#drew him in the laundromat while waiting for my clothes to get washed

[complete-clownery]

traditional sketches of kit cuz I love my little dude

[earthfire-75]

What Is and What Should Never Be

(Again, a great big thank you to @brownskinsugarplum76 for the beta)

Chapter Two

I yawned and stretched, removing myself from his hold as I sat up. Immediately, I missed his warmth, but forced myself to climb off the bed. Jimmy and my friend were already gone and Robert quickly got off the bed after me, grabbing his bag and leading me back out to the larger area of the plane. He guided me to the seats toward the front of the plane and we buckled in; a few minutes later and we had landed.

When we were given the all clear, everyone headed to the plane door. There was a stair ramp waiting for us to descend from. I walked behind Robert and he took my hand, squeezing it reassuringly as we made our way down. There was a crowd waiting, some girls, some reporters and some security guards. Jimmy and Robert instructed my friend and I to stand by the security guards as they were going to pose for the reporter’s cameras. A few of the other girls joined us, most of the others joined the girls who were already gathered here.

True enough, there were camera flashes almost before the band reached the reporters. Then the reporters started asking questions and the men of Led Zeppelin answered happily, at first. There was one reporter in particular that seemed to push everyone’s buttons and I could feel Robert’s annoyance from where I was standing. They answered two more questions rather curtly and turned to walk back towards us. The four of them walked shoulder to shoulder as if to block us from view.

When they reached us, Robert tucked me into his side, furthest from the cameras, walking briskly away and towards a waiting limousine. This is where I officially met the rest of the band, John Paul and Bonzo, as he was introduced to me. The large intimidating one I remembered from the night before was named Peter and I learned he was the band’s manager. They were each talking to a girl and Jimmy had my friend in a similar hold that Robert had on me. It seemed they had unspokenly made themselves our protectors.

We made it to the hotel, my friend being kind enough to get us our own room. Robert and Jimmy took the rooms on either side of ours, finding that our room directly connected to Robert’s. After everyone was settled into their rooms, my friend and I wanted to go do a little shopping since this had become an unexpected trip for us. Robert and Jimmy, of course, volunteered to chaperone for us. But I had a feeling they just wanted to get out of the confined spaces they had been trapped in for most of the day.

The boys mostly talked shop while my friend and I bought some necessities, including a few changes of clothes. After, we found a laundromat so we could wash the clothes and the boys bought us dinner as it was starting to get late. Once back at the hotel, my friend and I headed straight for our room while the boys got pulled into another room across the hall. We were invited as well, but we wanted to shower first.

Showered and dressed, my friend headed across the hall, but I decided not to go. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be in a crowd of people, plus I figured there would probably be alcohol. Last night proved that was the last thing I needed. After my friend left our room, I checked the connecting door to Robert’s room, hoping he had come back early, but he wasn’t there. So I went to the outdoor pool, sitting on the edge with my feet in the water and looking up at the stars.

I don’t know how long I had been sitting like that, but I soon felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. It should have startled me, but the warmth was familiar. Robert’s legs stretched out on either side of mine and his chin rested on my shoulder. I leaned back into him, turning my head to place a soft kiss to his temple. “Thank you,” I whispered softly.

“Whatever for, love?”

“Where do I start?” I laughed. “For putting up with whatever drunken things I probably did last night. For making me feel comforted. And...wanted. For being with me earlier today, and now.”

“It’s been my pleasure, darlin’. You impressed me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so drunk actually hit their target,” he laughed, offering a crooked smile. “Though, I have to admit, I’m more curious about what you said while drunk. Or perhaps you were just very tired?”

This made me sit up straight to look at him better. “...Oh no...what did I say?”

“Nothin’ that bad, darlin’, I promise. You called me your lion.”

For a second, all I could do was stare. “I said that out loud? Oh God...” I buried my face in my hands from embarrassment.

Robert made an amused sound and pulled my hands down from my face. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it, love. I can be your lion, if that’s what you want, darlin’. ”

His normally light blue eyes had turned to a dark sapphire and took on a mischievous glint and his lips formed a playful half smile. Robert shifted his position behind me, so that he was now on his hands and knees, bumping my arm with his head and rubbing against it. He made a purring sound and crawled around to my side, continuing to purr and rub his head against my shoulder. Some of his hair tickled my neck and under my chin, causing me to laugh so hard I fell back onto the ground.

This didn’t detract him one bit, crawling closer to me, rubbing his head against my now exposed lower abdomen. Then I felt him nuzzle his nose up to the center of my chest, between my breasts. He moved first to my right breast, nuzzling its nipple to peak through the thin shirt I was wearing. I moaned softly, my hands digging into his soft curls, and I gasped as he lightly bit my nipple before turning his attention to the left breast and giving it the same treatment.

I moaned his name, feeling an ache in my core and wetness between my legs. Want was slowly becoming need as he growled playfully and began to move back down my body. Light, teasing licks started at my neck and worked down to my abdomen. When he reached my shorts, he pressed kisses at the top of my mound and on the insides of my thighs before choosing a side and tugging at the fabric with his teeth.

“Robert!” I squealed, then quickly covered my mouth with one hand as I pulled his head back by his hair. I arched off the ground to look towards the doors leading out to the pool. The doors were glass, but thankfully frosted so no one could just look out and see us. My heart was racing, the idea of being caught both thrilling and terrifying. Lowering myself back down and looking at Robert again, who still had the hem of my shorts between his teeth, I was met with near black, determined, hungry eyes. My breath caught.

Whatever thoughts I might have had to ask him to wait until we got back to one of our rooms had vanished. There was no denying him now. With another insistent tug from him, I helped him get my shorts over my hips and he did the rest on his own. Once the shorts were out of the way, he dropped them somewhere to the side and then gave me his full attention once more. Robert locked his eyes with mine as he slowly moved forward, lowering his head to between my thighs and making a long lick from my knee to just short of where I needed him, up one side, then the other.

“Robert, please!” One of my hands was in his hair again, now trying to pull him closer. I watched as he brushed his nose lightly along my slit, inhaling deeply and humming, like a soft growl, in approval.

“Oh, my sweet girl, you smell like lavender and honey. I bet you taste just as sweet.” He licked up the same path, pushing just inside to get a taste. “Such sweet honey you have,” he moaned with another half purr, half growl.

I almost forgot to breathe. It took me by complete surprise that feeling his tongue inside my core could feel so good. Especially accompanied by his words. No one else had ever done this before. Not even my boyfriend of two years. I came back to myself when I felt Robert drape an arm over my hips and with a wicked grin, delve his tongue back into my core with abandon.

I cried out, much louder than I thought I would have. Quickly, I clamped my hand over my mouth as my cries of pleasure didn’t subside. When my cries did finally die down, he switched tactics, sliding his tongue up towards my apex and swirling it around the hard bundle of nerves he found there, making me cry out again.

My inner muscles clenched, missing the feeling of being filled, but Robert quickly remedied that, sliding a finger deep inside my core. He drew out slowly, adding a second finger to the mix as he plunged them back in, his lips wrapped around my clit and began to lightly suck. His fingers found the rough patch within, curling them against it in a slow, sweet torture. The arm that had been holding my hips down, lifted and his hand cupped my breast, his thumb softly flicking over the nipple. Robert was playing my body like a beloved instrument.

My breath began to hitch and come out as near sobs as I felt my inner walls start to tighten around his fingers. He released my clit with a pop and replaced his mouth with his thumb, circling the nub. Changing the angle as he brought himself up on his knees, he leaned over me and brought his lips to my ear.

“Shhh, I got you, darlin’,” he whispered soothingly.

I took my hand from my mouth, looking to him with pleading eyes. “Rob-Robert...pl-please...”

“Please, what , love? Tell me.”

“I...I n-need..” I couldn’t find the words, the state I was in, I couldn’t even think. Instinctively, I reached down and grabbed his hand between my thighs and began to move my hips more roughly against his hand.

“Oh, darlin’. My sweet little girl, you’re so close, aren’t you?” I whimpered and nodded, feeling my whole body tremble as I grew closer and closer to my release.

“Let go, Angel.”

With a final thrust of my hips, I took his fingers as deep inside me as I could. He covered my mouth with his own, taking my impassioned cry of release into himself. I tightened my grip on his hair and tried pulling him back so I could get some air back in my lungs. His response was a moan into my mouth, but he did pull back as he slowly pulled his fingers from my core.

“Keep pullin’ my hair like that an’ you’ll be gettin’ more than my fingers, darlin’.”

Breathless, I dared look down and caught sight of the bulge at the front of his pants and smiled a bit. “Not right now,” I responded shakily as I looked back up. He pouted rather prettily, batting his long lashes at me. “Not. Right. Now.”

He put on a long-suffering sigh, “Fine. We should probably head inside then, before we are caught.”

“Please, like no one heard me, despite my better efforts,” I teased.

“Fair point. I take it you’ve never done anything like this before?” He asked as he sat up and found my shorts, helping me get them back on.

“I find I’ve been doing a lot of firsts where you’re concerned.”

“Oh?” He smirked, “Pray tell, what firsts might those be?”

I stood up, waiting for him to do the same. “Besides public sex of any kind?”

He laughed as he stood as well, placing his hand at my lower back as we began to walk back inside the hotel. “Yes, besides that.”

“Shall I start at the beginning? I woke up drunk in your lap, let you take me to bed, even if nothing happened at the time, came with you to a hotel in...where are we, anyway?”

“Chicago.”

“Ah, not actually that far from home.”

We entered an elevator then and Robert hit the button for our floor. “Anything else?”

“I’m so embarrassed to say...”

“After what we just did out there, you’re embarrassed to tell me?”

“That’s just it... no one’s ever done that for me.”

“Never? Not even your ex boyfriend of two years?”

I snorted rather unladylike. “Nope.”

The elevator opened right then and Robert pulled me into his side. “Oh darlin’, I’m sorry. But I have to admit, I’m glad I was your first in that.”

I smiled up at him as we reached his door. “So am I. Though, you’ve probably ruined me for anyone else.”

Another smirk played across his lips. I just rolled my eyes at him. “Give a man a compliment and it goes right to his head.” I shook my head in amusement as I reached for the adjoining door so I could get some sleep, but a hand on my wrist stopped me.

“Stay? I don’t think I want to be alone tonight. And I don’t think you do either. Promise I’ll be on my best behavior, if that’s what you want.”

He was right, I didn’t want to be alone and my friend was most likely off with Jimmy in his room. “Alright,” I said, letting go of the doorknob and turning back towards Robert.

He smiled and took my hand, leading me to the bedroom where he let my hand go so he could remove his bell bottom jeans and shirt before climbing into the bed. I climbed in on the other side, facing him, bringing an arm around his waist. Robert snaked an arm under my head and his other hand rested on my hip.

“Good night, My Angel.”

“Good night, My Lion.”

[brelione]

She Likes Green Cats And Lives In A Tree (Pope Heyward X Reader)

You know that rule that teachers in the computer lab make about not googling anything that doesn't have to do with the current assignment?No one in Kildare High gave two shits.Well,accept Pope.Pope didn't like distractions,school was always supposed to come first.He tried to keep to himself,never skipping class with JJ and John.B.You were in all of his classes.You never payed attention,content with knowing you could walk out or jump out the window whenever you wanted.The rumors said that you lived in the woods,that you were a witch,that you were a mermaid,that you lived in an abandoned hospital.There were so many rumors about you that no one even knew who you really were.You were that one girl that everyone was fascinated with.A lot of the girls hated you because of it but you couldn't care less.You only showed up for the food and to use their computers.You never did homework or classwork and the school couldn't do much about it.

You didn't even show up to detention.They couldn't call your parents because they didn't know who your parents were or where they were.They had tried getting the police department involved but they couldn't do anything because you hadnt committed any actual crimes.You broke the little rules that didn't really matter unless they were all broken at once.Leaning back in your chair,googling things you shouldn't be googling,texting in class,playing music in study hall.Pope had tried so hard not to be distracted by you.He swore to god that he had tried really hard but he just couldn't do it.He’d find himself watching your screen,trying to figure out why you were giggling to yourself.It was the same thing every time.A teal looking cat.He didn't know why you found it so funny.Doodles of green cats covered everything.Your notebook,the pages within your notebook,most of your index cards and the front of your folder.He had never spoken to you.Not until that day two weeks ago.Everyone in the class was having conversations while the teacher was too tired to care.

You had tapped his shoulder lightly as he was typing his notes.He looked over at you,wondering why you had tried to get his attention. “Do you have a green colored pencil I could borrow?”You asked quietly.He reached for his pencil case,going through it.He only had highlighters and pens for his notes.He found his green highlighter,holding it up. “Would this work?”He asked.You nodded,taking it from him. “Thanks,Pope.”You grinned before starting a new drawing,looking at the photo for reference.He watched as you drew a circle with two triangles before handing the marker back to him. “Can I ask you something?”He asked.You nodded,waiting for him to continue. “Why do you always google green cats during class?”He asked.You pouted. “Look at her!Look at how lovely!”You grinned,pointing to the screen.It looked like an awful photoshop job. “She's in Bulgaria and she rolled around in green powdered paint.Its non toxic though.”You explained,noticing his doubtful expression.He nodded.

 “So why do you google her so often?”He asked,resting his chin on his hand.You shrugged. “It just makes me happy.Have you ever seen a blue dog?”You asked.He shook his head.You smiled,typing away before pulling up a picture of a blurry blue dog. “Look at it-isn't it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”You asked.He wanted to say something cute or flirtatious like ‘you’re the most beautiful thing i've ever seen.’ but it didn't come out.He had just nodded.You showed him pictures of purple monkeys,yellow dolphins and orange sharks.You found brightly colored animals so funny and he just couldn't understand why.Everyday since then you had made him a doodle on an index card of a strangely colored animal.He kept them all,taping them onto his bedroom wall.He never learned if any of the rumors were true until he asked you to hang out. “Hang out?Where?”You asked.You two were walking down the hall to your next class.You never kept your textbooks on you,just a notebook,folder and a pencil case.He shrugged. “Maybe your house?Would that work?”He asked.You giggled.

 “Pope,I live in a tree.”You replied.He furrowed his eyebrows,trying to figure out if you were serious or not.He nodded. “Okay,what about the beach?”He asked.You nodded. “Yeah,yeah that works.”You grinned.At the end of school that day you leaned against the lockers,light backpack hanging off your shoulders.He had learned that you didn't have a phone or anything,really.You two had walked right to the beach from school. “So you really live in a tree?”He asked.You nodded. “Yep,it's not that far from here.Im not a witch though,it would be pretty cool if I was.Its really not that bad unless it rains.”You held your shoes by your side as you walked through the sand.He nodded. “You can come to my house whenever you want,you know.Do you eat a lot?”He asked.You shrugged. “I eat enough,I think I prefer living in a tree over a house as weird as it sounds.”You replied.He had somehow ended up holding your hand,his fingers laced in yours. “How do you shower?”He asked.You shrugged. “Depends on the day.Sometimes I just wash my hair in the library bathroom or i’ll shower at school.”You answered.He had asked you many questions about your life. “What about clothes?”He asked.

 “Lost and Found clothes are always interesting,I always wash them at the laundromat before I wear them though.”You answered.After he had learned about that he’d ‘accidentally’ give you his hoodies and tshirts.He had told his father about your situation so you could come over on weekends to eat dinner at his house.When summer came around he had become really stressed about you getting food,eventually bringing you to John.B’s house to introduce the others to you.Of course they had heard about you.The cute witch that lived in a tree.Only half of that was true.They had taken a liking to you.Kiara had gone through her closet and given you a lot of her old clothes and some hairties.You would sleep with Pope on the outdoor couch or in the hammock.You stayed at John.B’s house 5 out of 7 days out of the week,still staying in your tree.They didn't know how you had ended up like that or how you were able to sleep without falling to your death.JJ had become close to you,giving you a hunting knife to keep with you ‘just in case’.Pope had always talked to you about possibly living in a treehouse when you were older so you could have a compromise.

You had nodded,listening to his plans.He told you that you two could get a cat and dye its fur with natural dye.You had agreed with that,talking about how you wanted to pursue art.Pope was always looking out for you,becoming even more protective after you had gotten your first phone.Kiara had given you her old one and got you on Snapchat so you could message them whenever you needed to.Pope would message you whenever you were not with him.You would send him pictures of the birds that lived in your tree and send him videos of you hanging upside down from the branches.Your clothes hung on the branches along with your back pack.You had two blankets and your own little sleep set up.You’d sit on one of the larger branches,leaning backwards with your head against your other blanket.He had gotten over his fear of heights by staying in your tree with you sometimes,becoming more comfortable with your lifestyle.It was funny to think that this whole relationship had started with pictures of a green cat on the school’s computer.

[bijvoorbeeldja]

back to the beach -- fic for @hopetofantasy

prompt: Just a fluffy double/triple date or Sander with the boys, is what I'm craving ☺️

*Also, I’m now tagging my wtfock fics as #wtfic cause it made me laugh

///////

It’s been nine months since they’ve been back to the beach. All of them together, at least. 

Sander and Robbe had snuck away on their six month anniversary, walking around the places where they’d first met, making croques, and taking icy midnight swims. But that had been just for them.

Now, it was summer, and a warm wind was blowing across the water and ruffling the pages of Sander’s sketchbook. He was concentrating hard, looking up from his page to where Robbe was sitting in front of him, headphones on, eyes closed. Peaceful. Sander smiled at him and went back to his drawing, trying to get the lines of Robbe’s face right. He would never get tired of drawing this boy.

Aaron and Amber were sprawled out on a blanket a little ways off, Aaron with his arms wrapped around Amber, the two occasionally bursting out in fits of laughter as they engaged in tickle wars that had the rest of them groaning. 

Jens and Lucas were at the water’s edge, their pants rolled up to their calves, chasing each other and kicking up splashes of water. They were the newest of the three couples, finally getting together in the spring after driving everyone crazy with their slowest of slow burns. They’d met at a party when Lucas moved to Antwerp and in a weird turn of events, been introduced to each other by Jana. Barely a simmer for months, the two were now inseparable, solid, and uniquely fitted for each other. 

After finishing their final exams, the three pairs (with Zoe and Senne, who had finally gotten back together, to join them later in the week) left for the seaside for an extended triple-date weekend. With school burdens lightened, there was a serene, relaxed air around the trip, and they all fell into a happy, peaceful routine, gathering to watch sunsets, cook together, and talk about future dreams and plans long into the night. 

The trip was still happening, and yet Sander knew he’d be collecting these moments and saving them for hard times he knew would come in the future. He’d savor them now, then tuck them away for just when he’d need them. He could already imagine mixing up just the right paint colors to capture the specific sunset they’d witnessed that night on the sand. Pink, yellow, the lightest of oranges.

Robbe was looking at him, his headphones now hanging around his neck. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Sander smiled and shook his head. “I’m just happy.”

Robbe grinned, small smile lines forming around his mouth. He crawled over to Sander, closing the space between them as he smothered him in a hug, the force sending them both down flat on their blanket.

Steadying himself back up onto his palms, Robbe drew his face close to Sander’s.

“I’m happy you’re happy.” 

Sander smiled, warmness spreading through his body. He remembered, the early morning months ago, recycling bottles with this boy who had then been little more than a stranger. Of course, he’d known even then that he wanted Robbe, but he felt contentment and gratitude beyond expression that they’d finally made it to that point -- that he had finally found the someone who really loved him. Now, they had a life together. A little apartment with Sander’s drawings all over the walls, and Robbe’s skateboard parked near the door. They had shared clothes and breakfast dates, long bubble baths and pillow talk. They made out during movies and wrote each love notes that they hid for each other in jacket pockets and egg cartons. They had fights, they had makeups. They had memories, moments and traditions. They had home together. It was all either of them had ever wanted.

At that moment, Robbe kissed his nose, then his forehead, then each cheek, slowly making his way around Sander’s face until he reached his lips. Impatient, Sander flung his arms around Robbe and pulled him even more tightly to him, meeting his lips with a series of deep kisses. 

“Hey, get a room, you two!” Jens yelled at them from where Lucas was piggy-backing him across the sand.

Yanking Sander out of his reverie, Robbe pulled away, calling back to Jens, “Great! We’ll just take yours, then!” They all laughed.

“But seriously, guys. Do you know what time it is?” Jens shouted to them, sliding off of Lucas’ back.

“Time to eat?” Aaron asked.

“Nope!” Jens said. “Skinny dipping! Let’s go!”

“Are you serious, Jens?” Robbe yelled. “No way!” but Jens was already stripping down to his boxers. Lucas followed, laughing at Jens. “C’mon! Everyone get in now! Last one in has to bunk with Aaron!”

Immediately Amber jumped up, shedding her t-shirt. 

“Amber, what?!” Aaron asked, looking up in shock. “You don’t want to bunk with me...your boyfriend?”

“What?” Amber asked, shrugging. “I am not going to the last one in. You snore so loud.” She ran towards the beach, hopping on one leg as she worked to wiggle out of her shorts. 

“Not happening,” Robbe said to Sander who was laughing and lifting his shirt off over his head. “There could be people around!”

“Oh, c’mon, Robbe. It’ll be fun. Everyone who was here has gone back to the hotel. Remember, we have done this before.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Robbe who just rolled his eyes, a smile threatening to break through on his face. He watched as Sander ran to the water’s edge, hearing the loud laughter and splashing as his friends dove into the sea.

He exhaled. Fine. Now, without hesitation, he shed his clothes.

“All the way or no way, I guess,” he whispered to himself, smiling.

-- A WEEK LATER -- 

“Any more wet clothes?”

Robbe poked his head into their bedroom, hefting a large laundry basket nearly brimming with needed-to-be-washed clothes from their trip. They’d taken days to unpack, choosing instead to enjoy their privacy once again by spending long hours in bed. 

Sander rifled through his duffle one more time and grabbed a few more shirts, shaking sand out onto the floor as he tossed them to Robbe.

“That’s it. Thanks, lief.” Sander blew a kiss at Robbe.

“Alright, I’m going to head to the laundromat.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you there in a few minutes. We can prep for your next Bowie exam while we wait.” Sander winked and Robbe laughed, belting out an out-of-tune “became the special man, then we were Ziggy's band” as he turned and left the room, dragging the basket behind him. 

Robbe left, their front door clicking closed behind him. Sander reached into his bag once more, smiling as he pulled out a small glass jar. Inside it was filled with sand, beach sand. He shook it once, watching the grains settle like the thousands of tiny moments he’d been collecting with Robbe -- the moments he wanted to save and cling to forever. He smiled again, setting it down on the small table beside Robbe’s side of the bed.

Then he raced to grab his shoes and catch up with the man of his dreams.

///////

(I know, Sander posts way more artsy pics than these....)

Thanks for the prompt, @hopetofantasy​! <3 It’s probably not what you imagined, but I hope you like it! I’m still going to do a separate “sander with the boys” one, so stay tuned

also, sorry my POV is all over the place

[ikonfastfiction]

Laundry Day (Koo Junhoe x Reader Oneshot)

It’s just one of those days.

The weather’s nice for once, after a week-long cold spell. Everyone seems keen on spending time outdoors: picnics at the park, a long hike, an al fresco brunch at the corner café.

Everyone, it seems, except you. Because laundry day.

If you ever win the lottery - which will never happen because you never buy a ticket (and even if you did buy a ticket, John Oliver once said the chances of winning the lottery are as slim as you getting struck by lightning for the second time in the same place while being eaten by a shark) – your only extravagant spending would be to shop for clothes every week, wear them once and discard them, so you never have to do laundry ever again.

Of course, by then you can probably just hire someone to do the laundry for you, among other adulting things like doing dishes and cleaning your apartment. That would be a good way to spend your lottery winnings.

The thing is, at this particular moment, you don’t even really need to win the lottery to avoid doing laundry. On this lovely day, for instance, you could’ve just driven to your parents’ house, and your mom would’ve gladly taken your dirty clothes for her to wash because she likes to think you’re still her baby who needs her to do the laundry. You probably would’ve been treated to a delicious breakfast free-of-charge too.

But noooo. Because you’re so keen on proving to your parents that you’re already getting used to this whole living on your own, adulting thing, you stubbornly trudged to the laundromat this morning in your ugliest pair of sweatpants and rattiest shirt (they were the only clean clothes you had left) to do your own laundry. Even if it’s literally the last thing you want to do today.

“Am I supposed to separate the shirts and the pants?” a voice next to you says, to no one in particular, because the boy who said it seems to be talking to himself while looking at the clothes in his hands, a white shirt in one, black track pants on the other. His thick brows are furrowed in confusion, like hairy caterpillars headbutting each other at the center of his forehead.

He must’ve felt you staring at him because he suddenly jerks his head up and turns to you. He blinks once, twice, looking lost.

“Umm, you need to separate your white clothes from the other colors.”

“It doesn’t matter if they’re tops or bottoms?”

“Nope.”

“Hmm.” Lost Boy puts all his white clothes in one machine and the others in the machine next to it. “Good thing I only have black or white clothes,” he murmurs to himself.

“Hey, what am I supposed to do with this?” he turns to you again, this time with a pair of bright red boxers in his hand.

“Umm, wash it?” You tell him, looking away. It’s not that you’re a prude or anything, but it’s not every day that you have random guys just showing you their dirty underwear.

“Yeah, but do I need to put it in a new machine? It’s the only thing I have that’s red.”

Is this guy being serious? Does he really not know how laundry works? “You can mix it in with your black clothes, it’s fine.”

“Oh. Hmm.” Lost Boy grunts in acknowledgement before turning to his laundry again.

You almost want to move machines, far enough away from Lost Boy to ensure no more sightings of his underwear, but you’ve already put all your clothes in the washer, so you shut the door and start the cycle. In the corner of your eye, you see Lost Boy watching what you’re doing and doing the same thing. You pointedly ignore him, walking past him without making eye contact as you sit on a bench across the machines and start reading the book you brought with you to while the time away.

To your horror, he sits right next to you. The laundromat is literally empty except for the two of you and there are so many benches around that he can have all to himself, but he decides to sit next to you.

The weather is nice out, you don’t have work today, yet you’re stuck indoors, doing your most hated chore, with the weirdest boy ever.

“I’m Junhoe by the way. Thanks for the help,” Lost Boy says, extending a hand for you to shake.  “You probably think I’m super dumb. Can’t even do a bunch of laundry. It’s just this whole adulting thing is new to me, you know? I haven’t been on my own for very long.”

He smiles shyly, and you can’t help but notice the way it spreads to his entire face, his eyes turning into crescents and his cheeks lifting. He ruffles his dark hair and shrugs, fixing the way his shirt falls on his shoulders.

Maybe his candidness softens you up a little bit. Maybe you find a kindred spirit in him with his misadventures into adulting. You start to think that maybe you judged him a little too quickly.

“Can’t blame you. Living on your own is not easy. And I’ve been doing it a couple of years,” you assure him.

“Right? It’s like when you were playing house as a kid, except there’s nothing fun about it. I don’t know how to cook, so I keep burning everything – “

“I hate washing dishes.”

“Taking out the trash is a nightmare.”

“Cleaning the toilet is horrific.”

“The toilet! Oh that is the worst. Worst thing ever.”

After your litany of common complaints you lock eyes and can’t help but laugh at how whiney you’ve both become.

“Doing laundry is the actual worst though. So boring,” you say before you turn back to your book.

“Hmm. I don’t know. I think it has its charms,” he says, and when you look up from your book to look at him, he’s looking right back at you with his puppy dog eyes and a goofy smile on his face.

Well.  

Your little staring contest is interrupted by the beeps of the washing machines, and somehow it feels like a spell has been broken. You both stand up to collect your clothes. But as soon as you open the door to your washing machine, it hits you.

You forgot to put detergent before you started the cycle.

You bury your face in your hands and sigh loudly in frustration.

“A-are you okay?” Junhoe asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing. I just forgot to put detergent in the machine so now I have to start over again. I’m so stupid.”

Resolved to your fate of being stuck in this laundromat for the entire day, you’re about to get detergent when Junhoe opens the door to his machine, steps back, and scratches his head.

“Would you look at that. I forgot to put detergent in my machine too.” He turns to you with the brightest smile you’ve ever seen, as if he’s won the lottery instead of having been sentenced to another eternity of waiting for a laundry cycle to finish.

Maybe his smile, however misplaced, cheers you up a little bit. Maybe the thought that at least you still get to spend time with him makes you feel a little better about your little mistake.

You both end up getting detergent and starting the cycles on your machines again. In a parallel universe where you’re just as absentminded but without this weird, Lost Boy Junhoe around, this would’ve been the worst day. But because he’s here, maybe it isn’t so bad.

“So hey, do you wanna grab a bite to eat or something? While we wait for the laundry and all,” Junhoe asks you all of a sudden.

“We’re not supposed to leave our laundry unattended.”

“There’s no one in attendance to witness us leaving our laundry unattended. Come on, it’s such a nice day! We can sit outside at the café and share a pie or something.” He smiles that megawatt smile of his again, and you realize he has the kind of smile and stare that will make it nearly impossible for anyone to say no to him.

So naturally, you say yes.

“It’s a good thing you suck at doing laundry like me,” you tell him as you walk out of the laundromat to head for the café. “I mean what are the chances of both of us forgetting to put detergent in?”

“I know. It’s like the universe is trying to tell us something,” he teases with a knowing grin.

    *****

Junhoe opens the door of the laundromat for her. He’s not entirely sure what drew him to her from the very beginning. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s wearing a plain white shirt and black track pants almost identical to his. Maybe it’s the way she was humming a tune to herself when she thought there was no one else at the laundromat with her. Maybe it’s the amount of patience she demonstrated when he asked her all those stupid questions. Maybe it was the cute way she puffed her cheeks and pouted when she realized the mistake she made with the laundry.

 Good thing he accidentally-on-purpose made the same mistake she did.

 Once he’s back in Seoul, he’s definitely telling Chanwoo this story – if you ever want to meet a girl, forget to put detergent in the machine with your laundry.  

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