#fluffy land icons

[just-some-icons]

Rosboy Bay (Fluffy Land) icons!

[thebenjiblackwoodexpress]

Delicate part.3

Gwayne Hightower x reader

Description: Gwayne chips away at Y/N's wariness towards him through his gentlessness and considerate actions. They grow closer in friendship until she falls ill, prompting Gwayne to realise Y/N's company has become essential to him.

Writer's note: dedicating this to the mother of Gwaynism and an actual icon @just-some-random-blogger and the lovely @liafiction, you gave me so many ideas with your shopping list of Gwayne traits and I have to credit you 💚. Also crediting Victoria for writing the descriptions for this fic, as she's much better at it than I am.

Gwayne is the sweetest boy in this and would definitely make a great girl dad.

Warnings: female reader, asexual reader, touch averse reader, very fluffy, mention of periods.

Having passed a week in the company of her dear friend, Alicent's brother Gwayne, Y/N was surprised at how quickly they had formed a friendship. Her first interaction with him, when he had frightened her, had made her wary of him, assuming that he would be just as coarse and forward as other knights she had been forced to interact with at Court. When he had caught her in his arms and kissed her hand, she had unceremoniously pushed him away from her, finding such physical contact to be discomfiting. She had never been able to fully explain her aversion, even to herself. She knew only that such physical displays of gallantry from other knights made her uncomfortable, knowing as she did that they were usually considered to be a prelude to courtship and marriage, something she knew she did not want. Her anxiety on this front had only increased at her father’s frequent reminders that her sole purpose as a Lady of the Court was to bind their House in marriage to another powerful House. The thought of marriage and rearing children with any of the obnoxious lords she had encountered at Court left her feeling nauseated and panicked, a feeling she knew Alicent shared with her. Before Gwayne Hightower’s arrival at King’s Landing, she and Alicent had wiled away many an hour fantasising about living in Oldtown together, far from the suffocating expectations of their fathers and the Court.

She was more than a little surprised when she quickly found herself becoming nearly as comfortable in Gwayne's presence as in Alicent's, since he had proven himself to be a true gentleman and friend. Since the day of their meeting, he had never solicited physical contact with her, other than to subtly tilt his elbow in her direction or position his palm slightly towards her after first assisting his sister from a seated position. Whilst these gestures were so subtle as to be missed by others, Y/N's heart was warmed by these chivalrous attempts to offer her his assistance without embarrassing her by forcing her to verbally refuse them. She was, additionally, pleasantly surprised at his own silence on the matter, never appearing to take offence at her quiet rejections of his assistance, only continuing to smile at her and laugh with her with a gentleness and kindness that stirred a warm feeling in her heart towards him.

It was this consistent gentleness in his manner towards both his sister and herself that led her to take his free arm on the seventh day of their acquaintance, when he came to collect her with his sister holding his other arm. It was worth pushing herself out of her comfort zone just to see the pleasantly surprised faces of both of her friends. The soft expression Gwayne directed towards her, in particular, had her feeling simultaneously elated and nervous, in a way she hadn't felt before. As the three walked happily, side-by-side, through the grounds, Y/N felt a degree of contentment she had never felt in the presence of two people.

From that day on, she had continued to take Gwayne's arm and his hand when he offered it to her, surprising herself, even, at how natural it felt to do so. She had begun to really look forward to the routine the three had established. They would walk and read together, talking of their childhoods, their hopes and dreams, creating their own world away from that of the Court. Gwayne took an interest in every mundane detail of her life, personality and hopes for the future, gazing at her with the same degree of attentiveness, no matter the topic of their conversation. He wanted to know about all of her memories from her childhood, her favourite flower, sweet, and even colour. The way his eyes shone and his mouth upturned in a self-complacent smile when she answered him that her favourite colour was green had her feeling momentarily embarrassed when she realised that he may have thought her answer calculated, given that green was the colour of his House. He quickly allayed this fear, seeming to sense from her biting her lip and looking away from him that this might be the case, as he touched her hand comfortingly, drawing her gaze back to his.

“Is that so? I am most glad to hear it. We shall be quite the dashing trio then, at the opening banquet, all dressed in green.”

As he retracted his hand from hers, Y/N realised that she missed the comfort that she derived from the feel of his hand placed lightly on hers, a feeling she had only ever experienced with her late mother and with Alicent before. She tentatively began to envision a future which included her new friend, where the three could live in the comfort of one another’s company, without the imposition of Court life.

In the afternoon, the ladies would come to show their support for Gwayne at the training yard and Y/N could not deny that she was impressed by his prowess with the sword. More than that, she was struck by his willingness to embarrass himself just to amuse his sister and herself. This, combined with his enduring politeness towards the other knights’ condescension at his youth and inexperience as a knight, displayed a strength of character she had yet to encounter in the other knights of her acquaintance. His confident manner and quick retorts to their insults frequently had both ladies struggling to repress their laughter at the confusion of the knights on the receiving end of his quips. Despite his jesting nature, he was quick to sense if Y/N herself was embarrassed and to either turn the conversation to a different end or redirect Alicent and her jests towards himself.

On one such occasion, Y/N and Alicent were standing with Gwayne in the training yard, after he had finished his training for that day, laughing at the shock of the other knights at his defeats of them that day. Continuing their jest that the ladies would have to carry Gwayne’s sword for him, Y/N playfully attempted to take his sword from his grasp. Not accounting for the weight of it, she immediately dropped it, only just missing her own foot in the process.

Gwayne’s eyes had widened in alarm when Y/N snatched his sword from him and nearly hurt herself in the process, leading him to quickly grasp her elbows gently in his hands, lowering his head to examine her face for any signs of distress or injury.

His voice coming out panicked, he frantically asked, “are you harmed, my Lady?”

Y/N felt her face begin to burn furiously with embarrassment at her behaviour, as she stepped back from Gwayne.

“I am well, I apologise.”

Hearing her stutter an apology in response to his urgent enquiry into her welfare, Gwayne was relieved that she was unharmed. However, seeing the blush blooming on her cheeks, as she directed her gaze anywhere but on him, Gwayne sought to reduce her embarrassment.

He chased her eyes with his, offering her what he hoped was a comforting smile. He wanted her to always feel comfortable around him and, whilst her jest had left him fearing for her safety, he appreciated that she had become so comfortable in his presence to attempt it.

He quickly sought to make a joke of the incident which would make Y/N laugh at him, instead of berating herself.

“If Lady Y/N’s quick reflexes are any indication of her skill in combat I will have to watch myself, I fear, lest she ambush me when I am unaware.”

He rejoiced to hear her and Alicent laugh at this, as she turned to meet his gaze. Encouraged by her response, he continued.

“I do not know how I shall manage if both of you lovely ladies determine to strike me down together, I shall be thoroughly overcome.”

As his two favourite ladies broke out into laughter, and Y/N’s eyes glittered as she looked affectionately up at him, he found himself hoping, not for the first time, that a time would come when they could always be together like this.

Y/N woke up to the familiar pain of her monthly cycle, clutching her stomach as she turned over in bed. Every month she struggled to manage the pain and nausea she experienced during her cycle, and was left with no choice but to remain in her room whilst she waited for both to pass. On such occasions she even absconded from Alicent’s company. Alicent was accustomed to these period of absence, and would allow Y/N her space whilst she recovered, sometimes sending her treats or books which she thought might please or interest her.

Y/N remained in bed well past her usual time for rising and had missed breakfast with her father, something she was not sorry for, given that they usually passed their meal in strained silence. Holding her bedsheet over her head, she did not initially hear her maid enter the room until a gentle hand pulled the sheet down.

“My Lady, I am sorry to disturb your rest but Ser Gwayne Hightower and the Lady Alicent Hightower have enquired if you will be joining them on their walk today. Would you like me to help you dress?”

A feeling of embarrassment rose in Y/N as she imagined her two friends waiting for her at the door of her apartments and she frantically rose to begin dressing, before a sharp pain in her abdomen had her falling back onto the bed. A moment passed before she was able to address her maid.

“Thank you, Lilah. Please could you inform Ser Gwayne and Lady Alicent that I am indisposed and will not be able to join them today. Please offer them my sincerest apologies and wish them a pleasant day. That will be all.”

Regretting that she would be unable to rejoin her friends, and wishing that she did not have to make such a feeble excuse, Y/N quickly sought the comfort of the covers, once again, as her maid left the room. Whilst she knew that Alicent would be aware of her condition from her excuse, she was unable to suppress the feeling of embarrassment at the potential of Gwayne knowing of it and thinking her weak. With this unpleasant thought turning in her mind, she struggled to find the repose which she so sorely needed.

Gwayne was unable to conceal the eagerness with which he looked up as a door within Lady Y/N’s apartment’s closed and he heard the tread of footsteps, looking up in anticipation of the lovely lady whose company had grown to be so essential to him so quickly over the course of the last two weeks. He was disappointed and concerned, however, when, instead of his lady, her maid reappeared to inform them that the lady in question was indisposed and would not be joining them.

Gwayne’s expression fell immediately, stricken with concern.

“Is the lady very unwell? Is there anything we could get her that might be of any help?”

Looking uneasily between Gwayne and Alicent, the maid seemed to struggle to give him an adequate response.

Seeing her flounder, and realising that she was probably trying to conceal the real reason for Y/N’s indisposition, Alicent thanked the maid, before pulling on Gwayne’s arm to lead him from Y/N’s apartments.

Turning to his sister in confusion, he was met with Alicent’s stern gaze.

“Don’t make a nuisance of yourself Gwayne, can’t you see that the poor maid was struggling to provide you with an answer.”

Reproaching himself with having made the maid uncomfortable in his concern for Y/N, he slightly lowered his head.

“I am sorry for it, but does it not concern you that Lady Y/N should be unwell. I only wondered if I might be able to procure something that might alleviate her symptoms.”

Patting her brother’s shoulder affectionately at his chivalrous nature, Alicent met his gaze.

“She will be quite well in a few days, you know that mother and I have often found ourselves similarly indisposed at certain times throughout the month.”

A look of realisation and concern passed over Gwayne’s face at this. Growing up in the company of his sister, Gwayne was no stranger to the symptoms she experienced during her monthly cycles, and would often read to her, her head on his lap, to help take her mind off them. He would bring her and their mother, when she still lived, their favourite sweets, almond cakes, and make up poultices of heated stones to ease their pain for them, after first checking that the stones were not too hot. Gwayne disliked seeing either his mother or his sister in pain and sought to alleviate their suffering in any way he could, or to at least provide a comforting shoulder to lean upon. He found his own father’s apathy towards the suffering of his wife and daughter to be a source of disgust and disbelief, and could not have anticipated Y/N being embarrassed at the thought of him being aware of the reason for her condition. His mind turned quickly now to whether he could send Y/N anything to ease her symptoms, finding that the thought of her experiencing any pain caused a pain of his own to tighten within his chest.

Turning to gaze down at his sister, Gwayne’s mouth upturned in a conspiratorial smile.

“I think that we should direct our walk towards the kitchens today, Sister. I wonder if they have any of those almond cakes you adore so much.”

Realising what he was planning, their thoughts always so in-tune with each other, Alicent tapped his cheek affectionately before entangling her arm with his, as they made their way through the lower levels of the Keep, towards the kitchens.

A knock at her chamber door at around noon, had Y/N raising her head slightly to call for the person on the other side to enter. Seeing her maid enter the room with a tray, a puzzled expression made its way onto Y/N’s face, given that her father would never normally send anything up to her on such occasions. As her maid brought the tray further towards her bed, she spotted a small bouquet of her favourite flowers, gardenias, tied together with a green ribbon, as well as a hot poultice, wrapped in a cloth, and a plate of almond cakes.

Y/N instantly recognised the ribbon to be Alicent’s, and realised that the tray must have been sent by her, especially since almond cakes happened to be both of their favourite desserts. A small, leatherbound volume on a period of history she had expressed an interest in learning more about to Gwayne, was also carefully placed underneath the bouquet on the tray, beside a note.

Thanking her maid for the tray, as she left the room, Y/N reached for the parchment first.

My Dear Lady,

Please accept these humble offerings of our concern for your welfare and swift recovery, in the hopes that they will be of interest or comfort to you. I happened across a bushel of these lovely flowers and thought of you, knowing them to be your favourite, and I thought that this volume might be what you were looking for in the library.

I do hope you enjoy the cakes. I have it on good authority, that authority being my dear sister’s, that they are a remedy to solve all ills. So insistent was she upon their effectiveness, that I am afraid I have made a poor impression of myself upon the cook, as she half chased me from her kitchens after she found me scavenging for them. I shall leave you with the image of your knight being felled by a saucepan, as I know only too well how much that would amuse you.

Please do rest well and let us know when you are better, or else I am sure to wither away in sorrow from your absence, and then I really shall not be able to lift my sword at the coming tourney. I will only have you to blame if such is the case.

With the fate of your knight at stake, please do take care.

Yours most faithfully,

Gwayne

Y/N found her heart swelling and her eyes watering the more she read of Gwayne’s letter, so grateful was she for the concern that both of her friends had for her, when she was so unaccustomed to receiving it in her own home. She could not supress a laugh at the thought of Gwayne, who was really very skilled with a sword, being felled by a saucepan, wielded by a belligerent cook.

@liafiction

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[ferrstappen]

what about a pr relationship with max? 👀

plot twist: it’s real | max verstappen

Everybody was whispering about a secret guest on the Red Bull garage. It was Brad Pitt, but you on the other side, walked freely around the paddock in Miami, just another celebrity making an appearance, no one suspected you would be his co-star, Brad Pitt’s love interest or something along those lines.

However, the public did suspect something was going on between Max and you after the GP, even official Red Bull videos of you asking him questions as he drove at an extreme speed.

You started following each other in social media, tagging him on multiple stories during the weekend. The last one sent people into a frenzy, it was simple, just Max holding the trophy, blue eyes shining as he directly smiled at you; face red and sweaty, dark blond hair sticking to his forehead and extra fluffy from humidity, even the tip of his tongue was visible from how big he was smiling.

It was calculated to the second; every post, every appearance, every smile.

Anyone who was mildly involved in gossip and celebrity drama was aware that PR relationships were a think of the past, no one having the time to do such things nowadays.

Plus, with Deuxmoi on every corner and every available information, it wasn’t a particularly smart move.

But no one said anything about hinting at something, studied long gazes, bad jokes on camera, walks on the beach, leaving clubs early with Max acting as a bodyguard of sorts. Of course people were speculating, young rising Hollywood star actress and Formula 1 prodigy, a talent so natural it was unbelievable.

A power couple.

Both you and Max were aware this was just to boost a movie while attracting more people to F1. But somewhere along the way, lines became a little blurry; hugs weren’t mechanic, laughs were real, the butterflies appeared and suddenly, you were holding hands during your beach walks.

You were wearing his cap while walking on the sunny Los Angeles streets, boarding a plane to wherever the GP was taking place, the paddock, it became part of your every day look.

Max was seen on movie premieres, not walking the red carpet but quietly inside the theatre, his jet was seen landing on LAX more often, making appearances on movie sets.

During the weekend of the Monaco GP you decided to make it official, boyfriend and girlfriend. You fell asleep on his arms, naked chest under your head as he laughed at something you said, insisting he should be sleeping for FP3 and qualifying, but he couldn’t, enjoying the way the way your breathing slowed down along the cata purring on the floor.

It was still unknown to everyone else, though. Of course, people in the paddock knew, Kym Illman photographing your arrival early in the morning sporting the Red Bull cap. Other celebrities attending the iconic GP noticing the obvious nature of your relationship, with Max’s hand not even trying to hide the fact they were resting on your ass, fingers sneaking under your blouse to caress the skin.

Then, the obvious started to happen.

subject: Motorsport and Hollywood rising stars in love.

email: everyoneknowsthis@butyoudidnthearitfrome.com

Message: I have it on good authority Hollywood’s newest sweetheart will be starring along an iconic and heartbreaker actor in a driving movie, even the actor in question attended the Miami Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago.

The surprise is that the predicted winner of this F1 season and the actress are in a committed relationship ever since they met since this winner, gives-you-wings f1 team will be sponsoring and working in the movie. A source even told me they were seen making out on his yacht during the Monaco Grand Prix, and the actress was sitting and laughing with the driver’s mom and sister 👀

user1: i bet my life this is max Emilian verstappen and (y/n), why else would max be seen in universal studios???

user 2: what about Florence Pugh and Charles Leclerc?

user3: no way, Florence attended with her bf!!!

user4: it’s giving pr for the movie💀

user5: (y/n) even comments on Victoria Verstappen’s post!!! and Max went out for drinks with Daniel Ricc, Pedro Pascal and Bradley cooper after the met, they probably met on set bc they’re filming with (y/n) They’re not even hiding at this point!!!

Well, you kept hiding until it was time for the movie premier. Everyone from Red Bull was invited; Checo, Daniel and Max arriving together, Christian and Geri were naturals, but Max was waiting for you on the red carpet.

Your Versace dress was the perfect fit, Max couldn’t help but look at your ass and boobs, not caring photographers were everywhere, it was time to stop sneaking and pretending you were just friends.

His arm found its place on your waist, dedicating you his brightest smile before kissing your lips, people screaming your names, but your eyes only found his blue ones, shining under the flashes and holding his hand.

[builtbybrokenbells]

Melodic Memories | Track 5: If You Gotta Go, Go Now - Bob Dylan

In a tattered old box shoved deep down in the corner of an overfilled closet, a lifetimes worth of memories lie dormant at the bottom waiting to be rediscovered.

Masterlist

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 11k

Warnings: angst, crying, heartbreak, high school breakups, estranged parent/strained parental relationship, depression, high school drama, anxiety, mentions of drinking, drinking, mentions of hookups/one night stands, unrequited love, very brief mention of suicidal thoughts/ideation, PTSD mentions/explanations of reactions and behaviours due to PTSD, mentions of addiction/drugs, smoking, swearing, best friend fluff, sorry if i miss any!

Hi everyone!! Sorry this took so long—took a much needed break from life for a few days. Finally had some time to write this weekend. I hope you guys like it!! 🤍 as always, be kind, enjoy, and don’t mind any grammar mistakes!

Also a special shout-out to @gretavangroupie and @gretavanmoon for always keeping me on track, putting up with my craziness, and for the unwavering support and encouragement 🤍 melodic memories wouldn’t be what it is without you 😌

Her POV

“Listen to me, baby

There’s something you must see

I want to be with you, gal

If you want to be with me.”

“Jake, please turn that off. I can’t stand it.” You laughed, covering your ears as you tried your best to disappear under the pile of blankets on his bed.

“What?” Jake asked, freezing in place as the words reached his ears. Slowly, he turned from the record player sitting atop his desk, his eyes landing on you with an unfamiliar expression on his face. “Did you really just say that?” His voice was low, challenging you to see if you would say it again, or if he misheard completely.

“Yes.” You groaned, pushing your head further back into the fluffy pillow as you tried your best to avoid his gaze. “I’m sorry, I love you, but I can’t stand Bob Dylan.” You stood your ground, knowing it would cut deep but unable to hide it any longer.

“Are you insane?” Jake’s eyes were wide, his mouth agape with shock as he processed your unruly confession. “How can you not love Dylan? Are you deaf?”

“No, but right now I wish I was.” You mumbled, tuning out the grating harmonica echoing through the room. The crackling of the needle in the groove paired with the irritating pitch of the instrument was making your head ache, and even if you loved him more than anything, you didn’t love him enough to suffer through another song.

“Y/N, I-I… I can’t believe you.” He laughed, his tone airy and uncomfortable as he cranked the volume knob down a little bit. “Sunshine, he’s one of the greats—a literary genius, a folk-rock icon, a fuckin’ mastermind. How can you even say that?”

“I dunno, guess it just isn’t for me. Never really liked him.”

“You’re breaking my heart, baby.” His lips turned down into a frown, his eyes glancing at the vinyl record spinning as he debated turning it off. “You know what? No, I won’t take that as an answer.” He shook his head, turning the knob up again so the sound of the harmonica could be heard clearly again.

“Jake.” You groaned, wishing he would heed your request to change the record. He restarted the song, a hand on his hip as he observed the needle glide over a divot in the old vinyl. Then, after a particularly intense scratching sound, the song started from the beginning again.

As the lyrics began, he started to hum along, ploppping down on the bed beside you. His company made the song a touch more bearable, and staring at his face made it easier to ignore the noise he was trying to pass off as music.

“Seriously, sunshine? None of it?” He asked, still trying to wrap his head around your dislike for the musician.

“It just isn’t for me. Is that a crime?” You giggled, finding his overbearing approach entertaining.

“Usually no, but in this case, absolutely.” He laughed. “Only thing worse than that is if you said you hated B.B. King… or Hendrix, maybe.”

“Okay, well I don’t hate B.B. King, or Hendrix. You can’t let this one slide?” You grinned, shimmying down on the bed to be closer to him. He almost gave in to the temptation, forgetting the topic at hand momentarily as he reached out to brush the hair from your face. Then, he snapped out of the lovestruck trance and remembered why he was sitting next to you in the first place.

“If I let this slide, what’s next? You’ll tell me you hate rock, or blues, or worse, music all together?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly teasing but still very petty over your dislike of the artist.

“Okay, bug, you’re being ridiculous.” You rolled your eyes, reaching for his hand and lacing your fingers with his in another attempt to distract him.

“I’m being ridiculous?” He repeated your words, his tone accusatory yet still playful. “Are you even listening to yourself?”

“Okay, I get it. Dylan is great and I’m crazy. Is that what you want to hear?” You leaned forward, your hand connecting with his bicep as you gave him a gentle shove. He barely moved from his position, his brown eyes sparkling as he looked over your face.

“No, that’s not what I want to hear, because I know you’re lying.” He said, his thumb drifting over the back of your hand. “What about I Shall Be Released? That’s a great song by him.” Your cheeks tinted red in embarrassment as you averted your gaze.

“Don’t think I’ve heard it.” You whispered, unsure how he would take it.

“Okay…” he hummed, raising his free hand to his chin, running his fingers over his skin as he thought. “No, that’s good. I can show it to you, and you’ll like it.” He deducted. “Like a Rolling Stone?”

“That one’s okay.” You emphasized the word, ensuring he understood it was bearable, not enjoyable to you.

“Tangled Up In Blue?” He tried again, met with another blank stare as he listed off a song you didn’t know. He let out a huff, nodding as he made a mental note to show you that one, too. “Alright, then. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door?”

“Yeah, but I’d much rather listen to the Guns n’—“

“No, I’m going to stop you there.” Jake cut you off, forcing a smile on his lips. “Not sure I want to hear the rest of that.” A silence fell upon the two of you, leaving him to ponder all of the information you had given him. After a while, your stomach was twisted in a knot, worried you’d driven a stake between you because of a simple dislike of the artist.

“So, what now? I don’t like Dylan, which is clearly troubling for you. Is that it for us?” You were joking, even if there was a slight hint of genuine concern behind your question. He looked at you, appalled that you would even suggest such a thing.

“Are you crazy, woman? F’course not.” He replied, a frown tugging at his lips just from the thought alone.

“Been called that once or twice… few times today, actually.” You grinned, easing the tension between you.

“I’d never break up with you over that, sunshine.” All of the humor in his tone disappeared, assuring you that leaving was not something that ever crossed his mind. “But, I won’t quit until you’re a fan. Lots of opportunities here, babe. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be his biggest fan.” You rolled your eyes ever so slightly, but nodded along with his words, knowing he would try even if you objected. Arguably, the worst thought was not hours of listening to Bob Dylan, but the idea of him ever being ‘done’ with you, in any sense of the word.

“Y/N, that is enough.” Mel snipped, rushing into your bedroom with a cloud of dust trailing behind her. In two quick strides, she was beside you, reaching over you to smash the pause button on the CD player. “It’s been three days—I’m done watching you cry, I’m done sitting in silence, and I’m done listening to this fucking Bob Dylan song.” As much as she cared for you, everyone had a breaking point, and she was undoubtedly long past hers. If you were less miserable, you would have recognized how insufferable your actions were, but you were too busy drowning in tears to care about how anyone else felt. “I’m one more bottle of wine away from an intervention, and I’m sure that’s the last thing you want right now.”

“God, why can’t you just let me suffer in peace?” You groaned, burying your aching head in your knees as you sunk further into the leather desk chair.

“I’ve been letting you suffer, dumbass.” She reminded you, plopping down on the edge of your bed. “But I’d hardly call it peaceful.” She continued, placing her hand on the arm of the chair and spinning you to face her. “You’re a mess. You’ve been drunk since two, you haven’t eaten, you’ve barely slept, and you look like shit.”

“Thanks for the words of encouragement.” You muttered, reaching for the wine bottle on your desk to finish off the last of the strawberry flavored heartbreak medication. Before you could place the bottle to your lips, Mel snatched it from your hands and placed it on the floor just out of reach.

“You smell like a distillery. Think you’ve had enough.” She chirped, her expression stern and her voice curt. You scoffed a reply, irritated at the world as you reached over to press play so you could listen to the same harmonica melody that had become an anthem of your sorrow once again. “Stop.” She pulled your chair a little closer to her so you couldn’t reach the desk. “I love you, but I cannot listen to that song again. I can’t fucking stand Bob Dylan.”

“What?” You hissed, whipping your head in her direction. Finally, an emotion other than sadness plagued you; instead, you were filled with anger that she could say such a thing. “Bob Dylan is a great musician, one who wrote absolute masterpieces. Watch what you fuckin’ say.” A slight slur followed your words, making you realize you were much more intoxicated than you previously believed.

You weren’t sure if you actually grew to like Bob Dylan and his music, or if the fondness happened because of the boy who was so adamant about changing your mind on the matter.

“God, you’re impossible.” She seethed, frustrated with your behavior and even more upset that she couldn’t break through the wall you built up.

Mel had spent years perfecting the craft of being your best friend; you were a confusing, closed off vessel of constant anxiety. You hated talking about your feelings, unless it was over a mixed drink or a shared blunt, and you were your own worst enemy. You second-guessed every decision, talked yourself down from taking leaps that would better you in exchange for mundane familiarity, and you loved routine. Despite that, you loved deeply and with a fervor not many could understand, which ultimately always seemed to leave you with a broken heart when nobody could match the same energy.

In six years, she climbed mountains not many would ever venture. She memorized your quirks and habits, just the same as you had done for her. More than anything, she put it to good use and learned how to help when you couldn’t find it within you to help yourself. Every wall you built up, every deflection and every distraction was never a match for her counterpoints, and she had never faced a situation where she felt helpless.

Never, until three days ago, when you returned from your date with Jake Kiszka more heartbroken and miserable than ever before.

In six years, she learned everything she could about you, but she never understood why. Once she stepped foot in Michigan, learning about a life you’d sworn to keep a secret forever, it all began to make sense.

Days before she met you, you faced the biggest obstacle of your entire life, and you left your heart in the back pocket of someone you never expected to see again. You didn’t talk about your problems because you knew they could never amount to the struggle of leaving Jake, and because you got through that on your own, you believed you could do everything by yourself. Not only that, but you kept your feelings locked up in fear all of it would come out, including those in which you swore to never speak aloud. You closed yourself off from everything because you couldn’t bear the thought of getting hurt like that again, and routine was favored over risk-taking because your last risky decision left you near death and you never fully recovered.

Though, no matter how hard you tried, you could never love less than what you were programmed for, and it was biting you in the ass as you sat and forced yourself to listen to a song you couldn’t bear to hear again.

When you stormed through the front door, twenty bucks down from the cab ride and suffocating on your own misery, you had intent to tend to your wounds silently, to slap a band-aid over the largest injury you’d ever sustained and move on as if it never happened at all. You’d done it once before, and you trusted in yourself to do it again, but six years of suffering in silence had taken its toll and you were beginning to crack under the weight of your mistakes.

Difference was, this time, there was someone there to catch you before the fall, someone who was committed to your wellbeing and a voice of reason you never had before.

At first, Mel took a step back, understanding that whatever happened wasn’t good, and you needed time to process it before you spoke of it. If not, you would explode, and neither of you wanted to clean up that mess. So she did; she sat by and watched you nurse a bottle of wine as you listened to the mixtape that started (and ended?) it all, waiting until you had enough courage to speak. When you dozed off for an hour or two of broken sleep in the desk chair you drank yourself to oblivion in, you woke up and started all over again.

The next day, she thought that maybe you would have come to terms with it enough to at least tell her something, but she received nothing. Well, nothing except for the same Dylan song played on loop and a few more empty bottles of strawberry wine you’d silently left the house to buy. When you refused dinner, she started to really worry, and when you neglected to sleep for a second night in a row, she began to stress. In the early morning, she started to gently coax you into telling her what happened, which was met with a blank stare and a rude hand gesture. Before noon, she pried a little further, to no avail. At lunchtime, she was frustrated, and now after dinner, she was long past the point of no return.

Coddling you clearly wasn’t an option you were open to, so instead she settled on tough love, which would either break through to you or ruin your friendship entirely.

She was distraught enough to take the risk, and loved you enough to work through the consequences.

“Tell me what happened, or I’ll call him and ask him myself.” Mel warned, unrelenting as she continued to try and force the truth from you.

“Don’t you dare.” You warned, tears pooling your eyes at the simple thought of someone speaking to Jake, someone who was not you. “Just let it go, Mel. It’s over—don’t have to talk about it, don’t have to think about it. It’s over.” You repeated the word, feeling a separate stab in your chest each time the word passed through your lips.

After everything the two of you went through, how could it just be over? How could the time still not be right?

“No, you don’t have to talk about it, but clearly you’re thinking about it.” She countered, her lips pursed as they dipped down into a frown. “And you won’t stop thinking about it unless you talk about it.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” You grumbled, feeling the pressure behind your eyes increase tenfold as you spoke. Your throat was dry, scratchy despite the constant flow of liquid into your mouth. You were dehydrated, the effects in full force as your eyes throbbed and your stomach twisted with nausea. You were a mess, and you weren’t sure how to clean yourself up this time. “After all the pain, after all of the hope and the luck, it meant fucking nothing. I guess it just isn’t meant for us, and I have to get over it.”

“What happened, Y/N?” Mel pried, wondering what could have caused the state you were in, especially after spending all night with him.

“What happened?” You scoffed, a sour taste in your mouth from her words. “What happened was that I spent six years dedicated to moving on, to forgetting and letting go, to heal from the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. I spent weeks thinking it was luck, that the stars alligned perfectly for us to end up together again, but I was fucking stupid. I let you convince me to open myself up again, and I got hurt worse than I did the first time.” You spat, vindictive and angry at her despite it being nobody’s fault but your own.

“Woah,” Mel straightened up, defensive and ready to correct you on the matter. “Whatever happened, is not my fault. You can be sad, or angry, or whatever the hell you are, but you cannot blame it on me.” The two of you shared another bout of silence, fuming with stony expressions as you awaited the other's next move. “Are you going to be an adult, or do you want to keep acting like a baby? Completely up to you.”

“You wouldn’t get it, anyway.” You brushed her off, turning to face the CD player as you resumed the music once more. She let out a huff of annoyance, knowing she was bluffing as she sat and listened to the intro of the same song for the millionth time, refusing to leave until you gave her something other than blame.

“What, did he end it? Not what he wanted after all?” In a lapse of judgment and slightly hurt feelings, she retaliated with something that would bruise your already aching heart even further. Deep down, she understood Jake was not the one who put the relationship on pause, and she knew you well enough to recognize the guilt embedded in your tired features. You ended it, and you swore yourself to silence so you could beat yourself up over it.

“Oh, fuck you.” You shot back, slinking further down into your seat as tears stung your eyes. “You really think I’d be this upset if I knew he was okay? You think I’d be this miserable if he was happy?”

There it was; the admission of truth she’d been so patiently waiting for. With that, she had more ground to stand on, this time without a fear of falling.

“Why’d you leave, babe?” Her voice was softer, but still erring on the side of caution and defense.

“What else was I supposed to do?!” You exploded, the gates crashing open as the flood of emotion you’d been guarding so hard finally escaped you. “Leaving is the only way I can make sure he won’t throw away everything he’s worked so hard for! He can’t be what he wants if I'm there—or here, holding him back!”

“Okay,” Mel whispered, reaching out and placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “Start from the beginning.” She continued, utilizing the briefest moment of time you allowed yourself to be vulnerable to get the full story from you.

You let out an exasperated huff, feeling sick from what you tried to pin on the liquor whilst knowing that it had everything to do with your broken heart. She was your person, just trying her best to help while you did all you could to be miserable and impossible to be around, and you knew that you needn’t be so cruel towards her. Even so, the hurt that only ever seemed to grow larger made you want to be cruel to everyone and everything, convincing you that you could never be happy or feel good again. Projecting it outwards was your best way of showing how you felt on the inside, especially when words seemed impossible to come by.

You felt like you were drowning, whether it be from your tears, your sorrow, or the excessive alcohol consumption, you did not know. What you did know was that everything hurt, every breath, every blink, and every single beat of your heart led you to believe it would be your last, yet you somehow persevered through the process another time, wondering if it would be easier to give in to the pain and let it all go.

You did all you could to protect yourself, keeping your distance for so long because you knew how it ended, yet you fell into the same situation you faced when you were barely eighteen and still naive. You were listening to living proof of your greatest heartbreak—hell, it was the very thing to convince you to take another chance along with the woman sitting across from you. Why did you ever think that it could be different, that it could be so easy, that you deserved anything Jake could give you?

You were so angry, so cynical that it was making your head spin, and you couldn’t get any of it to make sense. In lieu of a better option, you swallowed your pride and prepared yourself to confess to your mistakes. Even if it was the last thing you wanted to do, it was better than letting the pain get the best of you. Six years ago, you survived it on your own, but it had left you completely depleted of any kind of energy, and you knew you could not do it a second time.

“It was perfect. Everything he did, everything he said, everything he planned. It was like he fit three whole years of dating into one night—or at least the best parts of it, I guess.” Your tone was weaker than before, more defeated as you let the misery seep through the walls of defense you’d built so high. “Got dinner at the same spot we had our first date, ate in the park where he asked me to be his girlfriend, went to the bar we snuck into on one of our last nights together. He played our song on the jukebox, and we went back to his hotel. It was perfect, Mel. So perfect that I think it scared me.”

“Why did it scare you?” She softened up too, less intense now that you were cooperating. She had a wicked need for control, a wicked desire to help, and it made the two of you bump heads sometimes, especially with your abrasive nature.

“When he was far away, it was so easy to pretend that this was all lighthearted, that it was as simple as old high school sweethearts rekindling, just to see where we were at in life. It was easier to swallow back those feelings, to pretend he didn’t mean that much to me anymore. When I saw him, there was no more pretending, and when he did all of his sweet little gestures, it was harder to ignore the fact that he felt the same way I did.” You explained, low and slow as you turned down the volume knob so she could hear you better. With every word you spoke, your eyes brimmed with tears threatening to spill onto your cheeks. “For a while, I lived in this bubble of happiness that nothing could touch. Six years of misery finally ended, and I was okay again, I could breathe again, without the weight of the entire fucking world sitting on my shoulders.”

“What popped your bubble?” Mel asked, growing more comfortable with the conversation as she kicked her legs up on the bed and leaned against the wall behind her. You couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at her words, knowing nothing was funny but still able to find humor in the childlike question.

“Reality.” You responded, your lips dipping into a frown. “Nothing changed, Mel. The reasons we broke up are still just as prevalent, and I was so high on his company that I almost forgot all about it.” She was quiet for a moment, taking in your half-told story as she waited for you to continue, but you didn’t. You felt as though your point was clearly across despite never actually getting into it.

“What popped your bubble, Y/N?” She repeated, her eyes trained to your face as she pressed a little further. You swallowed hard, knowing that what you did was wrong and unwilling to divulge into it. Eventually, her stare became impossible to ignore, and she silently forced your hand on the matter.

“I went through his phone.” You rushed out, your eyes closing as the last syllable left your lips, knowing you were bound to be chastised because of your invasion of privacy.

“Nosy, much?” She raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on her lips. You expected much worse—no, you wanted much worse. You wanted someone to hold you accountable, to be as angry at yourself as you were, because what you did was wrong.

“Am I crazy for wanting you to yell at me?” You asked, leaning your head back on the chair in defeat.

“No.” She shook her head, giving the honest answer. “You know it was wrong, but you’re beating yourself up enough for the both of us. I don’t need to make it any worse.”

“I guess I didn’t really snoop, per se.” You felt a small smile cross your face, the only joyous expression you’d adorned since leaving Jake’s hotel room. “I looked through his notifications. I didn’t go through all his texts, or anything.” You defended yourself, less so because you were trying to justify your behavior and more so she knew what really happened.

“Clearly you found something. Does he have a secret family, or whatever?” She was trying her best to sound disinterested, but you knew she was itching for an answer.

Leaving Mel in silence for three days was equal to torture, and you feared she genuinely might go crazy if she was left in the dark for any longer. Mel was overbearing, annoyingly so at times, but it was always with the best intentions. She was your person, even if you tried to fight it, and she was the only one in the whole world that could help. Whether you were open to her advice or not, she always had at least a single good idea to give. If not an idea, then always some food for thought.

“I wish.” You gave a solemn smile. “I think if I hated him, it would be so much easier to get over him.”

“So what is it?”

“Exactly what I thought he would do six years ago; dropped his entire life for me. Moved meetings, rescheduled photoshoots, canceled interviews… completely neglected every responsibility just to drive to Michigan to take me on a date. Then I saw a weird but not super incriminating message from a girl named Amelie.” You pronounced her name with a poor French accent, a bitter taste on your tongue at the thought of her meaning anything at all to Jake.

“Okay.” Mel breathed, giving a curt nod. “Let’s start with the easy part. This Amelie… you said Jake’s not the type, so what do you think it is?”

“Sounds like a beautiful French woman he met on tour that I can’t begin to compare to.” You grumbled, swallowing back a lump in your throat as you confessed to the fear.

But Jake’s not like that.

He had never been the type to entertain two women at once—he had never been one to lie.

Why would he say all of those things, the romantic and emotional tellings of his heart that were all directed at you, if he did not mean them in the truest and most genuine ways?

Why would he wait six years just to break your heart?

“Right,” Mel hummed, not agreeing with your statement but instead trying to gauge whether you were ready for her input or not. Your eyes flickered to her, silently telling her you needed her input, that you needed her to confirm you were crazy for believing so. “Want to hear what I think?”

‘Yes, please. God yes, tell me I’m wrong.’ You thought to yourself, your lips staying shut as your eyes continued to bore into her. Behind the rigid exterior, she could see it—she could feel your desperation for help.

“You’re going to tell me anyway, so why not?” God, what was wrong with you? Why had you always taken the defense, never letting yourself show too much and never giving up on your own stubbornness? Why couldn’t you just be truthful, tell her you needed her and you couldn’t do this on your own?

“I think Amelie was the excuse you were waiting for.” She said, her voice quiet as she treaded carefully. Never faltering in your physical form, you felt everything inside of you spiral into one, horrible pit of despair. “You don’t think Jake is fucking her, and you don’t think he’s in a relationship. You just wanted an excuse to run, to feel justified in leaving.”

You wanted her to tell you that you were wrong, but now you were pissed off because she called you out. More than that, you were pissed off because she was right.

“So what?” You snapped, your gaze falling back to your hands crossed on your lap. “Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t change the rest of it.”

“It does, though.” She corrected, already privy to your innermost struggles. “You’re scared to have that conversation, to tell him how much it hurt the first time. You’re scared to open up, and you’re scared of hurting him. You don’t want to go through the same thing all over again, so you think that by walking away, you’re avoiding it.” She explained. “Amelie was your excuse to run before you had to tell him all of that.”

“Stop that.” You recoiled at her statement, choking on the words she was shoving into your mouth.

“Jesus Christ, Y/N. Open your eyes.” She implored you to digest the information rather than throw it away.

“Get out of my head!” You argued, angry not because she was missing the mark, but rather because she seemed to pluck the thoughts straight from your head and put them on display for everyone to see. “I hate it when you do that! You trick me into talking just so you can solve it all for me.”

“If I didn’t, who the hell would?” She snapped back, her eyebrows furrowed as she navigated your rebuttal. “You?”

Silence hovered over you again, uncomfortable and thick as it weighed you down. Breathing was hard, the strength of her stare mixed with the heaviness of your sadness combining into one, lethal force.

Of course you wouldn’t fix it; you weren’t a fixer—you were an ignore-er. It was your best trait, the only reason you’d survived the bulk of your life’s misery. You would shove it so far down that you would forget it existed, then carry on as if it never happened at all.

“He didn’t drop everything to go on some pathetic little date with you. He didn’t abandon responsibilities for a meaningless one night stand. He rearranged his schedule to find time to rekindle the relationship with the love of his life—with you. Those are two drastically different things, and you need to get your head out of your ass. He waited six years, Y/N. Six years for you to come back, six years of hoping and praying that you would change your mind. I know you like to be right, that you think you get to call all of the shots because you think you know what’s best for everyone, but you don’t get to decide this. You don’t get to make decisions for him.”

“I’m not making decisions for him—I’m making decisions for me, for what’s best for both of us.” Your argument was weak, and you knew she had you beat, but you never went down without a fight.

“If that was true, you think maybe you would be happy? Or at least okay?” She forced you to think about it again, to reconsider your thoughts and look inwards from a new perspective. She was right; if it were for the best, you wouldn’t be so miserable. Worse still, he wouldn’t be miserable, and you knew he was. The pile of unanswered texts told you he was anything but happy with your choice. “Was he happy when you left? Did he want this, too?”

“No, he didn’t.” You swallowed hard, your head throbbing as you thought back to his pain stricken face. Reliving the moments before you left, both times, was agonizing, yet they seemed to be the only memories you could think of as of recent.

“See?” She leaned forward on the bed, forcing you to look at her. “You know I’m right.”

“I just… fuck, Mel! I don’t know where I’m going, I don’t know what I’m doing. I thought I had my life figured out, but I never did. I don’t have a job, I don’t have a place to live yet. I can’t subject him to that. I can’t force him to put up with all of this. It’s better if we’re friends, at least while I get everything figured out, but it’s not as easy as you say it is.”

“Do you love him?” She asked, ignoring every point you made. You caught her gaze, your stomach twisting with anxiety as the word echoed through the room. It bounced against every corner of your skull, furthering the migraine and making your palms break out into a sweat.

“Yes.” Finally, you breathed the response, relieved to finally confess it to her. “I love him more than anything else in the world. I always have. I never stopped.”

“Then nothing else matters.” She hummed, the sweet tone easing the ache in your chest. Damn her for always knowing what to say, and damn her for always making you feel better. Most of all, damn her for not being able to mind her own business. “I’ve never seen you so happy. Nobody else has ever made you feel like that, not since I’ve known you, and I’m sure even way before that. If you still feel this way after so long, it means something, Y/N. Don’t throw it away because you’re scared. If he loves you like this too, you can make anything work.”

“I’ve only ever wanted what’s best for him, Mel. Want to see him happy, see him succeed, and I can’t get over the thought of me being the reason he doesn’t.” You confessed, your mouth dry as the truth scratched your throat raw. “That’s why I left the first time. That’s why I left this time. Our lives aren’t that different than they were back then, and the reasons we broke up are still very much alive.”

“You’re not the same, and neither is he. Stop thinking you’re still eighteen and stupid. You’ve grown up, you’ve lived life without him, and you came back. No matter how pressing those reasons were, clearly they weren’t strong enough to keep you away for good.”

“I hate you, you know.” You muttered, a small smile tugging at your lips.

“No, you don’t.” She chuckled. “You hate being wrong.”

“I’m not wrong.” You huffed, still believing your reasoning was correct.

“You sure as hell ain’t right.” Mel laughed, the sound uplifting and refreshing compared to the misery you had been stuck in. “Try, Y/N. Said it before, and I’ll say it again. You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t. If, in the end, I turn out to be wrong, we’ll take it as it comes, but you don’t know that’s how it’ll end. You can’t live your life always wishing you ended up with someone you wouldn’t let yourself have.”

Instead of responding, you reached out, pausing the Dylan song amidst a particularly intense bout of harmonica. In an instant, your blinding headache eased and your sick stomach rumbled with hunger. In a moment of clarity, you finally let yourself feel what you’d been holding back for so long; the largest, most pressing issue of the entire ordeal.

“I fucking hate Bob Dylan.” It felt like a million pounds were lifted off your chest as the words passed over your tongue.

“Thank god.” Mel fell backwards onto the mattress, utterly exhausted from pretending to tolerate the song.

Funny how missing Jake blinded you enough to believe you enjoyed it, like it was your last, desperate attempt at feeling close to him. You didn’t need to pretend, and you didn’t need to look at things from the same perspective all of the time. Life wasn’t black and white—it was a million different colors all at once, some so beautiful you couldn’t even begin to comprehend them. You could hate Bob Dylan and still love Jake the same, just the same as you could feel close to him without clinging to the time-worn memory of him. You didn’t have to view everything through a single lense, because sometimes things had to be looked at differently every time you encountered them.

You and Jake, were in fact, something that needed to be taken from every different angle possible. The twists and turns you took to get where you were, the surplus of emotion and the lack of action, the abundance of love despite there being no reason for it could not be justified from one single point or train of thought. You were everything all at once, and after six years and a damned mixtape later, you weren’t destined to end the same way all over again.

There had to be something else for you—it had to be different. After all this time, your commitment to his heart had to be worth it, rather than a painful bump in the road to remind you and make you relive your worst failures.

You were confused, nervous, and frustrated. You wanted it to make sense, for the answer to splay itself in front of you, so obvious you would trip over it and become one with it, but you knew it could never be so easy. You had to force yourself to learn how to take a step back, to stop being so close to a situation that it skewed your perception of what was in front of you. You needed to learn how to see it from Mel’s eyes, and most importantly, Jake’s.

You didn’t know anything, nor how to do it, but the fire under your ass was forcing you to figure it out. You couldn’t live the rest of your life this miserable, and you knew misery was the only thing in store for you if you forced yourself away from Jake.

Facts made sense to you, so you had to look at it logically; you had to learn, to understand, which had always been your favorite thing to do.

It wouldn’t be that hard, right?

You hoped not, because feeling so out of touch with reality was ruining you, and not knowing was killing you. No matter how hard it was, you had to do it, you had to know for certain.

Though, no matter what you did, you were certain one thing would always remain true; you would never, not in a million years, grow to love Bob Dylan, even if the man you loved most was his biggest fan.

And now that the song had finally come to a long overdue halt, Ozz found it within himself to join the two of you in your bedroom, free to keep you company amidst your sadness without being scared off by the high pitched harmonica on loop.

Jake’s POV

“God, you are a fuckin’ mess.” Your hotel door swung open, a voice ringing through the empty air after a brief moment of calm. You closed your eyes, not responding to the noise in hopes he would take the hint and walk away. For the first time ever, not even Josh could make the hurt ease. For the first time ever, you believed he had no advice to give you.

The whole world was burning, but you were so caught up in it that not even a hand to hold could reassure you, and he could not talk you through it.

If anything, you feared talking would only make it burn so much worse.

“Jesus, Jacob. Have you even gotten out of bed yet?” He was by your bedside, peering down at you with a mix of concern and disgust on his face. You were shirtless, the sheets strewn messily across your lower half as you prayed for the mattress to open up and swallow you whole. “Hello?” Josh spoke again, his lips decorated with a frown as he awaited a response.

“Fuck, what do you want?” You groaned, running a hand over your face. You wished he would take the hint, but you felt ridiculous for even thinking he might. In your long lifetime spent with him by your side, you noticed that Josh had never once acknowledged a hint, let alone taken one.

“I don’t know, maybe a ‘hello’? That would be a good start. Or, better yet, an explanation as to why I haven’t heard or seen you since I was here yesterday, when you were in the same position?” He had a hand on his hip, his stare accusatory as he refused to back down.

“Never should have given you that damn spare key.” You grumbled, pushing your messy hair away from your face. Your eyes were burning, puffy from crying, and even if he could clearly see the state you were in, you would never admit it to him.

“Well, you did, so get the fuck over it and tell me what your issue is.” He brushed off your snide comment, sitting next to you in the bed despite his lack of invitation. “Been three days, brother. Something happened—just waiting for you to tell me what.”

“Do you know how to mind your own business, or is that completely lost on you?” You huffed, still tipsy off the whiskey bottle you nursed to completion the night before.

“If you haven’t noticed, you are my business, asshole.” He snipped back, unscathed from your harsh words. He knew you, and all too well; this behaviour was nothing new, and even he knew what it was about, but he wanted to hear it from you instead of assuming. “I’ve only ever seen you like this once before. Trouble in paradise… again?”

“Do you have to try and be so condescending, or does that come naturally?” Your eyes shot open, more energy coursing through you now as you made a move to sit upright. As you did, your head throbbed from the grievous hangover, but you pushed it to the side as you focused on your irritation with Josh.

“Sorry I’m late—lost my fuckin’ key. Went to find Daniel for the spare, and he lost that one, too! Go figure…” Sam joined the crowd, ranting about his days minor inconvenience as he kicked the door shut behind him. He didn’t seem to notice the disarray you found yourself in, nor was he able to read the emotion hanging heavily in the room.

“You really outdid yourself, Josh.” You rolled your eyes, half tempted to roll out of bed and dress yourself just so you could run away from the awkward encounter. “What is this, a brotherly intervention?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s an intervention,” Josh shot you down, tapping his fingers against his khaki-clad leg. “More like a concerned conversation?” He offered an alternative, trying to explain himself before you jumped to conclusions.

“You said intervention in the text.” Sam countered, confused and adding little to Josh’s efforts. You raised a hand, motioning to Sam as you turned your head towards your twin. With a raised eyebrow, you waited for the confirmation you wanted, even if all it would do was drive you further away.

“Sam—ugh, you know what? Fine. Intervention, as the two of you would have it.” Josh threw his arms up, shooting the youngest of the group a glare.

“Right.” You muttered, throwing the sheets off of you and straightening the band of your sweatpants as you climbed out of bed. Your joints ached from days of lazing in the same position and your eyes hurt as you faced the sunlight pooling in through the sheer curtains. “Good thing I don’t need an intervention. In fact, don’t need anything. I’m fine.” You slipped a shirt over your head, stepping towards the door with hopes of escaping the burgeoning intensity of their stares. “‘Preciate the concern, but you’re wasting your energy.”

Josh sent a pointed look at Sam, silently commanding him to step in front of the door before you could leave. This time, he understood the hidden message that Josh was desperately trying to convey, and he took a step backwards to block the exit. You let out a huff of frustration, closing your eyes as you raised your thumb and middle finger to your temples, gently massaging away the migraine the two were causing.

“Sam, please.” You breathed, wasting little effort in speaking as you tried to focus it all on standing upright. You could smell the alcohol on you, seeping through your pores as your liver tried to recover from the previous night's binge. You were a mess, and they were right, but you did not want to talk about it.

“Sorry, brother.” Sam shrugged, leaning back against the wood grain as he shot you a sympathetic smile.

“So what, we’re leaving Daniel out of this? Pretty poor intervention if you ask me, ‘specially if the panel is ran by two idiots.” You felt your fuse reach the end, your temper getting the best of you as the frustration pulsed underneath your skin and behind your eyes.

“Jake, man, I love you.” Sam reasoned, pressing his palms together in front of his torso as the tips of his fingers pointed in your direction. “But could we lose the attitude? Just this once, could you grow up and be an adult about this? About her?”

“Don’t you dare—“ you seethed, cutting yourself off as a prickling sensation filling your entire body from the mere thought of him speaking about her. He had no right to speak her name, no business talking about her or placing his own notions and judgements on the situation. She was your sunshine, your entire world, and right now you were hurt enough to know that if he spoke ill of her, you wouldn’t be able to swallow your words. “Don’t talk about her, Sam. It’s not your place.”

“Okay, he’s right.” Josh nodded, standing and taking a hesitant step towards the two of you, not quite between you but ready to be if the situation warranted intervention. “No sunshine talk, Sammy boy. We’re here to talk about Jake.” Josh sent a careful glance at Sam, speaking with only his eyes. You were a ticking time bomb the two had faced explosion from many times in their life, and this instance happened to be one they were overly familiar with. To them, it seemed the fuse was the shortest when it had anything to do with her.

“Yeah, okay.” Sam cleared his throat, taking the step back and getting a handle on his own frustrations. “Let’s talk about you, Jake.” A twitch of anger contorted your expression at his tone of voice, but you took a deep breath instead of letting it slip into something bigger.

Why did it seem that the two people you loved most were always the ones who made you the angriest version of yourself?

“What about me, Sam?”

“Well, Jake… we’re concerned about your wellbeing, considering you’ve spent the last three days locked in your hotel room. Any reason why, or just making the most out of our vacation?” You squeezed your eyes shut, your teeth clenched tightly together as you listened to his words.

“Okaaayy—good start!” Josh chimed, trying his best to ease the lingering tension. “We are concerned, Jake. Thank you for starting us off, Sam.”

“You two are insufferable, you know.” You gave a tight lipped smile, ignoring the main topic at hand as if it were no big deal.

“‘Cause we love you. That’s all.” Josh shrugged, imploring you to understand where they were coming from. You let out a sigh, knowing they did love you, but it was not even enough to take away the ache in your heart. Nobody could love you enough to take that away.

Well, nobody except for her.

“Fine, you want to know what happened?” You asked, running your fingers through your tangled hair. “Date went great—better than I thought it would. Came back here, spent the night together, she said she loved me, and she fucking left! Again!” At that, your fist slammed down on the high end wooden desk beside you, the legs shaking under the pressure and your bones aching from the contact.

Your two brothers, dumbfounded and worried, stared at you with wide eyes, unbelieving that you found yourself in the same situation all over again. Why, after reaching out in the first place, would she leave you again without hesitation? Why would she let it go so far?

Confused and less than angry, Josh was in search of an answer.

“Why?” He asked, his face softening as he understood the torment you were enduring.

“Same thing as last time. She doesn’t want to stand in the way of anything, doesn’t want to distract me, or whatever the fuck—“ you felt your chest constrict at the thought, the pain coming back in an entirely new fashion as it tore through your entire body. When your brothers stormed in, they pissed you off enough to distract you from it, which means they served some sort of purpose. Now that you were talking, more specifically about her, it was back with a vengeance. “She doesn’t get it. She doesn’t understand that this doesn’t mean anything if she’s not here with me. Christ, I did the damn thing because of her! She was the whole reason I had the courage to try, a-and she thinks that she’s a nuisance? A hindrance? To a dream that only came true because she loved me?”

Josh stepped forward, a gentle hand extended in your direction. Softly, carefully, cautiously, it landed on your shoulder, a silent reassurance that he was here and he was listening. Sam approached, less annoyance on his face as he stood beside his eldest brother.

For some reason that you could not explain, the simple contact between you and your twin, the unspoken support and solidarity from both of them made the murky skies clear and allowed for fresh air to fill your lungs. It didn’t feel so heavy, so overwhelming.

“She said she loved you?” Sam asked, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his ass resting against the edge of the wooden desk you’d assaulted only moments before. Even though it just happened, it seemed blurry, hazy as you tried to recall it. Everything was so messed up, so much more confusing now that she closed the door on the two of you.

Although painful, the last few years of your life did not feel as haunting as the last three days had. You tried to blame it on the wound reopening, but in truth, it had little to do with that. Every day, each grueling hour and every painstaking second of the last six years, beneath all of the misery, one thing remained true; hope.

Although time passed, and the longer it dragged on the harder it became to remain optimistic, you never gave up hope that she would come back, that the two of you weren’t finished. Deep down, there was a guttural sense of expectation that led you to believe she would show up, walk through the door with that awe-inspiring smile on her face and love in her heart for you.

Finally, after six fucking years, she did.

Then, she tore it away from you in an instant, without even thinking twice about it, with a measly promise of friendship that both of you knew only added insult to injury.

You were willing to settle, to be friends so you never had to live a life without her in it again, but she couldn’t even hold up that end of the deal. She left, storming out of your hotel room the instant the cab driver parked in front of the entrance, barely looking back over her shoulder as she held her heels in her hands and blinked away tears pooling in her eyes. You heard the door slam, but you were somewhere completely different—a dark abyss in your mind you’d only visited once before, when she drove down the long winding road set out for UPenn, never even glancing at you through the rear view mirror.

Then she disappeared.

Every call went to voicemail, every text went unanswered, the bold letters of the word ‘delivered’ taunting you every time you closed your eyes.

She was gone, and this time, so was all hope.

Why did you let her leave? Why did you let her jump to that conclusion, to run before she got the full story? Why didn’t you run after her?

You were stupid, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway—she made up her mind, and she wouldn’t fucking listen. She never did, and you knew it would be a waste of breath.

“Sure did.” You cleared your throat after you spoke, your words raspy and sorrowful. You hated looking like such a mess in front of the two, but it was nothing they hadn’t seen before. In fact, it was the only thing they’d seen in the recent years that had come to pass. It only changed that fateful day in Europe, when her name graced your screen and the seemingly permanent cloud of misery finally floated away.

They enjoyed it for the few short weeks it lasted—it had been a long time since they saw that version of you. Happy, carefree, comfortable.

You only ever felt that way when she was around. The world only felt right with her by your side.

Now you had no idea where to go or what to do. The world didn’t end, the days still passed by in one never ending, haunting cycle of despair, and the sun was still in the sky, albeit it could never compare to her. You didn’t die when she walked away, although part of you felt like it did. You survived it once, and you could again. You had plenty to look forward to, so much to accomplish still, but it lost its sparkle knowing that you couldn’t share it with her.

So, no. The world did not end, but it definitely became colder, darker, without her light to shine upon you.

“Wonder if she meant it, or if it just felt right in the moment.” You scoffed the words out, sickened at the idea of her saying them but not truly meaning them. When you said it to her, it was the most sacred statement to ever leave your lips, the most genuine and soulful of words, and the only thing in the world that would forever remain true.

“Jacob,” Josh rolled his eyes, knowing exactly where your head was at. “Stop that. Take a second and get out of your own head. Let’s look at it through her eyes, together.” He offered. The muscle in your jaw tightened, your teeth pressed together with enough strength to cause an ache in your head.

From her eyes.

Her beautiful, alluring, calming eyes that always saw the world differently than anyone else could.

Why didn’t you do that before?

Maybe it was too painful for you, or impossible to see a different perspective without someone else to guide you through it. As of late, you had a knack for overthinking, jumping to conclusions that weren’t even genuine possibilities. Josh was always the one to guide you through it, and maybe you needed him more than you realized. He brushed you off, trying to get you to find your own conclusions when it came to her, but it was because you were asking for help in the romance aspect. In truth, you’d never needed much help there, especially when it came to her. Over the past few weeks, you just needed a pat on the back and reassurance that you could do it. Now, you needed help, you needed it to make sense.

“Now I know it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Y/N, but I have never known her to be a liar. I’ve never known her as anything other than selfless and sincere, and for you Jake, she’s all that and more.” You swallowed hard, his statement hitting you with force and knocking the air from your lungs. He was right, and you were so heartbroken it managed to taint your view of her.

She meant that she loved you, so why did she leave?

None of it made sense, and it all fucking hurt. You wished to have the level headed outlook that Josh had, but it failed you every time her name was brought up. The feelings she evoked within you, the intoxicating effects of her company and even just her memory was enough to drive you mad. You were completely smitten for the woman, and she never even had to try. You knew that nothing could ever compare, nobody could come close, and you were near insanity just imagining a life without her.

“There was this brief moment, the smallest amount of time where everything felt right, like it was supposed to all along. It felt like she felt it too, like we were on the same page, but I walked away for a second, and it all changed.” You let out a shaky breath, your eyes bloodshot and stinging with tears.

“Something must have set her off, right?” Sam offered, hand on his chin as he found himself lost in thought. Yours and Josh’s eyes turned to him, curious about his input.

Josh was a shoulder to cry on, sharing words of wisdom to help you see a different perspective, but Sam? Sam was critical, always finding an answer even when it seemed impossible, always piecing it together when there were seemingly no pieces in sight. Josh was wise, but Sam was a fixer, and you needed this fixed.

“Like what?” You asked, beating yourself up as you heard the same breath of hope in your tone as you had once before.

“Well, I don’t know.” Sam fought back an eye roll, knowing you were hurting but frustrated by how obtuse you could be. “You said you walked away—did you leave her alone in here, or was that metaphorical?”

“No, I literally walked away.” You confirmed. “We were laying in bed, not really talking, but so comfortable that it didn’t matter. I thought for sure it was it, that we were gonna talk it out and work it out, but then I went to the bathroom. When I came back, she was so different. There was that look in her eye, like when she left the first time.”

Sam was silent for a moment, his gaze drifting towards the bed that you’d left in a mess. Thoughtfully, his eyes scanned the scene, as if he could see it in front of him, like it was happening in real time. His eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, his lips parted as he sucked in a sharp breath. Then, his arm raised and his index finger extended outwards, pulling the two of you in the same direction he was going. He was pointing at your phone on the bed, screen facing upwards and lit up with incoming notifications that were insignificant to you.

To you, though.

To him, it was more than insightful.

“You always leave your phone like that?” Sam asked, his eyes flickering to you as he awaited a response.

“Yeah? Fuck does it matter?” You grumbled, unable to correlate the two. He bit his tongue as he breathed a long sigh of annoyance through his nose, stepping towards the bed and snatching the phone off the mattress.

“It matters because you’re an idiot with no passcode, and anyone can see any notifications as soon as they come.” He snapped, tapping the screen to light it up.

“So?” You couldn’t find the same wavelength he was on, unsure if it was because you were too upset or he was being too vague. Maybe, it was a combination of both. “Nothing incriminating on there. Would have let her look through it if she asked.”

“To you.” Sam clarified. “You said she felt like she was holding you back, that you were still in the same situation as last time. Where do you think that came from?” Sam implored you to think a little further, scrolling down the notification bar you never bothered to clear.

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.”

“She saw your notifications.” Sam stressed his point, his eyes reading over all of the worrisome details that likely sent her running. “Outlook: meeting canceled. Outlook: request for rescheduling. Aaron said: sent you the outline for the interview we put on pause. If you get a chance, please look it over in advance.” Sam listed off, flashing the screen towards you so you could see for yourself. “There’s about twenty more just like it.”

“Fuck sakes.” You groaned, placing a palm to your forehead as you let your eyes fall shut. Of course she saw it, and of course she took it personally. Had you realized it sooner, maybe you wouldn’t be where you are now, maybe you could have explained.

“I’m sorry, Jake.” Josh shifted uncomfortably on his feet, clearly feeling guilty on behalf of the situation. “Did you tell her it was my idea? That I was the one who canceled everything?”

It was true; coming to Michigan, coming home to her was Josh’s idea. He handled the scheduling conflicts, assuring you that this was much more important than another interview that would pertain to the same fifteen questions you’d been asked since the very beginning.

“F’course not—I didn’t know that’s why she got cold feet.” You mumbled, your eyes flickering towards the floor. “Besides, wouldn’t blame that on you, anyway. Doesn’t seem fair since it was because of me in the first place.”

“That’s not the point.” Josh urged, shaking his head at your stupidity. “If she knew it was me… if she knew how badly we all wanted to see you two together, maybe she’d get it. You have to tell her, Jake. This is all probably super overwhelming for her, to be back with you and to think that you cancelled everything to be with her. No doubt she loves you, but no doubt she’s terrified of messing things up for you. She’s always been afraid of that—she was there since the beginning, when all this was just a dream. She doesn’t see what we see. Make her see it, Jake.”

“Yeah, and maybe you should also tell her Amelie is our photographer, cause this message does seem a little bit flirty taken out of context.” Sam said, clicking on the text and showing you. Confused, you grabbed the phone from his hand and read over the words for what seemed like an eternity, noticing she’d attached four pictures of your last show, ones that you’d been begging her to share. You couldn’t see them from the notification bar, which would have made it seem all the more worrisome to her.

“Great timing, huh?” You grumbled, tossing your phone on the bed as you tried to process all of the new information. “Didn’t budge for a week, but finally sent them at the perfect time.” The sarcasm was dripping from your tone, your stomach upset as you understood how much those series of events would have bothered her.

You were so cruel, believing she did so because she didn’t care, because she wanted an excuse. It wasn’t true, and she did what she did because she cared so much, more than anyone ever had, and more than anyone else ever would. She took the burden of heartbreak because she cared more about your happiness than her sadness. If the roles were reversed, you would have felt the same way, maybe even worse. She loved you so wholly and completely that she would rather let you go than stand in your way.

Josh was right, she was a selfless, kindhearted person who would do and be anything for you, even if the best for you meant she had to be nothing. You were an idiot, and you accused her of lacking love when in reality, she was suffocating on the abundance of love she held for you.

You had to fix it. You had to make it right, to show her that no matter where you were or what you were doing, she was the very thing that made it possible to do it. You needed to tell her that she was all you ever wanted, that the life you lived was good, but only fantastic when she was there to stand by your side.

You needed to fight, to chase after her instead of letting her walk away. She meant too much to you to let her go. You couldn’t waste another six years hoping the situation would fix itself. This time, you were older, wiser, albeit still stupid, but you knew that she was worth it.

“I have to make it right.” You announced, looking between the two.

“You have to tell her the truth. Don’t let her go, Jake.” Sam agreed.

“After all this time, she’s still yours. Don’t take it for granted.” Josh added.

“Okay.” You breathed, giving one curt nod. “I have an idea, but I can’t do it by myself.”

“Whatever you need, brother.” Josh assured you, knowing just as well as you did that she was the one. They couldn’t bear to see you lose her for good. Sam nodded in agreement, a silent show of solidarity without a second thought.

A small smile graced your lips, and a breath of hope filled your lungs. It wasn’t over, and you would make sure of it. When it came to her, you would never let it be over. You would work until your last dying breath, committed to her and her alone. She was everything, the whole world and more. She was your sunshine, lighting up the darkest days and making the brightest ones better.

Six years ago, you gave her eight songs to show her how much you would miss her, how sad you were about letting her go.

This time, maybe all she needed was eight songs to tell her exactly why you needed her to stay.

TAGLIST: @anythingforjtk @highway-tuna @klarxtr @hollyco @thetroublegetssoloud71 @ageofbajabule @dannys-dream @raceb14 @watchingover-hypegirl @starshine-gvf @do-it-jakey-baby @gretavansara @jakesbeloved @woyayaofdreams @jakeyt @kiszkas-canvas @gracev0609 @josh-iamyour-mama @musicspeaks @gretavangroupie @gretavanmoon @gvfmarge @takenbythemadness @fleetingjake

[rems-writing]

Oh ok. He's actually kinda hot

Pairing: dilf!Yunho x babysitter amab!reader

Summary: I decided to do something different. Most babysitter fics always have the babysitter as a female rather than a male. So lemme try my hand at this shit lol

Warning(s): Slight mentions of coercion, mentions of drinking, Yunho being an awesome and unbelievably fucking hot dad, slight hand kink but it's not really a kink persay

Genre: cracked beginning, angsty middle, fluffy ending, spicy moments all around

Nets: @blossomnet @mirohs-aurora-society

Thank you to @bunnliix and @holybibly for helping me out with the partial synopsis set up of this fic. 🤍❤️💗🩷

"MINGI, SO HELP ME GOD! PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN NOW!"

All you received was boisterous laughter on your end and a smack to your butt. You tried to punch whoever smacked your booty, but since you were hoisted over one of Mingi's broad shoulders, you didn't get a good look at who smacked your butt. However, you had a solid idea.

As you approach a big mansion, Mingi finally set you down and you proceeded to try and beat the ass of the person that smacked your butt.

Jung Wooyoung, your best friend.

"Oh come on now, y/n! Don't be such a sourpuss!"

"Especially since you have to babysit my best friend's daughters soon."

"I have to WHAT?!"

Wooyoung broke out in his iconic high-pitched laugh while Mingi was wheezing. You, on the other hand, were fuming.

"I did not sign up for this fuck ass babysitting job! Let me go now before -"

Mingi cut you off by ringing the doorbell multiple times. Then, he took Wooyoung's hand and sprinted away as fast as he could.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'MMA MESS UP YOUR DAMN ROOM AND COVER IT WITH FAKE SPIDERS WHEN YOU GET HOME FROM WORK!"

Even though they were far away to hear your threat, a new presence behind you chuckled smoothly and you froze momentarily before turning around and looking up slowly.

Oh.

So this is Mingi's best friend.

You gulped at the taller man before you and gave him a good once over.

He was wearing a regular suit and tie and his dark brown hair was swept back. He wasn't as broad as Mingi but he was still a bit lean with some muscle here and there. His warm brown eyes stared down at you in curiosity as he stuck a hand out for you to shake.

Said hand was big and veiny and his fingers were so nice to look at. You wondered what they would feel like wrapped around your throat -

'STOP IT, Y/N! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! HE'S PROBABLY MARRIED!'

"But there's no ring though...'

'It doesn't matter! He probably doesn't even like guys that way so just stop!'

You snapped out of your daze for a moment and shook the older man's hand.

"Uh... hi. I'm Hong Y/N. I'm Mingi's cousin. And I guess I'm your new babysitter. Sorry if I'm super awkward right now. I didn't expect myself to land a babysitting job, but I'm more than willing to accept it since I do technically need a job and -"

The older man shushed you gently to stop your rambling and smiled kindly before allowing you to enter his beautiful home.

"By the way, my name is Jeong Yunho."

His deep voice rumbled throughout the emptiness of the house and it sent a pleasant shiver down your spine.

EVEN HIS NAME SOUNDED SEXY!

You turned around and smiled sheepishly before you saw him gesturing to a table. You assumed he wanted to interview you before he considered you for the job. You sat down at the table and he sat across from you before pulling out something from his briefcase.

When did you submit a resume?!

"Let's see here... 23 years old, graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science. Currently unemployed as of the moment. Last job was at a tech company. You were let go due to... huh. Incompetence and refusal to take orders?"

Yunho was confused at that last part as he continued to speak and assess you.

"Based on your skills, it seemed you had a good understanding of the job environment and you were able to make a lot of money off this job. There must be some reason as to why you were let go."

You sighed and clutched the cardigan that you were wearing close to you. It was useless since it was loose and a part of it fell off your shoulder, causing some skin to be revealed. Yunho spotted this and he gulped nervously as sinful thoughts entered his mind.

'God he's so perfect. So pure and free of anyone that would dare corrupt him. Maybe I can be the one to make him my dirty angel...'

'No, stop it, Yunho! He's young! He would never settle for an old man such as yourself...'

He swallowed down the thoughts as he listened to you speak tentatively on why you were let go.

"Long story short, apparently my old boss had a crush on me back in the day and she asked me out. I politely declined her and told her I'm gay. She was confused but then she tried to 'persuade' me into giving her one chance to which I blatantly said no. She got angry and tried one more time, yet I shut her down with ease. In the end, she grew petty and fired me."

Yunho grew angry upon hearing the real reason for you being fired but he remained calm since you appeared to be unbothered by it.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Y/N. I'm glad to hear that you stood up for yourself but saddened to hear that it cost you your job."

"It's ok, sir. Karma backed me up since then. I read this morning that my old company's stocks have crashed and my boss got fired since someone reported her."

Yunho heard the happiness in your voice and his heart swelled with adoration for you. He stood up and stuck out his hand once more.

"You got the job, Y/N. Let me give the breakdown on how to take care of my three bundles of joy."

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

This babysitting job was easier than you would've expected. And it paid even more than your last job.

Yumi was the eldest of the three. She was six years old and a social butterfly just like her dad. And she was surprisingly mature for such a young age as well. You treated her more like an adult rather than a child and she was ok with that.

Yunju was the middle child of the three. She was three years old and a bit more on the shyer side, yet she warmed up to you right away. Your heart swelled up in adoration when the two sisters playfully fought out who got to play with you next.

Chanmi was the youngest of the three and was actually adopted. The little baby was abandoned by her parents and your heart broke a little when Yunho told you the story of how she came about. You were glad that Yunho adopted her and you were even more glad that you were taking care of her.

Yumi was busy putting Chanmi down for her nap so Yunju took the opportunity to get to know you better since Yumi already got to talk to you as soon as her dad left.

"So Yumi told me you were gay... what does that mean?"

You let out a slight laugh and grinned at the way Yunju tilted her head in curiosity.

"So you know how guys like girls in a romantic sense? Well, it's the same thing but instead of me liking girls, I like guys instead."

"Oh! So whenever you see a cute boy pass by, you get butterflies in your tummy?!"

"Something like that yes."

Yunho definitely gave you a lot more than just butterflies when you laid eyes upon him.

Yunju's eyes widened even more and she started bouncing up and down on the couch.

"So does that mean that you get butterflies whenever you're around daddy?!"

You almost spit out the tea that you were drinking but you composed yourself. You had no idea what to say to that. Luckily, you didn't have to since Yumi came around the corner and sat in between you two.

"Come on, Yunju! It's time to take a nap."

"But I want to hear more about Mr. Hong's fe-"

"And you will! Later though. You know you get cranky when you don't take a nap. Come on now."

Yunju pouted before sighing dramatically in defeat and climbing off the couch before sprinting to her room. Yumi sighed and looked at you.

"Sorry about her. She's just excited to finally have a babysitter that accepts all of us." She smiled sadly while you grew confused.

"Wait... what do you mean?" Your voice grew soft with concern as Yumi sighed.

"Before you came along, Mommy and Daddy were in love. But as soon as Daddy became the CEO of his company, that love started to disappear. They started fighting and I had to cover Yunju's ears since she's sensitive to loud noises so I had to be the one to endure the shouting and constant arguing. One day, Daddy came home and... and..."

She sniffled as she tried to get the words out while you remained patient and even gave her a tissue to use so she could wipe away her tears. Your heart was breaking every minute she spoke of how her family came to be.

"Daddy found Mommy with weird papers in her hand and all her bags at her side. Daddy was heartbroken when Mommy said something about divorce and how he never has time for her or something like that. After Daddy signed the papers, Mommy took them and left us. She... she didn't even say goodbye!"

Yumi was full on crying and you fought hard to keep your anger to yourself so you could focus on comforting the six-year-old. Despite the maturity that she displayed, she was still a young child at the end of the day that yearned for a complete family. Through her choked sobs, she kept speaking.

"From there, a lot of babysitters came and went. They were fine with Yunju and I at first, but when Chanmi came into the picture, that's where it went downhill again. They couldn't handle the screaming and crying of little baby Chanmi apparently which is stupid! Chanmi is just a baby!"

She huffed and crossed her arms to which you found adorable, but then you remembered one of Yunho's rules and you spoke softly to Yumi.

"I understand how you feel, but your dad doesn't want you saying words like that. Yunju might catch on and maybe Chanmi as well." You lectured her lightly and almost laughed when you saw the embarrassment on her face.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, Mr. Hong! I couldn't help it!" She whined and you chuckled softly before patting her head affectionately.

"It's ok. As long as you don't do it again, I'll let it slide. And I won't tell your dad."

Yumi nodded and a smile broke out on your face as she kept speaking.

"As I was saying, most babysitters never fully accepted the three of us. Until you came along. I know it's early, but I want you to stay for as long as you can. I like you, Yunju likes you, and Chanmi likes you. She hasn't cried the entire time you were here!"

Yumi hugged you tightly and you hugged her back. Yumi let out a small yawn and you chuckled to yourself.

"Why don't you take a nap this time? I'll keep an eye out for your younger siblings?"

Yumi nodded and placed her head in your lap before snoring lightly. You shrugged off your cardigan and draped it over her before staring off into space.

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

"Hey."

You groaned as you heard someone whisper in your ear. You shrugged it off, thinking you were imagining it. The voice came again.

"Hey, Y/N. Come on. It's time to wake up."

You groaned once more and kept sleeping.

"If you don't wake up, I'll kiss you awake. Come on now."

That shot you awake. As you sat upright, you looked around frantically for any sign of Yumi and her siblings, only to hear familiar shouting come from one of the rooms. You looked up and you were almost nose to nose with their sexy father.

"Uh... hi, sir."

Yunho suppressed the thoughts and smiled once more.

"You can just call me Yunho. And hey to you too. Had a nice nap?"

You blushed out of embarrassment as you put your cardigan back on.

"I'm sorry, Yunho. I didn't realize that I dozed off. It won't happen again."

Yunho let out a quiet laugh and shook his head.

"No worries. They can be a handful at times. Mingi is occupying them so you and I could talk."

You grew nervous as he said that. And it didn't help that his outfit changed yet he still looked good. He wore a brown sweater, gray sweatpants, and glasses. His dark brown hair was free from the confines of the hair gel that kept it up and it looked damp as well, indicating that he probably showered. His cologne was subtle yet it still smelled good. As he sat down next to you, he looked at you for a little bit with an unfamiliar expression in his eyes.

"Yumi and Yunju wouldn't stop talking about you. And it seems Chanmi has taking a liking to you as well with the way that she didn't cry once when you held her. I think I found the perfect match. But only if you want to stay. I would love for you to be a part of their lives, but if this is only temporary, then that's ok as well."

Despite the smile on his face, his eyes read a different story. You sighed quietly and looked into his eyes. You loved babysitting his kids. There was no way you could leave them after hearing their backstory. Without knowing it, you grabbed Yunho's hand and smiled.

"I want this to be permanent. I would like to keep this job."

Yunho's smile brightened and he brought into a hug. He was warm and you relished in it for a bit before pulling away.

"Welcome to the family, Y/N."

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

That was over a year ago. Ever since then, you've been a part of the Jeong family for as long as you can remember. Yumi, Yunju, and Chanmi were more than happy to hear that you were to be a permanent part of the family.

So you could imagine the looks on their faces when they had to be sent away one Friday night to have a sleepover with Mingi, his own kid, and a new boo he's been seeing apparently.

Chanmi was asleep in Mingi's arms, Yunju fought a little bit before giving up, and poor Yumi bit Mingi's hand before running back into the arms of her father and you. Yumi looked up at you with big shiny eyes. Out of all the Jeong daughters, she was the closest to you. You cooed softly at the sight and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"It'll be ok, Yumi. It's only for one night. Tomorrow, the five of us can spend the day together as a family. Ok?"

Yumi nodded sadly before holding out her pinky.

"Pinky promise?"

You interlocked your pinky with hers and smiled down at her.

"Pinky promise."

Yumi giggled shyly before running over to her uncle Mingi. As soon as the four of them left, Yunho shut the door behind him and stalked over to you. A lazy smirk was on his face as he grabbed your hand and kissed the back of it.

"Come now. Let's have dinner. We're finally alone."

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

A few minutes and several glasses of soju later, the two of you were seated on the couch, laughing at old memories that you two shared of each other. From Yunho meeting up with Mingi everyday to eat lunch together to your first encounter with Wooyoung, the night was filled with laughter and joy. A comfortable silence formed between the two of you yet you didn't mind. As you finished your ninth soju bottle, you saw that Yunho had closed his eyes for a bit as a way to probably sober up a bit. He was breathing in and out slowly, his glasses were perched on the top of his nose, and the tips of his ears were still red but it wasn't as bad as before. Your eyes then dragged over his form and you couldn't help but feel flustered just from looking at him.

He wore a light blue dress shirt with the top buttons loosened and black jeans that fit his slim legs well. His chest rose up and down slowly while his hands were on either side of him. Light snores escaped from him and you found that slightly cute. Fueled by the soju in your body, you leaned in to give him a small kiss on the cheek.

Imagine your surprise when you felt his lips on yours.

You pulled away but not entirely since you felt his hands on your waist and your body pulled flush against his own. His eyes opened slightly and a smirk was on his face.

"Hey."

"Um... hi."

Your soft voice caused Yunho to chuckle and bring into a hug, his face being buried in the crook of your neck. Your blush worsened due to the close proximity between the two of you. He then pulled away and stared deeply into your eyes.

"May I confess something to you?" He asked quietly and you nodded.

"I think I've fallen for you. No wait. I have fallen for you. I fell for you when you first walked into my home. And those feelings developed into something more when I came home and saw my eldest laying comfortably against you."

Your heart rate increased as he kept talking but you found his hands slowly slipping away from you. You were about to protest lightly from the lack of warmth he provided when you saw him put his face in his hands.

"Sadly, I can't have you. You deserve more than just an old man like me. You deserve to be with someone who will come home to you and will give you their undivided attention."

When you heard the first sniffle, you immediately wrapped your arms around him. Yunho held you back as he continued.

"I tried so hard every day to make sure I came home on time for dinner, tuck the kids in bed, and kiss my wife goodnight before going to sleep beside her so she can wake up to me in the morning. However, it just wasn't enough for her. Hence, the fighting and whatnot. I'm sure Yumi told you everything."

"Yeah. She did."

"The next thing I know, she's divorcing me. Talking about how she doesn't want to be held back by someone who prioritizes work over family when that was never the case!"

Yunho was full on sobbing now and all you could do was shush him and tell him that everything is ok. He kept speaking.

"From there, I hired so many people to babysit my daughters but they never seemed to stick around for long." He raised his head to look at you.

"Until you came along."

He smiled weakly as he continued to speak.

"You've been understanding of my situation and never once complained about my kids or the weird schedule and so on. You've been so kind, patient, and loving. That's why... I confess my love to you. Aside from you doing an excellent job at babysitting, you're witty, intelligent, and so carefree of everything. Which leads me to ask you this."

He held your hands in his.

"Why do you stick around for an old man like me? You could've been out there, finding new job opportunities and dating people your age. Yet here you are, in the arms of someone like me. Why is that?"

You sighed shakily as you pondered your answer. You decided to tell the truth.

"While I love working with computers, sometimes, computer science takes a toll on the mind. Plus, sitting in front of a computer screen 24/7 for hours on end with countless stacks of paperwork becomes too boring. Being around your kids brought me life. Also, if I may, I've fallen for you as well. I figured you wouldn't want someone as young as me. But seeing as you've returned the feelings, I couldn't be happier."

Yunho's heartrate increased as you told him that you felt the same way. His eyes darted to your lips momentarily before looking at you once more. He was still a bit drunk, but he was sober enough to remember this.

"May I...?"

You nodded and felt your heartrate increase when he leaned in and kissed you on the lips for the second time.

His lips were soft and plush against your own and his hands held your waist with a gentle yet firm grip. As he held you close to him, you felt the love and passion he had for you in this kiss.

You were finally home.

[amnesiamilk]

Botw/Totk Headcannons!

SPOILERS FOR BOTW AND TOTK’s ENDINGS

Riju is obsessed with sand seals because before her mother died she watched her mom sew the sand seal stuffed animals found in her room

Prince Sidon and Lady Yona are married for political reasons , they’re besties but they do not see eachother as romantic partners . Lady Yona is asexual and lesbian and has feelings for her guard. (The black Zora, i forgot her name sorry) .

Link brought The Light Dragon/Zelda silent princess flowers every day and often times braided them into her mane

Rauru and Sonia adopted Zelda , not legally , but she’s basically their daughter .

Bularia isn’t just Rijus guard but also acts as her mother . She cooks her breakfast every morning and sang her to sleep in botw, when she was younger.

Link and Zelda shared that one bed in their home . Infact this isn’t even a headcannon , it’s straight up canon .

Link uses sign language

Tulin and link are practically siblings , Teba doesn’t mind the chaos but doesn’t quite appreciate the explosives .

After Botw, the champions felt that they had served their purpose in the afterlife and therefore took away the ability that they gave to link as they passed to hylia’s lands .which is why link does not have the abilities in totk . Sometimes the champions visit him in his dreams though .

link is very cuddly and fluffy with Zelda and allthough it’s strange to zelda, she appreciates it nonetheless

Sidon and Riju are very good friends . Siblings almost . Riju tries to do sidon’s make up every now and then.

Speaking of makeup , gerudo make-up is made from hydromelons being ground into fine powder . This is used for eyeshadows and blushes . The iconic blue lipstick is made from chu-chu jelly .

The longer a hylians ear is, the more Royal blood they have .

Zelda keeps a portrait of all the champions and sages in her house .

[elliezlils11utt]

Imagine it’s your birthday and you had to work. Slugging yourself to endure the pain of your lousy job, but more importantly having to spend your day away from your girlfriend. She had woken you up that morning with wet kisses littered all over your face, her giddy little smile was the fist thing you saw when you woke up. You can’t help but smile at her soft touch when she pushed your hair away to better see you. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth before whispering “g’mornin, birthday girl.”

Your stomach flew with butterflies as you thought about the “surprise” she had promised you from when you got home. Ellie was always such a sap, a romantic even. But in her own special way.

So when you trudged through the hallways of you and Ellie’s apartment complex your mind started filling with fantasy’s you hoped would come true.

“Happy birthday pretty girl! ” She smiled as you walked into your shared apartment. Your guy’s little dinning table decorated with colorful wild flowers and a card that was propped up in front of your cake. A heart shaped one tier cake with small cherry details. Swirly whipped cream layered in the center of the sweet treat, topped with a cherry.

“Awah baby, you seriously didn’t have to do all this!” You gushed. Your arms fly around her tightly. Grinning ear to ear, you place a kiss on the tip of her freckled nose. She flushes completely. Cute.

“Gotta give the birthday girl what she deserves.” You skip over to the table, playfully inspecting the cake. “Chocolate?”

“Yup” she answers walking up to the table as well.

“Buttercream frosting?”

Her finger swiftly swoops up a bit of the frosting, and smears it onto your nose. Giggling

“Check”

You sarcastically roll your eyes at her playful mood.

“Cherrys?”

She plucks the fruit by the stem, pulling it off of the cake and squeezes your your mouth open letting her place the red fruit onto your tongue.

“Check”

You savor the sweet fruit in your mouth enjoying the cute moment. “Good.” You giggle. As she scoops you into her arms. Her hands rest on your waist while your own sit at her shoulders wrapped around her neck. You guys gently dace to the soft music she had placed in the record player.

“It’s perfect baby. thank you.” You whisper, looking into her deep green eyes. You swipe her auburn hair behind her ear, to see her freckled face stareing back down at you. “I know my girl.”

She closes the small gap between the two of you. You feel her smirk into the kiss, and mumble against your lips “mm, cherry.” She muttered. That iconic chuckle rings through your ears. And you giggle. Kissing her with more desperation she hugs you closer to her.

“Oh, and I have one more thing for the princess.” She abruptly says, sneaking away from the kiss she rushes into the bedroom and come back out with a tiny pink box. Which was poorly wrapped with a white bow slapped in the front of it. I mean, it’s the thought that counts right..? She places it down on the table and ushers you into your seat, she seats herself opposite of you. Waiting eagerly for you to open your gift, she rests her head in her hands. Propping herself up on her elbows. “Well, go on then! Open it!”

You roll your eyes playfully before tearing open the wrapping paper. “Amazing wraping skills el’s.” You tease

“I know right?” She agrees, sarcasm lacing her words.

A small brown box is left before you. Upon lifting the lid you find a little toy tiara. Your eyes land on the toy & you let out a loud laugh. You pick up the tiara and place it onto your head, tilting it a little bit to the side. Ellie’s smile says it all. “How do I look?” You say sarcastically. She just smiles, her eyes never leaving yours. “Like my princess”

A/n: my birthday was yesterday & I wrote this bc birthday fluff with el’s is fucking everything. This was supposed to be smut but my baby Ellie deserves more cute fluffy fics. 🎂

[kerubimcrepin]

Exploring dofus-le-film.com and talking about movie-related events. [PART 1]

This will not go into the goldmine that is the interview Tot and Xa give about Joris. This is just a little, self-indulgent post. I hope you will enjoy it nevertheless.

The first silly action I took was extracting the site's icon and enlarging it in Aseprite, so here's your daily dose of cute official Joris pixel art. Anyway.

I love how the movie blurb literally lies about Khan being Joris's life-long idol.

CHARACTER BIOS.

Most of them include the information we already know, so I will only be pointing out things I personally find interesting.

For example - this art here depicts Joris's bald head under the hood as very round. Very useful info for us joris enjoyers. Reblog to slap his bald head, like to slap his bald head.

(Hacks up blood) Deeply caring in nature... papa poule... It is the second time, when Kerubim is called that, in his character bios, and I would like you to remember are these different explanations of this word combo:

I'm insane. I love him a lot.

Bakara is a pleasure to have in class :)

Anyway, I love how non-specific and non-alarming these character bios are. We can't scare the hoes by saying that beneath her cool exterior she wants to kill people around her and also drink 20 gallons of vodka, so "shy and stuck up" it shall be.

Again, it's hilarious how non-threatening these character bios are, considering Lilotte's whole parent thing is basically: (substitute "women" with "kids with families")

Coloring pages + Crayon Contest

A part of me wanted to be "haha, I colored all these coloring pages, for the Full Understanding of The Experience of this movie."

Then I realized that, as a person who is making a Joris painted music video, and had drawn at least 1:07 minutes worth of artwork of him and some other characters of this movie, I would rather-- [remembers that suicide jokes are bad] take cactus for a wife, than draw him for this blog too. I'm sorry.

Not much to be said about the contest, though this is epic:

This little Joris can be found at the bottom of the "win some crayons" page. It's cute.

BLOGPOSTS

This image was drawn for MIFA.

I want to unpack what is occurring here:

Goultard is holding his dragon boyfriend rather gayly on the shoulder. Interesting.

One of the candles landed in Nox's face?

Atcham, Joris, and Lilotte were holding the cake together. Lilotte is sitting on Yugo's shoulder, while Joris is standing on Kerubim's arms. It is reasonable to assume that Yugo turned to the camera, which made Lilotte turn as well, which made Atcham fall, which made Kerubim step away, and the only people carrying the cake who are still even a bit happy are Joris and Yugo.

Adamai is getting ready to catch Joris when in like 5 seconds all of them are going to be tumblring down Atcham-style.

Incredible. But this illustration is not the only gem that Annecy has brought us!

It also brought us more of Atcham being cool and awesome.

I'm insane.

There's more rare art here: these t-shirts featuring designs from a fan contest.

They were made in limited numbers. I'm including them here because we don't exactly have copies of the artwork, and I am insane about preserving art. It might be somewhere — but that somewhere is probably 2016 french facebook, so as far as I'm concerned, trying to seek these out is a lost cause.

Exclusive Merch

There were playing cards, and I am happy to report we DO have artwork for them in HD:

And also, here's a slightly higher definition little game sprite esque Joris:

This is the future crepinjurgenites want.

Kerubim VS Atcham Rigged Pet Contest

I am sad to report that Atchamheads have lost again, in this rigged contest. Imagine asking:

Would you like a fluffy guy you have watched an entire series about, or this bald guy who appears twice in the franchise?

At the very least, this gives us a canonical kitten Atcham design.

(Also, both of them were added, jsyk... Still salty though.)

Maliki Art

Maliki is a webcomic not made by Ankama, but with a long relationship and connection to Ankama due to being published by them in the past.

It's cute, really.

[rjzimmerman]

A couple of days ago, I was collecting seeds from the milkweed pods in our yard. Having not done this before, but being fully aware of the fuzzy stuff that flies out of the pods, I was battling fuzz (technically, "floss") as I was pulling off and storing the seeds. Then I got smart, and decided to cut a slit in the pods and then gently pull out the mass of floss and seeds, and then just pulling the seeds off and dropping then into the container. As I was doing that, I noticed how super soft the floss was as I pulled it fresh out of the pods, and wondered........do any clothing manufacturers use this stuff? Did a Google search, and learned....yep!

Excerpt from this story from Happy Eco News:

As consumers demand more eco-conscious apparel, brands are getting creative with natural materials that keep warmth in and environmental harm out. One unlikely hero emerging from prickly planted fields is the common milkweed—yes, literally plucked straight from the wild. While best known as the sole food source for iconic, struggling Monarch butterflies, milkweed’s hidden potential is nestled right inside its fluffy, silken floss. This fleecy fiber is an amazing natural insulator and is finding a new application in jackets, parkas, boots, and ski gloves for humans.

As outdoor apparel companies race to reduce environmental impacts, milkweed clothing insulation is proving a promising substitute for conventional insulation fillers—one aligned with cleaner agricultural systems. Its hollow-cored fluff offers an animal-friendly, biodegradable alternative to goose down. Unlike petroleum-based synthetics like polyester fibers, milkweed fills garments with a regeneratively sourced material that decomposes rather than lingering for centuries in landfills.

With conscious consumerism accelerating across industries, apparel buyers now consider impacts far beyond cost and quality when evaluating purchases. An unlikely hero from both suffering North American grasslands and climate crosshairs is rapidly gaining traction as a sustainable insulation material – common milkweed floss. Beyond keeping heat in and winter out with insulating performance rivaling goose down, milkweed rates exceptionally on multiple sustainability indicators resonant with eco-conscious consumers.

As a native perennial thriving on marginal lands, milkweed flourishing requires no irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides – regrowing reliably year after year. From a toxicity and allergen standpoint, milkweed avoids issues associated with many synthetic insulations or down. And supporting milkweed crop expansion helps reverse monarch butterfly declines blamed on agricultural habitat loss. For shoppers concerned over microplastics shedding into waterways from standard fleece, milkweed offers a soft, homegrown, biodegradable alternative. In short, milkweed checks all the boxes for socially mindful consumers seeking future-focused apparel that balances functionality with ethical, regenerative supply supporting threatened pollinators.

Signaling the momentum of milkweed clothing insulation, major brands like Patagonia are incorporating the fluff through novel partnerships with companies like Vegeto Textiles. Dedicated milkweed plantings bandwidth habitat zones while fibers make their way into garments. Other types of textile manufacturers are also jumping on board, some with announced plans to insulate blankets and quilts with milkweed.

Still, despite its promise, milkweed clothing insulation remains in its infancy. Technological barriers to processing millions of floss strands into a stable textile filling have just recently been worked out. Machinery and techniques to update this long-known application concept into a scalable commercial reality. Companies have worked for years honing best practices for taking raw milkweed fluff through cleaning, drying, and fiber alignment steps to transform fuzzy floss into outdoor-ready filling. Advancements in the coming decade will further improve integration potential across diverse textile products, opening doors for milkweed clothing insulation in everything from t-shirts to winter boots.

[frostfro]

Chapter 6

Previous ....... Next

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

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Words: 717

You sat there completely bored, as you eyed your people all lined up millions lined up to give you gifts on the day you were born into this world.

It was a special day, yes, you were not fond of being dotted on, you couldn't stand it, you wanted to rip out your insides at the idea of being an icon and a trophy. They didn't think of you as some sort of actual being with feelings did they?

You don't know and you don't think that you ever will.

“Thank you for your protection Kemono of the Divine Beasts!”

“Thank you for your blessing!”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you!”

Many people lined up and said Thank you and left a gift over and over.

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.

.

The gift giving was soon to an and you were quick to stand up from your divine throne.

Blonde hair was met in the corner of your eyes already knowing whom it is.

“Yes Dain what is it?”

“My lady sorry to intrude on your special day but there seems to be a mild intruder.”

Intruder?

That makes your ears perk up and your tail sway with curiosity and excitement.

“We will take care of-”

“Nonsense I'll do it, it will only be a minute.”

His face widened as he persisted.

“Nonsense my lady, someone of your caliber doesn't need to trivialize herself with such petty matters.”

You smiled at him causing him to easily get flustered.

“It is fine, please watch over everything until my return, yes?”

He quickly nodded his head, returning back stoic.

You took a step and your light strides and the soft pats of your feet echoed in the long halls of your castle.

Your long creamy white transparent train of your dress flowed down dragging on the floor as your top barely could hold your breasts together barely leaving any coverage.

The golden earrings and necklace and waist jewelry twinkling and jingling with each step.

Your bottom not leaving to any imagination either and they rose up along your plush thighs.

Your hair long and luxurious flowed due to the immense amount of power you were resonating.

Along with the fluffy pairs of ears and the thick long tail coming out from your body only made you stand out.

The hair pen you wore stood out making you fit for your title the goddess of the Divine Beasts.

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.

.

You made your way outside warm grass tickling your feet as you look around.

You don't see anything nor sense anything either.

Your land took place high above in the sky all islands connect were floating ones so intruders were damn near impossible for any ordinary person.

Unless…

You heard a rumbling near some bushes.

Your ears perk up as you tilted your face up slightly to intake a few breaths of sniffs.

You walk steadily towards the noise, you peel the leaves back fast to spot nothing?

“Looking for me?”

Your eyes widen as you turn your head around in one swift motion.

Your brows furrowed as you took in what you were seeing.

A young man on the lean side with big bright turquoise eyes and his hair in two braids you noticed the hue blending in with the natural color of his hair.

He had a white Hoodie with huge wings protruding from his back.

You stepped back a bit observing his features and wondering what the next move should be.

“What do you think you're doing your trespassing?”

You said calm and firm.

But the boy seemed unphased by your statements

“Oh? I parton me it's just I've heard do much the rumors said a majestic beautiful being lived and ruled up here I couldn't help but look as the curious fellow I am.”

“And the rumors were right indeed.”

You scoffed.

“Listen I don't know where you came from but your little jests don't work on me now get before I'll have to move you myself.”

You stood your ground.

He walked closer to you, now having a better look he was maybe 2 inches shorter than you he didn't even seem like he was scared of you.

Most people would take one look and haul ass it probably takes less!

“Who are you?”

He smirked.

“Barbatos.”

[kdramaxoxo]

Can you recommend like a fun, silly, summery drama? I'm looking for similar vibes as Cheer Up or Age of Youth (female friendships are a plus). It's hard to find something without melodrama.

First off, I LOVE your user icon! (- ‿◦ )

And I definitely want to help you find something silly and easy to watch, especially as we enter the depths of winter! Some of these are a little less slice of life but still fun. Also I know you already watched/mentioned a couple of these but I'm adding them to the list for everyone else who might be game!

Light Hearted Fun K-dramas (little or no melo)

Soundtrack #1 (slice of life/romance) Best friends for almost 20 years, the two leads start having feelings for one another while working on a project. This drama only has a few episodes which is a shame because it's really cute! As a Park Hyung Sik Stan (sorry but Happiness broke me), he's great in this one and he hasn't lost all of his military weight yet which I LOVE :D

Fanletter Please! (slice of life/ romance) A sick child writes fan letters to her favorite star, an actress who for kdrama reasons is afraid of fan letters. This was a super sweet, short drama - I really liked it so much!

Into The Ring (workplace/romcom): The perfect slice-of-life rom com! Goo Se Ra has trouble holding down a job due to her passionate personality so after she loses her latest job working for the ML, she decides to run for a small government office position because it pays a salary. Literally she does it for the money which is just *chef’s kiss.* The show is about her dealing with local politics and it’s SO FUNNY and smart and the OTP is the best! 

King The Land (rom/com): A cold chaebol hotel owner meets his match (literally and figuratively) who is a top notch employee. There's a lot of push pull and the ML (MY BIAS!) Lee Junho's character falls hard and fast. It does have slow moments but if you literally want to watch a happy couple be happy (plus the skinship is chef's kiss and there is so much of it) you'll enjoy this one.

Melo Is My Nature (slice of life): This drama is by far my favorite slice-of-life drama of 2019. Found family, strong and complex characters, I laughed, I cried. Plus a gay character that’s an actual character, with the gay as a casual side note (classy k-drama!!) It was just a perfect show for me. There’s romance, but all of the stories are super interesting.

Top Management (slice of life) I know this show is mainly on Youtube Premium BUT I just got an email from Youtube basically saying “hey we know you never want to pay to watch our shows so we’re just going to let you ok?” so that’s something… Adorable mini drama about a girl who can see the future and becomes the rookie manager for a kpop band. Fun and easy.

Business Proposal (rom/com) Seriously this drama is almost the exact same plot as The Secret Life of My Secretary. It's really fun and cute (just like the latter) and if you like one, you'll like the other ;-)

True To Love / Bo Rah Deborah (rom/com) Bo Rah is a relationship expert publishing her book. She works with a man who is her total opposite making it a cute enemies to lovers. Yoo in Ah is literally so adorable I love watching her! (If I'm honest I can't remember a TON about this drama but I do remember it being an easy watch).

Her Private Life (romcom): Park Min Young really knows how to pick dramas. I loved this one about a museum curator who is secretly a fangirl obsessed with an idol. It’s fun and fluffy but does have a very mild childhood trauma thing with his mother but I mean, 99% of dramas like this do? If you like this one, Touch Your Heart and Why Secretary Kim are by the same person and have similar vibes.

Touch Your Heart (rom/com) A sweet, silly and very mild rom com about a serious boss and his hallyu star secretary. This show was an obvious response to the chemistry that Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na had in Goblin so it was nice to see them together again. Yoo In Na is such a fun person to watch!

Fight for My Way (slice of life/romcom): I love this drama! Always a fave for me, this drama is funny and heartwarming! The leading lady is a strong female which I LOVE, and Park Seo Joon plays her really cute down to earth best friend. It’s a childhood friends to lovers trope with a group of regular people (no rich heirs in this show!) and has a happy ending and a lot of cute flirting, cuddling and kissing. Argh I love these two!

Age of Youth 1 (slice of life): Age of Youth/ Hello My Twenties is one of the best k-dramas that centers around strong female friendships. A group of wildly different girls find themselves rooming together in an apartment. Lots of romance too, but the girl’s lives and friendships are the primary focus.

Shopping King Louie (romcom): Ridiculously fun and lighthearted romp following a spoiled and useless chaebol with amnesia who is being taken care of by a country bumpkin in the city. Very low stakes, super adorable couple, and as many tropes as you can fit in your bag, this one is one of my favorites to recommend.

Eulachacha Waikiki / Laughter In Waikiki (slice of life comedy, romance) I hope you’re ready for a crazy amount of unlikely situations and nutty hijinks because this show is probably one the most silly ones I’ve ever watched. It follows a group of friends who own a hostel so it’s a slice of life drama. At certain points I was like “this is TOO silly” but I’m glad I stuck with it cause it was so hilarious. Plus, the baby is a star!

Wok of Love (rom/com) Despite the fact that the show was shortened by two episodes because of sports, this drama is a funny and quirky show worth watching. Many people dropped it because it was SO crazy for the first couple of episodes (it has a talking horse people!), but it does settle into a really sweet and fun story about a chef, a gangster and a rich girl and her family. If you love food, this show is for YOU!

And finally, if you don't mind a bit of melo, I highly recommend Run On!

Enjoy <3

[crucifiedramblings]

²⁷⁾ “we need to get in there; how remains to be seen.” + Alastor x Reader

WAAHHH my pookiebear!!

contains: swearing, fluff at the end, gender neutral reader, crack/comedy kinda thingy idk, alastor and reader being long-term best friends in the afterlife (they are so fucking old), reader and alastor being the most iconic duo ever

you and alastor had always found yourselves in some kind of trouble, usually caused by ideas that sprung to life whenever you (constantly) kept one another company. billions of years of companionship - and yet, not a single time did either of you think to break into the vee tower. until now, that is.

alastor lets out an exaggerated sigh as he leans on the bar, occasionally dipping one of his sable claws down to swivel the cherries around in the depths of his amber-hued cocktail.

you quirk a brow at his dramatic display, turning to face him.

"what the fuck is going on with you?" your voice comes out with more laughter than your words suggest as you playfully shove him.

alastor feigns hurt and betrayal before abruptly stiffening his posture with an impossibly larger grin than before he threw his short-lived tantrum.

"would you ever consider doing something more exciting?" his tone is sinister, as though he's struck by some kind of villainous epiphany.

"babes, i don't know how many times i've been over this with you- i don't have a soul to sign over-" you start to reply before alastor quickly interrupts.

"oh no, silly!" his crackling, bubbly voice chirps. he stands from his seat on the stool, gesturing to the bar's exit with a flick of his fluffy ears, "follow my lead."

as you take alastor's extened arm, it feels like you are pulled into a whirpool; your entire body is plunging into a dizzy web, your nerve endings set ablaze before you land on your feet - unscathed.

"i'll never get used to that," you mutter quietly before taking in your surroundings, approaching an elevator at the end of the mysteriously unknown corridor. marble floors reflect the light from above as your gaze peels along the sapphire walls, fingertips reaching out to feel the glossy finish.

"can you guess where we're headed yet?" alastor's question is dipped in an excitable tone as he practically bounces up and down on his hooves. realization finally sets in as you slowly turn to lock your gaze on his, eyes wide.

"we are not in the fucking tower right now, alastor- pookie- tell me i'm mistaken or i will lose my goddamn mind." you lower your voice instinctively, finally giving him a genuine punch to the arm. he barely shifts his stance at the impact, which makes you feel worse than not hitting him at all.

"we are!" alastor exclaims, his radio tone reverberating loudly as if he has no decorum. his yellowed grin spread wider, fluorescent stitches at the corners of his mouth tugging briefly taut before relaxing. you groan, pinching the bridge of your nose firmly until a pale cast lingers on your skin.

"i'm gonna kill you once i figure out what i can use to get the job done." you glare, entering the elevator with a sigh. the space is clean, the chrome surfaces practically sparkling in the dim light. you press a small button, the elevator whirring to life before starting its grueling climb to the thirteenth floor - vox's office.

alastor darts you a side-eyed glance, tapping his foot rhythmically to the sound of nothing but mechanical clanks.

you start to exit the elevator in silence before the doors slam shut in your face. a smooth, artificial voice comes to life from above.

"access denied - security cameras compromised." you groan and turn to alastor, knowing his entire ordeal with being recorded was the culprit for this mishap.

"we're getting in there; how... remains to be seen." alastor's grin falls somewhat flat, although it confused you in the realm of possibility.

"very helpful, dumbass." you roll your eyes and press the button for the ground floor, refusing to say anything else for the entire descent.

"why are you so wound up about such a thing? you can simply go in there alone if you want to see it so badly." alastor drops his head to one side like a curious puppy. his tone is slightly skeptical, prodding.

"be so for real." you stop, eyes glaring in disbelief. you cross your arms over your chest and chuckle dryly, "millenias of being my best friend and you think i am doing anything without you? shut up. let's go home."

[draftingteacups]

When you have the time can we see a casual Pokegraphic of Nimbus' (Swablu and Altaria) line? Or maybe the Ralts line?

Soni: "Today, we're here talking about one of the most iconic fluffy birds there are from where I'm from: Swablu and its Evolution, Altaria."

Soni: "You're probably thinking of sinking into the fluffy body of these guys, thinking that you'll be surrounded by floof and carried off into the sunset. You'd be right if you were someone that they were close to or happened to be the right person."

Soni: "Because these little birdies can land on your head and pretend to be a little hat, all while using their wings to smoother you in fluffiness. Why? It's said that that's how they bond with their friend. I wish I was kidding, but it happens, even with their adult forms."

An Altaria pops their head out from the corner and approaches behind Soni with their wings spread out. Their head is bobbing up and down to catch her attention.

Soni: "See? Not right now, Nimbus. I'm recording. But if you want my opinoin, they probably think you're cozy enough to be around and no one can really tell them no when they've got those beady black eyes looking at you like this."

Soni: "Go ahead and tell me that they aren't precious fluff balls. They've got amazingly beautiful voices, something that many wish to listen to whenever they have the chance to witness such a thing.

Soni: "That being said, don't underestimate them either. The larger, fluffier bird is classified as a Dragon back home, and like all Dragons, they are fiercely protective over those they consider one of their own. So don't try and piss off a fluffy cute bird regardless of how many people have said their species is docile. Because there's always that one person who finds out how menacing they truly are when the Pokemon's temper runs out."

[aliypop]

Trying to Get To You

Word Count: 1,328

Writers Note: A one-shot Idea that I got from reading the book Destined to Die Young, forgive me if it's choppy recovering from a mental breakdown. And I also came back from Graceland for my birthday so expect more fics!

Warning: Fluffy

Pairing: POC OC x Elvis

Plot: It's 1955 the year of the Iconic Sun Records tour, When Elvis becomes restless there's only person he can pour his heart into.

Taglist

@darkmoviesquotespizza

@sissylittlefeather

@richardslady121

@thegettingbyp2

@presleyenterprise

@sissylittlefeather

@dkayfixates

@rjmartin11

@thetaoofzoe

@your-nanas-house

@zayurir

@60svintage

@sillybookmarks

October 9th 1955

"That's the fourth time today you brought up cannibalizing me!"

"Should I be worried?" 

These were just some of the odd conversations that Cecelia Valmos, lead singer of The Garnets, had to hear on the merger tour with the greats of Sun Records. The tour would only be a week long in Texas, which didn't sound bad. After all, there was Daphane and Rosa, Scotty and Billy, Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson, June Carter and. 

"ELVIS!" 

"Aw hell, Wha-What now!"

"You're talking my ear off, and we haven't even left outta Tennessee!" Rosa sighed. She was supposed to sit next to Cecelia, but Rosa found her way next to Scotty, 

"Can't you talk to Cece?" Rosa asked as Elvis had turned bright red. He had wanted to, but she seemed all tied up in Johnny Cash. Her batting eyelashes and her laughter made him sick with envy. 

"I gotta admit, isn't he cute?" Cecelia beamed,

"Who?"

"Elvis." Cecelia giggled,

"I'm worried about you, kid. Real worried." Johnny laughed, ruffling up her curls. Johnny and Cecelia had been close friends, nothing too scandalous, unlike Elvis and June, who had a few resting sessions, at least from what Rosa told her. "Says the man, too chicken to talk to June." She nudged him.

"I am not. It's just, Fella's don't cross lines."

"Mhmm... You're just afraid she'll like you." 

"And you're afraid Elvis likes you too." Cecelia had fallen silent when he said that. 

"He's wrapped up in other affairs." She sighed, watching him sit next to June, the two laughing, and his hand on her thigh as both Johnny and Cecelia groaned, 

"So you don't think I'm crazy?"

"Elvis, I trust that everything you do has a reason," June said, giggling at Elvis. 

"So..."

"Talk to her. Besides, you two would make a cute little couple." June watched as he was jittery. His leg was shaking, and he was tapping his fingers on the side of the bus in a rhythm.

"You wouldn't get mad."

"Got my eye on someone myself." Her eyes landed on Johnny Cash as Elvis smiled, 

"Think you two would do nicely together."

"Hey, we're stopping for gas, so if y'all wanna stretch, here's the chance." Sitting by herself on a bench was Cecelia. She had a notepad full of songs as she was writing away. Cecelia would draw, but everything she'd draw was, "So you talk to Elvis yet?" Scotty asked as Cecelia looked up at him, 

"Why does everyone want me to talk to him so bad?"

"Well... Cause-"

"Scotty, they want us back on the bus!" Rosa shouted. Scotty had left, and there stood Cecelia walking towards the bus, "Please talk to him." He whispered. When they got back on, everyone else had begun to go back to minding their business, from practicing songs. Or even listening to music on the radio. But Cecelia had her sights on Elvis, who was strumming his guitar and singing with his band. Even when he wasn't close to her, she was enchanted,

"So I was thinkin maybe we speed it up a bit?" Cecelia looked at Daphane and Rosa, 

"We're not doing a new song." Ross rolled her eyes,

"Why not?"

"They wanna hear hits, not new stuff," Daphane said as she agreed with Rosa. Maybe she was right, stick to the plans, and the rest would soon follow.

"Hey, Cece, you got a minute!" 

Cecelia turned to hear Elvis call her name, but Daphane turned her attention to tuning her guitar. When the evening had turned to nightfall; everyone had dinner. Cecelia sat watching everyone fall asleep one by one, all except for one particular and peculiar man.

"Something wrong, Pres.." she asked, looking from her Jay Garrick comic book. 

"No, just uh... is this seat taken?" He asked as Cecelia looked up at him.

 "Not at all." Cecelia smiled, patting the seat next to her. Elvis had sat down as he tried to look out the window, then back at her, then back to the starry landscape. 

"Excited for the tour?" He was trying to make small talk, but he didn't want to bore her like he did everyone else. 

"Nervous, really. If it weren't for the paint on my nails, I'd have bit them clean off!" She laughed,

"I already bit mine off." He chuckled. His leg was shaking again, and his hands were tapping as Cecelia grinned, 

"I see you got music in you." 

"Huh?"

"Either that or I make you nervous?" she leaned in jokingly as his heart began to pound out of his chest.

"Cece, you don't make me nervous, not one bit." Her hand was holding his as she laid her head on his shoulder. His face was red, but he felt like he could share his whole world with her, 

"Do you believe in love?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I? I mean, I sing about it." Cecelia said,

"We all do, but one day, do you think you'll fall in love with someone," Elvis asked as Cecelia was now looking at him. 

"I would hope I do," she smiled, "This world is crazy, and I don't want to go through it alone."

"Even if it's not me..." He mumbled,

"What makes you say that, Pres..." Her eyes looked deep into those blue diamond eyes. They were big and mesmerizing.

"I-I-I saw you talkin to Johnny and..." 

"You got jealous?" She asked as Elvis turned from her. Cecelia was now lying in his lap. He hadn't noticed until her hand brushed his face to look at her. 

"A little..." 

"I did, too." She giggled, "I mean June, Is beautiful. If I were a guy, I'd rest with her." Cecelia laughed as Elvis blushed, 

"You knew about that?!"

"Rosa..."

"That little..."

"Hey!" Cecelia playfully shoved him as he laughed. Elvis had traced her features. He'd always loved her nose. For once, he was distracted, and it was the good kind. Taking in the look in her eyes, he felt at ease. 

"Anyone ever tells you. You're beautiful?" Elvis asked. Cecelia's face got warm, and her body felt tingly. 

"Do you say that to all the girls?" She giggled as Elvis blushed. He didn't mean to say that, or maybe he did.

"Nah, I call them pretty." He laughed back, 

"Say, can I ask you something?" Cecelia asked. Elvis felt the wind knock right out of him. He was nervous, but he gave her a nod and listened to what she had to ask.

"How would one know if they have a crush on someone?"

"Oh, easy." Elvis smiled, his fingers in her hair, watching her eyes flutter, "You can't stop thinkin' about 'em. When you're near 'em, you feel all shook up inside, and sometimes you just want to-" he stopped talking as Cecelia looked at him, his eyes focused on her lips and then her eyes again, 

"You want to what." The air from her lungs was gone, as her eyes were closed shut from the passion. Her fingers were in his dark hair, messing up his trademark style. There was a whimper of want from Cecelia as he pulled away slowly. 

"Kiss you.." catching his breath as she sat up and was sitting in his lap. 

"Then kiss me." she licked his lip, "Please." 

As the night continued, the two embracing each other, Elvis and Cecelia were in a haze of love. Though neither had said anything, their smiles told it all,

 "So... Do you think Jay Garrick could beat Captain Marvel Jr. "

"Hell no!" Elvis smirked, "He's got more powers!"

"Captain Marvel Jr. has three powers. Jay has fourteen, which automatically makes him better!" Cecelia smirked back as Elvis laughed hard, 

"It does not make him better." his laughter ruptured through the bus. 

"But it does!"

" PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!" Rosa shouted, throwing her shoe at them as the two dodged it. 

"Then go to sleep then!" Cecelia and Elvis both shouted.

[eds6ngel]

The outfit from the music video for Shania Twain’s song That Don’t Impress Me Much is iconic. If Chrissy lived and it was the 90’s and it was Halloween and her girlfriend dressed in the outfit from that video, how would she react? Do you have any headcanons for this?  

i’m only doing blurbs at the minute my love, but i’ll write something in that form for you!

warnings: fem!reader. allusions to sex towards the end. very suggestive and fluffy!! [0.3k].

The day is October 31st, 1999: the final Halloween of the century. Knocking lightly at the Cunningham’s wooden frame, you twiddle your thumbs, patiently waiting for your girlfriend to appear. You had agreed on the theme of ‘music videos,’ leaving the exact costume unknown, the surprise all the more intriguing.

As the door swings open, Chrissy’s jaw drops to the floor. Stepping onto the bricked path, the door clicks closed, her hands landing under your jaw and pulling you in, lips connecting in a passionate kiss.

Parting, your soft thumb lifts up to her mouth, wiping away the red lipstick stain that had transferred over.

“Wow. I just… Wow, sweetie. You look… so pretty! This outfit is beautiful,” she gasps, hands running through the pigtails of her Britney Spears costume.

You giggle in return, slowly pulling away the cover-up, revealing the skin-tight crop top and pants, completely matching the leopard-print pattern of the look.

Her hands brush over your waist, dancing over the exposed skin, trying her hardest not to press kisses all over your body. “Um… Can we go back to yours tonight? Please?”

The nervous biting of her lip gave away her reasoning in an instant, you seductively chuckling as you nod, “Of course, baby. Tigers are one of the fastest and strongest animals after all…” You lean closer, pulling her bottom lip down with your thumb, staring deeply into her eyes with a smirk on your face, “I’m sure you’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

Her head quickly moves up and down, hands placed neatly behind her back, the outfit choice presenting such innocence. Slightly nibbling at her ear, you murmur back, “Of course you would, my good girl.”

It’s safe to say that the following day, your parents got a few noise complaints from the apparent screams coming from your house at an ungodly hour the night before…

chrissy masterlist.

[teecupangel]

After reading a couple of fanfics(i have lost track of what ive read XD) where Desmond uses the Eye to connect to Ezio in the library and send him back to his 17 year old self to save his family: I got the idea/prompt that when Ezio awakens back in the past he rushes to his family, ignoring a golden thread of Importance. It cant be more importsnt than his family, surely? Either way, Ezio ends up discovering he has like 1-2 day to save his family(im unsure of the timeline, but i imagine he lands before he gains his scar). So, he rushes to save them. Here i kinda get a bit lost, im not very good at planning, but i imagine he ends up killing Alberto and exposes him as a traitor to his father etc. Eventually, after a few days things finally calm down enough that Ezio can finally check out that object his Sight has tagged as Important without feeling guilty for leaving his family alone. He follows the thread to a orphanage and there he sees a 1-2 year old with a scar on his lips and brown eyes that flash a very familiar gold when the child sees Ezio. "Desmond?"

So basically, the Eye damaged Desmond too much, so when he went back in time with Ezio, he had to be recreated. You could give him the charcoal black arm with golden lines or even his tattoo(could be interesting seeing peoples reaction to a child having what is percieved as a criminal brand?). Heck, maybe even give golden fluffy wings that he can hide? Idk, i mostly just want/need fatherly!Ezio bonding with baby!Desmond and this idea has rapidly gone out of control in my head. XD

but yeah, basically Ezio decides that Desmond has given him such a gift with allowing him to save his family, that now Ezio will take care him(he also feels pretty guilty ignoring the Important glow for so long).  He just needs to figure how to get his family accept what is looking like to be his motherless bastard, hopefully withoit too many questions. I also imagine Ezio gets the iconic scar this time from a fight with Vieri when he throws insults at Desmond for being "lesser": being a bastard and an Auditore in one package.

So, whats your thoughts on this? Anything you think is missing or want to add to?

Transferring him right as he gained his scar (like the rock hitting him was the trigger) would also serve as some kind of symbolism of his connection with Desmond, not just due to the similar scars but also because that is the first memory Desmond relived as Ezio (as long as we don’t count his birth). That would also give him 3 days max since the scar incident was on December 26, the guards tried to arrest the Auditores on December 28 and the execution would be on December 29.

Also, if you want to really hammer in Ezio feeling guilty about leaving Desmond for so long, a plot point could be that Ezio assassinates Uberto Alberti and he was able to prove to Giovanni that Uberto was a Templar BUT not that he was planning anything against the Medici or the Auditore. Perhaps, a simple Templar ring was all Ezio could give to Giovanni and telling him he was planning it with another man that Ezio hints to be Rodrigo Borgia without flatout saying it’s Rodrigo Borgia since he, as his teenage self, shouldn’t even know who the Borgias are at this point in time. This becomes a scandal all by itself and not even Lorenzo could protect the Auditores, telling them to leave Firenze as quickly as they could. Stand down and keep a low profile for now.

This leads to the Auditores leaving Firenze quickly and asking for sanctuary in Monteriggioni. Ezio would stay there to make sure everyone is safe and also to be ‘trained’ as an Assassin because Giovanni believes he could no longer wait until Ezio is as old as Federico to tell him the truth because of what Ezio has done.

Ezio also has to stay to show Giovanni that he wasn’t some rabid dog that would bite anyone.

This can range from months to even 2 years (technically 1-ish year since Ezio returns to the past in December) which is the same time frame Ezio had to train with Mario and his mercenaries in the previous timeline.

Either way, Ezio finally gets a chance to check on the important gold once he’s been deemed ‘good enough’ to go to Firenze while Federico goes to Roma with Giovanni as part of his training and maybe even ‘final test’.

And then he finds Desmond as a 2-year-old child who isn’t liked by the other kids because he was ‘creepy’ and they say he’s the devil’s child. Maybe Ezio didn’t recognize him immediately but their eyes met and Desmond’s eyes flashed gold and Ezio’s first instinct is that he does know him. He doesn’t remember when but he does know this child.

The one in charge of the orphanage finds him looking at Desmond and he tells him about how Desmond was heard crying somewhere Ezio knows all too well.

It was the same place Ezio had died on, the very same bench…

Someone gave him to the orphanage and they have nothing of him, he had been left naked in the cold that they feared he would have died had he stayed there any longer.

Then to hammer in the guilt, the reason why the children believe Desmond is the devil’s child is because of the charcoal black arm he had that no doctors could explain other than ‘he had been burned’ and Desmond had cried each time they tried to ‘examine’ it with their tools.

So Ezio takes him in, not knowing what else to do.

Then, it’s only the next day after he dreams of the only time he saw Desmond in Altaïr’s library that he puts two and two together and realized that the child was most definitely Desmond. He had to be.

And now, Ezio believes that Desmond is the reason why he had a redo and that he had failed Desmond for letting him be alone for so long.

He wouldn’t even think that people would think Desmond is his son until he hears it from one of the courtesans and he’d be like “Oh! That’s a good idea! I’ll just say he’s my son so people would stop asking questioning about who he is!”

And that was a mistake because now everyone believes he has a child out of wedlock. Perhaps Cristina would even think he had cheated on her considering Desmond’s age and now he has to suffer through his family’s questioning and lectures about having a child out of wedlock.

Then Desmond’s back starts getting itchy and later on it starts growing a pair of lumps…

That breaks his skin painfully, revealing puffs of feathers red with his blood but, after cleaning him (and trying to get him to stop crying because “Owie, papa! Owie!”)…

Ezio sees the feathers were white…

With lines of gold that he has become familiar with in his previous life.