#coming on the trip and nervous in our first meeting introducing ourselves

[simply-wlw-kpopstan]

Part 2 you can find part 1 here

Finding you wasn't hard for yujin since she knew you like the back of her hand, the problem was introducing herself. She's watched you for years, she knew where you would be at this hour if your friends didn't drag you out but even then she'd know where to find you. Your friends always dragged you to the same club once in a while and today was no different.

"come on y/n! Let's go out and find you a girlfriend" said lily aka your best friend.

"Oh come on, don't you want to meet your special person? They're not just going to show up you know!" Haewon called from the kitchen.

"they might!"

"you mean that girl you bumped into last month?" lily gave you a look, "have you seen her again since then?"

"no" you sighed, "i'm starting to think I made her up or something"

"maybe that wasn't meant to be." lily shrugged, "come on, please go out with us?" She pouted and haewon joined in with her big brown eyes.

"fine"

And just like before you show up at the club, dance and drink with your friends and just let loose for the night. Well that was until you saw her again, it almost felt like time stood still but in reality it was you who just stopped everything you were doing. Yujin had already spotted you when she entered and when you looked at her she smiled. Neither of you payed any attention to your surroundings as you gravated towards eachother, "hi" she smiles down at you

"hi," you smiled, "i'm y/n"

"yujin" she bit her bottomlip as she couldn't contain her giddiness any longer, "nice to see you again"

"Yeah, it is. I've never seen you here before?"

"I recently moved here" she had to pretend you were a stranger to her, "what about you? Are you from around here?"

"I am, I live close-by with two of my closest friends." you didn't hide your wandering eyes as you take her in. She really was beautiful but she had this magnetic pull towards her, you couldn't lay your finger on it but you swear you know her from some where else other than the falling Into her arms," This is going to sound crazy but I feel like I know you from somewhere? Outside of our first meeting ofcours"

"I've been around here a few times before. Used to come her with my father during his business trips when I was younger." she let her eyes trail over your body, " Are you here with someone?"

"with friends but we've been here for a few hours already." you couldn't help but wanting her for yourself. Lily and haewon wouldn't mind if you'd leave with her, in fact they'd probably push you out the door and scream you kids have fun after you.

"want to get out of here?" as you raised an eyebrow she realized how that sounded, "sorry, I didn't mean it like that you know. I meant to just get out of here and get some fresh air and stuff."

"do you always ramble out words like this?" you grinned, thinking you had the upper hand.

"never, I guess you just make me nervous." you both laughed and made your way to the exit. As you walked Into the street, the cold night air hits your face and woke you up. You quickly sent haewon and lily a text saying you met the girl again and were now leaving, haewon just send a fire emoji and a winky smiley face with their tongue out. "so... Would you like to go get milkshakes?"

"where do you get milkshakes at this hour?"

"you have a point, what if we make them ourselves?" She suggested with a smile, convenience store's are open right now and they sell everything we need. "

" why not" you shrugged and made your way to the closest store. Yujin grabbed 2 cups and milk while you went to grab the agreed flavor of ice cream. She quickly payed for everything and you both sat down at the window.

"alright, behold the best milkshake you will ever have" she grinned as she scooped ice cream out of the tub and Into your cups.

"I doubt it'll be the best i'v ever had." you watch her as she added milk to the slowely melting scoops.

"these will be the best because... ," she took a pair of chopsticks from the counter and began stirring it, "I made them with love."

You chuckled at the cheesy line but still accepted the drink when she slipped it closer to you. "is this how you pick up girls? Make them milkshakes?"

"honestly I've never done this before." she looks down at her shake as she stirs her straw, "I've always been on the outside. Watching people fall in love."

"Oh," you were a bit surprised at the honest answer. How was that possible? She was so attractive, it was hard to imagine her being single for her whole life but then again you weren't any better, "I know how that feels. I've met some people but never really connected with them on that level. My friends were all finding their lover's while I stood at the sideline."

"Do you believe in a soulmate?" you slightly choked on your drink as the words came out of her mouth.

"Uhm, I don't know. Like romantic or..."

"No specific thing just a soulmate. What do you think it means?"

"I guess for me," you stopped and thought about it, "maybe a person that you just connect with instantly? Friends can be soulmates too so I don't think it's supposed to be romantic. Just a person who you can talk to, unfiltered and you don't have to worry about saying the wrong thing."

"do you have one?" She carefully sips her drink as she looked at you.

"no, I don't think I do. I love my friends but I feel like you would know when they're you soulmate. What about you?"

"To me a soulmate is that person you can't forget about. No matter what happens they're constantly on your mind and you want the best for them even if that isn't you."

"do you have one then?"

"I think I might" she smiled slightly as she nibbled on her straw.

"what happened? If I may ask ofcours"

"promise you won't think I'm weird?" She asked and you looked at her confused but still nodded your head nonetheless. " There was this girl I saw years ago. I was with my dad and as he was working I saw the most beautiful girl I've ever seen but I couldn't go and talk to her. I kept thinking about her and I still do 'till this day. so I moved here in the hopes of seeing her again. "

" you saw her here? "

" Yeah, she was with 2 of her friends. " yujin wanted to tell you everything but knew she couldn' t so she opted for the other choice, rewrite the story in a normal way.

"have you seen her again then?"

"I think I have, she grew up though but then again so have I" should she admit it was you or would that be too bold? what if she scared you away?

"This might sound weird but the girl you saw back then, did she by any chance ride an awfully bright pink bike?" you hated that bike but it was a hand me down from your older sister. A few months after you got it you and your friends painted over it with a cheap spray can. You remember that day cristal clear as you had biked from you house to the main part of town but something always bugged you about that day but you couldn't remember what.

"not that u know of," yujin shook her head, "I think I was around 15? When I saw her she was hanging out with some friends at the waterfountain. One of her friends fell in and they took the other one with them and the girl I saw stood their laughing at them."

Realization dawned on you that you were the girl. You remember that day because you keep teasing jimin about it, she had fallen over her own two feet and tugged minjeong into the water with her. That was the moment you knew they liked eachother, they layed in the fountain as they kept looking at each other without saying a word but with shy smiles on their faces. "what did you mean with you think you have?"

Yujin didn't know how to answer, she really screwed that one up for herself. "I just..." she looked down at your hand as you placed it on top of hers.

"tell me, what were you doing at the club tonight? You were there on your own right?"

"Yeah, I just arrived when I saw you."

"you just arrived and then immediately leave with me the minute you see me?" you gently pulled her hands closer to you, "when did you realize I was the girl?"

"I always knew." she closed her eyes at the mistake she just made, "I mean, when you bumped Into me."

"I see." you smiled at her cute flustered demeanor, "so, in your eyes I'm your soulmate?" you leaned in a little and yujin's eyes drift towards your lips as she gulped.

"w-what?" She couldn't focus on anything but your lips, they looked so soft and she just wanted to kiss you.

"Do you think I'm your soulmate?" you grinned as you kept leaning in. Yujin just kept staring at your lips as she licked her own. "yujin?"

"Yeah ?" her eyes never wavered from your lips.

"what are you waiting for?" you catch her breath hitching, "kiss me already" She didn't need you to tell her twice and leaned in. After all the years craving for your kiss she finally had it, she was kissing the girl she fell in love with all those years ago and if it weren't for your soft lips against hers she would scold herself for waiting this long. You pulled away slightly and ran a hand through her hair, " If this happens everytime you make me a milkshake they really are the best."

Yujin smiled, "that can easily be arranged, all you need to do is ask." and sealed your lips with another kiss. She wondered if her dad was doing a happy dance when he read you had your first kiss with your soulmate and then pulled away as the second thought ruined everything for her. Her parents would know Everything, Includding when you would sleep together for the first time.

"are you okay?" you got worried as she looked uncomfortable, "did I do something wrong?"

"NO!" She was very quick to reassure you, "no I just... I remembered something my dad said and then him being in my head kind of ruined the moment for me?"

You laughed at the confession, "that's a very valid reason." she smiled and linked her hand with yours as you kept talking to one another. After all these years she finally found you and she couldn't be happier than she was. She finally had the girl and that without her father's help. She wondered if he would shoot you with an arrow or if that wouldn't be necessary. Her mother fell for her father without the help of an arrow so did that mean when mortals fall in love with an immortal being they wouldn't need the arrow? She put that thought to the side and enjoyed your presence for now, she'd visit her parents soon enough and then she would be able to ask them everything and perhaps ask her mother to hide your paper from her father.

[alexracheltravel]

Interlude: Vietnam -> Cambodia

Here we are at the Saigon Airport waiting for our flight to Siem Reap. While we wait, we want to take this moment to reflect on our first week in Vietnam. We started in Hanoi where we experienced great Vietnamese food, a truly majestic countryside, and witnessed some minor cultural moments of the northern part of the country. We introduced ourselves to the country on our first day through a street food tour, and the following day we traveled to Ninh Binh to see the stunning limestone mountains, followed by more of the Hanoi nightlife. That was sadly all we got to see from the north, and on day three we traveled to Saigon. Within minutes took the opportunity to have our first southern Vietnam pho and explore District 1, where we were staying. The following day was another travel day, this time to Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. What an experience that was! On our final day, we rested and explored Ho Chi Minh City, where we traveled far and wide to explore alleyways, shops, and temples. Today, we leave Vietnam with our bellies and hearts full and ready for the next leg of the adventure. But we can’t do that until we do our classic Alex and Rachel rankings.

Food

Alex:

1. Bahn Mi from Huynh Hoa

2. Pho Le

3. Pho Hang Giay

4. Egg Coffee in Hanoi

5. Summer rolls from Nem in Hanoi

(Honorable mention: all of the fresh fruit)

Rachel:

1. Pho Le

2. Summer rolls from Nem in Hanoi

3. Banh Gia from a vendor in District 3 HCMC

4. Pho Hang Giay

5. Bahn Mi from Huynh Hoa

(Honorable mentions: fresh passionfruit, and the hotel banh xeo)

Sights/Experiences

Alex:

1. Ben Tre trip (too hard to pick just one part)

2. Trang An boat ride

3. Street food tour in Hanoi

4. Pasteur Street Brewing Company (Hanoi location)

5. Jade Emperor Pagoda

Rachel:

1. Trang An boat ride

2. Row boat through small waterway in Mekong Delta

3. Street food tour in Hanoi

4. Mekong Delta boat ride with fresh fruit

5. View from the top Hang Mua 

Key Memory you will take with you

Alex - One key memory would be meeting the war veteran who liberated Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge. He recently had a heart attack and getting to talk to him felt very special. I feel like that’s an experience people hardly ever get to encounter.

Rachel - I was very emotional on the boat ride in Trang An. It was so peaceful and beautiful and incredible to see in person with the temples nestled in and amongst these huge limestone mountains coming straight out of the water. 

-

Rachel: So today we leave Vietnam. How are you feeling my love?

Alex: I really feel that I saw a lot of what this country has to offer and while I didn’t get the “full” Vietnam experience, the only way to experience more would be to live here for a significant period of time. However, I can’t do that, I would miss the cold and the snow too much. 

Rachel: This is the hottest place that we are going on our trip. I feel very similarly, that we saw a lot in one week and navigated it with love, support, and leading from a place of respect and curiosity. 

Alex: Oooo, I like that! Overall Vietnam was much better, more fun, and just nicer than I had ever expected. The traffic was crazy, but we only saw one very small collision. I’ve seen more in New York!

Rachel: I also thought the country would be very different. We heard about the air pollution and difference in food preparation and I was really nervous about what that would feel like. So what I didn’t anticipate was how much it felt like walking down the streets was simply entering a community that valued quick access to delicious food, prioritization of fresh fruit and herbs, and a real respect for a few key dishes. 

Alex: I think we could have an entirely separate list of our favorite fruits. Number one would definitely be passionfruit and my number two would be jackfruit. 

Rachel: Before this trip you said you had never had a fresh passionfruit. Tell me, how do you feel on the other side?

Alex: When have you had fresh passionfruit?

Rachel: I think in either Costa Rica or Guatemala. 

Alex: Okay, that makes sense. How do I feel? I feel sad that I don’t get to have this on a daily basis. It is incredibly delicious, the tropical flavors of a mango, the tartness of pomegranate, and it is the easiest fruit to eat because it comes in its own bowl. 

Rachel: Speaking of mangos, one of my favorite mangos was on the board in the Mekong Delta, it was just so delicious. Also, Alex had two bites of a banana! So you know it has to be good!

Alex: We haven’t even talked about coconut yet. Coconut has transformed into a really special fruit after this week.

Rachel: Yesterday, when we were walking in the hot sun and a man gave us fresh coconuts that had been chilling in a cooler all day, I have never felt more revitalized! 

Alex: Bottled coconut water just isn't the same. 

Rachel: Ain’t that the truth. So, as we wind down, if someone was traveling to Vietnam, what would be the one thing you would tell them they had to do?

Alex: Go on at least one tour. It’s fun to explore a city, but you learn so much more with a guide and these days they really are just guides, they show you what is good, what to look out for, and they are just there to enrich the experience. I don’t think you need a guide for everything, but one tour guide experience will make traveling a lot easier and more enjoyable. Which is true, I think there are a lot of people who say they don’t want tours but really it was so helpful.

Rachel: Agree and I will add that leaving the cities was our favorite part. I don’t know if I would have wanted to stay outside the city, because they offered so much amazing food and energy but the beauty of the country I felt most when we went to the countryside. 

Alex: That’s a really good point. 

Rachel: Any final concluding words before we find a nice place to sit for the next hour?

Alex: Vietnam is more than just about communism, the war, and all the conflicts of the 20th century. It’s filled with people who have carved their culture apart from China or Japan, the same way that rain carves its way down a limestone mountain. It’s a country best experienced at a fast pace. And it’s as good as everyone says.

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Hero Complex | Owen Patrick Joyner

Requested by anonymous: Hi!! Can you do one where the reader is Jeremys little sister and she comes to set and hits it off with Owen and they start to hang out a lot and Jeremy gets really protective of her

A/N: I hope this is what you were looking for! 

Pairing: Owen Patrick Joyner x Little Shada!Reader, Jeremy Shada x Little Sister!Reader

Warnings: fluff, big fight, anxiety 

Words: 7,084

Reader’s POV

Jeremy and I have been the best of friends ever since the day I was born. He might be my older brother, but I’ve always considered him more like my best friend. We used to play games together when we were younger where I’d pretend to be a princess and he was the knight protecting my castle from dragons and dangerous monsters. Or, when we were in a swimming pool, I’d pretend to be a mermaid and he was my dolphin. We played so many pretend games, I’d lost track of most of them. When we got older and made a lot of new friends, we still tried to take at least one night in the week where we’d spend time together, whether it was watching movies together or jamming or just chatting about absolute nonsense or going out together. I even got to be his best (wo)man when he married Carolynn about a month ago, and we’ve been calling each other non-stop since he started this new project of his with Netflix called Julie and The Phantoms. I helped him prepare for his audition and was equally as excited as he was when he got it. This role was written for him. Though, when bootcamp and filming started, it did mean I’d have to miss him for a very long time since he was all the way in Vancouver for months on end. So, now I’ve come up with the idea to go and visit him and Carolynn in Canada. I’d called Carolynn to help me out and surprise him. She picked me up from the airport just a few minutes ago, and as we’re catching up in the car, I can’t help but feel giddy at seeing my brother again. It feels ages since I’ve last seen him at his wedding. That’s also when I saw the rest of the cast last. Jeremy had introduced me to the ones that were at the party, and I loved hanging out with them. It felt like being introduced to one big family that quickly became part of my own family. That was one fun night, but that’s all it was. One night of spending time with all these people and then never hearing or seeing them again. To be fair, they were all really busy with rehearsals and filming and everything. “Are you ready?” Carolynn asks when we’re at the door of their Vancouver apartment. “Yes!” I reply in a hushed voice, just to make sure Jeremy doesn’t hear me. Carolynn unlocks the door and walks in first, I follow suit. My eyes dart around quickly to take in as much as possible before the two of us turn a corner to the living room here Jeremy’s on the couch, watching something on the tv. “What’re you watching, bro?” His head snaps up at the sound of my voice, his eyes widening as he takes in my presence. “No way!” he exclaims as he gets up quickly and rushes over to me, taking me in his arms in a bone-crushing hug. “I can’t believe you’re here!” he mumbles in my ear as he twirls me around. “I wanted to surprise you,” I tell him as he puts me down again, taking my hands in his instead. “I don’t go back to college until like next week, so I figured, why not?” I’m overexplaining again, I know it. Jeremy doesn’t care how I’m here, he just cares that I’m here. “You wanna come to Set with me today?” he asks with this sparkle in his eyes he only gets when he’s really excited about something. “I’m sure the others would love to see you again!” I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips as I think about how much fun they all were at the wedding. There’s no denying that I’d love to see them again too. So, I nod my head eagerly, earning an excited squeal from the boy in front of me. “The driver will be here in half an hour, you need some time to freshen up after your flight?” “Yes, please!” Carolynn guides me to the bathroom where she puts out a pair of towels for me. I shoot her a thankful smile and when she’s out of the bathroom, I get into the shower. Once I’m all dressed and ready to go, the driver is already in front of the building. “Hey, Darren,” Jeremy greets as he gets in. “My little sister’s coming with me today.” He buckles himself into the seat as I do the same. “Hi, I’m Y/N, it’s nice to meet you,” I say to the driver. He gives me a kind smile through the rearview mirror, letting out a small ‘hi’. He must not be very talkative. “What scenes are you filming today?” I ask my brother instead whilst the driver heads down to the next stop. “I think there’s a gig scene we’re filming today,” he answers, and the car comes to a standstill. “We’ve got about ten more minutes before Charlie and Owen head down. You want some coffee?” My eyes bulge out of their sockets at the thought of caffeine alone. I’ve been up for so long, I could use a good shot of wakeup-juice. “Guess that’s a yes. Let’s go!” he lets out a chuckle before getting out of the car with me in tow. “Do I need to remember anything I can or can’t do on set?” I ask the only thought that’s been haunting my mind since coming up with this idea. I knew he was going to have to work, and I also knew he would want to bring me to set. As a newbie to this entire world of filming a show, I worried I would be in the way or say the wrong things or break something. I knew I needed some pointers from my best friend to calm me down. “Just try not to trip over anything, Clumsy,” he simply answers before turning to the barista. This coffee shop seems really quiet at this time of the day, there are no customers at the counter. Just a few at the tables, most of them with their laptops open. “A large coffee with two extra espresso shots, and a medium black coffee to go, please,” he tells the man behind the counter. “Can I get your names, please?” he asks with the pen in hand. “You can write Shada on both of them,” Jeremy answers. The man nods his head curtly before scribbling down the name on both cups.  He pays the barista and then moves to the end of the counter, pulling me along.  “Filming with Kenny Ortega is really chill, Lil’ One, no need to worry,” he reassures me, taking me into a side-way hug, planting a kiss to my hair. “I’m just really nervous to be on a set, does that sound ridiculous?” I ask, twisting the bracelet around my wrist. It’s the one I got from Jeremy and Carolynn for Christmas last year. “No, I think that’s pretty normal. I ought to bring you to set more often, get you used to it all.” “Yeah,” I agree in a hushed voice, going over every possible situation that could go wrong. My train of thought is interrupted by the barista calling out our last name, sliding the two cups over at us. I grab the large cup whilst Jeremy takes his, and exit the joint to head back to the car. “Oh, seems like we’re right on time,” he points out, waving at two boys near the car. The brunette I know as Charlie, waves back before hopping into the front seat next to Darren. The blonde guy, better known as Owen, doesn’t get in yet, and instead waits for us to reach the car. He holds the door open for me, letting me get in first before hopping in himself. Jeremy jogs to the other side, getting in there. Now I’m squeezed between the two boys, clutching my coffee as if my life depends on it. “It’s good to see you again, lil’ Shada,” Charlie says, turning to face us. I giggle at the nickname. They’d called me that at the wedding. The entire night. “Surprising your big brother?” I nod my head in response. “Yeah, I didn’t have anything better to do, so… Came to annoy my brother and his buddies at work.” This makes all three boys laugh, which, not going to lie, makes me feel ten times more at ease. I thought seeing the boys again would be awkward. It’s anything but that. They make me feel so relaxed, and as though I’m a part of their group. Once we’re at the set, Jeremy introduces me to most of the crew and the rest of the cast, but especially Kenny Ortega. “Oh, look at that! Lil’ Shada’s here!” he says, opening his arms for a hug, which I gladly give him. I did meet him at the wedding, but it was so brief, I didn't think he’d remember me. “Hi, Kenny!” I greet excitedly and then let go of him. “You don’t mind if I hang around the set the next couple of days, right?” He inspects me from head to toe, eyebrows raised, and I can’t help the anxiety that’s welling up inside of me. I knew I shouldn’t have come over, I knew this was a bad idea. Kenny doesn’t want me here. I’m just going to be in the way of his mastermind working its magic on this show. I’m going to be a distraction for the actors, especially Jeremy. “Of course I don’t mind, Lil’ Shada! Jeremy's family is my family!” The pressures and intrusive thoughts wash away immediately. Those are the words I needed to hear. I sometimes think I need too much affirmation and confirmation, that other people get annoyed. My therapist told me that’s just my anxious brain speaking. He said if I want confirmation, I need to ask for it. Jeremy has been a great sport in my mental health journey from the very beginning. He took me to my sessions, did the exercises my therapist gave me with me. He’s always making sure I’m okay and gives me the confirmation I need whenever he feels I need it. Which is always at the right moment. “See, Lil’ One? Told you it would be okay!” I shoot both the men a thankful and relieved smile. Kenny places a hand on my shoulder as he passes me, leaving Jeremy and me all by ourselves. “You wanna go to makeup and wardrobe with me?” he asks, to which I nod. He then grabs my hand and leads me to the destined trailer. The second I step inside, I hear an ear-piercing screech coming from one of the chairs, and before I know it, I’m engulfed in a group hug by two pairs of arms. The sweet floral scent entering my nose tells me who it is without having to look at them. Savannah Lee May and Victoria Caro. “Hi, girlies,” I giggle, hugging them back equally as tight. The two let go of me, keeping me at arms length to inspect my entire being. Their make-up is only half done, Savannah’s hair is curled to perfection whilst Tori’s is put up in curlers. “I can’t believe you’re here, Lil’ Shada!” Savannah says, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “We were just talking about you last night,” she points at Tori, who nods vigorously. “Yeah! We were wondering when we’d see you again because we missed you after your brother’s wedding!” the smaller girl explains. My heart melts at the idea of these two girls caring so much about me, they’re wondering when they’d see me again. “Aw, you guys! I missed you too!” I pout, trying my hardest not to start crying from happiness. “Hey! What about us?!” Owen’s voice sounds from the back of the trailer. I turn around to find him in the last chair, getting his hair done. “I missed you too, Owen, but I already saw you earlier!” I tell him whilst making my way to Madison and Jadah in the other chairs. I hug them each from behind, making sure not to ruin their neatly-done hair. “Yeah! But you didn’t say you missed us!” he exclaims. His bottom lip sticks out in a pout. Shaking my head, I make my way towards him and place my hands on his shoulders as I stand behind him. “I thought that was a given,” I whisper in his ear and then turn again to find Sacha and my brother near the doorway. The latter is looking at me with happiness emanating from his eyes. “Hey, Sacha!” I offer the boy a wave, which he returns with a smile. A busy-looking woman squeezes past me towards Owen, so I take a step back to give her more room. I watch her as she plays around with his hair, using spritzes of hairspray to keep it in place. I always loved doing other people’s hair when I was younger. I braided all of my cousins’ hair or used curlers on them whilst playing ‘hair-dresser’. My love for hairdressing went out the door as I got older and more anxious, but seeing this woman play around with Owen’s hair so determinedly, it reawakens the desire and enthusiasm. “This is Teresa,” Owen says when he catches me staring at his head and Teresa’s fingers. “She’s a magician when it comes to hair.” Teresa shoots me a kind smile through the mirror, which I nervously return. They caught me staring, that must’ve been a weird -- and kind of creepy, let’s be honest -- sight. “Y/N used to dream about becoming a hairdresser,” Jeremy informs them when he’s taken a seat in one of the chairs too. As both Teresa and Owen look at me with surprise in their eyes, I feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “You wanna give it a try?” Teresa asks, stepping aside from Owen. I open my mouth in pure horror, not knowing what to tell her. There’s no way I could ever do what Teresa’s doing. What if I mess it up entirely? What if I ruin all the work Teresa has put into his hair? What if I ruin Owen’s hair? “There’s not much you can do wrong with Owen’s hair. It pretty much just does what you ask,” Teresa tries to reassure me after probably seeing the absolute horror in my face.  I glance at Owen in the mirror. He gives me an encouraging nod. “Okay…” I mumble and step up to his chair. “How do you need his hair?” I ask Teresa. Owen’s character Alex probably has a specific way to how he wears his hair. He’s a ghost from the 90’s, I’m sure it’s a little different from his usual hairstyle. “Leonardo DiCaprio from Titanic,” Teresa simply replies, which is enough for me to know. I nervously raise my fingers to Owen’s head, suddenly anxious about the fact that I’m going to be touching this attractive man’s hair. My eyes dart over to his reflection in the mirror, our eyes locking. He licks his lips before they curl up into a smile that gives me enough encouragement to just go for it. I play around with it a little and grab a comb to guide me before asking the hairspray. Teresa hands me the bottle and I spritz some more of the product onto his blonde locks. Though Teresa has already done the works, pretty much, I’m just left with the finishing touches. It takes me about five minutes to get it in perfect shape. “You can tell you’ve had years of practice,” Teresa says, impressed at my work. “I mean, you pretty much did the gist, I just… finished it…” I trail off shyly. I avert my eyes from Teresa to Owen, who’s checking himself out in the mirror. “No offense, T,” he starts, turning to Teresa, “But I think someone’s coming for your job.” I’m frozen to the floor from the compliments that I don’t even move when Owen gets up from his chair and turns around. Suddenly, he’s mere inches away from me and all I can do is crane my neck to look up at him. A vibe I never felt around him when I first met him surrounds us now, resting down on us like a blanket. I don’t know why this is happening or how, but all I can see for a good minute is Owen and his tender smile. Until he places his hands on my waist, picks me up, and puts me down again a feet further. “I gotta go,” he says with a smile, “See you around, Lil’ Shada.” He boops my nose. The sudden movement startles me a little. I watch him walk out of the trailer before I come back from my daze and find everyone else in the trailer looking at me. “What?!” I ask, confused at why I’m being stared at. “What was that about?” Jadah asks, chuckling as she turns to face me. “What was what?” I ask again, seriously unaware what had just happened. “You, pretty much drowning in Owen���s eyes,” Madison reminds me. The thought of Owen’s eyes looking into mine just minutes ago warms me up from the inside out. Especially the nose-boop. “What?! No, I wasn’t,” I deny, but I don’t think I can hide it from either of these people. Thank God Jeremy had left before Owen. He would not have liked that. Jeremy is an amazing brother, but he can get a little overprotective when it comes to love-interests. “I’m gonna go…” I cough awkwardly, trying to come up with a good excuse, “Find my brother…” That feeling I had in that trailer doesn’t subside for the rest of the day. Sometimes I think it does, and then Owen looks my way or sends me a wink from the other side of the room and I’m back to feeling absolutely and utterly mushy. “Hey, you wanna go get lunch with us, Lil’ One?” Jeremy asks around noon when they’re done filming the scene. I take a look behind him, Owen and Charlie standing there, awaiting my answer. I lock eyes with Owen again, and he offers me a beautiful smile that persuades me. “Yeah, sure,” I reply and link my arm with Jeremy’s. The two other boys fall into step with us, Owen on my left, Charlie on Jeremy’s right. “Where are the others?” I ask. Not that I don’t like the idea of having lunch with these three boys. I just really like hanging out with the others too. “They had to start filming another scene, they had lunch earlier,” Jeremy informs me as we enter the restaurant on the other side of the street from the lot.  Owen takes a seat next to me while Jeremy and Charlie sit down on the opposite side of the table. “So, Lil’ Shada,” Charlie starts after we’ve ordered our food and drinks. “I heard you did Owen’s hair this morning…” I am taken aback by his subject of choice, especially since he makes it sound so teasing. My eyes dart from my brother to Charlie and back, unsure of what to say. Owen jumps to the rescue then, feeling me tense up beside him. “Yeah, she did a wonderful job! Her fingers are kinda like magic.” I look up at him, earning a smile from him in return. “Yeah, well, what can I say? It’s a talent,” I flip my hair over my shoulder confidently, though in my mind I’m wondering where all this confidence comes from. Even Jeremy is a little surprised by it whilst the other boys just laugh. “Maybe you should ask Kenny to start next week,” Charlie suggests with an excited grin. “Yeah! Then you could stay with us longer!” Owen’s enthusiasm dazzles me even more so than the words that come out of his mouth. He wants me to stay longer… “I still have to get through college, you guys. I can’t just quit?” I’m catapulted back into reality as those words roll off my mouth. “Do you know how much college costs?!” Owen and Charlie share a glance, wondering if either one of them knows. “I’m an actor, Lil’ Shada, so no…” Owen whispers in my ear without breaking eye contact with his buddy on the other side of the table. I let out a laugh, shaking my head in amusement. “How long are you staying?” Charlie then asks, his eyes flickering from me to Owen and back. “A week. I start college again next Monday,” I reply when the waitress finally brings us our food. “Thank you,” I say to her with a smile, the others doing the same. “So, you’re just gonna stay a week?” Owen queries before taking a bite from his lunch. “Yep… Going home on Sunday,” I answer. The disappointment in his face is prominent. “But I might come back soon if Jeremy will let me.” My eyes dart over to my brother, who hasn’t said much since we sat down. “Can’t really say no to Lil’ Shada, can I?” My lips curl up in thankfulness. “Besides, I think the rest of the cast would hate my ass if I took you away from them.” His eyes flick towards Owen for a split second. He has caught on to the vibe Owen and I have been giving off towards each other. Maybe it’s not just in my mind. “That’s very true,” Owen agrees, his mouth full of food. I turn my head to look at him, eyebrows raised at his immature way of eating his food. My eyes then fall on his chin, which has a little dressing seeping down it. I raise my hand and swipe my finger across his skin, taking the sauce away. He freezes at that moment, halting mid-chew. “Dressing,” I show him before licking it off my thumb. He swallows harshly and when I look back at the boys on the other side of the table, they’re staring at me too with wide eyes. “Someone ought to get this dude a bib,” I joke, trying to take the tension away. Charlie lets out a laugh, nodding his head agreeingly before turning back to his food. My brother, however, just raises his eyebrows at me. He doesn’t love the idea of his little sister being intimate with anyone. Especially not one of his best buddies. I can’t help it though. I’m a twenty-one year old woman, I have feelings. I have hormones. Jeremy’s overprotectiveness isn’t going to take away the fun from this week. I’m not going to let it. 

And I don’t. I spend the entire week on set, either hanging out with some of the girls or with my brother and the other boys. Teresa lets me help out in the mornings with the cast’s hair, teaching me some new tips and tricks. If anything, it just brings me closer to the cast, which is a nice bonus. Mainly because it also brings me closer to Owen. The connection we created during my time in Vancouver has only grown from that first day. Whenever Jeremy’s  not around or he can’t hear it, the two of us harmlessly flirt with one another and, whenever he doesn’t have a scene to shoot, we hang out together. One day, he took me to Julie’s bedroom set where we sat on her bed and talked until we fell asleep huddled up into a cuddle. Jeremy wasn’t happy when he found us like that. Even though I did tell him it was just an innocent nap. He didn’t take it. My brother’s disapproval didn’t stop us though. We just kept going to that set to take a nap together. It has become my favorite part of the day. “Hey,” he captures my attention. We’re cuddled up on Julie’s bed, legs entangled. My head’s resting on his chest, one arm slung over his stomach whilst the other is squished between our bodies. He has his left arm draped around my shoulder, his fingers trailing up and down my arm. “What?” I ask, looking up at him. He’s staring at the decorative lights above us. “Do you really have to leave tomorrow?” His voice sounds so soft, I’d almost believe he’s sad. “I mean… Yeah… I don’t think I can miss my first classes of the semester,” I whisper as though it’s a secret. My fingers start drawing patterns on his chest and abdomen as my eyes focus on them instead of his face. I’m too scared I might kiss him if I keep looking at him.  “Can’t you follow them online? Or just… I don’t know…” he exhales deeply, my head bobbing along. “I just don’t want you to leave yet.” I want to reply, but people bursting in the room cut me off. I scramble upright, terrified it might be Jeremy. Instead, Owen and I are tackled by Charlie, Savannah and Madison. “Group cuddle!” they scream, making me and Owen giggle. I go back to my previous position while Charlie comes to rest his head on my thigh, his arms around my waist, the rest of his body curled up between Owen and me. Savannah takes Owen’s other side, mirroring my position while Madi rests her head on his stomach. “What were you guys chatting about so intimately?” Savannah asks, followed by a yawn. “Me leaving,” I sigh joylessly. I feel Charlie’s arms tighten around me and Owen tense beneath me. Savannah’s eyes lock with mine, a pout forming on her face. “I don’t want you to leave. It’s been way too fun with you around,” she whispers. “I agree,” Charlie mutters. “Ditto,” says Madison, making me smile widely. Even more so when Owen presses a kiss to my hair. This is where I want to be for the rest of my life. Not on some stupid campus studying for a job I don’t even want to do. I need more time with these people. And I’m going to get it. It’s about time I did something for myself instead of constantly doing shit for others.

“Can I talk to you guys for a moment?” I ask Carolynn and Jeremy at the dinner table. Jeremy halts, his fork lifted mid-air, while Carolynn simply places her cutlery down, giving me her undivided attention. I inhale deeply, trying to gather all of my courage. “I was wondering if I could stay here a little longer? I haven’t talked to mom and dad yet, but I wanna do an independent study this year while interning with Teresa.” Jeremy drops his fork on his plate, a loud clatter echoing through the place. “She asked if that would be something I’m interested in, and to be quite frank, I am. Helping around this week really reminded me of how much I loved doing it.” I glance at Jeremy, noticing how tense and frustrated he’s becoming with every word I say. “Being a doctor was never my dream, Jer. It was mom’s. I think I need to do this. I need to do more things for myself instead of wanting to please others.” “I agree, sweetie,” Carolynn chimes in, offering me a supportive smile before the two of us turn back to the man of the house. He has his lips pursed, clearly mulling this over in his head. “This is about Owen, isn’t it?” he finally asks. The mention of the boy I had grown so attached to startles me at first, I didn’t expect him to be brought up in this conversation since it has nothing to do with him. “He put you up to this?” I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. I have no clue what to tell him. On one hand, I do want more time with him and Charlie and all the other cast members. I want more time with my brother. But I can’t hide that it’s mostly Owen that’s drawing me here. Spending time with him made me feel so much more connected to myself, in some way. He calms my anxiety. He makes me feel happy. Genuinely happy. “Of course he didn’t, Jer. Why would he do that?” I finally manage to bring out. “Because you’re clearly in love with him, Y/N!” The loudness of his voice and harshness of his tone makes me flinch. “But he’s not right for you! He’s distracting you from your goals, making you think this is what you want! You don’t know what love feels like but you think you do! You and Owen can’t happen, and you can’t stay here. You have to go back home!” The anger and frustration builds inside of me, and pours out in the form of tears. “You don’t have a say in this, Jer! I am twenty-one, I’m not a child anymore! I can decide what I want to do with my life and I can decide who I love!” I’m surprised by the words that flow out of my mouth. “I get that you wanna be the protective brother, Jeremy, but this is going too far. You have to let me make my own mistakes! You have to let me live my life the way I want it to!” He angrily shoves his chair back when he stands up in frustration, making Carolynn flinch. “You’re still a child, Y/N!” he shouts at me. I stand up too, leaning my hands on the tabletop. “I’m not even a year younger than you, Jer! If I’m a child, so are you!” I yell back. “At least I’m married and have a family!” he aggressively points at Carolynn, who’s rubbing her face in desperation. My eyes flicker from my sister-in-law back to my brother. “I would be in a relationship if you didn’t scare off every person I ever brought home!” “I didn’t want you getting hurt, but did I ever get a thank you for that?!” I scoff at him. He’s not playing the petty card right now. “That’s just life, Jer! People get hurt! People break your heart! But you never even let me experience that pain because you’re too obsessed with being the good brother!” My heart is pounding out of my chest. Jeremy and I have never fought like this. Sure, we used to bicker when we were teenagers, but it’s always been something stupid. This screaming match sounds like years of bundled up distress from both of us. “You have a hero complex, Jer…” I lower the volume of my own voice. Jeremy lets his head drop, knowing all too well I’m right. About everything. About the hero complex, about him meddling in my life. Everything. “I think it’s better if you go to your room for a while, Y/N,” Carolynn orders sweetly. The pent-up anger still hasn’t gone completely, it makes me want to lash out at Carolynn too. “Still not a child,” I mutter instead before grabbing my bag and leaving the apartment. Once the cold Vancouver air hits me, the realization of what just happened does too. The tears escape again, along with anger and regret. I don’t regret what I said to my brother. It’s the truth. It’s exactly what I’ve been thinking for years. What I do regret is telling him all of that in a burst of anger instead of a civilized conversation like we used to back in the day. That’s the only thing I really do regret. After a while of roaming the streets of Vancouver and getting riled up about the whole situation again, I find myself aggressively knocking at Charlie and Owen’s door. I don’t know where else to go and Owen’s the only one who could calm me down from the anger and frustration I’m still holding inside for my brother. I still can’t believe he even dared to say that to me. “Lil’ Shada!” Charlie greets excitedly, but his smile quickly disappears upon seeing my state of being. Jaw clenched, balled fists, tears running down my face. “Hey, Gorgeous, are you okay?” Owen appears in the door too after hearing Charlie utter my nickname. Upon seeing the boy, I race into the apartment, grab his face and bring him down to meet his lips. He’s startled at the force and aggression I’m putting into this kiss, but that soon dissolves when he kisses back. His hands find their way to my waist, pulling me closer and closer until I can’t do anything else but wrap my legs around his waist. He holds me tight, scared he might drop me while my fingers find their way into his hair. I pull back from his lips, but keep my forehead pressed to his. Both of us are panting from the intensity. I can tell from that sparkle in his eyes he  has no clue what happened, but he wanted it to happen for a while.  “I’m gonna stay,” I tell him in a whisper, which only makes the sparkle in his eyes more earnest. Without another doubt, he crashes his lips on mine again. This time, he takes it a little slower, making it more sensational without depriving it from the sizzle from before. I try to forget about the fight I’d just had with Jeremy and focus solely on Owen, but my brain counteracts. His words are on repeat in my mind like syncopated beats. This time Owen pulls back when he no doubtedly tastes the saltiness of my tears mixing in with the passion. He looks at me, the sparkle in his eyes making room for worry. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” he whispers, putting me down on my feet again but keeping his arms around me and my body close. “I’m sorry, I just…” I inhale sharply, “I had a major fight with Jeremy and I just can’t shake it. I have never seen him like this…” Owen snakes his arms around my shoulders, pushing him closer into his chest. He lets me cry for a while, holding me in his arms until I’ve calmed down a little. He takes me to the couch where Charlie’s sitting too. I hadn’t even noticed him still in the room, let alone that he moved. “Talk to me, Gorgeous,” Owen whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. He’d stopped calling me “Lil’ Shada” a while ago, which makes me feel like I’m more than just Jer’s little sister. Savannah told me it was what he did to anyone he liked. Those little details are his way of showing his appreciation or love to someone.  I like the small details in Owen’s love language. “I wanted to ask him and Care if I could stay at their place a little while longer, and I told him about the independent study and internship I wanted to do while here. For some reason, he thought I was doing all of this for you, that you put me up to this.” Owen inhales sharply at this. I can tell he hates being part of a fight between two people that mean a lot to him. “I told him it had nothing to do with you, but he didn’t believe me. He was shouting and screaming that I was still a child and that I couldn’t make my own decisions. I told him he had a hero complex,” I scoff at myself. This whole fight sounds even more ridiculous now. “Told him that he wants to be the good brother and that he has this idea of being a good brother that doesn’t let his little sister live… or love.” Owen’s eyes flick at mine, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I shouldn’t have shouted at him though… This was all just pent-up anger and frustration from the past twenty-one years. I should’ve just told him to back off like an adult instead of yelling at him like a child.” I glance at Charlie, who had been listening to the entire conversation. His eyes look somber, almost heartbroken. These two boys are just too good for this world. I can’t imagine a life without them anymore. “We both acted like children,” I mutter, shaking my head. There’s rap on the door, shaking all three of us awake from the somber cloud we’re all on because of me. We exchange glances, knowing exactly who’s at the door. Charlie goes first, Owen and me following suit. The anxiety welling up inside of me must be visible to him because he takes my hand, intertwining our fingers as we stand a little behind Charlie as he opens the door. “Hey, Char… Is Y/N here?” I hear my brother ask. The Canadian boy opens the door a little further, presenting Owen and I. Jeremy had been crying too, I can tell. His eyes are red and puffy, his lips swollen from biting on them in distress. “I’m so sorry, Lil’ One,” he mutters from the door. That’s enough for me to let go of Owen and launch myself into my brother’s arms. He’s stunned at first, but then wraps his arms around me too. “I know I can be a little overbearing sometimes, but you have to know it’s only because I love you,” he whispers in my ear, followed by a sniffle. “You’re an adult, just like me, and it’s time I treat you like one.” I push him back slightly but keep my hands on his shoulders. “It’s about time you figured that out.” He lets out a chuckle, dropping his head in defeat. “Hey,” he looks back up. “Thanks for looking out for me. I know you mean well.” “We’re family, Lil’ One, we’re supposed to look out for one another,” he looks past me at the two other boys, “We’re all family.” Charlie and Owen walk up to us, the latter scratching the back of his head with a pained expression on his face. “Yeah, can we not call it a family? Because otherwise, I’m in love with a family member.” He places his hands on my shoulders and presses a kiss to my hair. I meet his eyes whilst my heart beats faster. He’s in love with me. A boy I’m in love with is in love with me too. I mean, of course he is, he wouldn’t have kissed me like that. Jeremy glances from me to Owen and back, trying to decide what to think about this entire situation. I can tell it’s hard for him to let this idea of his little sister go, but he’s trying. “Be careful with her, alright? You might be my best friend, but I will not hesitate to kill you,” Jeremy’s pointing at Owen, a harsh look on his face. “Bro, I could never hurt her,” he reassures my older brother, and me at the same time. “You better keep that promise, Joyner!” That night, Jeremy calls Carolynn over too, and the five of us sit on the couch all night, talking and watching movies. I love being in Owen’s arms so much. Though we used to cuddle and be flirty with each other before, it really does give a whole different vibe knowing I could just turn my head and kiss him now. My parents allow me to stay in Vancouver and go through with my plan, much to all of our relief. Days on set are amazing. I help Teresa and the other hairstylists every morning and during all the scenes when they need touch ups, spend every night at Owen’s and Charlie’s place, and have the most fun I ever had in my life with all these people around here. “Cuddle session?” Owen whispers in my ear when we’re rounding up the scene. His sudden hands on my shoulders and lips against my ear makes me jump at first, but I calm down just as quickly. “Baby, I’m working,” I giggle, clearing all the hair products from the table, knowing he’ll convince me within five seconds. Teresa really is a very loose mentor and wouldn’t mind if I escaped now. “But you’re almost finished though? And Teresa is here to take over from you?” he tries, which makes me look up at him, and then at Teresa. The woman I call my Canadian mother winks at me, letting me know I’m good to go. I turn around in Owen’s arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. “You are so lucky Teresa’s this awesome,” I tell him and peck his lips quickly. “Thank you, T.” I grab Owen’s hand and guide him to the bedroom set we’d used so many times for cuddles, whether that be alone or with the others. The second we’re in the room, Owen tugs at my arm, making me stumble into him with a squeal. Before I can ask what he’s doing, he cups my face with his warm hands and brings me in for a passionate kiss. He pushes me backwards when I kiss back, right until I feel the bed push into the back of my knees. I crawl backwards, Owen following suit as he’s still attached to my lips. He pulls back for a moment, looking me in the eyes with those tender eyes of his. He’s holding up his weight by placing a hand next to my head, using the other to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I love you,” he whispers, causing the corners of my mouth to curl up into a smile automatically. “I love you too,” I whisper back and diminish the space between our lips by pulling him down by the back of his neck. My fingers tangle up into the blonde hair I styled this morning. Doing his hair might just be my favorite part of the day, along with this. “Group cuddle!” Our intimate moment is disturbed by a mop of our friends attacking us on the bed. With a groan, Owen drops next to me, the others piling onto us. That lunch break, all of us take a collective nap on Julie’s bed, some on stomachs, on chests, shoulders, thighs. All our limbs are tangled up together, no bystander would be able to tell which limb belongs to who. To say my new job is the best ever would be an understatement. 

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[pukanavis]

Main Story - Chapter 3 Part 2 “Bar AIR”

Light: –You got lost?

Chrom: Indeed. We lost our way on the trip home from an underbattle.

Kei: Before we knew it we had ended up all the way over here…that’s the gist of it.

Night: I see, I’m sorry to hear that. The streets around here can get pretty confusing.

Light: And on top of that, those dangerous guys loiter around here too. It’s bad news to get involved with them.

…I mean, they already decided to pick on us!

Cobalt: Ooo~...wow~....!

Night: Have you taken a liking to the interior?

Cobalt: Yeah! What was this called again? A bar? What kind of place is this!?

Light: Well, it’s a lot of things. First and foremost, this is a place where people come to drink alcohol…

It’s also somewhere that you can meet all kinds of people and satiate your loneliness…haha, just kidding.

Neon: …What? I don’t get it.

Light: Huh? I thought I was being obvious.

Night: Anyway, shall we introduce ourselves again?

Light: Oh, sure!

Once again, I’m LI-0202ES/Light. I’m a member of STAND-ALONE and a bartender at AIR!

Night:I’m NA-0202ES/Night! Light and I are the same model. See, don’t our faces look similar?

Chrom: Certainly. You’re the spitting image of one another.

Light: We’re like “twins”. Twins know everything about each other! Right, Night?

Night: Yep!

—And what were your names? I don’t think you ever told us?

Cobalt: I’m CO-0728HS/Cobalt!

Chrom: You may call me CR-0904HS/Chrom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Kei: SI-0111HS/Kei.

Neon: …NE-0419HS/Neon.

Light: Nice to meet you! And you’re, Alto, right?

Night: These guys called you Doctor, didn’t they…?

Cobalt: Yep, Doctor is our doctor!

Light: I see! Then why don’t we call you “Doctor” too?

…Huh, are you okay?

Alto: …

Night: What’s wrong? You look like you’re frozen…?

Alto: N-N-N-No…d-don’t m-mind m-m-me….

Neon: …Do humans get errors too?

Chrom: In addition to your accelerated heart rate, you’re also sweating…what’s the matter? Do you feel unwell?

Alto: N-No, I’m s-seriously f…f-fine…

Light: …Hmhm~?

Night: Oh~...

Light: Hey now, no need to be so uptight! C’mon, talk to us!

Night: He’s right. Bring back the enthusiasm you had when you saved us!

Alto: Okayy!? No no, that was a time of emergency so…

I mean, it’s rather disrespectful for me to act over-familiar with two members of STAND-ALONE…

Cobalt: I dunno what Doctor is talking about!

Kei: …What’s going on here?

Light: Don’t be so tense! You can drop the fancy-smancy talk–!

Night: Hey, why don’t we take a picture together? Let’s put our arms around each other’s shoulders!

Alto: Tooclosetooclosetooclose….!

Chrom: These nerves are– oh, I understand. Your pulse has accelerated as a result of a momentary rise in excitement?

Cobalt: Huhhh, what does that mean?

Chrom: When confronted with an unexpected situation, intellectual creatures such as humans will use their brains more than usual in order to formulate either a method of escape or a solution.

As a result, they experience symptoms such as higher body temperature, sweating, irregular pulse and disordered breathing and will fall into a state of panic.

In other words, it’s similar to a program that has been overloaded with mass amounts of information to process.

—I heard about this from an educational television program that aired this morning named “The Mind of Animals”.

Neon: …But what has them acting like this?

Chrom: Hmm, I’m not sure. I wonder what it could be?

Alto: C-Can you stop with the calm analysis and help me!?

♡　♡　♡

Light: Sorry, sorry! I guess we teased you a little too much.

Night: We don’t get to talk with our fans one-on-one often so we got a little carried away.

Alto: N-No, it’s fine…

Light: –But seriously, you don’t need to be so nervous. We’re really owe you one

Night: You’re Dr. Esora’s pupil, right? We’re basically family then.

Alto: Re…really?

Light: Yep! So you can drop the formality and just act casually with us!

Alto: Very w– ah, no…

Night: Hm~

Alto: O–…Okay. Again, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance…I-I mean, nice to meet you!

Light & Night: Nice to meet you!

Cobalt: Ahaha! It’s hilarious how much Doctor’s expression has been changing!

Chrom: So this is what a “fan” is like. I’ll make note of this.

Alto: N-No…this isn’t how they usually are…

Light: –By the way, you mentioned that you had come from an underbattle, right? How’d that go?

Night: I bet they won with flying colours! Right?

Cobalt: Ah…

Kei: …

Light: …Huh? What’s wrong?

Chrom: We lost.

Night: What!? But the four of you were amazing at Babel!?

Light: It’d take an opponent completely out of this world to beat that!?

Alto: Ah–, the truth is…

♡　♡　♡

Light: I see…

Chrom: It’s not as if we were malfunctioning in any way. We planned to challenge the battle with all the specifications we possessed, and yet…

Neon: …I don’t get it.

Night: …

Cobalt: For some reason…when I think about it, I get a murky feeling in my chest.

Kei: …Yeah. I don’t know what it is.

Night: I’m not sure what went wrong with your performance but…I understand that “murky” feeling.

Cobalt: Huh…

Naight: It’s “disappointment” isn’t it?

Kei: “Disappointment” …?

Night: You’ve got a gloomy feeling that you can’t shake off, yeah? It’s the disappointment of losing! At least, that’s what I think.

Cobalt: Disappointment…that’s what this is?

Light: I get it too. I feel that way when I don’t perform well.

Chrom: Hmm…

Neon: Uh…

Night: It looks like you don’t quite understand yet.

Could it be that your “kokoros” haven’t developed yet?

Cobalt: “Kokoro” …?

Light: It’s a special program that androids have.

By experiencing and learning all sorts of things, we’re able to produce the same “emotions” that humans feel.

Night: Depending on the individual, different experiences will conjure up different emotions. Just like humans.

Light: I mean, if you don’t even know what “kokoro” is then…

Alto: They’ve only just been rebooted so they don’t know about that kind of stuff yet.

Light: Just as I expected. In that case, I think I’ve got a pretty solid guess as to why you lost.

Cobalt: What is it?

Light: Well–

Kite: –Sorry for taking so long. I ran into some robot exclusionists while I was out shopping…

…? We have guests?

Alto: Ah…!

Kite: You’re…

Light: Yep. We’ve got some special guests today!

Night: Welcome home, Kite!

Prev | Next

[crybabybomin]

Comfy - Bang Yedam

Pairing: Bang Yedam x reader

Words: 1.277

Warnings: Nonee

Request: Nope

Masterlist 💕

Today was your first day at your new school. You moved to Seoul because your father got a new job at a big company. You were used to moving around but this time he told you this was more permanent so you could study in Seoul. This made your kind of nervous since you never really made friends because of the moving. You wanted to make more friends this time.

You lived alone with your dad. Your mom died when you were really young. You were okay with it though, your dad was enough for you. You were his little girl and he loved you a lot. He had new girlfriends here and there but mostly left after some time.

You have a passion for music but you have the biggest stage fright ever. You can play the guitar, piano, violin and drums. And you would love to become a producer or songwriter when you were older. Thats why you decided to go to the school of performing arts. Maybe this would also push you to be on stage more and get over your stage fright.

You were really excited to start at your new school but also nervous. The school year already started so everyone probably already had their friends and little groups that they hang with. You woke up early and put on your uniform and some light makeup. Dad had already left but he made you breakfast with a note and some money for lunch on it. You ate your breakfast and walked to the bus stop. The ride was okay you just listened to some music and saw other students entering the bus.

It was quite busy while entering the school. Some people looked at you but most of them ignored you. You had to stop at the administration to get your class assigned to you. You knocked on the door and saw a student with a female teacher. “Hi I will be with you soon.” She told you with a happy smile. After she was done with the other student she looked at you. “You must be the new student, Y/n right?” “Yes that’s me” she grabbed something from her table and gave it to you. “Here’s the calendar with extra activities for this year plus your locker key and if you have any questions just come to me.” You nodded “Just one question, where is the classroom? before I get lost trying to find it.” She laughed and showed you the directions.

Class had already started and you knocked on the door and opened it. Every head turned to you and the teacher looked at you. “Everyone this is our new student, let's make sure she feels welcome alright?” The whole class said yes “Would you tell us a little about yourself.” You nodded and cleared your throat. “Uhm okay, so my name is Y/n. I moved here last week. I love music and I hope to have a good time with you all.” You looked at the teacher and he started talking again “okay so you could sit next Yedam since he has an empty seat next to him.” The boy named Yedam put his arm up and you walked to your seat. It was a seat next to the window around the middle of the class.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Yedam.” You smiled and told him “Nice to meet you too.” You realised you didn’t have the textbook yet and looked down at your table. Then Yedam offered to share his book. You smiled at him. You thought you were lucky that he was willing to share and that he was so nice. You got out your note book to take notes. Your mind went into another direction when you started spacing out while looking out the window. Then a lot of noise started and you saw people put their books in their bags. You looked down at your notes and started panicking you only had like half of it.

“Don’t worry I can send you mine.” Someone said and you looked next to you. It was Yedam again. “Thanks you’re a lifesaver.” It was break time so you decided to walk around the school and also try to find you locker. You found it and while walking back you came across the music room. You opened the door and saw some instruments. You wanted to play a little so you played on the piano. After a couple of minutes you saw Yedam looking at you, you hadn't noticed he walked into the room.

“Wow you can play piano?” He asked you. You smiled “yeah and guitar, violin and drum. Do you play?” “Yeah and I sing too.” He sat down next to you behind the piano. “I haven’t heard that melody before.” You looked down “yeah it’s because I wrote it, its actually a song but I can’t sing that well.” “Can I please hear it.” You looked at him, he looked really cute so how could you say no.

You started playing again and this time you sang with it. After you were done you looked at him. “That sounded great, we should play a duet sometime and perform it.” “Uh yeah no, I don’t dow well with audiences.” “Well then let’s not perform it but just play it for ourselves.” You nodded and he smiled at you. Then the school bell rang and you both stood up and walked to class. Yedam made you feel like you have been friends for years.

After a couple days just going to school and hanging out with yedam you guys became good friends. He also introduced you to some of his friends. You sat with them at lunch. Their names are Doyoung, Asahi, Jaehyuk and Jeongwoo. They were nice and you all hung out after school sometimes. This made you realize you had a crush on Yedam.

You invited the boys for a movie night at your house, your dad was on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for a couple days. So they all came with food or drinks and their pyjamas. You made the living room cozy to chill and just relax. You heard the bell and walked to the door. And they all came together so you invited them in. You showed them around the house and your room.  Then you all went to the living room and sat down. Doyoung pushed you next to Yedam and you glared at him. You weren’t aware but yedam was blushing next to you. The movie started and after a while you felt yourself get tired. And then you fell asleep on yedam’s shoulder.

The boys nudged each other and after a while left you two together. You woke up and saw that only you and yedam were left in the room. “You should’ve woken me up if you wanted to leave too.” He looked at you. “What of I didn’t want to leave.” You looked confused and he took a breath. “I didn’t want to leave because I like being around you. I don’t think you noticed but I’ve liked you the day you walked into class. You just had something about you.” You were quiet, you couldn’t believe what was happening. “I like being around you too Yedam, you made me feel like we had been friends for years after we just met.” He smiled at you. “Then there’s one thing to ask you, would you like to go on a date with me.” You nodded and he smiled even bigger.

[fanmoose12]

"Soo," Hange wrapped her arm around her brother Mike, sitting down next to him. "What is awaiting for us this fine evening? What kind of guests do you smell?"

Mike grinned at her, before closing his eyes and taking a deep inhale, his nostrils flaring with the movement.

"I smell..." he did another inhale. "I smell a bunch of rich men, who aren't nearly as rich as they think."

"Typical for such balls," Hange huffed. "What else do you smell?"

"A dozen of girls, who are desperate to find a rich husband."

"What else?"

"A couple of men and women, who genuinely came here to find themselves a true love."

Hange snickered. "…What else?"

“I smell… I smell someone utterly gorgeous. Tall, blond, with one hell of a jawline and a pair of the bluest eyes I've ever seen."

Hange looked up at her brother, his description was way too accurate, even Mike's nose wasn't that sharp. And sure, his eyes weren’t closed anymore and instead focused on the center of the room, where stood a man, who fitted Mike's description perfectly. He was incredibly handsome, there was no denying that, but Hange was more curious about his short, black-haired companion.

She nudged Mike in his side. "What about his friend?"

Mike spared him no more than a single look. "He's arrogant, selfish little man."

"Mm," Hange cocked her head to the side. Mike certainly seemed to be right. The man was scowling so fiercely at every one, who dared to approach him, that Hange began to wonder why did he bother to attend the ball in the first place. She continued to watch him, her sharp eyes boring into him, when suddenly he turned around.

Their eyes met.

Hange's heart skipped a beat. She felt a blush spread across her cheeks. She raised a hand, giving him a little wave. The man narrowed his eyes, his gaze emanating even more annoyance than his face. He plucked his lips in disgust, as he noticed that Hange was wearing a man’s clothes, instead of a dress.

She hastily looked away. If he looked at her for a second longer, she was sure her heart would jump out of her chest.

"Let's go and introduce ourselves," Mike said, getting to his feet.

Hange pulled him back. "Sit down," she hissed. "Moblit is going to be here soon. He'll tell us about those mysterious newcomers, I'm sure."

"Mysterious?" Mike grinned. "So they've managed to grip your interest too?"

"I'm not nearly as interested in them as you seem to be," Hange retorted. "But I haven't seen them around here, and that's certainly... intriguing."

Oh, that man was intriguing alright. But Hange wasn't ready to come face to face with him just yet.

Thankfully, a couple of minutes later, Moblit did enter the huge ballroom. Hange waved at him with a smile, beckoning her friend to come closer.

“We’ve been waiting for you!” she exclaimed, dragging him down to sit next to her. As soon as he did so, Hange wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She sighed in content. Sitting between Mike and Moblit, two men she cared about most in the world, she felt warm and safe. “So!” she clasped her hands. “Tell us all the juicy gossip!”

Moblit chuckled, scratching his neck. “I don’t really know anything worth your interest…”

“C’mon!” Hange urged. “You always know that kind of stuff. So spill it out!”

“Well, Rico Brzenska just returned from her trip to Scotland….”

“Oooh, little adorable Rico?” Hange gave her brother a mischievous look. “You remember her, don’t you, Mike? Remember, when you’ve danced with her during last year’s ball and you stepped on her f—”

“Don’t remind me,” Mike shuddered. “I thought that glare of hers would kill me.”

Hange laughed, throwing her head back. Mike rolled his eyes, playfully smacking her arm.

“I don’t wish to hear about Rico or others boring neighbors,” he said to Moblit. “Better tell us about them,” he pointed at the two mysterious men from before. “Do you know anything about them? Especially the handsome blonde?”

“The angry shorty, too!” Hange added, pointedly ignoring a curious look from Mike.

“Oh, that’s Erwin Smith and Levi Ackerman. I’ve heard that Mr. Smith recently rented Netherfield and Mr. Ackerman came to visit him.”

“Netherfield?” Mike’s eyebrows shot up. “So he’s rich.”

“He is,” Moblit nodded. “And Mr. Ackerman is even richer.”

“That shorty is wealthy?” Hange gasped.

“He may be short,” Moblit agreed. “But the pile of riches he owns is most definitely not.”

Hange whistled lowly, glancing at Mr. Ackerman again. He was still standing next to Mr. Smith, who was talking to some young lady. His stiff posture spoke volumes about his awkwardness. Hange snickered in her sleeve.

“Alright, we’ve heard enough,” Mike announced, grabbing Hange by the hand. “Let’s go and introduce ourselves.”

Whatever protest Hange had was promptly ignored, as her brother started to pull her upwards. Before he dragged her away, though, she reached out and swiftly ruffled Moblit’s hair, promising to get to him later.

 ***

When they came to stand in front of Mr. Ackerman and Mr. Smith, Hange had to admit – up close, Mr. Smith was even more handsome. His blue eyes shined even more brightly and his soft smile would have made even a gal like Hange swoon.

If she managed to look away, of course, from his short companion.

Standing so close to her, Mr. Ackerman looked much more annoyed. However, Hange couldn’t help but notice that he too wasn’t that bad looking. One could even call him handsome, if he would stop scowling so much.

“G-good evening, sirs!” Mike exclaimed way too loudly.

Hange gave her brother a critical look. And as she did so, she barely managed to conceive her laughter. She had never seen Mike so nervous – the poor man was sweating and blushing at the same time! As a good and caring sister, Hange had to step in and save at least some of his dignity.

“We’ve heard you’re our new neighbors!” she smiled brightly. Mr. Smith smiled back. Mr. Ackerman did not. “I’m Hange Zoe and this is my brother, Mike,” she pointed at him and her eyes didn’t miss the way Mr. Smith’s smile widened ever so slightly, as he gazed at Mike.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mr. Smith took Hange’s palm in his to plant a small kiss there. Then, he grabbed Mike’s large hand and gave it a firm handshake, that lasted only a little too long. “My name is Erwin Smith and this is my friend, Levi Ackerman.”

Mr. Ackerman said nothing for a long moment. Hange started to feel a little awkward, and she was definitely not alone in this, as Mr. Smith discreetly elbowed Mr. Ackerman in the side, mumbling something that sounded a lot like ‘For the love of god, be nice”.

“Why aren’t you wearing a dress?” he asked finally, regarding Hange with cold gaze.

“Oh my, please, forgive him—” Mr. Smith hastily tried to apologize, simultaneously giving Mr. Ackerman a disappointing look.

“I take no offence,” Hange waved him off. “I get that question a lot, actually, and the answer, I’m afraid, is fairly simple – I don’t like them.”

“But everyone else wears them,” Mr. Ackerman crossed hands on his chest.

“I’m not everyone else,” Hange noted with a grin.

Mr. Ackerman didn’t seem satisfied with her answer, as he rolled his eyes, huffing in annoyance.

“I’m afraid, Levi isn’t a very sociable person,” Mr. Smith said with a tight smile. “It’s just a flaw of his character, do not take it personally.”

“You’re staying at Netherfield, right?” Hange swiftly changed the topic. “I’ve heard that it has one of the most extensive libraries in our country.”

“It’s true,” Mr. Smith nodded with a smile that told Hange just how much he was grateful for a change of subject. “The library is simply gorgeous, I honestly can’t stay away from it.”

“Ah, I envy you,” Hange sighed dreamily.

“Hange enjoys reading,” Mike joined the conversation. He didn’t sound as awkward as before. Hange reached to his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “You can’t imagine how hard it is to drag her away from her books.”

“That’s a feeling I’m most familiar with,” Mr. Smith chuckled. “And if you share my passion for knowledge, please feel free to visit my library whenever you wish. Of course,” he looked at Mike. “My invitation extends to you as well.”

“You’re very kind,” Mike answered, his voice sounding higher than usual. Hange hid her grin. Gosh, her brother had it bad.

“Would you like to dance?” Mr. Smith asked, extending his hand to Mike.

“With a pleasure,” he agreed, taking Mr. Smith’s arm in his and leading him to join the crowd of dancers.

And also leaving Hange alone with Mr. Ackerman. He was still staring at her, his glare not lessening.

“So,” she began, feeling more than a little awkward. “Do you dance, Mr. Ackerman?”

“Not if I can help it,” he answered curtly.

Oh Jesus, Hange thought. He really wasn’t going to make it easier for her. For the first time in her life, Hange didn’t know what to retort. She looked around the ballroom, trying to find Moblit’s face in the mass of dancing guests. As soon as she spotted him, she hurried to join his side, feeling immensely relieved that he didn’t find some pretty girl to dance with. Hange was lucky that Nifa was on her trip in London and couldn’t attend the ball. It would be hard to converse with Moblit, if she was there.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” he asked, as Hange approached him.

“I just don’t feel like it,” she said, taking him by the hand and leading Moblit into a more secluded area.

 ***

They were sitting behind the benches, talking about nothing, when Hange saw Mr. Smith and Mr. Ackerman walking side by side.

Against her better judgment, she strained her ears, listening intently.

“It’s a beautiful evening, is it not, Levi?” Mr. Smith asked with a dreamy smile.

“It is not,” came Mr. Ackerman’s reply.

“Ah, Mike is really handsome, is he not?” Mr. Smith continued, evidently used to his friend’s attitude.

“If you say so.”

“His sister is very pretty, as well. You should have asked her to a dance.”

“Pretty?” Mr. Ackerman huffed. “She is barely tolerable. And not handsome enough to tempt me.”

Hange felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She knew she wasn’t the fairest of the fair and she was more than okay with it her whole life. But for some reason, those words struck some cord inside her.

“Don’t listen to him,” Moblit whispered, squeezing her hand in his. “And count your blessings. If he liked you, you’d have to look at his sour face for the whole evening.”

“Just the thought of it terrifies me!” Hange chuckled, smiling gratefully at Moblit. “I wouldn’t have danced with him, even if he was richer than a king himself!”

After that little accident, Hange and Moblit returned to the ball. They danced and laughed with other guests. Hange was enjoying herself immensely.

However, every time she stopped and looked around, she saw that Mr. Ackerman’s cold eyes were following her every move. She was always quick to look away. His intense and yet unreadable gaze unnerved and confused her.

 ***

“Your dancing skills are very impressive,” Mr. Smith told Mike after their second dance had ended.

“Thank you,” Mike mumbled, hiding his burning face behind his hair.

“If you think his dancing is impressive,” Hange cut in, always ready to tease her dear brother. “Then you should have read his poetry. That is most certainly impressive.”

“Hange,” Mike whispered lowly, both as a warning and a plea.

“You write poetry?” Mr. Smith asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“It happened only once—”

“When we were younger,” Hange grinned crookedly, cutting Mike off. “There was this girl Mike fancied. She seemed to fancy him back, and so he decided to write her a poem, as a way of confessing his feelings.”

“Did it work?”

“Oh, it worked just fine,” Hange couldn’t keep in her giggles. “Mike’s poem was so good, that girl never spoke to him again. I’m afraid that my brother once again proved the power of poetry in driving away love.”

“I thought the poetry is the tool that strengthened one’s love, not destroyed it,” Mr. Ackerman intervened. The bored expression on his face didn’t disappear, yet his eyes looked into Hange’s with utmost graveness.

“If we are talking about powerful, lasting feeling, then you are most certainly right, Mr. Ackerman,” Hange answered, her glasses glittering in a bright candlelight. “But if it is just a poor inclination, then a bad sonnet will most certainly eliminate any affection.”

“And what do you suggest to encourage affection?” He made a face at the last word, showing Hange just how uncomfortable he was with personal feelings. This new knowledge didn’t surprise her in the slightest.

Hange’s grin turned into a smug smirk, as she looked Mr. Ackerman up and down. “Dancing. Even if one’s partner is barely tolerable.”

The way Mr. Ackerman’s eyes slightly widened because of her words was the best thing that happened to Hange this evening. She turned around, feeling giddy and cheerful.

‘Take that, annoying shorty,’ she thought, as she made her way through the crowd.

[itsreigns]

Surprising Him

Elias x Reader

(Y/N) surprises him at Monday Night Raw after not getting to see him for a few weeks.

Warnings: Angst. Mainly Fluff.

Words: 2,676

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It’s been too long since I’ve seen my boyfriend. Three weeks with nothing but FaceTime and iMessage back and forth. I missed his face so much. Yeah, I know I saw it on the screen but it just isn’t the same.

I miss his face close to mine. I miss his face tucked into the crook of my neck. I miss his beard tickling me as he kissed down my body. I miss his scent. I miss the warmth that emanated from his body. I miss his deep voice. I miss him.

For the past few days, he tried to dismiss it but I could sense he was upset. If I had to guess, I’d probably say he was just bummed that we couldn’t be together on our first anniversary. He always said he wanted to be home, so we could have a private dinner, just ourselves, and enjoy our company. But unfortunately, his work schedule didn’t play in our favor. 

Initially, he asked for a couple of days off and they granted them, but a week ago, after Raw, he was informed that he was needed on the show on our anniversary day. He was so disappointed, and almost embarrassed when he called me to tell the news and call our plans off. I shrugged it off, obviously, and tried to comfort him. 

It wasn’t his fault, so I definitely didn’t want to make him feel even worse. Plus, it was very likely that it meant a huge improvement in his career and in his current storyline. Deep down he knew I was right, but I think he might have gotten the wrong idea. I had the slight feeling that he thought I was okay with not seeing him and not celebrating our anniversary. 

But it was the complete opposite. I was so heartbroken with the news of our now cancelled plans, but I didn’t want him to feel guilty or sadder about it. I moped around for some time, bummed about not seeing my husband, until I had a lightbulb moment. 

If he couldn’t come to me, I’d go to him.

How had I not thought about it before? Seriously, so dumb of me. It’s a special date for us, and I can definitely arrange to take some days off work. It will be perfect. 

I grab my laptop, my credit card and my phone and head to the sofa, ready to start booking my flight and arrange some nice hotel room for us. It took me about an hour and a half and lots of surfing the internet and scheduling to do it all, but it’s all finally set. 

Seattle is waiting for me! In three days, I’m going to surprise my husband on our anniversary. It’s going to be unforgettable. It’s not what we had planned or wished, but what truly matters is that we’ll be together. 

I decided not to tell him anything about my trip. It’s kind of rude, I know, but I’m definitely not trying to torture him. If I’m being honest, I just can’t wait to see the look on his face, always full of love and lighting up when his eyes land on me, especially after some time apart. And I can’t wait to have his arms around me, holding me tight against his warm and broad chest.

Three days later...

It’s finally here! Today’s the day. I’m already on the plane, 10 minutes away from landing in Seattle. I am so anxious, my stomach is flipping. I’ve got jitters just thinking about how close I am to seeing him. I swear I feel like a teenager on her way to meet her crush all over again. Help!

I’m bouncing my leg nervously, as I look through the window, watching the city come closer and closer in sight. When we finally land, I swear my legs tremble like jelly, I can barely stand up for a few seconds. It’s almost hilarious. I mean, he’s my husband and I feel like I’m about to go on a first date or something. I love how we still get this feeling about and around each other. 

Once I check out, I call an Uber as I go wait outside the airport. In less than 20 minutes, I’ll be entering the arena. Oh God, the chills running through my body just thinking about his warmth enveloping me. 

The Uber arrived in no time and the trip down to the arena was quicker than I expected. Thankfully though! The anticipation is killing me! 

I step out of the car, thanking the driver before he drives off. I reach my phone so I can pay for the ride, and give him a tip as well because he was so nice the whole time. When I’m done, I stare at the gigantic building in front of me, taking in the sight before texting Nattie, who was my inside girl. 

“I’m outside!” I write, barely holding onto my phone as my hands shake nervously. 

A few seconds later, it beeps, signalling a new message. “Don’t move! I’ll be there in 5. So exciteeeeed!”

I smile as I read Nattie’s text. Of course she’s excited, she’s all about surprises and parties and helping out her friends. I love her, she’s a great friend, I just wish I could see her often. 

“GIRL!” I hear her voice coming out of the building, making me turn as I spot her running towards me with a huge smile on her face. “How are you? I missed you so much!” She squeals excitedly, pulling me into a hug. 

“I missed you too, Nattie! And I’m better now that I’m here.” I admit, feeling myself blush a bit as we pull back and she fully faces me.

“Yeah, now that you’re about to see your man, you mean.” Nattie teases playfully, shooting me a knowing grin and earning a genuine laugh from me. “Let’s go inside.” She says, wrapping her arm around my shoulders and leading me through the front doors. 

We walk through God knows how many halls, carefully so Elias doesn’t spot me earlier than expected, until we finally arrive at the women’s locker room. As we step inside, all eyes turn to us. Some of them, I already met, the others I haven’t but Nattie quickly solved that problem by introducing me to everyone. And they are so nice! 

“Don’t be nervous! Elias will love your surprise.” Alexa said. 

“I bet he misses you so bad, he’s going to loooooooove it.” Nia replied.

“He won’t even see it coming. I want to see the look on his face when he sees you!” Lana added. 

Everyone was trying to support me and calm me down, I guess my nerves were that palpable. But being with them, eased me off. I’m feeling so much better, and I’m so ready to see my man. 

It’s been almost 2 hours since I’ve arrived. Raw is halfway through and we’re watching Elias’ segment. My stomach twists in nervousness from both his segment and our imminent encounter. God, I truly missed him. 

I watch him intently as he plays his guitar in the middle of the ring, only to be interrupted by Randy Orton who proceeds to attack him. They engage in a rough fight, making my heart contract in fear for Elias. I’m always so scared he’ll get hurt. He’s been there before and it wasn’t easy at all. 

The match finally ends. I look proudly at Elias through the screen, he’s all sweaty and there’s a bit of blood on his forehead but... I am so proud of him. All of his hard work is finally paying off. He so deserves everything good this world has to offer. 

“It’s time!!!” Nattie yells, clapping her hands enthusiastically, snapping me out of my thoughts. “C’mon (Y/N)!” She insists, extending her hand to me. I take her hand before getting up and following her lead. “Charly texted me, Elias is getting his forehead looked at by the medics, so we’re waiting for him outside the examination room.” 

“Okay, let’s go!” I say, taking a deep breath.

She squeezes my hand a couple of times as we walk towards the room, shooting me a couple of reassuring smiles along the way. Five minutes later, we arrived at the door signaled as examination room. 

“Now we only have to wait.” Nattie smiles, sighing deeply. I could tell she was also nervous for our encounter. She’s so sweet. “It will be great! I can’t wait!” 

By my count, it’s been 10 minutes since we got here. I’m getting super worked up, definitely not liking this delay at all. What if something was wrong with him? What if the cut in the forehead was more than a mere cut? I am getting even more nervous. 

Sensing my uneasiness, Nattie pulls me into a hug. “Hey, it’ll be ok. Sometimes these things take a bit longer than we’d like to.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m just worried about him.” I mumble softly. “And I truly miss him.” 

“I know you do. He’s just seconds away, though.” She encourages, smiling widely as she pulls back and faces me. 

Suddenly, the door opens, revealing an exhausted and shirtless Elias, with his gaze glued to the ground as the palm of his hand is connected against his freshly stitched forehead as if relieving some of the pain. I can also see some red and purple-ish spots on his abdomen and his pecs. He really took a huge beating. 

“That’s my cue. Bye.” Nattie whispers to me, managing to leave without Elias noticing neither of us.

“Surprise!” I shout, for some reason really shyly.  

His gaze moves up in a fraction of seconds, shock written in his features as he stares down at me, his mouth hanging open. His eyes are shining, filled with emotion and love. I feel my own get blurry with unshed tears.

“What-? I mean, how did you-?” He tries to ask, unable to form a complete sentence. I bet his mind is running a thousand miles per hour. “Nevermind, come here, baby.” 

He takes a step towards me and I meet him halfway, launching myself at him, carefully so I wouldn’t hurt him, and hugging him tight, wrapping my arms around his waist, as if my life depended on it. He quickly envelops me in his arms as well, wrapping them around my shoulders and pulling me to him tightly. 

I can feel him taking in my hair’s scent as he kisses it a couple of times. That makes my insides flutter. He misses me as much as I miss him. How difficult it is to find someone who is on the exact same page you are. I am so goddamn lucky.

“Happy anniversary, baby.” I whisper against his chest, then planting a kiss right on the same spot. “I missed you so much.”

He pulls back slightly, resting his wounded forehead against mine. “Happy anniversary, love.” Then, he presses his lips to mine, slowly and gently, pecking me repeatedly. “It means a lot to me that you’re here, (Y/N). You have no idea how much.”

“Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be, Elias.” I reply, in all honesty. “Wherever you are, that’s home to me.” 

“I love you so much.” He sighs, hugging me again. “Every day that I spend with you just shows me that I made the right choice when I asked you to marry me. You’re my girl, and you’ll forever be my girl.” 

“And I made the right choice by saying yes.” I smile widely at him, once we pull back. Then, he lets out a weird laugh, so I raise my eyebrow in confusion. “What?”

“You know… I kind of got the feeling that you didn’t care that I couldn’t be home today.” I’m about to interrupt him, but he doesn’t let me. “I know you care, but I was just… angry for failing you, and then you just acted indifferently, and it kinda stung.” 

“I knew you weren’t feeling good about canceling our plans, I knew how much you wanted to be home, and I didn’t want to make you feel worse. It wasn’t your fault, and I bet you were feeling guilty. That look on your face right there tells me I was definitely right.” I chuckle, and he smiles back, as blush creeps up his cheeks. "I didn’t act indifferently.” I assure him, resting my hand on right above his heart. “I was destroyed inside, Elias. I missed you so much, and all I wanted was to have you for myself and myself only for a whole night.”

“You can have me, baby. Anytime, I’m yours. Only yours.” He reassures me, pecking my lips again. “I’m sorry I failed you, though. I really wanted to be with you, at home.”

“I know you did. That’s why I came up with this magnificent plan of coming all the way down to Seattle to surprise you.” I laugh, feeling really proud of myself. 

“Yeah, about that… How did you pull this off in like… what? Three days?”He asks genuinely curious and amazed by my idea.

“I sat on our sofa for almost two hours, surrounded by my phone, my notebook and my laptop. I called Nattie and she also helped me with some of the details. It was hard, I’m not going to lie, but I’m stubborn, so yeah.” I sum it all up really quick, so I wouldn’t let it slip that I had one more surprise. 

“You’re very stubborn.” I cut him off by smacking his arm playfully. “And intelligent, and pretty, and everything good in this world and I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“Good, because I’m not going anywhere.” I whisper, feeling myself blush a bit as I get on my tiptoes so I could kiss him properly. 

“Speaking of which, I’m really tired and I have a hotel room waiting for us.” He informs, looking much more relieved and happy now. 

“About that… I’m not going to your hotel room.” I say, watching his face fall. “But neither are you.” This time, it’s his turn to look confused. “With Nattie’s help, I got us a really special hotel room, so we could celebrate properly.”

“You got us a suite?” He asks incredulously. 

“You’re goddamn right I did. A master suite, with a king size bed. Champagne, strawberries and chocolate waiting for us.” I can tell by the look in his face that his mind is already wandering in dangerous places. And I love it. “And a little bonus, that I think you’re going to love, considering you’re so sore: it has a jacuzzi.” I add teasingly. 

“Oh great. A jacuzzi, I think you’ll find it very helpful too by the end of the night.” He replies, his voice laced with desire and love.

“Yeah? How’s that?” I tease him back, biting my lip. “You’re going to wear me out? Get me sore?”

“Oh, baby girl, I’m going to make you feel so good, I’m going to show you how much I love you. I’ll be giving my wife the anniversary present she deserves.” He starts, whispering into my ear. “And then, I’m going to hold you tight to me and sleep peacefully with you in my arms after we’re all worn out and sore. When we get up, I’ll get you in the jacuzzi and I’ll massage your shoulders and your back. Or maybe we’ll go in for another round before we get up and then we’ll get to the jacuzzi.” He informs, lust filling his eyes, his tone so low, that it had me clenching my thighs together. Of course he noticed. “Already ready for me, baby?” 

“I’m always ready for you. So can we go?” I stutter, knowing I sound really ablaze and unsettled but that’s the truth, I can’t wait to be alone with him. 

“I can’t wait to get my hands on you either, baby. So after you.”

Give me some feedback please?

Also follow up?

[hamiltonimagines]

I Like You a Latte

Pairing: Phillipa x Reader

Request: “Hey! Can you do a Phillipa coffee shop au please? :)” - @multifandomwriterx

Word Count: 2k

I stepped into the warm, inviting coffee shop and looked around. I had just gotten off of work and desperately needed some caffeine. There had been a different coffee shop I went to everyday that had just closed down, so I figured I’d give this one a try.

I walked up to the counter and ordered an iced latte. I waited a few minutes and then was handed my drink. I looked around for a seat and saw none that were open. Then I saw a table that had one girl at it, she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen.

I figured that I may as well introduce myself. I walked over towards her, carefully.

“Umm excuse me, is this seat taken? All the other tables are full” I asked, politely. “No no, sit please” she said, smiling back at me. Her voice sounded so sweet and soothing.

I sat across from her and put down my drink. “I’m Y/N, by the way” I said, extending my hand to shake hers. She gladly shook my hand and said “I’m Phillipa, but my friends call me Pippa”.

She exuded happiness and was like a walking ball of sunshine. “That’s a really pretty name” I complimented her. “Thank you, so are you new here?” She asked me.

“Yeah, I used to go to the Espresso Café every day after work. It’s that coffee shop a few blocks from here. But they closed down, so I’ve been looking for a new place to get some much needed caffeine” I explained. “I come here everyday. I’ve always loved the atmosphere” she said, smiling.

“I can’t blame you, this feels like the perfect place to curl up and read a book” I said, not being able to help but admire her beauty. She seemed like a person that you could always rely on for anything.

“Well I can assure you, I have definitely done that and it’s as magical as it sounds” she mentioned.

She went back to working on her laptop and I pulled out my phone and responded to some emails. We both worked in peace for what seemed like hours. She had a really calming presence, I just wanted to stay with her forever.

“So I should get going, but maybe I’ll see you tomorrow” she said, winking and leaving the shop. I couldn’t help but blush and start to look forward to the next time I could see her.

I then noticed that she left her book on the table. I looked around and realized she was already gone. I guess I would just give it to her tomorrow. I picked up the book to see what she was reading. Before I could read the cover, a piece of paper fell out.

I picked it up and it read “Soooooo I was way to nervous to do this in person, but I think you’re really pretty and I really hope you’ll keep coming to the coffee shop. Here’s my number, I really hope you’ll use it”.

I instantly felt my cheeks start to heat up and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. She really thought I was pretty, it felt too good to be true. I sat there, thinking about her infectious smile and how much I couldn’t wait to see her again.

I finished my coffee and put her book in my bag, so that I could remember to return it tomorrow.

I went home and fell asleep, wondering what would happen tomorrow.

I was currently sitting at my desk at work. I kept checking the clock to see when it would be time to go. I only had twenty minutes left of my shift, and that meant twenty minutes until I could see Pippa again.

Then my boss walked up to my desk. “Y/N, so remember when I let you leave early a few weeks ago” he said. He wasn’t the best boss, but I needed the job. “You didn’t let me leave early, I used my personal time off, I had a doctors appointment” I defended myself.

“Well regardless, I need you to stay late today” he said, smugly. “Wait, no I have plans” I told him. “Well, I need all these forms entered into the database, then you can leave” he said and he placed a huge folder on my desk.

I checked the clock again and began diligently entering the forms. I looked down and saw that it was time for me to leave and I should be seeing Pippa soon. I had only gone through half of the forms. I picked up the pace and began to work even faster.

I finally finished and saw that it was fifteen minutes after when I was supposed to leave. What if Pippa left? What if she thought I stood her up?

I grabbed my bag and raced to the coffee shop. Through the window, I saw Pippa, looking disappointed and stirring her coffee, silently. I finally stopped running, and fixed my hair and walked into the shop.

Pippa and I made eye contact and I saw her eyes light up. I smiled back and walked over and sat down across from her.

“For a minute, I didn’t think you were coming” she said, looking relieved. “I’m so sorry, my jerk boss held me late. But I’m here now. Oh yeah and I have your book” I said, smirking and I handed it back to her.

She took it from my hand and I said “I’m going to go get a coffee”. She looked confused, she probably thought I hadn’t even seen her note. While I was in line, I saw her open the book to see if her note was still there.

Her eyes went wide when she saw that I had replaced her note with one of my own. I had written “To Pippa, aka the gorgeous girl from the coffee shop, I am so flattered and I would say that our feelings are mutual. I really hope we get to spend more time together, you radiate positivity whenever you’re around”.

She looked over at me and we made eye contact and we both just smiled and giggled to ourselves.

I sat back down with her and we just talked for hours. We eventually had to part ways, but I knew I would see her again.

*2 weeks later*

I had just gotten home from coffee with Pippa and I set down my purse on my bed. I went to grab my phone out of my purse and saw that there was a book in my bag. I was confused, it wasn’t my book and I then recognized it as the book Pippa and I had put notes in, she must of slipped it in when I wasn’t paying attention.

I grabbed it and saw a note. It said “I’m coming to your place at 7. Be ready, I’m finally going to take you on the date of your dreams! -Pip”.

I smiled to myself, Pippa and I had only ever had coffee together and I was so excited to finally go on a date.

I put on a summer dress with a jean jacket and Pippa was right on time. I opened the door when she knocked. “You look stunning” she complimented me. “Thank you, you look beautiful too” I told her, honestly.

She took me out to dinner and we had an amazing time. We went for icecream afterwards and just talked about anything that came to mind. She was so enjoyable to be around. She lit up any room and she made me really happy.

When I got home, I took the first note that Pippa ever gave me and I put it in a frame and placed it on my desk.

*3 years later*

Pippa and I have been dating for 3 years and it’s been such a blessing to be able to call her mine. I’ve seen all of her broadway shows on opening night. I got to meet all of her Hamilton castmates. We even got a dog that we named Peaches.

We lived in an apartment in NYC and I was currently sitting on our couch with Peaches, while scrolling through my phone.

“Hey are you busy?” Pippa asked me, as she walked in the room. “No, why do you ask? Do you want to go on a spontaneous trip to France? Because I have a meeting tomorrow that I can’t miss” I joked with her. “You are such a dork, put on your shoes” she said, laughing.

“You know you love me” I said as I slipped on my shoes and stood up. “I do love you, so much” she said and she slowly leaning and kissed me, softly. I fell more and more in love with her every time she kissed me.

“So where are we going?” I asked her, as she grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. “It’s a surprise” she said, with a smirk on her face:

We started walking down the street and eventually Pippa covered my eyes and she lead me what felt like maybe a block down the street.

She uncovered my eyes and I saw that coffee shop where we met, three years ago.

“Oh my god, we haven’t been here in so long” I said in awe. We both walked in and that familiar, inviting atmosphere flooded my senses. “It hasn’t changed one bit” Pippa said, with a smile on her face.

Pippa ordered for us while I looked around and took it all in. I couldn’t believe I was back here. It had been so long and it was weird to think that this place was responsible for me and Pippa meeting.

“Oh look, our table is open” I said pulling her with me, once she had gotten our drinks. We sat down at the booth were we had spent many weeks, talking for hours.

“It’s amazing to be back here. This is a really good surprise” I told her. “I remember when you sat down with me, all I could think about was how pretty you were. I pretended like I was working on my laptop, but I was looking up ways to try and ask you out. I couldn’t work up the nerve. The only thing I could think of was saying “I like you a latte”. It felt too cheesy, so I decided to write it in a book. I guess it worked out though” she said smiling as we both reminisced.

“That is so sweet. I remember thinking you were gorgeous and I thought it was a joke when I read your note, I didn’t know how a girl you like you liked me” I told her. “Oh that reminds me, I have a book that I think you should read” she said, pulling a book out of her purse.

She grabbed the book and handed it to me. I held it in my hands and looked at the front cover, it was the original book that Pippa had left behind. This book was one of our favorites and we read it all the time. It held so much sentimental value, since it was the book she gave me.

“Pip, I don’t understand. We’ve both read this thousands of times already” I said, confused. Then it dawned on me. It had to have a note in it. Why else would she give it to me?”

I opened the book and saw a note, as I suspected. I held the note and read it, it said “Dear Y/N, the love of my life, I’ve loved you since we met. Will you marry me?”

Instantly, there were tears in my eyes and I looked up at her and she was holding a ring. “So, will you marry me?” She asked me. “Yes yes of course” I said, through the tears. We both had the biggest smiles on our faces. She slipped the ring on my finger.

I stood up and pulled her into a kiss. We pulled away and we just stared into each other’s eyes and I felt like I was on cloud nine.

[goyongtrash]

Looking for Juan del Pilar

A long post on what records say about Gregorio del Pilar’s little known relative.

Disclaimer: Any opinions stated in this post are based on my interpretation of the sources I found. If there are more decisive sources, feel free to send them my way. This is also cross-posted as a long Twitter thread, with revisions done on this version.

Very little is known about Juan del Pilar. Even Carlo Cruz, the actor playing Juan, mentioned that material about Goyo’s cousin are lacking. 

In the movie Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, he was first introduced as the cousin who shot at Goyo’s group swimming in the river.  According to Vicente Enriquez from the Kalaw biography, while some swimming and shooting did happen, the relative wasn’t named.

“I have never seen Del Pilar nervous except once in Dagupan. The following happened: During one of our inspection trips, some Spanish prisoners had attempted to escape in a boat to bring them to an American ship anchored in Lingayen Bay. As a result of this, Del Pilar ordered that from then on the mouth of the river should be guarded.

One day, Del Pilar, Arellano (who was paymaster), and I decided to take a dip in the river. We told nobody about it. From one side, we heard somebody ordering us to halt. But we paid no heed, and instead we jumped into the water. At this, we heard shots, bullets whizzing near us. Obviously, our own men had mistaken us for the Spanish soldiers who have attempted to escape. I saw Del Pilar very pale for the first time. The official who ordered the volley of shots -  who was Del Pilar’s relative - was punished for this imprudence.”

Which first led me to think that Juan may be fictional. I actually asked Direk Jerrold during a Q&A if Juan is fictional or not. To which he replied he’s a real person and pointed us to Simeon Villa’s journals where he was mentioned.

But before we go to Villa’s memoirs, let’s start with the “Juan H. del Pilar” who was listed as the godfather of Goyo’s youngest brother Jacinto (from the Kalaw bio):

On June 30, 1878, between four and five in the morning, Felipa Sempio gave birth to a son who was baptized with the name Jacinto, on the 3rd of July by Father Jose Vera. His godfather was Juan H. del Pilar.

It wasn’t explicitly mentioned but, given the name and date, this “Ninong Juan” was most likely an uncle. 

In fact, Marcelo and Fernando (Goyo’s father) actually had a brother named Juan. An 1895 intel about Marcelo’s associates listed him as a lawyer and a stenographer of the tribunal (probably in Bulakan and yes the Spaniards were keeping tabs on them).

Juan del Pilar: about 42 years of age*, married, scribe and third-rate lawyer, is connected with the Tribunal as Secretary.

Brother of Marcelo, co-worker in La Solidaridad and cousin of Luis del Pilar, propagandist of that paper. [...]

In the last months of the term of the previous municipal administration, he was dismissed from the Tribunal by verbal order of the Provincial Government, which was able to produce complete proof of his anti-friar and anti-religious conduct.

In his dealings, he is cunning and shows that he is not only anti-friar but also anti-Spanish. There should be previous information about him.

*GT admin’s note: I don’t think this Juan was just 42 years old during this time. Juan was an older brother of Marcelo and the latter should be 45 years old by 1895.

Indeed Isaac Cruz (in his Goyo biography) lists “Juan H. del Pilar”, alongside other siblings of Marcelo del Pilar, to have joined the Propaganda Movement. 

And from the same biography, Cruz actually names this “Tio Juan” as a Captain who served on both revolutions against Spain and America *gasp*

Juan H. del Pilar was a fiery Propagandist and worked with his brother Marcelo during the Propaganda movement. He joined the Revolution against Spain and later against the Americans. He served as a Captain.

So does this mean the movie got it wrong in portraying Juan? Perhaps not. Which now leads to the question: Where did Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral get the idea that this Juan was a younger cousin? 

They probably got it from Jose Enriquez, a Tirad survivor and a younger brother of Vicente Enriquez (Jose wasn’t portrayed in the movie). From the Kalaw biography, he said it was him and “Juanchito del Pilar” (Goyo’s cousin) who informed Aguinaldo of Goyo’s death.

“When I heard someone shouting ‘The General is dead!’, I mounted my horse, and escaped. I met Emilio Garcia, Juanchito del Pilar (Gregorio’s cousin) and Inigo de Jesus on the way. Juanchito and I went as far as Cervantes in order to report the incident to Aguinaldo.”

Prior to Tirad, Kalaw already mentioned about a then-Lieutenant Juanchito del Pilar who was enlisted under the Del Pilar Battalion. This means that this Juanchito participated in sieges leading to the Liberation of Bulacan on June 24, 1900. It’s possible he was promoted to a Captain after the liberation. 

“But Juanchito can be someone else!” you might say. 

This is where Vicente Enriquez’s account comes in. Still from the Kalaw bio, Vicente mentioned a “Captain Juan del Pilar” present in Tirad and was with the company of another captain, Emilio Garcia, who was also mentioned from Jose Enriquez’s account. These two were in charge of constructing trenches.

“While the group was in Angake, Captains Juan H. del Pilar and Emilio Garcia constructed trenches in Tirad utilizitng General de Pilar’s plan.”

“As I reached our trenches above, I found Captains Juan H. del Pilar and Emilio Garcia and some soldiers, who informed me that soldiers in the trenches below had heroically and successfully resisted heavy shelling of the American cavalry.”

Unless there were two Juan del Pilars in Tirad, then I am very inclined to think that “Captain Juan H. del Pilar” and “Juanchito del Pilar” are the same. There is no info on who the father of this cousin was but if there were several Juans in the family, the nickname of “Juanchito” makes sense.

Also, Jose Enriquez’s statement (that it was him and Juanchito who told Aguinaldo about Goyo’s death) is somewhat supported by Simeon Villa’s memoirs. He mentioned there were two officers who informed Aguinaldo on what happened in Tirad.

December 2, 1899: At 5 o’clock in the afternoon the honorable president received a verbal report from two officers coming from Mount Tila*, to the effect that the Americans had taken all our trenches in Tila; that General Pilar had been killed by being shot through the head; that other soldiers had also been killed; and they, the officers, were sure the Americans must be in Angaqui at this very hour. According to the statement of the officers, General Pilar died at 10 o’clock a.m.

*Mount Tirad

And speaking of Simeon Villa’s memoirs he mentioned “Captain Juan del Pilar” several times and so did Telesforo Carrasco (the Spaniard) in his memoirs. For the next parts, I’ll be combining entries from both Villa’s and Carrasco’s memoirs.

At the first part of Villa’s memoirs, he mentioned a Capt. Juan H. del Pilar as part of the Sixth Company of the First Bulacan Battalion.

Do note that even if Juan may not have been explicitly mentioned in some entries, he should’ve had the same arduous and perilous experience as everyone who was with Aguinaldo during his escape.

On December 16, 1899, Villa notes that Aguinaldo called for a council meeting and Juan was part of it. Interestingly, he didn’t seem to have an opinion of his own.

At 6 p.m. the honorable president named the following as members of a council to take place this night, viz: Colonel Sytiar, Señor Barcelona, director of the health department; Villa, sub-inspector of the staff; Majors Jeciel and Gatmaitan, and Capt. Juan H. del Pilar. [...] 

Having explained all these things, the honorable president then asked Captain Pilar what opinion he had to express. The latter replied that he had no opinion to express, but that he agreed with the honorable president’s declaration, but Colonel Sytiar answered this, saying that Captain Pilar’s answer was not to the point, as we are all under the honorable president’s orders and ready; what was desired was that the Captain Pilar should freely express his own personal opinion. On hearing this Captain Pilar replied in the very same phrases he had first used.

By February 1900, after a grueling trek, Aguinaldo and his group set up camp somewhere in Isabela. There, they experienced relative peace and have settled into a routine which involved horse racing in the afternoons. And yes, Juan or rather his horse participated in these races.

February 8, 1900: In the second race the horses of Señor Villa. and Captain Pilar were started; Señor V's horse gained from the start and finally, won.

February 9, 1900: The honorable president started out at 9 o'clock in the morning to examine our outposts, being accompanied by his adjutant, Lieutenant Carasco, Senor Villa, subinspector of military hospitals, Captain Pilar, and a squad of cavalry: he returned about 12;30 o'clock, quite satisfied over the good spirits of the soldiers.

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, as customary, two horse races took place. The first one was between the horses of Señors Jeciel and Pilar. It was hotly contested by both horses, but Señor Pilar's horse won by a length.

February 10, 1900:  Speaking of our life in this camp, it may be reduced to the following: All awaken, on sound of the bugle, at 5 a. m., and arrange everything in order, so that at any given moment we will not have to preoccupy ourselves with anything but our defense. At 7 o'clock we have breakfast, after which each one gives his attention to the duties assigned him. At 12 o'clock, we take dinner or luncheon. Afterwards we rest a little until 3 or 3.30 o'clock, at which hour the horse racing commences. At 6 o'clock we have supper. 

[...]  At 4 o'clock the horse races came off, the first one being between the horses of Señors Jeciel and Pilar, in which Senor Jeciel's horse won.

On March 16, 1900 (probably in preparation for Aguinaldo’s birthday), Juan and his soldiers were tasked to look meat and salt. They came back after 3 days, not only with inadequate meat but prisoners as well.

By the order of the honorable president, this morning at 5 o’clock 25 soldiers, under command of officers Del Pilar and Valentin, set out for the Gullayen settlement to secure in said settlement some 20 carabaos to furnish us all meat, and likewise some salt, since for some days we have been eating neither meat nor salt, though we have never been in want of rice, which exists here in abundance.

March 19, 1900: Our soldiers who, on the 16th instant, went to Guilayen settlement came back this afternoon at 2 o’clock, bringing the honorable president one carabao and one [goat]. They had been unable to secure the twenty carabaos, as was their intention, since these were not to be found. They also brought with them as prisoners two Christians, captured by them in the mountains before reaching Guilayen, and suspected of being American spies.

On March 21, 1900, Carrasco talked about Aguinaldo’s birthday preparations. Juan was to deliver a speech.

Our mess hall has been completed; likewise the mess hall for the troops, which is in the shape of a triangle. I have bidden the head of the rancheria to bring me three or four jars of basi, for the fiesta to be celebrated tomorrow, on the occasion of the birthday His Excellency the President. [...]

Speeches to be delivered by Dr. Barcelona, the marques de los camotes, Señor Bautista, Captain Pilar and Sergeant Luis. In response to all this, as finale, the Honorable President thanking everybody.

On Aguinaldo’s birthday, March 22, 1900, both Villa and Carrasco didn’t mention specifically if Juan was able to deliver a speech but the following entries should give you an idea what happened on this day.

Villa: Then, on account of today being the birthday of the invincible chieftain and liberator of the Philippines, all the officers and soldiers who are accompanying him on these mountain journeys have come to congratulate him since yesterday evening at 5:30 o’clock; and 25 soldiers have organized a band of music, using as instruments the bamboos musicong bombong [sic]. Their congratulations were solemn and imposing, because the honorable president, after receiving them affectionately, offered sweetmeats, cigars, and wines to all [...]

Carrasco: After the meal, Dr. Barcelona and other officers spoke [...] After the speeches the National Anthem was played, and then we retired. 

Still during Aguinaldo’s birthday. Villa mentioned about the Bulacan Battalion getting emotional because Barcelona reminded them of Gregorio’s death. I think it’s safe to assume Juan became emotional because he was a relative.

The happy meeting broke up at 1:30 o’clock, all the soldiers having gone away satisfied as far as their stomachs were concerned, but not so morally, because Señor Barcelona, in his toast, told them that as Bulacan soldiers they ought to imitate him who was their general, the valiant Gregorio del Pilar, who died on Mount Tirad while defending the person of the honorable president. As that general was greatly beloved by all his soldier (the Bulacan Battalion), these on hearing Señor Barcelona’s expression were reminded of how he had died, and many of them burst into tears. 

On April 16, 1900, Carrasco noted that a memorial for Goyo was held. Juan was one of those who read elegies for the fallen general.

As had been agreed on, we held on this day the commemoration in honor of General Gregorio del Pilar. At noon we all gathered in the troops’ mess hall. At the center was the table for the chiefs and officials and at the head of the table was a floral wreath with this inscription: “To the ill-fated General Gregorio H. del Pilar, who died heroically on Mount Tilad during the battle of December 2 last, this offering is dedicated by his brothers and companion in arms.” After the meal, Captain Pilar, Lieutenant Bautista and myself read elegies in honor of the departed general. The Honorable President then pronounced an eloquent oration, after which we all retired to our lodgings.

On May 20, 1900 (or May 21 depending on which journal entry you refer to), Aguinaldo’s group was on the run and had encountered American troops. Some soldiers belonging to the Sixth Company (specifically Lieut. Lucio Valentin), of which Juan was part of, went missing. It is unsure if Juan also went missing during this time.

Villa: The soldiers on the first and second companies of the Bulacan Battalion looked after the safety of the honorable president, and by their bravery prevented the enemy’s advance until he got away. In this fight our casualties were: Second Lieutenant Morales killed, two soldiers wounded, and Lieut. Lucio Valentin of the sixth company and some soldiers of the same missing.

Carrasco (May 21, 1900 in his entry): At around eleven a.m. we moved to the rancheria of Asibanlang, leaving in Sanga an advance guard under the command of Lieutenant Lucio Valentin. At around six p.m. we heard that the enemy was in sight. [...]

Soon after, the firing began where the advance guard of Lieutenant Valentin was; and moments later the firing started in our own line, commanded by Commandant Geronimo Gatmaitan. When the foe saw that all of us on horses were escorting His Excellency the President, they concentrated their fire on us, for which reason the President bade us leave the scene. 

On May 22, 1900, Villa noted that the soldiers who went missing last May 20th were reunited with Aguinaldo’s group. However, they were confronted by Americans who didn’t immediately fire at them. They escaped to the woods.

About 12:30 o’clock, on reaching a river near a mountain ridge, we observed a number of armed men on the top of the ridge. Viewed through the glasses they appeared to be wearing black shirts, but when we saw them deploy as skirmishers in our direction we were quite convinced they were our enemies. So we had to come back and abandon our trip to Magapasi. We then turned off to the left to ascend a mountain ridge which we saw, having left the Fifth and Sixth companies to protect the retreat of our honorable president, who before his leaving placed the soldiers in good strategical positions. The honorable president also gave instructions to the captains of the said companies relative to the direction in which they should retreat in order to find him.

After marching for an hour we saw one of our soldiers following us, and calling to us. Then we waited for him. When he arrived he told the honorable president that the soldiers we had seen deploying as skirmishers on the mountain ridge were our soldiers of the First Bulacan Battalion who had separated from us on the night of the 20th. We returned at once. Great was our pleasure on meeting our soldier companion of the rocks. After chatting for an hour we resumed our former direction toward Magapasi. This was 2 p.m.

On the Americans ambushing them: 

The honorable president did not know what to do, because in front of us were the 300 Americans at Tabog, forming a cordon; on our left 300 more Americans from Tuao, who were also in cordon, and to our right and rear were the 4,000 (sic) who were pursuing us and who had corralled us among the mountain ridges. How were we to save ourselves? While we were going back along the road we had come, the honorable President, Señors Villa, Barcelona and Pilar were engaging in a discussion as to what direction we should take, and whether we should be able to get through the hostile military lines. Each one was meditating on what should be best. Finally, as there was no time for so much discussion, the honorable president said that it would be best for us to simply hide in the thick woods in those places, and that from then on we would travel no more by day, but only by night, so as to avoid being discovered by the Americans.

The next entry from Villa that explicitly mentions Juan was on July 6, 1900. Juan was part of the council of a trial for a deserter. The deserter was given a death penalty.

There came up a trial in the camp this morning the case of Junior Maj. Geronimo Gatmaitan, a deserter from the escort of the honorable president. [...] In view of these grave offenses the honorable president this morning ordered all the field and line officers in camp to form a council to deliberate as to what penalty ought to be inflicted upon the said major. The council was composed of Maj. Raymundo C. Jeciel, Capts. Juan H. del Pilar and Ildelfonso Villareal, and First Lieut. Tomas Magsarile and Teodoro Dayao, Señor Simeon A. Villa presiding. The unanimously agreed that the penalty should be death.

By late August 1900, a major responsibility was given to Juan. Aguinaldo appointed Juan as military commander/chief of guerrilla of Isabela. Carrasco was put under Juan’s orders. And after two months of spending time in the Tierra Virgen camp, it was decided that Juan and other soldiers would not go with Aguinaldo and operate as a guerrilla unit. Here are the following entries supporting his appointment and the change to guerrilla tactics:

August 20, 1900 (A letter from Emilio Aguinaldo, addressed to the commander of forces coming from llocos): On arriving with your forces in these provinces, you may commence operations by guerrillas in any part of this valley with authority to attack and surprise the enemy without waiting for superior orders, establishing your temporary camps wherever military strategy demands. I inform you that the following are chiefs of guerrillas: of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, Captain Joaquin Velasquez; of Isabela, Captain Juan H. del Pilar; and of Cagayan, Major Carlos Ronquillo, each one of whom has the same authority as that which I now confer upon you, without detriment to the preservation of military discipline between you conformably to orders and good harmony as true brothers and defenders of a common cause, and in case of attack acting in combination, should circumstances require it. 

August 20, 1900 (Villa): A report was received from Gamu informing us of the arrival of many Americans at Aparri, and the 8 very large rowboats were en route to this section.

The honorable president, wishing to avoid the attack of the Americans, decided that we should leave here and take the direction for Palanan, carrying only 16 guns, the others to remain in charge of Captains Pilar and Villareal, who stayed behind to engage in a system of guerrilla warfare in this province.

August 21, 1900 (Carrasco): A letter I received from Captain Juan H. del Pilar at seven in the morning declared that he was on his way to the Third Camp on orders of the President. When he arrived there, I presented myself to the President, with whom I had been in conference, and he told me, among other things, that I was to put myself at the orders of Captain del Pilar, who had been told to be at the service of some guerrilla force.

Afterwards we spent a good time jesting with our colleagues in camp; and then I retired, to await the orders to march.

August 25, 1900 (A letter from Emilio Aguinaldo, addressed to the principal chiefs of the Katipunan who command forces in Isabela):  Señor Juan H. del Pilar has been appointed the military commander of the province; you as military commander of your pueblo will place yourself under his orders.

August 27, 1900 (Villa): Everything being conveniently prepared, in order to cause a failure of the Americans’ plan to attack, we at 5:30 a.m., abandoned this camp of “Tierra Virgen,” after having lived there peacefully for two months and twenty-one days. Capt. Juan H. del Pilar, chief, and Señors Villareal, Carrasco, Catindig, Subido, Ruis de Leon, and the greater part of the soldiers remained behind in the province to operate as guerrillas.

Despite the news and shift to guerrilla tactics, the following entries from Carrasco show how he and the other soldiers spent nights chatting and jesting in Juan’s quarters before leaving Tierra Virgen. 

August 23, 1900: In the afternoon I marched with the company of Lieutenant de Leon to the Third Camp, where I had been summoned. On arriving there, I found all chiefs and officials assembled in conference, which I joined. Afterwards we set to composing a circular, which was the purpose of the conference. We spent the night chatting and jesting in the quarters of Señor Juan H. del Pilar, where also lodge democratically the Messrs. Magsarili, Perfecto, Villareal and Subido. There we stayed to sleep. 

August 24, 1900: I have spent the day writing circulars, finishing at six in the evening. Like the night before, we spent this night in the said house and again we had a session of jokes and politics.

From August 28 to September 16, 1900, Juan and his group moved out from Tierra Virgen and carried out operations as a guerrilla unit. Carrasco, for the most part, was ill. 

August 28, 1900: On this day we transferred location, establishing a new camp in the same forest but in a more hidden site, where we have spent two nights.

September 5, 1900: On the 28th of last month, Captain Pilar, Captain Villareal, myself and some other officers, along with 56 soldiers, departed from Tierra Virgen to render service as a guerrilla unit. We fixed our area within the boundaries of the town of Echague and from that point we have delivered correspondence to the principal chiefs of the towns of this province, a service of great importance.

September 13, 1900: In the afternoon Captain del Pilar, Lieutenant Luna and myself went to the barrio of Minal-lo for a change of air and to deliver mail for Naguilian. We returned to camp at two o’clock a.m. completely soaked, having been caught by a storm along the way.

September 16, 1900: At sunrise, after breakfast, we resumed the march on foot, because the road is very bad and we cannot bring horses. We had been marching an hour when I was again attacked by fever. Nevertheless I plodded on until we reached a brook where I got my legs wet. Whereupon the confounded fever attacked me so fiercely I could no longer move a step and had to lie down on the ground. On seeing this, Commandant del Pilar ordered me to return to Minaban, since because of me the column could not move ahead. With God’s help, and clinging to the shoulder of my assistant, I hobbled back to Minaban, arriving there at six in the evening. 

On September 17, 1900, a still unwell Carrasco learned of what happened during the attack and the subsequent death of Juan. An American war report confirms Juan’s death although listed under a different date.

Carrasco’s entry: The column came from Malumi at around eleven in the morning and from my companions I learned how badly the soldiers had behaved. They refused to attack as we had planned, although the detachment was manned by only twelve Americans, as the soldiers knew. In the combat, we suffered the loss of Commandant del Pilar, who was captured by the enemy. We marched back to camp, where I continued to be with fever. 

September 14, 1900 (American war report entry): Corporal Martin, with a detachment of Company H, Sixteenth Infantry, encountered a band of guerrillas under Captain Juan del Pilar, on Palanan road; routed them, killing their captain, wounded 3, captured 1 rifle, 1 revolver, 175 pesos, and important papers. No casualties.

And there you have it. Captain Juan H. del Pilar died at the hands of the Americans and had suffered a similar fate to his famous relative. There is also no info on whether or not his body was recovered. If not, then his remains might still be somewhere in Isabela. 

Whether Juan del Pilar is the uncle or cousin, this shows Goyo’s relative had the same level of grit and resilience as him. Although, I still think this Captain del Pilar is a cousin based on age (because Tio Juan would’ve been 50+ years old by 1900).

Sources: 

An Acceptable Holocaust: Life and Death of A Boy-General by Teodoro M. Kalaw

General Gregorio H. Del Pilar: Idol of the Revolution by Isaac C. Cruz

A Spaniard in Aguinaldo’s Army: The Military Journal of Telesforo Carrasco Y Perez translated by Nick Joaquin

The Flight and Wanderings of Emilio Aguinaldo, From His Abandonment of Bayambang Until His Capture in Palanan: A Diary by Simeon A. Villa, a Member of His Staff translated by Lieut. J. C. Hixson (Published under The Philippine Insurrection Against the United States: A Compilation of Documents With Notes and Introduction by John R.M. Taylor, Volume V)

Letters of Marcelo H. del Pilar published by the National Historical Institute

Annual Reports of the War Department (of the United States)

[erismerald]

𝕝𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕒(Sam Drake x young adult reader)

Hello everybody, this time this story is going to be a little different from the ones I write!! This new story will be inspired by the 1997 film "Lolita" and the story of "First Touch". But I think you'll love it. I'm thinking about writing about 10 chapters, but only later will I know for sure.

This first chapter will be a little shorter, but i hope u like it!

I hope you like it, and remember that English is not my main language, so I apologize for any mistakes!

GOOD READING!!!!

𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: none for now ;)

𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕤: @missdictatorme , @sirkekselord @smdnixcole

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It was two hours before I left school, I was too excited to get home! And what is all the excitement about? a good friend of my parents would stay with us for some time and I was very eager to meet him and to be honest by the pictures my parents showed me of when he was younger he was actually quite handsome. he looked very smart and funny, since then i think about his arrival...well i can't deny that i was nervous about meeting him, but my parents always told me about their adventures with him, and that he was chloe and nadine's friend so that made me calm down about it.

While I was in class looking at the clock I got a message from my mum telling me or rather asking me to go to the supermarket to buy some things that were missing, and that if I wanted I could invite bella and will to come to dinner with us.

I looked discreetly at bella and tried to get her attention, and when she finally looked at me I said quietly

"Can you come to my house for dinner? Please!! I explain later... Ah and let Will know"

"okay, and of course I can" she spoke a little confused, looking at the will that was drawing again

"willlll" we call ourselves quiet so we don't get caught "let's go to Y/n's for dinner, okay?" she said throwing a little paper ball at him. she looked at me and nodded, "I'll tell you why later."

time passed and without noticing it was time to go home, my tummy was hurting a lot because of nerves, I wanted so much to look good in front of my parents' friend that I did not eat all day and was very tired but excited for dinner.~

"You're weird, you didn't even eat French fries today, you're sick?" said Will putting a packet of potatoes in front of me. "Today a friend of my parents is coming to have dinner with us, well he came to spend some months with us and I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen...he's handsome and seems to be intelligent, and my mother let him bring you to dinner, because that's why I called you" I explained on the way to the supermarket.

"So let me see if I understand you're nervous because a friend of your parents is gonna stay with you? How old is he?" Bella asked a little confused, taking two potatoes out of the package

"I don't know, I'm confused and he seems to be 48 years old, so what my parents had told me was, he disappeared for 15 years and about 3 years ago he came back here and was in contact with his brother and kept in touch with my parents, but now is working on something hereand needed some place to live so my parents made themselves available to receive him" I spoke with a mouth full of potatoes, and feeling the nerves going away, maybe all those nerves were from being hungry all day long.

We kept talking and while we were shopping we speculated how this mysterious friend would look, and we ended up laughing when one of us came up with something funny to say. Without realizing it, time went by and I suddenly feel my phone buzzing in my pocket and when I look at the clock it was already 7 pm and dinner was going to be at 8 pm, and I saw that the reason my phone was buzzing was my mother calling me:

"Y/n WHERE ARE YOU?!?" my mother screamed, but in the background I could hear laughter... I wonder... "Sam is here and you haven't even brought what was missing for dinner yet, the rest of the guests will be here soon and you'll be nothing" she paused and took a deep breath "I'll give you 10 minutes to be here if you don't, you gonna eat the dog's food" and hung up

"I could hear your mother here" will laugh at the situation, and I just gave him an angry look "he's already there... and his name is Sam."

"Humm sam seems to be a sexy, attractive name, don't you think I will?" bella spoke naughtily staring at will. Oh I forgot to mention, will was bi, so he was like a relationship guro for both of us. "I also think, it may be that the name matches the way he is, so..." he put himself behind us and surprised us "let's walk fast that I want to see the creature, and for more I'm starving" we laughed and started to walk fast,

and who opened it was Sully, who was basically like an uncle to me, and I hadn't seen him for a few months, because of work issues, and because whenever the bastard came I had gone out or was on a field trip to my house.

when we got home I rang the bell hoping my mother would open the door for me but:

"SULLY" I yelled at him, and he spun me in the air.

"Y/N!! oh my god you are so taller, how are you dear? let me help you with things" he offered to pick up some groceries and took us to the kitchen "you are so grown up that soon you will be able to go with me and sam on our trips? and beautiful my darling you are so grown up, and will you my boy already you are taller than me, as time flies." my mother enters the kitchen:

"she only will do that when she starts to try harder at school and get home on time," my mother said, taking up shopping and laughing a little

"Mum!!! I'm almost 19" I complained a bit and looked out the window and saw my dad coming up with sam, he was really attractive and tall, telling me it wasn't too hard to be taller than me being 6 feet tall, but he left me intimidated in a good way.He was wearing a brown shirt with a v-neck, my heavenly vision god... I have to stop flirting with men older than me.

when his glances crossed, sam thought straight away how hard it would be to live under the same roof as such an attractive girl, he took a deep breath and just smiled. he knew his charm would call the youngest's attention.I looked at him and saw him approaching along with my father:

"daughter this is my best childhood friend, Samuel Drake, and sam this is my girl Y/N" my father introduced us and the moment sam raised his hand and pehou in mine to greet me I almost fainted... he looked at me with a smirk and I traveled in his hazel eyes.

"great pleasure to meet you my dear, I've heard a lot about you" sam said gently, in his head he was having fun if he saw my cheeks change colour

"N-nice to meet you, I hope it was good things at least" I laughed a little and tried not to get lost in his eyes.

he let go of my hand and went out to the yard to help my father while sully talked to me

"Y/N? sweetie are you listening?" sully called out for me and I was even more embarrassed when I heard my best friends laughing at me

"yes I am,ahm  we have to finish some things before we go to dinner so, we've already come"

I went in pulling the will and bella with me, we went to my room (which was in the atic) and saw that everyone was in the yard waiting for us, but I still had to put on another outfit because the one I was wearing was very sweaty.

“okay what was that? you seemed hypnotized, what went on in your head?" will ask as soon as we got to my room 

"I don't know it was just... arghh he's so attractive, how lucky I was!" I replied by throwing myself into bed, seeing will and bella sit by my side laughing a little.

"ahaha, you're really weird Y/N ahaha" bella laughed and picked up her phone looking at the time, which in itself only reminded me that I had to take a shower.

"okay  we still have some time till dinner and since you are here u can help my mom" I said running to the closet "I'm gonna take a shower, meet you in half an hour"

"okay, but only if you promise me we'll see a horror movie" the will said putting down the backpack, and looking for something inside the backpack

"okay, that may be, but Y/N?" bella asked if lying in bed

"Yeah?" I said, going into the bathroom 

“try not to take too long, I'm starving and I bet you are too" she said maliciously referring to the event that happened in the kitchen

I went into the bathroom and turned on the water, and I could hear the two of them coming out of the room, I grabbed my cell phone and saw that I still had some time so I could enjoy the bath a little bit.

I took off my clothes and quickly got under the hot water coming out of the shower, I started to think what sam would be like, even knowing that he's already in our house... Will he and I get along? I closed my eyes and tried not to worry about it and tried to be as quick as possible.

While enjoying the bath, sam’s mind could not calm down, he felt guilty for having felt attracted to a little girl, well even if she was almost an young  adult he felt guilty for it but still in his mind he thanked God for coming to work for this city.

Should he have fun with her?  

He was taken out of his thoughts when he saw her friends coming without her, his eyes profited in but she had stayed in his room, he remembered having heard her say that she would have to take a bath, what the fe imagine her body would look upon his.

I got out of the bath and rolled up in the towel and got out of the bathtub, I opened the bathroom door and saw the steam spreading through the bedroom. I went to bed and sat on it for a while, touching the mobile phone.

my thoughts were still on sam, and on second thought it would be ridiculous for him to get involved with a girl her age, especially a shy and a little fat girl.

I always had a low self-esteem but still never doubted my body, I just felt bad sometimes for not being like the standard girls in society.

I let my wet brown hair out of the towel and out of nowhere I heard some laughter coming from the yard and as the window was literally next to my bed I sit on the little built-in stool and open my curtain a bit to try to peek.

My room was dark, just some feathery decorative lights illuminating its interior. I looked carefully at the yard and analyzed who was there: elena, nathan, victor, my parents, chloe, nadine and finally the person who hadn't met Sam yet.

I stared at him and saw that he was really a handsome man, and that he had a body that looked very attractive. And even with the glass window close I could hear his voice...a strange sensation occupied my chest and my beard, as if they were butterflies...I don't know how long I watched him but after some time I felt his gaze stick in mine.

sam felt himself being watched and looked up and saw her peeping out the bedroom window, in that position she was completely adorable and sexy, with her hair falling into wet curls, and her hand holding the towel around her body, that vision delighted the thought of sam who soon tried to tease her a little.

He barely knew her but that wouldn't be a problem for him as he'd be living with her for a while, meeting her would be the best part of his stay, and you can bet he'll want to know every part of her.

he just smiled a little and saw what her reaction would be.

The sensation of his gaze in mine gave me goose bumps all over my body, and I quickly closed the curtain and scanned myself on the wall.

I was panting, nervous, as if I had committed a crime, my heart beat uncontrollably, and sometimes I missed a beat. I closed my eyes and got the courage to look again, I opened the curtain slightly and noticed that he was no longer looking here.

Suddenly I heard a knock on the door "Y/N we're back, can we come in?" was interrupted by bella "Are you dressed?"

I almost ran out of that place and picked up my clothes and went into the bathroom with my heart beating a thousand times, why was I so nervous?

"I'm almost but you can come in" I said and started dressing fast.

I heard the bedroom door open and I opened the bathroom door again, showing off my new outfit

"these beautiful, we can finally get something to eat" bella said coming out of the room

I followed them and we went downstairs towards the backyard, and when we got there I couldn't see him, so we were just chatting with the other guests. My dad was having a barbecue and nathan and sully were helping, while the 3 of us were talking to sully and my mom about what we would both follow when we finished high school.

Before long, the drink that filled our glass was over, so I as a good host, I offered to go get mias, even though if I didn't I'm sure my mother would kill me ahahaha.

I left their side and walked on the grass to the dark kitchen, with only one or the other lit, I went to the fridge and took some drinks, but when I turned back I ran into faces with a shadow almost twice my size

"Y/N right?" I looked nervous and saw the sweet look that sam threw at me along with the attractive appearance that he had.

"y-yes it's me" I answered a little nervous, which in my head just seemed ridiculous, why was I so nervous after all? why did I feel like I was burning inside "sam?"

"yeah thats me, so do u need help?" he replied, with a charming smile, I was so bewitched by his smile that I almost dropped the bottles

"Let me help you" he said with a rough voice, his voice made me nervous but at the same time calm. He came closer to me almost trapping me against the fridge, and grabbed the bottles, when he put more light on, I could see the tattoo on his neck...and his muscular arms...and that smile...Y/n!!! for that he is much older than you don't even think anything. Fucking hormones!

for sam to see her act like that just by being around him drove him crazy, at that moment he just ignored that feeling of guilt and will only provoke her as much as he can.

he gave me space to pass in front of him and i was nervous. when we got back to the table everyone was already sitting and bella and will were almost stunned, and soon i realized that the only place left was next to sam, of course i was nervous. i was in a pile of nervous at that time but i took a deep breath and looked at mine signaling me to go to the phone.

I sat down next to sam and heard my father talking to sam:

"thanks for helpping her" my father said laughing if a little when he saw my red face of shame.

"You don't have to thank me I'm a gentleman, she needed  help to bring the bottles and I offered" he explained taking a small leather box and taking out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth...oh mummy what a sexy man, I was hypnotized by him, I couldn't even say anything just stared at him and didn't realise that my father was calling me:

"Yeah?" I said embarrassed, trying to forget the shit I just did. I glanced at sam and he was with a smirk, did he realize I was looking at him?

"why don't you tell sam what you're gonna follow in college" he said and got up from the table to go to the kitchen.

I turned around a bit and sam was already facing me waiting for my answer, his hazel eyes were analyzing every part of me, and that was just making me more nervous. The smell of the cigarette left me with a strange sense of security, until the vibe from my phone woke me up and d "quickly looked at bella and will make signs for me to talk to sam.

"Ahm... I want to follow archaeology, I have always been very passionate about history and I would like to connect with it premanently." I said with a shy look, responding to sam, who raised his cigarette to his mouth, and only after releasing the smoke through his lips did he speak.

"That's pretty good, I've always loved history together with my brother, whom you already know," he said with a hoarse and attractive voice, I swear by everything I was getting excited about just talking to him, my heart was racing but I wanted to keep talking to him:

"Yeah i heard about him, and i really love history, and sully has my biggest inspiration" I said shy.

"if u want i can help you studying" he stopped and looked at me deeply

"yes please?" i was so nervous that my hands were sweating.

sam looked at her and saw that she looked a little uncomfortable, that made him a little uncomfortable too, he wonder if he was scaring her. he couldn't help but think how smart and sweet she was.

"I hope you're ready for this feast!" my father dissecolating on the table the last tray of food

"Bon appetit, everyone!"

Dinner went super well, I talked a lot with Sam and he's a fantastic person and quite intelligent, meeting him gave a feeling of immense joy, something that even I can't explain.

At that moment I was so distracted that I didn't even notice that on the other side of the room Sam was watching every movement of my body. When I looked into his eyes he turned them away I blushed a little, I don't know why this happiness made me feel strange inside.

I looked forward and continued to do what I was doing: "and I finished... Shall we go to my room?" I said, keeping the last glass in the cupboard.

"good actually we have to leave tomorrow I have to help my mother tidy up" bella said

"and I have to go take care of my younger sister, my parents are going to the movies now, but we can watch the movie tomorrow that they think?" he asked and we both accepted, I took them to the front door and depended on them a little sad that I couldn't be with them at that moment.

I closed the door and I felt a spike in the bottom of my tummy and I felt something dripping, so I ran to the bathroom as fast as I could.I opened the door and sat down on the toilet, and can confirm my suspicions, came my period. I put on a patch and walked towards my room and sat down on the bench embedded in the window, the day was beautiful but now it had started to rain a lot, and I just stood there looking at the rain hitting the window, that calmed me down a lot, and today I spent the day on a roller coaster of emotions, good emotions, but still emotions.

I put on my headphones and stood there listening to music and watching the rain falling, reading a good book.

"sam?" Y/M/N called me with a smile, she was wearing a different outfit, where would she go? "Yes?" I answered quickly, getting up from the armchair

"Y/F/N and I are going on a small date just the two of us, could you take care of Y/N, for a few hours please?" she asked me in a sweet voice, that proposal made me dream loudly, since Y/N and I are going to be alone I can try to make conversation with her and get to know her better.

"Of course, don't worry, she's in good hands" I answered calmly

"thank you very much" Y/F/N replied and so they both left.

I took a deep breath and got the courage to go to her, I don't know what is going on but I am a little nervous and this is not common for me. I went up the stairs to her qrato and when I entered she was reading and listening to music, I looked around her room and could her personality reflected in him.

 I was so entertained in what I was doing that I didn't even realize Sam was in my room, and when I looked at him, I was leaning against the door frame watching my room.

"Sorry if I startled you, I just wanted to ask if you were interested in watching a movie with me" he asked with his hand behind his head, which made him very cute. "Your parents went out for a bit, you know... and left me to take care of you" he spoke a little apprehensive

"Well at the moment I'm not in the mood, I've got a bit of a colic" I answered by putting down the book I was reading "but you can come in and keep me company if you want of course"

"Of course, what book are you reading?" he asked me sitting in front of me.

"nothing much, it's just a romance" I answered with a little dry, not because I didn't want to talk to him but because I was dying of pain. I saw his gaze anailing my answer, I couldn't look directly at him without blushing a bit

"Is something wrong?" he asked me by getting a little closer to me, putting his hand between my feet.

"nothing bad, just menstrual pain, that's normal," I said with shame, why did I say that? now he'll think I'm stupid

"That's natural... do you want me to make you a tea? I can make you a tea that relieves that kind of pain" your voice became hoarse and calm again.

"He interrupted me by leaving the room and going to the kitchen. In a few minutes Sam returned with a mug in her hand, approached me again and gave it to me with a smile.

He sat in front of me and looked outside and I could see his tattoo.

"How did you know how to do this tea?" I asked staring at him, and this my attitude surprised him a lot

"Well I've had some ex-girlfriends who taught me how to make this kind of cha and many others," he said with his eyes lit by the moonlight and the lampstand outside. That phrase let me think what it would be like to date a man like Sam.

"You know you look pretty when you think?" he said bluntly, which made me choke on the tea a little.

"thank you I think..." I said super embarrassed, and tried to avoid looking at him. he laughed a little, what a wonderful laugh, I felt calm but at the same time nervous.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked by looking at the cup I had in my hand,

"of course, what?" he said looking at me with an instant look

"What is the meaning of your tattoo?" I asked, looking directly at it, and waiting for his answer, his gaze analyzed my body and that left me hypnotized, for more I love boys or men with tattoos I find super attractive.

He sat down closer and smiled at me as if he was thinking of something he shouldn't have.

"Well I got this tattoo in prison, I was unjustly imprisoned for 15 years and this tattoo means my freedom" he said calmly.

"Have you been arrested?" I asked of course i already knew the awnser but...he got up and took off his coat and put it on my bed, and without warning he lifted up his shirt, I paralyzed...his body was wonderful, he didn't look as old as he was, but something called my attention, some scars that were on his belly

"When I was running away with nathan and rafe I was shot, I ended up staying behind," he said by lowering his shirt and sitting down again. I was flushed and tried to avoid looking at him but he seemed hypnotized with me. He approached her a little closer and I couldn't help but stare at him.

He put his hand on my face, and lowered his thumb down to my lips, his gaze was penetrated into mine, I didn't know how to react, I was just paralyzed there... his touch made me warm, I closed my eyes, and felt him slowly withdraw his hand, I opened my eyes and saw his body move away.

"You'd better rest hon, good night" he said in a husky, seductive voice. He turned and closed the door behind him.

I knew if I stayed locked in there any longer I wouldn't control myself... but seeing her look embarrassed in mine, made me crazy, made me nervous, what's wrong with me? This is not correct, I walked to the livingroom again and I sat there in the dark thinking about what I had done, the interest I had aroused in her.

Is it so bad? I felt an attraction to someone without even knowing her... she was still so young... fuck... ignore this thought, sam. I waited a little longer until I fell asleep sitting there lost in my thoughts.

I stood there not knowing how to react, my heart was beating so fast, I got up and took off my clothes and put on my pajamas.

I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror, and touched my lips slightly, I could see my chest going up and down quickly, I smiled and went to bed.

I looked at the window and smiled, closed my eyes and thought of him...did I fall in love?

[wthelvetica21]

🔗💀Linked Souls

in the Digital Cabaret’s lobby

All four of the Mystery Skulls investigators found themselves in a calmly lit room with skull decor. It was quaint to say the least. There were also musical instruments like guitars and old fashion keyboards on the walls as well like it was a recording studio. All of them were laying on the same large circular sofa with two tables.

Lewis: What… The hell… just happened…? Guys?

Vivi: Just a few more minutes okay Lew. I swear… mar 

Vivi rolled back sleeping with her plush turtle that she kept in her backpack before they headed out.

Arthur: (yawn) Can you keep it down… Whoa OH HOLY SHIT! Where are we guys? This can’t get any weirder man.

Mystery: *soft barking* (I must keep a low profile for now. I have a feeling that we’re not… in our world anymore. I sense four none hostile souls and least one that’s harbors some justifiable apprehension towards us.)

Lewis is the only one who could hear Mystery via supernatural telepathy.

Lewis: Huh? I hear voices from outside… 

Lewis along with Mystery and Arthur put their heads on the double doors to listen in.

Teenage Male Voice: I don’t know if this is a good Idea Doc. They seem sketchy as hell if you ask me. Especially the ghost rider reject in particular.

Calm Female Voice: I’m sure hun, my tombsona can since people’s intentions right away. They seem to be looking for someone or something whom was involved with the murder of the young man in the suit who has become a ghost. It’s all I could glean however. But the dog though.. is odd… He’s not a threat to us but that might not be his true form.

Suave German Voice: He could be a lycan… What? It’s possible since that ghost is particularly one that still has his body. 

 Mystery: *tilts his head* (A lycan? As in a werewolf? He also knows that Lewis is a special case as well.)

Softer Male Voice: … 

Strangely Familiar Voice: What’s that Armstrong? You think that we should meet them one by one? Maybe 2 by 2 would work better. I would rather meet them later… I’m still having a hard time processing this whole situation. I just woke up after all.

Lewis: Wait?… Is that the? (Is that the guy singing in that weird dream from earlier? Could it be that comatose guy who was begging for help? It’s modulated a bit but it’s that voice I heard. I just know it.)

Mystery: whimper (Lewis? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. You know that voice?)

Lewis: Uhh… I could’ve sworn I heard his voice before. (he said softly)

Calm Female Voice: Don’t worry cher. We’ll go first. Come on Rust since you’ve been itching to meet them.

All three backed up from the door so they wouldn’t get hit.

Teenage Male Voice: WHAT!? Why the hell me? Why not Tesla, Armstrong, or even your… Hey don’t give me that look. Dammit okay fine… let’s meet them already. (mumbles in Spanish)

Lewis: Tch… (Yeah you’re already gonna be a pain in the ass from the get go. Must be a high schooler or somethin’.)

Strangely Familiar Voice: Wait! I changed my mind. I’m very curious about these people from another universe.

The double doors open and two individuals come out. One was a woman who had discolored blue skin with glowing neon blue paint. And she had flowing hair that acted like willow wisps. She also had the attire of a stage magician with some witch doctor elements. The most noteworthy thing about her was the navy blue mask with glowing cyan eyes and outlines that took up most of the top portion of her face. She could even be mistaken for a ghost like Lewis. 

Vivi: OMG, she’s… so… cool! Oh man I wish I had that classy outfit she’s wearing. I could match with Lewis for once.

Mystery: *tilting his head groaning* (She’s certainly someone Vivi and Lewis could get along with very well. Maybe she patched us up from that elevator.)

Doc: My name is Doc or you could call me Ms. Doc for convenience. I’m the drummer for The Living Tombstone. Next to me is zero_one. He’s our keyboardist and composer. He also does the vocals as well.

The other individual was a tall svelte man who was shorter than Lewis but slightly taller than Arthur.  He looked like he was wearing a skin tight jump suit with yellow circuit lines with an orange fade to them. In the center of his torso is a rectangle that looks like a microchip with a heart beat indicator. He also was wearing a helmet that had a plume of golden orange hair made out of plasma and a pair of headphones. But what really caught Lewis’s attention was the LED skull with a bolt shaped crack on the right. He recognizes him as that guy from that dream he while he was passed out on that mining elevator. Almost immediately both of them blurted out…

Lewis & zero_one in unison : Do I know you from somewhere? But how?

Lewis : Hold up… Um Hey… (Aw man this shit just got weird already.)

zero_one : Uh… Hi there… (Oh… awkward.)

Arthur: Welp… This just got awkward and weird fast. What is going on here man? You recognize the dude with the mohawk?

Lewis : It’s a… 

Rust: Oh that does it… I’m going in. What flying fu…. oh… This is already got a weird vibe. Who the hell are you people anyway? AND You… yes you the ghost rider reject how do you recognize our front man hah?

Lewis : growls (Great another asshole with a green motif. But he’s some kind of punk who’s just got outta high school). 

sigh (trying to contain his anger) I’m not sure, I just seen someone like him that’s all…

Stoping the young man in biker attire with the green skull mask from lunging at Lewis was a slightly older gentleman who’s color scheme was similar to Lewis’s. He had the attire of a mad scientist with a winter hat.

Tesla: Can you not be hasty Rust for just a moment. They are not a threat to us remember. Herr Geist (german : Mr. Ghost) I still have so many questions. How did you find the elevator to this universe?

Lewis : Umm… (Who the hell is this guy? He looks like he just stepped out of an anime or a game or something.)

Long story short but it may sound batshit crazy ; we were chasin’ a dismembered gang green arm with a single black eye. Did ya’ll see him.

Rust: uhh… what? What kinda story is that? You must be tripping on something really strong to come up with that.

Behind the slightly befuddled young man in the green was a larger skull faced man with a burnt space suit who’s glowing red. He looks like he’s trying to calm things down before a fight breaks out between Lewis and Rust. 

Armstrong : … signing (I believe we all need to calm down first before we get our stories out there. I’m Armstrong gentlemen, lady, and… dog. You hail from another universe?)

Lewis : Huh… good point sir. (Why do I know what he’s saying even though I don’t know sign language. This shit really couldn’t get any weirder.)

Lewis then gives a paraphrased version of what Armstrong was saying to rest of the Mystery Skulls gang. Doc explained that Armstrong has tinnitus but can still play the guitar very well despite that. His tomesona can also give some form of synesthesia to compensate for his hearing loss.

Rust: (shakes his head in disbelief) Fine whatever. Names Rust, don’t ya’ll forget it. I do the vocals and rap.

Tesla: Guten Tag, my name is Tesla Herr Geist, Chicken with Mechanical Arm, Mysterious Dog, and Liebshen.

Lewis : *groan of frustration* (Oh that’s effing lovely. He better be usin’ that word as a term of endearment and not trying to flirt with her. But at least he isn’t an annoying little punk like the green one.)

Vivi: Oh how rude of us not to introduce ourselves. We are the Mystery Skulls ; we’re paranormal investigators. I’m Vivi Yukino, I’m the researcher of the group. But my day job is at a used comic book shop called TomeTomb. Oh I also know how to play electric guitar.

Tesla: Oh is that right Liebshen? Very nice indeed.

Armstrong : … (puts both of his thumbs up for approval and nodding)

Doc: Huh, TomeTomb(soft chuckle) what an interesting name. And you are young man?

Arthur: I’m Arthur Kingsmen, I’m just the mechanic of the group and I’m not as interested with this paranormal crap as much as Lewis and Vivi. And I work with my uncle Lance at his auto repair shop called Kingsmen repair. Also I play keyboard and actually own three keytars as well (he said proudly). Ha they almost costed me an arm… and a… (nervous chuckle). Yeah, the arm is a different story though. (he said sheepishly scratching his head.)

Rust: Well it must have… literately. Holy shit man, three of them? Talk about overkill.

Lewis could see zero_one light up like a kid in a candy store as soon as Arthur mentioned his keytars. He could feel this feeling radiating in the core of his locket ; its joy. He then sees zero_one approach Arthur like someone who was reunited with a long lost sibling.

zero_one : Three keytars? (in rapid secession) What brand are they? How did you get them? What year were they made? Do you have any pictures of them? 

Arthur: (he had a smile that the rest of the Mystery Skulls gang haven’t seen in months) Really? I have a 1980s Casio, a late 90s Korg, and an early 2000s Yamaha. I had some connections back then and I usually find them used online even though they were still…kinda expensive. And yeah I have pictures of them on my phone, you can come and look if you want.

The Orange-Yellow color coded duo sat next to each other like they just got a new hand held game and rambled on and on about mods and midi plug ins for keytars for a good 20 minutes. Lewis wished that he didn’t go into that cave in the first place. The relationship between Arthur and zero_one was not just like two long lost brothers but it was like his friendship with Arthur before this whole third wheel and ghost thing ever came about. Lewis felt a small pang of guilt before getting interrupted with a question.

Lewis : sigh… (At least Arthur is feelin’ better already after all the shit I put him through. Maybe comin’ here isn’t going to be that bad after all. Just Maybe…)

Rust: Who’s the dog though? Gotta say though he kinda looks badass with the red and black.

Mystery: *shrugs in embarrassment* (Yabai. (Japanese: Oh Crap.) Maybe I shouldn’t show my true form now, maybe wait til they are ready or Vivi or Lewis mention it.)

Vivi: Oh his name is Mystery. He’s our mascot, sorta. I know he isn’t a ghost like my boyfriend over here.

Tesla: Boyfriend ha… Oh well, but you could do so much better then…

Doc: Tesla stop. Lewis is Vivi’s beau, just leave it be. There are other women you know…

Tesla: Uhh. Gut, I’m a man of honor.

Lewis : (Oh sure you are hat guy.) 

Okay then, I’m Lewis Pepper and I’m more the guy who handles the heavy equipment in our paranormal investigations. My day job is waiter and chef at my adopted family’s restaurant “Pepper Paradiso”. I also play violin and I am a train vocalist.

Rust: Oh… really? Come on zero_one, me and you, let’s nock this amateur down a peg or two.

zero_one : You’re kind of putting me on the spot here Rust. Lewis did say he was trained, maybe you should’ve not called him that.

Lewis : (narrows his eyes) (Oh, I’ll knock this Rust punk down a peg or two.)

 Oh really Rust. Alright I’m game but just you and me. Mono a mono. Let the best vocalist wi…. huh?

Then a feeling comes over both Lewis and zero_one that made both of them and harmonize a beautiful arpeggio that brings all the room in awe. Rust was drowned out by both of them because he was just as shocked as everyone else in the lobby.

Doc: Oh honey, both of ya’ll voices are like two angels. And you thought he was an amateur Rust?

Rust: Well, damn I’ll admit it, you and zero_one won on this one. For now.

Armstrong : … signing 

zero_one : interpreting for Armstrong : Well since the introductions are out of the way, I believe you said something about a dismembered arm earlier. Is that the reason why you stumbled into our universe?

Lewis : Well yeah, it said it lead us into a trap or some shit like that. It was also working with someone or something else that wanted to do all of us in. 

* Loud Alarm *

A I Voice: Warning security breach detected. / Subject identified as a green dismembered arm that has already made entry into timeline v. / prerecorded transmission from the multi-universal edge by Helvetica. 

Helvetica: Something has just breached the reality layline. Sending distress signal to prime universe about Null’s escape. Butterfly effect radiating towards other divergent TLT timelines. Three inter-universal ones from the prime timeline. At least three no… it’s five from the universe MSA (Mystery Skulls universe). I’m making my way to timeline v as soon as possible. End of Transmission.

Lewis : Welp… I can see things have gone to shit already. At least we know where it is now. Might as well go looking for it but we’re do we even freakin’ start huh?

Tesla: I’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise you. My prime self told me about this Null character but… what is it doing at this time period I wonder? Poor fraulein Helvetica sounds like she can’t handle this on her own. She might be proto_type’s student but even a student needs some extra help. We should worry about the four ones from our universe first before the one’s from our visitor’s universe.

zero_one : Wait? There are people from Lewis’s universe that crossed over to this universe too? What’s going on here?

Tesla: It’s most likely a butterfly effect like the distress called mentioned. Oh I believe we already have a lead or two, that’s gut. Really gut.

A I Voice: First sightings found downtown at High May’s Junior, Le Macabre Dance club, and Toriyama’s School for the Arts.

They decide to split up into teams to not only look for the possessed arm but for at least three people from the prime timeline in TLT’s universe.

 Mystery, Tesla, and Vivi are going to that Toriyama Art school in Japan since Vivi is fluent in Japanese. Lewis is thankful that Mystery is with her if Tesla tries anything.

Arthur, Rust, and Doc decide head to that Le Macabre Dance club which is in Puerto Rico. Rust apparently knows his way around there.

While Armstrong, Lewis and zero_one head towards a popular hot spot on San Francisco’s Yvette district; more specifically a hole in the wall bar known as High May’s Jr. Lewis decides to go there alone since he can change his form at will unlike Armstrong or zero_one but has agreed to meet up with them later once they found whom ever they are looking for. Armstrong thinks he’s way too conspicuous to be seen in public and decides to rendezvous with this Helvetica woman who made that distress call earlier along with zero_one.

End of Transmission

Lewis :  Well. I still have my ID and all. But I don’t think it’ll matter all that much. I swear this whole thing with timelines , butterfly effect and shit makes me feel like I’m in a very anime video game. Was something like Blaze blue or whatever? Or someone’s fanfic… Umm… Nah, that’s fu_king bonkers.

[dahmerthepeoplenomer]

Hey how goes it! This is a ‘Death Becomes Her’ oneshot for Ernest Menville. I was happy to get this character suggestion because I love this movie. Bruce Willis😍👌🏼! So this takes place after he tries to regain his sanity and leaves Helen and Madeline behind. Hope you like it. Enjoy! NSFW!

Forget and Remember

“Ern.” I say softly and rub the man’s arm.

“Ernest.”

Nothing.

“Ernest!” His eyebrows start to furrow in...distress?

“ERNEST!” I shout just loud enough to get through to his sleeping state. He instantly springs up, glasses crooked and hair a mess.

“Huh?” He looks at me with wide yet tired eyes before adjusting his glasses.

“Everything okay?” He doesn’t usually fall asleep in his office unless he’s highly stressed about something or is in a restless mindset. He looks around before stretching his arms above his head. He cocks his head to the side and instantly grabs his neck. A low groan of pain escapes his lips.

“Mm, what time is it?” He adjusts his cardigan before standing up.

“Quarter past 10. I was gonna let you sleep for a bit longer but I figured I’d come check on you. You don’t normally sleep this late. Are you feeling alright?” I move my hands up to feel his face. His arms encircle my waist.

“Yeah I’m okay. I’m glad you woke me up when you did. I was having a ridiculous dream about them again. They were chasing me and threatening to hurt me if I didn’t stay and take care of them. Good God, can the memories of those two just go away? It’s farcical at this point!” He rests he chin on top of my head in defeat.

I wrap my arms around him and gently stroke his back. If there was a way to wipe his brain clean of the names Helen Sharp and Madeline Ashton then I would. Post traumatic stress comes in all different shapes and forms I’ve come to find.

“I know it’s hard to deal with the past stress they’ve caused. If I could fix it or take it away then I would.” I say in an attempt to ease his tension.

He just continues to rest against me - his thumbs making little circles against hips. After a moment of silence, he breaths in deep and releases a relaxed sigh.

“Doesn’t help to dwell on the matter when I have you to focus my attention on now.” He mutters above my head.

I pull back to smile at him before saying, “Come on, let’s get you some breakfast.” I lean up to peck his cheek and he follows me out to the kitchen.

~~~~

Ernest was broken in every sense of the word. He was only a shell of man when I first met him. I remember the day we met very clearly. I was on kind of a soul-searching trip of my own when I noticed him. Ern was seated by the elegant fireplace in the winter lodge we were both staying in. He wore a casual dress coat with slacks and a trapper hat - the flaps were pinned up exposing his ears. The chair he sat in was partially turned toward the window. He wasn’t focused on anything in particular as he stared out at the falling snow. I do, however, recall the forlorn expression in his eyes. That’s what drew me to him.

I had just finished unpacking my duffel bag in my room before coming to relax in the the upper lobby with my book. The whole resort was beautiful - tall cathedral ceilings with skylight windows. There were mahogany wood pillars with stone wall detailing, giving it that true rustic cabin feel.

I made my way over toward the rocking chairs by one of the fireplaces and took a seat. Pulling my knees to my chest, I gazed around the large room. There weren’t many people. Just the lady at the front desk speaking with a young couple, an older gentleman with his dog, and...him. When my eyes spotted him, like I said, I was instantly drawn in. He looked a little lost inside himself. I turned my head in an attempt to refocus but found myself looking back to him. It was like a gravitational pull. I started to wonder if everything was okay.

After a sigh and shake of my head, I began on the first page of my book. Anyone who knows me can tell you that whenever I start a book, I get lost. Try to ask me a question and you’ll most likely receive a low ‘mm’ or small noise of acknowledgement even though I have no idea what was said.

I continue reading, occasionally glancing at the man no more than fifty feet from me. Time starts to pass - hours possibly. The suns sinks lower. People are coming and going. But he’s still there - unmoved and unfazed by his surroundings. I peek over my book to steal a look only to notice his eyes are already on me. They quickly flick back towards the window. After a moment, he looks back to me, making eye contact. I lower the pages in my hand to deliver a small smile. Unexpectedly, he matches my expression only to look back outside. I pull my lips in and continue my story.

The sun is now completely set. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with daylight savings time. I like that it gets dark because it gives me an excuse to wear pajamas and cuddle up in bed early but sometimes I like to have just a little more daylight to go out and do things.

About halfway into the novel, I decide to mark my place and close it up. I stretch my arms up and yawn. He’s looking again. I raise my eyebrows and make a face that says ‘hiii what do you want’ but in a playful manner. He smirks and again returns his gaze towards that damn window. I smile at him and wait to see what he’ll do next. ‘What an intriguing person,’ I think to myself. In an instant he whips his head my way, squinting his eyes to feign suspicion before slowly turning away. I then let out a giggle. ‘Looks like im going over there.’

I start over towards him. He starts to look a little nervous as he adjusts himself in his seat. “Well, if you’re gonna flirt with me then you might as well introduce yourself.” I joke, earning a slightly timid smile from him.

He clears his throat and says, “E-Ernest. My name’s Ernest.”

“Nice to meet you, Ernest. I’m (y/n).”

A moment of silence goes by before he stutters out, “Oh, uhm, why don’t sit down?” His hand gestures to the chair in front of him.

I sit down cross-legged and look to him. “What brings you here, Ernest? Hidden snowboarding talent?”

“Yeah sure, me?” He laughs. “No, It’s the serenity and scenery for me. What about you? Extreme skier?”

“Absolutely not. Same reasons as you actually.” I smile at him.

“Absolutely not? What about ice skating? That’s not too terribly hard.”

“I’d fall on my face or crack my head on the ice,” I purse my lips and add, “but i don’t fail at anything so I’d fall in style.”

He chuckles saying, “It’s not that difficult, but I don’t doubt that. You appear to be a very smooth person.”

“Smooth? This dork? Nu-uh, nope!”

“Ah come on, don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“You’ll believe it when you see it.” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Well you’ll just have to prove it to me sometime.” He laughs gently.

“Ernest! Are you asking me on a date? Calm down we only just started talking and now you’re making plans!” I fake a look of disgust before smiling.

“I..hah..uhm - well I..you are very beautiful.” He stumbles over his words and quickly looks away, taking off his hat. His fingers fiddle with fur on the inside.

I smile at him and give him a thank you.

“You’re welcome.” He’s looks down bashfully.

What a sweet, kind soul. He’s been hurt in the past, that much is evident. I watch the way his hand reaches up to stroke his face. His green eyes flicker around the room and land on me a couple times. With pursed lips, he lets out a soft sigh. “Sorry, I-I’m not really that exciting. I understand if you want to go back to your room or if you’d rather ME leave then I..”

“What? No! I want you stay. Of course I can’t stop you if you want to leave but I’d rather you stay.” I give him a reassuring smile. He doesn’t say anything but stares at me as if searching for any indication of dishonesty.

“Alright?”

“Okay.” I finally get a smile back.

We continue our small talk for a little while longer before I suggest getting a drink. He agrees and we head down to the bar room. This room is just as beautiful as the rest. We sit the farthest away from the other people in here. The live piano player strings out a beautiful melody.

A few beers and a couple of old-fashioneds later, he’s telling me stories of his life - his body becoming more animated as the alcohol sets in. I find myself thoroughly enjoying his company. We discuss topics ranging from music tastes to embarrassing childhood memories. I wasn’t expecting him to say that he’s a doctor.

“No way, a doctor in what?” I ask curiously.

“Well I was a surgeon early on. I then ‘downgraded’ by transferring over to mortuary practices. Not exactly the best conversation piece.” He laughs through his nose.

“No that’s really fascinating! Better than anything I’ve ever done. I never really had a ‘calling’ as one would say.”

“Yeah well I wouldn’t say doing these jobs were my calling per se but they pay the bills. Hence me being here, trying to find some sort of inner peace.” He says.

“I understand that completely. Same goes with me. So should I now refer to you as Dr. Ernest?”

He raises his eyebrows and tilts his head trying to look as pretentious as possible. “That’s Dr. MENVILLE, Ms. (y/n).” I snort a laugh at him.

“Well excuse me. That’s Ms. (Y/L/N) to you, Dr. Menville.” He laughs as well.

As another drink gets placed in front of me, Ernest walks his fingers towards the glass. He lightly pulls it his way. I flick his hand, shooing him away. That doesn’t stop him. Continuing his ministrations, I grab his hand and hold it down onto the bar as I down my drink. After I place my glass down, I realize my hand is still over his. He looks at them and flips them over, running the tips of his fingers along my palm. I eye his hand and then start a trail to his face. He’s already looking at me. My gaze floats up and down from his green orbs to his lips.

Not sure how or when, but we found ourselves crashing into one another in an attempt to walk down the hallway to his room. His fingers fumbled with the key to open the door. Once inside, I wasn’t expecting what he did, or rather said, next.

“(Y/n), may I kiss you?”

I wanted nothing more than to say ‘aww’ and hug him but desire was too heavy to ignore. I grinned instead and pulled him down to me, lips crashing together. This seemed to be enough encouragement for him seeing that I was pinned to the wall - hands running up and down my body. His mouth exploring quickly from my lips to my jaw and neck. I moan out, fingers delving into his hair.

Ernest picks me up, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist. He places me down onto the bed and I can feel how aroused he is through the fabric of his pants. Our mouths connect once again as our tongues begin an endless dance.

“Are you sure about this? Absolutely certain?” He mumbles against my mouth. “I mean, if you’re not comfortable then I understand.”

“Yes, I’m positive. I trust you.”

He nods in return.

We shed our tops and as he starts to unbutton his pants, he stops dead in his tracks. “Shit.” He mutters. “I..uhm, don’t have any..uh..”

“It’s okay, I’m covered.” I groan out.

With that Ernest discards the rest of his clothes allowing me to see him fully. He’s not the biggest but he’s perfect for me and utterly handsome. He then pulls my jeans all the way off. I’m already wet and ready for him. His gaze doesn’t linger on me too long but the look of hunger and lust on his face doesn’t go unnoticed. His double take almost made me giggle. He pushes me up towards the top of the bed and climbs onto me. His hand guides his member into me softly and we moan out in unison. I yank his head down, our mouths connecting. God, does he feel good. It’s like his body was made for mine. We just fit together.

As his pace becomes sloppy I know that he’s close, as am I. My climax comes first as I yell his name and cling to him. He’s not far behind, following me into waves of pleasure.

After collapsing beside me, I cuddle up next to him. His arms hold me as if i might disappear. After a minute or two my breathing returns to normal.

“Ernest?” I question.

“Yes?”

“What just happened?”

“Well I just had sex with a beautiful lady who I already enjoy having in my arms. I can’t say the same for you, but I hope it was at least half decent.” I can hear the smile in his voice.

“Oh it was a little more than half decent, Dr. Menville. You know you’re stuck with me now, right?”

He wholeheartedly chuckles before saying, “I wouldn’t mind that, not one bit. But, of course, that means you’d be stuck with me.”

I push myself up to look at him. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” I state. He shrugs, giving me that same self-deprecating look from earlier. I kiss the look away and pull back to see a genuine smile plastered on his face.

I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol or if I’m already intoxicated by this man but I feel so content laying here with him...on him. I listen to the steady rhythm of his heart beat as it lulls me to a deep, tranquilizing sleep.

~~~~

I watch Ernest spread some grape jelly on his bagel and take a bite. His eyes scan over the Sunday paper as he enjoys his meal. I sit down across from him and lean onto one of my arms.

“Ern, do you remember the day we met?” I ask.

“How could I forget? I remember how much I drank to calm my nerves after we went to the bar.” His chest rumbles with a chuckle as he folds the paper in his hand in half. I smile sweetly at him.

“I remember everything about that day. That was probably the lowest point in my life. But when you sat down across from me, I could only stare at you in awe. I didn’t want to seem like a creep so every time you looked up, I would look away. You looked so beautiful....then of course you caught me gawking at you like a moron so I had to make a joke of the situation.”

“You had to throw in your Ernest charm.” I wink and smirk.

“Yeah well I’m glad I did now but in the moment all I could think was ‘shit shit shit shit she’s coming over here’. I could’ve been sick, that’s how nervous I was.” He laughs.

“I know, I could tell.” I giggle. “It was adorable though. I quite literally almost said ‘awe’ when you asked to kiss me in your room.”

“Well, I didn’t want you to change your mind once you realized it was possibly just the alcohol making you feel the way you did so I was cautious.” He shrugs. “That was a beautiful night nonetheless.”

“It very much was. I was thinking we should plan a trip up there again. Weekend getaway or something, it’d be nice.”

“Yeah, let’s go. We never did get to go ice skating - too busy with more...important matters.” He smirks and turns back to his paper.

[huttons]

Never Really Was Enough, Pt. I

word count: 4.3k

summary:  When Eva moves to Raleigh, it wasn't a happy occasion. She needed to get away from her family and moving across the country was the quickest way for her to accomplish that. As she finds her place in Raleigh, she finds a new family with people she never expected to (especially with a certain red-headed hockey player).

warnings: talk of past dealings with homophobia, off-screen character death

author’s note: this was written as part of @fandomtrumpshate​ 2020! I was lucky enough to write this for @antoineroussel​ <3 

ao3 link

~ ~ ~

“How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?”

The day Eva packs up and moves to Raleigh isn’t a happy one. Despite having the chance to start an amazing new job, and the chance to start over, she’s bitter about having to do it. The thought of having to make a new start without a support network is terrifying. But if it means that Eva can have a fresh new start, then so be it.

As Eva puts the last box into the U-Haul, she sighs. Moving across the country isn’t exactly how she had planned on getting away from her family, but she also didn’t think that she would be leaving so soon, either. It was a stroke of luck that she had been hired in North Carolina, and it was even better that she had found an apartment she could afford to live in.

Once she starts the long drive, there’s no heartfelt good-byes, and nobody to send her off. Eva has to remind herself that Lucas is long gone now and there’s nothing holding her back anymore. So, she begins what will likely turn into a week-long trip to Raleigh. It’s mostly a mindless drive, with only a few wrong turns. The days blur into each other, and she only stops for gas, food, and the chance to sleep.

By the time she pulls up to her new apartment complex, she feels exhausted and groans at the thought of having to unpack everything by herself. She drags herself to the front office to get checked in. It’s a smooth process, and once she gets the keys, Eva is hoping it doesn’t take all night to get everything moved up to her apartment.

“Hey, are you new here?” someone asks.

Eva turns and there’s a woman, about her age and blonde hair that glows in the sunlight walking over to the U-Haul.

“Yeah, just got in obviously,” Eva answers with a tired smile. “I’m Eva.”

“Samantha, but everyone calls me Sammy,” she introduces. “Are you here by yourself?”

“Yep, it’s just me,” Eva replies. “I couldn’t afford to hire any help, and my family couldn’t make it out, so it’s just me.”

“Ah, so you moved from far away?”

“Across the country,” Eva answers. “I came from Portland. The one in Oregon.”

“Damn, that’s a long-ass drive,” Sammy jokes. “But I think you’ll like it here. The neighbors are good, for the most part.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“I’m guessing this will take you a while, so I should be able to help you once I pick up my boyfriend from the auto shop.”

“Oh, you don’t have to help.”

Sammy snorts. “Please, you’re going to be here for ages. It’ll be no big deal at all. There aren’t a lot of people our age here, so it won’t be too much of a hassle to help out.”

“Well, if it’s not a big deal, then sure, I’d appreciate the help,” Eva replies with a soft smile. “I live in 417 if I’m not down by the truck.”

“See you then, Eva.”

Once Sammy leaves, Eva looks back to everything she has to unpack. She’s thankful that she doesn’t have a bed or couch to worry about, but Eva isn’t happy about having to sleep on the floor until the bed she ordered comes in. Without the help from her family, though, there was no way she was going to be able to get a bed or a couch into the moving vehicle.

Eva loses track of time, and by the time Sammy and her boyfriend, Patrick, come by to help, it’s late afternoon. They don’t talk much, but the silence is easy, which Eva is unfamiliar with. It’s been a long time since she felt comfortable not feeling like she had to fill the quietness. By the time dinner time rolls around, they finally have everything in Eva’s apartment.

“Are you going to want help unpacking things?” Sammy asks.

“Nah, this was already so much help. I probably would have spent the rest of the night bringing things up here,” Eva answers. “But thank you again, I really appreciate this.”

“We couldn’t not help someone moving in by themselves,” Patrick says. “It’s a big step, what you did. I don’t think I could ever move across the country by myself.”

Eva shrugs. “If you have to do it, then you manage.”

Both Sammy and Patrick don’t ask for more details, which Eva is grateful for. She’s not really sure if she feels comfortable talking about how she ended up here quite yet.

“So, are you really going to be fine sleeping on the floor?” Patrick asks, a little bit of worry in his voice. “I’m sure we could find something more comfortable for you.”

“Yeah, it’s only for a couple of nights until the delivery comes in,” Eva replies. “I just wasn’t sure when I would be getting here, so I guess I’ll just have to suffer for getting here early.”

Sammy snorts. “Alright, well, if you ever need company, we’re just one floor up. And you know what, give me your number so I can text you good places for takeout. I’m sure that you won’t want to be cooking for the next few days.”

“Oh, thank you, that would be nice,” Eva replies, who was planning on just living off of pizza for the next day or two. “I honestly don’t even know what there’s to do here since I just moved out here for work, so honestly, I’ll take any recommendations you have.”

Once Sammy and Patrick leave, Eva has a new contact in her phone and a list of places to check out around Raleigh. It’s a comfort knowing that she already has people willing to help her out here. She isn’t sure how well she’ll click with people at work and the thought of randomly introducing herself to her other neighbors isn’t an appealing idea.

The following week is a hectic one, with Eva trying to get her apartment to feel like a home and making sure that she’s ready to start work. She meets up with Sammy and Patrick again for dinner one night at their apartment to take a break from unpacking all of her boxes. It wasn’t until she moved that she realized how much stuff she accumulated.

“So, what do you two do for work?” Eva inquires.

“I work in the front office for the Canes,” Sammy answers. “And Patrick here is a kindergarten teacher, which is why you see glitter everywhere.”

“That was one time,” Patrick protests. “It’s not my fault it never disappears.”

Sammy snorts. “Yeah, it was a mistake he’s thankfully only made once.”

“Uh, not to sound dumb, but am I supposed to know who the Canes are?” Eva asks, a little nervous. “Are they like…a big company or something?”

“Oh, they’re the NHL team here,” Sammy replies. “I keep forgetting not everyone keeps up with hockey.”

“Well…I guess I’m going to have to start watching it if I’m going to be friends with the two of you,” Eva says. “I’ve only watched one game and that was because it was on at a sports bar my brother and I were at.”

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Sammy says. “Hockey is fun, but it can be kind of messy sometimes. And I hardly understand it despite working there for a couple years now.”

Eva smiles softly. “Well, in that case, I feel a bit better about not knowing anything.”

“So, what brought you all the way across the country? I don’t think we ever asked,” Patrick inquires. “You don’t have to share if you don’t want to, though.”

“I found a good computer engineering job out this way for a small tech company. My other job just wasn’t cutting it,” Eva explains. “And it was time to get away from the family. Things were…not great, to put things lightly. Turns out they weren’t okay with me being bi.”

“We’re glad to have you here then,” Sammy says decisively. “Family can be shit sometimes, and I’m glad that you’ve been able to get away from them.”

Eva smiles sadly. “Thank you. I don’t think it’s really settled in yet, but I’m proud of myself.”

“You deserve to be proud,” Sammy says. “Now, let’s talk about happier things.”

The rest of the night passes easily and Eva can tell that she’s going to really like Sammy and Patrick. They’re good people and take her coming out with ease. She forgot that plenty of people don’t care about her sexuality, but with a minimal support system back home, it was easy to not remember that. By the time Eva leaves that night, her heart feels fuller and happier than it has in a long time.

When Eva gets back to her apartment, she sighs and makes a list of what needs to be accomplished tomorrow. There’s not much left to do, especially since the bed she ordered had come in a few days ago and she had found a decent couch off of craigslist. Her new job starts on the following Monday, which is only four days away now.

To distract herself, Eva decides to finish all the unpacking the following day, then goes shopping for things to decorate with. She sold most of those things before the cross-country drive, not wanting to hold onto any bad memories. Now she has the chance for a fresh start and it makes her feel light.

By the time Monday morning rolls around, she’s extremely nervous. Despite emails saying that people dress casually, Eva decides to go for a more business casual look, wanting to make a good first impression. She does her best to look like she didn’t stay up all night, then makes the drive out to the office.

“You must be Eva!” someone greets cheerily, once Eva walks in the front door.

“Uh, yes, that’s me,” Eva replies, taken aback by their cheery disposition.

“I’m James, and I’ll be helping you settle into the office,” James explains. “I know this is a lot to take in on a Monday, but today and tomorrow will mostly be orientation and HR stuff.”

“I can handle that,” Eva replies.

James proceeds to show Eva where her desk is and let’s her get settled. He gives her login information for her computer, and then lets her work on settling into her space, along with setting things up with HR. The morning passes quickly, then James is treating Eva to lunch, where they end up visiting a local diner.

“They’re open 24/7 and don’t mind if we stay for hours on end in the middle of the night when we’re trying to meet a project deadline,” James explains, when Eva seems a bit confused.

“Sounds like that’s a common experience,” she snorts.

“Don’t want to scare you off, but you wouldn’t be wrong,” James laughs. “How’s it been so far? I know it’s not that exciting, yet.”

Eva shrugs. “Could be worse. It seems like a good place and like there’s good people here. So, I think I can deal with a couple days of boring paperwork.”

“That’s the spirit!” James says happily. “And I promise that this is an amazing place to work. It’s not all that glamourous, especially since we aren’t a big company or anything, but the culture is what makes people stay.”

“Well, that’s good, glad I took a chance on coming out here then.”

The rest of lunch passes easily and Eva proceeds to spend the rest of the day filling out paperwork. Despite the easiness of the day, she feels exhausted by the time she gets back to her apartment. She reheats leftovers, then goes to pass out on her mildly uncomfortable bed.

The summer passes by quicker than Eva can even process. There’s so much to take in and she doesn’t have time to hurt about her family not asking about how she’s doing. It’s mid-August when she’s hanging out with Sammy, while Patrick preps for school to start up again.

“So, how would you feel coming to a company party with me?” Sammy asks, out of the blue. “It’s in a couple of weeks and I want you to come with me. It’d be fun.”

“Shouldn’t you be going with Patrick?” Eva retorts. “The two of you are dating.”

“Yeah, but I always bring him. Besides, I think you would have fun and would get along with everyone,” Sammy explains. “And honestly, Patrick is a bit all over the place this time of year, so I don’t think he’s too keen on going anyways.”

“What’s the vibe like? Is it a stuffy company party where everyone secretly gets drunk to get through the night or one where people actually like each other?”

“People actually enjoy each other there. And it’ll be a barbecue at one of the player’s houses, so it’s a totally chill thing.”

“Oh, well, it’ll be good to meet your coworkers then. I can finally put some names to faces, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll remember anything.”

“Alright, I’ll make sure that you’re on the guest list. Some of the players will be there with their partners, so you’ll have the chance to meet them if you want to.”

“I honestly could not tell you who’s who still, so I probably won’t even know that I met any of them.”

Sammy laughs. “That’ll provide some good chirping material for them.”

“Glad I could be of service,” Eva jokes.

“You’ll fit right in; I promise.”

~ ~ ~

Finally, the day of the barbecue rolls around. It’s still sticky hot, so Eva keeps her outfit simple with a tank top and a pair of shorts. Sammy insisted that the dress code was casual and there’s no need to dress nice. The whole thing is just a chance for everyone to mingle and meet the new people joining the Canes.

Despite still not really knowing any of the players, Sammy tells Eva about a new player that’s coming to the barbecue today. She seems excited to meet whoever the guy is, so Eva tries to remember his name, but forgets it the closer they get to the house where the get-together is being hosted.

Sammy has to park a little bit away, so when the two of them walk up to the house, Eva lets out a small gasp. The house is huge and the backyard looks gigantic. She supposes it has to be, to host an office party. However, it’s still a reminder how lucrative being an athlete and sports management can be.

“It’s fucking ridiculous, isn’t it?” Sammy snorts. “Not that I’m complaining, since it always means good food and alcohol, but still. I’m still honestly not completely used to it and I’ve been coming to these things ever since I started working here.”

“This is…a lot,” Eva comments. “But I’m excited to look around.”

Once they get into the house, Sammy drags Eva out to the backyard and introduces her to a bunch of people. Eva immediately forgets all of their names, but just smiles and nods along. After a little bit however, she decides to split off from the group to go get some food. She lets Sammy know and walks off to the other side of the yard. Once she gets her food, someone walks up to her and introduces himself.

“I don’t think we’ve met yet,” he says. “I’m Dougie.”

“Oh, it’s good to meet you, I’m Eva,” she replies. “I don’t actually work here, I’m with Sammy. I guess that makes you coworkers, right?”

“Um, I think? Technically?” he replies, unsure.

“Do you work in management then? Didn’t take you for the type, but I guess I shouldn’t judge.”

“Um, I mean-” Dougie starts to say.

“Dougie, get over here, we need to show you something!” someone else shouts.

He looks apologetically over at Eva before heading over to the group. Eva obviously wants to know what he was going to say, but shrugs it off and walks over to Sammy. She’s still animatedly talking to the same people as before, but smiles over at Eva when she joins the group again. After a few minutes, they head off to grab food as well.

“So, meet anyone exciting yet?” Sammy asks. “There’s a few players and they’ll introduce themselves to anyone new.”

“I might have met your boss? Or management?” Eva answers, still unsure of what Dougie’s role is.

“Oh, isn’t she amazing?” Sam gushes.

“She? Well, I guess I shouldn’t have assumed her gender,” Eva replies, immediately feeling bad.

Sammy looks confused. “Um…I don’t think we’re talking about the same person. My boss is over there.”

She points to a petite woman, with ebony skin. So, definitely not Dougie then.

“Well…that is definitely not who I met,” Eva whispers. “His name was Dougie.”

“You met Dougie? That’s the new player I was talking about!” Sammy exclaims. “We literally talked about this before we got here.”

“I was nervous! I don’t remember things when I get nervous.”

“Did you say anything embarrassing to him?”

“I mean, I basically told him that he didn’t seem like the management type? Because he said he was only technically a coworker of yours.”

Sammy snorts. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you told him that to his face.”

“How was I supposed to know?” Eva exclaims. “And I wasn’t wrong, was I? He isn’t the management type.”

“God, I can’t wait to tell everyone about this,” Sammy says, laughing.

“I’m making such a bad first impression,” Eva groans.

“No, I promise this will only make everyone love you more.”

“Whatever you say,” Eva replies skeptically.

Fortunately, the day passes in a much less embarrassing fashion for Eva. She manages to avoid Dougie the rest of the time she’s there, not wanting to address how badly she made a fool of herself. Normally, Eva likes to think she’s more put together than this, but something about it just makes her feel awkward.

“So, what did you think?” Sammy asks as they head out.

“It was fun,” Eva answers. “Still can’t believe I made a fool of myself in front of Dougie, though.”

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s really going to be that big of a deal. I don’t think he’s the type of player to get mad about someone not recognizing him.”

“Oh, well, that’s good at least,” Eva jokes. “But then again, I doubt I’ll be seeing him again, so I guess I shouldn’t be too worried.”

“Bold of you to assume I’m not dragging you to another event soon.”

“Seriously? Why would you take me to another one of these?”

Sammy shrugs. “Patrick has never been too much of a fan of going and I don’t like going by myself. So, I’ll keep taking you until you get sick of it.”

Eva snorts. “Well, at least you’re being honest. It was fun today besides me being an actual idiot, so I guess I can tag along again. When’s the next thing?”

“We usually have something else when the preseason ends, so probably the end of September at some point. It’s much more relaxed since the players are usually off the walls with the energy to finally start the season again.”

“I won’t ever turn down the chance for decent free food, so count me in.”

“What do you need free food for? You earn just as much as Patrick and I combined in one year.”

“You’re not wrong, but it’s also a hold over from the college days. Some things just don’t change.”

Sammy just rolls her eyes in response. Once they get back to the apartment complex, Sammy drags Eva up to her apartment to tell Patrick about meeting Dougie. Eva is blushing out of pure embarrassment the whole time. She has a feeling that she’s not going to ever live it down, but she guesses there’s worse things to be teased about.

“For someone who’s so smart, I can’t believe you did that,” Patrick says, laughing.

“Oh my god, it’s not my fault half of these guys look exactly the same!” Eva exclaims. “And it’s not like it’s my job to know which one is which.”

“Well, you’re going to have to learn if you’re coming with me to more company events,” Sammy points out.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Eva groans. “I take back my standing offer of going with you, you don’t deserve it anymore.”

“Sure, whatever you say,” Sammy says. “Besides, what happened to wanting free food?”

“No longer worth it,” Eva replies.

Patrick and Sammy laugh in reply. Eva just rolls her eyes.

“As much fun as I had today, I should probably head out. We have a huge project coming up at work and I know I’m going to be pulling more all-nighters than I want to admit,” Eva says.

“Alright, try to get some rest at least,” Patrick says.

“I’ll do my best,” Eva replies, as she heads out of the apartment.

The weeks pass by in a blur, especially since Eva gets swept up in project deadlines. Before she knows it, it’s the end of September and Sammy is dragging her to the season kickoff party. This time, it’s at a different player’s house, but the place is still as extravagant as the last one. Eva also had made sure to try and memorize a couple of players’ names and faces.

“Hey, it’s…Eva, right?” Dougie says, coming up to her and Sammy.

“Oh yes, that’s right,” Eva replies awkwardly. “And Dougie? Who doesn’t happen to work in management, but is instead a player?”

He snorts. “Yeah, that would be me. The guys still haven’t let me live that one down.”

“Glad I could provide some quality material,” Eva jokes.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made sure that she’s gotten some shit for it as well,” Sammy interjects. “Wanted to make sure the chirping was solid on both sides of it.”

Dougie laughs, and Eva feels herself warming a little at the sound. It’s a good laugh, and she feels a bit odd at admitting the fact. She shoves any thoughts of associating Dougie with being good or cute, not wanting to even go down that road.

“It seems like you’re settling in well,” Sammy says. “Is Raleigh everything you ever dreamed?”

“Ah yes, definitely living out all of my dreams here,” Dougie jokes, good-naturedly. “I do enjoy it here, though. I feel like it’ll be good.”

“Then it seems you and Eva are in the same boat,” Sammy replies. “She’s fairly new in town as well.”

“Oh? What brings you out here?” Dougie inquires.

“If y’all are going to bond over being the newbies, I’m going to go and get some food,” Sammy says, heading off.

Once she’s gone, Eva answers, “I moved out here for work, actually. Moved from Portland, Oregon, so it’s definitely a lot to get used to.”

“You really moved across the country for work?” Dougie says, a bit surprised.

“Yeah, I just…needed a scenery change and Raleigh was the first place that offered a decent job in a place I wasn’t completely opposed to moving to,” Eva explains. “I mean, it wasn’t hard to find computer engineering jobs, so I guess I was able to be a bit picky.”

“Computer engineering? I didn’t take you for the type,” Dougie teases.

“Oh my god, you’re not going to live me that down, are you?”

“The opportunity presented itself, and I didn’t want to pass it up. But seriously, that’s cool, even if I don’t understand what that even means.”

“It’s not much, we just help develop computer hardware and software. Most of the training is in electrical engineering anyways, so it’s not hard to adapt skills across the board.”

Dougie snorts. “It’s not much, she says. That’s still pretty impressive, Eva.”

“Well, thanks, I guess.”

“But I still can’t imagine why you chose Raleigh of all places. Why not New York or Seattle, or whatever? I feel like those places are more known for their tech industries.”

“Seattle was a little close to home for me, and I was also just tired of living in a big city, so moving to an even bigger city was out of the question.”

“That’s understandable, I guess.”

“So, I know you’re a new player here because Sammy mentioned it. But did you sign here or…I honestly have no idea how this works.”

“Nah, I was traded from Calgary.”

“…Is that in Canada?”

“Yeah, that’s in Canada,” Dougie replies, laughing.

“You’re going to chirp me about that too, aren’t you?” Eva groans.

“It’s only fair.”

“Did I miss Eva doing something dumb?” Sammy asks, coming back with a plate of food for herself and Eva.

“Yes, she didn’t know where Calgary is,” Dougie answers.

“Well, I can’t blame her for not knowing. It’s really not that remarkable,” Sammy retorts.

Dougie laughs again, and Eva feels herself blushing a little. He seems like a good person and definitely isn’t hard to look at. She tries to push those thoughts out of her head, knowing that if she manages to develop a crush on him, that it’ll go nowhere. The chances of anything happening between the two of them is slim at best.

“I’ll let the two of you continue enjoying the party, I’m going to go see how everyone else is doing,” Dougie says. “Hopefully I’ll see you later?”

“Oh, you definitely will,” Sammy says, rather ominously.

Dougie smiles, then heads off to where the food is located. Sammy immediately turns to Eva and raises an eyebrow.

“What?” Eva asks. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No, it just seems like the two of you were getting along pretty well.”

“I was just being polite,” Eva says indignantly.

“Uh huh, I’m sure that’s what was going on.”

“Oh my god, you’re the worst.”

“Look, if the two of you become friends, or maybe you know…exclusive, I’m taking all the credit.”

“Nothing is going to happen because we’ll only see each other at these events if I decide to keep coming.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” Sammy says, smiling brightly.

“I don’t like where this is going.”

“You’ll be thanking me later, Eva, I promise.”

[goldngguk]

a dangerous game // jjk

yandere!jungkook x reader

inspired by The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell (any similarities between his story and this one-shot are credited to him)

note // I wrote and published these months before the Ready or Not movie trailer was released so its kind of a freaky coincidence. I'm not mad about it or anything. 😊

genre // one-shot, yandere au, killer au, hunter au

warnings // yandere behavior, mentions of murder/death, strong language, suggestive content

word count // 6.1k

part 02 // epilogue

You were in love with him. Jeon Jeongguk was everything you’d ever dreamed of and more. He was wealthy, kind, gentle, and most importantly, he loved you dearly. You knew he would always be there for you to guide you and protect you. You’d been together for just over a year and knew he had made plans to propose to you. But you found it strange that he had never brought you home to meet his parents. You hadn’t even so much as been introduced via phone call. Every time you brought it up he would shrug it off as if it wasn't that big of a deal. After a while, you learned to ignore it and stopped asking. Surely he would introduce you before you were married.

That day came sooner than you thought. Jungkook planned an extravagant night on his yacht with dinner, dancing, and music. His proposal couldn't have been better; it was very romantic and you couldn't stop the tears that brimmed in your eyes. That night as you lied in his arms, you brought up his parents again. “Gguk-ah,” you batted your eyelashes at him making him kiss your temple before meeting your eyes.

“Yes, my love?” He nudged his nose against your own and you hummed with joy.

“Don't you think it's time I met your family? I mean, I'm going to be your wife in a few months.” You half expected him to be annoyed with you. You used to ask this question all the time before taking the hint and stopped bringing it up altogether.

But he wasn't angry at all. He chuckled and sat up, reaching for his phone from the bedside table. “You're right. Now would be a great time. I'll call them and set something up.” You sat up beside him, kissing his cheek to show your appreciation as he listened to the phone ring. He winked at you before speaking. “Ah, Eomma. I have something to ask you.”

-

“It's all settled,” he said laying down beside you again. He pulled you into his chest and kissed the top of your head. “Are you excited?”

“Mmhm. Where are we going?”

“Our island off the coast of Korea.” You nodded. You'd only heard of his family's island before. He told you about the vacations they used to take there when he was younger. Now, he goes on hunting trips on the island with his father. “It's the perfect place to get away, just the four of us.”

“When do we leave?”

“Our flight is next weekend. My parents will meet us there two days after we arrive. That gives us a little time to ourselves.” He looked down at you, raising a brow suggestively.

“Oh? I don't know what you mean,” you teased.

“Huh.” He pushed you off of him and onto your back to straddle you. “I guess I'll just have to show you.”

-

The flight wasn't as long as you thought, only a mere four hours until you landed on the private airstrip. You pulled up to a large manor set deep into the woods. It was made from grey bricks and was complete with tall gates and a fancy fountain in front of the main entrance. It almost seemed like a big fortress seeing as it was literally in the middle of nowhere.

Jungkook helped you out of the vehicle, grabbing your luggage and taking your hand to lead you inside as the black car drove off.

"I'm so glad you're here," Jungkook said. "I can't wait to show you around inside." He put down his duffle bag to push open the big decorative door in front of him, revealing a lobby with a beautiful staircase. "Welcome to the Jeon Manor."

It really was gorgeous. The marble floor was freshly polished and grand wood statues littered the walls.

"Come on. I'll show you to our room." Jungkook led you up the twisting staircase and down a series of halls before finally reaching your bedroom. He opened the set of twin white doors and let you enter first. It was similar to the rest of the place. The wood floor was decorated with extravagant rugs and elegant curtains were draped over the large windows behind the king size bed.

"You know, sometimes I forget that your family is loaded. Not anymore."

Jungkook snickered and walked over to you, giving you a quick peck. "I'll be right back, my little gold digger."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go turn the water and gas lines on. You can wait for me here." He winked at you and left you standing in the middle of the room.

"Jeon Jeongguk, we just got here!" You called out to him.

"We gotta break it in!"

Rolling your eyes at his suggestive behavior, you set your bag on the floor and lied down on the bed, tracing the soft duvet with your fingertips. After a few minutes, you heard footsteps coming up the stairs again. Assuming it was Jungkook, you called his name. Nothing. You got up from your spot on the bed and made your way to the door, heart rate slowly increasing. "Hello?"

"Oh!" A strange man jumped back when you turned out of the bedroom. You were startled as well, but this guy seemed particularly jumpy. He held his hand over his chest, attempting to level his breathing before looking at you.

"I'm sorry," you said. "I didn't mean to scare you." Normally you wouldn't apologize to a stranger that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but Jungkook had told you about one of the butlers who lived on the property. "You must be Hoseok."

"Yes," he smiled. He reached out his hand for you to shake. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd arrive so quickly. I haven't seen the master yet, so I wasn't sure."

"Oh, that's alright. I'm Y/n."

"Yes, I know. I've heard so much about you." He swallowed thickly. Something about this boy seemed off to you. He seemed timid, almost like he was afraid of something.

"I see you've met Hobi."

Hoseok jumped into you as Jungkook spoke. "Yeah," you said. Jungkook stepped past the boy and took your hand. "Hobi, will you go let my parents know we've made it? I have something else I need to take care of."

"Of course, master. Right away." He turned to leave before you grabbed onto his arm to stop him.

"Hoseok, are you alright?"

"Oh, yes Ms. Y/n. I'm fine." He nodded quickly and gave you an unconvincing smile. His eyes flicked between you and Jungkook a few times before he bowed and left. He certainly was strange, and you were curious about him.

Jungkook pulled you into the bedroom and shut the doors, pushing your back against them. With his arms planted on both side of your head, he began to kiss and bite at your neck. "Jungkook?"

"Hmm," he hummed as he continued to leave marks across your neck.

"What is Hoseok so afraid of?"

"I'm not sure," he said as he moved to nibble on your ear. "He's always been like that. Jumpy."

"But why? What's got him so on edge?"

"Dunno. Now, will you stop talking about him and let me take care of you?"

"Oh, I was that something else."

He stopped his ministrations and looked in your eyes. "What else did you think I was gonna do?"

You sighed, giving in to him as he leaned in to brush his lips against yours. This was going to be a weekend you'd never forget.

- 

After dinner, you left Jungkook to look around the house yourself. You wandered through the long corridors of endless rooms. You weren't sure what you were looking for exactly, you just found the place mesmerizing.

In the basement, you came across a metal door with an emblem of two swords crossing on it. Interested in seeing what was behind, you reached for the knob. Locked. You could feel a slight draft coming from underneath and hitting your toes. What could possibly be behind it? You dropped to your knees to peek under the crack. It was pitch black; the room surrounded with darkness, but you could make out a faint odor. There was definitely something hidden beyond the door.

“Y/n? Where’d you go?” Jungkook called for you from upstairs. For some odd reason, you felt like you shouldn't be down there. The locked door was giving you a strange feeling. You jogged up the stairs to the next floor to answer him.

“Coming,” you shouted as you made your way up to him. “Sorry, I was just looking around.”

Jungkook looked into your eyes, tilting his head to the side. “That’s okay,” he said. 

Although he just gave you permission to be curious, he seemed awfully uncomfortable with the idea of you wandering off on your own. His eyes were squinted in an attempt to read your expression; to see if you had actually found something that could direct your attention away from him. 

“Let’s go upstairs. There’s a bathroom connected to our room you can get ready for bed in.” You nodded and he took your hand. 

At ten o'clock, you finally crawled into bed. As you lie there, you couldn’t stop yourself from focusing on the questions swirling in your mind. What was behind that door? Why was it locked in the first place? Why had Jungkook seemed so uneasy when you left his side for a few minutes? 

As you lay there entertaining your imagination, another thought came to you. If Hoseok lived on the property, why did Jungkook have to go turn on the gas and water? Shouldn’t they already be running? And if he wasn’t where he said he was, then what was he doing? You remembered how Hoseok acted when Jungkook returned. He was nervous; definitely afraid of something. It was all very confusing. 

Despite your mind running in circles, you were still quite tired. You pushed the eerie feelings aside and snuggled up to your fiancé, drifting off in a matter of minutes.

-

Your eyes shot open with the creaking of the bedroom door. Jungkook was sound asleep next to you, so who could be on the other side? The door pushed open the rest of the way and you clung to your boyfriend, anxiously waiting to see what was entering your bedroom. 

“Psst.”

You glanced up to see Hoseok peering around the door frame. He was beckoning to you; motioning for you to meet him downstairs. You nodded in acknowledgment, checking the time on your phone. It was only 11:30. You carefully pulled the covers from your body and tiptoed to the door. Before you left, you looked back at Jungkook, hoping he wouldn’t be disturbed from your absence. 

You met him in the foyer. He had his arms crossed on his chest as he paced back and forth. He was nervous again. 

“Hoseok, are you okay? What’s going on?” He looked up at you with fear in his eyes. 

“I have to show you something. When I do, you’ll understand why you need to leave him. Run. Get out of here the first chance you get. It’s not safe.” 

“What? What are you talking about?”

“We need to be really quiet. I’m sure you know he’s a light sleeper. If we get caught...” his words trailed off as his imagination took him somewhere you did not want to go. “Please. Just follow me and be quiet.”

You don’t know why you automatically trusted him. You were curious to see what he needed to show you, but he was acting like Jungkook was going to hurt you. Nevertheless, you followed close behind him. He led you into the basement and right up to the locked door you had found earlier. He pulled out a set of keys on a large ring, fumbling through them slowly in order to keep quiet. 

“I know you’ve been wondering what this is. I followed you down here earlier before Jungkook called for you.” You shot him a weird look as you began to lose your trust in him. He picked up on it right away and continued. “Look, I know you’re really confused right now, but I need you to trust me. I’m trying to help you.” 

He picked one of the keys and slid it into the lock, twisting it and pushing the door open. “What you’ll see in here,” he said grimly as he stared at you, “is not the same man you think you know.” You felt your stomach drop. What in the hell has him on edge like this? You were getting tired of him scaring you with his vague choice of words, so you pushed past him and into the dark room.

Letting your eyes adjust, you looked around. All you could see was swords, bows, guns, the works. It was an armory packed full of weapons, no wonder the room was locked. A large sheet was covering the walls of the room where you expected mounts for animal heads to be. Hoseok came in behind you. He grabbed ahold of one of the sheets and pulled it off the wall revealing a smell that made your dinner churn in your stomach; it was all you could do to keep it down. The sight was something you knew you would never forget. 

Underneath the sheet were rows and rows of mounts for game, but they didn’t hold up animal heads. They were holding human heads, severed at the neck and rotting. Some were older, they had more of the skull showing than others did, but they all released the same sickening stench. 

You fell to the floor, landing on your butt as you did the only thing you could think of. You screamed. A blood-curdling screech that could have been heard in Korea. 

“Shit!” Hoseok panicked. He picked you up from the floor and dragged you out, locking the door again. You were dry-heaving on the ground as your head spun. You couldn’t see or hear clearly; there was a ringing in your ears that blocked out Hoseok’s calming words. He pulled you up by the arms, forcing you to look at him. “Listen to me! You have to leave him! You have to get out of here before the game begins!”

You didn’t know what he was talking about, but you didn't stay long enough to ask him. You pushed him away from you and ran as fast as your wobbling legs could go. You dashed up the stairs and into the foyer, trying to make it to the front door. As you rounded the corner you smacked into something firm and cushy, falling to the floor again. 

“Woah,” Jungkook stepped back in surprise. “What are you doing?”

You looked up from your spot on the floor to see his jaw clenched and his eyes shooting daggers at you. He looked pissed off. Had he heard everything that had just happened? No, there was no way. No one else was with you in the basement. 

“Answer me.”

Never in your life had you been so intimidated. You were genuinely afraid of him right now. But then again, maybe it was just the state of shock you were in. Before you could speak up or pretend like nothing was wrong, Hoseok came barreling up the stairs after you.

“Y/n! Y/n, you have to leave-.” His eyes went wide and he gasped as he noticed his master standing before you. There was no getting out of this now. You could see the gears turning in Jungkook’s head as he made the connections between you and his butler. He knew what you had seen. He had meant for you to see it, just not this early. He wanted one more night with you in his arms before he had to start the game. But Hoseok had taken that from him, so yeah, he was pissed. 

Jungkook stared off into space, his tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek. “Hobi, leave us.” The boy bowed to him and scurried off, knowing full well what was about to happen. Jungkook looked down at you again with a cold expression on his face, making you jump to your feet and race for the door. You slammed into it and desperately yanked at the handle, only to be met with disappointment. It was locked.

Jungkook sighed. “There’s no use in trying to run from me, Y/n. I have this all planned out. Come here, let me explain all this.”

“Explain what,” you seethed, leaning your head against the door. You turned around to face him as the tears began to run down your cheeks. “Can you really explain to me why you have a room full of heads in your basement?”

“Yes. Just come sit down.”

“No.”

He rolled his eyes as his tongue bulged further in his cheek. “This can go one of two ways: either you come sit down and listen to me or I will tie you to the chair. Your choice.” 

Your heart was pounding as you stared back at him, looking for a sign of his usual humor. There wasn’t any. You released the door handle from your death grip and slowly made your way over to him. You sat down on the chair he pulled out for you while he leaned against a small table, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” 

“What is it?”

“It’s for hunting.”

“People?”

He paused. “Yes.”

“No,” you gasped as you put your head down and sobbed. You could feel your heart shatter into a thousand pieces. Your throat was burning and you felt like you would be sick again. The man in front of you was a murderer, something you never could have dreamt up in your worst dream. So many emotions were flashing through your mind. Fear, sadness, rage, they were all swirling around inside you and you couldn't seem to pick one to stick with. This was all happening too fast.

“I need you to pay attention. This is very important.”

You looked up at him again, anger distorting your face. “You kill people.”

He continued, ignoring your statement. “I didn’t want you to find out like this, but seeing as you have, I’m left with no choice. You need to do something for me and I need you to be brave, so listen.”

“Why would I listen to a thing you have to say?”

“If you want to keep breathing, you will.” 

Your eyes widened again as you came to the conclusion that he might actually try to hurt you. “What do you want from me?”

He breathed deeply before speaking. “At midnight I am going to unlock the doors and you are going to run. You’ll have thirty minutes to run, hide, do whatever it takes for you to get away from here before I come after you. Do not get caught. If I catch you, I will have to kill you. I don’t have a choice.” He scanned your face for your reaction before he continued. “You need to make it to sunrise. Once the sun comes up, the game is over and you are safe.”

“What game? Why are you doing this?” you cried. 

“Call it a family tradition. Before I can marry you, before we can become one, you need to prove your worth to my family. You have to make it through the night.”

“You trying to kill me is proving my worth?”

“To my father.”

Your anger quickly took place of your fear. "So, you've been lying to me this whole time. You tricked me into coming here. Are your parents even coming?"

"Of course they are! And I didn't lie to you. Despite what you may think, I have never lied to you."

"No, this was a lie by omission!"

He paused again, regaining his thoughts before walking over to you. "I told you where I was and that I was hunting. If I told you what I was hunting, you would have left me before I could explain myself." He stroked your face with his thumb, making you flinch. "It's just one night, my love. You can do it, I know you can. You're better than the others."

Your heart stopped in your chest. Others. Of course, there had been others. He had done this before, and by the looks of it, they didn't make it out alive. He must’ve been very good at this. Jungkook was more than just a good looking man with a fat wallet. He was a walking fairytale. A dream any girl would die to take to part in; one that was slowly unraveling to be your worst nightmare.

-

At exactly midnight, Jungkook opened the front door and let you go. You knew there was no way you could get him to stop what he was doing. He was convinced that he was doing this because he loved you. You had begged and pleaded with him to change his mind. You even told him that he could lie to his parents about it. Nothing worked. He simply reassured you that you could make it. As you turned to face him one last time, you could still see a glimpse of the boy you fell in love with. The tears streamed down your face again as you looked at him. He smiled softly, the bunny smile you adored so much, and shut the door, kick-starting your survival instincts. You remembered what he said clearly. If he caught you, he would kill you. He was crazy; he thought he was doing this for your relationship, to show your worth. He wouldn’t go easy on you if he found you. You needed to hide as far away as you could. 

All you had with you was a thin jacket, a flashlight, a switchblade, and a wristwatch to keep track of the time. He told you before you left that the sun would rise at 5:54 AM, meaning you had nearly six hours to run around an uninhabited island. 

How did you end up here, tripping over your feet as you fled from the man you were supposed to marry? What had you done that was so bad to deserve this tragedy? The thought that Jungkook had been plotting this very moment since your first date was repulsive. You loved him, you still did, but even if you survived this night of terror, nothing would be the same. This wasn't just about your relationship. He was a psychopath; a killer. There was no choice. The moment you walked into that armory was the moment your relationship ended.

As you glanced down at your watch you realized your time was up. It was now 12:54, which meant he would be coming for you. You needed to find a place to hide as soon as possible. Sure, you had a half an hour head start, but you knew Jungkook was a skilled hunter. If you continued walking like this, he'd catch up in no time. You considered a few ideas, like hiding in the bushes or climbing a tree, but both choices seemed too risky. Where else was there? There were no buildings and you were surrounded by nothing but trees.

You decided to keep walking when the ground gave out from underneath you. You barely had time to yelp before you landed on your back, completely surrounded by darkness. It must’ve been some sort of pit. You hadn't seen it when you were walking due to the branches and dirt that covered the opening. You sat up, groaning as you massaged your back. It must've been a trap set for animals, or at least you hoped it was. You stood up to look for a way to climb out when you got an idea. Maybe you could just hide out there for a few hours. If you laid down and covered yourself with the branches, you could make it look like you fell in and climbed out.

You were just about fully covered when you thought you heard what sounded like a howl. A deep, animalistic groan that turned your blood ice cold. That was a dog. You could tell. He wasn't by himself, he had a tracker; a bloodhound. Your hiding place was now completely worthless, and you had just trapped yourself in a hole with a hunting dog and a killer headed your way.

You heard the quiet sniffing now, he was right above you. You laid as still as possible, trying not to shuffle the leaves that were covering you. There was a chance that they could mask your scent.

Nope.

You heard his low and amused chuckle before he even said anything. He knew you were there. You should've left when you had the chance. He sighed loudly. "No. Too easy."

You pushed the branches off of you seeing as there was no point in hiding. He was staring down at you with a wicked smirk, one that probably would've initiated something intimate only two hours ago. Now your heart was pounding for a completely different reason. "You can do better than this, love," he growled. "Try again." With that, he tugged on the leash of his miniature predator and left you with your mouth hanging open. Did he really leave? Was this a trick or had he just let you go? After you were positive he was gone, you got to your feet and grabbed onto the roots of a tree sticking out of the dirt walls. Pulling yourself up, you managed to crawl out of the hole. You had no time to consider where to go when you’re eyes met Jungkook’s. He wore no expression on his face. He was cold and you didn’t recognize him at all. 

The bloodhound sat patiently beside him, waiting for his master to give him orders.  Jungkook dropped the leash from his hand, not taking his eyes off of you. “Get her.”

Watching a dog that was trained to kill charge at you faster than light made your stomach rise to your throat. You bolted deeper into the woods, forcing yourself to focus on looking ahead of you. If you tripped, you’d get torn apart; limbs being ripped from your body. You used to have nightmares like this; being chased through the woods by a monster. The only difference was you wouldn’t wake up if it caught you.

Hoping you had gained somewhat of a distance, you peeked over your shoulder only to be pounced on by the eighty-pound animal. You hollered as it dragged you down, biting at your jacket sleeve. It thrashed and tugged harshly at the material, trying to hold you down in time for Jungkook to come. You kicked and pushed at the K-9 in hopes of disorienting it, but you knew it was pointless. You continued assaulting it until you felt a sharp pain shoot up your forearm from your wrist. It’s knife-like teeth pierced your skin, drawing blood to the surface. You almost couldn’t feel the pain, it being so excruciating that your mind had numbed it out, but you screamed anyway. You jerked your arm away the second it released and kicked out with as much strength as you could muster. The dog yelped as it flew back, quickly regaining its balance. Your eyes wandered next to the beast, locking onto a black switchblade which must’ve fallen from your pocket when you were yanked to the ground. You knew it would be risky, but this dog would not let you go until his owner arrived. You dove in front of it to reach for the knife despite being immediately tackled again. He latched onto the collar of your jacket, twisting and turning his head. You stretched out your arm and searched for the blade. Jungkook was calling for him as your fingers wrapped around the handle. There was no choice. Your thumb pressed into the button and quickly flipped the blade open, burying it deep into his side. He squealed and whimpered as he backed off of you, laying down with his head tucked to his wound. Jumping to your feet, you made a mad dash, clutching the knife in your hand. That was too close. 

- 

You sat down behind a collection of trees, trying to catch your breath. You ran and ran for what felt like hours. Your feet were killing you, the special insoles of your shoes doing you no justice. Your head was spinning and you were feeling every emotion possible. Sweat trickled down your forehead. It was hard to breathe. Your chest felt tight and your limbs were heavy. You looked at the wound on your arm. It was throbbing, coated in blood that had begun to dry. You were so, so tired. You knew what this was. You were having a panic attack which would only make your situation worse. You couldn’t do anything but sit and tremble as you let the attack pass. When you finally began to calm down, you bawled into your hands. Jungkook would’ve been the one to hold you at that moment. He always sat with you when your anxiety was too much to handle. He would gently pat your back, wiping your tears away and kissing your temple as he whispered words of affirmation in your ear. “You’re okay,” he’d tell you, “Everything is gonna be just fine.” 

But it wasn’t fine. This time he was the reason; the cause of your grievous pain. And he wouldn’t come running to the rescue now. You dried your tears and leaned back against the tree. So tired. You couldn’t stop yourself from slipping away into a peaceful state of sleep.

You couldn’t.  

A sweet, sing-song like voice ripped you from your short slumber. “Y/n?” he called. He wasn’t too far away from you, but you could tell he hadn’t pinpointed your location. Still, you got to your feet and reached into your pocket, clutching onto the switchblade for safekeeping. You would have to make a run for it. 

“Bunny, come out,” he said enduringly. That nickname made you cringe. You had given it to him when you first started dating and now he was using it against you. You were his prey. “Don’t worry about the dog. I forgive you. Just come out so I can see you.” The dog. Had he died when you hurt him? Despite him being your enemy, it still made your heart wrench to think that you had killed him. 

“Baby. I won’t hurt you,” he whined. You stayed still. Your watch read 2:37 AM. He was tricking you again. You wouldn’t move until he had left. “Babyyy,” he sang. Chills ran up and down your spine. Then he went silent. There was no movement, no sound, nothing. All you could hear was the light wind blowing between the branches of the trees. 

A sharp whistle sounded in your ears followed by a dull thump. Right next to your ear, above your shoulder was an arrow lodged in the bark. He definitely knew where you were. You sprinted off again before he had another chance to take aim, listening to the sick sound of his laughter.

-

You kept running despite the terrible burn in your lungs. There had to be somewhere for you to go. You couldn't continue to switch between hiding places and just barely escape from Jungkook.

You glanced down at your watch only to find nothing but the gash marks where his dog had bit you. Shit. Your watch, the only way you could tell how much longer you needed to keep fighting, was gone. The last time you remember checking was around three o'clock. How long had it been since then? Two, maybe three hours? You couldn't tell. The treetops were too close together for you to see the sky, but you were pretty sure the moon had disappeared. You prayed for the sun to rise.

Or maybe it didn't need to. From the corner of your eye, you could see a small fisherman's boat sitting in the water. You must have walked the circumference of the whole island. There was no dock; the only thing keeping it still was a rope connected to a tree. You wasted no time jogging down to the glimmer of hope you had found.

After removing the jacket you were wearing, you tossed it into the boat. You'd need to wade a little ways to get to it and you'd preferred to have something stay dry.

The threatening crunch of a stick filled your ears just as you stepped into the water. You spun yourself around to search for the source, begging for it to be some kind of animal. You didn't get to see his face before something struck you on the head and you toppled over. You could feel the blood on your forehead; see it flow in the stream beside you. You saw a pair of tan combat boots standing in front of your face before your mind was filled with darkness.

-

"You did it, baby. You made it to sunrise." You awoke in a cold, dark room with an ache in your jaw and a pounding in your head. The only light source coming from the door in the front of the room that was just slightly cracked open. You could barely make out Jungkook's features as he spoke to you.

You attempted to jump to your feet when you were pulled back to the wall behind you. Both of your arms were restrained by the chains in the wall; preventing you from your escape.

"I wouldn't waste your energy, love. I know you're exhausted." You glanced up at him with a look of fear. This was it. You were trapped with no way out. He had caught you, and now he was going to kill you.

"Oh, please don't look at me like that. You've done all that I've asked of you, I'm not going to hurt you. Now we can be together forever."

No. This couldn't be the end for you. You refused to give in to him. You had to get him to let you out so you could make your way back to the boat. Then you could get off the island and find help. You softened your expression and spoke quietly. "Okay. Okay, you're right. We can be together. Just let me out so we can talk."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he looked down at his feet. "You might think I'm crazy, but I'm certainly not stupid. I know you need some time to think about everything that's happened and I'm going to give you that." He turned on his heels and made his way to the door.

You began to panic. "Jungkook, wait! Please. Please don't do this," you begged. He sighed and walked towards you again, crouching to meet your gaze.

"Don't be scared. I'm not leaving you here to rot. I'm just giving you some time alone to accept all this. When you're ready, I'll take you back upstairs." He reached for your face, but you jerked away before he could touch you. "Please don't be angry with me. I did this for us. I had to be sure you were the one."

There was still a chance. You'd have to wait a few days in order to buy his trust, but eventually, he'd release you and you could make a run for it. "I know," you replied quietly. God, I hope that sounded believable.

"Good girl.” He patted the top of your head lightly and smiled. “I'm so glad you made it. I didn’t want to have to start all over again." He kissed your temple and made his way to the exit once more before he stopped in his tracks. "Oh, and about that boat," he said without turning around. "It's been sitting there for years. Whatever gas might be left in the tank is expired by now. It won't run, so you can forget about it." He walked out and shut the door behind him, leaving you to choke back your sobs. "I love you. Never forget that."

The lock clicked shut and he pulled the key out from the door.

It was a dangerous game he had played.

And you had lost.

a.n. // okayyyyyy so this took me fucking forever but it was so worth it. I hope you like this one. Let me know what you’re feeling and if you think a part two would be good. I may or may not have a few ideas. -Kay

[the-starsabove-you]

The Spotlight

Chapter 19- The Parents  Reviews are welcomed! Thanks for reading! It’s a long one! Next chapter will be fun as Michelle befriends the most unlikely person, A certain Flyer!  “Emily, I’m freaking out” Michelle said as she was packing her suitcase. She was going to meet Mat in an hour so they could get to the airport and get into a plane. Making their way to All-Star Weekend. “Don’t be! It’s only his mom and dad. It’s not like it’s the whole Barzal Clan” Emily said and Michelle narrowed her eyes “Listen, it was already last second that Mat told me his family is coming. I’ll have a heart attack if it was his whole family” “Tito says his parents are super polite. Plus you’re probably the opposite of what they’re expecting. You’re not some stuck up model or rude at all” Emily said and Michelle let out a sigh “I don’t want his family to hate me” “Just be yourself and they’ll love you!” Emily said and Michelle nodded “How’s vacation with Tito and Brassard?” “It’s been a pretty fun trip! We’re just enjoying ourselves and out in the sun. The boys have been playing football and basketball while I’ve been watching and joining at times. But we’re having a great time!” “Lucky, I wish Mat and I were on vacation” She said and Emily nodded “Yeah you had like three days or so?” She asked and Michelle nodded “We just went upstate to get out of the city for a bit.” Michelle saw Mat was calling in “Em, I have to go. Mat’s downstairs” She said and Emily grinned “I’ll send you pictures of the poolside. Make sure you send pictures of our All-Star over there” She said and Michelle smiled “Of course!” She quickly went on the phone with Mat “I’ll be down in a couple, I’m closing my suitcase now” She said and Mat chuckled “Okay, warning you now that once we get to the airport, there’s gonna be people taking videos and pictures so look out for that” “I’ll be hanging in the back if anything” She said as Mat nodded. Michelle made her way downstairs and saw Mat’s car in the front and Mat got out of the car and helped Michelle with her stuff. Both of them getting into the car and Mat leaned forward and kissed Michelle “Ready?” He asked and she nodded. 

They got to the airport and Mat was right, there were media people for the Islanders. Mat and Michelle got out of the car and their suitcases were being taken care of. Mat grabbed Michelle’s hand to start walking towards the plane but one of the media people stopped him “We need a picture of Mat entering the airplane.” She said and Michelle nodded and she stepped back and behind the media people as they were recording and taking pictures of Mat entering the plane by himself. Michelle got into the plane soon after and the media people were taking pictures of Mat and Michelle talking, Mat and Michelle watching carefully of their actions. Mat was grinning as he sat back as he looked towards her “You excited to meet my family?” He asked and Michelle let out a soft sigh “More nervous” She said and Mat nodded “I’m sorry for telling you last second they’re coming. But they’re excited to meet you. My mom mostly” He said taking her hand and she nodded “It was bound to happen sooner or later. I just don’t want to fuck anything up” She said and Mat nodded “I understand. You’re sweet and truly one of a kind. I know they won’t hate you” He smiled softly and Michelle leaned forward to kiss him and he tilted his head a bit to kiss her back. Michelled opened her eyes after a nap when she felt a squeeze on her knee and she saw Mat squeezed it. He was looking at her “We’re landing now, my parents are at the airport so we’ll be taking a car with them to the hotel” He said and suddenly Michelle felt nervous and Mat saw that, he kissed her forehead “We’re gonna have a fun weekend, promise” He muttered and MIchelle let out a breath “Don’t know what I’m more nervous for, meeting your parents or your friends” She muttered and Mat grinned “Trust me, You’ll be fine” Michelle nodded and getting her purse and her jacket before stopping, allowing Mat to exit the plane first so she couldn’t get in any of the pictures or videos of Mat stepping out of plane and a moment later, she stepped out of the plane to see Mat waiting for her. Once she got down the stairs she went towards Mat and they intertwined their fingers together before one of the media person stopped them “Do you guys want a picture?” She asked and Mat and Michelle looked at each other for a moment before Mat nodded and they stood next to each other and Mat wrapped his arm around her waist and both were smiling. Mat grabbed Michelle’s hand and they were walking towards the car and Michelle saw an older couple and she knew that those were Mat’s parents and they were beaming when they saw Mat coming towards them, holding hands with Michelle. 

“Hey Mom, Dad” Mat said warmly as he released Michelle’s hand to bring his parents into a tight hug and they both hugged him back as tightly and Michelle watched the scene with a soft smile on her face, she knew Mat missed his family a lot during the season. So it was very nice to see them together for the weekend. Mat let go of his parents and he beckoned Michelle over and she had a smile “Hi!” She said softly and suddenly Mat’s mom brought her into a tight hug “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Mat won’t stop talking about you” “Really?” Michelle let out a small chuckle and Mat was next to her and was smiling and his mother nodded “It’s crazy how much he does talk about you! Tells us about the dates and the cute little moments you have.” She gushed and Michelle was blushing and Mat’s dad laughed and he hugged her greetings “He always tells us about the jobs you do and what you’re doing so we could see also! It was weird seeing you on TV or online and not actually meeting you. So we’re happy” Michelle was smiling as she hugged his parents “He loves you guys so much, and I’m so happy to finally meet you” She said and she felt like a bit of her nerves were gone as they were talking. Mat squeezing her hand “We gotta get back to the hotel. I need to get ready to walk the carpet too.” “Okay! Your parents and I can go out and get some lunch” She said and Mat nodded “You wanna join me on the floor for media day?” He asked and she nodded “I’ll just walk around the floor, catch a couple of interviews from you and other players as well” Mat nodded “Perfect” He said and turned to his parents “You guys are going out to be tourists for a bit and then joining us?” He asked and his mother nodded “Would love to see what this place has to offer” “I’ll give you my number so we can meet up” Michelle said and Mat’s mom smiled “Yes! We can go see the other things going on too, I always like seeing if there’s mascots around” Mat was smiling the entire car ride as his parents and Michelle were getting along quite well. Everything was running smoothly until Mat’s mom asked “How are your parents?” Michelle was silent for a moment until she looked down “My mom is a detective, my father is a lawyer. I’m not very sure about how they’re doing.. I haven’t spoken to them in a while” “Oh dear, I’m so sorry” Mat’s mom said and Michelle gave a sad smile “I know they said they’re okay with my career. But I was suppose to be a doctor.. They were so proud of me becoming that until they found out I dropped out to be a model” She said and his mother looked at her in sympathy and nodded “Some parents won’t be happy with their kids’ choices. We supported Mat’s choices from day one, but they probably wanted what’s best” “My father’s always been hard on since I was a kid. He’s been easier on my brother but I guess since I was the oldest, and we lived in a small neighborhood, he wanted to make sure I was successful like them I guess”

Mat’s father nodded and Mat saw how uncomfortable Michelle was getting and he cleared his throat “Michelle and I are going to the club tomorrow night after the Skills challenge, also introduce her to some of the boys” 

“Seth must very excited to meet her.” His mother said and Mat nodded “Going to introduce her to Jack too. Chris too.” “You nervous for meeting them?” Mat’s dad asked and Michelle nodded “A bit, I think it will be exciting to see other players from other teams. I’m very excited to see Mat in the fastest skater challenge” Michelle said and both of his parents were grinning “Same here! Here’s to hoping he beats McDavid!” “Cheers to that!” Michelle said as everyone was grinning. The hotel room was very nice. It had a huge bedroom and kitchen while the living room was nice and homey. Mat’s parents were staying across the hall as well and Michelle literally dropped into the bed and groaned with happiness “Do we have to leave?” She muttered and Mat chuckled and dropped beside her and laid on his back “I need to get a haircut, get my suit on and get going to the carpet” He muttered and Michelle smirked “Your camo suit jacket is quite sexy” She said and he was grinning “I’ll keep it around for date nights” “Oh please do, If your parents weren’t down the hall I would be jumping you tonight” She said and he smirked “You can if you want to” Michelle hit his shoulder “Oh no, I’m not doing anything with you when your parents are nearby” Mat pouted “You’re no fun” He said and she grinned “We can do all that when we get back” She said and he was still pouting before Michelle kissed him “Okay, stop pouting. You need to go and get ready” Mat laughed as he got up and he kissed Michelle farewell before he walked out to get ready. Michelle was on her phone texting Emily until someone was knocking on the door and she opened to see Mat’s parents as they were grinning “Come on! We don’t want you to be alone here in the hotel until it was okay to walk the floor.” Mat’s dad said as Michelle grinned “You guys are the best!” She said as she grabbed her leather jacket and closed the door. Walking the streets of St Louis was an adventure. Mat’s mom was holding her hand and  dragging her while his father was looking on with a smile on his face. Michelle was taking pictures of the sights and then taking pictures of his parents. She knew that Mat would love to see those pictures later on. They were walking the streets until someone with a Mat Barzal jersey stopped them, the guy looked at Michelle “Can I take a picture with you?” Michelle got a bit nervous. She wanted her trip to not have much attention. So she never added anything on social media. But she nodded as the guy took their picture and he thanked her. Mat’s mom saw the frown on her face and she placed a hand on her shoulder “Everything okay?” “I just wanted to make sure no one really knew I was on this trip. I’m probably going to get hounded by my agent and the media that now I’m suddenly at All Stars Weekend with Mat” Mat’s father looked at her “You guys haven’t made your relationship public?” He said and Michelle shook her head “No..” Mat’s mom nodded in understanding “Mat is very protective, I think he just wants to protect what you guys have for as long as he can” “I just wanna shout it from the rooftops that I’m with someone that makes me so happy. But I know the media won’t be so kind.. That he’ll probably get stalked by the Paps or they’ll dig up something he didn’t want to come out.. It’s hard because..” “You care about him so much but you don’t wanna seem like you ruined his life” Mat’s dad said and Michelle let out a breath “Yeah..” “I think you’re both very mature to be private about it.. But it’s gonna come back to bite you guys one day” Mat’s mom said and Michelle nodded “I know he’s scared as well to make this public.. He doesn’t want all the unwanted things and attention when it comes to dating a supermodel.” “As long as you’re both happy and you’re safe from any harm.. That’s all that matters in the end” Mat’s mom said and she smiled “You guys are very good together. It’s so cute to watch you guys” Michelle smiled as she hugged the two “Thank you.. I’m so happy that I finally got to meet you” She said and his father nodded “You need to come over to our home over the summer with him. Meet his sister too.. We can have some family adventures” Michelle grinned “I would love that, I’m also looking forward for it” She nodded. The media floor was crowded with cameras and was full of people. The dinner went nicely as Mat’s parents were telling Michelle stories of Mat when he was a child. Michelle was grinning ear to ear and had promised to keep some of the stories a secret. Michelle and Mat’s parents were walking, in awe of the areas around them and they spotted Mat sitting at a small table and answering questions for the media. He saw his girlfriend and his parents and gave them a quick wink before going back to answering questions. Michelle knew that some pictures were taken of her. But she tried her best to ignore them as she couldn’t focus on that. This was Mat’s weekend. She was mostly excited to see what was in store and would be wearing her Barzal jersey throughout everything. 

[winterfang53]

Gajevy Week 2020 - Letters

Super late but here you go!

Gajevy Week 202 day 1: Letters! I hope you enjoy!

Levy was running the moment she got off the bus; her red backpack bouncing on her back while her lunchbox threatened to fly out of her hand. The 12-year-old raced down the block towards her house, only stopping at the mailbox at the end of the driveway.

Excitement gleamed in her eyes as she eagerly opened the wooden frame only to deflate at the emptiness within.

“Not today I guess,” Levy sign, pouting as she trudged towards the front door, lacking the energy she had only a moment before. “I hope it comes tomorrow then,” Levy said quietly.

Levy made her way into her house, almost tripping over her older brother’s shoes at the doorway. “Stupid Jellal,” she grumbled loudly, catching the attention of someone in the kitchen.

“Levy is that you dear?” her mother called, poking her head around the corner, “how was school, Honey?”

“It was fine,” Levy said hesitantly, “Mom, did you get the mail by any chance?”

Levy’s mother smiled brightly, “Your letter’s on the table, Sweetie.”

Joy brightened Levy’s eyes, making her throw her shoes off in hast to bounce her way into the kitchen. There, sitting the on the light wooden table was a plain white letter with her name scribbled in bad handwriting. Levy squealed as she leaped towards the letter only for it to be ripped from her hand.

“What’s this?” Levy’s older brother Jellal asked, holding the letter above her short stature, “a letter from your boyfriend?” he teased.

“Jellal!” Levy screeched, her cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment, “he’s not my boyfriend and gives me it back!” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jellal laughed, “your penpal, who you wait with bated breath for every letter he sends you. It’s kind of sad Lev.”

Before Levy could defend herself, a show flew through the air to smack her brother in the face. Looks like her mom was here to defend her instead. “Jellal stop teasing your sister and put your shoes away!”

Levy snatched her letter and bolted up the stairs to her room, locking the door so her brother couldn’t chase her.

Downstairs, Levy’s mom chastised her son: “Why do you have to tease her like that? You know how hard it is for Levy to make friends -- those letters brighten her day!”

“Sorry Mom,” Jellal grumbled, “I didn’t mean anything by it, it’s just she really needs to make more friends than the one boy who’s her penpal from last year.”

Their Mother’s eyes soften, “I know Honey, but you know how shy she is, she has a hard time connecting to the other kids. Let her appreciate the friend she has now.”

“I just hope he doesn’t stop writing her letters,” Jellal signed as he gazed up the stairs, “it would break her heart.”

Upstairs behind Levy’s locked door, sat Levy on her bed gazing at the letter in hand. It was a plain white envelope -- like always -- with her name scribbled in a handwritten that she could recognize anywhere as her penpal Gajeel Redfox. Last year, before the summer started, Levy’s school started a penpal program between her school and a school on the other side of the state. It was mandatory for all 5th graders in her school to participate, making shy little Levy write a letter to a complete stranger. 

Levy can still remember how nervous she was writing her first letter -- an introduction letter about herself -- and how her tummy hurt for 2 whole weeks while she waited for a response, only for her to bristle in fury at the response her got:

You sound short.

 Gajeel Redfox, as Levy came to discover, was a boy of every few words and took much joy in teasing her even though letters. Levy had been so mad that she wrote a very rude letter back. For the rest of the summer, Levy and Gajeel sent “hate mail” to each other, calling each other every name in the book until the first week of school when it dawned on her that the program was over. 

Levy had come to look forward to each letter; the excitement of interacting with someone her own age wasn’t something Levy got to experience often -- given her lack of friends. During the second week of 6th grade, Levy sent a letter to Gajeel asking him if he still wanted to send letters and for 2 whole weeks, Levy sat again with her tummy hurting. When that letter came, Levy almost cried happily at what was written:

You’re funny Shrimp, why on earth would I stop now?

Now, in April and almost a whole year of writing letters, Levy and Gajeel still exchanged letters almost every week -- just with less teasing.

Levy gently opened the letter, so as not to rip the letter, and pulled out the plain white notebook paper that Gajeel always wrote on:

Shrimp,

My Ma says I need to start my letters by asking how you are so here: How are you? I don’t really know why I need to do that, you would tell me if you’re ok or no but whatever. Has your school started ‘preparing’ you guys for middle school? Mine has and it stinks. What’s the big deal with middle school anyways? The only difference is that you have more than one classroom now, big deal. My Ma says it’s a bigger deal than that but I think she’s exaggerating. See? I used a big word -- I AM using that stupid dictionary you gave me for Christmas so now you can’t say I’m not!  Yes, I know there were Pokemon cards in the dictionary but you still gave me a dictionary for Christmas. That’s worst than socks Shrimp! 

Anyways that not the real thing I want to talk about. My folks are dragging me and Wendy to go see my grandparents out of state this summer, we’re gonna be there for a whole month while dad has to go overseas for work! I put their address at the end of this letter so you know where to send your letters to me. I’ll be there from June 23 to July 25 so don’t forget!

P.S. I hate making friends too, most of my friends are my cousins, well and you. Don’t let the other kids bully you ok? I’m not there to beat them up.

Gajeel

Levy smiled as she read her letter, blushing slightly at Gajeel’s hidden concern for her. Even if he was mean most of the time, Levy knew that he cared for her in his own weird way. His letters were the highlight of her day -- save for reading. Levy hoped from her bed and pulled out a large box from underneath. There, Levy had every letter Gajeel ever sent her. Kissing the letter, Levy placed it in the box before hopping over to her desk to write her reply. 

…

Levy and Gajeel continued being penpals for years to come, surprising everyone even themselves on their commitment. It wasn’t until high school when both Gajeel and Levy got cellphones did the letters slow down a bit and were partially replaced by texts. Letters, texts, and later calls allowed for Gajeel and Levy’s relationship to flourish until one fateful day during the first week of college did Levy and Gajeel finally meets -- 7 years after the first letter.

“Welcome to Art History 100 everyone!” the professor called out at the front of the class, “why don’t we start by introducing ourselves: Everyone, going in order, please stand up, give your name, and give a strange fact about your self!” Levy sat in the middle of class, her hair pulled back in her favorite headband -- a gift from Gajeel -- as she nervously waited for her turn. Finally, after what felt like forever, it was her turn.

“Um, Hello I’m Levy McGarden and my strange fact is that I’ve had a penpal since 5th grade that still actively talk to,” Levy said shyly before sitting down.

“Wow, that’s pretty cool,” the blond girl next to her said, her brown eyes showing her honesty, “I didn’t think penpals were still a thing!” 

Levy beamed at the girl -- Lucy if she remembered correctly. “Yeah, we were pretty unusual. I’m Levy by the way.”

“Lucy,” the blond said nodding her head with a smile, “did you two ever meet up or anything?”

Levy shook her head, “no, he lived on the other side of the state so we never got the chance.”

“What about now?” Lucy asked quietly since there were still people introducing themselves, “where does he go to school.”

Levy frowned at this, “I don’t know, to be honest, he told me it was a secret. Knowing him, he probably did it to piss me-” she was cut off then by a familiar voice that she had never heard in person before.

“My name is Gajeel Redfox and my strange fact is that I’m Levy McGraden’s penpal, Gihi!” 

Levy could only gab at the towering male with thick black hair, silver piercings, and a fanged grin smiling over at her from the back of the room. There, in the flesh, was her crush since grade school, her penpal, Gajeel Redfox. 

“You asshole,” Levy said softly, unable to stop the smile that was spreading across her lips as Lucy cooed on how cute this was. Throughout the rest of the class, Levy couldn’t help herself from looking back at that man who pissed her off and make her smile all with the same breath. Meeting the red eyes that teased her from the back while Lucy giggled at her the whole time.

“You have some explaining to do you jerk!” Levy growled playfully as she whacked him after class.

“Gihi! What? You didn’t like the surprise?” Gajeel laughed, dodging her little fists, “damn, I must say Shrimp, you’re living up to your name!”

“Gajeel!”

...

4 years later, at their wedding reception, while Lucy was recounting the story, Levy slip over a folded paper to her new husband.

“What’s this?” Gajeel whispered, his brow raised in question.

“The first letter of our marriage,” Levy said smiling, “read it.”

Gajeel eyed her in question before unfolding the paper only to choke on his own tongue;

“We’re pregnant?!”

I hope everyone enjoyed this!