#cs family fluff

[snowbellewells]

Birthday Fic Completed: “We Were Always Meant to Find You”

{One Shot; Post s6 Happy Beginning; CS Future Family Fluff}

Also available on AO3, if that is your preference

by: @snowbellewells​

She was already waiting at the counter, arms crossed expectantly, a knowing look on her face, when the little bell hanging over the door of her diner jangled insistently to announce the first arrivals. After that, it stayed open for some minutes as more and more people poured in like a flood. Possibly the whole town, Granny thought wryly, shaking her head in affectionate wonder as the deluge continued and the murmur of joined, overlapping conversations rose to a dull roar.

She turned and shot a warning look through the front line window at her fry cook, who was taking in the crowd with wide-eyed trepidation. The widow Lucas mimed gathering a deep breath and getting ready for action, trying to calm him. Thank goodness she’d thought far enough ahead to call in some extra wait staff and cooks in anticipation of this gathering. She mentally patted herself on the back for that bit of foresight, ruefully acknowledging that she had no one who could waitress as quickly and efficiently as Ruby once did, even as her granddaughter had teased, flirted, and made it look like a lark all at the same time.

The older woman shook herself from that rather melancholy train of thought before it could travel much further. It was hardly the time for lollygagging and dwelling on missed family members who were realms away and happy there. Granny picked up her order pad and gave a last glance around behind the counter to be certain they were as ready as possible for the onslaught.

As the bell over the entry rang out once more, she smiled fondly to see Snow, Charming, and their little boy arriving with smiles on their faces. They wore the mantle of de facto leadership easily, even in this modern world where their standing as Princess and her Prince went mostly unacknowledged. Despite their casual manner and unpretentious bearing, many of the townsfolk gathered in Storybrooke’s favored eatery turned and looked to them expectantly. Snow White, rightful heir to the throne of Misthaven and beloved only child of King Leopold and Queen Ava, had never demanded honor or praise from those who would have been her subjects in another life. She simply inspired their loyalty with her sweetness, her goodness, and all that she was.

Said monarch was beaming from ear-to-ear as her small family paused just inside the diner, quite possibly as brightly as the widow Lucas had ever observed. A pink, happy flush colored Snow’s usually fair cheeks prettily, and her eyes sparkled impishly, even glinting with what Granny astutely observed were unshed tears of joy. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she nudged Charming to speak to their gathered friends and neighbors.

The shepherd prince turned deputy sheriff raised his voice to be heard above the low murmurs and shufflings of such a crowd. “Thank you all for coming!” he greeted with a genuine, winning grin. “It means the world to Snow and I that you’ve

come here to support our family on such a special occasion. That you’ve extended your kindness and acceptance to our daughter and her family as well, is something we will never forget. Emma may not always know how to express it, but I do know that she is grateful. Now, they were right behind us when we left the courthouse, so if we mean to surprise them, we’d better get ready! They should be here any minute!”

That announcement sent the crowd into a flurry of activity, rearranging themselves to seem casual and unconcerned; not at all as if they were breathlessly awaiting the Savior and her small family - now officially one member larger - to sing and welcome and celebrate them to the point of embarrassment. Food and drink orders, seating preferences, and side conversations were forgotten for the moment as all the gathered townsfolk waited with held breath while trying to seem as if they weren’t. 

From her vantage point by the old and battered but sturdy cash register, the Widow Lucas could already envision the very way Emma Swan’s eyes would drop to her boots. She would be friendly and gracious, but a bit awkwardly brusque too. After all this time in Storybrooke, she still wasn’t fond of too much attention. The Captain, of course, as Granny fondly referred to him, would try to follow his lovely wife’s lead, but the tips of his rather notably pointed ears would be red, secretly pleased with the notice and care shown to his newest little love. Henry’s eyes would widen in joy and excitement, Granny knew, though he would have expected no less of them all, his believer’s heart optimistically anticipating the best of others and then often inspiring it. Young Hope would be holding court from the moment she realized everyone was there for her family. If ever there were a wee lass born to be royalty, Granny mused, it was that one. With every bit of her mother - and grandmother’s - beauty and bravery, and her father’s audacity and puckish charm, Hope Jones was irresistible to everyone she encountered.

Sure enough, soon through the diner’s large front windows,  Emma and Killian could be seen leading Henry, Hope, and their newly adopted sister down the sidewalk along Main Street. The last few whispers and scuffles dropped off as family and friends watched, hoping to make the Savior’s family joyously welcome with their little surprise, in a manner they would never forget.

Once again, the bell over the diner’s entrance sounded its tinny chime, and Killian Jones held it open gallantly as his brood tromped through. Emma led the way, holding onto Hope’s chubby toddler hand, as the little sprite wouldn’t hesitate to dart off at a run towards anyone she knew even slightly or anything that caught her interest. Henry brought up the rear, with the sister who had joined their number before him. Dutiful eldest child that he was, Henry was clearly trying to make sure she didn’t feel lost or overwhelmed, but Granny noticed that the young man still cut his eyes toward his stepdad for direction as the little girl stopped on the threshold as though frozen - silent and uncertain. 

To his credit, whatever he might be feeling, Captain Jones didn’t allow himself to appear fazed by the child’s hesitance, merely nodding in assurance to Henry and turning to see to his daughter himself. 

However, before he could say or do anything, the door barely closed behind him, there was a loud shout of “Congratulations! Surprise!” accompanied by hoots and hollers enough to rattle the roof of the old building. The gathered townsfolk - who had seemed preoccupied and settled in their own affairs until that moment - were all now staring at the Swan-Jones family and closing in as they jostled forward to meet the new addition and make her welcome.

Apparently much too close for comfort, Granny saw with anxious concern. The pretty little wisp of a blonde with striking hazel eyes let out a cry of distress and turned on instinct to flee back out the door, only to run smack into Killian’s side. Upon finding her escape route blocked, she attempted to hide herself by burying her face against his denim clad hip. 

Killian’s brow furrowed then with concern as his hands rested on the child’s back, rubbing soothing circles as he murmured, “There now, Sweetheart. No need to fear. These folks merely want to say hello to you.” Looking up, he offered David, Snow, and others of the gathered assembly an awkward shrug of the shoulders and half-smile that begged their understanding and patience. To their credit, many had already begun to move back and disperse to their own tables upon seeing the little girl’s overwhelmed reaction. Archie- bless his sensitive soul- and Belle began to head off the rest, ushering them elsewhere for the time being.

Seeing that Emma, Henry, and Hope had grabbed a booth against the wall near the back hallway and were waiting for them, Killian carefully guided his daughter along with him, even as she remained glued to his leg and barely shuffled along with him as he half-led and half-carried her. Gently, once they reached their table, Killian peeled her from his side to urge her onto the bench seat next to Henry, assuring her that he would be right behind her.

Granny herself moved from behind the counter and came over to take their orders. At this point, she was admittedly curious, too - wanting to meet the newest little princess and personally let her know she was very much welcomed to their odd but special little town. Standing at the end of the table, she attempted to lighten her normally rather intimidating expression, offering what she hoped was a warm and genuine ‘grandmotherly’ smile, speaking in a softer voice than usual as she waited with order pad and pencil in hand. “Hello there, Jones family,” she greeted with a twinkle in her eyes behind her half-spectacles, as she looked into each of their faces in turn. “What would you folks like to eat?”

To no one’s surprise, Emma Swan ordered a grilled cheese and onion rings.

“Ring rings!” Hope echoed in a decisive chirp, though they all knew she didn't like onions, and was instead ordering her own special mozzarella sticks Granny had found, which were circular and allowed the toddler to feel like she was having just what her mom did.

Granny nodded, jotting the order down, though she could have repeated back Emma and Hope’s orders by heart even before they were placed. 

Henry considered for a moment before ordering chicken strips and French fries with apple pie a la mode for dessert. He smiled encouragingly at the sister beside him and emphasized how delicious the meal was before handing the menu back to Granny Lucas politely.

When no further orders were given to her for several long moments, Granny shifted on her feet, not wanting to rush them, but not wanting to linger awkwardly either.

“I’ll have the lemon tilapia with baked potato, Lady Lucas,” Killian broke the lengthy pause with a wink in her direction, when it became clear he was going to have to move things along. “And this lovely lass here is our daughter, Helen. I don’t believe you’ve yet had the pleasure of making her acquaintance.”

The youngster dutifully looked up and met Granny’s eye, but she still didn’t utter a word.

“It’s nice to meet you, Dear,” Granny tried as gently as possible, giving Helen - who appeared to be about seven or eight, of slight build and with a fair, heart-shaped face - a comforting smile. “You’re very much welcome here at the Diner. You can call me Granny - everyone else does. I hope you’ll come to love it here in Storybrooke.”

Emma offered her a grateful expression before glancing across the table at her second daughter and asking, “So, Helen, what do you want to try? Does anything look good to you?”

Wide hazel eyes stared back at the Savior with a frightened, deer-in-the-headlights expression. She shook her head vigorously, curls flying, while still not making a sound.

Tilting her head, Emma studied the child for a moment as Granny waited quietly, trying as much as possible to remain unobtrusive and not add to the little girl’s discomfort. After a moment, some sort of understanding dawned on their fearless Sheriff’s face. If pressed, Granny would venture to call it empathetic, knowing, and more than a bit lost and sad. A subtle glance passed over the table between husband and wife before Emma nodded decisively and turned back to Granny with fierce resolve and a film of moisture shimmering in her eyes that neither of them acknowledged. 

“How about a breaded chicken patty sandwich, a cheeseburger, an order of macaroni and cheese, some tater tots, a brownie, and one of your monster peanut butter cookies?” 

The Widow Lucas didn’t comment, completely understanding what the younger woman was doing - ordering a variety of kid-friendly options so she could learn what Helen liked. Hope chortled merrily, exclaiming loudly in her childlike innocence, “That’s a lot of food, Mama! Is Helen extra-hungry?”

Across the table, poor Helen Jones’ worried eyes popped even wider, as if panicked that she might somehow be blamed for the excess. Almost as though she had forgotten the silence she was keeping until that moment, she blurted out quickly, “No! I’m not! I didn’t ask for that - I promise I didn’t!”

Granny’s own heart broke for the child’s needless fear and the deprivation it was suddenly clear she had suffered. She wasn’t sure how the Joneses would calm Helen and appease Hope in the middle of a crowded restaurant full of nosey and overly involved acquaintances. All the same, it wasn’t her business beyond bringing that sweet little girl the best food she had ever tasted, and she hustled off to do just that.

Once their little family was alone again, tears welled even more certainly in Emma’s eyes. They had known, of course, a fair bit of what Helen had been through, and had already witnessed some of her issues and insecurities in the visits they’d had with her throughout the adoption process. But just now, she ached to make all of that disappear. She could only hope that in time they would manage to show her she didn’t need to be afraid of them. That she was home now.

Hope was still clamoring for her attention, and Helen was now once again pressed into Killian’s side, as if hoping to somehow disappear behind his larger frame where no one else could see her. Catching Killian’s eye, silent decisions were again made between pirate and princess. Killian nodded his understanding, and Emma stood with their youngest to take her to the ladies room for a moment where they could talk, and left her two boys with Helen, trusting they’d find the right way to soothe her.

When it was just the three of them at the table, Killian slowly pulled back from his daughter enough to look her in the eye. He held her attention steadily and promised her that she was not in any trouble, she did nothing wrong, and no one was upset with her. “Take a deep breath, Helen, love,” he coaxed. “That’s it, just like that. Try another one, Lass. There you are.”

The entire time, his metal appendage lightly ran over her shoulders, rubbing a soothing pattern he hoped would further ease her anxiety. Like Emma, he had known - her overly slight appearance and the way she would barely ask for even the smallest items - that Helen had faced not only deprivations, but harsh punishments as well. But he’d still been taken aback at the panic that overtook his daughter right before their eyes. Even as he shot Henry a concerned look across the space between them over Helen’s head, he could feel the rage he had not known in some time - in truth, not since his stint as a Dark One - rise inside him at any who would have mistreated and wounded such a precious, innocent child. Though for years now the vengeful captain had been put away, and he had tried with all his might to curb the violent tendencies he’d once allowed free rein, for a flicker of a moment, Killian yearned to turn the sharp point of his hook on the perpetrators of Helen’s current trauma.

Fighting down the intensity of such a reaction, he swallowed back more words he feared might come out harshly in his anger and scare the child further. He would not speak until he could wrangle his emotions back under control.

In the meantime, Henry leaned over tentatively, putting himself in his new sibling’s eyeline and speaking up, hoping maybe he could help. Surely, a story could cheer her up? He didn’t like to dwell on it too often, but when he had been just a bit older than Helen was now, he’d felt so alone. Like no one believed him, no one was on his side, and half afraid he was as crazy as his own adoptive mother had wanted him to think. When the storybook had come to him, the comfort those tales had given him was impossible to measure. In those stories, he had found family, inspiration, courage, and comfort, and it led him down the path to the life he lived now, one happier than he could have pictured back then, when he had caught a bus to Boston in search of his birth mother - the Savior who could rescue them all.

“Hey, hey, listen,” he urged, encouraged to see that Helen turned those bright, curious eyes of hers on him willingly, obviously wanting to hear what he would say in spite of herself. “You don’t have to worry, alright? Mom and Dad aren’t looking to punish you or blame you for something. They want you to have what you need to be happy… all of us do. You fit right into this family. All of us at one time or another have been lonely and hurt and left out - well, maybe not Hope, but that’s because she was with us from the start. The rest of us had to find each other, just like you’ve found us.”

Helen didn’t speak, but she blinked up at her new big brother. Her frantic breathing slowed to normal and her flurried heartbeat calmed down as he spoke. It wasn’t hard to see that she was hanging on Henry’s every word, whether or not she offered an audible response.

Henry’s tentative smile grew easily, gaining confidence that she was interested, and his whole face seemed to glow with eager excitement as he carried on. “You know what helped me a lot when I was your age, and I felt all by myself and scared?” he asked her.

Right on cue, Helen shook her head ‘no’, but gazed up at him raptly, clearly waiting to hear Henry’s suggestion. Though she hardly knew yet that it was entirely possible in this new hometown of hers, the way she looked at him with such guileless faith made it seem as if she were expecting his magical solution for her problem.

Killian remained quiet, watching the sweet scene unfold without interruption. The maelstrom of emotion which had been churning inside him at the sight of his daughter’s fear subsided, as his chest swelled with pride instead. Watching Emma’s son, the young man he loved as his very own, showing such care and ingenuity in this moment, weaving a tale that would rival any sailor’s yarn to beguile his shy, unsure sibling, nearly melted him in a way he would be hard-pressed to disguise. He left his arm wrapped lightly over Helen’s shoulder and allowed her to lean back against him, cuddled into his side, but otherwise he held his breath, attempting to remain unobtrusive as he saw her beginning to settle comfortably.

“Did you know there’s a story about a famous Helen, who was a queen?” Henry continued, widening his eyes for extra emphasis.

So much had her upset eased, that Helen’s eyes lit up with intrigue at her brother’s words, and she shook her in head amazement, breathing out a soft, “Really?”

“Absolutely,” Henry affirmed, a pleased grin on his face at the way her reserve was lessening and her interest caught.

“Aye, little lass, there surely was,” Killian added in, his voice still hoarse with the rasp of leftover emotion, but calm once more. “Even when me crew and I sailed the many seas of various realms, we heard of her. It was said she was so beautiful that her face launched a thousand ships when she was stolen from her kingdom by the man who loved her. A war was waged for her return.”

Henry quirked an eyebrow at his stepdad, purposefully baiting the pirate with a teasing look he could have learned from no one else. “So now you want to tell it?” he goaded playfully, to which Killian could only huff and shake his head, good natured smile on his own face as Henry retook control of the myth of foolish Prince Paris of Sparta, blinded to the calamity he brought down upon his country, so besotted was he with the beautiful Helen of Troy.

Glancing up from the little tableau beside him, Killian’s eyes landed upon his wife, standing in the open passageway into the hall and facilities of the diner. She had Hope in her arms, their youngest laying her head on Emma’s shoulder mildly, as she watched her son and other daughter bonding happily, despite the rocky start. Though the jade of Emma’s eyes was rather glassy with unshed tears, a radiant smile bloomed on her face, one which Killian returned easily. Thank goodness he had her, and she, him. Neither of them must figure out how to parent the three young lives they had been blessed with on their own. Each of them had an anchor in the other when faced with turbulent waters.

It was just as Henry finished his tale, to Helen’s enthralled approval, that Granny bustled back over to their table, tray laden with their dinner order. “Here we are, dinner for the Jones family, as ordered!” she announced with a bit of a flourish.

Hope began to squirm once more in Emma’s hold the moment she saw Granny’s approach, restful pause at an end. Emma snapped from her reverie watching the rest of their little family to place Hope on her own two feet, and the toddler was off, already clambering into her papa’s lap by the time Granny and Emma both reached the booth.

“Thank you,” Emma told the diner’s proprietress sincerely, a grateful smile on her face as she met the older woman’s eye. Granny smiled and nodded her understanding. Between the two of them, it took just seconds to unload the plates of food onto the table, Killian having enough to occupy hand and hook with his arms full of a wriggling four-year-old and trying to make sure that Helen, finally seeming comfortable and at ease beside him, wasn’t struck by an exuberantly flailing hand or flying elbow.

“It’s my pleasure,” Granny assured, watching the youngsters reach for their various dishes almost wistfully for a moment. “I hope you all enjoy, and let me know if you need anything else.”

No one spoke for a few minutes, as each person around the table began to add condiments to their food where they saw fit and prepared to dig in. Helen, as was becoming usual, didn’t ask for anything or make any comment, but she too seemed to accept that the multiple options Emma had ordered were for her, and she had pulled the chicken patty sandwich and macaroni closer with an eager look in spite of her earlier hesitance.

The quiet munching and hums of enjoyment were broken by Hope a few minutes later. She leaned over from where she was devouring her “rings” to pat Helen on the shoulder and get her attention. The tyke’s eyes were as open and enchanting as her papa’s, and she gazed at her newly gained big sister with a sweet, ingratiating smile. When Helen met her waiting expression, Hope babbled simply, “Sorry I made you feel bad, Sissy. You can have whatever you want. I wuv you.”

Then, without hesitation, she swung forward, nearly dumping herself from Killian’s lap until he quickly righted his hold, and hugged Helen tightly, catching them all by surprise with her exuberant affection.

Yet, to the rest of the family’s happy surprise, Helen didn’t startle or pull away. Instead she gently accepted Hope’s hug as she did the apology and even tentatively returned her sister’s embrace. When Helen brought her hand up to pat Hope’s arm, as if to let her know everything was fine, Hope dipped her head to plant a smacking kiss - playful and slightly crumb-y - to the back of Helen’s hand, just as Emma sometimes did for her when waking Hope up in the morning, or patching a skinned knee, or some similarly light hearted moment. That did make Helen laugh outright. And most of the lingering anxiousness in their booth slipped away when the rest of them joined in.

After that, they returned to their meal with ease, sensing that though it would surely take time and patience, Helen would fit in, and even more importantly, she wanted to. She would just have to learn how to relax enough to be herself and trust that who she was, was exactly who they wanted to know. Even when it was hard or stressful or took time - she was worth it, worth knowing.

Clearly taking a liking to her chicken sandwich and mac-n-cheese, Helen had eaten all of both and was savoring every delicate bite of the peanut butter cookie nearly the size of her face. She looked delighted by the taste of the sugary treat, but also as if she was still thinking about something as she chewed thoughtfully. Eventually, glancing between Killian and Henry, she asked her question as they all were finishing up their dessert. “So, all those people… all those ships… came after Helen of Troy? Just her? They all wanted her with them that much?”

Henry nodded, acknowledging that she was correct.

For a moment, Helen paused again, considering, “No one’s ever wanted me that much,” she finally admitted, in a tone so low they had to strain to hear her. “I was in those homes a long time, and no one came after me.”

Killian clearly wanted to answer, to dissolve the pain behind those whispered words, but he swallowed wordlessly, the sentiment lodged behind the empathetic lump in his throat, while Emma jumped in, voice wavering, but fervent and strong. “Not until now. But we will always come after you. You’re one of us… and you were always meant to be.”

Reaching across the table, Emma took Helen’s smaller hand in one of hers and her husband’s in the other, squeezing tightly and holding Helen’s eyes with a watery smile, refusing to blink until her newest daughter couldn’t help but believe.

With a wide grin, Henry spoke up next, offering Helen what was practically their motto, his absolute faith impossible to miss. “One thing you should definitely know, this family always finds each other.”

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @laschatzi​ @stahlop​ @teamhook​ @revanmeetra87​ @jennjenn615​ @searchingwardrobes​ @kmomof4​ @jrob64​ @apiratewhopines​ @cosette141​ @elizabeethan​ @the-darkdragonfly​ @donteattheappleshook​ @sotangledupinit​ @tiganasummertree​ @optomisticgirl​ @spartanguard​ @therooksshiningknight​ @thislassishooked​ @scientificapricot​ @gingerchangeling​ @winterbaby89​ @xsajx​ @xarandomdreamx​ @anmylica​ @justanother-unluckysoul​

[shadow-sandiego-shipping]

Daily Prompts - Day 2

The days gone by...

Carmen walked into the living room and saw Shadow-san and the twins looking over a mess of boxes, newspaper clippings, and what seemed like photographs.

"What's going on?" She asks.

Zack, who had been head deep in a cardboard box, perks up at the sound of her voice. "Carmen!" He stumbles a little trying to get up, almost tripping over a bunch of stuff, actually.

"Me and Ivy found a bunch of stuff from our childhood!" He explains.

Right, Carmen remembered Zack and Ivy had gone to Boston for a week.

Lately, Team Red hadn’t been busy at all. For some reason, VILE had been on the down low, and for a while now, the renovations for the Carmen Sandiego Brand Outhouse warehouse had been finished.

So the team had taken a little bit of time off.

Carmen had decided to visit Player in Canada, the twins (homesick) decided to stay in Boston for a week, and Shadow-san (after lots of reassurance) decided it wouldn't hurt to make a small trip to Japan.

Zack made his way over to Carmen, holding a bunch of photographs.

"Look! It's Ivy when we were little! Wasn't she a dork!?" He said between giggles and snorts, showing Carmen a picture with a little girl with freckles using what looked like an oversized mechanic outfit and holding a wrench way too big for her little hands. Muck covering her face and clothes.

"Aww, she looks cute in this." Carmen takes the pile of pictures from Zacks hands, skimming through the rest.

On the couch, Ivy, who had been showing Shadow-san an old album piped up. "Yeah, right! Come over'ere Zack let's see who's the real dork!"

Zack's laughs turned nervous instead of amused. "Aha~... Don't be mad, sis, you hear Carmen, she called you cute!"

Before the bickering can continue, Carmen covers her mouth to help disguise a loud snort.

"Oh no, what pictures did you give her, bro?" Ivy asks despite not making much of an effort to leave the couch. She even restarted her conversation with Shadow-san right away after scolding her brother.

"I, uh... what's you looking at, Carm?" Zack tries to look at what made Carmen lose her composure.

She gladly flips a picture of two little Boston ginger kids; dressed as funky little aliens, with plastic bags on their heads covered with cardboard circles poorly painted in blue and green and black hairbands with two sticks and a white pompom on top glued in each; green boas and fisherman boots, and lots of lipstick painted circles on their faces. In each of their little hands, a Red Sox knock-off bag, well... a bakery paper bag with the Red Sox logo painted in red lipstick.

"That must’ve been a fun Halloween." Carmen teased. Zack stared at the picture, mouth agape, and eyes equally as wide. His expression looked so goofy, Carmen couldn’t help laughing out loud at it.

At least, until Zack started tearing up.

Immediately, she stopped laughing and started apologizing instead.

"Zack, I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun." He shakes his head.

"That's not it, Carm. It's not your fault."

With the change in atmosphere Ivy’s chat with Shadow-san is put on hold, and Ivy makes her way to Zack.

"Bro? What's wrong?" She asks, concerned.

He looks at her with teary eyes. "This was the last Halloween we spent with mom and dad Ives..." He shows her the picture.

"Oh, Zack..." They hug.

Wanting to give the twins some space, Carmen goes to sit on the couch, next to Shadow-san.

"I think this was my favourite Halloween of all time..." Zack muttered after a bit, looking at the photo.

"What!? That Halloween was awful!" Ivy complained, separating from the hug. "Our costumes sucked and we barely got any candy, beside it rained while we were out..." She lists off.

Zack chuckled wetly. "Yeah, but we made the costumes ourselves. It was the most fun I'd ever had, back then. And we even got to use Red Sox bags! Even if they weren't the real thing... and I know we didn't get any candy, but the candy we usually had from our neighbourhood sucked anyway and... really, the only reason I went trick or treating was because I liked doing it with you. And I know it rained, but after the rain, mom and dad helped us clean up, and we got to coudle up in the couch all together and have hot coco and watch my favourite movie of all time!"

Ivy was speechless.

"So yeah... that was my favourite Halloween we ever had." Zack concludes.

Now it was Ivy's turn to tear up. "Yeah... you know what? When you put it like that, I guess that was my favourite Halloween we've ever had, too." They hugged again.

When they separated Ivy's nose was runny so she complained and went to the bathroom to clean up. Zack whipped his face on the sleeve of his shirt and went back to the task of sorting out the boxes.

On the couch, Carmen smiled at the twins. Shadow-san did as well.

He touches Carmen’s arm to get her attention. She looks at the newspaper clippings on his lap.

"Ivy was showing me reports of their accomplishments in the racing field." She notices several news articles talking about a sibling duo taking on the car racing game with their own hands. She smiles fondly.

After a while, she looks back at Shadow-san, who was frowning.

"What's wrong?" She asks him.

He looks at the mess of the room. "Sometimes I wonder how your life would've been if I had never taken you to VILE island..." Oh, oh...

"Shadow-san..."

"I know I can't change the past, but sometimes I can't help but regret you never had this... any of this." He gestures at the pictures. "And it's in great part my fault."

She knew he didn't just mean her childhood or the lack of pictures there of. He meant getting her involved with VILE, being on their hit list, and even the obligation she felt in stopping their affairs. But, in retrospect, she couldn’t imagine her life any other way.

"You're right." She says. "We can't change the past. But for all its worth... I liked my childhood. I know it wasn’t a regular childhood but, up until school, I have only good memories." She puts her hand on his shoulder, in what she hopes is a comforting gesture.

He lets up, sighing, then giving her a shy little smile. "Too bad there are no pictures of it then?" It sounds like a joke, but-

"I would KILL for a picture of Miss Booker wet after one of my pranks!" She says immediately.

It's so out of the blue and so sincere, Shadow-san bursts out laughing, soon being joined by Carmen.

It calls Zack's attention from the reminiscence he was up to, and Ivy’s as soon as she comes back.

"Hey, Zack? What did I miss?" She asked.

"I have no idea..." He replies.

Previous day // Promps Aquired from Write App. // Next day

[middlemistcs13]

@sotangledupinit Happy Holidays! Here is a little fic for my part in the CS Gift Exchange! @csgiftexchange

“The Festive Faculty Holiday Party”

Words: 6K

Rating: G

_____________

“So Killian, are you bringing your girlfriend to the faculty holiday party?”

“Beg your pardon?” Killian said.

Ashley turned around from walking out of the conference room, completely oblivious to Killian’s confusion. “Your girlfriend. The cute blonde in all of your Facebook posts. You should bring her to the holiday party. Everyone else is bringing their partners! We hardly know anything about your life Killian!”

“Oh! Uh… I’ll have to see if she can make it.” Killian said while scratching behind his ear, a tell-tale sign that he was nervous to anyone who actually knew him. Emma would know he was nervous.

“Great!” Ashley said, satisfied with his answer. “See y’all tomorrow!” She practically skipped down the empty university hallway. Killian and Belle waved their goodbyes before heading down a different hallway towards their offices.

“Killian, why didn’t you tell her the truth?” Belle inquired.

“The truth?” Killian scoffs. “Oh Ashley, sorry to disappoint, but the lovely blonde woman in several photos on my Facebook is not actually my girlfriend, just my best friend who I happen to have a crush on and we spend most nights together and I watch her son when she’s running late from work but she is oblivious to my feelings. So no, I don’t have a girlfriend and I’ll be showing up to this year’s faculty holiday party as I have every faculty party since working at this University, alone. I don’t think so Belle.”

“Well what are you going to do about Emma?” Belle asked.

Killian sighs. “I suppose see if I can bribe her to come as my pretend date. I’m not sure what all I’ll have to do to convince her it’s just fake.”

“Well, and I know I am being quite the romantic here, but you could always ask her out, like for real. This doesn’t have to be fake Killian. I am not nearly as close with Emma as you are, but I know she cares about you. She just might not know how because she’s scared. I mean the two of you practically raise her son together. I know you would do anything for Henry, and so does Emma. A few months ago you literally saved his life. I don’t think there’s much Emma wouldn’t do for you either. Maybe you should just ask?” Belle suggested.

Killian felt hope grow in his stomach, maybe those were just butterflies thinking about the possibility of actually dating Emma. He had known her for nearly two years since she moved into the apartment next to his. He had seen a couple helping her move in, and then a few days later he saw her again but she was trying to get a mattress into her apartment by herself. Killian, ever the gentleman, introduced himself and helped her get the mattress up the stairs and into her apartment. He ended up spending the rest of the afternoon helping her around her new apartment- putting together her bed frame, setting up her TV, helping her hang things on the walls- the works.She ended up asking if he wanted some pizza for his hard-work, which he accepted as a way to continue to hang out with the intriguing woman who was now his next-door neighbor.

He saw her a few times after that outside their apartments or on their patios, but their friendship actually began when she knocked on his door one evening asking if he wanted cookies. She looked like she had been crying, and he quickly ushered her into his apartment, hoping she would open up to him.

“You didn’t have to let me into your apartment, I was just going to give you the tray of cookies” she had said sheepishly.

“Nonsense love, you look like you could use a shoulder to cry on.” Killian had said. At her raised eyebrow, he clarified, “Well, you’re something of an open-book love, and I can tell something is on your mind. I would love nothing more than to listen to whatever is ailing you.”

She sniffled before mumbling something Killian couldn’t quite make out. “Beg pardon?” he said.

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, before blurting out that she was pregnant.

“Oh, and the baby’s father?” Killian had asked, dreading the answer.

“Doesn’t know. It was my ex- the one I moved away from when I moved here. He already has a new girlfriend from what I’ve heard, and we broke up long before there was a baby involved. I made cookies because my foster mom always used to make cookies when something was upsetting us. It makes me feel better most of the time, but I didn’t want to sit in my apartment with three dozen cookies thinking about how I’m all alone and pregnant anymore, which is how I ended up here. Sorry to bother, I just-” Killian interrupted her with a hug, inhaling her eucalyptus shampoo and the slightly cinnamon-essence of Emma.

They became fast friends after that. He learned about her upbringing- her parents abandoned her off the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere Maine. She bounced around from foster home to foster home, similar to he and Liam once they were in the States after their father abandoned them. She was finally adopted by a woman named Ruth, and Emma gained an adoptive brother, David, whom she worked with. She also has David’s wife, Mary Margaret, who Emma claims has always been more of a mom to her than a sister-in-law. Besides the three of them, Emma didn’t have any family. And besides Liam and Elsa, Liam’s wife, Killian didn’t have any family either. Though Emma was scared of trusting people and being abandoned, somehow she let Killian in, and Killian couldn’t be more grateful. He was by her side through her pregnancy, and was even the one who drove her to the hospital and stayed with her through the birth of her son, Henry. Killain’s schedule as a university history professor was much more reliable and consistent than Emma’a job as a police detective for NYPD, so sometimes Emma would call him in a panic needing someone to relieve Henry’s babysitter because she caught a case. Killian was more than happy to step in and watch Henry, and he and Henry formed quite a close bond.

_____________

“So, do you have anything going on on the evening of December 13th?” Killian asked Emma that evening while making dinner in her apartment.

“Hmm, I mean I don’t think we have any plans because the Christmas gathering at David and M’s is on the 24th and it’s not like I have other family to have plans with.” Emma said while adjusting Henry in his baby rover as the packaging called it. “I mean I figure you and I will hang out between now and Christmas because you get off soon for the holidays right?”

“Yeah, on the 13th actually is when we finish. The faculty have a holiday party to celebrate the end of the semester every year, and I am going to go obviously because I always go and well Belle and Graham are going to be there and-”

“Killian, you’re rambing. And you’re scratching behind your ear. What’s wrong?” Emma interrupted.

“Wow you are quite the detective love” Killian laughed nervously.

“Killian.” Emma said more sternly.

“I was wondering if you would go with me. To the holiday party I mean. Everyone always brings their partner and this will be my seventh year at the University and I have never brought anyone. Some of my colleagues were nagging me about it, and it was assumed that I had a girlfriend. A girlfriend who I was bringing. To the holiday party. A blonde girlfriend who happens to appear in quite a few of my Facebook photos.” Killian spilled nervously, going back to mixing the rice and meat concoction for his and Emma’s quesadillas. “It would be fake, I just need you to pretend. It’s just for the evening Emma, but if you feel uncomfortable, then you don’t have to do it.”

Killian missed the disappointment in Emma’s eyes as he clarified the evening being a fake date as he was busy with dinner, but he was relieved when she agreed. “Of course I’ll go with you Killian. I’ll just see if David and M’s can watch Henry for the evening and we should be all set.”

Killian breathed a sigh of relief before smiling at Emma, and plating their dinner.

_____________

“What am I supposed to wear to the party?” Emma called from the bathroom where she was giving Henry a bath. Killian walked in from the living room so they weren’t yelling across the apartment.

“It’s a semi-formal evening, and something you already have should work. I don’t want you to have to purchase something new.” Killian replied.

“Well what if I want to buy a new dress? I mean I haven’t really had a formal occasion to dress up for since I had Henry and my undercover ops don’t count. I honestly don’t know if I even fit in some of my nicer dresses from before I was pregnant with Henry. Is there like a color I should keep in mind?” Emma asked while rinsing the shampoo out of Henry’s hair. Killian walked closer to the tub and bent down to play with Henry. At the sudden change in caregivers available to him, Henry squealed and ended up splashing both Emma and Killian.

“I think he wants to call you something, but he just doesn’t know what.” Emma smiled at Henry, wiping the water out of his eyes.

“Hmm?” Killian didn’t understand where she was going with the abrupt change in topics.

“Henry I mean. He’s been calling me ‘Mama’ pretty consistently in the last like two weeks, so I am sure he’s getting ready to say another word. You are the next closest to him for sure, I mean he loves you. Don’t tell M’s that, she’ll get upset.” Emma and Killian both laughed at her comment. “I think he wants to call you something, but he’s nearly 13 months old. He’s not about to call you ‘Killian’. He reaches for you every time he sees you, and he always babbles at you. I just think he doesn’t know. It’s not like he has someone else he’s calling ‘dada’ or anything. I know I’m rambling, but maybe you had something in mind for him to call you? I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it for a few days now.” Emma finished.

Killian studied Emma as she continued washing Henry. She looked genuinely nervous about bringing this up to him, and it suddenly dawned on Killian why. “Emma, love, I’m not going anywhere. You have to know that right?” Killian asked.

Emma wiped away the beginnings of tears forming and laughed nervously. “I’m just afraid, Killian. But I know you, and I know you are not going to leave right now, but-”

“Never, Emma. I am not ever going anywhere. I will always be here for you and Henry. Always.” Killian said. He watched a few tears make their way down Emma’s cheeks as she nodded, and he could tell she wanted to say something else, but he didn’t push her any farther.

_____________

“Killian told me it didn’t matter what color dress I wore to the holiday party.” Emma said, frustrated without any further instructions from Killian.

“Yeah, because Killian knows nothing about fashion and honestly could care less.” Elsa said while pulling into the shopping center. Emma asked Elsa to come with her to dress shop. Emma met Elsa a few months after knowing Killian, and the two have been close friends since.

“I guess I’ll just have to see what dresses they even have and which ones fit. I know I’m not going to wear like orange or hot pink. Probably not pink at all, it’s not really my color.” Emma said.

“I’m just excited you asked me to come! I haven’t had any “girl” time in a while between work and taking care of Liam. I swear he is so dramatic when he’s sick.” Elsa said, making both women laugh.

Two hours and four stores later, Emma came out of the dressing room finally feeling confident in her dress. Between being a larger size because of her pregnancy and low-cut skimpy looking dresses, she hadn’t had much luck and was starting to feel defeated.

“Wow, this has got to be the dress Emma! You look stunning!” Elsa exclaimed before Emma was fully out of the stall.

“Do you really think so?” Emma questioned, suddenly feeling nervous under Elsa’s gaze.

“Absolutely! Killian will have to finally ask you out on a real date after he sees you all dressed up!” Elsa exclaimed!

“I don’t want him to feel forced Elsa, that’s not why I agreed to go with him and that’s not my intention.” Emma said.

“I know that isn’t your intention Emma, but I promise you he likes you too. You guys just need to stop dancing around each other.” Elsa assured Emma.

“I don’t know Elsa. If he actually liked me more than just a friend he would have just asked me instead of making a big deal about how it was all just fake.” Emma sighed.

“He’s a bloody idiot Emma. He’s been hurt before too, and I know he thinks you don’t like him back.” Elsa said.

Emma looked skeptical. “Well do we think this dress is fine for this party?” Emma asked.

Elsa just nodded her head, knowing Emma was uncomfortable facing the truth about her and Killian.

_____________

“Alright little lad, let’s get you out of your car seat aye?” Killian said to Henry as he worked to unbuckle him from the car.

“Killian I want to put his little hat that Granny made him on!” Emma said, coming around the car to assist Killian. Although he only had one functioning hand and a prosthetic, he did a pretty remarkable job doing everything he needed for himself, and Henry.

“Alright love, I’ve got him steady so you can put his hat on.” Killian said, turning around with Henry in his arms. Henry was happily babbling and surprisingly let Emma put his hat on.

“Okay kid, let’s also get this coat zipped up. It’s freezing out here.” Emma said, blowing raspberries on Henry’s cheeks as she zipped up his small puffy coat. Henry broke out into giggles in Killian’s arms, causing Emma and Killian to join in on the laughter. They started walking towards the store, and Henry was content as could be in Killian’s arms, even snuggling his face into Killian’s neck when the wind began to blow. Henry’s cuddles amused Killian, so he started tickling the toddler who erupted into more giggles.

“Killian?!” A shrill female voice called, breaking the three out of their laughter. There was a small, petite blonde woman who stood a few feet away from them with a few shopping bags in her hands.

“Hey Tink, what brings you out to the stores today?” Killian greeted his colleague.

“Just some last minute Christmas shopping. I found out I was supposed to buy some gifts for Jefferson’s parents who are coming into town for the holidays. How about you guys? Oh, and this must be-”

“Emma! Killian’s girlfriend.” Emma interrupted the smaller woman.

“Oh Emma, nice to meet you. I’m Tink, or really Rose, but everyone calls me Tink. I work with Killian in the history department at the university. Are you coming to our faculty holiday party with Killian?” Tink asked.

“Yeah! I’m really looking forward to meeting all of Killian’s coworkers.” Emma smiled.

“And who is this little guy? I didn’t know you had a child, Killian!” Tink exclaimed.

“Oh he’s actually Emma’s son, I am-”

“Raising him as if Henry was his own. Killian’s a really stand-up guy. And Henry absolutely loves him as you can tell.” Emma interrupted. The three adults turned their eyes towards Henry, who suddenly was shy with all of the attention and turned his face into Killian’s neck once again.

“Aww, Killian, that is so sweet! And he is just adorable! You guys are so lucky to have each other!” Tink gushed.

“Yeah, we really are,” Emma said, sliding her arm around Killian’s back. Killian looked alarmed at Emma’s sudden change in behavior, but Emma just smiled to reassure him.

“Well, you two lovebirds have a great day out shopping! And I look forward to seeing you again at the holiday party Emma! Bye Killian!” Tink called, before walking away from the pair. Both Killian and Emma said their goodbyes before continuing walking towards the store.

“She’s cute,” Emma commented, finally untangling herself from Killian’s side.

“Hmm?” Killian questioned. He attempted to put Henry in the shopping cart, but Henry was not budging from Killian’s arms. Emma instead grabbed the cart as they continued on into the store.

“Tink. She’s cute. She’s friendly. She’s nice. She’s bubbly. I’m just surprised you’ve never asked her out or anything.” Emma said, fighting the jealousy she felt coursing through her veins. Killian abruptly stopped in front of Emma and the cart, causing Emma to run into him. “What?” Emma questioned his facial expression and abrupt stop.

“While Tink might be those things, she is nothing compared to you Emma.” Killian said sternly.

“What?” Emma asked, completely dumbfounded by Killian’s confession.

“Emma, surely you must know.” Killian quietly said.

“Know what? Killian, you aren’t making any sense.” Emma said, quieting her voice as well.

“You are simply stunning love, and no other woman could possibly compare to you.” Killian whispered.

“You think I’m stunning?” Emma said, holding back tears in her eyes. Emma didn’t often feel pretty or beautiful, let alone stunning. But maybe Killian telling her as if his life depended on it would make her believe that she was stunning.

“Of course love. How could you ever question such a thing?” Killian sighed, nearly exasperated that he had to spell out things about Emma that he thought were obvious.

“I mean, not a single person in my entire life has ever said anything like that to me before. And even if someone had said something remotely similar, it’s not like I trust a lot of people.” Emma said.

“Hey! Get out of the aisle! This is not a place for deep conversations! Go home for that!” A short and stout middle-aged man yelled from behind them. Upon looking at the man again, his name almost could be ‘Grumpy’ Emma mused to herself while she and Killian moved to the side of the aisle, letting the man pass. The grumpy man growled at them as he passed, which Henry tried to imitate. Both Emma and Killian apologized and tried to get Henry to stop growling, effectively breaking up their little moment. They both laughed at Henry, before continuing on their shopping trip. While neither spoke of their conversation again, it was in the back of their minds for the rest of the day.

_____________

“Yeah, we should be by to drop him off around 5:30. I’ll bring his pack ‘n play and all of his stuff so he can stay with you guys for the night, and I’ll be there to pick him up for his morning feeding tomorrow.” Emma said to David, while standing in his office at the precinct.

“Sounds great Emma. Mary Margaret and I are looking forward to some quality time with our little man.” David smiled, patting Emma on the back. She smiled and thanked him before heading out into the bullpen. It didn’t take a detective to realize that Emma and David had a special bond outside of work, but the detectives that were in their unit knew better than to comment on any conversation Emma and David had that wasn’t about a case. Emma’s partner Ruby was the only one to sometimes nag Emma over her conversations. This being the perfect time for Ruby to pry into her normally closed-off partner’s personal life. Ruby smirked at Emma as she left David’s office, and Emma just shook her head.

“Spit it out, Ruby.” Emma said with a smile.

“Dropping the little monster off at David’s? That must mean you actually have plans on a Friday night. Who are you?” Ruby teased.

“I actually do have plans on a Friday night. I know, shoot me.” Emma played along to Ruby’s questioning.

“And what might the normal home-body be doing on a Friday night that Henry can’t come and is going to stay the night at David’s?” Ruby pried.

“Going to a holiday party. You don’t really bring a one-year-old to holiday parties.” Emma said.

“Holiday party? Without David and Mary Margaret? And it’s not like we have a holiday party outside of having pizza delivered. Emma Swan, what holiday party are you going to?” Ruby asked.

“It’s with Killian’s coworkers. I get the lovely opportunity to be his ‘fake date’ for the evening.” Emma sighed, still wishing Killian would have just asked her to go with him as an actual couple.

“Oh. He didn’t ask you to be his real date?”

“No. He made himself very clear that it was just a one-time thing as his fake date since he always goes to the holiday parties alone and his coworkers mistook me for his girlfriend because I’m in some of his Facebook posts.” Emma said.

“Well, maybe it’s time you took this problem into your own hands and asked him out yourself. I mean, Killian practically fawns over you every time I have ever met the guy. And goodness knows you are head over boots for him.” Ruby said.

“Head over boots?” Emma questioned.

“We all know you don’t wear heels Emma Swan. Don’t take me for a fool.”

“Oh, well I plan on wearing heels tonight. I have no idea how that’s going to go.” Emma stated.

“Girl, you better make him swoon! Do you need help with your hair and makeup?” Ruby asked, suddenly very excited to see her partner and friend all dolled up for an evening out.

“No, I don't need any assistance. I know how to apply make-up, Ruby. I wear some every day.” Emma said.

“Alright alright, fine. You don’t need any help. But girl you better have him as your man when you come back to work on Monday!” Ruby excitedly said, before Emma’s desk phone started ringing.

“Detective Swan,” Emma answered, relieved to be through with the conversation with Ruby.

_____________

“Alright kid, I’ll see you in the morning, okay? You be good for Uncle David and Auntie M’s alright?” Emma told Henry, giving him one more kiss on the head before putting him down on the ground to toddle around. She gave David and then Mary Margaret a quick hug while thanking them again.

“You know we love watching him Emma! Go, you two have fun! Can’t wait to hear about the party over breakfast tomorrow morning!” Mary Margaret beamed.

“Breakfast? I was planning on just dropping by to pick him up.” Emma questioned.

“Oh, I figured we could go to Granny’s for breakfast so we can hear everything about how it went!” Mary Margaret exclaimed.

“Just for the record, some of us don’t want to hear everything.” David grumbled.

“David! Stop being the protective big brother! Your sister is a grown adult and can manage herself just fine!” Mary Margaret scolded David.

“Thanks M’s. And Dad, we’ll be fine. Thanks for watching Henry, but we really have to get out of here if we are going to make it on time.” Emma said, before ushering her and Killian out the door and into Killian’s car.

“Sorry he’s weird. He just worries about me since the whole being-left-alone-and-pregnant thing. I mean, he’s worried about me since Ruth adopted me when I was seventeen, but it’s gotten worse since I got knocked up.” Emma said.

“It’s alright love. I know he’s just looking out for you.” Killian smiled. Emma had been through a lot of her life alone, but Killian was glad to know she had more than himself to care about and look after Emma. They drove the rest of the way in peaceful silence, before walking into the hotel where the holiday party was being held. They got on the elevator and headed to the 13th floor, where the actual party was being hosted in the event space in the hotel. Once on the elevator, Emma threaded her arm through Killian’s and gave him a soft smile.

“I never got to tell you that you look stunning, Swan.” Killian stated.

Emma blushed, before attempting to respond. “And you look…”

“I know. And thank you again for coming tonight. I hope you can marginally enjoy yourself. I mean, at least you know Belle and Graham.” Killian said.

“Yeah.Plus I met a few of them last year at your little birthday gathering. I know it’s been a while. Also, today at work Graham seemed pretty excited that I was going with you. I think he was dreading not knowing anyone but you and Belle.” Emma said as the elevators opened.

The first person Emma recognized upon walking out of the elevator was Will, Killian’s good friend and fellow history professor. Will helped throw Killian’s birthday celebration, so Emma had met him before.

“Killian! Emma! It’s bloody fantastic to see you two here!” Will said in greeting.

“Will, good to see you.” Emma said while giving him a side-hug. “How have you been?”

The party continued as well as could be expected for both Emma and Killian. No one seemed to think the pair weren’t together, besides the few that knew it was fake- Belle, Graham, and Will. Emma met all of Killian’s coworkers through the course of the night. Killian’s least favorite colleague- Walsh, was just as stuck up and obnoxious as Killian had warned. His wife Zelena, who was a physics professor, was also particularly unpleasant. Emma met Regina, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. They ran into Tink and her boyfriend Jefferson, and Emma didn’t feel any jealousy at seeing the woman again. Tink asked a lot of questions about Henry, which Emma was happy to talk about. Emma also met Ashley, or “Cinderella” as Killian called her. Ashley and her husband Sean were kind, and Ashley seemed particularly excited to see Emma in the flesh. Ashley promptly invited Emma and Killian to come to the New Year’s Eve party she was hosting at her apartment. There was also Lancelot, a professor who focused on the history of the Middle Ages and the Medieval Time Period. Lancelot’s girlfriend Mulan used to teach history, but now focuses on her love for sports and is the Director of Athletics at the university.

Most of the evening was spent near Belle and Graham, who is a detective in Emma’s unit. Emma had introduced Belle and Graham after meeting Belle, and she was happy to see that Belle and Graham were happy with each other. Will also hung around them for most of the evening, as he was one of Killian’s closest friends and knew Emma. Most people were drinking a decent amount of alcohol, but Emma hadn’t had more than a glass of wine, and Killian had only had a glass of rum. Will, however, was quite intoxicated by the end of the evening. He was telling stories about Killian which made Killian blush and Emma laugh. Will was so caught up in his story and his alcohol that he slipped up and blabbed about Killian’s secret love for Emma.

“Yeah, well we thought Killian had grown a pair since then, but he had to beg Emma to come as his date because he won’t be a man and actually ask her out like he wants to.” Will slurred.

“Will!” Killian scolded, quickly getting up from his chair to try and stop Will from speaking.

“He’s so in love with Emma that he can’t see that maybe-” Will started again. Killian grabbed Will and physically dragged him out of Emma’s vicinity before any more damage could be done. Emma tried to ignore Will’s comments and act natural, tuning back to Belle and Graham. Not knowing what else to talk about, Emma asked Graham about the case they had been working on. When Killian didn’t come back to the table after a while, Emma excused herself to go find him. She thought he might be at the bar, downing some rum after Will spilled Killian’s secret.

After checking the bar, Emma noticed Killian was sitting at a table out on the patio, so she went outside to join him. Emma knew he could hear her approaching- her heels were not quiet- yet he didn’t turn around. She pulled out the chair that was next to him and sat down, staring out at the New York City skyline.

“You love me?” Emma questioned quietly after several moments of silence between the pair.

“Yes.” Killian responded, just as quietly as Emma. “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, but you and Henry mean everything to me Emma. I didn’t mean for this to go like this, I just-”

“Why didn’t you ask me out? We’ve been friends for what, nearly two years? You could have asked Killian.” Emma interrupted.

“I couldn’t risk that you didn’t feel the same. So, I have worked hard since I realized I was in love with you to pretend like I wasn’t, because I will gladly sacrifice my feelings for continuing to be friends with you and close to Henry.” Killian said with tears starting to form. He ran his hand down his face before taking a deep breath and looking at Emma. She looked surprised, and also looked like she had some tears forming.

“You traded your happiness for me?” Emma asked.

“Aye,” Killian responded matter-of-factly, nodding his head slightly to emphasize his point. Emma slowly leaned closer until her face was inches away from Killian’s, before leaning the rest of the way in and kissing Killian. After running out of breath, Emma pulled away shyly with a blush on her cheeks.

“I love you too.” Emma said simply.

“What?” Killian asked, stupefied.

“I love you, and I have spent the last two weeks wishing you would just ask me to come to this stupid party as your actual date. I don’t trust a lot of people, and I’m not good with words. But, I know that I can’t lose you like I’ve lost other people. I’ve been so afraid that you didn’t like me as more than a friend, and I was scared. But I’m not scared anymore Killian. I love you, and I-” Killian cut her off with a kiss of his own. The two embraced each other and reveled in their newfound intimacy. Eventually, the DJ of the faculty party announced that there would be one more slow song of the night, and the announcement effectively broke the couple’s passionate kiss.

“Care to dance, Swan?” Killian asked while offering Emma his hand.

“You know how to dance or whatever it is you’re supposed to do?” Emma asked.

“Of course.” Killian responded.

“Well, I’m taking off these shoes first,” Emma stated while unclasping her heels. “What am I supposed to do?” Emma asked after standing up.

“There’s only one rule: Pick a partner who knows what he’s doing.” Killian smirked. Emma blushed and smiled, but allowed Killian to dance and twirl her around on the patio.

_____________

“Hey, we have to check out a few addresses before I can get out of here. Do you think you could relieve the babysitter and watch Henry for the rest of the afternoon and evening?” Emma asked Killian over the phone.

“Of course love. I told you to let me watch him when I’m home, especially now that I’m done for the semester.” Killian replied before getting up from his chair and putting his shoes and coat on, preparing to go over to Emma’s apartment.

“I know, but just because we are dating now doesn’t mean you have to always watch Henry. He’s not your responsibility.” Emma said.

“He might not be my responsibility, but you must know that I love spending time with the lad. And watching him is not any trouble, love. I’m heading over now to relieve the babysitter. Text me when you are on your way home.” Killian replied.

“Okay, thanks Killian. I owe you big time. Love you,” Emma said. Killian smiled before telling her he loved her as well and ending the call.

_____________

Emma sighed as she made her way up the stairs to her apartment. She ended up staying an extra six hours trying to catch their perp before they finally caught him hiding out in an abandoned storefront. She smiled to herself knowing that Killian and Henry would be waiting for her once she got home. She quietly unlocked the door, making sure not to make too much noise in case Killian was putting Henry to bed or had just put him to bed. Emma heard Killian’s faint voice reading aloud upon entering her apartment, and followed his voice down the hall to Henry’s room. Both of her boys were so entranced by the book Killian was reading- “Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me”- that neither heard her standing in the doorway. She listened as Killian read, and saw Henry’s eyes start to droop. Just when Emma thought Henry was going to fall asleep, he suddenly pointed to something in the book.

“Papa.” Henry said.

“Aye lad, that is Monica’s Papa.” Killian responded, keeping Henry engaged in their conversation. Henry looked at Killian curiously for a minute before smiling wide.

“Papa!” Henry exclaimed, only he wasn’t looking at the book anymore. Henry’s sole focus was on Killian. “Papa!” Henry excitedly said again, before snuggling into Killian’s torso.

“That’s right Henry, that is your Papa. He’s the best Papa, isn’t he?” Emma said, making herself known to both Henry and Killian.

“Mama!” Henry squealed upon seeing his mother.

“Hey kid, I missed you today.” Emma greeted. Henry extended his arms asking to be picked up by Emma and she obliged, needing some Henry cuddles after her long day at work.

“Mama Mama Mama!” Henry babbled while snuggling his face into Emma’s neck.

“Yeah, Mama’s home Henry. Mama’s home.” Emma sighed, closing her eyes for a minute.

“Mama?” Henry said.

“Yeah kid?” Emma replied. Henry turned his head so he was looking at Killian before pointing at him.

“Papa. Mama, Papa!” Henry said.

“Yeah Henry, he is your Papa. You want to give Papa a few more snuggles before bedtime?” Emma said, trying to hold back tears that Henry finally called Killian by ‘name’.

“Papa Papa Papa” Henry babbled, reaching for Killian. Killian was silent through the entire interaction between Emma and Henry, but he was crying by the time Emma placed Henry back in his arms. Henry quickly snuggled up to Killian before falling asleep.

“Hey Papa. How was he?” Emma asked, letting her own tears fall freely at this point.

“He was good as always Swan. He called me ‘Papa’.” Killian said.

“Yeah, he did. And I can’t think of a more perfect title for you Killian. You know, you’ve been his ‘Papa’ in my eyes since the day you saved his life.” Emma said.

Emma had never felt fear like she did the day Killian called her, frantically informing her to meet him at the Children’s Hospital Emergency Room. Killian had thankfully been in his apartment that day, or Henry would have died. The babysitter was working on getting Henry to eat some soft foods, but turned away to cut another piece of banana and didn’t see Henry shove too much banana in his mouth. Henry started coughing, but ended up lodging a chunk of banana in his throat.

The babysitter had no idea what to do, and ran to Killian’s door with Henry, screaming for help. Killian immediately opened the door, saw Henry choking, and safely performed the Heimlich. The maneuver is different for an infant over an adult, and the babysitter didn’t have any training in the Heimlich for children. Killian, seeing the worry and stress in the babysitter’s face, told her to go home for the day and Killian assured her that he would take Henry for the rest of the day until Emma got home.

Once the babysitter left, Killian still felt uneasy about Henry in the aftermath of the choking incident. To be sure, he decided to take Henry to the children’s ER and called Emma on his way to the hospital. Emma immediately left work to go be with Henry and Killian at the hospital, and Emma was so relieved to find out that Henry was okay. Emma knew Killian had single-handedly saved Henry’s life, and she was not soon to forget it. From that day forward, Emma knew Killian would do anything for her son, and although she hadn’t actually talked to Killian about it, she began viewing Killian as Henry’s father.

“And, I know I told you a million times, but I feel like I never got to thank you, Killian.” Emma smiled. She walked over to where Killian was sitting in the rocking chair with Henry before leaning down and pressing her lips to Killian’s.

Killian smiled at her, before teasing Emma. “I could get used to that kind of thank you.”

“I’ll kiss you any time, but let’s not have another hospital incident. I don’t think I could handle it.” Emma said, stroking Henry’s soft light-brown hair. .

“Me neither love. That was one of the worst days of my life.” Killian reflected.

“Oh mine for sure. Let’s get this little man to bed and then I’ll really thank you.” Emma smirked.

_____________

“Mama Mama Mama!” was the first thing Emma heard in the morning. She rolled over to see the baby monitor and noticed Henry was contentedly babbling her name while sitting up in his crib. She looked at the time-6:45- an hour later than Henry normally slept in. It truly was a Christmas miracle. Emma quietly extracted herself from the strong arms around her torso and out of the bed so as not to wake Killian. She quietly made her way down the hallway to Henry’s nursery, where he was now babbling both “Mama” and “Papa” hoping for someone’s attention.

“Hey kid, good morning!” Emma greeted in a whispered sing-song voice.

“Mama!” Henry exclaimed as Emma lifted him out of the crib and snuggled him.

“Hey my baby. How’d you sleep?” Emma said, placing Henry down on his changing table so she could change his diaper. “Let’s get you cleaned up, huh?” Henry continued to babble to her, and Emma dutifully nodded her head along and responded to some of his more question-like babbles. After changing his diaper, Emma pulled out a new Christmas onesie from the drawer.

“I think we should surprise Papa and put your new PJs on that he got you. How about thar? Should we surprise your Papa?” Emma asked Henry.

“Papa! Papa Papa!” Henry squealed.

“Yeah, I think Papa would like that too.” Emma replied, before putting his new PJs on. Once Henry was changed and clean, Emma carried him to the kitchen to turn the kettle on the stove on to make hot cocoa in a little bit. Then, she brought Henry back down the hall towards her bedroom and lightly set Henry down on her bed just as Killian opened his eyes.

“Well good morning little lad!” Killian greeted Henry.

“Papa!” Henry squealed before crawling across the bed towards Killian. Emma and Killian smiled, still not over Henry calling Killian ‘Papa’. Emma slipped back into bed under the covers before snuggling up to her boys.

“I figured we could cuddle some before starting our big day- Henry’s second Christmas.” Emma told Killian.

“That sounds like a lovely plan, Swan.” Killian smiled before pulling Emma closer to him and Henry.

“Merry Christmas, Killian. I am so glad you are here with us.” Emma smiled.

“Merry Christmas, my love. There is no place I would rather be than right here with both of you.” Killian replied. After some babbling for attention from Henry, both adults laughed.

“Merry Christmas to you too, kid. I am so glad I get to be your Mom.” Emma said, feeling more content than she had in quite some time.

----------------------

Happy Holidays @sotangledupinit !!! 🌲⛪⛄❄️☃️

I hope you enjoyed your CS Gift Exchange Fic! This was my first fanfiction that I've written in many years so hopefully it's not too bad! Hope you have a lovely New Year and have been having Happy Holidays!!

[yundeob]

A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD ☆ | ATEEZ SERIES

— featuring ot8!ateez in iconic HOLLYWOOD romance and rom-com movies

— TICKET BOOTH IS CLOSED! 🎟️ : the movies are about to start! all fics will have MATURE CONTENT! MDNI!

sit back, relax, grab your popcorn and tissues, and enjoy the silver screen . . .

THE PARENT TRAP ☆ | KHJ

TROPE: exes to lovers! divorced!au

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst, crack, slice of life

AS DIVORCED PARENTS to two twin daughters, you and hongjoong have your fair share of work cut out. Driving to piano lessons, cheering at hockey games, drop offs at each other’s houses, it can all be a little much. But could a relaxing summer retreat as a whole family possibly rekindle past emotions you’ve swept under the rug? . . .

— IN THEATRES

DIRTY DANCING ☆ | PSH

TROPE: bad boy!seonghwa, enemies to lovers!au , 60s!au

TAGS: nsfw, smut, angst, crack

THAT WAS THE SUMMER before JFK got shot, before the beatles came, and when you were working part time at your aunts summer resort. That was also the summer you met resident heart breaker and cocky entertainment crew member, Park Seonghwa. Remind yourself why you’re suddenly dance partners with him again? . . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

PRETTY WOMAN ☆ | JYH

TROPE: dilf!yunho x formerstripper!reader, strangers to lovers!au, contract lovers!au,

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst

LIVING IN BEVERLY HILLS comes with its perks. But for two different people such as yourself and multimillionaire business tycoon, Jeong Yunho, both of you can’t seem to find what you’re looking for in the so called ‘Land of Dreams’. So the proposal is simple really… let him spoil you with money, jewelry and clothes while in return, you stay by his side. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

MR AND MRS KANG ☆ | KYS

TROPE: marriage!au, established relationship, spy!au, assasin!au

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, ANGST, crack

WHO WOULD’VE THOUGHT picture perfect suburban neighbourhood couple, Mr. and Mrs. Kang would be at each others necks trying to kill each other first. You’ve both come this far in your marriage while hiding your secret identities, but it looks like only one person can remain standing. I guess you both did promise “in sickness and in health”. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

ROMAN HOLIDAY ☆ | CS

TROPE: royalty!au, princess!reader x reporter!san, strangers to lovers!

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst

AS CROWN PRINCESS, you’re on a tightly scheduled tour of European capital cities. But after an especially rough day in Rome, you sneak out of the embassy to explore the so called Eternal City, running into no other than celebrity news reporter, Choi San, looking out for his next big royal scandal. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU ☆ | SMG

TROPE: college!au, stoner!mingi, enemies to lovers!au, fakedating(?)au, y2k aesthetic

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst, crack, slice of life

YOUR YOUNGER BROTHER Wooyoung is desperate in getting you, his older sister in college, to date so that he can finally date in highschool. The options for potential candidates are scarce, considering men flock away like birds the second you’re near. Good thing campus stoner and weirdo, Song Mingi is the same as well. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS ☆ | JWY

TROPE: fashioncolumnist!reader x advertiser!wooyoung, y2k aesthetic, fake dating(?)au, enemies to lovers!au, mutual pining

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst, crack, slice of life

LISTEN, IF IT MEANS getting a promotion at your editorial company as a news journalist instead of pop culture and lifestyle columnist, you’d do anything. And that includes pretending to be the most annoying and clingiest girlfriend to some guy for 10 whole days. But just so you know, Wooyoung likes clingy. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

ROMEO & JULIET ☆ | CJH

TROPE: unrequited love, star crossed lovers!au, mutual pining, secret romance (shakespeare be rolling in his grave rn)

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, ANGST

FOR CENTURIES, a plague of hatred and hostility has been present in the relations between the House of Choi and your own. You know you can’t be together, but yet why do you keep catching that dark haired boy staring at you so longingly? And why do you want him just as bad?. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

a/n: for updates, follow my blog! this will be a work-in-progress so I ask for your support:(🙏

taglist: @vent-stink @dazzlingstarrs @vcutparis @xpixie @potatos-on-clouds @showingmafandomlove @bibbleypoof @kpop-will-kill-me @avantalem @beabatiny @gabrielle-brugger @nsixns @amaranth1ne @stayminho @myblovedjyh @kkeshia @rebekah-reads @yoonbroom @4kwp @butterflydemons @iwaizumiismybae @soobinsputnik @stayatinykatsy @atitties @justconniez @kitten4sannie @ghostskilledmyaddiction21 @cheolsthicthighs @morethingsfandom @geminiml95 @byuntrash101 @quailbagutte @syubseokie @newworldwritings @urmom26john @sleepy-kat-here @pearltinyy @hjshyhyssnmgwyjh @cursedeastern @starryunho @piratekingateez2001 @jiminbility @paumll @drinkingrumandcocacola @roomsofangel @channies-bbg-room @meanaonthemoon @teeztopia @pommelex @kiln9z @sanhwalvr @youresolivlie @edawg77 @a-0206 @summer-gyu @bvidzsoo @yoongzsmile28 @tournesol155

taglist became too long so find the second taglist here💀 no longer taking requests

[mattslolita]

okay so idk if you’re taking request cs if ur not im soo sorry but i CRAVEEEE toxic babydaddy chris or matt like imagine yall imagine😔🙌🏾

dilemma - c. sturniolo

in which ... you can't stand chris's new girl in the picture, and you both realize how much you miss each other especially for your daughter. ( baby daddy!chris x black!fem reader )

warnings : angst, toxic!baby daddy!chris, crying, smut, riding, nipple play, unprotected piv ( wrap it freaks ), fluff in the end :3

"𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊 𝒅𝒐, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ��� ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ

"alaijah baby, i need you to stay still, please!" you pleaded with your daughter, attempting to grip her unruly curls as she brushed her hair softly.

"mama, when daddy coming?" alaijah babbles, a soft smile on her face as she toys with the bottle of hairspray on the bed which keeps causing her to move around.

a lump forms in your throat at the question, but you attempt to give her a tight-lipped smile anyway. "I'm dropping you off my love, remember? we're getting ice cream on the way."

"ice cweam!" alaijah giggles excitedly, causing her to topple over the oil sheen which tumbles off the bed.

you groan and shake your head, losing the grip you had on her ponytail as you bent down to pick up the oil sheen — the thing that annoyed you was the fact that if it was her dad combing her hair, she was obedient with him. she never gave him problems when he was the one doing her hair, and it made you frustrated.

after picking the bottle up and setting it back down on the bed, you opened candy crush saga on your phone and handed it to your one year old girl, who happily took your phone and sat snug in between your legs.

with a satisfied smile, you begin to brush her hair again, thankfully having no more problems — that is, until your phone rings and you look down to see alaijah's dad trying to facetime you.

"daddy!" alaijah shrieks, a huge smile breaking out over her face.

you didn't want to talk to him, but you weren't going to deprive your daughter — so against your better judgement, you swipe up and accept the call.

"lay, hi sweetheart!" chris smiles at his daughter through the screen, and internally making your heart melt.

"daddy! hi!" alaijah giggles, scrunching her nose cutely as she waves at him through the screen, "miss you!"

"i miss you too, angel," chris says, his beam even brighter at the sight of her, "you ready for this weekend?"

"yah!" alaijah nods happily, poking at the phone, "daddy, say hi to mommy!"

rolling your eyes, you try to move yourself out of the camera's lens especially when you see chris's smug smile on the screen. "hi, momma."

you make a stank face at him and continue doing alaijah's hair, but the one year old makes a pouty face at you when she realizes you didn't answer him.

"mommy, daddy said hi!" alaijah presses, causing you to let out a sigh.

"yeah, daddy says hi," chris smirks, and you can feel your cheeks warm up despite the unwillingness of it all.

"yeah, hey," you said sharply, shooting him a glare through the screen as you're now getting started on alaijah's baby hairs.

"c'mon y/n/n, be a little nicer to daddy," chris continues, causing alaijah to giggle and you to groan.

you put your hands over alaijah's ears gauging a confused expression from her. "shut the fuck up, christopher."

chris just laughs and shakes his head as you uncover alaijah's ears, and she continues to look down at the screen excitedly — you continue watching as your daughter and chris talk for a little bit more, and you can't help but smile a few times at the way chris looked at her with so much love and admiration. it makes you wish you two had never broken up, otherwise you would've been a real family.

you pulled up to chris's house and sighed, looking at alaijah in the rearview mirror — she grinned at you excitedly as she seen that you both had arrived at her dad's house.

you quickly get out of the driver's seat of your car and open the back door on that side, unbuckling alaijah from her car seat and picking her up.

"daddy house!" alaijah beams excitedly, as you close the car door and move to the trunk where her overnight bag was.

"yes, are you excited baby?" you ask her with a smile, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, and she nodded with a giggle.

her overnight bag was on your shoulder and you internally groaned as you made your way towards the front door of his house — alaijah immediately reached out to press the doorbell, and you could feel her excited nerves radiating from her which made you smile at her again.

you almost dropped your daughter from your hands when you saw what opened the door — a blonde woman who looked to be your age, dressed in skimpy ass clothing which had you heated. you could tell she had extensions in her hair, and you scoffed at how cheap they looked.

"can i help you?" she snarks with an attitude, a hand on her hip as she gives you a once over.

"i know damn well this bitch is not..." you scoff, shaking your head, then looking back up at her, "girl, i'm here to drop off his daughter. who the fuck is you?"

"i'm his girlfriend," she says, boastful smirk on her face, and your heart drops and your face visibly hardens at this.

"did i ask, hoe?" you say to her, taking a step closer causing her to step back slightly, "get the fuck out my way before-"

"what's going on?" chris's voice suddenly comes, causing your blood to boil. damn, he looked so fine.

"you better check your bitch before i do," you say to him, causing the blonde girl to narrow her eyes at you as chris pushes her to the side.

"daddy!" alaijah says excitedly, reaching her arms out for him.

"hi baby!" chris coos to his daughter, taking her from your arms as he brings her close to him, "i missed you!"

you watch the sweet interaction with a yearning heart, but you seeth when you see the way the blonde girl looks at him with just as much adoration as you do — chris looks between both of you with an amused expression, and you could just give him a right hook right now.

"look, my daughter's here, can you both not come for each other?" chris says with raised eyebrows.

you fully turn to face him now, crossing your arms over your chest. he takes your figure up and down unashamedly, and you try to keep yourself from smirking as you realize you still had that effect on him. "that broad better not go nowhere near my baby, christopher."

"still using that full name on me?" chris scoffs with an amused smile, shaking his head. "i'll see you sunday night, alright?"

you quickly leaned up towards alaijah to press a kiss to her cheek, caressing it as she smiled at you. "i'll see you soon baby, okay? have fun."

"bye mommy, i love you!" alaijah tells you.

"i love you more."

without waiting for anyone to say anything else, you make your way towards your car, giving your hips a little extra sway as you knew chris would be drooling as he watched you walk away. you were proven right when you went to get in your car and chris had definitely been watching after you. you smirked as the blonde girl gave him a look of disbelief at the action, and you drove away, still feeling angry upon seeing her in the first place.

sunday night couldn't have come fast enough — you were bored and somewhat lonely without the comfort of your daughter with you, but you were able to run a few errands.

chris texted you and told you he would drop alaijah back off at your house, and you scoffed and only replied with an "ok." you knew it would piss him off, but how could he be the one upset?

soon, a familiar engine lowly rumbled outside of your house and you felt somewhat nervous because you knew it was chris. you heard the car door open then close, and footsteps slowly approach your porch until a knock on the door sounded.

almost too quickly you answered, and your heart warmed at the sight of chris holding your daughter in his arms tightly, her head laid on his neck with her eyes closed.

"she's asleep," chris said, swiping at his nose then nodding towards her, "can i go lay her down?"

you nodded wordlessly, stepping aside so that chris could walk in with her. he knows your house like that back of his hand ( nevermind the fact he used to live there with you! ) — he makes his way to your room, but you don't follow him.

instead, you cross your arms and sit at a barstool at your kitchen table, tapping her fingers along your arm as you wait the treacherous minutes it takes for your ex boyfriend to say his goodbyes to his daughter.

he emerges from your used to be shared room and grins at you, causing you to narrow your eyes at him. "what the fuck are you looking at?"

"i know you're still mad, y/n," chris shrugs nonchalantly, taking slow deliberate steps towards you.

"boy what are you talking about?" you say with a roll of your eyes, crossing her arms tighter on your chest.

"you're mad about lexi," chris says, egging it on, as he knows you're seething right now.

"oh, so the bitch got a name now, too?" you say, scoffing and shaking your head.

"you mad cause i'm fucking another bitch?" chris smirks, and you whip your head up at him at this remark.

without any warning, you stand up and quickly walk over to chris, yanking him by the arm and pulling him towards the couch in the living room — she shoves the man back on it, immediately going to straddle him as he looks up at her with a smirk and an amusement in his eyes.

"y'know lay's asleep, right?" chris tsks, rubbing the sides of her bare thighs which caused goosebumps to raise on her skin.

"then you better shut the fuck up," you say.

you smashed your lips onto chris's, having been craving this feeling again for so long — his hands immediately went to grope your ass which prompted a gasp to leave your lips and chris to slip his tongue inside your mouth.

you grinded down against his hard on, which you felt poking through his jeans as it so desperately wanted to be free. never breaking eye contact with him, you lifted your his shirt above your head and threw it behind you, and chris went to unclip your bra causing your perfectly round breasts to spill out.

"fuck, i missed seeing your pretty tits, ma," chris groans, immediately attaching his lips to your left tit whilst he massages the other.

"mhm chris," you breathe out, throwing your head back as he switches, giving attention to the other tit.

you grind down on him again, making the both of you moan at the contact. "pull your pants down."

you get up and take your shorts off, also giving chris enough time to slip out of his jeans and boxers, revealing his large, veiny cock which already leaked with precum — your mouth salivates at the sight.

you pull down your panties revealing your wet cunt, to which chris lets out a groan and strokes himself, but you narrow your eyes at him and smack his hand away, going to hover over his cock.

your hands find their way to chris's shoulders, latching onto them as you slowly sink yourself onto him, pulling a moan from the both of you.

"fuck, you're so big!" you whine, the stretch burning being that you haven't felt him inside you in a long time.

"so tight baby," chris groans in your ear, guiding you with his hands.

once he's fully inside you, you begin to move back and forth on his cock, the veins in his hands now prominent with the grip he held on your sides. "fuck baby, just like that!"

"you feel so good, oh my gosh," you moan out, throwing your head as you pick up your rhythm, bouncing up and down on his cock.

chris meets you halfway, thrusting up into you pulling multiple whines from you as he hits your sweet spot over and over again.

"fucking me so good ma, i missed your pussy," chris moans, leaving sloppy kisses to your neck.

"m'close, christopher," you moan out, keeping your steady pace.

"yeah?" chris groans in your ear, "come on baby, let go fa me."

it doesn't take you long before your orgasm comes crashing through you, your juices spilling over chris's cock and a loud moan of his name falls past your lips.

this sends him over the edge too, and hot spurts of his seed spill inside of you, mixing your juices together. he helps both of you ride out your orgasm, then you quickly get off of him to catch your breath.

he pulls you back towards him and shoves a finger inside your pussy to keep his cum in there, eliciting a gasp from you as you look at him with disbelief whilst he grins at you.

"what the fuck?" you gasp out.

"need my seed inside you, so you know who's yours," chris grins at you.

he takes his finger out then stands up, grabbing your hand and leading you towards the bathroom — he wordlessly grabs a towel and wets it, and you can feel tears from in your eyes as he does so.

none of this meant it was going to last long — he was going right back to the same boyfriend he was before, which was the ultimate reason you broke up in the first place. but you couldn't help the way you still loved him.

"please don't cry," chris says, breaking you out of the trance you didn't realize you were in.

"why shouldn't i, chris?" you sniffle, as he wipes your legs delicately, "it's not like we're getting back together."

chris could feel his heart break at the words you said, causing him to hang his head — it was his fault, and he couldn't believe he'd ever let someone like you go. he was so scared of fucking up, that he fucked up the best thing that ever happened to him.

"i miss you," you admit.

"i missed you even more, y/n," chris says, lifting your chin so that you could see in his eyes. and for once, there was a trace of sincerity in those blue depths. "i can't believe i broke our family up like this. i fucked up really bad, baby. but i want us to be a family."

"you mean that, baby?" you look up at him with a smile, and he wipes the tears away from your eyes, nodding.

"of course, ma. i love you so much."

he leans down and places a kiss to your lips — but this time it was sweet, but yearning. he missed both of his girls, and he was glad he had them back.

after cleaning you up chris grabs your hand again and leads you towards the bedroom, where alaijah is sound asleep in the middle of where you both used to lay.

you climb on side and chris on the other, and as if sensing the presence of her dad, alaijah moves towards chris like a magnetic touch, and he puts his arm around his daughter looking down at her with nothing but love and admiration.

you smile at him with your head propped up on the pillow, and he looks at you — he affectionately taps your nose, causing you to giggle as you take his hand, placing a soft kiss to it.

"goodnight, baby," you tell him, and he leans in to place another kiss to your lips.

"goodnight, my love," chris says back.

you get under the covers with them, moving close towards alaijah in the process to wrap your own arm around the girl, too — chris places another sweet kiss to both of your foreheads, finally at peace knowing he was with his number one girls again.

( lilly's section 💌 )

two fics in one night, who is she😳🙏? i hope y'all enjoy this, i love u so much muah💌.

@luverboychris @muwapsturniolo @prettiest-poision @mattsturniolosleftnut @mrssturnioloo @guccifrog @junnniiieee07 @astrowh0r3 @v33angel @ilovechrissturniolo1 @e1ias3 @l0akkzz @hysteria-things @eyeliketoeatpoosay @sturn777 @stasiesturn @prettypinkprincess15 @breeloveschris @summerssover @mayhem-72 @riasturns @chrissturniolossidehoe @moonk1ss3d @v33angel @h3arts4harry @stargirll567 @bitchydragonparadise @heartsforchrisandmatt @pepsienthusiasts @tillies33ssss @thenickgirl @sturnprime @summerssover @k4di333

[hwaslayer]

wildfire (cs) | six.

—spotify playlist | series masterlist

—summary: assistant professor in bioengineering, incredibly attractive, lonely and divorced; that’s how most people describe san. but despite the events that have happened in his life, san has a lot going for himself. he’s a successful, sought out professor due to his brilliant contributions to science at just an early age of 32. he worked hard to get where he was now; head deep into his research, his publications, building his lab and creating a name for himself. everything was good and smooth sailing— until it wasn’t. because when he meets you, a bioengineering grad student interested in rotating in his lab, he finds himself ready to risk all the blood, sweat and tears he put in throughout the years just to keep you close— his need for you spiraling out of control like a wildfire.

—pairing: asst. professor!choi san x grad student!f. reader

—genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers to lovers, grad school au | fluff, angst, smut

—word count: 10.1k

—chapter content/warnings: cussing, mature language/sexually implied content, sorry if i missed anything i had to quickly edit in order to get this out lol, san x oc finally talk a little more abt each other - family - friends, small affectionate gestures and kisses, yes we have finally made it my friends… the sleepover where we discuss neuroscience papers!!!! lmao jk 😭 was not lying abt the true crime aspect tho (i fear i know nothing else), san also opens up a bit more about iseul, making out, neck kisses, breast play, unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, some clit play i guess!!, aftercare, cuddles

You decide to go to dinner with San, but the decision comes incredibly last minute. You've paced around your studio, sat on your bed for hours, going back and forth between a simple yes or no. Until, you finally realized you truly didn't wanna miss out. You felt like you'd regret it if you didn't just go to see what it'd be like.

Harmless.

Eunchae and Jurin are gone for the weekend for other family commitments, but you still find yourself having to make up some sort of scenario for the boys in case they come barging in while you're getting ready. You tell them that you're spending the afternoon with your mom and that you'll be back later tonight in case they wanna come over and hang out. Boys being boys— they don't pry much and leave it at that.

You let out a breath just after you end the call with Jiung and set your phone aside, dabbing a bit more blush onto the apples of your cheeks. 

San told you to meet him at a restaurant that's very Nobu-esque, and you damn near dropped your phone when you pulled up the directions and saw pictures of the fancy interior. Even if you protested, he wouldn't let up— promising you that he'd take care of everything and that he just wanted you to have a good time with him. He asked once more if you were sure about driving, and you insist; just for the one time, to play things safe, to relieve yourself of the pressure of having to be with San in a car in case dinner doesn't pan out well [for whatever reason].

You are equally excited, nervous and terrified. Might feel a little queasy from the combo.

You run the lip gloss across your lips before pressing them together, spreading it across the surface. You check the time and pack your things into your purse, giving yourself a little bit of wiggle room for the 30-minute drive east to meet San. You check yourself in the mirror and dust yourself off, smoothing down the simple, black cami-strap dress you have on. Good thing you checked the restaurant's dress code on their website last night, or else, you might have walked into the place in something a little more casual.

Not classy. Elegant. Black and white attire only.

You run off to your car without being spotted by anybody you know. You did run into a few classmates and other familiar faces, but ones that won't even bat an eye as to why you're running across the lot in heels and a black dress. You get into your car and warm it up before turning up the heat, pulling up one of your playlists and sending San a text to let him know you're leaving campus. The drive isn't so bad when your playlist is hyping you up, along with the clear highways. You've gotta cross a bridge and pay the toll on your way back, but you don't mind; you feel a sense of relief wash over you being that you've gotten yourself this far from campus.

You knew people from campus weren't fond of coming to the east side. It tailored way too much to the wealthy, hence, San's choice for tonight's dinner.

The side streets are a little too busy in the downtown area, but you finally catch sight of the restaurant on the corner of an intersection; nestled underneath a modern, upscale 5-star hotel. When you pull into the lot, San is chatting it up with the valet. He laughs and you catch that smile of his, his dimples. He's in a black button up, and black slacks. The first two buttons of his shirt are undone, the silver chain hanging around his neck— sitting prettily across his collarbones. He points at your car and signals your arrival to the valet, the staff member immediately meeting you at the driver's side when you park in front of the booth.

"Your lady has arrived." The valet says, taking your hand in his before passing you along to San and getting into your car to park it in the lot.

"Hey beautiful." San takes your hand in his and smiles down at you adoringly. "How was the drive?"

"Good." You're barely able to maintain contact because of how shy and nervous you've become being around him. He can tell, though. He chuckles and gives your hand a gentle squeeze before reassuring you with a:

"Promise I'll take care of you tonight, okay? Don't get shy on me."

"Who said I was?"

"You can barely look me in the eye, Y/N." You look up at him and try to hold eye contact, but you shrink; subtly biting onto your lip and hiding behind him when the host greets him like he's known him forever. He walks through the restaurant, heading towards the private back patio. This section is closed off and by reservation only— your guess is that San bought out the patio for your enjoyment, to ease your nerves. And you're proven right when the host slides the back door open, and there's only one table draped in white linen in the middle of the garden. There's a candle in the middle of the table and a singular red rose on your plate, San deciding to forego the additional decorations and rose petals because he didn't wanna do too much for a first dinner. He just didn't wanna overwhelm you knowing you might already be, but he hopes you know he'd take care of you in all ways if you'd let him— the roses and candles being a glimpse into that.

"The waiter will be with you both shortly." The host does a curt bow before leaving you and San in the patio.

"Choi San." You look at and he cocks a brow, trying to prevent himself from smirking too big.

"Mhm?" He looks at you.

"Why did you buy out the whole patio?!"

"To keep you comfortable." He smiles, eyes roaming your figure and the way your dress hugs you so, so beautifully.

"San." You frown a bit. "You didn't have to spend all that just for me."

"Um, yeah. I did, sweetheart." He laughs. "I wanted to. The last thing I wanted was for you to worry tonight." You slowly sit in the high chair in front of him, taking the singular rose to your nose before smiling shyly at him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." His hands are clasped together, elbows resting on the table— his piercing eyes bore into you. "How was your day?"

"It was good. I didn't do much besides get ready for the evening. Had to tell the boys I was running off for the evening like Eunchae and Jurin." San nods and sips his water.

"Sorry love."

"For what?"

"For having you lie to your friends."

"They don't care much." You wave it off with a giggle. "How was your day?"

"Well, I was gonna hang out at Jongho's but someone told me they wanted to go to dinner last minute."

"Wonder who that could be?" You tease and he laughs a bit.

"Yeah, right? She's lucky she's cute." He teases back and the heat rises to your cheeks.

"Didn't mean to impose on your plans with the other Professor Choi."

"Never. I see him all the time, he won't mind if I leave him behind for an evening." You laugh.

"Touché." At this point, the waiter comes and sets down some complimentary edamame before taking orders. You decline any alcohol solely because of your drive home, and San follows suit. He proceeds to order the food for tonight after remembering you didn't have any specific allergies, giving him free range to order things he enjoys, but also knows you'd love. 

Wagyu.

Chef's choice omakase.

Other choices of nigiri, like toro. 

Uni tempura.

Squid pasta with garlic sauce.

Chilean seabass with dry miso.

It all comes out of San's mouth like the price tag is nonexistent, and you're internally screaming. How could he be so damn charming and suave? Let alone, this is how he spoils you for the first dinner?

"That's all." San smiles toothlessly before handing over the menus to the waiter. He licks his lips and shifts in his position as if he didn't just order a line of the most expensive items on the menu.

"San, this is gonna be so expensive. I can't accept this. Please let me at least pay for half."

"Uh, no. What did I tell you, Y/N? I'd take care of you tonight. I meant it. Just enjoy yourself for me." You sigh and tilt your head before playfully rolling your eyes.

"I can't with you."

"Yes, you can." He chuckles. "So, tell me."

"Hm?" You hum.

"About you."

"What about me?"

"I wanna know everything and anything about you." He gives you that look. "I wanna know what Miss Y/N is about outside of her CV." You snort at the comment, the reality of you being San's rotation student almost hitting you dead in the face until you decide to brush it off completely.

"Well, I'm the only child?" You say in a questioning tone, unsure of where to start. But, the conversation eventually flows on its own. You tell San about your mom being a single mom and how it's always been you two from the very beginning. You don't know much about your dad, but you don't mind talking about it if asked. It's not necessarily a sensitive or heavy topic for you; it's just unfortunate that you don't have anything to add simply because you don't know him. You have family nearby, but your family is small. You don't have cousins you're close to, your relatives are mostly middle-aged, older.  Your grandparents were around up until you were in high school, then they both died from illnesses that got to the best of them.

Then, that was that.

You and your mom— mostly you, doing things for your own and on your own while your mom continued to work tirelessly at the hospital to keep food on the table. Rent. Necessities. You worked a few jobs throughout school to help as much as possible, but your mom always told you to put your studies first and to never force yourself if your body was too tired, too overwhelmed. It felt hard for awhile because your mom was barely around. When she was, she was tired. You felt distant, almost like you couldn't be close to your mom regardless of how hard you tried. You didn't think you'd be able to build a better relationship with her until you moved away for college. When you finally had your own space and the distance in between, your relationship blossomed and she became your bestfriend. Then, you tell San how you feel the utmost pressure to make her proud because you're the only child, the only person she can rely on in the future. The only person who can also truly disappoint her, which you don't want. 

Though, you feel like you've already started wandering down that path.

You're slightly interrupted when the waiter comes to bring in half of the order, starting with the nigiri and chef's choice, setting it down in the middle of the table. You both thank him before he says he'll be right back with the rest, San giving you the priority and freedom to choose whichever you want to eat. When you start to dig in, you continue to tell San about your friends and how Jiung's been your longest friend since high school. Otherwise, there haven't been too many people you could call your close friends. You knew people, you socialized, but you weren't one to toss the 'close/good friend' term around unless you felt a genuine, real connection with someone. You do feel like you could say that for Felix, Eunchae and Jurin even though it hasn't been long since you've known them; you've clicked with them easily and well. You're grateful for it. 

The conversation switches to San's point of view now, and he begins with his family dynamics. He relates to the pressure of making his parents happy as the only child, but he likes to think he's done well for himself so far. He talks about school and how brutal it was for him and his friends— San had a great mentor, but it was hours and hours of clocking in with no endpoint. Days and days of just hustling to finish and make sure he was producing amazing work. You reassure him by telling him you think it's all paid off, adding a little dash of seasoning with your 'or else we wouldn't be here, right?' playful teasing. He touches up on Jongho and their longtime friendship, followed by Mingi, Yeosang, Christopher, and now, Namjoon. He does talk about how him and Yunho used to be bestfriends, inseparable even, but he doesn't go into the details of what went down between him and Iseul. 

You won't press him. You'll let him come to you when he's ready to open up about it. Even though San acts like he's fine and he's moved on [he has], you can only imagine how it feels to replay the entire situation in your head, with the two people you trusted and adored more than anything.

"So, yeah. Namjoon and I got close because he was really there for me throughout a lot of the stuff that's happened. Even just down to minuscule things for the lab, my classes— anything. He's always been there for us no matter how busy he is."

"That's good. I can tell Namjoon really cares about you guys and the students."

"He's a good guy. His wife is lucky." You laugh.

"Do you see your parents often?" You watch as San puts another helping of the pasta and fish on your plate.

"From time to time, yeah, when they're around. My dad still travels a lot for business. Even though he stopped teaching, he's on a few boards as a consultant and agrees to talk for conferences or symposiums all the time. Mom's retired so she joins along. What about you?"

"I try to see her when I can. She's worked as a nurse at this hospital all her life, basically." He nods. "So, do you and the guys all live near each other?"

"Uh, sorta? Namjoon lives a bit further down south, but Mingi, Yeosang, Chris and Jongho live in close proximity."

"When you're not at work, do you just hang out with each other?" 

"For the most part. We're not always together, though. We like having our own space." He laughs. "Mingi used to pop up randomly and I had to tell him to stop doing it so often."

"Aw, he just wants your company. Don't be mean."

"I'm not mean! I just like to have my peace. Mingi is everything but peace." You laugh.

"Your home must be nice for him to be barging in like that."

"It is. I take pride in it now, not gonna lie." He sips his water, eyes gazing at you from over the rim of his glass. "You know, you're always welcome at my place." You look at him and slowly nod, trying to let the statement sink in. None of it feels weird to you; in fact, it makes you more curious to know about San's personal life. His home. What it'd be like to be in his space, alone.

"I'll keep that in mind. Might have to take you up on that one day." He smirks a bit.

"Yeah? That's kinda nice to hear. Lets me know I didn't entirely blow this." You giggle.

"Not at all." He sits back in his chair, content and satisfied from tonight's meal. He sees that you've finished everything on your plate, your attention now on the garden to your left while you sip on your water. He can't even deny how attracted he is to you, and how he has this indescribable pull to you. You're beautiful, and from your interactions, the way you speak and carry yourself, the passion behind your work, the way you care about your friends and mom— you've got a good, comforting soul that could balance his own. Almost like Yin and Yang, Tui and La. "What?" You ask him all innocently and he's struggling. He can't even help the huge smile that grows on his face when he looks at you.

"Nothing." He runs his finger across his bottom lip. "You're just.. so beautiful."

"Thank you, San." You respond softly and he feels his heart melt. The waiter comes back with the check, in which San is quick to hand over his card before you can even get your hands on it. You give him a look and he laughs, shaking his head after playfully reminding you that he'd take care of you. 

"Any plans for the rest of the weekend, or next week?"

"Not really. I'll probably hang out with the boys while the girls are gone. Next week, I've got a lot of behavior to run for Sunwoo, things to prep for the class I'm TAing for." He nods.

"Always working so hard."

"Uh, yeah. Especially for you." You poke fun at him and laugh. "What about you?"

"Mm, I have to actually start prepping for the symposium because it's coming up."

"Do you have your talk ready to go?"

"Nah." He shrugs. "But, I will."

"Do you still get nervous for talks?"

"Oh yeah, absolutely."

"You look so natural when you're doing it, though. I wouldn't have expected it."

"I do. I get pretty nervous. Not as bad as before, I'm able to shake it off better now." He lets out a breath, the both of you popping the little coffee candy that came with the check.

"How bad was it before?"

"Hm." He hums and thinks about it for a second. "Right before my first lecture for the big neuroscience association conference, I almost threw up. I was so nauseated, was dry-heaving for a good minute before I could get myself together."

"What? I would have never guessed." 

"Took a lot to get used to it. Still getting used to it." He smiles brightly. "But, I'm glad you think so. At least I'm doing something right." He looks at the date on his phone. "Speaking of the neuroscience association conference, the next one is coming up. Did you and your friends register to go?"

"Me, Jiung and a few others, yeah. Felix, Eunchae, Jurin and everyone else is just going to go on the trip cause they know that's where everyone will be at."

"Can't disagree, it'll be party central for the neuroscience community." You laugh.

"Can't wait to experience it." You look at him. "Will you be busy during the entire duration of the conference?"

"Mm, yeah. I've got a few other commitments and meetings. Lots of colleagues I haven't seen in awhile will be there, so I'll be catching up with them. There's also another smaller conference nearby that I'll be speaking at upstate before I head back down for the main one." 

"Busy you."

"Maybe. I'll always have time for you, though." He winks and you laugh it off. At this point, San stands and stretches before reaching out his hand for you to grab. "Ready to go?"

"I am." You take his hand and stand in front, letting San pull you flush against his body; hands resting on the small of your back.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" His hand comes up to cup your cheek, thumb caressing the surface. Eyes examining your features closely. "Kinda wanna re-do the first kiss. Wanna do it right this time." You bite your lip and nod, eyes locked onto his lips as he leans forward. His lips meet you in a soft, tender kiss— one that isn't rushed, one that releases all your feelings into the universe, the galaxies. One that feels so natural, so meant to be.

One that gives you butterflies,

One that also unravels Pandora's box.

He holds the kiss for longer than expected, letting his lips mold into yours delicately. When he pulls away, he quickly reattaches his lips to yours; indulging in small sweet, repeated kisses before he kisses your forehead. He pulls back completely to look at you again, and he's admiring every inch of you from underneath the moon. You watch his jaw slightly tick, Adam's apple bob up and down; eyes full of desire. Need. Encompassing you, all of you.

"Hope you enjoyed dinner."

"I did, San. Thank you, again."

"No, thank you for joining me." He flashes you a cute, toothless smile before lacing his hand with yours. "Shall we? Do you want dessert or something?"

"I'm good, I'm stuffed. The food was so good." You pat your tummy as the both of you walk out of the restaurant and head towards valet, thanking the staff on your way out.

"Yeah, it was. Glad you're satisfied and happy." He presses a kiss to the surface of your hand just before greeting the valet. He runs to bring over your car first, parking it off to the side by the entrance to the lot to give you and San some time to say goodbye. San pops the driver's door open, allowing you to slide in while he hangs by the door. 

"Thank you again for tonight." You buckle your seat belt and look at him.

"Course. Drive safely, okay? Text me when you get home please."

"I will." 

"Good." He smirks before dipping down to give you another kiss on the lips. He shuts the door and gives you one last wave before walking towards his own car and letting you drive off. 

The butterflies that man gives you is insane. 

You can't even help but smile widely during the drive home, recounting each moment of the night and how you've quickly grown comfortable with San as a person. He's easy to talk to, easy to get along with.

Easy to be attracted to. Easy to be charmed by.

Easy to love.

You see it. You see why people love him and adore him, you see the bright aura he has. You see why people respect him.

You see yourself and him.

And the thought never leaves your mind once after that. You want San, just as he with you.

You head home alone that night, and the idea about being alone with San more— off campus, anywhere but there— becomes more and more enticing. It doesn't leave you for a few days, even while San is trying to give you the space to take things slowly. He's never pressured you into moving at a pace you didn't like, always gently touching you but never doing anything that would make you overwhelmed. Not only does he know you two have to be careful, but most importantly, he knows all of this is a lot. In general.

So, he sticks to the cute texts and phone calls.

Quick mini-meetings in his office in between commitments, especially during the rare moment of an empty basement. Quick hello's in said office that result in chaste kisses and you darting out before anyone can think twice about why you've been in Professor Choi's office twice [or thrice] in one day.

You do want to be alone with him more, though. You want to see what possibilities lie behind closed doors, the ways you both could show each other your feelings. You want to see where else this could take you two, how it could continue to grow. Where things could head once you two are alone in a space together, with no background noise. No outsiders.

you: are you in your office?

san: sure am!

"San?" You poke your head into his office before sliding in and locking the door. The basement was incredibly [and unusually] empty for a weekday, San's office door and the walls the only thing separating you two from each other.

"Hey." He smiles from his desk, immediately pushing his chair back so he can stand and pull you close. "Wasn't expecting a visit from you right now."

"Sorry." You pout a bit and he shakes his head before placing a soft kiss on your forehead. "I should've asked if you were free first."

"Mm, well." He hums. "I've always got time for you, remember?" You giggle. "Is everything okay?"

"Kinda?"

"Kinda? What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" He sits back on the edge of his desk, hand pulling you towards him and slotting you in between his legs.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Mhm?" He says in a sing-song tone, curious about what you surprisingly popped in for.

"Can I come over?" His eyes widen a bit; not because he doesn't want you to, no. But because he's been dying to have you over. He's just been waiting until you seemed more ready to take that step.

"Tonight?" You nod, playing with his hands. "Of course you can." He pulls his hands away just to rest them behind your back. "Sure you wanna?"

"I do." He chuckles.

"I'll pick you up this time? Down the street from your building."

"Okay."

"Is that all that's been bothering you?"

"I just wasn't sure how to ask without seeming too eager, or desperate, or—"

"Hey." He laughs a bit, brushing your hair away from your face. "Never that. I've been wanting you over, but I wanted to wait until you seemed more comfortable." You relax in his hold and sink into his touch more, fingers threading through the ends of his hair.

"I wanna stay." You boldly let out, causing San to smile.

"You can stay. Whatever you want. Have more than enough room for you, sweetheart." He leans forward to meet you in a sweet, simple peck. "What time do you want me to come get you?"

"I should finish a few things before leaving."

"Just text me then, hm? I'll come whenever you're ready."

"Okay." You look at him before smirking. "That's all I wanted to talk about, Professor Choi." He chuckles, giving your side a good squeeze while biting his bottom lip.

"You're gonna be the death of me."

"Likewise." You playfully tap his nose before planting a kiss on his lips. "I'll text you later."

"Leaving already?" He pouts as you slowly pry yourself off of him because you're in his office. On campus grounds. You have to, even if you don't want to.

"I gotta get back to work, just like you do." You give him a look before waving by the door. "See you later."

"Mhm." He responds in a sing-song tone, crossing his arms tightly against his chest while he watches you walk out.

The butterflies you give him are insane.

After another long ass day of work and classes, you quickly grab dinner with your friends before rushing off to finish the rest of your assignments. You hop in a long, hot steamy shower— exfoliating and moisturizing like crazy. You strut around in your towel, throwing your toiletries into a huge bag, along with some clothes just in case. 

You can never go wrong with an emergency set of clothes and toiletries, right?

You send San a text to let him know you're about to be ready and throw on a lazy fit, feeling comfortable enough to not have to dress up for him during an occasion like this. It's a set of black wide-legged sweats and a cropped half-zip sweater, slipping into your platform Uggs for extra comfort. You step through your little cloud of perfume before grabbing your bag and heading out.

Ring, ring.

"Hey." You pick up the call, your eyes quickly scanning your surroundings. There isn't anyone in close proximity, but you still feel like someone might've caught onto the phone call coming through. Like someone could be listening, could be nearby, could be onto you.

"Where are you? I'm right outside the lot, leading into the residential street."

"I'm on my way. Someone might see you!"

"Y/N, I promise. No one's out here. This part of the street is pretty dead."

"Okay, but people coming in and out of the buildings?"

"I promise you it's fine and out of view. Hurry. I miss you." You roll your eyes when you hear the slight whine in his tone.

"Choi San, I swear." You mutter his name so lowly, paranoid of someone accidentally hearing you call your professor's name on the phone in passing.

"Mm, when you say my name like that, though." He wears a shit-eating smirk underneath the black mask he's wearing. Truthfully, he does look a little suspect hanging out in his car off to the side of the lot in a hat and black mask. He uses his second car, a Porsche Taycan, that he doesn't really take to campus— usually drives it when he wants to go for a drive down the highway by himself late at night, or when it's time to kick it with the boys. He's certain none of them are lingering around campus since they're always so quick to book it after their last meetings or classes. It's the best way he could conceal himself right now, he thinks.

It's all good.

"I'm coming out the side door. I'll be there in a second." You hastily hang up and tuck your phone in, feeling some kind of relief that you're almost at the stairs that'll lead you to the side—

"Yo!" Felix calls out with Jiung next to him. "Where are you going? We were just coming to bother you." He furrows his brows, eyes shifting to the huge tote bag you're carrying.

"I.. need to go to the lab."

"The lab? Now?" Jiung tilts his head. They're a little confused, but they're also not entirely surprised— people were in and out of the labs doing work at all times of the day. Some were night owls and preferred doing work late nights to avoid fighting over equipment and space during the day. It wasn't uncommon.

What is confusing is your large ass bag, though. For what?

"Yeah, I gotta check on one of the mice. The vet said they looked sick." Jiung and Felix nod as they take the lie. Again.

"Why are you bringing a big ass bag, though? Are you hauling the mice away or something?" Felix snorts.

"No, I have some supplies in here that I'm bringing over. We're building new behavior arenas now that the foundation of the rig is done." Felix shrugs.

"Oh, okay. Do you need us to walk you?"

"No!" You respond a bit too quickly that they're back to giving you weird, confused looks. "No— Sorry." You smile. "I'll be fine. I think Sunwoo has been there anyway. Thank you, though."

"Mm, okay then." Jiung shrugs. "Just let us know if you need us to come get you?" He pops another apple slice in his mouth.

"I will." You wave as you walk through the door and head down the steps in a hurry. 

"Was Y/N being a little weird or..?" Felix asks, but Jiung shrugs.

"Eh, she's probably a little overwhelmed or something." He turns down the hall. "Let's just go see what Eunchae is doing." 

You finally dart out the side door, doing a light jog over the grassy area and taking a shortcut towards the street that leads into the residential area from your building. You see San parked behind another car near the first house on the street, and San can see you making your way over through the rearview mirror. He smiles to himself when you near the car, pulling on the door handle to slide into the passenger's seat. His car smells like a mix of his air freshener, along with a hint of his cologne that you've slowly become obsessed with.

"Hey beautiful." He leans over the middle console and pulls down his mask. He puckers up his lips and it makes you giggle just as you lean in to give him what he wants. He doesn't pull back right away, no. Instead, he deepens the kiss and slips some tongue in, a shaky exhale released in between as his hand comes up to caress your cheek.

"Maybe we should leave." 

"Mhm." San teases as he continues to kiss you, smirking into the kiss. 

"San."

"Just one more." He chuckles before dipping forward and kissing you passionately again. You bite onto your bottom lip when he finally sits back in the driver's seat and rests his head against the headrest, admiring how cute you look in your leggings and hoodie. "You're cute."

"Stop." You giggle and shake your head. "Drive before someone sees us."

"Yes ma'am." He starts up the car and begins to drive to his destination. You're not really sure what to expect since it's your first time going to his place. You knew San was well off, but you didn't know what you were walking into— did he live in a modern, expensive ass apartment? Was it a penthouse? A regular single family home? You'll finally see why Mingi likes to barge in from time to time. "How was your day?" You're pulled out of your thoughts when he chimes in with the question.

"It was okay. I ran into Jiung and Felix as I was leaving." He leans against his window with one hand on the wheel, letting out a breathy laugh.

"Oh? How was that?"

"I don't know? I think they believed me. I said I was heading into lab." San shrugs.

"That's a good reason since it isn't uncommon. I'm sure it's fine, angel." He looks at you before returning his attention to the road in front of him. "It's pretty hot seeing you work so hard in my lab."

"Shut up, Professor Choi." He bites on his bottom lip before slipping his hand on your thigh. He gives it a good squeeze as he continues to drive in silence, the music softly filling the void in the car.

"Did you eat?" You nod.

"Mhm. Just grabbed something from the dining hall."

"Good."

"Did you?" He nods.

"Mhm. Just wanted to make sure you were okay, though."

"I am. Thank you." You watch as the surroundings pass you by while San takes you down towards another neighborhood near campus. A lot of other professors live closeby since the university has housing assistance for them as well. You just hope San's home is one of the select few that's isolated and isn't heavily populated with said group of professors.

When San pulls into his garage, you're a little surprised at the house. You're in awe because you wonder how San makes use of all this space living alone. It's a beautiful single family home, and you're sure the decision to buy this had come from Professor Lee when they had been married. You wonder if he still holds onto those memories, or why he didn't end up moving to another place. Perhaps—

"Y/N?" You snap out of it and turn to San, who has already parked the car and is unbuckling his seatbelt. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was spacing out."

"You sure you're okay?" He chuckles. The both of you step out of the car and head into the hallway that leads straight into his bar and kitchen area first. "I can practically hear you thinking, sweetheart." He kicks off his shoes and you follow suit, San waiting for you before walking deeper into his house. You look up at him and he gives you a small smile, holding out his hand for you to take. "Relax. You can ask me anything." He pulls you flush against him, hands gently rubbing up and down your sides. "Okay?" He tilts your chin up and presses a kiss against your lips, which surely does put you at ease.

"I'm just curious about some stuff."

"Like?" You step into the living room and set your bag down on the couch temporarily. Your eyes roam around, scanning the sleek and simple decorations. It gives off a classy, modern look; room full of brown, white and black themes, wood hints.

"I'm not sure I know how to ask." You rub at your arms while San grabs two wine glasses from the cabinets and sets them down on the island counter.

"Ask away. I won't mind. I think I already know where you're going with it, anyway." You walk towards the island and rest your elbows against the marble countertop. "Is wine good, or do you want something else?"

"Wine is good." You pause, fully taking in what San is wearing as he continues to move around the kitchen. He's casually dressed in black Essentials sweats with a matching black tee. He sets his hat off to the side, running a hand through his soft, black hair. You think San is attractive during the day with his usual button-up top and slacks, but this— this was even more attractive to you and had you buckling at the knees the more you ogled at him. "Don't you get lonely being in this big house? I-I mean, you used to live here with her, right?" You chime in, hoping not to seem too spaced out and in your thoughts again.

"Mhm. I've gotten used to it, though." He says with a soft smile. "By the way, white or red?"

"White, if you have any please." He nods.

"I got you." He digs into his wine cooler beneath the island.

"Why didn't you wanna sell this and buy another house?" He shrugs.

"To be honest, I've thought about it. Every corner of this house used to remind me of her and I'd hate it." He pours wine into your glasses. "But, I really do love the house and the space it gives me. I just flipped it into something I'd be happy and comfortable with, and I've moved past all of that. It just feels like my space now."

"That's good. As long as you're okay. You decorated your home beautifully too, San."

"I am, yeah. Thank you, pretty girl." He smiles and comes around the corner to wrap his arms around you from behind. He kisses the back of your head as you relax in his hold, letting out a small exhale. "Is there anything else you're curious about?"

"Not right now." San chuckles a bit.

"Okay, well. I'll be ready for the next time." He kisses your temple. "Why don't you get comfy so we can relax and watch a movie? Sip on some wine, eat some cheese and crackers." You giggle and turn to face him in his hold.

"You're gonna prep some cheese and crackers, too?"

"Why not?" He chuckles. "Let me take you upstairs so you can get comfortable." You grab your things and take his hand, silently following San up to the second level of his home. There's a little loft that he's converted into a small gaming area— another smaller L-shaped sectional couch nestled against the walls with his gaming consoles on the shelf beneath the TV, board games neatly stacked away. There's a guest room to your right, his office to the left. You peek and find a large bookshelf covering the back wall behind his large desk and computer set up. "Here's my room." He takes you into his large master bedroom; sheets neatly made, large master bathroom off to the right corner of the room. "Bathroom's through there if you need anything." He looks at you. "Or, you can use the guest room if you feel more comfortable doing so."

"Thank you."

"Course. I'll be downstairs, okay?" He kisses you on the lips. You watch as he heads back downstairs to give you some privacy, returning your attention to the interior of his room. It's a little weird when you think that this used to be a space shared by Iseul— she'd be in here all the time, closet partially hers, bed shared with her. You brush off the thoughts and set your things aside before walking into his spotless bathroom to freshen up even though you just took a shower. San's got his own skincare, cologne and other hair products neatly organized off to the side. You complete your nightly routine for your skincare and slip into more appropriate pajamas in an effort to wind down and get cozy for bedtime. When you step out of the bathroom, you hear the tv echoing from downstairs, along with what sounds like San humming to a song. You head down the steps to see San setting up the last bits of his cute cheese and crackers display, wiping off the crumbs on his island counter. "Hey. You all good?"

"Mhm." You giggle, following him to the couch. You plop onto the open space just as San jogs back to bring over the wine he poured earlier. "What're we watching?"

"Good question." He says, flipping through the channels while sitting next to you and sipping on his wine. "Should we put on something cute or..?"

"Have you ever watched Worst Ex Ever?"

"Oh— ah, okay. So we're going the true crime route." You laugh and shake your head.

"I watched that, but I wanted to watch the other installment, Worst Roommate Ever." He nods and throws it on.

"Yeah, I'm all for it!" He kicks off the first episode and leans back against the couch, one arm draped over you from behind, giving you the opportunity to scoot closer to him.

As the episode continues, you find that San is actually really interested in these things— engaging in conversation about your thoughts, why certain events happened in the episode, motives, thought processes— you love how he carries the conversation with you. You enjoy watching the show a little too much with him that time seems to fly right on by despite the hour-long episodes. You'd laugh and giggle when San pouts and whines when he's guessed wrong, resulting in you two sharing cute, little intimate kisses in between. After you both finish your wine and go through most of his charcuterie board, you snuggle up closer to San. You've got your legs folded up on the couch, with San's hand grazing your thigh every time he dips forward for a kiss. You've gone through 2 and a half episodes before you're yawning and giving San tired eyes, so he pauses the show; hand gently rubbing at your thigh.

"Tired?" You nod.

"Kinda tired, yeah." He chuckles and shuts off the TV.

"Let's get upstairs then." You help him clean up the wine glasses and the board even though he insisted he had everything under control. But, as he steps back and takes a moment to watch you rinse out the dishes and load them into the dishwasher, he finds his heart skipping a few beats. He likes seeing this; he likes seeing you, in his kitchen, as if you were always meant to be in this home. With him. It just felt so.. natural and domestic. It's been so long since he's genuinely felt that way. You give him a small smile when you've finished, beginning to climb up the steps as San shuts off his lights and makes sure all the doors are locked. You head into his room and start to brush your teeth, San following suit next to you. You don't even think twice about the whole thing, even as you walk towards his bed with him. He pulls back the covers and you slide in, staring at the ceiling above while he cozies up to you.

"San."

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm ready to ask the next question. But, you don't have to answer if you don't want to." You turn towards him and lay on your stomach. He chuckles a bit and brushes your hair back, reassuring you to continue on. You said you'd wait for him to open up, but you couldn't help it— you were curious, and you felt like you were getting deeper into this thing with San. Maybe it was time.

"I'll answer, but I might not go into detail. How about that?" He already knows where this is going. And with you, he wants to be as transparent as possible without having to relive that part of his life again. Despite his feelings for you, he still needs to hold space for himself especially with that aspect. He doesn't wanna undo the work he's done on himself.

"Okay."

"Go for it, angel."

"What was your relationship like with her?" He lets out a breath as he rests his cheek on the palm of his hand, elbow propped up on the pillow. 

"Mm, well. I'd say it was good until she realized it wasn't me she wanted this entire time. We were one of those couples who moved quickly and unfortunately, it just didn't work out well for us at all. We ended just as quickly as we blossomed." You look at him.

"So, when did you meet and when did everything happen?"

"We met in grad school. We started going out maybe a year after we had met and been good friends. Me, her and Yunho were always together. Another year after that, we're married. Things were good even though things were moving fast. Parents liked each other, we bought this house. It felt like things were falling into place. We were doing a lot of 'future' talks, even thought about kids at one point." You continue to listen intently while San goes on, his hand tracing faint shapes on your clothed back. "But then, the postdoc years happened. We were both busy, but me especially. I hadn't realized it then, but I was putting work and the lab before anything and anyone else. I kinda can't even blame her for acting the way she did because I should've paid more attention to her as her husband."

"You can't blame yourself, San." 

"I don't." He smiles a bit. "Not anymore, at least. In general, I should've just paid more attention." He lets out a small sigh. "I knew her and Yunho had gotten close so I didn't think much of it when I started to see them hanging out more without me, or starting things without me. The busier I got, the more she leaned on Yunho. He was there for her when I wasn't. That's what she wanted and needed the most, and he was there to provide that for her. He was able to." 

"Did she ever talk to you about it?"

"She was the type who couldn't communicate well. She'd harbor everything until that one thing triggers her and makes her blow up." You nod. "Whenever I felt tension or whenever I felt her being off, I'd ask, and her response was always 'i'm just tired' or 'too many things going on with my project, it's overwhelming.' There were only a few occasions when she told me she felt like I wasn't there for her enough. I wanted to fix it, but she brushed it off and said it was fine, that this was just our life together." San shakes his head. "Not once did I ever wanna give up on her. I wanted to fix it. I tried everything to be better for her, but I was too late, I guess. I found out about her and Yunho seeing each other behind my back, I called the divorce. She tried running back a few times but we'd always end up worse than the last time. We'd yell, we'd argue. I'd be hurt all over again, re-opening that same wound over and over again. Had me thinking I had a chance to actually fix us, only to be shot down. Then later, her and Yunho eloped and got married."

"Fuck." You mutter. "Sorry— I just, I don't even know what to say."

"The worst part is that she blamed me and painted me to be the bad guy. It got so toxic, it really messed me up. She would tell people this false narrative that I always fought with her and that I was unfair. My priorities were everywhere. She told people she properly broke it off before seeing Yunho when that wasn't the case. I dunno why she said and did all those things. Maybe she was angry at me for not trying the way Yunho did? Maybe she just hated me?"

"You and Yunho are two very different people, and you did try to fix it. She just wanted to be a brat about it. She wanted to have her cake and eat it, too." You frown. "I'm sorry, San."

"For what, baby?" He laughs a bit. "It is what it is, it happened and I'm past it."

"Yeah, but still." You play with his hair. "What was Yunho doing in all of this?"

"Denying the affair even though I caught them. He kept trying to apologize but there was always a 'but.' I mean, what else can he do? That's his girl so he's going with it."

"Sick." You sigh. "Can't believe them. They don't deserve you anyway."

"You're right. They don't. I have my people by my side." He taps the tip of your nose. "Now, you."

"You do have me." You lay your head down on the pillow while looking at him.

"I do?" He teasingly leans forward, inches away from your lips.

"Mhm."

"Good. That's all I need." His eyes shift down to your lips briefly before shifting back up to you. "Is there anything else you wanna ask?"

"Hm. Do you really mean that?"

"What? That you're all I need?" You nod. "I don't lie. Ever." He chuckles, caressing your cheek sweetly.

"Just kinda hard to believe hearing it from you."

"That's okay. I mean—" He whispers, pressing light, feathery kisses to your cheeks, corner of your lips. "I can show you instead, if you'd let me?"

"Show me." You whisper back, tilting your head back to give San more access to your neck, to you. One second, he's kissing up on your neck with your hands tangled in the ends of his hair; the next, your tongues are fighting for dominance in a heated kiss. Everything feels so calculated, so full of genuine emotion and desire. San's hands travel up your shirt, massaging your breasts before letting his thumb play around with your nipples. You let out a breathy moan in between kisses, back arching in response to his touch. He carefully removes your shirt and tosses it aside, mouth now latching onto one hardened bud. His tongue flicks around, working in circular motions before pulling back with a pop— earning a louder moan to slip from your lips, goosebumps rising on your skin. He repeats the motions on the other, taking his time to lick and suck around your nipple before pulling back. 

San is quick to reattach his lips to yours; this kiss holding more fervor, more intensity, as his hand slides down to completely slide your bottoms off. You work to remove his shirt, the both of you bare in a matter of seconds.

Clothes littering his bedside.

He tries not to break the kiss, even as he crawls on top of you, fingers dipping into your heat and in between your folds to get a sense of how wet you already are. 

"Oh my god." You cry. San's cock is painfully hard, hitting your thigh while he continues to pepper your jaw, neck, with kisses.

"Can I have you, baby?" He whispers in your ear. 

"Y-yes." You can barely make out from the overwhelming desire, excitement. Thrill.

This was actually happening.

San hovers slightly to slide his nightstand drawer out, but you stop him before he can grab a condom. 

"I'm on the IUD." You shake your head. "Don't need it."

"You sure?" He asks once more for final confirmation, and you give it to him with a nod. He pauses, eyes skimming through your features again before pecking you on the lips, hand coming down to stroke his length. You drool at the sight, admiring how perfectly long and thick he is. He smirks, tapping his heavy cock against your pussy a few times. 

Just to be a fucking tease.

He starts slow— pressing his cock in between your folds, gliding up and down. 

"Mm— god." He huffs. "You feel perfect already." San watches the way your eyes roll back, mouth open as you let out small whines and whimpers at the feeling. He nudges your clit with his tip as he continues to slide up and down, earning a loud mewl to release from your lips. His other hand is now gripping your jaw to force you to maintain eye contact with him— it's not a harsh grip, but it's enough to keep you clenching around nothing. Enough to keep you writhing for more underneath him. He rubs the tip against your sensitive nub directly, another shaky moan releasing from your lips. 

"Fuck, San." You hiss, feeling the pleasure build right at your core with the way he's rubbing against you; legs cocked all the way open for him.

"So beautiful. Think I can make you cum like this, angel?" You take your hand and wrap it around his base, letting him thrust into your hand as he continues his movements between your folds. "Feels so fucking good. Can't even imagine how you'd feel wrapped around me. Hm?" He hums, head kicking back in pleasure while trying to maintain his composure. Because fuck, he can feel himself dangerously close to the edge, but he's hanging on so he can feel you— all of you.

"San, San— oh god, San." You cry repeatedly, feeling your clit ready to explode. His tip is hitting it at the right pace, hitting you in all the right spots at the right pace. You move your hips upward, grinding into his length as he continues; mouth slacked open from the overwhelming pleasure. "You're gonna make me cum." 

"Yeah? Use me. Wanna see how pretty you look when you cum." He stills and watches as you use his cock to reach your first orgasm of the night, pressing him down with the right pressure onto your heat as you grind at a quicker pace— finally toppling over the edge. His eyes glow when he watches your mouth slack open from the silent moan you release, hands coming down to ease your twitching body. "God, you're perfect." He presses feathery kisses across your jaw, chin.

Neck.

Coming right below to your sweet spot below the ear.

"Ready for me?" He asks near your ear, gently nibbling your earlobe and giving you chaste kisses on said sweet spot. You nod, giving him the green light to move further. He lines himself at your entrance before gently pushing himself in, loud moans escaping the more he buries himself to the hilt. "Baaaby." San's moan drags out as he eases himself into you. "Shit, you're so tight." He slowly pumps in and out, eyes glued to his cock as you coat it with your slickness. "Feeling okay?"

"Mhm. Feels so full." You almost whine. His hands are now pressed onto your inner thighs to make sure you keep yourself open for him. He rolls his hips into you as he hovers over your body and locks you into another kiss. He doesn't waste any time picking up his pace, the way you whine and beg, beg and whine— it drives him crazy. 

"Take me. You can do it, sweetheart." His thumb presses down on your bottom lip, tongue licking into your mouth just as he devours you in a sloppy, wet kiss. You let out a strangled, lewd moan when he starts pounding into you harder, deeper; sounds of skin slapping against skin bouncing off the walls. Pussy squelching. San's name being repeated like a song, a mantra.

The noise is nothing short of pornographic.

"Please. More. Give it to me." You plead. "Feels too good."

"Shit— Y/N, jesus fucking christ." San groans when he slowly pulls out just to the tip, creamy mess lathering the top of his dick like icing. "Gonna make me cum." He pounds back into you at an angle where he can reach all your spots. He lowers himself back down to kiss you, fucking into you while expertly rubbing away at your aching clit.

San is so, so good.

"Want you to cum in me, San."

"Yeah? You did so well for me, baby. I'll fill you up real good. Just how you want it."' After two, three more hard thrusts, you find yourself unraveling for the second time. And this time, it comes crashing down harder, your walls squeezing and constricting around him. You're digging your nails deep into San's back, moaning into his mouth as he continues to chase his high. "I'm cumming— fuck." He lets out a loud, breathy moan as he stills; milking every last bit of himself into you. He buries himself in the crook of your neck, pressing kisses to the surface before coming up to kiss you softly on the lips. "You okay, baby?" He smiles.

"Mhm." He presses a few more repeated, tender kisses to your lips before running off to the bathroom to help clean you up. You lay back on your tummy as San slips himself back under the sheets, sitting back against the headboard. He sighs, black glasses perched on his nose while the sheets are pulled up to his hips. You watch as he pulls his laptop and sits it on his lap before typing away, letting out a small giggle at the way he's working.

"Do you always work naked like that? Especially after what just happened?" You tease. San smirks before giving your head a playful but gentle rub.

"Only if you're around."

"You're sick." He laughs.

"Why, is it distracting?" You giggle and shake your head, shoving your face further down into the pillow to avoid eye contact.

"No." You mumble into the pillow. 

"Then, why can't you look at me?" You peek from the pillow, catching San looking straight down at you with a small smile on his face. "Gotta beg for a kiss, too?" You roll your eyes and shift upwards to give him a peck on the lips before sinking back down into the sheets. "Good girl."

"In all seriousness though, do you always have a ton of work to catch up on at night?"

"Mm, I just prefer to catch up on things at night. Sometimes, it's easier to get through it when I'm winding down." He lets out a small sigh as he continues to scroll through his inbox and reply to a few emails. He also needs to work on some more grant-related things that he's been kinda putting off. "No biggie, though." He looks at you. "Getting sleepy now?"

"A bit. Good thing I caught up on everything before leaving."

"How'd you know you'd be busy?" He laughs a bit.

"You're so annoying. Plus, I'd rather not do my homework around you."

"Why? I can be of help."

"No, Professor Choi. Leave me to my own work." You mutter as you turn the other way and shut your eyes for a little longer. San lets out a small laugh before typing away on his laptop. It isn't long before you've stopped moving and he hears your soft breathing against the pillow, causing him to smile to himself. He leans over to press a kiss against your head, whispering a quick 'goodnight beautiful' before resuming his work. He works for another 15 minutes before he feels exhaustion taking over his body. He shuts off his laptop and sets it aside, snuggling under the covers and pulling you close as he quickly drifts off to sleep with you in his arms.

When the next morning comes, you wake up from the best sleep you've had in awhile. The sheets are keeping you warm and cozy, the mattress feels perfect against your body— everything feels perfect, except there's no San and you're yearning for him already.

You've barely been awake and all you want is San.

Luckily for you, you hear his footsteps as he comes up the steps right at that moment. When he turns into the room, he's already dressed in today's attire: a cream-colored long-sleeve henley top and jeans.

"Hey." San sits on the edge of the bed and runs his soft hand up and down your bare back. You look at him lazily, threatening to fall back asleep with the way his fingers lightly run across the surface.

"Hi." You look at him sweetly and he feels his heart melt. He could get used to this.

"Going back to sleep?"

"Mm." You stretch a bit and sit up, grabbing the covers to shield your naked body. "I should probably get up and get ready to head back."

"Do you have to?" He whines.

"Yes." You giggle. "My friends are probably gonna try and bother me before class. And in case you've forgotten, sir, I have to help Sunwoo fix the 2P for our work in your lab."

"Sexy."

"You're too much." You tease, making San chuckle. "Do you have meetings in between class today?"

"Mm, yeah. A few. I have to meet with Chris and Jongho about this ongoing collaboration discussion and some last minute symposium things, then I have to meet with some donors."

"Goodluck."

"Thank you, baby." He caresses your chin before kissing your forehead. "Come downstairs when you're done getting ready."

"Okay." You stretch as San heads to his office really quickly before heading back down to the kitchen. You strut to bathroom to wash up and get ready for your day, throwing on the same outfit you had on when San picked you up. After gathering your things and fixing San's bed, you head downstairs and find that San's got a cup of coffee and a breakfast plate fixed for you. He's standing near the counter, sipping his coffee while scrolling through his phone.

"Breakfast?" He smiles at you before wrapping an arm around you, pulling you in for kiss.

"Thank you."

Even though things feel too good to be true, you could definitely get used to this.

—read 6.5 here

—taglist: @asjkdk @interweab @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs @persphonesorchid @mxnsxngie @jycas @cowboydk @vcutparis @chngbnwf @struggling101 @sanhwalvr @angelqueendom @barbielibra @brown88 @choisansplushie @yunhoswrldddd @hyukssunflower @vickykazuya @lucid-galaxys-world @jaytheatiny @pommelex @thespiffynerd @vixensss @santineez @nopension

[melodyanqel]

Just Keeping Swimming | cs

summary: a fun summer day where a father taught his daughter how to swim.

pairing: idol!husband!father!san x non-idol!wife!mother!reader

genre/tags: fluff, idol au, established relationship, married couple, cuteness, father-daughter bonding

wc: 600+ words

a/n: seriously a lot of cuteness!!

A newly radiant sun emerges from springtime, wrapping everyone in warm and brilliant rays. It’s a hot summer day and the best thing to do is bathe in a pool to wash away the heavy heat. 

“Appa! How do you swim?!”

The sweet voice came from an adorable child in her cute Hello Kitty swimsuit with a tutu and her silky dark hair was up in a bun. She swings her legs back and forth on her parents’ bed. Her idol father, ATEEZ San, hears his little angel from the bathroom. He comes out only in his swim trunks and muscle swim t-shirt and bends down to have Sooah in his arms. She hops into her father’s embrace. “I’m not an expert but I’ll do my best to teach you,” San informed Sooah. 

She then squishes his cheeks with her tiny hands. “Appa is the best at teaching!” She tries to motivate him with so much cuteness. San smiles widely and gives her millions of kisses on her face. “You’re the best, my angel!” He couldn’t stop doting on his daughter since the day she was born. Sooah is the apple of his eye, after all. Her precious laughter rings like a beautiful melody. 

San gives her one last kiss on the cheek and pulls away to stand up and grab his phone off the bed. He texts the love of his life about heading off to the pool. You were busy at work and sad that you couldn’t have fun with your little family. But as promised, San will send you fun pictures and videos. 

Cheers, cheers

Under the hot sun right now

Go away, go away

Throw away all hesitation, throw away all hesitation

The father and daughter walked hand-in-hand to their apartment complex pool while singing "Wave." Luckily, it was just them at the pool, which was peaceful and quiet. 

“Alright, baby. Ready to go in?” San gently applied sunscreen on Sooah’s face because the love of his life would get furious if she saw her daughter red like a cherry. Sooah nods her head enthusiastically. “Yes, appa! Samchons say if they can do it, then I can too!” She mentioned her seven uncles or ATEEZ who are her best friends. 

With the earnest response, “Yes, you can! Now don’t get overly excited because it’s okay to make mistakes. Right, baby?” San reminded his angel to accept mistakes so she could learn from them. Sooah nodded, understanding her father’s statement. 

After taking some pictures to send to you and his members, San dives into the pool first. It feels rejuvenating because every day it’s been hot like fire. “Come over here. I got you, darling.” He let out his arms. Sooah strides and wraps her tiny arms around his neck. She has on a kid-size life jacket for safety. 

San swam with Sooah in his arms to the center of the pool. “I’ll be letting you go, now. Are you fine with that?” He wants to make sure Sooah is comfortable about swimming on her own. “Yes, appa!” She responded. San then carefully lets go of his child and watches her reaction. 

Sooah giggles happily. “Appa, this is fun!” She naturally moves her legs back and forth underwater. It brought a huge smile to San’s face. “You’re doing it, baby! Good job!” He cheered. “Okay, now follow my lead.” San begins to move his arms and legs slowly because he doesn’t want Sooah to get left out. She imitates her father and is swimming beside him. 

San stops to catch a breath and Sooah does the same. He brings her into his arms to shower millions of kisses once again. Sooah laughs in delight at her father’s affection. “You’re amazing, my love! Tell the samchons and mama about your new talent when we get back!” He nudges his nose against her cheek. 

More like San bragging about his beautiful angel to the world. 

[winterchimez]

A New Beginning With You | Lee Juyeon

SUMMARY: it has been a couple of years since you and your childhood best friend, Juyeon, went on your separate ways. Years later, you were given the opportunity to return to Seoul to pursue a new career, only to find out that your new employer is the one you have been dreading to see. Will you toss away all of the emotions again, or will you finally come to terms and fix this broken relationship with him?

PAIRING: ceo!Juyeon x f!reader

GENRE: office au, ex-childhood friends to lovers, coming of age, angst, fluff

WARNINGS: nc-17, slow-burn, this is pretty angsty ngl 😭, betrayal, several heart wrenching moments (it takes a while for both Juyeon and reader to figure out their emotions), language (one curse word), miscommunication, alcohol consumption, reader gets drunk a couple of times, several heated arguments, petnames (princess, sweetheart), kissing

WORD COUNT: 15,466

A/N: here is my submission for deoboyznet's holiday exchange event!! boo @cloverdaisies i'm your secret santa 🎅👀 ngl i did struggle with the prompts that you gave mainly cs i don't usually read/watch coming of age works so i hope i did this fic justice 🥹🥹🥹 big big shoutout to @momhwa-agenda for choosing the banner, also helping me to beta read (along with @from-izzy @juyeonszn) sending my unending kisses and hugs to all of you 😘💕

Seven years ago 

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” 

It all just felt so sudden, and you weren’t sure if you were hallucinating as you heard those words that came out from the mouth of your best friend for the past seventeen years. You both have made a promise to one another since you both were in kindergarten that no matter how big or small the situation may be, you both will always have each other’s backs and that no secrets were to be kept from one another, even if they may feel like you have been punched right into the face during the aftermath of it all. 

Or that was what you thought. 

“Y/N…I had no control over anything…you do know how my father often has to travel across the globe for his job—”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you decided to keep it a secret from me when you first discovered that you were potentially going to follow your father’s footsteps for his company.” 

From the beginning, you knew that Juyeon’s father worked at a relatively elite corporate company. Because of his status, he was often sent away to various countries to fulfill his job. It has been decades since his father has been in and out of Seoul, and he would often travel on his own not wanting to bother his family and wanting them to have a peaceful life here. 

Never in a million years would you have thought that he would bring his entire family along with him as he starts a new chapter in his life in the States, and also get Juyeon to follow in his father’s footsteps. 

You were on the verge of crying, your cheeks were heating up, and you had unintentionally balled up your fists, clearly failing terribly to suppress the anger and betrayal you felt. 

“I just don’t get it, Juyeon. You have always wanted to pursue basketball. Hell, you have even sought a sports scholarship to get into one of the prestigious universities in Seoul! Why are you giving up now?” You huffed. 

You could tell that he was showing some reluctance in his answer, and truthfully, he didn’t really know how to give you an answer, either. But he decided to reply in the most plausible and fitting one that was right for the current situation you both were in. 

“Family has to always come first, Y/N. If it were for my family's future, especially my stay-at-home mother and younger brother, I would do anything to ensure my father and I can provide for them.” 

You scoffed. “Bullshit.” 

You took a few steps forward until you were merely inches apart. Looking straight into Juyeon’s eyes, you could tell he felt the same way and was also trying to hold back his tears. 

“You’re not the Juyeon I know. My Juyeon, who has been right by my side ever since we were kids, would always go above and beyond to work for what he truly wants. He is never afraid to voice his opinion, and he would do anything to ensure his happiness would be fulfilled no matter the consequences.” 

Finally, the tears that you have held back for so long began dripping down your face as you began to hit him simultaneously on his chest.  

“What exactly happened to you, Juyeon?”

At the same time, tears clouded his vision as a single teardrop dripped onto his face. You could tell that something was holding him back from telling you the truth, if any, and his following answer would break you down even more.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

With that, a black car pulls up at the school entrance, revealing his younger brother rolling down the window to call out for his big brother. You could see multiple pieces of luggage lined up at the back trunk of the car, and they were ready to head straight to the airport. 

With a glance back to signal to his family that he would be coming shortly, he turned to you to apologise once more before gently pushing you away to leave.

“I’m really sorry, Y/N. I wish you all the best in your future as you enter university and eventually the workforce.” 

Just like that, Juyeon quickly sped down the stairs and opened the door to the car before settling in. Within seconds, his parents, sitting in the front seats, gave you a little wave before they drove away right through the exit. 

Almost instantly, all of the built-up tension was suddenly released from you all at once, and you finally broke down crying at the entrance of your high school. What you thought would be a memorable, happy graduation for you both as you parted ways with your youth years turned out to be one sad separation from your best friend. 

You both planned your summer holidays with one another before officially enrolling in university in the autumn. You were going to head to Busan for a five-day trip during the first month, going to visit your aunt who lived on the outskirts of Seoul to help her in her fieldwork (especially when she has a soft spot for Juyeon), and even going to visit all of the bazaars that were going to be held in central Seoul. 

There were so many potential activities and times you could have had with one another, and you were even planning to propose to Juyeon that you wanted to be more than just childhood friends. 

Because you have been having an insane crush on him since you were kids, and you realised it was love by the time you both entered high school.

Unfortunately, it was too late to confess your love to him, as he was now long gone, heading straight to the airport before he eventually said his final goodbye to his home for the past seventeen years, Seoul. 

Maybe it was fate that you both were just not meant to be with one another; perhaps it was why his father had no choice but to bring his whole family with him to start a new life in the States. 

For the first time, you cursed and blamed yourself for having such hope and planning a potential future with someone who was clearly out of your league, and you thought it had all been a waste of time since the beginning. 

With that, the little needle-felted cat you have been hiding and made last night was released from your grips as he fell towards the stairs and eventually towards the ground. As you noticed, more tears kept welling up in your eyes, and you brought both hands to cover your face, not wanting to care about anything right now. 

I shouldn’t have had so much hope. I was stupid enough actually to fall in love with you, Juyeon.

Present Day 

“Oh, Y/N! Looks like your article just got published in the London Mail this morning!” 

Your co-worker gave you a little pat on the back before he placed the newspapers right onto your desk, and it was clear how your article was published right on the front page with your name written very obviously at the right corner. 

“Please, it was nothing. It’s what I do all the time,” you replied bluntly. 

“What do you mean it was nothing? You just interviewed the rising actor of the month! That’s big news, and you deserve to celebrate it!" 

“Please, it really is nothing—” 

“Hey everyone, our department needs a little night out after work at the local pub! We’re toasting to Y/N’s big break in the news today!” 

Your co-worker shouted out loud, and eventually, cheers erupted in the office, everyone congratulating you and thinking about the potential drinks and songs they would go for once work is over. 

You smiled and chuckled at the sight. You have always loved your job and are grateful to have met such a fantastic group of people in this company. 

It wasn’t your dream to pursue the path of becoming a reporter in the beginning. Sure, you have always had a passion for writing, but you have always considered it your hobby. Thanks to your sister, who was studying abroad in Manchester then, who convinced you to take that leap of faith and turn that hobby into a potential job. 

So here you were, living the best of your life. You followed your sister’s footsteps and went on to live abroad in the UK, enrolling in the University of Manchester, where you successfully graduated with honours the past year. Thankfully, you secured a place in the London Mail right after graduation due to your outstanding grades. 

The move from Manchester to London was a bit tough, but you initially managed to pull through with your sister and her boyfriend's help. They were kind enough to help you settle down and stayed with you for the first couple weeks before returning to Manchester. You miss your sister’s presence, but you know that eventually, you had to venture out on your own and face reality as an adult. 

It has been a year, and you have adapted to living alone. Often, things would get tough, but it was also thanks to you having such a fantastic team of colleagues that you were able to pull through it all, even when there were times you had to work overtime to fulfill all of the datelines that were pilling up nonstop, especially during the holiday seasons. 

It wasn’t until recently that your article was accepted and published on the main cover page of the news, and that was when you finally earned your big break after a year. The company has deemed you to be one of the most talented youngsters they have had over the past decade, and they were more than happy to have had you as their employee. 

Since then, things have settled down for you as you got a pay rise and had fewer hours to give you more time to rest well, mainly when you only survived with four to five hours of sleep daily. Now, you can eat your breakfast correctly and get a good seven to eight hours of sleep before coming every day. 

Just as your co-workers were having the time of their lives trying to figure out the plans for tonight after work, your office desk telephone rang, and you picked it up hastily, thinking that you’d have another big scoop to write about

But it was from the CEO. 

“Miss Y/N, please report to my office immediately.”

You were back home after that fun night out at your local pub with your co-workers, holding a beer in hand as you FaceTime your sister over the phone. 

“Well, it’s a good opportunity for you, don’t you think, Y/N?” 

“I’m not too sure about all of this, sis. Like yeah, it would be great that I would be back home, but still—”

“Hey, I know mom would be ecstatic to have you back in Seoul with her. And it just so happened that you have been telling me how you recently began feeling a little homesick. I’d say it would be great for you to take up the offer.” She reassured. 

It was the moment your mouth fell open wide when you heard that you had been offered to be a senior reporter for one of Seoul’s top magazines at the moment, GQ Korea, where you would be interviewing potentially all of the current well-known celebrities in the country and getting a higher pay as well. 

It seems that they have come across your contributions from the London Mail, and they were keen to have you on their team. Your first thought was grateful as your works were recognised globally, but also because you miss being home. But another part of you has already settled in the UK, so you weren’t sure if leaving now would be the right choice. 

But now that your sister has given you some input, that was when you knew that it wouldn’t hurt to try it out, at the very least. 

With one final sip of your beer, you leaned forward and gave your sister a smile for the first time since calling her this evening. 

“I’m going home now, sis.”

It has been a week since you settled into Seoul, and you have loved being back in your comfort zone: the culture, the food, and the environment you grew up in. 

Your mom was overjoyed as she picked you up from the airport, insisting she would take your luggage, especially when you have flown almost twenty-four hours just to get home. By the time you got home, your mom was already ready and prepared with all the dishes she had premade before your arrival and needed to heat them quickly. 

You quickly took a shower before joining her at the dining table. You both chatted for close to midnight before she told you she would sleep ahead of you. Meanwhile, you decided to clean up your childhood bedroom to make space for everything you brought back from London. 

There was this nostalgia as you entered your room; everything was still the same, exactly how you had left it when you left for the UK years ago. The same old blue painting on the wall, all your posters hung on them, even your favourite comic books that were still arranged nicely on your bookshelf. 

You could tell there wasn’t a speck of dust in the room, indicating that your mom must have cleaned it occasionally. You couldn’t help but sigh, thinking about all the hard work she always puts herself through. 

It took you a while to go through all your belongings, mainly because you were reminiscing as you looked at the pictures, books, and figurines scattered throughout your room.

It wasn’t until you came across a box tucked away at the corners of your room that you pulled them out towards the centre as you opened them up. 

And god, you wished you hadn’t done that. 

All the pictures and items contained memories you had with your past lover, Lee Juyeon. 

You paused momentarily before reaching out to pick up the first item on top of the box: a picture. 

It was taken when you both were in kindergarten. You were holding hands, wearing backpacks and little yellow helmets on your heads. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight; it was nostalgic and cute. 

Right after that, you took out a pair of bracelets right below the picture. It was a friendship bracelet that you both made during middle school. It was summer when you recently discovered the trend of making friendship bracelets, where you went straight to Juyeon’s house across the street, practically dragged him back to your house, and got him to make one with you. You giggled at the thought of how Juyeon was so lost at the time, having to come to you almost every five seconds to tell you that he had either lost a piece or was having trouble threading the beads through the string. 

When you thought it would all be good memories, you stumbled upon the one item you wished you would not have to see again.

The needle-felted cat you made for him on the night before graduation. 

Unbeknownst to you, your hands began to tremble as you took the cat into your hands, staring at it as the memories flashed back: how you would give this to Juyeon and tell him that you were ready to be more than just close friends, up to the point of how he suddenly announced to you that he was leaving for good. 

Slowly, you felt that your tears were beginning to well up in your eyes, and you quickly dumped all of the items back into the box and tucked them back in the corner, using a few items you had in your room, such as cardboard to block it completely out of sight. 

You were not ready to go through all of the roller coasters of emotion once again. 

Especially when deep down in your heart, you still had some feelings left for him. Even if you did not wish to admit it out loud.

You stood outside the tall building as you tried your best to fix up the blazer that your mum insisted you put on for your big day. With your handbag and laptop, you gave yourself a deep breath before mentally preparing yourself that this would be your new workplace from now on. 

You looked to see the vast sign plastered outside the building: GQ Korea. You were definitely at the right place. It took you a few seconds to finally be able to take your very first steps into the building. Once you did, you were amazed at the astonishing art that filled the reception floor. It was a fashion and art magazine; after all, there was no doubt that the company's directors entailed such a choice of decorations to captivate everyone who walked into their building. 

You walked straight towards the counter, where you were greeted by two ladies who were already expecting your arrival. Immediately, they got you signed up in the system, and one guided you to one of the fifth floors, where you would be meeting your new team and department that you would be working with. 

As you were guided into the head of the department’s office, Ms Kim, who has been guiding and overlooking this particular department for the past five years, greeted you and made you feel comfortable instantly, which made all of your tensed-up muscles relax fairly quickly. She communicated well with you and, surprisingly, even shared some of the same ideals as you did. You were beyond grateful to hear when she mentioned that she has kept up with your works from the London Mail, and it was about time that the team needed someone like you. 

Once both of you had taken the time to break the ice, Ms Kim led you to your desk just outside her office, where countless cubicles filled the entire floor. At first glance, you have estimated that there were about fifty employees who worked in this department. It didn’t take them long to greet you personally before you eventually made your way to your desk in the middle of the floor. 

As you unloaded your bag of materials onto the desk and placed them in an organised manner, your hands digging through your bag finally stopped when you felt a familiar material. Instantly, you pulled it out to check what it was, and you were once again left speechless with what it was. 

A picture of you and Juyeon back during your graduation from high school.

The only plausible reason it was in your workbag was because of your mother. You have never once told her that things ended badly between you both, and you have always shrugged off the fact that you were still keeping in touch with the man himself and that you both were still having a healthy friendship. You just didn’t want her to worry much, especially when she knew how much you both have been through, and she practically treated Juyeon like her own son. 

As all loving mothers would do, she woke up hours ahead of you this morning to prepare you a filling bento box. She wrapped it with traditional cloth and placed it neatly into your work bag. At the same time, she probably put the little picture frame into the bag, hoping it would motivate you during work and decorate your new workplace. 

With just a few seconds of staring at it, you looked down to see an empty trash bin that sat right beneath your work desk, and without thinking much, you immediately placed the picture right into it. 

I’m sorry, mom. But I will not be needing it anymore.

Your first week of work flew by quickly as you easily got used to the working lifestyle. Seoul was your home, and it wasn’t hard to adapt back to the culture. In fact, you were grateful that your new group of co-workers could be on par with the ones back in London; they were all as great and supportive in helping you ease into the new environment. Your new co-workers even encouraged you to head out for a little drink at the local izakaya restaurant after work since it has been a long weekend for everyone, and you surely did enjoy the little company you had before heading home a little after midnight. 

In terms of fitting in as GQ Korea's new reporter, it has been a thrilling ride learning about all of the entertainment biz that has been going on in the country. Since your forte was with celebrities, your head of department had assigned you the same, focusing on the rising K-Pop stars in the industry. 

It has been a while since you kept up with Korean celebrities since you mainly focused on Western artists abroad for a couple of years. But as you kept up with the news and made sure to read the newspaper first thing every morning you came right in, you made sure that you have been kept up to date with all of the latest announcements and events that have been going on in the industry. 

Today was a big day for you as Ms Kim had instructed you to head up to the top floor, where you would first meet up with the CEO for the very first time since joining the company as he would like to brief you through the details in regards to the celebrities that will be coming later in the day.

You thought it was probably some hotshot celeb for the CEO to personally guide you through each step regarding what or how you should deal with them. However, you weren’t too mad since you figured they probably did things differently here in Seoul.

As you finally reached the top floor, you were then escorted by whom you assumed to be the CEO’s personal assistant, who was already expecting your arrival as they kindly let your head department know that she was free to leave. The walk down the hallway towards the CEO’s office seemed a little daunting to you for some reason; perhaps it was also because you were meeting someone who is considered to be one of the famous people in the heart of Seoul—there’s a reason why GQ Korea is always on the top-selling markets. 

As the assistant kindly knocked on the door and got a verbal cue from the other side, she took a step behind to let you move forward as you slowly turned the doorknob to enter the room. 

Immediately, you notice how the entire office is decorated extravagantly, filled with tons of high-end decorations that suit the taste of the CEO himself. The wide, clear windows dominated most of the room, offering a panoramic cityscape view. A curated selection of artwork filled the walls, which added a little personal touch to the working space. 

You didn’t realise that your mouth was wide open as you slowly took in the mesmerising view until you turned towards the desk, where the CEO was sitting on his chair with his back facing you, flipping through multiple documents in his hands. 

As you slowly made your way towards him, your little footsteps made the CEO’s ears perk up, causing the man to stand up and finally turn to face you in person for the first time. 

With that, your entire world seemed to pause for a moment. 

What exactly was going on? There was no way this young man could be the CEO, especially when you were certain that he had left Seoul years ago and sworn that his chances of returning to his homeland would be close to zero. Your laptop in hand was slowly beginning to slip off before you were brought back to reality and quickly caught it before it eventually hit the ground. 

That was when you finally muttered your first words since stepping into the CEO’s office. 

“J-Juyeon…?” 

It was pretty evident that the man himself was just as confused and shocked as you were; he practically stood there motionless, trying his best to make sense of the current situation.

“Y-Y/N? What are you doing here?” 

“I should be the one asking you that,” you replied. 

You were about to go haywire just from this interaction alone. It was hard enough for you to move on from what happened seven years ago, and it proved to be a lot harder than you thought when you came back a few weeks ago to see that all of the things that you’ve tried so hard to forget were now back in the comforts of your bedroom. 

Ever since then, you had promised yourself that you wouldn’t want anything to do with Juyeon anymore, and you have decided to shut your heart regarding anything related to the man himself. 

If only it were easier said than done. 

Juyeon finally took his first step away from his desk as he slowly approached you, extending his hand as if he was craving your touch again. You could tell that he was desperate for a little physical contact, perhaps to prove that you really stood in front of him. 

But you couldn’t, and you weren’t ready for any of that, so you backed off instead, giving him a clear signal that you weren’t on the same page as he was. 

There was this evident sadness in his eyes, and he tried his best to hold back his tears as his eyes began to water. 

“Y/N…I—”

“Miss L/N. You can address me that, Mr. Lee,” you bluntly replied before diverting your attention to the ground. 

It was when Juyeon finally got himself together and straightened his posture before clearing his throat. “Very well, Miss L/N. I’ll quickly brief you on the events happening today, with the group of celebrities arriving in a couple of hours soon. Please, have a seat.”

“I hate him, I really do!” You screamed at the top of your lungs as you took the pint of beer in your hands before slamming it down onto the table. Your sister had to restrain you from causing a scene at the bar, trying to settle you down and handing you a glass of water to chug down your system. 

Your sister had just recently came back to Seoul for a little vacation, and you immediately asked that she could keep you accompany down at the local izakaya restaurant that you often visited to let off some steam. 

“Karma is really on your side huh, Y/N,” your sister teased. 

“I-It’s not funny, sissy….” your voice began to slur, indicating that you were starting to get drunk at this point. “Why…of all people, why?! Why did it have to be him? As my boss! In my new workplace!” 

“Look, it can’t be that bad. Who knows, maybe you might get another chance again with him.” 

“That’s not the point, sissy….after what he has done to me? After all that I have done to try my best to move on from the past? This should not be happening to me at all!” Your voice broke as you began tearing up, causing your sister to pull you close into her embrace, slowly caressing your back to help soothe you a little. 

Your sister was well aware of your history with Juyeon, especially when you’ve spent weeks, which eventually that turned into months of crying out to her over the phone since she was already studying abroad then, she knew how much the whole situation wrecked you badly, to the point that it has taken you months to start going out and meeting people outside of university eventually. 

She was there when you were both younger, seeing how you developed a crush on him later and knowing you weren’t just childhood friends and had something way more than that. It was a shame that Juyeon left without telling you, and she would’ve gone to the airport to confront him about it if only she had been back in Seoul then. But deep down, she knew Juyeon as much as you did and knew that suddenly, something probably came up for him to leave the country like that. 

As a matter of fact, your sister had always wished and rooted for you both to become a couple eventually; she had always been a firm believer of childhood friends to lovers anyway, especially when that was how she ended up with her current fiancé. Now that you both have reunited in the most unexpected way, she believes her theory about you both eventually having a second chance was stronger than ever before. 

With that, she lifted her eyebrows as if she had just come up with a brilliant idea. “Say, little sis. What exactly are you up to at work tomorrow?” 

You sniffled. “Umm…I guess I have a meeting with Juyeon to discuss the upcoming fashion show that is due to be set in a couple of months. Why do you ask?” 

Your sister gave you a little smirk in return before cradling you like a baby again. “Oh, it was nothing. I’m sure you’ll have a fruitful discussion tomorrow.”

You dreaded coming to work today. The very first reason is that you woke up with a really bad hangover from last night, and you practically don’t remember much that has happened besides chugging down pints of beer from your system. It has been a while since you’ve drank this much, and most importantly, because you were upset over something. Otherwise, you were pretty much sober most of the time and always being the one to drag your co-workers home because they were far worse than you were. 

And, of course, it was also because you hated the idea that you must come face-to-face with your so-called ex-childhood best friend again—this time, in an actual meeting. Well, in some ways, you were glad that it was only a meeting for a potentially massive event that the company had been known to host for years and that Juyeon would probably be able to distinguish between personal and work-life issues. 

But still, you just weren’t ready to face him again, especially with the huge shock you’d received the day before. It was already hard enough for you to stay focused when Juyeon briefed you through your job scope and the meeting you would have for the day, trying your best not to let the tears drip down nor let the anger boil up. 

However, you had no choice since you must also stay professional at your work. You just got back to Korea, and there was no way you would chicken out and move everything back to the UK again. Well, potentially, you could, but it wouldn’t be an ethical move to make. 

So here you are, hugging your documents and laptop towards your chest, standing outside the meeting room. You had to take a few deep breaths before you could muster up the courage to turn the doorknob and enter the room. 

Once you did, you noticed how the entire room was filled up, with most of your co-workers in their designated seats, sorting through the documents they would use for the meeting. You immediately diverted your attention towards the front where Juyeon was seated, and you hated how you had actually spent a good minute admiring his features. 

He wore a simple beige coat over a white tee, paired with a pair of black slim pants with leather shoes. His black hair was styled all the way back, leaving a little strand of hair down on his forehead. He was busy flipping through his documents while setting up his laptop to project the PowerPoint slides for everyone to see. 

You just hated how extremely good-looking he was right now and that there was a high chance that you wouldn’t concentrate on your work throughout the next hour. 

And how you would actually want to run into his embrace and give him a little peck on the lips—

Wait, what? 

As Juyeon finally lifted his head from the monitor and looked at everyone else in the room, it was a sign that the meeting was about to commence, and you quickly took the still available seat, the front seat. 

Throughout the presentation, you tried your best to take in everything that Juyeon- well, your CEO, was trying to convey to his employees. It turns out that this upcoming fashion show would be one of the most crucial ones the company has ever done for years, especially now that all the big brands are willing to collaborate with GQ Korea and put out the best fashion show in the country. 

It was quite a breathtaking look to see how Juyeon was passionate about his job, talking and explaining each detail to his employees carefully while making it enjoyable for everyone to learn or be part of. With that, you have noticed how every single employee in the room was constantly taking down details as quickly as lightning, making sure not to miss out on any small detail. There were moments when some would raise their hands to ask further questions, and Juyeon was more than happy to answer them, making the whole meeting seem less stressful but instead quite engaging in return. 

There were times when you found yourself staring at him more than you should’ve, and every time he diverted his attention towards you, you would quickly duck your head down to look back at your laptop as if you were busy typing away on your notes. 

Time seemed to have passed quickly as Juyeon finally wrapped up the meeting and let everyone off. In fact, the meeting ended right at the dot, and it was just past noon, meaning it was lunchtime for all employees. Everyone was quick to dash through the door, their stomach grumbling after using up all of the energy for the meeting. For you, you decided to pack up your belongings at your own pace, knowing that you would be spending your lunch back at your cubicle with the little bento box your mother had packed for you this morning. 

As you are about to head straight for the door, the familiar voice stops you in your tracks, making you turn your head back to face the man himself. 

“Miss L/N, I would like to have a word with you.” 

Oh, god. It’s here. 

Mentally, you were cursing out all the vulgar words you knew at the back of your mind as you slowly approached your CEO, trying your best not to let out the croak in your voice. 

“Y-Yes, may I help you, Mr Lee?” 

“There is a place that I have to pay a short visit, and I would like you to keep me company.”

Whenever an employer or the CEO would address their employees to keep them company as they pay a visit to a certain location, it usually meant that it was to meet up with a client or to survey certain products or places that could significantly be crucial for the company’s success. 

But here you were, sitting in one of the fancy cafes that wasn’t far from the office, having lunch with your CEO, who was sitting in front of you. 

Juyeon said nothing along the way as he brought you to the cafe, insisting that you sit down and order from the menu with no questions asked. As awkward as it was, you were about to deny his request before he looked straight down towards the menu, not even glancing at you. 

You figured this was probably part of the job, and there was no way you would deny your CEO’s request right here and then, especially when it was working hours and everything was strictly business. 

Once both of you have made your orders to the waitress that just passed by a minute ago, you diverted your attention towards the tablecloth, not wanting to look straight at Juyeon. However, his deep voice caught your attention, and you lifted your head back up after hearing the words you had wanted to say for the past seven years. 

“I think it’s about time I told you the truth, Y/N.” 

Oh, he called you by your name. 

As you focus your attention right on him, you can see the sadness in his eyes once more, just like how it was back when you first encountered him in his office the day before. 

“Umm…with due respect Mr Lee—”

“Juyeon is fine. We’re outside of work, Y/N. I would appreciate it if you could talk to me like we used to, and I will do the same,” he responded, slowly resting his arms on the tablecloth as if he were leaning slightly closer to you. 

With that you took a significantly big gulp, knowing that the day you longed for was finally here. You were about to get the answers you desperately needed to know, but at the same time, you weren’t so sure if you wanted to know the truth right now, especially with all of the things that you have gone through trying your best to take him out of your life completely. 

“Will you please give me a chance to listen to what I have to say?” He pleaded, looking at you with a desperate look in his eyes. 

Your gut and mind were trying to tell you that you have done your best to completely eliminate him in your life for the past seven years. Would you give up easily and open your enclosed heart just like that? After all of the hard work that you have done? 

Say no, Y/N. You have gotten over the guy. It’s all over between you two—

“Yeah. Go on.” 

Goddammit, Y/N. 

Immediately, his eyes lit up upon your words, and his shoulders slumped down a little, indicating that he has relaxed a bit. 

“Oh, thank god, Y/N. I guess you were still the same old Y/N that I remembered—”

“You said we’re not employers and employees now, so I’d say cut to the chase with what you have to say while you can, Juyeon,” you bluntly replied as you crossed your arms around you. 

In return, Juyeon gave you a little weak smile and a sigh before he eventually diverted his full attention to you. 

“Remember when we got separated back in high school? During our graduation day, you—”

“You left me behind, Juyeon.” 

“I didn’t have a choice back then, Y/N. But now I’m here to tell you everything. You have no idea how our stomach dropped when my father came home and told us that his company was about to go bankrupt, and we were on the verge of losing everything.” 

So that was what happened.

“And how it was also the day my mother found out that she had cancer and her chances of recovery were lower than expected.” 

“J-Juyeon…w-why didn’t you tell me all of this?” 

“I wanted to. I really wanted to so badly, Y/N. Because you’re my best friend, and you deserve to know everything. But I just didn’t know how to, and I was afraid of what might happen, and I don’t want to put the pressure on you.” 

“W-Where are they now, then?” 

Juyeon had to take in a big breath before choosing his following words wisely, knowing it must’ve been hard to even talk about it publicly. “Mom became bedridden, and she’s still receiving treatment in one of the hospitals back in the States. Dad is currently running a small little shop near the hospital along with my little brother.” 

“Then, why did you come back here?” 

“I came back because starting a proper company there was tough. I figured there might be a slight chance things could work out here in Seoul. With the remaining funds we had, I eventually begged my dad to give his final trust in me as I found a way to make things work out. Luckily, we had some acquaintances back here, and they helped me get into one of the prestigious universities and eventually landed me a job here at GQ Korea. I started as a normal employee before I eventually became their CEO a year prior.” 

It was then you noticed a single teardrop on the verge of dripping down his face from the corners of his eyes. Naturally and unbeknownst to you, your hand reached for the tissues placed neatly on the table, and you leaned in to wipe away that single teardrop. 

Only then did you both realise what you were doing, and that was when your eyes widened, and you were about to prop down back to your seat.

That was until Juyeon grabbed your wrist, not wanting to let you go. 

“This teardrop is nothing, Y/N. I’m so sorry you have to see this side of me. It’s not very cool, I guess,” he chuckled, trying his best to lighten up the mood a bit. 

As soon as he says those words, your other free hand eventually finds itself on Juyeon’s shoulders, causing the male’s eyes to widen this time before you finally speak out the words that you have always wanted to tell straight to his face all those years ago. 

“Juyeon, you need to start learning to put yourself before others. And I really mean it.” 

“Y/N, I—”

“No buts. Even after all these years, you’re still the same as before, always prioritising others before your own. As much as you are the most kind-hearted soul I’ve ever seen, you need to start loving and giving yourself some credit,” you replied, adding a little pressure onto your grip on his shoulders. 

With that, none of you said a word for a good couple of seconds, and you both just spent the entire time staring into each other's eyes as if you were conveying your messages non-verbally. That was until Juyeon finally decided to break the tension off by smiling at you, a genuine one you had consistently grown to love back then. 

“So, am I back in your good graces now, princess?” 

You were finally brought back to your senses, and you quickly removed both hands from him and sat down swiftly back on your chair, ducking your head down while giving a slight pout. 

Juyeon missed this sight of you and was absolutely admiring the whole situation that unfolded before him. Just then, both of your meals arrived, and the same waitress from before gently placed each of your respective ones in front of you. Juyeon then gently placed the cutlery in front of you. 

“Dig in,” he mentioned before whipping out the napkin and placing it right on his lap, before going in with his cutlery to cut through his steak. 

In return, you swiftly picked up yours and roughly cut through your freshly cooked breaded cod fish. 

“No one calls a normal friend princess, Lee freaking Juyeon,” you mumbled.

Just when you thought that would be the only time you would actually spend some time alone with Juyeon, it turns out the male had perceived that you both were back just the way you were when you were kids. 

Since that day, Juyeon would actually make his way out to invite you often to join lunch with him at the same cafe, usually ordering a different dish from the wide selection of food on the menu. What Juyeon loved the most about the place was the ambience and good coffee, and he would always be seen ordering a big jumbo-sized cup of iced latte to bring back to his office to help get through the rest of the day. 

You, on the other hand, were often stuck with more or less the same few dishes that you’ve tried, and you, too, would order your usual iced americano back to the office once you both were done with the meal. 

At first, you have always tried your best to avoid having contact with him; that first lunch date was just a typical day, as you would try to convince yourself. But whenever Juyeon gets a little break out from the office, he would either send you a personal email or sometimes ask his personal assistant to come down to your department to inform you to wait for the man down at the lobby at noon. 

You obviously could do your very best to come up with excuses to let him know that you’re busy with something or you already have plans to eat with your co-workers, but it seemed that the heart does what it wants, and it does not align with the signals that your brain is trying to tell you; which is to avoid and cut off this whole friendship for good. 

So you were back to being the giddy seventeen-year-old little girl who often felt excited whenever you spent time with your childhood friend. Hence, every time you were taking the very last escalator down to the lobby, you would often use that little time to admire the way Juyeon would always lean against one of the pillars while swiping through his phone with one hand and keeping the other one inside the pocket of his coat. 

But you did not want to admit it just yet, so you would constantly remind yourself that he’s only back for a while; it wouldn’t be so easy to open up your ice-cold heart again. 

That was until today. 

Just a few days prior, Juyeon had given you a ticket to visit this huge Christmas market in the town centre. At first, you stared at the paper blankly, thinking it was all a joke and he couldn’t have gone with you. But the male made it clear that he invited you to come along, which would be the two of you together. 

Your heart was bouncing so fast that you were afraid it would eventually pop out of your chest as you slowly approached where you both were supposed to meet. You figured it best that you arrived twenty minutes earlier to compose yourself and try to understand your situation. 

As you paced back and forth for god knows how long, you finally heard your name being called out from the far distance, and you perked your head up to see that Juyeon was waving his hands and running towards you like he used to back when he was a kid. 

Once he finally stopped right in front of you, he began panting heavily to the point you were genuinely worried if this man was actually alright. 

“Woah, what the hell happened to you? You seemed like you were escaping from a monster or something,” you joked. 

“N-No…I went to get this for you…” Juyeon then hands you a brown paper bag, and you accept it while being all confused. 

“Open it, Y/N. Have a look at what’s inside,” he insisted before resting both hands on his hips. 

While giving Juyeon a weird look, you finally peeped into the bag and extended your arm into the brown bag before you finally felt something soft against your palms and eventually pulled whatever it was out. 

Your eyes widened when you saw what it was. 

“J-Juyeon…this…”

“Remember way back in high school; we promised each other that we would want to visit the Christmas markets, and how badly did you want this soft alpaca plushie that was way too expensive for neither of us to get our hands on? Yeah, I actually got it before the store closed like minutes ago.” 

He remembered. 

You have always been vocal about wanting this plushie for years, and there was no way your parents were buying it for you, claiming that it was way too expensive (which it was since it was part of a collaboration with one of the high-end fashion companies) and that you wouldn’t have a proper use for it. Back then, Juyeon couldn’t do anything but reassure you that one day, your wish would definitely come true while always giving you pinky promises. 

And now, you were finally receiving your biggest Christmas wishlist item as an adult, and you couldn’t be much happier. 

You laughed. “Juyeon, you do realise that I’m not a child anymore, right?” 

“Who says plushies are only meant for young children? Why can’t adults have their collection? I’ll tell you I have a Build-A-Bear in my bedroom.” 

“You must be joking.” 

“Mark my words, Y/N.” 

Eventually, you both started laughing out loud before you hugged the plushie close to you, activating the heating function in the toy to keep yourself warm; that was the main purpose that made you want to purchase this product long ago. 

“Thank you, Juyeon.” 

“Well, instead of thanking me, why don’t you keep me company for the night as we explore this Christmas market together?” 

You smiled. “With pleasure.”

“Oh, Juyeon~ Have I ever told you how much I’ve admired your good looks? I’d like to think that your family genes are something else.”

After an hour or two of walking through the entire Christmas market and having too much fun going to each stall and trying out the different activities and food, you eventually stumbled upon one located towards the furthest end and sold various eggnog drinks. You have never tried this particular alcoholic beverage before; you were mostly used to the beers that you often get back in the pubs in London. However, Juyeon insisted that you give it a go especially for the Christmas season, and he eventually bought both of you a mug. 

The initial taste seemed a bit off to you, but once the alcohol started kicking in, you eventually began to chug the whole liquid down as if it were nobody’s business. After some time, one mug of eggnog began turning into two, and then three, and finally, you were pretty sure that you were on your fifth mug by now. 

That was when Juyeon realised that he should’ve stopped you by your second or third mug because now you were barely walking properly without his aid, and your speech began to slur as he linked your arms over his shoulders, trying his best to support you while walking you back home. 

You both had to take the subway trains to head back to your apartment and during the entire time, you were clingy with your childhood friend, often wrapping your arms around him and giving him a tight squeeze while mumbling incoherent words. You caught the attention of all passengers and passersby, but Juyeon could only smile at how you looked right now. 

He had never seen you drunk before, and this was a whole new experience for him. But he wasn’t too mad that you reminded him so much of your younger self; it was as if he was witnessing the seven-year-old you again in the present day. 

After walking from the subway and, eventually, towards your front door to your apartment, Juyeon was about to take you up towards the elevator until you stopped him in his tracks.

“No Juyeon~ why are you leaving me so early? We still have so much more to see in the market!” 

He smiled. “Y/N, I think it’s time for you to head home to get some rest.” 

“But I don’t wanna~” 

With that, Juyeon grabbed hold of both your shoulders as he bent down to be on the same eye level as you, trying his best to talk to you in your drunken stage. 

“Y/N, I’ll see you tomorrow, hmm? We’ve had loads of fun today, and besides, your mom and sister would be worried sick about you at this late hour.” 

Immediately, you lifted your pinky at him, which caused the male to stare at you blankly. “Pinky promise that I get to see you tomorrow, Juyeon-ie?” 

Oh, how insanely adorable you were to Juyeon right now. 

He chuckled before linking his pinky with yours, shaking it left and right slightly as if to seal the agreement. “I promise, we’ll see each other in the office first thing tomorrow morning.”

With the final pinky shake, Juyeon guided you towards the elevator and pressed the button. As you both waited for the elevator to come down to the ground floor, you suddenly broke off the silence, and Juyeon had to blink twice to know he wasn’t hearing things wrong. 

“I’ve always liked you Juyeon…even after all these years…I never stopped loving you…” you sobbed. 

Your nose was now sniffling, and you closed your eyes to let the tears drip down, not caring what Juyeon would think about all this. You were done trying to hold it back for so long, and you needed to let the burden that you’ve held onto for years finally let loose, and well, you were drunk at this point, so you couldn’t really control the words that slipped out from your mouth. 

“Why did you leave me just like that…did you know how much pain it has caused…and how hard I’ve tried to forget every single thing about you? I even threw away all of the pictures and toys we’d had together because the flashbacks of memories would often play in my mind upon seeing them,” you were now crying, and you began to raise your voice a little. 

“Why, Juyeon, WHY!!” You screamed at the top of your lungs, and immediately you burst out crying, plopping straight down onto the concrete floor. You hated how the alcohol wasn’t making you think straight and that you were feeling a roller coaster of emotions right now. 

Just let it out, Y/N. You’ve suffered long enough—

Immediately, a warm pair of arms wrapped around you, and a hand gently pushed your head down to let you rest on the crook of their neck. You finally glanced up to see that it was Juyeon, holding you tight and resting his chin on the top of your head. 

As much as you want to push yourself away from him, you can’t. You couldn’t explain why, and you have even made a pact to yourself that you wouldn’t want anything associated with him anymore. 

But why did the saying the heart wants what it wants have to be so accurate? 

You hated it, hated how you have always let your emotions take full control over your mind, not making you think straight, and often going against your plans. In fact, your heart ached so badly, and it was the same feeling that you felt seven years ago, right when Juyeon left you alone as he hopped onto his vehicle. 

The only thing you could do right now was to let the stream of tears pour down and cry out to your heart’s content. You felt weak, and you could do nothing to push him away. 

Juyeon couldn’t blame you, though, because how could he? Especially when he was the one who said nothing all those years ago. Now, he was seeing with his own eyes how much pain and trouble it has cost you, turning you into a vulnerable little petite girl who was crying her heart out in his arms. 

With that, he moved his lips down to plant a little kiss on your head and eventually closed his eyes as your cries filled up his eyedrums. 

“I’ll make it work, Y/N. I promise you that I’ll make things work this time.”

“Oh, good fucking hell.” 

You were sitting on your work desk, bringing your hands to cover up your face. It was an absolute nightmare to hear from your sister about what happened the night before—how you got drunk and caused a little scene in public, which made everyone turn their attention towards you, how Juyeon was the one who brought you all the way back home, how you had a breakdown in front of him to the point you eventually fell asleep after crying your eyes out to the point he had to physically gave you a piggyback up to your front door and assisted your sister to plop you down on your bed. 

If there was a nearby cliff near your workplace, you would do anything to ditch work and actually head straight up there to jump off from the embarrassment. 

You were already not having a good time reuniting with Juyeon, let alone trying to sort your emotions out while seeing him at work every day and that he was your boss. But to confess your deepest thoughts while being vulnerable and drunk in front of him? That was not written anywhere in your books. 

As you were spending your entire lunch break groaning over what happened last night, you immediately received a call from your desk telephone, and you quickly composed yourself before picking the phone up. 

“Y-Yes, hello? This is L/N from the editorial department; how may I assist you for the day?”

“Good afternoon, Miss L/N. Please report to the CEO’s office immediately whenever you can.” 

Oh, Jesus take the wheel. 

The entire walk up to the CEO’s office was nerve-wracking; it was as if you were being sent to detention at the principal’s office because you messed up really badly. So many thoughts ran through your mind, thinking about how to apologise to Juyeon for the scene you had caused the day prior.

Once you walked into his office, you tried your best to devise the best phrase to start the conversation, but it seemed that Juyeon beat you to it, immediately handing you a red ginseng hangover drink. 

You reluctantly accepted it while mumbling a soft ‘thank you’ before he insisted that you drink it immediately before him. Once you were done, he took the bottle away and tossed it straight into the bin, directly briefing you about the upcoming fashion show, now only a month away. 

Now that it was back to business and you were no longer childhood friends, you tried your best to keep your composure as you listened to all of the details he was going through one by one with you. 

Eventually, he decided to bring you along to meet up with one of the CEOs of the high-end brands on a trip to Seoul to discuss the plan in person further. Apparently, you have met with the CEO of Fendi, and it’s one of the brands that have been associated with GQ Korea for decades now. Somehow, Juyeon has gotten pretty close with the famous man himself over the years.

All of you met up in the famous Four Seasons Hotel for a pretty luxurious high-tea session while discussing the whole fashion show. It was mostly just Juyeon conversing with the CEO himself; you were mainly there to take down all the essential notes that both parties spoke.

Usually, it would have been his personal assistant job, but he insisted that you come along this time, saying it was part of your training. To be completely honest, you weren’t sure if Juyeon was the one mixing up between work and personal life issues at this point. All you wanted to do was to pray that this meeting gets over and done with quickly so that you could head back towards the comforts of your cubicle in the office and not face Juyeon for a while.

After an hour or so, it seemed as if the meeting was wrapped, and both parties finally parted ways for now, causing you to head straight back to Juyeon’s vehicle. Many people would think most CEOs would have their chauffeur, but Juyeon insisted that he always preferred to drive alone. 

He was still the chatterbox that you have always remembered back in the day, how we would often come up with any possible topic that would keep you entertained; you both could talk for days back then only if both of your families didn’t stop you from heading back home for meal time. 

There was only one problem this time: you were still troubled by what had happened the day before, and it was hard enough to even join Juyeon for this meeting with the CEO of Fendi in the first place. Now that both of you were alone in the car, things were far more awkward than they already were. Juyeon never touched on the topic from last night, but still, you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him in the face. 

Just when you thought Juyeon was about to take the left turn to head back towards the office, he took the other lane instead and drove towards the opposite direction.

“Juyeon, the office is the other way—”

“Let’s go somewhere, Y/N. Treat this as a little gift of stepping out of office hours for a bit. You’ll still get paid, though; don’t worry. I’ll make sure to inform your head department about your absence.” 

What on earth is going through your mind, Juyeon?

It has been a few minutes since you have physically pressed yourself against the tank, slowly admiring various species swimming about minding their own business. 

Apparently, you both have arrived at the COEX Aquarium, known for homing a large variety of rare species of aquatic animals and typically the best place for school trips, holidays, and even as a date.

Wait, scratch that last one—

“Didn’t you always say how coming here has been on your bucket list for the longest time?” Juyeon questioned you as he slowly walked up towards where you were from behind, slipping both of his hands into his cloak as he, too, began admiring the beauty in front of him. 

That was when you finally diverted your attention to his face for the first time since hopping into his car this morning to head to the hotel. You were upset at yourself with how the feelings were the same as before: his pretty sculpted facial features, how good-looking he actually was, and how he could do the bare minimum, yet you would still swoon over the man himself. 

With all that has happened lately, something told you this was more than friend behaviour. Sure, Juyeon might be trying his best to patch up this whole relationship you once had, taking you to places and recreating new memories with one another, but you weren’t sure if Juyeon felt the same way as you did. 

That deep feeling within the pit of your stomach made you feel uncomfortable, and it was about time you finally confronted him about the one question that had pondered at the back of your mind for the longest time. 

If both of you wanted to continue whatever was happening between you, you needed to get the specific answer first. 

And it has to be now. 

“Juyeon, can I ask you something?” 

He hummed. “Yeah, go ahead.” 

With that, you turned your entire body facing him and took a deep breath to figure out the right words to convey your feelings for the man himself. “I meant what I said the night before.” 

That alone was enough to get his full attention, as he was now slowly turning himself fully towards you as if he was staring straight into your soul. You wanted to chicken out so badly and tell him it was nothing, and you both could just continue with the silence. But you have already come so far, and you know that this will only continue to haunt you for as long as you live if you aren’t going to address it now. 

So you mustered up every bit of courage left within you, and opened your mouth again. 

“I never stopped loving you, Juyeon. Even though we have lost contact for so many years, I never once stop thinking about you every single day. As much as I’ve tried so hard to forget about you, hell, I threw everything that reminded me of you into the dumpster or boxes and kept them deep somewhere where I wouldn’t even think about searching for it ever again, but to no avail.” 

Your body began to tremble as you tried to calm yourself down by playing with your fingers. “I couldn’t, Juyeon. Every time I thought I have succeeded in getting rid of you from my life for good, the thought of you just somehow finds its way to creep back up in my mind.” 

“I have no idea if karma sent me back here to Seoul, especially when my career was doing well in London. Imagine coming back and discovering that my new employer is someone I’ve tried so hard to forget about? The mixed emotions I felt then were insufferable.” 

As you began to speak more, tears started welling up in your eyes, causing your heartbeat to rise rapidly. But you decided to press on and choke back on your tears. 

“With all that you have done for me for the past weeks and months, I truly have no idea what on earth you are trying to prove to me, Lee Juyeon. Are you trying to fix our broken friendship? Or is it something more? What exactly are you even planning to do, Juyeon?” 

Finally, you took a few steps closer until you were inches away from him. 

“Be honest with me now, Juyeon. What exactly am I to you?” 

There was this tense moment between you two, and neither of you said a word to one another. You were looking straight at your childhood friend with red, puffy eyes, and his eyes were widened, looking at you and trying his best to take in everything you’d said. 

Something tells you that it was best not to hear about Juyeon’s opinions at all for the fear of rejection once more. If you had the power to dissect his mind to determine his thoughts and feelings about all of this, you would. Yet, you were still afraid of what might happen next. 

As you wait for his response, you slowly examine how his shoulders began to slump, and eventually he tries his best to talk some sense into you. 

“Y/N, I—”

“Ah! It’s Juyeon-ie!” 

The both of you immediately darted your head towards where the voice was coming from, and that was when you noticed a female running towards Juyeon while waving her hands, and a rather old man accompanied her. 

Who could it be? 

“Saeran? And Uncle Lee? What are you two doing here?” Juyeon questioned as the two individuals made their way towards you. It was also then they both noticed your presence and the soft-spoken young lady was the one who broke the ice. 

“You must be?” 

“O-Oh, I umm—”

“She’s Y/N; she used to be my neighbour back in the days when I was still living in Seoul.” 

Just a neighbour, huh? 

“Ah, Y/N!” The young female extended her hand for a little handshake, in which you awkwardly return the favour. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person finally! Juyeon has spoken a lot about you.” 

Before you could even give a reply, it seemed that the older man whom you now know was his uncle, or rather, perceived that he was the one who managed to help Juyeon get a new start in life back here in Seoul, finally spoke and diverted Juyeon’s attention back to what they were here for in the first place. 

“We had made a little appointment this afternoon, don’t you remember, Juyeon?”

“Oh, yes! I’m so sorry. It must’ve completely slipped my mind since I have been pretty caught up with work lately,” Juyeon apologised while slightly bowing towards his uncle. 

“Not at all, Juyeon. I’m sure you must’ve been pretty busy with-” his uncle then diverts his attention towards you. “-a lot of things.” 

You definitely felt way too uncomfortable at the moment, and you needed to get out of the aquarium right this second if you did not wish to be suffocated by all of the tension in the air. 

Immediately, you gently removed your hands from the young female and quickly made a ninety-degree bow towards all of them.

“My humble apologies, it seems that I have disrupted an important meeting. I shall take my leave now.” 

As soon as you turned your heel towards the other direction, you suddenly felt a pair of hands grab your wrist, stopping you in your tracks. 

“Y/N! Wait, I’ll drive you back—”

“No, it’s fine,” you tried your best to smile at him. “I’ll just take the train located right outside the aquarium. Have a good day.” 

You instantly slip your hands off his grip and dash straight towards the front door, trying your best not to look back and ignore the tears dripping down your face as you walk down the steps towards the subway.

It was now week two of cutting off all contact with Juyeon. It hadn’t been easy for you both at work and personally. In fact, you haven’t been doing great at all. It was as if you had turned into a living zombie, often feeling rather emotionless and drowning yourself in paperwork and avoiding contact with another except for your head of department. 

Since Juyeon was still your employer and CEO, he has definitely tried all means of contacting you, asking to see if you were doing okay or trying to get you up to his office to talk about the fashion show, or rather, to talk things out. But every single time, you would find ways to decline his request as best as possible while respecting him as your boss first and foremost. 

After a week of declining his invitations, his messages and calls eventually stopped coming a week ago; it was as if he had completely vanished for a little while. From what you have heard, it seemed that he had some urgent matters that he had to deal with, causing him to leave the office into the hands of his assistant for now.

It was finally a little breather for you since you didn’t have to put on this facade for the time being, letting you let loose for a bit. Going through sleepless nights throughout the past couple of weeks definitely has taken a toll on your mental well-being. 

You told yourself you needed to hold it all in for another week. Once this whole fashion show is done, you will get your well-deserved vacation off work for one week. 

It’ll be alright. Things will definitely work out in one way or another, Y/N.

It was finally the day for the long-awaited fashion show hosted by GQ Korea and the collaboration among famous brands around the globe. A swarm of people marched into the rented convention hall, filling the entire space within minutes.

You and your co-workers were busy getting everything organised and ensuring everything was in place. Since you were in the editorial department, you have been going about talking to all of the big figureheads from each respective brand, mostly just breaking the ice as well as interviewing them so that you have your necessary notes to draft out the proposal for the upcoming magazine. 

Time passed quickly and it was time for the show to begin. As you sat down on one of the chairs, you made your way towards the far end corners of the hall, getting ready your notepad and trusty blue ballpoint pen. 

As the light began to dim, Juyeon eventually made his way up on stage with a microphone, giving the guests a warm welcome and a little opening speech before the models began their runway walk. Seeing the man himself again was a bittersweet moment for you. As much as you wanted nothing more associated with him, your eyes just couldn’t seem to turn away from him.

It did not help that he was dressed up in a black tuxedo, with his hair styled up with his usual one strand on his forehead. He looked strikingly handsome, and you wouldn’t be surprised if he managed to woo almost everyone in the audience tonight. The way he presented himself was truly magnificent, and you could see why he was able to rise to the ranks of being a CEO at such a young age. 

Tears began welling up in your eyes again, but you tried your very best to hold them back and mentally cursed at yourself, thinking that this was all professional work now and that there was no room for any personal matters for the night. 

Once he made his desired speech, he eventually came down from the stage and sat at one of the front row seats, and that was where you could clearly see that the very same girl from the aquarium sat right next to him, along with his uncle and personal assistant. It shouldn’t bother you since they are practically family to him. It was none of your business, so why couldn’t you take your eyes off them?

Or rather, with him and the young lady who was clearly having fun whispering into each other’s ears. 

It has nothing to do with me. 

You constantly reminded yourself that whenever you tried to spare a glance at them, all while you were taking down notes from the show. It was definitely a challenge trying to stay focused, and there were a couple of times when you needed to close your eyes for a bit and take a few deep breaths to proceed with your work. 

The show finished smoothly, and the audience responded with a standing ovation. You definitely felt a sense of accomplishment from that, too, given that all of your hard work over the past months had finally paid off. 

The event wouldn’t have been complete without an after-party, so here you were in the hall next door—with all of the guests, models, and even staff alike having loads of fun chatting about with a glass of champagne in hand. Eventually, the DJ that was hired began to blast out a wide selection of music, indicating that whoever felt comfortable hitting up the dance floor was able to do so. 

You smiled as you saw a couple of your close co-workers pull up some moves on the dance floor; it reminded you of loads of your time back in the UK—going to the local pubs and just having the time of your life drinking and partying with your friends. 

Just as you were lost in thought, you suddenly felt a little tap on your shoulder, and you turned around to see that Juyeon’s assistant insisted that someone wanted to see you in person. 

You didn’t think much of it since you already had a little bit of alcohol in your system, so when you finally realised who was the one who wanted to see you, panic began to rush through your veins, and you tried your best to make sense of the situation. 

“Mr Lee? Is something the matter?”

You did not need to see the older male again, especially when he gave you a not-so-good first impression back at the aquarium. However, you had no reason to devise an excuse to leave; he was much superior to you anyway. 

“Why, good evening, Miss L/N. I hope you are enjoying the party so far, and congratulations on the job well done. I must say Juyeon always excels in his work, no matter what obstacles he encounters along the way.” 

The only thing you could do was flash a little smile back at him, as much as it made you uncomfortable. In the back of your mind, you have dozens of questions running through your mind, thinking about in what manner his uncle has any business with you. 

Eventually, he began speaking as if he was chanting through a book, giving you a whole load of information that was a little bit too much to take in at the moment. 

“It seems that Seoul life has been too tedious for you, don’t you think? Have you ever wondered about transferring back to London? Perhaps it would be a much better place for you to reside in.” 

“Umm, with all due respect, sir, how did you know about my background—”

“Oh, I have always kept an eye on you; you were Juyeon’s childhood friend, after all.” 

Keyword. “Were” 

“With that being said, I have read a couple of your articles before from the London Mail, and I must say, they are actually quite extraordinary.” 

“W-Why, t-thank you, Mr Lee. I really do appreciate them—”

“Speaking of transferring, the CEO for Fendi has actually taken quite a liking to you and your work. Even throughout the whole fashion show back there, he has been talking on and on about you, saying how you would prove to be a fruitful addition to his company.”

Just like that, Mr Lee began to step forward to hand you a little sticky note, which clearly had a number written on it. 

“If you ever change your mind, give me a call. Besides, I’m sure you already know the answer deep within your heart. I will be waiting,” Mr Lee responded with a smug before entering back into the hall. 

You stared back down at the note and eventually began thinking about what his uncle said prior. Suddenly, you started feeling conflicted, thinking this was the right place to belong. But it could also be his way of trying to brainwash you; you’re pretty sure you felt like a menace in his eyes. 

You decided you needed some fresh air to clear your thoughts for a bit, so you headed out towards the balcony right up the stairs. You figured that an open-air rooftop seemed perfect for some alone time. 

If only you were the only one who was planning to use the same exact spot that is.

Right when you reached the door that was ajar on the rooftop, you immediately recognised the two people standing before you, the female leaning in to give your childhood friend a peck on the lips.

You stand there motionless, and immediately, your blood starts to boil, something you haven’t felt in a while. The glass of champagne then drops towards the ground, and the shattered noises make the two turn their attention towards you. 

It all felt like a sudden pause like time had stopped for a few moments. The both of you were staring deep into each other’s eyes, not knowing what to do or how to respond. But then, Juyeon eventually spoke to break the silence. 

Before you could ever hear what he had to say, you were already dashing down the stairs, not caring that you had missed a couple of steps and that there were a few instances where you felt like you were about to trip and fall straight down back where you came from. 

Not even wanting to let your co-workers know about anything, you quickly dashed through the front gates, running through the now gloomy skies that were bound to have a heavy downpour within a few minutes. 

You should’ve remembered that Juyeon was the basketball team leader back in high school for a reason; no matter how fast you ran through the streets, he eventually caught you and yanked you back towards him, causing you to press up against his chest. 

“Let me go! Let me go—”

“Y/N! Please! Let us just talk things out.” 

You used up all of your strength and pushed him away as hard as you could before you began raising your voice back at him. “Talk? Don’t be ridiculous. You have done more than enough, and I have seen enough.” 

“Y/N, no. You don’t understand—”

“What else do I have to understand!?!? You have done more than enough to shatter me over and over again, Juyeon! And to think I was dumb enough actually to think we could work things out again!” You screamed. 

“Y/N…please…just calm down and listen to what I have to say…” Juyeon was now practically begging you, begging you just to stop. 

“You clearly don’t understand the pain that I’ve gone through, Juyeon. You weren’t there to witness or experience it anyway! Why did we even become friends in the first place, huh!?!?” 

God, cat’s out of the bag. 

That last sentence was definitely not meant to be said at all; it was one of your deepest, darkest thoughts that you have sworn that nobody should ever find out about, especially when it is directed towards the person who stood before you.

“I hate you, Juyeon…I really do…for all of the pain that you have caused me…” you were now sobbing like a child, which pained Juyeon so much seeing how you were now. 

With that, a loud thunder resonated throughout the city, and a heavy downpour began pouring down from the skies. The both of you were now soaked, and you mustered up the courage to say your final words to him as the tears began mixing with the rain. 

“Please…I beg of you…just stop looking for me…or even talk to me at all…just leave me alone…that’s the last thing I will ask of you…” 

“I don’t want anything to do with you no more.” 

You slowly began backing away, and when you reached a good amount of distance, you turned your heel and began running away into the shadows, not sparing a final glance at your childhood friend who stood at the same spot under the pouring rain. 

This is my final goodbye, Juyeon.

If you thought the whole week of you being a walking zombie in the office was terrible enough, clearly, nobody was prepared for the current state that you were in. You locked yourself up in your room and refused to see anybody, even your mother and sister. 

You would constantly lay in bed, tossing and turning, even though it was hard to fall asleep. Since you avoided contact with your family members, there was nothing much they could do but place a tray filled with your meals and dishes in front of your door, waiting for you to eventually open up during times when you actually felt hungry and took them into your room to savour them all on your own. 

You didn’t need anyone or anything now; you craved alone time and peace. 

As you curl up in bed, sometimes even at the corners of your room, your eyes would often dart towards the sticky note handed to you by his uncle. So many times you have thought about it: what if life would’ve been better abroad and coming back to Seoul was truly a grave mistake that you have made? What if this whole decision was actually an awakening moment for you to realise that this is not where you should belong? 

Days went back and eventually, it became a week. There were only a few days left before you returned to the office for work. The longer you kept staring at the note, the more motivated you were to take the risk and start again. 

Every time you were reminded of what happened that very fateful night, you rationalised that maybe what Mr Lee said was true after all. Perhaps Seoul is really not your place to belong. 

As the clock ticked, your desire to leave everything behind felt stronger. 

You waited until the clock finally struck noon for you to finally stand up with your phone in hand, punching each number into the dial pad and bringing it to your ear. 

Once the ringing eventually got through and you were met with a voice on the other end of the line, you took a deep breath before muttering the words you have been reluctant about all this while. 

“I’ll take up the offer.”

“For the very last time sissy, I promise I will be fine,” you spoke through your headphones as you were on a video call with your sister, who was back home at your apartment. 

“You have never done something so impulsive before, and given that you made this whole decision during your darkest hours? I highly doubt that you’re okay, Miss Y/N.” 

“Well, I can assure you that the darkest hours are gone, and I’m now free and much happier. I can work with Fendi!” 

Your sister sighed through the phone. “Working with big brands is one thing; what about your physical and mental well-being?” 

“Rome doesn’t sound too bad to me, and besides, living in the UK for a couple of years has definitely given me the experience I’ve needed to survive back in the EU again.” 

“Fine. Just…be careful, okay? Give mom and I a call once you’ve touched down.” 

You gave a little flying kiss through the phone. “Don’t worry, I will.” 

After waving goodbye on both sides, you clicked the red end call button and leaned back onto the chair you had been sitting on for the past hour. It was definitely a shocker to you that Fendi was willing to accept you immediately without having to go through any sort of significant interviews and that they were kind enough to even provide accommodations for you. At the same time, you work for them under a contract of two years. Frankly, it was a good deal and a steal. 

You slowly stare into the digital clock on the big screen, which eventually becomes an announcement. 

“All passengers bound for Rome, Italy, please head to gate 4B and be ready for boarding!” 

Instantly, almost all of the people around you began standing and lining up as if they needed to be the first to get on board. You have always disliked and never understood why the rush and pushing against one another trying to fight for the first slot, so you often just sat back and relaxed until only a couple of folks left to board the plane. 

Time went by quickly, and thirty minutes have passed since then. Now, only a handful of passengers are left to board. That was when it was your cue to get up and sling your backpack onto your back. 

As you slowly walked towards the counter to let the flight attendants scan your passport and let you through the gates, you felt a sudden tap on your shoulders, causing you to turn behind to see who it was. 

You didn’t have much time to respond until you were pulled in for a tight embrace; that familiar cologne was enough to make the tears well up in your eyes again.

“J-Juyeon…” your voice muffled. 

“Stop. Let me just…let me do the talking this time. Please.” 

You would have definitely fought back and started pushing him away once more, but it seems that you were either too taken aback or lost all of the energy throughout the past week to do so. Instead, you just stood there motionless in his arms. 

“Y/N, I know it would be horrible for me to ask for forgiveness because I definitely do not deserve any of that after what I have put you through. Or even for another chance because you clearly gave me one, and it was my fault for not appreciating nor cherishing the moment when it happened,” he began stroking your head, his fingers running through your long, silky, soft hair. 

“But one thing is for sure: I will not let you go this time. This time, I am going to hold you so tight that there’s no room for you to escape; I’ll make sure that you will forever be safe and sound in my arms, and I will be the one who is going to bring you joy instead of pain and tears.” 

He then bends down to give you a little kiss on your forehead. “You mean a lot to me, Y/N. And I’d like to think you are more than just a friend; you’re my other half. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to move on, knowing that I will lose you again, and this time, forever, if I don’t stop you now.” 

“So please, Y/N. I’m begging you. Please don’t go.” 

With his final words, you eventually find your arms slowly snaking up his back and returning the hug to him. You weren’t too sure why you did that, especially after the tremendous pain you have gone through the past week in particular. At the end of the day, the phrase where the heart wants what it wants will forever remain faithful to you, whether you like it or not. 

You sobbed. “You’re not going to make me stay that easily.”

“Oh yeah? You think I’m not capable of doing that?”

“Prove it then.” 

Instantly, one of his hands travelled back up to your chin and lifted them, causing you to look directly towards his as he slowly bent down to interlock his lips with yours. The kiss was rather heated, as if the both of you had been waiting for this to come so badly. You couldn’t care less if you both were actually making out at the airport.

Juyeon cupped your face with both hands as he tilted his head for you to gain more entrance into his. His lips felt soft yet demanding as if you were devouring a forbidden fruit. In return, you run your fingers through his silky black hair. 

After a few minutes, you both broke apart for some fresh air, trying your best to catch your breath simultaneously. 

“Is that supposed to make me stay put in Seoul, Juyeon?” You teased. 

With that, he merely replied with a little smile followed by a smirk. “That, Miss Y/N, was actually a pact you made to me. Treat it as a contract, if you will, that you are bound to stay by my side no matter what.” 

“Ugh, that’s so foul of you!” 

“You should know that I have my ways; I’m not the CEO of GQ Korea for nothing.” 

The both of you eventually burst out into laughter while Juyeon finds both hands on your waist while you wrap your arms around his shoulders. 

“Listen, Y/N. I want to apologise on behalf of my uncle and Saeran.” 

“Oh, yeah. No big deal. By the way, is Saeran—”

“It’s not what you think it is.” 

“It’s not?”

He smiled. “She’s my little cousin, and she often showers me with tons of hugs and kisses, even though I’ve told her to stop a million times.” 

“Well, you’re lucky to have a cousin who loves you that much,” you replied. 

“Yeah, but she’s going to have to learn that she can’t do that anymore because someone else is going to replace her job for that.” 

As much as you knew who he referred to, you still wanted to drag this further. “And who exactly is that?” 

“Hmm…maybe the contract before wasn’t clear enough. Should I make another one?”

You slapped his chest immediately. “Don’t you dare, we’re in public.” 

Again, another burst of laughter was genuinely beginning to make you feel a lot better, even to the point of slowly healing all the scars you have had before. 

With that, you needed to make yourself clear to the man himself. 

“Juyeon, can I just be honest with you?”

“Of course, sweetheart.” 

“I appreciate you doing all of this for me, but I just want to give you a heads-up that it’ll take a while for me to heal from everything completely and that I’m sorry if I don’t give you the exact treatment that you expect from me, and I—”

You were then silenced with another kiss on the lips; this time, Juyeon took the time to shower you with as many kisses as possible, making sure that each was worthwhile before breaking the kiss again. 

“Y/N, I don’t care about all of that. You can take as long as you need, but just know that I will be here for each step you take, and I’ll give you support whenever you need it. I promise. I will not leave you behind ever again.” 

As you both plastered a soft smile, you leaned in to rest your forehead against each other, taking in everything that had happened minutes prior.

“Here’s to a new beginning with you.”

masterlist

taglist: @deoboyznet @kflixnet @k-films @flwoie @zzoguri @kyusqult @tinkerbell460 @cheonsafics @sulkygyu @jaerisdiction @lngwayup @daisyvisions (join my permanent taglist here!)

[sakuraszn]

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 !

⌜ 🎬 ⌟ starring ⤳ e!42 miles morales

word count - 469 | no proofread

synopsis - what miles is like as your boyfriend.

warnings/notes - fluff, a hint of angst?? the reader is fem. ngl it feels good to be writing again cs it’s been a hot minute..but here’s a lil smthn for y’all (and for me),, I hope you enjoy it !

MILES MORALES is the type of guy who will give you some nicknames to call you, and you love it. he’ll call you ma, mami, princess, beautiful it just goes on.

MILES MORALES that holds your bags no matter the circumstances, he’s a gentleman and will always do the heavy lifting.

MILES MORALES always needs to touch you. he’s clingy without even realizing it and will deny it anytime you bring it up to him.

MILES MORALES loves kissing you whether it’s your cheek, your neck, your lips even your hand. If you don’t kiss him at all he gets a lil upset.

“damn, ion get no kisses? what i do wrong mami?”

MILES MORALES likes hugging you from the back.

MILES MORALES gets jealous and his jealousy turns into possessiveness. he doesn’t like when any guy tries to talk to you, especially when they tryna hit on you. what do you need to talk to another guy for when you got him?

MILES MORALES who hates when you get mad at him and give him the silent treatment, he wants to talk things out no matter how bad your fight was.

“can you please talk to me, ma? Ion like when you mad at me.”

MILES MORALES who always gives you words of affirmations and calms your nerves anytime you’re overthinking something.

MILES MORALES will always show you affection even in-front of his friends and family. he doesn’t care who’s looking all he wants is you.

MILES MORALES who shows you off to the world.

MILES MORALES is always buying you something no matter the price. he loves spoiling you especially if it’s something you really really want.

MILES MORALES who pulls up to your house with a bouquet of flowers and some food.

MILES MORALES acts all tough n shit around other people but when he’s alone with you he literally cannot keep his hands of you and acts like a clingy toddler who will not leave you alone.

MILES MORALES who checks your attitude.

MILES MORALES who has a polaroid picture of you two in the back of his phone case.

MILES MORALES who gets to the point where he's comfortable with you to tell you about his dad's death.

MILES MORALES is big on eye contact, like every time you look at him you can’t help but avoid his eyes and he’ll revert your chin to him to make sure your looking him in the eyes. you fold every timeee.

MILES MORALES who introduced you to his mom and mama rio absolutely loves and adores you!

MILES MORALES teaches you a lick of spanish from time to time and he admires how you try your hardest to get it right even when you pronounced it wrong.

MILES MORALES who will put you on his lap. he just finds it comfortable.

©SAKURASZN !

[jrob64]

Her Favorite Moments of the Day

A CS Canon Compliant One-shot for CS Spooky Season/Autumnal Bingo

With this short one-shot, I can now say I have a bingo on my board! While the prompt 'creaky floorboards' was probably meant to have spooky connotations, my muse took this in a fluffy and slightly smutty direction. Thank you to @hollyethecurious for the fantastic idea of the autumn bingo board. Be on the lookout for some winter themed bingo stories in the coming months!

Thank you @hookedmom for being my beta once again!

Summary: Emma Jones's days include many moments with her husband and infant daughter, each one of which is her very favorite.

Rating: soft M (minor smut) and F (major fluff)

Words: 1191

Can also be found on Ao3 and ffn

Story under the cut

*********

Emma Jones watches her husband Killian lay the book he’s been reading aloud face down on the coffee table, as she rocks their eight-month-old daughter in the corner of their living room. “She’s finally asleep,” he says quietly, walking over to stand in front of his two blonde-haired loves.

When Hope was born, Killian placed the rocking chair in that specific location so his wife could look out at the ocean while she nursed their little girl. Emma knows it gives him endless pleasure seeing the two of them together, Hope gradually calming at the end of the day as Emma softly hums a lullabye.

Emma looks up at him. “Do you want to carry her upstairs?”

“Of course,” he whispers, carefully releasing a lock of his wife’s hair from their daughter’s lax grip. Then he gently lifts Hope into his arms, smiling down at her. Emma can tell he’s reveling in the feel of Hope’s sleep-stilled body against his chest. When she’s awake, she’s constantly on the move, scooting and crawling at a speed that has her parents fearful for her safety at times.

He turns and slowly glides across the floor, brushing kisses to the crown of the baby’s sweet-smelling head.

Emma watches them go with a sleepy smile on her face. Dusk has fallen outside, darkening the room enough to soften the edges. The fire Killian built in the hearth creates dancing shadows on the wall and a crackling soundtrack for their quiet home. After a hectic day of work and caring for a small, energetic child, the time she spends feeding her precious baby and watching her drift to sleep, while her beloved husband reads to them, are some of her favorite moments of the day.

As Killian approaches the stairs, she calls out to him unnecessarily. “Please avoid the creaky floorboards so she doesn’t wake up.”

“Aye, Love. You remind me every night.”

She does, because it’s part of their routine. She rises from the chair and heads to the bottom of the staircase so her eyes can follow him. He moves to the far right on the third step and skips the seventh one altogether. Watching his attractive backside as he performs the necessary movements is another one of her favorite moments of the day.

They’ve been married for years, but their affection and passion for each other hasn’t waned.

She goes into the kitchen to make hot cocoa, humming as she gathers the ingredients. She’s stirring the milk as it warms in the saucepan, when Killian comes up behind her, wrapping her up in his arms. “Something smells delicious,” he murmurs, nuzzling behind her ear, the low timber of his voice raising goosebumps of pleasure on her skin.

“You usually say that about my pancakes,” she says playfully.

“You’re well aware I’m not talking about anything you’re cooking on that stove, Love.”

She smiles. “The hot cocoa will be ready in a few minutes.”

“Ah, but I’m ready now,” he croons, pulling her tighter against himself so she can feel just how ready.

“What has gotten you so…worked up?” she gasps.

“I know you were watching me as I climbed the stairs. I could feel your gaze on me.”

“I love watching you avoid the creaky steps,” she admits. Biting her lip in anticipation, she turns in his arms to face him. “I love watching you do almost anything.”

He reaches around her and turns off the stove. “To hell with the cocoa,” he murmurs against her temple. Then he captures her lips, backing up until he bumps into the table behind him. They kiss hungrily, starved for each other, even though they just shared intimate moments that morning before Hope awakened.

“Upstairs,” she demands breathlessly.

He hoists her up, arms cradling her ass, and she wraps her legs around his hips. He walks them briskly through the kitchen and starts up the stairs. When he steps on the third one, it lets out a loud creak and they both freeze.

Listening intently, they breathe out a sigh of relief when all they hear is silence. “Sorry, Love,” he whispers. “I forgot.”

“Skip the seventh one,” she giggles.

He does, and they make it to their bedroom with no further mishaps. With practiced ease, they strip each other out of their clothes, lips eagerly exploring bared skin. These passionate moments are some of her favorites, too.

She moans as he pays special attention to her breasts, knowing how he loves that they’re still larger than usual. His clever fingers trace the shiny stretch marks that mar the smooth skin of her abdomen. She used to be self-conscious about them, but he assured her with his words and touch that he adores the reminders of her carrying their child.

Her hands aren’t idle. They stroke, caress and tease the places she knows bring him the most pleasure. Soon, husband and wife are panting and writhing, moaning and pleading. Their bodies are heated, slick with sweat and arousal. When he enters her, it’s familiar but completely new. They move in sync with one another, driving each other higher and higher, until they climax together.

As their bodies cool, his head cradled between her breasts, hand skimming her ribcage, she mumbles, “You deprived me of my hot chocolate.”

“Sorry, Love,” he chuckles. “I suppose you prefer that bloody beverage to intimacies with your husband.”

She tilts his face up to look into his eyes, her own conveying her sincerity. “Never,” she guarantees. “I will never have enough of you, my love.”

They’re in no hurry to move as they lay naked under the covers. These moments, when they are skin-to-skin after making love and having hushed conversations with each other, as their hands, fingers and lips roam, are more of her favorite moments of the day.

When they’re finally ready to move, Killian slips on some loose flannel sleep pants and goes downstairs to finish making the cocoa. Meanwhile, Emma cleans up, washes her face, moisturizes and gets into her pajamas.

He brings their beverages upstairs and they sip them contentedly, while each reads a book from a stack on their nightstand. When the mugs are empty, Emma takes them downstairs, completely forgetting to avoid the creaky stairs. She washes the dishes, double checks the lock on the front door, clicks off the lights and goes back upstairs.

Peeking into Hope’s room on the way back to theirs, she’s surprised to see Killian rocking their daughter. Upon seeing her questioning look, he murmurs with a grin, “You didn’t skip the creaky floorboards, Swan.”

Crossing the room with feather-light steps, she stops beside him, one hand carding through his thick hair, while the other softly caresses Hope’s rosy cheek. Bending down, she presses a kiss to the baby’s head, then one to Killian’s lips. She also counts quiet moments like these among her favorites.

Then again, when she thinks about it, every moment she spends with her husband and daughter are her favorite moments of the day.

*********

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse into Emma, Killian and Hope's life together. Be sure to check out all the fantastic offerings for the Autumn Bingo event found on Ao3 here.

Tagging:

@qualitycoffeethings @grimmswan @cs-rylie @wyntereyez @kmomof4

@hookedmom @ultraluckycatnd @paradiselady19 @xarandomdreamx @motherkatereloyshipper

@lfh1226-linda @pawshapedheart @vampcoffeegyrl23 @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@eleveneitherway @elfiola @kday426 @julieenchanted-swans @gingerchangeling

@andiirivera @djlbg @jonesfandomfanatic @snowbellewells @anmylica

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @cocohook38 @ilovemesomekillianjones @zaharadessert @lyssapup27

@undercaffinatednightmare @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @xsajx @jackieorioncat

@teamhook @soniccat @jarienn972 @softkilly @kymbersmith-90

@apiratewhopines @hollyethecurious @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate

@caught-in-the-filter @stahlop @veryverynotgoodwrites @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@whimsicallyenchantedrose @earanemith @superchocovian @idristardis @captainswan-kellie

@beckettj @killihan-jones

[snowbellewells]

Captain Swan Spooky Season/Autumnal Bingo Entry: "Coming Back on the Wind"

Summary: When a sudden storm blows up while Killian, Emma, and their family are out in Storybrooke's wood camping, they find shelter and Killian tells an almost-forgotten tale to pass the time...

Author's Notes: Thanks to @hollyethecurious for the lovely bingo board to play with! This is the first entry I have managed to create (hopefully there will be more to come before Autumn gets away from me entirely!) for the prompt "stormy seas"

Takes place in a post-s6 future where Killian and Emma have Hope and twin boys as well, Henry stayed with Violet and didn't go on adventures in other realms, and Emma's little brother is named Leo instead of Neal!

** Also available on AO3 if that's your preference**

"Coming Back on the Wind"

by: @snowbellewells

Outside the hunter’s cabin in the forest bordering Storybrooke, the rain splashed wetly against the windowpane. The torrents of water pouring down from the sky showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. Though he would have preferred they have made it all the way back home from their weekend camping excursion, Killian looked out the window without any true sense of alarm as the branches swayed wildly and the wind moaned, but they remained safe and dry in the log structure which was proving admirably sound - if rather small for their extended crew. The ground might grow soggy and some branches might fall, but it was merely an October storm, not the sort of maelstrom that had once made him cower in the corner of his bunk on Silver’s ship as the waves rolled and he feared the vessel would sink before the dawn.

Turning from his vantage point before the sink in the small kitchen area, Killian’s eyes surveyed the rest of the cabin to find his family and their guests gathered in the open living area around the crackling fireplace, which he had watched Emma light with a mere flex of her fingers. It mattered not that they had been married nearly seven years now, nor how often he had seen his wife avert tragedy and summon marvels into existence; he was still in awe of her, and he often found himself watching her with his breath stolen away, struck speechless by his Swan and all that she was.

His gaze was drawn to her once again as he ascertained that all were well and accounted for. Emma was bustling about to bring Hope her stuffed crocodile (a gift from Belle and young Gideon which entertained everyone else simply for how much Killian grumbled about it), bringing a throw blanket for Henry’s lovely girlfriend to drape over her legs where she was curled up against Henry on the sofa, and then she settled too, pulling their twins onto her lap as she did. Her younger brother Leo, now a bright and cheerful preteen with his father’s blonde hair and chiseled chin but his mother and sister’s brightly shining green eyes, along with Gideon Gold, almost eight now, were also seated within the fireside huddle, having been happy to go on an outdoor adventure with the Jones crew and give their respective parents a night off. When she asked who wanted hot chocolate with cinnamon, there was a lively, unanimous chorus of approval that drowned all sound of the wind and rain outdoors, and had Killian chuckling and shaking his head even from across the room.

“I would think you might have already known the answer to that question, Love,” he playfully chided.

Shooting him a scoff and a mischievous wink, Emma swirled her hand in the air once more and a perfect mug of cocoa, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon appeared in the hands of all but him, eliciting squeals of surprise and delight from the younger children. Gideon in particular wriggled with excitement at the prospect of such a sweet treat. Killian knew that Belle favored tea and healthy snacks and seriously doubted that liquid chocolate was on the boy’s usual menu. 

Thankfully, they hadn’t been far from the old, abandoned cabin when the storm had blown up unexpectedly, and they had managed to get themselves and their things inside the shelter before being truly drenched. Still, Killian reckoned it was wise of Emma to make sure their charges were warmed by the fire and set with the hot drinks as well - though he couldn’t resist needling her a bit for it.

Still, his own insides warmed at the cozy feeling of belonging he had in a cabin in the stormy Maine woods. He had never truly known such peace until these last few of his uncounted years of life, only since meeting Emma and their starting their own small family. The contentment spread throughout his being so completely that it seemed to pour from his fingers and toes; Killian could only draw nearer to his loved ones to drink in the moment. Henry glanced up from where he had been adoringly studying Violet’s profile and gave his stepdad a knowing look as he lowered himself to sit by his Savior’s side. And he could only sheepishly acknowledge the lad’s playful glance. Henry knew the man his mother had married could never stay far from her, always drawn like the strongest of magnets - True Love at its finest.

Soon all of the children, and Emma as well, were happily sipping their decadent drinks and savoring the warmth as it traveled down their throats and soothed their stomachs pleasantly. Hope lowered her mug slightly, only to reveal a dollop of whipped cream on the tip of her pert little nose.

“You’ve missed a taste, lovey,” Killian murmured, the affection glowing in his eyes as he reached out to swipe the creamy topping form her face and pop it into his own mouth. 

“Papa! That was mine!” Hope squealed, giggling even as she did so, but hopping to her feet, little fists planted on her hips and the intriguing near-turquoise of her eyes - a perfect blend of his blue and Emma’s green - flashing with playful pique.

“Ah, but I’m a pirate, little sparrow,” he replied good naturedly, using one of his favorite pet names for her. “You’d best carefully guard your prizes when a pirate’s about.”

“But I’m your pirate princess, remember?” Hope wheedled, flopping dramatically against her father’s chest where Killian willingly wrapped her in his arms. “You shouldn’t steal from me!”

Emma burst out with a guffaw at that comeback from their precocious five-year-old. Nudging him with an elbow in the side, she added, “Kid’s got you there, Babe.”

Killian winked back at his wife before turning playfully repentant eyes on his daughter. “A thousand apologies, your Highness,” he offered humbly, with an exaggerated bob of the head for a sort of seated bow. “To what punishment do you sentence me?”

Hope’s brow furrowed as if she were deep in thought, tilting her head while she studied first her father, then turned to consider both her friend Gideon and her younger twin brothers with a mischievous smirk that rivalled Killian’s own. All three boys nodded eagerly, seeming to know exactly what their pixie ringleader was thinking without exchanging a single word.

Henry snorted in amusement at the proceedings, loving that his baby sister could wrap both Storybrooke’s Savior and the fearsome pirate Captain Hook around her little finger with such ease.

“You have to tell a pirate story!” Hope declared with impish glee, clapping her hands in delight while the twins bounced on their mother’s knees and cheered excitedly. “And if we don’t think it’s good enough, then you walk the plank!” she crowed.

“Yes, please, a story!” Gideon chorused from his spot between Hope and her youthful uncle, his intelligent eyes alight and enthralled at the mere suggestion, loving a good tale every bit as much as his mother did. Belle never could resist listening to a well-spun yarn, and seeing that her only child took after his dear, goodhearted friend in this way especially - her most leading trait - never failed to touch Killian’s heart. Though Belle and Gold might still share a home, and though they remained married, her trust had been broken one too many times for even her generous faith to be fully restored. They were meant to be True Loves, and the emotion remained, but it was bruised and trampled like the rose of their famous tale, far too long past its wilting to salvage. She would never deprive the old Crocodile of another son, not after how long he had sought Neal, how bitterly he had regretted failing him, and then lost him to death anyway, but they kept a brittle distance in their home. Belle found her happiness in her son, her friends, and her books, and Gideon blossomed mostly under her care - for which Killian knew the lad was all the better.

Hanging his head, Killian feigned reluctance at having to provide entertainment, though in truth, he had known that tales of his pirating days would be the decree as soon as he had seen that particular gleam in his daughter’s eye. As Emma often lamented wryly, ‘Our daughter is entirely too entranced by the idea of pillaging and plundering.’ Reaching out to gently tap her chin with the curve of his hook, he pulled Hope into his lap again, tickling her stomach once he had her in his clutches until she cried for mercy.

Once she was sprawled across his legs heaving for breath, Killian nodded his agreement. “You wish is my command, Princess Hope,” he replied. “A story you shall have.”

A whole chorus of cheers rang out from all their younger charges, and in truth, even Henry and Violet’s faces shone with interest. To his delight, even Emma moved slightly closer and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, as if she were settling in for the show. He felt a sort of pride that he could grant such pleasure with his storytelling.

Pausing dramatically, he watched as Leo leaned easily back against the couch, cradling his mug in his hands, ready to savor the last of his cocoa and listen contentedly. Gideon scooted right up before Killian until his knobby eight-year-old knees touched the pirate’s own, eyes wide and breath practically held so as not to miss a word. Hope, for her part, settled on his lap as if it were her throne, somehow managing to look both supremely self-satisified and guilelessly eager, gazing up into her papa’s face as her little fingers clutched at the charms of his necklace the way they often did when she truly settled in to rest. Little Liam David and Westley Graham, just barely walking now, were equally cuddled up against Emma, and a pang went through him, taking in the whole scene as he drew a deep breath to begin. It did his heart good to see their children so comfortable, at ease and certain of their safety and in the knowledge that they were loved. That was as it should be. But he had been only a year or two older than Gideon was now when all he had known of his safe and familiar home had been lost to him. He hadn’t found such security again for so long it had nearly vanished, forgotten, in the recesses of his mind. Something long cracked and aching was mended in seeing that his own children would never face such doubt and fear.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Killian gathered his thoughts. The room went still as his listeners ceased talking and moving about, focused on him intently. He could again hear the wind whistling outside the little cabin, the rain slapping in sheets against the window glass and the almost soothing patter of it upon the roof over their heads. If he tried, he could just conjure up the sensation of rocking back and forth, carried on turbulent waves - could take himself back to the time when he was a boy at sea. Then he began to speak.

“Once upon a time, long before I was the famed pirate captain you see before you,” Killian intoned, letting his voice drop a bit lower and employing a lyrical rhythm. “I was a young lad who could barely be called a cabin boy, on the ship of another pirate - the dastardly Long John Silver.”

The little boys reacted with shivers and gasps, just as he had expected. Emma, who had of course heard this story with much less dramatic flair, in the tone of an agonized confession when they hid themselves away after his return from the Underworld. They had bared the last of their secrets and all of their souls once and for all and bound themselves back together again. Killian felt her hand flutter lightly to rest upon his own, and he squeezed it briefly in reassurance, letting her known that he was alright. This was a much less raw and bleeding version of events, peeled back to reveal the little good that there had been, even in those awful times.

“Aye, you’re right to be alarmed, me mateys,” Killian warned, waggling his dark brows at them with playful aplomb. “Silver was indeed a ruthless villain - and he ran his ship with little care for youngsters aboard who might be hungry, injured… or frightened of storms.”

He swept his hand out before him, illustrating the expanse of rolling waves under a dark night sky lit at alarmingly frequent intervals by bright, wicked forks of lightning. His audience was every bit as rapt as he had intended, allowing Killian only a moment for a sidelong glance at Emma with a twinkle in his eye.

“That stormy night, all but the night’s watch were in their bunks, and the lad knew he would find no sympathy from any quarter at any rate. His older brother was on the ship with him, but that young man was the only one who showed the boy any consideration, and he was fast asleep, having already put in what would be a hard day’s work for a full grown man, much less a stripling of fourteen. And so, the boy huddled in the corner of his small bunk, crowding against the wall and trying to block out the booming claps of thunder with hands pressed over his ears, willing his stomach not to turn as they were rolled up, down, and sideways by the vicious swells.”

Hope snuggled deeper into his embrace, seeking comfort for herself, empathetic little siren that she was, and unknowingly grounding him in the present, soothing the long scabbed-over wounds this story pricked. As though somehow sensing the boy from the story was closer than its teller let on, Killian also felt the feather-light brush of young Gideon’s fingers come to rest on his knee, offering silent support in his own timid way. He was hardly privy to what his dear friend Belle told her son about his past history or the harsh beginnings he’d weathered early in life, but he sensed in that moment that Hope’s unlikely playmate knew the frightened youth of long ago was now the man seated before him. And he wanted to bolster him in a difficult moment.

It was enough to have Killian swallowing back a lump in his throat. Meeting the child’s searching gaze, Killian offered a smile and nod of the head in unspoken gratitude, to which Gideon beamed and patted his knee with more confidence.

“Though the boy tried to remain still,” Killian continued solemnly, “the storm did not let up. Instead it raged harder until he was sure he would be thrown from his berth to the floor and that the ship itself would be turned on its side and sink into the deep. His thin shoulders shook as he wept, and though he fought to hold back his tears, occasionally a hiccup or gasp for air escaped.”

“It was at that moment,” and here the pirate’s voice, though still rough with deeply felt emotion, grew more musical and light, “when all hope seemed lost, that he felt a soft, familiar touch on his shoulder sliding down to gently rub his back until his strangled sobs eased. It was his older brother, roused from slumber, either by the boy’s distress or the ferocity of the storm, and quick to come to his younger sibling’s aid. The elder scooted into the bunk and gingerly wrapped an arm around the trembling smaller form, shushing and soothing as best he could.”

“Even as the wind continued to wail and howl all around, and as the waves slapped against the hold where they huddled together, the boy already felt much stronger - less afraid - just knowing that he was not alone. And then the elder brother began to hum. It was a familiar tune, a soothing lullaby coaxed from the far reaches of the younger’s memory along with an echo of his mother’s warm voice singing that same melody. Soon his brother was offering lilting words as well, in barely more than a whisper. Both knew the ire which would rain down on their heads if they roused any others, and yet his sibling dared those consequences to end his little brother’s torment. As the near-forgotten song continued, the effects of the wild storm seemed to die away. By the time the end of the song neared, that frightened cabin boy had finally found sleep.”

“What was the song?” Hope piped up curiously. “Can you sing it for us?”

Killian shook his head with a humored huff, having expected no less. Not letting himself hesitate long enough to change his mind, he wet his lips, drew in a steadying breath, and launched into the old tune he remembered hearing in Liam’s murmured, youthful tones. His brother had always told him it was their mother’s favorite - one she had used often to soothe fevers or lull her boys back to peaceful dreams after nightmares. Killian had barely remembered her - or anything about the cozy, cliffside cottage that had been their home - even then, but Liam had held it dear in his own heart and had brought the same feeling to life for Killian.

As Killian continued to sing, voice gathering strength while rising and falling with the notes, the rain outside their small shelter in the woods seemed to wrap around and join the chorus. His audience in the cabin listened closely, drawn into the song that had once been his mother’s, which had comforted him for years as something of his older brother’s, passing on once again to the new family they had made.

And as the fireplace crackled invitingly, his wife’s golden head rested on his shoulder, and he sang the last lines, the sudden storm they’d hunkered down to escape seemed to have enclosed them in a haven instead. The wind blowing the branches against the windows still showed its power, but with those he loved around him, the storm which had accompanied his long held memories finally ceased.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @jennjenn615 @kmomof4 @searchingwardrobes @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi

@jrob64 @apiratewhopines @anmylica @justanother-unluckysoul @bluewildcatfanatic @xsajx

@tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @lfh1226-linda

@xarandomdreamx @booksteaandtoomuchtv @goforlaunchcee @stahlop @caught-in-the-filter

@donteattheappleshook @the-darkdragonfly @elizabeethan @undercaffinatednightmare @drowned-dreamer

@gingerpolyglot @gingerchangeling @scientificapricot @motherkatereloyshipper @myfearless-love

@belovedcreation @exhaustedpirate @grimmswan @zaharadessert

[lecsainz]

ׄFORMULA ONE MASTERLIST

( requests are OPEN || back to nav || back to main masterlist )

˒ ⌕ second f1 masterlist

fluff ಇ | smut ✧ | angst ✶ | sad ʚ | sugestive 𑁤

CL 16 ✶ CHARLES LECLERC

˒ ⌕ one shot

runaway bride: you were nervous before your wedding and realized your true feelings for your best friend charles.

love notes: you and charles spend a cozy morning together, enjoying breakfast and a sweet moment at the piano.

winning hearts: charles and you, a new driver on the grid, form a strong bond as you both pursue your dreams in motorsport.

stuck in the elevator: you and charles find yourselves stuck in an elevator.

always be here: after crashing during the quali at the miami grand prix, charles is devastated, but finds peace and comfort in your presence.

remind me: you and charles have been friends since childhood and end up dating when you're older.

big dream: y/n and charles's daughters, rylee and amelie, wish for a baby brother, leading to lighthearted conversations and laughter during a family lunch in monaco.

meeting of families: where charles becomes enchanted upon meeting carla's older sister during a family dinner. → PART TWO

saturday morning: the one where you decide to look for your boyfriend around the apartment after not finding him in bed.

home sweet home: you're charles' girl, and he catches you groovin' solo in the crib you both share.

˒ ⌕ smut

yacht experience: you're on a yacht with other drivers, and charles can't get your body out of his mind from the previous night, leading to him and you having sex in the yacht's cabin.

dress: you and charles are attending a gala event, and he can't hide how much the dress you're wearing drives him crazy. the night ends with the two of you having hot sex in the hotel room.

shower heat: charles and you engage in a shower sex, where he skillfully uses the showerhead to bring you to climax.

lust to love: coming soon!

honeymoon: the one where you and charles have sex for the first time after getting married.

just ride: the one where you decide to surprise and tease charles by riding him on the balcony of your apartment while he's on a call with his engineer.

you're mine: the one where you decide to tease charles and he ends up getting jealous.

sunset: charles being turned on by your sundress.

˒ ⌕ smau

hollywood rumors: the one where you recently broke up with actor dylan o'brien, sparking rumors of a potential new relationship with a formula one driver.

met gala interview: the one where you getting ready for the met gala and preparing for an interview with vogue and you receive questions about your secret boyfriend.

wedding to remember: you and charles, along with your daughters amelie and rylee, get ready to attend a friend's wedding where the twins will be the flower girls.

high infidelity: the one where you're famous and end up raising suspicions of cheating on your boyfriend carlos with charles, his teammate.

main thing: the one where you're an actress and a mom, and rumors about you and charles surface. → PART TWO

been mine: that one where you and charles have been friends since childhood and end up together.

˒ ⌕ fake text

this toxic twisted rush: the one where you get abandoned on your anniversary with charles and end up discovering his true colors.

sleepless: the one where charles can't sleep before a race day and ends up sending messages to his girlfriend.

interview distractions: the one where you're charles' girlfriend and decide to tease him a bit during an interview.

˒ ⌕ headcanons

i really like your curls i like a lot ಇ

˒ ⌕ blurbs

happy birthday love ಇ

perfume ಇ

CS 55 ✶ CARLOS SAINZ

˒ ⌕ one shot

she’s a bad bad girl: that one where the media makes up stuff about your relationship with carlos but he ain't gonna let that shake our relationship.

smooth operator ✧

˒ ⌕ smau

instagram stories: carlos and you had been keeping their three children out of the public eye for a while, but accidentally revealed them in a social media story.

bésame: the one where you are carlos' latina girlfriend and you exchange cute posts on instagram

˒ ⌕ blurbs

good night babe: the one where you are insecure about sleeping at the same bed as your boyfriend, carlos.

amor a la ventana: where you're the next-door neighbor of carlos, and he invites you to dinner.

LH 44 ✶ LEWIS HAMILTON

˒ ⌕ smau

we keep this lowkey: the one where harry styles' younger sister is seen with lewis and everyone starts commenting about a possible romance between them.

˒ ⌕ headcanons

˒ ⌕ blurbs

late night drive: the one where you are lewis, go out for a car ride at night.

KR 07 ✶ KIMI RAIKKONEN

˒ ⌕ blurbs

melting the iceman: the one where you see your husband taking care of your son and feel that you couldn't be happier as you are.

PG 10 ✶ PIERRE GASLY

˒ ⌕ one shot

hotel room: where the hotel mistakenly switches room keys, and pierre ends up in christian horner's niece's room.

bathroom incident: pierre takes his sister to a race, and you get trapped in the paddock bathroom.

LN 04 ✶ LANDO NORRIS

˒ ⌕ one shot

back to december: lando reunites with his ex-girlfriend in the paddock with another driver.

˒ ⌕ fake text

sweatshirts: the one where you steal lando's sweatshirts.

miss you: the one where you're lando's girlfriend and, because you miss him so much, you decide to go see him at a race.

date with my bestie? the one where you're best friends with lando but due to adult life, you end up drifting apart

miss you: the one where you're lando's girlfriend and, because you miss him so much, you decide to go see him at a race.

˒ ⌕ smau

triangle: the one where you're toto wolff's daughter and everyone wants to know who your boyfriend is.

˒ ⌕ headcanons

dating with lando norris

DR 03 ✶ DANIEL RICCIARDO

˒ ⌕ one shot

sister's support: you decide to accompany daniel to a race for the first time and end up being invited on a date.

tattooed: the one where you're a tattoo artist, and Daniel comes to your tattoo studio.

football game: the one where you're the younger sister of the kelces and you go to a travis game and end up meeting daniel ricciardo.

˒ ⌕ smau

mystery affair: the one where you, a famous singer, finds yourself in the midst of rumors when photos of her with lando and pierre surface, and no one expects the true identity of her mysterious man.

falling for you: that one where you're a famous singer, and daniel comes to your show, and you exchange love declarations on social media.

MV 33 ✶ MAX VERSTAPPEN

˒ ⌕ smau

my brother's friend: the one where you're charles' sister and dating one of his friends, max.

˒ ⌕ one shot

foolish: where max has feelings for you but he's with kelly, and when he finally acts on it, it's already too late.

MS 47 ✶ MICK SCHUMACHER

˒ ⌕ smau

they're talk- talk- talking about: the one where you and mick have been dating for a while without the media knowing and you start interacting more on social media

SB 05 ✶ SEBASTIAN VETTEL

˒ ⌕ one shot

winter visit: the one where you go on a super chilly winter holiday date with your boyfriend for a mini getaway to meet his parents.

OP 81 ✶ OSCAR PIASTRI

˒ ⌕ blurbs

ON THE GRID ✶ READER DRIVER

˒ ⌕ one shot

sneezes and strategies: where you have a sneezing attack during a race.

fangirl moment: before a race, you encounter one of your favorite singers in the paddock, who happens to be your fan.

from pit stop to push-up: you go to the gym "of your own free will" with lando.

˒ ⌕ driver!reader x fabio quartararo

secret crush: you receive a message from motogp rider fabio quartararo aand become the subject of jokes about your little mishap from the entire grid.

date night: part two is a secret crush, where you go on a date with fabio.

[horanghaejamjam]

Jigsaw - {CS}

↪   Summary: You are the lead detective in an investigation surrounding one of the most infamous killers the city has ever seen. Unfortunately for you, Jigsaw knows you're onto him and has played you like a game at every turn, threatening the case and your status. Your determination to catch him finally gets you a lead, only for you to find yourself tangled in a special trap that he designed just for you. Let the game begin.

↪ Pairings: Jigsaw Killer Choi San x Female Detective Reader

↪   Rating: M 18+

↪   Genre: Non-idol/Slasher/Horror movie au/ Suggestive / Fluff/Friends to enemies to lovers

↪   Word Count: 5.7k

↪ Warnings/Contents: References to classic horror movies, mainly Saw, Silence of the Lambs, and Scream. Mentions of death/murder/being shot (not detailed). Seonghwa and Mingi both make cameos in this story with a few other members being mentioned. Swearing and implied smut (MDNI). San being a teasing little shit, makeout sessions, fondling over clothes.

↪ Side Notes: To the wonderful @pinkywritings hi darling I was your assigned Ghost Writer for the @atinyhalloweenproject. This is my first time writing for San and I had a lot of fun with it so I hope you enjoy it! Sorry it is so late I wanted to have it out by Halloween but due to the sudden weather change we haven't had power. I tried to make it longer to make up for that so hopefully it doesn't feel rushed and was worth the wait!

I honestly may do a part two to this or an expansion later on because I love the idea of Jigsaw San but we'll see.

↪ Click here to see my other Ateez stories

↪ Click here for other kpop masterlists

↪ Click here to join my fic taglist

“Police officials are seeking any leads in identifying the man known only to the public as the Jigsaw killer. He is believed to be linked in multiple disappearances and murders that have taken place around Seoul for the past three months. The victims were all found in various handmade traps and had a puzzle piece drawn somewhere visible on their body. At this time investigators have no leads and are asking the public for any knowledge they may have on this public threat.” 

The reporter's voice faded to nothing as the volume on the TV was lowered to zero. You groaned softly to yourself as you tossed the remote to the side, running your hands through your hair as you sat forward on your couch. It had been just over a month since you were assigned the Jigsaw murder case, the last detective backing out after the man in question threatened to target his family. The case was quickly transferred over to you, one of the best detectives in your field, but it was very quickly starting to test your patience. 

Whoever this Jigsaw was, he was a clever man. He left no trace, no evidence, nothing that would allow you to track him down. You went through surveillance, interviewed the family and friends of the victims, tried breaking down his traps for any clues, but any lead always led you right back to square one. You had tried to be patient, hoping that eventually he would slip up and give you something, but it was starting to sound like wishful thinking. Even worse, he knew who you were and started calling you out directly. You would find notes addressed to you, pictures, voice messages, all calling you out and taunting you. It was like he was playing some cruel game with you and you had no choice but to play along or risk losing everything. You couldn’t even walk to work anymore without some reporter chasing you down demanding an explanation or any evidence you had in the case. It came to a point where you only went to the office when called, and the rest of your work you did from home. 

Various evidence pictures and case files were thrown across your coffee table, a few rough notes scribbled in between. You had been looking at the same files for the past couple of hours, dissecting every last word to see if you had missed any connections. Your last victim had been found 72 hours ago, and you knew you only had a day at most before the next one. There were a few things you had discovered about Jigsaw, and the main one was that he worked on a schedule. Once someone was reported missing, it would be three days before their body turned up and the cycle would start again. Whoever this man was, he clearly enjoyed his patterns, and that is what you found yourself looking for, any pattern you may have missed. 

“Working from home again I see?” you practically jumped out of your skin as you heard the deep voice of your roommate behind you, turning around to see his tall frame leaning over the couch. 

“For Fucks sake Mingi you almost gave me a heart attack!” you whined, reaching up to lightly smack at him, “what are you doing here anyways I thought you weren’t coming home tonight.” You and Mingi had been friends for as long as you could remember, having met back in high school and staying together through college and your time at the police academy. He was like a brother to you at this point and you trusted him so you didn’t mind if he saw your work, even if he technically wasn’t supposed to. Mingi always found your work to be fascinating and would bug you randomly about cases, which only grew more when you started investigating Jigsaw, though you assumed it was just because you got to bring your work home now. Just as you predicted, he made his way to the other side of the couch and took a seat next to you, picking up one of the crime scene photos to get a better look. 

“I was going to stay at Yunhos tonight but something came up and he had to cancel,” Mingi explained, running his thumb over the picture he was holding, “ouch this looks like it would have been painful, what is it?”

“That’s one of Jigsaw's latest traps,” you answered, snatching the photo away from him, “I’m looking through it to see if I can find any missing clues.” 

“Have you found anything?”

“Sadly no, he’s very good at covering his tracks. It’s been a month and we still don’t have any leads on this guy, it’s like he’s a ghost or something.” Mingi hummed softly as he continued to look through all the pictures, careful not to mess them up knowing you would yell at him if he did. 

“Now I’m no expert but, are you sure you’re only looking for one person?” he asked, catching you off guard. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean all these crime scenes you’ve shown me have been pretty big and this says it only took three days, seems like a lot of work for one person if you ask me.” Mingi explained, “and that’s why your patterns wouldn’t line up like you want them to.” You blinked up at him dumbly for a moment as you processed his words, looking back down at the file you had basically memorized by this point. You didn’t want to admit it, but Mingi had a point. 

“You know that’s actually not a bad idea,” you muttered. 

“I can be helpful sometimes you know,” he bragged with a laugh, earning himself a punch to the shoulder. He didn’t have time to retaliate though as you were packing up all of your things and rushing towards the door, “Wait where are you going?”

“I need to check on something, don’t wait up for me!” you called back, pulling on your coat and running out the door as he called after you. In your rush you hadn’t realized that you dropped part of your case file on your way out, nor did you notice Mingi pulling out his phone to call someone as he closed the door to your apartment.

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

You made it to the crime scene in no time, an abandoned warehouse located just on the edge of the city. You parked your car a bit away and pulled out a flashlight as you made your way inside, ducking under the caution tape and pulling your jacket closer to yourself as you looked around. The clean up crew had gotten most of the scene cleaned by now, but the trap itself was still there. A weirdly broken mess of chains and blades that you wouldn’t have been able to put back together if you wanted to, making you wonder how Jigsaw even came up with the idea in the first place. You shook the thought out of your head and made your way to one of the blades, leaning down to inspect it carefully. It was sharp with a curve to it, but almost messy in design as if it was handmade. To test that theory you took a look at another one and noticed the same thing except this one was thicker and less curved despite being set up the same way. The chains themselves were also a bit sloppy when you looked at them closely, almost as if they had been done in a rush. It wasn’t as clean as Jigsaw's normal work, and now Mingis suggestion that you were dealing with more than one culprit seemed more plausible. 

You took your phone out to snap a picture just as the door to the warehouse opened, a new light pouring in and a familiar voice calling your name. 

“Over here!” you called back, flashing your light in his direction so he could see you. Quick footsteps made their way towards you before a familiar figure came into view. Park Seonghwa, a senior detective that had transferred over to your department a little over a year ago and assigned as your partner. You had been against the idea at first since your original partner had been killed only a few weeks prior during an investigation gone wrong. The chief had insisted it would be for the best though since you needed the help and Seonghwas cool and more collected nature would balance you out nicely which would prove to be true. Your impulsiveness had driven the older detective crazy a few times, but for the most part the two of you got along well and you could even consider him a friend. He was wearing a long black coat and matching gloves and his hair was long and falling into his face rather than slicked up like normal, probably because he had been at home resting when you called him. 

“Would you care to explain why you called me out here in the middle of the night when I haven’t heard from you in the last 48 hours?” Seonghwa questioned, unable to hide the annoyance in his tone. 

“I’ll make it up to you but I figured this couldn’t wait,” you muttered, going back to inspect the chain again, “I’m trying to prove a theory about something.” 

“That theory being?”

“What if Jigsaw isn't working alone?” you challenged, “what if it’s more than one person, that would explain why nothing lines up.” Seonghwas eyes widened a bit and you could have sworn you heard him mutter something under his breath, “what did you say?” 

“Oh nothing,” he brushed you off, “what made you so convinced of this new theory? Did you find something?” You froze for a second, not wanting to expose yourself for letting a member of the general public view the case file. 

“Just a hunch,” you lied, “but I mean look at the way this trap was built, it's messy compared to the others, almost as if it was made by someone else.”

“Or maybe Jigsaw just ran out of time and rushed on it,” he argued. 

“Can you just humor me for five seconds Seonghwa,” you groaned, “maybe I’m wrong yes but isn’t it at least worth looking into?” Seonghwa rolled his eyes but gave in, walking to the other side of the trap to get a better look. You were too distracted by your own work to pay much attention to him, meticulously looking through every detail of the trap despite not actually knowing what you were looking for. Your instinct was telling you that there was something there you were overlooking, something that was hiding in plain sight, you just had to figure out what that was. 

“Hey Y/N,” Seonghwa called out after a few minutes, “I think I found something.” Your head shot up and you quickly dusted yourself off before making your way over. Seonghwa was standing in the corner of the warehouse holding what looked to be a tape recorder. “I found it tucked away over here, may have gotten knocked around during the investigation,” he explained. 

“Does it say anything?” you asked, taking the recorder from his hands and pressing the play button. There was only static for a moment before a robotic voice spoke up, like someone was speaking through a voice changer. Despite that, you couldn’t help but feel like the voice seemed familiar to you, but it was hard to tell through the editing. 

“Hello Detective Y/L/N,” the tape addressed you, sending a chill through your body, “these past few weeks you have been running around in circles trying to discover who I am. You have been closer to the truth than you realize but you always end up blindsided by your work and, as a result, you overlook the answer that is right in front of you. I have enjoyed silently watching you up until this point but now it is getting quite boring so why don’t we make this a bit more fun? Do you like games, detective? I hope you do because I want to play a game with you. I have left a riddle for you, the answer to which will tell you all you need to know about who I am and what I do. You have 48 hours to find the riddle and tell me the answer or you will find yourself and those closest to you in a very undesirable situation. The timer starts the second this recording ends, let’s hope you are as clever as everyone says you are. Let the game begin.” 

  You felt your blood run cold as the tape came to an end, barely registering Seonghwas hand on your shoulder as you tried to process everything you just heard. Seonghwa tried talking to you but you ignored him, pushing his hand off and rushing back to your car, your partner not far behind you. 

“Where are you going? We should report this to the office first!” he called after you. 

“What good is reporting it going to do? You heard him Hwa I have 48 hours to figure out who this guy is or we’re all screwed, I can’t waste time.”

“So what you’re going to rush into something and get yourself killed?” he argued. 

“Better than doing nothing and getting everyone else killed,” you snapped back, “now if you’ll excuse me, I need to find this riddle he’s talking about.” Seonghwa called after you again but by this point you had gotten in your car and were already making your way back to your apartment. Part of you felt like going home was a bad idea, but you also couldn’t help but feel like something was pulling you to go there. The same feeling of familiarity that you got hearing the tape returned, making you feel more and more uneasy as you pulled into your apartment complex. Like you knew who Jigsaw was and yet the image of his face was blurred any time you tried to imagine him.

Mingi didn’t seem to be home when you got back, his shoes were gone and the light was off. You couldn’t focus on that though, as your attention was drawn to the stack of papers placed neatly on your coffee table. You carefully walked over and looked through the pile, recognizing pictures from all the different crime scenes you had investigated so far, each one marked with red ink. 

‘Y/N, doesn’t this random pattern seem a bit too random?’

‘This is quite close to home don’t you think?’

‘The truth has been in front of you the whole time.’

‘Why do I do what I do?’

‘Did you miss me?’

You ran your hand through your hair as you continued looking through the pictures, realizing that the riddle was basically going to send you on a scavenger hunt. It would take forever for you to go back through each crime scene and look back through everything to find out what he was talking about. Even worse, it was pretty late and you could feel exhaustion slowly taking over you, slouching over the coffee table and eventually laying against it as you fell asleep trying to decipher the riddle. 

You were jolted awake by the sound of your phone vibrating, groaning softly as you sat up and reached into your pocket for the device. You half expected it to be a call from Mingi or Seonghwa, but instead you were greeted with the same robotic voice from the night before. Only this time, you were able to hear his actual voice a bit more and it was one you swore you had heard before. 

“Good morning Sleeping Beauty, I hope my riddle didn’t keep you up all night,” the voice immediately woke you up, straightening your posture as you looked around. 

“Who is this?” you asked. 

“Aww I’m almost offended you don’t remember me, we go way back you know,” the voice responded, “I’ve missed you Y/N, and even if you don’t remember me now I know you miss me too.” You paused for a moment at his words before realizing now was not the time to worry about that. 

“Why are you doing this?” 

“That. my dear detective is for you to find out, you always did enjoy the thrill of a good challenge didn’t you? I figured you would have solved my puzzle by now but since I believe in giving people a fair chance I’ll give you another clue. One of those puzzle pieces doesn’t quite belong, once you find the answer I will be waiting for you in the place we last met, don’t keep me waiting Doll.” With that the call ended, causing you to groan in frustration and toss your phone to the side. 

“I’ve had about enough of these damn games,” you huffed, rubbing your hands over your eyes. You looked through the pictures again before one in particular caught your eye. It wasn’t one of the Jigsaw crime scenes, but instead it was a picture of an older house, one that you recognized from your last murder investigation with your old partner, San. The memories slowly came back to you and that’s when it finally clicked for you, the puzzle and the reason the voice sounded so familiar to you. That was impossible though, San was dead, you had been at the hospital with him when the doctors told you there was nothing they could do. There was no way that San was still alive, and yet you would recognize his voice anywhere. Shaking your head, you grabbed your phone and stood up, calling Seonghwa and telling him to meet you at the house in question as you left your apartment and got in your car. The whole ride there you tried ignoring the feeling of dread that came over you, hoping that your intuition was wrong. 

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

Seonghwa was already at the house before you got there, leaning against the wall with a blank expression. “I take it you found the answer to your riddle?” he asked as you walked past him, leading him inside. 

“As much as I hope I am wrong I think I did,” you confessed, “and if I’m right the clue we are looking for should be here somewhere.” Seonghwa stood still in the middle of the room as you frantically looked around, digging through his pocket and following your movements with his eyes. 

“This isn’t one of the crime scenes,” he pointed out, “what exactly are we looking for?”

“Jigsaw said to find him at the place we last met and this place was the only one pictured that wasn’t one of the crime scenes,” you explained. Seonghwa hummed softly at your answer, but you ignored him as you continued looking around. 

“Why here then, what’s so special about this place?” you froze for a moment at the question, an action that didn’t go unnoticed. 

“This was the last place I investigated with my first partner,” you answered, “he was shot during the investigation and I thought he was dead but I’m starting to think I was wrong.” 

“You think it’s him,” Seonghwa stated rather than asked, to which you nodded. 

“I don’t know why he would do such a thing, but it all lines up.” Seonghwa sighed and glanced down at his watch before making his way towards you. 

“I’m surprised you know, you solved the riddle faster than we thought you would, we’re a bit ahead of schedule.” His words made your blood run cold, freezing as your head turned to look at him. 

“What did you just say?”

“I’m sorry about this Y/N,” Seonghwa apologized, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a syringe, “just know I don’t make the rules, I’m just the delivery guy.” Before you could react to his words he had grabbed you and injected you with what you assumed was some kind of anesthesia, your body going limp in his hold almost immediately and your vision going black. The last thing you remember hearing was his voice and footsteps approaching before you completely lost consciousness. 

When you returned to consciousness the first thing that you noticed was that you couldn’t move. Your arms and legs were handcuffed to a chair that also appeared to be bolted to the floor so you couldn’t tip it over. Tugging at your restraints, you glanced around to find that you were in some sort of workshop, various trap parts and gadgets tossed around multiple workbenches. At the front of the room were what appeared to be security monitors, each watching different parts of the city that you could just barely make out. 

“I have to hand it to you Y/N,” a voice said from behind you, “the last detective didn’t make it nearly as far.” The sound of footsteps echoed through the room before a figure appeared in your vision, wearing a full body red and black hood. Even though his face was covered by the hood, you could feel the presence of your former partner.

“How, I thought you were dead,” you whispered, not sure what to feel at the moment. In any other circumstance you would be over the moon to know he was alive, but how were you supposed to feel knowing he was the serial killer you had been anxiously tracking down. Shock, betrayal, anger, sadness, confusion, all of these emotions swirled through your brain like an endless whirlpool, pulling you in deeper and nearly bringing tears to your eyes. 

“Everyone did,” San replied, turning away from you to face one of his work benches, “the doctors said it was a miracle, that no one thought I would make it through the night let alone make a full recovery.” You could hear him messing with something, but couldn’t see what it was, struggling to look past his shoulder as he continued talking, “I tried to find you after you know? I thought you were the only one left that cared about me, and yet even you managed to turn your back on me.” 

“I always cared about you,” you argued, “that’s why I’m trying to understand why San, why did you do this?” It was at this point that he finally turned to face you, pulling the hood back so you could see him properly. He looked almost the same as you remembered, but there was a cold gaze in his eyes that almost made him feel like a stranger. This wasn’t the warm hearted and cheerful person you used to consider a friend, he was a killer. Despite this, however, you couldn’t help yourself from falling for his familiarity, almost as if you could convince yourself the old San was still in there, somewhere. 

“You never realize just how valuable life is until you are inches away from death,” he explained, “the adrenaline and the fight to survive, it almost feels like you are being reborn. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how corrupt the world we live in truly is, because no one really knows how to appreciate the life they are given until it is nearly taken from them. You may not understand it now but trust me my methods will help make the world a better place.”

“You’re killing people because you want them to appreciate life?” you questioned, wondering if he was actually being serious. There was no way a person's mind could be that twisted, right? 

“You think I’m a killer?” San asked, not needing a verbal response since your glare was enough confirmation, “that’s where you’re wrong you know. I have not killed anyone, all of my games are survivable as long as the player has the will to fight for it. Those who failed the games basically killed themselves.” You wanted to argue that putting people in these death traps still made him a killer but he cut you off, “Seven people have won so far, seven people who had that will to live and had the chance to be reborn. They understand what it truly means to be alive and now they help me spread my message. You may not understand me now, but I really do hope that you will be the next.” 

“So what, am I the next person that gets to be put in one of your death traps then?” you groaned, tugging at your restraints. San pouted a bit but shook his head. 

“Your game began the minute you took the case from Detective Kim,” he explained, “you and I always seemed to have an understanding so I had hoped you would pick up on my clues and join without a fight, but you were far too stubborn to listen. Eventually I had to cut my losses so I had my apprentices plant fake evidence to finally get you here, it was the only way.” Your heart dropped a bit at the word apprentices, your mind immediately going back to Seonghwa and how he was the one who brought you here. 

“So you’re telling me the whole time,” you trailed off. 

“Seonghwa was working for me, yes, Mingi as well, they both survived my games and agreed to help with the cause and when you took over my case I knew I could use them to guide you in the right direction,” San explained. He took a moment to glance at a clock on the wall before sighing and making his way over to you. San rested his hands on the arms of the chair and used them to prop himself up so he was leaning over you, “As much as I have enjoyed our little chat I’m afraid we do not have much time. I really do like you Y/N so I will give you a choice. Join me and together we can help change the world for the better.”

“And if I refuse?” you challenged. 

“Well then I guess we’ll have to play a game,” he hummed, leaning away from you, “The second I walk out of this room it will lock and a timer will start. Behind you are two doors, each with a different combination, one door will lead you to the exit, and the other will lead you to me. If you choose to leave then you will be free but you will lose your chance to catch me. If you choose to come after me, then you have a chance to learn the truth at the risk of your freedom. The combinations are hidden in this room and you will have exactly one hour to find them and leave through the door of your choosing, and trust me you don’t want to know what will happen if you run out of time.” San chuckled softly before pulling away and walking behind you, “This is your last chance to accept my offer Y/N, I would hate to lose you like this.” He waited for a moment but when you didn’t respond he sighed, “Very well, let the game begin.” You felt him place something into your hand, which you quickly realized was a key, before the door slammed shut and San was gone. 

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

It didn’t take you long to unlock yourself, taking a second to rub your wrists as you stood up and made your way cautiously around the room. You did your best to stay calm and not look at the clock as you examined the doors and then looked around for the combinations, which you quickly realized were hidden on his tools. The question was, do you free yourself and turn your back on the case, or do you risk it all and try to go after San. The rational part of your brain was screaming at you to just get out of there and not look back, and yet you quickly found yourself moving on autopilot. Before you could really process what you were doing, you had entered the code for the door labeled “Truth” and ran through it, stepping into a dark hallway and letting the door lock behind you. 

You took a moment to compose yourself before heading forward, placing your hands against the walls to help feel your way through the space. All the doors were locked until you came to one at the very end that was cracked open, revealing what looked to be a makeshift office space, with nothing but a desk and filing cabinet in the room. You poked your head through first, looking around for any sign of life before slowly stepping inside and making your way to the desk, only to gasp as you felt another body pin you to it. 

“I knew you would come after me,” San whispered, spinning you around so that you were facing him. Your body was pressed between his and the desk, his arms caging you on either side as your eyes locked. 

“I can’t let you get away with this,” you argued, trying to wiggle away from him but San was stronger so he held you in place. 

“Come on Doll, you and I both know that’s not why you came after me,” he teased, “maybe it was at first but if that was the case now you would be fighting me harder.” He was right, even if he was stronger you knew you could at least hold your own enough to get him away or subdue him long enough to call for help. Yet you couldn’t bring yourself to actually fight him off, struggling against him enough to save your pride but not enough to actually push him off. “So tell me,” San continued, “why did you really come after me, was it because you were curious about my work? Or, was it because deep down you missed me?” Honestly, you weren’t even sure if you knew the answer, your body having reacted before your mind could catch up. 

“This isn’t right,” you argued, reaching your hands up to push at his shoulders. 

“And yet here we are,” he teased, backing up enough to wrap his arms around you and pull you closer to him. Your bodies pressed together and your arms instinctually made their way around his neck which made him chuckle. “I always knew you were special, you understood me in a way that no one else ever did. Stay with me, nothing will be able to come between us.” San leaned down until your lips were centimeters apart, his breath tickling your lips with every word. You tried not to give into him, knowing that this was wrong, but you also couldn’t deny the thrill that ran through you just from being near him. You had always cared for San when you two were partners, hell there was even a time where you could argue that you did have a crush on him. That was back then however, when he was the sweet and easy going detective that decorated his desk with mini plushies and would whine if you forgot to get him a pastry on your morning coffee runs. This version of San wasn’t like that, even if the allure was still there, he was cold, twisted, and a killer. 

“I can’t do this,” you argued, “you’re not the man I once cared about.” You tried to turn your head away from him, but he gripped your chin to force you to look at him. 

“Yes I am, behind all of this it is still me and I can prove that to you,” he whispered, “just let me show you.” When you shook your head again he huffed, loosening his grip for a moment before it tightened again, “Fine then, how about another game?” 

“I already won your stupid game though!�� you challenged. 

“Yet you still haven’t learned,” he fought back, “the least you can do is give me a chance to convince you. If you don’t give in then I will go with you to the station and turn myself in, but if I win then you quit being a detective for good and you stay with me.” You gave him a questioning look, at this point more than positive that he had gone insane. However, if playing his dumb games meant putting an end to Jigsaw, then you were more than willing to oblige. 

“Alright fine, deal,” you reluctantly agreed. You only had a moment to register Sans smirk before he was pulling you against him again and connecting your lips. One hand stayed pressed against your back to keep you against him, while the other tangled itself in your hair, tugging slightly to get a reaction out of you. The kiss wasn’t rough or forced like you had expected, instead it was gentle and passionate, like he wanted to take his time with you. His lips were surprisingly soft against yours, and you began to slowly melt against his movements. You kissed him back and allowed him to have more control, whining softly against his lips when he tugged a bit harder at your hair. Your own hands trailed down his body, tracing his shoulders and chest for a few moments before daring to go a bit lower. San groaned as he felt you palm him over his robe, tightening his grip on your hair and deepening the kiss as his own hand reached down to grab at your thighs and your ass. 

All your resolve melted away at his touch and you found yourself giving into him completely, relishing in the way he invaded your senses. All rationality had left completely, replaced with an unusual desire as San explored your body. As desperate as he was, his touches remained soft and left you craving more whenever he pulled his hand away. San walked you back until you reached the desk, lifting you up enough to sit you on top of it and slotting himself between your thighs as he finally pulled away. You only had a second to catch your breath before you were pushed back slightly and pinned down by your hands. San hovered above you with a knowing smirk, taking a moment to enjoy your flustered expression before leaning down to whisper directly in your ear. 

“Looks like I won. Game Over!” 

Ateez taglist: N/A

Please see my pinned post to be added to the taglist.

[1lenii]

Hey im that mystery anon again <3 So not a request just thought i wanted to share, this Friday i went to a bbq with my uncles and cousins (me being the only girl) and I couldn’t daydream about Miles with a shy girly s/o who completely turns around when she is with her family and becomes all motherly yet play-fights and sings rancheras with her uncles while cooking. The dream life <3 Can’t imagine Miles (E-42) confusion at his sweet gf suddenly all out

Ⰶ BBQ SURPRISE Ⰶ

Miles G Morales x F!Latina!Reader

Ⰶ Hii lovely<3, I CONSIDER THIS A REQUEST IDC. SO. basically made a oneshot(?)cs why not? My mind if filled with a bunch of what ifs so here are some hcs or not :)

Ⰶ Do enjoy!

Ⰶhonestly Js fluff! No warning that I know off

Ⰶ Y/N is still getting use to Miles as they recently started dating, keep this in mind so it can make sense!!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Y/N gets a text from her mami, that’s theres gonna be a family cookout and to, QUOTE “trae al moreno lindo tuyo”

Y/N is like ‘why not’, so she does exactly that, struggling to tell Miles, what was planned for the day

Miles being the loving boyfriend he is, is rubbing her back encouraging to speak up from her reserved nature

With that Y/N says “I want you to come with me to my family cook out!”

Miles is like how ironic cause you already went to his now it’s his turn to go to yours

Otw there Y/N is kinda nervous cause I mean this is gonna be the first time Miles meets her family officially WHO WOULDNT BE NERVOUS

They get to the house/park it was being hosted at and going into the open space the couple is greeted with a bunch of “Y/N’s HERE!” Coming from a few younger cousins

The kids and the same age and older cousins greet their favorite cousin so yk how that goes, some how Miles manages to end up at edge of the circle around his girlfriend

Miles is like “:0” cause he didn’t know she could be such a extrovert(????????)

Miles is greeted by Y/N mom and aunt as they laugh at his surprise and here come the boss lady saying “didn’t know y/n was like that did you?” Mother dearest says laughing and nudging him to have a seat

“No I did not” he chuckles

After that commotion Y/N goes back to miles ONLY TO BE CALLED BY HER UNCLE pulling her away from miles for the 2nd time this night!

“Mi sobrina favorita!! We need you on los papás y hamburguesas!” Her uncles calls out, and you can literally hear the other children groan at the “favorite”

“Ya vengo” y/n says now pulling her hair behind her ear and into a loose bun(anyone else tries less when tying their hair when it’s curly??)

Miles watches I’m awe forgetting what he was about to tell her as she ties a apron from one of the lost chairs and makes her way to her uncle.

Miles just smirks taking mental notes of Y/N habits when she’s let loose, also making sure he’s the first in line for his Girls cooking🥰how cute

The eating and mingling portion is done now it’s later in the afternoon and on of Y/N older cousin calls out (I ran out of options) “who wanna shadow box”

“THAT MEANS YOU Y/N” your cousin yells from the other side of the yard

“I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME” Y/N calls out making her way to the group of cousins bringing miles along

Miles takes out his phone to record and Mayb post later and when Y/N litterally annihilates getting a 3 for 3

“OHHHHHH” miles hears eb say (LMFAO having tm fun)

And with that the night was spent, and yk they otw home

I kid you not Miles would turn to you and challenge you

“Match me rn”

“Huh??” Y/N is dumbfounded she so confused

“Juega me”

“Me? Oh no I can’t I could possibly-“

“Oh tu si puedes”

And ya would get home to find miles crumbling in defeat LMFAO

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

This was fun, maybe not exactly BUT YK WHAT? I had fun writing this so idc!

Don’t be afraid to submit something, I’ll literally make anything out of limit sources<3

[kmomof4]

The Arena Ch. 2 CS Spooky Season/Autumnal Bingo

I made it!!!! My first Bingo offering!!! I hope you enjoy this fluff-fest of an ending to my CSSNS24 fic The Arena! I'm so thrilled to join in this fall writing challenge where all the fics written so far have just been fantastic!!!! You can find the rest of the fics here.

Thank you to @hollyethecurious for the Bingo idea and for making the cards and collection on ao3 and thank you also to @snowbellewells for betaing this fic!! And finally, as always, thank you to @motherkatereloyshipper for her beautiful artwork that she made to accompany the fic last summer. It's still quite appropriate even though we're not actually in the arena any more... you can see her artwork under the cut.

Fic Summary:

The arena.

A place of fear. Oppression. Blood. Death.

A place of shattered hopes and dreams.

A place, for a very lucky few, of hope.

Ch Summary:

Emma and Killian return to her home.

Rating: M (for graphic depictions of violence and smut)

On ao 3 From the beginning / Ch2

On Tumblr

Words: 4600 of 7800

Tags: CSSNS24, Werewolves, True Love, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Happy Ending, Smut

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells  @djlbg

@lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic @anmylica

@laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling @caught-in-the-filter

@ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @captainswan-kellie

@soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @thisonesatellite

@jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones @mie779

@kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites @myfearless-love 

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

Ch. 2 Homeward Bound

Killian uncurled himself from his mate, his True Love, as the rising sun lit up the small cave they’d taken shelter in the evening before. He and Emma had been traveling together just over a month since they’d escaped the arena where they met - himself a willing captive, while his love had been kidnapped, restrained, and forced to participate in the depraved contest for the entertainment of the now forcibly deposed emperor. 

It hadn’t been long after their escape that they’d decided to return to Emma’s home many leagues to the east on the far edge of the empire. Staying in their wolf forms, for ease of traveling, they had nearly reached their destination at last. Emma recognized the forest that surrounded her small village in which her family’s farm was on the far side. After the very long day of traveling, in addition to the uncertainty of what they’d find when they arrived at her home, Emma had asked to rest overnight still under the cover of the forest. As her mate, her protector, and her True Love, Killian had of course acceded to her wishes. 

Now with the sun well into the sky, Killian lifted his head and turned his attention to the entrance of the cave. The small forest creatures had been awake for some time already, and he could hear their scurrying feet outside their resting place. Once Emma woke, they’d procure sustenance - much easier to do in wolf form than human form since they had no coin between them - and make their way to her home.

He could just detect a difference in her breathing that told him she’d soon wake. He began nosing and licking her muzzle, gently coaxing her into wakefulness. She shook her head and opened her mouth in a jaw-popping yawn before her gorgeous green eyes - that matched the forest outside - blinked open and settled on him. Killian nuzzled his snout, then his entire head underneath her upturned jaw, showering his mate with tender affection as his body curled around hers until he rested his head on her haunches and she laid her head across his back.

They rested like that for just a few moments before Emma raised her head and stood up, giving herself a vigorous shake. Killian grinned at his mate, not yet over the awe he felt beholding her beauty; anytime really, but especially in the morning light that made her white fur nearly blinding. If the gods did decide to strike him blind at that moment, he would have no cause to complain, and in fact, would be eternally grateful that his True Love was the last thing he ever beheld. He’d hold her in his mind’s eye until death parted them, even if that day was a hundred years hence.

Shaking himself as well, he stood and made his way to the front of the cave, peering out into the forest surrounding them. Looking back toward his mate to see if she was ready to head out, he took a great bounding leap into the deep green foliage, Emma right behind him. They raced through the woods, their keen eyes looking out for a deer that they might enjoy before traveling the last few miles to Emma’s family farm.

Luck was on their side, and once they’d satisfied their hunger, they took off toward the edge of the woodland that bordered the village in which Emma had been born and raised. When they finally arrived at the farm, Killian could clearly see that Emma’s fears of what she’d find when she arrived home were entirely justified. The fields of grain that she’d described to him were now nothing more than scorched earth in front of them. Emma stood next to him, still as death, until she raised her snout to the sky and released a long, mournful howl that he quickly joined.

The forlorn refrain carried over the decimated fields, their wolf song expressing their joint grief and sorrow for the destruction of her home. The place that they’d both hoped to be able to make a home for themselves and their future family. As the melancholy lay filled the sky, Killian suddenly heard two other bereaved voices join in his and Emma’s song.

Emma’s voice choked at the unexpected addition - her song cut off as if with a knife - and her ears twitched toward the other melody. Suddenly she streaked away, running faster than he’d ever seen. Killian wasted no time chasing after her and had nearly caught up with her furious flight when he could see two other wolves racing towards them. 

Killian stopped, somehow knowing exactly who these wolves were. Emma leaped at the larger of the two, who’d risen on his back legs to meet her, embracing her as well as could be expected in wolf form. The smaller of the two wolves stood nearby and transformed as the other two joyfully greeted one another, with yips, howls, and rolling around together on the ground. 

A black haired petite woman stood where the wolf had been, and Killian could see the resemblance between his Emma and this woman who could only be her mother. The only difference was their hair color and the age difference. She launched herself at the two wolves still entangled on the ground. Killian felt like his heart was going to explode with happiness as he watched the reunion between his True Love and her parents. He transformed, then waited patiently where he was until Emma and her father both transformed and she turned to him, tears in her eyes and beckoned him toward them.

“Mama, Papa,” she began, reaching out her hand toward him, “this is Killian Jones, my True Love.” The man and woman turned to him, the woman’s green eyes - so like his love’s - also filled with tears.

“True Love?” she asked, a watery smile lifting her lips.

As Killian moved toward them, he realized that her parents were utterly unconcerned with the state of their clothing, but he still felt terribly exposed with nothing on but the ragged breaches he’d been wearing the day of the contest. He was glad that Emma still had the cloak he’d given her wrapped around her. He’d hate for her father to see the rags she now wore.

“Aye,” Killian replied, coming close and taking Emma’s outstretched hand. “Emma was the prize in the arena I was competing in, and as soon as our eyes met, my wolf returned. I’d lost him when I was but a lad, when an angry shopkeeper cut off my hand.” He looked down at his restored limb, still not used to seeing it after living so many years without it. Emma’s mother grasped it firmly and pulled him to her, embracing him fiercely. He hadn’t felt the love and acceptance of a mother in almost fifteen years, and he wasn’t terribly surprised when his own eyes filled with tears of their own.

Finally releasing him, she introduced herself and her husband to him. “I’m Mary Margaret and this is David. We are so very pleased to meet you, Killian Jones.”

“You’ve brought our daughter home to us,” David said, placing his hand on his shoulder. “There’s nothing we could say or do to repay the kindness you’ve shown us.”

“You owe me nothing,” Killian replied. “We wanted nothing more than to come here and find a home where we could raise a family.”

“After we woke to the fire,” Mary Margaret began, turning questioning eyes onto her husband when he gently placed his hand on her arm.

“We should probably return to town to find a place to stay before exchanging stories,” he suggested. “It will take some time before we’ll be able to rebuild and return here for good,” he continued, turning sorrowful eyes at the fields before them.

“Of course,” his wife agreed. They all turned toward the small village in the distance and began walking as Mary Margaret continued her story. “We knew the tales. The brutality of Arthur’s rule and how he wouldn’t hesitate to steal, kill, and destroy to keep his subjects in line. We just never really thought he’d bother with us all the way out here, so far away from the capitol. But when the fire woke us, and after it was out there was no trace of Emma, we knew what had happened. That she’d been taken as either an addition to his harem or as a prize for the arena. With the farm destroyed, we set out to search for her. We were willing to pay any price, do anything to bring her home with us once we found her. We hadn’t found any trace of her at the other three arenas and were finally on our way to the capitol when we heard a rumor that Arthur had been attacked and killed by a wolf in the arena.” 

Mary Margaret paused and brought her hand to her chest as more tears filled her eyes, a single drop falling down her cheek. David wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her close to his side in comfort, and Killian and Emma smiled gently, encouraging her to continue.

“When we heard the tale,” she resumed after a deep fortifying breath, “we couldn’t help but hope that perhaps Emma was the wolf, and since Arthur was dead, she’d be able to escape and come home. So instead of continuing toward the capitol - that was still about a week’s travel away from where we were - we decided to come home, in the hopes of finding Emma here.”

“Killian was the wolf in the arena,” Emma supplied. “I was the prize, but they’d put a magic bracelet on me that I couldn’t remove and that kept me from changing.” She squeezed Killian’s hand in affection and looked up at him, her eyes filled with love. “When our eyes met before he transformed…” she paused, her emotions overcoming her. Killian squeezed her hand in support and after another moment or two, she was able to continue. “I felt a connection with him that I’d never known before. None of the others even registered in my mind. I noticed he only had one hand, so I was stunned when he transformed, and if I hadn’t had that bracelet on, I would have joined him. But he took care of all the other competitors and then attacked Arthur. When he came back, he had both hands. So I knew the only way that could have happened was if he was my True Love. He wouldn’t have been able to transform with only one.”

By this time they had reached the outskirts of the village and were making their way down the main street toward the inn. When they entered, Killian looked around, taking in the rough but clean interior with an older woman behind the counter. As soon as her eyes landed on them, her rather severe countenance broke into a brilliant smile full of joy and affection.

“David, Mary Margaret, Emma,” she cried, coming around the counter toward them. It was only moments before Emma and her parents were engulfed in an enthusiastic and affectionate embrace that they all eagerly returned. “When you were all gone after the fire, we feared the worst. And it’s been so long now, we’d nearly lost hope that you’d ever return.”

“Emma was kidnapped to be a prize in the arena,” David began, “and we set out to look for her. When we heard about Arthur’s death, we came home, hoping that Emma would soon be returned to us.” He turned to Killian, and brought him forward toward the old woman. “Killian is Emma’s True Love and brought her home. He was the wolf that killed Arthur. Killian, this is Granny Lucas.”

Killian nodded in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lucas,” he said.

“Oh, no no no, Killian,” Mary Margaret interjected before anyone else could. “Everyone calls Granny Lucas Granny, and you’ll be expected to do the same.”

Granny nodded in agreement, her stern countenance back in place until Killian nodded in acquiescence. “A pleasure to meet you, Granny,” he corrected himself.  

At his words, he found himself caught up in just as fierce a hug as his companions had enjoyed only a few minutes before. Not used to such blatant gestures of affection, it took him a moment to reciprocate. Once she released him, David spoke again.

“We all just arrived back at the farm today.” Granny was obviously aware of the condition of their home, because the joy on her face abruptly turned to sorrow.

“There really wasn’t anything left for you to come home to,” she commiserated. Just as quickly, her visage turned serious and determined. “You know that you have a place here as long as you need it. All of you have a place here until you can rebuild.”

“Thank you, Granny,” David replied.

The lovable old woman directed David and Mary Margaret to a table and bustled Emma and Killian up the stairs to get decent clothes for them. Once she brought them back down in borrowed clothes from her granddaughter Ruby and her husband Graham, she sat them down at the table with David and Mary Margaret, and only a few minutes later, brought out a hearty noontime meal and fresh baked bread for the family. Business was steady, but not so busy that Granny and Ruby were not both able to visit with the small family as they enjoyed the warm food. Emma and Killian repeated their story whenever Granny and Ruby joined them and filled in the gaps that hadn’t yet been disclosed to David and Mary Margaret. Once they were finished, Mary Margaret responded.

“So you haven’t actually been wed yet?”

Emma and Killian cast shy glances at each other before Killian answered for them. 

“No, actually,” he said. “We left the arena in our wolf forms immediately, and I just followed her. She told me that she wanted to return home after being away for almost a year, and since I haven’t had a home since my mother died fifteen years ago, I was more than willing to go with her. It was much easier to travel in our wolf forms. We didn’t have to worry about paying for lodging or cooking meals - so that’s what we’ve done. Now that we’re here, and ready to settle down, we’ll be in our human forms.”

“We must arrange a wedding at once,” Mary Margaret enthused. The joy was clear on her face, and Killian could feel his cheeks heat as he glanced at his love and saw the same soft and loving smile on her face as he was sure was on his. “After losing you a year ago,” Mary Margaret continued, “I despaired of ever seeing you in love, married, and with a family of your own.” She reached across the table and grasped Emma’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Now that you’re here - that we’re together - we mustn’t waste a day.”

Killian looked down at his love and with that silent communication between them - further proof of their True Love connection, as if they needed one - expressed their own desires for that very thing. Staying in wolf form since the day they met, they’d not consummated their relationship in any way, and now that they were truly home, the thought of making love with his True Love made his breath catch.

“Archie can perform the ceremony,” Ruby said, Granny, and Mary Margaret voicing their agreement.

“And I can prepare a feast the village hasn’t seen since your wedding, Ruby,” Granny added. She rose quickly to go find Graham so she could send him to the forest to bring back the required meat for the planned celebration that evening.

Emma rested her head on Killian’s shoulder and sighed in contentment as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Once the rest of their meal was consumed, Mary Margaret and Ruby took Emma upstairs to prepare her for the wedding, and David and Killian left to join Graham in the forest.

Killian pulled David aside, not wanting to be overheard.

“We could bring down a few deer much easier as wolves than humans,” he began, when David interrupted him.

“Graham is a wolf too,” he informed him. Killian gasped in shock. Never meeting another wolf in his entire life, and then in the space of a month, meeting his True Love - who was also a wolf - her parents who were both wolves themselves, and now Graham… It was completely overwhelming. 

David grinned. “Our entire village is made up of wolves. That’s why we’re on the very edge of the empire.”

Killian couldn’t disguise his surprise if he tried. His mouth hung open, and it took a moment before he could think of anything coherent to say in response. “Before Emma, I’d never met another wolf. Besides my father,” he added quickly.

David squeezed his shoulder. “You’ll be in very good company here, Killian.”

Killian swallowed hard and smiled at his love’s father. “Thank you.”

David pulled him into a quick but tight embrace that expressed everything they couldn’t yet put into words. Pulling away, they both transformed and turned to see a tawny wolf moving silently through the trees. Hunting as part of a pack was an entirely new experience for Killian, and it took almost no time at all to bring down several deer, enough to feed the entire village. 

Once the men got the animals to the village, dressed, and ready for cooking, delicious smells were already permeating the air around the inn. There was an air of celebration in the village with David greeting his friends and neighbors he hadn’t seen in a year and telling them Emma and Killian’s story.

Hours later, Killian stood in the middle of what would be his and his bride’s room for their wedding night, dressed in the finest clothes he’d ever worn, even if they were borrowed from Graham. His head was almost spinning. His life had turned completely around in the space of a month, and this day alone, it had changed in even more unexpected ways. He was about to wed his True Love. The one fated for him by the gods, whom he’d never really believed he’d meet. He was about to join his life to hers, she would join hers to him, and they would join her family in a village full of wolves to raise a family of their own. Tears filled his eyes as David approached him and clasped his shoulder.

“I have nothing to say,” he began, his own eyes shining. “Seeing you together, it is clear to me that there is no one better suited for my daughter than you, Killian Jones. I know that you will love her, provide for her and the family you raise together, cherish her, and honor her to the end of your days, and there is nothing that I could desire more. Welcome to the Swan family, son.”

David pulled Killian to him in a tight embrace that Killian returned with fervor.

“Thank you for accepting me into your family,” he murmured into his shoulder.

It was a long moment before David released him with a beaming smile. 

“Let’s get you married!” he exclaimed happily, and Killian couldn’t agree more.

They came down the stairs and met Graham. The younger men exited the inn, turning toward a beautiful multicolored tent erected a little ways down from the establishment, where stood a thin man with curly red hair, that he assumed must be Archie who would perform the ceremony. Killian and Graham approached him, Killian barely noticing all the people gathered to celebrate the nuptials. 

As soon as they took their places, they turned back toward the inn to see David and Mary Margaret, with Emma in between them, emerge from the building. Killian caught his breath at his bride’s beauty. She wore a long cream gown that, in Killian’s eyes, put the setting sun to shame. Her golden hair only added to the glow that surrounded her. In that moment, everything and everyone else faded away, his full attention on his beautiful bride. 

The ceremony itself was brief, with both of them making vows to love, honor, and cherish one another until death parted them. Once their vows were spoken, the villagers cheered as they sealed their union with a tender kiss. Killian didn’t think he’d ever forget the deep love and happiness in Emma’s eyes as they parted, knowing they reflected exactly the same thing in his.

Granny, Ruby, and Mary Margaret immediately began setting out the prepared feast for the village as everyone else surrounded the newly married couple. After the meal was consumed and everyone was happy and relaxed, David sent Killian a significant look that he had no trouble interpreting. 

“Now’s your chance to leave,” David told him. “Everyone is still enjoying themselves and no one will miss you. The other men and I will be talking about rebuilding our home, and,” he continued when Killian opened his mouth to interrupt, “a home for you and Emma will also be discussed, I can assure you.”

“Thank you,” Killian replied. He turned to Emma to see joyful anticipation dancing in her gaze. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the knuckles. “Shall we, my darling one?” he asked.

“We shall, my husband,” she breathed.

With those words, he led her inside the inn and up to their room. He closed the door firmly behind him and turned to his bride. She was ethereal in her beauty. More breathtaking than anything in heaven or on earth. The thought that she was now his nearly brought him to his knees in profound gratitude.

“When they took me, I thought my life was over,” she murmured. “But instead it led me to you, my True Love.” Tears filled her eyes, and he silently took her in his arms and held her close.

“I never thought I’d actually find my True Love,” he replied softly. “When my mother told me my wolf was gone when I woke from my fever, she told me not to give up hope. That I would find her someday.”

He cupped her chin in both his hands and just stared into her eyes for a moment, getting lost in the love and joy he found there. Impatience tinged with mischief filled her gaze as she refused to wait any longer. She drew him down to her lips and claimed him with all the strength of the wolf inside of her. Killian chuckled against her lips and opened his mouth to her seeking tongue.

When their tongues met, a contented sigh fell from his love’s mouth, that he took full advantage of. The kiss at their wedding had been their first, and it had whetted their appetite for a full conflagration at the earliest opportunity.  A groan passed from his lips that she eagerly reciprocated as both of their hands roamed, utterly delighted to finally be able to touch one another.

Killian’s hands shook as he pulled back from Emma and gently pushed the gossamer fabric of her gown off her shoulders so that it cascaded in a whispered ripple to the floor. The moment she was bared to him, he drew her back into his embrace, his kiss possessive and passionate, showing her without words how much he loved her. 

Now that he held her in his arms again, she began her own explorations, undressing him quickly and efficiently until he stood naked before her. Her roaming hands and kisses were driving him mad with desire, and the wolf inside of him howled in enjoyment of her touch. 

The intrinsic True Love connection between them only heightened their passionate pleasure as they lay down together on the bed. Killian had never laid on anything so soft and comfortable as a human before - the closest he’d ever come to it was a soft pile of leaves he’d rest upon as a wolf - and the twin sighs that came from him and his love made them both grin in amused delight before bursting into laughter.

“It’s so lovely to have an actual mattress to sleep on again,” she observed once their mutual mirth faded. “It had been so long, I nearly forgot what it felt like.”

“I’ve never laid on anything so luxurious, so soft,” he replied, ducking his head slightly when her eyes grew round with surprise. Even with their True Love connection, they really hadn’t delved much into their respective pasts in the last month as they journeyed, so Killian worried for a moment that as he opened up to her just this tiny bit about his past, it might cause her to look at him differently. But as he looked into her eyes again, all he saw was sincere admiration and the same love he’d become accustomed to over the last weeks as they traveled.

“We’ll have the same, or even better, once our own home is built, Killian,” Emma promised him, a teasing smile now lifting the corner of her lips. “But for now, I think we should put this mattress to good use. Don’t you?” she asked.

His own smirk touched his lips. “I do,” he agreed, before claiming her lips once more. His touch grew bolder, his kisses more passionate, and she responded in kind until they couldn’t stand to be two individuals any longer. Killian positioned himself between her legs and made them one with a single stroke, a cry of ecstasy pulled from Emma’s lips that Killian would never tire of hearing as long as he lived.

She clenched around him as he drove himself into her, pushing them both toward that precipice that was just out of reach. Emma’s legs trembled, and Killian knew she was closer than he was, so he reached down and rubbed circles around her hardened nub until with a shattered cry she fell into the abyss of pure pleasure a second time, dragging him along with her.

It was several minutes before he was able to move and roll off of his love, drawing her into his arms as their bodies cooled. He kissed her forehead, tasting the sweat on her skin, and smiled tenderly at her.

“I love you, Emma Swan,” he whispered.

“Jones,” she corrected him, her eyes already shut and with a sleepy but sated smile on her face.

“Jones,” he agreed, smiling fondly down at her. “I’m so thankful that I am yours and you are mine.”

“Hmmmm,” she said, almost too quiet to hear, “me, too.”

“I will give you all of my life,” he vowed. “I will always be by your side. To the end of the world, or time.”

Emma didn’t respond, her breaths already evened out into the gentle cadence of sleep. As Killian drew her closer into his embrace, he was finally able to believe that this wasn’t a dream - the dream of a homeless street urchin who had despaired of ever finding true happiness, outside of his own death. 

He finally had a home. A home with Emma. A home with her family. A home within this village of wolves, just like him. He didn’t think it was possible to be happier, until the thought crossed his mind of the future children they’d raise together. But if the gods never blessed him in that way, he at least had his newfound family, and he’d be forever grateful for that.

His happy and contented thoughts ushered him into the sweetest dreams he’d ever known, and they both slept peacefully until the morning light, signaling the start of their new life. 

Together. Never to part. 

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I'd love to know what you think!

[adaptacy]

Johnny Slaughter Pregnancy H/Cs Pt.1

Cw: Mentions of trauma, angst, but also fluff and him being pretty cute for an (ex)cannibal, older Johnny, post-Sawyers

Important Notes:

He'd left the Sawyers a long time ago. Almost three years now. Things had gotten shady- shadier than ever. Police got involved. He had to split. And he'd moved to Georgia of all places. Close enough that he was still in familiar climates, far enough that he was removed from the interference.

He didn't know what happened to the rest of 'em. Probably for the best. He'd gotten a job as a butcher, of course. It was what he was good at- carving, skinning, etc. And it paid the bills. And introduced him to you.

About a year after he'd moved, the two of you met in the shop. Johnny had been assigned to cover the register for the day since the usual coworker was gone, and you'd happened to show up that day as it was the shop you frequented when you went on grocery trips.

The interaction went as you'd expect. You asked for what you needed, and he gave it to you. You also asked if he was new, and what happened to George, the usual man behind the counter. Johnny explained that he was out sick, so he was covering for him. You found his accent amusing, since it was different than what you were used to. You asked where he was from. He said Georgia. You didn't believe him.

And you left with a kind goodbye. Didn't see him again for another two months. Didn't really think about him. Until you found him in a bar, and recognized him. The two of you chatted, and he ended up asking you on a date. Things only went uphill from there. You got along really well with him.

Well enough that, now, a little over two years later, the two of you lived together, and you were almost 6 months pregnant with his child. You didn't know a lot about his past. You knew he'd been born in Texas and didn't really know his parents. He said he'd been in a foster house, but wasn't ever adopted. He never said anything more. It seemed to be a sensitive subject for him, so you didn't really bother prying.

Overall, he was really sweet. Intimidating as hell, and had a sinister smirk, but you'd never seen him be aggressive or violent in any way. He was like a really cuddly teddy bear. A great example as to why you shouldn't judge a book by its muscular cover.

While the two of you weren't engaged, he definitely was planning on proposing. But he didn't want to stress you out- he wanted to wait until after the baby was born. He was actually quite looking forward to having a kid, but he was also very anxious about it.

Pregnancy Head-canons (SFW):

He was unsure at first. When you told him, he had no idea how to react. He put on a smile, but you could see through it. However, you didn't want to upset him, and decided it was best to give him time to process it before you overwhelmed him.

Truth was, he was scared of having a kid. He was scared for you- His own biological mom had been killed, and while he knew that it was a freak situation, he couldn't not worry about the same happening to you. In some twisted way, he worried that somehow his past would come back to bite him in the ass. And that you'd get involved.

He had occasional thoughts of running before you were pregnant. He felt that, even if something terrible happened, if he somehow was found by the cops, he could just leave you. That he could run, and protect you. But now that you were pregnant with his baby, there was no more running. And that scared him. He never would've wanted to leave you, but it was comforting to know that it was an option. It didn't feel like an option anymore.

He also wasn't sure he could be a good father. His 'family' was batshit crazy, and they'd raised him the same. What if he passed on bad traits to your kid? What if he was an awful dad and turned his kid into a psycho like him?

He'd been doing better, of course- Johnny stopped killing people, he had to. At first, he'd told himself that he'd just lay low and go back to it once the cops were less a problem, but after the first couple months, he got used to it. Got used to normal meat, to normal diets, and he found he had a lot more free time when he wasn't chasing victims around all the time.

Even so, he still worried that he'd somehow manage to make a psychotic cannibal even when he was far from it. Or that his kid would have his anger issues, or his anxiety, or somehow have his trauma- he didn't want to put that weight on anyone else. And he didn't want you to have to see that.

But eventually, Johnny warmed up to the idea. especially when you started showing a tiny baby bump. He loved how certain shirts wouldn't quite come all the way down your stomach anymore, and even if you complained about it, it gave him some... really sweet, sickeningly domestic feeling. A feeling he'd never even dreamed of.

Despite everything, he was a family man. His family was the only thing he knew growing up. And while his was a mess, and left him worse for wear in the end, he still suffered from a constantly feeling of loneliness. He was so used to constantly being surrounded by, irritated, and cared about by family, and when he was living on his own, he lacked that completely. Moving in with you certainly helped, and now that there was going to be a third in the house, it actually reassured him a bit. He'd still be able to build family bonds, and with biological family this time. Plus, you weren't a psycho, so that definitely helped.

Because of this, he grew very attached to the baby once he got over his initial worries. He'd still have the occasional intrusive thoughts, but they were rare and he was able to push them out of his mind. He wanted a family with you, and he was going to have one.

But, Jesus fucking Christ, you were so goddamn careless. You acted the exact same, did the exact same activities, you lived life precisely how you did before you were pregnant, and Johnny was surprisingly overprotective of you and the baby. He refused to let you go to the bar or have even the slightest drop of anything alcoholic, and you'd expressed your frustrations that he was still allowed to drink but you weren't.

So? He stopped drinking. And then you came out one day to share a cig with him, and he'd practically carried you back inside because he didn't want you anywhere around cigarette smoke. You didn't really believe that cigarettes and drinking could have that bad of an effect, and you didn't do them all that often anyways. But Johnny refused to take any risks. He wanted to give your kid everything that Johnny didn't receive growing up, and that started with making sure you were as healthy as possible.

It wasn't long before he gave up smoking, too. It was tough, for both of you- really tough, actually, but you managed to make it through. If he could give up slaughtering and being a cannibal, he could give up cigs, and he knew you could too.

When the morning sickness started, he swore that you were dying. You had to reassure him constantly that it was fine, but only when your doctor also reassured him of this did he finally let it go. Still, he made sure to get whatever anti-nausea remedies possible, since you 'needed to keep the food inside of you' for the baby.

Oh, that too. He made meals. on meals. on meals. on meals. He was still a butcher, so he got first pick of the meats, and he loved bragging that he cut it himself. It was actually really cute to see someone so muscular and manly in the kitchen seasoning chicken and making salads. He was a really good cook. Wonder where he learned that...

Pregnancy cravings he would do his best to fuel, and while you joked about how he should try them with you, he refused. Listen- he could stomach a lot, but pickles in ice cream? Absolutely the fuck not. He could hardly watch you eat it, and he was a fucking cannibal for most of his life. But, he still provided them nonetheless.

Listen, the baby bump was one thing, but when you really started showing and started complaining about the baby kicking, he was at a loss for words. He didn't even know that was something that the baby could do at this stage. Well, to be fair, he didn't really know anything about pregnancy since he was the youngest in his family, but he could've assumed most of it. Other than the baby kicking. He'd ask over and over again if you were sure it wasn't just a stomach ache, or if you'd eaten something wrong.

In order to reassure him, you'd grab his wrists and put his palms against your belly. "What are you doin'?" "Just wait..." "Sweetpea, I'm serious, maybe we should go to the doct-" A pause. He looked between you and your belly. "Feel it?" "That... that was it?" "Mhm. That's our baby."

Rest assured, the first thing he did any time you mentioned the kicks in the future was reach to feel it himself. There was something about feeling the kicks that just... made him happy. Pleased him. Maybe it was knowing that your kid was healthy, or the fact that feeling it meant it was really happening- it just made the entire thing feel more real to him.

Around the 7 and a half month mark, he refused to let you do anything by yourself.

Getting food? "Nah, darlin' I can get it. Just stay here, I'll be right back."

Dropped something? "Don't- Don't go bendin' over, yer gonna fall, or hurt yerself. Where'd ya drop it? I'll get it."

Showering? "Hold onto my arm- I gotcha, sweetpea. How bout I run a bath fer ya? Make ya more comfortable."

Changing clothes? Well, he kind of already was there for that since he liked seeing you naked, especially with a baby bump, but you get the point. No matter what you were doing, he was there, doing his best to help you, even if it was pretty unnecessary sometimes.

Part 2 coming soon! Tumblr just has a word limit. Domestic fluff Johnny makes me so happy <333