#every person who’s confirmed they had a crush on me or wanted to be closer friends in school

[tymorrowland]

man i wish i could focus and build relationships with people who like me and enjoy my presence, instead of yearning for people who don’t know i exist or don’t care for me, but honestly, i’ve never been able to do that for as long as i remember.

[wnobin]

BIT BY BIT… 💭 anton lee socmed! au

pairing: college student! anton x campus crush! reader

genre: college! au, social media! au with written portions, slow burn, pining, strangers to friends to lovers.

series synopsis: in which the quiet girl in anton’s language class who seems to never sit with anyone catches his attention. anton makes it his mission to get closer to her bit by bit and break down her walls. the only issue? she’s the last to arrive and first to leave, never allowing anton the chance to approach her.

series masterlist | 08: triple dog dare

it had been two weeks since anton had run into you in the dorms, where you built up the courage to give him a friendly wave and in return, got back a blank stare. you thought it was weird but you didn’t dwell on it too much, forgetting about it after spending a few hours at your brother’s dorm, sharing snacks with him and his roommate, sungchan while sharing stories about how your first semester was.

on the other hand, anton could not stop thinking about that incident. he kept trying to convince himself that maybe you were just bringing food to one of your friends, and not a boyfriend. he would lay in bed at night, searching your name on every social media platform in hopes of finding your account to confirm his suspicions on whether you were single or not. unsurprisingly, he couldn’t find anything about you online. you and him had zero mutual friends and he only knew of your first name so the only way he could get ahold of your social media would be to ask you for it in person. anton didn’t know whether to give up or keep pining over you from afar but he decided that he would at least try to make conversation with you before the semester comes to an end.

he was currently running over to class, japanese 101 to be specific, when he saw a familiar bag with an orange cat keychain hanging from it, recognising it as yours. he had never been late enough to end up being in the hallways at the same time as you but he couldn’t find the right side of his sneakers, the reason being due to a half-asleep sohee accidentally leaving the dorm in mismatched shoes in his haste to make it for his 8am photography class. in addition to being late too, anton was wearing one white shoe and one black shoe, all thanks to his roommate.

anton remembered the second lesson where he made it seem like he didn’t want you to sit with him by putting his bag on the empty seat next to him. together with the incident in the dorms two weeks ago, he probably gave off the impression that he had something against you. in an attempt to change whatever view you had of him, anton mustered up all his courage and sped up until he was beside you.

you didn’t expect anyone else to be in the hallway at the same time as you, due to the fact that you were always late and showing up minutes after the class had already started. you heard the sound of footsteps approaching you and you turned your head only to be met by a nervous-looking anton waving to you.

“so you do know how to wave.” you jokingly teased, anton’s ears going bright red as he was about to start stuttering out an apology for that day but you stopped him before he could embarrass himself further. “i’m kidding! nice shoes you’re wearing today.” you gave him a small smile as you both entered the classroom, heading to your seats.

anton had only ever seen you smile once before, which was when you were talking about your beloved pet cat. anton felt giddy just from a 30 second interaction and he knew he would be on cloud nine for the rest of the week. “c’mon tell me! what were you two talking about? you talked to her, right? considering you both came in at the same time. i saw her smile at you!” he couldn’t even be annoyed by seunghan’s incessant questioning, simply choosing to ignore the other who was grabbing onto his arm and shaking him back and forth.

anton had spent majority of the lesson spaced out, barely writing down any notes and instead, spent the time doodling hearts in his notebook. the only time prof won caught his attention was when he announced the next assignment.

“i’ll be assigning everybody a project on japanese poems, your task is to analyse it and write a report on it. you’ll be working in pairs and before you ask, no you cannot choose your partner.”

with how well everything was going today, anton had his fingers and toes crossed that the stars in the universe would align and prof won would somehow read his mind and pair you and anton up together.

“i’ll be reading out the pairs now so do listen up carefully because i’m only going to say it once. jungwon and hanni. seunghan and chenle.”

“what? no!” seunghan whined, not wanting to be partnered up with the guy he sat next to for one day, that day being the first and last time he ever sat with chenle, who kept farting during the lesson. the chinese student turned around and gave seunghan a big smile, who in return could only muster out a half smile and give him a thumbs up. anton would have burst out laughing at how dejected his friend looked but currently he was too busy trying to communicate with prof won telepathically. me and y/n please please please please.

“anton and ricky. y/n and jayoon.”

anton let his head fall onto the desk with a soft thud, disappointed that staring straight at prof won didn’t help his chances to get paired up with you. now he had one more thing to worry about. he didn’t even know who ricky was. he only remembered that he was a foreign student from china and he showed up in a suit for the only two classes he bothered to attend.

while anton was going through the five stages of grief all at once, you didn’t actually mind your pairing. you weren’t close to yoon but you and her had short conversations sometimes, talking about how hard the homework was or how prof won’s bald spot seemed to be growing bigger. before the lesson ended, you handed your phone to her to get her to type her contact in. witnessing the sight as he was packing up, anton muttered, “that should be me…”

“yeah whatever at least you don’t have a fart machine as a partner.”

taglist (closed due to the limit!): @andromedawillburyyou @imsiriuslyreal @beckiiee00 @dreamiestay @babigriin @kyusqult @eumppappaswife @sserafilms @annswwa @lecheugo @llearlert @nyuoqi @thesunoosshining @yangasm @mmsriza @myizhuos @miyawakiblossoms @hyucksdelicate @ilovejungwonandhaechan @snowyseungs @soobiary @ilovejaketoomuch @cla1r20 @darlingz99 @chiiyuuvv @lilacarat @ohmykwonsoonyoung @sonjuyeonnie @nicholasluvbot @haechology @luvnicho @numberonetaleprince @addores @revehosh @jscvhs @istphanie @b-riize @miszes @shnnzsworld @ppoddorii @cowsmicwu

if i didn’t tag you, please check your account settings > visibility!

[ask-caine]

ok ok what’s yours and moons love story. Beginning to end

OOC POST

It's a bit of a crazy story, actually!

We originally met online through TADC, when she messaged all the Caine accounts she could find for a shitpost "wedding" thing. We ended up hitting it off and talking about random things for a while. It started with my random fact about Kentucky marriage laws and how a couple used them to get married by cocaine bear (hence the below picture)

We ended up learning about a shared interest in plague doctors, as well as discussing several very random topics. Anyways, she invited all the Caines to a discord server, and I ended up being the only one who actually showed up. We would end up talking for hours upon hours day after day there. It was genuinely shocking how much we had in common.

At this point, I had been kinda been picking up on some of the flirtatious undertones behind some of the things she was saying, but I wasn't 100% sure about it yet and was still kinda testing the waters. I'd heard the term love at first sight, and looking back on it, that's pretty much what it felt like. I had been developing a crush on her up to this point, and I kept thinking about her as I was getting ready for bed. I had to keep stopping myself from falling head over heels, reminding myself we barely even knew each other and telling myself "no, she's just being nice. Don't be weird, there's nothing behind this, she's just being friendly."

...As it turned out, she wanted to be a little more than friends... Given my feelings up to this point, I was a little overwhelmed when she told me. I had to take a minute to collect my thoughts, to process everything (hence her jokes about me pulling a Caine and running away). But I liked her, too, and was willing to try a long-distance relationship. So, that's what we did.

It was only a few days after we first got together officially that I told her I loved her. It just felt right. Apparently I caught both of us off-guard with it, since she was sure that she'd be the one who would've said it first. ...We both dived in a little too headfirst from there. From my side of things, it was just so exciting and exhilerating to have this feeling I'd been searching for all my life, and I wanted more of it. We took a step back and both agreed to try and take things at a more reasonable pace from here on out.

We ended up learning a lot about each other. It was like we were the same person, split apart and put in two entirely different situations but turning out the same way anyway. ...This similarity became concerning when we realized we both had the same last name, as well as the fact that we both had Scottish ancestry. But, one family search check later, we confirmed that we are not, in fact, related. Just another insane coincidence that further proves that we were made for each other...

We shared a lot with each other. Our interests, hobbies, ideals, feelings on various topics. Our experiences throughout life, good and bad. The darkest parts of us. Every day, we grew closer. There was no denying that there was something special between us.

That isn't to say everything was perfect. We both still had a lot to learn about ourselves and about each other. There were ups and downs. Things were far from easy. There was a lot of avoidable pain both ways. As time went on, we started to become a little more distant...

Eventually, the stress of life and school and worries and everything going on got to be too much, and she called for us to take a break from the relationship. This hurt, of course... But, taking a break and being done are very different things. I was okay with taking a break, since we would still hang out and such sometimes, just not as romantically.

But, that still wasn't enough. Everything continued to be really stressful, and she felt like she wasn't a net positive in my life and was dragging me down (though the truth was exactly the opposite). So, she decided to fully end the relationship. Which... Really hurt me. Badly.

I kind of fell into a depressive state for a while. I had opened myself up like never before, let myself be more vulnerable than at any point in my life. I had finally found love, the one thing I'd truly wanted all my life, the only thing I've ever needed, and then it was just taken right away. The one thing I feared more than anything else in the world had come to pass.

We would still talk occasionally, but not like before. I already hurt so much, and just talking with her without being able to say the love I still felt was torture for me. So, I distanced myself a bit. I dealt with things on my own. I learned a lot about myself as I came to terms with how things had ended up.

Eventually, I started to feel a little more okay. I knew I could never stop loving her, so I decided to try and turn that love from romantic to platonic and still try to be a friend. Because while I may have lost her, she didn't want me out of her life completely. I could make do as just friends.

But, when I started to come back and we started to talk more again, she realized how much she had been missing me while we were apart. She figured out that some of the things she'd been feeling had been more than she'd realized. She learned that she actually was happier when we were together, and that she still really enjoyed being with me.

So, she began to give little hints again, like before. And, again, I picked up on them, but I didn't want to believe them 100% because of how much I'd been hurt last time. I told myself that she was just showing platonic love, the same way I was. Things would never be the same again. They couldn't be. If I was good for her before, she wouldn't have left...

It was actually Randy who got us actually talking again, first on our blogs, and then regarding what we were being sent. This eventually led to us talking just in general, about all sorts of things... Including what had happened between us. It was emotional, but we both came out of it feeling better about things.

That said, it took until this post before I realized she still loved me and that it was okay to love her back, the way I'd been holding in all this time. We had a heartfelt reunion, though we weren't officially dating again just yet. It still took me a while after that to fully accept everything and let down my guard again, after how much I was still hurting from last time...

But I didn't like the feeling of keeping her away. Of having a barrier between us. I desperately craved that deep, personal connection of love with her again. So, I opened my heart up again. And I'm so incredibly grateful that I did.

Soon after that point, Randy showed up and all those shenanigans ensued. But they only managed to get us talking more about things and uniting against it, which actually brought us even closer together. So, I guess if one good thing's come out of that dumpster fire of stress and stupidity, it's that.

Things have been absolutely wonderful since we got back together. We both learned a lot about ourselves in our time apart, and things have been much better between us. The rocky, uncertain road from before the break had smoothed over. And we fell so much deeper in love the second time.

Add in the stress of the past several weeks, with all the Tumblr drama with these blogs and the hiatus and everything (which I'm not getting into because you can see all that for yourself by looking through our blogs), and you're caught up to the present day. Life is still very stressful for us both, but a lot less so than when we first got together. We understand ourselves and each other so much better, which helps us make less mistakes and treat each other more tenderly and personally in the ways that we need most.

As for the future, immediately after finishing school, I plan to find work and save up to visit her in Canada sometime in the summer. After that is a little hazy at the moment, but we'll figure out our lives and put together a plan to find stable jobs and create a good life for ourselves up there.

And that's it, that's our story. From when we met all the way to the present day. You said beginning to end, but I'm afraid there is no end to our love. The story's still being written. Our lives are still being lived. I hope to be able to add to this years into the future, when we're living together and when we start our own family. But it might still take a while to reach that point.

[storytellering]

Do you think DMC has a incestuous subtext? I am kind of new to the franchise (and also the fandom... Which isn't really respectful that I can see) and I want to know if I am not the only one who thinks that it's pretty obvious why the ships between DVN have many believers.

First of all, welcome to DMC, anon! And OH BOY, you'll definitely find that that's the majority opinion, at least within the Spardacest circles - honestly, most "normie" circles too. Every grass-touching, non-internet poisoned dudebro I've ever met and talked dmc with has made one or two incest jokes at me about it, definitely noting how the rivalry between the twins is very charged - the only people I've found who flat out deny it are the antis. To go more in depth about the actual subtext there - well, one should start with the roots of dmc in dmc1, right? DMC1 is definitely a gothic game - it's everywhere in the aesthetics, the inspirations, the imagery and the environment, and what is gothic horror without the incest? The initial incest in Kamiya's dmc, before Itsuno stepped in, was definitely obvious in Dante and Trish (who I'm pretty sure according to kamiya at least were supposed to be endgame) - and like, c'mon. You can say all you want that she only looks like his mom, she isn't actually Eva, she doesn't even have her personality... but from a moral perspective, that's still weird as fuck if we're going by real life standards, right? You wouldn't fuck a clone of your mom without it being at least a little bit incestuous.

Then Itsuno stepped in from 3 on, and the incestuous undertones became more focused on the immediate Sparda family - the twins, and eventually, Nero.

...Do I need to even explain it? Sure, in 3 the twins bicker and banter like real brothers, but there's definitely a suggestive edge to it - so many quips between them that really cannot be explained by "oh haha brotherly banter" without it getting at least a little bit weird. Not to mention all the "impalement as penetration" comparisons that can be drawn, and I'll leave a nice little video that goes deeper into a lot of that (as well as the gothic inspirations in the dmc franchise) so you can hear it from the mouth of someone far more eloquent than me.

And then in 4... I mean, if the amount of people who almost ubiquitously shipped Dante and Nero as soon as 4 dropped and continued doing so until 5 officially confirmed their relation (which, to be fair, Nero being Dante's nephew had actually been hinted at all along, but exactly because of so many people shipping them and not wanting it to be incestuous/the dudebros not liking Nero very much when 4 was new, pretty much everyone in the english speaking side of the fandom had been in denial about it until 5 spelled it out in big, bold letters) is kind of the test, no? That the tension and chemistry is so obvious the moment the incest element is hidden or unclear, everyone is suddenly in agreement about it. I could go on and on and on about Nero's obvious puppy crush/hero worship on Dante, Dante's immediate fondness of Nero, how if you read the 4 novels it's even more blatant and in your face... but all I'm gonna say is that that initial fight scene was softcore porn and no one can convince me otherwise, lmao. Listen, I'm just saying that if the intention wasn't to be suggestive, having Nero wrap his legs around Dante to pull him closer, bite his gun, and then straddle him like that was a very poor choice. Honorable mention for the reboot, whose devs were VERY aware of the tension between the Spardas in the og franchise, called it out by saying their game wasn't gonna do "all that gay shit" (obviously in the early 2010s the issue wasn't the incest, but it being GAY incest 🙄) and then accidentally made their version of the twins SO very....... whatever the hell is going on with the reboot twins. Not not-incestuous and definitely not straight, I'll tell you that.

And then 5, again. Do I need to explain it? Nero and V are, once again, a perfect textbook example of "couple that had so much natural chemistry everyone was flocking to it before it was revealed to be incest", plus the way everything about Dante's story, at the end, now that he's a weathered old man, is made to revolve around Vergil... yes, Dante is a depressed old alcoholic because he pushed everyone away, because of the laundry list of issues he ended up with because of everything that happened in his life, BUT Vergil was always front and center within it, even when he wasn't there. That Dante's story quite literally begins and ends with Vergil... well. I dunno about you, that just doesn't feel like your regular siblings dynamic. Also another honorable mention: "I'll make you submit" is a totally normal thing to say to your estranged father. Not weird at all with absolutely zero implications. OH, not to mention, even if we stay purely within canon and don't even look deeper at any implications or subtext... the literal only canon couple is incestuous, too. Let's not forget Kyrie and Nero are adopted siblings, Nero was raised as her brother, and the game itself calls it out in the character descritption (in 4's character bios it says Kyrie is at once Nero's "lover and family") + it's quite literally spelled out in the novels (having Nero think that "well, while it's true that he's been raised with Kyrie as siblings, he would've liked her even if they weren't family"). There's SO much more I could still go into, I have quite literally spent the past 3 years replaying the games over and over and overthinking/hyperanalizing every single frame, rereading the novels and the mangas to the point I could cite them by memory, and it's just... I dunno. I saw someone else say this somewhere, but if you're into DMC and grossed out by incest... this might not be the franchise for you.

[weebsinstash]

Now Im interested on the "What if the 3 Vs passed Reader around like a blunt"

I kind of meant it in like a "what if you were some weird shared friend/pet" but I've seen people HC that the 3Vs are poly, although we've never seen any canon confirmation of this and on the Instas it was always Vox who was Val's explicit partner

Although to be nasty I feel like Velvette would be fucked up enough to watch Reader get railed by Val and Vox. Like in some party scenario where you're with all 3 in their house and Valentino dopes you up or something, she's just like, recording you getting spitroasted on her phone

I usually imagine these sorts of scenarios as Reader meeting Val and then slowly drawing the attention of the others, although Vox really has grown on me and I hope we see more of him these last two episodes. Anyways i'm starting to like the idea of Reader meeting Vox first. Like can you imagine you get hired on as a coder or a programmer or a product developer, and he's patrolling the facilities or checking in on a specific project and that's when you meet. He either notices the quality of your work or your manager brings it up to him, or there's some massive metaphorical fire you put out (like that woman who saved toy story 2 from being completely erased because she had all the files backed up, something like that)

You and Vox get to talking, getting along, having similar tastes. He starts giving you different projects, ones he thinks are better suited to your skills (and also put you in closer proximity to him). Fucking liar is arranging shit like company calendars or company events where there are photoshoots JUST so he has an excuse to pose with you for a photo. I mean, it makes sense right? Why would you question your boss wanting to take a celebratory photo at the release of a huge product launch? And you're happy and feeling so respected and successful and being friendlier with him the more you settle into Hell and feel safer, and then I imagine Vox's way of being "obvious" is that he's like, easily nervous or a nervous laugher , I dunno. It's all preference but I like yandere/antagonists who keep their cool a little bit but then it's also cute when they fawn over you 🥰 like the people who know him see the way he laughs around you and they Instantly Know

But then, maybe Val is perceptive enough to notice, "hey why does my man keep taking photos with this one specific person". Like maybe Vox is trying to be slick with it and all the photos are group shots but Val notices that every single photo has you in it and some of the photos are for really minor events he knows Vox wouldn't normally care about. Vox slips up one day when you and him are "sharing a car to go to a company event" which totally isn't like a catered dinner that there are only going to be SO many people at, TOTALLY NOT an incognito date that you're complerely unaware of the intentions behind, and Vox has to stop in back home to grab something, or you get pulled inside for a moment just to wait, he's gotta grab a laptop or a flash drive and, suddenly here's Velvette, "Vox I'm borrowing your nerdy employee, I'm short someone and I need a model for something" and you're getting dragged away

Vox is freaking out thinking you got swiped by Val and he's zipping through the electrical lines in the house (the electro-teleportation shit really is SUCH a game changer), and he finds you trying on things with Velvette, "oh my gosh I've never worn something this nice before, thank you for giving me the opportunity to try it on ^^" and Velvette is so pompous that any praise goes right to her head, and now Vox gets to see you all styled in... whatever. Velvette waves a finger, "now you two match!" as she puts you in an outfit with Vox's aesthetic and color scheme, and she's doing it to tease the both of you but she IMMEDIATELY notices "oh hey Vox what's that look on your face >:3c does someone have a crush?"

SHE would be the fucking gossip who would tell Val honestly. Actually new headcanon lmao: the Vs rarely want to share you but will rat each other out for "having you" in a heart beat. Velvette and Vox hide you from Val, but any of them will gladly steal you from the other lmao. God, a yandere Vox who's lucid and tryna keep his behaviors under wraps, keep it to pictures, stalking and looking from afar, and then you have the other two Vs like SHOVING YOU at him as like, a joke to watch him squirm and blush. They'd be randomly bringing you along just to tease him and watch him sweat. Valentino hits Vox up for a date or a night out and the tv demon shows up and you're there too lmao

I feel like these three are the worst because they all have the capacity to be obsessed with your appearance. Velvette is an influencer, Vox is a TV mogul and tech CEO, and Valentino... obviously we don't need to comment on his penchant for having arm candy. All of them are obsessed with their appearance and their brand and one of them is literally a tailor with magical clothes changing powers. You could have something like the other two Vs show up while you're serving Val drinks and Velvette cocks her brow, "hey, why doesn't this one have a proper uniform?" And she just starts zapping you into different varying levels of exposed outfits that match the other employees at the strip club and Val's aesthetic just for kicks as the big man himself oogles you like a pervert and his boyfriend is pretending he's not interested but, his screen is totally turning red

Tbh I'm suddenly thinking of like, imagine thinking "your body is safe" because Val has never come onto you and, you aren't sleeping with anyone and, you get upset one night and do some self harming behaviors. Velvette or Valentino comes and demands you try something on or you get nonconsensually zapped into something and there are cuts hidden on your body. Velvette is furious because this affects how you look in her clothes and what she can dress you up in, Vox is you know concerned because idk I imagine he knows what it's like to be horribly insecure and feel like you aren't good enough, and Valentino probably loves having you constantly half naked and the self harm scabs? Not hot, babe. Obviously they're all upset over you hurting yourself but, these are occasional feelings on top of that

Ugh I dunno just. They all have power and influence and money and they're all crazy and I'm over here kicking my feet and twirling my hair with thoughts of being objectified in allllll the fun ways

[cottoncandyswisherz]

the sidequest

nick x male!reader (obviously)

warnings: nothing

-

it was graduation night. THANK GOD. nick was in the backyard of someone he did not know with his friends, taking in the feeling of finally being free from the chains of high school when he felt a tap on his shoulder. immediately frightened, he let out a shriek and turned around swiftly.

"holy shit! why are you screaming?!" you asked, having been shocked by him yourself.

"why the fuck would you creep up behind me like a fucking psychopath?!" nick asked his own question in his defense.

"i don't know but why are we yelling?"

this made nick come to his senses and he began taking you in bit by bit, examining every feature he had access to.

tall. black hair. brown eyes. pretty teeth. slight stubble.

he was snapped out of his thoughts by his friends laughing and telling him they'd find him later.

no crushes on the most obvious straight guy, nick. NONE!

you decided to go back to your original approach, trying to be suave and cool. "look, im sorry for scaring you." you flashed a smile and stuck your hand out as an olive branch. "i'm y/n."

nick hid his attraction to your smile by looking at you quizzically and accepting your handshake. "nick."

"i know who you are." you laughed. "you were in my english class first semester."

nick arched an eyebrow and "so why are you just now speaking to me?"

"because when alahna was telling you about how cameron brinks ghosted her, you said, and i quote "i'd never talk to the bums at this school." so i figured, since i don't go to this school anymore, i can get to know you." you flashed yet another smile.

"so.... youre.... a homosexual?" nick was in shock. this couldn't be happening. this HAD to be satire.

"i believe they call it 'gay' these days." you laughed at his wording. "but if that how you wanna put it, then yes, nick. im a homosexual."

fuck. the way you said his fucking name....

nick was ripped out of his thoughts.

"so... would you wanna make a side quest with me? i gotta go to 7/11 for cups because i'm the only sober one and the dummies wanna play beer pong."

"uh..." nick turned to look at his brothers and friends who were all in their own conversation without him. fuck it we ball. "sure but you hav to drive because i don't have a license."

"youre 18 with no license?"

nick rolled his eyes. "don't piss me off, you were doing great."

"oh i was?" you smirked and lifted an eyebrow, stepping closer to him.

nick felt an assault on his senses and he inhaled in shock at your close proximity. but he only made matters worse when he smelled your cologne.

subtle. woodsy.

he had to get the fuck away from you.

"okay just let me go tell them i'm leaving for a second." he said quickly, then walked away promptly.

he walked up to his group, who were laughing about something that was probably so idiotic. when he approached them, they immediately stopped what they were doing and waited for nick to go on a tangent about the attractive guy he was just getting friendly with.

but he didn't. he simply said, "we're going to 7/11. what do you want?" and of course he was met with an array of requests that he couldn't keep up with so he groaned and said "just text the groupchat."

five minutes later and nicks in the passenger seat of a vehicle with someone he'd just met, and he couldn't even bring himself to care.

y/n connected the bluetooth and hit shuffle on his playlist but turned the volume to barely audible.

so he wants to talk....

"so rate your personal 'just graduated high school' experience."

"definately a 10/10. me and my brothers have a youtube channel so now that we're done with school we can fully focus on that."

"yeah, i heard about that. you guys are pretty big right?"

"i mean we have a plaque so..."

y/n laughed at the confirmation.

they rode in blissful ignorance of the rest of the world. talking about everything and nothing at all at the same time.

"no, planet her is superior to scarlet in everyway" y/n argued.

"you have to be joking. scarlet was her comeback. it was proof that she still has it and doesnt give a fuck about the haters who claim to be supporters."

"true. i guess it all depends on how you view music." y/n spoke. "when i'm listening to music i'm looking for relatability. i think i just relate to planet her more right now because it has everything, turn up music, sad music, and that's where i'm at right now... all over the place."

"you can fucking say that again." nick agreed. "i have no idea what the fuck is going on most of the time."

time went on and it seemed like 7/11 was a forgotten dream between the two.

"i'm a d1 ranch hater..." nick admitted after they'd stopped for nuggets and y/n asked for ranch as his dipping sauce.

"fucking psycho"

and that was the end of that debate.

"where do you think you'll be in 10 years?" y/n asked.

"um.. hopefully alive, yknow? that would be ideal."

"right."

"i hope i'm more independent. i wanna have more personal experiences that don't have anything to do with matt or chris." y/n just nodded because his sister was four years younger than him so he couldn't relate, but he wanted nick to know that he understood. "and i pray i'll have gotten my license. um.... i want a house, just by myself. i want to just have my own space. maybe a dog... i don't really know."

"what kind of dog?"

"something small. i have one now, his names trevor."

"i have a pit. her names roxie and she's the laziest creature known to man."

nick laughed at that. "no trevor's lazy too. but he's older now so i guess he's earned the lazy bum title."

"true that."

finally they reached 7/11.

it wasn't that cold outside because it was the end of may but it was a bit windy, which nick vocalized, resulting in y/n taking off his hoodie and handing it to him.

i know you think this was a cute gesture but you're wrong. it was a sexy gesture.

when y/n raised his arms, his shirt rode up a bit, so nick could see the bottom of his stomach and the small tuft of hair leading to the waistband of his sweats damn near had nick foaming at the mouth.

"here." y/n handed nick the hoodie, snapping him out of his vulgar thoughts.

entering the store nick and y/n went their separate ways, y/n getting the cups and nick getting the snacks for his friends. when they got to counter nick waited for y/n to pay for the cups only to be told, "put your stuff on the counter."

and that was that.

back in the car, they didn't really talk. just listened to music and sat in a comfortable silence. 

when nick and y/n got back to the party, nicks group was curious to know what the fuck went on in the hour they were gone and y/ns friends wanted to know why he took an hour to get solo cups. so they went their separate ways and continued having fun with their friends. 

but the rest of the night, nick couldn't forget the fact that y/n never asked for his number or anything so how the fuck were they ever gonna talk again. 

and they had to talk again.

but y/n never came up to him. never even looked in his direction.

and my the time nick sent the "my crew let's go!" text to the groupchat, he'd convinced himself that this awesome guy he'd just went on an adventure with was a one time experience. 

until... 

niyah speaks sum slight finally did my taglist guys yaya

taglist: @mattslolita @muwapsturniolo @jnkvivi @sturnsslut @zniyadgaf @koilaniazul @thisisntmattsturniolo @nyktoxs-lover @l0akkzz

[modanisgf]

DAYLIGHT , HANNI PHAM

note— it’s 3am so not proof read sorry 😭😭

☆ pairing(s): student hanni pham x reader

☆ warning(s): a bit of angst, bad writing

LOVE, a word that was foreign to y/n before she met hanni.

y/n liked to believe that love wasn’t real, every romantic relationship she had ended poorly. even her parents relationship had failed.

so what made her believe in it again?

TAPE ONE , THE MEETING

08/23/18

hanni pham, the day she walked into y/n’s first period as a new student would be a day the girl would never forget.

she remembered it well too well even, hanni had walked in nervously and in a rush but still looking as pretty as ever.

“y/n are you okay?” danielle, y/n’s friend asks.

“yeah.” the love struck girl responds simply.

danielle giggles quietly at her friends actions watching as hanni tried to find a seat.

“hey can i sit here?” hanni asks, her voice soft as she was still rather nervous.

“oh yeah, of course!” danielle responds smiling.

“thank you.” hanni says smiling back.

y/n swore she felt the world pause as her and hanni made eye contact. they stared at each other for a bit before y/n looked away embarrassed.

“so what’re your guys names?” hanni asks trying to move away from what had just happened.

“i’m danielle!”

“y/n.”

hanni nods, “i’m hanni.”

“nice to meet you.” y/n says smiling sincerely.

hanni was caught off guard by this, ‘her smile is so pretty.’ she thought smiling back at the girl.

the girls only got closer over time even becoming friends with others, expanding the group.

though as time went on hanni and y/n’s feelings for each other grew.

and they couldn’t keep denying it.

TAPE TWO , WHAT IS LOVE?

11/27/21

“dani?” y/n calls out to her friend, who turns around to face her.

“hm?” danielle responds.

“what is your definition of love?” y/n asks.

“love is a feeling of affection for someone or something, there’s different types.” danielle says, “like you wouldn’t love your family the same way you love a romantic partner y’know?” she finishes, y/n nodding.

“so how do i know if i’m in love with someone, like romantically?” y/n asks softly, embarrassed to be asking her friend this.

“i mean whenever i have a crush i just feel really giddy around the person. my heart usually beats faster, or i get flustered.” danielle explains.

“so what exactly do i do if i have a crush on someone?” y/n asks finally.

danielle knew this was coming, she was glad it was finally happening.

“you confess. in my opinion it’s better to take the risk i guess, you never know if the person will move on because of miscommunication or something.” danielle says.

“okay, thank you dani.”

“anything for you, y/n.”

TAPE THREE , CRUSH

11/28/21

“hanni!” y/n yells, walking faster to catch up to her friend.

hanni turns around after hearing her name her heart melting as she sees y/n walk towards her. y/n had changed up her appearance a bit, seemingly that she had got her hair done and put makeup on.

“y/n?” hanni asks as the changed girl finally stops in front of her.

“i need to talk to you.” y/n says grabbing hanni’s hand and dragging her elsewhere.

hanni for sure was blushing now her mind still not done thinking about y/n’s new appearance. she looked so good, how could hanni not be stuck on it?

the two finally entered an empty classroom, y/n shutting the door behind them. they made themselves comfy before y/n took a deep breath.

“promise me you won’t hate me?” she asks.

“y/n i would never hate you.” hanni confirms, flustering the girl in front of her.

“i’m not really good with words when it comes to being romantic, so i’ll be as straight up as i can.” y/n starts, “hanni, i like you a lot ever since we met i felt different around you and i wasn’t exactly sure why.”

“but now that i am, i’ve wanted nothing more than to be yours. so will you allow me to?” y/n finishes, preparing herself for rejection.

not even hesitating, hanni leans in kissing y/n softly the two not pulling away until they needed air.

“so.. does that me you’ll be my girlfriend?” y/n asks teasingly.

hanni rolls her eyes playfully, “y/n, i would love to.” she smiles sincerely.

y/n flashing her same smile back from the day they first met, making hanni’s heart melt all over again.

“I ONCE BELIEVED LOVE WOULD BE BURNING RED, BUT IT’S GOLDEN.”

[i-just-like-goats]

Gojo x Fem Reader Fluff

Summary: it's your turn to tease Gojo

Warnings: none that I can think of

WC: 0.8k

You weren't sure how this routine started, but for whatever reason, Gojo would walk home with you every day. Some days would be filled with chatter, others had gloomy moods and would just be silent. 

Gojo was definitely an interesting person to be around. His loud personality caught the attention of many, while yours allowed you to slip by anywhere unnoticed, so when he approached you, you were surprised. His natural charm and overflowing confidence were what interested you and soon after, attraction began to blossom.

Eventually after being around him enough, you were able to form a friendship with him, something you didn't expect to happen since the two of you would stick to your friends at school. Him with Geto and you with Shoko.

Lately, Gojo had been more bold lately, as though he were intentionally blurring the lines between friendship and something more. There were times when he'd get a little too close or his hand held yours for a little too long or a little too gently. Of course, you brushed them off, believing yourself to have too much hope.

But there was a lingering sense of hope that wished he reciprocated.

"Hey Y/N, do you have a crush?"

You glanced at his face. What a devilish smile.

"What makes you think that?"

"Shoko said so,"

"What! Shoko! Next time I see her I'm going to give her a piece of my mind,"

"Kidding! Thank you for confirming,"

You whacked Gojo's arm. Was this a sign of his interest?

"Not funny,"

"But your reaction was cute,"

You huffed and sped up your walking slightly. He caught up with ease.

"Who is it?"

"Like I'd tell you,"

"But I'm trustworthy. Is it Haibara?"

"No,"

"Nanami?"

"No. Why are you so persistent?"

"No reason. Just a little gossip I want to know. Who knows, maybe I could set you two up," 

He slung his arm around your shoulders. Unusual but not out of character.

"So he's not in the year below. That narrows it down to the second and third years,"

Gojo rubbed his chin in thought.

"Wanna help me out here?"

You blushed slightly as his face got closer to yours when he asked you that question. He looked at you expectantly, his usual smirk on his face, but this time his smirk was more strained and his breathing seemed more laboured and his hands seemed to be shaking more. You smiled.

"He's incredibly strong and handsome,"

"Not enough details. Come on, you can give me more,"

"His initials are G and S. His last name ends in O and has two syllables. His first name ends in U and has three syllables,"

"Well, I think I know who it is. Why don't you say it to prove me right?"

"You sure? Well, it's Geto Suguru,"

Gojo froze in place, his arm held up in midair in the shape of where his arm rested on your shoulders as you continued walking.

"Geto Suguru?!"

You smiled while he took long strides to reach you.

“For real?”

“For real. Why would I lie? And don’t you sound a bit too skeptical? You don’t believe that your friend is attractive?”

“No. I’m just surprised,”

You forced down your smile as Gojo deflated beside you.

“Why Geto?”

“Why not? Is he a terrible person?”

“No! It’s just I’ve never seen you interacting,”

“He helps me with my written assignments,”

“Oh. You’re cheating on me! I thought I was the only one that helped you,”

“Clearly not. And why wouldn’t I have a crush on him? He’s incredibly handsome and charming, he’s a sweetheart, he’s extremely caring and loving he’s-”

“Alright alright. I get it,”

“You didn’t let me finish,”

Gojo groaned. You smiled and grabbed his hand.

“And he’s funny and adorable and he’s actually got white hair and glasses because his eyes are too pretty and his voice is so attractive and nice to listen to,”

“Geto doesn’t have white hair,” Gojo mumbled.

"He's also quite childish, he's one of the strongest and he hates the higher ups,"

"You sure that's Geto? Sounds more like me,"

You sighed.

"Wait. Geto doesn't have white hair. Me, that's me. You're talking about me!"

"Took you long enough,"

"Hey! It's no fun when you're teasing me,"

"Well, Gojo, will you go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

"No,"

"Ouch,"

"Because I'm asking you to go on a date with me tonight. I'll pick you up at seven,"

"Couldn't stand that I beat you to it, could you?"

"What can I say, you already teased me enough today, I can't have you asking me out when I fell for your trick,"

"Alright Gojo, this date better be good then,"

"I promise it'll be the best date you've ever been on,"

"I'm counting on it,"

[shangrila11]

Unintentional Date // Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler(Wolverine and the X-Men) x Mutant! reader

(Y/N) made their way to the Danger room, amped up and ready for some training. As a mutant superhero, it was important to keep oneself in tip-top condition in preparation for whatever that might come their way. Besides, it could be fun and satisfying to push oneself to their limits.

'Bamf!"

In a puff of smoke, Kurt was right beside you, grinning.

"Going to train, (Y/N)?"

"You surprised me, Kurt!" (Y/N) laughed, playfully nudging him. They confirmed that his guess was correct and invited him to train with them which he readily agreed to. Together, the two of them headed to the Danger Room, laughing and chatting as they did so.

Unbeknownst to the two of mutants, Kitty was watching their interactions. Excitedly, she remarked to Bobby how cute the two of them looked together. Bobby (who was busy admiring Kitty) snapped out of his thoughts before stammering his agreement. Kitty quirked an eyebrow but decided to not question Bobby's nerves. A sly grin made its way to her lip as she hatched a plan on how to bring her two friends closer. She told her idea to Bobby whose expression mirrored the female's. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

xxx xxx

(Y/N) frowned as they looked their phone. Earlier, Bobby had invited them for a games night but he hadn't shown up yet. And so here they were at the games room waiting for their friend.

"(Y/N)? What are you doing here?"

Kurt entered the room, looking surprised to see them. (Y/N) was just as shocked as he was.

"I could ask the same the thing," they replied. Kurt explained the circumstances that led to him being there. Apparently, they were same as (Y/N)'s, except that it was Kitty that had invited him.

"Those two," (Y/N) sighed, shaking their head. But they had a smile on their face. They looked at Kurt, their smile turning a little bashful. "So what say we make use of the time they have given us?"

"I don't see why not," Kurt returned their smile.

"Cool," (Y/N)'s smile widened. "I'll go grab some snacks and drinks. Want any?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

"Alright. I'll be sure to get your favourites."

With a grin, (Y/N) left the room. They soon came back with the snacks and drinks. Kurt helpfully took some of the snacks from (Y/N)'s hands and placed them on the table. The (H/C)-haired mutant thanked Kurt as they placed the rest of the snacks on the table. Kurt responded with a smile and a 'You're welcome".

"So fancy playing darts?" Kurt asked, gesturing to the dart boards.

"Yes. Best of 3? Loser has to do what the winner asks of them," (Y/N) grinned.

"Alright. But know that I won't go easy on you," Kurt smirked. (Y/N) smirked back.

"That's what I would like to hear."

And so. the two of them began their little competition, stopping every once a while to munch on the snacks and to drink. It was an enjoyable and close match but Kurt won in the end.

"Congrats," (Y/N) smiled warmly. "So as promised, you get to ask me to do something." Their heart raced as they looked at their friend and crush. They trust that Kurt wouldn't ask them to do anything they were not comfortable with but they couldn't help feeling nervous. Kurt frowned thoughtfully before answering, "How about... making the two of us official?" He gently grabbed their hand.

"You are an amazing person, (Y/N). You are brave, kind and I enjoy being with you so it will make me the happiest guy in the world if you were to become my partner."

Now it was Kurt's turn to wait for their response nervously. Fortunately, he didn't need to wait long. Their cheeks tinted pink, (Y/N) nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I would love to be your partner."

Kurt blinked a couple of times, (Y/N)'s words not sinking in yet. But once they did, a broad smile lit up his features and he enveloped his significant other in a hug.

"May I?" Kurt asked, looking at (Y/N)'s lips. Beaming, (Y/N) nodded. Kurt leaned in and pressed his lips against theirs. The kiss was slow, cautious at first but it gradually become passionate as they went deeper into the kiss. The two of them eventually broke away from the kiss, out of breath but with smiles on their faces.

Looks like the two of them would have to thank Kitty and Bobbie later. And 'return the favour'.

[erimeows]

Don't Tell

Jaehee Kang finds herself frustrated as she lies on her couch, in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. The house is quiet, minus the occasional gust of wind that echoes outside of her house. Her phone lies on the coffee table, buzzing- probably notifications from the RFA chatroom, but she can’t bring herself to check them right now.

She’s coming off of a terrible fight with you. You, her best friend. You, the person who helped her start her coffee shop. You, the only other person who works at the shop every hour it’s open during the day.

And, you, the person she’s had a crush on since the two of you met. 

You and Zen are getting closer. Anyone would be a fool not to notice it. You and Zen got along from the moment you joined the RFA, but lately, Jaehee can’t help but notice how you rush out of work to go hang out with Zen more than you used to, how you constantly address him in the chatrooms, how often you or the actor send selfies of the two of you hanging out together… And Jaehee sees him often, too. In fact, Zen is one of her closest friends aside from you. 

Jaehee knows that she isn’t in love with him. 

Sadly, she has no guarantee about your feelings.

So, whenever the subject comes up, Jaehee strongly discourages Zen from dating anyone- especially you- using whatever excuse she can come up with. Dating is bad for Zen’s career. Dating Zen would make him lose his fans. Dating Zen would make paparazzi and journalists target you for tabloid stories constantly. It would be a lose-lose situation.

But really, she would be the only one losing out. Zen would be happy, you would be happy, and his true fans would be loving and supportive of his new relationship. You’re great people who deserve each other… Jaehee just wants to be selfish with you, though. 

Every time she notices you and Zen getting a little too close, she interjects, and there seems to be no real consequences for it. Zen says he’d love to date but that he sees you as a friend, you say that you don’t have feelings for Zen, and the chat moves on.

This time, things went down differently.

You lost your mind, flipping out on Jaehee, telling her that your romantic feelings are none of her business. Telling her that Zen can date whoever he wants. And then, you told her to give you space and left the chat.

To Jaehee, your over the top reaction confirms your romantic feelings for Zen. So, she lies on her couch and ignores the messages that leave her phone incessantly vibrating on the coffee table- at least until there’s a knock on the door.

Jaehee quickly wipes her tears from her eyes with the sleeves of her sweater and goes to the front door. Upon peeking out the blinds of her living room window and seeing that it’s Zen with two paper bags of bungeoppang in hand, she opens it.

“Look, Jaehee,” Zen starts, a little awkward. He’s wearing a leather jacket and a grey t-shirt with ripped skinny jeans and sneakers. Jaehee notices his motorcycle parked in his driveway as he holds out one of the bagged fish buns to him. She assumes he must have picked it up on the stand by his house on the way to her’s. “I think we should talk.”

“Oh?” Jaehee hums, as if she’s oblivious to what Zen is wanting to discuss, because she can’t stand to be the first to bring up her exchange with you. She allows Zen inside and shuts and locks the door behind them. “What’s going on, Zen?”

“It’s about… The dating thing,” Zen answers as he sits down on the end of Jaehee’s couch and flicks the end table lamp on to shroud the room in warm light. Jaehee flushes with embarrassment upon realizing that he must have noticed she was just sitting in the dark before his arrival. “You know how you’ve been telling (y/n) not to date me because of my career?”

“Yes? I apologize, Zen. I don’t want to meddle in your personal life- I’m just worried about your career,” Jaehee explains, putting up a front for a moment. But then, she remembers… Zen is the only other person that knows about her feelings for you. He is a good friend, after all, so she confides in him about it often. “And, well… Perhaps this is selfish of me, but you’re aware of my feelings for (y/n). But of course, you two deserve to be happy and-”

“No, no, this isn’t about me. In fact, the only reason I’m talking to you about this is because I’m worried that, uh,” Zen clears his throat as Jaehee sits down on the couch next to him. He pauses, takes a bite of his fish bun, and uses his spare hand to awkwardly scratch the back of his neck. “You may be giving (y/n) the wrong impression?”

Jaehee blinks and sets her own bagged bungeoppang down on the coffee table. With how angry you seemed at her in the chatroom, she can’t even consider eating tonight. Her stomach is churning far too much.

“What do you mean?”

“They totally think you’re in love with me.”

Jaehee blinks again.

“I’m sorry?”

“They think that you’re in love with me and jealous of them for spending time with me, and that’s why you keep telling them to avoid me,” Zen explains between bites of his snack. “I guess (y/n) and Seven had talked about it after you guys had that fight or something.”

Jaehee leans forward and holds her head in her hands.

The situation is even worse than Jaehee thought.

You think… That she’s in love with Zen.

Fuck.

“Oh dear…”

“So?” Zen questions. “What are you gonna do?”

“I have no idea,” Jaehee answers as she sits straight up and stares at the wall.

“What?” Zen demands, shocked. “You mean you’re not gonna tell (y/n) the truth?”

“I assumed they knew that I only saw you as a good friend.”

“Well, it’s not like you run around screaming it from the rooftops,” Zen shrugs.

“Does that mean I have to tell them the truth?”

“Not necessarily, but you probably should.”

Jaehee shakes her head. She’s potentially ruined your friendship by rejecting her unrequited (?) feelings onto you and Zen- the last thing she needs to do is go and dump a love confession onto you, too.

“Hm… Maybe not.”

~

Shortly after, Zen finishes his visit with Jaehee and goes to your apartment next.

If he can’t get Jaehee to confess to you, he’ll just get you to confess to Jaehee. The idea is perfect! The two of you will finally stop arguing about his love life (which neither of you know anything about), he’ll stop having to hear one of you in each ear venting to him about how your feelings aren’t reciprocated (they are), and most importantly, his two best friends will be happy and mutually in love.

But, when he arrives at your apartment to see that you’ve also been crying and sitting in the dark, he realizes that he’s bitten off more than he can chew.

Especially when he finds himself sitting on your couch and having the same discussion with you that he had with Jaehee- except, somehow, worse, because you’re far more stubborn and far less receptive to his advice than Jaehee is.

“(y/n), come on now, Jaehee being in love with me is just ridiculous,” Zen argues as he throws his hands up in frustration.

You sit on your living room couch with your arms crossed over your chest and a pouty look on your face.

“Is it really?”

“Yes?” Zen responds, flabbergasted by your insistence that Jaehee is in love with him and only argues that he shouldn’t date so that she can keep him to herself. “Her and I are only friends.”

“Just because you see her as a friend doesn’t mean she sees you in the same light, Zen,” You argue, and finally, something in Zen breaks.

On a normal night, he would never betray Jaehee’s trust by telling you about her feelings, but he’s so tired of watching the two of you pine after each other that he just can’t help it.

So, he comes out with it.

“Okay, I didn’t really want to do this, but both of you have put me in a terrible spot and I think if I have to hear either of you vent to me about the other not liking you one more time, I’m going to develop wrinkles from the stress,” Zen exclaims. “I’m dating Jumin, so I’m not on the market! Okay? Okay. And, if, in some weird alternate universe, she did like me, it wouldn’t be reciprocated. And finally, she’s very, very in love with you! You guys are literally like one of those Hallmark movies- coffee shop and all!”

You blink your pretty (e/c) eyes and uncross your arms. Your frustrated expression turns to one of complete shock.

“Wait… You’re dating Jumin?”

Zen groans and throws his hands up in frustration.

“That’s what you’re worried about out of everything I just told you!?” 

“Oh, right,” You pause, and then, a big, bright smile takes over your face. “Jaehee’s in love with me?”

“Yes!”

“Well, she’s not very good at making it obvious,” You chuckle.

“Don’t tell her I told you or she’ll never come to my shows again,” Zen says, covering his face with his hands.

He almost regrets confessing the truth to you. Hopefully you won’t go and rat him out to Jaehee…

“Yeah, don’t worry,” You grin, dismissing his concerns. “I won’t.”

“So, are you gonna tell her?” Zen asks.

You offer a shrug and a smirk in return.

“Yeah, I’ll figure it out.

Zen lets out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank God.”

~

Much to your surprise, despite the argument in the chatroom yesterday evening, you do gather the courage to go to open the coffee shop. Jaehee meets you an hour after opening, and the two of you get through the rush of customers grabbing their pre-work coffees whilst hardly speaking to each other.

It’s a little awkward. You can tell she wants to apologize and that she has something to say, but every time one of you tries to speak to each other throughout the day, you get interrupted by a new customer coming in wanting a baked good or a soothing drink. By the time closing rolls around, the shop calms down. You write a note, take it to the lounge, and stick it in her cubby.

‘I know there’s been a lot going on between us lately, especially after that chatroom the other night, but I’d like to make it up to you tonight and clear the air. I love you and I need you to know that- and I know I was mad but it was just a misunderstanding, and I get it now. Please, let’s meet after work and go grab dinner.’

You smile and turn to walk back to the shop to start the closing process, totally unaware that the note unsticks from where you posted it and falls onto the lounge floor. Minutes later, Jaehee goes into the lounge to grab a pen so she can take inventory, only to come out with the note in hand. You beam upon seeing her with it, only for your face to fall seconds later when you see that Jaehee looks upset.

Was Zen wrong? Does she not love you after all?

“(y/n)... I want you to be happy. If your happiness is being with Zen, then I give you my blessing,” Jaehee murmurs and pushes the note towards you. “I know this is for Zen, so… Please take it and give it to him. It must’ve fallen from your purse.”

At that, you blank- both overwhelmed by how sweet Jaehee is being, and pissed off at just how wrong she is.

“...Are you serious?”

“I’m sorry?”

“He was right? He was right,” You raise your voice and facepalm. “God, he must be so annoyed with us!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jaehee, this note was for you. I stuck it in your work cubby- it must have fell off or something. I’m an idiot for not signing it,” You raise your voice since there’s no customers in the shop. You’re angry at yourself, angry at Jaehee, and angry that the two of you could’ve been dating this entire fucking time. But, you manage to calm yourself down enough to lower your volume and explain your feelings to your partner. “I don’t have feelings for Zen. I’ve never had feelings for Zen, and I never will. He really is just a good friend.”

“...Oh,” At first, the soft sunkissed color from Jaehee’s face drains. Then, it’s replaced with a deep, rosy pink. You can see the facts sink in; the realization that flashes across her golden eyes, the blush on her cheeks, the slight quiver in her lip as she struggles to gather the right words to say to you. “Now I’m… Rather embarrassed.”

“I’m really embarrassed,” You respond with a nervous laugh.

“I do love you. I mean, I’m in love with you,” Jaehee rushes to reassure you. Her face is bright red- even redder than when she watches some of Zen’s racier performances, even redder than when the shop is going through its morning rush and the two of you are working hard to keep up with the customer’s demands. “Though I assume Zen informed you of that fact?”

“He told me not to tell you, but uh, yeah, he did. Regardless, that’s not what’s important, because him telling me the truth is the only reason I have the courage to do this,” You gently pull the note from Jaehee’s hands, toss it into the trash, and walk back to her so you can intertwine her fingers with your own. Then, you slowly lean forward and press a gentle kiss against Jaehee’s lips. The flavor of coffee and chocolate mixed together stays on your lips as you pull back and offer her a small smile. “So don’t be too mad at him.”

At that, Jaehee flashes her bright, beautiful smile back at you and reaches forward to fix the collar of your shirt.

“I suppose I could never stay mad at him for too long anyway, but… Would you still be interested in dinner after we close up shop?”

You laugh.

“Only if you let me treat you to something nice for once.”

Jaehee nods, and with that, the two of you get to work closing down the coffee shop, your first kiss still lingering in the back of your mind.

[actuallysaiyan]

Can I have NSFW #6 with Megumi as person A please bby?

warnings: smut, getting caught masturbating, sex toys, AGEDUP!Megumi, Megumi and reader are married, sensual kissing.

You and Megumi live the good life. After you both graduated from Jujutsu Tech, Gojo gave you two his blessing and allowed the two of you to get married. Or what really happened was that he essentially dramatically said that if you two didn't get married, he'd be emotionally crushed forever. This was comical to both you and Megumi, who had been high school sweethearts and had planned to get married as soon as possible.

So with the wedding done and graduation quite a bit behind you, you and Megumi settle into the married life. Gojo bought you your first home and you and Megumi do as you can to settle into living this life. It seems too peaceful and odd at first, but you both grow to enjoy not having to go on missions so much these days.

If anything, this was bringing the two of you together in such a wonderful way. Your sex life was better than it ever had been. Without having to say anything, you and Megumi have been fucking like you were trying for a baby. Which you were but neither of you had really confirmed it. He had got this book for the both of you that was filled to the brim with positions.

And it was now his goal to try every single position with you. Megumi had become a man on a mission, filling you with his cum over and over as you took it like a champ. Most nights, you were dazed and blissfully overstimulated to the point of just being able to moan and babble abut how good it felt and his name. This made Megumi so proud to be able to have you this fucked out.

One day, he's out of the house to get groceries and supplies. He let you sleep in for the morning, and he was going to surprise you once he got back. You lay in the bed, sleeping until about noon. When you woke up, you were feeling a little insatiable. You had just woken up from such a powerful wet dream and now all you wanted was for Megumi to come home and fuck you silly.

The idea comes to mind so easily. You reach over to the bedside table and in the first drawer is some of your favourite sex toys. You grab the velvet bag and pull out the dildo that reminds you the most of Megumi's cock. With the lube and your favourite vibrator, you begin fucking yourself while you moan your husband's name.

Megumi is not long to come home. Once he's inside, he begins putting his purchases away. His breath hitches in his throat when he hears you moaning. Something about that moan is very filthy. His stomach drops as he begins thinking the worst. Were you that dissatisfied with his performance? Would you really find a new lover?

As he gets closer to the bedroom, the more he wants to just run away and never come back. But he needs to see it for himself. He needs to know for sure that's what you're doing. You can imagine his surprise when he opens up the door to the bedroom and you're there fucking yourself on that favourite dildo of yours. His name falls from your lips in such a sinful way. Megumi is both relieved and aroused.

"Couldn't wait for me, huh?"

[stylesispunk]

"I couldn't want you anymore" | part 8

Artist!Joel Miller x Florist!Reader

series masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

summary: when Sarah's mom comes back into Joel's life to fight for their past relationship, Joel needs to convince her he is in a happy relationship with the florist next to his gallery in order to make her go away. The problem is, that he and the florist can't stand each other's guts or that it's what he thinks.

warning: age gap (Joel is 36 and reader is 28). Remember that "Bee" is the reader's nickname. No more warnings but this cute and soft.

a/n: Oh lord, this is chapter 8 already? Thank you so much for reading my silly story. We are reaching the end soon (two more chapters) and nice things are happening now. This one chapter is pure soft, but the next one is going to be interesting. Thanks for all those who read this! Reblogs and comments are always appreciated, and please, share your thoughts with me. I love reading your comments. You can send me any ask if you want to talk or anything. No proofreading because I'm too tired :( Happy reading!

masterlist

You couldn’t avoid the feeling of roses blooming in a cracked space of frozen love you kept it under seven keys. Love, was a feeling you have had come in terms with just two times in your life. Believing you were never deserving of such romantic feelings.

You were still learning to navigate across this world and you had to learn to torn down the barriers in order to get closer to someone, and with Joel you didn’t want to think of love as something destroying you but as something nourishing that it didn’t have to crush your bones, but something breaking your plans and caressing your heart to some extent.

He was your person. He was the one making you conflicted and loved at the same time. He was the one you wanted to see after a long day of work, running into his arms and sleep next him, tracing every single feature of his face, his face, and his lips that fitted just perfectly fine to yours because they were made for you to kiss.

He was the person you wanted to share your life with, so why no stepped into the unknown?

After Joel asked you a question you never thought you would ever hear escaping from his lips, you couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling the nervousness warming up your body, reaching your checks

"I think I owe you a propped date before giving you my answer, don’t I?” you replied with a playful smile.

Joel's eyes lit up with amusement. "I'd like that," he admitted, a grin spreading across his face. "But yesterday was perfect because I had to be with you”

As Joel expressed how he felt, your heart swelled with happiness. The cracks in your frozen heart seemed to vanish, leaving room for the embrace of a fresh bond.

"I loved that too," you said, your voice carrying a soft sincerity. "But let's make our next date even more perfect, how about that?"

Joel's eyes twinkled.  A smile popped across his lips. "That sounds like a plan." "I'm excited about it."

"Then you'll have the answer to your question," you said with a giggle. "How about dinner tomorrow night? my treat"

Joel's grin broadened as he happily nodded. "Tomorrow." he confirmed, "I'm already counting down the minutes."

"Great! Tomorrow," you said, a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.

Joel took a step closer, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm.  "I can't wait," he admitted.

He reached for your face to kiss you, but you stepped back.

“You can kiss the girl before the official date” you joked.

Joel chuckled at your remark, his eyes still gleaming with enthusiasm. "You've got a point there," he admitted with a grin. Closing the gap between you, he gently cupped your face and leaned in, planting a soft and sweet kiss on your lips.

"How about that for a sneak peek?" Joel teased, a twinkle in his eyes.

You couldn't help but smile "Not bad at all," you answered, your eyes twinkling. “But I’m waiting for the full experience”

Joel laughed, the sound echoing in the bubble enveloping both of you "You've got it. Tomorrow night, the full experience."

with a soft brush of his fingers against yours he said goodbye "Until tomorrow, then," he said.

"Until tomorrow," you replied, your heart racing with excitement of what was to come for you. 

With a contented smile playing on your lips, you leaned against the closed door, feeling happy for letting your heart win this race.

Later, that same afternoon, a familiar ring from your phone interrupted your activities.

Joel

Already missing you. Is it too soon to say that?"

A playful smile spread across your face as you read the message. It was sweet how much he was allowing himself to shower you in affection.

With a chuckle, you typed back,

you

Not too soon at all. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow night.

The playful message exchange provided an enjoyable addition to the anticipation for your new date. It was a simple yet sweet reminder of the blossoming relationship between you and Joel. And you wanted to dive into the sea of this romance.

During the next day, you told Joel to wait for you at the gallery, as it was you the one wanting to surprise him this time. You had been hiding at what once was your flower shop planning all the details for the night to be perfect, so once the sun started to disappear in the sky, you texted Joel.

You

Hey! Are you ready?

Joel's quick reply came almost immediately.

Joel

Absolutely! Can't wait to see what you have in store for tonight.

You

Wait for me.

Don’t move!

You smiled at yourself. The stage one of your plan was beginning. You had picked dinner from Joel’s favorite. You decorated the place with soft lights in order to set the romantic environment you wanted to have with him.

you arrived at the gallery dressed in a mid-red dress that accentuated your features. Your hair cascaded down your shoulders, and your lips were adorned with a confident shade of red lipstick. Joel's eyes brightened up at the sight of you as you walked in.

“Wow, Bee. You look gorgeous. Where are we going?”

You grinned, feeling a surge of confidence arising "Well, that's a surprise," you said "But I need you to trust me. Close your eyes and let me guide you."

Joel closed his eyes as you pulled out a soft, silky blindfold. You covered his eyes gently, tying it securely but not too tightly. His trust in you was apparent and you felt an intense connection.

“Lead the way, missy,” he teased.

Taking Joel's hand, you guided him out of the gallery and into the cool evening air. The familiar scent of flowers lingered as you approached the flower shop.

“Where are we going?” he questioned.

You chuckled, a playful tone in your voice. "Not so far. Just trust me."

The short walk brought you to the entrance of the flower shop. You opened the door, and the soft chime announced your arrival. Guiding Joel inside, you could feel his curiosity growing.

“Okay, Bee, what's going on?” He asked.

With a smile, you untied the blindfold, revealing the transformed flower shop. Soft lights adorned the space, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of fresh blooms. You watched as Joel's eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow, what's all this? It's beautiful” his eyes widened in surprise at the sight before him

You took a step closer, a sparkle in your eyes. "Welcome to the re-opening night of my little shop, you’re the special guest”

Joel's gaze swept across the transformed flower shop, and a warm smile played on his lips. "You did all this for me?"

You nodded, a twinkle in your eye. "Well, not just for you. I’m really opening this one again. But today is our spot”

The subtle lighting produced a cozy, unique atmosphere. Flowers of various colors and varieties adorned the shelves, their brilliant colors contrasted with the soft glow that surrounded the shop. In the center, a modest table was placed with a basic yet magnificent dinner arrangement.

“Bee, this is amazing. I had no idea you had this planned”

You smirked playfully. "I have my secrets, you know. Now, come, let's enjoy dinner. I’m hungry"

You two sat down at the small table and offered the dinner you had picked up for tonight. The air was bursting with laughs, stories, and the delicious scent of the perfectly selected food.

As the night went on, it became an ideal combination of the fairy tale stories you had dreamed about when you were a kid, and this one was getting even better than those. You didn’t have a prince charming sitting in front of you, but a simple and real man you had learned to love so much your heart could burst. This type of butterflies in your stomach, and anticipating feeling was the one you thought didn’t exist. This wasn’t the type of sentiment of a passionate red color enveloping you, but a casting glow of warm colors teaching you love was a magical experience of golden sparks.

“Bee, this is more than I could have imagined. Thank you for this wonderful night.” He said, taking your hands in his.

You leaned in, your lips brushing against his ear. "The night is young, Joel. We have more surprises to come."

After dinner, you guided Joel to a cozy corner where a blanket was arranged with pillows, creating a comfortable spot for the two of you.

“What is this?” He questioned with a smile on his lips.

You laughed. "Phase two of our evening. A comfortable place for us to unwind."

Joel's arm around you, the soft glow of the lights, and the fresh aroma of flowers provided a relaxing mood as you relaxed on the blanket. You exchanged more stories, dreams, and goals, and each disclosure pulled you closer together.

“This is perfect, Bee. I never thought this place could look this stunning”

You smiled, your heart fluttering with happiness. "Excuse me?” you faked annoyance “This is not an ordinary flower shop because is mine”  

As the night deepened, you hinted at the final surprise. "Close your eyes, Joel."

He complied, a grin on his face. You produced a small box from your pocket and placed it in his hands.

“What's this?”

"Open it," you whispered.

As Joel opened the box, he found a delicate, handcrafted key inside. The key was adorned with a small flower charm.

“A key?” he studied the small object in his hand.

You grinned a hint of mischief in your eyes. "That, my dear, is the key to our future. Please, keep it safe”

Joel's eyes widened with realization, and a mix of emotions played on his face. He looked at you, his eyes filled with love and gratitude.

“Bee, you never cease to amaze me,” he said, his voice lingering with such love for you.                                                                                               

You leaned closer, filling the slight distance between you and Joel with a sweet grin. The lovely glow of the flower shop's lights enhanced the feeling of affection in the present moment. Your lips met in a soft, lingering kiss, sealing the promise of the future ahead.

The drive back to Joel's house was filled with a comfortable silence, the air still buzzing with the shared warmth from the evening. As you pulled into the driveway, the house lights glowed in the quiet night.

Entering the house, you were greeted by the sight of Sarah still awake, her eyes wide with excitement. She sat on the living room couch, her favorite stuffed animal in hand.

"Hey, you're still up?" Joel said with a smile, his gaze shifting between you and his daughter.

Sarah's eyes twinkled as she looked at both of you. "Yeah, I wanted to hear all about your date!"

Joel chuckled, ruffling her hair gently. "Well, it was a special night. Bee had a surprise for me."

Sarah turned her attention to you. "Really? What was it?"

With a playful smile, you leaned down to her eye level. "It was a secret flower shop date. We had dinner and everything."

Her eyes widened in amazement. "That sounds so cool!"

Joel smile widely at Sarah, then turned his face to you as if looking at you bring him an enormous pride.

“Okay, now that my lovebird of a dad is back, I can finally go to sleep” Sarah said, standing up from the couch

Sarah stood up, a yawn escaping her lips, and then looked at you with bright eyes. "Thanks for making my dad happy."

You couldn't help but smile when you heard how genuine her words were. "Your father makes me happy as well."

Sarah rushed off towards her room, leaving you and Joel alone in the living room. There was a comfortable silence between you two, filled with implicit affection.

Joel looked at you, his eyes filled with tenderness. "She really likes you; you know?"

You quietly chuckled. "I like her as well. She's a lovely girl."

"Yeah, she is, she is my daughter " Joel agreed. "I'm glad you're here, Bee. I didn't expect tonight to turn out like this, but I'm happy it did."

You nodded, agreeing his sentiment "Me too. It's been a wonderful night.”

Joel reached out, his fingers gently brushing against yours. "Thank you for everything.”

"It's not a problem at all," you reassured him.

He smiled; his thumb tracing circles on the back of your hand. "I'm looking forward to more moments like these."

"Me too," you responded, your heart fluttering with happiness and contentment.

Joel's eyes were warm, mirroring the calm lighting in the room. He leaned in without saying anything, catching your lips in a slow, deep kiss.

Joel glanced into your eyes as he drew back, a sweet smile on his lips. "Would you like to spend the night with me, Bee?"

Your heart skipped a beat as you accepted his invitation, the sincerity in his eyes reflecting your own. You returned his smile, your tone bright and cheerful. "That would be great, Joel." "On condition that you promise not to snore."

Joel laughed, "Deal. "There will be no snoring tonight."

Once you both reached his bedroom door, Joel locked the door

“Wait, what?” you said staring at him with wide eyes. “Why did you lock the door?”

“Because we’re sleeping and I don’t want anyone disturbing our sleep.”

“We’re not having sex while Sarah is in this house!”

He shook with laughter at her reaction. “Relax, bee, we’re not doing anything” He grinned, the mischievous glint still in his eyes. “Unless...”

"Unless?" you asked, raising an eyebrow at Joel's mischievous expression.

He chuckled, his eyes dancing with playful energy. "Unless you want to have a midnight snack or something.

A playful smirk crossed your face as you realized the teasing nature of his comment. "Oh, a midnight snack? And what would it be?

“Me, of course,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

You couldn't help but burst into laughter at Joel's response. But he didn’t laugh, instead, he made his way to the bed, sitting right next to you. He kissed you again, this time, the kiss was innocent, but waking sparkling feelings on your tights.

“Who would think you would be so crazy about the annoying florist” you said with a delicate voice as his lips pressed kisses on your neck.

"Well, maybe I'm just crazy about the person behind the flowers. The annoying florist is just a bonus," he replied, a grin playing on his lips against your skin.

Your chest vibrated with laughter. You grabbed his face and lifted his face meeting his eyes. The chemistry between you and Joel felt like a secret language only both of you could share. 

With a soft smile, “Kissing the annoying man from the gallery is gross” you said, leaning in for another kiss.

The room filled with laughter as Joel chuckled against your lips. "Well, lucky for me, I'm not just the annoying man from the gallery anymore, but I’m also the man you seem to enjoy kissing," he replied.

Your lips came back together. You were lying on your back with him on top of you in a matter of seconds. Your dress, as well as his shirt and jeans, were on the floor. The soft and sweaty skin of his chest was killing you with desperate waiting and anticipation.

“I love you so much” He breathed against your lips.

Your lips curved in a smile this time, the first time you were like this with him, you felt so vulnerable. Being almost naked under his stare, not only shaking from the pinning but for the fear of your feelings becoming a reality who could not go beyond pretending.

But this time it was genuine and different. He was constantly reminding you that he loved you, and it was enough for you to get drunk on him.

He parted his lips, wanting to tell you how gorgeous you looked under the soft light of his bedroom,

“Oh, too stunned to speak?” you asked, joking.

He burst into laughter, even though you had been already together like this two times, this one felt the most vulnerable one. There were no hidden feelings between you anymore, and the truth had already been told. 

He placed his nose against your neck, savoring the perfume that had become his favorite scent. You were so gorgeous in his eyes that he thought he was drunk on love because of you, and now he believed he owned the sky because he had you. Joel held his breath, carefully brushing his fingertips across your face, lovingly looking at you.

You both felt extremely vulnerable under this roof and under this light. Nothing could stop you now that there are no obstacles between you and him. This time was different for Joel; he had never been so in love with someone else as he was with you, and that terrified him.

Falling in love again felt nice when you were doing it right.

You pet Joel’s check as looked down at you.

“What’s wrong?” you asked, concerned.

“Nothing, it’s just… You’re everything”

"Aww, I'm everything, huh?" you said with a playful smirk, your fingers gently tracing patterns on Joel's cheek. "Well, I always knew I was pretty cool, but it's nice to hear it from you."

Joel chuckled, his eyes meeting yours with a mixture of adoration and amusement. "You're not making this any easier, you know? I'm trying to be romantic here."

You grinned, under him enjoying the lighthearted joke "Romantic? You're the one who has me under your spell, here. I didn't sign up for this much sweetness."

Joel pretended to be offended, placing his palm over his heart. "Do you mean I'm too sweet for you?" Should I cut it down a bit?"

You break out laughing, the sound growing across the room. "Oh no, that's not going to work. Where would we be if I got used to all this sweetness?"

He laughed along with you, and the fun exchange turned into a lovely interaction that really ruined the passionate mood he was trying to add to the night " Well, I suppose we'll have to endure the burden of being disgustingly sweet together."

You mockingly gasped, covering your mouth with your palm. "Is it disgustingly sweet?" That takes it to a whole other level. I may need some time to adjust."

Joel leaned in and brushed his lips across your ear. "Take as much time as you need, my dear. I have no plans to leave."

You leaned back, a naughty shimmer in your eyes as you looked at Joel. "I hope you have a lifetime supply of chocolates and flowers to keep up with this level of sweetness, Mr. Disgustingly Sweet." "I have standards that I must meet, you know."

Joel chuckled, joining in on your discussion. "To keep you pleased? I may need to build a flower shop and possibly a chocolate business."

"Oh, you're taking this seriously," you teased, amazement on your face. "Here I thought we were just joking about it"

"Well, I'm a man of action," he smirked. "So, I have to shower you with chocolates and flowers."

You faked giggling loudly. "Oh, how am I going to survive such romantic gestures?" I might need some pizza and rom-coms as an antidote."

"Pizza and rom-com, huh?" Joel laughed. "I believe I can handle it."

He smiled and slid down next to you in bed. "Not in the mood anymore?" you said, lifting an eyebrow.

"I'm always in the mood, but" he smiled,

"Not sex on the first date?" "What a gentleman," you remarked.

Joel laughed, filling the room with his laughter. "Well, I do try to be a gentleman," he added, his eyes twinkling.

You smiled " So you're saying we should hold off on the scandalous stuff for later?"

He winked, engaging in the amusement. "Exactly. After all, we'll have more time for that. Don't we?

He rose from his bed. As he proceeded towards his closet, you noticed his bare back rippling at the action.

“Nice underwear” you pointed out as he stood there.

Joel turned around a playful glint in his eyes. "Oh, you noticed? I like to keep things styled”

You laughed, appreciating the banter. "Well, it's working. Very interesting choice."

“Nice boobs” he spoke.

“Oh, thank you” you spoke “I got them today”

He laughed again “I’m lending you a T-shirt so you can sleep”

You grinned, "Oh, how generous of you”

Joel chuckled, handing you a t-shirt from his drawer. "Here you go. Hope it's not too scandalous for you”

You laughed, appreciating the gesture. "Thank you”

As you changed into the oversized t-shirt, Joel settled back into bed, leaning against the headboard. The room was filled with the soft glow of the bedside lamp, creating a cozy atmosphere surrounding you both.

You climbed back into bed, the shirt enveloping you in its warmth. "Ah, this feels nice," you joked, settling next to Joel.

He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close. "Indeed," he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Hey, I thought you would answer my question tonight?” he reminded you.

A chuckle escaped your lips, and you met his gaze with a teasing sparkle. "I thought my answer was clear," you replied, a smile playing on your lips.

Joel's expression shifted to a mockingly dramatic disappointment. "Oh, come on, Bee. Don't keep me in suspense. I need to hear it officially."

With a playful roll of your eyes, you leaned in, your lips brushing against his ear. "Yes, Joel. I'd love to be your girlfriend."

A genuine happiness lit up his face, and he pulled you into a tight hug. "You just made me the happiest man alive."

Joel pulled back slightly, a delighted smile on his face. "Well, officially now, I can say you're stuck with me."

You grinned, playing along with the light banter. "Stuck with you? Hmm, I suppose I can live with that."

Joel chuckled, placing a soft kiss on your forehead. "Good, because I have a feeling this is just the beginning of our story together."

“By the way” you spoke, “Who sent me that text the other day?”

Recognition dawned on Joel's face as he chuckled. "Ah, that text. Well, you see, that was me. I lied. I may have wanted an excuse to see you again."

You laughed, feeling a mixture of surprise and amusement. "You sent it? I should have known. Smooth move, Joel."

He shrugged with a grin. "Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands”

“It seems the universe conspired to bring us back together, and I'm grateful for it." You said as you placed your head on his chest.

Joel gently ran his fingers through your hair as he looked down at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. "It does feel like the universe had a hand in this, doesn't it? I'm grateful too, Bee. More than words can express."

Joel drew a lovely design on your cheek with his thumb. "From now on, I promise to keep your heart warm."

There was a sweet silence between you, the unspoken promises hanging in the air. You acknowledged in the quiet of the night that this unexpected love was a magnificent revelation, something you hadn't expected but couldn't picture living without.

You awoke the next morning to the soft sunlight coming through the curtains. Your memories of the prior night came flooding back to you as you stirred, causing you to smile. Joel was sleeping soundly next to you.

You took a minute to appreciate the quiet beauty of the morning by watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Joel's vulnerable expression had been replaced with a calm expression while he slept the night before.

Joel woke up to the faint creak of the floorboards as you slowly got out of bed. He blinked, his tired yet loving look capturing yours. "Good morning," he whispered, his voice tinged with sleep.

“Oh no, you found out I was trying to escape” you joked.

Joel chuckled; his eyes still half-lidded. "Nice try, Bee, but you're not escaping that easily."

You faked disappointment, dramatically placing a hand over your heart. "Failed again. I guess I'll have to spend another day with you"

He laughed, and the sound filled the room with warmth. "Poor you stuck with me."

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as you made your way to the kitchen. Sarah entered the room, rubbing her eyes, as the sound of her footsteps approached.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Joel smiled as he greeted his daughter.

Sarah returned the smile with a yawn. "Morning. "Who's making all that commotion?"

Joel made a teasing gesture towards you. "Blame Bee, she's the noise one."

You raised an innocent-looking brow. "Me? "I'm just an innocent woman stuck with this man."

Sarah, being the curious teenager, joined in on the fun. "So, Bee, why did you stay here, exactly?"

You giggled and looked at Joel. "Well, your father can be quite persuasive." Plus, I've heard he makes an excellent breakfast."

 "Hmm, I don't know. Sounds suspicious. Are you sure you're not here to steal our secret family pancake recipe?" Sarah asked

Joel pretended shock. "You think she's after our secret pancake recipe, Sarah? We might need to put her on trial."

You played along, placing a hand on your chest in mock offense. "I swear, I'm just here for the company and maybe a pancake or two. No recipe stealing, I promise."

Sarah grinned, pouring herself a glass of orange juice "We'll see about that."

As you watched the two of them setting the table, something in your heart skipped a beat. You felt genuinely happy of letting yourself free to explore this path.

Joel looked at his watch with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I'm sorry for cutting this short, but I need to drop Sarah off at school." "Can I give you a ride home after that?"

You smiled as you nodded. "Of course," Joel says. Please take your time."

Joel returned your smile, and you both made your way to the car. The drive to Sarah's school was filled with light jokes and shared laughing, and the mood was relaxed and friendly. Sarah stepped out of the car and smiled at you both as you approached the school.

"Thank you for the breakfast, Dad!" And I'll see you soon, Bee!" Sarah yelled before walking into the school.

Joel chuckled as he watched her go away. "She's something, isn't she?"

A warm feeling crept up your chest as you nodded. "She's amazing, just like her dad."

Joel returned his attention to you after dropping Sarah off. "Ready for that ride home?"

You smiled. "Absolutely."

The ride back to your place was filled with more ease, as you two were back in your little bubble. As Joel pulled up to your home, he turned off the engine, and you both sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

"Thanks for the ride, Joel," you said, breaking the silence. "And for everything."

Joel leaned in, his lips brushing against yours in a sweet, lasting kiss. "No, thank you, Bee. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Count on it," you replied with a smile, watching him drive away before entering your home.

Walking through your home, you couldn't help but replay the moments with Joel in your mind. The way Joel's eyes lit up when he saw you, the gentle touch of his lips against yours.

A soft smile played on your lips as you remember that from now on, all that would become your new reality. The idea of having Joel by your side, sharing in the simple joys of life, made your heart full

You leaned against the door, your hand gently touching your lips, still tingling from his sweet kiss.

You didn’t know what was coming for you both in your story, so how about you let the universe decide for the both of you?

a/n: what would you like to see in the next chapter?

tags 💌: @joeldjarin @borhapparker @fatima-marisa @kirsteng42 @paleidiot @harriedandharassed @runningmom94 @pedr0swh0r3 @ssacharcoalgrey @missladym1981 @littleshadow17

[almighty-letu]

Day 6 Aleheather Week 2024

Day six, November 16th - Loyalty/Insecurity Create something that in some way shows Aleheather's loyalty to each other AND/OR their insecurities.

I decided to go with both with a little bit of my own spin in this. I always wanted to learn more about Heather's past in the show, and I always wondered how Alejandro would react to that. This is that story fully realized. Hope you enjoy!

Alejandro was precisely the type of guy that once used to be way out of Heather’s league.

Back when she was fat, pimply, and ugly; Alejandro would’ve never had taken a second glance at her. She knew his type way too well. He is a womanizer. A playboy. A casa nova - the type of guy who likes to toy with girls’ feelings just because he can and then make a fool out of them as a lesson for being so stupid and vulnerable in the first place.

Of course, Heather was not like that anymore. She’d evolved and become better for it. She was proud and confident of the fact she’s gorgeous nowadays, but the wounds ran far too deep and still stung.

Maybe that’s why she was so cautious and reserved around him when he was first introduced in the show. Heather caught on from personal experience the type of danger he poses and was quick to target him as a threat. And though Heather tried to resist his charms at first, she, just like every other girl, fell for him. And Heather hated herself for it. Hated the fact she was no better than anyone else.

Still, she could come out on top and say she accomplished the one thing every other girl can only dream of.

Heather bested Alejandro.

She beat him at his own game.

Heather took him down.

She gave Alejandro a taste of his own medicine.

Heather tamed him.

In his own words atop the volcano, somehow, she managed to steal his heart and win him over. Alejandro was hers and no one else's.

In a movie this would be the big defining moment for her. The ugly duckling becomes a swan and gets the guy in the end. But how can she ever lower her guard around him knowing his past tendencies? Knowing deep down inside what she really is? If Alejandro ever found out about her he’d be disgusted by her for sure. In that sense, though they were officially in a relationship, she took it with a giant grain of salt knowing he would never accept her for who she is.

And that’s fine by her.

Heather would rather be known as the mean hot villainess of the show than the ugly loser she once used to be.

Or at least, she thought she was.

The two of them held hands as they walked along the street together, Alejandro chatting her ears off, when they were approached by a fan.

“Oh my gosh! Heather? Heather from Total Drama?” The girl ducked in front of them, halting their path with a wide goofy grin on her face. Heather raised an eyebrow, cautiously leaning closer to Alejandro

“Yeah? Who’s asking?”

“Heather, I am your biggest fan ever! It’s such an honor to meet you in the flesh.” The fan gushed. “Can I have your autograph please?”

Heather rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure, whatever. Let’s just get this over with.” She took the photograph from the fan and froze. Eyes wide and hands trembling. The picture the fan handed to her to sign was a picture of Heather back in middle school. Back before she had her glow up phase… back when she was short, ugly, fat, and all things hideous. “Where… did you get this?” She said slowly, trembling with anger.

“You like it? It took a pretty penny to get it from your school’s yearbook for my weight loss blog. Let me tell you, you are such an icon!” The fan blabbed on enthusiastically. “I look up to you so much! You are truly an inspiration for all of us. You're hardly recognizable! If I didn’t have confirmation no one would hardly know it was you.”

Heather balled her fists in anger, ready to murder the puny girl right here, right now.

“What’s this?” Alejandro blinked down from over her shoulder, getting a glimpse of the photo in her hands.

“N-no, it’s nothing!” Heather crushed the picture too little too late.

“Is that really you?” Alejandro asked softly.

Heather’s breath quickened, her heart racing as she started to panic. “I- no- I’m just-”

“It totally is!” The fan cut in. “Heather used to look totally different back in the day, and now look at her! Truly an icon.”

She couldn’t take it anymore. Heather dropped the picture and bolted. “Heather!” She heard Alejandro call out to her but she didn’t dare look back. She ran away blindly, shoving her way through the crowd to find someplace safe to be away from all the prying eyes staring accusingly in her direction. Trees and buildings blurred past her until Heather arrived at a park. She came to a slow halt near the lake, panting to catch her breath, limbs still shaking.

She dragged herself to sit on the nearby bench, hunched over as she fiddled nervously with her hands. Heather’s heart was racing a mile per second. She couldn’t breathe properly. Her stomach coiled and hurt.

Great. She sniffled, hating how weak and puny she’d become. It’s over between us. Alejandro will never look at my face the same way again. She buried her face into her hands with a sigh, trying to calm down and process her emotions like her therapist suggested.

Soft footfalls crushing on grass drew her attention. A shadow towered over her.

“Heather?” Alejandro called out softly, trying not to set her off again. “Are you alright?”

Heather laughed bitterly. “Does it look like I’m alright?”

Alejandro sat down beside her on the bench. “Okay. That was a stupid question. My bad.” He stared at her worriedly. Slowly he pulled out the crumpled picture from his back pocket, staring at it intently. “So… about this?”

Heather groaned, slouching on the bench with a deep seated sigh through her nose, hands still covering most of her face.

“I had no idea you used to look so different.” Alejandro commented, his voice calm. “You’ve made quite the change for yourself. It’s impressive! Really. That girl back there was right about one thing; you should be proud of how far you’ve come.”

“If you are here to give me the breakup pep talk, I’d rather you spare me the embarrassment and leave me alone, Alejandro.” Heather muttered, still not looking at him.

Alejandro blinked. “Breakup? What are you talking about?”

“Do I really have to spell it out for you?” Heather hissed, dragging her hands down her face. Her eyes are puffy and red. “I am not who you thought I was, okay? Turns out the hot mean girl you’ve been dating was once a sad, pathetic, ugly loser. Does that hurt your ego? Knowing you gave someone like me time of day?”

Alejandro frowned. “I wish you’d been honest with me from the start.”

“Oh I am so sorry for wasting your time - you’re right! All girls should come with warning labels and full history for your convenience. WARNING: Once used braces.” Heather spat sarcastically. “How dare us!”

“Please let me finish.” Alejandro placed a gentle palm on her shoulder. “I wish you’d been honest with me from the start, but I can see how deeply upsetting the topic is for you so I don’t fault you at all for keeping this from me. This clearly means a lot to you.”

“I’m fine!”

“No you’re not. You’re shaking.” Alejandro mildly pointed out.

“If you respect me at all you’ll do as I ask and give me some space.” Heather said.

“Heather, please, I am trying to talk to you.” Alejandro urged. “It’s no surprise the way you are reacting because, well, this is still you we’re talking about here. I know better than anyone else how much your own image means for people like us. But really it’s no reason to be embarrassed.”

“Easy enough for you to say that.” Heather hissed resentfully. “I bet you never struggled a day in your life. Probably had everything handed to you on a silver platter to your beck and call. How would you know anything I’ve gone through?”

“I would if you’d just tell me about it!” Alejandro pressed. “You are so hard on yourself, that you need to be this perfect image of the ideal girl, that you don’t even realize your own self worth.”

“I know my own damn self worth, thank you very much!” Heather snapped, jabbing a finger on his chest. “I worked hard to get to where I am now and I won’t let you or anyone else for that matter undermine that just because of who I used to be.”

“The only one undermining your achievements is you.” Alejandro told her. “And I am not leaving you until we get all those messy feelings out of your system. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

Heather deflated, her pride wounded. “You really wanna know? Fine! The truth is, the only reason I am where I am now is because of the effort I put into changing myself way back in the day. Because ever since kindergarten I was always deemed the ugliest girl in class. The kind boys would confess their feelings to as a prank. The kind they would tell their friends I had a crush on them just to ick them out. When I turned 15 I decided enough was enough and had a glow up and suddenly I went from ugliest girl in class to hottest girl in school.” She said dejectedly. “Everything I have, everything I am and stand for… is because of that one change. I have this life… I have fame… security… and you. Without that glow up, I wouldn’t be… I wouldn’t have… I just-”

“Heather.” Alejandro breathed, squeezing her hand.

“I didn’t want you to find out about me this way. Because let’s not kid ourselves; you are only with me because of who I am at my absolute best.” Heather sobbed. “I am barely worthy of your time otherwise because-” She ripped the picture from his hands, revealing the photo of a chubby ballerina with pimples and braces. “THIS IS WHO I AM!”

Alejandro stared at her. Slowly he reached out and pulled the picture away, staring into Heather’s eyes as he cupped her cheek. “Do you really think I am with you for your looks alone?” He whispered. “Change or no change, you would be this no matter what. I fell in love with you for more than just your beauty. I love your determination. Your resilience. How cunning you are. Even your stubborn nature at times can be so endearing. There’s so much more to you than what you see, and I love every part of it.”

Heather frowned. “You wouldn’t be saying those things if we’d met way back when.” She laughed nervously. “You really think you’d notice me if I were still fat?”

“I don’t see why not.” Alejandro said simply. “It’s just more of you to love.”

“Yeah right!” Heather scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“No really! I know you see me a certain way because of the way I presented myself back in the show, but that was all strategy. I am not so superficial to only judge a book by its cover.” Alejandro reasoned. “You are more than meets the eye, Heather. For what it's worth I am proud of how far you’ve come, but I don’t think you should be embarrassed by your roots. I don’t care if you were chubby or pimply or wore braces. That doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

Heather lowered her hands, sniffling.

“Oh! Here.” Alejandro rummaged through his pocket and pulled his phone out. He tinkered with it for a few heartbeats before he handed it to her. “Take a look at this.”

Heather leaned closer, her eyes widening. On the phone was the picture of a way too skinny young boy with lanky limbs and cowlick hair staring deadpanned at the camera. “Wow.” She gasped. “That’s… uh, really something. I never-”

“Yup. That’s me alright.” Alejandro grinned. “As much as I like to brag about my perfect physique, I wasn’t always handsome like this. Trust me, no one likes to remind me of that more than Jose. He keeps me humble that way.”

“Huh, I guess I never really thought of you as anything other than the version I met.” Heather admitted. “You probably got bullied a lot, eh?”

Alejandro nodded. “Oh of course! With Carlos and Jose to compare to, I was massacred by the kids back in the day. But I showed them!” He puffed his chest. “We showed them. Have I calmed your nerves sufficiently enough to prove your worth?” He offered her a tissue.

“Thanks.” Heather accepted the offer, blowing her nose and wiping her tears away with her hand. “It kills me that this picture of me is making its rounds online. God! I will never hear the end of it if anyone in the show catches wind of this.”

“Hey, relax, we’ll think of something.” Alejandro soothed. “You know, we can always take a page out of Courtney’s book and make the girl take down the picture.”

“... Yeah. That sounds good.”

“Are you ready to go home?”

“Just give me a few minutes.” Heather closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she relished the soft breeze on her skin. With Alejandro’s hand in hers she watched the ducks at the park swim around, gathering her composure.

[mooncrack]

A couple hours passed and it's now lunch. Your still on his mind is some shape way or form. But he is now sitting at lunch outside with his boys. Price and Ghost are smoking while Soap is just yapping around

"OooOoOoh! Did you hear about the new exchange student-! The fresh blood-!"

"Johnny. Don't refure to the new student as fresh blood."

"Shup up, Ghost nobody cares. Anyways they seem PERFECT for a little prankkkk~"

"God, you with your stupid little pranks."

"Womp womp, you gonne cry about it?"

"Guys, calm down."

"Okay, dad." Both Ghost and Soap say at the same time. But Gaz is more focused on what he said before. "They seem perfect for a little prank." Oh. Hell. No. Gaz, wants to win them over and know that enemies to lovers only happends in fiction.

"Leave them alone Soap, there nice"

"OooOoOoh~ does mister handsome have a crush on the new foreign student~?"

"I DON'T. They helped me acsualy understand math, so I'm thinking about convincing them to tutor me for free."

"Wow, they acsualy made you understand math?!? This is a moment in history"

"Oh, go fuck yourself"

"Gladly. But I guess I'll leave them alone for now. But you defenetly have a crush on them"

"Johnny Mactavish I SWEAR TO GOD-"

Meanwhile you where chilling in a corner, head phones on. Reading a book your intredted in. You haven't made friends yet, with you exspected. Your fine on your own. You have gotten picked on a couple times, for your accent, or the way you dress. But nobody here could compeat to what your old school use to say. So your at peace, just reading. Nobody seems to try and come over and pick on you or anything. Weird. Break are the perfect time for bulling. Atleast at my old school.

You look up from your book and look around. There are groups of people loudly talking, some pointing at you and giggling. Wow they don't even have the guts to come up to you.

Pussies.

Little did you know that Gaz as you've leard people called him, would shoot death glares at anybody who would get close to you to pick on you. And this just Confirms to the 141 that he is 100% inlove with you. Price had it's doubts at first, but the feath stares dom't leave any doubts. They know he has been single for way to long. To the point Soap was talking about setting him up with one of the simps. But know, they could play cupid with somebody he acsualy likes.

The 141 likes to play cupido with there m̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶s̶ friends. They did it with both Price and Lasswell before. And know they can do it for Gaz.

And he has picked his suter.

You.

And there not gonna ruin that for him.

Nonononono.

There going to help him.

A couple weeks have passed and you've sort of setteld in. Also this uniform if ugly and very much uncomfortable, It could be worse. You and Gaz have grown closer. No friends. More like mutuals. But he is 100% the person your the closest with. He's been kind enough to exsplain the unwrithen rules here (lets be honest every school has them)

there is also this nother boy named Philips who is from america and moved here last year. It was obvius that he was from america sinds he's loud and his thick southen accent gives it away within seconds.

But he told you about a group called 141. At first you were confused, but then he exsplained it. And color you shocked when you hear that Kyle. The guy I'm sorta friends with and help with math, is in there. Oh, so maybe thats why you haven't been picked on- damn this school is full of pussies. Back home they didn't care about your statuse. A easy victim is a easy victim. But I'm getting of track. There is aperently MUTIBUL of these kinna groups and they all do NOT get along. Maybe this is kinna the same as back home-

there is the Shadow's and the Konni's. Weird ass names. But when you ask for more info, he won't give any up, because

"Look, just stay away from any of the groups. You'll know if there apart of one of them you see them"

Bitch. Maybe Kyle can give you more info about the Shadow's and Konni's...

-------------------------------------------------------

Hallo. I finnish this in school and there was no proof reading so it's exstra shitty. And sorry it's so long, but the first draft was SO univentfull for me. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed and if you have any tips or sugestions feel free to comment them^^ (just don't correct my spelling)

Ps: tumblr won't allow me to comment, so hold on while I fix that

Doei!

[juliwuzhere]

Fan made Camp Camp episode idea:

Neil creating the shows equivalent to the matrix out of spite because Nikki said he’s “smart, but not THAT smart.” by making a computer that by writing in it with the specifics of whatever reality you want will create the reality. But because Neil took a break and left it unsupervised, Nerris was able to get their hands on it. Aka the camper who plays DND, A game that involves writing elaborate and detailed storylines. So needless to say everyone in camp gets trapped in a fantasy reality where they are forced to fulfill their randomly assigned role which comes with a complete storyline, backstory, and quest, or they will be stuck there forever because Neil didn’t add a fucking way out.

“You didn’t add a way OUT!?” Harrison shouts. “I WAS ON FUCKING BREAK!”

Nerris ends up not being able to control it either, because again Neil forgot to add those final touches, so they to are stuck having to go through every quest they assigned for each character. Most of their quests are to rescue other campers in a sort of Pokémon format in which they have to complete their quest to collect one of the campers, who also have their own backstory and plot relevance. The campers weren’t having that fun of a time at first since they deemed it as “Too nerdy” but after a while started getting really into it, Nerris from the start has been having a blast because she’s never had other people to play DnD with. Neil, ironically, gets the role of a strong knight who is meant to save a sleeping princesses who can only get awoken by a true loves kiss, a kiss on the cheek, from a big ass, well protected, tall as shit, tower. He beats all the EXTREMELY DIFFICULT obstacles with the help of the other campers and they make it to the tower. Just as he enters the room of the princesses he is now faced with one hell of a situation to be in . Neil realizes that the “princesses” he was meant to wake up with a true loves kiss was actually a prince, and to make it even more awkward, Max.

____________

Neil’s stares at Max, who at the moment is laying in the most expensive looking bed he’s ever seen while wearing a poofy white dress and holding a bouquet of flowers. Neil stares at Max. Neil turns to Nerris. “I’m not doing this.”

“But you have to!” Nerris exclaims. “If you don’t we’ll all be stuck here forever!” They state it in a rather theatrical and dramatized way as a means of attempting to keep up the fantasy vibes that Neil was completely draining out of the room. Neil death stares Nerris. “Ok, I may or may have not had accidentally written a typo because I was too excited…” Nerris explains, avoiding eye contact with Neil as he continues to death stare Nerris.

“But you still wrote for it to be Max!” Neil exclaims as he points at Max, who still stays asleep even after all the shouting happening across the room.

“I- Well yeah but like, you know… it made sense character wise.” Nerris murmured, implying Neil’s crush. Neil turns a shade of red that is easily visible due to his skin being so pale, which confirms Nerris’s statement. The room agrees with Nerris because, I mean…come on. Gwen can’t be the ONLY person shipping people at camp. Still, they stay quiet, aside from Nikki but that’s because she is having to hold in a loud ass laugh since she knows they both have a crush on each other which makes the whole situation fucking hilarious from her point of view. As the silence stretches, Neil suddenly turns his attention back to Max. He steps closer to Max, now being at the edge of Max’s bed. Neil stretches his hands out towards Max. He shakes Max vigorously.

“Max! Max you better wake up right fucking now or I swear to god.” Max does no such thing. Neil stops shaking Max and lets his hands fall off Max’s shoulder’s . He sighs. “Well fuck me I guess.” Neil leans forward and giving in to Nerris’s request, gives Max a kiss on the cheek. Suddenly, Max’s eyes opened wide. A resonating and painful slap then echos across the room. “OW! W-WHAT THE FUCK” Neil yells as he holds his cheek that was now turning a definitely bruising shade of purple.

“OH SHIT SORRY,” Max apologizes, as a blush starts to creep into his face for two reasons. “My fight or flight reflex’s kicked in and I’m not a flight kinda person so…”

“SO YOU FUCKING ROUNDHOUSE MY ASS?”

[mrs-han]

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You were hired as a Junior Accountant for C&R International’s Informational Technology department, and you were so thrilled that you had downed three small cups of coffee within seconds.

Lucky breaks and rare opportunities didn’t happen for you, so you often had to call your hiring manager to confirm the time and date of your first day. Your office would be on the eighty-seventh floor, fairly close to the head honchos of the establishment.

Or so you heard. It didn’t matter to you because their positions didn’t benefit you; you were more concerned about making a stellar first impression among your coworkers.

Hoo. Another cup of coffee wouldn’t hurt.

The line to the bustling coffee shop nearly deterred you, especially as you noticed the sea of suits before you. You opted for a business casual fit that made you stand out like a sore thumb; khaki slacks, a bright teal blouse, and white flats. Nobody said anything to you, but that didn’t make their stares less obvious.

You eventually grabbed your coffee, loaded with sugar and extra shots of espresso, and followed the herd of people as they made their way to the many gargantuan elevators nestled elegantly between marble walls. Each elevator was labeled - Basement to Floor XXV. Floor XXV to Floor LV. Floor LV to Floor C.

You were immediately overwhelmed. The initial interview took place on the ground floor, not... oh Lord, you didn’t know your roman numerals. 

Steeling your nerves, you gripped your cup and made your way through to the elevator on the far right... bumping every other person with the laptop bag as it swung carelessly.

Coworkers mingled quietly amongst themselves as the elevator doors closed. If only you knew which elevator you had made it onto, you would have felt way more comfortable. The loud ding after hitting each floor created a temporary hush, and as some people filed out, more filed in. 

Why in the world was the building so big, anyway. The size had astonished you at first glance, but now? Now, you wanted to get the hell off. 

More people filed out, leaving you with a select few. Inching your way to a young woman with her head down, you spoke timidly. “Pardon me, which floor are we on now?”

She turned and gave you a sharp look of disgust and annoyance. You shrank back, ashamed for even asking. Maybe you could quickly pull up a list of roman numerals on your phone and figure it out from there -

Another loud ding suspended your thoughts. As the doors opened, those who were left with you filed out. With a soul-crushing sigh of defeat, you lifted your head.

Metallic, cold gray eyes stared at you. The man staring down at you carried an elegant but deadly serious air. The three-piece suit he donned looked crisp and smooth to the touch, and the jacket he had over his shoulders looked like a grandiose cape worn only by royalty.

You stepped off to one side - he entered and stood quietly. 

“Floor?” You asked.

“Ground,” he answered.

You moved closer to him. “Sure, but can I ask you a question? Where is the... eighty-seventh floor?”

The towering man stared at you. “I take it this is your first day.”

“Ugh, yes.” You exhaled a sigh of relief, even though his tone sounded bothered and indifferent. “I’m a new Junior Accountant for that floor, and the last thing I need is to be late.”

His tense stance relaxed just slightly. “Excuse me.” You took a step back as he reached, pushed two buttons, then turned to you. His voice sounded much softer as he reached into his breast pocket. “How much time do you have until you need to clock in?”

“Ah, five minutes?”

“Ah. You’ll make it in time.” He pulled his hand out and pat the pocket instead. 

“Thank you,” you smiled. “I really owe you one. My name is MC!” You set your bag down and reached to shake the helpful man’s hand. “And you?”

He extended his hand with grace - as if he were trained to perform the action his whole life. “You may call me Mr. H.”

 “What, you don’t have a first name?” You smirked.

“Oh, H stands for something.”

“Fine, Mr. H.” Amazed by his firm handshake, you couldn’t help but smile at the only fairly friendly face you had seen that day. “Do you work on the ground floor?”

He blinked. “For today, yes. I often need to move from one floor to another throughout the day.” 

“That sounds exhausting. Are you an apprentice for the CEO? You know, considering you just came from the top floor.”

He had never been so shocked before, his brows raised high. “... Of a sort.” 

“What an opportunity,” you sighed, wistful and almost envious. 

“... Yes. An amazing opportunity, indeed.” 

Ding!

You pulled your bag to you and gripped your coffee as the elevator doors opened, your nerves finally playing catch-up.

“Go on. This is your stop. I hope your first day is productive.”

The man’s encouraging voice gave you an inkling of courage. You smiled wide and waved. “Hopefully I’ll see you around, Mr. H!”

He nodded and watched as you walked to your supervisor’s office, ignoring the astonished gazes of the financial ward.