#fam this scene just gets me | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jinks050 · 2 days ago

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Guys, I need you to read this rn bc it is the sweetest thing I've read since joining Malevolent. And I am not saying that bc I love Noel(s).

it’s still Valentine’s Day in my time zone hush

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY EVERYONE!! I bring you an offering of a Charlie Dowd/Noel Finley fic. It’s very cute and I’m giggling over it anyway-

“Sixteen” by Grayscale Sparks

Charlie Dowd knew what day it was. He’s been through this day sixteen times with way more than sixteen daydreams.

He wasn’t stupid.

Harper’s Hill was a small town, a middle of nowhere stop right between somewhere important. It was times like this where Charlie would say that everyone knew each other, but that would be a lie.

Everyone, however, knew a certain teenage heartthrob.

Noel Finley.

The name sounded like a late night jazz club. It sounded like racing hearts and quick grins and-

“Charlie!”

Charlie jolted back to attention. “Huh?”

“Quit dozing off on me.” Noel said, giving his best friend a shove. “Are you thinking about someone special?”

Charlie’s face burned with embarrassment. “No. Shut up. Why are we here again?”

“I told you. I have a date.” Noel said. “Which tie?”

“Yellow.” Charlie muttered.

“I look shit in yellow!” Noel protested. Charlie rolled his eyes. He highly doubted Noel looked shit in anything. “You, however… okay, I see it.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Noel said. He added the yellow tie to his pile.

“I thought you looked shit in yellow.” Charlie said as Noel continued searching through the ties.

Noel grinned. “But you don’t. You’re coming with me.”

Charlie blinked. “I’m coming with you. On your date?”

“It's at the fair, dumbass.” Noel said. “We’re going to get you a date too. Double dates are all the rage nowadays.”

“Sure thing.” Charlie said. “And uh, blue. You look really good in blue.”

Noel grinned. “Thanks.”

After buying their new clothes, they went to Noel’s house to change. Hannah, Noel’s sister, was doing the same. Her mother was braiding her hair while she talked about a boy in her class she hoped to meet there.

Noel rolled his eyes. “Mason Fuller. You know him?”

“Can’t say I do.”

“Well if all goes right according to her plan, you’ll be hearing everything about him. She’s crazy about the guy.” Noel shook his head. “I don’t see the craze.”

“Like you're any better.” Said Noel’s younger brother, Tommy. He wasn’t planning on going with them to the fair. He was ten and therefore didn’t believe in Valentine’s Day. Charlie didn’t blame him.

“What are you talking about?” Noel protested, shoving his brother’s shoulder lightly as he passed.

Tommy shoved him back. “It’s always Charlie this, Charlie that, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie-“

“Shut up!” Noel squawked.

“Thomas, that’s quite different.” Their mother said lightly. The face Hannah was making said otherwise.

Noel, who was bright red now, pushed Charlie down the hall to his room. “Fuck, sorry. That dumbass.”

“No, it’s fine.” Charlie said faintly.

Noel talked about him?

Of course Noel talked about you, you’re his best friend. Shut the fuck up.

“Go change quickly.” Noel said. “We spent too long out.”

“Only because you insisted on getting coffee and, quote, enjoy the sunshine at the fountain for the whole morning.”

“Shut up, it was nice, go change.” Noel pushed his clothes into Charlie’s chest. “Shoo.”

Charlie changed in the bathroom, rolling his eyes at the yellow tie Noel had gotten him. Noel insisted on paying for both of them. He was working with his dad now, and confidently said that he felt like a proper adult paying for clothes himself. Charlie, who did not have a job, obliged.

Charlie folded his clothes and kicked Noel’s bedroom door with his foot. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.” Noel said. He was standing in front of the mirror fighting with his tie. “Can you uh, can you help me out?”

Charlie tossed his clothes onto Noel’s bed. “Come here.”

Noel smiled weakly. “Dad usually helps me out but he’s at work so…”

“One day you’re going to learn how to tie your own ties.”

“No, that’s ridiculous.” Noel said. “I’ll always have you to tie them for me.”

Charlie bit his tongue and finished tying, giving it a little tug to straighten it out. Noel was an objectively handsome guy. Everyone knew that. It just so happened that Charlie had taken it upon himself to realize just how handsome he was a few years ago.

They were best friends. They did everything together. Noel was at his house last year, and had taken his shirt off in front of him to change.

Sure.

Yeah.

Everything went downhill from there.

It wasn’t Charlie’s fault that Noel was touchy and nice and flirted with anything that breathed. It wasn’t Charlie’s fault that Noel insisted that they were forever even if he had no idea what he was talking about.

Best friends forever.

It wasn’t Charlie’s fault he wanted more.

“Are you two ready yet? We’re going to be late.” Hannah shouted down the hall

Charlie didn’t realize he had stilled, gently holding Noel’s tie. Noel was staring at him, cheeks pink, eyes dancing across his face.

Charlie stepped back before he got any bad ideas.

“We’re coming.” Charlie called back, dusting the cotton and ache from his head.

It was, however, his fault for letting himself think Noel cared about him as more than a friend. That led to unwanted dreams and heartbreak.

Noel had a date with a girl tonight. Charlie had to keep that replaying in his head.

He wasn’t the secret lover that he craved to be. He was the wingman.

The sun was beginning to set as they made their way to the fair. It was a local affair, put on by highschoolers that begged the mayor of the town for funding. Something about morale.

Yay, Valentine’s Day.

Everything was pink and red and white and decorated with hearts and cupids. The whole thing was ridiculous, but maybe that was because the sunset and warm string lights made Noel look like a god.

He shooed Hannah off as soon as they stepped inside the fairgrounds, but not before lecturing her about being safe and coming to find him if anything should happen.

“You know, I trust her.” Noel said. “I just don’t trust that son of a bitch Mason.”

“Cute date idea.” Charlie teased. “Stalk your sister’s date. I’m sure your girlfriend won’t mind. What was her name again?”

“Shay.” Noel said. “And we’re not dating.”

“And where is she now?” Charlie asked.

Noel shrugged. “No clue. I told her to meet me here but I don’t know where she is.”

Charlie frowned, scanning the fairgrounds. “Shay who? I don’t think I’ve met her.”

“She’s visiting family from Boston.” Noel said. Not an answer. “Do you want to get some food?”

“What if Shay from Boston comes back?” Charlie asked dryly.

“Doubtful.” Noel said. “I didn’t think she’d show up anyway.”

“Hey, wait.” Charlie said. “Don’t get sad on me. She doesn’t even go to our school, so it’s not like you’d get to see her. And if she stands you up on your first date then she is not worth it.”

Noel didn’t look too upset, but Charlie knew he was good at masking his pain. “Yeah, I know.”

“Noel.” Charlie said. “Seriously.”

Noel chewed his bottom lip. “Yeah. I know. Uhm… Charlie? Since we’re here, do you wanna get some food or something?”

Charlie scanned his face, but had no idea what emotions were bubbling beneath the surface. Noel was a relatively easy person to read, especially since Charlie knew him for so long, but none of the expected emotions were appearing on those fucking sapphire blue eyes.

“Sure.” Charlie said. “Let’s get something to eat.”

Charlie had never seen Harper’s Hill as busy as it was that night. Then again, his only socialization was through Noel, and Noel preferred to hang out with him.

They passed kids from school, but didn’t stay to chat long. “Okay. Real food, or ice cream sundaes.”

“Finley, you’re killing me.” Charlie said. “Ice cream.”

“Perfect.” Noel said with a grin. “I was thinking exactly the same thing.”

“Let me pay, Noel. You’ve paid all day.”

Noel poked his shoulder. “No way, I’m treating you.”

“I’m not your date.”

Noel bit his lip quickly, and Charlie knew it was a physical sign he was literally biting back something to say. His heart fluttered, foolish thoughts running through his head.

Am I? He wanted to ask. Was this all for me?

But no, that was stupid. Ridiculous even. Laughable, preposterous, he could go on with the synonyms.

“What do you want?” Noel asked.

“Classic, extra chocolate. And no cherries.”

“The cherries are the best part, Dowd.” Noel said.

“Fine, keep the cherries.”

Noel smiled, and went up to the booth to order. Charlie took a moment to scan the rest of the fairgrounds. It was dotted with couples and groups of friends trying to get dates. People would assume the same of Noel and Charlie. After all, that was the intention. Double dates were all the rage, according to Noel, so no doubt they’d end the night with girls.

Charlie had kissed a girl before. She’d asked him out, so he took her to the theater. He kissed her before dropping her off back home, because that was what you were supposed to do, right?

He’d also kissed a boy before. Sloppy and quick behind the bleachers after a game, pupils blown wide with equal parts attraction and fear.

He’d thought of his best friend when he kissed that boy.

He thought about whether his lips would be chapped or his hands would be soft, and what they would feel like on his neck and his stomach and-

“Sundae coming right up.” Noel said. “What are you staring at?”

Charlie tore his eyes away from a spot he’d latched onto before he ran away with his thoughts. “Hm?”

“Earth to Dowd.” Noel said with a fond smile. “Let’s go sit.”

There were tables set up, close enough to the highschool’s jazz band. They were playing something peppy, and Charlie let the music sink into his skin, grounding his thoughts one note at a time.

Noel was watching him with that same fond smile when he finally came back to himself.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Noel said, shaking his head.

Charlie moved the cherries from his sundae to Noel’s, and took a bite. Despite the winter chill hanging onto Harper’s Hill like death, Charlie felt warm and comfortable. He was wearing his father’s flannel lined coat, which was frankly ridiculous over his nice shirt and new tie. But at least he was comfortable.

Noel, that bastard, looked good as hell in a nice coat and scarf. He must have been cold, he’d always been sensitive to temperature, why didn’t Charlie insist he wear a better coat?

“You’re staring again.” Noel hummed. “Seriously, Charlie. What’s on your mind?”

And how do you tell him that it was him that was on your mind? It was always him, every waking moment. Every sleeping moment too. How was he to know that he was the only thing you thought of, the only thing you wanted, and it hurt like the fires of hell because he was the only thing you couldn’t have.

“Nothing.” Charlie insisted. It couldn’t have been further from the truth. Noel was everything.

“Look, Charlie.” Noel said, setting his spoon down on the obnoxiously pink tablecloth. “I wanted to-“

“Hey!” Both of them jumped at the sudden intrusion. “My friend back there wanted to say that you were really cute, and she wanted to ask you to dance.”

Sure enough, behind the girl in a red dress far too short for the weather, was a group of two other girls holding the arms of their friend, who was hiding her face in her hands with embarrassment. Charlie folded himself away, backing away from the conversation, disappearing.

Because of course.

Noel chuckled weakly. “I’m actually waiting for my date right now. Sorry.”

Her face fell. “Oh- oh. Okay. Uhm, what about you? Charlie right? Do you wanna dance?”

Noel bit his lip. He focused on his desert once more.

“Me too.” Charlie said awkwardly.

She backed off, going back to her disappointed friends.

“Why’d you tell her no?” Noel asked.

And at the same time, Charlie asked, “You’re still waiting for Shay?”

Noel’s eyes widened. “What? Oh- no. I’m- I’m not.”

“Oh.” Charlie said. “Then why say no?”

“Why’d you say no?” Noel countered.

“I have food.” Charlie said defensively.

Noel nodded. “Me too.”

Tense silence fell between them, and screw it if Charlie wanted to go chase after those girls for a dance just to get away from it. Noel teased him relentlessly for being bad with silences, for always needing to fill it with useless conversation. It wasn’t his fault Noel always humored his useless conversation.

He was about to open his mouth to start one of those useless conversations, latching onto the first thing his racing mind came up with, but Noel beat him to the chase.

“Wanna get out of here?”

Charlie’s heart lurched. “What?”

“We’re pretty much done.” Noel said, gesturing to their empty sundae bowls. “So… D’you wanna get out of here?”

“We have to wait for Hannah.” Charlie said mechanically.

“Right.” Noel said, leaning back, dejected.

Charlie Dowd was not a strong man. He couldn’t stand Noel’s pout, and Noel that motherfucker knew that. “But sure. Let’s go.”

Noel lit up brighter than the pink and white lights criss-crossed above the tables.

They threw away their trash and Noel led them through the crowds out to the edge of the fairgrounds. Into the treeline, there was a perfect parting where the soft lights of the ferris wheel glittered.

“This is definitely a makeout spot.” Charlie said.

“Good thing we found it first.” Noel said.

Did he hear himself? Did he know how crazy he made Charlie?

Charlie took a moment to watch the Ferris wheel and listen to the jazz that echoed just far enough to reach them. This was a disconnect from reality.

And call him foolish, but Charlie loved those. If he was faced with a world where he could love Noel Finley with no repercussions, would he be strong enough to say no?

Charlie laughed to himself, and turned to face Noel.

Except the bastard was in a tree.

“What the fuck, Finley?” Charlie called up the tree. “What are you doing?”

“The view’s great up here!” Noel said. “Come on”

“The things I do for you.” Charlie muttered.

Noel watched him climb up and ungracefully pull himself on the branch beside him.

“I-“ Charlie said, huffing. “Hate you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Noel said. “Look. You can see the fairgrounds.”

Charlie looked, and sure enough, Noel had picked the perfect branch. The whole fair was visible, much smaller from up high. The world glowed golden and red, creating a pleasant bronze from their branch.

“It doesn’t feel real.” Noel whispered.

“Hey, dumbass.” Charlie said. “What really happened with Shay?”

“What?” Noel asked.

“You heard me.”

Noel buried his face in his hands. “Ugh. Don’t talk to me. That was dumb.”

“You asking out a city girl? Yeah it was.” Charlie said. “You’re asking to get your heart broken.”

Noel looked up, as if he was surprised at what Charlie had said. “Uh. Yeah. I know I am. But that’s- fuck.”

“What?” Charlie asked.

“Nothing!” Noel said quickly.

“Noel, you’re being weird.”

“So are you!” Noel protested, voice high. Defensive. Noel sobered. “Charlie.”

“What?”

“Shay isn’t real.”

“What?”

“I- fuck. I made up the story. I wanted to- this is going to sound really dumb.”

“You wanted to pretend to be cool with your fake girlfriend?” Charlie asked dryly.

Noel rolled his eyes. “Charlie, I know you’re smart. Put the pieces together.”

“I don’t know where the pieces are. It’s dark” Charlie said, heart racing. Conclusions were dangerous. Conclusions put a boy in jail under terms of a falsified burglary because his rich daddy didn’t want the news to spread. Conclusions were not made for Charlie Dowd and Noel Finley. “Use your words.”

“I wanted to go to the fair with you.” Noel said quickly, words stumbling over each other in the rush to get out. Noel looked like he was ready to jump off the branch. Charlie felt like he was going to fall.

“You did?” Charlie asked quietly. He wondered if there were any more pieces.

“Yes.” Noel muttered.

Charlie grabbed his arm, just in case the bastard really was going to jump off the branch. He knew Noel wasn’t above that, but he’d be damned before he let this go.

“Why?”

“Do I have to have a reason?” Noel asked quickly. “You’re my best friend.”

“Right.” Charlie said, letting his arm drop. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Noel bit his lip.

Charlie felt like his chest was being unraveled. “You’re going to bite through your lip one day.”

“CanIkissyou?”

Charlie jolted in surprise. “What?”

Noel folded over, head in his knees.

“No, no. What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Noel said, voice muffled. It sounded thin with panic, and Charlie could barely hear over the pounding in his chest.

He wished he could hear the music from the fair, he wished he could see Noel’s face, he wished this were real goddamnit.

“Noel.” Charlie said evenly, trying to get his desperate thoughts back in line. “Did you… ask if you could kiss me? Because if so… yes.”

Noel was slow to un-bury his head. His whole face was red from embarrassment, but his eyes were wide. They were far enough from the fair so the gold glow didn’t make them green. Good. He looked better in blue.

A heart beat, and then Noel was lurching forward to kiss Charlie as if he’d take back his permission. As if.

There was no fucking way he’d take back his permission any time soon. With one hand, Charlie cupped Noel’s face, and with the other he balanced them on the branch so they wouldn’t fall to their deaths.

If Charlie died before he got to properly kiss Noel Finley he’d be pissed.

But oh.

But here.

Charlie broke out into the stupidest grin, and hey it was kind of hard to kiss while smiling so wide, wasn’t that crazy?

Noel pulled away, but Charlie kept his hand cupping his face, fingers just barely in his curls and hey maybe he could sink his hands in his hair that was new, that was a possibility.

Charlie was buzzing with excitement. Screw fireworks, this was a time bomb. But fuck if it wasn’t decorated in pink glitter and heart stickers because this is what youth felt like. What the fuck was he saying? Didn’t matter. Noel mattered. Noel right here, he asked if he could kiss Charlie. That was real, that mattered.

“Yeah?” Noel asked.

“Speechless.” Charlie said breathlessly. No spoken words could convey the sparkling of his mind. “Come here.”

Noel obliged. He tasted the color of champagne bubbles and sapphire lakes and echoes of jazz and real this was real this was real.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Charlie.” Noel whispered against his lips.

Charlie couldn’t contain his giggle. Sixteen years and he’d never felt this alive. If he fell he could snap his neck. Wasn’t that crazy? Wasn’t this fucking wild?

Noel was kissing him.

“Happy Valentine's Day, Noel.”

If Noel told him they were floating in the clouds rather than sitting in a tree, Charlie would believe him.

So yeah, he could believe in forever.

#malevolent #malevolent podcast #malevolent fanfic #charlie dowd #noel finley #original noel finley #dead boys #MIAs #Paper Moon #Clay Pigeons #I'm gonna do a poll for their ship names in a moment just making sure I cover the bases #Ok going nuts now #MY GOSH GRAY THE SUBTLE HINTS TO THEIR CONFESSIONS #Noel saying Charlie would look good in yellow- love/hate you for that bc of what we know later on into Chuck's life #AND THE PART WHEN HE HELPS TIE HIS TIE YOU /j #love when writers get creative with the subtle references to the future events that change the original characters forever #I love Noel's family especially his little brother (im the youngest in my fam and lemme tell you that is spot on writing)#Noel having to fight every urge to flat out say he wants to kiss Charlie when Chuck had already done it and fantasize about it being Noel #that got me the most. Not just Charlie was willing to go fuck it to find out who he is really attracted to and realizing Noel really is #his gay awakening and he has to thank him for being the first one to love him back with no issue and he has to hold that in his mind foreve #And the mentions of gold and green to the dreamlike look the outskirts of the fair to their makeout spot alluding to the dreamlands and Has #OOOOOO I WAS GOING NUTS AT THAT COMPARISON THAT HAS YET TO BE REALIZED FOR YOUNG CHARLIE when I read that #also Noel climbing up the tree to avoid outright telling Charlie they should kiss was hilarious esp how Charlie reacted like def how I deal #plus the ice cream scene was super cute too #ok im done overall A++ work no notes

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choerrypuffs · 1 month ago

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AITA for setting my cheating ex's car on fire? (and then falling for his cousin)

pairing: firefighter!haechan x reader

genre: fluff

word count: 8.6k

synopsis: revenge is best served cold―or on fire. literally.

author’s note: luvpuffcore is finally back!! ilysm cat and moon and thank you for another amazing year of friendship <333 i truly am the #1 most successful fan of all time 🤩 also special shoutout to cat for letting me use some of her creepy dms and moon for sharing her league knowledge yall are god's strongest soldiers fr !! happy new year, my loves ✨🎆💞

warning(s): mentions/threats of violence, sexual jokes, y/n commits arson but in a girly pop way (pls don't try this at home), character assassination of mark

playlist: get him back! by olivia rodrigo ― is it new years yet? sabrina carpenter ― drinks or coffee by rosé ― risk by gracie abrams ― mastermind by taylor swift

additional: check out a nonsense christmas: reddit edition collab!

r/AmITheAsshole

u/justgirlythings-arson119 • 3d

AITA for setting my cheating ex’s car on fire? (and then falling for his cousin)

I (24F) caught my boyfriend cheating on me with a discord kitten he met on League of Legends two days before our anniversary. I proceeded to have the biggest crash out ever known to man, bought a gallon of gasoline, went to his house in the middle of the night, and lit his car on fire. I had completely forgotten his cousin was a firefighter in the area, and he showed up at the scene, which hindered my masterful plan a little bit. Luckily, my ex didn’t press any charges though because no way in hell he’s going to admit he has a discord kitten in a court of law. Anyways, the next day, my ex groveled and begged me to go to his family’s Christmas party with him so that he could save face in front of his mommy. Long story short―let’s just say it didn’t go well. His cousin ended up driving me home, and I think maybe I’ve fallen for him?

⥣ 9.8k ⥥ 1,439 Comments

mcballs-im-lovin-it0323 • 2d YTA for not crashing out even harder bc i woulda slept with his entire bloodline if he played in my face like that 🙂‍↕️

➥ Reply ⥣ 2.8k ⥥

picklepounder1010 • 1d would’ve had him calling me mama, papa, auntie, uncle, grandma, grandpa etc fr 😩 ➥ ⥣ 943 ⥥

god-of-donuts0423 • 1d YTA for dating a lol player

➥ Reply ⥣ 1.1k ⥥

goonknight1027 • 5h no way this post is about that twink lol streamer ➥ ⥣ 629 ⥥

part one | oh, i wanna key his car…or light it ablaze?

onyourmark 12/1/2024 3:03 PM heyyy u play lol too 😂

onyourmark 12/1/2024 3:05 PM im a yasuo main 😂

onyourmark 12/1/2024 3:10 PMwhat kinda asian are u

onyourmark 12/1/2024 3:10 PMwhatchu look like

onyourmark 12/1/2024 3:10 PMsorry was that too much 😂😂😂

Your best friend, Rosie, has to put your phone down and take a few deep breaths. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Keep going. You haven’t even seen the worst of it,” you respond through a mouthful of strawberry ice cream, completely deadpan.

onyourmark 12/7/2024 6:21 AM ahh 😂😂

onyourmark 12/7/2024 6:22 PM *kisses you*

onyourmark 12/12/2024 5:39 PM can i tell U something weird :3 😂

onyourmark 12/12/2024 5:40 PM[Audio Message]

onyourmark 12/12/2024 5:39 PMi wrote this rap about my feelings for y baby girl

onyourmark 12/12/2024 5:39 PMbecause uve been such a good gril for me

onyourmark 12/12/2024 5:57 PM holy fck holy dcking fck that body of urs is absurd

Rosie covers her mouth with her hand, closing her eyes in a grimace. “No way he copied Adam Levine unironically.”

“Keep going.”

onyourmark Yesterday at 1:20 AMwhen can i see u

onyourmark Yesterday at 1:20 AM ill be free after christmas

onyourmark Yesterday at 1:20 AM after annyign fam stuff 😂😂😂

Every message Rosie reads feels like another sucker punch in your gut and your ego, but you just dig your spoon into the tub of ice cream with even more force and let her keep going. Every time you blink, you feel dried up mascara flaking off your eyelashes and getting stuck in the dried tears and snot on your cheeks.

“‘Annoying fam stuff?’ Is he talking about your anniversary?” Rosie demands.

Yes, your anniversary with your now ex-boyfriend, Mark Lee, is on Christmas. You used to think it was romantic. What a goddamn idiot you were.

“At least he called me family,” you reply wryly, a hysterical laugh rattling in your chest like a wet cough.

Rosie shakes her head and hands your phone back to you. “I can’t read any more of this. I’m going to be sick. I thought Discord mods and Discord kittens were just memes. I can’t believe people like him actually exist.”

You just shrug.

“Where the hell is he now?” She crosses her arms.

“Probably at his parents’ house. They’re on a ski trip, and they won’t be back until tomorrow,” you sigh, getting a headache thinking about how you were going to explain this to Mark’s parents.

“Good. Change the locks on your door before he tries to come crawling back. He’s done mooching off you,” Rosie huffs.

“You were right,” you state matter-of-factly, “That he was just a jobless bum loser who’s a momma’s boy.”

She looks guilty, leaning over and giving you a hug. “I’m sorry, Y/N.”

You think about the time you first met Mark, when the two of you were just starry-eyed freshmen in college together. He was so awkward and shy that it took almost an entire semester for him to finally look you in the eye. He followed you around like a sad puppy and would get flustered at any prolonged amount of attention you gave him. After about three years of him being hopelessly in love with you and unable to work up the courage to ask you out, you finally decided to give him a chance in your final year of college. It was a white Christmas, and you remember his trembling hands holding your face, freezing cold fingertips brushing your cheeks, and how red his nose was when he leaned in to kiss you. He looked at you as if you were a goddess that was put on this Earth purely for him to worship.

Maybe that’s why you moved in together with him when the two of you graduated, even when he was unemployed and you supported him financially. Maybe that’s why you smiled and nodded when he told you he wanted to try being a Twitch streamer. Maybe that’s why you gifted him his first microphone for his setup, or baked him a cake when he finally got his first viewer (even though it was actually a secret account that you made in order to boost his confidence). Maybe that’s why you never complained when he started skipping out on dates (sometimes even your birthday) in favor of growing his audience, or when he bought you extravagant gifts like jewelry or designer clothes without any clue of your preference or size. Maybe that’s why you chose to ignore the churning feeling in the pit of your stomach when you noticed his eyes starting to drift towards anything but you.

Maybe you were always the one who worshipped him.

It’s almost comical how easily almost a decade of your life has gone down the drain―and all it took was a couple of laughing emojis. In the end, the one who loves more is always the one who loses the most.

You gave up your best years to Mark Lee, and yet you seemed to have run out of tears to cry for this man.

Instead, all you have left now is pure, unbridled rage boiling inside of you. It’s the kind of anger that needs to simmer first―the kind that manifests first as a calm indifference before it finally bubbles over into a complete meltdown. But you’ll be damned before you set fire to your mental health and personal belongings that you worked tooth and nail for over a man who ruined your life.

So, you’ve decided to set fire to something else.

“Rosie,” you say softly, your voice chillingly serene. “I’m going to set his car on fire.”

Rosie laughs. “Want me to be your getaway driver?”

“No, I wouldn’t want to implicate you,” you respond smoothly. “Besides, I want him to know that I’m the one who did it.”

She looks at you for a moment, trying to decide if you’re joking or not. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. I don’t have the energy to care about him anymore,” you answer―only a half lie. “You should go now. I know you have a late shift tonight.”

Rosie gives you another tight squeeze. “Call me if you need anything, okay? I’m off this weekend, so we should go get drunk off our asses.”

After she leaves, you slowly get up and make your way to the bathroom. You wash your face in the sink, scrubbing on the gunk off, and apply a fresh layer of makeup. If you’re going to do this, you’re going to make sure you look hot as hell (pun intended). Once you’re done, you make your way to the nearest gas station and purchase a gallon of gasoline before promptly driving to Mark’s parent’s house.

By the time you get there, it’s already close to midnight, and not even the darkness can shroud Mark’s new Tesla Cybertruck. You remember when he bought it because you had to pay for half of his rent for the month because he was saving up for it―the smug grin on his face, as he announced it to his Twitch chat. You’re embarrassed at how happy you were for him, and you didn’t even have the heart to tell him how hideous you found it. The truck’s mirrored exterior reflects the moon in the starless night sky, and the full moon almost looks like a shiny, pretty bullseye calling out for you to destroy it.

Without hesitation, you get out of your car and immediately start dumping gasoline all over and around the car. The scent of gasoline normally makes you nauseous, but the scent of revenge smells even sweeter. Before you take out your lighter, you pick up a large piece of broken concrete from his driveway. With all of the strength you can muster, you hurl the concrete into the driver side window of the truck and watch your reflection shatter along with the glass.

The car alarm starts blaring, and you wait for the light in Mark’s room to blink on. You see his silhouette as he opens his blinds and peers out, just to lock eyes with you. He gawks at you like he’s just seen a ghost, and it doesn’t take long for him to make his way down to you. As he stumbles down the driveway, you take out your lighter and flick it on, letting it slowly slip from your fingertips. Your heart swells with a hysterical sense of glee as his eyes widen, the orange flames reflecting in his teary eyes. His Cybertruck is set ablaze with a Hollywood-esque level of perfection, and the fire gives your face a golden glow as if you were the starring actress.

“Y/N! Are you fucking crazy?” Mark hollers over the crackle of the flames, voice breaking.

“Oh, you bet I fucking am,” you laugh.

“I’m gonna sue you―you bitch! Have you thrown in jail!” he screams, fishing his phone out of his pocket and punching in 911 on the keypad. “I’m calling the cops right now!”

“Do it, you spineless piece of shit! I’m going to make sure everyone in this damn neighborhood and on the internet knows what a lying, cheating, soul-sucking little leech you are!” you yell back at him. “I’m going to ruin your fucking career first and then happily walk my ass down to the police station.”

That makes Mark stop in his tracks, his thumb hovering over the dial button. He can’t control the fear on his face. “No one is gonna believe you.”

“Aw, you sure no one will believe me when I show everyone the screenshots of your DMs with uwukittenbb69?” you taunt.

“I’ll say they’re fake!” he nearly screeches.

“Let’s fucking go then! My word against yours. We’ll see who they believe,” you challenge.

Mark falters and takes a small step forward. “W-Wait…”

Unfortunately for him, he’s interrupted by the squealing sirens of a firetruck pulling up to the street. You and Mark exchange glances, and you silently dare him to report you, before both of you turn towards the firefighters exiting the truck.

“Mark…and Y/N?”

Your eyes widen at the sound of the approaching firefighter’s voice. You watch in horror as the firefighter removes his helmet, and you get a clearer look at his face. Tufts of wavy caramel-colored hair sticking out, a youthful and angelic face that doesn’t suit his occupation, and heart-shaped lips turned downwards in concern―it’s Mark’s cousin, Donghyuck. You’ve met him a decent amount of times at family gatherings, and he sometimes drops by you and Mark’s apartment to deliver homemade food from his mom. Donghyuck has always been kind to you, and you didn’t want him to see you like this.

Donghyuck’s confusion is short-lived before his attention falls back to the fire and how close you are to it. He quickly grabs your arm and pulls you away from the burning truck.

“Be careful. Are you hurt?” he asks carefully, eyes scanning your face with precision. “And why aren’t you wearing a jacket? It’s freezing out here.”

You open your mouth to try and fumble out an answer, but you flinch at the sound of Donghyuck’s colleagues blasting Mark’s car with water from the firetruck’s power hose. All that’s left of the Cybertruck is a deformed and blackened pile of scrap metal with a plume of smoke rising from it. You can’t help the sense of satisfaction you feel.

“Don’t breathe in the smoke. It’s not good for you,” Donghyuck urges, gently sticking an arm in front of you and gesturing for you to step back even further. “Come with me. There’s blankets in the back of the truck.”

“I’m fine,” you finally manage to say, shaking your head. “I’m not cold.”

It’s true; the fire you set has been more than enough to make your insides feel all warm and fuzzy. He doesn’t look like he believes you but doesn’t try to push any further.

“Okay, so what the hell happened here? We got a call from the neighbors saying there was a blazing ball on fire in Mark’s driveway and that the two of you were in a screaming match.”

“Ask Mark,” is all you say.

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow.

“It was an accident.”

As if on cue, Mark suddenly materializes next to you and Donghyuck―a restless expression on his face. He probably thought you were telling Donghyuck what he did to you and rushed over.

“What?” Donghyuck’s eyes nearly pop out of his head. “You’re saying that was an accident?”

“Yeah. I was just…messing around. Don’t worry about it. It was an accident,” Mark says through gritted teeth, sounding completely defeated.

The corners of your mouth twitch when you chime in, “A senseless accident.”

Donghyuck is completely speechless as he glances between the two of you. However, you look past him and watch the fireworks exploding in the dark sky. Pulling out your phone, you see that it’s midnight, meaning it’s officially the 25th of December. Glancing over at Mark, you see him trembling in the cold with a sniffly red nose and bloodshot eyes. He’s staring straight at the ground, fists clenched.

You smile.

part two | part two | wanna push him in the fireplace and watch him burn!

When you finally get home that night, you draw yourself a steaming hot bubble bath and even use the fancy bath bomb that Rosie bought you. After you get dressed, you make a charcuterie board and pour yourself a glass of wine as well before falling asleep to a Hallmark movie playing on your television. It’s probably the best sleep you’ve gotten over the past month.

You wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, a certain five-foot-nine burden lifted from your shoulders, and text all of your friends and family your holiday greetings. Rosie invited you out to her family gathering because she didn’t want you to be alone on Christmas, but you declined. You decided to stay home and get some cleaning done. Of course, by cleaning, you mean boxing up all of Mark’s stuff and donating it to Goodwill. You initially wanted to burn everything, but you’ve committed enough arson already.

Just as you’re getting ready to make a hearty breakfast in preparation for the mass Mark exodus, you hear the door to your apartment being opened, and your blood runs cold when you realize you haven’t changed the lock. Then your cold blood begins to boil at the audacity that Mark still must have in his pathetic little body to even dream of stepping foot in your home.

Gripping your frying pan tightly, you march out of the kitchen to greet him. Mark at least has the sense to shrivel back when he sees you approach him. To your delight, he looks absolutely terrible. It’s obvious he didn’t get any sleep nor did he feel the need to change out of his pajamas.

“I know you’re mad,” he says quickly, holding his hands out as if ready to block a punch.

“If you actually knew that, you wouldn’t have stepped foot in my apartment,” you say nonchalantly. “You have ten seconds to give my key back to me and get the hell out before you have to call the cops again.”

“Chill, chill,” he mutters, “I’m just here for my stuff―”

“Don’t tell me to chill. I’ve always hated it when you tell me that. It makes you sound like a patronizing douchebag, which you are, of course,” you snap. “You’re insane if you think I’m going to let you just waltz in here and casually get your stuff. Most of which I paid for, by the way.”

“Y/N, come on,” he sighs. “at least let me get my PC setup.”

That makes you burst out laughing. “Holy shit. You really have the gall to ask me for your PC setup? Are you on actual crack? Get the fuck out!”

“Okay, okay, okay. I’m sorry, okay? Just one more thing―”

“Don’t make me swear to Jesus on his birthday―”

“My mom wants you to come to the Christmas party this afternoon,” he blurts out, squeezing his eyes shut. “I…haven’t told her yet. I wanted us to tell her, um, together, after the party.”

He doesn’t need to say it for you to understand what he’s implying. He wants to make it seem like the breakup was mutual to save his reputation and because he knows his mom will lose her mind. He’s pretended to be her perfect little boy his entire life, a momma’s boy to the very core, so he can’t ever let her know what a bottomfeeder he is.

“Is this some sort of social experiment to see how far you can push my limits before I finally snap? Again?” you ask incredulously.

“Please, Y/N. I’ll do anything. I won’t ask for my stuff anymore. I won’t tell anyone about the car thing. I promise you that you won’t ever see me again if you do me this favor,” Mark sputters.

You hate that you still hesitate, despite how much you’re disgusted by him. It makes you feel like you haven’t completely axed the part of you that was in love with him, and that sickens you. However, Mrs. Lee has always been like a second mother to you, and it doesn’t feel right to just cut her off without a proper goodbye just because her son is a cretin. You suppose this could be good closure for such an ill-fated relationship.

“You swear on your life that you’ll leave me alone forever after this?” you ask, crossing your arms.

Mark nods profusely.

“Fine. I’m only staying for an hour, and I don’t care if the party isn’t over yet. We’re going to tell her within that period or else,” you state.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Y/N.” Mark opens his arms to hug you, and it takes every fiber in your being not to whack him across the head with your frying pan.

“Do not touch me,” you warn, “Now get out.”

To his credit, he promptly hightails it out of your apartment (perhaps he finally noticed the murderous glint in your eye). You almost immediately regret agreeing, but you tell yourself that today is the last day that you’ll ever have to deal with the likes of Mark Lee again. Putting a hold on cleaning, you get ready for the party instead, donning a cute holiday fit that you had prepared especially for today since it was supposed to be your anniversary. Now, it makes for a great revenge dress.

Mark had texted you to let you know to bring a gift since there would be a white elephant gift exchange, and half of you wants to call him and scream at him for not letting you know sooner and the other half is screaming at yourself for forgetting to block him. Not having enough time to go out and buy a gift, you decide to wrap up the scarf that you knitted for Mark. You stayed up all night after you got off work to make it for him, and it looks a bit wonky, but you thought he would appreciate it. You feel bad for whoever receives it, but there has to be a few duds in the mix or it’s not a true white elephant experience. Maybe they can use the scarf to wipe up their dog’s piss or something.

When you drive back to Mark’s parents’ house, it’s an ironic clash of atmospheres. The place is decked out with Christmas decorations, an amalgamation of rainbow lights, inflatable snowmen, and wreaths on every door and window. Yet, you can also see remnants of the dark burn marks in their driveway. Mark must have managed to call a tow to take his Cybertruck away just in the nick of time. You do wonder how he managed to explain the burn marks, though.

Taking in a deep breath, you hype yourself up in your car visor mirror before stepping out and walking to the front door. Before you can even knock, Mrs. Lee opens the door and envelops you in a bear hug. She smells like sugar cookies, and it occurs to you how much you’ll miss her.

“Oh, sweetie! I’m so glad you’re here,” she coos, cupping your face. She then ushers you into the living room, linking her arm through yours. “I was so worried because I thought the two of you got into a fight while we were on our trip.”

You just smile uncomfortably. “O-Oh.”

“A mother’s intuition is always right, you know,” she says, winking, “Plus, I knew something was off when Mark told us he’d be staying at our place for a couple nights. Poor boy was a mess, you know. He somehow managed to total his car in the driveway! Can you believe it? He really needs you around to whip him into shape!”

You hope she can’t see you holding in a laugh. As you’re walking, you scan the room for Mark, but he’s nowhere to be seen. It doesn’t surprise you one bit that you’re being treated as fodder so he can hide in his room.

“Anyways, say hi to everyone!” She leads you directly into a circle of Mark’s aunt and uncles. You give them all an awkward hello and try to slink away while they all converse, but one of Mark’s aunts turns towards you.

“So, how long have you and Mark been together, honey?” she asks.

“Um, about four years―”

“Oh, but they’ve known each other for much longer than that. Seven years! Mark had the biggest crush on her, you know,” Mrs. Lee interjects.

“My goodness, does that mean we’ll be hearing wedding bells soon?” Mark’s aunt teases. The rest of the circle oohs and ahhs, and you want to strangle yourself with a garland.

“I mean, what is he waiting for anyway? He’s making loads of money on the Internet now, isn’t he?” she continues.

“Exactly. I want grandchildren, you know,” Mrs. Lee huffs.

Unable to bite back your words anymore, you clear your throat loudly. “I have something I need to―”

“Oh, Y/N! I’ve been looking for you,” another voice chimes in.

All of you turn around, and a gasp nearly escapes you when you see Donghyuck standing in front of you. He’s in a white cable knit sweater, and his wavy hair looks so fluffy that you almost want to reach out and touch it. His cheeks are a bit flushed, probably because he’s in such thick clothing (or Mrs. Lee’s famous spiked eggnog). Without his uniform on, he looks much softer, dreamier.

“You…have?” you ask, bewildered.

“Yup! Come on, I gotta ask you something,” he answers cheerfully, gesturing for you to follow him.

You’re a bit wary of what he’s scheming, but you’d rather risk it than have to deal with any more marriage talk, so you gladly let him whisk you away from the crowd. Donghyuck leads you to a less crowded part of the room, swiping a piece of chocolate cake when he walks past the dessert table, and tucks himself into a corner that’s concealed by a giant Christmas tree.

“Here we go. I introduce to you my super covert corner that I stand in when I want to avoid nosy relatives,” he says in a sing-song voice before offering you the cake in his hand. “Would you like some German chocolate cake made by yours truly? It’s pretty damn average, if I do say so myself.”

You pause, only just now realizing that Donghyuck helped you out. You suppose you have nothing to lose, so you accept the cake. “Oh. Thank you. So, you didn’t have anything you wanted to ask me?”

“Well, actually, I do,” he hums, giving you a sheepish grin. “You set Mark’s car on fire last night, didn’t you?”

Part of you already expected this question coming, so you manage to keep your expression neutral. “Are you accusing me?”

“Why, I wouldn’t dare. Besides, I don’t need to. I know you did,” he says casually, shrugging.

Even though you should feel panicked, you don’t. In fact, Donghyuck almost seems to find it amusing.

“Do you have proof?”

“Mark told me,” he states sweetly.

You sigh loudly, immediately giving up the ruse. “I knew that damn lowlife would yap.”

“So, what did he do?”

“Of course, he told you what I did but didn’t tell you what he did,” you snort.

“What, he cheat or something?”

“Worse.”

You pull out your phone and show Donghyuck Mark’s Discord DMs and watch his expression morph into disgust as you indulge in the cake he gave you. The dessert is perfectly average as he said, but there’s something charming about it. In that way, the cake is quite similar to its maker.

“As a government employee and resident fighter of fires, nothing justifies arson,” he states after a brief moment to collect his thoughts, “but this comes pretty damn close.”

You give him a smug I-told-you-so look.

“But seriously, what you did was really dangerous, Y/N. You could have injured yourself badly. That jackass is not worth getting third-degree burns over. There are better ways to get revenge, you know,” he lectures.

“Like what?” You raise an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, like TP or egg his car or something. Slash his tires?”

“God, are you from a 90s movie or something? That’s lame as hell,” you snort, taking another bite of cake.

“Dig your key into the side of his pretty little souped up four-wheel drive? Carve your name into his leather seats? Take a Louisville slugger to both headlights? Slash a hole in all four tires?” He wriggles his eyebrows.

“Are you quoting Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood?” you ask incredulously.

“Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats…” Donghyuck sings, purposefully off-key.

You can’t fight that smile that spreads across your face, and it eventually turns into a full-on belly laugh when he continues to sing. It’s the first genuine laugh, the first moment of brief happiness and relief, that you’ve felt in a long time. You thought you had it when you set Mark’s car on fire, but something still coiled in the pit of your stomach like simmering, black smoke. In this tiny little corner that smells of pine needles and chocolate cake, you feel free like a clear sky after a long winter storm.

“For the record,” Donghyuck says, voice gently dipping, “you’ve always been too good for him, and everyone knows it―including him. He’ll regret what he did to you for the rest of his life. That’s your revenge.”

Your breath staccatos in your chest at his words. You tell yourself that he has always been a smooth talker, but he looks at you with such honesty and warmth that you want to believe him.

“Have you always been this sweet?” You meant for the words to come out in a teasing manner, but your voice is tinged with breathlessness.

Donghyuck grins, and his lips remind you of the heart-shaped lollipops that you see in the store during Valentine’s Day. “The sweetest.”

A part of you wonders what would happen if you craned your neck and kissed him right here and now. Not because you’re romantically interested in him, of course. Rather, it would be a spectacular way to get revenge on Mark. Most girls go for the brother or the best friend―maybe even the dad if one is particularly ambitious―but the cousin is an untapped (pun NOT intended) medium for revenge.

You wonder if Donghyuck tastes like cookies or wine-filled chocolates or spiked eggnog or even fruitcake. You really hate fruitcake, but you suppose you wouldn’t mind for the sake of revenge.

But you would never do that to him. He’s much too kind of a person to be involved in you and Mark’s mess. The fact that you’re able to confide in him and he actually takes your side is something that you truly appreciate. As much as you want to torment Mark, it’s best to just end it here.

“You can use me too, you know,” Donghyuck adds.

“Huh?” You blink.

“For your revenge,” he clarifies. “Use me. To make him jealous, to bully him, whatever you want.”

For a moment, you almost believe he somehow read your mind.

“Just wanted to let you know,” he says, shrugging, “since you probably think it would be too mean. Plus, I think you would need my help anyways.”

That makes you feel greatly offended. “What is that supposed to mean? You say that like I didn’t set a car on fire.”

“You’re too naive in your thinking. Revenge doesn’t always have to be loud and in your face like that. It’s a lot more fun when you break them down psychologically in more subtle ways,” he explains.

“So, you―as a government employee―can’t approve of me committing arson because I got cheated on, but you―as a government employee―can casually and openly discuss waging psychological warfare on another civilian. On said person who cheated on me, who also happens to be your cousin because you seemed to have forgotten that, ” you point out sardonically.

Donghyuck just smiles before slightly leaning in, eyes flickering down to your lips. You open your mouth to retort but your words instantly die in your throat, softly gasping when his hand brushes your chin as he reaches over and swipes a bit of chocolate frosting from your bottom lip with his thumb.

“Sure I can,” he answers smoothly, “because, unlike a certain someone, I won’t get caught.”

“I didn’t―”

“And by the way, Mark didn’t tell me you set his car on fire.”

You gawk at him as he walks past you with a content grin on his face. “Now come on, I hear my aunt calling for us.”

Maybe you need to take back your earlier statement of Donghyuck being too kind. He might actually have more screws loose than you.

You almost completely forget about Mark until he finally comes downstairs for the white elephant exchange. You’re in such a daze from your earlier interaction with Donghyuck that you barely recoil when Mark takes a seat beside you on the couch, especially since Donghyuck is sitting in the rocking chair directly across from you.

The gift exchange begins once everyone has drawn a number, and you honestly just dissociate for the first half of it. Keeping your gaze trained on the piece of paper that has 26 scribbled on it, you don’t look up until you feel Mark get up beside you and pick a gift from the pile. You’re praying to both Jesus and Santa that he doesn’t pick yours, but you suppose you've been deemed a sinner and also put on the Naughty List (maybe for setting your cheating ex’s care on fire?) because Mark somehow manages to find yours in the pile of presents.

When he opens it, you can tell by the way he quickly glances at you that he knows it’s yours. After all, he saw you practicing your knitting throughout the week. He happily wraps it around his neck and beams proudly. “I love it.”

The way he carefully looks back at you makes you want to smack him into the new year. You know he’s trying to get on your good side, and you make it clear with your scowl that it isn’t working.

You’re actually grateful that it’s your turn next so that you’re able to get up and walk away from him. Wanting to get this entire situation over with, you haphazardly grab one from the top of the pile. Your heart sinks when you take out the stuffing paper from the bag and realize that it’s Mark’s gift. You contemplate putting the paper back in and not opening it at all, but you cave under the pressure of all the expectant pairs of eyes on you.

In typical Mark fashion, his gift is a signed T-shirt of his own merch. It’s an obnoxious yellow color with his Twitch username and a giant screen printed image of his face plastered across it. He’s written his signature right over his forehead, so it makes him look like he has random chicken scratch on his face.

“Oh, it must be destiny!” Mrs. Lee exclaims, clapping her hands together.

You force a smile before returning to your seat, doing everything in your power to ignore Mark’s stupid giddy expression. Shoving the shirt back into the bag, you casually kick it away from you.

A couple more people take their turns, and you’re counting down the seconds to when this is finally over so you can go home. Eventually, it’s Donghyuck’s turn, and he saunters towards you and holds his hand out.

“Gimme.”

You blink at him.

“Your gift. I’m stealing it,” he explains, wiggling his fingers.

“You want…this?” you ask, completely baffled.

“Well, duh. It’s going to sell for a lot of money, you know.” He winks.

You can’t help but laugh when you realize he’s helping you out again. “This has to be unethical. Aren’t you a government employee?”

“Government employees need to make money too,” he replies, sighing.

“Well, if you really want it, I guess I have no choice,” you huff, faking exasperation before handing him the bag.

You’re smiling when he takes it and walks back to his chair, and you hear Mark grumble something under his breath. Turning to him, you raise an eyebrow, snippily asking, “What?”

“I said,” he repeats so loudly that it reverberates throughout the room, “when did the two of you get so friendly?”

A silence falls over everyone, and the two of you are now center stage.

“Are you really going to do this now?” you hiss.

“I noticed that the two of you were getting awfully cozy behind the Christmas tree earlier,” Mark retorts, shrugging.

Donghyuck gets up to intervene, but he doesn’t have time to even react before you grab a pillow from the couch and chuck it in Mark’s face.

“You’ve got some nerve. Was this your plan all along? To make me look like the bad guy in front of your family?” you demand, feeling your face grow hotter and hotter from rage. “You and uwukittenbb69 were getting awfully cozy too, don’t you think? I’d say snug as a bug in a goddamn rug even.”

Mark stands up in a flash, his eyes frantically glancing at his mom before pointing his finger at you. “Baby, I told you she was just a friend.”

You nearly choke on air when you hear him call you that. Making a beeline towards the pile of presents, you begin to toss them at Mark with each question you add. “You absolute lunatic. Do friends beg each other for pictures of their tits? Do friends write raps confessing their love for one another? Do friends blow off their anniversary with their girlfriend so that they can meet up for a quick booty call? And yes, I’m saying quick because you and I both know it’ll be a speedy endeavor.”

“What on Earth is going on?” Mrs. Lee cries out as Mark tries his best to swat away the presents being hurled at him.

“You’re a psycho bitch,” Mark yells. “It’s not like I actually slept with her. We were just messing around online. You got jealous over nothing. And you set my car on fire!”

“You wanna see psycho?” you snap, throwing the present in your hands down onto the floor and marching towards him with your bare fists before you suddenly stop and take in your surroundings. You see the horror and shock on everyone’s faces, the way they’re looking at you, and then perhaps most clear of all―Mark’s expression. He’s angry just like you, but there’s a glimmer of victory in his eyes. As if he’s bested you in some manner.

And he has. You’re the villain now.

Taking in a deep breath, you will yourself to walk over to Mark in a calm manner, looking him directly in the eye.

“You’re nothing except a liar and a cheater, Mark Lee. That will never change that no matter how much you try to spin it in front of your family. You built your success off my back, and I hope that haunts you for the rest of your life. May you receive everything that you’ve done to me tenfold. That’s all I want to say—” You pause. “Oh, and I’ve always thought your Cybertruck was fucking ugly.”

You reach over and snatch the scarf from his neck before turning and walking out of the door, feeling like you finally managed to cut off the ball and chain around your ankle. Just as you’re about to reach your car, you hear someone calling after you.

“I’ll drive you home,” Donghyuck says once he catches up to you.

“I’m not so distraught that I’ll become a hazard on the road,” you say wryly

“Well, when it comes to being around a car, you’ve certainly proved that you’re not exactly at your most dangerous when you’re behind the wheel,” he jokes.

“You may have a point,” you acknowledge, giving him a small smile.

“Let me drive you home, Y/N. I’m worried about you,” he insists again, much quieter this time.

“How are you going to get back then?” You raise an eyebrow.

“I’ll call an Uber or something.”

“That would be such a waste of money,” you snort.

“Not if it’s for you,” he says almost instantly. His normally brown eyes almost look auburn when under the golden glow of the sunset.

There’s such determination, such assurance, such warmth in his gaze that you let yourself be surrounded with, no longer having the energy to resist him, and it feels like falling onto a soft cloud after a long, winding journey. For once, you just want someone to take care of you, even if it’s just for a moment.

“Fine. Do as you please,” you relent, tossing him your car keys before walking around to the passenger side and climbing in.

Donghyuck looks relieved, beaming when he situates himself in the driver’s seat. You try not to be impressed with the way he easily backs out of the driveway with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the headrest behind you, maneuvering the wheel with a deftness you’ve never seen before. Then again, he does drive a massive fire truck on the daily, so your Toyota probably isn’t much of a challenge for him.

He drives with his eyes staring straight down the road―almost too focused―because you know he’s trying not to look at you. Probably because you’re making it abundantly clear that you don’t want him to look at you, leaning your head against the window and away from him. It doesn’t mean that you don’t see his wandering eyes, almost as if it were second nature, drift back to you in the reflection of the window.

“Pathetic, right?” you finally say, feeling suffocated by the heavy silence.

“What’s pathetic?”

“Me.”

“Why would you be pathetic?” Donghyuck grips the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white as the leather creaks under the force of his hold.

“Mark was right. I talked a big game in front of him, but in the end, I was just the psycho ex-girlfriend. I told myself that I would never let him hold my emotions hostage anymore. That I would erase any care I had for him left in me. Because indifference means that I’m truly free. But I couldn’t do it. I really hate him, to my very core, and that means he still has power over me. I hate that most of all. I want him to feel the same pain I did, and I want to exact revenge on him, but at the same time, I want to move on with my life. I’m like a dog chasing my own tail; it’s pathetic.”

You wanted to sound more lighthearted about this, turn it into a joke, but Donghyuck seems to draw out a vulnerability within you that makes you want to tell him everything you’ve been trying to desperately ignore.

“Y/N, you’re dealing with the end of a long-term relationship. It’s only natural that you have confusing and conflicting feelings about everything. You’re not pathetic; you’re human. Mark stole your girlhood and your youth, and it’s going to take time for you to heal from that. It’s impossible to immediately get back on your feet after what he did to you. None of this is your fault, so don’t ever berate yourself,” Donghyuck’s voice trembles as he speaks. “I promise you that one day, you’re going to wake up and you’ll realize that you don’t remember what Mark's favorite food is. His favorite movie. His favorite color. Then you’ll realize that you can barely even remember what his face looks like when he’s sad, happy, angry. Eventually, you’ll forget about him entirely, and all the pain he caused you will just be seconds of your life that evaporates from your mind completely.”

When he speaks to you like there’s nothing he’s more sure of in this world, it makes you want to believe him. You want to be his promise.

“Thank you, Donghyuck,” you whisper, placing your hand on top of his for just a moment before pulling away. Your touch is feather light, but you hope he didn’t notice the way your fingertips lingered a second longer.

The two of you fall quiet again, but this time, the silence is much more comfortable now. You’re almost disappointed when he pulls into your apartment complex, unsure of how to say goodbye to him.

“Would you like some hot cocoa or something?” you blurt out when he parks. “I think I have some in my apartment.”

You don’t realize how suggestive your offer sounds until it’s too late. Donghyuck hesitates for a moment, and you can tell he’s debating on if he should tease you about it or not. To your surprise, he doesn’t.

“Nah, it’s okay. It’s getting dark soon, so I should head back.” He pulls out his phone and starts ordering an Uber.

“Want me to wait with you then?” You’re not sure why you keep insisting on staying with him, but this day has been so batshit insane that you almost feel like a passenger in your own body.

“Probably not a good idea,” he chuckles.

Now, you feel both confused and slightly offended again.

“And why is that? I know I’ve been a bit of a menace today, but still…” you trail off awkwardly.

Donghyuck pauses for a moment as he stares at you; his face is closer to yours than it’s ever been because you’re sitting right next to him. You can tell he’s thinking very carefully about his next words. It occurs to you that, for a guy as seemingly flippant as him, he is actually quite thoughtful.

“You know, I’ve been compared to Mark my entire life,” he begins, musing.

“Sooo…you didn’t want me to wait with you because you’re gearing up for a trauma dump?” You raise an eyebrow.

Donghyuck holds his hand up in front of you, shushing you. “Shh, let me have my big moment.”

“Sorry. Please proceed.”

“Ahem. As I was saying, I was but a poor, innocent wee boy living in the shadow of the golden child in our family. Mark was always the more athletic, the funnier, the more charming one. His grades were ass, but he always managed to get out of trouble because he was the favorite. When I got my job as a firefighter and he was unemployed, my family barely congratulated me or even acknowledged it at all because they were afraid they would upset Mark. You see, I’ve actually lived quite a tragic life,” Donghyuck sniffles, wiping away a fake tear.

“What a shame that they can’t see how wonderful you are,” you chime in, a smile in your voice.

Your honesty in response to his joke visibly catches him off guard, and he blinks a couple of times before your words finally register.

“Right?” he huffs dramatically, but he can’t seem to meet your eyes completely as a light flush dustes his face and ears. “But fret not, I didn’t particularly mind. It was nice not having to live up to any expectations. Besides, I was happy for Mark when he finally got successful as a streamer. We were raised like brothers, and I always admired him. I was proud of him.”

“Ha, little did you know—”

“All this to say that, growing up, I’ve never been once jealous of Mark,” Donghyuck states proudly.

Then he slowly looks over at you with longing eyes, almost as if his body turning itself towards you is a natural reflex. His expression is so soft and affectionate that it nearly takes your breath away.

“That is, until he met you.”

So, this is what Donghyuck looks like when he’s in love. You wonder if it would ever be possible for you to wake up one day and not remember it.

But you aren’t sure if you return his feelings in the same way. Just like you couldn’t bring yourself to use him for your revenge, you can’t bring yourself to ask him to wait for you while you figure out the mess of your current emotional state. The one who loves more always loses, and you don’t want to lose Donghyuck.

“I just wanted to tell you that,” he continues, “I’m not expecting a response. It’s for the better you don’t respond right now anyways. If you want to pretend like this conversation was all a bad dream conjured up by sleep paralysis and never want to talk about it again, I’m okay with that too.”

You smile.

“But…if you’re able to, just look my way sometimes. I’ll do everything in my power to keep your attention, even if I have to get on a unicycle with a clown nose and juggle. And, if one day, you find yourself looking for me on your own, let me know. Then, I’ll ask for an answer,” Donghyuck promises.

True to your word, you don’t give him an answer. Instead, you take the scarf that’s been laying across your lap—the scarf with a few holes thanks to missing yarn and sections where you accidentally knitted the pattern in the wrong direction. Now it’s a bit stretched out due to you snatching it off Mark.

But this scarf, as average (maybe even less) as it may be, is charming in its own way.

Leaning forward, you wrap the scarf around Donghyuck’s neck. He watches you in complete awe, in a trance, as if he were in a dream and any movement would wake him up.

“I should head inside now,” you say quietly, trying not to giggle at his stupefied expression.

He only nods dazedly, and you’re certain that would have been his reaction regardless of what you said. It takes a few more beats for your words to actually click before he clears his throat loudly. “Right. Yes. You should.”

He hands you your keys back before stepping out of the car and opening your door for you. “I’ll wait down here until you get inside, and then I’ll go meet my Uber.”

“Thanks for driving me,” you say, realizing you never thanked him.

“You’re welcome. Good night, Y/N.” Donghyuck puts his hands in his pockets and tucks his chin into the scarf as he watches you go.

As your hand hovers over the doorknob, you know you should just open the door and walk inside so you don’t keep him waiting in the cold. You really shouldn’t look back because it would mean that you wanted to. Not because he asked you to.

But you do. You look back—

only to meet his eyes, the two of you exchanging knowing smiles.

extra | is it me? am i the drama? i don’t think i’m the drama…

r/AmITheAsshole

u/justgirlythings-arson119 • 9h

(UPDATE) AITA for setting my cheating ex’s car on fire? (and then falling for his cousin)

So, it turns out my cheating ex got catfished. His supposed Discord kitten was actually some random guy and his friend who were dicking around. They ended up leaking the DMs so they’re all public now for those who would like to read them (by now, I’m sure you all know who my cheating ex is). I would highly advise against listening to the rap confession though. Godspeed if you choose to. I am also selling his expensive PC setup on Facebook Marketplace if anyone’s interested. Happy New Year!

P.S. I ended up inviting the cousin over for hot cocoa. He’s very sweet.

⥣ 11.3k ⥥ 2,293 Comments

pissrevolver1122 • 8h rip bozo got catfished by me n bro for some robux

➥ Reply ⥣ 3.8k ⥥

pooprevolver0205 • 8h can’t believe bro actually jacked off to a pic of knees LMAO ➥ ⥣ 1.9k ⥥

piss-k1nk0219 • 2h yall are about to have the awkwardest family get togethers ever lmao

➥ Reply ⥣ 910 ⥥

bigsnowballs0813 • 4h $5 and an iced coffee for the pc take it or leave it

➥ Reply ⥣ 748 ⥥

femboyluvr0701 • 1h are u gonna set the cousin's car on fire too

➥ Reply ⥣ 639 ⥥

justgirlythings-arson119 • 1h probably not he’s very good at putting out fires :( ➥ ⥣ 482 ⥥

#nct imagines #nct scenarios #haechan fluff #nct dream imagines #nct dream fluff #haechan #nct #choerrypuffs #luvpuffcore collab #nct 127 fluff #nct 127 imagines

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