#doodle I liked enough to color but not enough to clean | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

heeverseblog · 2 years ago

Text

this time

synopsis: you confessed to jake sim in your senior year of high school but got rejected. now you’re a single mom in need of a math tutor to help your daughter pass math class. you happen to stumble upon jake’s profile and end up hiring him.

pairing: math tutor!jake x single mom!reader

genre: childhood acquaintances to lovers, single parent au, fluff, little bit of angst but happy ending

warnings: unrequited love (only at the beginning), mentions of early pregnancy, abandonment, fear of being in a relationship, one suggestive scene, short argument about career

word count: 11,359 words

note: THIS WHOLE STORY IS RUSHED AND NOT HEAVILY PROOFREAD, SORRY :((((

the first day you saw jake sim was at your school’s library. you were reading “anne of green gables” while he was reading a physics textbook. a freakin’ physics textbook. who reads a physics textbook at eight years old? apparently, jake sim does.

he looked so invested in reading formulas and his glasses were thick black-framed ones. you thought it was cute when he was sticking his tongue out as he was reading probably some formulas and terms. you forgot about gilbert blythe because that day, jake sim became number one in your “the cutest boys i��ve ever seen” list.

word was sent out that you had a huge, massive crush on jake sim. who wouldn’t know when you shout his name every time he passes by your way? you’d give him love notes saying how cute he looked with his glasses and how he has the cutest smile. every cringey, embarrassing thing a girl can do and call her crush just for him to notice her. yes, you’ve done it all.

when you became a teenager, you think that what you feel towards jake is more than just a crush. the longer you got to know him, the more you got to see how kind he was. when everyone was having a hard time understanding math, he’d write on the blackboard formulas and explaining when and where to use them. when a kid fell on his bike, he cleaned the wound and carried him to the school clinic, even when he was tired and sweaty from soccer practice.

one time, you were bored at math class. so you doodled the soccer field from your window. then your math teacher slams his hands on your table and proceeds to humiliate you on your artistic dreams. your colored pencils were confiscated and as shallow as it may be, you felt like a part of you was taken away after being humiliated.

while it was lunch time, jake came out of your classroom going with his friends, sunghoon and jay. you were still sad about what happened a while ago. when you sat down, you were surprised when you colored pencils were placed under your desk. you remember jake coming out of the classroom. you smile, realizing that you liked jake sim.

every girl fell on line in talking to jake sim. but you always made sure you were first. rumors spread that jake had a crush on the transfer student, kazuha. the rumors were confirmed when he asked her to the school dance. they danced that night but nothing bloomed. you noticed jake looked a little sulky the following week. and you thought that simply making him laugh like making funny faces or giving him cookies will make him feel better. and he did. jake was never mean to you. he still treats you kindly like everyone else. and you were fine with that. but you wanted to step your game.

a few weeks left and you will be graduating high school. so you wanted to confess to jake properly. you drew a banner with your confession, “jake sim, will you accept me?” you remember setting up the art room with lights. your art teacher was kind enough to allow you, knowing that you were her favorite student.

“jake sim, i’ve liked you since the day you were reading that textbook in the library. i’ve always liked you and it took me years to properly confess how I truly feel . so… you held out the flowers to him, “will you accept me?”

you felt like crying saying your confession. but you didn’t care. you gave him the peonies from your mother’s flower shop. when you thought will reach for the flowers, he held hands and slowly pulled them down. your face went down along with your hands.

“y/n, i appreciate what you have done…but,” jake looked down at the floor, “i don’t like you like that.”

you’d be lying to yourself when you say you’re not hurt. you tried your best not to blink or else the tears will come out of your eyes.

“oh. um…thank you for being honest.” you gave him a forced smile, feeling your eyes well up. on cue, the school bell rings, signaling it’s time for all students to get out of the building.

“i’ll see you tomorrow?”

jake nods, “see you tomorrow.”

you gave him a pat in the back before turning of the lights then ran out of the art room. you let the tears run down your face as the petals from the peonies fell, leaving a trail on the floor.

after a week, you received your high school diploma and off you to college you go. you and your friends took pictures together and you thought that it would be nice to walk around your school for one last time. from the classrooms, to the playgrounds, to the soccer fields. then you took one last glance at the art room, recalling the day you experienced your first heartbreak.

when you went back to your parents, they gave you a tight hug before giving you a bouquet. then you catch a glimpse of jake with his family. like yours, his parents were proud of him for finishing top of his class. your heart might have swelled a little but before you could feel it more, your dad said he’d take you and your mom out to dinner.

jake sim might not like you back but you were sure that he will be a good memory you can look back to.

“i’m sorry, mom.” your seven-year-old daughter tells you as both of you walked out of her classroom. apparently, she wasn’t the best at math class and her homeroom teacher was beginning to worry. but who were you to be disappointed when you were never the best at math either.

you kneel down, holding your daughter’s shoulders, “aera, we’re going to hire someone to help you, alright?”

aera pouts while nodding her head. you held her cheek, “sweetie, it’ll be alright. hm?” your daughter slowly nods her head then both of you went home.

you’re in an app searching for math tutors that look friendly but will help your daughter excel in class. it’s been an hour and you still haven’t found the right one.

“mommy, what’s for dinner?” aera says as she colors in her coloring book.

“we’re having spaghetti tonight, sweetie.” aera just nods her head and goes back to coloring. when you returned your attention to your phone, a familiar name popped up.

sim jaeyun: part-time physics teacher, part-time math tutor

sim jaeyun or known as jake sim when you were just a girl living in a small town. he was the boy you’ve had a huge crush on ever since you were eight years old. because of your silly crush on him, you confessed to him a week before your high school graduation. but he didn’t like you that way.

admit it or not, jake is a strong candidate. aside from attending the same school as kids, jake was best in math and physics and had a good reputation for being a math wizard.

unconsciously, you tapped the hello! are you available for a meet-up? option.

“shit!” you stand up from the couch.

“mom, that’s a bad word,” aera says while coloring her coloring book at the dinning table.

“you’re right, sweetie. mommy is sorry.” you say and kneeled to reach your daughter’s height. you smile, thinking that your daughter takes after you in her interest in drawing and coloring. she’d always ask you for coloring books, sometimes crayons if her old ones kept breaking. then one time you gave her the 64 crayons that you’ve always wanted as a kid.

“mommy, look!” aera colored the tiger pink.

“that’s wonderful, baby!” aera goes back into coloring while you prepare your dinner.

while you were cooking your spaghetti, your phone beeps and you received a message.

hello there! may i know who i’ll be tutoring?

you reply, it’s my seven-year-old daughter. she needs help in math.

jake: oh i see. may i know who i am speaking with?

you take a deep breath and typed your full name.

jake: y/n? did we go to the same school together?

y/n: yup! same school since 2nd grade to high school.

jake: oh wow! how are you doing?

y/n: i’m doing well right now.

jake: that’s good to hear!

jake: about your daughter, where exactly does she need help in math?

y/n: if it’s not too much to ask, she needs help in everything.

jake: oh no problem! are you available to meet-up?

y/n: sure! will send you the details soon.

jake: great! looking forward to meeting you.

y/n: looking forward to meeting you too.

“oh no!”

you immediately put your phone down and got the pot away from the stove with smoke coming out of it.

you told jake to meet you at this café that is somewhat near where you lived and where jake is residing. it’s been long since you last saw jake and your last encounter with him was at the art room with a banner and lights where you confessed. then he rejected you.

you were holding tight on your cup of coffee. after you told jake where you were seated, you were expecting to meet him anytime soon. and that thought made you more nervous.

“y/n?”

your organs did somersaults when you hear his familiar voice. and when you turn around, you were also greeted with a familiar face.

“j-jake. hi.”

jake still wore glasses. difference is that they were no longer thick black-framed ones but specs. aside from that, he did not change much. he still looked as gentle like before.

“sorry to keep you waiting. one of my students needed help.”

“no worries. please, take a seat.”

jake sits at the seat across you. he places his bag on the floor then he returns his gaze at you.

“sorry i didn’t order anything for you yet. i didn’t know what you liked.”

“it’s okay. so, your daughter needs help?”

“yeah, aera, she…she has trouble understanding problem-solving equations. has a hard time memorizing the multiplication table too, apparently.”

some part of you felt awkward that your daughter got her weakness in math from you. and jake knew that.

“do you have any worksheets from her class?”

“oh, yes,” you bring out the sheets if paper from your bag and gave it to jake. he reviews the papers and you felt déjà vu, remembering the day you first saw him in the library while reading a physics textbook.

“i see the problem here. she mixes the formulas and interchanges them.”

“is she…does she need extreme hands on help?”

“i can’t say yet but if i tutor her soon, i'll let you know the progress.”

“thank you…” you pause, not knowing to call him mr. sim, teacher sim, or just by his name.

“sorry,” you let out an awkward laugh, “i just don’t know how to address you?”

“jake is fine. i mean we went to the same school.”

“okay. thank you, jake.”

“thank you, too. y/n.” then jake gets his bag.

“you’re leaving?”

“yeah, i have to do some tasks first. but let me know when i can tutor her.”

“sure thing. see you soon?”

jake nods, “see you soon.” then he leaves the café.

you and jake agreed that he will tutor aera from 2 pm to 5 pm every thursday and friday. at first, aera is shy to meet a new person but you assured her that her new tutor is a friend of yours. and she promised that she will behave.

the doorbell rang and as you expected, jake was outside.

“hi.”

“hi. i hope i’m not too early.”

“oh, no. you came just in time. come on in.”

when you let jake in your unit, you told him to wait by the living room while you call aera by her bedroom.

“sweetie, your tutor is here. come and say hi.”

when aera came out of her room, her shyness aent away.

“aera, this is jake. he’s going to tutor you at math. say hi, sweetie.”

“hello!” aera waves to jake to which he found adorable and softly giggles.

“it’s nice to meet you, aera.”

“mommy says you’re her friend. i call aunt yujin and aunt gaeul aunties because they’re mommy’s friends. can i call you uncle jake?”

“aera…”

“uncle jake sounds nice.” jake said with a smile on his face.

“do you want us to start, aera?” jake asks and aera nods before pulling jake to the dining table.

before jake and aera started their tutor session, you asked permission from jake if you can stay by your room with the door open. and he was kind enough to understand that you were careful with aera.

surprisingly, jake and aera got along well. aera had a hard time understanding the formulas and comprehending problems but jake was very patient with her. you always knew that jake would be a great teacher but you never knew that day will actually come true.

“okay, so when you add 4 and 7, you’ll be transferring the other one here, to 6. so it becomes 7. then you add 7 and 2. and what’s the answer?”

“91?”

“good job, aera!” then jake did a high five to aera before circling the worksheet with his red pen.

“uncle jake, can you be my math teacher instead? you’re nicer than mrs. im.”

“did you know that mrs. im was also my math teacher. your mom and i were her students.”

“it means that she’s old! no wonder why she’s so grumpy.”

“aera, what did we say about bad mouthing people?” you say from the kitchen as you start preparing your dinner.

“it’s not going to make us different from them.”

“that’s right.”

jake softly laughed at your statement, “okay, aera. that’s all for today. if you still need help next time, we can always go back. but try studying on your own too, okay?”

“okay, uncle jake!”

jake starts packing his things then you and aera see him out.

“uncle jake, thank you for teaching me today. you’re so nice and i had fun.”

“you’re welcome, aera.”

aera looks up at you, “mommy, say thank you, too.”

you rub aera’s shoulders, “yes, ma’am,” then faced jake, “thank you for helping aera today. really.”

“you’re welcome,” jake looks down at aera, “i’ll see you tomorrow, okay kiddo?”

“see you tomorrow, uncle jake!” aera waves and jake gives her a smile before he leaves.

months have passed since jake tutored aera. the process wasn’t easy at first since aera is really having a hard time understanding math. but as jake promised, he updated you that aera is still in need of help to improve. and you were grateful that he was patient with her, despite being exhausted from being a teacher at school.

most days, aera was excited for her tutoring sessions. she even boasts how she has a good tutor and jake’s her favorite teacher slash uncle. and you have to admit, it was cute.

today, you were busy finishing an illustration for a children’s book. most of the time, you sell your works online or have clients contact you for commissions. it wasn’t a stable job but you had to earn for you and your daughter. and thank god, your clients paid you well.

in the middle of working, you received a message from yujin, saying that there will be a class reunion at the town hall two months from now. you didn’t know if you’ll be able to go but you might if your friends are going.

yujin: so how’s the tutoring going on?

y/n: it’s going pretty well, actually. jake is really patient with aera and he always make sure that she understands what he’s teaching her

gaeul: you know…it’s not too late to re-live high schaer

y/n: eh???

yujin: she means to shoot your shot

y/n: very funny guys -_-

y/n: jake is just tutoring aera and he’s just doing his job

gaeul: 👀

yujin: if you say so 🤪

y/n: gotta get ready. i’ll be picking up aera in a bit and jake will be arriving after.

yujin: ooooh y/n is getting ready for her date.

y/n: OH PLEASE 😡

you roll your eyes before locking your phone and turning off your tablet.

when you were done getting dressed, the doorbell rang and when you opened it, you were surprised to see jake.

“hi, jake. i was just about to pick-up aera from school.”

jake scrunches his forehead then looks at his watch, “oh,” he lets out a laugh, “my class ended early and i might have thought i was late. i can come back later.”

“oh no, please. do you want to come with me and pick-up aera? she’ll be glad to see you.”

“sure.”

“great. let’s go.”

during the car ride, you and jake didn’t say a word. it was either you were busy watching the road or avoiding talking to him.

“so how have you been?”

“hm?”

“i mostly see you during tutoring sessions but we never really…'talked.’”

“oh, uh…well today was fine. i’m currently doing an illustration for a children’s book. not halfway done but I’m making progress. you?” you liked to jake before immediately returning your attention to the road.

“one of my students said that physics was useless and why do we need to study how fast a frisbee can travel.”

you try holding your laugh but jake caught you so you retort, “sorry it’s just that a kinda remember myself. and well, i couldn’t help my daughter in her math homework.”

it was silent again and all you could hear was the tires and the car engine.

“for what’s worth, aera is a good kid.”

you smile at jake’s comment and looked at him for a while, “thanks.”

“we’re here.”

“it’s been a while since i saw this place.”

you spot aera waiting at the waiting area and when she sees your car, she stands up and waits for you. and when you and jake got out of the car, she immediately runs to jake, hugging his leg.

“uncle jake, you’re here!”

jake giggles, “it’s good to see you too, kiddo.” then he rubs aera’s head like usual.

“don’t i get a hug?”

“mommy!” aera opens her arms and then you carry her. she gives you a kiss.

“let’s go home?” you asks and aera nods.

the three of you went to the car. aera was still happy that jake was with you to pick her up.

“uncle jake, can you come and pick me up next time?”

“aera, uncle jake has classes to teach. you can still see each other during tutoring sessions.”

aera pouts at what you said. jake looks back, “how about i bring you ice cream next week?”

aera smiles, “yes, please!”

“you might spoil her with too much sweets.” you nag.

“can it be mint chocolate, please?”

jake’s eyes grew wide then he looks at you and back at aera, “you really are your mother’s daughter.”

“hey mint chocolate deserves to be respected,” you defend.

“not when it tastes like toothbrush.”

“that’s mean!” you and aera say in unison.

throughout the whole ride, three of you were still bickering about mint chocolate being the superior ice cream flavor. you never thought that someone could actually get along with you and your daughter’s antics. and you liked it.

“i’m sorry for the overtime, jake. but don’t worry, i’ll increase today’s payment session.”

exams were coming and aera needed help in studying. you felt bad that you had to ask jake to stay for a while but you promised him that he’ll be compensated more than his usual pay.

“it’s alright. besides, aera needed help.”

“why don’t you stay for dinner? you might be hungry.”

“oh, no. i couldn’t.”

“no, really. it’s the least i can do for thanking you.”

“if you insist then,” jake places his bag down the chair, “dinner would be great.”

and dinner was going great. aera told jake herself that jake was her favorite teacher. and jake felt honored. aera kept telling stories of her school life and how she made friends. then aera tells how

“you know, your uncle jake helped everyone in math before. he’s a math wizard.”

“uncle jake, did you help mom math too?”

“i did. she got the 4th highest grade in our math exam.”

“and of course, your uncle jake got the highest grade.”

jake does this hand gesture where he says “oh please.”

“is my mom hard to teach?”

you and jake laughed, “well…let’s say you’re a fast learner than your mother.”

“mommy, i’m better at you in math!”

“i can’t believe you two are teaming up against me,” then you pretend to get shot at the heart and jake and aera laughed at your antics.

after dinner was done, aera became sleepy. she promised that she’ll finish her homework tomorrow. you let her sleep early because she looked exhausted.

“goodnight, uncle jake.” aera says then yawns.

“goodnight, kiddo. you did well today.” jake kneels down and aera hugs jake. you were surprised but jake returned the hug, the sight melted your heart.

“okay, sweetie. uncle jake has to go home and sleep too.” aera pulls away from the hug and then you tell her to get her clothes and take a shower.

“bye, uncle jake.” aera says before getting inside the bathroom.

when it was just you and jake alone, you looked into each other and laughed.

“aera will be sleeping well tonight.”

“yeah, looks like it.”

“hey,” you pause for a while, “thank you. for helping aera. she hasn’t been this happy for a while.”

“thank you for letting me stay.” for some reason, your heart fluttered, “for dinner.”

“oh,” then you let out a chuckle, “you’re welcome.”

you and jake let out another chuckle. and it might seem cringey but you didn’t care. because right now—this felt right. you looking to his eyes, and him doing the same. almost like you didn’t want him to leave.

“i, uh…” jake coughs, “i should probably go.”

“oh. yeah…right. drive safely.”

jake nods before he opens the door, saying goodbye before leaving.

when you closed the door, you let out a breath you realized you haven’t been holding. you’ve replayed how jake looked at you just a while ago. and every time you remembered his face, your heart would beat fast. when you remember him being a good friend to aera, you couldn’t help but melt at his gentleness towards your daughter.

“mommy?” aera walks out of the bathroom with a towel on her shoulders, “are you sick?”

“huh? oh. no, no sweetie.”

“your face is red.”

“it’s just hot sweetie. let’s tuck you to bed, okay?”

after tucking aera to bed, it was your turn to get ready for bed. and when you thought you’ll be able to sleep peacefully, days of jake bonding with your daughter flashed in your mind again. he hated mint chocolate but when he promised to bring a tub of it, he ate it with you and aera. he finished a cup of it and didn’t think of spitting it out or drinking water to cleanse his tongue. one time, when you gave him a glass of water, your fingers touched and you immediately pulled away.

you kept tossing and turning all night. it was like you were your old self, gushing over jake in the smallest things. though this time, you had a daughter. and jake treats her so well that you couldn’t help but smile and melt.

and you wore that smile until you slept peacefully at night.

lately, you’ve been having headaches while feeling muscle pains. when you took a temperature test, it showed that you had fever. you immediately called yujin, saying you needed help to take care of aera. you couldn’t ask your parents help because they have a store to take of at home. besides, you didn’t want them to take a bus all the way here to the city. you were just thankful that yujin was happy to babysit aera while you we sick and you said that you were fine with being alone for now. you told jake about your sickness and aera’s tutoring sessions will be cancelled for now. he hopes for you to get better soon.

“remember to listen to aunt yujin, alright?”

“mhm!”

“and you don’t keep her waiting when she comes to fetch you.”

“yes, mommy!”

“don’t forget to finish your homework, alright? especially math.”

“yes, mommy!” you smile at your daughter then shift your attention to yujin, “thank you for doing this.”

“aera and i will have a good time, don’t worry,” yujin soothes aera’s head.

“i’m going to miss you, sweetie.” sadly, you couldn’t kiss aera goodbye.

“i’m going to miss you too, mommy!”

“okay sweetie, you’re going be late for school.”

aera and yujin say their goodbyes and you were left alone in your home. you lied down on your bed, with a glass of water beside you. you wrapped yourself in your blanket, hoping that it’ll stop you from shivering.

hours have passed and what you’ve been doing is eating, cleaning the used dishes, drinking medicine, and sleeping. you couldn’t wait to get better but you still felt sick and weak.

you were covered in your blanket when your doorbell rang. you wondered if it was yujin but she must be at home this hour, watching over aera.

you wore your mask before getting the door. when you opened it, you were surprised to see jake holding a stainless-steel lunchbox.

“oh, jake. hi.”

“i, uh…i made us some dinner. i made you soup.” jake raises the lunchbox, “i just thought you needed something to warm you up.”

you couldn’t help but melt at jake’s words. he really has this talent of turning small things into something big. and it made your heart flutter.

“come on in.” you opened the door for jake and let him in like always.

“i’ll just get us some plates.” then jake holds your shoulder, “i’ll do it. you can lie down and rest.”

you nod, “okay.” you were about to enter your room but you turn around, “plates and bowls are in the upper right cabinet.”

“got it.”

“and the spoons—” then jake shows you that he found the utensils on the other side of the cabinet.

“i’ll…” you point to your room and jake assures you that he’s got it covered.

you never let anyone in your home aside from your friends and parents. yujin and gaeul have always been pestering you to go on blind dates but you never did. letting someone else in your life was making you a little doubtful. but you were glad that jake is someone you knew and looks trustworthy.

“hey,” jake enters with a tray of the food he brought. you sit up then jake places the tray in front of you.

“what’s tonight’s main course?”

“well, we have ramyeon with ham, boiled eggs, and green onions.”

“sounds delicious.”

“here,” jake scoops some soup and gently blows it before bringing the spoon close to your mouth. you take the soup in your mouth and you smile, “that’s good soup. give my compliments to the chef.”

jake softly laughs, “will do.”

and jake proceeds to feed you the noodles and other toppings. you felt shy every time you couldn’t take the food in your mouth, especially if they were noodles. but jake didn’t judged you. when you were almost done, you drank the remaining soup left.

“you good?”

you nod, “mhm! thanks for the food. how about you?”

“i already ate, don’t worry.” you nod then you drank your medicine.

“um…jake?”

“yeah?”

“thank you for coming over.”

jake smiles, “you’re welcome. you can sleep if you want to.”

“hm? aren’t you…don’t you need to go home and do other things?”

“if it’s alright with you…could i stay for a while? i just figured that you need someone to take care of you right now.”

you couldn’t find the right words to say. jake sim, your highschool classmate, childhood crush, your daughter’s math tutor—is willing to nurse you.

“are you sure?”

“if it’s alright with you. because,” jake slowly brings his hand to your forehead. when you realized what he wanted to do, you leaned forward, letting his hand touch your forehead.

“you’re still burning up.”

the thought of jake sim touching your forehead still causes you to become speechless. when he lets go, you pretended to not be bothered at all.

“are you sure you’ll be okay? i’m a heavy sleeper.”

“i don’t mind. sleep all you want.”

jake takes the tray and helps you fix your pillow, tucking you inside your blanket.

“goodnight, y/n.”

you smile, “goodnight, jake.”

jake was by your side until the day you got better. he cooked you food and let you rest. you felt guilty that he had to nurse you but he wanted to do it wholeheartedly. and your heart fluttered.

you confessed to aera that her uncle jake has been taking care of you while she was away. she was jealous at first because she wanted to take care of you. but you explained to her that you didn’t want to get her sick. she came to her senses and thanked jake that he took care of you. yujin, though, was protective at first but she proceeded to tease you about it.

though lately you’ve realized, your attraction on jake sim was coming back. but this time, you were starting to see him in a different light. he has always been selfless, kind, and gentle but him showing those actions to your daughter made you like him more. but of course, you couldn’t tell him directly how you felt. things were different now that you’re a mom and he’s your daughter’s math tutor.

you’d rather hide your feelings than accept a rejectin. you’ll be reminded that things that come into your life are temporary.

today, you were going to take aera out to a museum for kids. why? because she got a high score in her math exam. while you were sick, aera managed to study on her own and remember the lessons she had with jake. you called jake and told him the news and he felt so proud of her.

“mommy, can uncle jake come with us?”

“i don’t know, sweetie. but i’ll call uncle jake first, okay?” aera nods her head vigorously.

jake’s phone continued ringing and you waited for him to pick-up the call.

“hello, y/n?”

“hey, jake.”

“hi, uncle jake!” aera says and you hear jake laugh.

“aera says hi.”

“well, what’s up?”

“oh…you see, i’m taking aera out today. and we were wondering—i mean she was wondering if…if you wanted to come with us.”

you shake your head, feeling anxious if jake caught you. but that worry disappeared when jake replies, “sure, i mean i’d love to.” and he sounded full of glee.

“g-great! we’ll pick you up then?”

“oh, no. i’ll pick you guys up.”

“oh. but—”

“no, really. i want to pick you guys up.”

“oh,” again, jake’s doing the smallest things can become big. “okay, we’ll be ready by then.”

“okay. see you later.

“see you later.”

never in a long time has jake sim thought that he’ll be meeting y/n again. not in a million years has he also expected to meet y/n’s daughter.

jake sim was just having a regular day: teaching physics at school, checking their papers, and create lesson plans. he goes home, continues checking papers, finishes his lesson plan, and reads more textbooks whether it be math or physics. finally, he washes up, does a little bit of social media, then goes to bed.

jake was used to getting compliments of him being a math genius. many expected him to be a scholar, a professor, an engineer, or a physicist. but it wasn’t that easy. believe it or not, jake sim couldn’t seem to know where he can fit in. he was the golden boy from high school but after he graduated, he became lost and unsure. but he did know he loved math and physics alongside ramyeon noodles.

jake sim does his daily routine when suddenly, he receives a message. he puts his papers down and checks his phone.

hello! are you available for a meet-up?

then he replies, hello there! may i know who i’ll be tutoring?

the sender didn’t reply. he thought that it was the usual ones who reply after an hour or two so he goes back to checking his papers.

after a while, the sender replied.

it’s my seven-year-old daughter. she needs help in math.

jake returns his attention to his phone.

jake: oh i see. may i know who i am speaking with?

the sender sends a familiar name. then jake remembers a girl he frequently heard in school.

jake: y/n? did we go to the same school together?

y/n: yup! same school since 2nd grade to high school.

jake felt like catching up with an old friend. he might have not known you that much but he knew your reputation of being one of his admirers and that you were full of spirit with a good personality. though he did remember you causing some trouble but you weren’t the bad student type. in fact, he remembers you giving him compliments on sticky notes.

jake: great! looking forward to meeting you.

y/n: looking forward to meeting you too.

fast forward to the day jake was going to meet you. it was only a casual meet-up about agreements and how he’ll help your daughter pass math class. he noticed that you seemed worried about your kid but he assured you that he’ll try his best to help her.

and when he met her, he couldn’t help but soften up. meeting aera was like a breath of fresh air to his regular students. aera was willing to listen and learn on her lessons. she was very sweet and fun to be with. her spirit reminded him of yours when you were younger.

“uncle jake, i drew this picture for you.” aera gives him a drawing of him, reading books on the table with a blackboard behind him that had math equations.

“you really drew this?” jake asks amazed at your daughter’s drawing skills.

“mhm! because you’re my favorite teacher and i like you.”

jake couldn’t help but smile at aera. the kid was too cute and sweet to do such a thing. he heard you walking from the kitchen, and you had some biscuits placed inside a bowl.

“for the both of you.”

“thank you, mommy.”

jake notices how aera says “thank you” whether it be small or big actions. he liked that about a kid. but then again, he notices that you do the same. and he can’t help but think that you really are a good mother.

ever since jake met you and aera, his routine might have become longer than before. but he didn’t mind one bit. not when he can get to help you and aera.

jake’s first reaction of you getting sick was that he got worried. the thought of you sick in bed, alone in your home almost made him loose his mind at class.

“i just figured that you need someone to take care of you right now.”

he knew that you got stressed and tired from taking care of aera. he couldn’t imagine how you managed to get through it in seven years. and he wanted to take care of you.

jake might have had had encounters with women but they weren’t any serious. in his defense, he only went on dates so that sunghoon can stop pestering him.

his bond with you and aera’s was different. the only connection you and jake had was that you both went to the same school. now, you don’t have any status aside from the fact that he’s a math tutor. but he liked it when you ask them how they’re doing and give you snacks. something about your smile and warmth makes him feel comfortable and excited at the same time.

right now, he felt happy feeling that you’re letting him be part of your mother and daughter time.

“uncle jake, have you ever been to a museum?”

“i have. your mother and i went to one in a field trip.”

“mommy says that we’re going to a museum filled with drawings.”

“that sounds fun. you excited?”

“mhm! and it’s more exciting because you’re here.”

jake looks at you, smiling at the interaction. throughout the whole ride, he’s been noticing that you’ve been smiling and giggling the whole ride. and he couldn’t help but gush over it.

the moment the three of you came into the museum, aera couldn’t help but become excited. you let aera be happy and excited but not too much or she’ll break some displays.

you took a picture of aera at the interactive displays. jake took pictures of you and aera, you doing vise versa when aera wanted a picture with him. then aera says that she wanted to have a picture with the three of you. when jake looked at the picture, he couldn’t help but think the three of you looked like a family.

“uncle jake, look! you look like my daddy.”

aera’s words affected both of you. jake has always noticed that your bond with you and aera has changed. but he never noticed that it was beyond that. until now.

“sweetie, let’s go to the mannequins, hm?”

“okay!”

then you carry aera and the two of you happily walk to the mannequins. aera was giggling at how the living mannequin gave her a flower.

suddenly, jake saw you carrying a baby in a living room. then aera comes running to you, and you show her the baby. “here’s your little sister, you say.” then you look at jake, “honey.” aera calls him, “daddy!” then runs to his direction.

“jake!”

he blinks when you called him.

“let’s go?”

“uh, y-yeah. i’ll be right there.”

you had a great time day today. aera was happy to spend her day with you guys and you were happy that she’s happy. jake’s company also made you feel happy. you thought that today’s trip would only be you and aera but with jake, it became a memorable one that you’ll never forget.

aera was sleeping peacefully at the back. you and jake were still awake but both of you were tired.

“she had fun, didn’t she?” jake asks, his eyes focusing on the road.

“she certainly did.

“who knew that she can run so fast?”

“one time, i had to chase her for thirty minutes in a playground. couldn’t catch up with her.”

“she reminds me of you. when we were eight.”

“oh please. anyone can barely put up with my energy.”

“it’s one of the best things about you.”

once again, jake sim made your heart flutter. when the car stops, jake looks at you and you avoid his gaze.

you let out a soft laugh, “yeah. i might have passed it down too much. you might have a hard time catching up with us.”

“i don’t mind. i can catch up just fine.”

then the light turns green and jake starts driving again. you were clutching your hand to your chest. your heart was beating fast that you could barely breathe. you hoped that your heart will have mercy until you got home.

minutes later, you arrived at your home. jake said he can carry aera all the way up to your unit.

you opened the door to aera’s room and jake slowly lies her down. you stand by the doorway and watch jake tuck her in and rub aera’s forehead before he leaves the room. both of you take one last glance at aera before you closed the door.

“thank you for tucking her in. and driving us home.”

“you’re welcome.”

just like the other night, you and jake were standing by the door, staring at each other. both of you didn’t say anything but give each other a look. you recognized that look because you had that look from when you were young and when you met jake again. some part of you felt scared. you never let anyone else in your life, after being left with a baby to raise on your own. but that other part was telling you that you felt happy and excited by letting someone in your life again. when all he showed you was you were worth taking care of.

“jake, i—”

jake didn’t let you finish when his lips landed on yours. his mouth molded perfectly in yours and you couldn’t help but kiss back. jake grabs your nape and the action made you sharply inhale. both of you kissed faster and tried catching each other’s lips. realizing that you’re standing in front if your daughter’s door, you pull away.

“she might hear us.” you whisper and before jake could say anything, you pulled him to your room.

when both of you got inside, you lean at the door and jake kisses you again. this time, you pulled him down by wrapping your arms around his neck. you tried catching your breaths before diving back into each other’s lips. jake slides his hand down to your waist and you let out a whimper. he took that signal as a sign to take off his coat and pull you with him.

you ended up being on top of jake and both if you giggled. you took off your jacket and before you knew it, jake was on top of you. he goes back to kissing you and holding your waist, as you held the sides of his face. jake’s lips left yours as he brushes it to your cheeks, down to your jaw, then down to your neck.

you let out a sigh, feeling euphoria. his touch was gentle and you yearned for it. you pull jake closer and he continues his magic. he slides his hands up then behind your back. you pull jake up and kissed again. he slows his movements this time, getting the rhythm that you wanted.

then realization hit you. this feeling was familiar and the thought was scaring you. the last time you felt this kind of attraction, that person was temporary in your life. you knew that jake was too. eventually, you and jake will part ways when his task is done.

“jake…” you say when you pull away. but jake doesn’t hear you and latches his lips on your neck again.

“wait. jake, stop.”

then jake finally hears you and his eyes looked worried.

“did i hurt you?”

“no. no, no. i…”

you couldn’t look at him in the eye. when you stood up, you brushed your hair back and looked at anywhere else.

“is everything okay?”

“i’m sorry. i don’t…”

you covered your face out if embarrassment, along with fear.

“y/n?” jake holds your arm. his touch made you slowly uncover your face.

“are you okay?”

“i’m…i’m scared.”

jake looks at you with his soft eyes. he places his hand on your cheek and you can feel the tears falling from your eyes.

“oh, no. don’t cry.”

but you did. you let yourself be pulled by jake’s embrace. jake calms you down by rubbing your back.

“everything is going to be alright. i'm here.”

for the first time, you’re actually believing those words.

after crying and staying silent for hours, you finally had the courage to tell jake your sturggles.

“I met this guy in college. he was a year older than me but we took the same class.

“we went on a few dates before we became official. we had a plan. we graduate, gets jobs, get married, and eventually start a family.

“getting drunk at the graduation party was not part of it. getting pregnant after the party—not at all.”

jake continues to hold your hand as both of you lie down on your bed. he let you rest your head on his shoulder as you tell your story. jake sympathized with you, waiting for you to finish what you wanted to say.

“i told him but he said he was sticking to his plan. so he’s completely out of the picture and i raised aera on my own.

“ever since then, i was so scared of letting anyone in my life again. it scares me.

“i’m sorry.”

jake puts his hand on your cheek and you face him.

“don’t be. you’re allowed to feel what you feel.”

you give jake a smile, still feeling your eyes swell. but you were thankful that jake was very understanding.

“thank you for listening.”

“thank you for telling me.”

jake soothes your back and you didn’t notice that you fell asleep in his arms.

after that night, you and jake exchanged “hi’s” awkwardly. but you tried your best not to show aera or let it affect you and jake’s agreement.

weeks passed, you and jake grew out of your awkward phase and became more comfortable eith each other. but he never forced you to start anything with him. he continued being a great father-figure to aera.

you can say that what you had was unlabeled but a part of you knows that you were starting to fall in love with jake. but you were afraid to tell him.

you were just washing the dishes after jake and aera finished their cakes. then aera’s question made you stop.

“uncle jake, if i get a high grade in math, does that mean you won’t be going here anymore?”

“of course not, kiddo. why would you think that?”

“because after i get a high grade, you won’t be teaching me anymore.”

“well, yes…because you already know how to do math. but…” at this point, you were looking at jake then he continues, “it doesn’t mean i'll stop visiting you.”

“really?”

“really.”

then aera hugs jake and he hugged her back.

“if you ace the final exam, we’ll eat mint chocolate ice cream together.” then jake looks at you.

“okay!”

aera did her best and jake was beyond proud of her. you were too. you were proud for the both of them. seeing jake with aera, you thought that he can be more than a father-figure. you knew that both of them have a special bond that is more than a tutor and student.

the next days, jake was starting to stay at home longer. he was so familiar with the place that he remembers where you keep your plates and utensils. one time, the three of you played monopoly and you didn’t remember how long you played because the three of you were having fun. jake declared himself as the winner even though there is no real winner in monopoly.

some nights, you and jake would tuck aera together and she liked it. she never complained about having a father but with jake becoming part of your lives, it was like a dream come true for her.

“i don’t know if me hanging out longer looks like i'm invading your home.”

“i don’t mind. besides, we like having you around.”

you and jake were alone in the living room. drinking a glass of wine while having late night conversations.

“do you maybe…want us to go out sometime? just the two of us.”

“yeah. i’d love that.”

“great. it’s a date then.”

you were surprised but you liked it.

“yes, jake. it’s a date.”

you lean on the couch with the glass on your right hand. jake leans in the couch too, looking at you softly.

“it’s weird though.”

“what is?”

“that i never got to see how amazing you are. you’re not just the girl who causes trouble or teachers dislike for drawing in class.”

“to be fair, i never realized how good you are with kids. it’s making me hard not to fall for you.”

you didn’t know if it was the alcohol. but you suddenly confessing your feelings for jake sim was somehow déjà vu.

“i’ll, uh,” you put down your glass, “i’ll make us some coffee.”

you stand up and was about to go to the kitchen when jake pulls you around and kisses you. you kissed him back, tasting the red sine you just drank. jake holds your cheek and you lean forward, holding his waist.

when you pull away, your eyes were still closed but you can feel jake’s breath on your lips.

“i love you.”

you open your eyes and jake was smiling at you. His cheeks were red. might be from the wine or from the proximity and confession he just said.

“i’m not drunk am i?”

jake smirks, “i don’t think so.” then kisses you again, and you pull him closer.

“thank you for accepting me.” you whisper at his lips.

“no. thank you for accepting me.”

who would’ve thought that a bottle of red wine was all you needed for the perfect confession. but for now, you needed to make two cups of coffee so you and jake can have a proper conversation.

when you told aera the news, you told her that you loved jake like how anne loves gilbert and that jake loves you the same. then aera follows, “but didn’t you already know?” and you were caught off guard.

nevertheless, aera liked the idea of you and jake being together. you haven’t told her about how you met jake. but one day you will so that she’ll know that the right person will come along in time.

just as jake promised you, both of you will be going on a date together. you asked where you’ll be going but he said it was a surprise.

so you dressed up wearing a denim dress that you thought you’ll never use. you wore the necklace your mother gave you when you graduated high school. it felt weird when you asked aera if you looked okay. but she says that you look beautiful as ever. both yujin and gaeul wanted to babysit her this time. but you also knew that they wanted to see you finally having your date with jake sim. but they were hapoy for you that you finally found someone.

“you really don’t want to tell me where we’re going?”

“not a chance.”

you roll your eyes but you knew that jake was trying to give you a date you can remember.

minutes later, the scenery changed into a lake. the water was shining and the grass was turning to a yellow green color thanks to the sunlight. your jaw dropped at the scenery. it was like an actual painting.

when jake stopped the car, he immediately got out and opened the door for you.

“i wanted to find a place only for us.”

“how did you find this place?”

“had a little help from sunghoon and jay.”

“oh how are those two anyway?”

“they’re doing well, actually. jay is engaged and sunghoon is in denial that he’s crushing on his workmate.

you laugh, remembering sunghoon for his schemes and playboy antics. you remember him teasing jake about a girl he liked in high school.

“you okay?”

“hm?”

“you look grumpy.”

“oh.” you shake your head and grab the picnic basket from jake, “come on!”

the whole picnic, you and jake did some catching up. you told him that your parents are still residing in your hometown and your mom’s flower shop is still om business. your dad retired long ago and he just stays at home. jake’s parents were in australia and they were professors in two different universities.

“i suddenly remembered something. weren’t you supposed to move back to australia after high school?”

jake looks down at your figure, “you trying to get rid of me?” then you give jake a “really?” look and he laughs. you sit up and looked at him, placing your palm on his chest. jake was looking up at the sky, thinking deep.

“it was planned, yes. honestly, i was happy to be back home for a while but…something was telling me that i had to be somewhere else.

“i told my parents that i wanted to go back here. they were hesitant at first but i told them to trust me.”

“and did you find what you were looking for?”

“i did,” then he looks at you, “and i realized that i made the right choice to come home.”

“welcome home, jake.” you leaned down and intended to give him a quick kiss but he leans his face forward, trapping your lips.

“that wasn’t fair.”

“i love you too.”

you laugh but gave jake quick pecks and kept saying “I love you’s” in between. you were afraid of being too affectionate but you couldn’t help but show them when jake showers you a lot of it.

jake giggles like a kid then he hovers over you and it was his turn to attack you with kisses.

then both of you ate the sandwiches he made then watched the sunset together. and it was better than any romance movie you watched.

you and jake didn’t really care if you wanted to go public with your relationship. but now that both of you are driving back to your home town for the reunion, you couldn’t help but be nervous. everyone in high school knew your reputation especially that jake was involved. they don’t even know that you’re a single mom of a seven-year-old girl. and now, you’re dating the boy you had a crush on.

your friends won’t be coming because they had to babysit aera. you were hesitant at first to go but you promised jake that you’ll come with him. also, he really wanted to introduce you as his girlfriend to his friends.

“you ready?” jake unbuckles his seatbelt and then he notices you tensing up.

“you okay, baby?”

“what? oh. y-yeah. maybe not?”

“i’ll be with you the whole time,” jake places his hand on yours, “okay?”

you gulp then nod, “okay.”

jake unbuckles your seatbelt, “let’s go.”

when you and jake entered the hall, everyone was in their tables, probably chatting about their careers and relationships. they were all familiar faces. chaewon, the former class president, was chatting with your former homeroom teacher, mrs. bang. somi, one of jake’s admirers was with a date. ej was with his friend nicholas. those two were hard to separate.

“jake, my man!”

you and jake turn around and see jay approaching you. he and jake gave a brotherly hug. then out of no where, sunghoon barges in and headlocks jake.

“dude!”

“sim jaeyun is here!”

and apparently it caught everyone’s attention and they began whispering when they saw you with the famous “02z of daebom high.”

“so…jake.” sunghoon eyes you then back to jake, raising his eyebrows up and down.

“sunghoon, jay, you remember y/n, don’t you?” jake places his hand around your waist.

“how could we forget when she always screams in the hallways 'jake sim jjan!’ or ‘jakey, the sun can’t shine without your existence in the world!’”

“oh please, don’t.” your face becomes red from embarrassment.

“but y/n, i have to say, it’s about time jake did something more than spend his time on paperwork.”

the four of you chatted for a while before finding a table for the four of you. being in the same table with the three flower boys was your high school dream. it felt weird that it came true after many years but in different circumstances.

“baby, want something to eat?”

“not that hungry, thank you.”

“how about some appetizers?”

“meatballs with cheese would be nice though.”

“i’ll be right back,” jake eyes his friends, “be nice.”

“yes, sir!” sunghoon and jay do a salute before jake leaves you with them.

“y/n, tell me. has jake been giving you headaches?”

“no, actually, he’s been helping me a lot. he’d drop by and help tutor my daughter. then we’d have movie nights until we tuck aera to sleep. we go and do the most mundane dates but with him…he makes it so special.”

then you noticed jay and sunghoon just looking at you in awe.

“you really love him, don’t you?”

you nod, “i do. very much.”

“he may not be telling you this but, ever since he met you, his boring, ordinary life became vibrant and full of joy. i’ve never seen him that happy since.”

jay’s words made you feel accepted. he has always had a way with words but it was the first time you actually heard it.

“thanks, jay.”

“y/n, in case he does do something stupid, just give him a smack in the head and he’ll come around.”

“will try to remember that, sunghoon.”

“meatballs for my lady,” jake places the plate in front of you. jay and sunghoon were about to get some when jake slaps their hands.

“go get your own.”

jay was about to slap jake’s shoulder when mrs. bang starts to speak.

“class of 20xx, i’d like to start this reunion by saying, welcome home.”

everyone claps and you follow. your homeroom teacher continues by saying that there will be a program performed by somi and her friends. like before, she’s always had charisma when performing on stage.

there was games. pocky games were always the best. jay and sunghoon did it by vote. everyone cheered when the pocky stick became small in very bite. both of them didn’t want to loose but they didn’t want to touch each other’s lips either so jay took the fall.

there were some awardings too. the life of the party: sunghoon. shy prince: ej. math wizard: your jake. you got the artist award.

the event was still on-going but you and jake left early. you wanted jake to formally meet your parents.

on the drive going there, you felt nervous but you didn’t want to let jake know. as for jake, you can sense that he’s nervous because he was biting his tongue while looking at his feet.

“baby,” you call jake and when he turns around, “you cup his face.”

“they’re going to love you.”

this time, you’re assuring jake. you felt nervous too but you love jake and you know that he’s a good man that your parents will love.

you and jake waited for someone to answer the door. and when it opened, your mom answers it.

“hi, mom. dad.”

“y/n? who’s this?”

“this is jake. he’s my boyfriend.”

and your parents ended up loving jake. they remember him when you mentioned you went to daebom high together. suddenly, they told jake stories about you gushing over jake. you figured that you had quite the reputation here in town.

“oh jake, you should’ve seen y/n write your name at the back of her notebook with hearts.”

“mom!” you cover your face but your parents kept teasing you.

“jake, y/n might seem the free spirit type but she’s someone who has a big heart.”

“yes, sir. and i'll take care of her and aera.”

your dad kept offering jake some alcohol but you kept reminding him that both of you need to drive home. but a twist of events lead to jake becoming wasted and your parents saying that both of you should spend the night here.

“mom, i have to see aera.”

“y/n, you’re tired and jake is drunk. now, i don’t want both of you getting into an accident.”

you sigh, “yes, mom.”

you carried jake to your old room and lie him on his back. he kept calling your name but you just laughed, finding him cute with his red face.

“baby, i need to take off your shirt. okay?”

jake pouts and covers his chest, “my girlfriend will get mad at me.”

“jake, it’s me.”

jake slowly opens his eyes, “oHhh y/n!”

just like that, jake was fast asleep. you slowly lifted him so he can sit up. when he was sitting on the head board, you gently unbuttoned his shirt. you were thankful that he was wearing a white shirt inside. after that, you positioned him facing the side with a pillow under his head.

“talk about ‘i’ll take care of her.’”

you laugh softly but you lightly jake’s head. he looked really cute. sleeping like a baby.

“y/n…” jake says slurring in his sleep.

“you and aera,” he lets out a hiccup, “are the best thing,” another hiccup, “that’s ever happened to me.”

for so long, you were so scared that when you let someone in your life, they’d leave you. for a while, you thought that you were content that it was just you and your daughter against the world. but eventually, this man right here, drunk and sleep talking is going to be a good father to aera. this man right here is the one you want to spend the rest if your life with.

you’ve been dating for a while now and he has been dropping by your place almost every day. so you asked him to move in with you. it wasn’t anything new except that jake doesn’t have to drive before he gets to see you and aera.

and when you slept at the same bed for the first time, it was a little awkward. but like before, both of you adjusted and got used to it.

you and jake would cuddle before you go to bed. he’d be the big spoon, whether you were facing behind him or you were lying on his chest.

“you know, i should’ve asked you sooner.”

“be grateful that i said yes in a heartbeat.”

“oh, thank you, sir jake.” you teasingly thank him like he was a knight.

the rest of the night, you’d have tickle fights until both of you will snuggle until you sleep.

but like any other relationship, there were always misunderstandings and conflicts.

“jake, all i'm saying is that we don’t have enough money to buy a new place.”

“y/n, i have enough to get us one.”

“didn’t it come across your mind that we should be buying it together?”

“well if maybe your job was—”

“what, jake? if i were a teacher, earning a monthly salary like you?”

“y/n, that’s not what i meant.”

but you walked out before he could finish. you didn’t talk to jake for the rest of the night. jake waa in the living room while you stayed in your bedroom. you were thankful that aera was oblivious to the situation.

after an hour, jake went inside your room and you were facing behind him.

“y/n…”

you didn’t say anything.

“i’m sorry. i shouldn’t have said that.”

“you think?”

“i just thought that if we get a new place, we’d finally settle in a home as a family. but truth is, wherever you are…you are my home.”

you finally turn around, but all you could do was stare at jake as he waits for you to say something.

“did you say family?”

‘yeah. i did.”

you didn’t think before hugging jake. he hugs you back, burying his face on your neck.

you and jake agreed that when the time is right, you’ll get a new place and everything else will fall into place.

you’ve been thinking for a while about what jake said. you did consider moving to a new place but your savings weren’t enough. but you also wanted to start a new life with jake in it.

so you decided to find a full-time job as an art teacher for elementary students. hoping that you’ll have enough income for your family’s future. and no, you didn’t force yourself. you choice this because it’s for the ones you love.

“ms. y/n, am i doing a okay?”

“you’re doing great, jungwon!” you give your student a big smile.

“niki you’re doing great too!”

you never fail to compliment your students. you might not have the best audiences when you were young. but you didn’t want to crush children’s dreams when they remind you of how you were.

“okay, kids. don’t forget that your homework is due tomorrow.”

you were thankful that your class was the last one. you were in the middle of fixing your things when someone knocked at the door.

“hey.”

“hey. your class is done?”

“yeah. well, i clocked out early.”

oh, right. jake finally became a full-time math teacher. both of you work at the same school. he thought that he should be helping you so you can get a new place. besides, it’s a great opportunity for him to go home with you and aera.

“are you not feeling well?” you stand up and held jake’s forehead but he shakes his head.

“actually, we are going out for a while.”

your eyes grew wide, “where are we going?”

“i’ll tell you when we get there.”

“jake.”

“it’s going to be fun,” you raised your brow at jake then he says, “i promise.”

next thing you knew, you and jake were in the car taking the route to your hometown. the next surprising thing is when he parked in front of your old school.

“what are we doing here?”

jake just gives you a smile before getting out of the car. he opens the door for you, kneeling down.

“come with me.”

it might seem weird that jake always makes your heart flutter for the bare minimum but heck, this is jake sim we’re talking about.

both if you were walking down the hallways of the school. it felt weird walking in the same place where you called jake’s name to get his attention. now, you’re holding each other’s hand.

“don’t worry, the teachers know that we’re visiting.”

“any reason why we’re visiting?”

“when we reach the end of the hall, you’ll know.”

so you and jake continue walking. both of you stop then jake holds your hand.

“for this part, i'm going to need you to close your eyes.”

you were hesitant at first but you did what jake asked. he was holding your hand the whole time you walked with your eyes closed. then he stopped.

“wait a minute.”

jake’s lets go if your hand.

“you can open them now.”

you were greeted with lights behind jake. the banner with the sign, “will you accept me?” then you realized that this is how you confessed to jake in high school. and you’re in the same room.

jake was holding a bouquet with pink, white, and red roses with baby’s breath. and he had a ring on his other hand.

“y/n, i never would’ve thought that my boring, plain, life would be so colorful, vibrant, and joyful. you and aera…i couldn’t imagine how my life would turn out if you weren’t in my life. you let me become part of your life, and i want to spend my remaining days with you and our family.”

“so,” jake kneels down in front of you. the action caught your breath away.

“will you accept me?”

you gave yourself a minute to process what was happening. and when you did, you finally say…

“jake, i appreciate what you have done but…

“it would be a shame if i don’t say yes.”

you laugh and you let your tears fall on your face.

“yes, yes, yes.”

jake stands up and finally gives you a tight hug. you bury your face in his chest.

jake kisses your head and whispers, “i love you.”

you lift your head up, “i love you.”

the last time you fell in love, things might not have gone the way you wanted them to. you doubted a lot of things and distanced yourself. then you met a man who proved to you that you deserve a second chance.

this time, you were sure that it will be different and will be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

***

epilogue

#ENHYPENWRITERS #enhypen au #enhypen jake au #enhypen jake x reader #enhypen jaeyun x reader #enhypen fluff #enhypen jake fluff #enhypen angst #enhypen jake angst #enhypen jaeyun #enhypen jaeyun fluff #enhypen jaeyun angst #enhypen jake x reader fluff #enhypen jake x reader angst #jake sim au #sim jaeyun #jake au #jaeyun au

2K notes · View notes

intjsimp · 1 year ago

Text

“You knew from the start it was us, didn’t you?”

“It just took me a while ‘til I knew.”

#god I love Mitski #EVERY MITSKI SONG IS OF THEM OKKK #I have bad handwriting I get it leave me alone #a doodle I liked enough to color not enough to clean #mbti #mbti art #enfp #intj #enfp x intj #my art #mitski #I played this song nonstop when coloring lol

71 notes · View notes

vividraft · 1 month ago

Text

I love you and all your colors...

⇢ ˗ˏˋ gn!artist!reader x childe / modern-ish au? /angst little to no comfort

⇢ ˗ˏˋ summary: Childe had fought hard to make you love your talent for painting, but during just one argument, it all slipped away

⇢ ˗ˏˋ important notes: this is a repost from my old account (@/rainstops), and the ending is like,, really rushed

⇢ ˗ˏˋ a/n: if people ask for it, i might write a part two or so...

old post masterlist tba !

you had these scars on your hands, and you hated them. no one knew where they came from except for your boyfriend, childe. he has caressed your hands so many times, and told you before, that he doesn't mind the crescent shaped marks on your hand.

he knew you used to press your nails into your palm so hard, that they started to bleed. you’re an artist, and always wanted to do something with your talent, yet your parents were more than just unsupportive of your dreams. they started suggesting that you put your free time in something other than your ‘little doodles’.

yet their words grew harsher and harsher over the years you lived.

Whenever you were once again told that you're useless, and that your paintings don't look any different from those compared to a five year old, your hands would start bleeding again.

maybe you would've given it all up, if it wasn't for your, at that time, friend childe. he was your rock, your support in all of this.

How many times had you texted him late in the evening and asked him if you could stay over at his place? How many times had he cleaned out the wounds on your palms?

He helped you move out of your parents house, into your current shared apartment, and helped you be comfortable drawing again.

Yet even with all of his support, you grew protective of your work. you barely told anyone about what you did, and was afraid of taking criticism.

one person you were not afraid of though. you were never too afraid to ask childe for his opinion on your recent piece. you were never too afraid to turn around the canvas, and show him what you had done with your time.

and everytime again, he was proud of you. He peppered your face with kisses, and told you what he especially liked.

and over the years, even your so much hated scars started to fade.

Apparently his job has started to take a lot more from his energy though.

he never said that, but you just assume that that is the reason for his lack of response to your proudly painted canvas.

nowadays you never got more from him, other than a simple ‘i like it’, or even just a hum of approval.

and it got you thinking, if you would stop showing him what you had done, would he care enough to ask?

so that's what you did.

The next day when he came home from work, you didn't ask if you could show him what you had painted. you simply greeted him with a warm dinner, and a kiss on the lips. you hadn't mentioned your art for the whole day.

but still, while lying in bed, your thoughts told you that he was probably just exhausted, and that he might have forgotten, but tomorrow he will surely ask you about it!

he never asked you about anything.

Was he really that forgetful? a week had passed, and you just wanted to show him one piece, that took you significantly long.

“babe, i have something to show you!”, the excitement not fading even though childe had forgotten what you spent the majority of your time with.

“Sure what is it?”, your boyfriend didn't even look up from his dinner, but that was okay! He was probably just really hungry.

"I'll get it!”

you quickly ran to your room, and grabbed the beautifully painted canvas.

yet childes reaction was as little as the hope you had left for any sign that you two were not drifting apart.

“oh, that's cool babe”

thats cool?

you felt your heart clench, when you realized that's all he had to say. Still, you weren't ready to give up yet.

“what do you like about it?”, what were you even trying.

childe took another look at the painting, and then at you.

“I don't know, it looks pretty though”, you quietly looked away.

“Okay, thanks for your feedback, I’ll be heading to sleep now”, you smiled, but the hole in your heart was growing by the second.

“alright good night babe”

The bed felt cold. you hugged your own body, trying to keep yourself warm, yet the cold sheets you were lying between made you shiver.

you could no longer blame childes dismissive act on his work, and him being so exhausted. What could have changed your boyfriend so much, that he was no longer the person that made you feel so safe? A tear rolled down your cheek, onto your pillow.

When you woke up that morning, childe was not there. you assumed he must have headed to work earlier than usually.

you forced yourself out of bed, ignoring how heavy your body felt on your legs. That was when a specific thought came to mind. maybe you should start showing your boyfriend your drawings without him having to ask. and maybe, just maybe, he would start being excited to see them again.

you don't remember what made you come to this conclusion. maybe desperation for the love you used to feel everyday, which had now left your life as quick as it had appeared.

so that's what you did. everyday you had proudly presented your boyfriend your drawings which you had put minute after minute and hour after hour of your days into. longing for his love and attention back you were ready to do anything.

probably if you had told anyone how you felt, and what you were doing, they would have called you desperate.

but no one could expect from you to give up the love that had saved you over and over again. no one could expect that you would give up the only person who was there for you in your hardest and happiest times.

so youre not giving up yet.

even though childes lack of enthusiasm remained the same, you were glad he was at least not shaming you for your hobby like your parents used to. you don't know how you would react if he were to act that way, but it was childe you were talking about.

you were convinced he could never even act that way.

but how long could you still continue this? everyday where you presented your work to him, and he would just react with a disinterested ‘nice’, felt like a weakening punch in the gut.

this wasn’t working. maybe you should just talk to him about his lack of a reaction to your hobby and your work. the work which he used to love so much.

so maybe that was the right thing to do.

when he came home from that specific day at work, you had shown him a drawing which was especially big. you had put so much work into it, you barely took a break the whole day to make sure it was finished before he came home.

maybe you were going to get a bigger reaction out of him this time.

“looks great babe”

he didn’t even look at it.

What were you doing wrong?

“childe, you didn’t even look at it”, maybe you really needed to talk to him.

“huh?”, seriously? did he even care? has he never even listened to you?

“childe you don’t even care about my drawings like you used to, do you?”, suddenly he got up from his chair. and you put down your drawing, leaning it against the wall.

childe rubbed his face.

“you know [name], I’m really tired, can we discuss this some other time?”, you had told yourself for so long that he was just tired, but was that even true?

“childe you’ve been tired for months now. don’t get me wrong, i can't even begin to imagine how exhausting your job must be, but I don’t even really feel like you acknowledge me, other than eating the food i cook for you”

you had to try really hard for this to not turn into an argument. emphasis on tried, because childe was not willing to listen to you. it felt like he was never going to be listening to you, and you needed to get that out of your system. maybe this wouldn't be the best time to tell him, but was it ever going to be the best time?

“I understand that you might be tired, but just tell me what happened? why are you being like this?”, your tone remained calm, yet your muscles tensed up.

“All I am asking of you is the attention that you used to give me. i understand that you can be tired when coming home from work, that's not something i'm denying, but-”

“Look, [name], do you really want to know?”, his tone was a lot harsher than yours, and it made a shiver travel up your spine.

you took a second, but nodded and gave him a hum.

“you know that while i am going out to work, and let you stay here all day, all you do is paint and draw. you know that there are so many things that you could spend your time with, but instead you waste your day just holding a paintbrush all day”, childe words were absolutely taking you apart. whether that was his intention or not, that's what he had achieved.

When you two first moved into the apartment, you had told him that you would go find a job, but he insisted that you should stay home. if he had anything to say, or if he had wished for you to get a job, he could have said so, couldn't he?

“childe if you had wanted me to get a job, you could have said so. i would have started looking for someth-”

“you're missing the point! I am saying that you keep wasting all your time, and then expect me to praise you for it! your stupid drawings are just a huge waste of your days! Every single day I come home and you remind me of how much you waste your time! Do you seriously think that I could be proud of you for that?!”

Maybe trying to confront him today wasn't such a good idea, yet this felt like it was a really long time coming.

when you blinked, you found little tears collected in the corners of your eyes. Yet even when they fell childe didn't notice. He kept ranting on and on about things he had already said.

while he kept talking and talking, your nails had found your palms once again. an old habit you had wished to finally be rid off.

the memories came flooding back of your parents shouting at you for the same thing, your boyfriend was shouting at you right now. the same boyfriend that first safed you of the mental torture your parents put you through. the same boyfriend who would cut your nails for you, so the wounds wouldn't be so bad. the same boyfriend who had praised you for your talent.

the stupid thing about this was that childe isn't actually mad about you wasting your day. he wasn't even able to put an exact finger on it. you could blame it on him being exhausted from work, and needing to take out his exhaustion somewhere, or maybe he was mad about not spending enough time with you. maybe he was mad at himself for not giving you enough attention, but the hurtful things have been said, and there was nothing he could do to take them back.

when childe finally looked at you after ranting for a good minute, his heart dropped to his stomach and maybe even further.

there you were standing, sniffling, looking down at your feet while your nails were digging into the soft flesh of your palms. your face was wet from your tears, and your hand only reached up to wipe them away, and then to return into a tight fist.

“i understand, I hic i will draw less, and find better things to do”

childe often found himself wishing to be able to turn back the time, but never had he prayed so hard for being able to take back his words.

“w-wait, [name] i-”, childe felt like all the words and apologies he could have given you were knocked out of his brain in an instant, and he panicked when you wanted to walk past him to leave the room.

although the worst thing was that you were pressing your nails so hard into your palms again, to a point where you were bleeding from the amount of pressure you were releasing. childe felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. the habit of yours that he was fighting so hard to get rid off, had returned. it had returned because of him.

“[name] please i don't know why i said that, i was just- maybe i was just tired from work, although i cant blame it on that-”, childe frantically took your hands into his, yet your nails already had your blood on them.

childe felt like a world in front of his eyes fell apart. the bad habit of yours that he tried fighting for so long, was close to returning. He was the one who tore your scars back open, and there was nothing he could do about it.

“[name], [name] please- I didn't mean to say these things, please”, all childe could do was beg and repeat your name over and over as he felt his eyes water.

he frantically held your hands, and let you to a chair, to sit down. tears were still repeatedly staining your face, and childe had rushed off to get some bandages for your hands.

childe rushed back and almost fell down onto his knees in front of you.

“please just let me-”, childe proceeded to clean your wounds a little, and then bandage up your hand. while he was handling your hand, you didn't move or talk one bit. other than quiet sniffles, you just let childe do what he needed to do. in the meantime, your head hung low and your eyes haven't stopped staring at that one spot on your leg.

you didn't know how to feel. How could you? the one person you believed you could turn to, whenever your parents were rude to you, has done the same thing you were so afraid of happening again. and why? because of stress at work? because he had a bad day?

“[name] i know you're mad, just please- please say anything”, childe pleaded with you.

“I’m not mad”, you replied and your voice broke. you weren't even sure if that was true. you were more hurt than angry, but then again you were also just confused.

“it's late… Can I go to bed?”, why were you asking him?

“of course- anything you want, I’ll sleep on the couch for tonight”, you were both crying and overwhelmed by emotions.

you nodded and headed up the stairs to the room you and childe usually shared. a million thoughts flooded your mind, but for some reason your chest felt so empty.

the person you usually relied on when you felt this way, was now the cause of your feelings. Who were you supposed to turn to?

then another thought filled your head. What if your parents were right all along? maybe you should have done anything else but waste your life painting stupid pictures.

you cried yourself to sleep that night.

and even after you woke up, you could feel the daggers that were sent through your heart.

you opened the door to your room. “childe?”, you called out, your voice being utterly shaky.

was he at work?

when you opened the door to your art room, you didn't expect childe to be sitting in the middle of your paintings. you couldn't read the expression which was resting on his face.

what childe hadn't realized was that these paintings were small pieces of your soul. every single one of the paintings were thoughts and feelings that you couldnt find the words for, so instead you found the colors for your unspoken feelings. childe has never wished for anything as much as he has wished that he paid more attention to you.

“childe…?”, your voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and his head shot towards the door.

“oh- sorry i was just… well uh, do you need anything?”, childe stammered, getting up from his sitting position.

“I was just looking for you… why are you here?”, your voice remained quiet and shaky.

“i was just… looking at all your work that i had missed… and all the time… well uh- if you want me to leave i'll go-”

“its… it's okay i just wanted to see where you were” with those words you turned around, about to leave the room.

“wait-! [name] I… I’m sorry, I don't know what to say to let you know how bad i feel-”

“childe i know”, his face was met with the sight of a sad smile on your face.

“w-what can I do to make you feel better? I’ll do anything- please”

“I don't know, honestly…”, a shaky sigh escaped your lungs.

“please… know that i love you [name], more than anything”

“i… love you too”

#! vivis drafts #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin fanfic #childe #childe tartagalia #childe tartaglia ajax #tartaglia #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader

86 notes · View notes

critterbitter · 10 months ago

Note

I finally got all my brain ducks into enough of a row to send this! I just wanted to say that Tumblr recommended your art to me on a whim, and I am actually OBSESSED now lol. I had no prior investment in Submas or anything tangentially related to it prior to this (aside from liking Pokémon generally lol), but I couldn’t help but tear through everything you’ve drawn for these silly little rat children and I love them so much now!!! I wanna pick them up and shake him around like little action figures! The shenanigans and the heartfelt moments are just,, UGH so good! I have no words! Thank you for the food I am going FERAL over them <3

Your art is also high key goals for me now tbh. I absolutely ADORE your coloring and rendering style, and also they way you draw Pokémon in general?? Very animalistic but still recognizably Pokémon?? Literally galaxy brained. I’m going to SCREAM. I know you already posted a bit of your art process, but I’d love to know if you’ve got any rendering tips and/or how you get that clean but sketchy look. It looks so good I want to eat it lol.

(Also I really love the way you’ve been formatting Elesa’s dialog, with the extra lines around the letters. It really gives the vibe that her grasp on Galarian is currently shaky at best and idk, I like that you’ve managed to find a way to convey that over text. I think that’s pretty cool :D)

I SAW YOU REBLOG A WHOLE BUNCH AND IM,,, (throwing hearts at you)

Thank you so so much! I’m glad you love these terrible little guys wandering Unova just as much as I do, haha!

As a treat, lemme pull out some drafting for the mini illustrations. I usually start every snapshot with a run down of what I remember from the area, possible shenanigans encountered, and then a doodle of ideas to come.

From there, it’s a SUPER rough sketch, followed by lineart and rough color, and then cleanup!

(More thumbs and their finals below!)

At the end of the day, all my lines are VERY sketchy. I’m a lot stronger when it comes to mashing colors. That, and if you set your line layer from normal to multiply, the lines will always be automatically darker then whatever layer is placed underneath. It’s a trick used quite a bit for placing cel shadows in animation, but it’s useful for lineart in a pinch.

For colors, I like to stick to a limited pallet and branch out only after setting my primary colors. This entire series has been very experimental for me though, as you can probably tell.

As for the last bit— YES… YOU GET IT! As Elesa grows, the lines in her dialogue will start appearing less and less. It’s the little things that map the span of time for these guys.

Yippee!

#ask #mailbox #aah… scared to respond to my inbox because there r so MANY asks but #this one’s asking for tips and i love getting on my soapboxes #and also the sheer amount u reblogged??? holy shit okay if ur gonna put the effort so shall i!!#ANYWAYS!#critterbitter screams into the void #critterbitter

342 notes · View notes

anonymouslymadebydesign · 2 years ago

Text

CG!Howdy Pillar x Little!GN!Reader Headcanons

Side note : GN = gender neutral

✿ I think Howdy would definitely take on the role of caregiver whether you were together or not, he just gives me those vibes (◡‿◡✿)

✿ If you were little at the shop, he would let you sit at the counter with some paper and a box of crayons

✿ If you like juice he’d make sure you have a snack with your favorite juice or if you don’t like juice, whatever you like !

✿ He’d of course make sure you drink water as well, can’t have you drinking juice juice/milk/soda. he’d give you what you like but in strict moderation

✿ It’s the bodega , so of course he’d occasionally have books for sale. to keep you entertained he’d had kiddie books for you to go through, and if it’s slow enough, he’d sit with you and read you a story

✿ I’m not sure how big the interior of the bodega is but I imagine it at least has a employee break room, despite Howdy being the only employee there. I like to think it’s like a townhouse situation, house upstairs, shop downstairs

✿ Anyways, for nap time he’d keep a nice little pull out couch in the break room for you whenever you get sleepy or need to lay down for a minute

✿ He’d keep spares of your favorite comfort items there as well, extra blankets, pillows, your favorite type of stuffie, pacies and bottles (if you use them of course) and teether toys as well !

✿ Since Howdy is the only employee at the bodega, I’d imagine he’d had those “out for lunch, be back soon!” signs on the front door. He would either pack you a lunch or make a simple one in the employee break room. He’d eat with you, and if you needed help eating, he’d gladly hold your food up to your mouth and make airplane noises

✿ Howdy would definitely color with you when he can as well! If hes done cleaning the store and stocking up he’d sit with you and help color in coloring books or make little doodles for you and your fellow neighbors

✿ If it was nap time and you wanted to cuddle I think he would definitely join you in a nap session, especially with how hard he works

✿ Check ins ! He would check in every so often to make sure you’re doing good , he’s always worried you mightn’t be doin to well and he doesn’t know (╯︵╰,)

✿ He would totally organize play dates if you’re comfortable with other neighbors ! I think having a play date with Julie or Sally would be so much fun

#welcome home arg #caregiver howdy pillar #welcome home agere #howdy pillar x reader #platonic #platonic fanfiction #age regressor reader #little reader #howdy pillar #age appropriate #howdy pillar x gn Reader

416 notes · View notes

annymation · 11 months ago

Text

The Kingdom of Wishes- A “Wish” Rewrite

Chapter 4- The King and Queen

Chapter 3

Asha is surrounded by a thick cloud of green smoke. She feels dizzy, like she just been spinning for hours, but really that’s just the natural feeling one gets from being magically teleported for the first time.

As the smoke clears, Asha coughs a few times and rubs her eyes. Things start coming into focus and she realizes… She’s inside the castle.

She sees in front of her a huge flight of stairs that goes spiraling upwards for what seems to be forever. The walls are adorned with intricate and perfect details.

The last remaining lights of sunset entered through the large colored glass windows, creating what Asha could only describe as a light show with an array of colors that painted the walls.

She and the royal couple were in front of the main entrance, the door is open and they can hear the fireworks and people celebrating the Wish ceremony outside. The king and queen are standing right behind her, watching as she takes everything in.

As Asha looks up she can only whisper:

“Wow”

(It's exactly like this by the way)

“Marvelous, is it not?” The queen asks in a sigh while walking to be in front of Asha "It's not everyday we bring guests in here. You are quite fortunate, dear."

Asha can't help but notice how it's... Empty. Not in details tho, there's plenty of that all around, but there's no sign of people besides the 3 of them.

"It really is incredible your majesty but umm if you don't mind me asking... Where are the guards? Or the cleaning staff?" Asha asks looking around while taking a few steps forward

"Oh all the guards stay outside only.” Magnifico explains nonchalantly, as he also walks to be next to his wife “As for the cleaning staff, or really any other servant, we have them all leave when the sun starts to set"

"We prefer to have some... privacy in here at night time, if you know what I mean" The queen lets out a laugh as she and her husband gaze passionately at one another.

... "Wow… they not only need to get a room, they need a whole castle" Asha thinks

(Although she's right, another reason they empty the castle at night is so they can be their true selves without witnesses)

“But enough about us, right? Tonight’s about you.” The King smiles, as he playfully boops Asha’s nose “Now, what we want to know from you Asha iiiiiiis-- What in the blazes is that on our window?”

The king looks in bewilderment at something coming out of one of their glass windows that is closer to the ground

(they can be opened when pushed slightly, to let some air come in.)

Asha turns to see what the king is looking at. She sees coming out of the lower window two little… baby goat legs.

Followed by the sound “Maaaaa! Maaaaa!”s she knows so well

“VALENTINO!” Asha screams in surprise, running to get him. “What are you doing here?! I told Dahlia to keep an eye on you!”

Dahlia is unfortunately too busy discussing with Gabo about why they can’t just break in the castle, so she didn’t notice the baby goat went missing.

The two royals silently watch this scene play out, quite unsure how to react, this girl really never ceases to surprise them.

"hehehe- Sorry about that umm your highnesses, this is my baby goat, Valentino" Asha says with an awkward smile while holding Valentino in her arms

"Maaa!" The goat bleats to them cheerfully, but mostly he's just over the moon that he managed to find Asha.

"He says hi too" Asha says while waving one of his hooves to them.

The king smiles, giving a small wave back, finding this quite entertaining so far.

The queen is trying her hardest to keep her fake smile while thinking "please don't let this disgusting thing near me"

"Haha how charming! Say Asha, does he follow you everywhere like that?" The king asks, sounding intrigued.

"Oh yes, since the day he got the hang on how to walk hehe- Last month I went to doodle some animals in a farm, and I found him all alone after his parents were sold out. Sooo I adopted him" She hugs him tightly "And we've been inseparable ever since hehe" the girl says gleefully

The queen can't hold it in any longer and just asks quickly "That's wonderful my sweet, but would you care to leave him outside? A castle is really no place for farm animals"

“Specially THIS castle” The king says while turning his head side to side through the room like he’s looking for something “I believe it may be safer for him to leave, Asha” he says in a warning tone.

Asha tilts her head to the side with a puzzled look "Huh? Why would he not be safe here?"

*GrRrRRrrR*

As if on cue, Asha hears a throaty, low and predatory growl come from behind the stairs

“Because goats just so happen to be OUR pet’s favorite meal” the king explains, smirking ever so slightly, thinking "how ironic" since Asha is their prey as well.

Asha turns to the source of the sound quickly and she sees

An Iberian lynx

(I have a whole post explaining why I choose to give them a lynx instead of a common house cat: Here)

With grey fur covered in spots, and green predatory eyes. Walking slowly towards them, as he approaches, Asha can tell it’s about size of a medium dog.

The wild cat sees Valentino and… now it’s running- FAST-

Asha screams and embraces Valentino tightly.

She closes her eyes and…

Nothing happens.

She looks back, and the cat is frozen mid air, covered by green magic, the king managed to save them just in time.

He uses his staff to levitate the feline closer to him.

“Now now Bravo, is that any way to welcome our guest?” The king says, in a clearly faux reprehending tone.

(I’m aware that the concept art book said their pet cat would be named “Charo” but I opted to change it)

Bravo looks at his owners very confused, isn’t that dinner?

The queen takes the wild cat into her arms, like he’s her baby “Aww my poor sweet pet, you must be starving, but we both know you deserve a meal with more meat on its bones than that.” She carries him to a different room so he won’t interrupt them.

(Please do keep in mind a lynx is huge, and the queen is carrying him with relative ease, because she’s actually physically stronger than one might expect)

Asha is still a bit shaken by the scare.

Meanwhile Valentino is just smiling and wagging his tail, seeing Bravo as a potential new friend, oblivious to the fact he was in danger just a moment ago.

The queen places their pet in a different room and closes the door quickly “Well… How’s that for a welcome commitee huh? hahah” She jokes.

“I… I never knew your majesties had a lynx”

“It's probably for the best he stays a secret, unlike us he's rather... Shy” Shy is a nicer way to say he hates people. "So, will your pet be accompanying us?" The king asks, not really caring what option Asha chooses.

Asha looks at Valentino and thinks for a moment "I'm pretty sure if I did leave him outside he'd just find his way back in anyway. I’d like keep him with me, if that’s okay."

"Oh well, as you wish... And speaking of “wish”, let's talk about the wish that grandfather of yours made, shall we?" The king get's them back on track

(Now, I know this whole animal introduction scene may feel pointless but trust me, these two lil guys will be important later)

The king places a hand on Asha's back and starts walking with her to the huge set of stairs "Now, tell me Asha, his name, what he looked like, what he did for a living" He walks a step of the stairs with each topic he lists off “Anything might help me remember his wish”

All three of them are walking up the stairs, Magnifico and Asha side by side while the queen is behind them.

Asha really doubts the king will remember her Saba’s wish just like that, but might as well give it a shot "Well, his name was Sabino Lucero, he was pretty short, had a big nose and-"

"Sabino you say? hmm... Sabino, Sabi- OH YES! Sabino yes yes of course- yeah I remember him" The king lies, like he has been lying pretty much the whole afternoon.

"Wait re-really?" Asha eyes are wide.

"Yeah really ahaha! Why, I remember the wish I granted to him like it was yesterday!" Magnifico claims excitedly.

Asha is ecstatic, she jumps with joy with Valentino still on her arms "That's great! Then what was it?" She simply can't wait to find out.

"Hahah it's funny how you of all people don't know, since what he wished for was... You" He carefully places his hand under her chin

Asha enthusiasm slowly faded, she kept smiling but she was confused

"Me? What do you mean?"

"He wished to have the most caring, intelligent and graceful granddaughter one day. And now, would you look at that…" The king holds her chin gently and turns her face to one of the many mirrors on the walls "He got exactly what he wished for, didn't he?"

Now, I'm kinda repeating myself at this point saying this is a lie too, but I wanna just add this is a lie he’s veeeery used to telling people, whenever someone comes to him asking why their loved one seemingly passed away without getting their wish granted he just says "Oh they wished for YOU to be in their lives" and that just makes the person content.

Asha isn't like other people though.

She stares at her own reflection... Confused.

"You seem troubled mi rosa, is that not what you expected?" The queen asks, with a fake worried gaze.

What she expected was to get answers, but now she just had more questions: What kind of wish is that? Didn't the king just tell her earlier that a wish is something that defines you? How does that defines Saba? Why didn't he seem fully content? Was she... Was she not good enough?

(Let me just say real quick that if this was a movie this whole paragraph would just be Asha staring at the mirror looking lost, we wouldn't actually hear her thoughts, I'm just telling yall this so you can get a glimpse on where her mind's at)

She could ask those questions to them but... To be fair she really just wants to leave and enjoy the rest of her birthday with her friends, not to mention these two would most likely not know the answers to her questions anyway.

So she just turns to them with a thankful smile "I'm just surprised, it’s all. Thank you for telling me your majesty, I really needed to know, and... I'm sorry for assuming you didn't grant my saba's wish" she gives him a small curtesy

"Oh that's quite alright, people who come here believing the same thing are more common than you'd think" He says with a serene smile, but as Asha lowers her head to give him a curtesy he speaks between his teeth "Though they certainly don't make a scene quite like you did about it."

Asha couldn't quite understand what he mumbled "Sorry, what was that?"

"*cough cough* Sore throat"

"Heh well, this was definitely a crazy birthday experience, thank you again for welcoming me" Asha says as she begins to walk down the stairs towards the exit while still looking at the king and queen "I'll be sure to tell all my friends about-"

B L A M

The main entrance that was previously opened slammed all by itself... Well actually not by itself, as Asha realizes it's glowing with green magic...

Oh... They're not done yet.

"And where do you think you're going?" the queen asks in a sing-song voice "We have not dismissed you just yet, my flower"

"I-I'm sorry, I assumed now that I got the answer to my question I-"

"I invited you to dine with us, remember?" The king explains simply "But that will only be about an hour from now. That leaves us with plenty of time to get to know you better"

"Oh- you were actually serious about the dinner thing? I didn't think-"

He cuts her off again"Aaaand now that we've proved that I DO grant all my people's wishes... Perhaps we could find out what your wish may be, yes?"

Asha looks up to him from the lower steps of the stairs, quite frustrated that they’re back to this subject, she sighs as she says:

"Your majesty, to be honest I wasn't afraid you would't grant my wish. What I'm afraid of is not being the one who controls my own life, the one who achieves my own dreams." She speaks patiently and determined.

Oh the girl has spirit, they can tell.

They just gotta find a way to break it.

And Magnifico might just know how to start.

"Walk with us, will you?" Magnifico says as the two royals start walking up the stairs once more.

Asha follows them, apprehensive.

"Do you know who you remind me of, Asha?" Magnifico asks with a contemplative look in his eyes.

"My father?" She asks, kinda already expecting where this is going.

"No- Well, actually yes him too- but no, that's not where I was getting at" the king corrects her "You actually remind me of my brother."

That is in fact NOT where she expected this was going.

She almost trips on the stairs.

"Wait- K-king Florian? Really?? Tha-thank you! I heard a lot of good things about him" She says feeling flattered, but quickly her eyes lower as she remembers the tragedy of the king's situation "And I'm really sorry for your loss, your majesty."

Asha may've been surprised by the king's statement but the queen was downright dumbfounded that Magnus brought up his brother so casually, she knows how her husband avoids that subject like the plague, specially when they speak with peasants.

Magnifico just winks at his wife as a signal for her to just follow his lead.

"Thank you, Asha. That wound is nothing but a scar of the past now... I say you remind me of him because, much like you, he wanted to make his dreams come true only through his own hard work, even if that meant not taking short cuts or accepting others help, even MY help."

The queen realized where her husband was going with this... And she loved it.

Asha did not tho.

"What was his dream?"

"... The same as mine, to keep our people safe and happy. But he stretched himself too thin, doing everything by himself." Magnifico stoped and turned to look at Asha in the eyes "And look where that got him."

Magnifico worded that to sound like a warning but both him and the queen know it's more of a threat.

"Your majesty... I'm not sure I follow"

"He exhausted himself, worked for this kingdom non-stop until he couldn't take it anymore, and then... I think you can guess." The king fakes an expression of sorrow that could put hollywood actors to shame

"... That's what lead to his passing? I never knew that" Asha says

"We do try to keep it a secret, the truth is far too upsetting." the queen comments, also with a sorrowful expression.

"So you see Asha, THAT's why I grant so many wishes, more than any of the other king that came before me, because I don't want ANYONE in my kingdom to feel the same pain that my brother felt... And I don't want that for you neither, do you understand?"

Queen Amable is actually impressed, her husband just fabricated a whole sob story right then and there on the spot, surely now this girl will consider-

"I understand, but your highness has no need to worry about me." Asha says simply with a smile.

He seems taken aback by that, Asha continues

"I'm sure my wish won't turn out to be something that exhausts me, it'll be something I feel passionate about and that only brings me joy. Thank you for your concern though, I promise I'll be careful to not get carried away in the future.” She explains calmly to reassure him, innocently believing that the king worries about her well being.

Magnifico was rather disappointed, that was his best shot.

Since that didn't work, it's Amaya's turn.

"Something you're passionate about, hmm? How quaint, and what may some of those things be?" The queen says while they keep walking, they’re getting close to the end of the stairs "Anything you're particularly interesting in, a hobby perhaps?"

Asha was actually dreading this subject.

The one thing that she doesn't want to give away for even a second is her passion for drawing.

She can't let them know about it. So she just starts rambling:

"Oooh ya know haha I like umm astronomy, I've actually been pretty studying the constellations a lot lately, and philosophy too, I also love to dance and sing-"

"And you draw, correct?" the queen asks with a confident smile.

Asha is so caught so off guard by that she misses one of the steps and almost falls down the stairs, that doesn't happen only because Magnifico catches her with his magic.

"Should we take that as a yes?" he asks sarcastically

Asha turns to the queen in disbelief... HOW DID SHE KNOW?!

"H-how did you know??"

The queen laughs at her reaction "You told us yourself, my dear"

"I- I did? When?"

"Just when your goat entered, you explained to us how you met him: “I went to doodle some animals at a farm”” the queen quotes Asha, making a slightly more high pitched voice.

"... Ah... Yeah, I did say that." She sounds defeated.

Now it was the king's turn to be impressed, he didn't even pay attention to what the girl was saying at that time. His wife always had a knack for reading people like an open book, and use that to pick up on their weaknesses.

"Well now, that's something we can work with, isn't it my love?" The queen says looking at her husband with an malicious glee.

"Why, yes indeed, I don't understand why you didn't tell us sooner Asha" The king says enthusiastically "Say, why don't you wish to be a great art-"

"No" she says firmly "That's the one thing I can't wish for, your majesty"

She can’t see the king’s face because he’s still walking up the stairs, so she doesn’t see him roll his eyes"... And why is that, Asha?"

Asha thinks about the promise she made for her grandfather, she thinks about how this is important to her, and how her friends said she's been improving a lot by herself... Wait... HER FRIENDS!

"My friends know I wish to be a great artist! So umm guess I can't give you that wish, because of the rules haha" Her voice is a bit more nervous but also relieved she can safely keep this wish with her.

"Ah I see, what a shame really, guess it's back to square one" The king says as they keep going up the stairs as they approach a large door

"I suppose it's for the best, would't want waste a wish on something so trivial as scribbling on paper like a child, now would you?" The queen states bluntly.

Asha frowns at that comment.

"Excuse me my queen, but drawing is way more tha-"

"We're here!" The king exclaims, as Asha realizes they're at the end of the stairs now, and there's a huge door in front of them

The king opens it, revealing a dark room that is only illuminated by faint bluish lights, and at the center of the room there’s

A miniature of Rosas

“… And what is “here” exactly?” Come to think of it, she never asked where they were guiding her to.

“Our treasure room, where we keep our most prized possessions, gifted to us by grateful adventurers or neighboring kingdoms” Magnifico explains as his voice echos through the large room.

Asha lets go of Valentino, she’s quite tired after carrying all the way up here.

Valentino happily hops away to explore.

The queen sees Asha letting him down and worriedly tries to intervene “Umm actually Asha dear, this may not be the best place to-“

Valentino slams his head on a pillar with a pair of glass slippers, making one of them fall and break into a million pieces.

The queen can only sigh in frustration

“Sorry sorry, I’ll get him back" Asha tries running to catch him but the king grabs her by the hand quicker and pulls her closer to him

“No no no, it's fine, let him play, I can fix these with magic later anyway” He rests his arm on her shoulders and brings her closer to the table with the miniature kingdom of Rosas “Now Asha, I know we’ve been rather… pushy with this whole wish thing.”

“That’s an understatement” Asha mumbles to herself.

"BUT- and hear me out- I think all you need is a bit more... Perspective on what Rosas really is all about"

With that said, he snaps his fingers, making a bunch of wooden dolls appear on the miniature Rosas, Asha recognizes some of them as citizens of Rosas she has seen before.

(They look like Quasimodo's wood figures)

"Oh wow" Asha takes one of the dolls to give it a closer look, admiring the craftsmanship "Did you make these?" She asks, sounding very impressed.

"Why, yes I did." He affirmed proudly.

(With his magic, in the snap of his fingers, but hey semantics)

The queen approaches them "You see, each and every one of our subjects are a little piece of art, that we want to see evolve into their fullest potential." She says with a passion in her voice.

"And... That includes you, Asha." The king says as he manifests in his hands a little wooden doll that looks just like Asha.

(Because that's not creepy at all)

He hands the doll over to her, she looks at it with downcast eyes.

"*sigh* To be honest, I don't know how other people my age manage find their way so quickly... I just really don't know what I could wish for, you know?"

While she's lamenting to the doll the queen walks to the entrance to close the door...

Magnifico is toying around with some of the puppets as he says with a smile "Aww I know child, I know. It can be sooo hard for some of us to find our way in this life... luckily though, you have us to..."

Queen Amable closes the door with a slam.

All the lights in the room go off.

It's all dark now.

Asha let's out a gasp

The king snaps his fingers, casting a light only on him and the queen, who's now right by his side.

"Enlighten you."

I promised this chapter would have a villain song, didn't I? :)

Welp, I was inspired by a deleted song from Equestria Girls 3… because of course I went to look for inspiration there, Equestria Girls have banger soundtracks!

Here’s a link to my blog with only the lyrics without me describing what’s happening in the scene, as well as the song that inspired it, “Free the Magic (Demo)”.

I’ll do my best to be brief describing what’s happening during this sequence, so without further ado

It’s villain song o’clock

Lines in green- King Magnifico 🫧

Lines in Blue- Queen Amaya 👑

Lines in bold white- Puppets 🎎

Lines in purple- Asha ✨

Lines in orange- Me (commentary)

Wish Away

You've been an outcast in this land

For far too long

It's time you show to them

That Rosas's where you belong

There's a wish in you

That just cannot wait to soar

So tell us, Asha

What do you wish for?

(Not much happening here besides them just singing in front of Asha melodically and looking pretty angelic with the light shining on them.)

THINK!

But before you answer

Look around and just see where you're from

From a kingdom with no sadness, no pain or dismay

And it's all because they

Wished away

(When the king says “Think” he boops her nose, and with the same finger he raises her head to look at him while saying “But before you answer”. When he says “See where you’re from” he guides her to look at the kingdom’s miniature, as he lists off all the bad things that the kingdom does not have he makes a spell that brings all the dolls to life)

(aah-ah, aah-ah, aah-ah)

(He holds three little puppets on his hand, right in front of Asha’s face, Asha is surprised to see them singing and dancing now, going side to side on the king’s hand)

MAY

I give a suggestion?

What you lack might be just

Some self reflection

You don't know who you are

So how could you ever go as far

To know what's your purpose in life?

(When the queen says “May” she scares Asha by showing up right behind her out from the darkness. “Some self reflection” the queen places a mirror in front of Asha’s face, she caresses Asha’s face while looking sorry for her. Asha also looks upset)

(aah-ah, aah-ah, aah-ah)

(Asha is staring at the mirror before Magnifico takes it from her, takes a quick look at himself, then throws it away before he starts singing his verse)

Strife and hard work is fine, dear

But it's oh, so much easier

If you give me that wish of yours

Think just how far you'll go

Once that wish is mine-

I mean ours! I mean yours

hehehe

(He waves dismissively at what he says in the first line. Asha tries to distance herself from him, so he pulls her closer to him by her arms at “give me that wish of yours”. At "how far you'll go" (ha! Moana reference) Asha manages to struggle out of his grip and walks a few steps away from him, with an annoyed expression (Like what is it with this creep and touching her?), she has her back turned to him until she hears the slip up “That wish is mine”, she turns back in confusion, but the king promptly corrects his mistake, letting out at the end a laugh, not a nervous laugh tho, more like a playful one. Also when he says "ours" he means him and his wife, that wish won't be Asha's at all.)

And what about your future?

Will it be just some doodles, my dear?

There's much more you can achieve (thanks to me)

So forget with no-

Forget with no regret

(The queen takes Asha's sketchbook from the purse she carries on her belt, at the second line she's practically bullying the poor girl now, flipping some pages and looking at it like it’s worthless trash. She throws away the book, Asha runs to catch it, but when she crouches down to grab it there's a hand coming from the darkness who does it first, the king get's illuminated by his own spotlight as he says "Thanks to me" and offers Asha her sketchbook back, Asha pulls it away from his hand and hugs it tightly. Asha goes to talk to the queen, she looks quite angry, but at "So forget with no-" when her voice is about to come out the queen places a finger in front of her mouth, demanding silence, she's not finished, so after Asha closes her mouth again the queen looks at her pleased and continues what she was saying "Forget with no regret"... The kingdom's memo)

I don't know what I want, I've never knew

Too many pains to count, so much I've been through

But I know a wish will be for me to grant

So thanks for offering, but I need no enchant

(Asha says the first line with a thoughtful and sad gaze as she looks at the small kingdom on the table, she's hugging her sketchbook tightly. As she says "Too many pains to count" she opens her sketchbook on a page showing her and her grandfather together, and with "So much I've been through" she caresses the page fondly. She puts herself back together, no longer looking sad but determined, and puts her sketchbook back in her purse as she turns to face the royal couple, who are now just standing next to one another just smiling at her serenely. She looks at them and explains once more "A wish will be for me to grant" which makes their smiles drop slightly, and as she says the last line she starts walking back to the door they came in, she's DONE with them, and she wants to leave)

(Oh... But they were only beginning, just singing to her is not working? Then it's time to bring out the big guns...

Magnifico's eyes glow green, as he casts an illusion spell on her)

Little one, I don't think that you comprehend

(Asha hears the queen sing and feels her world spinning for a second, she blinks a few times and now she's no longer in the treasure room with them, she's IN THE KINGDOM'S MODEL, and as she looks at her hands she realizes... She's now made of wood, and her hair is made of brown wool strings.)

(Your wish will be the king’s command)

(Asha hears voices from behind her, she looks back and see a group of wooden dolls of citizens of Rosas approaching, now they're just as tall as her, or rather, she's as tall as them, because once she looks up she sees...)

With my magic I can make all that pain

end

(The king and queen are now giants looking down on her, smiling in what can only be described as expressions of fake pity. King Magnifico's eyes are glowing green)

(You can be one of us)

(The dolls keep getting closer and closer, she starts to run away from them, understandably terrified, she runs to one of the miniature houses)

If you let us help you

Just wait and see

(The queen sings melodically, very entertained by the girls suffering. Asha tries to open the door of the house but ...)

(You should be pleased)

(once she does, there's more dolls inside, they all sing in unison, smiling at her as they try to grab her, she tries to look up at the royal couple with pleading eyes, begging them to just stop whatever this is)

I have a hunch this wish

Shall set you free

(The king shrugs with a smirk on his face, he looks directly at her pleading eyes, as he's basically saying "Give me your wish, and I'll make this go away")

(free, free, free)

(More and more dolls pile up to catch her, Asha manages to struggle her way out of their grasp, and goes back to running somewhere, ANYWHERE)

Is this really the hill I'll die on?!

(Now, this expression means "An issue to pursue with wholehearted conviction and/or single-minded focus, with little or no regard to the cost." and that quite perfectly summarizes Asha's conviction to grant her own wish, but now, for the first time, she's starting to question if it's really worth it)

(Wish a-way, wish a-way)

(Asha keeps running... This situation actually reminds her of how she often felt in Rosas, like she didn't belong, she just wishes she could make people happy... wait...)

There is no hope for you No stars to wish upon

(Okay this line is the one I'm less confident in, since in previous scenes I didn't find a natural way to fit in them talking about stars, but gosh darn I'll keep this in here because its ironic, also JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL STAR BOY LEARNS ABOUT THIS AMAYA)

(Wish a-way, wish a-way)

(Does what she's thinking about count as a wish? She thinks as she's now climbing the base of the castle, trying to get away from the dolls)

Should I give up on my integrity?

(This line ends on a long high note btw, she's running for her life but by gosh she's gonna sing her heart out... Also yeah she's questioning if she should give up on her principles)

(Give it away, You cannot get away)

(The dolls are climbing after her, there's nowhere else to go until... Magnifico's hand pushes the dolls away, but it's not to help her oh no no... He lost his patience.)

I am the ONLY ONE

Who'll end your MISERY

So come on! Wish away

SO YOU MAY FIND YOUR WAY

(The king looks and sounds deranged, much like Chris Pine sounded like at the end of "This is the thanks I get", he's yelling a lot more than he's singing, and as his hand goes to catch Asha she sees no other choice than to yell)

OKAY!

(She closes her eyes tightly, waiting for the impact of the king's hand...)

Her eyes are shot open, she blinks quickly like she just woke up from a nightmare...

A nightmare she can't remember.

She can tell that something happened... Something really scary, but she can't remember what.

All she feels now are the effects of having your mind bend by dark magic.

"W-what happened? Uhg... My head… It hurts..." she stumbles to the side, Amable catches her just before she trips over because of the overwhelming dizziness. Amaya holds her still by the arms… Asha notes that the queen has a pretty strong grip.

“Oh you poor thing, you must be tired, that’s all.” The queen coos in that same motherly tone she so commonly uses, Asha was about to ask them why would she feel so exhausted all of the sudden, but the queen interrupts “So, are you ready to tell us sweetheart?”

Asha looks at her puzzled, still feeling slightly dizzy.

“… Tell you what?”

“Your wish.” The king says a few steps away from them, sounding slightly out of breath.

Asha looks at him and notices his hair is now messy and he’s supporting himself on the table to stand up, he’s breathing like he just ran a marathon.

(Dark magic can mess you up, don’t do it kids)

He takes a deep breath and very quickly puts himself back together, slicking his hair back to it's original look.

“Come now, don’t tell me you already forgot? You’re supposed to forget it only after you give it to me.” He chuckles darkly.

What are they talking about? Why would Asha know wha- wait… But she does know. The idea pops in her head like it was already there, she remembers now.

“… Yes… I do have a wish.”

Chapter 5

Final Thoughts

Boy oh boy, I sure wonder if that diner they promised is actually gonna happen or if it was just a lie, I’m sure you all can’t wait to find that out!

Guys, please believe me when I say hurting Asha is hurting me too! But I swear I’ll make it up to her once Aster comes down and brings all the serotonin she needs!! Aster is currently kicking his feet and screaming that he’s not in the story yet and can’t bring some much needed wholesome vibes.

Okay, oh my god, this chapter was so hard for me, I had a bunch of ideas I scrapped because I realized they would take too much time, but it turned out perfectly. We have the two villains try their own methods of manipulation, Magnifico trying to make Asha feel sorry for him, and Amaya using Asha’s own words against her. Both failed, so they resort to the method all Disney villains use to get what they want from the protagonist… VILLAIN SONG:

I got soooo excited when I had the idea of making this whole chapter take place on the same stairs Movie Magnifico goes through in “This is the thanks I get” and then get them to the room with the little puppets! AND THEN HAVE ASHA BE TURNED INTO A LITTLE DOLL TO REPRESENT HOW TO THEM SHES SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS AND HOW THEY HAVE THE WHOLE KINGDOM IN THE PALM OF THEIR HANDS AND SHE'LL SOON JOIN THEM-

Ya know I think it was neat :3

But anyway what do you think?

Try guessing what Asha’s wish was, no it wasn’t anything to do with drawing, don’t worry... Actually do worry, worry a lot, things will still be dark in the next chapter as Asha learns the truth about what the king and queen really do with the wishes... BUT HEY AT LEAST AFTER THAT SHE WISHES UPON A CERTAIN STAR SO THERE'S A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNEL WOOOH!

Oh also, I'll probably not be posting as frequently from now on because I'll start working after tomorrow.

Thank You For Reading!

#disney wish #wish #wish 2023 #wish star #wish asha #wish disney #wish movie #wish rewrite #king magnifico #queen amaya #amaya x magnifico #wish reimagined #asha #Pray for Asha #I feel like the cruelest writer on earth #long post #long reads #kingdom of wishes

137 notes · View notes