#did i have to make this so long? yes next question

[joemama-2]

velvet lies

pairing: gojo x fem reader synopsis: crippling debt and possible evictions have ruined you. working two jobs with no downtime, and a five-year-old son, you really don't know the meaning of taking a break. after continuous questions about his father, you have decided to finally let your son meet his dad. only thing is, he has no idea said son exists. and to top it off, you have not a single clue about what kinds of things will transpire from this sudden revelation. tags/warnings: 18+ MDNI, smut, fluff, romance, alcohol, classism, mom! reader, lying, abuse, MAJOR angst, slow burn, exes to lovers, cheating, scandals, drugs, drama, family drama wc: 5155 a/n: hi everyone! i'm so excited for this piece of work as I have a lot of exciting ideas planned in store! this will probably have slow updates, so please please please be patient with me. thank you all for reading! i'm aiming for at least 15ish chapters, maybe more or less, depends how much i write in one chapter in the future. next chapter

“Cash or card?”

“Card.”

The sound of light dinging follows, the transaction completed. “Here you go, Miss. Have a good day.”

“Thank you, you too.” The woman takes the small bag from your outstretched hands, giving one last smile before exiting. The bell at the top of the door rings, signifying her exit. You sigh and look at the clock, one more hour. It’s not that long. But you’ve been here since opening and the shoes you’re wearing are beginning to hurt your feet. Maybe you should’ve broken them in more.

It’s a quaint little cafe. Most of the customers are teenagers, college students, or overworked office workers who need caffeine to get them through the day. Other than that, you have no qualms. Of course, it does get a little annoying having to tell the newer, much younger co-workers that they can’t do this or that. 

A mundane routine of making coffees, packing orders, and ringing them up. Just one more hour. 

As soon as the clock strikes 5:00, you’re clocking out and saying goodbye. The school is an exact walk of ten minutes, six if you’re fast. Then another ten back to the apartment. And finally, another fifteen to the convenience store. 

Hustle and bustle is all you’ve ever known. Sure, you like it most of the time. But you just wish you could get a break. It’s always go, go, go, but never take a rest and time to yourself for a moment. But when you see that adorable smile plaster on those chubby cheeks you never shy away from pinching, it’s all worth it. “Mama!” 

“Baby!” you crouch down and open your arms. The young boy wastes no time in throwing his body into yours, face nuzzled into your chest and arms around your neck. “How was school? Fun?” you ask, hand rubbing his back up and down.

He nods. “Mhm! Mr. Ito says I got the most gold stars out of everyone in class.” 

Your smile grows wistful, aweing. “Wow, such a good boy, aren’t you?”

You carry Koji into your arms, starting the walk back to your very humble apartment. He chatters innocently the entire trek, with you occasionally adding on or asking questions. His soft white hair pokes at your cheek, to which you straighten down with one free hand. It’s days like these where you wish you could just lounge at home with him, basking in his sweet innocence. But while most people are ending for the day, you’re barely starting your second half.

You feel the self-deprecating thoughts fill your mind like a virus while stationed near the light, waiting for the pedestal symbol to indicate. Your grip tightens around your son slightly, as if anchoring yourself to reality and reminding yourself you’re doing it all for him, and to keep going for him. 

It’s hard, yes. But so is parenting. 

The symbol comes on and you walk, seeing the building of your complex in the distance. Forcing any lingering negativity away, you clear your throat. “So, what did you learn today, baby?”

Koji looks up at you. “We learned how to add! I helped Mina.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

He giggles bashfully, leaning into the kiss you place on his cheek. Eyebrows raising as a sudden memory hits him. “Oh! And Mr. Ito said Dad Appreciation Day is next month. There’s gonna be food and music.”

Your smile wavers, footsteps momentarily pausing before continuing. “Oh, really?” you ask, inhaling a wavy breath of air. “That sounds like fun.”

“Mhm.” Koji nods, then tilts his head curiously at you. “But everyone is bringing their daddies. I wanna bring Papa too.” 

And you really try not to make your guilty grimace visible. “I know, sweetie. I know.”

“Can Papa come?” he frowns. 

No, he can’t. But you’re not about to tell your five-year-old that the reason his father can’t make an appearance is because he doesn’t even know he has a son. It’s been a difficult conversation for you. You’re not sure when or how to have these sorts of hard ones with children. So you’ve been dancing around the subject. Saying his dad is away on vacation, or fighting intergalactic dragons, or some other excuse you’ve been forced to use. He believes you, most of the time. But that doesn’t stop his curiosity and growing impatience. 

The last thing you want him to think is that he has no father in the first place.

He does. You’ve shown him pictures and videos occasionally. Of, and of course, he’s an exact carbon copy of the man. From his bright blue eyes, albino hair, and all the way down to his stubborn personality. You were a little annoyed when your only child took quite literally everything from his father, only leaving him with a couple of things from you–your nose and helpful nature. 

“We’ll see. Papa is busy, remember?” you gently reply, walking through the parking lot of your complex to the lobby.

Koji’s frown deepens and so do the metaphorical scars on your heart. “But Papa’s always busy! I wanna see Papa.”

“I know you do, baby. You will soon, okay?”

“Do you promise?”

You hesitate but eventually nod with a forced smile. “Mama promises.”

After leaving Koji with the babysitter, you give him a quick kiss and recite the list with the babysitter before rushing off to your second job. A convenience store. 

Not the most savory place, mainly because you get all sorts of crazy and odd customers, but also because you are close. You hate closing. But you need the second disposable income and this is the only place that fits with your schedule. It’s also a little more leaned back than the cafe, when there are no customers, you spend your time browsing the web for jobs.

You’ve probably sent in over 500 applications over the years, with not even half of those places reaching out. Even then, you’re not guaranteed a job. The job market is horrible nowadays and you’re living through it.

Whatever, you think to yourself as you clock in. One day at a time.

It’s around eleven at night when you're slugging back into your apartment, lights dim, and silence enveloping the place. “Thank you, Sana.” You mutter, exhausted but still sparing the 20-year-old a smile. You hand her a small envelope. “For today and last Saturday. How was he?”

Sana thanks you kindly and grabs her stuff. “All good, no tantrums today.”

“That’s good.” you walk into the kitchen, grabbing some food you’ve meal prepped. “Get home safe, okay?”

“Thank you, Y/N. Sleep well.”

When she leaves, you give yourself a moment to slump over the kitchen island, sighing in both relief and lingering tiredness. The silence feels nice, like an old and familiar friend welcoming you and praising you after yet another day of the same routine. You’ve always loved routines, but you can’t help but crave at least some sort of spontaneity. Putting the tupperware of chicken and rice into the microwave for a minute, its light humming makes you zone out. The conversation from before with your son ringing in your mind like a very annoying bell.

Soon, images of his son, your ex, flood your mind. An old fluttery sensation residing in the pit of your stomach, your body suddenly feeling all too warm for your liking. Your fists clench to stop their light trembling, shaking your head free of him. 

Not now.

You stop the microwave at one second, before it makes that obnoxious beeping and wakes your son. There are two chairs at the small dining table, you sit at one of them and eat your now warm meal. You’ve started meal prepping after one too many missed meals and a few incidents where that light-headedness and blurred vision caused you to faint. Luckily, you were alone when that happened. Unluckily, you were alone when that happened. Nursing a few bruises to your forehead after making contact was not a fun time. 

You take time to eat, in no particular rush. Although you know you should be getting ready for bed soon for another early day tomorrow, your body doesn’t move. Either consciously or subconsciously. The end of the day is when you find yourself attempting to unwind and detach from the day’s events. But, the stress of unpaid bills, debts, and worry for the future always find time to crawl back.

It’s exhausting, extremely so. Sure, you’re an adult and this is normal. But don’t you deserve at least a little bit of time when you don’t have to worry about anything? It feels like every waking second your mind is working overtime, your body in a constant state of motion. It’s worn you down completely over the years. But you have a son who needs you, so you suppose you shouldn’t be feeling pity for yourself.

This is what parenting is all about, isn’t it?

Making sacrifice after sacrifice for your child. However, when you feel yourself sinking deeper and deeper, slowly losing more of yourself, what if there’s nothing left to sacrifice in the first place? The eviction bill from this morning taunts you as it lays upright in front of you in the middle of the table.

It’s then do you think, no, you do have one thing left. 

Koji.

If Koji’s gone, then you really have nothing left. There’s no reason to live if that happens. And with the path you’re going down, that’s feeling more and more like a dreaded possibility. 

I wanna see Papa.

Koji’s words play repeatedly. For a second, you feel yourself resonating with your son. Only for a second. You reach for your phone and go to Google, typing in a name that still haunts you. You’re barely three letters in before his name appears and you’re clicking.

A smiling image fills your screen along with other general information.

For some unknown reason, your breath hitches. You feel like he’s almost staring at you, smiling at your pathetic predicament. Grip tightening around your phone, swallowing down an unexpecting lump, tears fall from your eyes and onto the phone screen.

Why you’re crying, you don’t know. It could be many things, but you won’t address that right now.

Gojo Satoru.

The father of your child, your ex of 4 years. 

You rarely look him up, almost never. Only in desperate times when you feel yourself drowning and needing some sort of comfort. It’s stupid. You haven’t been together or even seen him in seven years. Not since you ended things with him. Not since you felt his hands roam your skin, whispering sweet words.

He didn’t even protest or question why. Almost like he knew your breakup was inevitable. You’re not sure if that hurts more.

You’re twenty-eight now. But while your life still feels the same from when you met Satoru at the ripe age of seventeen, you’ve reached a plateau. But him? He’s thriving, of course. Making a name for himself, as an heir to one of the biggest conglomerates in Japan, the Gojo Group. 

You’re happy for him. But where is that happiness for yourself?

You feel a little, no, a lot jealous. You always were of Satoru. Being given everything he wants without much thought, never worrying about money, and a stable home life. You’re extremely jealous of that bastard.

But right now, jealousy isn’t in the picture. It’s your son’s father. And if you want to keep your son, give him everything he wants, that starts with one person.

Letting him meet his father. 

“Honey, do you like your pancakes?” you ask your son who’s currently scarfing down his plate of breakfast. Adorned in an adorable shirt uniform shirt and some little black trousers. He hums back excitedly with a muffled “yes, mama”. With a chuckle, you dry up the rest of the dishes, then your hands. Dropping him off at school is the first thing on your agenda, as per usual. 

The walk to his school is a familiar one, wanting to get your son knowledgeable with the route so when the day comes that he needs to walk him himself, he’d know his way back. You pass by other kids and parents, some children yelling bye as they step onto the school grounds, with others giving their children long-lasting hugs.

You walk until you reach his door, his teacher, Mr. Ito, standing outside and greeting his students as they enter. When he makes eye contact with Koji, he smiles a bit wider. “Good morning, Koji.”

“Good morning!” your son happily replies, waving up at his teacher. With one final hug and kiss shared, he’s running in to already begin talking to his friends. Standing back up, you see Mr. Ito already looking at you. And you especially don’t miss the way his eyes not so subtly rake up and down your figure. You clear your throat. “Good morning.”

He meets your eyes again. “Good morning, Y/N-san. How are you today?”

“Good, and you?” 

“Very good.” 

The way his tone is almost causes you to visibly shiver, brows furrowing slightly in discomfort. One of the things you dislike the most about Koji’s school, his teacher. Although he hasn’t outwardly done or said anything inappropriate, you’re a smart woman. “That’s good. Well…have a nice day.” Doing anything you can to quickly end this dreaded conversation, but still wanting to maintain a level of politeness. 

You’re about to turn on your heel and leave when he calls out. “Ah, Y/N-san?”

Damn it, what now? “Yes?” you turn and look at him.

The distance between you reduces as he steps a little closer. “I have some concerns regarding Koji’s behavior in class. Would you be available to set up a conference anytime this week?”

“Behavior? Has he been misbehaving?” You did not expect that.

“Well, it’s complicated. He has some trouble listening as talks when he shouldn’t. I’d like to nip this in the bud before it grows out of control.” Mr. Ito cooly replies, smile looking more like a hidden smirk. “So, will you be available?”

You hesitate, not really. With your two jobs, you barely have time for yourself, let alone your son’s teacher. But if it’s regarding a behavior problem, then do you have any choice? “I think I’ll be free this Saturday. Weekdays are very hectic for more.”

He nods. “That’s fine, we can grab coffee.” When your head tilts slightly, he adds on with a chuckle. “And discuss Koji over coffee. On me.”

Right, of course. You know what this is, but just think about your son. That’s the priority. “Okay, 8 am at Latte Lounge sound good?”

“Sounds excellent, I’ll see you then. Have a wonderful day.”

With a simple nod back, you turn around and finally leave. Practically feeling the way his eyes shamelessly check out your behind. A frown inevitably grows on your face, why wouldn’t it? As long as this man doesn’t try anything…more, you should be fine. And if he does, 1) you’ll be in public, and 2) you’ll tell him straight up.

Whatever. 

“Pizza or teriyaki?”

“Pizza!”

“Of course.” you chuckle and put the frozen pizza in your cart, your son clutched onto your right hand after announcing he can walk on his own because he’s a big boy. The grocery store isn’t crowded during this time of day. Rightfully so. It’s 7 pm on a Tuesday, most people already cooking dinner by now. You always grocery shop at this time, your son appreciates it too. There’s been a few times when you both got quickly and very overwhelmed with the bustling nature of the grocery store on a weekend morning. Currently, you’re moving through the snack section now, picking up a few of your and Koji’s favorites. 

“Mama, can I pick a cereal?” Koji asks and points to the cereal aisle next over. When you nod, he happily runs off. You still however make sure to look over at him frequently when picking up and putting down a few snacks. 

You reach up to grab a pack of Hello Panda, the pink and chocolate ones, before a hand beats you to it. “Oh, I’m sorry.” As soon as you look over, you and the stranger meet eyes. 

Immediately, there’s a silence that falls over you two. Eyes each blown wide in shock. 

Oh, you’ve got to be shitting me.

Just your luck. As soon as the stranger speaks, a strange nostalgia fills you. “Y-Y/N?”

It almost sounds weird coming from his lips. Your friend–well, ex?--friend gets out. He still looks the same, just more…manly. 

“...Suguru, I–I’m… surprised to see you.” you awkwardly laugh. Reunions were never easy.

“Oh my god,” Suguru breaths out, shaking his head with a faint smile. “Well, shit. I mean, how are you? You..you look good.” His eyes move down your figure in an appreciative way.

“Thank you, I’m good. How are you? Your hair is longer.” you motion to his sea of black, healthy locks. “ ‘M a little jealous.”

He laughs with you, the sound reminding you of old times. “Yeah, been working on it. And I’m good.”

Another pause is permitted, as if you two aren’t very sure what to say to one another. Well, in all honesty, it has been seven years. “Well,” he clears his throat and puts his hands in his pockets. “What are you up to?”

“Oh, you know,” you glance down at your cart. “Just some shopping.”

He also looks down, head tilting slightly. “Ah, right.” With a nod, he juts his head toward the direction of the kid’s toothpaste. “Just for one?” He laughs, joking of course. 

You mentally curse yourself, putting a pack of cookies on top of the toothpaste to hide its already revealed existence. “Uh, ye—”

“Mama! I want this one!” Koji runs up to you, showcasing his desired cereal.

Well…..shit. 

As if things weren’t already complicated.

With Suguru’s eyes even wider than when they were staring at you, his mouth is practically on the floor when the young boy looks at him. His sharp eyes dart across his features and…..

“I-is this—”

“Koji.” you cut him off, gulping and shifting the child closer to your leg. “My son.”

Suguru spends another good minute staring at the boy, who innocently stares back. When his eyes slowly move from the blue ones to yours, there are a million and more questions swirling in his brain. He’s not even sure which one to ask first. But he goes with the obvious. “...Is….is he…..”

You nod uncomfortably. 

He lets out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, hand running through his hair. “Holy shit, I mean….holy heck.”

Your lips purse, putting Koji’s cereal in your cart before picking him up in your arms. “Koji, this is Suguru. Say hi.”

“Hi.” Koji childishly smiles at the older man. “Are you Mama’s friend?”

Suguru spares you a glance. “Uhm…yeah. Yeah, kid, I am. Nice to meet you.” He then shifts weirdly, not sure if he should shake the boy’s hand, which seems too formal. He decides to gently ruffle his hair. “So…how old is he?” The question is directed towards you, but Koji answers. “I’m five!” He holds up five small fingers. 

“Five?” Suguru’s brows furrow at you. It’s surprising how quickly you recognize that scolding look of his. “Have you—”

“No.” you once again cut him off, shifting Koji to your hip. “I haven’t.”

“Why?”

That’s a good question. One you know the answer to…slightly. But with Koji looking between you two curiously, you can’t exactly say why. At least not here. “I….I just…haven’t.”

Silence. 

You can feel Suguru regarding you with many emotions, but the main one is confusion. He bites his lip as he thinks over how to react properly to this situation. From the looks of it, Koji is just as clueless as him, maybe even more. “Jesus Christ, I don’t even know what to say right now.” Heavily sighing, he looks back at Koji, then you, then Koji, then finally you. “You’re going to…right? I mean, he deserves to know, Y/N. You’ve just–I mean, come on.”

There’s not much of a response to that, much to his expectation. You always used to do this when you were guilty. But Suguru has always been the more… empathetic of the two. “Look, I–I know you’re probably going through your own things, but…”

You look at him again, remorseful. His lips purse and with a heavy sigh, he takes a card out from his pocket and hands it to you. “Here’s my business card, it has my number. We lost your old one, so.”

Your hand reaches out to take it, examining the words, Rising Futures Foundation. "Building futures, one child at a time.” You meet his eyes again, forcing words out. “Okay…thanks.” 

“No need,” he waves you off, taking down the two Hello Panda boxes and putting them in your cart. “I’m sorry, I have things to do right now, but please…give me a call, okay?”

With slight hesitation, you nod. He mirrors you before focusing on the child again, a smile forming. “See you, buddy.” Suguru pats his shoulder lightly before walking away and away from your vision.

Your mind is being overrun, body feeling stiff and stuck, unsure of how to process what the fuck just happened. No doubt he’s about to tell his best friend. Then said best friend will find you and Koji. Then maybe he’ll try taking you to court for hiding his son for five years. You’ll obviously lose because you have no lawyer and Satoru has the best. Your son, your one and only, your sole happiness will be taken away from you and you’ll be left alone to rot in angui–

“Mama?” Koji’s small hand is put to your cheek, stirring you from your mild comatose state. “Are you okay? You have tears in your eyes.”

“What?” Raising your hand to your eye and sure enough, you are letting loose some tears. “No, no, Mama’s okay. I’m not crying, just…just tired.”

But with growing age, so is his perception. “Are you sure? Did your friend make you cry? I don’t like him then.”

Oh, how sweet. You smile, head tilting. “No, baby. Don’t say that, okay? Mama’s fine. I promise. See? I’m smiling. Wanna smile with me?”

Like clockwork, he follows your emotions and smiles, giggling. “Yeah, I wanna smile with you. I like smiling with you, Mama.”

“And I like it when you smile with me too.”

Maybe, this isn’t too bad. You were just thinking that you want Koji to finally meet his dad. So, this is good. This ensures a meeting. But, it also ensures a deep-rooted, most likely bad confrontation that will take place between you two. Why wouldn’t it? At least you’ll be able to prepare yourself now, mentally. 

You can imagine the harsh words he might say. The raised voices and brutal questions about how you can do this to him and so on. In hindsight, you deserve it. What kind of woman does do this to a man? Children are supposed to be bundles of joy, not hidden secrets. Of course, there’s the lingering worries of what legal action Satoru, or his family, might try to take.

That would quite literally fuck you over so hard.

But…maybe Satoru will go easy on you because of your past. You really don’t know. This situation is messy as fuck and it’s mostly—a lot—because of you. You have no one to blame but yourself. Hopefully, he’ll take pity on you, even though you hate when others pity you. It’s different when it comes to him, the father of your son. It always has been and it probably always will be. 

Honestly, you’re a little relieved that you ran into the best friend of the man than the man himself. Now that would’ve been bad. 

The sounds of skin against skin fill the room, mixed with heavy grunts and airy moans. The headboard repeatedly hitting the wall plays like a drum, the lights dim and the view of the dark city landscape is exposed. Satoru’s gripping the woman’s hips, leaving crescent-shaped indents in her fair skin. Her constant mewls sound heavenly in his ears. “God, you feel so….good…”

“S-satoru!” 

“Yeah, say my name. Just like that, baby.”

He presses a firm hand down on the small of her back to keep her arch in place, feeling his release invade her warm walls, filling her with a lovely warmth. She clenches around him, moaning out once more as she finishes with him.

He collapses against her back, his heavy breaths tingling her ear. “Baby, that was…so good…” she croaks out. 

Satoru’s mind is fuzzy, vision blurring slightly. He hums in response and leans back up to pull out, discarding the heavy condom with his load into the trashcan beside the bed. “Stay.” With a small pat to her hip, he’s forcing his limbs out of bed and to the connecting bathroom to grab a warm rag. Aftercare. Although most of the time, he really can’t be bothered to do something like this. Cleaning her up feels like a chore sometimes,  but the last time he voiced that opinion, it led to a huge argument between the two. 

In just a few minutes, they’re both cleaned and changed. Wearing his sweats low on his hips while she indulges in just one of his oversized shirts. Another small pet peeve he has. And another thing he must keep his mouth shut about. “What time do you have to go into the office tomorrow?” Himari asks, snuggled up against his chest, dainty fingers tracing circles along the firm muscles. 

“Same time as always,” he sighs, grabbing the TV remote and putting a random show on. “You know that.”

“I know, but…can’t you just call off tomorrow? Please? I wanna spend the day with you.”

When he looks back down at her, she’s frowning. A small tug is pulled at his heart and before he knows it, he’s pulling her closer and placing a gentle kiss to her hair. “Can’t, baby. Maybe this weekend?”

Satoru can feel her ready to protest again, but the sound of the front door downstairs being opened and closed interrupts the moment. Followed by the familiar voice of his friend. “Satoru! You here?”

Satoru’s brows furrow slightly. A small grunt falls from his lips as he maneuvers Himari off his chest, standing up and walking out. He looks down the staircase and sees Suguru staring up at him. “What do you want? I’m sorta busy.” Himari comes out and hugs his waist, proof of his so-called “busyness”. 

Suguru holds back an eye roll when the woman gives him a look, focusing on his best friend. “Need to talk to you. Privately.” 

“For what?”

“It’s important.”

“So just say it now.”

“Damn it, Satoru. Just come down and kick your friend out.”

“Girlfriend.” Himari corrects with a scowl.

“Yeah, sure.” Suguru waves her off and motions for Satoru to come down as he walks into the man’s kitchen.

Sighing with his eyes closed, he turns to Himari. “Sorry, babe. My driver’ll give you a ride back.”

Once again, she frowns. “But I—”

“Please.” 

His bottom lip pokes out in a small, but convincing pout. “I’ll see you later, mkay?” Satoru reaches his thumb out and brushes it along her cheekbone, which he knows she’s weak for. Confliction and hesitation dance in her eyes but she concedes. Gathering her purse and shows, she gives Satoru a dramatic kiss on the lips before leaving. 

“Finally,” Suguru huffs from the kitchen, swirling a glass of whiskey. “I thought you guys broke up.”

“It was a break.” Satoru grumbles, walking over to stand across from his friend, snatching the glass out his hand and sipping. “Anyway, what’s so important you come unannounced for and demand my sweet company to leave?”

“That woman is not sweet.” 

Satoru smiles and shrugs, “She tastes it.” 

A groan is heard from Suguru, eyes rolling before he shakes his head. “Look, you should sit down.”

“That good, huh?” he plops down in the nearby chair and leans back, arm resting against the back of it. He nods. “Alright, shoot, baby.”

Suguru takes in a deep breath and steels himself for the more than likely hard conversation. A part of him feels like he’s intruding, like it’s not his place to reveal such a thing to him. But at the end of the day, it’s his best friend. And you, well…he’s not exactly sure if you’re still friends or not. “What I tell you might sound crazy, but I need you to promise you’ll stay calm until I’m done speaking, got it?”

Satoru’s brows raise in mild astonishment, seeing Suguru get all serious like this is quite amusing. “Okay, I promise.” He shrugs again. “Can’t be that bad, right? No one’s hurt.”

Not yet, Suguru says to himself. He claps his hands together, mulling over how exactly to break the news. “So, I came across an old friend today.”

“Oh yeah? She cute?” Satoru swirls the alcohol in his glass.

Suguru holds back another eye roll. “Yeah, she is.”

“Nice, man.” the white-haired man chuckles, head tilting. “So what, did she make a move on you or something? Now that’s crazy.”

“I’ll have you know, I’m actually quite favorable amongst women.”

“Are you now?”

“Listen, you ass. No talking, just listening.” When he doesn’t get a response back, he takes it as a sign to continue. “Anyway, I saw an old friend. And…she had a kid with her.” Satoru nods slowly, already getting lost on his this information is even remotely crazy, or relevant to him. But he stays shut, deciding not to face another one of Suguru’s mini-lectures. One more deep breath is let out from Suguru and he gets to the point. “It was Y/N, she has a kid.”

A small beat of silence follows as Suguru gauges his best friend’s reaction. He doesn’t look like he’s flipping out, but he doesn’t show much emotion either. Confusing Suguru, he waits for the inevitable lash out. “Who?” Satoru ends up asks.

His best friend knits his brows, trying to see if the other man is serious or not. When his expression doesn’t change, he replies. “Y/N…” he speaks slowly. “...your ex?”

Still, no emotion. But his grip on the glass does tighten.  “And she has a kid.” Suguru reiterates, almost in nervousness now. 

“Satoru….the kid looks exactly like you.”

a/n: thank you guys for reading!!! Sorry if this chapter was a little short, i’ll try to make the next ones a little more longer. But writing super huge chapters isn’t my forte. Anyway, stay tuned for chapter 2 :)

[goldfades]

TIGHTLING ─── LUKE HUGHES

request: "luke hughes + reader doing tiktok couple trends??"

here is the trend i was doing!

The phone props precariously against a stack of books on the coffee table, its tiny lens trained on you and Luke as he lounges on the couch beside you. His long legs are sprawled out, a stark contrast to your cross-legged position, and he looks completely at ease, a faded Michigan sweatshirt hanging loosely on his broad frame.

It was your idea—of course it was—to rope him into yet another TikTok trend. And honestly, it didn’t take much convincing. Luke, for all his teasing about how “obsessed” you are with the app, has never been one to back down from your antics. You swear he secretly loves these little moments where the two of you can just be goofy together.

“Okay, so here’s the deal,” you start, holding your phone up to demonstrate the angle and framing, even though he’s barely paying attention. His eyes flick lazily from your face to the camera. “I’m gonna ask you a bunch of questions, and they’re things only girls would know—like, makeup stuff, skincare stuff. You just have to guess what they mean.”

Luke blinks at you, visibly unimpressed. “That’s it? I just guess?”

“Yes.” You grin, wide and mischievous, and he narrows his eyes at you suspiciously.

“Why do I feel like this is just a setup to make me look stupid?”

“It's not, I promise.” You say, patting his knee in mock reassurance.

He scoffs, rolling his eyes, but the corners of his mouth tug upward into the faintest smile. You’ve won, and he knows it. “Fine. But you owe me for this.”

“Uh-huh,” you deadpan, grabbing the remote and shoving it out of the frame. “And what exactly do I owe you for a few minutes of your time?”

He tilts his head, pretending to think. “I don’t know. Maybe you stop stealing my clothes every time you come over?”

“That’s a deal I’ll never make,” you quip, setting the phone back on its makeshift tripod. “Okay, ready?”

Luke leans forward slightly, brushing his hair out of his face as he flashes you a lopsided grin. “Hit me with it.”

And just like that, you hit record.

You settle back into the couch, phone recording, and glance at Luke, who’s already sitting straighter, his focus zeroed in like this is some kind of high-stakes playoff. The intensity is so out of place that it’s almost impossible not to laugh, but you manage to keep a straight face. Barely.

“Alright,” you say, scrolling through your mental list of girl-specific words. “First question: What does waterline mean?”

Luke blinks. “Waterline?” His brows furrow, and he leans forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees like he’s trying to think through an SAT question. “Like... the edge of a body of water? Or where water stops?”

You gasp dramatically, clapping your hands together. “Oh my God, yes! That’s exactly it. How did you know?”

His face lights up, the corners of his mouth quirking into a self-satisfied grin. “Seriously? I mean, it makes sense, right?”

“Totally,” you nod fervently, resisting the urge to crack up. “You’re so smart.”

He smirks, leaning back against the couch. “Told you. What’s next?”

You bite your lip, stifling a laugh, and move on. “Okay, next question. What’s a cuticle pusher?”

Luke’s face scrunches up, his confusion written all over it. “A... what?”

“Cuticle pusher,” you repeat innocently, as though this is a perfectly normal thing for him to know.

He hesitates, narrowing his eyes at you. “Uh... is it like... something you use to push dirt out from under your nails?”

You gasp again, clutching your chest like you’re shocked by his brilliance. “Yes! Oh my God, Luke, how do you know these things?”

He lets out a laugh, visibly proud of himself. “I don’t know! It just made sense!”

“Wow,” you say, shaking your head like you’re genuinely impressed. “You’re two for two.”

“Duh,” he quips, leaning forward again, his confidence swelling. “Keep going. I’m on a roll.”

You suppress another laugh and press on. “Okay, what about... baking?”

“Baking?” he repeats, frowning. “Like... cooking?”

You shake your head quickly. “Not that kind of baking. It’s a makeup thing.”

He sits back, tapping his fingers against his leg as he thinks. “Makeup... baking... Does it have something to do with heat? Like, you heat the makeup onto your face or something?”

It takes every ounce of willpower not to break character. “Oh my God, yes! Exactly! You bake it onto your face to, like, set it. You’re literally on fire, Luke. I can’t believe this.”

He laughs again, a full, genuine laugh this time, his cheeks a little pink. “I’m just that good.”

“You really are,” you say with mock awe. “Okay, okay, one more for now. What’s a winged liner?”

Luke doesn’t even pause to think this time. “Easy. It’s eyeliner, but it’s, like... shaped like wings.”

You clap your hands together, nodding enthusiastically. “Yes! Oh my God, Luke! You’re literally unstoppable!”

“I know, right?” He beams, clearly riding the high of getting “everything��� right. “See? I told you I’d win.”

You bite back your laughter, nodding along like you’re his number-one fan. “You’re seriously the best at this. I’ve never seen anyone crush these questions like you.”

Luke leans back, folding his arms across his chest, looking far too pleased with himself. “Alright, what’s the next round? I’m ready.”

You can’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter, but he just looks at you, confused but still grinning. “What? Why are you laughing? I’m killing it!”

And the best part? He truly believes it.

You shake your head, waving your hand as if to dismiss your laughter. “Nothing, nothing! You’re just—you’re killing it, Luke. Like, I think you might know more about this stuff than I do.”

He grins, sitting up straighter. “I mean, you said it was trivia. I’m just good at picking stuff up.”

“Right, right,” you say, wiping an imaginary tear from your eye as you compose yourself. “Okay, next question. What’s... double cleansing?”

Luke pauses, his competitive streak kicking back in as he furrows his brow in concentration. “Double cleansing... like, washing your face twice? First to get the dirt off and then... to, I don’t know, make it extra clean?”

You gasp again, clutching his arm this time. “Yes! Oh my God, that’s exactly it. How do you keep doing this?”

He looks so smug now, like he just nailed a game-winning goal. “It just makes sense, you know? Two steps—one for the surface, one for deep cleaning. I’m basically an expert.”

You nod vigorously, stifling another laugh. “Seriously. Like, you should teach a class or something.”

“Maybe I will,” he says with a smirk. “Alright, next one. Hit me.”

You glance at your mental list again, biting your lip to keep from cracking up. “Alright. What’s a dupe?”

Luke tilts his head, confused but determined. “A dupe... like... a duplicate? Something that looks like something else?”

You slap your hand over your mouth, pretending to be floored. “Yes! Oh my God, Luke, you’re literally on fire. It’s like a cheaper version of something expensive. How are you so good at this?”

He’s grinning so wide now, his cheeks pink with pride. “I don’t know. I guess I just have a natural instinct for this stuff.”

“Clearly,” you say, barely holding it together. “Okay, okay, next one. What’s a beauty blender?”

“A beauty blender?” He pauses, his competitive edge shining through as he carefully thinks it over. “Uh... like... a machine that mixes stuff? Like makeup or foundation or something?”

You clasp your hands dramatically, your jaw dropping. “Yes! Oh my God, Luke, are you kidding me? How do you know this?”

He throws his hands up like it’s no big deal, even though he’s clearly eating up the praise. “What can I say? I’m just built different.”

You double over with laughter, but quickly try to disguise it as a cough when he narrows his eyes. “I’m serious! You’re like... a prodigy.”

“I know,” he says, fully leaning into the role now. “Alright, what’s next? Let’s keep going.”

You bite the inside of your cheek, wondering how far you can push this before he catches on. “Okay, this one’s tricky,” you warn, straightening up. “What’s... tightlining?”

He blinks at you, a little wary but still confident. “Tightlining? Uh... when you line something up really close together? Like... packing it in tight?”

You gasp again, throwing your head back. “Yes! Oh my God, Luke! It’s when you line your eyes super close to your lashes! You’re incredible!”

His grin is so wide now, he looks like a kid who just found out he’s getting a puppy for Christmas. “I mean, it’s just logical, right? Tightlining. Tight lines. Easy.”

“Easy for you,” you say, shaking your head in mock amazement. “You’re like a makeup genius.”

“I should probably put that on my résumé,” he jokes, leaning back and crossing his arms. “Luke Hughes: NHL defenseman, trivia champion, and makeup expert.”

You can’t help but laugh again, your chest aching from holding it in for so long. But he still doesn’t catch on—he’s far too busy basking in the glory of his “success.”

“Alright,” you say, wiping a pretend tear from your eye. “One last question, and this one’s a doozy. What’s a halo eye?”

Luke’s face scrunches up in confusion, but he’s clearly not backing down. “Halo eye... uh... is it like... when your eyes look shiny? Like they’re glowing or something?”

You clasp your chest, pretending to be in awe. “Yes! That’s exactly it! How did you know?”

He throws his hands in the air, grinning ear to ear. “I mean, it’s in the name. Halo. Glow. It’s not that hard.”

You’re practically wheezing at this point, barely able to hold yourself together. But Luke? He’s still riding that high, completely oblivious to the fact that he’s been getting it hilariously wrong the entire time.

── COMMENTS

melia 🤍 "halo eye… uh… when your eyes look shiny?" IM SCREAMING ♡ 18k

abby grace 🌸 the gasp after every answer has me CRYING 💀 ♡ 14.5k

lily 🦋 the fact that he’s dead serious makes this even better ♡ 6.3k

viv 🪩 “double cleansing… to make it extra clean?” i can’t breathe 😭 ♡ 292

nj devils enthusiast “baking… does it have something to do with heat?” AND YOU SAID YES 💀💀 ♡ 500

sarah rose ☁️ his face when you said he got it right 😭😭😭 pure joy ♡ 4.2k

ellie ✨ he’s never gonna trust you again when he finds out 😭 ♡ 1.8k

emma 🤍 “tightlining… tight lines… easy” LUKE WHAT ♡ 239

sophia 💕 he’s gonna tell people he’s a skincare guru after this 😭 ♡ 2k

madeline you could’ve asked him anything and he’d still be so proud of himself lmaoo ♡ 103

noah’s gf how is he so wrong yet so sure every time 💀 ♡ 89

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[ir-abelas-vhenan]

Don't mind me, just revisiting the plot (again) and dying over this line (again). (These screenshots are going to be abysmal, but you'll get the point).

"To stop now would dishonor those I have wronged to come this far."

Yeah he's talking about Mythal (earned or not) and Felassan and Lavellan and Varric...but the way it applies to HIM, too, is what absolutely guts me.

Long post ahead...

Solas realizing that Lavellan doesn't care about how others see him or want to use him under the inquisiton, that HIS motivations as he has shared them are enough for her and worth defending against those who would tell him he's something he isn't. Solas, for the first time, being confronted with the realization that one these new elves he does not see himself in will still go to bat for him.

"You came here to help, Solas, I won't let them use that against you."

(Is he duplicitous? Yes. But intent on working against Corypheus? Undoubtedly).

“How would you stop them?”

“However I had to.”

“...thank you.”

Solas grappling with the fact that it wasn't just a one off, that this Dalish woman being faced with "hypotheticals" he's desperately been trying to get her people to entertain is jumping in head first, pushing back and disagreeing with him but never treating him worse for their differences and always admitting when he's helped shape a changing perspective. Solas daring to ask for help and marveling at the fact that he receives it, that the same woman who asked if it might some day be possible to live alongside spirits, who did not immediately shoot down his critique of THE CHANTRY REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE SPIRITS AS LEGITIMATE BEINGS (GAH), who did not laugh at him for saying he preferred their company most days, this woman, is going to drop time and resources during war time preparations to personally help his friend.

And then, when he is too late and has once again failed someone he considers a friend, he disappears within himself, where he has always gone to exact punishment for the weight of the lives he believes he's betrayed. It almost works, too.

Psych. Lavellan doesn't want him to grieve alone, to stare at the place in the Fade where his friend used to be and think of all he should have done differently.

“The next time you have to mourn, you don’t need to be alone.”

“It’s been so long since I could trust someone.”

“I know.”

“I’ll work on it. And thank you.”

And still she unbalances him, accepts him, wants more. Solas is sharing a personality that brings him the closest he has ever been to his spirit form, and it is ENOUGH for her. Existing as he has always dreamt of is all takes to earn her loyalty, respect, and eventually love.

But does she stop there? No. She doesn't chafe at this random apostate who speaks with certainty and unapologetically delves into a past he believes worth preserving, even at the cost of questioning her culture as it currently stands.

The very woman he once thought of as a mistake that HE unleashed upon the world is asking to be a part of his, not because of what he can bring to the table, not because she needs a right hand man, and certainly not because she thinks he has some well of power and intelligence critical to winning over enemies she’s willing to join for "supervisory" purposes (cough cough hi Mythal). She bears the weight of choices that can and will lead to death, to pain, and when it wears on her she relies on him, not for solutions but so that at the end of it all she might smile with someone who knows her heart and the good she tried to do amidst a sea of terrible options. She wants to be known, no inch of her unturned, and worse, she thinks she knows him. But how could she? This is no longer who he is, it is merely the remnants of what he destroyed to make a world at Mythal's whim.

“You’re an admirable man. Not many people know who they are the way you do.”

“Thank you. Both for saying that and…for seeing that. Few in this world can see me instead of just seeing a pair of pointed ears”

She. Sees. Him. Every part he slowly is realizing he wants to be known for and even a few he thought he could hide. And then he gives it all up. Because he woke to a new world where spirits and elves and mages were so far removed from the role they played in Arlathan that it can only be yet another mistake he caused and must fix, never mind the fact that the dwarves have forgotten why they fled underground millennia ago in the first place.

The friend who tore him from the world he loved, urged him to take physical form? She is dead, too, never mind the fact that she ignored his urging for a different path, nevermind that he killed and tore and hurt in her name because otherwise what was losing the part of himself he loved for?

"A spirit becomes a demon when denied its original purpose.”

“It hurts. It always does, but I will survive.”

“You bound it to obedience, then commanded it to kill. That is when it turned.”

He may no longer recognize where the Dread Wolf ends and where Solas begins, but if he gives up now and permits himself the chance to remember, the pain he caused himself and others means nothing, because he did it all for Mythal and in his final discussion with her, regardless of what Veilguard tries to convey, she does not release him from his position as her agent.

And maybe that's part of why I'm so angry, because EVEN BEFORE TRESPASSER, the fragment of Mythal that ends up in Morrigan could have freed him, but she does not.

"I am sorry." He whispers.

"The failure was mine," he tells her, voice trembling. "I should pay the price."

Silence.

And do we get that "what we did, we did together" psuedo-fake ass-absolution, the one that, if given enough time and safety to put himself first he may have realised he doesn't truly need to pursue the things he deserves, that make him feel finally like himself again? No the fuck we don't.

"As am I, old friend." She murmurs.

Looking through the lens of Veilguard, this isn't an apology, it's a condemnation. It's Mythal tormenting him one more time, twisting the knife deeper, agreeing that it is Solas alone who has brought them to this point, who deserves to be punished. And then she reminds him what they are to each other, what he is supposed to be to her. What he must become again.

"It isn't abuse if I ask," Cole says in his personal quest.

"Not always true," Solas shoots back.

So he recommits to the friend he gave up his nature for, he refuses to let himself remember that Lavellan learned the full truth of his identity and still begged him not to mourn alone. Even so, he still cannot quite forget.

Var lath vir suledin. Our love will persevere.

I wish it could, vhenan.

And so he pushes onwards, spending almost a decade denying himself his true nature and regretting that he ever gave it a chance to come through because now he KNOWS that this world is different and a little broken, but it's a world he could be a part of because of the woman and the friends that made a place for him. It is a world that doesn't necessarily need to be restored as much as it might need renovation, but that is not the world Mythal demanded of him when she let him kill a remaining piece of her. And any solution but that means the hurt of taking a body, of hurting the titans, of time and time again being called on by one evanuris to fix a problem they all caused, was for nothing.

And a Pride of that magnitude, that sinister an origin, has a long, long way to fall.

And then that same uppity little shit has the audacity to tell him it's not too late, that he can turn back.

He kills again. He kills again. He kills again.

He kills a friend.

He fails to prevent the Evanuris from wreaking havoc a second time, wrenches another innocent into his war, and when they ask him about the woman he calls vhenan, he feels the mask stifling him begin to suffocate. But he never lets it fall, because to surrender now is to place her broken heart atop the pile of regrets he's been holding up like Atlas crumbling beneath the weight of the world itself. Because he still thinks it selfish to want the things that make him feel like himself again, so they need to be taken off the board entirely.

"To stop now would dishonor those I have wronged to come this far."

If he gives up now, his entire corporeal life has been a betrayal of many, but worst of all, he will have ruined himself for nothing.

But then she's there. A little older, a little sadder, and still looking at him like she did the night he almost broke and instead carefully removed any suggestion that she had ever belonged to anyone but herself.

"Didn't you hear me?" Her every action screams as she kneels to meet his gaze like he did the day he took her arm (another failure, another sacrifice he cannot let be for nothing).

The tombstone in the fade is his greatest fear, but it is not his fate. Why? She will not let it be. It cannot be his din'anshiral if she is not beside him.

Lavellan may not have understood the depth of exactly WHEN Solas first came somewhere foreign and uncertain to help, but she never once failed to keep her promise. She refuses to let his initial desire to do good be held against him any longer. And when she sees him accept that not-quite-absolution-definitely-more-of-a-power-play from the god that saw what he was capable of and molded him into a weapon, she finds her in to make sure he doesn't walk off alone to mourn again, never again will she lose him to the expectations others have of him. No doubt she wants to find a way to sink the fingers of her good hand into that spectral visage and tear it away like he wishes to do to the veil. But she is not here for Mythal. She is here for her heart, and for the man who has been carrying it since the moment her lips met his in the fade ten years ago.

“No orders to kill, no conflict with its nature, no demon.”

She forces him to see that the only remaining betrayal is to lock himself away one more irreversible time. All that's left to lose is the piece of himself he cherishes more than his greatest victories: all that he has to gain comes from making sure the love that was given to him at Skyhold, in the moment where Varric saw all he was capable of and still tried to bring him back home, was not given in vain.

"There is no fate but the love we share." She tells him as soon as Mythal's too-little-too-late platitudes send shudders through his body.

Banal nadas ar lath'ma vhenan.

It will not be so terrible a place, so unforgivable a betrayal if he can finally dare to put himself first. If, unlike that night in Crestwood, he finally gives in not to break, but to make himself whole.

There's a codex entry in Inquisiton about a spirit of wisdom who is summoned by researchers and only after a very pleasant conversation do they realize they made a mistake and never successfully bound the spirit in the first place, that it chose to speak with them of its own accord.

"I am not certain the spirit would have talked so freely had it been shackled at the time," writes the author of the entry.

I keep thinking about this alongside the datamined line of Morrigan saying, "And so, the Dread Wolf is stopped by, of all things love."

But that isn't quite right, is it?

Because in the end, of course the Dread Wolf could only ever freed by, over everything, love.

[halfwayhearted]

hopeless romantic pedri trying his best to approach y/n but is afraid thinking she’s into someone else

A Tu Vera — Pedri González.

Pairing: Pedri González x Fem!Reader

Summary: He’s unsure about your feelings and struggles to interpret your actions, but your birthday gesture gives him the chance to hope that he’s wrong. That you do, in fact, like him.

Word Count: 1.10K+

Disclaimer/s — Nothing, it’s really just comfort, slight fluff?

A/N: So basically… I used the term approach as in like, he felt nervous to approach reader about the… situation? FUCK IDK I struggled horribly yet couldn’t stop writing but whatever! ALSO. HIS BIRTHDAY HELLO. 22, bless the hell up! 🎉🐾🤍

The day you’ve been waiting for has finally come.

It was Pedri’s twenty-second birthday today. You had told him beforehand that you would stop by later on because he needed to stay and practice for his upcoming game tomorrow, and you didn’t want to interrupt his time spent with his family.

Some time had passed when your phone buzzed with a message from him saying that he was, well, alone, so you could be on your way to him.

And you were! Your gift for him sat delicately on your passenger seat. Did you have to stop yourself from spending a lot on him? Yes! But this was Pedri; why wouldn’t you go all out for him?

As you pull up, your eyebrows furrow in confusion when you see him standing on the porch, his gaze locking onto your car. You quickly get out and call out to him, “Hello, why the hell are you outside?”

Now he’s looking at you as if you’ve just asked the most stupidest question in the world. “You were on your way. Of course I’d be waiting outside.” He retorted, slowly making his way toward you.

“Right,” you smile and wrap your arms around him once you’re within reach. “Happy birthday!”

The man returns your hug almost immediately. He hums against you in appreciation, nestling his nose into the crook of your neck. The action easily causes your cheeks to flush ever-so-slightly.

“I’ve got your gift in my car. Want to open now?”

“Yeah,” he breathed, pulling away to his dismay.

Though his answer elicits a smile to spread across your lips… oh. He suddenly doesn’t feel upset about having to break the hug so early anymore.

Grabbing his arm, you gently tug him with you as you quickly reach the car door. “Okay, first things first: unfortunately, I can’t stay long. Secondly, feel free to let me know if you don’t like whatever’s in here; I kept the receipt just in case!”

“Doubtful, but I got it,” he shrugged with a grin.

Sliding your hand under the bag, you lean forward to get a better grip on it. Then, you turn to face him, holding it out for him to take, and he does.

With the gift now in his arms, you walk side by side to the chairs he has already set up outside, due to his family coming over earlier. Once the two of you are seated, you turn towards him and motion for him to open it, but he just keeps his gaze fixed on your face. You feel sick. “Go on.”

Adjusting the bag on his lap, Pedri pries it open, a breathy laugh escaping his lips when he sees how overly decorated it is. He takes out the card first, about to open it when you speak, “You can just read that later or something. Keep going, c’mon!”

He smiles, removing the blue and red wrapping paper to reveal the blue Nike hoodie inside. “You like hoodies, and you like the color blue, so…!”

It was the simplest thing, yet it had him fighting the urge to overthink the entire situation. You were observant, he knew that. He needed to stop.

“Thank you,” he says with a toothy-grin. “Really.”

“Of course. There’s one last thing at the bottom.”

The brunette lets out another laugh and removes more wrapping paper. His eyes widen slightly when he catches sight of the next gift, making you bite your bottom lip in nervous anticipation.

His gaze slowly trails up to lock with yours, and you tilt your head. “Do you like it? I noticed you were running low the other day, plus I know—”

Pedri interjects, “I do, and I was. It’s—this is a lot.”

“Don’t worry about that,” you assure. “Now you won’t have to worry about getting another one!”

The box suddenly feels heavy in his hands, the strip of the brand ‘Prada’ staring right at him. He nods slowly, “No, I won’t. Thank you. Wow.”

“Wow, huh? So, I take it you liked everything?”

Obviously, was he kidding? No, were you kidding?“Really? What gave you that idea? Yes, I loved it.”

With a chuckle, you nudge his foot with yours, eyes rolling in feigned annoyance, “Hey, I can easily take it back. Tell me how your day was?”

“It was good. I had a good practice, had a small dinner with my family, and now I’m with you.”

I’m with you? What? He could’ve cursed under his breath if you weren’t right here. He knew he shouldn’t have said that. If he thought it sounded weird, you probably thought it was even worse.

He’s quick to take it back, “I didn’t—I’m sorry.”

“What? It’s okay,” you tell him with a quirk of your brow. “Sorry, what are you even apologizing for?”

He looks confused. “You’re with him, aren’t you?”

“Him?” You repeated. “I’m not seeing anybody.”

Not seeing anybody? “What about the guy with the blonde hair? The one you hung out with a lot.”

That’s when the person he’s talking about flickers through your mind, and now you’re smiling from ear-to-ear, “Oh. I’m not with him. I don’t like him.”

“Then who?” He blurts out, instantly regretting his words. He didn’t even actually know if you liked anyone to begin with. What was he doing?

You blow out a breath and stand up from your seat, with him following suit. “You’re serious?”

Stick with it. “I’m serious. You don’t have to—”

You refrain from letting your grin widen, nudging your head toward your car. He understands that you’re silently asking for him to walk you to it.

“Well! If it’s need-to-know,” you trail off, rounding your car and spinning on your heel to look at him once you reach the door. Your gaze flickers down to his lips for just a second, but that second is all he really needs for his breath to hitch in his throat.

To his semi-surprise, you reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek, sparing him one last knowing glance while you opened the door and got inside.

“Let me know if that answers your question. And, Pedri?” You pause; he hums. “Happy birthday.”

He stands there in silence. He had been so wrong. You weren’t with the person he thought you were with, and he should have realized that when you showed up at his house this late, knowing full well you have to wake up early for your job tomorrow.

Pedri had been utterly mistaken, and he couldn’t have been happier to be as wrong as he was.

Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated ^_^.

DT(s) — @planetpedri + @gadriezmannsgirl + @spidybaby + @iovepoem + @joaoflms ! ౨ৎ

[ssentimentals]

hellooo!!! can i request prompt #12 with wonwoo, i think by now we’ve all seen how crazy wonwoo’s bed hair is😭 i wonder how he’d feel letting reader see it for the first time or just what they think of it in general!!

hellooo! ahahah yeah, that suits wonwoo very well!! makes me happy when prompts are very certain member coded :) thank you for requesting! 💜 hopefully you will like it!

fluff prompt: 'i love your bedhead.'

wonwoo is not dramatic. at least he likes to think that he's not; but even he can admit that right now he's being a little - just a little! - dramatic over this thing. but it's important - he wants to maintain certain image around you. every single voice in wonwoo's head screams at him that you will like him regardless of how he looks, but there is one tiny doubt he has and that tiny doubt is the reason why he's stuck in the bathroom for the past ten minutes now.

'woo?' you call out. 'is everything okay?'

a very legit question to ask, but wonwoo still cringes: 'ugh- yeah.'

'that did not come out very confident,' you point out and then he can hear shuffling and next time yuo open your mouth, your voice sounds much closer like you're leaning on the door: 'baby, is everything okay? do you need something?'

wonwoo thinks he has the best, sweetest girlfriend. he also thinks that he is being unnecessarily dramatic over staying at yours for the night for the first time ever. 'no, it's all good, love. i'm just doing my hair. you can come in, by the way.'

the door creaks and you enter with puzzled expression on your face. 'what's wrong with your hair?'

wonwoo is too focused on you looking incredibly cute in your christmas themed pjs that he doesn't catch the question at first; he blinks back to you, when you step very close, brushing his hand with yours. 'so what's up with your hair? i didn't know you had some night routine thing.'

he doesn't. he never did but you can't possibly see him with his bedhead in the morning because then you will run away and fall out of love with him. yeah, maybe he is being dramatic. 'i'm just thinking of ways how to comb my hair so in the morning it won't scare you away.'

he hopes it sounds like a joke but judging by your raised eyebrow and no smile, he didn't really land it correctly. 'i love your bedhead,' you say surely, which is cute, it really is, but-

'you've never seen my bedhead.' wonwoo points out rightfully.

you shrug. 'and? i will love it anyway.' you lean in, smiling at him sweetly. 'woo, don't overthink it. it's you, okay? i'll love your bedhead, i promise.'

that tiny doubt which used to lead his brain into this stupid predicament slowly melts away, disappears under the weight of your assureness. and he can tell that you're sincere, which makes everything even better. so he takes a deep breath and smiles: 'okay. let's go to bed then?'

you perk up, nodding. 'yes! left side is mine!'

left side is also his, but wonwoo only nods, eager to let you always take his favorite side of the bed as long as you'll have him. which he hopes is forever.

a/n: request your own here! <3 - nini

[peoniesnro]

In Another Universe

#11. Jeon Jungkook

Synopsis – When you are just another iteration of Park Jimin’s girlfriend in a different universe.

Park Jimin × Reader

Genre – parallel universe / kind of fantasy/ strangers to ??/ SMUT/ maybe romance/ angst/ fluff /Infidelity

Warnings- Language/SMUT- Making out/ Dirty talks/ Some public stuff (well you know)/ Unportected sex/ Mirror sex/ Cumming inside/ Hotel room sex/ Rough sex/ Spanking/ Word 'slut' and 'whore'/ Multiple orgasms (f.recieving)/Foot kink!!!!!! (I don't know if I've missed any)/ Angst / INFIDELITY

Word count- 18k

a/n- Should I try to wrap it up with 16 chapters or should I make it 20? (Thank you for reading like always. Lv u all❤️)

Taglist?

Chapter Index

Previous - Next

“You hired her?”

Jimin nearly spills the milk he has been pouring into the bowl of cereal at the loud and sudden voice of Liya. It is with a bit of struggle that he manages to hold it steady. A sigh leaves his lips. He closes his eyes trying to compose himself before he turns around to face his girlfriend. Slowly. As if she doesn’t startle him at all. Jimin’s eyes land on Liya. Taking her presence in. She looks more than angry. Expression incredulous.

“What?” He asks softly. Voice calm and collected. It’s not that he doesn’t know. He knows very well who she is referring to. What she’s referring to. Honestly, he’s a bit surprised that it took this long for this question to come front. He expected Liya to storm toward him and ask this question the very next day you started working for his company. It seems like Emi was slow at reporting that. Yet he doesn’t want to look like he expected this. So, he keeps staring at her with emotionless eyes.

“You know what I mean Jimin.” Liya takes a step forward. “Are you serious? What were you thinking─”

“I didn’t hire her. Hoseok did.” Jimin interrupts her blustering. He’s tired of this. Simply doesn’t think Liya should be interfering with his business. She normally doesn’t do that. They don’t poke their noses in each other’s work. Yet, there are times like this. Like when Jimin flat-out refused to offer the CMO post to Liya’s cousin. Like when Jimin refused to become a subsidiary of the Kim group. There were such instances where Liya thought she has the right to tell him what to do or not. Always ended up in a huge fight, however. Jimin knows this is going to be another one. He’s certain when Liya sneers.

“Yeah? Like that? He can do whatever he wants?”

“Yes.”

Another loud scoff.

“What’s that make your company? Anyone can do anything? Is your company a circus?”

“Yes. And that shouldn’t be any of your concerns Liya. Stay out of it. And Hoseok isn’t just anybody. He’s the CMO and a damn co-owner.”

“As if he has done anything to earn it.”

Jimin feels something explode within him. His entire vision turning red instantly. Liya always does this. There was a time where Jimin bore with it. Just listened to her without arguing back. And he feels fucking guilty for doing that. Not anymore, though. No. One day and one moment he decided to fight back. Jimin closes the distance between them in one long step. Fire burning in his eyes.

“Take that fucking back.” Gritts through his clenched teeth. Stares her down.  Liya takes a step back. Her expression still furious. Eyes never leaving Jimin’s. He just knows she isn’t going to do that. She never does.

“I’m feeling so sorry for you Jimin. You really are gonna lose all the shits you’ve worked hard for. All because you trust your stupid friends too much─”

“Kim fucking Liya!” Jimin surprises himself at how loud he shouts. Liya winces visibly, involuntarily taking another step back. A gasp leaving her mouth. “Just listen to me this time because I’m already fucking tired of telling you this. I would be no one without them. You have a problem with them? Then you should stay out of my business. You have your own to worry about. Let me decide whether I want to lose what I’ve worked for or build something more. Just stay the fuck away Liya.” Jimin almost turns around with that to his cereal which is probably soggy now, when Liya chuckles. Shakes her head slightly.

“Well, you want me to stay away from the business. I will.” She takes the two steps she took back, forward again. Tilting her head upward to take a good look at Jimin. “Let’s see where you go. Let’s see how long it’ll take you to ask help from me again. And you should listen to me too Jimin. You’re my fucking boyfriend. Soon to be fiancé. And if you think we’re still in college and have the freedom to do whatever we want, you’re wrong. The whole country─” She grits her teeth. “The entire damn business world knows we are dating. One single mistake would cause the downfall for both of us. In that case, I don’t think having my twin sister- that nobody ever knew about- close is a wise idea. People have eyes Jimin. And so do they talk. Maybe you don’t care about losing all your hard work for good-for-nothing friends, but I do. I will not just watch Hoseok, and that woman ruin my life. If I was you, I would make sure she is out of my sight before, she’s not going to be able to work because of that pain.”

With that Liya turns around in her heels. Storms away. Leaving a raging Jimin behind. Jimin doesn’t even realize he’s grinding his teeth together to dust. Doesn’t even realize that his jaw aches. That his fists are curled so tight that he might be hurting himself.

Was that a threat?

Did she fucking threaten him?

It is completely unintentional how he slams his bunched-up fist into the kitchen counter. Doesn’t feel the pain for fractured second. Then there it comes. Almost unbearable. Makes him screw his eyes shut and groans. Still, though, it feels good. There’s rage inside him that can cause him to murder someone. Well, it’s not like he can hit a woman. This way’s better. Jimin grips the counter with his both hands. Tightly. Trying to calm down. Trying to think rationally and see clearer through the red that has covered his sight.

It's fine.  It’s just fine.

It’s not like Liya can actually do anything about this situation. She’s talking since she’s mad. Jimin knows that it’s not jealousy. No. Liya is simply worried about that damn reputation. It’s not like there’s anything really happening for people to talk. He hasn’t even got a chance to be with you properly to be honest. Not after that day after you walked to him. It was the first and last till now. Hoseok is a little shit who has made sure you barely get any alone time these days. Jimin wasn’t very shocked when you told him that Hoseok knows. He kind of knew something was up with his friend. Neither of you knew what’s his friend’s intentions were clearly. But in the end, it didn’t matter. Hoseok never brought the topic up with Jimin. And so Jimin did what he’s best at. You both did. Pretending. Pretending like there’s nothing wrong. Pretending like Hoseok doesn’t know of your secret. It was easier that way. And life was going so damn well.

Even though he didn’t really get a chance to be with you, in any sexual way, life had been so damn good for him. He loves all the small but precious moments with you. Knows it’s not normal to crave your presence when it isn’t sexual at all. Yet he can’t help it. All the times you would bring his coffee. Tells him how Hoseok is a little piece of shit to make you sit for three hours with Jin. Tells him about your day. He finds it invaluable. All the time you would walk past each other down a hallway. Every time you would catch his eyes when you do. The small smile tugs on your lips when you see him. Jimin finds them coveted. Every sneaky and risky kiss you shared. Your smell and soft voice. He finds them treasured. See, life is good. So good for him after a long time. For years it has been just pressure of earning money and balancing a relationship. Now he feels carefree. And he does not wish to trade that feeling.

No. He wants to delve into this feeling. Wants to feel this flutter in his stomach as long as he can. You’re too precious to let go. Not again. It was pure torture. He’s really at peace with the fact that he’s an asshole. That he’s a selfish prick. That he’s cheating. It’s fine. It’s really fine as long as he has you. He isn’t going to let anyone, not even Liya, steal that from him. True, that he might be a coward for not being able to put an end to this strained relationship, but he’s not going to sit and watch you go. He would like to see Liya try.

Oh, hell yeah, he would.

…………………………………………..

Jungkook straightens up from the wall he’s been leaning on. Rolls his stiff neck after staring in the same direction for exactly twenty minutes. Yes, he has been counting. He feels uneasy. You’re late today; you usually arrive hours earlier. He doesn’t like the idea of you coming home alone. But you insisted. You can be really stubborn when you want to. Nothing he ever said to persuade you or to convince you that it’s not trouble for him to pick you up, has worked. You had apparently decided you want to be that bad independent bitch the moment you received your paycheck.

This is the third day you are coming home alone. And so, this is the third day Jungkook is leaning against the wall next to his apartment door. Hoping to hear the creak of the third step of the staircase soon. It’s not that he really wanted to be this worried and act like a stressed dad. It’s simply that he can’t help it. He can’t help but be worried. Jungkook naturally is a person that thinks too much about other people that it often tends to backfire. People would always use his kindness. He still does it, however. Care. The thing is though, it’s not just that caring he feels toward you. At first, it was just that. Then after you started to share his apartment, it has turned into something more.

Oh, how he is so accustomed to your presence. How he likes it. To have you lounging on his couch in the evening, scrolling through your phone and snorting. Showing him the memes that’s not hilarious at all, yet he laughs anyway. To use the shower after you, only to scream at how hot the water is. You don’t listen when he complains. You say it’s the perfect temperature. To have you saunter around his kitchen. Teaching him how to properly crack an egg. You would always end up with a piece of shell on your omelet. To have movie nights just to talk through it and to have no idea what the movie was about. To have your scent. Your clothes. Your belongings scattered around. How he doesn’t want to lose it.

He won’t say he likes you. And he won’t say he doesn’t like you either. You certainly caught his eye the first day he saw you. But then he thought you were off limit. Thought you were Park Jimin’s woman. Then here you are. After everything, you are with him. Jeon Jungkook. And he’s slowly starting to become attached. That much is certain. Jungkook can’t even imagine how it would be to have you moved away from his place. He would miss your dearly. Maybe if he budge you enough, you’ll change your mind. You’ll decide you can share his space, as long as you want.

The long-awaited creaking sound is what causes Jungkook to snap out of his reverie. Perking up right at the moment to find you turning the corner of the staircase. Panting slightly. Your eyes instantly land on him. A bright smile breaking across your face upon seeing him. Well, Jungkook can’t control the way his own lips stretched wide. Can’t control how he spreads his arms. Can’t definitely control the way his heart skips a beat when you throw yourself into his arms. Maybe he’s so wrong. He should say he likes you.

“You’re late Noona.”

“A woman had me dog sitting.” You whine adorably. Oh, so fucking adorably. Jungkook snorts all the while squeezing you in his arms.

“Yeah, how’s that happen?”

“Just happened. You know how my life is. I couldn’t say no.”

Of course he knows. “You need to learn how to say no. You can start practicing by saying No to your annoying boss.”

It’s your time to snort. You’ll always insist that Hoseok isn’t annoying your ass all the time. But that’s what the bugger is doing. He overworks you. Yet, you’re more than happy to work for him. See now, Jungkook was wondering what the reason might be. You were so stressed when you first started working for Hoseok. Jungkook really had thought you would quit. You didn’t. You stuck to it. He thought you were sticking to the money at first. But after these few weeks. As you’re visibly elated, Jungkook thinks that’s not the case at all. No. There’s something else. And he’s afraid to know what it is. Because he is getting attached.

He is attached.

He ignores whatever you’re saying to his advice. Simply starts to walk backward with you still in his arms. Swaying you left and right. Ignores your whines as well. Maybe… Just maybe all he has to do is hurry up. Hurry up before someone who doesn’t deserve you start to play you. And Jungkook has a strong feeling that someone would be the CEO of your company. You’ve shared a history together after all. A history where Jungkook didn’t exist. He feels a twinge of jealousy, but above everything he feels worried. If the reason behind your adorable smile these days, is the person Jungkook thinks who he is. Then he should hurry up. Because Park Jimin will ruin you. Oh, he will. For a fact, Jungkook knows that guy wasn’t jealous of Jungkook over Liya. Park Jimin was jealous of him over you.

The end of Jimin’s game would leave you hurt and alone. And Jungkook is too attached to you to let that happen.

Maybe he should hurry up.

……………………..

You reluctantly let Jimin pull away from your lips. He’s panting hard. Gaze dark and fixed on your lips. You’re once again seated at his office desk. Enjoying a rare moment of solitude. Hoseok being in a meeting and Emi is out for some tasks which Jimin has deliberately assigned to her. You have no idea where Jin or Taehyung is. You don’t care either. All that matters is Park Jimin. The way he hungrily sucks on your lips again. His hands roaming over your sides. The way he pulls away a bit to trail his lips over your jaw and neck.

“Jimin…” You purr gently. He just hums in answer without detaching his lips from your neck. “We really can’t.” You pull him even closer despite your words. You’re having a moment after a long time, yes. Yet, that doesn’t make it less risky. It’s still early morning. You can’t have all your makeup ruined. People will definitely know you’ve gotten fucked. Can’t disheveled Jimin’s hair. This moment is precious, yes. Yet, you can’t afford to fuck in this moment.

“Why not?” Jimin whines in your ear.

“Emi would be here any minute.”

“So what? She’s not gonna come inside.”

“We’re definitely not fucking while your secretary is waiting outside.”

You gently show him away. He doesn’t even budge. Just presses himself more into you. Grabs from your thighs to pull you closer. “C’mon Lil, I’m fucking… ugh…” His words die down as he’s back to suck on the delicate skin of your neck. Rational thoughts are slipping through your brain. Heart erratically beating and you’re already starting to sweat. It’s too hot in Jimin’s air-conditioned office room. But you want to press yourself more into him. You know what he tried to say. You’re feeling the same. Desperate. Touch starved. Jimin’s touch. You can’t though. Not now.

“You should take me somewhere else, seriously.” You angle your head so he can suck on your neck some more. Wraps your legs around his waist to lock him in place. Jimin squeezes the flesh in your hips in response. Mutters against your skin.

“It’s not my fault your boss is an asshole and makes you work, day and night straight.” Jimin grinds his hips on to you. Creating a heavenly friction between your thighs. Gets you gasping.  You try to suppress the sounds.

“Ha, like his friend! Oh, fuck Jimin…” You buck your hips into his. Can feel the evident bulge rubbing against your clothed core. “But seriously, not now. What if Jin or Tae barged in. Those morons don’t know anything about knocking.” You try again.

“You feel good though.” Jimin grinds even harder. “I can make you cum in just three minutes hm?” Stops the ministrations on your skin just to peck your lips. Keeps his face there while he stare into your eyes. With his dark and hooded ones. Oh, how tempting. How good it’ll be to have him pound into you on this same desk as the last time. Then how much chaos would it cause if anyone is to walk in.

“No. Not now” You manage to push him away this time. Stll, so gentle. Jimin takes a step away from you. Making you instantly miss his warmth. It’s a struggle not to hold him with your legs. He pouts. Cute. Takes another step away. You’re pouting too.

“You’re mean.” Plops back into his chair. You’re both still panting and breathless. You give him a soft smile, ready to get down from the table when Jimin stops you. Just drags his chair closer to you. “Don’t leave yet.” Presses a gentle kiss to your knee. Another moan sips past your trembling lips.

“Jimin.” Your voice turns stern now. He doesn’t care. Gifts you with another kiss. Then another. And just as you’re thinking he’s about to guide his mouth upward he draws back.

“I’m not trying anything funny baby. Just can’t help myself.” Looks at you with his eyes glinting. Startles you a bit when he suddenly grabs from your ankle. You gasp. Trail of protests spill from your mouth when he lifts your foot to rest on his thigh. Not caring about the fact that you’re still wearing your heels.

“J-Jimin, you gonna get dirt on your clothes.” You try to free your foot when he gently starts to massage your ankle. His thumb circling gently.

“Don’t care. Have I told you that you have pretty legs.” He slides his hand toward your calf. Keep massaging. His touch is gentle. Yet it feels like burning your skin. Presses another kiss. This time inclined a bit inward your knee. You look down at him while your head is spinning. Arousals shooting downward through your body. Pooling inside your underwear. Yet you can’t find it in yourself to stop him again. You’re on the verge of giving up. How much of an effect he has on you. How your heart is fluttering and swelling at the sight of him. Isn’t he worshiping you? Why would he do that? Why does he look like he’s so smitten? Why do you like this feeling?

“Oh, you have a foot kink?” You mumble softly. Wanting to distract yourself from the tingling sensation on your heart. Jimin snorts. It’s not that you tried to get him to stop but that’s what happens. He stops his actions altogether. Holds his hand out for you. You accept it. Cluelessly allowing him to drag you forward. Not down to the floor, however. But to his lap. Straddling. Stare into his brown orbs which are now glinting with amusement when he pecks your lips.

“What if I do.” Jimin teases. Eyes sparkling. Is muttering against your lips causing to intensify that tingling sensation. Your heart is about to leap away. Explode. You balance yourself by circling your arms over his neck. Are refusing to feel this way alone. Want Jimin to join you. So, you brush your lips against his.

“Then I’d want to give you a foot job.” Whisper. Jimin’s hands around you tightens immediately. That glint in his eyes replaced by a dark haze as you watch. He shivers visibly.

“Fuck Lil.” Groans as squashing you against his chest. “Are you sure you can’t keep my cock warm for five fucking minutes.” Mumbles. You give him a look. Make him whine. “Okay, then three minutes.” You don’t change the look in your face. “Two.” You raise your brow. “One. Fuck baby. I need something.” He kisses you hard.

“Gosh you really do have a foot kink, don’t you?” You kiss him back the moment he pulls away. Jimin lets out an adorable noise.

“I think I have lot of kinks when it comes to you.” Says as you hide your face in his neck. Makes you giggle.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm… you’re so good.” Rubs your back. “Feels so good. Let’s just stay like this.” Holds you tight. Gets you shrieking when he spins his chair. Making you both do a playful swirl.

“Jimin.” You draw back just to hit his arm. How you’ve become comfortable around each other. Comfortable enough that you can mess around like this. His eyes are back to sparkling. Oh, how you love them. Those eyes and the glint. Makes you feel alive. Makes you forget how sordid your relationship is. When you’re with him, it’s just you two in the world. In these kinds of moments, he isn’t a man who has a girlfriend. He is just Park Jimin. And as weird as it sounds, he is your Park Jimin.

“Don’t nag.” Jimin interrupts you even before you start speaking. You close your mouth. Click your tongue.

“I wasn’t going to nag.” Yes, you were. Jimin laughs. Showers you with tiny kisses yet again. Opens his mouth to say something only to close back instantly and jump slightly when the intercom rings. You withdraw from him at light speed. Hell, you haven’t heard Emi returning. Not that it’s possible to hear much through the thick walls and heavy door. Yet, you always manage to know she is there beforehand. It seems you were extra busy today. Too engrossed in each other. You are about to get off from his lap when Jimin responds to his secretary.

“Yes.” He asks in that stern tone.

“Ms. Kim─” That’s all she gets to say before you hear a second voice echoes through the receiver.

“Oh, you don’t have to inform him, if he isn’t with someone.”

And that’s the only warning you get. That’s the only second you get to react before the door handle is twisting. It’s almost comical how fast you act. Nearly break your neck at the speed you get off from Jimin. Stumble a little. Catching yourself right at the time and grabbing the cup of coffee on the table when the door pushes open. Jimin drags the chair close to the table as you catch sight of the person entering the room. Freezing in the doorway.

You can feel your heart pound in your throat. You force yourself to look away from the woman who just entered the office. To act normal. To show her a polite smile and bow. In the way an employee would do to her employer’s girlfriend. Yet all you can do is push the coffee cup toward Jimin with a shaky hand. Jimin mumbles you a strained ‘thank you’. Compared to you Jimin looks fairly fine. Composed. Not at all like a man who nearly got caught by his girlfriend. Still, he looks uncomfortable. And a little flushed. All you can hope is that Liya wouldn’t pick up the obvious tension. Your efforts to turn around and leave, however, instantly becomes null when Liya speaks and closes the door behind. Rudely in the face of poor Emi. 

“What are you doing here?” Liya doesn’t beat around the bush it seems. You feel your blood drains out of your body. A cold sweat starts to break down your spine. Mouth suddenly dry that you don’t think you’ll be able to talk even if you have an answer.

“She’s bringing me my coffee, Liya, you can’t see that?” Jimin’s calm voice saves you from your misery. You turn your head slightly to find him looking directly at Liya. How is he doing that? You feel like fainting. Doesn’t he feel fucked up like you? Is this normal for him? Then your gaze shifts from his face to his hands. The way he is clenching them. Then his legs. Is bouncing his left leg like crazy. Oh, he’s feeling all the messy sensations like you do. It’s just that he’s better at hiding. Liya scoffs. Takes your attention back to her.

“Why would she do that now? Thought she is Hoseok’s assistant.” Raises her brow.

“She is.” Jimin answers as if there’s nothing wrong at all.

“Then why on earth is she bringing you, coffee? You have Emi for that.” You can’t help but recoil a bit when she walks forward. How intimidating she is. Her gaze flickers from Jimin to you. “I thought we had a deal sister. Thought you are working on finding a way to stop this. Not following my boyfriend like a needy little thing. You can’t live without him?”

“Liya!” Jimin’s voice booms across the room. Even you wince slightly.

“What?” She snaps. Head whipping toward Jimin. Oh, this is awkward. Uncomfortable. You need to leave. Jimin doesn’t answer her. Instead turns to you.

“You can leave.” Says gently yet professionally. You’re glad. See now, you know you’re not in a position to feel angry. You’re very wrong here. Yet, it’s not a pleasant feeling to have someone talk down on you. Belittle you and clearly insinuate that you’re a slut. Maybe you are. But you don’t like to be reminded. You want to escape. Hence, your eager nod and bow. Take another step forward to leave when Liya stops you again.

“No wait.” She steps in front of you. “Listen, I don’t care if you’re sucking Hoseok’s cock for this job─”

“That’s enough Liya!”  You can hear Jimin’s chair scrape the floor as he gets to his feet. Liya doesn’t listen to him, however.

“─ just stay out from our life, will you? Do you have any idea how this might look in people’s eyes. Do you know what Emi might think to see you spend your time─”

“For fucks sake Liya, that’s fucking enough.” Jimin walks past you so fast that you don’t even realize he has walked to Liya until he’s harshly yanking from her forearm. Turns to you. “Leave.” That’s a demand. His voice is stern. Not that you need to tell twice. You take your opportunity. Storm away gratefully. Not bothering to listen to what Jimin says to Liya next. Not even waiting to acknowledge the look Emi gives you.

………………………………………….

It takes you a fair amount of time to compose yourself after the incident. Hell, you were so damn scared. It was a close call. For a fact you know Liya has no clue that Jimin and you are really going on at it. She was a bitch to you ever since the day you met. She simply wants you out of her hair. Maybe she’s suspicious. Maybe she’s afraid of the possibilities. But that’s all. She’s just being rude without knowing the truth. And what would have happened if you’d been a split second too late to get off Jimin’s lap? Even the thought alone makes you tremble.

You don’t know what Liya will do. You have no idea how she’ll manage to take your identity away from you. And that’s not your main concern anyway. Your main concern is what problems it’ll cause to Jimin. Your concern is about the next steps Jimin will take. He clearly told you he can’t just break up with Liya. That means only one thing, you’ll be the one he would give up. And that makes your knees buckle. Makes it hard to breathe. Fuck, how you’ve gotten yourself deeply tangled in the web Jimin has woven. You know you can’t let him go. No, you can’t let this go. You need him. Even the thought of it makes you feel void. Makes your heart ache. So, you’re relieved that you managed to avoid it. Avoid getting caught. That you can keep going. Yes, you feel guilty. Of course you do. You simply know that you’re the villain in this story. The bad bitch who came to ruin a perfect relationship. Well, you’re fine being that bitch.

All you need is Jimin.

You gulp down the guilt you feel. Anxiously placing down the bundle of files Jin made you take to Hoseok. Nearly drops them when you feel your phone vibrates in your pant pocket.

“What the fuck is this?” Hoseok questions as he grabs a one to inspect. You ignore his question since you’re hastily pulling your phone out. Unlocking it in record time. Inhaling a sharp breath and holding it when you see it’s indeed Jimin who has texted you.

Meet me in the screening room. Is what the text reads. Relief flooded you. This means everything is apparently, fine. You’re safe.

“Do you have a screening room here?”

“What on the fucking hell does Jin want me to do with these?”

You and Hoseok ask each other at the same time. It’s his question that gets ignored, however.

“Yes, why?” He answers your question. Brows furrowed in curiosity.

“Can you show me it?” You yet again ignores his question in favor of getting what you need.

“I can but you have to tell me why?”

“I got an- uh- invitation to visit there…” You hide your annoyance. There’s no time to start silly fights with your boss. Hoseok’s curious face immediately morphs into a playful one. A smirk appears on his pink lips.

“You did?” Chuckles. “That’s nice but I think I saw Liya here few minutes ago.” Leans forward in his desk. Looks damn cocky. You don’t wish to answer that, so he keep going on. “You might need to watch your back Li.” Bites on his bottom lip. You roll your eyes. It’s a one thing to commit a sin. But it’s completely different thing to talk about it as it’s nothing. That’s worse.

“You’re such an asshole, Hoseok.” You say grimacing.

“So, who’s worse? You or me?” He asks nonchalantly. You have no answer for that. Hoseok waits patiently for a minute before realizing you’re not going to answer it. “C’mon let’s go, I need to find Jin as well.” Gets to his feet. You say nothing as you slowly start to follow him. He only takes one step, however, before he stops again and face you. “But seriously Li, watch your back. I don’t want Jimin to die. I want him to live long enough to realize all he has to do is put an end to it.”

“End to what?”

“To anything that makes him unhappy.”

……………………………………

“Why would you need a fucking movie theater in your company?” You ask while staring into the large LED display. Standing next to a comfortable- looking leather chair and under the dim yellowish lighting of the screening room of RUN.

“For a lot of things, actually.” Jimin answers as he wraps his arms around you. From behind. Pulling your back into his chest. You snuggle against him immediately. Let your head fall into his chest. Grinning widely when he starts to sway you from side to side.

“Like what? Couples having movie nights on Valentine Day?” You snorts.

“Valen- what?” Jimin huskily questions in your ear as you gasp loudly. Pulling away from his embrace hurriedly. Turning around to look at him with disbelief.

“Are you saying that there’s no valentine day here?” Another gasp. Jimin looks endearingly confused.

“Are we supposed to have one?” He looks around the screening room. As if you’re talking about something he should have in here. You chuckle.

“Valentine means the day of lovers. We celebrate it on fourteenth Feb.” You explain softly. It’s Jimin’s time to gasp now.

“Why would you need a day for that?” Scrunches up his nose. “You have such a day in your world?” Tilts his head toward you. You hum in response before pecking his lips.

“You’re missing out. But that doesn't matter. Tell me why we’re here.”

Jimin’s incredulous expression turns into a cunning smile. “You told me I should take you somewhere.” Places his hands on your waist. Rests his forehead against yours.

“Yeah, somewhere private so we can─”

“This place is private. No one’s ever gonna come─”

“Park Jimin.” You almost push him away when he pulls you flat against him. Apparently, don’t give a fuck about the risks. Not even after what happened earlier. “We can’t you stupid. Did Liya even leave? We almost got caught─”

Jimin shuts you up with a lewd kiss. “She did.” Answers when he finally pulls away. You sigh heavily.

“So, everything went well?”

“It did. Nothing you should worry about Spring Roll. Trust me hm?”

That’s what you do always. Trust him. You won’t lie, you’re sometime curious to know what’s happening in his life. Then you think it’s not your place. You shouldn’t get more closer to him than you’re now. So, you just nod. It looks like you would have to give up. And that’s exactly what you’re about to do when the sudden sound of door opening reaches you. Followed by voices. Jimin’s reaction is entirely unconscious. Like a reflex. One moment you were standing near the isle seats. Then in the next you are pressed into his chest, fully concealed by a curtain. Both froze in the action.  

“I’m pretty sure he went to the café.”  You undoubtedly recognize Hoseok’s voice. Have listened to it too many times to be uncertain. You tilt your head upward to take good look at Jimin’s face. He has his arms firmly draped around you. Isn’t looking at you. His eyes are closed. You can feel his heartbeat.

Fuck! That was another close call.

No. It wasn’t a close call. It’s not over yet. Hoseok is with someone for sure.

“No man, I’m telling you he headed this way.” That voice is Taehyung’s. It’s fine if it’s those two. You can come up with a good excuse. Not that you need excuses when it comes to Hoseok anyway. But then there comes a third voice.

“Oh my god! This is ridiculous. What am I gonna say to my father? That my boyfriend, the CEO of this company has vanished into thin air all of a sudden?”

And your blood freezes for second time. Jimin’s eyes shoot open at the voice too. Hasn’t he told you she left. Jimin shakes his head gently, as if he read your mind. You give him a look of disbelief. How absurd that you’re hiding behind a curtain like this. Your attention is drawn back to the conversation when you hear Hoseok scoffs.

“Listen Ms. Kim, I don’t think Jimin is obliged to meet your dad. He’s the fucking CEO of this company and he can go anywhere he wants.”

You have no idea how Liya might look like now. You hear her scoff as well though.

“Oh yeah, he is, Mr. Jung. In case if you guys have forgotten, let me─”

“Okay guys, Jimin isn’t here so why don’t we go and look for him elsewhere?” Taehyung is the one who interrupts Liya’s words.

“No... No, let her finish Tae. Surely, we’ve forgotten.” Malice in Hoseok’s voice is quite evident. You’ve always wondered what his problem with Liya is.  Why so hostile toward her. Yet this is not the time to find out. Not when you feel like melting into a puddle at your feet. Heart beating mad. The dread of getting caught makes your eyes water and your head throb. This is not the right time to find out what causes other people’s problems. You know Jimin feels the same if the way he’s squeezing you is anything to go by.

You need to get out of here. Or Hoseok needs to take Liya out from here. The way he has started to argue with Taehyung and the way he is provoking Liya, however, makes you realize the latter won’t be happening soon. Hoseok is an idiot in addition to being a little shit. Maybe he thinks you’ve left already. Whatever the reason might be, them staying longer here bring you and Jimin to get caught in your lie sooner. Red handed. No. That can’t be happening. You don’t want to lose Jimin just as you found him. No. You need to escape.

You frantically start to look around. In a desperate search for a way you can get out of this absurd situation. Your mind running mile a minute. Taking in everything around you when your eyes land on the door couple of steps ahead of you and to your left. Fire Exit. You feel a rush of relief and new wave of apprehension shoots through your body. If you can get to the fire exit, you’re free of this situation. But the problem is that there’s no way you can reach there without uncovering yourself from this curtain. You take a moment. Trying to calm your racing heart down so you can hear the conversation happening inside the room.

“Oh, c’mon Hobba, stop it will you?” Taehyung is still whining.

“You’re an ungrateful shit Jung. You’ve no idea what my father did to make this place a reality.” Liya is still arguing. You can feel Jimin tensing. You don’t know what they are talking about but clearly Liya is insulting Hoseok. You don’t wait to listen to what Hoseok says in reply to that. Whatever he is saying, that conversation or fight isn’t going to end soon. So, you simply bring Jimin’s attention to you by tugging from his coat. Wait till he looks at you before gesturing to the door with your head. Jimin looks to the direction where you’re showing. Picking up what you’re insinuating quickly. Eyes going wide before he’s shaking his head. You don’t pay any mind to that. Take the risk of poking your head out. Jimin is too late when he hiss quietly. You are already looking at the three people near the door.

They’re at the far end of the room, with Liya’s back to you. Taehyung is to her side while Hoseok will be the only one to notice you if you reveal yourself. And you trust him to keep it shut in case he sees you. That’s what you think. Or guess. Or pray. Maybe this is a stupid idea. Maybe you should’ve stayed until they finish fighting. Hoping they will leave after that and hoping you or Jimin won’t end up sneezing. Maybe that’s the best option but you’re already stepping out. Jimin trying weakly to keep you in place but failing miserably. Having nothing else to do but follow you. It’s just probably maximum three steps. And it doesn't even take a split second to cross it.

One.

Two.

Three.

And right as you push open the door. Silently as you can and your eyes never leaving the three figures at the other end, Hoseok’s eyes land directly on you. You can’t figure how his expression changes, but you know there’s no issue. That he’ll manage to hide his surprise. The problem is the way Taehyung’s head turns toward you. Just a millisecond after Hoseok. You may not be able to see his reaction in the dim lighting, but you do clearly hear the gasp that leaves his mouth.

“Taehyung!” Hoseok screams Taehyung’s name right when you disappear through the fire exit. Dragging Jimin along with you.

……………………………….

There was no reason for you to run after closing the fire exit door behind you. Yet that’s what you did. Ran. Ran like you were caught in a zombie attack. Ran like you were escaping an approaching hurricane. Ran like your life depends on it. You kept running, relentless and breathless. Down through hundreds of steps. And Jimin just followed you. Never letting go of your hand or pulling you into a stop. Not even when you exited the RUN building.

And not even now when you keep running without a care.

You don’t even know why you’re still at it. You feel like someone’s on your tail though. There’s an urge to run away far as possible. Far and far away. That’s the only thing that rings in your head when you see the bus that stops at the bus stop before you.

“Lil, wait…. Baby─” That’s the only thing Jimin is able to say when you board the bus. He doesn’t stop you though. Just swiftly follows you inside before the door shuts. It’s only when you reach the rear seats that you stop. It’s only when you plop down on an empty seat that you take a good look at Jimin. His face flushed and panting. No difference for you. You both are heaving for your life. Jimin plops next to you. Clutches his tummy. Looks at you weakly. And that’s only when you realize that you have ran into a fucking bus.

“Fuck!” You exclaim loudly as you take a look around. The bus is already on the move. There’s no reason for you to do this. You fucking overreacted. Why did you even board a bus? You turn back to Jimin. His eyes are already on you. You hope to find him still heaving for breath. To find him giving you a look of disbelief at what you did. What you find, however, is his lips slowly stretching into a grin, which breaks out into a loud laughter in a blink of an eye. It takes you in great surprise. You watch him with wide eyes as he doubles over with laughter. Eyes tiny slits.

“Holy fuck! Did you- did you just… God I can’t.” He struggles to say it aloud. You feel like you need to be mad that he’s making fun of you. Yet all you do is slowly start to grin.

“Oh, shut up!” You mutter in feigned irritation.

“Why the hell did you run like that?” Jimin finally manages to ask the question he wants. “Why did I fucking run like that?” Asks from himself. You find yourself starting to chuckle now.

“I don’t know all right? I kinda felt like I’m running away from my PT teacher. He was damn good runner.” You try to keep fake your irritation but are failing miserably. Jimin’s laughter freshens at that. Is back to hollering. Almost slides down on the seat when you finally give up and join him. Throwing your head back. Laughing aloud till the tears gather at the corner of your eyes. You and Jimin both ignore the annoyed looks other passengers throw your way. You just laugh. Laugh like you’ve never laughed. Like you’ll never get to laugh again.

By the time you stop cackling, you’re once again heaving for breath. You follow Jimin’s actions and get rid of your thin cardigan. It’s still the beginning of spring but all the running and laughing has got you both sweating like pigs. You slide open the small sliding panel on the window before scooting to the corner. Jimin graciously follows you. Finally calming down. You take a deep breath before speaking again.

“Are we gonna get off from the next stop?”

Jimin lazily turns his head toward you. “Do you want to?” There’s that glint in his eyes. Face still flushed. You gape at him for a moment.

“What do you mean? Don’t you have work to do? Aren’t you supposed to meet uh- Liya’s father?”

Jimin clicks his tongue. Turns fully toward you. “All the more reasons to run away baby. I hate that man.” Chuckles. “So? Want to keep going?”

“Where are we headed anyways?” You answer him with another question.

“Who cares?” Jimin just shrugs. Doesn’t even try to find out. “Lil?” Mumbles softly. And you find yourself grinning yet again.

“This is really stupid but yeah whatever.” You shrug too. Let yourself relax and lean against the backrest comfortably. Jimin does the same. A contented smile on his lips. You allow a moment of peaceful silence before voicing out your thoughts. “Taehyung knows now. So, it’s two of your friends. Hoseok and Tae. Do you think he will─”

“No, he won’t. He’s doing far worst shits that I am Lil.” Jimin doesn’t look at you as he answers.

“But he’s not going to stay like Hoseok now, will he? He will confront you.” You add.

“And I’ll talk to him.” This time he looks at you. “Don’t worry, he’s my best friend.”

“Yeah? And we all are bunch of bad people. The worst.” You lower your gaze to your lap. Feeling ashamed.

“Lil.” Jimin calls you softly as he takes your hand in his. You shift your gaze to him from your lap. “Don’t.” He brings your hand to his lips. “Don’t do that hm? Let’s just… do what we’re best at.”

“What? Pretending that this is normal?” You chuckle softly.

“Yes.” Jimin smiles at you. “It’s not that we get lots of moments like this. So, just let’s enjoy. Enjoy us.” Keeps your hand pressed against his mouth. You take a moment. Heave a sigh. Then nod.

“Let’s enjoy us.” Repeat. Jimin’s smile widens at that. Nods happily. Relax again. Start to change the subject of your conversation ever so swiftly. And so does it flow smoothly. You talk about everything that comes to your mind. Jimin is particularly interested in Valentines Day. Is so curious like a cat. You find it adorable. You fill him with everything you can. Have no idea how long you’ve travelled. But you’re starting to feel a little groggy. Having yawned till your sight become blurry already. Yet it’s Jimin who dozed off first. Head drooping low suddenly. Makes your drowsiness disappear entirely as you turn to look at him in alert. Just to find him struggling to keep his eyes open and head straight.

Adorable. Oh, so fucking adorable. You can feel that tingling effect again. Your heart swooning and swelling inside your chest. Swelling because it’s slowly getting filled with an emotion you quite can’t decipher. You don’t know how to explain this. All you know is that you’re not supposed to feel this way. You already knew you’re the secret. The other woman. You’re supposed to be the one who Jimin comes to have his desires satiated. Which means this should be entirely about physical needs. This need to be about fucking each other’s mind every minute you got. Jimin should not be asking you to enjoy him and you. Shouldn’t hold your hand still. You should not be in this position feeling oh so fucked up to see him nodding off.

But you can’t help yourself. You’re already here anyway. So, you gently tug from his hand which he’s still tangled with yours. “Jimin.” Calls him softly. Despite how gently and slow you do it, Jimin jerks awake. Hums in question. You feel bad. “Uh.. you can, you know?” You mutter as you tap your shoulder with your free hand. Feel a bit shy. Jimin chuckles softly.

“Yeah?” Purrs. It’s your time to hum in answer. “Kay.” He purrs again. Shifts slightly, scooting just enough to account for his height. And is placing his head snuggle against your shoulder. His blond hair tickles your cheek and ear. Oh, how relaxed you feel. How cozy and serene to have Jimin with you this way. You shouldn’t but you do. You shouldn’t but you sigh heavily before placing your cheek on top of his head. Wait patiently till your own eyes start to close slowly again. Not caring when you’re going to get off this bus. What will be your destination.

It certainly is good to be reckless and spontaneous sometimes. Even though you’re slowly creating more and more reasons to love this life. See now, you won’t say that you’ve never had a good life in your world. You did. But even as a college student, this is the most reckless you’ve ever been. You have a friend who cares dearly about you. And a family. But it surely is fun to bake kook’s bliss in the late nights. It’s fun to be mad at Hoseok. Fun to be scandalized at Taehyungs nasty comments. Even Jin’s nagging can be a cause to laugh sometimes. You never thought you’d be this happy to work an extra hour at a restaurant after a long day. But you do. In the same way you like to listen J and Jungkook argue over their assignments. Above everything, it’s so good to be next to Park Jimin. Even just for sleeping on a bus.

You like so many things here. You’re living a life. And so, you will live it to the fullest. Like now. You let out another breath in content before snuggling your cheek in Jimin’s hair. Letting the world turn into peaceful darkness.

……………………………

Neither of you woke up until the bus had reached its final destination and the driver poked Jimin’s head. Asking not so politely to leave. You had disembarked while bowing to the driver in apology like two zombies. Groggy and disoriented. And it took both of you couple minutes to comprehend what was happening. When you did, however, one long look around you gave you or rather Jimin the perfect idea where you were.

Namiseom Island.

You’re in Namiseom Island. Some things stays the same as your world. Apart from the fact that instead of Chuncheon, the bus has taken you directly to Namiseom Island. The soft scent of the cherry blossoms is what filled your senses the moment you exited the bus stop. You knew it was beautiful. No difference here. The soft shades of delicate pink and white left you breathless. The fresh air filled your lungs. It was almost dreamy. Like you’ve travelled to a yet another dimension. See even the reckless decisions sometimes can bring the most wondrous results.

You’re more than happy that you’ve ended up here. It feels otherworldly to walk under the gingko and cherry trees with a bewitching man next to you. Carpet of a soft pink crunching under your shoes and newly falling petals decorating your hair. Jimin looks even more enchanting like that. He is captivating. Entrancing. You simply forget to breathe when you see how the wind ruffles his hair. You find it hard to look away when he smiles gently. You find you really can’t fight the urge to kiss him when he turns his head toward you until he ruins the moment.

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?” Jimin gasps. Eyes glinting in amusement. “Wait, oh no… are you obsessed with me? Have I done it again?” Shakes his head in disbelief. Is cocky. Smug.

Yes, you are.

No need to let him know that, though. You scrunch up your face as you look away. “You’ll wish. But no, I’d never be obsessed with a man who is not Henry Cavill.”

“Henry who? And what?” Jimin scoffs. “Your eyes talk princess. You’re obsessed with me.”

“How delusional you are.” You scoff too. “But I would admit that I just wanted to kiss you. That doesn’t mean I’m obsessed, however. Just a kiss because─” Jimin interrupts you by yanking you to a stop by grabbing your arm. Turns you to him.

“Do it then.” Mumbles. You got him. You’re certain that your eyes are glinting in mischief. You simply shrug and shake your head.

“The moment passed.” Try to walk away when Jimin tightens his grip.

“No... No, what? C’mon, you wanted to kiss me.”

“Not anymore. Now I’m hungry. Is that an Ice cream cart?” You point to your right where you undoubtedly noted an Ice cream cart.

“What? I don’t know. Just kiss me baby.”

You almost give up at his husky voice that suddenly turns down an octave low. Making goosebumps appear on your skin. Still, you manage to keep it cool, though. Find yourself walking toward the Ice cream cart. With a great struggle since you have to drag a whining Jimin with you. Smiling to yourself at how adorable he’s being. It’s only when you’re in front of the said cart and you’re bowing to the old lady there that Jimin stops being a child. Suddenly mans up. Bows to the nice lady as well. She does the same while smiling at you from one ear to the other.

“Well, hello there, darlings! Isn’t it a lovely sight to see young people taking the time to be out in nature. Ah, yeah, it is.” She looks at you fondly. You bow to her again. “Now, what’s it you’re craving for today?” Gestures to the compartment where there is only five flavors available. You turn to Jimin in question.

“Hm? What do you like?” He asks you softly, inspecting the available flavors thoroughly. And here you’re feeling that same flutter. This is oddly intimate in non-sexual way. It’s sweet. So sweet. Like a normal couple. Like how a boyfriend would buy ice cream for his girl.

No. No, you shouldn’t think that way.

“Lil?” Jimin asks again. You snap out of your haze. Instantly start to drag your gaze through the flavors.

“Um… mint chocolate maybe. How about you?” You hum in thought. There’s not many options available anyway.

“Mmm..” Jimin tilts his head to the sight. Takes a second. “Cherry blossom. You sure you need mint choc?” Questions to which you nod in confirmation. “Okay then. One mint choc and one Cherry blossom please.” Jimin turns to the old lady again. Bows to her again. Mumbles a ‘thank you’.

“Right away.” The vendor woman says chirpily. Her smile never ceasing as she starts to grab two small cups. You and Jimin wait patiently as she scoops your ice cream into the cup first. She offers it to you with a small wooden spoon before going for Jimin’s order. Jimin takes them from her. Only to hand you them while he fishes for his wallet.

“How much do we owe you halmeoni?” He asks sweetly. Already starting to fish inside his wallet. You feel skeptical about the fact that he is having small bills in there. It’s not like you can pay with his damn golden card. But then, making you both surprised, the old lady waves her hand in the air.

“Ah, don’t you fret now. This one’s on me—a little treat for a young pair off on their grand escape.” She smiles in a way that it is sweet but also hides a hint of playfulness. Your eyes go wide instantly.

“Oh, no we- uh...” Jimin’s the one who speaks first. He doesn’t finish his sentence, but you know what he’s about to say. You feel your heart clench. Even though you know there’s no reason for that. And so do you hate that. Hate how it stings.

“Not a couple.” So, you finish Jimin’s words. It’s not that you feel mad at him. He’s telling the truth. Yet, you feel a bit disappointed. You avoid looking at Jimin and keep your eyes on the old lady. Her face falls.

“Ah.” Clicks her tongue. “What a shame?” Shakes her head. “Yes, it is.” You feel uncomfortable all of a sudden. Know Jimin feels the same when he clears his throat.

“If you can tell me the total Halmeoni…” Jimin tries but his words trail off when she waves her hand again.

“It’s still on me darlings.” Shows you that kind smile once again. “Why, aren’t you two a couple, however? You look grand together. Lovely, you are.” Questions in genuine interest. Oh, you’re uncomfortable. What can you say to her. Because this man has a girlfriend.

“I- we... it’s kind of complicated.” You’re the who manage to answer this time. Lady just nods. Almost like in understanding. Then as you think it’s over and you can vanish from here, she opens her mouth again.

“Complicated matters can always be simplified, my dears.” She gives a knowing smile. “If you’ll humor an old lady, let me tell you—life’s far too short to waste just because you’re tangled up in complicated feelings. Don’t squander this precious time. Blink, and it’s gone.” She straightens up with a great effort. Her movements deliberate. “It’ll all slip away before you realize you’ve been missing it.” Clicks her tongue. “So don’t waste your time. Treasure every single moment you’ve got with each other.” Heaves a sigh. Wistful. Then follows a sweet smile. “Off you go now. Don’t let this turn into regret.” Waves her hand in motion for you to go away.

You would call it rude in a different context but now you quite feel dumbstruck. Her words somehow manage to cut you through to your heart. You feel them in a strange way. You guess it’s same for Jimin as he is stupidly nodding to the old lady. It’s like she has cast a spell on you. Both of you manage to slightly bow to her for one last time before slowly turning around your heels. Walking toward a bench under a cherry blossom tree. Sitting down and starting to taste your ice cream.  A deafening silence fills the air between you two until you break it. Not being able to bear it anymore. Feel somber all of a sudden.

“Why would she think we are on the run anyway?” Pout.

A soft chuckle escapes Jimin.

“Because we look like we ran a marathon.” He gestures between you two. And sure, you do look like that. Still with flushed faces. Your cardigan tied around your waist. Jimin’s coat in his hand. Tie loosened and top buttons on his shirt undone. You do look like you’ve ran a marathon. You take a minute to drink in your appearances. Then you snort loudly. Breaking into a laugh to which Jimin joins shortly. You nod in agreement to his words. Savoring another spoon of your ice cream. Jimin does the same. Rolls the creamy stuff in his tongue before turning to you again. “Want to treasure every moment with me?” Raises his brow. You just blink at his face. Here comes those tingles again. Here you start to feel like exploding with your emotions. You avert your eyes away. Forcing yourself to act normal. Make a joke out of it.

“Such a cheeky thing to say.” Manage through a mouthful of ice cream. Jimin laughs.

“C’mon milady, let’s not turn this into regret huh?” His hands find purchase in your sides. A squeal leaves you when he starts to tickle you.

“Park.”

“Say yes.” He puts down his ice cream on the bench so he can use his both arms to attack you. Making you curl up. Trying to find your words in between the loud laughter that escapes you. Kicking your legs in the air. Trying to escape him vain till tears blur your sight.

“O-okay, okay fuck yes.” You pant.

“Thank you, milady. The pleasure and privilege of your company is entirely mine.” Jimin’s hands leave you immediately. You roll your eyes back to your head when he plants a soft kiss to your temple. “Let’s go.”

………………………….

Not wasting your time and treasuring your moments together apparently meant cycling around the island. In your heels. And Jimin’s expensive suit pants. You’re pretty sure he ruined them. And then visiting local galleries. Listening to Jimin’s wildly inaccurate but creative interpretations of the artworks. It was an endless laugh, however. Then your mission- treasuring moments- trailed into another stroll through the scenic lanes.

And by the time your conversation has turned into Jimin flat out criticizing Romeo for being an idiot, you find it's impossible to stay on your feet anymore. Your legs are killing you. Heels aren’t meant to be worn for day trips. You cut off Jimin mid-sentence by immediately darting toward a bench when you spot one. Feeling relief washes over you just at the sight of it.

“Why the fuck would he kill─, wait where─” He doesn’t get to finish his question since you’re already sitting on the bench and looking at him with a relieved expression. A small scowl that appeared on his face out of worry replaced with a soft smile briskly. He starts to walk toward the bench as you cross one leg over the other to massage it.

“Fucking hell, my ankles are in fire.” You whine in complain. Raise your head a bit to find him standing before you. You pout at him. Waiting till he sits down next to you. But he doesn’t. Instead of sitting down on the bench, he crouches down before your feet. One knee on the floor. You softly gasp. Surprised. His name leaving your mouth.

“Is it bad?” Jimin ignores your surprise. Simply takes your leg in his hand. Gently remove your heel. Does the same to the other. Goes back to rub your ankle just like he did this morning. And just like how it was for you, you feel that mixture of emotions. Feel warm inside. Feel cherished. As if you’re the most important person in this world. To make it worse, a single touch of Jimin would always make your breath hitch. You close your eyes for a second. Savoring the sensation. Open them again.

“Mhm, it is bad. But you don’t have to do that Park.” You try to take your foot back. Of course, Jimin doesn’t let you.

“Why not? I like this.” Jimin looks at you through his fluttering lashes. Smirks. And that tiny smirk reminds you of the conversation that got interrupted this morning. And so does cause for a shiver to run down your spine.

“Jesus, you little freak.” You bite down on your bottom lip to contain the grin that’s spreading across your face. To hide the tremble in your voice.

“What?” Jimin feign innocence. Squeezes your ankle one last time before he puts your leg carefully down. Then takes the other one in his hand. “You promised me a foot job baby.” Teases. This time you fail to hide the tremble. The playful nature entirely disappearing. Your eyes lock into his. He’s not playing. Oh, he is not. There’s no sign of amused glint in those brown orbs. A glint of a dark haze is there if anything.

“Fuck are you serious about that?” You ask in your shaky voice.

“Maybe.” Jimin holds your foot tight. “Is it bad if I’m serious?” Questions.

“No, course not. I’m just asking.”

“So, is that a, yes? You gonna let me cum hard on your pretty feet?” Rasps while his hand starts to rub your heels instead of ankles. Your hands instinctively finds purchase in his shirt sleeve. Bunching up the fabric in your fists and holding tight. You feel that shivers turn into waves of arousals. Your cunt quavering and hole clenching. Gets your knees buckle just with his words. And how do you want to give in right there. Can’t though. You’re in public. True, you’ve done things in the open, but you don’t dare to try it again. Only you, however. You’re the only who don’t dare. Jimin does.  Slowly raises your foot a bit. Never gives you so much as a clue before he is pressing that foot into his crotch. Letting you feel that he’s already getting hard. His pants starting to tighten. You mewl softly.

“Jimin….”

“See, already hard baby. Just thinking about it. Fuck, want you to do that to me so bad.” Uses your foot to create the friction he needs for that little relief.

“Holy fuck Jimin. God.”

“Fuck Lil.” He presses your foot harder against him. Partially you’re tempted to say yes to do whatever he wants right out in the open. Yet even before you can finish thinking that thought Jimin gets to his feet abruptly. Only a surprised gasp leaves you before his hand is on your throat. Pressing as his lips attacked yours in a hungry kiss. It’s like damn switch flipped off. One moment he was kneeling in front of you. With begging eyes but now he’s choking you while kissing you like an unleashed animal. Out in the public. Oh, the duality of this man. Not that you’re complaining. No. Even the logical thoughts are starting leave you. You kiss him back severely. Allow his tongue to push past your lips roughly. Explore every nook and corner inside your mouth. You do the same. It’s a mess of saliva wetting your lips when he pulls back slightly just to sit back next you. And you’re at it again. Without a care in the world.

“Fuck princess…” Jimin whispers against your lips. In the moment where you pull away from him because you can’t go anymore without any oxygen. “Do you have any fucking idea what you’re doing to me?” Pecks your lips. “Fuck, do you have any idea how fast you get me hard.” Another peck. “I’m always fucking horny around you.” Pecks. “Hell baby, I can’t get enough.” Kisses you hard.

You want to say that it’s same for you as well. Want to tell him that you’re always dripping around him. But he doesn’t let you. Occupy your mouth and swallow all your muffled noises. You want to show him though. So, you use your hands. It’s feral when you reach for his already hardened cock. Straight away start to rub and squeeze over his pants. It’s ethereal how Jimin moans into your kiss. His breath coming short and ragged when he withdraws. His plump lips parting and eyes closing shut. Drowning in the feeling of your hand on his cock. Only for a minute, however. Is back at kissing you in a second but this time his own hand cupping your heat. His palm pressing flat against your throbbing cunt. You spread your legs for him. The place you’re in slipped your mind a long ago.

You have no idea how long you’ve been at it. Giving each other teasing touches. But in the end, you’re both desperate like two animals in heat. Yet like always you’re the one to beg first.

“Ji-Jimin... oh shit, shit I… let’s get out of here?” You stammer as Jimin keeps rubbing your cunt over your clothes. You’re pretty sure you’ll start to leak through your work pants.

“Ye-yeah? You want that?” It’s annoying how Jimin still finds it in him to tease you when he looks like he’s about cum in his pants. Is hiding his face on your neck. Even with the unbearable pleasure between your thighs, you manage to keep pleasuring him as well. He is rock hard under those fabrics. And you want to end the torture.

“Fuck baby yes. Please. Let’s go… fuck me properly.” You plead groggily. “Play with me hm? Fuck I want you to play Jimin please.” You shut your eyes. Feeling like you’re about to cum at the thought of it. Keeping him warm inside you. Begging for him to give it you. It’s torture yes, but what a sweet torture it is. You want it so bad, yet you know that Jimin isn’t going to relent that fast. Not that easy. It would take much more begging. Hence, your surprise when his hand disappear from your heat instantly. You’re looking at him with confused eyes when he stands up. He bends down to cup your cheeks. Squeezes. His eyes are dark as midnight and burn with primal intensity. Looks crazy. There’s a tiny smirk playing at the corner or his mouth, nonetheless.

“Fuck you’ve learnt how to play Lil. You’re fucking cunning.” Gives your face a shake. “You want me to play? Are you sure?” You nod eagerly. Too eagerly perhaps. His smirk widens. “Yeah? Is that it?” Comes even closer to you. “You gonna regret that baby. Gonna play until you cry. C’mon move.” Takes his hand away.

You gulp harshly.

…………………………………

You’re a crying mess. Your cheeks are soaked in tears, your body glistening with sweat, and your thighs slick with arousal. Just a mess. But a hot and needy mess. Desperate. Crying entirely due to the pleasure and for your release. You have expected this completely. When Jimin warned you’d regret asking him to play, apparently, he had meant it from his bones. You’re regretting it greatly. And oh, so loving it at the same time. The moment you found yourself inside this hotel room, he had made it his life’s mission to make you suffer. It started from stop kissing you just after he got you stark naked in front of him. And a simple command.

‘On your knees, ass up baby.’

You complied. Like a good needy, horny slut would. Confused and without a clue what’s his intentions were. That’s when he had made you shuffle in your position until he got you facing the direction he wants. Funny how in your lust-addled haze, you hadn’t noticed the floor to ceiling mirror, perfectly placed in a spot where you can watch yourself get fucked from behind. You have your own suspicions that this is the real purpose of that mirror after all. No have you noticed the sparks in Jimin’s eyes when he had noticed it undoubtedly before you.

See now, this is a clear sign that universe is conspiring against you, with Jimin. How the mirror looks like a perfectly planned step of Jimin’s ‘making you regret it’ scheme. It had given Jimin’s creative mind a good opportunity to put those ideas into display. You are being the test subject. A grateful one. Grateful but losing your control. You can’t do it anymore. A girl can only handle certain amounts of edging after all. The thing is you don’t know how many times he had edged you until now.

Ever since his command, you’ve been in this position. Your hands are already giving up. So are your legs. Shaky. Jimin is pounding on to you from behind. He looks godly. Flushed and clenching his jaw so tight, it looks like he might break it. His rock-hard dick throbbing and twitching inside you. Yet, he keeps thrusting into you with same vigor. Dick head hitting your sweet spot repeatedly and bringing you close to your great relief. Only for him to rob it away.

“Ji-min… please... no more... I-I can’t...” You plead in for what time you don’t know. Sobbing. You watch how his eyes are glued to where you and he connect, through the mirror. Transfixed. Panting as his hips relentlessly snaps against your ass. He averts his gaze from your cunt to the mirror at your begging. Looking at your face instead. His gone-mad eyes locking with yours.

“You can’t?” Taunts. You whine pathetically. “What can’t you do?” Asks again. Picks up his speed that causes you to only moan in answer. And that earns a harsh spank on your ass cheek. Nearly making you plunge forward. He has landed few spanks here and there, but this is the hardest one. You mewl in pain but clench around him madly in new desire at the same time. Jimin holds you tight in your place by your hips. “Don’t fucking run slut. I asked you a damn question. What do you can’t?” Repeats.

“W-want t-to cum Jimin… fuck, I can’t anymore. I need to c-cum. Please baby, let me...” You find your strained voice. Jimin only groans in response to that. Concentrating on fucking you properly. “Jimin…” So, you try again.

“Then do as I say Lil.” Commands. Bends down forward. Slow down his thrusts. Leaning toward your ear so that his chest is pressed against your back. Watches you in the mirror. You shiver when he growls in your ear. “Be a good slut. You can cum if you keep your eyes open. Watch baby, want you to watch how beautiful you are when you getting fucked like a slut. Want you to see how beautiful you look when you fucking cum on my cock. You’re such beautiful whore for me.” With that he straightens up again. Picks up his pace again. So perfect. So good. You’re slobbering. Strangled noises leaving your throat as you bunch up the bedsheet on your fists. He has opted on an animalistic pace again. You moan loudly at the sensation. Arching your back even more and closing your eyes shut. And like that it all stops. In a millisecond. All gone. Jimin stills inside you. His movements entirely halted. The heavenly pleasure between your thighs dissipate into thin air. Your eyes shoot open.

“No… no Jimin please… fuck no…” You cry out in despair. Fresh tears are starting to roll down your cheeks. This is how it has been all these times. This is his game. The way he plays. His instructions are easy. Keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Keep watching while you fall over the edge. As if it is easy like that. You don’t know why or how, but you always end up shutting your eyes up. It’s unconscious. The immense pleasure cause you to close your eyes. And Jimin very cruelly has denied your release every time you did so.

“Keep.” Jimin gives you a harsh thrust. His fingers digging into your hips. Holding you steady. “Your.” Another thrust. “Eyes.” He delivers another spank with his thrust. “Open slut. Keep them open.” And he starts to fuck into you again. Harsh and hard that your hands fail you. You fall flat on your face. Raising your head feebly to stare at your pathetic figure getting pound by a breathtaking man. You can’t anymore. You can’t take this. You need to control your body. Need to have your senses back so you can comply to Jimin’s commands. So, you can reach your peak. You try your best. Do your best. Only to fail again. Right at the moment it becomes unbearable, and that knot almost explode, you close your eyes again. The pleasure disappears again. You choke on your own sobs. How many times? God how long he has done this? You’ve lost count already.

“Fucking hell, Jimin…. God… no… baby please let me…” You cry harder. New slicky juices seep out of your cunt each time you violently clench around him. Drenching your thighs and Jimin’s pelvic even more. Jimin moans loudly at the sensation as well. Or maybe it’s your cry. Whatever the reason, Jimin is the most controlled and rude prick ever. How does he even do this? You can see him shaking too. Can feel his cock throb too. Still, he’s been mean to you. And you know that he knows how you like it. In addition to your clenches, you’re weakly moving your hips back. Subtly fucking yourself on his cock. He stops that with a spank. Watches you through the mirror when you nod. Letting him know he can continue. So, he does. This time he snakes his hand around your throat. And straightens you up. Into his chest.

“Why can’t you listen baby?” Coos. Starts his thrusting again. Slow first. “You’re that horny? Your brain can’t process things? Is it empty? Did I fuck your thoughts away? Are you thinking with your cunt now? Hm my pretty slut?” Turns your head toward the mirror with a harsh grip on your jaw. “Watch Lil. Look how good you take me. Look how fucking gorgeous you are. Keep watching, okay. I promise you, you won’t cum today if you don’t.” Falls back to that harsh pace. You force yourself to comply this time. You will yourself to keep your eyes open. Humiliation turning your face into a deep scarlet. Jimin watches you intently too. “Yeah, like that. And take this cock like the slut you are princess. Shit, like that.” Grunts. You nod. Feeling how each drag of his cock against your walls make your legs buckle. Seeing how he is disappearing inside your needy hole through the mirror. What a sight you are together with Park Jimin. Keeping his face pressed against yours. One hand still having a tight grip on your jaw and making you watch yourself. Then the other falling between your thighs.

Jimin doesn’t play fair. You know that. It’s very unfair that he starts playing with your sensitive nub. His purpose is to make you disobey again. That evil smirk is the proof of it. Yet you manage to keep your eyes open this time. Gets Jimin chuckling in between his harsh thrusts and flicks in your clit.

“See, not bad whore. You can listen after all. Such a good dirty slut. Go on, baby you can. Keep your eyes open.” Fucks you harder. “Like that. Yeah. Mphm, squeeze me tight.” His hand picks up the speed. And it happens so fast. You don’t even feel the tell-tales before that knot snaps. No do you know whether you managed to keep your eyes open or not. You’re not sure if you have seen you falling apart or not. It’s a mushy haze. The pleasure coursing through your body. All you know is the way you shake and fall back on to Jimin’s body entirely.

When you come back to your clear senses again, Jimin is pulling out of you. Making you lay down on your back. Hovers over you with his eyes filled with unexplainable emotions. You would just call it worry.

“You, okay?” He purrs.

“Please more.” You spread your legs wide.

“Fucking hell Lil.” He curses aloud.

…………………………………………….

Jimin is losing his mind. It’s short circuiting. He feels like he can’t breathe. Has he ever seen a sight more beautiful than this in his life? Anything more breathtaking than you beneath him. Squirming and writhing. He had made you cum twice more in this position after you came hard while watching yourself from the mirror. Yet still, no matter how spent and weak you appear, you meet his thrust halfway. Buck your hips upward. You’re amazing, aren’t you? Amazing in how willing and pliant you are for him. How you’re allowing him to push your boundaries. Like this. Why would you do that? Why would you trust him this much?

See now, he’s partially worried that he’s hurting you. Forcing you take it when you can’t handle it anymore. But you’re mumbling incoherent ‘mores’ and ‘pleases’ over and over again. How far you are willing to go with him. And he doesn’t mean just in sex vise. You trust him every way. When he thinks about it, you have been ever since the day he broke a man’s nose for you during that storm. And that makes his heart swell. Swoon. Fills him with emotions that leaves him confused and helpless. He doesn’t know how to get them off. Feels like he might explode if he doesn’t. So, he fucks you harder and harder. Peering into your teary eyes. They glint. How beautiful.

“Jiminie… baby… oh, you feel so good.” Your voice is like his favorite music. “Jimin.” Especially when you use that voice to moan his name. You look ethereal beneath him. Fuck he needs more. He needs more from you. But how? You’re giving everything to him. Sprawled out here for him. Keeping his cock inside your tight hot cunt like this. Clenching. Jimin feels like he’s in heaven. Yet he wants more. He thrust harder into your warmth. Basking in the sensation of your velvet walls around his throbbing dick. Hides his face in your neck to smell you in. Adds some more purple marks to your skin, his canvas. Your chest and neck is marked deeply with his love bites. You’re so willing to let him do that. If anything, he knows that makes you even more turned on. See, Jimin find it’s impossible to restrain himself when you’re like this. You’re giving him everything. He’s going to explode. He needs to have more.

“Yeah princess? How good? Tell me how good I feel inside your cute hole.” Jimin mumbles against your lips. Keeping his dick dragging along your walls. Pining your hands above your head so you won’t try touching your clit. It’s his work. To make you cum. So, he makes sure to grind his pelvic to your throbbing clit with each of his thrust. You fail to perform words once again. Just moan. Moan loud. Fuck, he can’t. It’s a damn battle not to go even harder. He can’t. You’re already spent. It’ll break you. It’ll hurt you. He doesn’t want that. What gets him going is to see your pleasure. Weird. Oddly strange. Never in his life has he felt this fucked up to see someone else getting pleasured like this. But when it comes to you, it’s the source of his pleasure. To see you get lost. In the pleasure he creates and in him. To think he’s the reason behind your fucked up expression. Your eyes rolling back and the reason you’ve turned into a brainless mush. Fuck, he’s going to die.

“You’re doing so damn fine baby. Jesus Lil…. Taking me so well… Keep going hm? I’m so close...” And so, he is. So close. It’s that he’s simply greedy to let go. Doesn’t want this to end. Doesn’t want to lose the warmth of your cunt. Warmth of your body against him. Want to prolong this long as he can. Now though, it’s becoming impossible. Jimin knows he can’t hold back much longer. Your hole clenching around him, desperate to milk him. Your sweet moans. The way your back keep arching and pressing your perfect tits against his chest. All are bringing him to his edge. But still, he needs something more. The purple and reddish marks on your chest and neck isn’t enough. He wants more. More to make you his. It’s a pure primal desire that burns inside him. He feels lightheaded. He’s so close and he can’t pull out. Doesn't want to. Wants to fill you up. Needs to shoot his cum deep inside your cunt. Even the thought makes him moan your name. Makes his cock twitch.

He isn’t going to last long, and he needs to cum inside you. He works in an automated mode when he takes one of his hands to grab your face. Just to bring your attention to him. You look up at him in your tear-filled dark gaze. Jimin doesn’t think you can hear him properly. Still, he needs to ask. “Lil.” He calls to you softly. You just hum. “Baby.” He tries again.

“Jiminie.” You respond weakly.

“Hell, princess… don’t look so fucking…... fuck…” He tries to compose himself. He has to ask. “Lil so close… Baby…” Moans. You nod in acknowledgement. As if you know what he want. But you don’t. You have no idea. Well, to hell with it.  “Need to cum inside you.” Blurts out. And like that you’re suddenly wide eyed. It’s like he has slapped you into your senses. Are looking at him with your perfect glittery eyes. Stunned. See, if he’s not inside you already, he would certainly think that he has crossed a line. That you don’t like the idea at all. Good thing since he’s inside you. Because he can feel how tight you get around him. Clenching like a bitch in heat.

Fuck, you need that too.

Jimin nearly comes at the realization. But he needs to hear you. “Lil, fuck… can I?” Feels desperate. “Please fuck… need to fill you up. Full. Can I fuck you full of my cum baby. Please.” Knows there’s no reason to beg but can’t help it either. “Let me hear you say yes. Will keep you full all the time.” And that’s all it take.

“Yes, please yes. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Jimin… yes please inside. Please... inside me. Cum baby please.” You scream through your lungs as your back leaves the mattress. Another powerful orgasm washing through you. Jimin doesn’t know whether it’s your beg or the way you squeezes him but in a second he’s following you into that ecstasy. He feels like a feral animal when he press his hips harder against you. Making sure you receive every drop of his cum inside you. How primal. How you’re awakening a monster inside him. And then how good and satisfactory it feels. He thrusts sloppily into you few more times before giving up completely. He’s exhausted too. Falling down into your spent body while minding not to crush you. Hiding his face in your neck. Waiting until his racing heart calms down.

“You’re so good to me princess. You did so good. Fuck that was amazing.” Praises you just for the sake of it. You just hum. He waits, waits and waits. Till he can’t wait anymore. It doesn’t matter how greedy he feels he need to slip out of you. And even though he feels like falling asleep right away, he needs to clean you up. His princess deserves all the pampering in the world after all. After sex or not. You deserve it.

He has no idea when he finally manage to get up from the bed. Quickly letting an alerted and whining you know that he’s just going to grab a towel. By the time he’s back, you look like you’ve already fallen into that deep slumber. Your breathing even. Makes him wonder why you haven’t disappeared yet. It’s good though. He’s glad. Jimin watches you for a minute.

Oh, here comes that squeeze in his heart. Bittersweet. You look peaceful. Angelic. He doesn’t want to wake you up at all. It would be a crime to make you wake up and get dressed. You can spend your night here. Jimin wants to spend this night with you. A luxury he can’t afford to have every day. This moment is precious and he’s going to treasure it. Not because some old woman told him to do so. But because it really is invaluable.

So, he tries his best not to wake you as he parts your leg. Fails. You open your eyes wearily.

“It’s okay baby.” He soothes you. Hoping you would go back to sleep. You close your eyes, though he doesn’t know whether you have fallen asleep. Turns out you haven’t when he discarded the towel and hover over you after he finishes cleaning you up. Your eyes open once again when he peer at your face.

“Hey.” You mumble groggily.

“Hey.” He answers you. Can’t hide the adoration in his voice. You giggle prettily. Oh, he’s so fucked up. He kisses you deep just because he can’t resist. Maybe he doesn’t have the privilege of waking up and going to sleep with you. But he always can kiss you deep. Like this. You sigh in content after he pulls away. Give him those eyes. Beautiful. Enchanting. That starry night. Jimin is so down for them.

“Are we staying here?” You ask sleepily.

“If you want to, we can, yes.”

And you’re nodding eagerly. Jimin is once again about to explode from these overwhelming emotions. He doesn’t know what to do with them. Pulling you into his chest and keep you tight against him appears to be a good idea. So, he does just that. Still naked. Your warmth keeping him warm before he pull the blankets over your bodies. Cuddles you tighter.

“Then sleep baby.” Kisses your forehead. He shouldn’t. It feels oddly intimate in non-sexual way. He does it anyway. Does it again. And again, till you fall asleep for real.

He really wants to see how it happens. How you shift. But he’s too tired. Maybe he’ll try to see it the next time. Or the next. For now, he’ll just hold you close and sleep tight.

………………………..

“How are we supposed to use this?” Key asks, inspecting a package of menstrual cups.

“Really?” You reply, bewildered.

“Yah! I’m serious. Teach me.”

“It’s not rocket science Key. Stick it up your hole.”

“Ew, don’t say it like that.”

“Then how do you want me to say it.” You roll your eyes as you toss few packets of pads and tampons into your cart. Trying to recall all the other stuffs you need to buy. Perking up suddenly when you remember the ketchup. “Wait, ketchup! Wait here.” You already start to leave your complaining best friend behind. Going back to the section of ‘sauces and seasonings’ which you already passed. You blame yourself for not preparing a list before coming grocery shopping as you stand before the aisle. Eyes scanning the varied of brands and products before they stop on your favorite one. You pick two large size bottles with hope of not coming here anytime soon for ketchup again. You nearly turn around to leave and join back with Key when a sudden voice startles you. It comes from behind.

“What a greedy little thing.” It says. Before you can turn around and find out who’s the owner of that voice, however, one of the ketchup bottles is snatched up from your hands.

“Yah!” You snap immediately. Turning around to find who’s the lunatic that think they can act like this way with strangers. And a mop of silver hair is what you notice first. Then a sharp jawline. Lastly fair skin and two black eyes hidden beneath that silver locks. The lunatic is a man. Or a boy you would say since he looks like he’s fifteen. Taller than you are though. He clicks his tongue.

“Why would you be so greedy and take two of them when you only need one. Over consumption is going to kill us one day.” Says as he puts the bottle of ketchup back in its place. Your brows merge instantly.

“YAH!” You exclaim loudly this time. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Grimace as you proceed to take your ketchup bottle back. Just before your fingers even brush on the bottle he stops you cold. By suddenly grabbing your wrist. Your eyes go wide in surprise. For minute. Then you avert them to the stranger next to you. Shoot him a murderous glare. Clench your jaw tightly as you try to free your hand from his tight grip. What the fuck does he think he’s doing? Does he think it’s cool. That he looks like a fucking heart throb.

“Why would you need two when one is perfectly enough. Why being such a greedy thing.” He clicks his tongue yet again. Hell, he looks like he’s fifteen, but he sure do speak like he’s ninety. You feel your patience running thin.

“How’s that any of your fucking business kid. Let my hand go before I damn fucking scream.” You grit your teeth. For your relief he does let go of your hand. You immediately grab your ketchup bottle. Almost turn around to leave this mad kid when he speaks again.

“Well, you being greedy over a bottle of ketchup? Not my business. But you being greedy over someone else’s life and messing up with the order of things? That’s my business through and through.” His tone stern and serious.  And you freeze. Freeze halfway turning around your heel. Turn back slowly to him. This time eyes wide in realization.

“Wh-what?” You let out without even your knowledge. He smirks.

“Oh, you pick up things rather fast. I wonder why, such a smart girl would risk her life this way.” Clicks his tongue again. “But then you’re a human. Humans are greedy. And your greed, little thing, is about to consume you whole.” Looks you dead in the eye. Your mouth is suddenly dry. This time you’re not surprised to see a man walking up to you and starts talking about your travels between two universes. No, you have expected this wholly. Even though you didn’t expect a silver haired young man.

“I- I…”

“Save it greedy little thing, I’m not here to hear you come up with excuses. Because there are none. You chose to be ruined. All because you were craving for a life you can’t have, you don’t have.” He takes a step forward. You’re not surprised to see him, yes. Still, you find it hard to comprehend the situation though. This is the answers you’ve been waiting for. You’re supposed to ask for a way to stop this. Fuck, it makes your heart clench. You’re not least bit happy to see this person. Answers mean the way to stop this. Stopping this mean ending your journey. Oh, but you have only started it. And that means you’ll never get to see Jimin again. Never get to see Jungkook again. Or anyone else. Suddenly, you feel like running away. Away from this strange man who’s about to ruin it all.

He gives you a knowing smile. “See, I am right. But here’s the thing little greedy human, that life you crave, isn’t yours to live. And the more you try to make it yours, the more you messed up with your own life. So, listen to me closely.” He leans forward. You stay rooted. Not even being able to recoil back when he starts to whisper against your ear. “End of the summer next year. That’s the only ever chance you’ll get. After that you’re stuck in this loop forever. Until it destruct you into ashes and you’re wiped from both worlds. So, think wise this time. Don’t ruin it. Stop being greedy for someone else’s life. And remember no more than seventy-two hours in one world. Break it, and you’re done.” With that he pulls away. Starts to walk away. You expect him to disappear, but he doesn’t. Is departing like a normal human being. You look at his retrieving back. Still, rooted into the spot. Feeling your heart shatter. His words ringing in your mind.

“Hey! What took you so- What’s happening?” You hear Key’s voice coming next to you. Yet it feels like coming from far away. There’s a question you need to ask. You need to ask it from him. You break into an abrupt run, startling Key.

“Hey, wait. Please wait.” He does. “Are you sure there isn’t any way?” Your voice shaky. He shakes his head in disbelief.

“What did I tell you about being greedy now, little thing. No. There aren’t. It’s you stay and die or do the right thing and live.”

“But then why put me there in the first place? Why did I start to go there?”

“Because someone was greedy back then too.”

…………………………….

You dash up the staircase toward Jungkook’s apartment hurriedly. Mindlessly. There’s only one thing ringing in your mind. You need to meet Jimin immediately and tell him what happened. You had a very restless sleep last night, filled with nightmares. You’re scared. You’re terrified. And one must think the reason is turning into dust. But no, what terrifies you most is the thought of it all ending. You’re scared because you don’t know a way to stop it. At least not without self-destruction. You’re terrified because you don’t know how you’ll manage to fall into a normal life. Without any of these people in your life. Especially Park Jimin.

You know you’re shameless. Even after that fifteen-year-old grandpa explicitly warned you about the consequences of being greedy, here you are still being that. Greedy. You can’t lose this. You can’t lose Jimin. How it would be to wake up every day knowing you’ll never see him again. Not even by accident. He’ll be worlds apart. How it’ll be never to see Jungkook. Never to bake Kook’s bliss again. To not have an annoying boss like Hoseok. You’ll never be able to laugh hard at seeing full grown adults act like toddlers.

No. No. No. You can’t let this happen.

You need to tell Jimin what’s happening. He might come up with a way.

In your haste and in your oblivious state, you almost miss the familiar figure that always wait for you every other morning. Only almost though. It’s hard to miss a tattooed muscle bunny. Especially, when he practically jump at you. Not even letting you take the last step as he is grabbing from your shoulders tightly. A surprised yelp escapes your mouth.

“Kookie!”

“Are you okay?” You both shout at the same time. Your brows furrowing at his words. For a moment it doesn’t make any sense to you that he’s suddenly asking such a question. And there’s an urgency to his voice too. As if something bad happened. To make it worse he looks so worried. His doe eyes flickering between yours frantically. His grip on you tightening. “Noona, tell me you’re, okay?” He presses. You take a good look at his panicked expression before slowly nodding.

“Of course, why are you─”

“You didn’t come home. You never do that, and I tried calling you and texted you and I was so fucking worried. And... and…” His words falter, trailing into stammers. Closes his eyes tightly and opens them back to peer at you. Stressed. You can visibly see how concerned and distraught he is. And it hits you. Slowly. Of course, you didn’t come home the other day. So did you forget to check your phone too. It’s not even in your possession. You hope Jimin will remember to grab it with him. You open your mouth to tell Jungkook that. To apologize. You genuinely feel bad. Guilty for making him worried. But then you close it again. Not exactly knowing what to say. Not that you can say you were with Jimin. What’s the possible explanation. “Where were you?” Jungkook manages to ask again at the lack of your response. You remain silent, though. Raking your brain for a good excuse.

“I…um... uh…”

“Don’t lie please.” Jungkook interrupts your pointless excuse. You gape at him Confused. “You were with Jimin, weren’t you?” It sounds more like a statement than a question. He’s letting you know that he knows. Your hearts sinks to the pit of your stomach. You inhale shaky breath. Wonder how he knows though. He gives you the answer without even you asking. “Hoseok. I called Hoseok when you didn’t answer my calls and….”

“Oh.”  You feel your body heat up with shame. Even though this is the second time. You feel even more ashamed to face him than the first. You just proved you’re a lying bitch.

“Why?”

You feel dumbstruck at his question. What’s the meaning of that question anyway. That’s not what he’s supposed to do. He may have understood your situation the first time. But now, you expect him to see you as the bitch who you are. Disgust him. Not to ask questions such as this.

“What? What do─”

“Why are you doing it Noona? Like are you really in love?” You watch as Jungkook’s entire expression morphed into something hurt. Like you’ve caused him a great heart break.

No. Of course, not. Right?

You feel irritated suddenly. You have no time to have this conversation now.

“No… no, Kookie. I’m not.” Yet you try your best to stay calm. Jungkook has every right to question you. You’re the bad person here.

“Then why? It’s just sex? He makes you cum that hard, that you don’t mind that he’s in a relationship for five years. So, you don’t mind that he’s cheating on his girlfriend? How good is the sex?” Jungkook shakes you by your shoulders. Suddenly, he looks mad. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him mad. That irritation flares inside you. You fail to stay calm.  

“Why would you care Jungkook?” You snap. Frustration and the urgency to get out of here getting the best of you. Partially because you need to see Jimin and partially because you feel like you can’t see Jungkook in the eye.

“Because I do. You know I fucking do. You gonna fucking hurt yourself in the end. Jimin is a god damn selfish prick to keep dragging you into this mess. He is fucking playing with your life─”

“Jungkook.” You sigh heavily. Annoyed.

“No, Noona. That’s the truth. I don’t fucking want you to hurt. And what’s your plan? What are you gonna do? Keep going? Until how long, how long are you gonna do this?”

“Well, not for so long apparently.” You resign. Give up completely. Can feel your eyes burn with freshly gathering up tears. “I only have a fucking year.” You’re ashamed yes. Guilty, yes. But the hurt comes to the surface yet again surpassing all the other emotions. Jungkook’s grip on your shoulders softens. So does his expression. Anger morphs into confusion and worry.

“What do you mean ‘a year’? Did you?”

“Yes”

And like that your conversation takes a drastic change. From Jungkook confronting you of your poor life decisions to you telling him what happened yesterday at a darn supermarket. By the time you end your story, you and Jungkook are sitting on the top step. Staring into nothing.

“Fuck.” That’s the only thing Jungkook mumbles in the end.

“Yeah, right? I don’t know what I should do Kookie.” You prop your chin on your hands.

“Well, uh- fuck, me neither. But Noona?” The question in his voice makes you turn toward him with a raised brow. “Why did the kid call you greedy? How’s any of that were your doing?” Fires out his curiosity.

Oh fuck!

See, you had done the same with Key yesterday. Had to give her a possible and logical explanation as to what happened. But you managed to do it by hiding the parts that needed to be hidden. Fuck yourself for forgetting to do the same with Jungkook. You blink at his innocent face for a moment. Then lower your gaze to your lap. What can you say anyway. You refuse to lie anymore.

“It’s not that it didn’t work, was it? You wished to be here.” He chuckles humorlessly. “Because you wanted to be with him?” Throws his head up.

“He asked me to stay. All right? I had every intention to─”

“But you didn’t, did you? You stayed because he asked? To be what, his mistress? My god Noona, why would you have to lower yourself that much?” Jungkook’s voice is filled with pure disbelief. Accusation. You feel that irritation raises its head once again. And it’s not even about Jungkook rudely pointing out your weaknesses. No. It’s the shame. Because every word he says is true.

“Do you think I don’t know Kookie. I know what type of stupid, selfish person I am. I couldn’t fucking help it though.” Jungkook tries to cut you off, but you don’t let him this time. “I tried my best but here I am. And I understand that you might want me to disappear from your sight this moment…” Tears start to prick at your eyes again. This time fueled by self-pity. “Like… I know, I’m an insufferable mess. A fucking disaster. And I promise you I would get myself out from your life soon as I can. I’ll figure a way─”

“Please don’t.” This time Jungkook succeeds in cutting you off. Sigh hard.

“Huh?”

“Please don’t say that and don’t move out.” Turns toward you completely. Takes your hands in his. Smiles sadly. So sadly, that your heart breaks. “I never told you, you’re any of that. I mean ugh- fuck I don’t know… It’s wrong but you said you only have a year, right? So, don’t try to live that year shutting everyone else from your life because some jerk knows how to make you cum hard.” You wince at his words slightly. He sighs heavily again. Looks you in the eye. You can see how his are glinting. Are those tears? “And I’m sorry that… uh- I didn’t want to confront you or anything. I was just worried Noona. I was so fucking scared you just left like that. Don’t do it again. And don’t move out. You can stay here. Please don’t. C’mon you listened to that asshole when he asked you to sacrifice your life, am I not even worthy enough to just consider living with me?” Pouts. Jungkook always knows how to get what he wants. In a different context, you would have rolled your eyes. But now, you feel oddly touched.

“So what? You want to drag yourself into my disastrous life as well? You want to live with a homewrecker? You still gonna take my side when I am the wrong person here? You want to become a part of the family too?” You laugh bitterly.

“What family?”

“Hoseok knows. And I think Taehyung knows too.”

“And you left me out of it?”

“Well, I didn’t tell them. We got caught. And if I can Jungkook, I’d keep you away from this mess. Away from me.”

Jungkook clicks his tongue. “Well, guess what? It’s not up to you to decide that. Just because I call you Noona, baby, it doesn’t mean you get to call all the shots.” Squeezes your hands. “I can make decisions for myself perfectly well. And I don’t care Noona. Homewrecker or whatever. Call me biased, I don’t care. I’m only worried about you. I’m gonna take your side even if you killed a man.” Changes his position instantly and he’s crouching down in front of you in a second. Your hands are still in his. Looks at you with puppy eyes. Innocent. You feel your heart shatter.

“Why Jungkook? Don’t be such a saint.” You try your best to well up your tears. “God, you’re too good. I feel like I’m taking fucking advantage.”

“And I’m so happy if you’re doing it. So what? Do we have a deal here? Don’t move out, hm? I really don’t want to lose my alien because she’s too horny.”

You scrunch up your face in disgust. Why would he have to say it like that? How amazing Jungkook is to make a joke out of this sordid situation, just after he was flat out confronting you a minute ago. You genuinely thought he was mad at you. That he’s ashamed of being a friend of yours. You thought that’s the reason for bringing it out. But it was care? Jungkook is such a pure soul. You stare at him. Failing to keep your tears in your eyes.

You don’t deserve him, now do you? You’ve lied to him so many times. Have used his good will so many times. You’re a bad person. But he wants to be a part of that, why?

Because he is a good person.

“Kookie.” You mutter weakly.

“Yes?”

“So, you’re fine with what I’m doing?”

“No, I’m not.” Shakes his head. Right when your brows start to merge in confusion he speaks. “I’m not fine with what you’re doing but I’m fine with you. No matter what you do, I am fine with you. Maybe… just maybe we’ll be able to stop it. Before you get hurt.”

You don’t think it will be the case at all. You can’t see a way out from Jimin. No. But still you just nod. Just for the sake of him. “What if I am to ruin your life too?” Questions.

“How?” You have no answer for that. So, he continues. “I don’t see a way you can do that. But if that’s the case, I’m okay with it. I like it when my life is happening. It was so dull before I met my alien.”

“Oh, my god, will you please…”

He just smiles. That tension and the soured emotions you felt a moment ago dissipating into thin air. Of course, they are. Jungkook always knows how to make your day better. You don’t know why he does that but when you think about it, he has always been there for you when something goes wrong. From the very beginning. He’s already a part of the mess you created, whether you like it or not. He was your escape when you had no place to go. He was the man who knew everything from the beginning. He was the sweet soul who never once judged you for your wrongdoing.

He was,

The man who shared a cigarette under a starry sky with you.

The man who understood why you did what you did.

The man who always made sure you smile.

The man who danced with you in his kitchen.

The man who’ll always have your back when things would crumble down into ashes.

That’s who he is. The only other person who you are deeply tangled with. The Bambi eyed muscle bunny who has a mattress in his living room.

And you adore him. Course you do. He’s very special to you. You only manage a light nod when he beams up. Hurriedly pull you to your feet. Crushes you in a bear hug. Funny. He is. But that’s how he is. Because he is,

Jeon Jungkook.

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a/n- Leave a note if you enjoyed this one!

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[kurishiri]

18.5 . . . “ a meaningless emotion ”

꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ notice ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ this translation may not be 100% accurate or contain creative liberties due to characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost these or claim these as your own!

— 🤍 his side story, chapter 18. this is one you can purchase on your second play through of his route.

— cw: the very end may be considered suicidal ideation.

Alfons: ...I think I’ve had just about enough of this blasted sob story.

I slipped out of the bed and changed——if I loitered around the castle, running into her would be a pain.

(Today there’ll be some merrymaking happening amongst the eccentric nobility.)

It wasn’t as though I wanted to go out of my way to go there, but it was a perfect way to kill time.

—— Time skip ——

Alfons: Alright then, what shall we bet on next?

Drunken man: I got it! How about this oil painting that my old man said was his most valued one, not that I know anything about it!

Crossdressing woman: Did you steal that? Vincent… huh, who is this? Never heard of him. Isn’t it just a cheap thing?

Alfons: Hehe, I must say it’s quite unlike nobility to worry over the value of the good.

Crossdressing woman: But it’s not so exciting, you know, it’s better to have something that shows its value.

Alfons: Well then… how about I give a dream where “this painting is worth 500 pounds?”

Man smoking a cigar: Oh, that’s a good idea.

Whether it was nobility, drunken people at some street corner of the bar, the orphans at the East End, and what have you, they weren’t so different.

They would find any pleasure they could through gambling, liquor, or sex, so they could live while avoiding their pains and worries.

Drunken nobleman: Hey, Al, is that rumor about you having a recent favorite true?

Noble lady with gloves: Al, you mustn’t become someone’s partner! We need you to stay a star of all single nobles.

Alfons: Yes, yes, such was my intention.

Drunken nobleman: So you say, but your heart’s already taken by that person, isn’t it?

Alfons: Hehe, I digress.

Man smoking a cigar: …Let’s just leave it at that. If we question him any more, he may never come again, and that would sure put us in a bind.

Man smoking a cigar: Even if his heart’s got its sights set on someone, it’s fine as long as he shares some of that pleasure… isn’t that right?

Noble lady with gloves: Well, I suppose. Ahh, I hope my father gives up on matters of my marriage soon…

(‘My heart’s already taken by that person’… huh.)

When I heard those words that seemed to embody the soul of romanticism,

Kate was the one and sole person who came to mind, and for a moment, I felt called out.

——You hurt me so much and leave me in the dust, but now you decide to commit? That’s just cruel…!

At some point, the little robin had made its home within my mind, making an angered face and suddenly turning away.

(Hehe… it’s not as though I’m committing.)

Alfons: Perhaps I do have some guilt left in me… ah, it’s a straight flush.

Drunken man: Al’s win again?!

As I was staring in a daze at the trump cards raining and fluttering down,

just as I had intended, time melted away into idleness.

I ended up drinking through the night until dawn and having a meat pie from a street seller for breakfast, I returned to the castle, and——

Alfons: Oh?

In a stroke of bad luck, I happened upon Roger and Miss Kate walking together.

Kate: Ah... w-welcome back.

Roger: Hey there, Al.

Leaving aside the mentally strong former doctor who, regardless whether he was aware he was being hated on, would initiate a conversation with a light tone and carefree smile,

Miss Kate very obviously looked awkward.

(I can’t even flatter your acting skills.)

She was the complete opposite of me, who had a lot of practice when it came to plastering on a smile.

Alfons: Well I’ll be, are you on your way to a most friendly outing, the two of you?

Kate: Ah, no, we’re...

Roger: What, curiosity got you piqued?

As if to make a point, Roger wrapped his arm around Kate’s shoulder snugly.

Kate: Roger!? What are you doing—

Roger: Alright then, let me fill you in. We’re gonna be spending the whole entire day holed up in a locked room, just the two of us. Let’s get along now, yeah?

(This man needs to get a hobby.)

(I hardly have any intention of hopping on that cheap provocation.)

Alfons: Oh my, is that so? It would appear you’ve found yourself a lovely playmate while I was not around. I’m happy for you, Miss Kate.

Kate: …

I gave a smile to convey I didn’t think anything of it, and Miss Kate, as though hurt, furrowed her brows.

(Aha, you poor soul, you.)

I figured she probably wasn’t clinging to Roger in hopes that he would heal her broken heart.

I knew very well that she was hardly the type to be able to do such things.

Her single-mindedness in facing me no matter how much I refused or hurt her was staunch to be sure.

(And that’s exactly what makes her different from me… I suppose.)

(Well, whether she’ll make it out safely from the basement after being alone with this man is a different story…)

(But it doesn’t have anything to do with me, so.)

The moment I tried to leave, Miss Kate opened her mouth, as though trying to pull me back.

Kate: Alfons..!

Alfons: ? Yes, what is it?

Kate: ...I still very much like you.

Alfons: ...Come again?

Roger: ... (O_O)

It was such a sudden confession of love, I stiffened out of instinct.

(………Has she gone bonkers?)

(You do know I’m the man who played your feelings of love, and to top it all off, told you it was all a ‘nuisance’ and left the bed, right?)

And yet she still insisted on pouring these dazzling words on me; what else could I think her as, if not crazy?

Kate: Even if this all amounts to a nuisance to you... this is the ‘truth’ for me, so.

Alfons: .........

(Ah, now I’ve done it. This should be the part where I laugh it all off.)

I needed to make her think that, no matter how earnestly she threw her feelings at me, they would never get through, so she could give up on me.

(So that these feelings of love she holds for me amounts to nothing but garbage…)

(I need to laugh at her, to deny her——)

My mind knew that, and yet for some reason, my lips couldn’t form a smile.

Kate: Okay, we’re going, Roger.

Miss Kate, seeming as though she wanted to run from my silence, ran down the staircase leading to the basement.

Roger: Pfft, haha... I feel like I haven’t seen you so dumbfounded in forever.

As Kate’s footsteps grew more distant, I heard an unpleasant laughter.

I hated how this man would not seem to pay any mind to the feelings of others like that.

Alfons: ...Oh, believe me, she is far from the first who’s rendered me so positively dumbfounded like this.

Roger: Hmm? So is it safe to say she’s no different than anyone else to you then?

R: Because if so, I may or may not end up stealing her away for real.

While slowly turning for the staircase, those egoistic lips showed a provoking smile.

Roger: After all, it’s not like you’d really care what happens to a toy you don’t need anymore, right?

Alfons: ………

Perhaps the reason I felt displeasure rise up from within me was because the one before me was a man filled with haughty arrogance.

Or was it because she was the one getting stolen?

(Whichever it is, I shouldn’t care for the answer.)

(Because, in any case, I didn’t have such a choice to step even further into her life to find the reason for this temporary displeasure.)

If that was the case, thinking on it was foolish. And yet——

Her lips, which were trembling as she declared how she ‘still liked me,’

the palms of her hands, which were gripped tightly together as though grasping onto courage,

and those eyes that looked so directly at me, as if to say to not misunderstand,

were all engraved into the back of my mind, refusing to let go.

The heavy footsteps going down the staircase grated on my ears, severely so.

For the feeling of a favorite toy being stolen away, it felt extremely bitter.

(Is this… jealousy? Me, of all people? But, how?)

The notion of getting something I said I didn’t need taken away, and then still feeling displeased over it and whatnot, was much like a child’s selfishness.

And besides——

(…The most I was able to do was imitate love, feeling nothing but emotional disconnect.)

Alfons: …I suppose the biggest mystery to one is themself.

Labeling the jealousy I felt that bubbled up from somewhere in me as ‘meaningless,’ I threw it behind me.

Thinking on it more would only make my helplessness more clear than it already was.

Hoping to idle the time away, I walked to my room, when all of a sudden, a certain question came to mind.

(Come to think of it, if they’re not doing anything shady, then what in the world are those two doing in the basement…?)

For a moment, I felt a sense of unease.

Miss Kate, who had said she ‘still liked me,’

was with Roger, the one who spouted off some nonsense about ‘changing fates’ and whatnot,

and they were in the basement, where a lot of documents concerning ‘Cursed ones’ were abundant, which would mean…

Alfons: …Now that just can’t be. She wouldn’t be so much a fool as to not know when to not give up, would she.

I denied it with my voice, but my chest got more and more filled with that uneasy feeling.

(What if, even after I pushed her away this far, it was already too late?)

(What if she poured even more of her feelings into me, continuing to spend more time with me——?)

Alfons: …Should that time ever come,

A: Perhaps I should simply up and disappear, just like that.

← back next →

masterlist🪞 ╱ ko-fi ☕️ ╱ comms 🤍

NOTE: this is the last his side story i will translate, and the last chapter i will translate concerning alfons main story. thank you for accompanying me so long in this translation, to those who have read it all! it really means a lot to me! i enjoy translating for al lots, and i hope that came through as you were reading overall 🥹🙏

to those who will be reading his route in en, i hope you enjoy what this roller coaster of a route has to offer! theres a lot of complexities woven into his route thats sure give you something to think about. i translated this last chapter to close off the project, putting in my best wishes for you 🫶

i have heard from those who have read what i did for elbies main story that reading my tl has helped enhance their reading experience in en, and i hope this can do the same for you! or if you cant afford the premium stories or dont want to grind for these his side stories, i hope i could provide a way for you to access them more freely. again, thank you to everyone who has supported me, read my tls, interacted with these posts, etc.

its largely thanks to you that i can close this project and look back on it with positive memories! 🪞🤍✨

꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ tags🏷️ ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ @drachonia

[aestheticaltcow]

Yes I Would

Part 2 of the Worm series!

Technically, I'm not done with finals, and this is probably gonna be a four-part series because it got hella long...

Previous Part

The Bear Masterlist

“Carmen, it’s 2 AM. Why did I need to come out here?” Richie yawned as he sat on a stool by the bartop next to Carmy. He didn’t respond to the question. Richie shot him a look, “Kid. What’s going on?” 

“Y/N’s pregnant.” Carmy softly responded as he brought his beer bottle to his lips. 

Richie sat up, dumbfounded by his response. “You knocked her up? Didn’t realize your balls dropped already.” 

Richie’s attempt at lightening the situation made Carmy roll his eyes. “Fuck off, Richard.” 

“Nah, cousin. That’s great. She’s a good girl. I figured you’d settle down with her at one point… maybe sooner than anyone expected, but that’s great.” Richie rambled, “One time- you were like two, so I doubt you remember, Mike and I were throwing beer caps at you-”

“She doesn’t want it, Richie,” Carmy said, cutting Richie off mid-sentence. He stared at the ceiling as he spoke. 

“Please say something, Carmy…” your voice was shaky as you spoke. Carmy clicked his tongue as he pushed his hands through his hair. He nervously laughed as he looked up at the ceiling. “Carmy?”

“Okay… okay. Is this a discussion?” he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re tellin’ me you’re pregnant and that you don’t want it in the same fuckin’ sentence, Y/N. Why are you even fuckin’ tellin’ me if you don’t fuckin’ want it?” 

You stared at him, dumbfounded by his reaction. “Carmy, we’ve only been together for eight months-”

“So?” Carmy scoffed, “I love you. Would it be the end of the world if you had my kid?” 

“Carmen,” you scolded, “Are you seriously equating our love for each other to my willingness to have a baby with you?!”

“Babies aren’t always planned but-”

“Carmen! It’s my fuckin’ body!” you yelled, cutting him off. “Just- just get out.”

“So yeah… not sure what to do…” Carmy mumbled as he fiddled with his napkin. 

Richie sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He remembered when Tiff told him she was pregnant with Eva, granted it was planned, and the two had been married for a decade. Richie didn’t know what to say to Carmy. He just sat beside Carmy and remembered when he was five or six. Mikey was in charge of watching him while he played in the yard that afternoon. 

Richie and Mikey were sitting on the porch steps talking about something that had happened at school a few days prior when Carmy came running up to the pair with a rock in his hands. “L-l-look Mikey! I-I fou-und a rock!” Carmy excitedly stuttered. His eyes gleamed with excitement. Richie watched as Mikey went to ruffle Carmy’s hair and took the rock from his hands, “That’s a cool one, Carmy. Find another, yeah?” Mikey encouraged. Carmy nodded and ran off to a different part of the yard. 

Richie leaned an elbow against the bar, supporting his head in his palm. He looked at Carmy. He remembered all the times he and Mikey had been able to make him feel better. He remembered when they had to take Carmy to the emergency room when he was eight and broke his arm when he fell from a tree. He remembered when he and Mikey would go to his wrestling meets. He remembered shoving him in the closet and refusing to let him out until he admitted to having a crush on some girl in his class when he was in high school. He remembered watching him sheepishly walk across the stage when he graduated high school and watched Mikey sneak cash into his backpack when they dropped him off at the airport when Carmy left for culinary school. Carmy was more than his best friend's little brother. He helped raise that kid. 

“Sometimes, you have to fight for what you want,” Richie said, finally breaking his silence. Carmy looked up at him, “You can’t make her have the baby, but you can’t walk away without a fight, Carm.”

Carmy scoffed at the advice, “Richie- She kicked me out of her place when I tried talking to her about it. She doesn’t want to keep the baby, and I don’t think I can support-”

“Shut the fuck up, Carmen.” Richie cut him off. He shifted in his seat to face Carmy. “You were man enough to have sex with her. You need to be man enough to stand beside her and support whatever decision she makes. Abortion, no abortion, having the baby and giving it up for adoption, keeping the baby and staying with you, whatever that girl chooses; you give it your 100%.” 

Carmy grimaced at the advice Richie had given him, “Sober up. Go see your girl.”

~

Carmy didn’t take Richie’s advice. That night, he went back to his place and kicked his shoes off after locking the door behind himself. He stumbled as he headed into his bedroom. As he collapsed onto his bed, he was engulfed by the lingering smell of your perfume. Carmy rolled his body into the middle of his bed and stared at the ceiling; you should be here. 

He wasn’t sure when he’d fallen asleep, but he woke up in a cold sweat. He abruptly sat up and looked to his left to see your absence. Carmy closed his eyes and leaned back against his headboard. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before leaning over to grab his phone from his side table. 

No new text messages. No missed calls.

You always texted him ‘good morning’ when you weren’t together. Carmy huffed and dropped his phone before gazing back at the ceiling.

You woke up that morning and resisted the urge to contact Carmy. It felt wrong, but with how telling him you were pregnant had ended, some distance felt like a good idea. After getting out of bed that morning, you walked into the bathroom to shower before going to the office.

As you waited for the water to heat up, you looked at your reflection in the mirror. If you hadn’t done that blood test, you wouldn’t know you were pregnant. You put a hand on your stomach and felt it twist. Maybe Carmy had a point. Babies aren’t always- “Snap the fuck out of it, Y/N.” you scolded yourself as you tried to shake the thought of keeping it. “You are not, I repeat, NOT, ready to be a fuckin’ mother.” you thought aloud. You stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over your face, “Just forget about it today…” you mumbled as you quickly scrubbed yourself down with body wash.

You couldn’t focus at work that day. Everything made you think about Carmy. As you reached to grab your phone from your bag, there was a knock on your office door. “Come in,” you called, dropping your phone back into your bag. 

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N, I have good news for you.” Your manager smiled as he entered your office. You shot him a suspicious look. “I swear it’s good news,” he said defensively, putting his hands up. We’re opening another new office in New York, and YOU are going to be in charge of it—if you want to, of course. Imagine Houston, but permanent. You’ll get a raise and housing allowance and set the whole office up however you want- your ship.” 

You were speechless, “Ryan, I-I-”

“Y/N. Take the job. Do you want to be someone in the writing and editing world? New York is where you do it. Please, just think about it. I need an answer by the end of the month.” 

~

“You talk to her?” Richie asked without looking up from his notebook. Carmy huffed in response as he pulled his chef jacket from his locker.

“No.” 

“Why not?” Richie snapped, putting his notebook on the locker area bench. 

Carmy sighed, “I don’t know what to say to her.”

“Carmen. If you’re man enough-”

“Richie, I don’t want to talk about this here.” Carmy cut him off and put his phone in his locker before walking to the kitchen. Richie rolled his eyes and pulled his phone from his pocket. If Carmy wouldn’t do anything about this, he knew some people who would. 

“CARMEN ANTHONY BERZATTO!” a blood-curdling scream came through the kitchen in the middle of dinner service. Carmy dropped his knife mid-cut and turned to see Donna standing just inside the kitchen, the swinging doors that separated the dining room from the kitchen still swinging. “I fuckin’ raised you better than this young man!” she screamed as she stomped closer to where Carmy had been cooking. Waiters and line cooks separated like the red sea as she grabbed Carmy’s bicep and pulled him through the kitchen toward the back entrance. 

“Ma- what the fuck?!” Carmy finally yelled back when the two were in the alley. 

“Why did I find out you got your little girlfriend pregnant from Heather Jerimovich?” she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. Carmy sucked in a breath as Donna glared at him. “Well?!”

“Uh-uh-” Carmy started as he pushed up the sleeves of his chef coat; he was lost for words. He never expressly told Richie to keep all of this to himself, but the implication was there. 

“Carmen. Anthony. Berzatto. Answer me. Now.” Donna snarled as her glare intensified. Carmy breathed out and pushed his hands through his hair as he thought about explaining this situation to the mother, who hadn’t really cared about him for most of his life. 

“She doesn’t know if she wants to keep it…” Carmy answered softly, unable to look at her as he explained, “Ma- she wants to abort my kid. Okay?” Carmy’s voice trembled as he pushed his hands into his pockets and stared at his kitchen clogs. 

“What?” Donna’s voice softened as she watched Carmy shrink as he spoke. Donna knew she hadn’t been the most attentive mother but knew when her son needed her. “Com’er,” she spoke, opening her arms and beckoning Carmy for a hug. Carmy sighed and stepped into the hug, resting his forehead on her shoulder. She hugged him tightly and began rubbing gentle circles on his back. “It’s gonna be okay..”

~

You were lying in bed staring at the ceiling when you heard knocking on your door. It was almost two, and you weren’t expecting anyone—it had to be Carmy. “You can do this, Y/N… you can do this.” You hyped yourself up as you got out of bed, wrapping your comforter around you as you walked through your apartment to the front door. 

“Hey..” you said softly when you opened the door just a sliver.

“Can I come in?” Carmy asked. You felt yourself melt when your eyes met his. He was tired, and you saw the undertones of hurt and admiration as he stared back at you. You nodded and opened the door more, moving to the side to allow Carmy into your apartment. 

“I know- I know I can’t tell you want to-to do with your body.” Carmy started as soon as you’d closed the door. “Pl-please. Can we talk about the baby?” his voice cracked as he spoke. You adjusted your comforter on your shoulders as you nudged your head toward the couch.

The two of you sat on the couch awkwardly. You took a deep breath before you spoke, “Carmy… I couldn’t do it…” you tenderly spoke as you wrapped your comforter around yourself tighter. “I uh- they had to confirm I was pregnant and uh- they did, they did a sonogram… the heartbeat sounded like a horse running. I never thought I’d be one of those women, you know? I was sure I would go through with it, but when I heard the heartbeat… it was so beautiful.” you confessed. “You were saying how sometimes babies aren’t planned-”

Carmy’s sob was what cut you off midsentance. You looked up at him, and he silently reached for you. You moved closer and allowed him to pull you into his lap. “We're gonna have a baby,” Carmy murmured as he rested his forehead against yours. You grinned and pushed your fingers into Carmy’s hair.

“We’re gonna have a baby.” you confirmed, “We’re gonna have a baby…”

[sunnystaytiny2018]

——————————————

ATEEZ Fanfiction

——————————————

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fandom: ATEEZ

Pairing: ATEEZ x Fem Reader

Genre: Smuttttt -maybe a few more- tttt

POV: First Person

Additional Tags: Daddy Kink, Overstimulation, Rough, Mean punishments, multiple rounds, squirting, orgasm denial, choking, spanking, biting, jealous sex, established relationship, 0T8 x Reader, g x b, blindfold, blow jobs, multiple partners at once, cum licking, creampies, cum swallowing

Requested by @yuyuyuyumesblog

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been really misbehaving lately. My boyfriends had been so busy that they didn't seem to have time for me anymore. So I started acting out to get their attention. Not rejecting someone when they are clearly flirting with me and dancing around with other guys. I still hadn't gotten a reaction out of any of them, considering they weren't there. Or so I thought. So why the hell were my boyfriends standing there in our living room like it was an intervention?

“Um, I'm home.”

“Why were you out so late?” Hongjoong questioned me.

“I went clubbing.”

“Without us?” Wooyoung demanded and I frowned, feeling anger bubble in my chest.

“Every time I ask you're too busy! Every last one of you!” I yelled, my eyes watering from frustration.

“Oh! So you just go and grind on some other guy?!” Seonghwa demanded and I was taken aback, Seonghwa rarely ever yelled.

“How did-”

“You think we didn't have an eye on you at all times?” San asked, as if that was the most outlandish thing to think. Hongjoong set his laptop on the computer and showed me a video of me dancing near a guy. I never actually grinded up on anyone, I didn't want anyone but one of my boyfriends. But I let them close enough to cause jealousy.

“Get your ass to the room and strip. I better find you waiting in position for your punishment, baby girl.” My heart raced. I quickly skimmed over everyone to find I would in fact be punished by every single one of them. Fear and excitement swirled in my chest. “NOW.” I jumped and quickly headed to his room.

“Yes, Daddy.” I whimpered. I tripped half way down the hall but I quickly got up and hurried into his room, not wanting the punishment to be worse than they already planned because I wasn't ready by the time they got here. I stripped all my clothes off and scrambled on the bed into position. I sat on my knees with my palms upwards on my thighs. My head bowed down, not daring to look up especially as my boyfriends came into the room.

“Oh good, she listened. I'm sure she already knows her punishment won't be easy, right Baby?” Jongho asked as he titled my chin up. I remained silent knowing I wasn't supposed to reply, it was merely a rhetorical question.

“Well, tell you what. How about…” Yunho whispered as he slowly pulled a silk fabric over my eyes. “If you can guess who is pleasuring you, we can switch to the next person. He won't get to cum. But if you make a wrong guess or don't guess within 15 seconds… you don't to get to cum and he does.” The idea made my heart race and my pussy ached. This might be the harshest punishment yet. They had never denied me orgasms for so long.

“Color?” Hongjoong's voice broke through the darkness of my vision.

“Green.” I replied as hands immediately guided me to lay down and spread my legs.

“First person.” Hongjoong said as the bed dipped and someone moved between my legs and rubbed his hands on my legs. My legs turned from the intimate touch. I sucked in a breath as I tried to focus. His hands weren't on the bigger side of the members. So Yunho and Mingi were out of play. When I felt their tongue delve into my pussy I let out a whimper. Okay, not Hongjoong or Wooyoung. They prefer eating me out after destroying me. I breathed in their scent.

“Yeo-Yeosang?” I stuttered out as my back arched into his tongue.

“Wow, very good, baby.” Hongjoong praised and Yeosang increased the speed of his tongue and pushed a finger into my wet pussy. I let out a desperate cry due to the sudden contact. I hadn't had sexual contact or action for a while.

“Oh Yeosang!” I moaned at his soft touches accompanied with the feverish licks of his tongue. My hands tangled in his brown locks as I felt my body jolt and tense. “I'm close, baby.” I moaned as he added a second finger increasing the pleasure. My back arched as my body released a gentle and warm orgasm. Yeosang had to pull himself away and someone new replaced him.

I felt his hands drag on my thighs and I bit my lip. I think I may already know who it is. I'm not saying all of them don't like my thighs but there is one specific one who loves them. He always touches and marks them up. Maybe I knew my boys better than I thought. I really started out thinking I would fail over and over. I felt his lips on my thighs for only a second before spreading my legs and immediately pushed into me.

I let out a cry at the stretching but I tried to focus on the feeling of his dick. I want to cum again, so bad. But this definitely wasn't who I thought it was, since he would have spent much longer than that on my thighs. I could only think of one of the guys who didn't do as much foreplay, not that I mind. Sometimes I just want a good fuck without the extra steps to work up to it. But then again I love the foreplay too. The nicest thing about having 8 boyfriends is each one of them can satisfy certain needs that the others may not be able to.

I let out a moan as he snapped his hips, pushing deeper inside of me. His rhythm was familiar, well of course it was. His rhythm is strong and almost harsh. Yep, I knew who it was.

“Who is it, baby?” Hongjoong asked as I felt fingers slip to my clit as his hips began to snap faster. Shit wait, it wasn't Hongjoong?

“I-I don't know! I thought it was you, I- W-Wooyoung?” I asked as he sucked in a breath.

“Incorrect, Honey. You don't get to cum.” Hongjoong informed me and I whined out. I already had an orgasm building since the one between my legs started rubbing my clit and fucking my pussy like it's the best thing he's ever felt. He finally let his voice out after I got it wrong.

“Fuck~ You feel so good.” Jongho growled in my ear and it sent shivers of pleasure through my body. His voice and groans are too sexy. My legs tensed as I tried to hold it back

“Color, baby?

“Green.” I moaned out, the shake in my breath making it clear I was teetering on the edge.

“Hold it, baby.” Jongho groaned as his pace increased and he withdrew his hand from my clit.

“I-I can't. I can't hold it-” I whimpered out as my abdomen tensed painfully.

“Yes, you can, baby. And you better not cum.” Seonghwa instructed. I could hear the sound of some of the guys jerking themselves off while watching. Soft groans coming from different parts of the room.

“You look so sexy getting pounded into, baby.” Wooyoung praised from somewhere in the room. “Squirming and trying not to cum.” Jongho thrusted deeper before spilling himself inside of me. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I felt slight relief as he cummed inside of me. No longer having any stimulation that made my body want to orgasm. Jongho kneeled between my legs and looked down at me.

“I'll be back, baby.” Jongho purred and gave me a kiss before leaving the spot. It took a few seconds before the next person caused the bed to dip again. My legs were still trembling slightly from the previous stimulation but holding back the orgasm.

I felt the brush of jeans against my pussy and I smiled softly. This one I knew for sure. There was only one member who liked to have sex with his jeans still on. His hands squeezed and kneaded my sides making it even more clear that it was who I thought it was. His hands moved up to my breasts and squeezed them. A moan slipped out of my mouth at the dorm squeeze. His lips were on them, soft fluttering kisses around the nipples. Then his hot tongue was on my tits drawing out the loudest moan since this had started. I rubbed my thighs together as my pussy clenched. I moved my hand along his arms and to his hair.

“Mingi, please.” I moaned and I felt the smirk spread on his face.

“Okay, baby. As you wish.” He said as he began to rub my clit as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. My back arched at the feeling of his silver rings against my burning pussy. He began to suck harder on my nipples and I couldn't last any longer from the sensitivity.

“Mingi! I'm close.” I moaned before orgasming on his fingers. He pulls them out and he makes a loud slurping sound, telling me he just sucked his fingers clean of my juices. I shivered, feeling turned on all over again. God, Mingi was nasty and I fucking loved it.

“Next one, Sweetheart.” Seonghwa purred to me. I felt cum splatter on my stomach and a low groan from Yunho. I decided to do something sexy and I slowly trailed my hand from my breast to my stomach until I felt my fingers touch the now warm cum. I heard his breath hitch as someone else got on the bed. I scooped some on my finger and sucked my lips.

“Oh fuck, I can't. She's too sexy. I'm done playing this game. I need to fuck her.” Wooyoung growled from between my legs. He ripped the tie off of my face to see his feral look. He grabbed me by my thighs and yanked me down. “Fuck, you so pretty, baby. I might just cum in you the second I put it in.” He said before pushing into me. I let out a loud and desperate moan. Thank God, someone broke. I need them so fucking bad it hurts. I want to feel their cum leaking out of my pussy like their good little cum slut.

“Please! Fuck yes please, Woo.” I moaned as he began to fuck me. The other members joined us on the bed and hands were on me. One landed to hold my cheeks.

“Open wide, baby.” Hongjoong ordered and I opened my mouth obediently. Hongjoong smirked and pushed into my mouth, hitting the back of my throat. I choked a little before adjusting to his size as my body continued to bounce up from Wooyoung's thrusts. Moans escaped around Hongjoong's dick as I sucked on him like it was the tasty lollipop ever. I missed this. I missed them.

Mingi began to suck on one tit and Yunho joined in my other. The pleasure was too overwhelming as I orgasmed once more. Hongjoong began to face fuck me and someone nudged my hand with their dick. I didn't hesitate to take whoever it was. It didn't matter who it was. I wanted to pleasure them all equally. I used the precum from his dick and smeared it around and started to pump my hand as I squeezed my eyes shut, Hongjoong busting in my mouth. I swallowed it quickly and Hongjoong slowly pulled out to be replaced by Seonghwa. He slowly pushed into my mouth and allowed me to go at my own pace, throwing his head back in pleasure.

I orgasmed once more, encouraging Wooyoung to cum inside me. He was pushed aside and quickly replaced by San who began to lap my pussy up. The thighs were trembling and someone else began to kiss, suck, and bite them. I moaned around Seonghwa's dick as the one I was jerking off cummed on my face.

“Cumming~” Jongho warned before doing so. I squinted my eyes closed so I didn't get any in my eyes. By the end of the night, my body was worn and marked. My boyfriends quickly washed and cleaned my body and changed the sheets before allowing me to lay in the bed again.

“Thank you, Love. You did so good. We really needed you.” San said as he placed a soft kiss on my forehead. I nodded as I snuggled into his arms.

“I love you guys.”

“We love you too.” Seonghwa said softly, giving me a soft kiss as well.

“You can sleep, sweetheart.” Hongjoong encouraged me as he tucked the blanket around my body. I nodded, already nodding off.

[cozymochi]

Okay gen question, how are you so good at anatomy? like I know its a mix of years of practice and experience. Mayhaps you can spare some tips on how ppl can improve theirs? Always looking forward to your works btw! Even the scribbles you think aren't decent are always such a nice treat to see <3

It being drilled into my system years ago in a drawing class specifically for that 😭 Then a character design class the next semester that added on top of it. BUT FOR CARTOONSSSSS (I have not accomplished anything in my life to utilize any of this.)

My main point of knowledge reference is this book though (OMG FREE INTERNET ARCHIVE PDF? Yes. Though I personally have a physical copy.) We didn’t really read the walls of text so much as just practiced the proportion stuff in the early pages ad-nauseam and some skeletons (not hyper detailed ones just making sure bones were where they should be). Tho admittedly I’ve been neglecting any studying. (This book came out in 1943 brrgh) DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HAD TO DRAW THIS DIAGRAM? MORE THAN ANY PERSON SHOULD.

But hey, it works. I still sometimes end up referring back to it if I think I’m sucking (disclaimer: i think this often )

As far as I’ve come to know, how something looks visually doesn’t matter so much long as basic proportions are correct. Cuz even people without trained eyes for this sorta thing can recognize when something is proportionately wrong. Like, I guess on you know where everything is supposed to go, you can kinda do anything from there?? I think. It translated well when we were drawing real people who were not the “ideal” presented, and when moving to more stylized stuff with their own rules in a completely different course. So what if that leg doesnt look exactly like u think a leg looks anatomically— IS THE KNEE IN THE CORRECT SPOT? Yes? Then u did it.

Also that eyes are in the center of the face. Not the nose. JUMPSCARE!!!

Aaaa, this isn’t really an interesting answer. If I ever figured out better streaming outside if private discords I could probably make my points better rather than pulling a “here’s a textbook, figure it out” CUZ ITS LIKE. ITS OVERWHELMING WITHOUT A GUIDE AND 😭😭😭

I don’t know. I don’t think I have “anatomy” correct, just “proportions.” Cuz I wouldn’t be able to tell you what something is, just where something goes. Which… I think is a little more important and also a distinction I don’t really see anyone making in drawing.

Though, as much as I wanna be helpful in a more effective way, it’s really really really hard for me to articulate how anyone could improve theirs if I don’t know what the alleged problem areas are 😭 I find all this stuff to be case by case. I kind of do better if i can directly point things out and offer info from there instead of blank slate tips. If I ever figure out streaming outside of private discords it would probably be easier (literally doesnt own a functional up to date enough computer)

I guess focus less on “anatomy” and focus more on proportions since that does more of the heavy lifting? Unless ur a med student, then you probably should focus on anatomy

someone could die because you couldnt identify their coccyx

OKAY THATS IT THANKS AND SORRY

[samijey]

Jey Uso "apologizes" to Drew Mcintyre (RAW 04/03/2024)

[grimoirefate]

TAG DROP 001

[ ooc. ] i'm a nice person so long as you are nice to me. my muses are not the only ones with teeth.

[ ic. ] i once feared mythal would consume me were i to carry her. but twas not so. i remain free willed and mortal.

[ mythal & solas ] ...are not for you alone to bear my friend. the many wrongs we did. we did together. I release you from my service.

[ mythal introspection ] I pulled you from the fade you loved and sent you into war. I used your wisdom as a weapon and it broke you.

[ introspection ] when she intended me to become the next host of an ancient gods soul I feared naught would be left of my own.

[ veilguard ] I have been advisor to orlais. witch of the wilds. daughter of flemeth. and once long ago an old friend.

[ inquisition. ] I knew the empress was intrigued by the arcane and I could answer questions no chantry mage could.

[ origins. ] well. well. what have we here? are you a vulture I wonder? a scavenger? poking amidst a corpse? or intruder?

[ answered: ooc. ] its me. the equivalent of a spicy kitten in a corner.

[ answered: ic. ] yet she survived and returned ages later to aide the inquisition in its hour of need. how?

[ psa. ] hear ye! hear ye! use those things on the side of your head or be doomed.

[ saved. ] im like a dragon when it comes to things i like.

[ prompts / memes. ] twas both a pleasure and necessity to help them as it is now.

[ crack. ] ooooo! you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you!

[ salt. ] i'm bitter and now i'm making it everyone's problem.

[ birthday. ] its my hatch day!!!!

[ self promotion. ] would that I could become them I would for now this will do.

[ promotion ] look! its the people I like! I think you will like them too!

[exopelagic]

i will not panic abt my exams

[thankskenpenders]

The Lara-Su Chronicles: Beginnings review

The day has finally come. Many, understandably, thought we'd never get here. Maybe we shouldn't have gotten here. We've been through so much. Lawsuits, reboots, redesigns, unreleased NFTs, empty legal threats over the fact that movie Knuckles has a dad, an attempt to license out Scourge the Hedgehog to fans that immediately got canceled (in both meanings of the term), and many, MANY idiotic Twitter controversies. But now, here we are.

Thirteen years after first announcing it in the middle of his legal battles with Archie and Sega that changed the American Sonic comics forever, former writer Ken Penders has released the first part of his new series: The Lara-Su Chronicles.

Yes. I had to buy the book. I had to take one for the team. Look at the fucking URL of this blog, a blog I've been using to talk about the American Sonic comics for nearly a decade while the specter of this book loomed in the distance. The one time I've actually been paid to write an article about anything in any professional capacity, it was an article about the Penders lawsuits. I'm cited on his Wikipedia page. There was no way I was going to skip reviewing this, and there was no guarantee that scans would ever turn up online given the incredibly small audience for this trash. (Only 166 people preordered this, and even that number feels way higher than it should be.) No, I had to preorder it to ensure I could get a copy and cover it for the blog... even if that meant my name would be forever immortalized in the list of "supporters" in the back of the book. These are the sacrifices I must make as a woman who stumbled ass backwards into being an amateur Archie Sonic historian.

So, what exactly is in this book? How much of it is new? How bad is it? How did we even get here in the first place? How can this exist without Sega pursuing legal action? What happens next? And, most importantly... why are there multiple depictions of an Archie Sonic character breastfeeding in this book?

I'm here to answer those questions as best I can, and in agonizing detail.

First, for those just tuning in to this decades-long saga or those who maybe don't know the full story, here's a refresher on the background info.

"What the hell is this?"

The Lara-Su Chronicles is Ken Penders' long-dreaded long-awaited continuation of his 1994-2006 run on Archie Sonic, ignoring everything written after he left by other writers like Ian Flynn. In particular, it picks up from the cliffhanger ending of the 2003-2004 arc "Mobius: 25 Years Later," which was set in what Ken considers the definitive canonical future of the series. It stars Knuckles' daughter from that future era, Lara-Su, among other new and returning characters. The project was first announced near the start of Ken's legal battle with Archie in 2011, and he's been posting WIP previews online for about a decade. Now, after all this time, a Lara-Su Chronicles book finally exists.

We'll get to the actual contents of that book in a bit.

"He can do that without getting in trouble with Sega?"

Believe it or not, yes, he can.

Thanks to the outcome of Archie Comics' woefully mismanaged lawsuits against Ken (yes, they sued him after he started filing for copyrights, not the other way around), he now has full legal ownership of every story he wrote for Archie Sonic and every character he created for the series. This was explicitly granted to him in the terms of the settlement between him and Archie (acting on behalf of Sega). He can even reprint his old Sonic material as-is to his heart's content. The main catch is just that he can't write new stories featuring Sega characters or trademarks, and his new stories also have to be distinct from Sonic at a glance to avoid confusing readers. As such, reprints can't use Sonic iconography on the cover, a few Sega characters (mainly Knuckles) have been renamed and slightly redesigned in the new stories, and the art style has been changed to less closely resemble Sonic. But otherwise, he can do whatever he wants with his own characters.

All of this is because Archie lost the original copy of Ken's work-for-hire contract that signed over the rights to his work. Without that (or any alternative that was considered permissible in court), his comics and characters are the property of their creator by default. Yes, those old comics are full of Sega stuff, but Sega doesn't automatically own the copyright for every drawing of Sonic in existence. And Sega put their stamp of approval all over those comics and let them get sold at retail for decades, even though (in the eyes of the court) there was no legal paperwork granting them ownership of any of it. It's almost like they were unwittingly distributing a fan comic for years and declaring it a fair use of their property, and now there's no takesies backsies. It's a strange and unique copyright situation. Again, they worked all this out in the settlement. And, yes, fans have long speculated that Ken stole and destroyed his own contract to regain the rights to his work, but frankly Archie was so incompetent throughout the lawsuit (it went so bad that they had to fire and replace their lawyers midway through) that I completely buy the idea of them just losing important legal documents.

Also, in case it needs to be spelled out: while Ken's a weirdo, it's ultimately a good thing for creatives everywhere that Archie lost their lawsuit against Ken. We do not want to live in a world where corporations can claim ownership of peoples' work without the contracts to back it up. That would be an incredibly dangerous legal precedent to set. And more comic creators, and artists in general, should own their own work! Corporations are not your friend! They'll delete your work for a tax write-off in a heartbeat! It's just bewildering that this guy, of all people, was the creator who ended up successfully getting his shit back, and that this is what he's doing with it.

"What about his old collaborators? Are they involved? Is he paying them?"

Ken is mostly doing The Lara-Su Chronicles solo, though he has, in fact, talked about compensating the artists involved in any material he's reprinting. The ones who give enough of a shit to get paid for a small scale reprint of something they did 20 years ago, anyway.

On the subject of his collaborators, it's also worth pointing out that Ken's wasn't the only contract that was lost. Most of the early Archie Sonic writers from before Ian Flynn's time seem to be in the same boat as Ken, with the ownership of their stories and characters defaulting back to them. Again, Archie fucked up big time. But like I said, most of them don't really seem to give a shit. For most of them, Sonic was just a random temporary gig they took to pay the bills while Marvel was busy going bankrupt in the '90s, not the thing that defined their entire careers.

The only other Archie Sonic contributor who's tried to do anything on the level of what Ken is doing was writer and editor Scott Fulop. In 2016 he attempted to sue Archie for the unauthorized use of what are now retroactively considered his copyrighted characters and stories, and he even announced a standalone comic about his most famous Sonic character, the recurring villain Mammoth Mogul (sort of a pastiche of DC's Vandal Savage and Marvel's Kingpin, with wizard powers added for spice). However, Fulop lost his lawsuit because he didn't put together a particularly compelling case. Since then he seems to have wiped all traces of his ill-advised Mammoth Mogul comic and his company, Narrative Ark Entertainment, from the internet. For now, this leaves The Lara-Su Chronicles the only project of its kind.

"What about those other Archie Sonic reprints he just announced?"

At the time of writing, Ken is once again claiming that he's trying to get the band back together to reprint all of Archie Sonic, now under the bad new banner "Floating Island Productions: MOBIAN LINE" that I can't imagine he consulted literally anyone else on.

So, like, look. As we've established, Ken can reprint his own stories. And if he can work something out with the other contributors whose contracts were lost, he can print their work, too. But there is no fucking way he's getting his hands on Ian Flynn's run, which Sega undoubtedly holds the copyright for. Even if they don't, Ian needs to maintain a good working relationship with both Sega and IDW if he's to keep his job, so he'd never go for this. Not to mention that Ian and Ken just... don't get along! Ken's whole plan here seems to be predicated on IDW going out of business (a thing he REALLY wants to happen) and freeing up the Sonic comic license, after which he knocks on Sega's door and goes "hey I've still got dirt on you guys," blackmailing them into giving him the Sonic license back so that he can reprint the later comics. Every step of this plan is ludicrous. It's never gonna happen.

He's been saying he wants to reprint the whole series for a few years now, though. This isn't really anything new. And despite his lofty plans that set Sonic Twitter ablaze, he quickly backpedaled. The only specific things in the works right now are a "two-volume omnibus" of all of his Knuckles stories and a collection of artist Scott Shaw's work on the very early Archie Sonic issues, since they're on good terms with each other. I have no idea how Ken plans on packaging these when he can't put any Sega characters or the Freedom Fighters on the covers, but these projects are small enough in scale that there's a decent chance they'll see the light of day. Scott Shaw only did like five issues. But anything beyond that? I'll believe it when I see it.

Or, y'know, this could've all just been a publicity stunt for his new book. I wouldn't put it past him. Let's just focus on the book that actually exists.

"So he finally did it? He made a whole Lara-Su book? It's out? He finished it??"

Yes and no.

The book that's out now is The Lara-Su Chronicles: Beginnings, a prologue for the series of seven graphic novels Ken somehow plans on making, even though it's taken him 13 years to put out literally anything new. I don't know whether or not this counts as book one of seven, because it only features 30 pages of new comics. 30.5 if I'm being generous.

Most of the book is actually just a reprint of his infamous Archie Sonic storyline "Mobius: 25 Years Later", which ran from issue #131 to #144 in 2003-2004. (Again, yes, he can reprint this, he just can't put Sonic on the cover.) Why's it infamous? Well, Ken had been building anticipation for this future era of the series for basically his entire run. We kept seeing King Sonic and Queen Sally from the future. Knuckles' entire backstory hinges on his dad having a vision of this future. Several years before Silver the Hedgehog was created, it was Lara-Su who was Sonic's equivalent to Future Trunks, the cool-looking child of one of the main characters who traveled back in time to try and prevent a dark future. Believe it or not, yes, there was hype for Lara-Su. And then we finally got M25YL, and none of that cool stuff happened. Instead it really ended up being about how unbearably boring the middle aged Sonic, Knuckles, Sally, and co. are in this peaceful future where Robotnik is dead and they're all married with kids, forced into traditional nuclear family gender roles. Lara-Su is present, but she mostly just does generic teen girl stuff and complains about how Knuckles won't let her do anything even though she REALLY wants to be the new Guardian of Angel Island, like, super bad! Come on, dad!!!

In its original printing, this meandering arc ended on an abrupt time travel cliffhanger that Ken was never able to follow up on before he left Archie in 2006. This new printing slightly changes that ending, using the unresolved timey-wimey shenanigans as a convenient excuse to alter the entire timeline. This creates the slightly different world of The Lara-Su Chronicles, where the few relevant Sega-owned characters have been replaced and everyone is ten times uglier.

After this, we finally get two short new stories picking up where M25YL left off: "The Storm," starring Acorn Kingdom super-spy and known creep Geoffrey St. John, and an early release of the first chapter of The Lara-Su Chronicles: Shattered Tomorrows, the first full TLSC graphic novel.

And now that we're all on the same page about what we're looking at, let's actually talk about the book!

The cover

Let's start by beating a dead horse. The cover art: it's still bad! But why is it bad?

The cover is, of course, based on Patrick Spaziante's cover from Archie Sonic #131, the start of the "Mobius: 25 Years Later" arc. (Ken did the layout for that cover, though, so in the eyes of the law he's the original creator who owns that cover.) That cover was, itself, a tribute to the iconic cover of Giant-Size X-Men #1 by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum, the issue that introduced the version of the team with Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, etc.

Ken seems to have forgotten that the point of both these covers was to hype up the arrival of a new cast of characters. The new guys are supposed to make a dramatic entrance front and center. That's the focal point. Meanwhile, the cover for Beginnings has the old timeline versions of the cast from Archie Sonic dramatically bursting out of a shattered crystal ball, while their new counterparts look on in mild bemusement - if they're even bothering to look at all, since most of the characters here are just copied and pasted from their profile pages. That's just not how you do this particular homage! The point is supposed to be "out with the old, in with the new." And why are they using a crystal ball to view the past? Hell, why are they even using a crystal ball at all? The original arc was presented as a magical vision of the future courtesy of Tails' uncle Merlin (don't ask), but the new story leans all the way into being futuristic sci-fi.

Of course, there is no real artistic intent at play here. The old versions of the characters are placed front and center in the crystal ball simply because Ken traced over Spaziante's original art of Lara-Su and Julie-Su (the only two characters on the Sonic cover he owns) and threw out the rest, ruining the composition in the process. Look at the awkward empty space where Sonic, Sally, and Rotor once were, and the new drawing of The Character Formerly Known As Knuckles who's no longer properly centered between his wife and daughter. Even if Ken can claim ownership of the cover because he did the original layout, this all just feels scummy and lame.

And, yeah, if it needs to be said, the new characters and Ken's new rendering style look like absolute fucking dogshit. Putting new Lara-Su directly next to old Lara-Su does her no favors. The shattered glass effect looks absolutely atrocious. I could go on, but we'll have plenty of time to talk about the art style when we see how bad the stories inside look.

Changes to "Mobius: 25 Years Later"

Overall, 99% of M25YL is presented identically to its original printing. Sonic, Sally, Knuckles, et al. are still present with no changes to their names and no tweaks to the art. Even the original cover for issue #131 is included only a few pages into this book with its Archie, Sonic, and Sega logos still intact and everything. Again, because of the weird copyright situation described above, these preexisting comics can be released without any changes.

There is exactly one bizarre change to the art, though, where a hand drawn shot of Angel Island is replaced with an unfitting photo background and the ugly Floating Island photobash that Ken has been using as his personal logo for decades. I think he only did this as part of a test for his motion comic app that nobody asked for. I don't know why this had to make it into the print version. It's like the book is firing a warning shot for what's to come if you keep reading.

The new content begins on the final page of M25YL. In the original wet fart of a cliffhanger ending, Sonic and co. accidentally alter the timeline with an old time machine of Robotnik's and Lara-Su begins to fade away. Then, after everything goes white, we just cut to the present day heroes going "gee, you ever think about the future?" In this new printing, that last bit has been cut, and the rest of the page has been awkwardly shrunk down so that Ken can fit in a new panel. We now see the hands of an off-screen villain, seemingly named "Override," proclaiming that "the Praetorian" (Knuckles) has messed up the timeline again and that they'll finally get their revenge.

Who is this Override? I have no fucking clue. The new stories in this book make no mention of them. You have to buy the next book to find out.

My confusion over the identity of this villain overlaps with another big problem: name changes. So many names and nouns have been arbitrarily changed in The Lara-Su Chronicles, even ones Ken didn't have to change for copyright reasons, and I only know what half of them are replacing because Ken's been tweeting about this shit for years.

The echidnas are now a totally original alien race called "the Echyd'nya." Even in flashbacks to events from M25YL attempting to mimic the old art style, if it's on a new comic page, they're gonna call themselves "Echyd'nya." Evil echidna faction the Dark Legion is now the "Cyberdark Dominion," hailing from the "Cyberdark Colony." The Brotherhood of Guardians is still the Brotherhood of Guardians, but now the main guardian is called "The Praetorian." Angel Island is still called "The Floating Island," like it was in the older Archie comics, but it's ALSO sometimes called "Avion"? When I read this I wasn't sure if he had randomly renamed Albion, the other echidna city from the Archie comics. But no. Now we have an Albion AND an Avion. Sally is mentioned simply as "Princess Acorn," while Sonic is referenced once as an unnamed "blue-spined Erinaceinae," using the scientific name for hedgehog to make it sound more sci-fi. In an incredibly ballsy move, Ken even mentions Robotnik as "the Insurrectionist Kintobor," retaining his original surname from the Archie comics that's just "Robotnik" backwards. Guess Sega never trademarked that one.

Aside from every name change being a downgrade, this leads to confusion when you're not sure if something is supposed to be new, or if it's just an Archie thing you're supposed to recognize despite having a new name and design. Is "Override" someone I'm supposed to know already? Am I just supposed to have read a fucking tweet from Ken where he said he changed the name of some existing villain to "Override"? The answer is no, but I had to term search his Twitter just to verify this.

Moving on!

New story #1: "The Storm"

If you've been following the WIPs, this is that story about Geoffrey St. John that Ken's been posting previews of for almost a decade. The title page copyright dates it to 2015, and that absurdly long gestation is probably why the art is so inconsistent here. Even the style of speech bubbles and the font change between pages two and three.

This is a problem when there's supposed to be a deliberate and noticeable change in art style here signaling the moment where the time travel stuff alters the timeline, replacing the Archie Sonic world with the Lara-Su Chronicles world. If you don't already know that's what's going on, the idea isn't conveyed clearly at all. It just goes from one hideous art style to a slightly different one with no explanation.

The main problem here is that Ken has hitched his wagon to a franchise about anthropomorphic animals when he can't draw furries to save his life. (Though a bit later in the book we'll also begin to wonder if he can even still draw humans.) He's shifted away from the cartooniness of the original designs and given them more human proportions and facial features, but this just ends up making them look incredibly uncanny and lumpy and gross. With some designs he's trying to lean into more of a Star Trek alien vibe, but then he still insists upon retaining the giant Sonic eyes on most characters even though he has no idea how to make them emote.

The rendering of these godawful designs doesn't do them any favors, either. Ken's going for more of a painterly look now, but it almost seems as though he's shading everything with Photoshop's burn and dodge tools that are designed to darken and lighten select areas of a photo. The result is a muddy, smudgy look that makes it feel like the color layer has been smeared in vaseline. And it only looks worse after coming off of 14 chapters of M25YL that have way more palatable art.

The backgrounds, too, are a complete mess, a jumble of low res jpeg photo elements (sometimes with extremely noticeable pixelation), stock textures, and smooth digital gradients. There's no real sense of place here, and it gives everything a surreal, dreamlike quality when you can't really tell where anything is supposed to take place. This first story is seemingly set in a high-tech stronghold below Castle Acorn called "the Bunker," but it could just as easily be confused for the bridge of a spaceship. This whole story features characters speaking to each other over floating video displays and hologram projectors from three different locations, but without a hologram effect and without a clear sense of where the characters are it often feels like they're just in the same room as each other. Characters will be in one location on one photo background, and then the camera angle changes and they're in a completely different place, because Ken just uses mismatched photos off of the internet. It's been like 25 years since he first tried using photo backgrounds in the Archie comics and he hasn't gotten any better at it.

When I had my boyfriend read the book to see if it made literally any sense to him (it didn't), Anthony said this: "This is the kind of shit I'd see linked on a Second Life world that hasn't been touched since 2004." I think he really hit the nail on the head. Now, there's actually a contrarian part of me that thinks that might theoretically almost be kind of cool, in sort of a messy counterculture way. I love weird indie shit. I was a Homestuck reader! But this isn't a scrappy mixed media zine, or experimental outsider art from someone just messing around with Photoshop, or a loving throwback to weird old internet art, or even something intentionally bizarre and offputting like Xavier: Renegade Angel or a PilotRedSun video or whatever where the fact that it's weird and ugly is part of the humor. This is supposed to be a sincere sci-fi epic drawing on Star Trek and Jack Kirby comics, made by a guy who's been drawing comics professionally since the '80s. This is supposed to look good. This is supposed to compete with mainstream comics that are on sale right now. He thinks any day now IDW's gonna go out of business and Sega will come crawling back to him so that he can stamp the Sonic logo on shit like this. It just doesn't work.

But, okay. It's ugly. We knew it would be ugly. But that ugliness would be much easier to accept if it was in service of an otherwise genuinely good story. So what about the writing? After all this time, how does Ken choose to kick off this new saga? Well, credit where credit's due. "The Storm" feels like a proper continuation of Ken's writing style from M25YL.

Because it's eleven pages of characters standing around and talking while nothing fucking happens.

Here's the synopsis: A dog woman named Brownie, an ensign in the Royal Secret Service fresh out of training and the only character who's almost cute, walks up to Geoffrey to deliver a report. He's immediately suspicious of her, asking who let her in and if she's a spy for Elias (Sally's brother, if you're new here) or Alicia (Sally's mom). The art style suddenly shifts when the timeline is altered, but the scene continues uninterrupted. Geoffrey points a gun at Brownie when she won't say whose spy she is. Geoffrey is distracted by a call and proceeds to have a conversation via a mix of holograms and video screens with Remington (head of Echidnaopolis security), Spectre (Knuckles' great great great great great grandpa, the one with the helmet who always looks evil), and a new scientist character named Dr. Zephyr/Zephur. (The spelling of this character's name changes multiple times throughout the 11-page story, because I guess nine years wasn't enough time to spellcheck this shit.) They say a bunch of made up technobabble nonsense about how it looks like the timeline was just altered and Knuckles and co. seem to be involved. It's complete drivel that I'm not even going to try to make sense of. Everyone decides to investigate further, and the conversation ends. Brownie tells Geoffrey she's his spy, then walks out and implies she's actually Alicia's spy in her inner monologue.

To be continued!!!

Yes, that's it. It's really just a bunch of technobabble where some characters talk about how it seems like the timeline has been fucked with. That's it. The whole time Geoffrey doesn't even get up out of his damn chair, which he's of course sitting in backwards to show how cool he is. It's just 11 pages of Geoffrey sitting in a chair and talking to people and looking uglier than he's ever looked. Nothing happens. Nine years for this.

I'm also struck by how meaningless all of this is to anyone who hasn't read Archie Sonic. The added context from M25YL may help a little, but "The Storm" focuses on characters who weren't in that arc, and the story does very little to introduce who any of them are. Brownie could've been super useful as an inexperienced point of view character who's only meeting the others for the first time here, but instead she's really just a passive observer who's here as part of some kind of 4D chess game between Geoffrey and Alicia, an off-screen character whose motivations in this era of the story are completely unknown to even returning readers. Who are the good guys and bad guys here? What are the conflicts and the stakes of the story moving forward? What do these characters want? Basic questions like this aren't really answered. I can't imagine a new reader being able to make heads or tails of this. Hell, I can't really imagine a returning reader who hasn't been following the last decade's worth of Ken's tweets about this story making heads or tails of it, either.

...Maybe more will happen in the next story?

New story #2: Shattered Tomorrows preview chapter

After another message from Ken, the story of The Lara-Su Chronicles proper begins with the redesigned Lara-Su walking along a jpeg photograph beach at sunset and crying while thinking about how Knuckles - sorry, his name is K'Nox now - is dead.

Yep! Straight into the dad stuff!

Look, I'm the last person to complain about writers getting super personal and drawing from their own baggage in their writing, but Ken's just no fucking good at it. There's no nuance, nothing interesting to say. He just keeps writing mediocre-to-horrible dads whose misdeeds are always justified by their "good intentions," and then sometimes they die and their kids are like "we may have fought but actually you were the bestest dad ever and I'll miss you forever, I'll never be able to fill your shoes!"

This is the only part of the new material here that feels like it has any heart behind it, because I know how much his complex relationship with his late deadbeat father means to Ken (there's an author's note in this outright saying as much). But the guy died 42 years ago, and it doesn't feel like Ken has had any new thoughts about this part of his life in those four decades. He's just not an introspective or self-aware enough artist to actually mine his personal baggage for anything beyond "father knows best."

Anyway, so then it jumps forward in time(?) and now we're following this human guy who looks like this.

Previously, Ken got a lot of shit for literally just using the likeness of Anthony Mackie for this guy, based on his IMDB profile photo. Ken has thus redesigned the character... and by that I mean I think he looks more like Ernie Hudson now? Ken's clearly just working off of photo references (if not straight up tracing), given his face is the most detailed and realistic-looking thing on any page where he's present.

But you may be wondering: who is this, and why is he here? Well, for one, he's here to run around in front of some low res space photos while making trite references to things like Planet of the Apes and Star Trek. Haha, he makes a joke about red shirts! Original!! But beyond that, Commander Mykhal Taelor (yes, that's really how he chose to spell it) is a human... from Earth! Archie Sonic readers are probably confused, because in those comics Mobius is Earth in the distant post-apocalyptic future. Well, despite being a Planet of the Apes fan, Ken always hated that particular worldbuilding decision from Karl Bollers, always preferring to think of Mobius as a separate alien planet. And now he gets to make that canon in his own stories and throw out Karl's ideas. So Mobius is basically just, like, a Star Trek planet now, with its own alien creatures that sometimes just so happen to look like anthropomorphic Earth animals.

Also, at one point Taelor wonders if the inhabitants of the dead Mobius might have been human, and the alien ally he's talking to over the radio says it's unlikely. "I don't understand why your kind has a problem understanding you're a minority within a minority." Perhaps poor wording for a line said to the only Black character in the story.

Anyway, Commander Taelor here seems to have discovered the uninhabited husk of Mobius after the vague time-space cataclysm everyone was worried about in M25YL has come to pass, and he finds an audio log from Lara-Su that I presume will explain what happened. I guess those are the titular Lara-Su Chronicles. In theory this flash forward establishes some sense of pressing danger, but when the threat to the planet is so unclear and technobabble-y it just kind of lands with a thud.

It doesn't take long before we get back to Lara-Su being sad about her dad. A good little chunk of the chapter is spent with this new timeline's Lara-Su recalling moments in her life, including echoes of the original Lara-Su's memories from M25YL, which feels redundant coming hot off the heels of a straight reprint of that entire arc. And boy, for anyone who read the later Archie Sonic comics, the protagonist having vague memories of the old version of the series from before a lawsuit-related timeline reboot sure does sound familiar, huh?

The art inconsistency somehow becomes even worse in this story, with Ken flip-flopping on whether or not he wants to use outlines, with the no-outline art managing to look even worse by relying entirely on Ken's awful rendering. By this point in the book, readers are also likely to start noticing how often Ken reuses art from previous panels. This is a shortcut that tons of comic artists use, of course. Invincible famously did a joke about this. It's often understandable. But, again... it sure does stand out in a book that took 13 years to make with only 30 pages of new art. Amusingly, Ken even manages to combine his inconsistency and recycling problems by reusing the same art with and without outlines. And, of course, any time Ken tries to draw the Archie era designs it's just... the worst.

And, yes, it's in this dreamlike montage sequence of Lara-Su's life that we get...

The uncomfortable family nudity scene, followed by the dual timeline Julie-Su breastfeeding scene.

Yeah, you might have heard about this one already. If this incredibly eerie presentation of Lara-Su's hazy memories of the two different timelines make it hard to tell what's going on, don't worry. There's another, clearer version later in the book as part of Julie-Su's character profile, because I guess Ken was just so proud of it.

(I censored these myself because I'm not playing Russian roulette with Tumblr's inconsistent nudity rules and risking getting banned lmao)

Like, okay. Is a mother breastfeeding her child really that shocking of a thing to see in a story? No, not at all. But, like... when it's two characters who you previously created for an officially licensed Sonic the Hedgehog comic for 7-year-olds... and some of those officially licensed Sonic the Hedgehog comics for 7-year-olds are reprinted in the same book... and when it's drawn like this... yeah, it's kind of a shocker.

It just looks so unnatural. Julie-Su is posed very deliberately so that you'll see both of her breasts, and in the new timeline version she's barely even holding Lara-Su so you can really get a good look at her supermodel body, showing zero physical signs that she just gave birth. Most people will immediately jump to this being Ken putting his fetishes in his work (a type of criticism that I'm incredibly tired of - it's 2024, all the cool artists are blatantly putting their fetishes in their work now). And my immediate response is that, no, this is probably just Ken trying to come off as really mature on a surface level, a thing he's been obsessed with since the Archie days. Free from the shackles of writing a licensed children's comic, of course he's going to jump immediately into depicting some nonsexual, artistic nudity to try and prove he's A Real Mature Artist For Grown-Ups who just thinks the human body is beautiful and breastfeeding shouldn't be a taboo etc. etc.

But then, like. You look at some of the other character designs. Like Espio's daughter Salma, who's now this horrifying alien lizard person who's always nude, and her scale pattern puts scales exactly where her nipples should be. Or you look at his comments about the Echyd'nya age of consent. Or you look at how he keeps drawing Lara-Su in this. Like, does the shuttle really need this, like... reverse chaise lounge thing in the cockpit? So that we can keep getting these shots of the 16-year-old Lara-Su lying on her stomach and posing with one of her legs kicked up, her naked ass in plain view?

The vibe isn't great, is what I'm saying!

I'm not going to try to ascribe authorial intent here. I don't know. I'm not a psychic. Given his very blatant reliance on photo references elsewhere in the book, it's entirely possible he just referenced some figure drawing photos that were maybe just a little too sexy. And also, he's an American comic book artist, and a boomer one at that. Those guys tend to draw women a certain way, even when it's not supposed to be sexual. I don't fucking know. It just sucks. I'm not gonna make some hyperbolic statement about how this makes him a literal pedophile who should be in jail, but it is deeply offputting and objectifying.

But if you already knew about the nursing scenes and were hoping there was some other really shocking stuff in there for me to talk about in this review, sorry to disappoint, but nope. That's the only shockingly weird new thing in here. Once again, not a lot happens in this story, and what does happen is pretty boring.

Once we get past the recap stuff and the human guy, the plot developments boil down to this: The timeline was altered at the end of M25YL... but not as much as you might think. In the new timeline, Knuckles ("K'Nox"), Cobar (now looking significantly younger), and Rotor (now a rhino just called "The Emissary") still traveled via shuttle to go find a time machine in the Badlands and fix the time-space continuum, like in the climax of the original arc. This time, though, Sonic wasn't there, and Lara-Su came along without having to stow away. Lara-Su watches the ship while the grown ups go deal with the time machine, and then after a couple panels Not Rotor comes back with Cobar and is like "Hey, Cobar got hurt, we gotta leave. Dunno what happened to your dad." And then they just, like. Presume that Knuckles must have died. Even though we have no idea what happened to him. And then they just fly away. And then Lara-Su is sad that her dad died.

And that's pretty much it!

This is supposed to be a really emotional sequence - it's literally the scene where Lara-Su learns that Knuckles is dead - but instead it comes off as unintentionally funny because of how poorly it's portrayed. Not showing Knuckles' actual disappearance is a huge misstep, for one, making his uncertain fate more confusing and anticlimactic than dramatic. But also, Ken keeps just using the same two drawings of Rotor for two pages, so he doesn't really seem to be emoting at all, and he's in this spacey hazmat suit that honestly just makes him look like fucking Moltar from Space Ghost. So the whole time I'm just reading his dialogue in Moltar's deadpan voice as he's like "I dunno. We did what we could. Anyway, let's leave."

After this, we get a two-page spread previewing the rest of the story from Shattered Tomorrows. It's basically like a trailer in comic form. It has one of the most mystifying layouts I've ever seen in a comic book. I have no idea what order I'm supposed to read this in.

Yeah, I kinda have a feeling this is the full extent of what Ken has drawn for the rest of that book. I'd love to be wrong, but I fear that I'm right.

Bonus material: Data files

These are mostly very dull, recapping a lot of events shared between Ken's Archie run and the new Lara-Su Chronicles timeline. It seems like almost his entire run is still considered canon to the backstory of the new timeline, just with some names changed, and things only really diverge at the climax of M25YL. But I'll share the interesting stuff here.

Lara-Su

The main thing you'll notice in Lara-Su's profile is the massive, unreadable wall of text where Ken felt the need to list the entire Knuckles family tree, split across both pages.

This is literally so long that Lara-Su's personal history has to awkwardly cut off mid-sentence and be continued on the final page of the book, after the rest of the data files.

Also, please note that this list gives Julie-Su's mom's full name as Mari-Su of the House of Atrades. Incredible on all levels.

There's also a reference to the dark timeline Lara-Su was originally supposed to come from. You know, the one where Julie-Su is the leader of a rebel movement fighting against a Knuckles who had gone mad with power? The timeline that would have been way more interesting than the one in M25YL? Here it seems to have been written off as the result of another "timeline disruption." Lara-Su allegedly has vague memories of this timeline, in the same way that she has vague memories of the M25YL timeline.

Geoffrey

Geoffrey's bio mostly recaps events from the Archie comics, which means the Sonic/Sally/Geoffrey love triangle has to be alluded to. His rivalry with Sonic is described like this:

"He would later resurface when Kintobor was transporting his latest hi-tech weapon, the Dynamac-3000. It was during that mission he discovered a rival for the Princess' affections. Whereas the Princess would be one of a line of conquests where St. John was concerned, the blue-spined Erinaceinae who protested doth a bit too much regarding his affections for the Princess for St. John's taste would prove to be a source of great sport and amusement."

Yes. It's gross. Saying that Geoffrey saw Sally as "one of a line of conquests" is gross. Ken writing this and then still treating Geoffrey as the coolest badass ever is gross. The "Princess Acorn" is also first on the list of Geoffrey's "female relationships" elsewhere in his bio, though I suppose how much of a "relationship" they had is left vague. Honestly, at this point the fact that Ken didn't explicitly confirm that Geoffrey took the underage Sally's virginity in the book comes off as a display of restraint. The bar couldn't be any lower, I know.

Remington

His bio is, frankly, shockingly long for such a minor character, though I guess he does get a large portion of the word salad dialogue in "The Storm." There's a lot of stuff here about how the identities of his biological parents are shrouded in mystery, a plot point that fans have long speculated Ken just straight up forgot about in his time at Archie. (Ian confirmed that Kragok from the Dark Legion was Remington's dad, though, so this isn't really much of a mystery.)

Lien-Da

She gets a bio even though she's not present in the two new stories, just so we get to look at her awful new design and compare it to how Steven Butler drew her earlier in the book:

Commander Taelor

We get to see two drawings of him with the same exact Ernie Hudson face side by side! That's fun.

Julie-Su

She gets a list of "known friends," but the only character listed is Knuckles' mom. Poor Julie-Su.

Also, Ken feels the need to reiterate that Knuckles and Julie-Su are still distant cousins. He made a whole new timeline where he can change whatever details he wants, but THAT had to remain canon. Thanks, Ken.

And then after the data files we get the special thanks page, listing everyone who preordered the book and/or bought TLSC merch from Ken.

With my name on the list. Because I had to buy a copy to cover it for the blog.

My name is on the very next page right after the breastfeeding panel in Julie-Su's data file.

Yep. He got me.

Is it at least a well put together book? Like, in terms of manufacturing quality?

Its physical quality is... fine. It's a nice, sturdy hardcover. The print quality seems fine, though mine does have a bit of smudging from some sort of printing error on one page. The pages don't seem like they'll fall out on me. The image quality is crisp. The colors are vibrant. This is a low bar, but this is one of the few places where I'm able to give this book anything resembling praise.

The formatting and graphic design work, on the other hand...

(I didn't crumple those page corners, it came like that.)

For one, the placement and sizes of the M25YL pages is inconsistent, largely due to the fact that the book doesn't actually match the proportions of a comic. A lot of pages aren't properly centered vertically. Some pages go all the way up to the top edge of the paper, while others leave a visible gap of about half a centimeter. Every page has a 1cm gap to its left and right, which is sometimes filled in with a solid color or gradient that doesn't quite match the page it's surrounding. I have to assume Ken didn't have any sort of source files or original artwork to work off of, as those ideally would've had more generous bleed to account for slight shifts in printing. It kind of seems like he just got the highest resolution versions he could find of the digital releases online and printed those. The colors are a dead ringer for the digital versions, which have always looked slightly more saturated and pastel than they did in print.

I can't say this bodes well for his further plans for Archie Sonic reprints - sorry, Mobian Line reprints. If they ever come out, please, for the love of god, do not buy those. I don't care how much you love Archie Sonic, they aren't going to be good reprints. For comparison, IDW's similarly priced hardcover Sonic collections have none of these formatting problems, because they're made by people who know what they're doing with access to the actual source files.

The book also has its fair share of text-focused pages, split between the data files and messages directly from Ken about the history of his career and this project, and these are formatted in the most amateurish way possible. Just massive walls of Arial text over either plain white backgrounds, simple gradients, or faded photos. I've seen school yearbooks with better graphic design. Even ignoring my subjective feelings about the art and stories within, this book does not feel like it's worth $36 USD.

It's frankly shocking how shabby he let this thing look considering it's supposed to be his baby. And doesn't that really sum it all up?

Closing thoughts

Obviously, I did not expect this to be any good. But I'm still left kind of dumbfounded by it.

I think what really strikes me about it is that Ken had a blank check to do whatever he wanted here. He got an opportunity many writers would kill for when he gained complete ownership of his most famous work. He's free from the limitations of a monthly licensed comic book for children, free to make whatever creative decisions he wants without editors or other writers or Sega to worry about, free to completely reinvent the series to his heart's content and finally tell the story of his dreams. And with that opportunity and 13 years of his time, he made... this. A direct continuation of "Mobius: 25 Years Later" that barely changes anything about the characters or world beyond their awful new designs, even though much of the word count is spent rambling about how the timeline has changed. A story that makes zero concessions for new readers, or even returning readers who don't already have the last decade's worth of Ken's tweets explaining his creative decisions burned into their memory. 30 pages where nothing really happens and the story barely moves forward an inch despite the decades-long wait - but maybe something will happen if you buy the next book!

Who is this for? Maybe this really is a project for no one but Ken. Maybe he just really, really wants to finish the story he started, a story that's personal to him due to the family history it evokes, and the number of people who enjoy it or buy it beyond that is irrelevant. I think that many of the best artists are incredibly self-indulgent ones working with that exact mindset, artists whose enthusiasm for their own work jumps off the page or screen. So, if that's the case, then why the fuck isn't he telling the damn story? What's stopping him? Why is he still spinning his wheels? Where is that passion for his own work? Because it sure as hell isn't there on the page. There's a huge part of me that really wishes I could say "Man, what a weirdo, but you do you, Ken. You tell your weird little story." But there's barely any story here. It's like he loves styling himself as a storyteller, but he's terrified of finally having to actually tell a story after all this time. He's still stuck in the exact same mode of writing he was in almost 30 years ago when he was doing 6-page backup stories about Knuckles, just killing time and stringing readers along until he's eventually able to truly realize his vision. If not now, then when, Ken?

Even the back cover blurb is mostly just a dry recap of the history of this thing. It was a Sonic comic, the original arc was published in these issues, it went unfinished, Ken left Archie, the lawsuits happened, now he's continuing the story. There's nothing about why anyone should give a shit about this as its own story, even though Ken has spent years trying in vain to convince people TLSC is its own beast that shouldn't be judged as a Sonic story. I think deep down he knows that there's no pitch for this beyond the novelty of it originating from Sonic. And that's why, despite declaring that he'd leave the site, he's still on Twitter riling up Sonic fans. It's the only attention he gets at this point.

Maybe this is too harsh when those 30 pages of new comics are just intended as a preview for the "real" book. But the elephant in the room is that we have no idea if that "real" book will ever actually come out, let alone the entire series of seven graphic novels that will supposedly complete this saga.

Ken is undeniably a complete jackass and all around unpleasant, vindictive person who's rightly become an industry pariah. He's a self-proclaimed paragon of progressive values who'll send Comicsgaters after his successors for the crime of not worshiping the ground he walks on, and then turn around and announce he's going to reprint their work without even consulting them. He's a sore winner who already won his copyright battle on a level most comic writers would never dare to dream of, and yet still won't truly be satisfied until he sees an entire major comic publisher go out of business, putting god knows how many people out of work, because he thinks this would get him back the license to a video game franchise he doesn't even like.

But I still have to pity him.

As an artist, the trajectory of his life is my nightmare. I think all of us fear dying before we can tell all the stories we want to tell. There's simply never enough time to do everything. And here's Ken in his 60s, talking about how he's still planning on making his magnum opus all by himself out of stubbornness and pride, despite demonstrably proving he can't handle the workload, and also talking about how if he dies before the project can be finished he'll have to pass the torch on to his kids and get them to finish it for him. It's so grim. Even just typing that sends a shiver down my spine. It took nine years of his limited time on Earth to finish and release an 11-page comic about Geoffrey St. John sitting backwards in a chair.

This is a purgatory of his own creation. And yet... I'm not sure he's ever been prouder. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

I guess if I want people to take anything away from this review, it's this:

Lesson one: If you're an artist or writer of some kind, or an aspiring creator, don't wait around. No one else is going to tell your story for you. Start writing that novel. Start drawing that webcomic. Start making that game. If Penders can put out this damn book that no one asked for after 13 years of work, then proudly proclaim that he's still going to make six or seven more books and also reprint hundreds of comics he doesn't have all of the rights to, then show up to cons with that foul Lara-Su Chronicles: Shattered Tomorrows banner and sit in front of it beaming with pride, fully aware of his critics but saying "fuck 'em, I know I'm hot shit," then you can do fucking anything. Tell the weird, sincere, cringe story of your dreams. If Ken Penders doesn't have imposter syndrome, then nobody should.

And lesson two: Don't buy Ken's books.

[cinnamorollcrybaby]

Shameless

Tags: dad!Toji x fem!reader, modern!au, nsfw, mdni, breeding kink, he calls himself daddy

Synopsis: You’re Toji’s live-in nanny. He wants to breed you, and he successfully does so.

An: This is my story on ao3!! You can read it here. If you’re feeling extra nice, a kudos would be cool too.

Being a single dad was hard. Toji learned quickly after his wife's death that he in fact couldn't do this alone. The way little Megumi's big eyes looked up to him for direction... him of all people. He was not cut out for this. Megumi's mom was a wonderful mother: sweet, nurturing, and patient. Toji really didn't know if he was any of those things.

Luckily, her life insurance provided Toji with a relatively comfortable life combined with his job in construction of course. Construction might be his vice. He got away from home for 12 hours a day, and he worked so hard that his brain was mush by the time he was home. Not that he didn't love his son, he did, but every time he looked at Megumi he saw his sweet late wife. He also saw his short comings as a father.

Babysitters quit on him regularly. It was always the same excuse. "Megumi's an angel, but I can't be here 7 days a week. I have a life too." It was incredibly annoying. They'd stay for Megumi but left due to another one of his shortcomings.

Another one quit. That would be the third one this month. "Listen Mr. Fushiguro, I know a friend. She does this sort of thing on a different level. Have you ever considered having a live-in nanny?"

That stupid girl's question enlightened Toji. He had completely forgotten that live-in nannies still existed. After getting her friend's number and paying her what he owed her for her time, Toji relaxed on the couch with little Megumi tucked into his side. The three-year-old was happily babbling next to him, enamored by Toji's phone that was in his hand.

Toji looked at the number dialed into his phone, and he sighed. He was tired of making cold calls to potential babysitters like he was some desperate whore, but maybe, maybe this would be different. He wouldn't mind having a live-in nanny. His house wouldn't mind it either. Toji would be able to finally breathe. No more coming home from 12 hour shifts to pop something to eat in the microwave and wash the dishes. He wouldn't even have to see this so-called nanny often. He could pick up more hours at work with all of his new freedom of not having to worry about pissing off the babysitter.

*** *** ***

Either way, that's how you ended up in Toji's house. For the past three months you had taken care of Megumi, cleaned and deep cleaned his entire house, cooked him plenty of dinners from scratch, and even did his laundry the exact way he preferred. His house has never looked better, and Megumi had never looked so happy.

Despite being here for three months, you barely saw Toji. He seemed to avoid you like the plague and only answer with one-worded answers, which was fine. This was your job, not your actual family. There was no need for extensive communications. Though, you had gushed to your friend plenty over text about how hot "Mr. Fushiguro" was. He was conventionally attractive, yes. But you also always had a thing for the brooding types, and dammit, Toji was brooding. There was also something to be said about how he came home in the evenings. A black wifebeater clinging to his skin from a long day of working out in the sun. His jeans would be dirty from the work he was doing. His skin glistening from a thin sheen of sweat. His hair was always a mess. Goddammit. It was enough to make you feel fertile.

It was early in the morning, Toji was getting ready to go to work. Megumi had woken up, crying for his papa not to leave him. He's going through an extra clingy phase. He's usually okay once Toji's gone.

"Papa!" Megumi cried as Toji entered the living room. You had Megumi in your lap, rocking him with a sleepy look on your face. His tears were wetting your shirt, but you didn't seem to mind.

"He'll be back tonight, Gumi." You shooshed him and continued to try to rock him and pat his back.

Toji's face was unreadable. He was never one to get all upset over Megumi's crying, but hearing his son cry out for him tugged on his heartstrings extra this morning. Then, there was you. You were a godsend to Toji's life. Getting a live-in nanny was one of the best decisions he had ever made. Above that, you were excellent with Megumi. You were sweet... nurturing... patient. He hated how seeing you with his son made him feel. It almost felt like maybe 2 kids wouldn't be that big of a deal. Maybe 3. One on each of your legs and another one swelling in your belly. God. He was disgusted in himself for thinking like that.

"I love you, kiddo." Toji said quickly as he leaned down, giving Megumi's forehead a quick peck. The toddler made grabby hands for him. It was almost enough to make him stay home. Almost. Toji's eyes met yours as he was still leaned over. His face was close to yours. The tension between them were palpable. The moment felt like eternity between them.

Then, a black credit card was in view. "I need new work gloves. Get the extra thick rubber ones, will ya? Also, get whatever you and the kid want. I'll be back late tonight." He handed you the card and sauntered out of the house despite Megumi's pleas for him to stay. You looked at the Amex black card and blinked a couple of times. Only the top earners in the world had cards like this. Toji was just an average blue collar dad... It made you wonder how he got a card like this.

You still spent that shit though.

*** *** ***

Toji looked at his phone on the jobsite. No one dared to tell him to put it away. Toji was the best most competent worker out on the field. He could work circles around supervisors and project managers alike, and he was damn smart. He didn't need a pencil and paper or a calculator to make quick conversions in his head. So, most people stayed out of his way.

He smirked and chuckled at the notifications rolling in from his bank. 78.97 at Target. 21.25 at McDonald's. 43.52 at Barnes and Noble. 9.24 at Starbucks. He was happy you and Megumi were getting to have a little shopping spree.

You were also great at keeping him updated. You sent him lots of pictures and videos of Megumi. He cherished each one of them, immediately getting some of them printed and hung up in his house. There was even a picture of you and Megumi proudly displayed in the living room. In his mind, you were an integral part of the family. The "family" simply would not function if it weren't for you.

A fond smile spread across his face as he opened his messages. A picture of Megumi's little hands trying to fit into his new gloves that she had bought him. Great. She got the right ones. "I think he wants to be just like daddy :)", the message read.

Oh.

Oh.

The twitch that just occurred in his pants should be punishable in a court of law. In no way should he have gotten turned on by that. You were just being nice. It was a normal thing for people to refer to him as "daddy" in that context. It never affected him in the way it was right now.

So anyways, that's how he ended up in the port-a-potty busting a load all over a picture of you that he had on his phone. After the shock of his orgasm that came quicker than ever, he looked down, disappointed in himself. He wasn't some horny teenage boy anymore. This was just downright deplorable. Begrudgingly, he wiped his phone clean from his sins. Post-nut clarity swirled his brain. He couldn't believe he just did that.

He called your number. He had to make things right.

"Hello? Is everything okay?" You immediately asked. After living with Toji for some time now, you learned that he doesn't just call people. He will absolutely decline a call to just text and ask what's up.

"Everything is fine." He replied, trying to hide his amusement. It was cute that you seemed so worried for him. "Are you still in town?"

"Yeah, Megumi and I are about to leave Starbucks and head home. Why? What's up?" You responded back to him. He could hear Megumi happily singing a song in the background.

"You know you spent 152 dollars today?" Toji asked as he popped his back up against the port-a-potty door. He had a lazy smirk on his face.

"Oh- crap. I'm sorry. You can take whatever you see fit out of my pay-" He interrupted your nonsense quickly.

"Do you think I'm poor?" His voice was amused, not angry like you expected it to be.

"What-? No.. no, sir. I was just-"

"I told you to get whatever you and the kid want. Don't come back home until your certain that you can't carry the amount of stuff you bought in one trip." He said quickly. His stomach was already coiling from how you called him sir. He grimaced as he felt another twitch. I just took care of you dammit.

"Oh... oh, okay? Are you su-" Click. He hung up on you. One too many dumb questions. You looked at Megumi as he strapped into the backseat of your car. He looked intrigued by the conversation even though you knew he realistically had no idea what was just said. "Daddy said we have to go to the toy store." You grinned at him. He was smiling and clapping over the word "toy".

234.22 at Toys-R-Us. 122.56 at Lego. 208.38 at Aerie. 88.21 at Ulta Beauty. Another 94.48 at Barnes and Noble.

The way Toji grinned each time he felt that familiar vibration of his phone go off, meaning another notification from his bank was off-putting. Workers on the jobsite never seen him so happy. It was his penance for being such a horny freaky fuck.

*** *** ***

It was later that same evening. Megumi was in the living room surrounded by toys and crafting materials. He was currently drawing all sorts of "shadow animals" as he called them. You would of course look and nod your head, congratulating him on each terribly drawn animal. You acted like that was the best damn wolf-bear-owl hybrid you ever saw.

You were in the kitchen cooking chicken and dumplings. The clock on the stove read seven p.m. You didn't expect to see Toji at all this evening. He said he was working late this morning. Usually, that meant he was dragging his feet in through the door until well past ten p.m.

Still, you made him a serving of chicken and dumpling soup. You always did. Even when he worked late, you would put him a helping of dinner in the microwave to keep warm. You never knew, but he was always delighted by that. He ate the dinners each time.

A key jingling in the door handle caught your attention while you were getting Megumi settled at the dining room table. Three-year-olds were so hard to manage: too small to eat by themselves but too big to be locked in a high chair.

Toji stepped into the living room with a small grunt. He smirked as he looked around at his destroyed living room. Toys, crayons, and pieces of "artwork" were strewn all about the place. He glanced up towards you and Megumi in the kitchen. He took note of how your face was flushed and surprised.

"Papa!" Megumi happily shouted before the little bastard ran from your grasp to go hug on Toji's legs. His dad smiled as he looked down at Megumi, and he used his hand to mess up Megumi's hair affectionately.

"Go eat your food, kiddo." Toji said warmly to his son. Megumi happily obliged and ran right back to his seat right next to you, and you fed him a spoonful of the soup.

"You're home early." You stated the obvious.

Toji would never tell you, but he left early because he missed you two.

"Don't sound too happy to see me." He remarked in a sarcastic tone.

"What-? No, I just.. would've cleaned up more had I known you would be home so soon..." You responded. Megumi was sitting beside you whining for another bite of food. You snapped out of your surprise, and you fed him another bite of chicken and dumplings.

"Why? I don't give a damn what this place looks like." Toji said with a small nonchalant shrug. He walked through the living room, carefully stepping over the toys. Before you had become his nanny, this was how his house normally looked: messy, lived in. "I've got a bowl of dinner in the microwave. My kid's happy and fed. I couldn't care less what that living room looks like."

Your heart fluttered at the sentiment. Toji was easy to please. He really just wanted what was best for his kid, and that was you. "I like making sure you have nothing to worry about." You replied. He looked at you with an unreadable expression. It looked like he might've wanted to say something, but he had backed out last minute. He hummed and walked towards his bedroom to shower the dirt, sweat, and grime from the day.

While Toji showered, you had finished feeding Megumi and yourself. You allowed Megumi to have about an hour of TV time before bed. He really enjoyed old X-Men cartoons. You turned them on for him and parked him on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket.

You hummed softly as you worked in the kitchen. You packed meal prep containers of soup for Toji to take for lunch for the next couple of days. Then, you were washing dishes in front of the sink.

*** *** ***

"I like making sure you have nothing to worry about." Your words repeated in Toji's head over and over like a mantra. He hadn't felt so... cared for in a long, long time. It made his heart feel full, which was an unfamiliar feeling for him. A less unfamiliar feeling was his dick standing fully erect and at attention. He groaned quietly as he leaned his head back in the shower.

Something had to be in the air recently. He was a grown man with desires, sure. But this was a new record for him. Ever since you started being a live-in nanny for him, the boners were a daily thing. Hell, twice or three times a day sometimes. He's tried everything... Well, okay, maybe not everything, but he's tried cold showers and staying away from you. Neither of those things work to soothe him.

His hand was gliding up and down his length for the second time today. He was facing the shower wall with his arm propped up on it, supporting his head. Damn you for making him feel like a slave to his desires. You wanted to make sure he had nothing to worry about? Then, you should be the one in here fixing this damn mess, not him. He pitifully rutted into his hand, imaging he's plunging deep into you. Imagining the multiple ways he'd fuck the hell out of you is the only thing that soothes the ache, but this time he didn't see an end in sight.

He gritted his teeth together, and he balled up his fist, rearing back before stopping himself. He's not a teenager anymore. He can't punch walls. He took a deep breath and turned the shower off. No, this won't do. He needs to fix this at the source.

After quickly drying off and getting dressed, he walked back into the kitchen. His eyes scanned over the house. Megumi was enthralled by the TV, and you were washing dishes. Perfect.

He slowly approached you from behind. He could tell you didn't hear him as you were still softly humming. Usually, you would stop humming if he entered the kitchen. He never understood why. The sounds of your melancholic hums were beautiful and soothing to him.

He was directly behind you, and his hands gently cupped your hips. You immediately flinched and made a soft scream that was quickly silenced by one of his hands. "Shh, we don't want to disturb the little brat, do we?" Toji said into your ear. His warm breath ghosted over the shell of your ear, making you shiver.

Toji's eyes flicked over towards the living room. Megumi hadn't moved an inch. Perfect.

Toji slowly released your mouth. To his delight, you didn't make a sound. He could hear how your breath was slightly labored from him scaring you. A small chuckle rose from his throat. His hands went back to your hips, and he pressed himself against your voluptuous ass. A hum of approval escaped him. He could see your hands gripping the countertops.

"Nod your head. You like this? Want me to keep pressing myself against you?" Toji whispered into your ear. You took your bottom lip between your teeth, and you nodded your head eagerly, giving him consent.

"Dirty fucking girl." His voice was like a growl in your ear as he started to move his hips, dragging his length up and down along you. You could feel each inch of his length beckoning for you. "I knew you'd take whatever I gave you, but this? Letting me grind against you like a pathetic teenager while my son is in the living room? You're such a fucking slut." His hands were digging into your hips as he continued his controlled motions.

"Mnn.. fuck.." You softly whimpered out. Thank god the X-Men were currently in a loud fight scene.

You slightly frowned as you suddenly didn't feel Toji behind you anymore. You were about to turn around and ask what he was doing, but his fingers curling into the waistband of your leggings told you everything you needed to know. "Toji-" You managed to whisper out. No way could you two do this while Megumi was in the next room over.

"Shut up." Toji interrupted you. He had taken his throbbing length out of his sleeping pants, and he had a look of concentration on his face as he angled himself right at your entrance. "You have no fucking idea how long I've needed this. So just be a good girl, shut up, and take what I give you."

Direct orders from your boss. Who were you to deny the man who just spoiled you all day today?

It was a tight fit. Toji wasn't a gentleman. He didn't prep you with his fingers or mouth. This wasn't love making. It was hardly fucking. This was fulfilling a need.

"God... fuck. I didn't expect you to be that tight." He growled into your neck as he held your hips still against him. It felt like he was splitting you apart. You couldn't even respond to him.

He noticed how tightly you were gripping the counter and how you weren't responding to him. Your knuckles were turning white. He almost felt guilty. His hand came around the front of you, and he gently rubbed the swollen bundle of nerves. "Shhh... You can take it. I know you can." He whispered into your ear as it was taking every last shred of self-restraint not to fuck you into oblivion right on this counter. He slowly pulled back until just his tip was inside, and he pushed all the way back in. "That's it. There's my good girl." He praised in your ear. It was not lost on him that he felt you get wetter with each praise.

He hesitated, but he said it anyway, "You wanna be a good girl for daddy, don't you?" He whispered into your ear. That phrase made you tremble in his arms and nod your head. He slowly pulled back out and pushed right back in, taking you slowly. "That's right... hngh, fuck." He moaned into your ear. "You want to be fucked by daddy. You want to take his cock like a good girl. Take it." His hips started to move with more conviction.

You were already so out of it. This was like a dirty fantasy come true. You couldn't help but check the TV a few times to make sure X-Men was still playing. You were still worried that Megumi might run in here for whatever reason and see you bent over in front of his dad. You knew it was unlikely. Megumi could watch that TV like a zombie all day if you let him. Besides, you would be able to hear the small pitter-patter of his footsteps.

"Stop looking at the fucking TV. Trust me." Toji growled into your ear as he forced your hips down onto him roughly. A noiseless gasp escaped you. He wasn't small, and he knew that. He was using it to his advantage.

"Fuck." He groaned quietly as he rubbed you with a bit more fervor. You could already feel that familiar warm feeling coiling in your stomach. "I'm going to fuck a baby into you. You were fucking made for this. Made for raising my kids and taking my fucking load." He was spewing nonsense into your ear, but in the moment, you couldn't help but nod and moan. "You were made for me." He proclaimed as his hips continued harshly snapping into your backside. Somehow the sounds were masked.

"You want that, don't you?" He asked as he bit down on your neck then lapped at the bite mark with his tongue.

"Yes, daddy!" You quietly exclaimed. His thrusts only increased in power. Your eyes started to cross, getting lost in pleasure.

"Fuck. You're gonna look so perfect pregnant with my baby. I won't let you have a break. As soon as one comes out; I'm puttin' another one in you." He continued on yapping about how many kids he was going to pump into you. "I'll breed you again and again." His thrusts were heavy and brutal. You couldn't take it anymore.

He moaned as he felt you clenching around him, finishing all over his cock. It was enough to drive him overboard. He pumped you full of cum until you were sure some of it was seeping out.

There was a peaceful moment of dizzy highness for you two. Toji panted against your back. For the first time in while, he's felt satisfied. A soft amused laugh escaped him as he heard the iconic X-Men episode coming to an end. He swiftly pulled out of you, and he tried to ignore that little whimper of protest you let out. He tucked himself back into his pants, and he pulled your leggings and panties back up for you since you were still a trembling mess over the counter.

"Alright Kiddo, c'mon. Time for bed." Toji said as he sauntered off into the living room as if he didn't just rearrange your guts. He put Megumi to bed that night, and he cleaned up the living room for you, allowing for you to recover in his bed for round two. He was much more of a gentleman for round two.

*** *** ***

"Hey... I know I ain't been to see you in a while. I'm sorry." Toji said as he sat down on the grassy ground. "I was letting life pass me by for too damn long." He said as he took a wet washcloth and began to wash up his late wife's gravestone. "I'm doing better now, so don't worry about me."

"Megumi's growing like a weed. I'm sorry I didn't bring him to see you... I just don't know how to explain it to him." Toji's voice was full of guilt as he dragged the wet washcloth against the stone. "He's a good kid though. He looks just like you, damn bastard." He softly laughed, knowing his wife would've struck him over the side of the head for calling Megumi a damn bastard.

"Listen... I met a girl." He leaned his head over the gravestone. It had been close to three months since you and Toji started sleeping together. There wasn't a formal label to your relationship, but it didn't feel necessary. You two both knew you were sleeping exclusively with each other. "I think you'd like her, or maybe you wouldn't since she's fucking your husband. But either way... I-" He choked up a bit as he held onto the cold stone. "I feel so fucking guilty... I know you're not coming home anytime soon, but I just... I need your blessing. If you can somehow hear me, please... I never asked you for anything until I asked you to marry me. Now, I'm asking... please somehow show me you approve of this."

"She's good for me... She takes good care of Megumi. He's so damn attached to her somedays." Toji softly laughed as he remembered how a few nights ago Megumi crawled into bed with you and him because he had a nightmare. Instead of taking to Toji like he normally does, he crawled into your arms. Toji had never felt so damn proud and slighted at the same time.

"I should get going. Give me a sign though.. Something that tells me you approve." He finished his visit with his wife, and he went home.

*** *** ***

That night at dinner, Megumi sped into the kitchen with an action figure in his hand. He was pretending to be Batman. "Gumi, I've told you three times. Stop running." You said as you gave the small child a look. Toji smirked as he knew that look good and well. It was the look a mom gave as a warning. Megumi was on his last warning.

"I'm sorry, mama." Megumi apologized, causing for both you and Toji to freeze right in your tracks. Megumi had never called you mama before. He always said your name.

Your heart swelled in your chest. It was a feeling of affection and guilt. "Oh no... baby.." You said softly as you took his hand. You lead him into the living room, and you crouched down, showing him a picture of his mom to him. "That's mama." You gently corrected him.

Toji watched the scene like a hawk from the dinner table. His heart was pounding in his chest. He had never been shy about telling Megumi who his mom was, but he hadn't exactly been forthcoming about how his mom passed away when he was a small baby.

Megumi pointed at the picture. "Mama." He said quietly. You nodded and patted his head.

"That's right." You praised affectionately. He then turned his attention to you. and he poked your chest with his tiny finger.

"Mama." He said, pointing at you.

"No-"

"It's alright." Toji spoke up from his seat at the dinner table.

"I don't want him to be confused..." You replied as you slowly stood back up, looking at Toji.

"He doesn't sound confused to me." He retorted with a small grin. You turned your attention back to Megumi, and Toji looked up towards the ceiling. "Thank you." He muttered so quietly before kissing the necklace that hung around his neck. He had his wife's blessing. This proved it.

After finishing his dinner, Toji joined you two in the living room. You and Megumi were curled up on each side of his while watching that old X-Men cartoon. Suddenly, Megumi rose from the couch. You and Toji watched him with a hint of confusion.

"What is he doing?" You softly asked Toji as Megumi bent over, and he looked between his legs at both you and Toji.

"I have no fucking id-" He was about to respond, but then, it hit him. "Get up." He said as he stood up from the couch. He quickly grabbed his phone, keys, and wallet like a madman.

"What? What? Is something wrong?" You asked as you had never seen Toji move this fast. You quickly got up too.

"Nothing's wrong. Come on. We're going to the store." He grunted as he swooped Megumi into his arms.

You were confused and in denial when Toji bought a pregnancy test and made you take it. Now, both of you were waiting outside of the bathroom for the five minutes to be over. "This is crazy, Toji. I'm not pregnant."

"It's an old wives' tale. When babies do that, it's supposed to mean their looking for their sibling." Toji said with a nonchalant shrug as if what he said was matter-of-fact. "My mother told me that's how she knew she was pregnant with me."

The timer went off on his phone, and both of you fought to get into the bathroom first. He eventually overpowered you and snatched the pregnancy test off the counter quickly. "Oh." He said quietly. The room went still.

Suddenly, your heart was racing. "What is it? Is it negative?" You asked a hint of disappointment hit you. You didn't know why, but a small part of you hoped for it to be positive.

"Oh, you're fucking getting it tonight." Toji smirked as he turned the pregnancy test over. Two pink lines were clear as day on the test. You're pregnant.

Tags: @lemonlimecrystal-blog @theuniversesnepobaby

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPxDC prompt: Danny is Chronos' first child.

Well, not his first child biologically, to be completely honest.

It just so happened that the Phantom very often helped/helps/will help Clockwork at different times and his presence next to the titan required an explanation.

And the opportunity to call Zeus a little brother is worth a lot, right? So when the Ancient came up with this idea Phantom did not resist just to have such a pleasant bonus from their cooperation.

However, in the time of the gods and heroes, such a solution was not a problem. But in modern times, when Phantom tries to attract as little attention as possible in order to graduate from university, such relatives are more likely to cause a lot of problems.

~~~~~

Wonder Woman: Uncle Danny?

Superman, who wanted to chase away a teenager serenely strolling through still smoking battlefield, turns to Wonder Woman, who is waving affably at excactly this guy.

Well, Fenton honestly happened to be in Fawcett City by accident, and it just so happened that by chance it was on this sunny and cloudless day that the villains decided to cause riots worthy of the attention of the founders of the Justice League.

Danny: Diana! My dear, it seems like we really haven't seen each other not for a long time! In what century was it? Ah, I honestly, I barely remember it... The speed at which children grow up defies the laws of time. I mean, look at you! Your mother must be so proud. How's Dad? Still not paying child support, arrogant bastard?

Wonder Woman: Oh, uncle, please. I'm all grown up now, don't worry about me.

Danny: Hm, well, let's get back to this question later. I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends. Anyway, would you like to introduce them, little princess?

Wonder Woman: Of course, meet Kal El, Batman, and Shazam. The rest of the guys have already returned to our base. Would you like to...

Danny: Ooh, you're talking about, um... What do you young people call it? The Justice League, right? During my youth, the heroes rarely united and mostly performed all the feats alone. It's good that you help each other, kids.

Danny flies up a little to pat Superman and Batman on the head.

Under the Diana's gaze full of hope that they will get along with her uncle, the men do not move.

In the background:

Red Hood and Robin who used to hang out with Danny near the Lazarus pits: *sounds of seagulls dying of laughter*

~~~~~

Flash: So you're Diana's uncle?

Danny: Yes, call me Danny.

Flash: Cool, cool...

Danny: What does the temperature have to do with it? Do you need ice? Let me make some for you.

Flash: No, it's like,um, I didn't know that Zeus has a younger brother with that name. So, it's good to know?

Danny: Hmm, thanks. Many people tell me that I look quite young, hah. But actually I'm his older brother, so...

Flash: Older? Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to disrespect.

Danny: No, it's all right. It's "cool". I rarely appear on the pages of your human myths and legends, I know it. After all this business about Chronos devours his own children, my father punished me for a long time. So, yeah...It's a funny story.

Flash: Punished for what? How?

Danny: Uh, sitting in a room at a time when there is no Internet or electricity is not fun at all. You see, I just didn't want a younger brother or sister because I was afraid that my parents would pay less attention to me. So, I made up this stupid prophecy and persuaded Gaea to tell it in order to remain the only child in the family. My father would never have thought that I would decide to kill him, that's why...Phah, it's just a bad family story. In 10 thousand years, we'll all laugh about it.

Flash: Yeah, that's... funny.

~~~~

Danny *is woken up by an emergency call from the League at three in the morning, although he fell asleep at two o'clock* (he gave his contact so as not to upset his niece): I knew this would happen! I knew it!

~~~~

Billy Batson *stands in his human form in front of the Justice League and doesn't know what to say*,*sweating nervous*.

Danny *enters the hall*: What's up, mortals, Diana and...Batman? My father said that there is something that I have to be here for. Oh! Well, at least someone in this family is also a shapeshifter. Have you decided to make a younger form so that your uncle doesn't feel lonely? What a good boy! Usually everyone is so afraid to seem like children, once they turn a couple of centuries old. Ah, youth~

Billy: Yeah, I decided to..experiment? and it seems I got stuck by accident.

Danny: It's okay, Uncle Danny will help you. Come on, let's go...

~~~~

Danny *teleports them to the Fawcett City*.

Billy: ....

Danny:

Billy: Hey, I'm still stuck!

A new portal opens and a man in a purple cape hands Billy a note. "Go to Constantine. P.S., my son always completes all assignments only by half, sorry." written on it.

Billy: Oh... OoOhHh!!!

~~~~

Meanwhile, Constantine, who is forced to do additional work: Son of a bi... beloved and respected Master of Time.

Danny: Yeap, that's me.

Constantine: Damn it. Couldn't you just let Batman adopt him like in other timelines?

Danny: And where's the fun in that?