#capitalism is crazy in a show so heavily against it
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idk much about newsies uk as a production, can i know more about why you have beef with it? :-0
OVERALLLLLL i do love newsies uk and it was great and gave me the greatest joys (michaels jack, brontĂ©s kath, brooklyn girls) HOWEVER!!!! i Can always and Will always be critical of the things i love and newsies wont ever be an exception đ€đ€
tooooooo many injuries happened in that show ! and .. fine its newsies ppl do get hurt when its so dance heavy it happened on bway and tour as well (but come on that shouldnt be normalized either lol). especially when its all about unions and how safety on the job is LITERALLY mentioned
it also eventually reached a point where brooklyn being all girls felt incredibly disingenuous. it didnt feel like it was supposed to be an empowering moment for kids in the audience and instead was just a way for the team to be like âweâre the version that had brooklyn girlsâ and that bugs me! and because kath and medda had alternates (which is a good thing pleaseeee normalize alts!đ€) brooklyn was down to 5 instead of 6 twice a weekâŠ. totally couldve been avoided if they just also hired an off stage female swing (i understand budget and all that but come on⊠if youre gonna flex ur girls make sure u have them lol). not to mention the fact that due to sickness and injury the boys had to cover brooklyn multiple times, which would be fine if the same rules applied the other way.. but it didnt⊠and that really urks me. theres No reason one of the girls couldnt have helped out in the manhattan ensemble when the boys were allowed to cover brooklyn
(i think newsies should be the most blindly casted show ever like who said they all have to be guys⊠open a book about the strike and they really werent so its just kinda tired to see it over and over again)
also in regards to the girls the element of surprise stopped being a valid excuse to not credit them accordingly after they put the girls on television so program still not saying lillie was spot by cast change even tho ever single man to play that role had it right in the playbill is icky to me
also once and for all is my favorite song in the show and i hate the way it was done there but thats its own issue
++ also also fan behavior was honestly atrocious and disgusting bc a lot of ppl were hiding racism and ableism behind âsupport for understudies!â bc why did people Want jack and crutchie specifically out a lot more than they wanted a davey or kath understudy but thats its own conversation.
#newsies uk#this is mostly just rambling#so not organized thoughts lol#just a little vent#remember i DID love it ^-^#these things & more just bugged me#plus some shows it wouldnt have killed anyone to just ⊠cancel#capitalism is crazy in a show so heavily against it
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My Dear in the Night 1.2K
HELLOOOOO LOVELIES!! I live! HA! Months later and i'm finally happy with what I'm writing. Life kinda just got crazy so I had to put writing on the back burner for a bit. I do have a few goodies I'm editing rn so I can't wait to share em once they're done. This story is a little sneak peak to the one I'm realllllyyyyy excited about. It's a Author! Suguru x Ghost! Reader. Nothing to warn rn but it will get dark so buckle up! Should be out latest end of Sept
It was a cold autumn evening, the moon shining brightly above, as expected given that it was midway through October.
A man sat in his dark room, silent as he hunched over his desk. Tired eyes looked over his laptop, the damned cursor almost mocking him as it blinked on an empty page. He felt his lip twitch in irritation; the only other movement was the tapping of his leg against the wooden floors.
In the morning, he would have to face the consequences of his actions. He would wake with a dull ache in his lower back as a result of his terrible posture; his wrists hurt from years of misuse, and his eyes burned from the brightness of his laptop, yet he couldn't sleep. He wouldn't until he had something.
Hours of sitting at his desk had gone by with nothing to show for it. He was supposed to be a renowned horror author with plenty of titles to his name, but lately, nothing seemed to flow from his mind like before. Any and all inspiration for the particularly gruesome topics of his writing was gone. The creative spark in his mind kept the flames of his imagination burning bright like an inferno, seemingly with no end, but now it was fizzled out. Dimmed and barely flickering.
A desperation gnawed inside him, urging him to find that spark once again before it was too late. The pressure to produce something, anything, weighed heavily on his shoulders as he stared blankly at the empty page before him. That desperation is what drove him to this small community. It was a much-needed reprieve from the rush and bustle of city life.
Currently, he finds himself in a deeper stump.
Ravenwood, located in the Appalachian Mountains, was a small town known for its cold weather almost all year and even colder residents, particularly to outsiders. Most wouldn't even think to look twice at the drab town, but it seemed to gain a second life with holiday season. Many came for a vacation in the snowy mountains to find a nice retreat from the reality of their lives. A place many went to have that perfect winter wonderland experience for half the price of others.
What had garnered his attention wasn't the mountain sights to see nor the cozy, cheap cabins for rent; no, it was the history. One that has been soaked with blood since it's founding.
This place only seemed to be a magnet for misery and despair. Disasters, fires, murders, and everything else that could go wrong were common occurrences in this cursed town. Many speculated what the cause wasâ monsters in the night, a witch in the woods, a vengeful spirit haunting the mountains, or simply bad luck. One thing was for certain: this winter wonderland had a dark side that no amount of snow could cover up.
Those seeking excitement, debunkers, and ardent supporters of the supernatural were drawn to this. Tourist traps littered across town saw many people flocking like moths to a flame, which locals were quick to capitalize on. Each one caters to the morbid curiosity and fascination with the town's dark history, offering ghost tours, haunted house experiences, and other macabre attractions.
Just as many took advantage of the town, others frowned at the exploitation of their past, telling the yearly visitors to stop while they were ahead. Despite the warnings from locals about the dangers of delving too deeply into the town's past, visitors continued to flock in, eager to uncover the secrets.
The man had only come to find inspiration. He didn't care for the talk of ghosts, of curses, or even of aliens- funny enough. Not that he ever believed in any of those things to humor even the thought of them.
He was a writer, after all, and all he needed was a good story to tell. And the town of Ravenwood seemed to hold more than enough material for his next bestseller. He thought that the rich, dark history would help rekindle that fire inside him. To let his mind flow once more for his next book, the start of a new series after his last overwhelming success. So far, he had gotten the characters down, the setting figured out, but he only needed that extra push to get the plot ironed out. For months, he had thrown together ideas, ideas he tossed after thinking on them for a bit.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he refocused his vision, looking from the white of his laptop to the window in front of him. The branches of the dead tree in the lawn swayed with the wind, the leaves rustling softly. It was a quiet night; like always, the neighbors always made sure to avoid any disturbances. He straightens his back in his office chair, moving his long bangs back with his hand, releasing some of the tension from his stiff shoulders. The stress of his deadline and unending nagging from his editors had almost made him forget how nice the quiet was. Looking down, he saw the houses all dark and quiet, with only a few dim lights shining through the curtains.
The neighborhood was old but well kept; houses stood with character along the streets. Each one is now decorated for the upcoming holiday, with carved lanterns on almost every porch and tacky decorations adorning the lawn. Something swayed in the wind that caught his eye, chimes jingling from it. It was a talisman.
The same bundle of different herbs, crystals, and wax symbols was hanging from every door in the neighborhood. Supposedly, it was an item to ward off any evil spirits, something they kept up year round. The townsfolk had a sense of unity in their efforts to ward off any negative energy. They seemed to take pride in their traditions and beliefs, creating a unique atmosphere in the community.
As he adjusted to the new surroundings, he finally felt comfortable enough to ask about it. The older woman next door was happy to inform him of the significance. She even made sure to gift him one, her eyes hardening as she warned him to keep it and hang it above his door at all times. Being raised with respect, he took the item with a small, grateful smile, pocketing the item with care before discarding it onto the very desk he sat at. Left and forgotten. When he continued unpacking, he chuckled at the sight of it in his office, unsure of the strong belief in a bundle of twigs and rocks.
Picking the talisman up, he turned it over, his thumb rubbed over the wax seal. Feeling the grooves and ridges of the strange symbol carved into it.
Evidently, he did not take superstition seriously⊠in the beginning. Even beliefs can change at the drop of a dime. The months he spent in the town had changed him.
In the dark hours of the night, he experienced things that could not logically be explained. It started small. Things that could be explained away by a forgetful mind. His keys disappearing only to come up in a place he would never leave them. Furniture was being moved so slightly that he initially thought it was his imagination. That's what any logical man would do. Chalk it up to his aging mind, even at the age of thirty, or simply an overactive mind caused by insufficient sleep and too much caffeine. But as the occurrences became more frequent and unsettling, he couldn't ignore the feeling that something was off. Shadows seemed to linger longer than they should, and whispers could be heard in empty rooms. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, even when he was completely alone.
Then one day, it all became clear: it was her.
Tap, tap, tap.
A sharp knock jolted him from his thoughts once more; he seemed to be getting more and more lost in his mind as of late. He now saw a figure blocking the moonlight. Well, a normal person would block it. The figure in his window, on the second floor of his house, casts a bluish tint onto him; their body was almost transparent; he could see the branches swaying behind her still. When he finally looked at her face, a sweet smile appeared on her lips.
"Hellloooo!" She called with a singsong voice, tilting her head at him. Hand waving at him excitedly. "You gonna let me in, Sugu?"
#jjk x reader#yandere jjk#reader insert#jjk fanfic#ghost reader#no curse au#dark geto suguru#suguru geto x reader#geto suguru x reader#jjk suguru#dark reader
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I have been asked to make a dear-creator for non-jadecest (for kidfic exchange treating purposes) and I will Gladly do so
I like any LWJ ship he is my blorbo, but I especially love shipping him with JC and/or WWXÂ
I am mostly here for omega LWJ content so consider all of this omegaji đÂ
Likes:
Alpha WWX
Grumpy lwj
8-9 months pregnant LWJ
LWJ with twins and triplets
Just LWJ with LOTS of babies
LWJ crooning at his kids, scenting them, cuddling them
Breastfeeding
Angst (happy ending or not)
High drama, intrigue, mystery, horror
Unhealthy relationshipsÂ
Dislikes (aside from DNW on my request):
Alpha lwj
CQL canon or designs or anything
More in depth likes / prompts / musings (iâm making these all wangxian but if you wanna make it any other ship i will eat it whole):
40-something LWJ and 20-something alpha WWX and lwj has kids already and wwx wants to seduce him and has all these fantasies of knocking lwj up and lwj is eventually like âif you want me to engage with your breeding kink you have to show me that you have what it takes to parent. Go tell my 14 year old that she canât go to that party this weekend. Iâll be listening.â Like Hercules and the 12 laborsÂ
LWJ hires WWX as a babysitter for him while heâs in heat. WWX can be alpha or omega. Up to you if Things happen đ God this would be a fantastic one for voyeurism Â
LWJ having fucked up mother-child relationships like he breastfeeds his kids for way too long and babies them even when theyâre teens or adults. WWX can be an enabler or tries to gently pry him away lmao
Wwx comes back and LWJ has several kids already (previous ship or like a sperm donation thing like the one ive written about before in that JC/LQR fic) and he canât keep up his act or care about lwj being his enemy in his past life bc the kids are all so much like LWJ except like maybe One Crazy One and he cannot handle how cute and funny it is. Amazing one to make lwj heavily pregnant in đ
Omegaverse preferences
Intersex male omegas and female alphas
Gender and dynamic is assigned at birth rather than presented at puberty
No betas (the rare sigma or other variation of O and A is interesting, and also beta as a non-assigned dynamic but similar to nonbinary gender IRL is interesting)
A and O have noticeable physical differences; omegas on average are shorter and curvier and have softer features, alphas on average are taller and more bulky when they gain muscle and sharper features
A and O to have on average personality differences associated with societal upbringing/socialization (this doesnât necessarily mean i like my omegas submissive and my alphas dominant, but that they on average tend to be if thatâs how society demands it and if someone does not adhere to the gender and dynamic rules then thereâs either some kind of consequence or at least itâs noticed)
Basically, I like A and O to have similar effects on people as M and F have in IRL society, so thereâs 4 assigned genders (AF, AM, OF, OM) rather than 2
Alpha women and omega men are sort of in-between in terms of social hierarchy and can choose to present masculine or feminine (more-so in the modern era) and itâs seen as normal, they can use whatever gendered terms they identify with
Claims/marks are not permanent and need to be renewed periodically
No capital C Commands
People in heat or rut CAN control themselves, but it is just really difficult to go against what their instincts say
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Pixie Spy
Chapter 8
Chapter 1 Â Â Chapter 7
Ladybug swung through the streets as long as she could before the wind became too powerful for her to keep her trajectory. She only managed to make it about halfway to where the team was waiting before the wind became too strong. Â She landed on the street with a roll, deciding running would be more effective after the fifth crash into a balcony. She looked down at her yoyo as she ran looking for the dots indicating her team. Â Chat, Carapace, and Rena were already together under a bridge along the Seine. Â Bee was quickly approaching from the opposite direction. Â
Ladybug felt her progress slow as the wind suddenly picked up significantly. Â She blinked a few times when she saw a tornado barreling toward her. Â She gave a surprised squeak and jumped into an alley to get out of the tornadoâs path. Â She breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the bricks of the alley wall until she started sliding toward the alley entrance. Â Her eyes widened in surprise as she fell back and was sucked toward the tornado. Â She threw out her yoyo, capturing a pipe on the other end of the alley and held on as the tornado sucked the dumpsters out of the alley and flung them out into the street, demolishing cars. Â She stared at the pipe nervously when it started to bend under the pressure of the tornadoâs pull on her.
She felt her body slowly lower as the tornado passed by and the winds died down. Â She took a few seconds to catch her breath before walking out to see the devastation. It looked like a bulldozer carved a diagonal path through the neighborhood. Â There were buildings destroyed next to buildings that looked completely untouched. Â There was wreckage everywhere. Â She could see at least one leg just barely sticking out of one of the wrecked buildings.
She scrunched her eyes shut and took a deep breath to focus herself. Â He hoped that was the only tornado they had to deal with, but with the way things had been going lately, it was unlikely. Â If it was following the regular pattern, the akuma would be flashy and devastating. Â While devastating, one tornado was hardly flashy. Â What she wouldnât give for the early days of Mr. Pigeon or even Guitar Villain. Â That one was kind of fun actually. Â Even as a dragon, Fang was just a big puppy.
âWaiting on you, LB.â She heard over her com. Â She looked down and saw Bee had joined the others. Â She shook her head and started running again.
âSorry, got caught up in something. Â Weather is crazy today, donât you think?â Â She responded with a fake casualness.
âNo idea what you mean, Dudette.â Carapace responded in the same tone. Â âIâve just been chillinâ here watching the trees break in the breeze.â
âScrew you both!â Bee seethed. Â âThat fucking wind absolutely destroyed my hair. Â That bitch is going down.â
âIs it Stormy?â Â Ladybug asked. Â It seemed like her MO, but it made no sense. Â She could do a lot worse. Â She had done a lot worse years ago.
âCan confirm, it is Stormy. Â I saw the butterfly land. Â One guess where.â Â Rena added. They knew all knew where it was. With Aurora, it was always her umbrella. âOne guess who caused it too.â She added bitterly, her eyes darkened with anger.
Ladybug groaned. Â Most of the people at school had figured out to avoid or laugh at Lila, but Aurora still took everything to heart. Â She had grown a tougher skin, but criticisms still hurt. Â The insinuations still hurt. Â The judgement still hurt. Â And Lila knew just how to phrase her words to maximize the hurt and capitalize on insecurities. Â âFucking bitch.â Â Ladybug muttered under her breath.
âThatâs what I said.â Bee bit out. Â âAnd as soon as this is done, Iâm killing her.â
Ladybug sighed heavily. Â âWe donât kill, Bee.â Â Fuck, now she sounded like Batman. Â She needed to say something to rid herself of this feeling.
âIt wonât be permanent. Â Iâll do it before the miraculous ladybug.â Bee dismissed her.
Ladybug opened her mouth to reprimand her but that would be what Batman would do.  What wouldnât batman do⊠ âThat is very creative thinking, Bee.  I love your creativity and passion.â She said focusing on the positives instead.
She jumped down next to the group just in time to see Beeâs face scrunch up in confusion and disgust.  She turned on Ladybug and shook her finger in her face. âYou⊠you⊠Donât do that.  Youâre supposed to be our voice of reason.â She slapped Ladybugâs arm.  âItâs creepy when youâre all supportive of my bad ideas.â
âIf I wasnât supportive of your bad ideas, Iâd never be supportive.â Ladybug quipped before she thought about it. Â As soon as the words were out of her mouth she cringed. Damn, she was moving closer to Batman again. Â
Bee gasped dramatically and opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Chat. Â âYeah, yeah weâll all just imagine the cutting response. Â Can we focus please?â
She sighed and turned to Rena, âSo how bad is it?â
âAt least twenty smaller tornadoes around the city. And by âsmallerâ I mean just terrifying and destructive instead of horrifying and catastrophic like the one over there.â She motioned vaguely behind them. Â Ladybug looked warily at the rapidly swirling clouds in the sky. âNews estimates that one is above an F-5, which is the highest known level.â Â She looked up with a haunted look. Â âIf that thing were to start moving, nothing in the city would be standing. Nothing.â
âSo why isnât it moving?â Carapace asked keeping his eyes on the clouds in the sky. Â âStormy has never held back before. Â We know she can do worse. Â So why isnât she?â
âYou think thereâs something more going on?â Chat asked, furrowing his brow.
âAmok?â Ladybug asked looking at him.
Carapace shrugged. Â âNot sure what is going on. Â Iâm just saying Stormy created a super volcano that almost destroyed us. Â A few tornadoes is stepping back a bit.â
Ladybug nodded and returned her gaze to the clouds. She ducked quickly when something came flying over the embankment and almost hit her. Â âWe arenât going to be able to get close to her with this wind. We need a way to neutralize the wind if we want to do anything.â Â She mused more for herself than the team. Â Her eyes darted around to her teammates and up at the sky. Â Her mind started running through potential plans and likely outcomes, backups, workarounds, collateral damage, risk assessment.
âWeâre going to have to do it without talking too.â Chat noted. Â âOnce we get up there, nobody is going to be able to hear anything even if we yell.â He turned to them with a small grin. âBut, that means weâll be able to sneak up on her without having to try to be quiet because she wonât be able to hear either.â
Ladybug made a note of his comment, adding it as a potential puzzle piece. Â She pursed her lips as the pieces started fitting together. Â It would take all of them working together, acting at the right moments, but lean more heavily on Bee than she wanted to. Â Not that she didnât completely trust Bee. Â She knew Bee could do it, she just hated putting any of her team on the front lines while she watched from a safe distance.
She was putting the last pieces in place when she heard an eerily sweet voice floating towards them. Â âCome out, come out wherever you are, Ladybug and Chat Noir. I want to play.â Stormyâs voice took on a hard edge. Â âWe can fly a kite.â Â There was a short pause before her voice returned to the eerily sweet tone. Â âIâve already provided the wind and everything.â
Rena gave Chat a deadpan look. Â âSo, not affected by the tornadoâs noise and able to make her voice heard over it are part of her powers.â
Chat shrugged sheepishly. Â âThatâs okay. Â We wonât need it to get the akuma.â Ladybug said confidently. Â All of the eyes turned to her, ready to take her orders. âCarapace, youâre going to create a shelter for us to hide in on a roof close enough to observe, but not so close the building might collapse under us. Â Then create a tunnel through the tornado to the eye, but youâre going to need to create it from higher up. Â Bee, youâre going to need the flying power up so you can fly through the tunnel into the eye. Youâre going to drop down on her from above and use Venom to incapacitate her. Â Rena, on Beeâs mark, youâre going to create an illusion that the tornadoes are gone. Â The devastation will still be there, but her tornadoes will be gone. Â Bee will take advantage of her confusion to deliver the venom. Â Chat and I will keep an eye out for the amok, but this plan is mostly on your shoulders, Bee.â
âIf she can talk through the wind then I imagine she can see through it too.â Â Chat commented somberly, looking around at the buildings near them and trying to remember the buildings around the Champ de Mars or the Trocadero. Â âWeâll want to pick a rooftop that gives us a view but that wonât allow her to see us.â Â He pulled up a map on his baton and examined it for a few seconds. Â âThis one should work.â He turned and showed them the building he had in mind. Â He stared at Rena a few second and cocked his head to the side. Â âOr, we just have Rena hide us. Â Can you make that part of your illusion? Â Hiding us as well?â
âIt will get a bit complicated getting the different layers and timing and complexities to work together, but I should be able to do it.â Rena nodded slowly, staring at nothing while she fit the pieces together in her head.
Ladybug nodded. Â âGood idea, Chat. Â Rena, can you give us some cover while we get there, too?â
âOn it, LB.â Rena jerked out of her thoughts and nodded at her before playing her flute. Â âMirage.â They looked around but nothing looked different.
âUh⊠Babe?â Carapace started, looking around in confusion.
Rena gasped dramatically. Â âYou doubt me?â Â Carapace rolled his eyes at her. Â Rena laughed at him. Â âItâs like a screen around this area, a screen showing a picture. Â Anyone on the other side wonât see any changes. Â We can move as much as we want and they wonât see it.â
âSo are we moving or are we just going to hang out here until Stormy gets bored with us and moves on?â Â Bee asked annoyed with the lack of movement. Â
âCome on guys, weâre going to make her late for her spa appointment if we donât move and Lord knows we wouldnât want to be responsible for that kind of travesty.â Â Rena snickered.
âNo, you wouldnât.â Bee snapped. Â âThose spa appointments are the one thing that keep me from killing you all.â
âOn that sweet, teambuilding comment, letâs get started. Â The sooner we stop this the better.â Ladybug grumbled.
They made their way to the rooftop, occasionally dodging random objects flying.  âThat was aâŠâ Carapaceâs eyes followed the object as it flew out of view.  He whipped his head around to Rena, looking at her apprehensively.  âThere wasnât a baby in that stroller, right?  It was empty?â
âNo Babe, there was no baby in the stroller.â Rena assured him. Â âItâs okay. The baby is safe. Â It was empty.â
Carapace nodded at her words. âOkay, good. Â Good. Â Good.â Rena looked over at Chat and grimaced. Chat gave her a sympathetic look and patted her on the back.
As soon as they landed on the roof Carapace called for shelter and Rena called for a new mirage. Â They huddled together under the camouflaged green dome and assessed the situation. Â From their new perch, the scene looked more horrific. Â The tornado was even more massive than before. Â Ladybug expected the buildings surrounding the area to start crumbling any second now. Â If the tornado moved even a few feet in either direction, they definitely would.
âEveryone knows their job. Â Everyone ready?â Â Ladybug looked at all of them seriously, looking for any signs of uncertainty before they started, especially from Bee. Â She was the one taking all the risks. Â She was the one they needed permission to start from.
Bee looked at her confidently. Â âIâm ready to go.â She said with conviction. Â She detransformed, pulled a power up out of her purse, and handed it to Pollen. Â As soon as Pollen was done, she called on her transformation again and looked back at Ladybug with a smile. Â âLetâs do this. Â Iâve got an appointment to get to.â
Ladybug nodded to her. Â âWe donât want to make her late for that.â Ladybug smiled slightly. âRena, Carapace, youâre up.â
Rena called for Mirage again, camouflaging the area where the tunnel was going with just a few notes from her flute. Carapace moved forward and called out, âTunnel.â Â A green tunnel only they could see formed in the sky linking the shelter and running through the side of the tornado. Â As soon as he nodded to Bee, she extended her wings and started beating them. Â She rose slowly off the ground. Â Thank God they had practiced with the power ups before. Otherwise she would be a jerky, uncontrolled mess right now, plus it was just extremely cool practice, much more fun than the fire resistance training. Â She gave them one last look before flying into the tunnel. Â After a few seconds, they heard a beep on their coms indicating Bee was in position. Â âRena,â Ladybug cued her quietly. Â
âMirage,â Rena called out again. Â This time, they all saw the change. Â The scene looked completely different. Â Not only was the tornado gone, but the trees appeared to have stopped blowing, standing tall and unbroken. Â They could almost believe what they were seeing if they couldnât hear the wind against the outside of the shelter and on Beeâs coms. Â âShe should be able to see whatâs in the eye but nothing outside of it. Â That goes for both of them.â Rena reported. Â âNothing except what I want them to see.â
They waited with baited breath for something to change, for the wind to stop or Bee to say something. Â They stared so hard at the spot where the tornado had been that it was amazing none of them broke any blood vessels in their eyes. Â Ladybug let out a loud yelp when she felt something touch her. Â She looked over and saw Chat give her a sheepish look and continue to pat her hand comfortingly a few more times. Â She let out a strangled sigh and turned back to the spot
The sound of the wind was starting to drive Ladybug crazy. Â It was a constant reminder that things had not changed. Â That Bee was still in danger. Â That she was out there by herself, with no backup. Â If anything happened to her, they would be too late to help. Â She was alone and Ladybug had sent her there.
After a few minutes they finally heard a break in the white noise the wind had become. Â Unfortunately, it wasnât the easing of the wind as they had hoped. Â They all jumped and Renaâs illusion disappeared as Beeâs screaming rang in their ears.
âBee, report!â Ladybug screamed. Â âCarapace, kill the tunnel. Â Bee, report. Â Are you okay? Bee!â Â Ladybug was getting more and more frantic with each word. Â She checked her yoyo for Beeâs beacon. Â It started blinking a few blocks away. Â âDamn it! Â I should have sent backup with her. Â Rena, Carapace please go check on her.â
âIâm fine.  IâllâŠâ she cut off her sentence with a groan.  âYeah, these bricks are definitely hard.â She reported as she slid down the side of the building she had been thrown into.  âThereâs definitely an amok, by the way.  The little bastard can ride the tornadoes and jumped me while I was focused on Stormy.â Bee groaned rolling onto her hands and knees.
âBee, do you think you can get back here on your own or do you need a bit of assistance?â Â Ladybug asked gently.
âWhile I appreciate the offer of my own personal sedia gestatoria, and it is much deserved, I think I can make it myself.â She answered proudly but her voice was ragged.
Ladybug turned her com off and turned to Rena and Carapace. Â âCan you two go escort her anyway? Â Sheâs already weak after what Iâm sure was a hell of a hit. Â If she gets caught in one of those random tornadoes, she might not be able to get out of the way in time.â
âWill do, LB.â Rena saluted her. Â âCome on Carapace. Â Iâll race you.â Â Rena took off running. Â Carapace gave them a weak smile and followed after her.
âSending your underlings instead of dealing with me yourself, Ladybug? Â Iâm hurt. I thought we meant more to each other. I just wanted to play. Â My little pet wanted to play, too. Â Unfortunately, your little pet Bee just wasnât strong enough to handle him.â Â Stormy taunted, laughing eerily. Â âWhat do I need to do to get your attention? Â Should I send my pet after all of your little pets?â
âRight,â Chat grimaced at the thought of the pain he could hear in Beeâs voice. Â âI think we could use a bit of Luck right about now. Â What do you think, mâlady?â
Ladybug nodded still looking at the growing tornado. âI think youâre right, Chaton. Lucky Charm!â Ladybug called out throwing her yoyo into the air. Â She stared in bewilderment at the object that dropped into her hands. Â âSeriously? Â What am I supposed to do with this?â
She continued staring at the very distinctive red, full face mask now adorned with black dots that had dropped into her hands. Her mind raced through the possibilities.  Was she supposed to wear it?  Was Chat? Someone else?  Was she supposed to throw it at someone?  Did it have a voice changer she was supposed to use?  Some kind of analytical software she could use? She could throw it into the tornado and it would become a deadly weapon as the force of the wind launched it. With her luck, it might hit Stormy⊠but that didnât feel right.  What did Tikki intend?
Chat cocked his head to the side staring at it with doubt as well. Â âDo you think it means he is supposed to help us with Stormy?â
Ladybug shook her head. Â âI doubt it. Â It is never that straight forward for me. Â If it was you, I would say that was what it meant, but Tikki always makes it more difficult than that.â She huffed in frustration. Â She looked around them seeing if anything jumped out at her.
âMaybe he has something you need then. Â Like when Tikki used to give you Lucky Charms to let you know you needed to go see Master Fu?â Chat offered uncertainly.
Ladybugâs eyes lit up. Â âYes! Â Thatâs it. Great idea, Chat! Â That is exactly what it means.â She stood up to find Jason. âHold down the fort. Â Iâll be back as soon as I can. Â Let me know if anything changes I need to know about.â He nodded to her, his eyes turning hard as he watched the swirling clouds above her as she swung away.
<><><><><>Â
Ladybug ran until she was out of Stormyâs tornadoâs range then switched to swinging back toward where she had left Jason. She really needed to get his phone number. Â It would be a lot easier finding him if she could just call him. Â As it was, she was going to have to hope he stayed near where she left him and ignored his own self-interests to find a safe place to hide. Â If he was already hunkered down somewhere safe, she would never find him. Â Of course if he wasnât hiding somewhere safe, she was going to kill him.
She reached the alley she had left him and pushed down a blush as memories of what had happened, what almost happened, came flooding back. Â She turned away instead and started jumping from rooftop to rooftop, keeping a keen eye on the alleys and any place that looked like it could be used as a hiding place. Â She finally found him walking a few blocks away, keeping close to the buildings. She dropped down into an alley just in front of him and reached out to pull him in with her as soon as he passed by.
He whipped his head around in shock, tensing his body ready to fight whoever had grabbed him. Â He immediately lowered his fist when she saw Ladybugâs raised eyebrow, giving her a dashing grin instead. Â âLadybug, Parisâ hero.â He looked her up and down, his smile turning into a smug smirk. âYou're quite a bit shorter than I expected.â
She narrowed her eyes at him. Â âRed Hood, vigilante of Gotham. Â You're quite a bit assholier than I expected.â Â
His grin grew larger. Â âI havenât even gotten into my rhythm yet.â Â She rolled her eyes at him and punched him hard in the shoulder. Â He winced in pain. Â âWhat was that for?â
âYou couldnât find a better place to hide than on the street? Â Out in the open? Â Where you have absolutely no cover or protection?â Â A bit of concerned annoyance coming through in her voice.
âI donât know what Iâm hiding from and I wanted to see you in action.â He shrugged, wincing only slightly at the movement, his grin firmly in place.
âTornadoes. Â Lots of them. Some stronger than others.â She huffed, looking to the alley entrance with apprehension. Â âSpeaking of which, what do you have on you?â
He frowned at her in confusion at the seeming change of topic. Â âWhat do you mean?â
âI mean, what do you have on you. Â What equipment do you have on you?â She prompted him.
âWhy do you need to know that?â He asked as he started reaching into his pockets and pulling out weapons. Â He lined them up on top of the dumpster lid as he pulled them out.
âMy Lucky Charm gives me clues or tools to help me defeat an akuma. Â My Lucky Charm today was this.â She held up the black spotted mask Tikki had provided earlier.
âThatâs⊠thatâs my mask.  Wouldnât that mean you need me?  Itâs telling you to let me help.â  He looked at her seriously as he pulled a knife out of his sleeve and placed it on the lid.
She shook her head at him. âNo, it is never that straightforward, at least not for me.  It is always a windy path to get to the real significance.  And whenever it points me to a particular person, it means they have something I need to use; a tool, a weapon, information, something.  I just need to figure it out.  Iâll know it when I see it.â  She watched in surprise and a bit of shock, as he pulled more weapons and tools out of his coat pockets, around his ankles, belt.  âThatâs⊠What the fuck?  Seriously?â
He shrugged at her. Â âI travelled light today.â
She stared at him blank faced for a second. Â âI canât tell if youâre joking or not and I donât think I want to know.â He gave her a dashing grin as he pulled out the last few items from a hidden pocket. Â She looked down to assess the items he had laid out. Â The last few items turned red with black spots. âThere!â She pointed to them. âWhat are those?â
âThese? Â Trackers. You plant them on someone or something and you can follow them if you have the frequency.â Â She nodded as he spoke. Â The pieces of the plan started forming in her mind. Â âItâs accurate to about 3 feet.â Â
She suddenly looked up at him with a calculated grin. Â âThat is very helpful to know. Â Can I borrow these?â Â She asked as she grabbed them and dropped them into her yoyo.
âUh⊠I guess.  What are you going to do?â
âTrack someone.â Â He huffed at her but didnât challenge her. Â âYou might want to put those away before another tornado comes through and starts flinging them around too. Â Find somewhere safe to hide and stay out of trouble.â She pointed her finger at him.
He moved a step closer to her and gave her another dashing smile as he started tucking weapons away. Â âNot my strong suit, either part, not going to lie.â
She raised an eyebrow at him and gave him an amused smile even as she groaned mentally at herself. Â He really shouldnât look that sexy just putting weapons away. Â What did it say about her that him tucking a gun into a holster made it hard for her to breathe? Â âAnd what is your strong suit?â
He took another step closer. Â âBeing handsome and charming.â He smiled wider as she rolled her eyes at him. âAnd causing equal and opposite trouble.â
âWell, I have enough trouble to deal with right now, so if you could contain your chaotic good for a bit, Iâd greatly appreciate it.â Â She gave him a wry smile.
His eyes turned hard. Â âI can help. I can plant the tracker. Â I have years of experience doing it and massive amounts of training sneaking up on people.â
She gave him a pained look. Â âYou donât have any protection. Â Even with magically protective suits one of the team already got hurt. Â So unless youâre going to tell me youâre invulnerable, I donât know that itâs a good idea. Â And we havenât had the chance to figure out how youâre going to fit into all this and with the team. Â We havenât even gotten the team to agree that you are allowed to fit in here. Â We donât have time to figure this out now.â Â Her eyes softened a bit as her expression turned more solemn. Â âSeriously, there are at least 20 random tornadoes tearing through town destroying buildings and throwing cars, among other things. Â The one she has shielding herself is worse. Please, find some place safe to hide until we take care of this.â
He looked up ready to assure her that he has fought worse but instead, caught her eyes, which was a fatal mistake. Â She eyes were saturated with worry and fear for him. Â Heâd seen that look before. Â He had that look when he was still Robin and Dick would do something stupid, more stupid and self-sacrificing than usual. Â
He gave out a deep sigh and dropped his head. Â He looked back up to her, his eyes took on a concerned look. Â He stepped closer to her again, close enough now to pull her close, to lean down and kiss her if they wanted. Â He reached to caress her face instead. Â He nodded slowly. Â âAlright. Â Iâll hide. But you need to promise to be careful. I didnât finally find you just for you to die on me.â
She stared into his eyes and leaned into his hand. Â She opened her mouth to respond when something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Â âLook out!â She screamed tackling him to the ground. Â They landed just as a table shattered against the wall they had been standing in front of. Â She stared at the table in dismay and back out to the street, searching for the tornado that had caused the table to fly at them. Â She inched closer to the opening to look around, but the tornado had already passed. Â âI really have to go. Â Get somewhere safe! Â That table means there is a tornado in the area. Â And these are magical tornadoes so they donât follow normal tornado rules. Just because it passed already doesnât mean it wonât come back.â Â He nodded to her just before she swung away.
He stood there for a few minutes looking in the direction she had swung. He looked out to the street in front of him assessing the potential danger and trying to figure out the best place to hunker down for the storms, ideally some place that would still allow him to watch the fight. Â The alley was fairly safe but exposed and he didnât know how much longer it would be safe, especially if Marinette was right about a tornado coming. Â Plus, there was no way to see the fight and he was dying to see her in action.
He considered his options for a few seconds before realizing he didnât know where she would be fighting. Â He gave a disappointed curse realizing he would have to wait to see her actually fight. He might as well follow her instructions and find a better place to hide. Â He walked a few blocks before he saw signs of a tornado.
Whereas the street he had been on looked pristine, when he turned the corner, there was carnage. Â Cars had been thrown on their sides, bikes were thrown through windows, balcony tables and chairs were laying broken against buildings, and more than a few bodies were laying under some of the wreckage. Â He walked near the bodies, searching for signs of life. Â He sighed as none of them moved. Â He started walking again when he heard crying and scratching. Â He followed the source to a mailbox in the side of a building.
He ripped the mailbox door and was met with wide, terrified green eyes, familiar green eyes.  âYouâre the kid from the bakery.â He said in English before he could catch himself.  The kidâs eyes got impossibly bigger and started babbling to him in French.  Damn it! Jason cursed to himself.  This was going to be a crash course in French.  He was fluent at some point, years ago, but disuse had dulled his memory. He thought about it for a few seconds, mentally switching to French.  He just had to think of this like a mission and access those parts of his brain⊠quickly.
âI saw you in the bakery. Â Iâm Marinetteâs friend Jason. Â We need to go somewhere safe. Â Are you okay? What is your name?â Â He tried to give the kid a soft smile, making himself look as unthreatening as possible for a 6 foot, 225 pound man could seem. Â Kids in Gotham knew he was dangerous but only against the bad guys, not kids. Â He didnât think this kid would be able to differentiate. Â
The terrified look lightened only slightly as he responded. Â âYou know Marinette?â Jason smiled bigger as he nodded in response. Â The assurance seemed to work as the kid relaxed a bit and looked around. Â âMy name is August. Â Have you seen my father? Â He put me in here when the wind came.â
Jason looked away and tried to hide his grimace. Â He had seen a few men on the street, none of them alive. Â âYou know, Iâm sure he found a place to hide from the big wind. Â Iâm sure heâs safe somewhere. Â We can find him after Ladybug fixes everything. Â We can have Marinette call him to let him know where you are, but now that we have a chance, we should find someplace safer. Â Is it okay if I get you out?â
He waited until August nodded at him before lifting him out of the box. Â He set him down on the ground but August clung to his arms. Â Jason smiled comfortingly at him and settled him on his hip instead. Â âOkay, August. Â Letâs find a place to hide, yeah?â Â August gave him a watery smile.
He started walking, holding the little boy close to his chest, shielding his head so he couldnât see what was happening around him. Â He just needed a safe place for them to hide, a building with a basement ideally. Â Like he would know that from here he grumbled to himself, and he didnât have the time to get it wrong. Â Fuck! He should have done better reconnaissance, or any, before he came. Â They had walked another block and still hadnât seen anything that looked promising. Pretty soon he was going to have to take what he could get. Â The wind was starting to pick up again, giving him the terrifying feeling that another tornado was headed their way.
He growled in frustration and looked around him again concentrating on the buildings. Â Surely there was a metro somewhere, right? Â He hadnât seen a sign for blocks. Â They passed by a pile of cars and paused hearing pounding and screaming from under the cars. Â He searched for the source of the sound. Â His eyes widened in horror as he realized where it was coming from. Â A young girl had gotten trapped between a building wall and the pile of cars and was beating the cars trying to get free. Â He set August down with a reassuring smile and pushed the car on top out of the way. Â He reached down and grabbed the girl. Â She looked up at him with wide eyes and screamed.
He flinched at the scream and sighed in acceptance. Â âYeah, I guess I deserved that. Â Iâm here to help not take you. Â It isnât safe out here and itâs about to get much less safe.â
She looked at him suspiciously, ready to say no to the giant of a man with scars who had grabbed her, until a head popped out from behind him. Â âManon!â
âAugust!â Â She reached out to hug him but Jason grabbed her instead. Â
âHugs after we are safe.  It is getting worse by the second.â  He looked around for a good place to hide with the two kids.  Nothing much around them, a few shops, a few restaurants, a wine shop, a bookstore⊠ Wait! He instantly started moving.  When he finally reached the door, it was locked. âWho the fuc⊠why would you bother locking your doors during this?â he exclaimed loudly.  âOkay, move over here for a second⊠and donât do this yourself.â He rammed his elbow through the doorâs glass, shattering the glass panel near the handle.  He reached in to open the door, scratching his arm as he did. He hissed in pain but hid it from the kids.
âWhy here?â Manon called loudly to be heard over the wind.
âBecause wine shops have wine cellars.â Jason explained calmly. Â âNow in you go.â He pushed her through the door, following with August close behind.
<><><><><>Â
Ladybug landed inelegantly next to the team, taking a few seconds to steady herself against the sudden lack of wind. Â âI have a plan.â Â She smiled at them.
âWell then letâs hear it.â Rena encouraged her.
âSomething better than the last one would be appreciated.â Bee grumbled.
âSucks for you.  Exactly the same plan as last time⊠kind of.â Ladybug smirked at them.
The sound of four people groaning at the same time made Ladybug smile even wider. Â âDudette, maybe you missed how it turned out last time, but we lost.â
âI have faith this time will be luckier.â She smiled cheerily.  âAnd weâre going to build failure into the plan⊠or at least the appearance of failure.â She looked over at Bee with a conspiratorial smile.  âYouâre going to lead them into a false sense of security thinking we are trying the same thing again, but the real goalâŠâ she leaned in closer as she pulled the trackers out of her yoyo, â⊠is to plant one of these.â
âAnd what the fuck are those?â Bee demanded unceremoniously. Â âAnd just how the fuck are they supposed to change anything?â
âThese my lovely pain in the ass, are tracking beacons. Â Carapace, you will do the exact same thing as before. Â You will create a tunnel from above through her tornado. Â Rena, you will create the camouflage illusion on the tunnel, Bee, and yourself this time. Â And you will need to use your flying power up.â Â Rena gave her a skeptical look.
âBee, youâll have to use my or Chatâs flying power up. Â Apologize to Pollen that it isnât in her flavor. Â I suggest using mine. Â I donât think Pollen will appreciate the cheese power up.â Bee huffed out a loud breath at the thought of that. Â Pollen would not react well to the disrespect. Â Chloe was going to have to lavish her with praise for days to make up for it.
âI hope you know what you are doing. Â Pollen will not appreciate this.â Chloe grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away.
âI understand and please explain how eternally grateful we are for how magnanimous she is in agreeing to this.â Ladybug rolled her eyes as she said it. Â âYouâre going to pretend to try to take her out with venom again but it is a cover for Rena to plant this on her.â She said holding up the tracker before tossing it over to Rena. âAnd for you to actually get the amok with the venom instead.
âRena, you stay camouflaged and try to plant that on her. Â If anything happens to Rena while she is planting it, Bee, you take advantage of her distraction to plant yours on her.â Â Ladybug tossed another tracker to her. Â âOnce you have them planted, notify me and Chat. Â We will take her from there from below. Â Your sole focus will be the amok. Â We need you to restrain it until we can find the possessed item and free the feather. Â Hopefully, when we deakumatize Aurora, sheâll know where the item is or at least what it is.â
Chat eyed Ladybug suspiciously, slowly nodding as he picked out the key words he needed to figure out her plan, all the pieces quickly falling into place. Â âWeâll have to act quickly,â he warned her.
Ladybug nodded at him, âGetting the umbrella will be the top priority. Â Whichever of us sees an opening, we take it.â
âHey Wonder Twins, care to let the rest of us mere mortals in on your part of the plan?â Rena asked unamused. Â Honestly, it was freaky how they could read each otherâs minds sometimes. Â One of them would say one part of an idea and the other would act on it before anyone else had even comprehended what they had said in the first place. Â She understood that they had been partners for years now but if she didnât know better, she would swear there was more to it than that. Â And that asshole cat better not be trying to replace her as Marinetteâs best friend. She could and would skin a cat.
âWeâre going to go into the sewers.  Weâll use the trackers to know exactly where she isâŠâ Chat started to explain.
âWithin three feet.â Ladybug corrected. Â Chat gave her a questioning look. Â âHe said there is a three foot uncertainty radius.â
Chat nodded, ââŠapproximately where she is and get right under her.  Iâll use Black Hole to create a hole under her, dropping her into the sewers with us.â Chat finished with a smile.
Carapace nodded at the explanation. Â âRemoving her from the tornadoes. Â As long as you act quickly, her biggest asset is gone. Â Good thinking, Dudette.â Â
Ladybug smiled at him. Â âThanks Carapace. Â Weâll need you to get as close as you feel is safe as well. Â Weâll follow you on our maps so we can get close to where we will need to be.â Â She turned to the rest of the team, her face turning serious. Â âOkay, we have the plan, everyone knows their parts. Â Letâs get out there. Â Good luck guys. Â Keep us updated.â
<><><><><>Â
âWhy are we down here?â Manon asked annoyed.
âThatâs what you do in aâŠâ Jason started but quickly realized he never learned the French word for tornado.  Honestly, why would he.  It wasnât something they experienced.  ââŠtornado.â He finished in English.
Manon let out a critical huff and provided the French word for him. Â âThanksâ he grumbled.
âWhy?â August scrunched his nose.
âI know you guys arenât familiar with them, but tornados destroy things, like buildings. Â So you go underground. Â Itâs safe underground.â
âLike the sewers?â August asked.
Jason cocked his head to the side to consider that. Â âThat also would have worked.â He nodded slowly. Â âBut weâre going to stay here. Â Weâre not going to risk moving. Â We will be safe here.â
âNot worth getting dirty. Â Itâs just Stormy Weather.â Â Manon showed them her phone which was playing the news. Â âTheyâve fought against her before. Â They know what to do.â Â She continued flippantly. Â Jason stared at her trying to figure out if it was an act or not. Â Heâd seen enough kids acting tough so they didnât seem vulnerable and comfort the kids around them, to know it when he saw it. Â It was a constant for the older kids on the street when he was growing up. Â The older kids did it for the younger kids. Â It was a rite of passage.
She was more scared than she was letting on but Jason couldnât tell how scared she was. Â Augustâs reaction to her was immediate though. Â He started nodding at her, thinking over what she was saying. Â The concern in his expression lessening with each nod. Manon continued to watch the news program as Jason took a seat, pulling out his phone as well. Â
After a few minutes, Manon sat near him and sighed. Â âPoor Aurora. Â Sheâs such a nice person, too. Â I wonder what happened this time.â
âTrying to destroy an entire city isnât what Iâd call nice.â Jason scoffed.
Manon shrugged, keeping her focus on her phone. âItâs not really her though. Itâs the akuma. Â It makes you do things you would never have wanted to do. It takes over.â Â She paused for a few seconds seeming to stare past her phone. âAnd you donât remember what youâve done after. Â You have to watch it later. Â Itâs like youâre watching a stranger, but itâs you. Â Itâs so wrong.â
She said it with such conviction, so much confidence, like she was speaking from personal experience. Â Jason felt his stomach sink with the realization. Â âHave you ever become an akuma?â Â He hated saying the words but he hated the look that crossed her face when he asked even worse. Â The look of guilt and horror, the same look he saw in the mirror when he would get a flash of something he had done immediately after getting out of the pit.
âYeah⊠more than once.â  She said it quietly, still looking at her phone in an unseeing stare.
âNot as much as me,â August said sadly, taking a seat between the two of them.
âYouâve been an akuma too? Â Christ, youâre still a baby!â Jason exclaimed loudly.
âIâm not a baby!â August cried out.
âYou were when you were first akumatized.â Manon pointed out.
August shrunk in on himself. Â âItâs okay August.â Manon reassured him, pulling him into a side hug. Â âI swear there are more people who have been akumatized than havenât been and itâs not like youâve been akumatized that many times.â
âMore than you.â He said sadly.
âWell yeah, but not like M. Pigeon numbers.â She rolled her eyes at him. âOr is it M. Rat now?â
âRat for a while before he stopped getting akumatized.â August confirmed. Â âI liked him. Â He was fun to watch.â
âWait, wait, wait. Â Just hold up a second. Â Thereâs a guy that turns into a pigeon or rat that has been turned into an akuma dozens of times?â Â Jason asked shaking his head. Â What the hell kind of demented Disney movie was going on here?
âNo, he controls the pigeons or rats. Â He is a big animal lover and anytime he thinks someone is abusing the animals, he gets upset. Â Like really upset. Â Akumatization level upset. Â Really nice guy normally.â Â Manon explained calmly.
Jason nodded thinking over what she had said, so more Steven King than Disney. âHow many kids have become akumas?â Jason asked a bit scared of the answer.
âHow young are you looking for?  August was the youngest, he was like what 6 months old when you first got akumatized?â She looked over to him for confirmation. August shrugged.  âI was about his age when I first got akumatized.  He doesnât go for kids as often as adults, but he doesnât avoid us.  I donât think.  Maybe this is holding back.  How would we know?â  As she spoke her eyes got darker and darker, anger starting to show through her detached façade.
âHoly fuâŠâ he looked down at August and immediately clamped his mouth shut.  âUh⊠that sounds⊠traumatic.â
Manon let out a loud scoff. Â âNot nearly as traumatic as living through the other side of it.â Â Jason looked at her curiously, encouraging her to say more. âMost kids I know have died at least once. Â Theyâve lost a parent right in front of them, some while they were holding them. Theyâve lost friends, watched them die or get hurt. Â Most have experienced all three.â Â
Jason watched her eyes take on a haunted look as she spoke. Â âAnd if youâve been akumatized more than once itâs like people are just waiting for you to get akumatized again. Â Put them through that again.â
âYeah.â Â August agreed quietly. Â His whole body seemed to collapse in on itself in guilt. Â Just looking at him hurt Jason. Â All he wanted was to bring his mood back up.
âNot everyone though, right? Â Marinette seems to like you.â Jason reassured him.
âYeah, she likes me. Â But thatâs Marinette she likes everyone.â Â August waved him off.
âPft, not everyone.â Manon scoffed quietly.  Jason raised his eyebrow at that.  Heâd have to ask Marinette about it later.  She didnât seem the type to dislike people enough that a random kid would know about who she liked or didnât.  He knew she had an issue with Constantine⊠and apparently Batman, who didnât though, and the rest of the Gotham vigilantes⊠and the entire Justice League⊠okay, maybe it made sense that the kid would pick up on some things.
Instead, he turned back to August. Â âMaybe, but she seems to like you. Â She must really think youâre a good kid. Â I mean she was sneaking you treats at the counter. Â Iâm sure she doesnât do that for just anyone.â
Manon whipped her head to August. Â August almost jumped when she yelled at him, âShe gives you treats?â
<><><><><>Â
âHow do we always end up down here?â Â Chat whined eyeing a patch of slick green something oozing down the sewer walls.
âLucky I guess. Â Itâs where we do our best work after all. Â We have a pretty good track record down here.â Ladybug quipped without looking up from the map display on her yoyo. Â âWe need to take a left up here. Â Weâre getting close.â
âYou think itâs going to work this time?â Chat breathed out. Â He had faith in their teammates but he knew Bee was not working on full capacity. She took the failure hard. Â She would fight hard, but when Chloe doubted herself, it took a while to build her confidence back up. Â And he couldnât help. Â He was stuck down in the sewers only able to hear their reports. Â If anything happened, he and Ladybug wouldnât be able to do anything or even know what happened.
âI have faith. Â Our team can do this and they will. Â Bee always rises to the challenge.â She assured him as though she could read his true concern. Â
âMirage.â They heard Rena say over the coms.
âTunnel is up.â Carapace reported.
âRena and I are going in. Â You guys close or are we going to have to buy time for you slowpokes?â Bee asked.
Ladybug rolled her eyes at Chat but smiled along with him. Â Bee was snarking at them. Â That was a good sign. Â âWeâre close. Donât wait on us. Â Weâd hate to hold you guys back.â
âWeâre good enough to pick up your slack.â Bee quipped, the accompanying hair flip evident in her tone.
âRight behind you on 3.â Rena paused before counting down. Â â3, 2, 1, and go.â
Chat shook his head and took a deep breath. It would be fine. Â They would get the job done. Â Alya and Chloe might fight like sisters but they defended each other like sisters too. Â They would have each otherâs backs and together they were a force to be reckoned with. His anxiety would lessen significantly if he could just see what was happening. Â It was the being in the dark that made it all so much worse.
Chat and Ladybug made their way toward Carapaceâs tracker in a tense silence, hands flinching towards their coms every time a grunt or groan or squawk came over the coms. Â Their footsteps hesitated when they heard Chloe whisper venom. Â Ladybug glanced back to him. Â They both took another deep breath and nodded to each other. Things were about to happen and they needed to be prepared. Â They were close to Carapaceâs tracker already but moved with more urgency to close the gap.
âWeâre here.â Ladybug reported over the coms.
âWorking on it.â Bee grunted.
âBehind you!â Rena screamed. Â They heard some more grunting and the second tracker appear on the yoyo and baton screens.
âWe got her, Rena. Â Go help Bee.â Ladybug ordered. Â âReady, Chat?â Â She braced herself and settled into a battle ready position when Chat nodded at her and moved closer to the spot on his screen.
âBlack hole,â he whispered. Â Speaking at full voice seemed irreverent in the quiet darkness of the sewer. Â He took a deep breath and took a running start. Â He planted his baton, extending it as he rose in the air. Â The highest point of the arc hit exactly where the tracker marked. Â He touched the ceiling as he sailed by, allowing his magic to create a large hole that went through to the street above. Â He landed with a roll. Â He pivoted as soon as he came to a stop, holding his own battle ready position, ready to pounce the moment he caught sight of Stormy.
He didnât have to wait. Â Before he had even pivoted Stormy was already in sight, falling toward the sewer water. Â Chat jumped at her reaching to grab her umbrella before she could start another tornado down there. Â In their confined area, a tornado would be too strong and there would be no place to hide.
Stormy pulled her umbrella out of his reach just as he was about to lay his fingers on it. Â She held it above her head, giving him an irate look. Â âStupid cat! Â Did you think that is all it would take to defeat me?â She sneered.
She jerked back in shock as a yoyo wrapped around the umbrella and yanked it from her hands. Â âYes, yes we did.â Ladybug responded with a self-satisfied smirk as the umbrella landed in her hands.
âNO,â Stormy screeched. Â She reached out for the umbrella but fell to the floor instead when Ladybug broke the umbrella and a little purple and black akuma fluttered out of it.
âNo more evil doing for you little akuma. Time to de-evilize.â Ladybug twirled her yoyo around in a circle a few times and threw it up to capture the akuma. Ladybug pulled the yoyo back to her and opened it again, allowing the now white butterfly to flutter out harmlessly. âBye, bye little butterfly.â Â She waved peacefully at the butterfly.
While Ladybug was purifying the akuma, Chat ran over to Aurora. Â âHey, Aurora. How are you doing? Â Are you okay?â He asked looking at her with concern. Aurora was a good person to begin with and had a fairly good temperament. Â She had been taking classes on how to control her temper on top of that, so whatever happened it must have been pretty bad.
Aurora looked around in a daze and held her head for a few seconds before she could respond. Â âChat Noir?â She examined his face for a few moments to confirm it was him. She looked around until she saw Ladybug releasing the purified akuma. Â Her shoulders slumped and her face fell. Â âOh no,â she whispered to the ground. Â âI did it again didnât I?â She looked up at Chat with pained eyes. Â Chat gave her a sympathetic smile and rubbed her back. Â âHow bad this time?â she looked back to the ground again trying to brace for the answer.
âIâm not sure. Â It was a few tornadoes but it could have been a lot worse.â He gave her a side hug when he saw some tears fall down her cheeks. Â
âWe got the amok tied up, Ladybug.â Rena reported. âAnd you might want to hurry and find the item, Bee got hit this time and worse than I did.â
Chat looked up at Ladybug. Â She looked at him questioningly. Â He looked over Aurora, trying to find anything that stood out. When he didnât see anything, he looked through her bag. Â His eyes lit up when he saw what he was looking for. Â He grabbed the kite and threw it over to Ladybug.
Ladybug looked at Chat questioningly. Â He nodded to her letting her know he would handle Aurora for now and meet her up top. Â She made a motion with the kite, letting him know she would purify it topside, so Aurora didnât have to see it.
Once Chat nodded in silent understanding, Ladybug nodded back and spoke into the coms. âGot it. Â Weâll be right there.â
Chat leaned in closer to Aurora and lowered his voice conspiratorially, âPersonally, I think you might have been holding back. We both know you could have done far, far worse but you didnât. Â That takes a lot of strength.â
She looked up at him with wide eyes. Â âYou really think so?â Â Hope permeated her voice and expression.
Chat smiled at her. Â âYeah, I do. Â I think you were trying to give us a clue about where the amok was as well.â Â She looked up at him with wide eyes. Â
âThere was an amok too, huh?â Â She gave him a weak, guilt laden smile. Â âGuess I should have expected that by now.â Â
âYeah, but we took care of it. Â Now, ready to get back topside?â Â She gave him a weak smile and nodded. Â âOkay, hold on.â Â He grabbed her into a princess hold and jumped through the hole, using his baton to give him more height.
As soon as they landed, they heard Ladybug call out âMiraculous Ladybug.â Â He let out a relieved breath and turned back to Aurora who was watching the miraculous ladybugs swarming throughout the city fixing all the damage with an apologetic look.
Rena joined them with a sympathetic smile for Aurora. Â âHey, Aurora. Sorry this happened to you. Â You are a good person. Â We know you would never have wanted this. Â You didnât deserve this. Â You are a victim too.â Â She gave Aurora a hug.
Aurora pulled back and looked at both of them with a smile that was a little stronger than the last one. Â âThank you and thank you for saving me.â
Rena gave her a smile. Â The rest of the team came up behind Rena, all smiling at Aurora, except Bee who leaned against a recently returned car and examined her nails. âWe done here or what?â
Ladybug scowled at her and turned back to Aurora. âDo you need a ride to your next destination?â
Aurora shook her head. Â âNo, Iâll walk. Â Thank you though. Â I think I need the space to process.â
The team smiled at her and nodded in understanding. Aurora waved to them and walked toward her office.
Chat looked at Ladybug with a grin on his face. Â âHey mâlady, ask me how I think we did today.â
Ladybug groaned. Â She knew that look. Â That was never a good look. Â She knew she was going to regret it but she couldnât deny him this simple pleasure, something to bring his mood back up. Â âOkay Chat, how do you think we did today?â
His grin grew even wider and his eyes lit up with excitement that she was willing to play along. Â âI was blown away by our performance.â Â He started laughing at his own joke. Â Ladybug groaned even louder and hid her face in her hands, but Bee smacked him upside the head hard enough for his head to jerk forward making him laugh even harder.
âThank you!â Rena groaned.
âWhat are you guys doing now?â Â Ladybug asked suddenly nervous.
âMeeting at the hotel?â Bee shrugged.
âMeeting at the office in⊠crap 12 minutes.â Chat groaned.  âI need to go.â
âHomework,â Rena and Carapace said at the same time.
âOkay, are you guys free tonight to talk?â Ladybug asked.
They looked at each other uneasily. Â âAbout what?â Rena asked suspiciously. Â
Ladybug grimaced and clasped her hands together, swinging them in front of her a few times. Â âI have to go, LB. Â Spit it out.â Chat urged her.
âRed Hood found me today. Â Me, me.â Â They turned suddenly serious, all straightening their stances. Â
âHow bad is it?â Carapace asked.
âNot bad, I donât think. Â We can discuss it tonight when you have more time. Â I donât think the rest of the family knows, just him. But we have things to discuss.â Ladybug confirmed.
âI need to leave now or I wonât be able to get out tonight. Â See you guys at 9.â Â Chat called over his shoulder as he vaulted away.
âYou heard the cat, weâll talk at 9.â Carapace declared. Â âSee you then.â Â He and Rena jumped away together.
Bee looked at her and shook her head. âUnbe-fucking-lievable. Â Only you.â
Ladybug sighed and gave her a guilty look, âSorry.â
âSorry my exquisite ass. Â Knowing you this is going to be exactly what we need and it will be over in a few months like some kind of cosmic Lucky Charm and all because you got one of the most eligible bachelors in the world tottering after you like a lovesick puppy.â Â Ladybugâs jaw dropped as she watched Bee jump away.
âHe is not tottering after me! Â But you are right, it is exquisite.â Â Ladybug yelled after her. Â
Bee turned her head to yell over her shoulder. âOf course Iâm right⊠about both parts. Now go give him a kiss and ask him if he has any hot, rich, kinky friends for me.â
Chapter 9
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Cold as ice
Summary: Sam finally has you in his clutches and wonât let anything or anyone get in between the two of you.
Pairing: Soulless!Sam x Huntress!Reader
Characters: Dean Winchester, Ofc Jason
Warnings: angst, language, mentions of cheating, violence, blood, implied murder, smut, unprotected sex, possessive Sam, knife play, public sex, I will label this as a dark!fic
Kinktober Special: Knife play
Sequel to: Cold but honest
Kinktober 2020
You will spend the next months with Sam, stay by his side never knowing it was him making Jason leave your life to makes sure he finally gets what he always wantedâŠyou.
âLook at you,â Sam purrs, hands gripping your hips harder. Heâs kneeling on the bed, knees digging into the mattress. Your legs thrown over his hips Sam uses your body once again. There is no love or passion in his eyes but hunger which never subsides. âI know you want to cum for me, Y/N.â
Months ago, he ruined your chance with Jason out of selfishness and now you are lost. Sam finally has you in his clutches and wonât let anything or anyone get in between the two of you.
While Dean decided to hunt again he only sticks around occasionally. Your friend enjoys the apple pie life you desperately wanted to live. âSam, Iâm so close.â
Voice hoarse from crying out his name you throw your head back, just letting go all emotions and hope to find love in a cold world filled with death and chaos.
âI know, kitten,â the only comfort Sam offers is the warmth of his body anytime you find the time to take a breath on a hunt. âLet go, Y/N. I want you to scream my name loud enough for the whole motel to hear.â
âI want you to,â you choke out the words, watching Sam grasp for the knife on the bed. âmark me, Sam. Please mark me. Carve your name into my skin.â You crave a connection, want nothing more than to know someone will stick around longer than a few weeks or months.
Sam dips his head, a cold smile on his lips when he stills his hips. He wants you to cum with his knife piercing your skin. Wants to feel you quiver around his cock with your blood running down your chest.
âYouâre mine,â the hunter muses. Sam leans over your body, still this coldness in his eyes scaring you to the bone. âNo one will ever have you again.â
âIâm yours,â you nod, hiding the heaviness in your heart. âNo one else. There is no love outside these walls for me.â
âTrue,â he grunts, caging you with his arms, the knife still in his hands when he gives you a few hard thrusts to fuel the fire in your belly. âNo one can make you feel the things I let you feel.â
âPleaseâŠSam,â you moan when he tilts his hips, a smirk on his lips. âI need you to mark me,â you gasp, watching Sam shift his weight on his left forearm to press the tip of the knife into your chest. He smiles, but as always lately, the cold smile doesnât reach his hazel eyes.
âDo you want my full name or an âSâ?â Sam smirks, sliding the dull side of the knife over one nipple. You cry out, clench hard around his hard length. Moans escape your lips along with pleas to take you harder, to make you his. âI guess this means you want âSamâ on your chest,â you nod eagerly, mouth falling open as Sam presses the tip back into your skin. This time he starts to slide it over your skin, masterly carving a capital âSâ into your skin.
Crimson liquid runs down your body and you cry out when Sam removes the knife to lick the blood off your skin. He moans now, cock twitching violently. Youâve got no clue how he does it, but Sam gets even harder as you start to pant heavily. The pain mixed with the feeling of his cock pressed against your g-spot makes the pleasure even more intense.
You want to toss your head back, want to arch your back but Sam tuts you, shaking his head. The tip presses back into your skin and you whimper when he carves the âAâ into your chest. Sam hums to himself, an unreadable look in his eyes. âSo pretty with my name carved into your skin.â
âOh-god,â your orgasm so close you can feel your toes start to curl you look up at Sam when he slides the knife one last time over your skin to carve the last line of the âMâ. âSam, please fuck me.â
Sam takes his time, slides his tongue over the blade of the knife to lick your blood off the cold steel. Deep down inside you know this is all wrong, but Sam drops the knife to grasps your wrists, pinning your hands above your head the moment he starts to move his hips at a maddening pace.
His eyes glued to the blood running down your chest he grunts, aggressively slamming his hips into yours. There is not a part of your body he didnât bruise with his hands, hips, or mouth over the last months.
Proudly Sam marks your body, shows anyone you are his toy to play with and anyone getting too close feels his wrath.
âFucking cum for me,â he purrs, lips crushing against yours. Itâs a bruising kiss to muffle your scream but you donât care. He reaches all the right places and you cum undone, bleeding, sweating, and screaming for Sam. Â âGood girl, so good for me.â
You nod eagerly, head lulling back when Sam speeds up once again. He grips your hips, ruts into you hard enough to bruise. Someone on the other side of the room yells at you but Sam decides to ignore the man, simply slamming his fist into the wall when he fills you with hot ropes of cum.
âFuck, thatâs a good pussy. I must admit, itâs the best I ever had,â you know itâs not much, but you give Sam a smile at his words.
Years ago, he wouldâve told you that you are beautiful and that he loves to touch you, know you take what you get. Meaningless praises from a cold manâŠ
âDean, you donât get it,â Sam watches you snuggle into his pillow. You are wearing one of his favorite plaids and he canât help himself but tilt his head to get a glimpse of your ass sticking out of the blanket. âSheâs mine.â
âDo we own people now, Sammy? I know you are different since you came back, but this goes too far,â Dean worriedly looks at the bandage on your chest. âYou carved your name into her flesh for fuckâs sake.â
âAnd?â Sam gives his brother an amused smirk. âY/N begged me to do so, Dean. How could I deny my girl the pleasure I can give her?â
âPleasure? You fucking carved your name into her skin! This is sick!â Dean yells, causing you to flinch in your sleep. âI donât know you anymore, Sammy.â
âIâm a better hunter, more focused and, I can protect Y/N from anything and,â now Samâs eyes narrow as he looks at his brother, âanyoneâŠâ
âJust donât hurt her,â sighs leave Dean's lips. He watches you slowly sit up on the bed, eyes immediately searching for his brother. âY/N, morning.â
âOh, DeanâŠhey,â you stammer, covering your chest with the blanket you look at Sam who smiles to himself. âWhy are you here?â
âI came around for the hunt. Sam called me last night and I was close by so,â Dean swallows thickly when his eyes land on the blood on your blanket. âYeah, thatâs the reason I came here.â
âThatâs good,â Sam steps in front of the bed to hold out his hand. He never helped you before, so you reluctantly take his hand. His cold eyes search your face when you stand in front of him, looking up at your lover. âSam and I can need help with this hunt.â
âY/N, take care,â Dean whispers before he looks over your shoulder at his brother. âSam, heâs not himself right now. I hate to leave you alone with him while heâs like this.â
âSam would never hurt me,â you touch your chest, slowly running your fingers over the scared skin. âI wanted him to carve his name into my chest. I know you donât understand me or the reason, but please believe, Iâm capable of making a decision.â
âIâm not worried about you making the right decision, sweetheart,â Dean sighs. âIâm rather afraid Sam will make a wrong decision costing you your life.â
âY/N,â Jason whispers, hand grasping for your arm. âListen, I need to talk to you in private. Is Sam around?â
âHeâs getting us drinks,â you purse your lips. âI donât have anything to discuss with you. Go back to the girl you chose over me.â Before Jason gets the chance to tell you the reason he broke up with you, Sam storms toward you and your former boyfriend.
âHands off my girl, asshole. I will not repeat myself,â Sam threatens, hand grazing the outlines of his gun.
âNow you are with that psycho?â Jason spats, shaking his head. âGreat, just great.â Your ex-boyfriend storms out of the bar while you turn your attention back toward Sam. Sam takes your hand to lead you into the back of the bar, immediately pressing you against the wall to claim your lips roughly.
âYouâre mine,â his hands shove your skirt upward to reveal your sex. âNo one touches youâŠâ
Jason paces around the parking lot, hands balled into fists. You donât see him get a baseball bat out of his car to slam it into the windshield of Samâs stolen car. He grunts, screaming Samâs name whilst you cry out the same name.
Sam holds you against the wall in the dingy bar. Heâs fucking up into you, not caring anyone who passes by could see you.
âThatâs a good girl,â you paw at his shoulders to hold tight onto the tall hunter. âJason canât have you back. Heâs not going to take you away from me.â
âNever,â purring the word you watch Samâs face contort in a mixture of pleasure and anger. âSam, Iâm so close.â
âI know you are close,â he smirks now, head dipping to bite your neck. His hips snap upward, hit all the right places whilst you desperately wrap your legs tighter around his waist. âThere is not a single time you will not cum for me, Y/N.â
âPleaseâŠoh-please Sam,â your nails bite into his flesh, leave crescent bruises on your skin. âI-Iâm going to cum,â your head hits the wall behind you, but you donât care.
âFucking shit,â Sam spurts hot into you, a self-satisfied grin on his lips. âYouâre the best fuck I ever had. There is no way Iâll ever let you go.â
âYou see,â Sam smirks, looking down at Jason, âY/N and I wanted to celebrate a successful vampire hunt and you just came along to disturb my fun,â your former boyfriend believes Sam is crazy when he tells him about vampires and other monsters as you never told him about your job or that you are a hunter.
âIâŠI just wanted to say âhiâ to Y/N. We were friends before we became a thing. Itâs not a crime to act like a decent human,â Jason looks at the knife in Samâs hands, the same knife he used to carve his name into your skin.
âYou didnât want to say âhiâ,â Sam kicks your boyfriendsâ legs, causes him to fall Jason to his knees. Jason hisses, looking up at Sam pleadingly. âI know you wanted my girl back.â
âI swear, I didnât want to win her over again. How could I with a hunk like you in her life?â Jason is not as dumb as Sam believes. He got that his life is on the line so he tries anything to convince Sam he didnât come to win you over again. âI only wanted to greet an old friend. Iâm sorry if I disturbed your party or something.â
âI know the reason you came to the bar,â Sam sighs deeply, looking down at Jason. âYou came to tell Y/N I threatened you to leave her. Did you believe I donât know you want her back?â
âI swear,â Jason raises his hands, tries to protect his body from the first punch Sam lands. âPleaseâŠIâll never try to talk to her again.â
âI know you wonâtâŠâ Sam towers over Jason, his eyes darker now he looks down at your former boyfriend. âI will make sure of itâŠâ
âSam?â You wonder why Sam presses his body close to yours to spoon you. He never tries to cuddle or make you feel comfortable. Not before or after sex. âSomething wrong?â
âI only wanted to check on my girl,â he nuzzles his nose into hair, inhales your scent deeply. His arms sling around your waist, to press you impossibly closer to his chest. âI hope he didnât change your mind.â
âIâm done with Jason, Sam. He left me for someone else,â you lean into Samâs embrace, closing your eyes. âI know there is no love on your side, but I feel safe around you. I will never get out of this life so Iâll spend it as long as I can with someone who understands me.â
âGood,â his eyes darken remembering Jasonâs pleas before he slit his throat open. âNo one will ever part us, kitten. Not Jason, not my resurrected grandfather, not Dean.â
Nodding you slowly drift into a dreamless slumber whilst Sam is wide awake, recalling every moment of Jasonâs end. Sam can still feel the warm blood of your ex-boyfriend on his hands and it makes this moment so much better.
Fast asleep you mumble Samâs name, snuggling into the hunterâs chest when you turn around. His eyes are cold, but his hands press you closer to his body.
The last piece of the former Sam clings to you, needs to keep you in his arms so heâll do anything to keep you. Even if it means to kill your former boyfriend or keep his brother away from you.
No one will ever get between you and Sam, heâll make sure of itâŠ
SPN Forever Tags
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--------------------------------------
Sam/Jared Forever Tags
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#Cold as ice#Sequel to cold but honest#angst#smut#tw: knife play#tw: blood#Sam Winchester#sam winchester smut#Soulless!Sam#soulless sam x reader#soullesssam#SOULLESS SAM#soulless!sam x reader#sam winchester fanfiction#tw: murder#lulu's kinktober#Kinktober 2020#kinktober#darkfic
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Indecent Exposure - Sidney Crosby
Word Count: 1,682
Requested:Â Yes
Warnings:Â NSFW, Language, Unprotected Sex (Wrap it up kids) Masturbation
Notes:Â I took the liberty of combining two requests from the prompt list. Hope you guys donât care. Would love your feedback...haha!
The Pens had a huge victory against the Capitals that night, and since there was a bit of a break everyone decided to go out after the win. You and Sid joined the group, everyone laughing and dancing. You'd even got up and done some karaoke with the girls. You guys were really just having the time of your life.
 It was shortly after midnight, that you glided your hands around Sidney's waist as he was in mid-conversation with Letang and Geno, for once not actually talking about hockey. When he paused you whispered into his ear, "how about we head home for the night?" You let your hands slide down his thighs then back up, hoping to insinuate what you wanted when you finally got there.
 He turned around and gave you a quick peck. "In a little bit babe, ok?" It wasn't the answer you were looking for, but you gave him a quick 'fine' before heading back over with the rest of the girls.
 An hour later, you were still at the bar. Sid was still in deep conversation with the guys, though he did glance over from time to time. You'd make a show every time that he did. Running your fingers up and down the long neck bottle of your hard cider. Exposing a little more cleavage from time to time as you undid a button on the shirt you were wearing. You could tell it was slowly driving him insane, but then it was his choice to stay at the bar.
 He was standing there with the guys just casually leaning against the table. The sight of him almost too much for you. You wanted to be home, naked and in bed with the man right this instant, but instead you tortured by his thick thighs and his juicy ass at the moment. You were left with no recourse but to do the one thing that you knew would drive him over the edge. It was only a minute before he looked your way and you pulled the signature move out. As soon as you did, he was excusing himself from the table and headed your way.
 "Stop biting your lip, you know that drives me crazy." He whispered low in your ear, so the other ladies wouldn't hear.
 "Does it?" You played all innocent when you knew it would get you the one thing that you wanted.
 "Well guys, it's been fun, but I think we're going to head out for the night." He announced to the group at large. You mumbled a goodbye as he dragged you off, the girls all laughing knowingly as you left. As soon as you got to the car, he pressed your body up against it and kissed you hard. His mouth crushing yours and stealing your breath away. It wasn't often that Sid got like this, so needy and demanding, but when he did you knew you were in for it. "Why do you have to tease like that?" He practically growled. His mouth closed back over yours before you could answer.
 His hand skated down to your hips, trapping you against the car as he pressed one of his meaty thighs between your legs. Automatically, you ground down on to him, seeking some sort of friction to ease your aching pussy. He nipped at your neck then, leaving little bite marks as he went. "Is this what you wanted baby girl?"
 A whimper escaped your lips. It was, but it wasn't enough at the same time. You wanted, no needed more. Sid must have sensed your urgency, as he undid the button of your jeans and rolled the zipper down. His hand snuck inside pushing your panties to the side as his calloused finger found your clit. "So, fucking wet. Have you been like this all night?"
 You nodded a yes, unable to speak at the moment, as he tweaked your little nub and pushed his thigh into your cunt at the same time. You were so close, the orgasm just skating to the surface, and then he stopped. Hand still pressing your hip into the car to hold you steady, as he removed his thigh and fingers. "Fuck, Sid." You whined. "Stop teasing me."
 "Oh baby, I haven't begun to tease you. I was just giving you a taste of your own medicine." He pecked your lips, before releasing you to open your car door. "Now you have something to think about on the car ride home."
 You slid into the passenger's seat, then waited for Sid to get in. There were two ways you could handle this, be a good girl, and just wait till you get home, or get yourself off while Sid drove. You chose the latter. As soon as the car started down the street, you reclined the seat back a bit, before slipping your hands inside your still unzipped jeans. Sid was right, you were dripping wet, but that really wasn't much of a surprise, as you'd wanted your boyfriend all night. Your hands were a poor substitute at the moment, but if Sid wanted to be a tease, you were willing to let him know that it went both ways. You let a moan escape your lips as you found your clit.
 He glanced over in your direction then. "Jesus (Y/N), what the fuck?"
 "What's wrong, babe? Don't you like this game anymore?" You answered slipping a finger between your folds and letting out a sigh of pleasure.
 "I'm driving for Christ's sake." An idea hit you then and you reached your other hand over the console, to unbuckle his belt. "Babe, stop that."
 "Both hands on the wheel Sid." You told him as he tried to swipe your hand away. It was a weak protest as you knew he wanted you to feel him. It didn't take much to unzip his pants and find his hard cock in his boxers. You could feel the precum oozing out of the head and you slid it on his member making it a bit easier to pump him in your hand.
 He hissed out his pleasure as your hand glided up and down his shaft. "Fuck baby girl." Your right hand continued to slowly circle your clit, just keeping yourself on the edge of pleasure, though you were ready to abandon that mission and wrap your lips around Sid's cock. Unconsciously, you bit your lip again just thinking about sucking him off. "Jesus, (Y/N), you gotta stop now!" You reached down and cupped his balls instead, then felt the car swerve. The action making you lose your pace. Sid pulled off the road then and put the car in park. "Pants off babe." You willingly obliged, shuffling your jeans and panties off as quickly as possible. Sid threw the seat back all the way before shoving his pants down past his knees. "Get over here." He growled as you crawled over the console to straddle him.
 There was no foreplay, as you'd just spent the last several minutes at that. He simply grabbed your hips and pressed you down onto his cock while thrusting up into you at the same time. It felt like heaven. His hands slid up your sides, and under your shirt, pulling it up over your breasts so he could fondle them. His mouth found your nipple through the lace bra and he gently nibbled on it as you started to ride his dick.
 You were a tangled mess of limbs in the small space, but it didn't matter as Sid was thrusting up inside you. He ripped off your shirt then, tired of fighting the fabric as it kept sliding down. Your bra was next to go as he flung it off and tossed it somewhere in the car. He grabbed your hips and held you down onto him as he used his muscular thighs to press into your core. You screamed out your pleasure, the sound filling the car. Your lips went down and found his and your tongues mimicked the actions of your bodies.
 His hand snaked around somehow between you to find you clit and you realized he must be close. He tweaked and circled the little nub, causing you to moan. Your legs started to tremble as the orgasm built, only this time Sidney didn't let up. His thrusts became erratic, but his fingers continued their assault on your clit, sending you over the edge as the orgasm washed over your body. He followed you almost immediately, as he pumped several times into you before finding his release.
 You slumped on top of him, both of you breathing heavily. It was a few minutes before either of you said anything. "That wasâŠ" you started to say.
 "I know." He answered before there was a knock on the window which startled you both.
 "Everyone ok in there?" Fuck who what that? A flashlight shown in and you tried to cover yourself as best as you could; Sid hands pressing you close to his body, as he rolled down the window.
 "Um yeahâŠofficer," Sid answered, both of you blushing furiously.
 "Oh, Sid...I meanâŠaâŠMr. Crosby," the officer stuttered. "Sorry toâŠaâŠinterrupt."
 "Yeah, a noâŠ.it's fine. We were justâŠ." You hid your face in Sid's shoulder. It wasn't like he needed to explain what you were doing. You were naked with Sid's cock still semi-erect inside you. I'm sure the officer knew what you were doing.
 "Um yeahâŠso I suggest, that maybe you take this somewhere else than the highway."
 "UhâŠyes, sir. We were just going to do that." Sid told him.
 "Well, have a good night. Great game by the way." Oh my god, this was so utterly embarrassing but it just got worse when the cop said. "Think I could get your autograph?"
 Sid being Sid, simply said, "Sure." And proceeded to sign a scrap of paper the office had. "There ya go."
 "Thanks again." The officer headed off and the two of you collapsed into a fit of laughter, before heading home for round two. Â
#myhockey prompt list#Sidney Crosby#sidney crosby imagine#Sidney Crosby Imagines#Sidney Crosby Smut#nhl imagines#nhl imagine#nhl fanfic#nhl smut#hockey imagines#hockey imagine#hockey fanfiction#hockey smut
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lottery | pjm
âą pairing: reader x jimin
âą genre: angst, fluff, fluff, flufff, soulmate au, jimin is a dancer, strangers to kinda lovers to friends?? kinda? to ???Â
âą word count: 23.4k
âą warnings: explicit language, excessive cheesiness and pining, slow burn (prepare yourself now)
âą summary: everyone was born with a soulmate and a ring. when your soulmate was alive, the ring would be green. when your soulmate was close to you, your ring would turn white. and when your soulmate was dead, it turned black. yours turned black at the age of 20. your soulmate had died along with your hope. but then, one fateful day, it turned green again.Â
a/n: this story went, and i cannot stress this enough, in a compLETELY different direction lmao. i hope you enjoy!!! also itâs partially unedited so forgive any grammatical errors or typos <3
When you were four years old, your mother explained to you that there is a human with a heart and a soul that is tied permanently to yours. That person was your soulmate, and if youâre one of the lucky few that meets them, she said, then you can thank your lucky stars that the universe granted you this gift. Some people spend their entire lives searching, hoping that their soulmate unites with them, while others simply give up or lose faith that theyâd ever find their soulmate. And eventually, they settle for someone and love them as much as they can to fill that void. You couldnât imagine yourself ever becoming the latter of those two kinds of people.
âMommy, Iâm not going to find my soulmate. I think my soulmate will find me! Iâm so cute!â You replied ever so hopeful and innocent. Your mother laughed in response to your bold declaration while stroking your hair lightly. Back then, you never hid your excitement for the idea of a soulmate, and your mother told you to hold on tight to your persistence.
âLove finds its way of sneaking into your life unexpectedly. And when it does, itâll sweep you off your feet just like this!â Her hands pinched the sides of your torso to represent her description of love, and you erupted with a fit of giggles.
When Jimin was seven years old, he asked his father, âWhy do you only get one?â The concept that only one person out of the billions of people that walked this earth could be your destined lover didnât register as probable in his mind.Â
âWhy would you need more than one?â His father asked in return, to which Jimin huffed. He was young and couldnât express with the proper words how he had felt. The desire that raged in his heart to plant himself and his love in as many people as he could was something that always plagued him. He carried that burden the moment he fell in love with his first grade crush; Jimin knew from then on that waiting for his soulmate was going to be impossible for him. He would fall in love a thousand times before heâd ever become close to meeting his soulmate.
When you were ten, you told your mother with firm inquisition, âMommy, I want to find them now! Itâs not fair I donât know who it is. I wanna be in love forever!â Your pout, though cute, was a bit worrisome. She remembered when she was beginning to grow impatient and frustrated with the idea that out of the billions of people, only one could be your soulmate. She tried to ease your newfound resistance to waiting for your soulmate by saying,
âBaby, what is meant to be will come to you. Your entitlement to love is written in the stars, and so you just have to wait. Promise me youâll never lose hope?â, you nodded eagerly and held your pinky out with confidence. Your mother curled her pinky around yours. She smiled at the way your eyes pleaded with the universe to send you your soulmate and the way you grinned when offered words of encouragement.Â
When Jimin was thirteen, he raced home and said with all the honesty his young heart could convey, âDad, I fell in love today. I swear Iâm going to marry her, I swear it.â His father glanced up from his book to Jimin then looked back down, a small grin surfacing on his face. Though he knew there was no way in the world that could be true, he believed one thing Jimin said. He was in fact in love.
âBe careful with your heart, Jimin. I know you love so hard but donât forget to protect your heart.â This succinct and thoughtful warning was spoken through experience. He scrunched his nose and trudged off to his room, believing his dad only said that because he didnât understand. He did, though. Jiminâs father, like Jimin, was in the same position as he was. He loved outrageously and abundantly. It took him many heartbreaks for him to learn to allot his love more carefully. And he wondered how many heartbreaks it would take Jimin.Â
When you were seventeen, you gained a comprehensive understanding of the soulmates, and the rings, and the chances of you finding them. They were slim, which was a difficult conclusion to accept, but that didnât stop your stubborn self from never becoming indifferent towards the idea of finding your soulmate. This unrelenting hope had been instilled into you ever since you were young, thanks to your mother. And every minute of every day, your eyes never failed to check that your ring was green. Each time you peered down, you hoped to see it white someday. But as long as it was green, you promised your mother youâd never lose hope. You did everything in your power to uphold that promise.
When Jimin was nineteen, he experienced the worst heartbreak of his life yet. The words his dad spoke to him years back finally made sense. He still loved, and that love never diminished but it simply was only to be granted to those he knew wouldnât hurt him.Â
Most of your friends and peers were cynical of their soulmate rings, along with most of society. Modern technology and media have desensitized finding your true soulmate with corny dating apps that âhelp you find the oneâ and reality television shows that depict the lives of those who have found their soulmates. It was disappointing how commercialized soulmates and soulmate rings had become. The romance that once surrounded the concept of the soulmate rings had been tarnished by the worldâs hunger to capitalize of the profits of soulmates and rings. It was common to not believe and a bit expected to lose hope, tragically so.
Your best friend Wheein was one of the few people you trusted in telling your genuine faith of the soulmate ring, and she of course took every opportunity to tease you for it. Though, she always held a tremendous amount of admiration for your ability to maintain optimism. And when she looked into your eyes, she witnessed the same unadulterated longing that your mother had seen for your whole life, and she felt like crying, âYouâre crazy but if anyone finds their soulmate it should be you.â She found beauty and purity and everything good that exists in this world, all bundled up in your heart. The way you loved was as infectious and uncontrollable as a wildfire.
At some point, she realized she too constantly checked your ring to make sure it still emanated green.
It was a week after your twentieth birthday. You woke up in the morning with the heaviest pressure residing in your chest. You had no idea what this feeling was or why it was happening, but there was some cloud of uneasiness settling in as the pain grew more and more prominent. It dawned on you a few minutes later, and you felt your heart drop. Your throat began to close as you frantically searched everywhere for your ring. You usually didnât take it off but you remember removing it when writing thank you letters for everyone who came to your party because the friction of the ring had caused somewhat of a blister along your middle finger.
Your breathing grew short and rapid, and every ounce of you was trying to deny that this pain could only mean one thing. Â
âNo no no no.â you muttered lowly to yourself, and just as your body was about to become undone with fear, you ran to the dining table to find your ring, âthatâs not possible⊠please. That would never happen.â You didnât know what denying this would prove, or who you were trying to convince. Maybe yourself, or anyone who has ever belittled you for believing in that ring, or to your mother, or to the promise you made, planted heavily in your heart for all these years. You rushed over to it as your face rose in temperature and your heart accelerated to about 200 beats per minute; it was pounding against your chest so aggressively it felt as if it could have shattered your ribcage.
As you grabbed hold of the ring, there it was. The suffocating, abhorrent color.
Black.
It covered the ring with a piercing and unforgiving hue that drilled right through your heart. You instantly collapsed to the ground. The turbulence of your breath being the only thing making a sound. You brought your knees to your chest and rested your chin atop them. Your eyes filled with tears and the wave of regret swarmed your mind; your eyes squeezed shut forcing the tears to flow even heavier.
Just as the ring was black, your entire world transformed and lost all color. All those years of pining over this stupid ring, all the work and endless nights of staring at that ring telling yourself that one day it would turn white or that it would stay green forever, amounted to the greatest defeat. And your belief in love had been violently dissevered from you.
Your soulmate was gone, forever.
All you could do was sulk in the cruel irony of loving the someone you have never met, never touched, or held or kissed.
Wheein was the one who found you lying in the same spot of the dining floor where you first discovered the ring. She couldnât express how seeing you so hopeless made her feel. It wasnât her loss, but her heart broke for you. She walked over to you and offered you a simple, loving embrace. She sat there with you for hours, unsure if she should be the one to speak first. The words didnât come. All she could do was watch you turn the ring in your fingers over and over again.
You didnât see it, but she cried the hardest sheâd ever cried before, and wished she could take your pain away.
âWhat do I do now? How do I go on?â you whispered, a thick layer melancholy drowned in your voice. She felt relieved when you spoke then held you tighter.
âI donât know, but I will love you a thousand times more than anyone ever could. Believe me, okay?â She planted soft kiss on your forehead and pressed your head into the nook of her neck. âThis isnât the end of your story.â You wept into her, and you believed her. You finally looked up at her, doing your best to regain your sensibility, and she noticed the blinding absence of hope; it used to be all she could see when she looked into your eyes. That was by far the most heartbreaking thing sheâd ever witnessed. You had lost a piece of yourself that day, she knew that, and every day to come you will carry this in your heart forever.
âI know you donât want to hear this right now, but love exists in every life in countless ways. You just need to find the strength to begin searching in different places.â Your mom said.
 Two years later
 Life without the green of your ring had grown mundane.
Your existence had become a routine and instead of waiting to meet your soulmate, you were just waiting. Most days everything felt okay, especially when Wheein was around. She was one of the few people that sparked some livelihood into your heart. Despite there being a small part of you that couldnât accept what happened, you lived your life as if you had.
Still, you kept the ring. That same part of you that couldnât come to accept that your soulmate had died was the same part that couldnât let go of the ring. So, you kept it but never wore it around your finger. You were ashamed, for some inexplicable reason, that it was black. Your mom would always remind you that it wasnât your fault whenever she caught you staring grievously at the ring. You knew there was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened, but somehow you felt this sense of failure.
Eventually, you settled on putting it on a thin, gold chain and wearing it around your neck where you could tuck it into your shirt and keep it hidden from the world. It was a gift from your mother. She gave it to you about a month after it happened, disguising this gesture as a late birthday present. She knew you wouldnât be able to part from the ring.
Today was one of those days when you couldnât to rid thoughts of your soulmate. You often found yourself imagining what they smelled like, or if they liked the rain, or what they wore to the beach, or what their eyes looked like when they smiled. Â
Your daydreaming, pensive and glum, were interrupted by a ringing. Your eyes found your phone which read, Wheein.
You took a deep breath to compose yourself, âAre you lost already?â You chirped.
âHey, people change! Iâve gotten, like, somewhat better at navigating.â She laughed, at first not wanting to admit that she was lost, âbut on a totally different note, totally hypothetical question, where would you go if you were on 23rd avenue and needed to get to your apartment?â She questioned in sheepish confusion.
âWell, hypothetically, Iâd take a right onto Ventura then turn onto 19th avenue and go straight until I got to my apartment.â You tried to hold back a chuckle about to escape from your mouth along with a boastful âI told you soâ. âMy apartment is on the left side of the street, by the way.â
âYeah, me too, Iâd do that too. I knew that, I was just testing you.â She replied, which counted as her special way of saying âthank you for helping me because I was in fact lost.â
âOkay, well, could you hurry? Iâm starving and that new coffee shop has something like a cinnamon hazelnut latte that I want to try!â Your voice elevated in pitch just thinking about that cupful of sugar and caffeine. Youâd like to consider yourself somewhat of a coffee connoisseur, youâd like to, but the reality of your coffee addiction was that you just loved sugary lattes.
Wheein fake gagged in response to hearing the drink youâd described, â___ that sounds so disgusting⊠You might as well eat spoonfuls of straight sugar.â Every time you expressed your cravings for sweet things, she couldnât help but wince at the thought of it. You two were mildly opposite of each other which could credit why you never grew bored of one another.
âYou say that as if Iâve never done that before.â You said with slight embarrassment, but Wheein laughed loudly upon remembering when you would sneak packets of sugar from diners and eat them in the car or at home. Wheein would quite literally slap the packets of sugar out of your hand while scolding you on how disgusting and unhealthy that was.
âOh shit, how could I forget?â, she joked, âAlso, Iâm here. Open up!â You heard her voice outside your apartment and hung up while eagerly prancing to the door. You opened it and greeted her with a hug and she, unsurprisingly, did not reciprocate that hug.
â___, I literally saw you two days ago.â She laughed at how clingy you were, trying to pull away from you.
âYeah but that was two days ago. Two days!â You rebutted as you stepped back and gestured for her to come in. You closed the door behind her and sat your couch while scrolling through route options to get to the cafĂ©. âI can drive us, also weâre meeting Jackson there.â
Wheein nodded, âYeah, cool.â You looked up at her and noticed she was pacing with a face that always indicated that she was contemplating something.
âWhatâs up?â You inquired with caution. She looked at you with a coy smile resting on her face. She didnât have to say a word for you to know exactly what she was about to say.
âNoâŠâ You interfered before she got the chance to speak, âNo, not again!â
âCome on! Heâs really really nice and cute and funny! I promise heâs nothing like the last guy I set you up with.â She argued, walking towards you and sitting down next to you. She always had a few tricks up her sleeve when it came to persuade you to do something she wanted you to do. These include, but are not exclusive to, pouty lips, puppy eyes, and non-stop pestering. All of which she used right now. Wheein lifted her hands in front of her chest and interlocked her fingers together in a pleading manner. Your eyes were glued to how cutely her lip was protruded.
âWheeinâŠâ You attempted to be stern with her, though there was no doubt in your mind that youâd give in eventually, âIâm not-â
âBusy?â, she interrupted, âYeah, Iâm aware.â She untangled her hands and flicked your forehead causing you to flinch and chuckle lightly.
âHey!â You scoffed, unable to defend yourself, âI⊠I was going to say not interested.â You couldnât help but laugh at her friendly jab, in admittance that she was right. She only answered with yet another puppy dog-eyed stare to which you groaned loudly. You then bitterly shot her a defeated look that spoke for itself and added yet another triumph to Wheeinâs collection.
âYay!â She clapped her hands excitedly, âOkay his name is Jimin. Iâm pretty sure Iâve told you about him! Heâs the guy that I met during my first year of college and he fell over in front of the entire class when we were doing introductions. Holy shit, it was hilarious.â Wheein laughed to herself when she recalled this but then shook her head to refocus her train of thought, âSorry. Anyway, heâs a dancer, one of those fancy contemporary ones that does all the flips and stuff. Heâs honestly super cute and if I werenât the gayest women to walk this earth then I would have hopped on that a long time ago.â You had an outburst of laughter when she said this.
âHeâs blonde and kinda short but thatâs okay because size doesnât matter.â You were convinced she switched her brain off when she rambled on like that, yet you found her absurdity hilarious. Your eyes widened as she let that last comment slip from her subconscious.
âYouâre so weird.â You scoffed back at her, suppressing your laughter and preventing what could have become a ten-minute speech on why yet another one of her bachelorâs she set you up with was âdifferent from the last guyâ and worthy of a chance. She nudged you gently, trying to enliven some excitement from you about this date.
âItâs true, itâs how they use it!â She proceeded causing the both of you to burst in a fit of childlike giggles.
âOkay, jeez, Iâm already going on the date! You can stop now.â You wiped your eyes and clutched your stomach as it began to ache from how hard you laughed. It was always like this with Wheein, and you loved her for it even when you didnât show that, âBut, in all fairness, youâre right.â
Wheein nodded proudly and smiled widely before rising to her feet and pulling you up off the couch by your arms. You huffed as she forced you from your comfortable spot and followed her as she walked to the door, âText Jackson to let him know weâre on our way!â She called back to you as you hummed in response and fulfilled her request.
âHeâs gonna throw a little fit that weâre late.â You smiled, staring at your phone.
âYeah, yeah, he always does.â
A few days later, you stood in front of your mirror and stared at the muted pink colored, semi-casual dress you tried on. The pile of clothes scattered across your bed soon catching your attention, none of which occurred by your own doing, but by the same pest that was forcing you on this date tonight. Wheein walked in rambling on about something you didnât pay much mind to, âSo I couldnât find your red lipstick but I found this pink one-â She paused and gasped, eyeing you down in your new attire.
â___, I love it!â She smiled, looking ten times more excited about this night than you did. You smiled nervously turning back to the mirror and inspecting it once more.
âYou like it? Itâs not too much?â Your eyebrows furrowed as you ran your hands along the side of the dress.
âToo much? Please, never.â She came up behind you, held both your shoulders, and turned you around to face her, âTurn.â Wheein proceeded to apply the dusty rose lipstick, her eyes fixed on perfectly lining your lips. She always liked to visit you and assist you in getting ready for dates, knowing fully that you needed that push of encouragement. These kinds of things were always difficult for you, and she tried her best to distract you from that damn soulmate ring hanging around your neck.
âWhy do you say turn when youâre just going to turn me anyway?â Your muffled joke was shushed by the girl who was still meticulously filling in your lips.
âShh, youâre gonna make me smudge it.â Wheein whined and lifted your chin slightly to get a better angle. To this you simply rolled your eyes to sarcastically jab back, âGod forbid.â
As she finished with your lipstick you spun back around to examine your makeup and hair one last time. You nodded in satisfaction and stepped away from the mirror, checking the time to assure you werenât running late.
Twenty minutes until the date. Now that you were finished getting ready, there was nothing left to distract yourself from how anxious and a bit unmotivated you felt. You began to absentmindedly twirl your ring in your hand while your foot tapped rapidly against the floor. Wheein reached out to grab your hand, along with the ring which was enclosed in it.
âYou donât have to take it off, ___.â She consoled, softly running her thumb along the back of your hand. Your eyes landed on hers, then you shook your head discontentedly.
âWouldnâtâŠâ You paused, fighting your voice from cracking, âThat would be weird, though, right?â Your eyes fell back to your ring, which reflected that haunting shade. Despite your nerves still being on edge, Wheein significantly managed to ease your anxiety.
âNo, and besides who cares? Its your body, you do or wear what you want.â Wheein was always so headstrong, that characteristic often served as a solace to you. âAnd, if Jimin does say something then, Iâll kick his ass. Iâve got a baseball bat on hand one hundred percent of the time.â She offered nonchalantly, generating a soft chuckle from you. Upon seeing your smile, she continued, âHey,â you looked up to her, âWhatâre you thinking?â
âItâs not that I donât ever want to find love. I do, Itâs just- knowing that I lost themâŠâ You inhaled deeply in attempt to yield your tears, âI know I could never love someone as deeply and truly as I would have loved them. Itâs just hard to be excited about these kinds of things, you know?â Wheein pressed her lips together and she stared at you empathetically. She grabbed a tissue and dabbed your eyes gently, trying not to ruin your makeup.
âAs much as that is true,â She paused, folding over the tissue and drying your other eye, âthat doesnât mean you donât deserve to find love. And that doesnât mean the love you will find wonât be just as real.â She tossed the tissue aside and wrapped her arm around you, kindly ushering your head to lay on her shoulder. âYou love me and Iâm not your soulmate.â
âThatâs true.â You sighed, finally tucking the ring into the front of your dress, feeling the coolness of it dangle against your chest. âBut you are my soulmate.â You lifted your hand to squeeze her cheeks lovingly. She laughed, only allowing you to do this because she was truly proud of you for going on this date.
âAt least I know I will never experience a heartbreak so painful as that ever again.â That comment elicited a few tears to well in Wheeinâs eyes.
She sat you up and hugged you tightly, running her hand against your back. In that moment, she wanted to tell you that you were so strong, but she remained silent. She then pulled you up from your seated position. Wheein steadied you by gripping your shoulders, softly.
âHey! No tears, okay? Youâre about to go on a date with a super hot dancer with the legs of a god.â She rocked you back and forth gently to loosen up.
âOkay, yeah, youâre right.â You groaned and smiled trying to release those sad feelings. Your reluctance to tonight was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to what you thought about dating; deep down, you did want to fall in love even if that wasnât with your soulmate. You couldnât tell whether you were disappointed or relieved in your ability to consider settling.
âOkay, well itâs almost time to go! Text or call if you need anything. You remember our code word?â Wheein led you to the door before exchanging one last glance. Your code word was the word you texted her that signified you desperately needed an out from the date. Both you and Wheein have used this word various times for you often found yourselves rescuing each other from awkward, uncomfortable, or creepy dates. Your nerves began to ease even more upon remembering you could always count on Wheein.
âI will, and yes: candle.â You affirmed, then stepping out of the threshold of your door. âIâll probably be back around 10:30ish? Iâll text you when I get there!â You called to her as you began to walk down the hallway. âOh, and donât burn my apartment down!â
She laughed and waved as you turned the corner.
You sat in your parked car for a bit. Your hands squeezing the wheel tightly just like the first time youâd ever driven. You focused on steadying your breathing and shut your eyes. âYou got this. You can do this.â You chanted quietly to yourself, âItâs just a date.â You opened your eyes and let go of the wheel. Your heart raced, but not enough to be too noticeable. You developed a knack for hiding how nervous you were when you went on dates, not without practice, however.
As you walked into the restaurant, your eyes scanned the area searching for the man named Jimin. You then felt a hand gently place itself on the back of your shoulder to which you turned a little too quickly. Your eyes landed on a man, who was notably attractive, and a bit taken aback.
He was smiling. The creases around his eyes complimented him so well; that alone weakened your legs.
âOh, sorry, didnât mean to startle you!â He chuckled, his laugh was childlike and charismatic and light, âAre you ___?â His eyes were puffy in the cutest way and his hair framed him so fittingly he looked like a painting. Your eyes wandered down to notice he was wearing a simple, white button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone, and a pair of black, fitted slacks. This outfit accentuated the curvature his legs, which were admittedly âgod likeâ as Wheein described.
âYes! You must be Jimin?â You held your hand out and he met yours with his. They were soft and warm which relaxed you for some reason. You glanced down to his fingers noticing he was wearing his soulmate ring that illuminated green. Something you hadnât seen in a while. At first you felt a bit of sadness settle in, but then that was replaced with a bittersweet content. For some reason, you were happy he was wearing his ring. To you that meant he still believed which was oddly reassuring, but it also reminded you that he wasnât your soulmate.
âThatâs me!â His voice was cheerful and welcoming, you felt jealous at how natural and calm heâd been acting, âI already got us a table, wanna go sit?â His hand gestured towards the table and you nodded, leading the way to the table. He pulled out your chair, revealing his traditional gentlemanly tendencies. You thanked him as he found his seat across from yours.
âThis is really fancy! I feel like we should talk about something sophisticated like the economy.â You joked, to which he laughed in response. Youâd already started to love his laugh. It reminded you of beautiful music, which encouraged you to do or say things to provoke this laugh.
âYeah, maybe we should order fancy wine too, except I have no what that would be.â He played along, âCan I have your most pretentiously expensive wine? Preferably something with a gentle, floral aftertaste.â He mocked the way those elitist folks would order their drinks. You, being a previous waitress, had to admit that his impression was accurate. You and he snickered at this, and you mind drifted away from the necklace and every worry you had before this date
âAnyone who swirls wine and sniffs it before drinking it makes me wanna vomit.â You spoke between giggles, âOne time when I was working as a waitress, some guy demanded he had a crystal wine glass as if anyone can actually tell the difference.â Jimin laughed again, inspecting the glass that stood in front of his plate. He picked it up and held it in front of you.
âSo, in your expertise, what would you say this is?â You then pretended to carefully analyze the contents of the glass, theatrically stroking your chin as if you were in deep thought.
âWell that is definitelyâŠâ You paused, âEmpty, and what a waste to allow such a beautiful piece of crystal to not be filled with the finest, oldest, snootiest wine.â The two of you continued to laugh and joke until the waiter came to take your order.
You cleared your throat to compose yourself. Jimin covered his mouth attempting to stop laughing as the waiter pretended he didnât see the way you guys had been joking.
âWhat can I get for you tonight?â
âYou go first.â Jimin said, and you did.
This was easy; he was making this all too easy. You thought to yourself as you watched him slowly expose more and more of his true self. You too were beginning to reveal parts of yourself that werenât usually shown. You wouldnât describe yourself as a closed off person, but this was certainly much more open than you were on any other first date.
As the date went on, you found it growing more and more enjoyable than expected. You learned he had danced ever since he learned how to walk. And you told him how youâd spend hours and hours outside staring at the clouds for one art project that ended up not even being graded. You and him spoke about the big important details of your lives like your parents and where you lived and your dream careers, as well as the small things that gave you insight on each otherâs personality like your favorite song to listen to when you were sad or if you preferred waffles or pancakes.
It was simple, and normal and sweet. Youâd never imagined going on a date with anyone but your soulmate would feel this nice.
âSo, whatâs your thing?â He questioned in between bites of his food.
âMy thing?â You paused in thought for a moment, âI really like drawing, obviously, since I help design art exhibits. But I have to say, Iâve got some dance moves up my sleeves.â You answered playfully, and he laughed. You smiled at his laugh as if youâd heard it a thousand times before and your fondness of it increased every time he did, especially if you were the reason for it.
âOh, thatâs intimidating. Are you trying to show me up, ___?â Jimin joined along with your jest.
âYes, thatâs exactly what Iâm doing.â You responded flatly despite the wide grin still plastered across your face.
âHm, I donât know, I think I gotta see these dance moves. Dinner and entertainment sounds nice.â He suggested, reaching out to lightly grasp your hand that was resting on the table. You wanted to ignore the fluttering that erupted in your stomach and traveled up to your fingertips and down to your feet, but it was too strong to ignore. Your face grew hot and you could tell your cheeks turned a bit flushed.
Jimin smiled cavalierly upon noticing your reaction to this move.
âMaybe some other time. We canât let all these people know that weâre secretly children.â You laughed, avoiding eye contact with him. His confidence was magnetizing and intimidating all at once; you couldnât keep track of how many times your eyes wandered everywhere except for his eyes because of this.
âSo, does that mean Iâll be seeing you again?â He construed from your comment to which you responded by snapping your focus to his eyes, finally. You were met with this affectionate glare, unable to prevent a nervous laugh to fall from your lips.
âAnd so if it was?â You responded and painted the best poker face you could manage, not wanting to give anything way quite yet. Part of you wanted him to confirm his interest in you, after all his ring was green, not black like yours. It was the giant elephant in the room, and you both were well aware you werenât soulmates. However, neither of you dared to bring that up. You didnât know how to interpret his soulmate ring, or the fact that he wore it tonight.
Was it just force of habit? Did he wear it in hopes youâd be the one? Is he put off by the fact that itâs still green and not white?
âWell, Iâd be relieved to know you feel the same way as I do.â He said a bit hesitantly, âI definitely want to see you again.â Jimin tightened his grip on your hand, arousing even more butterflies to flutter in your stomach.
After dinner, you and Jimin decided that you didnât want the date to end just yet. So, when Jimin suggested you two take a walk in the park across the street, you happily accepted the offer.
The night was warm, and when you looked up the clarity of the thousands of stars was overwhelming. Your eyes traced the silhouettes of the trees that towered over you and him, your stare fixed on how the stars danced between the spaces of the branches and leaves. The back of your hand would occasionally brush against his throughout your conversation and you didnât mind. You didnât mind it at all.
âFavorite movie to watch when itâs rainy?â Jimin asked.
âPrincess Bride.â You replied.
âMagic Mike.â He said and you giggled, nudging him lightly with your arm. âI can appreciate attractive men.â
âWhatâs your pet peeve?â You interjected.
âWhen people wear flip flops in winter. No one needs to see that.â
âAh, well then youâd be really annoyed with me.â He looked at you, puzzled and worried. You tried to keep a serious expression but a smile crept on your face. âKidding.â
He nudged you this time. You didnât notice that you had migrated closer, or perhaps he to you, and your shoulders bumped gently against each other.
âI hate when people make that gross noise with their mouth when they eat.â Â
âOh, like this?â Jimin leaned his head towards your ear to imitate that sound to which you dodged your head away. He laughed at your disgust. The way you scrunched your face at this sound made him forget about how his shirt itched against his neck, or how he had been a bit drowsy as it grew late into the night, or that he needed to pee, or anything else that would have made him want to go home. You were here, and it gave him every reason to stay.
As the conversation began to die down, he resourcefully brought up a subject that was commonly discussed on dates, âSo, has your ring ever turned white?â His question, though heavy, had an innocent intent. Of course, you couldnât blame him for asking. He had no idea.
âUmâŠâ You cleared your throat for you were significantly caught off guard, âActually, my ring is black.â Your reply was slow and bore such heartache that subsequently slashed into Jiminâs chest as well. Silence seeped in. You looked away from the sky, dragging your feet gently against the ground. âIt happened two years ago.â
âOh,â Jimin responded. Heâd never met anyone personally with a black ring, and a sudden wave of guilt washed over him, âIâm so sorry for your loss, I didnât mean to-â
âItâs okay, Jimin. Donât worry about it.â Your tone revealed to him that it meant more to you than it did to most people, and he felt even guiltier now that this topic was of discussion. He cursed to himself regrettably, realizing how well the date had been going up to this point.
âNo, for real. It was kind of a personal question.â He attempted to console you; his eyes never left you. âI guess I never really cared about the ring that much.â To be fair, his was still green so there was nothing much to worry about.
âYeah, I get that. Iâve been cursed with a hopelessly romantic heart ever since I could remember. I blame it all on my mom. Iâm pretty sure itâs hereditary.â You smiled to yourself, reminiscing in the countless times you would tell your mom you swore your ring looked white just to make her happy. You knew it wasnât white and so did she, but you hoped so hard that sometimes, it did look white. He hummed lightly in response to you. He didnât want to speak because to him, hearing you talk, even if it was ridden with sadness, was unquestionably the most beautiful thing. More so than heavenly bells or calm tides that washed against the shore.
âI donât think thatâs a curse.â You looked at him when he said this, only to find heâd already been staring at you.
Why did he look at you like that, like he was reading every detail of your soul with such ease? And yet, for some reason, you didnât mind that maybe youâd become entirely transparent to him. You were okay with being seen by him; and you liked the way he looked at you, warm and gentle and kind and caring.
âI beg to differ.â
âWell, like I said, I donât think much of these rings.â He glanced down to his own, âI wear it because thereâs no harm in it, but Iâve known people who end up miserable because they were never able to find their soulmate.â He looked back to you, noticing how your eyes were glazed with tears. Jimin chuckled softly, to which you, now, instinctively replied with a smile.
Please laugh. Laugh again and again and again for it seems to be the only think that makes the hurt not hurt as much. You spoke this prayer internally.
âYouâre describing me to a tee.â You said quietly, feeling a bit ashamed of how many years of pining that amounted to such a heartbreaking end. He nodded with compassion.
âExactly. I donât want to invalidate your pain. I canât say that I know what youâre going through, but I want you to know you have every right to be upset over this. People are so desensitized to these rings, itâs a shame how lowly they are considered nowadays.â It was refreshing to hear such kind words. Every so often, you wished to care as little as everyone else. You could only wish.
âWhat about you?â You asked tentatively, âI know you say you donât care much about the ring, but it must mean something to you for you to say that, right?â You tried your best not to sound accusatory but rather curious.
âYeah. I do and I donât care. I want you to know that part of me doesnât care because um, I really like you.â He spoke genuinely and those damn butterflies kept pervading into your stomach, âBut I have to admit I do care about it. A part of me thinks it would be nice to find them.â He paused, âIâve grown to realize, though, that if I spend my entire life only searching for them, then thatâs robbing me of so many life experiences. So of course, finding them would be nice, but not necessarily ideal. Soulmate or not, you can love someone. Just because they arenât necessarily âthe oneâ doesnât minimize the amount of happiness they bring into your life. Every day I find more and more that love never really runs out. You fall in love with a lot of things. Your best friend, or your dog, or your favorite book, or the way someoneâs skin glows so beautifully against the moonlit sky.â He was quite obviously referring to you, and you had caught this. âAnd no matter how many things get added to that list, love never runs out.â
As he spoke, you pictured Wheein and your mom and the feeling you got when you finished an art piece youâd been working on for hours. There was no denying how incredibly happy that made you. Everything he had said was right.
âNot only that, there are the people who lost their soulmate and still find someone to love. So, if this is all possible, what good would it do to close myself off like that? And youâd never know if your love for your soulmate would actually be better than your love for someone else, right?â
âYouâre absolutely right.â You said, and it was all you could say without crying your eyes out. Hearing someone express their ideas of love like that expanded your perception about the soulmate ring. Maybe you had been too quick to ward off any other chance of love that didnât come from your soulmate. Youâve heard the speech a million times before, but when he said it, it resonated so deeply.
Walking in the park with Jimin that night, you really believed there was a way to love again. You missed that hopeful feeling. âThank you. I donât know how you knew, but that was something I needed to hear for a long time.â
Jimin gazed at you; your eyes were soft and sad. He felt this overwhelming impulse to grab your hand and profess that heâd never let anything hurt you like that black ring did. He, too, was a hopeless romantic but he kept that piece of him hidden. You were the one to effortlessly draw that side out form where it was kept safe from the world. He prospected it ironic, almost laughable, that you had no clue.
Be careful with your heart. Heâd been repeating this phrase throughout the night but he felt his guard surrendering to you. He didnât stop it either.
Every bone in his body was urging for him to keep his distance, to not cross the line yet, but his heart craved to kiss you.
You halted when he stepped close to you. You predicted what was about to happen, and the timing of it was exactly perfect, and imperfect; and it felt like it was supposed to happen. So, you let it because you wanted to allow yourself the chance at love again, even if it wasnât with your soulmate. He leaned in with caution, allowing you to brace yourself as his lips became close to yours. You could feel so much warmth radiating from him. The crickets chirped and the wind stilled.
You closed your eyes as he was about to kiss you until you felt an extremely apparent shock in your chest. It wasnât painful per say, but livening. You felt as if the part of you that had been dull for two years was suddenly revived. Your mind dared to wonder if what happened meant the impossible. You flinched and jumped back from Jimin, and his face grew worried.
âIâm sorry!â He said immediately, âDid I just read that situation completely wrong?â Jiminâs hand rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
âNo! No it wasnât you, I justâ You tried to reassemble your thoughts to form a proper sentence but you couldnât focus on anything other than what that feeling in your chest meant. You knew it was no ordinary sensation. Its feeling held remarkable resemblance of that pain the day your ring turned black, but this time it wasnât a heartbreak.
It could only be properly described as a surge of rejuvenation that rasped throughout your soul.
âIs there something wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?â He noticed you were clutching your chest tightly. He stepped towards you in a concerned manner.
âNo, Iâm okay, I just, I think I have to go.â You half-mindedly glanced at him, and then down to his ring which glowed green. Your longing to see that color shine from your own ring again had never felt stronger than right now. It was alarming how certain you were that something felt different.
He simply nodded, masking his disappointment with his kind smile. âOkay, I, uh, I hope to hear from you soon.â You returned a smile unable to respond to him with words, then walked away to your car. You felt awful for the way you ended things so abruptly with Jimin, but now was not the time to worry over that.
There was only one thing on your mind.
Before driving, you slowly reached to grab the ring and pull it out from beneath your dress. Your hand clamped tightly around it, hesitant to check its color.Â
Thereâs no way.
You waited a few moments, gathering the courage to look and placating your mind which was overflowing with confusion and wonderment. Finally, your eyes slowly trailed down to your hand, you could feel the heat rising throughout your entire body. Your heart raced at a violent speed, just as it did two years ago. Every thought and feeling that ran through your mind and heart was painfully familiar.
Your eyes rested in suspense on your knuckles, turned white from how hard you were holding onto that ring.
You unfolded your hands.
And the ring glowed green.
You were certain you had blacked out on the ride home, being that the next moment you grounded yourself back to reality was when you were gracelessly running up to your apartment. Your hands shook as you fiddled with your key to unlock the door, which became an almost impossible task.
When you finally opened the door, Wheein was waiting restlessly on your couch. She stood up with a bright smile, âHow was it?â She then noticed how out of breath you were which was confusing, âWhy are you breathing so hard, did you run home or something?â
You walked up to her without saying a word and lifted the necklace. She shot you a look as if you had lost your mind, then looked down at the ring. Her eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth that hung open in awe.
âWhat. The. Fuck.â She uttered, her hand muffling her voice. You shook your head as you pulled the chain off then placed in her hand. She took it immediately and brought it close to her face. Wheein elongated her blinks to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her.
âIs that even possible?â She asked, her attention glued to the ring.
âI donât know. At first, I thought maybe it was a glitch? But I felt this weird sensation in my chest. It felt like I was struck by lightening or something.â Your hand returned to where you felt the shock. Your memory of that feeling was strikingly vivid that you swore itâs aftershock still reverberated in your chest.
â___, I donât think the universe or god, or whatever the fuck that conceived these rings, glitches.â Wheein laughed at your comment, âThank god for the internet.â She said conclusively, as she motioned you to get your laptop.
You ran to your bedroom then returned with your laptop in hand. You then sat down at the table and Wheein quickly joined you. She placed the ring next to your laptop and leaned against the table with one hand while bending down until your computer screen was in eye-level. Suspense singed the air
Your fingers quickly typed into the search bar, âCan black rings turn green again?â
Wheein huffed as you scrolled through the extremely limited results, âItâs so annoying that you type actual questions into google.â You laughed at her impeccable ability to tease you.
âIs that so important right now? Of all timesâŠâ You shook your head, finding an article that seemed like a reliable source. âOkay, the Global Institute of Soulring Research says that there are extremely rare instances of blackened rings that returned to green. Theyâve only received, uh,â You scrolled down the page, â14 reports of this occurrence?â
âDamn, 14? In the whole world?â Wheein commented with disbelief.
âThese rare cases are exclusively due to heart transplants since it has been proven the rings are directly connected to the heart organ. However, there is no explanation as to why only a scarce 14 rings returned to green, while most rings remained black even after a successful heart transplant operation. Researchers theorized multiple explanations of this phenomenon, but none have shown sufficient data to prove why the color changed back. Studies are still being conducted by our laboratories stationed across the world, but scientists are unable to confirm the cause of these rare instances.â
âHoly shit. ___, does this mean thatâŠâ She hesitated, âYou know.â
âMy soulmateâs heart is in another person. Thatâs pretty much all we can assume at this point.â You said, your voice sounded deflated and unimpressed with the answer the article gave. You stood up and walked to the kitchen to pour yourself a glass of water.
Wheein took the chair when you left and read another few articles and data sites, most of which had minimal information on this predicament, âAll these articles are saying pretty much the same thing.â She sounded just as disappointed as you did.
You returned, taking long sips of your water. âSo, basically this means nothing? Just that my soulmateâs heart is in someone who isnât my soulmate.â
Wheein was surprised at your lack of effort to formulate a theory that proved you had another soulmate, âNo, not necessarily. Think about it!â She paused momentarily, and upon observing you werenât in any mood to entertain her demands she continued, âThereâs a reason most rings donât turn green again! It may not be explained but I think the fact that itâs so rare means that your ring turning green again has some significance, right?â Her words grew desperate. You wanted to give in, but this whole situation didnât feel real.
âAnd what if it means nothing?â You snapped, your words were abrasive.
There had been so much pent up anger that you had to lose your soulmate. You, one of the few people who never allowed their faith in the ring falter until your soulmates heart stopped beating, were the one that had to lose them. It was so unfair and you never forgave the world for taking that away from you.
âIâm sorry, itâs justâ You felt instant remorse for snapping at Wheein. Your eyes grew wet, but this crying wasnât sorrowful. It was frustrated and demanded retribution.
âI died that day. I lost something that already meant the world to me.â You took a deep breath attempting to calm yourself, âThereâs no certainty that this new person would be anything close to my soulmate. I donât think wouldnât be the same even if I miraculously had another soulmate.â You rubbed your eyes to clear away the tears.
âI understand that but, it just doesnât seem like a coincidence?â Wheein urged, her unwavering tenacity found its use now more than ever, âItâs almost like the universe gave you a second chance. A literal, second chance.â You smiled at her, agreeing whole-heartedly.
There was a long silence. She wasnât saying anything you didnât already believe; she was merely reminding that you could never stop chasing your soulmate. It wasnât in your nature to give up like that.
âMaybe, Iâm scared. But I know youâre right.â You sighed at your aggravating grit, âI could never be fully content knowing I didnât try.â This brought a smile to Wheeinâs face. âI made a promise to my mom years ago, I want to stay true to that.â
âThatâs my girl!â She grabbed your ring and placed it back around your neck. You lowered your head to assist her and lifted it back up. It felt so light and warm, youâd almost forgotten that it wasnât always cold and dark. Wheein picked up your phone and you rolled your eyes.
âWhat are you planning now, you evil mastermind.â You tried to see what she was doing but she quickly evaded this and shifted the phone away from your line of vision. You laughed lightly, âFor real what are you doing?â
âSh, Iâm calling in sick to work for you.â She responded. You immediately reached out and snatched the phone from her hand before she could do anything of the sort.
âUm, absolutely not!â You held the phone behind your back and out of her reach. She instinctively pouted out her lip. âNo! Donât you use those puppy eyes at me!â
âBut, this is a miracle! And thatâs not even an exaggeration, this is a literal miracle! Mission: find ___âs soulmate is a-go!â You laughed loudly at this assertion, knowing it well-intentioned and wildly unrealistic.
âNow hold on, as tempting as that sounds, I canât go rearranging my entire life for this soulmate. How about we save that for the weekends, deal?â Your eyebrows were raised hoping she would yield to your request.
â___, itâs like I donât even know who you are anymore!â She claimed in a joking, dramatic way. âCertainly, youâre not the same girl who stood up on the cafeteria table and screaming âif anyone here is my soulmate you better show yourself right now!ââ Her voice raised in pitch as she mimicked your younger self and her restlessness to find her soulmate. Your hand rubbed the inner corners of your eyes upon recalling that day in second grade, along with the years of teasing from almost everyone in your class. Wheein walked over to your kitchen and you figured it was impossible protest that what she said was wrong.
You did change. You had to.
âWell, Iâm 20 now and have responsibilities like paying rent, utilities, and buying food because someone always eats me out of house and home! Look at you, youâve already found your way to my pantry.â You laughed, this had become a sort of ritual when Wheein would come over. She just waved you off, proceeding to look through your stash of snacks.
You didnât want to get into the real reason you had changed. At some point during the long period of grieving after your ring turned black, you lost that hope. You lost every sliver of hope because it was unreasonable. You missed it dearly, like an old friend.
It felt like that old friend suddenly walked back into your life with no warning. It never asked for your permission or waited for you prepare. It barged in without knocking and claimed its rightful place.
But you wondered if it was the ring that reunited you with this feeling. If not the green ring than what? Or more fitting to ask, Who?
Wheein was about to pass out on the couch before asking, âOh, how did the date go by the way?â
That question twisted your insides. Your every thought prior to this halted. Your time with Jimin nearly slipped your mind but his laugh rang in your head.
You wished you could hear it again.
âIt was good. Really good.â You smiled softly to yourself, knowing damn well what an understatement that was. Wheein was going to interrogate you about this tomorrow for sure but she was already half asleep.
As you were trying to fall asleep, two things seemed to be at war over which would take precedence in your mind.
One was who your soulmate is, and how you knew there was nothing in this world that could deter you from finding them.
Two was the fact that Jimin had single-handedly made you question everything you once believed about soulmates and love.
The next day you woke up to Wheein making some sort of racket in your kitchen. Before you were able to fully awaken, you began to wonder how big of a mess youâd have to clean up after Wheein was finished. This was followed by an incessant need to call Jimin and apologize profusely for abandoning him in the midst of your date. The only thing you could credit yourself with was handling things very, very wrong.
You stood up and sluggishly waddled to your bathroom. When you met with the mirror, you immediately noticed the green ring hanging from your neck reflecting to you. Youâd almost forgotten. Your hand raised to touch it and make sure it wasnât your imagination. This had been too surreal.
Next thing you knew, Wheein barged into your room, âWakey Wak- wait where are you?â She searched your bed only to find you werenât even in your room. Wheein turned around to discover you already out from the bathroom and sitting at the kitchen table.
âOh! I made you breakfast! Even though you ruined the surprise and woke up before I could come get you.â Her passive-aggression made you smile. She joined you at the table where a plate of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and two baked potatoes with cheese were laid out neatly.
âI give your presentation an A, but the real test is how it tastes.â You said, then scooping a bite of the eggs into your mouth, âMmm, B-, theyâre runny.â You said jokingly. Wheein crumpled up her napkin and aimed it right at your forehead. âHey!â
âIâll take that as a thank you!â She laughed and began to eat the breakfast.
âSo umâŠâ You swallowed your food and took a long sip of your orange juice, trying to stall what you were about to say, âCan I have, uh, can you give me Jiminâs number?â
Wheein nearly spit out the giant bite of pancakes she just stuffed in her mouth, âReally?â She spoke with her mouth still full of food.
âI just want to apologize about last night!â
Last night.
âOh my god, wait I didnât even ask you what happened! Tell me every detail!â She demanded, still paying no mind to her mouth overflowing with pancake. You laughed and cleared your throat.
Those butterflies came again just thinking about the date. You wondered if that feeling was going to become habitual every time you thought of him.
âI will later, can I just have his number so I can explain to him Iâm not a total bitch?â You held your phone waiting for her to read you the numbers.
After she gave you the number while whining that she didnât like to be kept waiting, you shushed her as you dialed.
The phone rang about four times before he picked up, âHello?â
âHi!â Your voice came out louder than anticipated which startled Jimin into fully waking up, âSorry! Were you still sleeping?â You lowered your voice to an appropriate level.
âYeah I was, uh, who is this?â Jimin replied, his voice was low and raspy in the mornings. That trait was alluring to you, so much that your attention lingered on the sound of his voice. You then quickly snapped back to reality.
âItâs ___! Sorry to wake you but I just wanted to call and tell you how sorry I am for dipping last night. I swear it wasnât anything you did. I had a great time.â Your hand nervously tapped against the side of your leg.
On the other side of the phone, you heard his laugh. You were lucky he was one to laugh a lot.
âHey! Good morning, ___. Donât worry about it. Iâm not as fragile as I look!â He laughed again before continuing, âAre you all good? You had me kinda worried.â
âYeah, Iâm okay. It was probably just a panic attack or something.â You lied through your teeth. Your palm met your forehead in ridicule of that but you hoped it was believable enough to explain your actions.
âOh shit, Iâm sorry to hear that. I hope youâre doing better today.â His concerned response was comforting. Jimin sat up on his bed now fully invested in this conversation.
âIâm definitely better, thank you. I feel so bad though.â
âIf you really feel bad then I can think of a few ways you can make it up to me.â He said with a slight upturn in his voice.
He was flirting. You had no success with resistance. Jiminâs charm was enigmatic and had you not only reciprocating his energy, but willingly flirting back.
âWell, I usually charge big bucks for this, but yes, Iâll give you free dance lessons.â You playfully responded, feeling proud when he chuckled gingerly at your offer.
âYou read my mind.â He paused. A momentary lapse of conversation occurred causing Jimin to frantically search for any lame, surface level question to ask you so you wouldnât end the call.
âSo, what are you up to today?â
âWell, I just woke up and Iâm eating breakfast with Wheein. I think weâre planning on going to the mall later today. What about you?â Your fingers naturally started to twirl your hair. You felt like a giddy middle schooler when they would share a meaningless glance with their crush.
âIâll probably go to the dance studio if it doesnât rain today.â
âYou should join us.â That response came a little too quickly and you swore you had no idea where or why you invited him.
All you were sure of was that you really wanted him to say yes.
âAre you sure? Last time I went shopping with Wheein she forced me to stop at the pet adoption and we stood there for an hour and a half while she swore to this one puppy she would come back and adopt it.â He recounted but was unable to explicitly say no to your offer.
âItâll be fun!â You coerced, âPlus, we can eat delicious mall food.â You added with a sarcastic inflection.
âAlright, you convinced me. Iâll be there.â He never planned on saying no in the first place but utilized all the tricks in his book to prolong this conversation. âOnly because that mall food sounds too good to pass up.â
You shook your fist excitedly in celebration and laughed at his repartee, âOkay, cool! Letâs meet up around two-ish, sound good?â
âSounds great.â He said shortly prior to you ending the call.
Jimin held his phone against his chest and threw his head back onto his pillow. He chest heaved up and released a long sigh. Two oâclock couldnât come sooner.
A month passed since your ring was green again. You continued to hang out with Jimin, however the romantic essence when you were together remained stagnant. He didnât know what kept you at bay from ever moving things forward between you two, but he didnât feel the need to ask. He always knew how to act around you even when there was something left unsaid. Your friendship did grow strong and quickly. Jimin felt like he knew you so well already, but yearned to learn more and more about you as the days came.
âJimin, whatâs that one piano guy that made the music for Swan Lake?â Wheein asked as she was scribbling some notes on her assignment.
âPiano guy? You mean Tchaikovsky?â He corrected.
âOh yeah, great. Thanks!â She replied then mouthing the name Jimin had said while writing it down on the paper.
You returned from the kitchen with three sandwiches, âHere everyone! Gourmet pb and jâs made by yours truly.â You set them down one by one on the table where Jimin and Wheein were sitting.
The three of you had become somewhat of a team. Ever since the day at the mall, you guys made a habit of inviting Jimin along until it was a given that he would hang out with you. Wheein was already nicely acquainted with him and, now that his presence grew abundant in her life, she liked having him around. Not to mention that every time the three of you hung out it resulted in some of the fondest memories. Even though Wheein was just as close to Jimin as you were friendship wise, she was still a bit of a third wheel. She noticed how you two would exchange one too many glances and sheâd constantly catch Jimin ogling at you while you were drawing or talking or doing pretty much anything.
Whenever youâd leave the room after a clear display of seemingly harmless flirting, Wheein would wiggle her eyebrows at Jimin and say, âYouâve got it bad.â
He wouldnât say anything because there was no denying it was true.
âDo you have a band-aid I could use, Jimin? I accidentally cut myself with a knife.â You were looking down at your finger where a small cut resided. Wheein was confused but also quite amused with how that was even possible.
â___, you made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. How the hell did you cut yourself?â She asked with her eyebrows furrowed.
âWell, I wanted to cut off the crusts and cut them into little triangles! Itâs cuter that way.â You gestured to the sandwiches which were in fact crustless and cut into triangles.
Jimin thought it was cute how proud you were of your PB and J presentation. Before you noticed how his eyes fondly laid on you, he nodded and said, âYeah there should be some in my room, lemme show you where they are.â
âThank you!â You followed him to his bedroom. As soon as you entered, you noticed it smelled exactly like him. This prompting you to inhale on instinct; it resembled what home would smell like if it had a scent. You then walked up behind him and waited for the band aid. Though youâd been in his room plenty of times before, you never stopped admiring how nice it looked. Most men have bland walls and bedsheets and desks but not Jimin.
Posters of his favorite bands, paintings, music scores, and pictures were hung along each wall. Your favorite being the photo of the dance team heâd coached for a junior league dance competition. Even though it was completely clichĂ©, thinking about him interacting with children made you swoon. Something about his gentle positivity gave you an inkling that he was great with kids.
A variety of trinkets were placed neatly on his desk and bedside table. When you first asked them what they were, he excitedly explained the origin story of each and every one. Not once did you grow bored of him, though Wheeinâs attention was entrapped in her phone not long after he began talking. If you were listening, he didnât mind.
Jimin turned around and held up a small band aid, âAh ha! I knew it was in here.â You peaked over his shoulder to discover his drawer was filled with various random, unorganized household items. You laughed at this, sometimes forgetting he was still a man after all.
âJimin, how do you find anything ever?â You teased. He ignored your carp and replaced the tissue paper you held against your finger with the band aid.
âYouâre very welcome.â It impressed you how heâd always know how to dismiss you when you would playfully criticize him. His hands were soft, and it became incredibly apparent that he was touching you. He finished positioning the band aid and seemed to realize your hands were touching too; his heart jumped and before anything got too tense, he pulled his hand away quickly. You nodded and thanked him. Your focus was pulled away from that moment when you noticed a new thing sitting on his bed side table.
It was a framed picture of what you guessed was a young Jimin and his mother. You walked over to it excitedly, leaning down to get a better look at it. âOh my god, Jimin, this is adorable! Is that your mom?â
âYeah,â He was giving you that same fond stare. Jimin came to realize you were the type to notice small things like that and expressed interest. These small gestures could easily be overlooked by anyone else, and usually people donât care enough to make anything of these little details, but not you. You always noticed. Perhaps he was overthinking this trait of yours, but it made Jimin feel special in your eyes.
âAw, lilâ baby Jimin! Look at your tiny little arms!â You squealed with eyes squinted from smiling. âWhatâs this oneâs story?â
âMy mom gave it to me for my birthday.â To this, you spun around and hit him with your uncut hand on his shoulder, âOw!â
âYou didnât tell me it was your birthday? What the hell?â Your eyebrows were furrowed, positively astonished he would keep something like that from you.
âWhat? Itâs not that big of a deal!â Jimin reasoned, rubbing the spot on his arm that you punched surprisingly hard.
âOh, donât tell me youâre one of those âI hate my birthdayâ people.â You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms. If you had known it was his birthday, you and Wheein would have certainly plotted the best surprise party of Jiminâs life.
âFine, then I wonât tell you.â He looked away from you coyly, and you laughed. Jimin looked to the ground trying not to get too embarrassed, âItâs true though. I donât know why but birthdays are so weird and uncomfortable to me.â
âHow is getting a bunch of presents, having people tell you how grateful they are to have you in their lives, and getting an entire day dedicated to your existence weird? How could you not like that? I love that!â You shook your head, unable to comprehend how any sane person wouldnât enjoy a birthday.
âWell, you make a good point but that doesnât cancel the fact that, one, I hate cake, two, I donât like people feeling obligated to get me a present, and three, people singing happy birthday to you is so awkward! Like what do you even do, where do you look?â He spoke passionately, making you laugh even harder at how devoted he was to argue this point.
âOkay youâre right. Making eye contact with someone while they serenade happy birthday to you is wildly uncomfortable.â He nodded triumphantly to your response.
âSee I-â Jimin was interrupted by Wheein walking into the room and slumping onto Jiminâs bed. You and Jimin turned to her.
âWhatâs taking you guys so long?â She complained, sinking comfortably into the bed, âWere you guys making out in here or what.â Jiminâs face turned red and you scoffed at her insolence. You knew she was trying to fluster you both in revenge for making her wait.
âJiminâs just told me his birthday passed, and we missed it and he didnât tell us on purpose.â You snitched on him to change the subject as quickly as possible. Wheein sat up and widened her eyes in exaggerated shock.
âHow could you? Iâve never felt more hurt in my life than right now.â She insisted as you smugly looked to Jimin. He remorsefully bowed his head the same way a child would when he was caught doing something he knew wasnât supposed to.
âI am at a loss for words. Ladies, my deepest apologies.â Wheein laughed and looked back at you.
âWheein and I will let it slide this time. Weâll make up for it when you least expect it.â You winked at Wheein then looked at Jimin with a mischievous smile.
âSheâs right.â Wheein affirmed.
You loved this. You loved the way you felt around him. You never wanted things to change despite the glaringly obvious mishap of your green ring. You wanted there to be no need to tarnish that. Sadly, you knew that could never be the case.
You and Wheein were impatient, to put it simply. When the two of you wanted to get something done, you both had this now or never mindset. There was nothing wrong with that in theory, however this meant Jiminâs birthday celebration would undergo planning as soon as possible. You suggested the idea of a fun trip to the beach late at night when the crowds had cleared. Wheein loved this idea and expounded upon that by requesting there would be food, but not cake, candles, balloons, confetti, and a decorative set up for the three of you to enjoy.
It was around 10:00 pm by the time you were finished laying out a large beach blanket and a basket of food, along with the balloons that were held down by rocks you had found along the shore, candles placed on tiny dishes so it wouldnât cause a fire hazard, and a mini speaker to play music.
âI canât wait to see the look on his face when he sees this.â You took a few paces back to admire the finished product. Everything was decorated with extra detail being that you were an artist who preferred things to look aesthetically pleasing.
âWe really knocked it out of the part with this one. We gotta take pictures when he gets here to remember all our hard work.â She stood beside you and joined in your reverence of Jiminâs surprise birthday picnic.
You received a text from the group chat that Wheein had made of the three of you.
âOh, shit heâs almost here! Letâs get in position.â You bounced over to the front of the blanket, as well as Wheein, to hide the surprise from Jimin and picked up handfuls of confetti to toss when he arrived.
You could see his figure in the distance, now growing clearer as he approached the area you had set up. He tried to peak behind you both, curious of what you were standing in front. Before he could figure it out on his own, you and Wheein stepped aside and quickly threw the confetti up in the air. The small pieces of tissue flitted down ornately which tied the presentation together nicely.
âSurprise!â You said in unison with Wheein. Jimin threw his head back giggling and his hands crossed over his heart when he saw what you two had planned.
âYou guys! What is this?â He took a few steps forward, bundling the two of you in a hug with each arm.
âItâs just our way of saying happy belated birthday.â Wheein answered, pulling you and him in tighter to the group hug.
Jimin pulled away and inspected the blanket and the items placed neatly over it. His hands cupped both his cheeks and he was so grateful that heâd almost forgotten how much he hated birthdays.
âI absolutely love it. Thank you, guys so so much.â
âBefore you start worrying, there is no cake, there will be no singing, and this picnic is kinda our âgiftâ so technically, no gifts!â You added, walking over to the blanket and seating yourself. You motioned for the other two to join you and they joyfully obliged.
The rest of the night was filled with lots of laughter, long talks, two emptied wine bottles as well as a plate now cleared of all its food, Wheein daring you to run into the water to which you refused adamantly, and exactly one corny speech from Jimin about how much he appreciated you and Wheein.
âA few months ago, I was so stressed and overwhelmed with life. I had this huge fight with my dance teacher and my boss told me she had to cut back my hours because we were overstaffed so I was worried about rent and stuff. If Iâm being honest I wasnât all that great mentally. I donât know it was rough for a while. Then I met ___, and we all started hanging out and it made me really happy.â He looked down at his wine glass, trying not to get too emotional, âAnyway, I really appreciate you guys for being in my life.â You leaned your head on his shoulder, giving him a partial hug from the side. Wheein pretended to be disgusted with this, but you caught her tearing up while Jimin was talking.
âAnd we really appreciate you were born and didnât get scared off by us when we forced you to become our friend.â You said before pulling Wheein into the hug. Â
âThis is the absolute worst timing but I have to peeâŠâ Wheein huffed as she stood up contemplating what to do.
âThe oceanâs right there.â Jimin said, holding his hand out to point to the shore.
âAbsolutely not! Not in front of you!â She kicked him lightly and he chuckled.
âIâll turn away!â
âNo, I read this story once about how a worm swam up into someoneâs â thing â when they peed in the ocean. Iâm not about to have a parasite living with me, Iâve already got you two!â You nodded as this claim was irrefutable. Jimin laughed, never getting tired of Wheeinâs hilarious quips.
âWe can go back to my place?â You suggested.
âNo no no, I havenât even gotten to force you two to get into the water yet. And its only,â She paused to check her phone, âTwelve. Also, I thought we were gonna stay and watch the sunset!â She tapped her foot against the sand. âOkay, ___, give me your keys. Iâm going to quickly drive to the gas station I saw a few blocks down and pee there. I promise I wonât abandon you guys here.â Wheein held out her hand to you, waiting for you to give her the keys. You fumbled in your purse and pulled them out.
As she ran to your car, Jimin shook his head still humored at what Wheein said, âSheâs something else.â
âDefinitely one of a kind.â You concurred. âOn another note, Iâm glad you enjoyed this. Iâd be lying if I said I didnât worry you would feel uncomfortable.â
âNo, ___, this was perfect.â He said reassuringly. Jimin gazed at you every chance he got. You were looking at the sky and admiring the way the stars shined so brightly. To you, they always seemed to glow significantly more when it was you and Jimin underneath them. He revered the way you looked so in love with the stars, or how you looked so in love with life in general even after what you had been through, and felt his heart race at the sight of your hair flowing gently in the breeze. âYou nailed this one, ___.â
âYeah, I know.â You said confidently as you brushed your shoulders to display your pride. Jimin chuckled at your action.
His laugh. His damn laugh. You thought to yourself and if you could, if you had any ounce of courage, youâd ask him to never stop laughing.
The song âMoon Riverâ began to play on the speaker; Audrey Hepburnâs exquisite voice filled the air. Jimin was aware about how fitting this song with to the ambiance of the night that now only belonged to the two of you. When Wheein left to go to the restroom, the platonic atmosphere followed.
âI actually do want a birthday present.â He spoke quietly. âDance with me?â Jiminâs nervous laughter trailed his question.
You looked at him unsure of how to interpret this painstakingly romantic request. But, how could you say no when he smiled like that? You nodded without saying a word.
He stood up eagerly and lowered his hand to you. Your hand held his as he pulled you up and stepped close to you. Jiminâs free hand traveled to the small of your back, sparking light tingles that cascaded down your spine. Your free hand met his shoulder; originally your muscles were stiff but the way he swayed you had naturally relaxed you. Eventually your head rested on his opposite shoulder and you felt his head rest gently on yours. As the music played, you felt as if not just this moment, but the whole world belonged only to you and Jimin.
He could have confessed his love for you, but instead he said, âYou look beautiful tonight.â
Your heart raced.
âThank you.â You said quietly after a short while. âYou look beautiful too.â
âThank you.â He whispered. You two swayed along for another three songs in silence, and you and jimin would have danced forever if that were an option.
âAt this point, you should just quit dancing because Iâm clearing running circles around you, Jimin.â You pulled your head back to look at him, and you noticed it looked as if heâd been crying. However, you didnât say anything about it because you knew why. You were terrifyingly aware and at the same time in denial about how surely you knew why.
âYeah, you still never gave me those free dance lessons. Iâm not letting that go.â He smiled brightly causing his eyes to squint. You scrunched your nose at him and looked down.
âThatâs right. Maybe I should show you some moves right now?â You offered.
Jimin raised his eyebrows then swiftly spun you around and wrapped his arm around your lower back to dip you. You gasped and laughed in shock, your head falling back slightly as he held you in this position. When he pulled you up, you were both unable to let the smiles you had subside. He reached his hand to gently remove a strand of hair from your face, curling it delicately behind your ear.
He was seven years old again. His love raged again. This time it was you who planted themselves in his life and he wanted to give you all the water and nutrients and sunlight to grow in his heart forever.
The boy stepped away slowly and gestured for you to, as he put it, show him your moves.
âOkay hold on.â You retrieved your phone and scrolled through your music playlist to find a song that best suited what you were about to do, âPerfect!â An upbeat 80s disco song began to play.
You then contorted your body in a way to resemble a robot, âCheck this out.â You lifted your arm and swung it to imitate a machine-like movement. Jimin found this too good to let it go to waste and secretly filmed on his phone what you were doing.
âI can see youâre taking a video and Iâm only letting you do that because itâs your birthday.â You then proceeded the switch to a different dance move, âI like to call this the wave. Iâm sure a rookie like you hasnât heard of it.â You raised both of your arms to shoulder level and rolled them back and forth.
âWow, your technique is absolutely immaculate!â He commended while laughing so hard he gripped his stomach and bent over. He soon joined you in dancing around in the sand.
âWhat are you two weirdos doing?!â You both turned around to find Wheein running over from the car with her hands cupped around her mouth as she called out.
âDance party!â You yelled which was overlapped by Jiminâs voice.
âWeâre dancing!â
Wheein laughed as she neared the two of you. âLast one in the water has to clean up our stuff!â She said while passing you and Jimin and heading straight for the water.
Jimin was quicker to react and chased after Wheein, pushing her lightly to throw her off track, soon followed by you racing to catch up. Though you swore you wouldnât go into the water, you ran towards it with no hesitance. Youâd follow them anywhere.
âNo fair, you got a head start!â Soon all three of you crashed into the water. The waves were tame, but they still had a slight force that pushed the water as high as your waist.
Wheein pulled you in deeper and Jimin splashed the water at you two. You both screamed and laughed and played like children.
You wished that night would never end.
The minute you decided to tell him your ring was green again; you knew things would have to change and you dreaded it. It grew increasingly difficult to keep that from him and a part of you felt like you were misleading him by not telling him the truth.
âI owe it to him. I donât know exactly whatâs going on between the two of us. I clearly think of him as more of than friend. Iâm not denying that, but you know I canât do anything about that, not with this.â Youâd say as you held up your ring for reference.
âYou donât have you. You could just let things play out and hope for the best?â Wheein suggested knowing this wouldnât suffice.
âI can tell he likes me more than a friend. I can see it every time he looks at me with those puppy eyes.â You gave her a disapproving look and she nodded.
âI know youâre right. I just donât want Jimin to be too hurt, you know? The guy is a softie at heart.â
She was right. Jimin would act like nothing ever affected him, but out of the three of you, he was the most sensitive and experienced his feelings the most intensely. Just the idea of what his face would look like or how his smile would dwindle when you told him about your ring made your heart drop to your stomach. There was no way to avoid this, because like you said, you owe Jimin complete honesty and you refused to abstain anything less than what was best for him.
âI know, and I donât know if I could ever forgive myself for doing this.â
âYou didnât let me finish. Heâs a softie, but so are you. ___, Iâm worried about you too. Are you sure letting this go is the right decision? I can tell youâre already starting to miss him and you havenât even let him go yet.â She placed her hand on your back to comfort you. Wheein knew you well enough that she didnât have to ask how you were feeling.
âI appreciate your concern, but I have to do this.â Anticipation began to seep through your veins. âRight? I mean my whole life Iâve been dedicated to ending up with my soulmate. Iâve ended things with so many guys before things got too serious. And I had no problem doing it then, but this time.â You began to tear up picturing Jimin, âItâs so much harder.â
âIâm not going to tell you what to do. Thatâs up for you to decide but I hope you know I will support your decision. Whichever it is.â Wheein pulled you into a hug, soft and reassuring. You propped your chin on her shoulder and ran your hands along her upper back.
âThank you.â You said quietly.
As you pulled away, you looked down at your ring and for once, you didnât feel that excitement upon seeing it green. Instead, it became burdensome that you felt this obligation to honor it. You were beginning to feel trapped. As if this decision wasnât up to you anymore, but to this ring.
A few days later, you and Jimin were sitting out in the same park that you walked along on your first date together. The grass danced with the wind and the tree that loomed above the two of you provided the perfect amount of shade from the sun. Gentle rays of sunlight permeated among the leaves and their shadows danced along yours and Jiminâs bodies. The air felt clean and cool, giving perfect ambiance to spark inspiration for your artwork.
Jimin was laying down beside you, staring up at the sky while you two chatted nonsensically for hours.
âIâll give you five bucks if you can guess what kind of bird just chirped.â He spoke lazily while his eyes trailed their way to you.
âOstrich.â Your replied with a candid tone and your eyes transfixed on the page in front of you. Jimin chuckled lightly which diverted your attention to him as it always did.
âJust for that Iâm eating the rest of your blueberries.â He shoved all of them in his mouth causing his cheeks to puff out. Youâd be lying if you said you didnât find that adorable, and yet you played it off with a unimpressed glare.
âI was gonna eat those, butthead.â
These small exchanges would fill the silence every so often. But even when neither of you spoke, you felt no desire to say anything. Just sitting with him in that park was enough to delight you.
You stared at Jimin as his eyes traced the puffy clouds above. With your pencil in hand, inspiration struck. This scenery was so picturesque, it would be a crime to not capture every bit of joy it exuded.
You turned to a blank page in your sketchbook and started to outline the shape of Jiminâs face and body. Your pencil glided against the paper gently, that sound of charcoal running along the pages of your sketchbook grew fond to Jiminâs ears. He rarely looked at what you would draw because he knew your sketchbook functioned as your version of a diary; he simply loved that sound because it meant you were beside him.
You quickly sketched each curve of his body along with the bed of grass on which he lied and the tall tree behind him with as much precision as you could before he shifted positions. Then you began to add shading and small details that livened the drawing a bit more. Once you were finished, you held your finished work out to examine whether you were satisfied with it. You nodded to yourself then nudged Jimin.
He turned his head towards you and raised his eyebrows in substitution of a vocal acknowledgment.
âLook.â You gently tossed your book onto the grass near his head.
He quickly sat up and lifted the book with both hands. He rested it on his lap and gazed at it for quite a while. A smile slowly appeared on Jiminâs face and he thought to himself how beautifully accurate you were at being able to capture these moments in life. This moment was precious to him, along with every other moment he spent with you doing nothing.
And those nothing moments were everything to him. They were everything to you too.
â___, you never cease to blow me away.â Jimin spoke in a whisper because he only wanted you to hear. He wanted so desperately to kiss you.
Oh god, your conscious couldnât handle keeping it in anymore. You had to tell him.
âSo um, Jimin. I donât know how to say thisâŠâ You laughed nervously due to how uncomfortable you were with this even before the conversation started.
Jiminâs eyebrows furrowed, and before he could realize what was about to be said was going to be serious, he said, âI know what youâre going to say. You lied and totally didnât watch the movie I recommended to you!â, earning a soft chuckle from you. It substantially lighted the mood. He tied with Wheein for always knowing how to ease your nerves without even trying.
But your face returned blank when you finally gathered the courage to blurt it out, âMy ring turned green again.â
His smile vanished and it was an absolute tragedy you were the reason for that.
âIâm so sorry, Jimin.â He knew what this meant. He knew what you were going to say before you even said it. He stood up and paced around the area, prompting you to get up and trail behind him. He had a habit of lacking the ability to sit still when he was facing something that troubled him.
He struggled to figure out what he felt about this. Every emotion blurred and converged into one unsettling mess.
âIâm not going to pretend like this is easy for me because its not. I like you and spending time with you has made me so so happy, please believe me when I say that.â Your voice began to shake. Jimin hated when your voice sounded anything but cheerful.
âI know it sounds like bullshit, but Iâm being honest, god, I canât convey how much you mean to me. I know we only met months ago but I feel like what we have isnât some fling. Like, youâre already one of my best friends.â Those words, though consoling in theory, pained Jimin so deeply. He wanted to be more than that.
âI donât think of you as some back up to keep me from being lonely if thatâs what youâre thinking. Iâd be damned before I let you believe that, but I canât just ignore-â The hundreds of things you were practicing in your head had spilled out of your mouth in a jumbled mess. It was much more difficult to say these things to Jimin than your bathroom mirror or Wheein.
âStop,â He spoke with such poise that you did nothing more but obey. His footsteps halted and You pressed your lips together in fear of what was about to be said. He was staring at the grass, the green color mocked him. Jimin hated green right now.
It pained you to see he couldnât even bring himself to look at you.
Heâs going to hate you forever. You thought to yourself and you tried to brace your heart for losing him forever. All because you lacked the backbone to be honest with him from the beginning.
He didnât speak for a while, for what felt like an eternity. The wind that whipped against the leaves of the trees and blades of grass filling the silence you were once comfortable in.
Jimin suddenly turned around and wrapped his arms around you; your head was pressed tightly against his chest and his chin rested gently atop your head so perfectly. You could feel how hard his heart was beating, each tap synchronized with your heart.
âYou idiot, why are you apologizing?â Your eyes closed to obstruct any tears that were about to form.
âYou know why.â Your words were muffled, which Jimin found tortuously adorable. âYou can hate me if you want.â
He laughed softly, that alone expressed more to you than any number of things he could say.
The sound of his laugh that youâd grown to miss on the days you hadnât seen him never sounded so beautiful. When he laughed, he painted himself on a canvas for you to admire and with each stroke he added, you were able to learn every intricate detail of him.
Jiminâs laughter spoke to you, you swore it. You clearly heard it tell you that he could never and would never hate you. Comfort and ease. You never felt anything less than comfort and ease in his arms.
â___, I know how much this means to you.â He planted a soft kiss against your head which felt like a goodbye. Not to you, but to the hope that he could ever take the place of your soulmate. The smell of your hair exuding off so gently, and he thought you smelled like vanilla and stardust. Jimin did everything he could to sound strong. He wanted nothing but to be happy for you, and if this meant he had to let you chase after your soulmate there was no way in the world heâd let his feelings stop you from doing that. âIâm already planning a want ad that will be posted on every building within a hundred-mile radius!â His voice rose in enthusiasm. You could tell it was all a façade.
âYou donât have to act like youâre okay.â Your head nestled against his chest.
âI am.â He quickly replied then repeated, âI am.â
If only he could have made this easier on you. If he would have gotten mad or yelled at you or said he would never forgive you then doing this wouldnât hurt as much as it did. But he did none of that. He was ever so kind and understanding and selfless.
You nuzzled your face deeper into his chest as a cross between a sigh and a laugh released from you. He acted like he didnât care that you had just âbroken upâ with him. Jimin was nothing if not selfless.
Your ring was green. You had another chance to find your soulmate; it was everything youâd ever hoped for your whole life. So, why did you feel like youâd just made a mistake?
âJimin, I know I hurt you. I was scared to tell you because I didnât want to lose you. I just,â You huffed, âI just should have been honest. Iâm sincerely sorry. You are the last person I want to hurt.â Jimin looked down at you and you stared up at him. He couldnât stand when you frowned, which inclined him to use his thumbs to lift the sides of your mouth, so it looked like you were smiling. You laughed at this sweet gesture.
âThis soulmate of yours better not be a dancer or weâll have a problem.â He joked in attempt to evade how true what you said was. You threw your head back laughing again.
All Jimin really cared about was that you were always in his life. And even though it felt like you had ripped every root of yourself out of him, he knew he would keep that spot in his heart empty for you.Â
For you, and every nothing moment. Nothing was everything with you,
You were completely drenched in sweat and jolted awake from your sleep. Your first instinct was to call Wheein, but you remembered she had an exam the next day.
You then picked up your phone and scrolled through your contacts until you found the name you were looking for. You pressed the call button with your thumb and brought the phone to your ear.
The phone rang shortly before being picked up, âHello?â
âHey, Mom.â You greeted her softly. Her voice was soothing and low.
âWhatâs wrong, honey?â She asked since it was late in the night and you calling her only meant it was fairly important.
âI just had this really weird dream.â You answered, still perplexed and trying to remember the details of it. You shut your eyes to picture the dream before it faded from your memory, âI was in art class and we were doing this activity where we had to close our eyes and draw something that made us happy. It was something to like exercise our skills of drawing with emotion rather than precision, something like that.â She hummed, listening intently to what you were describing.
âOkay, and so I did it and I wanted to draw what I imagined my soulmate would look like because duh, you know me.â You stood up and paced around your dark room.
âYes, that sounds about right.â Your mother chuckled softly while she quipped back to you.
âOkay but when I opened my eyes you would not believe who I drew.â You stopped for a second envisioning the face that stared back to you. It made you tense just thinking about it.
âWho?â
âIt was Jimin.â
âJimin? That nice young man youâve been hanging out with recently. I think youâre absolutely smitten, honey.â Your mom sounded so casual when saying this.
âButâŠâ Your pacing began to speed up, âHeâs not my soulmate. I- I donât know what to think of this. Maybe itâs just my brain? Itâs not like you can control what you dream.â You began to ramble in attempts to affirm this didnât mean anything serious.
âI donât know, ___. That is an oddly specific dream.â She sounded critical of your aversion to admit this. âWhy not give him a chance?â She suggested hesitantly.
âWhat?â You scoffed in amazement, âI canât believe you out of all people would say that.â You knew that she knew exactly where your confusion was coming from.
âI know.â
âSo why would you say that? I mean, finding my soulmate was something both you and I wanted ever since I could remember?â You grew exhausted from your pacing and sat on the edge of your bed.
âLook. I wanted you to believe in your soulmate. Youâre right in that, but it wasnât just your soulmate I wanted you to believe in. All I wanted, all Iâve ever wanted, was for you to never give up love itself. This world has a way of breaking your heart countless times, and Iâve been around enough to see how empty peopleâs lives are if they live without love in it. I just wanted to teach you that living a loveless life was meaningless. I refused to allow you to live a meaningless life. I thought that your soulmate ring would act as a reminder that I loved you and I believe you deserved to be loved, but it grew into some dependence on finding your soulmate. ___, when your ring turned black, I realized my mistake. I shouldnât have glorified the ring as much as I did because ring, or no ring, soulmate, or no soulmate, there is no denying that you have feelings Jimin. I can hear it in your voice every time you talk about him. Youâd be insane or oblivious to not pick up on that and I know youâre neither of those things.â Your mother waited for you to respond.
You remained silent and still. Your eyes had spaced out to glare at the corner of your room. Coming from anyone else, you would have disregarded their opinion on what you felt for Jimin; your mom, however, was an entirely different story. Hearing it out loud triggered a domino effect in your mind. You realized that your perception of what your mother had been trying to teach you was warped by your obsession with this ring. That hit you and crumbled you like a bulldozer broke down a brick wall. This left you wondering how youâd reconstruct yourself from this. Youâd always thought that you were better than those who donât care about your ring, but now you worried that your intense dedication to it burdened you for your entire life.
It wasnât your mother to be blamed. You fed the fire more than anyone else could and you see that now.
âWow.â You were speechless, âIâm an idiot.â You said as if that were some monumental revelation. âHeâs not my soulmate and he still has his soulmate out there too.â
âYes, but you love him. That trumps all reason and resistance. Love will always trump all of that.â A blunt rebuttal spoken with such softness from your mother. âI think you should talk to Jimin.â Your mother said in that classic mother knows best tone.
âI think I agree.â
You and Wheein sat against the back wall of the small dance practice room. Each wall was covered with large mirrors and youâd grown acquaint to this environment. Jimin had been rehearsing a routine for his next show; it was in two weeks and despite him saying that it was one of his less important performances, you insisted youâd be there in the front row cheering a little too loudly.
Your eyes would waver between your sketch book, then to Jimin, then to your book, and back to him. You did your best to portray his dancing as graceful as it was to see in person, but you found it impossible. There was no way to recreate such beauty; this was the one thing that your art could never quite achieve, for every imitation of his movements were inferior, pathetic almost, to the real thing.
Wheein, on the other hand, was far from invested in Jiminâs practicing which didnât come to a surprise.
She wasnât utterly in love with him.
She peeked over to your drawing followed by rolled eyes. She grabbed her phone and texted you with a disapproving expression.
Wheein: so are u going to ask him to marry u now or later?
The text notification caught your attention. You looked at her as if to ask why she would text you when you were sitting right next to her. She only nudged you in response to coax you to look at the text. When you finally read it, you shot her another look, this time it exemplified your annoyance.
She sent another text.
Wheein: ???
You tried your best to make this exchange as inconspicuous as possible. You began typing aggressively to release some frustration.
y/n: u suck :p
Wheein laughed and responded.
Wheein: that doensnât answer my question ;)
y/n: ya weâre planning on a destination wedding
Wheein: lol have you guys talked one on one since that day??
y/n: no and Iâm on edge bc I have no idea what heâs been feeling these past few days
Wheein: damn ___ its been a week and yâall havenât talked yet
y/n: i know :/
Wheein: well just talk to him tonight before everyone else comes
Wheein and Jackson had planned to have a kickback before the new semester came into session. She convinced you to host it on the condition she would provide the snacks and drinks. Jackson and his girlfriend, Seokjin, Sana, Yeji, all friends of you met in college, Dahyun, the girl Wheein had been dating for a few weeks, and Jimin were all going to your place later that night.
y/n: lol⊠you think talking about how Iâm secretly in love with him right before getting drunk with our friends is a good idea???
Wheein looked up from her phone and responded with an aloof shrug. You let out a suppressed snicker and looked back down at your phone.
y/n: youâre so annoying
Wheein: at least im not a pussy!
You only replied with a middle finger emoji. You and Wheein were so invested in your virtual conversation, neither one of you had realized Jimin had finished practicing. He walked over to the two of you unsuspectingly and sat down on the other side of you. You fumbled to lock your phone before he could see your conversation while simultaneously trying not to seem like you were hiding something from him.
âYou did a great job! I canât wait to see you perform that.â You gave him an encouraging smile, slyly setting your phone on the floor.
âThanks.â He said while panting lightly, âI kept messing up on a few steps though. I definitely need to polish up on that.â His hand ran through his hair. Your eyes watched this with the same concentration one would watch a football game coming to its last quarter. You couldnât help how your gaze traveled down to the way his shirt clung against his chest.
Jimin pointed at your water bottle, âDo you mind?â This snapped you out of your trance.
You shook your head and stared at your sketchbook with such intensity, Jimin noticed how odd you were acting.
âWhatâs up?â His asked this casually but because you were hiding the fact that you were in literally love with him you felt like this was an interrogative question.
âIâm just,â You paused, beginning to touch up the sketches you had made of Jimin while he was dancing, âIâm not satisfied with how this turned out. Also, you danced well. I couldnât even tell you messed up.â You did your best to sound distant and uncaring.
Jimin hid his smile by taking a sip of your water. âThank you.â
Meanwhile, Wheein had witnessed all this occur right before her eyes. She was equally disgusted and embarrassed at how horridly tense that conversation had been. In a perfect world, she would have shoved both of your heads together to initiate a forced kiss because she knew damn well neither of you would ever be the first one to make that move, especially after everything that happened. All she could do was stand by and watch in agony.
âWhenever you two are finished, Iâd like to shower before everyone comes over.â Wheein added a touch of retort in her words, hoping you would pick up on what she really wanted to say. âJimin, you definitely need to shower too.â
You and Jimin laughed as you all stood up and began exiting the practice room. He threw his arm around Wheein in retaliation for her jab. âOh, you donât like my sweat?â
She cried out a loud âewâ in disgust and forcefully shoved him away. You watched them bicker, and today was the first day since your ring turned green again that you hadnât thought about your soulmate once.
Jackson and Nayeon arrived early to help set everything up. He also came to give a last-minute warning that he had invited a few of his friends from work over as well.
âI told him he shouldnât, but when does he ever listen to me?â Nayeon scolded to which Jackson rolled his eyes. You laughed, appreciating her efforts in attempting to get Jackson not to do something he had his sights set on.
âItâs okay. You can just order something really expensive the next time he pays for dinner.â You said while grabbing an extra pack of red solo cups from your cabinet.
âI do that regardless.â She said with a loud laugh. Jackson nodded in admittance and kissed her cheek lovingly.
âI love you too, sweetheart.â You and Nayeon laughed at his sarcastic remark. She joined in helping you set up to compensate for the fact that Jackson didnât apologize. You werenât too upset, though; you knew him too well to believe him when he said he was only going to bring Nayeon tonight.
As the night went on and your apartment slowly filled with around thirteen people, some strangers and some friends, you were on the edge of being drunk to being really drunk. Everyone else was either at you level or a bit ahead of you. Wheein had already hopped on your couch to perform a ballad dedicated to how much she loved her friends.
âThis oneâs for YOU!â Her voiced boomed louder than the speaker and if you werenât so intoxicated, youâd be worried about the neighbors filing a noise complaint. Wheein pointed at you then began pointing at everyone else in the room watching in amusement, âThis ones for ALL of you! Even Jacksonâs friends I donât even know!â
This elicited a laugh from all of Jacksonâs coworkers. One called out, âDo you remember my name?â
âDefinitely not but I LOVE you!â She laughed turning red in the face then continuing with her heartfelt serenade to everyone in the apartment. âDahyun, youâre the cutest girl in the whole wide world. It is very important that you know that! Hey! Everyone! Iâm dating the cutest girl in the world!â Dahyun burst out bashfully in giggles, lifting her hands to shield her face.
Your eyes met with Jiminâs as you exchanged looks. He swayed his body from side to side with a bright smile as Wheein sang loudly off-key, and you lifted your shoulders and shook your head in astonishment at how hilarious and sappy Wheein was when she was drunk.
After Wheeinâs display of affection, she plopped down on the couch and slouched while reaching for her drink to take a few sips. Things simmered down as the group began to drunkenly chat about something you didnât pay any attention to. You walked over to Wheein, trying your best not to lose your balance, and sat down next to her.
âI think youâve had enough to drink.â You said through fits of giggling and she groaned at your unrelenting responsibility even when you were drunk. You snatched the cup out of her hand and chugged the last of the drink, âBut I definitely havenât.â
âHeyyyyyyy!â She slurred, âThat was mine!â
âIâm doing you a favor.â You patted her head. âAlso, I approve of Dahyun. But sheâs not the cutest girl in the world, that title is already taken by you.â You nudged her lovingly and her head tossed around as she laughed.
âShh, I love you. Youâre the best friend ever.â Her words had slurred even more.
Wheein stood up suddenly and marched sloppily over to your bedroom door, âPssst, Iâm going to pass out now and wake up with a hangover tomorrow, so I bid you all a goodnight!â Dahyun led her to the bedroom and kissed her goodnight. She saluted then disappeared into your room.
âLooks like Iâll have to take care of that tomorrow.â Yeji and Sana laughed at this comment, knowing how whiny Wheein would get even if she had the slightest headache.
You, Namjoon, and Nayeon were looking at pictures of her and Jacksonâs trip to the mountains last weekend. Although sober you would have been genuinely excited to hear about it, you found yourself struggling to focus your eyes on the pictures, only offering witless answers. Luckily, Namjoon was much better at holding his liquor and Nayeon was an even bigger extrovert when she was drunk which explained why she didnât even notice you were barely paying attention.
âSo, Jimin, how did your date with that girl go?â You heard your friend Seokjin ask.
This sobered you instantly and you found it eerie how your attention focused on what Jimin was going to say. He looked down at his cup trying to find the words to properly describe it.
âIt was okay. She was cute and laughed at all my jokes which boosted my ego.â He smiled softly, but it was merely a condolence to the fact that he couldnât have admitted he didnât have as much interest in her as he hoped.
âDamn, youâre not that funny so she must have really liked you.â He jabbed with suggestive implications. Jimin laughed at this and nodded in agreement but his smile slowly faded when he scanned the room only to find that youâd been listening to the conversation.
Your intoxication wore away your ability to hide exactly what you were feeling, as a disgruntled expression lingered on your face. The second he looked at you, your head snapped away from his in humiliation as if he hadnât already seen you were eavesdropping.Â
The night came to an end which was a relief to you. You didnât know how much longer you could put up a happy, carefree attitude. Whenever your mind almost wandered away from Jiminâs date, it swarmed back into your thoughts and focus and provoked irritation with no restraint.
One by one, your friends left. Jackson cleaned up the last few empty cups, tossed them in the trash, and wiped down your table and counter before he left, hoping that would make up for how he had encumbered your plans. Jimin was laying on the couch so you didnât bother kicking him out. You guessed he was going to spend the night since he was too drunk to drive anyway.
Your legs moved in a staggered manner and you floundered around the kitchen trying to find your cups. You leaned on the counters for support groaning softly to yourself. Thinking about Jimin on a date, flirting the way heâd flirt with you, or laughing for someone else that wasnât you was enraging. You couldnât tell whether it was the alcohol or the fuming envy that made you feel dizzy. It was realistically both those things.
You heard light footsteps approaching you, impeding on your pathetic sulking. You spun around quickly to see who it was which, in hindsight, was the worst possible thing you could do. Before you got the chance to give a face to the presence, your eyes began to see patches of black and your hand caressed your head to keep yourself from passing out on the floor.
âWoah.â You gasped trying to recollect your composure both mentally and physically. A few seconds later you felt two familiar arms wrap around your waist in assistance. The way those limbs delicately held you indicated exactly who it was.
âHey, hey.â His voice was gentle as he was using his lower register, âYou okay?â He was so close to you that you could feel his breath that smelled of liquor against your skin. Your hands wandered to rest against his chest, and you looked up at him. His cheeks tinted a soft pink color. Jimin grinned lightly when you made eye contact with him.
âIâm okay.â You mumbled under your breath, not wanting to speak too loudly because you felt your undigested food threaten to come back up your throat. You face inched dangerously close to his, and he didnât stop you because of his drunken state. Your chest heaved erratically due to your nausea.
âIâm fine.â You sneered pushing him away with the little might that you had left.
â___, youâre still drunk.â He stumbled back and sounded disappointed which made you feel even angrier.
âWell you are too.â You accused feeling a bit demeaned by his tone. He didnât say anything to this as his arms lazily returned to his side. âYou went on a date? Why didnât you tell me?â
âWhy would I?â
âI donât know?â You were annoyed at his resistance towards you. âIâm your friend. Friends tell each other things like that. What? Did you think I would be mad at you?â You stepped forward feeling bold and confrontational, as a result of your drunkenness. He crossed his arms, refusing to yield to you.
âI never said that.â He looked down at the floor, fueling your agitation even more. You wanted him to look at you. âYou donât seem so happy about it, thatâs for sure.â
You let out a groan that dragged out for a bit, âWhat are you talking about, Iâm absolutely ecstatic for you.â You jabbed pettily as you walked past him to continue your search for a water glass. He rolled his eyes at your abnormally aggressive and childish attitude.
âYou have no right to be mad.â Jimin grumbled while watching you struggle to find a glass. He reached for the correct cabinet and held out a cup to you. You begrudgingly took the cup from his hand and stumbled over to the sink, briefly losing your balance before catching yourself against the counter. He reflexively reached his arm out to catch you in case you fell.
âYou donât think I know that?â You spat with your voice raised slightly, âYou donât think that I know youâre allowed to go on dates with other girls? You donât think I want to be happy for you?â You started to get worked up and worried you would let something slip out that you would regret.
âWell it doesnât seem like youâre trying at all.â Jimin walked to the other end of the kitchen and leaned back against the counter.
âWhatâs it to you?â
âOh, I donât know?â Jimin responded sarcastically, âI kind of have a problem with you being mad at me after you were the one who turned me down.â
âYou donât know what youâre talking about.â You stuttered over your words.
âI donât know what Iâm talking about.â He repeated what you said to confirm your audacious comment. âOh, so, I imagined when you said you couldnât be with me because of your soulmate ring?â
âJimin, donât.â You warned.
âNo, I clearly remember that you said you werenât interested. And as much as that hurt and I wanted to tell you that I wanted you to choose me I would never do that. At least I could be kind enough to not take that out on you. And now youâre mad at me for trying to get over you? I should have known not to fall for you. Fuck, I tried to tell myself I made up the connection we had to make me feel better about this. To make this,â He gestured to you and him, âwhatever this was not real. I thought if I could convince myself our connection wasnât real then maybe I could cope with the fact that Iâd never get to be with you.â
You began to cry but your buzz was strong enough that all caution was thrown to the wind. You cried unconstrained.
âIâm mad because I know I have no reason to be mad but here I am!â You gestured vivaciously as your passion began to boil over. âIâm mad because-â You took a second to catch your breath, âI donât know. Iâm just mad and Iâm sorry. Of course, itâs not your fault but I canât help the way I feel.â
âRight.â He said coldly, unimpressed with this answer.
âWhat do you know? You donât know anything! You donât know me or what Iâm thinking.â This attack was meant to hurt him as much as it hurt you to say. You stomped over to him, spilling a bit of water on your hand and the floor.
Jimin stood up and stepped forward to counter you, causing you to stumble back a bit. His face was so close to yours once more and he could now clearly see your dampened eyes and the way they looked at him with frustration. You regained grounding and tried not to seem intimidated. He could be so gentle and light when he danced, but right now he looked so indestructible that not even a tank could move him
âI donât know you?â Your skin tingled from the bitterness that stained his voice. He scoffed, running his hand through his hair. Your eyes vigilantly watched him and your heart pumped at an unhuman rate. You prayed he couldnât tell he had this power over you.
His eyes pierced back at you with such intensity that you wanted to cry harder. You wanted to tell him every bit of how you felt and how much you loved him. You wanted him to know that heâd changed you in the most unpredictable and drastic ways and it unhinged every bone in your body. You were scared because you once believed he would never satisfy you since he wasnât your soulmate, but now you were scared that even a lifetime of efforts could never repay what he had given you. That all this time, you werenât enough for him.
Jimin felt his urges get the best of him. Staring into your eyes absolved any resentment he held for you. He felt injected with life whenever he looked at you, even when you were staring daggers at him like you had been now. He didnât know how long he could resist from kissing you, being that he was drunk and reckless.
You both stood there, silently. Jimin was waiting for you to shoot a drunken, unintelligible comment back and you were waiting for Jimin to rebuke you for lashing out at him. Neither of those things happened. You just remained speechless, as did he.
Eventually, you took a few steps away, breaking the longing stare that had transpired between you and Jimin for what felt like an hour.
âIâm going to bed.â That was the last thing you said before slumping out of the kitchen and entering into your bedroom. You were right in assuming Jimin would stay over since he was too drunk and emotional to drive himself home.
Jimin collapsed onto the couch and finally let himself cry. He hated the fact that things didnât go back to how they were, and that they most likely never would. You were like water to him. He could experience you and feel you but whenever he tried to hold you in his hands no matter how tightly, you would slip through his fingers. He just wished he could have shared another one of those nothing-everything moments with you heâd foolishly taken for granted. When he closed his eyes, memories of you and him played in his mind until he dozed off to sleep.
You woke up the next morning to a pressure headache that resided in the back of your head. This however was nothing compared to the feeling you got when you checked your phone and saw Jimin had sent you a text.
Jimin: I think I need some space
Jimin: Iâm sorry
Before the tears had the chance to well, you stood up and trudged out to the living room to only find that Jimin had already left and Wheein was sitting on the couch flipping through the stations on the television.
âLook at this.â You tossed your phone on the cushion next to Wheein and walked over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.
Wheein picked up your phone and read the texts, sighing with disappointment. âFuck, Iâm sorry, ___.â
âWe kind of had a fight last night.â You muttered, the memories of everything that had happened flooding back into your head. You said so many things you wish you hadnât and regretted how rude you had allowed yourself to act.
âYeah, I know. I heard.â Her lips were pressed together as she walked over to you.
âI really know how to fuck things up, donât I?â You scoffed in mockery of your misbehavior.
Two weeks passed since you and Jimin had fought.
That petty argument stained your mind. That moment was everything. And for once, you wanted it to mean nothing.
Every time your phone alerted you, you reached for it eagerly and immediately in the slim chance that it was Jimin who was texting you. It never was, though, and you only had yourself to blame.
It had been two weeks of self-reprimand and regret.
Fourteen days of missing him and pitifully scrolling through photos and videos that you took of him.
Three hundred and thirty-six hours since saw his smile or scolded him for skipping practice to hang out with you or received a casual compliment from him that never failed to boost your mood when you were upset.
Or heard his laugh.
Coincidentally, tonight was his dance recital heâd been practicing for. Youâd been waffling between going and not going for the entirety of those two weeks. Wheein would always reassure you that you should go and that he would appreciate you cared enough to support him.
âYou know I canât make it, its my momâs birthday weekend. If not for you, go for me.â She pleaded.
It took a few more minutes of Wheeinâs persuasion for you to finally decide on going. And you told yourself it was exclusively for Wheein. You told yourself that, but she knew, and you knew you just missed his so much.
You arrived early so you could snag a decent seat. To your dismay, it was already crowded which made you remember Jimin always downplayed his dancing events due to his humbleness. You found a seat slightly askew to the center of the stage, but close enough to get an adequate view. The lights dimmed and you set down your purse and the bouquet of red roses on the floor in front of your legs.
There were a few performers that preceded Jimin, all were talented and passionate but nothing like the way Jimin danced. Maybe it was because you were in love with him, but there was something exceptionally unmatched about his dancing abilities.
He finally walked out on stage and his eyes met with yours almost immediately. Jimin paused and contained his excitement to the best of his abilities. You werenât fooled though; you could see it in his eyes that he was relieved you attended and you nodded at him to express physically that you wouldnât have missed it for the world.
Jimin looked down as the music started playing, then began his performance. The way his arms flowed so precisely with the rhythm and the elegance he exuded as he leaped across the stage had the audience collectively in awe of his raw talent. His legs moved so delicately that anyone could tell he was the type of dancer that practiced until he couldnât stand up anymore.
Your breathing was rather heavily but you ignored everything else when Jimin would dance. The intense beating of your heart, the audience, the walls and even the stage had faded away; he was the only thing detectable in your eyes in this moment.
Your presence granted him the motivation to exert every ounce of effort into every single movement. You pitied the unlucky person who had to follow him. Their dance would surely be put to shame by this beautiful, raw, flawless, emotional masterpiece.
When the dance ended, your body crashed back to reality and you realized every muscle in your body had been contracted. You loosened yourself by leaning back into your chair.
He received a standing ovation which didnât come to a surprise. You stood up, still. Jiminâs eyes were glued to you. You gave him a teary smile and he held his hand to his heart and bowed. The audience had no idea that was for you and only you.
Jimin prayed that you saw it. The longing, the pure dedication, the heartbreak, and the change. You changed him. He wanted you to know that he always thought heâd fall in love countless times, but from the moment he met you that desire had faded. Now, he knew heâd only ever want to love you.Â
The remainder of the recital had been a blur. Nothing could prevail in capturing your attention from Jimin. His movements simply replayed in your head until the showcase ended. You stood up and applauded, growing restless to run backstage to congratulate him.
Before you got the chance to greet him, an entire crowd of people swarmed any path that lead to where the dancers were. You grunted and settled on texting him.
y/n: meet me outside on the bridge across the street
Jimin: Iâll be there in about 10 minutes
You thought your heart couldnât have raced any faster than it did while you were watching Jimin dance, but your body had proved you wrong. You paced up and down the bridge all the while mumbling what you planned on saying to Jimin. You bit your fingernails and leaned against the wooden railing that scaled along the bridge.
âHey.â Jimin walked up next to you, looking out to the streaming water below the bridge. It was quiet, warm, and serene. The lantern that stood on the end of the bridge radiating a warm tone that accentuated Jiminâs honey skin.
âYou did amazing. Just,â You paused, there were no words to do his performance justice, âif I went blind tomorrow, Iâd be satisfied.â
Jimin chuckled at your comment, knowing you meant well.
He laughed for you. That beautiful sound echoed in your heart loudly. You missed it so much.
âThese are for you.â You handed him the flowers, turning your body towards him. He grinned and cradled them in his arm.
âThank you. Theyâre beautiful.â
âI heard from Seokjin that youâre planning on making things official with the girl. Whatâs her name?â You said abruptly. Jimin visibly tensed when you said this.
âNancy.â He replied.
âNancy.â You repeated.
There was a long silence, and Jimin opened his mouth about to say something but you beat him to it.
âDonât be her boyfriend.â
âWhat? Why not?â
âBecause,â You looked back out into the water before continuing, âI know you could never fully dedicate yourself to her like you would to me.â A scoff escaped you when you said it out loud, âI donât care if that sounds arrogant because I know itâs true. I know because thatâs how Iâd feel about everyone else too.â You paused, âEven my soulmate.â
â___, do you- that- where is this coming from?â His eyes planted firmly on yours.
âI love you, Jimin.â You blurted it out. The hundred of ways you imagined yourself confessing this to him ultimately resulted in you ineloquently spouting it out. There was no denying your vigor could never diminish when it came to love, it simply was redirected.
âYou love me.â He repeated in a stunned state. He just tenderly stared at you, hope and bewilderment bursting through him; he was trying to take it all in.
âI love you. Iâve loved you from the minute I met you and every minute of every day that Iâve known you. And I could never stop myself from loving you, and I was stupid to think that was possible. Iâd always been so determined to find my soulmate. I pictured exactly what to say and how we would fall in love, but with you,â You laughed lightly, holding a hand to your heart. Hearing you say these things to him was everything heâd ever wished for, for the months youâd known each other. Needless to say he was fighting back tears.
âI canât imagine being with anyone else but you. Youâve ruined love for me because I know nothing will ever be as good as the way I love you.â
âYou donât have to say that.â These words struck you, hard. You didnât know how to convince him, but dammit, youâd never give up trying.
âI couldnât, though. I couldnât let go of the way you laugh, you know I always go out of my way to make you laugh? because hearing it makes me so damn happy and I have no idea why. Or how when we look at each other and I can tell exactly what youâre thinking, and you can tell exactly what Iâm thinking. Or how you always let me order my food first and pour water into my cup before you pour water into yours. Or the way you tease me for opening the banana on the âwrong sideâ. Or how your dancing is the most beautiful thing Iâve ever seen. And every moment youâre not dancing or laughing or teasing me I wish you were by my side doing all of those things.â
âI could never be him. I could never be that for you, you know this right?â He responded in short answers, unable to find the right words that would be a good enough just like when he was seven years old. But, Jimin was older now and held a firm belief nothing could ever express how strongly he feels.
âGood. I donât want you to be him or anyone else other than you.â
âBut what about-â
âNo. Thereâs nothing else to consider. The point is I could never forgive myself if I gave you up for some theoretical opportunity of a soulmate. I found someone even better. I found you. I donât care what the stars say, I donât care that your ring is green and mine is green and that weâre technically not soulmates. I donât care if I never meet my soulmate. What we have is real. Our connection was built by us. Youâre real. And I love you so much thatâs all I can say.â You stared intently at him becoming exhausted, yet alleviated from finally being able to tell him all this. âThis ring had meant everything for me for all my life. When it was green it meant I had a soulmate, when it was black it meant I had no reason to believe in love. But with you, this ring means absolutely nothing. Itâs green again and it has never felt so meaningless to me. Does that even make sense?â
âI love you.â He said after about five minutes of silence. He didnât give you a second to respond because the next think you knew, he stepped towards you and pressed his lips firmly against yours.
Itâs true what they say about seeing fireworks when you kiss someone you love. These fireworks covered every inch of the sky and flared brightly, blindingly so, and flew so high in the air that you swore they reached outer space.
Your arms slid around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. His cheeks softly brushed against yours and felt so warm. The softness of his lips could make you cry. Finally being able to kiss him and hold him and admit your love to him did make you cry. His hands caressed your face making you flush red, and his thumb glided against your cheeks to wipe away the hot tears he felt trickling from your eyes.
He pulled back but couldnât pull too far because he felt some gravitational force drawing him to be near you. Your noses bumped against each other, âThe minute you met me, huh?â You laughed, placing another chaste kiss on the side of his smile.
âI warned you I was a hopeless romantic.â You sniffed still recovering from that tearful, enchanting kiss.
He laced his hand with yours, intertwining your fingers, and strode slowly along the park path. You and he talked like youâd always had but now you loved him, and he knew that.
âFavorite cartoon as a kid?â
âEasy, Blueâs Clues.â Jimin said.
âReally? You think Blueâs Clues was the best when Sesame Street exists?â
âBig bird scared me! You just know heâs killed someone. you can see it in his cold, dead eyes.â Jimin argued.
âOh yeah? Well, at least none of the characters had conversations with their furniture. Steve was one hundred percent insane.â You said, laughing.
âSteve is a legend, donât say such things about him.â Jimin joined in your laughter, referring to the main character of Blueâs Clues.Â
âGo to pick up line?â He asked.
You thought for a moment, âAside from being sexy, what do you do for a living?â
âWow, that was absolutely terrible I think we have to break up.â Jimin chuckled.
âOh yeah, like you could do better.â You challenged.
âIf nothing lasts forever, will you be my nothing?â He said with eyes so dreamy you almost ignored the fact that this pick up like was just as horrendous as yours.
âHow was that better than mine?â
âTrust me, it was.â
âI will. I will be your nothing.â He looked to you and kissed your cheek. You closed your eyes at the sensation of his touch.
âAnd Iâll be yours?â Jimin whispered against your cheek as if he were asking permission to be the one you choose. You nodded. Of course, he was.
You and him and this moment were nothing. Nothing to the passing strangers, nothing to the waiter that took your order on your first date, nothing to the generations to come, nothing to the universe and trees and grass and stars that surrounded you. Nothing at all.
And yet, to you and Jimin, it was everything. This nothing and everything moment marked the beginning of a lifetime of nothing and everything moments.
Somewhere along these nothing and everything moments, green became just another color to you and your ring was just another piece of jewelry. And nothing more.
Exactly 10 months after that night, you and Jimin planned to return to that bridge. You stood against the railing and looked over to Jimin.
âUh, move over like two inches to the left.â You giggled, finding that your need for accuracy rubbed off on him.
âAre you sure thatâs where I was standing? I could swear it was right here!â You argued, simply to get a rise out of him; you thought it was adorable.
âNo, you were definitely standing two inches to the left.â He held his phone and aimed it at you. âMove it!â He ordered with a smile on his face.
âYes sir!â You stepped to the side then looked at him for approval. He held his thumb up and took a few pictures while you posed.
Afterwards, he walked up to you and placed a kiss on your cheek before showing you the photos. Most of them were blurry and you teased him for his shoddy camera skills. âWheeinâs gonna hate these pictures.â You commented. He laughed and threw his arm across your shoulder as the two of you stared out into the water flowing peacefully downstream. Being here with him brought the memory of that night as if it had happened just yesterday.
âA friend once said to me: âitâs crazy that out of all the years and decades and countries we could have been born, we were born in this one, togetherâ.â Jiminâs eyes were fixated on the water in reminiscence of the first time heâd met you, âI thought of what my friend said often when we were together. And itâs as if we were meant to find each other. The universe seems coincidental when it comes to picking soulmates, doesnât it? At least we got to choose. And I think it purposefully granted us that choice knowing exactly what it would bring us. As if we were meant to bring every bit of love, warmth, and even heartbreak into each otherâs lives. Itâs kind of like a lottery when you think about it. To me, it feels like fate plucked us out like numbers on a ticket and placed us together.â Jimin looked over to you now, and when you stared into his eyes every one of your questions about love had been answered.
âNumbers are infinite.â You said softly.
âYeah, and yet, we were picked. I understand now I won the lottery.â He replied and wished time would stop so he could cherish this nothing moment forever.
âThere isnât a doubt in my mind about doing this.â You said with sentiment. âReady?â
âReady.â He responded, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze.
The two of you slipped the soulmate rings off your fingers and you gazed at it one last time.
âCount of three?â
Jimin nodded.
You started the countdown, âOne.â
Jimin continued it, âTwo.â
Three came in unison and you both threw your rings into the water which was now rushing rapidly.
When you felt the ring slip from your hand and watched as it dropped into the water, you wept. You wept out of pure relief and liberation; an enormous pressure had lifted from your chest and you were finally able to breathe. That ring could never cause you any more pain, nor did that ring replenish your hope you would find love. You didnât need it anymore.
Because now, you had an endless supply of nothing moments.
and everything moments
and Jimin.
#bts fanfic#bts fanfction#bts scenarios#BTS jimin#park jimin#bts one shot#bts fluff#bts angst#bts imagines#jimin fanfic#jimin fluff#jimin angst#bts x reader#jimin soulmate#soulmate!au#bts soulmate au#dancer!jimin#jimin x reader#jimin one shot#rubycoast#jimin fic#jimin strangers to lovers
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Cat and Mouse
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | more coming soon
Summary: Youâre the daughter of an extremely well-known pastor. Youâve lived a quiet and sheltered life, that is until you meet and fall in lust with a gang leader they call the Grim Reaper.
Pairing: Gang Leader And Yandere!Taeyong X female reader (college student)
Genre: angst, SMUT, violence, if you squint there may be some fluff
Warnings: graphic and violent scenes described, mentions of religious practices (this in no way is meant to offend followers of Christianity), blood and death mention, gun and knife mention, profanity, toxic relationship, little alcohol use, drug addiction themes, stalking, manipulation, corruption kink, innocence kink, female masturbation, pet names, recording of sexual act, porn mention, oral sex (male and female), public sex, unprotected sex.
Word Count: 15.8K
(A/n: warning: Yandere Taeyong is extremely manipulative, he guilt trips and gaslights OC multiple times to get what he wants. This in no way represents the cute and kind Taeyong we really know. This gang leader is actually terrible lmao. TO the anon that requested this, THANK YOU for being so patient!! not my best,but I hope you like it!)
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It was just another Thursday night at home. Your parents left earlier that evening to go on a cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate their anniversary so you had the entire house to yourself.
Your father was a famous and wealthy pastor with money to afford an incredible mansion and luxury cars. Most people didnât understand how someone that preached about humility and giving back to the less fortunate could live in a twenty bedroom house with a twelve car garage.
There was a certain irony behind it that pissed people off.
 Taeyong was one of them. Taeyong and his gang had been watching the pastor, plotting for a robbery. He hated everything about religion and the fact that a man, such as your father, was capitalizing off of the hearts of devoted Christians irritated him. He wanted to take everything away from the pastor that lived in his community because he felt like he was the real criminal. Furthermore, your father never told you or your mother, but some of his wealth did come from his involvement in gangs and the drug trading that occurred in the community. He would use the churchgoers money to purchase large amounts of cocaine from other countries, then sell it on the black market at triple times the street rate. This was sold to business men that had money to spend and just needed their fix, regardless of the cost. The means at which they got their drugs was safer than getting it off the streets anyway. Your father funded the dark web website that almost functioned like the Amazon for drug trades, order today, get it tomorrow with âprimeâ shipping. Taeyong didnât like that someone with a good reputation like your father had controlled such a large business. But he also didnât like that his men were the ones that organized the deals on the website with little reward. They put their lives on the line to get it to these men, avoiding the police at all costs, but your father was behind on paying his workers by five months. Taeyong threatened him several times, but the pastor blocked his phone number and email. What he didnât know was that Taeyong has access to all of his emails and text messages anyway, so he knew that your father would be gone on a twelve day cruise to the Bahamas. Taeyong took this as the perfect opportunity to drop by his house and well, âborrowâ a few things. He knew that the pastor had a daughter, but what he didnât know was that youâd be home from college for summer break. So there you are, flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch when you stumble across the late-night adult channels. Your thumb hovered over the âupâ button as you watched a woman have sex with a man on a fluffy bed. Your eyes widened at how graphic it was. The blonde ladyâs was making strange faces while the man held her legs and pushed into her.
You were a sheltered child, you didnât even have your first kiss, so this was strange to you.
You had been taught the typical Christian rules of not having sex until marriage, but you wondered what it was like. You bit your lips and felt a certain warmth in between your legs that you couldnât explain as you watched the TV.
You went to a Christian college, but many of the girls there had already lost their virginity and would talk about how they had sex with their boyfriends and touched themselves.
You didnât even know what the girls at school meant when they talked about vibrators driving them crazy since their boyfriend couldnât get them off. How could someone use a device to have sex when they were supposed to be in love with whoever touches that area? Youâd think to yourself. But you were getting older and curiosity was killing you. You wanted to know about it, you wanted to rebel and feel what most of your friends felt all the time. If everyone can do it and still go to Heaven, why couldnât you? The scene ended and the next thing you saw was a naked brunette laying on the bed, her back against a tall man. He rubbed his hands along her private area and then dipped two fingers into her. Your jaw dropped and your head turned, this had all looked strange and weird. You were so focused on the TV in your living room that you didnât hear the front door open, nor the shuffling of several people in the large house.Â
You had forgotten to activate the security system for the night, so the cameras werenât on and neither were the alarms. You were so used to being home alone that you never thought thereâd be someone in it with you
You didnât hear or feel a presence behind the couch. Taeyong stopped in the living room while his gang searched through the house for jewelry and a safe. He watched you and your facial expressions as you watched porn for the first time. He knew that you had no experience at all from the look on your face. You licked your lips and told yourself that it was time. You put your hand in your Rilakkuma pajamas and pressed your finger tips on your folds, you tried to mimic the way in which his fingers dipped in, but it was difficult. There was a weird wall that stopped you and a sharp pain that shot through you when you pushed too hard. You whimpered and opened your legs a little more on the couch, shifting in your seat to get comfortable. There had to be a way, you thought to yourself. Taeyong looked watching you. You were so innocent and cute. He liked the idea that a pastors daughter was trying to pleasure herself on the family couch. He smirked to himself at first, but was turned on by the sight of your widening legs and your moving hand. You had finally found the right spot and started to circle your fingers while pushing them inside you. You closed your eyes and furrowed your brows while you started to breathe harder. The feeling of your insides growing wet was weird, but good. Taeyong watches your mouth open and your head fall back on the couch, your soft, high pitched moans sounded like music to his ears. He had completely forgotten about why he was there. His brain became foggy and he licked his lips which were covered by the skull masks they always wore during robberies. You were unlike any girl heâd seen before, you were soft, pure and beautiful. You wiped the sweat forming on your forehead as you got closer with your other hand.
He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall behind the couch, still drinking in the wet sounds you made with your fingers and the loud groans you made. It was then that he felt his heart grow an attachment to you. He knew that he wanted to ruin you, pollute you, show you all the things that a sheltered Christian girl never knew about. The fact that you were the daughter of the pastor he despises was the icing on the cake.Â
He was breathing heavily as he watched you get off on your fingers.
He had a habit of becoming obsessed with things until he got them and eventually grew tired of them, and he knew that youâd become one of these things. He wouldnât stop until you were his. His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. It was a text from Haechan. Haechan: found the safe in the bedroom on the third floor, need a code. Taeyong smirked to himself. His boys always found things fast. Out of all the bedrooms in this extravagant house and they found the one with the safe in it. Brilliant. But now they needed a code.
Taeyong hadnât found anything about a code in his emails or text messages. He thought of all the possibilities and closed his eyes. What was the code? Your moans still flooded his brain as he tried to focus and think hard so they could get out of there.
âOh my God!â You cried out and his eyes flickered open.
You. It was you. He walked around the couch and stood in front of you while your eyes were still closed. You felt a presence in front of you and your eyes opened. You took your hand out of your pants quickly and screamed. A man with dark red hair and a terrifying skull mask stood over you and tilted his head.
He wore a black long sleeve shirt with a harness around it and black cargo pants tucked into black boots. You breathed heavily and held your head while closing your legs and pushing your body up on the couch. âTake whatever you want! I wonât tell anyone!â The man only stared at you and watched your eyes tear up. âPlease, I donât know why youâre hear but if itâs for money, I donât have any and I donât know where my dad keeps it. Please just let me live!â You begged. The man finally took his mask off and held it in his hand. He was unbelievably handsome. He had an eyebrow slit and a hoop in the center of his bottom lip along with several piercings in his ears. You could see the end of a long tattoo on his neck that led up to a jawline that he could certainly cut you with. His eyes were dark and striking. He was overall perfection. You felt the heat in your cheeks rise when he smiled down at you. âIâm sorry for interrupting, sweetheart, but I need something from you.â The manâs voice was deep and shook your body. You shook your head. Why would he let you see his face? Surely, he was gonna kill you after you gave him what he wanted. âI-I donât have anything!â He stepped closer to you and held out his hand. âStand up and give me your hand.â You did as he demanded and gave him the dry hand. He shook his head. âThe other one. The one you touched yourself with.â You furrowed your brows. âN-no, I wasnât touching myself!â You panicked and turned to the TV. âI was just..flipping through and-and I just stopped on this channel but I was gonna change it before your stopped me!â Taeyong only smiled wider and took your hand that you tried to hide. He held it up and looked at it before looking back to you. You tried to pull it away but he was stronger. He took your index and middle finger and put it in his mouth while looking into your eyes. You found it hard to look away, your mouth dropped as you felt his tongue lick in between and around your fingers. He took your fingers out and rubbed the tips along his lips while closing his eyes. âMmmm..youâre just as sweet as I imagined.â You pulled your hand away and looked at the strange man. âW-What the hell is wrong with you?â Taeyong only smiled. He was about to say something when a voice called out from the hallway. âTaeyong! I donât have any leads on the safe code!â There was another man with him. Taeyong looked to the hallway and was distracted for a split second, so you pushed him away from you and ran towards the other end of the house. Taeyong was caught off guard, but chuckled lightly while you ran. Johnny walked up beside Taeyong. âWho the fuck is that? And whereâs your mask?â âThe bastardâs daughter. She wants to play a game of cat and mouse.â Taeyong smirked. âDo you want us to kill her?â Johnny asked. âNo, sheâs mine. Bring her to me unharmed.â The rest of his men ran after you after Taeyong said that. You tried to find somewhere to hide, the front door was too far away and the patio was on the other side.. You cursed this house for being so big for no reason. You ran up the stairs and heard multiple footsteps follow you. You breathed heavily, dashing into a bedroom and locking the door. You stepped away from the door and looked around for an exit. You couldnât jump out the window, youâd break your legs. Hiding in the closet wouldnât help. You heard the door handle being fiddled with. They found you. âOpen the door! Weâre not gonna hurt you!â A voice yelled out. You panted and looked around. You looked above you and saw the vent. You glanced back at the door when you heard the man trying to break it down by slamming his body into it. You quickly lifted yourself up on the dresser below the vent and jumped up. You had to tip toe to pull the door of the vent open, but once you did, you raised your arms above your head and tried to pull yourself up into it. Thank God for the upper body strength you had. You were halfway inside when the door finally broke down and the men entered. âHey!â The man ran up to you and grabbed your dangling legs. âNo!â You cried out and tried to pull yourself away, but the man was too strong. You fell down through the hole and into the manâs arms. He also wore a skull mask, but was much larger than the man in your living room. You looked around and saw three other men surrounding you. Two of which had a bats in their hands. You couldnât escape. âDonât kill me please!â You cried out again. The tall man threw you on to the bed. âI wouldâve killed you a long time ago if I wanted to, sweetie. But the grim reaper wants you alive.â âThe who?â You scurried and held yourself up with your elbows behind you. âWhat do you want?â You cried out. Then you saw the red haired man calmly walk through the crowd of men in front of you. It was him, he was the grim reaper. You could tell because of the way he commanded the room as he walked in calmly and quiet;y, but still looked deadly.Â
His feline-like eyes narrowed in on you, making you feel small. âOh little mouse, where you going?â He sat at the edge of the bed. âDonât be scared.â He tried to calm you down. âIâll make you a deal..â he started while wiping away a tear that ran down your cheek. âIf you tell me the code..Iâll let you live and I wonât tell anyone, not even your father, what sin you committed tonight.â You cried and sniffled. âI..promise..I donât know it.â Taeyong smiled wickedly. âI know you donât know it..but whatâs your birthday?â You were hesitant to share that information because if that was the code, your family would lose everything in that safety these strange men, but you couldnât let your parents know that you touched yourself and committed such a tragic crime in a Christian household, theyâd be so disappointed. You swallowed hard. âApril fifteenth.â Two of the men ran out of the room while Taeyong smiled. âThank you.â
He turned to the other men. âLeave us.â Once they left, he turned back to you. You jumped when he touched your leg. He took out a switch blade and you saw the twinkling reflection of a sharp knife. He ran it along your neck while you breathed heavily.
You shivered at the feeling of the cold blade on your skin. âWhat were you really doing little mouse, donât lie to me and you might just live.â You exhaled and closed your teary eyes.Â
âYes, I was watching porn..I-Iâve never had sex, I havenât even touched myself before tonight..I feel like a loser and I wanted to know what itâs like. Please donât kill me.â You were surprised to hear so much come out of your mouth to a complete stranger. But he made you nervous. âI see.â he glanced down to your lips. âWell, it would be a shame to kill you before you can experience this.â Taeyong almost pities you, the innocent and sheltered girl, while he drags the knife down your sweaty arm. âIâll let you know my secret..my nameâs Taeyong and those are my men. Your father pissed us off so weâre coming to take whatâs ours.â He looked into your eyes before continuing.Â
âWhen they ask you what happened, tell them that you donât know, you were out for ice cream and when you returned home, you saw that someone had broken in.â His low voice made your eyes widen. âIâll let you live, and for tonight, weâll take the money and jewelry. But Iâll be back for you, little mouse.âÂ
You opened your mouth to ask what he meant but he put a finger on your lips. âDonât tell anyone or Iâll kill your mother first, sweetheart. Nod like a good girl if you understand.â You nodded quickly and watched as the strange man took his finger away and left the room. You laid there, terrified and shaking. You listened to the men yelling and laughing as the destroyed the house. You heard glass break and paintings being destroyed while you cried. You got up slowly when you heard the shuffling stop and walked downstairs. The place was a mess, they not only ravaged through your place, but broke everything. Your father never made anyone upset. He made everyone happy and at peace with his sermons. How could he upset these men? What did he do? You pulled out your phone and called him. âHello? Dad?â You sniffled. âI-I just came home..and thereâs been a robbery.â You felt bad for lying to your parents but you had to, who knows what Taeyong would do if he found out you told the truth. Part of you was terrified by him, but another part was interested for some reason.Â
Was it the way he looked at you through lustful eyes and the power he commanded over the room? Or the fact that he lived a completely different lifestyle from you and was the typical âbad boy?â âââââ A few weeks later and things return to normal. Your dad didnât lose too much, and you found it weird that he wasnât more upset than he was. But he claimed that he was just glad that you werenât home when the savages came. The robbery made headlines and thousands of church guests donated to the rebuilding of your house and life. In public, your parents cried and thanked everyone endlessly, but in private they were all giggles. Something didnât feel right, and the whole thing made you look at them differently. âCan you believe that we ended up with more than we lost?â Your dad laughed one evening when the three of you had dinner. âYeah, the community really is amazing when they work together to help people.â You mom took a bite of her caviar. âShouldnât we give it back then?â You interrupted. Your dad wiped his mouth. âNow, why would we do that? This is a gift from God, we must embrace it and yes, we will use our voices and our power as role models in the community to help others, but we need not put the money weâve been given back out there. This is all for a greater cause, y/n.â You nodded and looked back at your salad. âââââ The weeks following the robbery felt weird. You always felt like someone was watching you. Taeyongâs dark gaze was both alluring and terrifying and the fact that he had watched you touch yourself only made you more paranoid. You were embarrassed, yes, but he made you feel..sexy about it. It was a strange feeling and you didnât understand why part of you liked it. Taeyong was watching you. He would watch you as you went to dinner with your parents or shopped in Target. He was always there. He couldnât let you go, and he knew he needed more. Your purity and soft expressions contradicted everything about himself, thatâs why he liked you. And to see you being curious about sexual feelings sent him overboard. You had everything he didnât have, in terms of wealth and status, but he also had experiences youâd never dreamt of. He knew ways in which to shatter your perfect world and innocent nature. Heâd sit on his motorcycle and watch you skip around in your cute plaid skirts, frilly knee highs and button up blouses and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to ruin you. You are simply being yourself and living a life free of worries and sin, and he wanted to change that. One day when you went to tennis practice, he decided to watch you play. He wanted to hurt the tennis coach when she hit you with a high speed tennis ball on your thigh. You cried out and dropped to the floor, but the coach only scolded you for being too slow.
It took everything in him to not pull his gun out. Nonetheless, you got up and tried harder.
He felt the heat in his chest rise as he watched your glistening and sweaty skin peak out from under your white tennis skirt and on the tops of your breasts in your sports bra.Â
You were breathing heavily, your mouth was swollen from you biting your lips while you played intensely, your eyes dark and low, and you drank so much water, some droplets escaped and dripped down your chin and neck. His impure thoughts drove him wild and he knew he had to talk to you again. And so, when you walked home after he practice, he cornered you. You smiled and thanked the barista at Starbucks for your drink before turning to head out the door.
The tennis court was only a few blocks away from your house so you decided to walk home while drinking an iced caramel macchiato, probably not the best choice for post-workout session, but it made you happy. You sucked your straw while looking at your phone, but when you left the Starbucks you heard a voice call out to you. âDo you think Serena drinks caramel macchiatos after practice?â The low voice said. You slowly turned to see who it was. Your eyes widened. Itâs him, the red haired man that broke into your house now leaned against the wall and eyed you up and down. You suddenly felt naked in your tight tennis uniform. You nearly dropped your drink as you stepped back slowly. âW-What are you doing here?â âWhat? A gang leader canât enjoy a drink from Starbucks?â He took a long sip of his iced coffee while watching you intensely. âWere you watching me?â âI told you Iâd be back, little mouse.â He walked closer to you.
âTake a ride with me.â He tilted his head to a motorcycle that stood beside the sidewalk.
You looked at it, then back at him. He wore a red high collar shirt and black jeans ripped at the knees. A pair of round sunglasses on his face made him look cool and relaxed. It was incredibly hot outside but he still wore dark clothing and black boots. The worst part was that you felt an aching in your chest at the sight of his toned arms, tattoos and piercings. âI-I have to go home.â Taeyong raised his slit eyebrow and threw his empty cup away.Â
He smirked. âIt wasnât a question. Get on.â What could you do? The man surely wouldâve killed you if you ran away. So you let him help you get on his motorcycle. Nervous but eager to see where he was taking you. You got on and held onto his small waist.Â
To your surprise, Taeyong took you to the summer fair. âThe fair? Really?â You looked up at the big sign above you as you two walked in. Taeyong didnât pay, he only brushed past the guards and ticketing workers as he nodded at them. âWhat are we doing here? And how did you get us in for free?â You asked all the important questions but Taeyong only smirked and chuckled. âSo many questions..â He took your hand in his and took you to the first rollercoaster he saw. âIâve been meaning to visit this place, but never had someone to go with.â Taeyong watched your face as you looked on the intimidating rollercoaster. He saw your worried eyes and slightly parted lips, the way your hands gripped the metal barricade in front of you as you waited to be called on. âAre you nervous?â He asked, his tone a bit softer. You turned to him and looked into his concerned eyes. âWhy do you care? Itâs not like I can back out without you killing me.â Taeyongâs smile dropped and he put a hand on your shoulder.Â
âOh, little mouse, you donât need to be worried about that, Iâd never kill you..â He stepped closer and your breathing stopped as he looked down on you with those sharp, magnetic eyes.
âBut I will make you suffer endlessly...by forcing you to go on a rollercoaster.â His straight face turned into a bright smile as he winked. He was confusing. Scary at some points, but attractive at other times. And his words made no sense, was he messing with you?
And why didnât you call the police or your parents? What was this control Taeyong had over you? You brain screamed danger but your heart was being pulled in. You wanted to know what a dangerous lifestyle was like for once. You wanted to stop living a âsimpleâ life.
He watched you the entire ride, laughing as you screamed during the long dips and swift turns. You looked at him and hit his side with a small fist.Â
âHey! Itâs not funny.â You went on the Twister and a few other rides with him, laughing and smiling at each other like a regular couple. He even used his shooting skills to win you a Hello Kitty plush bear.
No one wouldâve known that you were brought there against your will, or that the crazy man was a gang leader. He took your hand in his as you walked to the food truck area. âHowâs your leg?â âWait, you saw that?â You held your head with your other hand, too focused on the question to notice the strange way you two walked together holding hands. You looked up at him but he only looked forward, avoiding your gaze. âI like you, little mouse, and we both know you have never had a boyfriend, right?â The question nearly made you stop walking. âN-no.ïżœïżœïżœ You whispered, a bit embarrassed that you, a college student, never dated someone. Taeyong smiled to himself. Perfect. Everything was falling in line for him. âWell, little mouse, thatâs what people do when they like someone, theyâre always there to watch and support their significant other. How would I know that you were hurt and needed some fun if I didnât stalk you a little?â Something didnât feel right, but Taeyongâs eyes were softer as he talked to you, he rubbed a hand on your arm and gave you a small smile.Â
Why did part of you want to trust him? Was it because you knew nothing about love and how people show it? Taeyong was teaching you more than anyone else did about relationships and you appreciated that.
So you brushed off the bad feeling you had and looked down at your thigh. âWell, I do have a bruise, but Iâll be fine. Thank you for taking me here.â
You were surprised that he cared, but you didnât think it weird that he was there watching you in the first place.
He only smiled and took your hand again. âIâm glad you appreciate my efforts, you can make it up to me later.â He winked. You were in line for a smoked turkey leg, and you wanted to know more about the strange man in front of you that suddenly couldnât stop smiling.
âOkay but why me?â
Taeyong didnât shuffle through his wallet for cash like everyone else did. He only clicked his tongue and waited for the chef to nod. He turned back to you. âBecause youâre the only girl I have my eyes on..because I feel bad for breaking into your parentsâ place.â You scoffed and furrowed your brows. âOh really? You think this makes up for that?â âCome on, y/n, you and I both know your parents made even more than they lost. So in a way, I kinda helped you guys.â His eyes never let go of you while he bit into the turkey leg and chewed a large chunk of it. You rolled your eyes and couldnât help but smile. How did things end up this way? Who was this man? âAre you happy you came with me?â He asked with a full mouth. âI had a good time, but I still donât understand what you want from me.â You looked around nervously. He swallowed hard and handed you the leg. âHave you ever had a smoked turkey leg?â You shook your head. âNo.â He scoffed. âTry it.â
You took a bite out of the leg and your eyes widened at the explosion of flavor. It was so good, it tasted cheap, yes, but the Smokey flavor was unlike anything youâd ever had.
âThereâs so much..that you havenât experienced yet..I just want to show you the world you donât know, will you let me do that?â You nodded without thinking it through. What was the catch? âYes, my parents have kept me sheltered and protected, and..Iâm embarrassed to say I donât know about most things..that the average person knows about.â You went on a tiny rant, but Taeyong already knew this.
He was captivated by the way you chewed and how your round cheeks filled up with even the tiniest bites of food. Your round eyes dazzled in the sunlight and your lips formed a small pout. He couldnât hold himself back any longer. âHave you ever kissed anyone?â You looked down and were about to shake your head but Taeyong lifted your chin with his free hand and leaned down to your face. The handsome man placed a long kiss on your lips while your eyes were wide open. This was all so sudden, but you didnât pull away. You liked it, you had finally been kissed. When he raised his head you looked up at him innocently. âW-What was that?â âIâm sorry, I had to.â He stepped closer to you and gave you a questioning look. âDo you like me, y/n?â You had just gotten to know this man and he was already asking if you liked him. Your sheltered and nervous mind screamed ânoâ at first, but damn it you wanted to do something different.Â
You wanted to live like everyone else did. You felt things you never felt before in your short time with Taeyong and you werenât sure if it was love, but you knew it was different.Â
Taeyong was probably not the best choice for your first âlove,â the man was a killer and leader of a dark life, but you wanted to experience everything he was willing to show you. So, you dove in.
âYes.â You nodded and looked into his eyes. He smirked. âThen you should kiss me back, but open your mouth this time.â You were hesitant, but Taeyong leaned down to you and kissed you again. This time, you felt his tongue on your lips. You slowly opened your mouth and felt it enter. He held your head in his hands as he turned his own and found your tongue. You lifted it and felt your eyes shut while you enjoyed this new feeling. He guided the kiss, playing with your tongue and licking your lips whenever he pulled away to breathe.
You loved the feeling and put your arm around his neck to pull him back towards you. Your chest rose up and down rapidly while you kissed him and his hands found your waist. He brought you closer to his hot body as you placed a hand on his chest lightly. Taeyong felt light headed when you were close to him like this. The feeling of your soft, round lips finally on his made his heart flutter. You were all his. He couldnât think of anything but you. When you pulled away from him you looked up to see him biting his lips and blushing. âYou did so well. Did you like that?â He held your chin and rubbed it with his thumb. âYes.â That was all you could say as you thought of how good his lips and tongue felt on yours. Everything felt magical during the sunset. The lights behind his head and the gathering of more people around you. Everything felt warm. Then, reality set in.
âItâs getting dark, I have to go home.â He nodded and took your hand. âLetâs go.â You were walking past the tables by the food trucks as Taeyong held your hand. A man sitting at one of the tables stuck is foot out at the last second, making your trip and fall halfway down before Taeyong caught you and held you up. The men laughed and looked at your skirt, trying to catch a glimpse of your underwear. You both turned to them while you brushed yourself off. âSorry dear..â the man started. âbut I suggest wearing shorts next time.â The man and everyone at his table burst into laughter while you felt the heat in your cheeks rise. Taeyong came up behind you and stepped in front. The man looked up and wiped his teary eyes.
âOh look, itâs the grim reaper himself. Iâm sorry for tripping your angel of a girlfriend.â He rolled his eyes. Taeyong was silently boiling. How dare someone touch you and laugh at you. He tilted his head before placing both hands on the table. âWhich hand do you use to play with your dick, you fat piece of shit?â Taeyongâs words made you jump as the man raised an eyebrow. He scoffed, âI use both when Iâm fucking your girlfriend.â The man let out but before he could take another breath, Taeyong took a knife out from his waist band and stabbed the man through the center of his hand that rested on the wooden table. You covered your mouth and backed away as the blood spewed out from the manâs hand and he screamed out in pain. People nearby screamed too and ran away. Blood decorated Taeyongâs face while the other guys sitting at the table jumped up and ran.Â
The man tried to take Taeyongâs hand off of the knife so that he could remove it, but he forced the mans hand away and pulled out another shiny knife, stabbing that hand and pinning the man to the table again.Â
More blood spewed onto Taeyongâs face as he laughed. But he didnât stop there. He dragged the first knife through the manâs hand and up his wrist, cutting it in half with the sharp blade.
âOh God!! NO!! Stop!! HELP!â The man cried out but no one helped him. Everyone was gone and the food truck workers only shook their heads as they watched. âYouâre right, I am the grim reaper.â Taeyong leaned in close to the manâs face and looked him in the eyes with a menacing expression.Â
âAnd guess what? No one can help you. Not even God.â Taeyong said before slicing through his other arm. The man stood up and bled profusely before passing out and falling onto the dirt. You didnât notice that you started crying in fear. âT-Taeyong?â How could the man you just kissed moments ago become so violent? Was this who he really was? He turned to with a bloody face and smiled.Â
âDonât cry, little mouse, he had it coming.â He walked up to you and tried to hold you with his bloody hands but you stepped back. âWhy?â You shook your head as tears fell. âBecause I like you! Because he hurt you! Donât be afraid of me.â He started but you couldnât stand to be around him, everything felt so wrong. You were hit with the reminder of who he was.Â
He wasnât some sweet gentleman here to show you the beauty of the world, he was a bad person that only knew the dark sides of it. You turned and ran away from him, pushing through the crowd to try to get as far as possible. He wouldâve followed you but he knew that it was too much for you. If he had just controlled his anger, he couldâve had his boys handle the man, but he didnât. He was used to the violence, but he had to give you time. ââââ A few weeks past and you didnât text Taeyong even when he asked you out for lunch. You were scared of him, but part of you missed the feeling he gave you when he was nearby, looking at you fondly, watching your every move. You brushed off your thoughts and visions of him and walked into the practice room for your piano lesson. You always went to piano practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on this visit, your piano teacher wasnât present in the choir room you used for your lessons. âHello?â You called out and looked around âItâs just you and me, little mouse.â âWhat are you doing here?â Your eyes wide when you recognized the mans voice.
âWell, you didnât text me back, so I had to come see you.â He stood in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, this time he wore a gray long-sleeve that clung to his arms. He looked irritated, like he hadnât slept for days. âDonât worry, Iâll forgive you if you play something for me.â He stepped closer, but your gripped the strap of your backpack and baked away. âForgive me for what? You nearly killed a man! What did you expect me to do?â He laughed. But slammed a hand down on the piano. You jumped at the sound. âI expect you to thank me for standing up for you!âÂ
His voice was loud and husky, his dark eyes looked up at you. You wore a pink short skirt that rested above the middle of your thighs with a thin white button down shirt tucked into it. And of course, those frilly white knee-highs that he loved. âHow could you leave me?â He stepped closer to you, making you back into the door of the practice room. You didnât know what to say, he did defend you even though he scared you. âDonât you understand that I did that for you? I couldâve been arrested.â Taeyong moved a strand of hair from your face.
You looked up at his lips innocently. You forgot about everything. The only thing you thought about was the feeling of them on you.
You leaned in and kissed him first this time. You missed the feeling and closed your eyes while moaning out lightly.
Taeyong kisses you hard this time, biting your lips before pulling away and kissing your neck. He held your body close to his, focusing on your moans and heavy breathing. But he had to hold himself back, he wasnât ready to take you yet. He wanted you to beg for him. He took your hand and led you back to the piano. âSit and play a song for me. Donât mess it up.â He demanded as you sat down and flipped the pages to the song you had practiced with your teacher.Â
You gulped, worried for what might happen in you made a mistake.
He sat beside you and you started to play Piano Sonata No.24 by Beethoven. Despite your hands being shaky, you put your fingers on the keys and played. You started off well but jumped a bit when Taeyong breathy voice entered your ears. He whispered âI remember when I first saw you, you were touching yourself, isnât that right, little mouse?â
You nodded, and stared straight ahead at the sheet music, finding it difficult to focus on the piece.
âDo you really want to know what itâs like?â He continued. You nodded and your breath hitches in your throat as his large, cold and bruised hands run up your thigh. The touch of his hand on your thighs makes you feel a heat between your legs, much like what you felt that night.
He stops his hand and runs his gun along the inner skin on your thigh instead, running it all the way up to your private area. You gasp at the feeling of a weapon being so close to your core, but Taeyong whispers again and drags the pistol back down to your knee. âKeep playing.â You continued, but missed a beat and picked your hands up off the piano. He inches the gun up your thigh but you continue with the song. A few bars later and you mess up again. He pulls the gun up further. You canât stop skipping notes and playing incorrect rhythms until the gun finally touched your aching core. You pull your hands away and look at Taeyong who is focused on the device between your legs. âIâm sorry, please donât kill me.â You beg. âOh sweet girl, I already told you Iâm not gonna kill you. You can leave whenever you want to, unless..you donât want me to stop?â He whispers and continues to rub the gun against your folds.
You grip the piano tightly and shake your head. Everything felt wrong, how could an inanimate object make you feel this way?
âItâs okay, relax.â Taeyongâs deep voice and closeness calmed you down, and you felt the need to embrace this new feeling. You needed to know what others talked about when they talked about sex. âClose your eyes. Focus on the feeling.â He whispered into your neck. His hot breath pushed you along further.
You do as he says and breathe heavily, gasping at the strange, but good feeling you start to have. The cold metal pressing against you through your underwear makes you wet. âDoes it feel good? Do you like the feeling of my gun on you, little mouse?â You sigh and nod, biting your lips and grunting as you start to rock your hips. âWhy does it feels so good?â âThis is what itâs like...Iâm gonna make you cum for the first time, sweetheart.â His deep voice echoes in your head. He watches your lips part and your mouth fall open and feels the restraint in his pants. You moan a few more times as he kisses your neck and you move your wet opening against his gun on your own. He listens to your moans get louder, but before you can cum, he removes the gun and stands up from the stool, taking a few steps back and looking down on you as you still sat and breathed heavily, your forehead sweaty and your lips open. âNow, follow my orders, be a good girl.â You nodded, saddened by the withdrawal of his gun for some reason. âPut your hand on your pussy.â He smirked. You shakily lowered your hand. âHow does it feel?â âItâs wet..and warm.â You breathily answered. He smiled. âGood, now turn to me and put one leg on each side so that your legs are open, and put your hands out in front.â You moved as he said and jumped slightly at the feeling of the cold leather in between your legs. He put his gun away and took out a switch blade, running it against your thighs, the sharp knife made you chilly. âLift your skirt and lean back a little, sweetheart.â You moved again as he looked into your eyes while running the blade across the delicate skin of your inner thigh. You bunched your skirt up around your waist as he licked his lips and moved closer. You watched and breathed heavily, unsure of what heâd do next. âMy gun made you so wet already, little mouse.â His mouth turned upward into a smirk as he looked at your soaking panties. He used the knife to cut the waist band of your panties and dragged the fabric from under you, making it so that your bare flower was against the smooth leather. âNow, slide forward and backward.â You leaned forward and started to rock your hips back and forth again, but Taeyong wasnât pleased that you were barely touching the seat. He placed two hands on your shoulders and pressed you down. âKeep moving, yes, just like that little mouse.â He stepped back again.
Your eyes closed as you focused on the feeling and the strange building of liquid under you. You placed your hands in front of you and leaned forward so that your clit rubbed against the chair.
Something was building up in your stomach, you werenât sure what it was. The aching in your clit made you cry out quietly in the studio. You looked up to see Taeyong recording you with his phone from two feet away. âUnbutton your bra.â âLike this?â You looked up at Taeyong innocently while unbuttoning the top three buttons and still moving back and forth. He nearly lost it when he saw your large eyes through the phone screen. âYes, sweetheart, and take your boobs out of your bra.â You still held your body as it moved back and forth with one hand in front, but took your boobs out of your bra just like he told you to. âAh! Cold..â you hissed at the cold air that hugged your breasts once you picked them out. âMy nipples..theyâre so firm and hard, is that supposed to happen?â Your high pitched and confused voice made Taeyong chuckle. He bit his lips as he watched your boobs jump up and down while you fucked yourself on the stool. âYes, little mouse, thatâs a good thing. Now, move faster.â You swallowed hard and picked up the pace while still holding your breasts. The sounds of your wet entrance against the leather covering filled the air.
You felt weird and raw. You bit your lips to hold back the sounds that wanted to escape your chest. The plush surface of the stool against your folds drove you crazy. How could something so simple make your chest so weak? âOpen your mouth, let it out, the louder you are the better you will feel.â Taeyong demanded while still recording you. Your mouth fell open and you were happy to see Taeyongâs approval. Your whines grew louder as your pace increased automatically. âDo you like fucking yourself on the stool?â
You bit your lips and nodded, the strange heat building made your head spin. âLook at the camera and say it, tell me what youâre doing with your sweet pussy.â You opened your eyes and looked the phone. âIâm f-fucking myself with the leather s-seat of a stool.â The words barely left your mouth before the high pitched moans escaped.
âOhâoh my God.â You whimpered You let go of your boobs and used your both hands in front of you move faster and further down onto the stool.
Taeyongâs pants felt extremely restrictive as he grew. The sight of you slowly losing your innocence made him weak. Your skin was glistening with sweat, your chest moved fast and your full lips stayed open while you cried out the sweetest sounds heâs ever heard. âGood girl, are you going to cum?â He huskily let out. âI-I dont know..everything feels weird. But it feels good..â You whined and moaned loudly. âWhat feels good?â Taeyongâs calm voice let out. âMy pussy..itâs feels so good, Taeyong.â You shut your eyes tightly and moved a few more times before you felt the sudden tremble of your core under you. Your boobs jumped and your legs fell weak as you came. Your eyes rolled in the back of your head as your jaw tensed. Taeyong loved every second of it and was glad to get it on camera. Your mouth still open as you moved slowly and came down, he thought of how your lips would look around his dick. But this was enough for today. âGood girl, you came.â Taeyong got up and rubbed your cheek. âGet up.â He helped you up off the stool. âLook at that, little mouse, look at how wet you are.â You looked down and saw the leather completely covered in the liquids that escaped you. âWhy is it like that?â Taeyong laughed. âItâs good...â He took your hand as he stood behind you and brought it down to your core. âDo you feel that?â His fingers over yours as he pushed them in between your folds. âYesâ You nodded, still shaken up by your orgasm. Taeyongâs hot breath on your neck made you weaker. âA wet pussy is a good pussyâ Taeyong let go and you were saddened by the withdrawal. âNow, little mouse..before our next lesson, I want you to suck a few lollipops.â He looked at your lips. âWhenâs our next lesson?â You asked, eager to see him again for some reason. You had completely forgotten about why you were upset with him, what he had done.
He was helping you get over your sexual awkwardness and you liked that, even if it was coming from a gang leader. That was all you cared about. He made you feel good and now you wanted more. âA little impatient arenât we? Donât worry, sweetheart, Iâll find you.â He winked and left you alone in the now quiet studio. ââââ Taeyong goes about his daily life of crime, but still canât get his mind off of you Heâd have sex with other girls heâd meet at the nightclub his gang controlled but nothing compared to the sight of you. Heâd try to get off on the girls as they danced for him but nothing worked, he couldnât get hard and cum if he didnât think about your body and the way you moved it on the leather chair.
He pictured your lips and heard the echoing sounds of your high pitched whimpers and moans. When he was alone, heâd get high and watch the video of you on his phone. Heâd touch himself as he watched and feel completely blissful as he came while higher than the clouds. But he knew he needed more, he needed another fix. It had been two weeks but he couldnât shake the thought of you out of his head. When he robbed people, he thought of you. When he killed people, he thought of your innocent eyes. He had to see you. Taeyong goes to watch you play tennis again but you still didnât know. He liked the way you sweat and move.
So he decides that itâs time for your second lesson.
He waits for you at home, creeping into your bedroom through your window. He saw your parents cars in the driveway so he knew they were home. While waiting in your bedroom, he syncs his phone with your TV so he can play the video he took of you when you get out the shower. He starts to play the video, his head falling back against the headboard while he watches your innocent expressions on the screen. Thatâs when you came out of the bathroom attached to your room. You clutch your towel around you tightly and jumped in surprise when you saw the man on your bed. âH-how did you get in here?â Taeyong smiled. âNice to see you too.â You heard panting and light moaning and turned to the TV.
Your eyes widened, it was you in your white blouse moving up and down the leather seat in the practice room. You had completely forgotten that Taeyong had taken and kept the video on his phone. âThis isnât good, you should delete that.â You turned back to him and pointed at the screen. âOh, little mouse, I kept it so you can remember how good you felt.â You looked back at the screen and your jaw dropped at how you looked like a porn star. âDonât be embarrassed, sweetheart, come here.â Taeyong patted your bed. You turned to him and walked slowly, still holding your towel around you. âDo you trust me?â He asked as he looked up at your exposed collar bones and the water droplets that dropped from your wet hair. You pouted and looked away. âI donât know.â âDo you want to feel good again? Look at me.â He touched your hand as you looked back at the gorgeous man. â..yes.â He smiled slowly. âCome here. Get on the bed.â You still held your towel and climbed on the bed, kneeling over his lap as he massaged your thighs. Your moans on the TV echoed in the back of your head. âListen...you sound beautiful.â Taeyongâs voice was dark and low. He rubbed his hands along the soft skin of your hips, lifting up the towel. He pressed his thumbs on the skin and bit his lips. âI want you to ride my face, little mouse.â You gasped. âYou what?â âRide my face, move just like you did on the seat.â Taeyong worked his hands to your waist. âIâm gonna make you feel good.â You nodded, he pushed himself further down your bed so that his face replaced his lap. You still held the towel as you hovered over him, hesitant to show him your naked body.
âLet me see all of you, please.â His hot breath fanned your sensitive skin, making you tremble in his hands. You nodded and dropped your towel. âGood girl, now lower yourself onto me.â He made you so weak with his husky voice. His hands gently pushed you down towards him and you started to move when you felt his plush lips against your folds. He sticks his tongue in between them, giving you one long stripe as you start to move back and forth. Your breath stays in your chest and you hold onto the headboard for support as your weak and incredibly sensitive to the feeling of his hot tongue on you. Taeyong marvels at the sight do your body above him, the roundness of your breasts, the way your nipples stuck out from the pillowy soft skin, and the beauty of your untouched pussy on his mouth. He lays his tongue flat while you move, kissing your clit every now and then to send shockwaves through your body. He likes to see how jumpy you are at the new feeling.
But he pulls you down towards him whenever you push up away from him, forcing your legs further apart so you had to lower yourself. âTaeyongââ You breathily call out his name and let your head fall back, while still rocking your hips back and forth. Taeyong hums and dips his tongue inside to give you more. His tongue laps up the juices between your folds and moves from your clit to your dripping opening. You nearly lose it as he explores your pussy with his mouth, moaning and crying out while you get closer to cumming. Taeyong digs his thumbs into your waist, making you yelp out in the unexpected and bruising pain.
âQuiet down, sweetheart, we donât want your parents to hear, isnât that right?â Taeyongâs raspy voice lets out. You nod amd shut your lips tightly, trying to prevent any sound from getting out. You move faster, gripping hard onto the headboard while Taeyong passionately circles his tongue around your clit and along your folds. He moves a hand to your clit and runs circle around it slowly while sticking his tongue deep inside you. This new feeling of the combined attacks on your core makes you go crazy, you canât hold back anymore and cry out his name loudly. âTaeyong!â He slaps your ass hard with his other hand, making you jump. You put a hand over your mouth as Taeyong brings you to the edge with his mouth, moaning into it as tears start to form.
You moved back and forth a few more times before cumming. You tried to lift yourself off of his face as you came but he used his large, veiny hands to force you back down onto him.
You shake uncontrollably and look down at him while he holds you still, your mouth falling open in a silent âOâ shape.
He licked everything up while looking you in the eyes. He was so hard, he wanted to fuck you until you moaned so loudly, your parents would think you were being attacked, but he knew he couldnât. Not tonight.
He finally lets you go and you fall down on the bed beside him, exhausted and weak with the a tired feeling in your legs. He wipes his mouth with the bath towel and leans over you.Â
âYou were such a good girl for me, baby.â He kissed your forehead while you smiled. âThat was amazing.â You let out. Taeyong sat up and flipped channel while you looked at the ceiling blissfully. âThereâs a video I wanted you to see.â Taeyong turned to you and held your hand.
You sat up straight and looked at the TV. The video features a man dressed as a priest and a woman dressed as a nun.
âWhy are we watching this?â You ask as Taeyong rubs small circles on your back. At first it seems like an innocent video of people in a church, but then you see what it really is.
The nun undressed like the priest tells her too then gets on her knees. You gasp as you watch the nun open her mouth for the priest and gives him a blow job in the church. âIs this real?â âYesâ Taeyong lies, theyâre just actors but he doesnât want you to know that. You gasp at the sight. âIsnât this..wrong?â Taeyong chuckles at how naive you are. âNo, little mouse, they are in love, So this isnât wrong..now, watch closely.â You observe the way the ladyâs head bobs up and down, and how she takes the priests entire length in her mouth. Your head turns and you wonder how itâs possible at a to fit so much in oneâs mouth. âIf youâre a good girl like she is, youâll be rewarded greatly.â Taeyong watches your wide eyes on the TV. He gets up and sits on the edge of the bed. He couldâve just laid on the bed and had you between his legs while he rested his back against the headboard, but having you under him on the floor would feel so much more..satisfying. He takes your hand and gets you off the bed. âGet on your knees and be a good girl for me.â You look up at him while he rubs his thumb over your bottom lip. He unzips his jeans and takes his erect dick out. the size is intimidating, not as large as the manâs in the video, but youâre still not sure how you could fit all of him in your mouth. âWhatâs wrong, baby?â He asks once he sees your sad expression. âIâm not sure..if I love you, Taeyong.â Taeyong smiles and laughs lightly, still moving his hand up and down his member, circling around shaft and spreading the pre cum over it. He had built himself up so much, just the sight of you below him would make him cum hard if he kept moving his hand. But he wanted to feel your pretty mouth on him badly. âWell..do you hate me?â You shake your head. âNo, no I donât, Taeyong.â âAnd what is the opposite of hate?â Taeyong raises an eyebrow. âLove.â The word barely leaves your mouth. Taeyong is addicting, you canât push away from him even though the small voice in your head tells you to.Â
Heâs a criminal, someone that lives a completely different lifestyle from you and hurts others. He went against everything you were taught, he was dangerous, but you liked that.
âSee, baby, I love you so much I tasted you and fucked you with my mouth.â The words sounded sexy as they left his mouth.Â
âbut if you want to prove that you love me, you should take me in, all of me. Do you understand why we must do this now?â Taeyong intertwines his other hand with yours, his eyes large and focused on your soft face. âYes..â
He was surprised to feel a small pain in his cold heart after he lied to you, but he brushed it away. He wasnât capable of providing love. He only fucked well and got people to do things for him with that manipulative mouth of his. Love was never an option. âGood.â He smiles. âNow, open your pretty mouth.â He moves his hand up and down his shaft as you hover over it, a heat growing in between your legs again as you remember what the couple on the TV did. âDo it just like she did for Father. You want to be a good girl, right?â âYes, Taeyong.â You lick your lips and put your mouth on his tip. You do as he says. Doing your best to follow what the girl in the video does, and lower your mouth onto him, taking in as much as you can.
Thereâs a harsh feeling in your throat as you feel youâve taken in all you can, but you push even further. You had to be good, you had to make him feel as good as he made you feel. You gag and take him all in, your eyes squinting at the pain in your throat. You pull your mouth off and let your spit drop back onto his tip as you choke.
When you pull away you look up at him with large eyes and ask âLike this?â, Taeyong grunts.
âYes, just like that, think of it as those lollipops you had this week.â Taeyong smirks and pushes your head back down. âStick your tongue out.â Taeyong demands through dark eyes. You do as he says and he guides his tip on your tongue. âLick it, little mouse.âÂ
And so you do, you lick all around it and in between the small part at the top. You moved your head so your tongue can cover all bases while you place kitten licks on his veiny dick.
âDoes it feel good, Taeyong, am I a good girl?â You work your tongue around the shaft as he throws his head back and holds back his loud groans. Your kitten licks drove him crazy âYes, baby, youâre perfect, now swallow.â He looks back down at you and pushes the back of your head. You feel his dick hit the back of your throat and struggle to breathe as you bob your head up and down. âYes, sweetheart, just like that.â You move your head up and down like the lady in the video did, drinking in Taeyongâs glorious moans. He looks down at your naked body while you gag and tears start to fall down your perfect face.
You pull away for a brief moment to breathe, and Taeyong watches as a string of spit and his pre cum fall onto your breasts and your chin. âJust a little longer, Iâm almost there.â He pants. You look up at him innocently and nod before moving back down onto it. Taeyong grabs your hair and thrusts into your mouth, forcing your head down so that your lips and tongue touch every inch as he gets closer.Â
You groan as your throat becomes raw and irritated at the continued attack, but the vibrations make Taeyong go crazy.
You donât even move your head anymore as Taeyong fucks into it. Your eyes start to water, your knees grow tired on the cold, hard floor.
âFuckâ he whispers as he gets closer.
You tap his thigh to tell him you canât breathe, but he forces himself into your mouth with one hard thrust and you feel a hot liquid coat the back of your irritated throat.
Heâs still holding the back of your head so you canât pull away and see his release. âSwallow it.â
He groans and curses as he comes in your mouth.
Youâre completely ruined as your tears stain your red cheeks and your nose runs. He finally lets go of your head and watches you swallow hard.
âIt hurts.â You whined as you look up at him and wipe your chin of his cum. âI know, baby, but you did so well.â He picks you up off the floor. âyou were such a good girl.â He sits you on his lap and cleans your face up with the bath towel before laying you down. He zips his jeans up and turns off the TV.
âNow you know what it feels like. Doesnât it feel good?â He asks as he wipes your face. He doesnât lay down with you, he only sits on the side of your bed while watching you. âCan I know..what the actual thing feels like?â You look down at his pants, eager to feel him inside you.
Taeyong chuckles and his smile makes your heart shutter. His beautiful large eyes squinted. âYou will, little mouse, but not today.â
He wanted to fuck you badly, make you writhe under him and beg for more. He wanted to be the first one to stretch you out and the first to cum inside your beautiful pussy, but he knew he had to wait.Â
You were like a delicate, expensive toy. He couldnât treat you like any other girl. You were pure. Little by little, he wanted to open your eyes and take out the hungry animal in you that would beg for his cock every day. He knew if he was the one to bring you to your amazing climaxes every time, you wouldnât want anyone else, youâd only crave him. You were his, and he wasnât going anywhere. He pulled the blanket over your naked body and rubbed your side as you fell asleep. You were tired by the new feelings and his attack on your throat, so you fell asleep quickly. âMy little mouse, youâre all mine.â He got up and left the same way he came in. Oddly enough, you never asked him how he got in in the first place. ââââ Another two weeks away from Taeyong, you felt a strange urge in your stomach to be with him again, to make him feel good. Itâs all you thought about. You saw his perfect face and his smile whenever he called you a good girl. You felt his large hands over your body and imagined them in between your legs. You bit your lips and focused on the drive. Your parents were taking you back to college, the last thing you wanted to do was touch yourself in the backseat while they listened to a gospel album and hummed along. You pouted when you looked at your phone. Taeyong never texted you, maybe because he wanted you to come to him. But part of you was upset. You thought he got what he wanted and ditched you. He didnât even call the next day to give you tips on how to get rid of the god awful sore throat you had. So you didnât text him to tell him you were leaving town. Why should you? He wasnât your boyfriend. ââ Three weeks later and Taeyong kept an eye on you all the time. That night he went over to your place he put a tiny tracker in your bag. He always knew where you were and this was how he watched you. So he was shocked to see your strange location on the map when he woke up one morning. You were gone, out of the city and miles away. âWhere you going little mouse?â He said to himself with a smirk. He was initially offended by you not notifying him of your leave but then he thought to himself, how wonderful this game of cat and mouse would be.
He couldâve texted you but he didnât want you to know that he was watching. He wanted to surprise you, but first he needed to know exactly what kinda place you were in.
He went on to your social media and found a pic of you and another girl. The caption was âfinally reunited with my fave.â He felt a tinge of jealousy, he thought he was your fave. He then looked at the location and saw the name of the university you were at. It was about 50 miles away so it made sense.
It was time for him to get his fix. He wanted to see you again, to feel your warm body and mouth on his again. He wanted to remind you of who you belonged to because he wouldnât let you go that easily. He picked up his phone and dialed Johnny. âJohn..Iâm gonna be taking a little vacation..I wonât be back for a few days. Make sure everyone keeps their shit together.â He didnât wait for Johnny to ask questions, he hung up and gathered his things. ââââ âLets get fucked up!!â Your roommate Jessica yelled out over the music in the club while raising her shot glass. It was your first night together since summer break so you decided to have some fun at the nightclub near campus with a few of your friends. So much for good Christian morals. Everyone was drinking and dancing to the pulsating beats covered by profane language. Some kids were making out and some were talking. You missed Taeyong when you looked at the couples, you wanted to dance with him, to feel his hands all over you. âSo my boyfriend and I had sex in the bathroom at Olive Garden over break!â Jessica yelled out over the music. You winced and tried to hide your displeasure at hearing the unnecessary confession. âOh really? wow.â She had so much more experience than you did, and she knew this. While you had a strict Christian lifestyle back home, Jessica rebelled against it and did everything she wasnât supposed to do.
She felt good when she talked about her sex life because she knew you couldnât relate, but she didnât know about Taeyong. You wanted to tell her how he fucked you with his tongue, but you didnât, youâd only feel impure if you talked about it.
Luckily, your mutual friend Mark came up and disrupted the conversation before Jessica could go into the details. âHey!! How are you guys?â Mark called out and hugged you both. You smiled widely and hugged him back, happy to see the cute dork. He pushed up his large round glasses and stuck his hands in his jeans.
Seeing him in a nightclub was strange. He was so innocent and sweet, you always felt a connection as he never had a girlfriend either and focused on church and studying. He was kind and just came back from his missionary trip in a country you forgot the name of. âIâm good! How was your summer overseas?â You asked excitedly. The three of your spoke before dancing together. Mark held your hand and spun you around in the typical flirtatious manner he always had. You two laughed and held each other, a bit tipsy from the alcohol.
You didnât notice the pair of dark eyes that watched you from the bar. Taeyong drank you in, you wore a black body con dress that hugged your curves and had your hair messy for the first time. Your makeup was also darker than usual. You didnât look so innocent anymore. He licked his lips and watched as you spoke to the man in front you. He was furious that the nerdy boy had touched you, hugged you. He hated the way he smiled and the way you looked at him like he was your entire world. He wanted to be the only man you looked at like that, so he knew he had to make it stop.Â
His anger took over, he knew he wouldnât give a warning. âââââ Classes start and itâs been three days since anyone has seen Mark. You were the closest to him so you asked his roommates if theyâd seen him but they all shook their heads. You called and texted him but didnât get a response. That was..until a few hours later. Mark sent a text back and you quickly unlocked your phone to open it. Your mouth dropped when you saw what it was. You quickly walked to the corner of a building on campus and watched the video. It was the same one that Taeyong took, the one of you fucking yourself on the leather seat in the practice room. You close the video and call him repeatedly until he answers, furious at what he had the audacity to send you. Then you heard the ringing sound stop and a breath over the line. âMark?â You said quietly. There was a moment of silence as you waited for him to answer. âHello, little mouse.â The voice answers. â..what did you just call me?â Your eyes widen. âLittle mouse, you left me all alone..â the deep voice trailed, sending chills up your spine. âT-Taeyong..what did you do? Whereâs Mark?â âYour boyfriendâs right here!â You heard Markâs blood curdling scream and a few loud hits and cracks. Your eyes started to water when you heard the silence. You thought of what Taeyong did to the man at the fair and panicked. âTaeyong..please, donât do this.â You beg. âHow could you cheat on me?â âCheat? What are you talking about, heâs my friend. And wait, weâre not even dating!â âOh, sweetheart, youâre mine, I thought I made that very clear.â âTaeyong, you never texted or called me, Iâm not yours and I never will be, youâre crazy!â You yelled into the phone, but Taeyongâs haunting chuckle overtook you. âMmm..little mouse, youâve gotten brave now, huh? Well..if heâs not your boyfriend and Iâm not your boyfriend..I guess Iâll just get rid of him and leave you alone.â âNo! Leave him alone!â âWhy would I do that?â âPlease..Taeyong, dont hurt him, he didnât do anything wrong..this is my fault, Iâm sorry I left you without saying anything.â âAnd what will you do to make up for it?â Taeyong asked and you paused. You knew what he wanted and you had to give it to him to free Mark. âFine. Iâll do..whatever you want me to, Taeyong, just leave him alone please.â âI want you to live with me. I canât breathe without you, little mouse. I need to feel you near me..if youâre too far away, Iâm not sure what Iâll do..who Iâll hurt.â He was blackmailing you but what could you do? You had already gone too far. âI-I canât do that...your life is completely different from my own...and youâre a gangââ âThen say goodbye to Mark.â âNo!â You started but Taeyong already hung up the phone. You hurriedly called the cops and tell them that someone called you from Markâs phone. You delete the video but showed them the call.Â
You didnât tell them who it was you spoke with, you simply said a strange man answered, but you hoped they would be able to track his phone and find Mark. You didnât want to explicitly say it was Taeyong. But the information you gave them wasnât enough, so they left and said theyâd put out a missing persons report. When you got back to your dorm, you called Taeyong several times, he didnât answer so you texted Taeyong after he declined them.
Taeyong knew you called the police because he watched the activity on your phone and heard your conversation. Taeyong used your phone number and gave it to his gangâs hacker, Taeil, so he knew who you called and who you texted after Taeil created a duplicate SIM card. He knew you didnât tell the cops about him and smiled, thinking of how you protected him because you loved him. To Taeyong: please donât hurt Mark, I take it back, Iâll live with you The guilt was eating away at your heart, you were terrified of what heâd do. Taeyong couldâve just given in and swooped you up that night, but he wanted to make himself clear, heâd hurt anyone that touched you. ââââ You didnât sleep that night.. you got up to go to class but walked by a crowd you saw gathering around the large cross that was seated in the center of campus. Some students turned away and cried, some students put their hands over their mouths. You finally looked up and saw what they did. It was Mark. Bloodied and bruised and tied to the large campus cross to turn it into a crucifix. He was nearly unrecognizable, it was his large round glasses and his favorite watermelon t-shirt that told you it was him. Your eyes started to tear up, your head started to spin, you knew who had done this and you couldnât breathe. You looked away from Markâs body as he barely breathed through a swollen lip. Both eyes were black and his hands and feet were swollen from the blood that had collected while he was tied there for what seemed to be hours.Â
You ran away and cried, unable to breathe. You brushed past campus medical and ran to a corner, where you bent over and screamed. How could he do this to one of your closest friends? Mark didnât do anything, he was someone that was close to you and now Taeyong had hurt him, who knew what internal damage had been done. Mark only did great things for his community, unlike Taeyong who hurt everyone. And when you finally stopped crying, You were furious. You opened your phone and found Taeyongâs number. You knew you shouldnât have cursed or wished ill on anyone, itâs not why you were taught, but you were just so mad. To Taeyong: fuck you. You closed the text box and blocked his phone number. You didnât know that this infuriated and intrigued Taeyong. You werenât his innocent little girl anymore, and while part of him was a bit hurt, he was more turned on by your sassiness.Â
He had no regrets for what he did to Mark, he only craved you more when you pushed yourself away from him because he knew that in the end, heâd get you, heâd have you under him, begging for him, loving him and no one else, for forever. Even if that meant hurting or killing everyone close to you. You sat in your room, locked your door and cried. You cursed yourself for not telling the cops about Taeyong. Why were you trying to protect him in the first place? Telling them about him now wouldnât have made any sense. You had no idea where Taeyong was. They wouldnât find him, youâd only waste their time again. You couldnât talk to anyone about Taeyong, theyâd say your crazy for letting it get this far. You held your face and thought of what to do, who could keep your information confidential? And then it clicked. You needed to go to the one place that always brought you peace when you had a lot on your mind. ââââ Later that day, you went to the campus church, a large and ancient building with incredible high arches and velvet covered benches. You still cried softly as you kneeled in between the benches and prayed for a few minutes. You then went into the confessional box to speak with the priest. You sat on the small bench, resting your back against the walls and exhaling heavily. You couldnât get the picture of Markâs messed up face and body out of your mind. âFather..thereâs a lot on my mind and my heart.â âGo on, my child.â âI put..my friends safety in great risk.â The tears started to come again as you choked up. âAnd now, heâs hurt..real bad.. and I know who hurt him..â You paused. âBut I donât know what to do Father..I think I love the man who hurt him, but I donât know why..and now I canât even face my friend who is in so much pain because of me.â You sniffled and wiped your eyes. âIâm a coward, father, please forgive me.. Iâve been lustful and ignorant..Iâve put myself before others.â You took in a deep breath and closed your eyes. âFather, I donât even know if I deserve forgiveness.â âMy child..of course you deserve forgiveness. Thatâs why you are here..youâve acknowledged your mistakes and now you can learn from them.â
His voice sounded weird, unnatural, but you didnât question it. âThis man..that you love..have you asked for his forgiveness?â Your eyes opened and your brows furrowed. âNo, Father, heâs the reason why my friend is hurt, why should I ask for his forgiveness?â âBut youâre the one who left him and drove him to violence..it couldâve been prevented if you just did what he asked, if you just went to him and loved him.â You raised your head and your mouth dropped. âIâm-Iâm sorry Father, Iâm not following.â There was a moment of silence, just the sound of your breathing filled the small booth. âLittle mouse, when will you learn?â Taeyongâs voice spoke out from the box, the fake voice you had heard before disappearing. You jumped up and opened the door of the box to run out but Taeyong beat you to it and pushed you back inside. You fell onto the small bench before standing up and trying to push past Taeyong, you opened your mouth to scream but Taeyong quickly put a hand over your mouth while closing the door.
He leaned down and whispered in your ear, keeping anyone else in the church from hearing anything. âDid you really think you could run away and block me?â âWhy would you run away from the one that loves you the most?â Taeyong looked somber, genuinely hurt that you stayed away from him. He took his hand from your mouth when your eyes softened.
You breathed heavily. âHow could you hurt my friend? I told you Iâd do anything you wanted me to?â You cried as you remembered Markâs bloody face. âI had to let everyone know that youâre mine, sweetheart, donât you understand?â You shook your head and cried while he head your chin and stepped closer to you. âYouâre crazy.â âNo, little mouse, this is how people show their love for one another. Sacrifices have to be made for the betterment of the relationship.â You sniffled and you listened to the handsome man above you. âI hurt him..because he touched you, he tainted you that night at the club and I couldnât stand it because I love you!â Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked at him, unaware that he was at the club that night. âHeâs my friend! We were having fun!â Your voice raised. He only smiled and ran his long fingers along the side of your face.
âIâm sorry, sweetheart, but please understand me...do you forgive me?â He leaned down and placed soft kisses on your neck.Â
He held your head, softly tugging your head back so he could kiss your collar bone. âDonât you remember when I made you feel good?â His low voice spoke against your soft skin.
You whined quietly and leaned into him, you didnât want him to stop. Your mind told you this was bad, but your body was saying something else.
âYes.â âI can do that again..but only if you forgive me, do you?â Something about Taeyong was so intoxicating. His hot breath on your lips made you weak, he clouded your mind again and you no longer saw Markâs bloody face.Â
You nodded without thinking it through. âYes.â He pulled back and smiled. Something about his dark eyes in the dimly lit booth made him look dangerously handsome.Â
âGood..now I have to forgive you for leaving me...how will you gain my forgiveness? What will you do for me, little mouse?â You looked up at him questioningly.
His lips were just centimeters away from yours, you wanted to feel them again.
âI-Iâll do anything.â You let out as you struggled to focus on forming complete sentences. His closeness was driving you crazy in the small booth.Â
The warmth of his body on yours and his touch made you want more. He gave you a wicked smile. âmy sweet girl, there is one thing that has been on my mind.. but only if youâre ready can we do it.â You nodded, already knowing what he was referring to. You wanted it too and his closeness to you only brought out the craving you had weeks ago the last time you were together. âIâm ready.â Taeyong smiled and kissed your neck while he ran a hand up your thigh. He sucked hard to leave a colorful mark on your perfect skin. Your head fell back against the wall behind you and you pushed your body closer to his, feeling his bulge through his jeans. You moaned quietly when he placed his finger tips over your underwear, pushing the outward frills of your plaid skirt up so he could hold your skin. âTaeyongâwhat if someone walks in?â You breathily let out. He rolled hips into yours with his head still buried in the crook of your neck. âTheyâll see how good I make you feel, baby. Now, put your legs around my waist.â Taeyong our two hands in your butt and lifted you up so that your legs wrapped around him. He pinned you to the wall to keep you up. He loved seeing you like this in your plaid skirt, white dress shirt, knee highs and pink bow tie. Youâre an innocent girl ready to be fucked in the confessional booth in a church, and that drove him wild. âUnbutton your shirt, sweetheart.â His mouth watered as he pulled away and looked at you. His low eyes watching you breathe heavily. You did as he said while he hurriedly unbuttoned his jeans and pulled his boxers down. His dick sprung up out of the restricted clothing and hit your thigh. He lowered his head back to your boobs and suck the top. âTaeyongââ You breathily moaned his name as you felt his wet, tongue on your skin and felt his stiff member on your thigh so close to your throbbing entrance. You heard the people in the church move about like they would on any other day. They had no idea that you weâre committing a sin within the walls of the house of God.
It felt wrong, but it felt good. Taeyong pushes your bra down and your boobs spill out to reveal your hard nipples.
He sucks them, licking and pinching them lightly whisk you cry out his name. âTell me what you want, do you like that?â He let out in a sultry voice, making you whimper and close your eyes. You felt your legs start to waver as your heat grew. âYes, Taeyong, please.â You begged and ran a hand through his hair. He backs away slightly and holds his cock, he smirks while he watches your low eyes and parted lips. He knew youâd be begging for this and it turned him on even more. He uses his other hand to push your panties aside then rubs his tip on your clit and along your folds. You moan loudly and hold his shoulder, the feeling making you twitch under him. âTell me how bad you want it.â Taeyong whispered into your ear, still rubbing his length along your wet opening. He takes a nipple into your mouth again. âPlease..Taeyong.â You run a hand down his back to pull him closer to you. âSay it, little mouse. What do you want me to do?â Heâs pushing you to the point of begging and you didnât care. âPlease, Taeyong, please fuck me.â Thatâs all he needed to hear. He pushed into you slowly. He knows itâs your first time so youâre tight. He watches you and waits for you to get used to the new feeling. You cry out at the pain and close your eyes. When you feel like youâve finally adjusted you nod, and he pushes into you again, this time he rubs your clit. âRelax, sweetheart, youâre doing so well.â âOh.my God.â You feel tears run down your cheek as he stretches you out and pushes even further into your body, driving you up the wall. He holds your waist to keep your firm against him. He groans and looks down at your small pussy stretching around him.
âFuck, so tight, baby.â He lets out then watches as he pulls out, his thumb still rubbing circles. You wince as he pushes back in and breathe heavily. âGood girl.â He kisses your lips as he starts to move in and out of you slowly. He pushed into you deep every time and almost pulls out completely. Your dig into his back through his thin t shirt with your nails as he drives your body up the wall of the confessional. Something about the fact that you, the daughter of a pastor, was being fucked in a church by the man they called the grim reaper pushed you further to your climax. It was all so hot. He moves faster as you get even more wet, allowing him to slip in and out easily. Your head falls back and your mouth opens as your moans get louder.You ran your hands along his toned arms as he kisses your neck sloppily. âTaeyong!â You call out his name as the lewd sounds of him pounding into your wet entrance grows and your hand moves faster. You close your legs tightly around his waist. He puts a hand over your mouth to stop your moans as he hits your g spot repeatedly. He nearly goes crazy himself with the feeling of your tight, velvety walls clenching around him. You felt so good around him, it was even better than he had dreamed of. And now hearing your high pitched moans as you sinned for him, drove him to the edge. He kissed your neck and pushed into you hard while still covering your wet mouth with his hand.
Your boobs jumped up and down as he fucked you against the wall. His back was covered in scratch marks as you finally released onto him.
Your body shook while he still pushed into you hard. Your muffled cries quieted down and he kept moving but he let go of your mouth and watched it fall open. The sight of your drooling for him and making quiet, mousy sounds as he fucked you silly, made him realize he was about to cum. He pulled out of quickly and you slid down the wall and onto the small bench. You looked up at him through wet eyes while he pumped his cum out of his long dick. âOpen wide.â You opened your mouth and watched as the long strings of cum left his dick and entered your mouth. He moved his hand all over it and made sure that your mouth was covered in his essence. He grunted as some leaked out and coated your chin. He tapped his tip on your tongue while getting out the last amount. You licked it before he pulled away. âSwallow.â You swallowed and closed your eyes, still focused on the feeling of losing your virginity. Taeyong held your hand after zipping his jeans up and cleaning your chin with his thumb. âI love you..donât ever leave me again.â He held your head in his hand and pulled you in for a kiss. You kissed him back, feeling your sensitive body tremble while he touched you softly. You felt good, so good as the post-sex buzz roared through your body. You wanted to be with him forever and to feel him again and again. But why did you feel like something bad was bound to happen?
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Sitting in the damp and cold cell, staring at a small glimpse of moon, visible from a tiny window up above her, Hange had no regrets. She held no blame towards the people of her own village, and she was not angry with them. She knew that they were ignorant and afraid, and it was their fear that led them to such cruelty.
In the end, if Hange was granted another chance in her life, she would have done it all again. Although, sitting there, reflecting on her life, she realized she wasnât completely honest with herself. There was one thing she regretted â she didnât get to see Levi one last time.
Hange quietly chuckled as she remembered the first time she met Levi. It was such a long time ago, she felt as though it happened in another life. But still, a wistful smile appeared on her lips, as she thought of her adorable demon friend.
Hange was strolling through the villageâs market, desperately trying to find a merchant, who wouldnât be afraid to look her in the eyes and who would agree to sell her some vegetables. Her own crops this year were less than satisfactory, as Hange had ignored them for most of the season, too preoccupied with the books she brought from her trip to the capital.
Hange groaned, as another merchant closed his stall right in front of her face. What was wrong with those people? So what, if Hange lived on the outskirts of the village, led a mostly solitary life and she was probably the only member of this community, who could read? It didnât mean they had to be afraid of her. After all, she was nothing but kind to them, always trying to help and doing her best to cure any illnesses the villagers had possessed. And they let her help, but just as soon as they were healthy again, they turned their back on her once more, calling her a heretic and a witch.
It hurt Hange, but she tried not to show it. She understood, why they were like this, and she knew there was nothing she could to change their attitude towards her. Their hatred was rooted in years of living in poverty and fear, and they needed someone to blame. Their king was far away, and they couldnât possibly hold any grudges towards God, so Hange had to suffer. And she was okay with it, most of the time, but still she wished they could at least sell to her some vegetables and meat. It wasnât like she couldnât pay them!
Hange leaned against a tree, wiping sweat from her face and lowering her basket. It was a rather hot day, and she was getting tired of mindlessly walking through the village, hoping that at least one merchant would be kind enough to sell her their goods. Or greedy enough, it wasnât like Hange was picky.
A pair of children, playing on the other side of a street, attracted Hangeâs attention. She looked at them more closely, squinting her eyes. Her eyesight was quite poor and one lens of her glasses was broken, but with her crops dying, Hange didnât have the time to ride to the town and order a new pair. But another lens was in good condition, and as long as it helped her see, she didnât mind that the other part was damaged.
The kids were discussing something in hushed tones, and, curious, Hange took a few steps closer, so she could hear what they were talking about.
âMy pop just returned from his hunt,â one of the boys began. He was clearly the leader of their group, as the other children watched him intently, hanging onto his every word.
âDid he meet the werewolf again?â the girl asked, her voice a mixture of fear and excitement.
The boy shook his head. âNah, it was something scarier this time. He said that he happened upon a big dark mansion, hidden in the woods,â the children around him gasped. Satisfied by their reaction, the boy smirked and continued. âPop says that a demon is living here. He says he saw him â he was tall and had big pointy horns. He probably would have killed my dad, if he didnât run away.â
Hange smiled, as she watched how childrenâs eyes widened in shock. However, she was also intrigued by the boyâs tale. She knew that werewolves and vampires werenât real, they were just scary stories, made to frighten children and discourage young women from venturing through the forests at night, but demons? Of course, Hange had heard about them and she read books about them, but were they real? She couldnât say.
With a wide, excited grin on her face, Hange turned around and headed back to her small hut. The groceries could wait, when there was a new discovery, waiting for her in a dark, dense forest.
 ***
As Hange moved through the forest, she barely managed to hide her excitement. She walked with a slight pounce to her step and she restricted herself from running, but only because she was trying to save up her energy. She didnât know the exact location of the demonâs house after all, and she didnât want to get lost in the woods. She didnât dare to ask those children the whereabouts of a demon, and even if she did, she was sure they wouldnât answer her. And they could tell their parents about her question, and if the villagers found out that she was curious about a demon, Hange would surely get called a witch and then she would never be able to buy anything in the market. Â
And that was not something she was looking for, thatâs for sure.
But even without outside assistance, soon Hange walked out to the clearing and saw a dark, big mansion. She wasted no time and swiftly ran up to it, squealing with joy, when the door turned out to be unlocked.
Hange threw the door open, took a step inside, and in the next moment she felt a strong, clawed hand circle around her neck, as her body was roughly pushed into the wall.
âWho are you?â someone hissed right in Hangeâs face.
Hange blinked a few times and then squinted, trying to see her attacker in the darkness. But she saw no one, except a pair of bright blue eyes, which were staring quite angrily at her.
âIâŠIâm Hange!â she chuckled nervously. The hand around her throat was holding her rather tightly. âI live in the village near the woods!â
âYou live in that village? So you must know about me, you must know who I am, right?â Hange cocked her head to the side, giving a figure in front of her another critical look. She still couldnât see its shape, but the voice sounded almost human, although it was slightly tinted with something else, some echo, that reminded Hange of her books about dark magic. Could this creature be real? Was it an actual demon?
Hange must have ignored him for too long, because suddenly her neck was gripped tighter. âYes, yes, I know who you are!â she answered immediately. She flailed her hands around, she knew she couldnât possibly fight the creature in front of her, but Hange wanted to touch him, wanted to see if the rest of his body was as solid as the hand around her neck. To her surprise, her fingers came in contact with something sturdy, which almost felt like a horn⊠The creature instantly let go of her and took a few steps away.
âDonât touch me, human!â he hissed.
âAlright, alright!â Hange raised her hands in a placating gesture. âSorry, I didnât mean to!â So, it didnât like to be touched, huh? Hange wondered if that was a demon thing or it was just a part of its personality. For some reason, she heavily suspected the later.
âSo youâre actually a demon, huh?â Hange chuckled, looking at the blue eyes in front of her with excitement and curiosity.
âYou do know what I am! Then why arenât you screaming in fear? Why havenât you run away?â
Hange shrugged. âIâm not afraid of you. Actually, I came here to seek you out.â
âIâm not making pacts with humans,â the demon answered her with audible distain.
âNo, no, itâs not about that! I just wanted to get to know you! Iâve never actually met demons, and I was just curious if you were real. Besides, you live here all alone in that big mansion, donât you get lonely?â
âLonely?â the demon repeated in a quiet, disbelieving voice. His eyes stared at Hange, like she was crazy.
âYeah, lonely!â she eagerly nodded. âI just thought that, well, you live alone, and I also live alone, then maybe, well, maybe we could become friends?â
âFriends? You want become friends? With a demon?â
âYep,â Hange grinned.
âYouâre insane,â the demon huffed.
âOi, come on! It wonât be so bad, Iâll just come here every once in a while, chat with you for some time. Itâll be fun, youâll love it, I promise!â
The demon sighed. âWhy do I get a feeling that I donât get to say no in this situation?â
âOh, I didnât know that demons can see future.â
âTch,â the demon clicked his tongue. âSmartass.â
Sighing once more, the demon turned around and snapped his fingers. The darkness disappeared and Hange gasped, as the room became illuminated by a warm candlelight. She looked at the demonâs figure and she was surprised to see that it looked so much like a man. He was dressed like a man, too, and, looking at his rich dark blue suit, Hange felt slightly out of a place with her dirty, torn shirt and worn pants. But that feeling was quickly forgotten, as she continued to study her new friend. The boy back at the village obviously lied about the demonâs appearance. He wasnât tall at all, and was probably shorter than Hange. She also couldnât see the horns on his head, and Hange wondered if she had imagined touching them.
âWell, are you coming?â the demon asked, turning around and crossing hands on his chest, scowling at Hange. âOr are you going to keep staring at me?â
âIâm sorry!â Hange ran up to him, following the demon into the next room. âIâm just very curious about your nature, thatâs all.â
âTch, Iâm not some animal on display at a townâs market. So quit looking at me like that, or Iâll kill you,â the demon promised her darkly.
âYeah, yeah, I got it!â Hange plopped down into an armchair. The demon obviously led her to his living room.
âSo what do we do now?â the demon took a sit opposite from Hange, and was now regarding her with irritated eyes.
âWell, I ask you some questions, and you ask me in return,â Hange shrugged. âWe get to know each other.â
âAlrightâŠâ the demon said warily. âWhat is your question?â
âWell, you havenât told me your name yet, so letâs start with that, yeah?â
âDemonâs name is a sacred thing. Iâm not going to tell it to some stranger.â
âBut Iâm not a stranger, Iâm your friend!â Hange grinned. âBesides, itâs not like Iâm going to tell it to anyone. You can trust me.â
The demon looked at her skeptically for a long moment. âItâs Levi,â he whispered finally, turning his head away from Hangeâs curious eyes.
âLevi!â she exclaimed. âI like it, it fits you.â
âItâs my name, of course, it fits me, moron.â
âAlright, alright,â Hange chuckled. âNow itâs time for your question.â
âWhat is that shit on your face?â Levi pointed a finger at her and scrunched his face in disgust.
Hange was baffled by his question. Did Levi mean the dirt on her face, orâ
âNot the actual shit,â Levi clarified, seeing Hangeâs confused expression. âThat thing on your eyes, what is that?â
âOh, thatâs my glasses!â Hange took them off and handed them to Levi. âEverything is blurry, when Iâm not wearing them,â she explained.
âSo you need them to see?â Levi asked, looking at object in his hands from all angles.
âYeah, canât do much without them.â
âHuh,â Levi hummed thoughtfully. âAnd are they supposed to be like this?â he pointed at the crack in one of the lenses.
âHaha, no,â Hange giggled. âI just fell from a ladder one day and accidentally broke them.â
Levi said nothing, just closed his eyes, his right hand hovering above the damaged lens. Hangeâs eyes widened, when Leviâs hand suddenly started to glow. However, she didnât get the chance to study it more closely, as the light disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
âHere,â Levi handed her glasses back. âI donât know if it helped, butâŠâ
Hange put the glasses back on her face and gasped. She could see so clearly now! âLevi, thank you!â she smiled brightly. âNow they are as good as new!â
âAnd they donât look so stupid anymore,â Levi agreed.
Hange opened her mouth to say something, but whatever she was going to ask Levi was interrupted by her wide yawn. âSorry,â she covered her mouth with a giggle. âMaybe, itâs time I head home. It seems Iâm a bit tired.â
âIâll walk you out,â Levi nodded, getting up from his seat.
âIâll come back in a few days,â Hange said, when Levi led her out to the front door. âIf t-thatâs alright with you, of course!â
Levi sighed. âAgain, I donât think I have a choice. Just⊠wash your clothes and your hair before visiting me. It honestly looks disgusting.â
âRoger that!â Hange agreed with a chuckle.
She bid Levi goodbye and started her way home. As she moved through the forest, there was a happy smile on her face.
She wasnât alone anymore. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
 ***
âLevi, donât you have horns?â Hange asked, as she was sitting beside him on the sofa. She knew Levi for a couple of months now, and she was confident they were close friends, even if Levi fiercely denied it every time Hange had brought it up.
But in all that time she knew Levi, Hange had never seen his horns. Levi gave her a lot of books about demonology, and he patiently explained everything Hange was curious about and even helped her translate the texts, which were written in a language she didnât know. There werenât a lot of actual images of demons in those books, but a couple of pictures Hange had seen, always showed demons with big, black horns. But as far as she knew, Levi didnât have any. She remembered touching them during their first meeting, but she wasnât sure if she hadnât imagined it all.
âEvery demon has them, stupid,â Levi huffed. âAnd I do, too.â
âYouâve never shown me!â Hange grabbed Leviâs shoulder, getting close to his face and looking him straight in the eyes. âWhy?â
Levi turned away, crossing hands on his chest. âDonât want to,â he grumbled quietly.
âBut why?â Hange cried out. âDo you still not trust me?â
âItâs not that,â Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. âItâs just⊠well, they appear only when Iâm in my demon form. And I donât want you to see it.â
âWhy not?â Hange wasnât giving up.
âItâs different from my human form. I look⊠I look different. You may not like it.â
âLevi,â Hange grabbed his chin to make him look at her. When their eyes met, she smiled warmly. âYouâre my friend, and I want to know what you look like. I promise, no matter how ugly you look, I wonât be scared of you.â
Levi rolled his eyes, his posture relaxing under Hangeâs gaze. âYouâre stubborn as a bull, Hange, has anyone ever told you?â
Hange laughed. âYou always do.â
âAlright,â Levi shook his head, getting up from his seat. âIâll show you my demon form, just⊠donât freak out, okay?â
Hange gave him an encouraging smile. âYou know itâs not that easy to scare me, right?â
âYeah, yeah, I know,â Levi grumbled. âYouâre crazy, but still, donât panic. Just remember that I wonât hurt you, under any circumstances.â
Hange nodded. âI trust you.â
Levi ran a shaking hand through his hair and stood in the center of room. He muttered something under his breath, and a bright white light illuminated the room. Hange closed her eyes to shield them, and when she opened them again, Leviâs familiar figure disappeared. The creature in front of Hange was still as short as Levi, but it was hard to call him human. Behind his back was a pair of black wings and on top of his head were two large horns. But the most impressing thing about his appearance was his eyes. They were brighter than usual, and Hange remembered that she had seen the same intense blue color, when she met Levi for the first time.
âOh,â Hange breathed out in wonder. She slowly got to her feet and took a few steps closer, until she stood right next to Levi. âCan I?â she asked, her hand hovering above his wing.
Levi nodded slightly, his eyes following her every move.
Hange tentatively laid her hand on Leviâs wing, gently caressing thick black feathers. Then she moved to his head, touching his horns. They were smaller, than Hange expected, and curled at the end. She giggled as her hand traced it along the length.
âThey remind me of goatâs.â
âTch,â Levi waved Hangeâs hand away, taking a step away from her. âSo youâre really not weirded out? Not disgusted by my appearance?â
âLevi,â Hange smiled gently, taking his clawed hand in hers and laying her head on his shoulder. Leviâs wing instinctively wrapped itself around her. âYou can look like a giant hairy beast, or some kind of serpent with horrible tentacles, and I still wonât be scared of you. No matter what you look like, I know that you have kind and caring soul. Youâre my friend, Levi, and nothing will change that.â
Levi was evidently at a loss of words, as he kept staring at Hange with hopeless, stricken expression.
âCâmon,â she tugged at his arm. âLetâs go to the library. The lighting there is better, and I can take a closer look at your form.â
âWeirdo,â Levi huffed, but followed after Hange without further complaint.
 ***
âFor fuckâs sake, Hange!â Levi was at her side as soon as Hange passed his threshold. He instantly began taking off her wet cloak. âThere is a fucking storm outside, why did you come here?â
âBut Levi!â Hange pouted. âI havenât visited you for two days already! I missed you!â
âIdiot,â Levi scoffed, but Hange didnât miss the softness in his voice. âCâmon,â taking her hand, he started leading her upstairs. âGo and change your wet clothes, and Iâll make some tea in the meanwhile.â
When Hange joined Levi in the living room, already dressed in his clothes, Levi wore a thoughtful expression on his face.
âDid something happen?â Hange asked, coming to sit next to him and laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.
âHange,â Levi sighed. âI think you shââ
âOh, no,â Hange interrupted him. âI know where this is going. Youâre going to once again ask me to start living with you?â
Levi glared at her. âYes, and I still donât understand why you refuse. I canât understand why you insist on living in that wretched thing you call a house, surrounded by those fools, who hate you!â
âLeviâŠâ Hange ran a hand through her hair. âThis is my home, Iâve lived here all my life. I canât just abandon it.â
âThis place can be your home. You can live here, with me. Donât you want this?â
Hange shrugged, letting out a small laugh. âI donât know. What about my crops? I canât possibly leave all my books behind, and what is going to happen to Philip, if I come to live here?â
Philip was Hangeâs black cat, and for a long time he was her best and only friend. He was an adorable little thing, who came to nuzzle to Hangeâs chest every time she was sitting down. Philip was always so affectionate with her, Hange had never seen him hissing or using his claws to hurt anyone. Until she introduced Philip to Levi. The catâs pupils delated the moment he laid his eyes on Levi. He bended down slightly, and that all warning Hange and Levi got, before Philip jumped right at Levi with a vicious hiss, his claws aimed at his face.
Thankfully, Levi was able to dodge that attack, but he swore to never again put his foot in Hangeâs house, as long as her insane cat was there.
Levi rolled his eyes, flicking Hangeâs forehead. âYour crops are a fucking mess, Hange, and you can always take your stupid books with you. And⊠that thing can come live with you, too.â
âAre you talking about Philip?â Hangeâs eyes widened. âYou will actually let him into your house?â
Levi sighed. âIf it means that you will leave that dirty shack, then yes, that infernal beast can live in my house.â
âLevi!â Hange hugged him to her chest. âThank you! You are the kindest demon I know!â
Levi narrowed his eyes. âDo you know some other demons?â
Hange smiled slyly. âAnd what if I did?â
Levi shrugged. âNothing. Iâd just have to kill them, thatâs all.â
âLevi!â Hange punched his arm. âYou canât just say things like that!â
âWhat? Iâm serious. Those are demon rules, Hange. I canât let another demon close to my human.â
Hange crossed her hands on her chest, pouting at him. âI canât understand if youâre joking or not. Besides, Iâm not your human.â
âI know that,â Levi agreed. âBut most demons donât know what a friend is. We live a solitary life. Some demons can find a human to⊠entertain themselves, and when they do, those humans become âtheirsâ,â Leviâs eyes filled with distain. âThey do not care much for those humans, but theyâre pretty territorial about them. Demons are territorial about everything,â he spat out. âThey act like mindless beasts, but think theyâre better than humans. I hate other demons, thatâs why I left the Underground.â
âBut youâre different from other demons,â Hange said, laying her head on Leviâs shoulder and gazing softly at him.
âAnd you are different from other humans,â Levi replied in an unusually warm voice.
âAlright,â Hange sighed. âIâll go back to my house to get all my belongings, and then I come here the next evening? To stay with you?â
âWe donât have to live here,â Levi told her. âParis, Rome, Cairo⊠whatever city or place you want.â
âNah,â Hange shook her head with a smile. âI donât care where to live, as long as Iâm with you.â
âLetâs go then,â Levi took her by the hand and helped Hange get to her feet. âIâll walk you home.â
Whenever Levi walked with Hange through the forest, he always kept her close. He held her hand or hugged her shoulders and watched her every step. Hange honestly couldnât understand, why Levi was so careful and what he was afraid of, but she found his overprotectiveness to be very sweet and adorable.
âIâll walk the rest of the way by myself,â Hange gently freed her hand out of Leviâs grasp. Usually Levi and she said their goodbye at her doorstep, but Hange could see that there was some kind of commotion in the village. It was brightly lit as though by a fire and she could hear shouting. Was there some kind of a festival tonight?
Either way, she was afraid that someone might see Levi, and even if he was in his human form, it still would raise unwanted question. And Hangeâs reputation in the village was bad enough without it.
When Hange let go of his hand, Leviâs eyebrows furrowed for a second. But then he composed himself and nodded. âBut youâll come back tomorrow, right?â
âOf course,â Hange smiled. âAs soon as I gather everything I need.â
âGood,â Levi leaned in and gave Hange a small peck on her lips. âIâll be waiting,â he added, before disappearing into the woods.
Hange stayed there for a little longer, staring at the place, where Levi had just been. It was just a kiss, and a brief one at that, but it made her feel all fuzzy inside. She could feel her cheeks burn, and her chest filled with warm, pleasant sensation. Â
She couldnât wait to see Levi again, and she couldnât believe that he asked her to abandon her home and make a new one with him. Could it be that she wouldnât be alone anymore? Could it be that she would finally be happy?
However, as Hange began to approach her own house, all of her giddy feelings disappeared. Something was very, very wrong, she could feel it.
And as Hange walked out of the forest and reached the village, she realized that she was mistaken. There wasnât any festival in the village, no, instead her house, her own home, in which she spent her whole life, had been burnt to the ground.
Hange shrieked in horror and tried to run inside. There was so much books and plants inside, and, oh god, Philip, did he manage to escape? Hange had to enter, she had to at least try to salvage something, but as soon as she got close to the house, her shoulders were roughly grabbed.
Hange turned her face up and her eyes widened, as she saw the people of her village staring back at her, their expressions cruel and triumphant.
âSo the witch has finally returned!â one of the woman took a step forward, taking Hange by the hair, making her look right in her eyes. âWhat have you been doing in the forest at night, huh, witch? Were you summoning a demon? Or were you meeting with others from your kind?â
Hange stared helplessly at that woman and the rest of the angry crowd behind her. She knew all of them. The woman, who stood on the left, - she helped her deliver a baby. And the man in center - Hange brought him home, when he had broken his leg. The woman, who was standing above her, still holding her by the hair - Hange had given her son syrup to cure him from a severe case of coughing fits.
âI donât understand,â Hange murmured, her eyes filling with angry tears. What had she done to deserve such ire? What had she done to earn their hatred?
âYouâre a witch! Donât try to deny it!â the woman shouted.
âWe have found this, your wretched woman,â a man stepped out, holding a book to Hangeâs face. She recognized it immediately. It was a demonology book Levi had given her. She had probably left it on a porch or on a bench near her house, and some curious kid or a noisy housewife had found it, while Hange was visiting Levi.
âAnd what is my punishment going to be?â she asked, her voice defeated. She knew it was pointless to further argue and protest. Those people wouldnât listen, and even if they did, what Hange could say? How can she redeem herself? Tell those people that she wasnât trying to practice any magic, that she was just reading this book to get a better understanding of her demon friendâs nature? Yeah, that would surely not soften their anger. Besides, she wouldnât scoop so low as to lie and beg. If this was the end for her, then she would meet it with dignity and without an ounce of fear.
âYouâre lucky, witch,â the woman in front of Hange sneered. âI would have locked you inside your own house and burned you there alive, but the people of this village are kind and merciful. They decided to give you a fair trial, to give your sinful soul a chance to cleanse yourself.â
âAnd then you will burn me at a stake, right?â Hange scoffed.
âYour punishment will be decided by a just and honest trial,â the woman repeated with righteous fire in her eyes.
She and the rest of the crowd didnât give Hange a chance to answer, as she was yanked to her feet and then dragged to the villageâs jail.
They threw her into a cell, and it was there, where Hange had spent her last night on this Earth. The trial was to begin the next day, and so she just sat there, staring at the moon and remembering all the happy moments of her life.
The priest came in the morning, just before a trial was about to begin. He said he came to hear out Hangeâs confession, to forgive her for her sins.
Hange wanted to laugh in his face.
âPlease, explain it to me, father,â she began, sitting as comfortably as she could with her hands chained to the wall. âYou always say that God is merciful and forgiving, that He is righteous and just, but why is He doing this to me? Why is He punishing me, if I have never done any harm to the people of this village? Iâve always tried to help them, Iâve done my best to care for them, but they have been nothing but spiteful and cruel to me. How can they be such good Christians, if they hate me just because Iâm different? Is thatâs how God had made them to be?â
The priest was obviously taken aback by Hangeâs speech. His eyes widened and his hands, which held Bible, were trembling slightly. But he quickly composed himself, straightening his shoulders and putting a stern expression on his wrinkled face.
âYou have sinned, my child. You have turned to dark creatures and magic. The people of this village are not guilty of your downfall, those sins are yours alone. And God cannot forgive you for them.â
âYou are right, father,â Hange glared fiercely at him. âI have sinned. Iâve been meeting with a demon. Iâve befriended him, Iâve fallen in love with him. And he had been kinder and more caring with me, than all the people in this village.â
The priest shook his head. âYour sins are much worse than I thought. But there is still some hope for you, my child. Ask God for His forgiveness, renounce your bonds with that monster, and your soul will be saved. You can still go to Heaven and spend your eternity in bliss.â
âI would rather rot in deepest pits of Hell,â Hange spat. âThan spend an eternity with the likes of you.â
âI see there is no salvation for your soul,â the priest nodded, as though Hangeâs fate had been decided. âBut Iâll keep you in my prayers, child.â
âJust leave me alone already,â Hange sighed tiredly.
âYour trial will begin in an hour,â Holy Father said and then walked out of her cell.
The trial, just as Hange had expected, was a complete farce. The villagers tested against her, each of them telling how they always suspected that she had been a witch. How all the times she had helped them proved that she was practicing magic.
Hange didnât even bother to listen to them. She knew her punishment already, long before the judge and the jury announced it.
She was to be burnt at a stake this night. Hange accepted her sentence with a surprising amount of calmness. And to think that just yesterday she was excited to start a new life with Levi, but now it seemed that her life was ending.
 ***
Levi stood on his porch, tapping his leg impatiently and staring into the forest. What the fuck was taking Hange so long? She promised to come as soon, as she finished packing. How many belongings did she have?
As he waited for her hour after hour, unpleasant thoughts began to plague Leviâs mind. Could it be⊠could it be that Hange has changed her mind? Maybe, she had decided that a life with a demon wasnât for her? Had she finally realized what a monster Levi was? Or maybe⊠maybe he had made her uncomfortable last night? Maybe his kiss had made her feel uneasy?
Honestly, Levi didnât know what had possessed him to kiss Hange last night. He just felt like he should do it, it felt right and natural. And Levi⊠Levi couldnât resist.
It seemed like he could never resist himself, when it came to Hange. From the first moment that he had seen her, Levi couldnât stay away. He tried to, knew that it was wrong, demons and humans didnât belong together, but Hange⊠She made him feel like he had never felt before. She made him happy, with Hange Levi felt like he belonged somewhere, like he belonged with someone.
He wanted to always be with her.
But it seemed like Hange didnât feel the same way about him.
Leviâs solemn thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves. His head snapped to its source, and Leviâs heart swelled when he saw Hangeâs cat, Philip, walking out of the woods.
However⊠Hange didnât follow after him.
Levi quickly approached the cat and took another look at him. Now that he was standing right beside him, Levi saw that Philip was covered in grime and the tip of his left was burnt. Leviâs blood ran cold. What had happened to Hangeâs cat? What had happened to her?
Levi crouched down to the cat and tentatively laid his hand on his dark fur. Using his demonic powers, he searched the catâs mind to see what had happened. As soon as he connected to him, Levi was hit by a wave of hot air and crippling, paralyzing fear. Through Philipâs eyes, Levi saw the burning house and heard the victorious shouts of an angry mob. He saw Hange become surrounded by those people, saw their hatred and her tears.
Levi squeezed his hands into fists, rage filling his mind and soul. He will make them pay, every last of them, every fool, who dared to lay their dirty hands on Hange, who dared to hurt her. They will pay.
Without wasting another moment, Levi began sprinting towards the village. He ran fast, faster than was humanly possible, but still, it felt like this wasnât enough, like he wouldnât be quick enough to save Hange.
He couldnât let that happen.
So he changed into his demon form and flew into the air, reaching the village in the shortest time possible. He landed in the dark alley, swiftly returning to his human appearance. As he walked to the market place and saw a huge pyre, built in the center of it, Levi had to stop and took a deep breathe.
He felt rage burn inside him once more and his mind filled with desire to kill all of them, to slaughter every person in this village. But he knew he couldnât do that â Hange would get upset, he was sure. After all they had done to her, she still cared for those people.
Levi could never understand her kind and sympathetic soul, he had never met anyone like Hange. Maybe, thatâs why he loved her so much. Thatâs why he would do anything in his power to save her.
A woman walked past him and Levi grabbed her elbow, roughly digging his fingers into her skin.
âTell me where she is!â he hissed into her face.
His eyes began to glow and sharp claws appeared on his hands, his control was slipping, but the woman didnât seem to notice any of that, as she wore a blissful, ecstatic smile on her face.
âAre you asking about a witch?â she asked with the same carefree expression. âShe is still inside her cell, I think,â she pointed to a small building with thick walls. âOh, but theyâll lead her there soon. Theyâll burn the heinous witch and that fire will cleanse our village, destroying all of our sorrows and hardships. God will forgive us and without that evil woman, we will be able to live happily again!â
Levi pushed the woman away, and hurried in the direction, where that she had pointed him to. His anger at the womanâs words was somewhat subdued, as a sense of relief nearly overwhelmed him.
Hange was still alive, there was still time to save her.
He rushed through the streets and soon he saw them. Two men, dragging unresisting Hange behind them. The look of her face, the expression of resignation â it nearly broke Leviâs heart. Hange shouldnât look like this, his expressive and cheerful Hange shouldnât have that defeated look in her eyes.
His anger was returning.
In quick short strides, he reached them.
âLet her go!â Levi bellowed, resisting himself from ripping those men limb from limb.
The men looked at him, their faces instantly paled and their eyes widened in horror.
âA demonâŠâ one of them whispered, as he moved back, stumbling and falling.
Levi paid no mind to him, his eyes staring at the woman in front of him. Â
âLevi!â Hangeâs face was surprised, as though she couldnât believe he was actually here. That foolish woman, Levi thought. Had she not expected him to come? Had she believed that he would leave her alone?
âIâm here, Hange,â Levi finally closed the distance between them, placing his arms around her. âYouâre safe now.â
In an instant, Levi changed his forms again, turning into a demon. Hange and he disappeared from a market place in a cloud of smoke.
When Hange opened her eyes again, she was back at Leviâs manor. She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears.
âLevi!â she pressed her face into his shoulder. âWhy are those people so cruel? Theyâve burnt my house, destroyed my books and everything Iâve owed. And Philip!â Hangeâs sobs grew louder. âOh my dear, darling Philip, theyâve probably have killed him!â
âCalm down, Hange,â Levi sighed, patting her hair. âAs much as it pains me, but that beast has survived. He was actually the one, who told me that you were in trouble.â
As on cue, Philip ran out of his hiding place under Leviâs sofa and walked straight to Hange, rubbing her feet with his head.
âPhilip!â Hange scooped the cat into her arms, pressing him close to her chest. âOh my dear boy, I was so worried!â she kissed his head, and Levi was confident that the annoying creature was smirking at him, as he enjoyed Hangeâs tight embrace. âAnd is it true that youâve helped Levi save me? Oh, youâre my little hero,â she cooed. âWhat would I have done without you?â
âOi!â Levi interrupted. âHe wasnât the one who actually saved your ass.â
âOh, I know,â Hange smirked, leaning in and kissing Leviâs cheek. âYouâre my hero, too. My adorable demon with shining wings!â
âDonât push it, Hange.â Levi narrowed his eyes, wrapping his hands around her and giving her a proper kiss on the lips. Philip hissed in Hangeâs hands, and she laughed, moving away from Levi.
âI donât think he likes you that much,â she gazed at Levi, softly ruffling his hair.
âThat feeling is more than mutual,â Levi grumbled in reply, closing his eyes and enjoying Hangeâs gently touches.
âLevi?â Hangeâs voice was troubled, and so Levi opened his eyes, looking at her worryingly. Hange was biting her lip, staring into the distance. âI had been thinking about your proposal⊠to leave this place. Is it still stands?â
âWhatever you wish,â he replied, taking her hand in his and squeezing. âWhenever you want to live, just say a word, and itâll be done.â
âI donât care where to live,â Hange shrugged. âIâm sure Iâll be happy, as long as youâre with me.â
âDoesnât sound so bad,â Levi nodded, closing the distance between their faces once more and pressing his lips to Hangeâs.
#its one of those fics where i think its a total mess#but at the same time i really really like it#with that said!#anon!!!! thank you so much for this prompt!!!#its incredible and i honestly envy your creativity and imagination#levihan fanfiction#levihan#levi ackerman#hange zoë#hanji zoe#levi x hange#levi x hanji#levi and hange#snk#snk fanfiction#aot fanfiction#my fics
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The Comrade Kimmel Show, starring Comrade Jimmy By Stephen Guy Hardin
Have you ever stayed up half the night trying to get through Karl Marxâs treatise, Das Kapital? Were you transfixed by his powerful opium induced insights into manâs inhumanity to man? Or his stunningly articulated vision of a utopia involving men with guns, large dogs, and barbed wire? Night after night you struggle to become enlightened only to find yourself dozing off after reading the introduction in which Marx praises his mother in a way that would make Oedipus cringe. Well, comrades, your time has come, and it is all because of the crazy guys in the Chinese Communist Party.Â
The state controlled Chinese animation company, Disnee, in cooperation with the partyâs propaganda department and sponsored by the National Basketball Association and Nike has created an animated series on the wacky life and times of Karl Marx. Entitled The Leader, this series will be broadcast on the Chinese live-streaming platform Bilibili.
Disnee, thatâs Disney without the âyâ and with an âeeâ, is the creation of The Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, or CCCPCPD. The CCCPCPD is a division of the Communist Party of China and oversees ideology-related work with an emphasis on children's brainwashing...I mean, education. It is not formally considered to be part of the Government of the People's Republic of China, but enforces media censorship similar to the way CNN is unofficially the official news arms of the Democrat Party.
But, I digress.
The animated series depicts a youthful Karl Marx as a handsome, carefree man happily cavorting in the German fields with his BFF Frederick Engels as they discuss how horrible it is to be rich unless you are a progressive who donates heavily to the cause. Friedrich Engels, co-author of The Communist Manifesto will be featured in later episodes as Marxâ romantic ⊠I mean muse, uh, co-revolutionary.Â
The animation will also provide a brief view of Karl's relationship with his wife, Jenny von Westphalen, or das Schmalz to her friends, allowing the viewer to know Marx on a more personal level that transcends his bankrupt ideology and philosophy of class warfare.
Bankrupt ideology, indeed.
The release of the animated series coincides with a state mandated resurgence of Marxism in China. Chinese president Xi âThe Yipperâ Jinping delivered a speech on the 200th anniversary of Marxâs birth. In his speech he declared that Marx is the âgreatest thinker in human history.â He also vowed that Marxism will always be the guiding theory of both China and the Communist Party and if anyone does not agree that the state will provide you with a commemorative Karl Marx red blindfold just before they put you up against the nearest wall.Â
As part of this movement to use animation to further indoctrinate young Chinese minds the Communist Party has pirated⊠created several different cartoons that have replicated popular Western cartoon figures. The use of look alike cartoon characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Bart Simpson are being used to teach children how to squeal on their parents and other family members who are disloyal to the state.
In addition to the cartoons, the Communist Party had started development on several telecasts that closely mirror live action television shows in America while also subtly promoting the teachings of Marxism and the Chinese Communist Party. But after extensive viewing of actual American television, it was decided by the highest levels of the Party to abandon the project. It seems that the always frugal Chinese determined it was more cost efficient to just steal, redub and broadcast the actual American sitcoms.
Between The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and Saturday Night Live it became readily apparent that the programming execs at ABC, NBC and CBS were happily doing the work of the radical left. In addition to these late-night anarchists the prime-time slate of mediocre television shows should be rebranded Commie Prime Time as they propagate and propagandize the viewpoint that capitalism and freedom only lead to societal and cultural rot.Â
Though one show was so exemplary in the view of the Chinese Communist Party for denigrating and extolling the crimes and corruption of America the party felt the need to co opt it and place its official seal of approval. Â The Chinese only made one small change to maximize the power and prestige of the state. Broadcast in its uncensored entirety every evening to 1.38 billion communists, the Communist Party of China did a little title tweaking as it presented their favorite anti-American American show, The Comrade Kimmel Show, starring Comrade Jimmy.
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âTime not important⊠only life important.â yep, weâre going there, things are about to get a little bit philosophical now that weâre dealing with the Fifth Element...no..not the Alchemical Quintessence, but close! That crazy 1990s Sci-Fi about a killer planet, the power of love⊠and⊠You know, Bruce Willisâs Wacky Taxi Adventures... and all thatâŠ
So, major spoiler alert⊠The fifth element is Love. Well, kind of...itâs this woman called LeeloominaĂŻ Lekatariba Lamina-TchaĂŻ Ekbat De Sebat⊠For short, Leeloo is the fifth element, and in essence: a perfect, supreme being of sorts. In a way, sheâs kind of like Avatar Aan, destined to unite with the other classical elements in an ancient Egyptian temple to act as a defense system against this super evil Dark Force called Mr. Shadow - which takes on the form of a cruel planet, whose only goal is to destroy life in a cosmic cycle every 5000 years.
Itâs a movie thatâs had its fair share of criticism, especially in the gender department⊠Leeloo is the only real female character, with others appearing randomly throughout as passive objects, sex objects, or with most of their femininity stripped away like Major Iceborg. Aside from the fifth element herself, thereâs a real lack of divine feminine in this story, but then again, her nature itself does embody many characteristics of the divine feminine: powerful, unique, and beyond the understanding of nearly everyone that she meets.
Regarding the plot, we have kind of a Raava vs. Vaatu thing happening like from Legend of Korra⊠and itâs hard not to draw lines to Avatar here considering the whole elemental theme huh? In the intro, we see an archaeologist deciphering ancient words regarding the conjunction of celestial bodies, something we should all do more of you know? Which, by the way, if you havenât picked up your edition of the 2021 Almanac of the New Age, I might highly recommend it, because it helps you do just that without being randomly surprised by a giant robot-alien! Before they show up though, the archaeologist has to keep yelling to Aziz to wake up, as the kid keeps nodding off⊠I wonder if this is subtly depicting how humanity keeps falling asleep and thus the light that illuminates sacred knowledge is not currently stable. Yet when the advanced beings come to show the way, the light is blinding⊠Powerful and concrete.
Thereâs also a sense here that humans are the custodians of Earth, so we have to protect it from darkness and destruction ourselves, and while these higher beings help when the time is right, they cannot do it for us. While Love is shown as this mythical force that these advanced beings can use to defeat the darkness, it could also be said that Love is neutral energy between Light and Dark, one that is capable of harmonizing both sides, ultimately resetting the cycle, something that is echoed in Zorgâs speech later on.
All this knowledge is of course passed down through a secret brotherhood of priests, acting as keepers through the generations, of which there are many stories of secret societies doing the same in our history, and amazingly in the future where the main story takes place, Priest Cornelius is also an âExpert of Astrophenomenonâ. Heâs not just an expert on the metaphysical, but also seemingly the scientific study of space, and thereâs certainly a sense that heâs got that whole balance thing down to a tee, working to better his understanding of both science and spirit by combining the two fields. Â
So when the military fires a bunch of missiles at Mr. Shadow, itâs interesting to see how they treat Cornelius, who tries to explain to them what Mr. Shadow is, to which he is mostly ignored, and they continue trying to brute force the problem. Yet Evil begets more Evil - as Cornelius explains, subtly referencing that the military's weapons, or at least their intentions. Mr. Shadow - symbolic of âourâ shadow selves, demonstrates that it will grow in power if you try to destroy it with the same mindset that created it. The only way to truly harmonize the darkness is through love.
Even more impressive is this disconnect between the President of Earth and Earth itself. While, of course, they are trying to protect the earth and all of its life, when we see the world, we have to ask⊠are those living? Police and robots so heavily control everything, itâs smoggy, you see some crazy representations of people like the guy who tries to rob Korben in his apartment, and Iâm not sure I saw a single treeâŠ
Now, Major Dallas, to that end, of course, represents the divine masculine, also fulfilling the warrior archetype. While, of course, he checks all the classic hero tropes of the ex-lone warrior destined to save the world and fall in love with a perfect supreme sacred woman, the way it plays out DOES provides us with a bit of wisdom for ourselves concerning synchronicity. He describes that what he wants is to meet that perfect woman, and she falls from the sky into his cab. Perhaps this is a nod to manifestation in some way, as itâs their love story thatâs the key to resolving the movie's conflict. Itâs also a reminder for us that when we stumble into synchronicity, we have to be willing to take that leap of faith and follow where it leads us. For Korben, he has an opportunity to give LeeLoo up to the coppers but ends up putting his whole life at risk for her instead, but itâs THIS path that leads to the world being saved. Korben has to ask himself whatâs important, following his heart and helping someone in need or earning more points on his taxi licenseâŠ
Now, Leeloo on the other hand, through her character explores the nature of spirituality, DNA, and the physical capabilities of our souls within a body. A big topic in spirituality today is the science of ascension - we made a whole workshop on that which you can watch for free if you like - and what enlightenment might look like or do to our physical bodies. Leelooâs DNA is perfect.. But it isnât inhuman. Thereâs nothing really out of the ordinary about her DNA, she has the same genetic composition as us, just more of it, more tightly packed, allowing for greater inherent genetic knowledge and potential. Perhaps thereâs a message here that the human genome is already whole, we just need to utilize its latent capabilities to find inner harmony, leading to a leveling up of what we are truly capable of. Â
So if Korben was like Link and LeeLoo was Princess Zelda, Zorg would be Ganondorf, completing the trinity. Zorg actually drops some pretty interesting wisdom in his discussion with Cornelius. Despite his âevilâ role, his whole name is Jean Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, being named after the prophet and saint in many religions, and Emanuel meaning âGod is with usâ in Hebrew. Zorg explains that life itself results from chaos and disorder at times. He believes that by creating a little destruction, he is encouraging life to renew itself, so the Priest and he are really in the same business⊠while it might just sound like heâs been brainwashed by the Shadow, when we look deeper, we do find some hidden spirituality!
His ideology is in alignment with the wisdom of the importance and honorable role of darkness in our reality. Much like the tower or death card in the major arcana or the shells of the Qliphoth in the Kabbalah, agents of darkness often come to give structure, boundaries, and direction for light to move through, as well as clearing stagnant energy to make way for new and evolved paradigms. Much like the cycles and sine waves that move through nature, energy flows through peaks and valleys that balance each other out.
Zorg knows he is a monster and is proud of it. Heâs a businessman at heart, powerful from the money of capitalism, and a reflection of society's state of awareness and evolution. As we mentioned, this future society is portrayed as consumerist and still dwelling on issues of pollution and crime, even in spite of great new technologies. Perhaps thatâs why the Darkness had to come, to help propel the evolution of consciousness forward and bring about divine love. However, while the love between Korben and Leeloo is highly symbolic, it doesnât seem to affect basically anyone else, which might call us to ask ourselves⊠would it have been better for humanity and its pollution to be destroyed? This - at the very least - seems to be the underlying thinking behind Zorgs criminal activity. Ultimately, in the face of darkness, humans must come together to accomplish things and stop evil, something we wouldnât do otherwise⊠This is what makes us evolve as a species.
Zorg perfectly encapsulates his philosophy in his quote about glass, saying âthis glass is serene and boring, but when destroyed, a lovely ballet ensues full of form and colorâ. He then knocks it off the table and a bunch of little vacuum cleaner droids come and clean it up. Describing that the âPeople who created them, technicians, engineers, now have money to feed their children. They are part of the chain of life".
Interestingly though, Zorg is only a monster because life experiences took him there, but he started like any of us. There is a nice lesson from Cornelius about how fickle life is: all of Zorgâs power counts for absolutely nothing when his entire empire comes crashing down because of one little cherry. Cornelius saves Zorgâs life regardless, showing us the virtue of the angels, even towards the demons.
When the team finally makes it to the alien space opera, we get to meet Ruby Rhod and Plavalaguna. Ruby is one of the most unique parts of this movie⊠Crazy sexual antics aside, he is unapologetically authentic to his true nature, bending gender standards and seemingly embodying masculine and feminine with grace and humor. Perhaps the epitome of the wacky human spirit. And then as for Plavalaguna, she has some very ascended master vibes. The Mondoshawans entrusted her with the safekeeping of the elemental stones, who actually carries them inside her body as a safeguard. From a Spiritual perspective, this seems to describe how we all embody the classical elements within us. She even senses Leeloo's presence behind a wall down the hallway, implying she has some measure of clairvoyance. Interestingly, like the Mondoshawan from earlier, she doesnât seem overly concerned with her own death, echoing the movieâs sentiment that time is not important, only life. Deeper though, it appears that she knew she was going to die all along, in order for the stones to get out of herâŠ. Weâre not even gonna ask how she got the stones inside her in the first place...thatâd be one hard pill to swallow, let alone perform an entire opera with these giant rocks in your belly. Mad props to her.
Perhaps the reason superior beings donât fear death as we do is that they know the bigger picture, they know these lives are transitory, so they donât mind dying for a cause, as they understand the purpose of this life in the bigger scheme of things. Knowing that the flux and flow between life and death is transient, theyâll be back in the right place and the right time as life requires it. In the same way, in traditional tarot the horse Death is riding, is stepping over a prone king, which symbolizes that not even royalty can stop change. Plava understands her role and accepts her death, after imparting wisdom to Dallas that Leeloo is still fragile and somewhat human, despite her seeming physical evolution.
This idea of Leeloo still being human, however, forms a key part of the ending, as up until this point she has been learning all of human history via an alphabetical database⊠When she learns of war, she loses hope in humanity after seeing the darker sides of our past. Certainly, we canât blame her, humans are the only species to cut down a forest to make room for a billboard that says âstop deforestationâ, Iâd be pretty shocked about our history too. However, Korbenâs love shows her that love is an undefinable thing, itâs not a stone like the other elements, but a feeling between people that permeates everything and is worth fighting and caring for.
Itâs pretty funny that when it comes down to it, none of the characters actually know how to activate the super-love bomb. Leeloo doesnât know what will happen, but she continues to follow her divine calling to be on that platform without second-guessing herself, even if she didnât know at the end how to activate the final âweaponâ..she follows her own inner voice and calling and is guided into defeating the darkness, speaking to the importance of following our intuition and own inner guide.
Ultimately love is shown to be something with no boundaries, no clear explanations, but still exists through us, changing our lives in powerful ways. And through thousands of years, it will stay as the most important thing worthy to fight for. Itâs no accident that in a time of such modernized technologies and possibilities humanity once again has to turn to nature for help in the form of the elements. It reminds people that technology cannot always provide protection, it is nature that always has been the source of power, as it exists forever. And only things that are eternal, like nature and love, are of true significance. Today, it seems people either love or hate this movie, but whatever way the coin falls, it is undoubtedly a fun experience, and packed to the brim with spiritual wisdom!
So until next time, be mindful of what you do with the gift of life, cause we never know when a sentient evil planet might try and eat us. Toodles!
This video was created by Team Spirit Connect with the team at https://spiritsciencecentral.com/about
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fox rain | three
â summary: When the love letter you wrote and submitted as an assignment is leaked to the entirety of your university, it becomes a race against time to dispel rumours and convince the seven suspected muses of the poem that they arenât the subject before anyone realises that you are the author. Easy, right? Well⊠maybe not as easy as you think.
â pairing: bts x reader (feat. namjoon) â genre: college!au, crack, fluff, angst â warnings: none unless you count overly graphic descriptions of how stupid namjoon is (oh and like... ant gambling rings??) â words: 15.7K â a/n: this is late by a month and my whole life is a joke. i hope this makes you laugh bc i made namjoon extra dumb for yâall (for no extra charge. suck it, chipotle.) also: check bio for other chapter links for now!
â âą masterlist | prev | three | next âą â
âThis canât be my fucking life. Can it?â you say to your own reflection, curtains of despair dripping from every inch of your visage. Your reflection stares back, the same dead eyes twitching imperceptibly from the lack of caffeine in your system. At this point, you wouldnât be sane enough to be surprised if your parallel self would reply, perhaps with some scathing remark about how you were slowly losing your grip on your life. Not that it would be unwarranted, anyway.
After Hoseokâs explosion the other day, your weekend doesnât exactly feel as exciting as it usually is. Of course, your mood is still a vast improvement from last week when you were out of commission for most it after your mental breakdown. Although, it doesnât erase the fact that youâre still knee deep in shit and that you have no idea how youâre going to face Hoseok and Jimin the following Monday.
Damn. You could really use some coffee.
The day seems to be in much better spirits than you, and it would be a waste not to let the universeâs good mood try to make you feel better as well. There is a coffee shop just a block away, and maybe you could take a walk in the sunshine afterwards to help relax the dread consistently knocking at the back of your mind. Itâs a little bit optimistic, but itâll have to do.
Shrugging on a thin cardigan over some other semi-decent clothes, you step out of your stuffy apartment with a spring in your step. You didnât bother with any of your usual morning ritual, seeing as how you donât plan on meeting with anyone you know from university anyway. So what if your landlady Mrs. Park sees the birdâs nest on top of your head? Who is she going to tell? Her gang of old auntie friends all hate you already for wearing a âTRANS RIGHTSâ shirt in front of them, so itâs not like youâre vying for their acceptance.
Other than your less than friendly neighborhood aunties, there are better old people to hang around anyway. Nearby the coffee shop, there is a senior home where you used to volunteer during your spare time until your other commitments forced you to give up your spot to some other benevolent soul. Since you have been meaning to visit the grandmas and grandpas there when you got some free time, you suppose it would be nice to talk to kind olâ Ms. Kim today and listen to her recount her many youthful adventures (which is, more often than not, a euphemism for her various sexcapades in the 70s.)
The senior home is closer to your home than the coffee shop, so you choose to stop and gaze at the plain-looking white building with its neatly trimmed bushes and white picket fence. It looks out of place in the neighborhood, with its very suburban and Americana design, but you know it is only because the owner of the establishment had gotten her inspiration from Forrest Gump. She has a crush on young Tom Hanks, and you honestly canât blame her for it; that man⊠he is a Man, with a capital M.
Youâre in the middle of debating whether you should buy your coffee first before visiting the seniors when you hear a distant shout coming from within the house. Alarmed, you take a step back, almost falling on your ass and onto the sidewalk. You pause, tilting your head to try and peak over the fence and through the large windows that showed the reception area within. You recognize Hana, the receptionist, sitting by her desk in her usual green scrubs, her head bowed over a book as if the sound had not fazed her in the slightest.
âAm I crazy? Am I starting to hear things?â You wonder aloud, still staring at the innocent-looking home. Has the universe had enough with your lacklustre existence that it has caused you to hear nonsense? Is this only the beginning of your slow descent into madness?
You donât have to fret over your sanity for too long because moments later, the shout repeats itself. Like the previous one, this one sounds just as pained and anguished, though you arenât sure if it was a male or female who had screamed. For all you knew, the person might have either stubbed their toe or gotten a knife stabbed through their chest; itâs not like you spend time distinguishing the subtle nuances of tormented screams. However, you are more certain now that it had come from within the home, even though Hana has yet to react to the chilling noise. She flips to the next page, tired eyes squinting at the small text.
You are stuck at an impasse: do you go inside the home despite the possible danger of entering a secret cannabilist society of which your acquaintance has been initiated to, or do you turn around and go home where it is 100% more likely for you to survive the next 24 hours?
The choice becomes apparent to you, however, when a tall, lanky boy bursts out of one of the doors behind the receptionist, with his arms piled to the ceiling with dinner plates on the cusp of making their way to the floor. Even through the window and behind a fence, you can tell that he is in dire need of help, which Hana does not seem likely to extend. The mess of legs makes a beautiful display of himself, his lower limbs flapping about aimlessly as his body contorts to try and keep himself and the plates balanced.
Finally, after what feels like hours of torture watching the poor volunteer make a fool of himself, he manages to steady himself, his legs crossed together like heâs trying to hold in his piss. Carefully, he squats down, placing the plates on the floor in front of the receptionist desk. For a moment, you feel as though you should be applauding, for whatever reason.
Now without dishes obscuring his face, you can make out the identity of the flailing giraffe man. He turns, fingers combing through his distinctly colored hairââ
Oh god. Itâs him. You gotta get out of there, fast, before he recognizes you. Maybe if you run quickly enough, then maybe he wonât notice you when he looks out the window around.
âHa,â the universe laughs, clapping their asscheeks to the rhythm of Ludacrisâ Move Bitch Get Out Da Wayâąïž with a smirk. âCute of you to think your life isnât basically a 20-year long trainwreck in motion.â
Inevitably he turns around, his eyes immediately locking on your face despite being half-concealed by the fence. He looks confused for a moment, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish until he lights up, recognition flooding his features. Even though you cannot hear him clearly, you just know that he said something stupid, judging by the way Hana has finally looked up from her book to stare at him weirdly.
Please donât come out and greet me. Please just let me wave at you awkwardly and for you to stay where you are. Please donât go out and talk to meââ
Your prayers go unanswered once more as he sidesteps the wall of plates, his hip just barely grazing it and almost causing it to tumble down. The pile sways precariously from left to right, miraculously staying put as he rushes out to greet you. You can only imagine the mess heâd have to clean up if it did, shards of cheap porcelain left behind in his awkward, fumbling wake.
Luckily (or unluckily for you), he makes it out of the senior home in one piece. He crosses the short path to the fence in two inhumanly long strides, slamming the fence door open with a wide swing. It smacks loudly against the railing, the hinges making a pained groan as it looks to be at the inch of its lifeââliterally. You vaguely remember replacing the screws on it just before you left over six months ago⊠Surely you hadnât done such a shoddy job? Although, you know that simply canât be true. After all, youâre dealing with none other than destruction incarnate himself, Kimââ
âY/N!â Namjoon greets happily, his dimples deeper than you remember. You swallow heavily, trying your best not to sweat under his overly enthusiastic gaze. God, you shouldâve gone straight to the coffee shop when you had the chance.
Nothing like facing disaster head-on, as they say. âHey,â you reply half-heartedly, though the walking inflatable tube man doesnât seem to mind your lacklustre mood. He grasps your hands for a shake, swinging your entire body up and down with the care of a man who does not know his own strength. You, his unfortunate victim, are left to suffer through his artery-bursting grip.
âOh god, you have no idea how glad I am to see you! Not that Iâm not normally happy to see you at university, butâââ He speaks so quickly that itâs hard to keep track of the specific contents of his sentences, so you can only hope that your unenthused nods will be enough to placate the bumbling buffoon. You resign yourself to a fate similar to the bobbleheads on the dashboards of those white suburban soccer moms.
âWait, hold on.â What on earth..? You are full on gaping at the piece of work on top of his head, not even pretending to be polite as you try to process what is in front of you. âWhat the hell happened to your hair?â
You know from old Facebook photos that Namjoon has natural black locks, though you canât say that his wacky hairstyles were also inborn. Ever since you have known him, he has always dyed his hair a sandy brown color, complimenting his tan skin. Now, howeverâŠ
âYou mean the weird blue streaks?â Namjoon says, rubbing a few strands thoughtfully. His hair is a walking disaster, and this is coming from someone who has seen what Kim Seokjin has done to his clients. (Thereâs a reason his Yelp reviews are terrible⊠He deserves negative stars, if youâre being honest.)
âDid you lose a dare or something?â
âUh⊠Kind of?â He scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. âI had meant to change my hair color to something more exciting, so I asked the kids at the daycare and they suggested blue. Problem is, the seniors said they preferred my brown hair but I already promised the kids so⊠Here we fucking are,â he says in one breath, appearing as though what he said was obvious.
âSo your solution was to compromise⊠by coloring half your hair blue, like some botched version of Death the Kid?â
âExactly!â He beams, glad that you understand him perfectly.
Oh my god⊠Heâs⊠No words are coming to you right now, but you get the picture.
The thing about Kim Namjoon is⊠heâs not⊠bad. Or dumb, for that matter.
Okay, not the best compliment out there, but itâs true. Youâve known for as long as youâve been a university student, and your first meeting is certainly one for the books. You wouldnât exactly consider him a âfriend,â and an acquaintance is a bit of a stretch on most days, but heâs a nice guy. Heâs eccentric in the most positive way, and not at all in the same chaotic and evil way that Seokjin is (for which you are thankful for.) It has always been a bit tricky to get close with him, as his head is always so far up in his work that it almost feels like heâs being reclusive on purpose.
If you ignore the fact that he has that odd propensity to volunteer himself in any job on the face of the earth (with him being unqualified 9 times out of 10), it is easy to see why people think so highly of him.
He is a scholarship student with a 4.0 GPA, is the youngest candidate to ever receive the university presidentâs yearly public commendation, and has already released two reputable mixtapes with high praise from critics nationwide. Heâs nothing if not a prodigy, and heâs amassed a hefty following for his accomplishments. As a music major yourself, itâs hard not to be a little starstruck with him if youâre being honest.
Most of all, you remember the first song that you had ever heard from him: Moonchild. You still canât quite believe he let you hear one of his many masterpieces when the two of you had just been total strangers. The lyrics had been so heartfelt, so intimate, that you felt as if you were intruding on his personal space or something. But he had let you listen, let you take a peek at what goes on inside that nebulous brain of his. When he does things like that, it makes it easy to understand why people might think your love poem might be about him. Heâs just so⊠easy to admire.
The poem isnât about him, but. It could have been, in some other life. (Or maybe it is.)
(Was.)
(Will?)
Regardless, you still have to convince him otherwise. You just simply arenât ready for that type of development, much less with him. Despite all his good sides.
Thus, Kim Namjoon leaves you at a standstill. Why do you feel so fucking weird about harboring this idol crush on him? How can he be so dumb and so smart at the same time? He has blue fucking hair for crying out loud! Heâs causing you cognitive dissonance just by existing, and itâs giving your meagre amount of brain cells a workout.
Oh shit, have you been ignoring him? You were totally zoning out this entire time, havenât you?
Somewhere around the time you were having your mini mental breakdown, Namjoonâs mouth had stopped moving, giving you an expectant look. Oh shit. He probably asked you something. Embarrassed and unwilling to give away that you had not processed even a single word out of his mouth, you nod and give him an approximation of what you assume is a friendly smile.
For a second, you think that you might have gotten away with it when Namjoonâs face breaks out into an enormous grin. He grabs you by the shoulder and envelops you in an chokehold-like embrace. You let out a wheeze, clawing at his biceps with your remaining strength to try and prevent your untimely death due to asphyxiation. âNamjoon..?â
He lets out a shriek at a higher octave than you thought a man of his size was capable of. Somewhere out there, a dog probably perks up at the supersonic sound. âY/N, I knew I could count on you! Thank you so much for agreeing to help me with the elders for Zombie Tea Time!â
Now that caught your attention. You pause in your squirming to fix him with a confused expression. âIâm⊠Iâm sorry? What did you say?â
His smile never falters. He presses his cheek against yours, rubbing it happily with a hum. In any other scenario, you might have fainted from how adorable he was being, but seeing as how all your blood is still trapped in your upper extremities from his vice hug, it is difficult enough trying to remember how to stay alive.
âEvery Saturday, the senior home hosts this event called Zombie Tea Time where the old people all get to have their faces painted with fake blood and all the volunteers have to pretend to be innocent civilians trying to get away from them!â
The more Namjoon speaks, the more you feel your sanity dripping out of your ass like diarrhea. âEx. Excuse me? Say that again?â
âYeah, itâs a new thing the volunteers are trying out this month,â Namjoon says, finally (finally) releasing you from his hug. You donât know if your flushed cheeks are from embarrassment or a stroke. âLike I said, weâre a bit shorthanded today, so Iâve had to wash the plates from breakfast AND pretend to get eaten by senile zombies. Itâs⊠a lot.â
âOh, I can tell.â You grimace, patting him on the shoulder empathetically. You freeze. âWait. So thatâs why you were screaming a while ago?â
âHuh?â Namjoon pauses, before his face does something funny where it looks like heâs either going to sneeze or take a shit. Thankfully he does neither, but instead reaches his hand around his back like he has an itch he needs to scratch. He makes a pained yelp, plucking something out from his asscheeks and pulling out what appears to beââ
You stare at the object in his palm. âAre those⊠dentures?â
âHmmâŠâ Namjoon stares at it, too tired to be disgusted. He just nods his head sagely. âMustâve been when I was too slow to dodge Mister Leeâs lunge. I was beginning to wonder why my ass felt like it was being eaten out.â
âPlease, never say that sentence to me ever again.â
âYea,â he agrees, sighing faintly. He pockets the teeth much to your horror, patting it gently like he hadnât just placed a pair of dentures in his fucking scrubs. He dusts off his hands, his lips pursed so that his dimples stand prominently on display. You barely contain yourself from sinking your finger right into their hypnotizing abysses.
He looks at you hopefully. âSo⊠Uh. You said youâll help me?â
Oh right. You fucking said youâd help him fend off a hoard of virulent old people in face paint.
You look to the right, where the coffee shop is just within sight. Sweet, sweet caffeine, tantalizing you with its saccharine presence, dangling its wretchedly addictive power over your head. If you breathe deeply enough, you think you can smell the coffee beans from here.
You turn back to Namjoon, and you can physically feel the weight of his hopeful gaze on your shoulders. Your defenses have never crumbled so quickly in your life. Fuck him and his stupidly handsome ass.
You sigh, resigning your fate to eternally being whipped for a pair of pretty long legs and size B man titties. âLetâs fucking do this, I guess.â Easier said than done, but you already have one foot in elephant shit, so might as well submerge your whole body as well.
You follow Namjoon closely, having to take two extra steps for every one step that he takes. He crosses the reception area quickly, sending energetic finger guns at Hana which unsurprisingly goes unrequited. You take the more inconspicuous route and wave shyly at her, intimidated by her even after you have long since stopped working here. She levels you with one of her infamous hundred yard stares, lips turned downwards as she appraises you.
âYouâve decided to come back?â she asks, leaning back on her chair with a huff.
Namjoon is in the midst of trying to once again carry all the plates in his Play-Doh arms, so youâre a bit distracted when you shake your head in response. âUh. N-no, Namjoon just asked me to help with the dishes, thatâs all.â
âThatâs a shame,â Hana says, no trace of disappointment in her voice whatsoever. She returns to her book, buzzing open the double doors to let the two of you pass. She flicks her hand lazily at the commotion happening behind her. âBetter hurry back in there. The seniors are getting antsy.â
The doors open automatically, and you almost topple over when you are immediately bombarded with the terrifying symphony of old people hollering obscenities at frantic volunteers trying desperately to get away from their gnarled clutches. The hoard hasnât noticed the two of you yet, and you fear to wonder what type of horrors that you will have to face once you step through those doors. You absolutely refuse to die on this hill, not when you havenât even had your first kiss yet.
âI donât think weâll die,â Namjoon says, as if he can read your mind. You look at him skeptically.
âYou think?â
He clears his throat. âI canât promise weâll come out of this unscathed, though.â
He takes a tentative step forward, the pile of dishes wobbling dangerously on their perch. You are quick to steady the leaning tower of Disa(ster), managing to transfer half of it into your own arms. You grunt, adjusting your stance so that you do not accidentally lose your grip. âDude. How the hell did you get all those plates out here in the first place?â
Namjoon stands up straighter, the weight significantly easier for him to manage now. He smiles cherubically back at you, eyes crinkling cutely. âOh, I was literally on survival mode and trying to stop lil Mrs. Sun from gnawing my leg off. The elders can smell fear you see, so they were definitely going to climb on top of me like World War Z and probably kill me.â He pauses, deep in thought. âAlthough, I think I dropped a plate or two while I was escaping, so watch your step!â
He says all of that with the same eagerness as man who is about to do something crazy, like jump out of a plane or walk a tightrope over a 100 ft canyon. Though, you have to admit that this entire scenario feels like it is on the same calibre.
âIs it me, or are the old people here 10 times crazier than I remember when I volunteered here?â
âYou used to work here?â Namjoon says, amazed. âOh, I didnât know that! I only started a week ago when some other person resigned due to mental health issues or something.â
âYou sure that this place isnât the cause of their mental decline?â You say it like a joke, though you mean it seriously. Maybe the universe had been looking out for you when decided to get out of this place.
âHmm⊠Maybe. Although, we only received this shipment of old people fairly recently.â
Pause. Rewind. âS-shipment?â you repeat, staring at him wildly.
Like the lovable airhead that he is, Namjoon fails to notice your astonishment and instead takes the first brave step forward through the double doors. He tilts his head towards the hallway, gesturing for you to follow him. The plates rattle dangerously from his movements. âCâmon, we gotta get these plates cleaned before the lunch crew comes to take over their shifts!â
Walking to the kitchen is easier than you thought, especially after you take into account the fact that all the old people completely ignored you and chose to only attack Namjoon, for whatever reason. You like to think that it is because the seniors still remember you back when you were still volunteering here and that they hold some semblance of endearment for you, but Namjoon begs to differ. In fact, he screams out his hypothesis as to why you have been left unharmed, all while two older women climb his back like demented crabs.
âY/N! I think they canât attack you because youâre in civilian clothes! They only attack scrubs!â Namjoon says, swatting away one of the women off his back with a surprisingly coordinated headbutt. She shrieks as she falls, landing on all four legs like a cat would do. She hisses lowly at you, before scuttling off to somewhere unseen.
âLetâs hope youâre right,â you wince, watching Namjoon unsuccessfully trying to spin quick enough to dislodge the remaining senior.
Namjoon perks up when he catches a glimpse of his attackerâs face, giggling and appearing as if he isnât currently being assailed by a senior citizen. âOh, Ms. Kim! I didnât see you there. I love the zombie make-up you got going. Who helped you?â He looks at you, as if imploring you to compliment her as well.
âUh. Yes. Youâre looking very⊠yellow.â
Ms. Kim snarls, baring her teeth. âItâs the jaundice,â she says.
Not wanting to stand in that hallway any longer, you carefully place the plates back on the floor before you gently unclamp the old ladyâs talons from Namjoonâs poor biceps. You wince, feeling the length of her nails and knowing that Namjoon is going to have some nasty scars.
You tell him so, but he only shakes his head. âNah? I think theyâd be pretty neat! Battle scars are cool right?â
You grimace at him. âIf thatâs⊠what you think, then sure.â
After grabbing your plates and hurrying after him before the elders make note of Namjoonâs survival, the two of you share a sigh of relief as you both slowly start piling them into the dishwasher. The task is menial and repetitive, and despite what Namjoonâs earlier chattiness might have suggested, he is quiet while he works. The silence is not as awkward as you feared, and honestly the peace is a welcome respite after all the chaos that you had to endure in such a short period of time. Although, silence has never been a good friend to your overworked mind, as it allowed you to stew inside your own head for much too longââand you have found in your 20 years of existence that it is probably for the best that you are not left without external stimulation for too long.
But here you are, forced to do exactly that. You would have engaged in some conversation with Namjoon to stop yourself from getting in over your head, but you are afraid of what sort of embarrassing topics might spew out of your mouth if you do. Heaven forbid that you start geeking out on him about your unhealthy obsession of collecting miniature glass horse figurinesââthat is a secret best kept between yourself and the tentacle monster under your bed.
You begin reflecting on the events from the past two weeks, replaying them second by agonizing second and ruminating on the state that your pitiful young adult life has become. The more you allow these memories to simmer, the more you slowly realize the weight of the accumulated stress that has long since made you hunch over like a goblin.
Hoseok and Jiminâs argument comes to the forefront of your mind, the unexpected heat coming from both of them confusing you to no end. You still donât know the source of their ire towards one another, but what baffles you the most is how you could have missed it in the first place. Sure, you had thought they were at least more than acquaintances; one does not simply challenge a near stranger to a dance off in the middle of a library three times a week, for more than two months and counting. Friends might have been a stretch, though you canât say youâre familiar with how their schedules look like outside your tutoring sessions together.
The question is though⊠should you interfere? Normally, you would have stayed far away from anyone elseâs dramaââyou just arenât the type of person to stick their noses in other peopleâs business. Yet somehow, you feel as if your poem was the catalyst to this violent chain reaction, that you have inadvertently caused the foundation of a precarious building to explode and bring the whole thing crashing down. To think that your silly love poem for a boy who hardly knows that you exist has become the center of so many peopleâs lives⊠the entire thing is giving you a headache.
Speaking of headaches⊠you should probably confront Namjoon about the poem as well. It is probably best that you plan your approach better this time, seeing as how your two previous attempts have been anything but stellar. Namjoon canât be that difficult to convince, right? And even if he does see right through you, he doesnât seem like the type of person who would laugh cruelly at you in the event that he figures out that you are the author. Not like Seokjin, at least. Luckily no one is like Seokjin, the fucking rat bastard that he is.
(In the distance, Seokjin has the sudden animalistic urge to slip anthrax in your milk tea the next time he sees you.)
You glance at Namjoon from the corner of your eye, definitely not ogling the way his arms flex as he loads the final couple of plates. The breath catches in your throat when you realize that some time while you were busy swimming in your junkyard of a brain, he had rolled up his sleeves up to his forearms, displaying his god-like veins for the eyes of the deplorable (you) to feast upon.
Your mouth feels dry, even though other parts of you feel more moist than you remember. Oh god, now is not the time to remember how hot this fucking nerd is.
Despite the fact that your biological clock is screaming âHORNY HOURâ at your monkey brain, Namjoon continues to be thankfully unaware of your internal panic. He closes the dishwasher door shut, clicking it on with a relieved sigh. He gives you a megawatt smile and makes your heart leap into a somersault, probably knocking around some vital organs along the way.
âThanks so much for the help, Y/N! Couldnât have done it without you!â he cheers, clapping you roughly on the shoulder. You wheeze under the impact, waving away his concern despite feeling like your lungs have probably slipped out of your asshole.
âItâs no problem, NamjoonâŠâ you sigh, gazing sadly as Namjoon begins to do a final sweep of the kitchen before inevitably going to sign off for the day. You know your window of opportunity has already closed, and if you had not spent so much time staring at his beautiful man tiddies, you are sure you could have been a little more productive with him. Curse him and his damn chest.
But now, at least youâll have more time to think of how to approach him and bring up the poem when you arenât, like, seriously decaffeinated and on the cusp of a heart attack. You are about to bid him farewell with your tail between your legs when his hands cup your cheeks, catching you off guard.
You splutter incomprehensibly, arms flapping about like a fish out of water. âWhaââ?â
âOh, I forgot to mention! After my hours here at the senior home, I have the afternoon shift at the daycare center near our university and I was wondering if youâd like to come with me?â
If Namjoonâs cool, large hands holding your face like a delicate flower had caught you off guard, then his sudden invitation only exacerbated the furious blush blooming across your neck like a rash.
So what do you say?
âMeep,â is what you say, like the verbose poet that you are. Y/N, renowned campus poet, has the vocabulary of a five year old.
âIs that a yes?â Namjoon smiles, letting go off you in favor of looping his gangly arms around your waist. Another unflattering noise escapes your throat at his proximity and his firmness. âThatâs so great! The kids love seeing new faces, and I bet theyâd love to have a pretty girl around instead of plain olâ me all the time!â
You gape at him. Did he just sayâŠ
âP-pretty?â
âYea, sure!â Namjoon says, his stupid grin still on his stupidly handsome face. He does not appear to be embarrassed at all by his brazenness, which is starting to make you think he is either a well-seasoned flirt or just plain oblivious to the implications of his own words. Knowing him, you wouldnât put it past him that the latter might be the reason.
Compliments and unintentional flirting aside, you really did not feel up to another harrowing experience with Namjoon at one of his other volunteering stunts. You are but a woman in clown shoes, and even the most seasoned clowns must have their rest.
âListen, Namjoon⊠I donât think I can go with you. I have to go, uh,â you pause, your hamster brain working a mile a minute. âWater⊠my dog? No, I mean⊠feed my plant.â You cringe, mentally slapping yourself.
Namjoon, the sneaky bastard, hits you with his strongest and most potent puppy dog eyes in his arsenal. It was super effective! âPlease, Y/N? I wonât take too much of your time! Just play with the kids for two hours and I promise to leave you alone!â
Câmon, Y/N. Focus. Are you the type of woman to break down her defenses for the wilful fancies of any man? Youâre made of stronger stuff than this. Surely you can look him in the eye and tell him straight to his face that you would prefer to go home and rest on this beautiful Saturday than go frolicking with a bunch of snot-nosed childrenââ
âOh, sure. Why the hell not?â you say, like the dumb fucking idiot that you are.
Namjoonâs dimples deepen even further. You glare menacingly at them, knowing full well that they were entirely the cause of your weakness.
âThank you so much, Y/N! The kids will really appreciate your presence! Câmon, we havenât got time to lose!â
Namjoon does not even give you the time to fully comprehend your own pitiful existence before he nearly tugs your arm out of its socket as he maneuvers you to the local daycare just a few minutes away from the senior home. You donât get to say your farewells to any of the seniors or your old work colleagues, but it might be for the best⊠You will need all the sanity left in your body to survive the rest of the day with Namjoon.
On the bright side, that means youâll have the chance to talk to him about the poem, though youâre still hesitant to do so with how badly your previous stunts had ended up. But then again, when else would you get another good opportunity to talk to your crush acquaintance about this? You suppose youâll just have to wait and see what happens next, and hope for the best.
You have been at the daycare for almost three hours now, and there are still no signs of you ever bringing up the poem. You might as well sign your last will and testament with the macaroni art supplies currently decorating your body, making you look like a morbid pasta dish monster from hell. You hope to god that the sticky stuff all over your skin is just cheese⊠White, rubbery scented cheeseâŠ
âAinât this fun?â Namjoon calls out from somewhere, presumably under the mass of ten or so toddlers all climbing him like a tree. You are caught in a state of dĂ©jĂ vu as the children start feasting upon any exposed areas of skin that their kid-sized incisors can find.
You just wanted to talk about the fucking poem for fuckâs sake! Instead, you have to deal with thirty 2-foot children and one 6-foot manchild during one of your only free days in a week.
A miniature demon tugs your sleeve, forcing you to tear your eyes away from Namjoonâs slow demise. You bend down to the little gremlinâs height, mouth twitching upwards in what you hope is a somewhat decent smile. Judging by the kidâs unimpressed face, you doubt it.
âYes?â
âMiss Y/N? Can you tell your boyfriend that Jake peed in the ballpit again? Aera slipped on the puddle and now sheâs crying and disturbing the younger kids.â
Record scratch, freeze frame. Now, we donât have time to unpack all of that. Out of all the things the kid had said, you are sure that his implication that you were Namjoonâs girlfriend should not have been on the top of your list of priorities, and yet here you are, your cheeks as flushed as a baboonâs ass.
âHeâs notââWeâre notâââ you stammer, waving your hands as you try to explain to this unenthused six year old that what she said was entirely impossible. âNamjoon is just a friend!â
You turn to look for the man in question, desperate for him to back you up when you realize he is no longer there. Confused, you leave the huffing child in search for him. You leave the main playroom and search the nearby nurseries, the kitchen, the bathroom⊠all of them with no Namjoon in sight. Just so you can cover all your bases, you decide to check one of the supply closets too, not really expecting to find anything exceptââ
âNamjoon? What the fuââfudge?â You quickly correct yourself, noticing that not only is Kim Namjoon inside the cramped broom closet, but he is also surrounded by five other children huddled around what appears to be a series of tupperwares connected together by plastic straws.
Namjoon hastens a glance at you, before refocusing his attention back onto what he deems to be more important. He nudges his shoulder against the smallest of the bunch, stage whispering into her ear. âJihyo, did you bet the three lollipops on Ant #3?â
Jihyo shakes her head, looking mildly offended. âOppa, do you think Iâm dumb? I bet all of my chocolate bars on Ant #6.â
Namjoon whistles lowly, impressed. âAll-in? Youâre one smart lady.â
You clear your throat. âNamjoon.â
Namjoon has the audacity to hold a finger up to silence you. âGive me a sec⊠Okay, Seungcheol. You said ten hard candies for Ant #2?â
âNamjoon. Are you seriously running a gambling ring in a daycare?â
He peers up at you, smiling sheepishly. âIâm, uh⊠Teaching them about capitalism.â He deposits the candy bets into his pocket before starting the timer on his phone. The children begin to cheer raucously, little fists pumping up as they watch their bets race towards a slice of cake.
âI canât believe this,â you groan, wanting nothing more than the earth to swallow you whole.
Eventually, Namjoon exits the closet, gently closing the door. The shouts of the children become muted immediately. When you gaze inquisitively at him, all he does is shrug his shoulders. âWhat? Secret clubs allow people to explore their interests.â
At this point, you donât really want to argue anymore. And so, the hectic day goes by, full of running after the children and occasionally having to reel Namjoon in when he does something bordering on negligence. The parents slowly start filtering in by five in the afternoon, most of whom pat Namjoon affectionately on the back and thanking him for his stellar daycare service.
âOh, Namjoon! My little Jihyo absolutely adores you! She hardly wants to leave whenever I come to pick her up.â Jihyoâs mother smiles, slipping a small tip into Namjoonâs waiting palm. The little shit pockets it, bowing graciously at her.
âAll in a dayâs work, madame. I just love children, you know?â he says, sighing dramatically.
From behind her mother, Jihyo gorges herself on her prize winnings, shoving a whole packet of M&Mâs into her mouth. She swallows them quickly when her mother turns to bring her home.
âI hate this,â you say to yourself, smiling through the pain.
âOh, before I forget!â Jihyoâs mother dashes back inside, startling you. She approaches you, grasping your hands in hers and shaking it wildly until you can hear your joints pop out of their sockets. âYour name is Y/N right? Thank you for taking care of Namjoon, too. Itâs so nice to see that heâs finally snagged a girl as pretty as you.â
It is a testament to how dead inside you truly are by how nonplussed you are by their unfounded accusation. At this point, they could congratulate you on your recent engagement to Namjoon and you probably wouldnât bat an eye.
âThanks.â All in a dayâs work of being a madmanâs little bitch for the day.
After the last child is taken away, your Saturday finally ends. There had been no poem discussion and no progress made; only your respect from one of your long-time crushes being whittled away like the soaps on those ASMR channels until you are left with useless cubes of Irish Spring scented granules.
On your way home, you pass by Seokjin sitting languidly on the bench outside the coffee shop that you had originally intended to go to this morning. The closed sign greets you impetuously, and your wounds are salted further by the sheer presence of the most annoying man on the planet.
Seokjin sips on his venti iced Americano, Gucci sunglasses tipped downward on his nose. An odd, high pitched windshield wiper sound escapes his lips, and you belatedly realize that he must be his version of laughter. âY/N. So nice to see you. Iâm guessing that you just came out of a⊠fishy affair?â
You grind your teeth, flexing forward with the intent of hitting the rat bastard. Fish crackers fall out of your hair in clumps from your movement. âIâll eat your toes if you say another word about this.â
You say that, but you know that there will be photos of you out on Facebook by the time your head meets your pillow for the night, as you hear the telltale sound of a camera shutter go off as you limp sadly back home.
The following Monday, you resolve to talk to Namjoon during your History of Music class together.
Now normally, you would never subject yourself to sitting near Namjoon in class. No, it is not because of your debilitating crush, nor his eccentric personality, nor something unexpected like insanely toxic body odor (which he does not have, by the way. He always smells alarmingly like cotton candy.) In fact, nobody likes to sit near Namjoon, made apparent by the two row radius of empty chairs around him. As much as everyone adores and idolizes him for his talent, no one can stand his propensity to overachieve like the infuriating know-it-all that he is. His hand is perpetually up in the air, begging to be picked for recitation, always with something profound to say.
âSir, I donât think your notes are correct. From my research, that type of music would not have existed until the 1600sâââ
âNamjoon,â your professor seethes, Powerpoint clicker clutched tightly in his fists. His left eyebrow twitches concerningly as he tries to calm his breathing. âI would prefer it greatly if you do not question the actual expert in this area, is that okay with you?â
Yeah. He is definitely not someone youâd want to sit beside.
Though, he really makes it hard not to want to be around him. Despite all the imperfect parts of his personality, Namjoon always looks like the cover model of what a perfect college boyfriend should dress like. Terrible dyejob aside, his hair is slicked back in a fashionable way, revealing his beautiful forehead for all of humanity to behold. He is wearing a fitted graphic tee under a denim jacket, with loose brown slacks that look good on his endlessly long legs. To top it off, his signature wire-frame glasses sit daintily on his nose, making him appear as smart as he is.
You are suddenly reminded of the true scale of your crush on him as sweat begins to build on your neck and down your backside. How the hell are you going to approach him now that you are perfectly aware of how good he looks? It is people like Kim Namjoon that remind you of this universal truth: attractive people only exist to cause the less fortunate to forget how to use their basic motor skills.
Focus. Remember how much of a crackhead he was last Saturday? Okay, retain that information. Remember how fucking stupid he is, and this will be much easier on your heart and your loins.
Taking a deep breath, you make your way to where he is seated, right at the front of the class. It is a long way down the auditorium to where he is, and you can feel the stares of a few of your classmates as you make the treacherous journey right into the proverbial lionâs maw. You do your best to ignore them, quietly sliding up next to him and waiting for him to notice your presence.
From the corner of your eye, you can see that he is jotting something frantically on a notebook, a mess of words in more languages than you can speak decorating every available space on the smooth white pages. At the top of the paper, you can see what might be a tentative title for a song, perhaps? You canât be too entirely sure, as Namjoon is part of so many clubs and organizations that he might as well be writing next weekâs lunch menu for the cafeteria.
(Highly doubtful as Namjoon has a reputation for allowing inflammable things to catch on fire, but you wouldnât put it past him to at least try and apply for a culinary position.)
It seems that Namjoon is too immersed in his writing to greet you himself, so you have to be the one to steel yourself and strike a conversation with him instead.
âUh. Hey⊠Namjoon?â Smooth like butter. Seokjin would be proud.
Namjoon doesnât reply. He keeps scribbling along, humming something indistinct under his breath.
You clear your throat. âNamjoon?â
No response. Again, âHello?â You wave a hand in front of his face. His blinking slows for a second, but he continues to ignore you.
Starting to get pissed off, you huff quietly to yourself before bringing your palm backwards and slapping him upside the head. âHEY PANINI HEAD! YOU FUCKING IN THERE OR WHAT?â
That manages to bring him out of his headspace, thankfully. âHuzzat?â Namjoon jumps, cradling the back of his neck gingerly as he stares at you, confused. Recognition filters through his eyes as he realizes belatedly what had just happened. He blushes slightly. âOops.â
âOops is right. Were you really going to ignore me for the rest of the class if I hadnât slapped you?â
Namjoon shrugs, grinning in that cute goofy way that he does. âSorry. âM not used to people sitting beside me, is all. Glad to have a friend in this class though! Have you always been in this class?â
âYea, but I usually sit in the back.â
Namjoon nods, turning back to his notebook. âSorry for ignoring you. I really didnât mean it. When Iâm in the middle of writing, itâs kind of hard to get me out of my own brain. Plus, this draft is due in two weeks and Iâve scrapped three pages worth of lyrics already⊠Iâm kind of in a panic right now.â
You peek over his arm, trying your best to decipher some of his words. Your interest is piqued, always having wanted to see his draft notebook ever since that first time he showed you Moonchild almost a year ago. âLungs have capsized⊠I am drowning in my own body⊠Wow, those are some dark stuff.â
âYou think so?â Namjoon squints at his own messy handwriting. âI got inspired by the fish in the aquarium I volunteer in. Iâm actually excited to go back there, because I want to play it for the fish and see if they like it.â
âIsnât it better to play it at the daycare of senior home so you can actually get⊠human feedback?â
Namjoon gasps, hand to his heart, offended. âHow dare you assume that fish canât give quality feedback!â
âRight,â you cough, raising your hands in defeat. How dare you, indeed. âSorry.â
Namjoon sniffs, closing his notebook just as the professor walks in to start the class. âYou better be. The fishies get really offended when people say stuff like that.â
The professor begins the moment he sets down his things, so you know you wonât have time to bring up the poem, not when Namjoon is already starting to fall into his overachieving know-it-all student persona. You tap him lightly on the shoulder, gaining his attention.
âHey, I have to ask you something later after class. Will you stay behind for a few moments?â
âSure,â Namjoon replies cheerily, flipping on his laptop to start taking down notes. He stops in his tracks before gazing warily at you. âHold on. If this is about the fishies againâŠâ
You have to resist the urge to roll your eyes, so you sigh instead. âNo, Namjoon. This isnât about the fishies.â
Appeased, Namjoon returns to listening attentively to the professor drone on about dead musicians and their impact on musical culture. You hardly take any notes, still nervous about talking to Namjoon about the poem. What would be the best way to approach the subject, you wonder? Your previous attempts with Seokjin and Hoseok had featured a lot of yelling and arguing, and you would prefer not to leave a bad impression on Namjoon of all people. Additionally, you donât want to know what arguing with Namjoon would entail, because you have a strong feeling that any debate with him will only leave you second guessing your entire existence with how good he is at flipping the subject. Or, you could always kick him in the knees, but that would be like overpowering a babyââyouâd be a monster for taking advantage of him.
The short one hour lecture flies by quicker than you would like. To your surprise, Namjoon only interrupts the professor twice, so you suppose thatâs a win for everyone else.
âAlright class. Please remember that the research paper regarding 17th century music is due on the Friday before your break,â your professor says. He points a stern look at all of you, and maybe youâre imagining it, but somehow you feel like he pauses just a second longer when he passes his gaze over you. âAnd please, try not to send your paper to the entire student body to air your secret little crushes like a bunch of lovestruck idiots.â
Your ears turn an unflattering shade of red as most of the students chuckle at his little joke, all of them probably not knowing that the lovestruck idiot was just a few seats away.
âCâmon, Namjoon.â You sigh, shrugging on your backpack as you wait for him to finish packing up. Namjoon watches you curiously, brows furrowed.
âYou seem dejected. Are you having trouble with class? Is that what you wanted to talk about?â
âN-not⊠not really,â you say, shaking your head. âCan we talk about this outside? People for the next class are starting to come in.â
Namjoon follows you dutifully from behind, and you can hear him bid his farewells to a few giggling freshmen as the two of you exit the lecture hall. They coo openly in his presence, with one of them bold enough to compliment his fairly generous bosom, her fingers twitching as if she is only one push away from grabbing them by the fistful.
You walk towards the small cafe near the entrance of the building, grabbing one of the empty chairs and gesturing for Namjoon to sit across from you. He does as you say, confusion still gracing his handsome features.
âSo, will you tell me why youâve called me out here now?â Namjoon asks. Before you can respond, however, he reaches into his backpack and pulls out a half squished sandwich. He offers you the less crushed half, like the gentleman that he is, but you find it hard to accept when you feel like your stomach is turning inside out with nerves.
âUmm⊠How do I say thisâŠâ You groan, leg bouncing so incessantly that the poor table begins to shake. Namjoon doesnât even try to stop his other sandwich half from sliding over, instead giving you a concerned glance.
Fuck it. Better to rip the band-aid off in one swoop, right?
âY/Nââ?â
âNamjoon, are you aware that people think someone wrote a stupid love poem about you?â
His previously open mouth clamps shut, then. He stares at you in confusion, a dollop of mayonnaise hanging off his jutting chin. âWhat?â
Panicking slightly, youâre quick to continue your train of thought, probably to your own detriment. âNOT that the poem is about you, by the way. Well, it could be? No? I DIDNâT WRITE IT!â Pause for heavy breathing. âA-anyway, thatâs not the point⊠I just wanted to ask if you were⊠umm⊠aware of it. Yeah. Thatâs it.â
Ohhhh my god. You stupid idiot. Fuck fuck fuck fuck you fucking stupid piece of shit ass tit fuck what other swear words are there oh yeah FUCK!!!
In the midst of your personal mental beatdown, you fail to see Namjoonâs genuine look of confusion, his head tilted to the side as he watches your face turn red. He chews on his sandwich thoughtfully. âUh? No? Iâm not aware? I really have no idea what you are talking about, Y/N.â
You finally stop swearing at yourself. âWait, really?â
Namjoon nods his head. âReally. What poem are you talking about?â
âPlease tell me youâre joking. I donât really like being teased; I get enough of that from Seokjin.â
âNo, Iâm serious!â Namjoon raises his hands in surrender. âI wouldnât joke about something that is clearly giving you distress.â
âItâs not causing me distress!â You screech back, voice cracking from your tone going up a pitch. You clear your throat. âUm. Wait. So that means you havenât heard about the huge rumor going around about a love poem being about you?â
He shrugs his shoulders, lips pursed. âNot a clue. Am I supposed to?â
Huh. You stare at the imbecile before you, his previously handsome looks starting to look less appealing by the minute. Is this shithead for real? Did you really spend hours worrying over how you would approach him about the poem, only to find out that he has no clue what youâre talking about? Like, how is it even possible for him not to know? You canât even spend a minute doing anything without someone bringing up that stupid mistake of a poem. How the hell did you ever have a crush on him?
âPardon? Did you say crush something?â
âOh shit,â you curse, slapping a palm to your mouth. Did you fucking say that out loud? Â
âSorry,â Namjoon swallows thickly, a large bite of his sandwich visibly going down his gullet. âI was chewing too loudly so I didnât hear you properly.â
You heave a sigh of relief. Okay, maybe being an idiot has its benefits.
âItâs fine. It wasnât anything important,â you say, already arranging your things to get up and leave. If Namjoon is oblivious to all the poem shenanigans that have been circling campus, then who are you to inform him? All you can hope now is that he remains ignorant of the poem at all, and chalk it up as a success in your book. Itâs not like heâs going to be curious to find out more anywayââ
âWait! Donât go! Youâve piqued my interest now. I wanna know what you were talking about,â Namjoon pipes up, leaning his lanky body sidewards so as to block you from leaving. You halt in your movements, surprised by his sudden inquiry.
Sweat starts to form in the middle of your back at his earnest curiosity. âIââitâs nothing, Namjoon. I was just messing with you. Donât worry about it.â You laugh nervously.
âI donât think you were?â Namjoon rubs his chin thoughtfully. âYou wouldnât have been so adamant to call me out here just to be joking.â
âListen, I really have to go. I have another class soon and I wanna grab lunch before Iâââ
âYou said something about a poem.â He remains undeterred, pulling out his phone. âAnd itâs about me? Well, not about me, if thatâs what youâre sayingâŠâ
âHold up!â You snatch his phone out of his hands, holding it behind you to keep it from his reach. Even though you know his inquisitiveness is not his fault, it doesnât stop you from wanting to punch him square in his cute little nose. Hell, you donât recall wanting to fight anyone as much as you do right now.
(Seokjin sneezes somewhere in the distance, feeling offended for whatever reason. âY/N should only be punching me,â he thinks to himself as he dumps way too much purple dye on this poor ladyâs head.)
âWhy are you being so weird right now? Give me back my phone!â He pouts at you, not at all knowing that your resolve is already quickly crumbling before him.
âIâŠâ You gulp, foot tapping restlessly as you try to think of what to do. âOkay. Fine, Iâll show you the poem. Just⊠donât read too deeply into it, okay? Itâs just a stupid thing that got too many people excited over nothing.â
âSure,â Namjoon nods his head, acquiescing quickly. âI donât really like paying attention to much of the rumors and trends that happen on campus. I just want to see what this poem is all about.â
âJust⊠donât let it get to your head,â you mutter, returning his phone to him. You direct him to the university confessions group page, watching as his fingers fumbled with his keyboard. Eventually, he gets to the post (pinned to the top, forever mocking you for your stupidity) and reads the short piece in record time.
There is a pause where neither of you speak. You know he has finished reading it from the way he has started to scroll down to the comments, though he quickly jumps back to the top when you glare at him to stop. He leans back into his chair, closing his phone and stares at you expressionlessly.
You click your nails across the coffee shop table as you observe him suspiciously, his lack of response making you more nervous. âWell?â
The left side of his mouth quirks upââbut not in a way that might suggest glee or satisfactionââand he stays frozen like that for a bit. You have the sudden urge to wave your hand in front of him to check if heâs fine, and being the type of person to submit to your urges, you do as you please.
Thankfully, he snaps out of it, blinking quickly as if heâs forgotten that you were there. He scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. âOh, yeah. The poem, uh⊠How do I put itâŠâ
âWhat?â What on earth could he have a problem with? Does he genuinely think the poem might be about him? âIf youâre starting to think that the poem may be about youâââ
âNo, no, thatâs not it.â Namjoon opens his phone again, peering at the poem questioningly. âI was just going to say that this poem is a lot less impressive than you were hyping it up to be.â
Excuse me??????? He did not fucking just say that.
âYou did not just fucking say that,â you verbalize, glowering at him. You can feel the fumes start to steam out of your ears, but Namjoon remains oblivious (as per usual) to your emotions. He just hums, shrugging his shoulders with his nose upturned in the air, as if he had just smelled something horrible.
âItâs just⊠the meter is all messed up⊠Like, Iâm all about free verse or whatever, but I can tell the author is trying waaaay too hard to keep whatever rhythm they had going on in the first verse.â He scrolls through the poem some more, before stopping somewhere in the middle. He shows you one of your favorite verses with a look of something akin to disdain. âAnd whatâs up with all the moon references? That theme is so overused.â
âYOUR MIXTAPE LITERALLY HAS A SONG CALLED MOONCHILD! THATâS WHY PEOPLE THINK THE POEM IS ABOUT YOU!â You explode, spittle flying everywhere from the force of your shout. A group of freshmen sitting nearby jump up in surprise, though most of the older, more dead-eyed college students do not even bat an eye at your spectacle. This university is full of cuckoos, is what they are probably thinking.
The biggest cuckoo of them all looks at you defensively, frowning somewhat irritably. Namjoon continues, âYeah, but I used the moon in my song in a classy way! I would be offended if someone would write this poem for me after being inspired by my song.â
Is it possible for blood to boil inside your veins? Because youâre really starting to feel heat trail up your back up to your neck, causing you to see nothing but red and the tantalizing vision of your hands around his neck. Easy, Y/N. You canât afford anger management therapy; you have a tuition to pay.
In all seriousness though, you cannot take this any longer. You have suffered long enough while having to follow Namjoon around like a bitch for two days, and if karma still wants to use the strap on you, then sheâs going to have to do it some other day because you cannot physically stand being around Namjoon for another ten seconds if you can help it. And this is coming from someone who is around Kim Seokjin at least twice a week, so it is obvious that your patience and sanity is truly at its limit.
âIâm done.â You are barely able to keep yourself from slamming your head against the table. Instead, you stand up hastily, chair legs screeching against the tiled floor. You shoulder your bag quickly, waving at him without even turning to face him. The sooner you get away from him, the better. âYou can think what you want. Just live your life, man. Iâm done.â
âOkay? Well, have a nice day, Y/N!â Namjoon calls out a cheery goodbye, though his tone obviously still sounds confused even as you walk further and further away from him, a trainwreck of a human being. You resolve to yourself to call Hana the next morning to ask her to slip some opened sweets into his jean pocket so the ants at the daycare might climb out of their shelter to bite him in the balls.
How did you ever have a crush on that bastard? I guess that mystery will have to remain⊠unsolved.
Unluckily, your mood does not improve after lunch, nor do you calm down after your next class either. In fact, you are still steaming when you arrive to your tutoring session with Hoseok, so much so that you have completely forgotten to be worried about him after the events of last Friday.
(Record scratch, freeze frame. Pause. What the hell happened last Friday again? Your overworked brain cells can only handle one stressful event at a time, so you suppose that problem with Hoseok and Jimin will have to be solved another day.)
Hoseok, the caring boy that he is, also forgets to retain his moodiness from Fridayâs argument when he spots you looking like you were about to pop a blood vessel at any moment.
Hoseok sits hesitantly in front of you, even placing his textbooks gently onto the table as if any sudden sounds might cause you to self-combust and splatter your guts all over the library floor. The only thing really keeping you from doing exactly that is because you wouldnât want poor Jungkook the library assistant to have to clean up your mess.
âUmm⊠Hey, Y/N. You okay? You look kind of⊠red.â Hoseok says carefully, smile twitching on his face.
The suddenness at which you slam your hands on the table causes not only Hoseok, but also Jungkook who is three whole bookshelves away, to jump up in surprise. The former makes a terrified scream to accompany his leap into the air, staring at your frantically with his fists held up in defense.
âAHH? Y/N, whatâs going onâââ
âSHUT UP!â You point a finger menacingly at him, making him shriek once more. Your jaw is clenched, teeth grinding audibly. âYOU FUCKING KNOW WHAT, HOSEOK? IâLL WRITE THE NICEST POEM IN THE ENTIRE WORLD FOR YOU, OKAY? YOU DESERVE IT! FUCK WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS! IâM A GOOD WRITER AND NOTHING KIM NAMJOON SAYS WILL CHANGE THAT!â
Hoseokâs mouth opens, agape. He doesnât know how to respond, not quite understanding what you were saying in the first place. A lot of angry words spilled from your lips in such a short amount of time, and Hoseok was more impressed with your flow than anything. Were you a rapper, by any chance?
Unaware of Hoseokâs musings, you huff loudly to yourself, slamming open your lecture notes and shoving them aggressively towards him. âALSO, I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF WRITING A REVIEWER FOR YOUR MIDTERM! PLEASE READ THROUGH THEM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!â
âUmm⊠Thanks?â Hoseok says, not really sure which part of your loud declarations he is specifically thanking you for. He sneaks a glance at the front desk, thankful that it is only meek little Jungkook in charge today and not the cranky older librarian who already has a personal vendetta against you and your tutoring group for being public nuisances (not that she was unjustly pointing fingers, of course).
Your mental collapse aside, the rest of his tutoring session goes smoothly, with Hoseok still walking on eggshells around you just in case you might feel like exploding again. You know, for fun or something. Although, he does end up asking if he can leave a few minutes early, saying something about a paper due at the end of the week. The excuse doesnât make you bat an eye until Jimin arrives for his own session, his grin faltering when he sees his hyung not there to greet him with their usual dance battle in the library.
âAh⊠Guess Hoseok-hyung really is still mad over what happenedâŠâ Jimin sighs, slumping into his chair. He thumbs his textbook thoughtfully, tongue sticking out like a puppy.
âIâm sure itâll blow over soon,â you say hopefully, though your heart isnât quite in it either. Coughing awkwardly, you pluck his textbook out of his hands, desperate to talk about something else other than your crumbling interpersonal relationships. You pause at the page, however, before staring incredulously back at Jimin.
âJimin.â
âHmm?â Jimin is still listless, head pillowed by his arms on the table. âWhat?â
âThis is a book on differential calculus. Iâm supposed to teach you about writing academic essays.â
âOh yeah,â Jimin sighs, closing his eyes. âI stole that book from some freshman on the way here. The English textbook I usually bring is with Taehyung right now.â
You pause. Actually, now that you think about it⊠âJimin, do you actually even go to this university? What the hell is your major, even?â
âWha-?â Jimin yawns, fanning his mouth with his hand. He blinks sleepily at you with a big, doofy grin. âSorry, I played MapleStory for hours last night and I havenât gotten much sleep. Can I just sleep during this session? Iâll still pay you or whateverâŠâ he trails off, stretching like a cat under a patch of sunlight. Before you know it, the soft sound of Jiminâs snoring fills the silence.
Thankfully, Monday ends without much more commotion. You may have come out of this experience a little bit more broken inside, but hey! Thatâs what character development is all about, babey. You are just glad that Tuesdays are usually your quietest days, as you only have two classes to worry about. It is also one of the days when you have Creative Writing with Sera, who usually manages to rope you in to get greasy fast food after class. Despite the traumatic experience that particular class has indirectly inflicted upon you, your usual zeal and excitement does not diminish in the slightest. After all, writing will always be your first love, so there isnât any way some silly poem mishap will make you detest it.
Hopefully nothing else will go wrong, because you arenât so sure your sanity can take much more of a pounding.
(Fwip. Do you hear that? Thatâs the sound of karma putting on her strap.)
âAlright class, see you guys on Thursday. Donât forget that we have a quiz at the beginning of class on Thursday, so please donât be late.â Professor Puth says, his eyelids blinking out of sync. You hate to be someone who assumes what other people do during their off days as it is none of your business, though the perpetual cloud of marijuana that clings around him can only do so much to mask what his recreational activities might be.
âDude, I think Prof Puth is finding Nirvana soon,â Sera says loudly, earning the giggles of a few classmates nearby.
âIâd be surprised if he could even find the exit of this building,â you snort, just as the man in question trips over air and nearly faceplants on the ground. Like the model students that you are, you both pretend to be busy doing something else, leaving some other poor soul to help your professor.
Two girls that you vaguely remember from somewhere approach Professor Puth. They are quick to help him straighten up, if his groaning and gasping are anything to go by. He thanks them gruffly and waves them off, but the girls seem adamant to stay put.
âProfessor, I have a questionâŠâ One of the girls asks, nervously tugging on her ponytail. Her friend giggles surreptitiously beside her, urging her to continue. Their odd demeanor causes signals to go off in your brain, telling you to stop and listen. You tug on Seraâs hand, halting her from leaving.
âWait. I wanna hear what theyâre gonna ask,â you mutter, ignoring Seraâs complaints about being hungry. She can wait for her McNuggets for another five minutes, no matter how much she pretends that sheâs starving. You had seen her eat two whole burritos before coming into class today.
Professor Puth raises his brow. âYes? What do you need?â
âWe were just wondering if you could⊠tell us anything about the identity of the author from that poem?â The girl manages to get all of it out in a rush, cheeks flushed as her friend nods fervently beside her.
âYea, Prof! Weâve been dying to know! The suspense is killing us, knowing that the mystery author is in one of your classes!â The other girl continues, glittery excitement practically exuding out of her in waves.
Professor Puth sighs, leaning heavily on his desk. He appears about as done as you feel. âListen⊠You can badger me all you want, but thereâs no way I can tell you. Privacy laws prevent us from sharing information like that without prior consent, even though that student in question might have accidentally sent her assignment to the entire school.â You might be imagining it, but you think Professor Puth points you with a knowing look. You gulp, hastily bowing your head and pretending to fiddle with your phone.
âAww, Prof! Itâs been days and the university hasnât shut up about it! Surely one of the theories on who the author and muse are must be true, right? You can tell us that, at least.â
You canât bear to keep listening any longer, though Sera has started to become more interested in the conversation as it progressed. âWait, wait⊠I wanna hear the Profâs opinion,â she says, grinning despite your nails digging crescents into her arm as you try to pull her away.
âNo can do! Remember, I have your freshman Halloween pictures saved on a harddrive, and you wouldnât want me to accidentally send that to the entire student body as well, would you?â
That manages to snap her out of it. Quickly, the two of you leave the lecture hall and away from possible discovery by your poem-frenzied classmates. You are also relieved to be able to breathe in fresh air once more, after being stuck in that class surrounded by liberal art students for two hours. You always do feel a little bit more relaxed after class with Puth, although that might just be from all the secondhand drug use.
Perhaps the fumes really did dull your reflexes, as it takes a while before you realize that Sera has been nudging your shoulder.
When you finally glanced at her, there is a sneaky grin on her face: never a good sign. âSo,â she begins, a singsong quality in her voice
After having been her friend for long enough, you have become adept at telling what Sera is going to say next. Call it intuition or whatever, but you like to think of it is a self-defense mechanism. As much as she is your friend, she does love digging into your personal life like it is the cover story of some shitty tabloid. You have to prepare yourself to be interrogated.
âYouâre going to ask about the poem, arenât you?â
Sera rolls her eyes, like you shouldnât have even asked. âDuh, of course I am. What else would I want to talk about?â
You shrug your shoulders, pretending to think. âI donât know. Maybe you could have asked âHey, Y/N! Howâs your mom been? Have you been eating and drinking well?â You know, like a normal person.â
âWell, firstable, your mom is literally my friend on Facebook and I saw her go out to that bougie high tea place with Jennieâs mom the other day, so I know sheâs fine,â Sera says as the two of you round a corner, heading closer to the parking lot where her car is. âAnd secondable, you donât fucking drink water, because you like pretending to be a dehydrated piece of jerky.â
âI just like drinking apple juice, okay? Water is weird,â you say defensively, kicking a pebble as you walk.
âNah, youâre weird,â Sera counters, ever the creative debater. She remains undeterred, however. âSo. Any updates on the poem situation or am I going to have tickle the details out of you?â
You groan, pushing her away from your sensitive sides. âPlease donât⊠I have no upper body strength and I wonât be able to push you off!â
âThatâs the point.â Sera laughs, pinching your cheek. She snatches her hand away, only narrowly escapes getting bitten by you. âWhy donât we skip my torture methods then and go straight to the juicy bits? Itâs been ages since Iâve seen you!â
âWhat if nothing has happened since I last saw you?â You grumble, miffed that she really isnât letting it go. You just want to have one relaxing day, is that too much to ask?
Apparently, it is. Relaxation is a rare commodity these days. Sera snorts, patting you condescendingly on the back. âNonsense. Youâve got that post-mental breakdown glow around you. You look absolutely radiant with stress!â
The conversations pauses for a bit when you make it to the parking lot. You donât have to walk too far, as her car is parked relatively close to the exit, which is just another display of how lucky Sera often is in comparison to you. While your unfortunate plebeian ass is busy drowning in shit, Sera is off somewhere aboard a yacht, getting a massage from some Instagram thot.
She hops into the driverâs seat, waiting for you to put your seatbelt on before backing out with one hand on the wheel. âMcDonalds?â she asks, though it is pretty much a given that is where you are going. The last time you both tried diverging from your usual hang out spot, you got intense food poisoning from eating at Chipotle. Sera came out completely fine though, that lucky bitch.
She continues her questions on the drive there, and you relent by telling her most of what has happened to you over the past few days. You gloss over the argument between Hoseok and Jimin, not really wanting their spat to suddenly go viral on Facebook as well. Everything else, howeverââ
âWait, so you talked to Kim Namjoon? The Kim Namjoon? The Namjoon that you had an embarrassing crush on during our first year?â Sera laughs maniacally, almost driving off into the wrong lane. Luckily, you are quick to latch onto the wheel, saving the two of you from becoming roadkill.
âWatch where youâre going!â
âNo, but Y/N! Thatâs literally so fucking funny!â Seraâs laughter has simmered to a giggle, despite the fact that she is still trying (and failing) to furtively glance your way when you hit a stoplight. âIs he like how you remember? God, do you remember how you were after you first met him? All starstruck because your senpai showed you a draft of his single? âOh, Sera! He has the most amaaaazing flow! Iâm going to suck his diââââ
âShut up!â You whine, slapping her in embarrassment. âBelieve me, that crush has died, along with any respect I may have had for him. Men are scum, and Iâm going to only date girls from now on.â
âFine by me! More dick to suck for me, I guess.â Sera teases, whistling innocently. Bold of her to assume that there is any innocent or pure bone in her body; youâve seen her thirst tweets and no amount of holy water can cure the disease that your vision must have sustained.
âI just want the rumors to die down⊠It would make my life way more bearable.â You murmur to yourself, sliding down your seat.
Sera is silent for a while. The McDonalds is just within sight, so Sera waits until she has finished parking before she turns to face you fully, uncanny sincerity in her expression. It unnerves you how serious she is, not when you know that this is the same girl who would snort sugar packets if you bet her $5. She places her hands on your shoulder, fixing you with a meaningful look.
âListen, Y/N. I know all of this is tough right now, but Iâm sure itâs going to be alright, okay? The rumor is going to die down soon enough, and everything will be back to normal. Stay strong for now.â Her voice is soothing, sympathy dripping from every word. As mortifying as it is to admit, the tears flow down your cheek effortlessly; perhaps it is the consequence of having to bear this burden on your own for so long without anyone actually telling you that itâs going to be alright.
âThanks⊠I think I needed that,â you say after a while, sniffling just a bit. Sera grins fondly at you, wiping your tears.
âNo need to thank me. I may be a chaotic shithead, but Iâm also your friend.â She unbuckles her seatbelt, gesturing for you to do the same. âCâmon, letâs go in. Iâll even share my nuggets with you.â
Despite her best efforts at comfort, you still feel a little bummed. You allow yourself to wallow in your self-pity for a bit, as McDonalds is a prime location to feel shitty about your life choices anyway. The heart attack inducing food, the barely hygienic facilities, the minimum wage high school employees⊠Nothing else screamed âIâd rather be dead but it could also be worseâ quite like Mickey Dâs often did.
You wait by one of the booths while Sera goes off to order for the both of you, leaving you with her phone and other belongings. She promises to let you eat four out of the twenty nugget pieces, which is asking a lot considering who you are dealing with. Sera could probably eat sixty nuggets if she so desired, but only stops herself so she can be physically well enough to continue being a thot. Chasing men all day requires physical fitness, or so she says.
When you go to place her things on the other side of the booth, you notice that Sera had accidentally left her phone unlocked. You can see that she had been previously looking at one of those popular forum sites for your university, where most of her repertoire of gossip is usually sourced from. You arenât usually the type to frequent those types of pages, with good reason too. That exact forum is the reason of your current stress, where your most private thoughts and feelings were revealed for all to see. Any sort of positive opinion you might have had for that site was immediately dashed the moment that cursed poem was released into the wild.
It kind of pisses you off that Sera still uses that forum despite knowing how much anxiety it has caused you, but then again, there is only so much you can expect from her. Her appetite for drama and chaos is her way of life, her only other hobby aside from writing. You also vaguely recall her saying that she gathers inspiration for her short stories from some of the more outrageous posts made by your fellow schoolmates.
In the end, curiosity gets the best of you as you stare at the open webpage, tantalizing despite the murkiness that lies within. Oh, lighten up. Itâs just a confessions page⊠Besides, you also kind of want to see what people are saying about your poem, and whether the commotion might have died even slightly over time. (Unlikely, but you remain hopeful.)
âLetâs see,â you murmur to yourself, sneaking glances at the counter to see if Sera is close to ordering. She appears to still be next in line to order, so that might give you enough time to read a few of the comments on the post. It doesnât take you long to find the original post either, since Sera seems to have been perusing the same thing just beforehand.
âTypical Sera... Â Sympathetic in the streets, a nosey bitch in the sheets.â You snort, scrolling quickly through the comment section. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, except for a few overenthusiastic responses from a couple of people who have bombarded the forum so much that it takes you a few moments to navigate past their thread. You catch a few words here and there, mostly the names of the seven possible muses and not so much the names of any of the possible authors. Honestly, you are more than happy with these turn of events, perfectly content as long as your identity never sees the day where it becomes associated with that disaster piece.
You sort the comments by popularity, wanting to know what everyoneâs biggest guesses are. You want to remain hopeful, but as the results start to load, the wave of nausea that suddenly hits you may have been the first warning signal that you should probably stop before you read something that you will regret.
posted by u/SeokjinGod [3d ago]:
[+103, -4] iâm really hoping that kim seokjin is the muse of the poem!! has anyone seen the ads for the new play heâs staring in? he totally looks like the lead actor in a romantic comedy ^^
⟠[+54, -69] psh. that idiot, the muse? PLEASE anyone who has ever worked for kim seokjin KNOWS that itâs physically impossible to form a human connection with that man
⟠[+2, -1] lol seconded
posted by u/namuwuchild [1d ago]:
[+88, -3] WAIT why am i not seeing kim namjoonâs name more often T_T he deserves more love!! stream moonchild or else iâll bite your ankles
⟠[+1, -6] lol i miss when namjoon used to do actual hiphop⊠fucking hippie dippie go fuck a tree and some crabs while youâre at it
You sneak a look over your shoulder. Sera is at the front of the line, reciting her orders while the harried employee has to quickly punch in the inordinate amount of food items. Okay⊠While no oneâs looking, time to downvote a couple of these and maybe report some of these assholes⊠No way in hell are you letting anyone think Moonlight Sonata is about either of those Kim idiots. You would honestly rather out yourself than let anyone think they are worthy of such public displays of love and humiliation.
You are just about to close Seraâs phone and vow never to set foot on social media ever again when the next post catches your eyeââthe first one where you actually see your name. In fact, your name is generously sprinkled a number of times in this one specific thread.
âWait a secondâŠâ You squint at the top of the thread, reading out the username of the original poster. Is that⊠Is that your name?!
âUser Y/NKook⊠Oh my god!â You shriek loudly, almost dropping the phone from your sweaty palms. It must be the same person who had organized that merchandise booth in the cafeteria the other week! The number of upvotes on the post isnât making you feel any better.
posted by u/Y/NKook [3h ago]:
[+98, -5] idk why you noobs are even trying⊠intellectuals KNOW that y/nkook is real and i wonât take no for an answer⊠give me my childhood friends to lovers fic RIGHT NOW because this slowburn has been going on for years now and i canât stand it!!!
⟠[+11, -0] omg op do you know them personally?? howâd you know that they were childhood friends?? i go to the same drama class as y/n and jungkook but they never sit together⊠are you sure itâs them??
⟠[+20, -1] of course!! theyâre even neighbors⊠besides, havenât you heard what his nickname is? his friends call him moon eyes for a reason! they say that y/n is the one who gave him that name ^^
You feel your eye twitch, disbelief flooding your senses. Why is this weirdo shipping you with Jungkook? You guys havenât even spoken properly since elementary school⊠How does this dude know who you are? Are you being stalked? You whirl your head around, scanning the restaurant for any suspicious people who may or may not be following you. Is this what celebrities feel like when they get shipped with their friends? You feel a sudden surge of respect for them, unable to grasp the situation that you are in. God, you really hope Jungkook hasnât read any of these.
You go to switch Seraâs phone off, feeling less accomplished than ever before. Maybe it is best to save yourself the anxiety of seeing your world fall apart and try to delude yourself into thinking that the past two weeks have never happened at all. However, there is a certain appeal to reading things that you know you should not, like watching a car crash and unable to look away. The urge to keep scrolling and gaze upon your own personal hell is hard to stop when you have already gained momentum.
âOne last post, then Iâm doneâŠâ You are hard set on that promise, not wanting your apprehension to destroy your peaceful afternoon completely. The next post on the forum greets you with a high upvote number, sending a lick of fear to run down your spine at what you might find. Please donât be about Y/NKook, you pray helplessly. Little did you know, there are worse things to worry about other than being shipped with your friends.
posted by u/triceratops đ€ [1h ago]:
[+154, -5] hey guys iâm back again with another update! so iâve managed to shorten the list a bit since last time i posted, and iâm 100% certain that kim seokjin is not the muse! sorry, gamers⊠our prince is in another castle it seems. worry not, though! that only helps our search better and shortens the list. on the other hand, the authors list has also been edited! turns out that neither jodi nor melody is the author, as they both submitted poems about something else. if you are interested to see the updated lists for both muse and author, please head to my profile and look for the original post titled âMystery Moon Author & Their Mystery Museâ :-)
You have never clicked on a profile as quickly as you did in that moment. Not even a notification from UberEats could make you move that fast.
Lo and behold, the post that started it all is right at the top of the userâs profile, with the significantly shorter list that they had promised. Sweat begins to build on your temples when you realize that the authors list has decreased to seven names, with your name still obstinately sitting at the end of the lines. When will your suffering end?
There is still something that doesnât sit right with you, however. As you peruse this userâs profile some more, you feel as if there is something weird about it that you canât quite place. You never did like using this forum, so maybe you are just not used to the layout of the website? What is it about this userâs profile that is making your stomach coil with nerves?
Wait a second⊠Why is there an edit button beside their profile picture?
âY/N! Iâm back! Sorry for taking so long; I think I ordered too much again. Youâre fine with BBQ sauce on your nuggs, right? Thatâs all I asked forâââ Sera had been happily chirping away, sliding into the bench across from you before finally noticing your stoney face. She pats her face, rubbing her cheeks in confusion. âWhat? Do I have something on me?â
âHow fucking dare you!â You hiss, slamming her phone on the table. Unfortunately, you had accidentally locked the phone in your anger, showing only a black screen.
Sera flinches backwards, bewildered. Her eyes flick to the screen and then to you. âHuh? I thought you liked BBQ sauce on your nuggs? I mean, I can ask for sweet and sour sauce if you wantâŠâ
âUnlock your phone right now and explain to me why you have triceratopsâ profile logged in.â
Your words begin to click in Seraâs mind. Her face grows pale, her body unconsciously sliding further into the booth to hide from your glare. âU-uh⊠Haha, what on earth are you talking about..?â
âDonât even try to lie, Sera. I saw everything, and I honestly donât know if Iâm madder that you betrayed me or that I was stupid enough to believe that you were my friend.â
Sera splutters incomprehensibly at first, waving her arms in panic as she tries to save her ass. âIââ! Youââ! It wasnât like Iâââ
You lean forward, peering at her coldly. âOh yeah? What wasnât it like? It wasnât like we were friends?â
âNo, of course not! I mean,â she backtracks, tongue-tied. âWe are friends! Itâs just⊠I made that post before I knew you were the author and I originally sent the poem to just a couple of people because I was so impressed, and I just wanted toâââ
âHold on,â you interrupt, holding up a finger. She squeaks, staring at you fearfully as you slowly get up to your feet. You cry out, âYou were also the one who released my fucking poem to the world?!â
âAnna ouâââ Sera whimpers, slapping her palm to her mouth. She lowers it, whispering ruefully. âI⊠didnât mean to say thatâŠâ
âOh, so you were meaning to lie to me even more?â You seethe, ready to burst into flames.
The poor McDonalds employee who had come to deliver your order to your table seems too frightened to approach the two of you, her arms shaking both with fear and the weight of five orders of 20 piece chicken nuggets. âUh, is this a bad time?â The girl asks, eyes darting away from your heated glare.
Instead of answering, you grab the tray from her hands and dump the contents on the table. Sera squawks pitifully when a few of the nuggets fall to the ground, though she absolutely yells when you start chucking them at her head like tiny oily cannonballs.
âWhat the fuckââDude stop!â Sera has her arms up in defense, shielding her face from your fiery attack. The sound of you ripping open a BBQ sauce packet has her straightening up, however. âNo, not the BBQ sauce! Anything but that!â
âGive me one reason why I should show you mercy.â Your hand is poised to pour the sticky sauce all over her white Valentino bag, ready at a momentâs notice.
âPlease, Y/N! Iâm really sorry!â Sera jumps out of the booth, and goes on her knees. She clasps her hands together, shaking them frantically. âI really didnât know it was you at first!â
âWell then, why didnât you fucking take the post down the moment you did know it was me? I thought you were my friend!â You clench your fist around the BBQ sauce packet, causing some of it to spill onto her bag. She makes a desperate noise.
âI just⊠I like the attention?â She knows this is the wrong answer, judging by your unimpressed expression. She sighs heavily, head bowed in shame. âLook, Iâll fix this, alright? I genuinely didnât do this wanting to hurt you⊠I just got so caught up in the clout that I didnât really think about what would happen if you found out!â
ââIfâ I found out, huhâŠâ You echo, more disappointed than angry now. You slump back into your chair, taking care to grab the napkins and cleaning the sticky mess on your skin as best as you can. âYou really were going to continue doing this for as long as it took, huh?â
âIâm really sorry, Y/N.â Her voice is soft, repentant. It doesnât do much for your sympathy, however.
âFuck you, honestly. If you really are sorry, youâll fix this mess as soon as possible.â
You reach for your bag, your movements jostling a few more nuggets to tumble to the floor. You donât bother saying goodbye, not wanting to see if Sera is doing her Crying Face Emoji impression to try and soften you up. Not this time. This time⊠you donât think your feelings can recover after this.
You have read enough stories about heartbreak and longing, but you donât think any of them top the experience of losing a friend you realize you never even had.
The next morning, there is a new post on the forum from user triceratops.
posted by u/triceratops đ€ [0s ago]:
[+0, -0] Hello, friends. I think Iâve found the author.
Itâs Lee Sera.
#networkbangtan#armiesnet#btsguild#bts scenarios#bts x reader#bts fanfiction#bts#bts imagines#bts crack#bts fluff#kim namjoon#namjoon scenarios#namjoon imagines#namjoon fluff#namjoon crack#bangtan#bts fanfic#UGHHGJDHGJ im so slow at writing... its the depretion#hopefully this is good.... maybe who knows#IM GONNA EAT A GRILLED CHEESE NOW
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So, was spitballing ideas with @thewiglesswonder about skekGra and urGoh, so here is a more concise timeline and my thoughts on the two:
379 trine seems to be the length that skekGra and urGoh were banished before Rian and friends came upon them. We also know that there is some time between the show beginning and the movie ending, as well as the fact that the Great Conjunction happens every 999 and one trine. So, making a guesstimate, it is likely that 400 trine passed between when skekGra and urGoh were banished and when the movie takes place.
Which means that the two had around 500 trine between becoming divided from the Urskeks and being banished.
I bring this up because of the known plans we have seen skekGra and urGoh implement. They had extremely detailed puzzles, ranging from Lores puzzle in the Vapran Capital (which I will return to in a moment), to the extensive puzzle that was hidden in the Caves of Grot for the Duel Glaive.
(For the Duel Glaive trials, I know urLii says that Mystics can't fit through to reach the Duel Glaive, but he never said anything about Skeksis being unable to reach it. Or perhaps skekGra and urGoh made the entrance smaller after hiding the Duel Glaive. Whose to say.)
Now, think about it; how would skekGra, a banished Skeksis, not only be able to put multiple extensive puzzles that lead to tools specifically used to end Skeksis rule, but put them in locations that are heavily populated with Gelfling?
Because, skekGra and urGoh made many detailed plans before seeking out the Skeksis and Mystics, before their exile.
Think about it; skekGra may be popular as the crazy, goofy grandpa that lives in the desert with his husband, but skekGra is still a Skeksis. He was once the Conqueror, and as he says himself:
"They called me the Conqueror when I was young, from sea to sea my victories were sung..."
"...Vile and cruel deeds, from which I was famed."
We have seen from multiple Skeksis that they will not hesitate in killing, such as with skekVar and skekMal, but to have one that is famed for his cruel deeds? That puts skekGra on a completly different level from the other Skeksis in multiple ways.
So, think about this: You're the Conqueror, doing your Conquering thing. Killing and maiming your way across Thra when suddenly a vision hits. Now, you meet with your Mystic half. You want to reunite, but you're no idiot. The Skeksis are cruel, violent, and won't take kindly to becoming Urskeks again.
So you, as Conqueror, make several plans. You're a famous Skeksis, so it's easy enough to secretly put a rock golem under the All Maudras throne, and you're so feared that no Gelfling would dare talk back to you. Perhaps you put various other clues and plans in other places for Gelfling to find, plans that have yet to be discovered.
But that isn't enough and you know this. You need something great, something grand, something to use against the Skeksis if needed.
Somehow, you get your hands on the Crystal Shard, the one that is meant for the Crystal of Truth. There is no way the Skeksis will just let you put the missing shard back, however, and you're smart enough to know that, despite your strengths, there is no way you could battle through every single Skeksis.
So instead, you take that shard and put it into the hilt of a blade, a large one. The Duel Glaive. It is perfect, especially against the Skeksis. If they won't listen to reason about reunification, you can use force. You are the Conqueror, after all.
But something goes wrong. One way or another, the Skeksis discover the Duel Glaive, as well as who owns it. They don't know of the crystal shard hidden in the hilt, but they know it is dangerous and must be destroyed. If that happens, you will never be reunited with your other half. So instead, it is hidden away, and you are forced to make your pleas with the Skeksis.
Or, perhaps you try and use the Duel Glaive against the Skeksis, try to force them down so that you may reunite the shard with the Crystal, so you may be reunited with your Mystic half to become an Urskek once more.
Either way, things go wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong, and you are exiled.
You won't be killed, but you must be careful. As a fugitive, there are too many risks in being out in the open, so you go into hiding with your other half. With him, you learn that it is, in fact, the Gelfling that will be the answer to your problems.
So, you must wait until your plans are discovered and messages are found and hope that, perhaps, the Gelfling will listen.
There are likely some timeline issues with my theory, especially given that the timeline is... Honestly, kinda confusing, but my main point is both skekGra and urGoh are not only fairly intelligent, but also more than capable of making detailed plans and waiting hundreds of trines to see those plans come to fruition.
They are not to be trifled with.
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Deconstruction
Worldbuilding: Aura
Our first official foray into the worldbuilding category: Aura. The chakra-like soul-energy that functions as the primary fuel source for Semblances, along with a handful of auxiliary features. Despite arguably being one of the cornerstones of RWBYâs lore, the page for it on the RWBY Wiki is worringly short. Like, no joke, itâs not even 2,000 words long. Suffice to say, thatâs not a good sign.
Before we get started, letâs make sure everyoneâs on the same page by quickly brushing up on our definitions. Aura is the physical manifestation of oneâs soul, depicted as a colored emanation around the user. This effect is first visible when a person engages their Aura, and can be seen again when a personâs Aura is close to depletion. As Aura is drained through taking damage, staving off inclement weather, or using oneâs Semblance, it begins to rapidly flicker. Upon depletion, itâs represented as either a full-body shimmering effect or a particle effect with âfragmentsâ of Aura falling away from a personâs body, signifying that theyâre susceptible to physical damage. Aura is vital not just for its inherent failsafe against injury, but for the other functions it offers, including: an innate healing factor, thermoregulation, conduction of Aura through inanimate objects, extrasensory perception, and unlocking dormant Auras within others. The only prerequisite for possessing Aura is having a soul, something which all life on Remnant (except for the Grimm) has.
You know, itâs amazing just how convenient Aura is. It almost makes you wonder why
EVERYBODY ON REMNANT HASNâT FUCKING UNLOCKED IT.
Seriously, why didnât Pyrrha use her fame as a platform to raise public awareness on Aura? We know that trained Huntsmen can unlock them for people who have no prior training (looking at you, Jaune). Couldnât her manager have found the time in-between signing deals with Pumpkin Peteâs to get a campaign going, so she could be sponsored to travel around the country doing exactly that? Why is 90% of Remnantâs population leaving themselves deliberately vulnerable to Grimm and bandits? Seriously, RWBY, what the fuck?
Sorry. Getting ahead of myself. Deep breaths.
Letâs set aside the histrionics for a moment. Aura as a combat mechanic is pretty ingenious when you think about it. It capitalizes on a pretty well-established trope already found in the genre. If youâve familiarized yourself with the manga and anime scene in the last decade, chances are you know what Naruto is, even if youâve never read or watched it. Having a magical soul-powered fuel source already gives you the license to justify all of the crazy acrobatics your cast is going to be doing, and given its parallels to chakra, it isnât going to require too much explaining to a genre-savvy audience. In theory, anyway.
I think part of the problem is that RWBYâs writing relies a little too heavily on fans having at least a vague pre-established understanding of the concept behind Aura. It lets the show dodge having to answer problems that arise from under-developing its world. Auraâs utility as a combat accessory, coupled with all of the extra functions I mentioned earlier, creates the problem of: If this tool is so useful, why doesnât everyone have it?
If youâve never seen Hello Future Meâs video on magic systems, I highly recommend you check it out. Without even mentioning RWBY, he manages to pinpoint the flaw with Aura (and by extension, the common flaw with most fantasy magic systems): differentiating between limitations, weaknesses, and costs.
Iâll let him take over from here:
âThe most common form of limitation is a vaguely-defined limit of strength, or training, or mental acumen of the practitioner. Avatar: The Last Airbender is kind of like this. Thereâs no explicit limit to how much fire a person can conjure, or how strong a wind they can muster, but we know itâs kind of limited by their training, willpower, strength, and talent. Think of it as the rule of: THEREâS ONLY SO MUCH AWESOME ONE HUMAN CAN HANDLE. If youâre really trying to differentiate your hard-magic system from this common trope, then think about not relying on this particular limitation, but maybe something else. Perhaps certain powers can be negated or are affected by certain things in the environment around them, like the moon, certain plants, or minerals. That way, your magician has to be aware of their surroundings at all times, or it can be used against them by their enemies.
Secondly: weaknesses. Weaknesses in magic systems can create interesting dynamics in a story where magic would usually make a character a lot more powerful than those around them. Maybe they can transform into a werewolf at will, but that makes them vulnerable to silver bullets, though, once again, making these limitations to your magic too simple can make themâŠuninteresting. [âŠ] If you have multiple different powers in your story, it could be interesting to have the use of one power making them more vulnerable to another, so your character has to be cautious about using their powers around someone who could take advantage of that. âŠI personally feel the best magic systems affect the way your characters think or act or change the way your fictional world operates.
Finally and thirdly, perhaps the most common way that people create rules for their magic system is through magic costing something. [âŠ] Perhaps the most common magical cost is that of bodily energy. In The Wheel of Time and The Inheritance Cycle, doing something with magic exhausts you, which is fine until you try and be too magically heroic, and you overdose on magical heroin and die.â [1]
Seriously, go watch this guyâs video. Heâs great.
With all of that in mind, letâs take his thesis and apply it to Aura:
Does Aura have any limitations? Not really. Weâre vaguely told by Kerry Shawcross that itâs possible to increase the amount of Aura a person has, but that itâs âimpractical.â Most people try to get more efficient at using Aura instead of trying to get a âbigger gauge.â [2] Unfortunately, the show hasnât provided any evidence of what âgetting more efficientâ looks likeâwhether thatâs simply increasing your training, or undertaking a specific kind of training. Is Aura like a muscle that becomes stronger the more you exercise it? We donât know. The show hasnât given us a definitive metric for measuring training progress, so itâs up for debate.
Does Aura have any weaknesses? Sort of. You could argue that thereâs a trade-off between using your Semblance versus simply relying on Aura to tank hits. A combatantâs innate defense system draws from the same energy source as a Semblance, which could create an interesting choice between offense and defense. Do I rely on my Semblance to win, or should I conserve Aura for other things, like activating Dust or staving off hypothermia? My issue with this being a credible weakness is that we donât really see characters grapple with this dilemma on-screen. Taiyang tells Yang to decrease her dependency on her Semblance, but that has more to do with Yangâs Semblance enabling an aggressive attack style that gives her opponents more openings, than it does anything to do with conserving Aura for other things. [3]
Does Aura have any costs? Thatâs a resounding no. A Semblance costs Aura to use, but Aura itself doesnât demand anything in exchange for activating it.
From every conceivable angle, Aura sounds like a pretty sweet deal. And thatâs the problem: thereâs no believable in-lore explanation for why the entire world doesnât simply have a Huntsman unlock it for them.
So how do we rectify this?
What if having an unlocked Aura made a person more likely to attract Grimm? We already know that Grimm track people primarily through detecting negatively-valenced emotions and the presence of nearby souls. If we wanted to give Auraâs aesthetic appearance some more significance beyond simply being cool to look at, what if Grimm can sense that emanation? If a person with a locked Aura is akin to a matchstick, then what if a person with an unlocked Aura looked like a bonfire by comparison? The very tool used to fight Grimm has the drawback of also attracting Grimm, or worse, causing Grimm to prioritize you as a target.
Not only would this give us an answer for why the entire world doesnât unlock their Auras, but it opens the floodgates for lore and worldbuilding ideas: If unlocked Auras can attract Grimm (even when not in use), do governments have an incentive to regulate how many of its citizens have unlocked Auras? Are only certain members of the population allowed to unlock their Auras, like Huntsmen or soldiers? What happens if you accidentally unlock your Aura? Would the government force you to pay a tax, or make you choose between conscription into either the military or a Huntsman Academy? Thereâs an entire afternoonâs worth of ethical debates right there.
But letâs say that unlocking your Aura doesnât attract Grimm, in which case, maybe thereâs some sort of societal stigma against it. What if youâre afraid of unlocking your Aura because that means, by extension, opening up the possibility of discovering your Semblance? What if youâre afraid of getting a passive Semblance that causes misfortune? What if you gain a pyrokinetic Semblance thatâs hard to control, and without training you run the risk of hurting yourself or others?
We can even take this a step further if we consider how Aura and Semblances can be abused by others. What if at some point in history there was a monarch that would forcibly unlock their citizensâ Auras and force them to serve in their army? Skip forward several generations and picture a well-meaning Huntsman passing through a village. They stop to chat with the locals, and an inquisitive child comes up to them and asks about what itâs like being a Huntsman and having an unlocked Aura. The Huntsman, unaware of the history of the region, offers to unlock the childâs Aura for them. Cue the parents and nearby townsfolk panicking as their thoughts immediately go toward the tyrannical monarch from long ago, and the number of child soldiers forced to bleed for that king.
If we wanted to make Aura inconvenient, we could even introduce Aura- and Semblance-specific diseases transmitted via Grimm. Take a moment to imagine what it would be like if you lived in a world where you never had to worry about getting the flu, as long as you refrained from doing one specific thing. Howâs that for an incentive? Now apply that to RWBY, and suddenly thereâs a whole list of Grimm-based illnesses that youâre automatically immune to as long as you donât unlock your Aura.
The possibilities are endless.
With a little creativity it wouldnât be hard to give realistic, in-world answers for why unlocked Auras arenât more prevalent: everything from mechanical drawbacks, limitations, weaknesses, risk factors, cultural taboos, stigmas, you name it.
I wanted to complain more about the vagueness of Auraâs healing factor and how it relates to Aura depletionâlike how the hell Hazel stabbed himself with Dust crystals while his Aura was still active; wouldnât the healing factor have caused them to just shoot out of his arms like magical splinters?âbut this post is getting long, and I want to wrap things up. I think Iâve made my point.
Join me next time when I put another one of RWBYâs core concepts on the chopping block.
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[1] Hello Future Me. âOn Writing: hard magic systems in fantasy [ Avatar l Fullmetal Alchemist l Mistborn ]â YouTube video. Â February 07, 2018. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMJQb5bGu_g&list=WL&index=351&t=0s]
[2] Shawcross, Kerry. âCRWBY AMA.â Reddit interview. February 12, 2018. [https://www.reddit.com/r/RWBY/comments/7x3w4s/crwby_ama_w_miles_luna_kerry_shawcross_and_paula/du5bpdm/?context=3]
[3] Volume 4, Episode 9: âTwo Steps Forward, Two Steps Back.â
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Hm...Usually love Sanderson but the White Sand novel/la from the newsletter really didnât do it for me. Spoilers below. ETA: uhh, and a rant.Â
This just felt...old. Like Iâm getting major Elantris vibes.Â
The problem with trying to put so many plot threads is that there were really no red herrings? Drile not being the betrayer was painfully obvious to me because there was zero doubt in Kentonâs mind, so of course it was wrong. As was Acron being more than he seemed--duh, showing someoneâs reaction to a pile of CORPSES as âwow, this is neatâ immediately checks the âhey this man is suspicious--whenâs he going to betray usâ box.
The whole Eric plot was really strange and forced to me, then it ends with him knowingly asking his friend to do something that will break him? No explanation, no reconciliation? IDK, just not super satisfying, and Iâm usually all for tragedy and pyrrhic endings.Â
Then thereâs Ais, which was more of the same. The whole book was pretty set on how much he hated Kenton, but since Kenton saving the Diem is the Obvious Goal of the story, that he would eventually turn towards him was a given. This was like whatâs his face the militant missionary in Elantris, but less satisfying, which is saying something.Â
CANNOT STAND KHRISS/KENTON. Which is probably not a surprise. Any duo whose thoughts read like âI hate you! Suffering curious woman!â and âI hate you! Maddening barbaric man!â are my guaranteed NOTP. LikeâŠI really canât imagine ever being attracted to someone that constantly annoys me. Iâm not sure I buy opposites attract. Plus, there was very little subtlety in the way they acted around each other. If it werenât for their screaming thoughts of âwhy do I care so much about him/her?â I wouldnât have seen anything resembling romance.Â
No, actually, thatâs not romance, and it would have been far more romantic to remove all of the thoughts and just show them observing each other and starting to work better together. Iâm also kinda unnerved by how they keep doing things to unnerve each other, AKA Kenton using sand to pick Khriss up/knock on her door/etc (then she slaps him, Iâm still not down on âwell  men slapping women is abuse but women slapping men is Funnyâ), and Khriss going to spy on the Sand Masters when thereâs an explicit reason given why Kenton is opposed. It just feels like theyâre ignoring each otherâs boundaries. Then on top of that Iâm supposed to believe Khriss is just so devoted to her country? Sheâs not. She wants to prove herself. So doing something in the name of country when I suspect a selfish motivation just rubs wrong.Â
Khriss kinda felt like a mashup of Siri and Vivenna, or else Sarene. Kenton felt like a cross between Elend except better at figuring leadership out on his own.Â
Called the whole Gevin thing a few chapters before it happened. I did appreciate the single line of internalization that showed he wasnât just heartless about Khriss, but doing what he thought he had to to make sure she stayed away.Â
The whole plot hinged on dramatic irony. The audience knew SO MUCH, and SO MUCH of the personal tension was âI know something you donât.â The goal-oriented plot was much more fascinating. I was vested in seeing how Kenton convinced people to vote for him, and for what Khriss found out about how sandbending worked. But so much of the plot was âcharacter A knows the answer but character B is asking the wrong question.â I donât really like âI have a secret plots (so Ais was almost painful to read), and the sheer amount of them was just annoying.Â
The unfortunate thing about the Cosmere is that it encourages you to read all of Brandonâs works, and when you do that, you see major trends. Leadership as a burden, including responsibility, compromising some ideals or moral standards, and maintaining an image? Check. Arranged marriage providing plot structure? Check. Very Religious person with a Strong Sense of Justice, an ideological Crisis (and a taboo against entire lifestyle of others?) Check. I Hate My Father and Rebel Against Authority syndrome? (looking at you, Elend and Kenton). (Though I am so glad Brandon doesnât treat arranged marriages as âOh NO! an arranged marriage Iâve been expecting my WHOLE life? My entire family who are in their own arranged marriages arranging it for me?! Oh the Shock! The outrage! How Dare they!) Side order of I Like Dressing Pretty and Balls, as well as I look Drunk and hedonistic but Iâm actually Shrewd. Not that thereâs anything inherently wrong with any of these things, they just come across as repetitive when you read them across many books.Â
Very idiosyncratic things only tangentially related to White Sand but that have resurfaced: Brandon drives me crazy every single time he tries to pun. Like, friend, youâve made it clear that this is Not Earth and these people are speaking Not English and so making puns heavily rooted in English? Stop. Just stop. (side-eyeing Wit and insults/in-sluts. Bad Brandon). Also random peeve is HalfWord capitalization. Also not a huge fan of BioChroma because...meh. Living color. I get it. I feel like his linguistic sensibilities are way better in Stormlight than usual.Â
The thing thatâs maddening is that it was well-paced and used a mystery structure, so I wasnât every bored and felt compelled to finish to answer my questions.Â
So. Satisfying things. Kenton finding out that just because he can master less sand, heâs still best at one ribbon and thereâs not a Magic Power answer. Drile killing himself in the duel via his own personality traits. Dirin getting promoted, plus the re-structuring of the Diem (though if using sand mastery for money is taboo enough that Kenton instinctively reviles against it at the beginning of the book, Iâm wondering where the pushback was from the Diem. I guess itâs explained by everyone being young or just siding with Drile?). The Lady judge in general. Deliusâ turnaround.Â
I...just need to stop now...
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Catfish {t.h.}
part 8
gif by @peteparkrrs
Summary:Â What happens when you start to fall in love with a boy online, completely unaware that itâs Tom Holland behind the computer screen?
Warnings: angst, anxiety
part 7 |Â series masterlist
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peter_king liked your post
You felt as though you couldnât breathe, and suddenly all of the emotions that you were able to move on from came flooding back. Your chest was tight and your vision began to blur as you stared at that one notification, beginning to wonder if you were seeing things or if it was actually real. All you could see was red, and the words began to mold together as you felt a sob start to bubble in your chest. You closed your eyes tightly and forced yourself to hold it back so that you wouldnât wake Jane, but suddenly you felt like shaking and crying and calling Tom and yelling at him over the phone because how dare he. How dare he like your post, knowing that you would see it and force these emotions to come back and how dare he still look at your posts and your account.Â
You put your phone down and closed your eyes as you tried to steady your breathing. By the time you opened your eyes, you realized you had to get out of bed if you wanted to make it to class on time. You forced yourself to jump down from your lofted bed, and your legs felt like lead because all you could think about was Tom looking at your profile and liking your picture.Â
Walking slowly, you trudged to your closet and pulled out a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved shirt before slipping on your Converse. Jane was still sleeping soundly, and you figured she wouldnât be getting up for class for another hour, so you quietly slipped out of your dorm to brush your teeth before heading into the brisk spring morning.Â
You put your headphones in, trying to drown out your thoughts with music, but it didnât help. You were finally able to push Tom out of your mind and your life, only feeling pain when you saw his face on movie posters, but this was a whole new type of pain. This was like you were back in your room at home, crying on the phone while Tom tried to apologize to you, and you hung up on him before he could.Â
You shook your head, turning your music up louder as tears brimmed your eyes. You had to focus on class, but so many different emotions were coursing through your body that you felt like you were going to explode. You quickened your pace, hoping that once you were in the academic building you could focus on your classwork instead of Tom.Â
But as soon as you sat down in your seat of the large lecture hall, you felt suddenly and completely lost. Every guy who walked in, you were expecting it to be Tom, and you tried to pick out his distinctive English accent among the low murmurs of students, but when you realized what you were doing, you knew it was crazy.Â
You ran a hand through your hair, tugging at it as you felt like you were going insane as Tom was able to have such an effect on you from one click of a button. The more you thought about it, the more pent up you got, and before you knew it you were shaking in your seat.Â
You grabbed your bag and briskly walked out of the lecture hall.Â
Once you were in the hallway you pulled out your phone and logged back into Tumblr, scrolling through your notifications to see if it was real or if you were imagining things, but once you saw the notification again, your heart began going through a gymnastics routine.Â
You quickly clicked on his account, and wrote him a long and detailed message.Â
-I donât know what your angle is, but why are you going through my Tumblr? In fact, why are you even on my account in the first place? Didnât you cause me enough pain and-
You froze your fingers when a group of students walked by, and their words caught your attention.Â
âDid you hear that the new Marvel cast is doing a group interview in the city?â one of them said.Â
âYeah, I heard the Spider-Man cast is going to be there!â a girl exclaimed.Â
âWait you mean, like Tom Holland? Heâs literally so cute,â another one chimed.Â
âYes! Theyâre selling tickets at the campus center to the first one-hundred students, and then theyâre shuttling them to the city,â the first guy said.Â
You froze as their voices got out of earshot and you stared at them. Tom was here. He was in your city and granted the city was an hour away from your campus but he was here.Â
He was an hour away.
You practically ran to the campus center, disregarding the message you were in the middle of typing.Â
-
âYou alright, mate? You seem distracted,â Harrison said, coming up behind Tom as they sat in Tomâs dressing room. They were getting ready for the press interview that was taking place in a few hours, and by getting ready that mostly consisted of them lounging on the couches playing Cup Pong on their phones with each other.Â
âHuh?â Tom asked, looking up at his friend. Harrison narrowed his eyes at Tom, watching him from across the room.
âYeah, fine,â Tom murmured, swiping his finger as the fake ping pong ball flew through the screen.Â
Harrison knew Tom was lying, but he didnât know why.Â
Tom knew they were in your home state. He knew you were in this state, and he hadnât thought of you in days, maybe even weeks, but when the press tour was scheduled to be in your stateâs capital city, he couldnât help but wonder if maybe youâd show up.Â
Even if you didnât, Tom was pretty sure this was the closest he had ever been to you, physically, and he just kept wondering how far away you really were. He wished you were still in contact.Â
He wished he never lied to you.Â
âBro, you suck at this game,â Harrison laughed as Tom missed every single cup he threw the ping pong ball at. Tom rolled his eyes and threw a small pillow at Harrison.Â
-
You stared out the window of the coach bus filled with other college students as they were buzzing about potentially being able to ask questions to the cast of Spider-Man, but all you could think about was being close to Tom, seeing him in person, and yelling at him.Â
You watched as the bus entered the city, and you looked down at your phone realizing that you had several missed texts from Jane asking where you were. You sighed as you told her quickly that youâd be back later tonight and youâd keep her updated.
You had no idea how you hadnât heard about the promotion your university was doing for the Spider-Man cast, but you figured it had to do with your obvious and vigorous avoidance of anything even slightly Marvel related.Â
As you watched the buildings grow taller and the trees get scarcer, you began to second guess your impulsive decision, and wondered if you could possibly run and hide.Â
What were you thinking? You were probably going to see Tom in person and that was going to hurt your heart more than any like he could possibly give you on Tumblr. What were you possibly thinking?
You quickly called Laura, hoping she wasnât in class.Â
âHello?â she picked up almost instantly.Â
âLaura, I made a mistake,â you almost cried, leaning your head against the cold window of the bus.Â
â(Y/N)? Whatâs wrong, whatâs going on?â Laura asked frantically.Â
âI...I, uh, I got on a bus,â you began. âTo...to go see Tom.â
Laura was silent for a moment, and then you heard her let out a deep breath.Â
âCould you explain more, please?â Laura sighed.Â
âMy school was giving away one hundred tickets to students to go into the city to a live group interview with the Spider-Man: Homecoming cast,â you said in one quick breath.Â
âAnd you went?â Laura asked.Â
âYeah, Iâm on the bus right now.â
More silence came from the other line and you closed your eyes as you were expecting Laura to yell at you and tell you how stupid you were for getting on that bus.Â
âWhy would you do that, (Y/N),â Laura said heavily. âYou know itâs just going to hurt you.â
âI know,â you murmured. âI wasnât thinking.â
âWhat are you going to do?â Laura asked.Â
You inhaled sharply as you looked out the window again, realizing that you were actually now in the city, which meant Tom was minutes away.Â
âI donât know,â you said.Â
The bus turned down a smaller street, and the chatter among the students began to become more excited as the bus began to slow down.Â
âI have to go,â you whispered. âI think weâre here.â
âKeep me updated, please,â Laura pleaded.
âI will, love you.â
âLove you too.â
You clicked your phone shut and stood from your seat with the rest of the students. Your heart was hammering against your chest and you tried to steady your steps as you followed a line of students off the bus into the warm air. The skyscrapers loomed over you like they were waiting for your next move, and the wind pushed your hair out of your face.Â
You looked up and read the signs promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming and thatâs when you saw the crowd of fans standing outside of a tall building across the street. They were holding posters, calling out names of the cast members, and holding objects that they were hoping would get signed.Â
You felt like you were walking through Jell-O as you crossed the street with your fellow classmates, and your legs suddenly felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each as you stepped closer to the building that held Tom. Paparazzi were to your left, their cameras ready, and thatâs when you knew it was real. They were in that building.Â
âIâm so excited, do you think Zendaya will sign my hat?â a girl next to you squealed.Â
âI want Tom to sign my poster.â
âI want to see Jacob!â
Every voice became muffled as you stared at the doors. Apparently all the fans were going to wait to see the stars come out, they were going to say hi, and then everyone with tickets was going to go inside for the interview.Â
Every time the door opened, revealing someone who wasnât in the cast, your heart would pick up speed and then crash back down. You didnât know what would happen when they walked out-
Suddenly, the screaming of fans was so loud that you couldnât hear a thing. Zendaya walked out first, followed by Jacob.Â
And then he was there.Â
You felt yourself drifting through the crowd like you were in a dream, making your way closer to the front as your vision tunneled and all you could see was Tom smiling and waving to the fans. You couldnât even feel the people pushing around you because you felt like you were in a trance. You didnât even know if you were breathing, and your blood was pulsing in your veins being the only sound you could hear. Everything else was muted.Â
He was right in front of you.Â
-
A wave of euphoria washed over Tom as he waved to fans, saying an infinite amount of âI love yousâ as he walked towards them and signed some of the objects they brought.
He turned and a girl in the front caught his eye. She was staring at him, wide-eyes, and her mouth slightly ajar like she was in shock. From where he stood, Tom could see the way her fingers trembled along the fence. She wasnât screaming his name like the others, she wasnât crying, she wasnât even smiling. She just looked as though she were in complete and utter shock. Almost like she was in a trance.Â
He had never seen a picture of you during the time you two had been talking, but he knew in that instant, that had to be you.
Suddenly, everything else around him was drowned away by his own heart beat and he walked slowly towards you.Â
As he got closer, the color drained in your face. The fans around you began crying and shouting louder as he approached them, but he was only focused on one of them.Â
Once he was close enough, tears suddenly brimmed your eyes and you took a step back as he took a step forward. You were right in front of him.Â
â(Y/N)?â Tom asked. He hadnât spoken your names in months, and hearing it against his tongue felt so foreign but so right at the same time and when your face broke at his voice, he knew it was you.
âItâs you,â you cried.
Hearing your voice, hearing it in person, hearing it right in front of him sent a flood of emotions running through his entire body. How could he forget your voice? He fell in love with it. The rest of the world was suddenly blurred, and all he could see was you. You were more beautiful than he could have ever imagined.Â
He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldnât stop staring as you stared right back. The world was melting around the two of you, and your hearts were beating so loudly you were both sure the other could hear it even over all of the fans. He could still see your hands trembling, and now Tomâs own were shaking. In fact, his whole body felt like it was shaking.Â
Tears suddenly began to fall from your eyes, and it broke Tom in more ways than one because he knew he was the cause of your tears.Â
âTom, we have to go inside,â Harrison said, coming next to him. Tom wanted to say no, he wanted to grab your hand and take you some place quiet and just finally talk to you.Â
Before he could respond, security was whisking him away and into the building. But his eyes never left you until the door was shut behind him.Â
-
You watched as Tom was brought to the door by security, but he stumbled over his own feet as he tried to continue to stare at you. Once the door was shut behind him, the yelling of the crowd began to simmer down as fans were lined up to enter the building.Â
You were frozen. You felt like your feet were glued to the cement. He saw you. He saw you. And he knew it was you. He remembered your voice.
The way the look in his eyes changed so dramatically when he heard you speak just confirmed that he knew it was you.Â
You were pulled from your dream-like state when one of the security guards asked to see your ticket to get inside. You fumbled to pull out the ticket from your pocket and handed it to him, but you felt so completely dizzy and not yourself that your vision was blurry as you took the ticket back.Â
âRight this way!â one of the security guards said, leading the line of fans through the same doors that Tom had just entered along with the rest of the cast.Â
You inhaled sharply as you tried to clear your mind, hoping that you didnât look too out of it. You thought about calling Laura, but you didnât think your fingers would stop shaking by then.
You took another deep breath and entered the building.Â
-
whoop whoop they met :)
btw, I think I got everyone who asked to be on the taglist, but if I didnât, just let me know and Iâll add you!
part 9Â
taglist:
@slythxr // @greenarrowhead // @your-daily-dose-of-fangirl // @loxbbg // @didanyonesaybuckybarnes // @strang-ersclub // @roaringgoodshow // @skeletalwolfcat // @peterbrokenparker // @jackiehollanderr // @krispykreeme // @eye-of-the-owl // @ Â eternal-l-appel-du-vide // @lifeandloveandhappiness // @16wiishes // @snifelisnifsnif // @fxded-jackgyeom // @dxftprettyboys // @spookyconsultingcriminal // @yourwonderbelle // @too-much-spidey // @savethebabyseals // @apseventy // @starkslovebot // @binaruma// @lifeisabitchandsoareyou // @iloveyouthreethousand-o6 // @just-a-littlebit-of-everything // @sweetcoldpeach // @spideyyeet // @mlt2000 // @ being-your-average-fangirl // @asmilinghopelessromantic // @clairestarkparker // @ thedaydreamingwriter // @itsmejessicasstuff // @queenattentionseeker // @huiqingohuiqing // @thedanteofthe52ndstreet // @coach-vixen // @sweet-sunflower-ghost // @trust-me-im-joly // @stickyqueenbouquetsstuff // @americaswritings // @euphoniumpets // @gwiyomi-princess-trash // @pixiedustsupplyco // @nerdypisces160 // @yeahimcrying// @thenaturalbond // @cookinggurl43 // @rageyoudamnednerd // @bibliophilesquared // @stickyqueenbouquetsstuff // @justanormaltrashcan // @aestheticgaybish // @jackiehollanderr // @spidreling // @adi-angel // @multific //Â
#tom holland#tom hollander#tom holland imagine#tom holland x reader#tom holland x you#tom holland x y/n#spider-man#spider-man homecoming#Spider Man: Homecoming#catfish
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