#feeling sad plus just letting my subconscious run free

[foxish-draws]

Was Feeling Ways™ tonight, so I attacked the sad feeling w/ doodles. Just makin marks until shapes started to happen. Meditative, I guess, helped me feel better anyway.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

Pomegranate Ink: VII

Series Synopsis: Unable to heal but willing to fight, with a fiancé in Kyoto and a last name that looms over everything you do, you accept an offer to study at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech. What you did not know was that your salvation and your ruination alike would soon join you at the school, neatly wrapped in the form of a boy followed by death.

Chapter Synopsis: Maki and Tullia find out about your feelings and offer advice. A trip to Kyoto yields a confession of the sort you were not prepared to give.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Yuta Okkotsu × Female Reader

Chapter Word Count: 6.0k

Content Warnings: angst, misogyny, naoya zenin, forbidden relationships, canon-typical violence, character death, original characters included

A/N: feel free to let me know if the pacing sucks i’m sorry

Ever since your conversation with Toge, you had been jumpy around Yuta, running away whenever he tried to talk to you, words clipped and any attempts on his part to spend time with you quickly rebuffed. It was all too much to process, and you did not understand how to, so you just avoided the situation entirely. He gave up trying to be with you rather quickly, leaving you to cling to Maki and pretend like you couldn’t feel his kicked-puppy gaze from across the room.

It got to the point where even Maki and Tullia realized something was up. They cornered you one day after class, when Toge and Panda had taken Yuta to buy some ice cream to cheer him up. Toge must’ve known the reason behind your odd behavior and did not question it, though when you looked closer, his violet eyes reflected a sort of quiet sadness at the turn of events.

“So, what’s up with you?” Tullia said, crossing her arms.

“This feels like an intervention,” you said nervously.

“It is,” Maki informed you. “Everyone’s vibes are off lately, and I think you have something to do with it. Yuta constantly looks like he’s going to cry — even more than he used to, that is, and Toge seems pretty concerned about something, although he refuses to tell either of us what’s wrong. Panda’s in on it, too, he keeps glancing over at you and sighing, so Tullia and I feel a little left out!”

“Yuta…looks like he’s going to cry?” you said. That hadn’t been your intention; you didn’t want to hurt him. Actually, it was somewhat the opposite — you were subconsciously distancing yourself from him to avoid ruining things between you both.

“Rejection does that to a person,” Tullia said. “That’s what this is, isn’t it? You found out he likes you and had to let him down gently, and now things are awkward.”

“Uh, you’re a little off the mark,” you said. “He likes me?”

“Are you actually dumb? Of course he likes you,” Maki said. You buried your face in your hands. Yuta liking you — it had never even crossed your mind that he might feel the same as you did. This complicated things so much that it made your head spin. Before, it had been alright that you liked him, because at least there was no chance of anything happening outside of your silly little daydreams. But if Maki and Tullia were right, then there was a possibility.

“Oh, no,” you groaned.

“I don’t think he’ll make a move,” Tullia assured you.

“That’s not the problem!” you said. “That’s not why I’m avoiding him! It’s just that — it’s just that —”

“What? It can’t be anything too bad,” Maki said. “We’re your best friends, you can tell us whatever it is. You know I have no loyalty to anyone but you.”

“And I’m American!” Tullia piped in cheerfully.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Maki said.

“I have no idea how any of this clan politics stuff works. You’re my first friend in this entire country; of course I’m not going to judge you or rat you out or anything. Plus, guaranteed I’ve heard worse — I knew this one dude at my old school with a massive foot fetish. It’s not that you have a foot fetish, right? Anything else, I can handle,” she said.

“Yuta,” you said, looking through your fingers at them. “I…like Yuta.”

“Well, so do I! He’s a stand-up guy, really very sweet. Who doesn’t like Yuta?” Tullia said.

“Even I think Yuta’s pretty tolerable. Why is this crisis-inducing?” Maki said. You slapped your palm against your forehead.

“No! I like him the way you guys think he likes me!” you hissed. They were silent, Tullia’s mouth forming an ‘o’ shape and Maki rapidly blinking before cleaning her glasses.

“You mean to say that you…have a crush…on Yuta Okkotsu?” Maki said once she had put her glasses back on.

“Not so loudly!” you said, “And yes. I talked to Toge about it.”

“If Toge thinks you do, then he’s probably right,” Tullia said.

“He’s pretty smart,” Maki agreed.

“But, see, that’s where the problem comes from! I can’t be around him, not when I have feelings for him. I’m engaged! All of this just spells disaster, for both of us. If the higher ups find out, I’ll be sent back to my family home and locked away there until my wedding to Noritoshi. If Yuta finds out, he might hate me. If Gojo finds out, he’ll start crying about how Megumi, whoever that is, has lost his chance!” you said.

“Yikes, worst possible outcome,” Tullia said with a wince.

“Right, no one deserves to have Gojo trying to set them up,” Maki agreed.

“I know!” you said.

“So. You really like him, huh? I guess your strategy is sound, then. Avoid him until you’re over it. Didn’t you used to have a crush on Toge at one point? But you moved on,” Maki said.

“It shouldn’t be too hard. He’s not very persistent in trying to get your attention. I think he got the hint,” Tullia said.

“And Tullia and I will make sure to always be your partner for things! If Gojo tries to complain, we’ll make a fuss,” Maki said.

“Yeah, I’ll call him sexist! Or I can say that I need your support. Because I’m from a different country and all,” Tullia said.

“Maybe go with that before accusing him of discrimination,” Maki said. Your eyes filled with tears, and you launched forwards, grabbing the two of them in a hug.

“Thank you both so much. I should’ve told you ages ago,” you said.

“Nah, I would’ve bullied you,” Maki said. “Only reason I’m not right now is because you’re obviously distressed, and I’m not about to add to your problems.”

“I wouldn’t have bullied you, but I don’t think I would’ve been able to offer much help by myself. I’m not really good with the whole ‘relationship’ thing,” Tullia said.

“I just really, really like him. I don’t want to be unfaithful, but how can I just get over him in the blink of an eye? I don’t want to marry Noritoshi if it means leaving Yuta, but marrying well is the one thing I can do for my family,” you said.

“Like I said earlier, just marry me,” Maki said, tossing her hair, “I won’t mind your infidelity. As long as you allow me my dalliances, too.”

“And for the present moment…I guess this comes down to a choice. Either road is going to be hard, so it’s a matter of what you’re willing to endure and whose side you’re willing to endure it by,” Tullia said.

“Ostracization from the higher ups or giving up your happiness? Yuta or Noritoshi? You’ll have to weigh the options and decide what you want. Just know that even if the rest of society turns its back on you, you’ll always have us,” Maki said.

“That’s a promise,” Tullia agreed, “We’re your classmates. We’re not going to choose a bunch of stuffy old men over you, not hardly.”

Although they had not solved any of your problems, necessarily, talking to Maki and Tullia made you feel a lot better about the state of your affairs. At least you could be assured that you’d have them on your side, and Tullia had raised a good point in that no matter which path you chose, you’d be miserable, one way or another. As she had said, it was a matter of which misery you preferred, and although you did not want to think about it at the present moment, it was comforting to note that you had a way to reason through the situation.

A few days after your conversation with the two girls, you were eating breakfast with them when Gojo sprinted into the dining hall, holding two cream-colored envelopes and cackling maniacally.

“This can’t be good,” Maki said as he skidded to a stop in front of you and handed you one of the envelopes.

“What’s this?” you said, inspecting it curiously.

“An invitation!” he said, throwing his arms around you in a hug. You fell backwards from the force of it before awkwardly hugging him back. Maki pretended to gag at his exuberance, and Tullia seemed amused as well, though she was far more collected than Maki.

“For what?” you said.

“You, Miss Y/N L/N, are going to compete in the Sister School Goodwill Exchange Event!” he said, pulling away and beaming at you, evidently expecting you to be equally as excited as he was. Instead, your jaw dropped, the letter slipping through your fingers.

“Me? But I’m not in my second year yet! I thought only the second and third years competed?” you said.

“Traditionally, yes, but this year, in order to make it fair, the Tokyo school is only sending two first-year students to compete!” Gojo said.

“And how many will Kyoto have?” Maki said.

“Six!” Gojo said cheerfully.

“Six?” you screeched. “How the hell is two against six fair? Especially when I’m one of the two? There’s no way I can fight against someone like Mai Zenin or Aoi Todo!”

“You’re actually going as a way to make the fight less disbalanced in our favor, actually,” Gojo said, “It’d be a slaughter otherwise, but we’re hoping your presence is enough to calm your partner down to the point that the event is at least a little more even.”

“Who’s my partner? Maki? I don’t think even I could calm her down,” you said.

“Very funny,” Maki said. “You’re right, though.”

“Nope! It’s our resident special-grade sorcerer, Yuta Okkotsu!” Gojo said.

There was a silence in which the three of you all had very different reactions. Like a snake coiling in your stomach, your intestines began to twist with horror at the implications. Maki was uncharacteristically sympathetic, frowning softly and resting her hand on your shoulder. In contrast, it seemed this was finally enough to break Tullia’s composure as she dissolved into howling laughter.

“You mean to say that Yuta and I will be competing together? Just us two?” you said.

“That’s right! I’m sure that you’ll bring home the win for our school. We suffered an embarrassing defeat last year, which is why the event is being held in Kyoto, but I have confidence that you and Yuta can reclaim my — our good name. We will be victorious! Go Tokyo!” Gojo said, high-fiving you and then dashing off, presumably to give Yuta his invitation and the same strangely inspirational speech he had just given you.

“Well, shit. You’re fucked,” Tullia said between giggles, wiping at the tears of mirth gathering in the corners of her eyes.

“Maybe this is a good thing,” Maki said, “You’ll see him and Noritoshi at the same time. It might make it easier to decide which you want.”

“This is many things, Maki, but good is not one of them,” you said with a groan, “I think Tullia’s right. I’m not making it out of this event alive.”

“Just make sure to take my sister down before you go,” Maki said. You shrugged.

“I don’t know if I can, but I’ll do my best,” you said. If Mai was anything like Maki, there was no way you could even land a hit on her, let alone actually beat her. You feared you’d probably end up relying on Yuta the entire time, being something of a deadweight — which was not only embarrassing but also unfair to him. You would be like a crutch, though then again, this was supposedly the reason you had been selected to compete in the first place. You ground your teeth in frustration, but you knew there was nothing you could do about it but train and hope you were good enough to not drag Yuta down too much.

“You can, and you tell her exactly who taught you once you have,” Maki said.

“Have faith in yourself,” Tullia agreed, “You’re useless in a straight out brawl —”

“That’s not very confidence boosting,” you muttered.

“Let me finish!” she said. “Like I was saying, it’s true that if things come to blows, you’re probably not going to be much help. But sheer physical strength isn’t the only way to win a fight; you’re way more clever than you give yourself credit for, and honestly? You’re no slacker in the power department, either. I’m willing to bet you’re going to be of more use to Yuta than the higher ups think.”

“They probably still believe you to be the frail, delicate girl who is the L/N clan’s biggest failure. This is your chance to prove them wrong, to prove that you’re worth more than they realize. Show them that you don’t need to be a healer to be of worth; show them that you are a sorcerer,” Maki said. It was the sort of chance Maki had longed for for probably her entire life. You were being ungrateful to scorn it just because of your unresolved feelings for Yuta. This was bigger than him — the entire jujutsu society would have its eyes on you, and you could not afford to come off as weak.

“And ignore Yuta. Imagine him as a robot sent to help you if you must; oh, or like a scarecrow!” Tullia said.

“This isn’t Wizard of Oz,” you said dryly.

“Really, though, don’t focus on your crush or whatever. He’s there to support you in kicking the Kyoto students’ asses. Nothing more and nothing less,” Tullia said.

“That’s a good way of looking at it,” Maki said approvingly, “You’re not strong enough to take them all on by yourself, so you’ll definitely need his help, but you don’t want to get into some weird dilemma in the middle of a fight. Don’t assign him any more significance than as a tool; if you do, you run the risk of complicating things when they’re already far too complicated.”

“Then I’ll do as you both say,” you said with a determined nod. “And I’ll beat Mai for you, Maki.”

“It won’t be the same as if I do it myself,” Maki lamented, “But you’re the only one I trust to do it in my stead.”

“I won’t let you down,” you promised.

Because they were not competing, Maki, Tullia, Panda, and Toge had to stay back at the school, while Gojo, Ijichi, and Principal Yaga took you and Yuta to Kyoto. Gojo had bullied Kento Nanami into acting as their substitute teacher, which he did not seem thrilled about, and as you drove away, you almost wished you were staying back — if only to see the seven-three sorcerer at work. Tullia swore she’d record his lectures for you, something you said you’d hold her to.

Principal Yaga and Gojo were in a separate car, Yaga insisting that he be the one to drive Gojo to ensure that he did not magically disappear. It seemed that the principal was the only one Gojo actually respected; whether it was because he was his boss or because of some holdover from Gojo’s own student days, you did not know.

Ijichi allowed you to play your own music in the car, though he did have noise-cancelling headphones on as he drove, which meant he was just tuning everything out. It left you free to blast your favorite songs and try to not talk to Yuta, who sat beside you with his hands clasped in his lap.

He did not try to talk to you, either, but he would stare mournfully at you, though every time your eyes flicked to meet his, he’d look away. He had only just begun to come out of his shell when you had discovered the extent of your feelings for him, and now it seemed your silent treatment was sending him scuttling backwards to the safety of his shyness.

“I’m not mad at you,” you said, immediately regretting it even as you did. “Yuta. I’m not, really. You haven’t done anything wrong, if that’s what you were wondering.”

“You haven’t been talking to me,” he pointed out softly. “If I didn’t offend you in some way, then why?”

Because talking to him made you want to rip your hair out. Because it’s driving you insane that you like him so much but you’re promised to another.

“It’s a personal issue. Nothing you can change,” you said.

“So you’re going to keep avoiding me?” he said.

“Not during the event. We have to work together for it,” you said. He nodded, not at your answer but at the implied rest of it.

“I’ll do my best to not bother you. I’m sorry, by the way, if I did do something and you just don’t want to seem rude by bringing it up,” he said.

“You didn’t do anything,” you repeated. “I’m the one that messed up.”

“Oh,” he said, “I see.”

He did not inquire further, perhaps content that you had even spoken to him at all. And though you shouldn’t, you were internally rejoicing at the conversation. It was the most you had spoken to him in so long, and you had missed him so much, missed his quiet, kind mannerisms, the way he always lit up when talking to you, the soft blush that painted his cheeks whenever you said something, said anything.

Ijichi stopped the car in front of the school, letting you get your bags out before zooming away. You were about to start rolling your suitcase inside when it was suddenly snatched from you, and you found yourself facing a large, tall man with biceps the size of your head and more abs than you thought were possible. There was a scar on his face, and his dark hair was tied tightly back, a grin on his face as he hefted your suitcase in the air.

“Pretty lady, you should never have to break a sweat by doing something as mundane as dealing with luggage,” he said with a bow.

“Um, thanks, but I wasn’t really sweating about it. I didn’t pack that much,” you said. He did not acknowledge the response, instead offering you his hand.

“The name’s Aoi Todo! And who might you be?” he said.

“Y/N L/N,” you said politely, taking it and shaking it once, twice. From beside you, Yuta watched the interaction.

“Ah! Then this must be Okkotsu!” Todo said, immediately dropping your hand and pointing at Yuta.

“Yes, that’s Yuta,” you said. Yuta waved slightly, though his eyes were wide at Todo’s sheer bulk. He was huge, towering over both of you in an inhuman way. Yuta’s figure was slender and slight when compared to him, and once again you wondered how the two of you were supposed to take on Todo and five of his classmates.

“Yuta Okkotsu! I only have one question for you, and you better answer satisfactorily, or else I’ll kill you before the exchange event can even begin!” Todo thundered.

“Please don’t,” Yuta said.

“What kind of woman is your type?”

“What?” you said. “Why would you ask him that?”

Todo clasped his hands together, looking altogether far too serious, considering the ridiculousness of his question. He was looking at you, but his gaze was a thousand universes away as he began to rhapsodize.

“Well, it’s simple, really. There’s so much to be learned about a man just from the type of woman he’s into! A boring taste in women indicates a boring man; the inverse is also true. An eclectic or spicy taste in women means that the man himself will be truly someone to be respected!” Todo explained.

“And who’s to decide what sort of women are boring and which are spicy or eclectic, hm?” you snapped, pulling out your needles and pointing them at him threateningly.

“Me, of course! For instance, my type is tall women with big asses,” Todo said.

“How demeaning! And anyways, I doubt you’ve ever felt the touch of any woman, tall with a big ass or not, so how can you be sure that’s what you like?” you said. Todo contemplated this before shrugging, not even impacted by what you had said.

“It’s something I know in my heart. So how about it, Okkotsu? What’s your type?” he said. You scowled and were about to use your technique on Todo when Yuta ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Er, Y/N is,” he said. You froze in place, unsure of if you had heard him correctly. Crystal tears began to pour down Todo’s cheeks as he tilted his head back, trying to stem their flow — though he was entirely unsuccessful.

“What?” you said. Yuta turned a bright red, as if he had not realized you were standing right next to him.

“Not — not actually you! Just, like, a girl like you. Preferably with your looks. And personality. But not you!” he assured you.

“What?” you said again. “So…you do or don’t like me?”

“Don’t!” he said, far too quickly for him to have been telling the truth.

“I can’t believe it!” Todo shouted, his voice echoing.

“I can’t, either,” you said, though far more quietly.

“I’ve finally found it — a taste even more thrilling than mine! Okkotsu, you’re telling me you’re into married women?” Todo said.

“I’m not married yet,” you reminded him. Yuta winced as if just remembering this particular problem before shaking his head.

“No, I’m not —” he began before Todo cut him off.

“You truly are a worthy opponent! I look forward to competing against you in the exchange event. Let’s give it our all!” Todo said before springing away. You gaped at his receding form.

“Give me back my luggage!” you screamed, though he was gone before the words left your lips, taking your suitcase with him. You were so hot with rage that you’d not be surprised if there was steam pouring out of your nose and ears, and you were about to shake your fist in his general direction when you heard a smooth, familiar voice.

“I thought I heard Todo making a fuss about something. I should’ve realized it was your arrival,” Noritoshi said. Your anger evaporated instantly at the sight of him, and you fairly flew in your haste to throw your arms around him in a hug.

“Noritoshi!” you said. He was still, after all, your friend — though your feelings for him were nothing of the romantic kind, you cared about him. And it was obvious he felt the same, hugging you back with the same affection you showed him.

“Hello, Y/N,” he said. “How have you been?”

“Good,” you murmured. He still smelled like ylang-ylang, and it was a homecoming in a way. You were no longer the same girl you had been the last time you had seen him in person, but at the same time, had you even changed at all? “What about you?”

“Busy trying to get this event set up. Principal Gakuganji and Iori have been stressing making everything perfect; I believe Iori wants to show Gojo that her school is better than his, in more ways than one,” he said.

“Those two have always had that rivalry, haven’t they?” you said. You had known about the hatred that Utahime Iori held for Gojo even back before you had become a sorcerer proper; it was somewhat infamous. Gojo, for his part, found it a good pastime to egg her on more, which was in character enough that you were not surprised by it.

“Of course,” Noritoshi said, “Anyways, what did Todo do this time?”

“Asked Yuta about his taste in women and then stole my luggage,” you said.

“Ah, that sounds like him. I’ll get Mai to get it back for you; the two of them are friends of a sort,” he said before letting you go and dipping his head at Yuta, who in contrast to his earlier state was now as white as a sheet. “Sorry he harassed you, too. I promise the rest of us are a little bit more normal. Certainly, he’s the only one interested in the type of women that people prefer.”

“That’s — that’s good!” Yuta squeaked. Remembering his answer to the question, you were inclined to agree with him.

“Has he asked you what your type is?” you said. Noritoshi cocked his head at you.

“He asks everyone, and I’m no exception. I told him I’m engaged, and he left me alone about it after that. Why do you ask?” he said.

“Just wondering. Anyways, it’s been a bit of a long car ride, so do you think you could show us to our rooms? I think that both Yuta and I would appreciate a chance to sit down,” you said.

“Of course. Follow me — though, did you say rooms? There’s only one,” Noritoshi said.

“Huh?” Yuta said. “You mean we have to…share?”

“Traditionally, the girls share with the girls and the boys share with the boys, but because there’s only the two of you, Iori decided to be frugal and put you two in a dorm together — there’s going to be a lot of visitors coming to watch the event, so we need every inch of space we can get. Are you uncomfortable with that? Iori thought it’d be okay, since Y/N’s engaged to me, so it’s not like anything inappropriate will happen,” Noritoshi said.

You exchanged looks with Yuta behind Noritoshi’s back. The guilt you felt was reflected in his own expression, though you knew he probably didn’t understand why you felt guilty. But it remained that you hardly deserved Noritoshi’s trust, not when you had been talking to Maki and Tullia only the other day about how attracted you felt to Yuta.

“I just thought that she would’ve shared a room with you, if anyone,” Yuta said.

“Iori was too worried about Gojo instructing her to sabotage me while I slept or something to allow it. If you’re really bothered by the prospect, you can share with Gojo and Y/N can have her own room,” Noritoshi said.

“It’s fine! I’m fine, as long as Y/N’s okay with it,” Yuta said. This was your chance; nobody would fault you for saying no, for saying you didn’t want to sleep in the same room as another man. It might actually win you favor with the higher ups, proving your loyalty to your future husband and to their demands. Best of all, it would mean time away from Yuta, and wasn’t that what you, Maki, and Tullia had decided you needed?

“It’s perfectly alright with me,” you said, “I’m sure Yuta will be a good roommate.”

“That’s settled, then. We’re not much farther; I made sure that you two at least got a nice room, to make up for having to share,” Noritoshi said.

“That was considerate of you,” Yuta said. Noritoshi shrugged.

“Anything for my fiancé,” he said, nudging you in the side. You rolled your eyes.

“What a generous man you are. How grateful I am to be marrying you,” you said.

“I mean, if you want a tiny first-year dorm, then that can be arranged. As it is, you’re both sharing a third-year dorm, so you’ll have a bathroom and sitting area inside of the suite. But it’s up to you, darling,” he said sarcastically.

“Oh, dearest, you’re so thoughtful for leaving the choice up to me!” you said, just as mockingly. Teasing one another was about the only time you used pet names; otherwise, it was too uncomfortably close to an actual relationship for the both of you. “I think Yuta and I will stick with the nicer option.”

“No surprise,” he said, patting you on the head. “Here we are. Mai will be by soon, once she’s gotten your things from Todo. I trust you won’t need help getting unpacked?”

“We’re not children. We’ll be fine,” you said.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll take my leave. I shall see you when it comes time for the event,” he said.

“Be prepared to taste defeat, Noritoshi. You’re not ready to face Yuta and I!” you said.

“Oh? Words won’t be enough to frighten me. I hope that you are able to back your fancy speech up — for your sake, of course. Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you just because we are to be wed,” he said, arching a brow.

“And the same goes for me,” you said with a smirk, “In fact, I think it’ll only motivate me to go harder.”

“I look forward to it. And Yuta — I am saying this not as your competition, but rather as Y/N’s future husband: please look out for her as much as I’m sure she’ll look out for you,” Noritoshi said.

“I will,” Yuta said seriously, “I won’t let anyone hurt her.”

“Big promises,” Noritoshi said, and though he sounded casual, there was a hint of sharp recognition to his voice. “We’ll see how tomorrow goes, I suppose.”

Yuta nodded. “I suppose we will.”

The room you had been assigned to share with Yuta was nice, though a little bland. Two twin beds with about five feet of space between them were pushed against one wall, and there was a set of two steps that led into a small sitting area, with a couple of armchairs, a proper couch, a coffee table, and a television. There were two doors; one was a closet, and the other led to the spacious bathroom.

Once you were finished poking around the room, you turned to Yuta, who was standing unsurely in the entrance, simply watching you inspect the space.

“It’s good. Do you care which bed you take?” you said.

“The one closer to the door,” he said, walking in and throwing himself face-down onto the cushiony surface before you could respond. “Why’d you say you’re okay with staying together?”

“I wanted to,” you said.

“Yeah, obviously, but why? Your fiancé was right there, he would’ve bailed you out,” he said. You frowned.

“I’ve grown tired of my fiancé bailing me out. I would like to make at least some of my own decisions,” you said shortly. Yuta hummed in thought.

“Makes sense.”

“Thanks.”

The following silence was only broken by a light knock on your door. You opened it and were met with Mai Zenin, who beamed at the sight of you. Before you could stammer out a greeting, she was winding her arms around your waist and resting her chin on your shoulder.

“Y/N!” she cooed. “It’s so good to see you again. It’s even better to know that there’ll be another girl in this stupid event! At least now, whichever team wins, it’ll be assured that it wasn’t all because of the men.”

You had never had the time to grow close with Mai when you were younger — though not as disgraceful as Maki, she was still nobody that the Zenins and your parents believed you should associate with. But this actually meant you two probably had more in common than they thought, so despite her supposed enmity with Maki, you allowed her to embrace you.

“It’s always good to prove expectations wrong,” you agreed, “Thanks for getting my stuff.”

“I apologize for that idiot Todo’s behavior,” she said, pulling away and wrinkling her nose. “He’s an odd one, although he is terrifyingly strong.”

“The strangest people always are,” you said, thinking of Gojo with a smile.

“True,” she said, “Are you feeling ready for the event? I think it’ll be fun.”

“I think so, too,” you said. She looked around before leaning in so close that her lips were nearly brushing your ear.

“Don’t tell anyone I’ve told you this, but rumor has it the teamwork challenge involves a grade 2 curse. Be careful, yeah? And watch out — I’m sure you already know, but sabotage is allowed and encouraged. I wouldn’t want you to end up battling Todo or something without at least a fair warning,” she whispered.

“Why would you tell me that?” you said. She winked.

“I’m a nice person! Plus, then you can see that between my twin and I, I’m the better, kinder sister,” she said, fluttering her fingers in a wave and then leaving you behind, dumbfounded. You yanked your suitcase in and slammed the door.

“Maki’s still better,” you said rebelliously, flustered at Mai’s actions and stomping around as you unpacked your bag.

“What was all of that about?” Yuta said.

“She was just telling me we’ll probably have to face a grade 2 curse during the teamwork challenge, and that sabotage is allowed, so we’ll have to worry about their team, too,” you said.

“You probably don’t have to worry,” Yuta said, “It’s clear as day that Noritoshi is head over heels for you, and vice versa. I can’t see him attacking you.”

“Really? We must be better actors than I thought. Noritoshi and I are only friends that have been set to get married, and I disagree with your latter statement, too. He absolutely would attack me if he was told to — he’s the dutiful sort. It probably won’t be enough to harm me permanently, but something like a concussion or broken bone? I wouldn’t put it past him,” you said.

“I won’t let him, then,” Yuta said, peeking at you from the safety of his pillows.

“You will, actually,” you said. “I’ve been thinking — the reason I was put on your team is as something to hold you back — a handicap, as the case may be. I won’t give into that role; I’ll fight, of course, but I don’t want you to protect me, okay?”

“That’s stupid,” he said dismissively. “Of course I’ll protect you.”

“I refuse to be your weakness, Yuta,” you said fiercely.

“That’s not really something that’s up to you,” he said, “Don’t worry. You’re too strong to be anything like a handicap, so it’s a moot point. Get some rest.”

“You —”

“Y/N,” he interrupted you, “You can’t argue with me on this one. I’m not going to stand by and watch you get hurt.”

“Why’d you tell Todo I was your type of woman?” you said, changing the subject when it became clear Yuta would not budge. Maybe it was the solitude of the room, or maybe it was because he was too worn down to fight over it, but he only exhaled it heavily.

“You’re not that dumb,” he said. You looked away, hugging your knees to your chest. You weren’t that dumb.

“You know I can’t, right?” you checked.

“Yeah,” he said, “I’m sorry. Did you find out? Is that why…?”

“No. It’s just that — it’s just that —” you paused before deciding you were in so deep that there was no point in hiding, not anymore. Silently apologizing to Maki and Tullia, you took a deep breath. “It’s just that I feel the same way. And I shouldn’t, and I can’t bear to be around you when you’re the first thing I’ve ever wanted all to myself even though you’re the only thing I can’t have.”

“Wh-what?” he said.

“For my entire life, I’ve not been able to make any of my own choices. The only things that are mine are my needles and being friends with Maki; both earn me the disapproval of the higher ups, but they begrudgingly allow them due to Noritoshi’s support. But then you — you just had to come in and believe in me and be so kind and wonderful. I want you, Yuta, I want to make at least this one choice, to choose you, but I’m not brave enough to deal with what that entails,” you said.

“I understand,” he said, “You don’t have to. I’m not selfish enough to make you when I know you’ll be in danger if you do. So this is this last I’ll ever speak of it, but before I put the subject to rest, can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead,” you said.

“If Todo — if Todo asked you what kind of man was your type, what would you say?” he said.

“Your name,” you said without hesitating. “Yuta Okkotsu. That’s what I would say.”

[renjuseyo]

if ur requests are open can i pls request Jaehyun x male reader where the reader is so drunk that he forgot that his boyfriend(jaehyun) is his boyfriend. then he asks a member if he is taken and they said yes and that will make reader to silently be sad in the corner and jaehyun asks if readers ready to go home......... andddddddd ill leaveee the rest to u hehehehe (iloveurwriting so much)

tipsy ; jaehyun

group: nct

pairing: jung yoonoh / reader (male)

synopsis: both you and jaehyun knew how much of a lightweight you were, but when has that ever stopped you?

genre: fluff, crack

warnings: implied sexual content, explicit language

i lost inspiration for this, so i hope this mess of a fic is okay anon! as always, feedback is appreciated!!

when you peek through the peephole, you expect to see the delivery man holding the package you had ordered online. instead, you’re pleasantly surprised to see your boyfriend on the other side of the door, wrapped in a hoodie, mask, and tinted sunglasses. his disguise is pretty unnecessary given how your neighbors are mainly made up of old people who have never heard of nct, but it gets the job done.

once you’ve unhooked the chain bolt, you unlock the door and swing it open. he slightly jumps at the noise, but visibly softens when he sees you. “hey (name),” he greets, slipping off his mask and sunglasses.

“hey yourself. what are you doing here?” you ask. with how hectic his schedule has been after promotions with the nct 2020 project and working as an mc on inkigayo, you two hadn’t seen each other in weeks. though you missed him, you sympathized with the tireless hours he spent working as an idol. at least you preoccupied yourself with netflix.

he slips off his sneakers and enters your home, taking off the rest of his disguise. you close and lock the door behind you, trailing behind him. “i managed to squeak in some free time today, so i came to visit you,” he explains. he faces you with a smile, pulling you close. you subconsciously lean your head onto his shoulder, humming as he sways your bodies.

“i missed you,” you tell him, fingers ghosting his waist. he makes a noise of agreement, resting his chin on your head.

you eventually pull away, eliciting a grumble from jaehyun. contrary to popular belief, he was the clingy one of you two, always using the excuse of “you’re just the perfect size for cuddling.” “stop grumbling, jae. you’ve come so far, so it’s only fair i make you something to eat,” you tell him, making your way towards the kitchen.

he follows suit, hand grabbing at the hood of your hoodie. you stop in front of the refrigerator and open it, canvassing the food you have in there. as you debate what to make for lunch, he rests his chin on your shoulder and snakes both arms around your waist. you roll your eyes, though you don’t make any movements to pry his arms off. “i can always eat something else,” he smirks.

you realize too late the implications of his comment, absentmindedly sorting through the bags of vegetables in your fridge. “do you want takeout instead then? mrs. moon from two doors down said that there’s this really good pho house near here.”

he nuzzles into your shoulder. “i’d really like to eat you,” he says as nonchalantly as one can, considering his implications. you nearly drop a bag of spinach, spluttering incoherent words as you spin around to swat his shoulder. he laughs, loud and proud, a stark contrast from the quiet, polite laugh he’s practiced.

“you’re the worst,” you hiss, reluctantly closing the fridge. he pecks your cheek, eliciting a disgusted screech from you. he leans back with a laugh before attacking your face with kisses. you shut your eyes as you try to wiggle out of his grasp. but jaehyun’s been working out, evident from his arms, and he’s always had an intense grip. when he leans away, satisfied, you flick his forehead. with how clingy jaehyun’s being, making lunch isn’t an option anymore. “i hate you.”

jaehyun eventually relinquishes his attacks, threading his fingers with yours. “you’re usually not this clingy, jae. actually, now that i think about it, you don’t flirt all too much either, much less suggest sexual innuendos. what’s the occasion?” you ask as he walks you two to your living room. he doesn’t immediately respond, flopping down onto the couch and dragging you along with him. you land on his chest with an oomph, your cheek squished against his chest.

he combs his fingers through your hair, smiling as you make a noise of approval. “well, i wasn’t going to say anything before the news outlet, but...” his smile only widens when he sees you look up at him with curious eyes; he nearly coos at how innocent you look. “a certain idol you know might make his acting debut soon~”

your eyes widen, and you quickly prop yourself up with your elbows. “what! no way!” you exclaim, jaw hanging open. jaehyun laughs at your shell-shocked reaction, though it’s a given; when you were in a mood to vent, he would always take your hand and pepper your knuckles with butterfly kisses as you ranted about how he deserved better and shouldn’t only be seen as a visual, whining about how sm failed to show his talents as a singer and an actor. well, those days are over now, he supposes.

“yes way, love. are you excited?” he isn’t sure why he asked that question, considering how shell-shocked you already look. plus, the squeal that leaves your throat and the way you throw yourself onto him is answer enough already.

“do you even have to ask? you used to send me videos of you acting out different roles because you wanted to try acting, and you always did them so well! i’m really proud of you, jae. you deserve it.”

“i’m really glad you think so, (name). do you want to hear-”

“no!” you interrupt, slapping both of your palms on his mouth. he tilts his head in confusion, surprised by your sudden outburst. “knowing you, you’re going to accidentally tell me everything, and then i’m going to know the whole story line before the show even airs!”

he’s about to refute your claims, but he can’t really considering how you’ve layered both of your palms on his mouth. plus, judging by the look you give him, he’s certain he’s going to be eating his own words sooner or later. with a sigh, he peels your palms off. "you’re no fun. can i not even tell you the name and the basic plot?”

“i’m sorry for wanting to give you ratings,” you snort. “and no. then i’ll be waiting in anticipation and will force you to tell me everything, even if you tell me you can’t because i told you before not to say anything. you can’t even give me a drop of information.” well, jaehyun supposes that is true. you’ve always been enticed by television shows; he’s personally seen you react to cliffhangers a show gives before it ultimately gets cancelled. needless to say, it isn’t a pretty sight. “this calls for celebration! we can invite the boys too... do you want it to be extravagant, or are we keeping it low key?” you ask, sitting up and reaching for your phone.

“what happened to just you and me?” jaehyun asks, batting his eyelashes with feigned innocence. “i can think of a lot more fun things we can do.”

you don’t even bat an eye; unlike earlier, you were prepared for this kind of comment. “shoving my foot up your ass sounds really fun, but unfortunately that won’t get me any food. the boys probably already knew before i did, so you’ve probably already celebrated with them... i guess we can keep it simple.”

“i’d take your foot any day,” he fires back with a heavily exaggerated moan, to which you respond with a slap on the arm.

“i’m telling johnny to bring over beer.” you’re texting a group chat with you and the other 127 members. you’re only dating jaehyun, yet sometimes it feels like you’re dating all of them with how close you are. plus, gossiping with jungwoo about your boyfriend is always fun. with him being his roommate, you both often share similar struggles.

he rolls his eyes, stretching over to wrap his arms around your waist. he peers over your shoulder to look at your screen. “please, (name). you’re the lightest lightweight i’ve ever met. who are you telling to bring over drinks? you’re like a baby.”

“fuck you.”

“i think it’s the other way around, but i’d gladly let you order me around~” he flirts.

you shove a pillow in his face as you fire off a text.

after ordering pizza, tteokbokki, and fried chicken, your dinner is nearly complete. the boys were coming over soon, with johnny being in charge of drinks, jungwoo in charge of takeout, and donghyuck in charge of entertainment. you had a nintendo switch jaehyun had gifted you two years ago, and you intended on making full use of it tonight.

(plus, you have yet to beat yuta at super smash bros. today is going to be that day.)

you had finished clearing the table for the food before you notice jaehyun’s sleeping frame on the couch. you’re about to walk over and reprimand him for being unproductive, but seeing how tired and peaceful he looks stops you. instead, you grab a blanket from your room and drape it over him.

you’re about to walk away and grab water bottles for everyone when you feel something tugging your hand. craning your neck, you smile at jaehyun’s hooded eyes laced with sleep. “c’mere,” he murmurs.

water bottles can wait, then. you pat jaehyun’s side, and he scoots over to allow room for you. as you slot yourself in his arm, spreading a leg across his, he makes a noise of satisfaction, eyes fluttering close. “someone’s tired,” you observe, pushing the mop of black bangs obscuring his eyes. “did practice run late?”

he avoids your gaze. “no, i spent the night playing uno with johnny, ten, and mark,” he admits.

you laugh. “must have been intense. i bet you were so burnt out from uno,” you sympathize with sarcasm. “but in general, don’t overexert yourself, okay? i know you’ve been busy, but you need to remember to take care of yourself.”

jaehyun nods, but a yawn rips out of his chest. you give him a knowing look, one that reads what did i say? which causes him to laugh. “yes sir,” he lazily responds.

“as tired as you may be, don’t go falling asleep on me now. the others are going to be here soon. what would they think, the guest of honor asleep at his own party?” you chuckle, leaning down to press a chaste kiss on his forehead.

he beams at the gesture. “give me more kisses and i’ll think about it,” he coaxes.

usually you don’t give in to his bratty demands, but seeing how tired he is reminds you of the accomplishments he’s achieved in the past year. a kiss is the least you could down. you lean down, breath fanning his lips, and he closes his eyes in contentment.

a few seconds pass, but the kiss never comes. when jaehyun opens his eyes, he’s surprised to see you’re no longer by his side, instead standing by the door. “that’s one way of telling a guy to come and get it,” he sighs, sitting up. he wearily rubs his eyes, blurry eyes watching you.

“sorry jae, taeil-hyung just texted saying they’re here,” you apologize. he sighs, eventually standing up after a few moments of stretching.

just as you had said, knocks resonate throughout your home, signalling their arrival. you peek through the peephole to verify their identities and sure enough, all nine other members stand outside, arms loaded. you undo the chain lock and swing the door open, greeting everyone.

“thanks for having us,” taeyong smiles, stepping into your home. everyone else echoes his message, but it comes out mumbled, like they hadn’t thought of saying anything until taeyong. the power a leader has, you suppose.

“no problem. here, let me grab some of the food.” you scurry over to jungwoo and mark, whose arms were loaded with the takeout you ordered.

as you grab a box of pizza from mark, johnny slaps you on the back. you nearly lurch forward and drop the pizza; if you had, johnny would be first on your hit list. “so jaehyun finally told you?” he asks with a grin.

“thank god. he spent days talking about ways to tell you, knowing how excited you’d be,” sicheng snorts, slipping off his shoes.

you laugh, especially when you see jaehyun spluttering in embarrassment. “you could’ve fooled me. all he did was waltz in and drop the news after he nearly fell asleep. made me feel like a proud parent and everything.”

“you may feel like one now, but wait until you watch him act. just going to be lots of cringing and teasing,” doyoung sneers, elbowing his shoulder.

yuta rolls his eyes. “like you’re one to talk, mr. lead actor.”

your eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. “lead actor?!” doyoung laughs, answering your question. “good for you, hyung!”

jaehyun narrows his eyes. “why do you look more amazed at his news than mine?!”

i’m not a lightweight, you told yourself. i can handle whatever yuta throws at me, you told yourself.

you were sorely mistaken.

jaehyun notices this too, seeing you sway in your seat. he chuckles at the sight; you were never able to hold your liquor, and when you got drunk, you were quite the spontaneous drinker to deal with. one time you had drank so much that you cried over cute things, like when sicheng showed you a picture of his dogs. or the one time you were a man on a mission, flirting with all of the members. needless to say, that led to a very interested jaemin and a very pouty jaehyun.

you had initially planned on just sticking to soda, but yuta had wanted to make things more interesting and challenged you to a game of super smash bros. each time the loser lost, they would have to down a can of beer. despite your inability to hold your liquor, it activated your competitive nature. but of course, yuta is crazy good at any games he suggests, completely demolishing you with lucina. no matter which character you chose, you were just no match against him.

after several fruitless attempts, you’re seated between taeil and sicheng, who seem way too interested in the tteokbokki to notice your behavior. everyone else seems occupied, too; johnny, yuta, jungwoo, and donghyuck are playing mario kart 8, taeyong and mark are immersed in yet another one of their deep, contemplative conversations, and doyoung’s watching the whole scene unfold, supervising everyone (probably to ensure nothing ends up in flames). on the other hand, jaehyun’s sitting on your sofa, alternating between watching the four men in front of your television screaming and you in your tipsy state. he decides to stick with the latter.

eventually you lift your eyes up and make eye contact with jaehyun, who responds with a wink. seeing you flush and look away has his chest swelling with giddiness; you’re just too cute sometimes. the table isn’t far from the sofa, so he can hear any conversation that goes on there. he watches as you take another sip of your can, eyes shifting back and forth from the television and to him. you stare at him for a bit longer, eyes canvassing his face, his posture, his thoughts.

it seems sicheng notices your staring, sitting back down and nudging your shoulder. “what’s so interesting that it’s gotten your attention?” he asks, purposefully raising his voice so jaehyun can hear.

you flush at how loud he is, lazily putting a finger to your lips. “shhh, i’m staring at the pretty boy there.” you point your chin towards jaehyun, who pretends to not see. you’ve never been subtle when you were drunk, but telling you that would just lead to you loudly slurring your arguments. “do you know if he’s dating anyone?”

jaehyun nearly spits out his beer. of all the times you’ve gotten drunk, you’ve never once forgotten that you were his boyfriend - if anything, you were all too eager to prove just how much you belonged to him. he’s not sure whether to feel startled or amused.

sicheng chooses the latter, a smirk forming. “yeah, he has a boyfriend,” he tells you. jaehyun hopes you’ll realize that you’re the boyfriend in question, but seeing how you deflate like a balloon, he guesses not. he questions how much you’ve had to drink.

you slide off of your chair, pouting. “of course a guy as attractive as him has a boyfriend. i’m not surprised,” you grumble, crossing your arms. jaehyun can’t help the amused smirk that makes its way on his face. watching you envy yourself for being his boyfriend is very amusing.

sicheng must feel the same, stifling his laughter. “don’t look so bitter, (name). his boyfriend’s a good guy.”

you pout, crossing your arms. “well, i bet i can treat him ten times better! pretty boy there doesn’t know what he’s missing out on,” you boast, standing up.

sicheng can only watch in amusement as you stagger towards the kitchen. if only you knew how strange that statement was. “if you’re so confident about that, then what are you doing? planning on hiding in the kitchen to wallow on your sorrows?” he teases.

“i’m not!” you protest. “i’m just going to get some water because i’m dizzy as fuck and possibly cry about how single i am.” you mumble the last part, though because sicheng has uncanny hearing, he probably heard, if the smirk on his lips is anything to go by.

jaehyun decides it’s time to intercept, because as amusing as things were, he hoped you weren’t actually going to cry about being single, especially since you had no reason to. he stops by the dining table where taeil and sicheng are. “so i heard you and (name) were talking about me.”

sicheng snorts, rolling his eyes. “just because we said pretty boys doesn’t mean we were talking about you.”

though unaware of the topic, taeil leans in, chewing on a mouthful of pizza. “yeah, for all we know, he could be talking about me!” he chirps. he’s met with an annoyed glare from sicheng (though both of them can see him stifling his laughter), which he responds with an air kiss. typical taeil.

“well, i’m going to check up on him. i’ll leave you two lovebirds alone for now,” he teases. taeil looks a little too happy at the joke, whereas sicheng threatens to stab him with a fork. it’s amusing watching their reactions, considering how everyone around them already knows that they’re dating. those two just haven’t admitted anything yet.

he follows you into the kitchen, though you don’t seem to notice, too busy pouring yourself a glass of cold water.  “(name),” he greets.

you jump in surprise, nearly spilling water on yourself. when you turn to face jaehyun, your confident nature immediately disappears, quickly replaced with one of bashfulness. “you know me?” you ask, in awe of how said pretty boy could possibly recognize you.

if only you knew just how well he knew you, he thinks to himself. instead, he decides to play along; you’re obviously too drunk to realize how silly this seems. “i do,” he hums, patting your shoulder. he isn’t sure if your red cheeks are from the alcohol or him, though he hopes for the latter. he never gets less prideful when you get all shy because of him.

hoping to maintain the confident facade you had earlier, you quickly clear your throat, looking away. “how can i help you?” you ask, taking a sip of your water.

“well, i was hoping if we could talk in a more... private area?” he asks.

you nearly spit out your water, eyes the size of saucers. he has to stop himself from laughing, afraid the drunk you would get the wrong impression. “just to talk, that’s all. it’s kind of loud here, don’t you think?”

the screams from the living room (which are mainly from johnny and donghyuck and the occasional ones of distress from taeyong) and the volume of the television are evidence enough, so you nod in agreement. “yeah, sure.”

“perfect. let’s go then~” jaehyun laces your fingers together before you can say anything, and your ears are practically fuming with smoke. you’re too distracted by his touch to question how he knows where your bedroom is. when you both enter your room, he flops down on your bed, patting the empty spot beside him. at this, you gasp, scandalized and very flustered. he chuckles at how shy you’ve gotten, shaking his head. “my my (name), get your head out of the gutter. we’re not going to do anything... unless you want to,” he flirts.

jaehyun never tries to take advantage of you, especially when you’re not sober. but when the sober you would throw pillows (or anything that wouldn’t actually hurt him) at him for flirting with you, the drunk you would always fire back with equally flirty remarks, or the shy you would just splutter in embarrassment. he can’t help it, spewing sweet nothings to you - you’re just too fun to mess with for him to not to, especially when you’re drunk.

reluctantly you place your water on your bedside table and lower yourself beside him, heart thumping erratically. he chuckles at how timid you are, a stark contrast from the snarky (name) that he knows so well. he turns to face you, both of your faces only centimetres apart. the smell of alcohol lingers on both of you, though it isn’t as prominent on him as it is on you. he makes a mental note to ask yuta how much you’ve had.

you squeak at how close you two are, hands flying to cover your face. “you have a boyfriend,” you whisper. you’re undeniably flustered, but you would rather die than be known as a homewrecker!

his laugh startles you, even more so when he presses a hand to the small of your back. you look like you’ve committed a heinous crime, potentially causing an attractive man like jaehyun to cheat on his boyfriend. the statement is so abusrd though, considering how you’re the boyfriend in question. “i do, you are right. he won’t be mad at me, though,” he hums, leaning in so close your noses would touch if it weren’t for the makeshift barrier you’ve made from your hands. you flush red in embarrassment, hiding your eyes behind your hands. if you make eye contact with him, you’re sure you’re going to melt into a puddle.

“even if he didn’t mind, i don’t think we should be doing this. i know i wouldn’t be happy if my boyfriend did this,” you whisper.

jaehyun sure is having a field day with this. you’re too flustered and worried to notice the pure look of adoration he’s giving you. “call it a hunch,” he says. “i promise you, he won’t be mad at this.”

“why?”

“you’ll find out tomorrow.” he pauses as a yawn rips out of his chest. “i’m really tired, so i’m going to sleep. the boys probably won’t quiet down on my account, anyways. you can always go back to them if you want, though,” he offers. a small part of him hopes for you to stay and cuddle with him, but judging how you’re so sure he has a boyfriend who would be absolutely devastated for literally sleeping with another man and how you have no knowledge of where you stand, he wouldn’t be surprised if you left.

what does surprise him, though, is when you stay rooted in your spot on the bed. “i’m tired, too,” you say.

jaehyun smiles so sweetly, the one that has his eyes dripping with honey, that your hands fly up to cover your face again. his boyfriend must be lucky to see that sight all of the time, you bitterly think to yourself. still, even if you’re not sure why he’s flirting with you or where you stand, you decide to savor every moment that you get to spend with him. even if you don’t really know who pretty boy is, he’s sweet and kind. plus, only a fool would cover their eyes when someone as beautiful as him lays before you.

he moves an arm to pat your thigh when he freezes in midair, remembering how he’s supposed to have a boyfriend to stay loyal to (even though he’s right in front of him). he retracts his arm and instead pulls your blanket to cover your lower bodies. “goodnight, (name),” he hums, shutting his eyes.

before jaehyun can begin the long process of trying to fall asleep, he feels you tug at his t-shirt. cracking an eye open, he sees you laying before him, staring at him with curious eyes and red cheeks. oh no, now he’s really tempted to kiss you. you’re impossibly adorable, seeing how vulnerable and curious you are. “yes?” he hums, trying to stay awake. the effects from last night’s uno matches have really begin to take a toll on him.

“i don’t think i’ve gotten the chance to ask, but may i know your name?” you ask.

jaehyun chuckles. he’s flirted with you and is even sleeping in the same bed as you, yet he’s forgotten the basic courtesy that is introductions. he didn’t think he would’ve needed it, considering how you’re his boyfriend. but then again, you’ve forgotten that you are his boyfriend. “my name’s yoonoh, but you can call me jaehyun or jae.”

no one actually calls him jae except for you. it’s a short and simple nickname that you have for him, nothing endearing. but because it’s something that only you call him, even though there isn’t a meaning to it, he’s grown fond of the way it sounds leaving your lips. which is why hearing it from anyone that isn’t you only leaves a weird taste on his tongue.

you’re so drunk you don’t even remember jaehyun, nor who he is to you, so it isn’t surprising that you stick with jaehyun instead. he doesn’t mind though, because he knows when you’re sober again he’ll hear you calling him jae and cuddling into him and doing all of the coupley things he wasn’t able to do tonight.

wow, jaehyun really is a lovesick fool. it’s only been one night of not being able to cuddle or kiss you, but he feels like he’s missed a whole eternity of them. he really isn’t sure how he’s lived before you came into his life.

for an hour, you pester jaehyun on how you two became acquainted and who you were to him. he indulged you, of course, purposefully skipping over the part of you becoming boyfriends and doing things that friends definitely didn’t do. his stories seem to be an effective way of getting you to sleep, because in the middle of a story of how a pair of swapped backpacks led to your relationship, you’re lulled to sleep, tired hands clutching onto his t-shirt.

he can only chuckle, leaning down to press a kiss on your nose. you’ll sure be in for a storm when you sober up tomorrow morning.

your jaw drops as you stare at the video on doyoung’s phone. it’s of you and sicheng, and right now you can only watch in horror as you pester him for information on the pretty boy you were so interested in last night. you have no recollection of last night’s events, though watching the video makes you glad you don’t. the problem is, the boys were there to witness them, even recording evidence of it on their phones. you’ve already seen pictures that johnny and taeyong have taken from when you and jaehyun were cuddling in your bed.

“please tell me that isn’t me,” you whisper, utterly mortified.

mark pats your shoulder in sympathy. “that’s you, all right.”

at his confirmation, you groan, burying your face in your hands. doyoung and donghyuck are cackling at your demise, with sicheng reciting your complaints word from word to a very amused johnny and yuta.

“...and then he was like well, i bet i can treat him ten times better! pretty boy there doesn’t know what he’s missing out on,” sicheng mimics, purposefully raising his voice an octave higher as he mocks you. out of embarrassment, you reach for a pillow on your couch and fling it at him. unlike jaehyun, he’s very good at dodging, proven when he ducks. instead, the pillow smacks yuta square in the face. he throws it back at you with even more force.

you duck, the pillow smacking an unsuspecting jaehyun. he really is horrible at dodging things - how shameful. “what the hell was that for?” he splutters, picking it up from the floor.

you turn to face him, eyebrows furrowed with annoyance. “you watched me make an utter fool out of myself, and you didn’t once try to do anything about it?” you hiss.

jaehyun frowns in confusion until doyoung dangles his phone in front of his face. when he watches the video, his face eventually contorts to one of amusement. “oh, that.”

your face is red with embarrassment. “yeah, that! like seriously? where is your loyalty? do you not care about my well being? you know how vicious these monsters can be!” you whine, gesturing at the said nine monsters behind you.

he nonchalantly shrugs, though you can see the corners of his lips threatening to curl into a smirk. “i do, but you were just too cute, seeing you all flustered. what about my own well being, huh? seeing you like that isn’t good for my heart,” he coos.

your heart leaps, but you mask it by smothering his face with a pillow. “you’re the worst,” you grumble.

“you act like you don’t like it, but i know you do~” he retaliates, albeit muffled from the pillow.

behind you two stands nine other boys, obviously unimpressed. watching you two engage in petty banter is always amusing, but not when it makes you flustered and encourages jaehyun to flirt with you like the cheesy, lovesick fool he is. “they’re so gross,” donghyuck gags.

johnny nods in agreement. “let’s get out of here before they start fucking on the counter.”

at johnny’s comment, you turn away from jaehyun so fast you swear you hear your neck crack. “do you have no filter?!” you shriek, exasperated.

with your guard down, jaehyun takes this as a chance to wrap his arms around your waist. a noise of surprise leaves your throat as he places his chin on your shoulder. “you’re so mean, (name). i liked the shy you a lot better~” he hums.

the other boys don’t even blink. “we’re going to leave now before things get bloody. good luck, (name),” taeyong says, saluting you.

jaehyun’s already tugging at the hem of your shirt and peppering your neck with kisses by the time the boys leave.

[authoressskr]

Tracking Death and Magic, pt 2

Characters: f!Reader [known in this fic as Duchess], Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Phil Coulson, Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Clint Barton, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, mentions of Dr. Strange, OFCs

Warnings: Language, death, angst, and no Beta   ::    Notes: this was written for @captain-kelli’s #ckcomebacktour – WELCOME BACK!!    ::   Word Count: 10,414

Mythological + Fairy Tale Creatures AU feat. Alpha Werewolf/Vampire!Bucky, Alpha Werewolf/Vampire!Steve, Giant!Hulk side Bruce, Born Witch!Wanda, Hellhound mix!Reader

Someone is hunting down those with Fae blood in New York. And no one can figure out why or who is behind the crimes. So higher ups in the city hand the case over to SHIELD, who deals with the more difficult supernatural cases. But even after two weeks, this small elite team can’t seem to figure out where the person or persons responsible will strike or the reasoning behind it. Anyone with a drop of Fae blood is scared…scared of being kidnapped or killed. Time to call in some outside help.

Prompt: [*In Part 1*] “All of those people are alive right now - all because of her.”

[ Please do NOT repost, copy & paste, translate, post or share my works on any other platform without my EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION. 18+ ONLY PLEASE, all content providers don’t want serious repercussions from underage interactions, myself included. ]

-+- REBLOGGING is fine and *very* appreciated! -+-

Part One

You could feel it as you walked up to the sidewalk where Cyrus had been killed. The now dried and cleaned sidewalk not hiding it’s dark shadows from you in the waning late afternoon light.

The creeping, underhanded power of the Seelie Court brushing against you.

The poison is a prominent smell to your hound side still since it’s only been a day and a half. Cyrus’s soul hasn’t lingered, so that at least is a blessing, but the conversation with your uncle and this fresh site is putting your nerves on the very edge. You can ‘see’ the faint magic outline where he died, you knew he’d be wearing his homemade medallion to ward off evil. Swallowing, you kneel where his feet would have been, reaching out with your magic.

The flashes that echo painfully through your mind make you gasp.

The cloaked figure is stealing magic. Taking it violently. To him, the more violent and quick, the better. It honestly just makes your stomach roll, the saliva building in your closed and clenched mouth.

But why? You can taste the lighter magic associated with the Seelie Court - the Court of Light - the kind that humans and others often think of when they think of the fair folk. The court thought, it doesn’t deal with humans or others unless absolutely needed…

When you told Hades you suspected a member of the higher courts on your little walk, you hadn’t anticipated to be able to feel it. The boots, the glistening silver swords, the escape when you had moved a forgotten tiny part of the sithen under the alley -- now it all makes a lot more sense now. The shiver that runs down your spine at the implications this creates. May the God and Goddess spare all those innocents involved, you pray quickly.

A henchman for the shining Seelie Court, sweet baby Jesus. What had you gotten yourself into?? What had SHIELD stumbled into??

The residual death is quick, but still it steals into you, taking away what little baited breath you had. Feeling the tears prickle your eyes as you try to figure out these new pieces of the puzzle.

Hades can’t help you - Gods can’t interfere with other pantheons businesses, good or bad.

Hades can’t save you from the other half of yourself.

It was something you had always known in the back of your mind, but the harsh slap of it hurt more than the death and falling pieces of this horrible plot. But...just maybe there could be a light in this cave of fae intrigue and murder. There are others whom you can save.

The three stolen wouldn’t be taken to the sithen, that would be too obvious of their involvement. Plus, they were fae and thus could leave as long as not put into a dungeon there and theoretically had enough power and know-how to do so. But had the cloaked figure been draining them, you weren’t sure if they could get out or away.

So, that would mean they were still somewhere close by.

The last traces of magic from the murder, Cyrus’s own traces, and your hellhound senses in overdrive to track everything - you’re drowning as the sun sinks just a tad lower in the sky, creating the beginnings of the lovely orange autumn color you adore. Fall was closer than you remembered. You can vaguely hear your name being said, like being underwater almost. Then you can smell sage, lemon and juniper - the sweet smells of the entrance to the Underworld.

The way the newcomer says your name grounds you, while Bucky calling your name brings you closer to the surface - your mate...Bucky brings you back to reality. And he’s protective and bristling slightly at the other man who is holding your arm’s firmly.

You’re looking up at the slightly blurry face of a traditionally handsome Greek man, all muscle and blurry smile, with thick black hair and sweet honey brown eyes.

“I hate your human disguise sometimes,” You grunt and turn to plop down on your ass as Bucky watches as the man lean in and proceed to lick from your chin up to your hairline. “Okay, okay...thank you Cerb,” You shove his chest gently to get him to release you, reaching for Bucky’s hand automatically. “This is my mate, Bucky. Don’t snap at him.” Cerberus gives you puppy dog eyes, his nerves calming down slightly to hold his form better. So at least now it was one face instead of the three blurry ones superimposed over each other.

“Did you just say Cerby?!” Wanda sounds astonished.

“As in Cerberus?” Natasha questions calmly. The guardian to the Underworld stands up and he’s visibly excited looking from you to Natasha and Wanda.

“Yes,” You coo. “This is my best friend in the whole world and Underworld, Cerberus. Cerberus, this is Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers is his best friend. Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Phil Coulson. Wanda Maximoff and her twin, Pietro.”

“Pleasure,” His deep voice almost has an echo to it. “Lord said you needed looking after, pup. He was right. Too close.”

“I know,” You sigh out as your hand subconsciously clenches Bucky’s a little tighter even after he helps you up.

“No,” Cerberus growls. “Close.”

“Fucking great,” You growl out in reply, anger rising.

“See anything?” Phil asks, forehead furrowed just so. You sigh again, anger dissipating as quickly as it had boiled up.

“We are in a shit ton of trouble.”

“We are aware of that, kid,” Steve states, crossing his arms over his wide chest.

“Nooo. Like real shit ton of trouble. Seelie Court trouble.” Phil lets out a string of curses as Clint’s stance gets more rigid. “The cloaked asshole is working for the Seelie Court. I can taste the residual light magic. And he’s stealing magic. That’s why he’s been killing most of them. Kidnapping the more powerful ones to drain them continuously, I’m guessing.”

“He can’t take them back to the golden sithen,” Phil states, following where you’re leading. “So they’re still in the area.”

“I think he took them where there’s more greenery and nature, it would make it more comfortable for him. Someplace secretive to drain and hide them.”

“Central Park,” Bucky reasons. “It makes the most sense. It would be easy for him to hide them there, especially if he was -” He stops as you start exhibiting nervous energy beside him, enough to upset his wolf and your scent to change. “What is it?”

“Only royalty can move the sithen,” You whisper, eyes focused solely on Phil.

“I have to let Fury know…” Phil looks at you with pity and sadness appearing in his blue eyes. “Everything.”

“I figured as much when I tasted their magic,” face contorting with a pained expression is all Bucky sees on your lovely face as you whisper the words defeatedly. He’s on edge now with your changing emotions and scents, trying to keep his eyes from shifting too much or his fangs popping out to prepare for the impending fight, the need to protect and soothe you almost overwhelming him internally.

“I’m sorry,” He offers, moving forward to squeeze your shoulder sympathetically, withdrawing the phone from his pant pocket as your free hand shoots forward to grip his wrist tightly, a plea written plainly for all to see on your almost panicking face.

“Please Phil...delay it til the morning. I can’t...they’ll -” Bucky and Steve can taste the fear that’s rolling off you now, raising his hackles as Cerberus eyes him with interest before returning his gaze to Duchess.

“I won’t let your other side harm you,” Cerby snarls, his handsome olive face contorted with anger as you wince hard. Bucky tugs you into him as much as he can with your iron grip still on Phil, soothing the pacing and snarling wolf in his head as much as he is soothing you.

That’s why you said you should be better at wording things, Bucky thinks to himself, nuzzling his nose into your hair, fangs no longer a worry as your scent shifts yet again to worry. Only now he realizes you are concerned about how he sees you.

“Do you care I’m a werewolf and vampire crossbreed 100 year old plus former assassin?” Bucky mumbles softly against your head, making you pull away to look up at him, shock and confusion making you wrinkle your forehead at your mate. Your scent shifts to calm Bucky now, eyes tearing up just a tad as his wolf shakes and settles down. Mate needs reassurance.

“No!” You release Phil’s wrist to cup Bucky’s cheek, thumb moving over the course hairs of his beard. “I don’t care what you are. You’re mine, James.” The light in Bucky’s eyes stun you with his smile, his eyes crinkling beautifully. Just radiating his happiness in that simple little motion of his elated smile, your inner hound almost dopey at the tenderness your mate is exuding.

“Then why would I care if you're half fae?” He presses his forehead down against yours, making you squeeze your eyes closed to prevent the tears from falling. “You’re my mate, Duchess. I don’t care what you are, as long as I get to keep you. Understand, doll?”

“I just don’t want to be known as one of them...as one of the Shining Court. That’s not me.” You keep your eyes squeezed close, taking comfort in your mate’s touch and his surrounding scent, blocking out everything but Bucky.

“You moving that fast with that sword was hot though,” Bucky rumbles out, making laughter just peel out of you, opening your eyes to be met with those intensive cerulean orbs.

“You’re too good,” You copy his statement from the closet earlier, smiling up at the most important person in your life.

But that comment does make you think, yanking your forehead away from Bucky to snap back to Coulson.

“Phil! It’s for my father!”

“You sure?”

“It has to be! Only royalty can move the sithen! The High Prince has probably a quarter of the fae power I do and his son probably barely enough to magically open a doorway in the sithen.”

“Wait,” Clint starts, twirling a toothpick between his front teeth before pointing it at you and continuing. “So you’re a fae princess?!”

You wince again, Bucky’s metal fingers slipping under the edge of your shirt bottom to stroke your skin to ease the emotions swirling in and around you - at least they are much more in control and subdued than minutes ago. “Technically, yes.” You admit in a defeated whisper. “My grandmother is the Queen of the Seelie Court.”

“Which is why Peter said you were ordering the cloaked man to answer you,” Steve states, rolling his shoulders to relieve some tension. Too late you realize that since Steve and Bucky are actually pack that he was getting some diluted effects of your emotional rollercoaster just now just by being so close to the two of you. ‘Sorry,’ You mouth to him as he gives you a soft smile in return.

“So that’s why the ground shook?” Bucky asked, forehead slightly furrowed at Phil then down to you. “How can you move the whole sithen?”

“Oh, I can’t. I couldn’t do that unless I was Queen and would need a whole lot of blood magic to back it up to move it. And honestly, the sithen is a living thing, so it would need to be...um...convinced. But moving pieces of it - especially forgotten or ‘dead’ spaces that the court don’t access - is fairly easy if you know what you are doing. Hades is Lord of the Underworld. Is the “Underworld” just under Greece? No. It’s everywhere AND a specific place. The same properties apply to the sithen,” You shrug as if it hasn’t really occurred to you the schematics of it all.

“Ahh, sort of like the Sanctum Sanctorum of Dr. Strange’s,” Pietro supplies, tapping a finger against his chin with a small grin.

“Yes and no.”

“I was thinking more like the jet,” Wanda supplies to her twin who frowns at her.

“So if Dr. Strange had a Sanctum Sanctorum jet?”

“Jesus. Christ.” Coulson and Natasha mutter loudly in sync, sighing and turning away slightly from the twins and Clint who is nodding along with their continued discussion.

“So could you find the piece of the sithen in Central Park?” Steve moves the conversation back to the kidnapped victims, you watching him unclench and clench his right hand slightly. You move a little more into Bucky and reach for Steve’s right hand. His head snaps over to you almost comically fast, while you just try to exude a calming energy. Bucky whispers a soft ‘thank you’ against your temple before gently reaching over to squeeze Steve’s shoulder. You can almost feel Steve’s blood pressure drop once both you and Bucky are calm and now working on calming him.

“Yeah, I could. I’ve scented the magic signature he’s used both attacking me and at the crime scenes, so shouldn’t be too hard to locate it. I mean, I won’t be exactly spot on, but will be close enough to be able to move the sithen bit to me and manipulate it open hopefully.”

“So that’s the play,” Natasha states as Phil whips out his cell, causing another spike in anxiety to roll through you, but Bucky and Steve both quickly whisk it away with their touch.

“Yes, sir,” Phil states evenly. “We may have located the kidnapped parties. I request a team to subtly clear and surround Central Park. Yes, sir.” His right eyelid gives one lone twitch. “Yes, all Avengers to the Park. We are dealing with Seelie Court involved matters. Yes, she is here and will be leading us to the kidnapped hostages. Affirmative. Will do, sir.” He hangs up to find everyone staring at him. “Tony will be bringing everyone’s gear and then we’ll head to Central Park. If you have any requests or needs, please bother Stark. I have a whole ops to coordinate.” A black suv pulls up behind him, which no one even flinches at. “I’ll meet you all in an hour. Stark will know the location.”

“Onward to probable death!” Pietro mutters with fake enthusiasm and you frown at him, Cerberus moving closer to you until his arm is brushing. The scent of sage, juniper and lemon - overlapped with the scent of coffee, cinnamon, cedar and a soft ocean breeze, things distinctly Bucky to you, even the scent of orange faintly coming from Steve - do nothing to help the pit in your belly.

How true, you muse morbidly, glancing up into sad honey brown eyes. You can both catch the faint, trace smell of death.

And you both know it’s from you.

-----*****-----*****-----

Tony had brought you several SHIELD jumpsuits in various colors: gray, blue and black, smirking as you had raised an eyebrow at him. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously, little hellhound. They’ll all form to fit you. Bucky and Peter mentioned swords, so I brought some thigh holsters as well as a back holster, since I didn’t know the length of your swords. Natasha has extra guns aboard the jet if you are into that. Also, we don’t have time for you two to be frisky, so -”

“Shut up, Tony,” Bucky had growled from behind him, just making Tony smile wider. Seeing Bucky in his hero suit was a whole different sexy than last night and this morning. Well, you now understood why Tony was having concerns about you two because - dear gods did you want Bucky to bend you over something and take you with that suit on. You’d be equally happy to just drop to your knees and thank your mate for this look. Bucky obviously can see and sense the changes as you are basically drooling and clenching your thighs, while having an iron grip on the dark blue suit you had been favoring.

“Remember!” Tony says loudly while shaking a finger at you before Steve comes up beside Bucky and herds the grinning man from the room where you’re surrounded by suits and weapons.

“Eyes are glowing again, doll,” Bucky purrs as he comes to a halt before you.

“Can’t help it, it’s an emotional reaction most of the time,” You breath out, a smile playing on the corner of his lips at your answer. “Used to just do it when I was extremely pissed off. Now apparently it decides to pop up whenever I’m -”

��Horny?”

“Focusing. On. My. Mate.” You insist as he rumbles out a laugh, bending forward to kiss your forehead sweetly. You tilt your head up to catch his eye again, giving him a small smile as you reach out to take his flesh hand. “But just FYI, I can smell you’re horny too. And them pants is tiiight.” He captures your lips in a searing kiss, pulling you so tight against his chest that the buckles dig into you a little, just making you all the more riled up.

“Mate,” Bucky’s voice is part plea and warning in it’s roughness after you two pull apart, you nosing along his throat, kissing the skin where your mark should adorn.

“You could leave to let me get dressed…?”

“Where the hell is the fun in that, doll? Huh?” Both of you are chuckling, touching each other as much as possible but struggling to keep it PG.

“Bucky, I know you don’t want to bring this up…”

 “Don’t.” 

“But this could be it, ya know? So I need you to sort of brace yourself if it does.” His back is now ramrod straight and his jaw clenched tight, but holding your gaze.

“I won’t let it happen.” The determination from your first meeting is back, but you can only muster the softest look in reply, letting the suit fall to the ground as you cup his face with both hands.

“Sweetheart,” You coo gently, watching the sadness dance in his eyes that he’s trying hard to hide. “I adore you. I trust you inexplicably. I would happily spend the rest of my life with you. To mate you, to marry you...to have a little baby that looks just like you, that’s all I want. You deserve some peace and so. much. love.” His hands are gripping tight onto your waist, you can feel the fingertips digging in as you continue. “But you know I’m marked for death, Bucky. They’ve tried most of my life to circumvent it, stop it, undo it. But death comes for me regardless. I need you to not pull away from everyone if that happens. You’ll need them. Please.”

“I don’t - I don’t want to deal with that. I can’t. I can’t lose you too. I said I would protect you and keep you safe. I’m no Alpha if I don’t try. I’m no mate if I don’t try.” You’re at a standstill, both now in emotional turmoil over this topic, trying not to let it bleed into the other. He presses his forehead against yours hard, staring into each other’s eyes. “I love you,” He whispers and it’s all you ever wanted to hear. Right now, you had all wanted right here - a wonderful mate who loved you and would try to move heaven and earth for you, who didn’t care what you were. One of the most beautiful men in the whole world who looked at you like the sun rose and set by your whim. The whole thing was unfathomable.

“I love you, Bucky,” You breathe out in reply, longing for any other outcome but the one you know is coming. “And I will love you as long as you live.” Bucky makes a noise in the back of his throat, a couple tears sliding down his cheeks as yours begin to fall freely, letting him wrap his arms so securely around you as his beautiful blue jacket absorbs your quiet sobs.

-----*****-----*****-----

The sun is nearly set, the sky streaked a hundred hues of dark pink and red as New York slowly descends into darkness.

Bucky is standing right beside you, outfit bringing out his eyes as he surveys the scene stoically. You’d chosen the dark blue jumpsuit to match his, arms brushing subtly as you stand just outside the magic lines - and sight lines from the sithen - of Central Park.

Although you can’t see them, you can vaguely sense the score of SHIELD agents and Avengers scattered on the edges of the treelines. But you can ‘see’ the edge of the piece of sithen just shy of the Azalea Pond at the center of the Ramble. Bucky had been the one with his tablet naming things off to you - you had only moved to New York two years ago after all - trying to help you narrow down areas where it could have been. You wish you had had the time for him to show you around New York, around Brooklyn, and places that still stood from when he was younger.

Cerberus is on the other side of the pond, should the cloaked figure try to escape, swathed in the grip of Underworld magic to keep him invisible and thus much more easy to herd or pounce.

Wanda is piggybacking off your abilities, twined with yours temporarily so she could sense the heartbeats of the victims now that you had a location. Sam is in the trees to the left of the pond with Peter, Steve and Tony on the right while Clint, Natasha and Pietro cut off any other possible exit points. Bruce is staying by the ambulances, ready to Hulk out should the need arise, although you could tell from his face he was radiating the bright hope it absolutely would not.

Any way the cloaked figure ran, he’d be funneled where the Avengers chose. There would be no escape. As a failsafe, Pietro would be the only one to engage with him except you, since he would be the most able to take him on with the fae speed.

You drag yourself back to reality, turning to gaze over at Bucky and steeling yourself with one last deep breath before starting down the short path to the Azalea Pond.

“Be safe for me, doll,” Bucky says softly, almost as soft as the small breeze suddenly around you two. You manage to nod, throat closing up again. The fair folk do not lie. It had been beaten into you, quite literally, when you were little at court. You want nothing more than to lie to Bucky in that moment. To reassure him you will be safe for him. But the fair folk do not lie.

Good thing you are not solely fair folk. You reach for his hand, grasping just his flesh fingertips in your grip and squeezing them hard. It’s a millisecond in time, but it seems like one of those Lord of the Rings moments that are in that slow, dramatic, longing-filled motion. “I’ll do my best, handsome.” Dropping his hand before you lose your resolve, you take the barely visible path towards the pond. Your magic is swirling with Wanda’s, your senses all in overdrive - so much so you can’t even register the smell of the flowers blooming along the landmark.

Pursing your lips, you whistle a simple five note tune that fae had used for time beyond memory.

From behind you comes that deep, craggly voice, “Greetings, highness.”

“Greetings, servant,” He gives a little hiss at the title you bestow. “SHIELD has sent me to inform you that if you cooperate, you will not be sentenced to death.”

“They are mostly human. I do not fear the humans.”

“You are not wise to not fear them,” You give a pregnant pause, making sure you give that haughty look the court loves to disperse. “If you do not accept this offer, I am to inform you that I, Princess Duchess Propolos Hekatos, will be judge, jury and - if need be - executioner.” He pushes back his cloak hood back, allowing you to finally see his scaled face. He was probably one of very few left over of those lizard scaled dwarves who stayed closer to the caverns around lakes and seas when humans first emerged as semi-civilized, with beautiful almost translucent rainbow sheened scales around his eyes and cheeks, his mouth set in a thin line with no lips.

“I was damned from the get go, princess.”

“We are only as we choose to be - it doesn’t have to be that way,” You insist, leaning a little forward, softening your eyes. Even if you disliked court life, the snobs of court who’s magic had begun to dwindle long before you were born, and how you were treated there - he was the same as you; a discarded fae. He doesn’t reply, though there is a flicker of something in his eyes, simply just unsheathes his double swords and gestures to you with his chin.

“Prepare, half breed,” Although his insult has less venom than the alley last night, you huff out a sigh at his tone. Like he’s just going through the motions. Asshat.

You shift your feet just so, straightening your spine as you wait for his move. Physically you are in that moment, but your power shifts the sithen opening to the side where Steve and Tony are waiting, causing the cloaked man to hiss, baring slightly sharpened front teeth at you. “Little bitch!” And his steel meets yours. “We will both die for this!” He snarls as he tries to drive you back towards the trees and brush opposite the pond, you holding the line as you wait for Wanda to signal you that the people had been recovered.

“I’ll deal with them when the time comes,” You growl low, blocking his blades yet again with a heavy clink, shifting just so that you can reach for Bucky’s favorite knife at the small of your back, tinged with the poison that your cloaked friend had been favoring and stabbing it into his side and piercing his lung with a squelch.

“The poison will do nothing to me,” He spits at you as you twirl your wrist to disarm him of one of the swords and slide Bucky’s knife back into its sheath.

“It will now. Dr Banner mixed it with another, a heavy iron involved one - infused with belladonna - to make you human slow,” You lean in as you block another wide swing from him with the one sword left, smiling wide. “And heal human slow.” The whole of Central Park shakes as you show your hand.

“No! NO!” He screams and hisses, attempting to swing his meaty fists at you now that he was without a weapon.

“I am still my grandmother’s first born grandchild. I am still the High Prince’s first born. I am a Princess of the Seelie High Court.” You lean in as your tone becomes more malicious with each word, watching true fear alight in his mossy green eyes. “And with all the inbreeding and decline for the last century,” You straighten up, your blue flames engulfing you as he attempts to scurry away from you, shielding his eyes against the light you emanate as he falls on his ass in the dense brush and dirt. “Let’s face it - I am probably the most powerful fae aside from the Queen of the Seelie and the King of the Unseelie.” Leaning down, fisting your hand in his cloak, you yank him back upright, snarling as your power dances behind your eyes, careful still to at least to not burn him with your flames. But watching him flinch at the heat, the basic fear all animals have towards a large flame, sets you more alight at the taste of that fear. “And absolutely the wrong person to piss off!”

“Spare me! Please!!” He screams, more high pitched than you had imagined, nearly making you wince as you see the red sparks above the tree line and see a blue clad shadow moving along the treeline coming closer to you. Pietro blurs past you, slapping old iron cuffs on the cloaked man, which sends him quite literally howling and screeching from the burn of the metal. 

Your flames give off a few large flickers before they begin to die down when Pietro says that they’ve gotten the kidnapped people to the ambulance they had on stand by, Bucky coming down the path towards you with a small smile on his lips as your eyes meet. Your magic shrinks back towards you, the weight of all the magic and your now overworked abilities settling back into you, your shoulders sagging a little with relief. It wasn’t over, but once your grandmother learned about your father and half-brother then she would be the one to end it.

The look in his cobalt eyes shift quickly, widening and moving to glare directly over your shoulder, his mouth moving in slow motion as he begins to barrel towards you, you begin to turn - only to feel the jerk of your body going forward instead. A glance downward shows a shiny red tip of one of the cloaked man’s swords protruding from just under your breasts, when you hear the mournful howl echo in and around your ears - only to realize it’s three distinct howls. The tang of blood spills into your mouth in a surprised gasp, turning slightly to see who has murdered you.

Your half brother’s hand is shaking slightly as he backs away from you, surprise written on both your faces as the scent of death finally fully fills your nose.

“I never thought -” You wheeze out, taking a few shaky steps towards your half-sibling as Bucky slides to a stop before you, his boots kicking up the fallen green leaves on the grass, both hands grasping your hips firmly as his eyes wander all over your body and face, tears already tracking down his cheeks. “You would have the balls!” You finish with another wheeze, the metallic taste much stronger now.

Bucky turns you to face him as Tony and Peter keep your half-brother from escaping, the darkening greenery of the world around you narrowing down to just Bucky. It’s a beautiful world to be relegated to actually.

“No. NO. Come on, doll. You - you gotta stay with me.” His voice is raw sounding, like he’s trying to not be loud, his metal hand putting pressure on the front wound as if it would help. His forehead is shoved against yours, your entire gaze narrowed to his blue eyes and his damp cheeks as he pulls you into his lap, collapsing the both of you to the ground. It’s funny almost to you in the moment...like you can still hear his loud, pitiful howl like a haunting melody behind everything he’s saying. “Doll, you gotta...come on, gotta fight. I need you to fight. Cerberus, he - he went to get Hades and Hecate. They’ll fix it. Just hold on til they get here, okay?”

“I love you soo much, James Buchanan Barnes,” You’re heartbroken to watch him see your bloody bottom lip tremble, and the color seeping from your face. You can see him weighing all his options through his tears, trying to move your tired hand up to touch him, to comfort him.

“I love you too, babydoll, but please God, please … just stay with me.” The choked up sound of his voice makes you want to cry for causing him this pain. No amount of forewarning could have prepared you for this feeling - the feeling of slowly breaking and killing your mate.

“Mate,” is the last thing you manage to get out before you just go limp in his arms, those jewel eyes he loves so much already just staring up at the first stars twinkling in the sky unseeing. In the back of his mind, his vampire side offers up the idea which he swore to God he would never do. But all too late.

The howl that rips from his throat is pure misery and heartache, his body bowed over his mate’s, his grip still holding her in a vice. The blood cloys her scent, furthering his heartbreak.

He looks up, needing Steve on a near visceral level, only to not see anyone at all. Confusion slightly mars his grief, looking over his shoulder and all around the darkened area, but met with no familiar faces or words in his comms. Confusion gives way to his war training, the alertness on it’s highest notch as he scans around, sniffing delicately at the air as the world seems much darker now than it had just been. When he turns back towards the pond, on edge at the very tampered down scents surrounding him, he spots three almost identical women standing there with those dark pink azaleas framing behind them almost like a fresco - just appearing as if from nowhere like Hades had earlier on the street.

“James Barnes,” The one on the left begins, long dark brown hair falling freely to her waist. “We are sorry for your loss,” the one on the right continues, her hair half up in intricate braids. “But now that we have fulfilled our ill-spoken creed,” the middle speaks, all that dark mahogany hair piled atop her hair like a crown, before they all join hands as the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stand to attention at the sudden surge of power that surrounds him, his arms tensing as a wave of azalea scent blows around the two of them, bringing Duchess as close to him as possible again. “We will return our little cousin back to you.”

His mouth goes dry, forehead wrinkled in not understanding as he looks down at his mate, her eyes still open and her skin still dampened with that death pallor. Bucky gently uses his metal digits to close her eyelids, grief and nausea rolling through him simultaneously while the ground beside Bucky gives a small shake and splits open, Hades climbing so elegantly and easily from the ground below with Cerberus - in three-headed giant black dog form - with a wispy blue thing dangling from the middle head’s mouth. There isn’t even enough room left in him to be shocked, there is just acceptance of whatever this shit show was.

“Turns out, sometimes you just have to accept Fate and go through it in order to stop it,” Hades murmurs in his deep molasses voice, bending down just so, his long fingers gripping the back of Bucky’s neck loosely. “Will you accept your fate now, Bucky?”

“I’ll do anything for her,” Bucky rasps out with conviction shining in his tear-riddled eyes.

“Splendid,” Hades motions with his free hand for Cerberus to come forward. “You must take a mouthful of this first.” He orders sternly as a beautiful blonde woman, shorter than Duchess and with a more heavy hourglass shape, emerges from the crevice to the Underworld with a black and golden chalice. Bucky marvels at the tiny wild roses popping up in her wake as she walks around Cerberus to stand between himself and Hades. She sniffles as she looks at Duchess, one hand leaving the chalice as she frowns over at the Fates before brushing two fingers down his left cheek to his chin, the warmth from just her fingers seeping quickly into his icy feeling skin. He doesn’t even notice the Fates disappearing just after that, he’s so focused on the goddess before him.

“Remove the sword, Hades.” It’s gone with a wave at the woman’s order, Bucky unconsciously tightening his hold once again on his mate. “Now, Bucky, sweet little honeysuckle boy, take a mouthful of this - but don’t swallow.” She brings the cup to his lips and tips it up. “Now, when Cerberus drops her soul back into her body, kiss her and push all the ambrosia into her mouth. It’ll take a few seconds for her soul to readjust and the ambrosia to heal her before she comes back to consciousness, okay honeysuckle?” Bucky manages a jerky nod, rewarded with a pat to his cheek before she backs up towards Hades, Cerberus giving a huff as he leans down towards Duchess’s body.

“Three. Two. One.” Hades counts down, Cerberus’s light brown eyes locked onto Bucky’s before the middle head gently opens it’s very large jaw and the blue wisp floats down to her body. “Now.” Bucky smashes his lips against hers, feeding the liquid into her mouth with an edge of desperation barely restrained within him.

“Now we wa-” A gasp startles you all, her jewel-toned eyes blinking rapidly as her hands claw at Bucky’s waist where they’re trapped between them, until they’re focused on Bucky. Bucky lets loose a sob as she smiles up at him, blood now gone from her face.

“Hi handsome,” A tiny little cough to clear her throat. “Bucky,” Duchess manages to rasp out before she’s crushed to Bucky’s chest.

“I lost you,” Bucky half gasps/half sobs into her hair, the scent of blood seemingly long gone, a terrible dream from which he can now finally awaken...it was just her again. Just his mate.

“But you found me, handsome.”

Bucky manages to get out a soft chuckle as he pulls back to cup her face in his hands. “You do anything like that again, doll, and I swear I’ll -” She cuts him off with a kiss but he doesn’t miss the smile and silent eyeroll. When they break apart, she brings her hand up to cup his cheek, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone repeatedly as Bucky just reveals in the warmth of her fingers and palms against his skin.

“You are mine,” She whispers so damn gently, like a breath of life gently fanning over his lips as her forehead bumps against his softly. Bucky understood this was her sign that everything was alright, that closeness of foreheads pressed together and reading every emotion in each other's eyes. 

“And you are mine,” Bucky affirms, electricity buzzing down his spine before he smiles wide at his mate, happy to see her own smile widen as he does so. “You’re stuck with me for forever now.” She tries to feign a disappointed look and tone, to school her eyes and keep her lips from twitching up in a grin is poorly executed.

“Oh, no. What a terrible thing, Sarge,” It comes out more as a purr, lighting a warmth and fire from within Bucky, elation now bleeding as a scent out of him at this tiny but monumental moment with his mate. A deep voice clearing his throat behind you brings you both a bit back more to the present, Bucky glancing to the left as your smile stays gracing your gorgeous face.

“Welcome back!” The goddess burst out, tears opening flowing down her lovely and soft olive oval face, falling to her knees behind Duchess and throwing her arms around her shoulders, squeezing her fiercely. She even pulls Bucky closer, smoothing a hand up and down his back as she hugs both of them just this side of painful.

“Thank you, theía.” Duchess grunts out from the tight sandwich she’s in, looking over to her uncle. “Theíos, what happened to that little motherfucker?”

Hades stern looking face breaks out in a tiny smile, looking so kindly down at the scene before him as Cerberus’s three heads lap and nuzzle at the three on ground. “He’s still being held on the other plane. And speaking of which, we should return quickly. Hecate might actually kill him and start a bigger conflict than which we already have on our hands.”

“Well that answers some of my questions,” Bucky mutters just behind her right ear, nipping at the earlobe gently as Persephone releases you all, gently wiping away her tears.

“I’ll fill you in as best I can later. After someone fills me in, that is,” Duchess promises with a quick but warm kiss to his lips. Hades helps his wife up, kissing both of her palms and exchanging a long, loving look before extending his hand for Duchess, Bucky shooting up beside her as they each have a hand hold on her and help to steady her as she sways just a touch.

“Much later,” Bucky agrees with the barest hint of a nod, just needing to soothe his mate still. Frankly, just needing to reconnect and optimally be alone with his mate. Hopefully uninterrupted for at least two weeks, a month - two months would be absolutely dreamy and very, very far fetched with all the shit they’ll have to deal with afterwards regarding this case. But Bucky would move whole cities to make good on what she’d said to him aboard the jet too. Finally get him some of that apple pie life that he, Steve and the Commandos had talked about all those years and years ago.

He watches as you roll your neck, gently pushing away one of Cerby’s heads to shake both your arms out before reaching up to finally scratch at each of Cerberus’s heads one by one, kissing at their muzzles with gusto as the giant hellhound wiggles it’s butt with abandon. “I didn’t get that warm of a welcome,” Bucky remarks with a smirk, his mouth breaking into a wider smile at the look she shoots him.

“Because that is something personal you’ll get later on, Sarge,” 

“Geallaidhean, an dannsair beag agam,” Bucky growls softly, making sure to seal it with a deep, hard kiss. Promises, my little dancer. She looks a little flustered when they break apart, eyes not as focused as before. He knows she can smell the very pleased scent rolling off of him at her reaction.

“Such an Alpha,” She mutters with a teasing eye roll, keeping her hand on his chest. “You wear that jacket and you can have whatever you like,” comes the whisper against his lips, a soft growl punctuating the end before he takes another kiss. “Okay. Okay. Now, let’s go shank the little fairy prince,” Baring your teeth is more cute to Bucky than terrifying initially, but knowing what you’re capable of does make it scarier. And sexier, he wasn’t going to lie to himself. He loves that his mate is that intimidating.

And quite honestly, what will be more scary to the little prince than someone he feared and loathed coming back after watching them die? What's more, coming back for their retribution on him from the other side. Bucky can bet anyone that it’s not a hell of a lot actually.

“Brace yourself for it,” She whispers, hand wrapping tight around his metal one. Bucky feels a tug at his navel as the whole world around him seems to lighten at least ten shades, the overwhelming scent of blood returning, along with the pond waters, and Steve suddenly all fill his nose at once, Steve’s hands suddenly wrapping just this side of painful on his upper arms.

The scent of confusion and awe fill the area around them like a sudden breeze, the fair folk Prince calling for the God and Goddess to protect him in a whisper which might as well be a shout in the eerily quiet park. It seemed like even the regular wildlife noises in the Park had shown restraint, watching the otherworldly conflict in reverence.

“Did you miss me, brother?” No one on the other side of Manhattan could mistake the venom in her voice for anything other than deadly.

“You don’t understand!” The man - if you could call him that, no one in Central Park would though - shouts defiantly with a slice of whining at the end, his pupils blown as his eyes dart around the small clearing with barely restrained panic, nearly everywhere but on Duchess.

“Spare me your bullshit, Bradye,” Duchess growls, the lights beginning to dance behind her eyes as she moves closer to him, leaving her mate behind her. She smiles a bit triumphantly, maliciously. “You have come into this realm and by doing so are now subject to its rules and punishments. That useless title you hold will do you no good.” A few tsks come from her, “For you will face a death punishment either way. Hecate has requested the Queen come here and you and our father will pay for, let’s see, eight deaths and three kidnappings.”

“The fair folk do not lie,” He reminds in a taunt, thinking he’s won something. Her dangerous smile makes his millisecond of gloating worthless.

“Oh, of that I am well aware. I was schooled in that rule with leather. And steel. And sharp blows...and I think it may have slipped your mind, but I DID die. Charon saw me waiting upon the shore of the River Styxx. And he cannot lie about the souls he sees and ferries. Is the shaking of your hand as you drove your servant’s blade into my chest so quickly forgotten? Don’t worry,” Flames begin to gather around her ankles, slowly creeping upward like a nonsensical dance. “I have worked with SHIELD to document all you and our father have done. Did you know that there are some cameras opposite where your servant was seen entering and exiting? And that it has files that date back to before the first murder? Where you can make out two male figures walking into the park and it has a slight shake to it? Almost like an earthquake...or perhaps even a sithen moving…” The color drains from his already pasty face as Duchess strides closer, the blue and white flames now licking up her hips and lower back. There is a slight odor of urine, making Steve and Bucky both wrinkle their noses as Tony takes a small step away from him.

It’s a power move, not just the ever shifting flames but Bucky can clearly spot how sharp her teeth have grown, how her midnight blue fingernails are now black pointed tips. She’s allowing her fae side out as well, those multicolored lights bobbing and dancing behind her irises as each step she takes results in tiny little faerie rings, the tiny flowers blooming in the colors of the pinks, greens, and light blues that dance behind her eyes as small little beings descend from the trees and pixie-looking fae flit from the flowers around the Azalea Pond.

“You have no proof,” The haughtiness returns, looking down at Duchess, and had his voice not shook, might have pulled it off. He also eyes the fae joining the group in the clearing around the pond, his eyes catching sight of the faerie rings behind her and the shock that shows in his eyes is nearly equal to watching her appear back on this plane - alive.

“You hear that, Grandmother? Everything I asked Hecate’s handmaidens to give you is not proof.”

Bucky will remember that look forever. The snapping up of his head so fast it looked like it hurt, the look of complete and utter stunned surprise that seems to echo through and around him and actually make a tremor run through the little slimeball as Fury, Coulson and a lovely looking older woman with hair that went from silver at the top of her head and slowly gained a darker red as it came to rest at her waist came behind him into the clearing.

“I have heard all in this park. I have watched your hand slay your sister.” There is a flash of fury in her eyes, which Bucky notices are mismatched. One green as freshly mowed grass and the other a dark pine bark brown. “And had she not been preoccupied with keeping everyone in this park safe, sealing the sithen closed, and focused on her mate, you wouldn’t have stood a chance, you preposterous, moronic, useless child!” Her voice raises but her face never changes from an indifferent look that Bucky had seen Queen Elizabeth sport more than a few times on tv. “You and your father will be punished to the fullest extent of this plane’s laws. Before that you both will be brought before both courts of Fae and stripped of all your titles, rights, magic -” She looks down her nose at him with a sniff of disdain, “This applies more to your father as he actually has abilities. And you will also be made to pay for restitution to the families of those you had killed and of course those three whom you stole magic from and tortured. By our laws and the old ways, your sister has death rights on all three of you involved. And I must say, if I was her, I would drag your punishments out slowly...meticulously...painfully.”

Duchess strides back over to Bucky, hands already reaching out for him as the fire dies down around her - not as consuming, but still a bright warmth that shadows her entirety. Wrapped safely in his arms, Bucky rests his chin on the top of her head as Steve gently brushes his hand up and down her arm a few times, just reassuring her of their pack bond before taking a small step back to let them bond more. She pulls back a little from the comfort of his arms, tilting her head back to look up at him, Bucky knowing exactly what she wants. This was all very familiar to what happened just before she died...and honestly they all need that reassurance that everything is okay still. And this is the simplest and best way he can do it now; Her lips are soft and easily molded to his own. His sensitive ears can still pick up the little chirps and flitter sounds of small wings of the tiny fae that had climbed into this plane at Duchess’s silent command, gathered closer to her than her Grandmother, waiting for something else it seems.

A sharp featured man dressed in a black suit jacket with heavy, shining gold threaded designs along the wrists, collar, and lapels comes into the clearing with two men trailing behind him dragging a third between them.

The tiny beings begin a high pitched whine as the dragged man is thrown at the Faerie Queen’s feet. The man in black eyeing the tiny creatures with an unreadable something in his eyes.

Bucky is shocked at how much Duchess shares her face shape and nose with her father. Everything else must have come from her mother, making her features softer. Her eye color - she had told him last night - had come from her mother’s father, her mother’s side also responsible for her more soft Greek eye shape and supple body as well. Her father’s face however is harsher, more weathered looking than even his mother’s face. His eyes are a muddy brown and he looks to be maybe an inch or so taller than Duchess herself, unusual for a male - and even most women - of high Fae blood to be that short and not claim Brownie or Goblin blood, both of which a high Fae would absolutely loathe to admit to tainting their line. Him and his son seem to have been the tailings of a long and powerful bloodline, while Duchess was an anomaly of both sides of her family tree which was probably why she was so powerful. She was seemingly that red-headed gene in a sea of black hair which came about once every few generations.

Steve moves closer to the two of them again as the Queen looks down at her son with even more disgust than her grandson, which Bucky would not have thought possible a second ago. The sharp featured man comes to stand before Duchess and gives a deep nod, the two men behind him taking a knee as they come to a stop, the High Prince of the Seelie Court and his son watching from behind the Queen with shock and anger mixed on both their faces.

“Your highness, we at the Unseelie Court are thankful to you as it was a forgotten part of our court that was taken.” His bright green eyes look almost hesitant for his next words. “We are indebted to you for clearing this up. And also for clearing our court of involvement. The Unseelie Court is indebted to you, Princess Duchess Propolos Hekatos.”

Duchess pulls away a little from Bucky and Steve to sink into a deep curtsy, “Thank you, King Odhran. May your debt be cleared swiftly.” The two men behind him rise and they all go over to the Seelie Queen as Duchess’s flames die down further, pulsing softly in time with soft flutters and swayings of the tiny fae that have moved closer still.

“I will be seeing you later for their merited punishments, cousin,” The man says indifferently while also containing a hint of malice.

“Good evening until then, Odhran.” He and his men disappear as the Queen waves her hand to the men and women holding the prisoners formerly known as her family. “Fury. Coulson. We will be off now. They will be put into your custody in a week’s time. My granddaughter will, of course, be there for the handoff as a representative of the good will of my court.” Bucky doesn’t like that she’s ordering Duchess, fighting to suppress a growl. Does she not know he has plans for his mate?? She turns to address said granddaughter. “You will attend this handoff as a Princess of the Seelie Court. Come see me the morning before the handoff, as we have things we need to discuss. Please thank your goddess, Hecate, again for her swift actions and Hades for his too.” Duchess sinks into that deep curtsy once again before nodding at the trees and pond, the tiny creatures melting back into the waters and darkening branches like shadows, her Grandmother watching with something close to fondness on her face as the guards and prisoners disappear first, then her elegant frame takes a few steps and is gone as fast and quietly as the others.

Fury holds his hand straight up in the air after they vanish, no one making a move, just light breathing as everyone glances around the clearing, looking at Duchess and then Coulson who both give a firm nod before he lowers his hand and clears his throat. Fury’s good eye looks tired as fuck to Bucky.

“Alright people, shit shows over. Wanda, please begin magically cleansing this spot with Pietro, I want to be out of here in under an hour. Coulson, get me updates and signed paperwork from the three rescued for prosecution. Tony and Vision, keep the area contained until after the cleansing. SHIELD agents, please collect photos and evidence before the cleansing. Originals we keep, copies to the NYPD. Falcon and Spidey, back on patrols for the next few hours. Barnes and Rogers, take the lady home. I think she’s done and had enough for tonight. Everyone else, find something to do to make this go as fast as goddamn possible.”

“Roger, roger!” Bucky and Steve call out, Bucky tossing his flesh arm over her shoulder, Steve on his left side as they all wave silently to their friends and begin their way out of Central Park.

“This is one of the most terrible evenings of my life,” Steve mutters as Hades, Cerberus - in his human form - and a third figure, who Bucky can scent and see is definitely not the extra curvy Persephone, wave from further up the treeline ahead of them. “And I was just on the edge of the whole thing - witness and secondary pack feelings between you two. I might need a cigarette.” Steve mutters as he runs one hand through his hair and then down his face after taking a deep breath and letting it out.

“You haven’t smoked since 1938,” Bucky remarks with an eyeroll. “And that was before we knew it was bad for you, punk.”

“And this was one of the most terrible evenings of your life so far!” Steve turns his light blue eyes towards her with his Captain America signature disapproving glare at her overly perky tone. “The Seelie Queen says thank you. In that special fair folk way,” Duchess lays on the happy sarcastic tone as they approach the trio.

“As if I give a single fuck,” The woman’s dark voice growls out, her full lips set in a frown at the news. “How do you feel, mikrí mou skoteiní?”

“I told you, your little dark one is fine,” Hades reiterates with an eyeroll.

“I feel wonderful now, eroméni.” Duchess squeezes Bucky’s hand before ducking under his arm and pressing her forehead against Hecate’s as they intertwine both their hands, the power swirling softly around the two of them.

Bucky can feel the comfort in the darkness and mist that surround them temporarily, the two pulling apart and grinning at each other more like sisters or best friends than what they were.

“Mistress, this is my Bucky,” She stretches her hand out to him, Bucky forever heeding her siren call as he slips his hand into hers. “And that is our Steve Rogers.”

“I am honored to be in your company, gentleman. My mikrí mou skoteiní needs more family. I am glad she has found not only her mate, but a pack.” Her face shifts minutely from ecstatic to a little teasing. “One that will surely grow soon?”

“My baby doesn’t need to be having babies just yet!” Cerberus says in his deep honeyed voice, the slight echo noticeable now.

“My ma raised me right, ma’am. I got to mate and marry her before we go that path. My girl hasn’t even been to Coney Island.”

“Psssh. You haven’t been to Disneyland.”

“I was starting with Brookyln and Coney Island, doll.”

“Whatever you say, handsome,” She sighs out with a smile as Hades chuckles.

“And so it begins, Bucky.” Bucky grins down at his mate.

“I can’t wait.”

“Cheeseballs...the both of you,” Steve laughs out as Hades pulls Duchess into a hug, kissing her forehead before pulling away.

“Bring the boy down in a few days for brunch. Persephone will be elated, well more elated, to see you mated and bonded. Steve is welcome as well. You know how we love certain companies in the Underworld.”

“I shall bring the handmaidens as well. Perhaps we can get Mr. Rogers a mate as well,” Hecate teases again as Steve’s ears and neck turn bright red.

“We’ll call to check in tomorrow,” Hades continues, hand stuck out to Bucky who shakes it more firmly than last time which makes the God of the Underworld’s smile widen. “Gentlemen.” He extends his hand to Steve, giving him his own hard handshake before stepping back for Cerberus to enthusiastically hug all three of them.

“I love new pack members!” His echo-y deep timber reveals his obvious happiness, Hecate eye rolling good-naturedly beside him.

“I’ll text you later,” a smirk is painted on her full lips as she stares at Duchess. “But I understand if you are busy.”

“Goodnight Hecate!” comes Duchess’s embarrassed reaction, Bucky wrapping his metal arm around her waist and winking at Hecate. “Stop that!” She swats at Bucky’s chest playfully, just for him to catch it and kiss her fingertips.

“Let’s head home, doll.” Her eyes brighten instantly.

“Ooooh! I’ve never been to Stark Tower!” She states as Steve full belly laughs.

“He meant your bar or our shared apartment in Brooklyn.”

“But I’ll take you to the Tower in a few days,” Bucky promises with a kiss to her open palm as her temporary puppy dog eyes brighten.

“Goodnight all,” Hecate and Hades state simultaneously as Cerberus gives Duchess one last kiss to her cheek before rubbing his own cheek against it.

“Goodnight!” Steve, Bucky and Duchess chime in reply, watching the gods and guardian take a handful of steps before disappearing further up the path to the right, Bucky leading his pack down the left path towards 74th Street. 

“So, whatcha up to later, Sargent?” Duchess begins as they enter the area just before the Boathouse Restaurant, squinting just a bit at the brightness.

“Well, I got this mate who smells like fresh baked bread, lemon squares, cayenne, and a little hint of mint - who is in dire need of a mating mark and bond. And lots of baby making practice. Then I was thinking I take her for lunch at the Tower in a couple days to show her off.”

“Can you schedule an old school tour after the Tower lunch?”

“Of course, doll,” Bucky’s accent thickens a little as her eyes soften as she looks up at him. “I’ll even show you everywhere we got our asses kicked when we were young.”

“And by ‘ours’ he means mine after 1934,” Steve says from Bucky’s other side with a scoff, sending Duchess a wink as they get past the Alice in Wonderland bit and start on the path down towards the Model Boathouse.

“Whatever you guys wanna show me,” Duchess sighs out happily, leaning into Bucky and reaching around his back to take Steve’s hand. Steve squeezes back before kissing the back of her hand and releasing it, happy to have her in the pack.

“I’ll grab some stuff, but I’ll stay near - up in Natasha’s apartment a few floors up. Just let me know when it’s safe,” He chuckles out as a flustered look passes over her face. “Don’t worry, kid, it’s natural. Just lots of good luck to our furniture in the house with this Alpha.”

“Is Natasha’s floor far enough away, punk?”

“Well, I love my pack already,” Duchess murmurs as Bucky and Steve continue ribbing each other, watching the stars compete with the New York City lights as a few leaves rustle in the breeze and fall on the bright path ahead of them.

“Doll, as corny as it sounds, it’s amazing how I could try but I could never explain what I hear when you don't say a thing. Just your scent and hearing your heartbeat is a different kind of magic,” Bucky whispers against her hair before kissing her soft cheek, his metal fingers entwined with hers naturally.

“If every bit of magic was stripped from me tonight, I would be okay with it. Because the best magic I’ve ever received is you.”

Bless ya’ll for making it through my long ass rambling stories <3

@stay-frosty-royal-unicorn @chelsea072498 @clockworkmorningglory @sakurablossom4 @galaxiesinmymind @thewhiterabbit42​ @nobodys-baby-now​ @mizzezm​​

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**ALL RIGHTS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS**​

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(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Main Story Chapter 1-3: 命运的拐点 Destiny’s Turning Point Translation

“Destiny is like a gust of wind… Red leaves flutter, flying away in the face of it.  And it is when the winds pick up ― That you meet once more…”

“And just where are you running off to now? “

*Light and Night Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Main story tag will be #For Light and Night

Police: Name?

Cindy: My name’s Cindy. My earrings are gone! I’ve spent an entire week on them. Please, you must help me find them!

The girl who was desperate to the brink of tears was none other than Cindy, the oldest contestant amongst us all.

Half an hour ago, Cindy had suggested reporting this to the police seeing as how many of the designers had their accessories go missing. Now, she was the first one to undergo questioning by the police.

Police: Earrings, you say? Alright, I’ve noted it down. Has anyone else lost anything?

Designer A: Me. I lost an Emerald hairpin.

Designer B: My pearl ring is gone too.

MC: I’m (Y/n), my brooch has also gone missing.

Police: I’ve gotten the gist of the situation here. All of your items were found lost after less than half an hour after having been left here.

Police: My colleague went to check the surveillance tapes. There was no one suspicious who entered and left the room during that time frame.

Cindy: How can that be…

Police: But there are blind spots where the surveillance cameras cannot reach. Plus, things don’t simply disappear for no reason at all.

Police: So, I’m asking everyone to think carefully about it again. Did any of you see anyone who was acting suspicious?

MC: A suspicious looking person…

The image of the figure dressed in black and wearing a mask flashed into my mind along with his skull pendant and flickering silver chains.

MC: I saw someone that I didn’t recognize walk out of the room, but I thought that he was a model…

MC: But now that I think about it, no model would come here.

Police: What did this person look like?

MC: He’s very tall and looks to be around 185cm. He wasn’t wearing a staff uniform.

Police: Can you give me a detailed description of his appearance and how he was dressed?

I nodded, trying my hardest to remember what I’d seen in that split-second.

MC: I couldn’t make out his features since he wore a black mask, but I remember his clothes…!

MC: He wore a black leather jacket paired with light grey jeans and a pair of studded boots.

MC: He had a long silver necklace with a skull pendant hanging from it along with a few silver chains hanging from his waist.

MC: His countenance is hard to describe. He appears to give off a very mysterious vibe, but honestly, the design of the pants he wore needs to be optimized…

I continued prattling on, unaware of how the policeman who’d been recording my descriptions down stopped short.

Police: Optimized?

Suddenly realizing what I’d just said, my face flushed in embarrassment.

MC: Sorry, but that’s pretty much all I saw…

Police: Alright. We’ll look further into the matter with this information.

Police: However, considering the large number of people here, the vastness of the venue and the small number of missing items, it’ll be quite difficult to find them.

Police: You’d best be prepared.

Everyone lapsed into collective silence after the police left. The solemness of the atmosphere in here was tangible, like a heavy cloud that hung over all of our heads.

Cindy had already succumbed to despair. She silently squatted down; head buried into the crook of her arm.

★Night Choice: Settle your own problems 

Even though I want to comfort Cindy, I know very well that whatever I do or say will only pale in comparison to how she feels right now.

Why don't we just spend the time to think our next step through, instead of being overwhelmed by negative emotions?

Most of the contestants around her have already recovered from the brief turn of events, returning to their tasks at hand.

The contest was just this cruel. Everyone couldn’t afford to be distracted in this race against time as they all raced to the finish line where the ultimate goal laid.

MC: How about just making another one since the chance of finding it is so slim?

MC: But there are only 3 days left… What if I can't finish it in time…

I subconsciously glanced out the window. The huge poster screen of Sariel greeting my wandering eyes once more.

MC: There's no time to be pondering over this.

MC: If it were Sariel in my shoes, he wouldn’t waste time worrying over things that may or may not happen.

The perplexing feeling of loss and the sadness I felt over this incident disappeared almost immediately as I immersed myself into re-making it. The light of the sunset shines through the glass window, bringing about a tinge of warmth.

☆Light Choice: Comfort Her

I walked up to her, gently patting her back.

MC: Don’t worry, I’m sure the police will be able to help us all find our missing accessories.

Cindy: You guys are all young and talented… you’ll have other things to fall back on if you fail here, so of course you wouldn’t be too worried about it… but such a thing doesn’t exist for me…

Her soft voice was distorted by her sniffling, so much that I could barely distinguish what she was trying to say between sobs.

I’d overheard the others talking about her before. Cindy was originally a white-collar worker who’d eventually resigned and got a loan to study design overseas. It was a do-or-die situation for her, in a way.

I didn’t know what I should say to comfort her, for everything I say right now would only pale in comparison to what she was going through. All I could do was to gently pat her back.

Cindy: Why did this have to happen now…? It took me such painstaking efforts to get this far…

All the doom and gloom that she exuded was contagious, and I soon felt my heart drop along with her worsening mood.

???: What are you crying about?

Wu Yue: Those who whinge and always feel sorry for themselves but do nothing to fix it will never succeed.

This was the first time I’ve ever heard her speak off-stage.

I couldn’t help but to be surprised at the look of dead seriousness on her face.

MC: There’s still another 3 days before the competition, so let’s hurry and start re-doing what we’ve lost.

Gao Cheng: I… I can help everyone fetch the materials they need. You can also ask me for help if any of you need an extra hand…

Designer A: I’ve already long since wanted to change my hairpin design! I’m sure the new one this time will turn out a hundred times better! You guys better watch out!

More contestants started inputting, and the gloomy atmosphere soon dissipated. Cindy had also stopped crying, vigorously rubbing at her eyes.

Cindy: You guys are right. I cannot give up here…

Despite all of us not knowing what results awaited us 3 days later, and despite all of us being fellow competitors, we were all teammates now, working hard with the same goal in mind.

After getting our moods in check, everyone returned to their own working space, making the best out of the remaining time left to continue with their respective creations.

❖☆———————————★❖

The hands on the clock had already moved past the 8 PM mark by the time if gotten up for a good stretch.

MC: The gown’s pretty much good to go, and I’ve also finished drawing out the new brooch design. Everything’s turning out pretty well~

Gao Cheng: Your design’s inspired by the starry skies, right? It’s really pretty…

Gao Cheng’s faze lingered on the draft of my design for a while before he seemingly snapped out of it. He raised his head, frantically waving his hands in front of him with a flustered look on his face.

Gao Cheng: S-Sorry, it wasn’t my intention to peek at your design. I just happened to get attracted to it when I walked past…

MC: Don’t worry about it, you came at a great time. Could you tell me what you think about it?

Gao Cheng: Is the brooch meant to represent the brightest star in the sky?

MC: Yup, it represents the north star.

Gao Cheng: But Polaris isn’t actually all that bright. It shines at 2nd magnitude, so you can use a darker gemstone to represent it.

It was as if he were an entirely different person when it came to the topic of stars. He gushed enthusiastically about it with unrivalled passion and seriousness.

Gao Cheng: Ah, I just like astronomy, so I know about it a little more than others. Please don’t get mad at me…

MC: Why would I be mad? I’m actually extremely thankful for your input!

I’d previously searched up pictures of the starry sky up on the internet to use as reference pictures, but what Gao Cheng said reminded me once again that even though the pictures captured by a camera’s lens turn out beautiful, it still isn’t as real as the real thing.

Nothing beats seeing it with your own eyes and ascertaining it for yourself after all.

MC: Maybe I should go up to the rooftop and check the stars out.

❖☆———————————★❖

The cold air of the night greets me as I push open the doors to the rooftop. The vast night sky was spread out before my eyes, the many little red dots beneath it denoting lights of the thousands of households below.

I held onto the railing with both hands raising my head to inhale deeply.

It was then that my phone rang to life as messages from An'an came pouring in one line after another.

An'an (SMS): I’ve gotten my hands on the guest list!

An'an (SMS): You won’t believe how elaborate this guest line-up is! Osborn’s actually coming, you know!? His club’s going to be collaborating with the Warson Group!

MC: …Osborn?

An'an (SMS): Please tell me you still remember him. I’ve shown you a picture of him before! He’s my favourite R1 racer who has won 4 consecutive championships!

I hadn’t yet had the chance to truly think back on it when I suddenly heard a faint noise. It was the familiar sound of metallic chains clinking against each other.

There had been no one here when I came up to the rooftop.

My heart leapt to my throat as I unwittingly headed towards the direction of the sound.

There was someone hidden within the shadows, standing silently in one of the corners where the moonlight never reached.

Seemingly having noticed my gaze, the person moved forwards, stepping out of the shadows.

❖☆———————————★❖

I finally managed to vaguely make out his appearance. He was tall and intimidating even from a distance away. He wore a black jacket across his shoulders, the moonlight glinting off the skull necklace that rested upon his chest.

MC: That’s the guy I saw back in the corridor!

I hadn’t yet recovered from the initial surprise of seeing him here when I suddenly noticed that he was holding a red earring between his fingers.

Cindy’s Earrings! So, he really WAS the thief!

The clouds blocked off the moonlight, darkening the skies as my heart raced, pounding loudly in my ears. Did I interrupt him in the middle of something? Am I going to be “silenced”?

All hesitation flew out the window the moment my thoughts stopped there. I immediately turned and made a dash for the exit.

However, just as I was about to pull the door open and make my escape, a well-defined hand pressed against the door, blocking off my escape.

??: And just where are you running off to now?

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Night⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Chapter 1-1) | Next Part: (Chapter 1-5)

[urlocalnctstan]

𝚃𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜

Genre : Angst, Fluff, Slow-burnish, Idol AU

Pairing : Jaehyun x Reader ft.Mark (other members too)

Warning(s) : strong language, age-gap, mature contents, weird writing style lmao, uh what else? idk but yeah

Disclaimer :The story is completely fictitious, idol-fan relationships are not common so some of you crazy ones out here, pls don’t get too delusional, your oppas will be your oppas only virtually, not in real life.

Playlist : Youtube Link / Written

Word Count : 5.4k

Summary : ‘Time and tide waits for none’- a quote that is universally accepted and believed. You both had had your experience of meeting the right one at the wrong time, the concept of love long forgotten after the sudden downfall of your relationship together. But will time eventually heal everything for you both?

The car came to a halt, your mind subconsciously drifting back to the humiliation you faced tonight back at the office.

“ARE YOU FUCKING DUMB, Y/N?” your boss was a fuming mess, his whole office scattered with the documents you had brought just a few moments ago. At the sight of the shredded papers, you felt you heart clench. You worked so hard for this project, disregarding God knows how many nights of your sleep. The feeling of abomination was slowly creeping up from the pit of your stomach towards the man who stood taut, seething in rage.

“HOW MANY TIMES DID I TELL YOU TO JUST DO WHAT THEY ASKED YOU TO?” He yelled, his fist furiously banging on his wooden desk, beneath his hand rested some pieces of the torn documents.

“Sir, even you know how risky it is to design as they asked to. If a blunder happens it is our company that is to be held accountable, not theirs.” you knew it was pointless to reason with the stubborn headed prick, but you had to try out your luck.

“Get out. Out, out, out. Get your fucking face out of my face.” He swished his index finger repeatedly, letting out a frustrated shriek just as I was about to exit his office. His wrath was nothing new in the office, as all the other employees shot me a rather pitying look when they saw me exiting the team leader’s office with hands full of ripped papers. Wow, my 2 weeks worth of sleep. Just wow. You didn’t bother to reciprocate their sympathetic glances, storming out of the corridor as you furiously started clicking the floor to your cabin. The jabbing of your finger on the glowing button that read ‘13’ was the only sound that resonated in the fairly empty area, earning annoyed looks from the two individuals who stood right behind you.

“Ah, fuck.” You banged your head against the steering, recalling the even as you clutched the handles harshly. “Why,” another bang. “do I,” bang. “live like” bang. “this,” bang. You could feel your face was burning without even touching it, streams of tears flowing down. Just as you were about to give yourself another bang, the sudden honk of a car made you pause amidst your ritual. Indeed all motherfuckers love to test my patience. You decide to ignore the rider, mainly because you were also partially at fault for resting in your car in the middle of the park. You twisted the metal keys as the ignition went off, signaling your car was ready to flee. Yet again, you were distracted by soft knocks. You prayed to God to help you not lose your shit, at this point you were questioning if He ever hears your woes at all. The soft knocks stop immediately when you started to pull down the window, the person straightening only crouch again.

“Y/n?” his called out unsurely, as if he were afraid of mistaking you for someone else. You knew that voice, and that is not good news. Shit.

“Mark?” you were surprised to say the least, not expecting to run into an old friend. “Oh my god! How have you been?” You shoot out of your driver’s seat, instantly being engulfed into a bone crushing hug by the male.

“I have been good. Oh god, I can’t believe this! I can’t believe I ran into you after so long!” Mark still held you tight your embrace, the sudden reunion making him feel giddy with excitement.

“Yes indeed,” you were the first to pull out from the hug. You took a moment to study him; black mask covering half of his face as he smiled widely, eyes crinkled and the signature cheekbones still the same as they were in the past. God, it’s really been so long. “What are you up to these days?”

“Er,” Mark scratched his head as he laughed nervously, unsure if he was allowed to give you spoilers about his new album. “I have been working on my solo album actually.” 

“Are you for real?” You found yourself hugging Mark again at the joy of his successful career. “I’m so so proud of you mate!”

“Thank you, thank you,” Mark swayed you lightly, his voice muffled due to the mask he wore. Mark was the one to pull out now, still keeping your caged as he placed his hands on your shoulders. “In no way I am gonna let you leave without a trace again,” he almost groaned.

“Promise, I won’t anymore,” you signaled to the stack of files that rested on the backseat of your car. “They won’t leave me alone.”

“I’ll just ask your boss to assign you with more tasks then,” he giggled mischievously, earning a light smack from you at the mention of such an absurd idea.

“I’ll track your way to hell to kill you again if you do something like that,” you hissed at Mark, who was still giggling at your frustrated reaction. The atmosphere became quiet as Mark looked up in the vacant sky, deep in thoughts while you waited for him to continue. Your phone buzzed against your leather coat.

[From Bullhead] : Don’t think I am overlooking your mess. This is the first and final warning from me.

You shivered, half from the cold and half from the text you just received.

“26th, sharp at 8 PM, my place.” He snapped his fingers, hooting at the realization of having a free day in his busy scheduled life.

“Okay, done.” You should have refused, you thought. But for some reason, you found yourself agreeing to his offer, you felt both sad and guilty for disappearing out of your friend’s life without a trace. However, you couldn’t ignore the greedy feeling you felt, the want to see him again. “I think I should be done around...7:30? So I think I’ll be able to make it.” You unlocked and handed him your phone.

“You have to make it,” his eyes focused on the screen of your device, swiftly typing what you assumed was him number. “Just incase, text me if I happen to forget - no I know that look, Y/n, you must text if that happens..” He rolled his eyes, knowing that how much you would be overthinking about possibly tiring him because of his busy lifestyle. Mark dialed his number from your phone before handing it back to you. You visibly snickered at the name he saved his contact with : ‘My Boo MarkLee <3’ 

“Stop pretending as if you never renamed my existence as Markie Boo,” he groans, remembering how this has been his another one of the hundred pet names he had. Your conversation was cut mid way as his phone loudly vibrated in his phone, swiftly pulling it out as the guy whined in annoyance.

“Yo, I gotta go now I guess, something came up at the company.” He looked sad, pouty. “See you around, yeah?” You were pulled into another hug by the male, he surely loved to hug as usual.

“Yes, yes. Now go. Don’t be late.” You patted his back, pulling out of the hug and shooing him away towards his car.

“See ya, Mom.” He beamed as he sped off with his car. 

“Dumbass.” You muttered, softly laughing at the name he would always call you by, despite being years younger than him. You rounded around your car, getting inside. The start was bad but the end was good nonetheless. The keys of your car jiggled as you closed the door. Again, you twisted the keys, your mood slightly better than before for which you were grateful. Your car’s ignition blared, as you positioned towards the exit of the park, subtly muttering ‘long ass ride.’

The digits ‘7:37’ glowed on the the small digital clock beside your desktop. You felt stiff, stretching your neck as your bones made those cracking noes. You stare at your toes, zoning out was your passion and you excelled at it. You snapped straight, letting out a deep sigh as you started to scheme the projects before you were to hand them over to your bullhead boss. Soon enough, you were done, muttering almost too loudly for everyone that you wished your boss would be napping off instead of being awake.

Good for you, your prayers were answered for the first time in a while. You quietly placed the files that contained all the details that needed to be checked again by your boss, quietly making your way out of his cabin as soon as possible. On you way, you informed his secretary you were leaving, her face wore distraught and annoyance but softens as she saw you approaching. Sometimes you felt sympathetic towards her, often asking the heavens to bless her with utmost patience and perseverance to deal with the bullhead.

The marble floor clicked with every step you took, the sounds eerily audible in the serene lobby. It was very rare for the lobby to be filled with people in evening, the employees would practically sprint off their seats as soon as the clock hits 7. You made your way out of the building, making a mental note to buy a gift for Mark on your way back to home. What would he like? Take outs? Homemade? Wine? You drove across the street before halting your car in front of the department store that was situated just a few blocks away from your office. The header of the store glowed, the alleys seemingly half-crowded with people of different occupations you assumed. You let out a hiss as you felt a chill run down your spine, it was almost the end of Autumn which meant Winter was just round the corner. You decided to rely on your instincts, deciding to gift your friend a fancy bottle of wine despite having zero knowledge about it.

You were never quite the fan of wine. According to you, the seemingly alcoholic drink was too expensive, plus the etiquettes that came along for its consumption would always just make your turn your head away every time you laid your eyes across one. You schemed through the white shelves filled with different tastes and colors of wine, each hailing from various corners of the world. “How do I even spell it?” You crouched down a bit to a bottle that had caught your attention, the exquisite name was starting to make your head hurt. It’s probably a white wine you thought, the transparent color of the liquid was what made you convince. But something rather nostalgic caught your sight, before you could even realize, you found your fingertips caressing the cold glass bottle of the red liquid that you held now.

“If were to be a drink, then what would I be?” You lazily laid sprawled across the couch in the living, while you boyfriend who sat on the marble floor across fumbles with the knotted bunch of cables. Jaehyun had his gaze focus of the wire maze in his hands, eyebrows furrowed and lips pouted in immense concentration.

“Peach milk,” he smiled, unbeknownst to you he was actually implying a double meaning for his answer.

“And why that?” You felt his choice a bit amusing, not really expecting that as an answer.

“Because I love your ass and boobs,” he winked, only to be hit by a pillow that was resting beneath your curled legs. Jaehyun felt himself giggling by your reaction, it was cute to see you being annoyed. “Babe, c’mon. I can’t lie about it.” 

“Never mind, just forget it.” You started to get a bit pissed, hurt as well because your sensitive ass thought he would probably say something sweet that would make you heart flutter. 

“Peach milk is my favorite, that’s the main reason why,” Jaehyun shifted his focus back to the cables, the last two knots were too adamant to let go of each other. You felt yourself smiling, too wide, he definitely knew you well. Cheeky bastard.

“What about me?” he asked, eyes still focused as he working on untying the last knot.

“Hmmm...” you shifted your position on the couch, now sitting up as you stared your boyfriend’s figure for a short while.

“Red wine.” sophisticated, classy, unique, warm. If you were to describe the aura around him, these would be the first choices.

However, your answer seemed to have caught Jaehyun’s attention, pausing in his tracks as he got curious as to why the specific choice. He had a huge grin on his face, he adored how you remembered the specific detail of red wine being his favourite, for he mentioned it in your first date which was 2 years back. But he knew there was more to it. He knew you too well. “But why red wine?”

You kept your gaze fixated on Jaehyun as he gets up from the ground, putting the cables in a secure manner to avoid another tie war. He hugged the pillow tight which you had previously thrown on him, before propping down beside you on the couch with a tired sigh, looking at you intently. It was as if you both were having a staring contest. So you rested your head on your right hand, both staring each other with soft smiles before you continued.

“You are much more to what everyone thinks you are,” you notice how Jaehyun cocks an eyebrow, still staring and trying to process what you just said.

“Just like wine, the more I know you, the more I know just how amazing you are. Both sweet and sour, but the balanced ratio of it is what makes you more admirable.” You admired how he was always able to balance things out, prior to what everyone believes about him, he had both good and bad sides to him. And that’s what made him more human, him acknowledging his flaws. That’s what made you fall for him.

Hearing you, Jaehyun thought he might dislocate his jaw anytime soon for smiling so hard. His heart started to do all sort of flips, ears starting to pink. It was at times like this when you don’t need words to express how you were feeling, silent but the communication was still present. Jaehyun slides his hand into yours, you glanced at both of your intertwined fingers before looking at him, his eyes full of hearts for you. You giggled, feeling shy at his intense stare but returning him the same way.

“I love you,” he whispered, his starry eyes which were only looking at you.

“Excuse me miss,” You jolt at the sudden change of voice coming from behind you. You whip around, a girl probably in her late teens stood nervously, her hands fidgets with the belts of her backpack. 

“Miss, you were kinda in the way so..” you felt flustered for absent-mindedly drifting into your dreamland while shopping for your friend, chiding yourself mentally in the process.

“Ah, I am so sorry,” you moved swiftly to the side to allow the teen some space to carry out her shopping. “Please, carry on.” You smiled softly. Though at the back of your mind you wanted to point out how she shouldn’t be consuming alcohol, but disregarded the urge nonetheless. Sometimes children should get to enjoy their minimal amount of fun in their youth too. You were still clutching the red wine bottle in your hand, eyeing it one last time before placing it back in the racks. You cleared your throat, as if to let the voices speaking inside your head know that you are not a stupid 20 year old anymore. You shake your head, glancing around to inspect if others were judging your state before proceeding to the counter for the random wine you picked which might have cost you half of your monthly salary. It’s okay to spend once in a while.

Mark was literally running around his apartment. Running. His head shot up as he remembered something. “Shit, fuck, are the bathroom lights okay?” he murmured to himself, sprinting off to the bathroom that was located in his vast living room first, followed by the ones in his bedroom and guestroom. Mark was still a newbie to the norms of living alone, him being a newborn living-alone man for sparsely 2 months. And he would barely be home due to his schedules. There were even times he would just forget his own bedroom.

“What else, what else,” he glanced over the whole area eyes drifting here and there before he realized something. Dumbass forgot to check if there were even enough food for two. Mark quickly scurried to the kitchen counter, the utensils were more than enough before checking his fridge. Beers? Check. Soju? Check. Kimchi? Check. Slices of chicken breast? Check. But the 33 year old still felt something was missing. Mark shifted his focus on the wooden shelf that was just above the kitchen sink, the transparent glass door of it making a creak sound as he opened it. For an apartment who’s owner was barely home, the shelf was definitely well packed and organized. It contained all sorts of ramen, tteokbokki and any other fast food you could name. “What else, what else, what else, what else,” he kept chanting, as if by some magic his chants of short memory would be heard and he would know what else was he missing out. He hunched over the lower shelf to inspect if all the sauces his housekeeper stores for him were present there. Absorbed in his thoughts, Mark did not notice the sudden sound of his bell going off, before the sounds just got repeated and even more louder. 

“What the fuck?” his eyebrows creased in annoyance, cussing out all the profanities he had in his vocabulary at the visitor’s insolent mannerism. Mark was beyond pissed, the person behind the other side of the door not only disrupted his memory battle but also had the audacity to ring the bell like a 3 year old in the middle of the night. Instead of just answering from the intercom, he directly opened the entrance door. “Look, it’s like 11 in the night - Hyung?” Mark halted his rant session as he realized it was Jaehyun standing in front of his house. Covered in black shirt, black mask, black pants - black everything, it would take a while for others who did not know him personally to recognize the member of the top boy group in the industry.

“Were you shitting or something,” Jaehyun smiled before casually giving his best friend a hug. Mark pulls out some of the spare slippers he had stored, while Jaehyun sits on the wooden step as he unties the knots of his black adidas. As Jaehyun get ups, he looks over to the other male standing in front of him, then down at the slippers and then again to the male.

“What?” Mark laughed, his hands shifting to the sides of his waist.

“Mark, please don’t go shopping by yourself next time,” Jaehyun silently judged Mark for offering him the fluffly colourful pink body and yellow polka dots slippers, similar to the ones he was wearing but the combination in opposite. 

“I got them from the BOGO offer going on in the supermarket just down the lane,” Mark wiggled his toes under the furry layer of clothing, slightly humming at the texture. “Bro this shit comfortable and cute, you can’t deny that.”

Jaehyun gives him another look, amused at how his bandmate’s old habits were still the same. “I help you out with your fashion choices next time. Don’t worry.” He patted Mark’s should, a sympathetic grin on his face as he anticipated the other male’s dramatic reaction. 

“Oh please,” Mark scoffed. “More like you need my and Johnny hyung’s assistance for your monotonous wardrobe!”

Jaehyun laughed at his friend’s rebuttal before lazily propping himself on the bean sack in the living room with a low hum. Oddly enough, Mark’s apartment felt more homely than his own apartment which was just above a few floors.

“But what brings you here?” Mark walks over to his fridge, judging by his friend’s sudden visit, he knew drinks had become a necessary part of the night. “And what about Hayoung?”

“What about her?” Jaehyun raised his eyebrow at Mark, skillfully catching the beer Mark had tossed to him after asking about Hayoung, Jaehyun’s, well complicated girl something.

“I though you guys might just....I don’t know, be official or something.” Mark stole a glance towards his friend, nervously opening his can. The momentary pin drop silence was an indicator, he indeed blurted something he should not have. The fizzy hiss of the beer can being opened barely broke the ice.

“I don’t do things like official,” Jaehyun scoffed, producing a low sigh after sipping the beer. Mark decided not to further press his friend, despite having an old unresolved grudge against Jaehyun somewhere deep within him. It had been years since all of that had happened, but he still felt hostility creep up inside every time he remembers that night, that week, that month. After all, it was you that Jaehyun had completely broken, torn and ripped apart.

Unbeknownst to the rummaging thoughts inside the mind of his bandmate, it took a while for the older to realize how oddly clean and organized the apartment looked. Jaehyun turned to Mark, eyebrows raised with mischievousness coating his words. “You having someone for the night tomorrow?”

Mark almost made a disgusted face but instead opted to scrunch. “Bro, I don’t have Tinder, neither do I wanna be a carrier of STDs.” Mark placed his empty can on the small glass table, simultaneously letting out a tired huff. Jaehyun almost took an offense to the statement, the attack was definitely but indirectly made towards him. But he decided to shrug it off, Mark was not lying after all. Jaehyun did not even know half of the girls’ names he had slept with, someday or another mixing up names which ends in him getting kicked out or being cursed out. That was what had happened that night as well. 

“Okay, I forgot. Hayoung, yes. Speak.” Jaehyun shot an incredulous look to the younger, as if he was able to read his mind or something. Mark only furrowed his eyebrows at the reaction.

“I-I....got kicked out,” Jaehyun’s voice was barely above a whisper, but the sharp eared male was able to catch his friend’s low murmur. Mark stifled his giggle, only to receive a glare from his friend. Jaehyun ran his fingers through his newly dyed lilac hair. Fucking embarrassing.

“But what made her do that?”

Jaehyun felt chills run down his spine as the scenario replayed in his head. He shivered despite the heater being on, an amused Mark glancing while chugging down the small remaining amount of beer. Mark was being a gentleman trying to conceal his laughter as Jaehyun rambled how he managed to fuck up yet another good hook-up buddy. At this point, Mark was not even surprised. Victim to his obvious facial expressions, Mark hated lying, and equally hated being lied to as well. Jaehyun side glanced his friend, a loud annoyed snort escaping from him. “Having fun, aren’t you?”

“Well, I mean it’s fun — sorry,” Mark clears his throat. He should be the type of friend who gives advices instead of laughing. Mark wiggled in his seat, distorting the empty can before having a perfect shot in the trashcan just a few feet away from him. Smooth one.

“I think I might retire, or just quit after the current contract ends,” Jaehyun felt tight, the words came out from him in a way too suffocating form. Mark visibly tenses, his laidback posture now crouching forward to his friend. Mark was too pre-occupied in his escalating solo career, the support he had been getting even before the official stage was way too much for him to fathom, but he was grateful for it nonetheless. A stinging guilt crept up inside him, chiding himself of being such an inconsiderate friend. “It’s high-time I start to live on my own accord.”

Mark decided to rather not pressurize the half-drunk dude with his numerous questions as to why or what has made him to take such a step. Jaehyun struggled to keep his eyes open, exhaustion was taking over his body ever faster now that he had booze in his system. Jaehyun would have rather opted to just spend the night on the couch (he preferred Mark’s limited edition long L shaped sofa over any king sized bed) but the guy decided to not get welcomed by his mate as ‘good morning.’ Mark put a hand on Jaehyun’s knee, an attempt to stop the non-stop stomping which was a very well-known drunk habit of him. Piling the blankets he just brought, the younger warned again, eyes like red lazer lights before trudging towards his bedroom. 

Feet wobbly, Jaehyun struggles to drag his build to switch off the remaining lights in the living room, glancing throughout the long empty space. He gulped down harshly, the familiar empty feeling creeping back to him which he had been avoiding for so long — for years. Jaehyun took a deep sigh, the heavy feeling feeling weighing down his chest as he took light steps towards the big glass window which granted him the view of the whole city. His eyes flickered at the luminous sight. He felt big but small, full, content but numb and empty. 

“Hyung, you’re still awake?” a sleepy voice spoke from behind, breaking out Jaehyun from his trance. 

“Huh?” It took a moment for him to process an answer. “Uh yeah. just like that. You go sleep.”

Mark shrugged, walking towards his bed as Jaehyun plopped down harshly on the duvet, wincing slightly as he felt a sprain in his lower back. With the alcohol slowly losing its effect on him with each passing second, Jaehyun started to feel more sober, more drawn back into the reality. He hated it. This feeling he was feeling.

Mark was having a rather difficult time to fall asleep. He even put on a random sleeping eye mask he uses for travelling, but alas that did not help either. He was too giddy, too excited for tomorrow. Pulling up the blankets over his head, Mark was assured he was safe from everyone, even maybe from God as a huge grin breaks out on his face. As much as he hates to admit it, Mark loved how things turned out to be the way they were.

“Oh god, this is so awkward. Oh god can I please please just die already?” Mark halted on his steps at the voice, glistening in sweats after the recent stage. He thought it would be an adventure to opt for the public washroom in disguise since the green rooms’ ones were all occupied by the rest of the members; and boy, Mark was really giving his all hold his pee.  

“OH GOD!” the sudden yelp caused the male to shriek quietly, muttering an inaudile ‘jesus’. Despite the odds, Mark decided not to test his luck, holding in the bubbling feeling just before explosion as much as he could. Muttering quiet curses, the male struggled to hold his posture as he stealthily tried to get to the other side of the stairs. Too busy in his on the way to urination voyage, Mark realized it was too late, he bumped. Bumped into someone. A girl. Hell yeah fucked. Panic crept at the back of his throat as he anticipated what was coming forth. Him being surrounded by numerous fan as he desperately tries to hold his pee. What a fucking sight.

“Look, I know you might be a staff or something,” Mark whipped his head at your voice. “But please just oh god,” you rambled, leaving the man standing with his legs crossed tightly in utter confusion. “I had no idea — Mark Lee?”

The colors from his faced drained, Mark turned casper for a split second. 

“PLEASE!” he was quick to react, half-whispering as he desperately caught your hands. “Please don’t just, uh.., shout or something.”

You immediately raised your hands in defense. “I uh have no reason to do so?” You stated, observing how he was literally squirming, it did not take you long to understand that the canadian needed to go the washroom as soon as possible. ”Oh!” You quickly moved. “Sorry for blocking your way!” Before he could even say thank you, you disappeared without any trace. Mark made a quick mental note to thank you, well that only if he ever happens to cross paths with you again. And deep down, he wised he would. On the other hand, you let out another distressed growl, promising to all of the heavens that never will you be ever accompanying your cousin sister, or let alone come to any concerts from now on. The stunt your drunken cousin had pulled just a while ago was humiliating enough, but of course, she had to spice it up by vomiting on the hallways just in front of the green room. You silently prayed and hope with all your might that maybe they will be generous enough not to sue you or ask for compensation for the mess, looking around cautiously for any employees before you sprinted off for the exit door, and yes, dragging the passed out stunt lady.

Mark felt as if he had a halo above his head, the water balloon inside him finally set free. But he had to race when he saw his phone buzzing with notifications, all of them belonging to his manager or the group chat of the members chanting same syllables ‘Where are you’ ‘show starts in 2′ ‘get yo ass here’. It did not take the rapper too while before he reached the green room, the makeup artists and stylists immediately wrapping themselves around him with brushes and hair sprays. He was smiling, genuinely smiling as he replayed the encounter he just had. Johnny raised an eyebrow with an amused grin on his face. 

“What’s with the smile, bro?” Johnny pulls up some random exercises to relieve the tension in his muscles.

Instead of dodging his question, Mark replied, still smiling, but wider. “The pee voyage was a nice one.”

Johnny judged the younger for a second before chuckling and heading towards the stage. The loud noises from the fans echoed throughout the whole arena, full of green lightsticks gleeming like blossoming spring garden. No wonder I called them grass, Mark thought. But today, he was looking for a rather specific individual, his eye scanning almost all the faces in the crowd. He hoped to see you again, smiling gleefully as he performed, but thought that it was too greedy of him to want this much in a span of a day. And so he performed, for the first time without any pressure of doing good, enjoying every moment of the stage he was on and yet again, wished that maybe, maybe your paths will collide with his again.

.

.

.

part 2

[the-daily-multi-fandom-post]

I do?

Requested: yes! By @maximes-world

Pairing: Stefan Salvatore x fiancé reader

Warnings: angst, miscarriage, it’s sad, cussing?, bridezilla, idk what else.

A/n: I don’t own gif nor the picture of the wedding gown. Wedding gown and bouquet pic came from Google. Credit to owners of the gif and pic. Hope you like this, hopefully I have got everything you requested. Hope y’all have a wonderful holiday season merry Christmas! Happy holidays!

Place & time: Mystic falls Virginia, before they turned

When I first met Stefan Salvatore I never thought he would be my husband. I thought we would always be just best friends, nothing more nothing less. Boy, am I happy to be wrong.

I’ve always lived in mystic falls. My family, the L/n family was apart of the founding families in Mystic falls. I was just a wee child when I first met Stefan. I practically grew up with him. He was my best friend, and Damon was like my big brother.

I remember meeting them as a tiny child. I’m not even sure how I remember it. I must’ve been only three or four.

I was so shy it’s embarrassing to think about. We had just got out of our horse drawn carriage in front of the Lockwood mansion, it was a small dance they were having with all the founding families together.

My tiny 3 year old self was wearing a purple ball gown fitted for a three year old. I could barely stand in my dress it was heavy. But I had to be there with my family. My mother held my hand as my father held her arm, leading us into the house.

“Hello, Mr. l/n. Mrs. L/n. Miss, L/n.” I shyly nodded at Mr. Lockwood practically hiding in my Mothers Emerald green ball gown.

“If you would like you may go play with the other children.” Mr. Lockwood had bent down to my level. I looked up at my mom would had nodded. “You all my come in. I’ll get one of the helpers to lead Y/n to the other children.” I held my moms hand as we all walked into the giant mansion.

You have to remember I was so tiny!! So the giant Mansion was even bigger for me as a wee child.

A lady of color had came over to me. A smile on her face and in my own. The lady was Miss. Sipsi. I had grown use to seeing her when I had to go to these things with my parents. Miss, Sipsi was magical (a witch I had learned when I had gotten older). I never knew how she did thing she had done. She could make a flower crown in a insistent. A cloudy day a bright sunny day. And she had taught me a few things when my family had visit the Lockwood family. Somehow she taught me to do magic. Just a few small things.

When I seen him I hid in Miss. sipsis dress. She chuckled, shaking her head as she gave me a small nudge. “It’s okay, these boys are nice.” I was the only girl in the whole group. “Mr. Salvatore?” Two boys turned towards Sipsi.

“Yes ma’am?” They both spoke at the same time walking over to Miss. Sipsi. “Boys this is Y/n l/n. Her father is one of the founding fathers of mystic falls just like your father. Stefan was about 5 years old and Damon was 13.

“Nice to meet you.” Damon smiled at the little girl. She nodded as she shyly waved. “This is my little brother Stefan. He’s around your age.” Damon spoke softly so he wouldn’t scare y/n.

From then on they became friends. They (Y/n and Stefan) would play around the houses. Stefan was her best friend and Damon was like her older brother.

As time went in they got closer and closer. Nothing could come in between them. When Y/n turned 16 her parents decided it was time for her to get married. Back in those times the parents would arranging their marriage. They couldn’t chose for themselves.

Y/n and Stefan were already courting. They would go to dances together, walk through the town and go to the school house together. They had fallen in love.

One summer night something happened that probably shouldn’t have happened. (They did the deed). They had a passionate night in the barn of the L/n plantation.

Weeks after that night Y/n began getting sick in the mornings. She would throw up all the contents in her stomach. Sometimes certain foods would trigger the sickness. Y/n was worried she was getting sick so she went to Miss, Sipsi. She would be able to tell Y/n if anything was wrong.

Miss sipsi came up to Y/ns room and immediately knew what was the problem. There was a very small bump on her tummy that was not there weeks ago.

“Oh honey.” Miss Sipsi said as she held your hair as you had puked. “Whats wrong with me?” You asked as you wiped your mouth with a wet wash cloth.

Miss sipsi felt an energy coming from Y/n and smiled. “You’re going to have a baby.” She spoke with a small smile. “What? I can’t they’ll take it away from me because I’m not married.” You were worried they would take the child from you since it was wrong for a woman to conceive a child before marriage.

“It’s okay. You and Stefan are due to be married in a few months. Well just make sure your dresses can’t show the baby.” Y/n smiled and nodded hugging Miss. sipsi. Happy and nervous tears poured from her eyes. “Thank you! Thank you!” She cried knowing Miss sipsi was the most loyal person she knew.

Months passed and it was time for the wedding. You walked into the Salvatore yard looking at your fiancé Stefan. Damon your soon-to-be brother in law bump Stefans shoulder as you came into view.

“Miss. L/n.” Damon smiled bowing his head down politely in greeting. “Mr. Salvatore, lovely day is it not?” You smiled as Stefan took you into his arms. His hands subconsciously going to rest on the covered baby bump. Stefan and Damon were told right after you had found out. You made them swear to not tell anyone. In fear you would lose the child because you weren’t married.

Through out the pregnancy you had some problems. You would get random cramps and would sometimes spot. You would freak out and ask Sipsi if everything was okay and she would assure you everything was fine. But today you knew something was wrong.

You were big pregnant like, 37 weeks almost time for the baby. Tomorrow was your wedding and you were freaking out! We’re they going to see the baby bump through the wedding dress? Was this good enough? Are you ready for marriage?

You were walking inside of the Salvatore house when you felt sharp pains in your lower stomach then pressure. You cried out falling to the floor holding your baby bump. Stefan and Damon came running to you. Miss sipsi, who became your helper ran towards you.

“I think somethings wrong with the baby.” You said as blood covered your dress. You cried as you felt more pain.

“Take her to her room!” Miss sipsi ordered. “Whats happening?” Y/n cried as Stefan laid her in her bed. “The baby, it’s gone.” Miss sipsi said as she placed her hand on your tummy feeling how the energy from the baby was gone. You sobbed as you place a hand on the bump.

You had to give birth to a still born baby. It was one of the worst feelings you have ever felt. You squeezed stefans hand as you gave birth to the baby. He too was crying, knowing he would never be able to watch his child grow up.

The cleaned the baby handing her to you. You sobbed hardened as the laid the lifeless baby on your chest letting hold her. “I’m so sorry.” You cried as you kissed her small head. Stefan cried as he kissed your forehead. His arms wrapped around you as he sat beside you in the bed.

“We still have to name her.” You said as you wiped the tears from your eyes. Stefan nodded as he looked down at the small baby. “Anana Lilian Salvatore.” Stefan smiled nodding as tear flooded his eyes, clouding his vision.

“Anana means a gift from the gods, Lilian purity also it was your mother’s name and Salvatore your last name.” You told Stefan as you wiped his tears with your free hand.

They took the baby and Stefan held you as the two of you cried. Tomorrow was the wedding would it still go on? Everything was set up, ready to have you Stefan married. Your mother had made your wedding gown, would you let all her work go to waste?

You looked at stefan. He was laid beside you asleep. You ran your hand through his luscious locks and smiled, kissing his shoulder that was right beside you. He stirred awake and looked at you and gave you a soft smile.

“Hi beautiful.” He greeted pulling you closer and kissing your lips softly. “Hi.” You whispered against his lips.

“It’s morning.” You whispered as you lied your head in his shoulder as his arms tangled around your body.

“Today’s the wedding.” He mumbled, his sleep present in his voice. You nodded as you began to think. “Do we have to have the wedding today?” You asked as you closed your y/e/c eyes.

“I think we should. It can give you something to think about get your mind off things. Plus your mom has worked hard on your beautiful dress I can’t wait to see you in. Your cousin Hannah has been so excited to go to a wedding. And, she’s made your bouquet with those beautiful flowers from the garden.” He wasn’t pressuring you to have the wedding. He just wanted you to not regret not having the wedding.

You nodded and gave him a small smile. Trying to make it a genuine smile. “Okay.”

The day continued and you were getting ready for your wedding. Your mother hemmed the beautiful white wedding gown to fit you better.

You heled the bouquet and smiled as you felt like a princess. You were glad Stefan talked you into having the wedding.

Your wedding dress and bouquet:

You smiled as you heard everyone gathering inside the church. Your father smiled as he seen you for the first time in your wedding gown.

“You are not allowed to cry, father.” You spoke wiping your eyes so you wouldn’t cry.

“Sorry, I just can’t believe my little girl is all grown up.” Your father had no clue about your pregnancy or miscarriage. You only told Stefan, Damon, your mother and Sipsi. You didn’t want to see the look of disappointment on your fathers face.

“Soon enough you’ll have children of your own and you’ll be saying the same thing.” He said as he place a sweet fatherly kiss on your temple.

As the wedding went on your father walked you down the isle. Stefan was smiling as he stood at the end of the isle. To his right was the preacher and to the left Damon.

Y/n smiled as she held onto her fathers arm with one arm and her other held her bouquet.

At the end of the isle your father stood there smiling. The whole town watched as the towns lover birds got married. Each one of them happy for the amazing couple.

“Do you promise to love and cherish y/n; For better or worst, in sickness and in Health, richer or poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” He vowed, smiling brightly as he sliped the gold and diamond wedding ring onto her left ring ringer.

“I do.” Y/n vowed slipping his gold wedding band onto his finger. Smiling as she slipped the ring in his finger.

“Well, by the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband in wife. You may now kiss your bride.” Stefan and Y/n smiled brightly as the two sealed the wedding with a kiss. Everyone in the church clapping and celebrating.

Hours went by and it was night time. Y/n and Stefan went inside of their house. A big two level house right on the outskirts of town. Miss sipsi came to knocking on the door with a gift.

They welcomed the woman in and opened the bag. “Baby clothes?” Y/n asked as she looked through the bag confused. Y/n looked up at miss. sipsi confused and asked why she was giving her baby clothes.

“Y/n, you need to see this.” Y/n followed the sound of her husbands voice when she heard cooing.

“Oh, my god.” She gasped seeing her baby alive and well. “How?” She asked her friend, unable to wrap her mind around the fact her still born baby was now alive.

“I talked to the witch ancestors. They allowed me to bring the child back. They thought it was worth the sacrifice. Saying the child would be special, unlike any other child in the world.” Y/n cried as she rushed over to Sipsi hugging the small woman happily. “Thank you so, so much!” She cried hugging the woman so tight she couldn’t move. “I’m forever in your debt. If there is anything I can do for you say the words.”

Sipsi smiled hugging Y/n and giving her a motherly type kiss on her forehead. “Young lady, you’ve done so much for me. I am just repaying a favor.” She smiled as she watched y/n get to hold her baby.

“I found the crib in a store and knew I had to get it for you. I traded a few quilts and two chickens for it.” Y/n smiled as she held the baby close to her chest. “Thank you so much!” Stefan spoke, hugging the woman tightly. The two were so thankful for what Sipsi had done. They knew if they could do anything for Sipsi they would.

From then on they lived happily ever after...

[beautifulweird0]

Forgiving Your Parents

I know too many people who’ve experienced some form of trauma from their parents. This isn’t a blog about bashing your folks- this is hopefully a post that will help salvage some strained parent and child relationships. Cause I been there, done that-and understanding your parent is only feasible if your parent is interested in understanding you.

My disclaimer is this: The child isn’t responsible for mending the relationship...solely. I’mma tell you like this, if your parent doesn’t want anything to do with you...skip em’.

   Because that’s backwards as hell and that takes away from loving yourself. Anyway you chop it, if you find yourself forcing yourself on a “parent”, the relationship isn’t going to go anywhere-AND THAT’S NOT YOUR FAULT OR CONCERN. YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL! YOU ARE EXTREMELY WORTHY. I’m so sorry your people ain’t solid; it’s a reflection of them-not you.

It’s my belief that something is wrong with a person if they want no parts of having a relationship with their child. Literally so messed up from their own unhealed traumas that they can’t find it within themselves to love someone they created…

Ain’t no fixing on that unless you take they ass to a therapist.

Moving on.

I’ve always had such a strong feeling in my gut when I come across new people. It’s like they look at me and think I got it all. Truly looking at me and seeing a woman who doesn’t have insecurities or childhood traumas spotted along her path cause I’m kind and always make it a point to smile like Granny told me.

    I’m usually a private person. But its always been that ‘pull’ on me-telling me… “It’s another little girl that is going through the same stuff you went through. Say that shit anyway. And with your chest.” .

Think about it...

Can’t a soul embarrass you about some stuff you open about. That takes all the fun out of their miserable lives if folks know wassup already.

    So as a 22 year old woman that been through some mess with her people, let me share pieces of me. Cause the last thing you want on your conscience is one of your parents passing and ya’ll not being on the best of terms.

I was listening to Mad Bitches the other day and Mikhala Jene said something along the lines of, “Nobody living is perfect”.

That hit me a little different. Like damn...nobody walks this earth perfect so...why do we expect perfection (again, subconsciously).

THIS.

   This is why I say if your parent is trying, then work with them. If they sit down with you and tell you how life was for them coming up. The good parts, the ugly parts, and everything in-between. Trying their best to be authentic and build a bond, then meet em’ halfway (if they haven’t been on some stuff that’s just unforgivable).

And shit, our people ain’t have everything at their fingertips as we do. The apps that spread information quicker than you could sneeze, weren't available. They couldn’t go on a ‘self-care’ page to calm themselves down if triggered or go on YouTube and watch motivational videos. Not making excuses, just using a little perspective that helps me! Yet and still, let your parent(s) know if they did something to wrong you; you gotta’ have respect for yourself as a human. Period.

   I didn’t find out who my biological father was until I was about 16 years old. Up until that point I believed another man was my father (which he is still and will always be!).

Sooo...I already had abandonment issues from my parents and my dad lived in a way at that time, that all parties involved thought it was best my grandparents took us in. That’s all I know is Granny’s (& Grandpa’s) house since I was a baby.

    It helped that when my mom told me who my biological dad was, she was in a much better state of mind and stable-but man...I didn’t know what to feel. My sister was more upset than me (cause we have the same dad hypothetically).

     So many questions ran through my head that I couldn’t even cry or be mad. I was shocked. Everyone played their role so well…

There was a long road ahead of me. Not only did I have to forgive my mom and dad for lying to me for so long, but there was a father in the same city I had yet to know.

My first point is patience. If you aren’t going to be patient with an end goal for you and your parent, you’re wasting your time. Being prepared for them to fumble sometimes is mandatory if y’all going to get to a better place. You mess up on certain projects or what have you’s a few times before you get it right...right?

Give your parent the same energy if you were in their shoes. Cause baby...ain’t nothing worse than admitting your wrongs and still getting beat down. I couldn’t bring myself to be mad at my mom in that moment where she was vulnerable and upset cause she knew she played a part in hurting me. What was it gone do but make me feel bad and her feel worse?

     Blowing up wasn’t going to change what happened now 22 years ago.

Yeah, there’s hella’ books on parenting but I’mma tell y’all like my Granny told me, “There’s no such thing as a book on how to be a parent.”.

Having a child of my own- I’ve been witness to this. Folks can be shown and folks can be told on how to do certain things but with each child being different in this world, you have to be intune with them specifically- no book on that.

I was through hell and back with my mother and now we’re in an extremely better place because we both made the effort (more-so on her part 🌚).

But it was my responsibility to go into it with pure intentions and my guard down a bit after she made the effort; disappointment is what I expected sometimes cause I went into it knowing it was going to be a process.

Don’t get it confused,  my mom always knew how I was-that wasn’t the issue. The new end goal was getting to know each other again so I could understand her better so I could forgive her. That’s no sucka’ shit. Its real. Everybody in this life is going to disappoint you, one way or another. Better to know what you’re dealing with so you can assess the situation in order to better assess the person. Free game.

Another step to keep in mind is, boundaries. I just feel like it will make the whole exchange smoother-not easier- but smoother. The point of forgiving your parents and (if you chose) trying to build a relationship, is to have them know you for who you are NOW. Not when you were 5, not when you was 12...have them meet you at your level. They dropped the ball, not you. Sure...nobody asked to be here but that becomes invalid when you start having babies of your own. It’s a different ball game when you bring a life into this world. Your joys become the joy of your children but way too often we forget that our pain becomes theirs as well.

My father always tried too-the dad that I always knew as my dad. On weekends me and my sister would go to his house before he moved to Michigan. Man I was a daddies girl-still am. My grandparents had the house on lock, couldn't watch programs with cussing in it or too much violence. Life of having Southern Baptist grandparents I guess.

 The weekends at pops house was always interesting. I could watch all the music videos I wanted and watch the movies that didn't have too much goin on in them.

My dad would do different stuff with us like go to the library; he always knew I loved reading. Sometimes my dad would take us to the park or a friends house who had kids (how I met my husband), water parks, or even cooking dinner with me and my sister; plenty of quality time where I could talk to him about anything.

However, at the time, pops lived a certain lifestyle and no matter how hard he tried to shield it from us younger kids, I still seen things and experienced things a child shouldn't have. Again, comes with the lifestyle I guess.

My dad drunk...ALOT. And it was interesting to see the 'upsides' of alchoholism and the very big downsides. I'd never forget, I was maybe 8? Another weekend at my dads, just me and my sister (I have multiple brothers on that side too plus another sister), and I woke up one morning on the couch. My dad was goin through some things- all he had was a couch that he let me and my little sister sleep on. My 1st thought when I woke up was where was my dad sleeping? My sister was sleep, and it was still fairly early in the morning. I go back to the empty bedroom to find him sleep on the floor. No pillow. No cover. Just a beer in hand, laid out. That broke my heart.

Just remember feeling sad all over. I took the beer, threw it away then grabbed the pillow I had and laid it under his head. While doing so, my dad woke up, halfway and kissed my hand.

He told me straight up he loves me and he apologized. Didn't go into detail but he didn't have to. My dad never had his pops in his life, nor his mama until he was grown and was taking care of her though her illness.

I knew even at 8 years old that, that gotta hurt. I'm not gone sit here and act like I always understood the motives of my father but I tried because he always tried to understand me and til' this day, he is one of the top 3 people that KNOWS me like the back of his hand.

I had to forgive my parents because they’ve come a long way. Holding all that anger and resentment wasn’t gone help me in the long run. And in a way I can say I've helped to heal them by loving them through their screw ups. We always talk about a parents love but what about a child's love?

I don’t want to pass down my pain to my son, he don’t need that- the world will give its fair share. But everyday I pray that the world won’t hurt him bad. I want my son to be nothing less than strong mentally, emotionally, but most of all spiritually. He won’t have that unless I’m solid. So I ask myself… ‘hm, what’s still hurting me?’.

We all got a story to tell.

Love. Peace. Manifest.

[myelocin]

the candid photos from amber eyes | kuroo tetsurou

synopsis: in which you find yourself traveling with a group, thinking about the reasons of what it is that makes you love traveling, and meet a photographer with a kind smile whose eyes glowed under the bumps of light on a bus ride home. 

characters: kuroo tetsurou, you

genre: fluff, travel!au

wc: 1400+

a/n: this is req #20 for stories in passing, for @haiikyuuns <3

-

You met Kuroo Tetsurou after answering the tour guide’s question of “what do you like most about traveling?”

This was one of your favorite parts of traveling with a group, you realize. Listening to stories and experiences about the world alike.

“I like to experience culture,” one said, and you noticed it was the younger looking blonde from the front of the group. She seemed to be just staring out. A heavily highlighted bullet journal, a roomy looking backpack, and the telltale DSLR with the extra big lens hanging from her neck.

You smiled; you could recall when you were just starting out and craved to capture the smallest details. Photographs were one of the best souvenirs, after all.

“My favorite part is the documentation,” the boy across you chimes in, raising up his camera with a laugh.

He smiles in a way that had you a little blinded.

“If you want some good photos, feel free to hit me up,” he finishes, smiling when the middle aged ladies standing next to him clapped him on the shoulder, undoubtedly planning to take him up on his offer.

“You okay with me taking random pictures?” he asks the crowd, who nods at his question before he turns to you, his smile still intact.

“And you?”

Shrugging at his question, you offer the expectant gazes a sheepish smile as a response. He didn’t seem to do any harm; plus, you always forgot to take photos during your travels, so you look at him and nod.

“Just make sure you take photos of the pretty stuff,” you laugh.

Across you, he beams. You suppose you’d have to hold him on to his promise as well.

-

It isn’t until a few hours into the guided tour that he takes the seat next to you on the bus ride home and strikes a conversation.

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” he smiles, holding out his hand for you to shake.

“(y/n),” you reply, shaking his hand.

“So,” he begins. “Has your answer from the question earlier changed at all?”

You stare at him, a little confused by what he meant until you eventually recall the tour guide’s words from earlier. Kuroo doesn’t stare straight at you, but rather right past you. You can tell he’s staring at the passing scenery on the window from the way his fingers hover over the shutter button of his camera that’s shut off.

Smiling to yourself, first, you recall his words. He liked documentation the best, apparently.

So with that thought in mind, you let yourself stare at his profile and begin to ponder.

“What’s your favorite part about traveling?” the question echoes in your mind. And you grin, softly, because you’ve always felt like you had an answer.

But in your case answer was more of a feeling instead of a statement. Traveling was something you’ve personally enjoyed doing—from the struggle of writing itineraries, the experience itself, and most importantly, to the tiny moments of serendipity that comes along the way.

At the same time, it was the people that made you want to seek more edges of the world to walk across. The locals and travelers alike—they made immersing yourself in the foreign sense of normalcy interesting at the very least.

There was something oddly intimate about creating connections with those you know may not be lasting. Then again, that was a case for every connection you’re bound to make in every lifetime—consistency is never promised. But when you travel, meet, then connect—the sense of yearning is only amplified.

You come to a realization that you seeked for that.

So as you stare at Kuroo, a stranger you just met at the tour some hours ago, you think about the question again and again willing yourself to form words for the feelings you know serve as your answer.

“You’re staring,” he laughs, then runs a hand through his hair when his question passes you.

Kuroo knows that look.

He sees it in every candid portrait he takes of every muse that’s caught his eye in the foreign cities he’s traveled to. He describes it as the look you have when you lose yourself in a state of just awe.

He’s well aware he’s had that same look on his face too. At every ancient pillar he’s standing in the presence of, in front of every shrine he’s only ever read about in travel magazines in his youth, and at every epiphany that’s struck and stuck with him over the footprints he leaves across continents.

“You have an answer don’t you?” he asks, and offers you a smile when you mutter a quick apology.

Laughing, you turn to face him instead of the window with the running image of scenery. The light hits him well, you think. The amber in his eyes almost look like solid gold, and it gleams of something unspoken.

So you smile. And almost immediately as the bus turns and the light’s angle changes, you see the words form in your mouth as Kuroo grins with the momentary burst of light that flood in the bus from your side of the window.

“I travel because the people I meet show the most beautiful stories,” you say like you’re exhaling a breath you’ve long held on to.

“Fitting,” Kuroo responds, leaning back to his seat and facing the front.

“So you leaving for home tomorrow?” he asks, breaking the short bit of silence between the two of you.

Nodding at his question, you respond, “Yeah. Packing up tonight. Early flight tomorrow.”

Beside you, he huffs lightly, knocking his shoulder against yours. ”We just met today, we didn’t get to bond enough.”

“See you in the next country, maybe?” you laugh, smiling at him when he laughs at your response.

“That sounds like a line a character says when they break up with someone they meet abroad,” Kuroo comments, laughing.

“I mean, you never know!” you exclaim.

“So I guess I guess after today we should, we should just say goodbye forever?” he says, nodding to himself like he wasn’t directing his question towards you.

“Social media exists,” you chime, rolling your eyes jokingly.

“Ah, is this your way of slyly asking for my contact info?” he teases. “So you can, as the kids say, slide into my DMs?”

You laugh at his choice of words; he seems to be rather proud of them too by the way he’s closing his eyes and nodding to himself.

“You talk like you’re not in your twenties,” you laugh, rolling your eyes. “Also, I was only going to ask for them because you did say you were going to take pictures. I always forget to take photos when I travel, so I figured since you offered might as well leech off of yours.”

“Is this the feeling of just being used?” Kuroo beside you groans, one hand on his chest in mock sadness.

Moments later, he laughs when you hand him your phone, telling him to save his contact details.

“But seriously,” he starts, after he hands you back your phone.

The bus turns again and the angle is bending the light in the way that hits the amber in his eyes again, and it looks so ethereal that you find yourself subconsciously holding your breath when he locks his eyes with yours.

“If we see each other in another corner of the world, then maybe we could grab dinner or something?” he finishes, grinning.

You smile, feeling a little bold.

“We’ll see.”

-

It isn’t until you’re at the airport early in the morning at 6am sipping a cup of something hot that always does the trick and perks you up for the day where your phone chimes with a message.

Kuroo’s face flashes on the screen and you smile at the message pinned with the attachments of what you could guess were the photos he took. Opening them, you laugh when you notice a huge majority of them were mostly candid shots of you, along with the scenic photos you asked him for.

Not once did you look at the camera too; always just looking somewhere far off. But the expression on your face was the same: one where your mouth was a little parted and your eyes twinkled with something you could only guess was awe.

“I thought I told you to make sure to only take photos of the beautiful stuff,” you text him next to the thank you for the photos.

Kuroo’s text comes in a lot sooner for someone you expected to still be asleep during this hour, but his response has you smiling none the less.

“I did :)”

To him, the candids of you were the most beautiful in his camera roll that day.

[the-starless-sky]

BAE x The Cat’s Whiskers / “PRIDE” voice drama track 2

Listen through Spotify.

Warning(s): This episode has an explanation of BAE’s traumas. It’s all a bit heavy, and Anne’s has to do with gender, so please watch out.

(Anne enters the room.)

Anne: Sigh.

Allen: How was it?

Anne: No good. He won’t come out no matter what I say.

Allen: I see. I... it’s the first time I saw Hajun seriously angry.

Anne: Yeah. I was surprised... for him to show his emotion and get angry like that...

Allen: He... what kind of face is he making now...?

Anne: I want to know, too, but there’s nothing else we could do but let him be for now, don’t you think?

Allen: No... As I thought, I’ll go and try to talk to him once again!

Anne: WhaーI’m going too!

(The two of them go to Hajun’s room.)

(Allen knocks on Hajun’s door.)

Allen: Hajun, you can hear me, can’t you!? You don’t have to open the door. That’s why, just like that, listen to me.

Hajun: How stubborn. After I calm down, I’ll go out by myself. Of course, with a smile as usual. That’s why, please leave me alone.

Allen: That means you’re not smiling right now! Right?

Hajun: What about it? Even I have times when I’m upset.

Allen: That’s not what I’m talking about...! I’m frustrated. When you thrust him away, I thought, ‘ah, he’s seriously angry’... it’s the first time I saw your face like that. It’s a face that you’ve never shown to me nor Anne.

Anne: Yeah...

Allen: And I thought, it’s frustrating, but... what Compra Daimaou sad was right. We haven’t seriously confronted each other. That we’ve only been looking at each other’s convenient sides...

Hajun: ...!

Allen: That’s why, now, I’m angry at myself. Even though I’m the one who was always with you the most, doing hip hop together, I... I didn’t try to see the real you. That’s why... in the depths of my ear, I could hear the sound of a record disk breaking. And flames burn... as everything in front of me turns deep red.

Anne: Allen...?

Allen: I’m talking about trap reactions. Mine... always starts like that.

Anne: Trap reactions, you say? But, Allen, that’s...

Allen: It’s fine! I want you guys to listen. You guys know about my family, right? Both of my parents are classical musicians, and they absolutely wont acknowledge hip hop. I know that, so I listened to hip hop in secret. But then I got completely absorbed in it, and...

_

(Sounds of record disk breaking.)

Allen’s mother: Such grating sounds like hip hop... where in the world did you pick it up from?

Allen’s father: Don’t listen to such worthless music!! Your ears will get dirty!!

Allen: Stop!! Don’t burn it...!! Please... only that...

Allen’s mother: Allen, you’re talented. If you listen to Papa and Mama, you could even become a world-class musician!

Allen’s father: We gave birth to you for that reason, not to let you play trashy music like this.

Allen: Please... I finally understood... the music I want to do is hip hop...! That’s why... Ahhhhh!!

Allen’s father and mother: You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong.

Allen: Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!

_

Allen: They burned everything. The records I collected one by one, the equipment I finally managed to buy by saving my pocket money, I was locked up in the house for days... They keep denying my music... no, denying me. After that, Hajun, you know it best, don’t you?

Anne: Ah, that’s unfair. I haven’t heard about that!

Allen: I escaped from the room I was confined in, and ran away to this place. I didn’t think I’d keep living here after that, though.

Anne: So that’s how it was...

Allen: This is my trauma. The nightmare I see during trap reactions. Shameful, isn’t it? To keep recalling again and again the day my treasure got burnt by my parents when I was a brat.

Allen: No it’s not! It’s not. Mine starts with the sound of a scissor.

_

(The sounds of scissors clipping.)

Anne’s mother: Look, you turned wonderful!

Anne: Sob... hic...

Anne’s mother: Long hair don’t suit you, Anjin [1]. You’re a boy, after allーshort hair’s way better.

Anne: Hic... But I...!

Anne’s mother: Anjin!!

Anne: ...!

Anne’s mother: When Papa left, you promised him, right? That from now on, Anjin will become Mama’s prince.

Anne: Yeah...

Anne’s mother: Right!? Right, Anjin! I love you, Anjin! I want to love, you Anjin! That’s why, Anjin, please stay as Mama’s prince forever...

Anne: Yeah... that’s right... I’m Mama’s prince, after all... I have to be loved by Mama... hic...

_

Anne: Haha, that’s definitely a toxic parent, right? But... I couldn’t run away. Even now, I still think I want to be Mama’s prince, somewhere in my heart. I want to love and be loved.

Allen: ...!

Anne: But if it goes on, both of us will break. I knew that, so I left home. Haha. The story of my trap reaction ends here! Seriously, shameful, isn’t it? Not being able to stand independently from my parents even now...

Allen: Anne...

Anne: It’s fine. I thought I’d have to talk about it either way someday, and now I feel relieved after I say it frankly with all of my might.

Hajun: I was told I’m an unneeded child.

Allen: Ah... Hajun, what did you sayー

Hajun: I was told I’m an unneeded child.

Allen: ...! Is that, by Compra Daimaou...?

Hajun: Yes. That’s how it starts for me.

Anne: Start... you mean...?

Hajun: My trap reaction.

Anne: ...!

Hajun: You guys know that I’m the son of the head of Yeon Conglomerate, right?

Allen: Yeah.

Hajun: However, I’m an adopted child. I was taken in to that house when I was a child, just to succeed the family.

Anne: Hajun... if it’s painful, you don’t have to force yourself to say itー

Hajun: My parents... were probably good people. They raised me, who had no blood relation to them, as they would their real son. They probably loved me, as wellーto an extent. ...Until the real son was born.

_

(Sounds of baby crying.)

Hajun’s father: Hajun. I’ll have you go to Japan.

Hajun: Eh...!?

Hajun’s mother: For Yeon Conglomerate, Japan’s an important business partner. It’s not bad to master Japanese while you have the chance.

Hajun: But I...!

Hajun’s father: It seems like you don’t understand.

Hajun’s mother: Hajun. That means, you’re not a necessary existence in this house anymore.

Hajun: Eh...!?

Hajun’s mother: The most important thing in Yeon Conglomerate is to be related by blood. Because one has blood relations with Yeon Family, one could be the head everyone acknowledges.

Hajun’s father: Fortunately, God has blessed us with a son. You’re a clever childーyou know what that means, don’t you?

Hajun: Then... I’m...

Hajun’s father: That’s right, Hajun. You’re an unneeded child. Unneeded child. Unneeded child. Unneeded child.

_

Hajun: It makes me remember the day when my parents told me I’m an unneeded child. Repeatedly, repeatedly, the day when I got thrown away miserably like a dog.

Allen: That’s why, that time, you...

Hajun: Yes. I subconsciously lost my cool. It was just as that guy from The Cat’s Whiskers said. I’m scared. ...Of becoming an unneeded child again.

Allen & Anne: ...!

Hajun: That’s why, I never get serious with anyone. Even more so if it’s someone I cherish. Wearing a smiling mask, never showing my real self. Because it’s scary. It’s frightening. After all, I’m an unneeded child... If I believe in someone, love them, and get betrayed again... thrown away again, I can’t bear it. If so, then I wont everー

Allen: Don’t be stupid!! Hajun, you’re not an unneeded child!

Hajun: ...!

Allen: No matter what anyone says, you’re not an unneeded child!! Plus, I won’t ever betray you, Hajun! I won’t throw you away! Hajun. Do you remember? The day when I tumbled here.

Hajun: Yes...

Allen: You let the tattered me stay without asking anything, didn’t you? Keeping quiet from your parents and school... and then one day, you said it: ‘That’s nice.’

Hajun: ...!

Allen: To the rap I muttered nonchalantly... to that rap, which you couldn’t even call ‘music’, you said, ‘that’s nice.’ That time, I understood. I still have myself. I thought I’ve lost everything, but I still have myself! Even if it was broken, or burnt... it could never be snatched away. I... the sound echoing inside of me, will never be erased by anyone! That’s why, that time, the one who saved me was you, Hajun! That I could do hip hop without losing myself, it’s all because of you! Hajun!

Hajun: ...!

Allen: Getting denied, and denied... Being told that I’m worthless, getting broken, burnt... to the tattered me, you said ‘it’s nice’. You accepted me, and asked me to do hip hop together. Who the hell would throw away such an important person!?

(Allen hits the door.)

Hajun: ...! You’re such an idiot.

Allen: Eh?

Hajun: It’s not something you have to get fired up about. So embarrassing.

Allen: Embarrassing, you said...

Hajun: Are you crying?

Allen: I’m not crying...

Anne: Haha, Allen, you’re crying. Like, a lot.

Allen: Don’t lie!! Look, it’s...!

Anne: Yeah, yeah, it’s the sweat of your heart, is it?

Allen: Yeah, it’s my heart’s sweat!

Hajun: Pft. Jeez... now that you’ve cried before I do...

(Hajun opens the door.)

Allen & Anne: Hajun...!

Hajun: What a hindrance. If you guys stand around there, I can’t open the door.

Allen: Ah... yeah!

Anne: Hajun...?

Hajun: I’m fine already. I’m sorry for making you guys worried.

Anne: No... thank you, Hajun.

Hajun: Hm? Why did you thank me?

Anne: ‘Cause I’m happy. To hear Hajun’s real self, that is.

Hajun: Anne...

(Allen’s stomach growls.)

Allen: Aah... now that I’m relieved, suddenly I feel hungry.

Anne: Then, shall we go eat out somewhere?

Allen: I wanna go to Raimen-tei! I want char siu ramen with double the char siu! Of course, it’s Hajun’s treat!

Hajun: Ha!? Why do I have to treat you guys!?

Anne: Then, I want a tenshin-don! [2] With all-you-can-drink draft beer!

Hajun: Waitー

Allen: Come on, let’s go!

Anne: Ah, I wanna retouch my makeup!

Allen: That kinda thing, it’s fine already!

Anne: What do you mean by ‘that kinda thing’!?

Hajun: Jeez, you guys... thank you.

Allen: Huh?

Hajun: It’s nothing. Can’t be helped, I’ll treat you all today. Let’s go.

Anne: Free meal’s the best!

Allen & Anne: Haha!

_

(Sound of door knocked.)

Anne: Yes, please come in.

(Door opens.)

Saimon: Hello. I’m coming in.

Anne: Saimon-sensei! And everyone else, too...

Ryuu: Hello~! It’s Ryuu-kun!

Shiki: Excuse me...

Yohei: We came to return the gift from last time. Well, call it observing the enemy movements.

Allen: Enemy... is it?

Saimon: It’s a joke. We have no intention to treat you as an enemy. But, indeed we’re interested in you guys. There’s that thing from last time, too, after all.

Allen: Ah, if that’s it, thenー

Hajun: Then, how was it? The trend-jumping, cutting edge-pretending child’s play?

Yohei: He’s really pickin’ a fight, ain’t he.

Anne: Ah, but I want to hear, as well. Please tell us honestly.

Saimon: Come on, Yohei.

Yohei: I’ll take back my words. Sorry for dissin’ you guys.

Allen: Huh!?

Yohei: You guys’ sound today had a core. Something that wont waver, as rappers. No, I felt your pride as a team. It’s different from our style, but I’ll acknowledge it. That was a nice stage.

Hajun: ...

Yohei: Especially you, 48, was it?

Hajun: Yes.

Yohei: How to say it... you broke out of your shell, huh?

Hajun: Thanks to all of you.

Saimon: With this, I’m getting even more excited in battling with all of you. Of course, we have no intention to lose. We’ll bet on our pride and do our own hip hop.

Yohei: We won’t letcha call us behind the times.

Shiki: I-I’ll do my best!

Ryuu: Hmmm? Hey, Mushroom-kun... you...

Hajun: ...!?

Ryuu: You came out of your box!

Hajun: ...!

Ryuu: But you have to hurry, you know? After all, you don’t have much time left.

Hajun: ...!!

Ryuu: Hey, hey, Boss, Master! Ryuu-kun’s in high spirit today! Let’s go back to the floor!

Yohei: We’re done here. Let’s go home.

Saimon: I also have class tomorrow.

Ryuu: Eeeh!? Boring!!! Shiki, you idiot!!!

Shiki: Eh, why me!?

_

Allen: Hajun, are you okay!?

Anne: If he said something weird to you again, this time I’ll knock him down!

Hajun: Haha. No, it’s nothing. You guys are such worrywarts.

Allen: I mean...!

Anne: Right!?

Hajun: Come on, let’s go home. Allen, if you keep dawdling, you’ll lose your metal again.

Allen: ...!! You’re still hung up over that!? You have a bad personality!

Anne: As expected from the sadistic smiling prince!

Hajun: Let’s go, Anjin.

Anne: Hey, I told you to not call me by that name, didn’t I!

Allen: Seems like it’d be good to add ‘wicked-tongued’ to the sadistic smiling prince.

Anne: Seriously, jeez!

Allen: Now it’s wicked-tongued, sadistic smiling prince.

Anne: For some reason, the ‘prince’ never gets removed.

Allen: I wonder why?

Hajun: If I’m with you guys, perhaps, I’m sure...

Notes

[1] I heard Anji first, but then I think it’s actually Anjin?

[2] Tenshin-don is crab meat omelette on rice!! That sounds really good...

Now we get BAE’s backstory... and I’m now solidifying my role as Allen’s girlfriend!!! Not accepting complaints!!! (jk).

Maybe cozmez next on “FAMILY”?

[goldenkamuyhunting]

(Part 1) Thank you for keeping this blog going. There are few in the fandom who gives as much attention to detail as you do, and I always look forward to reading you blog. Long ask below, which had to be split into 4 parts.

Thank you for enjoying my blog!

I’m always happy to know there’s people who enjoy it!

Now, for your questions:

1) Yuusaku is basically cannon fodder. Even if Ogata didn't shoot him, he was unlikely to live through the war. Russo-Japanese War was the first to witness the carnage rapid firing lines could do to an infantry charge; standard bearers in those days were basically on suicide missions. This was why it was mostly phased out by WWI. I'm surprised Yuusaku even lived through more than one charge. Was Hanazawa senior aware that grooming his favorite son to be the standard bearer, while glamorous, was going to get him killed?

1) As sad as it is, back then ALL THE INFANTRY was sadly cannon fodder, a beaviour that will continue even during WWs.

Yuusaku, being at the head of the charge each time, had more chances to get killed than the others but it’s actually a matter of luck as, not only the others were close by, but soldiers didn’t really take aim when shooting (except for snipers), they just aimed their weapons in the enemy’s general direction and fired.

Still, it was all a matter of luck.

Sugimoto (who’s ironically based on a real soldier) managed to survive to plenty of charges, others didn’t manage to survive to their first charge.

Yuusaku didn’t have to die just because he was a flag bearer... but surely the odds were against him.

As for Hanazawa in truth the situation is much more complicate.

I’m pretty sure Hanazawa wasn’t happy Yuusaku HAD TO BE the flagbearer. As far as he was involved he had only one son and that one was Yuusaku and back then heirs were important and if he were to die Hanazawa would remain without one since it’s clear he never planned to acknowledge Ogata.

The problem isn’t so much that he wanted Yuusaku to be the flagbearer, is that he couldn’t avoid Yuusaku being the flagbearer.

Out of bad luck Yuusaku was a second lieutenant back then and unmarried, therefore virgin (because they had already moved in a time in which having a lover wasn’t respectable). And, of course, being the son of Hanazawa Yuusaku was expected to check all the other requisites a flag bearer had to have, being handsome, high achiever and a paragon of moral virtue.

In short he was perfect for the job.

Beign the flag bearer was a honour and refusing it was a sign of cowardice that would have tossed shame on the whole family.

If Hanazawa had stopped Yuusaku from being a flag bearer, Yuusaku would have lost face and Hanazawa with him and since Hanazawa was a big shoot in the army during the war this would have turned into a huge problem.

And then there’s also what Koito senior said.

Someone had to be the flag bearer. Stopping his son from doing so to protect him and therefore sacrifice someone else son would be viewed as inexcusable.

As much as I hate Hanazawa I recognize he couldn’t keep Yuusaku out of the position.

For me his sin, in regard to Yuusaku, is more that he had told him not to kill. While a sword can’t really stop a Maxim gun, during the charge they would get in close contact with other soldiers, soldiers who could kill him. Using his sword to defend himself would increase his odds to survive.

Hanazawa instead, realizing the chances for Yuusaku to survive were dim, likely preferred to use him till the end as some sort of pure idol to fulfil a theory of his own at whom the soldiers might not even believe that, if Yuusaku weren’t to kill, soldiers would remain pure as well and wouldn’t feel guilty.

Of course it can be that Yuusaku actually wasn’t so good with the sword. Maybe if he were to try to defend himself not only he would fail but this would lower the troops’ morale. As an idol instead Yuusaku is protected by the soldiers who see him as their personal amulet of good luck.

In this case in a way Hanazawa took the best decision both for him and the troops. We know too little to tell... but I’m pretty sure Hanazawa knew there were few chances Yuusaku would survive.

In his position he couldn’t possibly not know.

Sure is Yuusaku seems to believe everything his father says without thinking at it too much.

When he explains his reasons to Ogata... well, they aren’t really his reasons but what his father told him. He didn’t rielaborate, didn’t internalize, didn’t think it over.

It’s just ‘daddy told me so therefore I do it in this way’.

2) I wonder what was going through Ogata’s mind, watching Yuusaku run into the meat grinder. At that moment maybe it occurred to him that being Hanazawa’s favorite son came with a heavy price tag.

Everything comes with a price tag... but objectively both Ogata and Yuusaku were risking to die in that war and if Ogata was left more often in the trenches, where it was slightly safer, shooting at enemies, it was merely because he was lucky he was gifted at shooting otherwise he could have been right next to Yuusaku running, charge after charge... only he never enjoied an ounce of Yuusaku’s benefits.

The truth is that people who come from a privileged situation like Yuusaku, Koito, Tomoharu, Ueji or Chiyotarou, aren’t insured to have a happy life free of danger. They can be as miserable as the next guy and can end up in troubles way bigger (Ueji even went insane after all, Yuusaku died, Tomoharu wasn’t up to fulfil his family expectations, Chiyotarou get bullied, Koito had no support when he lost his brother...).

But they will also be sheltered by way too many things that make life miserable and will be given chances that others can only dream.

So yes, being Hanazawa’s legittimate son came with a heavy price tag but being Hanazawa’s illegittimate son not only also came with a heavy price tag but was bereft of the benefits being Hanazawa’s legittimate son could offer.

3) He must also know that Yuusaku getting KIA is a matter of (very short) time. Tsurumi must know that too, so he called off the kill.

Honestly I believe the only reason Tsurumi called off the kill was because he wanted to push Ogata to kill Yuusaku on his own. Ogata showed a softer side with Koito when he kidnapped him, giving him a sweet and conforting him...

...but that’s not all. When he carried Yuusaku in a brothel and Yuusaku turned down his idea to have fun with the girls he could have gotten Yuusaku drunk or forced him in another way. He didn’t. He let him go and made sure he wasn’t seen as he left, when he could have let Yuusaku’s reputation being tarnished just by letting him being seen.

Tsurumi mentions noble blood deliberately, sure this would be a jab at Ogata.

He pinned the two brothers one against the other trying to recreate the situation that pushed Usami to kill Tomoharu and it worked. Only Ogata wasn’t enamoured of Tsurumi as Usami was.

4) Yet Ogata killed him anyways. Maybe he thought since Yuusaku was going to die anyways, why not use him as an experimental guild-trip?

I’ll say it’s more than experimentation. In addition to Tsurumi subtly pinning him against Yuusaku there’s to say all Ogata wanted was his father’s love and attention, and he had seen Koito getting it after his brother died.

Plus Yuusaku made the mistake of stepping in a minefield.

Ogata is a man who represses his guilt, who has learnt to do it as a child when he killed his mother, whom he loved. For Ogata is a cornerstone in his own development he doesn’t feel guilty because ‘he had a reason for his mother’s murder’.

And Yuusaku then goes and tell him this is impossible, that he has to feel guilt.

...and Ogata, who’s stuck between his own maladaptive copying mechanism, his wish to be normal, and his deep desire to be loved by his father, kills him, again telling himself since he has a reason, he wont’ feel guilty.

Only he will feel guilty despite being in deep denial over it but that’s a talk for another post.

5) Now I have a feeling that deliberately killing Yuusaku is just another lie he tells himself. Maybe it wasn’t deliberate, but the most egregious failure he made as a sniper for which he spun a whole narrative for: he kill Yuusaku by friendly fire.

I think Ogata genuinely believed he had shoot to Yuusaku and killed him. In short, I believe he aimed and shoot. Of course it’s possible he missed, subconsciously or by coincidence and, ironically, Yuusaku was killed by someone else, either by incident or deliberately so as to delude Ogata into thinking he had killed him.

Plot wise though I don’t see the point of having Yuusaku die due to an accident because, if this were to be the case, it would never be possible to discover it... unless Ogata were to remember his bullet actually hit another target... or it were to turn out the bullet in Yuusaku’s head wasn’t the one of a type 30.

It might be different if it was someone else who had shoot him, making Ogata believe it had been him, like how ‘by a coincidence’ Tsukishima had learnt of the whole Igogusa’s story about how her corpse was dug up.

However, as Usami pointed out, Yuusaku was shot perfectly in the center of the back of his head... and Usami knows no one else in the 7th who could do it.

So unless Tsurumi has an extra sniper we’re unaware of, it would be hard for him to stage Yuusaku’s death so that Ogata would believe he were the killer.

So I don’t know.

But I think the real key in the whole thing isn’t if Ogata has killed his brother or not, but that he believes he has done it and, contrary to what he thought, he feels guilty as hell for having done it to the point he hallucinates Yuusaku each time he’s not in his best shape or even when he is and he’s about to do something he feels he might regret afterward.

But of course this is just me.

Thank you for your ask!

[novantinuum]

Crack the Paragon, Chapter 10

Fandom: Steven Universe

Rating: General Audiences

Words: 5.8K~

Summary: In another world, he doesn’t have his mother’s sword or shield to hide behind when Bismuth lands her strike. The bubble pops.

Steven falls apart.

Chapter summary: In which Steven's done with moping around and waiting for something to change.

You can find the AO3 link in the reblogs! (I have to omit them from the original post these days to ensure this will show up in the tags.) If you enjoyed this, I’d greatly appreciate your support through reblogs here, or kudos on AO3 as well.

A big thank you to my friend Ganaroth for helping me with edits for this chapter!

_

Chapter 10: Beta, Part 1

Morning light filters through the loft’s window and glints off his phone screen, obscuring the selfie Connie just sent from his view. Though at some deep cognitive level Steven’s a bit annoyed at this interference, outwardly he moves on automatic with barely a feather ruffled, rolling onto his back atop the rumpled bedspread. He holds his phone above his face— right over his nose— humming as he admires the photo. She’s grinning, her long hair pinned back with clips. Her eyes shimmer with every bit of joy a smile that wide suggests. True happiness. Before he knows it he feels his cheeks lift, a smile of his own stretching across his face to mirror hers.

The rest of the photo is just as beautiful.

Beyond the railing his friend leans on is a breathtaking view of wild grasses, ferns, and delicate purple flowers, the patches of greenery half submerged in a lake of water as far as one can imagine. A large flock of birds float on the water’s surface some distance away. Behind her, the setting sun bathes the sky in streaks of orange and pink, the warmth of the ambient light kissing her brown skin. It looks like something straight out of a storybook.

Either that, or a dream. A good dream, the kind that lingers in your mind afterward like the sweet scent of wild strawberries.

oh, that’s so pretty!! he types in response, fingers flying over the keys. where is this?

Just as he hits send, though, another message from her pushes through and answers his question:

Morning!!! :DD Soooo rn we’re exploring this really cool wetlands area! Service is pretty terrible out here btw, so I probably can’t talk for a bit. Fingers crossed my texts send!

His heart grows warm as he reads her words. Even if it’s not as good as seeing her face to face, he’s still so happy they can communicate while she’s on her trip. She looks like she’s having so much fun. He wastes no time in sending a whole cluster of hearts, stars, and smiley faces back at her.

But as he watches his message deliver, the text’s bubble shifting from grey to blue, he finds that airy, bubbly feeling he got looking at Connie’s photo pulling away from him like sand and driftwood on the receding tides. Somehow, all these emoticon smiles just ring hollow right now.

Four days have passed since the disaster everyone’s come to refer to in whispers as ‘the forge incident.’ Not many, not enough for the terrifying memory of what happened down there amidst the blackened stone and fire to stop seeping into his dreams, but thankfully enough that the Gems have stopped coddling and babying him about it. (A sweet relief, that, and one of the many reasons he’s not planning on telling any of them about his recent nightmares. Goodness knows they already have enough to worry about.) Four days. That’s it. The thought of just how little time that is leaves him dizzy. Four days since he was almost shattered by someone he thought was a friend. Four days since two halves fused back into a whole, since his gem rotated to expose the facets that before, his mo... that Rose had hid from her friends… from the whole world. Four days since discovering that his pupils apparently morph into pink rimmed diamonds now whenever he taps into his powers. (And wasn’t that just another wallop to the gut for everyone, Pearl especially). Four days without Garnet, without stability, without blissful protection from the truth: that Rose wasn’t truly the quartz she claimed she was.

Steven still doesn’t understand the how or the why of that.

Truth be told, it’s not a topic he’s ready to dwell on yet.

He shifts to sit up on his bed. Somewhere on the distant shore beyond the window’s glass Amethyst is shouting, her rhythmic, guttural battle cries loud enough that they’re audible from inside the house. There’s no end to this on the radar. For the past few days she’s done nothing but seclude herself away and drill, pushing her hard light body to the brink through endless strength and agility exercises. In the light of recent difficulties no one’s addressed it with her yet, but it’s no secret this is partly related to her insecurities about Jasper.  

Meanwhile, Ruby (who finally returned home on her own yesterday morning) sits on the floor right below him, handling the controller of his Grintendo console with an iron grip that would serve as a genuine contender in Beach City’s underground arm wrestling league. He set her up on his brand new copy of Fight Fighters just an hour or so ago. As far as he knows, she’s enjoying it. It’s sorta hard to tell. She certainly hasn’t given up yet, (she’s way too stubborn for that), but it seems like the levels are difficult enough that they’re giving her a run for her money. Glancing away from his phone, he watches her fuss with the first boss fight for a moment. The Gem’s face is— if it’s possible— even redder than usual as she mashes the proper buttons for her character’s combo attack, muttering in syllables spoken too low for him to intelligibly understand.

A few minutes pass. Ruby sneaks in one solid strike, but eventually the boss overtakes her by merit of their sheer size alone, and her character is defeated. Game Over flashes on the screen in bold orange striped letters.

“Aw, phooey! You were really close that time,” he says.

Truth be told, her playing style is kinda… a huge mess, but there’s no encouraging way to say that. Plus, it’s not like it’s a lie to say she got closer to beating this fight than the last time she attempted it. Maybe she’ll figure it out with a few more rounds.

Ruby drops the controller in her lap, and glances back at him. “Heh. Thanks, Steven,” she responds with a weak smile. “At least I finally got in a hit, right?”

“Yeah, you’re getting better every round! You still up for more? We can play tag team together, if you want.”

“Eh, I’m done for today. I’m no good at these kinda games. At least, not without...“

A wave of melancholy envelops her in a flash, suffocating the last glints of light within her burgundy red irises. Inhaling deeply, she lifts her gemless hand, holding it to her chest tight as she mourns what used to be. Steven doesn’t move to say anything, letting her have her silent moment. Reassurance can be nice, but as he’s learned recently, the sad truth is that sometimes not every problem can be solved with a few well-thought words.

Amethyst’s distant shouts interrupt the somber atmosphere like a jackhammer to concrete, yanking them both solidly back into reality. Ruby’s brow creases.

“Is she still at it out there?” she says, frowning as she glances at the door. “She looked exhausted when she came outta her room this morning.”

Steven frowns, stuffing his phone in his pocket. “Yeah. I tried to ask if she wanted to play Topple Tower with me last night, but I’m pretty sure she was ignoring me. I hope she’s okay…”

Sighing, she slumps back against the large swath of comforter that dangles halfway off his mattress, letting her compact, coily hair smush against its surface. “Oh, she’s not. No one in this dang house is. I just wish Sapphire would come back already,” she says, voice cracking as she speaks her name. “She’s been in there for so long now.”

Prompted by her heartbroken words, he glances at the temple door across the house, seeing both Pearl and Sapphire’s gems alight on the central star. Pearl is simply taking a rest in solitude this morning, but as for the blue Gem… she hasn’t shown her face since she disappeared into her room four days ago. It’s beginning to become mighty worrying. And besides, he really misses her. They barely get a chance to hang out beyond the rare emergency. His lip juts out in a small pout.

It’s so hard to move on with life when you’re constantly being reminded of what once was.

Eventually, Ruby decides she’s had enough challenge for the morning and passes command of the controller to him. Figuring he’s got nothing better to do today, he shrugs and starts a new save file. Half an hour or so passes as he grinds through levels like a pro. Now sitting next to him, bundled like a burrito in one of his blankets, the red Gem watches his gameplay with starry eyes, enraptured. He double jabs at the D-pad to call upon a secret ability, fingers blazing across the buttons with practiced fluency. Just as he’s about to hit the finishing blow on Professor Doom, the beach house door slams open. On sheer impulse he flings the controller to free his hands, his whole body seizing upon the sound. Hard plastic clatters against the floor. The world tints pink.

Ruby jolts to attention from inside his bubble, struggling to unwind herself from the blanket's grasp. “Whoa, what’s—“

“Hey, nerds,” Amethyst mumbles, dragging herself and her uncoiled whip through the doorway. The length of the weapon drags along the floorboards like a dejected dog’s tail. Her tired, hardened pupils meet his no doubt diamond-shaped ones, shades of confusion flickering across her expression as she visibly takes note of the shimmering sphere he’s subconsciously enveloped himself in. “Geez, it’s just me.”

“I- I know,” he croaks, flushing red, “s-sorry, I know. You spooked me, ‘s all.”

She squints, and dissipates her whip. “Dude, I didn’t even do anything.”

“I know... It’s just me being dumb, sorry.”

“You’re not dumb,” Ruby reminds him with a saddened frown, placing her gem adorned hand on his shoulder.

He doesn’t respond, instead taking a deep breath and willing the bubble to recede. Once it’s all but disappeared in a shimmering afterimage of hard light, he crawls across the floorboards to retrieve his poor abused controller. Joystick securely within his grip once more, his eyes drift back to his game. Seems he’s in dire health. Not only did his character lose his perfect attack window, but Dr. Doom has healed himself and continued to rail upon him while he remained idle. His heart drops.

“Awww,” he whines, deflating. “I almost had ‘im!”

The temple door slides open, causing both Steven and Ruby to snap to awareness. (For wildly differing reasons of course, but the result is the same.) Amethyst stands beyond the warp pad, about to cross the threshold into solitude once more.

Nooo, don’t leave! his heart cries in silence. You just came back!

This conversation is already the most interaction he’s gotten out of her since their waffle breakfast four days ago. Ever since, she’s hidden herself away to brood and train. He scowls, fingers shifting rhythmically on the casing of his game controller. Gosh, he’s so sick and tired of this. He’s tired of moping, of acting like they can never have a happy moment ever again just because their circumstances are different now. It’s not true. Things can get better! Heck, he’ll make it better! Somehow. Maybe. He just needs to figure out a plan, and soon… before everyone scatters to be on their own again.

Hmm, think, Steven, think think think! What makes Amethyst happy? Destroying trash? She’s been at it all morning already, probably not. Food? Wouldn’t necessarily get her out of the temple.

He eyes a green sock puppet strewn on the floor by his closet. Months-old memories rush through his mind, of wearing a cardboard box on his head, insisting amidst protests that this puppet represented the emerging Cluster.

...Peridot?

They did get along really well at Funland a few weeks back. Hmm. Y’know, that might actually work.

“Hey, Amethyst,” he calls, and sets the controller on his bedspread. She stops halfway through the doorway of her room, motionless, seemingly waiting for him to continue. It almost looks as if she wants him to give her a reason to stay outside. “You, uh- are you done training for today?”

“For now,” she answers in a low voice, rhythmically clenching and unclenching her fists.

“D’ya maybe wanna go visit Lapis and Peridot with me? Get outta the house?”

She turns, lips pursed as she deliberates in depth. After what feels like— to his antsy, impatient soul— an eternity later, she responds with a half-hearted shrug.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.”

Steven grins. He scrambles to his feet and floats off the loft to the ground floor before she can decide otherwise. “Sweet, let’s go right now!” he says, bursting with enthusiasm. After crossing the room in a flash, he takes ahold of Amethyst’s arm and gently leads her up the steps to the warp pad, the other Gem making no obvious signs of dissent. Good. That’s a good sign. The immediate problem sorted, he glances back from whence he came. “Ruby, you want in?”

She’s still tangled within his bedding, but shifts upon mention.

“Nah, I’m good,” she says, rolling on her back under the covers so that she’s peering at them upside down. “If Sapphire finally comes out, I wanna be here for that.”

Steven nods. “Okay! Well, see ya’! We’ll be back sometime later this afternoon.”

“Probably,” Amethyst mutters, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, maybe longer, maybe not. We’ll see! Feel free to play any of my games if you wanna, okay?”

“And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, ya’ party animal,” the quartz drones, the bite of dull sarcasm seeping into her words.

With a resounding ring the warp activates and whisks them away.

_________

The young half-Gem takes a deep lungful of air as he skips through the grassy countryside, his chest expanding to full capacity. Ah, it feels so good to be outside, and with a change of scenery, at that! He should’ve done this ages ago.

Outside of all the heartache of their recent family crisis, it’s a perfect September day; not too warm and not too blustery. The sky’s almost entirely clear, barring the faint streaks of white softening the horizon's edges. Birds chirp brazenly as they swoop with daring purpose from tree to tree. A few leaves are just beginning to flutter down from their overstuffed boughs. ‘Tis the season! Pretty soon this area will be awash with sprinkles of vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows. Gee, he hopes he can convince Amethyst to goof off in the woods with him again this year. They could go leaf sledding! That was the most fun he’d had in ages when they did it last time.

How is Amethyst doing, anyways?

Masking his worried frown, he glances behind. Her lips press in a sour scowl, her non-dominant hand clenched by her side. Barely a heartbeat passes as she reaches to her gem with the other, pulling her whip into existence in a glittering flash of light. Instantaneously, the crystal tips of the three-pronged flail expand into barbed spheres. She mutters to herself as she grips the handle, unsatisfied. He doesn’t understand why, though? She summoned it so fast! Like, under a second for sure. As far as he’s concerned, that’s awesome!

He watches her summon, dissipate, and re-summon her whip three times in a row before he decides it's time to intervene with her spiraling frustration.

“Hey, don’t ya’ wanna take a break from all that for a bit?” he begins with a measure of caution. “You’ve been working super hard lately!”

“I already am taking a break," she says, slashing at a few rocks strewn on the ground as they climb the last rolling hill. “That’s why I’m here with you, right?”

“Well sure, but breaks aren't supposed to be about training, they’re supposed to be about having fun. And visiting Peridot and Lapis should be tons of fun, I promise!”

Amethyst’s eyes narrow at the very thought. “Yeah, ‘cause when I think fun, I think Lapis.”

“Hmm, I wonder what they’re up to lately,” he muses out loud, hand pressed to his chin.

She lets out a dry scoff, allowing her whip to dissipate once more. “Don’t know, don’t care. Let’s just get this over with.”

He frowns. His shoulders drooping a bit at the sight of her almost hostile melancholy, he glances away.

Thankfully, in a well-timed diversion from the worries of her mental state, Lapis and Peridot’s place of settlement comes into full view as they reach the hill’s summit. Steven’s jaw falls ajar, stopping in his tracks at the sight. (Amethyst, who isn’t paying attention to where she’s walking amidst her brooding, almost rams into the back of him.)

“Whoa,” he says, drinking in the new additions. “Look what they did to the barn!”

He’s not sure ‘barn’ is an apt description for it anymore. No, no. Rather, in the weeks since he last saw Lapis and Peridot, this place has transformed into a full-out homestead.

The grain silo that stood nearby has been tilt at an angle and used to enclose the side of the barn Peridot blew a hole in with her epic giant robot. Their smaller than average lake? It’s now fitted with a ladder, along with metal piping to keep the water level high. Stretched taut between the roof of that silo and a funky hodgepodge spire they formed out of old airplane parts is a clothes line, with a number of shirts and towels hanging off it. Admiring the finer details of their set up, if a person could point at an object and conceivably call it junk, they’ve probably found a creative way to make it decorative. Rusty bicycles, old tires, couch cushions, broken deer antlers, you name it. And then that old truck he slept in every night while working on the drill? It now serves as the proud centerpiece of their little home, the cargo bed solidly affixed above the barn’s entrance. He spots the two former Homeworld Gems sitting up there with the TV, shaded from the midmorning glow with a sun bleached umbrella. Whatever they’re watching, they’re transfixed.

Grinning, he peels away from Amethyst and dashes the rest of the way, feeling the faint breeze dance between his curls. Wow wow wow, he’s seriously got like a hundred questions for them, and a hundred missed hugs to make up for!

“Hey, guys!” he calls, once he’s directly below the truck.

Lapis’s browline raises, attention nabbed. It’s enough to peel her eyes away from the television (is that Camp Pining Hearts he hears??) to meet his. A subtle but undoubtedly caring smile rushes across her face as she sprouts wings and drops from the truck’s bed to greet him.

“Steven! It's so good to see y- oof!”

He nearly barrels her over with his hug, clutching to her like a lone life raft in the midst of the open sea. Surprised and still quite rigid in her affections, her arms awkwardly move to pat his back in return. It’s a silent embrace on his part, yet simultaneously manages to say more than words alone ever could. At this point he’s not even sure words could do justice to the complex emotions that are all jumbled in his head. Only a few short weeks have passed since they hung out together. So why then does he feel like he hasn’t seen either of them in years?

“Steven, Amethyst!” Peridot chimes eagerly, dropping down from the truck and striding out into the sun. She screeches to a halt in front of them, expression pressing inwards in that uniquely inquisitive Peridot-like manner as she takes inventory of the scene before her. “Uhm… Is… everything okay?”

He pulls back from the stunned Lapis, and gently wipes at the corners of his eyes. “Yeah, I’m just really, really happy to see you guys, that’s all!”

“Oh, yes! Of course. It’s only natural to miss the fulfillment of our company,” she says without missing a beat. Turning her gaze to her other visitor, the green Gem balls her hand against her chin. “Amethyst! Something looks different about you…”

She crosses her arms over the white tank top of her new form, her nose scrunching up. “Like what?”

“Have you grown taller since the last time I saw you?”

Amethyst’s eye twitches. An infinitude of silence passes, in which she shoots her a glare sharper than the edges of the crystal studs on her whip. Honestly, being on the receiving end of her weapon might’ve hurt less. Sweat beads at his brow as he watches the situation unfold, yearning with every fiber of his being for a world where he actually feels confident enough to delicately intervene instead of silently standing by as Peridot’s sense of tact veers straight off a cliff.

Behind them, Lapis saves them both and clears her throat.

“O-or… maybe I was mistaken,” the former kindergartener says lowly, flushing with shame. “My apologies.”

There’s a whisper of chill to the air enough to make him shiver as the quartz once more chooses not to respond, and shifts her gaze to her feet. She digs divots into the dirt with her toes, already disengaging from social interaction again, slipping further away with every passing birdsong from the entire purpose of this friendly visit. He presses his lips tight, masking a frown. So far, nothing is going as planned, huh? As big of a dreamer he may be, he can’t say he’s surprised. Nothing in his life has gone to plan since he accidentally slipped on that tree branch inside Lion’s mane. Still, there’s gotta be some way to save this, right?

Come on, Steven, think positive!

Before anyone can quite begin to catch on to his troubled nature, he plasters a manufactured smile on his face. “Wow, you guys are looking good!” he says cheerily. “And I love what you did to the barn!”

“Aww! I know,” she replies, regaining her grin as she glances between him and Lapis. “But wait, wait! You guys have to see the inside!”

And with this declaration, a few magical minutes pass wherein the two of them receive the highest honor of enjoying the Official Barn Grand Tour, presented by the very artists themselves. In a word, it’s a transformative experience. The outside looks amazing, yes, but in his wholehearted opinion the personal touches on the interior decor raises the place’s coziness to the next level. Over the past few weeks, Peridot and Lapis have spent their efforts transforming all the mementos and broken scraps of their lives into art, (or ‘meep-morp,’ as Lapis calls it), displaying the pieces all throughout their shared home. Peridot’s broken audio recorder now rests peacefully on a stand, a sky blue ribbon tied around the fractures at its middle. Touchingly, he learns that Lapis kept the leaf he gave her, delicately propping it upright in a clump of soil. A TV affixed to the ceiling beams with metal cables plays a clip of CPH on repeat. He has a niggling suspicion that the clip she selected represents her lingering trauma about, like... being trapped in a mirror for thousands of years, but according to her it’s merely a fan’s shrine of the show. Still, while discussing books together Connie once told him that all art is subjective and authorial intent is dead, so respectfully he’s sticking to his interpretation. But regardless of its meaning, he’s so, so happy to see her freely making things for herself.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the creative spectrum, Peridot’s green alien plush is floating alongside various hunks of garbage in the hodgepodge aquarium at the side wall. Its slow voyage through the tank is admittedly entrancing, but oh, do those big deep eyes grow more and more unnerving the longer he stares at them. The last straw comes when he watches stuffing slowly drift out of a gaping hole in the fabric at its neck. Subtly cringing, he takes a step back from the glass to go admire something else. Sometimes art isn’t made for everyone, and that’s okay.

It takes a few moments before he makes the proper connections and realizes that the red bow tie Peridot is wearing around her neck used to be that plush’s. Oh… oh geez.

Amethyst, however, doesn’t seem to be buying any of it. In fact, she’s barely cracked a smile since they entered the barn, not even at Peridot and Lapis’ collaborative toilet morp. And who doesn’t laugh at toilets? On any normal day she’d eat that kind of stuff right up.

“This is so stupid,” she mutters, her eyes thin slits as she stares with a frustratingly unreadable expression at the four liquid pillars shooting up out of the bowls.

Disappointment flickers across Lapis’ face like stars on the morning horizon. She quickly releases her iron hold on the water, channeling it into the heart of the tanks. A similar emotion colors Peridot’s features for a moment, and he briefly worries their visit may be cut off short, but after meeting his encouraging glance she shakes it off and promptly begins to move on to the next item of their home tour.

“Alright,” she says, folding her hands behind her back all prim and proper, “I see you're not impressed. But—“

“Hey, you guys!” a familiar voice shouts from the distance, growing closer and closer with each passing moment. “I’m here! I came! Is it too late to join in?”

All four of them whirl around at the interruption.

Peridot squints. “Is that…”

“Ruby?” Lapis finishes, confusion etched across her features with pinpoint precision.

“Ruby!” Steven calls, sliding across the floorboards to meet her at the barn door. “No, you're not late, you’re just in time! Look, look, look—“ He takes her by the hand and whisks her inside, almost sweeping her clear off her feet in the process.

Her mouth falls agape as she drinks in the rustic atmosphere, the air now a good deal lighter thanks to her interruption.

“Whoa… this place looks completely different!”

“I know, right??” he says with an untamable grin. He gestures wildly at all of their unique creations. “It’s art! Isn’t it great? Peridot and Lapis have been showing us all this super cool stuff they’ve made!”

“Yes, I suppose we are pretty great,” the green Gem says, puffing out her chest.

Lapis rolls her eyes in response. No amount of sass can hide the action’s underlying fondness, though. Steven’s no imperceptive fool. She may act pretty aloof at times, but once you get to know her she’s not that hard to read at all. One merely has to pay attention to the subtle shifts in her demeanor. It’s the little things: the incline of her brow, a slight tilt of the head, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it twitch of her lips as she pretends she doesn’t care as much as she does. And then, the more she trusts you, the less tense her posture is and the more she opens up. It makes his heart sing to know that Peridot has seemingly been added to that roster.

“Eh,” she murmurs with the hint of a smile, leaning back against the wall behind her roommate. “I guess we’re okay.”

Amethyst crosses her arms, her eyes narrowing as she peers down at Ruby. “So, what’s up with you? I thought you said you wanted to mope at the temple.”

She shuffles her feet. “Well…”

“And I thought you and that Sapphire never unfused,” Lapis says, ever so blunt. “Except... for baseball,” she hastily amends. Consumed by a spike of panic, her gaze darts towards the doorway with guarded suspicion. “We don’t have to play baseball again... right?”

“Hmmm… I mean, we could play baseball,” Steven muses, pressing his hand to his jaw.

That’s certainly one way he could encourage Amethyst to enjoy some bonding time with everyone. He has a bunch of fond memories of the last game they played together. Well, okay, so maybe he could’ve done without the ceaseless feeling of dread brought by batting against Homeworld loyalists with unknown intentions, but beggars can’t be choosers. As his first time playing a full game it was still 70% a good time.

Meanwhile, Peridot’s petite frame quivers at the reminder of that day. She grips at her hair, large tufts of yellow poking out from between her fingers.

“Oh my stars, they’re coming back??”

Ruby throws her a bemused side glance. “Uh—“

“Get behind me, Lapis,” she continues, daringly throwing her body in front of her roommate. “I’ll protect us from those Homeworld brutes this time!”

“We’re not playing baseball!” Amethyst cuts in.

His lips curl into a pout. “Aw, but it’d be so much fun!”

She crosses her arms, visibly walling herself off. “Uh, no, it wouldn’t! ‘Sides, there’s no immediate danger, there’s no Homeworld Rubies on our doorstep, so there’s NO reason on this planet I’d play that stupid game again!”

Eyes narrowing with mild exasperation, Lapis nudges her way out from the green Gem’s overprotection. “‘Kay. So, is anyone here actually gonna explain what’s going on, or?”

Nervously rocking on her heels next to him, Ruby rests her hand against her chin.

“Well…”

“Ruby and Sapphire are kinda… taking some time apart?” he delicately explains in her steed, noticing her hesitation. It’s probably something that’s really hard for her to talk about right now, and boy can he relate to that.

“Yeah,” she says in confirmation, kicking her toes against the floor boards. “I didn’t exactly want to, but Sapphy needs her space.”

For all her initial dislike of the fusion Gem, Peridot looks genuinely heartbroken at this revelation. “But… why?” she asks, peering between the three Crystal Gems in wait of further clarification. “Aren’t you two basically inseparable?”

Faint hints of lemon peel and nutmeg linger in the air like silent sentries to their distress. Steven stands in the kitchen with Pearl, Garnet, and his dad, Amethyst lounging on the other side of the counter, and their dirty breakfast dishes still lying stagnant in the sink. Garnet’s kneeling before him. She’s speaking, but he’s so distraught he can’t quite recall what it is she said. His dad’s hand rests on his shoulder, the pressure ever so slightly working to ground him to this moment again. He’s biting back tears, isn’t he? Trying not to cry for the umpteenth time that day. What happened? What changed? Everything’s fixed, yeah? He’s whole again! They were all supposed to be so happy now, and yet… the sight of the morning sun reflecting off the face of Garnet’s visor as she delivers that ill-fated news is the bitter, tangible proof that they’re not.  

“Ruby and Sapphire have decided they want to take some time apart. Indefinitely.”

Amethyst’s expression is colored with hurt. “But… why?”

In the present he stiffens, suddenly polarized by the realization that the path of this conversation has but one destined endpoint. Sooner or later, his friends will hear about what happened to him four days back, what happened to his family, what he learned about his... about Rose. There’s no avoiding this forever. After all, if they don’t learn it from him, they’ll eventually learn it from someone else. And don’t they deserve to know? This affects them too!

But if the recent past has taught him anything, it’s that the truth about Rose Quartz only succeeds in breaking people apart. It stole Garnet away. It shook his relationship with Amethyst and Pearl to the core. It caused them all to argue and fight, back at the fountain and at home. Give it time, and he’s sure the truth will find a way to press fissures in his relationships with Connie and Dad, too. So what happens, then, when Peridot and Lapis find out? In what way will the truth break them?

Just a little while longer, he promises himself. Just one more good day, please, that’s all I want…

“They, um- it’s just a couples thing,” he stammers, chest growing tight. “It’s just for a little bit. Sometimes people need time away from each other, y’know?”

Ruby‘s expression grows tense, sniffing out his white lie from a mile away. “Steven...“

“It’s totally healthy and normal, and not at all a reason for concern!”

“Kinda sounds like we should be concerned,” Lapis mutters. “All of you have been acting weird this whole time, so spill! What’s going on?”

Their words start to become faint and distant in the shadow of his wildly pounding heart, so wondrously human and organic and alive, and yet so endlessly frustrating in its autonomy. Why can’t he hear clearly? What’s up with that awful ringing he can’t get rid of? It’s almost as if he’s listening to everyone ten feet under choppy waters, but they’re all standing right next to him. They’re right there.

The red Gem scratches at her neck, meeting Amethyst's harsh, crystal-studded glance first. Her mouth opens. Still disorientated, Steven misses a good half of it.

“...wants to tell ‘em?” she finishes, waiting dutifully for their responses.

As expected the quartz remains silent on the matter, feigning indifference as she crosses her arms and returns to staring sullenly into the middle distance. Ruby turns to him next. His skin feels downright clammy now, almost as bad as it did when he was almost dyi— NO! Stop! He shakes his head fervently, sweeping his hands horizontal in a signal for her to cut the conversation. He can’t do this. Not now, not today, not ever, he can’t—

Lapis bristles. “Tell us what?”

“Um, nothing, nothing!” he bursts out, clumsy words pouring from his mouth almost quicker than his brain can move to stack them up. “It’s a long story, and we’re all here to have some fun and shoot the breeze, right? Right. ‘Course we are! So we don’t have to talk about that right now, we can talk about it later, and for now we should try to have a good time and enjoy each other’s compa—“

Amethyst slams her foot to the floor so hard the wooden board underneath cracks. Both Steven and Lapis flinch.

“Ughh, you guys! Stop dancing around the headline!” she shouts. “You really wanna know what happened? Steven almost died ‘cause he got his gem busted, and then we found out Rose Quartz was totally a sham and she’s like, Pink Diamond n’ junk, okay?!”

A stunning silence follows this inopportune announcement, in which he swears he can hear his stomach gurgle. On any typical day he'd be thinking about lunch around this time, except at the moment he genuinely almost feels sick to his stomach. Right now he wants nothing more than to turn tail and run, run away from all of this, and yet chained to his fate just as Lonely Blade was destined to his, his legs remain firmly shackled in place. Standing at his side, Peridot blinks in dumbfounded shock.

“What.”

“S-she’s- You’re a DIAMOND??” Lapis shrieks, water wings shooting from her back on impulse.

“Whaaaat?”

_______

Notes: 

The next few chapters will be a bit familiar to y'all, but I'm not doing a beat for beat rehash, I assure you. Events start similarly here because the world external to Steven’s sphere of influence is still operating the same as it does in canon. The ripples haven’t fully spread yet. After this arc, they absolutely will have.

I do have a bonus scene to share soon- set between chapters 9 and 10. I'll likely post that before chapter 11.

Oh, and by the way- the location Connie's visiting is inspired by a real place- the Harike Wetlands in Punjab, India. Apparently India is actually a series of islands in the SU universe...? But I like to believe there’s still a cool wetlands region on one of those islands.

[ficsxreaderr]

Music to my eyes [6]

Pairing: Single dad!Bucky Barnes x reader. (Modern day AU)

Summary: As a simple worker at a record store, there’s so much  you want to do in life yet, which doesn’t involve a serious relationship  and much less a relationship with a guy who’s a father. Once you meet  Bucky Barnes you’re not sure you can live up to that anymore.

Warnings: None? Fluff?

Requests are open. Tagging for a permanent list and this fic are open.

Reblogging and feeback are welcome and appreciated!

Series masterlist | Masterlist

It’s Saturday night and, clearly, you went to your now usual breakfast today, and it was…okay. You sat at the usual booth, next to Sarah, obviously and had a very pleasant conversation with your friends. Now, you’re resting on your bed, doing some writing, which you haven’t done in a while and it feels great now, until your phone interrupts you with a call from Sam.

“Sam, I just saw you today, do you miss me that much?” You joke as soon as you pick up, and he chuckles.

“Of course I do, why are you surprised?” He jokes back. “You know, I really want to talk to you about something.”

“Wow, is it serious?” You put your laptop aside for a moment, giving him your full attention.

“Not serious but, you know, Steve’s getting married.”

“What?! He is?! How am I just learning this?!” You’re truly shocked, even more than when you found out Bucky had a kid.

“Relax, that’s the thing. He hasn’t been planning for long and the invitations are sent, he really wants you there and he said that since they didn’t have time to send you one, I have to take you as my plus one.”

“You have to? So you’re only doing that for Steve, huh?” You’re back at joking, smiling as you wait for his answer.

“Stop it you fool, you’ve not heard my point yet.”

“Well, get to it.” You demand, laughing right after.

“Bucky could take you too but he won’t because he’s too much of a wuss, so I am taking you and when he sees you in that hot dress that I will help you pick, he’ll drop to his knees and express his undying love for you.”

“Sam! What the hell are you thinking? If Bucky doesn’t want to take me, maybe it’s not a great idea that I go, what if it’s awkward? Sarah’s going to be there and…” You sigh. “I don’t know, Sam.”

“Y/N, that’s exactly why you have to go, you’ve got to show him that you’re not waiting for him to make a move on you and that you definitely don’t expect a thing from him.”

“Sam, but that’s the thing, I don’t want to be with him, I don’t want to prove anything to him because we’re just friends. I can’t be with him.” You know you need to repeat all these things to yourself more than to Sam but saying them out loud is quite helpful.

“What are you talking about? Why are you so stubborn to realize that you two are meant for each other?”

“Because you know me. You know me better than anyone, this is not the life I want. I want to write and travel, I want to make things on my own, for myself. I don’t even have a writing job yet, Sam. I can’t get involved with someone that wants a potential mother for his child and expects commitment so soon. I’m not saying he’s said those things but he’s a father and I need to set limits before I get hurt. Or before I hurt him.”

“I’m not going to deny any of the things you said, sweetheart, but how are you going to get over him then?”

“I don’t know, Sam, but I need to stop these feelings from growing first.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But listen, think about the wedding, Steve said he really wants you to go, he’s just sad you didn’t meet before. And Peggy said so, too.”

“Yeah, I promise I’ll think about it.” You sigh deeply, losing the tension that saying all those things brought.

“I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“No, of course you didn’t, you only mean well, Sam.”

That night you went to sleep at 2 AM talking to Sam and listening to his jokes and his scenarios in which you and Bucky got married, which he only started speaking about once you authorized him. After all, some jokes hurt nobody. He is definitely the best friend one could ask for and he certainly is the one person that understands

/

Outside the coffee house, Sarah has taken your hand instead of Sam’s, which obviously gave you an opportunity to bug him about how he’s not the favorite anymore.

“No, wait, I’m the favorite.” Says Steve, rather offended.

“I don’t think so, Steven.” You shake your head as Sarah hugs your leg and you stroke her hair.

“Daddy, we’re watching movies today, right?” Sarah looks up to Bucky and he freezes for a moment. He gives you a quick glance but you try to avoid it so he doesn’t think you want to join them, which you don’t actually.

“Yes, honey.” It’s all Bucky responds. Sarah lets go of you and takes Bucky’s hand instead. “What is it, Sarah?” He frowns, kneeling so he’s at her height.

“I want Y/N to come with us, I want to show her my favorite movies.” She tries to whisper to him but you listen, everyone listened.

“I will ask her, okay?” He kisses her forehead and stands up. You give quick glances to Steve and Sam who look at their phone screens so they’re not asked anything.

“Y/N, um…we have this movie…afternoon on Sundays, would you like to come?” He frowns, clearly thinking you’re saying no. For a moment, you hesitate and look down at Sarah who’s smiling at you, and you smile at her. Shifting your glance to Bucky, you take a breath and smile to him.

“Of course.” You almost murmur. “If it’s not a problem, I’d really like that.” You nod and notice how Bucky’s shoulders drop and how his lips curl up in a toothy grin.

Steve and Sam casually excused themselves saying they had errands to run and on your way to Bucky’s you texted Sam a code very easy to decipher about how you’re going to murder him for leaving you alone with Bucky.

“Daddy, let’s make lots of popcorn!” Sarah exclaims as the three of you enter Bucky’s loft.

“Yes, we’ll do that, Sarah.” He responds with a chuckle. “Please, make yourself at home.” Both of you take off your coats and he takes yours to put in on the hanger.

“Thanks. Have I told you I love this place? I’ve always wanted a loft.” You say, looking around as you always do when you’re here.

“It’s a great option, to be honest, it’s a lot of space and you can do whatever you want with it.” He responds as you both get to the kitchen. Sarah has gone to the living room to turn on the TV and look for the movies you’re watching. “Listen, I know Sarah can be…persuasive sometimes and I’m sorry if you’ve ever done something you…really didn’t want to.” He says as you he takes out the bag of popcorn from the cupboard.

“No, come on, I…I love being around her and I have…a lot of fun with you, too.”

“For a minute there I thought you were just using me to get to her.” He quirks up an eyebrow sarcastically, making you chuckle.

“I’m sorry I gave that impression.” You reply with sarcasm, too. You help him put popcorn into the machine. “Wow, I’m buying one of these, it’s so much easier.” You add.

“Yeah, especially helpful with a kid that wants popcorn almost every day.” He chuckles.

“Do you give her popcorn every day?” You tease him.

“No, of course not, but she does ask a lot so sometimes I have no other choice.” He presses the button and both of you wait. “What would you like to drink? I have wine, beer, lemonade and Capri Suns.” He says as he opens the fridge.

“Whatever you’re having is fine by me.” You reply as you sit on a stool. Bucky hesitates for a moment, he wants to bring out the bottle of wine he bought some months ago, he was keeping it for something special, but he doesn’t know if you’ll be freaked out if he does. He considers your answer, if you didn’t want wine, you would’ve said so. Right? He brushes off all the thoughts and makes a decision for once, bringing out the bottle of wine. You decide to take two glasses from the cupboard and he pours some wine for both of you.

“We can order some pizza if you want.” He says before taking a sip of wine.

“No, popcorn’s fine for now, I’m still kind of full from the big breakfast.” He nods and once the popcorn is ready, both of you make your way to the living room to find Sarah watching cartoons.

“Sarah, popcorn’s here, what movie do you want to watch?” Bucky says as you both sit. Sarah decided to use her little chair this time, leaving you both to sit on the big couch.

“I want Y/N to pick the movie!” She says taking a mouthful of popcorn. Bucky and you look at each other with a smile. “She can be really persuasive.” You whisper, making him laugh.

“I know, I live with her.” You laugh at that, making Bucky’s heart skip a beat at the sound that he’s grown very fond of lately.

“But can I pick the movie? I can be convincing too, you know.” You quirk up an eyebrow, making him bite his lip.

“Oh, yeah, how so?”  He tilts his head to one side, frowning, but with an amused look on his face. If you had given into your impulses, you would’ve kissed him as he stared with glistening blue eyes and blushed cheeks.

“If you let me pick it, I’ll babysit for Sarah whenever you ask me to.” You whisper, hoping she doesn’t hear you.

His eyebrows shoot up in amusement and he replies, with a smirk, “You’re good.”

As expected the afternoon goes by so smoothly, after you picked the first movie, Sarah picked the next one, her favorite, Mulan. The best, and hardest, part of it all was how close Bucky and you were all the time. He let his arm rest on the backrest, leaving his side free for you to sit there, once he glanced at you and gave you an assuring smile, you sat as close to him, folding your legs beneath you.

Bucky froze the moment your head fell over his shoulder as you were dozing off, he kept staring at the screen but all he was thinking was how close you were to each other and how comfortable you were around him. After a moment of seeing you’re definitely asleep, he slowly slides his arm down, so it’s now around you. He let his hand gently fall over your hip, and his heart stopped at the feeling of finally being able to touch you and have you in his arms. Subconsciously, you snuggled closer, if it was possible, and let your hand fall over his chest. His breath hitched at the contact, unable to hide the smile on his face. He didn’t move at all, not even his hand though it itched to caress your hip and your thigh, he wanted to kiss your hair and fall asleep with you, too.

Fluttering your eyes as you start waking up, you have to take a moment to realize that, first, you were taking a nap, and second…you weren’t home. Your heart stops for a moment when you notice everything and you slowly sit up, feeling how his arm lets go of you, much to your dislike.

“How long was I out?” You run a hand through your hair, in a hopeless attempt to fix it. He stares at you with lazy eyes and a smirk, knowing he wants to laugh at you. “Don’t you laugh at me, you happen to be very comfortable.” You narrow your eyes and cross your arms.

“You missed Mulan.” He points at the screen as the ending credits roll by. He tucks a strand of hair that’s still over your face, behind your ear, and smiles. “Sleep well?” he frowns, almost in concern, as his hand lingers over your cheek.

“Mhm.” You nod and smile. He shifts his gaze to his hand and drops it, probably realizing he was lingering. You turn around to notice Sarah’s asleep too. “She fell asleep too, see?” You point at her with your thumb and he chuckles. You tilt your head to one side, not really noticing, and bite your lip. His laugh really hypnotizes you.

“What is it?” His voice gets lower every minute he speaks, making it even harder to refrain from kissing him. You notice you’re staring and blink rapidly as you come back to Earth and clear your throat.

“Nothing, I…I’m still dizzy or something.” You chuckle, too nervously for your liking, and you sigh deeply. “Want to order pizza?” You frown, afraid he noticed your uneasiness, but even if he did, his warm look lets you relax.

“Of course.”

Sarah woke up exclusively to eat some pizza, and the three of you shared yet another pleasant moment together. Eating in the living room, talking, and laughing felt so familiar, as if you belonged here, with them. Sarah said you’re the official guest for Sunday Movies and Bucky didn’t even try to fight it, he chuckled and said you couldn’t refuse the offer. You didn’t try to fight either. After a good unhealthy meal, Sarah said she was getting sleepy, again, and Bucky took her to brush her teeth and prepare her for bedtime. You waited downstairs, not really wanting to intrude in a moment that you’ve always thought was intimate between a parent and their kid.

“Alright, she’s out.” He says as he sits on the couch beside you. You look him in the eye for a moment, thinking of every possible thing to say, and there’s so much, but you can’t.

“I had a lot of fun today, you have no idea.” You shake your head in disbelief, making him smile a mile wide.

“I had the best time, Y/N, thank you for being so great to Sarah and…to me.” His gaze never parts from yours as he frowns almost apologetically and it hurts in a way because it makes you think of many women that might have dated him and were mean to Sarah or had nothing to do with her, and it really breaks your heart. Which is exactly why you don’t want to date him, so you don’t break his heart.

“Don’t even say it, Bucky, you guys are…the best company,” You shrug. “And I’m glad we met.” You blurt out and realize it might be interpreted in different ways by him, which is just what you didn’t want to do. Noticing how you’re letting this conversation go somewhere you don’t want it to, you divert your gaze from his eyes for a moment. He clears his throat and leans back on the couch, running a hand through his hair, making it look kind of messy.

“When was the last time you cut your hair?” You add with an amused tone, trying to break the tension that was starting to build up. He scoffs, faux-offended, and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Well, like two months ago, is it that bad?” He quirks up an eyebrow, challenging you to answer and you press your lips in a thin line, suppressing a laugh.

“All I’m saying is you need a haircut and I can help.” You shrug, mimicking his position.

“You know how to cut hair?” He shifts in his place again, propping his arm over the backrest.

“Yeah, I cut my brother’s hair all the time, and he got tons of compliments for it but if you’re so offended that I mentioned your long and uneven hair then…” You tease him, shrugging as if you don’t even care anymore, smirking at him, watching as he bites his lip.

“Alright, cut my hair.” You quirk up an eyebrow. “Please?” He frowns, making you laugh at him and he laughs with you, making the world stop for a moment.

“You do learn from Sarah, don’t you?” You narrow your eyes at him, making him smile in excitement.

“I’ll go get some scissors.” He almost jumps from the couch and goes up to his room to get them, along with a comb and a towel.

“What if you give me a bad haircut?” He asks after you’ve put the towel around him and have wet his hair with the handheld shower head. He sits on a stool from the kitchen, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

“Do you want a decent hair or not?” You almost exclaim, looking at him in the mirror.

“Alright, alright, I’ll shut up now.” He holds his hands up in surrender, making you chuckle.

“Well, you can talk, just not about me cutting your hair. Not until I’m done.” You point a demanding finger at him and he chuckles. Bucky’s heart leaves him the moment you run your hands through his hair in the most delicate way. You comb his hair so it’s all in the same direction, and he swears he could fall asleep under your touch. He tries to talk and make conversation so his mind isn’t so distracted thinking how he could get used to this and how right this feels. He knows it is, he knows he should do something soon, but he’s still afraid of losing you when he barely just found you.

You take your time, clearly at your advantage, to get his haircut just right, for moments, you stand in front of him, leaning over you can get a closer look. Your eyes find each other’s, as they usually do, and with a small smile, you continue. Once you’re done, you run your hands through his hair to make sure it’s even and then you comb it, so he can finally see it.

“Alright, you can see…and talk about it now.” You say as you stand aside so you’re not blocking the mirror and he smiles instantly, remaining silent for moment. “Please, say something, I’m dying here.”

“I love it.” He says, simply, unable to stop smiling.

“You do?! Oh, that’s amazing, I was so scared!” You draw both hands to your chest in relief, making him chuckle. “Let me just remove these tiny hairs.” You add, taking off the towel and brushing your hand along his nape. His heart freezes at your warm touch, and he has to take a deep breath to gain composure. He stands up slowly, turning to see you.

“Thanks, Y/N.” He nods with a smirk.

“It’s nothing, I’m just happy I didn’t mess it up.” You wave it off as you put his things back in the drawers. You turn around to find him a bit closer to you, and both of you stare at each other for a while. His gaze drops to your lips for a second and shifts back to your eyes.  You bite your lip, more nervous than flirty, and you feel your breathing speeding up.

“Bucky…no.” You speak something you didn’t really want to, but what was right. At least what you thought was right at the moment.

Bucky never knew two words could hurt so bad, he didn’t know his world could fall to pieces and change like that with just a few letters. He takes a small step back, his shoulders visibly dropping and his chest deflating as he lets out a breath.

“I-I’m sorry, Bucky, I…I can’t.” Your brain is only letting out useless words that won’t make this moment any better.

“No, I’m sorry, I…”

“Please, don’t apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong.” You shake your head. “I just feel like for now we should stay friends.” There. Finally. Some. Fucking. Useful. Words.

“Yeah, no, I get it.” His voice is low, almost a whisper. “Let’s be friends.” It is so bitter, the taste of those words. He never wanted to say them, he never wanted to hear them either. But he is not about to let go of you just yet.

/

Life without you is harder for Bucky than he ever thought, it’s been a month since that day you left after he said you should stay friends, and he hasn’t heard a word from you. He doesn’t ask Sam about you, he avoids Sarah’s questions, which is probably the hardest thing as he sees she misses you so much.

He’s forgotten how many times he’s checked his phone hoping there was a text from you or he’s dialed your number but deleted it right after. He thinks of you almost all the time, he’s dreamt of you a couple of nights and he’s woken up with an empty heart as he remembers he’s not with you, not even as a friend. He goes to work and it distracts him a bit, but it’s not for long, because as soon as he gets home he wishes you were there waiting for him; he takes Sarah out, to play, to eat, to know new places and as much as she’s the love of his life, he wishes you were there, holding his hand and Sarah’s. With the wedding around the corner, he’s so sad he couldn’t take you as his plus one, he would’ve loved to sit with you, talk, and dance all night. Now he has to settle for the sight of you and Sam from afar and talking to a bridesmaid he knows nothing about…a girl he’s not in love with.

For you it’s been worse, you think, because you’ve to bear with the guilt of what you did and how you haven’t had the courage to contact him. Remembering Sarah and her excitement when she saw you only makes it worse, you know you hurt her…and her father, and it sucks. You keep repeating that scene in your head, it could’ve gone so differently, you could’ve kissed him and finally told him how you felt but you didn’t have it in you to admit it. Now, you’re trying to find a reason as to why you actually rejected him, why you were so scared of being with him, of his life, and there’s not one. Not one valid reason. You’re in love with him, you miss him, his laugh, his jokes, his voice, his eyes, his only presence was comforting for you. And you threw it all away for fear. And it was unfair for three people, well, two and a kid. Oh, how you miss little Sarah and her laugh, her little eyes, and braiding her hair. You never wanted that life, and you still don’t, but they were a good thing in your life and you can only wish you can have that again someday.

|Tagging some members of the fam I think might enjoy this (feel free to ask me to remove your tag)

@sebbbystaaan @chloerinebarnes @stuckonjbbarnes @mushyjellybeans @honeyvbarnes @babblingbonky​ @mrwinterr @valkyriesryde​ @mypassionsarenysins​ @livyourextralife​

Permanent taglist: @imma-new-soul​

Fic taglist: @eliza5616​ @jamesbarnesappreciationclub​  @93generation​

[leah-halliwell92]

Safeword

Summary: Go to what has been dubbed the ‘teaser’ XD. 

Part 1

The following morning you woke up wrapped in the bedsheets a strip of the peaking sun hitting your face. You reached out subconsciously as you stretched. To your surprise, your searching fingers were met with the chilled torso of your undead boyfriend. 

“Good morning darling,” he said sleepily throwing a leg over your hips and pulling you close. 

“It really is,” you say just as sleepily nuzzling into his chest letting the hairs there tickle your nose and face, “I’m surprised you're still here.”

He grunted as he pulled you to his chest, “I’m surprised you didn't stay asleep with all the things we did last night.”

You laughed and tangled your legs with his, “Maybe you didn’t wear me out enough.”

He grinned at the suggestive tone in your voice and was ready to take action when your phone buzzed on his bedside table.

“Damn,” he said letting you straddle him to get to your phone. 

“Yes" you said both to him and the person on the other side of the line. 

“Good morning (Y/N),” a familiar voice said.

“Good morning Mr. Ditton,” you asked professionally trying to keep the annoyance out of your voice as your ex proceeded to call you at the worst possible moment. 

“Oh come now you know it’s Alexander,” he purred, “Or better yet Alex.”

You rolled your eyes at this shifting as Dracula sat up. 

“What do you need Mr. Ditton,” you said keeping your voice neutral. 

“Was wondering when you were going to get here for brunch,” he said arrogantly. 

Dracula rolled his eyes but remained quiet as you handled your boss’ son. His hands were on your hips his thumbs massaging circles into your skin giving you something to latch onto to keep your head level.

“I hadn’t been told there was a breakfast on the itinerary for you and the elder Mr. Ditton sir,” you said making a mental note to call your boss if that is the case. 

“No need for such formalities (Y/N),” he said in what he thought was an alluring innocent tone, “Especially not with our history.”

You shrunk into yourself some at the memories he'd just triggered. You remembered the nights alone either waiting up for him in his or her apartment or at a bar where he would leave her alone at the bar in exchange for someone with bigger attributes and even willing mouth. 

Dracula you shrink and growled deeply pulling you to him pressing his lips to the spot above your breast where your heart is. 

You ran the fingers of your free hand through the hair at the base of his neck taking a deep breath as he breath onto your skin. The comforting warmth that ran through you, despite the chill of his body, filled you to the core and giving you a pep in your step. 

“Formalities guarantee for nothing to happen again, Sir,” you said shifting so your legs circled Dracula’s waist. 

“What makes you think it won't?” He asked on edge at you denying him. 

“If that is all sir, I bid you a good day and I’ll see you early tomorrow,” you said ready to hang up. 

“Wait, please!” Alexander called out with an emotion you didn’t recognize on him, “I miss you.”

“Sure you do,” you say more to yourself than to him.

“I really do please (Y/N),” he said sounding desperate, “Meet me for breakfast.”

“It is Sunday sir,” you say withholding an exasperated sigh. 

“Yea, so?” He asked not catching on, “Did I make you miss church?” 

You wanted to throw the phone at the wall but instead you replied with, “My partner just started working the night shift and this is the one weekend we get where he’s off to be together.”

The line went quiet. 

You and Dracula exchanged a confused looked. 

You called out to the other line and was about to hang up when loud hysterical peels of laughter filtered through the receiver. 

“You...” He gasped as he continued laughing, “A partner! That is particularly funny (Y/N).”

You shrunk into yourself as memories you’d long since made peace with filtered through your mind’s eye. His mocking laughter as he saw you getting ready for an event that required him to take a plus one. From then on his verbal abuse only go worse. He’d laugh them off as a joke but he would make them digs that tore at your self confidence like a knife through butter. You heard his jabs at why even bother with makeup, why bother with lingerie that would never make you as attractive as you thought it did. 

Dracula saw this and went take the phone when you started listing off names. 

“Sonia, Ana, Maggie, Sarah, Donna, Martha...”

“What are you–”

“Samantha, Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary, and let’s not ever forget Irving,” you finished your voice cold as ice your eyes like icebergs non like Dracula had ever seen on you. 

“(Y/N)–” Alexandre tried again now seeing he’d struck a chord he never thought you’d have, “Come on babe, you know a man has his needs.”

“Yea, so do I,” you said coldly. 

Dracula met your eyes worry heavy on his handsome face. 

You smirked coldly at him and said, “Awww what's the matter scared I actually found someone with a better sexual appetite and looks than you?”

“Watch it (Y/N),” he said voice low and what you’d have called dangerous if it weren't for the vampire you were sitting on.  

“I work for your father Alexander, not you,” you said getting up from your place on Dracula’s lap, “If you really want to get me fired, you’re going to need to try really hard.”

“(Y–”

You hung up and throw the phone on the love seat I the room before breaking down fully. 

You felt cotton sliding on your shoulders, his shirt, and long arms pull you into a tender embrace. 

“Calm my love,” Dracula said pressing a kiss to your crown before asking, “Is he the one you mentioned when we started, as you say, going out?”

You nod quietly and turn to face him. 

“I need you to understand why he has such a profound effect on me,” you say seriously. 

But before he could ask you anything you adjusted his shirt to expose your neck. 

“Darling I don't think–” he aid looking more than a little unsure at what you were suggesting. 

“Please,” you say near begging, “You know you can feed from me love but I wouldn’t tell you to do it if it weren’t important.”

He didn't like the idea but knew you are right. 

“Lay down with me love,” he said seriously clearly not liking what needed to do.

You did as he asked and waited. 

“Are you sure about this?” he asked getting in bed next to you and pulling you close.

You nod and offer him your neck once again. 

He settled between your legs on top of you his eyes now red and his fangs out. 

You dared a peek and stared in wonder eyes wide at this beast who’d effectively stolen your heart against all odds. You reached up and put your hand on his cheek.

“Do I not scare you dear Bride?” He asked his voice low and enticing, dangerous and husky. 

You shook your head and pressed a kiss to his lower lip. 

He returned your kiss deeply some before nosing at your cheek and kissing his way to your throat. 

“I’ll be quick,” he promised before kissing you one more time. 

He’d given you dreams before but this one was different. This one showed you standing in the middle of a ballroom. The musicians were playing and you were wearing a stunning ball gown. 

“Darling,” Dracula said as he approached you

“My prince,” you said taking his hand. 

He pulled you into his arms to dance around the empty ballroom floor where he looked at you like you lit up his life with your mere presence. 

“He will not hurt you again,” he vowed as you danced. 

You woke with a start wrapped in your partner’s arms his face buried in your neck as the day filtered through his curtains.

“How are you feeling?” He asked as he snuggled into you further. 

You ran your hand over his arm where it lay over your middle.

“Please tell me it’s night time,” you said turning to bury your face into his chest. 

“I’m sorry dear,” he said hugging you close, “It is five to six.”

“Damn,” you say as you get up and make your way to the bathroom to do your morning routine. 

To your surprise Dracula followed you in and did the same which ended up with you sharing your morning shower. 

“There’s no play time,” you say with a sad smile as you lean on his tall frame as the warm spray hit your back the contrast of his icy cold skin and the water was a pleasant and comforting combination especially with what you were sure will meet you at the office today. 

“Zoe needs me in the foundation today,” he said with a shrug and soft grin, “Meaning I have work to do today as well.”

“Blood tests today Dr. Balaur?” You asked with a smirk.

His smirk grew to a smile as he towered over you. 

“Don’t start something you can’t finish Ms. (Y/L/N),” he said pressing his forehead to yours. 

“Wouldn't dream of it,” you said running your hands over his chest, “Plus, you owe me tying you down.”

He laughed fully at that and went back to finishing his own shower. 

You finished your shower in record time and left him to finish up. You wore your hair in a neat bun and your secretary’s “uniform” looked every bit as professional as was needed. 

“On second thought,” you heard from behind you as you were putting on your earrings. You turned to find Dracula in dark wash jeans and a still unbuttoned light blue casual button up.

“Oh no,” you said with a laugh, “I have time to finish my makeup and get some running breakfast before its too late for me to do any of those.”

“Call in sick,” he said running his hands over your skirted waist and hips, “I’ve always wanted to see why ‘hot for teacher’ is such a popular game.”

You straightened up and turned to face him hands on your hips under his with a brow in the air and smirk on your lips.

“Is that so?” you say and make your way to put on your heels.

“Yes...” he said eying you up like a starved man, “Especially in those.”

You looked down at the heels he was pointing at and laughed, “Maybe this weekend should your schedule let us have my way with you.”

He nodded and buttoned up his shirt as he followed you out. 

It was his turn to drive so you did the little makeup you wore in the car on the way to work. 

“Do you need me to go up with you?” He asked as the car approached the building you worked in. 

You wanted to say no but it would all depend on if Alex decided he was going to make a scene and you let him know before deciding, “Why not Danielle has been bugging me to introduce you for weeks now.”

He laughed at that knowing full well your best friend was a force when her mind was set on something. 

He parked near the entrance and walked with you into the building your hand in his. 

‘Territory claimed Alex, your ass is his,’ you thought fighting a grin. 

The elevator stopped a couple of floors before yours and the doors opened to reveal one Alexander Ditton and what looked like his newest conquest walking in. 

His eyes nearly bugged out of his skull at the sight of you. 

“(Y/N),” he said as he regained some of his brain back. 

You nodded cordially and turned to Dracula who had a question on something he had on his phone. 

“But how do you even play this?” He asked poking at what looked like a Pokemon. 

“Are you playing Pokemon Go?” You asked with a small giggle.

“Luca said it was something curious and I thought I’d give it a try,” he said with a small pout as the pikachu evaded his poke ball again. 

“You should have asked me this while we were at dinner yesterday,” you say with a fond shake of your head. 

“(Y/N),” Alex interrupted rudely before Dracula could give an answer. 

You looked to find a cross Alex looking at you, “Have you met Missy?”

You looked at the young clearly star struck girl and nodded, “Yes, she works the desk across from me. Morning Missy.”

“Morning (Y/N),” she said with a bright smile she shifted her hair back and that’s when you saw the love bite on her neck.

“Missy,” you say and dug through your bag in search of your powder compact, “Here, we don’t need rumors running rampant through the floor.”

She looked at you confused before she saw you motion to your neck on the side her mark is on. 

“Oh! Y-yes,” she said taking the powder and dabbing it on carefully.

The ride to your floor was quiet and tense, you could tell Alex was pissed off at what you’d done to him last night but didn’t do anything lest he cause problems with the unknown, to him, man. 

Little did he know he’d dug his grave the moment he set foot on the floor...where his father happened to be talking to another of the secretaries. 

00//00//00

A/N: Don’t forget to leave feedback, like and reblog peeps!!! And if you want to tagged hit me up!

Dracula Tag-List: @kaddis-world​, @count-snackula​, @your-pixels-are-showing​, @peachlogiic​, @the-life-and-times-of-a-nerd​, @lokiisbrucebanner​, @deny-black​, @drsherlockmoffat​, @festering-queen​, @ashashashashashie​, @hoefordarkness​,  @jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​, @glamrockmonarch​, @damesteph​, @carydorse​, @allis143​, @break-free-killer-queen​, @bloodspatteredprincess​, @dracula-s-bride​, @disneymarina​ @thebeautyofdisorder​, @purvana​, @hyacinth-meadow​, @lets-talk-about-claes-baby​​

[mister-lady]

geez, i love your writing so much. water totally does have a taste tho. otherwise when you went to other places besides your house you wouldn't think that the water tasted weird there!!! which i'm now realizing might just be a me thing lol. anyway! if it's okay to send another prompt (i don't wanna overwork you!) then howa bout 9 with Remus cuz you said you didn't like him at first and the prompt says "forced to spend time together"!!!

*sobs* th-thANK yoUu!!!! And exactly!!!! Water has a taste!!!!! Janus doesn't agree tho smh. I definelty get that tho! One of my friends house that I go to I cant have their water cause it tastes funky to me dkkvkskg.

AAA ILLYYYY🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺💘💘💘💘💘❤💘❤❤❤💘❤💘❤💘❤❤❤🌟❤❤❤❤❤❤💘💘💘💘🌟🌟🌟🌟you're not overworking me at all!!!!!!!! I'm absolutely loving all of these thank you sososoo muchhh🥺🥺🥺🥺👉👈👉👈👉👈👉👈👉😭👈👈😭😭😭🥰🥰🥰🥺🥺🥺💘❤💕❤💕❤💕❤❤💕 this was super fun to do!!! Especially becuase I normally don't talk much about my enemies to lovers thing with Remus so it was kinda nice to almost project it onto here!!!🥰🥰🥰 Also sorry I got a little carried away while writing and it got a little off-topic from the prompt-

Prompt: A moves into a new apartment and wants to check out the closest dog park. Their dog loves it there, especially that one dog that seems to be there almost every time they go. With their dogs being madly in love with each other, A and the other owner, B, are forced to spend more time together as well

Warnings: strong curse words used a minor amount. Very small angst.

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

Matt had moved into an apartment, hoping to build up some money for a home. He was living the life though, being able to do things when he wanted, without people complaining at him. However, Matt had gotten a little lonely so he did the best solution! He got a pet. Now, Matt normally wasn't a fan of dogs, mainly ones that barked a lot, but when he had been searching through the animal shelter and found a very peaceful dog. It was maybe around 1 year old and it was a small poneramium. Normally small dogs barked a lot but this one was fairly quiet and Matt liked it for that. He named his dog Siskel. Since an apparment was a small place Matt had searched up local dog parks he could take his dog to and let it play for a bit and get some exercise. Matt was unbelievably happy when his dog had found another dog friend! He thought they were adorable together and seemed to get along so well too! What he hated was the rat-bastard that owned the dog. You know how theres the couple in movies that want be together but the parents hate eachother? It was essentially that for Matt, but it was one-sided. The other person seemed to find Matt amusing, even though Matt had often showed that he didn't care much for him. Sometimes Matt would feel bad for the way he treated the person, he never gave him a true chance. But then the person would say something that made Matt stop feeling as guilty. The downfall for Matt was that he had scheduled days that he could go to the park where he had free time so it's not like he could ignore the other guy either. Plus, he would feel bad for depriving his puppy of it's friend just because Matt had been salty.

Matt had currently been sitting on a bench at the dog park and was keeping a close eye on Siskel. He made sure to keep his dog on a leash incase it did go to do soemthing bad, he could pull it back, plus, he didn't have to worry about Siskel running off either. Matt could tell just by the way his dog acted, that it was impatiently waiting for it's friend to arrive. Matt was trying to take it's mind off of waiting for it's friend and was throwing a pinecone for his dog. He would use a toy but if another dog came up who knew wheres its mouth had been? Siskel knew not to fully bite on the pinecone, but it would still bark at it and pretend to play with it. Matt couldn't help but smile as he watched. Though, poor Matthew's smile didn't last for long as he felt the same ol' guy sit next to him. Matt knew a little information about him, like his name and such, but only because he had told him like Matt had asked.

"Hey, Maaattttt!!" He chimed.

"Hi, Remus" Matt huffed.

Matt watched as the dogs quickly ran up to eachother and played with a pinecone together. It was very wholesome. However Matt casted a confused glance towards Remus, not understanding why he was so silent.

"You're quiet." Matt commented, while raising an eyebrow.

"I am?" Remus asked, as if he wasn't aware of what Matt was talking about.

"Yeah, normally you're rambling on about something that happened to you, or about how you poisoned your enemies cake or soemthing." Matt soon regretted speaking up, as he watched a very amused smile grow across Remus's face.

Remus gave Matt a very tight hug, causing Matt to squeak from alarm. Matt couldn't help but notice now warm Remus had felt and he could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

"Wh-.. what?" Matt questioned.

"You do listen!!! I was always afraid you never listened to my stories!" Remus seemed to be bursting with excitement.

"Well, I mean I kinda have too, you tail me around against my will." Matt flatly pointed out.

"Pssshh, yeah cuase you don't like me. Totally"

"I hate you. And why are you still hugging me??"

Remus withdrew and let go of the hug. Matt could've sworn he thought Remus looked a little upset for a moment, but if he did it was quickly replaced by happiness.

"You knowwww... it took you a little while for you to tell me to stop hugging youuu" Remus teased.

"You're honestly the biggest idiot I know and it hurts to be around you."

"You can insult me all you want but it's not going to change the fact that you like my hugs!"

"You're a lunatic and burn down places. The last thing I want is your hugs."

"Is that why you let me hug you?"

"I didn't let you hug me! If I did I would've hugged back. But I didn't."

"You let me hug you and you listen to what I say? Mmmmm... I'm pretty sure you like me."

"I don't like you, I'm just that lonely."

"Most people that don't like me get a restraining order, so you must like me to some extent, right?" Remus gave Matt a puppy-eyed look.

Matt groaned in annoyance. "I just might if I have to sit here any longer."

"That's not a no~"

"And it's definitely not a yes."

"Well, it's not a no, so I'll take what I can get."

"You're a dunce."

"I still don't see why you hang out with me so much then."

"Hang?? Out?? I-? Me??- with yOu??-" Matt stumbled over his words in aghast. "Okay, I certainly don't, and would never, hang out with you, Remus. You come up to me. I deal with it because for some stupid reason my dog likes your dog, and I do what's good for my dog because I have a little bit of common sense."

Remus pouted at Matt's little tangent and crossed his arms. "Fine. I won't talk with you then. Maybe then you'll like me more."

Matt shook his head, "Why do you care so much for whether I like you or not?"

Remus only glared at him and didn't respond. Matt decided to take the opportunity of peace and quiet, however, as time started to pass, he felt like something was bugging him. Like he was itching to do soemthing and he didn't know what. Like something was...off. He gave Remus a curious glance, wondering if he had done something, but by the looks of it he was behaving like a decent human being. If that was the case, then what was bugging Matt?? He had gotten what he wished for, had he not? He subconsciously gave Remus an almost longing kind of look, and Remus met his gaze for a split second, only to look away. Matt couldn't help but fear a pang of hurt in his heart, only to be quickly filled with frustration at himself. Remus complete was the opposite of a normal, decent, and civilized person. All he did was annoy Matt, so why did Matt feel bad? He quickly answered his own question. Remus hadn't done anything bad directly towards Matt, and Matt had acted like a huge douche towards him for no reason. Matt felt his eyes water up a bit at the realization and quickly blinked it away. He felt terrible for the way he had acted.

"I'm sorry." Matt spoke, his voice cracking a little bit causing him to inwardly cringe.

Remus looked at him, but gave him a questioning look as if asking him to go on.

"I'm sorry for being a massive and terrible douche towards you. You hadn't done anything wrong, if anything, out of all the things you've told me about I should be lucky that you didn't do anything to me and I'm really, really, sorry and I know that doesn't really change anything but I completely understand if you don't forgive me, and honestly with the way I've treated you I probably don't deserve your forgiveness." Matt had gotten repeatedly choked up as he spoke and had to keep clearing his throat or blinking away the water in his eyes in a sad attempt to hide what he was feeling.

Remus eyes had widened in surprise. That was by far not what he had expected at all. He didn't expect too much of an appology especially from Matt, so the heart felt appology took him a few seconds to process.

"..Matt?" Remus spoke.

"Yea?"

"Can I hug you?"

Matt quickly nodded his head and felt his face twist as he felt a few tears go down his face agaisnt his will. He didn't realize all the weird feelings he had subconsciously bottled up, but as Remus tackled him into a hug, almost knocking him off the bench they had been sitting on, Matt couldn't help but sniffle a little bit. He felt the warmth from Remus engulf him again, and his mind drifted to how nice Remus's arms and hands had felt to be wrapped around him. Matt tried to calm down his sudden emotions and breathed a little more slowly, and slowly slithered his arms up and around Remus's back and rested his head on his shoulder.

"We never speak of this to anyone." Matt mumbled.

Remus giggled and nodded his head in agreement, causing Matt to laugh a little bit himself.

"I knew you always liked me a little bit." Remus teased.

[bechloeislegit]

25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2019

DAY 06 - I WANT MY BEST FRIEND FOR CHRISTMAS

Prompt from Tumblr User rejection-isnt-failure: HS AU, enemies to lovers (and if you're really loving the challenge, Chloe jealousy). Told mostly from Chloe's POV with just a hint of jealousy thrown in. I hope you like it.

Chloe Beale tossed and turned as her subconscious overtook her dreams. Beca Mitchell played a very prominent role in her dreams again tonight.

Chloe crossed her arms and stood her ground. She would not back down.

Beca looked at her, the hurt in her eyes replaced by anger.

"Go fuck yourself, Chloe," Beca spit out before turning and walking away.

Chloe raised her head and punched her pillow; then fluffed it up and wrapped her arms around it as she laid her head down to get back to sleep.

Sleep came within seconds, but so did the dreams.

"Come on, Chloe," Beca said, smiling. "If you try it, I know you're going to like it."

"Beca, I am not going to dip my french fries in my milkshake," Chloe said, exasperation in her voice.

Beca dipped a fry into her milkshake and took a bite. "Mmmmm, the best of salty and sweet. You don't know what you're missing."

Chloe could only smile and shake her head at her best friend.

"Best friend," Chloe mumbled as she sat up, shaking her head free of the dreams. "More like enemies."

Chloe ran a hand through her hair and wiped her eyes, surprised to find tears. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. Seeing that it was almost six-thirty, Chloe decided to get up and get ready for school.

~ Day 6 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

Chloe yawned as she opened her locker.

"You look awful, Chloe," Aubrey Posen, Chloe's best friend said.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," Chloe said, leaning against her locker.

"Did you and Tom spend all night sexebrating your anniversary?" Stacie Conrad, another friend, said with a sexy wink.

"Sexebrating?" Chloe asked, confused.

"Yeah," Stacie said. "It's celebrating something by having sex. Sexebrating. I made it up."

"No, Stacie," Chloe said, shaking her head. "There was no sexebrating. Just bad dreams keeping me up most of the night."

"Are you okay?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm fine," Chloe said. "Just tired."

"Hey, Mitchell," Stacie said as Beca Mitchell opened her locker a few down from Chloe's.

"Hey, Conrad," Beca called back, ignoring the other two girls standing with Stacie.

Chloe swallowed and turned back to her locker to pull out a notebook.

"Why do you still talk to her?" Aubrey asked Stacie, glaring at Beca. "She tried to steal Tom away from Chloe."

"Beca wouldn't do that," Stacie said with a laugh. "Who told you that? Oh, my God!" Stacie looked at Chloe. "Is that why you two are fighting and not talking?"

"We're not fighting," Chloe said sadly. "We're not anything. Not anymore."

"Who told you Beca was trying to steal Tom away from you?" Stacie asked. "You are her best friend and you know she's gay. Why would you believe them?"

"Tom told her about it himself," Aubrey said, clearly enjoying the fact that she knew something Stacie didn't. "I was there. I heard it all."

"So, what happened?" Stacie asked.

Aubrey proceeded to tell Stacie. "I was standing with Chloe at the Halloween party that Fat Amy had when Beca came running over to us."

"Chloe, I need to talk to you," Beca said. "It's about Tom"

"What's going on?" Chloe asked. "What about Tom?"

"He just hit on me and tried to get me to go upstairs with him," Beca said.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Beca said. "I didn't-"

"Hey, babe," Tom interrupted as he walked up to them and put his arm around Chloe's waist.

Chloe pushed him away, and shouted, "Get away from me, Tom! I can't believe you."

"I told her what you did, douchebag," Beca said.

Tom glared at Beca. "What exactly is it that I've supposedly done?"

"Beca said you hit on her," Chloe said. "And tried to get her to go upstairs with you. I can't believe you."

"Chloe, I did not hit on her," Tom said with indignation. "For one, she's gay and two, there is nothing about her that I like. You know that; I've told you enough times. I still can't believe you're friends with her."

"Then why would she say you did?" Chloe asked, her face red with anger.

"I didn't want to have to tell you this," Tom said, sadly. "Because she's your best friend. But," Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "She hit on me and I turned her down. I guess she didn't like that."

"What the fuck?" Beca yelled.

"Beca?" Chloe said, turning to Beca with tears in her eyes. "Why would you do that? I know you don't like him but he is my boyfriend."

"What?!" Beca squealed. "You believe him? I'm gay and he's done nothing but lie to you and cheat on you since you got together."

"You never did like him," Chloe said. "I can't believe you'd do this to me."

Beca looked from Chloe's sad face to Tom's smug one. She swallowed hard and stood tense.

"So, you believe him over me?" Beca asked. "You believe the guy who lies to you constantly over your best friend of almost twelve years? The best friend who has never lied to you about anything?"

Chloe looked uncertain as she looked from Tom to Beca.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you," Tom said quickly. "I knew you'd be hurt by it."

Chloe wiped at the tears in her eyes and looked at Beca. "I think we need to take a break from each other. I can't believe you would do something like this to me. Apparently, our friendship doesn't mean as much to you as it does to me."

Beca and Aubrey both gasped.

"So, that's it?" Beca choked out. "You're siding with him after all the shit he's pulled?"

"Yes. I am." Chloe crossed her arms and stood her ground. She would not back down.

Beca looked at her, the hurt in her eyes replaced by anger.

"Go fuck yourself, Chloe," Beca spit out before turning and walking away.

Chloe threw herself in Tom's arms and he held her while she cried.

"As far as I know, Beca and Chloe haven't talked since," Aubrey concluded.

"How could you believe Tom over Beca?" Stacie asked Chloe.

"Why would Tom lie to me about it?" Chloe responded.

"Why would Beca?" Stacie countered. "Plus, lying to you is what Tom does. Everyone knows he cheats on you. You're the only one who doesn't believe it."

"People are just jealous," Chloe said, getting angry. "He's the hottest guy in school and every girl wants him. Of course, they're going to say he cheated, hoping I'll break up with him."

"Did Tom tell you that?" Stacie scoffed, shaking her head. "Beca has been your best friend for twelve years. Has she ever lied to you about anything? Anything at all?"

"No, but that doesn't mean she wasn't lying that night," Chloe said indignantly.

"Yes, it does," Stacie said and walked away.

"I hate to say it, Chloe," Aubrey said. "But, thinking back, Stacie's right. I don't recall Beca ever lying to you, or anyone for that matter. And she always owns up to her mistakes. You can't say the same about Tom, can you?"

Chloe didn't say anything. She stood there looking down at the floor.

"I have to get to class," Aubrey said. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Chloe said softly as Aubrey walked away.

Chloe slammed her locker and banged her forehead against it. Aubrey and Stacie were right. Beca never lied to her in all the time she's known her. She needed to try and find a way to apologize to Beca. And, she needed to have a talk with Tom.

Chloe sighed and slowly made her way to her first class.

~ Day 6 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

It had been three weeks since the Halloween incident. Beca wasn't answering Chloe's texts or phone calls.

In school, Beca was in almost all of Chloe's classes but would not look at Chloe no matter how hard Chloe tried to get her attention. What Chloe missed were the looks Beca was giving her when her back was turned.

At the end of class, Beca would rush out of class as soon as the bell rang. Chloe could only sigh and hope that she would soon get the chance to talk to Beca.

Chloe walked around most days with a dark cloud over her head. She missed Beca so much and hated that she didn't know what to say to Beca so she would talk to Chloe.

The day before Thanksgiving Break, Chloe made her way to the cafeteria to meet up with Aubrey and Stacie. Chloe turned the corner and stopped dead in her tracks with her mouth hanging open in shock and surprise. There, before her very eyes, was her boyfriend, Tom, kissing some girl he had pinned up against the wall.

Chloe stomped over to the couple and shoved Tom's shoulder.

"Hey! Watch it," Tom said as he turned around. His eyes widened. "Oh, um, he-hey, babe."

"Don't babe me, you cheating jerk!" Chloe yelled. "Everyone was right about you. God, I can't believe I lost my best friend because of you."

"Come on, Chloe," Tom said, trying to placate the redhead. "This is nothing. She means nothing."

The girl let out an indignant huff and slapped Tom before stomping off. Before he could recover, Chloe slapped Tom's other cheek and stomped off as well.

"Fuck!" Tom yelled in frustration as he rubbed both hands over his face.

Chloe had tears running down her face as she made her way to the table where Chloe and Aubrey were sitting.

"Chloe, what's wrong?" Aubrey asked, jumping up to pull Chloe to her.

"I, I," Chloe mumbled between sobs. "T-Tom was kissing another girl."

"So, you caught him in the act?" Stacie said coldly. "How's he going to spin this one to make you stay with him?"

"Stacie," Aubrey said. "No need to kick her while she's down."

"Sorry, but I have no sympathy for her," Stacie said. "She chose to turn a blind eye to Tom's infidelities and took his side over Beca's. Even going so far as to call Beca a liar. Chloe not believing Beca hurt Beca more than she's willing to admit. Chloe deserves to feel some pain after the pain she caused Beca."

"That's enough!" Aubrey said, glaring at Stacie. "Here, Chloe. Sit down."

Chloe sat down, wiping the tears from her face. "Stacie's right, Brey. I do deserve this. I can't believe I told Beca we weren't friends anymore because of him. She was my best friend and I miss her so much."

"What are you going to do about it?" Stacie asked.

"She hates me and I don't blame her," Chloe said. "I kind of hate myself and I don't think there's anything I can do."

"I don't think she hates you," Stacie said. "She's not like that. Especially since I think she's in love with you."

"What?!" Chloe and Aubrey both ask.

"Hear me out," Stacie said. "Beca looks at you like you hung the moon and stars. She would always bring you your favorite treat on Mondays because she knew that was your hardest day of classes. She would always stand up for you against anyone who made fun of you. She would drop everything and come running whenever you said you needed her."

"She does all that because she is," Chloe stopped and sighed. "Was my best friend."

"You guys may not be talking," Stacie said. "But she still looks at you lovingly, although now it's tinged with a touch of sadness."

"Maybe," Chloe said. "But, she hasn't given me a Monday treat since before Halloween."

"Actually, she has," Stacie said with a smile.

"No, she hasn't; but you have," Chloe said, confused. "Why is that?"

"Because Beca is the one who gets them and gives them to me to give to you," Stacie said with a shrug.

"She, um, she does that?" Chloe asked, somewhat shocked but also pleased.

"She does," Stacie said. "And you can't say anything to her about it; I promised her I wouldn't tell you. Frankly, I'm surprised you never questioned that I started doing it."

"I never really thought about it until you mentioned it," Chloe said as tears stung her eyes. "I need to talk to Beca and apologize for the way I acted toward her. I want my best friend for Christmas."

~ Day 6 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

Two weeks later, Chloe was at her locker and saw Beca out of the corner of her eye. She sighed and tried not to stare, but Chloe had come to realize that she liked Beca as more than a friend. She was so pretty and had always been nice to Chloe. Well, she was until Chloe dumped her as a friend.

"I'm such an idiot," Chloe mumbled as she watched Beca.

Chloe thought about walking over and just start talking to Beca when suddenly Terry Davidson walked up behind Beca and wrapped her arms around her. Beca laughed and smiled as she looked over her shoulder at Terry.

"Beca's got a girlfriend?" Chloe muttered and turned away from the couple.

Tears sprang to Chloe's eyes as she slammed her locker shut and hurried in the opposite direction so she didn't have to see Beca and Terry together. Chloe hurried into her next class and took her seat, discreetly wiping her eyes.

Aubrey and Stacie entered the class and seeing Chloe looking distressed hurried over to her.

"Chloe are you okay?" Aubrey asked quietly so as not to bring attention to her.

Chloe nodded her head. Aubrey and Stacie looked at each other; both concerned about their friend. Before either could say anything, the instructor entered and started class.

As soon as class was over, Aubrey grabbed Chloe by the arm and led her to an empty classroom. Stacie followed them in.

"Okay, Chloe, what's going on?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe sat at a desk and put her head down. "Beca's got a girlfriend," she mumbled.

"What?" Stacie asked, surprised. "Since when?"

Chloe lifted her head as a tear slid down her cheek. "Since I don't know when, but I saw them together at her locker this morning. Terry Davidson walked up behind Beca and wrapped her arms around Beca's waist. Beca didn't flinch away from her and was smiling at her. I used to be the only person she'd let do that."

"Maybe they aren't together," Aubrey said.

"How many times have you seen Beca let anyone other than me hug her or touch her without giving them a death glare?" Chloe asked.

"What do you care if she has a girlfriend?" Stacie asked, looking at Chloe with her head tilted and an eyebrow raised.

"I don't," Chloe said quickly; too quickly.

"Really?" Stacie asked. "Seems to me like you're more upset than called for over this. Or maybe it's jealousy. Do you have something to tell us?"

"Like what?" Chloe asked indignantly.

"I don't know," Stacie said. "Like, you like Beca more than a friend."

"Don't be silly, Stacie," Aubrey chastised. "Chloe's not gay."

"I didn't say she was," Stacie shot back. "Liking Beca does not make her gay. And Beca would be a hell of a lot better for her than Tom ever was."

"Can you stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Chloe asked, looking between her two friends. "Stacie's right. I like Beca; as in more than a friend. I've never liked another girl before so I'm confused about these feelings. And, I'm not gay because I still like guys. I guess since I like Beca in that way, I could be bi. Right?"

"Sounds about right to me," Stacie said with a smile. "And I for one am on the BeChloe train."

"BeChloe train?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah," Stacie said. "Beca plus Chloe equals BeChloe. It's their ship name."

Chloe chuckled and then became serious. "It hurts to see Beca with Terry like that."

"You now have a taste of what Beca's been going through every time she saw you with Tom," Stacie said.

"What am I going to do?" Chloe asked.

~ Day 6 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

Chloe wasn't any closer to making up with Beca than she was two weeks ago. She had seen Beca and Terry around school a lot and it hurt every time she saw them. She hated that she was glad they didn't show any PDA when she saw them. That would have been more than she could handle.

It was the last day before Christmas Break and Chloe had hoped to be talking to Beca by now. Chloe sighed as she slowly made her way to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Ow," Chloe yelped as someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty room. She looked up to see who had grabbed her. "What the hell, Tom? You're hurting my arm."

"I'm tired of my girlfriend ignoring me," Tom yelled, moving his hand to hold Chloe by the wrist as he pressed her up against the wall.

"I'm not your girlfriend," Chloe said, struggling to get away from Tom. "I broke up with you because you cheated on me."

"You're my girlfriend until I say otherwise," Tom said. "You know that girl meant nothing to me. It's you I want and only you."

"That's too bad," Chloe said. "Because I don't want you!"

"Why?" Tom asked, his nose practically touching Chloe's. "Because you lost your best friend? You're still my girlfriend or I might just have to have a little chat with your bestie, Beca."

"No!" Chloe yelled and shoved Tom away from her.

The strength of the shove surprised Tom and caused him to take a couple of steps back. Once Tom was off of her, she turned to walk away from him, but he grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall again. Neither of them saw the two girls walk into the room.

"Ow!" Chloe yelled when her back hit the wall.

"Shut up!" Tom yelled in her face.

Chloe closed her eyes cringed away from Tom.

"Keep your fucking hands off of her!"

Chloe opened her eyes and was surprised to see Beca push Tom away from her. She was even more surprised when Terry came to her and asked if she was okay. Chloe just stared at Terry before looking over at Beca and Tom.

"Get lost, Mitchell," Tom said. "This is between me and Chloe."

"Not anymore," Beca said, standing between Tom and Chloe. "She dumped you. Get over it and go crawling back to whatever girl you cheated on her with. I knew you were an asshole, but attacking a girl who doesn't want you is even lower than anything else you've done."

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Tom asked with a laugh. He took a step toward Beca but stopped when Terry spoke.

"You should go, Tom," Terry said, causing him to look at her. "Beca and I both saw you drag Chloe in here and throw her against the wall. That's considered assault. I'm sure the cops would be very interested in what we witnessed."

Tom swallowed and a look of fear crossed his face; he stepped away from Beca. He puffed out his chest and sneered as he said, "Fine. She's not worth it anyway. We're through, Chloe."

Tom shoved past Beca and exited the room. Beca waited to make sure Tom was gone before turning to Chloe.

"Are you okay, Chlo?" Beca asked.

Chloe nodded and wiped at the tears in her eyes.

"Do you want us to take you to the nurse?" Terry asked.

Chloe shook her head. "No. Really, I'm fine."

Beca looked at Chloe and Chloe saw the concern on Beca's face. Chloe couldn't help herself and threw herself into Beca's arms. Beca's eyes widened as she looked over at Terry. Terry smiled and shook her head.

"Are you sure you're okay, Chlo?" Beca asked softly. "We'll take you the nurse and wait to make sure everything's okay."

Chloe pulled back from the hug and said, "Thanks, Becs, but I'm really okay. Just more stunned than physically hurt. I can't believe that Tom would do that."

"If you're sure you're okay," Beca said. "How about we walk you to the cafeteria?"

"Um, actually, I need to go meet Jesse," Terry said. "I'll talk to you later, Beca."

"Okay," Beca said and turned to Chloe. Chloe had a confused look on her face. "What?"

"I, um, I thought you and Terry were. You know-"

"Together?"

"Yeah."

Beca laughed. "Terry is Jesse's girlfriend. Since he's my best friend, Terry and I got to know each other and found we have a lot in common. She's pretty cool and we have several classes together so we started hanging out."

Chloe looked down at the floor and then back up to Beca. "Beca, I need to apologize to you. You were right about Tom. And I can't say I'm sorry enough for believing what he said about you. I should have known better. I just, um. I'm sorry."

"I've never lied to you, Chloe," Beca said. "And it really hurt that you thought I would."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"And, I'm gay. It would take a hell of a lot more than a douchebag like Tom to turn me straight."

"I know."

"I wanted to talk to you, but you made it clear you didn't want me as your friend anymore."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"You said that already," Beca said.

"I'm sorry," Chloe said. "Sorry. I mean, sorry. Oh, God, why can't I stop saying sorry?"

Beca laughed. "You really are one of a kind, Beale."

"Does that mean you forgive me?" Chloe asked. "And that we're friends again?"

"I don't want to be your friend, Chloe," Beca said, looking Chloe in the eye.

"Oh," Chloe said and looked down again. "I, uh, I get it."

"I don't think you do," Beca said.

Chloe looked back up at Beca just as Beca stepped forward. Chloe's eyes widened in shock when Beca smashed their lips together. Beca pulled back from the kiss after a few seconds.

"Wha-what was that for?" Chloe asked, even more confused.

"That was something for you to think about," Beca said, giving Chloe a wink before turning and leaving Chloe standing alone in the room.

~ Day 6 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

"Wait," Aubrey said, looking at Chloe. "So, she just kissed you and said it was something for you to think about?"

"Yep," Chloe said as she hurried to eat her lunch.

"I told you Beca liked you as more than a friend," Stacie said with a smug smile.

"So, are you thinking about it?" Aubrey asked. "Thinking about you and Beca, together as a couple."

Chloe chewed her bottom lip and blushed. "I kind of am."

"Yes!" Stacie squealed. "I knew it!"

Chloe laughed at Stacie; Aubrey glared at her.

"What?" Stacie said, looking at Aubrey. "I've already said I was on team BeChloe. Now it looks like this ship might actually sail."

"I'm happy for you, Chloe," Aubrey said. "If that's what you want."

"She's what I want," Chloe said, adamantly. "I need to figure out a way to let Beca know she's the one I want."

"Do something at Jesse Swanson's Christmas Party," Stacie said. "Everyone will be there. And since he's Beca's best friend, you know she'll be there."

"But what should I do?" Chloe asked just as the bell rang ending the lunch period.

"Walk up to her and kiss her," Aubrey said as they gathered their trays and started walking toward the tray return.

"I'm all for that," Stacie said.

"I can't do that," Chloe said.

"Why not?" Stacie asked as she placed her tray on the belt.

"I, uh, I don't know," Chloe said. "I just can't."

"I bet she'd love it if you did, though," Aubrey said as they made their way to class.

"Aubrey's right," Stacie said. "Do it in front of all your friends. It will let Beca know you're serious about her."

"You think?" Chloe asked.

"I do," Stacie said.

"So, do I," Aubrey added.

Chloe thought about it as they entered their class and took their seats. She did have a lot to think about.

~ Day 6 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

A few days later, Aubrey was driving Stacie and Chloe to Jesse Swanson's Christmas party.

"Have you decided what you're going to do about Beca yet?" Stacie asked Chloe.

"I'm going to wing it," Chloe said from the back seat.

"Wing it?" Stacie said.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I'll get her to talk to me and I'll tell her that I like her. See where it goes from there."

"I still like the idea of you walking up to her and kissing her," Aubrey said.

"Me, too," Stacie said with a laugh. "Kissing her would definitely let her know you want her."

Chloe didn't say anything; she just turned her head and looked out the window.

There were so many cars lining the street for the party, Aubrey had to park two blocks from Jesse's house. The three friends walked up to the house and entered as someone else was coming out.

"Well, look what we have here," Jesse said when he saw them. "Three of Barden High's hottest coming to my party. Welcome ladies. Drinks are in the kitchen, food is everywhere, and the dance floor is through there."

The three looked at where Jesse was pointing to see quite a crowd dancing.

"The music is really good," Stacie said. "People seem to be enjoying it."

"Of course, they are; Beca's DJing," Jesse said. "I'm going to go find my girlfriend. Enjoy yourselves!"

Jesse walked away and the girls looked around. They waved and spoke to some of their classmates.

Chloe suddenly felt something; something that caused her to turn her head. She smiled when she saw Beca talking with Jesse and Terry. She made a decision and straightened her stance as she took determined steps toward Beca.

"Chloe?" Aubrey asked as she saw Chloe walk away.

"Oh, my God!" Stacie exclaimed. "She's going to do it."

"Do what?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe reached Beca and Beca turned to her with a smile. Before Beca could say anything, Chloe grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her into a kiss.

"That," Stacie said with a laugh.

Beca was a bit stunned at first but found her arms going around Chloe's waist, pulling her deeper into the kiss.

"I'll just, uh, set up the next playlist," Jesse said as he watched the two girls still kissing. "Um, yeah."

Jesse grabbed Terry's hand and walked away. Beca pulled back from the kiss.

"Well, hello to you," Beca said with a smile. "I'm taking it this means you thought about it."

"I did," Chloe said, smiling back at Beca. "And I think, no, I know I want to be with you. So, would you like to go out with me sometime?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Beca said, leaning in to capture Chloe's lips in another kiss.

They broke apart when their friends started whistling and cheering. Beca laughed.

"I can't believe I got what I wished for this Christmas," Beca said.

"Me, too," Chloe said. "Merry Christmas, Beca."

"Merry Christmas, Chlo," Beca said, leaning in to kiss Chloe again.