#can't call you a stranger but i can't call you i know you think i erased you you may hate me but i can't hate you or replace you

[reidingandallthat]

used to, not to

spencer thinks of all the ways he's gotten used to you when you're away from him.

spencer reid x reader words: 1.7k genre: fluff a/n: pulled this outta me for valentine's day bc i have fomo

Seven steps until he finds you again, or at least the memory of you in the smell of the same old bakery on his path to the office, familiar as he hears your voice,

“Okay, just one donut.” reverberating through his head, one hand subconsciously holding the satchel closer to him.

The doors of the office open on their own, and he repeats the daily routine of tight-lipped smiles to almost strangers, people he sees everyday but knows nothing about. Penelope pinches his cheeks just for a brief moment, along with her chipper “Good morning!” when he passes her.

He woke up in an empty bed today, an unhappy reminder of your departure last night. The flight had flown well into midnight because of the weather, and he was glad, at least he could talk to you before you went up into the sky, unreachable to him. 

You'd laughed at him when he said it to you,

“Baby, it's only 5 hours, you'll have me available right after you wake up.”

“I’m so glad you think I get 5 hours of sleep every night.”

He had laughed along with you, but truth to be told he was afraid. He'd gotten too used to being around you whenever he was home, you had a much agreeable schedule. 

So now he's in his bed, resting his back on the bed frame behind him, laptop resting on his legs, right after you cut the call.

The screen was already black, he'd been too busy talking to you to pay attention to anything. His phone screen lit up again, a last text with your name on it,

“Bye baby, don't miss me too much. Get some sleep. I love you.”

How cruel of you to send it when you won't even be able to see his answer for the next few hours.

A few more minutes spent in silence and staring at his reflection over the blank screen when he shakes his head to come into his senses, and busies himself in anything other than thoughts of you.

Morning.

Hurried hands and squinted eyes, scrolling through the only notifications he cares to read on his phone.

Two missed calls and seven texts. 

The texts are timed several minutes apart, updates on when you landed up until you reached your hotel and fell asleep.

“I'm glad you actually went to sleep. See you in my dreams.”

The text read like you, sweet and teasing till he smiles with an ache in his heart, of course this was the day Hotch didn't decide to call everyone 3 hours earlier than usual.

The day goes as it always does, mundane and routine. JJ states a case, Hotch tells everyone what to do and they get to the jet to discuss further details.

He spends his time inside offices and police stations, looking through files and clues that are informed to him over the phone, connecting pasts to present, turning his phone on and off for anything new, as if that would automatically generate a text from you.

Evening comes in, hues of orange red and blue as he walks home, the same donut shop, haunting him as he leaves it behind.

He thinks of calling you again, but he remembers you telling him to text you more, you can't always pick up his calls. He knows he shouldn’t, but it's a selfish wish to hear from you again.

So instead he takes a picture of the shop, and tells you he's thinking of you, and puts his phone back into his satchel.

The door is locked, another thing he was out of routine, he had gotten used to you being home before him. He'd gotten used to seeing you in your pyjamas, cozying up in your blanket watching your shows, or blasting music as you pretend the spatula is your mic. 

You'd both laughed a lot that day.

A bittersweet feeling envelops him again as enters through the door, and switches on the light, feeling heavy in the absence of your presence, an oxymoron, he thinks.

He goes into his bathroom to take a shower after a long day to be met with cold water. He yelps as the water makes contact with his skin when he realises that you always made sure the shower was ready whenever he came in, or you tried most days. He doesn't remember asking you to do this, only remembers thanking you the first time you did. 

He's glad you're not there to see the smile on his face, lovesick and pathetic whenever he thinks of you when you're not there.

He wonders if others notice it, but realises the stupidity of his question. He remembers the initial days of them dating, how Emily would shake her head whenever he jumped to take your call, how Penelope gushed about his adoration towards you, and the usual remarks of Derek teasing. 

The coffee machine just finished pouring his beverage into his cup when he hears his phone ring. He knows who it is, so he answers like it's meant for you,

“Hi, I missed you.”  

“It's only been 3 days, Spence.”

The clock hands have moved past two hours because neither of you had put down the call. He had read his book and you had done your work in silence, light typing sounds in the background.

He was glad he'd been away from home for a few days, it gave him space not to th ink of you inhabiting the space beside him, to not think of the absence of your arms around him, to not have another reason to make coffee in the morning. 

The leftover beverage stared at him whenever he moved his head, daring him to go pour himself another cup. He'd made too much, he was too a creature of habit, not used to you being gone.

Nights had a weird way of going by slowly when he didn't have you to talk to. Another bad habit of his, he realises, your voice.

He wouldn't dare tell you, or anyone if he's being honest, that he'd played your voice note more times than he'd admit. 

Pathetic, with that stupid grin on his face as you told him about your day. 

Hopeless, he thinks.

He doesn't mind being hopeless, especially if it's you.

Spencer doesn't dream often. He's glad, he has enough running thoughts every second he's awake. But he's also glad to have this dream, where your fingers are sliding down the slope of his nose, tracing the bones of his cheek, running through his hair.

He doesn't open his eyes, he wouldn't dare put a stop to any of it. The voice that chuckles sounds eerily like you, but he does open his eyes when he hears it say,

“Never seen you smile in your dreams.”

He's never woken up this fast, his heartbeat immediately higher than it should be this early in the morning, but he deems it a natural reaction to being around you. His eyes are desperate and searching, confused and the image makes you chuckle. He looks adorable like this, you think.

His voice is a near whisper, adapted to the quietness around him as he wakes up,

“What are you doing here? Weren't you coming tomorrow?”

You laugh again and it's like honey to him, “Got off early, thought I'd surprise you.”

He doesn't have much to say, too many different thoughts running through his brain so he buries his face at the crook of your neck. You smell like you, he’s missed that too and he has to stop himself from saying it out loud.

“I think I've gotten too used to your coffee, nothing else seems good anymore.”

“Everyone else says it's mediocre,” He chuckles, his breath warm on your skin, “You're the only person who likes it.” 

“Well, it's… you, I guess. I like it because I like you.”

This is the only thing about you he's never gotten used to. He doesn't know how to respond when you talk to him like this, words too sweet, too saccharine, words only meant as a declaration, as a compliment.

He has answers to most if not all questions you could ask him, he'd list facts about any topic you talk to him about, he'd tell you how amazing you are every day, because he's used to it.

He gives away parts for him to his job, to his friends, to his mother, but he's never had much practice receiving it. It's second nature, to let the person in front of him know that “Yes, I care about you.” in crystal clear words so that he never has to bear the hurt of the sentence that follows, “Please, stay.”

He'd asked Penelope once, what to do with compliments. She had told him, after many minutes of teasing, to thank them, or tell them you love them. He’s not sure how other people think, but the idea of just a thank you didn’t sit right with him. 

Neither of those options sounded good to him, but he had thanked her and left, not very satisfied with the answer. Instead, he does what he's gotten used to doing, telling you the new things he's learned when you haven't been around.

“I think I've gotten too used to listening to your voice before sleep. I played the voice note you sent me atleast 7 times.”

Pause.

“7 times?” He could hear the amusement in your voice.

“You should make a morning alarm, just for me. Then I could wake up to your voice.”

You're not quite sure how to respond to that. It's a common occurrence, your perplexity at his compliments. 

Who says that anyway?

You're used to responding to the usual compliments, you know what to say when someone tells you you're pretty, or that you look good in your outfit. 

How does one ever say anything in response that could ever live up to whatever he just asked of you?

So you don't. You find his hands and squeeze them to let him know you heard him, and say the first thing that you could think of to answer him, to calm your racing heart, 

“You don’t need one. I'll be here myself, promise.”

[liliapleasesteponme]

Avis Amberg nsfw alphabet

Avis amberg x fem!reader

Summary - an nsfw headcannon for each letter of the alphabet

This whole thing is a warning

NOTE i will be making more of these for different characters !!

Taglist - @delusionalforolderwomen @lilia-calderus-pet-goat @bravewithacapitalb @live-laugh-love-lupone @lemz378 @emilynissangtr @sapphic-girlss @mgruiz @multixfan @angeliccs @ilovepattilupone @renyfisher @tinnisamy @thegoddamnfeels

Aftercare

She loves when you give her aftercare, complimenting and praising her on how good she was. It makes her feel extra special. She does try to give aftercare but she's not as good at it as you

Body part

She adores your fingers. The way they caress her body, the way they can give her such pleasure

You love her face, its amazing to look at and sit on

Cum

She can cum alot and when she does she becomes VERY vocal about it.

When you cum she always licks it all up, wanting to savor your taste as long as she can

Dirty Secret

During her first time with a woman, she was embarrassed by how inexperienced she was so she tried to bury her face into the pillows to hide her moans but instead they became louder whimpers instead. She thinks about that alot

Experience

Obviously she's no stranger to sex but she is very inexperienced in sex with women so you end up teaching her a few new things

Favourite nicknames

She loves being called mama and when things get more intense she sometimes likes being called mistress.

For you, she uses a wide range of nicknames but she always adds 'my' to them just for a little reminder of who you belong to

Goofy

I dont think she'd be one to make jokes while the two of you are being intimate, she would maybe make a joke or two during foreplay though

Hate

I think she would be one to indulge in hate sex (but only as roleplay), often. with you saying things like, "oh you're such a bitch" And her replying with, "i don't hear you telling me stop."

Intimacy

She always tries to be as intimate and passionate as she can, wanting to make you feel about her the same way she feels about you (you do but she second guesses herself)

She somehow even manages to make quickies feel intimate and romantic

Jack Off

Ok im just gonna say it―i think she masturbates ALOT. You make her very horny and who is she not to indulge when she can't have you to take care of her ?

Kink

1000% has a praise kink. She loves loves loves being praised (it makes her feel validated)

I think she would also like trying orgasm control, hear me out, because she sees it as a challenge. She often finds it really hard not to cum so she enjoys the thrill it gives her

Location

She prefers the bedroom because it feels more personal but she's down for doing it almost anywhere as long as its not too public

Motivation

She's always horny for you. Wearing something revealing ? She's horny. You casually praise her for something ? She's horny. You compliment her ? She's horny. Honestly just seeing you turns her on so ...

NO

I don't think there would be much that she's opposed to and if you say a new thing she'll be down to try it, if she doesn't like it she will tell you

Oral

It would take her a while to get comfortable with giving oral since she's not used to it but once she is OMG is she amazing at it !!! Girlie knows how to work that tongue

She loves receiving oral cause she is always amazed by how incredible your tongue makes her feel

Pace

She likes to start slow, savoring the moment, but once she gets going its FAST. She's being pounded at brutal paces and she loves it

Quickie

Like I've said she prefers to be intimate to savour the moment but if she really needs it she'll give tou a certain look of longing that makes you understand exactly what she's asking

Risk

Risk is thrilling to her. Leaving a door open so someone could walk in ? She's down, loves it. It adds an element of suspence into her life and the thought of getting caught turns her on massively

Stamina

Mama has crazy stamina ! She can go round after round for hours on end, she'll keep going until you're tired or want to stop

Toys

I can imagine she has a drawer full of toys. Vibrators, straps, clamps and everything else you could think of

Unfair

She can be unfair at times, focusing more on her pleasure than yours but once she realises she's been onky focusing on herself she feels bad and does everything she can to make you feel just as good as she does

Volume

LOUD. SOUND-BARRIER-BREAKINGLY LOUD

Wild Card

She likes people to think she's a dom but she's really a power bottom

eXtreme

As she becomes more familiar with being with women, she does like to experiment with some things that are more on the extreme side

Yearning

She definitely has an intense desire for you, she always wants you, even when ita not for sex, but just to be in your presence

ZZZ

Normally, she'll wait for you to fall asleep and then she'll let herself wind down. She has a routine concerning her hair and makeup both morning and night that she needs to stick to so she waits for you to be comfortable before completing her routine and relaxing herself

[knightjpg]

landslide | chapter 4

chapter tags: alcohol mention, reader has a toxic boyfriend, implied cheating on reader by said boyfriend

prev | next

You dream of the ocean. 

Blue against blue, hot dry sand between your toes. The aftermath of salt under your tongue. You're swimming. You look, feet kicking, hands paddling, but there's no shore to break your line of sight. The horizon stretches until it fades, a blurry blue line as vast as the world. 

You don't feel afraid. You're just tired. Your arms and legs feel so heavy, and the water feels heavy, too. Waves are coming faster, weightier; you dip below and break through the surface— 

until you're pulled under. 

Buried alive under big heaving wells, swallowed down by surface gravity. You claw against the water, desperate, fighting for air— 

and cough yourself awake. Your chest hurts, tight with the remnants of your nightmare, and for a split second you feel panic when a weight presses on you; but it's just Kettlebell who curled up on top of you somewhere during the night. 

Upon feeling your hand in his fur his head lifts, big dark eyes blinking hello. Then he yawns and hops off you. Now that you're awake his job is done, and he can go annoy Mim in peace. 

When you swing your legs over your bed you groan, pressing a hand to your forehead. Your temple throbs, occasional pinpricks of pain shooting like stars over your eyes. 

Last night comes back to you slowly. 

The bar, the too-many drinks, no sight of Dave. The kind stranger who listened to your blubbering about your boyfriend. 

Hot shame rushes through you now that you recall your words in the wondrous, headache-inducing light of sobriety. God. You totally unloaded on a guy you'd never met before and then he... 

He called you a cab, didn't he? And made sure you were sent home. 

You bury your head in your hands and mouth the words what on earth is wrong with me. 

The mortification is enough to eat you alive. You vow you'll never let it get that far again—with alcohol or waiting for Dave that long. Speaking of which... 

You raise your head and grab for your phone. Predictably there's an apologetic text from Dave waiting for you: 

01:24 Srry missed your calls, smthing came up with a friend x 

You stare at the screen for a long moment. 

Slowly, like your fingers haven't quite made up their mind yet about replying, you type out an answer. 

08:50 I waited a long time for you. 

You chew your lip as you send it, feeling anxious and small. When Kettlebell returns to the bed to let you know his and Mim's food bowls are still offensively empty, you shake yourself out of it and go through the motions of your morning routine.  

Before you hop in the shower, however, you can't resist another peek: 

09:22 Make it up to you? 

You exhale.  

See? He doesn't say it explicitly, but he's sorry. He'll make it up to you. He cares about you.  

Life happens, things get in the way. You have to believe that. What is a relationship if you can't trust your partner? 

What is a relationship if not the feeling of throwing yourself off the tightrope and waiting for the other to catch you mid-fall? 

“Wear the sluttiest one you have,” Liv says. Her voice crackles on speakerphone; her face is out of frame on the video call, bending down to apply her eyeliner. 

You laugh. “The sluttiest—? God, I don't know if I even have anything like that.” 

You sift through your clothes again, slowly, pulling out one or two things that might make the cut. It's been a while since you've gone out with just friends, just for fun, just for yourself. 

Without Dave. 

He hasn't made good on his promise to make it up to you yet—says that with his holiday coming up he's extra busy, has to make sure things don't fall apart once he leaves. 

The reminder of the stupid Bora-Bora trip with his stupid marketing colleague has been enough to leave you on edge.  

And while you don't think Liv and you will ever become best friends she's been kind. When you texted her in a fit of tears about Dave flaking on you again you expected excuses for his sake— 

You're so lucky! 

—but instead she called him a cunt and said you should join her and some others to go dancing. Shake your ass and make him regret on losing out on time with you, she'd said, and even though it's not your thing you agreed. 

If only to feel like you could. 

“Wait, what's that one? The black one?” Liv peers into the camera. One eye is perfectly made up, smoky dark eyeshadow contouring an arched, pencilled-in brow. 

“This one?” You pull the dress off its hanger and hold it up for the camera to see. 

It was an impulse buy. On sale. The fabric felt soft and stretchy, and even though you could see your panties in the changing booth mirror when you bent down you loved the look of it too much to leave it. 

You'd just started dating Dave. You remember you were still feeling giddy and excited with that nervous kind of confidence that made you blush and smile and think maybe I'll wear it for him one time. 

It's been gathering dust in the back of your closet ever since. 

“Yesss,” Liv says. “That's what I'm talking about.” 

When she goes back to her make-up table you hold the dress up in front of the mirror. 

It doesn't feel like you. 

It feels like the person you once really wished you were, and even that wishful optimism is no longer part of your repertoire. 

You turn around. “Hey, do you think—” 

Your phone buzzes, covering Liv's face with a popup that says in big white letters incoming call! 

You grab it quickly, throwing your dress on the bed. “Hang on, someone's calling—” 

With one swipe Liv disappears, and you hold the phone to hold to your ear. Unknown number.  

“Hello?” 

“Simon.” 

“Nice to finally meet you,” you smile, and shake the massive hand held out to you. Simon runs warm; his grip is firm and brief. “I, um. I heard about your mother passing. From Beth. I'm so sorry.” 

He averts his eyes for a moment. They're a lovely warm shade of brown, starkly contrasted against his pale skin and blond lashes. Up close you see shadows of nicks and scars. Souvenirs from his work. 

“Thanks.” 

He hardly says another word all evening. At times it feels more like he's watching over rather than participating in your little party of friends gathered at Tommy and Beth's apartment; a hulking shadow brooding in the corner, shying away from the inner circle of light and laughter. 

It'd be easy to forget he was there, but you don't. 

You're a little fascinated by him. If Beth is like your sister, what does that make him? Family by-proxy-by-proxy. You've heard enough about him to decide he's got a good heart underneath his withdrawn demeanour, and it makes you eager to forgive what others might see as rudeness. 

You sneak looks all throughout the get-together, in between board games and salty snacks and bad jokes. Try to map his heavy brow, his serious gaze, the scar running over his chin that mirrors the one Tommy has on the back of his neck. 

After the first few times you chalk it up to coincidence. But when you look again, again—those brown eyes meet yours. It confirms: 

Simon's been looking at you, too. 

“I don't understand,” you say. 

You're not convinced this isn't a prank call. No, worse—a scam. Even when “John” reads out Joseph's place, date, and time of birth—even when he could tell you Beth's middle name or Tommy's last place of work. 

There's just no way. 

“Just... after eight years? Isn't that a crazy long time...?” 

A begrudging pause. “I can't tell you everything, sweetheart. Confidential. You understand.” 

You try to. Simon left you something, John said. Wouldn't say what. Couldn't say how. But it's for you, if you want it, just making sure— 

Of course you want it, you tell him. You have a P.O. box, he can send it anytime— 

“It was requested you receive it in person,” John says. “On base.” Paper is shuffled and shifted in the background. Faintly you hear a door open and close. “There's one not too far from your address.” 

“John” gives you the directions, and a quick google shows that he's not lying; there really is a base close by, and it fits John's description. 

“Okay. Um... Do I need to bring anything?” 

“Your ID should do.” John clears his throat. “I'll have one of mine handle it. Mention my name—John, Captain Price, whatever you like—and they'll sort you out.” 

“Alright. Thank you...” 

You end the call feeling dazed. Tonight was supposed to be for letting go of everything, for living in the now, in the moment—and suddenly the past comes knocking at your door. 

The anxiety returns like a wave crashing on your shore. 

You should be over this by now. It's been so many years. You've cycled through all of grief's vicious stages, and the sadness and loss has dulled to the point you don't think of it anymore every day. And even then—it was Beth who was your best friend, Beth who you cried for the hardest. Not Simon. Simon was— 

(family by-proxy-by-proxy) 

—special. 

But him leaving you something behind shouldn't be enough to derail the peace you've clawed out for yourself. 

Right? 

You tell Liv it was a family thing when she asks, but she's concerned, says you look pale; “Are you sure you're up for going, babe?” 

You open your mouth to say yes. 

Before you can, though, a notification pops up. It's Dave. You told him you were going out earlier today and received no response—more and more often these days, you remember thinking—and shrugged. Put it out of your mind. 

You open the text. 

Oh I was thinking we do chinese tonight and a movie marathon 

You bite your lip, hard. Text back, Sorry, maybe some other time? 

He's not usually one to respond so quickly, but the three dots pop up before you're even done typing. 

We can go out together sometime 

Just call and cancel 

I'll get your fav <3 

—you crumble. 

It's pathetic, but right now all you want is someone's arms to bury yourself into and to cry on a familiar shoulder. To not be alone in a crowd of strangers with girls that you don't know very well. 

You take a shuddering breath and try for your best apologetic smile. “Liv? Sorry. Um—I think the family call thing got me a little harder than I thought.”  

How do you explain what Simon was to you? What Beth and her family were to you? 

“I'm really sorry for flaking on you suddenly, but is it okay if I go with you next time?” 

“Of course, babe,” Liv rushes to assure you. “Take it easy, okay? You really don't look so good. We can go out dancing anytime—I'll add you to the groupchat.” 

“Thanks. Have fun,” you tell her, and she says she will before the screen goes dark. 

With trembling hands, you press the call button. 

“Um, sorry. Am I in the way?” 

“Not at all.” The guy before you flashes you an easy smile. “Want one too?” 

You nod yes, and watch him pour you your drink. He has nice hands; slender, nails neatly trimmed, a plain watch around his wrist. 

“I'm Dave,” he says as he hands you your drink. You accept with a smile and offer your own name, and go through the usual so what do you do for work, who do you know here, did you come with a friend, what food did you bring to the potluck? 

“Er,” he says a little sheepishly, “just drinks, I'm afraid. I can't cook to save my life.” 

“It's not so hard once you get started. They've got these food delivery boxes now, where you just get everything you need for a meal.” 

“Ah, I want to, but. You know.” Dave gestures with his hand. “Work keeps me so busy when I get home all I want to do is pass out.” 

You give him a sympathetic smile. You know that feeling too, all too well. “So that's why you're here, huh?” you joke. “To eat your fill and then leave before the cleanup?” 

Dave winks. “Oops. Saw right through me.” 

In the end Dave does stay for cleanup, though you suspect he only does so because he wants to talk to you after and ask for your number. 

You're a little surprised at yourself for giving it. 

It doesn't have to mean anything, you tell yourself later on the way home. It can just be practice. Getting back into the dating scene after disappearing from it for a few years. 

Worst case you try a one-liner on him and he ghosts you. 

Part of you hopes he doesn't, though. You enjoyed talking to Dave. He seemed nice. Normal. 

Uncomplicated. 

Beth would want that for you, too, you decide when you close the door behind you. A nice normal bloke you can live a nice normal life with. You can't hide yourself away forever; the excuse of work keeping you too busy to socialise is wearing thin.  

Who knows? You smile to yourself as you drift off. 

Maybe this could be the start of something really good. 

Dave leaves early in the morning when you're still half-asleep in bed. You don't remember getting there last night; he must've carried you over after you fell asleep on the sofa. 

You wrinkle your nose at the empty plastic containers littering the low table in the living room. It's messier than you remember it; Dave even forgot his jacket, still thrown over the back of the sofa. You pick it up and dust it off— 

...? 

You frown and lean in, sniffing the jacket. 

Traces of something sweet and fruity still cling to the fabric. 

You stand there, in the still morning light spilling through the windows, holding the jacket and staring at it. You're overreacting. You're reading into it. You're so sensitive. Jumping to conclusions. 

Dave doesn't usually wear scent, does he? 

crazy bitch, possessive cunt, stupid whore— 

...But maybe he's started to. You'll... you'll ask him about it. That should be okay, right? You'll ask him, and then he'll say oh, yeah, just trying out this new thing. 

And the world will be right again. 

Tears prick at your eyes and you blink them away, carefully hanging Dave's jacket onto the hanger in the hallway. You avert your eyes as soon as possible. 

You don't want to think about it. 

If you do, you'll just make yourself go crazy. Talk yourself into doing something stupid, like calling him and then blubbering accusations at him like a lunatic. 

You breathe out. No. This is your free day, and you're not going to spend in moping inside. You scoop up Mim, who's come out of his hiding place, and kiss his little head while he purrs in your arms. 

You're going to feed your cats, feed yourself, and then... 

Then you'll go to that military base. Get it over with. It'll get you out of the house, out of your head, make you think about something else than Dave wearing a woman's scent. 

Even if that something else is the dead brother-in-law of your equally dead best friend. 

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

My byler headcanons

Both are HUGE lotr fans (hehe). Will more, but mike would fight you on it.

Both are pretty good at maths and are science nerds

Will has cowritten a dnd campaign with mike at least once. They argued over plot holes and minor details. Maybe to make it funnier they didn't tell dustin and lucas that will actually knew all the plot (cause he helped create it), just revealed towards the end that will the wise had been secretly a spy to the big bad all along (since the beginning, will had been leaving little clues. "Guys we shouldn't do that", *knows things it doesn't really make sense for him to know*, *some of his decisions ended up harming them, oops*). The gasps and feelings of betrayal were genuine.

More of the party than byler, but they all definitely went into the woods behind will's house with plastic swords and pretended to fight. Cmon they 100% did. Bonus if while wearing costumes. Maybe they even recorded themselves if they got ahold of a camera (if Jonathan had one at that point). I keep imagining the party as babies recording themselves. Will is the one carrying the camera (he's the most careful), you have mike saying "today is tuesday, third of June of 1980, and we are going on an adventure" or smth to the camera (which is pretty wobbly), etc. Mike is the one that kept the recordings in his basement. He doesn't watch them, but he can't bring himself to throw them out.

About lotr, again. Will likes Aragorn but he isn't like, obsessed, meanwhile Mike doesn't know if he wants to BE Aragorn or be WITH him.

Mike loves star wars. Will doesn't particularly care about it (he doesn't dislike it, it's more, he enjoys it, he finds it entertaining, but he also thinks it's forgettable).

Will is a film snob, Mike is a book snob.

"Smalltown boy when Mike gets vecna'd" "should I stay or should I go when Mike gets vecna'd" wrong. Sweet Child O' Mine as mike's song when he gets vecnad. It's so byler from mike's pov.

"Gawain is the best knight out of the round table" "I have never in my life heard such an incorrect opinion".

Eachother's moms absolutely love them.

They hung out at castle byers, a lot. Also mike’s basement.

Mike never apologized for the "it's not my fault you don't like girls", mostly cause 1) he didn't mean it like that, and didn't think will took it that way and 2) when his parents get mad (at each other or at his sisters and him) they never apologize afterwards, just ignore it. That's what mike's used to. Will kinda wishes he did apologise, but he also doesn't want to bring it up again. At least before they started dating. That doesn’t take away from the fact that he hurt him, but he know fully understands he didn’t mean it like that.

Mike is also a star trek fan, will has watched some episodes out of pure love, cause he finds it SO boring.

Mike has read SO many epic poems and medieval fantasy novels it's insane.

So many sleepovers as kids, specially when Lonnie was still around. Will slept at the wheeler's once a week at LEAST.

Notice how will barely rides his bike after s1? Mike rides, and will sits behind.

Will is so intrigued about mike's relationship with nancy, and so is mike about will's with jonathan. "You guys don't even act like brothers but like friends!!" "What do you mean you don't know what books Nancy reads? She doesn't give you recommendations and talks with you about them?"

Jonathan babysat mike, 100%. When his family had to go and he was younger, they called Jonathan to babysit and paid him like 10 dollars (they called Jonathan cause they knew he was a responsible kid, and he was also Joyce's son so way better than a stranger). Will has also 100% babysat holly. Same reasons as Jonathan, responsible and familiar,

Nancy is like, intimidated by Will, a little. Listen, he's her boyfriend's beloved brother so she really wants him to like her + she just can't figure him out. Between will's quiet nature and all that happened regarding the upside down and him that they still have no idea about (how did will survive so long? What happened to him there (he never talks about it)? How did he communicate with the lights? Why him?) he's just an enigma to her. Will on the other hand is pretty comfortable around her, he has known her most of his life and thinks she's pretty cool. When Nancy saw will knew how to use a gun she thought she found an opportunity to bond with him and began talking to him a little. Will was wobbly out of lack of practice, "keep your aim straighter and firmer" “...okay". Nancy's nervousness around Will was taken from this fic Imao.

Jonathan and Mike have a pretty stable relationship. No, Jonathan doesn't hate mike, he just looks at him and sees a little kid trying to act older that his age and hopes he stops soon. Mike trusts Jonathan so much, like, they could be in a life or death situation but as long as Jonathan is there he feels safer, Jonathan will handle it, there's nothing to worry about. Mike also hates Steve. When he found out Jonathan beat him up once (and won!) his respect for him multiplied four times.

Will learnt morse code after s1, because he was afraid he would get kidnapped again. If that was the case, his mom wouldn't need to write the alphabet on the wall, he would be able to properly communicate through the lights with morse code. Mike doesn't know this.

Will was NOT thrilled about living with el after s3 at first Imao. He grew to like her but the first weeks were rough. He didn't hate her, not at all, he just didn't really know her much and was jealous of her (and her relationship with Mike).

"What if they are talking about me right now?" Mike, about Will and El, after they moved to cali. They are not talking about him.

Max hangs out with Will in his room, Mike really doesn't get it.

Will likes cuddles, and Mike is super clingy.

Robin enjoys annoying Mike so much she finds it so funny. Mike reminds her a lot of Nancy, and he has got such a judgy stare, she loves to provoke him. She thinks he's a nice kid, a little nervous, with eyes she can sometimes recognize (since she wore them too). She asks Nancy about him, Nancy finds herself unable to answer specific questions due to lack of knowledge, and frowns and presses her lips together. Robin notices similar gestures between both siblings, and the same nail biting habit. He seems a bit sad, and Robin doesn't know what to do with that.

With Will she vibes, she feels a bit bad for him after learning about all that happened (Will can tell, he hates it) and he also reminds her a bit of herself, she was quieter in high school, more drawn to herself. Sure, she wasn't fighting monsters neither did she have more than 1 friend but still, something felt familiar (eventually she learnt another similitude they had, she began talking about girls and such around Will without fear. Will didn't know how to react at first, robin did it on purpose, to show him "see, l'm talking normally, you can aswell, I'm not saying anything wrong". Will likes her. She was energetic and funny and a bit strange, it felt weird to find someone else, and he could see something closed in her eves every once in a while, a secret, a locked door. Will decided they were more alike that he thought). They bonded over cinema and shared movie and music recs. She puts her arm around his shoulders a lot.

Horrible runners, both of them. They can run in life or death situations, but don't ask them to run in a race cause they'Il die after 3 steps.

All the party falls asleep on each other since forever, including mike and will.

No pet names, unless you include "dude"

They were each other's first kiss, and I really do believe that.

Will definitely makes fun of Mike for not smiling in photos.

Mike never calls Will William, but Will does call him Michael sometimes (he's the only out out of the party allowed to because Mike hates it, however Will told him years ago that he like the way Michael sounded like, so Mike relented)

As kids, their tables were next to the other's in class, if they weren't allowed to be in pairs, it slowly became a game of "how closer we can slowly get our tables to be before the teacher notices".

(Baby byler) I think that as far as mike's friends go, Will might be Ted's favorite. Sure, he makes subtle homophobic comments (you see Michael, see what happens) but like, Will is a quiet, clean kid who can take his cue to leave (unlike Dustin) and who, instead of making mike more agitated (he was definitely a kid with lots of energy), manages to somehow calm him down. Hell, he barely even notices he's home anymore, and that's if he is, sometimes they're out in the woods or god knows where. Finally some quiet.

[silver-hwaberry]

⭑I Can See You⭑

TWO: cosmic rush

Warnings: angst, arguing, fighting (one physical push between 2 members), name calling, swearing Word count: 8.5k

⭑2016⭑

“Hello stranger!” Yunho greets her as Yeonghwa walks into the classroom

“Hey Yunho!” she laughs taking off her backpack

Yeonghwa hadn’t been at school for the past 3 days as she was in Japan working with Moonlight. They had a performance there plus were filming the MV for their new song ‘Cosmic Rush’.

“How was Japan?” he asks as she sits down

“Busy!” she simply answers. “How was school?”

“Boring! Mr Nams satellite ears weren’t as funny without you here!” he replies. He looks at her as she sets up her school stuff on the desk, “There is something different about you!” he says, not sure what it is

“Probably my hair!” she says not batting an eyelid

“Did you get a hair cut?” he asks looking at it more closely

“Not quite.” she laughs looking at him, “I am wearing a wig, Yunho!”

"A wig?" Yunho's eyes widen comically as he leans closer to inspect her hair. "No way! It looks so real!"

"Well yeah, that's kinda the point," Yeonghwa snorts, swatting his hand away as he reaches out to touch it. "And don't pull on it, I spent forever getting it to sit right this morning."

"But why are you wearing a wig?"

“New hair for the comeback, I have to hide. So wigs are a must when I am at school.” she sighs, “Personally I hate them as they are itchy and make my head sweat but it is strictly forbidden to reveal new hair styles and colours beforehand.”

“Am I allowed to know?” he grins playfully

“Absolutely not!” she laughs swatting his hand away again

“Oh come on, where are my best friend perks?!” he pouts

Yeonghwa freezes slightly at him saying ‘best friend’ and he notices her reaction. Since Yunho started at SOPA 3 weeks before they had gotten more friendly with one another, spending their time exchanging notes, talking during breaks and Yeonghwa was enjoying having a friend at school now but she hadn’t realised he saw her that way. She decides not to say anything about it but Yunho can see she is a little weirded out as she brushes it off.

"Well..." she drags out the word, pretending to think hard about it. "I guess since you did help me with that chemistry homework last week..."

"Yes? Yes?" Yunho leans forward in his chair, practically bouncing.

"It's white with these really pretty pastel pink and lilac streaks," she finally whispers into his ear covering her mouth so only he could hear. The sensation of her breath on his ear and the low tone of her voice makes his stomach flip a little. "But if you tell anyone, I swear-" she leans back

"My lips are sealed!" he mimes zipping his mouth shut. "But that sounds sick actually. Can't wait to see the big reveal."

“You will see it on comeback day if you watch the music video or our comeback stage.” she says, “I won’t be in school for a few days again.” she adds with a small sigh

“Of course I’ll be watching both and all performances afterwards! Just you try and stop me!!” he smiles, “When are the teasers dropping?” he asks

“First one is in 2 days so you’ll see my hair in its full glory then!” she answers, “And I can take this fucking wig off!”

“And don’t worry about schoolwork. I made you a copy of all our work this week and I will do the same next week too.” he says handing her a semi-thick folder

“Wow!” she gasps looking at it, “You really didn’t need to do all this! Thanks you Yunho!” she is grateful for his help in keeping up with her studies.

Previously, when she missed classes because of her schedule, no students gave her notes; she only received a small packet of assignments from the school to complete during her absence.

“It was nothing!” he shrugs nonchalantly

As Yeonghwa flips through the folder with a grateful smile, she notices a small piece of paper tucked inside. Curious, she pulls it out and unfolds it to reveal a simple doodle of a hamster which was her animal representative in the band with a phone number underneath it and faded heart at the end. It looks like he had drawn it and then erased it but the paper was still showing it faintly. It made her smile a little.

Yunho rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, "I know it's cheesy, but I wanted to give you my number so if you had any questions about school work you had a way of contacting me," he says with a shy grin.

Yeonghwa glances up from the drawing, her cheeks turning a bit pink at Yunho's gesture. "Are you sure this isn't just a trick to get my number?" she teases.

"What? No, definitely not! You don't have to give it to me if you don't want to!" he replies, flustered.

"Yun! I'm just kidding!" she laughs, "That's really thoughtful of you," she adds, placing the paper securely into her folder with a gentle smile.

“Oh!” he sighs in relief as he scratches his head awkwardly, a bashful grin on his face. "I just want to make sure you're all set for your comeback without falling behind in schoolwork," he says earnestly.

Yeonghwa nods appreciatively. "I really appreciate it, Yunho. It means a lot to me," she says softly. “But you may end up regretting it as I could end up blowing up your phone when I am on schedules!”

"Feel free to send me as many messages as you want!" he laughs. "Oh, and keep it a secret that I have a phone. We're not supposed to have them until after debut, but we all secretly do. Hongjoong would be so annoyed if he found out, but I'm pretty sure he has one too!"

"A secret phone? How scandalous!" Yeonghwa teases, lowering her voice dramatically. "And here I thought you were such a good boy."

"Hey, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do," Yunho says, puffing up his chest before breaking into a smile.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a moment before Yunho clears his throat. "So, um, are you up for a ninja picnic lunch today? My treat, I’ll buy you whatever you want!" he offers with a hopeful expression. “I’m not going to see Mingi today as he has a dental appointment.”

"I can't today," she explains. "My manager reserved one of the private halls for me to rehearse. We're filming the dance practice video for the song tonight, so I need to get ready."

"Oh, that's cool!" he responds with a nod, but she notices the disappointment in his expression.

"But I'll be alone, so i-if you'd like, you could join me," she stammers nervously, her fingers playing with the bottom of her skirt. "As long as you promise to keep the song a secret!"

"Really?" he responds, brightening.

“Of course!!” she breaks into a wide smile “Maybe I can finally see some of these awesome dance skills you say you have too!”

“My dancing is totally awesome!” he grins

"Oh yeah? Prove it then!" Yeonghwa challenges, raising an eyebrow. "Show me what you've got during practice!"

"Challenge accepted!" Yunho announces with a theatrical puff of his chest. "Just don't hold it against me if my awesome moves leave you feeling jealous."

"Pfft, please," she rolls her eyes, trying not to laugh. "I've been dancing since I was like, 4 years old."

"Well, I've been dancing since I was in the womb," he replies with a cheeky grin.

"That's not even possible, you goof," she laughs, giving him a playful shove. "If that were true, I really pity your mom for dealing with that while you were in her belly—and considering you're a giant too!"

"I'll have you know, I was just as small as you when I was born! I only shot up in height over the past two years!" he says with a grin.

“I find that hard believe!” she laughs, “Scary part is you are still growing too! I stopped when I was 13 years old!”

Yunho looks at her fondly. He had missed her presence in school the past 3 days. Although he did get more work done in class as he wasn’t messing around with Yeonghwa, it wasn’t as fun and he missed her.

As the rest of their fellow classmates begin to fill the classroom and the teacher walks in, they got themselves prepared for the day ahead. They spent break time together as usual, going over the folder of notes Yunho had made for her, telling her what assignments had been set etc and before they knew it lunch time had arrived.

“You get yourself something to eat and come to room 107 when you are ready.” Yeonghwa says as they make their way down the stairs

“Do you want me to get you anything?” he asks, hoping she’ll be eating something but she shakes her head.

“I’ve got a protein shake and a banana with me today.” she answers, “Misty handed it to me as I was leaving this morning. Said she’d hit me over the head with the banana if I don’t have them!” she giggles

“Good! I’m glad someone is taking care of you!” he smiles at hearing she is actually going to be consuming something for lunch. “Want a bottle of water?”

“Yeah I do actually!” she says pulling her purse from her pocket to give him money

“Oh hell no, put that away! This is my treat!” he smiles, “and after your promotions are over I will take you out for a lovely meal to celebrate!”

“I highly doubt my company would allow me to do that, they control every aspect of my life,” she responds. Yunho feels a pang in his chest at her words, not because she said she couldn't do it, but because her company has so much control over her. It doesn't seem fair. "But I wouldn't say no to having a ninja lunch with you after everything is done," she adds with a mischievous smile.

“Really?” he breaks into a smile

“Absolutely! If it is okay with Mingi, that is!” she replies

“I am positive he would. He is pretty cool. I think you two would really get along!” Yunho replies

“Its a deal then! Once my promotions are over, we do the great escape!” Yeonghwa nods with a happy grin on her face.

As they reach the bottom of the stairs, Yeonghwa make her way to the private dance hall, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The familiar scent of polished wood and sweat greets her as she pushes open the heavy door. Sunlight streams through the high windows, casting long shadows across the gleaming floor causing her to smile. She loved being in practice rooms, it was her place of sanctuary, somewhere she can be free. She sets down her bag and pulls out her protein shake and banana, placing them carefully on a nearby bench.

Meanwhile, Yunho navigates the bustling cafeteria, the cacophony of voices and clattering trays filling the air. He quickly selects a sandwich and an apple, his mind already racing ahead to the dance hall. As he paid for his food, he grabs two bottles of ice cold water, one for himself and one for Yeonghwa.

Back in the dance hall, Yeonghwa has changed into her practice clothes - a loose tank top and form-fitting leggings with a pair of sneakers. The choreo she was about to perform would be impossible in her stiff and restrictive school uniform. She stands before the wall of mirrors, taking deep breaths as she centres herself. With practised movements, she begins to stretch, her lithe body bending and twisting to get rid of the stiffness from sitting at her desk for so long.

Yunho arrives just as Yeonghwa was finishing her warm-up routine. He slips inside quietly, not wanting to disturb her concentration. Knowing himself how important it is to get into the zone before dancing. He finds a spot against the far wall and he settles down to watch, his lunch momentarily forgotten.

He notices that her black wig has been tossed aside and her freshly dyed white hair, which is now shorter and falls a few inches below her shoulders, hangs in loose natural waves with pastel streaks that are barely noticeable from afar.

Yeonghwa pulls out her phone and set it on a small speaker. She sets up her ipad infront of the mirror, ready to play the group rehearsal video if she needed any reminders. A moment later, the opening notes of Moonlight's new song filled the room. The beat was infectious, a pulsing rhythm that seemed to vibrate through the floorboards. Yunho can’t help but nod to his head to beat as his eyes focus on her.

Yeonghwa begin to move. Her body becomes a living instrument, every gesture precise and purposeful. She flows across the floor, her feet barely seeming to touch the ground. Her arms carved graceful arcs through the air, fingers splayed in delicate formations.

As the song reaches its climax, Yeonghwa launches into a breathtaking series of spins, her body a blur of motion. She ends with a dramatic pose, chest heaving, one hand on her hip. For a moment, the room was silent save for her ragged breathing.

Then, catching sight of Yunho in the mirror's reflection, Yeonghwa's serious expression melted into a wide grin. She turned to face him, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"So," she pants, eyes sparkling with mischief, "what did you think?"

Yunho sits there, mouth agape, still processing the incredible performance he'd just witnessed. He struggles to find words that could adequately express his admiration.

"That was... wow," he finally manages, shaking his head in disbelief. "I knew you were good, but that was... incredible. Seriously, Yeonghwa, you're amazing."

“I know it looks strange dancing solo to a group performance but trust me it looks a lot better when we do it together, I promise!” she laughs as he hands the bottle of water to her

“Not at all! I practice alone too so I get it. I can’t wait to see the comeback stage!” he smiles

"Time to show me those moves you were bragging about earlier," Yeonghwa says, taking a long drink from her water bottle. "Unless you were all talk?"

"Oh, I'll show you my moves alright," Yunho grins, shrugging off his blazer, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt and untucking it from his trousers to give him more freedom. "Just don't get jealous when I outshine you."

"I'm shaking in my sneakers," she deadpans, but can't help smiling as she watches him do some exaggerated stretches while she sits infront of the mirror to look at him head on.

"Okay, play that track again. I've got this," he says confidently, moving to the centre of the room.

Yeonghwa hits play and watches with growing amusement as Yunho starts to dance. Her amused smile is soon replaced with wonderment as he hits the majority of the moves - his movements are sharp and he has picked up the steps from that one performance she did. But when it comes to one particularly complex sequence that Yeonghwa does in the dance break which includes a backwards handstand and a landing into the splits, he gets his legs tangled and nearly face-plants.

"Shit!" he yelps, stumbling sideways. "How the hell do you make that look so easy?"

"Years of practice and one very scary choreographer," she laughs, walking over to help him. "Here, it's more like this-" She demonstrates the move slowly.

"My legs don't bend that way!" he protests, trying to copy her. "I think you might actually be made of rubber."

"Says the guy who's basically a human giraffe," she teases, adjusting his arm position. "Less flailing, more control."

"I am graceful as fuck, I'll have you know," he declares, promptly tripping over his own feet again.

“It is a hard move so don’t over do it, I don’t want you to hurt yourself. I fear your leader may hunt me down if I get one of his fellow trainees injured!” she says

“I can do it!” he nods

They spend the next few minutes going through the steps very slowly, Yunho's determination to get it right making Yeonghwa smile. Despite his jokes, she can tell he's actually trying hard to learn the complex move properly.

“Okay, you are getting it!” she claps when he nails the backwards handstand and nearly does a full splits

"That's not a move guys are supposed to attempt!" he chuckles as he stands, trying to resist the urge to massage his sore groin in her presence.

"You did great," she says with a smile. "But can you do it in sync with the music?" she adds with a playful grin.

“Is that a challenge?” he quips as she nods, “From the top!” he adds as she begins the track from the beginning

They both stand side by side facing the mirror as the music begins over the speaker, the bass vibrating through the floor they begin to dance in complete sync with one another. Yunho nailing every single move. Yeonghwas eyes are on him in the mirror as she dances beside him and she is seriously impressed.

As the dance break begins, Yunho smashes the quick movements, the backwards handstand and even the splits before getting up quickly to finish the routine off. As the music ends they are both breathing heavily standing in the ending pose.

“Holy shit!” Yunho groans flopping to the floor exhausted as Yeonghwa holds onto her hips and squats down beside him laughing.

“Yunho, that was awesome!” she says as she looks at him sprawled on the floor

“They didn’t give me the main dancer position for nothing you know!” he replies opening some of the buttons of his shirt to get some air, maybe a bit too many as the top part of his chest is on show.

Yeonghwa awkwardly looks away as she sees the skin of his chest before standing up and going over to her bag to get the banana. As Yunho sits upright he sees in the mirror how much of his chest he just exposed accidentally, quickly covering himself again.

"So uh, that was fun!" Yeonghwa says a bit too quickly, focusing intently on peeling her banana.

"Yeah!" Yunho agrees, still slightly out of breath as he fumbles with his shirt buttons.

An awkward silence falls between them as Yeonghwa takes small bites of her banana, very deliberately staring at the wall. Yunho clears his throat. "I think I’ve pulled muscles I didn't even know I had."

"You'll definitely feel it tomorrow," she snorts, still not quite looking at him. "Maybe I should've warned you about that part."

"Nah, totally worth it," he groans, rolling his shoulders. "Even if I have to crawl to dance practice tonight."

“Oh shit, you should have said you had dance practice! I would have gone easier on you!!” she says with wide eyes

"Please, I could do this choreo in my sleep," Yunho scoffs, though the way he's wincing as he stretches tells a different story.

"Oh yeah? Is that why you're moving like my grandpa right now?" Yeonghwa takes another bite of her banana, finally able to fully look at him now that he's buttoned up.

"Your grandpa probably has better flexibility than me right now," he groans, attempting to stand. "Shit, I think my legs are actually broken."

"Drama queen," she rolls her eyes, but offers him a hand up anyway.

Yunho eagerly accepts, forgetting her small stature as he pulls a bit too forcefully, almost causing her to topple over. He quickly steadies her by placing his hands on her hips as she clutches his shoulders for support. Even though he was seated on the floor, his height and her petite 153cm frame meant their faces were closer now than when standing. It was the first time she truly observed his facial features, and her stomach fluttered at how handsome he was, especially with the gentle way he gazed at her while her fingers softly held onto his shirt.

The moment stretches between them, neither moving. Yeonghwa can feel the warmth of his hands through her practice clothes, and she's suddenly very aware of how sweaty she probably is from dancing.

A loud bang from somewhere in the hallway makes them both jump. Yeonghwa stumbles backward, nearly tripping over her own feet this time.

"Shit, sorry!" Yunho says, hands hovering awkwardly in the air where her waist had been. His ears are turning pink. "I didn't mean to, uh..."

"No, it's fine! I mean, You did save me from face-planting so… thanks!" Yeonghwa says quickly

They both move at the same time to gather their things, nearly bumping into each other again. Yunho takes an exaggerated step back, almost tripping over his own feet.

"So uh, when exactly is the comeback?" he asks, trying to break the weird tension. "You know, so I can mark my calendar and everything."

"Thursday," she answers, grateful for the change in subject.

“You must be really exhausted with the preparations and school on top.” he says

“I think my body's running purely on energy drinks and bananas at this point." she laughs

“I wonder what Misty would say if she knew!” he smirks

"What Misty doesn't know won't hurt her," Yeonghwa says with a guilty grin. "Though she has this weird sixth sense about these things. Last time she caught me with a Red Bull she literally appeared out of nowhere like some kind of health-conscious ninja with shoving one of her disgusting kale smoothies into my hand."

"That's terrifying," Yunho laughs as he stretches his legs. "Fuck, I think my legs are actually dead."

"Aww poor baby," Yeonghwa teases. "And here I thought you said you were graceful as fuck?"

"I am! I'm just... gracefully sore."

“Well get used to it with being your groups main dancer! You’ll be pushed past your limits a lot… but it gets easier.” she says as they sit on the wooden bench beside the wall, “Hows things with your group anyway?”

“The same. Late night practices for all of us after school. Monthly reviews.”

“Ah I don’t miss those!” she nods taking a sip of her water, “They scared me every time!”

"I heard you were the top trainee every month, though!" Yunho remarks.

“Oh I was because I worked my ass off but also feared for my life too.” Yeonghwa confesses, as Yunho listens intently. "The company constantly threatened to terminate our contracts and give us bus tickets home if we didn't meet certain targets. I didn't want to go back to Yeosu! Don't get me wrong, I love my little hometown on the south coast, but I wanted this opportunity too much.”

Yunho nods, absorbing everything she's sharing, catching a rare glimpse of the real young woman behind the image of 'Korea's princess' that most people see.

“So hows your companies trainee search going? Last I heard there was someone you’s were trying to steal from another company!” she says

"We're meeting him next week, so fingers crossed he chooses us! We do have a new person who started this week, and you'll never guess his name!" Yunho responds excitedly.

“What is it?!” she giggles

"His name, Yeonghwa, is..." he pauses for a dramatic effect, emphasising her name, "Seonghwa!"

"Yeonghwa and Seonghwa!" she exclaims, eyes wide. "You have no excuse for forgetting my name now, mister!"

"As if I ever could!" he replies. "He seems nice though, older than the rest of us, and he's also from the south coast. I think he and San will have a lot to talk about."

"Where is San from?" Yeonghwa asks as she tosses her banana peel into a small trash bag.

“Namhae.” he answers

"That's right next to Yeosu! My family and I went to Namhae for vacation a few times. It’s really beautiful! My aunt actually moved there because she loved it so much." she says, her eyes lighting up. “And Seonghwa?"

“Just below Jinju, I don’t know exactly where but I heard him say he lived by the ocean so must be at the coast.” he answers, “Good news is the company will be giving us a dorm soon! Living together will help us bond more I think.”

“That is so cool! Dorm life can interesting but mostly fun! Do you know how many members your company is looking to have in your group yet?” she asks pulling her legs up to sit crossed legged

“At the moment they’ve said 7.” he replies, “Though the CEO just can’t make up his mind. Last week he wanted 5 members, the week before we said 11! Next week he’ll probably want 25!”

"God, can you imagine?" Yeonghwa snorts. "Just an entire army of idols on stage. The poor stylists would have a mental breakdown."

"The choreographer would quit on the spot," Yunho grins. "Though at least the fanchants would be epic. Might take fans three hours just to get through all the names."

"Your lightstick would need its own battery pack," she giggles, then grimaces as she shifts position. "Ugh, I think my legs are starting to cramp up too."

"I swear that backwards handstand into splits thing is actually torture disguised as choreography." Yunho groans

They both laugh, and Yeonghwa checks the time on her phone. "Shit, we should probably head back soon. Mr. Nam will have an aneurysm if we're late."

"His satellite ears might actually explode," Yunho agrees, attempting to stand up and immediately regretting it. "Fuck, I think I'm stuck. You might have to wheel me to class in a desk chair."

"Some main dancer you are," Yeonghwa teases, getting up with a similar feeling to Yunho. "Need me to carry you?"

"On your back?" he asks hopefully.

"In your dreams, giraffe boy." she says

“It was worth a shot!” he shrugs, “I’ll take our rubbish to the bins and wait for you outside as you get changed.” he adds

Yunho heads to the bins outside, clutching a bag of trash. After tossing it in, he leans against the wall, savoring a quiet moment alone. A smile spreads across his face as he reflects on spending his lunch break with Yeonghwa, watching her dance and learning from her. He had admired her dancing for a long time.

Yeonghwa emerges from the dance room, her wig slightly askew and her uniform slightly rumpled from changing quickly. She fidgets with her blazer as she spots Yunho waiting, her mind unhelpfully flashing back to the accidental chest reveal and the feeling his hands on her waist, the way he looked at her.

"Ready?" Yunho asks, pushing off from the wall.

"Yeah," she mumbles, looking down at her feet as they start walking.

They walk in awkward silence for a few steps before Yunho trips going up the stairs.

"Need me to call you an ambulance?" she teases, walking backwards up the steps to face him. "Or maybe a crane to lift you?"

"You're evil," he declares, dragging himself up dramatically. "Pure evil disguised as a tiny person."

She's about to retort when she notices her wig slipping slightly. She quickly adjusts it, glancing around to make sure no one saw.

"Your disguise is slipping, Spiderman," Yunho whispers conspiratorially.

“I hate this thing!” she grumbles “The quicker this comeback happens so I can stop hiding my hair the better.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I think your new hair looks really good.” he smiles as they reach the top of the stairs. “And the new song is amazing too. You ladies are going to smash the comeback.”

“Thanks Yun!” she says feeling a bit flustered at his compliments

Yunho notices her flushed cheeks and shy smile, and in all honestly it makes him feel good seeing her react to him like that. However he knows the reality of their situation. They are friends only.

⭑2020⭑

Yunho sees that same flushed cheeks and shy smile on her face now all these years later. It still gives him butterflies. As much as he wished it wouldn’t. Seeing her again after so long during the award season had been difficult for him. A mixture of emotions he hadn’t realised he’d been keeping inside were coming out now.

Their last conversation had replayed in his head over and over again despite not thinking of it in over a year. The hurt in his heart resurfacing once more. The words she said. It had come out of nowhere as well and he couldn’t wrap his head around why. He had just came home from a month long training trip to LA with the other members, they had spoken every single day on the phone in secret when camera, managers and Hongjoong wasn’t around. Nothing had changed until they met up, Hongjoong allowing her to visit the dorm for a bit since Yunho hadn’t seen her in so long, and as far as he knew barely spoken to her while away. Yunho had been so excited to see her, he cleaned up the entire dorm himself, set up his shared room with San with blankets and pillows to watch a movie (the door was to be left wide open at all times Hongjoong demanded), bought her favourite flowers and had presents from LA for her. He had been so excited to see her again, hold her close in his arms once more.

But the moment she stepped into the dorm, he sensed that something was amiss. After some time, Yunho broke Hongjoong's rule about keeping the bedroom door open, closing it when Yeonghwa repeatedly pulled away from his attempts to hug her or hold her hand—something she hadn't done since they'd become more than friends. That's when she uttered the words he never imagined he'd hear: ‘I don’t love you.’

She walked out and disappeared from his life, until award season arrived two years later. By then, Ateez had debuted and, though still considered 'rookies,' they were gaining popularity, meaning Yunho and Yeonghwa were bound to cross paths again.

His band members had silently rallied around him during each award show that Moonlight was in attendance at, trying to be subtle about keeping an eye on him but he could see through them. He truly appreciated their care but he didn’t want a fuss.

He takes one more glance at her and feels his heart skip a beat as she smiles at the fans in the audience waving to her. Her new hair colour - cherry red catching the lights perfectly. As a member of staff approaches the band, her focus turns to them and they all stand up. Clearly it’s time for them to get ready for their performance and it would be a lie if he said he wasn’t looking forward to it.

As the five women hurriedly passed by the group, Yunho attempted to focus ahead, but his gaze lingered on Yeonghwa as her subtle perfume enveloped him. He caught Mingi's eyes on him, and Yunho understood exactly what Mingi was thinking. Yunho had been open about his feelings for Yeonghwa since she ended things with him two years ago. Mingi detested her and was never shy about expressing it.

"For fuck's sake, stop staring," Mingi mutters under his breath, barely moving his lips as he maintains his camera-ready smile.

"I wasn't," Yunho whispers back, though they both know it's a lie.

"Stop making moon eyes at the person who-" Mingi cuts himself off as a staff member approaches with fresh bottles of water for them all, his expression shifting seamlessly into his usual cheerful demeanour. "Thanks noona!" he says brightly, before immediately dropping his voice again. "Who literally broke your fucking heart."

"I know, okay?" Yunho mutters, grabbing a bottle. "Trust me I was there, I know."

“And so were all of us!” Mingi grumbles, “Don’t let her suck you back in! She’s like siren - pretty and luring but evil inside!”

"I'm not getting dragged back into this," Yunho says, rolling his eyes, though Mingi's words tug at his heart. "And she's not evil! You never truly understood her."

"I know enough!" Mingi retorts, turning sharply to face Yunho.

"We're on camera, so both of you need to stop!" Hongjoong warns with a tense smile. "You can talk about this later when we're in private!"

Yunho takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension that had built up between him and Mingi. He knew his friend meant well, but sometimes his protective nature could be a bit overwhelming.

As Moonlights opening VT plays on the screen in preparation of their performance, Mingi leans in close to Yunho, lowering his voice. "I just don't want to see you hurt again, man. You deserve so much better than what she put you through."

Yunho nods, grateful for Mingi's concern. "I appreciate it, really. But I've come to terms with everything. It's water under the bridge now."

Mingi gives him a sceptical look, but doesn't press further as they all focus on the stage.

The lights dim, and a hush falls over the audience as Moonlight appear on a raised platform in the middle of the stage. They had changed into colourful sequin outfits that suited each of their styles. An ominous song plays as the camera does close ups of each of the members faces on the screen with the crowd cheering loudly and as Yeonghwa appears the noise appears the double in volume.

The opening notes of their latest song fill the arena, and the group burst into flawless synchronisation, their dance moves sharp and crisp. Yeonghwa was a blur of silver sequins and flowing red hair, her body twisting and leaping with astonishing grace.

As the song shifts into ‘Cosmic Rush’, Yunho's heart skips a beat. Moonlight launch into the energetic choreography for it - the same one Yeonghwa taught him years ago, back when they were just two innocent kids in school. Happy memories flood back to him - Yeonghwa giggling as he stumbled through the routine for the first time, her patient encouragement as he slowly got it right. The way she clapped, cheered and encouraged him when he nailed the complex moves.

As the song reaches its climax, Yeonghwa delivers the fast paced dance break moves with ease, her body seeming to hang suspended in mid-air for a breathless moment before crashing back to earth in a perfect landing. The crowd erupts into cheers, but Yunho barely registers them. His eyes are still locked on Yeonghwa, his heart pounding in time with the driving beat of the music.

“Aria is amazing!” Yunho hears Wooyoung say to San

San nods in agreement. “She always delivers every time! That’s why she is one of the best dancers in the business!”

“Shame about her personality!” Mingi says causing Yunho to glare at him

Hongjoong swiftly rises and guides Yunho to move to his seat, asking San to switch seats with Mingi positioning himself and San between Yunho and Mingi. Sensing that the situation was escalating, Hongjoong realised he needed to take action now.

On stage, Yeonghwa dances with dizzying speed and precision. Yunho can't help but grin - she was always destined for greatness on that stage. Watching her continuing to soar fills him with joy, even as a twinge of wistfulness tugs at his heartstrings. If only things could have been different between them...

As the final notes fade away and Moonlight take their bows to thunderous applause, Yunho feels a strange sense of peace wash over him. No matter what had happened between them in the past, he knew that Yeonghwa would always be an important part of his life.

As Moonlight make their way back to their seats, all their fellow idols standing to bow at them including Ateez, Yunho becomes intensely fascinated with his water bottle label, picking at it with his thumbnail while trying desperately not to look in their direction.

The award show drags on for what feels like eternities, with Yunho's leg bouncing so much that Hongjoong eventually places a hand on his knee to stop it. As the final award is announced and the closing ceremony begins, Yunho feels an overwhelming urge to find Yeonghwa backstage. He needs to talk to her, even if he has no idea what he'll actually say.

"Don't even think about it," Mingi hisses as they file off stage, clearly reading Yunho's mind. "I swear to god, I will literally sit on you."

"You're not my mom," Yunho responds, scanning the crowded backstage area.

"No, but I am your voice of reason, and right now your reason is telling you to get your ass to our waiting room before you make a big mistake."

"Mingi, I swear-" Yunho starts, but freezes as he spots a familiar figure in a silver sequin dress with long red hair disappearing around a corner. Without thinking, he yanks his arm free and darts away, ignoring Mingi's colourful cursing behind him.

Yunho weaves through the crowded backstage area, dodging staff members and other idols with his long legs while trying not to knock anyone over. He spots Yeonghwa again, this time talking to one of her members near the vending machines.

He hesitates for a moment, suddenly realising he has absolutely no plan. What the fuck is he even going to say? 'Hey, remember that time you completely shattered my heart? Good times!'

Before he can chicken out, Yeonghwa turns and spots him. Her eyes widen slightly, and for a moment they just stare at each other like a pair of deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, hi," he manages eloquently, internally cringing at himself.

"Hi," she responds, equally awkward. Her member Areum glances between them before making some excuse about needing to get her make up touched up. Yeonghwa nods grateful at her for giving her and Yunho space to speak.

"So..." Yunho starts, then trails off. Fuck, he really should have planned this better.

"So..." Yeonghwa echoes, fiddling with the sequins on her dress. "Your performance was amazing. As always!"

"Thanks. Yours too. That, uh, that backwards handstand gave me war flashbacks!"

She lets out a surprised laugh. "You remember that?"

"Kind of hard to forget when my groin still twinges every time it rains," he says without thinking, then immediately wants to die of embarrassment.

Yeonghwa snorts, covering her mouth quickly. "Still as graceful as fuck, I see?"

"You know me," he grins, relaxing slightly.

Yeonghwa can feel her heart racing in her chest at Yunho standing infront of her, actually talking to her! She never thought this would ever happen after she hurt him so much.

"Anyway, you are one to talk! Your moves are pretty insane!" Yeonghwa says, tucking some of her cherry red hair behind her ear. "The one where you practically fold yourself in half backwards. That looked painful as shit."

"Oh god, don't even remind me," Yunho groans. "My spine basically files for divorce every time we perform it. Pretty sure our choreographer is secretly a contortionist who enjoys watching us suffer."

"At least you're tall enough that when you do it, it looks cool. When I try anything like that I look like a garden gnome having a tantrum!"

Yunho snorts at her garden gnome comment. "Hey, at least you can do aegyo without looking like a sleep paralysis demon. I try to be cute and fans think I'm having a stroke."

"Oh god, remember that time you tried aegyo in the hallway during break and scared that poor freshman?" Yeonghwa laughs loudly, the memory hitting her suddenly. "Pretty sure she transferred schools after that."

"Listen, I was trying my best back then!" Yunho protests, though he's grinning. "And she only screamed a little bit."

"A little bit? The entire hallway thought someone was being murdered! Mr Nam came flying out the teachers lounge with a bat ready to attack someone!"

"Yeah well, not all of us can be naturally tiny and adorable," he says, gesturing vaguely at her whole... everything. "Some of us are cursed with being basically a tree."

"Please, you love being tall," she rolls her eyes. "How many times did you make me get stuff from the top shelf in the library or at the store just so you could watch me struggle?"

"It was quality entertainment!" he defends. "Like watching a very determined hamster trying to climb Mount Everest."

Yeonghwa gasps in mock offence. "I will climb you like a tree and fight you right now!"

"What, and risk messing up your fancy dress?" Yunho grins, nodding at her sparkly outfit. "Also I'm pretty sure if you tried to climb me in those heels, we'd both die."

"Worth it though," she smirks.

They both laugh, and for a moment it feels just like old times. Her laughter causing a flutter of butterflies to erupt in his stomach at hearing it once more. He has missed her a lot more than he realised. Then they hear Mingi's voice calling for Yunho from somewhere nearby, and reality crashes back in. "Ah shit."

"Still getting into trouble?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Some things never change," he shrugs. "I should probably-"

"Go," Yeonghwa finishes for him, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah," he says, but doesn't move. "It was... it was good to see you, Yeonghwa."

"You too, Yun," she says softly, and something in his chest tightens at the old nickname. He swallows hard, suddenly feeling like there's a whole fucking field of landmines between them.

"Are you... would you be interested in meeting up at some point? Maybe we could grab a coffee or something." The words come out in a rush before he can second guess himself. "Just as friends though! No pressure!"

Yeonghwa blinks at him in surprise, processing his sudden invitation. A part of her screams yes immediately, desperate to spend more time with him, but another part hesitates.

"That sounds nice," she says slowly, carefully weighing her words. "But I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Oh," Yunho nods quickly, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face. "Right, no worries! Totally understand."

"It's not that I don't want to-" Yeonghwa starts hurriedly, but stops herself. What is she doing? She can't do this to him again.

"It's fine," Yunho says again, forcing a small smile he doesn't feel. "We're both busy people with hectic schedules anyway. It was a dumb idea."

"No it wasn't-" Yeonghwa reaches for him instinctively grabbing his hand.

The sudden physical contact between causes both their hearts to leap. Without thinking Yunhos free hand cups her cheek as she nuzzles into it, finding comfort in his touch.

The moment stretches between them, charged with unspoken words and memories. Yunho's thumb brushes gently across her cheek as he leans down, drawn to her like a magnet. Their faces inches apart, he stops himself just before their lips meet, instead resting his forehead against hers. They stay like that for a heartbeat, sharing the same air.

"One coffee," Yeonghwa whispers, barely audible.

Yunho lets out a shaky breath of relief. "One coffee," he repeats softly.

"But if Mingi tries to murder me, I'm using you as a human shield," she adds with a weak attempt at humour.

"He'd have to catch you first," Yunho murmurs, still not moving away. "And you're basically pocket-sized, so you could probably just hide behind a plant pot."

"I will literally bite your kneecaps," she threatens without heat.

"See? Tiny but vicious. Like an angry chihuahua."

"Keep talking like that and that coffee's gonna end up in your lap," she warns, but her fingers tighten slightly in his hand as Yunho lets out a breathy laugh

"YUNHO!" Mingi's voice echoes closer, making them both jump apart like startled cats.

"Quick, go before he has an aneurysm," Yeonghwa says, taking a step back. "I'll text you about the coffee."

"You don't have my number anymore," he points out.

“I can easily get it,” She grins at him, tightening her fingers once more “I have my connections!”

Just then, Mingi rounds the corner looking annoyed, his long legs eating up the distance between them quickly. His eyes narrow when he spots Yeonghwa before he sees them holding hands. Yeonghwa immediately drops it and takes a step back, nervously fiddling with the ends of her long hair.

"There you are!" he exclaims, grabbing Yunho's arm. "We need to go. Now."

"Mingi-" Yunho starts, but Mingi's already dragging him away.

"Nice seeing you again, Aria!" Mingi calls over his shoulder, his voice dripping with fake sweetness with extra emphasis on her stage name, which Mingi also knew she hated being called. "Love what you've done with your hair. Really brings out the snake-"

"For fuck's sake," Yunho mutters, yanking his arm free. He shoots an apologetic look at Yeonghwa, who's watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. “I was just being polite!” he looks back at Mingi

"Just being polite? Are you fucking kidding me? You are standing there holding her hand like teenagers!!" Mingi's voice rises an octave. "What happened to 'I'm not getting dragged back into this' and ‘water under the bridge’?"

"We were literally just talking about dancing!" Yunho protests, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Oh sure, because that's how it starts! First it's 'oh hey, nice backwards handstand' and next thing you know you're sneaking out to hotels with her then crying into your pillow when she throws you to the side again."

Yunho catches Yeonghwa shifting uncomfortably in his peripheral vision, her eyes fixed on the floor. The awkwardness is practically radiating off her in waves.

"Can we not do this here?" Yunho hisses, although the corridor is practically empty now, anyone could hear Mingis loud voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this inconvenient for you?" Mingi's voice drips with sarcasm. "You know what else was inconvenient? Having to watch you mope around like a kicked puppy for months!"

"For fuck's sake, that was two years ago-"

"Yeah, and I'm not watching you go through round two of the Great Depression because you can't keep your distance from that bitch!" he points towards a startled looking Yeonghwa as Yunho pushes him. Mingis entire body language changes as he straightens up, somehow looking taller than Yunho.

"Song Mingi!" Hongjoong's sharp voice cuts through their bickering like a knife. Their leader stands at the end of the hallway, arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Both of you, waiting room. Now."

"But hyung-" Mingi starts.

"Did I fucking stutter?" Hongjoong says making his way towards the three of them

Mingi throws his hands up in frustration. "Fine. Fucking fine." He shoots one last venomous look at Yeonghwa before storming off, muttering under his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Yeong!" Yunho says moving back to Yeonghwa, who's hugging herself and looking like she wants the ground to swallow her whole. "He had no right to-"

"Yunho," Hongjoong cuts in firmly. "Say goodbye."

Yunho's jaw clenches, clearly wanting to say more, but one look at Hongjoong's expression tells him it's not up for debate. He turns back to Yeonghwa, his eyes softening. "I'll see you soon."

She manages a small nod, still looking shaken. Yunho hesitates for a moment before following the path Mingi took, his shoulders tense with barely contained anger.

Once Yunho's out of earshot, Hongjoong turns to Yeonghwa. His expression isn't unkind, but there's steel in his voice, there was no denying his intentions with his words. "You need to stay away from him. You once told him to leave you alone - do the same!"

"I didn't- he came to talk to me," Yeonghwa protests

"Yeah, because he's Yunho and he can't help himself," Hongjoong sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Look, you know how he is. He sees the best in everyone, even when they've hurt him."

"I never meant to-"

"Doesn't matter what you meant to do," Hongjoong cuts her off. "What matters is what happened and what you did to him! And it nearly broke him." He takes a step closer, lowering his voice. "I know that you genuinely once cared for him… so I'm asking you, for his sake and mental wellbeing - keep your distance."

Yeonghwa swallows hard, nodding slightly. She opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by her manager calling her name from down the hall.

"Good," Hongjoong says simply, already turning away. "See you around, Aria sunbaenim." he adds with a respectful bow but his tone of his voice was anything but.

Hearing her stage name feels like a sharp blow. The message is unmistakable. She observes Hongjoong walking away, then turns to face her manager, who is watching from a distance. Taking a deep breath, she heads back to her dressing room.

"Are you alright?" she inquires, wrapping a comforting arm around Yeonghwa's waist as she joins her.

Yeonghwa can only nod as they walk back to Moonlights waiting room.

As Hongjoong returns to his own waiting room, the air is heavy and silent. Mingi and Yunho are sitting on opposite sides of the room, the space between them crackling with unspoken words. Mingi’s arms are crossed, his jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might shatter at any moment. Yunho, on the other hand, is slouched in a chair, his eyes fixed on the floor.

The rest of the group is scattered around the room, their usual chatter replaced by an uncomfortable silence. Seonghwa is leaning against the counter between Yunho and Mingi as if waiting to play referee, his brow furrowed in concern

“Hey,” Seonghwa says softly, pushing off from the counter and walking over to Hongjoong. “What happened? Mingi stormed in not saying a word and Yunho came in a few minutes afterwards and.. I’ve never seen him look this way before!”

Hongjoong sighs, running a hand through his hair as he shut the door behind him. “They were… ” he says quietly, tipping his head toward the two. “I don’t even know how to describe it. They looked like they were about to go at each other’s throats.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widen. “What? What happened?”

Hongjoong shook his head. “I don’t know the whole story, but I walked in on the tail end of it. Yunho was talking to Yeonghwa, and… I don’t know what they were discussing, but Mingi clearly didn’t like it. When I found them, they were standing in the hallway, it was like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.”

“Damn,” Seonghwa mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. “And then what?”

Hongjoong hesitates, replaying the scene in his mind. “Yunho… he pushed Mingi. Actually pushed him. I’ve never seen him like that before. He’s always the calm one, the peacemaker. But… he just snapped.”

“Yunho p-pushed him?!” Seonghwa asks shocked

“Mingi called Yeonghwa a bitch.”

Seonghwa’s expression turns grim. “Yeah well, that is like a red flag to a bull. We all know by now not to badmouth her infront of Yunho.”

“Yeah, well this was not only infront of Yunho but Yeonghwa too! And in a corridor!” Hongjoong sighs, “We are just lucky the corridor had cleared out by this point and no one saw or heard any of this!”

“Ah shit!” Seonghwa rubs his head, “This is bad. Really bad. We need to nip this in the bud, now!”

“I know,” Hongjoong sighs, his voice laced with worry.

"You know how Yunho becomes when it involves Yeonghwa. His judgment gets clouded, and Mingi... Mingi's just trying to look out for him, but he's handling it the wrong way!"

Mingi suddenly stands up causing everyone except Yunho who is still staring at the floor, to look at him. “Yunho… you are my oldest friend,” he says taking a step forward, “And I’m sorry that I upset you but… I can’t stand by and watch her hurt you again.”

Yunho lifts his gaze from the floor, his face reflecting both surprise and defiance. "Mingi, I get it," he starts, his voice unsteady, "and I know why you all have issues with her," he glances around at everyone else, "but you've only ever seen one side of my relationship with Yeonghwa, and unfortunately, it was the worst moment. None of you witnessed us when we were alone, those times when her guard down, and she wasn't Aria from Moonlight, but just Yeonghwa from Yeosu! You never saw her!"

"No one's saying those moments weren't real," Seonghwa cuts in gently. "But-"

"But what?" Yunho says. "She's evil? A snake? A heartless bitch? I’ve heard it all and worse, from each of you! You may not have said it to my face, but I could always hear you badmouthing her when you thought I couldn’t."

"Dude, she literally told you she never loved you while wearing your fucking hoodie," Yeosang points out. "Like, who does that?"

Yunho’s jaw tightens as he processes Yeosangs words. His fists clench at his sides, his eyes flickering with a mixture of hurt and anger. “I know what she said,” he grits out through clenched teeth. “But you don’t understand everything. You weren’t there for the whole story.”

Mingi steps closer, his expression softening. “Yunho, we just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Seonghwa nods in agreement, his gaze sympathetic. “It’s not about doubting your feelings, Yunho. It’s about looking out for you because we care about you.”

“And we are sorry you heard us speaking badly about her.” Wooyoung says

Yunho appreciates the support from his friends, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He nods gratefully, the sincerity in his eyes reflecting his gratitude. "Thank you, guys. I know you all mean well, and I'm grateful to have you looking out for me." He takes a deep breath, “But if you really do care about me, I need you all to back off when it comes to her.”

“What do you mean ‘back off’?” Jongho asks

Yunho looks around at his friends, his expression firm yet pleading. "I mean back off from talking about her, from trying to intervene with Yeonghwa. I need to figure things out on my own without all the negativity and interference. She’s agreed to meet me for a coffee… just the one!" he adds quickly as San groans.

Hongjoong frowns, concern etched on his face. "But Yunho, we just want what's best for you. We don't want to see you get hurt again."

"I know," he starts, his voice filled with gratitude. "But I need to handle this in my own way. I don’t know what is going to happen, we might never speak again after the coffee or we could slowly become friends once more…"

Mingi lets out a silent sigh at this that Yunho thankfully does not hear.

“But I can’t bear to have any of you disparage her anymore, regardless of what happens.” Yunho finishes. “You all say you don’t want me to be hurt, but hearing you speak that way about the girl I lov… once loved - THAT hurts me too!”

Seonghwa places a comforting hand on Yunho's shoulder. "We hear you, Yunho. We'll respect your wishes and try our best to support you in the way you need," he reassures him, his gaze filled with understanding.

Mingi, who had been listening quietly, finally speaks up. "Yunho, we've got your back. Just remember that we care about you and want the best for you," he says with a reassuring smile, his eyes reflecting his sincerity.

“That is all I am asking for.” Yunho replies

Wooyoung chimes in, his tone serious. "Yeah, we'll respect your boundaries. Just know that we're here for you no matter what."

Jongho nods in agreement. "We just want you to be happy, Yunho. We'll trust that you know what's best for yourself."

San can’t help but hug Yunho. "Just remember, we're here for you through whatever comes next."

“Don’t shut us out either!” Yeosang says

Mingi smiles at Yunho. "And I promise to keep my opinions about her to myself from now on. I didn’t realise I was hurting you whenever I spoke of her. Your happiness is what matters most to me.. to us."

With a collective nod, the group stands in solidarity with Yunho as he prepares to face the uncertainties of his meeting with Yeonghwa, knowing that they will be there for him every step of the way.

[moriitis]

What would happen if Jeff/Toby got hurt really badly during one of their missions but instead of running away, their victim came back and tried to help them? Or maybe like a stranger spotted them after a particularly rough encounter and offered to help them with their wounds?

What would happen if..

Toby or Jeff got hurt during a mission? HCS!

Content/Warnings; mentions of blood, mentions of wounds, murder, knives, stab wounds.

¬ Toby.

Honestly, at first he would have no idea.

No idea that his side his bleeding profusely.

He can't feel pain after all and the attack was starting to feel all a blur.

Was that knife real? Did he really pull it out of his body?

He wouldn't know how badly hurt he was until he passes out from blood loss.

Or if he were to glance down and see his clothing soaked in blood.

Then it would just be an 'oh shit' moment.

Not only that, but he's far out.

He managed to stumble away, toward where he parked the truck, but he collapses before reaching it.

In that moment, he's just really thankful he can't feel it.

But he's still grinding his teeth together.

Mostly in frustration or even annoyance.

He takes shelter beside a tree, ripping off his shirt to assess the wounds.

Pretty sure the first rule to being stabbed is to not pull the knife out.

But it's too late for that now.

Usually, he's pretty prepared with first aid kits, but that is in his truck.

And right now his legs are shaking too much for him to even consider standing.

I think, as much as he hates to admit it, he starts to internally panic.

He knows that one day he's going to die.

Shit, it would be better than getting caught.

But the idea of death, the nothingness, the unknown; it terrifies him.

And he's on the brink of a panic attack as he tries to stop the bleeding, using nothing but his already blood ridden shirt.

He'll come to terms with his life, his choices, his losses.

And he'll find himself regretting everything.

How his whole life played out.

How it could've been different.

He accepts that this, could be, the day he dies.

So, he'll sit and rest his head on the bark of the tree.

Just taking a moment to calm his breathing.

Until something catches his attention, something that alerts him.

Only, he's about to pass out.

And he knows that there's nothing else he can do except sit his ass here and remain seated.

"Oh my god, are you okay?"

A voice calls out and he narrows his eyes, trying to blink away the fuzz.

He isn't reluctant to help.

But he sure as shit doesn't trust them.

He'll remain quiet, eyeing up the situation before speaking out.

"Not really."

Despite circumstances, his humour still remains.

It will take a lot of convincing, especially to allow a stranger to touch him.

But he will accept the help.

He would probably care more about reaching his truck than anything.

He can stitch himself up.

As for the stranger, they probably won't survive the ordeal.

And he won't have any remorse for killing them.

Any witnesses need to die, he can't risk getting caught.

¬ Jeff.

Never expected any of his victims to fight back.

Though he’s impressed and maybe slightly afraid

A part of him didn’t expect anyone to suddenly hand it to him

So when be found out his head was bleeding from the contact of a vase

He was pretty shocked

Of course, it only fuelled his anger and desire to kill more

But the hit on his temple was a lot harder than he expected from somebody as small as they were

And he stumbled back, collapsing into the bookshelf with a grunt

His hand slithered up to his forehead

Which was now bleeding profusely and he hissed

Disgusted and ashamed of himself for even getting hurt

He knows that he needs to get up. To fight back before any cops are called

But he simply can’t, his mind becoming a dizzy blur as he tries to fight away his inner demons

Despite the blurriness, he’s still swinging his knife around

Throwing empty threats and swearing each cuss word with slurred speech

Though it seems his efforts do not entice fear

And instead they were approaching him

And he wasn’t sure why?!

He flinches when they reach out, touching his forehead which earns a hiss from him in discomfort

Alarm bells are blaring as he glares at them, though deep down he knows that they are.. helping?

It’s confusing at first

And he’s actually repulsed at the motion

“Don’t touch me-“

He spits

But they are no longer afraid, which only makes him feel little

Makes him feel ashamed and embarrassed

Though despite the notion to offer a helping hand

Jeff knows that they’re gonna die

And wether he’ll kill them as soon as he can get to his feet

Or if he’ll find them again in five years time

He knows that they will be dead

He will ensure of it

[kittenfangirl20]

Flight Attendant x Lawyer

Adam: Please have your seat belts fastened as we land in Bangkok.

He spoke over the PA of the plane getting all the passengers ready for a landing. One thing about this job was that he got to see the world.

Walking down the aisle he caught the eye of a handsome man.

Steve: Are you free after?~

Adam eyed him up and down, yeah he'll work just fine. He's blonde enough and not too tall.

Adam: For you? Sure thing.~

Once the plane landed Adam checked into his hotel and met up with Steve. The night was a blur of dancing, drinking, people and they lastly went back to Steve's hotel room where they fucked for a few hours.

When Adam woke up in the morning he was so hung over, he looked at Steve who was still asleep.

Fuck he was pathetic. Sleeping with strangers because he can't have who he really wants.

Adam got up and pulled on his boxers, he went to the window to open the blinds, when he turned back he screamed.

Steve was covered in blood his throat slit.

Adam: Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!

What the fuck HAPPENED last night?

Adam backed away and dug in his pants for his cell phone. He needed to call the only person who could help him.

Lucifer: Come on Charlie, eat a little something okay?

Charlie played with her food as his cellphone rang, Adam's number came up and his heart skipped a beat.

Lucifer: Hey Ad, what's up?

Adam: L-Lucifer, I think I'm in trouble.....

Lucifer: What, what's wrong?

Adam: I-I-I........ There's someone dead and I don't know what happened. I d-don't want to go to prison.....

Lucifer: Don’t worry, I will help you. Do you remember anything?

Adam: No, not really, I am so scared.

Adam broke down crying. He just wished that he could be there for Adam. Call the police, but don’t do it until you make it to the American Embassy. They will try make you confess, but at the Embassy you will be untouchable as long as you remain there. I am going to make my way there to get you back. I just need a babysitter for Charlie.

Adam: Mama would be willing to do it when you tell her what happened. Please leave out the part of me having a one night stand.

Lucifer: Of course.

Before Lucifer hung up be gave Adam the address to the American Embassy in Bangkok. After Adam hung up, he peeked out the door to make sure no one was in the hallway. He then ran once he left the hotel. Once at the Embassy he made the call and told them what happened. Once off the phone he broke down crying. He did everything Lucifer told him to and he was still afraid that they would try to come and arrest him.

Adam: I don’t want to go to jail, they’ll kill or worse. What if they arrest me when I get home.

He just wanted Lucifer to get here as quickly as he could. Lucifer would make things better. He pulled out his AirPods and put them in his ears before turning on some rock music hoping the loud music could calm him like it usually did.

@things-arent-what-they-seem66

[irisintheafterglow]

so, you're the goddess of wisdom, but you can't heal mortal wounds?

i can force your flesh to knit itself back together, but i cannot soothe.

that's fine, he thinks to himself and bids athena a polite goodbye, adding on one more expression of gratitude for saving him during the brawl. prince!shoto wasn't a fighter, but with over a hundred strangers in his home whispering how to seize his father's throne, he sometimes had to turn into something he wasn't. thankfully, he never had to change when it came to you.

argos sleeps soundly at your feet as you mash flowers to dye wool, and he perks up when his young master approaches from behind you. his dog's tail goes thump, thump, thump against the paved courtyard floor and you smile softly to yourself; had you been in any immediate danger, argos would have alerted and snapped into a protective stance. your movements barely falter as shouto's hand brushes the side of your arm in a quietly needy greeting.

"your highness."

"i don't like when you call me that," he frowns. you can hear the pout in his voice.

"it is proper for me to refer to you as such, my prince," you point out innocently.

"i'd argue with you if i wasn't bleeding profusely," he says dryly and you whirl around, falling into his trap. your mouth draws into a tight line when you see that he is, in fact, not bleeding profusely, and was only ailed by a few minor cuts and bruises. the corner of his mouth is tugging into a smirk, victory glinting in his eyes. "there you are."

"you should be at the palace physician."

"they poke me with too many sticks," he objects. "i much prefer your hands over any special tool." you sigh, setting your work on the table and taking his hand to guide him into your quarters. argos eagerly follows, settling into his place on the small blanket you placed in the corner for him and shouto's frequent visits. the dog's big brown eyes observe you retrieve an herb from this jar, a salve from that pot, and other various remedies you reserved to use with the prince and your fellow servants.

"has it been bothering you lately?" you ask shouto, for once being the one looking down at him as he sits on the edge of your bed. he doesn't need to clarify that you're referring to his scar--it tended to feel drier when the winds blew too recklessly. thankfully, the window of your room faced away from the dustier flats of the palace, and allowed the gentle sea breeze to enter without the accompanying gusts. he nods and you hum, wordlessly spreading gel under and around his sapphire blue eye. "better."

"better," he agrees, gazing up at you with stars in his eyes.

"enlighten me on how you ended up so battered?" shouto grimaces, the muscle in his jaw clenching unconsciously.

"one of the suitors, antinous. he called my mother a tramp and i had to defend her honor." you mutter a small apology when he winces as you clean a cut just above his eyebrow.

"you fought that brute? he could have killed you."

"i had some help." your eyebrows raise in question and he shrugs, looking to the side. "the gods took pity on me, i guess." from the corner of your eye, you catch argos suddenly stand to attention, uttering a small woof of warning. you turn over your shoulder to see what he's alerting to, and peer at the owl that has come to perch in your window. "fine," shouto continues unexpectedly. "it was just one god...dess." satisfied, the owl departs and argos returns to his resting.

"should i even ask?"

"perhaps not," the prince responds tiredly and you can't help but chuckle. you knew from the first moment you met him that his family was the kind bards told tales about, so befriending a goddess wasn't the most outrageous thing you'd heard about his line. "thank you."

"of course. it is my duty to assist the prince," you say almost robotically and you can feel the displeasure in his stare. "what? it's true!"

"you know that isn't what i meant."

"then elaborate, your highness," you tease and he rolls his eyes, removing the jars and pots from your hands and setting them on the floor, out of your reach. before you can resist, his hands are on your hips and you're being effortlessly pulled down as he falls backward onto your bed. you end up on your side, propped on your elbow. his arm firmly secures you against him while his other falls lazily next to his ear.

"argos." shouto's expression of contentment warps into confusion. your command comes with a rush of heat to your face, suddenly very aware that the door to your room is ajar. had there been any passersby, they'd find you in a very compromising position with the prince. always the best boy, the dog rises and pads over to nudge the door until it shuts with a click! when he's finished with his task, he returns to his sleep for a third time.

"when did you teach him that?"

"he follows me when i bathe and learned to close the door for me so i can dress in private," you explain. "i do nothing and he takes his own initiative."

"he's not like that with any others," shouto says and you can't say you're surprised.

"i would hope you are also not like this with any others." your free hand roams over the expanse of his chest, brushing your thumb over his collarbone.

"of course not," he vows. his hand is warm over yours as he holds it over his heart. "this is yours, and only yours." you press your lips lightly to his forehead and he feels like he'll burst into flames if you don't put the next one on his mouth.

"what about this?"

"you'll have to share that one, unfortunately," he jokes with nothing but adoration. "a certain goddess would not be pleased if i claimed it belonged to anyone but her."

"i don't mind." you finally lean close enough to barely brush your lips against his and then pull away, amused by the groan of frustration he fails to hide. "what is it, my prince?"

"kiss me."

"ask nicely and maybe--"

"as your prince, i order you to kiss me," he quips with a rare sly smile. you give in and lean down, heart stuttering when he surges up to meet you halfway and flip you so that you're on your back. "you are the most dangerous person in this castle," he muses when he pulls away so you can breathe.

"how so?"

"because you're the only one who could ever kill me, and i'd let you."

this one's 4 u pookie @ur-local-simp

[icewindandboringhorror]

I occasionally wish to reach out to old friends/acquaintances I haven't spoken to since high school/some other even earlier time in my life, but I have SOOO little social energy even for required tasks (like making dr phone calls or etc), I never have any leftover for extra ones, and it would be very odd to message someone I haven't spoken to in like 5 years out of the blue but then take 4 entire months to respond back lol.. My natural curiosity with nostalgia/collecting details of the past/etc. (literally if I were born a little earlier I would definitely do scrapbooking or something lol) is very strong, but, alas, not strong enough to beat out the Social Issues Demons apparently

[moonchild-in-blue]

Oh mother, tell your children Not to do what I have done Spend your lives in sin and misery In the house of The Rising Sun

[yippie-madness]

recurrent thoughts of cutting my vocal cords out but unfortunately i would die before i could. sigh.

[sunbloomdew]

anyone else thinks about isabelle to the moon everyday or is that just me

anyways listen to born a stranger

[vvitchy-succubus]

.

[teenagefeeling]

"social skills are something you can work on learning and it will help with social anxiety!" this is true, but are you saying it because you want to help or are you saying it to shame people? because not everyone is gonna always have amazing social skills, even people who don't normally struggle have bad days. holding people to such a high standard and expecting everyone to be able to be at 100% all the time not only isn't fair, but imo isn't a healthy mindset because you're also putting that pressure on yourself.

yes, social skills can be learned. but for a lot of us, they're really hard to learn and even harder to put into practice. sometimes when someone has poor social skills it's not just because they don't know any better, there are other factors at play making things more difficult. i think we should all learn to be a little more patient with each other and get comfortable with the idea that different people might have different methods of communication, and sometimes you're gonna have to be the one who adjusts for someone else (whether that involves learning stronger social skills or being patient with someone who isn't there yet)

communication is hard to get right, and it's impossible for anyone to get it right all the time. it's okay if you stutter while speaking or can't ask for ketchup at a restaurant or whatever. it's okay. you will get there with practice. not being able to do it overnight is okay. it's a long process to get comfortable with these things. not everyone is always going to be patient with you, but that's their problem, not yours. be proud of yourself for the small victories and don't let demanding assholes online convince you that you aren't good enough as you are.

[starpros-sunshine]

You know. I'm part of the fraction "to each their own and let people handle their lives however they see best fit". But I do feel the need to say that I have seldom seen such an idiotic assumption as that breaking up with someone four days before someone's birthday when you also want that someone to do something for their birthday even though you know you and your soon-to-be-ex will both have to be there won't end with that person just not doing anything with anyone for their birthday. Partially because nobody wants that kind of awkwardness after a fresh breakup and also because the soon-to-be-ex has the lovely habit of wallowing in self pity and making everything about how they have it so bad. You know I just think in such cases you should've waited a week with the breakup. I don't care how much you want to fuck that other guy but I really think you should've waited a week.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

another day another "applying the concept 'disposability' to 'someone withdraws from a personal relationship, & that wasn't signed off on by the other'" kill me