#collegiate figure skating

[thin-ice-comic]

The title three drama queens reacting to their original concept art and explaining how their character designs evolved. They really didn't change too much! Just a few eye shapes and style preferences.

It was fun to play around with colors again too. So much of their stuff is in black and white, it gets dull. This was a nice break!

I just noticed that "Julia" is flipped backwards, oh well

[skatingthings]

I avoided not showing up to the rink to find out there were no sessions today!

Went to double check sessions last night only to find out that the sessions I thought there were....I'm not sure. It looks like they don't start until next week? But this week is odd. It's not like a normal calendar it's just "from this day to this day this is the weekly schedule for freestyles"

Asked my friend who was here last year and went to that rink and she said to call when I woke up

Tried that, got voicemail, decided that meant no sessions and I wasn't gonna walk forever to my car to show up and find out no ice

So I'm checking out the rec center at my college to do some damn good off ice

[snowsonlylove]

Dangerous Woman

a/n note: inspo is also from this delicious edit from topxzae on tiktok and this performance by ashley wagner. btw, i've switched my style of writing a bit and i've made it a bit more direct for i hope you don't mind + i was feeling a lil lazy so i did the sex scene in a third person pov.

Pairing: Captain!Hockey Player!Coriolanus Snow x Figure Skater!Reader

Summary: Y/N Y/L/N and Coriolanus Snow have been in an established relationship for about 5 months. Lately, things have been very stressful for Coriolanus in his job as a captain of keeping everyone in line. Today is his day off and all he wants is to spend time with his girlfriend. What started out as a sweet catch up turned a lot spicier after Y/N noticed how her boyfriend looks at her. 

Fic Type: Smut (NSFW) 18+, Established relationship, Love struck Coryo, Reader slaying it on the ice (i’m kinda imagining her as an Alexandra Trusova kinda gal so do what you want with that info)

Warnings: unprotected sex (don’t do this guys, use a condom. reader is on birth control), rough pushing, harsh, cunnilingus (female and male receiving), lmk if i missed anything else

Word Count: 1.9k

Inspo: Heavily inspired by Icebreaker (my newest obsession) and the stereotype in the skating world with hockey players looking at figure skaters when they practise (horny bf and gf edition). 

Disclaimer: Credits and the idea of this are based off Icebreaker so all credits go to Hannah Grace and her team. This is a spinoff of her idea turned into an established relationship version for Coriolanus Snow and Y/N Y/L/N.

Additional Info (ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ ICEBREAKER): In this universe, there is no rivalry. All collegiate teams share the same rink and there is a bond with the hockey and the skating team prior to this occurrence.

I do not own Coriolanus Snow or Y/N Y/L/N (cuz it’s you, boo). All credits go to Suzanne Collins and her team. Song credits also go to Ariana Grande and her team. 

I do not allow my works to be republished or translated under any circumstances. Any instances of this happening and YOU WILL BE BLOCKEDDD. 

Also, ageless and empty blogs will be BLOCKED as this is a 18+ fic. Report my fics for no good reason and you’re blocked cuz if u don’t like it, LEAVEEEE.

Y/N and Coriolanus have been a strong couple for about 5 months now. With all that time passing, there must be some things they have learned about each other, as well as things they have not learned about each other. Weirdly enough, Coriolanus has never seen Y/N skate because of the divide in their schedule between the hockey team and figure skating team. 

Coriolanus is the captain of the collegiate Academy hockey team, which makes the job more difficult for him because of how hard he has to strangle and wrangle a bunch of frat guys to go on the ice and play. This leads to him trying to find his teammates a lot, which means that he doesn’t have time to see his girlfriend skate because by the time he gets there, Y/N’s already packing up her stuff and giving him a kiss goodbye before leaving. This frustrates him. However, it doesn’t look like it would be much of an issue going forward.

Lately, the team has been going on a losing streak. About 3/4 of the team are either high or drunk off their ass in college parties and it’s driving Coriolanus crazy as it’s making them lose. Their coach has demanded that they stop it, Coriolanus even putting it as a ban but it’s still not making the younger hockey members realise that. As a result, Coach Highbottom and Coriolanus have made a decision to make them sit on the bench and think about their actions, which works great for Coriolanus since it creates a window of space in which he can get more alone time and even show up earlier to watch his girlfriend practice.

Today was the day in which Coriolanus got his free time, so he chose to watch his girlfriend train for her test skates after getting them a small box of cronuts and a coffee for both him and girlfriend as a little date after her practice before she has to go back to her dorm to study.

Coriolanus strolled into the ice rink as if he owned it that day, confident in his strides as he didn’t show his excitement in seeing his girlfriend practice in fear of people seeing how weak he was for his girlfriend. As he walked to the stands by the rink, he saw his girlfriend glide across the rink as she stretched her hands in the most delicate way possible while practising her program with her coach looking at her intensely from the stands.

“More, Y/N! More!” “Straighten the back of the knee!” “Smile!” “Don’t be so sloppy!” Coach Gaul screamed from the side of the ice rink as Y/N glided past her to do her quad before doing her triple axel flawlessly. Coriolanus sat on the edge of the stand, looking at his girlfriend almost as if he was observing her before he suddenly heard a bunch of little giggles and laughs beside him as he turned to look at the bunch of junior girls who stopped their off-ice stretching to look at his girlfriend practising her program.

“She’s so pretty..” “Literally, how does she do that?” “Oh my god, her boyfriend is so hot, someone get me a hockey boyfriend please” “I wonder how big his d-” “Oh my god, Sasha! Don’t say that!” The girls whispered amongst each other as they giggled as if they were girls from middle school. Coriolanus smirked as he pretended to cough, making all the girls look at him horrified that they realised that he heard their conversation. They all walk away with their heads down as Coach Gaul’s assistant calls the girls to start their warm-ups on the ice, making Coriolanus smirk even harder.

Coriolanus walks towards the side of the rink as he puts his hands in the pocket of his sweatpants as he watches his girlfriend converse with her coach, waiting for feedback while he stands there, entranced by her beauty. As she glides back on the ice, Coriolanus feels himself getting hard as he watches her practise her routine with her hands behind her back, making his mind go crazy with the possibility of the things they could do. Mind you, by this point they’ve hooked up quite a few times.

As Y/N comes towards the end of her routine, she finally notices her boyfriend as she gives him a small wave before doing her final moves, her coach clapping on the side of the rink. “Good job, Y/N. There are some technical things we need to work on but you’ve improved. Now, go take your leave.” Y/N nods as she bids her coach goodbye before running towards her boyfriend and tackling him with a bone-crushing hug, her boyfriend hugging her back just as hard as she squeals, “I can't believe you’re here! I thought you were on an off-day with the guys today!” 

Coriolanus chuckles in a distracted way as he chides while stroking her hair, “Yeah, that’s true but the one thing I didn’t tell you was that I actually wanted to watch my darling skate today. How are you, sweetheart? Anything hurting? I brought us some donuts and coffee for breakfast?” Y/N groaned as she looked up at her boyfriend with a grateful smile, “You didn’t need to get me anything, love. I know you’ve been busy lately.. You know I’m all fine, right? I’m not a broken doll” She jokes as she raises her eyebrow, making her boyfriend smirk as he leaned down to give his girlfriend a peck on her lips before saying, “I know that, baby. But I was thinking we can do a little something as a treat for you doing so well in your practice so far.” He said in a dazed tone as he took a glance at her ass before giving it a slap, making Y/N glare at him from her current stance. Coriolanus’s dick got harder after hearing her groan as it reminded him of the several intimate interactions that he had with his girlfriend. Little did he know, Y/N saw his aching dick right as she came up to him, making the situation much more interesting as she noticed how he looked at her. Knowing how hard he’s been working, she wanted to give him a chance to relax after a long week of training. 

The tension between them got a little more heated after that slap as both Y/N’s and Coriolanus’s looked at each other in a much more sensual way, their eyes having a particular sheen over it before a cough from Y/N disrupted the moment. “Okay, then. Let me get my stuff from the locker. I’ll see you later, captain…” Y/N said as she turned around and walked away, her hips swaying just a bit more to tempt her boyfriend into joining her in the locker. Coriolanus immediately took notice of this as he followed her, Y/N stopping at one point to grab his hand and interlock his fingers with hers as they made their way to the locker. 

Thankfully, no one was in the locker by that time as all the skaters were on the rink preparing to start practising their programs. Y/N closed the door behind her as Coriolanus pinned her towards her door as he wrapped his hands in her hair and kissed her while her hands pressed up against his chest as she smiled into the kiss. Wet, squelching sounds echoed around the room as their tongues moulded against each other in perfect sequence as if they were made for each other. As they made out, they peeled off each other’s clothes slowly as they were wrapped up in this bubble where they were the only ones there and no one else existed.

By the time they pulled away from each other, they were both down to their underwear. Coriolanus crouched down as he peeled Y/N’s lacy red panties off her as licked a line up her slit, tasting the sweet nectar hidden under her skate wear as he hummed in satisfaction before sucking on her clit, making Y/N see stars as her moans echoed around the room. Y/N reached down to cradle her boyfriend’s head as he worked her up to a beautiful, soul-capturing orgasm, making her heave big sighs while coming down her high. 

Y/N and Coriolanus gave each other a deep kiss as she tasted herself on his tongue before it was her turn to kneel down and give his aching hardness the love that it deserves. She kissed her way down his abs as she pulled down his boxers, revealing his aching, hard dick leaking with pre-cum in all its glory. The veins were clearly invisible as Y/N hummed in satisfaction before she licked the tip of his dick, savouring the taste of his pre-cum as she moaned. She continued this a few times before she went deeper and deeper until her throat reached the base of his cock, making Coriolanus groan with great pleasure as she gagged occasionally and started to work him into an orgasm by pulling her head in and out of his dick in a once slow motion before building up her speed in a way she knew her boyfriend liked.

“Ugh, so good, baby… Keep doing that, you’re gonna make me cum, sweetheart.” Coriolanus groaned as he wrapped his hand around a bunch of her hair as he guided her in and out of his dick. His groans and her moans echoed around the room as the atmosphere got dirtier before Coriolanus pushed her head closer than it’s ever been before he came with one final groan, making Y/N moan even louder at seeing his satisfaction in her efforts to please him.

As Coriolanus came down from his orgasm, Y/N pulled her mouth off him as she wiped her mouth clean of her saliva before jutting out her tongue, letting him see that she swallowed it all before she laughed a little at her boyfriend’s dark glance at her. Coriolanus’s head turned around to the side as his groan this time was animalistic as he grabbed his girlfriend from her place on her knees before him and smashed his lips with her before he turned her around and pushed her towards the door before shoving his now hard length into her in one thrust. 

Both Y/N and Coriolanus let out a groan as they wrapped their arms around each other as he pushed his dick in and out of her pussy as her ass bounced back towards his dick with her force. The room now echoed with the sound of skin slapping around it, along with her louder moans and his harsher groans as he turned her face to the side before capturing her lips in another searing kiss as they both come with him holding her tits in his hands and bringing her as close to him as possible.

Y/N and Coriolanus breathed heavily as they came down from their euphoric orgasm. Coriolanus cradled Y/N’s face as he leaned in and captured her lips in little kisses as he checked over her to see if she was okay. After making sure she was okay, he grabbed a bunch of tissue paper as he cleaned them up before he helped her pack up her skating luggage before they opened the door and left the rink wrapped up in each other’s love. Little did they know, both Coach Gaul and her assistant were staring at them appalled as they overheard them while going to the bathroom a while ago. 

[sh4wty18]

Hello I LOVE YOUR WORK AND EVERYTHING<33333

I was wondering if you could do like hockey player! Chris sturniolo x figure skater!reader i don't care what about just PLZZ

girl of your dreams - chapter one.

one. | two. | three.

pairing: hockeyplayer!chris x figureskater!reader

summary: you find out you're going to have to share your rink with chris's hockey team during your final college figure skating season.

cw: rivals to lovers, angst, first person POV, language

word count: 1.4k + edited

tags: @kokes73 @joeshiestyslover @chrissbluehat @h3arts4harry (if you want to be tagged, comment!)

dividers from @plutism

---

Y/n’s POV

“So, as you all know, you’ve been called here for an emergency team meeting. You’re probably not expecting to see the other team here too,” Coach Beck chuckles, but her smile doesn’t meet her eyes. 

The entire University Figure Skating team is gathered in our rink for a supposed “emergency meeting”. I knew something was up as soon as I sat down on the bleachers and saw the University Ice Hockey team already waiting for us. Coach Beck is our figure skating coach, and she’s great. Beck is kind, smart, funny, and strict, but she makes practices fun. She’s so encouraging during our competitions against other universities, that even if we don’t win, she’s still proud of us. Not to make it seem like I don’t win. Of course, I win every competition I’m in. Figure skating is my passion, it always has been. I wanted to go pro after I graduate, but I doubt that will happen. That’s why I work my ass off to get straight As and put hundreds of hospital volunteer hours in each semester– I’m pre-med. If I can’t become a famous skater, I might as well get a job in a field I’m good at. 

Next to Coach Beck stands Coach Carter. He is the University Ice Hockey team’s coach. From what I’ve seen, he’s way more serious and scary than Beck. In the few times the men have had to use our rink for practice, he’s always screaming. He crosses his arms and glares down his nose at each and every one of us.

“Well, Coach Carter and I wanted to let both teams know that the Men’s Ice Hockey rink is being rented out to the local community this semester for K-12 hockey lessons and practices. That being said…”

“You’re going to be sharing the rink this season,” Coach Carter finishes.

A few of my teammates gasp, and I hear some of the men on the ice hockey side of the bleachers groan. I raise my hand patiently, waiting for Beck to see me.

“Yes, Y/n,” she points at me.

“Yes, hi. Um, so how will we be doing this? Because I know I’m not the only person thinking it, but the men need the entire rink to practice scoring and stuff, right? So where will we be?”

“Always worrying about yourself, huh, Y/n/LN?” I snap my head around and shoot Chris a deadly glare, which only makes him laugh under his breath. 

Chris Sturniolo. He’s been my biggest rival since we were freshmen, and both brand new to college level athletics. Now he’s the king of the hockey team and the president of the Alpha Delta Phi chapter at our university. Everyone on campus knows him, either for being the guy who led the hockey team to victory in the U.S. Collegiate Championship three years in a row, or the guy who throws the best parties out of all the frats and sororities at our school combined. Everyone loves him, but not me. I know him as the guy who’s had it out for me since day one. He’s pre-med too. I don’t know how, to be quite honest. He’s a chronic lecture-skipper, and has shown up to Saturday practices hungover so many times it’s hard to keep track. Not that I’m keeping tabs on him, he makes it known. He’s always bragging about how great his parties are and how wasted he got. He’s been trying to get me to come to one of his parties since sophomore year, when I let it slip that I’d never been drunk. We’ve had so many classes together since freshman year, and we’re always on opposite ends of class debates. Sometimes I think he does it on purpose, just to piss me off. Despite all his bad behavior outside the classroom, he still manages to maintain a decent GPA, he has to. It’s a requirement to be involved in athletics. All athletes must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher to participate in their sport. That’s another reason he makes me angry, he barely tries, and still manages to get good grades, and the professors like him. He’s so charming and smooth-talking he can win over even the strictest of professors. It’s infuriating. 

But the most infuriating thing about him is how attractive he is. He has shaggy brown hair and blue eyes. His limbs are long and slender, yet toned. But not too buff. And he’s tall, well, taller than me. He has good style and he’s confident, which makes him even hotter. It’s so hard to hate him when he constantly looks like that. I mean, I guess I don’t hate him. He’s just my rival, and I don’t like that– having a rival, I mean. I like to be the best all the time. In academics, in my sport, even in my hobbies (thankfully, I don’t think Chris has an interest in crocheting, so we won’t be rivals in that field any time soon). Chris likes to be the best too, and that’s why we don’t get along.

Now, our senior season is just about to start. Chris and I are both captains of our respective sports teams, we’re both captains in the Model UN (often leading to some very heated debates that leave the other club members silent), and we’re in the same senior seminar for our Biology major. On top of all that, we’re now expected to share a rink? I call bullshit.

Coach Carter speaks up before Coach Beck can respond to my question, “We’re just going to divide the rink in half and practice in a smaller space. We’re trying to be as fair as possible here. We’re also going to get the full rink on Saturday mornings, and the figure skating team will no longer have Saturday practice.” 

“What?!” I shout, “How is that fair?! Coach Beck, we need Saturday!” This earns another smartass laugh from Chris and I scowl at him again.

“Clearly she agreed to it, Y/n. I’m sure you can book extra individual hours after we’re done practicing. We all know you love to work overtime,” Chris says with an eye roll, and a few of his teammates snicker. 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I ask, and Chris just shrugs in my direction with a grin. God, he is insufferable.

“Okayyy,” Coach Beck says in an attempt to diffuse the obvious tension between me and Chris, “Y/n, unfortunately, this is just the way it has to be.”

“But it’s not fair. This is a lot of our senior seasons. I’m sure all of us seniors want this season to be our best.” 

“We can miss out on Saturday practice this year, and share the rink, and still have the best season of your four years,” Coach Beck says. She’s trying to be encouraging, but I can tell she’s a little pissed off too.

“Life isn’t fair sweetheart,” Coach Carter adds. I blush in embarrassment and lower my gaze. 

–

Later that night, after our first shared practice, I’m collecting my things to make the trek back to my apartment when I see Chris approaching next to me. 

He taps me on the shoulder and I turn to face him. “Hey,” he says.

“Hi?”

“I just came to see how you were feeling. You know, now that we’re gonna see each other multiple times a day, almost every day. Class, Model UN, and now sharing the rink with me? You must be thrilled!” He quips, and I just want to wipe that smug grin off his face.

“Yup. I’m ecstatic!” I say, rolling my eyes. “Just more time to show everyone how easily I can wipe the floor with you.” 

“Wipe the floor with me?” he asks, “How will you be able to do that here? We’re on different teams. Maybe seeing me in action will finally show you that I’m just as talented as you are.”

I stay quiet, not really knowing how to respond. He’s right, but there’s no way in hell I’m about to admit it to him. It doesn’t matter that I don’t say anything though, because he sees right through me. He always has.

“Aw, Y/n,” he smiles, “Life isn’t fair, remember?” He slowly backs up, giving me a two-finger salute before walking away. When I turn back around, I’m alone in the rink.

---

chapter one in the books. i lowkey love it ngl. i can't wait to write more. let me know what you think!

[richincolor]

Banned Books Week 2024

It's Banned Books Week and you know we here at Rich in Color have to participate in our own special way. This week is important to us as close to 4,240 unique titles (according to the ALA) were challenged in libraries and schools in 2023. The ALA Banned Book Week site states "Pressure groups in 2023 focused on public libraries in addition to targeting school libraries. The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023; school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers." The majority of the books are by LGBTQ+ authors and authors of color. It is clear that more diverse voices need to be heard which is our mission at Rich in Color and why we support Banned Books Week. Each day one of our contributors will post a Banned Book they love and share what it means to them. 

If you are interested in reading all about Banned Books, click on the link to view this years Book Banned Data. 

First up...Contributor Jessica. Her book is, Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu. She states, "I chose this graphic novel because first of all, I loved reading this fun, heartfelt hockey webcomic collection. It's a queer romance and coming of age story, and it's been targeted for book banning and restricted reading, like many LGBTQ book. It's important to be clear who is being targeted in these bigoted book bans: books centering marginalized perspectives and stories."

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

The hilarious and heartbreaking confessions of a figure skater turned collegiate hockey player who's terrified of checking . . . and is desperately in love with the captain of his hockey team.

Eric Bittle is a former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier. But as accomplished as he is, nothing could prepare him for his freshman year of playing hockey at the prestigious Samwell University in Samwell, Massachusetts. It's nothing like co-ed club hockey back in the South! For one? There’s checking. Second, there is Jack—his very attractive but moody captain.

A collection of the first half of the mega-popular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: # Hockey is the first in a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.

If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.

[cornley-amateur-drama-society]

Centers

Chris Bean, Alternate Captain & Center, #76

Nickname(s): Beansy, Baby Bean, or Chuckster

He had always been a Center from the moment he stepped unsteadily onto the ice at two years old.

He comes from a line of hockey players, both directly—like his Father and his Grandfather—and indirectly—his cousins and cousins' spouses—as well.

Chris was the first round pick of his draft year.

His Father played Center, too, but his Grandfather played in goal.

Since his Father was a Center, Chris has felt the pressures of living up to his legacy.

The first team he was drafted to was the team his Father played for. The youngest teammates there that had played with his Father called him “Baby Bean”.

Chris chose #76 because it is his Father's number (#38) doubled.

He was chosen as an alt because of how in-depth his knowledge of the game itself and the other players was. Since he has lived and breathed hockey from practically the moment he was born, he has a very good sense of what will happen next on the ice, and his predictions usually turn out to be true.

After two seasons with his Father's team, he was traded to the Cats in exchange for a defenseman and third round picks in the upcoming draft.

(Much to his secret relief. Being the Raymond Bean's son was a heavy weight around his ankles. He played his best for that team, but, god, was the Cornley Catastrophe a life-saver for him.)

He was originally considered to be captain by the Cornley coaches because of his history and that of his Father and Grandfather, but after an incident on ice with a ref that led to two five-minute majors in one period, alt was suggested instead.

He doesn't know that he was once considered for captaincy, and for a while, once he settled into the Cats, he harboured resentment towards Max.

Now, though, he only really argues with Robert because of their ongoing competition every season to have better stats than the other.

Lucy Grove, Center, #45

Nickname(s): Baby Grove

Like Chris, Lucy's been playing hockey since the minute she was allowed to put on skates for the first time.

Her father, Uncle Robert, and Auntie Ellie all played or play hockey, and she was introduced to the sport with a great affection for it.

Like her Dad, she plays Center. She can easily slip into a Winger position, but her main talents lie in being the instigator of plays.

She prefers slapshots over wristers.

Uncle Robert trained her when she started joining local clubs and eventually her school's teams. Her Dad and Auntie Ellie chipped in (that's a hockey pun iykyk) but once she figured out her aspirations were higher than the collegiate level, Uncle Robert started to take more of a role.

He was harsh, which she expected, both because it's his personality and because he was preparing her for the harder plays she would be expecting later on.

She chose the number 45 because it's half of her Uncle Robert's, and the numbers can also be used to create her Dad's number 89 and her Auntie Ellie's number 91.

(4x4=8 and then 4+5=9 so then you can put the 8 and the 9 together and get 89. And then 4+5=9 and 5-4=1, therefore 91. … She was about ten when she came up with this system, okay?.)

She, thankfully, did not see her Uncle's breakdown after the 6-0 to their rivals, the London Bulldogs. The game was around Christmastime, and she had left after post-game interviews to head to her Mum's for the beginning of the by-week. The second half she'd spend with her Dad and the rest of the Groves.

She goes out on Hen Nights with the other women on the team, though she felt very awkward at first because of the large age gap between them.

(She and her Uncle Robert have a difference of fifteen years between them. Her Dad has another ten years on top of that. Auntie Ellie is only eleven years older than her. Her Nan and Granddad had her Dad when they were barely older than eighteen, and then waited another ten years before Uncle Robert. When they were in their early-thirties, they had Auntie Ellie.)

(The age gap between her and the women on the team is roughly around the same as the gap between herself and the two younger Groves. It's not as huge as the one with her and her Mum and Dad, but it's enough that she still feels like an awkward pre-teen around them sometimes. They've picked up on this, and have tried to include her more so she doesn't feel so out of place.)

[movienation]

Movie Review: Skating, Puppets and a Paris Romance -- "Goodbye, Petrushka"

Can a collegiate puppeteer find love as an au pair in Paris? That’s the not-quite-burning question at the heart of “Goodbye, Petrushka,” an amiable but aimless romantic comedy that struggles to tie puppetry, filmmaking and figure skating together in a story of a coed’s first shots at love. It’s an occasionally cute, strained attempt at twee that never quite comes together or comes off. Lizzie…

[news247planet]

#Sports #TODAY #IceHockey As we speak in Sports activities Historical past-UMass beats Notre Dame in fifth OT https://news247planet.com/?p=163704

[thin-ice-comic]

I am SO excited to finally share this with you guys! FINALLY a team picture!!! Everyone's designs and names are pretty set with this one.

(Oh yeah, it's all coming together)

Everyone's names below the cut. This cast has a HUGE team with 23 members, not including ice arena staff and other bonus characters you'll get to meet along the way. And this is just the Act 1 team!!

If you like anyone's design or think they're particularly interesting, let me know and I'll make an effort to make sure they get some extra ice time this week (AKA story beats!)

Front row (left to right):

Anya, May, Nora, Scarlett, Leah, Hope, Theresa (Terry), and Juvia

Second Row (left to right)

The Empress Alexandria, Jo, Michelle, Cassey, Shandra (Sandy), Anne, Jane (Janey), Ashley (Ash), and Mauve

Back Row (left to right)

Damon, Jaden, Cass, Jolene, Reine, and Ahmed

[ao3cassandraic]

This routine's gotten tremendously better over the season, too. That rotational lift is terrific. If they can get their twizzles under control, I think we could well see them on the world senior stage.

Apropos of nothing, folks in the US interested in watching figure skating might take a look at collegiate, if an event comes to a university near you. I went to a competition last weekend (to cheer on a student in one of my classes) and it was absolutely delightful.

A lot of the serious issues with elite skating -- body policing, grossly unsportsmanlike conduct, evil coaches, unbearable stress -- simply aren't there. The skaters cheer each other on fairly impartially. I also saw a lot less cultural appropriation (only had to wince at one routine!), and quite a few more skaters of color.

now think of them as Aziraphale and Crowley

[halalgirlmeg]

Shoutout to colleges with figure skating teams...what's it like to be some of the coolest schools around

[sh4wty18]

girl of your dreams.

read chapter one here!

pairing: chris sturniolo x reader

background: this fic will be a series, dual perspective, and told in first person, but y/n will be used in reference to the MC! it is rivals to lovers, angst, and fluff!

synopsis: you and chris are polar opposites. you’re the captain of your university’s figure skating team, with a 4.0 GPA, and years worth of awards in your sport. you don’t party, you don’t fuck around, and you don’t fall in love. chris, on the other hand, is the captain of your university’s ice hockey team. he’s no work and all play, known for throwing ragers at his frat house and scoring the winning goal in the united states collegiate championship three years running. everyone loves him. everyone except you, that is. you’ve been rivals both on and off the court since freshman year. you’re seniors now, and your rivalry is still strong as ever. but what will happen when you’re forced to share the rink for your final seasons? what will happen when you get to see a whole new side of chris, and maybe, just maybe, you like what you see?

★ if you want to be tagged in this series, please comment! ★

dividers by @plutism

[richincolor]

Banned Books Week Day 5

It has been a week filled chock full of information and good books. We hope our posts gave you valuable information or encouraged you to get involved.

If you missed any of our book recommendations click below to find out our favorite banned books. 

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

The hilarious and heartbreaking confessions of a figure skater turned collegiate hockey player who’s terrified of checking . . . and is desperately in love with the captain of his hockey team.

Eric Bittle is a former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier. But as accomplished as he is, nothing could prepare him for his freshman year of playing hockey at the prestigious Samwell University in Samwell, Massachusetts. It’s nothing like co-ed club hockey back in the South! For one? There’s checking. Second, there is Jack—his very attractive but moody captain.

A collection of the first half of the mega-popular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: # Hockey is the first in a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.

If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

In this groundbreaking William C. Morris Award winner for a YA debut, Gabi’s life is a mess–her family, her friends, her attempts at a love life–but writing helps, especially since it turns out she’s pretty good at poetry.

Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year of high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy’s pregnancy, Sebastian’s coming out, the cute boys, her father’s meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity.

July 24

My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed. That’s as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don’t mind it. I don’t necessarily agree with that whole wait until you’re married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can’t tell my mom that because she will think I’m bad. Or worse: trying to be White.

If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

When Springville residents–at least the ones still alive–are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation . . . Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And what they don’t know is that Maddy still has another secret . . . one that will cost them all their lives.

If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Sixteen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers to be known for her killer eyeliner, not for being one of the only Mexican kids at her new, mostly white, very rich Catholic school. But at least here no one knows she’s gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way.

After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend before transferring to Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: keep her brother out of trouble, make her mom proud, and, most importantly, don’t fall in love. Granted, she’s never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami.

The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. So cute. Either way, Yami isn’t going to make the same mistake again. If word got back to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do?

Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.

If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.

[falconcoast]

thin ice | childe x reader | epilogue.

epilogue. skating on

masterlist. 

a year after your engagement, it’s official: you and childe are married. in your first interview from getting back from your honeymoon in fontaine, you and your newly married husband answer some of your fans’ questions together.

a/n: welcome to the actual end of thin ice. first, i’d like to give my thanks. thank you to everyone who sent in a question. thank you for those who left the sweetest reblogs and comments on every chapter :) thank you to everyone who read this as it was posted or on a late night binge. i am so happy to present you the finale of thin ice.  

warnings; none 

the studio had a simple white backdrop the color of ice, which stood in contrast to the vibrant red color of the couch you sat on. various lights beamed down, capturing only your best angles. you brushed down some lint off of your leggings, hands running up and down the black fabric.

in the light, your engagement ring and wedding band caught the light in a dazzling glimmer. the golden metal went nicely with your skin tone, and the diamond was so shiny that it could reflect your face. admiring it, you turned to face your new husband. his gaze was already on yours, affectionately looking at you already. silently, your hand slid towards his to hold. letting out a soft laugh, he kissed your cheek as the camera blinked on.

“three, two, one, action!” the director called as he snapped the clapboard.

“hi, i’m two-time gold medalist in hockey, four-time collegiate champion, former rookie of the year, current national association’s most outstanding player of the year, three-time national cup winner, number 11, forward, and captain of the fatui harbingers, and most importantly, husband to the lovely y/n l/n, tartaglia, aka childe,” your new husband announced, holding up your hand with your wedding band for emphasis.

facepalming, you sighed and looked at the camera. “hi, i’m three-time gold medalist, three-time and defending national and world champion in ice skating, two-time international crown trophy winner, the association’s most outstanding skater of the year, diamond-ranked skater, and of course, spouse to childe,” you smiled slightly, offering a short wave. “and today, we’re answering questions that our fans have sent in today.”

looking at the director, he began with a question that you’d heard at least a million times since you’d been with childe. “how did you two meet?”

“oh, everyone just loves hearing this story, don’t they?” childe laughed. “well, we didn’t officially meet until senior year, but we had known about one another before then.”

“childe is a very messy person--” you started before getting abruptly cut off.

“hey!”

“anyways, since the beginning of freshman year at teyvat university, i reserved the rink late at night; maybe nine or ten o’clock. childe had the rink right beforehand. he always left out the nets, and i would death-stare him. those things are at least twenty pounds each and i was less than pleased to have to pick up after him.”

“we officially met early in our senior year,” he added. “it turns out that they had taught my baby brother, teucer, how to skate. that is, as we all know, my job as his older brother.”

“maybe you should’ve been faster about it,” you shrugged.

scowling, he continued. “i was pissed off at them. and then, the next day, coach zhongli managed to get them as our manager. the rest is history. we were enemies, then friends, then lovers. we really took our sweet time getting together, considering we were in close proximity for nearly forty hours a week.”

“so, what was your first date like?”

you laughed, pressing your lips into a smile. “it was, unlike what most people assume, not an ice skating date. actually, for the first three months of our relationship, we were long distance over the summer. we already had commitments by the time we figured out we were in love with one another, and couldn’t get around them.”

“so, we had a dinner date together, over the phone,” childe grinned, holding your hand.

“he mauled the fish that night. glad i wasn’t there.”

“i did not maul that fish.”

another question was prompted for the both of you. “you both are decorated skaters with a combined merit total of over 100 trophies, championship wins, medals, and ribbons. who would you consider the better skater?”

“me, obviously!” you both exclaimed. rolling your eyes at one another, you crossed your arms.

“we had this problem when we first met. we had coach zhongli from the university test how fast we could skate, only to tie.”

“i definitely beat them,” childe piped up. “and besides, i’ve won more national titles than you.”

“ah-ah, i still have more international titles than you!”

“yeah, well, hockey isn’t really an international sport!”

“so…” interrupted the director. “tied?”

sighing, you looked at one another. “sure,” you hesitantly said, side-eyeing your husband. “we’re tied.”

“next question: you were married recently and just came back from your honeymoon. how was it?”

“it was an intimate wedding, i would say,” he smiled. “we were married in the mondstadt countryside over the summer. a few family, friends, and our hockey team came together. my younger brother and sister were the ring bearer and the flower girl. it was really nice.”

“yes, it was quite nice for the first two hours,” you rolled your eyes with an affectionate smile. “until childe did a keg stand. he latched onto me like a baby for the rest of the night!”

“hey, i had to defend my title as keg stand king and i did exactly that. what is it to you?!”

“and your honeymoon?”

“we went to fontaine for a week. they have some really great food. we spent a lot of time just walking around the outskirts of the city, taking pictures of birds, going to a couple of bookstores and bistros, watching the knights obliterate the local hockey team…it was wonderful,” you smiled, holding onto your husband’s arm.

“moving on, what’s your sense of style?”

perking up, you tilted your head. “huh, never really thought about it!” you remarked. “i guess i usually go for something simple. a sweatshirt, maybe jeans if i’m feeling it. nothing too special.”

“same over here. i like my sweatshirts and plain pants. i don’t usually get fancy unless i have to be.”

“next question, do you have any interesting hobbies?”

“oh, easy,” you started, looking at your husband. “childe really likes looking after plants. in snezhnaya, there’s a very short spring and summer, meaning there’s not much time to grow anything, if at all. but in mondstadt, we have all four seasons. so, childe really likes looking after our plants. quite fond of basil right now.”

“it goes on everything,” he shrugged. “as for y/n, we bought another house out in mondstadt on cider lake. and they really, really, love skipping rocks on the lake. one time, when the sun came up, they were already out there throwing rocks. they also broke one of our windows because of it.”

“not my fault, you scared the living daylights out of me!”

the director cued another question. “what do you love most about one another?”

“awww, this one is so sweet,” childe replied, smile on his face. “i love that y/n is stubborn. they have this internal motivation that drives them to keep going. whether it’s skating, or getting a recipe right, or loving me, they don’t give up. ever. it’s a rare, beautiful trait to find in a person. and it just so happens that my love has it.”

covering your face, you groaned. “ugh, i hate that you make me feel like a puddle with a few words,” you muttered with a soft smile and heated cheeks. sitting up straighter, you looked your husband in the eyes. “well, i think childe’s impulsiveness is what i love about him most. i like to play things safe, i like routine, and i like things as they are. but childe just loves throwing a wrench in our plans, and it makes things interesting. sometimes, it’s taking a different way home after getting the groceries. sometimes, it’s landing dinner reservations in a different part of town. either way, it somehow balances us both out.”

“alright, last question. where do you go from here?”

stilling, you and childe did a double-take with one another before bursting out into a fit of giggles. “if you want me to be honest, we don’t really know. life is good as it is right now,” childe answered, running a hand through his hair. “we’ve got a great career, comfortable houses, loving spouses…i don’t know if i could ask for anything more.”

“same here. i don’t know either. i’ve been blessed with an amazing life,” you hummed. “but, whatever happens, whatever comes next, i’m happy to have childe by my side.”

as you kissed him on the cheek, you squeezed your hands together a little tighter. it was true, even before you had your rings on your fingers. both of you would be side-by-side for the rest of your lives.

and personally? you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“that’s a wrap, folks,” the director said, smiling. “y/n, childe, feel free to leave whenever you’re ready.”

“hey, childe?” you asked softly as he pulled you up from the red couch.

“yeah, y/n?”

“i love you,” you said earnestly, holding both of his hands.

“and you were complaining about me being sappy just a few minutes ago,” he said, rolling his eyes before pecking you on the lips. “i love you, too.”

you paused for a moment when he wrapped his arm around your waist, looking out the door. what you had said in the interview was true; you really didn’t know where you would go from here.

“hellooo? y/n?” childe said, snapping you out of your daze. perking up, you looked at him. “are you ready to go? i was thinking about having dinner somewhere in the city. what do you think? maybe some boba afterwards?”

but, more than anything in your eternally hectic life, childe would be right next to you. glancing at your rings, you made your grip firm.

grinning at him, you nodded. “as long as you’re with me, i’m always ready. i don’t mind where we go, as long as we end up together.”

he laughed, with a knowing smile.

“so...yes to getting boba?” 

rolling your eyes, you smiled as you walked out the door with your husband. 

fin. 

thank you!: @kawaiiloverpieclam @itadaklmasu @daninaninani @milkk-ttea @lowermoons @lilacshouko @rxsalinee @liyue-harbor @munchnuggle @dandelion-dreams @sunflower3216 @ttaechi @emanonwanderer @nonniechan @rockinaflock @dilucsz @domainofincandescence  @lovingcupcakeavenue @duhsies @song-of-storms162 @furblrwurblr @cleopatera @marianadibenea @softlybeloved @noodleshark420 @maiiikoo @milktea-and-toast @hellokittykuroo @mikologys @elinushka-ka @lvcielz @thetwinkims @neonnian @lowoluwu  @salamiwrites @omgmatiiii @feverish-dove

[nctsworld]

love on ice: nct u series

the game of hockey may come easy for these seven students of nct university, but what about the game of love?

DISCLAIMER: all of these stories will focus more on the plot of the story, rather than hockey. mentions of hockey will likely not be a reliable description of the actual game, its rules, etc. i ask those who are knowledgeable of the game to overlook any inaccurate depictions of hockey i may write – thank you! 

NOTES: all of these take place within the same setting, but can be read separately! details may be subject to change. the taglist is CLOSED. 

LAST UPDATED: march 22, 2021 - do NOT ask me when i will update // i will update this series when i have the time and motivation - i have a life outside tumblr and writing is merely a hobby of mine.

WHO WILL YOU DRAFT ONTO YOUR TEAM? 🏒

[#2] MARK LEE: THE CAPTAIN // HEAD OVER SKATES

⇨ STATS: smut, fluff | friends with benefits to lovers, dancer!reader

⇨ DESCRIPTION: during a team bonding retreat, mark meets you and, unlike his hopeless romantic self, has sex with no attachments for once. the incredible night snowballs into many, on your condition that you and mark stay strictly as friends with benefits. mark desires more, but is it possible to change your mind? one thing’s for sure—he doesn’t want to end this anytime soon.

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#24] LIU YANGYANG: THE GOALIE // SAVING NET

⇨ STATS: smut, fluff, angst | roommates au, friends with benefits to lovers

⇨ DESCRIPTION: out of luck on his failed search for a new roommate, yangyang’s about to move out of his on-campus apartment until you answer his prayers. living with him becomes wild after an accidental kiss, which blooms into tons of casual fun. neither of you can complain, but as the lines blur, can you two really live together in peace for long, or will something have to give? 

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#66] LEE DONGHYUCK: THE ULTIMATE PLAYER // REMATCH

⇨ STATS: fluff, smut | enemies to lovers, fuckboy!hyuck, ex-best friend!reader

⇨ DESCRIPTION: donghyuck is the ultimate player on the ice, and equally off the ice. girls across campus flock to him and get on their knees (literally) for him whenever he wants, except you—his former best friend from high school. when he’s assigned as your partner for a project, the deep cracks in the ice between you two slowly dissolve, but does it mean you’re willing to give him a second chance to skate back into your life?

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#23] LEE JENO: THE DEFENSEMAN // SKATING IN CIRCLES

⇨ STATS: fluff, smut | fake dating, figure skater!reader

⇨ DESCRIPTION: although you barely know jeno, he comes to you for one small favour—to be his date for the annual hockey collegiate league dinner. a few weeks later, you ask the same of him. soon enough, you two become each other’s default fake dates for further upcoming events... but at what point is it not fake dating anymore, especially when you begin to entangle out of your own accord? 

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#27] JUNG SUNGCHAN: THE NEW KID // FISH OUT OF ICE

⇨ STATS: fluff, suggestive, angst | friends to lovers

⇨ DESCRIPTION: sungchan’s the newcomer to the team, so donghyuck decides to take him under his wing to meet girls every week. but when you, a former high school friend (and his long-time secret crush), fall back into his life, what’s a freshman to do? will sungchan swim in the ocean filled with many fish, or pick the one he’s always longed for?

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#7] DONG SICHENG: THE FORMER CAPTAIN // GAME CHANGER

⇨ STATS: fluff, smut | forbidden(ish) romance, secret dating

⇨ DESCRIPTION: dating’s never been much on sicheng’s mind—he’s always been about his friends, his grades, and hockey... until he meets you. when he learns that you’re the sister of a player on a rival hockey team, sicheng’s outlook on dating is turned upside-down. cue the secret late-night meet-ups, hidden kisses, and change room antics. he’s not sure how long he can do this for, but he wouldn’t have it any other way—as long as it’s with you.

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#10] LEE TEN: THE HEART OF THE TEAM // PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

⇨ STATS: smut, fluff | friends with benefits to lovers, fuckboy!ten

⇨ DESCRIPTION: in all his years at nct u, ten’s never had any problems getting a girl successfully off. after a night gone sour, ten makes a determined effort to fix things with you. the more he gets to know your body (and you with his), the more he re-evaluates everything. and eventually, it ends up smacking him as hard as a flying puck to the face.

⇨ STATUS: benched

[roniscloud]

psh - love affair

park sunghoon [f. 8516 words] love affair

so when i’m gonna know what to feel inside, baby?

maybe it’s just all in my head, so

don’t overthink, this is love

maybe it’s just a crush

baby, is this your love affair, your love affair?

synopsis: what happens when two childhood best friends make a deal to help each other’s reputations? an unforeseen circumstance prompts sunghoon to approach you, intriguing not just you but practically every other student at your college. you believe your reunion with him can only end in one of two ways: you resort back to being friends and go on with your lives, or you use each other and once you’re both done, you fall out and never talk again. how will you two navigate your companionship? is it just the nostalgia coming up? a revival of feelings? a new crush? could it possibly be actual love?

genre + tropes : fluff. comedy. the slightest angst. childhoodbestfriends!au. enemiestolovers!au. college!au. fakedating!au. 

warnings: fem reader. a little swearing. slightly suggestive themes, sorta. a few cliches. mentions of underage drinking. the american collegiate school calendar. does them geeking out over fantasy/sci-fi sagas need a warning? unknown mutual pining. they’re so helplessly clueless of their feelings. also appearances of the rest of enha plus txt.

i. prologue

if someone told you that you would reconnect with your childhood best friend—let alone date him, you would’ve laughed in their face and told them to fuck off. park sunghoon is bad news. well, at least to you he is. one of the infamous campus playboys, you can spot him around the quad flirting with a different girl practically every day. 

but to you, he couldn’t have been anymore unlike the sunghoon you grew up with. you grew up with the sunghoon who couldn’t stand being around others, mind always focused on his own interests. you knew him as the little shy boy who would hide behind his mom whenever new people came around. the first person he opened up to was you. you can blame your mom for that. you can vaguely remember her words, something along the lines of mrs. park and i have been friends for longer than you have been alive. when we found out we were both expecting, we knew you two were destined to be besties. 

she was right. everyone thought you were two peas in a pod. wherever one of you went, the other followed. always stuck together, like true partners in crime. your close bond stuck for years. if anyone needed you, you’d most likely be found in the seats of sunghoon’s ice skating practices and competitions, cheering him on and being obnoxiously loud. likewise, he always attended your showcases, spending hours complimenting your artwork.

but then the villain of everyone’s lifetime eventually appeared. puberty. 

alas, your friendship did what anyone could predict of a couple of preteens entering high school. the usual “no matter what we’re gonna stick together!” leading to “sorry for blowing you off, got really busy,” to the imminent “what happened to us? we used to be so close,” and eventually the end of it all. senior year, the two of you attempted to leave on a good note. by that, you mean your parents made both of you apply to the same colleges to have a chance at sticking together. well, it worked, you got into the same university. funny how the universe does things.

back to present day, you’re now in your second year at hybe university. let’s just say, sunghoon isn’t the only one who went through a personality change. sunghoon traded his late night practices on the ice to one-night stands at frat parties. you, on the other hand, traded your once outgoing and fun-loving persona for a more… cold grunge meets artsy introvert. overall, let’s just say you both have reputations for not being the most approachable people. well at least you still have one thing in common.

ii. the cafe

the busy campus cafe was roaring with study groups filling every table. the aroma of fresh coffee and tea being brewed filling the air, creating a warm atmosphere—contrast to the cold winter weather just outside the walls. the college students scattered around, just like their minds scattered as they prepare for finals. not immune to the dreaded time of year, a group of four boys enter, immediately grabbing the attention of those already nestled inside.

a quick roll call of the four known by the student body as en-4, a combination of the dance crew name enhypen and the notorious f4. lee heeseung—the campus heartthrob, captain of the dance crew, center of the basketball team, and an unknown hopeless romantic. park jongseong, although everyone calls him jay—the resident bad boy and party animal, but those close to him know that he’s actually the responsible one. sim jaeyun, otherwise referred to as jake—the friendly and flirty frat boy who you can catch playing soccer in the quad almost every day. finally, park sunghoon—the handsome heartbreaker. he doesn’t need more of an introduction.

the four of them make their way to the counter, placing their orders. of course jake doesn’t miss his chance to sound extra sweet and send a quick wink to the barista, getting elbowed by heeseung in the process. after getting their drinks, they look around to see almost no where to sit. not a single table to fit all of them was available. 

in one of the tucked away areas, sunghoon spots an empty seat at a smaller table. the only catch was there was someone sitting across from it, hunched forward over her laptop. he can’t see much of her figure but he immediately recognizes her features. it’s you. well, a more mature and grown up you, but he couldn’t forget that face for the life of him.

sunghoon’s feet drag himself across the crowded room, catching the attention from the neighboring groups he passed but sneaking away quiet enough to not alarm his own friends. the three are too caught up arguing about what to do. sunghoon can hear the faint voice of jay suggesting going somewhere else while the other two shoot him down as he walks further away. he makes his way all the way up to your side. you look up, scanning him, confused but unamused. “this seat taken?” the first words he said in a year and half to you. still not not giving him any emotion, you hesitantly shake your head once, immediately bringing your focus back to your essay.

ignoring him only works for so long, his gaze not leaving the top of your head. you can feel his stare piercing into you, finally meeting his eyes. “what’s your deal?” the irritation and bluntness in your tone is all too evident.

he shrugs and answers nonchalantly, “nothing, just go along with it.” his answer is hushed, almost as if he’s a bit embarrassed.

“what are you trying to pull here, park?”

“can i not just sit here and peacefully drink my latte? am i that disturbing to you?”

“considering that the second you started walking in this direction, everyone had their eyes on us, then yes, you are that disturbing.”

“they’re not looking at us.” he pauses before continuing with his rant, “they’re looking at you.”

“and why the hell do you think that is?”

“they’re all trying to figure out what could possibly be so interesting about you that i would choose this seat.” he says it like it’s the most obvious answer.

you scoff and turn to see the lingering stares of the others in the cafe. “well, if it isn’t the god park sunghoon being as humble as ever, gracing me with his presence and having mercy on a peasant like me.” the sarcasm dripping off your tongue like venom.

he smiles warmly at your animosity and chuckles. “i’ve always loved your sense of humor.”

“funny cause i’ve always despised yours. i’m gonna ask one more time. what do you want, park?”

he only shrugs. hesitating before responding again, “i like it here. i like talking to you. it’s familiar… comfortable.” he sees your expression change subtly. it’s only for a second before you regain the prior look. he tries to read you. he caught you off guard and his pride brings a smirk to his face. 

by now, he finally tunes back into the situation around him and can feel his phone going off in his jean pocket. he pulls out the phone to see dozens of notifications, quickly stealing a glance back up at you to see that you’re already back to typing away on the previously forgotten assignment. he laughs as he sees the boys blowing up their group chat asking what he was doing. he looks up, finding the three sitting at a cramped booth with shock and confusion written all over them.

“enjoying the attention?” your turn to break the silence. when he turns back to you, you continue, “you’re no stranger to it but you’ve always loved it.” he gives you a slow nod, turning the question back to you. you answer him, “you know that it’s not my forte.”

“and why is that? scared people will get to know the real you?”

“oh please, like you aren’t afraid of me exposing all the dirt i have on you. imagine the buzz i could create with all of your old baby pics.”

he jolts up from his relaxed position, eyebrows raised, and completely on edge, “you wouldn’t dare.”

you lean forward in your seat, elbow resting on the table, cheek resting in your palm, and chuckle, “try me.” the words leaving your mouth quickly and a smile immediately replacing it.

“you’re finally smiling at me. good to know you still have emotions.” he gets you to laugh again. you spend the next 20 minutes catching up. looks like you two kept more in common than you thought. things run smoothly between the two of you, some of your old memories and inside jokes being brought up. “why didn’t this happen sooner?”

“what, us talking? i mean, you and i stopped running in the same crowd and school got the best of us. i will admit, though, freshman year sucked without you.”

he sighs when he hears your admission. “how about this? a proposition. i’m sure you’re aware that i don’t have the best reputation.”

you cut him off, “you can say that again.”

“haha, very funny,” he throws in another sarcastic comment. “you know you’re not exactly the most approachable either. hate to be the one to break it to you but you’re pretty intimidating.” he notices the expression on your face turned into one of annoyance at his last statement, “don’t look at me like that, you know it’s true.”

you dismiss the slight jab, telling him to continue. what you don’t expect is the next four words to come out of his mouth. “go out with me.” he sees your face drop, “oh come on, stop looking at me like that.”

“so i see, a little bit of time without me and you go insane.”

“look, i don’t mean actually date me, i mean… pretend to.”

again, you stare at him like he grew another head. “you want me to fake-date you? what are we, in a k-drama now? sorry hoon, you’re attractive but i would’ve preferred hwang in-youp or song kang.”

now he’s a bit annoyed, answering cockily, “i am so much better looking than them.”

“you wish.”

his jaw drops for a few seconds and then he chuckles. “i’m serious, think about it. we go out and spend time with each other like old times. i don’t look like i’m so incapable of being in a committed relationship and you don’t look like such a loner. no offense.”

“offense taken… but i see your point.”

“see, look at you using that smart brain of yours. this would be no strings attached. just two friends helping each other out while simultaneously deceiving everyone else. i know how much you love tricking others.”

you sit quietly, weighing the pros and cons in your head. “deal.”

iii. bro code

a few days later, sunghoon sits in his shared apartment with the boys, slumped on the couch as they eat dinner. “why are you guys so against it? i thought you wanted to see me in a relationship and now that i’m in one, you guys don’t approve. make it make sense. i should be free to date whoever i want.”

“yeah dude,” pausing to take a bite of his burger, “we get that.” jay answers, seeing how defensive his friend is getting.

jake interejects, “we respect your choices, but like… her? of all the girls that are falling at your feet, you chose her? the one that has no interest in you at all? i know you’re powerful but i don’t get how you managed to pull that off.”

“i feel like you could’ve consulted us about it first. bro code, man.” heeseung says as he shrugs his shoulders and sips on his soda.

“that’s kinda why i like her, because she isn’t all over me like the others. she’s cute and fun to hang out with. just give her a chance. honestly, what’s the worst that could happen? we go out and it doesn’t work. no harm in trying….”

that seems to do the trick as the boys lay off from the topic, going back to their own dinners and watching the latest episode of the penthouse.

later that night, sunghoon leaves their dorm to meet up with you. you agreed earlier that if you needed to meet up and talk that you’d go to the art department. perks of being an art major allows you a studio to spend your time in, secluded from the outside world. in this case, you and sunghoon don’t have to worry about nosy roommates.

when he arrives, he makes sure to take the back entrance like you mentioned. he makes his way through the deserted halls, glancing at each room he passes, and taking note of the various pieces framed along the corridor walls. he gets to the end of the building, finding a studio decorated with your name on the door. he silently enters. you don’t notice him at first with your back against the entrance and the music playing too loud through your airpods, focused on molding the clay on the pottery wheel. he grabs an empty stool, propping it beside you and taking a seat. he takes off one of your airpods, putting it in his own ear.

you finally turn your head towards him, “how long ago did you get here?”

“just now. how long were you waiting?”

you sit up, facing his direction. “i had a couple of classes today and came here to finish some stuff, been here for… what time is it?”

“um… almost 11.”

“then like four hours.”

“you’ve been working on that for four hours? what even is it, and when did you start doing pottery?” he points at the unfinished ceramic.

“not just that. i had some paintings that i needed to finish for my portfolio and those are in a separate room to dry. this,” you refer to the clay, “is just something i’m working on for fun. i got into it cause one of my profs suggested i try another medium.”

he nods along while you explain. “you can keep working on it while we talk.”

you hum in confirmation and turn back to the wheel, rewetting your wands. “so how do we make this believable? seems like people already know. word spreads quick when it comes to you.”

“we just need to act like a couple. so hanging out, going on dates, posting each other here and there, and being affectionate.”

“wow you finally found an excuse to kiss me,” you laugh as you joke with him, him following suit. “sounds reasonable, not much different from how we were as kids, just now we have to call them dates.”

“shouldn’t cause too many problems. just don’t fall in love with me, babe.”

you smile at the new nickname, “likewise, hoon.” you continue throwing the clay, molding it to your desired shape. you hyperfocus on the sculpture, tuning out the boy sitting next to you as he watches—he catches on that you still have the habit of pouting whenever you work on your art. you hunch forward, letting some of your hair fall in front of your face. too caught up, you don’t notice that sunghoon left his seat to stand behind you. he takes your locks and ties it into a messy ponytail. you snap out of your tunnel vision to ask, “why do you just have a hair tie handy?”

“i always had to carry some around for you because you always lost them. i never grew out of it, i guess.” he grins warmly, “do you remember how many times you had complained when you would get paint in your hair and i would have to clean it up for you?”

“how could i forget?” the night ends with more laughs and reminiscing on your childhood. time really does fly faster than you think.

iv. rated pg

the bell rings as you and sunghoon enter the convenience store. you two are discussing the movie you two just watched as you walk through the aisles. 

you split up agreeing to meet back at the register. you make your way to the drinks in the back while sunghoon goes to get snacks. you grab an iced jasmine tea for yourself and an iced vanilla latte for hoon. sunghoon yells over the stands as he browses, “hey, what should i caption for my insta post?”

you respond loudly, “i don’t know, something related to movies.”

sunghoon looks at the picture on his phone: a photo of you two snuggled up in the theater, most of your face hidden in his hoodie. he types in quickly “rated pg for park’s girl <3”, hits post, and goes back to browsing. he goes to grab bento boxes, honey butter chips, candy jellies, and practically everything his eyes landed on. 

when you make it to the cashier, you see sunghoon with his arms full. “you good there, park?”

a muffled “yup” is heard behind all the food.

you look around, walking away when you find what you needed. going closer to him, “why didn’t you just grab a basket?” you start to take some things from his arms, lightening his load. 

“i… uh… didn’t think of it.” he pauses in between, an embarrassed expression adorning his face. you giggle as you take everything to be rung up, missing how his ears turned red. you catch the worker’s name on his tag, jungwon. before you can take out your wallet to pay, sunghoon’s already entering his card into the machine. you whip your head around, ready to tell him off. “nope, do not look at me like that.” you roll your eyes at him as you grab the bag with what you just bought. 

“oh come on… you can’t seriously be mad at me.” no response from you. “really? the silent treatment?” he scoffs jokingly when you cross your arms against your chest. he comes closer to bend down and wrap his arms around your waist. “it’s snacks. it’s not that big of a deal.”

you release yourself from his grasp and walk out of the store, still faking being mad. you mumble, “whatever,” under your beath but still loud enough for him to hear.

he bids jungwon a quick “have a nice night”, not missing him calling the two of you a cute couple. sunghoon meets up with you outside, already sitting on the curb of the parking lot. 

v. pretty boy

the start of a new semester. en-4 are sitting out on the grass of the quad. surrounding them are various groups of students, typical for the buzzing campus on a crisp spring day.

“you need to cook the noodles first. end of discussion.” jake says sternly. he and heeseung are in a heated argument over the proper order of cooking ramen.

heeseung defends himself, “you are so wrong. you make the broth first to build the flavor.”

jay brings his attention up from his phone, “neither of you should be allowed anywhere near a kitchen.”

out of nowhere, a loud car horn is heard, drawing the attention of every student in the area. sunghoon looks up to find you leaning against the passenger door of your car and yelling, “hey, pretty boy! get in.” he chuckles at both the label and how bossy you sound, turning to his friends to grab his things. the three of them are stunned at him.

jake breaks first, “wait, what?”

heeseung lets go of his argument with the australian, “dude, are you seriously leaving?”

sunghoon only nods as he walks away, not letting them ask any more questions. he notices all the watching eyes and decides why not put on a show? he shouts out to you, “thought i was picking you up later, babe.” he makes sure to emphasize the nickname as his infamous smirk tells you exactly what his intentions are.

“lecture ended early, love. prof had some emergency. thought why not surprise you…” you wrap your arms around his shoulders as he reaches you and let him lay a quick peck on your cheek. “now come on, i’m taking you out on a date so either hop in or lose your chance. your choice but i don’t have that much patience so hurry up.”

“yes, ma’am,” he leans in closer and guides his hands lower from your waist. “but i’m driving,” he says as he sneakily takes your keys from your back pocket, 

“you sly fox.” he laughs at the new nickname as he opens the door, letting you sit down before closing it. he makes his way around the hood, noting that all attention is still on you two. he meets eyes with his friends again, the three looking much like the faces he saw in the cafe almost six weeks ago. as he buckles in and starts the car, you rest your hand on top of his on the gear shift. he raises his eyebrows and gives you a charming smile. “by the way, why’s your friend looking at me like that?”

he looks back up to face the boys, “which one?”

“jay. since we started doing this, he keeps looking at me weird—like weirder than the others.”

he tilts his head to the side when he realizes that jay is indeed looking in your direction, but his eyes are focused solely on you. “jay is… how should i put this? you know what i’ll tell you later. for now, tell me where to?”

vi. jukebox

the hazy red glow of the neon lights and checkered tiled floors welcomed you as you led sunghoon into the local diner. this place was a staple in your childhood, your go-to hangout spot with the aforementioned boy when you were still in your youth. 

“i will say, this is a nice surprise.”

you look up to sunghoon as he sits across from you in the vinyl booth seat, “i knew you would love it.” you laugh with each other as you get situated, seeing a young but tall—why is he so tall? he looks like he’s only a teenager—server coming towards your table.

“hey, i’m niki and i’ll be taking care of you guys today,” the giant says cheerfully. “anything i can start you guys with?”

sunghoon looks up at the boy to take your order swiftly, “two strawberry milkshakes, please.” you watch as niki nods and walks back to the counter.

“well, well, well, park… you remembered?” you question teasingly with a cocked eyebrow.

“you’ve always had a sweet tooth. no wonder you loved me so much,” his turn to turn up the typical park sunghoon charm.

you scrunch your face in annoyance, “you should become a comedian.”

“i will never get tired of your sarcasm. it really just… keeps me going.” his way of joking back. “stay here. i’ll be right back,” he says quickly as he looks behind you and gets out of his seat.

you wait patiently for him, assuming he’s just going to the restroom. unbeknownst to you, sunghoon is making his way to the jukebox on the other side of the restaurant. he flips through the song list, finally finding the one he wants. he quickly puts in the coins and sets it in the queue. as he turns to go back to you, he sees an engraving on the side. he runs his fingers along it as he inspects the writing. property of sunghoon and y/n. he thinks back to your last day of eighth grade when you two etched the label onto the wood. he joyfully walks back to your table, ready to let you know about the memory. he sits next to you now, resting his arm behind you and around your back,

“what took you so long, park?”

right as he’s about to explain, niki comes to your table, “two strawberry milkshakes. anything else i can get you two?”

you turn your head quickly to the boy sitting next to you, seeing his eyes are already focused on yours. “um… no, i, uh, think we’re good.” you stumble and stutter a bit. you watch him as he nods his head and walks away. regaining your composure, you ask sunghoon again, “so what did take you so long?”

once again, he gets interrupted. the sound of “purpose” by justin bieber playing over the speakers makes him stop. he gives you a second to register the song, “that’s why.”

you tilt your head down and look at him quizzically, “really? this is why?” you reach to your drink, sipping on the straw as you wait for his answer.

he mirrors your movement, nodding his head in confirmation. he too drinks from the tall glass, contrary to your use of a straw, he opts to drink straight from the rim. he pulls the milkshake away, leaving some on his upper lip.

you burst into quiet laughter, turning your gaze away to not spit out your own shake.

sunghoon furrows his eyebrows in confusion, “what’s so funny?”

you turn back to him, “you got a little something there, park.” you wipe away the liquid from his face with your thumb, popping into your own mouth to clean it up.”there, all good now.”

sunghoon freezes in his spot, trying to comprehend what just happened. it’s quick but he feels something. trying to shake off the foreign feeling, he turns to face forward again. he feels you lean into him, head resting on his chest. a small grin appears on his face, humming along to the justin bieber tune still playing.

“i missed hearing you sing.”

sunghoon looks down at the crown of your head, “really? you used to always tease me about it, though.”

you shake your head with a light laugh, “i never meant it. whenever you sang, it always calmed me. i used to think… if you didn’t pursue skating, you could’ve been a singer.”

“and then what? i would bring you around on tour everywhere and sneak you in backstage?”

“that could’ve been fun.” you now laugh louder than before, him along with you.

there it is again. sunghoon’s not sure what it is, trying to suppress the odd emotion. he sits there, cuddling up to you in the booth, finishing the strawberry milkshakes, just hoping you can’t hear the way his heart starts to beat faster.

sitting at the bar, snacking on fries, and trying to not be seen by you two are heeseung, jay, and jake. they ask themselves would they really be considered sunghoon’s friends if they didn’t follow them and stake out their date.

vii. nerds

sunghoon picked you up from the art department today. he showed up about ten minutes too early, and he got permission from your instructor to monitor your class from the back. he waited outside the door while you cleaned up, earning a few prying looks from your peers as they exited. as you drove back to his place, you agreed to have a movie marathon. 

opening the door to his dorm, you say “we are watching star wars. luke, leia, and han solo are a way better trio than three child magicians.”

sunghoon defends his choice, “first of all, they’re wizards. second, i’m offended. harry, ron, and hermione use magic with their wands. all star wars has is weird weapons and robots.”

“they’re literally in space and excuse you, but does something called—oh, i don’t know—the force ring any bells? they’re jedis, duh.” you rolls your eyes, making your annoyance clear.

sunghoon stops in the hall, “harry potter has spells and potions.”

“star wars has chewbacca.” you stand next to him with your arms crossed.

definitively and matter-of-factly, sunghoon says, “quidditch.”

“you can’t seriously believe quidditch is praiseworthy?” you look at him crazily.

“you two are such nerds.”

you both freeze, turning to see the rest of en-4 sitting in the living room. in the midst of your argument, you both failed to notice the others were home. you realize that jay was the one to stop you two. you also realize it’s the dreaded time for the best friends to finally meet the “girlfriend”. sunghoon seems to realize it as well, reaching to intertwine your hands to both sell the act to his roomates and to calm you down.

he leads you into the living room, meeting eyes with the boys. “so… guys, this is y/n, my girlfriend.”

“it’s so nice to finally meet you! i’m jake. sunghoon here has been holding out on us. i mean, come on, it’s been like two months and he still hasn’t introduced you to us.” the australian continues on with his energetic and positive ramble, asking you questions about your relationship.

heeseung butts in to tell jake to slow down. “i’m heeseung. jake’s right though, you two started dating before winter break and we’re barely meeting you now. sunghoon is always hanging out with you and telling us everything about it. honestly, all i can tell you is to run while you still can.” the others all laugh at his antics.

sunghoon scoffs, “hey, i’m not that bad.”

you excuse yourself to get a drink from the kitchen. you can hear jake spitting out more questions like rapid fire to sunghoon as you walk away. you reach into the fridge, fishing out a water bottle.

behind you, jay enters quietly. “you two are cute together.”

you flinch at his voice, “geez, dude. almost gave me a heart attack.”

he chuckles under his breath and leans against the counter, “sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. i met sunghoon at freshman orientation and we immediately became friends, but i’ve never seen him like this.”

“really hoping you mean that in a good way.”

“don’t worry, it is. you know… he only has a soft spot for you. the three of us are his best friends but he only ever smiles like that with you.” he sways his head back and forth as he rambles, taking a pause between his words. “stay with him. it’ll be good for everyone.”

you smile at his approval, “you wanna know something? he actually said you would be the hardest to win over. he said something about you being super protective over your friends… yet, at the same time you trust their judgement. he told me that when he and i got together, he wasn’t scared to tell you but more worried as to if you would like me.”

he smiles with you now, “that all he said about me?” he asks while raising his eyebrows in curiosity.

“he also mentioned that you’re a good cook.”

viii. proud

a professor of yours is holding their annual spring showcase for contemporary art. every year, a handful of students are chosen to join and display their art amongst other renowned artists. you happen to be one of the few, a top contender chosen for your abilities.

you’ve invited your friends, including en-4 to come by the studio and see your work—albeit a bit nervous for their reactions. you stand on watch by your section, greeting the patrons and waiting for the boys to arrive.

thankfully, they show up within the first hour of the gallery opening. they each show up looking professional and chic, sporting all-black fits—most likely at the hands of jay. sunghoon immediately finding you and leading the way for the rest. you welcome them in, explaining your collection, the concentration being “vulnerability.” the works are a mix of several mediums, majority being oil paint, each displaying a closeup of various people. the paintings show their bare faces, imperfections and blemishes with nothing to hide.

the night continues with more and more passing by, complimenting your collection. by the time the exhibition ends, you and sunghoon are the only ones left in the studio. he’s stayed in the same spot, eyeing one piece incredibly closely. throughout the entire showcase, he had kept going back to the one canvas. you join his side, linking your arm with his. “this one is my favorite,” you hear him say.

you look up to meet his eyes, “why this one?”

“because…  it’s you.” you takes your arm out and moves to stand behind you, now wrapping himself around you and resting his chin in the crook of your neck. he holds your hands in his, “i am so proud of you. times like this, i am proud to call you my best friend.” he turns his head, kissing you once on your jaw, and then pulling slightly back to kiss you again on the cheek.

you turn around, hugging him closer with your arms around his shoulders, “thank you.” you hold each other for a few minutes. when you pull away, you lock eyes. you feel your heart beating against your chest and your breathing getting faster. you snap back to reality when you feel sunghoon’s lips on yours. you’re not sure why you tangle your fingers in his hair and kiss him back or why he grabs onto your waist while backing you into the wall. he continues placing pecks on the corner of you lips, creating a trail down to your neck. when you let out a sigh and say his name, he stops. there he stands, a few feet in front of you, awkward and unsure of what to do next.

he breaks the silence, “it’s late. i should drive you back home.” he watches as you slowly nod your head. the drive back to your apartment was dead silent. you tried to occupy yourself by looking out the window.

when he drops you off, he bids you a quick goodnight. “um… text me when you get back home.” sunghoon just looks forward, muttering “ok” before leaving.

in the elevator, you look at your reflection on the metal doors. you make your way inside your place and take a seat on your bed. your mind is too busy reliving the moments with sunghoon before. you try to comprehend what you should do but find yourself too tired, instead falling asleep and missing his text.

ix. spring break

it’s currently the middle of april and the boys have made you an honorary member of en-4. you and sunghoon have been pretending to be a couple and successfully tricking everyone for the last four months.

everyone has the week off for spring break. jay, being the generous guy he is, rented out a cabin in the mountains for the now five members of your friend group. you all rode in one car on the way up, and you totally didn’t fall asleep in the middle seat while cuddling into sunghoon’s side. 

you all decide to settle into your rooms once you arrive. “so there are four rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs.” jay pauses, looking towards you and sunghoon, “i assume that you’ll be fine sharing one.”

you immediately answer, “yeah, for sure.” you look to see sunghoon avoiding your gaze, sensing knowing looks from the others. sunghoon and you already guessed that they would make the two of you share a room and truthfully, neither of you minded. growing up together meant a lot of sleepovers and sharing beds so this was no problem.

he continues on, “great, you guys can take the master bedroom on the second floor cause it has the most space. i’ll take the room next to you, heeseung and jake can take the two down here.”

everyone agrees and sets off to their assigned rooms. you and sunghoon drop your bags onto the mattress, starting to unpack. the interior is spacious, the tall glass sliding doors allow lots of natural light to come in. the room itself is cozy, king size bed with matching bedside tables, and a big fluffy area rug. you’re too distracted to notice that sunghoon has gone outside to the balcony. he leans against the railing, taking in the scenic views and the breeze, basking in the setting rust-colored sun. when you finally realize that he’s not next to you anymore, you silently make you way onto the balcony, wrapping your arms around sunghoon from behind.

he tenses up at the sudden contact, relaxing when he realizes it’s you. there it is again, his heart is acting up like at the diner. he’s noticed it more often—the way that whenever he sees you, his heart beats differently. this weird feeling in his chest, this warmth that only shows up around you. he gets lost in his thoughts, envisioning what could become of your situation.

“what’s got you so lost?”

your voice snaps him back to reality. he turns around to face you, “uh… nothing, just thinking.”

just when you want to question him further and talk about what happened at the showcase, a knock is heard on the door. sunghoon walks away, going to open the door. both of you can feel the awkward tension when he leaves his spot. 

“hey, we’re kinda hungry so we’re gonna order some food and watch a movie downstairs,” jake informs you two when the door opens. “feel free to come down and join whenever.”

“yeah, we’ll be down in a bit,” sunghoon tells him as heeseung nods before leaving you two alone again. you both finish getting settled before heading downstairs. you gather around the couch as ponyo plays on the tv and you reach for a tray of sushi. 

the night continues, the moon sitting high amongst the stars. after the movie, dinner, and some drinking games, everyone retires to their respective rooms. you plop yourself onto the bed, tired after the day’s activities. you hear sunghoon getting something from his bag along with the rustling of some plastic. you crane your head up to see him approaching you. he sits on the edge of the bed, now with fluffy headbands and face masks in hand.

you scoot back a bit, “nope. no way you are getting me to do that.”

he laughs lightly at your antics, “oh come on… let me take care of you, at least just for tonight. please.” he gives you a pleading look with pursed lips, dragging out the “please” to show how desperate he is. 

that was the deciding point that led to a spa night. you both changed into comfier clothes, you borrowed one of his hoodies and sweatpants. sunghoon got settled in closer to you and you reached for his wrist to grab one of the elastic bands. you adjusted your position to sit on your knees, reaching up to tie his hair back. he, on the other hand, took one of the headbands to bring your hair back and away from your face. 

by the time midnight rolled around, you two were snuggled under the comforter with face masks, surrounded by junk food, and on the fourth episode of some random netflix show. as the night continues, a wave of sleep starts to overtake both of you. you help each other take off the masks and clean up, getting distracted every few minutes because one of you would start messing around. the boys had stopped by to say goodnight, catching you two in the middle of a mild pillow fight. after sending them off, you fall asleep in each other’s arms, basking in the warmth of your shared embrace. heeseung had snuck in at one point and stole a few quick pictures to tease you two with.

the dawn breaking through the sheer curtains causes you to stir in bed. you turn to see the alarm clock on the nightstand say 6:02. untangling yourself from sunghoon’s grasp, you sneak outside. you climb up to sit on the rooftop, feeling the cool chill of the dewy morning. the time alone gives you a sense of serenity.

meanwhile, sunghoon moves under the covers, confused why he can’t feel you. his eyes open and he doesn’t find a trace of you in the room. worried, he gets up and quietly searches the house, making sure to not wake the others. he goes into the backyard, seeing a shadow on the ground with an unusual shape. he looks up to find you perched on the roof, facing the opposite direction. he eventually climbs up to sit next to you. he hesitates before getting closer and putting his arm around you. you sigh as you lean into him. there you both stay, watching the sun come over the horizon in a comfortable silence.

x. disaster averted

the following week, you all return to campus. needless to say, the break was well used—the days at the cabin mostly being spent at the lake or around the campfire. another day spent hanging out at en-4’s dorm after classes. sunghoon went out to pick up food for everyone. you are in his room, trying to cram for an upcoming test and failing miserably because the other three are all playing fifa way too loud.

while the boys are playing, the doorbell rings. jay gets up to check who it is, seeing a young girl and immediately recognizing her. he lets in yeji, sunghoon’s little sister. she casually joins the boys around the tv, catching up on whatever has been happening in their lives. sunghoon arrives back home within twenty minutes. 

“i’m back with the food,” he shouts out loud enough for everyone to hear including you behind his closed bedroom door. he places the plastic bags on the table, looking up to see another face. “yeji? what are you doing here?”

she gets up to greet her brother, giving him a hug, “it’s my spring break and i wanted to stop by.” sunghoon then realizes that his family doesn’t know about him becoming friends with you again or about your current situation. he drags her into the kitchen hurriedly, “ok so here’s the thing… you remember y/n?”

“of course! she’s like my big sister.”

his breath gets caught in his throat for a second, “yeah, don’t call her that. anyways, her and i are friends again,” he sees yeji’s eyes widen with excitement and continues with his explanation before she can cut him off, “and she’s my girlfriend.”

“what?!”

sunghoon panics and covers her mouth with his palm, “fake girlfriend!” he rushes out the whisper. “the guys don’t know that our relationship isn’t real and i’d like to keep it that way. they don’t even know that we were friends beforehand. yeji, i’m begging you to go along with it. please do this for me.” he clasps his hands together in front of him with a pleading expression.

the young girl crosses her arms in front of her and pretends to think about it, “hmm… fine.”

sunghoon blurts out a chant of “thank you’s” not knowing that his sister only agreed cause she always thought that you and sunghoon would’ve been a good couple. he tells her to help the others set the table while he goes to you. he quickly explains what’s happening and you’re just excited that you get to see yeji again. you both leave his room and you make your own way to the living room, spotting the other girl and exchanging glances.

yeji stops what she’s doing to turn and face you, “who’s this?”

you answer back casually, “y/n. i’m a friend of the boys, and you are?”

“yeji, sunghoon’s younger sister.” she says it proudly, bringing a grin to the aforementioned boy.

“oh, you’re yeji? hoon was right… you are pretty.”

she tilts her head and cocks an eyebrow, questioning you “why would he tell you about me?”

jake chimes in like it’s second nature, “i mean, why wouldn’t he tell his girlfriend about his sister?” he states like it’s so obvious. “they’ve been together since december.”

“girlfriend?” she takes a step back in false shock, “since december? why didn’t i know about this?” 

“what? i don’t seem like your brother’s type?”

“it’s not that. i’m just surprised he managed to get and keep a girlfriend. you’re like, way out of his league and he’s a loser.” one thing to know about yeji is that as much as she loves him, she will never miss a chance to tease her brother. 

with a scoff, you finally hear sunghoon join in beside you, “not gonna lie, that one hurt a little.”

“i’m so telling mom,” she says with a mischievous smirk.

you laugh at sunghoon’s shocked face and smile at the younger park, “i like you, i think we’ll get along just fine.”

“i like you, too.” she looks at sunghoon, “keep her.”

everyone laughs at the interaction as they settle in to eat. sunghoon sits to your right while yeji sits on your left, wondering how his two favorite girls learned to be such good actresses.

xi. returning the favor

fast forward another month, the end of the semester means the dreaded finals week again. sunghoon has been, for lack of a better word, slacking on some of his classes and is now juggling to prepare for exams and revisions. couple that with yeji telling his mom about your “relationship” and her nonstop questions, all of this stress has been piled on. this all amounting to him getting sick. 

now, sunghoon being sunghoon means that he pushed everyone away and hasn’t told you about his condition. luckily for him, you’ve been cooped up in your studio trying to finish your portfolio and also prepare for your exams. unluckily for him, the boys have gotten worried and heeseung called you. 

which brings us to the present, sunghoon stuck in bed with a fever, congestion, and neglected notes. a knock on his door does nothing to help his headache but seeing your face meekly peek in makes him relax. “what are you doing here?” he asks hoarsely.

“did you really think i wouldn’t find out?”

he avoids your glare, “i didn’t want you to worry.”

“honestly i’m not upset that you’re sick, but that i had to hear it from your roommates.” you come closer to him, clearing out the scattered papers and textbooks from atop his bed. you sit on the edge, taking out some medicine and cooling packs that you picked up from the convenience store.

“you really don’t have to do this,” he twiddles his fingers in embarrassment.

you tie back his hair and place one of the packs on his forehead, “you’ve always been the one taking care of me, so i might as well return the favor.” 

you busy yourself with getting the cough medicine ready and sunghoon takes an actual look at you. he notices that you’re wearing his old skating jacket, the same one he gave you at your high school graduation. he makes more room under the covers, allowing you to come closer and lay next to him. he drapes one arm over you and holds onto the end of the jacket sleeve, “i can’t believe you kept this.”

“we stopped hanging out and we weren’t in each other’s lives for a year and a half after being together basically since birth,” you pause, a little saddened thinking back. “this was the last thing i ever got from you. it’s all i had left.”

he brings you closer, neither of you caring if you got sick. “well… now you have me again. for good.”

xii. the party

the end of the school year has finally arrived. some seniors from the txt frat are hosting a big party to celebrate. of course, en-4 was invited—mostly thanks to heeseung being close with them. although you have made more friends and now have a more active social life, parties are still not your thing. 

yet, much to your dismay, being friends with designated party people means that you’re getting bombarded with pleas to go regardless. sunghoon took the lead on convincing you, “please, i promise that it’ll be fun.” the boys join in, their voices overlapping. sunghoon practically tackles you onto your couch while pouting and furrowing his eyebrows in desperation.

“stop looking at me like that. i can’t think properly when you do that.”

right on cue, the boys start to tease you. jay clears his throat and jake makes kissing noises, meanwhile heeseung starts singing y/n and sunghoon sitting in a tree… while you just glare at them.

“if i say i’ll go, will you all leave me alone?” 

they all shout “yes” in unison. which is how you ended up at the crowded frat house. although they had begged you to come, they practically abandon you and sunghoon when you get there. jake had yelled back to you that his friend sunoo from his econ class called them over for beer pong.

you and sunghoon find a big bean bag in the corner and stay there for a bit. he offers to get you both some drinks and leaves to the kitchen. you’re not sure how long he’s gone but you eventually get uncomfortable. you start wandering the house for some space to get some air. you find an empty room and make your way into the connected bathroom to wash your face. you take some deep breaths, then realizing that you didn’t tell sunghoon. as you’re about to step out, he enters the room.

“i figured you would want some space.”

“how’d you know where i was?”

he comes up closer to you, “in the sea of people, in this mess, in this frenzy… i will always find you. no matter what happens or who comes into my life, i always find my way back to you.”

“what the hell is that even supposed to mean, park?”

“i mean…” he stops to compose himself, “oh for fucks sake, i’m tired of this being pretend. i’m tired of being allowed to call you my girlfriend in public but not treat you like it in private. when i kissed you at the showcase, i had wanted to do that for so long, and i’ve been wanting to do even more.”

“sunghoon, look-”

“wait, i’m not done. what i’m trying to say is that i want you to be my girlfriend, for real this time—not as a joke, not as a trick. i want us to be together as an actual couple because i like you, a lot more than you could believe-”

you cut him off this time, kissing him like he did all those weeks ago. you kissed him in the way that you weren’t sure what words to say other than, “i would love to be your girlfriend.”

sunghoon shines with the biggest smile, picking you up and spinning around. when he lets you down, he incessantly leaves pecks all over your face. he holds you close, “now, how about we go enjoy the party?”

you nod and lead him hand in hand towards the door. you turn the nob, only to have the three remaining members of your friend group fall at your feet. heeseung landing on top, shouting out, “i fucking knew it!”