#gonna finish the blanket and see if i have strength to check the text messages fully

[apocripha-0]

Ah life it keeps taunting me eh? At this point its fine I guess. . Just an interesting extension of what it is

[giorno-plays-piano]

Promises

Hi dear! As agreed, I’ve changed it to dad’s friend!Bucky <3 Hope you’re going to enjoy this!

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, age gap, daddy kink, allusion to non-con, death of minor characters.

Words: 3000.

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Looking at the lonely chocolate muffin laying on the table in front of you, you closed your eyes for a couple of seconds, making a wish: it was your birthday, and you were stuck in some filthy roadside diner with no one but Mr. Barnes by your side.

Bucky. You were ought to call him Bucky, you reminded yourself, opening your eyes and blowing softly on a single candle sitting on the top of your muffin.

It wasn’t his fault you two ended up here - there had been a huge accident on your way back home, a tanker truck exploded into flames in the middle of the highway. In fact, you were lucky you were far away since several drivers and passengers who had the misfortune to be close to the truck had already been declared dead. It was all over the news, most of the people inside diner glued to the old TV hanging on the wall.

Staring at the candle, you carefully pulled it off and dropped it on a cheap white napkin, taking the muffin and eagerly having a bite. Mr. Barn... Bucky watched you from the other side of the table, his coffee already long cold. There was no smile on his face as you quietly said thank you to him, but you barely remembered him smiling at all despite knowing him for several years at the very least. He was your dad’s friend, and he often visited your house to share a beer and watch hockey with your dad late in the evening. Who could imagine it would be Bucky of all people helping you stay afloat.

“What did you wish for?” He asked you, and chuckled grimly at him, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. Apparently, you had to keep it a secret to make your wish come true, but it didn’t matter now.

“To have a family.”

You gulped down a sob and stared at the red table as Bucky reached out to pat your shoulder gently. Both of you knew what you meant, but you had no strength to talk about it again. It was still painful as hell.

“It will get better.” He said quietly as you nodded, wiping away your tears and gulping down your coke. “You need time.”

Yeah, time, that was what everyone around you kept saying as if time could change the fact you were all alone now; as if it could make you forget all that happened and keep the pain away. What could time do? Make you insensitive, unsympathetic, and unable to feel anything at all. All this time could probably do to you, sure.

He bought a couple of ham sandwiches and bottles of coke for the evening and left with you following him closely. The motel room was just as dirty as the diner, but you didn’t expect anything else, preparing to cleaning it up - anyway, there wasn’t much you could do around here. Although there were lots of people stuck here along with you two, you had no wish to go talk to them about the tragedy. You had your own already, and it was enough for you.

“Your uncle looks scary on this photo.” Your phone buzzed in your pocket, and you picked it up, reading the message from April, your best friend - your only friend, to be completely honest. “Like he’s straight out of those serial killer documentaries.”

“April, come on."

"what, I'm serious lol"

"Maybe he’s not your sunshine guy, but he’s the only one who stayed with me after all that happened."

"And he is NOT my uncle!”

“sorry girl just wanted to cheer you up”

You smiled at the text, missing Bucky’s gaze as he came closer to you.

“Who’s that?” He asked, and you raised your eyes at him, immediately getting back to your grim state.

“April. She saw the photo I sent her.” Explaining quietly, you tried pretending you were happy, stretching your lips in a thin smile and thinking whether Bucky could feel it. “She’s checking on how we are here.”

“Good.”

With that he left to bathroom, leaving you on your knees scrubbing the floor. He was bad at cleaning - really bad, missing tons of dirty spots to the point it felt like he didn’t clean anything at all. That was why you preferred doing it yourself. Besides, it was him who paid for the room and food despite you trying to share the expenses, so you felt obliged to him.

Bucky certainly wasn’t the most talkative or friendly type, but he still cared about you, supporting you the way he could. Even if he was way older than you, and a part of you still didn’t feel very comfortable around him, Bucky was the only one by your side. He agreed living with you when most of your relatives had little interest in staying even for a few days longer, leaving you all alone. He helped you with all the legal stuff you knew nothing about, never having to deal with these issues before. He gave you a drive to your university campus every morning and called you every time when you were supposed to come home, probably afraid you’d do something to yourself. That was what you thought, at least.

He was a good man. Maybe a little gruff, seemingly unfriendly, intimidating even, but still better then all those who promised to look after you and then vanished.

“I’m going to go for a walk.” Bucky said after leaving bathroom and putting his sneakers on. “Will you be okay by yourself?”

You felt shame bubbling up inside you at his words. He still thought you might be suicidal.

“Of course. I’ll be waiting here.”

With that he nodded and left you alone with a bright pack of Lysol and dirty doormat on the floor. Sighing, you felt relieved, finally staying all by yourself in the grim silence of the room. It wasn’t that bad. You weren’t stuck together somewhere in the desert with no food and shelter. Tomorrow morning you’d be able to return home from that little improvised vacation Bucky organized purely for you, staying in a cabin close to the beautiful lake in the woods. It wasn’t his fault you were spending your birthday like this, scrubbing the floor clean and wiping the dust from shelves and nightstands instead of celebrating somewhere in the club with April, drinking fancy cocktails.

In half an hour you finished the clean up and had a shower, changing into your funny pink pajamas - you knew your looked pathetic in it, considering how old it was, but it was one of the things that made you feel safe. Anyway, Bucky didn’t care about the way you looked, so you simply wore whatever you found comfortable, often looking like a kid who was too big to fit into their old clothes.

“Whatcha doin??” A message popped up on the screen as you checked your phone again.

“Gonna go to sleep, I guess. I didn’t sleep well yesterday again.”

“i have a gooood recipe for a nice 8-hour sleep”

“Really? What’s that?”

Instead of answering you clearly, she sent you a link. To your horror, instead of checking the name first you simply clicked on it and found out April sent you some porno. Groaning, you quickly turned it off, afraid somebody gonna hear it - the walls here were out of paper, you could swear.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?” You typed furiously. “Are you mad?”

“come on, what are we, holy virgins?? Ima telling you, this thing works! Just try it, you’ll be sleeping after this in no time!”

“April, even if I’m gonna believe this crap, Bucky just went for a walk. I have no clue when he’s going to come back. Do you really think I’m ready to do this when he’s around?”

“damn girl just don’t put earphones, cover yourself with a blanket and sit facing the door.” You could literally see her rolling her eyes at you. “you’re a grown up, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. When you hear the man coming, just turn it off!”

Rubbing your eyes tiredly, you muted your phone and carefully opened the link again, trying to understand what kind of porno she sent you exactly. Apparently, it was that daddy thing she kept telling you about - you read the name of the video, and your face grew unbearably hot in a second. Damn, this girl had no shame whatsoever.

But maybe she was right: you needed to release some tension that had been building up over the last months. It was quite an innocent way to do it, really, and you’d be careful enough to do it before Bucky came back, finding anything suspicious. You were a human being, after all! There was nothing nasty in what you were going to do, you tried assuring yourself.

“I’m gonna regret it.”

“NO GIRL YOU WON’T! Treat yourself!!”

Laughing, you quickly dropped your phone on your bed, taking a tablet out of your backpack along with a pair of pink socks - you couldn’t explain it, but your feet were always getting cold while you pleasured yourself. Getting comfortable on your bed and wrapping a comforter around yourself, you opened your tablet, setting the volume level low and finding that link April sent you. You threw a quick glance to the door, prepared to switch the tablet off any second if Bucky was going to show up. Shoot, were you doing it for real? Yes, yes you were.

Opening the video, you bit down on your lower lip, a little ashamed still. Trying to get these thoughts out of your head, you concentrated on what was happening in the video, watching a girl sitting on the lap of a beefy bearded man stroking her ass. He was speaking to her softly, but in a very low, husky voice, and you realized it was getting warm in between your thighs. You closed your eyes, listening to the voice that, along with a sound of him slapping the girl, was making you aroused way more than the picture itself.

"Have you been good, princess?" The man whispered, and you could see the smug grin on his face even with your eyes closed.

Yes, you have, you thought, your hand slowly trailling down your belly and touching the elastic of your cotton panties.

Fuck, you heard the sound of one more slap and bit your lip again, imagining it was you he spanked, caressing your raw, hot skin with his calloused palm, his fingers digging in your soft flesh when you tried moving away, quietly squirming from his touch. You were a good girl for him. You'd do what your daddy told you, baring your ass in front of him and getting back on his lap, moving on top of him, making him feel you through the fabric of his pants until you ruined them. Would daddy be happy if you rode him, moaning like some dirty slut until he shut you with his mouth? Would he like you cumming on his cock with your eyes rolling inside your skull out of immense pleasure?

With your fingers on your clit, you gently stroked that bundle of nerves, getting more and more wet until you soaked your panties, listening to the voice of that man and imagining being with your own daddy, somebody who would take care of you, somebody who would never leave you alone and comfort you when you needed it the most. Oh, were you crying, thinking of it? You could feel your eyes growing wet as you softly moaned. You imagined the man touching your hair and kissing your forehead, and tears were now streaming down your cheeks.

You were pathetic, you thought. You couldn't even pleasure yourself while watching porno anymore.

Softly sobbing, you kept listening to the video, touching your sleek folds and missing the shadow that descended upon you - you couldn't see the stranger behind the window, watching you sitting there on your bed with a tablet in front of you, seeing the video clearly. Maybe Bucky couldn't hear it from the outside, but he knew it - he saw it a couple of weeks ago when he felt a little lonely.

You almost cummed when you heard the steps right outside the door, inmediately hitting the screen to stop the video and hiding your tablet beneath the comforter. You didn't figure out anything better than pretending you were already asleep, aside from the fact it was barely seven.

Covering your head, you prayed Bucky didn't see anything suspicious, mentally cursing April for sending you the link. Shit, you knew this wasn't going to end well! Why on Earth did you even tried something as reckless and stupid as this when Bucky could show up any minute?

"I know you're not sleeping."

His voice sounded so much closer than you anticipated that you almost flinched, holding your breath for a couple of seconds. Fuck, did he know? Did he hear you? Could he see the tablet beneath your blanket?

You stilled, still pretending you were sleeping when Bucky landed close to you, the bed dipping under him. When he suddenly touched your leg, making you flinch involuntarily, you clamped a hand around your mouth. Shit! What was he doing? He had never ever touched you like that before. Was he mad? Did he-

"You can stop pretending, little one." As Bucky lifted your comforter, you stared at him, terrified to the core with your eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Immediately, you tried moving away, determined to get to the other side of the room, but he quickly held you down with his hands on your wrists, getting on top of you. Shit. Staring at his dark but calm expression, you saw a strange glint in his eyes that had never been there before. The thought made you shiver.

Something was wrong with the way he hold you, looked at you - it was not like before when he treated you like some sad kid, patting your head awkwardly when you cried and rarely giving you a hug. You were staring at the man who barely reminded you of Bucky who had been coming to your house to watch a hockey game late in the evening. This man seemed like a stranger.

"Please, Mr. Barnes-"

"Shhhh." He interrupted your pleading, leaning closer to you so his dark hair brushed against your face. "Don't be scared. It's alright."

No, no, it wasn't alright in any sense, and you kept struggling, doing your best to break free from his grasp until Bucky made you yelp from pain, grabbing your hands so hard you thought you'd have bruises. When you got silent, trembling beneath him with your eyes full of tears, he got closer, his forehead touching yours as he exhaled into your face.

“P-please, I don’t want to.”

“Don’t you? I’ve seen what you’ve been doing while I was gone.” His stormy grey eyes bore into you, and you thought Bucky was angry at you watching that filthy porno. “But I won’t punish you.”

“What do you want then?” You sobbed, then froze when he kissed your cheek, and then your nose and eyelids, his chapped lips brushing softly against your skin. His touch felt warm.

“To take care of you.”

You looked at him with your watery eyes, whimpering softly when Bucky kissed your forehead as you relaxed beneath him, shocked at his words. Take care of you? What did he mean by that? Wasn’t he taking care of you already? No, now you knew why Bucky was close, and he definitely wasn’t some good Samaritan you imagined him to be. Was it all for this? Did he pretend to be your friend just to let you lower your guard?

Crying, you closed your eyes, thinking how silly you were wanting someone to be by your side, having dreams about someone taking care of you, comforting you when even the one you thought was there for you just wanted to use a silly little girl and throw her away.

“Take what you want and go.” You managed to mumble, choking on a sob. “Just leave me alone.”

Bucky raised his brows, his gaze heavy as he stared at your face wet with tears. “Why would I? Didn’t you hear what I just said, little one?”

You gave him a sarcastic smile, avoiding looking him in the eyes. “You’re here because you want to take something from me. So, take it and go. Please!”

Bucky let out a loud breath, getting off you and rolling to the side, but holding you close and pressing your face into his chest. You could feel a subtle smell of sweat coming from him; strangely, it was almost comforting. Anyway, you had no strength left to fight him, so you just laid there, his hands on your back and in your hair. His black zipped hoodie was quickly getting wet with you still sobbing quietly.

“I’m not going anywhere, little girl.” He whispered, touching the top of your head with his lips. “You’re mine to take care off. Look at you, barely able to sleep on your own. How do you think you will manage without me?”

You didn’t answer, not knowing what to say. What Bucky told you was true - you barely existed outside of your house, facing the reality where you were always alone. April was trying her best to help you come to your senses, but she wasn’t family. You needed a family.

“Will you stay?” You whimpered, shaking lightly at the though Bucky would go, too, and you would end up all by yourself, talking to four walls until one day they would talk to you, too.

“Remember your birthday wish?” He asked instead of answering your question, and you felt like the air was sucked out of your lungs. But before you had time to said something, Bucky dropped a kiss to your forehead again, caressing your head tenderly. “I am your family, little one. You will never be alone.”

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Tags: @finleyjayne @alexakeyloveloki   @helenaeisenhower @villanellevi @hurricanerin​ @abyssaint @heeeyitskay @chris-evans-indian-fanfic @navegandoaciegas @rosalynshields @brattycherubwrites @sllooney @angrythingstarlight @lookiamtrying @buckysbunny @soleil-dor @stargazingfangirl18 @dillybuggg @ninefuckingoneone @iheartsebastianstan @inlovewiththefictionalcharacters

[megsbr]

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁, charlie gillespie

inspired by Behind The Band episode 3

pairings: Charlie Gillespie x fem!Reader words: 2,003

masterlist = taglist 

“Alright you guys remember, you are gonna be singing a lot more over the next few days. So please, take care of your voices, you guys.” The band was finishing up their first day of recording the album and Kenny was giving them instruction to follow. “This means to limit the singing at home, watch what you're eating, and maybe even talk a lot less the next coming days.”

This came as a surprise to all four of the members as they didn’t realize how many rules came with recording an album, except maybe Jeremy since he’s recorded music before. But they all reluctantly agreed to Kenny and the producer’s terms and headed home for the day. The first day of recording was so exciting for all of the band but Charlie particularly felt like he just experienced the coolest thing ever. Being in a professional studio with the mics and headphones felt so surreal and he couldn’t wait to come back tomorrow. 

But he knew that he had to take Kenny’s warning seriously. After Madison, Charlie sang the most in the show and he had so many songs to get done. Charlie also knew that he was someone who talked a lot and wasn’t very good at getting to the point. If he had to take days off from singing because he messed up his voice, he would push the whole recording back and cause everyone to fall behind. 

After saying their goodbyes to everyone, Charlie headed back to his shared apartment with Owen. Despite the day being so exciting, it was also exhausting and Charlie couldn’t wait to get back to his bed and cuddle with his girlfriend who had come to stay with them for a few days. She is only able to stay a few days at a time because of her job back home in LA but she visits as often as she can ever since Charlie moved out to Vancouver for boot camp and eventually for filming. 

“Welcome home you guys!” Y/N’s voice came screaming from the kitchen as soon as Owen pushed open the door, Charlie slowly trudging behind him due to how tired he was. Neither one of the boys yelled hello back like they normally did but instead opted for just entering the kitchen and sending her a wave. Owen began to down a water bottle as he exited the kitchen, mumbling something about taking a shower. Charlie walked over to his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned over to place his head on her shoulder. “So how was the first day of recording?” Y/N asked as she continued to stir the pasta that was cooking on the stove. She knew the boys would be too tired to make anything themselves and she wanted them to have a nice dinner waiting for them after a long day. 

“It was amazing.” Charlie slightly buried his head more into her neck while tightening his hold on her waist.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Y/N laughed because last night before they fell asleep and then first thing this morning Charlie couldn’t shut up about how excited he was. The smile never left his face and he never kept both feet on the ground because he was jumping around too much. “I thought you’d run in here and start rambling off about how cool it all was.”

“It was, babe. It was so cool.” It could have been because he couldn’t talk that much or because of how drained he was, or a combination of both, but these short and vague answers were all Charlie could muster up. When Y/N put down the spoon she was stirring with, she placed her arms on top of the ones that were holding her waist. She then started to ever so slightly sway left and right as she continued to watch the pot of water boil.

“Then why do you sound so defeated bubs?” She brought her voice to more of a whisper to match Charlie’s. She felt his breath on her neck as he let out a soft sigh. 

“I was told to limit my talking. Save my voice.” Y/N smiled as she could sense the small amount of disappointment in Charlie’s voice. She knew there was nothing he wanted to do more right now than tell her every single that happened today. “I’m also super tired.”

“Well bubs, why don’t you go take a nap? It will distract you from talking and you need it after your long day.” She turned around in Charlie’s arms lifting her own to wrap them around his neck. He picked his head up and opened his eyes to be met with hers, looking up at him with so much love and worry. “I’ll come to wake you up when it’s time to eat something.” Charlie just sent her a small smile as he leaned in to place a soft kiss on her forehead before pulling her close to give her a tight hug.

Y/N hugged back with just as much strength before pushing him away and sending him in the direction of his bedroom, shaking her head as he shuffled across the floor, too tired to pick up his feet. After a few minutes by herself, Owen appeared back in the kitchen to make some small talk. He explained he didn’t have to follow as many rules since he doesn’t sing as many parts. The two finished up the dinner together enjoying each other’s company and making jokes about how quiet and peaceful it was in the apartment with Charlie’s usual screaming and running around. 

Y/N plated up three portions of pasta, handing one to Owen who took it into his room and then grabbing the other two herself. She carried the plates into Charlie’s room, her heart melting at the sight in front of her. Charlie was curled up on the bed, the blanket pulled up to his chin, and held tightly to his chest. His lips were slightly parted as he let out small breaths with an occasional quiet snore and his face was relaxed. Y/N quietly walked across the room and placed the plates of food on the table before slowly climbing onto the bed. She then ever so slightly began to trace her fingers across Charlie’s face, the faint tickle beginning to wake him up. He suddenly woke up and lifted his hands to rub his eyes as he let out a large yawn. Y/N giggled at the scene, his whole demeanor reminding her of a puppy getting woken up. 

“I was waking you up to eat. Here you go.” Y/N turned to her side to grab one of the plates as Charlie was still rubbing his eyes but began sitting up in bed, leaning on the headboard. A smile appeared on Charlie’s face as he took hold of the plate. His eyes got wide, as wide as his stomach apparently, as he began to scarf down the noodles. Hearing her giggles next to him, Charlie turned his head and opened his mouth to say thank you but immediately remembered he couldn’t talk which caused a pout to appear on his face. “Don’t worry bubs, I know you really wanna talk. And you are welcome for the food.” 

Y/N pulled out a tissue from the box they had next to the bed and turned to Charlie to wipe some of the sauce off his cheeks. He playfully pushed her hand way, pouting even more because she knew that it made him feel like a baby. But it also made him feel loved and taken care and he secretly loved it but Charlie would never admit that. 

“You know, I should be taking advantage of you having to stay quiet these next few days.” Charlie sent her his big puppy dog eyes, worried that she would do just that. He hated not being able to talk to her about his day or sing to her sleep tonight, especially since she will only be here a few days and he knew as soon as she was gone being quiet would be even more painful. “But don’t worry, I won’t. I’ll even stay quiet with you bubs.” Y/N grabbed her plate of food after reaching over to pull her laptop onto her lap. She was quick to pull up the downloaded files of FRIENDS that she had saved. 

Immediately perking up at the show selection, Charlie took control of the laptop and picked a random episode from his favorite season. He placed the laptop back in between the two of them as Y/N scooted closer to Charlie and slightly leaned her body against his. Charlie placed his plate on his lap and only ate with one hand available so he could wrap his left arm around Y/N. The two hummed along to the theme song when it came on and they both tried their best to go along with the claps but were completely offbeat since they had to be careful of the plates on their laps. 

They got through a few episodes before they decided to call it a night as it has begun to get pretty dark out and they both knew Charlie had to be up early again tomorrow. Y/N took the plates that had been completely licked clean, something Charlie always did because he believed in ‘not wasting food’, and put them in the sink, deciding to put off cleaning them till tomorrow. Walking back into Charlie’s bedroom, Y/N changed into something comfy to sleep in while Charlie scrolled through his phone. She eventually was ready for bed and she climbed back in next to Charlie as he put his phone down and went to wrap himself back into the covers. But before Y/N could join him in the blanket cocoon, Charlie stopped her.

“Check your phone.” He whispered, his eyes darting between Y/N and her phone sitting on the table next to the bed. She went to ask why but he shook his head and waved his hand in the air in the direction of her phone. Knowing to not question Charlie, Y/N reached over to pick up her phone, seeing a notification on her screen. She unlocked it and went to her messages to see a text from Charlie himself. She turned her head and sent a confused look his way. All he did was send a smile back and nod his head down, wanting her to read it. 

From: Charlie <3 obviously i can’t talk a lot but i wanna say i love you so much and thank you for always taking care of me. and sticking beside me during these crazy few weeks of filming and stuff. i don’t know what I would do without you.

A few tears appeared in Y/N’s eyes as she read the sweet message on her screen. When she finished she turned to see Charlie staring at her with his big, bright eyes and the smallest smile, awaiting her response. Y/N placed her hand on the side of Charlie’s face and he turned slightly into it and placed two small kisses on her palm.

“You’re welcome bubs. I know how hard you are working on this project and I can’t wait to see it all pay off. And I love you too, so much.” She leaned forward to give him a real kiss, their first one today since he rushed out the door this morning. Charlie smiled into the kiss, showing that her response was what he was hoping to hear. They both pulled away after a few seconds and sent each one more soft smile before finally getting comfortable in the piles of blankets and pillows. Charlie reached over to turn off the lamp, darkness taking over the room as they found their respective spots back in each other’s embrace.

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taglist: @lolychu @caitsymichelle13 @walkingonshunshine​ @all-in-fangirl @lovesanimals​ @lukewearingbeanies​

[leelysian]

Unwell

genre: slight angst with fluff ending, implied crush au, one shot

pairing: female reader x best friend!Minho

word count: 1.4k

context: you're terribly sick, you haven't told anyone but your best friend somehow knew something was wrong when you wouldn't reply to his numerous texts.

A/N: this may or may not have turned into a rant because I was sick for the past few days akskakdksks

Seasonal flus were the worst. Slightly chilly from hot or slightly warm from cold and suddenly your body decides, “You know what? I don’t vibe with this weather. I’ma just break down.” You had a mild fever and a cold. While the fever was mild, it was annoying because you weren’t sick enough to just pass out for hours and having a cold meant your nose either:

Dried up like the Sahara which ended up burning your sinuses and it felt like your skull was on fire.

Got blocked like the path between the North and South Korea; nothing got in or out which meant breathing through your mouth which also dried up.

Runny like the Amazon river, there’s crumples of tissue paper all over your floor. Your nose was red, rough and raw from blowing so much, the delicate skin was irritated.

Here you were, slumped on your bed with the covers on top of you but a leg and an arm sticking out because it got too hot to be fully under the covers and too cold to be fully without. Sleep eluded you the previous night, you just couldn’t sleep, it wasn’t gonna happen. Somehow you’d fall asleep only to wake up a little while later, and end up tossing and turning in your bed. Because you were unsuccessful in your attempts to get a good night’s rest, you woke up with a pounding headache from your eyelids to the back of your head. Your whole body ached.

Leftovers in your fridge were finished so you forced yourself to get up and heat some instant noodles to eat with your meds. Water tasted bitter. Your appetite vanished. Eating was agonising because afterwards you felt suffocated, an invisible pressure on your torso prevented you from breathing fully, your lungs not taking in air fully so your breaths were short. Hell, peeing was a chore. At least you weren’t on your period, maybe if that happened, you’d actually die. Imagine having to frequently change pads/tampons and underwear while feeling like you got ran over by a truck. Were you overreacting? Maybe. But it was allowed at this point.

So in short, you were suffering since the past two days. You were absolutely miserable. You wanted to cry but crying meant your nose getting runny then eventually blocked and then a headache so you sucked it up. You brought a hand to your head to massage your head because it hurt, grimacing by the tangles and the grease. You reached for your phone, unlocked to see various social media notifications which you cleared and messages from your friends which you also elected to ignore and reply to later. Playing a playlist with slow music with medium volume and dropped it back on the bed, you closed your eyes and let the soft melodies flow into your ears in hopes of helping you forget about your headache once again. This is how you held on to your last shred of sanity but you failed to hold on to your consciousness and fell into a dreamless sleep. 

You woke up to a cold compress on your forehead, your room clutter and mess free, the windows open and something nice smelling. You thought you were dreaming when a face you know all too well walked into your bedroom with a bowl. “Minho? what are you doing here? Get out. I’m sick, you’ll get sick too.” you rasped. “Well, about time you acknowledged my existence, even if it’s to tell me to get out. I should’ve been here earlier, maybe it would’ve been helpful if you told me you were dying in your pigsty of a room.” he snapped. He put the bowl on your nightstand, you realised it was water, he was probably going to replace the cold compress. 

“You look terrible.” he said. “Gee, thanks.” you retorted. “You need a shower.” he advised. “Nooooo.” you whined and snuggled further into the covers. “Come on, y/n, there’s no way you’ll get better if you feel disgusting. I’ll help.” He said and snatched the blankets. “Minho, stop. You’ll get my germs.” He sighed and rolled his eyes, “Don’t worry about it now come on.” he said and helped you sit up then suddenly with strength you didn’t know he had he carried you princess style to the bathroom and you yelped. “Jeez y/n you’ve lost so much weight.” he tsked. “Do you think you can wash your hair on your own?” he asked as he sat you down on the counter. “I’ll be okay.” you replied tiredly. “If you need help, just ask.” he said and adjusted the water temperature in the shower then left.

You took your time showering, the first five minutes just standing under the warm water which opened up your sinuses, having the steady stream of water beat down over your back and easing your sore muscles. You washed your hair slowly, so as not to tire your arms out. Stepping out of the shower, you felt immensely better, finally able to breathe a bit easier. Drying off, you wore your fluffy bathrobe and walked out to see a big shirt (one you ‘borrowed’ from Minho) and pajama shorts laid out on the bed. Thankfully, he didn’t lay out underwear for you. You dressed up and got settled back in bed, already tired again.

You unlocked your phone and saw the concerned texts from Minho because you weren’t answering them or his calls and felt guilty. A knock resounded from your door, “come in.” you said and Minho walked in with a tray. “Well well, finally I see y/n and not a corpse.” he teased. Whatever was on that tray smelled heavenly and your stomach rumbled. He put the tray down on your lap and he brought the back of his hand to your neck to check your temperature. “Hm, your fever has probably gone down but I think it’ll be back.” he notes. The whole time you stared at him. “Hey. I’m sorry I ignored your texts.” you said and twiddled with your thumbs, the guilt unbearable. He took your hands in his own, “It’s fine. I’m sorry for snapping. I was just worried and scared. I thought you actually died at first glance and I panicked.” 

He turned to the tray and lifted the lid from the bowl, “It’s chicken rice porridge. Eat up and take your meds.” Your eyes were still downcast, “I can’t I feel horrible afterwards.” and you explained in detail. “It’s probably acidity, clearly you’ve been eating junk and it’s not sitting well in your stomach. This won’t cause you discomfort. At least eat a little bit. Please? For me? I made this for you.” he said and used the signature kitty eyes. You looked up and he’s already holding a spoonful of the warm concoction. You hated when he pulled the look on you, you could never say no to those eyes but then again you didn’t want to because that porridge looked pretty darn appetising. You opened your mouth and Minho fed you the gloopy goodness. 

You could’ve just eaten yourself but you quite liked being pampered so you said nothing. Minho carefully spoon fed you the whole bowl, blowing delicately on the first couple of spoonfuls until the rest became tepid. Halfway through the bowl you felt full so you told him you didn’t want to eat anymore but he pulled the kitty eyes again, and now you’re stuffed. He handed you the glass of water and meds which you gulped down and went to clean up. He came back and stood awkwardly in your doorway. “You’re leaving already?” you asked sadly. “Do you want me to?” he asked back. “No grab my laptop and come watch Spirited Away with me.” you pouted. He smiled, got the laptop from your desk, grabbed one of the sweatpants he left from previous times he’s been to your place to change into, and then settled in bed next to you under the covers. 

You took one of your many pillows and settled your laptop on it and settled back. “Hey, Minho?” you called. “Hm?” he enquired. “Thanks for taking care of me.” you smiled softly. He was going to say something snarky but decided against it and said, “It's alright.” About half an hour into the movie he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder and he looked bewildered to see you’ve fallen asleep on him, breathing softly. He turned off the laptop and placed it on the ground before wrapping his arms around you, placing your head over his chest and reclining back. He looked at your sleeping face with soft, adoring eyes and a gentle smile. He gently rubbed your back with one hand when suddenly you stirred and threw your arm over his stomach. Slowly, he too, drifted off to sleep with dreams of you and him together.

[the-black-birb]

you're writing is great i love it!! how about fluff 1 from the list with iwaizumi?

A/N: Ahh Iwa-chan and his beautiful arms!! Thank you for requesting :) I had a lot of fun writing this so I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime x Reader

Prompt: “How much did you drink?”

Summary: You get a little drunk and tell Iwaizumi a secret. He is delightfully surprised.

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: mentions of drug use, alcohol, and vomit 

Lights turned low in the crowded house as sweaty bodies pressed up against each other. The house reeked of drugs and alcohol and sex, and not a single person cared. This was college, wasn’t that the point of it?

Not to Iwaizumi.

All he could think of was the mountain of work he had at home, and how he should never have agreed to go to this damned party with you. It’s not like you invited him as your date. Always your designated driver, your friend to take you home, the person who held your hair when you threw up, but never your date.

No, Iwaizumi was at the party to pull the plug when you got too drunk, or the boys there got too handsy. One or the other was bound to happen, it always did. You and your short dresses and high heels and the way you made yourself look absolutely stunning.

You were the life of the party. As soon as you walked in the door, it was all eyes on you. He couldn’t blame them, really, but he wished he could have you all to himself.

Nevertheless, he came with you, because he always did. You urged him to have fun, even if he wouldn’t drink. “Dance with a cute girl!” you’d tell him, and then turn around and spend time with some frat boy that would never treat you right.

He sighed, and checked his watch. It was getting to be that time.

Iwaizumi stood from the couch, ignoring the couples shamelessly eating each other’s face. He had a different priority.

He squeezed through the crowd of people, trying his best not to get noticed. Occasionally, he’d have a pretty girl but at his arm. “Hey handsome, you here alone?” but his answer was always the same.

“Nope. Looking for my girl right now, thanks.”

You weren’t his girl, of course. You weren’t anyone’s. But it got them to stop asking.

Eventually he’d fine you. Usually you were outside where you could chat up a stranger more privately. Sometimes you’d be in the kitchen or the dining room, playing beer pong or seeing if there were any cute girls mixed in with the snacks. Always, though, he’d find you.

Tonight, you’d chosen to hang out by the pool. As usual, you had a drink in hand and a stranger at your side. Iwaizumi approached from where you could see him, never one to interrupt a conversation. You saw him and waved giddily.

He waved back politely, but the look he gave your new friend was unquestionable. Years of handling rowdy teenage boy on his volleyball team had trained him well at speaking through glares alone, and tonight was no different. They got the message.

“I think I’m gonna go inside for a bit,” they smiled at you nervously. “Text me, yeah?”

You hiccupped a little and smiled at them. “Of course, cutie!” Soon your attention was turned to Iwaizumi. He could tell from the way your legs wobbled and your eyes rolled that you had already had enough to drink. Gently as he could, he wrapped an arm around your shoulders to support you and grabbed the drink from your hands.

“Hajime?” you asked, speech slurring tiredly. “Why d’you think…d’you think people always…they always leave so soon?” Iwaizumi had an idea why, but he wasn’t about to tell you he was scaring off all of your potential one-night stands. They weren’t worth the effort.

“I dunno,” he replied, bringing you out to his car. Even drunk out of you mind, you didn’t need him to spell it out for you when it was time to take you home. “Maybe they’re just scared you’re too good for them,” he mumbled. He hoped you knew your worth.

He sat you down in the passenger seat, buckling you in and taking your heels off. You were walking by a pool with those? He shuddered at the thought of what could’ve happened if he got there any later.

Iwaizumi closed and locked the door, walking around to the drivers side and starting the car to head to your apartment.

This was routine. Once you were too tipsy to be trusted, he’d take you home and take care of you as you drunkenly rambled. He didn’t mind this part of it. Being alone with you and hearing your kind voice talk about whatever was on your mind was honestly delightfully. But the circumstances proceeding it were never favorable.

Finally, he reached your small apartment. He walked to the passenger’s side to give you a hand and slipped an arm around your waist to support you. Some nights he’d fully carry you (it was easier, and he had the strength to do it). You’d be telling him all about hamsters, how they were cute and how much you wanted one, but oh you could never get one, because what if you lost it? Yet suddenly, you’d gotten oddly silent.

He kept his arm firmly around your waist, making sure you made it up the stairs. “You…” your eyes trailed up and down his body, searching for some kind of answer. He didn’t respond, not sure what to make of your tentative stare. “Hajime…” you whispered. He let go of you for a moment to bend down and pick up the spare key under your welcome mat. He knew it’d be there for him.

“Hajime!” you whined when he didn’t respond, grabbing onto his arm.

“Yes?” he sighed, opening your door and looking at you expectantly. You held his arm with both your hands, wrapping yourself around him. With big, begging eyes you stared up at him.

“Carry me?” you asked.

“Why?”

You frowned. “Meanie…”

“We’re already at your house [L/N], I don’t need to carry you,” he explained, gesturing to the open door. You looked over his shoulder, but didn’t budge from where you were standing.

“But your arms… you’re so strong,” you spoke like you were narrating some sort of complicated concept. He simply nodded.

“Yes, dumby, I go to the gym,” he replied, dragging you inside. You weren’t finished speaking.

“Your arms are nice…” you explained. “And warm. Will you hold me?” you asked, staring up at him.

Iwaizumi looked away. If you looked at him any longer like that, he wouldn’t be able to say no. But he knew better. You liked his arms, maybe, but not him. He couldn’t let himself fall too deep.

“C’mon, you need some water,” he demanded. Finally, he got you to the point where he could close and lock the door behind you, but you were still determined to hold onto your arm. “Fine, if you’re going to be like…” Iwaizumi bent down so his shoulder was at your waist and lifted you over his shoulder.

Keeping you there, he walked into your kitchen to grab a glass and fill it with water, all with one arm tight around your waist to keep you from falling.

He brought you to your living room where he flipped you onto your couch. You lay staring up at him, dazed.

“Everything is spinning…” you mumbled.

He placed the water in front of you, eyes screaming drink. “That’s because you’re drunk, stupid.”

You sighed, but sat up to drink. You pat the seat next to you, gesturing for him to join you. He did willingly, knowing when to pick and choose your battles.

“How can you be so handsome, yet so mean?” you asked, leaning against Iwaizumi. He cocked an eyebrow at you, not quite sure what you meant. “I mean you’re so nice to me… you take care of me and you hold me… but only when I’m drunk like this…” you mumbled, head down.

Wordlessly, he lifted your chin up and brought the water to your lips. “Don’t forget to drink,” he reminded, eyes memorizing the look of your soft lips parting to take in water.

“See! Why do you only care when I’m drunk?” you whined, head falling back in protest. You put down the water, nuzzling up against Iwaizumi’s side. “I like you sooo much it makes me crazy!” you shouted, arms spreading to exaggerate your words.

Iwaizumi pushed you off of him. “You only say that because you’re drunk,” he scolded you, fighting the smile down from his lips. He wouldn’t take advantage of you right now, he reminded himself.

“Nooooo…” you assured him, rolling your eyes. “I mean yeah it’s a little easier now but,” you hiccupped. “I’ve always liked you, Hajime.” Tears peaked at the corner of your eyes. “Why won’t you ever like me back?” Oh no. If you started crying, he’d never be able to live with himself.

Your mouth started to contort in a weird way, like you were holding back tears. Iwaizumi hesitated, not sure if he should comfort you or just make you go to sleep so the two of you could talk properly in the morning.

Then, you threw up.

Fortunately, you missed your couch and your floor wasn’t carpeted so Iwaizumi could clean it up pretty easily. However, a bit of vomit usually meant more was on the way. Quickly, he assured you to the bathroom where he held your hair out of the way so you could finish ridding your body of toxins.

When all was said and done, you were certainly ready to fall asleep. Iwaizumi cleaned up what he could, off of you and off of the floor, and picked you up in his arms (properly this time). You snuggled close to his chest.

“Don’t let go…” you whispered. He sighed. He wished he could sleep with you in his arms, but he knew it wouldn’t be right. Instead, he laid you down on your sofa. Sleeping on your side in case you had another incident, he covered you with a blanket and fell asleep in the chair beside you, just in case you needed him. Goodness, how part of him wished you needed him.

The next morning you awoke to a pounding headache and the smell of omelets cooking (it was the only breakfast food Iwaizumi knew how to make).

“Ugh,” you groaned, hand placed to your head. “Why is everything so bright? What’d I do to deserve this…”

Iwaizumi walked into the living room, balancing two plates and a glass of water for you. He placed them in front of you two.

“I dunno, how much did you drink?” he retorted.

“Enough,” you sighed, starting on your omelet. “Hajime, you are going to be a magnificent husband one day if you learn to cook other foods as well as you cook omelets,” you complimented, delighted with the meal.

Iwaizumi’s ears turned red thinking to your conversation from the night before. You, forever his friend, noticed immediately. You laughed into your omelet. “Oh my gosh! Who is it?” you shouted excitedly. “Did you finally find a girl at the party? Did you get her number?” Although you had to admit, there was just a tiny bit of disappointment in the back of your mind.

“No one! It’s no one, stupid,” he argued, quick to shut you down. “What about you, huh? You were talking up someone before we left?” Iwaizumi did his best to hide the venom in his voice. They looked like bad news to him. Then again, everyone looked like bad news to him.

You looked disappointed. “Yeah they were cute. Sort of dumb, though. I don’t think I’ll pursue them.” Relief flooded Iwaizumi’s chest. “Next time for sure, I’ll find someone,” you winked. “Maybe you will, too!”

You made Iwaizumi want to pull his hair out. Clearly you had no idea what you said last night, and yet he found himself wishing for it to be true.

“Why don’t you just go on a proper date?” he retorted. “Clearly the parties aren’t working.” Lord knows the two of you had been to enough.

You laughed at him. “Sure! I’d love to go on a proper date,” you were still giggling, like what he said was stupid. “But who would take me, hmm?”

“Me.” Shit.

You blinked at him. Once, then twice. Then you pinched yourself.

“I’m not dreaming, right?” you asked him. “You just asked me out on a date, right?” You were grinning widely at him in a way that made his heart soar.

Iwaizumi groaned. You were going to make him regret this. You chuckled at his dismay.

“Sorry, right. You were joking.” You sounded disappointed. “I know you wouldn’t want to take the girl who’s vomit you clean up and ass you wipe on a date. Next party, we’ll find you someone really worth your time,” you promised him. He rolled his eyes, more annoyed than before. You slunk back into the couch, thinking through what you could do to make this better.

“[F/N], you really are stupid, you know that?” he scolded you. “Why would I take care of you if I didn’t like you?”

Oh.

Oh.

You swallowed your excitement, trying not to scare him away.

“So, about that date…”

[missionkitty]

Obey Me! - Take Care of Me (Leviathan/Reader)

You peered cautiously at your D.D.D as you sat in class at RAD, half-listening to a lecture. You were a bit more concerned about the lack of notifications, specifically from one Leviathan.

He hadn't come to class today, which wasn't really out of the ordinary, but what did worry you was the fact that you hadn't gotten any messages alerting you to any video game raids or plans to watch a new anime series after you got out of class.

You didn't always follow the plots of some of his more complicated games or series, but most of the time you legitimately enjoyed all the different Devildom media he introduced to you.

Because of this, you quickly became accustomed to Levi's constant invitations and demands to spend time with him indulging in his games and other interests.

But today...there was nothing of the sort.

You debated just leaving class early to go back to the House of Lamentation to see if everything was okay. You admitted to yourself that you wanted to have his company anyway, and that you could just grab notes from Satan or Solomon.

You discreetly placed your phone under your desk and tapped out a message to Levi, asking if everything was okay. You checked the message before sending it and then slipped your phone into your jacket pocket.

A quiet sigh escaped your mouth as you looked back up at the blackboard at the front of the room and started to daydream again. You were unsurprised that your thoughts traveled back to Levi, and allowed your mind to continue on that train of thought.

You enjoyed how excited Levi could get about his progress in a game or when he particularly enjoyed the way a character developed in a show. He wasn't always interested in very much, but the things he enjoyed always got his full attention, and  that  was the most special thing for you to see. It sometimes even spilled out of his bedroom, and on some of those rare occasions, the others would get involved too. However, more often than not, you ended up being his only company.

It was sad to see that his brothers didn't usually pay much attention to his interests, not that he made it particularly easy for them, but you had to admit that you were happy to be the only one to share a lot of those special moments with him.

Before you could continue to ponder anymore about Levi, you realized that class was over and the other students were filing out of the classroom.

You checked your D.D.D and grimaced, finding no response from Levi.

You nodded decisively to yourself, making the choice to go ahead and go check on Levi. You would send a message to Satan later to catch up on whatever work you might miss.

The thought of a silent Levi heavily occupied your mind with worry--but if he was okay, you'd come back to your remaining classes, you said to yourself, trying to justify your truancy.

You quickly and quietly left RAD, avoiding the brothers who came to school. As you walked back, you could feel yourself starting to pick up the pace, almost running after a minute or two.

It wasn't long before you were inside the House and walking to Levi's door.

As you neared his door, you realized that it was slightly ajar, faint blue light streaming into the hall. That was unlike Levi, to leave his door open in any way at all. Worry continued to gnaw at the back of your mind as you reached his door.

You carefully tried peeking through the crack in the door, but couldn't make out anything Levi-shaped. You pursed your lips thoughtfully before gently knocking on his door.

"Levi?" You said, barely louder than a whisper.

No response.

"Leviathan…?" You tried asking one more time, this time in a normal volume. You gingerly opened his door wide enough to poke your head through.

You first glanced at Levi's computer desk, covered with monitors, but they were surprisingly dark. You slowly led the rest of your body into his room, but froze as you heard a groan.

Your head whirled to Levi's bathtub-bed and saw his purple hair peeking out from the top. Another groan came from the tub as you urgently walked over, seeing Levi laying in a cradle of pillows and disheveled blankets. His messy purple mop of hair was illuminated by the gentle blue light of the aquarium, and he was still in his pajamas. You let out a gasp as you saw his face, unnaturally pale and dark, bruise-like circles underneath his flickering eyes.

"Levi...are you...sick?" You stammered.

He turned his head to you and his eyelids stayed open as he realized you stood in front of him. With great effort, he grasped the sides of his tub-bed and tried sitting himself up. A sightly wet cough escaped his mouth, followed by a groan.

"I started feeling bad last night...but stayed up playing my new game anyway," Levi croaked as he sunk slightly back down into his bed, his head leaned against a portion of blanket.

You sighed and knelt down, placing the back of your hand against his cheek. He tried pulling away from your touch, but was apparently too drained to move. His cheek was burning hot, and you frowned. You gently brushed his purple hair away from his forehead and moved your hand to measure his temperature there.

"Levi, you're burning up!" You said urgently.

"I'm aware…" Levi retorted sourly, pulling at the collar of his shirt.

You looked at him, unimpressed, and pulled your lips into a grimace.

He blinked his orange-blue eyes twice before letting out a repentant sigh.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm just in some pain and I don't feel strong enough to get medicine from the bathroom."

You shook your head, and leaned your arms on the side of the tub.

"Why didn't you let anyone know? I'm sure someone would have brought you what you needed before we left to RAD."

Levi looked away, a bitter expression playing across his face.

"I didn't want to be lectured," he said, petulant. "Everyone was just gonna tell me that I got sick because I stayed up all night. And then they would just keep thinking I'm a lazy, gross otaku. But I don’t need help from any human normie..."

You let out a small scoff, shaking your head again. Being sick apparently put Levi in one of his "moods."

"So," he started after a moment of silence, then swallowed hard. "Why are you here…?"

"I got worried when you didn't send me anything today," you said with a small smile, noticing the shy way his tired eyes flickered back and forth to you. "No raid warnings or plans for the afternoon."

“I don’t always text you to come over…” Levi croaked, his cheeks starting to flush.

“No, you don’t,” you began to admit. “But when you don’t, you’re usually in class. Or you’ve messaged me the night before about whatever you have planned for the day,” you finished, a knowing smile creeping across your face.

Levi glanced at you one more time before looking away and weakly scoffing. He stayed silent, blush still coloring his cheeks.

“It looks like you don’t have much of a choice other than to get help from a ‘human normie,’” you said with a chuckle, taking a small bit of amusement in Levi’s needlessly prickly attitude.

“Sorry,” Levi croaked again, this time peering back at you with a doe-like stare.

“Have you eaten anything?” You asked with a grin, setting your bag down by his tub-bed and taking off your uniform jacket.

Levi shook his head, then slid further down into his tub again, but set his chin on the edge of the tub as he continued to stare at you, like a curious animal.

“You’ll want to eat before you take any medicine, just in case your stomach doesn’t get upset.” You thoughtfully rubbed your chin, thinking of what to make for a sick demon. You also briefly wondered what kind of dosing a demon would take for demon medicine, a pit starting to form in your stomach. You considered for a moment that you might not be the best person to nurse Levi back to health.

Another wet cough from Levi shook you from your thoughts, and you let out a sympathetic sigh as you watched the painful cough scrunch up Levi’s expression.

“Let me go get some crackers and water and we’ll start with that, just so you can get some medicine down…” you said with a sad smile. You turned to walk out of Levi’s room when you heard him groan again, but heard the shuffling of pillows and blankets.

You turned back around to see Levi standing behind you, his eyes downcast and his hands clumsily pawing at each other. Standing there, you got a better look at his pajamas, a loose, white t-shirt with what you guessed was Japanese text across the chest and a pair of loose, black shorts. You couldn’t help but chuckle, Levi looking a lot like a big, bashful child.

He stood there, quiet.

“Do you want to come with me? Or, rather, do you feel like you have the strength to walk to the bathroom and kitchen with me?” You tilted your head to the side as you hunched slightly to try and meet his gaze.

“I...I think I should be okay if I can...if I can lean on you,” Levi replied, stammering the end of his sentence. He was now fiddling his fingers together, but still avoiding your eyes.

You chuckled again, but this time catching Levi’s attention.

“Why do you keep laughing?” Levi asked accusingly. His eyes were still glued to the floor, but you could see his brow furrow. “Is this funny? To see a lame otaku suffering, his only help from a weak human?”

You sighed and scratched your head.

“Levi, I’m not laughing because you’re suffering,” you said, crossing your arms.

He carefully looked up at you, meeting your eyes. It looked like he was starting to shake now, though you weren’t sure if it was only because of his illness.

You quickly stepped next to him, sliding yourself under his shoulder and wrapped your arm around his surprisingly wide torso.

“Come on,” you murmured, not giving Levi time to be shocked by your sudden assistance. “Don’t take it the wrong way, but I’m laughing because you’re…” as you spoke, you paused, rolling the next word over in your mouth.

Had you ever called him cute before? Had you ever said anything remotely like that in all your time in the Devildom to Levi? Would he, as the Avatar of Envy, take kindly to being called cute?

“I’m...what?” Levi asked, your pause taking longer than you intended.

You started walking toward Levi’s door, feeling his slow steps beside you.

You could feel your cheeks starting to burn now. You bit your lip before continuing.

“You’re...cute,” you finally said with a spluttering sigh. You closed your eyes in embarrassment for a moment before trying to shake the thought from your mind, focusing on getting to the medicine cache in the bathroom. You could feel Levi tense slightly, but the only noise after your reply was the sound of your’s and Levi’s feet shuffling across the floor and out the door.

“...Oh,” he eventually responded. You weren’t sure, but for a second, it felt like Levi’s arm tried tightening around your shoulders.

You were grateful that the slow trek to the bathroom and kitchen was quiet, and you guessed that maybe only you and Levi were the only ones in the House. Levi took what you gave him with no resistance and gobbled down a few crackers before taking the medicine you managed to dose out. Thankfully, there were instructions on the medicine, though in hindsight, it was obvious that there would have been.

The two of you shuffled back to Levi’s room, Levi seemingly regaining a small bit of strength after filling his stomach.

“It’ll take a bit for the medicine to kick in, if I read it correctly,” you advised as you led Levi back to his tub. “So if you’d like, we can watch something while we wait.”

Levi looked at you with shock, but it quickly turned into delight as he stepped away from you and shuffled over to his large collection of blu-rays and dvds.

“This one!” He said with a huge smile, pulling a case out.

“I’ll put it in, okay? You get back in bed,” you said, smiling in response.

Levi had chosen a few episodes of TSL to watch while you waited for the medicine to ease his symptoms, and you pulled an overstuffed chair next to his tub while he settled back into his cradle of pillows and blankets.

However, once the disc was in and playing, you found yourself distracted by your earlier comment to Levi.

You’re...cute.

You did your best to stifle your embarrassment with silent sighs and quick glances at Levi as he watched the screen, wide-eyed. Some color had started returning to his face, and not from blushing this time around. You found yourself smiling as he hummed along to the opening theme, and had to admit to yourself that, yes, you did find him cute.

All of him was usually pretty cute. His soft, purple mop of hair that he'd use as a shield if he got embarrassed. His boyish, yet angular face that was incredibly expressive--and the way he'd try to hide those expressions by acting nonchalant. You even found his ridiculous chat-speak responses charming sometimes. At one point, he had pulled you into an enthusiastic hug after the two of you had cleared a difficult level in one of his games. Levi quickly realized what he had done, but you hadn't forgotten his embrace and surprising strength.

A heat started to crawl up the back of your neck as you began to contemplate how you felt about him. Undeniably, much like Henry and the Lord of Shadows, you considered Levi to be one of your closest friends. But in the back of your mind, you knew that you felt something a little more...passionate than friendship for him. But you weren't sure if you should pursue those feelings, content to stay friends with him.

As the images of various characters flashed on the screen, you couldn’t help but steal glances at Levi, whose gaze was slowly becoming starry-eyed.

You guessed that the medicine was finally starting to work its magic on him.

It wasn’t long before Levi’s eyelids were starting to droop and his head began to sway drowsily.

You smiled contentedly as your next glance revealed that Levi was completely reclined into his tub, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling gently. You carefully stood up, not wanting to disturb what looked like his first restful sleep of the day. You grabbed the remote to his television and clicked the player and screen off, the only light illuminating Levi’s room coming from his aquarium again.

You gingerly grabbed for your jacket and bag, still striving for silence in your movements, and turned to leave.

You felt a thick, rope-like cord wrap around your wrist and you quickly looked behind you to see Levi’s black tail coiled from your wrist back to his tub-bed. His purplish horns crowned his head and his orange-blue eyes stared back at you longingly.

“Sorry,” he said, his voice gravelly. “I...it was easier to get your attention this way...so I don’t have to get out of bed.” His gaze fell for a moment before slowly making its way back to your eyes.

“Did you...really mean it when you called me cute?” Levi asked tentatively, nervously adjusting himself in his bed.

Your stomach did a flip as you looked back at Levi. You swallowed hard, feeling your heart starting to burn in your chest.

Levi’s gaze was expectant, his lips parted slightly as if he was going to speak again. Your gaze couldn’t help but travel down his neck, following the path of purple-and-black diamonds down to the loose neck of his shirt.

His chest continued to rise and fall, which continued to lead your gaze slightly upward from his shirt collar to the exposed part of his chest. You forced your eyes back up to his, now wary of the rising feelings in your ribs.

He continued to stare at you, now inquisitively, his head tilted to the side. A faint pink dusted his cheeks as he slowly released your wrist from his tail’s grasp.

You wondered for just a moment if he had been thinking of the same thing you were while you watched TSL.

“Yeah, I meant it,” you finally replied, your mouth feeling dry. Your heart wasn’t racing, but the burning sensation seemed to grip it, making you feel short of breath.

“Why?” He asked quietly. “I’ve got six brothers out there who are actually deserving of that.”

You glanced at his tail, now drooping over the edge of the tub. You scratched the back of your head and let out a long sigh. This wasn’t the first time he had ever said something like that--his brothers being more deserving of some compliment than he was. But this time seemed to be different.

There was some kind of expectancy that remained in his stare. All the other times, he would mope and whine dejectedly, almost like a small child seeking attention.

But now, you stood before an honest Leviathan. There didn’t seem to be any passive-aggressive ploys for attention or self-deprecation.

For once, it was an honest question with an honest hope behind it.

“Because I think it’s true,” you replied honestly. You kept your gaze level with his as you set your bag and jacket back down on the floor. “I’m allowed to think that you’re cute, no matter what you might think,” you added with a note of defiance in your voice.

Levi closed his eyes and leaned his head back, draping his arm over his eyes, his cheeks flushing.

“Do...do you,” he stammered, his voice shaking. “Do you only think I’m cute? Or...do you…” his voice trailed off as he let out a massive sigh. “Could I be…?”

You quizzically tilted your head to the side, waiting for Levi to collect his thoughts. You had an idea of what he was trying to say, but you didn’t want to make an assumption and step on his moment.

“I mean...I think…” Levi slowly moved his arm from his eyes, looking back at you again. His entire face was now flushed. He took one more big breath before continuing. “I think you’re cute too…”

With those words, your stomach tried jumping into your throat and you resisted the urge to let out any noise.

“A-and...it’s not the medicine talking, okay?” Levi quickly added, sitting up. “I...I’ve thought that you were cute for a long time.”

The two of you sat in silence, your gazes wandering around the room before meeting each other again.

“You know...I was secretly hoping that it would have been you to come find me today,” he murmured, awkwardly running a hand across his forehead. He looked up at you from behind his purple fringe, absently scratching his cheek.

You felt a laugh start building up in your chest, which escaped first as a breathy chuckle but then turned into uncontrollable giggling.

“Levi, you are so silly,” you said in between giggles. “Silly and cute.”

He looked back at you, confusion splashed across his face.

“If you wanted me to come take care of you, you should have just said so,” you continued laughing, butterflies now rumbling in your stomach and lungs. You could feel warmth washing over your neck and face as your laughter slowly came to a stop.

You saw Levi begin to smile, his cheeks still dusted pink. He glanced down at his lap for a second before looking back up at you.

“I want you to take care of me,” Levi said with a coy smile. His eyes flashed with something mischievous, and his tail sprung back to life and wrapped gently around your hand this time. “You know I get lonely when you’re not around…” he said with an exaggeratedly hurt tone and pulled you toward his tub-bed.

You smiled and shook your head with a laugh, amused by his sudden confidence.

“Did you get that from a manga series?” You asked with a smirk before carefully climbing into the large tub.

“No, it’s how I really feel…” Levi replied disjointedly, shocked by your sudden entrance to his bed. His cheeks continued flushing harder, but he valiantly tried to stay composed as he released your hand from his tail.

You paused, feeling your cheeks burn intensely.

“Is...this okay?” You asked sheepishly, backing up into the other end of the tub.

Levi’s gaze dropped into his lap again.

As you waited for his answer, his tail carefully slid behind you and gently wrapped around your back.

“No...I think...I want you closer,” he replied, looking up at you from behind his bangs again.

It felt like every organ in your torso shifted places as you registered Levi’s response and accompanying stare. A goofy smile crawled across your lips as you let yourself be guided closer to Levi by his tail.

You soon found yourself pressed against his chest, which was more broad than you anticipated, and his arms wrapped around you. You slid your arms around his torso and gently laid your head down on his chest. You could feel his tail snaking around your stomach in a serpentine embrace.

You wondered if he was always this warm, or if it was just from his breaking fever. You didn’t let yourself think of it for much longer before nuzzling his chest and letting out a loud, contented sigh. You had never really imagined how comfortable Levi would have been while playing video games or watching anime with him, but now that you were here, it would take a lot for you to leave the comfort of his arms.

“You’re mine now...okay?” Levi murmured, pressing his lips onto the top of your head. “And...and I’m the Avatar of Envy, s-so I get jealous really easily, okay?”

A breathy laugh escaped your throat and you squeezed Levi’s torso.

“Of course,” you replied, feeling butterflies crash around your stomach. “I’m yours, and only yours.”

A deep, goofy laugh rumbled in Levi’s chest as he pulled you tighter against him.

"This is like a scene straight out of a manga I read, but...you know what's weird? I can't seem to remember what it's called," Levi murmured as he tenderly ran his fingers through your hair.

"That's a good thing, I think," you replied, shivering as his fingers grazed your neck. The butterflies in your stomach pushed you to start sitting up, carefully straddling Levi. He looked back at you, his eyes wide and cheeks almost crimson. He slowly sat up further in his bed, trying to keep his face level with yours.

His tail unraveled from your torso and began tracing circles up and down your back. You smiled as his bashful gaze wandered to the pillows stacked and squashed around you.

Levi's lips pulled into a small smile, which sparked a flash of desire in you, and you quickly stole a kiss from his lips. He stared back at you, dumbfounded.

You sheepishly looked at him while his orange-and-blue eyes appeared to be rebooting from your sudden kiss. It didn't take long for his eyes to focus on you again, but a curious smile crept across his mouth.

"That's not fair...I wanted to kiss you first," he said with his exaggeratedly hurt tone again.

You smiled triumphantly at him, but Levi quickly abandoned his play-pout and furiously pressed his lips against yours.

You were pleasantly surprised at his passion as he kissed you, and you answered his furious kissing with an equal amount of fervor. For someone who was sick, he had one heck of a second wind.

There was hardly any restraint as Levi took your face in his hands to steady his attack, his kisses somehow wild and controlled at the same time. For a self-proclaimed otaku, he certainly seemed to know what to do. He quickly introduced his tongue, which swirled deftly past your lips and around your own tongue.

You both let out a content moan as you continued to kiss, your hands now tangling in his hair, brushing against his horns every so often. His tail tangled around you again and pulled you closer against his body. You could feel his body jolt every time you ran your hands through his hair, and he would quietly moan every time you started the process again.

He slowly eased his kisses, so you took a chance to escape from his lips and moved to graze his neck with a kiss. As you pressed your lips against one of the diamond markings on his neck, Levi shivered and moaned and you could feel the tip of his tail wiggle on the back of your neck. You giggled, his tail tickling you, and you involuntarily moved backward.

"D-don't stop," he murmured weakly, grasping at your wrist with his long fingers. You looked back at his orange eyes, wide and pleading. "Please…you said that you would take care of me."

A powerful warmth rushed from the bottom of your stomach to your fingers and toes, filling you with static. Levi continued staring at you, his gaze silently begging for you to continue. He leaned back again, tilting his head to the side to better reveal the markings on his neck. You could hear his breathing start to shallow, betraying what you guessed was his racing heart. You felt his tail gently push you toward him, and quickly took his invitation.

You leaned forward, sitting on his lap, and delicately kissed the highest marking on his neck. You continued downward, relishing his warmth on your lips. His tail was draped over your shoulders, and you could feel it shiver with every kiss you placed on his neck. You wanted to see what would elicit the strongest reaction from his tail, and pondered for a moment while you kept your lips pressed against his neck. You felt Levi tangle his hands in your hair again, his thumb stroking your head.

You smiled and kissed his neck again, but instead of moving to another diamond marking, you focused on the spot you were on and gently dragged your teeth in a slow biting motion against his skin. He let out a gasp and his tail slithered rapidly against your neck and back, then pulled on your arm.

You pulled away to see Levi's face now colored beet-red, his expression some mixture of surprise and what seemed like forced anger.

"Did you really think I'd like that?!" He spluttered, a smile trying to pull at the corners of his mouth.

You smirked, recognizing this line from when you had surprised him with something he was particularly fond of. Usually, he would have his hand pulled up in front of his mouth, and now you knew what he was hiding when he did that.

"Your tail seemed to say otherwise," you said with a laugh and pressed your cheek against the part of his tail draped over your shoulder. Levi gasped again, giving a betrayed look to his tail. "But if you want me to stop…" you added devilishly with a shrug of your shoulders, starting to move from his lap.

 "Ah, no, I'm sorry!" He blurted out, reaching for your arm again. His tail pressed against you as well, keeping you in place.  "Don't stop!"

His orange-and-blue eyes were doe-like and pleading again.

Your stomach did a somersault as you swore you could see his lips start to tremble. Like lightning, you found yourself showering his neck with kisses, nibbling gently every so often.

His moans got louder every time you drew your teeth across his skin, his tail expressing his excitement as well. That prompted you to bite a little harder and suck gently on his soft skin. This drew a whining moan from his lips and he quickly wrapped his arms around you, burying his head in your hair.

"That…was...how did you know I would like that?" He asked with a loud, disbelieving giggle.

You looked up at him, feeling his heart pounding in his chest against yours.

"Just a lucky guess," you said in a low voice. "Though your tail has been a pretty good indicator of what you like, too." You threw a glance at Levi's tail, which was further draped over your shoulder.

Levi let out a low laugh in response.

"Maybe I should start trying to figure out what you like, then?" He asked, carefully drawing a finger along your jaw. He bashfully pulled his finger away, seemingly embarrassed by his touch.

"That depends on if you still feel sick or not," you murmured.

His sheepish expression, colored with pink, made him look rather angelic despite the dark markings on his neck and his horns. His face flushed a shade darker as he opened his mouth to respond.

"I'm-I'm not com-completely better yet," he stammered, looking away. "I think...I think that you still need to take care of me," he finished, shyly looking back at you.

You smiled and laughed quietly.

"Well, then...where should I start?" You asked mischievously. You brought your hand up to his tail and slowly stroked it, eliciting a surprised moan from Levi, who looked at you with excited shock after his moment of pleasure ended. His tail quivered along your shoulder, echoing the look on his face.

You slowly brought your lips to his tail and kissed, taking in the smooth feeling of his scales.

Levi tried stifling an excited moan, but his face was lit like a neon sign as a whine escaped through his pursed lips.

"Oh...this should be some good news for you," you giggled as Levi struggled to keep his composure. Your smile widened as you took in Levi's blushing face. "You wanted to figure out what I liked?"

Levi nodded, his eyes curious.

"I like seeing you this way," you murmured, gently brushing his shaggy purple hair out of his eyes. Seeing him soft, no prickly or cold barriers up to protect himself. You liked seeing the expressive demon who didn't feel like he needed to hide.

He nodded slowly, seeming to understand what you meant.

"I think I like being this way, too… With you, anyway," Levi said quietly. "So...let's keep this up." He slid his hand onto your cheek, his fingertips gently grazing your neck.

You smiled and nodded, leaning in for another kiss.

[fullsundiaries]

Coffee-nemie (Got7 Youngjae Imagine)

It was evening when all of this started. The time was already 10 p.m. and everyone was getting ready to go home from the dreadful 9-hour continuous on and off filming. That was it. The last day of Youngjae's filming for his drama. For the past few months, he created friendships, saw potential acquaintances, and even encountered a close-contact enemy, you. It was rare for someone, especially with that bright and energetic personality like Youngjae, to even have an enemy on-set. Most likely, it was strange and sudden that you found yourself in this situation when you know to yourself that you don't have enemies. You barely even have friends within your colleagues.

But it all happened once when you fell and you stepped on Youngjae's foot, barely injuring him, and you guys both fell on the ground. It would've been the effect of no sleep, or because of being fatigued that you couldn't gather your thoughts and acts accordingly, logic and manner-wise, you suddenly stood up and started getting pissed off eventhough it was your fault. Youngjae felt incredibly bad, and you didn't know that he did. When you were thinking about it after a few days, you went to his changing room to talk. You coordinated with his manager to be able to talk to him, but you were absolutely denied the moment he heard your name. Infront, he looked nice as he was smiling and was acting like his usual self, however during breaks where you find time to speak to him, you were left out.

For the last remaining hope, you tried your best to take care of him quietly, feeling sorry for everything you did that led everything to the now that was happening. You hated it, and you hated ending your very first project with bad blood towards one of your co-workers. "Youngjae, can I talk to you?" you say. "No, I have to go—"

"Okay," you abruptly cut him off, sighing as you gather the courage to say what you want to him, "I was a jerk. I was stupid, I was dumb to even get pissed off on you when I almost injured you. I'm so sorry and I hope you consider this as my peace offering." You gave him a cup of coffee which you were holding, delicately, as if it was the most important thing in the world, together with the other cup of coffee you were drinking, causing you all sorts of emotions. Maybe it was even the reason you got the courage to talk to Youngjae, getting all courageous and shit, things that doesn't apply to the normal you. With a few looks up and down, from your face to the cup, Youngjae smiled. It was a warm one, the one you would normally see when he talks to the others. He grabbed the cup of coffee, lightly touching your hand and raising it like it was a trophy for good behavior, "I'll enjoy this. Thank you." He then walked to his van where his manager was waiting for him to arrive.

You were confused. You saw his warm smile, but then he didn't say if he forgave you or not. While sipping on your coffee that was soon emptying the cup, you thought about what all those meant. You were starting to experience having adrenaline, and you were slapping your chest like crazy which was covered in the thick layers of your shirt and sweater. "You're just overthinking! Stop. He probably forgave you already. But!" you sigh out, feeling like there's already no way out of this situation. You will be a mess. When Youngjae's fans would find out about it, your career as an actress will be done. You'll be cancelled and that would be one of the worst scenarios that can happen.

While walking with a troubled mind, you suddenly feel your phone vibrate briefly. You were just a meter away from your company's van when you grabbed your phone to see what it was from the notification tab.

[I] Youngjae: I'll be willing to skip out my teammates' plans to hang out tomorrow if you buy me a meal so that we can call this a truce.

Finally!

[I] Youngjae: And I'm thankful you went to me to apologize personally. I appreciate it. I forgive you as well. You don't have to think about it now. Good night♡

'But what's with the heart?' your eyes suddenly went big. Good thing you're already inside your van when you saw the message and it was on the notification tab, meant that you still haven't "seen" his message. You felt your heartbeat raising once again, finishing the coffee in one go, not realizing that everything you are feeling would be made worse by coffee.

"No no no. Let's calm down. This is just the coffee causing me adrenaline. This is nothing," you talk to yourself, feeling your face warming up all of a sudden. Your phone vibrated once again.

[I] Youngjae: *^^

Damn it, you little prick.

When you saw it, everything immediately went sour. But most importantly, your adrenaline won't stop and now you're feeling hot all over, embarrassed by how you suddenly reacted when you saw the problematic emoji on Youngjae's text. And, just like that, after a minute, you felt your adrenaline declining and your headache kicking in. It was halfway the drive when you felt the need to close your eyes because the headache was getting worse.

The next day, your phone vibrated while you were on bed. Actually, it was the 25th ring. You grabbed your phone, having difficulty trying to open your eyes from the harsh sunlight coming from the huge window of your room. "Aish," you cursed under your breath when you finally got a hold of your phone. You saw the time. It was already 11 in the morning. You also saw your manager's 25th missed call. You suddenly sprung out from your bed, immediately regretting the decision when your view suddenly went out of focus. With much difficulty, you called back to your manager, trying your best to sound okay, feeling your voice slowly becoming congested. Thankfully, it was just a short talk about the upcoming schedules you will be having, ones where you'll be talking about the week after. The manager was impatient after you weren't able to pick up quickly, but you didn't care.

When that ended, you laid down back to your bed, not feeling so good compared to last time, last night. Well, even last night, you weren't in your best when you suddenly drank your coffee like water. Your phone rang once again. You didn't check the caller ID so you thought it was your manager. You sounding okay suddenly backfired the moment your congested voice obviously presented itself to the other line. "Hey, you okay? This is Youngjae," you heard the voice and you finally came to your senses. "I was just calling to—" you were gonna cut him off but instead of your words, it was because of your sudden coughing fit. "Hey, are you really okay, ____?" Now the worry was evident in Youngjae's voice.

"I'm okay," you barely recover from your coughing fit and you try to intervene to the potential stuff he might do (not like he'll even go to your apartment building to visit you and all that), "don't worry," but it was the absolute opposite when you suddenly started having the urge to cough once again. "Maybe we'll do it next time. Are you alone? Do you need someone right now?" Youngjae asked consecutively. "I'm fine," you insisted, your voice attempting to sound firm, with it showing a hint of despair and in need of care, and you stopping your coughs. You quickly hang up to let it out. 'I just met him and then became my enemy, and I was supposed to treat him to a meal today', you sighed at the thought while looking right towatds the ceiling.

Well, looks like the treat for a meal with Youngjae was gonna wait and you bundled yourself up with your blanket, trying to fight off the cold you were feeling, and you closed your eyes to sleep. You were feeling worse compared to the first time you woke up. Slightly after an hour of sleeping, you were hearing your front door ring. Seems like the ringing won't stop so you took the last bit of your strength to walk to the front door to see who it was that was disturbing you from your sleep. Feeling like everything was heavy, you tried your best to walk to the front door. You opened it and you almost passed out when you saw who it was.

It was someone with a black mask on, form of a disguise. When he opened his mask, you almost lost consciousness to see him underneath all that. It was Youngjae. Youngjae helped you up and walked you to your room. He also put down a bunch of stuff he brought. When you laid back down, he quickly put his palm on your forehead to feel your temperature, comparing it to his while covering his forehead with the other hand. "W-Why are you here?" you said, stuttering at the sudden appearance as well as the sore throat creeping up badly. "Is no one here with you?" Youngjae asked after checking your temperature and going through the stuff he brought. "W-What?" you asked again. He sighed, "Were you alone? You hung up after I asked you that question during the call." He looked down at the thermometer thing he brought with him. You briefly closed your eyes and gulped, trying to absorb what the hell is happening. "Yeah," you slightly coughed. "Here, open your mouth," Youngjae lend you the thermometer and you open your mouth, closing it.

"37.8°C. Have you eaten?"

"No."

"When's the last time you've eaten?"

"Last night."

He looked at you with a peculiar expression that you can't understand.

"What? It was just a small amount and then I had coffee 'cause I was too tired. I also gave you one because I was feeling bad," You closed your eyes because you can feel your headache intensifying. You turned sideways to the side where Youngjae is and tucked your feet towards you, hugging your spare pillow. "I'm so sorry for what I did and for not treating you to a meal," you mumbled, not noticing yourself getting drowsy and then now, asleep.

Youngjae didn't want to wake you up so he carefully fixed the blanket and covered you. Up that point, he was feeling bad 'cause this was partly his fault, seeing you bundled up and feeling unwell.

A few hours have passed and you woke up, feeling a bit better but way less okay than earlier. The time was already 4 p.m. That's when you suddenly felt the need to drink water. You stood up, went to the kitchen to grab it, but was surprised when you saw Youngjae still in your apartment, playing with your dog, Joker. "Oh, you're awake? I made food and also preheated the one I brought. I'll help you with it," he went to the kitchen and to the stove to light the fire on the stovetop with the pot.

You sat down on the table, moving your eyes up and down, pinching your nose bridge. Youngjae probably saw you doing it when he suddenly asked, "Still not well?" You answered, "Yeah. The headache isn't helping."

"Here, drink water," He gave you a glass. You drank it, gratefully, and you put it on the table. Youngjae was across you, sitting down as well and it was awkward. The air was silent, and it was uncomfortable, enough for you to feel much worse than before. But you were curious, so you asked him. "What's the real reason why you are here?" You asked. Youngjae looked at his hands underneath the table and recollected his thoughts, sighing as he gets ready to talk.

"Just because."

"No. Really. What's the reason?" You seriously asked.

"Wait, the soup is boiling. I'll get it ready," He stood up, to which remains a very uncomfortable atmosphere, that continued till the moment you ate your food, until you finished, and until he walked you back to your room. He fixed your blanket and was about to leave when you stopped him, holding his wrist. He looks at you. "Youngjae, you didn't have any reason to go here and take care of me. Why?"

Youngjae let go of your grasp and went to grab the chair that was near him. He sat down and with that, he started. "You gave me coffee, and you were going to treat me to a meal. It's partly my fault why you're sick."

"How so?" You asked, intrigued. "Well, I noticed last night and realized you were stressing yourself so much with the fact that you hurt my feelings during that time. And I also noticed you last night, fidgeting everytime you see me. I didn't notice it at first but you were also the first one to lend a hand warmer to me. And you were obviously tired, but you tried to look alive whenever you see me. And basically, you were powering through with coffee, which is the biggest factor of why you're sick," He was smirking and was slightly laughing. You narrowed your eyebrows, trying to decipher what he wanted to tell you. "I'm basically telling you that I appreciated the effort and I want you to stop drinking coffee when you're tired," He continued, smiling.

Like that, you retreated your hand back inside the blankets. With a sigh of relief, you can now finally smile. "Thank you, for being not an asshole like me. I appreciate your help today."

Youngjae laughed. It was a genuine one. "Take your medicine before you sleep. I'll be finishing outside and will be leaving immediately," he left and you drank your medicine which was on the bedside table, drinking the glass of water left there with it. You looked at the time. 5 p.m. And it dawned on you. He stayed in your apartment just so he can help you. And not because of something serious, it's because he "appreciated" your efforts, those which were obviously pointless by now. Or not. "I'll be leaving. And don't forget my treat," Youngjae said by the door. "Yep," you airily said, still in a trance. "Take a rest. Don't see me outside," and he left.

You felt your heart pounding, and this time, it was not because of the caffeine kicking in. Right there, you lay on your bed with that feeling still lingering. It was either gonna cause you bad or good, but it was, byfar, the best feeling you've ever had. You just fell in love with Youngjae.

[irondadgroupie]

Bohemian Rhapsody: Chapter 10

A/N: @intoresus and I won’t spoil anything, just read this fluffy piece. The story is far from over.

“You’re really missing out on things.” Tony remarked, taking a bite of his steak. Sometime in the past, Rhodey had certainly picked up some of the grilling tricks Tony had taught him over the course of the past few years. Even though this piece was a remain of yesterday’s lunch, it still tasted incredibly delicious. “Like seriously, this is amazing. Hand that to a vegan and he’s gonna forget about his ethics in an instant.”  

At this point, he was probably exaggerating, but who knows, maybe a little excitement was just exactly what Peter needed.  

“I’d let you have a taste, but May’s still worried even the hint of red meat might be too much for your stomach to handle.” He paused, waiting. “Yes, I did ask her what’s the matter about it if you didn’t actually swallow it, but she explained that the taste is enough to get your stomach readied for it and whatsoever. So just ice-chips for you, kid.”

Tony let his fork down and reached for the cub of chips he’d prepared to counteract the dryness of the boy’s lips. The ice melted immediately. 

“There you go. Feels good, huh?” The man returned to his meal, simply staring at the piece still forked up. “You wanna have a smell of it, kiddo?” He switched hands to have more control over the fork, his comparatively useless right hand resting below the meat to prevent sauce from dripping onto the blanket as he moved it up to Peter’s nose. “There’s nothing against that, I guess.” Especially not since Peter still barely breathed by himself. Tony suppressed a sigh, again waiting for a response and almost missing that he actually got one. Peter’s nostrils twitched - something that hadn’t happened before.

After all those weeks, Tony probably shouldn’t be that excited. Should know that if his hopes weren’t fulfilled, it would only break his heart once again. But here he was, almost throwing the cutlery aside to have his hands free. “Peter,” Tony grasped the hand so tightly the skin turned white. “Kid, are you with me? Please be here, please be here, I don't want to be alone anymore.”  

Peter's eyes opened to slits.  

“Is there too much light? FRIDAY, dim the room!”  

The overhead lamp nearly shut down but light came to the room from underneath the door.  

“Kiddo, Peter, squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”  

The boy's fingers twitched. But maybe it was another reflex.  

“Peter,” Tony rose to face the boy, barely flinching when the tray he’d rested on his legs crashed down to the floor. “Kiddo, are you there?”  

Peter's eyes stared at the ceiling - and then moved to look at him. Tony cried in joy.

“Yes! Yes!” He screamed and embraced the kid so gently. Tears streamed down his face as he buried his nose into the boy's neck. Peter lifted his other arm weakly and touched his mentor's hair. “I can't believe it,” The man's voice broke. “You're here. You're back.” Tony pulled back and kissed Peter's brow and temple. “Sweetheart,” he cradled the boy's face, tears falling on Peter's cheekbones. “Kiddo, my brave little boy.”

Peter followed him with his eyes and tried to say something. “Shh.. don't, it's okay. You are on a ventilator, relax.”  

Peter trusted the man but still tried to talk.  

“Don't, you'll hurt yourself, Peter.”

But Peter was insistent. He kicked his feet. He had so much to ask. He didn't know a thing. He was scared, hurt, confused and Tony's over the top reaction did not help him to catch his calm. Tony seemed to notice he needed backup.  

He ran to the door and nearly pulled it from the hinges.  

“He woke up!” He screamed. “Peter woke up!”

“Peter, do you know me?” Tony whispered. “One blink no, two blinks yes.”  

Peter gathered his strength and then blinked two times.  

Tony cried in joy again. The Doctor then gently pulled him away so he could check Peter's level of awareness.

“Welcome back, Mr Parker,” The man smiled at the boy. “Do you know where you are?”

One blink.  

“You're at the Tower,” Tony offered, not worried about the fact the boy could not recognize the room he had been to multiple times. “MedBay. There was an accident but you're going to be alright.”

“Do you remember what happened?”  

One blink and Peter's pulse quickened. The doctor frowned at the numbers.  

“Are you in pain?”  

Two blinks.  

Tony felt his heart beat fast. “Why is he in pain? Shouldn't he have recovered?” He pulled the man away so Peter hopefully wouldn't hear them.  

“His body might be sore from being in the same position plus his muscles are underused. Even small pain might feel a lot to him.”  

The pair approached the boy again. “Okay, Peter, I will give you something for your discomfort but first I need to check your limbs.”  

“He has been kicking in his sleep,” Tony said while grabbing the boy's hand.  

“Oh, that is good. Excellent, in fact.”

“As I keep saying, he’s a mark-A-student.” Tony said, voice filled with pride while he wondered whether Peter remembered those words. He would’ve probably asked, but the kid’s brows were furrowed in the effort to follow the doctors instruction that went from telling him whether he felt the pen slightly moving up his extremities to attempting to push against his hold with both his feet and his hands. 

Sounds of discomfort sneaked their way from Peter’s mouth. Tony was halfway ready to tell the physician to stop making the boy suffer even more, but he knew that those examinations were necessary to determine the general state of Peter’s health and whether or not he might’ve suffered brain damage from the accident. As of now, things were looking promising, and for the first time in forever, Tony felt real relief flooding over him.

His voice remained calm when he carefully pressed Peter’s hand down that had reached for the breathing tube.

“Hey. Don’t touch it. I know it feel strange, but it’s helping you breathe, alright?”  

Peter’s eyes were filled with an indescribable fear, and Tony tried his best to shush him. “Just don’t think about it. It’s nothing. And you’re gonna get rid of this in no time, I promise.”

The doctor nodded. “You’re really doing an extraordinary job breathing. Keep that up for the next two days and we can unhesitatingly extubate you.”

“Hear that, kid? God, I’m so proud of you.” Tony found himself subconsciously sniffling. “Your aunt’s going to be so excited to see you awake. We’ve been waiting for so long.” He expected to look down at a now worried Peter - given that the kid hated to have May get anxious because of him - but the boy’s eyes were already closed again.

“Peter?”  

He felt a hand on his shoulder. “That’s normal.” The doctor explained. “After weeks of having a rather deep sleep, being awake for ten minutes feels like a decade for the body. It’ll take it some time to adjust, but eventually, it will.”

Eventually was still a big word for Tony, but now he could believe there was more to it than just a simple supposition to calm him and May.

His fingers caressed the boy’s cheek, still not fully able to comprehend what happened. If he could, he’d embrace the kid fully and never let go. For now, he had to be satisfied with Peter finally consciously looking at him.

He longed for his phone, and forwarded some quick messages. - Guess who finally woke up.

To May, he added a picture, and although for everyone else nothing would have changed, he knew that she would see that Peter’s left cheek touched the pillows, that his general position was different. He’d store that imagine forever.

Even if her personal life was a mess and at a standstill, SI needed Pepper Potts' full attention and efficiency. She listened patiently how the accident of Tony Stark had affected the stocks negatively. Even if Tony was no longer running the company, his influence was undeniable.  

“We can make a statement about the newest innovation,” Pepper opened a page on her Pad. She screened it for everyone's view. “Tony told me the initial testing results were very promising and-“ Suddenly, the Pad pinged with a new page opening up. Pepper stared at the bolded text for a second without realizing it. Then her eyes widened and a hand flew flew over her mouth. “Oh my God!”

Rhodey had just finished working out and was heading to the kitchen for a protein snack. He was just checking the messages when Tony called. It was normal for them to keep in touch frequently  but now, with Peter in a hospital, Tony needed him more than ever. Just as much as after Afghanistan. And Rhodey was ready to offer his support, be it any time of the day. “Hey, Tones!” He smiled tentatively. “Tell me.” He expected Tony to be calling to pass the time, give him some stats or anything that had become their normal. What he heard made his brain pause and legs stop. “Oh my God!”

“You can't be serious,” Steve muttered into the phone. He walked into the lounge where the others were sprawled around on couches. Wanda was studying (she aimed for high school diploma) with Sam helping her with physics. Tony usually did it but he had been unavailable for months. Nobody blamed him, though. The man had much more pressing matters to attend to, although he did try to give her some pointers through texts. Natasha and Bucky were following a reality cooking show on the flat screen but neither were focusing on it: Bucky worked on crosswords while Natasha played with her phone.

Steve walked into the room and looked at the team. They all straightened up and inspected the man's expression. Steve had tears in his eyes.  

“Oh my God,” Bucky muttered. Was it what they had been living for, the confirmation of Peter's fate? Wanda's hand covered her mouth. They all waited in anticipation.

“Okay, I will tell them. Thanks, Tony,” Steve nodded and ended the call. He took in a deep breath and choked out: “Peter is awake.”

The reaction he got could be comparable to the end of World War 2. They all cheered and laughed and hugged each other.  

“Yes!” Sam hit air with his fist. “I knew that fucker was not giving in!” Rhodey more or less stumbled right into ongoing celebrations. He’d gotten Tony’s message just minutes ago, and someone had already beheaded a bottle of champagne.

“Rhodes!” Sam cheered. “Take a glass.” James had one in hand before he could even disagree. “Our little Spiderling’s up again.”

“Took him long enough.” Bucky remarked. “Kinda missed his quirky nature in training. He certainly gave me a challenge.”

“Could be because he listens when I give him advice on how to improve.” Natasha remarked, but the smile was vivid on her face, too.  

That was the magic of getting to know Peter Parker: Once you did, you enjoyed his company. The laughs, but most of all the genuine interest in everything he was taught. That’s what had been missing in the past few weeks, and they were all looking forward to having Peter around again. 

“I’m not saying I told you so, but I did.” Rhodey remarked casually. He’d spent the afternoon with the kid the day before - one of them always made a late afternoon visit, so that Peter wouldn’t feel like Tony and May were the only ones caring about him. The teenager had already appeared comparatively eager to communicate, hands twitching frequently, eyes opening more often than before. He hadn’t dared to tell Tony in fear that he would hold his hopes too high, but he’d told the other Avenger’s about the progress, guessing that the kid was far closer to waking up than ever before.

“Hey.” Natasha snipped. “This isn’t about you.”

“No, it isn’t.” Rhodey agreed, raising his glass. “To Peter.”

“To Peter.” The others repeated. 

Even before May could take a look at her phone, she heard rambling seemingly coming from everywhere. When she‘d come up here to quickly refresh herself – Tony had instantly offered her a room of her own, including a separate bathroom so she wouldn‘t have to commute between here and her apartment in Queens everyday – the hallways had been almost deadly silent, reminding her of some more or less relaxing night-shifts at work.

Tony had taken care of that too, ensuring that her wage was still paid regularly and that she wasn‘t storing missing days on her account, so that she could care for Peter full-time. Which was, although she‘d gotten used to this new occupation, still felt so terribly wrong. She‘d spent so many days at work in the past few years, explaining others how to take care of their comatose relatives – and for their own mental health – but she‘d never imagined to be in their stead one day.  

And it had been so long that she‘d cried earlier this week about how the diary she‘d bought for Peter (a recommended practice to make it easier for patients to keep track of what had happened in the time they‘d spent in the non-responsive state) was already half filled.

That was what filled her mind when she picked her phone up, trying to make sense of why she had twenty-seven messages from Tony. - Guess who finally woke up.  

She loaded the image he‘d added, and her heart almost stopped, suffocated from all that joy streaming over her. - He did it, May - Can you believe it? - Our boy did it. The last few messages were about the same, but May barely read them before quickly making her way back to the MedBay. After nothing but moderate days for weeks, this was finally a good one.

She was halfway ready to just wrap her boy into a tight hug, but when she entered the room, she already knew that she had to wait for a while to get to that, because Peter was already back to sleep again. However, she reminded herself, when he woke up the next time, she‘d finally see the beautiful depth within his brown eyes again – which was worth every wait. Falling back into her usual position, one hand in Peter‘s hair, the other one caressing his fingers, she looked at Tony.

“Why didn't you call me?“  

“I didn't want to wake-“  

“Do you have any idea how it feels to find out through text? Don't you have any tact?” “I fear not. Pep has noted that quite frequently.” Tony answered, and he and May locked gazes for almost a minute before the latter rolled her eyes and started laughing. She just couldn’t hold a grudge against anyone. Not today. “I still won't forget this.”  

“Fair enough.”

[ineffablelads]

Sending you a little prompt. A bughead prompt. The prompt is: Betty is sick but tries to put on brave face. Worried Jughead happens and he might make her some soup.

I told myself this was just gonna be a cute lil 500 word one shot… but my finger slipped and 1800 words later… here is a bigger one shot than I once intended. Thanks for the prompt!!!!!

Jughead sat in a crooked hunch behind his desk, head resting in his palm as he gazed at the door in the opposite corner of the classroom. A fleeting hope tightened in his chest; that Betty would walk through the door and tell him he was silly for worrying.. that she just slept in past her alarm or wanted to go get some breakfast at Pop’s before coming in today. 

Mr. Kitely faced away, writing Shakespearean phrases in his messy hooked swoops of what could almost pass as cursive. His voice rose and fell dramatically as he spewed prose- a sure sign that the conclusion of his lecture would come any moment now.

The door remained closed. Her seat remained empty.

Pictures of their dark adventures plastered the insides of his eyelids for a heavy moment. Memories of Betty always distancing herself when things were at their worst for her… of her wanting to take matters into her own hands, by herself. 

No matter how close they’d become and how much of her trust he had earned... he was beginning to see that it was just her nature. Her independent inclinations got the better of her… her hunger to prove her strength to herself. Overcoming dark challenges satiated that hunger.

He rotated his pencil back and forth between his fingers as he thought.

Usually there were some sort of tell-tale signs that would give her away before she began her sleuthing or problem-solving, though. She would get a distant look sometimes in the middle of conversations, she’d make unlikely alliances, propose strange articles, or she would ask seemingly unrelated questions out of nowhere… something.

None of that had been happening, though.

So, where was she?

Jughead’s leg began to shake up and down in a sudden bout of thick anxiety.

Finally, the bell rang.

He stayed in his seat a moment, allowing the crowd to go on ahead of him into the halls. He pulled out his phone.

No messages.

He had already texted her twice before class started. Usually, they met out front and walked to English class together. But this morning there was no sign of her. 

He racked his brain for anything important he may have forgotten.

Was she going to visit Polly and Alice at the Farm? Did she mention anything out of the ordinary? Did he do something that may have offended her?

He tried calling.

No answer.

He left a message, 

Right as he was finishing up, Archie and Veronica rounded the corner of the hallway.

Veronica sized up the empty space by his side. She exchanged a brief questioning glance with Archie.

“Where’s B?” she prodded.

Jughead shook his head.

“You haven’t heard from her?” Archie asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Radio silence.” Jughead replied.

“That’s weird.” Archie said, “I didn’t see any light on in her room this morning. But the car’s still there. I even tried knocking to see if she wanted to walk to school together… nothing.”

“Did you guys get in a fight or-” Veronica trailed off when she found she couldn’t stomach the look that was brewing on Jughead’s face.

She wrapped herself reassuringly around Archie’s arm.

“Oh my gosh, look at you two! I’m sure no news is good news. We’re talking about the same Betty Cooper, right? Because the Betty Cooper I know took down three murderers and my gargoyle of a father in the span of two years. I have complete faith that she’s fine.”

She flashed him a smile that was simultaneously sympathetic and vaguely amused.

She was right.

Out of the four of them, Betty was probably the most capable of holding her own. She was smart, she was cunning, she was… giving him a lot of anxiety.

He followed Veronica and Archie to the door of the room with the couches and vending machines then paused. Veronica had begun chattering about her latest Speakeasy plans.

“You know, I think I’m just going to go check on her to be sure. I’ll be back after gym, probably.” He said.

“Yeah, or maybe you can just be a proper rebel and not return after ditching half a day of classes. See you at Pop’s later?” Veronica smirked.

Jughead smiled, “Yeah, I’ll see you guys there.”

He set off down the hall, pushing through an unbearable crowd of his peers. 

Things had improved for the Southsiders at Riverdale High in the past few months, but it still wasn’t perfect. He could tell that people noticed him and the other Serpents a little bit more than their average peer. Their eyes always paused an extra moment whenever one of them entered a classroom. It was clear to him that people were less likely to move out of the way for them in the halls than they were for a couple of Northside pearls like Veronica or Archie.

And anyways, people liked to have an excuse to sneer at him when they forced him to push through them. Big guys like Reggie liked the opportunity to shove him or cast half-witted jeers as he elbowed past, even before he joined the Serpents. But now, especially, that he was their king.

Sometimes he wondered if the only one anchoring him to this place with it’s dirty halls and dirty looks was Betty.

Sometimes he wondered if the only one anchoring him through all the insanity of his life in general was her.

But it was like Zelda Fitzgerald once wrote in a letter to her husband Scott, 

“Why is there happiness and comfort and excitement where you are and no where else in the world?” 

He smiled to himself. Betty Cooper had turned him cheesy. Had it really only been a couple of years since the lonely beginning of sophomore year? Had he really gone most of his lifetime blind to how much more incredible it could be with her not just as his friend he met through Archie, but a warrior Queen fighting by his side?

He swung the doors to the parking lot open and scanned the lot for his bike. The brisk morning air clung heavily to his clothes, leaving dew drops on the faux wool peeking out of his denim jacket. As he crossed the lot, a thin bite of wind shredded coolly at his face.

There was something about mounting his bike and bringing it roaring to life that made Jughead feel a little more alive than he was the moment before. Something about making himself vulnerable to fate and circumstance tickled his poetic existentialism in a way driving a car never could. The tires of the bike skidded precariously over the rain-soaked blacktop as he turned onto the main road. For a brief moment, his mind emptied itself of the morning’s anxieties and he was just a rush of stark senses.

He loved that his motorcycle refused to shield him from the elements. If it was snowy, he’d feel snowflakes caking his clothes, bristling at his skin. If it was hot, he’d feel the sun beating down directly into his flesh. Now that it was rainy, the precipitation soaked right into his clothes and the resulting cold seeped deep into his bones.

In a car you could feel numb. You could turn on a heater on a snowy day and feel as warm as the summertime. You could lie.

On his motorcycle, he was honest. About the weather. About where he was coming from and where he was going. 

On his motorcycle, he was a person who faced things head on.

And so he did, pulling into Betty Cooper’s driveway that drizzly morning. He slid his helmet off and threw it onto the seat. In an instinctual instant, he had his beanie settled over his hair again. He knocked on the front door and pushed a tuft of hair from his eyes. The rain had picked up. He wished he’d brought his serpent jacket instead of his fluffy jean coat. 

He stuck his hands in his pockets and did his best to dry them. Then he sent Betty a text.

Hey, I’m at your house. Can you let me in?

-Message read.

He let out a defeated sigh and leaned against the door frame, planning his next move.

But the longer he waited for some sort of response… any sort of response, the more out of control his anxious thoughts became. 

What if one of Hiram’s goons was still out there and came to get comeuppance over his arrest? What if one of the Black Hood’s crazy fanatics came after her? What if one of the remaining Ghoulies found her to “create chaos”? 

“One can find so many pains in the rain.”

John Steinbeck’s quote interrupted his thoughts. He remembered reading it over the summer.

He felt the author’s quote spinning around his head, as though to tease him… but maybe also a godsend to distract him from the dark train of thought he had been spiraling through.

“Jug?” 

Betty’s big, warm hazel eyes peeked through the slightly opened door. A set of sniffles followed.

He moved into plain sight and waved meekly, soaked.

“Oh my god, Jughead!” she croaked, sniffling some more and practically throwing him into the house.

He laughed, looking up at her in starry-eyed relief. She was in her pink, fluffy pajama bottoms. One of his “S” t-shirts hung loosely around her shoulders along with a cozy blanket. She padded away, barefoot on the hardwood floors, and came rushing back with a set of towels and a box of tissues.

Jughead pulled off his boots and left them in the entryway, upside down. 

“What’s wrong?” Betty asked, “Why are you here?”

He gaped at her, incredulous.

“I was worried. You weren’t at school and you hadn’t responded to any of my messages. Archie said he didn’t see you leave this morning and-”

She sniffled once more, head cocked sympathetically to the side in that way Jughead knew all too well. Here she was comforting him when she was the sick one.

He tensed. He knew his anxiety had been getting worse over the years… but ever since the debacle with Hiram Lodge- it was like he couldn’t stop the warning lights from going off in his head anymore.

“I guess I still worry that it’s not over.” he whispered.

Betty took one of his cheeks in the palm of her hand.

“Maybe it’s never over.” she mused, “but we’ll never be able to live happy lives if we let ourselves believe that.”

There it was: Betty Cooper and her brave face.

She smiled at him as she came forward and pulled off his jacket and flannel. She threw them in the drier, along with his socks and hat that he threw in himself.

“Erm, did Chic happen to leave any pants behind here that I could borrow?” he asked.

Betty reddened.

“No, we uh- we burned his belongings after I handed him over to the Black Hood. You know… to be sure.”

Jughead raised his eyebrows.

“But… we could check the guest room Archie stayed in when Fred went to Chicago freshman year. Maybe he left something behind?”

He nodded.

Once he was switched into one of the flannels she had borrowed from him some time ago and pulled on some of Archie’s old jeans, he came downstairs and found Betty leaning in a state of pungent exhaustion against the counter, blowing her nose.

He shuffled forward excitedly and scooped her up into his arms, spinning her around once.

Together, they spun from the hardwood floor of the dining room to the squishy rug of the living room. Jughead collapsed down onto the couch, bringing a ball of sniffling Betty Cooper with him.

They pressed their foreheads together in a gesture of momentary oneness.

Betty pulled away first.

“I don’t want to get you sick, too.” She worried.

“That is the least of my worries.” he responded. “Right now, all I’m worried about is making you feel better.”

She gave him a puzzled look.

Jughead cradled her once more as he stood up and set her back down on the sofa.

“I am going to take care of you for once!” he announced. A self-satisfied smirk crossed his face as he leaned forward, kissed her on the forehead, and tucked in her blanket.

Betty quirked an eyebrow but did not protest. Instead she leaned back into the arms of the comfortable sofa and accepted the oncoming pampering.

Jughead left nothing in his reserves. He set up candles around the room to replace the strain of bright light bulbs. He started up the fireplace. He brought her tissues and cough drops and ibuprofen that he must have found after about ten minutes of frustratedly rummaging through the pantry and cursing Alice’s organization. He even had something cooking on the stove that smelled delicious.

Betty watched with adoration as he doted by whatever he was making in the other room, humming happily to himself.

“Eureka!” he shouted.

Betty did all she could to keep from snorting out her laughter.

She failed.

Jughead waltzed in wearing her mother’s lacy, flowery cooking apron and an oven mitt over his haphazard rain outfit. In the mitt was a bowl of piping hot soup he set on the coffee table before her.

He beamed.

“AND!” he shouted. Before she could say anything, he’d run back into the kitchen and eagerly shuffled back with a steaming tea cup.

“A meal fit for a Queen! Bon appetit.” he said in the worst french accent she’d ever heard. He bowed dramatically, a smile curled joyfully around the sides of his mouth.

Betty sniffed again and made her best effort to inhale a waft of the soup’s smell. It was a homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese- just like what she would get at Pop’s. The tea was her favorite relaxing green tea.

Her eyes flickered up to Jughead’s. She stretched her arms forward, beckoning him to come snuggle her. 

He happily obliged.

[cursewoodrecap]

Session 3: Darkness in Your Past

Hello everyone I’m still like. WAY sick. And I will be performing our next session entirely through texting and enthusiastic mime. But I can probably type, even if I’m hacking and wheezing?

In this session: oh no, backstory!

The party finishes their long rest at the bandit camp, universally antsy to get going and prickly with each other after certain ethical disagreements.

As the bandits warned us, the road turns out to be full of traps, and 3/4 of us roll terrible, awful perception checks. Clem, comically, immediately falls into a hole. It’s less comic when we realize there’s sharp spikes at the bottom of that there pit trap, but Valeria Channels Divinity and summons the Chains of Rack, catching Clem before she can tumble into the stabbity stabs. WHOOPSIE.

Traveling onward, we find a huge tree has crashed down across the path. We are all experienced players and thus suspicious bastards, and Shoshana rolls a good enough Nature check to suddenly have a childhood memory. There was once a local woodsman that she and her best friend used to hang around, a lumberjacky fellow and hunter named Mordecai. A good-natured fellow, he would let the local children tag along and show them lots of tips and tricks about the woods. Using the remnants of that remembered knowledge, Shoshana picks up on a few wood shavings and out-of-place bits. This thing has been tampered with.

“Everybody stand back,” she says, “I’m gonna poke it.”

“Wait, I have a crossb-” Gral begins, but Shoshana slaps it with a Mage Hand, which is only a 30 foot range. Two crossbow bolts shoot out of where the log has been hollowed out and the bark has been thinned to a sheet, and one sticks right into somebody’s boob. Good job, folks.

Going forward seems to be all well and good until, suddenly, someone notices we can’t hear Valeria, who’s guarding the back. We turn around and surpriiiise, a wild beast-man is hanging out of a tree and has her by a garrotte! There is a brief debate about whether attempting to free her by swinging an enormous greatsword is really the best?? idea??????? but Valeria puts an end to the discussion by stabbing the guy herself.

We complain at the DM about all the traps, and then get distracted, because OOH, A RAVINE.

Shoshana goes quiet at the familiar sight, but there’s something worrying here. There’s a beast-man of the Hunt and his wolf on watch, but there are dead people and wolves scattered over the blood-stained ground. A clutch Silence spell from Gral allows us to overcome the sentries with no alarm raised; Clem bisects the wolf with Extreme (and mildly panicked) Prejudice. 

Inspecting the scattered corpses, they seem to have been pierced by something long and thin - like arrow wounds, except there are no arrows to be seen.

We cautiously move forward, Gral sneakily scouting ahead and messaging back to the clanky folks what’s up. Shoshana tries to sneak, but is too distracted looking at the Hunt-people corpses for - someone recognizable, maybe? - and trips over a dead wolf. CLANG CRASH WHAM, roll for initiative, folks!

We slash our way through a couple of toughs and their wolves, Lookin’ Cool and Kickin’ Butt, but...this is like, two guys. What happened to the terrifying force that had the bandit crew cowering in fear? Why are most of them gone, or dead on the ground with the same arrowless arrow wounds?

Maybe the answer is through that door.

What Shoshana remembers as a bit of a hollow in the wall of the ravine - enough shelter to get a quick snatch of rest, maybe - has been covered over with a crude ceiling and a curtained hide door. No sounds are coming from inside, so we cautiously make our way in. 

It’s not much. Some rough skins and blankets to sleep on, a bag hanging on the wall, and a metal chest that we determine is booby-trapped. And loose scraps of paper, scattered across the floor. Shoshana bends down to pick one up, and reads it.

The gasp is audible. She stares at it, struck, as her player reads the text sent to her by the DM. The others begin to investigate the room as she stands there, absolutely floored - and then snatches for the next piece of paper, like lightning. And then the next, and the next, on her knees scrabbling for them, reading each one with mounting frenzy. She’s muttering to herself - “Why would she-? No, how-? The whole time?! And she NEVER??? How could she-”

Valeria cautiously picks up one of the cast-aside notes, reads it, and then caaarefully places it back on the floor, because Hoo Boy This Is Some Personal Stuff, Let’s Give Her Some Space. They seem to be unsent, half-finished letters, addressed to Shoshana. 

While spooky lady has a breakdown, Clem ably does a bit of medicine for Gral and Valeria to get everyone in fighting shape for whatever comes next. 

Shoshana collects all the letters, and somberly takes the pressed flowers Valeria found on the rudimentary table. Elsewhere in the room we find a key to the big chest, but still stand to the side when we release it - good, because an unsteady Mage Hand isn’t enough to hold the trap wire properly taut. Clem insisted we open the chest last thing before we leave, for fear that the roof would cave in, but a big scythe just swings out of the wall and slices the air where we all Decided Not To Be Standing. We find a bit of money, a Ring of Jumping, Ser Balderich’s sword, and a magic horn that is only heard by the person you choose to hear it.

The horn is apportioned to Shoshana, being the squishiest and the most likely to get targeted by these creeps. Shoshana, emotionally a bit frazzled, accepts it bemusedly. “Why?” she inquires dully. “I mean, it’s not like you’re exactly invested in my survival, past the next hour or two.”

Gral immediately protests. “I gave my word I would protect you, as part of my promise to bring you to Duke Shieldeater’s service. I would not betray that.” 

Valeria nods enthusiastically. Shoshana blinks and then gives the universal “get a load of this guy” gesture to Clem. 

Gral continues. “If truth must be known, I...am not entirely here on the Duke’s orders. I serve him, but it was my own decision to come find you. I strongly believe we Orcs need better relations with the local civilians. And I have my own aims, as well.” Cryptic behind his mask, he does not elaborate and continues back out into the ravine. 

Up ahead is the part that Shoshana knows is waiting for her. A thick blanket of branches and hanging foliage cast a section of the ravine into deep darkness - a canopy impenetrable to light but not, as she remembers, to the falling, flailing body of a young woman.

It’s distantly terrifying that seeing it again feels so much like coming home. A voice curls out of the ravine, welcoming her back at last. It’s impossible for her to tell whether the others can hear it.

“Ser Balderich is in there. The bandits said they were keeping him in the dark place, and...that’s where...”

Valeria firmly places her hand on Shoshana’s shoulder, reaching out in empathy to steady a comrade in a time of clear emotional distress. Shoshana feels a gauntleted hand land on her shoulder, the executioner’s cue to go face her death with dignity. They go forth, into the darkness.

...

So, it’s DARK in there. Valeria lights up the Rune Beetle. It’s still dark, supernaturally so, heavy and sick-tasting in the air. Even those in the party with Darkvision are limited, and they move ahead slowly and carefully. Luckily, Ser Balderich hears them coming, and starts shouting at the FIENDS! who are BACK FOR MORE, ARE YOU? and the party is able to find the pit he has been thrown into, heavy wooden bars embedded over the top.

Seeing the glint of Valeria’s silver scales in the dim light of the beetle, Ser Balderich’s shouting stops short. “...Marius?” he asks, disbelieving. “You survived? D-did any of the others-?”

Valeria recognizes the name of Kyr Marius, a mentor of hers at the monastery where she trained. Another silver dragonborn of the order, with years of combat experience. “I’m not Marius,” she lets him down, “But we’re here to get you out!” 

Ser Balderich, beaten and bruised and with at least one broken arm, is still with-it enough to notice that a young female voice does not sound like his presumably middle aged male friend. But he makes a quick recovery: “Oh! Uh, well, Kyr, it is an honor! But beware, the fiends are not far-”

Yeah, they’ve definitely noticed we’re here. A couple of worgs prowl out of the darkness as Valeria and Clem try to pry the bars off the top of the pit and haul Ser Balderich out. With Faerie Fire, Gral manages to illuminate one of the worgs and a mysterious cloaked figure, who simply gestures and we all take 3 Taint. What the what? It’s on.

We have a narrow battle - fleeing seems like the only option at one point, as several of us are boxed into a Hunger of Hadar spell by flanking wargs, but we persevere. In a moment of crisis, Shoshana pulls strength from the darkness and takes Taint in exchange for temporary HP. Finally, Clem and the wounded Ser Balderich break through to the cloaked figure.  As Clem’s greatsword pierces the flowing cloak, it collapses to the floor, empty. The figure’s taunting voice drifts out to us one last time, looking forward to the next time we meet. You can try to escape the Hunt, just like your little friend, but this is where you belong in the end...

Limping forward, we investigate the cavern behind where his empty cloak fell. Well, not the part that spirals off forever into the darkness. We’re not that stupid. But there’s a little room, off to the side, and we stop short seeing it. There’s a bloody altar, decorated with animal skulls, facing a hanging painting on an animal skin.

The crude tapestry depicts a figure wearing an antlered helm, tearing his way out of where he is bound by tree roots jutting from the ground. Three less-detailed figures behind him seem to be similarly bound. The edges of the canvas are decorated with grotesque, gory scenes of animals and hunters slaying their prey.

Oh, right. The DM notes he forgot to add the horror part of the scene. We look to the other side of the room and see a human corpse, nailed up on the wall. The word “PREY” has been carved deeply into his chest.

It’s Mordecai.

Shoshana is already so emotionally drained, barely able to register her dull rage at these grotesque atrocities here in HER darkness. She raises her hands, but Ser Balderich speaks up, saying Ser Quentin Morozov, his friend the Cursebreaker Knight, may have use of the tapestry. It might help him in his studies. Meanwhile, Valeria is gently pulling the body off the wall, looking for any sign of the man’s religion and finding not a symbol of the Obereon pantheon but a small pendant with two faces - Baba and Gramps, kindly spirits still respected by some of the more rural woodsfolk. Valeria’s big enough to carry the body, covering the carved words with her cloak and promising him a proper burial.

Shoshana lets them, dully watching. She can feel something magic within the altar, but the only thought she has left about today is the general concept of NO. She raises her hands and a wave of fire overtakes the altar. As it burns, the oppressive feeling of the darkness lessens. It doesn’t disappear, but something vital to this place has been destroyed.

A bit dazed, the party staggers out into the light, Valeria carrying the hunter’s body and Clem supporting a weakened but determined Ser Balderich. Wanting to avoid whatever hunting party was sent out after the escaping huntress, they make it back to the abandoned bandit camp before collapsing to regroup.

Valeria and Ser Balderich get to talking, Valeria asking how Ser Balderich knows her old mentor Kyr Marius. Did Ser Balderich ever speak to anyone who knows what happened at the Crusade?

Knows what happened? Pssh, Ser Balderich was THERE. Though it’s clearly a painful memory, Ser Balderich explains what happened to the members of Valeria’s order:

The Crusade was closing in, about a day’s hard travel from Valdsheart, the Duke’s capital city - the center of the Curse. The Order of the Rose has made it to the old summer palace - the roses were in bloom, the gardens were beautiful, still immaculately maintained by automated Unseen Servants that had continued working even as the city had been abandoned.

The commanders of the various knightly orders gathered together at the Rebel’s Temple. (A History check lets us know that this was the temple that Karena, the leader of the rebellion against Keva and the first Duchess of Valdia, had established to ask the blessing of the gods over the new nation.

If anyone ever had doubts the Curse was intelligent, they were ended by the way it waited until the knights were separated from their commanders. When the attack started, the gardens sprang to life. We were attacked by thorns and deadly spores. Ser Balderich took his horse and rode for the temple, while the knights held the line against the tide. The temple was holy ground - it should have been well-warded. Arriving there, he saw the windows stained with blood - the place was overrun. There were two groups of survivors still fighting: Archcleric Rudolf Klemsk and his knights of Rack fled one way, while the Peacock Knight (founder of the Knights Radiant) held the line alone. There were waves and waves of creatures, all sorts.

(Gral: Ser Balderich, please describe these creatures. DM: Absolutely not, it’s like midnight.)

Ser Balderich, unable to help, fled back to the palace to help the forces there. It was totally overrun. He hopes some got out, but was unable to get close enough to see. The aftermath? Well. Archcleric Klemsk got out, but Something happened there - afterward, he and his followers became the frightening Knights Penitent who violently hunt down all corruption and impiety. He assumes the Peacock Knight was overwhelmed, but he has been sighted since.

...I’m sorry.

Ser Balderich tells us: If anyone is going to solve this, it won’t be a marching army. It will be someone like my friend Quentin, and his Cursebreakers, or the madmen at Sturmhearst. We Beggar Knights will stand watch, and ensure as many people possible live to see the day the Curse ends, if that day ever comes.

We all mull that story, and then begin to get up to go. A quick discussion of options comes to this: we’ll go back to Ovruch and drop Ser Balderich off there, so he can recover and protect the town. In the morning, we’ll travel to the town of Holzog to bring the tapestry to Ser Quentin - perhaps he will be interested in our stories, as well. Gral certainly wants to discuss something with the Cursebreaker.

As everybody’s putting on their backpacks and stuff, Shoshana interjects, confused. Um...aren’t you guys...forgetting something?

Ser Balderich considers. “...yes.” He comes over to her, and she closes her eyes, readying for it.

“...I did not thank you, for rescuing me. You have my gratitude.”

N-no, you guys, don’t you need to...? Y’know? Take care of me, now that the Hunt and the bandits are dealt with?

...Oh.

Ser Balderich scoffs, compassionately. “Shoshana, I saw you reject the power that altar could have given you.” (Player: wait what? DM: yeah, there was a magic item in there”) “You were given your abilities, and what did you do with them? You took care of cats. You are not the monster you believe yourself to be.”

Valeria is nodding. Gral is nodding. Even Clem is nodding. Shoshana’s brain just about fails to compute; you can see the blue screen behind her eyes. We pack up, find a quiet spot in the woods to bury poor Mordecai the woodsman, and make our way back to Shoshana’s place to crash.

---

We roll against the Taint we acquired in the Hunt’s territory. Gral and Clem fully save. Valeria takes a minor corruption. Shoshana is offered a deal by the DM and takes it, gaining a minor corruption as well.

We each draw a card for the next session: The Hunter, The Knight, The Madness, and The Heretic.

[legolasgoldy]

((Finrod + Rhys for the ship meme.))

// Thank you!!! :D @blind-mutant

Send me a ship and i’ll tell you                        

who hogs the duvet

They cuddle so close that I dont think thats a problem really, but Finrod definitely makes sure Rhys gets plenty of blanket around him to keep him snuggly and warm. Especially during the winter, Finrod doesnt like the cold but his body can regulate its temperature if he gets too cold even if it’ll sting his skin a lil from chilliness, he’ll make sure Rhys is all wrapped up. After all Rhys weighs less and need to retain more warmth. Altho, during the summer if their AC were to break it would probably be the opposite, they’d probs only use a sheet? He’d listen to hear if Rhys’ heart was beating to fast from being hot, or if he just felt he was too hot he’d pull the sheet off him a little and probably adjust his hair so it wouldnt be keeping him hot.

who texts/rings to check how their day is going

They dont have cellphones. Finrod may call during Rhys’ lunch break to make sure hes okay during the first week Rhys was at his job. Or if Rhys hadnt been feeling well the day before he’d check up on him. Or, also, If Finrod was having a bad day at work he’d call Rhys just to hear his voice. I feel like this could go vise versa, if Rhys needed to for what ever reason he could ask a coworker to help him use the phone and call Finrod.

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts

Well.. this is a tricky question. I think they are most creative in their own way. So its a tie. Rhys cant see what he wants to buy so most likely, he’d ask a neighbor ( or friend at school depending on time period) to help him. He’d have to feel things to know what he wanted to buy as well as a friend’s help, and hes not gonna buy just anything, its gonna be something he knows Finrod would love.

Finrod does the same thing essentially, he makes sure to get things he knows without a doubt Rhys would love, whether it be just something cute for him to have, or something to help him (like a braille watch, etc.), or something for them to enjoy together like books.

who gets up first in the morning

Finrod XD He gets up at around 6 am/6:30am depending and always lets Rhys sleep as much as he can so he’ll be well rested. He knows sometimes its harder for blind people to sleep at night, and Rhys doesnt like getting up early either. So, typical routines are listed below:

As teenagers, Finrod gets up at 6 am and gets ready for school and gets as many things as he can ready for Rhys as well, then at around 7 am he’ll lay back down next to Rhys and attempt to wake him up too, very gently. If they are just best friends he’ll probably put an arm around him and whisper to him, and move hair outta his face. If they are dating he’ll kiss his cheek along with that.

As adults living together, on days where they work, its very similar to when they were teenagers with school. Finrod wakes up at around 6 am and gets up, makes tea, gets ready, then crawls back into bed with Rhys around 7 am and tries to gets wake him up with soft kisses, cuddles, and whispers.

On days when they are off work he’ll get up at around the same time, maybe 6:30am, and he’ll make tea, take the cup back to the bedroom and sit on the bed super carefully, finish the tea, then lay back down with Rhys and stays there. He doesnt go back to sleep, he just snuggles Rhys like he had been doing before he got up and lays there for a while relaxing with his bf. Probably a good 4 hours or so around 8:45/9am he’ll finally start to wake Rhys up with his usual gentle kisses and whispers, although this time he’ll be asking about what Rhys wants for breakfast since they’ll have time for a lazy big indulgent breakfast.

who suggests new things in bed

Rhys lol. Finrod is a lil too polite to suggest things often.

who cries at movies

Finrod. He reacts to movies so much. He’ll cry, growl, whine, whimper, etc.

who gives unprompted massages

Well i think its safe to say they both probably would if they really wanted to? Although in all honesty, Rhys has never seen someone give a message but would try his best if he decided to give one, while Finrod is a bit.. afraid to give Rhys massages. He can control his strength super well now, but Rhys does bruise easy so he’d be extremely cautious. 

who fusses over the other when they’re sick

Finrod fusses over Rhys so much, even when Rhys doesnt like it. He’s gatta make sure his love is okay.

who gets jealous easiest

Ohhh XD What a queston haha.  Well.. this is trickyy. Probably Rhys. but Finrod does get jealous sometimes when they are teens.

who has the most embarrassing taste in music

Hmm considering the times, I would have to say Finrod. While everyone else is listening to the typical popular music of the 70s-80s ( and granted he does too) he listens to a lot of classical music sometimes. Like Mozart for example. He really likes classical instrumentals.

who collects something unusual

Um..I dont know of anything unusual that they would collect? Finrod collects seashells but most he has on display are ones they collected together at the beach. Finrod collects jewelry. The collection of books, belongs to them both. Rhys has a collections of bunny plushies that Finrod keeps buying him and other things that feel nice.

who takes the longest to get ready

Finrod, he fixes his hair, picks out an outfit, decides which earrings to wear, maybe a bracelet. Where as Rhys cant see to really do much, he gets dressed, brushes his hair, and brushes his teeth?. BUT Finrod always helps Rhys get ready, especially helps with his hair, and if Rhys wants a tiny touch of makeup sometimes he’ll stop everything hes doing to help him put it on.

who is the most tidy and organized

Finrod is, but always tries to include Rhys in on everything. They equally decided what goes where so its a mutual thing? Altho as for cleaning the house, Finrod does that.

who gets most excited about the holidays

They both do, but I think Rhys a bit more. He never really had that big happy family holiday thing, and ever since he met Finrod he suddenly has this huge family that loves him. It took a while to get used to, but by the time he and Finrod are dating everything would have become a bit more comfortable and absolutely love it.

who is the big spoon/little spoon

Rhys is the little spoon, Finrod is the big spoon. But they do switch sometimes during the night, and sometimes Finrod is the lil spoon too.

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports

They dont play sports, but they do have training together in school. They play chess too. Hands down, without a doubt, Rhys is the most competitive. Finrod is the push over who always lets Rhys win haha.

who starts the most arguments

They dont really argue, but one can say technically its Finrod. XD The only time they argue is when Rhys is sick and grumpy, and Finrod unintentionally aggravates him into starting arguments.

who suggests that they buy a pet

Finrod! He knows Rhys is worried about having them even if he does want them. So, Finrod suggests solutions to how both he and Rhys can both take care of the pet safely without having to worry. That way Rhys can actually have a pet for once. They get fish first and describes all the different kinds so Rhys can pick out which he wants.

what couple traditions they have

Reading

what tv shows they watch together

Rhys doesnt watch tv shows, so anything Finrod watches is sort of on a whim.

what other couple they hang out with

Well they’ve hung out with Finrod’s brothers and their girlfriends. When they’re living in their apartment they hang out with their neighbors. Oh, and probably as teens they hung out with Jean and Scott.

how they spend time together as a couple

Tbh i feel like you can get the idea from everything above haha. They simply just live their lives together loving one another. Finrod makes sure Rhys can live his life to the fullest now without being held back as much as possible. They take care of each other, and read, go on vacation, take walks through parks, have picnics, play with each others hair, just cuddle. And once older, certain daily things that the neighbors hear are added into the picture X’D

who made the first move

Hmm another tricky question but i’ll say Rhys. He turned to kiss Finrod first. The drunk encounter doesnt exactly count bc Finrod was extremely drunk and didnt really know what he was doing.

who brings flowers home

Finrod

who is the best cook

Finrod, Rhys cant cook XD.

[mulder-isms]

The tour (A sorta fairytale) - Thorcid fanfic

A\N: Hey there! First fic of the year! In the light of the events of the season 8 tour I decided to write what happened in between days :)

This is a multi chaper fic, and part I happens during few weeks before the tour and how the idea for this dress come to life

Talk to me and tell me what you think, feedback is always welcome and heartily appreciated  ❤

“I’m the worst boyfriend to ever exist”

Shane groaned as the piercing and throbbing pain hit his temper. The familiar aspects of a terrible hangover were kicking in.

He took a sip of the water inside the mug, the little waves of the liquid making his head spin. His hips were leaning in the kitchen counter, and the water was reaching though his shirt but he didn’t mind.

Alvy, his roommate was sitting in the kitchen table and pursed his lips shaking his head not bothered by his zombie friend. He was having a bowl of cereal while going through a magazine. He knew Shane’s flair for drama very well.

“What did you do now?”

He inquired before taking in a huge spoon of cornflakes. Shane was still groaning, staring blank at the kitchen tiles in front of him.

“Yesterday was Beckie’s birthday and I was at the bar with the girls, and you know, I haven’t seen them in ages. I drank too much and passed out. When I woke drooling on the table it was like 3 AM. I simply forgot”

Shane confessed trying to conjure Alvaro’s sympathy using his lowest and trembling voice. He joined his friend on the table and analyzed his face. Alvy just kept peacefully eating.

“I haven’t got the courage to check my messages. Jamin is going to kill me. Ugh.”

Then he crossed his arms and hid his face inside, making a huge thump sound, like a sleeping student during a chemistry class.

Alvy deep sighed placing the bowl in the previous position before Shane’s little earthquake.

“He is not going to kill you. That bitch is whipped. He won’t do anything and that’s scary for Acid Betty. I saw him letting people have it for way less. But you’re an asshole. You need to make it up. Like, REALLY make it up”

Shane raised his head fast, maybe too fast as he winced in pain. Then his face lit up as he had the most brilliant idea.

“I need to suck his dick for two days straight” he suggested as a plausible solution.

Alvy wasn’t impressed.

“No. You would enjoy that too much. You need to do something that will make you suffer but will make him very happy.”

Shane thought about all the BMDS scenarios and it was like Alvy could see through his eyes.

“Not that you sick fuck. Just think about something nice and cute. Jamin is the best boyfriend you ever had if you screw this up, girl, I swear…”

“Okay, something cute and not sexual. Riiiight. Are you sure it can’t be sexual? I give the best mouth anyone could ever have and he loves when-”

“SHANE!” Alvy interrupted and then continued eating and Shane’s engines were working already. He was feeling his blood flow running faster, his levels of anxiety building up.

The phone was there on the sink and he didn’t want to look at the damage.

The beginning of the new year didn’t mean the beginning of a new Shane. He was still trying to kick some old habits.

A year ago, he was full of hope that his life was going to change forever, he was going to be recognized for what’s been his passion, his job, his fire to live.

He’d gain fans and travel around the world with his Ru sisters.

He never thought even for a second he would gain love. The most unexpected gift. That Jamin was going to be home. A home way bigger than his tiny and busy Brooklyn apartment. The constant song in his head.

These first weeks with no gigs were pure domestic bliss. Jamin, being older and supposedly wiser, was constantly teaching Shane “how to couple”.

Shane was a regular presence in his apartment so he needed to adjust to his rules.

Jamin likes his bedroom tidy. He loves cold showers and Shane loves the water boiling. When they kiss still fresh from the water their temperatures balance each other. Jamin loves old 80’s cartoons and has a collection of suspicious underwear.

He is not a talker in the morning and quite moody when something at the design agency goes wrong. He is an excellent brother. He is always paying attention to what Shane says even when he is just whispering to himself. And Shane is always surprised by that because he used to people stop listening to him at some point.

Shane thought about all that while he was staring at his mug of water.

*

Jamin hated being sick.

Being sick meant increasing getting worst at some point and then getting better. Or going to the hospital. His most dreadful place.

He was lying on his couch all covered in a blanket watching TV. Beckie’s leftover beers were still on his coffee table.

The symptoms of a possible cold were all checking. He was feverish, feeling his breathing uneven and his voice was sounding more nasal. He reached for the phone on the coffee table and browsed to check Shane’s last messages again.

11:05 pm

“When I get home we’re gonna finish watching Willow. People are judging me because I said I would sleep with him.”

1:03 am

“TELL BECKIE THAT I LOVE HER!1!! I’M LEAVING IN 10 minutes ”

1:40 am

“I can’t make make it………. don’t be mad girl. I love you. God I fucking love you. You still love me, right? ……..Woooo?”

Jamin groaned feeling the anger building up. He still loved him very much, which made him even more annoyed.

He tossed the phone on the armchair when suddenly the doorbell rang. Beckie had left not even an hour ago. He gathered all the strength to be up, his whole body aching and dragged himself to get the door. He was wearing only his pajamas shorts, so he fetched a dirty t-shirt that was resting on the armchair and put it on.

He didn’t bother to look at the magic eye because he knew it was Shane the other side. Shane’s energy was constantly surrounding him and he could feel it from miles away. He had the keys to the apartment, it didn’t make sense to ring the bell. Jamin shook his head, preparing himself to not forgive him, and open the door in one quick move.

“Hey!” Shane opened a cheap smile in front of him. He was wearing Acid Betty’s merch, the pink t-shirt, and holding a bakery box full of donuts, and pillow donuts were on his arms like bracelets too.

Jamin was a bit overwhelmed by the Katy Perry music video set up but he recovered quickly.

“I don’t know what’s happening here…” he uttered in a low voice and coughed a bit and Shane’s happy expression melt down and he approached Jamin, that back away. “But you’re not getting away with this” he reassured coughing between the words.

“You’re sick? I told you to get some pills when your throat started scratching…” Shane responded worried placing his palm on Jamin’s sweaty forehead and Jamin tilted his head annoyed, resisting the touch.

“Shane, where the fuck were you last night? Beckie was expecting to see you. You told her you were going to play. And you kept drinking your ass off anyway. You’re a fucking asshole” he answered in all his I’m-really-pissed persona, but sounding quite tired.

“I’ve already talked to Beckie. I just came back from her apartment and I intend to pay dinner and play her a serenade. You know I love her, right?”

Jamin crossed his arms in front of his chest still not fully convinced. Shane seemed hurt, but he wasn’t going to shake it off that easily.

“You always do this. You think these little things don’t matter but they do. You can’t just ditch people or forget important things and expect them to not be mad. You live in your own planet but you need some Earth manners”

Shane looked like a puppy that was caught after destroying his owner’s favorite couch. He held an apprehensive expression of someone that was expecting his final sentence and yet completely adorable. Covered in donuts, the cheeks and nose still rose and drowsy puffy eyes. Fuck, he loved hangover Shane.

“I’m really, reaaally sorry. I swear I tried to leave. But the girls were there and I haven’t seen them in ages and-

Jamin opened his mouth to preach him again but Shane raised his hand as a gesture to continue.

“And I know I-I should just have messaged you” and then he started walking in circles and gesticulating. “You know, explaining that I wouldn’t be able to make it. I don’t even remember if I texted you anything?” he asked stopping to move rubbing his forehead, the bracelet donut sliding down on his forearm.

Jamin chuckled.

One scrape of ice just melt down. Shane’s charms were the worst.  He hated himself for that chuckle.

“Anyways I’m sorry, there’s no excuse, I’m an asshole but I’m still learning this whole relationship thing. It’s…it’s a sorta fairytale. It makes me stunned most of the time and please just-

Jamin interrupted him putting one finger on his mouth.

“You texted me several times, you dummy. We’re supposed to finish Willow today. You confessed you have the hots for Warwick Davis to the girls”

Then he picked up the donuts box and let Shane in. He tried to recollect anything from last night but the conversations were a blur.  

“I don’t remember anything” he replied following him and taking off his shoes. “And I was too afraid of checking my phone”

“Yeah, you always afraid of that” Jamin scoffed and groaned as he lowered himself to sit on the floor in front of the coffee table. He propped himself with crossed legs and took a bite in the chocolate donut covered by a pornographic baker’s sugar topping.

Shane winced with him and sat by his side. Watching carefully his reaction.

“I hope these donut bracelets are for me” Jamin noticed with full mouth, a bit of the topping resting on the corner of his mouth. Shane took the bracelets off and put them on the table.

“Yes, they are! I noticed that donut dress you’re making I thought it would be a great asset?” Shane replied excited showing off the donuts. “Donut first!” he pointed one in the opposite direction and then let go a soft giggle.

Jamin smiled. He was learning to pay attention after all. He couldn’t be mad with him for more than 10 minutes. It was ridiculous.

“My throat is so sore, ugh. I can’t taste the chocolate in all its glory” he complained chewing slowly.

Shane continued looking at him feeling a little bit hesitant. Knowing Shane he was probably feeling guilty even about Jamin’s nasty cold.

“What?” Jamin asked impatiently with his gaze.

“You have a thing on your…” then Shane put his hand one the corner of his own mouth to show Jamin the spot he needed to clean.

Jamin wasn’t bothered. He knew Shane was hesitant to approach him. He wanted to make him suffer a little bit more but his desire for him was bigger.

“Come clean it up” he simply answered rolling eyes with his own weakness. Shane reacted as if he was finally out of the discipline corner.

Jamin nodded in agreement as a permission for him to scooch. He opened a broad smile and crawled to kiss Jamin.

It was soft and slow, lingering on Jamin’s lips to taste the chocolate on his saliva. Then Shane opened his mouth a little, smiling and feeling Jamin’s heavy breathing. He kissed the corner of Jamin’s mouth, licking it slowly like a languid kitten, placing a quick peck on the spot as a final touch.

Jamin was motionless drinking the sensation. Their eyes met and Shane giggled again proud of his work.

He grabbed one donut and laid next to Jamin, using his lap as a pillow. Jamin was browsing his phone on the coffee table and the other hand unconsciously reached to play with Shane’s dreads.

“These are really good. Fuck. Mucus and crispy cookies chocolate should be a new flavor. Let’s sell it in Whole Foods” he replied full mouth laughing.

Jamin completely forgot he was sick. He thought about saying sorry but Shane didn’t seem to care about it and it was too late so he just shrugged.

“You are so warm. You’re probably feverish” Shane talked again almost finishing his donut.

“I need to get better. Next week we’re hitting the tour” he replied absently but Shane glanced up at him opening a huge smile and clapping hands.

“Our first together. We must set some ground rules. First one: no sex while we’re in drag. You don’t tuck but I do, bitch” he replied standing up to get some water in the kitchen and Jamin took the chance to get back to the couch and cover himself up again.

Shane kept talking alone in the kitchen as he started to fix himself some bread with cream cheese too. “I know, I know you don’t care about people knowing about us, but I do think our private life is still private. Bob and Naomi know and that’s enough for me. I think Kim Chi probably knows too because Naomi tells her everything.” Then he started laughing remembering of the Christmas incident “Well, Pearl doesn’t know she knows. The information it’s probably somewhere in the back of that bitch’s stoner head”

Shane ate the bread fast and when he got back to the living room Jamin was wrapped like a taco and already snorting, in heavy sick sleep.

He observed him for few seconds and sighed relieved. He approached him and felt his forehead again, placing a kiss afterwards.

“I’m here if you need anything. I swear” he whispered in his ear and Jamin didn’t move. But he listened like a sweet lullaby. He was always listening to Shane.