or on top of him - was something I cherished more than I cared to admit, but right this second, I just enjoyed taking up as much space as I wanted. And it wasn’t long before I dozed off.

When I woke up because my phone was vibrating right next to my head, it took me a second to understand what was happening. Where I was. It felt like I had only just fallen asleep, but a glance at the clock next to the bed made me answer the phone even quicker. Why was Namjoon calling me at five in the morning? "Hey, are you okay? Where are you?" Laughter from the other side. "Okay, just because I’m calling you doesn’t mean I’ve gotten into an accident or fell down some stairs, yeah?" I growled at him, letting my head sink back into the pillow. "It is five in the morning and I am still half asleep. I think a little concern is only appropriate." "Yeah, maybe... and I actually need your help." "Oh?" "I’m in a cab with Jin and I don’t think I can get him to his room by myself." "What?" "He is... I think wasted is an understatement. And I could probably give him a piggyback ride but not without drawing quite a bit of attention." I could hear it in his voice. Namjoon wasn’t sober either. "Ehm, sure. I can meet you guys downstairs. When will you be there?" "In about twenty minutes?"

When I got up I could still feel the last remnants of alcohol in my blood. It made me dizzy when I tried to get into my jeans, so I sat down to put on my shoes. In the elevator down, I tried to smooth down my hair a little, but I figured it didn’t matter anyway what I looked like to hotel staff helping a very drunk Jin upstairs. It was cold outside, but at least I didn’t have to wait too long.

When I opened the car door, Namjoon was apologizing to the driver while Jin was also talking to him - in Korean. Jesus. I had never seen him like this. As soon as he noticed me, he gave me a big hug, basically falling into my arms which almost made my knees buckle. With a loud "Hey... easy!" Namjoon grabbed him from behind and saved us both from falling.

Somehow we managed to link our arms with him and march through the lobby. At first Jin was still laughing, but then he basically collapsed against the elevator wall. He let out a little whimper which made me frown and I pushed his hair out of his face. "Hey, it’s fine. You just need some sleep, okay?" Another whimper. "I did something bad." Surprised, I looked over at Namjoon who shook his head and then shrugged his shoulders to show he had also no idea what Jin was talking about. "No, you had a rough day. Once in a while it doesn’t matter. You just have to sleep it off..." I tried to assure him.

Finding his room key card was a bit of a challenge, but after we had dropped him in his bed and taken off his shoes, he seemed to doze off pretty quickly. "Oh my god, I’m exhausted. I basically carried him from the apartment to the street and then for another ten minutes because there just weren’t any taxis." Namjoon said that as soon as we had stepped out to the balcony to catch a breath of air. The morning hadn’t broken yet, but the view over Paris was quite a sight. I leaned against the railing, taking a deep breath in. "How is your shoulder?" Joon looked down as if I had caught him doing something bad. But I wasn’t going to scold him. Of course he had helped his friend - who wouldn’t have? Gently, I pushed my hand across his shoulder. It was chilly, but I didn’t want to go back inside yet. "What the hell happened?"

Joon was yawning. "Don’t know. I only noticed how drunk he was when there was only a handful of people left. I figured I better take him back with me." He put an arm around my waist, drawing me in closer. "Sorry to wake you up." "No, it’s fine. Of course I’m glad you did." Now I was yawning as well, which made us both laugh. "Okay, bedtime. I think I’m going to stay here with him though. Just in case." I couldn’t help smiling. "You are a pretty great friend, you know that Kim Namjoon?" Joon chuckled. "You are pretty great all-around actually." He looked down at me now, not sure where the praise was coming from all of a sudden. But it seemed to both amuse and confuse him. "I love you."

There it was. A moment as special - considering the view - as undignified - considering what we had just done. I hadn’t even thought about it much. It just felt right. "Ollie..." Joon murmured, almost sounding surprised. "I mean it. I love you a lot." He was chuckling before he pulled me into a tight hug. "Love you too. Why now? How am I supposed to let you go now?" "Well. Bad timing is our thing, right?" "Sure..." "The bed is big enough for the three of us..." I said but had started to laugh before I had even ended the sentence. Fully aware that that wouldn’t happen. But it made him laugh as well before he kissed me and we just stood there for a while.

When I walked back to our room, my body was overwhelmed with everything. I tried to keep my eyes open a little longer after I had gotten back into bed. So I would remember what this had felt like. Every detail of it. But I had no chance. I think it was John Green who had written in one of his books that you fell in love the way you fall asleep. Slowly, and then all at once.

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Chapter 37

JIN

My morning started on the bathroom floor. I couldn't quite remember how I had gotten there, but I knew Namjoon was with me and was now patting my back while I leaned over the toilet bowl hoping this was it. It wasn’t.

Eventually I was able to force some water down my throat without puking it up again, but that didn’t make me feel less horrible. This was no headache. Surely this was what dying felt like. Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but for the first hour after Joon had woken me up, I honestly had problems standing upright. It got a bit better after I had some food, painkillers and fresh air. The only problem was that then memories from the night before came rushing back in.

People were patient, especially Makeup Noona. I looked like a ghost and luckily we were shooting outside so wearing sunglasses helped. Keeping myself busy kept me from thinking too much, but it got harder and harder to push that one memory back into the back of my head. Every time it popped up I tried to ignore it, but around the early afternoon I had to give up. With a deep sigh, I buried my face in my hands and slumped down on my chair. Fuck. I had messed up.

Around me, people gave me pitying looks. Nobody seemed to be actually mad, which made me think that they didn't know. They would have been mad otherwise, right? I was mad at myself. Even if they thought it wasn't any of their business, they probably would have commented on it at least. I knew these guys.

Deep in thought, I looked over at Namjoon - my best friend who had not only carried me home but had also stayed with me all night. Most of the time I was the one taking care of him, but damn, he had really shown up for me last night. I knew he would have done so even if he had known, but he probably would not have tried to make me laugh all day. Sometimes it worked, but then it made my head worse.

And Ollie. She brought me orange juice. I think if she knew, she probably would have pushed it into my face instead.

But the one person I really wanted to know whether she knew... wasn’t there at all. When I had asked Georgia after breakfast, she had said Sue didn’t feel good. "Which is odd. She didn’t even stay long enough to get as wasted as we did." She had just shrugged and moved on.

I hadn’t even known Sue had been at the party. She had spent most of the day ignoring me and then went to dinner with the others. I had taken a cab back to the hotel, but eventually Jimin had convinced me over the phone to join them. Let off some steam. Which I had.

And I had thought about Sue. Really. Until I hadn’t thought at all anymore.

She had been at the party. And now she was not feeling well. I really felt the urge to look after her. I wanted to. But at the same time, I knew that would mean I’d have to face reality. How could I make sure she was okay, knowing I had made out with some random girl last night?

There. As soon as I had said it out loud - well, maybe not out loud, more like in my head - it made it even worse. Because I kind of hated myself.

I tried to imagine telling Sue. She would probably say something along the lines of "It’s not like we’re exclusive" and still be super hurt. I even felt hurt myself. Like some alternate version of me had taken control last night and now I had to deal with the consequences. Which was of course not only absurd but such a weak thing to do. It was my fault. Clearly. Didn’t mean I knew what to do.

When I got back to my hotel room I realized one of the pillows still smelled like Sue’s hair. And seriously? That made me want to cry. I could have fallen asleep right then and there - which probably would have been a good idea, to take a quick nap before the show. But eventually, I got up and extremely slowly walked up to Sue’s room. My knock was so quiet, it was almost like I didn’t want her to hear it.

No response. Another knock. Still nothing.

"Hey... it’s me. Are you okay? Are you awake?" Silence. Then eventually, a little, "Yeah... I’m fine." Hm. "Can I come in then?" Silence again. Then eventually, some footsteps, abruptly stopping.

I figured the door would open now, but it didn’t. Instead, Sue’s little voice, much closer now. "I don’t feel so good. I think I’m going to stay in tonight, okay?" "Can I get you anything? Have you eaten?" I had closed my eyes, leaning against the door frame, feeling like such an asshole. Playing the good guy. "Yeah, I had room service earlier. I think I’m just going back to bed and hope I’ll be better by tomorrow." "Okay. Ehm. Do you want some company?" — "Jin, I’m sick. Not really." "Yeah, sure. No, I get it. But if you need anything just call me, okay?" "I will. Good night." "Good night, baby."

It had slipped out. I really shouldn’t have said that. It made me bury my front teeth into my lower lip so hard... for a second, I thought it might actually split. It didn’t. And Sue didn’t say anything after that. I just heard a couple of footsteps and then I left as well.

Baby. I really was the biggest asshole around.

Why? I kept asking myself that over and over again when I took another shower to wake myself up more. Yeah, I had never been this drunk before, but why did I fall for the mother of all stereotypes and make out with the first girl I came across?

To my own shame, I had to admit that I didn’t know her name. I wasn’t even sure if she had ever told me. Somehow we had ended up kissing in the kitchen and then in some sort of pantry. Pretty sure the only reason we had stopped was that I had leaned my hand against something behind her that wasn’t actually able to hold my weight and we had almost broken a fridge. She had hit the back of her head. I had faceplanted right into it. After that, we stumbled back to the party where I drank even more. Before Namjoon eventually decided I’d had enough. I wish he had done so hours earlier. But it wasn’t his fault either. Just mine.

In the car to the venue that night, my shades came back on. I don’t think I had looked anyone in the eye all day. Ollie got in the seat next to me, asked me how I was and when I only hummed, she gently patted my shoulder and then leaned her head against it.

It was such a nice little gesture that I had to take a deep breath. But when she didn’t move away, it made me feel worse and worse because I didn’t deserve it. To my own surprise, the corners of my eyes started burning and I just couldn’t make it stop. I was too scared to move because I didn’t want her or anyone to notice. Even though I could stop actual tears from forming by blinking a lot... eventually my nose must have gotten a little runny and Ollie turned her head on my shoulder after she heard.

For a second, she just looked at me. Then she moved her index finger to my cheek, carefully pushing it up a little until she had moved my sunglasses to my forehead. I was so uncomfortable. I kept blinking while looking the other way.

"Jin..." I only heard her say. So full of compassion that I suddenly felt like vomiting again. "What’s wrong?" There was a little laughter audible in her voice. Probably because she thought I had such a bad hangover that I had started crying.

What was wrong? Me. But instead of telling her just that... I enjoyed that she gave me the most gentle of all side hugs and pushed her nose into my upper arm. I didn’t deserve any of it. But I craved it. Fucked up, I know.

I tried my best to put all thoughts of Sue and last night aside for the show. ARMY deserved only the best. No matter what.

But it took all my remaining energy. And no matter how much I knew I had to do something about all of this mess... afterwards, I could only go straight back to the hotel and fall into my bed. Alone.

SUE

I was almost impressed by how much I had kept it together. Probably wouldn’t have been much longer before he could have heard by my voice how upset I had been. That I hadn’t been in bed because I had had too much alcohol the night before - what an unprofessional reason - but was just incredibly sad.

After I had bumped into Olivia at the elevator last night, it had taken so, so much to keep it together in the cab home. But as soon as my room door had closed behind me, I had just hidden under the covers.

Stupid boy. No. Stupid man. He wasn’t a boy. He should have known better.

And stupid me. For actually believing this was something that wouldn’t break my heart. I had known better, right? I had warned myself over and over again. And bam. A couple of days of supposedly utter bliss, and then... those lovely memories of Jin crowding that girl’s space, kissing her, them deeply entangled... Playing over and over and over in my head.

No idea how I managed not to cry. Instead, I just lay there and tried to talk myself into falling asleep. Letting future Sue deal with this. But it took way too long before it worked. And I hardly felt better the next morning. Just more tired.

So I called in sick and tried to sleep some more. Because now I also felt like an idiot for being a grown woman who wasn’t able to face Jin at work like I probably should have. Jin wasn’t the only one who dropped by later to check on me. He wasn’t even the first. That was nice. But I couldn’t deal with anyone. I was too embarrassed.

I had dreaded hearing his voice. And at the same time, I had longed for it. Wanted to know that he at least gave enough of a shit about me to notice I hadn’t been around all day. I still couldn’t face him though. So we had only exchanged a few sentences. It was the baby part that finally broke me, and I spent the rest of the night in bed crying.

The next day, I felt even worse. But I knew I couldn’t stay inside this room any longer. So after I had taken a shower, I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long while. Makeup had hidden much of my blotchy skin. And the fact that the corners of my eyes were still a little red.

In theory, it was easy. Take it day by day.

So for today: Avoid Jin. Avoid deep conversation with anyone really. Be polite. Smile. Go to bed early. You can do that. Maybe.

JIN

Three days. It took me three days to be sure that she knew. I had absolutely no idea how, since nobody else seemed to. But I had analyzed this all in my head so much that I was sure there was no other explanation that seemed reasonable.

Okay, maybe I had simply forgotten that I had seen her at the party that night and I had been really mean to her or something. But I would have remembered that, right? No. It seemed far more likely that somehow, she knew.

At first, I had thought she was just still under the weather. But whenever I went over to talk to her during breaks, she avoided eye contact. And when I eventually left her alone and only tried to text her later that night, she had replied politely but distant. Always a reason to stop talking over the next few days. She was tired. She needed to be somewhere. She had already eaten.

I never asked if anything was wrong because I knew that something was wrong. It just took me a while to be sure she knew as well.

I don’t know why I finally acted when we got to the airport, but that was where it happened. Where I sat down next to her and we just stayed quiet for a good while before Sue got up to pretend to go to the bathroom - even though I had just seen her come out of it ten minutes earlier.

I didn’t want to keep her from going away by taking her hand or grabbing her wrist. This wasn’t a drama.

"I’m sorry." I just murmured. At first, I wasn’t even sure if it had been loud enough for her to hear, but she stopped without turning around. "Yeah. I’m sorry as well."

Even after she had walked off, the words kept ringing in my ear. It hadn’t been an apology from her side. It had been confirmation that I was a dickhead.

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Chapter 38

Eventually, I heard about it. We all did. Someone must have seen them making out in that now-infamous Parisian pantry. And maybe it wasn’t my place - or anyone’s really - but I was mad. Sue looked miserable but tried to play it down. Jin had stopped looking people in the eye. He was sad as well, that was easy to tell, but I was too angry to feel sorry for him.

"Look, all I am saying is that you can’t stay mad at him forever. Okay?" Namjoon murmured after I had vented to him for a good ten minutes. His hand was on the nape of my neck, gently stroking circles against my skin. I knew he just wanted to calm me down, but it didn’t seem to work. Not this time. "Well, it’s not like I can just turn it on and off again as I please. And besides… it hasn’t been that long and everyone is pretending nothing happened." "Because this is between the two of them. Trust me, I am… angry as well. I have no idea what went through his head at the time… I don’t think it was much. And I hate seeing Sue like that."

I looked over at him and sighed. "But what are we supposed to do? Yell at him even though she isn’t?" he asked. "She would never. Even if she wanted to… so maybe we should do it for her." "And then? Make her even more uncomfortable? Pretty sure that’s the last thing Sue wants."

He was right. Of course he was right. I hated it. The truth was that it wasn’t my business, but it was just not fair. No matter the labels or whatever Sue was saying. He had hurt her. And I had been the idiot consoling him right after. Okay, I hadn’t known, but it didn’t feel good.

"I hope… he gets to cry at least half as much as she probably has." I murmured, less anger in my voice, mostly because I was starting to give up, letting my head plop onto Joon’s shoulder. "Oh… believe me. He has been crying. You should see his face when he gets to rehearsals after skipping breakfast." I was quiet for a second. "What?" "Well… now I kinda feel bad for him as well." "Jesus, Ollie." Joon was chuckling now. "Maybe, just maybe, if you get into other people's business… at least make up your mind." "Easy for you to say, Mister High Horse." "Oh please. He knows how I feel about it. Don’t even have to say it."

He was probably right again.

SUE

Jimin had just hugged me. Jimin, who I hardly knew. Who had looked at me as if I was a beaten puppy.

He had meant well and it made me feel all warm and happy - but only for about a second. Afterwards, it just reminded me that apparently, everyone knew. About what had happened in Paris, when I had naively thought most of them didn’t even know something had happened between Jin and me in the first place. But no. They all knew and gave me those looks. Poor little Sue.

I had been sipping a pint of beer for about half an hour without making much progress. The pub Jimin, Gloria, Ollie and I had visited had a dartboard and while these people could have been seeing the world - we were in London, goddammit - that seemed to be the most important and most entertaining thing right now. Maybe it would have felt like that to me as well if I hadn’t spent the last couple of nights alone in my hotel room.

They had dragged me out of there eventually and I was grateful, but at the same time I didn’t know how to act around them. Welcoming all stereotypes about being a true introvert, I had brought a book today. Which helped a little, even though my thoughts kept drifting elsewhere and sometimes I would just look out the window I was leaning against for minutes at a time.

Maybe this wasn’t so bad. Maybe with time, I would enjoy it - being out with my friends. Seeing the world, even if right now it was only through a window. Maybe eventually that would be more important than constantly replaying in my head what had happened.

There was a constant stream of people rushing by. From time to time, some of them would stop by the menu next to me on the window. The sun reflecting in it made them not even realize I was there. After a while, I ignored them as well - only realizing Namjoon was now the one standing in front of it after he had gotten out of a cab and stood there for a couple of minutes.

When I looked up and recognized him, he was typing on his phone. Seconds later I heard Ollie over at the dartboard picking up. About to get back to my book, I suddenly froze.

Namjoon wasn’t alone. Jin was right next to him, leaning against the window on my other side. He was so close, if the window hadn’t been there, I could have just reached out and touched his arm.

His - from my view - sudden appearance made me flinch. And still, I was looking at him.

He looked tired. Even though I couldn’t hear Namjoon, I could see his lips moving, but Jin was just standing there. An arm against the window, looking to the ground.

"Oh yeah, no you got the right place... I can see you come in!" I heard Olivia saying halfway across the bar. Namjoon looked up, smiled, waved. He was about to come in, but turned around to Jin when he realized his friend wasn’t moving.

I could almost hear him sigh. It looked like he was trying to persuade Jin to join him - one hand on his shoulder, his face somewhere between annoyed and encouraging. I had noticed that Namjoon had been extra nice to me over the last couple of days and rather quiet toward his best friend. But now he was trying to convince a not-really-enthusiastic Jin to come inside.

What I hated most about it was that I wanted him to leave. But there was also a little part of me that wanted him to stay.

They kept talking, but eventually Joon just dragged Jin in and they joined the others. It took a while for either of them to realize that I was over at the table with the jackets and bags.

Namjoon saw me first, smiled at me and raised his hand to say hi. Jin just froze. His eyes seemed to flicker between me and the window - where he had just been standing - and then me again.

Slowly he nodded. Tried a smile. And I tried to copy it, out of politeness, but it didn’t work properly.

Getting back to my book was hard after that. I noticed him looking over from time to time. And when he eventually walked over, I swear I stopped breathing for a bit.

He sat down on the other side of the booth, facing me, sliding down the backrest with his hands still in his pockets. But he didn’t say anything. Which, after a while, pissed me off enough to look up.

"What?" I murmured under my breath. The way his eyes were wide open made me think he was somewhat surprised by my reaction - but to be honest, so was I. "Nothing. I just wanted to say hi." I took a deep breath. "Hi." "Hi."

Great. "Jin, I really don’t want to talk. I don’t feel so great and..." When I looked up, I couldn’t help but stop right away. There were tears in the corners of his eyes. He tried to hide them by looking away and blinking, but they were there. And of course, that shouldn’t have changed anything - but it made my heart ache and my lips quiver.

"Okay then. Just give me a second. And then I’ll join the others." He replied and the tone of his voice made me look down again.

OLIVIA

I was hiding in Namjoon’s chest, my arms around his waist, but looking over at our table. Didn’t look good.

Instead of sighing, I just buried my face in Joon’s sweatshirt. The fabric was soft and I could feel his body heat through it, which was somewhat comforting. After a while, if I concentrated well enough, I could usually make out his heartbeat.

I lost it again when he moved one of his hands to my back to stroke it, still watching Jimin’s sad attempt at turning this round of darts around in his favor. I felt thankful. And even more so when...

A little tap on my back. "Hey, look. I think your friends are here." There were a lot of hugs and smiles and I thought I had made the right decision. Until... "You... you invited him?" Joon suddenly murmured in my direction after I had introduced him to some people.

I looked up at him - a little confused - then followed where he was looking, and my mouth fell open. "No... definitely not." Mickey. My Ex.

A little shy smile on his face. His hair a lot longer than when I had seen him last. Burberry coat. Definitely Mickey.

He raised a hand to greet me but didn’t seem in a rush to come over, as if he was too polite and wanted to give me time to say hello to the others first. Which I did, mainly because I was so shocked. Why the fuck was he here.

But before I could talk to him or even finish my thought on what I wanted to say or do, Namjoon had stepped away from me and up to Mickey. I couldn’t help noticing that Mickey straightened up his posture right away to make up for the few centimeters he was missing on Namjoon. For a second I was scared Joon was going to push him - which I really should have known better - but he stopped right in front of him. I got there three seconds later, suddenly in a rush to get between them.

Some "Hey", "Hello", "Nice to see you!"s later and Namjoon was still silently judging Mickey’s mere existence. "What are you doing here, Mickey?" I finally got out. He didn’t answer for a few seconds before giving me a crooked smile.

"I see... you two are... back... great. So happy for you."

I had no idea where this was heading, or why he had decided to show up, but I could feel how tense everything was. And I didn’t like it. It scared me, actually. Namjoon hadn’t said a word yet and Mickey was acting like a teenager, trying to provoke. Or at least it felt that way. It had only been a few minutes, but I already knew that I couldn’t leave these two alone with each other.

"I mean it. What are you doing here?" I asked again, incredibly thankful that my voice hadn’t given in even though it felt like it could any second.

Finally, Mickey managed to look at me instead of Joon. "Well, I heard you were in town and knew it would probably be a while before that happens again, right? So I wanted to say hi. I figured you wouldn’t mind... the whole gang seems to be back together."

"The gang" - aside from never having been called that before - was not back together. This was a random assortment of my friends. Sure, some of them he knew as well. But what made me even angrier was...

"Actually, I do mind." I murmured and stared at him. "Ollie... come on. Don’t be like that. You can’t be happy with the way we left things after we saw each other last, right? We both said some really ugly things and I figured..." "Pretty sure you figured enough." Namjoon suddenly hissed at him.

And I agreed. Still, my hand shot to his between our bodies - maybe to hold him back if I had to. Another little trace of reflex Mickey had left in my subconscious. Feeling like you should make sure your partner wouldn’t get too angry.

But Namjoon just held my hand and stared at Mickey, so little expression on his face he looked like a completely different person.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Mickey said with laughter in his voice, his hands raised in front of his body as if he wanted to downplay the whole thing. Belittle Joon. "I just wanted to grab a beer. No need to be so sensitive... and—"

"OH MY GOD, FUCK OFF!"

The words had been on my mind. But it wasn’t me who had said them. Or rather roared them.

I looked to the side. So did Joon. Mickey. Probably half the pub. Next to us, in front of our table, stood Sue.

Her face full of surprise about what she had just done. It looked as if she had gotten up to keep Jin from interfering - who had also stood as soon as he had seen Namjoon’s expression. Now Jin was standing next to Sue and his face was so full of admiration and pride... If his eyes hadn’t been so red and his heart so heavy, he would have exploded with how much he liked her.

But my eyes were still on Sue. I had seen her blush plenty of times, but never so much so quickly.

And then I had to snort, turning around to Mickey again. "You know what? She is right. Just fuck off. I have no idea what you want... but I also don’t care. Just... fuck off."

I could feel Namjoon’s face against the side of my head. When I turned, I realized he was doing that to hide a huge grin.

Instead of seeing through that, Mickey actually left. I dragged Namjoon back to the others. I kept myself from checking for a while, but when I finally looked back toward the door, Mickey was gone.

Namjoon was still giggling into my hair. Most people around me seemed either very amused or very confused.

Finally, I turned around to my savior and saw Sue standing there, welling up. Quickly I moved over to her - she was already shaking her head. "Sorry Ollie, I have no idea what came over me. I don’t feel like myself." With a smile on my face, I hugged her tight. "No. Don’t apologize. That was brilliant. You are so right. I should have told him the same damn thing as soon as he set his foot through the door."

When I let go of her again, it was slowly and Sue was nodding. I could only pray she was actually agreeing. She used one sleeve of her sweater to wipe her eyes, and then - to my surprise - the other one to reach for Jin’s hand, who was still standing next to us.

It was only a second later that she realized... remembered... whatever. The gentlest of touches. But when she did remember, she flinched back and looked up at him in apology.

"Shit. Okay. Guys. I am going back to the hotel. I am exhausted. So sorry, I really hope you have a great night."

Jin had insisted on bringing her to the hotel. Sue had said no, only allowed for him to call her an Uber.

Now he was sitting by the window, just where Sue had sat earlier, with his head in his hands and staring outside.

I only stopped looking over at him when two arms wrapped themselves around my body from behind. To my surprise, it wasn’t Joon but Tae, who lifted me up for a little bit and then let go when I started complaining - only to give me an incredibly tight hug after. "Asshole can get lost." was all he had to say while hugging me with a smile on his lips. And it took me a split second before I realized he didn’t mean Jin. Thank god. My heart would have broken. He meant Mickey.

Smiling, I stroked his mop of black hair for a while and he took my hand to drag me back to the dartboard.

I felt euphoric. Imagined this was what people who came back from war triumphant felt like. Which was of course a horrible comparison, especially considering that I had hardly done anything. Also, I hadn’t been to war...

Namjoon soon shushed away Tae - who seemed a little upset but then got cuddles from Gloria instead - putting his arms around me from behind, leaning his chin on my shoulder.

I felt safe. Maybe a hundred different thoughts should have been rushing through my head. Everything from wishing I didn’t need Joon or Sue or anyone to stand up for me, to what if Mickey got angry and dropped my secret - our secret - somewhere online.

But for the moment I couldn’t help letting go of all that. Just enjoying the fact that I was surrounded by so many people dear to my heart.

In fact... there were even more people dear to my heart - or at least dear to other people in my life - around than I had thought. Anyone had thought. Which both Namjoon and I realized at the exact same moment. When a pair of fingers appeared on Joon’s upper arm, tapping him and we both looked around to see who it was.

Standing there - as per usual, a gentle smile on his lips - but still... It was as if I could hear Joon’s heart drop along with mine at the exact same moment after seeing him. Bang PD. Mister Hitman Bang himself.

Out of reflex, Joon let go of my arms, stepping half a step back. But of course, it was too little, too late. Even when Hobi - and through him, everyone - realized Bang was here and tried to distract him, his eyes were still on us. Namjoon, really. And now I didn’t feel so safe anymore.

[annaphoenix1994]

Grounded

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

»»-------¤-------««

Kiera clung to Simon's chest as she slept, occasionally groaning out of discomfort while she still conquered minor cramps, eventually turning over to sleep on her opposite side, her back facing towards him after she had adjusted her pillows. He looked over at her through the darkness, a beam of light from the outside light outlining her body, finding himself moving his right hand to swipe her blonde hair as she slept, the pads of his fingers moving the strands behind her ear and out of her face. They had faced the weekend by spending time with her parents and mainly staying at the ranch, the wranglers getting ready to ship off more cattle by the end of that week while they waited to hear back from the Brucellosis tests, hoping they all came back negative. 

He sighed, looking over at the clock for it to read a quarter past seven a.m. It was Monday and he was planning on taking her to her second appointment with her OB. He had been unable to sleep well since finding out she was pregnant, especially after knowing that it was a risk knowing she conceived with an IUD - it was to say that he was nervous and hoping that she wouldn't have any complications with her pregnancy as well as thinking about how he was going to take down Shepherd, the General being the only threat that would complicate their months of waiting for the baby if she didn't have any complications. 

Reaching over her quietly, he retrieved her phone and opened her messages to look for Laswell's phone number to make the call himself. He needed her help, especially considering that he wasn't about to let Kiera have any part of it. Seeing that she was in the middle of a conversation between one of her best friends, Kristen, he couldn't help himself but reading the most recent conversation after seeing his own name in the midst of it.

Kristen seems to have Kiera's best interest at heart, He said to himself, sliding out of the conversation before searching for Laswell's phone number and putting it into his own phone, ready to call her before excusing himself from the bed quietly, walking out to the back patio as he listened for her to answer.

"Kiera, how are you?" 

"Laswell, this is Simon. I need your help." 

"Simon," She sighed. "How are you? Is everything okay?" 

"I need your help." 

"Of course. How can I help you?" 

"We found Shepherd. I need your help to ensure I can take him out." 

"Wh-? Where's Kiera?" 

"She's still asleep. Look, I just need you to help me on this one, yeah?" 

"I'll get a flight out there as soon as possible." 

"Thank you. I didn't mean to sound so demanding, but we know his location and need to do something about it before he catches wind of what happened and flees again." 

"I'll get to work on it as soon as I get there. I'll let you know when I land." 

"Okay. Just- Just don't tell Kiera anything yet, okay? I don't need her worrying about this when we have other things going on right now." 

Laswell wanted to ask, but she kept herself from asking due to Simon's anxious voice, choosing to keep her own composure and just doing as he requested, immediately looking at the next flight to Cody, Wyoming as they spoke, seeing that the next flight was the following morning. "Okay. I'll see you two soon."

After hanging up, he mumbled 'oh, shit!' to himself after remembering that Kiera's OB appointment was at nine thirty. Given it took roughly thirty minutes to get into town, he knew that he would have to wake her up soon knowing that she was the slowest person to get out of bed in the morning. That, and she always begged for "five more minutes" and wanting him to spoon her, desperate to feel his warmth.

He sat on the edge of their bed, curling his fingers against her cheek as the morning sun rose and its beam kissed her skin. Tucking another piece of hair behind her ear, he smirked as he watched her eyes open. "It's time to get up, love." 

"No, it's not," She grumbled, pulling the sheet up to her nose. "I set an alarm." 

"No, you didn't. You set an alarm for four o'clock today." He chuckled. 

She sighed, "Just a few more minutes?" 

"Not this time, love. You don't want to be late." 

He watched her groan, letting her eyes shut while she desperately tried to ignore him, furrowing her brows at the typical cramps she would experience in the morning and throughout the day. "How are you feeling?" 

"Like shit," She sighed, relaxing under his touch as he began to stroke her arm. "My head hurts and I just feel sore." 

"Want me to get you some water?"

"I'll get some when I get up. You already do so much for me. I think I can handle getting my own water." She grinned. 

"You better get used to it because I'll seem like a thorn in your side through this whole thing." 

"I'm well aware, babe," She replied, slowly rolling to where she was laying on her back, feeling Simon remove the sheet from her before replacing its warmth with his own, laying his torso between her legs after pressing a gentle kiss to her chin, her fingers lacing in his hair as his head was resting just below her bump less belly. He's already obsessed, she smiled. His gesture wasn't with sexual desire, however he found himself tracing his fingers along her sides and avoiding laying his head directly on her stomach, his fear of losing this baby showing directly as he didn't want to risk anything, even if that meant putting any pressure on her stomach when she wasn't even showing yet. "Simon." She giggled as his head continued to lay on the space between her hip and stomach, his right hand lingering on the plush of her belly. 

"You sound awake now." He chuckled, feeling her react to his touches that were tickling her sides, feeling her squirm under him. 

"All I wanted was five more minutes." She sighed, closing her eyes as her fingers continued to run through his hair. 

He hummed, moving his weight to his arms after he placed a kiss to her stomach and moving to lay on his side, putting his right arm under her head as she moved against him, his left arm draping over her side, retaliating to touch her stomach again as he didn't want to annoy her with his new obsession of touching her belly. "Five more minutes and you're getting up then." He chuckled, pressing a kiss behind her ear. 

He felt her nod before she shut her eyes again, her lips parting to breathe as he stayed awake, his thumb drawing small circles on her clothed skin.

»»-------¤-------««

Simon shook his leg impatiently after Kiera had checked-in at the clinic, crossing his arms over his chest as she sat safely next to him, eager to see how these appointments were going to go, hoping he was permitted to go back with her and watch. "Kiera Dutton?" The nurse announced with a clipboard against her chest, smiling at the newly expecting mom as she remembered her face from the week prior, greeting her as she stepped aside for Simon to follow her in after permitted. 

The routine was the same as the nurse guided her to record her weight, blood pressure, and temperature. "Ugh, I gained a pound." Kiera frowned after seeing her weight. 

"Honey, you're going to gain a few more pounds," The nurse assured her before approaching Kiera with a clear cup. "It's perfectly normal. Rachel will be with you in a few minutes. Until then, I'll need you to put a sample in this cup so she can get your hCG levels by the time you meet her."

"Okay." 

Simon was left alone briefly, ignoring the younger nurses that peered out to take a peek at the mysteriously tall and handsome figure that came behind the waiting area door, wondering when it would be their turn to have a man supportive enough that would come with his woman to the "twat doctor." He shook his head in disbelief, wondering if he was really that handsome or if it was just because not too many men accompanied their spouses when it came to things like this, especially after hearing a sly comment from one of the younger nurses saying, "he smells good." 

After a few more minutes, Kiera motioned for him to follow her after Rachel greeted her in the hallway after dismissing another patient, the pair walking into the private room and Rachel shutting the door behind them, smiling as Simon took a seat next to the wall, the sight of him setting Kiera's purse next to him making her heart swell. It's really the small things, Kiera smiled to herself. Never thought seeing him guard my purse was so attractive.

"You owe me an apology, missy." Rachel giggled while she washed her hands.

"Yeah, and why's that?" 

"For not believing me when I gave you advice last time. I told you he wasn't going anywhere!" 

"She doesn't believe me either." Simon added, watching Rachel raise her brows at Kiera as if she were saying: I told you so!

"My bad for assuming." She scoffed. 

He is handsome, Kiera. I can already tell he's going to be a great dad, Rachel thought to herself, unable to keep her attention running forward as Simon's presence was not only nearly intimidating, but borderline arousing as well. Compared to Rachel's own husband, Simon stood a few inches taller, was broader, seemed very protective over Kiera, especially in her state of pregnancy, and smelled twice as good. She knew better than to find an attraction to another man, especially that she was married, and that Kiera was one of her closest friends, but she couldn't help herself but nearly blush at the thought of him. No wonder you got pregnant. I'd have him between my legs any time he wanted it, she thought, the image of him hovering over her as he thrusted unable to leave her mind as she took every chance she got to look his way. "Your hCG levels came back a little high, but they'll get higher throughout your pregnancy." 

"Is that bad?" 

"Not at all. Every woman's levels are different. It could mean that the time of your pregnancy was miscalculated, so it's possible you can even be closer to seven weeks than six now that it's a new week. I'm just happy they're not low considering you managed to get pregnant with an IUD." 

Thank God, Simon sighed to himself. I want to see it.

"Good," Kiera sighed. 

"I'll have to do another ultrasound to check and make sure there's a yolk sac and that your baby is in the right place." Rachel explained, handing her a fresh gown to change in to before she was to lay on the table. 

"You look nervous. Is this your first?" She asked Simon as Kiera was changing in the nearby bathroom that was nestled in the examination room, taking the chance to really get a good look at him while making up a conversation to have a reason to talk to him. 

Simon nodded, "Yeah, it's my first." 

"You'll be fine. I have so many first-time dads come in here. Some get emotional and some seem embarrassed," Rachel giggled. "There's nothing to worry about." 

He shrugged, continuing to tap his foot against the floor, "I'm just worried about her. I don't give a shit about myself." He scoffed, picking up on Rachel's flirtatious attitude, shutting it down quickly with his short responses. Not a chance. 

Kiera soon appeared in just a medical gown, pinching it from behind to hide the body Simon knew and loved as he knew she was embarrassed for her to see her exposed like this - in bright lighting and a willingness to be vulnerable to her OB, lowering herself onto the table as Rachel guided her legs to where they rested on the stirrups of the examination table. "Quit acting nervous," Rachel teased. "It's not like he hasn't seen it before." 

"I know, but he hasn't seen me like this," She scoffed, referring to how she was laying on the table. Even though Simon couldn't see anything, he saw her embarrassment clearly as she kept her head turned to avoid his admiring gaze. Love, you're carrying my child and are going to be my wife someday. Quit thinking I'm going to leave you because you're about to have more stretch marks. 

"Better get used to it because if he's going to be here up until you have your baby, he's really going to see the whole thing stretched out like spandex and you likely pooping on yourself," Rachel giggled, desperate to ease the tension in the room. "Have you had any spotting or anything recently?" 

"Early last week I had some spotting, yeah." 

"That's good. Implantation bleeding," She explained as she gathered her tools for the transvaginal ultrasound. "I probably won't be able to pick up a heartbeat this early, but I'll definitely be able to tell if the baby is developing like it should." 

Simon's eyes were glued to the screen Rachel was using to look inside of Kiera's uterus, managing to see a small blip within the black and white screen. A little blip. "Can we get a printout of that?" He asked, his heart swelling as it all became real to him, letting himself become excited to experience this. 

"Absolutely. I'll print one out after I'm done," Rachel smiled, keeping her eyes on the monitor as she examined the growth. "See here? That's the yolk sac. It's definitely a good sign. I'd say the baby is about as big as an apple seed." 

Simon's heart swelled at the thought, he and Kiera locking eyes after she turned to look at him after hearing the guessed size of the baby. You're so beautiful. 

"When do you think I'll start showing?" 

"In the next couple of weeks for sure," Rachel nodded. "Already obsessed with rubbing your belly?" 

"Not as much as he is," She smiled, nodding her head towards Simon who shrugged as if he were saying: I can't help myself. "He's been rubbing my belly like some genie lamp." 

Rachel found herself blushing at the thought, "Well, you'll definitely be expecting plenty of belly rubs over the next few weeks. I want you to come back once you hit eight weeks. Have you experienced any typical symptoms yet?" 

"Not really. I've been cramping occasionally but haven't had any morning sickness or weird cravings." 

"You'll probably experience some sickness between the next couple of days and up until you're about eight weeks. As for cravings, it varies with every woman." 

"Okay, the next question I have is that we were planning to go to England next month for a military ball. Is... Is it safe to fly?" 

"Of course. Since you're still in your first trimester, it's perfectly safe to fly, but avoid any air travel when you're getting close to your due date and preferably when you reach your third trimester." 

"I don't plan on going back after the ball," Simon spoke. "Unless you have a sudden desire to travel the world within the next few months." 

"I didn't even expect us to be going anywhere out of the country." Kiera giggled. 

"If you're still up for going next month, then we'll go, love." 

Love, Rachel blushed. Sounds so nice coming from him. You're so lucky, Kiera.

After the news of a healthy pregnancy with no threat of anything being ectopic, Rachel advised Kiera to change back into her clothes while she printed off the copy of her ultrasound, finding herself in the same room with Simon again, her heard pounding against her chest as she knew she had to get closer to him in order to hand him the photo. "Here you go." Rachel smiled, reaching her hand out to transfer the photograph from her hand to his, accidentally grazing her finger against the tip of his index finger as he took it, leaning forward to lean his elbows on his knees as he looked at it. There you are, he thought with a smile curling on his face, pulling out his phone to take a quick photo of it before attaching it to his message to the group chat between him and the members of the 141 without having any additional text to it. He was beyond excited for this baby and wanted to refrain from telling anybody else until Kiera decided to, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted his only other family to be excited about it, too, especially Price. 

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he slipped the photo into Kiera's purse to avoid losing it before he asked Rachel, "Hey, do you have something that she can use to put between her and the seatbelt while we're driving?" 

"I do, actually!" Rachel nodded. "You're talking about just something small she can put between her belly and the seatbelt?" 

"Yeah." 

"I have some in the closet. I'll get one." 

"Thank you."

He watched as Rachel walked to the nearby storage closet, pulling out three different pillows of each being a different size, color, and pattern. She held them up before asking, "Which one do you think she'll like?" 

He looked at each one, knowing it was a crucial decision as she would be using it every time he drove her somewhere, "I think she'll like that one. The one with the cows on it." He pointed, seeing the print of the Texas Longhorns with a blueish-red backdrop. 

"I think she will, too. One of the ladies here actually makes these," She explained, putting the other two pillows back before handing the one he picked out to him. "The little slots here are for her girls when they get tender. She can sleep with this, too."

He took it from her hand, setting it beside her purse as he looked towards Kiera as she exited the bathroom, putting the used gown in the waste bin as Simon then stood to his feet, towering over both of the women in the room, Kiera oblivious to Rachel's intrusive thoughts as Simon's height and smell was rather arousing. "Thank you, Rachel." Kiera smiled at her.

"You're welcome. I'll tell the receptionist to schedule you another appointment in a couple of weeks. The week before your trip to England, be sure to let me know so I can check on the baby before you fly." She encouraged. 

"I will." 

Rachel opened the door for them, watching Simon walk closely behind Kiera with his fingertips resting on the small of her back as they exited. God, he's so tall. Couldn't even tell Kiera is in front of him, Rachel sighed. "I'll see you two soon!" 

Simon carried the pillow for her while she carried her purse, the keys to the truck curled against his palm as they went towards the check-out desk, Simon again ignoring the curious glances of other nurses as well as other women that were in the clinic. Bloody hell, these women are lusting for any man that comes in here, he thought, oblivious to how attractive he really was, seeing himself as nothing of attraction. 

"Did you see that man that came in here?" A young nurse asked Rachel, the pair of them comparative with blushed cheeks. "I'd definitely let him get me pregnant." 

"Yeah, he sounds like he has a British accent when I heard him talk earlier." Another nurse giggled. 

"You two horny sluts," Rachel chuckled. "Imagine how hard it was to have him in my examination room looking at his woman's baby in her belly." 

"She's so lucky. I hope the baby takes after him, though. I didn't expect him to be with a woman like her..." The young nurse rolled her eyes, comparing herself to be more beautiful as she didn't carry the horrid scar on her cheek and tired eyes like Kiera did, wondering how a man as attractive as Simon could be attracted to a woman that was dressed like she just rolled out of bed and sported a messy bun. 

"Hey, now," Rachel warned. "She's one of my friends and has been serving our country. I suggest you keep your opinions about her to yourself." I'm no fucking better. I sat blushing over how hot he is and thinking about him railing me when I'm married, Rachel scolded herself, vowing to never do it again, knowing that it was not only disrespectful, but hurtful as she didn't want another woman to think of her husband that way. 

"Here," Simon said after opening the passenger door for her, standing there as she got in and buckled herself, Simon taking the pillow and moving to nestle it between her belly and the seatbelt. "You need to have this if you drive or when we go somewhere." 

She giggled, "Simon, I'm not even far enough along yet to have to use this." 

"Not taking any chances." He grumbled, ensuring she was secure before shutting the door and walking around the front of the truck to get into the driver's seat, turning on the heat and aiming the vents towards her to ensure she would be warmer than him on their drive through the cold atmosphere. 

"You're going to be such a good dad, babe." She smiled, reaching over to rest her hand on his bicep as he drove, feeling that same arm curl as his hand reached for hers, bringing her knuckles to his lips and keeping it there for a few moments. 

"I hope so," He replied, pressing another kiss to her knuckles. "I feel so grounded. Never thought domesticity would've been in my plans." 

"Well, as you say, some people bring out the best in you." 

He scoffed, "Yeah, people meaning you."

[messenger-of-stupidity]

You Must Be This Tall

The amount of research about rollercoaster accidents for this. The amount of copying the transcript I did for this. The amount scrolling through the timeline I did for this. I swear to god if this fails I'm going to lose my shit. (I wouldn't blame you if you didn't read it. It kinda goes from 0-100 real quick. I did get kind of lazy with the end but I didn't want to go as gruesome as the original draft did.

TW: Depictions of roller coaster accident, panic symptoms, shitty friends, copy of transcript for Vincent's Valenweek Flashback Audio, Cursing, Some simping, Angst, Not beta read we die like Vincent's Stranger, GN Listener Character, Listener Character Death, Typos.

Redacted Masterlist

Summary: Come. Come one, come all. You must be this tall to ride this ride, at the carnival. It's all fun and games until somebody falls.

The park was filled with the sounds of life, all kinds. Laughter, screams, too-loud music, carnival games, all of it. Sizzling of overpriced and sugar filled fairground food covered any smell of vomit from the unfortunate participants of the more active rides. 

They wandered amongst their five other friends, all arms looped together to prevent getting lost. The sun was still half above horizon, but the extra lights of the amusement park were activating. The closer they got to the food stands, the stronger the smell of half burnt sugar and grease became. With the wonderful undertone of cigarettes. Yum…

“Hannah! We should get some nachos or something.” One of their friends shouted over the music blasting from a nearby stall. They squinted, searching through the attempts at attention grabbing to seek out the requested food. They were sure one of the food stalls had to sell nachos, even if that wasn’t the main focus. Their own stomach grumbled malcontentedly despite the corn dog they had consumed only half an hour prior. 

“No way! I wanna splurge on sugar. Get all the good shit that we can’t get back home.” Hannah shouted back. They kind of wished that the music would lessen a little bit. Their eardrums were still thrumming from the earlier ride they had all participated in. The group walked past a wailing child and a too-tired father trying to convince the child to leave whatever had them so distraught.

“We coulda gone to Disneyland.” They muttered under their breath. Mike, who held on tightly to their left arm, nudged them with a crooked grin plastered on his lips. The light from the passing sign glinted off of the metal ring locked into the middle of his bottom lip. 

“Don’t be such a sourpuss. Wonderworld is cheaper than Disneyland and it’s got newer attractions.” He answered. They pushed his face away from them with an open palm, even as the corners of their own lips tugged into a grin. He certainly had a point. Two, as it were. Wonderworld was introducing new rides, so the prices were low as they tried to get as much attention as possible. They couldn’t blame the amusement park, but a headache was tapping at the base of their skull. They could suck it up until they got home to take some aspirin though.

“Call me a sourpuss and I’ll shove pizza so far down your throat that not even going on the Surge can force it back up.” They retorted. Mike laughed and linked his hand with theirs to swing it back and forth. It took several minutes of searching before they were able to locate a stall that sold something everyone wanted or could at least settle for eating. 

“What ride should we go on next?” Hannah asked as she bit into some colorful teeth-rotting monstrosity. They shrugged, sucking on the red and white striped straw. Too-sweet slushie lighted on their tastebuds and their pupils dilated a few seconds later as the stream of glucose settled into their bloodstream. An involuntary smile pressed into their lips.

“Let’s see. We already went to the bumper cars, ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and the swinging pirate ship.” Jason said, counting off as he crumpled up a hamburger wrapper, his food settled on a napkin. They watched as the stringed lights reflected off the silver coloring of the waxy paper.

“We need to go on a classic roller coaster.” Mike decided and they pushed their straw around to even out their treat so they could suck it up the straw easier. They were content with letting their friend group decide the next ride, too preoccupied with the current task to actually listen. 

“Which one? There’s Night Stream, Gran Lunda, Raincage, Surge, and Treasure Cyclone.” Terra said, licking the salt from her fries from her fingers. They missed the glance that Mike sent towards them, as well as the devious smiles that spread over the rest of their friend group’s face. It took Mia nudging them to get their attention.

“Huh? Did we decide on something?” They asked, licking their lips with their stained tongue. 

“It’s Valentines Day tomorrow.” Mike said, lips twisted into a smirk. They nodded slowly, not sure they really liked where this was heading. “And the only single here, you need to live wildly before the reminder day.” I have a bad feeling about this. “So we dare you to go on a ride by yourself to commiserate.” He finished. They set the drink down.

“Which one? The spinning one?” They asked, brow creasing. Hannah shook her head.

“The Surge.” She answered. They stood up from where they sat, eyes surveying the park to seek out which ride had been dubbed as such. The smile dropped from their face as they caught sight of the lit up sign in front of an steep arch of track. Their stomach clenched painfully and the headache felt closer.

“Nuh-uh. No way.” They said, shaking their head quickly sitting back down. Jason groaned and tossed the rolled up wrapper in their direction. 

“Don’t be a pussy. Just go on it.” He drawled. They sent him a glare and shook their head again. Hannah laughed alongside Mike. They tried to ignore the ache of hurt that raced through them at the same speed they were sure the coaster car would go down the decline. 

“I don’t like rollercoasters like that.” They whispered, but the words were lost under the sounds surrounding them. 

They protested throughout the entire journey towards the wait queue. Mike pushed them towards the line and they shuffled towards it, each step feeling too heavy. The music seemed to fade into the far background as their ears filled with the sound of their heartbeat and the rollercoaster in front of them. The chugging machinery and clanking ride chains that pulled the carts along at a hurtling speed. The screams seemed more terror filled than adrenaline rushed to their ears. Oh god oh god oh god.

“Well you look terrified.” A friendly voice sounded next to their ear. They turned around quickly to see who the offender had been. A boy that seemed close to their age held his hands in front of him in surrender, a laugh dancing on his voice. “Sorry. I’m not trying to call you out or anything but…” Their gaze sharpened, even as their knees felt weak. “I-I-I mean, you kind of do.” He finished, hands dropping. They swallowed, their throat dry.

“It’s that obvious, huh?” They said, calling out over the sound of the fast-paced music and the announcer’s voice. 

“I mean, if you don’t mind me asking, if you are terrified of the ride… then why are you gonna ride on it? Alone no less.” He asked, hands sliding into his hoodie pocket. They wondered if they should really share the stupid reason their friends had provided for making them go on this bloody ride.

“My friends dared me to go.” They said, simplifying and shortening the explanation down. No need to dump on a stranger.

“Ah. Gotcha.” He said, nodding his head sagely. “No offense, but your friends kind of sound like assholes for daring you then. Where are they?” He asked. They raised an arm, pointing to where the five other members of their friend group stood, giggling amongst themselves. Assholes indeed.

“They’re just watching.” They mumbled, the sound of metal on metal racing overhead making them cringe. The stranger followed their hand.

“Is that them over there?” He asked. They nodded in confirmation and dropped their upraised arm. “Dicks.” He added, coaxing a small laugh from them. He looked back, eyes brighter at the sound and continued. “It’s all good. You’ll show them, and then you can tell them they’re the scared ones for trying to make you do it alone.” He paused, almost looking sheepish for a half second. “Plus you’re not alone. You got me.” 

Warmth rushed up their neck and tickled the tips of their ears. He sounded so heartfelt. “What about you? Did your friends do something of the same?” They asked hurriedly, spurring a chuckle to leave his lips.

“No. I’m-I’m I’m kind of the opposite. I’m the only one of my friends who wanted to ride on this one again.” He said, shrugging. They stared at him. Again? He wanted to go AGAIN? Oh my god. “So they’re all over on the other side of the park.”

“Other… side?” They said slowly. Them and their friends had been lingering in one main area of the park, not having fully wandered through to explore. Probably not the most efficient or whatever, but in the beginning it had just been so exciting.

“Yeah. They’re fucking around in that um, that big gift shop near the entrance until I’m done,” They could recall seeing that on the rushed entrance in. Maybe they should see if there was anything worth taking back home as a souvenir. If it was still open by the time they left. “But I really liked the ride. I wanted to do it one last time before we head out.” So he’s nuts. Why are all the pretty ones nuts?

And he was pretty. His smile right now was sympathetic, but the way his lips curved into it was almost contagious. If fear wasn’t making their stomach feel cold - and not from the slushie earlier - they probably would have been smiling back at him. 

“I mean, we drove a long way to get here so…” His voice said, leaving the sentence open-ended.The queue moved forward, pulling them closer to the coaster and they inhaled sharply. The stranger quickly started up speaking again. “And the line’s finally short now that the park’s getting ready to close,” Yeah. Not exactly a great thing in my book, handsome stranger. “Plus I get to ride it in the dark which is pretty cool.” Definitely not a great thing in my book. He chuckled again. If it had been a full laugh it would have probably allured a giggle from their throat.

“It’s that fun that you’d want to ride it in the dark?” They said, doubt coloring their words more than a three year old with a marker and a blank wall. He shrugged again, his posture relaxing further.

“Well I mean… I-I loved it. I thought it was an awesome ride.” Considering his definition of cool or fun, they were pretty sure that they wouldn’t think the same. Their shoulder hunched up and he spoke up again, pulling their attention back to his words and face. Lovely face. “What part of roller coasters scares you? Like is it something specific like loops, or heights, or-“ 

“All of it. Everything.” They interrupted, voice rush and pitched an octave higher as the line drew them closer to the ride.

“Or all of it. Okay.” He laughed again. That made it a little better. Just a little. “Well, I’m not gonna lie… you’re probably not gonna have a great time then.” Really Captain obvious? “It’s a lot.” He added. They gaped up at the twists and turns of metal tracks above and decided that was the understatement of the fucking year. His voice pulled their focus back.

“I-I mean… I mean personally I’m not huge on, like, drops. Like… like I hate those drop rides. The ones that just go up and down so um…” He paused for a second to consider before going on. He was talkative, huh? “So-So the first drop you go over is kind of scary. I mean, for me at least because it’s-it’s really vertical.” 

They looked back up at the roller coaster and the tall arch near the station. They were pretty sure the gulp they made was audible, even over the ambience. 

“I mean, it feels like it’s like… ninety degrees. So it kind of feels like one of those rides… for a sec, when you come over the crest of the hill.” Was it difficult to breath or was that just them? “But I mea, then the feeling goes away almost immediately because then you’re like, facing the direction you’re going if that makes sense.” They looked at him, their expression pained. Words seemed to get caught in their throat. “Like, you’re not dropping. I mean like… you’re, like, facing the ground as you head towards it.” I think I’m going to be sick.

“This does not seem to be helping. Okay. I’ll shut up.” He said, laughing. The corners of their lips twitched in response, but they couldn’t muster a full smile. Not even for social obligation. “Hey, you can look at it this way. I mean, this is the biggest, baddest rollercoaster this park has to offer so once you’ve ridden it, you’ve won. You know? You cut the thing off at the head.” Like a hydra. Except once you cut the head off of a hydra, more sprout up in its place. It’s never-ending. Like my panic and dread over this. “Have any of your friend ridden it?” He asked.

“No.” They croaked out, their hands growing clammy. “We were trying to figure out our next ride when they had their brilliant dare.” Sarcasm at its finest. He laughed at the words and they attempted a smile again, although were more that doubtful about their level of success in the endeavor.

“Well see, now you get to be the one who says you actually rode it. Plus since they’re not going, they don’t get to see how bad it scares you.” They straightened a little at that, considering his words. The stranger seemed to notice because he continued on, a smile on his face and in his voice. “Yeah, so when you walk out of the exit and march up to them, you just put on that confident mask and you rub it in their face.” They were more confident in their smile at this attempt.

“If I walk out. I’ll likely die before I get that chance.” They replied cheekily, provoking another laugh.

“Come on, what do you mean if you walk out? Nothing bad’s gonna happen.” Famous last words, but whatever you say. “Rollercoasters have been around forever,” Only since July 8th, 1817. Not quite ‘forever’ in the grand scheme of things. But continue on, handsome stranger. “It’s almost never been an accident. I mean, you were a million times more likely to get hurt on the drive over to the park than anything here. Least of all this ride.” They cocked an eyebrow doubtfully, but didn’t interrupt him.

“I mean, it’s new so it’s got all the latest safety crap,” Not crap. It’s useful. “You’re fine. I mean, honestly, usually the only time people get hurt on rides is because they did something stupid like… taking off the belt or standing up or something. It’s almost always the person’s fault. Not the ride.” He was a ride apologist through and through. “You know, just keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the car at all times. You got this, I promise.” 

The line moved closer and the car, now filled, set down the track. Their breath suddenly turned shallower. The stranger nudged their arm gently with his elbow, moving closer and lowering his voice a little.

“Come on. You can’t let them see you’re scared. You know they’re looking.” It was a goad, and it worked. At least their spite was firmly in place, even amongst their fear, dread, and rising panic. They rubbed at their face, and when they dropped their hands they changed their expression. Brows pulled down into a determined line and a shaky smile cemented onto their lips. “There we go.”

“Any better? Am I radiating confidence like an old leaky radiator supplies water damage to hardwood flooring?” They said, their voice as quiet as they could manage while still letting the stranger hear them.

“Yes. You look very confident.” He said, another laugh spilling from his curved lips. They snickered along side him. “From a distance away. I mean, you still look terrified in the eyes, but hey. They can’t see that far, so that’s okay.” He took a step back to dodge the kick they sent towards his boots.

“Hey.. I don’t mean to make this more awkward. But, if you’re able…” Their voice trailed off as their gaze dropped the the ground beneath their feet and the littered garbage sprinkled along it.

“Yeah I’ll ride with you.” He said, easily picking on the unfinished request. They lifted their head again, the smile this time not an attempt at projecting faux confidence, but rather grateful. “I mean, we’re both single riders. You know… might as well.” 

“Oh! Since you’re the resident Surge expert, how big are the rows? I’m guessing it’s two. Unless you’re fucking with me.”

“Yeah it’s-it’s a two-seat wide one,” Oh thank fuck. If I was going to need to sit next to a real stranger while freaking out about the ride, that would make it so much worse. At least he’ll have some warning of my impending freak out. “Which is such a pain in the ass if you come here with three people.” My group is six people in total… “You have to keep rotating who gets stuck next to a stranger. If. Sometimes you end up riding solo. I mean, it depends how busy the line is and stuff.”

They glanced back at the remainder of the line behind them - they didn’t want to see how close the loading station was to them by now - and the chances of someone near the end riding solo in one of the two-seat rows seemed likely. They felt bad for that person if they shared the same fear.

“Sounds like you have experience with that as well.” They mumbled. He nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here with two of my friends. And they’re a couple, so I have the please of not only third wheeling in general, but uh then also having to break up the happy couple seating wise everything I’m sick and tired of sitting by myself.” There was a small tinge of bitterness in his jovial tone. Which was the most bitter they had heard him. Even when insulting their friends. But they inhaled sharply at the awkward interactions and experiences he must have been having to deal with throughout the evening and night.

“I’m sorry. That must suck ass.” They said, glad to be the one giving sympathy for once in this conversation. He laughed again.

“No, they’re good with it. I’m just bitching. I mean, they’re both my friends and they were before they started dating, so we’re all good,” That still didn’t necessarily alleviate the awkwardness. “But still, I feel like they should be able to sit next to each other most of the time since they are, in fact, together.” He shrugged his shoulders, hands now fidgeting with his hoodie strings. 

Their gaze dropped to watch the soft flexing of the tendons under his skin and the liquid movements of his fingers as it pressed into the tightly stitched together fabric of the strings. Damn, he had nice hands…

“Still sounds awkward though. But I get it. I’m the single friend in my friend group too.” They replied and his head quickly bobbed in a nod of agreement.

“Yeah, these places are really only made for couples… or families, I guess. But even then, you better have an even number or you’re still fucked,” Wait… why is the line moving faster? “Some parks do have that single rider line thing, but then you don’t end up on the same cycle as your friends so then you’re having to wait for them,” Oh god. The next cycle is us, isn’t it? I don’t want to be here. Please don’t make me be here. I should have stayed home. Fuck this shit. “Or they’re having to wait for you which, I mean, isn’t a big deal I guess… but I don’t know.” He sighed. I don’t want to go on the next cycle. Why can’t the park close before it’s our turn? Will it close before our turn? Please close. Please. 

“It’s not working, is it?” He said, voice a mix of teasing and disappointment. They turned to face him.

“What isn’t?” They asked, hands twisting together. He gestured towards the coaster ahead.

“Me trying to distract you by talking.” He said. As if it was the most obvious thing in the world. A laugh bubbled out of their throat. It sounded a little strangled, but he matched it nonetheless. “I’m trying. I’m sorry.” He said, humor still dancing on his voice. They liked the way that his laugh seemed to hold little dance parties on his tongue when he spoke. It was endearing.

“The closer we keep getting to the front of the line, the more panicked you look.” What was less endearing was the way he kept consistently calling them out without a moment of reprieve. “It’s okay. Really. I mean, you might even have fun,horrific a thought as that might be.” He wasn’t able to dodge the light shove they sent at him and he laughed again. “I mean, hey. Who knows? This could be the way you find out that you’re secretly an adrenaline junkie.” A snort pulled oxygen in, painfully scraping their trachea.

“I think you’re projecting.” They replied, crossing their arms over their chest. Their hands gripped the fabric of their fleece-lined sweater that protected them from the biting chill of early-mid February. 

“I mean, I used to be terrified at rollercoasters.” He added. Their head snapped towards him quickly, eyes wide and full of questioning doubt. He nodded sagely. “Yeah. As a kid I-I would not go on them. I was, I was a hellion about it too. I mean, I would make a scene, I’d cry, I’d scream. I was literally the kid in line for the matterhorn like, saying to my mom,” His voice raised slightly in pitch to represent a more juvenile version of himself as he added vocal shakes. Committing to the bit. I respect it. “‘if you love me, you won’t make me ride on this.’ Like, I was awful. The literal worst. Like, seriously. I mean, they save up all this money to finally take us on vacation and I have a hissy fit in the line of a ride that isn’t even bad.” A part of them wondered if he was a storyteller in his spare time, or in his normal time, as giggle after snort came from the mental image of a smaller version of the hot guy in front of them throwing a fit with snot and tears running down his face because of a kiddie ride. 

“Oh! And that was the biggest one you were going to get me on. There was no way in hell I was going on anything that had a big drop. Or, god forbid, a loop. Like, no way. It was not happening.” He finished, laughing alongside them. They almost didn’t notice the way the line was starting to inch a little bit closer to the ride entrance.

“But now you like rollercoasters. What changed?” It was kind of difficult to fully believe this absolute maniac who wanted to go on the Surge for a second time in the dark, had such a strong revulsion to rollercoasters just… stopped one day. Something must have occurred to change his mind.

“Well, I just avoided them the whole time I was growing up,” Sounds familiar. “I didn’t go to amusement parks very often, so I mean, it wasn’t a huge deal either way. But then, senior year of high school rolled around. And my group of friends wanted to go on a trip that summer. To, you know, celebrate us graduating. And, um, they all agreed on going to a rollercoaster park. Like, not just an amusement park. Like one that pretty much exclusively has roller coasters,” Oh hell to the no. “But, I mean, I wasn’t gonna be the one to say no. I mean, I really didn’t want them to make fun of me or anything so… I went along with it and I didn’t tell a single one of them that I was terrified of rollercoasters.” He shrugged.

“Although I’m sure they could tell by the time we got there. I mean, I was shaking like a leaf in the line for the first time. But then… I rode it. And yeah, there were parts that were scary and I hated. Like that initial climb that felt like it was never going to end. And then that first… drop.” A slight scoff colored the last word. Huh. He really doesn’t like the first drop. That wasn’t just a ploy to seem relatable and so that it didn’t look like he was pitying me. “But… but then I had a great time. Wind in your hair, flipping around, going that fast. It was fun.” His gaze turned a little more serious than it had been so far as he stared into their own eyes. They forgot to breath for a second.

“So that initial fear is always there. Even now for a little bit. But then it’s just a good time. I mean, now  I love them. You might just surprise yourself.” They are already shaking their head before he finished the sentence.

“Don’t get your hopes up. I’m probably going to vomit once it’s over. Fair warning.”

“Hey, if you don’t and you absolutely hate it, then you can just tell your friends to fuck off and you’ll at least have this one under the belt. Which is more than any of them can say.” They nodded slowly and looked back towards the front of the line… their stomach and heart immediately dropped as they were created with the carts directly ahead of them. 

“Oh fuck.”

“Hey. You got this.” He said, voice closer to their ear and a warm hand in the middle of their back. A reassuring presence and a coaxing nudge. “Come on. Let’s do this.”

Their movements felt stiff as they walked across the path to the cart, their heart having jumped too far up and now firmly lodged in their throat. They sat down, tears already watering in the lower half of their vision.

“See? Seatbelts. There’s roll bars. You’re not going anywhere. It’s the last ride of the night and then you get to go tell your friends that they’re wimps for not going with you.” They nodded stiffly, body going cold with panic. “It’s gonna be fun. Even if the ride isn’t, that part will be.” Another stiff nod. They were pretty sure that their body was breaking out in a cold sweat. Was it too late to climb out?

“Hey.” He poked their shoulder gently and they turned their head to look at him. “Do you want to hold my hand? Nobody will see it over the walls of the car. It can be out secret.” They were entirely sure he could see the tears they stubbornly refused to let fall. His expression had softened from gentle teasing and sympathy to just flat out concern. They nodded again, teeth digging into their bottom lip. “Okay. When it feels like it’s too much, just… squeeze, okay?” His hand was warm in theirs. And if their palm was sweaty or clammy, he made no mention of it. His fingers curled between their own as his thumb rubbed small circles on the knuckle of their own thumb. They took a deep, shuddering inhale. “I got you.” He murmured. They tried to swallow around the lump in their throat.

“Can I get a smile?” He asked, voice shifting back to the jovial teasing tone he had adopted earlier. They tried to remember how and replicate the muscle memory. It was an obvious fail from the laugh that egressed from him. “Kind of more of a grimace, but I’ll take it… my name’s Vincent, by the way.” And miraculously the kind and attractive stranger, had been blessed with a name. They offered theirs in return, their voice just as shaky as the rest of them. 

“N-Nice to meet you.” They added after a small pause.

“Nice to meet you too. One last ride, right?” He said, his own hand giving their’s a gentle squeeze.

“One last ride.” They breathed and the ride operator’s voice came out over the speakers installed.

“Just a friendly reminder that the park will be closing in about forty-five minutes, so please keep that in mind when choosing your next ride.” He kind of sounds like an angsty news anchor. And there was never any hope in the park closing before my turn came for this ride. Dammit. “An approximate wait time is listed on signage at the end of the queue. One last reminder before we get going, keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the car at all times,” They glanced over at Vincent to see him mouthing along to the words. He sent them a wink as he continued and they smiled back at him. Probably still shaky though. “This is a fast flipping freak of a ride,” I don’t want to be here. “We want to make sure you all enjoy it safely. Make sure all bags, hats, sunglasses, loose items are secured and that your belt is fastened tightly.” He does not sound like he wants to be here. Something in common. I wonder how many times he’s said that tonight.

They pulled the strap of their belt until it was practically pinching and digging into their skin. A few different attendants were wandering amongst the cat, checking everything. Vincent was smiling.

“Check one?”

“Check.”

“Check Two?”

“Check!”

“Alright alright, here we go. Have fun you guys and enjoy your ride on the might Surrrge.” 

The screech of the metal brake releasing had them jumping. That sense of dread was starting to feel like lead in their gut. The ride chains clanked as the cars began to rise up the initial incline. They were already squeezing Vincent’s hand as gravity pulled at their shoulders and pressed them against the seat.

“I don’t want to do this.” They whispered. Vincent squeezed their hand back.

“It’ll be over before you know it. Promise.” He said. They squeezed their eyes shut, feeling hot tears slipping down their temples as their nose and throat burned. The car stalled near the top, and they forced their eyes open, immediately wishing they hadn’t. The people below seemed so tiny and the ground was so very very far away. 

“Please no. Oh god, please no.” They said, voice shaking. The drop had a scream of terror ripping free from their lips. The kind of scream that tore your throat raw and pushed all air from your lungs. The kind of scream that had your abdomen tightening painfully. The scrape of the well worn tracks below the cart wheels was barely audible over the pounding in their ears and the wind stinging their eyes and skin. Their free hand gripped the roll bar with white knuckles. I’m going to die. I’m going to fucking die. 

There was something final about that thought. As if their mind accepted it. They looked over at Vincent, his hair pushed back from his face and eyes wide with a sense of delight they couldn’t understand. A grin was plastered to his face, even as his hand remained in their own. Please don’t let go of me. Please don’t let me die.

A whimper and a gasp left their lips as the cars twisted into a swirl, approaching the loop-de-loop up ahead. Something’s going to go wrong. I can tell. They could see their friends waving and laughing below, pointing to the car they sat in. They couldn’t make out what they were shouting, but they could see Hannah miming making out. Was she talking about Vincent. The car started the quick ascent up the loop. 

Time slowed. Or the car did. No… it was the car. The sound of the ride chains clanking along side them slithered to a stop at the very height of the loop. Blood was starting to rush to their head.

“V-Vincent?” They said, too scared to move. 

“What’s going on?” They could hear him whisper. They tightened their grip on his hand. The air seemed to still. I’m going to die. Their mind felt empty except for that one thought. It was like it was outline and illuminated by the flashing bulbs so favored at amusement parks. Shouting started from below, as well as a few cries. Someone started to scream as the sound of metal groaned. 

Why wasn’t the car moving? Their head was starting to really fucking hurt. Breathing was getting difficult.

“Vincent, I’m scared.” They said, their voice sounding far away over the pumping in their ears. Vincent didn’t answer. Their hand was starting to ache from how tight they were both holding onto each other. 

Then there was a snap. A screech of metal. Gravity didn’t exist anymore and there were a lot more screams. Pressure pushed down on their head, shoulders, neck, and spine. The ground was growing closer. Too close. There was part of the track in the way. 

They were going to hit it. Oh god, they were going to hit it. I’m going to die.

The park was filled with all sounds of life. Screaming, metal tearing, sirens blaring, running footsteps, sobbing.

And the footsteps of a man who had lived long enough to see many horrors, quietly dragged away a boy that still held on tightly to a hand to someone that no longer had a head or a life.

[666writingcafe]

The Carnival (Part One)

Click!

Both the sound and the accompanying bright light that greet us the moment we're inside the carnival gates cause me to nearly jump out of my skin. The Celestial Realm isn't known for being spontaneous, you see; everything is planned down to the second.

"I'll be right back," MC mutters, handing off Number Two to me before going after the individual---or rather ghost---that took a picture of us. Not wanting to be in other people's way, I find a bench and sit down.

"I didn't think angels could feel sin," Number Two states, sliding down to my lap and looking up at me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. Based on the expression on Number Two's face, I would say that the little one thinks I'm dumb.

"Do you know why I'm called 'Number Two'?" I shake my head. "I'm basically an extension of the second Avatar of Sin."

"You mean Mammon."

"Yeah. Every time that he succumbs to his sin, another one of us pops up."

"There must be thousands of you at this point." Number Two grins.

"Try millions."

"So, are you all Number Two?"

"No. Just me. I'm the first, you see. I live with the original Numbers One through Seven at the Demon Lord's castle."

"I imagine the dynamics between you guys are the same as those between the brothers." Number Two grows serious.

"Listen, I know this is a really forward, impolite sort of question, but out of curiosity, how do you feel about MC?"

"They're near and dear to my heart."

"And?" I hesitate to answer, fearing that the little one is going to rat me out if I tell it the truth.

"Look, I can sense the greed radiating off you. You're lucky that Number Five isn't here, or you'd be in big trouble." I sigh.

"I can't. There are rules in place."

"Ah, the classic battle between the brain and the heart." Number Two pauses. "You know, there's nothing that says we have to find Lord Diavolo and Mr. Lucifer right away. I mean, I don't know for sure where the illegal casino is. It could be anywhere, and the carnival is so big."

"Why are you doing this?"

"It'd be good for you." The little demon smiles. "Oh look, it's MC."

"Sorry about that," MC states, sitting down next to me. "The ghost was quite apologetic, and he even gave me a voucher for free food."

"That was nice of him," I reply. "It wouldn't be a bad idea for us to eat something before we begin our search. Number Two, where would you like to eat?"

[ameliaegschulz]

"Buuuuut...?"

Charlotte's answer gave her pause and broke her smile, which gave way to confusion. Enough confusion to check her surroundings again, at least for something akin to a calendar. She found none. She had her guesses as to what was happening, but she held her tongue in that respect.

"That's... that's fine, I can wait," she hummed, content to watch the next game unfold. And to simply be here for her daughters again. As the game unfolded, there were a couple moments where Emily quietly eyed some cards for Charlotte to acquire - cards she herself would always go for whenever the opportunity arose.

Sophia could see the pride in Emily's face when Charlotte picked up such a card the second time it appeared.

Five seconds later...

"Mom's gone, isn't she?" spoke Sophia, to Emily's stunned silence.

"And we're sleeping," continued Sophia, confirming Emily's suspicion.

"...yeah," answered Gates, doing her best to keep her composure strong. Motherly, but strong. "Yeah, she's... gone right now."

"I put you two in the medical pods as soon as you collapsed. It was about a week ago. You two have been there since."

She listened to Charlotte speak of Haya's soul searching from her perspective. She remembered Zak'yanna speaking of a "passcode" when Charlotte mentioned it. So THAT'S what she meant by that... she thought.

She almost laughed as her daughters did, instead sharing a smile.

"...I really am a trouble maker."

Emily put a hand on Sophia's shoulder.

"Hey, so am I," she reassured her ginger-haired daughter.

"I wouldn't have met your other mother if I wasn't. In that far away galaxy? Remember how most of those stories with mine start with some form of "I was bored and looking for adventure, so I went?" I'm not kidding when I say that. Your mother and I found each other, and then we brought you two into this world - all because we're both troublemakers."

Her other hand went to Charlotte's shoulder. "And hey, don't be too hard on yourselves for losing track of each other, alright? What matters is you two found your way back together again, as you always do. As I knew you would, because you are strong women. You're our daughters. The best daughters we could ever ask for."

"So stay strong for us, okay? For me, and for your other mother, who I'm going to find again, for all of us."

"Mom you say that but." Sophia chimed with a smile, bringing the cards together for another game, only there was a tint of sadness about her smile. Like Gates was missing something about this all, immersed in the experience like a memory or some vision.

"I've played more since then, it was all we played while taking care of that fish girl after Sophia and I united. Here you can play with one of us after, winner takes all this round." Charlotte's words set the timeline, it wasn't just a year ago it was recent. Months? Weeks? When were they in a shuttle with Gates though?

"I'll start us off for another round." As the weird feelings continue, the girl play another game against each other. As usual the games go as they always did, Sophia's a quick learner but doesn't get too keep into what she studies. Her knowledge of the game is surface level but it's enough to win against people who don't know how to play that well

It's why she never beats Gates, but always beats Charlotte.

Charlotte on the other hand takes time to learn it, but studies it inside and how. Her tactics and cards take longer to get rolling, but make one mistake and she can seal the victory. It's why she's always changing her cards.

Even now it looks like Sophia's winning handily.

On her turn to looks at Emily and says something the other doesn't want to hear. "Mom's gone isn't she?"

The words echo through this cozy game with thunder, "And we're sleeping." She continues, playing her turn out as Charlotte's starts.

"We saw a nice lady, she tried to come inside but... without Mom's passcode she couldn't enter." Charlotte was clearly speaking about Haya, how she was able to feel them but this sort of interaction, perhaps not.

"She brought you here though. Mom. I knew you'd make it, you and Sophia never stopped looking for me... once Sophia actually said something."

"Hey you did make it home in time for your birthday, relax." Sophia chimes, the sisters laugh between themselves as the turn shifts back to Sophia.

"I'm not good at being honest when I goof, first the crash that took my arm, then getting Charlotte all scooped away. I really am I trouble maker."