#circle era oc

[faelenasleep]

Xeiya, Yiga Clan's favorite ancient tech researcher! When he isn't getting distracted by trying to make sentient bananas or constructing banana mechs, she's experimenting with ancient Sheikah technology and building weapons.

She speaks like an instruction manual a lot of the time, and repeats words like 'fascinating' and 'intriguing' in response to very standard human behaviors. Generally, he's pretty harmless. Perhaps eccentric. Makes decisions one may consider unwise.

Change pronouns as often as possible. Mid-sentence sometimes, that's Xeiya's favorite.

[f1-chicane]

you think i’m fragile?

UNLOCK MY WORLD

2nd Mini Album

10.19.23

[captainderyn]

[Fic] To the Brink

Summary: Five finally reaches a breaking point in his Imperial Intelligence career that jeopardizes not only himself, but the well being of Roslynd has well.

Warnings: Implied torture, implied past addiction

Notes: This was meant to be a prompt fill...it is instead a lot more than that. I ramble more in the tags lol. Hope y'all enjoy the first fic with Five and his new wifey...of course it'd be angsty.

This is set ~2-3 years prior to the start of the Imperial Agent story line.

--

"Cipher Five are you listening to me?"

Five tilted his head back against the tree he hid behind, the thorny bushes concealing him from view scratching and catching against the thick material of his uniform.

"I'm always listening to you, Fixer." He murmured, blinking up at the sun that dappled between the thick foliage above him. The green blurred in front of his eyes and he squeezed them closed before peeling them back open.

Shaking his head didn't work either and he scrubbed a hand across his face, keeping himself in the darkness as he focused in on the voice coming in through his ear piece.

Roslynd's voice encompassed him, the familiar cadence a balm to his fried nerves. He yawned, keeping a hand over his eyes to focus solely on her voice instead of the blaring light of his visor's HUD.

"...haven't received new intel since I briefed you yesterday. They've got their movements and plans locked down tighter than the Dark Council's donation history."

Her words blended together in a series of syllables and sounds, relaxing none the less. The soft clip of her accent wrapped around him and he didn't realize the darkness had changed around him until the scrape of bark against the back of his neck and her voice sharpened,

"Five? Cipher Five!"

Pulling his eyes back open, he let his hand drop back down. Rocks may as well have been dragging down his eye lids, "Mmm, I'm still here Fourteen, don't worry."

He could practically feel her displeasure through the comm channel. If they were in the same room, she'd be staring him down with that look on her face, where her brows drew low over her eyes and her lips pressed together until she figured out exactly how to professional rip him a new one. Her hands would be on her hips in the way she always fell into when irritated.

A pang went through him. What he'd give to not be sitting out here in this oppressive humidity of some backwater planet and instead back in Kaas City. 

"As your Fixer, I think you should call off this stakeout and return to base. It's already been several hours with no changes in information. This is not sustainable for the mission."

As far as the record keeping software that monitored and scanned their secured comm channel to report anything off Imperial Intelligence cyber specialists it was just simple concern in Fourteen's voice.

He caught the edge in her voice though.

The HUD in his visor lit up, tracking a series of alerts. He scanned through the text, sifting through what information was actually important as the text disappeared faster than he could read all of it.

"Our targets have made their late arrival. The mission can still be completed."

"Cipher, I think its best to withdraw from this mission." He heard Fourteen clicking through screens through the comm, her fingers flying across the keys, "Your latest biometics--"

He palmed an adrenal stim from the pack at his belt, injecting it in one fluid motion. The location smarted from others he'd previously injected over the long hours of this stakeout, the rush of energy it gave like static through his veins. That was the last one he had in his pack. In yet another practiced motion, he pulled a fortitude stim as well, that one like a rush of cold, clarifying water through his mind.

"I only desist when I receive orders from Keeper." He reminded her.

An ache went through his chest, he wasn't sure if it was from the stims or from the stilted breath Fourteen loosed over the comm. It was the last bit of the woman beneath the agent he got before that cool, level tone returned.

"Understood. I expect you to report in no later than 1600 Kaasi Time. Standard recovery procedures will commence within the next day if that deadline is missed." 

He didn't miss the slight waver in her voice on recovery. Gathering up his sniper rifle, Five hovered his hand over his ear piece, "Heard loud and clear, Fixer. Going dark."

The silence when he clicked off his calm set his nerves back on edge. Even when she was silently pulling up information to brief him on, Fourteen's company through the static was a tether to him.

He crept to the outlook he'd scouted earlier, pressing himself down among the swaying grass and pushes. A few thorny leaves scraped the back of his neck and he grimaced.

The last adrenal stim pushed his luck too far. He could feel his heart hammering erratically against the ground as he flattened himself against the earth, bracing his sniper rifle so he could zero in on the approaching targets. His hands were shaking and he gripped the body of his rifle tighter, peering through the scope.

Each blink felt too heavy, threatening to pull him under.

His target came into view, the speeder crawling along.

Taking a deep breath, Five steadied himself and aimed.

Fired a single shot.

And missed.

---

Roslynd flipped her wrist up, staring at the screen of her watch for the third time in the last three minutes.

15:55

15:56

15:58

She'd gone two minutes without looking, a new record. Instead of checking her watch again as she let the screen go dark, she checked her datapad. Nothing.

Checked her earpiece for any messages she might've missed. Not a single notification.

All of her other briefings and meetings were over for the day. The agents were packing up their things to leave for the night, closing down the building except for those working the overnight shift.

Roslynd herself was supposed to leave at 17:00, after Five reported in and confirmed the status of the mission. The hour she'd given herself after was to write up a quick report, to be finalized and sent to Keeper tomorrow morning.

She toyed with the ring on her finger, the stone catching the blue light of the sleeping data terminals.

Keeper passed by her office and she darted out the door, falling into step alongside him.

"Cipher Five still hasn't reported in." She tried to keep her voice steady, to not sound too harried. Inject just enough of her frustration to make it seem like she was just pissed off she may have to stay past her scheduled departure.

Keeper glanced askance at her, the wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes deepening as he checked his chrono, "He still has time to report in."

"The mission was planned to take less than an hour, the other three were to provide a buffer for him to return back to base. You know how punctual Cipher Five is and I set the deadline for today to account for that, this is unusual behavior.” 

The older agent studied his chrono once again, before fixing Roslynd with a long look. His eyes dipped down to where she was still fiddling with her ring with enough force that her skin was turning red. She dropped her hands, gripping them in a tense parade rest behind her instead. 

“Fixer Fourteen, I think you should retire for the night, the Fixers for tonight’s shift will monitor comm traffic for Cipher Five’s report. You’ve put a lot of overtime into this mission. Besides, you have someone waiting at home for you.” 

Keeper always had a habit of caring for his agents too much, giving them more leeway than many of the Sith breathing down Intelligence’s neck wanted. Treated them too much like people, with lives outside their work instead of means to an end. 

She blinked against the burning in her eyes, trying to keep her voice from sounding too robotic as she said, “Will do, Keeper, thank you.” 

Knowing damn well she’d be returning to an empty apartment, with only the fluffy feline Agent to greet her. That she'd be lucky to get more than scattered minutes of sleep tonight.

She didn't miss the knowing look Keeper sent her way before bidding her good evening and leaving her standing in the hallway. She simply chose to ignore it.

---

Three days.

The longest thirty-six hours of her life. Hours that wouldn't pass faster no matter how much she paced, how much she tried to work away.

Nights spent awake, trying to quiet Agent's own pacing and yowling as he refused to settle into Roslynd's lap and insisted on searching for Five.

It was twenty-four hours after Roslynd left headquarters that recovery procedures were enacted and a team was sent to the backwater planet Five was meant to be on.

Roslynd had watched their progress from her office, tuned into the feed from their comms and watching their progress on the map spread on her second monitor.

They found him trussed up in a backroom of their targets' hideout, so bloodied, swollen, and bruised that their identity scanners threw errors. One of the junior ciphers on the recovery team cut Roslynd's access to their HUD visual feed.

Roslynd cut her own access to their audio feed soon after, when their questions to Five returned near-unintelligible, garbled answers. What had they done in twenty-four hours?

Rocking back in her chair, she scrubbed her hands over her eyes, pressing so hard she saw stars.

"Fixer...?" A tentative voice paired with a knock on her door. She nearly leapt out of her skin, thankful that she'd already closed out the tabs she'd been keeping on the recovery team, "Keeper wants to see you in his office, something to do with your current mission."

Her stomach dropped, but she pushed her chair back anyway and walked on shaking legs to meet Keeper, putting any indication that she knew more than she was supposed to far, far down inside her.

"Fourteen, you look awful." Was the first greeting she got as she closed the door behind her and pulled the blinds as he motioned for her to do.

She fell into a parade rest, pressing her lips together, "I've been concerned about the mission, sir."

"Then you'll be relieved to know that the mission was a success. Cipher Five eliminated his assigned targets."

It took everything in her for her only reaction to be a tilt of her head and a quirk of her brow, "Oh? So the mission is a success."

Keeper scrubbed a hand across his jaw, frowning at something coming through on his datapad. The blue light cast deep shadows over his features, "With collateral damage, yes. As you've probably guessed, Five was compromised in the field."

She knew, she knew and it still ripped through her heart with enough force that her knees quaked and her head went light, "Tell it to me straight, sir. What condition is my agent in."

My agent. My assigned field partner. How would his failure reflect on her. Nothing more.

Still, Keeper motioned for her to sit, steepling his hands when she did. Everything about this was so far beyond acceptable protocol. As Fixer she was not entitled to this information, all she needed to know was that the mission was a success.

She was focused too hard on keeping her breathing steady and her eyes dry to care what Keeper did or did not know. At least the blinds were drawn, at least no other eyes were watching. She clenched her hands, clasped in her lap, so tightly that her knuckles popped. 

“Preliminary data suggests he hit his targets then experienced some manner of incident. The remaining adversaries took advantage of that lapse to take him into custody and attempt to extract information from him.” 

Information that he wouldn’t have given, especially not after only twenty-four hours, though the mere thought sent a lurch through Roslynd’s stomach. She stared hard at the screens behind Keeper until she felt like she could breathe again.  

Keeper’s voice softened, no, quieter, so that she had to lean forward to hear, “I’m placing him on medical leave upon his return. Clearly something is going on, and I’d rather my senior Cipher be out of office temporarily than lose him all together.” 

“Thank you.” She got out from behind  the lump forming in her throat and nodded along as Keeper picked his voice back up, returning to that clinical tone. 

“As Fixer you are not permitted to debrief him while the medical staff perform their evaluation of him. However, as you’re the one most acquainted with working with him, I would like you to see to it that Cipher Five makes it to a taxi home.” 

Roslynd glanced up at Keeper, at the raised eyebrows wondering if she’d deny it. She didn’t have the strength to, “I’ll make sure he makes it home, sir.” 

“Good,” Keeper looked older now, worn down and weary. How difficult it must be to watch his agent get picked off like flies on the daily and so rarely be able to do anything, “Dismissed, Fourteen. The shuttle is set to arrive by evening.” 

She tried to remind herself as she busied herself with her remaining work and placing an order for supplies to be delivered to their front door by the evening, that things could be worse. Plenty of agents didn’t return from these kinds of incidents after a paltry two days of being MIA, plenty didn’t return it all. 

Instead of soothing her, it only gaped the pit in her stomach further until she found herself paralyzed in her desk chair, spiraling down all the what ifs. She was stuck thinking circles around the folder tucked in her desk drawer at home, where Five had methodically laid out all relevant information, desires, and plans for her if he were to ever not come home, when another agent came to notify her of Keeper’s order to retrieve Five from the medbay. 

It wasn’t another younger agent, but another cipher. One of the few remaining from her and Five’s graduating class from the Academy. The one agent Five would probably consider a close friend outside of the office. 

Cipher Seven gave her a grim smile, “You look like shit, Ros.” 

She aimed a withering look at him as she gathered her things and slung her bag over her shoulder. She tried and failed to keep her hands from shaking. Her muscles would ache tomorrow from all her trembling, “Keeper said the same thing.” 

Seven snorted a laugh and it eased some of her tension. It couldn’t be horrible news if he could laugh, “Do you know how he is?” 

The cipher slung an arm around her shoulder as they walked, waving off the few nosy agents trailing them. A breach of decorum, most certainly, but headquarters was well past closed, and they’d been here long enough to bend a few rules, “You know Val, pissed off as ever that something went wrong in the first place.” 

She pursed her lips at the bold usage of Five’s name, even a nickname. He hated using it anywhere near Intelligence. No matter that his full legal name was written in his files. It was his little bit of paranoia that he clutched closely, the same paranoia that kept him from wearing his wedding band. 

She supposed the last few days was proof as to why exactly he did that. 

“I’m serious, Rhys.” She snapped, but breathed out a sharp breath from her noise and softened her voice, “Keeper didn’t tell me much.” 

She knew Rhys had a habit of diffusing with humor, but there was no place in her shot nerves for jokes or light comments. He was lucky she could speak at all. Thoughts of that stupid folder still threatened to steal her concentration. 

Another reasonable, yet agonizing, part of Five’s need to have everything meticulously in place. 

“Shit, sorry, I know.” Rhys winced, “As far as I’ve been told he’s better than when they found him. Nothing that isn’t just superficial. The team that found him says he’s slept off whatever cocktail the bastards used to try and get him talking.” 

Another piece of her relaxed, and she blinked towards the ceiling, “Good. He seemed…off when I was on the comms with him before it happened. He wouldn’t listen to me when I told him to back off the mission.” 

Close friends as they were, she couldn’t bring herself to share the sinking feeling that she knew exactly why this mission had gone wrong. Something in her stopped the words that Five was hurtling down a dangerous path, getting closer and closer to some edge she couldn’t see because of the demands placed on him. 

Rhys already knew that Five had barely been home, sent on mission after mission by Keeper on behest of his higher-ups. He could infer enough from that. 

“He’s going to have a fit when he learns that Keeper put him on forced leave.” was all Rhys offered. The ‘it’s necessary’ went unspoken, even if it meant Rhys was going to be picking up the slack. 

Roslynd kept a remarkable leash on her composure as they slipped into the medbay. She was even more impressed with how steady she kept her voice as she leveled a look at Five and simply said, “Keeper’s directed me to make sure you find yourself a taxi home.” 

If she looked like shit, then Five looked like death. Though he’d been given a pair of loose black pants and long sleeved shirt instead of his dirt and blood stained uniform, that didn’t hide his face. His eyes flitted up to her from beneath deep bruising that extended over his nose all the way down to his jaw. 

The hands that circled the cup, filled with whatever concoction the med droid was harassing him to drink, were no better. His knuckles were scratched and cut up to the point she wondered how he held the cup at all. 

Superficial, Rhys had said. Superficial still hit her like a punch to the gut. It took everything in her to nod at the medical droid and ask, “What is my agent’s prognosis?” 

Rhys slipped beside her to help Five up. She didn’t miss the way Five winced or the way he moved like his entire body hurt. Nor did she miss the heated, quiet conversation between the two friends as Rhys stabbed a bendy straw into Five’s styrofoam cup and snapped at him to drink up. 

It was a sweet bit of normalcy as the medical droid pulled up its diagnostics, “Cipher Five is recommended limited activity until contacted by his supervisors with further instruction. It is also recommended that Cipher Five cease usage of adrenaline based stims.” 

The droid padded off to the next curtained off area, its monotonous voice picking up again, but Roslynd’s eyes were fixed on Five. He had his eyes fixed on the ground, focused on putting each foot in front of the other and snapping at Rhys to keep his hands off when his friend attempted to help him. 

At the weight of Roslynd’s stare he glanced up, expression going unreadable at whatever he found there. 

Rhys walked with them until they were out on the taxi pad. He had his uniform jacket pulled up over his head against the incessant drizzle, stopping just shy of the roof’s overhang. 

“Get home safe.” he told them both before looking at Roslynd, “And don’t worry about coming in tomorrow, Keeper already doesn’t expect you.” 

The old man was watching out for them once again. Roslynd didn’t have the energy in her to give anything other than a nod. That was all she’d been able to muster consistently: nods. 

Even if her head was beginning to spin too much to even manage that. The lack of sleep and her inability to keep much down was catching up with her. 

Five glanced over her shoulder before sliding close enough that their arms brushed. Then his fingers hooked through hers, his thumb brushing over her ring. The gentle touch was enough to bring tears to Roslynd’s eyes, that slid down her cheeks and mixed with the rain as the taxi finally pulled up. 

He kept their hands interlocked, his thumb brushing over her knuckles, all the way home. Until they slipped through the door and with it slipped away Five and Fourteen. 

She pointed to the couch, a silent command, and he toed off his shoes to obey as she shrugged off her rain soaked jacket. Agent careened from the bedroom, chirping and brrup-ing with his feathery tail straight up in the air. 

In the short time it took her to hang up her jacket, Agent already claimed Five’s lap, purring so loud that it seemed to shake the entire couch. Roslynd tucked herself on Five’s other side, falling against him as his arm looped around her waist and pulled her close. 

He grunted in pain as she connected with him, but tightened his hold when she tried to scoot away. She relented, resting her head on his shoulder with as much care as she could. She didn’t even know what beneath his shirt looked like. If it was anything like what they’d done to his face…well. He’d be sore for a while. 

“I thought I’d lost you, Val.” she finally broke their silence. 

Five leaned his head against hers, his hand trailing up and down her side as she added, “What happened?” 

“I don’t know.”

 She hadn’t realized the rough gravel to his voice until now. Did that mean that when they…had he been…? She squeezed her eyes closed against the unbidden images of the pain they’d inflicted on him, on the shouts and screams that must’ve been torn from him to shred his voice like that. His arm tightened around her. 

He cleared his throat, though it did nothing to help, “I remember taking out our key targets, then nothing until I woke up in their safe house. I don’t know if I passed out, or if they hit me with a neural detonator, or a concussive shot…” 

Roslynd reached out to brush her hand over Agent’s furry head. The cat pushed his head into her touch, paws frantically kneading Five’s stomach. 

“Stims again?” She kept her voice neutral, even as she felt Five slump next to her, as if he’d been waiting with baited breath for her to bring it up. 

“I didn’t realize how bad it was getting again.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair and she followed the motion, watching him card his fingers through strands that were going gray at the temples. 

She hadn’t realized how often he’d been gone, how often Keeper had been sending him out on missions until she stopped to wonder how she hadn’t noticed yet. She was so used to working with him on the job, to speaking with him daily but…she hadn’t seen him for more than a few days at a time in three or more months now she realized. And most of those days had been spent sleeping, resting with the stress their job put on them. 

Her stomach sank and she turned her face against his shoulder, steadying herself in his warmth. 

“Keeper is granting you leave.” She admitted into his shoulder, not amending that ‘granting’ was a pretty word for ‘forcing’. 

“I know. Rhys told me.” Five sighed, “I’d also talked to Keeper before this mission about transferring to a position here for a little while.” 

She hummed in interest, trying to remember if he’d already mentioned this before. 

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up, but Keeper wants me to take a stint instructing at the Academy. Wants me to evaluate the cadets for potential cipher designations.” Five interlocked their hands again, “I can’t keep going like I am and I don’t want to spend more time away from home than not.” 

He’d been working like this for over a decade of his career in some capacity or another. The Cipher designation was a risky one and each time he left the odds stacked further and further against him. He and Rhys were already an anomaly. Most of the Ciphers they’d graduated with were nothing but names on the memorial wall now. 

Roslynd allowed herself to sink into Five, take in the fact that he was here, that he might be staying here, and at Agent, purring so hard still she was surprised he still had breath. 

Her little family. Their little family. 

Together, okay. Not broken, not lost. 

“I think that would be perfect.” she murmured, realizing in the silence after that Five had fallen back asleep, his breaths soft against her hair.

[ashton-slashton]

Must have fucking SUCKED for your favorite color to be green in the Victorian era

[moonmimikyu]

[txt-trash]

feelings for you | choi soobin

summary: after catching his roommate and his girlfriend making out, Choi Soobin’s life has been in an awkward standstill where he can’t decide if he should still be upset or move on. never one for confrontation, he still works with his ex girlfriend whose suddenly interested in him again all because he’s shown interest in another girl—his new roommate.

➣genre/au: roommate!soobin x roommate!y/n [she/her. female anatomy]

➣19.3k words

warnings: smut. kinda fluff. soobin is a barista. college grads. oc is soobin’s new roommate. one instant of fake dating. soobin is a whiny drunk. soobin’s cheating ex tries to get him back. soobin and oc friends. cute soobin but he’s a switch. dom soobin in the bedroom. soobin doesn’t like confrontation until the end. oral sèx [f receiving, in the kitchen 🤭] protected sèx. missionary. riding. soobin is subby post-sex. he has an unexplored boob kink. big soobin. jealous soobin but only slightly

When it comes to drama, you want no part of it. You keep your circle small and try not to involve yourself with things that don’t concern you but it’s been hard now that you’ve moved in with your new roommate. Originally, you thought it would be less drama to have a guy you didn’t know as a roommate, aside from the obvious worries Soobin had seemed perfect.

He was quiet and a bit shy but he seemed to have good intentions. You’ve heard him through the thin walls and he laughs when he watches something funny or talks on the phone but he’s not obnoxiously loud. He cleans up after himself and gives you your space so this first week has been good.

You’ve recently started rooming together when you answered his ad in search of a roommate and you’re starting to understand why he was looking for one in the first place.

“So she just dumped you?” You asked, unable to help yourself from being nosy. This is the first time since your first meeting that you’re sharing a conversation with him and it’s about his past relationship—evidently to thank for giving you a room for cheap.

“Basically,” Soobin said with a shrug as he stared at the television where his Nintendo Switch was connected. He was currently playing some Jujutsu Kaisen game that managed to grab your attention when you had come out of your cave for a bowl of cereal.

“That’s crazy,” you mumbled to yourself, turning away from him to wash your dishes in the sink.

Apparently, his last roommate moved out very suddenly considering he slept with Soobin’s girlfriend and things just didn’t work out.

“It’s whatever,” Soobin said, so hyper focused on his game, and saying whatever was on his mind with no attention at all, “Just sucks because I still have to work with her.”

“Wait!” You dropped what you were doing, rushing over to where he was and standing in front of the tv, “So you’re saying you still have to see your cheating ex girlfriend who slept with your roommate at work?”

“Yeah,” Soobin said, making you shake your head in disbelief. Still thinking about his sheer bad luck, you finally left him to his game and retreated to your bedroom to wallow in self pity like usual.

It was all too much to talk about for Soobin. His relationship only lasted about six months but he still can’t believe she slept with his roommate. He thought they all had become good friends but to find out she’s secretly going to his roommate’s bedroom while he’s at work. She would come over and stay while he would leave to work and while he thought she was waiting for him to get home, she’s letting his roommate stick it to her! The audacity, honestly, to do that in his home is ridiculous but thankfully his name was the one on the lease and he got to kick the guy out.

At first it was strange to have a girl move in with him considering he’s only ever roomed with guys and he was supposed to be in his ‘I Hate Woman’ era but you’ve turned out to be better than he expected. Of course it’s only been a few days but you both seem to be hyper aware of the fact that this is something new for the both of you. At least he won’t have to worry about you sleeping with his next girlfriend… or does he?

For another hour or so, Soobin played his game, completely engrossed that not even the pounding on the door for two solid minutes broke him from his trance. It wasn’t until you stormed out of your bedroom once again and headed right to the front door did he realize the person at the door was here for him.

You looked at the guy in front of you, a bit stunned to speak at how attractive he was and for a moment the two of you just stood there looking stupefied. The guy took a step back into the hallway and read the number on the wall which was sure enough his best friend’s apartment.

“What are you doing here?” Soobin asked, suddenly appearing behind you with a hand on the door above your head. Once you acknowledged that this stranger was here for your roommate you quietly made your leave, unaware of the new pair of eyes trailing after you.

“There you go, I didn’t know you had it in you to bounce back so fast,” Yeonjun said, looking to your closed door, “And with a baddie at that!”

“What are you talking about? She’s my new roommate,” Soobin said letting his best friend follow him to his bedroom so the two of them wouldn’t be in the living room and possibly make you uncomfortable. “And what are you doing here?”

“I came to cheer you up, I know its been a rough two weeks and I didn’t want you to think I left you at your lowest,” Yeonjun said, flopping himself down on the beanbag in the corner of Soobin’s room. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a couple bottles of Soju. Soobin released a sigh as he checked the time and read how late it was, “First of all it’s a weekday, second I’m not at my lowest.”

“Right… that’s the Denial stage of grief, don’t worry friend, you don’t have to lie to me, I know you,” Yeonjun said as he got up once again and went to the door, “Remember when you lost Odi? You cried for three weeks straight—“

“That is different! Odi was the real love of my life so don’t compare this to the heartbreak I felt for my beloved child!” Soobin yelled but Yeonjun just brushed him off to leave the kitchen and find glasses—and also hopefully run into you again.

Once he was back in the room, Soobin was sniffing Odi’s old blanket for comfort.

“So are you saying your roommate is up for grabs because she really is hot,” Yeonjun asked, beginning to pour two shot glasses with peach flavored Soju. Soobin shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know and considering what happened with my last roommate, I’m not really into inner circle mixing with my friends and roommate.”

“Fair enough.”

Fresh out of school, you’ve been lucky enough to find a small job at the lowest ranking possible while still being in the world of fashion. There certainly are better things you could be doing besides running errands for your boss but as a new college grad with no experience, its not like you could expect more in the fashion world. It honestly wasn’t too bad and your boss wasn’t one of those horrendous bosses that paged their employee at all hours of the day and the pay was good enough to keep a roof over your head so there wasn’t much to complain about.

You surprisingly do have quite a bit of freedom and don’t always feel tied to your work so you��re thankful that you have time to visit your friends. Now that none of you are in school its become harder to fit time to see each other in your schedules but today you got lucky to finish a shoot early and you were able to get off sooner than usual.

Seeing Soobin’s friend the other night worked as a reminder to tell you you’re not a loser and actually have friends to visit too and that’s how you found yourself sitting next to your friend while he played Overwatch at a public game room.

Your computer screen had gone back to sleep mode after you got tired of making random SIMs characters and resorted to spinning in the rolling chair next to him. It was alright for a while but when it had been almost a full hour of this, you couldn’t take it anymore, “When you asked to hang out, I thought we would actually be doing something fun.”

“This is fun, what are you talking about?” Beomgyu asked, eyes locked on the screen making you roll your eyes. You’ve been friends since your freshman year of college so his need to pay more attention to his games than you isn’t a surprise but it is annoying—even though your roommate was kind of the same.

When you didn’t say anything, Beomgyu tried harder, “So hows the new living situation?”

“It’s alright, he seems cool and it’s cheap,” You told him, still spinning absentmindedly.

Beomgyu nodded, “Is he a weirdo? Like do I have to worry about you popping up on a missing persons ad?”

“I hope not, but let me share my location with you just in case,” you joked making him chuckle, “But honestly, he seems like a good guy. It was kind of weird at first since it all seemed rushed so i was obviously worried but he explained why and its all good now”

“Spill the tea, why was he in a hurry to find a roommate?” Beomgyu asked, visibly more interested in your story than before, but still gaming.

“His girlfriend slept with his roommate when he was at work,” You said making Beomgyu gasp dramatically.

“Whoa, what a bitch,” he said, “I would’ve fought my roommate.”

“And you would’ve lost too,” you said to him making him kick your chair causing it to roll back a bit. Your laughter began to slowly die down when you felt the vibrations of your ringing cellphone. You checked the caller, surprised to see the man in question’s name on your screen.

“Hello?”

“Have I ever told you you’re the best roommate I’ve ever had?” Immediately you were taken back by the brightness in his voice. He was obviously being dramatic and you could practically hear the favor he’s going to ask.

“Well it’s not like I have a lot of competition, right?” You asked, hearing the line go silent for a moment making you wonder if you shouldn’t have said that.

Soobin rolled his eyes but wasn’t mad, “Right… So can you do me a favor? I have to meet up with some friends right after work but my phone is about to die and I don’t have a charger. Is there any way you can bring one to my work?”

You thought about it for a moment, “Nobody has one you can borrow?”

“Yes, but there’s no way I’m asking her for it,” he said with an annoyed sigh. He’s already asked everyone and they’ve all pointed him to his ex girlfriend, “Please?”

You looked back at Beomgyu who started playing his game again, forgetting you were even beside him and with a shrug Soobin couldn’t see, you said, “I guess, I’ll be there in a bit.”

Soobin’s attempt to thank you was cut short when you hung up abruptly but he was too relieved to care and tucked his phone back into his pocket.

“Want me to ask Jia if you could borrow it?” His coworker asked when Soobin got back to the counter. He shook his head, “I’ve got someone bringing one.”

He couldn’t believe he forgot his charger and didn’t realize it until he was halfway through his shift with only 15% battery. When he went to the break room in search of his charger, he nearly lost his shit when he couldn’t find it.

At first he hoped his work bestie, Taehyun, would have one but he didn’t and the only other person to ask was his ex. Obviously he wasn’t going to ask her and although he could try and run home after his shift, unless he were to find an outlet at the place he was going with his friends, his phone would be dead anyway.

Soobin’s last resort was to see if there was any way you could just bring it to him. He left it on the entrance table and must have forgot it when he was putting his shoes on and ran out. He was pleasantly surprised that you said yes and it was such a huge relief that he wouldn’t have to ask Jia.

When you walked into the coffee shop you were immediately surrounded by warmth and the smell of espresso beans. It was the first time you ever stepped foot into this cafè but it was calm and aesthetically pleasing, somewhere you can talk with friends or do some work. You followed the scent to the front register where a girl with blonde highlights stood with a polite smile on her face.

With wandering eyes toward the menu above her head, you asked, “Is Soobin here?”

You didn’t notice how that smile fell as she looked at you a little closer and before she could even respond, your roommate came out from behind some door holding a bag of hot to-go cups.

Once Soobin saw you, his heart unintentionally leapt in relief and he quickly set the bag down to go to you. A shy smile spread across his lips, very happy you actually came, “You brought it?”

“Yes,” you said, moving to the side of the counter and closer to where he was, beginning to look through your bag for it. Soobin had his hands on the counter waiting patiently as you two stood a few feet away from where his ex was. “But it wasn’t by the door, you left it on the bed.”

You felt a little awkward to go to his room but he left the door open and you could see it on the bed. Now, you could’ve easily just leant him yours so you wouldn’t invade his privacy but you weren’t going to risk him forgetting it.

“I did?” Soobin asked with a somewhat cute tilt of his head, “Oops, I swear I left it by the door, thanks though.”

When you handed it to him, your hands accidentally touched but neither one of you thought much about it, unaware of the people behind the counter watching the interaction.

“Do you want a drink?” Soobin asked, the least he could do is give you a free drink in thanks plus when he came out he saw you eyeing the menu.

“Sure,” you looked at the menu once again before just saying, “Surprise me.”

Soobin nodded with a smile as he got to making it while you looked down at the pastries in the dessert case.

By the time he was done and gave you the drink, you were ready to leave but before you could, he said, “I won’t be home till late.”

He just meant to give you a heads up that way you knew you had the apartment to yourself and didn’t think about how it would sound to the others.

You left with a goodbye and thanks for the drink and he was left behind to deal with his ex for another three hours.

“So who was that?” Taehyun asked, suddenly popping up beside him, catching him off guard and making him scream. Soobin clutched his chest in an attempt to calm his racing heart as he looked at his friend with a dumb expression, “Who?”

Taehyun couldn’t even pretend to be amused and asked again, “The person who you were talking to like ten seconds ago.”

“Oh! That’s Y/n, she’s my new roommate,” Soobin said casually with a shrug of his shoulders.

“That’s it? I thought you had moved on already, I was impressed,” Taehyun said with a chuckle as Soobin rinsed out the froth pitcher, “I think Jia got a little worried there for a second.”

Soobin stopped as he tried to process what his friend was saying, “What do you mean?”

“I’m not gonna lie it kind of looked like the two of you had something going on at first and Jia asked me if I knew her,” Taehyun told him confidently. Jia left on her break without telling either one of them but now they’re comfortably talking without her around.

“It shouldn’t matter to her anyway,” Soobin muttered under his breath as he moved past Taehyun to help the customer in line. Why does it matter to Jia who he talks to and why does she feel the need to ask Taehyun what he knows? She cheated on him. She betrayed his trust so heavily that he doubts she ever truly cared about him so why is she acting interested or concerned?

Does it bother her to see him talking to someone despite everything she’s done?

It was a couple days later when he realized your short visit to his work which should have been in the past, wasn’t.

Like the other night, he was stuck working with Jia and he had been counting every minute that passed until the end of his shift since it started. For hours they worked and talked around each other but never intercepted even when he could feel her eyes on him.

When they closed the cafè and Soobin was ready to run home and escape her presence, she decided to speak up, “Soobin?”

For a second he debated ignoring her so he could walk straight to the bus stop and not worry about seeing her for the rest of the night. It was hard to always act unaffected as if she didn’t completely disintegrate his entire confidence and practically shove new insecurities, he never wanted to show, down his throat.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to her wordlessly, waiting to see what she had to say.

“I…” she bit her lip trying to figure out how to word her thoughts, “I… um, I just wanted to know how you were doing.”

He resisted the urge to scoff as he answered questioning, “I’m good?”

For the past few weeks he’s worked hard to act like he didn't catch Jia and his roommate kissing on his couch so why was she wanting to know now of all times?

As much as he wanted to go home, part of him wanted to see what was up. Jia met his eyes, still taken back to see his harsh gaze which was a huge contrast than the gentle stare she had grown used to in the last six months.

“That’s good,” Jia cleared her throat awkwardly, “Are you, b-by chance seeing anyone?”

The obvious look of disbelief on Soobin’s face had her rushing to explain, “I mean… the person who came to visit you the other night. Is she, yknow, are you seeing her?”

“You mean Y/n?” Soobin asked with a tilt of his head. Why was she asking about you?

Jia stood there silently trying to figure out what to say next. What was her point? What was she trying to find out by asking him that? Had she expected him to still be mourning their relationship? Does she have a right to feel worried that he’s moved on so quickly after what she did?

Before she could even try to word a shitty excuse for why she asked in the first place, Soobin had already stopped paying attention to her when he got a text.

you: ordered too much pizza

you: I’ll die if I eat more

you: pls take some

For some reason your sequence of texts brought a slight smile on his face. He put a thumbs up on the message and looked at Jia, “Night.”

He left her standing there alone as he ran home to his roommate who was slowly beginning to like more and more. He doesn’t even mean it romantically because clearly now’s not the best time for him but he likes you as a roommate and possible friend? You’ve slowly begun to help each other out and you don’t completely avoid shared spaces so you’ve been interacting a little more. He wouldn’t call you a friend just yet but you’re an easy person to live with and he doesn’t have that many people around him so it’s nice talking to you either way.

The two of you text here and there but never about anything important, usually you ask how to fix the hot water and he sends you anime reels he thinks you might enjoy. If he’s up for it, he’ll ask if you want any pastries he’s supposed to throw out.

It’s a very simple arrangement and he much preferred being with you than suffering another second with Jia where he risked asking her every question he had on why he wasn’t good enough.

It’s a very simple arrangement and he much preferred being with you than suffering another second with Jia where he risked asking her every question he had on why he wasn’t good enough.

By the time Soobin got home, you had moved from the dining room to the couch where you engrossed yourself into some animated movie laying on your side. You barely raised your head to acknowledge him but he smiled anyway as he headed to the kitchen, “Thanks for sharing.”

“No problem, I overestimated how much I could eat in one setting,” You mumbled in a tired, raspy tone, “How was work?”

Soobin didn’t bother heating up his slice, or even get a plate, and he took a big bite out of the cold pizza, walked out the kitchen to talk, “It was alright, kinda slow aside from some teens who wouldn’t stop giggling at me.”

“Question, was that girl from the other night your ex or someone else?” You asked sitting up a bit when you noticed he was trying to sit down.

“Yeah that’s her, Jin, she also asked about you tonight,” Soobin said seeing it as a joke, “Taehyun said she seemed jealous when I was talking to you.”

Your brows furrowed with confusion, “Did you tell her I was your roommate?”

He shook his head, taking a moment to chew before saying, “No, I didn’t see why it mattered.”

“True, that’s so weird,” You released a sigh, resting your elbow on the arm rest and leaning your head on your hand, “Wow, no offense but your ex girlfriend is a bitch.”

He couldn’t hide the look of surprise on his face as you said that but he couldn’t disagree—he just would’ve used kinder words. It was kind of funny though and for some reason hearing you say that made him feel better. His other friends who know about it don’t really ask and they don’t explicitly tell him to his face how they felt about his former girlfriend. It just feels nice to have someone listen and be on his side, it made him want to open up more.

“Sorry, I really don’t want to seem mean, I just think its kind of bullshit for her to act jealous because you’re talking to someone. Like, why does she care who I am or how you know me when she cheated on you,” You said, unable to help yourself from speaking your mind, “Even if I was someone you’re talking to, why is she concerned about it? Did she expect you to just always be hung on her despite what she did?”

Soobin had to think about that for a second. That’s the same thing he had originally thought too but he tried to ignore it because it seemed wrong. He thought that maybe he was reading into it too much and Jia wasn’t actually jealous but now that you’re saying it too, he can’t help but wonder. She also talked to him tonight and even at work when they didn’t speak, she was looking at him constantly. She even tried helping him once but he just blew her off to do it on his own. It’s like tonight she was trying to remind him she was still around and that confused him.

“Do you think that’s true though?” He asked. You shrugged trying not to seem too invested but it was too late. Soobin is a good guy and now that you’ve met the girl, you just can’t wrap your mind around what she did. Cheating is already a huge betrayal but to do it with someone Soobin knew and lived with? To do it in the apartment, Soobin paid for? That’s the lowest of the low.

“I honestly do.”

What you said stayed on his mind for days. It didn’t help that Jia was trying to talk to him at work and last night she looked at his instagram story despite the fact they unfollowed each other. He just doesn’t get it. What did she want with him now?

When he came into work today, there was his favorite drink in his locker that he knew was from Jia because Taehyun had told her. Thankfully he wasn’t working with her now but Taehyun had filled him in. Apparently, she came in with drinks and he saw her putting it in Soobin’s locker.

“I don’t get her,” Soobin said with a huff of frustration, “Why does she keep doing these things?”

“Honestly, she probably regrets fucking up and wants to get on your good side again,” Taehyun said as he made a hot matcha latte for a customer that Soobin was ringing up.

“But why?”

“What if she wants to get you back?” Taehyun asked as he finished the drink and handed it to the customer. He turned back to Soobin, realization hitting him like a truck and he gasped, “Oh my god. She probably thinks you’ve moved on already and wants to get you back! That’s really bold of her to think you’d fall for it, right?”

“Right. You don’t think she is though, right? Why would she cheat on me just to try and get back with me?” Soobin asked and his voice was laced with confusion.

“Because she probably thinks it’s going to work and you’ll fall for it. God I knew based off her MBTI that she was going to try something, I could see the determination in her eyes when she saw Y/n.”

Soobin couldn’t help but scoff with a laugh. Why were you the reason Jia suddenly wanted to notice him again? You and Soobin were nothing but roommates, the only time you ever talk is during your daily debriefings when you’re getting midnight snacks. You don’t text and you don’t do anything together so it’s comical that you apparently worried his ex girlfriend enough based off one interaction to try and get him back—he wouldn’t do it, he should add.

“Wait! You know what you should do?” Taehyun dropped a itcher into the sink haphazardly as the idea came to mind, “Imagine if you started dating Y/n and made it known to Jia that you’ve moved on. She’s only putting in effort again because she probably thinks she can get you back. You gotta make her think you’re over her.”

“First of all, I am over her and second, Y/n and I don’t like each other like that,” Soobin said, making Taehyun roll his eyes.

“I don’t mean like actually date, I mean… make Jia think you are that way she can back off and won’t think she has a chance,” Taehyun said.

Soobin froze, looking at his friend in disbelief. Taehyun said it so casually like what he said wasn’t a big deal at all and Soobin just couldn’t believe it. He was completely lost by the whole and after an awkward silence between the two he just shook his head feeling a blush rise in his cheeks as he said, “That is a really bad idea.”

It was an awful idea and too much work. Soobin didn’t need to prove anything to anyone and why would he make Jia believe he was over her when he knew he was? She could try and talk to him all she wants but it won’t make a difference to him, honestly. It is kind of annoying that neither Taehyun or Yeonjun believed he was over Jia and now it seems like Jia doesn’t think so too? Why else would she be making this much effort to talk to him again?

Taehyun’s words were stuck in his head now and it made no sense. Why would he drag you into his problems and why would you want to do it? You probably have things going on in your own life that there's no reason to bother you with his. Sure, you’ve been fun to talk to since you’re not his usual circle of friends but that’s it. You don’t know each other well enough to do that.

“Hey,” when he got home that night, he could tell by the tone of your voice that something was off. You were in the kitchen washing some dishes when he walked in.

“Hey,” Soobin greeted as he began taking his shoes off at the door, “How was your day?”

“It was alright. I almost cried in the bathroom because my boss yelled at me for getting her the wrong milk in her coffee,” you said with a shrug, “And yours?”

“Oh,” Soobin said, blinking slowly trying to figure out if he should ask if you were okay or just say his part. “Um, it was nice, I worked with my friend but he said the craziest thing I had ever heard and it threw me off.”

You dried your hands off with the towel and walked past him, heading to your room but still holding conversation, “What’d he say?”

“He said that I should pretend to date you,” the words completely slipped from his and the second they were said, he felt his body tense up and his face go blank. You stopped at your door, turning to look at his confused state when he suddenly rushed to say, “I mean… She’s been trying to talk lately and I don’t know what she’s doing but it’s like she thinks we can get back together.”

He bit his lip and he just couldn’t stop talking, “So, Taehyun said I needed to make her think I was over her and that I should get your help but I thought it was an awful idea. Like, I don’t need to prove anything to her if anyone else and there’s no way you would ever do something lik—I would never ask you too and I know I should stop talking about it but you asked and for some reason I always just tell you what’s going and I can’t stop, oh my god.”

He covered his face with his hands, unable to see the way a smile played on your lips at his rambling. With a deep sigh you opened your bedroom door, “Goodnight.”

He waved goodbye, still refusing to look at you and stormed to his room in embarrassment. You got in yours and laid in bed where you got on your phone and immediately told your friends.

you: I think my roommate is weird

beomgyu: why

you: idk, just strange

kai: aww, ur twinning w/him (♡ˊ͈ ꒳ ˋ͈)

you: … ( •᷄‎ࡇ•᷅ )

beomgyu: (⸝⸝⸝◉⸝ ｡ ⸝◉⸝⸝⸝)

you: anyway, he was talking about fake dating like this is a wattpad story

kai: do it, his ex is a bitch

Lately, it’s been getting hard for Soobin to look forward to the café. It’s such a huge contrast to the work he does at his internship that going to the cafe sometimes feels relaxing and not like work at all but these past few weeks have been dreadful. It’s very hard to ignore someone who hurt you when you have to work with her. It’s a constant reminder and everyone seems to always point it out. Taehyung was right, she was trying to do something with him again and it’s becoming even more noticeable everytime he goes to work.

“Are you going to Yuna’s party this weekend?” Jia asked him. The shop had been slow so he busied himself with closing duties, hoping he could get done sooner and meet his friend.

“Probably,” Soobin answered absently.

“Oh, maybe I’ll see you there,” Jia said with a nervous laugh, “I gotta be honest, Soobin it’s strange being so distant.”

Soobin scoffed, looking at her in disbelief. What was wrong with her and why did she act like there isn’t a cause for this distance.

Just as he was debating telling her how he felt, the bell above the door chimed and they both got ready to greet them with a customer service smile. His soon turned into a real smile despite his confusion at the surprise, “What are you doing here?”

“I want coffee?” Your tone was questioning but light as you got to the counter, trying not to look at the girl again.

It’s been a bit awkward since Soobin made that weird comment the other night but you’re tired of acting bothered by it. It was harmless and your friends thought it was funny [ and a good idea? ] but you just thought it was bizarre. You think it’s strange and although you wanted to avoid Soobin it’s very hard when you get to know him. He’s kind of cute actually—not looks wise but personality wise.

“Nice,” Soobin said with a nod of his head although he made no move to ring you up or make you a drink. You looked from him down to the register, “Can I order yet?”

“Oh, yes,” he cleared his throat awkwardly and waited for you to say something. Once he rang up your drink, he gave a discount and left to make it while you paid.

Honestly, he thought you were mad at him for what he said. He still has no idea why he brought up what Taehyun said but the way you ignored him let him know it was a mistake at the time. He’s been worried for days that he crossed the line but now you’re here talking to him like everything is normal. It makes him feel better.

You could feel Jia’s eyes on you and this time around it bothered you. Why was she glaring at you like you were the problem? You don’t even know her and it’s very obvious there’s nothing between you and Soobin. Why would it matter to her if there was or wasn’t?

“Are you off already?” Soobin asked handing you your drink over the counter.

You nodded, “Kind of? I still have some stuff to finish up but the WiFi at home is lagging.”

“Just work here then,” Soobin said motioning toward the tables, “Connect to the internet and keep me company.”

“How? You’re working,” you pointed out.

“Nobody’s here,” Soobin said, completely dismissing Jia, “Please?”

Now that he knows you’re not bothered by him it’s been like a confidence boost to try and befriend you again. He just needed the assurance that you weren’t going to ditch him and move out so for you to come and talk to him felt good. He was worried he scared you off.

With a dramatic sigh, you pretended to give in, “Oh, I guess I could do that. I’ll just stay a bit.”

“Or you could stay till I’m off and we can go home together,” Soobin said but the sound of the espresso machine grumbling stole your attention instead. Jia was cleaning it already and had no problem cutting your conversation short with the loudness of it.

She was clearly annoyed with you being here and you just couldn’t understand it. Why was she so mad when she’s the one who ruined her relationship with Soobin? Soobin deserved so much better and it annoys you that she’s the one upset now.

“Maybe, who knows if I want to wait that long,” you said playfully, watching him leave the counter to talk to you. You were the only one in the shop and he didn’t care either way, you’re his saving grace from spending this last hour with Jia trying to talk to him.

“Please? I’ll buy you food on the way,” he said, feeling your eyes on him.

He wore a cream colored crew neck and light washed baggy jeans, a brown apron tied at his waist and even his glasses tonight. You don’t see him in his glasses often so it was a nice surprise, “Alright, you got me. I’ll stay.”

What really made you decide on staying wasn’t his begging or his offer to buy you food but it was actually knowing he probably wanted to avoid any more alone time with his ex. You already pitied the guy’s circumstances and you couldn’t just leave him to suffer while he begged for your help.

So you stayed, you had to remind Soobin every now and then to get back to work when he would lose track of time telling you whatever was on his mind and forget a customer was around. Jia did not acknowledge you at all, not until the very end when she came up to you and with a snarky tone said, “Heads up, we close in ten minutes.”

“Okay,” you flashed her a polite but strained smile, “I’m just waiting for Soobin.”

“I know, but you’ll have to leave when we’re closing,” she said bluntly.

“Really? Thanks for the heads up,” you put your headphones back on and turned your attention to your laptop, making it known you weren’t going to talk to her anymore and with a slight roll of her eyes, she left.

After a minute or so, you closed your laptop and put your things away. You got up from the table as Soobin was coming out with things he was planning on restocking and when he saw you get up, he practically dropped it all to go to you, “What are you doing?”

“I’m just going to wait outside,” you said with a shrug, slinging your backpack over your shoulders.

“Bu—“

“Soobin, can you start cleaning out the espresso machines?” Jia asked with an annoyed tone and with a huff in irritation, he watched you make your leave till he was alone once again.

He didn’t bother talking to her as he finished up his chores and the cafè was filled with an uncomfortable silence the remainder of the time. He’s been cleaning all evening but Jia wants to remind him about the espresso machines just because she sees him talking to you. It’s crazy and Soobin doesn’t know how to speak up.

He has so much he wants to say but then he gets worried he’s being rude or overthinking things that he ends up just staying silent anyway. That’s probably why his relationship with Jia was so rocky from the beginning—and also why he didn't argue when he caught her. He just doesn’t want to be in uncomfortable situations.

You had honestly debated just going home despite Soobin wanting you to stay. It was freezing cold out and you only had a thin sweater that did nothing to keep you warm. You had every right to just go home but he asked you so nicely and Jia was kind of rude when she tried kicking you out and it makes your pettiness want to show through.

When Soobin and Jia finally finished closing, she waited around while she locked the door looking like she had something to say but he wouldn’t even turn to look at her. Instead, he looked around for you, worried you had left already but he found you sitting on the curb, surprising him in the process. Jia didn’t seem to see you there either and it was hard for her to hide the look of displeasure when you got up.

“So what are you feeding me?” You asked, hugging your arms around yourself to fight off the cold wind from the winter air. Soobin didn’t hesitate to take off his jacket, leaving him only in a crewneck and pulling it around you.

“Something warm?” He asked, looking at the tip of your nose which was a deep shade of red. The two of you left without so much as a goodbye and when you were out of earshot he added, “Also, thanks for waiting. I thought you would’ve left and now I feel bad that you had to wait outside. I would’ve said something but you were already leaving and I assumed you got mad and went home.”

“I was going to,” you said honestly as he held the door open to some Korean hotpot tent restaurant, “But I decided against it. Also, I’ve got something to say.”

“Oh yeah?” He asked, sitting down at a table across from you.

“I can tell you struggle a little bit speaking your mind and she talks to you like she still has a say over what you do,” you said to him, “And she was kind of rude? Like, she didn’t say anything mean to me but it’s obvious she doesn’t like me for talking to you and I don’t think that’s fair. So, is there any way we can make her know you don’t want her without you having to tell her harshly?”

It took him a moment to process everything you had said in such a short time and he wondered if you had said anything at all. Maybe he imagined you saying that because it’s been in his mind lately and he couldn’t see what you would gain anything from it so why would you help him?

He should just tell you it’s not something you have to do. If you were to go along with a charade just so that it looks like he’s moved on from his ex. He knows he has, he just can’t be mean. All he can do is ignore her but that doesn’t seem to be stopping Jia from approaching him. No, it still doesn’t mean he has to drag you into something useless.

“Well, there’s a party this weekend that I know she’ll be at.”

Pulling it off was harder than you had originally thought and there’s very specific reasons for this.

One, appearing as anything aside from friends or roommates was hard considering you were still at an awkward stage of friendship. You knew Soobin and how he looked in the mornings but you’ve no clue what his favorite movie is or favorite color or even his zodiac sign. You knew his ex girlfriend was a cheating bitch but you don’t know what his internship is or what his major was in college so when someone at the party asked you things about Soobin… you had no idea what to say.

Two, you’re not sure if the chemistry is there. So far, you don’t think you’re pulling it off. Sure, Soobin has remained at your side since the two of you got here but you think you both look stiff and nervous. Even when someone expects him to introduce you, it feels weird and you’re not sure how close you’re supposed to seem.

“You two suck,” Taehyun said [the first time he had ever spoken to you too], “Put some flavor into this. Hold hands, act cute, give me emotion because I can tell you right now, Jia won’t think she’s got competition.

Soobin rolled his eyes, “Shh, this is harder than we thought it would be— a-nd it’s not about competition.”

“Really? Because Yuna asked me who you brought because Jia was asking her, something about you not wanting to talk to her?” Taehyun said with a chuckle, “It’s like she’s completely forgotten what happened.”

You hadn’t spoken up once this entire time but Soobin was beginning to look visibly uncomfortable talking about his ex in a crowded place. Usually he’s open when you’re at home and you’re the only one listening to him but right now he keeps glancing around anxiously.

“Should we get a drink?” You asked him suddenly, watching him nod his head eagerly in an attempt to leave his friend who said too many things he didn’t want to hear right now.

“Sorry for him, he just says things sometimes and—“

“It’s alright,” you laughed softly, making your way to the kitchen where the countertop was filled with various bottles. Soobin was right behind you, not wanting to lose you in the crowd.

He doesn’t understand you. You’re so nice to him and he doesn’t know what to make of it. You don’t question him or make him talk when he doesn’t want to. You seem to have some understanding of what he wants and he doesn’t even have to tell you anything.

He knows you’re just helping him out so he doesn’t look like a sore loser at a party he knows his ex-girlfriend is at but for the moment, he wants to forget Jia is here. Can he just have one night where his past relationship isn’t brought up by Taehyun or Yeonjun or anybody else? Can he just pretend like the two of you are here as friends just hanging out and not because you somewhat pitied his circumstances?

“You look pretty tonight,” the words slipped before he could stop himself and he immediately turned red in embarrassment, “I mean… yknow…”

“Thanks,” you said casually as you filled a cup of whatever interested you, “I actually put in effort, just for you.”

You didn’t think much about what you said even though you could see the blush in his cheeks. It was a bit surprising actually. At first, you thought Soobin was just some distant gamer you shared an apartment with but little by little you’ve gotten to know him more. He’s still shy like you first assumed but he’s also kind of cute, as a friend you mean. It would be weird to think of him as anything but that considering what he’s gone through lately.

He couldn’t help but smile, trying to hide it by biting his lower lip but his dimple still showed through and for a second he just stood there looking at you. You handed him a drink and as he opened his mouth to say something else, a familiar feminine voice came from behind him.

“Soobin? Is this where you’ve been hiding all night?” Yuna asked as she entered the kitchen with a smile, “I kept hearing everyone say you were here but I couldn’t find you. Hey buddy.”

“Hey Yuna,” Soobin said with a smile. Yuna was one of the few other baristas from work and someone he did enjoy working with. She was bubbly and nice so they got along easily but she’s more friends with Jia than him. He still can’t tell if she knew Jia cheated on him or not and he hasn’t bothered saying anything. She knew something happened to make them break up but neither have gone into it for different reasons. He didn’t want to tell the whole world he was cheated on and Jia didn’t want to seem like the lying cheater she was.

“This is Y/n,” Soobin said suddenly, grabbing your hand and pulling you toward his side, “She’s my uh, um…”

“Friend,” you said, emphasizing on the word that it sounded like it had a double meaning and he couldn’t tell if you did it on purpose. Did you mean friend, like how he’s friends with Yeonjun and Taehyun? Or did you mean, friend, like something more?

While he tried to decipher it, Yuna seemed to pick up on the tone much faster than he did and her smile strained slightly. “Really? That’s, uh, that’s great. Have you seen Jia yet?”

“Who?” You asked Soobin, looking cutely confused, feigning innocence as you touched his arm.

“The girl from work,” Soobin said despite you already knowing. The room began to feel hot as Yuna stared at you and Soobin couldn’t take the heat. He didn’t like the way it seemed like she was trying to pick you apart with her eyes—probably seeing if there was anything she should tell Jiw and he couldn’t take it. It had him taking big sips of his drink to satiate his dry mouth, completely ignoring the heavy taste of alcohol.

“Binnie,” your use of a nickname nearly sent him in a spiral, it was the first time you’ve ever called him as such and there was a possibility it was all for show.

“Yeah?” He cleared his throat awkwardly, ignoring Yuna to turn to you.

“Don’t drink so fast, okay?” Concern was evident in your tone but you didn’t seem displeased. You just worried about having to haul a 6-foot-something drunk man back to your apartment when he wasn’t your boyfriend.

He looked down at his empty cup, realizing he really did chug back the full drink quickly and the thought alone made him dizzy. He’s usually good at knowing his limit but he’s been nervous all night. When you first got here he got a drink that emptied out right after he saw Taehyun for the first time. It was before Taehyun had even approached you two because he was in the middle of some game but it made Soobin nervous. He had to tell his friend ahead of time that he was bringing you but then the thought of Taehyun saying something he should had him anxious and he chugged his drink then too.

Now, Yuna’s here bringing up Jia once again and on top of that you’ve called him a friend but your tone sounded different than usual and you held his arm and called him Binnie—and it all just became too much.

What was wrong with him?

“Soobin?” You said his name a little while after the kitchen encounter and you sounded so distant despite standing right next to him. Just by looking at him, you could tell he was at least tipsy.

His cheeks were flushed, his eyes a bit lazy and he just seemed less stiff than earlier. He’s also leaning into you a bit, no longer caring who saw or what people thought of it but more so for a sense of comfort as his vision blurred with the alcohol in his system. “Hm?”

“You okay?” You asked as he blinked slowly, “You don’t seem as nervous anymore.”

“Oh! Um,” he looked down at you and how close the two of you had grown, making him grin, “I’m fine, I’m with you.”

“Okay… but let me know when you’re ready to call it a night,” you said with a small yawn and he couldn’t help but look to your lips, blinking away the thought as you pressed your lips closed and looked off in the distance.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts a bit but right now everything seemed fuzzy. The night had been fine at first. He hadn’t been nervous at all and was actually a bit excited to get a chance to hang out with you [aside from the night you stopped to get food] and he had been thinking on how it would go all day.

When the two of you got to the party he had met up with Taehyun and he had a good time with him too so the only time he ever felt uncomfortable was when he was reminded of the situation. Talking about Jia didn’t bother him as much as the reminder that everyone knew about it did. On top of that, anytime someone looked at you or asked who you were, he would get nervous. He doesn’t know what’s going on with him.

Just as you were going to ask him one more time if he was okay, you felt a sudden weight pressed against your shoulder as Soobin leaned into your side. He felt heavy against your arm and his head dipped low enough that his face was pressing into yours, “I think I’m ready.”

“Ready?” You ask, feeling your heart race as the warmth of his breath fanned your neck and his hand brushed against yours like he was debating reaching for yours. When you looked at him, it was finally noticeable that whatever he drank tonight had taken effect and he was finally drunk. He’s more quiet than you expected. His cheeks are red with a blush and his lips a bit pouty making him look a little cute.

He nodded his head aggressively, “Let’s go home.”

You didn’t question his decision and took his hand in yours when he swayed in his step and looked around for his friend so they could at least say their goodbyes. Every now and then you would look back to see how he was hanging but he seemed perfectly content having a blank mind and being dragged behind you.

“Soob? You good there, buddy?” Taehyun asked once he saw his friend’s state of drunkenness and placed a soothing hand on his tall friend’s back.

“Yesh,” Soobin said, leaning into your back, “Going home.”

Taehyun looked over at you with concerned eyes, “Are you alright? Sorry, I think he had too much to drink.”

“I’m good, the last bus will pass soon so we’ll just get home that way,” You told him, scanning the people around at the party, eyes catching on the one person you didn’t care to see.

Jia didn’t shy back from your short eye contact and she looked far from happy at the way Soobin was clinging to you—something he never did with her. To be fair, Jia was usually the one out at parties and getting wasted so she didn’t give him many chances to be the drunk one with no worries.

It bothered her to see how comfortable Soobin had gotten with another girl after their break up.

“Alright, i’ll give you my number and just let me know if you two get home safe,” Taehyun said before leaning closer into you, “Also, Soobin really likes being around you. Be safe.”

His friend left after that and for a moment you thought about what he just said, wondering how he meant it and if you were too hard into it.

“Y/n,” Soobin whined against you, “Home, please.”

“Oh my god, okay, let's go,” You said with a small laugh as he followed after you as got to the door.

Soobin was tired, he always got sleepy when he drank too much and when the two of you got on the empty bus, he couldn’t help but rest his head against the window. You didn’t pay much attention to him on the ride home but every now and then he could feel your eyes on him probably wondering how he was holding up. Going up to your apartment was another challenge trying to drag Soobin up the stairs without stumbling up the steps.

“Thanks,” Soobin yawned cutely as he rubbed his tired eyes, waving you goodnight.

You went to your room silently, flashing him a smile as you left and once your door was shut, you immediately began to undress. It had been a long night and all you wanted was to crawl in bed, scroll in your phone and go to sleep. You didn’t drink as much as Soobin did so the alcohol didn’t have the same effect on you but you were still tired. It was nice getting to hang out with him for a while despite the reason or who was around. At some points you were able to forget who was there but when you would catch sight of Jia and think back to Soobin, you just couldn’t understand why she would ever do that to someone.

Now changed into your pajamas, too tired to do anything more, you were halfway crawling on your bed when there was a soft thud on your door and a small whine of your name, “Y/n.”

“Yes, Soobin?” You asked with a sigh and a smile as you heard your roommate on the other side of the door, “I thought you were going to bed.”

“I’m not tired, can I come in?” He asked and you could practically see the pout on his lips. It was about midnight so you should just turn him away but you could hear the shuffling on the other side of the door and before you knew it, you were unlocking your bedroom door and letting him in.

“What’s wrong?” You asked as he hesitated to sit on the edge of your bed.

“Nothing,” he answered honestly, “I just… I wanted to see what you were up to, were you going to bed?”

“I was probably just going to be on my phone a bit,” you laid down on your usual spot reaching for the remote to your television, “What should I watch?”

You didn’t outwardly tell him to lay down next to you but the way you moved your things to your side, it was easy to assume you didn’t mind. Soobin was still hesitant to lay down with his back against your headboard but once you made no sign to kick him out, he let himself relax as you scrolled through Netflix.

“Something scary,” Soobin said, barely paying attention as he looked around your bedroom. This was the first time he had stepped into it since you moved in and it looks completely different than what it did before. He couldn’t explain into words but it looked like a room you would have. It was like an insight to who you are from the pictures on your walls to the clothes by your closet. It was cozy and your bed was so soft he found himself yawning.

“You surprised me tonight,” You told him as you finally settled on a movie about a haunted house, “First because you were surprisingly popul—“

“Why’s that a surprise?” Soobin asked, slightly more alert as he looked at you, “I’m a catch.”

“You are,” you said casually, “I just meant… a lot of people like you.”

He couldn’t help but bite his lips at your words. He didn’t mean to seem overly confident or anything but he knew he was somewhat likable. He tried being nice and friendly to everyone and clearly sometimes that didn’t work in his favor when it came to relationships but he’s always had people around him. Not everyone he would consider a real friend but the ones he have right now or the real deal.

Taehyun and him got along from the moment they met at work. Soobin’s the one who trained Taehyun when he first started and they just got super close from there.

Yeonjun has been his best friend for as long as he can remember and they even fight like an old bickering couple too.

Sometimes they don’t understand him—like when they thought he was still upset over Jia, and he needs a break from them but that’s where you came along. You’re one of his friends now too so does that mean you also like him?

As a friend?

As more?

No, not as more. He was getting ahead of himself.

“Don’t say those things to me, Y/n,” Soobin whined, hiding behind a pillow.

“Why?” You asked with a small laugh as he curled himself up on your bed, looking every bit out of place in your Sanrio bed sheets and his tall frame.

“Because, they’ll get to my head,” he confessed, sitting up a little to regain himself, “So what’s the other reason you were surprised by me?”

You hummed in thought, “You’re surprisingly cute when you’re drunk, and really clingy.”

It was clear that throughout the time it took to get home, Soobin had sobered up enough to have clearer thoughts and you just wanted to be honest. It’s what you believed and you hoped he wouldn’t take it the wrong way and think you were hitting on him. Sure, Soobin is attractive for many reasons and you enjoy hanging out with him but just think about the circumstances. He’s your roommate and he just got out of a relationship with someone who cheated on him.

“I mean,” you cleared your throat awkwardly, acting like you were watching the movie, “I bet you really sold it to Jia that you were seeing someone. There’s no way she’ll try and get you to go out with her again now.”

At the reminder, Soobin seemed to sigh, “Yeah.”

For a second he had thought you were going to say something else. He doesn’t know what he’s feeling at the moment and it worries him but at the same time it’s exciting and he wished he didn’t react this way to you and so soon.

“Do you work tomorrow?” You asked him, letting out a small yawn as you made yourself more comfortable indeed the covers.

“Only in the afternoon,” Soobin said, looking over at you hopefully, “Why? Do you want to do something?”

“I have to work, if I get off early I might stop by,” You said, looking back at him too. You could see the small dimple in his cheek become more prominent as he resisted the urge to smile, nodding his head.

With a small sigh, Soobin checked the time and sat up, “Okay, I’ll let you sleep.”

For some reason he wanted to do or say more but he’s not sure what he would’ve been able to say in the first place. You got up after him so you could close the door on his way out but at the door, you both stopped to look at each other.

“I did have fun tonight,” you told him truthfully.

Soobin stood at the door looking down at you with his lip pulled between his teeth. It was becoming more obvious that he liked being around you. He thought you were pretty and fun to be with and you have yet to make him feel poorly. He’s very aware of the fact that he’s only been single for a little over a month but he can’t deny the sudden race in his heart when you’re around.

It scares him to think he might be feeling something toward you at such an awkward time.

“Goodnight.”

Things slowly began to change between you two and neither one of you knew what to do about that sort of thing. On one hand, Soobin wanted to see if you would like to spend more time together but he also wasn’t sure if he was ready. It has nothing to do with how he felt toward his ex girlfriend and more with how he felt at possibly seeing someone again.

Jia was a major push to his confidence and definitely raised his insecurities and trust issues so he thought he would stay single for a while. Plus, you were his roommate which could pose an entirely different problem and yet none of that has helped him stop thinking about you. It’s been days from the party and he knows hes been slightly more in your bubble than before but its only because he doesn’t know how to read you.

How is he supposed to know how you might feel about him and how should he feel about it?

“You’re overthinking it,” Yeonjun said as he sat across from Soobin and Yeonjun who were in their matching brown aprons as part of the cafe’s unofficial uniform. The cafe was empty aside from a couple college students grossly immersed in their studies to care that the only two workers were currently siting at a table with a friend. Every now and then the three would feel the eyes of some high school girl gawking at them through the shop windows but none dared to enter making the cafe slow with traffic.

“If you like her, why can’t you at least try?” Yeonjun asked him like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Because she’s my roommate and what if that just messes things up completely?” Soobin asked.

“I mean, Y/n seemed pretty into you at the party,” Taehyun said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Soobin shook his head, “No, she was just being nice. I was drunk and probably embarrassed myself so there’s no way she liked it��well, okay she said it was cute, but do you think she meant it?”

Yeonjun reached across the small table and pinched Soobin’s cheek hard, pouting his lips in a kiss as he gushed over his friend, “Of course she meant it, just look at you. Who can resist this bunny face?”

Just as Soobin was ready to fight Yeonjun off, the familiar bell above the door rang and a loud burst of energy came through the door.

“Kai, I swear to god, if you don’t stop I’m going to bite you,” a guy said as he smacked another guy off and the two cafe workers couldn’t help but snap into attention and get behind the counter.

“Y/n,” Kai said with a forced whiny voice, “Save me.”

“Don’t touch me,” you pushed him off as you looked around the cafè for Soobin.

Just a couple feet away from you, he stood there with his lips parted in surprise before letting his eyes drift off to the two guys behind you. A smile spread across his lips as he left Taehyun and Yeonjun to go to you, “Hi, what are you doing here?”

“We were just at the arcade across the street so I figured why not stop for a drink?” You said with a gentle smile that had him practically giggling.

“Oh, so you didn’t come just to see me?” Soobin teased, a flirty undertone in his voice. He couldn’t help but glance back to the guys, curious who they were.

Since you moved in, you haven’t brought anyone home and he assumed you were single since you offered to go with him to a party—and let him on your bed, but now he’s not sure. What if everything you were doing really was as a friend and he’s just overthinking it all?

“Sadly no, I really need coffee,” you joked as he went to the counter to get you a drink. Taehyun was helping the two guys while you talked to Soobin and he couldn’t wait to be done so he can ask who they were.

“O-oh,” he cleared his throat awkwardly as he began to make it, ringing you up and trying to apply some sort of discount so you wouldn’t have to pay full price. Before he could tell you your total,one of the guys who was with you gave him cash to pay.

Beomgyu placed his hand on your shoulder as he leaned down to whisper, “Is this him?”

You just nodded your head ignoring his growing smile as he thanked Soobin for his change back and ruffled your hair, “Hurry up, I need real food.”

“Are you gonna be home later?” Soobin asked as the guys left through the door, waiting outside but looking in and it was clear they were talking about you. He wanted to say he was just curious for no reason but part of him wanted to know if you would be out with them.

“Probably, not till late though, I think we’re probably gonna go have a drink or two,” you said with a shrug and this was the perfect time for Soobin to ask who they were. Were they just friends? Was one of them something more? Have you been in any relationship?

“Let me know if you want me to pick you up,” Soobin said, “I-I mean, yknow, repay the favor from the other night that I embarrassed myself.”

“You didn’t,” you rolled your eyes looking around. Your friends were waiting and you had your drink so you should’ve left by now but instead you’re looking at his two friends. Taehyun had gone with Yeonjun again and it’s the first time in a while you saw Yeonjun. When you first met him he had gone over to the apartment and you had thought he was attractive. You still do but not in the same context anymore. Taehyun waved at you enthusiastically which you did back and looked back at Soobin, “It was cute, but should I call you tonight then? Or will you be asleep.”

“I’ll hear you come home either way, so come say hi even if it’s late,” Soobin said, making you nod your head.

“Okay, well I have to go before they come and drag me out,” you told him as you pointed to your two friends who were getting annoyed waiting out there.

“Y/n,” he called for you but when you looked back at him, he couldn’t bring himself to ask, “Nevermind, be safe.”

Soobin waved you goodbye and watched you leave with the guy from earlier wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

“God, Bin, you can’t even hide it,” Yeonjun said with a chuckle as Soobin joined them again, “You looked jealous.”

“What?” Soobin looked at him with big doe eyes, looking every bit clueless as he felt, “No, I just—I don’t, um, Y/n’s… did I?”

They both nodded their heads and Taehyun said, “Yes but not too much. We noticed because we’re your best friends but I’m sure none of them could tell. You were all smiley and blush which is major cringecore with Y/n but any time you looked at those guys, you’d glare.”

“I don’t glare,” Soobin muttered under his breath as he stared at the window, “Besides, I don’t know if one of them is dating Y/n so there’s no point in doing anything now.”

“You didn’t bother to ask!?” Yeonjun and Taehyun asked at the same time that it caused Soobin to jump, feeling startled.

“I’m sorry but if I was into someone and I was in their bed and then I see them talking to someone, you better believe I’m going to ask who!” Yeonjun added, making Soobin groan in frustration that he couldn’t just man up and ask.

It’s clear there’s no point in pretending he isn’t catching feelings for you and he has to figure out how to tell you. The only problem is if you reject him, he won’t be sure how to live with you anymore—especially if you were to date someone.

He should’ve just acted curious and asked who they were.

“You guys are so annoying,” you said with a groan as you followed after your two best friends who were fighting down the street.

“Soobin and Y/n, kissing in a tree! K-I-S-S—ow, ow, ow!” Kai cried out as you pulled his ear.

“This is why I don’t tell you guys anything,” you said when they laughed. Kai was doing that creepy evil loud laugh he always does and Beomgyu is just instigating it.

“First of all, you tell us everything,” Beomgyu pointed out, “And what’s the problem? Pretty sure he likes you too.”

“Oh my god, I don’t like Soo—I mean, he’s my roommate, it would be weird,” you said, “Plus, he just got out of a relationship.”

“Yeah like two months ago or something, and she cheated on him,” Kai said before clutching his chest, “You could heal his heart.”

“Corny,” Beomgyu yelled and the two laughed again.

“Whatever, let’s just go eat.”

It took a lot of convincing from his friends for him to actually agree to just go for it. He had been debating it for a while now and each day that passed where he gets to see you first thing in the morning or last thing at night just reminds him he wants to keep seeing you. He’s not sure how much more he could go just acting like a friend.

He likes everything about you and he’s not good at hiding it. Usually, it takes him a while to fall for someone.

When he met Jia its because they were partners in chemistry one semester and she helped him get the job at the cafe so he could make more money aside from his internship. Truth be told, Jia kind of scared him at first because she never hid her interest from him. She was aggressive with it and he didn’t know how to react so he never made a move on her.

She’s the one who had to ask him and even then, he didn’t say yes right away because he hadn’t been sure if it was something he wanted to do. Over time he obviously grew feelings for her but the relationship never felt as easy as his friendship with you did.

So really, the realization of how differently and strongly he felt for you in such a short time was an indicator that he clearly had strong feelings for you.

When he got home after the cafe, he had a strong sense of confidence that was going to be his push to just go for it. He had been talking himself up all day and had decided the worst thing that could happen is you say no. He could live with that… maybe.

“Y/n?” Soobin called out to you as he dropped his things at the door, “You home?”

You were in your room reading some poetry book with music playing quietly and he knocked on your open door. You looked up at him, sliding your headphones down to your neck, “Hey.”

You sat up a little, motioning for him to come inside and he looked around nervously, “Are you busy?”

“No?” You smiled as you looked down at your book, “What’s up?”

Soobin bit his lip in thought as he tried to figure out how to word it before saying, “Do you want to… I don’t know, get food? Maybe go for a walk later?”

“Um, sure?” You said with a racing heart, “What time?”

“Um, an hour? Forty five minutes?” Soobin asked, more eager now knowing you’ll hang out with him, “Thirty?”

“In thirty minutes?” You asked, “Okay.”

“Okay, I’m just gonna change and probably, uh,” Soobin blinked nervously, “Get ready.”

“Okay,” you laughed softly as he nearly stumbled out the door. Once your door was shut, you jumped out of bed and straight to your vanity where you hoped to make yourself look a little better.

This wasn’t a date.

Soobin didn’t ask you out, he just asked you to get food.

How would you feel if he were to ask you on a date? Would he ever do that or does he only see you as a friend? For all you know, he’s sworn off dating completely.

When you left with Soobin at your side, things were normal. You talked about normal things, laughed about normal things and for a while you were able to forget your worries. You were just spending time with someone you enjoy spending time with without thinking every little thing over nonstop.

“So what’s your type?” Soobin asked so suddenly that you nearly choked on your water. Usually he’s not so forward with his questions so it caught you off guard. The two of you were at a small restaurant and it felt oddly like a date when he asked you things like this.

With an awkward clear of your throat, you said, “Um, I’m not sure if I have a type. The people I’ve been with in the past have all been a little different, I think.”

“What about looks?” Soobin asked, fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. He knows he’s an attractive guy but what if he still wasn’t your type?

You laughed softly, “I don’t know, Binnie, I like who I like.”

Soobin couldn’t help but blush, as he finally decided to ask, “What about me?”

You looked at him curiously, trying to decipher what he meant and when he couldn’t meet your gaze, you said, “You?”

“Am I your type?” He asked quietly. The server brought your meals which worked as a distraction to give you time to calm your beating heart and you took a deep breath.

It was hard to say because as of now… yes. You’ve always thought Soobin was attractive and kind and you’ve never actually dated someone like him so to say he’s your type is weird when you’re not sure if you even have one. You like Soobin, you know you do but what would it mean if you answer this question and what does he expect you to say?

“I think so,” you said shyly, looking down at your plate to avoid his gaze. Soobin resisted the urge to smile and ask you more about how you might feel for him.

He tried not to bring so much up while you had your late dinner and when the bill came, it became another topic of discussion.

“Soobin, you paid last time,” you said remembering the time you went to get hotpot last time, “Either I can pay or we can split the bill.”

“I asked you to come out with me,” Soobin said, getting his wallet out, “So I’m going to pay.”

“Binnie,” you said to him, watching him set money for the bill and a little extra for a tip before standing up, ready to leave. The server took the money and bid you both a goodnight.

“Y/n,” he used the same whiny voice you had, “Next time I’ll let you pay, I promise.”

Part of him wanted to reach for your hand as you left the restaurant but instead, he said, “I don’t want to go home yet.”

You have to admit, Soobin is really making your heart flutter in a very confusing way. You thought about taking his hand in yours and leading him toward the park across the street but you decided against it, unsure if it was something he wanted.

The night of the party when you held his hand, he made sure to not let it go even when you were on the bus but maybe it was just because he was drunk and not feeling good?

“So let’s go on a walk then,” you said, taking the reign to hold his hand, trying not to think about it.

Soobin smiled widely as he happily held yours, swinging them a little, “Y/n, I just want to say, you’re one of my best friends.”

He’s not sure he’s ever been able to call someone he’s dating his best friend. His past girlfriends never really cared to get to know him or have the same interests which wasn’t necessarily a problem but you’ve become his friend first and he thinks that’s what helped him develop feelings for you. You liked the same things, you enjoyed each other’s company and you never made him feel weird no matter what he did. He was being honest when he called you his best friend, it’s just that he wanted you to be more too.

“Who’s my competition?” You asked, waiting for him to say Taehyun or Yeonjun but he just shook his head, fixing your hands so your fingers were intertwined.

“You don’t have any,” Soobin shrugged, staring ahead at the path of street lamps, feeling a slight chill in the night air.

After a while the two of you decided to take a seat on a bench nearby, just under a streetlamp that casted down on it like a scene from a movie. You couldn’t help but shiver under the cold yet neither one of you brought up possibly going home—as if that would end the chances of spending time together.

Soobin felt you shivering beside him and without wasting too much time pondering, he scooted closer to you until his side was pressed to yours and provide you with much needed warmth. You looked at him with a teasing a smile, “So what you’re saying is, I’m actually your only best friend. I’m not sure if Taehyung or Yeonjuun would like that.”

He smiled cheekily, “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, I don’t really keep it a secret that you’re my new favorite person.”

“Oh wow, what an honor. What did I do to deserve that?” You asked with a playful tone, trying to hide the way your face began to heat up.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, looking over at you with soft, moonlit eyes, “I’m still trying to figure that out too.”

You didn’t say anything for a moment, unsure what to even say and you just looked into each other’s eyes, wondering if you were thinking the same. You were so close now and it was getting very hard to ignore when you couldn’t look away from him. Soobin was hesitant for a long while, debating if he should just go for it.

There were a millón things running through your mind, some about kissing him, or not kissing. Wondering if you should cross the line or give him space. You turned to face him, lips parting, “I—“

It happened rather quickly, the brush of his lips against yours, and you hadn’t fully thought it through when you kissed him back. There was a sudden sense of bliss that caused him to relax into the short kiss, melting into you when your lips moved against his.

His fingers lingered on your thigh, itching to deepen the kiss with a hand in your hair. Just as he was going to reach out, you pulled away abruptly, nearly leaving him to follow and his eyes snapped awake, unaware when he closed them.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” You whispered so quietly he could barely hear you. It didn’t stop his heart from dropping with clarity, “Oh”

You were rejecting him, even if you kissed him too.

“Binnie, I just—I like you but,” You bit your lip nervously, ‘I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

“Oh,” he slumped back, giving you more space, “Why? Because we live together?”

“Yeah,” you sounded regretful, “And you haven’t been single for long and I just don’t want to be a, um…”

“You think it’ll be like a rebound?” Soobin asked with a small scoff, “Y/n, I… I wouldn’t do that to you, I want to try with you.”

“But, I don’t know, I just don’t want this to become a real thing, and it ends badly and we can’t talk anymore,” you confessed, “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Soobin said, “I get it.”

He doesn’t.

Silence filled the space between you and neither one of you knew what to do about it. The awkwardness was already beginning to settle and he didn’t want that at all. A sorry smile spread across his lips, “You’re still my favorite person.”

A laugh left your lips, an ounce of worry disappearing but you still felt awful. You liked Soobin, and you were always such a sure person but when it comes to relationships you can be doubtful. You never know their full intentions and although Soobin is a really good guy but you haven’t known each other long and he was just in a relationship not that long ago.

After a while he asked if you should head home and the walk back was a bit quieter.

Honestly, you really did like Soobin. You never thought of him as anything more than a friend but not because you wanted to friendzone him but because you I never thought he saw you as anything but. Maybe you thought you would be the one rejected that you never thought about him romantically. He was attractive and you always knew so but you just seemed different at the time.

You were friendly, you talked nicely to each other and to only been a while since you started hanging around him. You assumed you were the only one feeling this way and its strange to learn that’s not true.

How would you have guessed he had feelings for you? Sure, he was nice from the getgo but it had always been casual. The only time e acted differently was when he was drunk and even then you assumed it was because he was too drunk to remember. Sheen he crawled into your bed after, it are your heart race but nothing happened between you two and it was never mentioned again. You grew to like him but you had no idea he would start liking you too.

It was a flaw in your character design, you think. You have no problem making decisions and being more confident and in control with it came to other things but for some reason when it comes to yourself, you’re doubtful. It’s easy for you to catch on to feelings when it comes to others but yourself.

That’s not to say you’ve never been in a relationship with someone but you’ve always just struggled reading how someone feels about you. Now you feel awful thinking you read Soobin’s intentions wrong but you couldn’t help it. You know what it feels like to be a rebound and its not a feeling you want to go through again.

The other person didn’t make you feel as good as your time with Soobin does and that’s what worried you. You’re also not in a spot to put your living situation at risk again. You had gotten so lucky to find him and f it goes bad between you, where would you go? You’re not as strong as Soobin. He could keep working with Jia and seeing her in public after what she did to him and be fine, but would you be able to live with him after? If he hurt you, or if you hurt him… could you handle it?

Lately, its not that you’ve been purposely avoiding him but ever since the kiss, your paths have barely passed. It seems like you both made an effort to interact at least once before and now that you’re not, its been boring.

When Soobin gets to the cafe, he couldn’t even think about having to work with Jia. She wasn’t in his mind anymore because all he could think about is you. You didn’t fully reject him and that’s what drives him insane.

“Hey Soob,” Taehyung said as he watched his friend walked past him with a somber expression, completely ignoring him.

You like him. You said you liked him, right? So why can’t you just give him a chance?

His mind felt a million miles away as he slipped up on his apron, tying it over his baggy shirt and sweats. Soobin was unaware of the stares his coworkers sent him as he found his job for the day and busied himself with it.

“You’re quieter than usual,” Jia pointed out toward the end of their shift, “Did something happen?”

Her voice was laced with feigned concern and that only bother him more. Why does she bother pretending like she cares about him?

“Nothing that you have to worry about,” Soobin mumbled more to himself than her but she heard him anyway. He wouldn’t tell her about you and how you somewhat rejected him, instead he looked at the time wishing Taehyun could’ve just stayed till close with him and Jia.

“Soobin,” Jia’s voice was soft, coming over to where he was wiping down tables and chairs, “I know you and I aren’t as close as we used to be but… I really do care about you.”

A small scoff left his lips that he wasn’t able to hide as much as before and he turned away, ready to leave her behind so he could be alone.

“Does it have anything to do with that girl?” She asked closer to close when there wasn’t a single customer in sight and the sign had already been flipped.

Soobin couldn’t help but release a sigh in frustration as he looked at her, “Jia, why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” She asked with furrowed brows.

“Why are you acting like you all of a sudden care? Can’t we just work without talking and then go home?” Soobin asked, clearly annoyed and not in the mood for her.

He’s kept his mouth shut ever since they broke up and he’s never asked her to explain anything or to apologize so why doesn’t she just let it go. He’s been biting his tongue because he didn’t want to seem bitter that she cheated on him but at this point he doesn’t care. He has other things to worry about then listening to his ex girlfriend try and act like everything is okay between them.

“Soobin, I’m sorry,” Jia confessed watching as he walked past her to the front door already holding the key to lock the shop for the night, “I know I probably hurt you and what I did was unforgivable but can you please just give me one more chance. I—I don’t like thinking you hate me.”

“Jia, I don’t hate you,” Soobin told her honestly as they stood outside and he can see the way she got hope in her eyes, making him keep explaining, “And I can work with you because I have to but I’m not going to forgive you.”

It felt strange being so honest after acting unaffected for a while but it was the truth and he needed to get it out, “You cheated on me, don’t you get that?”

“I know bu—“

“No, you clearly don’t know because since you saw me and Y/n get closer all you’ve wanted to do is talk to me. It’s not because you still want me but because you know you fucked up and don’t want me to move on with anyone else,” Soobin said harshly, “Do you realize how frustrating it is to want to be with someone and everyone thinks you’re not over your cheating ex girlfriend?”

Jia looked like she wanted to say something but the words were caught in her throat, so Soobin continued, “You slept with someone I lived with behind my back and in my own home and you think apologizing and asking for one more chance is going to work?”

She was frozen, unsure what to say or if she should say anything at all. Of course he’s right and she was only wishing that things could change but she knows that she fucked up. Being with Soobin had been great, he was sweet and caring and she wanted more so she looked for more in a guy who doesn’t mean a thing to either one of them.

It had always felt like Soobin didn’t love her, like he only dealt with her because they were dating and even then it felt like she pushed him to it. He never got upset with her, even when he caught her cheating, he was just quiet and listened to her apologies over and over again. All he did was ask them both to leave and that was it. When he still went to work at the cafe she hoped it was a sign that he would forgive her if he could still stand being around her but then you came along and she could see the way Soobin’s face began to light up.

From the get-go, she feels like you were able to draw more out from him than she ever was and that really did annoy her. She’s not putting the blame on him for her cheating but why couldn’t he show more with her as he had with you and why is it too late now?

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, close to tears but it was obvious Soobin didn’t care anymore.

“Have a good night, Jia,” he sighed, leaving her behind as he went to the bus stop.

He likes you, you’re all he’s been able to think about and he can’t stand knowing you doubt his intentions. Soobin has never been the type to use someone for his own gain and even that night of the party he forgot you went with him so he wouldn’t be alone knowing Jia was there. Once he had you with him, he didn’t care who was around. All he cared about was you and he needs you to know that.

When he got home, he was surprised to see you coming out of your bedroom right as he walked through the front door. You looked over at him, nervous and unsure what to say or if you should say anything at all. You weren’t sure if he was still upset with you or if he was ever really upset by what you said.

“Hey,” you said shyly, walking toward the kitchen where you were returning a bowl.

“Hey,” Soobin set his things, debating if he should go to his room or just try with you one more time.

Now that he’s told Jia how he feels about her still trying with him, he feels more confident to tell you exactly what it is he wants with you. He doesn’t want a rebound, he doesn’t care about his last relationship, he cares about getting to know you and kissing you more.

“Were you just at work?” You asked, trying to make some conversation, see if you could read how he might feel with you.

“Yeah,” Soobin joined you in the kitchen, “I had to close with Jia.”

You turned away from the counter, jumping slightly at how close he was behind you suddenly, “And how was that?”

“Well she apologized and asked for a second chance,” Soobin said, looking down at you, so close that his front nearly brushed against yours. You raised a brow in surprise that Jia had the nerve to ask for another chance but you wondered if Soobin was bringing this up because he planned on giving it to her.

“Oh?” You said, unsure what he was planning on saying next.

Soobin bit his lip, not shying away from your stare like he normally would, “So I told her that it was never going to happen because I’ve moved on and I like you and I don’t want you to think I’m using you or still not over my ex because I’m so over her, you don’t understand. The night of the party was one of the first nights I realized how much I like you and it’s taken me a while to admit it because I wanted to be sure.”

You blinked in surprise as he moved even closer, “And I know you kind of rejected me the other night but I also know you like me too so if you just give me one chance, I swear I’ll be the best boy you’ve ever been with and I have no intentions of just being with you as some rebound. You mean so much more to me and I should’ve told you that the other night but Y/n, I really want to be with you and no one else.”

With a small sigh, you leaned onto the counter behind you and nodded, “I want to be with you too, Binnie, but…”

He couldn’t hold back the smile on his face as he reached forward, cupping your face in his hands, “Y/n, just give me a chance.”

“I—okay,” you laughed softly and with that, he was leaning down, pressing his lips to yours gently.

Your eyes fell shut, reaching out to touch him when he moved closer, pushing you against the counter with no room to go anywhere. A small gasp left your lips in surprise and it gave him a chance to deepen the kiss with his tongue.

“Soobin,” you laughed in shock as he pulled back in an attempt to catch his breath, “That was unexpected, different from the last kiss.”

His hands were resting on the counter, trapping you between them, he was leaning downuntil he could leave tender kisses along your neck, “I’m sorry, I… it was sudden and last time you wanted to stop.”

He was panting softly, eyes squeezed shut as he tried to take a deep breath, “Do you want to stop again?”

You looked into his eyes, “Not really.”

That was all he needed to hear before leaning back down for a kiss, this time sliding his hands down to your waist, grounding himself to the reality of this all. Your hands went to his soft black hair, brushed it out of his face and kissed him feverishly.

Soobin’s lips parted against yours, a sigh of relief escaped as he tilted his head to the side. You were a bit surprised by his forwardness once again that when his tongue trailed along your lower lip as if asking for permission, all you could was grant it. Your tongues met smoothly, circling around each other, before pulling back to his lips on your bottom one. Was he such a good kisser last time?

The more he seemed to lean forward and close the nonexistent gap between you, the more you leaned back with need, never once pulling your mouth away from his. With an annoyed huff at your attempt to lean back, he found himself tightening his grip on your waist before pulling you onto the counter making you gasp, “Bi—“

The near call of his nickname made him groan into your mouth, he kissed you with frenzy, like soon you would change your mind and everything would stop.

A small laugh escaped your lips at his eagerness, not shying away from wrapping your legs around his waist as he sat you down on the peninsula countertop. You brought a hand down to the cold marble, trying to steady yourself when he kissed along your jaw, then your neck leaving small red marks where he nipped at.

“Y/n,” Soobin’s voice caught you by surprise, his usual tone was deeper and hoarse with need as he pulled away from kissing you. His hands remained on your waist, his thumbs underneath the thin fabric of your shirt, inching it up just slightly, “One chance.”

“That’s all it’s gonna take,” he mumbled with swollen lips as he looked down at your lap, the material of your leggings not threatening and you could feel his hands slide down till they were at the hem of your leggings.

His gaze was darkened and you were admittedly incredibly turned on by this new side of him. It’s not like you expected him to suddenly take the lead so heavily but you can’t say you hated it. It’s different that what you’re used to from him and it makes you think back to the night of your first kiss. Should you have said yes all along? Would you have ever gotten to see this side of him where he felt the need to express just how much he wants to be with you?

Your eyes locked with his as he slowly began to pull down the material of your pants, lifting your hips slightly as he let them slide down. It’s like he was still waiting for you to tell him stop but with the parting of your legs and the way you guided him down to his knees, it was clear to him you wanted this just as bad.

Soobin started with gentle kisses along your thighs, neither you caring that you were doing this in your kitchen, it only seemed to fuel the heat in his stomach that you were alone. You licked your lips with anticipation, eyes dropping with need at the way he pulled your legs over his shoulders swiftly, looking down at your covered heat with a cute sort of curiosity.

He could see through the thin fabric how turned on you had gotten from the kiss. He can make out the shape of your slit and there was a slight dampness where your entrance would be and it made him feel so much bitter about the growing bulge in his jeans. With eager fingers, he pulled the fabric down, unable to help himself from teasing your heat with his nose tip, “Y/n.”

Your name fell from his lips so prettily that you nearly missed the urgency in it until you were looking at him, looking down at your cunt until finally, he leaned in. A sigh in content escaped you as he placed a soft kiss along your folds, teasing you by avoiding your hardened clit. His hands which held your legs apart were so far up your thighs you could feel the shadow of them against your core and it felt good to be grabbed by him. You never noticed just how big his hands were, or how good he could possibly be with his mouth.

After the light teasing he did with your folds, he licked softly against your clit before pulling it into his mouth, sucking gently making you moan for the first time. Soobin’s eyes immediately went to your face as he swirled his tongue around your clit, lathering it in his drool as he watched your face contort in pleasure making him throb in his jeans uncomfortably.

With one hand on the counter for support, your other hand went to his hair, pulling him closer between your legs and you could feel one of his hands unravel from your thigh and come up to your cunt. You could feel the tip of his middle finger dip into your folds, collecting whatever slick your pussy let out when he sucked on your clit and ever so gently, he pushed a finger in.

“You’re so pretty,” he sighed, attempting to catch his breath as he let his finger do some of the work. He rested his cheek against the softness of your thigh while beginning to thrust his middle finger into your wet pussy, “So fucking pretty, Y/n.”

With a deep groan, he went back to your clit, letting his middle finger hook into your g-spot while he mouthed at your clit, costing it in spit while fucking you with his finger. Your hand in his hair never let up, you used it for support, unable to keep your moans down, “Binnie.”

He felt the way you fluttered around him and it only made him put in more effort to bring you to your edge—and not just on the counter. He was nearly on his knees and his legs were beginning to cramp, his cock was getting heavy in its confinement but he didn’t let up. Instead, he let his mouth glide over your wet cunt leaving open mouth kisses in its wake.

“Oh god,” you whined softly as you felt a second finger push into your heat and a few seconds of this had your thighs threatening to shut, feeling the familiar knot in the pit of your stomach, “Your mouth feels so good.”

“Cum for me then, baby,” the words slipped from his lips without thought but for some reason those were the exact words you needed to hear. He felt your release on his tongue a short moment after he spoke and your folds throbbed with please around him.

“That’s it,” he groaned, watching your juice drop around his fingers, gently pulling them away and letting you relax post orgasm.

You looked at him with a new sense of attraction, why was he so confident in bed? Soobin’s cheeks flushed red as he looked down at the mess you made on the counter but his dick loved the sight of your release dripping down on the counter. It was an easy clean up and it was hot, so fucking hot.

Without much thought put into it, Soobin raised his soaked fingers to his lips, humming softly at the taste of your essence. A bunny-like grin spread across his face as he couldn’t help but laugh, “You know we’re not done, right?”

Despite the last couple moments where he’s initiated intimacy, he didn’t wait for permission. He was letting you know he wasn’t done with you yet and that made it all the better when he pulled you into his arms, not caring that you were half naked and taking you toward his bedroom.

He set you down on his bed gently, looking down at you as he yanked off his shirt exposing a lean body of muscle you hadn’t expected.

Soobin isn’t the type to show off his body, he liked more loose fitting clothes and whenever he’s complimented on his physique he always gets shy. Whenever he leaves his room or he knows you’re home he makes sure to be fully dressed and he’s kept himself a secret from you out of nervousness that you might get uncomfortable. Now that your eyes are on his toned stomach, all he could think about is how he wished you’d seen him sooner—if he knew you would look at him like this.

Seeing him undress before you, taking his jeans off next followed by his briefs left you with your lip pulled between your teeth. You now knew why he looked so sweaty early in the mornings, he went to the gym at dawn while you slept in.

You sat up and pulled your shirt off, careful to undo your bra as you felt the bed dip down with his weight and he crawled toward you, helping you throw your things down before pushing you to lay down.

“Condom?” You ask, making him look at you with a sense of curiosity. He knew what you were asking and he of course would oblige but as he looked down at your naked bodies and the way his hard cock pressed against your head, he couldn’t help but let his mind go astray. He just couldn’t believe this was actually happening.

You let Soobin get up as he leaned over his nightstand, praying to the universe that he had a condom somewhere about. It’s obvious he hasn’t had sex in a good long while but he’s just hoping the universe is on his side and he can find one.

After a moment of searching, his heart raced, moved back between your legs and kissed you hungrily. You took the condom from his hands, ripped the wrapper off and searched down his toned abdomen till you found his stiff member. Although you haven’t gotten a good look at it, it had a weight to it and good girth that you couldn’t help but write with need.

Soobin didn’t hesitate to himself up with your entrance when you got the condom on and as gentler as ever, he pushed in. A low growl left his lips as your walls hugged him tightly and he couldn’t help but let his strength falter, nearly crushing you with his weight at the pleasure.

"Mmm," he groans into your neck, his body pressed against yours as he pulled out slowly, taking a moan to let you feel his big mushroom tip against your ring of nerves. Once he needed more, he pushed back in with a bit more force.

“Soobin,” you moaned, letting your head fall back into to the pillows as his hips began a steady pace of thrusting into you, "Oh… fuck."

He brushed his lips against yours, fucking you with his big cock, basking in the feel of your pussy around him, “So wet, bub.”

His voice had softened even if his thrusts grew rougher, “You feel so good around me.”

Soobin couldn’t help but be close and he was awfully pathetic for it. In his defense, he had just made out with a girl he was crushing on for the past hour. Add on how he ate your pussy in the kitchen [of all places] he felt it was only human of him to be so close to cumming despite barely fucking you.

With a deep grunt, he snuck his hand under your arched back pulling you off the bed and a quiet squeal left your lips. You moved your legs to hug his waist and cling to him when he sat you down on his thighs, cock still deep in your pussy. Soobin’s hands founded their way to the softness of your ass, pinching softly at the way you basically cock warmed him and it took him a moment to raise you up, and pull you back to take him all.

“Please Y/n,” he groaned, grinding your pussy on his dick, “Just say you want to be with me already, fuck. I just want to hear you say it.”

Pure bliss was evident on his face and your usual cute Soobin was replaced by a feral, dark and lustful Soobin you weren’t used to. His hair was sweaty and voice so deep that you couldn’t help but succumb to his advances.

He hugged your body to his and you began to bounce on his lap, kissing his neck and letting your hands trace down his chest feeling his nipples harden, “I want to be with you, Binnie.”

“Fuck,” he groaned, “I’m gonna cum.”

His eyes squeezed shut urging every muscle in his body to hold back from cumming first but he couldn’t. A shiver ran down his body as he felt the knot in his stomach come undone, his cock shooting thick spurts of cum into the condom, trembling underneath you.

“Fuck,” his voice was dry, urging you to keep riding his cock, “Keep going.”

“Bin—“ you moaned, hearing the desperation in his voice and did as you were told. It didn’t take long for you to let go, cumming in his arms as he whispered how good you felt around him.

As gentle as ever, he set you back on the bed, collapsing on top of you in a sweaty mess that had you groaning.

“Sticky,” you mumbled, “I feel sticky.”

Soobin looked down at you and the mess the two of you made of each other, blinking with confusion on how things had escalated so quickly. Did he do that?

“Sorry,” he pouted, “Do you want to get cleaned up?”

“I think so,” you giggled softly as he reluctantly let you sit up, “How about I meet you back here in a minute?”

Soobin couldn’t think of anything to say and with a silent nod, he let you gather your things and leave.

You weren’t trying to ditch him but you needed to freshen up at least a little bit.

He thought about waiting for you in his bed after he cleaned up after himself but after a while he began to overthink it. Would you actually come back? He understands you’re just a wall away but the distance seemed so far now that he couldn’t help but get up and dressed, following you out his bedroom.

In the process of heading to your room, he stopped in the kitchen to clean up the mess as best as he could for the moment. A soft hum left his lips as he did so and when his eyes landed on a thin piece of lace fabric, he blinked curiously.

With a someone innocent look in his eyes, Soobin picked up your underwear, biting down on his bottom lip to stop a mischievous smile from growing before he shoved them in the pocket of his sweats, unsure what he would do with them later on. A giddy smile plastered his face, dimples on display as he walked toward your room, hearing the water run and he laid in your bed.

“Now, I thought I said I would be back in a minute,” you laughed softly when you came out your bathroom and Soobin just cutely snuggled himself deeper between your sheets and pillows.

“It was too long,” Soobin said as he lifted your bed covers, “Come lay down.”

“I gotta clean out th—“

“I already did,” Soobin whined when you tried walking past him on the bed and with a gentle pull on your wrist, he was leading you onto the bed.

“Did you?” You asked, letting him pull you down until you were laying down next to him, feeling him snuggle into you with his face against your breasts.

“Mhm,” he hummed, his interest caught on the softness of your chest—a place he had neglected when he knew damn well he shouldn’t have.

“Binnie,” you warned when you felt nuzzle into your breasts, squirming against your side, “It’s late already.”

“I know, but your bed… it’s so soft,” he clearly didn’t mean the bed and he thought he was just being a sly bunny, “And you said you would be with me now. Don’t kick me out.”

You could already feel his print press against your thigh, a clear sign that he was getting turned on all over and it was obvious he skipped over wearing anything under his sweats.

A gasp left his lips when he felt your hand palm his erection lightly and unexpectedly, saying to him, “Well, I guess my bed hasn’t been broke into yet.”

Soobin’s hand clutched yours tightly, following you so close that he almost stepped on the back of your shoes everytime you walked. The bar was packed with people and it made his anxiety spike up a bit and feeling your hand in his made him feel slightly better.

“Now don’t get too drunk tonight,” Taehyun said with a laugh as he trailed after you two. Soobin just glared at him, letting you take the lead to order the drinks, eyeing the bartender who was a little too nice to you.

“I don’t plan on drinking too much if he’s the bartender all night,” Soobin mumbled under his breath, hearing the way the bartender talked to you compared to the others. You didn’t pay him any mind but Soobin was watching him too closely that it made Taehyun laugh.

“Relax buddy, you already got Y/n and I don’t think she’s going anywhere,” Taehyun said looking around the bar, waving down Yeonjun who had been search for them all night. Even if your attention was on the bartender, you still held Soobin’s hand, beating him to it when he offered to pay.

“You paid the last two times we went out,” you told him, handing everyone their drink but Soobin was whining.

“But I like paying for you, Taehyun and Yeonjun have their own money,” Soobin said, turning to his friends with a scowl, “Don’t spoil them, only me if you do things like this.”

You laughed, feeling his arm circle around your waist, “It’s okay, come on, my friends are around here somewhere.”

“Hurry up before I puke,” Yeonjun groaned, reminding Soobin that he wasn’t alone with you at home and it made him shy, hiding behind you as you lead the way.

“Wow, Y/n, I didn’t know you were so rizz!” A loud voice yelled out from your side before you were being pummeled back a few steps with large arms around you, jumping excitedly.

“Whoa, rizz!” Beomgyu shouted equally as annoying, making you groan. Soobin smiled nervously as he looked back to his friends who looked just as confused as him. He felt awkward seeing you being hugged by two guys but he tried to ignore it knowing they were just your friends.

“Binnie this is Kai and that’s Beomgyu,” you told him before looking at your friends, “Guys this is Soobin, my boyfriend.”

His dimples showed through and he couldn’t help but smile widely as you addressed him. When you joined his side against he was quick to reach for you, more happy now that you’ve called him that.

“Hello,” Beomgyu stood straight and brought a hand to his forehead as if in salute, “This is our first formal meeting.”

Kai nodded as he took your drink in his own hands, “Yeah, we would have said hi to you when we went to the cafe but Y/n wouldn’t let us because she didn’t want you to know she had a big fat mega obtuse crush on you.”

“Oh my god,” you rolled your eyes at him, “It wasn’t like I was obsessed. I was just, yknow, curious.”

Taehyun put a hand on Soobin’s shoulder, “You see? Y/n liked you then too.”

You spent the night either sitting on Soobin’s lap or dancing with him when he asked you to, and when you went home, he jumped in your bed like he’s been doing since the first night.

… THE END, okay I’m out of text boxes but basically sorry it took my so long to finally drop a Soobin fic but hopefully the length of this makes up for it 😭after drafting a story, hating it, drafting a new story, hating it and repeating the cycle for months, I finally got one finish. please interact and lmk what you thinks… it’s kinda a mess but I tried 🤒

[deformedcat]

"do you really wanna die as a virgin, boy?"

Haruto Shimizu (oc) x switch ? incubus male reader

warning: blood mentioned, subby top!1!1, blowjob, boobjob, not proofread,, short

not finished 😔,, listened to will stetson's rabbit hole cover and had this idea but after i wrote the boobjob scene my mind went blank 🧠💣💥

Haruto knew this probably wasn't the best idea.

He had tried doing this countless times before and failed, but who knows he's gonna succeed this time?

..summoning a demon by himself isn't the smartest thing to do, too bad cause he’s gonna do it anyways. (yolo)

Standing in the center of the magic circle he had painted in blood (pig’s blood, he was too much of a pussy to use human blood.), he carefully lit up the candles around the bloody circle.

Opening the magic book he borrowed from the library, Haruto began to chant words in another language. Once he was done, he looked up from his book to see.. nothing.

Safe to say he was disappointed but not surprised, sighing in defeat, he got out of the circle to start cleaning up,,

Suddenly, a gust of wind forcefully opened the window and entered the room blowing out the candle, the room became surrounded with pink mist.

He put an arm in front of his face, backing up from the center of the room. The mist was too thick for him to see, but he's able to make out a dark silhouette of a.. human?

with horns and tails, that is.

“How desperate are you for you to use blood this time?” a deep alluring and sweet voice said, startling Haruto. 

Walking out of the mist reveals you, with dark red horns and tail, wearing clothes that look like they came from Japan edo era.

“d-demon?” Haruto stuttered, you grinned at this and walked closer to him.

“mm.. close.” you successfully trapped him against the wall, towering over the trembling boy.

“I didn't think that it would work..” he muttered, looking up at you in fear.

“mm.. by the look of you, you want something don't you? Perhaps a contract?” you asked.

“huh?” 

“People summon incubus for a reason. so, what do you want?” you ask once again, walking away from Haruto to look around the room. slightly cringing when you see a bucket of blood in the corner of the room

“i-i don't want anything.. wait— did you just say incubus-” poor guy didn't get to finish his sentence before getting cut off by you,

“sex? or something just to please yourself? c’mon, it gotta be something.. don't tell me you summoned me for nothing.” you huffed.

“w-well.. u-um.. I was just.. curious..?”

you looked at Haruto with a blank face, as if you’re saying ‘you're joking, right?’

you saw how Haruto fiddled with his fingers and looked down at the floor, letting out a sigh, you snapped your fingers to grab his attention.

“Well, I suppose there's nothing you’d like. so, I'll go back. bye.”

right before you could summon a portal to go back where you come from, he suddenly grabbed your wrist and mumbled out something,

“yousaidyouwereaincubuscanyoupleasetakemyvirginity”

“what?”

he looks up at you, eyes filled with determination and repeated his words, louder this time.

“please take my virginity!”

“fine.”

so you agreed, thinking this is just another case of ‘pls let me hit plsplsspls im bitchless since birth’

you pushed him down the bed, straddling his waist and marking his jaw and neck while pulling down his pants along with his underwear, slowly stroking his manhood to life.

..for someone small and shy as Haruto, he definitely is packing, you grinned. 

getting off from him, you kneel down to face his dripping cock, softly sucking on the tip while toying with the remainder of the length before taking it all the way to the hilt. you hummed after hearing the other whine, you looks up for the human’s reaction.

Haruto stares at you, his face slightly red and is letting out a few groans and whines, trying his best not to buckle his hips into your mouth.

how cute. you thought to yourself.

deciding to tease him more, you pull off from his cock with a pop, he let out a confused whine at your action,

“hhah what are you-” haruto whined, almost getting up from the bed but was stopped by you when you slide his now wet member between your pecs (manboobs??)

his already red face turned into an even darker shade of red, eyes wide open with his jaw dropped,

“a-ah?!” he stared at his member resting on your chest, his pupils turning into swirls.. is that even possible? I thought that thing only happens in slice of life manga whenever one of the 

“go wild.” you told him, taking his tip back into your mouth, humming when you felt him thrusting his hips between your chest.

you grabbed the base of his member, tugging him into your chest like you would jerk him off.

he didn't last long, you felt him throbbing in your mouth and pulled off right before he could come into your mouth.

white sticky substances spurted out of his member, landing on your chest and some on your lips.

you grinned, swiping your lips with your finger before licking the baby batter.

“salty.”

Haruto was suspiciously quiet, you rose from your feet, crawling back onto the bed and straddling him on his waist. You lightly poked him from the side looking for a reaction.

“Human? Helloooo.. Is post nut clarity that bad for you- woah!” 

He unexpectedly wrapped his arms around you and hid his face into your chest, face clearly red and mumbling nonsense.

“please..”

“mm?” you lift his chin up, holding in your giggle when you see him drooling and tears slowly filling his eyes.

He really reminds you of a puppy.

“please.. want to be inside of you,,"

how can you say no when he's begging so nicely?

a/n me trying to find motivation so i can finish this (soon i hope),, i was stranded in the airport for 4 hours bcos my flight keep delaying and i didnt have any money ww. anyways,, lev lauv laurve

[dayslynthesix]

bad idea, right? | max verstappen x female!oc [part 1]

the one when max verstappen got back to his ex girlfriend

an: i swear part 2 is funnier please don't give up part 2

amayamedina

liked by itsmegigi, thstsanneg_, beabee, charles_leclerc, maxverstappen1 and others

amayamedina i wish i was still blond to be on my merliah summers era. see you next year, spain, i had a lovely time here 🩷🇪🇸

itsmegigi the only certain i have in my life is that we're gonna be together next summer

amayamedina obviously girl, its us to the end of the world duuuhhh

thstsanneg_ i love you and i will definitely miss you during the year 😭😭

amayamedina stoppp you'll have to came to see mee 😭😭

beabee i think this was the best summer we ever had

amayamedina i know right?? this one felt more special

maxverstappen1 ⛱️🧡 liked by amayamedina

charles_leclerc it was lovely to meet you and the gang

amayamedina it was super nice to mee you, my mom will love to hear i watch the race from ferrari garage, shes a big fan

user1 so this is the girl we saw with max during the barcelona gp?

user2 idk maybe? she looks pretty

user3 she's a beach volleyball player i think

user6 how did you already found out her social media??

user1 she's a beach volleyball player (was, idk) and she's also a sports influencer

may 13th, 2019

amayamedina

liked by charles_leclerc, georgerussell63, itsmegigi, maxverstappen1, thstsanneg_ and others

amayamedina interlagos was alway my favorite track 🇧🇷

maxverstappen1 your my favorite ❤️

amayamedina i love youuuu

thstsanneg_ i still cant believe you're dating a playboy who's job is literally racing in circles

amayamedina i know right??

user83 i hate the way they talk about max career like it's nothing

user92 girl it's not that deep they're joking

itsmegigi you're kinda cute

maxverstappen1 are you considering redbull as your next team?

itsmegigi im with ferrari until the day i die

beabee mom and dad 🥰

amayamedina no

charles_leclerc gross

amayamedina no one invited you here and if i recall you and max are not on speaking terms so plese fix that!

charles_leclerc no

user1 SO SHE IS THE GIRL

user93 she was pretty much at every gp and was seen with him at least four times guys, it's obvious

user1 we're happy they announced, that's all

user33 she's so gorgeous

user83 i meet them last night and she was very polite AND she was the one who took the photo i have with max

november 19th, 2019

amayamedina

liked by maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc, charlottesiine, itsmegigi, thstsanneg_ and others

amayamedina me and my girls (and the boys), italy trip you'll aways be famous! 🇮🇹

maxverstappen1 🧡🧡🧡

charles_leclerc the trip is always famous untill someone end up in the hospital with a food poisoning

amayamedina i told you to take it easy with the shrimp...

beabee ok that was amazing!! can't wait for next years

amayamedina we'l be here!

itsmegigi all the pottery it was me! i need people to know that ams and bea are shitty at it

amayamedina anne helped... a little

charles_leclerc no she didn't, she was BUSY TRYING TO GUIDE THE BOAT SINCE MAX AND AMAYA KEPT ARGUING!! comment have been deleted

charles_leclerc no she didn't 🤪

thstsanneg_ i love you guys

redbullracing take care of max, he's our precious driver and we need him!

amayamedinaif he was here i would! comment have been deleted

amayamedina sure adm! 😌

may 28th, 2021

amayamedina and maxverstappen1

liked by itsmegigi, georgerussell63. charles_leclerc, maxverstappen1 and others

amayamedina after two and a half years together with max, we decided to go separate paths, i will be forever grateful for the time we spent together 🩷

maxverstappen1 thank you for allowing me to be your partner, i will hold those memories close to my heart. wish you all the best 🧡

comments on this post have been restricted

june 10th, 2021

amayamedina

liked by itsmegigi, charles_leclerc, thstsanneg_, beabee and others

amayamedina birthday me with the people i love the most in the place im the happiest, thank you so much for being here with me and to celebrate my life with me, i will hold those memories close to my heart ❤️‍🩹 happy cancer season everyone ♋️🦀 | 📍 positano, italy

itsmegigi i love you and i love to spend your day with you, you're my best friend in the world and your happiness means a lot to me 💛

amayamedina you mean a lot to me! 💛

thstsanneg_ happy happy happy birthday my friend, you're the best, you deserve your friends with you today

amayamedina don't make me cry again 😭 i love you and im super grateful to have you in my life

beabee im crying again, i love you! it you and me (and gi, and annie) that's my whole world until the end

amayamedina my world is only whole when im with you, annie and gigi, i love you ❤️

charles_leclerc happy birthday, ames, you deserve all the best

amayamedina thank you charlie, thank you for being here 💖

charlottesiine it was amazing to celebrate with you, i hope you have a great year!

amayamedina it was amazing c! thank you for coming 💖

user13 don't you guys think that's strange that amaya and max broke up like 10 days ago and charles is celebrating her birthday with her?

user83 not at all, they seemed very friendly with each other and charlotte and her became very close

user89 people can't have friends anymore

madalenamedina_ happy birthday my beautiful girl, i still remember the day i found out that i was going to be a mom and the day i listened to your heart for the first time, i love you dearly and immeasurably ❤️❤️❤️

amayamedina thank you mom, i love you! you're the best mom i could have asked for and i want to be your daughter in every life after this one

user82 HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMAYA!!!

lewishamilton happy birthday, amaya! wishing yoi all the best 🙏🏻

amayamedina thank you, lewis! 💖

june 30th, 2021

maxverstappen1

liked by redbullracing, f1, pierregasly and others

maxverstappen1 🏆😄

redbullracing our world champ!

kellypiquet ❤️❤️❤️

danielricciardo congrats mate

landonorris 💥💥

user92 goat

user193 i mean congrats i guess

user82 the fia is now giving world championships like it's candy lol

user95 it was supposed to be amaya with him 😭😭

user33 move on they broke up hes happy with kelly

december 16th, 2021

maxverstappen1

liked by charles_leclerc, f1, redbullracing and others

maxverstappen1 after 2 years together, kelly and i decided to go different ways, i ask you, please, for privacy during this moment and respect to her and her personal life.

november 17th, 2023

comments on this post have been restricted

amayamedina just added a story

november 23rd, 2023

maxverstappen1 has answered this story

maxverstappen1 can we talk? it's been a while

amayamedina i don't know if i still had anything to talk to you

maxverstappen1 kelly and i we broke up

amayamedina im sorry

maxverstappen1 no you're not haha

amayamedina yeah im not lol but i guess a talk won't do harm so sure

maxverstappen1 can i pick you up?

amayamedina sure, give me 10min

[dadsbongos]

I love the way you write kabru, could you write some of the general headcanons for him?

super all over the place. i got maybe a bit too into the nsfw headcanons cuz i need to destroy him ~~~ general headcanons:

The type to imagine oc battle amvs in his head to their medieval music but pretends he’s just smoldering chill cool guy

Outside of general note-taking or journaling, I fully believe he’s had dreams of being a novelist as a kid

Probably avoids interacting one-on-one with Falin without Marcille or Laios as buffers because of her stubbornly remaining monster traits, as well as like… “hey girl you killed me!!”

But as time goes on n he gets used to her, he probably ends up just seeing her as a cutie pie like everyone else does

Would thrive coming up with criminal punishments, maybe not watching some of them because excessive gore icks him out but theorizing is always fun to him

Would similarly thrive in a court setting, and would jump at the opportunity to be the angel and devil on laios’ shoulders through the whole thing

I think he’s the type of man to bare a heavy conscious about things he considers immoral or rude, like having a hard time forgiving himself for mistakes or even just generally “bad” things in his past

Likes the idea of being a family man but gets scared shitless at the actual effort it would take to raise children and maintain a marriage

Would be a total reality TV junkie and anime lameoid in modern era - he loves the melodrama

if/when Mickbell ever gave him permission to refer to him by “mick” (or just any half-foots say he can call them by first name alone) he’d squeal and kick his feet for dayssss knowing what it means in a cultural context for half-foots

Tries not to be That Guy, but feels a little complimented when people tease at what a smooth talker he is. Loves getting to have his redditor “heh… just my natural charisma…” moment

Strikes me specifically as bisexual btw i dunno why but its just jumping at me

Not in love with Rin, but likes her? But doesn’t? But doesn’t NOT like her? He’s trying to maintain distance because sometimes he feels a spark, but then goes back to thinking of her as just a childhood friend. Feels very guilty and selfish if he thinks about her feelings for him for too long, especially since he’s kind of a known charmer. Earnestly hopes she moves on from him no matter the state of his feelings though

Nsfw headcanons:

Likes foreplay wayyyy more than sex because he gets off seeing how crazy he can drive his partners before they just start begging with zero shame

Would enjoy group sex or two-party affairs, his only iffy stance is being watched by someone else. Unless he knows the voyeur VERY well it just feels uncomfortable to be the one getting observed. Down to be the voyeur though hehe

Has a stupid lil whispy laugh he does when he’s getting teased im gonna get feral

Could never play a brat, you tell him shut up and he salutes you with sweaty hands

Could do hate sex! If he realllllllly doesn’t fuck with your vibe, but he’d have to know you personally. Hate sex feels weirdly more intimate to him because he has to expose real feelings he has, so in a way his ass doesn’t even hate you he’s just annoyed you keep bickering with him

If he’s supposed to be submissive, I think he’d like to get a couple light slaps. Maybe choke him a wee bit.

Can’t take humiliation unless its in a sandwich where the degradation is hidden between 2+ praises

Idk if its because its me or if this is real, but I can see him blurting out a “mommy” if he’s super delirious with pleasure

Circling back to the voyeur thing, I think his other hardcore no is somnophilia. Either way, he just can’t get into it. But he’s not the type to shame people for their goons

[innorogers]

Vigil

Steve Rogers x Reader (You / OFC)

Summary: For a man who has faced down gods, monsters, the end of the universe, this kind of fear is new to him. It’s not the enemy outside he fears—it’s the thought of losing you, of failing to protect you. Again.

Warning: Mention of sex / Fluff & Angst / Protective Steve / Jealous Steve /

Characters: OC, Tony Stark, Maria Hill, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Sharon Carter, Natasha Romanoff / John Walker

Also: Thanks in advance for repost or any feedback ❤️ Let me know if you want to be included in the taglist (DM, comment, repost and tag, whatever works)❤️ You don't need to read the previous chapters but it will definitely enhance the experience if you do.

1: Insomnia | 2: Lucid | 3: Reverie | 4: Nightmare | 5: Awakening | 6: Dusk | 7: Hypnagogia | 8: Lull

It ended just as expected. Steve cummed twice in the shower—once in your mouth, because, damn, he tasted amazing after cleaning up, and again inside you, because you smelled just as irresistible with that jasmine scent in your hair.

So here you are, three cups of coffee later, and about to nap on your desk. The body Hydra gave you was strong, but you’ve been in a car chase, with the Iron Army hunting you down, fought in a nightclub, and probably had four or five rounds of sex with Steve. You honestly don’t know what was more exhausting. You’d guess the mission that had gone rogue, but honestly, the sex just left you breathless.

"Oh, rough night?" Robert handed you a fourth cup of coffee, eyeing the dark circles under your eyes. "Need the adrenaline shot?"

"Um…" You actually considered it for a moment. Your body metabolized stuff like that too fast, though—it would only last for a couple of hours, tops. "Nah, forget it.” You need your brain clear to process everything that happened. 

“I’ve heard…” Dr. Lin’s voice interrupted your thoughts as he leaned casually on your desk, his eyes scanning the room where your colleagues were clearly whispering about you. “That Captain America had quite the adventure yesterday. Right after leaving the UN, too.”

He tsked and pulled out his phone, showing you a few grainy clips. Footage from CCTVs and some shaky handhelds—probably from people who had their phones out at the right moment. “A broken bridge, streets on fire, and…a fight in a nightclub? You’re gonna need more than coffee to survive this shift, I think.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “Too late for damage control, huh? Is it all over the news?” You could only imagine the hell Steve was going through with Commander Hill: ‘I gave you 1,278 security protocols, and you ignored them all?!’ Yeah, you weren’t setting foot in the command room today.

“Not quite all over the news yet—mostly social media.” Dr. Lin was clearly enjoying the UN’s PR disaster a bit too much. “I think they’re working overtime behind the scenes to sweep it under the rug. Captain America gets attacked his first time outside the compound during ‘The Reconciliation of the Century’? Yeah…someone’s having a bad day in PR.”

“Anyway…as I was saying…You’re gonna need more than coffee, we’ve got company today…”

“What? Company?” You were surprised. “They’re letting people in?!” After yesterday’s security breach?

“Seems the first New Era Project agent that the UN sent was a fraud or didn’t work. And since we visited them yesterday already, today, they’re sending some new guys.” Dr. Lin looked at you, lowering his glasses: “Yikes, right? So for today, we need to pretend we’re working. ‘Cause we’re not sharing our real stuff…which will make this day unbearable.”

Oh. You grimaced after Dr. Lin turned around and began “working.” Yeah, you knew everything about how the last agent went wrong. But actually, this ‘pretend to be working’ thing was good—you needed to analyze everything that had happened.

You opened a document connected to Tony’s hub and started typing, outlining the details for him in your usual style. (It was your private little system—documents stored in The Crib, or what the three of you called the ‘Geniuses’ Sticky Notes.’) You’d barely finished bullet point five when someone in a crisp military uniform appeared beside you, smiling next to your screen.

“Hi, Doctor—whose phone number is still confidential. Nice to see you again.” John Walker said smiling, quoting the line you’d once used to refuse giving him your number.

Oh dear Lord, he really should have taken a nap with you when he had the chance, instead of those three—no, four rounds of sex you had in the dressing room and the shower.

Steve thought after suppressing another yawn, trying to focus on the screen, where Thadeus Ross was losing his temper again, explaining why the UN had nothing to do with the attack he and you got yesterday.

But who was he kidding? Steve almost smiled. Nope, no way he’d have preferred the nap over the sex. That was exactly what he needed after being hard almost the entire afternoon. And four times weren’t enough—he would have gone on if you weren’t in the dressing room.

For fuck’s sake, when is this over? He couldn’t wait to get back to your private lab-slash-home, have a light dinner, and get in bed with you.

Oh, that’s a nice thought: a sex marathon for the weekend is all he needs after this hellish week. He started thinking of your intertwined bodies, your begging moans that sounded like heaven... Yeah, okay, he needs to focus. Maybe listen to what the Secretary has to say instead of thinking about your messy hair, your heavy breath, your skin that felt like silky sweet milk, and your mouth... Yup, stop. Let’s hear Ross, so he doesn’t get hard again in the middle of a full meeting room.

He felt a glare on him, so he looked around and saw Agent Sharon Carter staring with her eyebrows raised, as if saying, “Gotcha, pay attention.” Steve suppressed a smile and looked down. Oh boy, this was going to be a long day.

“I thought your super friends were going to be attending this meeting too.” Once the screen was off, Sharon smiled at him while picking up the folders and files.

“Well... Hill and Sam are still in Fraser’s interrogation. Tony and Bruce are tracking back the security breach. Natasha and Clint took over my place in training since I’m busy with other things. So...”

Basically, what happened was that when Tony asked who would be taking this mission, everyone stepped back, and I was the only idiot at the front. Steve shook his head internally.

“In that case.” Sharon gave him the usual confident wink. “I’m glad. It’s been forever since we shared a mission.” She grinned. “Last time almost cost me my career.”

“Yeah...um...lucky, things sorted out on that one...” He was a little embarrassed but still grateful for Sharon’s help during the Civil War chaos.

“I’m kidding with you, okay?” Sharon teased. “It’s not like I almost got into federal prison or anything.” She sighed a little, lowering her voice: “Although, I wouldn’t have minded if I had to.” She said with a soft voice and a sparkle in her eyes, looking at Steve with sincerity, which made him stiffen.

“So, how have you been?” Steve nodded and asked with a polite smile, pressing the elevator button for her as they headed to the cafeteria floor. “How does it feel to be at the UN? I heard the benefits are better than the CIA, though unfortunately, you’ll need to deal with us again.”

"Ah, I don’t know what you're talking about," Sharon said with a wink, grinning playfully. "Every agent’s dream, right? Dealing with the Avengers, working alongside the great Captain America... even if, well, my boss would rather face another alien army than deal with the politics of this initiative."

“Well, that’d make two of us.” Steve chuckled, and opened the cafeteria door for her.

The hum of chatter and the clinking of dishes filled the air. The compound’s cafeteria was large, efficient, and—much to Steve’s relief—quiet at this time of day. It was near lunchtime, but still a little early for food service, so the air was full of a coffee’s aroma that lingered from breakfast. They got in line for coffee and a quick snack, and Sharon gave him a sideways glance, her expression teasing as she grabbed a sandwich.

“Oh wow, you guys have affogato as dessert? I could consider getting back to work with you guys just for your catering service.” Sharon said, breaking the brief silence as they moved along the counter.

“Well, if you consider that, I could make my best effort to get your agent’s number back.” Steve grinned, grabbing just a cup of coffee.

“Oh yes, lucky number, huh?” She stopped for a second as she laughed and said, “Remember that place we went to… Venice? What was it called, the best affogato in the world.”

“Benicio’s?” Steve nodded. “Yeah… it’s closed now. I mean, gone during the Blip, hopefully reopened now.”

“You didn’t have the affogato, though,” Sharon said with a playful hint in her voice. “Mr. ‘I don’t know how to relax since I got into a fight with Stark and we’re on the run.’”

“Hey, I was the international most wanted. I think it was okay for me just to stay out of the loop. Imagine if I got caught because of ice cream. That would’ve been…”

“Funny? Quite a story to tell? Best date I’ve ever had?” Sharon shrugged.

“...Embarrassing.” Steve said with a smile. “Or awkward, or even humiliating.”

Sharon shook her head and laughed. They found a table by the window, where sunlight poured in, and Steve took a seat across from her. He could see the curiosity in Sharon’s eyes, the slight hesitation before she spoke again.

“It really was, actually. One of my top three dates.” Her smile turned more serious, her voice low enough that only Steve could hear over the ambient noise. “Too bad it ended so… abruptly.”

Steve wanted to say, "We would never have made it too far", but he only sighed.

He didn’t want to dismiss her feelings, and he couldn’t deny that something had existed between them. It was brief, but also real. A shared history they couldn’t quite forget or ignore.

Sharon was strong, smart, and capable—someone he admired deeply and cared about. He appreciated her confidence and her courage, but that connection, though meaningful, was nothing compared to what he felt for you now.

That had been a stream. With you, it was tides, waves, the entire ocean.

“We made a good team.” Steve said with a smile, being honest and looking directly into her eyes.

Something about it made Sharon hold her breath. 

She could remember moments in the past when Steve had the same effect on her. He would just gaze at her, and her heartbeat would skip or beat too fast.

Maybe that’s why she hadn’t pushed harder when it didn’t work. If she had fallen, completely and madly, as she’d wanted to, the power he held over her would have been overwhelming.

She had risked her entire career just to help him, and they were… nothing. Just a kiss, just some kisses or dates. So what would have happened if they’d continued? She couldn’t imagine a life where she had so little discipline about her feelings, mind, or heart.

“I know.” Sharon spoke softly, still holding his gaze. She was taking a leap of faith now. Cause she couldn’t help to wonder—could it have worked?

What if…they gave it another chance? They didn’t have the menace of the universe’s destruction now, the chances of Steve (or her) being a fugitive again were none after Thanos, so what… what if…?

“But…” She began, but Steve suddenly turned as something caught his attention.

It was lunchtime, and the employees began to arrive at the cafeteria, you among them, with Dr. Lin at your right and John Walker at your left.

“Captain Walker, I really don’t need a date. I have a boyfriend, no, um… fiancé.” You said as you picked up a tray and started serving lunch on your plate, remembering how Steve just highlighted this morning that the ring was indeed, a ring.

“It’s John.” Said a very cheerful John Walker, who was not stepping back from asking you out, even though you had been determined and clear about your “NO”s and reasons.

“Well, does this fiancé have a name? And where’s the ring?” he said while picking lunch and placing food, walking backward with a gracious wink.

“OH MY GOD!” You and Dr. Lin said at the same time, your eyes widening as you noticed the ring was missing from your finger.

“Where’s the ring? D…did you lose the ring?!” Robert was panicking. Did you just lose the engagement ring Captain America gave you?!

“I don’t know, it was on my finger...” You were looking in your lab coat pockets and in your clothes.

“It’s a tracking device, equipped with the last of Stark technology, how...how can you lose a tracking device?!” Dr. Lin couldn’t believe it. 

“Your boyfriend put a tracking device on you?” John hmph'd with a laugh. “What a douchebag!” He put a hand on his chest. “I promise, I would never do such a manipulative, controlling freak thing to you.” He winked. “I’ll look out for other guys who come close, of course, but that’s another level of jerkiness. Ugh...a tracking device, what is he, a psychopath?”

“It’s an engagement ring,” you replied, frowning, though you didn’t think of giving out too much information to him. You thought back to the last time you saw the ring, which was before you took it off when you entered the UN HQ.

You pulled out your phone, wanting to send a message to Steve just to confirm.

Some strands of hair curved in front of you when you looked down, and John, who was standing in front of you, couldn’t help but stretch out his hand and brush them to your shoulder. His fingers ran through your hair, and his fingertips touched your ear as he accommodated it for you.

Before you could react, a loud crash echoed through the cafeteria, like the sound of a broken cup or mug.

Sharon stood in shock as Steve slammed his cup down so hard the porcelain shattered. His face was livid, veins bulging in his neck, and his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

He abruptly stood, the chair scraping loudly behind him, and stormed in your direction.

"I've got it, babe." Steve said. He didn’t miss a moment of the interaction and was at your side in an instant. He took your hand, his eyes locked on John Walker, and carefully slid the ring back onto your finger. “It was in the pocket of your gear.” 

Both captains exchanged tense, serious looks. You could feel the sparks fly between them as they made eye contact, and after a long moment, Steve finally smiled.

“I’m guessing you're here as a representative of the New Era’s Project, Captain Walker?” He said, placing a firm hand on your waist, his grip tightening slightly.

“Yes.” John replied with a polite but sneering smile.

“The knowledge exchanges from R&D have been…quite enlightening. I can’t wait to see what the best of your team has to offer…to me.” He said as he raised his jaw and tilted his head toward you. You could feel Steve’s body tense, like a bow stretched to its full capacity and ready to snap back.

"Take whatever gear or armory you want, Walker," Steve said in a cold, measured voice, as the entire cafeteria fell silent, all eyes locked on the tension between the two men.

"But the best of this compound is far beyond your reach. And don’t think for a second that you could ever put a finger on that." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, teeth clenched. Touch my girl’s hair again, and I’ll cut your arm off.

"Steve." A calm voice cut through the tension as Commander Hill appeared at the doorway. She walked in with steady confidence. "We’ve got news. I need you and Dr. Lancaster in the Command Room."

Steve didn’t immediately move. His gaze lingered on Walker for a few more seconds, with unspoken warnings in his eyes. Then, without a word, he turned to you, gently taking your hand in his, and led you out of the cafeteria. The weight of Walker’s stare followed behind you both, but your focus stayed fixed on your fiance's figure.

No one spoke in the hallway as you walked toward the Command Room. You could see Steve’s rigid expression. He was pissed, his jaw tight, shoulders tense as if holding back more words.

But you were… well, trying your best to hide the curve of your lips. Just like he had back in the car when you sobbed that you’d go to Wakanda and talk to plants for the rest of your life if he ever left you to go back to his gorgeous ex.

Oh, so he was this jealous? Even a little possessive? He got this mad just because a guy touched your hair? Now, if Steve were any other guy, maybe this would seem like a giant red flag, but this was the love of your life, so…

You slid your hand into his palm, pressing your skin to his, and intertwined your fingers with his. 

Steve’s expression softened, and he looked at you, letting out a quiet sigh. He smiled when you mouthed, I love you.

Commander Hill, however, wasn’t in the mood for your lovebird moments. Her face remained stern as she waited for the door to close behind you, sealing the room.

"Agent Frazer was found dead this morning."

The words hung in the air like a punch to the gut. Steve’s hand tightened around yours as his expression shifted from softened warmth to immediate alertness.

You lowered your sight.

Somehow, you had a feeling this was coming anytime soon. It was weird, though. Agent Frazer was not your brother; he just pretended to be for some time (and then actually tried to brainwash slash attack you). But for a moment, you wished that had been true, that your brother was alive, even if he had been turned against you. So now he is dead, and you feel strangely sad.

Your way of dealing with it? Throw yourself into the facts.

“How?” you asked, almost mechanically. “Was it because… his neural synapses overloaded, triggering an energy surge that short-circuited his cerebral cortex in under a millisecond? Like… like someone or something… wired his brain to self-destruct?”

Maria’s eyes widened, and she gave a quick, silent nod.

Steve’s grip tightened, haunted by your words. At that moment, he panicked, cold sweat through his shirt, fear dominating his senses when the possibility of losing you suddenly struck hard in his mind. So, could anyone do that? Snap their fingers and cause you a brain dead? 

His body was merely processing under this thought. He felt the urge to hug you, to feel your warmth and heartbeat under his skin, to feel you entirely safe in his arms. But you were in the command room, so he didn’t move.

“Can we make sure that…” His voice trembled slightly. “What happened to Frazer…” doesn’t happen to you?

Commander Hill noted his panic, so she gave him some time to process.

“Oh no.” You noticed too, so you reassured him, squeezing his hand back: “That won’t happen to me. I’ve only been through one brainwash. It takes more than that—multiple processes, open surgery. And Hydra… they didn’t have the tech to pull it off. Not back then.”

“But…” Your mind raced ahead, piecing things together. “Whoever did this? They’re desperate.”

You rubbed your forehead, and as your hands dropped, Maria noticed it: that look on your face.

The same intense, calculating look Steve wore when he was seeing things no one else could—analyzing every possibility, tracing out the most brilliant, cunning plan, whether on a battlefield or at a table of white collars and power brokers.

“Jarvis, any chance Bruce and Tony are in the crib?” You needed to process your ideas, but you also needed someone who could remember everything you’d said.

“They are on their way here, Dr. Lancaster.” answered the A.I. “Crossing the elevator’s door at this moment.” said Jarvis as both entered the room.

“Please tell me you already have a preliminary conclusion?” said Tony, stepping into the room.

“Okay…” You stood in the middle, your mind moving faster than words as you started laying out the analysis.

“They have access to Hydra files—there’s no other way to explain it. Clearance levels that aren’t just high for regulars; files that were locked, or used to be locked, behind old S.H.I.E.L.D. encryption. And the remains of my file? Only a few could access those after Hydra was dismantled.”

Tony leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, tracking your every movement. Bruce sat at the edge of a table, hands loosely folded, but his furrowed brow betrayed his concern.

“So, leftover Hydra goons or former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?” Tony asked. He didn't want to say it aloud, but there was also another possibility: a breach, here, inside the Avengers.

“Or both.” Steve raised an eyebrow. “Ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives who went dark when Hydra fell. People who know how to stay hidden but had deep ties to the old Hydra infrastructure.”

“Even if they had the files, they’d need money. A lot of it, if they’re working with the kind of tech that got into Frazer’s head.” Bruce said, swiping through the files on the screen.

“Yeah, this doesn’t sound like some underground merc group.” Maria said, standing beside him as she watched the files on the main screen.

“This is serious, billionaire-level investment. Whoever’s backing them has access to bleeding-edge tech. Retinal implants, memory manipulation… that’s not standard black-market operation. The kind of power they’re throwing around is something only the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. had access to—the old S.H.I.E.L.D. when they were still around.”

“So, they’re gearing up for something big, or they’re hitting a wall. What are they trying to accomplish? Why use Frazer as a puppet?” Tony followed the line of thought.

You hesitated: “I think… They’re close to something. A breakthrough, maybe. Or…” You stopped and narrowed your eyes, thinking aloud. “Or they’re failing. Desperate. They’re making bold moves because they need something critical. And that something is… me.”

Steve’s expression shifted. His fingers locked onto yours, tightly.

“The attack was directed at you. Frazer was pretending to be your brother. And to confirm your existence.” Tony sighed, frustrated and feeling a pang of guilt. He hid you all these years, thinking you would be safe. He should have let you out of the New Eras Project. The Avengers had so many ways of detecting enemies without using your powers. Fuck, he should have listened to Steve when he warned him to let you out of the Project.

“Of the twelve of you, you’re the only one with… those powers.” Steve murmured, almost clenching his teeth. He felt the urge to hug you, as if you were going to disappear or vanish in the next second.

“And a success case.” You said, not wanting to scare him but knowing you all needed the entire picture. “The only survivor, the only… prototype. Still alive. In my body is the source code for why these experiments or creations worked.”

“Wait…” Tony’s glare was fixed on you. “If the endgame is to copy your ability… What could they even use that for?” But it was a self-answering conversation. He was just thinking aloud: “…a soldier who could walk into a building and identify every weak point before the first shot is fired. Or worse, detect something we’ve built to be undetectable.”

“Why stop there, Tony?” Maria’s expression was serious and cold. “Why would there be only one? Hydra made a dozen back then, and they didn’t even have half the tech we have now.”

Bruce frowned deeper, his voice low: “If they’re that close, then we’re on borrowed time. They’ve already brainwashed Frazer, and now they’re playing with neural implants and synaptic overrides.”

“Exactly.” You nodded. “And they are so desperate, they don’t care if we know they’re out there now, because they’re so close they can taste it. Once they succeed, they won’t even fear the Avengers’ powers anymore.”

Tony exhaled sharply, his glare cold. “So, they’re building something. A super soldier, or an army of them—enhanced with tech that would let them see through just about anything.”

“And they’re not far from getting there. But for now, I’m still the key to unlocking that power.”

The room went quiet for a moment as the weight of your words settled in.

“Well, isn’t that just fantastic.” Tony applauded, the whole thing giving him a headache. “We’ve got super soldiers with x-ray vision on the horizon. And they’ve got you in their crosshairs.”

“So basically, we need to see what triggered this sudden desperation.” Bruce leaned forward, and his mind began to analyze: “We could scan for energy centralization around the globe. Human creation needs vast electromagnetic fields to power high-level bioengineering, especially when manipulating neural pathways at this scale. We need to track when or where all this is happening. But…”

His voice was tense.

“I’ve got a feeling they’re at the door already. Because whatever they’re building… they’re almost done.”

The way back home was silent. You could feel the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension. Steve hadn’t said much since you left the command room. His usual warmth and quiet strength seemed overshadowed by something deeper—fear and anxiety, clunging over him like a dark shadow, haunting him at his heels.

You wanted to speak, but your mind was processing too. You were trying to remember everything you knew about yourself and your siblings, every memory, every piece of paper you’d seen in Hydra labs, every layer of analysis they’d made you go through.

The ride home was silent, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on the road, even your house slash lab was after all the securities protocols and protective layers Maria had put, he was still alert, as if there were something in the grass and trees of the compound that would attack anytime. You could feel the weight of his thoughts, pressing down like a storm waiting to break.

"Babe there's no need…" You said as Steve moved around the house once you've arrived.

He checked every window, every door, securing them with an almost obsessive care. He paused at the front door, his hand lingering on the lock as if it was the only thing standing between you and the threat he couldn’t control.

You watched him, knowing that this wasn’t just about protecting you—it was about the fear within him.

"Steve, I'm here." You stopped him. Placing your hand on his back: "I'm here. With you."

He turned to you, his face pale. His eyes were haunted, wide with the kind of fear you rarely saw in him. He’s worried.

No, not worried, he’s terrified.

Without a word, he pulls you into his arms, wrapping them tightly around you like you might disappear if he let go. His grip is firm, desperate, as trying to shield you from an invisible danger that only he can see.

His breath is uneven, and you can feel the tension radiating from him. For a man who has faced down gods, monsters, the end of the universe, this kind of fear is new to him. It’s not the enemy outside he fears—it’s the thought of losing you, of failing to protect you. Again.

You don’t say anything at first. Words won’t soothe him. So you just hold him back, resting your head against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart. Slowly, you lifted your hands to gently press them on his neck, cupping his face to make him look at you.

"I'm here. And we will be ok." You say softly.

These words made him tremble. Will you? How can you be sure? How could he know? What if…

He couldn’t imagine what he’d do if he lost you.

“I won’t let them take you.” He said, as a sacred oath, tatooed in his soul. “I’m going to set up more protocols.” He muttered, pulling back just enough to look into your eyes, his expression one of steely resolve beneath the worry. “More security. I’ll have Tony upgrade the system. I’ll have guards outside. I’ll—”

You stayed still in his arms, feeling the rawness of his fear. His body was tense, and you could feel the tremble in his muscles, the weight of his panic pressing against you. He wasn’t just holding you for comfort—he was holding you like you were the last solid thing in a world that was quickly unraveling.

“Steve,” you interrupted softly, placing a hand on his chest. “You can’t protect me from everything.”

His eyes locked onto yours. “I can try. And I will.”

"Babe…this is the Avengers compound. This is…the safest place on earth. Or even the universe."

"It took only one protocol. One permission. Approved by me." He said with teeth clenched. "I gave him clearance. One, to bring Frazer in front of you, I won't ever, ever let that happen again." He said with conviction, his expressions somber as he remembered everything you went through.

But beneath his determination, you could see the cracks: the anxiety gnawing away at him, the overwhelming fear that no matter what he did, it might not be enough.

"Steve…"

“You don’t understand…” His voice is strained, thick with the fear that he hasn’t been able to shake since the moment he realized you were being targeted. “I’ve seen too much. I’ve lost too many. If something happens to you—”

He pauses.

“I can’t lose you.” He whispered, his voice barely audible. He was a man made of iron will and conviction, but here he stood, vulnerable and raw, stripped bare of all his usual defenses.

“Hey, hey, hey…Listen.” You said, holding his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your gaze. “I’m here. Right here. I’m not going anywhere. I'm here, with you, I'm safe.”

He looks at you and feels a pang of pain to your innocent even naive words.

Safe? Were you safe when he was on the other side of the wall and couldn't do anything but watch as you almost fell under Frazer's brainwash? Were you safe when you pressed a tranquilizer to yourself?

The memory of you in his arms, unconcious and slipping away was so vivid.

His hands tightened around you again at that thought, his grip shaking slightly. “I just... I can’t stop thinking about it.” He admitted, his voice strained. “What if I can’t get to you in time? What if something happens and I’m not there? What if…”

“I can’t take that risk.” He mutters, more to himself than to you. “ I can't. I won’t let anything happen to you. Not again.”

You pull back just enough to look up at him, your hands resting on his chest. His blue eyes are filled with a vulnerability you’ve only seen in rare moments— when the weight of the world is too much, even for him.

“Steve.” You say soft but firmly: “We’ll get through this. Together.”

For a long moment, he just looks at you, his eyes searching yours, as if trying to find reassurance in the depths of your gaze. Slowly, he exhales, but he doesn’t let go. That deep-rooted terror of losing you, isn't going away anytime soon.

His arms remain wrapped around you, protective and unyielding, as though he’s made a silent vow that nothing—no person, no secret organization, no force on Earth or beyond—will ever take you away from him.

If only that could be true.

THE End but TBC

Continue to Chapter 10: Eclipse

Alright I'm SO SORRY I'm late!! 2 Full time jobs really is consuming me!! I hope you enjoyed it!! Sooooo I have a really serious question RN, could you doooo me the favor to lmk your thoughts!!

Tag list: @vioplay19 / @jamneuromain / @steviebbboi / @heletsmelovehim / @otterlycanadian / hisredheadedgoddess28

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[gnocchibabie]

The Realm's Tragedy

Chapter 3 - Wooden Dragons

aemond targaryen x fem!targaryen!oc

previous chapter --- masterlist --- ao3

Summary: Maevys Targaryen is born into a kingdom overshadowed by calamity. With her mother Aemma Arryn gone, King Viserys consumed by grief, and Princess Rhaenyra adrift in sorrow, young Maevys finds herself at the heart of a fractured family. As she emerges from the shadows of tragedy, she must navigate the delicate balance between the remnants of a broken lineage and the impending storm of a new era.

As the dragons dance, the princess must learn to accept an unforgiving truth: All Must Choose.

Wordcount: 3.5k

116 AC – King’s Landing

The floor of King Viserys I Targaryen’s chambers had become a mess of wooden toys and sprawling little children. The chamber, normally a sanctuary of solemnity and regal decorum, had transformed into a lively playground.

His offspring had been sequestered to the confines of the chamber for the time being, free to play as long as they did not touch their father’s beloved replica of King’s Landing. This miniature kingdom, a marvel of intricate craftsmanship, stood on a pedestal away from the bustling chaos, guarded by the vigilant eyes of several of Alicent Hightower’s handmaidens.

Maevys Targaryen sat at the center of the chamber, next to her younger brother Aegon. Encircling the children were about a dozen wooden figurines carved in the shape of elephants, knights, wolves, princesses, and stags. The sibling’s favored toys however, were the little wooden dragons, painted in vivid red and golden and green hues. 

Helaena Targaryen, the youngest of the trio, sat just outside the circle of play, her violet eyes twinkling with quiet curiosity. She gently caressed a dragon figurine she had claimed as her own, watching the make-believe of her brother and sister unfold before her.

Maevys’ scrawny hands gripped the carving of a pale, almost colorless dragon, waving the toy around in the air wildly. The dragon’s paint, though simple, seemed to come alive with her imagination.

“Whoosh Aegon! Woooooossshhh.” The little girl mimicked the sound of rushing air as she swept the dragon down over the line of knights that her brother had so carefully set up.

“Ahhhhh!” Aegon wailed dramatically as he knocked over his squad of little knights, seemingly toppled by the gust of wind that his sister’s dragon unleashed. 

“You’ll pay for that!” The little prince retorted, taking a golden toy dragon into his hand. Helaena’s giggles floated through the air, mingling with the imaginary roars and fire-breathing sounds as the two dragons clashed in an aerial battle. The room was filled with the symphony of their laughter, their voices blending into a melody of childhood joy and competition.

“Dracarys!” Maevys bellowed, her Valyrian pronunciation still rough but filled with the authority of a battle commander. Her voice rang out with such intensity that it startled the lady servants, who exchanged amused glances.

“It’s over Aegon, you’re dead now.” Her voice a mix of playful pride and unwavering certainty, signaling the end of their play battle and crowning herself as the triumphant victor.

The boy prince looked up to his older sister, eyes wet with tears and lower lip protruding in a pout, “No! You always win!” The beginnings of a tantrum began to bubble within the toddler, threatening to spill over and consume the entire room.

A handmaiden swiftly intervened, dabbing away Aegon’s tears as Maevys fiddled with her dragon. She was about to call her brother a “crybaby” when a knock echoed at the chamber door.

The woman left the three siblings once more to investigate the interruption. Aegon appeared calmer, only sniffling now as he looked to his sisters with wide purple eyes.

Maevys finally gave in, knowing she would earn herself a scolding if she did not make-up with her brother. “...M’sorry Aegon…” she mumbled, offering the little boy her toy dragon.

Aegon’s eyes lit up at that, hastily taking the dragon from her little hand. 

Around them, Alicent’s ladies began to speak amongst themselves, seemingly abuzz by whatever the reason had been for the knock upon the door.

One of them, returning from her errand, gathered the children with gentle urgency. “Let’s go, children,” she said, lifting Helaena into her arms with practiced ease. “It’s time to meet your new brother.”

Aegon was on his feet in an instant, his previous discontentment replaced with eager enthusiasm. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” the prince exclaimed, dragging another servant by the hand as she insisted he slow down and wait for his sisters. The prince had been brimming with excitement ever since Alicent told her children they would soon have another little brother or sister. Aegon himself had made it known to anyone who would listen that he was hoping for a brother. He seemed to have his fill of sisters with Helaena, Maevys, and rare appearances from Rhaenyra.

Maevys rose to her feet, secretly pocketing the pale dragon that Aegon had discarded in his excitement. Growing impatient, her brother took one of her hand’s into his remaining free one and pulled her along to the door.

“Come on Mae!” he whined.

The little princess herself would be satisfied with either outcome of a younger brother or sister, so long as they would play with her. Aegon, her favored playmate, was not only imaginative but also unafraid to engage in rough-and-tumble games—something the other children at court were often discouraged from doing. Unbeknownst to Maevys, this was because the lords and ladies had gone out of their way to instruct the children to do so. 

Now at 4 years old, Maevys was still a wisp of a child. Smaller than others her age, thinner even more so. The girl was known to be prone to bouts of the illness that followed her into this world, latching onto her as she was pulled from her mother. On several occasions, Maevys had been racing around the winding halls of the Red Keep with Aegon when she would feel a fluttering of her rapid heart. She would stop behind her brother, gasping for breath as her surroundings started to blur. 

Other times, the princess would stroll through the castle gardens or the Godswood with her elder sister Rhaenyra, begging her to share stories that ranged from her days as a young princess to moments high in the sky atop Syrax. In the midst of reveling in her sister's memories, Maevys would feel a great wave of fatigue wash over her like heavy rainfall. Rhaenyra could feel Maevys slipping away from her then, and would look down to see the little girl crouched to the ground below, as though walking another step was too great a task. She would carry her sister back to her room, tucking her into bed and ordering her to rest. Oftentimes, Maevys could not even muster the strength to protest, and would drift off into a sleep filled with dreams where she could run and climb and play for as long as she pleased.

“Hurry!” Aegon exclaimed as the parade of Targaryen children, accompanied by their servants, descended down the corridor, with Aegon excitedly leading the charge. 

“Prince Aegon, slow down!” A particularly weary looking handmaiden chided. 

Her pleas did not slow the boy, who rounded a corner and flew down the flight of stairs leading to his mother’s chambers. Before anyone had the chance to stop him – or even keep up with him – Aegon threw open the door. 

“Mummy!” the prince proclaimed, announcing their arrival. 

Maevys followed behind, her excitement tempered by a quiet anticipation. Helaena, nestled securely in the arms of her attendant, looked around with wide, curious eyes.

Alicent Hightower lay in bed, a thin sheen of sweat gracing her forehead. Clad in a thin night shift and robe, her auburn hair was neatly woven into a loose braid. Maevys looked at the woman and noticed she looked quite exhausted, though she did not fully understand why. 

Viserys was perched next to his wife, his gaze tender as he looked at the swath of cloth nestled in her arms. He looked up a moment to acknowledge Aegon, and then his eyes finally landed on Maevys, a smile breaking across his face. 

Upon hearing a small cry, the princess’s attention was redirected to the swath of cloth that was nestled into the Queen’s arms. 

Was that it? The baby?

“Come here children, come meet your brother.” The King ushered the siblings over with a wave of the hand. 

Aegon, who didn’t need to be told twice, came running over to his mother’s bed. The little boy pushed himself atop the plush covers, crawling up next to Alicent.

“Careful, Aegon,” the Queen's voice was gentle, though tinged with fatigue. “Be gentle. This is Aemond.”

Helaena was placed beside Aegon, her violet eyes peering down with a mixture of wonder and curiosity. The sight of the tiny, sleeping babe seemed to capture the imagination of the two older siblings, who stared in silent awe.

“Aemond,” his brother echoed in a whisper, testing out the name for himself. 

Maevys stayed rooted in her spot across the room, unsure if she was truly welcomed into the intimate moment. Aegon and Helaena were her brother and sister, but Alicent was not her mother.

The princess was only a girl of four, but she understood well enough that her true mother was gone – dead. She’d heard it in wistful whispers from her father, when he would tuck her into bed some nights and thinking she was asleep, whisper to a woman called, “Aemma.” When she wandered into her elder sister’s room, seeking solace from boredom, she would ask about this elusive woman. Rhaenyra’s eyes would momentarily cloud over, then clear as she spun tales of their mother’s gentle nature, a woman the princess had never known.

It was hard – being a motherless daughter. 

“Come here, my girl.” The voice of her father roused Maevys from her position, small footsteps echoing off of the stone floor until she stopped at the foot of the bed. 

Alicent looked over the girl with a surprising softness. Maevys had always been cautious around the Queen. Perceptive as she was, it was not lost on the child how rooms would grow chillier when Alicent and Rhaenyra found themselves in each other’s company. She wondered whether or not this attitude may extend to her, though it did little to separate her from Alicent’s children. 

“It’s alright. Say hello, Maevys.” The Queen assured the child.

The princess bounded over to her father, who took her into his arms, granting her a better view of her new brother.

Peering down into the bundle of blankets, Maevys saw what looked to be a small pink doll, eyes closed and snuggled into the cloth. A light covering of white fluff graced the doll’s head. 

“He looks..squishy. And funny.” Maevys said – it was all she could make of the babe.

Viserys chuckled at her discernment, “I’m afraid all babes look strange, my dear, when they are first born. Though soon, he will grow big enough to play with you. And Aegon and Helaena.” He added the last two names as though they were an afterthought. 

Helaena clumsily climbed over her older brother, eager to get a closer look at the tiny, wrinkled bundle that had everyone’s attention. Aegon held onto his little sister as she leaned into their mother, the babe still in her arms. Helaena reached out and gave a small poke to the babe’s cheek before anyone had the chance to stop her.

“Helaena!” Aegon giggled, amused by his sister’s unabashed curiosity.

“Gentle, Helaena.” Alicent reminded her daughter. She observed as Aemond’s face scrunched up in surprise at the unexpected prod. The baby’s violet eyes blinked open, meeting Helaena’s gaze with a curious stare.

Helaena beamed at her little brother, her excitement barely contained.

“Is that Aemond’s egg?” Aegon outstretched a pointed finger to the hearth on the opposite side of the chamber. Nestled amongst the blazing coals lay a large dragon egg, covered in iridescent pale orange scales. Faint flickering flames danced across the surface of the egg beautifully, reflecting in the eyes of the Targaryen children. 

Maevys could not help but be mesmerized at the sight. Maybe if she looked hard enough, she would be able to see under the hard outer shell and glimpse the little dragon cocooned inside, waiting to be awakened. 

She felt her throat tighten at the thought and decided to push the nasty feeling away.

“Yes…” Viserys replied, rather cautiously. Aegon had been given a cradle egg, though it never hatched. Helaena had fallen to the same fate. And well, Maevys…she was never given an egg to begin with. And although Maevys’ siblings were as dragonless as her, they were afforded one thing she was not:

A chance to claim one in the future. 

There were several riderless dragons, and countless unlaid eggs, waiting for Aegon and Helaena. But for his second born daughter, Viserys had forbidden her from ever claiming a dragon, insisting that she would always be too sick, frail, weak, delicate, and unwell, among other innumerable things, to ever dream of riding one. It was a decision that led the girl to shed enough tears over the years to fill Blackwater Bay.

Maevys felt small, almost weightless in his arms. He could practically feel her heartbeat against him, thumping away far too quickly. 

A few more moments of shared wonderment over Aemond Targaryen persisted, with mother and children looking at the little one in quiet awe. But Maevys only watched the babe’s cradle now, picturing how the egg would look when placed inside.

A knock echoed through the room to disturb the peace, with a knight soon entering to deliver a curt announcement. “Princess Rhaenyra, Your Grace.” With a brief nod, the man exited, leaving the heir to the Iron Throne to step into the room.

Maevys' face brightened at the sight of her sister, but her joy was fleeting as she remembered the presence of the woman seated beside her.

Alicent however, seemed largely indifferent to the interruption, perhaps too exhausted to care. 

“Father – Queen Alicent,” Rhaenyra gave a strained acknowledgement, “You summoned me? I heard the babe arrived.” She looked over at the bundle of cloth curiously. 

“Yes, healthy and with ease.” Alicent assured through tight lips.

Maevys shifted around awkwardly in her father’s grasp.

“Well, come closer, Rhaenyra. Meet Aemond!” Viserys called, moving to meet his daughter halfway and guiding her to the bed. 

The elder princess leaned over Alicent, casting her gaze on the newborn. The sight of the peaceful, sleeping babe slightly eased the furrow in her brow. 

“A boy,” Rhaenyra breathed, an unknown expression to Maevys hidden in her features.

“Aemond.” Viserys recounted the babe’s name to his daughter.

She politely nodded. “Congratulations, Father. Alicent.” 

“And…how are you feeling?” Her sister continued, addressing the Queen now.

“Oh – I am fine. Tired but…I am well. Thank you.” Alicent, seemingly taken aback by the sincere inquiry, stumbled to get her words out.

Rhaenyra nodded, “I am glad to hear it,” turning to her father, her gaze fell on Maevys, “I’ll take Maevys now, Father. We should leave you all to enjoy some privacy with little Aemond.”

“B-but, I want to play with Aemond!” Maevys protested.

“Yeah!” Aegon piped up from beside his mother.

Rhaenyra offered a small smile, “There will be time for that yet. Let’s let Queen Alicent rest now.” 

Maevys looked to her father with wide eyes, but found no argument from him. She took another fleeting look at her new brother, warm and peaceful in his mother’s lap. The king deposited his youngest daughter onto the floor, leaving her to reluctantly come to Rhaenyra’s side. 

The pouting princess waved goodbye to her siblings. A look of reserved appreciation came over Alicent’s face, “Thank you…Rhaenyra.” Her voice was soft.

Rhaenyra stiffly nodded and began her exit, Maevys following closely behind. 

“Daughter,” Viserys called from behind them. Rhaenyra and Maevys both turned, unsure which of them he was referring to.

“I should like to meet with you this evening. We must begin discussing the particulars of your betrothal.” The man’s tone was measured, as it was not a question, but an order.

Alicent stiffened minutely at the exchange, focusing her attention to her newborn once more.

With another strained nod, Rhaenyra quickly took her leave with Maevys bringing up the rear.

Once out in the hallway, the two were closely followed by Ser Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra’s newly named shield. Maevys found his presence comforting enough, as did her sister, though she missed the constant shadow of Ser Criston Cole. The knight had shown her kindness, as she thought he had with Rhaenyra. When she tried to inquire about Cole’s sudden absence, Rhaenyra simply told her sister, “He now has responsibilities elsewhere.”

Maevys quietly observed her older sister as she struggled to keep in step with her pace. Rhaenyra seemed to be making a beeline for her chambers, and Maevys intended to weasel her way into them as well, now deprived of her prior company.

She had heard the word “betrothal” tossed around by their father often as of late, and every mention of the term produced a lingering frown from Rhaenyra.

“Nyra?” the little girl asked aloud. Her voice seemed to rouse Rhaenyra from her thoughts.

“Oh - yes, sweet girl?” The princess looked down to her sister.

“What is…betrothal?” She asked cautiously, tripping over her pronunciation of the unfamiliar word. 

Rhaenyra pursed her lips. Ser Harwin cleared his throat from behind the two.

The three of them had finally reached the elder princess’ room before she spoke again. “Come inside Mae,” Rhaenyra held her door open as Maevys ran inside under her arm, grateful for the invitation. The little girl made herself comfortable at a table just inside the chamber, rummaging through one of the pockets of her dress to fish out the toy dragon she had taken.

Rhaenyra nodded to her knight, “Thank you, Ser Harwin.”

“Princess,” Harwin Strong replied gruffly, taking his leave.

The door shut behind Rhaenyra as Maevys trotted her wooden dragon across the length of the table. Her sister took the seat opposite of her, watching the little girl play with the toy, a faint smile gracing her face in the privacy of the room.

“You are quite fond of that dragon, sister. That little gray one.” 

Maevys looked up, meeting her sister’s gaze. She absentmindedly hummed in agreement, continuing with her game, “I don’t have a real one…so I like playing with this one.” A hint of restrained sadness intertwined in the child’s words.

Rhaenyra frowned again. She couldn’t even argue with the girl – what she said rang true. It was a slight that gnawed at Maevys constantly. Her little sister would often ask to accompany Rhaenyra to the dragonpit, just to glimpse Syrax. 

The elder princess decided to turn to other matters. “Do you remember Laenor – our cousin? He is the son of aunt Rhaenys.” 

Maevys had met the young man once, though the memories of children were fickle. “I think so…” she trailed off, waving her dragon in the air.

Rhaenyra sucked in a breath of air, “I am to marry Laenor. That is what a betrothal is. It is what father speaks of.”

The little girl dropped her raised arm, “Oh.” 

A funny feeling settled in her stomach. “So…you will leave?”

Rhaenyra’s head shot up, “What? Of course not.” She could not contain her chuckle, amused by her little sister’s concern over something she would never dream of doing to her.

She got up from her seat and planted herself next to Maevys, sitting the girl in her lap. “I would never leave you, understand?”

The little girl nodded, disregarding her toys and looking into her sister’s face. 

“Though Laenor will be living here soon enough,” Rhaenyra ran a hand through her sister’s unruly hair, “After we are to wed.”

Maevys nodded and sat there a moment, mulling over her words. “Are you…happy?” She dared to ask. The princess thought marriage was to be a joyful thing, from what little her Septa had told her of it, but Rhaenyra did not seem pleased at all by the mere mention of it.

The elder girl felt a few tears threaten to slip from her sister’s innocent question. She should be happy – yes. That is what marriage was supposed to be. Yet, reality was far more complicated.

“I think…one day I will be.” Rhaenyra told her sister, choosing honesty over pretense. Maevys looked up at her sister, her young eyes reflecting confusion and concern, “Will Laenor be good to you?”

Rhaenyra smiled, a bittersweet expression. “He will be kind, I have no doubt.”

The little girl’s face brightened a little at the reassurance, and she hugged her sister tightly. “I don’t want you to be sad.”

“I’m not very sad, Mae,” Rhaenyra assured her, holding her sister close. “Change is a constant in this world. Yet, come what may, we will always have each other.”

Maevys nodded, feeling a little better, though not fully grasping the weight of her sister’s words. She picked up her wooden dragon again, feeling its weight in her small hand.

“What did you think of Aemond?” She asked Rhaenyra, wishing to move on to a lighter topic. 

The elder girl exhaled a weary sigh. “I think…we now have another little brother.” It was a lackluster answer, though Rhaenyra could not fully articulate her feelings to the small girl. It was a strange and unsettling thing, to watch your father have children by another woman. Especially a woman who was your own age. Maevys seemed to embrace and love their new siblings with ease, a grace that Rhaenyra found elusive.

And in that, she envied the little girl for it:

Uncomplicated affection.

-

A/N: Apologies for the wait, i found this kind of challenging to write in all honesty. I wanted this chapter to focus on mae's relationships with her extremely dysfunctional family, how she perceives it from the eyes of a child, what changes have happened since she was born, and to explore her condition a lil bit more. next chapter will be another larger time skip, which i am looking forward to getting into. but no promises for how soon that will be out! …sorry hehe….

As always, thank you for reading and supporting <3

Tags: @marialikescherries @3-decades-strong

[f1-chicane]

✧༺ chicane vlog | venus ༺∞

In today’s epsiode, viewers get a glimpse into Venus’ daily life. She starts off the day with her skincare routine in a interview like style. Later on, both Venus and Diya go out into the city to try street food and a new restaurant. she ends her day with going back to their practice room. She does a small q&a while talking about her experience on shooting stars (@theidcl)

--⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯୨ HIGHLIGHTS ୧ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Yuri and Venus arguing over their shared skincare fridge. “Ninty percent of the things in here are mine.” “But who’s fridge is it?”

Diya’s attempt at getting Venus to eat cucumbers for the 50th time. “It’s really not that bad..” “Then why does it taste like how a garbage disposal smells.” “What?”

Venus and her experience on “Shooting Stars”. “I feel like I’m learning a lot from it. Before the show, we weren’t really integrating with other people y’know? Now, it feels like I’m finally having those moments that I missed out in the past. I’m very happy that there’s people that still manage to support me even when were ideas and rumors happening in the background. ‘Who else should I vote for?’ Sanghee! She’s a real sweetheart.”

╰┈┈┈➤ Most Replayed Parts

please vote for venus using the source link @theidcl + credit to @cafekitsune for the banner!

[etherealperrie]

The Chart (pt. 2)

"...she is not a mirror in which you reflect, she is of material substance..."

Shane Mccutcheon x OC (Original Character) | The L Word

Word Count: 2.3k

Contains: Queer OC | Reader is a PhD Student in LA | playboy era Shane Mccutcheon | "Solid" by MUNA inspired | Mentions of secondary L Word characters |

Warnings: explicit language, references to drinking/alcohol, and explicit sexual activity

...

There’s nothing worse than a hangover. Jules has handled dozens in her time, but all when she was much younger, more agile to bounce back. Nothing could’ve stopped her the morning after a night out in college – hell, she’d taken one of the most important finals of her life hungover and damn near aced it. But now, not even Tylenol is touching the pounding in her skull. 

Sighing, she drops her head into the cradle of her hands, running her fingers through her hair. Her ‘free for the weekend’ motto hadn’t considered that her more productive self made an appointment in the library archives at seven the next morning. She mumbles some half-hearted words of encouragement to herself before shifting in her seat and taking a deep breath. On the exhale she swipes the hair from her neck up into a mangled mess away from her eyes. There’s no one else here – everyone else is home properly recovering, or, maybe waking up with that stranger from the night before in their bed. 

Jules would much prefer that to this. On the circumstance that it might be Shane. She can’t quite shake the vision of her from her mind, having tossed and turned over her all night. Not to say Jules regrets leaving her at the bar, but she can’t stop imagining what it would have been like to stay. The heat of Shane’s fingerprints are burned into the skin around her hip, the taste of Marlboro reds somehow still on her lips. 

“Juliana?” A voice interrupts her daydreams. “Did you want me to get the next box down for you?”

An older woman from the archives stands in front of Jules, her hands perched on the desk for support. Jules shakes her head, clearing her throat. Right, the research. The whole reason she’s here in the first place. The project that quite literally drove her to drinking over the weekend. 

“Please.” 

The woman nods and turns on her heel back down to the front of the room, her skirt swishing with each step. Jules looks back to the papers sprawled across her desk. There are a few photos scattered about, one catching her attention. Picking it up carefully – by the edges as she was instructed prior to entering the archives – she squints to make out the image. 

There’s a blonde woman standing in front of what looks to be a whiteboard full of markings she can’t quite make out. The woman is smiling, obnoxiously big, her pixie cut sticking up in various directions. Jules chuckles, flipping the photo over, a caption scrawled in blue ink on the back. 

Alice Piezecki showcasing ‘The Chart’. Color. 2004.

She can’t stop herself from wondering about the context of the photo. More importantly, how did something this recent make it into the archives so quickly? It’s less than five years old. And into the box she specifically requested, labeled, “A Queer History of Los Angeles County”?. Though, most importantly, how did she not recognize this woman or whatever this chart was? Jules taps her fingers against the desk. It’s maybe not surprising, though, one could study queer history all their lives and never fully experience all its aspects. And Jules’ life has, quite literally, been here – in the California University School of Arts library – since she started her program four years ago. 

Jules flips the photo back over. She stares at the glossy paper, the unintelligible writing on the whiteboard coming to life. It’s a list of names. Well, not a list but a chart, all of the names connected to one another by lines of varying color. Some of the names are emphasized, bolded or circled, somehow noting their significance over others. Most of the names are unfamiliar to her, but Jules jots them all down in her notebook, underlining where appropriate. All of these women, tied together somehow. 

She continues down the line, her handwriting devolving to scrawl, the list impossibly long. Francesca, Marina, Max, Jenny…

Shane. 

Jules stops, her eyes lifting from the paper. A name she recognizes. A name both bolded, underlined, and circled. Her heart pounds in her chest although she’s sitting firmly in her chair. For a second she swears the library has transformed into the club, Shane’s dark eyes staring directly at her. The Chart. The women outside the bathroom. 

“Tell Shane to fuck you in the men’s room next time.” 

Jules laughs to herself. She was so drunk she thought those women were genuinely upset about her and Shane preventing their access to the bathroom. She turns her attention back to the chart, shaking her head with disbelief as she follows the myriad of lines connecting Shane’s name to what appeared to be hundreds of others. She may as well add her own now. She jots it down in her notebook. 

Jules. 

Part of her is angry, her face red with embarrassment. The other part of her can’t believe the discovery she’s just made. Something like this – the chart – would be integral to her dissertation. Before she’s able to make up her mind on her true feelings, the woman from the archives is calling her name from across the room, lifting the next box. Jules listens to the swooshing of her skirt as she approaches, breathing through her cacophony of emotions. 

“Here you go, dear,” she says, setting the box down onto the desk with a thud. “Can I do anything else for ya?” 

Jules smiles, lifting the photo up. “Yeah, could I get a copy of this?” 

…

Sunday morning. Sun streams in through the window, bathing the bedroom in a wash of yellow light. Cars honk on the street outside as dozens of locals make their morning commutes. Shane wakes to the light, crossing an arm over her eyes as she yawns. It’s bright. Too bright. She flips over onto back, knocking into something – no, someone – in her bed as she adjusts to her surroundings. 

The room is familiar, her own. 

“Fuck,” she groans. She made a rule a few months ago to go anywhere but back to her own place. It made things easier, much less messy – figuratively and literally. Shane wouldn’t have to worry about women getting attached and she could disappear without consequence. She’s always been good at that. 

“Well good morning,” the woman mumbles, turning to face Shane. She’s pretty, they always are. Her eyes are brown, doe-like, her chin-length red hair splayed out on the pillows, her bangs hanging just above her long, fluttering lashes. 

Shane smiles briefly before pushing herself up and out of the bed. She can’t linger here with this woman even if she might want to. Anyway, she couldn’t really remember where they met – The Planet? No, that was Thursday night. The club, maybe? A memory washes over her, being left in the bathroom stall by that nameless blonde. She needed to get off, to soothe her bruised ego? Maybe, but Shane wouldn’t admit that to anyone out loud. Rejection is uncomfortable, it doesn’t happen to her often. 

“Yeah, good morning,” Shane replies, crossing the room to slip on a t-shirt. She checks herself in the mirror, ruffling her hair until it settles in a way she likes. She turns back to the woman, whose name she couldn’t remember, who’s now sitting up in her bed, the covers slipping down her nude chest. God, Shane could easily give it all up and dive right back into those sheets. She bites the inside of her lip, holding herself to where she stands near the window. “I, uh, forgot I have a couple of clients to get to today.” It’s a lie. She plans on keeping the shop closed today, one of the perks to owning her own salon. In all honesty Shane doesn’t have any plans. 

“Oh.” The woman sighs, nodding. She’s clearly disappointed. Shane looks away when she rolls out from under the covers, fully nude, quickly dressing in her outfit from last night. When she sees the ‘Kit Porter’ branded t-shirt, it all comes flooding back. The alluring eyes that met her as she left the bathroom, the beckoning finger she gave this woman, and the way she could barely make out the road on the drive home, what with this woman all over her. Shane was shameless, she’d have fucked this woman right in the middle of the club, but she’d already been turned down once. Which is how they ended up here, in Shane’s room. 

“Do you need a ride?” Shane asks, raising an eyebrow. 

The woman shakes her head. “No, I’m good. I just, uh, here –” she bends over to pick her bag up off the floor, pulling out a pen. She pulls the cap off and closes the space between her and Shane in a few small steps. Shane chuckles, shaking her head, women never cease to amaze her. She loves them, loves this game of push and pull. I want you, but I’m going to hope you chase me. But Shane doesn’t chase, she doesn’t need to. 

She doesn’t object when the woman takes her hand and flips it over, writing a string of numbers on her palm. The woman smirks, rolling Shane’s hand into a fist and kissing it when she’s finished. “Call me, okay?” 

“Okay,” Shane replies, swerving when the woman comes in for a kiss. The woman laughs and pulls away. Shane watches as she saunters out of the room and out the front door. 

She wonders where she’ll go and if they’ll ever see each other again. Los Angeles, despite its size, is somehow incredibly small. She’d see her again, Shane knows it, and she hopes the woman won’t be upset when they run into one another months from now, when she realizes that Shane never called. 

It’s not her fault, it’s just the way Shane’s wired. 

She yawns, shrugging her shoulders, and swipes her phone from the dresser dialing a familiar number. 

“I can’t believe it!” Alice laughs, tossing her head back. 

Tina slides into the booth, her hands wrapped around a tall cappuccino. She raises an eyebrow, looking between Alice and Shane. 

“Believe what?” she asks. 

Helena leans in, reaching for an almond croissant sitting on the plate in the center of the table. The Planet is where the girls ‘break bread’, debriefing their nights and latest escapades. Though, sometimes, Shane would prefer to keep things a bit closer to her chest, especially the way they’ve blown up the incident of the night prior back at the club. 

“Shane was left high and dry at SheBar last night,” Helena says between bites.

Tina laughs. “Losing your power, Shane?” 

Shane shakes her head. “We were interrupted, she got spooked, no big deal.” She shrugs and sits back against the booth, sinking down into the leather seat. 

“Just admit it, Shane,” Alice pokes. “This girl had a moment of clarity and didn’t want to fuck you!” 

“What does it matter?” Bette interjects, lifting her arm from around Tina’s shoulders to interrupt. “It’s not like she went home alone.” A smile creeps onto Bette’s lips, feeling smug as she picks at the crumbs of a muffin. 

Shane shoots her a look. She was certain no one saw her leave with her redhead accomplice. Shane should’ve known nothing gets past Bette. She’s always been hyper observant. 

Alice scoffs, rolling her eyes in disbelief. “I’d say I’m surprised, but I should learn to expect nothing less from you, Shane.” 

Max looks up from his computer for the first time since they all gathered at the table. “Fuck, Shane, I just finished updating the site.” 

This elicits a confused look from the entire group, the taunts towards Shane finally ceasing. 

“The site?” Shane asks, thankful for the attention off of her for a few seconds. 

Alice and Max share a look. 

“I’m having Max put the chart online, you know, make it more…interactive.” 

“The chart?” Tina repeats. “The chart from your apartment?” 

“Our Chart,” Max clarifies. He flips his laptop around to showcase the website to the table. There’s a spindling web of lines connecting various names together. Everyone at the table recognizes their own names, following their own little universes of connection. Max taps on his own name to demonstrate, his cosmo filled with two lines, one to Jenny and another to a name Shane didn’t recognize. 

“Alice, this is ridiculous,” Bette says, directing Max back to the mainpage. “These are the intimate details of people’s sex lives.” 

“And they love it!” Alice defends. 

Shane leans back in her seat. It didn’t matter to her. She couldn’t really understand the obsession with the chart in the first place, when Alice first drafted it. She remembers being in her apartment the day Alice created it, snapping a photo of her. She remembers seeing her own name circled in red ink, her web taking up near half of the whiteboard. She didn’t care. Shane never makes it a point to keep track of her sexual conquests, she simply enjoys getting off when and where she can, with who she can. The human connection. The body of a woman – the way it feels, the way they taste, the warmth of skin against skin. 

“Listen, all I know is that we’ve got just over a thousand hits and the site has only been up for a couple of days.” 

“A thousand?” Helena echoes Max’s statement. He nods. 

“Well shit, Al,” Shane chuckles, taking a sip of her coffee. “To Our Chart.” She raises her glass and Alice smiles proudly, knocking their mugs together.

[eunoiaastralwings]

Once Upon a Dance

featuring merryman!bucky x mysterious noble!reader

fandom mcu- what if medieval era

a/n for @buckys-metal-arm

warnings only fluff and before you read just know am dyslexic. also the reader lowkey became my oc again. . . oop

Bucky was in the village square with his fellow merrymen and Steve Rogers-Hood. They were having celebrations after another successful steal and distributed it among the poor.

The music and dancing made usual quiet village square lively and spectacular.

“Come on, Bucky! Dance!”

Scott Lang and his other fellow merrymen tries to encourage Bucky as they danced among the village square as Bucky stayed in one place – scowling with his arms crossed as he looked at the square.

He only like the actual action – the loud music and celebrations didn’t call to me.

He rather stays in the sidelines – sipping his beer quietly watching.

But as much a Bucky tried to ignore the dancing, the music, which makes him even grumpier and uncomfortable than usual – but his fellow Merryman did not give up and dragged him towards the crowd of dancers.

Steve and the others laugh – pulling him into the dance as they sang on top of their lungs. He was now forced to dance.

The music, the noise, the crowd, he was so done with that. The other Merrymen tried to cheer him on – as they danced around him, in a circle.

He grumbles under his breath – letting out a sigh and it only got worse as the town decided to dance to the traditions and given with partners to dance with.

Bucky was now forced to find a partner. He didn't like this at all. It made him more uncomfortable as everyone danced around him with their partners.

He tried to stay isolated – but it didn't seem to work with his fellow merrymen determined to bring him into the fun of dancing.

Bucky was about to slip away again when suddenly – you – a female with pretty hair that was tied with a light blue ribbon that matched your white and light blue dress was suddenly caught in his hands.

Your exquisite dress and its intricate designs suggesting you were no village born woman – but of the nobility and Bucky was never too fold of the nobility.

Your eyes were wide as you looked into his blue eyes – as you appeared to be flushed and slightly out of breath.

Bucky’s eyes widened – but not in a good way. The only thing you managed to do was further irritate him. You were beautiful –  yes, but he had no interest in dancing with you, especially considering you were of the nobility.

“Let go of me!”

Bucky tried to pull your hands off him and back away from you – but his fellow Merrymen were having a good time laughing and watching him trying dance with you.

“No – please! Just a moment!”

You were practically begging – your eyes moving around frantically around the crowds as if trying to hide among him and the others within the dance.

Bucky looked at you – your desperate eyes – and wondered, what made you so desperate?

You looked like you were trying to avoid the attention and sights of someone.

“Just one dance! Just – lead me to the other side and I’ll be out of your hair!”

You said – then your eyes cast down noticing the feel of his hands.

One arm was flesh, the other metal.

He narrowed his blue eyes once again, as he raised an eyebrow at you.

Your words intrigued him.

“Fine – just one dance.”

He said – as some of his fellow merrymen gave a surprised look seeing him talking to you.

Perhaps there was something about you. . .

At his words – you sighed in relief and looked at him gratefully.

As he started to lead you out of the dancing crowd -the music started to sound to his ears, making him want to cringe. He looked at you but said nothing – suddenly your eyes and how you weren’t so bothered by his metal like others usually were seemed have given him ease to help forget the loud singing and music.

Why didn’t look at him strangely or with disgust like women usually did because of his metal limb? – it was odd in everyone’s eyes including his even if he had learnt to adjust to it.

Though here you were – simply dancing, following his every step without gawking at him strangely.

“Thank you. . .”

You whispered – breaking him out of his trance.

Your eyes however – were now again frantically moving amongst the crowd.

You were still a little out of breath from seeming having run for a long time.

“You seem oddly desperately trying get away from the crowd. . .”

Bucky mutters – slightly curious, his eyebrows narrowing.

Your eyes widened a little as he stated so – curious yet so confidently stating it with every step he led you with in the dance.

“No! Just. . . getting through. . .”

You mumbled.

He let out an almost humorless chuckle, though there was slight amusement in it too – when you couldn’t give him any answers as he spins you gently.

It only made him more intrigued, because you were clearly avoiding to give him answers.

“Then, may I know your name?”

He asks, now that you were once again facing him after the spin – he’d never having been intrigued by a nobility before – they were too rich and never cared for the poor people starving within the streets down from their large houses and courtyards.

You wondered for a moment if you should tell him the truth – but she have heard of Steve Rogers-Hood and his merrymen, they wouldn't harm the innocent – you only hoped despite your status in appearance you seemed innocent to him.

“. . .Y/N”

You decided to answer reluctantly.

Bucky thought for a moment when you said your name.

“Y/N. . .A beautiful name!”

He said – as he tilted his head to look at you better, seeing how easily you followed his lead, despite being strangers.

He felt like he was getting somewhere now. The more you tried to avoid the crowds – the more he wanted to find out more about you as nobles usually like to flaunt themselves in crowds.

But before you could ask anymore – his steps had led you to the otherside as you had asked initially.

“Thank you!”

You said – and before he could say anything more you had ran.

Bucky stared at you – surprised by how quickly you ran away – but held onto the pretty blue ribbon you had in your hair.

You hadn’t even noticed as it caught onto his metal untying the little bow you had the ribbon in to tie your hair away from your hair when you ran.

His blue eyes wander down to it – perhaps it was a sign. . .

Perhaps. . .he’ll see you again. . .

At least he found himself hoping. . .

[kusakiguzen]

Yandere Knight Akaashi Kenji x Isekai!MaidReader

(Credits to the owner i just yoinked it from pintrest)

English is not my first language

A/N: Hiiii I'm finally done. Its vauge but i promise it'll make sense in part 2. Hope you enjoy reading as much as i loved writing it. One more thing. DO YOU WANT AN OPEN OR CLOSED ENDING??

THIS IS MY STORY DO NOT REPOST (REBLOG IS FINE). DO NOT COPY OR STEAL. CREDIT TO THE ARTIST FOR THE IMAGE.

(orange=You, blue= Akaashi, purple=Head maid, green= extra, pink=Saintess)

Y/N L/N, was a 25 year old collage student who was persuing her dream of getting a medical degree and become a successful doctor/surgeon. With great knowledge in Medicines and great interest in Herbology, studied really hard to be at her top of her class.

But she had great love for anime and otome games, her personal favorite anime was 'Haikyuu' a sports anime. She was obsessed with it, and when she found out that there was going to be an Otome game releasing featuring the main cast of the Haikyuu, She was sold.

The first otome game, that she played about Haikyuu was feturing the story line with MC being an extra manager of karasuno 'VLB CLUB', and then many other otome games started to gain popularity.

One day she decided to scoure the Internet to find a unique Haikyuu tome game that didn't make the MC a manager of any team.

She found it. It was called " Lovers Call For Help". It featured the ain haikyuu cast in a historical era. It also had side stories and everything.

She decided to read the side stories first. After reading them. she started the game. The MC was an isekai/reincarnated Saintess, who was there to heal and get rid of the demonic monsters.

Typical cliche. she completed it in one sitting but also became sleep deprived. After the game ended it asked for her name again, Y/N wrote down hwer OC name again, but it said incorrect. And then asked her for her REAL NAME.

This caused Y/N to be confused but she remembered about the policy terms so she typed her real name 'Y/N L/N'. Then the screen showed 'THE END' and said "THANK YOU FOR PLAYING Y/N L/N". which she found creepy but also she was too sleepy to think straight.

She soon fell asleep with her phone, when the screen suddenly turned ON and on the screen displayed

'YOU ARE IT'

Y/N woke up to he name being called.

Miss Y/N are you listening? Said the head maid

HUh?.... What? said Y/N in confusion displayed on her face

You must sign th--- Are you feeling okay Miss Y/N? You suddenly look pale... The head maid asked with concern.

I-- i where- ? At this point there were millions of thoughts going through her head. Where was she? How did this old women know her name? Why does she look so mch like the character from the game she played? Is she dead? is this women someone who will measure her good and bad deeds? All these thoughts were interupted by the same voice again laced with concern.

It is alright if you would like to continue this tomorrow..

Yes that would be much appreciated.. Thank you Miss uhm

Beatrice, Beatrice Graves

Ah yes Thank You Miss Graves. I will be contacting you soon.

With that Y/N gave her a bow and ran out the door holding her mouth to prevent herself from puking.

On her sprint towards the bathroom she colided with what felt like a wall. She looked up to see him Akaashi Kenji

No no no no no NO NO NO. Why why why why why WHY WHY WHY!! WHY IS HE HERE????

Excuse me I must hurry. She ran towards the bathroom without looking back leaving a confused Akashi behind.

Y/N ran for her life to get somewhere she could breathe without hyperventilating.

Unable to find a bathroom, she finally found a lake and finally vomitted near a tree, after she was done, she covered it with some dirt because it was unhygenic to leave it that way.

She went to clean her mouth in the Lake but noticed her appearance. She looked prettier, her dark circles were gone, her skin was glowing and overall She looked healthy. Apart from that she also noticed she looked slightly animated.

'is this really me ' She thought while touching her face . suddenly she got a headache a really painful one & memories started pouring in, memories that were not her's.They were the memories of the owner of the body.

Y/N L/N daughter of a fallen Noble, The downfall was caused by her father's and brother-in-law's gambling addiction which her mother and sister refused to do anything about. when it came time to pay the piling debts, they couldn't and begged Y/N for help.

Being a pushover She agreed and decided to get a job as a maid.she worked for a Count namely Count Octavious , but after a lot of pestering from her family about her "Not giving them enough money" She decided to work at the palace. She passed all the tests to work in the palace All she had to do was write & sign a contract. which is when she (Y/N) Got reincarnated.

WOW ! What Shitty family i'll have to support ' She though while clutching her head while groaning in pain and using another tree as support.

She finally noticed the small bag near her which looked suspiciously similar to her own bag in her Real world. She reached out with shaky hands and realised, it was her bag, It had her Journals, Tablet and her basic necessities, Basically everything she carries to her collage.

Damn there is no way! She erupted in a phsycotic laughter realising this was not dream. You might ask what made her come to this conclusion? Its because there was a card.... A card that said "Welcome To Lover's Call For Help, We the authors Hope you will enjoy this, Please play as you please. Thank you"

After she read it it disappeared into some glowing particles.....

With that she decided to survive, not submissively like the manhwa and shit she read.. by faking herself .... No she'll live and make sure to enjoy every second of it.

Akaashi Kenji, The Captain of the Royal Guard, The Emperor's Right Hand Man and most of all The Heir Of the Akaashi Dukedom. He was a clam and collected man with a pinch of humor and sassiness, complete opposite of the Emperor Bokuto Koutaro, who was a Hyper and simple minded man. Bokuto was always kept in check by Akaashi due to his habit of making impulse decision.

Today he was tasked (more like forced) to meet the qualified applicants of people who are going to be maids in the palace. Now you might be wondering 'why there are tests to become a maid?' There aren't if you want to become a normal maid but for a higher position, you need higher qualifications. Especially in the Royal Palace.

Just as he was on his way to the Head Maid's Office, He bumped into a girl who looked extremly pale. She looked at him and looked absolutely terrified as if he wasn't supposed to be there. She Excused herself leaving Akaashi confused. He shrugged and continued his way to the Office.

He reached the office and knocked and heard a soft "Come in'

Ahh Sir Akaashi, Right on time. Said Beatrice

Madame Graves,... is the list ready? Asked Akaashi

Yes! We have some promising people this year, one of them in particular, but she felt sick so she will sign the contract tomorrow. told Beatrice.

I see.. That is great news.

Yes it is indeed.

I will see you later then Madame. I hope you have a pleasant evening. He said with a small smile

I hope for your day to be magnificent as well Sir Akaashi. She said with a bow

Y/N did go back to sign the contract but she did add her own conditions since it was allowed. Her conditions were

The abilty to refuse: If a noble takes interest in the employee but the employee is uncomfortable with the advances, she is allowed to refuse such advances without conseqences.

Protection guaranteed: The employee will not take any orders that may endanger the employee's life without conseqences.

Guaranteed vacation days: Employee must be given atleast 4-6 days of paid vacation. it can be saved and used in bulks.

Direct handing over the payment: The employee will be given the payment directly no matter. If Anyone claim to collect it for the employee, it is false unless the employee themself confirm with the Employer (In this case Madame Beatrice Graves).

If any of the above condition are to be broken the contract will be terminated immediatly with fine of 25 gold.

Are these terms satisfying for you Madame? said Y/N

Yes, You are quite clever. No one has ever used the blank space given for the employee's conditions. Said the Beatrice amused.

Well it is for our use isn't it Madame?. Said Y/N with a chuckle.

It is. You will be starting tomorrow then Ms L/N.

Please call me Y/n Madame, and yes.

I hope you have a pleasant afternoon. And you may get comfortable in the dormatories.

I hope your afternoon is pleasant as well. And I will. Y/N said excusing herself with a bow.

Two Years later. ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

It had been two years since Y/N got reincarnated and started working as a maid. A lot of things happened, the main thing was Y/N cutting of her family. Her family did take her to court on the 'oral Contract' of her promising to pay off all their debts. That's where she decided to fight back, which was surprising for her family. She used their own words against them by telling the judge "I only promised to pay the debts and i have paid them enough money to pay it off, your honor". she showed the proof as well. Her family tried to justify that they have to eat and drink as well but it was shut down. She also showed the law that stated that she was not obligated to support their reckless activity. No matter what her family tried, they were unable to win.

The second was that, She Got Promoted!!! Why u might ask? due to her knowledge from her original world, of being a doctor and kind of an herbologist. Which meant more money!! She Already planned to leave once she had enough money to retire from being a maid and opening a small clinic in the village near her house. With the promotion, she brought a small cottage in a desolated area on the mountains near the woods. It did cost her a year worth of her salary but... its worth it.

The Game would begin in about a month, so all she had to do was live.... SURVIVE the war of love... Orrrr she could just quit today. I mean she has enough money to live modestly sooo. Naahhhhh, who lives modestly when they can live lavishly. So she decided to stay. Just till the story starts.

A secrete between you and me... She liked Akaashi. Not like, she Loved him. In the game Akaashi was the epitome of a green flag and the softest yandere. She really hoped that Akaashi got his ending, A Happy Ending and not the cliche ending of " PrOtEcTiNg ThE FeMaLe LeAd FrOm ThE ShAdOw". She pitied the poor man, but wasn't interested in risking her life for some character, even if she loved him . She started to stalk him during her free time, not full on yandere creepy stalker, but the little stalking everyone does to their crush. Since she knew how to draw, Y/N had a journal dedicated to him, which was quite expensive, since paper and ink are expensive in this time/game. also one of the reason she doesn't have enough money to leave but that's not important . In her defense she needs a souvenir. But she won't pursue him because she wants to escape Tacitly. But she didn't Notice her little hobby had already caught someone's attention.

Akaashi Kenji was used to Girls even women, following him around and giggling at his sight but it never fazed him. He Ignored them, Why? simply because he was not interested and he was too busy to give them time. But he was never rude to them, asking them to leave with a pleasant smile, he has a reputation to maintain.

He never noticed anyone special, well... not until he saw Y/N. She was average looking, does her job well, is educated which is verry uncommon. That never interested him, She was very average compared to the women whom he has seen in the Balls, hell even the maids working with her. But something........ something drew him to her. One day, during his regular petrol, he saw Y/N. But after she spoted him, She gave him a bow and left. A paper fell from her book, so he followed her to give it back. But he got curious and opened the page..... it was HIM.. Full of his drawing, very nicely drawn too.

This spiked his curiousity. He left the page under her rooms door and left. He asked the shadow knights to find out everything about her. He was surprised to find out that she worked there for years. Slowly this simple curiosity turned into a spiral of obsession.

A month passed and the Saintess arrived. Just as the prophecy stated, She fell from the sky. But something was off from Akaashi's point of view. She was already acting as if she was a higher status than any and everyone. Or is it just in his head,... Nevermind then, he was already busy with his duties. Coincidently he had to visit Beatrice (Head maid) for something, Also to catch a glimpse of Y/N but that's irrelevent.

Sir Akaashi, What brings you here?

The list Lady Graves... You forgot to send the list new recruits to my office...

Ahh my apologise, One of our maid is quiting hence it has been hectic.

Someone is quiting? That is a surprise.

Yes... that to a capable maid.

May i inquire who?

Y/N, Y/N L/N, She says she wants to open a small shop and live her life.

Y/N's Leaving....?

yes, and here you go

Thank y--

As Akaashi was about to thank Beatrice, he was interupted by a soft knock.

Who is it?

Its me Head Maid, Y/N. May i come in?

Her sweet voice. The voice that was melody to his ears. He signaled the head maid to invite her in.

May I help you Y/N?

Yes- oh Sir Akaashi... Good afternoon.

Good afternoon to you as well Y/N

Anyways, I'd like the conformation of my resignation?

Yes, it was approved, you may leave after 2 weeks.

I see Thank you. With a quick curtsy to both the head maid and Akaashi she left.

"HOW COULD YOU!! No HOW DARE YOU LEAVE? WHY ARE YOU LEAVING.....Please stay. Should I trap her? Break her legs? NO No no. I shouldn't think like this." these were the thoughts going through Akaashi's head while he made his way back to his office.

"That's right I could just ask her? Can't I? I do realise we aren't close but i assume it isn't a secrete. I'll ask her the coming week" He thought satisfied with a low hmm.

It hadn't even been 3 days after Akaashi found out that his love Y/N was leaving. He made his way to the maid's quarters, He noticed a commotion.

I saw her steal Your Holiness Please beleive me!! A maid was kneeling while pointing at Y/N who stood tall.

Now, Why would I need jewelry when I have enough money to afford about 20 of them? Y/N stated with an innocent look on her face (which got Akaashi Hard immediately)

Because you are jealous of Her Holiness, You said it your self!!.

'Bruh what a Headache' My dear I've already quit so what good will this cheapass Jewelry do for me? Bitch.

See Your Holiness, Even her mouth is foul.

Halt, Please Y/N where were you 3 days ago when the neckless went missing?

I was---

She was with me Your Holiness. Akaashi intervened speaking from the crowed

She was?

Yes I had bumped into her at the Head Maid's office. She was there to get her resignation.

I see this proves Miss Y/N Innocent

Thank you Your Holiness.

No problem, If i were you I'd be careful with my tongue.

Thank you for the advice, Y/N said with a smile

After that encounter, Akaashi went to Y/N to check up on her. If she was alright. then knowing she was fine, he asked her to walk with him. They shared pleasantries and, Akaashi finally asked why she was quiting. Her replay was the same but she also added " others were jealous and trying to sabotage me. Plus i hate getting involved in drama like the one today. I an see it happening again".

If I got rid of it will she stay? I should get rid of that damn maid. Akaashi thought. With that they said their good byes and parted ways

The Next day, body of the maid who had was found. She had committed suicide, it also had a note of confession saying how she plotted to frame Y/N because of how much everyone loved her.

A few days passed

And Akaashi was summoned to be a witness for what the Saintess was saying

The saintess claimed it was Y/N's fault she must be punished accordingly. Akaashi intervened asking what was Y/N's fault? The fact that she defended herself? her dignity? her life ahead? WHAT WAS THAT SHE DID WRONG??

The Saintess's claim was shut down after what Akaashi said, Since He was the most trusted.

Then came the day of Y/N's departure. No one except Akaashi was their to bid her farewell. But what he did surprised her. He leaned down to kiss her on the lips not a peck, But full make out session. Y/N started to feel dizzy and then suddenly lost conciousness.

She woke up in a lavish room. Decorated with golds and gems but no silver. She was told by Akaahi that she suddenly got fever between the kiss and he apologised for what he did. Y/N dismissed it and asked if she could leave. He told her that her fever was down but not gone, So she should stay till she recovers.

They started dating after Akaashi's heartfelt confession. And after that he just couldn't keep it in his pants.

But she only got progressively worse, her fever would come back anytime. She got weaker and paler ( paler as in weak as fuck not the skin color). But there came a point her health stopped deteriorating. This caused her to get suspicious. Why? Because Akaashi had proposed to her claiming to love her and she accepted.

Was Akaashi trying to kill her because she stood against the Saintess?

Soon she was able to fool one of the maids serving her to get her a silver jewelry and to her fear....... She was correct. The Silver turned black. How could she be So STUPID. He protected the FL from the shadows meaning killing without hesitation or remorse.

So she escaped... in the dead of night that very day. It was hard but she was able to reach the shore and catch the last ship and she finally escaped death..... or she thought.

On the other side, Akaashi was losing his mind... HOW DARE YOU!! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!! HOW COULD YOU. HE TREATED YOU SOO WELL AND THIS IS WHAT HE GETS???!!

He finally saw the letter you left.

Dear Kenji, I do love you very much, but i know you love Aurelia (the saintess). Hence the reason for you poisoning me... I would have loved to spend my life with you but I'm afraid i won't be able to. I'll leave forever so that you won't have to worry about me hurting Aurelia. I hope You Will Be Happy

Your Lover Truly

Y/N L/N

What? What are you talking about? loving that bitch? who he was planning to kill? Did someone decive you? That's right someone must have lied to you..... You Still love him! You said it yourself....

Don't worry he'll find you an clear this misunderstanding.

I'm coming my dear....

A/N: FUCKING FINALLY.!!! I'm done!! I'll make a part two with the dark stuff and smut cuz i wanted to build a base for this story. Probably more than part 2.. Soo STAY TUNED

Hope You Enjoy!!

Masterlist

STAY SAFE, HEALTHY AND HYDRATED ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

[gladiatorcunt]

RASPBERRY - CORIOLANUS SNOW

summary: the apparent end of an era

cw: implication of infant death, canon typical violence and canon major character death (if that’s how you read it), unnecessary oc children (mention of pregnancy), reader’s in lucy grays place (chosen to be in the games and etc. not as a substitute for coryo) but if she went back to capitol with him, old man snow loses his marbles, open to interpretation ending, canon typical district citizens slander (and katniss slander but it’s snow’s pov), og timeline reader in this story died in between thg and catching fire, treating this as dark content due to vagueness regarding how willing the reader is

wc: 1.3k

requests are open (read the rules first <3)

block & move on if uncomfortable

do not repost or translate!!

“Boys, workin' on empty

Is that the kinda way to face the burning heat?

I just think about my baby

I'm so full of love I could barely eat

There's nothing sweeter than my baby

I'd never want once from the cherry tree

'Cause my baby's sweet as can be

She give me toothaches just from kissin' me.”

- Work Song // Hozier

Caecilia Snow can hardly stomach what she is about to witness. Her oldest sister, Iovita, stands stoned faced behind her. One of her svelte hands clasped around her left shoulder. A mask, she’s sure. Vita always did have troubles with expressing her emotions. The middle sister, Agrippina, is a complicated mix of both. Her hand is warmer on Caecilia’s right shoulder, but the blisters make it uncomfortable. Cato, the steadfast and tough oldest son, does not look at all. One can only wonder how he felt about that tribute from two, poor souls. Little Ignacius (she will always see him as such even though he's grown a head taller than her) brow is furrowed so terribly, she fears it might get stuck.

And strange Silvanus, the second son, he isn’t even on the balcony with his beloved siblings. Perhaps he is lost in his thoughts again. He wonders now if when his father smells the wood of the gallows, he thinks of a forest out in twelve that he haunted decades ago. The handkercheif he uses to hastily wipe his tears before he can gather the courage to join his family possess drops of blood every time he pulls it away. From his nose or drug up from his lungs, who can say? The wall outside the library his father had made especially for their mother on their wedding anniversary takes several blows from his aching clenched fist. So much blood, like father like son. Silvanus feels comforted by the persistent thought.

Ignacius eyes his brother with open concern as he saunters into view beside him. He barely manages to hide his wobble and his rush to stuff a stained cloth into his pocket does nothing to ease Ignacius’s worries. Silvanus has been one of the more sensitive ones in their parade, though that has never meant that he has not fought for his family. It is because of that that when Silvanus relents to the beseeching stare of his younger brother, Ignacius nods with utmost determination. The second son softens minutely and eventually returns it.

“Snow lands on top.” Six voices whisper in chorus.

Somewhere in an alabaster mausoleum, resides an ornate urn containing what would have been a seventh voice.

At the end of it all, President Coriolanus Snow smiles and he laughs with his entire chest like you’ve told him your funniest joke. Blood pours from his mouth like hot wax. His forked tongue doggy paddles in the little sea of crimson. A weathered hand with hard to spot cracks in the skin and light purple spots clasps itself firmly around the rose pinned to his suit. The wind seems to circle around Coriolanus Snow and he heaves a hearty chuckle when it ruffles through his hair. You’re with him even now as the foundations of your dynasty crumble and scatter over a stormy cliffside. A most welcomed and yearned for torment. His dearest specter.

Finally.

It seems even a Mockingjay’s tiny brain can manage.

It brings to mind the memory of another unfortunate like her. An Angel of Death from 11, tall and hunkered over. A flag being ripped from its rightful place and being pulled over rotting corpses. They were laid so closely together, they might as well have been a pack of sardines. There was ample meaning in his rustic burial, and there were snakes that suffocated it in their multicolored den. A precious rainbow after a great flood.

He’s not the only boy she reminds him of, but he’s unable to recall the second one’s name. A ghost that hovers on the edge of his mind.

Nevermind how useless her brief moment of assumed triumph will be. The games may be locked in a box in the minds of Panem and shoved away so they can be blissfully ignorant, but there will always be those in favor of them. What they represent will remain just as their purpose will prove itself once again when the people are governed by the rabid cannibals that ate them. Dogs can’t be trusted to be left to their own devices and off their leashes. Such deranged creatures were far better suited for being submerged in the violence of their own making.

Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever.

The soft dulcet tones of silenced voices ring out, something he once knew about a man who murdered three. The white fog fades away and Coriolanus wakes with a muffled shout to find himself in a raggedy bunk in an all too familiar building. his hands tremble but they look no different. with a disbelieving laugh he realizes that nothing has changed yet, that he has been rewarded for decades of dedication and devotion to Panem. That his herculean task others once thought of as sisyphean had been irrevocably realized.

3 daughters, 3 sons. Countless grandchildren. A legacy that will no doubt be remembered no matter the connotations associated with it.

Coryo’s heart is thundering like it did back then on that fateful day, and it does not slow by the time he’s shoved his things into a sack and hidden in the back of a truck. He could sway from the dizziness of deja vu. The truck soon comes to a stop and he clamors out of it, jumping out and racing however many yards he has to until he can spot his heart doing a terrible job of hiding behind a pillar. Anyone with a working set of eyes could discern the scarlet edges of your skirt swishing from side to side. They would have an unchallenging time seeing you suppress the urge to pick at the skin around your nails.

For the first time in over a year, Coriolanus Snow is utterly consumed by the urge to burst into tears. His beautiful beautiful dryad. The blood red dress he had ran himself ragged to buy clung to you like a lover as you twirled around nervously looking for him. Never in his life had a decision been so easy, so with a grateful chuckle and an embarrassingly giddy grin he bounds over to you. The light splintered through the trees nearby, the way it raked through your eyes and made them sparkle brought him fantastic grief. To him, they have never once lost that illustrious shine.

“I thought you’d never show up, Coryo. I was startin’ to worry a bit.”

Your hand feels like a delicious brand when it slips into his, impossibly soft and his cock throbs in his pants at the countless memories it elicits. In an apparent recreation of Pygmalion gazing upon the stone turned flesh form of Galatea, his love spills from him like a reopened wound. his Aphrodite on earth, his goddess with a never-ending number of rose petals in her hair.

“Not even a bullet in my back could keep me from you, dove.”

A garter snake slithers by between the two of you and before you can notice, Coryo swiftly crushes its head under the heel of his boot. The forest is blessedly silent. His world is kept from cleaving in two by the invisible string you’ve looped around his neck.

The putrid smell of the woods around you forces you to attempt to hide yourself gagging behind your hand. His lips twitch but he suppresses the urge to smile in that smug but infuriatingly hot way he knows you secretly love.

You’d better make quick work of getting over the mountains, you’re pregnant after all.

a/n: I’m sick and on bed rest (the cold is kicking my immune system’s ass) so wip progress has stopped but I had this in the drafts. call me Suzanne Collins because I tried with the naming symbolism. Please reblog if you liked it and yell at me about him if you want <3