#custom cafe curtain

[victorienaubineau]

Industrial Powder Room Milwaukee Urban bathroom image

[zippywondernumbat]

Bathroom Powder Room in Milwaukee

Urban bathroom image

[thehereticdiaries]

Protective Instincts: Enhypen

Summary: Your best friend shows his possessive nature when another man harasses you

Warnings: Misogynistic comments, intimidation, threats of violence, allusions to drugging in Sunghoon's part, if I missed anything lmk

I have the next chapters for my series outlined!! Now I just gotta find the time to write them 🥲

Protective Instincts Masterlist

Lee Heeseung

No matter how busy you were, you and Heeseung always made time to see each other at least twice a month. You have been friends for as long as you remembered, having grown up as neighbors. Your moms would gossip over tea while the two of you got into as much mischief your baby brains could think of. Not much has changed, except now you were the ones gossiping instead of your moms.

“Text me when you get home, yeah?” Heeseung held the door of the cafe open for you. The sidewalk bustled with pedestrians rushing to get their weekend errands done.

“Of course. Make sure you do the same.” You always ended your hang-outs with the same good-byes and a tight hug. You parted ways, walking in opposite directions to get back to your respective apartments. Barely five minutes passed since you left the cafe and yet a FaceTime call from you interrupted Heeseung’s music.

“Wow, did you miss me that much already?” He wasn’t looking at the phone or he would’ve seen the fear clearly written on your face.

“Heeseung.” His eyes snapped down to you, immediately concerned by the tremor in your voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think there’s a man following me,” you whispered, as if the man would be able to hear you from several feet away. Heeseung stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk, earning him some glares.

“What?!”

“He was outside of the convenience store a couple doors down from the cafe. After I passed him, he looked at me weird and now he’s behind me.” 

“Don’t go home. Start looking around one of the stores, I’m coming to you,” Heeseung instructed while turning on his heel and speed-walking in your direction.

“Okay, uh, I’m in that boutique with the grandma curtain dresses.” You passed that store all the time but never went in because of the gaudy patterns on the window displays. You greeted the cashier, moving to the back of the store to hide.

“Can you see him?”

“He’s looking in the front window.” Heeseung ground his teeth, pushing his way through the crowded sidewalk. A lot of people jumped out of his way when they saw his barely-contained anger. The little bell above the boutique’s door jingled in his ear. “Oh fuck, he just walked in.”

“Stay calm and don’t hang up. I’m almost there.” You shrunk behind a rack of clothes, hoping he wouldn’t notice you. But there was only one other customer in the store, so your chances were slim.

“Hi,” an unfamiliar male voice cut into your conversation. “What are you up to all by yourself?”

“O-Oh, um, I’m just looking for a gift for my mom,” you lied, wide eyes flicking between your phone and the stranger. 

“Mhm,” he hummed, obviously not listening to what you were saying. “How old are you?”

“19.” Another lie. Maybe if he thought you were too young he’d leave you alone.

“So you’re inexperienced, then. Why don’t you let an older man show you how it’s done.”

“It? N-No, no thanks.” At this point, Heeseung borderline sprinted toward the store. 

“No? Why not?” The door slammed open, whipping the poor bell around and startling the cashier. The man ignored it, staring down at you, leaning closer and dropping a hand to your shoulder. “I can promise I’m way better than that little boy you were with before. Where is he, anyway?”

“Behind you,” Heeseung growled. 

“Oh, shit,” the man swore after he turned and caught sight of Heeseung’s icy glare. You have never seen your best friend this pissed off. He shoved the man’s chest, making him stumble and give just enough room for Heeseung to pull you into his side. His arm draped over your shoulders, hand hanging loosely in front of you. His relaxed posture was a stark contrast to the intensity in his eyes and voice.

“Did you need something or were you just trying to intimidate my girlfriend?” You flushed at that, glancing up at him, but he kept his steady gaze on the man. 

“Relax, I was just making small talk.”

“By asking a 19-year-old girl if she wants to have sex with you? Fuck off, you’re lucky if I don’t call the cops,” Heeseung sneered, continuing your lie with ease. This grabbed the attention of the cashier. She discreetly pulled out her phone, whispering into the speaker with a hand over her mouth.

“Seriously, kid? You should really be thanking me.” The man held up his hands with a shrug. “I was offering to show her how to make a guy cum. That works in your favor.” You squeaked, ducking under Heeseung’s arm to hide behind him, gripping the sleeve of his hoodie. He didn’t seem to mind, as he reached back to rest a comforting hand on your hip.

“So you’re a pervert and you have no shame, got it,” Heeseung scoffed with a click of his tongue.

“See, I knew you weren’t a real man. You should–”

“Excuse me, sir,” a woman with sharp eyes and a neat bun interrupted. “I will only say this once: get out of my store.” 

“What?!”

“You are harassing my customers. Very young customers, at that, with extremely lewd comments,” the shop owner scolded the man, arching an immaculate eyebrow. “If I need to repeat myself, you will be leaving in handcuffs.” The man bristled, bowing his head and scurrying out of the store.

“Thank you, ma’am,” you sighed in relief but kept your shaky hands wrapped around Heeseung’s arm. 

“It was no trouble at all. You kids have a good day, now.” As quickly as the owner arrived, she disappeared through a doorway behind the counter. You sat in silence until you realized that Heeseung was still gently brushing his thumb over your hip.

“Hee, you called me your girlfriend.”

“Yeah, I did.” He didn’t give you any time to dwell on it, kissing your temple then your cheek and tugging you back out onto the sidewalk. “I’m walking you home.” Your mind reeled as you tried to wrap it around this new information and the sudden affection. You grinned and squeezed his hand.

“Okay.”

Jay Park

You were at a party for one of Jake’s friend’s birthdays. Jay dragged you along, claiming that he needed you there for moral support since the only people he’d know were the other Enhypen boys. Yeah, moral support my ass. Not even a minute after you walked through the front door, Jay veered off when another girl waved him over. So now you were forced to awkwardly mingle with a growing pit of jealousy in your gut. Luckily one of the little cliques adopted you into their circle, easing your nerves a bit. An hour into the party, you managed to break out of your shell and were now laughing loudly with everyone.

“Oh, hey Jay,” one of the guys in the group greeted the idol as he approached. 

“Hey,” Jay greeted flatly while shoving himself between you and the girl to your right. You furrowed your brows at the odd change in behavior. He was normally very polite, opting to gently maneuver you to the side so he could stand next to you. He didn’t even say ‘excuse me’ to the poor girl. You followed his uncharacteristic glare to a guy leaning on the arm of the couch. You thought he said his name was Dan or something similar. 

“Are you okay?” You asked quietly, looking back up to Jay. 

“I’m good.” A muscle in his jaw twitched and you knew he was lying.

“No, you’re mad about something. What’s going on?” He didn’t answer. Jay's fiery gaze didn’t waver, even when someone tried including him in the conversation. You rolled your eyes. “Okay, fine. Don’t tell me.”

“Y/N,” a shorter girl with cute round glasses grabbed your attention. “You have to come with us next time we go out! There’s this amazing cafe and the cutest…” Jay tuned her out while moving a hand to your lower back, which you didn’t question. He usually used your body heat as a way to ground himself. He was visibly angry because didn’t like the way Dan was eyeing you up, and he definitely didn’t like that Dan wasn’t backing down while he was standing right next to you. The last of his patience ran out when Dan fucking smirked at him. Oh, so he knew what he was doing. Knowing that only pissed Jay off more.

“What about you, Jay?” The short girl looked at him expectantly. 

“Hm? Yeah, sure.”

“It wasn’t a yes or no question…” She trailed off when you signaled that he was in a bad mood. The conversation carried on like normal for approximately 15 seconds before Dan chimed in.

“Hey, Y/N, has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?” Absolutely the fuck not. Jay’s hand slid from your back to your hip, digging his fingers into you and pulling you flush against his side.

“I tell her every day,” he replied before you even had a chance to process the intent behind the compliment.

“Oh?” Dan cocked his head to the side. “I never asked, but how do you know each other?”

“We’re–”

“She’s my girlfriend,” Jay interrupted you. Every ounce of your willpower went into keeping your composure. You didn’t know why Jay would lie about dating you, but you trusted him. There must be a reason, so you let yourself relax into his side. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, really.” Everyone watched the exchange nervously. Between Dan’s arrogance and the edge to Jay’s voice, a thick tension hung in the air. 

“So why’d you leave her alone to talk to Yunah?” You were curious about that, too, to be perfectly honest.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but she was asking for advice. She and the other Illit members want to try rapping in some of their upcoming songs,” he explained. Now you felt a little silly for being so jealous earlier.

“Suuure. You two were just a bit close, in my opinion,” Dan shrugged while looking over at you. Jay’s whole body tensed up.

“I don’t give two shits about your opinion, so stop eye-fucking my girl before I make you,” he snarled, surprising everyone with his threat. Your jaw dropped as you stared at his profile. Under the anger, you could see something else, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

“Jay,” you whispered gently, placing your hand over the one squeezing your hip like a lifeline. He finally looked at you, and his resolve shattered at the genuine concern on your face.

“We’re leaving,” he muttered, grabbing your hand and leading you to the front door. “Sorry, Donghyun.” He apologized as he passed the host of the party. You waited until you left the apartment to pull Jay to the side. He dropped your hands to curl his fists by his sides, refusing to look up from the sidewalk.

“What happened in there, Jay? I’ve never seen you so angry before,” you asked while uncurling his fist, tracing over the lines on his hand with your fingertips. You missed the shiver that went down his spine at your touch. 

“I’m sorry, I just,” he interrupted himself with a frustrated growl. “I hated the way he was looking at you.”

“How was he looking at me? And why would it piss you off that much?”

“Y/N, he was basically undressing you with his eyes. I hated it cus I could tell that he was thinking about you like you were a prize,” he gestured with his unoccupied hand during his rant. 

“I didn’t even notice.”

“I know you didn’t. That’s why I came over. God, the thought of someone else wanting you like that just–”

“Wait,” you cut him off, holding both of his hands in front of him. Jay still avoided eye contact, so you had to duck your head down to force him to meet your eyes. “What do you mean ‘someone else’?” His eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights.

“Fuck, I didn’t mean to let that slip.”

“Is that why you get moody after I go on dates?” You struggled to suppress the grin tugging at the corners of your mouth.

“Don’t laugh–”

“I’m not!”

“Y/N, seriously.” You took a deep breath to compose yourself at the desperation in his voice. “Yes. I’m sorry I never told you, I just didn’t want to ruin our friendship since you obviously don’t feel the same.”

“Oh my god, you’re such an idiot,” you giggled behind your hand.

“What?”

“Jay. I have been flirting with you so much that it grosses Jake and Sunghoon out. How have you not noticed?” He stared at you in disbelief. You had to hide your face in his shirt to smother the cackles that would’ve definitely gotten you some dirty looks from other pedestrians. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around you before chuckling at his own obliviousness.

“Oh. Good, so I wasn’t lying. You’re mine.” His chin rested on the top of your head as he gently swayed back and forth.

“I have been for a while, Jay.”

Park Sunghoon

A long-standing and well-loved tradition in the Enhypen dorm was their monthly movie nights. It started with just the boys, but then Sunoo introduced you to the group. You bonded with everyone very quickly and after a few months, you were allowed to join their sacred movie tradition. Not like anyone, especially Sunghoon, minded you being there. Actually, Sunghoon found it to be the perfect opportunity to get closer to you, metaphorically and physically. Everyone knew his excuse of “sharing the blanket” was just that: an excuse. Well, everyone except you knew and it drove Sunghoon crazy.

The issue with tonight’s movie night was the sudden inclusion of two of Heeseung’s friends. Most of the other members haven’t even met these guys. How the hell were they allowed to crash their movie? To make matters worse, one of them stole both Sunghoon’s last bottle of tea and his spot on the couch next to you. He had to sit in the recliner. All alone. Without his favorite blanket- your blanket- but at least you didn’t share with the new guy. He either didn’t notice or blatantly ignored your discomfort, which was unsurprising for a guy named fucking Tyler. 

So Sunghoon sat there, seething and barely watching the movie, glaring at Tyler from the corner of his eye. You were, arguably, having a much worse time than Sunghoon. You had to deal with this guy’s annoying flirting and inability to accept “no” as an answer. You’ve already told him three times to take his arm off your shoulders. He listened, sort of. He technically wasn’t touching you, but his arm rested on the back of the couch directly behind you. He gave you the worst feeling in your gut. He was definitely not to be trusted with your drink. Your knees ached from curling yourself as deep into the corner of the couch as possible. You needed a break.

“Where are you going?” Tyler asked when you stood. The others turned to you, making you even more nervous than you already were.

“Bathroom,” you mumbled and fled down the hall. Heeseung sighed before addressing his friend.

“Man, you need to chill. You’re making her uncomfortable.”

“What?” Tyler scoffed. “No I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” Heeseung’s other friend insisted. “Just relax, bro. Now’s not the time.”

“Yeah, whatever. There’s nothing wrong with taking what’s available.” A heavy silence fell over the group. Even the movie was quiet. Six sets of eyes stared at an unbothered Tyler. While the others were visibly pissed, Heeseung and his other friend just looked disappointed. You hesitantly reentered the living room and now Sunghoon was actually happy that he got booted to the recliner, since it was between the hall and the couch. As you passed by, he grabbed your hand and tugged you down to sit sideways on his lap. Your eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

“Just stay here. Please,” Sunghoon whispered. You certainly weren’t about to argue, shifting to a more comfortable position with your arms hanging loosely on his shoulders and your cheek resting against his temple. The tension slowly melted from Sunghoon’s body as he wrapped his own arms around your waist.

“Okay, seriously?” Sunghoon tightened his hold on you when Tyler spoke up. 

“Is there a problem?” The movie went forgotten in the background. Everyone’s attention was on you, Sunghoon, and Tyler. The latter rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and relaxing into the couch.

“Nah.” He shook his head with a huff. “She could have just told me she had a boyfriend and I would’ve backed off.”

“She is sitting right here,” you interrupted. “And I shouldn’t have to tell you anything. You should have stopped the first time I asked.”

“Oop, get him!” Jake encouraged from where he was laying on the floor. 

“How was I supposed to know you wanted me to stop?!”

“Because I told you! I said to stop touching me before the movie even started,” you snapped, back going rigid as you glared at him. One of Sunghoon’s hands slid to your lower back to rub gentle circles on your spine. The other stayed on your thigh, and your hand dropped to his.

“We also told you to stop,” Heeseung’s other friend pointed out. 

“Oh, come on–”

“No, Tyler,” Heeseung cut him off. “You’ve changed ever since you joined your bullshit frat house. I’ve been trying to give you a chance to prove me wrong, but this is it, man.”

“What are you saying, dude?”

“I think it would be best for you to leave. Neither of us want to be associated with a guy that harasses women.” Heeseung gestured between himself and his other friend. 

“Harass, seriously? Whatever. I didn’t realize you guys were such pussies,” Tyler ranted while making his way out of the dorms. The front door slammed shut, and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“I’m so sorry about him, Y/N. He wasn’t always like that, but I can’t keep holding on to the past. He’s a lost cause at this point,” Heeseung apologized, rubbing his temples to stave off his growing headache.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, too. I’d really like to get to know you all, so I hope I can get a second chance.” 

“You’re cool, man,” Jake reassured him with a pat to his knee. “You tried to step in. That’s proof enough that you’re a good guy.”

“Can we get back to the movie now?” You giggled at Ni-Ki’s impatience. Jungwon had to rewind it a bit, but once it started playing again you moved to get off Sunghoon’s lap. 

“Nooo,” he protested, dragging you back down to sit between his legs. “Stay here.” He pulled your back flush against his chest, resting his chin on the top of your head. 

“O-Oh, okay.” Your face turned bright red, and you were very happy he couldn’t see it from his position. Or so you thought.

“You know,” he started, leaning closer so he could whisper in your ear. “You’re really pretty when you blush.”

“Sunghoon,” you whined and hid your face in your hands. His chest vibrated as he quietly laughed.

“Alright, I’ll leave you alone.” He kissed your temple before turning his attention back to the movie. “For now.”

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[greynatomy]

limited

alessia russo x reader

hello 👋

this fic is inspired from the movie ‘seven pounds’. have you watched it? i had this idea after i finished watching and was bawling my eyes out.

i think i’ve made it known to some that i like angst on my birthday, so as a gift from me to you, here’s some angst.

let me know what you think

wc: 8.8k

trigger warning: suicide

———

in seven days, god created the world. in seven seconds, i shattered mine.

Alessia Russo had always known that her career wouldn’t last forever. No footballers did. But a career ending the way Alessia’s did come unexpected — abrupt, final, and out of her control.

Alessia was living the life of her dreams. Signing for Manchester United after playing for the University of North Carolina, she felt unstoppable. Nothing can slow her down… until. 

Eighty minutes into the match against Manchester City, the score is tied at two. Alessia was running down the right side, ball at her feet when…

“Alessia Russo has gone down!” The announcer screamed. “Russo has not moved. The medical team is rushing to her now.”

The stadium was eerily silent, players on the field formed a circle around her and the medical team to give them privacy. Everyone was holding their breath. The stretcher came out and carried Alessia away, still no signs of life.

“I was just told that both teams have decided to forfeit the match. Everyone’s a bit shaken up, understandably so. Thank you all for watching. Prayers and well wishes to Alessia Russo.”

Once Alessia becomes conscious, the first thing she hears is the beeps from the monitors, wires attached all over her. She was confused at first, the last thing she remembered was running down the pitch and now here she was laying in a hospital bed.

“Oh, good. You’re awake.” A nurse walked into the room, checking that everything is still in good order. “I’ll go ahead and call your doctor.”

More waiting.

“It’s nice to see you awake.” The doctor says, sitting on the stool.

“What happened?” her voice was raspy, throat was dry.

“Well, this isn’t easy to hear, but you suffered a cardiac arrest.”

“What?” She was speechless.

“We found out that you have a congenital heart failure. It was surprising to us that it hadn’t been caught before.”

“What-what does this mean? I can still play right?”

The doctor sighed, “I’m sorry Alessia.”

Football is… was her whole life. What was she supposed to do now?

The news of her retirement came as a shock to everyone. No one knew. Not even her teammates, her friends. Alessia just up and left, the social media post was the last thing people — except her family — had heard from her. 

You were sitting on a chair placed in the corner of the living room. The room was almost pitch black, all the curtains were shut. You were staring into space like you’ve been doing for the last couple of weeks. You were a void. You shut everyone out.

The phone ringing brings you out of your thoughts. Sighing, you slowly get up from your seat, trudging to where the phone is. 

“What?” you grated out.

“Well, hello to you too sunshine.” the voice on the other side replied.

“What d’you want Samuel?”

“Can’t a brother check up on his sister?”

“If that’s all you’re calling for then goodbye.”

You were about to hang up the phone when, “Wait, wait, wait! Don’t hang up yet.”

“What is it?” you put the phone back to your ear.

“I wanna come see you.”

“Goodbye, Samuel.”

You hung up, carelessly throwing the phone somewhere. You needed to get out of the house, so you threw on a jacket and made your way out, walking to a cafe not far from where you live. You sat at a table in the corner observing all the people in the room. The bell of the front door rings, alerting everyone of another customer.

You see a flash of blonde from the corner of your eye, but you were too occupied with staring at your cup of coffee. Eventually getting bored, you scan the room again, seeing some new faces. One particular face intrigues you though. She was alone, like you, staring out the window. You don’t realize that you’re still staring until her eyes lock onto yours.

Her eyebrows furrow, probably wondering why you were looking at her. Curious, she gets up from her seat, cup in hand, and walks towards you. You move your gaze back to your coffee hoping she doesn’t walk up to you.

“Were you looking at me?” she asks, sitting down on the vacant seat across the table from you.

“Huh?” you reply, looking at her.

“I was sitting over there,” she points to where she was sitting. “Were you staring at me? Why were you staring at me?”

You take a sip of your coffee, taking a deep breath. “You intrigue me.”

“I-what? I intrigue you?” She was taken aback, not expecting that to come out of your mouth.

“Yeah, I don’t know. There is just… something about you.”

“Do you recognize me or something?”

“No? Am I supposed to?” you ask, now curious as to why she would think you would recognize her.

“Story for another time.”

You both start talking about anything and everything, the conversation easily flowing.

“Alright, listen. I gotta run, but it was great chatting with you.” You chug the rest of your coffee, smiling at Alessia as you walk away.

“Wait!” she exclaims, a hand grabbing onto your arm. “I’d like to continue our conversation.”

“What’re you saying?”

“I’d like your name and possibly also your number.”

A small smile makes its way to your lips. You pat your pockets, hand going into your right pants pocket pulling a pen out. Taking the napkin on the table, you scribble your number on it, clicking your pen to be put back in your pocket.

“Name’s Y/N. Yours?”

“Alessia.”

“Well Alessia, I’ll be waiting for your call.”

With that, you walk away, leaving Alessia with a giddy smile on her face.

Pulling into a parking spot, you grab all that you have and head to the counter. You don’t see anyone, so you walk around when a person steps out from behind the curtain, signaling you to walk back to the front.

“Welcome to the Travel Inn, can I help you?”

“I need a room.”

“How many hours?”

“A couple weeks.”

Turning the key into the lock, you push the door open, quickly scanning the room. Setting your things down, you sit on the bed, reading over a newspaper you’ve kept for the last couple of months.

Seven Killed In Fatal Car Crash, One in Critical Condition

That night kept replaying in your mind.

The next day, you’re stood at Alessia’s front door, her inviting you over this morning.

“Hey, come in.”

Sitting at the table, she places a fresh cup of coffee in front of you.

“Thank you,” you say, taking a sip. “This is good coffee.”

You both picked up where you left off at the cafe, the conversation easily flowing. Alessia was light and full of life, but you can tell there’s something hidden beneath it all.

“What’s your story?”

“What?”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be blunt, but the happiest people usually have the saddest story.”

You can see a sad smile appear on her face like she was reminiscing.

“I used to play football.”

“Used to?”

“Yeah and not to brag but I was pretty good.”

You chuckle, “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

“Well, one game, I was on the field and the next thing I was lying in a hospital bed.”

You pause, your mind going back to your memories.

You look around the room. Everything is a bit blurry.

“Wh-where am I?” 

“Ms. Y/LN, calm down please.”

You rip the oxygen mask off of your face. “Emily! Where's my Emily?”

“Hey,” a touch on your arm brings you out of your head. “You okay? You spaced out a bit.”

“Yeah, sorry. What happened when you woke up?”

Alessia bites her lip, trying to keep it together.

“I was confused. I mean one moment I was on the pitch, running towards the goal and the next I was waking up in a hospital bed. I didn’t know why I was there, wires attached all over me.” You reach across the table, placing a comforting hand on her own. “They told me that I was lucky to wake up. I asked them if I would be able to play football again and they said ‘One more match could be the last thing you ever do.’ There was only one thing I had to do and so I announced my retirement.”

Your heart aches as you listen, the weight of her words sinking in. You squeeze her hand gently, offering a silent support before speaking.

“I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been,” you say softly. “Giving something up that’s been your whole world… I’m so sorry.”

Her eyes flicker with a mix of pain and acceptance. “Yeah, but I had to choose life, even if it meant letting go of the dream.”

You nod, understanding the sacrifice. “You’re still that player, though. Everything you achieved—everything you fought for—that doesn’t just disappear.”

A faint smile tugs at her lips. “Thanks… I needed to hear that.”

The air between you shifts, heavier with understanding but lighter with hope.

You get back to the motel, carrying a glass tank, the guy behind the counter following behind you.

“You know you can’t take that in.”

“That’s good to know.” You smile at him, opening your door. “Have a good night,” you say, shutting the door on him.

You step into the warm cascade of water, letting it wash over your skin. The droplets trail down your body, mingling with the weight of your thoughts. The day has been heavy—every day has been heavy—but for a brief moment, the water feels like a release.

“C’mon! Just tell me where else we’re going!” she grabs onto your hand, the one that was resting on her thigh.

You run your hand across your face, clenching your eyes shut.

“I’m not telling you!” you glance at her, smiling at her before you look back toward the road. “It’s Valentine’s Day! Let me surprise you.”

“It better be good then baby.”

You turn the shower off, drying yourself off with a towel. Stumbling out of the shower, you wrap the towel around yourself, taking a seat at the edge of the tub.

“Oh, you have no idea!”

It happened so fast.

You’re driving, the road stretching out ahead of you, the hum of the engine steady beneath your hands. Her laughter is still ringing in your ears—light, warm—filling the car with life. You glance over at her, just for a second, catching the curve of her smile. She’s happy. They all are.

Your heart was full.

And then—

Metal twists. Tires scream. Glass explodes into a thousand stars. The world flips and everything slows as you’re weightless — suspended in the wreckage of a single, irreversible moment.

You hear it before you see it — the crunch of steel, the splintering of lives. 

Her laughter is gone, replaced by the sound of cries.

You reach out, but your hand finds nothing.

The car settles. The silence was thick and suffocating.

Standing in front of the mirror, you stare at yourself, hands gripping the edge of the sink. You want to forget it all, but you can’t.

You call her name — desperate and pleading. Your voice cracks, but there's no answer, just shallow breaths fading, then nothing at all.

You see her face, all broken and bloody. Her warmth was stolen away in an instant.

Your chest caves under the weight of it. The guilt floods in, sharper than any shards of glass.

This is your fault.

You scream.

You killed the person you loved.

Tears stream down your face.

The adrenaline wears off. You’re laid next to her, clutching her body in your arms. That’s how the paramedics found you, passed out, your arms around your lover.

You wake up but don’t open your eyes just yet. 

For a few seconds, you let yourself in that in-between space — half-asleep, half-aware, floating just outside of reality. The bed is warm, your body heavy with exhaustion from all the tears you shed last night. You wanted to stay in bed, not having the motivation to get up. 

Your eyes open.

The ceiling stares back at you, unchanged, but you know the moment is over. The memories from that night haunt your mind. You are about to close your eyes and drift off when your phone rings. Not looking at the screen, you answer.

“Hey, sorry for calling you so early,” you hear through the phone, making you sit up.

“Alessia,” you say breathily. “No, no. You’re fine, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to know if you wanted to, uh, you know, have breakfast with me? And maybe spend the day together? You know have to. You could be busy. Shit, I should’ve asked that first. Are you busy? You probably are…”

You listened as she rambled, the corner of your lips twitching up. 

“I’d love to have breakfast with you.” That made Alessia stop her rambling, her side of the call going silent for a moment.

“Really?” she asks, not quite believing you.

“Of course. How could I say no?”

“Okay, cool. Cool. I’ll, uh, see you soon then.”

“You will.”

Hanging up, you go back to staring at the ceiling, trying to find motivation to get out of bed.

You ended up spending the whole day with Alessia, wasting the hours away. You were still wary around her, not wanting to get attached. Despite being so guarded, Alessia was determined to get some information out of you.

You’ve now found yourself walking alongside her, somehow making it to the beach.

“You’re like a locked book,” Alessia said one day as they walked along the pier.

“Maybe I like it that way,” you replied.

Alessia frowned. “What are you so afraid of?”

You stopped walking and turned to face her, her expression unreadable. “It’s not fear, Alessia. It’s reality. Some people aren’t meant to stick around.”

Alessia’s heart clenched at the finality in your voice. She wanted to push further, to break down the walls you had so carefully built, but she could sense that you weren’t ready.

“Are you okay?” Alessia asked, concern threading her voice.

You gave her a small smile, but it didn’t reach your eyes. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

You hesitated, taking a deep breath, then said, “If you could start over, knowing everything you know now, would you do anything differently?”

Alessia blinked, caught off guard by the question. “I don’t know. I guess I’d try to hold on to the things that matter more. The people who matter.”

You nodded, expression unreadable. “That’s a good answer.” Before Alessia could reply, “Let’s head back,” you say, walking ahead of her.

The walk back to Alessia’s was silent. Stopping in front of her door, you stare at her, Alessia oblivious to the way you are staring at her as she fumbles with her keys. Finally getting the key through the lock and twisting, you move your gaze when you notice hers moving toward you. 

“Have a good night Alessia.”

“You don’t want to come in?” Her eyebrows furrowed, looking disappointed.

“Not tonight,” you give you a small smile. “Sleep well.”

Dragging a giant cooler to your room, you were once again being trailed by the man from the front desk.

“Look, I don’t know what kind of shady stuff you got going on, but what are you bringing now?”

Opening the door, you step inside, dropping the cooler on the floor.

“Goodnight Steve.” You shut the door in his face.

“It’s Dave.”

You carry the cooler to the bathroom, opening it up, and you grab a bag, holding it up in front of you. You dump the contents out into the tank you brought in the night before, the water inside sloshing gently before settling. The room is quiet — too quiet — except for the soft hum of the filter. The glow from the tank casts a faint blue light, flickering against the walls, reflecting in your tired eyes.

You stand there for a moment, just watching.

The jellyfish drifts through the water, its translucent body pulsing in slow, rhythmic movements. Weightless. Effortless. It doesn’t fight the current; it simply exists. Something is mesmerizing about it, almost peaceful.

You rest your hand on the glass, fingers resting lightly. Cold. Smooth. Unforgiving.

You take a breath, steady, measured. You’ve planned every step, considered every detail. And yet, standing here, watching this delicate creature move with such quiet grace, a strange feeling tugs at you—something you can’t quite name.

But it doesn’t matter.

You pull your hand away from the glass.

The jellyfish continues to drift, untouched by the weight pressing down on your chest.

It doesn’t know what it’s here for.

But you do.

“The first time I ever saw a box jellyfish, I was twelve. My father took us to the aquarium. I never forgot what he said, that it was the ‘most deadly creature on Earth.’ To me it was just… the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”

You called your friend over, wanting to discuss a few things. You’re sat at the desk, filling up some paperwork as he stood watching the tank.

“I talked to your doctor the other day, send over your files in the morning.”

“Is this everything?” you ask, not looking up from the papers. “Any questions?”

“Same one.”

“Same answer then.”

“You know, I was thinking last night, when we were fourteen and we made that pact.” You look over at him briefly. “Remember on the beach, in front of your grandparent’s house, we, uh, we agreed that we would never, never date each other’s girl. And I remember the day you told me that you liked Stacy Miller, that you were gonna ask her out and I said, ‘Woah! Hey, man, you can’t! Her and I already did it.’” You’ve put your pen down, paying all your attention to him. “But we didn’t. I wanted to, but she… liked you more than she liked me and — so I lied to you because I was so jealous and I’m carrying around this- this lie in my heart for the last twenty—”

“Stop it,” you throw a book at him. He stares at you. “Stop it. Stay focused,” you tap on the side of your head forcefully. “Do what you promised me.”

“What, you think I’m…”

“Do what you promised me.”

“You think I’m gonna let you down now.” He stands up, pointing a finger at you, accusingly. “I’ve known you my whole DAMN LIFE! Okay.” He taps on the papers you’re signing, “This, this! This is not something you do every day. Okay. This, this…” he waves his hands towards you, “is not easy for me. I’ll make sure everything goes to plan,” he wipes the tear that fell from his eye, shaking his head in disbelief. “Don’t worry.”

“Thank you.” You can’t bring yourself to look at him as he cries, not wanting to cry yourself. “Thank you.”

You’ve managed to avoid Alessia for three days after that night at the beach. You didn’t do much, spent most of it in your room. 

Sat on a chair you placed in front of the tank, you watched them float through the water. They somehow give you peace with how they move, almost innocently, something you’re quite sure you don’t have anymore. The sound of your phone ringing brings you out of your thoughts. Hesitantly rising from your seat, you trudge to where your phone is, answering and holding it up to your ear.

“Hello?”

You hear someone take a deep breath. “Y/N?” The person sighs, “Hi. I’m sorry I called so late.”

“Alessia? Um, did-are you okay?”

“Uh, I was- I was having trouble breathing after going for a walk. And I fainted,” your eyebrows shot up in concern, “an ambulance had to come and take me to the hospital.” She takes a couple of breaths. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I called you and I just-I wanted to — Y/N? You still there?”

You lock the door, walking out of the motel. “Yes.”

“Do you ever think about dying, Y/N?”

“Every now and again.” You answer, walking on the sidewalk.

“My face is, um, blue-ish. It’s not exactly a good sign.”

“You should try to rest. Just-why don't you try and get some sleep?”

“I like talking to you.”

“I like talking to you too.”

“Would you tell me a story?” You look around, contemplating whether you should. “Please.”

“Okay, um, alright. Once upon a time, there was a, uh, little girl named—”

“—Lucky me. I just got it on reserve like that, okay.” You hear the rustling of sheets through the phone. “Let me guess, her name is Y/N?”

You chuckle. “No, actually, this little girl’s name is Jane.”

“I like the name Jane. Go on.”

“Jane’s little sister was always pestering Jane to make paper airplanes ‘cause she’s, you know, good at it,” you shrug. “But Jane had much bigger dreams than making paper airplanes.”

“‘Kay. Then what happened?”

“Then one day Jane went out to the backyard, put leaves and taped branches to her arms and started climbing the big ol’ tree. Her little sister said ‘Jane! You can’t fly!’ She said, ‘Yeah? You just watch!’” You couldn’t see, but Alessia had a smile on her face. “Got all the way to the top, and jumped.”

Alessia’s eyebrows furrowed. “How… tall was this tree?”

“Um, it was pretty tall. She broke her arm.”

“Oh-oh, my god! This is a horrible story.”

“Well, no, no. It gets better. Um, from that experience, Jane realized that she wanted to fly. So she dedicated her life to making spaceships.” The sounds of the city can be heard in the background, but you just keep walking and talking. 

“I thought you said this was a good story?”

“Oh, well, yeah that is,” you stutter, not expecting to be called out. “Until the-the dragon showed up.”

“Oh, okay. I see. Now it’s getting better. I like dragons, especially dragons in space.” You can hear her voice fading.

“Yeah, these were fire-breathing, space dragons with really bad attitudes.”

“I see.”

“I have an idea. Why don’t you try to fall asleep and when you do, I’ll just hang up.” You suggest.

“M’kay. Y/N?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for listening. And for talking.”

You don’t say anything for a while. “Try to fall asleep.”

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Alessia.” Phone still pressed up to your ear, you walk through the automatic doors. “Alessia?” Not getting a response, you keep walking until you reach the room. “Alessia?” you ask again. Looking through the window, you see her, lying on her side on the hospital bed, asleep. 

You hang up the phone and just watch her for a moment. She looks peaceful.

Stepping inside her room, you stand by her bedside, eyes scanning over her face, almost like you were trying to memorize them. You drag a chair to where you stood, sitting in it, never taking your eyes off of her.

The next morning, Alessia’s eyes flutter open. The sunlight peaking through the window blinds shines in her face. Pushing herself to sit up, she looks around the room, a bit startled, she sees a figure by her side, sitting — slouching — on a chair.

“Y/N,” she said softly, hoping to wake you up, but with no luck. She tries again a bit louder, that doing the trick.

You jolt awake, the loud call of your name pulling you out of restless sleep. Your neck protests, stiff from hours spent slumped in the uncomfortable hospital chair, and for a moment, you’re disoriented— caught between your dreams to the blinding fluorescent lights overhead. 

You hear your name again, a bit weak but certain.

Your eyes snap to the bed next to you.

She’s awake.

You stand abruptly, moving closer to her bedside.

“You’re awake,” You whisper as if saying it aloud would make it not real.

“Yeah and you drool in your sleep,” you bring your hand up to wipe at the corner of your lips. Seeing a teasing smile on Alessia’s face makes a chuckle come out of you. 

“You’re an ass.”

“Hey!” She reaches out to swat at you. “Don’t call the sick names.”

“Oh, I apologize, my queen,” you give her a mock bow.

Shortly after your banter, the door opens, and a doctor walks into the room.

“Good morning!” the doctor was overly cheery in your opinion. “How are you feeling Alessia?”

“I’m as good as I can be.”

“Well, I’ve got some news. As we’ve briefly talked about last night, your heart isn’t getting better,” your jaw tightens. “That being said, UNOS has you at the top of their list.”

Alessia froze, not believing the words coming out of the doctor’s mouth. “What?” she asked in disbelief.

“The first heart available is yours.” She was emotional, understandably so. She hands something to Alessia. “This is a pager. When a heart becomes available, this will go off and you take yourself back here.” The doctor decides to give her some space to process everything, you following her out the door.

“How long does it usually take?” you ask once the door clicks shut. “How long does it take for a heart to become available?”

“It honestly is hard to say because it just depends. We can’t just take a heart from anyone.”

“How long do you think she has until her heart completely shuts down?”

“That’s also hard to say, but I’d give it a couple of weeks.” She sees the look of defeat on your face, placing a hand on your shoulder. “Just have some faith.” You nod, thanking her, and step back into the room.

Alessia was looking into the distance still trying to process the doctor’s words. You place yourself next to the bed, not saying a word, offering some silent support. She gently grabs your hand, startling you from the contact, giving it a light squeeze. You squeeze her hand back, communicating without words. She pulls you closer, resting her forehead to the back of your hand, wanting to feel closer to you.

You walk through the lobby of your motel. The manager trailing you again, asking why you’ve now got a bag full of small fish. You tune him out like always, closing the door on his face.

Popping the top of the tank off, you rip open the bag, pouring the contents in. You sit on your bed, watching the fish swim around. The fish run into the tentacles, dying almost instantly. You don’t flinch, just curious about the fee—

The next morning, you’re picking Alessia up to go home, her having to stay another night for observation. The same doctor from yesterday escorted you both out, pushing the wheelchair Alessia was on. She gets in the passenger seat, you reach in the put her seatbelt on for her.

The drive to Alessia’s house was silent, but not uncomfortable. As you pull in front of her house, she breaks the silence.

“Have you- have you ever been in love?” 

You swear your heart stopped. “Alessia, please,” you say, almost pleading.

“You have!” her tone teasing. You didn’t answer. “Yes, you have. C’mon, you can tell me.”

“Um, yes. But it ended.”

“What happened?”

“Stop it.”

“No, tell me.”

“Stop it!” your voice raised. “Get inside. You need to get some rest. Maybe sleep.”

She hastily takes her seatbelt off, practically jumping out of the car. 

“Alessia, hold on.” 

“Just leave.”

“Alessia!” You get out too, chasing after her.

You’re both standing in front of her door staring at each other.

“Thank you for everything.”

You go back in your car, hands grasping at the wheel, and then you scream. You scream all your anger, all your pent-up feelings.

A few hours later, Alessia was making lunch when she sees movement outside of her kitchen window. There you were, pulling on weeds.

She goes up to you, questioning what you are doing.

“Is this your way of saying sorry?”

“No, I just, uh, saw these were getting overgrown, so decided to take a day off.”

She watches you work for a while longer before stopping you.

“Come on, I want to show you something,” she says, a hint of longing in her voice.

She leads you into the house to a room at the end of the hall. She unlocks the door, one you hadn’t really noticed before. When she pushes it open, you’re met with a room that isn’t like any other in the entire house. It’s not grand or overly decorated — if anything, it feels a bit hidden, almost like a personal secret she doesn’t show just anyone.

Inside, the walls are lined with framed jerseys, newspaper clippings, and photos capturing moments from her time at university. A glass cabinet holds an array of trophies and medals, each carefully placed yet slightly tucked away as if she doesn’t like to make too much of a fuss about them.

You step closer, eyes scanning the awards. There are championship medals and even a few personal accolades from her standout performances. One shelf holds a pair of worn-out boots, laces frayed, their soles bearing the marks of countless games.

“These were from my first goal in uni,” she explains, stepping around you and picking them up with a nostalgic smile. “I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out.”

You watch as she moves through the room, her fingers grazing over the items, each one holding a story she remembers like it was yesterday. There’s a quiet pride in her voice—not boastful, just appreciative of the journey she’s been on.

“You don’t show this room to everyone, do you?” you ask softly.

She chuckles, shaking her head. “Not really. I don’t like to dwell too much on the past, but… sometimes it’s nice to remember where it all started.”

You take another look around, imagining the countless hours of training, the sacrifices, the triumphs. Seeing it all in one place, tucked away in this private corner of her home, makes you appreciate her journey even more.

As you turn back to her, she’s already watching you, a curious look in her blue eyes. “So, what do you think?”

You smile. “I think you are incredible. And I think you should be really proud.”

She exhales, almost as if she needed to hear that. You see a pink hue forming on her cheeks but don’t pay them any mind.

“Look,” she pauses, trying to find the right words. “I don’t really know anything about you or where you came from, but you keep showing up. And I’m glad.”

“Okay.” you nod, looking at her.

Then, with a playful nudge, she says, “Come on, you hungry? I’ve got lunch ready.”

You pause by the door, looking around for a while longer. Thoughts of what more she could’ve achieved if it weren’t for her heart filled your mind. It shouldn’t have ended like this. You walk out, closing the door behind you.

It’s been a week since then. You and Alessia grew a lot closer, but the memories of the accident become more frequent when you sleep. Or at least when you do get to sleep. You knew your time was ticking. 

You’re limping to your room, bracing yourself against the wall.

“What the hell happened to you?” The manager asks as you walk past, but you ignore him. “How much longer are you gonna stay in my hotel?”

“Motel,” you correct him.

“How much longer?”

“Actually, I was planning on dying here,” you say, no amusement in her voice.

“Well, you need to pay in advance.” You block him out, shutting your room door.

You wake up to the sound of your phone ringing. You search under the piles of paper scattered on the bed for it. You answer once you find it, holding it up to your ear.

“Hello.”

“Hey, it’s Alessia. Are you- are you sleeping?”

“Yeah, uh, no. I’m, um, how are you?”

“I’m good. Was wondering if you were busy later? Come by to say ‘hi’ say around seven?”

“Busy? Uh—”

“Look, I totally get if you don’t want to hang out with a dying girl,” she gets out.

“No, no. I- I can come at seven.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Bye,” she whispers, a smile forming on her lips.

At seven on the dot, you’re at her front door. You knock, the door opening shortly after. 

“Hey! Come in.” She shuffles away towards the kitchen. “Do you mind if we eat outside?” she asks over. 

“Eating?” you ask, not expecting it.

“Yeah, you didn’t eat yet did you?” you can hear in her tone that she was worried you did.

“No, um, um. No.”

“Well, it was a surprise, but you’re on time.” She’s getting a dish out of the oven, placing it on top of the stove. “Um, I haven’t cooked anybody food in a while, so I hope you like it. Don’t lie to me.” She lets out a nervous giggle. She then grabs a present, wrapped neatly with a bow on top, holding it out to you. “This is for you.”

“Dinner’s ready and you’re not,” she walks away, holding the dish, “so hurry up. Chop chop.”

You go into her bedroom, stopping by the wall to look at all the pictures that lined it. Seeing Alessia setting a table outside, you open up the present, seeing a shirt. You quickly get dressed, walking out to the backyard. She’s sitting at the table as you stand in the doorway, gesturing towards the shirt you changed into.

“You look great,” she says, giving you a wide smile.

“Yeah, uh,” you look down at yourself, “it’s pink.”

“It’s salmon,” she says like it’s obvious. She waves her hand for you to come. You walk up to stand next to the table. Taking your time, you take it all in.

“You’re so nice.”

“So are you.” You take a seat, a bit uncomfortable with how intimate it all looks; candles, wine. “Everything is vegetarian. Um, I hope you like eggplant parmesan.” 

You fidget in your seat, not really knowing what to do. “I, uh, haven’t treated myself very well in the past few years.”

Alessia nods in acknowledgment. “Start now.” You grab your silverware, “Bon appétit.” You take a bite, pausing at the flavors. “What do you think?”

You look towards her with sincerity, “it’s delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

The conversation started flowing easier after a bit. The awkwardness going away. Soft music fills the air around them. The song changes and Alessia perks up. She gets up towards the speaker, turning the volume up. She starts swaying to the music, getting lost in the melody. You sit back and just watch her. You couldn’t look away, mesmerized by how she moved, how happy she looked. 

She then turns to you, a teasing smile on her face, holding her hand out to you.

“Oh, no. I can’t— I don’t dance.”

“Come on. Let loose.” She grabs your hand in hers, pulling you up and you know you didn’t have a choice. She pulls you close, placing one of your hovering hands in hers, the other on her side. The music changes to a slower song. You start swaying, trying not to be stiff. Her head rests against your chest. You hope she couldn’t feel the way your heartbeat starts to speed up — she does but doesn’t say anything. She pulls her head away after a few moments.

The air between you crackles, thick with something unspoken but impossible to ignore. You’re standing too close, your breaths mingling in the charged silence. Their eyes flick to your lips, just for a second, and your pulse stutters.

A tear slips down your cheek before you can stop it. You turn your head slightly, hoping she won’t see, but of course, she does. Her fingers, gentle and unsure, brush against your jaw, tilting your face back toward her.

“Hey,” she murmurs, searching your eyes. Her concern only makes the ache in your chest tighten.

You don’t know why this moment — why she — breaks you open like this. Maybe it’s the way she’s looking at you like you’re something fragile but worth holding. Maybe it’s the way she’s here, close enough to touch, even when everything in you tells you to pull away.

But you don’t pull away. You do the opposite.

With a shaky breath, you reach for her, grabbing the back of her neck. Her lips parted slightly in surprise as you closed the distance, pressing your mouth to hers. It starts slow, tentative, but the second she kisses you back, something in you snaps.

You pour everything into it—every unsaid word, every suppressed feeling, every ache that’s been sitting heavy in your chest. She meets you with the same urgency, her hands threading through your hair, pulling you closer. The heat between you builds, wiping away everything else — the pain, the doubt.

You feel her hands slipping beneath your shirt, fingertips skimming your skin, sending shivers down your spine. You exhale against her lips, a soft, needy sound escaping before you can stop it.

Then you’re moving, tangled together, finding the bed without ever breaking apart. Clothes fall away, but it’s more than just hunger now. It’s desperation, longing, a need to feel — to be seen, to be held, to be hers.

For the first time in a long time, you don’t feel like you’re falling apart. You feel free.

Legs tangled under the sheets, you both hold each other close, the rain can be heard pouring just outside.

“Do you wanna play a game?” she asks, voice soft, not wanting to break the calm atmosphere.

“What game?” your fingers trace the features of her face.

“What if game.”

“The what if game.”

“Mhm.” Her fingers caress your face. “What if… my pager goes off… and it’s a heart and it works and my body doesn’t reject it. And what if I have time.”

You’ve become a bit speechless, but after a few beats, it was your turn.

“What if… we have children? What if we got married?” You can see tears forming in her eyes, threatening to fall. She kisses your shoulder, trying to hold back a sob. The tears finally fall and you hold her close. “I love you,” you mumble. She pulls away from your neck, hand grabbing your face to pull you in. “I love you,” you say it stronger. She kisses you.

She falls asleep in the comfort of your arms. You lay on your side, head propped up on your hand as you watch her, watch how peaceful she looked.

You carefully slip out from under her, making sure to not wake her up. Quietly getting dressed, you look at her once more. Everything you’ve bottled up with her slowly hitting you one by one. Leaning down, you give her forehead a gentle kiss, before slipping out.  

You run.

The rain pours down, drenching your clothes, but you don’t care. Your breath is ragged, your footsteps heavy, your body pushing forward as if fueled with determination alone. Your soaked shirt clings to your chest, water splashing with each step.

You push the heavy hospital door open, breathing heavily, steps filled with a purpose.

“Alright,” you reach the nurse’s stations “Is Doctor Briar on- on duty tonight?” you ask, out of breath.

“She’s… doing her rounds,” the nurse looks at you in concern.

“Can you tell her it’s Y/N Y/LN? It’s very important.”

“I’ll, uh, page her.” The nurse picks up the phone, paging the doctor, eyes not straying away from you.

You were close to hysterics, thinking that you didn’t have enough time. You turn around, find a chair, and take a seat, still breathing heavily. Hearing a door open, you turn your head to the right, seeing the doctor walking towards you. Getting up, you meet her halfway.

“Hey.”

“Is it Alessia?” she asks, concern in her voice.

“Uh, no. No. I’m sorry. Is there- sorry.” You try to find the right words. “Do you have any more- any optimism about Ales- Alessia that you did the other day?”

“When- when you’re looking for donors with a rare blood type,” you nod, listening intently. Eyes bloodshot. “the odds go way down.”

“To what? They go down. What’s- give me a percentage.” The doctor’s reluctance to answer makes you raise your voice. “Give me a number.”

“Three, five percent.” You put your hand up, not wanting to hear anything else. “I’m sorry. I- I wish the numbers were higher.”

“Thank you.” you walk past her. “Thank you, thank you,” you’re mumbling, walking out of the hospital.

The rain pours heavily on you, but you don’t think about it. Pulling your phone out from your pocket, you quickly dial a number.

“Hey,” you whisper once the person picks up. “It’s time. I love you,” your voice breaks. You hang up, not giving him a chance to reply.

Stepping into your room, you pause by the door. 

You stand in the dim motel bathroom, the weight of your decision pressing against your chest like an iron vice. The letters were written, and your affairs are in order. You have spent almost a year preparing for this moment.

You twist the bathtub knob, water rushing in as you slit open the bag of ice. The ice tumbles into the tub, the chill spreading as you check the time on your watch, carefully placed on the edge. Hurriedly, you jot down a note and set it on the floor beside the tub.

The hotel phone feels cold in your hand, dialing the dreaded number.

“999 emergency.”

You’re breathing hard, the weight of everything heavy on your shoulders.

“I need an ambulance,” you run your hand down your face.

“I have you at 9216 Street.”

“That’s room number two.”

“What’s the emergency?”

“There’s been a suicide,” you sigh.

“Who’s the victim?”

“I am.”

“You are really gonna need to stop looking at that thing,” you let out a laugh, looking over to the person in the passenger seat, driving the both of you to somewhere special.

“Why? Is it gonna crack?” The woman is holding her hand out in front of her, admiring the ring that sits on her finger.

“Oh no. I paid extra for the non-cracking kind.”

“Yeah, I bet you did.”

A notification from your phone pulls your attention from her. Taking it out of your pocket, you read the text, occasionally looking back at the road.

“Honey, why don’t you just turn that off?”

“Yeah, hold on. Sorry, no more. No more work, I’m almost done, almost done.”

“Y/N!”

You don’t expect it, hearing tires screeching, horns blaring, her screaming. You swerve, narrowly missing the car, but there is another one. It hits head-on to your passenger side.

You’re flipping.

Flipping.

Flipping.

Then everything stops.

Bracing yourself against the wall, you step into the water, fully clothed. The water, ice cold, makes your breathing unsteady. Now sitting, you grab the edge of the tub, hands turning white with how hard you’re gripping.

Your mind drifts back to Alessia, how beautiful she looked lying next to you in bed. How warm her hand felt as she rested it on the side of your face.

You grab the bucket filled with the jellyfish that was placed on the foot of the tub, quickly dumping them in the water before you have second thoughts.

Then you feel it.

A searing pain explodes across your body as the tentacles wrap around your arm, your chest. It is fire and ice all at once, electricity surging through your veins. Your muscles seize, your breath catches, but you don’t fight it. You let it take you. 

You bite your tongue, holding a scream in. You grab the shower curtain, pulling so hard that you rip it off. The scream you try to hold in can’t be contained.

You’re running. 

You don’t know where to, but once you’ve pulled yourself out of the car, you run, climbing up the steep hill you fell into.

You clutch onto the curtain, the pain becoming unbearable, hyperventilating. 

You see the aftermath of the crash, freezing in disbelief.

Hugging the side of the tub, you let out another scream.

You’re running, seeing something in the distance. A flash of red.

Red.

The color of her dress.

Fully submerged in the water now, your energy draining. 

You stop next to a body, crouching down with your hands out. Legs giving out, you slowly crawl up to her.

Everything feels numb. The pain doesn’t feel painful anymore.

“No. No no no.” Your voice cracks, hands hovering, afraid to touch her. “Baby, wake up.”

Your fingers brush her cheek — still warm. A flicker of hope flares in your chest. You press your palm to her face, stroking the cheek that you’ve kissed a thousand times. “Come on, look at me. Open your eyes.”

But she doesn’t.

A strangled sob tears from your throat as you gather her into your arms, cradling her against yourself, rocking back and forth. Leaning down, you press your forehead against hers, body shaking with grief, mind clinging to denial, as if you hold her tight enough, love her hard enough, that she’ll take a breath, that her eyes would open and everything would be alright. 

But she doesn’t.

A sigh of relief escapes you.

Your vision blurs. The walls of the motel bathroom fade. The sound of your own heartbeat roars in your ears then softens, then slows. The pain becomes distant, then almost peaceful.

Then — nothing.

The sound of the heart monitor fills the room. Doctors and nurses surround the bed, doing everything they can.

But they couldn’t.

Beeps wake Alessia from her deep sleep. Her eyes shot open, narrowing on the pager that sat on her bedside table. She’s in disbelief, grabbing the pager making sure she wasn’t dreaming. She looks around, trying to ground herself.

“Y/N?” she sits up, excitement in her voice.

Next thing she knows, she’s laid in a hospital bed being rolled into the operating room. 

“Hi. How are you doing?” The doctor greets Alessia, ensuring her that this is real. She doesn’t say anything, still in a state of shock.

Your friend breaks down in his office, not wanting to believe his best friend is gone.

Alessia’s new heart beats strongly in her chest, still unknowing of where it came from.

Your brother sat on a chair in your motel room, finding your newspaper clippings pinned on the wall, all about the accident. He never understood why you shut down, why you distanced yourself.

Now he does.

He held a stack of envelopes, each with a different name, the same names that he found in a list in your notebook.

“About a year after the accident, I got sick. I got, uh, lung cancer. I needed a double lobe transplant. Y/N could only give me one of course.” Your brother, Sam, sat at the table, Alessia sitting across from him. “That must’ve planted the seed cause six months later she, uh, donated the right part of her liver to this woman.” He gives her a picture, you stood next to a woman in a hospital bed, smiling widely. “Her name is Holly.” She brushes her thumb over your face, tears now streaming down her face. 

Once Sam had left, she opens an envelope, pulling the paper out. 

My Dearest Alessia,

By the time you read this, I will be gone. I wish I could have had more time, more moments, more laughter, more mornings waking up to the sound of your breathing. But time isn’t something I deserve anymore.

I have carried the weight of my past, every mistake, every regret, and every life I have shattered with me. No matter how much I have tried to let go of my past, that night still haunts me. You once told me that love has the power to heal, but Alessia, some wounds run too deep. Some burdens cannot be lifted. Not even by the hands of someone as beautiful as you.

I have spent my days trying to make up for the lives I took, giving away pieces of myself in the hope that it would bring back the ones I lost. And now, I am giving you the last piece I have left. Not because I feel I owe it, but because you deserve life. A full one. A long one. A life without fear, without hesitation, without the pain that has held you captive for too long.

I have seen the way you look at the stars as if you are searching for something, some hope, some sign that things will be okay. I hope that after tonight, you will look up and know that you were loved. That you changed me. That you gave me something I never thought I’d have again. Peace.

Please live, Alessia. Live enough for the both of us. And if you ever feel the darkness creeping in, remember me not in sadness, but in love. In every heartbeat. In every breath.

Forever yours,

Y/N

She clutches the letter to her chest, legs giving out from under her.

Later that night, Alessia lays in the bathtub, feeling numb as the water surrounds her. Slowly, she sinks under the water, stopping for a moment once her ears are under just to hear it.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

She places her hand over her heart to feel the beats momentarily before fully sinking under.

Alessia’s hands trembled as she stepped into the small music shop. The warm notes of the piano fill the air. She scanned the room, her breath caught between anticipation and fear.

Then she saw him.

A man sat in the corner, watching the pianist play their songs. His expression was calm, and peaceful, as if everything was right with the world.

Her heart pounded as she stepped closer. He turned to her, sensing her presence. 

“Hi,” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ezra smiled. “Hi.” His head tilted slightly as if reading her silence. “Can I help you with something?”

She opened her mouth to speak but the words failed her. Instead, her gaze locked onto his eyes—warm, deep brown, achingly familiar.

Your eyes.

Her breath hitched. A sharp, unrelenting ache surged through her chest. It was as if he was standing in front of her, looking at her, seeing her.

She tried to hold it together, but the tears came fast, unbidden. A sob escaped her throat before she could stop it. She covered her mouth, shaking, overwhelmed by grief and love crashing into her all at once.

Ezra frowned, concern washing over his face. “Are you okay?”

Alessia forced a nod, wiping her cheeks. “I just—” she swallowed hard. “You have beautiful eyes.”

A small, knowing smile flickered across Ezra’s lips, as if he understood more than she had said. “Thank you.”

Her chest tightened. She could barely breathe, but she could feel you, right there in front of her. And for the first time since you were gone, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to run from the pain or hold onto it forever.

She was back.

The roar of the crowd was deafening as Alessia stood on the edge of the penalty box, her heart pounding — not from fear, not from exhaustion, but from the pure, electrifying thrill of the game. The England shirt clung to her, damp with sweat and the weight of everything she had been through settled in her chest. But it wasn’t heavy. It was powerful.

The ball came to her feet—a perfect pass, spinning toward her as if fate itself had lined it up. For a split second, everything else disappeared. The surgeries, the hospital beds, the whispers about whether she’d ever play again. The months of grueling rehab, the moments of doubt.

None of it mattered now.

With one touch, she controlled the ball, took a deep breath, and struck it cleanly. Time slowed as it soared through the air, past outstretched hands, and into the back of the net.

Goal.

The stadium erupted. Her teammates swarmed her, wrapping her in tight embraces, their voices became a blur against the roaring of thousands. But Alessia barely heard them. She staggered backward, hands trembling, sinking to her knees as the weight of everything came crashing down. 

She choked back a sob, looking up at the sky, wishing — hoping — that somewhere, wherever you may be, that you could see her now. Pressing a hand over her heart, she felt it beat strongly.

Thank you.

Her teammates pulled her up, holding her as she sobbed. As the final whistle blew, a new wave of emotion hit her. She closed her eyes, tilting her head up to the sky once more. She swore she could hear your voice.

“I am so proud of you.”

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

No Sugar Tonight 1

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Brock Rumlow

Summary: A regular customer becomes more than just a familiar face.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

The evening shift is quiet. You don’t mind the low din of the atrium. The cafe offers the only light to the empty lobby. Hours ago, it was a rush of bodies and voices, now, the shops have closed down and the sign above you remains lit as the sole beacon in the business plaza. 

The slower hours are more routine than the frantic mornings filled with early risers desperate for their first dose of caffeine. You did a few weeks of that before you hopped on the evening’s rota. It gives you time to read between baking and cleaning. 

The front doors open and close, echoing through the space. It’s eerie this late at night but you it doesn’t bother you as much as it once does. The footsteps that follow add to the unease of their approach. You recognise the man by his silhouette. 

The marquee glow limns his harsh features, the stubble on his jaw adding to the sharp angles, his dark hair and brows give him a sinister slant. You smile as you stand from the stool and pour him a black coffee. You ring him up before he even gets to the counter. 

“Evening, sir,” you greet him. You still don’t know his name. All your other regulars like to chat. He doesn’t. “Black.” 

He flicks a card up between his index and middle fingers. The stamps across the rows add up to a free drink. You take it, brushing his calloused fingertips as you do. 

“Oh, a free drink. Exciting.” You cancel the transaction and slide his cup forward, “enjoy.” 

He grumbles and takes the cup. He moves to the other end of the kiosk and grabs a lid and sleeve. As he walks away, you bid him a good night. He never says much, if anything. 

You go back to sanitizing the frother. The work isn’t so dull when you have nothing else to do. The night wears on as the sky softens through the glass walls of the atrium   

Dayani arrives just before five to take over. You hand her the keys and balance the till before you go. She sends you off with the dread of the shift ahead. 

Out on the street, the lull remains. Not for much longer. The bus routes will pick up and the daily commuters will clog the streets. Your trek home is five blocks but not too bad considering. You share a loft with two other girls but you rarely run into them. You all work different shifts in different borroughs. 

Your room is at the rear of the old brick building. The legislated fire escape crosses your window and casts a shadow through the sheer curtains. You undress and unwind in your single bed. The room is small and not exactly worth the cost but it’s a roof over your head. 

You sleep until just after one. The city had you waking in spurts at the honk of an angry driver or the shouts of rowdy pedestrians. You eat the stale scone you claimed from work and have instant coffee to wash it down. 

You go through the usual. You wake up little by little and drag yourself out to the shower. You catch a glimpse of one of your roommates. Lottie barely seems to notice you as she carries a basket out the door. 

When you’re done washing up, you pull on your sweats and a loose tee. You waste some time watching TV on your phone then plug it in so you have some juice left when you leave. You eat a microwaved tray of pasta and change into your uniform. You do up your hair and face, nothing too much, and count the minutes until you’re due to leave. 

As exciting as the city can be, you can’t afford that part of it. You work, you sleep, you get by. 

Xander has an hour overlap with you before he goes. He tells you about all his midterms and the party he wants to ditch his studying for. It’s only an elective course anyway. He leaves in indecision. 

You never finished school. You did one year and dropped out. You did well enough but you couldn’t afford it. Not even the local community college in your hometown. Funny, you still came all the way out here to scrape pennies. 

The last rush of the day passes through. Those on the way to their own overnight shifts; security guards, hotel clerks, and all others. 

The silence sets in. You play around on your phone. The battery dies a lot quicker lately so you make yourself quiet the matching game and put it in your pocket. You pull out the novel you keep hidden behind the till and read until the door opens and closes. 

Same time, same man. His black hair swallows up the light of the sign above as you pour his coffee. You get him a new card and stamp it, handing it over with your usual smiling nicety. Still no response. He goes to grab his lid and sleeve. 

You wait patiently. He doesn’t march off like usual. You peek over as he strides along the counter. He drops a bill in the tip jar. You thank him. Still no answer. 

He walks off and you look in the cup. You can’t believe it. You snatch up the bill and push through the door at the side of the kiosk. You hurry after his shadow. 

“Sir, sir, I think you made some mistake--” the door closes heavily and his figure passes outside the glass panels. You can’t go that far without locking up. Oh well, he’ll be back tomorrow and you can let him know. 

You walk back to the cafe stand and dip back behind. You unfold the hundred dollar bill. Maybe it’s not real. Maybe it’s a joke. Looks pretty real when you hold it up to the light. 

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Kitten Lair

Hello I am back! @spotaus get in here friend!

And I know... I know... a bit earlier in the timeline again but i had an idea :D

:D :D :D

Because i am weak! :D

timeline wise: Nightmare got changed into a child like three and a half months ago in this drabble. so the gang has been in farmtale for two weeksish.

first drabble prev drabble next drabble

No beta! We going :D

*-------------------------*

Ccino pauses the clenaing of the counter as he waits impatiently for the last customer to leave. He loves and adores his cat cafe but it is already past 5 and he has been passive aggressively cleaning the tables around them.

Luckily the customers finish up soon after and leave with a cheerful wave.

Ccino rushes to turn the open sign to closed and turns off the main lamps. He closes the roll curtains and gets to work on cleaning the last table.

He however waits with cleaning the coffee machine, just in case.

Ccino keeps glancing at the enterance as he goes about cleaning up the cat toys and hearding the cats out of the kitchen once again. He fills their food bowls and puts fresh water into the water bowls and water fountains.

A glance at the clock shows that it is already half past six and Ccino sighs again.

No show again.

one of the cats stares at him and mews. Ccino glances over and knows it is Berry. He chuckles nad pets him "I dunno little Berry. Maybe I am overreacting..."

He can't help it. Ccino had just gotten used to having Nightmare visit once a week.

Many would proabbly tell him to tell the Stars. to make it obvious something was wrong. There had to be after all with Nightmare visiting.

Except that all Nightmare would do at first was study the cats. Ccino had once managed to collect all his courage, which wasn't a lot mind you, and ask Nightmare what he was doing.

Nightmare had looked at him before answering calmly. That he wanted to study the cats.

Ccino had been very worried. Mostly because there was one small detail about his cafe that people just seemed to ignore. there were the normal cats. the cats that ccino took in and helped find new owners for.

Then there were the special cats. the cats he would never let anyone adopt.

How do you explain that the reason a cat has blue fur is because the cat is somehow connected to an important player in the multiverse?

Yeah. He can't explain that.

Yet... none of the cross-multiverse customers ever seemed to notice. And that is saying something as the cats are not subtle!

But... Nightmare hadn't been here for that. He would always come after closing. He would just spend his time watching the cats interact and play togehter. And then he would leave after an hour.

Ccino had watched him watch them. Taking note that Nightmare never once actually reached out to touch them, even after the cats had gone over to investigate him!

he had pointed it out to nightmare once. just to see. mentioned that the cat near him now really liked pets. Nightmare had frowned slightly before slowly and so carefully petting the cat near him.

That had been a turning point. it is just... it is hard to see someone as evil and unredeemable when he just stared in wonder at a cat who accepted his petting.

Nightmare would keep coming by and Ccino would start to ask him what he wanted drink or food wise. Nightmare had been confused but Ccino had just pointed out the cafe part of the whole situation.

Nightmare would always order the same two things. An ice coffee with a lot of cream and sugar and the white chocolate cheesecake.

He would sit in a chair and just pet the cats that seemed to follow him around.

Nightmare meeting his own cat had been a sight to behold honestly. Noot had sneaked into the area without Ccino noticing only to have Nightmare suddenly have his own cat version licking his skull as if Noot had been planning on licking the goop away.

Trying to keep Noot or any of the gang cats away from Nightmare had been a struggle and eventually Ccino just gave up. He let the special cats near the outcode and nothing bad happened. Nightmar ejust petted the cats that came near him and left the ones who didn't alone.

Ccino sighs and turns off the coffee machine when it hits seven.

He is worried.

Which is stupid! There is no reason why Ccino should be worried about Nightmare! Maybe the other is just busy or something!

But here he is. waiting anxiously for one of his favourite customers to return.

Yes Ccino knows it is weird to grow slightly protective over a god but people just don't get it. Seeing someone interact with animals can change your perspective of someone and the way Nightmare just seemed so fascinated and mystified by the cats? Ccino can't explain how the wonder was just something he hadn't seen on just any customers. Nightmare had looked like he was only learning about cats for the first time in his life.

Ccino shakes his skull and focusses on the cats. he quickly finds Noot and their newest arrival.

Ccino smiles "Hey there Noot. How is your little friend doing?"

Noot opens his one eye and looks up before moving one of his four tails and revealing the little kitten that had just appeared.

Ccino has a good idea of who this little cat is. He had heard the rumours going around. About Dust and Cross having been spotted with a tiny babybones.

Ccino figures that is the kitten. Still strange that Noot was the one to first show up wiht the kitten just riding his back. It wasn't until a while later that the others in the cat gang got invested in the kitten, Dust- euh. Murder was first. Murder would pick the kitten up and go towards a spot and lazily clean the ktiten in the warm sunlight. Killer- well Stain was next. He went all up in Murder's business to get near the kitten. All while Noot just watched over them. Rust had been next and made sure to bring food to the tiny kitten. Rust never seemed to mind the ktiten playing even if it hit the headwound. Oreo was last but was now all over the kitten. staying near and watching continuously.

Another curious thing. How the five adult cats made sure to keep the new kitten far away from any of the other cats. a few tried and Ccino had been worried Murder would live up to his name for a moment there.

Ccino smiles nad pets Noot "Maybe that is why he hasn't visited... I am going to assume you are the baby's main babysitter with how often you are clsoe to the kitten."

It is just.. Noot has been getting slower and weaker. it may not be obvious to others but it was obvious to Ccino. the way Noot tended to hide more. ate less. spend more time just laying around instead of stalking others. How Noot would no longer climb to high places and just stay near the ground.

It is worrisome.

But Ccino has no idea what to do with this information... In matter of fact everyone seemed happy about the fact that the gang was quiet.

Ccino carefully strokes the soft fur of Noot "I am sorry i can't help more."

Noot however looks fully calm as he pushes his skull into the hand for a pet before turning back to the kitten and cleaning him.

Ccino follows the sight. It is a pretty little kitten alright. A beautiful black coat which seems to shine a slight purple in the direct sunlight. soft purple eyes and just the cutest little pink nose and pink toebeans.

The tiny kitten mews uphappily as Noot cleans him. some of that very soft fur sticking up from the cleaning.

Ccino sighs as he pets the older cat, noting that the sharp eyes seemed duller as well, before going to check the other cats. seeing the four other cats join their leader and kitten.

Ccino tries to calm himself as he goes back to the kitchen to finish cleaning and preparing.

everything is going to be okay.

*-------------------------*

Look. I am not gonna lie. I am weak for Ccino and Nightmare having been friends :D

first drabble prev drabble next drabble

[springsmile]

over my shoulder || 03

18+ | h. shinso x f. reader

series masterlist.

warnings: non-con, smut, pre-established trauma (r*pe), extreme anxiety/paranoia, victim blaming/shaming, abuse of prescriptions, self harm, suicidal ideation, disassociation, negativity around hospitalization, violent intrusive thoughts, kidnapping, murder, specific reader characterizations, manipulation, anorexia/bulimia behaviors

** reader's quirk is enhanced senses. upon activation, emotions and sensations are pretty much exacerbated. reader never learns how to channel or control it to its full potential, only to turn it on and off.

one time is a coincidence, twice is… an oddity?

your door is open again— well, you’d left it open, but it was acute angularly. you only leave it open a crack.

was there a draft? you raise your hand in the air, and unwittingly activate your quirk, heightening your sense of touch. the flow of air is ordinary, breezing around your hand slowly, and with a cheap low pressure.

there’s nothing, as such. it wasn’t as though you could afford a better ac system.

everything was in its right place. the knick-knacks cluttering your windowsill, your bedsheets creased in the corners, comforter balled in a misshapen lump in the center— everything was eerily correct… to your knowledge, at least. as if time had never raked across it. your stomach tightens, and you shift your gaze to the bathroom door, equally as ajar.

your scale is still slotted against the toilet, and while the occasional meeting of the porcelain and the glass did make you wince, it was more accessible in that position. upon further analysis, even the curtain was drawn back and the fabric ripples. it might’ve been a touch juvenile, but the ever-present fear of a form appearing shadowy from behind the polka-dots was stifling.

still having been equipped with your quirk, your gaze becomes more intent, hardening with each blink. it’s still bunched to the left, and is just that. still.

your quivering hand hovers in the air for a pregnant pause, suspended by uncertainty and fright. you inhale, which does nothing to quell your rampant heart, and seize the curtain—but when you pull it toward yourself, nothing is there. just the protective plastic and cheap design.

but when you drop your head on your pillow that night, your head encounters some light difficulty committing your habitual tossing. you lift your head, and peer down. bemused, your fingers ghost over your bare pillow.

there’s a new girl at work.

company policy, which you’ve been forced to commit to memory, states that hair must be a solid color, and a natural color at that. her hair is anything but. there's raccoon tails and pastels melting together, done indisputably by her hand, but adds to her charm and absent-minded character.

seniority rules, and so, it's decided she spends her first day with you. Initially, she begins her introduction by informing you the cheese danishes in the store's cafe were her drug, proceeded to mime snorting a line of coke. your laugh is ungodly at best, and your throat airily expands with the sound. clarity hit her seconds later, where she meekly asks you not to tell your superiors she said that.

"don't tell me you're an op, y/n." she murmurs to you with pressed palms.

"umm... i'm not?"

she proceeds to make small, correctable errors, and hits it off with the customers. you study her rapport with apt awe. every so often, she runs her fingers along the glossy spines of moby dick and war and peace whenever we pass them, and she remains there for a pregnant pause.

your breaks aligned, as she would be shadowing you for the day. the break room is desolate, save for her and you, and a shade of white that elicits a vague memory of TV static before your eyes. in your periphery is the equally disconcerting bright phone screen in yuka’s hands (nails a collection of color that don’t compliment the other in any particular way) that stains your side view. but you can make out the familiar formatting of the tumblr website. her phone ringer is on, so as her thumbs flit across the bottom of the bright glass, it goes something like ‘pcka-pcka-pcka’ but you’d have to produce a sound with your mouth that required you to press your lips together and suck them in, in order to replicate it correctly.

you like her.

you might’ve assumed kinship due to her appearance— it's anything but conventional. or maybe it's her manner. quick, blunt, but doused with sweet sincerity;

“so, it turns out that’s not how you pronounce it–I think that’s where the disconnect occurred.” she’d stated matter of factly, but there wasn’t a trace of animosity.

with darkened eyes, the customer’s mouth protrudes. his upper lip furls into a snarl.

“No. It’s accor-di-ance.” he insisted.

“accordance.” she said with a gentle smile. “but it’s alright–we found it! I hope you enjoy it.”

he left contentedly, despite his earlier erroneous insistence. flummoxed, you remained silent during the exchange. selfishly, you didn’t feel the need to interject. that, and you deduced that yuka capable enough to sort out the issue herself.

either way, it's difficult not to acquiesce her boba tea date request. you have some leftover money from making rent early, and it's not like you had anyone to call a friend.

it could be a safe change. hopefully. you’d take the leap. what could go wrong?

"if you were boba–with the pearls–you would be taro. just because I like the color. It's pretty. just like you." yuka says in the midst of alphabetizing and brain-racking. you’d been section detailing fiction. yanking out titles that didn't belong in the various shelves, or were in the wrong order. tedious, but it wasn't hard.

the warm flush that encompasses your cheeks is alarming— you hold them in your hands dazedly.

"oh." you utter stupidly. "thank you."

she giggles, and you’re instantly envious of its melodiousness.

“what section is this in?”

you pull out the device that displays inventory and genre, and twist the book around, where the scanner is particularly blinding, and survey the tiny print.

“social sciences.” you answer, watching the screen illuminate her gentle features.

she bites her bottom lip—it’s plump and full, swollen with color and life. “where’s that again, (y/n)?”

the shelves stood half way to the ceiling, and it was difficult to see around them. but you could navigate the labyrinth with ease. and so you weaved your way through the bays and yielded to a few elderly patrons, before halting upon the social sciences section.

“remember that the subsections aren’t labeled. you’ll figure it out by eyeballing the titles carefully.” you say. something about her charisma and unconventionality brought you solace, and a smidge of relaxedness.

she raises her wrist and inspected her watch.

“it’s time for our break now, isn’t it?” she asks fervently.

you crack a tentative grin at her. “it’s 5 already? then yeah, go on.”

“y/n!” a barista calls out with plum crescents under her eyes. you stand from your ornately ivory wired seat— you have angry red imprints on the backs of your thighs— and retrieve your sugary boba tea.

admittedly, you’d never really liked that herby-earthy taste. but something about the sparkling excitement in yuka’s eyes made you inclined to spend a minute amount.

she watches you earnestly, waiting for you to slurp up the pearls and taro. you do, and you unsuccessfully suppress a cringe.

“it’s not bad.” you lie, still working on chewing the onslaught of saccharine.

she studies your face for a few seconds, before leaning back in her chair with a pout. “you hate it.”

you nod solemnly. “i do.”

her chest heaves with a hearty laugh, eyes crinkling in the corners and mouth falling half open. her teeth are aligned perfectly. you wondered if she’d had braces.

“i appreciate you trying to spare my feelings, but don’t force yourself to drink it. i can give you the money back for it—“

“no.” you interject, pausing when you realize the harshness of your tone. “no.” you soften. “don’t even worry. i got it.”

she didn’t seem deterred by your insistence, but relinquished anyway with a sigh.

“alright, y/n.” she huffs. “you win this time. next time, i’ll treat you.”

you smile small. “okay.”

you fall into light conversation about your boss, who flirts with all the girls staffed.

“when i was taking out a book off of the bookseller favorites display, he told me he’d ‘fill my hole.’” you scowl. “fuckin’ weirdo. why would he say it that way?”

yuka giggles, hiding her smile behind a heavily ringed hand.

“i can’t believe there’s so much drama at my new workplace! you have to keep me updated, y/n. i’ll let you know if he says any pervy shit to me.”

you marvel at her words. this was an invitation. to friendship? you weren’t positive. but it was the start of something new. and for once, the potential of change didn’t frighten you.

words flowed with great ease past your tongue, much to your shock. her very character assuaged your nerves, briefly, and you’d spoken more than you had in months.

out of nowhere, your hair stands on the back of your unexpectedly. you throw your chin over your shoulder, attempting to glimpse the cause of your paranoia. but besides the bustle of patrons, there was nothing you could pick out.

“you okay?” yuka asks concernedly, eyebrows pinched at the middle.

“yup.” you answer unconvincingly. “just fine.”

[fnlbeautifca]

M!Whitney x F!Reader / Contents: Foul/degrading language from a significant other, dubcon, standard Whitney behavior, 18+ content

(i have not written anything in a hot minute… pardon any poor writing and ooc things 😔)

You dropped your backpack next to your bed, flopping into the cheap sheets, kicking your shoes off and sending them sliding across the room. It had been a long, torturous day, like every other in the town that was Hell-on-Earth. Your skirt had been ripped to shreds at school, and the replacement cost an arm and a leg— which left a significant dent in the money that was supposed to be saved to pay off both yours and Robin’s debts to Bailey. Work wasn’t much better, with more customers than normal seemingly coming into the Cafe simply to make your job miserable. Safe to say, you were exhausted. You just wanted to cry into your sheets and never get up from your bed again.

Your tears soaked into your pillow, the sun setting over the town. You began to drift off to sleep, when something thunked against your window. You sat up on your knees, peeking through the curtains. A familiar face was looking back at you, and you nearly fell backwards at the sight! Whitney angrily motioned for you to open the window, and you sat up, unlocking it, and letting him in.

“Fuckin’ finally!” He groaned, pulling himself through the window and onto your bed. You shushed him, fearing someone would hear— especially Bailey. Whitney lowered his voice, “I thought I told ‘ya to just leave the fuckin’ thing open. D’ya know how much of a pain it is to climb up that goddamn wall?”

Before you could answer, you were pulled down on top of Whitney, his arms wrapped around your waist. You really hoped he hadn’t come for sex— you laid your head on his chest, eyes falling closed. You were exhausted.

“Sorry…” you mumbled. Whitney grunted, hand wandering down to your uniform’s skirt, messing with the fabric. Before long, his fingers slipped under it, pulling at your underwear. Your eyes shot open, and you smacked his hand away— you probably shouldn’t have done that. “N-Not tonight, please…”

Whitney sat up, visible eye glaring at you. You swallowed dryly. Surely he’d understand! It’s not like you were telling him you’d never have sex with him again— but… he did get pretty upset when you denied him…

“You’re my girlfriend,” Whitney jabbed a finger into your tummy, making you yelp, “the fuck d’ya mean ‘no’?”

Oh, he was definitely upset. You felt sweat start to drip down your neck. “I-I mean— I’m just… I’m, um, r-really tired… and, um, I’m sorry, bu-but…” With every word that tumbled out of your mouth, you could feel his eyes narrow even more, and you gaze kept drifting lower from his eyes, until you were nervously staring at his hoodie. “… mu-maybe tomorrow…?”

You could feel Whitney’s eyes on you, and after a few tense moments, you were shoved back onto the bed. The springs squeaked under you as your boyfriend leaned over you.

“No, I’m hard now. What good is a slut if they can’t even get you off?” He asked, flipping up your skirt. You watched in shock for a minute, before trying to scoot away. However, you were kept firmly in place

“Whitney, please…” He knew of all the things you’ve been subjected to! You thought he toned the forcefulness down after asking you out! Your hands were shaking, what could you do? If you screamed for help, Bailey might probably throw Whitney out. But then, Whitney would be really upset with you. You didn’t want your boyfriend to be mad. “O-Okay… I’m- um, s-sorry…”

“Good girl,” he gave a sadistic smile, tugging your panties to the side, and fiddling with the buckle on his belt, “Look, I’ll be nice. You won’t even have to do any of the work. Lay there and take it, like a good bitch.”

As Whitney pulled his pants down, your eyes went to the window. Maybe you shouldn’t have let him in tonight. You felt him push into you, and with no preparation, pain radiated from your hole. You whimpered, Whitney leaning down to kiss you while he slowly pushed the rest of himself inside, groaning. Your hands tangled in his hair, letting him to what he wanted to. It was better, to just let Whitney do things his own way.

Whitney’s tongue pushed into your mouth, exploring a part of you he’s done a million times before. His hips pull back, and then snap forward, making you whine in pain. He begins at a moderate pace, which then becomes faster and faster with each minute that crawls by.

“If ‘ya didn’t want it,” Whitney paused, slamming his hips forward, making a squelching noise, “‘ya wouldn’t be so goddamn wet…” He laughed, and a few tears dripped down your face. Whitney huffed, a hand grabbing your chin, and squeezing your cheeks, making you look at him.

“Look, slut, if ‘ya don’t stop with the fuckin’ water works, I’ll give ‘ya something to really cry about. So shut it.” He watched you for a moment, then squeezed your face, “Do ‘ya fuckin’ understand?”

You quickly nodded, and Whitney let go of your face. He began to pick up his pace, biting into the skin of your neck, and slamming into you so hard it hurt. Your arms wrapped around him, wet face buried in his hoodie. Heat pooled in your tummy, and your whimpers turned to quiet moans. Whitney’s hips began to stutter, and with a final thrust, he buried himself inside of you, cumming as you also released, nails digging into his clothing.

“See? That wasn’t so hard,” he pulled out, flopping back on the bed, head landing on your pillow. As he lit a cigarette, you crawled next to him, cuddling into his side. The nasty smell of smoke made you cough, but Whitney’s hand petting your head made it ever so slightly more tolerable. Hopefully he just… listened better next time…

—————

eek… there was no proof reading or rough drafting ^^ i hope this isnt terrible…

[deliciousangelfestival]

Café for Killers || 1- Lloyd Hansen

Summary: In this café, where people usually enjoy their coffee, after 12 a.m., the actual customers arrive, posing a risk to the temporary owner's life as she works here.

Character: Female Reader x Lloyd Hansen

Chp 1, Chp 2 .-

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more.

"Thank you for coming!" 

You beamed a warm smile at the customers, your eyes crinkling at the corners. With practiced ease, you leaned down and began clearing the remnants of their meal, stacking the used dishes with a practiced clatter.

A few customers offered curt nods of appreciation, their faces etched with the weariness of late nights. They pushed open the heavy window door with a sigh, the clink of the bell announcing their departure. 

"This place is a lifesaver," one woman remarked, her voice thick with exhaustion. "Only this cafe open till midnight, and the coffee's delicious on top of that. Easy on the wallet, too."

"Sure is," her friend replied. His gaze drifted towards the back of the house, a flicker of concern crossing your features. "Wonder if the owner's managing some sleep."

"You got a crush on the owner?"** His friend chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. 

"N-no, not at all!" he stammered, a blush creeping up his neck. A nervous laugh escaped his lips, sounding a little too high-pitched. 

He glanced back at the cafe one last time, the warm glow from your window cutting through the darkness. As he checked his phone, the illuminated screen revealed the time: 12:00 AM. 

Twilight Café.

The name fits perfectly, known to students far and wide as a sanctuary for late-night studying sessions and caffeine-fueled study marathons.

But beneath its welcoming exterior lurked something darker that demanded the café stay open until the witching hour.

Behind the welcoming façade of Twilight Café, catering to the late-night needs of college students lies a perilous secret that necessitates its doors staying open until 12 a.m. each night.

This isn't merely about accommodating nocturnal study sessions; there's a far more sinister reason behind the extended hours.

As the temporary owner of Twilight Café, you find yourself grappling with a promise made in haste when your uncle unexpectedly left the business in your hands.

What was meant to be a temporary arrangement—a favor to help him during his recovery from surgery—has turned into a daunting obligation.

Your mother's insistence and your experience as a barista seemed like reason enough to step in and lend a hand. Initially, you didn't mind; there were no ill feelings as you took on the responsibility.

After all, it was family, and supporting your uncle during a difficult time felt like the right thing to do.

However, as days turned into weeks and weeks into months, you began to question the true nature of your uncle's request. The moment he handed you that nondisclosure agreement and insisted you sign away any possibility of backing out until he was fully recovered, a seed of doubt was planted in your mind.

Why the need for such secrecy? What was your uncle hiding behind the guise of a simple café? 

Regret gnawed at you as you helped your uncle and he revealed the private room and second storage area. 

'Cling.' 

The ring from the back door opening echoed through the cafe, signaling that it was past 12:00 a.m.

You swiftly lowered the café's window curtains, dimming the lights to set the atmosphere.

With a mix of trepidation and resignation, you prepared the coffee for the mysterious guests in the private room. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as you carefully arranged the cups on the tray, each movement precise yet tinged with nervousness.

With the tray of coffees in hand, you approached the private room, noting the presence of two burly guards stationed at the door. One of them wordlessly opened the door, allowing you entry.

As you stepped into the room, the atmosphere shifted palpably. The customers here were unlike the students and employees.

They are killers, merchants, assassins.

The Twilight Café was made for these types of customers.

They gathered here under the cover of night, their presence starkly contrasted with the usual patrons. Most of the killers who come here want to enjoy coffee since most of them can't sleep, or they need a place to hide, or they want to buy a weapon. But since your uncle is still sick, the weapon store is closed.

Typically, bookings were required for their attendance, allowing you to anticipate the number of guests. Tonight, there were only four individuals, two of whom were regulars.

"Ah, my coffee has arrived. You're a lifesaver, sunshine,"  came a voice from the table.

It was Lloyd Hansen, a renowned merchant and assassin. The casualness of his tone sent a shiver down your spine.

With a forced smile, you nodded in acknowledgment, your body tense with discomfort. As you set down the tray, you couldn't shake the unease that washed over you, a silent reminder of the dangerous world you found yourself entangled in.

And the other one is Carmichael, his partner in crime, while the other two, you've never seen them before.

You gently placed the coffee cup down, eager to leave the room quickly. Making a small bow, you murmured, "Enjoy your coffee."

"She's really polite. I like her," Lloyd remarked while Carmichael nodded.

You offered a smile in response before swiftly exiting the room.

Returning to the front of the café, the atmosphere felt lighter and safer. You glanced at your watch, noting that you couldn't leave until 3 a.m., the designated time limit for the killers' stay.

To distract yourself, you turned to watching cooking videos, the only thing that seemed to ease your mind amidst the unsettling environment.

With noise-canceling headphones in place, you blocked out the eerie voices that had plagued you since starting work here.

On your first day, you fainted. There was a fight among the killers, and the private room, once a cozy haven for them, lay in ruins.

However, a cleaning team was swiftly dispatched to address the aftermath. They were hired specifically to handle the grisly task of cleaning up bloodstains—a chilling reminder of the dangerous world you had unwittingly become a part of.

Time passed until you felt a looming shadow behind you. It was Lloyd, standing before you. Your eyes widened, and you fought the urge to scream.

Blood was splattered across his face, his smile only adding to his menacing appearance.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I made a mess. Those two didn't agree with me. You know I don't like that," Lloyd explained.

You nodded, unable to find your voice.

Lloyd chuckled at your reaction, finding amusement in your fear, likening you to a cute puppy.

"No worries, I've called the cleaning team," he continued, handing you a white envelope. "Here's the money for the repairs."

Great, you didn't have to enter the private room and witness what had occurred inside.

"Oh," he added, retrieving his wallet and pulling out $100 bills. "Here's a tip for the delicious coffee." He put the money in front of you.

"I'll see you again soon." With a wink, Lloyd left through the backdoor, leaving you to contemplate the surreal encounter.

As soon as he closed the door, you collapsed, overwhelmed. "Oh my god," you muttered under your breath.

‘PING’

Then, a notification pinged from the system, interrupting your relieved moment. Another customer for tomorrow—a killer.

You sighed heavily, frustration building inside you. This is the life of a temporary owner of a café for killers.

Who's going to be the next killer coming to the cafe?

You could decide which character and skills each character possesses.

The character with the most replies and reblogs will be the next customer.

[ravenwind-75]

Strawberries and Seafoam- for @ps-cactus

from your secret valentine 💘

Pt 1: as I had too many ideas for this to be short

Ft MC’s by

@espressoristretto-patronum - Tori

@savingsallow - Ale and Val

@acslytherpuff - Cassie, Alvin, and Alex

@leaping-toadstool-caps - Jaimsen

@theladyofshalott1989 - Damien

@girl-named-matty - Matty and Cal

Me @ravenwind-75 - Jo

Others coming soon

---

Amberlyn’s amber eyes glistened in the sunlight, shimmering a golden brown as she pulled back the curtains of her flat’s window. It was a beautiful day!

She was sure her cafe would get many customers today, as the summer by the ocean equaled thirsty people. It was early enough that she could still take a walk by the shore so she pulled on a pair of jean shorts, her favorite blue shirt, and a pair of hiking boots. She grabbed her favorite book as well in case she had a moment of reprieve at the beach after opening up her shop.

When she headed down the stairs she was greeted by one of her best friends, Tori. The girl’s dark brown hair pulled up in her signature bun. “Oh hey Alyn! Good morning! I hope it’s alright that I started prep this early but from the weather I am guessing that today will be very busy.” She was already wearing the signature pastel apron, quite a contrast to her usual darker academia garb. However, earning a free drink after work was worth it, as well as the compliments from her girlfriend that would turn the serious girl as pink as her pride pin.

Alyn originally had tried to run the shop by herself, a true workaholic up at the break of dawn to only burn out later. It got increasingly hard as she grew more popular and people started piling in. She couldn’t fill out and serve all the orders by herself. So she considered inviting some of the young college students that regularly visited the shop to work for her to earn a little towards their futures. Tori was one of them, studying law while her girlfriend Poppy worked at the zoo.

“Oh good morning Tori! Thank you! Let me help you with a few things.” The two girls worked together opening up the windows, setting the coffee to brew, and fixing a few things around the shop until Tori shooed her out the door. “Go Alyn! I know how easily you get antsy if you don’t get some air first. You always get the best ideas after a walk, I’ll handle the shop for now.”

Alyn laughed but didn’t protest and pushed out the door, making the bell ring and walking down the block and to the ocean, her favorite place in the entire world.

~

Moving near the ocean was probably the best thing she had done ever since graduating high school. Everyone had told her it was foolish to want to own a cafe. They said it wouldn’t pay well and wasn’t a good enough career to have especially when she was such a talented artist and occasional writer. But she had proved them all wrong. Over the past four years her little cafe, Moon & Stars Cafe, had gained a lot of traction. Not many cafes allowed pets and in their thanks customers left little positive messages and pictures of their pets that she pinned on a giant board behind the counter. It was hard at first but now that she had staff it was a lot simpler.

As the gulls circled high above she found herself closing her eyes, smiling at the sounds of their screams. She then removed her shoes and wandered near the edge of the water looking for any pretty stones, sea glass, or shells she could add to the little glass jars that decorated the cafe. Her warm blonde hair fluttered around her ears, the salt spray making it curl more than normal. She would have to work the knots out before she got to work. Amberlyn giggled and let out a squeal when a crab tried to pinch her toe and jumped away before making her way back up the beach towards the town.

~

There was a young man she didn’t know sitting on the steps up the dunes, deep in thought. “Hello there!” She greeted him. “Enjoying the sight?”

He lifted his head and she fought back a gasp. He had a few long scars across his face, one of his ocean blue eyes covered with a misty haze. He laughed bitterly, running a hand through his golden hair. “I’m enjoying it the best I can, I guess it’s a beautiful view.”

“You guess? The ocean is always beautiful.” She gently retorted, finding his cynicism odd.

He leaned back on his elbows studying her a moment before responding. “It kind of becomes the same old thing when all you have seen is rolling waves for four years straight. The sea isn’t always sparkling and warm darling. It’s cold and vicious. It rages and storms. The sea is unpredictable. And I like to know what’s coming next, so pardon, if I don’t find it as enjoyable.”

“I’m sorry?”

~

Ominis sighed at the puzzled and slightly hurt look on her bright and innocent face. He had come here to be alone and to wallow in his grief alone.

The vast and endlessness of the ocean made him feel small when he watched it long enough. It reminded him of the things he couldn’t control, the things he didn’t want to remember. But the wind that ruffled his hair, the taste of salt in the air also was calming. It reminded him of the only real home he had had, one he lost.

He hadn’t expected anyone to approach him or much less say anything.

She was still talking and he fought a groan. He just wanted some peace.

“Yes the ocean is unpredictable, but isn’t that the fun of it? Facing the unknown? You can just sail across the sea and start a new life. There are endless possibilities, you just have to learn to ride the waves into a new sunrise.” She smiled, nervously tucking a curl behind her ear.

How could she be so positive? Couldn’t she see that he wanted solace?

The ocean didn’t promise salvation. Not for him, not anymore.

Instead of asking why she was friendly like he wondered, he gave a short cynical laugh. “The ocean is good at making people think they can escape their lives. But it doesn’t work that way.”

She tilted her head, her expression softening. She could tell that the scars weren’t just on the surface, but that he had some deep emotional wounds as well. She wanted to offer some comfort to ease the quiet pain in his eyes. She didn’t want to press him though so she offered the simple honesty she always enjoyed. “I suppose it doesn’t solve everything. But it did for me. Coming here gave me a new chance for life. Perhaps you’ll find something here too. And it’s a space to breathe. Walking the beach always helps me think. I hope you find that as well.”

Ominis just stared past her still, out at the ocean as he considered her words. He wanted to believe her words, that new chances were possible. But it seemed like everything for him was hopeless. The waves crashing on the shore echoed the storm he felt inside.

“Some things are just gone,” he muttered. “There are things you can’t get back no matter how hard you try.”

Alyn’s heart ached at the raw pain in his voice. She could sense that this young man had endured so much already in his young life, probably tragedies beyond everyday lives. Even though he was pushing her away she wanted to offer some comfort and hope.

“You might be surprised. Some things have a way of coming back to you but just not in the way you expect, or maybe you don’t need those things back. Sometimes we need something new.”

He frowned at her. She had no idea what she was talking about. She didn’t understand the depth of his pain. How could she think that she could offer him comfort? But oddly her words were comforting. Oddly he didn’t find her incredibly annoying as he thought he would.

“Maybe,” he said gruffly.

“You’re new around here aren’t you? I haven’t seen you around here before.”

He rolled his eyes. “WOW, are you always this observant?”

“I try to be, you never know when you might miss something or someone important.” She sighed looking down at her watch, “Well I have to get going now but if you ever want to make a friend or get good food my cafe isn’t too far from here. It’s called Moon & Stars in case you ever want to stop in. I am always willing to listen.”

Ominis’s eyes flicked back to her, mild awe on his face. Why was she still being so nice to him? “I’ll think about it.” he found himself saying. “Thanks for the offer.”

“Any time, have a good day. I’m Amberlyn by the way.”

“Ominis.”

“Well have a good day, Ominis.” Amberlyn gave a small smile and wave and then hurried up the beach and away.

~~

Ominis hadn’t always been bitter. He hadn’t always been scarred. But life wasn’t as kind to him as most. Watching the churning waves on the beach reminded him of the days he spent under and on them. In a giant ship, a submarine, or hovering over the waters in a helicopter before dropping into the frigid waters below. A navy seal didn’t have the time to admire the beauty around them, they had to remain focused on the task at hand, to lock in on their target and fire before the enemy saw them first.

He hadn’t always wanted to be a navy seal, he just wanted a simple job,simple rank. Maybe as an engineer, something where he didn’t have to fight. It was just meant to be an escape from his family, a job that took him away from their abuse, and provided money, food, and a roof over his head. And he was protected. Yet while in training when they discovered what an amazing shot he was he was moved up, a sniper for the seals. Part of discrete missions going into some of the toughest places in the world.

He had seen more death and destruction than most 22 year old men could imagine. It was all he had ever known and now he was here, stuck in a civilian city living at a logistics base. At least he still had a job. After an accident of explosive shrapnel to the face he only had the use of one eye even though they had worked hard to save the other one. He could no longer shoot for them. So he’d been offered an honorable discharge, but he feared having to go back to his family and begged for anything they had. His family were all he had to go to and they would want him back. As long as they knew he was still in the Navy they would think he was still fighting and leave him be.

But did he know how to be normal? No he didn’t. He didn’t know what to do with himself when he wasn’t working, when he wasn’t shooting. Logistics was boring but what he had. America was also unfamiliar to him. Try going from being in an uptight English school your life, to the strict rules of the Navy to the carefree and laidback land where no one cared how they carried themselves. He was also very alone.

Ominis found himself thinking of the strangely positive girl as he watched the waves. He found himself wondering if the ocean could be beautiful. If he was really safe here, miles across the waters from them. If he could finally find the peace and healing that he was hoping for. Here in Norfolk Virginia, under a warm sun that promised a bright beginning. Perhaps she was right; perhaps the waters here that shone with an odd beauty would wash away his past, bring him something new while carrying the old away. He couldn’t get his innocence back, no but he could retrain himself to not think about those things anymore- the things he was ashamed of.

~~

It was later in the evening and Amberlyn was busy working hard when she saw him enter, his pale skin a bit pink from the sun. Val who was helping her serve a customer caught on to how her attention shifted from her customer to the door when it swung open.

“So is that lemon boy?” Val asked her green eyes sparkling with amusement, her pink bob bouncing on her shoulders.

“His name isn’t lemon boy Val,” Alyn sighed, returning her attention back to serving another customer. “His name is Ominis.”

Val shook her head, watching as Ominis took a seat at a table in a corner. “I think lemon boy is far more fitting don’t you Cal?” she said, turning her gaze to her boyfriend who was sitting at the counter booth so he could visit with her as she worked.

Callan thought for a moment, brushing a piece of black hair away from his equally dark eyes. “Hmm, blonde and bitter. I guess lemon boy could fit.”

Val chortled in victory, “See I told you.”

Cal hummed for a second, his eyebrows cinching in thought “You said his name was Ominis?”

She didn’t get to answer however because a flock of people entered all at once, laughing and talking amongst themselves. The squad normally came this day of the week to catch up and Amberlyn knew they would want all the tea and Val was not the type to keep anything to herself. She was grateful to have made great friends here but sometimes their overwhelming presence made the introvert feel drained. But she loved them and she couldn’t help but smile and wave back at Jo.

They consisted of Val’s best friend Cassie, who was studying cosmetology; Alex, her boyfriend; and his brother Alvin, both popular football players. Alvin’s girlfriend Matty the botanist was also part of the group, along with the law students, Damien, Sebastian, Alejandro, and Jaimsen. Jo and Poppy who worked at the local zoo, and Jo’s boyfriend Silas was an artistic medical student.

Val went to art school when she wasn’t working at the cafe. Tori was also a law student though, she was leaning more towards officer work then the others. They all took turns helping at the cafe though. Silas and Val helped decorate and design advertisements, Poppy and Matty contributed all the plants and Jo helped plan how to make the place pet friendly. Cassie helped her find the cute aprons and just always look her best, and Jaimsen and Alvin loved helping bake new recipes.

~~

After she briefly said hello to them she let Val and Tori serve their other friends as she went over to Ominis where he sat gazing out towards the sea again.

“Hello again Ominis.” She greeted him.

He startled a bit at her voice but quickly regained his composure, turning towards her.

“Hello.”

She pulled out a pen and a notebook from her apron. “What can I get for you?”

He hesitated for a moment before saying gruffly. “Uhh, a black coffee.”

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “No cream or sugar?”

“I like it strong,” he said simply.

“Okay then, one black coffee coming up.” She turned back to the counter where she took her time brewing it, finding herself stealing glances at him. He was so stoic and closed off. Yet sometimes she got a glance of something in his eyes, a longing and a searching for hope.

When she returned to the table he was surprised to find her not only sliding a steaming cup of black coffee onto the table in front of him but also a slice of strawberry cheesecake.

“I only asked for a coffee,” he began to protest, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Don’t worry you don’t have to pay,” she assured him. “It’s on the house. I thought you could do with something sweet in your life,” she said with a soft smile. “You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to.”

Amberlyn could feel his eyes on her as she walked away. She hoped the move wasn’t too forward of her. They just had a bunch of extra sweets thanks to Jaimsen and Alvin. It couldn’t hurt. Besides, if he didn’t want it he didn’t have to eat it. But sweets always cheered her up and she thought he could do with a bit of cheer.

As she visited with the others their conversation often drifted into the background as she thought about him. Where had he come from? How could she help him feel comfortable?

Her attention was snapped back when Cassie waved her hand in front of her face. “Alyn, girl you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”

Johanna and Tori exchanged a look.

“Okay then,” said Poppy. “What did Silas just say?”

“Uhhhh…”

Val groaned. “He was saying that with your artistic talent you could have a career if you wanted.”

“Yeah, your doodles are great but they would look so much better if they weren’t on a napkin.” Matty chimed in, leaning her head against Alvin’s shoulder as he gently rubbed her back.

“What’s wrong with writing on napkins?” Alejandro piped up suddenly, sharp green eyes flicking up from where he had been very invested in writing something on a small piece of notepaper.

“Nothing Ale,” Silas said, patting him on the back. “Just that with her artistic talent it should be recognized more. Put out into the world. Just like your poetry should be. It’s good.”

Val’s eyes widened and she leaned forward on her elbows. “You write poems?”

Alejandro straightened, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Yeah I do, I like to think they’re good,” he said modestly.

“Can I read one?”

He nodded without hesitation, voice calm and confident. “Sure, I don’t mind.”

“Like that one?” Cassie asked, pointing to the paper Ale had now covered with his hand.

Alejandro met her gaze with a smile, eyes sparkling. “Oh exactly like that one.”

Jaimsen leaned across the table and snatched it up, waving it in the air. “I’m gonna read it!”

Ale went to leap up but stopped when Alex put a large steady hand on his shoulder. “Chill mate, we just want to hear it. Let him read it, you can read us one another time.”

As Jaimsen began to read, Alyn’s eyes drifted back to Ominis. He had begun to eat his shortcake, and a small smirk twinged his lips as he listened to their conversation.

When Jaimsen had finished reading it the cafe was dead silent for a moment. The poem was clearly about Val, speaking of cherry blossom hair with tenderness . Ale stood, his chest rising with pride, and gave a small nod of apology at Cal who was slightly glaring at him. “Yeah, it’s about her. Now you all know. I’m not ashamed of it either.”

Ale then calmly made his exit, confident but a bit nervous of Val’s reaction.

Jo went after him.

Val had a little twinge of pink on her cheeks, a bit flustered from his romantic prose.

“Always knew he was a simp. At least he’s a cute one.”

“Yeah,” Callan agreed with a sigh, his frown changing into a slight blissful look.

“What?” Val exclaimed.

“What?!” Callan echoed, ears burning.

~~

Ominis found himself lingering late into the evening, listening to the comfortable buzz of the cafe girl’s friends laughing and catching up with each other. He felt out of place but he also didn’t want to leave. He no longer had crew mates to visit with, and he hated how quiet his apartment could be at night. One of the men’s voices comforted him more than the others, oddly familiar.

The plate that held the cheesecake was now empty, and his coffee no longer tasted as good as it had when all he had was bland and bitter food for months. Military rations and the hospital food on the ship weren’t sweet. He had only recently gotten back into the swing of eating normally again. He felt deeply touched by her act of kindness, making something twinge inside him he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Ominis looked up when she approached, her soft amber eyes seeming to see right through him as she softly smiled, sending that strange sense of warmth through him again.

“Hey Ominis, would you like any more coffee?” she asked, her voice gentle and cautious.

“I’m fine,” he said a little more gruffly than he would have liked. “I was about to go anyway.”

She just smiled again, and quietly began to pick up his dishes.

“I uhh…thank you for the cheesecake. That was…nice.” he managed to call after her as she began to walk away.

She paused and looked back, “Of course. And my offer still stands, you know, if you ever want to talk.”

“I’ll consider it.” And for the first time in a long while Ominis found himself smiling.

~~

For the next few weeks when he wasn’t working Ominis found himself back at Moon & Stars cafe, always ordering a black coffee and ending up getting a cheesecake on the house. Always sitting at the corner table that looked out toward the ocean, finding it more beautiful daily.

He wanted to visit with her more, and perhaps her friends. But he hadn’t been around people much, at least not in normal conversation for years, so he didn’t feel worthy. He didn’t feel like he was as talented or funny as them, that he had nothing to contribute.

But little by little though her quiet presence began to crack through his walls, sometimes a gentle brush of fingers as she patted a cafe cat that had crawled into his lap, a smiley face or some other doodle she had drawn on a napkin (all of which he kept), or a simple joke shared.

He would occasionally share a bit of gossip that he overheard after he heard her mulling over something with her friends about what had been happening in town. Sometimes she got him to share a bit about himself, a favorite song, a hobby, books. Eventually he told her about the Navy and the scar that haunted him. How he struggled to fit into normal society when all he knew was war.

Amberlyn would take her breaks with him, and in those quiet moments he found the highlights of his days. Her gentle persistence paid off and he found himself beginning to feel at home there.

One day when he entered the cafe he caught a glance of someone he hadn’t expected to see that day. It wasn’t the normal day for her friends to be there. These days were just for them. He had always made sure of it. Did he miss something? Was it the wrong day of the week-?

He stiffened when he heard his laughing voice call his name, “Yo Ominis! Is that you?” Sebastian Sallow unwrapped his arm from around the tall blonde at his side, his brown eyes sparkling with excitement. “It IS you!!” He clapped the man on the back. “D look, it’s my old school pal, Ominis. The one I’ve told you so much about.”

Hopefully not too much… Ominis thought to himself as the short brunette hurried over.

Sebastian let out a whistle, crossing his arms and looking up at him. “Well you shot up.” He then gaped at where Ominis’s sleeve was slightly rolled up.

“Wow, and muscled up too. Where have you been buddy?”

Ominis rolled his eyes and fought a groan and as he went to speak, someone spoke for him.

“He’s been in the Navy.”

…

To be continued….

[kristanna-days]

Frozen x BATB Yuletide Exchange 2024 Master List

This year, we have 12 fanfics and one piece of fan art for the exchange! You can find the entire collection here. Links to individual fics with descriptions are below.

Frozen

A little expertise @lyricalark (@snowberriesromanoff)

(Anna/Kristoff, T)

Kristoff is a wedding planner who took over his mom Bulda's business when she retired. She's always said she'll come out of retirement to plan his wedding but he's not holding his breath. Anna is a bride-to-be like any other, except she's clearly not happy and her fiancé Hans doesn't see or doesn't care to see. And Kristoff is starting to care. Or, the Kristanna Wedding Planner AU

Fir-needles and Crocuses @be_my_druidess (@true--north)

(Anna & Elsa; Anna/Kristoff, T)

Anna and Elsa invite Kristoff to spend Christmas with them.

How You Kiss an Arendellian Princess @annas-hair-donut

(Anna/Kristoff; Kristoff & the Trolls, M)

The Arendellian princess will die in the eternal winter if she doesn’t stay the night in Kristoff’s cabin. All Kristoff has to do is get through one night without falling for her. It would be easier if there weren’t just one stack of hay, one blanket, and seven rock trolls living in his head who keep trying to fix him up with a woman who’s engaged to someone else. Or, an alternate meet cute where Anna wanders into Kristoff's cabin instead of Oaken's and the rock trolls live in Kristoff’s head instead of the Valley of the Living Rock.

Snowed In With Open Doors @chibiotaku4life

(Anna/Hans, G)

Hans has a special surprise for Anna this year when they are snowed in during her favorite holiday.

Under the Winter Moon @sunflowers-and-sandwiches

(Anna/Kristoff; Anna & Elsa, T)

Christmas can be a wonderful time of celebration and giving, but sometimes gifts aren’t the only things that come unwrapped. Will Elsa and Anna get their hearts’ true Christmas wishes?

Valiant, pungent, Santa baby! @annaorthenorthernlights

(Anna/Kristoff, E)

Kristoff has planned a special Christmas surprise for Anna...

You'll Never be Alone @flowerinherhair (@glassslippers-n-cowboyboots)

(Elsa/Hans, T)

Hans Westergaard is in a friendly little competition with Elsa Arendelle for the top spot in the law school class. Maybe Hans wants more than for things to be friendly between them though.

Beauty & the Beast

Hidden Desires Seeking Satisfaction @biblioscribler (@99goosebumps)

(Belle/Beast, E)

Belle plays a naughty game of hide and seek with Beast.

Something sweet @firawren

(Beast/Belle, M)

Belle challenges her grumpy roommate Adam to take part in her Christmas tradition of doing acts of service for people. He thinks it’s ridiculous. Everyone knows Christmas is just about selling shit and families fighting. But as he starts to give it a try, he discovers that maybe he kind of likes being nice. And maybe he really likes Belle, too.

Stories @flowerinherhair @glassslippers-n-cowboyboots)

(Adam/Belle, T)

Adam is risking being kicked out of his university program if he doesn't get at least a 75% on his final English essay. He needs a tutor and the one person who can help him is the beautiful, smart, intimidating girl who sits in the front row.

Frozen x BATB Crossovers

Behind the Curtain of Snowfall @chibiotaku4life

(Belle/Ryder Nattura, T)

Belle and Ryder have a terrifying run-in with wolves, and find what's really important in the winter woods.

Books of a Flurry @paigebstorey

(Belle & Elsa, G)

Belle works in the local bookstore cafe, a place of wonder and escape from the hustle and bustle of the world outside. This is the story of how she met her favorite customer.

The Icy Roses @magentacravat

(Belle & Elsa, G)

Belle has rose powers or even plant growth powers that, like Elsa's ice powers, are tied to love. The icy goddess finally meets her counterpart with the power of roses of love.

This year's batch is so great! Here's some quick stats from this year's exchange:

We had 3 Frozen x BATB crossover fics, including 2 Belle/Elsa and the very first fic in the Belle/Ryder Nattura tag. We need more of both ships!

We had 11 fanfics created by 9 writers and 1 piece of fan art, with @glassslippers-n-cowboyboots and @chibiotaku4life both writing pinch hits for the exchange! Thank you so much for showing a little extra love so everyone could participate!

@sunflowers-and-sandwiches created the beautiful banner for this year's exchange. Thank you so much for lending your talents!

@paigebstorey served as our co-mod this year. Thank you so much for your help! Hopefully she'll take over one day.

We had 5 NSFW fics and 8 SFW works this year.

I also want to apologize for posting this so late, especially since some of these are Christmas themed. It's 100% my fault so please go and read those fics anyway!

DM me or @glassslippers-n-cowboyboots if you're interested in joining the Frozen/BATB writing server, Frozen Hearts Worth Melting.

[bbangtans]

searching & finding | knj | oneshot teaser

⋆☀︎｡ Summary: Wake up, go to work, go home, cook dinner, rinse, and repeat: that was your life had come to post-grad. Once a young woman with larger-than-life aspirations, you’ve been downtrodden by the world's harsh realities. Now, after taking out all your savings and having only one large suitcase in tow, you find yourself in an idyllic seaside town to figure out what’s next for you. Luckily, the bookshop owned by the town’s beloved Kim Namjoon will always be a place of solace for you no matter how sudden the seasonal showers are.

pairing: namjoon x f!reader genre: non-idol au, fluff, romance, strangers to friends to lovers, book cafe owner genius namjoon is saurrrrr dreamy bro, reader just wants to find inner peace, yoongi is just the cool cousin there for the ride lmao, and jungkook is namjoon’s cute cafe assistant hehehehe rating/warnings: PG-15 | language, alcohol consumption, mentions of sex a/n: kim namjoon is my beacon of light through a storm. this is for anyone feeling a lil lost, sending you the warmest hug ever 🫂 and inspired by summer strike – that drama will always have a place in my heart, and what you are looking for is in the library – a hopeful, meditative read i highly rec! word count: ~10k will be posted on Sunday, April 21st at 10PM PST! <3 EDIT: post date moved to Sunday, April 27th!

“So, what brings you here to Pohang?” A tall, dimpled man approached your table as he set down the iced americano you ordered in front of you. He tucked his small serving tray under his arm as he eyed the stack of manga that you had, ready to indulge in a day of catching up on Haikyuu. You were the only customer in the establishment as it was late afternoon so that meant the kids were in school while the adults were busy at work. The soft sunlight filtered through the sheer white curtains of the front window, giving the book cafe a yellowish hue. The end of another day was near. 

You thanked him as you tried to think of an answer. “Uh… I’m visiting my cousin, Yoongi, for the summer. Taking a break from Seoul after some things happened and just figuring out… life, I guess.” 

Internally, you wanted to scream because you felt like you were oversharing.

He gave a deep, thoughtful hum to your response. “Well, I think you’ve come to the right place. This place, although small compared to Seoul, has a lot to offer. And I’m Namjoon, by the way.”

You gladly gave your name as well and Namjoon repeated it to himself as though tasting how your name felt on his lips. You couldn’t help but feel your face flush slightly, Namjoon was definitely attractive. From his towering, defined build to honey-like, sun-kissed skin and topped off with dimples that punctuated a bright smile, he was a sight to behold for sure. “Thanks, I’m looking forward to seeing more of it as I figure things out.”

“Yeah,” he excitedly responded. “And I guess I’ll be seeing more of you around. I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for out here.” 

“Same here.”

Your small smile matched his.

[anthracite-writes]

Obey Me! One-shot; Personal Maid Cafe Service

Leviathan x gn! reader || SFW || TW//CW: uses male termonalogy [ uses the term "Bulter" insted of maid and once use of the word "Handsome" but thats about it] - General Summary: Working your usual shift after school hours to earn a bit of grim on the side at one of the popular maid cafes in the Devildom, you are requested by one of the guest - not expecting who you would meet on the other side of the private room door.

NOTE // I want to shoot my shot at a one-shot fic so why not? Sorry in advance if the story seems choppy and doesn't flow correctly. It's my first time in a long time attempting at short fiction and writing in second person - this might be a one time thing for writing second person for one-shots. Let's just say I'm using this as a little exercise to ease myself back into writing these type of stuff. again, sorry in advance if this isn't a good one shot.

You were in the middle of checking out a group of guests you were assigned to for the day, waiting for them to finish with their transaction at the counter, fidgeting with the sleeve of my uniform slightly as you started to zone out a bit - wondering what the brothers were up to back home. “Y/N, you got requested in private room 3B. It’s Party of one.” one of my co-workers said in a hushed tone, squeezing past you to grab a couple menus, “Well, not exactly requested by name - but they requested a ‘butler’ to serve them.”

“I’ll see to it then, thanks for the heads up.” You said softly as you heard the transaction go through. You flash a smile at the group of customers, handing them they’re recipe upon their request and wishing them on their way.

You step away from the counter and grab the menus and head to the hall lined with doors in the back of the cafe, straightening out the dress vest and fixing the tie of the butler uniform you had to wear in a subtle manner, occasionally greeting guests as they passed you. It wasn’t usual that a guest would request a butler as their server for their experience in this maid cafe, hence the lack of ‘butlers’ in this location. Or any other maid cafes for that matter. It was extremely rare for maid cafes in general to even have any other gender than female employees since more often than not these themed restaurants are more directed to the male demographic. It was extremely lucky you found this job listing on the bulletin in the House of Lamentation. And it did pay extremely well, which you was happy about as well, no longer needing to rely on the allowances Lord Diavolo gave you as the human exchange student at RAD.

I finally reach the room I was assigned to, closing my eyes and taking a breath as you hyped yourself up to entertain another guest. ‘okay… here we go again.’ You put your hand on the door knob, going in without even looking who you were serving though the fully glass door, just wanting to get this private room guest done and over with. Going into the room, you flash a smile at the guest. “Welcome home, masterrrr…” Your words dragged as eyes widen at the sight of the guest, the guest equally as surprised - hearing the Avatar of Envy start to stutter from his usual nervous habit.

“Y/N… I, um.. Er… H-hi…” Leviathan stuttered, his cheeks going red as he flustered up. Both of you were in the same boat, way too stunned to speak from surprise and shocked.

“Hi…” you’re voice trailed, closing the door and pulling the privacy curtain over it, “You can’t tell anyone I work here-”

“Please! You can’t tell my brothers, they won’t let me live it down!” Levi begged, cutting you off mid sentance before looking away from you as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his jacket you usually see him wear around the house when he’s out of his room.

The two of you stared at each other, awkwardness filling the air before you finally spoke, “Okay… I won’t say a word about you being here if you don’t tell anyone I work here."

Levi nodded feverishly in response, happily agreeing to those terms. You take a shaky breath and continue with your usual greeting, walking over to the table and putting down the menus.

“Welcome home Master. What can I start you off with for drinks?” you say, looking at him with a soft smile.

Leviathan’s cheeks became a darker shade of red as you spoke and only worsened when you smiled at him, “Please um… can you just call me by my name?” He requested, looking at you nervously.

“It’s kinda my job to call you 'master', Levi… you of all people should know that.” You say with a soft voice, trying to put the shut-in sitting in front of you at ease.

“I-I know that much, Y/N… it’s just…” Levi trailed off though, trying to find the words and trying to not mess this up, “It feels weird hearing you of all people saying that to me…” he averted his eyes from yours, focusing on the menu in front of him.

You couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh, “Well… I do remember you talking about how you want to have the full maid cafe experience one time, so allow me to help you with that experience. Again, it's part of my job. It’s kinda a requirement.” You reasoned with him, straightening out your uniform, fixing the gloves on your hands to make sure they were taut against the shape of your hand.

Levi bit his lip,  “F-fine… I guess it’s fine…” he mumbled, his tangerine orange eyes looking up at you, looking at your uniform then meeting your gaze. “Uh… I um…” He began to fidget, his eyes starting to avoid you and looking pass you.

“Levi, take your time. Don’t push yourself too hard. I’ll wait,” You say with a soft tone, folding your hands in front of you.

The demon nodded slightly as he took a breath, “Can I get water…? Please?” His voice trembled, looking up at you at the corner of his eye.

“Of course master, I’ll leave you alone with the menu and I’ll be back with your water.” You turn on your heels and walk to the door, looking over your shoulder as you take hold of the door handle, checking on the lavender haired male you were serving. He was looking down at the menu, occasionally looking up to see if you’ve left before averting his eyes back at the menu. You couldn’t help but just smile a bit, you can see he’s trying to push himself to be more social and you couldn’t help but feel for him, you take a breath before you exit the room.

~~~

“Um, Y/N…?” Leviathan chimed up, getting your attention, walking over to his side.

“What can I do for you, Master Leviathan?” You say, looking lean down slightly as you wait for his response.

Leviathan’s cheeks rosy up from how close you were to him, clearing his throat a bit before he spoke, looking up at you from where he sat, “I… uh… I just wanted to tell you that I uh… I think your uniform looks nice…” he said through stutters, “y-you look really handsome… I mean! I, uh…”

You felt your face heat up from his comment, letting out a soft chuckle from the flattery, “Thanks, I’m quite fond of the uniform myself.”

Levi cleared his throat again, “A-anyway, I figured out what I want to eat…” he said, showing you the menu and pointing at what he wanted, you can see that his hands were trembling from all the nerves he must be feeling. You simply responded with a nod, pulling out the pocket note pad and pen from your pant pocket, taking note of it. “I’ll be right bac-” “Y/N… can I make a request of you…” Leviathan cut you off, immediately getting flustered, “S-sorry! I didn’t mean to cut you off! I- um…”

“Leviathan… Master, it’s fine…” You say, looking at him with a soft expression, “You’re the one in charge here, remember?”

The demon gulped down hard and nodded, “R-right… well um… is… it possible if you can um… if you can stay here… with… with me?” he stuttered, his gaze averting away from you as he fidgeted the hem of his shirt.

“Of course master, I’ll just put in your order first if that’s okay. I won’t leave the room, I’ll do it remotely, okay?” You said with a smile, turning and walking away from him, making your way to the tablet on the wall next to the door, putting in his order as the room fell to complete silence - the sound of you tapping on the screen the only thing audible.

“Um… Y/N?” You hear the male behind you call out.

You let out a hum in response to let him know you heard him, “Yes? What is it, master?” you call back, sending the order off to the kitchen.

“Can… can you sit with me?” He requested, looking down at the table as his leg shook. You turned around, seeing how anxious he was. Without a word, you walk back to the table and pull out the seat across from the male, sitting straight up, hands folded in your lap. Levi looked up at you wide eyed as if he was a deer in the headlights, not expecting you to accept his request. “Are… you just doing this to make me happy…?” He mumbled, looking at you from the corner of his eye.

“No, I’m doing this out of my own free will. I don’t usually accept these kinds of requests when I’m on the open floor area of the café since it’s kinda against the rules. But in private rooms, those rules don’t apply but I still have the right to reject requests. Besides, I’ll happily sit with you. “Though, I do have something to ask you if you don’t mind.” You add.

Leviathan looked back at you, his eyes softening, finally relaxing his nerves after all this time, “S-sure… I don’t mind, what is it?”

“Why… Did you request a butler server? Were you aware I worked here?” You asked, seeing Levi immediately start to fluster up.

“No! It’s nothing like that, I knew you worked - I just had no idea you were working here!” He raised his hands in protest before sighing, putting his hands flat on the table’s “I-I was just curious is all… nothing else to it. I wasn’t expecting to see you in such a place… dress up like…”

“A butler?” You said through a chuckle. Leviathan lips curled slightly in a small smile as you finished his thought and nodded.

“Yeah, you can say that…” he said with a slight chuckle in his tone, “Is… it okay if I request something from you again, Y/N?”

“You don’t need to ask every time you want to give me an order, you know? You say though a chuckle. Leviathan’s cheeks turned red from your words, a slight pout on his lips.

“Well… Is it okay if I request that we share what I ordered?” The demon asked, looking away from you as his face deepened in colour.

“Like… you want to split your meal with me?”

Leviathan looked at you then looked away with a slow blink, “Yeah… I mean, there’s nothing to it! I… I just assumed you’re kinda hungry and dinner won’t be ready by the time you get off your shift.” He muttered under his breath, yet loud enough to hear his reasoning, “You can say no, I’d understand… why would you want to share food with a yucky otaku like me-”

“I’d be happy to take you up on your offer, Master Leviathan.” You say softly, cutting him off. He looked at you with pure shock, his orange hue eyes glistening with silent joy as he processed what you just said to him. After a while of silence he gulped, parting his lips as if to say something to you only to be shut down by your pager going off.

~~~

You step out into the busy streets of the Devildom, letting a sigh of exhaustion from finally getting off your shift, you sling your bag over your shoulders and turn in the direction to go back to the House of Lamentation, stopping in your tracks as you see the familiar otaku waiting outside the cafe, his back against the brick wall as he scrolled through his phone. “Levi?” You call out to him, getting his attention. A faint smile forming on his lips when his eyes meet yours.

“Hey, Y/N… you’re finally off the clock?” Levi says with a slight stutter, putting his phone away in his pocket and pushing his back off the wall and walk over to you, hands in his jacket pocket in an attempt to look cool.

“How… have you been waiting out here?” You said with a chuckle, seeing the shut-in’s pale skin slowly turn red at your question, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at the stone streets.

“I uh… don’t get the wrong idea, I was just passing by after visiting a couple shops to pre-order stuff and just window shop, ya know?” The lavender-haired male said through stutters, shoving his hand that he was rubbing against his neck into his pocket again. “I just… wanted to stop by, see if you were done with your shift and I um… I…” His eyes slowly drifted back to you, the small smile on your lips while you listened to him speak made his face heat up even more, and it didn’t help you were still in your work uniform - adding onto the cuteness factor to him. He takes a deep and shaky breath as he closes his eyes, trying to relax himself, “I… was wondering if you’d like me to walk back to the House of Lamentation… “But not in the cliche-normie ‘I want to walk home with you because I like you’ way… just for convenience sake! Since we’re both heading home now.” He added, eyes wide and cheeks red as he tried to reason.

“And what makes you think I want to go directly home?” you say in a teasing manner, Levi's posture stiffening up at your words at his face deepens with colour. Leviathan started to stammer and stumble over his words, unsure how to answer. You let out a soft chuckle, walking past him, nudging him playfully. “Come on, let’s head home.”

Levi’s eyes brightened and he swiftly joined your side without hesitation, keeping pace with your steps so the two of you were walking side by side. “It… it was nice to hang out with you after school. Just the two of us I mean, even if you were working…”

“I liked it too, it practically didn’t feel like I was working at all.” You said with a smile, continuing to look forward as the two of you walked down the streets leading back home from the shopping district of the Devildom. Little did you know, Leviathan was looking down at you from the corner of his eye, admiring how you looked in your uniform - reminding him of some animes and mangas he’s read, you looked almost like those characters to him.

“I… um… Maybe I can come by again, so we can spend more time together and all…” He suggested, scratching his neck out of habit when he felt anxious.

“Well, personally… I wouldn’t mind if we hung out after I finished my shifts and when I get days off.” You suggested in a casual manner, Levi taken back by your words.

“H-huh?! You would want to hang out with a boring shut-in like me?” He questioned you, looking at you in surprise with a hint of joy glimmering in his eyes.

You nodded in response, “I mean, yeah. I know that going out to a place like the maid cafe I work at is quite nerve racking with your social anxiety and all so… how about I suggest this. “I can let you experience a maid cafe in the comfort of your own room. I do know how to cook and make a couple things on the menu and I don’t mind wearing my uniform for you. That way we can spend time together and you can have the maid cafe experience whenever you want to. I’d be like… your personal butler in a way.” You looked up at the Avatar of Envy, awaiting his response. Levi’s face cheeks were dusted with pink as he thought, looking back at you with a slight smile.

“I.. I would really like that, Y/N. Thanks…” He said with a smile, “Well, as you are my ‘personal butler’, is it only to make a request…?”

You let out a soft chuckle as Levi immediately went with the idea, “Sure, go ahead.”

“Can… can I hold your hand while we walk home?” He said, his voice trembling before he shook his head, “forget I said anything, why would someone like you want to hold hands with an otaku like me? It was a dumb question, you don’t have-”

Without saying a word, you bushed the back of your hand against his before taking it gently in yours, gently lacing your fingers in the spaces between yours. You felt Leviathan stiffen up slightly then relax, his hand gently taking yours in return, a small smile forming upon his lips, knowing this was just the start for you two. The start of a friendship about to bloom.

[soulshellcaseart]

Hi hi I'm here with some more content for my little au of the celestial cafe bay! Tho from here I'll be changing the name of the fic I am writing for it to cafe love bites. I'm so very happy to actually have something to share on my silly little fic and I hope you guys will enjoy this little tad bit of the first chapter, that I have to share. However this is my first fic ever so do try not to take it that seriously.

A surprise guest!

 For as long  as you could remember you've always wanted to run a cafe of your own,and help make people's day a little bit better by giving them a place to rest or just help by getting them something to help start their day. Unfortunately the world or the universe, whatever  governs your existence, didn't make achieving that dream easy. A  lot of things were  thrown your way but you finally got your business off the ground! Finally opening up a place called the Celestial cafe bay and so far it's  going pretty decent.a little bit more than you expected but nothing you can't handle,right?..

Wrong. You were very wrong. Everything  was a lot harder to  do alone than you expected, turns out your cafe is a lot more popular than you imagined. You expected to get one to two customers a week ,but not 10 or 20 customers every day of the week! You're  already  struggling to keep up with the supply and demand, having to wake up early every day to set up the cafe,prep and prepare the baked goods. You have to bake bread and cupcakes, put frosting on the pastries , make the bagel sandwiches and sometimes make yourself some  breakfast with a cup of coffee.but who has time to eat breakfast when you have customers to serve. Besides all the money you earn helps pay all the loans you've acquired trying to start up the cafe and a couple small upgrades to the cafe's aesthetic .Should you probably hire someone to help with the cafe? Yes most likely but you hardly have time for that with how you're running the cafe and barely being good at managing your own time , much less someone else's . It's hard to run the cafe by yourself  but you guess this is what you should expect running a business by yourself. Especially when you have a hard time getting to sleep ,so you fall asleep on the couch watching tv most nights. 

    So here you are again waking up on the couch, with the tv  still running. You feel groggy and disgruntled with  dried  saliva on your face. Pushing yourself up, your body makes its protests known as the joints of your hands and elbows  ache. You groan, wiping the sweat off your  brow  before reaching  for the remote and turning off the Tv. 

 You get up with a stretch before making your way to the stairs to start your day.Making your way to the kitchen you hear The whirl of the winds followed by sounds of the heavy pitter patter of the storm outside. You yawn , walking into the kitchen flipping the switch next to the door frame .Pushing back the curtain, you enter the room.  passing by the tall and lanky figure in your kitchen, to close the window blocking out the sound of the pouring rain outside. now hearing the subtle whirring and clicks of the fans of something Similar to a sound that you would think an animatronic would make. But you didn't leave a fan on did you? Wait actually you don't have a fan at all in the kitchen , last you checked. So where's that sound coming from?..

You blink and yawn, rubbing out the sleepiness that lingers in your eyes before turning around and finally fully acknowledging the tall ass animatronic that was standing right behind you. Staring up at it now you feel almost speechless and dumb founded, as you watch the Sun-like animatronic come to life. Stunted by this sudden turn of events you are unable to find the words to speak as its eyes settle on you . Feeling the air rise with tension the longer you both stare at each other in shock and bewilderment. You fumble as you try to speak still trying to wrap your head around the situation only managing a small squeak before it screams and you scream in turn started by it screaming and confusion as to how it got here.you point at it, stumbling back a little barely missing the puddle behind you as it settles in that there's a animatronic in your kitchen! Your scream rising a pitch as the life from its eyes flicker out, falling back as it's scream was cut short. You stumble back nearly tripping over yourself in the process, falling back into the big puddle of water by the window.

[mncxbe]

#. ݁₊ ⊹going on a shopping spree with Beam . ݁˖ . ݁𝒄𝒘: beam's first but definitely not last kiss, cutesies, a little bit of tension between him a reader and i guess some hc of mine for beam, not proofread oops, SFW

since Beam started hanging out with you and Denji you insisted that he wore more clothes in public. after all, you couldn't walk around town with a half naked man, as if his shark head didn't draw enough attention already. still, despite your pleas, Beam never dressed properly so you eventually took it upon yourself to buy him some nice clothes. it totally wasn't just an excuse to spend alone time with him.

"Beam come here try this one too" you urged the man next to you, pushing yet another tshirt in his arms. the fiend absentmindedly draped it over his forearm, his gaze scanning the store– the walls were lined with racks displaying the latest clothes and accessories, white lights casting a soft glow on them. sniffling the air, he could make out the faint scent of sandalwood.

"so this is where girls like to spend their time?" he asked in his usual enthusiastic tone. "not all girls love shopping" you sighed, looking at him from the corner of your eyes. the tshirt Denji lent him was tight around his biceps and chest, making him look as if he was wearing a teenager's clothes.

"lord Chainsaw said that you always buy something from the mall when you go out"

"that's because i have money to spend, unlike a certain blond" you smiled, perking up when your eyes landed on a navy blue shirt. "oh my god you'd look so good in this"

Beam followed close behind as you got one of the shirts from the hanger and tossed it in his arms. "alright, let's go to the changing rooms. i think we have enough things already."

"isn't the pretty girl going to try anything?" he asked casually but you could feel your cheeks heat up at his compliment. Beam rarely used your name, mostly calling you sweet things; you knew he didn't mean anything by it, it was just his way of addressing people, but you'd lie if you said it didn't make you flustered.

"no, not today. i just want to find something nice for you." the fiend nodded and you made your way towards the changing rooms. ignoring the sharp glares of the other customers in the store, you quickly guided Beam into one of the stalls. "please show me how you look after you try them on"

"okie dokie" he smiled, giving you a thumbs up before disappearing behind the heavy cotton curtain. while Beam changed, you waited patiently in front of the changing room scrolling on your phone. it was only four in the afternoon but you were already tired and in desperate need of a coffee. you'd make sure to go to a cafe right after you were done here.

not too long after, Beam stepped out of the stall wearing the first t shirt. "how do i look?" he asked, grinning proudly from ear to ear. hot, you wanted to blurt out but instead you nodded, giving him a content smile. "it suits you well" and indeed, the t shirt looked amazing on him, showing off his broad shoulders and chest. the fiend beamed at your words, happily clapping his hands above his head. "hell, yes. okay, i'll try on the other ones too wait for me"

one by one, Beam went through the whole pile of clothes you picked out. they all looked so good on him you had a hard time choosing what to keep, so you ended up returning only one or two pieces. rougly twenty minutes later the fiend was down to the last shirt. peeking his head from behind the curtain, he gave you an apologetic look "could you give me a hand? i can't with the buttons"

you sighed, briefly looking at the other people around. asking Beam to step out of the changing room was out of the question. you couldn't risk having some little kid starting to cry over his appearance or you'd get kicked out of the store like it happened on other occasions. all you could do was join Beam. taking a deep breath in to calm your nerves, you slipped into the cramped stall without anyone noticing.

as soon as you pulled back the curtain you were met with the image of the frustrated fiend struggling to fit the tiny buttons of the shirt through their designated holes. "stupid... things" he mumbled, biting his lip in annoyance. "here, let me help you" you offered, closing the distance between you as you started working on the buttons. they actually proved to be a drag. the material of the shirt was rigid and the little buttons wouldn't pass through easily. you did your best to ignore the closeness between you and the fiend, the way his chest rose and fell with each steady breath he took. you could feel the warmth radiating off his skin and smell his scent, something between seasalt and lime. occasionally, your hands brushed against his abs but you tried to play it off, praying that Beam wasn't aware of the blush tinting your cheeks. once you were done buttoning the shirt you slowly looked up at him. "okay all done–"

your breath hitched as you noticed Beam leaning towards you with a soft smile on his face. your heart raced when he brought his face level with yours "is the pretty girl alright?"yea i'm okay. you chuckled nervously, taking a little step back but your back hit the wall of the stall. Beam's frame towered over you, a concerned expression etching itself on his features. "pretty girl smells different"

god, you swore you could die of embarrassment. could he actually tell you were flustered? "i'm alright Beam, I promise. it's just a little hot in here"

"oh i see" he smiled "i mean, your body temperature is over the roof so i figured. we could get ice cream to cool off"

you couldn't help but cringe a little at the situation. you were mere inches away from your sort of crush, all blushing– how could he be so oblivious to what was happening. still, his concern for you was sweet. "yea, ice cream sounds good..."

your voice trailed off as your eyes flickered to his lips, only for a brief moment but it was enough to make your heart thump in your chest. noticing your sudden silence Beam's demenour grew softer again and he instinctively leaned towards you. he wasn't thinking, not really, his instincts were taking over. some strange force pulled him towards you and he placed a firm hand on your shoulder as his lips met yours in a heated kiss. your mind went blank for a moment before your eyelids fluttered shut and you returned the kiss, kneading his chest with your palms. Beam was surprisingly gentle, his sharp teeth occasionally nipping at your bottom lip but it felt comforting. oddly so. by the time he pulled back you were both a blushing mess. "i'm sorry, y/n i don't know what came over me i—" he fumbled for words, looking around the stall as if searching for some sort of justification for his actions.

"it's okay Beam, don't worry. i'm not upset or anything. i actually liked it" you reassured him, bashfully tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. "i wanted to do that for some time"

"you did?" he beamed, letting out a sigh of relief "good lord that's great news. i've always wanted to kiss pretty girl too. i mean how could i not..." the fiend scratched the back of his head and god you swore you could eat him up. he was so adorable when he was flustered. raising on your tippy toes, you placed your hands on his chest and pecked his cheek, earning a warm smile from him. "well, from now on feel free to kiss me anytime"

[gimmeurtummy]

Ethereal Desires: Chapter 1

Pairing: Lee Know x Y/n × Hyunjin (Y/n x Jeongin) (Brief Heeseung x Y/n) (ft. Jay)

Genre: supernatural, triangle love, unrequited love, angst, 2nd chance, 'so called star crossed lovers', what if's, deaths, scary stuff in a cute way

Chapter warnings: Domestic abuse, mention of alchohol, mention of death

"If you could change one thing about your life, what would that be?" Was the first thing her Psychology teacher asked the class today. It was a trick question to be honest, with a lot of outcomes. Apparently, she chose to pretend to be satisfied with her life, but with all honesty, she wasn't. And everyone knew.

As soon as she had stepped out of the class, a familiar wave of nostalgia washed over me. She wasn't used to walking out of classes alone, no, not once he came along. If she was Lily Bloom, then he was her Atlas Corrigan, that's how she used to view herself back as an emotionally unstable teenager. But when she saw him lying in the casket, after being in a coma for 2 years, she knew that everything was a dream. 

From then, she had grown up a lot, both emotionally and physically, and had tried her best to put everything behind herself, but standing here at the stairs of my own house, she felt unsafe in all the ways possible. Y/n took a deep breath, and pushed the door away, it made a silent creak, but it was very quiet to be noticed. She carefully closed the door and took off her shoes, and made my way to the staircase.

"Y/n? Is that you?" She closed my eyes, a soft curse falling off of her lips. There's no point in hiding anymore, she slowly walked towards the kitchen. "I made cookies!" Her mother smiled, placing the tray on the counter. She took in her appearance, apart from the bruises, she looked fine. "Here, have some."

"I am not hungry," Y/n lied, but in reality, her body was hurting so bad all she wanted was to drop dead.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?" Before she could rush over to me, she stepped back. And gave a tight smile, followed by a "I'm fine." Y/n turned on her heels and left before her mother could ask her any more questions. Sighing,she closed the door, dropping her bag by the edge of the bed, she flopped down. Her eyes focused on the now fading off white ceiling which had been last painted when her medium sized room was her nursery. Her eyes scanned the room, most of the things she had, things she loved were now gone. Sold to a thrift shop, because 2 jobs weren't paying her enough to get a bare minimum decent apartment. 

She blindly searched for the laptop on her bed, and sat up once she had her hands on it. The screen had an impressive crack, thanks to her father. The sides were dent, and the color was fading away. She turned it on, and searched for more apartments. The air blew the curtains further in her room, and the clock ticked silently. Her eyes scanned the article with a deep frown. Once. Twice. Thrice. She checked her notepad and let out a deep breath, the apartment was being rented out at a low rate. Surprisingly, no one had applied for it. She quickly sent in a, "I'm interested in this offer," before getting up to get ready for work.

Like everyday, today wasn't also in her favor, she huffed, staring out of the window at the busy street as the day passed by quite slowly. Pushing her hair out of her face, and straightened up and wore a polite smile to greet the customer who had just walked in, and just at her moment her phone vibrated with messages. She skillfully ignored the vibrations, and focused on her work. 

The doorbell of the cafe rang, as the night had already fallen, and it was quiet all around, it was not the first time Y/n had to deal with a customer coming after the closing hours. “I'm sorry, the cafe's closed,” she said, wiping the nth table. 

“Oh, I was actually here for L/n Y/n,” the skin on her body stood up at the words she turned around crossing her hands over her chest. “How may I help you?”

The man in front of her wouldn't be older than 30, his hair was styled back and he was wearing an expensive suit with glasses, “You applied for the house article I posted a while ago.” Y/n slowly nodded, frowning. Upon understanding her  confusion he quickly added, “It's not the smartest idea to put up the shifts you work on the shops on social media.”

Y/n took a deep breath, “Yeah, I know, but what about the house?”

“Oh it's available,” he nodded quickly. “It's actually a mansion I must admit, so you will have to share with others.”

“And I wonder why the rate was so low,” She thought to herself. “That's not a problem.”

“Great, if you are free we can go and visit it tomorrow,” he smiled a little too wide for the given situation, making Y/n nod wearily. After exchanging numbers the man left in a hurry. Y/n couldn't help but clutched the cleaning rag in her hand, an uneasy feeling washing over her. 

A sigh escaped her lips as she stared at the front door of her own house. Her chest filled with doubt as to whether to sneak in, or let them know about her presence. Y/n entered the house and closed the door silently, and took off her shoes. Just as she was about to sneak up the stairs, a movement caught her eye.

“Stop right there!” She heard her father's gruff voice, yelling at her. She closed her eyes before opening them again and turned to face her father. “Where were you?”

She sighed, rubbing the tip of her nose, “I work late shifts on Saturday.”

“Don't lie to me!” His loud voice made her flinch. “I know what they told me! There was a man at the cafe after it was closed!” 

“That's really creepy and weird of you,” she pointed out, and no sooner had she taken one step, she was pulled back by her bag and thrown down the staircase. Her head collided with the wall behind, her vision going blurry for a moment and her  ears ringing. 

Once she came back to my senses, she heard her mother yelling at her father, and him just yelling back at her. Her mother did her best to distract him, so she could slip into her room. Crawling up the stairs, she did. She silently slipped in and locked the door, and pushed her nearly empty glass book rack in front of it. Her bag fell off her shoulder as she dropped onto the ground, tears flowing freely.

Her nose scrunched up, forming wrinkles of confusion on her face. The mansion was lavish, the maintenance cost could pay off 4 times of her house loan. The living room was twice as big as her house. But the thing that confused her was the price. Even having to share the house with others did not explain the low cost. 

She took in her new room, which was bigger than her room, her parents room and the guest room combined. It has been 3 hours since she walked out of her home. Her mother didn't even try to stop her, knowing if she stayed there, there was no future for her. Her father had been gone since 6 in the morning. The landlord was confused, but understood her desperation to get over the paperwork and move in.

Y/n dropped her bag on the ground and sat by the window, overlooking the garden. A girl, about her age was listening to music and scribbling on a book. She stood up and wiped her hands on her pants, and walked downstairs. Just as she passed by the hallway, her shoulder brushed agasint another taller and broader shoulder. Her head snapped back, but the figure of a boy, his head low was already disappearing into another room. Her breath picked up, the scent, the touch, it felt too similar. 

She turned away continuing down the stair case, once she had closed the door behind herself the cold air greeted her like an long lost friend, making her pull her jacket tighter around herself. Another girl, her age probably, long black hair running down was yelling at the landlord, who calmly dealt with her. Seeing how calm he was, the girl felt frustrated and marched passed her back into the house.

Y/n looked a little amused and continued on her way, “You don't look like someone to get on others’ nerves.”

The man took of his glasses rubbing his nose before putting them back on, “Believe me, I get that a lot. She asked permission to throw a party.”

“And you said no?” She chuckled.

The man shrugged with a upside down grin, “I said no alcohol,” she made her laugh, because it sounded pretty stupid. Party without alcohol. A comfortable silence filled the atmosphere, making her forget why she even came here. “I suggest you stay inside the house, if you don't have any work outside of course, it's cold here.” With a nod her turned to take his leave.

“Hey, sir!” Y/n called out. “I didn't ask your name…”

He turned back, his car door opened and smiled, “Park Jongseong.”

“Do you need something?” The girl, whow as scribbling looked up at her. “You have been lingering here for a while now.”

“Oh,’ Y/n shrugged in embarrassment. “I am just new here, I have nothing to do…”

The girl tilted her head frowing, “Don't you have any shift today? At the library right?”

Y/n nodded slowly, “You are an weakly visitor, I took off today.”

The girl shurgged her shoulder, “Your library needs to stack up more books on dark magic,” she paused briefly. “Alex.”

“Y/n,” she said timidly, turning away to leave catching the faint ‘I know’. “Ask Heeseung to show you the library!” She froze. Heeseung? The frown deepening on her face. “Lee Heeseung?” She turned to look back at the girl who slowly nodded. 

Y/n took fast steps inside the house, mumbling to herslef, “It's okay, don't worry, there are plenty of Lee Heeseung's out there, that are just as tall as him and smell—”

“Watch your steps dummy!” The voice scolded her in the familiar tone. Y/n rubbed her back, whining internally until the voice hit her ears.

Oh no.