#for actually writing other shit. goodbye disappearing now yell at me if I post anything that isn't writing in the next like 7 hours a;dfkls

[musical-chick-13]

Sooooo many things I should be writing. Instead, I am doing a silly, very unserious prequel to a fic I haven't even finished yet.

[whumperscorner]

"Hand Gagging " for the bthb please :D

Here you go! Sorry it took some time :3 it ended up slightly longer than I had planned eheh

This is the first time I’ve written and posted any ffxv stuff (even though it is one of my longest whump fandoms eheh) so please be kind :>

BTHB#2- Hand Gagging

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV

Characters: Prompto Argentum, Cor Leonis

Whumpee: Prompto Argentum

Word count: 1950

Warnings: kidnapping

It’s already dark when Prompto steps out into the crisp evening air, waves one last goodbye to his friends and begins on the walk home. Gladio had offered to follow him part of the way, but Prompto had said no. He knows the way well, and it’s not too far. Besides, he really doesn’t mind walking on his own like this. He quietly hums along to a song he doesn’t remember the name of, one Iggy had put on earlier that evening, and pulls his phone out of his pocket. He’d better give Cor a head’s up that he’s coming home soon.

*Omw home now.* He sends the message, puts the phone back in his pocket and blows a breath of warm air on his hands before stuffing them too into his pockets. He should’ve brought a pair of gloves, Prompto thinks as he absentmindedly crosses the street by a corner. One lone car passes slowly behind him when the phone buzzes. Prompto takes it out and the screen lights up with the new message from ‘Dad’.

*Fun evening? Eaten anything yet?*

*Yeah! And no, we sort of forgot.* That isn’t entirely true. Ignis had made valiant attempts at getting them to eat something substantial all evening, but he and Noct had been busy with Noct’s new game. Which Prompto had beaten him at fair and square, no matter what the prince would say to that. The two hadn’t really had time to focus on eating.

*There’s leftover thai, want me to heat it up for you?* Comes the answer from Cor, faster now than last time.

*Oh yeah thanks!* Thai sounds delicious right about now, and the thought makes his stomach rumble.

Prompto’s legs have been moving on autopilot up to this point, but now he glances up from the phone at his surroundings. Aside from one lone car at the end of the street, he’s the only one around. Prompto’s eyes land on a familiar old sign shaped like a pretzel and he sends another quick message to his dad.

*I’m by the old baker’s now, so I’ll be home in 10.*

*Great, see you then.*

*Yeah, see you later!*

After the exchange Prompto again stuffs the phone and his hands back in the warm pockets on his jacket. He looks quickly to both sides before crossing the road again, and well over on the other side he turns right. There’s a shortcut a bit further down that he plans on taking. Behind him, a lone car starts moving slowly in the same direction he’s going. But Prompto doesn’t notice it. His head is full of longing thoughts of warm thai food, and the song that he still doesn’t remember the name of.

He keeps walking for another few minutes, where the most interesting thing to happen is a squirrel jump-scaring him by running across the road up ahead. Then, the phone in his pocket buzzes and lights up to show a message from Noct. It’s a shot of the tv screen and the prince’s new game, with a new personal best he’s showing off. Prompto snickers and writes out the reply.

*Oh shit, didn’t know specs knew how to play that. He’s really good!*

*Screw you xD* comes the answer.

The two bicker back and forth for a good while, and Prompto vows to beat him again soon enough, which Noct does not believe he can do. Prompto smiles at the screen, letting his legs carry him absentmindedly along, he knows he can. He beats Noct fairly often, and not that he would brag or anything, but he’s pretty good when it comes to games.

Had Prompto been less distracted he would have no doubt realised something was off. He would have easily noticed the car, which has been following him down two and a half streets already. Never too far behind, but never passing him either. But Prompto hums and types excitedly as he walks along. It doesn’t occur to him to check, and why would it? He walks this way home all the time, and nothing bad has ever happened before.

Reaching the sharp left turn, Prompto begins on the way down the alley he knows will cut at least four minutes off of his normal walk. He gets a glimpse of the car when he rounds the corner, but it’s out of his line of sight soon enough. The alleyway here is narrower than the previous road, and darker too, but that doesn’t scare Prompto. Though something about that car does feel off to him. It feels familiar and gives him the strangest sense of déjà vu. Prompto makes a valiant effort to shake the feelings of unease now creeping up in him, but it doesn’t take long before the sound of tires screeching to a halt stops him in his tracks. He swirls around and scans the entrance to the alley, but no car is visible there. Still, his stomach twists uncomfortably, and he finds himself regretting that he passed up the offer from Gladio to walk with him.

A growing sense of foreboding dread settles in his stomach as Prompto slowly turns back around and keeps walking. He must be imagining things, he’s almost sure of it. Almost. The wind picks up, howling loudly in Prompto’s ears. The sound of it rustling the leaves on the ground could almost be mistaken for light footsteps. A chill runs up Prompto’s spine at the thought, but he doesn’t dare look back, instead upping his pace slightly. There’s probably nothing, says the rational part of his brain, but then again... How many times hasn’t Cor repeated that it’s better to trust your gut, and that if a situation feels off then it’s better to be safe than sorry? Well, it is better to be safe than sorry, Prompto decides and finds his dad’s number in the contact list. His finger is shaking slightly as it hovers over the call button, a combination of the cold and the nerves.

Just then, as he presses down on the button, something heavy collides with him from behind. His eyes widen and his mouth opens in a surprised shriek, but any sound is muffled by the big hand clamping over his mouth. Then he's yanked back, barely having time to register the screen on his phone changing to show the call trying to connect before it clatters down on the ground. Adrenaline and panic rushes in his ears and he struggles, instinctively twisting and squirming and trying to pull the person's arms off of him as he is dragged back. The haze of fear and confusion lifts for just long enough that Prompto's brain can finally catch up to what's actually happening, and it does in no way ease the panic. A muffled, terrified, squeal bubbles up in his throat and his struggling intensifies, limbs flailing as unknown hands grab around his face and chest. As if by a miracle his elbow connects with something soft and a pained groan sounds from behind, but if Prompto had any hope of that making things easier he was soon proven wrong. With a guttural curse the person behind changes direction, manhandling Prompto around so he almost loses his balance and pushing him up against the wall of the alleyway. A low whine, muffled by the hand, escapes as he pushes uselessly against the bricks in an attempt to give himself any leeway.

"Come quietly pretty boy, and you won't have to get hurt." A deep man’s voice hisses. The voice is low and dangerous, and the man’s breath is hot on Prompto's ear. It makes him shiver. He attempts to shake his head, to protest, he wants the man off of him. His fruitless struggling evidently makes the man laugh, a mocking bark of a sound comes from behind and then-

"-Prom? You there kid?" The call on his phone, now on the ground somewhere, has gone through. That’s Cor’s voice. Prompto recognises it instantly and relief floods through him. For a short moment both he and the man holding him stand completely still, then Prompto gathers himself and wrenches free of the grip. He gasps in a breath of fresh air.

"Dad! Da-" and the hand is back, clamping over his mouth again with bruising force and muffling the rest of his yelling.

"Prompto?! What's going on?" Cor's voice is louder as he presses on, more urgent. He can tell something is wrong, it's obvious in his voice, and the man holding Prompto curses loudly. Out of the corner of his eye Prompto sees another silhouetted person approaching. For one wonderful moment he thinks it might be someone coming to help, but it isn't. The other person strides forward, past Prompto and the man, and through Prompto's muffled yelling brings the heel of their boot down on the phone, hard. Once, then twice, until Cor's voice distorts and disappears and the broken screen flickers to black. With his dad's voice gone again Prompto feels more alone and hopeless than at any other point this evening, and fear grips his chest tight.

"Should teach Leonis to watch who he messes with." the silhouetted person turns back, and Prompto can see the sharp features of another man, mouth twisted in distain at Cor's name. He spits on the ground and starts walking again. "Let's move."

The man holding Prompto nods in response, and without warning manoeuvres him around to walk back towards the entrance to the alleyway. The sudden movement wakes Prompto from his petrified state, he stumbles, but is quick to regain his balance and plants his feet firmly on the ground. Cor knows something is going on. That means he'll come look for him, Prompto is sure of it. He can't let the men take him away before his dad comes for him. He bucks and twists in the man's grip with renewed energy, if he can only stall for long enough this will be fine. Cor will come and he will be fine. It's the only thing on Prompto's mind as the man holding him grunts in effort at keeping him subdued. A few feet up ahead, the commotion alerts the second assailant, who wastes no time rushing back towards the two.

"Stop fucking struggling." he almost spits the words as he comes closer, but Prompto meets his eyes defiantly. He doesn't intend on going along quietly, especially not when he knows Cor is coming. "Fine." the second man spits through grit teeth. Then, with no prior warning letting Prompto know to brace himself, a clenched first collides with his stomach. The impact knocks the air out of him, he cries out into the hand, and if it weren't for the man's tight grip he probably would have fallen. For a short dizzying moment he thinks he might puke, he tries to gasp, but with the hand still over his mouth it doesn't work. He's not getting enough air. Then they're on the move again, and Prompto has no choice but to follow suit. He's more carried than walked to the alley's entry, where the black car from before is parked just out of sight behind the corner. Prompto's heart sinks in his chest at the sight of it, and he tries one last time to pull the man's hands off of him. Some small part of him hopes that maybe if he can yell again now someone will hear and come help, but he's tired, and the hand won't budge anymore. He struggles still, of course, but his resisting doesn't help him as the men lock him up in the dark trunk of the car and drive off.

[strwberrytae]

So Long, Farewell, and Goodbye For Now -

“I don’t know how you are so familiar to me—or why it feels less like I am getting to know you and more as though I am remembering who you are. How every smile, every whisper brings me closer to the impossible conclusion that I have known you before, I have loved you before—in another time, a different place, some other existence.”     - Lang Leav

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

Hello, You ♡ Yes, You. You ethereal, beautiful being. I am writing to you with bittersweet yet wonderful news - depending on the perspective. I am writing this post to inform all of you that I will no longer be writing for this blog for the foreseeable future. What I mean by that is that I am not giving up writing forever, no. But my life has changed so much over the last two years, I do not see myself writing again for quite some time. But don’t worry! I will be back!

Below the Read More section, I have poured my heart and soul into the real reasons why I’ve made this decision. I warn you, it’s lengthy but it’s everything that has led up to this over the years. So, if you fancy, have a read. If not, I bid you farewell and wish you all the happiness in the world. Thank you for supporting me so far. I truly appreciate it and love you all very dearly. Now, if you wish to read it at a later time, I will have a link available on my page at all times for anyone who is curious. It’s a hell of a story if you ask me ~

Edit: Made by Me - also, a surprise photo at the end Warnings/Triggers: Talks of emotional abuse, depression, and suicide but also happiness and love -

When I first started this blog, it was 2016. I had been on Tumblr for over a decade now but BTS led me to writing passionately for 2 years. I was incredibly active and utterly consumed by this website. Not just for the writing, but I was so obsessed because of my friends and mutuals that I made along the way. Can I just say that I’ve met some incredible people on this platform - including my best friend and soulmate? Truthfully, the absolute best friend I have ever had. But more importantly, Tumblr was my greatest escape. I mean this website truly has been my saving grace through very dark times.

In that part of my life, I was in an extremely toxic relationship; by then, it was 6 years I was with him. He was emotionally abusive, had such a short-fuse temper, hated everyone I knew which led me never really seeing any of my friends after college, knew I was anorexic and did nothing to stop me, knew I had depression since we started dating and always argued it as if it wasn’t real, crushed my dreams and ambitions, mocked potential suicide attempts, expected me to just abandon all hope to ever leave home to explore someplace new or get a job that I actually love. He was...just the worst. Never hit me though, so I’m grateful for that. But sometimes I wish he would so it would have given me the voice I needed to get out of that relationship much sooner than I did. But regardless, because of him plus having a soul-sucking job that wore me down to the core, Tumblr was my escape. BTS was my escape.

I fell hard and I fell deep. I created a fantasy world within this world. All of my dreams, fantasies, desires, and hopes were poured into my writing. My imagination was running wild. My activity was through the roof because I was always on here day in and out, just pretending like the outside world didn’t exist. It consumed me...but I needed it. Looking back, it was pretty excessive. At the time, I seemed perfectly normal because everyone else was just as active and saying the same things and doing the same things. I felt a belonging, like I fit in.

But I hated the person I became. It took me getting yelled at, mocked, ridiculed, and belittled by my ex to snap me out of that illusion I built and back into reality. That was the roughest night that we had filled with lots of screaming on his end and crying on my part. He thought my obsession was sick. He thought it was disgusting. It all started because he found fake texts I had made with Jimin and Tae. Don’t recall the story it was a part of but he thought they were texts with the actual members… In my eyes, I should get credit for making them look so legit but he didn’t see it that way. He thought fangirling over men was essentially cheating. No matter how hard I tried to explain, he didn’t understand. But a part of his view was right. I learned that I was a bit too much into it and I really needed to take a step back from Tumblr for a while. So I did. I deactivated my account and disappeared for months. Also because he made me and threatened our relationship if I didn’t. Should have taken the out but ah well.

Just two months prior to this incident, I attempted suicide. Well, contemplated. Everything was planned out. Bought a hotel room for Thanksgiving night as I was working a super late shift until about 1-2am. My commute home was an hour long and I still had to come back to work at 7am. So I got a room. Brought a large amount of pills with me and I was going to call it. No notes written to friends, family, or loved ones. Nothing. I was done. Didn’t think anyone would miss me. I just figured the world would keep turning without me. I had thought about doing this several times before but this was my first time making plans for it. It was my lowest of the low. But then I met someone that night that changed my life entirely just in a 10 minute interaction of talking - nothing special. We’ll get to that later. But this person just gave me hope and to this day, I still can’t explain it. It was euphoric. I felt clarity. It was in that night that I thought I might hold out just a little bit longer.

And thus @strwberrytae was born - but it was far from the same. At first, I restarted the blog in secret. Why would I do this? Why would a 25 year old open a blog in secret? Well, two months after the awful fight, my ex proposed to me and I said yes. I know. Believe me, I know. I was scared. My depression was getting worse again. I no longer had an escape except for books. All I did was read so I had some sort of reality to be in besides my own. But returning to a brand new blog did not give the same satisfaction as returning to an old blog.

I worked so hard on my first blog and this redo, I tried to consider it as a gift. Perhaps this was a chance to start anew and rebrand myself. This optimism kept up for quite some time. Slowly, I added my favorite past works then added some new chapters. If you’ve been here with me since 2017, you would know that my appearance on Tumblr was still not the same. Then I got married in October.

An empty, loveless marriage that I regret to this day. Needless to say, my writing and activity on Tumblr was still practically non-existent as I was still too scared of getting caught. Even though he finally gave me permission to use it again because he could tell how miserable it was making me. Yes, gave me permission. Thankfully, it all ended after a year. I finally went to a therapist even though I hated them so much and all past therapists I had. She was pretty great. Within five sessions, I summoned the courage to break up with this guy. I was finally set free. Nearly 9 years together and I finally felt like I could breathe.

Unfortunately, although I was free, I had to live with the guy for about 5 months after the breakup. Which was beyond rough, believe me. Imagine someone writhing in pain and bawling their eyes out and venting non-stop about all of their faults and wrongdoings every single day. At the end of the day, as shitty as he was to me, he was my best friend too. We went through a lot of shit together and he did have some good sides to him too. So witnessing this was horrendous. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting much privacy either. Writing was not my top priority. Now it’s 2019 and things changed drastically for the better - and worst.

Remember the person I met in 2016 on Thanksgiving night? Well, that person is someone I crushed on every since that night. For 2 years. People, I’m telling you. He did absolutely nothing special that night. He didn’t flirt with me. He didn’t check me out. He didn’t do anything remotely to make a girl swoon but I was so drawn to him. The only word that could describe it was “cosmic” - beautifully cosmic. 

Well in January 2019, 2 months following my break up, he came into my store one day. And my god did he look incredible. He was dressed head to toe in black - a fitted black suit at that. He even wore this long, designer jacket to match. Hair shaved on the sides with beautiful, thick dark hair on top. So tall - 182cm. A smile that could kill; quite literally. The canines are on point. He looked like a five course meal. That day, he definitely flirted with me. By the end of the week, we had our first date. Sadly, I also lost my job in the same week and was unemployed for a year because no one would hire me. I was laid off and one of my seniors took my job. Of course, they needed to keep me around for the holidays and then give me the boot. I was devastated. I hated that job so much as it only aided in fueling my depression but losing it was definitely an amazing thing. And! I survived on my savings and definitely didn’t spend my time writing. I had life to sort out last year - like from the ground up. No worries though. I got a job in February 2020 and I love it, so it’s all good, baby. Now I’m in the health field and feel like I’m actually helping people, which I love.

Now, here we are 2 years later and I’m engaged to the man.  Someone who makes me smile everyday, believes in me, encourages me, let’s me be 100% myself, travels with me, taught me how to love myself, taught me to accept my body, gets me on a level that only my best friend could, and someone who goes above and beyond every single day to show me how much he loves me. Bonus, he welcomes my love for BTS with open arms, reads my writing, AND has even been sucked in himself to the fandom. Jungkook and Jimin, look out. You got another fanboy. I thought true love was impossible for me but I was very, very wrong.

He has shown me that I can be happy and I have finally experienced true happiness. When people ask how I’m doing, I don’t cringe and lie through my teeth. I smile and say that I am doing well because by George, I am. Everyone around me has seen me over the last two years and made the comment, “you look so much happier”. They meet him and swoon just as much as I do. Is he perfect? No, he’s not. He has flaws just like everyone else but he actually grows and learns from his mistakes to better himself. That’s what amazes me the most. Even if we argue, which is seldom, he refuses to let it go without resolution so we can always fix whatever the issue is. As we like to call it, we’re in-sync. In everything, we’re always so in-sync. I’m wildly in love, my dudes.

So, why am I not writing anymore? To put it simply, I’m happy and don’t really feel the desire to write anymore - at least not fanfiction. Even when I was super young, like elementary school, I used writing as an outlet for my dark escape. I wrote poetry primarily and by middle school, it turned to fanfiction for Supernatural, Simple Plan, and Panic! At The Disco. Along with a very long list of other bands and shows but anyways. I’ve been severely depressed since I was 15 and fanfiction put me in this hole that I couldn’t get out of. I relied on this method to help me get through all the bad shit I was dealing with. It was my coping mechanism.

Now? While depression never truly goes away as the lovely disease that it is, I am genuinely happy. Because of this, when I opened all of my past works and works in progress, I felt nothing but guilt. Guilt for not keeping up with my chapters or keeping my account active. I felt dread to have to escape in this world that I had created. I felt no joy or excitement. It was the strangest feeling that happened all in a matter of seconds. Thus leading to my final decision to take a step away from writing. Do I still love it? Absolutely. But now I think I’m going to re-route and focus my writing on what I love - reality. I’m going to get back into journaling and write essays about love and beauty as I’ve always loved to do. But for escaping into a fantasy world? I don’t know when I’ll be back.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “But you can write and be happy!” Nah fam. Writing has been my aid through dark times and now I mostly associate it with those dark times. And for once in my life, I feel this desire to enjoy reality and remain in it - with the exception of journaling here and there. Even daydreaming is difficult. It’s strange. I love my reality. This sounds like gloating now but it’s truly a remarkable feeling. When you’ve been battling depression for 15 years, it feels really freaking nice to say that I’m happy.

So that’s why I’m taking a break - in a very long, drawn out way. But my hope was that after this long story, you might understand truly why I am doing this. It would have been easier to just say that writing doesn’t bring me joy anymore but I feel that I owe more than that; especially because I really don’t know if I’ll write for this blog ever again. The last time I took a break, I disappeared without being able to explain myself and I wanted to do so now that I have the chance.

Ultimately, thank you to everyone who has stuck by me over the years. It’s truly been one hell of a rollercoaster. The friends I’ve made on here have seen me at my lowest of the lows. But hey! I’ll still be around. I just won’t be publishing or continuing any of my works anywhere in the near future. Seriously though. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This website has helped me tremendously and I’ll never forget it. Besides, there’s lots of other exciting things happening in my life now so you’ll certainly see me pop in here and there to talk about it ♡

If you wish, you can message me for questions or anything you want to know. I’m an open book - at least about most things hehe. And don’t worry. I still very much love Taehyung and still wildly obsessing over how marvelous he is. Umf.

(here’s some recent photos of me as i rarely take selfies anymore haha. and a derp photo of me and the man i love >_< why is the cutest photo of him with the worst photo of me? still cute though hehe)

[soobiniebaby]

Angels & Devils Part XII : See Them Burn in Fire

Tomorrow x Together Fanfiction

~ p a r t s : main post || prologue || part 1 || part 2 || part 3 || part 4 || part 5 || part 6 || part 7 || part 8 || part 9 || part 10 || part 11 || part 12 || part 13 || part 14 || part 15 || part 16 || part 17 ~ p a i r i n g : love triangle involving choi soobin and choi yeonjun ~ g e n r e : high school au | some social media au | some fluff & angst | childhood friends | love triangle ~ l a n g u a g e : English ~ w a r n i n g : contains swearing, alcohol, kissing (?) and may contain mature themes (angst, etc.) ~ a / n : This will be my first fanfic (go easy on me pls) and i’m just writing this as I go along, so bear with me juseyo The setting (place/country) of the story is up to the reader’s interpretation ~ s u m m a r y : What should she choose? Han Baby: the new girl with a troubled past MO Academy: her new high school Choi Soobin: student council president, member of the Ecosave club, volunteer at the Humane Treatment of Animals, member of the Honor Society, a vocalist in the Jazzed club, the school’s all around golden boy Choi Yeonjun: leader of the Dance club, star of the Jazzed club, the school’s it boy with a bad rep 5 best friends, 1 new girl, 1 childhood friendship, 1 epic love triangle? What will this school year bring?

“Ningning, please help me, I’m freaking out.”

It was currently September 9, Wednesday, her third day of being back at MOA, and she was indeed freaking out.

Her first few days being back at MOA felt like a fever dream wherein she was the main character in some cheesy teen romcom who had somehow gained the affections of the school’s it boy, complete with montages of everyone’s eyes following the 2 of them whenever they walked around campus together and scenes of them spotted around campus holding hands (complete with Taehyun constantly reminding them “Physical contact within campus grounds is prohibited!”), staring at each other like the lovesick teenagers that they were, even pulling their face masks down to steal kisses when no one was looking.

She never realized how big of a reaction their dating news would gain until she actually saw it; the stares, the whispers, even the attention that Yeonjun’s tweet got, which garnered over a thousand likes, which was a bit concerning since Yeonjun’s twitter account was fairly new yet not really surprising considering how popular he was.

She didn’t really mind the stares and whispers. It’s not like she hasn’t been the main topic at school before, but now the attention was for something that she was actually happy about, so in a way it felt nice. What she was freaking out about, however, was Beomgyu’s reply to Yeonjun’s tweet.

It was only when she asked Kai about it did she find out that Yeonjun’s birthday was on the 13th of September, which was only 4  days away, and she had no clue what she would give to him as a gift.

“How do you think I can help?” Kai asks, confused. “I’m just his friend, you’re his girlfriend. You’ve always been great at giving gifts anyway, I’m sure that whatever you get him, he’ll love it.” he says matter-of-factly.

B groans. “You’ve known him for longer than I have! And I don’t know what I can put together on such short notice.” she whines, which was true. The fact that their relationship was new made it even more difficult since she didn’t know a lot about what sort of things Yeonjun really liked yet. “Do you guys have any plans for his birthday?”

Kai nods. “We’re all getting individual gifts, but duh we’re throwing him a kick ass party.” he says. “We always have big parties when someone’s birthday comes up. The best part is, by Saturday night I’ll be medically cleared and ready to get wasted.” he says excitedly.

“I could help you guys with the party, but what gift can I get him? What can you give someone who already has everything?” B wonders out loud. It was no secret that Yeonjun was loaded and could have anything he wanted at the snap of his fingers, which only made it harder for B to come up with a meaningful gift.

“Easy, give him something that only you can give him.” Ryujin pipes up. She walked home with B after school to hang out since the guys were busy with their weekly student council meeting, but the truth was, Kai had pleaded with B to invite Ryujin so he could ask for a little bit of help about how he should ask Yuna out, which was the first thing they talked about when Ryujin arrived. She had given Kai good advice and was looking forward seeing how he’d ask their friend out, though Kai said he would wait for the right time to do it, which made Ryujin roll her eyes at him and call him a chicken, which he accepted.

“Something only I can give him? Like what?” B asks desperately.

Ryujin stands up from her spot on the couch, grabs a ribbon from one of the blue rose bouquets that Yeonjun had given to B and stands over her. “Simple. Here, take this.” she says, handing the ribbon to B, which she takes gingerly.

“Then tie it around yourself.” Ryujin instructs her, which she follows cluelessly.

“Now what?” B asks, the bow tied around her torso.

“Strike a pose and tell him ‘Happy birthday Yeonjun, unwrap me.’” she says, smirking.

“Eugh, please don’t.” Kai says, visibly cringing.

Meanwhile, B was visibly blushing, untying the ribbon and tossing it aside. “I—um, as s—special as that sounds, I, uh, don’t think that’s something I can give just yet.” she says, flustered at what Ryujin was suggesting.

Ryujin laughs. “Don’t worry, I was just kidding. You are too precious, B.” she says, ruffling the top of B’s head. “Don’t ever do that unless you’re 100% ready by the way.”

“Okay, that’s already more than I need to hear.” Kai says, covering his ears with his hands. “Anyway, Baba I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Kai says, trying to change the topic. “If you want my advice, I suggest you get him something heartfelt, maybe something with special meaning to him.”

B sighs. “I guess. Maybe I’ll ask the other guys for help.” she says, whipping her phone out and creating a new group chat.

Soobin sighs as he drops his phone, leaving it atop the conference table, leaning back in his seat at the head of the table as he watches his 3 present members continue with the meeting.

Surprisingly, being the student council president wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be. His members did their assigned jobs well and took their respective roles seriously, so his job was mostly to oversee things and make final approvals. Taehyun usually led their meetings, and one of Soobin’s main tasks was to make sure that the younger boy could effectively take his place as president once Soobin graduated, which Soobin had no worries about since he saw Taehyun as his right hand man, both in and out of the student council, considering how the younger boy had been especially close to him the past few days.

The past few days haven’t been very easy on Soobin, considering that the girl he found himself falling in love with and the blue haired boy he was best friends with had officially come out as a couple. It was bad enough that he had to see them constantly hold hands and stare at each other with googly eyes whenever they hung out, but news of them dating became one of the hottest topics at school, so even when he wasn’t with them he would still hear the people around him talking about them nonstop. He had no escape.

The only person he could share his true feelings with was Taehyun, his righthand man, who had figured out Soobin’s whole situation and had reached out to him as soon as the news broke out.

Since then, he always felt Taehyun watching him closely, especially when they were all eating lunch at the gazebo or hanging out the Kang’s café after school. For Soobin, it felt nice to know that there was someone by his side who understood what he was going through, so hiding his true feelings didn’t feel as tiring.

Soobin is snapped back into the present as Taehyun says “That concludes this week’s meeting. Next week, we’ll be tackling the annual Fall Ball that will be taking place on October, so you better prepare suggestions for the theme by then.” he says, referring to one of the school’s biggest social events and one of the 3 annual school dances that took place at MOA every year.

As Taehyun puts his things away, the other boys stretch out in their chairs and grab their phones, relieved that the meeting was finally over.

“Hey Tyun, I’ll be stopping by Baby’s place for a little while. My driver’s waiting for me outside, you wanna catch a ride with me?” Yeonjun says suddenly as he stands up, typing away at his phone the whole time.

Taehyun shakes his head even though Yeonjun’s eyes were focused on his phone. “You can go, there are a few additional ideas that I want to run through with our president first so I’ll be staying behind for a bit. Thanks, though.”

Yeonjun looks at him then and nods. “Alright then, see you guys tomorrow.”

The boys greet him goodbye, with Beomgyu going “I’ll walk out with you, my ride’s waiting too.” before the 2 boys disappear out of the room.

Soobin turns to Taehyun, confused. “You have additional ideas you want to run by me? What additional ideas?” he asks.

“Oh, I don’t know, the idea that you want to help the girl you love come up with a birthday gift for her boyfriend, maybe?” Taehyun says pointedly. “You should not be helping B with things like that, given the fact that you’re in love with her.”

“I—no, B is just—” Soobin sputters, caught off guard. “I’m not in love with her!”

“Holy shit! You’re in love with B?” a voice suddenly exclaims, making Taehyun jump in his seat and causing Soobin to yell out in surprise.

“Gyu! What are you doing here?” Soobin asks, shocked to see Beomgyu standing in the doorway. “I—Oh god you scared me! I thought you left with Yeonjun. What—?”

“I left my phone, so I told him to go ahead and I came back here to get it.” Beomgyu explains, and sure enough, the boys catch sight of Beomgyu’s cellphone which he had left on top of the conference table. Taehyun slaps his forehead, frustrated at himself for not noticing it earlier.

“I knew Taehyun said he had extra ideas to talk to you about, but I never could have imagined something like this.” Beomgyu says, his eyes wide. “Is it true? Soobin, are you in love with her?”

“I—no! N—no I’m not, I—I just—” Soobin sputters, his brain malfunctioning as he realizes that his secret was slowly starting to spread.

Taehyun puts a hand on Soobin’s shoulder to calm him down. “Gyu, I don’t know what you heard, but I think Soobin’s going through a lot right now, so it’s best if you pretend that this never happened, alright?” he says.

Beomgyu nods, grabbing his phone from the table before taking a seat beside the 2 boys. “Of course! Just act like I’m not even here. My lips are sealed.” he says, making a zipping motion over his mouth.

“Thanks, Gyu.” Soobin finally manages to say, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. “And to be clear, I am not in love with her. I might have a slight crush on her, but that doesn’t mean anything. She’s my friend, what’s wrong with wanting to help her find a good gift for one of my best friends?”

“Whatever you say.” Taehyun says. “And there’s nothing wrong with it per se, but I don’t think you should put up with their relationship any more than necessary. They are your friends, but I think it would be better if you don’t get involved.” he says, trying to give good advice. “Don’t take it the wrong way, cause it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be supportive of their relationship or anything. I mean, yes you’re their friend, but don’t get yourself involved in anything that has to do with their relationship.”

Soobin nods reluctantly, trying to understand where Taehyun was coming from. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Tyun.” he says. “It wouldn’t hurt to help B come up with a gift for Yeonjun though, right?”

Beomgyu nods. “True, that just means you’re a good friend who wants to be there and help a friend out.”

Taehyun sighs. “You’re an idiot, Gyu. And you’re hopeless, Soobin. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

Soobin chuckles. “Don’t worry, Tyun. I don’t see how it can hurt any more than it already does anyway.”

Taehyun shakes his head. “I didn’t know you were such a masochist.”

“I never said I like the pain! I’m just saying, it can’t get any worse than this.” Soobin says defensively.

Oh, how horribly wrong he was.

•°•

The rest of the weekdays flew by quickly enough. Soobin had taken Taehyun’s advice and had been trying his best to avoid being around Yeonjun and B longer than necessary, making sure that he had a clear boundary between being their friend who was happy for them and being their friend who would go out of his way to involve himself in their relationship.

Meanwhile, now that Beomgyu knew about his secret, Soobin could feel an extra pair of eyes practically burning into his skull every time they hung out. Taehyun was an expert at hiding his feelings and understood that Soobin just wanted things to be as normal as possible, but Beomgyu had started to treat him like he was delicate, often giving him pitiful looks and being extra nice to him, which Soobin could only hope wouldn’t come off as suspicious to the rest of the group.

It turns out that the boys didn’t have to put together a party for Yeonjun since his father had organized one on his own, renting out one of the only night clubs in their town for Saturday night, inviting a few people whom he thought would be beneficial for Yeonjun to mingle with and telling Yeonjun that he was free to invite whomever else he wanted to, which was basically the entire high school population of MO Academy.

“Did your dad really rent out a whole club just so he could throw you a business networking event disguised as a birthday party?” Beomgyu comments as he and the 3 boys stood in front of said club, waiting for the last 2 members of their group to arrive.

Yeonjun shrugs. “It’s still a party, just gonna have to deal with a few ‘unwanted’ guests I guess.” he says. “I’m not sure which pretentious rich kids from the business world my dad invited though, so I’ll have to go back and forth between partying with you guys and entertaining whoever snotty douches he’s invited.”

“And we will try to stay as far away from them as possible. I don’t think I can put up with any more pretentious rich kids.” Taehyun says, crossing his arms over his chest. “I think dealing with you guys everyday is about as much as I can handle.”

“We are not pretentious rich kids!” Beomgyu says defensively, but when he sees Taehyun raise a brow, he backs down. “Right, sorry. Anyway, any word on where B and Hyuka are now? Why didn’t you guys go together again?” he asks Taehyun, knowing that he and B usually came together since they lived in the same building.

“She just said that she and Hyuka were dealing with a crisis and would be running a bit late and that I could go ahead, so I did, but I didn’t know that we’d end up waiting for them to arrive before going into the club.” Taehyun explains.

“It’s a Saturday night, they had the whole day to get ready so there’s no reason why they should be running late.” Beomgyu whines.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” Soobin says.

And right on cue, a car stops in front of the club. The boys wait and watch as the car idles for a few moments before the door flies open and Kai steps out, and the boys realize why the pair had been running late.

Even though he was medically cleared and recovered from chicken pox, Kai’s face was sprinkled with distinct spots all over his cheeks, and although they had been meticulously covered up with makeup, the bumps were still very visible.

Just as Soobin was about to comment on how Kai’s face looked like the back of a Hersheys cookies and cream chocolate bar, Kai extends an arm towards the inside of the vehicle, and a delicate hand appears, taking Kai’s hand in hers as the hand’s owner steps out of the car. Soobin could feel the words die in his throat as B comes into view, wrapping her hand around Kai’s arm before Kai closes the car door behind her.

She was breathtaking. Her long dark hair poured over her shoulders in gentle waves, her skin glowing in contrast to her dark hair and her midnight black dress, which hugged her small frame perfectly, the neckline dipping dangerously low and the slit cutting lethally high up her thigh, the dress reaching just a few inches above her knee. She looked especially tantalizing as she finished the look off with a pair of strappy heels and striking red lipstick, making her look like a movie star from the 1900s.

Soobin couldn’t bring himself to look away, even as he saw her look up and smile, giving a small wave towards their group. He couldn’t even smile back, he was so taken by how beautiful she looked, until Beomgyu spoke up, snapping him out of his trance.

“Stop undressing her with your eyes, Choi! She might catch a cold.” Beomgyu remarks teasingly.

Soobin nearly chokes on his own spit, his eyes automatically looking down at the ground feeling ashamed at the thought of someone catching him staring at B, until Yeonjun laughs and Soobin realizes that the comment was meant for Yeonjun all along.

Why did they have to have the same name?

“Sorry, I can’t help that my girlfriend looks insanely gorgeous, especially in that dress.” Yeonjun laughs, keeping his eyes on B the whole time as he wraps an arm around her shoulders and kisses her cheek. “You clean up really nicely, Baby.”

B smiles at him, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Speak for yourself, birthday boy. You look particularly handsome tonight.” she comments.

“My birthday’s not until tomorrow though, I hope you have your gift ready.” Yeonjun responds.

“Don’t worry, I have the perfect gift for you.” B says, trailing fingers up his chest before gently tapping his nose. “Hope I won’t disappoint.”

“Baby, you alone are more than enough for me.” Yeonjun says, nuzzling his face in her neck, making her giggle.

“Eugh, that’s enough, you guys make me want to vomit. Let’s just go in already.” Kai groans, making the pair laugh.

“It’s my birthday and I’ll ogle my girlfriend if I want to.” Yeonjun laughs. “But you’re right, let’s go.” he says, leading the group forward as they walk up to the front doors of the club, the bouncer greeting them warmly as he recognizes Yeonjun’s face.

“Happy birthday, Sir Choi. Enjoy your evening.” the bouncer says, ticking their names off the guest list before leading them into the club.

•°•

“Truth or dare!” someone suggests. A small circle had gathered around one of the VIP tables, practically the same people as the ones who were playing Truth or Dare at Kai’s birthday party just a few weeks ago.

“But we already played that last time!” another person objects.

“Fine, um, how about Kiss or Tell? Have any of you heard of it before?”

When no one offers any response, Ryujin explains. “One person spins a bottle and when it lands on someone on their turn, they have to either kiss them or tell everyone a secret about that person.”

Everyone in the circle nods, ready to start the game.

“Alright let’s do this! First up, the birthday boy!” Beomgyu says, clapping his hands and reaching over to pass an empty bottle of Tequila to Yeonjun.

Yeonjun smiles as the circle cheers for him and spins the bottle, the cheering getting louder as the bottle stops.

Kai shrieks in horror as the tip of the bottle points to him, and before he can say a word, Yeonjun stands up and quickly plants a kiss on the younger boy’s forehead, the whole circle ringing with laughter.

Kai looks helplessly at Yuna sitting next to him, a bit horrified as he says “I can’t believe Yeonjun stole my first forehead kiss.”

Yuna laughs and simply says “It’s your turn.” before handing him the bottle, which he hesitantly spins.

The whole circle collectively go “Awww” as the bottle stop in front of Yuna.

Kai turns to her and asks “Have you ever had your forehead kissed before?”

“No, well, just by my parents I think.” she says, causing Kai to smile before planting a light kiss on her forehead, which instantly makes her go red.

“There you go, now your forehead’s been blessed!” Kai says teasingly. Feeling flustered, Yuna clears her throat before spinning the bottle and she watches as it lands on Ryujin.

As soon as Yuna opens her mouth to speak, Ryujin grabs her by the shirt and pulls her towards her, Yuna’s mouth smashing against the side of Ryujin’s face.

“I—uh, can she do that?” Yuna sputters. “I was gonna tell a secret but she kissed me! Is that cheating?”

Ryujin shrugs. “It’s kiss or tell, and you kissed, so now it’s my turn.” she says, wiping traces of Luna’s lip gloss off her cheek before spinning the bottle.

All around the circle, people “Ooh” as the bottle stops in front of Taehyun.

“Oh really? Of all the people here, this guy’s probably the only person I don’t know any secrets about! And he’s the last person in the circle, heck in the whole world, that I would ever consider kissing.” Ryujin whines.

“If you had chosen to say something, anything, any outrageously completely made up rumor I would have gladly gone along with it instead of having you kiss me, but that’s no longer an option thanks to your big mouth, so now neither of us has a choice.” Taehyun says dryly.

B laughs at their interaction. It was odd that 2 of her closest friends seemed to hate each other, but it was always entertaining to watch how snarky they could get when put together.

Ryujin gulps, not even bothering to hide how horrified she looked as she reluctantly made her way towards Taehyun. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right.” she says, Taehyun visibly cringing as Ryujin slowly puts a finger under Taehyun’s chin and lifts it up until his forehead comes in contact with her lips.

The crowd cheers wildly as Ryujin pretends to gag, wiping her mouth as she made her way back to her seat. Meanwhile, Taehyun remained unfazed, mentally putting the whole thing behind him before grabbing the bottle and letting it spin, and he smiles in satisfaction when it lands on Beomgyu.

He rubs his chin with his hand as he contemplates what to say. “Hm, so many secrets, which one should I share about you Gyu?” he wonders, before his eyes light up as a particularly embarrassing memory comes into mind.

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun suspiciously as the boy starts to speak with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Oh, I know! One time, Gyu and I tried out this new Ramen place near the subway, and he—”

Before Taehyun could finish the story, Beomgyu’s eyes widen as he realizes which embarrassing secret his friend was about to reveal. In a state of panic, Beomgyu grabs his friend’s face in both his hands and pulls it towards his, their lips crashing together as people around the circle gasp and squeal in surprise.

Taehyun could feel his eyes, which were wide with surprise, start to close as he absorbs the fact that Beomgyu was kissing him, before Beomgyu pulls away, looking at him confused.

“Tyun, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to plant one on you I—I kinda panicked.” Beomgyu says in a hurry, trying to explain himself.

Taehyun shakes his head, still seemingly unfazed by the whole game. “There’s no need to apologize, Gyu.” he simply says, brushing off the feeling that Beomgyu was staring at him intently and drowning out the catcalls from the circle. “It’s your turn.” he says.

Beomgyu looks at him for a moment longer before he nods, shaking his head before spinning the bottle, watching as it lands on Soobin.

“Oh, Soobinie baby?” Beomgyu says teasingly, smirking when Soobin visibly freezes in place, staring at Beomgyu in horror as he realizes what Beomgyu was implying.

Beomgyu laughs at Soobin’s reaction. “Relax, Binie!” he says, knowing what Soobin was thinking. “I wouldn’t do you dirty like that. Okay, I’m sure some of you here already know this, but our dear President Soobinie…”

Everyone goes quiet, all eyes on Beomgyu as he reveals a secret. “Our dear President Soobinie, whom is known to hate exercising despite being on the basketball team and is notorious for his love for bread and ice cream, is actually very lean and muscular.”

A few girls around the circle sigh as they stare at Soobin with curious eyes, trying to visualize the muscles beneath his jacket, which causes Soobin to blush.

“Gyu, stop it.” he says bashfully. Beomgyu’s confession was true, Soobin really did have a rather fit physique, but the attention he was getting from Beomgyu’s revelation was making him squirm in his seat.

“It’s true! He even has abs!” Beomgyu exclaims, which makes Soobin blush even harder.

Beomgyu laughs, seeing how red his friend had turned. “You’re welcome.” he says, clapping him on the back. “Now it’s your turn.”

Soobin rubs his face in his hands, trying to wipe away the warmth from his cheeks, before grabbing the bottle and letting it spin.

He feels all eyes on him as the bottle stops, pointing at B.

B laughs with ease, unaware of the intense stares that Beomgyu and Taehyun were giving their friend. “Alright, Binnie, let’s get this over with! Kiss or tell?” she says, raising a brow at him.

Soobin found himself stuck. No particular secret about B came to mind, no matter how hard he tried to look back at all their past conversations, and no embarrassing moments had transpired between them either meaning that he had nothing to tell, so he had nothing to share, which meant that he had no choice but to go for the kiss option instead, which he definitely did not think was a good idea. It didn’t help that he could feel Taehyun and Beomgyu’s gazes burning into him either.

He decides to go for the safest option and spits out anything random instead. “I, um, I don’t know if anyone knew this already, but B…really wants a cat.” he finishes lamely.

Everyone stares at him blankly, underwhelmed by what he revealed.

“Well, that is true. I do really want to own a cat as a pet.” B offers, trying to keep the pace of the game going.

“But that’s hardly a secret!” Yuna comments. “Anyone who knows you can tell that you love cats enough to want one anyway.”

“Sorry, I guess I don’t really know any of B’s secrets.” Soobin says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ryujin smirks. “You know what that means, then.” she says.

“What?” Soobin asks stupidly, not really understanding what she was implying.

“It’s Kiss or Tell, and since you have nothing to tell, that means that you have to kiss.” Yeonjun says, retracting his arm from B’s shoulders as he leans forward in his seat.

“Ah, um, I already said something though, so—?” Soobin begins, fumbling with his words, not really sure how to handle the situation.

Yeonjun raises his hands in the air. “Soobin, it’s fine, it’s just a game.” he says, lightly laughing. “Just go with it.” he assures.

Soobin nods, taking a deep breath before he stands up and makes his way over to B, being very mindful about the fact that her boyfriend was sitting right next to her.

B laughs upon seeing how nervous Soobin looked. “Soobin, what’s up with you?” she laughs. “Don’t be nervous! Here.” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear as she turns her face to the side, offering him her cheek. “Just a quick peck, don’t worry, it will be over before you know it.” she says teasingly.

Soobin laughs along. “Right. I’m sorry about this by the way.” he says, before leaning down and letting his lips brush softly against her cheek. He stands straight up as he says “There! Done!” before walking back to his seat with his head hanging down to hide his burning red cheeks, Taehyun clapping him on the back as he sits back down.

“And now it’s my turn.” B says, holding her breath as the bottle slows down and letting out a cheerful whoop as she sees who it finally stops on.

“Ha! Ningning, you are so done!” she squeals, laughing maniacally as she rubs her hands together deviously. “Oh my god, I have so many secrets, so much good shit about you, where do I even start?”

Kai jumps up then, catching everyone by surprise as he grabs B’s head and tries to get her lips to touch his face, and she tries her best to keep her lips tight together.

“Don’t you dare say a damn thing Han Baby!” he says desperately, making her laugh.

“Get away from me, ew, what are you doing!” she squeals, trying to shove him away. “Stop trying to make me kiss you! I have so much to tell!”

The sudden spectacle makes everyone in the circle burst out laughing, except Yuna, who was notably staring at the 2 best friends.

Unaware of Yuna’s unease, Kai continues pulling B’s head towards his face, before her lips accidentally make contact with his ear, and he finally lets go, pumping his fists in the air. “Ha! Now you can’t tell them anything!” he says triumphantly before making his way back to his seat and casually wrapping an arm around Yuna’s shoulders.

“Alright, I think that’s where the game ends for tonight!” Yuna exclaims, brushing off Kai’s arm around her shoulders as she stands up. “Now come on, let’s dance!” she says, grabbing Ryujin by the arm and pulling her away.

Everyone in the circle cheers, standing up and rushing to the dance floor.

“What do you say, birthday boy? Wanna dance?” B asks Yeonjun as the circle starts to clear out and go their separate ways.

“There’s actually a few people I have to say hi to, people from the business side of life.” Yeonjun says, checking his phone. “They’re mostly just people I’m obligated to socialize with, like the kids of some of our company’s business partners and stuff. You wanna come with me to meet them? I can introduce you.” he offers.

B thought about it for a moment, though she already knew that she didn’t feel like meeting a bunch of boring business kids and listen to them talk about business that she knew nothing about. Before she could respond, Ryujin swoops in and grabs her arm.

“Sir Choi Yeonjun, if you’re not going to get this hot piece of ass on the dance floor, then let me do the honor.” she says before dragging B to the dance floor.

“I’ll see you later then!” Yeonjun shouts after them, he sees B shrug and nod at him, offering him a smile before Ryujin grabs her and starts dancing around her.

Yeonjun shakes his head with a fond smile on his face, watching his beautiful girlfriend enjoy herself on the dance floor before sighing as he stands up, preparing to turn on his ‘Choi Yeonjun, future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation’ before wandering into the crowd.

•°•

Yeonjun put on a pleased smile as he greeted another batch of party guests that his father had invited. This time it was famously wealthy Kim brothers, Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon and Kim Taehyung, notorious for having not only good looks but killer personalities and unmatched talent as well. The Kim brothers came from a long family line of musicians and record producers, and Yeonjun had to admit that they were 3 of the select few people that he genuinely considered as his friends in the business side of his life.

As the 3 boys greeted him and started up small talk that made him genuinely laugh for the first time since he left his friends to start mingling with his father’s choice of party guests, a new batch of people walked into the club which Yeonjun knew he had to welcome. He excused himself from the 2 brothers and made his way towards the newcomers.

This time, he put on his deal-closing smile as he spots the familiar face of Kim Jisoo, successor to the famous Kim Jonghyun, the owner of the biggest Technology Firm in the country. As he approaches Kim Jisoo, he slips back into Choi Yeonjun, future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation, flashing her a charming smile and shaking her hand as he greets her.

“Choi Yeonjun. Happy birthday, dear! It’s always so lovely to see you.” Jisoo says, softly touching his arm as he does so.

“Thank you, Jisoo. The pleasure is all mine, because as always, you look stunning.” he says dashingly. Kim Jisoo was one of the richest eligible bachelorettes in the country, so his father had specifically asked that he maintain in her good graces.

“Hush now, you look quite handsome yourself.” she says, ever so elegantly. “Oh, pardon me, I’ve almost forgotten to introduce you to my companions! I’ve invited a few friends here with me, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, not at all.” Yeonjun says politely, she could have invited her entire posse for all he cared. He hadn’t even noticed that she wasn’t alone until she stepped aside to reveal the 3 girls whom she had brought along.

“These are my best friends.” Jisoo says, pulling the 3 girls forward. He eyes the girls one by one, plastering on his best polite smile, but he feels his breath catch in his throat as his eyes land on the 3rd girl. “Yeonjun, darling, I’d like you to meet Jennie, Lisa, and—”

“Rose.” He says, the name barely escaping from his lips. Suddenly he didn’t know which Choi Yeonjun he had to present himself as. Standing there in front of her after so long, he didn’t feel like Choi Yeonjun the future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation or Choi Yeonjun the one and only MO Academy It Boy. He felt like the Choi Yeonjun he was 2 years ago, helpless and tongue tied in her presence.

“Yeonjun.” she says, smiling at him then. And there was something about her smile and how her smiling at him made him feel the same way as he did 2 years ago, as if nothing had changed. Before he even knew it, he felt his own smile appear on his face.

“Oh dear, are you 2 acquainted with each other? I had no clue!” Jisoo giggles, looking back and forth between them with curious eyes.

“Well, I didn’t know that it was Yeonjun’s birthday we were attending.” Rose says, her eyes still on him. “He and I go way back.”

“That sounds intriguing.” Jennie comments, and Yeonjun snaps out of it, realizing that he was being rude.

“Sorry, hi, I’m Yeonjun. Nice to meet you.” he says, his charming smile back on as he shakes hands with Jennie. Jennie smiles back at him politely before he moves to shake Lisa’s hand, which she gladly reciprocates.

As he stretches a hand out to Rose for her to shake, she instead shakes her head and holds her arms out to him. He debates whether or not to accept her invitation since it would feel strange to hug his ex again after 2 years, but since Jisoo was there and he didn’t want to seem rude, he decided to allow Rose to hug him.

Hugging her felt nostalgic, and once again he felt as if he had been brought back in time, her rose scented perfume consuming his thoughts and flooding his mind with memories he thought he’d already forgotten. He decides to step back at that moment, not wanting his subconscious to take him back any further.

“Now that that’s settled, why don’t you join us for a few drinks?” Jisoo pipes up again, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “And Yeonjun darling, I’d love it if you filled me in on your history with my dear friend Rose here.”

Once again, as Choi Yeonjun the future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation, he felt powerless against Kim Jisoo, successor to the famous Kim Jonghyun, and he feels his jaw start to hurt from smiling as he says “I would gladly join you, Jisoo. It would be my pleasure.”

Jisoo squeals and claps her hands with glee as she hooks her arms through Jennie and Lisa, leaving him and Rose to follow.

Yeonjun looks at Rose once again, her long fiery red hair styled in a braid and her slender figure wrapped in a sequined mini dress, as if she hadn’t changed at all over the years.

She smiles at him, looking at him like she always used to. “Come on, we better catch up before we lose sight of them.” she says, referring to her friends.

Yeonjun nods, the strange wave of nostalgia hitting him like a truck, blurring his grasp on the present. “Let’s go.” he says, as she puts a hand on his arm and he lets a hand rest on the small of her back to guide her through the crowd.

Unbeknownst to him, there was a pair of eyes who saw the whole exchange.

Han Baby, who was standing by the bar watching Yeonjun make his way through the room as Ryujin poured shots, suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her chest as she recognized the girl with the fiery red hair and the way Yeonjun had looked at her.

“Alright, here’s one for me and one for you, you better drink up you little shi—B? What’s wrong?” Ryujin says, as she drops the shots on the counter and notices her friend’s sudden dazed state. Ryujin follows B’s gaze and sees Yeonjun with Rose as well.

“Ah shit. Hey B, why don’t we—” she starts to say, but before she knows it, B squeezes her eyes shut and takes off running, bolting so fast that Ryujin barely had time to see which way she went.

“Well fuck.” Ryujin whispers to herself, downing the shots on her own before squeezing her way through the crowd to search for her friend.

•°•

Soobin’s night was not going very well.

After his nerves almost ate him alive during their game of Kiss or Tell, he had been trying his best to distract himself by getting drunk to shake them off, along with his feelings for B.

So what if he had kissed her cheek? It was barely even a kiss, it was just his lips lightly brushing against her skin, so light that he could barely even feel it, and holy shit did his lips really touch her skin?

The whole night, he had been trying his best to avoid both Yeonjun and B, which had been easy enough since he knew Yeonjun had to attend to his father’s chosen attendees and he knew that B would be kept preoccupied by Ryujin. But after having one too many drinks, he found himself in need of some quiet time to stop his head from spinning.

He sees a small closet door near the back of the club and decides to go for it, knowing that at best, it would only have a few cleaning supplies, maybe a mop and broom or 2 inside.

But as he opens the door, he’s surprised not only to see that the closet was much bigger than he thought it would be, but also to see a small figure hunched over on the floor.

“B? Is that you?” Soobin says, squinting his eyes so he could see better. The figure was sitting on the floor with their knees hugged to their chest and their face buried in their arms so he wasn’t sure, but as she looks up, her tear-filled eyes meeting his, he knew without a shadow of doubt that it was her.

“Who is it? Are you Soobin?” she slurs.

“Yes, it’s me, Soobin. B, are you crying? What’s wrong?” he asks, suddenly alarmed. What was she doing hiding in the closet of a nightclub on her the night of her boyfriend’s birthday party, crying her eyes out?

“No, it’s nothing. Soobin, I just want to be alone right now. Can you just forget you ever saw me, Soobin? Please?” she barely manages to say, her words blending together.

Soobin found himself frozen in place, his hand squeezing the doorknob as he contemplates what his next move should be.

Taehyun’s words rang through his head.

“Don’t get involved. Yes, you’re their friend, but don’t get yourself involved in anything that has to do with their relationship.”

But as Soobin looked at B, crouching on the cold floor, her arms wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees, her mascara running down her cheeks, her tear-filled eyes looking at him with heavy sadness, he couldn’t help himself.

Seeing her like that, he couldn’t bear to leave her. He told himself it was just because she was his friend and she needed a friend right at the moment, but he knew he was only fooling himself. He took a deep breath before letting go of the doorknob and carefully making his way to her.

He crouches down on the floor next to her, being mindful to keep enough space between them. The first thing he does is take off his black denim jacket and draping it over her knees, aware that she was wearing a rather short dress and wanting to make sure that she wouldn’t feel violated by him. Next, he asks her “What happened?”

She looks at him then, and his heart aches for her. She looked so lost, as if her mind couldn’t process whatever thoughts she was having. “Yeonjun’s ex girlfriend is here.”

Soobin’s face automatically turns into one of disgust. “Rose?” Everyone hated Rose. “Why is she here? Are you sure?”

B nods, looking like a lost child. “I saw her walk in with some girls earlier, probably some of those business people Yeonjun mentioned. I knew it was her cause I stalked her on Twitter so I know what she looks like. Of course she looks like a fucking model, with her long fiery red hair and her long figure.” she says bitterly, her words slurring slightly. Soobin had a feeling that if she weren’t this drunk, she probably would never say any of this out loud. “See here, I even took screenshots.” she says, pulling out her phone and fumbling with it for a bit before shoving it in Soobin’s face.

Soobin was aware of how Rose looked, having been there back when Yeonjun was still dating her, and he was just as unimpressed now as he was back then. “Oh god, who even invited her? And for the record, she does not look like a model, she looks like a witch.” Soobin says sourly, which causes B to snort.

“Oh, just admit that she’s gorgeous, Binnie. I know she is.” she slurs. “Anyway, I was at the bar with Ryujin when she walked in and then I saw the moment Yeonjun saw her, and oh god the look on his face.” she says, her face contorting, clearly showing her disdain. “He came up to her and greeted her, he hugged her, he smiled at her and started talking to her as if she were special or something.”

“Yeonjun did all that? B, that sounds ridiculous.” Soobin says, trying to ease her worries.

“Are you saying I’m crazy?” B almost shrieks, staring at him as if he were crazy. Whoops, wrong move.

“No, it’s just that I know Yeonjun and I know what he was like when things ended with Rose. He was a huge mess, and I just don’t think he’d be dumb enough to treat her like a friend or to even acknowledge her existence after everything that happened.” Soobin says.

B lets out a wail. “But I’m not crazy, Binnie! I saw it with my own 2 eyes, and Ryujin saw it too, and she tried to distract me but it was too late. At that moment my brain couldn’t process what my eyes were seeing and I just sort of ran away to get some clarity.”

“That’s why you’re hiding here? For some clarity?”

B nods, but then her eyes swell up with tears again. “Yes but I still don’t really understand it. The more I think about it, the more it hurts. I don’t know what to do, Binnie. I just wanted to get away.” she says, moving closer and leaning her head on his shoulder.

Soobin takes a breath, well aware of how close she was and the weight of her against his body and how her usual Lavender scent was just drowned out by the stench of alcohol. He didn’t know how just how drunk she was, but Soobin never thought B could be so vulnerably jealous and insecure. He gingerly raises a hand and holds hers, gently running circles on her skin with his thumb as he thinks over his next words very carefully. “Okay, so what if Rose is here? So what if Yeonjun smiled at her or hugged her or whatever else you saw? None of that stuff matters because B, he has you.”

B laughs bitterly. “He has me? What does that matter?”

“It matters because you are one of the best people to exist in this world at this very moment and he knows that. It matters because you are one of the kindest, smartest, cutest, silliest, and most beautiful people I know. It matters because you are special, and he is so damn lucky that he gets to call you his. It matters because a girl like you is impossible to find, and he would be a complete idiot if he let something as insignificant as his cheater of an ex fuck it up.”

It’s quiet for a moment, the only audible sound coming from B as she tries to stop her tears from falling and slow down her breathing. Until she very quietly, almost inaudibly says “Maybe it should’ve been you, Soobin.”

The thumb tracing circles on her hand freezes and he feels his heart stop beating as her words wash over him. “What did you say?”

“Maybe it should’ve been you.” she sighs. “I’ve been told on more than one occasion that you and I would make a great pair so maybe they were right. Look, you’ve even given me your jacket just now even though I still have one of your hoodies from when we were in your room at Kai’s party! I mean it’s not like I had an option cause you never liked me anyway and Yeonjun did, but maybe if you did, maybe I would’ve chosen you just like everyone said I should’ve or would’ve. Or could’ve? I don’t know.” she slurs, her words heavily blending together yet her message was very clear.

When Soobin remains frozen and silent, B laughs out loud, a few hiccups escaping her as her crying subsides. “Oh god I’m sorry, I’m just so drunk please don’t listen to me. You should go back out there and have fun, don’t waste your time on me. I’m pretty sure I won’t remember this in the morning anyway. And don’t worry, I’ll give you back your hoodie.” she rambles, her words slurring together. And he knew she was right. She was so drunk, he didn’t think he’d ever see her like the wasted mess that she was now.

Soobin looks at her sadly, his heart aching. He couldn’t leave her alone, but he knew that if he stayed with her any longer, especially since she was drunk and spewing out candid thoughts like that, he’d only end up hurting himself. He pulls out his phone and sends a few quick texts before leaning his head back against the wall, waiting.

“You know you always have a choice, right?” Soobin says. “And for the record, it’s not like I never liked you.”

B looks up at him, confused. “What?”

“It’s not like I never liked you, because I did.” Soobin says, praying with all his might that she wouldn’t remember a word of their conversation when she woke up the next morning. “And I still do.”

Before B gets the chance to react, the door flies open, and Taehyun walks in along with Beomgyu, both of them had a slight crazed look in their eyes as if they had run a marathon.

“B! Dear sweet darling, are you okay?” Beomgyu says dramatically as he sweeps into the room and drops himself on the floor in front of her, pulling her into his arms.

“I saw Yeonjun with Rose!” she wails before the tears start to fall from her eyes once again, she crumbles in Beomgyu’s arms, her drunk mind still unable to properly process anything.

“Shhh, there there, you poor miserable thing. It’s alright.” Beomgyu coos, rubbing a hand soothingly along her back. Behind her back, he violently mouths to Soobin and Taehyun “Rose?! What the fuck?!”

Soobin stands and approaches Taehyun, who was standing by the door observing the scene in front of him.

“Thanks for coming, Tyun.” Soobin says. “I can’t–I don’t think I can trust myself around her, not while she’s like this. It’s just–“ he says, struggling with his words as his conversation with B replays in his mind “It hurts too much, I can’t be here for her but I can’t just leave her alone, so thank you.”

Taehyun shakes his head at the older boy. “No problem, Soobin. I told you I’m always here if you need me.” he says, clapping him on the back. “How bad is it?”

“She’s really drunk and she was crying and all upset cause she saw Rose and Yeonjun together.” Soobin explains.

Taehyun nods. “That’s understandable, Rose is a hideous wench just the thought of seeing her makes me want to vomit, much more the thought of her and Yeonjun together. I’m assuming she came with some of Yeonjun’s business friends.” he says. “Anything else?”

“Well…I sort of told her that I like her.” Soobin whispers so that Beomgyu and B wouldn’t hear.

Taehyun’s eyes widen as he hits Soobin’s arm. “What! Soobin! Why would you do that?”

“She was drunk and upset and rambling and saying things and I’m also pretty intoxicated too so it sort of just came out!” Soobin groans. “She’s pretty wasted though so I don’t think she’ll remember anything.”

“You better pray to science and faith that she doesn’t.” Taehyun warns him. “Tell me everything later on, okay? Just go and leave her to us, you look like you could use another drink.”

Soobin nods. “Thanks, Tyun. Fill me in too, how has your night been?” he asks politely.

Taehyun smiles. “I kissed my crush, and my crush kissed me back.”

Soobin’s eyes widen and his mouth drops open in shock. Before he can say anything else, Taehyun laughs and pushes him out of the room before slamming the door in his face.

•°•

Soobin’s night was starting to turn hazy as he kept his alcohol ingestion going, and the more he stumbled through the place the longer the night seemed to drag on.

After his quiet yet disastrous moment with B, he immediately rushed to the bar and started downing shots with a few seniors from their class. Once he felt the alcohol back in his system, he spent some time on the dance floor joining the throng of random sweaty bodies jumping and grinding and bumping against his. At one point, a wasted girl he recognized from his science class pulled him aside and attempted to lock their lips together, which he managed to politely refuse and escape from.

After stumbling his way through the place, he had finally caught sight of a familiar face. Once he spotted the back of Yeonjun’s familiar head of blue hair, he started to make his way towards him, until he saw the head of long fiery red hair that Yeonjun currently had as company.

He stopped in his place, observing his friend as Yeonjun continued to converse with his ex. Soobin could see that they were standing right in front of each other and that they occasionally leaned in close, but he deduced that it was probably just because the music was so loud.

He watches as Rose laughs at something Yeonjun says, laying a hand on his shoulder as she tilts her head back before she leans into him and says something back, which causes Yeonjun’s shoulders to shake with laughter as well.

He watches as Rose pulls him to the dance floor, with Yeonjun initially refusing and trying to keep his feet planted on the floor until the girl pouts at him and manages to pull him along with her, into the middle of the crowd, as they start to jump and shake their bodies along to the beat.

He watches as Rose whips her long red hair over her shoulder as she starts wiggling her body around the blue haired boy, her hands on his shoulders, almost around his neck, as she pulls their bodies flush together and she starts dancing against him.

He watches as she traps Yeonjun’s face in her hands and pulls down until their lips meet, and Soobin’s breath catches in his throat as she does so.

He watches as Yeonjun breaks away and all but shoves her aside, while she looks at him innocently and shrugs. He watches as she attempts to pull him close again, only for Yeonjun to grab her hands and push them away. He watches as Yeonjun finally turns around, their eyes meeting, and he watches Yeonjun freeze as he realizes that Soobin was watching him the whole time.

•°•  

Author’s note:

Did someone say... drama? Here’s a lengthy and drama-packed chapter to make up for a delay in the update! I just moved into a new apartment and I’ve been busy with packing and unloading all my stuff so I’m sorry for the delay :c Thank you for all your kind words and your reactions, they really mean so much to me! Let me know what you think!

[hongism]

BTS Imagine: Hello to You Too

first writing post in a while! I’m actually really happy with how this turned out, even though it’s a lot longer than I anticipated! I got really really carried away, so I think this is a bit too long to be considered a drabble whoops

this is part of my 600 milestone drabble challenge thing, and I had a lot of fun writing this, so please feel free to check my post on the drabble/prompt list and send in an ask if you want something!

Summary: You and Taehyung have been friends for years, and you consider yourself lucky to call him your best friend. Time and time again though, he cancels plans with you, and you’re starting to get fed up with it. You just want to see your best friend. That’s all. No feelings involved? There’s an unspoken rule that you can’t like your best friend, isn’t there? Which of you is going to be the one to break it first then?

Requested

@hazytaezy​ said:

“Number 60 on the prompt list with a best friends to lovers with tae 💖”

           Prompt:

                       60: “Are you going to talk to me?”

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Taehyung Centered

Warnings: A bit of bad language

Words: 2090

"It's okay," you tell your friend of about thirteen years now. "We can do it some other time!" You push too much hope into your tone, but your friend catches it without suspecting the forced nature behind it.

"Thank you so much! Again, I'm really sorry to cancel last minute," he says in response. Even though he cannot see you, you still press your lips into a thin smile. "I'll make it up to you, I promise!" He hangs up a moment later, not giving you the chance to say goodbye.

Will you, Taehyung?

You don't mean to doubt your best friend, but lately it seems all he can do is call to say he can't do anything with you despite making the plans himself. He makes the same dumb promise each time too and has yet to live up to his word, so it's not really much of a shock that you've begun to doubt him. Still, you can't bring up your concerns with him, because his job is the thing keeping you apart and he is always flying somewhere across the world for a performance at a moment's notice. You miss the days when you didn't have to worry about him flying to Japan, let alone halfway around the world.

You huff and toss your phone to the other end of your couch, crossing your arms over your chest and pouting like a child. You just want a movie night with your best friend like you used to. Is that really so much to ask?

"Let me guess, he cancelled on you again?" You roll your eyes at the sound of your roommate's voice behind you.

"I thought you weren't coming home tonight," you snap back, being a bit too sensitive and harsh.

"Well, I wasn't but I got bored at the library and I figured he wasn't gonna show up, so I decided to come home." You sink further into the cushions at her words, frown deepening all the while.

"I guess I should've known."

"Yea, at this point, I don't know why you expect anything different." Your roommate moves around the couch and drops onto the cushion beside you. She glances at you once before deciding to avoid your sad glare. "Why don't we watch a movie? I'll even bust out the good wine for us."

"Because he's my best friend, so I always expect him to want to spend at least a little bit of time with me. . ." You answer belatedly. "I miss him. I want to spend time with him. Is that so wrong?" You slap your forehead with the heel of your hand. The offer of wine doesn't sound too bad right now, and you know you could finish that whole bottle in the fridge yourself. (On second thought, you shouldn't do that, because you don't want to go to work with a hangover tomorrow morning). "I'll pick out your favorite movie if you get the wine and popcorn."

"That's a disgusting combination, I don't get why you like it."

"Taehyung likes it too. . ." Your roommate sighs as she gets up.

"I'll give you extra wine if you agree not to talk about him for the rest of the night, deal?" You pout but nod multiple times, not needing much convincing to do as she says with that offer. "I swear, Y/N, sometimes I think you like him as more than a friend. You certainly talk about him that way."

"I don't!" You might be a bit too quick to deny it, but you would rather not even begin to start down that train of thought. It is a slippery slope. You are fully aware that you would fall into that trap a bit too easily, so it's best for you to avoid it. "I just miss my best friend," you add in a much weaker, quieter tone. The one who treats you like a little sister. Hell no. You can't like him as anything more without it being weird for the both of you.

"You never know, Y/N. He could feel the same way about you. Maybe that's why he's practically avoiding you nowadays. He might be scared that you don't feel the same or that you would think it's weird too." You narrow your eyes. Sometimes you worry that your roommate might be a mind reader with her absolute accuracy at relaying your thoughts through her words. Her only inaccuracy is in the belief that Taehyung might actually return your nonexistent feelings.

On the other side of the couch, your phone is ringing, and you can see Taehyung's name flash across the screen. You scowl at the phone, however, and refuse to move from your spot, watching the phone ring and ring until it finally goes to voicemail. You almost breathe a sigh of relief when his name disappears, only to have that peace ripped out from under you when he calls again a second later. Still, you decide not to answer, mulling over your roommate's words instead even though you know better. Damn, you don't have a drop of wine in your system yet, and your head is already spinning. Best friend. Would it be so bad to admit to liking him? You've always told him how handsome he is (as though he doesn't hear it enough), and you catch yourself staring at him when you watch movies together, at which point he'll tease you about watching him like he's a movie. Then that wink he throws your way which leaves you in a blushing heap and you can't focus on the movie at all after that. Would it really be so bad?

"Hey, you dolt, I'm trying to give you some wine. Do you not want it all the sudden?" Your roommate slaps you on the back of the head, tearing you out of your thoughts. You take the glass extended to you with much gratitude and start chugging as she stares at you with no shortage of concern in her eyes. "So, uh, are you gonna answer the phone? He's called five times now. I thought you missed him." You pause your gulps for a second, glancing between the phone and your roommate, then continue chugging without a word. "Ah, so now you realize how you feel? And you think you can't talk to him without being awkward, is that it?" The shrill ring of your phone interrupts her. "Well fine, I'll answer for you."

"No!" You yell through the wine only to choke on it as you lunge for your phone. She beats you to the device, however, and triumphantly holds it up as you struggle to stop coughing. You drink more to stop the coughs, gasping between the gulps, "Don't you dare answer that call." Your roommate makes a face, swiping her finger across the phone screen and holding it to her ear.

"Hi, Taehyung-ssi. No, Y/N is on the couch right now and didn't want to answer her phone. Sorry. Yes, of course." She turns and sticks her tongue out at you as she walks back to the kitchen, and you can't overhear the conversation anymore. You are left to sit and stew on the couch, still trying to catch your breath after choking on the wine. Minutes later, your roommate reemerges from the kitchen, smiling like the devil as she tosses your phone back to you. "I gotta run to the convenience store and grab some popcorn since we're out. I'll be back shortly!"

"You - what? Hey, wait a minute! What did you say to Taehyung? Don't leave, you - ugh - just hang on!" She ignores your protests and laughs on her way out the door. You nearly trip over the couch as you attempt to hurdle over it. Once you reach the door, you fling it open and step out into the hallway, only to slam into someone's chest.

You can't process the situation quick enough. Next thing you know, you're on the floor - well, on someone's chest, whoever you just knocked onto the floor. Even without looking up at the person's face, you recognize the cologne on his collar. Damn. Dammit. Shit.

"Uh, hello to you too?" The timber of his tone and mirth in it sends your heart rate into a frenzy. You squeeze your eyes shut. "Are you okay, Y/N?" Taehyung asks, hands landing on your waist as he tries to sit up. His actions cause your chest to clench painfully, and you push him back down without warning. Clearing your throat, you climb off of him and face your apartment. You hear him get to his feet behind you, and the heat of his concerned stare bores into the back of your head.  You do your best to ignore him even as he grabs your arm and gently turns you to face him again. "No? Is it because I told you I had to cancel again?" Oh, you had forgotten about that until he mentioned it.

"Why are you here?" You ask all the sudden, cutting him off in the midst of whatever he was saying.

"I wanted to surprise you. . ." He trails off and scratches the back of his neck. A faint blush rises to his ears. "I felt bad for cancelling so much and knew you didn't deserve that kind of treatment, so I thought I should surprise you tonight. That's why I called so many times." Oh no.

"What'd she say? I mean, my roommate - what did she tell you over the phone?"

"Oh?" Taehyung releases your wrist and looks away. After knowing him for so long, you can tell that he's trying to come up with some sort of cover story to avoid the truth. "She just - all she said was that you were upset that I said I wouldn't come, so I told her that I was actually already on my way. Then she, uh, said she'd leave to give us - to let us watch the movie in peace. And something about wine and popcorn in the kitchen?" He flashes his blinding rectangular smile your way, and you feel your heart melting under its warmth.

"What else did she say?" You ask, and he drops his smile, obviously able to tell that you're aware that he's holding back.

"I guess you aren't gonna let me wait for a better time?"

"What?"

"She told me to man up, and I'll admit that I should. I've waited far too long to say anything and hurt you in the process. I need to stop being scared. I need to take the leap, so. . .look Y/N, you're my best friend, and I don't want anything to ruin our friendship, especially if it's something I say. You need to know though, so please don't hate me if you don't feel the same." Your breath catches in your lungs, and you hold onto the door frame to support your trembling legs. Oh my gosh, is this real? "Y/N, I like you as a lot more than a friend. I couldn't get it off my mind recently, and I was so scared of you not feeling the same way that I tried to avoid you." He pauses to look you in the eye and hesitates before he whispers his next words. "I think I love you." You are frozen in the doorway, a dumb open-mouthed expression on your face as you struggle to take in Taehyung's words. He laughs a little. "Are you going to talk to me?" You finally register his watery eyes and see the fear that you don't return his feelings on his face. Reaching forward, you place your hands on his cheeks, and he leans into the touch almost instantly.

"I love you too. I thought I was the only person who couldn't see that until now." Taehyung squeezes his eyes shut, holding one of your hands in his own and pressing his lips against the palm. The butterflies leap through your chest, and you laugh in response. He cracks one eye open, then the other. You blush under the stare, and he only teases you further with a wink. You try to cover your flustered state with a scoff and tug your hands away from his face. "As cheesy as ever, Kim Taehyung."

"I can't help it when I'm around you~" He sings as he tugs you into a tight hug. "Really, I don't know if I'll ever let you go now."

"You're too much," you tease but tuck your face against his chest and pull him as close as you can.

written by: jungtaeyoongles

gif belongs to its original owner

[moorehollandplz]

Always :-:Peter Parker:-:

RE-POST FOR A BAD KEEP READING LINK

I was requested by @peterrogers15 to write a part 2 for my first blurb “Goodbye”. So, here is my second blurb for @upsidedownparker ‘s Summer Blurb Request. I was requested to use prompts 9. “All my choices lead me to you” (But, this line didn’t flow into the story as I would have liked so I changed it a little it now reads as “Everything I do leads me to you.”)and 42. “You left me!” I hope you all like this. ==>Also… Peter is now 21.

Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

If you haven’t read Part 1: “Goodbye” and are interested... it’s on my Masterlist!!!

ENDGAME SPOILER!!!!!

⚠️ Warnings: Angst, Fluff, and Mad Peter.

Word count: 1409

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

It had been five years since your father’s funeral. And, five years since you had said ‘goodbye’ to Peter Parker. You had left your shattered heart on the floor at Peter’s feet that day. And, you hoped he’d return them to you someday. That he’d return to you someday.

But, five years and he had made no attempts to contact you. And to be fair, you hadn’t contacted him either. You just couldn’t. It would have been too hard. For both of you. So, to say you were surprised to see Peter standing in the doorway of, what was now, your lab… well, that would be an understatement.

“Pete!” You jumped up at the sight of him sending your chair sliding backwards. “Wha… how did… what are you doing here?” You stammered not even completely sure you hadn’t fallen asleep and this wasn’t a dream.

“Hey.” He waved as he approached you.

Friday hadn’t alerted you to anyone entering the Avengers Compound. Or maybe you were too deep into your work to hear her. That’s how it had been since that terrible day. You were so broken and lost that you locked yourself in your father’s lab. Tinkering with Stark Tech, helped you forget, but never could fill that void inside you.

“Morgan let me in.” Peter pulled out a chair and sat at the metal table.

“Oh…” Was all you could say as you let your eyes wash over this version of Peter Parker.

Oh.

He was no longer that adorable sixteen-year-old boy. He was a man. And, something you kept locked deep inside you was very aware of that fact. He had really filled out over the years. He had always been strong due to his powers, but now he looked it. His face had lost most of its baby fat making his jawline so sharp it could cut glass. Your eyes connected with his and you knew you’d been caught staring.

“D-did you… uh… need something?” You turned away from grabbing your chair and trying to hide the deep blush that had formed on your cheeks.

“We need to talk.” He leaned forward resting his elbows on the table.

“Talk?” You asked pulling your chair back to its former position. “Why?” You sat down and resumed tinkering with the latest project you’d been working on. Anything to distract you from this beautiful man sitting across from you.

“What are you working on?” He asked pointing to the tech in front of you.

“Nothing… don’t worry about it.” You said glancing up at him.

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” He leaned forward to get a better look. So close, you could feel his warmth. Your grip loosened on the soldering iron and it fell to the floor.

“Shit…” You hissed as you bent to retrieve it only to be met with intense brown eyes as you both reached for it. You quickly grabbed it from under his hand.

“It’s nothing.” You sighed as you put the soldering iron back in its cradle and pushed the tech into a drawer. “What did you want to talk about?” You leaned back in your chair giving him your full attention.

Peter held your gaze for a moment before looking down at his hands. “Actually… it’s about that day…” His words hit you like a bus. That’s the last thing you wanted to talk about.

“What a… about it?” You asked crossing your arms. Trying to protect yourself from the inevitable emotions that would come pouring out of you at the memories of that day. The day you said ‘goodbye’.

“Why did you kiss me?” He locked eyes with you. The intensity in his gaze could burn you alive.

You chewed on your bottom lip not entirely sure how to answer him. “I don’t know.” Was the best you could come up with.

“Don’t give me that, crap! Yes you do!” Peter was getting agitated clearly not liking the answer you gave him.

“What do you want me to say?” You asked leaning forward resting your elbows on the metal table and leaning your cheek on your hand.

“I want the truth!” He raised his voice slightly, sitting up straight.

You sighed deciding he deserved the truth. “I… I cared about you, Pete.” As soon as the words left your mouth you regretted them.

“Cared about me?” Peter scoffed shaking his head. “You left me!” He yelled as he stood up from the chair. “Remember?” His, usually, soft brown eyes were dark with anger as he stared down at you.

You felt tears stinging your eyes as you held his fiery gaze. “How could I forget?” Your voice was shaking as you spoke. “Pete… I didn’t leave you, because I wanted to.”

“Right… you ‘had’ to.” He said sarcastically turning away from you.

“What was I supposed to do, Pete!?” You slammed your hands on the metal table as you stood up. Peter turned back to you, eyes wide, and mouth open to retort. But, you didn’t let him. “Should I have stayed? So, both of us could suffer? Having to see each other all the time with the knowledge we couldn’t have each other!?” Your hands balled into fists against the cold metal. “Would that have been better, Pete?” You felt the tears slipping from your eyes. And you weren’t even sure if they were sad tears or angry tears. “You want to see what I’ve been working on, huh?” You tapped a key on the computer and swiped your hand over the screen. Suddenly, the two of you were surrounded by twenty different models of Spider-Man suits, hundreds of codes, and about fifty upgrades for any possible situation Peter could find himself in.

“Wh… What is all this?” He spun around trying to take it all in. He reached out touching a suit that was intended for extremely low temperatures, and all the specs and details of the suit popped up next to it.

“This…” You flung your arms out. “Is all I ever work on! Everything… I create… everything... I do… leads me to you! So… don’t act like… I don’t care… about you!” You said between soft sobs leaning your hands back on the table. You let your head fall forward and watched as the tears fell onto the table making small salty puddles.

Peter stepped forward his anger long gone. “I… I’m sorry.” His voice softened as he stopped in front of you. “I get it now.” His hand cupped your cheek and you jumped a little at his touch. He hadn’t touched you in five years, but your body never forgot what it felt like. It was like electricity being passed from his fingertips to your skin. He slowly lifted your tear streaked face until you had no choice, but to let your eyes meet his. “You did the right thing walking away that day. But,… do you know how much it hurt… to lose you?” He whispered wiping your tears away with his thumb.

“I lost you twice, Pete…” You stared into his beautiful brown eyes, that always had a way of making him look a lot younger than he was. “I’m pretty sure being impaled is less painful than that.”

Peter shook his head as he let out a small laugh at that classic Stark sass. “Well… I’m here.” He leaned forward his eyes dropping to your lips for a moment. “And, I’m not a kid anymore.”

“No. You aren’t.” You whispered as you instinctively leaned toward him.

“Five years doesn’t matter anymore, since we’re both in our twenties.” He dipped his face down brushing your nose with his.

“No. It doesn’t.” Your words ghosted over his lips as you tilted your face up slightly.

Peters face lit up into the most beautiful smile that could only belong to him. You missed that smile. “I love you, Y/n. Always have.” He whispered before he pressed his lips to yours. The kiss was soft and gentle. Perfect. Like two puzzle pieces falling into place. He pulled back resting his forehead against yours. He kept his eyes closed, almost as if he was afraid that when he opened his eyes you’d disappear. Like this was all a dream.

“Pete?” Your voice reminded him you were real and he opened his eyes. You pulled back to look at him properly. “I love you too. Always will.” You said pulling him back in for another kiss.

Tag List: add yourself here

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[kagehinataboke]

hey!! this is really specific ask. so i 1000% understand if you don't want to write this. you can change bits and stuff. so a high school au where hinata has a crush on kageyama and he posts stuff anonymously on the message board and they have conversations on there. one day they both write up their messages at the same time and just,, share a look. and it's like, oh. it's this idiot. + banter and references to cheesy things they've said before. eg, ("i think ily?? wow ily??") ("who ARE you?")

umm yes??? a million times yes???? i love weirdly specific asks and i am 10000% ON BOARD WITH THIS SHIT, OFC I WANT TO WRITE IT!!

props to this anon for such an amazing idea!!!

i’m dying and i haven’t even written it yet eek uwu

*

“Hinata, we’ll be late for class!” Yamaguchi yells after him when Hinata goes sprinting off down the hallway. “You can’t keep doing this every day!”

“Yes I can!” he calls back with a grin. “Go on without me: I need to check the message board!”

It’s become a habit of his: checking the message board, that is. Their school uses it for daily announcements, flyers for dances, and other official business. Nobody really looks at it—but to Hinata, it’s something special. It all started because he has the confidence of a corn chip and couldn’t bring himself to talk to his long-time crush: the school volleyball team captain, Kageyama Tobio.

He’s tall and gorgeous and well-put-together and… basically just everything Hinata isn’t. To make matters worse, Kageyama also has absolutely no idea that he exists.

The first time Hinata posted on the message board, it was out of blatant desperation. He never expected anything to come of it—and he certainly never guessed that he’d get a reply. His note had said nothing more than: ‘so hey Kageyama, you’ll never read this but i probably maybe am definitely in love with you? i mean yeah, i think ily?? um wow, ily???’ He hadn’t even signed the informal ramble, but the note was gone when he checked later that day; and amazingly, there was a reply the next morning: ‘who ARE you?’

From then on, they had a back-and-forth conversation, all in scribbled notes. Hinata has yet to sign his name, but he knows he’ll build the courage up… eventually. Until then, their brief exchanges are nice—like today’s. They’ve been talking about their favorite movies, and Hinata’s top pick is immediately disputed by Kageyama.

‘of course a dumbass like you would pick something childish like Totoro,’ he writes. ‘the best movie of all time is definitely Harakiri. black and white is still super in-style.’

Hinata snickers into his hand. “What, Harakiri? Is he an old man?” He sticks the note in the binder in his bag with all the others and rips off a blank sheet of paper. ‘that’s way too boring! if you ever find out who i am, i’m going to make you watch better movies.’ He finishes the ‘s’ with a flourish and quickly pins up the note.

He’s going to be late to class, and if he gets one more markup, he’ll be in serious trouble. Then again, he’s probably already out of time and—

Kageyama passes by so suddenly that Hinata’s thoughts smack against his brain like bouncy-balls. He flattens himself against the wall quicker than if a magnetic force had pulled him there.

Kageyama strides over to the message board with purpose, nearly giving Hinata a heart attack when he unpins the note. When he starts looking around suspiciously, Hinata quickly sprints off before he can be caught at the scene of the crime.

Yes, he’ll fess up eventually—but today is definitely not that day.

***

“You almost talked to him?” Yachi throws up her hands in mild exasperation, nearly whacking Yamaguchi in the face with her chopsticks. “Hinata, you’ve had a crush on him since forever, and he obviously likes you if he keeps writing back! You should definitely go for it.”

“She’s right,” Yamaguchi agrees. “You guys definitely have chemistry. You’ve been talking for what, three or four months now?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know it’s a guy behind it,” Hinata murmurs dejectedly. “He doesn’t know it’s me… What if he’s really freaked out?”

“If he’s freaked out, then he isn’t worth your time,” Yachi says firmly. “Don’t worry: we’ll support you no matter what.”

It doesn’t really make him feel all that better. If Kageyama finds out it’s him, and he isn’t happy… Hinata knows it’ll break him. He’s been holding onto this tiny sliver of hope ever since they started talking—if he can even call it ‘talking’—that Kageyama might like him back if he takes the time to reply to him everyday… but what if he doesn’t?

The bell rings, and Hinata feels his spirits lift: he’ll check the message board on his way back to class. Kageyama must’ve posted a reply already if he saw the note earlier in the morning. He skips off down the hallway after waving goodbye to the others, woes temporarily forgotten: it’s better to think positive.

He looks forward to this every day: their little conversations. After so long, it feels like they’ve become something close to friends.

As he thought, Kageyama’s note is pinned to the board in place of his. Hinata glances around before pulling it down, palms growing sweaty as he reads it over. ‘you could just tell me who you are and stop dodging around. i’m not that unapproachable, am I?’

Hinata stuffs the note deep in his bag and rushes off to his next class, but the words haunt him. He used to think Kageyama was unapproachable, but it’s hard to think that after getting to know him. He’s got a sweet and funny side that’s invisible to outsiders, and he can be surprisingly thoughtful.

Would it really be so bad to confess? Like Yachi said, Kageyama must have some feelings for him if he keeps writing back. Hinata knows he needs to man up and just… do it. It’s not like they don’t know each other at all: Hinata is on the soccer team, so they’ve interacted at sports meets before, and during PE class. It wouldn’t be uncommon to start up a conversation with him.

He can’t stand living in limbo for another day… It would be better to be rejected than to be haunted by false hopes. If he really loves him, he should have faith in Kageyama as a person.

I’ll do it tomorrow, Hinata decides hesitantly. I’ll post a note and ask him to meet up… and then I’ll confess for real.

“Hinata-kun, come back to earth. Somebody please get his attention.”

”Present— I… I mean… sorry!”

***

“Cleanup duty again,” Hinata grumbles dejectedly, peering through the window at the darkening sky. “It takes so long that it’ll be dark when I go home… I have to stop being late to class.”

By the time he’s finished, the sun has nearly sunk below the horizon and the only remaining students are those with club activities. Hinata slumps by them all tiredly, pausing at the message board. He digs the note he wrote during class out of his bag and reaches for a thumbtack—and nearly goes into cardiac arrest when his hand collides with someone else’s.

Fate must really hate him, because it’s none other than Kageyama freaking Tobio that’s just caught him in the act of note-posting. They’re making direct eye-contact now: it’s too late to run.

The only thing Hinata can think to do is chuck the paper as far away as he can—but of course, it merely flutters for half a second before dropping between them face-up: the last piece of incriminating evidence.

Hinata lunges for it, but Kageyama deftly snatches it up first, holding it over his head.

“I… I was just posting that up for a friend!” he stammers nervously. “A friend!” So much for having courage.

“Oh, is that so?” Kageyama studies him skeptically, and Hinata quickly averts his gaze. “Does this ‘friend’ happen to have terrible taste in movies?”

“Totoro is not a terrible movie!” Hinata snaps reflexively, covering his mouth as soon as the words spew out. “I… I mean, that is, um, assuming that’s the movie you’re referring to…” he trails off lamely.

Kageyama obviously doesn’t buy it for a second. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Hinata blurts, refusing to meet his gaze. “Who… who do you mean?”

Kageyama rolls his eyes. “‘I mean yeah, I think I love you?’” he quotes. “‘Um wow, I love you?’”

“Stop!” Hinata begs, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth. “Okay, okay… Just please stop.”

As soon as he lowers his hand, Kageyama grabs his wrist. “I knew it was you! You were here earlier, weren’t you? You disappeared before I could catch you.”

“Ah, well…” Hinata bites his lip. “I wasn’t really… ready to meet you yet?”

“Why not?” Kageyama asks, so earnestly that it makes him feel a little guilty. “Am I actually unapproachable?”

“No, I just thought you would hate me!” Hinata exclaims, before he can chicken out. “I’m… I’m a guy, and I obviously didn’t think you would react well…”

Kageyama sighs in a way that makes him nervous. “You really are a dumbass, huh? I knew you were a guy from the start, idiot. What kind of girl has handwriting like this?” He gestures at the note as evidence. “It’s even messier than mine.”

“You… you seriously knew?” Hinata stammers in disbelief. “But you… you didn’t try to find me on your own?”

“‘If you try to find me, I’ll seriously slap you,’” Kageyama drones. “You just said that to me last week.”

“And you said, ‘Go ahead and try it,’” Hinata replies irritably. “I thought you would put some serious effort in instead of just asking over and over again! I was secretly sorta hoping you would catch on, because I couldn’t gather up enough courage to ask to meet up.”

“What about this, then?” Kageyama flicks the note. “‘If you really want to meet me, let’s meet up at the gates after school today,’” he reads aloud. “That sounds pretty courageous.”

“Stop quoting me!” Hinata complains, snatching the note from his hand. “This isn’t how any of this was supposed to go…”

“I’m sorry,” Kageyama says hesitantly. “Can we just start over?” He holds out a hand awkwardly. “I’m Kageyama Tobio. I mean, you obviously know that, but… yeah. This is metaphorical.”

After a moment, Hinata carefully shakes his hand, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. “Hinata Shouyou.”

“It’s nice to properly meet you.” Kageyama holds his hand for a second too long. “Should we maybe… go somewhere? Together?” He’s blushing, and it makes Hinata want to scream. Is any of this real?

“Yeah…” It’s a struggle to hold back the overjoyed smile that wants to envelop his face. “That would be really nice.”

“Let’s grab ramen,” Kageyama suggests as they move down the hall. “You said that was your favorite, right?”

“You really remembered that?”

“Obviously.” Kageyama lightly bumps against his shoulder. “I remember everything you say—for example, ‘I think I love you? Um wow, I love you?’”

“Stop bringing that up!”

[war-sword]

easter break (part 2)

summary: Draco invites you to Malfoy Manor for Easter break during your last year at Hogwarts. What ypu’d hoped would be a fine visit to Draco’s house with his family is anything but. Now, you’re back at Hogwarts for the rest of the term. What will happen? warnings: cursing words: 5,948 A/N: thank you SO much to everyone who showed interest in this fic and asked for a part 2!! this is for everyone who reblogged, liked, or commented on the original story. that being said, there will be no more parts after this because i am out of ideas, haha. if you are interested in any more of my writing, please head to my ask box or send me a message to be added to my taglist for all future posts. tags: @clockworkherondale @paigeyisme // read part 1 here

You woke up to the feeling of Draco’s hot breath on your neck and sweat between your legs. You couldn’t feel your entire left arm, as Draco was lying on it. As the events of yesterday came back to you, you felt your chest constrict with anxiety. Immediately you wished for the void of sleep again. As gently as you could, you slid your arm from beneath Draco’s torso, gently rubbing it to get the feeling back. Your neck was sore- you and Draco hadn’t moved in your sleep all night.

Despite how you tried not to move very much, Draco stirred, blinking his eyes sleepily as he woke. The sight of his slate-grey eyes looking so sad first thing in the morning made you want to start crying all over again.

Today there were no ‘good morning’s’. Instead, Draco just opened his arms back up and you held each other again, this time in a more comfortable position.

After being awake for a while, you heard the telltale sound of a house elf apparating into a room. “Master Draco, I apologize for the intrusion, but your presence is required downstairs at once,” the elf growled from somewhere at the foot of the bed, disapparating without further comment.

“For the love of Merlin,” Draco muttered. He kicked off the blankets and you unattached yourselves, and Draco slipped on some pants and a robe.

You sat up, pulling the sheets around your shoulders. Draco lifts your face to his for a quick kiss. “I’ll make sure this doesn’t take too long,” he says. “I hate to leave you alone.”

You put your hand over his and lift his fingers up to your lips. “I’ll be okay,” you whisper against his hand.

Draco lets go of your hand and disappears before your eyes. You lay back on the pillows and stare out across the gardens. Today, it is sunny.

“It was mother… she said I’m not to go back to school for the rest of the term. I’m not supposed to be telling you this, any of this actually. She said I was to ask you where your loyalties lie and to make a decision about joining our family or not, but I can’t do that to you.” Draco lay flat on the bed, gaze locked on the canopy above as you stroked his fine blonde hair.

“Why? Why can’t you come back to school?” You have a sick feeling you already know.

“Father and Aunt Bella think the time is drawing near. I don’t know what Potter and the others are up to but I think we’re about at the end of the line, y/n.” He turns his head to look at you. “The war.”

Your heart catches in your throat, and your hand stills on Draco’s hair. He shoots into a sitting position and puts his hands on your cheeks. “Listen to me, y/n. I love you so, so much. I’ve already failed once. If I don’t do what my parents want, what he wants, we could all die. I can’t let anything happen to you, and I won’t. If something happens, I’ll come for you, I swear it.”

“I know,” you sigh, leaning into his hand. “Will you tell me what’s going on? Will you write?”

“I’ll tell you everything I know. I refuse to let anything like yesterday happen again,” Draco says feverently.

You spend the rest of the day in your shared room, packing and eating a small lunch. In the late afternoon, you dress in your uniform. Draco watches you in the mirror as you tie your colored tie. “Should I say goodbye to your parents?” You sort of hope the answer is no.

“Maybe we should just go downstairs as usual and hope we don’t encounter them.” Draco deadpans. It makes you smile a little.

You walk down the stairs, your trunk levitating behind you. “I’m sorry about your wand,” you say again.

“It’s fine,” he says, but you know it’s not. Draco was very attached to his first wand. “I’ll get it back.”

Outside in the manor’s driveway, your trunk gently settles to the ground. You give Draco one last hug. “I’ll miss you,” you breath into the crook of his neck.

“I’ll miss you so much,” he replies, one hand curling up into your hair to pull you closer. “Please stay safe.”

“I can handle myself,” you remind him.

“I know.” You can feel Draco’s smile against your temple. You pull away, and he kisses your forehead. One small wave goodbye, and you clutch your bag and apparate to the street outside of Kings Cross.

When you finally arrive back at Hogwarts, you try to be your normal positive self. “How was break, y/n?” Fine. “Do any of your homework?” Of course not. “Did you and Draco have lots of alone time?”, with a wink. Enough, also with a wink. “Where is he?” Still at home, he had family visiting. But as you laid in your bed back in your dorm, you couldn’t shake the cold feeling of the sheets around you, missing having a certain someone to cuddle up with.

The first few weeks back passed without much incident, but every time you heard whispers of Ron, Harry, and Hermione’s names, you would shiver. You would still listen though, just to make sure they weren’t dead.

Students from all years were being punished daily, and it seemed the only upside so far of Draco not being at school with you was no longer needing to sneak out under the noses of the Carrow twins to meet in the nighttime. You sent him a letter every other day, making sure to send your owl in the early hours of afternoon so Draco would receive them in the nighttime to reduce their chances of being intercepted. He’d write back at least bi-weekly, making sure to fill you in on any happenings. However, it seemed since the failed capture at the Manor over Easter break, Bellatrix had left and Lucius had not heard any new news from the Dark Lord. Neither of you were sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

The first evening in May, you were sitting in your dorm common room, when none other than Neville Longbottom burst in. “Neville, how in the bloody hell-”

“No time to explain,” he huffed, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. “One of your dorm mates told me… that you… taught yourself how to heal?” He asked.

“Um, yes, I can. Why?”

“Come with me. Please?” He held out a hand.

You followed Neville up the staircases to the fourth floor, where he paces back and forth in front of a blank wall. “Neville, will you please-” but to words died on your lips was a small, thin door materialized out of the wall. Neville motioned for you to follow him inside.

The room was big, but almost every available spaces was crowded with hammocks strung from the walls, and mattresses on the floors. At the back of the room there was a fireplace, and in front of it were several third years who had horrible slashes up and down their arms. Instantly, your mind transported you back to the Manor, and you saw the evil glint of Bellatrix’s knife, heard Hermione’s screams.

“Oh, god, I’m sorry,” Neville grasped your shoulders as your fought back a gag. “I, maybe should’ve warned you. But, I can’t heal them myself, not without the right plants. I was hoping you could help.”

You steadied your breathing. “No, no… it’s fine Neville. I can do it.” You gave him what you hoped was an encouraging smile.

One by one, you healed the cuts on the third years. Your work by now was nearly perfect, and only the deep ones ended in scars. After the last student was healed, you slumped against the wall, utterly exhausted.

“Thank you so much, I knew I could count on you,” Neville said, sounding relieved.

“Of course,” you replied, but inwardly you cringed. Neville shouldn’t trust you. No one should. “What is this place?”

“We’re hiding here, from the mess outside.” Neville explained. “We figured the war is coming. We’re searching for news about Harry and the others everyday, trying to keep morale up. This room is the only safe one in Hogwarts right now.”

“Are they alive?” You can’t help but ask. “Harry? Ron and Hermione?”

“We think so,” Neville says. “I think we would hear if they’d been killed, but no ones seen or heard from them since the start of the year.”

You gulp. “No news is good news, I suppose.”

“Yeah,” Neville agrees.

He offers to walk you back to your common room, but you insist you’ll be fine. The guilt of your knowledge about the trio gnaws at you, but you try to tamp it down. When you get back to your dorm, you go straight to the bathroom and turn on the shower. Sitting under the hot rain, you try to relax, but in the end your hot tears run right down the drain alongside the hot water and flecks of dried blood stuck to your hands. You miss Draco too much to think, and you lean against the wall, crying with your constellation necklace clutched in one fist and your lips pressed on your ring, hoping to Merlin he’s okay.

You’re not sure how long you’ve been sat there, but you get broken out of your stupor by one of your dorm mates yelling your name.

“Y/n! Get out of there! We’ve got to go down to the Great Hall right away, robes on!”

Shit. You shut the water off and dry as quick as you can, throwing on your uniform from earlier in the day. As you troop down to the common room with your dorm mates, you dry your hair with a wave of your wand. The Great Hall is cleared of it’s tables, and you all stand in your proper lines with the rest of your house. Complete silence envelopes the Hall as Headmaster Snape turns to address everyone The tension is palpable.

“I’m sure many of you are wondering why I summoned you at this hour,” Snape begins. “It’s come to my attention that earlier this evening, Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmead.”

You gasp. A wave of murmurs sweeps through everyone in the room. He’s alive, he’s okay, Harry’s okay.

“Now,” Snape said loudly, cutting everyone off. “Should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid mister Potter, they will be punished. Anyone with knowledge of these events will be treated as equally guilty.

“Now then, has anyone had any knowledge of mister Potter’s activities this evening?” Snape steps down from the front of the room, ready to walk through your rows. The only sound in the room is the tapping of Snape’s shoes, and the drag of his robes on the floor. “If so, I invite you to step forward, now.”

Three rows back on your right, you hear someone get out of line. Astonished, you whip your head around, only to see no one other than Harry standing in the aisle, dressed in a Gryffindor robe. “It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive measures, you still have a slight breach in security, headmaster.”

The doors at the back of the Hall open, and in walks a group of people you don’t recognize, except for Ron and Hermione. But Harry isn’t finished. “How dare you stand where he stood!” He yells. “Tell them! Tell them how it happened that night! How you killed Dumbledore!”

Another gasp ripples through the students. You must be the only other person in this room who knew what happened that evening on the Astronomy tower.

With one smooth movement, Snape draws his wand. Immediately, everyone backs away, and you’re nearly crushed by the wave of people moving out of the way. Harry doesn’t even have time to draw his wand, before Professor McGonagall steps in front of him. Your dorm mate reaches out and grabs your hand. You squeeze back.

Snape and McGonagall begin trading spells. Your eyes are wide as your teachers fight. You’ve never seen grown adults fight like this, and both have a face of sheer determination. But the duel only lasts a moment, when Snape suddenly disapparates in a cloud of black, bursting through the window of the Great Hall. Everyone erupts into cheers. Everyone, except for you.

Your dorm mate tries to cling onto your hand, but you’re running. Running out of the hall and up the stairs, taking them two at a time, desperate to get to your room. As you sprint down the corridors, you can see outside: a iridescent veil is criss-crossing the sky, forming a dome around the castle. Statues in the courtyard come to life, drawing stone weapons.

It’s happening, and neither you nor Draco were ready for it.

You burst into your dorm and begin ripping through your belongings. You frantically shuffle through Draco’s letters with shaky hands, searching for the one you’re looking for. But you’re hyperventilating, and your vision is getting fuzzy, and oh God, did you dream it? Did Draco not tell you a place to go that was safe in the castle? You can’t remember anymore, you can’t read the words on the page that are in Draco’s elegant, looping handwriting. You strip off your uniform cloak and try to get a hold of yourself.

You’re strong. You can fight, one of the top duelists of your year. You can fight and stay safe, and you will find Draco.

None of your roommates come back. You sit in front of the window that overlooks the east side of the school, and you wait. You wait for hours. You feel like coward, sitting in your room, watching the window, but you’re waiting, staying safe just like Draco told you to do.

You almost think for a moment that you were wrong, when you see a small part of the dome turn red, then grow larger, as if it’s almost burning away. A piece of the magical dome flutters past your window, and you know it’s time.

Outside, the corridors are chaos. Everyone is running, yelling, going to someplace they think is most safe. People are crowded in corners, bawling their eyes out. You run down the stairs, wand clutched at the ready. Down on the lower floors, you can hear jinxes hitting walls and people screaming, you pass by people laying on the floor. You try not to look too closely.

You weave in and out of familiar corridors, trying to think. Where should you go? Back to your dorm? Are Neville and the rest of those kids still in the room of requirement? Was Draco even here? You retrace your steps back the the main staircase, following a wave of students. You branch off, headed toward a corridor you know is a good shortcut to the dungeons, when you feel a hand close around the back of your collar and pull you off to the side of the corridor.

Fear takes over, and you twist out of the person’s grasp, wand at the ready. But you’re stopped by a pair of familiar lips crashing into yours, a clean scent that smells like home enveloping you as a pair of arms tug you close. As soon as the realization hits you, you push his jaw away, your eyes flying open. “Draco?”

Soft, grey eyes lock with yours. Draco runs his fingers along your jaw. “I told you I would come for you.”

You kiss him again, deeply this time. You cling to each other with desperate need, and for a moment, the sounds and feeling of the rushing people around you fade away. Draco pulls away first this time.

“Come, hurry. I need to get my wand from Potter.” You lace your fingers together as you sprint through the halls.

“How do you know where he is?” You yell as you run.

“I overheard them on the first floor, they’re headed to the Room of Requirement.”

Sure enough, as you reach the empty fourth floor, the door to the Room of Requirement is vanishing back into nothing. For the first time, you look down and notice a wand in Draco’s hand. “Who’s is that?”

“Mother’s,” Draco says, striding towards the wall. “The Dark Lord took father’s some months ago, and Mother gave me this to defend myself with tonight.” Draco spins and faces you. “I can’t leave her defenseless like that. I need to get mine back, and return this to her, then we can all get the fuck out of here.”

“Okay,” you say, your mind spinning as the large doors appear on the wall again. “But let me talk to him-- Harry. You two don’t exactly get on. Maybe I can convince him.”

Draco nods. “Okay.”

The doors open, and you step into the room for Hiding. You’d come here before with Draco to watch him work with the vanishing cabinet. As the two of you walk between the towering stacks, you think about all the things you done with Draco which could possibly be categorized into ‘The Dark Lord’s Unknowing Bidding’. It terrified you.

The two of you freeze, when you hear a clatter around a corner, and then a curse that sounds like Harry’s voice. You turn to Draco, a finger to your lips, and he nods. You go off in the direction of the noise.

You turn the corner ahead of you, and there is Harry, holding what looks like a tiara. He looks up, eyes wide, and for a moment neither of you say anything.

“Harry,” your voice comes out with a crack. “You… you’re okay.”

"Y/n." Harry’s lip twitches. “I’ve been better, I suppose.”

You stand there awkwardly for another beat. “Listen, about that day-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Harry cuts you off. “You did what you could. But, why? You two knew it was me. Why did Malfoy lie?”

“I… I dunno. I guess only he could answer that. He never told me,” you say, looking down at your feet. “Listen, Harry… I know you have Draco’s wand. He really needs it back.” You spare a glance at the piece of Hawthorn wood clutched in Harry’s hand.

Harry’s face takes on it’s usual look of arrogance. “Well, I sort of need it probably a little more than he does. Now if you don’t mind I’ll…”

Harry trails off, and you feel Draco’s presence behind you. You turn, and see Draco glaring at Harry, wand raised. You turn back in a huff. “Bloody fuck, Draco.”

“Malfoy,” Harry spits.

“You heard her. If you would, hand over my property,” Draco sneers. You can’t help but roll your eyes at their usual bickering, despite the circumstances.

One of them seems likely to spit another insult, when Ron and Hermione come barreling around the corner. “A SPRITE!” Ron cries, “A DUST SPRITE SET THE BLOODY PLACE ON FIRE!”

Hermione grabs Harry’s hand as she runs past, and the three disappear down the aisle next to them. You hear the fire before you see it, but the wall of orange flame quickly proceeds the crackling sound. “Oh, fucking hell!”

You grab Draco’s hand and you quickly start sprinting back the way you came. At least you think it’s the way you came, but the fire starts coming from all sides, and you don’t which way to go. Next to you, Draco looks terrified.

“Climb!” You yell. If you can get to the top of a stack and locate the door, maybe you can use a water spell to get through the fire. You and Draco frantically scramble up a pile of chairs and tables, but the smoke is getting too thick to see through. Everywhere around you is flames of orange, and they’re already starting to lick up the sides of the pile.

Both of you desperately cast water charms to fend off the fire, but it’s almost no use. You’re beginning to think you’re going to die in the Room, when you spot movement out of the corner of your eye-- It’s the trio, on brooms, headed straight towards you. As the pass overhead, Ron reaches down and grabs you by the arm, jerking you up and into the air with him.

You clamber on behind him, one hand gripping your wand and the other the broom for dear life. You look around Ron’s torso to see Hermione cast a water charm that hold back the flames just long enough for the three of you to fly through. The moment the broom exits the door, you and Ron bail, the broom hitting the far wall of the corridor and splintering. Next to you, Hermione nearly crashes as well, and Draco and Harry land beside you to your left. You curl up on your side, coughing uncontrollably. The smoke is still stinging your eyes, and they water.

“Harry, the Horcrux!” Hermione screeches. You barely have time to wipe your eyes as the trio sits up, also coughing. Harry rolls away from Draco and tosses the tiara he was holding earlier onto the floor, and Ron, who’s the only one on his feet, gives it a hard kick. It flies into the fire, emitting a horrible screech and black smoke before the doors to the Room slam shut.

“Bloody Hell,” Ron swears, putting his hands on his knees before breaking into another coughing fit.

Harry scrambles to his feet. “The cup? Is it gone?”

Hermione produces a small, blackened goblet from inside her jacket. Ron pulls her to her feet, and the three of them take off down the hall at a remarkable speed. You’re just now regaining your ability to breathe. “Hey, Dray?” You stretch your your hand to feel for Draco’s, and you’re able to hook the tips of your fingers together and you lay on the floor, catching your breath.

“What’s up, sweets?” He manages.

“I said, let me do the talking.”

Draco lets out a raspy laugh, and you turn your head to look at him. He’s got a smudge of soot on his cheek and ash in his platinum hair. “I know, I’m sorry.”

You both get up slowly. Draco still has Narcissa’s wand clutched firmly in his hand. “What do we do now?”

“We need to find a place to hide,” says Draco. “I can’t find my parents now. It’s too difficult.” He swallows thickly. “Come on, I know a place we can go.”

You take off down the halls again, this time at a slower pace. Draco leads you to a corridor you’ve ever been to before, and at the end there’s a small alcove, that leads to a tiny nook behind the wall. One skinny window offers a view to the forest side of the castle, and moonlight streams though it. Draco slumps against the wall and removes his jacket. You waste no time settling into his lap, your arms around his neck. You both smell like fire and are covered in soot, but it's the safest you've felt in weeks.

“My heart is still beating so fast,” you whisper.

“I know,” Draco replies. “Mine, too.”

After a while, the adrenaline leaves you, and you feel utterly exhausted. That combined with being back in Draco’s strong arms, it’s enough for you to fall asleep for a little while.

You wake in the same position, Draco gently stroking your hair. “Hi.”

“Hey,” you say, you voice still a bit raspy.

“You, um, you missed it. He spoke.” You don’t need to ask to know who ‘he’ is.

“How? What did he say?”

“I don’t know, but it was like his voice was everywhere.” Draco’s grip on your shoulder tightens ever so slightly when he says that. “He’s called everyone off. To let people gather the dead. Potter has one hour to turn himself over, or they’ll all come back.”

You digest what Draco has just said. “What time is it?”

“It’s just past four in the morning, I reckon.”

“Draco, I don’t want to go.” Your voice sounds small in the tiny space.

“I don’t want to go either.” He whispers.

So you don’t. You stay in the tiny room at the end of the corridor for a little while longer. Draco tells you how lonely he was at home without you, and you tell him about your equally empty-feeling month at school.

“I can’t live without you again, y/n.”

“I can’t either,” you reply immediately, grasping Draco’s hand.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“...will you be my girlfriend?”

You lift your head off Draco’s chest to look him in the eye, feeling shocked..

Draco starts again. “I’m only asking because I think it would be inappropriate to ask for your hand if we aren't officially togeth-”

You cut off his words with a kiss, not like your one in the hall hours ago, but a softer one, that reminded you of a time before, two years ago in a broom closet similar to the nook you were in now. Your lips part gently. “Of course, love,” you whisper against his mouth. “You think I wear this ring for no reason?”

Draco looks up at you. “Merlin, I don’t know how I made it one day without you.”

“I’m not sure either.”

Your limbs are tangled together, lips moving in tandem, when your attention is caught by a bright flash of red and white from outside the small window. Sparks are coming up from somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. You can Draco look for a moment before his hands tighten at your clothes. “We have to go.” Draco says.

You make your way through the empty halls, most of which are full of rubble. A whole side of the main staircase has been obviated. You near the Great Hall, and you hear voices. The two of you peek around the corner, and your breath catches. Laid in neat rows along the floor of the great hall are at least thirty bodies; students, teachers, people you don’t recognize. You pull back from around the corner, crashing into Draco’s chest. He pulls you against him instantly. “Hey, hey it’s okay. Just breathe,” he soothes.

“Draco… there’s so many. We didn’t do anything to help.” Tears spring to your eyes.

To this, Draco says nothing. You pull away and rub your eyes with the back of your hand, forcing yourself to pull it together. You peer around the corner again, your eyes sweeping the bodies quickly to see if there’s anyone you know. The only person you recognize is Ron Weasley’s older brother. His whole family is here, and Ron is sat on the ground near him, one of Hermione’s arms across his shoulders.

You’re still watching the scene in the Hall when feel Draco’s arm stiffen against your back. You turn back to ask him what’s wrong, when you your eyes catch on what he’s looking at. Through the crumbling entrance to the courtyard, you see a large group of people dressed in black making their way across the main bridge to Hogwarts. A familiar looming figure rises above the rest, a smaller body clutched in his arms.

You’re not the only person who’s noticed. People gather near you and Draco at the entrance to the Great Hall, watching the horrible procession grow closer. You and Draco both feel rooted to the spot as everyone comes closer into view-- Voldemort, live and in the flesh, stands barefoot  as his Death Eaters fiil the courtyard behind him, a massive python slithering around his legs. Hagrid stands just behind him, holding a limp Harry in his arms. You feel like you can’t breath. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny push their way out of the Great Hall and run down the stairs. Other students and adults follow them.

Hagrid is sobbing, clutching Harry close to his chest. Voldemort raises his hands. “Harry Potter… is dead!”

Ginny screams in anguish, and Ron holds her back from lunging at him. She sinks to the ground with her brother, sobbing. You and Draco inch towards to the courtyard doorway, looking across the crowd. You finally get a good look at Harry laying lifeless in Hagrid’s embrace, and you put a hand over your mouth.

“Stupid girl,” Voldemort drawls. “Harry Potter is dead. From this day forward, you put your faith, in me.” He turns away from Ginny’s hunched form, and turns to the Death Eaters behind him. “Harry Potter is dead!”

They all chorus their laughs, Draco’s aunt Bellatrix’s high-pitched cackle rising over all the rest. She skips forward with glee, balancing herself on a piece of rubble to better survey the scene below. But you notice one figure in the front who is not laughing like the rest. With a jolt, you recognize her across the courtyard as Narcissa, standing next to Lucius. She’s scanning the crowd, looking for her son.

“Draco,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper. You don’t dare glance over to see his reaction, but Draco squeezes your hand in acknowledgement.

“Now is the time to declare yourself!” Voldemort decrees. “Come forward and join us, or die.”

No one moves.

Then, softly across the silent courtyard, Lucius calls. “Draco.”

Your heart clamps in your chest. You didn’t know they’d spotted him.

“Draco,” he says again, this time with more desperation.

You spare a glance up at your boyfriend. His eyes aren’t even on his parents, instead they’re focused on the ground in front of him. He’s gripping your hand so hard it’s almost painful. Your eyes dart back across the courtyard, and you see his parents standing there with absolute desperation painted all over their faces. Everyone around you has turned to look, to see what Draco does. Voldemort is looking right at him.

“Draco, come.” This time it’s Narcissa. Draco squeezes his eyes shut.

You try to loosen your grip in Draco’s hand, to tell him to just go, to leave you, but he just holds on tighter. Draco gives the smallest shake of his head.

Voldemort tilts his head to the side, taking in the exchange with interest. “Well, Lucius, it seems your son is still just as insubordinate and… lovestruck as the last time we spoke.” Lucius, mortified, steps back into the crowd of Death Eaters behind him. Narcissa looks stricken by Draco’s betrayal. “Draco, it’s such a pity. Your aunt was always quick to vouch for your skills.”

Indeed, Bellatrix looks confused by the scene unfolding in front of her, arms crossed but a look of confusion on her face. She doesn’t try to plead with Draco as his parents had, however.

“Not to worry, we’ll sort this out,” Voldemort assures. He raises his hand, his knobby wand pointed at Draco.

You move on instinct, stepping in front of Draco as the spell sparks from the tip of Voldemort’s wand. You swipe your wand in front of you and Draco, effectively blocking the green killing curse. Assorted gasps rise up from both sides of the courtyard. Voldemort has a look of genuine shock on his face.

“He is not going to be the one to die today.” You say with as much confidence as you can muster.

In the silent moment hanging in the air after your declaration, Neville moves forward, a slight limp in his step. He clutches the tattered sorting hat in one of his hands. “She’s right, you know.”

Voldemort slowly lowers his wand, looking at Neville with fascination.

“Yes, Harry is dead. But he’s still with us, in here.” Neville points to his heart. “And so is everyone else lying in that Hall right now. None of them died in vain, but you will! Because you’re wrong! Harry’s heart did beat for us! For all of us!” Neville reaches into the sorting hat, pulling the gleaming sword of Gryffindor from it’s depths. At that precise moment, Harry rolls from Hagrid’s arms, very much alive. All the students and teachers erupt into cheers.

It’s chaos again. Harry shoots a fire spell at the snake around Voldemort’s feet, and Death Eaters fly away into the sky in clouds of black. Neville runs forward, the sword in hand, slashing at the snake. You pull Draco with you as you run down the side of the stairs, headed towards the hall that goes around the courtyard. “Come on, we have to get to your parents!”

Draco, the stronger one, pulls you behind a pillar instead. “Why did you do that?” He cries, nearly hysterical. “If you’d been hit I would’ve-”

“Been alive! That’s what matters to me!” You screech over the noise of battle. “Too many of my classmates died today because we didn’t help them, and I sure as hell was not going to let you join them!”

You’re not sure if Draco’s about to argue back or kiss you, but he doesn’t get the chance. Two people are running down the hall, screaming his name. His parents.

Draco lets go of your hand somewhat reluctantly, but collapses into his mother’s arms. She holds onto him tightly while Lucius stands awkwardly to the side. She pulls back and Draco puts her wand in her hands. “I’m sorry,” he chokes out.

“Don’t apologize, Draco. You made the right decision.” Narcissa grips Draco’s wrists, and gives him a kiss on his cheek. She catches your gaze over his shoulder and lets go of her son.

She takes a few steps towards you and takes you into a tight embrace. “Thank you. Thank you for saving him,” she whispers into your ear. In the moment, all you can do his hug her back.

Narcissa holds you at arm’s length, and turns back to her family. “We need to leave, right now,” she says.

Narcissa is still holding onto you, intending for all four of you to make your escape. But you stand firm, catching her and Lucius by surprise. “I can’t leave,” you say. “My friends are here. I won’t stand by again and do nothing while they protect our school.”

“Then I’m staying, too,” Draco says firmly.

“Draco, stop this. You made your statement, you chose her once, but now we need to leave.” Lucius almost growls.

“I’m done doing what you want, father.” Draco spits.

Lucius eyes are nearly aflame, but Narcissa steps between them. “Enough.” She turns to Draco one last time. “Please, be safe. Come back to us in one piece.” She grabs her husband’s arm, and the two of them disappear in a cloud of black smoke.

When the dust finally settles, there is only one body lying on the ground. And this time, it isn’t Harry’s. The Boy Who Lived had finally prevailed, the wizarding world safe from his thirst for absolute power. There is celebration, but it’s somber. You and Draco sit in the corner of the great hall, holding each other close. No one really comes near you two. Across the Great Hall, you make eye contact with Harry. You exchange a look of mutual understanding, and a nod. That’s all.

In time, you heal. You still wake often, in a cold sweat, Draco’s lifeless face imprinted onto the back of your eyelids, or the feeling of near death gripping your own chest. But he is always right beside you in the bed, breathing and alive.

You go with him to his parents trials, holding his hand as you listen to the minister give his father a life sentence. Dry his tears when you finally return home. His mother visits the two of you frequently.

You move the ring from your right hand to your left. You’re missing a lot of things, but at least he’s not one of them.

[artificialqueens]

Isn’t it lovely...pt.2 {biadore} - imafuckinglibra

“Ask, and it shall be given you.” - Someone from the Bible probably somewhere idfk.

“Ask and daddy will write it for you.” - imafuckinglibra. (Can you tell I’ve been listening to Bianca’s audiobook on repeat?)

Dear anon, Yes I read notes. And that goes to everyone else sending me notes, both of you. So here is a bonus chapter about what happened after Danny posted the selfie in the last chapter. You don’t necessarily need to read the last chapter to understand anything here but it might help context wise so go ahead idk I’m not a scientist. XOXO - k bye

“How the fuck ya’ll doing!” Bianca yelled loudly into the mic at the cheering sea of people walking out onto the stage. “Since it takes Visage a good fucking 3 hours to fit those titties into her dress I have to be the one to do her fucking job. Fucking douche.”

The crowd cheered at her shady comment about the usual MC as she slapped the big blue cards labeled with the bubbly ‘snatch game’ logo on her palm to straighten them out.

“Before something else goes wrong let’s bring these assholes on stage and get it over with!” She quipped stepping back from the curtains to allow the other queens an easy entrance.

Without wasting time she introduced the other queens, or celebrities, as they had to be referred to for snatch game. First up it was Sharon as her now iconic Joan Rivers, next Manilla as Madonna and then Alaska as her, weirdly very accurate, Laganja.

“And of course we saved the 2nd best for last, because she lost, Adore Delano!”

Bianca called the last queen’s name out ignoring the few aw’s from the crowd and watched as the younger queen skip out onto the stage in her grungy make up, oversized flannel and bright red wig nearly falling off her high chair when she went to sit down.

“Idiot.” She mumbled under her breath away from the mic giving the audience a second to calm down as Adore waved enthusiastically at them between throwing Cheetos their way.

She tried to remain as professional as possible and keep her distance from the younger but had found herself a few times between questions wandering back to the end of the line next to Adore.

Every so often the grungy queen, who was eating Cheetos out of a bag almost bigger than her, would make faces at her between answers distracting her from what the other contestants were saying.

“Oh, fuck you! It’s comedy!” Sharon drawled on in her shakey impression of Joan’s voice after the audience gasped at her Bruce Jenner comment.

“Alright beautiful.” Bianca intervened before Sharon could add anything else, throwing a shady expression her direction to keep a straight face so she could read the next question.

Hearing her answers a million times never got old, neither did her lame impression. For some reason it always hit her right in the funny bone and once or twice in the bus after a few drinks Sharon had used it against her.

Somewhere on one of their fellow tour mate’s phones a video of them drunk off their asses going “O-oh.” repeatedly existed. A video which she prayed never fell into the wrong hands.

“Uh, Adore, I just want to say I feel like you were coming for me.” Alaska jumped in before she could even look at the card for the next question.

Bianca turned away from the audience and started laughing loudly just from the sheer stupidity of the back and forth happening between Alaska and Adore after Adore’s high pitched. “When?”

Even just the memory of actually being there during the real exchange of words till this day made her piss herself because of how ridiculous it was, especially Laganja’s llama face during it all.

“Okay! Focus people, let’s get this shit over with for fucks sake. Hedda the Hoarder is such a…fuck you cunt.” She snapped spinning around quickly when she felt something falling out of her wig.

The hushed giggling from the audience turned into a loud eruption of laughter as she stared down the culprit who was grinning mischievously back at her with her hand still hovering mid air.

Adore quickly grabbed another bigger piece from the bag and placed it halfway between her teeth wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

“No.” Bianca broke face and shook her head but Adore didn’t let up. She simply continued wiggling her painted black brows.

Damn this bitch had her wrapped around her finger.

She caved and almost hesitatingly leaned forward biting into the cheesy snack, their lips grazing over each other lightly in the process but Bianca never allowed them to fully touch and give Adore the satisfaction of a kiss.

Which wasn’t easy that’s for shit sure.

They’d been on the Battle of the Seasons tour for about a month and in that time they’ve only had one night off where they could stay in a hotel thus far.

Being in different bunks separate from each other and unable to find any privacy had taken a drastic toll on both.

In the year since Adore, or Danny, had posted the photo of them together and not so subtly announced their relationship to the world they’d only been separated for a few nights. Not being able to touch her love or even share a bed was doing things to her Bianca would rather not speak off.

Once Bianca pulled back after biting into the Cheeto Adore did a quick little victory dance in a small circle.

“Yeah I eat. Okay here we go.” She quipped at the cheering people but when the stickiness of the snack started coating the roof of her mouth making it hard to chew or even speak she had to turn to the back of the stage.

“You okay, babe?” Adore quietly asked behind her.

“Food.” She brushed off the other’s concern and deadpanned smacking her lips. “Here we go.”

When she still couldn’t talk she turned away again trying to contain her own laughter. She saw Adore peering slightly to one side laughing at her. “You fucking look like a poodle eating peanut butter.”

“I’m not use to that.” Bianca started laughing along in the way she usually did right before a shady comment. “We don’t do that when we have money.”

There it was - the shade.

Adore, who was picking up a Cheeto that she failed to catch in her mouth, sprung up like an angry emo meerkat and glared at her popping the dropped treat into her mouth.

She quickly moved on through everyone’s answers and made her way back to the start of the queue at Adore. Eyeing her suspiciously in case she dropped a cheeto on her again before she asked the next question.

“The city of Las Vegas is so queer, the mounted police ride…”

After Adore’s very classy burp for an answer she wiped off her mic against her gown. Milking the moment by pulling a few shady faces and making a comment about never thinking she’d be excited to hear what Manilla had to say as she made her way between the 2 queens.

Just as she started repeating the question to Manilla Adore rested her head on her shoulder sending butterflies through her stomach.

Being out in public in drag still felt oddly taboo despite neither of them ever really shying away from any form of pda when they were out of drag.

She ignored the fluttering in her tummy and continued reading the question off the cardboard cue cards. In the split second before Manilla could answer Adore, with her chin resting on her sequined shoulder, whispered in her ear. “Quick kiss?”

She titled her head slightly for a quick peck just in time for Madonna to answer with Coco Montrese.

“And that was our snatch game our winner tonight is…who the fuck cares!” Bianca shouted after moving through Alaska and Sharon’s last answers as swiftly as possible.

But as she was saying goodbye thanking all the girls a final time she felt something scratchy slide off her shoulder and instinctively shot back already knowing who’s responsible. “Fuck you did you put food on me?”

“3 times.” Adore behind her smiled biting her lip.

“You did not? Party, pizza, it’s cool. Chola.” She channeled her inner Adore as best as possible singsonging random catchphrases as the younger started slowly exiting with the rest.

Bianca’s stare lingered in the bitchiest face she could manage watching the other queens disappearing behind the curtains before she ran back to the front of the stage to go in for the kill.

“I’m traveling with these people for a fucking month, girl. This is fucked up goddammit.” She pointed to the curtains unable to resist throwing in her last bit of shade before she jogged off after the others to go change as well.

“You’re going to have Cheeto hair now.” Adore turned in her heels holding her arms out when she noticed Bianca approaching behind her.

“Don’t do it again cunt.” Bianca snapped waving a finger in front of her face and giving her a quick kiss before shooing her along to the dressing room. “Now back to work. Go, bitch, go.”

-

“Adore, you ready?”

“Mh-yep.” The tall queen enthusiastically smiled as she skipped towards the big black couch in the little area set aside backstage for the girls to get ready in.

After the show they had to do a casual interview with some people from MTV about being on tour.

It consisted of 4 parts - how to throw shade, what makes a good selfie, high school yearbook awards and then a final one focusing on Adore Delano and her latest album.

The girls were all huddled in a corner watching the interviewer pull Adore to one side, Bianca however was standing so close to the cameraman she was practically closer to him than his shadow.

She warmly greeted the girl half her size already sitting down and the questions began.

“Hi, I’m Lana Cummings here from MTV and I’m here with season 6 finalist of RuPaul’s Drag Race and drag’s pop princess, the ever so lovely Adore Delano.”

Adore held her hand under her chin waving her fingers in true childish Adore fashion. “Meow meow.”

“It feels like this is the most you’ve sat down in the last, I don’t know, year, isn’t it? You’ve been pretty busy.”

“Yeah man, I um, I released my album Whatever last year. And I just finished the first half of my tour and now I’m doing this and when I’m done I’ll probably be going back on tour with my band again. Gotta make that money, money, money though you know?” She singsonged flashing her brightest smiled while fiddling with the zipper on her half zipped onesie with the sleeves tied around her waist.

Adore had untucked and gotten out of her costume the minute that curtain went down as always so when they asked her for the interview she simply slipped into one of Bianca’s onesies and a t-shirt.

“Now, speaking of your tour and the fact that you’re wearing a BDR onesie.” As she spoke Adore’s eyes flicked up at Bianca trying to hide her smile at the sight of the older queen panicking. “You and Bianca Del Rio, winner of season 6 of Drag Race, also announced your relationship last year and have since been labeled the power couple of drag.”

“Apparently, yeah.” Adore flipped some hair off her shoulder.

“I know she’s just as busy, how do you find time to even have a relationship because I mean you seem to be doing very well.”

“A lot of pissed off agents.” Adore started laughing hiding her mouth behind her hand.

“I can imagine, you’re referring to the last leg of your tour I’m assuming? She joined you this time on it, didn’t she?”

“Yeah she did, which has been totally awesome by the way.”

As she was talking about the last year of their relationship Adore started thinking back on all the sacrifices they’ve had to make since.

They had reworked their schedules, adding a few new shows here and there to their individual tours to allow them some time together. It wasn’t easy though, it meant once or twice Bianca would stay in a town for 3 days waiting just so Adore could come perform and they’d spend one night together.

It went on like that for the last 6 months of Bianca’s comedy tour till it finished and she could join Adore full time on the final 2 months of her tour.

Unfortunately that meant they had a very limited time back home to be together, a ‘real couple’, before they joined the rest of their sisters on the BOTS tour.

The real problem was that they were both severe workaholics with an annoying habit of never saying no to a job which was putting a strain on their relationship - physically that is.

2 weeks of no intimacy and Adore was already threatening to jump out of the bus into oncoming traffic.

Luckily for everyone’s sanity, not just the over eager love birds, it was finally an off weekend. They’d get to stay in a hotel for the night after the show before it was on to the next state.

“How has that worked? I mean isn’t she coming out with another movie? And I heard rumors of a book?” The reporter pulled her back from her thinking.

“The movie they had already wrapped filming on when we started touring so that wasn’t really a problem, but it comes out…” She quickly leaned back a little to look at Bianca for an answer. “May 18th! It comes out May 18th. And then yeah, she’s also been like writing a book and has these make up wipes coming out and shit, which are really good! Everyone go buy them. I want to go on a vacation after this.”

Bianca dropped her shaking head into her palm making Adore giggle even more.

“That’s amazing definitely be on a look out there! Back to you a little, you’ve always been very…open, with fans. Very candid. Has that changed since you’ve become public as a couple or how has fans received the news?”

“Um no, I don’t think it’s changed to be honest. I think like a lot of fans are sad because I don’t hook up with them anymore but for the most part everyone’s like, I knew it! I just think my fans are happy that I’m happy.” She smiled at her love proudly watching her, the hint of jealousy Adore was expecting after the hooking up comment twinkling in her eyes. “And that old fuck makes me very happy.”

She wasn’t lying, she was genuinely happy

After coming out to the public and drag fans around the world they’d only gotten closer. Adore had less panic attacks and freak outs about stress and Bianca actually took more time off from work to take care of herself too.

“Because I’m gonna’ die soon and she gets the cash.” Bianca chimed in with a scowl making everyone in the room laugh.

Adore blew her a kiss which she returned with a wink before they continued on with the rest of her interview.

-

“Well done ladies! Enjoy your free time and I’ll see you lot on the bus first thing in the morning!” Michelle raised her glass of champagne when the crew left and the ladies could all finish becoming themselves again.

The now half dedragged queens all raised their various beverages ranging from a diet coke to vodka and everything in between, everyone enthusiastically clinking them together.

“I cannot tell you how fucking relieved I am to finally get to sleep in a real bed.” Sharon sighed with a hint of laughter coming through when Adore dropped down next to her to finish turning back into Danny.

“Sames though.” The younger queen agreed looking up in the reflection at Bianca who was allowing Courtney to peel off her lashes.

“Well at least you have people to share a real bed with.” Courtney handed Bianca her lashes and looked over at Adore.

“That is true.” Bianca winked at her making the younger blush, seeing her so openly acknowledging their relationship made her heart light.

Getting to be an official couple had turned out even better than Danny had ever hoped it would. Sure Roy was a little ticked off in the beginning about how they - he, did it but that wasn’t long lived.

They spent the majority of the first month or so dealing with their relationship being the only question that would be asked in interviews or meet & greets with fans.

And whenever a fan would spot them together either at a show or just exploring whatever city they were in they’d usually get the same reactions.

“I knew it! Biadore was real!“

Or

“But what about so and so? I thought you’d make a way better ship.”

But they learned to brush it off fairly easily enough and continue on with their daily life. A daily life which Danny now sorely missed.

Being on tour with his friends and now his love was amazing, but he could finally 100% sympathize with why Sharon took Chad everywhere. The few months of touring without his man was torture.

“You done yet?” Roy’s hands on his shoulders knocked him out of his daydreaming.

“Mh-hm.” Danny nodded looking at them both in the reflection now fresh faced again.

“Anyone want to share an Uber?” Aaron asked handing Chad, who’s scrawny arms were already full, another one of his bags.

“We going to the club? That one we passed with the naked trade up front?” Jason, now dressed in his usual club outfit with his 50’s bad boy curl, chimed in.

“Yes, we’ll meet up with you there.” Aaron and Chad both agreed.

“It okay if we sit this one out?” Roy kissed Danny’s cheek.

“You guys don’t mind?”

“You do you.” Courtney shrugged but quickly turned red, “Not like that.”

“Or yes like that.” Jason grinned.

“Fuck you. See you bitches tomorrow.” Roy greeted the other queens off to their night out

-

They opted to walk back to the hotel instead of sharing the ride with Aaron and Chad so they could take in a bit more of the beautiful European city.

With Roy’s hand in the back pocket of Danny’s saggy grey jeans and the other holding his phone checking through his social media the couple made their way through the busy streets lit up with the locals chattering outside restaurants and bars.

Roy enjoyed moments like these. Simple moments of affection or privacy that every day couples took for granted.

Sure they weren’t Kardashian level famous but still, if they were simply walking around Hollywood like this they’d be stopped by drag fans around ever corner asking for selfies or a moment of their time.

Getting to just be with Danny in peace for once was almost relaxing, especially after nearly 2 years of only getting to sneak around in dodgy club bathrooms.

“Can you believe it’s been a fucking year?” Danny commented, clearly having the same thoughts haunting him. “Like when that reporter mentioned it I was a little like what the fuck for real?”

“Year and a half.”

“Really?” Danny looked at what Roy was scrolling through and saw it was the now infamous selfie he posted. “507 days. Year and some change. Wow.”

“Three years if you count the stuff before that.” Roy casually added.

“I don’t even think I own furniture that old.”

“You regretting your decisions there, Noriega?”

“Nope.” Danny kissed his temple. “I like being with you.”

“Oh yeah? What do you like?” Roy smiled.

“That you make me really good food or like cuddle me every morning instead of letting me get out of bed so I have an excuse to be lazy or late. Or taking bathtubs with me every night. Or throwing the blankie over me when I fall asleep on the couch. Or taking my make up off for me at the end of the night if I’m too loaded.”

Roy watched Danny’s expression soften and his eyes light up as his mind worked out more examples. It was nice to know that Danny felt the same way about him or that he was at least needed.

“Your mom likes me.” Roy added one of his own.

“That’s because you’re the same person.” Danny laughed making Roy blush.

He couldn’t fight the facts, they had the same personality and no bullshit approached to life which made it easy for them to bond fairly quickly. They even called each other once a day to complain to one other either about Danny needing a haircut or if he was eating healthily enough.

Bonnie had welcomed him into their family long before they ever went public. Not to mention when they did she was the first to text them with wedding plans, honeymoon locations, joined names, baby names, matching I heart my daddies outfits for the dogs - everything.

God knows how long she’d been planning all that shit.

“That looks so good.” Danny commented stopping dead in his tracks. Roy looked up from his phone to see what he was drooling at.

He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes when he saw the object of Danny’s admiration was a conveyer belt of pizzas. “Want one?”

Danny nodded enthusiastically running over to the shop and Roy followed behind digging in his backpack for his wallet.

With Danny’s face pressed up against the sneeze guard and Roy hand’s lazily petting his back they went through all the options searching for which looked the best.

“Adore Delano!” They heard a girl behind then yelling in a thick British accent.

“Oh my god! It’s Bianca too!”

“Can we take a picture?” The first girl asked and without really giving them a chance to answer the pair and their friend pulled out their phones.

Danny and Roy looked awkwardly at each other as each girl took a queen by the arm and snapped a shot or two of them all together.

“Thank you so much!” The second girl started squealing looking at her phone already posting the picture.

“Take one of us too?” Danny, as gullibly naive as always, handed one of them Roy’s phone after grabbing it right out of hands.

Danny struck a pose next to the pizza with his elbow resting against the sneeze guard and Roy following his lead just showcased the pizza of Danny’s dreams. He knew there was no use in fighting it anyway.

The girls thanked them for being so gracious and almost as quickly as they appeared they ran away giggling amongst themselves.

As soon as they were out of earshot Danny turned his attention back to the pizzas and pointed at which slice he wanted.

“Really queen?” Roy asked scowling at him when he smiled back at him after ordering.

“Why you mad?”

“Don’t just fucking hand people my phone you idiot.” Roy scolded and quickly payed the man behind the counter, thanking him for posing too when they took the photos.

“I trust my fans.”

“I don’t even trust you.”

“That’s mean. You’re mean.” Danny took an aggressive bite from his treat.

“It good?” Roy wanted to make a shady comment about his childish behavior but the way his face lit up in bliss was just too cute.

“Tho good.” Danny took another big bite and closed his eyes chewing. “I’d thrade your dick for thiths pizza anyday.”

“Oh?” Roy raised a brow taking the pizza away from Danny and helping himself to a bite. “Well then fuck you you can sleep out here tonight.”

“No! I’m sorry, I’ll never disrespect your dick again.” Danny quickly tried taking back what he said embracing Roy.

“No, no. It’s too late. You’ve had your chance.”

“But daddy.” Danny whined pushing his bottom lip out.

“Ugh fine.” Roy rolled his eyes and pushed him off looking for their room key when they approached the hotel lobby. “But I’m topping this time.”

“But you look so cute when I’m topping.”

“Oh now I’m ugly too? Shady cunt.”

“Only when you’re mean.” Danny shrugged.

Roy snorted and pushed him into the elevator. Once the doors behind them shut he pressed Danny up against the wall and grabbed his dick through his pants.

“Careful. You’re not exactly getting in my good books here.” He growled palming him.

“Then you’ll have to fuck me till I learn my place.” Danny moved his hips up to meet Roy’s warm hand, feeling his underwear growing snugger.

Roy reached his hand inside the loose denim hanging around his waist and took hold of the head of Danny’s cock, giving it a squeeze. “You know what today is don’t you.”

“Uh-huh.” Danny nodded hissing softly when Roy’s thumb started stroking the fabric in circles. The friction against the sensitive head of his cock almost painful yet extremely pleasurable.

They heard the door pinging indicating they were approaching their floor and Roy quickly pulled his hand out just in time for the doors to open.

Instead he took hold of Danny’s hand and lead the giggling younger queen to their hotel room struggling to contain his own need for him any longer.

Once they were behind the locked door clothes began viciously flying over heads, starting with Roy’s jacket till only his pants and Danny’s tiny black briefs remained.

Danny got down on his knees to slide down the pesky joggers Roy was wearing that were getting in the way of him and his dick.

The rushed nature of their moment simmered down when their eyes met and something different than arousal ignited inside them both.

“Happy anniversary, my sweet.” The small glimmer in the brown of Roy’s eyes and the soft curving of his dimples around a faint smile as he said it reminded Danny that they didn’t have to worry about being caught anymore.

This was real. It was their anniversary and they were really a real couple. No rushing, no hushed I love yous, no hiding their commitment. It was like they were free.

“Happy anniversary.” Danny stood up and their pumped lips tenderly brushing over each other said the rest for them.

Once he felt Roy’s erection twitch against his Danny sunk back down to the task at hand that was previously interrupted.

Kissing between his hipbones first, savoring every slight quiver of Roy’s body as his lips placed gentle pecks all along the heated tan skin.

Slowly he pulled his boxers down kissing the newly exposed skin as he went till it was finally lowered enough to let his dick free.

Immediately when Roy’s dick sprung up Danny grabbed the head in his mouth making Roy release a very relieved sigh.

His hand stroking him off while his tongue continued lavishing the head with as much affection possible he looked up at Roy watching the lust pooling in his eyes.

With a sneaky smile he flattened out his tongue and trailed his cock along it till he it reached the tip of his tongue and he licked up any pre cum slowly oozing out. Watching Roy’s patience dwindling more each second.

Roy threw his head back when Danny took him in his mouth again, working him in further inch by inch with every pass of his head’s bops.

His painted nails scratching gently along the shivering tan thigh when he took him all in, holding the thick cock down his throat looking up at Roy for approval and the permission to pull back.

“That’s it, good boy.” Roy ran his fingers through his hair before pulling him back up by his jaw to resume their tender make out session. Their tongues leisurely dancing over and around each other as their hands felt up their bodies.

While Roy’s hands were exploring the sides of his slim waist Danny took him by the hand and lead him to the lusher than average hotel bed.

Going to lie down on his back with his hands cupping Roy’s face they drew out the moment for as long as possible. Simply enjoying every second of being together again at last.

Roy hovering over him with his hand snaking along Danny’s torso, his belly and down his inner thigh before traveling back up made the younger shiver with anticipation.

Danny was the first to cave and tear himself away from his lover with a smile before flipping himself over. Resting on his stomach wiggling his ass at Roy telling him exactly what to do without using his words.

Roy tried hiding his slight chuckling at Danny’s eagerness making him grind his hips into the sheets telling him to hurry it up. Instead he took his time pulling Danny’s underwear off caressing his cheeks after discarding the briefs. “I missed this ass. This perfect little impatient ass.”

“I can’t help it, being without you is actual torture. I hate it” Danny whined.

“I know baby.” Roy pulled his cheeks apart just enough to kiss around his entrance.

Danny lifted his ass every time he’d feel his lips against him in an attempt to get him closer to his target.

Eventually Roy couldn’t keep up his teasing any longer and started first by kissing his asshole gently before his tongue went to work. Every time he’d lick around the small pink muscle it made Danny whimper.

His whimpers soon turning lower and lower till they were full blown moans when Roy’s pointed tongue entered him.

“Please.” Danny breathed into the sheets looking back at him. “Your bag I think.”

Roy kissed his ass a final time and quickly reached behind him searching for the bag next to the bed. While he hunted for the lube Danny rotated himself again so he’d be on his back, stroking himself while he waited.

Roy resumed his position over him with his knees resting between his legs. While making out again Roy massaged his hole with his thumb now drenched in heavy pink lube.

Danny brought his legs up against his chest when Roy eventually began lubing himself up as well.

Now simply staring at each other Roy gradually began entering him, watching Danny’s mouth drop open wider the further he pushed himself in.

“You good?” Roy asked as he started rolling his hips very slowly. Barely moving at first to allow Danny’s asshole to adjust again after their 2 weeks of forced celibacy.

“Mh-hm.” Danny nodded running his hands up from his thighs to pull his ass into him trying to get more.

Roy’s shallow thrusting began picking up pace when the tight asshole enveloping him relaxed at last.

Not long after the dimly lit room filled with a symphony of bodies slapping and the joined moans of both men so starved for intimacy finally getting what they most needed.

“Kiss me.” Danny whispered between pants.

Roy bent down to kiss him with as much intensity as his hips slapping into him while his hands on Danny’s ribs kept him pinned down.

With the younger’s legs over Roy’s shoulders he could fully enter him with ease. The force of his body driving every inch of his dick into him not only driving Roy completely wild but also very clearly Danny but the way he was gripping the sheets.

“Harder.” He pleaded closing his eyes. His fingers around the fabric only clenching tighter when his thrusts turned deeper, more forceful as asked.

Knowing exactly how down right evil it would be to tease Danny like this when his orgasm was building up a steady momentum Roy sat back on his knees.

Danny however surprised him by simply opening his legs and with a smile he took matters into his own hands - literally. With a firm grip around his dick he began jerking himself off while a now slightly thrown off Roy added more lube onto his cock.

“Enjoying the view?” Danny raised a smug brow watching Roy following his lead. Stroking himself as well, staring with a somewhat proud expression at the hand jacking himself off.

“You’re so fucking stunning.” Roy praised in a low, hungry voice, running his fingers along Danny’s inner thigh. “And so is your beautiful fucking cock.”

While Roy continued working himself he leaned down into Danny’s spread lap and took as much of his cock into his mouth as possible. “Ah shit…” Danny dropped his head into the pillows when Roy’s well experienced mouth began sucking him off. Hollowing his cheeks as his head bopped in rhythm with his hand.

The way he twisted his head every time his mouth closed back around the tip of his cock before enveloping his entire member only made Danny unbelievably desperate. “Fuck me please. Please, Daddy.”

Roy smirked victoriously for getting him to beg, he knew Danny only called him daddy like that when he was truly unable to contain himself.

Keeping his hands on Danny’s hips to help guide him Roy reinserted himself back into his tight hole.

Being just as impatient as his love at this point he wasted no time in picking up his previous pace immediately, disregarding the body trembling beneath him from the sudden intrusion.

“Oh fuck me.” Danny breathed out, his eyes locked between their bodies to watch his ass getting pounded. “Fuck that’s good.”

“Keep playing with yourself.” Roy instructed and Danny happily obliged still jerking himself off. “Good boy.”

Fueled by the guttural moans coming from the younger Roy’s shallow thrusting quickly morphed into deep deliberate strokes, hammering himself balls deep into his ass as he began feverishly kissing his neck again.

Gnawing at the heated skin below his jaw, at the spot he knew all to well could turn Danny into jelly in mere seconds.

“I’m going to cum.”

“When?” Roy’s nails dug into the soft skin of his hips allowing him to pick up the tempo of his movements again. “Soon.”

“Tell me when.” When Danny didn’t respond Roy pulled his attention back to him with his fingers digging into his chin so he could look straight into his hooded hazel eyes. “Answer me.”

Danny nodded, unable to form words from the tightness in his abdomen growing unbearable. He lifted his head up so they could kiss again as he pushed him back slowly into a seated position without ever letting his cock slip out.

Roy leaned back with his hands holding onto the sheets behind him as Danny took over, bouncing vigorously onto his lap desperate to finally climax.

The head now buried in Roy’s shoulder and teeth biting into whatever flesh it could find leaving red teeth marks all along his collarbone and up his neck was enough to tell Roy exactly what was about to happen even before his warning.

“Babe.” Danny cried.

Roy hastily pushed him off onto his back and lunged between Danny’s legs to take his cock in his mouth before it was too late.

Danny instinctively grabbed hold of his short black hair with both hands, bucking his hips up to shoot his load down Roy’s throat with a final few high pitched grunts.

“That’s it.” Roy praised squeezing the tip of Danny’s still pulsing cock to work out the last of his cum careful not to let any go to waste.

The gorgeous view from where he was sitting was nearly enough to make him bust his load right then and there as well.

He still couldn’t fathom how the gorgeous young man on his back, squinting through slightly glossed over eyes with his puffy plump lips wide open was really his.

Roy let go slowly of his cock licking the last remnants of his orgasm off his lips when Danny brought his hand down to caress his cheekbone with the back of his knuckles.

“Roy. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Roy smiled and began attempting to make his way back up Danny’s body when the younger stopped him.

“Wait,” Danny pushed himself up with shakey limbs and rolled over. Playfully wiggling his round ass in front of Roy’s face again. “Show me.”

“You still good for more?” Roy asked giving the bubbly ass a good hard spank.

“Always.” Danny bit his lip.

“Up against the wall.”

Danny obeyed and scooted on his knees over to the headboard with his hands resting above it as Roy reinserted himself behind him.

“I really do love you, so so much.” Roy emphasized every word with a bite along his nape. Covering the orange butterfly tattoo with small kisses as he resumed his thrusting.

Showing Danny exactly how much he needed him with every rapid slap of his body against his. His arms clinging around his waist as tightly as the pressure was building between his legs.

“I want you to cum inside me.” Danny whispered looking back at him.

His seductive words sent straight electricity down Roy’s spine. His hand held Danny’s head up exposing his reddened neck both from his arousal and the hickeys already forming on it.

“Dirty fucker.” He breathed against one of the faded bruises from their first night in a hotel on tour before clamping onto the skin again.

“Mmh your dirty fucker.” Danny mused licking his top lip.

“You are mine.” Roy said softer, the nature of his words and the heavy slams against his ass contrasting each other.

“I am. I’m yours, only yours my beautiful Willow.” He whispered against his lips as they met once again. The arm stretched behind him caressing the back of his head.

“Let me look at you.” Roy instructed pulling out again giving his ass a hard slap. “Back. Now.”

Both now back in their starting position again Danny scratched his nails into his ass making Roy hiss as he slid into him again.

He pulled him forward so he could look into his eyes holding onto either sides of his jaw.

“You gonna cum for me?” Danny bit onto Roy’s lip.

“Fuck yeah.” Roy breathed out into his mouth when his orgasm continued building closer as fast as he was pummeling into him.

“Cum for me baby.”

Danny’s sultry words of encouragement alone were enough for Roy to be pushed over the edge he’s been trying so hard to keep himself away from.

“Oh…fu…” Roy groaned pounding himself balls deep into his young lover again a final time when he gave into his orgasm. Shooting his load into Danny’s ass.

His limbs began trembling struggling to keep himself upright when his much awaited climax hit him like a ton of bricks.

While coming down from his orgasmic high he kept himself steady by focusing just on kissing those lips he loved, letting himself grow limp inside him before he pulled out and rolled over next to him.

“You’re secretly such a cock whore I love it.” Danny snickered wiping some leftover cum from earlier off Roy’s chin.

“Pot meet kettle.” Roy slapped his chest in retaliation. “Now go clean up.”

Danny gave him a very offended look which was made keeping a straight face at nearly impossible for Roy. “You made the mess you clean it, and because you’re so bossy you can call room service.”

“Hey I’m not doing all the work, you lazy bitch.” Roy rolled off the bed and walked over to where he threw their bags earlier. Digging through his backpack for his glasses case. “Besides,if you don’t cook or clean you won’t exactly make very good wife material.”

“Whatever.” Danny rolled his eyes throwing a pillow at Roy.

He took his glasses out and threw the other contents they hid from the girls in the small blue case out on the bed next to Danny before he went into the bathroom to get them a cloth.

After cleaning off the so called ‘mess’ he made Roy sat back against the headboard. Danny was resting against his chest with Roy’s arm protectively around him and their fingers intertwined.

Danny lifted their clasped together hand examining their woven fingers before smiling up at Roy kissing him softly. “Happy 6 months, bossy.”

“Happy 6 months, my love.” Roy tilted his head smiling into his lips kissing him back.

“Should we tell?” Danny held their hands up in front if them, admiring the way the lamp’s soft glow hit the gold around their fingers just right making it sparkle. “Husband.”

[rosiedoestumblr]

Because @awake-atnight​ is incredible, she liveblogged her reading of the last few chapters of TWNW. I’ve replied to the others on AO3, but this one wasn’t posted in full, so I’m going to do it here, but reblogging makes it hard to in a hidden post, so I’m going to do it in a new post.

The lesson, my friends, is if you want me to talk at you about a bunch of ‘behind the scenes’ stuff for my fics, comment on them and ask questions / utterly lose your shit because TWNW!Joe is a small, broken w00b.

TWNW Chapter 21: liveblog

@rosiedoestumblr hello darkness my old friend

Can I just say that the chapter title is ominous as hell?

You can and it was meant to be. They all give an insight into what’s going on this chapter, so you could use them as a kind of barometer, I guess.

“If you love me at all, don’t call.” OKAY. OKAY starting off on a POSITIVE NOTE.

Emo lyrics from an emo band for an emo teenager in an emo situation.

Usually, he’d have yelled in frustration, or swore, but in that moment all he could do was fist his hands in his hair and curl his elbows around himself. Why was this happening to him? Why did literally everything he touched turn to shit? He always tried to do what was best for everyone else, but all he asked for was time - time to figure himself out, time to himself, time to sleep, and it was just too much to ask, wasn’t it?

AHHHHHH. Joe is falling apart so hard. All he wanted this whole time was time to think stuff through and for time, especially people in his life, to stop moving so he could try and fix things.

He did, and it wasn’t really a lot to ask, except he wasn’t really communicating it well or sticking to it and Patrick’s an eighteen year old kid, too. Expecting him to behave in an adult way when Joe wasn’t, really, was kind of unfair.

But its’ important to realise that Joe was having a really rough time and that he wasn’t in the best place himself, so he was never going to behave truly rationally.

I love the way you’re portraying Joe. It’s so rare to see Joe in a position of weakness or the one who doesn’t have their shit together, because general fandom perception pegs Joe as the one who can take care of himself, and it’s so easy to forget that Joe’s the youngest and grew up well off and has so many things wrong with him and he’s very quick to doubt and blame himself and fall hard, you know? He’s so broken and lost and vulnerable and it’s interesting to read, but heartwrenching because it’s portrayed so realistically. The lack of hygiene, the small and rare meals, and the lack of social interaction makes my heart ache.

Thank you! It is kind of weird to me how people often portray Patrick as this dainty, fragile little thing, but if you dig around a bit, it’s teenage Joe posting blogs on the band’s website about being so depressed he wasn’t getting dressed or going to college. More recently, he’s talked about some of his struggles and things and it really illustrates that he’s a much more complex person than fandom usually gives him credit for. Sometimes it’s important as a writer to delve into the things you can find out and actually interpret them and what they might imply, rather than taking things at face value.

Patrick would finish with a soft, ‘Okay’ and his bedroom door would close and the music would come on - songs like smoke signals, messages for Joe to decipher.

Such a Patrick thing to do. It’s nice to see how hard Patrick and Pete are trying to reach out to Joe and help him.

Patrick’s trying really hard - but maybe Joe’s right and it’s too late. I mean, how did he think all of this was going to pan out?

NO, Joe’s rejecting help and he’s neglecting to talk to his mom, which is awful and stressful and worrying for Cathie’s end of it. It’s so???? Terrible to see Joe like this, especially with how far things have come.

At the bottom, wrapped in lopsided brackets, was the simple addendum, I’m worried about you, too.

Sweet beautiful caring Patrick please make sure Joe’s okay. I can understand how Joe wants Patrick to feel guilt or at least not feel like the victim when he made that choice in the last chapter. Still, Joe’s agonizing and punishing himself over this overall.

I mean, it’s textbook depression and we could blame Patrick and what happened, but this has all been brewing for a long time - certainly a few months in fic time. Even the futility he felt around their break up and just before, regarding their relationship and college and the band. It’s all indicative of a young dude who isn’t really feeling right and is full of doubts and negative perceptions.

Maybe he was an idiot for ever entertaining the idea that Patrick really felt for him the way he felt for Patrick. After all, he got everything else wrong.

DDDD: Joe!! Joe! Everything’s truly falling out now. All the insecurities and such Joe’s had seem to be coming true and there’s nothing he can do to fight it.

Well, pretty much.

That he could disappear into some parallel universe, where it was just him, alone, with nothingness…The fact was, this was truly the lowest Joe had ever felt, and he didn’t know how to make it better…

Jesus. Can we talk about how these lines resonate on a universal level? Joe…

Thanks, dude. Poor kid is in utter despair.

When Patrick called him Bambi I had to get up and leave my laptop to calm down, like??? This is HORRIBLE AND IM TEARING UP?? Both of them are so hurt and everything is broken and jesus CHRIST.

I design my fics to be read in small burst of “FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”

As I have said before, the word Bambi is always deployed for MAXIMUM FEELS.

When Doves Cry: I hate you and your use of music that works so perfectly in situations.

I’ve been planning that particular Mother of All Feels Bombs for ages. 

I mean, it’s Prince and the lyrics...

How can you just leave me standing? Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold) Maybe I'm just too demanding Maybe I'm just like my father too bold Maybe you're just like my mother She's never satisfied (She's never satisfied) Why do we scream at each other This is what it sounds like When doves cry

Touch if you will my stomach Feel how it trembles inside You've got the butterflies all tied up Don't make me chase you Even doves have pride

Patrick and Pete’s conversations, i adore them. Any insight into Pete’s character and their relationship is helpful in seeing situations from a separate perspective than Joe’s. Pete’s trying to explain himself and also take responsibility for trying to help the two move on, and only making things worse. I love Joe’s indignation at Pete’s advice, then realization that Pete is right about what’s happening right now.

I will eventually write some Moving Pictures ficlets about Patrick and Pete’s relationship, but I just don’t enjoy writing it and I don’t want to reveal or deny anything in those that might influence or spoil future scenes.

Patrick’s gold pendant glinted in the light, swinging from the door handle.

I’m??????? WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT ROSIE I’M LITERALLY SO HURT RIGHT NOW IMmmmmm dead inside goodbye

You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for that pendant to be given back, dude. NO IDEA.

he hadn’t stopped loving him and it felt like his belly had been cut and his insides had fallen out. It was the same kind of wound - horrifying and terminal.

Can I just say how much I love the conflict in Joe’s thoughts throughout the story? How he voices or wants one thing but really means another, it really shows how young he is (and everyone is young in this story) and how lost or conflicted in what he really wants. He’s trying to navigate himself and pick himself up, but at the same time, he feels like nothing will work and wants to give up. It’s just–young and heartbroken and feeling depressed in life? So many things are wrong. He was right in that he couldn’t do this balancing act and things fell apart so quick.

Thanks, dude, and I think I talked about this before, but Joe just wasn’t well prepared for The Real World or being an adult, or adult relationships, or any of it. His loving and well meaning parents didn’t really furnish him with a lot of practical life skills, but they did show him that a loving relationship is loving and playful and laidback, seemingly all the time, so when his wasn’t... Well, he thought it was a catastrophe.

If only he’d been better, if he hadn’t broken things off, if he’d done the right thing all that time ago and refused to bow to the pressure to date him to begin with, then maybe he wouldn’t feel like this. Joe’s thoughts sound like they’re flying through his head, like he’s been obsessing over them all this time, like how he’s been remembering the good memories and torturing himself with them. It’s an awful, relatable feeling.

Well, exactly. It’s certainly symptomatic of both depressive and obsessive compulsive issues.

Oh, my god, the scene with Joe and his mom is so much. On one hand, I’m glad that Joe goes back and bawls to his mom because he’s finally letting everything out and going to someone he trusts and loves for comfort, especially since one of the main things that’s been weighing on his mind is what his mom would think of Patrick and Joe breaking up, after all they’ve been through. He feels like a failure, and it’s hitting so hard.

okay first off: I literally want to start crying because Joe is crying and telling everything to his mom and it HURTS but it’s hopefully cathartic and it’s GOOD that he’s talking to someone about it outside the situation. God, I keep having to walk away from this because it hurts so bad and hits close to home, that feeling of falling apart. The mention of his mom telling him to take a shower just…hits home a lot. Showers after crying your eyes out makes things a lot better.

In the first version of this chapter, I actually wrote a full scene about Patrick trying to talk to Patrick the next day and Joe just not wanting anything to do with him. The reference to orange tiles and crying into his t-shirt was actually shown in ‘real time’ and it was really fucking sad, but it would have just been a chapter of them consciously Not Talking and it would have been dull as fuck.

I also think that as youngsters in particular, feeling like you’re not allowed to cry as a dude keeps you in a state like a pot about to blow its lid. Half the time, even when he’s weeping, he’s telling himself he’s not crying and no unleashing those really big, carthartic, can’t-breathe sobs.

You’re right about the shower thing, but it was mostly that he hadn’t showered in days and he smelled.

“You sound like Andy…”

“Good. That means there’s someone looking out for you when I can’t.”

I literally put my hands to my chest over my heart and went “OHH” in PAIN because that’s such a MOM THING TO SAY AND IM SO HURT and glad that Andy’s been there most of the time for Joe to lean on. #Andyhurleyisunderappreciated2017

Andy is underappreciated and we’ll see more of him again in future chapters. He is also Joe’s Other Mom.

God, Joe’s family is so good. “Well, I feel like a pretty useless heart doctor if I can’t mend yours. Why’d you go and get it broken? I could have just given you a stent if you’d needed that!” I love his dad so much.

Richard Trohman: Pro Dad-Joker. Even in times of misery, he will still pun your ass. It’s a defence mechanism.

OH god, that was an emotion filled ending. The news that they’re getting signed, Joe being adamant that he’s quitting and Pete being adamant that Joe’s being stupid and running away from his problems. Pete’s always acted as a good reality check throughout the story, though brash and blunt and sometimes asshole-ish. Pete has some great points about what’s happened, and it definitely shows that Patrick’s been confiding in him on what’s been happening off-screen.

We’re just a few months from TTTYG being released now. We’ve reached two years in fic time. The band has got to move forward.

Pete’s very astute and he knows how to press people’s buttons and what will cut them down to size in an instant, and he’s not afraid to use it. But if you did the same back to him, he’d take it like a little whiny brat.

For a moment, Pete stared at him like he wanted to break his nose. “No, obviously I don’t, 'cause like, I don’t know how it feels to see the person you love hooking up with someone else, right? When the fuck would I ever get any experience of that? God. You’re such a self-absorbed little shit.”

Joe felt the words like a punch in the stomach. I fucking called it…

Jesus CHRIST, that’s a wham statement. Even so, it’s still ambiguous as hell to me, because Pete could be referring to Patrick or his past relationships with Jeanae/Morgan, or both, or neither. It’s obvious to see which way Joe interprets it. 

Well caught, on that. Joe has no idea who or what Pete’s talking about, but he does totally assume the worst, because Joe always assumes the worst.

Plus Pete’s line of do it for Andy makes me curious and happy that Andy isn’t being forgotten in all of this. He’s as committed to the band as the rest of them, and despite his lack of presence in the apartment, he’s just as involved in everything as everyone else.

There’s a few lines explaining what it means in the next chapter, but if I remember correctly, Andy’s mum had been seriously ill during his Kill Pill days - see Andy’s Song for reference - and out of all the band, he’s from the poorest background.

Besides, Andy is Joe’s hero, if he’s going to do it for anyone...

In conclusion: The happiness from (what I would consider) the first half of the story seems absolutely gone. This is definitely a fall from grace for the guys. Joe’s at his lowest moment, in a depressed state, rarely eating, interacting, attending classes. Patrick and Joe seem almost unsalvageable. It’s absolutely awful, and from Joe’s view, everything’s been one failure after another when trying to be independent and an adult. God, I wanted to bawl so many times reading this, all his thoughts were so close to home and how he breaks down when he sees his mom was so heartbreaking.

*whispers* Go for it, no one’s looking. Joe is testament to what happens when you bottle things up.

But in short, yeah. Some serious shit has gone down and it would be reasonable to think that it has left them both feeling really shitty and in a place where they can’t easily communicate or forgive each other, anymore.

Pete’s scenes were so good, I love seeing his character and the difference in how he treats Patrick and Joe, and how coarse he comes off but still golden at heart (though it’s hard to see), and trying to look out for his friends. You can tell he’s trying to focus on the band and it taking off since it’s been what he and Andy, all of them have invested in, and his frustration comes out because of the break up between Joe and Patrick, which he warned them about (and sort of brought about, and made worse) taking a toll on the band.  

I’m really glad you think so, because TWNW!Pete isn’t always the most likeable person (but IMO, neither is IRL!Pete and I think that’s even part of his appeal to some people) and I know it can come off quite harsh.

I mean, as I’ve mentioned in the past, I have a good friend who grew up with Pete in his teens and twenties, and one way of putting it is that Pete’s very driven. He had this idea of what he wanted to do with his life and he made it happen. He always said he was going to do X Thing and he damn well found a way to make it happen. So, realistically, he was never going to sit by and let this stuff happen by itself. At this stage, he knows that a pop-punk band is way more marketable than the music he wanted to make at that age so that’s what he’s running with.

I’m hurt and so many things have happened that hurt me and I’m happy that Joe has a family structure that allows him to go home for comfort, but at the same time, he’s spiralling hard and running away and giving up on life, and those distressing borderline suicidal statements make me worry like Mom Trohman. Everything is burning but things are starting to look up, band wise. Hopefully Joe can rise to the occasion.

(It won’t let me quote the next bits individually, so it’s bullet points, ‘m afraid!)

Honestly, I think a different kid from a different family might actually have pursued those thoughts, but TWNW!Joe’s kind of not made quite that way. In reality, he’d rather suffer through it so he has something to be a martyr about.

The fact he has such amazing parents is really important, though. If the little idiot had gone to them sooner, it’s fairly likely that none of this would have happened.

Songs that remind me of this chapter (aka me being weird and analyzing stuff):

YOU ARE REVERSE SONG-FICCING MY FIC AND IT’S AMAZING!

Parachute

by Ingrid Michaelson, which was on repeat while I read this whole chapter. It feels like a song that describes, to me, how Joe and Patrick tried to make their relationship work after graduation because people thought it wouldn’t work out (Patrick’s mom, Pete, etc) because they believed they could do it and they love(d?) each other.

They wanna see us fall, they wanna see us fall down

Then the song goes on to describe how the singer has full faith in their lover to catch them and protect them if things fall. Still, the songs rings like an ironic echo to me. It feels like a Joe song, sort of, how Joe built Patrick on a pedestal, and how he has a lot of dependence on Patrick that sometimes turns into neglect when Joe pushes Patrick away and forgets to consider Patrick’s feelings in the matter. 

Aw, those poor silly, sweet boys. I think that’s really true and it actually goes both ways - Patrick does really and truly adore him throughout the preceding chapters and towards the end it’s definitely kind of the opposite of Joe’s ‘jumping before I’m pushed’ thing - he’s jumping in the hope that Joe will be shocked enough to come after him, realising what he’s losing, but he’s also a little bit mad and being slightly passive aggressive. Taking the “it’s too late” thing too far.

The line

I don’t believe anything, don’t trust anyone but me

remind me of Joe’s distrust of Pete and his intentions and what he has to say about Patrick.

Oh yeah, absolutely.

Don’t believe the things you tell yourself so late at night/And, you are your own worst enemy, you’ll never win the fight

- Joe’s doubts and insecurities that plague him, and how he ends up being the one that causes the misery and instigates the break up because he got into his head about it. Everything was overwhelming, he couldn’t win.

This is lovely and very accurate.

The fall out and everything that comes after, and when Joe is spiralling, and the song feels like lovesick, sad, secretive promise to oneself.

I won’t fall out of love, I fall into you

- Joe trying to move on and yet still love Patrick and how that tears him apart inside. The part of this chapter that reminded me of this the most was how he felt like Patrick giving back the gold pendant was like waving the white flag.

And I think that’s really the theme at the moment. He really is suffering, like you said in your message and it’s not helping either of them.

They either need to sort themselves out or move on, and unless they can both agree on what that means, they’re never going to be happy. So, that’s the problem to solve goibg forward, where now?

As always, thank you so much for caring about this fic the way you do, it invariably blows my mind. xoxo