#girl you can have it enjoy needing to go to the hospital bc you inhaled a crumb of normal bread 🙏🙏

[rigormortisangel]

yk its lowkey fucked up that the only time ive seen a nutritionist she just told me people look better being "a bit underweight" and said she was jealous of my BMI who let this edtwt core bitch work at a treatment facility what

[jackiesarch]

All of other for Andy bc I wanna know if he believes in mothman

41. Are they dating anyone? Do they want to date? Are they married? Divorced? 

In most of his verses, Andy’s dating or is married to Juliana — who belongs to you! You already know this, but they have a canon timeline verse and a no outbreak verse, and they eventually fall hard for each other in both. He’s a mostly sweet guy who enjoys having someone to love, and he’s happy to have found that in her.

42. What is their favorite hobby? Do they keep it a secret?

Boxing. It’s no secret to literally anyone that he could spend all day in the gym destroying a punching bag with his fists. Almost all the time, the training room is where he’s found at the Sanctuary, and when he needs to clear his head or work through some inner turmoil, he tapes up his hands and gets to work. It’s a hobby that serves a dual purpose — it’s fun and keeps him entertained, but it also keeps him strong and able to fight, and there’s no shortage things to hit out in apocalyptic Virginia.

43. If they could have one thing in life, what would it be?

Safety, probably. Security. He has spent so much of his life ensuring the safety and survival of others, and now it’s his turn to try and do that for himself. All he wants more than anything is for he and his family to be safe — and he will do just about anything to make sure it happens.

44. Do they work? If so, what is their job? If not, are they looking for one or even want one?

He does! Before the outbreak, Andy was a firefighter. Afterwards, his fighting skills and eye for strategy translate well into a position as a member of Negan’s inner circle at the Sanctuary. He trains new recruits, teaches people to defend themselves, and often gets his ass kicked by a tiny little lady who looks harmless and isn’t. In Alexandria, he tends to do whatever he tells him, but mostly finds himself teaching people to fight or helping out with construction projects.

45. Do they use social media?

Thankfully he doesn’t have to worry about Instagram or Twitter in canon, but in no outbreak verse he has the basic social media profiles: a Facebook and a probably rarely used Instagram that exists solely so he can like his girl’s selfies.

46. Have they ever been in the hospital?

Twice. The first time, he broke his arm flying over the handlebars of his bike and smacking into a tree as a kid. That accident also earned him a concussion and a sprained wrist, but the arm was the worst of it.

The second time, he was being treated for smoke inhalation and a collapsed lung. Don’t tell anyone, but he was a little reckless and stayed behind at a fire to save a dog when protocol would have been to leave it behind. Sap.

47. Do they believe in the supernatural, that there is more than the eye can see?

He wholeheartedly does. People tend to think he’s crazy, but Andy is absolutely the type to get sucked into stories about cryptids and ghosts, entranced by UFO sightings and conspiracy theories. He will tell anyone who listens about how he saw a ghost as a child (she was an old lady and she stood at the foot of his bed before disappearing through his bedroom wall), and is perpetually terrified by paranormal and supernatural movies because they don’t seem all that fake to him.

As for the mothman…Andrew’s scared he’s lurking outside the Sanctuary compound. Thanks for that, Julie. :(

48. What do they do when they get angry, stressed, or upset?

Most of the time, if it’s possible, he’ll hole up in the training room or the gym and hit things for a couple hours until whatever’s bothering him stops bothering him. If he can’t, he’ll try to isolate himself — he’ll go for a walk, take a long shower with the door locked, anything to get him out of whatever situation is gnawing at him.

If he’s still angry or stressed or upset after that, he’ll go straight to Juliana for comfort. Sometimes, even just being with her is all he needs to get back to normal.

49. Would they consider themselves as a good person, bad person, or morally grey?

It really depends on the stage of life he’s in. Before and after the outbreak while he’s still with the Saviors, he’d say he’s a good person. It’s categorically false, based on some of the things he does for Negan, but he thinks he’s doing the right thing and he sees himself as one of the good guys. They’re protecting people, after all, and that’s what he did before the world went to shit.

After he settles in Alexandria and people are a little frosty to him at first, he realizes that maybe he’s been more morally grey than he realized. Maybe some of those things he did as a Savior weren’t quite so good. Maybe the violence wasn’t what the world needed. It’s a a lot more difficult to reconcile those actions with his definition of a good man once he really takes the time to think about it.

50. Does this OC have any part of you in them? (I.e, personality traits, similar background, etc)

My tendency for moments of absolute stupidity. :(

Jokes aside, Andy is a very different person from me. He’s friendly and outgoing and happy to talk to strangers without hesitation, where I am much more introverted and shy.

I’d like to say that I’m as warm and loving as Andrew is, but I’ll leave that for y’all to decide.

[anianimol]

:0 what would a hang out with Metsu and Ameru look like? What would we do and I K N O W that this is going to be hellfire bc ITS KUROO AND TERU AND THEN ME AND YOU LIKE JESUS THIS WILL NOT END WELL (😉 jk it’s fine, even if one of us ends up in the hospital)

OH MY GOD WHAt HAVE YOU DONE AMANDA THIS IS GONNA BE CHAOS😂

okay okay I need to breathe *inhale, exhale*

here we go:

ameru x metsu !

I am literally scared

hangouts together go one of two ways: 120% CRACKhead energy and an entire night of fun! OR kuroo and teru, shirts to the wind, having a screaming match in the deserted Stop & Shop parking lot at 3:26 in the morning.

or both.

I think initially, they would DESPISE each other. Like full on RIVALS. I would not be surprised if they literally barked and hissed at each other across the court.

When we first decided that we’d settle their grudge once and for all, we had to set them up—like how people have to introduce their new pet to their older one😂

The two of us shoved them into a room together, literally having to hold the door closed with our own body weight, snickering as the two men tried to bust it open

After what seemed like a 20 minute verbal cat fight between the two guys, we opened the door to find the two of them laughing it up on the couch, chilling like old friends

okay onto our hangouts!

COMPLETE AND UTTER CHAOS BUT SO MUCH FUN

if one of us starts a game of truth or dare👀better rest up the night before bc you’ll NEED it

our scavenger games and truth or dare rounds are legendary—NONE of us will budge until we literally have to call a truce because the sun is coming up

how have the boys not been arrested yet for public nudity

you and I were forced to blacklist the stripping dare because we had made the boys run around the neighborhood clad in underwear or not a ridiculous amount of times, and they literally enjoyed it, so where’s the fun in that?

if we ever have couples board game night together??!? better soundproof the walls bc it will be LOUDDDD

the boys forbid us from tag teaming against them after a Boys vs Girls! game night in which we ABSOLUTELY CREAMED THEM

taking these two to the beach together is like a pair of dogs walking a pair of puppies—quite counterintuitive.

they will turn purple before they decide to head back to the sand, and you BET we will be playing some intense beach vball even though I’m AWFUL at it

OMG KAREOKE WITH THESE IDIOTS WILL BE THE TIME OF OUR LIVES, even though all of us will have raging headaches the day after

you can bet these two dorks will be belting along to anime OP’s all night long, and they are NOT afraid to throw in some o.g. Taylor Swift and throw it back to Meghan the Stallion

YOU AND I ARE THE DUET QUEENS—legend says the walls are still shaking from the last time we performed our signature, “Midsummer Madness” F*CK THE RUUUUUUUUULLEEEESSS

-

whew, these were HILARIOUS to write ☺️😂

🍄metsu taglist: @deadontheinsidebut @janellion @stcrryskies @sstardusty @kamitaxey @sugacookiies

I think that’ll be it for tonight! imma head to bed and finish up some metsu stuff tomorrow!!💕😴sweet dreams!

[leggomylino]

light switch 2 | yandere!seungmin

Genre: Yandere, romance/fluff (sorta?), thriller, a little angst, some comedy

Pairing(s): yandere!Seungmin x reader

Word count: ~8k

Warnings: Author rambling, run-on sentences, mild language (censored), a few memes, moments of high tension and possible anxiety, ooc, and mild abuse/violence

A/N: Requests are open! | Masterlist in bio! | I told you guys I was working on this!! Lol I’m so sorry it took so long! :(( But, nevertheless, here it is! ...And yes, there’s a surprise waiting for you at the end... >u>” Enjoy!! And please be sure to tell me what you think! c: I love hearing from you all~ <3 (For those of you that missed it, part one can be found here)

Oh my gosh it’s finally back

Can you believe it’s finally back

Seriously what took this chick {author} so long to write this sh*t wtfudge man

Okay okay I know I’m sorry

It’s been really chaotic and I’ve had a lot on my plate (and mind) but we’re finally back now and that’s all that matters

So

My question to you all is

ARE YOU READY TO FINISH THIS THING?!

(enter your response here)

...THEN YEEHAW LET’S GO 

  Okay so

To recap:

AT A CERTAIN DANDY BOY™ HOUSE

Your mother had just made a phone call to Seungmin asking to talk to you

She wanted to remind you to bring the mail inside before y’all got too comfortable and side-tracked since you told her you were at Minnie’s (a fatal error on your part) and she and your father are out of town on a cliche business trip

Things always go wrong during cliche business trips

Anyway Minnie was pretty confused at first but he caught on pretty quickly that something was up

Something rotten in the state of Your Town Name Here

And knowing that you must have lied he decided to play along, beginning to gather the materials he needed

*cue ominous soap opera music*

 “......”

“...Seungmin? Is everything alright?” Her voice is growing more and more worried with each consonant. “Where’s (y/n)?”

“......” 

He laughs.

Just laughs for a moment, shaking his head.

“...Yeah, yes, she’s here. Sorry, my connection has been on the fritz lately.”

“O-Oh, I see...can I talk to her?”

“She’s in the bathroom getting cleaned up right now. I’ll have her call you as soon as she’s out...”

He paces over to the blinds, peeking out into the neighborhood from his second story window. Like a lot of cliche villains or suspicious people do. “...but it may be a while. You know how long she takes just to brush her teeth.”

Mrs. (L/n) gives a relieved, but still somewhat nervous chuckle, sighing at the end to ease her tension. “Yes, I certainly do. Thanks so much, Minnie. I know I can count on you to take good care of my little girl.”

“Yes...” He smiles, nuzzling the phone between his ear and shoulder as he’s scouring his room for things: a bottle labeled “Witch Hazel”, some cloth, a copy of his dad’s car key...as well as an additional key he never thought he’d get to use until now. “You can always count on me. I promise she’ll be out like a light before the clock strikes twelve.”

“That’s a relief. In that case just tell her to bring the mail in, would you? Thanks again!”

“It’s not a problem. Good night, Mrs. (L/N).” 

“You too dear.”

Beep. He hangs up.

Looks back out the window. Sighs.

It wouldn’t be a problem at all.

“...at least, not for long.”

 ~~~

 Back at Lucas’ house...well really, your imagination...you’re having a nightmare you used to have as a child

You’re walking down the street, minding your own business...

When all of a sudden the sky turns red, then black

The faces of the people around you turn sinister; they look like they want to hurt you

You begin to run as fast as you can, but your whole body is weighed down, like gravity is twice as strong on you

But not on anyone else 

So while the people who are slowly turning into monsters are gaining on you

All you can do is cower in fear and pray that it will be over quickly

But then there’s a burst of white light

Like a light switch has been flipped on

And the ground crumbles beneath you, bursts of white shining through the cracks

And you go tumbling down into the earth

Down

       Down

             Down

Until you land into a pair of soft, strong arms

Your face instantly buries into the figure’s chest, because you know you can trust him

He smells sweet, like lavender and fresh Spring daisies

It’s a calming, pleasing scent

And all the monsters who were chasing you before vanish as they fall into the crumbling Earth, disintegrating into nothing but ash that’s carried someplace far, far away

You look up to see who your savior is

It’s never the same person

At first it was your dad; then it was your sixth grade crush; a couple times it was the cute actor from your favorite movie

But this time, and sadly like the last five times you’ve had this dream since you started high school...that person is none other than Kim Seungmin

He’s looking so ...

There isn’t a word for it

His edges are soft

So are his eyes

And he’s looking at you like you’re responsible for hanging the moon in the sky and making all the stars glow

He has such high expectations for you

From you

That you’re afraid to let him down

To tell him the truth

You aren’t God, after all

But...

......

You just—

“gaAAAAAHHH—!!!”

!!?!?!!!?!

What the heck was that?!?

Your eyes shoot open to the sound of someone crying out

It sounds like a man’s voice...

And it’s nearby

You’re stunned into shock for a few seconds before you can get your body to move, and when you do you grip the plushie in your arms against your chest—

Wait, plushie...?

You look down.

Your eyes are adjusting while a struggle is clearing going on outside 

It’s the plushie that Seungmin gave you

The one from your house; you know it is bc it smells like your bedroom

But you didn’t bring this with you...

You’re scared, but you quickly throw yourself out from the safety of the tent—

And immediately wish you hadn’t

The window beside the bed is open

A cold draft blowing in

Lucas is pinned down, struggling 

The shadowy figure above him

Is none other

Than Kim Seungmin

He’s ripping something off of his belt-

It’s a syringe

He stabs it into Lucas’ arm with a curse, and not but two seconds later the boy is little more than a vegetable; no longer moving, barely breathing

Holy sh*t

I mean

Holy sh*t--

You gotta bounce sis

You gotta MOVE

Seungmin tosses a bottle of some clear liquid aside in anger, and it spills open in the middle of the floor

The smell hits you pretty quickly; it smells of lavender and fresh daisies

Just like in your dream/nightmare

It makes you feel a bit woozy upon inhaling it

But you don’t completely pass out 

Which apparently is what Minnie was going for

There’s a thump as Seungmin jumps to the floor

And you’re scared

Actually, saying you’re scared is an understatement

This is pretty freaking serious man

You don’t think you can meme your way through this one

You can’t move

You just kneel there outside your tent in shock, trying to convince yourself this is one of those nightmares that stems from another; you simply woke up into a new dream is all

But it’s not so

Something in your heart is telling you

This is real life

Seungmin is doing something...

He’s...filling another syringe 

Now that your eyes have adjusted, you can see he’s completely surpassed resting b*tch mode

He’s gone off the deep end. Like, he’s really gone this time

Looking so serious and genuine, so certain about what he’s doing...

Yet having lost all the light in his eyes

“Now, (y/n)...I need you to be good and take this for me.”

Uh

Uhhhh

No thanks bro that’s okay

P h A t pass on that one man

Phattest pass, phattest pass

You get your legs to finally work as he’s approaching you, scurrying towards the door and only stopping when your back hits against it, because dammit all, he’s still too fast for you

Seungmin is just right there man

He’s got you trapped

His fingers brush over the soft palate of your arm, gently feeling about for a vein

Apparently he wants to be more careful and professional when he drugs you

For whatever reason

You’re back to being immobilized

It’s like your feet are stuck in blocks of cement

Oh dear Lord you’re gonna die ಥ_ಥ

This is it

He wants you dead

He’s gonna throw you and Lucas into some twisted vegetable soup and that’s going to be the end of it

And you may have thought that had it not been for the blue and red sirens flashing outside

Minnie turns around mid-prodding, an obvious cringe on his face, and then suddenly he’s tackled to the ground by none other than Big Brother of the Year Lucas oh praise Jesus you may live after all

Wow this guy is your hero

He’s weak and there’s blood all over his face, his breath heavy as he heaves out desperate words to you

“.....(y/n)........g-get out...s-side.........cops....will take...care of y-you...”

Welp, he don’t have to tell you twice

Through all this, he’s still trying to protect you. He’d been drugged, his face cut into, beaten senseless without warning, yet he was still trying to save you...like a guardian angel or something

...Wow, maybe the author should have made this a Seungmin x reader x Lucas instead hubba hubba

But unfortunately she’s spaghetti and swamped with updates so we’ll never know 🤪🍝

You fling yourself out the door and down the stairs as some officers have just broken down the front door, and you don’t grab no shoes or nothing Lord, you r u n outta that place, choosing to consult with a kind-looking female cop that’s waiting outside on standby

Frantically you gush out what’s going on as best you can, even though you’re not so sure what’s going yourself

Most importantly, you’re sure to tell her that Lucas is hurt first. He needs immediate medical attention from what you gathered in the faint street light pouring in the open window

She comforts you and assures you that they’re handling it, all the while wishing and hoping and praying with every fiber in your being you’ll wake up soon, any minute now...

...but unfortunately, you never do. The reality hits you when Lucas is carried out on a stretcher and Seungmin is forced out in handcuffs.

 ~~~

 You’re at the hospital with Lucas

Seungmin really did a number on him; after beating him black and blue, he pulled out a knife and nearly blinded him

Luckily it was dark and Lucas put up one heck of a fight. He wasn’t on three sports teams for nothing. 

He’d put up such a defensive display that Seungmin had just missed his left eye...sadly, though, he got the right one

Lucas lost half his eyesight because of you

You don’t know what to say...what to think, even

If only you hadn’t gone over there. If only you’d just stayed home...or...or maybe...

You swallow as tears begin to fall. What the heck were you supposed to do? You’d had no idea this would happen. You didn’t know things had gotten this bad...

...but you also kind of did

The poem? It was a warning

No

A threat

You’d been given a heads up long before, and you’d chosen to play dumb and ignore it

And now Lucas would have to be called Patchy for the rest of his life

The only Halloween options he’d ever have are Pirate or...parrot with an eyepatch

And it was all your fault

Thank God Seungmin had been arrested…

...Wait

Seungmin--

Omgosh

He’d been arrested. Kim Seungmin had been arrested.

Why was this just now hitting you so ha--

“Oh my gosh, my baby! (Y/n)!!”

Oop. Mama (Y/n) in the house.

Your mother comes charging in like a swarm of bees, enveloping you in her arms but also giving you a bit of a sting for lying to her like you did. Lucas’ parents had caught them up to speed already, your father glaring angrily but thankfully from the doorway. 

After hugging them both and explaining everything from your point of view, they agree to give you a few more minutes alone with Lucas before you’re grounded young lady no TV no video games no books well okay reading is important for your future but nothing enjoyable and no dessert. They also plan to have a serious discussion with you about Kim Seungmin as well. Great.

Not wanting to let you go your father drags your mom out, her protestant whimpering echoing down the hall and they retreat to discuss things further with Lucas’ parents.

Oi vey

What has all of this come to? What are you even doing? How did things get this bad…?

You turn your head slowly from across the room, examining the boy’s eye (or in some ways lack thereof) as you make your way back, settling carefully into the chair beside him.

𝑊𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑡𝘩𝑜𝑢𝑔𝘩𝑡

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑑

𝑆𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠

𝐵𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑜 𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑...

...You now hate poetry

You’ll never read another sonnet ever again

“Hmn…”

!!

Lucas is waking up

It’s now five o’clock in the morning

You’re both dead tired, but you can only imagine how he must be feeling, being the one in the hospital bed…

……

...This is seriously all your fault

You hate yourself for it

You just

You just…

Ping!

There’s a text on your phone. You choose to ignore it, of course. Lucas is way more important right now than some Instagram or trivial weather update

Tenderly you reach, taking Lucas’ hand...or start to. You hover over it, wondering if you even deserve to be...if you even…

A warmth envelopes your fingers as Lucas takes them weakly into his own, the faintest smile present on his face. He carefully reaches up to pat the white surgical tape and bandages over the upper right half of his face. 

“...It’s never going to get any better, is it?” he asks.

You practically jump at the question: “No, it will. It definitely will.”

...Lying to him in order to not cause him any more panic is the best you can do for him now. Pathetic, but it’s better to remain hopeful, at least until he can handle it later.

His smile turns sad as he gazes at you with his one good eye. 

“I meant for you.”

……

“......”

You slowly shake your head no

He sighs, turning towards the fluorescent lights on the ceiling that have been dimmed to allow the patient on the other side to sleep. “I’m so sorry, (y/n). This is my fault. I should have just brought you to the police station, and they would have handled it professionally right then and there. I didn’t think...things had gotten this bad.” He squeezed with what little strength he had. “But I’m really glad you’re okay. Did he hurt you at all?”

……………

This man

Was lying in a hospital bed

Drugged

Bruised to a bloody pulp

He’d permanently lost sight in one eye

And he was worried

About you

->

So author, what was that about no love triangle going on here??

Smh

The only thing you can do is look downward, at the nightstand, the bedding, the far wall...anywhere that isn’t Lucas’ face right now

You don’t have it in you to accept his incredible kindness and heroic humility. You don’t even bother answering his question, except to mutter out, “thank you.”

 ~~~

 So what’s going on with Seungmin now?

Well, glad you asked

Cause you were just about to find out from a friendly sit down with three guest stars on the (Y/n)’s Chaotic Life show: Mom, Dad, and Officer Jenny

...No, not from the Pokemon TV series. Though you had to admit, the resemble was almost uncanny...not that this was anytime for jokes

“So,” Officer Jenny asks, pen and notepad in hand, “I’m sure you must be feeling many things right now, but let’s start from the beginning, if that’s alright. When did this all start?”

Your mom and dad just shared a look before turning to you, your mother gingerly patting and rubbing your knee. “Go ahead, sweetheart. Take your time.”

You take a deep breath and tell her everything you know. From the moment you first met Kim Seungmin, to the moment you first noticed him changing, to the events of some twenty-four hours ago. Your mother and father gave their piece as well, though really they claimed to be completely in the dark to any of Minnie’s chaotic and violent behavior, insisting he was always a sweet and well-behaved boy for as long as they’d know him. It was quite a shock finding out what he’d done.

Minnie…

…

Did you even still call him that? Would you? Could you?

He was practically a murderer. A complete psychopath. And you still had no idea why…

“So what do you think brought out this behavioral change?”

Your head snapped up from where it’d dropped downward, spacing out after having contributed your part of the story

Mom and Dad were glaring at you. Officer Jenny was waiting patiently.

But you had no idea what to say

Because you didn’t know

You didn’t

You didn’t…

...Did you?

Idiot.

바보

Does this sound familiar?

 “...I can’t do this anymore, (y/n)...not if you’re not going to listen to me or do as I say. It’s driving me crazy. Don’t you get it? Don’t you f***ing see how I feel about you? Have you really been so dense this whole f***ing time?!?”

“(Y/n). I need to know...tell me, do you…”

“...Do you feel the same way?”

 ...The part that scared you

The part that really scared you

Was that

You didn’t know…

 ~~~

 That night

After the talk show was wrapped up and everything was out in the open

Officer Jenny reassured your family that you were safe staying at home

Seungmin had been captured and a few officers had done a thorough investigation on your house to make sure there were no cameras or bombs or anything fishy like that

So it was essentially safe and there was no need to go the extra mile of changing identities and moving across the country

Except well

If you’re new to this story

You’re in for a bit of a shock because

Of course the author likes to shake things up :D <3

It wouldn’t be a story without something going wrong

And (Y/n) was just about to find out what that something was

It didn’t happen suddenly that night

Some time had gone by, about a week, maybe a week and a half

You were still pretty shaken up over the whole thing, and stuck in a mental state of Twilight Zone

You knew it was real but your brain almost refused to accept and process it

It was like a never-ending nightmare, too farfetched to be true

Because Lucas had to remain in the hospital for further examination and therapy, you brought all his school work to him

You’d taken a few days off yourself and then insisted you were fine to go back

You needed something to distract you from the reality

But, in reality, it only made it worse in some ways, students swarming you with questions and facility repeatedly asking if you were alright or needed a break

The only place you were allowed to go was the Student Council room, and Lord knows you did NOT want to be alone in that place again

Even though the school had already granted Lucas an extended leave of absence, he insisted you bring him a copy of your homework so he could “keep up with his studies”

But

In reality, he just wanted an excuse to see you. And you liked seeing him as well. It was nice to be in his company and check up on him, and he felt the same

When you weren’t at the hospital visiting and quote-quote “studying” with Lucas, you were either going through the motions on autopilot at school or sitting in your room, doing anything and everything to erase what had happened

That was, of course, easier said than done though

Often you found it hard being at home. It didn’t feel safe anymore knowing Seungmin had been here, so many times before, in the very room you sat in. Laughing with you, smiling, comforting or taking care of you…

He was everywhere. His laughter practically filled the walls and echoed down the corridors, his smile reflected in every glass sheen of sunlight

And when the lights flipped off, so did his expression. It was like you were reliving that horrific night all over again

You had to break out of there, your house and your mind

So you went to the park with a couple of new friends you’d made, Felix and Changbin. They were just as surprised as anyone else to learn what had become of Seungmin, and they’d actually been the first ones to shelter you and protect your privacy on your first day back, when your classmates started popping out of the woodwork to drown you in questions and condolences

As you may or may not have guessed, you’d gotten a new phone, during the Officer Jenny visit, along with a new number

After sh*t had really hit the fan, though, you’d become much less social, only registering your parents, Officer Jenny’s number by request, Lucas, and the day after, Felix and Binnie. Despite your previous crush on Jaemin, that had all but flown out the window and exploded upon colliding with a powerline, and you’re pretty sure after he heard what happened, he probably felt the same

And anyway, again, you’d become much less social since the whole incident. You really didn’t feel like talking to anyone unless it was your parents or these three boys. Maybe Jenny if there was some kind of emergency, which you sincerely hoped there wouldn’t be

...I’m pretty sure that covers everything

Yeah

So

You were now at the park with Felix and Changbin

Just strolling aimlessly, you in the middle with Felix to your left and Binnie on the right

Your two bodyguards

Felix, you’d come to find out, was a professional at taekwondo, which was nice

And though Changbin was rather on the short side, just his looks and voice alone was intimidating enough

So you felt relatively safe in their company, taking a quiet stroll at sundown

The park was mostly vacant save for a few late-evening joggers or cyclist passing by

Birds and squirrels and other wildlife were just getting settled in their nests for the night, the owls and probably a raccoon or two taking their place

The three of you walked at a steady pace, hands behind your back or shoved in your pockets as you stared straight ahead, at the sidewalk, or the surrounding forest life

...It was peaceful but a little awkward

Probably because you all had the same thing on your minds

Something you all knew you needed to talk about, but had been avoiding to spare an awkward conversation

Instead now there was nothing but Awkward Silence™

“So,” Felix spoke up after your second and a half time around, smiling awkwardly. “How are you feeling today?”

Both boys looked at you. You gave them each a short stare in return before shrugging just as uncomfortably. You knew you needed to talk about Seungmin, but you’d left your house to escape him, not engage him elsewhere.

After a few more paces you noticed the two had fallen a bit behind, muttering to each other in hushed tones:

“She probably doesn’t wanna talk about this right now. Why did you bring it up?”

“Yeah...I dunno, I didn’t know how else to break it in. Sorry...”

“Apologize to her, not me! We’re trying to ease it in, not break her.”

“That’s what I said, bro.”

“...No, you said-- never mind, just go do something.”

“Like what?”

“Like apologize! Am I the only one that knows how girls operate?”

“...Says the man that’s been single the entire senior ye--”

“Shut up and go talk to her!!”

At that point you heard a shove behind you, and Felix came stumbling back up to your left, Binnie steadily catching back up on the right. He gave you a calm and peaceful smile while occasionally casting eyes at Felix expectantly.

Felix took a deep breath while he scratched the side of his head, looking up at the sky for a second before tossing his whole gaze down on you. It almost caught you off guard how intense and smoldering it all was

“(Y/n)...listen, Changbin and I were thinking-- …”

He opened his mouth, but no words came. Instead he pointed toward the restaurant district of town. 

“...You wanna grab dinner after this?”

You blinked. Changbin facepalmed, a small groan escaping him.

But then all your stomachs growled, answering the question for you. You couldn’t help but smile, even just a little, as the other two laughed and the three of you headed off toward the nearby city lights.

Your phone gave a small ping! as a notification came up, but you failed to notice it thanks to the nearby rustling of what you assumed was active forest life, a stray cat or maybe a mouse

You had no idea how wrong you were.

 ~~~

 I know, things are starting to get a little slow

Just bear with me, okay?

Cause we’re about to pick up big time

Spoiler alert?

Oops

Anyway

You were now sitting at a small, quiet, but decently populated restaurant

There were a fair number of customers but it wasn’t overcrowded at all, more of a cozy cafe styled place

It was the compromise Changbin insisted you all agree on, he being the most vocally worried about your mental state. He didn’t want you to be overwhelmed by all the noise and chaos of some famous barbecue joint or a popular family restaurant, so after you insisted you could handle it and would be fine (he had been pitching the idea of just grabbing some food to-go and heading back to his place), the boys let you pick a cafe you often passed by on the way to school but never got a chance to try

...until now

Ironically and thankfully they were a particularly special cafe that served dinner because the author said so yeehaw B))

So yes, you’re all sitting at a small booth off to the side, Changbin on one end, you and Felix curled up on the other. You order your food and as you’re waiting, Changbin and Felix are locked in some dumb debate about a few of their other friends while flicking straw wrappers back and forth. They tried to get you in on it at first but, seeing that you’re still in a weird place, decided to leave the invitation open if you wanted to join.

Everything is just so weird right now. You’re still in the Twilight Zone. It just doesn’t seem real at all…

The whole spectacle refuses to leave your mind. You’re coming to accept you can’t get away from it no matter what you try.

Kim Seungmin, from the moment you met him, has always been a part of you. And he always would be. It was just going to be weird from now on because...because…

Ping!

Your phone again?

Honestly it had kind of been doing that a lot before but you’ve been ignoring it because, again, you’re not much for talking to people right now. Or getting involved with any social media events or news flashes or...or uh…

……………………..

Huh??

There’s...a message. From Lucas?

Bro when did he get his phone back tho

You’d been communicating through his mum and the hospital when you weren’t there cause patients can’t have phones so like

Nani the heck??

Wait

Maybe this was good

Maybe he was being discharged early

The treatment had gone well and--

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖧𝖾𝗒! 𝖨 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝖺 𝖿𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗋.

Oh? A favor you say?

You were so there. You kinda owed Lucas your life after what happened.

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖮𝖿 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾! 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖨 𝖽𝗈 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗒𝗈𝗎? 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 :) 𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗐? 

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖨’𝗆 𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌. 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌? 

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖸𝖾𝖺𝗁 𝖼: 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗌

> - > Bro why he wanna know tho--

Okay whatever

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖥𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗑 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖻𝗂𝗇? 

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖨𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝗄𝖺𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗅 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝗇𝗈 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒

………..

*gulp*

It’s not?

Why

Why isn’t this okay

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖶𝗁𝗒 𝗇𝗈𝗍? :𝟢 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖢𝖺𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗐? 

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖴𝗁, 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗁 𝖨 𝗀𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗌? 𝖢𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗌? 𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾

Lucas is typing a reply as your food is being set down, the boys cheering and mouths watering while all you can do is nervously glare at your new phone.

Seriously, what was wrong with Lucas? He wasn’t in danger, was he?

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖨’𝖽 𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝗈𝗐. 𝖯𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾. :(

…

Y’know, this don’t really sound like Lucas

All of this is hella sus sis

But you’re so worried about him anyway, and so distracted by the excuses running through your mind that he could be on medication or what if it really is an emergency that you instead grab your coat and are just about to tell Felix to yeet when something else catches your eye

Ooooooooh boy

Ooooooooh bro

Ooooooooh buddy

It’s uh

Well

All those previous notifications

They’re all news articles and the like, as you already had guessed they’d be

Most of them aren’t very important: Attorney so-and-so does this, City of Hoopla does that, Guy Catches Phone on Roller Coaster, band drops new album and it’s a huge hit, yada-yada-yada

But there’s this one

This one in particular

That nearly makes you break down and cry

I mean

You’re close to screaming sis

It’s pretty bad

You probably know what it is already

Yep: you guessed it

 KXX News: Local Malefactor Escapes [Your Town] Jail; Police Baffled

 ...Okay

Y/n

Y/n--

Don’t freak out y/n

Deep breath sis

Deeeeeeeep breath

Breath nice and deep now…

Oop too late you’re already panicking

Hell I would too sis :( This is some bad juju

But

It’s going to be okay

...Maybe

I mean

You are kinda having a panic attack right now?

But don’t panic bc it’s going to be…

...you just passed out so I’ll be switching povs now

I’ll sort of summarize too since this is about you and - h i m - anyway

Basically you totally black out, the restaurant/cafe panics a bit (the few people who happen to notice) but Felix manages to catch you (thank goodness you were still seated at the booth so you just toppled over on his shoulder more or less)

In five seconds Binnie and Felix come up with a game plan where Felix carries you outside, trying to look as natural as possible, Binnie taking care of the check.

They argue and walk laps around the cafe about whether or not to take you home or the hospital

Home

Hospital

Home?

Hospital!

But when you start to come to, they agree it’s best to get you home to your mother

You fall in and out of consciousness all the way there, the only thing flooding your mind being the faintest scent of lavender and Spring: and Kim Seungmin.

 ~~~

 You were honestly a little surprised when you finally woke up

You were sure seeing those words in that news headline, all in one coherent sentence, was going to be the death of you

I mean, he did want you dead, didn’t he?

He…

…

Sigh

You don’t know

You have no idea what’s really happening

A reoccuring theme in this story

You dunno

You just

Don’t

Know 

:)))

But it’s going to be okay because--

Ping!

SCREECH \(ϾAϿ)/ 💦

Bro

Bro man

Your phone almost gave you a heart attack

A real one this time

Oof

Oi

Oi vey to hell and back

All of this is really getting to be too much man

You dunno if-- ...well

We done went over this already

You don’t know anything anymore 🙄😔

I mean

What even is life anyway??

You roll over on your bed to snatch the phone on your nightstand, an eerie feeling in your gut

Whether that’s from the fact you’re still recovering or you’re terrified it has something to do with everyone’s favorite Dandy Boy is a toss up

It could also have been the few nibbles of food you’d managed to have before zonking out…

...actually no scratch that, you were still pretty hungry. Which was a good sign, honestly

It meant you were already recovering well and most likely not gonna die

(ღ˘⌣˘)

That was always nice, y’know, not dying <3

So anyway

You glare at the lock screen in the dark, the brightness blinding you for a moment as you’re squinting and fumbling to turn it down

And when you do

You see there’s another message

A message from Lucas 

Oop. You forgot about him in your whole fainting episode

Hope he’s okay--

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖸/𝗇. 𝖸𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗆𝗈𝗆 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖾𝖽. 𝖨 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗅𝗅. 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗀𝗈𝗍𝗍𝖺 𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗇 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝖻𝗈𝖽𝗒 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖺 𝗀𝗈 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗍𝗓𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍, 𝗁𝖺𝗁𝖺

e-e

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖨’𝗆 𝗌𝗈 𝗌𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒, 𝖨 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝖨’𝗆 𝗈𝗄𝖺𝗒 

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖣𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎?

It takes a minute for him to respond.

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖭𝗈, 𝖽𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗍. 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍.

And then…

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖨’𝗅𝗅 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎.

…

Uhhh

He’ll what now?

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖣𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝗀𝗈 𝖺𝗇𝗒𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾. 𝖨 𝗐𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀.

UHHH

wat

Sis honestly

what?

Lucas you ho what are you doin you’re sick

Sorta

You on them drugs boy

You needa be staying yer ass in bed so you can--

Ping!

Again? 

Oh now what does this crazy bish want??

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖲𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒! 𝖩𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗋 𝖨 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗒𝗈𝗎

Uh

Sure? What is it??

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖮𝗄𝖺𝗒?? 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: :)) 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗒/𝗇 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖦𝗈 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗉𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝗈𝗋.

………………………………………………………….

Bro man

……

Okay you know what

This is a little too weird

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖨𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎? 𝗈𝗇𝗈” 

𝖫𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗌: 𝖸𝖾𝖺𝗁, 𝖼𝗁𝗈𝖼𝗈𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾? 𝖨𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝗅𝗈𝗅

oooOOOOOH

Oooooh man what a relief

If you’ll recall

Cause ik it’s been a hot minute

In the last episode (Light Switch 1) it was Valentine’s Day

He just wants something sweet =7=” Bro you know that jello sh*t they serve in them hospitals must be nasty af

He just wants some good stuff is all

Who doesn’t want chocolate when they’re sick? Or sad?

But author eating chocolate when you’re sick isn’t good for you do you want to die

Hey bro bold of you to assume--

...anyway

𝖸𝗈𝗎: 𝖮𝗁, 𝗈𝖿 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾! 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗅𝗈--

…

Hold on

Wait just another hot minute

…

Sis how he know you keep chocolate in your closet??

He wasn’t here when you shoved everything in there

Heck he ain’t ever been in your house once

…

Enough ellipses you’re just gonna go for it

Screw it

It’s just Lucas

He probs just assumed it was a cliche or normal thing to do

You really needed to stop overthinking things and just

Do It ✔™

So you do it

You walk to your closet and open the door

…

Well you start to anyway

On the way over something catches your eye now that your sight’s adjusted

You make your way to your desk, where a stack of letters and junk flyers are just sitting there taking up space and making the room look trashy

You’re easily distracted at times, and a bit nosy, so you pick up the first flyer on the stack to figure out what it is

Such-and-So’s Pool Service!1!1 We clean--

Yeah okay you don’t care

About that anyway

What you do care about, or what piques your interest rather, is the date

It’s labeled as being delivered almost two weeks ago

…

All of the letters and junk mail are labeled as being delivered two weeks ago

…

You’re about to set them all back down when you see something flapping beneath the gentle circulation of the ceiling fan

A Post-It note?

A Post-It note

It says…

   It doesn’t matter what it says

Because you’d recognize that handwriting anywhere, after all the notes he’d written you

It’s from Minnie 

𝐼 𝑡𝘩𝑜𝑢𝑔𝘩𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑑 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔𝘩𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝘩 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑖𝑟𝘩𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒? ;) 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦, 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜 𝑙𝑎𝑧𝑦! -- 𝐾𝑆 <𝟥  

𝑃.𝑠. - 𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑎 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑐𝘩𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑒. 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟. 

Deep breaths deep breaths deep breaths

He was here

He’d been here

He’d come here the night before--

He’d known

You were such a dumdum

Of course you should have known one of your parents would call. Probably your mom-

UGH

WHAT IS THIS LIFE OF YOURS?!

Okay

But

He was arrested so it’s fine

No wait

He got out

He…

...He got out ._.”

And you

Were

Home

Rn??

……………………

Okay time to get those chocolates and move move move

Just make a small right turn and

Ca-chunk.

……………………………………………………

The closet door just...opens

A familiar figure stepping out from the shadows

He’s wearing his favorite striped blue t-shirt and faded blue jeans

And he’s holding a rose between his teeth

He removes it with a muffled sigh, tossing it back into the closet

“I wanted to surprise you but, I should have known it’s just like you to get easily sidetracked.”

He shoves a phone into his pocket

Lucas’ phone.

He smiles.

“Did you miss me?”

 He paces over to you, touching your face

Stroking it softly with ghost-like fingers

It’s...cold and somehow oddly comforting at the same time

Sending you down a trail of mixed signals and warning signs all over again

But you can’t move

He’s backing you up against the desk--

Wait yes you can move

You gotta get out of here. Don’t think. Just get out.

Scream! Yell! Do something!

You scream. He places a hand over your mouth, shoving you back down against the desk. His breath is hot against your skin from where he hovers over you just inches, centimeters away…

...Maybe you should have gone for using a brain cell or two instead

“Why are you doing this again? Why do you have to be so difficult all the time?”

You’re struggling but he must have been hitting up the gym again cause this beach is strong

He’s rambling things to you under his breath, but with the pounding in your ears it’s hard to make out everything he’s saying

Oh dear Lord in heaven you have to get out of here

Use your brain cells y/n use your brain cells

PLS

He’s forcing you both to stand upright. He pulls you so hard that the momentum causes the desk to sway, a drawer popping open

A drawer containing your knife. The same knife Seungmin had given you.

He wanted you to sever some bonds?

Okay, you could do that alright

Braincells: Activate!

You go for it

Raising a knee to his xxxx, you shove him back with all your feeble might and snatch that bad boy, whirling around to slash your way out of here if you have to

But somehow Seungmin has become a Superhuman™ and he parries your attack, twisting your arms behind your back and slamming you back down onto the desk

You almost hear him grimace as you cry out in pain, like he’s in just as much turmoil as you

And before you know it a rag is held up over your face, Seungmin gently laying his cheek against yours. Somehow in the span of time all this was going on, he’d managed to throw a mask over his face...

“I’m so sorry, y/n...I never wanted it to come to this...I was hoping to take you quietly…

...But it’s also not my fault you’re so damn difficult all the time.”

Moonlight streaming in through the curtain was blurring together, your thoughts slowly growing more and more incoherent

A scream still caught in your throat, the last thing you recall is again the scent of lavender and Spring daisies. Except it was much stronger now, because that scent was now carrying you somewhere up, up, and away…

 ~~~

 The faint sound of laughter is what awakens you for the 47294907204 time

Seriously how many more times were you gonna clock out like jeez

Not to over exaggerate but man alive

…

……

………

You’re blinking up at the ceiling when it all comes back to you

Seungmin

Your room

Kim Seungmin

Your closet

Minnie

You being carried away somewhere…

It doesn’t take you long to throw yourself up right, but when you do you instantly regret the action, as a splitting headache takes hold of your cranial

It causes you to wince, reaching both hands up to grab your skull...which are, surprisingly...rather heavy…

…

Holy frick and frack you’ve been chained

Your wrists

There are cuffs around them

And you’re literally connected to a bedpost

…………

You swallow

This isn’t good

It’s not good at all

What the heck is going on now…?

You gotta examine your surroundings. You need to stop being in the dark all the time

Time to flip on a light switch brother

Let’s see

You’re sitting in a bed

Your bed

…

Wait

Your bed?

That can’t be right

You distinctly remember, despite the running gag of you not knowing anything, that Minnie had hoisted you off somewhere

He’d deadass climbed out the window or something

You look up and around next

…

It was unmistakable

This was your room: here was your bed, your bookshelf, your desk, TV, closet…

Even your stuffed animals and stationery was here. Exactly as you’ve always had it.

Except, normally your bed was on the right side of the room. Currently, it was on the left

So it was like

A parallel of your bedroom

A weird mirrored version, like you’d stepped through the looking glass…

...You supposed essentially, in some ways, you already had. Starting around high school.

Argh

This was really bad

You had to get out of here

Thankfully the chains were pretty long, so your movement wasn’t too restricted and you could move around for the most part as normal

If you had to guess, you could probably make it about halfway across the room before you ran out of chain

……

A thought you’d never thought you’d be having

Swiftly, you raise the sheets to check your legs

They’re free, save for a few bruises. Yours arms are in worse shape with twice as many and these damned heavy cuff links

This was honestly an outrage

And hella dehumanizing

You weren’t sure what was scarier: the fact that you were sitting in a mirror copy of your bedroom chained like an animal, or the fact that Minnie had done this

…

Seungmin

No more Minnie

He was Seungmin now

Maybe even just Kim

Because you would no longer have any ties to him after this

He was long gone now

It was over

Bam!

“Hahahahahahahaha!”

Oh gosh

IT REALLY IS OVER

HE’S HERE

WHAT WAS—

Wait was that laughter just now?

It sounded...familiar…

As in

Recorded

…

You strained your ears, holding your breath a moment

If you focused really hard

You could just barely hear it

Voices. Sound effects. More audio laughter.

Someone was watching TV

That or Seungmin had sold you to a circus act

Which might have been preferable actually because you really didn’t know if he wanted you dead or not

I mean

On one hand

Why would someone go to so much trouble to make an exact replica of your bedroom?

But on another

There were some major sickos out there…

And you really could never tell what he was thinking

…

No, no, no y/n

No tears

We’re not going to cry

Big girl pants big girl pants

We’re going to get ourselves out of here and hop on the first plane to a new country

Move to Switzerland and start a cute little sheep farm

Change your name to Olga

Marry a huge scary-looking huntsman that was actually very sweet

And spend the rest of your days baking apple pies and schnitzel and shaving wool from sheep to knit fluffy sweaters and sell them on the Swiss version of Amazon

Yeah something like that

Everything was going to be a-o—

“You’re awake.”

ACAHNDUSLILIAHDSLINUFARJDSA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It’s Kim Seungmin

He’s standing in the doorway

You didn’t even hear the door open

He takes two steps in before pausing to admire what a mess you probably look like

Only to him, you’ve never looked more beautiful

You don’t know this of course, but in his mind: you’re stunning

I mean, absolutely breathtaking

Sitting here in the room he worked so hard putting together for you

Your hair a wind-blown bed-mangled mess the way you toss and turn in your sleep sometimes

The natural glow that radiates off your face when you’re not wearing any makeup

The shine from the rays of faint sunrise as they hit your tear-stained face

It’s a work of art

What he’s worked for since he first laid eyes on you all those years ago

He’s wanted this so badly for such a long time

And it’s finally happening

He’s finally gotten what he’s pined for all this time: you

All that time he took getting to know you, forming a bond, taking measurements and pictures and writing down numbers, formulating the perfect plan

It may not have gone exactly how he imagined it would, but it’d still produced the same results. You were now, finally, his. All that was left to do was to clean you of any ties you had to your past life, and then the war would be over. The climax had come and gone. It was all downhill from here.

He told himself over and over again, that this is what he’d wanted...but yet

A part of him felt almost guilty for some reason

Of course he was happy, but also

…

It this really what he’d wanted?

He wanted to celebrate

But

Though you looked so beautiful

He also didn’t like seeing you so sad

…

It was fine

You just had to get adjusted, that was all

It’s hard being whisked off from one place to another

In a few days you’d be all settled in and then you could both celebrate being happy and alone together

You’d realize what a wonderful thing he had done for the both of you and thank him

And he’d never have to worry about anyone touching you or so much as looking at you ever again

You’d be his special treasure

Something he’d be able to look forward to coming home to each and every day after he landed his dream job as a photographer

Of course, you’d never get to accomplish the goals you’d told him about for your life, but…

That wouldn’t matter after a little time had passed, once you realized you only needed rely on him from now on

And there would be lots of fun things to do at home, he’d make sure of it

He’d take good care of you, here at his father’s old cabin house

And no one would be any the wiser because his parents were scarcely ever home

They were never around, always traveling from one place to another. He’d learned to take care of himself when he was 13, and from then on had been fiercely and undeniably independent

He really hadn’t seen or heard from his parents since, they’d just left him with the house and sent monthly checks to take care of the bills. If he thought hard enough, the last memory he had of his mother was probably at an unexpected Christmas visit when he was 15

And after that, nada

So as one could guess, his life had been very lonely…

Of course, he’d normally preferred being alone and if he was bored, he had Felix and Changbin to check up on him

But that all changed the moment he laid eyes on you

Oh sure, he’d seen you before that fateful rainy afternoon. When he actually bothered showing up to class. But…

Catching you alone that day was like a sign to him

He’d been wandering the back alleys as he normally did

On his way home, he realized he’d forgotten one of his cameras at school

So he had to make a detour to get it

He really wanted to take some shots of the coming storm for a new collection he’d been working on

On the way over, it wouldn’t leave his mind that something was missing…

He needed a host, a muse, a character

Some sort of other life force to give breath to the photographs

They were fine as they were

But just fine wasn’t fine for him

He could do better

Surely there was something—

...Drat. They’d already locked the doors.

He’d have to hoist himself in through a window now—

 ...And there you were.

He couldn’t explain it

He’d seen you before, sure, rarely, on occasion. But you’d just been a passing figure in the sea of endless faces

Now you were more than that. You were the figure, the face, the missing piece he’d been searching for

But he knew how fickle the human race was. So he’d have to play coy and civil before going in for the kill

If he turned out not to like you, he could always toss you back out into the sea

But the moment he swooped down to catch you from that (minorly hysterical) fall, he’d felt it. The missing spark he’d been waiting for all along.

He couldn’t take his eyes away. You were simply too real, too alive, too beautiful and unwavering

Yet shy and clean and simple all the same

It was a perfect paradox

An acute conundrum 

And he was loving every second of it

He knew, in that moment, that he had to 

As cringey as it sounds

That he had to make you his

And now you were...almost

It was just a bit further before he reached the light at the end of the tunnel

He’d never be lonely or lost for inspiration again

Because he’d have you

And that was all he needed...

 𝑇𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑑...𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 ♥

[trouvelle]

Time’s Up

A/N: Happy happy happy birthday, @mintchocolateleaves!! This one’s for you boo. I tried to cook it up as fast as I could, to get it posted before the day ends but alas... it’s past midnight and all the magic is gone. Nevertheless, enjoy this one! This isn’t for Emogust though, bc sadly it fits none of the prompts. An AU where Conan is back as Shinichi (Black Org is no more, and stuff and stuff). 

The day is eventually going to come. 

Shinichi knows. He knows that day will come, yet his mind forces itself to erase the thoughts of it. Instead, it’s filled with nothing but false, desperate hope with the image of a beaten, stitched up heart. Shinichi knows. He knows.

His finger plays with the brown hair that he loves touching so much. The smell is intoxicating. Alluring. It’s a smell that belongs to only one person. That one person that means the world to him. That one person that is strikingly similar to a goddess, as she is simply divine and beautifully crafted like an angel. He plants a kiss on her, inhaling the heavenly scent that flutters his heart.

The girl whose head is comfortably resting on his lap lets out a chuckle, voice deep with a texture that makes it one in a million. The girl whose eyes are filled with such powerful emotions that Shinichi couldn’t even describe. Love, he decides. Love, kindness, sincerity, grace, worry, passion, generosity.

Every day Ran makes Shinichi wonder. How someone could always keep a warm, serene smile on her face. Every day, she baffles him.

He wonders why she chooses to stay with him, after years of hiding the truth from her, making her worry, putting her through all the torment. If she’s willing to put his past behind them, then so can he. He can do the same for her and for himself.

They never talk about their lives before he returned as Kudo Shinichi. Only once did she ask for an explanation, and it’s immediately after he revealed himself. He told her everything; about how he’s Conan all along, how Haibara Ai (who’s now around their age) is also another victim of the Organization, how he couldn’t have done it without Hattori and Kaito KID’s help. She’s forgiven him, as always. She can never stay angry at him. She also never wanted to broach the topic ever again.

One time he catches her say, “Remember that haunted inn we went to with Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan?” when the inn is featured on the television. However, she drops the conversation right after that, the silence reminding him that she was still unwilling to talk.

One thing remains the same, though. 

“I’ll always protect you,” Shinichi whispers. Ran smiles. She knows.

Φ

It’s spring. It’s that time where love sprouts everywhere. It’s that time where flowers bloom beautifully, birds singing their songs and grass turns greener than before. It’s that time where the cherry blossoms bloom, drawing tons of couples towards them like a magnet, wanting them to enjoy the romantic vibe.

There’s this one place. There’s this spot with a lone, abandoned cherry blossom tree. It’s not so far in the small woods behind Teitan High.

Thus, during a break at school, they go to the cherry blossom tree whose grace is only for their eyes. Ran intertwines her fingers with Shinichi’s, showing her loveable smile, the smile that he loves so much.

“I love you,” Shinichi says. He blushes. “With all my heart.”

"I love you too," Ran mutters, looking up at him shyly. "With all my heart."

Φ

It’s that time again, when Ran feels that suffocating feeling in her chest. Her breath hitches, gasping for air while droplets of sweat trail down from her temple towards her chin. It’s those times when Shinichi loses his cool and panic, calling the hospital immediately after each time it happens, each time getting worse and worse.

It hurts him even more that whenever Ran faints, she has no knowledge of what happened before. Almost as if she suffers from a very minor amnesia, yet Shinichi never dares to tell her. He always puts on his practiced smile, saying, “You are just here for a check-up. They had to temporarily put you to sleep, that’s all.”

Ran, naively nods, easily accepting those words. 

Φ

Shinichi has been visiting Osaka more and more often lately. He knows his bond with Hattori has undoubted deepen after everything that has happened. Seriously, he would’ve been a dead man had Hattori not been there to save him.

What he didn’t expect was that he’s going to rely so much on Kazuha as well.

He has been telling Kazuha about what’s been happening to Ran. At first it’s only to update her about Ran’s condition. Shinichi soon finds that he actually enjoys talking to her. To Hattori’s credit, his girl is very insightful and perceptive. Sometimes Shinichi calls her in the middle of the night just to ask her if she has anything to offer him. A handful of times, Hattori is the one to answer his calls.

“We’re NOT doing anything,” he always insists, “Kazuha just fell asleep while studying.”

Shinichi responds with a snort. “Keep that up and you’re gonna get a serious case of blue balls.”

They end up talking too, until Ran stirs in her sleep and Shinichi has to hang up in fear that he might wake her up.

Φ

There are times where Shinichi forgot how nigh Ran’s time is. The moment their lips are locked into a deep kiss, his mind turns blank, concentrating on the now, never thinking of the past or the future. He loves when the familiar, warm hands trace down his sides to his hip bones, tender fingers sliding south until it reaches the spot that makes his body ache for more. He moans out her name each time she sends Shinichi to ecstasy in such sweet, passionate love making. It’s the moment after, with Ran collapsing next to him on the soft mattress and instantly cuddling against the boy, arms protectively wrapped around his body while nuzzling his neck.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Ran whispers. “I can’t imagine life without you.”

Φ

Shinichi has tried to contact Kaito Kid—whose real identity he and Hattori found out to be Kuroba Kaito, just a kid around their age. But he insists that he’d come to Shinichi when his time is suitable, when he’s accomplished his own goal.

When they finally set up a meeting, Shinichi did ask him, straight to the point: “Have you used the Pandora Gem?”

Kaito’s eyes betray his confident body gestures. “Are you interested in using it?”

Shinichi offers no reply, his only response is his unfaltering stare at the magician. He runs a hand through his hair, a sigh escaping his lips. “I know you’ve found it, and I know you’ve used it.”

Φ

Shinichi walks on the sidewalk, two plastic bags filled with the needed groceries which bump against his legs with each step he takes. He fiddles with his keys as soon as he reaches their apartment. He opens their front door, stepping in with the bags in his hands, happily announcing he is back with a huge grin on his face.

The house is silent, however. Pressure is felt, and Shinichi feels slight numbness in his legs as he enters the living room, eyes widening at the sight of Ran on the ground. Crystal droplets fall immediately, the sound of items falling and rolling on the ground, voice cracks echoing in the room, the only thing coming out from his throat being none other than the name Ran.

Φ

It all happens so fast. Shinichi is promised at least a year more. One year. A year that they will fill with nothing but happiness, that only she can give effortlessly. The sounds of rushed doctors heading towards wherever ring in his ears. Shinichi can only blindly follow them, attempting to wake Ran up with trembling hands and bottom lip.

Ran, Ran, Ran, is all he says.

Ran, Ran, Ran, he keeps on calling, but her face remains the same: lifeless, pale, drained.

Shinichi has never felt so scared, so afraid. He swears he saw a quick, impossible glance of the colour black. The black that Shinichi has feared to acknowledge so many times in his dreams. The black that is the hollow colour of the long robe that belongs to Death, who is perhaps forcing an implausible grin on his literal skin and meatless face.

“No,” Shinichi whispers, furiously shaking his head as he is forced to stay behind when doctors go past certain doors. He falls to his knees, clutching his hair tightly 

No.

Φ

Shinichi has always had his suspicion about Kazuha’s sensitivity towards the supernatural spectrum of the world. If her handcrafted omamori isn’t enough proof, there’s also the fact that she could actually see spirits. A gift from my grandmother, she explains. 

Kazuha has also further said about how Death is real. Another reason why she hates being in a crime scene for too long, she confides in him. Death is always present, always ready to transport the souls of poor victims. Kazuha doesn’t like to look at Death. According to her, Death reeks of hollowness and hopelessness, among other things. 

Shinichi never quite understands her stories and explanations. He believes in science. He doesn’t believe in such things. He believes in what he can see. He doesn’t believe in what the paranormal and supernatural.

This time, he’s sure Death is definitely calling. Death stands there with arms wide open, wanting to welcome Ran and wanting him to see her lifeless body. Shinichi knows Death is patiently waiting in the dark corners of the sickly colored hospital, it being nothing more than an empty white and some hues of probably blue or yellow. Shinichi doesn’t care.

It’s then when a doctor comes out of what Shinichi calls ‘Doors of Death’. The doctor shows him nothing more but a pity look, his mask hiding any signs of lip movement to warn Shinichi of the hurtful words that are about to come out.

Many doctors and nurses walk by them, and some patients in wheelchairs possibly exploring the area or finding their way out to the exit. All of them spare glances at the man who shouts at the doctor, on his knees once again and hands clutched together in a fist, begging.

Φ

Heiji and Kazuha rush to the hospital as fast as they possibly could. Shinichi staggers towards them, his head shaking continuously. “There’s no time.”

“Time’s up.”

Φ

Ran slowly opens her eyes, frowning at the blinding light of white after being out for what felt like an eternity, shielding them with her hand. She is all by herself. She is in a bed, a transparent tube connected and held secured by a thin, white bandage on her left forearm.

Her confused gaze travels from the dull wall in front of her to the window where she can see the outside world, the sky blue and a few clouds present.

Where am I? She wonders. The sound of a constant beeping echo in her ears, and a doctor soon appears in front of her.

“Congratulations, Ran,” he smiles at her. “You barely survived, but you managed.”

Ran frowns even more. “Barely? What do you mean? What happened?”

The doctor’s smile falters, just a little bit. His eyes are tired, dark circles clearly visible and wrinkles showing. “You had a fatal heart attack, Ran,” he starts. “You’ve always had a weak heart condition which seemed to be accelerating in intensity within the past year.”

“You were found unconscious at home. A young man immediately called, and just in time as well.”

“Shinichi?” Ran gasps. “You mean Shinichi?” She sits up, not caring if she is allowed to or not. “What… where is he?”

“Shinichi… he’s headed out somewhere.” Ran’s expression gradually softens at those words. The doctor then hands her tape. “Here,” he whispers. “He told me to give this to you.”

As soon as the small device left the man’s hands, he calmly makes his way out. Confused and curious, Ran rapidly untangles the earphones, pressing the Play button to play the message that is left in it by Shinichi’s voice. Ran smiles, only for it to completely disappear with each word she hears.

Φ

Time is passing by slowly, almost too slowly. Ran tightly squeezes the tape, holding it against her chest as she lies down, numbly shifting on her side, facing towards the window that holds her away from freedom. She slowly opens her mouth, lips trembling and eyes glazed with tears that allow themselves to roll down over the bridge of her nose and her cheek. She feels a painful lump in her throat. A lump that makes swallowing so, so hard. Her head starts to ache, eyebrows finally furrow together after processing what she just read, gritting her teeth and softly shaking her head in denial.

She finally lost it when she heard soft sobs coming from outside her room. She finally lets out a scream, clutching onto her hair and wetting her face with her tears, curling into a ball as agony took full control over her. With loud and hitched sobs, she whispers ‘no’ over and over again.

Φ

The doctor hears the cries coming out of the room. His back leaning against the space next to its respective door, hallways filled with nothing but an eerie silence and a vast emptiness. He quietly turns around, letting his forehead rest against the cold barrier and let his own tears spill. His own heart aches, wanting to rip it out, if only he could.

His nails scratches the walls, hands eventually curling up into a fist and screamed silently, gasping for air as he lets out choked sobs. 

Φ

Ran,

I’m guessing you already know the truth by now. 

I’ve kept you away from the truth, again. Once more, I’ve kept away a secret from you that you deserved to know, yet I always decided to keep my door shut. Not because I think you’re better off not knowing, but it’s ‘cause I never had the guts to. I can’t lose you. Not now, not ever. 

Nothing can come close to describing the happiness I felt whenever you woke up. Who was there to blame for the condition of your heart? I thought I could be your donor, so long as you can continue to wake up. I wish we could have more time together.

I was told that you have a long way to go. At least a year, was what they said. They over-calculated. My biggest mistake was trusting their words. 

Don’t look for me. This time—I promise you—I’m not on a long and deadly case. I’m not shrunken into a grade-schooler either! I’m just... just refer to me as your guardian from now on. Guardian angel, if you wanna push it that way, but Kazuha said guardian angels are not actually angels. 

What you need to know is that I’ve beaten Death. You’ll live, and that’s all that matters to me. I’m always here for you and I’ll always protect you. 

Ran, you know I love you. I always have, and I always will.

Φ

Shinichi told her that he has no choice. He has even looked for the Pandora Gem and actually knows where it is. The current owner of the gem is also willing to lend it to him.

It’s Kaito Kid, he confesses to Kazuha. And Kaito did warn him about the effects of using the gem.

Shinichi knows that Ran wouldn’t want it.

Kazuha has been thinking about this for a long time, hard. She knows if she was to do it, if she could even pull it through, if it would even succeed—Ran is never going to forgive her. But when she puts herself in Shinichi’s shoes, she knows she would do it for Heiji in a heartbeat. Part of her believes that if the situation was reversed, Ran would want to do the same for Shinichi. 

But Shinichi has already had his mind made up. Kazuha looks at him, the boy who has been growing closer to her lately, who she talks to even more than Ran or Sonoko these days. Kazuha stares at him, and he stares back at her through his cloudy eyes.

In the end, he doesn’t even know if he was putting Ran’s happiness first or his own.

[nightglider124]

Hello. Could you do a one shot where Starfire is giving birth to Mar'i and one where Starfire tells Nightwing and the others that she is pregnant.

Mm… we’ll do a bit of a two-in-one with this. And I’m gonna do it in a bit of a different style.

Here comes first person POV.

Sorry that it’s crap. Idk if I’m having an off night or if it’s bc I’ve never done POV before.

Oh and I know it’s only this one I’ve done tonight but I’ll do more tomorrow.

Daddy

Looking at her right now, I felt like a bit of a bastard.

Technically, I had been the one to put her through all of this.

Starfire had been a complete trooper the whole way through but today was testing her. But, then again, today was the day after all.

I stood there, brushing my fingers through her damp locks of hair. I was trying to be as supportive and comforting as I could but I felt like I wasn’t really making much of a difference.

Swallowing the mountain in my throat, I gave her upper arm a gentle rub. I would have let her grab onto my hand but she refused, telling me that despite the pain she was in, she didn’t need me having a broken hand.

I felt helpless as I watched my beautiful wife. Her skin was glistening with sweat, her cheeks were red and she looked exhausted already even though she had only started pushing recently. There were tears mingling with the sheen of sweat soaking her golden skin.

She was in so much pain and there was absolutely nothing I could do to relieve her of that pain. Gritted teeth and heavy breathing had become the norm for today, so it seemed.

I really doubted that I’d be convincing Star to have more kids with me in the near future.

Growling, she reached blindly for the metal railings of the infirmary bed. Squeezing her eyes shut, she crunched the metal beneath her fingers. I was fully aware of how strong my girl was but it still shocked me when she mangled the railing as her powers had supposedly nullified what with being pregnant.

As she sobbed and groaned, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander.

I found myself thinking back to when she initially told me.

Starfire had been sitting on the end of our bed after I got home from patrol with Raven.

Bless her; she had been absolutely terrified of my reaction. She had sat there, anxiously twiddling her fingers with her face as white as a sheet. She had tears in her eyes and really struggled to speak to me.

Which, of course, I panicked at. I asked her if she was alright and if something had happened.

After reminding her that she could tell me anything, she timidly whispered that she was pregnant.

Even through all of my worrying before, I couldn’t prepare for that one. The big one.

Starfire immediately burst into tears at my utter silence. I had been fairly stunned at the news but supposed it wasn’t that hard to believe. We could be a little reckless now and again with that kind of activity.

But, after clawing my conscious thought process back, I smiled and without saying a single thing, I brought my arms around my Star. She hiccupped and queried, only for me to kiss her and murmur how great the news was.

I wasn’t mad or upset. It was ill-timed but any time would be somewhat inconvenient, doing what we do. And besides, I had had numerous dreams about getting Starfire pregnant and having a baby with her.

It was definitely something I wanted. We both did.

Telling the others was nerve-wracking to say the least but we were able to share the nerves between each other at least whereas Starfire had had to deal with it on her own when telling me.

Raven had been pleasantly surprised. She was frozen to begin with before walking up and embracing the both of us. She denied it when I jabbed at her but I definitely saw some unshed tears in my sister’s eyes.

Cyborg had been as expected and I couldn’t help but react a little sheepishly. As Starfire’s resident big brother figure, he had marched up to us, given Starfire a kiss on the cheek and narrowed his human eye at me. It seemed he was a little disgruntled that I had effectively knocked up his little sister but he was supportive, nonetheless.

Beast Boy had squealed in that high pitch tone of his and got straight to work, sniffing Starfire to make certain. I had forgotten about his abilities to do that sort of thing. Hey, who needed store bought tests when we had Gar, huh?

The pregnancy had been amazing. No real problems and Star had done it with grace and elegance, as always.

An agony filled scream brought me out of my daze. Starfire was panting and shivering slightly, which was an unusual occurrence with my Princess but labour was really doing a number on her, even with her Tamaranian resilience.

She was patting around, searching for me. Her fingers touched my cheek and I instinctively cupped her face.

“Star?” I hushed, rubbing my nose against hers.

“R-Richard…” She huffed, sniffling, “I… cannot… it hurts… so much.”

I frowned, feeling my heart go out to her. If I could take on her pain and discomfort, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately, life wasn’t that kind to allow such a thing.

“You can, Star. I know you’re in pain, baby, but you can do this.” I took a breath as her hand fell from my cheek, “C’mon. You’re almost there. Soon, we can meet our little girl.”

She bit her trembling lip and gave one nod, shuffling to sit up a tad more. She spread her legs further on the bed and looked at Raven, who was our surrogate midwife and doctor.

We wanted to be at home, in the infirmary when we brought our child into the world. Starfire felt more comfortable than going to a hospital where paparazzi and fans would give us next to no privacy.

Starfire yelped out in pain as she gave a strong push, staying completely still as she did so. She was gasping for breath whilst Raven’s warbled voice was encouraging her to keep going and how the baby was close and would be out with just a few more pushes.

I couldn’t hear anything besides Starfire’s moans, sobs and screams in the next few minutes. I could hear her laboured breathing beneath the other noises she was making.

Childbirth was truly astounding. I knew Starfire was a warrior Princess and was stronger than anyone I’d ever met but watching her do this was something extraordinary, but this was taking it’s toll on her.

I watched her in those few minutes. I couldn’t help but just focus on her face. It was scrunched up in concentration, amidst her suffering. Her auburn bangs were damp with sweat and clung to her forehead. She had dark rings under her eyes and was a little sticky from perspiration.

And yet, she still looked beautiful.

That’s when a single sound broke through the cries and moans of pain. Starfire slipped to whimpering and her head fell back against the pillow in fatigue.

My heart stopped at the sound.

A tiny, thin wailing.

I rapidly blinked and watched as Raven turned away with her, seemingly cleaning her up a little.

The sound of faint crying continued to ring in my ears and part of me couldn’t comprehend what was going on. This had happened. This was real.

Starfire picked her weary head up from the pillow to follow the unfamiliar sound too. I turned my head towards her and kissed her hair, inhaling her scent as well.

“You did it, Star… she’s here…” I whispered, closing my eyes to savour the moment.

My wife grunted as she sat up a little straighter, apparently wanting a front row seat to see our baby, which she completely deserved.

Raven turned back to us with a small, proud smile. There was a bundle in her arms, wrapped in a pink blanket. Our bundle.

I distantly heard Starfire suck in a gasp and accept our little girl from Raven.

She whimpered as she stared down into the face of our daughter.

“Oh… Richard… look at her…” She murmured,

I was in a dazed state. I felt tears prick my eyes before I’d even glanced at her and my heart was hammering in my chest.

Inhaling a deep breath, I turned to look down at our new born.

My heart practically stopped.

She was beautiful.

There was not a single baby that could compare to our little angel. She blinked open her huge emerald eyes, having much of her mother’s appearence. But, there was the mass of black fluffy hair atop of her head. My hair.

I gulped and reached down to brush my index finger over her warm, chubby cheek. I almost passed out when she turned her little face towards my hand.

“Star… she’s… I…” I choked on my words. I’m not overly emotional, I’m not. But, seeing a baby that is your baby is something that is out of this world.

Starfire looked up at me with happy tears in her eyes now, “Our little Mar’i…” She breathed,

I nodded and reached for my daughter’s little fist which she was happily waving around. Her fingers immediately stretched and wrapped themselves around my finger and I held my breath, staring down at her.

She was just perfect.

The euphoria rolling through me was hindered by disbelief. I had a daughter. I was a father. I was a father.

“Hi there, gorgeous… you are so perfect…” I hushed, watching as she merely blinked back at me, “I’m your daddy, Mar’i. Hi there… yes, hi…”

I felt Starfire lace her fingers with mine as I slid onto the bed beside her. We sat there, blinded by the ecstasy of this precious baby girl in Star’s arms.

It was quiet now, and we were enjoying our baby Mar’i.