#especially considering I’m still recovering from daylight saving and this is the first day back after spring break

[yellobb]

I was clocked in for 9 hours today, which is a hell of a lot longer than the usual 2 I put in on Mondays. I’m fucking exhausted, but honestly super happy overall

[kikilefangirl]

The Witch Who Won’t Part 4

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader

(Word Count: 2064)

You woke up to a flood of texts, calls, and voicemails. Most were from your cousin, but a few came from Marcel. Tossing your phone on the other side of the couch, you rubbed your temple. You hadn’t even made it to your bed last night. Your puff was matted and misshapen.

You rubbed your eyes and stood up. A pounding headache and nausea made you keel over and do a mad dash to your trash can. You yakked up your dinner. After you brushed your teeth, you seized up.

The presence of an Original. Bounding from your bathroom to your front door, you flung it open. You don’t know why you expected Klaus. You had burned that bridge, indefinitely.

Elijah stood at your door offering a handkerchief. You cocked your head to the side and clicked your tongue.

“Whatever you want, I’m not interested.” You spat out.

Thinking back to the night before, you crossed your arms. The reality that Klaus had kissed you, and that he did it to handicap you was too much. Now his brother was at your door too.

“Y/N, would you please invite me in?” Elijah asked. His critical gaze had something else behind it, true concern.

You knew it wasn’t for you. Originals were only truly worried about other Originals. Klaus.

“I imagine Niklaus has upset you. I do apologize on his behalf, he has a, uh, talent for such things.” He said.

Elijah still had his hand out, still offering the handkerchief. You stepped closer, and took it. You wiped your mouth with it and set it on the counter.

“Come in.”

You surprised yourself. The thought of an Original having permanent access to your home made your stomach turn, but this time it was unavoidable. Elijah stepped through the threshold and unfastened his suit jacket as he sat down at the table.

You watched him, cautiously. Elijah wasn’t Klaus. You knew better than to make assumptions about him, certain concessions simply would not be granted.

“I beg you to consider forgiveness. I fear Niklaus requires it.” He replied. Elijah ran a hand across his bottom lip.

“He did what he wanted and now he’s dealing with the consequences.” You were firm.

Elijah scoffed and leaned back in the chair. You didn’t back down. You couldn’t. You sucked in a breath.

“Esther has him,” He ran a finger along the table, his daylight ring more prominent than before, “Aided by our brothers Kol and Finn, my mother has stood against Niklaus.”

Elijah began tapping his fingers. He pulled the corners of his mouth back with thinly veiled contempt. Esther was the original witch. You had learned your history and now it was sitting in your living room.

Esther was the woman who hid Klaus’s true identity, and when it was revealed, bound it from him for a thousand years. The man he had become––the creature that could kiss you one second and shackle you the next was partly her doing.

“She will ruin him. Again. She’ll ruin him again.” Elijah hissed.

On the surface, he appeared perfectly composed. Elijah was the pristine elder brother—the eldest due to Finn’s absence—constantly working for his siblings’ happiness. Klaus too, had his own persona to hold onto as well.

But the truth underneath remained: Where Elijah was cool determination, Klaus was wilder, freer.

“Pass me that grimoire. I’ll see what I can do.”

After a millennia of separation, you knew Elijah was right. Klaus was not going to recover the little bits of him he had left. He had a daughter out in the world who needed him.

“Call Rebekah. She should be here, too. And Vincent.” You said.

Turning on your heel you head down the hall toward the bathroom. Just because you were going to spend your whole day dealing with Originals, your basics weren’t going by the wayside.

                                                         …

Nothing in Gammy’s grimoire could have prepared you for the Original Witch or what she had reduced Klaus to, either.

Esther was in the body of a witch you knew. You flared your nostrils. Dead witches taking the bodies of living ones always made you upset.

“We came here for Klaus.” You announced.

She stepped away from her herbs, though you couldn’t see which ones. Even in another body, Esther was full of the kind of grace and danger you had previously seen with Klaus.

“I am afraid my son is unavailable.” She replied. Her eyes darted between you and Elijah, and even he was stifled by her presence.

“Mother, release Niklaus to us. Immediately.” He said.

“In your custody you and your siblings, especially Niklaus, have been a blight on this earth. You leave nothing but blood and death behind you. I will not be idle anymore.” She let out.

You could feel her anger, and oddly enough her love for her children. Esther was probably a good mother once, but her protectiveness ruined them and her.

You concentrated on Klaus’s familiar aura, drawing it closer and closer to you. Esther must have noticed because her eyes were trained on you.

“My, my, you are powerful indeed. And in love. Nevertheless, the strength in you does not wish to oppose me, nor I you.” She offered. While she spoke you curled your hand and twisted.

The stone wall behind her slid open, revealing a chained Klaus. The bitter part of you that enjoyed seeing him chained after what he did to you was quickly overpowered by a wave of worry. His golden irises burned with rage and hatred even as subdued as he was.

“If you truly loved my son, you would want him to be free of his curse. A pretty young witch like you would want children of your own and a husband capable of loving you without the threat of violence all around you!” Esther continued.

For a split second you hesitated. You did want that and maybe with him. But Esther knew him as a child, and longed for that child. You met the monster first, and loved him anyway. Whatever that made you definitely wasn’t normal.

“You let a man believe the one child he saw true potential in, the one child knew he could mold in his image, was his. And Mikael hated him for it.” You admitted.

Saying the words out loud made Esther pause in shock. Mikael’s name and his function in her life had the same effect on her as it did Klaus. Taking advantage of her vulnerability, you unleashed the brunt of your magic.

Elijah’s expression was cold and unflinching. He knew it was true just the same as you did. Esther may have the title of the Original Witch, but she thrived off the shared power of all witches. Dead and alive. You could draw on them, too. You thought of Vincent, of Gammy and beyond.

Esther flew through the air and slammed against the wall. Elijah immediately went to Klaus, breaking the chains that held him.

Before he was completely free, Esther countered. Her strength coupled with your overexertion made you fall to your knees in pain. You could feel her magic weighing you down. Something wet dripped from your nose. Blood.

You weren’t backing down from her. You felt a tugging in your gut and threw your head back. Esther wasn’t going to stop you from taking Klaus. You called on your ancestors and their power just as she did, with renewed focus. Wind whipped around you, dust swirled at your feet. The jars of herbs and dark objects shook and some shattered to the ground. Letting out a guttural cry, raw power radiated from you and it pulsed through the room and and the entire French Quarter.

You collapsed with exhaustion, your body landing on the hard floor. You were fading fast, you could barely keep your eyes open. As your vision blurred you could see Klaus speeding toward Esther. The chains were still on him, but the ends had been broken off.

Holding a thousand lifetimes of pain and betrayal, Klaus snapped his mother’s neck and she went limp in his arms.

You smiled, as you had done your part. Cold hands were the last thing you remembered before everything went black.

                                                        …

You woke up in a large bed in the Mikaelson compound, completely alone.

You were wearing your pajamas from home. You stepped on the floor barefoot, flinching at the cold.

“Good evening, Y/N. I must say we were beginning to worry.”

Elijah. He offered you his arm and you took it. Your legs still felt like jelly. He led you to another empty room, stopping at the threshold.

“Niklaus, do not be rude to our guest. She did save our lives.” Elijah called out. So this was Klaus’s room.

He did not immediately appear. Preparing yourself, you let go of Elijah and stumbled into the room. You made it to a stool. Nearby were beautiful paintings and three full blood bags. As you admired the artwork, Elijah took his leave. As soon as he did, Klaus finally appeared.

“Careful, love. I did that one in 1823, it’s fragile.” His tone was his usual charming self, but his sunken in eyes, and restricted movements told the story.

“Here.” You slid a blood bag over to Klaus.

He poured it into a glass, but he made no moves to drink it. He swirled the liquid, squeezing so hard on the glass it broke in his hand.

You jumped, but Klaus wasn’t fazed. Instead he was staring at a spot on the floor, expressionless. He sat slack jawed and deflated. He was none of the wild hybrid—whether he was angry or vindictive or proud or jealous.

The man across from you was nothing at all.

“Klaus. You need to drink.” You whispered.

There was something fragile about him you had only seen glimpses of. Klaus always fell back on his default, but this was different.

“Klaus!” You boomed, bolting upright so fast your chair fell to the ground.

You stalked up to Klaus with fear as an afterthought. He was beginning to have that effect on you, which was probably for the worst. You wrapped your hands around his neck and jaw. He wouldn’t meet your gaze.

“Esther was right to call you a monster. She was wrong to say that was all you were. Look at me, Klaus.” You pleaded.

You were nose to nose now, and once you had his eyes on yours you wasted no time.

“Klaus! She was wrong! Esther was wrong. You have a daughter who will always love her daddy. Your siblings won’t turn away from you. I won’t, either.” You said desperately.

Esther was a woman whose back was against the wall and Klaus was her secret keeper, her ultimate secret keeper. And he, unlike Mikael’s children, was hers to isolate, a punishment Klaus could never bear from his mother.

You sucked in a breath, and bore your neck out for him.

“Drink.”

The quick pain as the hybrid’s fangs pierced your neck was followed by pure euphoria. You could feel him take every drop of blood that oozed out. Klaus’ arms wrapped around you, pulling you onto his lap. It was as if you two were the only two in the world, and you reveled in it.

Once you began to get light headed, Klaus retracted his fangs and licked the wound. His amber eyes burned with an intensity that made you squirm at how close you were to each other. You were hyper aware of his body and your own.

Klaus smirked at your newfound discomfort and kissed you full on. You could taste traces of an iron tang on his tongue, but that didn’t stop you. You kissed him back and your heart was heavy with all the emotion and stress from the day before. He leaned into you, taking care to hold you tighter. It was the reassurance you needed. You broke away from the kiss to breathe, and you drank each other in.

Klaus wasn’t one to say thank you, and you didn’t need it. You flashed him a show stopping smile. You didn’t know what would come from your actions.

All you knew was that you had fallen for this man; you truly and wholeheartedly loved Klaus Mikaelson, and he, in his own way, loved you, too.

END

[nostalgiabones]

Midnight Call // L.H

This is (kind of?) FWB!Luke — I think this is a little different for me and I’m really happy with how it turned out so any feedback would be really appreciated as always. Loosely based on the song ‘Honest’ by the Band CAMINO. Thank you to @calumrose & @cashtonasfuck for proof reading this for me!♥️

Word count: 1,778

The air felt thick.

Heavy breathing was the only sound that could be heard in Luke’s bedroom. The rest of the city was silent. Hot skin pressed together, you rolled over and settled against his bare chest, feeling it rise and fall under your cheek with every breath he took. It was sometime in the middle of the night — the only time when you felt as though you could breathe. Luke made you feel that way. 

His fingertips dropped to your cheek, smoothing the skin and tilting your chin so you were facing him. The content gaze on his face told you everything you needed to know. His eyes conveyed the feelings he’d never know how to explain. Very little words were spoken as he held you, basking in the post—sex glow that had consumed the two of you.

“Your tattoo is so pretty.” Your voice came out quieter than you expected, barely a murmur as your fingers softly traced the stunning hummingbird on his inner bicep. He smiled softly at your words, the hand resting on your lower back absentmindedly rubbing circles. They trailed off as he grew more tired. “I always forget that it’s there, then when I see it, I remember how beautiful it is.” 

“Feels nice.” He replied, his voice a soft mumble as he tried to stop sleep from consuming him. He wanted to stay awake a little longer — wanted to hold you, appreciate you being there because as soon as the morning came around, you would be gone again. “Gonna send me to sleep, gorgeous.” 

The questions lingering on your mind whenever you got to this stage in the night never quite made it to your lips — what is this? What are we doing?

Luke gave you the chance to be yourself. To do nothing but be with him, wrapped in his sheets or his arms as you let go of everything. There was no pressure. No strings, nothing to worry about — a chance to escape the weight of the world in the quiet of the night, when nothing else truly mattered.

“You can go to sleep.” You reassured him, noticing his heavy eyes and how often he was blinking to try and stay awake. His breathing was evening out, a clear sign that he was about to fall asleep. You’d gotten used to it. “I’m right here.”

He hummed in response, finally letting sleep consume him, wrapped in your embrace. If it wasn’t the sex, it was the quality of the sleep you had in his bed that brought you back everytime. The comfort of sleeping in his arms was something you’d been unable to find anywhere else— the only place where your mind would allow you to rest.

With Luke fast asleep, you were left alone with your thoughts once more. His even breathing and Petunia’s snores from her bed in the corner of the bedroom gave you something to focus on — not leaving you in complete silence. You just wanted to stay close to Luke for a little longer. You cuddled into his warmth, dropping a kiss to his jaw before pulling the thick comforter around the two of you. Faded notes of his cologne flooded your senses in a soothing way as you fell into a deep slumber, comforted by your surroundings.

It felt like mere minutes before your alarm broke the peace of the bedroom. It was never long enough. 

“Luke,” You mumbled, grabbing your phone and shutting off the blaring sound. His arm was wrapped tightly around yours, as if his skin touching yours was the only thing that allowed him to rest. He swore he couldn’t sleep without you pressed up against him. “Let me go, I need to get dressed.”

He hated how quickly you tried to leave.

“No,” He groaned, shaking his head against the pillow and sitting up to rest on his forearms. He’d barely opened his eyes, had no time to come round, and all he wanted to do was hold you for a little longer. “You have five minutes. Please, just stay a little longer.” 

Luke always got you to stay. The two of you clung to each other for a little longer, as the sun rose, knowing as soon as daylight returned — so did reality. It was rushed goodbyes, with no time for breakfast, having to get back to your apartment before your roommate realised you were gone.

It was your night-time secret, and that was how it worked.

Luke had been adamant that he wasn’t looking for a relationship, still recovering from the hurt he suffered from the last. As far as he was concerned, his heart was closed off to any potential love interest, saving it for the smushy dog that slept in his bedroom. He had made that clear, and that was okay. At the beginning, anyway. He felt as though his words had been harsh, spoken the morning after the first night you spent together. You both felt something, got some kind of release from being wrapped in each other. That’s all it was.

He gave you a chance to escape the burden of your everyday life. There was always someone wanting something, expecting something from you — putting pressure on you to constantly exert energy for other people’s benefit. Luke didn’t make you feel that way. With every night you spent in his bed, the more able you felt to breathe, to relax. His bedroom had started to feel like a safe space, where you could just be you — and Luke wanted nothing else.

“Mhm,” Luke sighed in contentment, lips trailing to your cheek and back to the spot behind your ear. The weight of your body against his was something he tried to commit to memory, fingertips dancing up and down your back softly as you laid with him. He knew it wouldn’t last long. “Wish you could stay with me all day.”

“You don’t mean that,” You replied quietly, your face resting against his shoulder. It wasn’t meant to make him appear insincere, but his strict no relationship rule played on your mind — if not only to protect yourself from falling for him. You didn’t take a lot of his words to heart, especially those he spoke when he was half asleep, doing anything he could for more cuddles. “That’s not what this is.”

But, what is this?

“I can think of worse ways to spend my day,” He confessed, his deep voice rumbling against your chest as he rested his head there. He tried to stop his mind from thinking about you spending the day in his bed — tangled in the sheets as he convinced you to watch some terrible reality TV. Just having somebody there, having you there, to pass the time. There was nothing he loved more than a lazy day, ordering food in and not having to worry about anything else. “Although I’m not sure I’d get anything done with you here to cuddle me.” 

The more time Luke spent in your presence, the more he found himself curious to know every aspect of your life. No conversation seemed to be off boundary — hours spent quietly chatting never felt uncomfortable, no matter the topic. You’d told him some of your deepest secrets, your biggest fears, and he had done the same. He knew about your parents, the place you grew up — he felt as though he knew your friends like they were his own. It almost felt wrong to wake up to a new day and forget it ever happened — watching you leave with a quick goodbye after spending hours talking about secrets from your childhood. He knew things about you that no-one else did. 

Your spirit seemed to linger in his house after you left. He would find himself brushing his teeth, imagining you there with him, maybe joining him in the shower. After his last relationship, he hadn’t allowed his mind to consider the possibility of someone else taking that place. So when the thoughts arose, at first he’d tried to shoot them down — but after each night by your side, he opened up a little more. He’d make breakfast for himself, wishing he was making it for two, picturing you perched on the edge of the countertop watching him flip pancakes. Even taking Petunia for a walk became something he wished he had company for — the music playing through his headphones was no longer enough. He found himself listening to the playlist you had made for him, for the nights you spent at his house — a combination of yours and his favourite songs, as well as some you wanted to introduce him to. 

Luke couldn’t tell you any of that, though.

He wouldn’t know how to. The fear of rejection was too heavy on his mind, although he occasionally allowed himself to ponder over the possibility of you feeling the same way. He was too worried about ruining whatever relationship the two of you had — the dynamic between you both worked, and he knew he’d never forgive himself if he changed because of his selfish inability to keep his mouth shut.

He was hoping you’d respond in some way to what he said, his proposal of staying a little longer than just the hours of midnight to early morning. Although, as he expected, you spoke the words he had heard many times.

“I need to go home,” You spoke softly, and he pretended not to hear the sadness in your voice.

Deep down, he knew you wanted to stay too, but you just wouldn’t admit it to yourself. He sighed heavily into the sheets, knowing the scent of your favourite perfume lingering on them would be the only thing left in moments to come. Your fingers gently pushing away the messy blonde strands that had fallen onto his face would make him want you to stay even more.

You could admit that the idea of Luke as a boyfriend was something that danced around your mind often, wondering whether he’d change in an relationship — or whether he’d be the caring, affectionate friend that he always had been to you. Luke noticed the little things. He remembered small details about you that you barely knew yourself, knew what things (and people) you liked and disliked. You couldn’t help but think it would be amplified if he allowed himself to be devoted to someone else.

”I’ll call you later, okay?”

He didn’t know when later was. All he did know, was that it wasn’t going to be soon enough.

***

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[vminity21]

Whimsical | knj

Pairing: Student!Namjoon x female!reader

Genre: fluff/mildangst

Word Count: 4,788

Warning(s): mild language use, slight angst involving the struggles of adulting, tooth rotting fluff, Rating: pg

Summary: Living paycheck to paycheck after moving to Gyeongju has done nothing but plague a bundle of stress upon you. Deciding to take a stroll where the cherry blossoms abundantly bloom, you did not expect to run into an acquaintance of the past; and you definitely did not expect the measure he takes to make sure your burdens are lifted off your shoulders. 

“What do you mean it costs this much?” When shock mingling with frustration forms into an exasperated sigh, your hand rakes through your hair in disbelief portraying the definition of stress in its purest authenticity. Your fingers that are curled around the auto insurance bill leave small indents behind when the dreaded piece of paper is now being placed upon the table. “Damnit,” tears flood your eyes while your palms shadow over your cheeks. You have already set money aside to save for the rent for your apartment along with your car payment as well as savings toward your electricity cost. Today, the discovery of your current expense being fifty more dollars than usual means that, yet another week goes by with surviving off the little groceries you have left stored in your pantry.

Shoving out of your jacket, the light air of spring has begun, and for once, you would like to appreciate nature without the anxious feeling of life overwhelming your mind. Eyes scanning the vacancy of your apartment, loneliness returns, and the yearn to hear your mother’s voice has never felt so painful. It has only been six months since you moved hours away for a job offer that you felt would be a good opportunity to further you into the career you have sought for. But, never in your existence did you dream that living paycheck to paycheck could bring so much misery, and hardly being able to speak to your mother has been weighing heavy on your conscious, but your determination to make her proud is what matters to you the most.

The jingle of your keys resonates the living room congruent with the shift of your feet wiggling into your tennis shoes. If there is anywhere you want to be right now, it’s not in this apartment, not near the opened envelopes of woe, not near your bedroom that reminds you of your exhaustion, and not near the refrigerator that is empty of any content that can fill your tummy. The drive to the local park flourishing with pinks and whites of cherry blossoms comes into view quicker than you anticipate, and with schools being in session, the area is not as crowded as it would be on the weekends. Petals float in the wind, swooping to the ground to paint the cement with color- your footsteps slow when the tunnel of tree branches exuberates perfumes of the florets to ease your tense frame.

You return to work tomorrow, but gratefully there is plenty of hours left in the day to explore, and with the solace of the atmosphere, it feels nice to escape from the turmoil of watching your paycheck disappear in order to live. A bench appears further into the path, mahogany tint with protruding sunlight breaking through the trees. Memories of what you consider your ‘past life’ churns with images of times where your grandfather shared stories of his childhood speaking lines of wisdom that encouraged you to be the person that you will and have become. He was the first soul to bring you to a park when you were younger, giving you a tour of what all there was to see- your almond eyes widened with wonder, gripping his hand while you would point out all the sights.

You miss those days more than you will profess, wishing you can relive them especially with what you have been enduring since your move. Gaze dropping to your shoes, hands in pockets- you gasp in surprise when your shoulder meets the figure of someone walking from the opposite direction,

“I’m sorry!” Panic is etched in your voice while you swiftly bow, a blush creeping to your cheeks in embarrassment when your steps quicken along the path. The tone belongs to a man who apologizes in return, yet your eyes keep their focus away from him; you’re very timid, something you’ve struggled with since the day you were born, and it’s hard enough to face your fears as it is, and uncertain on if the stranger would have been angry with you, you find it best to pretend it never happened. At least here, you feel safe alongside nature, and when the familiar sound of a rippling lake perks your auditory senses, a small tug of relief pulls at the corner of your lips, and the earlier chagrin of interrupting someone on their tread will no longer disturb your meditation.

 Something seems familiar about this place. Blusterous winds streaming through strands of your hair that tickle your shoulders beneath the blinding rays of the sun where grass pokes at your legs that are exposed from the end of your dress wrinkled upon your thighs. Cumulus clouds keep their distance from the beams flickering immensely within the blanket of blue, brightening the vibrancy of yellow flowers swaying beside stems of rubicund leaflets enhancing the field in iridescent whispers of delicacy.

You have seen this all before somewhere in the slumbers of imagination where your heart aches for peace such as this. Steeps of ornate mountains encompass the field in lavender shades collecting the finishing touches of scenery your dreams desire. But, there is something different. Rather, the sense that you are alone diminishes which prompts your vision to parade the panorama of daylight until a figure enters a distance ahead of you. A pile of wispy, light hair clears to reveal a man, eyes closed- the backs of his hands posed upon his knees leading to his fingers aimed upward mirroring the position you are in. How he seems so close when he is far away startles you even while you memorize the sight of his thick lips lying in a straight line of content.

Your head tilts in profound concentration of where you may have seen him- where you may have known him, but you come up empty, for here in this world of tranquility, you have not seen him here before. There is a strange ponder of wanting to rise to your feet, but you lean forward instead, observing the slow rise and fall of his chest where he breathes in and out deeply. He is clothed in white, darkening his already tanned skin- your stare tracing from his neck to see his face once more, and when your lids squint to study him,

He opens his eyes-

“Ma’am? Ma’am,” the echo of a calm voice breaks through enough to awaken your bleary eyes, “Ma’am, are you okay?” Drool gathered at the corner of your mouth you swipe with the hem of your sleeve; your eyes are sensitive from how bright it is outside, and it takes a moment for them to adjust once you turn your head gradually in order to remember where you are. The flowing trickles of water, the soreness of your back scratching from the log of a tree, and the soft squeeze of a large hand on your shoulder alarms you enough to realize you fell asleep while reminiscing at the lake.

You refrain from cursing under your breath when nerves shoot through your veins, gathering yourself enough to look at whoever is hovering above you. Stuttering to find words, you weakly accept the strong hand offered to you to help you up. Concern is etched in the shape of brown irises reading your stare while nostalgia fogs your brain. “Do I- do I know you?” Your voice is hardly a murmur, but he timidly steps away, the familiarity of his face bringing a quiet gasp to your parting lips.

“We, uh, we um, ran into each other earlier,”

“Oh no,” shame shudders your shoulders when you press your forehead into your palm to lightly rub your eyes, “God, I’m so sorry-”

“No, no it’s okay! Really, it’s okay. It was an accident-”

“I should have watched where I was going-”

“Well, I should have, too.”

With a creased forehead, your body is still recovering from your unexpected nap, and you’re trying to feign bravery to return your eyes to the stranger whose hair is hidden within a black beanie, yet blonde tufts brush the tips of his ears. Dimples illuminate his rising cheeks from the tiny grin embellishing his expression, and dialogue disappears from your tongue at the noticing of how exquisite he is.

“Kim Namjoon,” his large hand swallows yours as it did minutes ago, but this time in a polite shake of greeting.

“I’m [Y/N],” you nod seeing his grin widen to cause a silent sweep of relief to your system.

“Wait a minute,” your eyelids enlarge from the recognition now embracing your thoughts. Flashbacks from high school smother you immediately when the images of a quiet persona who sauntered the hallways with the intelligence of an Einstein clicks on a lightbulb subconsciously. “I do know you, we-” wetting your lips, you stammer in fear of being wrong, “We went to the same grade school. You- you beat me at the math competition! Wh- what brings you to Gyeongju?”

“College,” his voice is shaky for you to jolt at the realization that you are still shaking his hand- roughly you might add, awkwardly releasing to return your limb to your side. It’s already humiliating enough to stand before him after plummeting into his side when first arriving to this destination, to then making a fool of yourself sleeping in front of him to also awaken to ruin all ounce of potential conversation you could have had. Preparing yourself for the worst, you wince, wishing you could slip under the covers of your bedroom to hide away forever. “What about you? Are you attending University here, too?”

“I- erm, about that-” There is not a way for you to explain, because there isn’t much to say other than your heart belonged to another career path. “I received a job offer here. One that I thought would provide good benefits than my original plan, but it’s not what I expected,” Namjoon’s eyebrows furrow igniting a surge in frantic slews of sentences from your mouth, “I mean, I love it. I really do, it’s- it’s what I love to do, but I guess- I want- I want more from it. But I don’t know how to- I-” Warm chuckles leave his lips that halts your rambling in a heartbeat, “I talk way too much, I’m sorry-”

“You’re not talking too much. You’re fine, I promise.” a brief spark settles a reminder of your budding attraction toward him that your chest heats with a dark hue of red; your arms slide to cross over your chest in an attempt at hugging yourself- timorously beaming up at him to search his tender gaze. “You know, if you’re up for it, there’s a restaurant not too far from here that has the best pasta I’ve ever had,” Namjoon’s fingers disappear into the pockets of his jeans- nervously rocking on his heels because after all these years he never thought he would run into anyone he once acquainted with in his younger days, but here you are, standing before him in all your glory. You were someone he admired from afar who treated him as though he was part of the team versus an outcast as others preferred him to be. But you were different. You never saw anyone as below you, and though the pair of you never blossomed into a friendship, you at least treated him with kindness despite the rumors pupils whispered in the foyers. “I already planned on going there today actually-”

“I’d love to!” Your fingertips shut your lips from the excitement you didn’t mean to interrupt him with, “I mean, I uh, I’d- I’d like that very much, thank you,”

It’s strange how the imagination of a world can seem so real, and the awareness of how close he is bringing flutters of butterflies within your stomach while your ears tune in to the scuffling sounds of your footsteps prodding along the route. No matter how hard you contemplate, whatever vision you had at the lake isn’t coming to you, but the consistent feeling that you’re experiencing brings the suspicion that whatever you dreamt is now becoming a reality. 

 The air is calmed in a manner that reflects a pleasant silence where your focus happens to remain on the cold mush of fibrous moss gathering between your fingers. Eyes are closed momentarily yet the hint of the sun is evident, but the source of your confusion isn’t from the odd wonder of why your hands are gripping the earth, instead, it is for the question of why your back is pressed to the ground as though you have fallen into slumber.

Blinking open to the blue of the sky, you are paused for only a mere moment to discover this time, sparse altocumulus clouds entering your vision enough to ease yourself to sit up. Freeing your digits from what you see to be a deep shade of magenta mingled with numerous hues of green festooning across the land, it is astonishing the beauty your vision is encountering prompting you to whirl your head in every direction to take in the glacier gray of the mountains you observe to be cratering a lapis glow of a lake.

The familiarity of a reminiscent involving a body of water decides to accompany your mind, but the difference between your memory of what you assume regards to reality, is that what you are gazing upon now, is nothing but magical. In wondrous awe, you find yourself standing, taking a slow bare foot forward, just to be halted when the feel of something is settled around your head. Furrowed eyebrows, you lightly tap along what feels to be numerous twigs tangled together with stems of bloomed petals. You raise your other hand to retrieve the item, glance widening at the myriad of dancing colors in the form of flowers embellishing what looks to be what one would call a crown.

Has it been there all along?

An inkling to turn around urges you to do so, lips parted in a gasp though not one sound escapes. He stands before you, the man from a preceding ponder, dressed in white, angelically beaming from head to toe, imitating the enchanting resonation of the atmosphere, causing you to long for whatever bliss he has within his touch. Did he give this to you?

Tenderly, he reaches to place his fingertips beneath the flower crown where your heart leaps at the faint brush of his skin. Lifting it ever so steadily, he returns to set the emblem where it belongs, to the empress of his heart, of his universe, completing you in all entirety. Your eyes flicker between his in suppressed doubt; is this real? You are so enveloped in the amiability of his gape, your palms extend to fold along his shoulders, leading his hand to rest at the side of your neck. He is reading your soul as much as you are trying to decipher his, but there is a connection that no other will ever be able to gain from you as much as him.

The nearness of him is what you are now in concentration of, leaning closer, waiting for what you are hoping for-

Namjoon’s long frame slides upon the plaid picnic blanket, abdomen first, while he folds his arms to where he rests his cheek, “I’m feeling the weight of that essay from last night,”

“And, you still turned it in late,” you tease, munching on a snack while he throws a playful side glance. It’s been a month since the reuniting, and the friendship has become exactly what you have been needing. Unfortunately, finances have still been a heavy burden, but at least you have found an ally in Gyeongju who is just as excited to see you as you are him.

“I mean I was pretty distracted,”

Scoffing, you smack his shoulder lightly with the back of your hand, “That video of that kitten was so cute, and you know it,”

“I never said it wasn’t cute,” the way his lips break into the widest smile, his eyes squinting in the way they do that then reveals his dimples; as much as you’d like to deny the way your heart feels a sense of longing, you mask it quite effortlessly.

“You literally giggled so much, I thought you were going to pee,” breathy laughter escapes him prompting him to bury his head into his arms, your gaze never leaving his shaking shoulders. “Well, it’s true!” Moments such as these bring a joy you are thankful exists, but little does Namjoon know, or so you assume, that once you step into your apartment to be reminded of how little you have moneywise, the depression seeps in. It is hard enough to work every day as hard as you do, just to watch your paycheck subtract away right before your eyes with each bill. It is something you haven’t necessarily opened about, because you just don’t know how. And, the last thing you need is for someone to offer help that you know they may not have.

“That’s only happened one time!” He exclaims, him shifting to lean more on his side so he can peer up at you. This area particularly is further within the park where there are not as many trees, which gives enough space to lay out a blanket and view the scenery. Sunshine brightens the atmosphere as well as warming your skin, and though you’re continuing to cackle with Namjoon, you slide until you are upon your back, using your arm to shade some of the sunlight. One perk regarding the park is it’s free, which is why you always ask to come here when hanging out, and you refuse to let Namjoon pay a dime for anything, not even a candy bar.

The nearness of his body does not heighten your senses until you turn to look at him, and that’s when you melt wishing nothing more than to kiss him. Which explains the dreams you’ve been having lately. Laughter has ceased for the time being, instead the conversation moves into a different subject, one you hoped wouldn’t happen, but considering your avoidance of going to many places, and the embarrassment of Namjoon seeing the emptiness of your kitchen one too many times, the paranoia of him catching on to why you have been slightly more stressed than usual may enter his suspicions.

“Have you been okay?” By the tone of his voice, you can tell right away he is aware of something. But, how can you tell him you are fine, when you are nowhere near one hundred percent. You definitely feel that way when with him, because he makes you forget about the reality at home, but gives you a time to escape, a time to embrace the joy he provides you every chance he gets. Should you tell him the truth? “[Y/N], I never mentioned this before just because I figured it was just coincidence, but when was the last time you’ve gotten groceries? Like, actual groceries,”

“Ramen is groceries,”

“I-” Namjoon pauses, “What I mean is, more than just ramen noodle cups and stale chips,”

“Maybe that’s how I like my chips. Corny and stale,”

“That sounds-”

“Listen,” you lift an index finger, “if vegetables and fruits would last longer than a week, I totally wouldn’t feel like I’m wasting money.”

“You know if you need anything, I’m here for you,” his words nearly bring you to tears, leading you to turn your head in the opposite direction to avoid his concerned expression. He knows you are making excuses at this point and of course, he is not entirely sure of why, but he may be able to guess correctly if he tried.

“I don’t need anything, I promise I’m fine,” your reply is soft, but loud enough for him to hear. Though you can’t see it, Namjoon’s eyebrows furrow, him picking at his fingertips while in deep concentration. He is learning that you, stubbornly, are most definitely not going to let him help in any way, but unbeknownst to you, is that he will stop at nothing to make sure you are okay no matter what.

“Look at me,” your heart skips a beat immediately when you slowly return to where he is within your glimpse, his thumb reaching to brush your bottom lip where he inches much closer than you anticipated. All you know, is that if he reads every word that your mind is screaming, your heart may burst out of your chest. Yearning for his kiss, he is close enough to where his breath sweeps your chin, “[Y/N], really, if there is anything at all that you absolutely need, please know I will do anything for you,”

Your fingers bundle into the collar of his shirt absentmindedly, letting his forehead press upon yours before you dare to close the gap you are so anxiously wanting to do. His thumb now strokes your cheek, tickling your skin to the point you feel breathless.

“I don’t know what to say,” you whisper, a hushed tear dropping onto your cheek before he swipes it away.

“I just want you to be okay,”

“I am,” you try your best to sound reassuring, “Joon, I promise you I am,”

“Okay,” he whispers, and even then, you have no idea the best that is yet to come.

Sleeping cherry blossoms encircle you save for the entrance of a tunnel gleaming piercingly bright in the distance that seems so close yet so far out of reach. The iridescent shades of the petals glitter in preparation for what is to come, but your focus solely remains on the escape ahead into a world you have always dreamed of. Or is this the world you have always dreamed of? Scents of the florets waft past your nose in a way to ease you, and the lingering thought of the man clothed in white shadows the crevices of your conscious. Just the mere reminisce of him prompts his appearance and as he stands behind you in all his glory, he knows the desire looming beneath your chest for the magic you crave.

His arms reach to link around you, chin nestling on your shoulder; there is no fear for he is the only being welcome in your world of serenity. Your hands smooth upon his folded arms that remain resting against your abdomen, and forever seems to be in the forefront of your mind. Spinning within his embrace, a subtle smirk graces his mouth while your hands glide to his chest, and finally after many dreams of pining, he leans in to close the gap- snatching your lips as softly as you have imagined causing the closed petals all around the pair of you to bloom endlessly, flourishing every ounce of space the two of you may have had a fraction before. The power is within his kiss, summoning the blossoms to awaken as they are meant to. The same as he is meant to be with you.

 “I miss you, too, Mom,” you smile into the phone, sifting through the mail you just checked, eyebrows furrowing when you feel as though something is missing. “Yeah- yeah, I have, I mean, yes mom, I may have a boyfriend,” you giggle, shaking your head at your persistent mother who has been dying to catch up with you since you moved. “I think- yeah, I think he may be who I’ve been waiting for,” when a knock at the door alerts you, you quickly bid your mom a farewell with the promise of calling her back tomorrow before you start work again.

Staring at the pile of mail, you wonder why the utility bill has not been sent. It is around the time that it should have arrived meaning you may need to take a short trip to the leasing office if Namjoon doesn’t mind. Giddily, you skip to look through the peephole to see him, standing tall with his slim fingers slipped into his pockets. Unlocking the door, you run a swift hand through your hair in an attempt to neaten the strands before opening the entrance. “Hey!” You breathe, gesturing for him to come in, and when the door closes, you leap into his embrace before smiling into a sweet kiss.

“Are you ready for today? The weather is beautiful out,”

“Beyond ready,” you kiss him again. The anticipation to explore another location involving nature is what you enjoy especially with someone who equally enjoys it as much as you. “But I must make a quick trip to the leasing office if that’s okay? I have Netflix if you want to chill for a bit- it shouldn’t take too long.”

Namjoon chuckles, leaning in to press a slow kiss to your lips, “Everything okay?”

“Mm yeah,” you reply in a daze, “I just haven’t received my utility bill yet and I’m concerned. Can you um, can you do that again? I may need the extra umph,”

Breathy laughter is interrupted when he kisses you again, and it takes everything in you to pull away, “Okay, I feel better now,”

“Good. Whatever it takes,”

As much as you would love to not have to pay any bills, you saunter across the road to where the leasing office lives, encompassed by sparse trees and a small swimming pool off to the side. You are happy to see Jung Hoseok, leaned on his desk, spectacles slid down his nose, and gaze distracted by whatever he is reading on the computer screen.

“Good morning,” you greet, Hoseok immediately looks to see who has walked in, gesturing with a smile toward a seat in front of his desk.

“How can I help you today?”

“Yes, um, I just went through my mail today and I realized I hadn’t received the utility bill for this month, so I wanted to check to make sure I didn’t miss anything,”

“Ah, yes, let me pull up your account here,” his fingers fly over the keyboard, the clicking noise being the only sound filling the space. “Hm, looks like it’s already been paid for.”

“Excuse me?” Confusion is evident within your voice as well as plastered upon your entire expression. “When did I? I paid it?”

“Mhm, as well as your rent for the rest of the year among all of your other bills. There’s enough money on your account to just automatically draft-”

“But I didn’t-”

“Well it says it right here,” he pokes the screen once.

“Are you able to see when the money was put in? I have no idea how-” The realization hits you suddenly prompting a small gasp.

“Er, is everything okay, Ms. [Y/N]?”

“Yeah,” you say quite breathlessly, gradually standing to your feet, the world spinning faster than you could have prepared for.

“I mean, I can ask my coworker, Taehyung if he knows anything. I got back from vacation today, so I may not have the answer for you-”

“No, no it’s okay. I- I think I know who is responsible. Thank you so much, Hoseok.”

“Anytime, dear!”

Being slightly dizzy while running is an interesting combo, but you make it to your apartment without tripping over your own two feet and you stand before the door, your chest heaving. The dreams you have been having- it all makes sense now. You wanted nothing more than a reason, or a miracle, to feel as if you were home, or where you belonged, and finally, it was given to you in the most unexpected way. When you came to Gyeongju, you had no idea that Namjoon would show up in your life and turn it into the most beautiful adventure you have ever had. You were willing to suffer through the bills if it meant being close to him, and how he figured out your hardship, you are uncertain- you always avoided the subject when it came to hardly having any money. Slowly stepping into your apartment, you click the door closed, Namjoon’s focus turning from the tv to you as he rises to his feet. You are speechless as you gaze at the man of your dreams. When he said he would do anything for you, you never imagined this.

“Whatever it takes?” You croak, hardly sure even now what to say. Namjoon will do anything to make you happy, and that is how you knew after getting to know him the past few months that you were wholeheartedly in love with him. You will spend the rest of your life trying to thank him no matter the circumstances, and as soon as his frame entangles with yours, he whispers,

“Whatever it takes.”

[lilacmoon83]

Dreaming Out Loud

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 114: One Less Problem

They had run out of daylight when they initially found the skull, but the two men returned first thing the next morning. Over the course of the day, a complete excavation site was set up, as they took to digging in earnest. It was hard painstaking work, but they had recovered many bones and they were now all spread out on a tarp. They didn't have them all and likely never would. It had been in the ground for twenty-eight years, but they had recovered the large bones. The skull obviously, along with parts of the rib cage, a humerus bone, and part of the pelvic bone, as well as several other small fragments that were either parts of larger bones or smaller ones entirely.

Landon proceeded to take photos of the bones they had collected with his phone and Greg waited impatiently.

"Did you send them?" he asked impatiently.

"Sent...now we just wait to hear back, but I'd be surprised if this doesn't draw at least some attention from the feds," Landon replied. Greg sighed and covered up the bones to protect them, before they trekked back to town. As they neared, they began to hear screams of panic and terror.

"What the hell is going on now?" Landon wondered.

"In this town...that's hard to say," Greg replied, as they hurried to find out what the commotion was.

"Get your camera ready though. If the feds need more convincing...then this might be it," he added.

~*~

Snow strolled along Main street, pushing the stroller, while Emma walked beside her. They were window shopping and slowly making their way toward Granny's for some cocoa.

"Thanks for coming with me, honey…" Snow said. Emma put her arm around her mother.

"Are you kidding? You know I love spending time together and especially with my new baby brother. We don't get to do it often enough," Emma mentioned.

"I still think we should get Xander a baby leather jacket though," she added. Snow chuckled.

"As cute as that is...he is going to outgrow all his clothes in a matter of weeks at this point. But maybe when he's a little older. I do like the idea of dressing him up to look like his daddy and big sister," Snow replied.

"Hear that kid? You have a future in leather," Emma joked. Snow giggled.

"Oh can you just imagine him in a tiny leather jacket following his daddy and sister around?" she gushed and Emma chuckled again.

"Yeah...our tiniest detective," she joked and Snow gasped.

"Oh...you could get him a little Sheriff star to wear!" she gushed. Emma shook her head.

"Yeah...I'll work on that," her daughter answered. Suddenly, they heard screams and braced themselves, as Pan loomed above them in the sky.

"Here we go...he took the bait," Emma muttered. Snow swallowed thickly and prepared herself for what was to come. The demon did as expected and dove down toward the stroller. Snow blocked him from the stroller, but surprisingly, he grabbed her instead and put a dagger to her throat.

"Did you really think I was going to fall for this, Princess?" he hissed, as he kicked the stroller and tipped it over. A doll came tumbling out of it, as Persephone, Hades, Emma, Eli, and David moved in.

"Let her go…" David growled, as he brandished his sword.

"You idiots really think you could outsmart Pan?" he countered, as he started backing away with Snow.

"You know...her soul would make a very nice addition to my road to immortality. Daughter of Persephone and all," he said.

"And making your husband watch me rip your shadow from your body will be a bonus," he added, as he glared at David.

"Let. Her. Go." David hissed.

"You have a choice, Prince Charming. Your wife or your son…" Pan warned.

"I refuse to accept those are my only two choices," he hissed, as he slowly stepped forward and Pan recoiled with Snow, as he used his powers to start tearing her shadow away. She screamed in pain, as he did so.

"One more step and she dies…" he growled, which made him stop in fear that he would hurt her.

"Let my daughter go…" Persephone demanded, as she and Hades moved in.

"If this was your plan, then you really have lost your touch," Pan said, looking at Hades.

"Have I?" Hades challenged. Pan smirked.

"You absolutely have…" the demon said, as he tossed an object at their feet. He waved his hand and it opened, sucking both Gods inside it. Snow cried out, as her mother and step-father disappeared and the box closed. Pan chuckled.

"Pandora's box...not even Gods can escape it. Now...where were we? Oh yes...her or the child?" he questioned.

"How about a third option? Like sending you to hell," David countered, which made Pan chuckle arrogantly.

"And you think you can actually accomplish that?" Pan questioned.

"I'll admit, your duel with Blackbeard and the beating of him was impressive...but that pirate is nothing compared to my power," he added, as he sensed something behind him and caught a fireball in his hand.

"Betrayal runs thick in our veins, son...I anticipated you selling out to the bleeding hearts here, but I thought you were smart enough not to cross me," Pan growled, as he nullified Rumple's fireball and continued to hold Snow hostage. She choked, as she struggled to breathe in his vice-like grip.

"Charming…" she rasped.

"Let her go, you son of a bitch!" David cried, as he grew desperate to free his wife.

"Temper, temper...Your Majesty," Pan chided, as Eli stood beside David, his eyes fixated on his little girl.

"The time for stalling is at an end," Pan said, as he wrapped a hand around Snow's neck and lifted her off the ground. She gasped for air and flailed, as she slowly choked to death.

"NOOO!" David screamed, as he charged, only to be blown back by a blast of Pan's magic. It knocked him head over heels and he landed painfully on the ground.

"Dad!" Emma cried and then turned back to Pan.

"Mom!" she cried again, as her mother was slowly fading away.

"What will it be, Emma? Baby brother of mommy dearest?" Pan goaded.

"Still neither, you psychopath," Persephone hissed and Pan's head snapped to the side, as he found Hades and Persephone standing there, much to his shock.

"How? I trapped you!" he roared.

"Yeah...in a fake Pandora's box. We disappeared in a puff of smoke to fool you," she retorted. Hades smirked.

"And for dramatic effect. I do love my theatrics," Hades quipped.

"As much as you love your daughter? Because I'm about to snap her neck," Pan threatened.

"Not unless...you want to be trapped in the real Pandora's box…" Snow rasped. Pan's eyes widened, as he spied the box in her hands and immediately tossed her away. She gasped for air, as Emma and Eli helped her to her feet.

"You really think you've won?!" Pan cried, as he glared at his son.

"I expected more of you, son. You side with these so called heroes over me?" he questioned.

"In a heartbeat," Rumple retorted.

"And now it's time to end you for good," he added, but Pan chuckled.

"Every time you go up against me, Rumple...you lose," the demon warned.

"Not this time," Rumple growled, as he opened the vial in his hand and sent the squid ink inside splashing toward him. But Pan smirked and stopped the ink in midair, before tossing it back onto Rumple and Belle.

"Like I said, Rumple...when you go against me...you lose," Pan hissed.

"I know...that's why I'm not delivering the final blow," Rumple replied. Pan's brow furrowed and turned to the two Gods, figuring they were the true threat now. Persephone unleashed a beam of magic and he countered with his.

"Not even you can defeat me, Goddess…" Pan boasted.

"Well...we'll never really know, now will we?" she asked, as her smug smirk was unnerving to him.

"What…" he started to say, until he heard something behind him. He turned to find David there with a peculiar looking bottle. He had lost sight of the Prince and didn't consider him to be a threat. Pan barely had time to scream, as David smashed the bottle at his feet and then scrambled to Snow and Emma to get them away from the blast zone.

"NOOO!" Pan screamed, as the hellfire exploded in his face and overtook his body, burning him beyond recognition, while they could only watch on in horror and awe.

"Whoa…" Emma uttered.

"Ohhh…" Snow cried, as she had to turn away from the gruesome sight of someone burning alive. David held her and looked on, as she buried her face in his chest. Pan screamed in rage and agony, causing Belle to recoil as well against Rumple. But the latter watched with satisfaction, as Pan finally got what he deserved and his screams ceased, as the flames squelched and his ashes floated to the ground. There was a collective sigh of relief, as the looming threat of Peter Pan was neutralized.

"It's over, my darling…" David whispered to her.

"Oh Charming...you did it…" she gushed, as she tackled him in a hug and their lips met passionately.

"He'll never threaten to take our baby...or our daughter again," he promised her. She smiled at him and then kissed him again.

"Okay guys...save it for home," Emma complained. Their lips parted and they smiled, as they hugged their daughter between them.

"That was one hell of a plan," David complimented his step-father-in-law. Hades shrugged.

"It was," he boasted.

"I knew he'd be so focused on us as the true threat that he'd never see you coming," he added. David kissed Snow's forehead and then examined her neck.

"I don't like that you got caught in it though. That wasn't part of it," he said.

"I'm fine...promise," Snow replied. David looked at his mother-in-law and she smiled, as she came to examine her daughter's neck. Her hands glowed purple and the marks on her daughter's skin disappeared.

"Thanks Mom…" she said, as they shared a hug.

"So...any chance what we just did will work on the Chernabog?" David asked.

"Unfortunately no...the hellfire we just used to turn Pan to ash will only contain the Chernabog. Remember...he's a titan and he earned the title of black god for a reason," Hades responded.

"Then there's no way to kill it?" Neal asked.

"None that we know of. We created Bald Mountain for that reason. As containment," Persephone replied.

"And now it's worse...because he's merged with Frollo," Eli surmised.

"Much worse…" Hades agreed.

"For now though...we should go home. One crisis averted is definitely still a win," Persephone said. They agreed and decided that a trip to Granny's was in order, especially since they had to go there to get the baby and Henry.

~*~

"What the hell was all that?" Landon questioned, as they came out from the place they had been observing from.

"That was magic and the general insanity that defines this town," Greg replied.

"The fairy tale and mythology thing again?" Landon asked with disdain.

"Seeing is believing as they say," Greg replied.

"If I tell my friend about this, he'll laugh and then hang up on me again," Landon said.

"Then don't tell him. The bones should be enough to get him here. Then he can see for himself," Greg purported, as the other man's phone rang.

"Zach...did you get the photos I sent?" the former detective asked.

"Yeah...I got them," he confirmed.

"Great...so are you coming with a team?" Landon questioned.

"Based on what? A picture of some old bones? You know we can't allocate a team for a cold case without DNA confirmation that those bones belong to an actual unsolved murder or missing persons case," Zach responded. Landon sighed in frustration.

"But this is a murder case I have here...I know it!" Landon exclaimed.

"Then send me the bones. I'll get them off to the lab for DNA identification. But you know that without a fresh sample...the chances of getting a match are slim," Zach warned.

"And if I happen to have access to a blood relative to send a fresh sample?" Landon asked.

"Then your chances are a lot better. Send the sample in with the remains and we might know something in a few months, if we're lucky," Zach replied.

"A few months?!" Landon exclaimed.

"At best...you know the FBI lab is backed up and they work the fresh cases first. It's the best I can do," Zach said. Landon sighed and hung up.

"They're not coming?" Greg questioned.

"No...we need to send them the bones and a sample of your DNA. And then it could be a few months or even a year or so before we get anywhere," Landon said.

"That's crap!" Greg raged, as he clenched his fists.

"Look...you've waited this long for justice. What is another year or so? This might not be so bad," Landon purported.

"How the hell do you figure that?" Greg hissed.

"Because it will give us time to video tape the hell out of this place. No one that's not seeing it will believe it. But if we get a real account of what this place is and not just random snippets that could be explained away as CGI technology...then we could blow this place wide open to the world!" Landon said, which made Greg think about that for a moment.

"You'd have the FBI, Homeland, reporters, Hollywood and random people from all over the world crawling in these woods. We could sell these stories to the highest bidder," Landon said.

"I'm want justice for my father...not money," Greg spat.

"You can get both. Think about it...fairy tales are real? Greek Gods aren't just myths? You can name your price and demand anything you want when this finally blows up," Landon tempted. Greg looked at him and then relented.

"You really think we can do this?" he asked. He nodded.

"Done right? Yes...but that takes time, which we apparently have. Firstly though...we need to get your father's remains and your DNA sample shipped to my friend at the bureau," Landon replied, as they started walking toward Granny's and he happened to notice a package on the doorstep of a business.

"How the hell does this place get mail and packages anyway?" he inquired curiously. Greg shrugged.

"They have a post office and there must be some kind of magic that transports the mail in and out," he answered.

"Then that won't be a problem...but you still didn't tell me how you get people in this place if it's invisible," Landon said.

"That's tricky, but not impossible. When the time is right...we'll let the world in," Greg replied.

~*~

"It's so good to see you…" Snow gushed, as she hugged Lancelot. They had enjoyed dinner together as a family at Granny's and then returned home to the castle, only to find that Lancelot had come for a visit.

"It's good to see you both too…" he agreed, as he and David shook hands.

"And congratulations," he added, as he beamed at the baby in her arms. They grinned back.

"Thanks…" Snow said.

"So...what brings you by?" she asked.

"Well...I returned to Camelot to see what the state of my home Kingdom was and I'm afraid I am still banished," he replied. Snow frowned.

"But...what about Guinevere? She loves you," she said.

"I'm afraid she has told me otherwise and remains loyal to Arthur. I betrayed the crown and am banished from Camelot...indefinitely," he replied regrettably.

"I'm so sorry…" Snow said sadly.

"And you're sure? I know she probably feels bound by duty to her Kingdom and there was a time when I felt those pressures. I'm not saying that it wasn't messy, but in the end, true love was worth fighting for," David advised.

"I agree...but I'm afraid she made it quite clear that my love is unrequited," he replied.

"I once told Charming the same thing…" Snow reminded. He sighed.

"I'm afraid it doesn't matter though. The decision of my banishment stands and Guinevere wants to stay with Arthur," he said.

"Well...you may be banned from Camelot, but you have a home here," Snow offered.

"Thank you Snow...I was hoping to offer my services and if I'm completely candid, I thought perhaps there is another King that might find my particular skills of use to him," Lancelot responded. David smiled.

"Oh that is an offer I will not pass up. I need a Knight like you to help me train new Knights and police all this. It's a lot bigger than Storybrooke now," he agreed. Lancelot nodded gratefully.

"I will be glad to serve you both again," he said.

~*~

Arthur looked out over his Kingdom with his usual trepidation. To his people and the outside Kingdoms, things appeared to be perfectly normal and whole in his Kingdom. And it was all thanks to him...their King. He had fulfilled his destiny when he pulled the legendary Excalibur from its resting place inside a stone and became Camelot's Savior.

At least...that was how it was supposed to go. Merlin had foretold the prophecy that he would be King of Camelot and save it from ruin, even as he himself remained trapped in a tree of all things. But in the moment of his ultimate glory when he finally extracted the sword, his hopes and dreams were dashed when it was revealed that Excalibur was broken. It was the cruelest of jokes and over the years, he had grown bitter at his predicament. If the people knew he was ruling them with a broken sword and the illusion of their completeness was false, then his Kingdom would descend into chaos. He had utilized the mists of Avalon to create the illusion of a whole Camelot to his people and outside Kingdoms. And before, they remained quite isolated from outsiders. But now that they were part of the United Realms, they had many Kingdoms that were very close now. And he was worried that this could threaten the illusion. He didn't worry about Guinevere or Percival revealing his secret and even though Lancelot was of some concern, he still had some honor and would not speak of it either unless provoked.

Then there were the Gods. So far, they had not interfered, but he didn't know how long that would last.

"You're worried…" Guinevere mentioned.

"We must quietly continue our research to make Excalibur whole. It is now more vital than ever," he responded.

"Do you think the Gods will reveal our deception to the other Kingdoms?" she questioned.

"I don't know...we can hope for the best and that they leave us be. But we will prepare for the worst," he responded, as they gazed out over their Kingdom together.

~*~

Ravenna gazed out over the United Realms, as the hour grew very late. Another day in the United Realms was done and she was no closer to ruling over all of it. But then she knew her revenge wouldn't come to fruition over night. Hans slipped into her room and waited for her to acknowledge him.

"Did you do what I asked?" she inquired.

"I took inventory of that state of our army…" he confirmed.

"And?" she asked.

"Queen Snow and King David's army is twice the size and rumor has it that they are to be led by King David himself and Lancelot," Hans responded.

"Lancelot...of the Round Table?" she asked.

"Apparently not anymore," he replied. She growled in frustration.

"That little retch gets everything!" she complained.

"Why do you hate her so much?" Hans questioned, but regretted it when she glared at him.

"Do you have any idea what it was like being married to Eli and having to put up with that little brat?" she questioned.

"She was...is everything to him. You know, I didn't want to marry him anymore than he wanted to marry me!" she ranted.

"But father forced the deal and I tried to make the best of it. But he could barely stand to be in the same room as me!" she continued.

"He looked at me with indifference at best. But for her...he just lit up like a lantern in the sky," she lamented.

"She is his child," he reminded.

"I know that, you idiot!" she snapped.

"I tried everything to win his affection and when I could not, I tried to endear myself to the peasants. But they hated me too," she complained.

"Well...maybe because you refer to them as peasants," he admonishd. But she didn't hear him.

"But not Snow White! No...they adored her and fell all over themselves around her. Even the filthy little woodland critters flocked to be in her glorious presence," she raved.

"Careful...or you might turn green like the wicked witch," he quipped. That time she heard him and it earned him another frigid glare.

"You don't get it…" she accused.

"You're right...not that it matters. She's the daughter of Persephone. She might as well be untouchable. Pursing any kind of revenge against her would be to court death," he warned. But she cackled in amusement and the look in her eye could only be described as crazed. It gave him great pause, for he was seriously starting to question her sanity.

"Oh...but I will pursue it, dear brother! Revenge is the only thing that will satiate me and I will not stop until Snow White lay dead at my feet!" she said.

"But I am not stupid...I know it will have to be handled delicately. My revenge may take a very long time to reach fruition...but I will see it through," she added.

"I will find the perfect way to end her. And when I do...not even Hades and Persephone will be able to stop me. Because I have control of the one thing they could not kill…" she said. His brow furrowed and then his eyes widened, as Frollo appeared in the room.

"You called me, my Queen?" Frollo questioned, as his tone clearly indicated that he was not her slave by choice.

"You will maintain your firm handed rule in Paris and not let on that you answer to me to anyone, Chernabog," she ordered.

"Of course, my Queen," he said reluctantly.

"In the meantime, you will use your cauldron and search for a way to give me my revenge on Snow White," she added.

"Yes, My Queen," he answered obediently.

"But how…" Hans uttered in disbelief and she smirked, as she held up a glowing talisman.

"As it turns out...the black god can be controlled, just like the Dark One. Not even Hades and Persephone were aware of it. Only one God knew of this fail safe," she said, as Hermes appeared.

"And in exchange for this information...I expect to be rewarded when you get what you want," he said.

"Of course, dear Hermes...you have earned whatever you desire. By giving me the Promethean flame and thus control of the Chernabog...you will have your own revenge," she said.

"Lord Cronus and Circe will also support our efforts to dethrone Persephone and Hades as well...when the time comes," Hermes added. She smirked.

"Excellent...it may take years to realize, but the end result will be well worth it," Ravenna stated, as she glared out over the ocean at Snow and Charming's castle.

"Enjoy your peace, my ex-step-daughter, because I will eventually destroy your happiness...if it's the last thing I do," she growled.

~*~

Snow gently put the baby down in his bassinet and welcomed her husband's arms around her, as they stared out over their new Kingdom. She was dressed in a lovely, flowing white nightgown and he was dressed only in sleep pants, leaving him shirtless, which she enjoyed very much.

"You know...I know there are still threats out there, but I feel so much more at ease now that Pan is gone. Like this is a new beginning," she mentioned. He kissed her hair.

"I know what you mean…" he agreed, as she turned and slipped her arms around his neck.

"And it's all thanks to you, my love," she gushed, as she kissed him tenderly.

"Well...I can't take all the credit, but I was willing to do whatever it took to make sure Pan couldn't harm our children or our grandson," he replied.

"And you did…" she said, as she gazed at him dreamily.

"You've always been my hero and I know you're their hero too," she said, as she kissed him again.

"I love you so much…" he rasped, as he kissed her forehead. She smiled and her eyes sparkled with love.

"I love you too…" she said, as she slid her hands down his bare torso and her eyes rested on the waistband of his pants. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him. He stared at her and their lips crashed together, as the passion that had been building between them was unleashed. He slipped her nightgown down her body and stopped so he could drink her in for a moment, before he kissed her again.

"Oh Charming…" she rasped, as his hands on her and his lips kissing down her neck, before he momentarily pulled back.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Can we do this yet? I mean...you just had a baby," he reminded. She smiled.

"And my mother healed me," she reminded back. He smiled and she yelped in surprise, as he swept her into his arms and carried her to their bed where their ever prevalent passion was unleashed. They knew that there was still dangers out there, but they truly felt that peace was on the horizon. They didn't know how long it would last and they knew they would not allow it to make them complacent. They would relish the peaceful times if they were blessed enough to receive them, but they would always be ready to protect and defend the people they loved...

In the next chapter...three years have passed.

[twdgfanfiction]

Chapter 26 - One Month Later

Weeks had passed since their failed attempt and the punishment was going strong. Whilst Omid and Lee were forced outside the walls to work on clearance, Lilly was put outside as well after a week, having been checked on her injuries from the crash by Jack. The day after the escape, Nick was put with Omid and Lee late, after being treated by Jack for injuries to his arms and hands, though the circumstances of those injuries remained unknown to anyone save the doctor. With those four outside, Ellie was returned to her old job in the paddock, although it must have been lonely out there without Alex helping her and keeping her company. Pity sat in his stomach, and he knew that the others weren't faring any better either.

Kristina, because of her amputated leg and injuries, was not able to be put outside with the rest of them, and instead was forced to work in the engineering with Nathan, helping him repair the van that the group had destroyed. Walter was shoved with Gabriel, mostly because he was older than everyone else and Carver was sure he would drop dead before doing any physical work. It was unfair. Walter was just as hardworking as the rest of them, but working in the kitchens would at least keep him safe from the walkers that were shuffling around in the undergrowth a distance from the group.

The exhaustion combined with the hunger seemed to have drained any fight from Lee, and he could see that everyone else was feeling the same, all of them trudging through the snow with fallen faces. The pen was no better for them. Over the weeks, it had been reinforced to prevent them desperately squeezing through the bars or climbing them, and the shutters were given a padlock that only Carver had the key to. It meant more hassle for the guards to locate it, but it also meant that the group couldn't convince anyone else to let them go. No one seemed to want to either, remembering Dwight's smeared body on the concrete. Without the ex-guards to help, trapped in the same place, they all were screwed without outside help.

Luke, who Lee didn't trust in ever since he met him, seemed to have been working hard to develop that trust. Seeing his determination, especially after all the shit they have been through, Lee could see a better friendship between them after a rocky start. The young man came into the Pen after being treated for his injuries, and he looked like death. Still, he believed that Carver wanted to trust Luke, he was his son after all, and allowed Luke to work with Oliver in the school upstairs. Jealousy twisted in his gut.

Instead, Joel, who replaced Tess for the day, watched them work hard, staring angrily at the ground as he fiddled with his rifle. The work was proving too much for even four people, and Lee breathed heavily, his lungs feeling heavy as he gulped in huge breaths. Glancing at his axe, he looked back at the huge trunk and something clicked, moving along the trunk whilst the others watched him in confusion. Without a word, he began chopping the trunk at set intervals, marking the rough bark to keep record of where he was.

With each set mark, he turned to the others and explained. "The tree is too big for even all of us to move, not in our current condition, so why not chop it up into smaller chunks to spread across all of us? We can move each chunk by ourselves, and clear up the trees faster than if we all tried tackling one big trunk."

"That's genius, Lee." Omid smiled, eager to have his workload made easier with the initiative idea, and moved to begin chopping the tree on the mark. Lee carried on with another one, whilst the others followed their leads and began chopping the tree into smaller chunks. When the first one was done, they used discarded rope to tie up the chunks, pulling them to roll the tree parts to the designated spot where the wood would be dumped. Slowly, the pile grew, and the group moved on to the next fallen tree.

No one wanted to talk about Sarah. Nick appeared depressed whenever she was brought up, and Lee knew that Christa and Omid treaded on eggshells around him. He already lost one child, and he's messed up caring for another one. In fact, over the weeks, no one seemed to even think of bringing her up, but her name was spoken as whispers all around the community; and unlike the harsh words for the group, most were scared for her safety, others giving up hope that she was even alive. With the thought of her intruding his mind, he pushed it back, unwilling to break with work to do, and he carried on chopping.

Whilst they got to work chopping up the trees that they had chopped down, Lee glanced over at the tired guard and tried to strike a conversation. "I thought it was Tess that was watching us today."

"She was sent out scouting this morning to find new survivors to bring here. Hopefully, she'll behave enough that they would actually want to go with her." Joel grumbled, leaning against the wall as he looked over the small area that had been cleared, noting the tree stumps removing. "When you finish with the trees, start on the stumps. We ain't got much daylight so I'd hurry about it."

The annoyed tone in his voice caused Lee to quieten, wondering how many bridges the group had burned with the people in the community. Whilst Joel was angered with their plan, as they were stealing medicine from an already depleted supply, some of the other guards were sympathetic for Alex and Dwight's deaths, feeling like it was hard for Kristina and Ellie, but also served as a warning that it was pointless to try and run. Lee feared that their failure not only hurt the group, but stopped anyone else from standing up to their leader. Even Jack was saddened by Alex's death, mostly from his position as the doctor, but he was relieved that Lee didn't rat on him when they got caught.

Over the weeks, the people glared at them, and Christa revealed how many gave her backhanded comments due to Carver giving her allowance because of her pregnancy, moving her from the group into another room inside the building with the onset of winter finally arriving, mostly due to Jack pestering him. She was allowed food that the rest of the community were given, and she remained in the greenhouse, working with Beth and Frank and Omid was thankful for that.

Whilst the labour caused his hands to redden and become painful, the weather wasn't terrible, though the fresh snow crunched under their feet that had fallen during the time. Lee cursed quietly as he nearly slipped, holding onto Omid as his foot hit a small puddle of ice, the smaller man grunting as the weight collided into him. Luckily, they righted themselves, and both continued work as Lilly tied the ropes to the chopped trunks in order to pull them. Holding one end, she passed it to Nick, quietly muttering to him. "Be careful, we don't want you hurting yourself further."

"I could say the same about you," he pointed out, referencing her injuries. "I thought you would be given more time considering your bruised ribs."

"If Alex wasn't given enough time to recover, what made you think I would?" she sighed, before she tried to deflect the worries. "Honestly, I'm fine. If anything, I think I got off lucky..."

With a fallen expression, she carried on work whilst Lee frowned deeply, recalling the incident in perfect clarity. The sight of the blood staining the ground, the screaming and crying, the smug look on Carver's face as he knew he won the battle. It all echoed in his head, and he would give anything to make it all stop. He was unable to sleep, to eat properly, it was just like those first few weeks after Clementine died. If this kept going on, Lee didn't know how long he could handle it for. It was driving him insane. Regardless, he kept working in hopes that it would push those intrusive thoughts out of his head, and he used the rope to pull the heavy chunks, his feet struggling to find a foothold in the fresh snow.

His breath clouded in front of his face as he exhaled. The temperature was definitely dropping, even with the sun rising through the wide mass of trees that made up the forest around them, the light illuminating the community behind them, and gave light to the dark undergrowth that had walkers shuffling in the distance. The ones that were killed over the weeks that Lee and his small group were working outside were piled up, being burned to prevent diseases from spreading from the rotting flesh, the pile of fresh walkers from that morning lying lifeless; milky eyes staring up at the sky. Staring at them, he could hear the groans and growls from the newly arrived walkers ready to feed, sighing under his breath at the thought of spending another day fighting for his life.

Turning around, he noticed that only a few walkers were coming towards them, most likely due to the noise from the falling trees ceasing whilst they finish with the area. Still, it was dangerous to constantly fight them and work, and Carver was not pleased with the progress they were making, causing his teeth to grit in anger at the thought of the bastard sitting in his office whilst they were risking their lives for a community they wanted to leave. With his axe in hand, he moved towards the walkers with Nick whilst Omid and Lilly stayed back, getting on with the work so that they could make some progress that day.

"I got your back." Nick comforted, holding his axe tightly as the walkers split to chase the different targets. Moving back, Lee raised his axe high above his head, waiting for the walker to come close before bringing it down hard, cracking through the top of the monster's skull and causing blood to splatter onto his already dirty jacket, the zipper pulled all the way to try and fight the oncoming cold. The walker fell down with the axe blade still embedded in its head, causing Lee to stumble with it from weakness.

Grunting, his head turned to the approaching walker, pulling his axe with all his strength, and spinning it around so that it connected with the side of the walker's neck, completely severing its head from its body, the head rolling along the ground before it came to a complete stop. With it weakly growling on the floor, its body falling with a dull thud without the brain to control it, the head was powerless as Lee stomped on it, causing the noises to cease as he attempted to wipe the blood from his shoe. The smell of the rotting flesh knocked him a disgusted groan, he turned around to see Nick having dispatched the walkers after him, his face relieved that Lee managed alright on his own.

"We better put these on the pile." He pointed out, before adding with an exhausted sigh. "I don't know how long I can keep doing this, Lee. Between the fighting every day and the lack of food, I'm ready to collapse."

"We'll get through this, Nick. We got to." Lee tried to motivate, but he understood the younger man's worries. He could feel the strength leaving him every day from poor food and overworked conditions, and he was worried what would happen if one day, he was unable to get up anymore.

Nick could only manage a weak smile, before he placed his axe on a stump and grabbed one arm of each walker, pulling them both towards the small pile ready for burning. Lee copied, grabbing the arms and tugging them, grunting with each pull as the weight proved harder than he thought, his stomach growling loudly as it begged for food. Pausing, he glanced out into the distance, wondering if Sarah was running into the same problem as they were, no food or water and running out of energy to keep going. He was worried, even moreso when his nightmares grew more frequent. Shaking his head, he carried on dragging the dead weights, stopping when he reached the pile and throwing the corpses on.

The exhaustion hit him, and he could only let out a loud exhale as his hands held onto his knees, Lee bent over tired whilst he tried to catch his breath back. From behind him, he listened as Lilly and Omid continued to drag the logs along the ground, the snow gathering in front of it and slowing it down, causing them to have to pull the rope harder. Quickly, he heard Lilly yell in pain, straightening himself and turning in time to see her stumbling backwards, her arm pressed against her chest as her face contorted in pain. Nick was by her side, letting her sit down on the stump as he started to address Joel. "She's in no shape to be out here! Look at her!"

"I can't break the rules for you guys, not anymore. I-I'm sorry." By the concerned look on his face, Lee could see that Joel wasn't being strict with them because he was angry with them, and he couldn't bring himself to hate the man for it. Instead, he grabbed the rope that Lilly had dropped and continued to pull the log to the pile.

As he was pulling it, he listened as Lilly tried to stop him. "Lee, it's fine. Just give me a minute."

"In our group, we look after our injured." He brushed off, snapping the sentence at Joel, feeling the want to lash out and rebel building up in him. People have died, Sarah was gone, and those that remained were being treated like garbage. He would not stop fighting against it until he was dead, feeling that he owed his group to try and save them. Nearing the pile, he undid the ropes and shuffled with it, the log rolling awkwardly on the ground, before pushing it onto its side in the pile, seeing it growing and growing.

In a way, he was proud of their work, and wondered if they would ever be realised by the community. Behind him, he could hear a sharp intake of breath, and Nick's voice quietly talking, panic laced in the words as he worried if the woman was going to become worse at any second. "I'm sorry, is it painful here?"

"More now that you're poking it. Just leave it, I'll be better after a break." Lilly snapped, a small pause occurring between everyone before she softly continued. "I'm sorry. I know you're only trying to help."

"It's nothing, but I don't think you can get much longer without someone coming along and spotting us. Joel is already getting into trouble letting this." He pointed out, helping her stand up before she finally nudged him away, straightening herself out on her own. It was a facade. She tried desperately to not let anyone see how much everyone was dragging her down, but Lee saw it happening before. She had the same look in her eyes; tired, downtrodden, it was almost like she was ready to give up and snap, just like before.

He didn't want to make things worse by getting strict on her, but after what she did the last time she snapped, all Lee wanted to do was make sure people were safe and Lilly didn't do anything she would regret. He would have to keep an eye on her. For now, he and Omid carried on with his work, and the other two finally got up to continue the tasks they had. It wasn't long before more of the undead stumbled onto the scene, drawn in by the sound of metal axes hitting the rough bark of the tree, the sounds only small but enough to catch the attention of the nearby corpses.

"Does this shit ever stop?!" Nick cursed, moving to Lee's side to get ready to clear them out, only for his face to drop when more appeared than he thought. "Jesus fucking Christ, look at them all. Why are there so many in this part of the forest, we aren't even close to the highway!"

"They could be coming from Parker's run, couple of miles up north from here." Lilly pointed out, stopping in her job as well as she saw the number of walkers trudging towards them. There had to be close to thirty of them, and there was no way they would be able to fight off all of them by themselves.

Turning to Joel, Lee's voice was urgent as he begged. "Joel, we can't keep going like this! We gotta go back inside or you gotta help us!"

Unsure, Joel moved his gaze from Lee to the walkers that were closing in on them, his face fallen when the gravity of the situation finally hit him. Raising his gun, he nodded at Lee as he obeyed. "Okay, I'll help…"

Grateful, Lee turned back to the walkers, his axe held tightly, and he saw everyone else readying themselves to fight. Few of the walkers closest to them were picked off by Joel's suppressed rifle, the sound of the gunshot quieter to avoid drawing anymore in, and he continued to pick stragglers off whilst the others dealt with the main group. Lee raised his axe high, watching a decaying corpse of a woman shambling towards him, her once blond hair all but fallen out, revealing a chunk of her head missing exposing the skull. She growled harshly, desperate for food, and her sounds quickly died out when Lee's axe embedded itself in the front of her skull, the blade piercing through the forehead and destroying the brain.

Pulling it out, he allowed the body to fall to the ground with a muffled thud, the snow stained a disgusting brownish red colour from the congealed blood. The others around him were faring just as well, Omid stopping a walker from getting too close to Lee by hitting it in the neck with his axe, causing it to fall over. Still not dead however, it weakly tried to get up, and was stopped when Lee threw his axe into its head with the strength he could muster. Blood and brain matter oozed out of the hole in its head, and he winced in disgust as more of its group descended down on them.

Nick and Lilly were standing close to each other, making sure that they had the others back, and the walkers were slowly reduced to corpses littering the ground, the smell proving too much for Nick as he finally vomited, the others moving towards him to make sure he was alright. By his side, Omid asked him. "You alright, man?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just…. You never get used to that smell." He explained, staring down at the range of bodies on the snow-covered forest floor. "We better get these moved. Don't want anyone tripping over them."

"Joel," Lilly continued, turning towards the guard with a faint smile. "Thank you for helping us."

"What gentlemen would I be if I let a pretty lady get eaten?" he snarked in a deadpan voice, rubbing the back of his neck as he added. "Anyway, I hope Carver doesn't realise…"

"What, that he's an asshole?" Nick snapped, bitter towards their leader. Joel let out a short laugh to that, before composing himself again and returned to his spot leaning against the wall, watching as Lee and the others went on to pull the bodies to the pile. Whilst dragging one of the ones that he killed, he stared down at the frozen face, wondering if any were once people who lived here, or if anyone knew them. The walkers could have come from towns and cities along the highway, and wandered down here. He couldn't help but think of the lives they had before all this started, and he realised just how easy it was to forget that they were once humans themselves. Living, breathing, and could once feel.

Remembering Macon, all those corpses on the streets, and he couldn't stop the pictures of his brother's body trapped under a fallen lamppost, his neck torn open from the blows he gave him with the axe he found. His parents could still have been walking around those streets whilst he was standing there, staring at the dead body, and he hoped that it was the opposite. He hoped that they were resting in peace, just like Bud.

"Lee… are you okay?" a soft voice called out, causing him to snap out of his thoughts and notice that whilst he was thinking, he was just standing there staring at the body. Turning his head, he saw Lilly standing there, a worried expression on her face.

"I was just thinking of Macon." He admitted, continuing to drag the body. "Just looking at these bodies. It makes me wonder if my parents are still there, wandering the streets."

"Your parents were in Macon? Well, did you see them during your runs with Kenny?" she asked, hopeful that at least someone from Lee's past could still be alive.

Lee didn't reply. Instead, he grunted as he lifted the body, throwing it on the pile before moving to grab the next one. Slowly, he confessed. "The drug store we held up in those first few days, you remember it?"

"Yeah… what about it?" Lilly asked, her voice slow as she started to distrust where the conversation was going. He could tell that she was piecing the bits together, Lilly was not stupid, and he decided to give her the final piece to make her see.

"It was my parent's drug store. The bodies your dad hauled out, that was them." That was when Lilly's face fell, and her eyes casted downwards as Lee finished his sentence. It still pained him to remember them, they didn't depart on the best of terms, and that would always be one of his biggest regrets.

After a long pause, he listened as she apologized. "I didn't know. I mean, I could guess it bothered you when I told you back then, but I took your word for it. I just thought they were close friends to you. I'm sorry, Lee."

"Well, they're gone. I wish things were different, but at least I know they aren't suffering. The same can be said for Larry." He watched as she sadly nodded, adding with a soft tone. "He was an asshole, but I know that he loved you more than anything else."

"Yeah, I know." With that, she walked away from him, grabbing another corpse and carrying on with dragging them. His friends working around him, Lee glanced through the thick foliage and trees, trying to think of a way to help them do their jobs without walkers appearing every five minutes because of the noise. That's when it hit him. Noise. Walkers couldn't see very well, so they had to rely on their sense of smell and hearing.

His mind was focused on that piece of information, and he knew that once he was back in the Pen tonight, he would relay what he thought of back to the group, hopefully they would be able to build it up. Until then, he continued with his work, cutting the trees into smaller parts, and went on to begin removing the stumps when the trees from that area were all ready for use. By the time the sun was setting once more, the group was exhausted, Lee feeling like he could lie down and sleep through the rest of the winter. The sky grew cloudy over the day, and fresh snow was falling down in small balls of whiteness, covering the footsteps and the blood splatters from their work as if they were never there, and the temperature dropped significantly.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Lee shivered as they walked down the trail to the main entrance, glancing around at the guards that were keeping watch on the gates, their eyes trained on the group. Staring straight ahead again, he ignored how the mall loomed over them, an imposing air about it that he didn't know before, and he could have sworn that he saw someone looking down at them from the first floor windows. Looking up, he saw no one. None of his group made a comment on it, instead walking through the snow as they tried to stop the cold from biting at them, Nick faring the worst as his thin sleeves offered little protection from the frost.

Finally, they entered the main building, everyone visibly relieved to be out of the cold, but Lee didn't give any thought to it when he spotted Beth making a beeline straight for them. Staring at her, he said nothing as she stared at Omid, a sweet smile on her face as she cheerfully explained. "Christa asked me to give this to you."

Handing out a note, Joel immediately snapped at her whilst Omid took it, looking over what it said as he chided her. "You know it's gonna look wrong to the others if we're passing notes to this group, what are you thinking?!"

"It's a note from a pregnant lady to her boyfriend, it;'s hardly gonna be a detailed escape plan with map included." Beth brushed off, an annoyed look on her face as she carried on. "Jesus Christ, Joel, where's your sympathy?"

"It went when they stole medicine. Did you forget Kaiya needs that medicine, and every other goddamn person in our community because winter is here?! So don't give me that bullshit about sympathy when these guys never gave any for the people they were stealing from!" The sudden ferocity in his voice caught the others off guard, and Lee saw Nick growing angry with the accusations.

"You think we didn't care about the people when we stole those drugs?! We were trying to get away because that fucker in his office upstairs is responsible for my mom, Uncle Pete and all my friends' deaths!" he accused, not caring as more people gathered around when they heard the yelling. Lee looked around, knowing that something was going to go down if he didn't intervene and calm his friend down, and moved as Joel started to close the distance between him and Nick.

"So what, you act like that because you lost your family? I can give you at least twenty other people who have gone through the same thing, and they don't steal shit that others need!" he snapped, jabbing Nick in the chest as he added. "Maybe it's time you grow the fuck up, Nick, 'cause the world isn't gonna give a damn whether you're struggling or not!"

"Fuck you!" With that, Nick threw a punch at the guard, and at the same time Lee ran forward to stop it. Joel moved backwards quickly to avoid the blow, and instead the fist connected Lee's mouth, the force behind it snapping his head backwards as he stumbled backwards. His lip split from the blow, the feeling of blood flowing down his lips and dripping off his chin, some slipping into his mouth as he yelled, the horrible tang of copper on his tongue making him want to spit it out.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Nick!" Beth yelled, immediately by Lee's side as Lilly pulled Nick back, getting in between him and Joel to prevent any fighting, the former shocked from what he did. Checking his face, he could clearly see her lips pulled into a deep frown, her eyes narrowed at the sight as she looked behind her, her voice sharp as she snapped at him. "You fucking gave him a split lip!"

"Shit, man, I'm sorry!" Nick apologized, trying to get to Lee but was prevented by Lilly, who kept him back with a stern look.

"You've done enough." Turning to Beth and Lee, she quietly asked her. "Does he need to go see Jack?"

"No, it's just a small cut. Here." Pulling a rag from her pocket, she dabbed the cut, adding when she saw his wary look. "Don't worry, I grabbed this from my dresser in case I cut myself on the broken bucket handle again. It's clean."

Nodding, he allowed her to finish up cleaning his face, watching as she backed away with the rag stained in blood. With that, she turned to Joel and Nick, and tried to calm the situation down with the injured party taken cared of. "We can't change what we've done, guys, but I know that beating seven bells out of each other is not gonna help things around here. We're in a dilemma with medicine, so maybe it wasn't intelligent to steal it, but we gotta know that these people are just scared, like the rest of us."

A sigh followed her lecture, and she just shook her head with a defeated order. "Just get them to the Pen, Joel. Dinner's almost ready."

"Fine." He grumbled, gesturing for the group to continue walking. Lee followed after them, sparing a glance at Beth whilst he was walking away, seeing her standing there with a frustrated look on her face, before Frank walked up behind her and, with an arm around her shoulders, guided her away to go and get dinner. Looking back ahead, Lee watched as the shutters into the Pen came into view, guards standing in front of it with bored expression, obviously wanting to be anywhere but there.

Spotting the group coming towards them, their expressions changed, and they glared darkly at them whilst Joel paused, waiting as one of them moved to the shutters, opening it up silently and kept it up as he nodded for the group to enter. Slowly, they did one by one, none of them even looking at the guard as they trudged inside, except for Lee. Staring him down, he watched as Joel's fierce resolve faltered slightly as he saw the injuries on his face, a little trickle of blood dripping down. After a moment, he just sighed. "Come on, Lee. Don't make this any harder than it is."

Without a word, Lee obeyed, and walked into the Pen whilst Joel closed it again, the sound of him locking it echoing through the open space. Breathing in, Lee closed his eyes, letting go of his breath, and yet it did nothing to calm his twisting stomach. He was starving. Everyone was. Staring up at the reinforced fence, he wondered if there was any chance of scaling it and just running, before he spotted the barbed wire at the top, the small spikes warding off any attempts. Ignoring it, his gaze shifted over when he heard laughing, spotting Ellie and Walter reading by the campfire whilst Luke sat back in his chair, an arm draped over his abdomen as he listened with a smile.

He didn't know what book they were reading, but it seemed to have everyone in good spirits. Omid sat down beside Ellie, joining in when they read the lines in silly voices, and it caused Nick and Luke to laugh loudly whilst Lilly smiled, a short chuckle coming from her. Standing there, he couldn't help but smile warmly at the group getting on with each other, until he noticed someone was missing from the group. His eyes scanned the area, and he spotted Kristina lounging on one of the shelves, staring at something in her hands that was blocked from his view. Glancing at the group one more time, he walked slowly over to the lonely woman.

She didn't notice him even when he reached her side, instead staring at what was a box with a note attached to it. Confused, he stood there as she finally addressed his presence. "This was found on Dwight's body. One of the guards, she… she found it on him and gave it to me, seeing no point in Carver taking it."

Turning it around in her hand, she lifted the note and began to read it. "Kristina, cara mia, ti amo più di ogni altra cosa al mondo, mi vuoi sposarmi?"

"Wow, what does it mean?" he asked, not understanding the language.

"'Will you marry me?'" She explained, her shoulders slumped and her eyes almost unfocused, almost like she was staring a long distance into the piece of paper. Her lips pressed together in a thin line, her breathing deep as she tried to calm herself down, before letting go of the note as she sighed deeply. "Dwight didn't know Italian before he met me, but he wanted to learn. Made it easier to talk to my father, he said. I guess… he finally wanted to be together properly when we escaped. Oh, Dwight."

She brought the box to her lips, giving it a short kiss as she whispered into it. "Riposa in pace, mi amore."

Lee felt pity for the young woman, placing his hand on her shoulder and offering her a weak smile when she looked up at him, unsure on what else to say to comfort her. Glancing down at the box again, she moved a stray hair from the front of her face, keeping it behind her ear, and he knew that he had to help her think of something else, at least for now to keep her from getting too down.

"I take it your family came from Italy?" he asked, wanting to bring her thoughts from her boyfriend. "Did you grow up there?"

"No, my father came to America in the 50s. He met my mother there, and he had me along with my two brothers." She explained, a soft smile on her face as she gazed into the distance. "I only visited Italy to see my grandparents and family. Once, I brought Dwight with me, and my grandmother had him in her clutches for the whole trip. We even had to sleep in different beds."

She laughed at Lee's confused expression. "Come on, Lee. You gotta know how religious Italian families are. Grandmother wanted us to tie the knot before we did anything. I guess she'd have a heart attack if she saw us whilst we were here."

"That's too much information, but she sounds just like my grandmother." Lee reminisced, chuckling deeply as he explained further. "She was a big woman, and very religious herself. Her and my wife never saw eye to eye."

"You were married?" Kristina asked, curious about his past. "Was it nice?"

"Yeah, it was, but we haven't talked for a while, even before all this start. I don't know if she's even still alive." He felt sadness at the thought, wondering where his wife was.

Kristina watched him with a sympathetic look, before her head turned to the sudden sound of the shutters opening, Lee following her movement as he saw Gabriel coming through with a trolley, Joel and another two guards coming in with their guns ready. Slowly, he stood up, seeing if Kristina needed help with obvious discomfort on her face. Raising her hand to stop him, he backed away instead, walking over with the rest of the group to get their dinner, his stomach growling in want. Reaching the trolley, they all waited in silence as Gabriel grabbed the plates that were sitting on top, passing them out to everyone with a grim look on his face, obviously not wanting to be there anymore than they did.

Nick grabbed the first plate and quickly began to demolish the food on it, the others taking theirs whilst Lee just stood there, finally grabbing his own as he stared down at the food. It wasn't much, just a piece of bread and a cup of water that was given to wash it down. His stomach growled louder in response, not caring what it was as long as it stopped the painful twisting in his gut. Picking up the bread, he bit into it, wincing as it felt as hard as rocks.

"I'm sorry about this, guys." Gabriel apologized, glancing down at his trolley as he added. "There wasn't much else to give you tonight."

"Don't apologize to them, Gabe." One of the guards ordered, glaring at the group as she snapped. "They deserve what they get."

The other guard seemed to not think the same way as his companion, sharing a look with Joel, the latter just ignoring it and waited for Gabriel to finish his round. No one answered the accusation. Instead, Lee just continued to eat, trying his best to stop his blood from boiling at the harsh words. His eyes shifted to the rest of his group; spotting Ellie staring down at the floor, her hand crunching the plastic cup that was empty, and he knew that she was ready to explode. Gabriel saw this as well, taking the cup away from her, and gestured for everyone else to do so. Quickly, they did and he exited the Pen, eager to escape the tense situation with the guards following after him.

Standing there, Joel just gave them a look before closing the shutters once more. Left alone, the group decided to get ready for the night; Nick rubbing the back of his head as he yawned, with Luke beside him whispering words that Lee couldn't make out, whilst Walter glanced at Ellie sympathetically, before he too retired for the night, bidding goodnight to Lilly and Omid as they were already in their beds. Kristina stood by Ellie, moving to place a hand on her shoulder only for it to be shook off violently, the younger of the two just staring at the former guard with a defeated look. Shaking her head, Ellie walked away to go to bed, leaving Kristina standing there as she addressed Lee. "She's losing it, Lee. After Alex dying, and everyone turning against us, I don't think it's gonna end well."

"I know, but what can we do to help her? We aren't in the best position ourselves." He pointed out, feeling helpless to do anything for his friends.

Folding her arms, Kristina thought for a moment before humming. "I don't know. For now, we better get some sleep. See you in the morning."

Watching her go back to her bed, Lee frowned deeply, his voice quiet as he replied. "Night, Kristina."

[arenatechgq-blog]

Tech regret: most exceedingly bad devices we at any point purchased Close experiences with mechanical abominations.

As much as we adore innovation, it can likewise be a killjoy. With each awful contraption buy, however occasional, we're reminded that chip-based living things are frosty and unconcerned. A touchscreen demands you tapped a full inch to one side from the symbol you intended to hit; a tablet turns up its fan as the hard drive declines to yield a Word archive; a voice recorder depletes its 4 AAs, spots the edges of its lips, and kicks the bucket for the third time today.

Contraptions that willfully decline to work the way the manual, promotions, bundling, or imperceptibly capable business people said they would ought not be endured peacefully. Here, we exorcize the mechanical devils that have brought us genuine contraption torment in the course of the most recent couple of decades.

The 3Com Ergo Audrey, via Sean Gallagher

About a similar time 3Com was setting itself up for the scrapheap of history by turning off its Palm division, the organization chosen to get into the Internet "apparatus" business. Its first and final endeavor was the Ergo Audrey, an adorable little Internet terminal styled like a retro-cutting edge TV, finish with a translucent stylus that stuck in the highest point of it like an antenna.The Audrey was an endeavor to bring what the organization called the "Internet way of life" to the kitchen counter—giving occupied families a place to match up their Palms, check email, leave jotted electronic notes, and by and large live as any millennial rendition of the Jetsons would, short the robot pooch and house keeper. I never met any individual who really lived like that in 2001, which may have been an indication that the Audrey was stuck in an unfortunate situation.

As adorable as the thing seemed to be—it arrived in a palette of kitchen-accommodating hues that included "daylight" and "knoll," and was wipe cleanable—it was especially futile for something that cost nearly as much as a genuine PC. When you paid $60 additional for the USB Ethernet connector to get it snared to broadband, it had one USB port left for a Palm or an extremely select arrangement of perfect Canon printers. It had a Compact Flash port, however that couldn't be utilized for capacity. Its email customer couldn't deal with anything more than 400k. It had 32MB of RAM—and that was it. There was a handle on the front for Web "channels," sites worked by 3Com's companions at ABC and different organizations who were by one means or another persuaded to arrangement them only for the Audrey.

Luckily, I recovered mine in the container to 3Com preceding they euthanized the entire line only seven months after dispatch. You can even now discover them for $50 or so on eBay in the event that you need to take a gander at what the future used to resemble. Be that as it may, even the equipment programmers have become worn out on them at this point.

Broderbund U-Force NES controller, by Kyle Orland

The TV ad was gravely lit and amazingly anxious, yet in the wake of watching it about one million times amid reruns of Wild and Crazy Kids, eight-year-old me was almost certain he could tell that the U Force was the best thing at any point concocted. See, that person's holding his hands like a controlling wheel to control Rad Racer! See, he's really punching the air to make Little Mac punch in Punch-Out!! Despite the fact that Back to the Future revealed to me I shouldn't need to utilize my hands, and the U-Force obliged you to utilize your hands, I could tell this was the eventual fate of computer games.

It cost me $60 of remittance cash (which changing for child recompense swelling is worth around 10 bazillion dollars today) to discover that notices don't generally speak to reality totally precisely. No doubt, I could hand the auto over Rad Racer, however just on the off chance that I held my hands amazingly still before me and moved them right when I needed to turn. Better believe it, utilizing genuine punches in Punch-Out!! was fun, yet the controller was far too ease back and finicky to take into account dependable avoiding, even against a regrettable adversary like Glass Joe.

Besides, waggling your arms to do each easily overlooked detail in an amusement was entirely tiring and irritating. In any event with present day movement controlled amusements for the Wii or Kinect, fashioners know this and can attempt to plan around it, ideally with regular breaks. With the U Force, I discovered that recreations intended for steady catch crushing don't act too when each catch press require a gigantic arm development.

I'm almost certain I tossed this in the junk not long after my first play session, which is somewhat of a disgrace, on the grounds that eBay venders are obviously approaching $90 for units in "great" condition. Trust me, that offering cost would have been the main genuine esteem I escaped the buy.

IBM Thinkpad, by Matthew LasarIn the mid-1990s I bought an IBM Thinkpad. Everybody was raving about them (and heaps of people rave about them still). Be that as it may, for reasons unknown, mine was just about the most exceedingly bad Tablet I have ever claimed.

How could it come up short? Give me a chance to tally the ways. Programming would not introduce on the Windows-fueled machine. Despite everything I have 3.5 inch circle loaded memories of more than once attempting to get MS Word to stack up on the gadget, with strange disappointment messages that drove me insane. Whenever, bafflingly once more, the product did at last introduce, my bigger records perpetually smashed, the OS whining about lacking memory.

Despite the fact that my agreement asserted to incorporate specialized support by means of a phone number, the refined man logician with whom I talked was evidently paid not to help me with this issue, but rather to offer me sympathies. "It may be the equipment," he pontificated. "It may be the product."

"On the other hand, maybe the air is to be faulted," I snapped, before hanging up the telephone.

This was just the start. The modem bombed, so I took it over to that most perilous of spots: a PC guarantee repair warehouse. That shop was claimed by, tsk-tsk, Computer City, destined to be gained by CompUSA. After three weeks I got the machine. The modem worked fine; shockingly, the printer and outside speaker at no time in the future worked.

I considered bringing the clunker back, yet by 1998 the chain's new proprietor had covered around 50 Computer City stores, including the one I managed. The time had come, I closed, to proceed onward to my next huge equipment experience.

Nextel i30sx, by Casey Johnston

It's sheltered to state now that Nextel, as a system, had for all intents and purposes no saving graces from the begin, which is the reason it doesn't exist any longer. Be that as it may, one of its most unpleasant perspectives was its handset offerings. Because of conditions outside my ability to control, in 2004 (t-short three years to the iPhone), I was honored with a mobile phone that was very unequipped for sending an instant message: the Nextel i30sx.

Up until I was 16, I didn't have a wireless. I wasn't generally craving for one, even as my companions moved on from playing Centipede on their Nokia piece of candy telephones to taking the soonest wireless pictures (sexting, luckily, presently couldn't seem to be imagined by our more youthful siblings and sisters). In the fall of junior year, my folks gave me an i30sx. I was spurned by its outline: revolting and thick, with rubbery keys, an extending reception apparatus, and monochrome screen.

To be consummately fashionable person y about it, content informing was not yet A Thing in 2004. Be that as it may, I had general telephone discussion nervousness, so content was (and is) a perfect medium of expression. Sadly, dissimilar to each other phone in I found in my associates' hands, the i30sx couldn't send instant messages. Peculiarly, however, it could get them. I couldn't exactly trust my own particular memory this was the situation, however the telephone's manual (PDF) ends up being valid—some board of trustees configuration group really thought one-way informing was a totally down to earth highlight.

I worked out a framework where I could content companions' telephones from AIM, and they would react to my Nextel telephone number, however that was excessively firm. A couple of months after the fact, I dragged away to the AT&T store and purchased a Sony Ericsson pay-as-you-run telephone with my well deserved, supermarket checkout dollars. Finally, I could send all the instant messages I needed—for 10 pennies a pop.

ThunderScan, by Nate Anderson

In the mid-to-late 1980s, when I was a small fellow with an Apple IIGS and a duplicate of Publish It!, I supervised a distributing domain that produced sci-fi stories, a sci-fi pamphlet, and comical sci-fi themed sees for the way to my room. (I know...) They all spilled, line by sluggish line, from my 9-stick, dab network ImageWriter II.

My distributing domain had a lot of yield, however information was another matter. I had a console for content, obviously, yet what's a self-regarding distributer with no pictures? I persuaded myself—and after that my father—that I severely required a scanner.

Presently, kids today don't see how hard scanners were to return by then, or the amount they cost. In any case, there was one alternative that may conceivably, with enough dissensions about how gravely my production was enduring according to its 15 perusers, be reasonable on our tight family spending plan: the ThunderScan.

The ThunderScan was astounding. It supplanted the print head in an ImageWriter II with a little optical scanner. Pages to be examined were sustained through the printer and the filtering head moved back and drive over the page, developing a picture that was exchanged to the PC by a link trailing out of the machine like a tail.

Shockingly, not being a marvelous craftsman, I didn't really have my very own lot work to filter, and the apparatuses for controlling pictures were primitive at the time. At that point there was the bother calculate. You needed to remove the scanner from the case, supplant the print head, and module the link each time you needed to utilize it, then start up the checking programming that may or won't not push my PC to the brink of collapse. Moreover, the ThunderScan reclassified "moderate." As early Apple build Andy Hertzfeld reviews.

[vminity21]

Whimsical | knj [Sneak Peek]

Pairing: CollegeStudent!Namjoon X FinanciallyStruggling!Reader

Word Count: 2k (for now)

Genre: Aesthetic/Fluff

Warning(s): mild language use, otherwise none

Summary: In this spring based aesthetic, living paycheck to paycheck after moving to Gyeongju has done nothing but plague a bundle of stress upon you. Deciding to take a walk where the cherry blossoms bloom abundantly, you didn’t expect to run into an acquaintance of the past; and you definitely didn’t expect the measure he takes to make sure your burdens are lifted from your shoulders. 

“What do you mean it costs this much?” When shock mingling with frustration forms into an exasperated sigh, your hand rakes through your hair in disbelief portraying the definition of stress in its purest authenticity. Your fingers that are curled around the auto insurance bill leave small indents behind when the dreaded piece of paper is now being placed upon the table. “Damnit,” tears flood your eyes while your palms shadow over your cheeks. You’ve already set money aside to save for the rent for your apartment along with your car payment as well as savings toward your electricity cost. Today, the discovery of your current expense being fifty more dollars than usual means that, yet another week goes by with surviving off the little groceries you have left stored in your pantry.

Shoving out of your jacket, the light air of spring has begun, and for once, you’d like to appreciate nature without the anxious feeling of life overwhelming your mind. Eyes scanning the vacancy of your apartment, loneliness returns, and the yearn to hear your mother’s voice has never felt so painful. It’s only been six months since you moved hours away for a job offer that you felt would be a good opportunity to further you into the career you’ve sought for. But, never in your existence did you dream that living paycheck to paycheck could bring so much misery, and hardly being able to speak to your mother has been weighing heavy on your conscience, but your determination to make her proud is what matters to you the most.

The jingle of your keys resonates the living room congruent with the shift of your feet wiggling into your tennis shoes. If there is anywhere you want to be right now, it’s not in this apartment, not near the opened envelopes of woe, not near your bedroom that reminds you of your exhaustion, and not near the refrigerator that is empty of any content that can fill your tummy. The drive to the local park flourishing with pinks and whites of cherry blossoms comes into view quicker than you anticipate, and with schools being in session, the area is not as crowded as it would be on the weekends. Petals float in the wind, swooping to the ground to paint the cement with color- your footsteps slow when the tunnel of tree branches exuberates perfumes of the florets to ease your tense frame.

You return to work tomorrow, but gratefully there is plenty of hours left in the day to explore, and with the solace of the atmosphere, it feels nice to escape from the turmoil of watching your paycheck disappear in order to live. A bench appears further into the path, mahogany tint with protruding sunlight breaking through the trees. Memories of what you consider your ‘past life’ churns with images of times where your grandfather shared stories of his childhood speaking lines of wisdom that encouraged you to be the person that you will and have become. He was the first soul to bring you to a park when you were younger, giving you a tour of what all there was to see- your almond eyes widened with wonder, gripping his hand while you would point out all the sights.

You miss those days more than you will profess, wishing you can relive them especially with what you’ve been enduring since your move. Gaze dropping to your shoes, hands in pockets- you gasp in surprise when your shoulder meets the figure of someone walking from the opposite direction,

“I’m sorry!” Panic is etched in your voice while you swiftly bow, a blush creeping to your cheeks in embarrassment when your steps quicken along the path. The tone belongs to a man who apologizes in return, yet your eyes keep there focus away from him; you’re very timid, something you’ve struggled with since the day you were born, and it’s hard enough to face your fears as it is, and uncertain on if the stranger would have been angry with you, you find it best to pretend it never happened. At least here, you feel safe alongside nature, and when the familiar sound of a rippling lake perks your auditory senses, a small tug of relief pulls at the corner of your lips, and the earlier chagrin of interrupting someone on their tread will no longer disturb your meditation.

 Something seems familiar about this place. Blusterous winds streaming through strands of your hair that tickle your shoulders beneath the blinding rays of the sun where grass pokes at your legs that are exposed from the end of your dress wrinkled upon your thighs. Cumulus clouds keep their distance from the beams flickering immensely within the blanket of blue, brightening the vibrancy of yellow flowers swaying beside stems of rubicund leaflets enhancing the field in iridescent whispers of delicacy.

You’ve seen this all before somewhere in the slumbers of imagination where your heart aches for peace such as this. Steeps of ornate mountains encompass the field in lavender shades collecting the finishing touches of scenery your dreams desire. But, there’s something different. Rather, the sense that you’re alone diminishing which prompts your vision to parade the panorama of daylight until a figure enters a distance ahead of you. A pile of wispy, light hair clears to reveal a man, eyes closed- the backs of his hands posed upon his knees leading to his fingers aimed upward mirroring the position you’re in. How he seems so close when he far away startles you even while you memorize the sight of his thick lips lying in a straight line of content.

Your head tilts in profound concentration of where you may have seen him- where you may have known him, but you come up empty, for here in this world of tranquility, you have not seen him here before. There’s a strange ponder of wanting to rise to your feet, but you lean forward instead, observing the slow rise and fall of his chest where he breathes in and out deeply. He’s clothed in white, darkening his already tanned skin- your stare tracing from his neck to see his face once more, and when your lids squint to study him,

He opens his eyes-

 “Ma’am? Ma’am,” the echo of a calm voice breaks through enough to awaken your bleary eyes, “Ma’am, are you okay?” Drool gathered at the corner of your mouth you swipe with the hem of your sleeve; your eyes are sensitive from how bright it is outside, and it takes a moment for them to adjust once you turn your head gradually in order to remember where you are. The flowing trickles of water, the soreness of your back-scratching from the log of a tree, and the soft squeeze of a large hand on your shoulder alarms you enough to realize you fell asleep while reminiscing at the lake.

You refrain from cursing under your breath when nerves shoot through your veins, gathering yourself enough to look at whoever is hovering above you. Stuttering to find words, you weakly accept the strong hand offered to you to help you up. Concern is etched in the shape of brown irises reading your stare while nostalgia fogs your brain. “Do I- do I know you?” Your voice is hardly a murmur, but he timidly steps away, the familiarity of his face bringing a quiet gasp to your parting lips.

“We, uh, we um, ran into each other earlier,”

“Oh no,” shame shudders your shoulders when you press your forehead into your palm to lightly rub your eyes, “God, I’m so sorry-”

“No, no, it’s okay! Really, it’s okay. It was an accident-”

“I should have watched where I was going-”

“Well, I should have, too.”

With a creased forehead, your body is still recovering from your unexpected nap, and you’re trying to feign bravery to return your eyes to the stranger whose hair is hidden within a black beanie, yet blonde tufts brush the tips of his ears. Dimples illuminate his rising cheeks from the tiny grin embellishing his expression and dialogue disappears from your tongue at the noticing of how exquisite he is.

“Kim Namjoon,” his large hand swallows yours as it did minutes ago, but this time in a polite shake of greeting.

“I’m [Y/N],” you nod seeing his grin widen to cause a silent sweep of relief to your system.

“Wait a minute,” your eyelids enlarge from the recognition now embracing your thoughts. Flashbacks from high school smother you immediately when the images of a quiet persona who sauntered the hallways with the intelligence of an Einstein clicks on a lightbulb subconsciously. “I do know you, we-” wetting your lips, you stammer in fear of being wrong, “We went to the same grade school a few years ago. You- you beat me at the math competition! Wh- what brings you to Gyeongju?”

“College,” his voice is shaky for you to jolt at the realization that you’re still shaking his hand- roughly you might add, awkwardly releasing to return your limb to your side. It’s already humiliating enough to stand before him after plummeting into his side when first arriving to this destination, to then making a fool of yourself sleeping in front of him to also awaken to ruin all ounce of potential conversation you could have had. Preparing yourself for the worst, you wince, wishing you could slip under the covers of your bedroom to hide away forever. “What about you? Are you attending University here, too?”

“I- erm, about that-” There’s not a way for you to explain, because there isn’t much to say other than your heart belonged to another career path. “I received a job offer here. One that I thought would provide good benefits than my original plan, but it’s not what I expected,” Namjoon’s eyebrows furrow igniting a surge in frantic slews of sentences from your mouth, “I mean, I love it. I really do, it’s- it’s what I love to do, but I guess- I want- I want more from it. But I don’t know how to- I-” Warm chuckles leave his lips that halts your rambling in a heartbeat, “I talk way too much, I’m sorry-”

“You’re not talking too much. You’re fine, I promise.” a brief spark settles a reminder of your budding attraction toward him that your chest heats with a dark hue of red; your arms slide to cross over your chest in an attempt at hugging yourself- timorously beaming up at him to search his tender gaze. “You know, if you’re up for it, there’s a restaurant not too far from here that has the best pasta I’ve ever had,” Namjoon’s fingers disappear into the pockets of his jeans- nervously rocking on his heels because after all these years he never thought he would run into anyone he once acquainted with in his younger days, but here you are, standing before him in all your glory. You were someone he admired from afar who treated him as though he was part of the team versus an outcast as others preferred him to be. But you were different. You never saw anyone as below you, and though the pair of you never blossomed into a friendship, you at least treated him with kindness despite the rumors pupils whispered in the foyers. “I already planned on going there today actually-”

“I’d love to!” Your fingertips shut your lips from the excitement you didn’t mean to interrupt him with, “I mean, I uh, I’d- I’d like that very much, thank you,”

It’s strange how the imagination of a world can seem so real, and the awareness of how close he is bringing flutters of butterflies within your stomach while your ears tune in to the scuffling sounds of your footsteps prodding along the route. No matter how hard you contemplate, whatever vision you had at the lake isn’t coming to you, but the consistent feeling that you’re experiencing brings the suspicion that whatever you dreamt is now becoming a reality. 

To be continued....