#gotta go tidy the kitchen and call it a night

[rubiesintherough]

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[whimsyfinny]

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Charlie discovers the Winchester boys to be struggling with keeping the bunker tidy, looking after themselves and being able to do their job simultaneously. Luckily she has a friend who’s from a Hunter family that is in need of work and can help them with research. Or so she thought that’s what her job would be. When Dean sees your more domesticated side, his head won’t stop swimming with all the wrong ideas.

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, smut

Warnings: language, violence, oral (male receiving)

Chapter Word Count: 5306

—-MDNI—-

A/N: kind of an odd chapter tbh, there was a few things that I wanted to write so it felt best to squeeze them all in together. I want to start getting into the romance side of things with Dean, so I guess that starts here. Also I’ve been away sick so I’ve added a bit of spiciness.

New readers start here: Prologue

Previous Chapter: Chapter 13

I’m Not Your F*cking Maid

Chapter 14

I grasped the hanger off the rail and slung the pair of flared jeans over my arm to join the other items I was purchasing. Dean had been kind enough to give me a hundred bucks in cash - God knows where from - to get myself whatever I needed whilst he and Sam sauntered off to the menswear stores. As I browsed, lifting a crocheted crop top up before scrunching my nose at the thought of how little it would cover, the bell to the store jingled as someone else walked in. I heard footsteps slowly pace down the short aisle I was in, and as I placed the top back on the rail, I almost jumped out of my skin as someone started talking.

“Oh hey, it's (Y/n) right? You're bunking with the Winchester boys?”

I snapped my head up at the female voice, not expecting anyone out here but Sam and Dean to know my name. My eyes met a pair of warm brown ones, faint crows feet in the corners from years of joy and smiles. I recognised her; she was the short haired woman in the bunker kitchen the night we got back from the strip club.

“Uuhhhh ye- yes! You know Sam and Dean?” My expression was clearly confused as she grinned and held out her hand.

“The names Jody Mills. I've known the boys for a while now - through hunting. It's a pleasure to meet you at last - I've heard great things about you,” I juggled the clothing in my arms and grasped her outstretched hand, giving it a firm shake. She seemed to grin at that.

“Oh, they talk about me? I had no idea,” I suddenly felt a little nervous, the knowledge that I've been the topic of conversations unbeknownst to myself made me sweat a little. Jody seemed to notice this.

“They've only had great things to say, so don't panic! Especially that boy Dean. Not sure how you've done it chick but you really got that wild card wrapped around your little finger,” she raised her eyebrows almost suggestively and I felt heat start to prickle my skin.

“Wh-what? No no no, he's not-” I watched as her head tilted in my direction, eyebrows still raised as a slight grin tugged on her lips. “Have I really?”

She hummed and nodded her head, starting to flick through the clothing rail that I'd been looking at before.

“I've known that boy a few years now, and I've never seen him run to anyone the way he ran to you that night you appeared in the kitchen, looking like a kicked kitten,” she smiled softly and squeezed my arm, “you're something special to him honey, so try not to break his heart.”

“Oh,” was all I managed to say, with what I can imagine was the dumbest look on my face as I felt myself getting redder by the second. A phone ringing suddenly pulled me from my dazed thoughts as Jody reached into her pocket and answered the call. She spoke in a sterner tone than what she'd used with me, and after a few words were exchanged she hung up and returned the device to her pocket.

“I've gotta get going, but I'll try and catch you all again later. I'm in the area for a bit so I'll try and pop by. It was lovely to meet you (Y/n),” she squeezed my arm one last time before turning to leave, the bell on the door signalling her departure. I stood for a moment, my mind spinning from what she'd said about Dean. There was absolutely no way that what she'd said was true. I mean, I beat the crap out of him when we first met, and we've bickered a lot. I guess we've not argued for a good few days. And we've had sex. Oh the sex. I bit my lip as thoughts of us tangled in his sheets came to mind. Not just thoughts, but memories. Like I said to him this morning, we're just fuck buddies. Right?

*

Leaving the store with two large paper bags in one hand and my phone in the other, I first dialled Sam to find out where he was down this stretch of high street. When it went to voicemail, I hung up and dialled Deans number instead. It rang and rang, and when I thought his was going to ring through as well, he finally answered.

“Hey sweetheart, what's up?”

“Hey, I'm finished getting what I need. Whereabouts are you?”

“Uhhh…” I heard him turn to the shop assistant and ask for the name of the store he was in before he relayed it to me.

“Cool, I'll be there in two minutes. See you soon.”

“See ya.”

And with a click I hung up and tucked my phone into my back pocket and walked no more than two hundred yards to get to where he was still trying on boots. As I gingerly walked in, well aware it was a men's store and I was currently the only woman in here, Deans head snapped to the door when the arrival bell jingled.

“Hey sweetheart, you're just in time! I have no idea what to get.”

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the thought of the great Dean Winchester getting stumped by the more domesticated side of life.

“Well I'm here to help,” I placed my bags on the bench next to his discarded jacket. “What are the options?”

We must've spent half an hour going over the ones he'd shortlisted, then he chose an entirely different pair anyway, unrelated to the ones he'd picked out for himself.

Leaving the store and a quick phone call between the brothers, we all concluded that now was the best time to stop for lunch. Dean and I made a quick trip back to Baby to drop off our bags, with Dean opting to sport his brand new boots in favour of his old and decrepit ones. It was a short walk back to the high street now that we were bag free, and I could see Sam a mile off - his tall frame loitering outside the chosen diner, the occasional woman walking past throwing a few looks his way. He, of course, was oblivious to those looks, and when he spotted us as we neared he offered a wave. He sprouted a wide, friendly grin as we came to stand next to him.

“You guys get everything you need?”

“Yep! Took Cinderella a while to find the right boots but we got there in the end,” I flashed Dean a playful smirk as he tilted his head in slight annoyance at the nickname, which pulled a light hearted laugh from Sam.

“Oh yeah? Well, at least I didn’t spend twenty bucks on a thrifted Carhartt hoodie.”

“Hey that is durable shit, it’s worth every penny.”

“You could've had one of mine, I don't wear hoodies much anymore.”

“I somehow feel like there'd be a catch with that.”

“Uuhh, I got my jacket, if anyone cares?” Sam decided to interject, and we both turned to look at him.

“Good for you Sammy.”

“Yeah, nice one Sam,” I looked around for a second, not seeing any bags, “where is it?”

He gave me a funny look.

“What?”

“Seriously?” He asked, looking between Dean and myself. I looked at the older Winchester and seemed to have the same questions I did.

“Guys, I’m wearing it. Did you seriously not notice?”

I bit my lip.

“It looks exactly the same,” Dean spoke my own thoughts out loud.

“Well I mean technically it is. But it's not all scuffed up. Look you can clearly tell it's new,” he gestured with his hands that were still in his pockets, flapping the jacket around like he was an elongated flying squirrel.

“Not really.”

“Nope,” Dean popped the ‘p’ before he walked past both of us, “come on guys I'm starving, can we just go in?”

*

A simple lunch in the diner turned into beers in the bar which somehow turned into karaoke followed by shots. The place was bustling - all tables and booths occupied and a permanent flow of people ordering drinks. Most of the guys were of similar tastes, donning boots and leather jackets whilst the few women that were there pranced around in short-shorts and low cut tops. I for one felt a little out of place. The three of us were lucky to snag a booth, albeit close to the small stage situated up front, and I’d tucked myself into the corner, cradling my rum and coke. Dean had left his jacket beside me whilst he’d ventured off to challenge a group of guys to a ‘friendly’ game of pool, his laugh occasionally flowing over the chatter and music towards where Sam and I were sitting.

“How long do you think it’ll be until they realise they’re being conned?” I quizzed, taking a gulp from my glass and letting the bubbles fizz on my tongue before swallowing. Sam chuckled, taking a second before answering.

“Uhhh I don’t think these guys will find out until tomorrow morning.” We both laughed, knowing full well that Dean will spend all night gloating about how great he is, how we should bow in respect of the swindle master. I was lost in thought for a moment, wondering how much money he would actually walk away with when Sam’s voice pulled me back to reality.

“(Y/n), can I ask you something?”

I took another gulp of my drink, knowing full well what that puppy-dog look in Sam’s eyes meant, that furrow in his brow only accentuating it.

“Sure, go ahead.”

He took a breath.

“Are you ok? Like, really ok? Because if I’m honest, if I saw someone who I thought was dead - that I used to be in love with - stand before me after years of believing I’d never see them again; I don’t think I would be ok.”

I fiddled with the hem of Deans shirt sleeve for a second, my brain swarming with every thought I’ve been avoiding since the other night and keeping every little buzz under lock and key. I hated to admit it, but I was afraid to open Pandora’s box for the fear of ice cold confrontation. It wasn’t the wisest option, but putting the skeletons back in their closet and throwing out the key was what I genuinely thought was best. I let out an emotionally exhausted sigh before slumping back in my seat.

“I’m not ok. It still feels like some sort of fucked up fever dream, but… but thinking about it isn’t going to make me feel any better. Talking about someone who’s been dead to me for years isn’t going to take this messed up feeling away. In my mind, there’s nothing to get over where he’s concerned. Yeah, he was my teenage sweetheart, but I’m a grown woman now with a whole new brain and a whole new heart,” I could’ve kicked myself for letting my eyes flick over to Dean.

Sam sighed, resting his elbows on the table, a small smile twitching on his lips.

“If you’re sure, because you know I’m always here if you want to talk.”

“I know, thanks Sam,” I gave him a soft smile, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand. “Although, just one thing…”

“What’s that?” He sat up straighter.

“I don’t think it’s Daniel as a person that has me feeling like this - I grieved him and moved on from him years ago. I think… I think it’s the thought of that soul crushing sorrow coming back that scares me the most. The kind of sorrow that makes you forget what day it is; that stops you from eating and going outside and taking care of yourself. It makes you lose friends and interest in hobbies. It makes the whole world look grey and lifeless. You feel so unbearably numb that you aren’t even sure why you’re alive anymore. It makes you want to die.”

“(Y/n)…” Sam seemed at a loss for any other words as he held my hand softly across the table, running his thumb gently over my knuckles. I took a deep breath before carrying on.

“I felt like that when I lost Daniel, but when I lost Bobby, I… I…” I felt my voice crack slightly, “when I lost Bobby it was so much worse, I genuinely never thought I’d be normal ever again. Luckily for me, Charlie found me,” I grinned, remembering her determination to piece me back together. I looked up from where our hands joined, meeting Sam’s gaze.

“The only way I’d go through any of that again would be if I was to lose you guys. I know it’s not been long, but for once I’ve found something that makes me want to get out of bed in the mornings. That shit is hard to find.”

We both took a moment, feeling the weight of my words as we shared a gaze. I knew from the way his brows drew together and that far away look in his eyes that he felt everything I’d said. He’d experienced it first hand. And he knew that he didn’t have to say much, if anything, to convey that he understood. Slowly pulling my hand out from under his and placing my palm over his knuckles, I gave a gentle squeeze before standing, letting him go and grasping my glass. I threw the last mouthful back, the liquid vigorously fizzing down my throat before warming my chest. As I swallowed, I held my glass up and raised an eyebrow at Sam.

“Well shit, would you look at that - my glass is empty. Guess I’m heading to the bar. You need a top up?”

“Yeah, please. Remind me to get the next round,” he grinned as I slid out the booth and headed towards the bar. As I waded through the crowd I passed the pool table, glancing over at Dean who was deeply engrossed in taking a player's hard earned money out of his grasp. I watched the smug grin spread over his lips as he counted then pocketed the cash.

I looked up to see an opening at the bar so I squeezed in, perching myself on a stale beer-scented barstool whilst I waited for the barman to notice me. After a couple of minutes of being served he placed the drinks before me and I paid on one of Deans ‘special’ credit cards, scooping all three glasses into my grasp - with an insane amount of skill - and turned to leave. The moment my ass left the seat cushion however I found myself toe-to-toe with a very tall and very rugged stranger, the smell of cigarettes and old leather wafting around him.

“Not seen you around these parts before doll; I know I’d recognise such a pretty face,” he had a grim smirk on his face and his voice was like sandpaper - rough but certainly not sexy. I tried to take a step back but only ended up seated back on the barstool.

“Just passing through,” I did my best to flash a polite smile in the hopes he would sense I didn’t want to have this conversation. No such luck.

“A pretty thing like you shouldn’t be in a place like this all alone. Things might…happen.”

A shudder ascended my spine into my neck and I tried my best to subtly shake it out before I gave into my more defensive side.

“Who the fuck do you think I am with this many drinks? They’re clearly not all mine… ergo, I have company.”

His gross grin widened, the subject of my statement clearly not settling correctly in the empty space between his ears.

“Getting feisty… I like it. Can’t get much better than a little thing with a mouth.”

I shuddered again.

“What part of ‘I have company’ do you not fucking understand? And even if I was alone, I definitely wouldn’t be going anywhere with you.”

His grimy smirk faltered slightly, finally absorbing some of my words that seemed to be floating in the air around his thick skull.

“Aw don’t be like that.”

“Oh I’m gonna ‘be like that’ until you leave me the fuck alone.”

He took a lumbering step forwards, pushing me further onto the barstool.

“See now there’s a point when a mouth on a pretty thing becomes down right obnoxious, and you’re nearing that point sweetheart.”

“Don’t you fucking ‘sweetheart’ me you dick,” I was mentally preparing to buy another round of drinks as the thought of throwing these three at this asshole was becoming sweeter by the second, and people were starting to watch on but there wasn’t a single white knight in sight.

“Well now you’ve just crossed that line,” the second I saw him start to raise his arms my instincts kicked in and I gave into my previous thought and doused him in liquor, the amber liquid running down his face and neck and soaking into his clothes. He looked down at himself in disbelief before lifting his head back up, this time baring his teeth and raising his hand as if to slap me. I reflexively raised my arms and squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact.

“You stupid bitch.”

“If you touch a hair on her goddamn head ‘imma put you six feet under.”

My eyes shot open and I lowered my hands to see a seething Dean Winchester, a single strong hand wrapped around my harasser's wrist.

“Who the fuck are you?”

The faintest smirk pulled at the corner of Deans mouth before disappearing as quickly as it appeared, leaving nothing but quiet rage burning across his features.

“I’m about to be your biggest fucking problem.”

Before the asshole could even react Deans hand went from twelve O’clock to six O’clock in half a second with a sickening snap, breaking the jerks elbow with deadly skill. Practised skill. Whilst my harasser cried out and cradled his limp arm, Dean let go of him before a few of the onlookers gave Dean a nod of approval before escorting the creep out. Once he knew he was out of the building, Dean turned to me, softly grasping my chin between his thumb and index finger.

“Are you ok? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” He tilted my face left and right, scrutinising over my unharmed skin. When he was sure that there wasn’t a scratch on me he let go, relief flooding his gaze as he sighed.

“Dean I’m fine, I promise,” I reached up, fingers hesitantly grazing his stubbled cheek before I thought better of it and dropped my hand to his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

“I swear to God (Y/n), if he’d laid a finger on you he’d get a lot more than a busted elbow,” his hand came to rest on my bicep, his long fingers gently wrapping around my arm in subconscious comfort, almost pulling me towards him. My own hand seemed to slide down from his shoulder to rest softly on his chest, my fingertips feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath.

“I know,” I reassured, giving him a little smile to which he returned. I felt my soft smile turn mischievous as thoughts started conjuring in my mind.

“Come on, Sam is waiting for another drink, let's order and get back to the table.”

The bartender had seen Dean step in to help me, so luckily for us this round was on the house. As we slid into the booth opposite Sam I slid his drink over to him.

“What happened back there?” He asked, mildly concerned.

“Just some asshole thinking I was gonna leave this place with him,” I sighed, sitting down, Dean taking his seat beside me. Sam's eyes flicked between the two of us.

“I'm sure I saw him leave with his arm all out of shape, was that-”

“Yeah well, shrimp-dick had it coming,” Dean was doing his best to act nonchalant, however the moment our eyes met over the top of our drinks we couldn't stop the giggles from tumbling out.

“Guys, Dean, you can't go around breaking elbows-”

“Relax Sammy. No one's gonna say anything, they all saw him acting like a creep. Just didn't have the balls to step in. Anyway,” a darker look clouded his eyes as his gaze bore into his younger brother, “he was harassing our girl, Sam. Ain't no way in Hell I was gonna let that slide.”

There was a moment of thick silence before Sam nodded, finally agreeing with Deans actions, knowing that if it had come down to it, he might've done the same. I raised my glass to my lips, taking a long sip before placing it back on the table, looking between the boys as they continued to have some sort of silent conversation that I wasn't a part of. The mischievous thoughts from earlier kept bubbling in my mind, and it didn't take any self-convincing for me to act on them. I shuffled slightly closer to Dean, not enough to draw attention to myself but enough to be in touching distance. I glanced up at him, making sure he was totally unaware and focused on his drink before I reached out slowly, letting my soft fingertips glide over the rough denim of his jeans. I glanced up at him when I heard him inhale his drink, spluttering slightly as I squeezed the inside of his thigh. I traced the length of his inseam, watching his grip on his glass tighten, the tanned skin over his knuckles paling.

“You ok there?” I asked, feigning concern with a quirk of a brow.

“Oh I'm just peachy sweetheart,” his voice came out low, lower than I think he was expecting it to as his eyes nervously darted to Sam who was too busy opening his laptop to notice. Dean leant back on the bench, the worn leather creaking under his weight. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, pausing for a moment before lifting his arm closest to me, as though inviting me to sit closer. Eager to oblige I scooted towards him, nibbling my bottom lip when I felt his large hand rest softly on my back, subconsciously pulling me in. I crossed one leg over the other, turning into him slightly, tilting my head to get a better look at his face.

“I think I left something in the car, would you mind coming with me whilst I grab it?”

He looked a little puzzled for a moment before shotting the last of his whiskey and nodding his head.

“Sure thing,” he turned to his brother, “hey Sammy, we’ll be back in a few.”

Sam grunted a reply, too lost in the article he was reading to pay much attention to us. Dean slid out of the booth and held his hand out to me, which I grasped. His long rough fingers enveloped my hand as he pulled me to my feet. Leaving his jacket behind, we left the bar and made our way to the impala.

The night air had turned chilly, biting at my flushed cheeks as we paced across the lot, taking all of about thirty seconds to reach the impala. Dean was a few steps ahead of me, having unlocked the rear passenger door by the time I'd arrived.

“There you are, grab what you ne- whoa!”

He was caught off guard when I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him down into the car, his broad form filling the space in the back with ease. I climbed in after him, closing the door and crawling along the back bench towards him. It took a moment, but Dean eventually caught on.

“Oh, I’m liking where this is going.”

I chewed at my bottom lip, watching him settle beneath me as he propped up slightly on his elbows, the fabric of his T-shirt stretching thin over his muscular chest.

“I wanted to thank you for being my hero. That’s the second time you’ve rescued me - I wanted to thank you properly. You know, to really show my appreciation.”

It was Deans turn to pull his bottom lip between his teeth, the corners of his plush lips turning up.

“You know, I’m starting to think you might be trouble,” his voice was getting lower with every word, each syllable rumbling in his chest and vibrating into my fingertips.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his words, feeling some truth to them as I scooted down the bench to sit between his legs before slipping into the large footwell. I patted the seat in front of me, and it didn’t even take a second for Dean to slide himself into it, sitting up straight. As I sat between his knees and looked up at him, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight; the way the streetlights painted his face in warm amber, softening his battle-hardened features and reflecting in his eyes like dancing embers from a stoked fire. The shadows didn’t seem contradictory - the darkness we were sitting in was far from cold. Dean Winchester was not an artistic man by any means, but he himself was certainly a masterpiece.

I reached up and unbuckled his belt along with the button on his jeans, carefully dragging the zipper down after and tugging the thick fabric along with his boxers off his hips; just enough to dip my hand in and pull out his cock, already hot and heavy in my palm. He made an almost strained noise on contact and my stomach fluttered at the thought of him being so sensitive. So sensitive at my mercy. I adjusted my grip on him before going up and down, once… twice… three times… over and over at a sinfully slow pace. His hands gripped his thighs like they had nowhere else to go, and when I looked up he was watching every move I was making with knotted brows and parted lips. His eyes only found mine when I straightened my back and leant forwards, gliding my tongue up the thick length of him but avoiding the tip. Mimicking my hand, I licked up and down again and again, ever so slowly gaining speed before I finally dragged my tongue over his tip and plunged his whole cock down my throat.

“Oh fuck,” Dean gasped out, his large palms flying to my hair - long fingers knotting with the soft strands. I could tell he wanted nothing more than to shove my head down as far as it would go, but his self restraint shone through. I started to move, slowly at first, head bobbing without missing a beat. The feeling of his cock pressing against the back of my throat over and over was fine at first, but the longer I sucked him off the urge to gag grew. The size of Deans cock was not something to be taken lightly, and after a couple of minutes the impending gag hit and I pulled him out of my mouth.

“Shit, (Y/n)… How are you so good at this?” He hissed out in a breath I’m sure he’d been holding since I'd started. I assumed the question was rhetorical as I gave him a few pumps, swallowing the excess spit and precum on my tongue before leaning back in. One by one I placed hot, wet kisses up his length, placing the final one on his tip before I pulled it back into my mouth. With the new found sensitivity of my gag reflex ever-present, I avoided taking him too far down my throat, this time using one hand to reach where my mouth couldn't at his base. Adding a little twist, I felt his grip tighten once again in my hair, his long fingers absently scooping loose strands away from my face. The combination of feeling him lose his mind beneath me and the tenderness of his touch sent a flutter to my heart which quickly travelled south at the sound of his euphoric groan, his head lolling back and eyes closing. As I pressed my tongue to the large vein scaling his length I could feel his rapid pulse, my own heart rate almost as fast as his. As I continued to bob my head, I could feel him gather all my hair in one hand, his other softy tracing down over my temple, my cheek and my lips before stopping at my chin, a single swipe from his thumb removing most if the spit and precum that was threatening to stream down my neck. I would consider my next move a grave mistake - looking up through my damp lashes to meet Deans white-hot gaze fixated and fascinated with every little motion I made. The blissed-out look in his eyes could have turned a weaker woman into a puddle right then and there, and I surprised myself with my own resilience. He continued to hold me with one hand in my hair and a soft grip on my chin, my own free hand moving to grip him near the inside of his thigh. Another soft moan slipped from his lips as I started to speed up, not caring for the ache in my jaw or mess he was now too preoccupied to swipe away. I was surprised when no words left Deans lips, his usual blasphemous language replaced with velvety moans of pleasure. I could tell he was nearing his peak when his cock twitched between my lips, again and again before before he finally groaned out a strained:

“Fuck, oh shit.”

His grip tightened, like he was trying to pull me off him, however when that telltale throb made his cock graze the back of my throat I removed my hand from his base and enveloped him in his entirety, a final, breathy gasp and groan tumbling from Deans lips before the sensation of warm, viscous liquid spilled across the back of my tongue. It took a moment for the ropes to stop coming, and when they did I pulled him from my mouth slowly, looking up at his breathless form. Not taking my eyes from his, I parted my lips slightly to show his cum, glazing my tongue, before closing my mouth and swallowing the thick liquid down. He let out another groan, his grip finally releasing my hair as he ran his hands over his face, taking a moment for his eyes to find mine again.

“Holy shit, sweetheart… I feel like I just died and went to heaven.”

I couldn't stop the stupid giggle spilling from my lips as I wiped the spit from my lips and chin with the bottom of Deans shirt that I was wearing.

“For a moment there I thought you had too.”

He grinned down at me, perhaps a little bashful as he tucked himself back into his pants and refastened his belt. As he finished up, a few moments of silence hung over us as I still remained nestled between his strong thighs. His eyes met mine and they seemed to hold a thousand words that he wanted to say, and when nothing came from his lips he simply held out his hand to pull me into his lap. Just as my fingers grazed his, however, there was a loud rap at the window which spooked both of us out of our skin.

“Motherfucker,” Dean muttered before rolling down the window, and a small wave of guilt and embarrassment washed over me when I heard Sam's disbelieving yet humoured voice coming from outside.

“Guys are you fucking serious?!”

——————————————————————

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[barefoothighlander]

Hi could I ask for Ghost with an hypersomniac reader? Much love to you!

of course babe, I'm not super knowledgeable about hypersomnia but I tried my best, I feel like Ghost would be so attentive and caring, always checking in etc. So here's a lil' one shot.

warnings: none just fluff, gn pronouns

Ghost was used to being up late, the military had trained him to stay up for days in a row, often times he’d just lay awake in bed, hiding from the nightmares, forcing his body to stay awake. You didn’t have the same luxury, often finding yourself dozing off during the day, or sleeping through odd hours. Somehow it worked, you being up for brief periods of time, usually during the night, and his discontent for sleeping, it allowed you to spend time together, away from the noise of the rest of the world.

He wasn’t one for going out often considering his outward appearance usually frightened onlookers, but at home he wasn’t Ghost, he was Simon, your Simon. Your Simon that would carry you to bed if you fell asleep on the couch, who would hold you close as his heartbeat lulled you to sleep. He may have been a ruthless killer outside the wall of your home, but inside he was the most caring partner you could have.

You had woken up during the night, inching out of bed in your pyjamas (little cotton shorts with skulls on them, he’d bought them for you a while back), rubbing your eyes as they adjusted to the small stream of light coming from the kitchen, poking your head out to see Simon, shirtless and braced against the counter as the kettle on the stove boils, smiling to yourself as he hears your footsteps get closer.

“Hey angel” his accent is thick, he had just gotten out of bed.

“Hiya handsome” you manage through a yawn, opening your arms to pull him into a hug as he embraces you, placing a kiss on the top of your head

“You alright?”

You respond with a meek nod into his chest, he was so warm, comforting, like a fire on a cool summer night. He moves to pull away as he hears the kettle finish boiling but you cling to him, placing your feet on top of his as he laughs, walking your bodies over to the stove. He pours two cups of tea, hands coming to stroke along your back as he waits for them to steep.

“You know you’ll have to let me go when I leave for work”

“Not if I can help it”

You release him hesitantly as he hands you a mug, his hand soft on your waist as he guides you to the couch, flicking on the television. You rest your head against his firm shoulder, tucking your body close to his as he reaches behind you, grabbing a blanket and draping it over your form, the two of you silently enjoying each other’s company as you sip your tea.

“Any plans for the day?” he asked, he always liked to know what you were up to, his own days becoming routine when he wasn’t deployed, working out, filing paperwork, training some new recruits.

“Just some errands, groceries and tidying” you respond, glancing around the flat, it wasn’t messy, Simon would never let it get too bad, but there was some laundry that had to be done, a few scattered dishes to be washed.

He hums in acknowledgement, the two of you sat watching reruns of Eastenders, quietly joking to yourselves. You loved this time, there were no cars outside, no shouting from the other buildings, it felt like it was you and Simon, alone in the world. You sat with him before glancing at the time, 7:30.

“You’ve gotta go,” you said, moving your body off him, he nods and moves to the bedroom to get dressed while you collect the mugs, bringing them to the sink.

“I’ll be home around 4 but I’ll call you at 11,” he said, tugging a sweatshirt over his head.

You cross the room to stand in front of him, fingers running through his hair trying to tame the mess that had come from his tossing and turning, giving him a smile before reaching up to plant a kiss on his lips, he holds you there for a minute.

“Have a good day” you say with another peck to his lips as you watch him cross the room and leave.

You figure you might as well get some of your to-do list done now considering you might be too tired in a few hours. You manage to clean up all the dishes and throw in a load of laundry, deciding that you could vacuum tomorrow, plopping down on the couch your eyelids feel heavy, moving to rest your head against a pillow.

You’re woken up to the loud buzzing of your phone, eyes squinting in adjustment to the sunlight coming from the windows, you look at the screen 11:03, and Simon’s name is in full view as you answer the phone.

“Hey love, you alright?”

“Yea, just woke up”

“Shit, sorry didn’t mean to wake you”

“It’s alright, I have to head to the market anyway”

“Right, well, Captain needs me to stay later on base” You can hear the regret in his voice. “I won’t be home till late, m’sorry love”

You pout subconsciously, “Oh, that’s okay, I guess I’ll just see you when you get home then”

“Yeah,” he says, scratching the back of his head, “I love you”

A smile creeps up on your face, “I love you too Si” you respond, hanging up the phone, pushing yourself up from the couch to get dressed.

The rest of your day was rather simple, buy a few groceries for the flat, Simon had requested some sort of chocolate biscuit to snack on. You got home around 2 and made yourself something to eat before putting away the food. By 4 you have finished the laundry, feeling accomplished that you managed nearly all the tasks you had set out to do, rewarding yourself with a bath, you ran the water, lighting some candles in the room before stepping in and letting the warm water soothe you. You sat for 20 minutes, feeling yourself grow tired and deciding to get out (you had fallen asleep in the tub one time and Simon swore he had a heart attack when he found you). Changing into one of his shirts before settling yourself in bed.

At 9 you were woken up by Simon’s soft caresses of your hair,

“You’re home,” you said with a smile, turning your body to face him as he leaned down for a quick kiss.

“Have you eaten?”

You shake your head, “Not since lunch”

He shakes his head, holding his hands out for you to grab and leading you to the kitchen where you sit on one of the stools, he moves around the kitchen, grabbing pans and ingredients as you stare lovingly. You ask about his day, it was pretty typical aside from Soap accidentally detonating a live landmine in a field simulation. A few minutes pass and he presents you with a small bowl of pasta, he wasn’t the best chef but he managed to not burn down the kitchen, you thank him as he moves to sit beside you, his own larger bowl in front of him. The two of you chat in between bites, you watch his face light up at the mention of the biscuits you bought, laughing to yourself over the fact that such a large daunting man would be so happy over a simple cookie. 

Simon cleans up the dishes as you seat yourself on the couch, flicking through the channels to find something to watch before you feel the cushions dip under his weight, his arm snaking around your shoulders to pull you into him. You decide on watching an episode of some sitcom before Simon grabs the remote, changing the channel to check the score of the rugby game. The heat emanating from him comforts you, as you grow tired once again, he lets you rest against him for a while before deciding that he should try to get some sleep as well, his arms moving to lift your body, carrying you to the bed and setting you down gently before he strips into more comfortable clothing and joins you,

"G'night baby," he says, kissing your forehead.

He watches the steady rise and fall of your chest, tucking you into him and resting his chin on your head before falling asleep.

[oceansprompts]

Best of Daredevil: Cutting Edge

quotes taken from the Marvel novel, Daredevil: The Cutting Edge (1999) by Madeleine E. Robins // adjust pronouns and lines as needed.

Can I bring you a cup of coffee? I'm already on number seven or eight… I forget which.

Wouldn't you like a chance to go, I don't know, live on a beach somewhere, drinking rum punch or something?

I'd rather go to hell, I love this. This is what I do.

Don't look at me that way; I'm not the one who drank a dozen cups of coffee a day and never got any exercise.

Not bad for a skinny blind kid from Hell's Kitchen.

Not as flashy as Spider-Man, maybe, but not too shabby.

What is this guy, a zombie?

You moron, he's not the perp!

Okay, Mr. Off-the-Rack, what else did you leave behind?

It's okay, you've been very brave.

It was a kind lie, kindly meant.

Don't ever let me lose you.

Pleading "blind man walked into the door" again, your honor.

Yaaaay for the good guy!

So, he was the wall you ran into?

Triumph and hell, all at once. I wish you could have seen it.

How about dinner tonight? In a real restaurant. Like grownups.

Off to Rykers. Another day in Fun City.

Have fun storming the castle!

Maybe I should get Seeing Eye cat?

Well, of the two, I guess the brain's more important.

Doesn't it seem a little too tidy? The pink ribbons and all?

A problem? My dear, I trust you implicitly.

Who put this guy in a position where he can talk to the public?

Not me, I'm naturally suspicious.

Tooth extraction would be more fun than what I'm writing.

I can't smell anything, my food tastes funny…

I'm wasting away to a shadow of my former self.

Two-bit mouthpieces! He actually said that? Who writes his dialouge?

Why not just wave a big, huge red flag that says something suspicious here?

I will be the soul of discretion.

Try not to break any of your well-informed friends too badly loking for information, okay?

Right, everytime you come in to chat, I wind up doing renovations. New plate glass, new tables, new ribcage…

Are you just a discipline problem in the making, or do you have something useful to contribute?

Anyone got anything they want to share with the class?

Naughty, naughty.

No breakage, this time. They're learning.

A little judicious flattery can work wonders.

You're all flipping wild cards. That's part of your charm.

I don't like lawyers!

Call any hour of the day or night.

Don't throw the card away, I'll know.

Okay, hero, play brave, competent, [disabled] person.

Oh, I already do, but make me love him more.

He sounds like the kind of guy who pulled the wings off butterflies and tortured puppy dogs.

Basically, your overprivileged sociopath.

I wasn't always the polished gem you see now.

He has the business ethics of a piranha.

Judiciously applied, the business ethics of a piranha can be very useful.

Make it good, boyo.

If you like it hot, but I gotta say, man, you oughtta use a little caution.

I'm touched by your concern, but I promise you I'm well armed.

Well, the only thing to do with a bully and a coward is face him straight on!

Now it's time for bed, close your weary eyes and dream of me.

You're a darling, but I'm too tired to argue about it.

This is where I'm going to die.

You have great bone structure.

Well, look. The neighborhood avenger. Come on, you wanna play?

Spread the word, sweetheart.

I couldn't... fight him...

You stayed alive, you did the right thing.

Bullies... never give in to... bullies.

You did good, remember that.

Oh my, really bad night.

I don't deserve you.

You roll in here looking like someone shot your dog, so I figure I can be self-absorbed and ill-tempered some other morning.

Listen, sweetheart, whatever you did, it's not your fault.

If anyone's to blame, it' me.

I find I'm old-fashioned enough to prefer talking to a live human being.

Lies. All lies.

I don't think they're ever leaving. I think they like it here.

It's air conditioned, the coffee's free, they get to point and laugh at the poor people trying to work.

Nothing more than crushing piles of work. The usual. What's up?

You'll have to make this the "For Dummies" version.

Heartbreaking. You expect setbacks, but we were so close!

I mean, it worked ⸺ it just had this damned baggage with it.

Well, I'm over it. Grieved, moved on.

So you think because she's a babe that she's capable of planning murder?

Ow! Be careful! You don't know your own strength!

If I were afraid of you, would I be sitting here?

Thank you so much, I really look forard to proving I'm not the monster I'm sure I seemed the other day.

Reduces me to a screaming hormonal pulp?

Don't you think you ought to relax a little?

You really don't like being challenged at all, do you?

I have to do something, and this is what I can do.

My point is, I love you, and I don't want to have to bring you flowers at St. Clare's.

Be careful. That shiner is just beginning to fade; you don't need another, and I do need you. Okay?

Once again, it's all the fault of the guy in the tights, jeez.

It's as tired as I am.

Okay, genius, what now?

What are you gonna do, kill me?

Come on, I'm doing the best I can.

Stay alive, [name]. I'm here.

What are you, Iron Man?

Look, I'm going to close my eyes and rest for a while, don't let anything exciting happen while I'm out, okay?

Are you sure you're supposed to be scolding me in your weakened condition?

I was just trying to distract you from telling me you were right about it.

I hadn't planned on scolding you about that until you were strong enough to fight back.

You say the absolutely perfect thing sometimes. You really do.

I never know whether you're as clumsy as you seem, or just playing a very, very crafty part. Well, you're not dead yet.

That the way you treat all your dates?

Cosmic irony: man with no sympathy has a heart that beats sympathetically.

Hey... I'm one of the good guys, right?

Look at me. I look like... the Hulk's baby sister. And it's going to get worse.

I'm not stupid. I played a risky game and I lost. I lost it big and I'm going to wind up a monster.

Tell me about the colors.

Tell me what you hear.

Anyone here ever ask you what the most beautiful word in the English language is, you can tell'em: home.

Hey you, having a good time?

With you? Always.

We could rent a movie, then curl up on the couch together and ignore it.

That sounds good. We could even forget the movie.

Even better, I love you a lot.

That is what keeps me going.

[emmyrosee]

😘😜🤡🤢 with Mean?

AHHHH MEIAN MY STINKLE MAN 🥹🥹

😙 What's your PDA level like?

In public, we’re pretty reserved tbh. Like maybe a kiss to the temple, a hand hold is common, but nothing outrageous as we wait in line or walk down the street.

But in private? Oh. Forget about it. I’m clinging to that man like a koala and he just sits there and takes it. Don’t let him fool you, though. He’s a damn menace during the night, all limbs locked around me and kisses placed everywhere and just whispering in my ear like a freak of nature (I literally love him sm)

😜Who cooks and who burns the food?

Oh, Shugo has to cook. I am absolutely useless in the kitchen, I can’t cook a can of spaghetti-o’s without having the fire alarm go off. It’s bad bad. But it’s okay, he leaves me to set the table and tidy up the house while he cooks… the only thing he doesn’t love is I can’t wash dishes, but he puts up with it bc it’s me 🥹

🤡Surprise Question (I’ll just give a random answer since there wasn’t a specific question 🫶🏻)

When Meian and I met, i was so awestruck and in such love-at-first-sight mode, that I didn’t know he played volleyball until like, three weeks in when someone who recognized him asked for an autograph. I merely cocked a brow, to which he matched mine, and in the middle of the restaurant screamed “YOURE MEIAN SHUGO?” (as if we hadn’t gone on four dates at this point)

🤢Who gets sick and who gets to play nurse?

Shugo has like, this thing, where when he’s sick, I have to PHYSICALLY keep him in bed because he absolutely HATES IT. All he wants to do is be active and go about his day, be with his team (even though he knows they’ll make him go home) he’s a captain, he’s gotta be there. That’s why I hide his keys and woke up extra early to call his coach, and basically usher him back to the bed every five minutes because even though he “can get water himself,” baby, no, you need to rest

Meanwhile IIIIIIII am a massive, MASSIVE baby when I’m sick, and he’s content enough to call out of work to nurse me. I scold him for it, but he just assures me that he wants to do this, wants to baby me, even though he abSOLUTELY HATES WHEN I TRY TO DO IT FOR HIM SMHHHHH

[whentherewerebicycles]

he smiled at me this morning!!!!!! several times!!!! he still looks confused and alarmed immediately after smiling lol but he’s definitely figuring out how to do it. and his little expressive face looks so joyful when he manages it 😭😭😭 gosh I love my little baby so much. ALSO I don’t want to jinx it but he has now slept through the night for a full week (8:30pm-7am). we usually have one little hiccup between 5-6am where he wakes up and fusses for a bit but he doesn’t act hungry and will go back to sleep if I give him his pacifier. I think this week I might try not giving him the pacifier right away to see if he can get himself back to sleep on his own. anyway what a nice little baby. he is down for his first nap now and I am lying in bed listening to the rain :)

his sitter is coming at 2… here’s what I need to do before that:

read for 30 min

shower

take down dishes & bottles

clean up kitchen

maybe clean out fridge

take out trash and recycling

tidy bedroom and make bed

start laundry

while she’s here:

pack Q returns (with shipping label)

walk dogs if it stops raining

call PT to schedule

prep for student mtg

update and submit JE rec letter

if I get done with this stuff early I can write for a bit!

3:30-4:30 student mtg (I am really struggling with this kid sigh I gotta spend some time thinking about how to approach this)

[taintedevesayori]

Sayo's Route: Manservant Ending

Sayo's Route Masterlist

Monologue

The months passed by.  Winter in the forest was prettier than I could have imagined. Every time I went out, I always found something new to admire.  Spring was beautiful, with all the flowers blooming and wildlife emerging.  Leaving everything and starting over was hard at first, but I had come to love it here.  I was able to talk to my friends all the time and Meguri and I had become very close. We considered each other family at this point.  The guests who stayed at the inn were all nice, so I enjoyed my job as well.  And now summer has almost come… I had been waiting for this practically since I had moved here. 

-Sayo is talking to her friends on her cellphone

Sayo: Have you guys decided when you’re coming to visit yet?

Kisa: Duh! Of course we have!

Rena: Fufu…We’ve been talking about it for weeks. 

Lei: Tetsuo is going to take us the first Monday of summer break. So in two weeks!

Sayo: That’s awesome! I’m excited to see you guys. We’re going to have so much fun. I’ve found things for us to do in the town nearby as well. 

Kisa: Hell yeah! 

Emi: There’s some new recipes for sweets I want to try! We should all bake together!

Lei: Fufu…It will be a crowded kitchen, but I’m sure we can make that work. 

Sayo: The kitchen should be big enough for all of us…

Kisa: Think there will be fish in that river? I wonder if I could catch one with my hands…

Rena: Haha…! I’ll bet you would fall in trying!

Kisa: I would not!

Sayo: Fufu…There are fish but I don’t recommend trying to fish with your hands Kisa. 

Lei: Fufu…This is going to be a lively summer. 

Emi: It will be so much fun!

Rena: Oh…! Gotta get going, guys. My mom needs me. Let’s talk later?

Kisa: Sounds good!

Sayo: Talk to you guys later, then. 

Rena: Alright, see ya!

-The girls say their goodbyes before hanging up

(I’ve got some free time…Maybe I should tidy up my room a little…)

-Sayo begins cleaning her room. When she reaches her dresser, her eyes land on a small wooden chest with a flower design carved into it 

Sayo: …

(I haven’t looked at this in a long time…Meguri gave it to me when I said I wanted to find something to keep a few personal items safe…She said it was something a guest left behind and she didn’t need it.)

-She opens the chest, revealing the purikura photos she had taken with Kou, along with the ring he gave her

(The purikura photos I took with my friends are displayed on my wall…and I wear the necklace Rena gave me…But I decided I couldn’t display his photos or wear the ring anymore, not even on the necklace. Not if I want to move on from that part of my life…so I put them all in here. I haven’t looked inside in a long time…)

-She sits down on her bed with the chest in her hands, reminiscing on the times she spent with Kou, his brothers, and the Sakamaki brothers

(Yeah, there were a lot of bad times…but there were good moments…And I do miss them from time to time…)

-She reaches to the very bottom of the chest. Underneath everything is a small piece of paper with Kou’s number and the number for the Sakamaki house phone written on it

(I remember…I wrote these both down shortly after I came here…I was having a really hard night and I questioned if this was really a good idea or not…so I decided to write down their numbers before I forgot them in case I ever needed them in the future.)

Sayo: I am kinda curious how they’re all doing…

(I can’t call Kou…If I call him and he gives me some kind of plausible explanation for what happened back then, I might question my resolve…But maybe…)

-She stands up, grabbing the piece of paper and putting it in her pocket

(I can’t call them from my phone or the Inn’s phone. But there is a payphone on the street outside the Inn.)

-She goes outside to the payphone and uses it to call the Sakamaki mansion. It rings a few times before someone picks up

Reiji: Hello. This is the Sakamaki residence. Reiji speaking. 

(It’s Reiji…! I expected it to be one of the house servants…If it was, I was just going to hang up…I know I called, but now I don’t know if I’m actually prepared to talk to him or not…)

Reiji: Hello? Speak now or I am hanging up the phone.

Sayo: Fufu…You’re acting like usual, so guess you seem to be doing alright after all. 

Reiji: Sayo…! Do not hang up the phone!

Sayo: You knew it was me so quickly?

Reiji: I know your voice, Sayori. If you thought you could call without us realizing it was you, you are sorely mistaken. 

Sayo: I didn’t. I didn’t really have much of a plan, to be honest. I found this number as I was going through my things and was wondering how everyone was doing. I was going to hang up if it was a servant. I didn’t really expect one of you to answer. 

Reiji: You saved our household number…?

Sayo: I did…I hope you guys are doing well. I do admit that I miss you and Subaru sometimes. Ayato, and even Laito at times too…

Reiji: Where are you? I will come and bring you home right away. 

Sayo: Reiji, this is my home now. I’m sorry for running away. I had the opportunity to go, and after everything with Kou, I just couldn’t live my life like that anymore…

Reiji: And what about your promise to become my bride so that I can take over as the successor?!

Sayo: You know I never promised you that, Reiji…I had been planning on leaving the whole time…I always said I didn’t plan on marrying any of you. There were good times, Reiji. Those would be the reason I came back, not marriage. But I can’t live my life like that anymore. So I’m staying where I am.

Reiji: Sayo…What do we have to do so that you will return? 

Sayo: …I’m sorry, Reiji…There isn’t anything. 

Laito: Sayo-chan…? Is that really you?

Sayo: Laito…?!

Laito: I was passing by and forced Reiji to give me the phone when I heard your name…! Do you have any idea what you’ve put us through? How long we searched for you? But we couldn’t find anything…

Sayo: Of course not…I didn’t want to be found. 

Laito: Why…?! Why would you leave us?! 

Sayo: I wanted my life back. I wasn’t going to let it be controlled by vampires.

Laito: …Just come home, Sayo-chan. Can’t we move past that?

Sayo: It’s not something we can move past, Laito. I’m not coming back. I don’t want to. I’m sorry. You guys never got a proper goodbye. I know it’s late…but goodbye. I really do wish you all well. 

Laito: Sayo-chan, don’t go…!

Reiji: Don’t you dare hang up, Sayori!

-Sayo hangs up the phone. She takes a step back, staring up at the sky for a moment

Sayo: I’m sorry…but I’ve moved on…

-When she is back in her room, she puts the paper with the phone numbers on it back in the chest. She then takes the chest and places it in her closet. After opening her window, she rests her arms on the windowsill, leaning out the window slightly

Sayo: Summer is coming…It’s going to be so much fun.

-All thoughts of the vampires that were previously a part of her life were gone as she brainstormed ideas of fun things for her and her friends to do while they were visiting

End.

[im1nobody]

Theo

TW: Christianity, Bullying

The next day after waking up Adora tidies up her books and looks at the guardian jobs needed. One she notices still up, abandoned, is for a bullied teenager who had been outed as bisexual. Adora had recognised the word, bisexual, it is part of the LGBT community. 

She had decided that this would be the job she worked on. Grabbing the flyer she goes to the head of guardian angels to gain approval, a pretty simple task. They merely skim the job and make sure it’s up to your skill level.

“You want this job?” she asks looking up from the flyer.

“Yes,” Adora answers smiling softly. 

“I mean, it’ll be a bit difficult, I think you could handle it but I should advise you not to delve too deep into things you don’t understand,” Alice says softly but sternly.

Adora frowns to herself and nods before being granted access to the job. She flies down to a small town in the country. Adora finds her assignment, a boy named Theodore, in his small apartment. 

His home life had not been mentioned so she decided to watch him and his family. It seems fairly nuclear, a mother, a father, and a baby sister. Adora watches Theodore in his room, he’s finishing his homework and doodling on a sketchbook beside him. 

“Theo, honey it’s time for breakfast,” his mother calls from their small kitchen

Theodore, also referred to as Theo, perks his head up. He sets his homework back in his backpack before walking out. Theodore's father is already at work so he won’t see him till after school.

“How did you sleep, honey?”

“I slept good, thank you, Mom,” he said. Theo eats his breakfast, toast and an egg with orange juice on the side. It was small but good. 

After breakfast, Theodore’s mom drives him to school and takes his little sister to daycare. Adora follows Theodore through the halls. He keeps his head down his brown hair covering grey eyes.

“Kissing any boys lately Theo!” a kid mocks down the hall.

Theo tugs his hair narrowing his eyes at his feet as he nears his locker. Adora notices it’s littered with papers people have taped on. She tried reading them but Theo rips them down before she gets the chance. While Theo puts his bag away Adora picks up the pages to see what was written, more hate messages,

“Bicycle”

“Pick a side”

“Unnatural”

Adora is stunned by the hatred that these children can have for their peers. She looks back and follows Theo to his first class. He sits in the back of the class and tries his best to blend in and go unnoticed. It’s an unfortunate sight to see for the guardian angel.

Throughout the day people heckled and one even tried to ask him out as some strange prank. At the end of the school day, Theo’s mom picks him up, and he sits in the back waving and cooing at his little sister. He’s calmer now Adora notices. Happier.

Once home Theo sits down at the dining table and begins working on homework. He hears the heavy steps of his father approaching the door as it opens. Theodore looks up from the pile of papers smiling as the tired man walks in. 

“Hi Dad,” he exclaims softly.

“Hey, how was school?” he asks in response. Adora smiled at the Father’s voice, It was rough but a kind of gentle she rarely saw.

Theodore shrugged, “the same old, I guess,”

“Those bullies still picking on you?” he asks. Theo gives a curt nod and his dad smiles brightly, “Well you gotta show them you can take it. Show them you’re in charge. Sock ‘em in the mouth, they won’t give you any problems I can guarantee,”

His mother scoffs lightly from the other room, “that’s a one-way ticket to detention,” she says.

“Sure, but it’ll show that you’re strong and can take what they dish,”

“You shouldn’t resort to violence, Theo. You’re a strong man. Just show them that they don’t get under you’re skin and they’ll stop, alright?” his mom adds in.

Theo smiles at his parents nodding and goes back to working on his school work. The night went by smoothly. They ate a small but good dinner. They played together and laughed and talked. Before bed Theo kneeled beside his bed and folded his hands, Adora had seen this action many times before for prayers. She listened intently hoping for a hint on how she should help him tomorrow.

‘God, I’m sorry for sinning, I’m sorry for being bi. Thank you for my loving and supporting family. Please keep them safe,’ he prays. His vibrations were deep showing his intentions were true. Adora smiles softly watching him get into bed before flying off to her dorms. 

In the morning Adora goes to Theo’s home to find a family photo. It was easy to find a spare, one from his sister's birth in a kitchen drawer. She slips the picture into his binder before rushing off to his school before he finishes breakfast. Theo’s locker has begun acquiring hateful papers again but she begins getting rid of them before he comes.

Theo arrives, his head down as always, and reaches his locker. Theodore looks up preparing to rip off papers but sees a blank door. He smiles softly feeling a rush of relief before quickly putting his bag away. He hurries to the first period before heckles can be thrown his way. Adora follows him proudly. Pulling out his binder the photo falls out as a crude slur comes from one of his classmates.

Theo turns his head not noticing his family at first towards the sound of the remark. Adora doesn’t know quite how to fix it other than give guidance to take a deep breath and turn back to his desk, like his mother’s advice. Once looking back to his desk he sees the smiling faces of his mom and dad and the sleeping face of his baby sister. He smiles softly to himself placing the photo in a safe space before getting to classwork.

As the day continues Adora tries her best to get rid of physical reminders such as litter and reminding Theo of his family. Theo enters his Mom car kissing his sister on the cheek before exclaiming how much better the school day was.

“There were no letters in my locker, and I must have forgotten a family picture in my backpack because it fell out in math! And every time I got upset I just thought of you guys and I felt better,” he exclaims smiling brightly.

Adora listened smiling and followed them home as a precaution. Theo’s home life seems enjoyable and safe compared to school so she won’t have to watch him there going forward probably. As predicted the night went smoothly, much like the one before. Though Theodore kept telling everyone how special today was and how much better it was compared to usual.

Theo kneels beside his bed for prayer and Adora listens, ‘Thank you for today. Please keep my family safe and bring me more days like this please, it was great.’ 

Adora smiles bringing a hand to her chest before leaving. Instead of heading straight to her dorm, she decides to roam the streets to see what changes are going on, and see if she can see Xander again. She would love to tell her all about her mission so far. The night is young, a soft glow from the sun illuminating everything nicely. Unfortunately, the night doesn’t stay young forever and Adora does not find him.

She flies back to the dorms, humming happily, thinking of the best ways to continue helping Theo. Little did she know something big was gonna happen that was going to help her. 

The next day, Adora starts checking on Theo before scurrying off to his school. She made sure his locker was bare when he came in. It was obvious that yesterday had made Theodore feel better but he was still wary of everyone. 

“Hey Theodore, you sure seem happy,” a blonde girl said.

“Oh, hi Susan, I’m alright,” Theo responds. He doesn’t know what to say. Is this a prank? Is she trying to make a joke of him or be genuine? Adora looks at Susan quizzically reading her intentions but they all seem pure so she guides Theo to continue talking.

“There’s a partner project coming up in literacy, I was wondering if you’d be my partner?” she asks smiling. “We can do pretty much any book, I read whatever”

Theo thinks for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, we can be literacy partners,” 

“Awesome! I’ll see you then Theodore,” she beams walking away, leaving Theo to ponder over her words.

Once Literacy began, as Susan had said there was a partner project, and as suspected looks of disgust were thrown towards Theo. Susan smiles brightly and walks over to him setting down her books.

“What book were you thinking of for this prospect?” she asks humming.

“I don’t know. The book list is pretty good. Maybe we should try ‘The Giver’ it sounds cool,” Theo says looking through the list of fiction books given to the children to make a project on.

“Yeah utopian but not is so cool! Let’s do it,” Susan agreed and went up to the teacher to tell her their book and grab two copies. Theo feels eyes glaring at him and Adora takes note trying her best to influence him not to care. “How should we divide this book up? We have a whole month for this project. Man, our teacher rocks, right?” Susan says sitting back down with a smile and handing a book to Theo.

“Well, obviously the first part is to read the book. It doesn’t seem too long so that’s nice. We can make a Google doc or something to share notes while we’re reading. And then afterwards we can decide what type of project we want to do,”

“Yeah! Hmm, 23 chapters. Well since we have a full month we can take our time. How about 2 chapters a day then we do the last 3 that’ll put us around two weeks to read the book and two weeks for the project,”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Theo smiles thumbing through the book. The two used the rest of the class period to begin reading ‘The Giver’ and Adora smiled watching them.

Throughout the rest of the day any free moment Theo had he continued to read. He was enthralled in the book without realising it finding a sort of comfort in Jonas the main character. Adora was happy that he found a haven through the verbal assault. 

It was strange in a sense. How Theo only now learned how safe books could be but it was the start of something big for him. Adora could tell. She kept watch of him over the years as he finished high school. She blocked out what she could, filtering the hate, but Theo learned of the worlds where he’s alike. He felt better and graduated ending Adora’s mission. She wouldn’t lie, after years of making sure he was okay and happy she was sad to be moving on but she was happy to have helped and to have made a difference.

Adora stretched her wings and arms out wide walking around and smiling wide. She had a successful mission, a successful long mission with a queer kid no less. She wanted to meet up with that Cupid she meant not long ago and tell him all about it. 

“Little angel, what are you doing here?” said a voice behind her.

Adora jumps turning around and smiles bright. “Xander! I was just looking for you! I finished an assignment for this sweet kid named Theo. He was getting bullied at school for being bi and after what you said I decided to do some reading and I think you’re right. We should be doing more to protect the queers. And I think it’s unfair that-” Adora begins excitedly to tell all about her mission and what she thought.

“Hold on there, you should be careful what you say. You can fall too, you won’t be much help down here. You don’t have a human form, do you?”  Xander says, calmly keeping his eyes stern but curious.

Adora pauses watching him and nods. “Sorry. You’re right, it’s just so strange. Why don’t they want to help everyone? But I want to help everyone, that’s what I’m going to do!” she says determined.

“You can only go to the jobs posted and approved through. If you go behind the uppers' backs enough they won’t think twice about having you fall. Especially if they think you’re in contact with me,”

“Yeah, but I’ll do my best with what I have. I’m sure I can do it. I mean, you still help people too though don’t you?”

“Yes, but what I can do to help is a lot more limited than anything you can do,” Xander explains. 

Adora nods thinking to herself. “Well, either way, I’m glad we were still able to talk. It was nice seeing you again Xander. I should head home and do some reading,” she hums before waving leaving the fallen boy to himself.

Once home Adora reads up on what the world is like now, how people live, are divided. She finds it entrancing and soaks all the information she can about how angels can use the common day technology to the advantage, and how it can be a disadvantage. Technology has made it easier for people to connect but it has also made it easier for people to harm others. As an angel Adora’s job is to help people stay safe but with ever-growing technology it’s more difficult than when her peers started.

[keefwho]

September 29 - 2023 Friday

6:31pm

I'm doing this funny little thing I do, and used to do to a much greater extent. My tummy is a little bit upsetti tonight but not a lot, something I'd consider normal even. But sometimes I'm susceptible to thinking about worst case scenarios. In this case I don't even know what that is. I know I can't be sick. It's almost impossible that it's food poisoning. So I don't know what I'm afraid of. Feeling bad I guess? Also I'm worried this headspace will carry over to tomorrow when it will really matter since I'm getting my groceries. I told myself I have to go no matter what and thats what I intend to do. I know there is nothing to be afraid of. My "fears" are always unrealistic and obscure. Tomorrow I intent to keep that in mind when I gotta go to town. It's only a 3.5 hour trip, not actually a long time. As shown last time, I can easily go that amount of time without having to use the bathroom which is something I'm nervous about. Only because I really don't want to use a public restroom unless its just to pee maybe.

I know tomorrow I'll be okay. My brain tricks me into thinking that suffering will last forever or will always get worse. I need to remember that I'm being lied to.

11:47pm

Today was okay, I was worried I wouldn't stay on task like the past couple of days but planning exactly what I was going to do in the morning paid off. Breakfast was a bologna sandwich with baked beans. I also woke up to a pretty decent scan of my room that rendered overnight so that's good, still tidying it up though. The stream went okay, I got pretty frustrated at both the YCH I had to do and my friend who is always correcting me on basically everything. It's something I've noticed for awhile and today it was bothering me. We watched the final episode of Courage which made me tear up more than I thought it would.

After stream I did a very good job cleaning. I put away my clothes, wiped down my entire kitchen area, and vacuumed. Right after I did my whole workout very diligently. Lunch was a bowl of tuna spaghetti while I watched the Fionna and Cake finale. The show in general blew my mind and gave so much grand lore that I wanted. It also left a lot open in a way that is obviously set up to explore later.

I admit I didn't do all my afternoon work but I didn't feel the need to. I did some good sketching and my friend wanted me to play Roblox with him which I also wanted to do since I knew he wouldn't be playing long. So we did that for a little bit before I left the call and was just chilling. My tummy started behaving weird around this point. I was basically waiting for Daisy to be free because I wanted to chill before VR and play my new game Tiny Atolls. She alerted me when she got in VR and then we had a nice little night of hopping places. It seems like neither of us knew what we wanted to do at first. We tried a couple Halloween mazes which were meh and tried joined off some people. My tummy hurt and I didn't quite feel the socializing mood but it got better. At around the time we were in the Namco museum I started to get in the right mood and had a lot of fun. At some point 570 joined and we hopped a couple places before getting off for the night. Daisy watched me play my new game as she went to sleep and it was cozy.

I'm not feeling so nervous about tomorrow anymore since I feel better now. I also know this can't keep being a problem, it just can't be. I have to get over it eventually to the point where it won't even be a second thought. So I'm trying not to get into a weird headspace where I overthink. Tomorrow I'm gonna wake up and shower like usual before doing a chore not much harder than any other. It has it's own benefits too like how interesting it is to see other people for once and I get nice things like a coke icee and fast food. Last time went smoothly so that gives me my hope for tomorrow. I also always have Daisy I can text if things get iffy. I'm not trapped.

I really want to get better about knowing what I want to do. I don't want to be boring, I want to be able to be the entertaining one if I have to be. The one that can find something to do when there are no other ideas. I think I usually know the kinds of things I want to do but I instinctively dismiss them.

[strawberista]

Hanekoma shrugged, "Wake up in the morning, sleep at night. I could start gettin' ya up at maybe seven or eight. Get ya to bed by eleven. I would say that's pretty normal for most folks. And alright. I'll let ya alone, but... Well, ya know all ya gotta do is call if ya need me for anything. Should I let ya back to your crafting? Or did ya wanna hang out up here a while? Think ya could get to the couch?"

As he finished up tidying in the kitchen he came to lean his hip against the counter nearest Reno and wait for an answer. It was a gentle offer to hang out with him a while, but since he'd been pushed away so much already, he wasn't going to insist on the time together.

How involved he wanted Hanekoma to get? That was a question and not an easy one to answer. Logically Reno knew he was an adult who needed to adult and do his own things but deep down he wanted the other to do more but he knew he screwed the pooch on that. “For the moment I really don’t know how involved I need you to get. I uhhh well i’m not really the poster child for what to do with no job and free time. I don’t think I had too much of that at Shinra. Maybe we could at least go to my place tomorrow or something if you have time and I could get my papers so I could at least start applying for jobs or something never done that before so might help to have some critics on the apps.” Hearing the other ask about sleep Reno tensed and pondered over it he did not think he would need help with sleep but he didn’t know if he would have more nightmares but he would need to learn to cope on his own. “I-i think I can sleep fine, as for wake up I never had a set time I ran on Shinra hours which was whatever the fuck they wanted me to work. So I am unsure on what would be best, do you have any suggestions?” Reno figured the other would have some semblance of an idea at what would be a proper sleep schedule since it wasn’t like Reno had much of a clue.

[elrw24]

Home is where the love is…

Pairings: Chris Evans x Wife! Reader

Summary: Chris comes home from The Gray Man tour and premiere. He comes home exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally from being away from home. You surprise him with a self care day at home.

Word Count: 1.4K

A/N: I wrote this on my phone, so excuse any typos. I’ve had this idea for the longest time and half written. Happy to have finished it, because all I could think about was taking care of this handsome man after a long time away from home. Enjoy and as always feel free to comment, share ideas, and reblog. ❤️

Chris has been away for about 3 weeks on The Gray Man tour in Europe. You were lucky enough to join him in the premiere in LA and Berlin, but you had to make your way back home shortly after those. Chris always starts off so well with these tours and by the end of it he becomes visibly exhausted. Between all the late nights and early mornings, personal questions and just travel it just takes a toll on the body. Chris being the homebody that he is, is ready to come home right after you left him in Berlin.

You’re up early on a Thursday morning and you know that Chris should be coming home tomorrow. You decide to make sure you have the house extra tidy and you want to surprise him with a bunch of his favorite snacks and you opt to make a delicious dinner for him too. So, you start making your grocery list. You know that Chris is extra tired after this last tour and you decide that it would be nice to surprise him with a self care afternoon when he comes home. You decide you’re going to get his extra cozy sweats and t-shirt out for him, you’re going to get a bath bomb ready, some wine and candles. He will be pleasantly surprised with what else you have up your sleeve for him.

Chris calls you on FaceTime when you’re back home on Thursday and he’s heading to the airport to fly back home. “Hey beautiful, how ya doing today?” You smile into the camera, “Baby! I’m good, I’m so excited that I get to see you in a few hours, I’m counting down the hours!”. He grins into the camera, “I think I’m more excited, I’ve missed you baby girl and I’ve missed Dodger and Blue…what are you up to right now?” He’s watching you walk back and forth between the cabinets putting away the groceries. You look at the camera and lift up grocery bags, “I’m putting away all the things I picked up while I was out.” You can hear they’re starting to call the boarding flight and you realize that you guys will have to get off the phone. He says, “I gotta go babe, give me a kiss mamacita..” You pucker your pouty lips and kiss the camera. “Baby, have a safe flight! I’ll be home waiting for you, let me know when you land safely. I love you babe…” He smiles into the camera, “I love you Y/N”

You spend the rest of the night relaxing with your dogs and decide to call it a night early, even though you’re so excited to see your husband tomorrow morning.

You’re up early with the dogs in the yard, sipping your coffee when you get a message from Chris letting you know he’s landed safely. You start to do last minute things around the house before he gets home. You’re in the kitchen when you hear the front door unlock and you hear your husband’s voice, “Honey, I’m homeeee”. You laugh and come out of the kitchen and you run to him as he drops his bags, you jump into his arms and wrap your legs around his waist. He’s holding you up under your thighs and you grab his face and pull him to you for a kiss so deep, expressing how much you’ve missed him. You back your face up a bit, “Hiii handsome, I’ve missed you and this face!” He laughs as he puts you down and pulls you in for a big bear hug. Chris looks down at you and grabs your face this time and stares down at your face, “How is it possible that you get more and more beautiful every time I see this face?”. He reaches down to kiss you again. You close your eyes and smile up at him, “Hardly…I look like a mess right now, but if you want to go get unpacked, I’ve got a little something planned for us whenever you’re done.”

Chris walks into the bathroom to find you filling up the bath. You look up at him and smile, “Come on baby, I’ve got a self care afternoon filled for us.” He comes into the bathroom with you and you sit up on the bathroom counter and he stands between your legs. You grab your skin care things, warm towel and put it on his face. You start to wash his face and then grab his beard conditioner and start to massage his beard while it’s lathering. He closes his eyes and hums in pleasure. You kiss his nose and you start to catch him up on what’s been going on in the house. You run another warm towel on his face and you jump down from the counter. You start to take his shirt off slowly…kissing his neck, down to his tattooed chest. You sprinkle kisses all over him. He just stands there holding your waist, while you pull back to pull your t-shirt over your head, you pull your shorts down and you’re both standing in front of each other.

You grab his hand and lead him to the bathtub. When he settles down after you, he groans in satisfaction and leans his head back and he stretches his legs outside of yours. You smile at him, “Water feel good, papi?” He looks back at you and says, “It feels amazing, honey. This is what I was looking forward to…relaxing with my beautiful wife. I missed your pretty face, baby.” You hide your smile behind the bubbles in the tub and you grab his foot and pull it towards you. You start to massage his foot and work your way up to his calves. You absolutely love spoiling your man by taking care of him the way he does to you. He closes his eyes as you massage his feet and you grab his loofah and pour his body soap on it and start scrubbing away at his body. You start with his neck, chest and shoulders, his biceps and forearms. As you scrub away you kiss each part of his body, a silent way of telling your husband how much you love him and how much you’ve missed him. He opens his eyes and takes your loofah because it’s your turn. He soaps up your body slowly, he slowly runs his hands down your sides and to your hips as he pulls you to his lap in the tub. Your bubble covered hands come to grab his face and you kiss him deeply. He moans into the kiss when he feels your warm center touches his dick. You pull your face back and tell him, “Let’s get out of the tub and come to the room, babe”

He picks you up from the tub and places you down as you each grab your towels. You grab his hand and pull him into the room where you had pjs laid out for you both on the bed. You both get dressed in your cozy pj’s and make your way into the living room. Chris is sitting on the couch with the dogs, meanwhile you get dinner ready. You surprise him with one of his favorite homemade meals, lasagna and garlic bread. You bring over your plates and you sit down on the couch and start to catch up on your favorite shows. He hums when he takes the first bite of his food and he smiles over at you, “This is delicious, honey. Thank you for making it. I’ve been missing your cooking.” You grin, “Wait until dessert, you’re really going to thank me then — I’ve got your favorite!” He laughed because he just knew that his perfect wife was surprising him with his favorite candy. He helped you clean up the dishes and then after he sits back down on the couch with a blanket, you bring over his favorite candy, Starburst Jellybeans and some sour candies for you to share. He cuddles you into his arms and kisses your head. Before you know it, Chris dozed off, you shut off the tv and the lights and lay him down on the couch and curl up into his side with the blanket. You kiss his forehead, his nose and then his lips. “Good night, baby. I love you” You feel his arm pull you closer to him, “I love you, Y/N. I’m so happy to be home”

[dr4kenlvr]

"𝐢'𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮."

mikey sano x fem!reader - angst/hurt/comfort (1.2k+)

request: hihi! I love your writing it's so nice I was wondering if you could do a drabble for bonten!mikey x fem reader where they're already together and the reader comforts her poor boyfriend because he's having a rough night because he's remembering all his friends and family he lost and is thinking how useless he is

a/n/cw: ok hear me out.. i made him your fiancé because IT JUST FITS RIGHT MIKEY DESERVES TO BE HAPPY !! i gotta say, this piece is quite angsty, but trust me when i say reader will always be there for mikey <3 cw: this post contains huge spoilers from the tokyo revengers manga: tenjiku arc and forward

red wine sloshes against itself in your glass, as you swivel your wrist only slightly. you watch the liquid ripple, before taking another sip with a glance at the clock.

12:18 AM, it read. with every passing minute, you waitied patiently for your fiancé to walk through the front foyer. mikey was a busy man; he worked long hours and ensured everything at work was in-order before leaving. vice versa, you made sure to keep things tidy and just-right at home; clean table tops, a warm dinner, and the scent of mikey's favourite candle wafting through the air.

with your own job taking up many hours of your day, it was sometimes tough to maintain the perfect home that mikey bought for the two of you. but as you glanced around the living room, with its pristine white chairs, lush houseplants, and welcoming fireplace—you settled with the fact that the two of you, were doing an amazing job together.

because that's how it's always been: you and mikey, together.

the shut of a door catches you from further thoughts, and the quiet steps of mikey's oxfords sound louder against the cool tile floor. you set your glass on the small table beside you with a relieved smile, before making your way to him while you adjust your silk robe.

he's in the middle of removing his jacket, then his shoes when he hears your sweet voice call for him from the kitchen just behind the wall he faces. "manjiro—welcome home, sweetie."

he rounds the corner, smiling gently with worn eyes when they land on you. he studies you; the way your robe drapes itself perfectly over the body he's grown to love so much. your hair isn't styled, instead left in its natural state. your eyes are excited to see him, but he knows you're sleepy. mikey can feel his façade halt upon seeing you.

"i'm home, darling. have you been up long?" he steps closer, indulging himself into your open arms. his body visibly crumples under your hold, and you hold back your next words. meticulously, you take notice of the way mikey clings onto you a little more tighter than usual, his fingers tense and unwilling to let go. his arms squeeze you closer into him, and he hides his face into the crook of your neck.

"manjiro? is everything okay, my love?" you mutter, craning your head to kiss the crown of his head on instinct. the silver hairs tickle your neck at the touch. he begins to rub your back in small motions, and you can hear a quiet sniffle in response. at that, you begin to worry, and gently coax mikey to face you. you knew something was wrong.

when he follows, mikey makes no attempt to loosen his grip on you. his hollowed eyes stare at you with something you don't often see in them: fear.

reading mikey like an open book was second nature to you, whether through his body language or the stories his eyes tell, you knew it all. and with the way his irises are blown with complete sadness and guilt, staring at you with so much emotion, you felt your heart crumple.

"oh manjiro," you caress his cheek, pulling him back into your body. "talk to me, please tell me what's on your mind." you prompt, always urging him to speak on his feelings. the mikey you knew had a habit of bottling it all inside. but never would you dream of letting mikey fight this battle on his own.

the comforting tone of your voice pulls at his heartstrings; your warmth spreading all over his body, your fingers treading lightly through his hair. another sniffle escapes his body, and it's then he realizes tears are dripping down onto your now-stained robe.

mikey rubs at his eyes, and a dense sigh claws its way out. "... i can't do anything right," he starts, eyes trained on your shoulder and voice barely above a whisper. if there were anyone else present, you might've not been able to hear him. "everyone i love—" he stops to focus on you, "—gets into danger, because of me." his throat clogs up as another tear runs its course down his pale skin. you wipe it away with your thumb, a gnawing feeling growing in the pit of your chest. nontheless, you nod and encourage him to continue.

"because of my life, and the things that i do, i-i put the ones i love the most in danger," mikey's tears continue to flow, his mouth creased in a sorrowful grimace as he remembers the people he's lost. and the people he might lose.

"baji," your lips tremble at the mention of his childhood friend, "my baby sister, emma. god, i'm so fucking useless! i'm never enough to protect everyone!" mikey cries, head dropping down onto your shoulder in defeat, allowing for the overwhelming emotions to rack over his body. his lungs tense and release with sorrowful sobs, making mikey feel like a little boy in your arms.

you hush him tenderly, rubbing his back in consoling circles, but you can't help the tremble of your hands. you fail to control the tears of your own that have surfaced and fallen, so you say what you truly mean from the bottom of your heart and soul: "manjiro, what you've gone through in your life is horrible, it is far too much hurt for one to handle. i know, baby, i know that it hurts," the words continue to spill out your mouth, "but what you've gone through is not your fault, and it never will be." you sternly state, fingers still threaded in his hair.

you crane your neck to peer at him; his eyes are swollen and red, looking back at you before seeing your own tears. he reaches up to wipe at them, chewing his lip sullenly at making you cry. "these thoughts are hurting you, manjiro. i hate to see you hurt yourself like this," you sniffle, smiling hopefully from your next words: "i'll protect you."

mikey's eyes fill with another emotion at that: was it hope? or love? you'll protect him?

a small glimmer dusts his vacant eyes at the thought—for his whole life, mikey has always been the protector, not the protected.

"i'll protect you," you repeat, "from anything or anyone that makes you feel how you do right now." you lean into to peck his forehead. "and if that person is you, then i'll always be here to tell you otherwise—you're the love of my life manjiro, i am not going to leave you. not now, not ever, okay?" you kiss his head once more, and your tears have finally stilled. your assured eyes stare at him in wait.

mikey feels his heartbeat slow at your words. they seap into his brain and carry their love all the way through his blood, and into his heart. the steady pound of his chest tells him to slows his breathing, to listen to the sounds of your heart by his ear, to listen to the sounds of you. 'she's my finacée', he reminds himself. his finacée who is breathing, in the flesh,—holding, kissing, touching, loving him. 'and she'll be the one to protect me.'

mikey smiles at you for the first time that night. and you smile back.

he exhales a sigh; this time it's light and full of solace. he spares a glance at the time: 12:45 AM. standing in the middle of the night, the two of you find one another clung in a boundless embrace—holding what you each find most dear: each other.

taglist: @dai-tsukki-desu @kazuhoya@gwynsapphire@sscarchiyo@reiners-milkbiddies@smileyswifeyy @bontensimp-blog (send me an ask or dm to be added!)

reblogs and comments are very appreciated <3

[thelittleboyfromloveactually]

The stewardess

Pt. 3

Chris Evans x reader

Prompt: you and collin go to a club for your night off, Chris isn’t happy.

Word count: 1931

Warnings: alcohol? Cussing???? Horrible writing

Authors note: omg guys! Thank you so much for the support on this series! I’m so glad you are all loving it as much as I am!

Pt. 1 Pt. 2

Not mine!

Even after working on the yacht for quite a while I would never get used to getting up early. That morning my stupid alarm woke me up. I sighed, i just wanted to sleep in. I grabbed my clothes and walked slowly into the kitchen. Collin was already up and was making breakfast.

“Morning” he said

I groaned “this isn’t fucking morning, i should be sleeping”

“You’ve worked here for so long and you still aren’t used to the wake up time?” He asked in disbelief

“Yup, never been a morning person” you shrugged while you made yourself a cup of coffee

He cleared his throat “you hair looks nice” he said. Wtf.

I laughed “collin it’s far too early for jokes”

“I’m not joking, it looks nice” he said genuinely

“Ok sure” i nodded still not believing him “alright gotta get to work” i raised my eyebrows and walked out. No one was up yet. It was so peaceful in the mornings. That was one nice thing. I finished setting the table and stepped back to admire my work.

“Goooooood morning!” It was RDJ

I turned around and smiled “morning! I hope you slept alright”

“Fantastic the waves always sooth me” he says down on the couch “may I have a cup of caffeine please” he batted his eyelashes.

I giggled “of course, I’ll be right back” I began to walk backwards and just as I was turning around I rammed into a wall.

“Woah there” or not a wall, it was Chris

“Oh my god im so sorry!” I apologized

“Hey hey, you’re good, beautiful morning isn’t it?” He asked

“Uh yes, yes it’s beautiful” he stared into my eyes “uh would you like a coffee? I am getting one for Downey”

“Yes please!” He said

Just as I was leaving Anthony came down I heard him say “where’s she goin?” “Coffee” said Chris

“Hey wait! I’ll take one too!” He yelled

I have a thumbs up without even turning back.

I came back with 3 coffees and handed them to each of the boys. Receiving a thank you from each one.

“Y/N will you round up the rest of the staff I have an announcement?” RDJ said

“Yes of course sir” I nodded and went off to collect the small rest of the staff

I found grabbed collin, and the maid, all the others hadn’t come with us to Monte Carlo. I brought them out into the living room

“Ahhh here they are” RDJ said and stood up clapping his hands together “according to our fellow captain we will arrive in Monte Carlo tonight! I am feeling kind today and I’m also craving Chinese takeout so I’ve decided to give you all the night off! He said cheerfully

“Oh that’s so kind, thank you!” I said

“Yeah thank you sir” said collin

“Of course! You all deserve some fun! Work hard, play hard!” He announced

We served breakfast and then cleaned up while the boys went to their rooms and did whatever they did behind those locked doors. We tidied up the whole boat so the work for tonight would be minimal. They came out for lunch. Chris updated me on the book he was reading. And RDJ gave me and collin our paycheck so we would have cash for tonight.

The night came quickly, and with it our arrival to Monte Carlo. It was a gorgeous city especially at sunset. I finished everything up and then went to my room to get dressed. I picked out my black dress that was detailed with rhinestones on the straps and the neck line. It was short and tight but complemented my figure. I grabbed my glittery bag and did all my hair and makeup. The sun had completely set by the time me and collin were ready to go.

You met collin at the door to the dock and headed on your way. Before you could even get out the door someone was calling your name.

“Hey wait one sec! Y/N wait!” It was Chris

I turned to face Him and smiled

“Where are you headed?” He asked

“To this club, it’s super awesome” I told him

“Oh…a club huh? That sounds fun! Just you know? Be careful” he said swallowing hard

“Yes yes of course” I smiled and turned to leave

Me and collin walked to the club together

The night was nice. The lamps lit up the streets, the breeze blew through my hair as me and collin walked arms linked to the club RDJ had recommended. I was leaning into him for warmth. We arrived at the club shortly, the building was practically throbbing. We walked in and my senses were automatically heightened. The noise of people trying to yell over the music that was at the highest possible volume. The smell of cigarette smoke, sweaty bodies and alcohol. I even caught a wiff of perfume as a girl walked by me. The lights flashing, the people jumping. Tonight was gonna be a shit ton of fun.

“Come on!” I yelled to collin, my voice being drowned out by the music. We walked over to the bar and ordered a round of shots. This is the only atmosphere me and collin really got along in. The bar tender brought the shots over along with a piece of paper with numbers on it. I looked at it curiously. Collin laughed

“It’s his number” he yelled

“Ohhhhh, welp” I grabbed the shots, handing one to collin. I rised my tiny glass “tooooo….” I couldn’t think of something

“To the mid looking bar tender who thinks he can pull you!” Yelled collin. We clicked out glasses together and drank the shots. We placed them aggressively back on the table.

“Another round please!” I yelled

After what seemed like only five minutes, me and collin were stumbling over our feet and slurring our words. It was almost 3 am and we still technically had work tomorrow. Right now though, we danced on the crowed floor to songs of all languages.

Another hour went by in less than a second. People started to clear out only the young locals remained. I walked over to the bar and plopped down on one of the stools, almost falling off.

“You know, I think we should head back” said collin sitting next to be. I could barely understand a word he was saying. Not only were his worlds slurred together into one but he was talking way to quietly and I was also DrUnK.

“Mmmmmmmmm yup” I nodded my head “probableee”

We stumbled out of the club giggling. The walk hom seemed to take forever and I’m actually suprised we didn’t get lost.

By the time we were walking up the dock my phone told me it was 4:45am. One fun day it would be tomorrow. The lights were still on.

I tripped as we walked in. Collin caught me and I began to laugh. Then I saw Chris stand up from the couch.

“Oh hello Mr chris!” I said

“Y/N” he walked over to me and collin “I got it from here man” he tried to take me out of collins arms

“No it’s fine I got her” said collin pulling me in tighter

“Here give her to me” Chris said more sternly

“No i said it’s fine” said collin

“Hey! Listen just take your fucking hands off of her” Chris had begun to raise his voice

“Ugh stawp it gooys” I Squirmed, trying to get out of collins arms. Because collin was kinda drunk he dropped me, and I fell to the ground. “Can you guys shush? I’m trying to sleep” I said and layed down on the floor and closed my eyes as if I was going to sleep.

I heard Chris sigh. Then I felt a pair of strong arms around me.

“Fuck you man! Just because your some celebrity dick doesn’t mean you get to play with her fucking feelings! She doesn’t like you, you know?! Don’t even think about doing anything to her!” Yelled collin

“Listen kid, let’s talk about this later, I don't have time for your bullshit.” Said Chris

“Fuck you!” Collin screamed as Chris carried me off

We walked up the stairs. Wait what? Up the stairs? My room was under the deck. I then felt him place me gently on a bed. A bed that was much softer than mine. He pulled the blanket over me. I felt the weight shift. The other side of the bed dipped down. He got under the covers. He rustled under a little and then was still. That’s when I fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up. My head felt as if it would explode any second and the brightness of the sun shining through the window did not help whatsoever. I tried my best to remember what had happened last night. All I knew was that I wasn’t in my bed. Who’s it was? I had no idea.

I groaned and got up. Next to the bed was a tall glass of water with some pills next to it. I quickly gulped them down. I stood up, head rush. I paused and let it pass before walking out and down the stairs into the main living area.

The table was set for one. I saw Chris leaning on the railing and looking out at the harbour. I walked out and stood next to him. He turned to me

“Oh you’re up!” His eyes seemed to light up when he saw me

“Yup” I could barely see a thing “I think I’m going blind”

Chris laughed and pulled off his aviators. He placed them on my face, “better?”

I nodded

“Hey Y/N” it was colin “you’re awake! I made you breakfast” he tilted his head towards the table. A beautiful stack of pancakes sat on the once empty place.

“Oh thank you so much!” I hugged him and I heard Chris scoff

I walked over and sat down. Chris pulled out the chair next to me and sat down. He smiled at me. Man he has a nice smile.

“Can i get a some sunny side up eggs too please” Chris said to collin

“You already had fruit and avocado toast” said collin rolling his eyes

“I need my protein” said Chris. Collin sighed and walked off “thanks bud!” Said Chris

I giggled

“Did you sleep well?” Chris asked leaning onto his elbows

“Uh yeah yeah I did”

“My bed is pretty soft huh?” Fuck “RDJ was saying the sheets are like Egyptian cotton or smth like that” of course it was his fucking bed

“Wait um nothing like…nothing happened right?”

“I don’t think I know what you mean” said Chris, the smirk on his face only grew

“You know?”

“No i don’t I think you are gonna need to be more specific”

Jesus “ok fine, did we have sex?” I asked

“No. No we didn’t, see that wasn’t that hard.” He was smiling. So impressed with himself. A few minutes later collin came in with a plate of scrambled eggs

“I asked for sunny side up”

“You get what you get and you don’t get upset, bud” collin said and walked off.

“Later we should go for a swim, it will help with the hangover” said Chris taking a bike of his eggs

“Sounds good!” I nodded and continued to eat my pancakes. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head now. Having sex with Chris. God, I needed to stop.

Pt. 4

[moemammon]

You are not Beyoncé but you're singing your heart out when you think you're home alone.

(Featuring the demon brothers and GN!MC)

For once, you had the house to yourself! Was this a miracle?? Were the heavens finally smiling down on you from above? Was this the result of all your good karma??? Whatever it was, you were almost certain that you were alone for once.

And what did that mean? Time for a good ol' fashion jam session. You put on your favorite tunes and set them to blast through the speaker of your D.D.D. while you danced around the house, singing your heart out. Who cared if some of your notes were flat, or if you had to drop a few pitches to hit those high notes?

Not you. You were just living your best life without a care in the world.

Until...

Lucifer

Of course the eldest would be around. Arguably the most mysterious and omnipotent brother in the house, so yeah. He's there.

He told you this morning that he’d have a meeting to attend after classes today. You thought he’d be out for a long while, but it just so happened that the meeting ended early today, much to his relief.

Not to yours though, because that means that Lucifer has front row seats to your amazing concert without your permission.

He didn't even have the courtesy to make himself known! He just waited in the kitchen, quietly preparing his coffee while your singing echoed through the halls.

You were sauntering your way to the kitchen as well, fumbling over forgotten lyrics without a care in the world, when you saw him.

Enemy spotted.

Does this mean he heard every single time your voice cracked-

Your eyes lock and Lucifer doesn't even mention what you were just doing, despite the obviously being within earshot of you.

You really start feeling the heat rising in your cheeks when he says "You seem to be in a good mood. Did something good happen to you at RAD today?"

Regardless of how you respond (or not), Lucifer turns his back to you to tidy up, and says "....I don't believe I've ever heard your singing before. You'll have to give me an encore in my office some time."

You swear you can hear the mischief in his tone....

Mammon

This seriously was unheard of. An afternoon without having mammon glued to your hip?? Hell must've frozen over or something.

Regardless, you weren't going to take this for granted! Mammon did mention something about a 'foolproof money making scheme' he had a dream about last night, so he was probably off trying to see if he could make it a reality.

Things like this usually took a huge chunk of greedy boy's afternoon, so you figured you were safe to sing as you pleased!

Besides, he probably would've texted you if he were on the way home, right?

Apparently not, because Mammon was very much home, and did not send you a text. Honestly? He forgot to. He was too busy wallowing in self pity.

How was he supposed to know that using magic to duplicate grim was illegal??

He managed to escape any real trouble and made his way back home, only to have his ears immediately blessed (or assaulted) by your singing.

He's not the type to sit around in secret until you notice him, so catch this boy marching around the house until he finds you himself. Not so quietly calling out your name the entire time, too.

Mammon caught you in the empty library singing your heart out. The acoustics were great in there! They also kinda drowned out the outside noise, so you couldn't really hear him yelling for you.

"Oh, I thought you were screamin' about a bug or something. What song is that?"

He's not shy about singing in the shower at the top of his lungs, so it's not like he's judging you?? But he's got his phone out when you spot him. The bastard is recording you...

So your knee jerk reaction is to attack

"Wh- Oi!! What're ya hitting me for?! I don't care if it's just a pillow- Hey!"

He has chosen death. Goodbye Mammon.

Leviathan

It was kind of bold of you to assume that Levi would ever be out of the house, but he DID mention something about a concert he wanted to attend..? Or some kind of book signing?

You don't really remember, and you don't have the mental strength to scroll through the sea of spam texts he's sent you today.

C'est la vie.

Since you're pretty sure you're alone, you're not taking your solo concert all around the house of lamentation, from the foyer to the west wing, up to the attic and down to the dining room.

Gotta find the perfect spot to sing this next part. It's got a really good bit with a flute, and you wanna stare longingly out of a window or something-

And it's when you pass by otaku man's room that he decides to make himself known by poking his head out. His headset is around his neck and his hair's a little tousled, hinting that he was in the middle of gaming.

You freeze. Neither of you can look the other in the eye.

It takes a while before the silence can be broken, but before you can say a word, Levi speaks.

"Y-You know... you should come to karaoke with me! Only if you want to, I mean! I didn't know you were a fan of singing, so... but you probably have other plans, right? You don't want to hang out with a gross otaku like me blah blah blah-"

You aren't sure if your brain is malfunctioning from being caught in the act, or from the word vomit spilling from everyone's favorite weeb.

Satan

Satan is a good, studious boy so you assumed he was staying after class to head to the library. He was lagging behind, so you didn't question it.

Or maybe he was planning his next prank? Lucifer did have to make an announcement tomorrow morning in front of the student body, and Satan had been awfully interested in glitter bombs lately...

Whatever the case, he wasn't home right now! Or so you thought.

You were busy switching between two different choruses AND a sick guitar riff all in one song, so there was no time to be thinking about the demon's whereabouts.

You did wonder where you left your bag at, though. You vaguely recalled dumping it at the front door, so maybe that's where it was?

Scooting your way down the hall like a music powered locomotive, you were right in the middle of imitating the sound of drums when you spotted the trembling grin plastered to Satan's face.

Hm.

Maybe you could ask Diavolo about sending you back to the human world right now.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were here, or I would've said something." Satan tells you, clearing his throat to further suppress his laughter. From the way his shoulders are shaking, he was barely holding on.

"I didn't think you were the type to like songs like that. Do you have a playlist you could recommend me? I'm interested after seeing how much you enjoy it."

That cheeky grin of his never breaks for a second, so you can't tell if he's actually asking for recommendations, or if he's watching for your reaction.

Asmo

Not a surprise that you assumed he wasn't home, since he rarely is. He's always out partying or shopping around, so you usually don't see him much around this time.

But that also means you're free to sing as loudly as you want! Look out Mariah Carey, there's a new high note singer in town.

Asmo can vouch for that! Because he can hear you. Clearly.

Okay but he's one of those people that joins in while you're singing.

Legit the moment he goes inside and recognizes your song, he's trying to serenade you from the other side of the house.

And boy do you hear him. This man can SING (as expected of a fallen angel), and he likes to sing loudly. He wants all eyes on him after all!

And maybe you'll be so smitten by his angelic voice that you'll come running into his arms and beg that he takes you right then and there!

Wishful thinking though, because that is not how you reacted. Boo...

He finds you, and wants to know what you think of his voice. "Well? My singing was beautiful, wasn't it~? I used to sing all the time up in the celestial realm! I don't mind giving you some private lessons back in my room~"

Was he implying that you needed lessons? Maybe... but he's a sweetheart about it so can you really be mad at him?

Beel

A crepe cart recently opened up for a limited time, and there was no way Beel was going to miss that. And knowing him, he wouldn't come home until there were no traces of food left in sight.

So you figured you'd have plenty of time to brush up on your sea shanties! Bold of you to assume...

Beel can inhale a billion times his weight in food in like, five minutes. What made you think he wouldn't be back home by now?

He was full for a good ten minutes (a new record!) and spent that time in his bedroom, hence why you didn't hear his usual rummaging through the kitchen for food.

Speaking of food, you were feeling kind of hungry yourself! And a little parched from all the singing, so a snack break couldn't hurt!

You slid on your socks along the hardwood floor all the way to the kitchen... where you nearly slammed into Beel. There he was, the mad lad himself.

He was also on the way to the kitchen. Surprise surprise, right? And he managed to catch you by the shoulders before you could slide into anything.

Beel is the least phased by your singing. He just thinks it's nice that you were comfortable enough to sing so loudly! Good to see that you're enjoying yourself.

He doesn't exactly address it? Instead he moves his hand forward to place something into yours.

It's a crepe that he saved, just for you! You stare at the delicate pastry, all topped with layers of fluffy whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries, and lovingly drizzled with chocolate sauce! There's a bite taken out of the side, though-

"I tried my best to hold back, but I took a bite. Sorry..."

How can you be mad at him?? You're not even embarrassed about the singing anymore tbh. Too full of love to care 💕💕

Belphie

When,,,, was Belphie ever not home,, like,,,,

This man has never seen a classroom in his life, so it's not like you could've expected him to be at RAD.

And he wasn't usually in town?? Definitely a homebody.

But Beel wanted someone to go with him to that crepe cart, and Belphie couldn't exactly turn his dear brother down when he gave him those big baby eyes-

And since Beel wasn't home, you figured Belphie was still out, too!

Spoiler alert: you thought wrong.

Belphie was home, and now wide awake thanks to your banshee screams singing. He managed to slip away from Beel when he got too tired. He didn't really want a crepe anyway, so he decided to head back.

Only to be rudely awaken... how dare you...

He's hellbent on finding you, JUST so he can get you to shush. Please.. let him rest his weary bones...

When he does locate you, you have your back turned to him and your music on max volume, occupying yourself with grabbing your clean laundry to take back to your room.

He doesn't speak, instead choosing to watch you shimmy around to the beat of your song. And when you do a little spin, you turn right around to face him and get to witness the sheer amusement on his face.

He's NOT letting your forget about this moment. And you can't escape him either, he won't let you.

The bastard corners you just to repeatedly ask "Hey, what were you singing? I haven't heard that one in a while. Mind singing it again for me?"

"With a voice like that, I'm afraid to ask you to sing me a lullaby."

"...Just kidding. Your face is really red right now, you know?"

You feel the sudden urge to stuff him into the dryer, but you resist.

The urge grows stronger when he imitates the little dance you were doing.

[supernaturalgirl20]

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, you’re safe now, they won’t hurt you anymore.” - Frankie's badly beaten up and bloody and his wife takes care of him.

Thank you for your request. Hope you enjoy ☺️

Regret

Pairings: Frankie Morales x reader

Warnings: angst, mention of pregnancy, violence, being held captive, fluff ending.

It took Frankie months to fully recover mentally from his trip to Columbia, but you finally had your Frankie back. He doted on Sophia and got his pilot license back, allowing him to go back to his job with search and rescue. Life was good. You’d recently found out you we’re pregnant again. Frankie was over the moon, hoping for a son. What you didn’t know, as you sat, cuddled up to Frankie watching a movie, was that things were about to change again. Frankie a phone rang in his pocket and you moved off him as he went to answer it.

“Pope, it’s been a while! How is life in Australia?”

You sit watching him talk on the phone, his face changing from light hearted to serious in seconds.

“Pope you know can’t. What do you mean why not? What happened the last time? Besides I promised Y/N I wouldn’t do anything like that again. Fine I’ll listen but I’m not promising anything.”

Hanging up the phone he turns to look at you.

“No!”

“I haven’t even said anything.”

“Yeah and it’s still no. God damn it Frankie I can’t go through it again.”

He tries to hold you close but you stand up and move away from him. He follows you into the kitchen where your loudly tidying up.

“At least just let me go and meet him, see what he has to say.”

“I don’t really have a choice do I?”

“Please don’t be like that, I love you baby.”

“Really funny way of showing it.”

You finish clearing up and head to bed, not even sparing Frankie a glance.

***

There’s been an awkward tension in the air since the phone call. Frankie is out at the local bar meeting the Pope and the Miller brothers. This feels very deja vu. Your sitting in bed rubbing soothing circle over your growing bump when you hear the front door close. The sound of his footsteps echoing throughout the house. Deciding to head down and talk to him you grab your night gown.

“Well what did he have to say?”

Frankie is startled having not heard you coming down the stairs.

“Jesus women, scared the shit outta me. You better sit down.”

“No, I’m fine. Spill it.”

He’s frustrated you can tell, as he lifts up his cap and runs his fingers through his hair.

“It’s a simple job, some girls been kidnapped and held for ransom here in Texas. All we gotta do is go get her home safely.”

“Simple! I’ve heard that before Frankie and look how that turned out. You promised me, you promised it was the last time. Did you forget how it affected you, us. Sophia is older now, she’ll notice your absence. What about our baby? Please don’t do this Frankie, please.”

“I’ve got too. This really is simple baby and the money would set us up for life.” He comes to stand beside you, pulling you by the waist flush against him. For Sophia and this little one. His hand is rubbing your bump now.

“I don’t need money Frankie, just you. It looks like you’ve already made up your mind, so I think it’s best you stay Benny for now.”

“Baby, please don’t do this. I love you.”

“Then don’t go.”

You look at him expectantly, “thought so.”

You pack a small bag for him and leave it at the door. He grabs it and leaves. You spend the night crying in bed, wishing he’d stayed.

***

The job wasn’t simple at all. He should have listened to you, your were always right. They got the girl home safe but he had been caught trying to get her out to Will. Turns out she was being held by some narcos and they were not happy. They had beaten him within an inch of his life all the while all he could think about was leaving you and his babies all alone. It broke him more than the beatings did. The boys came back for, of course they did and they wanted to bring him to hospital. He refused, only wanting to go home to you. He hoped you still loved him and wanted him home.

Arriving at the house he slowly makes his way up to the front door. He’d refused to let the boys help, saying he wanted alone time with his family. He doesn’t have his keys so he knocks on the door. When you finally open it you rush to him as he slumps into your arms.

“Frankie baby, what happened? Talk to me!”

“It’s ok baby, I’m fine.”

“Your not fine look at you, your bleeding and oh baby your face.”

“I just want to go to bed, please.”

“I need to clean you up first ok.”

You help him out of his clothes and his body is adorned with bruises. You strip out of your own clothes and help him shower. Once he’s clean you bandage him up and rub cream on his bruises. Helping him into bed you give him some pain killers.

“You need to rest now baby ok.”

***

“No….no….please not her please take me…..noooo”

Frankie shoots up in bed, sweat dripping down his face. You bolt upright and pull him close, running your fingers through his hair.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, you’re safe now, they won’t hurt you anymore.”

He holds you close.

“I’m sorry baby I should have listened to you, I wouldn’t be..”

“No we’re not doing this. Your home that’s all that matters. Your safe now Frankie, your home where you belong.

Tagging:

@lunaserenade @anaaaispunk @librariantothejedi @day-off-inkyoto @asta-lily @maievdenoir @elinedjarin @dindjarinneedsahug @pascal-rascal424 @pintsizemama @seasonschange-butpeopledont @janelongxox @stevie75 @thorins-queen-of-erebor @dihra-vesa @loserrlauraa @kirsteng42 @ikinmahlen @almaeunice @jediknight122 @colorlesswhispersunknown @rosie-posie08 @alberta-sunrise @javierpinme @pascalisthepunkest

(If you want to be added or removed please let me know or fill out my taglist form 😊)

[asthmark]

❝ 10 things i know about you ❞ l.jn

synopsis → there are ten important things you learn about lee jeno during your time in quarantine.

request → “if you're still accepting requests, can u make a domestic roommate!jeno? 🥺🥺 thank you and have a nice dayyy”

word count → 7.1k (bruhhh)

sharing an apartment with lee jeno isn’t ideal.

it’s not that he’s a lousy roommate or that you disliked him in any way; you just didn’t know him. you had first met through a mutual friend. they knew jeno was looking for someone to split rent with and that you happened to need a place to stay. they promised you he would give you privacy and assured jeno you were excellent roommate material. with that, arrangements were made and soon enough you moved in together. of course, it was a bit awkward at first but you two eventually got used to each other’s presence. although you were never in the same room for too long and oftentimes went days without speaking, you coexisted.

for a long time, you only knew a couple things about your roommate. for example, you were aware of his strong love for cats, especially his pet calico, seol. you also knew he kept the freezer stocked with pizza rolls that he would use as energy when he stayed up all night playing video games.

what you didn’t know, however, was that you would be spending the next couple months locked in your apartment with him. on top of that, you would begin to learn more things about him—his life, his personality, his feelings.

there are ten important things you learn about lee jeno during your time in quarantine.

       1. he’s a heavy sleeper.

at 10:28 in the morning you find yourself seated at the dining table in the kitchen, spooning froot loops into your mouth. as you stuff your face, you scroll through your phone for entertainment. you decide to open instagram first but you quickly find that to be a mistake. as soon as you open the app a picture of lucas and who you thought was his ex-girlfriend greets you. if that was bad, the caption hits you like a ton of bricks.

@lucas_xx444: should have never left you

in only five words, lucas has completely erased the months you spent dating. it meant nothing to him. sure, things hadn’t ended things the best way but going right back to his toxic ex and even admitting to missing her—now that was a new low. was this his way of getting back at you? his way of making you hurt just like he had throughout your entire relationship? the thought alone leaves you feeling sick.

you decide you’ve already had enough social media for one morning so you decide to check your messages instead. your friends usually left a couple of them overnight. to your surprise, you find that your main group chat has accumulated 241 messages.

[10:48 am] you: good morning i see u guys have been vry chatty

[10:49 am] yeji: ur finally awake!

[10:50 am] yuna: we thought u died lol

[10:50 am] lia: YUNA

[10:50 am] lia: NO

[10:51 am] ryujin: the timing for that joke could not be worse

[10:52 am] yuna: humor is my coping mechanism leave me alone

[10:52 am] you: ??? what happened

[10:53 am] chaeryeong: we left msgs for a reason dummy read them!!

[10:53 am] you: umm there’s over 200 and im not abouta read all that

[10:54 am] yuna: well then lemme break it down

[10:54 am] yuna: the world is ending :)

[10:55 am] you: welp it was about time

[10:55 am] lia: why r u guys like this

[10:56 am] yeji: there’s been a covid-19 outbreak and it’s spreading like wildfire so the government issued a stay at home order :/

[10:57 am] you: omg WHAT

[10:57 am] ryujin: ikr it’s crazy we literally can’t go anywhere

[10:57 am] chaeryeong: and we can’t get boba today either ;( i was so looking forward to that

[10:58 am] ryujin: let’s pls take a moment of silence for all the current and future boba dates that will have to be cancelled

[10:59 am] yuna: no way am i gonna let some wannabe flu make me go boba-less i’m still going out >:(

[10:59 am] lia: ...ur joking right

[10:59 am] yeji: what color casket do u want yuna?

before the groupchat can distract you any further, you place your phone down on the table. you sit back in your chair and let the newly revealed information sink in.

you were stuck inside.

you sigh before standing to clean your dishes. as you’re scrubbing away at your bowl, you feel something brush against your leg. you smile, not even having to look down to know it was seol. the cat would often wander into your room or sleep next to you when you watched tv on the couch. in fact, you were pretty sure you spent more time with seol than his owner.

you gaze at jeno’s room. as always, the door is shut. you wonder if you should let him know what was happening. you two usually kept your distance but you figured that the circumstance you found yourself in was an exception. you quickly dry your hand and shuffle towards his room.

you knock once, quite softly. you assume he’s asleep so you try again, this time a little harder. still, no avail. the third time you put even more force into it. by this time, seol has found his way beside you and claws at the door.

“jeno?” you knock a fourth time. “jeno! lee jeno!”

after more shouting accompanied by incessant meowing, you hear some muffled movement. moments later the door knob twists open and there stands your roommate with disheveled hair and a robe that had obviously just been thrown on his body. seol has taken the open crack in the door as an invitation inside the bedroom.

jeno blinks a couple times as he watches the feline get himself comfortable on his bed. he turns back to you, looking slightly disoriented. you’re not sure if he’s half asleep or your sudden presence has thrown him for a loop. his voice comes out raspy when he asks, “was he, um, bothering you or something?”

you shake your head, vigorously. “that’s not why i came. it’s just that my friends told me that there’s been some kind of virus outbreak and we’re supposed to stay home. so, i thought i’d let you know.”

his face softens. “oh, cool.” suddenly, the look changes. “not the virus thing! that’s totally not cool. i meant, it’s cool that you let me know and stuff. you just saved me a huge freak out so, uh, thank you.”

you smile and nod. “no problem.”

jeno’s eyes linger as you retreat back into your room down the hall. the sound of his door shutting is heard only once you’re out of his eyesight.

   2.    he can cook better than you.

most of the time, you would go out to eat dinner with your friends in the evenings or at least stop by a drive thru. obviously, this was no longer possible in the midst of a pandemic. you found that to be incredibly frustrating as you sat on your bed, stomach empty. no matter how badly you wished to fix it, your laziness had gotten the best of you. apart from that, you already knew how unlucky you were when it came to cooking—the memory of burning noodles at lia’s house one night had been permanently seared into your brain.

you almost believe your mind is playing tricks on you when you catch a whiff of pasta in the air. for a moment you think it’s your next door neighbor, taeyong, cooking again. you knew he was quite the chef. but, the smell is getting stronger by the second and you decide it must be in your apartment.

you wander into the kitchen, only to find jeno standing over the stove. he’s stirring red sauce in a pot when he notices you watching him.

“oh, hey,” he greets with a polite wave.

you can only stare at the rest of the kitchen—pots, pans, and ingredients all over the place—in utter awe.

he chuckles, awkwardly. “yeah, sorry about the mess. i’ve been told i’m a decent cook but i can never seem to get the tidiness down.”  

“no, it’s not that. this just all seems so... professional.” you sniff the air once more. “smells amazing, too.”

he smiles, sheepishly. “thanks. are you a fan of spaghetti?”

you nod.

“good. i wanted to make something you’d like.”

“you really didn’t have to,” you say, leaning against the fridge. “i mean, i’ve never done anything for you.”

he uncovers a pot to check on the pasta. you watch as hot steam rises out of it. “what about this morning?”

you can’t help but laugh. “that most certainly does not count. you’re making an entire meal. that takes a lot of effort.”

he waves a hand, dismissively. “i used to cook a lot with my old roommate, doyoung. the guy was an asian gordon ramsey, i swear. so, yeah, this is nothing too crazy. and i really do enjoy it.”

“well, i’m still gonna repay you.” you fold your arms.

he looks away from his dish to raise a brow. “is that so?”

you nod in confirmation. “definitely.”

“tell you what, if you wash the mountain of dishes that are gonna be left over, we’ll be even.”

you stare at the sink that’s already overflowing with dirty kitchen tools. that wasn’t even half of it. “uh, sure, sounds good.”

he laughs at hearing the uncertainty in your voice. “that’s the spirit.”

   3.    he’s allergic to cats.

the familiar sound of soft purring is what pulls you attention away from the movie playing on your laptop. already knowing exactly who it is, you launch yourself off your bed to allow your furry guest inside.  

“hey seol. what’ve you been up to?”

the calico meows, almost as if he were responding to your question. you close your door and go back to your original position. you notice seol sitting directly in front of your bed, looking up at you with wide eyes.

“come on up.” you pat your sheets, invitingly.

he obeys and stretches before laying down beside you.

“have you ever watched ‘avengers’?” you ask, eyes going back to the explosive fight scene on the screen.

this time, seol doesn’t even bother humoring you with a meow. he stays silent with his head tucked into his paws.

you scratch his head and his tail wiggles. “i’ve gotta stop asking you questions.”

both you and seol’s heads snap towards the door when you hear a knock.

“come in!” you call out.  

jeno swings open the door. his eyes briefly scan the room before landing on the furball on your bed. the unmistakable look of adoration shines in his eyes when he sees how lovingly you caress him.

“seol! what are you doing in here? bothering y/n?” the cat jumps off your bed and towards his owner standing in your doorway. jeno scoops him into his arms and faces you. “i’m so sorry. he saw me running a bath for him and bolted.”

“it’s all good. he’s a great movie buddy. besides, i could always use the company.”

jeno curiously glances at your computer screen. “is that ‘avengers’?”

“yep. i’ve seen it like a dozen times.”

“same here.“ he pauses. “hey, if you ever need a movie buddy—like you know, one that talks—just let me know.”

your face lights up. “i’m gonna hold you to that.”

”i hope so. well, if you’ll excuse me, i’ve gotta give this guy a bath.”

seol yowls as if he understands the meaning behind the words and attempts to escape jeno’s grip.    

“here we go again,” he mumbles under his breath.

you snicker at the sight. “looks like you could use some help.”

“oh, no. it’s fine. he can just be a little bratty someti—seol!”

in the blink of an eye, the feline has successfully hopped out of his arms and made a run for it.

jeno gives you an exasperated look before rushing off to catch his runway pet. you find yourself caught up in the excitement so you follow him, the two of you now in pursuit of the calico. you’re sure the image of you both chasing the fluffy animal around the apartment looks like something straight out of a comedy. even you and jeno can’t contain your laughter when he finally catches seol only for him to slip out of his hold a second later. this exact situation repeats itself a couple times before you finally get lucky.

“i got him!” you screech. “jeno! oh my god! what do i do?”

“bathroom, bathroom, bathroom!” he chants in response.

you head in that direction with jeno trailing behind you, ready to catch seol if he somehow manages to get out of your death grip. you bend over the bathtub, slowly lowering the cat into the water. it’s clear he doesn’t have a problem with making a fuss as he wails and flails his limbs around.

after a while, he finally calms down enough that you can lather him in shampoo. jeno insists on scrubbing him, arguing that you had already done way too much. you sit back on your heels, observing the way the seol leans into his delicate touches.

“looks like he likes it now.”

“he likes to make a big deal but he ends up enjoying it every—“ jeno cuts himself off with a sneeze.

“tissue?” you offer.

he shakes his head. “that’s okay, thanks. i’m used to it. i’m just surprised my allergies haven’t acted up ‘til now.”

“allergies?” you echo.

“yeah, i’m allergic to—“ another sneeze. “cats.”

your eyes widen. “really? and you still have seol?”

“i could never get rid of him. he’s too good of a boy. isn’t—“ sneeze. “that right?” he tickles seol under his chin.

“wow. you must really love him.”

“so much.”

“he’s lucky to have you.”

“what about you? you get both of us. doesn’t that make you the luckiest?”

you snort. “i guess it does.”

   4.    he makes a good shopping buddy.

“i have officially cooked everything we have.”

“i can order some takeout, if you want?”

he juts his lower lip out and gives you puppy eyes. “but i like to cook for you.”

you laugh at his expression. “oh god, you look like that one pouty emoji people use when they try to be cute.”

he sits up. “did it work?”

you nod and pinch his cheek.

he yelps. “ah, stop! you’re acting like my grandma!” he manages to get out of your grasp. he rubs his face, soothing the spots you had squeezed. “seriously, though, we really do need to stock up on food.”

“i’ve already been looking into it.” you show him the screen of your phone. “says here you can still go shopping as long as you wear a mask and try to stay six feet away from other shoppers.”

he cringes. “i don’t know if i like the idea of being so close to so many people.”

“i can go by myself, then,” you suggest with a shrug.

he doesn’t hesitate to deny you. “no way are you going alone.” his possessive tone has you staring at him curiously so he adds, “you know, in case you can’t reach something on the top shelf.”

the teasing comment paired with his innocent smile makes you gasp in disbelief. “lee jeno! that’s low! and to think i almost thought you were worried about me.”

“who said i wasn’t?” he smiles at you again before standing up. “i’m going to find us some masks and then we can head out.”  

once you arrive at your local grocery store, you find it to be packed. everyone seems to be in a hurry, grabbing things left and right.

“wow, it’s already gotten crazy,” jeno mumbles, stopping to stare at the flood of people that rush by.

you don’t hesitate to scold him. “well, don’t just stand there! we gotta get our stuff before there’s nothing left!”

without another word you slip into the frenzy of people. jeno struggles to stay behind you. after almost losing sight of you a couple times, he walks a little faster to catch up and places his arm firmly around your waist once he does. you look up at him, your mask covering your slightly agape mouth.

being the gentleman he is, he apologizes. “sorry but i don’t want us to get separated.”

you can only nod and mumble, “good idea.”

jeno pushes the shopping cart with his right hand and holds your figure with his left. once in a while, you’ll break apart from each other to grab an item you need but once it’s in the cart, he’ll make sure you end up in the same position. after an hour or so, you’ve grabbed enough and you decide it’s time to pay.

despite the mask she has on, you can tell the middle-aged woman behind the cash register has a big smile on her face once she catches sight of you and your roommate.

“well, just look at you two.” she sighs. “how cute.”

“oh.” you glance at her then jeno then her again. “oh, no. it’s not like that.”

you attempt to move yourself away from jeno only to find his grip to be so incredibly strong that you almost begin to think he’s trying to hold you in place. once you finally detach yourself from him, you begin loading your groceries onto the counter for the employee to scan. she does so, but not before giving you a displeased look.  

“oh really? he holds you like that because you aren’t together?”

jeno assists her in placing the scanned items in bags. “i didn’t want to lose her.”

she pauses scanning a can of tuna to stare him down. “darling, that sounds like a line from a cheesy hallmark rom-com.”

you can’t help but chuckle. “what he means is that there’s a lot of people here and we didn’t want to get separated.”

jeno adds, “desperate times calls for desperate measures.”

the woman adjusts her glasses. “well, you do certainly seem desperate to have her close to you.”

jeno doesn’t say a word as he continues bagging but his smile reaches his eyes.

   5.    he works out.

why did the pandemic have to hit in the middle of summer?

you often asked yourself this, complaining about how inconvenient it was. especially on the days that made your apartment feel like it was on fire. the days that required a thin tank top and shorts. even then, you found yourself to be drenched in sweat.

you sprawled your arms and legs farther on the sofa, the leather material proving to be very uncomfortable. it was either that or your bed with the warm cotton sheets that stuck to your body. just thinking about it brings you discomfort. the only relief you could think of was a cold shower. you would have already taken one if jeno hadn’t been hogging the one bathroom in the apartment.

“jeno!” you yell.

silence; other than the sound of the water running.

“lee jeno!”

the water stops, temporarily for him to shout back an answer. “what?!”

you wipe at the sweat that has accumulated on the bridge of your nose. “hurry up! i’m melting!”

the water starts back up again and you groan. hoping to distract yourself, you pull out your phone. the group chat with your friends is surprisingly silent so you go to instagram for some entertainment. this time, your ex-boyfriend’s post isn’t the first thing you see. it takes you some scrolling but you do end up seeing another one of his pictures.

it’s simply two intertwined hands with a black and white filter. you identify the one on the left as his and although you aren’t as familiar with the one on the right, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who it belongs to. contrary to the last, this photo has no cheesy words for a caption, just a red heart.  

but, your stomach doesn’t drop. you don’t feel hurt, either. obviously, you still don’t enjoy seeing him just because of all the awful memories that came with it but other than that, you feel unaffected by the image.

in fact, you feel so confident in yourself that you block him.

you’re surprised you hadn’t done it sooner. you had known you didn’t need him in your life any longer so why keep in contact? you feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders when you press the red button that would keep him and his girlfriend out of your life. you knew with your whole heart that you didn’t need to see either of them.

before, a bit if you had felt the need to keep an eye on him. to see how he was handling the breakup and torture yourself with the fact that he didn’t seem to care. now, you could say you truly didn’t either. you didn’t need him or his stupid pictures. you had other, better things.

your friends.

your cat (yes, you considered seol to be yours).

your roommate.

you had to admit, jeno was the best thing on that list. quarantine had brought you and him significantly closer and you were over the moon about it. he was so wonderful that you kicked yourself for having lived with him for so long without ever really getting to know him. but it was easy to say you two were making up for lost time seeing as you spent every waking moment together. the record long showers jeno took being an exception, of course.

the moment the door to the bathroom opens, you rush into your room and quickly grab an oversized t-shirt and loose pajama pants to change into after your shower. you nearly drop them when you’re met with jeno’s soaking figure in the hallway.

his hair is damp and you can clearly see how long it had become. his skin looks healthy and moisturized, lotion among other skin care products had probably been applied. what really has you in a shock is the fact that the towel barely hangs below his waist. the droplets of water that fall from his hair and down his neck trail down his chest and toned torso towards the only area he has bothered to cover up. his bulky arms are also slightly wet, his veins popping noticeably. he shakes his head in an attempt to rid his hair of any water. then he runs his fingers through it, his muscles flexing ever so slightly as he does so.

“dude!” you exclaim, without a second thought. “you’re ripped!”

he smiles, his round cheeks growing at the unexpected praise. the way he could have such a rugged body but soft-featured face puzzled you to no extent. “thank you. i lift sometimes.”

“sometimes?” you repeat. “don’t be so humble! you’re basically hercules!”

he clicks his tongue. “ah, c’mon. i’m just an athletic person.”

you keep admiring his physique. “clearly.”

“oh god,” he groans, obviously flustered. “you’re looking at me like you’re gonna eat me or something.”

you hold yourself back from making a less than appropriate innuendo. “no comment.”

his eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. “quarantine is really making you go crazy.”

you point a finger at him. “you try being stuck inside with your hot roommate!”

“trust me, y/n, i know all about hot roommates.”

you tilt your head, acting purposefully oblivious. “are you talking about doyoung?”

“what? no i—“ he sighs. “you know what, just take your shower.”

   6.    you can’t say no to him.

jeno ruffles his black locks with his hand and frowns.

you give him a disappointed look. “knock it off, you’re gonna get dandruff in your soup.”

he ignores your comment. “i look like a hobo.”

you pause, spoon halfway to your mouth. “this i know.”

“y/n, this is serious!”

“okay, okay. what’s the issue?”

“i already told you! i’m a bum!”

“you? a bum?” you pause to think about it. “i mean, mentally? maybe. but physically? no.”

“my hair, though. it’s so long.” he grabs a strand of it and pulls it to emphasize his point.

you shrug. “if having lots of hair is the standard for being a bum, i think most of the population is.”

“i want to cut it,” he announces.

“you should,” you say, pointing your spoon at him. “wanna know why? because if you mess up, no one will ever know. other than me, of course. but if you pay me enough i’ll let you forget it.”

he smiles at the joke for a moment before he leans forward and his face goes serious. “will you help me?”

“what? no way. i’ll mess up. and it’s only funny if you do it.”

he pouts. “please?”

you stir your soup around. “just watch some youtube videos. after three, you’re automatically a professional.”

“i want you.”

the statement has your neck snapping up from your bowl to him. the smug grin on his face lets you know that he was well aware of the double meaning behind his words. it was clear he was trying to fluster you enough to get a yes.

“you think you’re flirty enough to straight up brainwash me into doing stuff?”

“well, i wanted to say that to you anyway but... kind of?”

you feel a smile creep onto your lips at hearing the genuine tone in his voice. you down your last few spoonfuls of soup and quickly stand up. jeno looks up at you, eyes hopeful.

“finish your dinner. get the scissors. meet me in the bathroom.”

not even ten minutes later, jeno practically dances into the bathroom, a pair of red craft scissors in his hand. he sits on top of the toilet lid, figuring that’d be the easiest way for you to reach him. you walk in moments later.

“i’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to be using these types of scissors for hair,” he mumbles as he hands you the sharp utensil.

you twirl them in your hand. “oh, definitely not. do you want to wait then?”

he shakes his head, his shaggy bangs swaying with the movement.  

“alright, let’s get this going then.” you thread your hands through his thick locks to collect some of it in between two of your fingers. you bring the scissors forward and snip the small amount just to test the waters.

you slowly begin to get more comfortable and once you feel like you’re in your element, things begin to speed up. you move and cut faster but with efficiency. you do the spots on the back of his head and work your way forward. when it finally comes time to touch up his bangs, your small bathroom proves to be an inadequate spot to be doing this.

you end up standing balanced inches above jeno’s thighs that he’s pressed together tightly in an attempt to give you more room. you’re constantly readjusting your stance and when he notices, his hands go to your hips. you know he’s just trying to help you stay upright so you do a decent job but you still inhale sharply at the feeling of his hands on you.

not long after, you’re standing next to jeno as he inspects himself in the mirror. his fingers flick his newly shortened bangs around.

“not bad.” he tilts his head in a new angle and nods. “looks super good to me.”

you tuck the scissors into your back pocket with a relieved sigh. “oh thank god. i didn’t want to tell you before we started but i only watched two youtube tutorials on trimming hair.”

he runs a hand through his hair with a chuckle. “now that’s truly worthy of praise. and a tip.”

you raise a brow. “oh yeah? what’s th—“

he cuts you off by pressing a chaste kiss to your forehead. he pulls back and drags his thumb over the skin that has come into contact with his lips. “thanks again.” with that, he leaves you standing in the bathroom, eyes wide and face warm.

   7.    he has six best friends.

“can i borrow your laptop?” asks jeno, from outside your door, nearly breathless.

you look up from your book. “uh yeah, sure.”

he rushes in your room and takes the item off of your dresser. “do you happen to have zoom on it?”

you shake your head and he groans. without another word, he disappears, running off into the living room. you hear his frustrated sighs as the minutes pass and he attempts to download the application. you finally decide to go check it out once it becomes too much to bear.

“it sounds like you’re in pain over here,” you comment.

he runs a hand through his hair. “i’m supposed to meet with my friends through a zoom call but it’s so complicated.”

you put a hand on your hip. “bet you five bucks i’ll be able to get it in five minutes.”

“are you kidding? i might be technologically challenged but i’m not stupid. i know you can do it fast, just help me out already, would you?”

“alright, grandpa.”

you type and click away at the screen, jeno watching you do so, entranced but equally as lost.

“well, i was wrong,” you say after a couple moments, leaning back in your chair.

“you couldn’t get it?” asks jeno, worriedly.

“no, it’s not that.” you click something on the screen and the app opens. “turns out i could do it in three.”

he rolls his eyes and shoos you out of the chair. he sits down and enters the code and password for the zoom meeting. it takes a minute, but he finally connects. you count six other people in the call. they all immediately cheer at seeing jeno and you hear them excitedly exclaim his name.

“hey guys,” he says, a smile already reaching his eyes. “it’s so good to see your faces.”

they all nod to agree. you get a good look at each one of them and realize they’re all boys. your eyes read over each of their display names.

mark me in ur heart

hyuckie~~~

moomin enthusiast

nananananana

chnele

lil huddy

“nice name, jeno,” ‘moomin enthusiast’ guy comments, snickering slightly. “glad to see you finally came to terms with it.”

‘jenojam’, his name reads. the rest of the group laughs, also teasing him about it. you assume it’s some kind of inside joke.

the self proclaimed ‘lil huddy’ furrows his eyebrows. “wait, did you choose that name yourself?”

jeno simply nods in response.

he glares into the camera. “donghyuck, you told me i had to put this as my name or else it wouldn’t let me connect!”

donghyuck—or ‘hyuckie~~~’, you presume—shrugs. “oops. guess i was wrong.”

you laugh at the humorous exchange. it seems like the sound has drawn some attention to you when ‘nananananana’ speaks up, eyes trained on you.

“um jeno? don’t you want to introduce your guest?”

jeno beams, dragging you closer into the frame. “i’m sure you all know about my roommate. say hi, y/n.” 

you do so, waving and smiling politely at the group.

“you know, even though we used to always hang at jeno’s, i don’t think we’ve ever actually seen your face,” ‘chnele’ says, tilting his head.

you agree. “me neither. i’ve mostly just heard you guys.”

the ‘mark me in your heart’ boy sheepishly rubs his neck. “sorry. we tend to be a little loud.”

‘chnele’ lets out a high pitched screech of a laugh. “only a little?”

“i recognize that laugh!” you blurt. “i would hear it all the time!”

”that’s our little dolphin,” coos ‘hyuckie~~~’.

“oh god, stop. i hate that stupid nickname.”

“it’s well deserved.”

“i think you should apologize to y/n for being a nightmare to her eardrums.”

“and ours, for that matter.”

“what about all your little freestyles? i’ve had to sit through hundreds of them and i never got an apology!”

“because they’re not bad! could you do any better?”

“you’re a soundcloud rapper, i think anyone could.”

jeno turns to you as the bickering on screen gets louder and louder. “this is gonna be a long call.”

once the group has moved on from roasting the life out of each other, you’re able to engage in some good-natured conversation. jeno teaches you the names and the other basics about the group. some points that stand out about the group is that mark is the oldest, renjun specializes in contemporary dance, jaemin inhales six cups of coffee on the daily, and chenle is insanely rich.

“what about jeno?” you ask them. “anything i should know about him?”

“he’s allergic to cats but the idiot still adopted—“

“she already knows about that, renjun,” jeno chuckles.

“oh. well. that’s pretty much the only interesting thing about him.”

jisung pipes up. “oh wait! he works out religiously too!”

you and jeno share a look. you burst into laughter and he simply glances away, slightly embarrassed. “oh yeah, i know that all too well.”

“and what about the unhealthy cooking obsession?”

you nod at mark’s question. “that too. he cooks dinner almost every night around here.”

renjun purses his lips. “he already cooks for you? wow. he must really like you.”

“you think?” jaemin asks. “didn’t you read any of the messages in the group chat? he’s practically in love with her. his words, not mi—“

“okay! i think it’s time for us to go! bye guys!” jeno doesn’t even give you a chance to say your own goodbye before he’s clicking the ‘end call’ button in the bottom right corner.

you give him a confused look. “what was that all about?”

“they’re crazy.” he laughs. “well, if you need me i’ll be in my room screaming into my pillow for the next couple hours.” he dashes off leaving you standing alone, trying to comprehend what had happened.

   8.    he‘s a great listener.

jeno has officially replaced seol as your movie buddy, not that you have a problem with it. you thought it was nice to have someone you could actually converse with but of course, you make sure seol still sits in.

“what i’m saying is that iron man just wants to protect his team.”

“well, if they sign the accords, they basically surrender themselves to the government.”

“and?”

“you don’t see a problem with that? see, captain america knows what he’s doing. he’s literally an avenger—“

“so is iron man!”

“let me finish! so, he’s an avenger, right? he has the best judgment because he’s saved the world countless times. he knows how to operate his team and do the right thing.”

“okay but there’s casualties. and that’s what iron man is trying to fix.”

“how do you save the world and not have casualties?”

“you just—“ your phone rings mid argument and you raise your finger towards jeno. “this isn’t over.” you put the phone to your ear, not bothering to check the caller id. “hello?”

“sweetheart?”

you feel a chill go up your spine. was it him? no, it couldn’t be. you had blocked his number shortly after you did so on all your social media.

“baby, don’t be so shy. i know you’re there.”

you can’t hold back. “please don’t call me that.”

he chuckles, breathlessly. “oh, c’mon. you used to love it. you still do.”

“no, i don’t. actually, i don’t want to hear your stupid pet names or stupid voice or see any of your stupid posts. just go bother your girlfriend and leave me alone.”

you notice jeno perk up beside you out of the corner of your eye. he must have been caught off guard by your irritated tone.

as always, lucas is unaffected by you. “i’m being nice and giving you a second chance. i even called you behind soyeon’s back.”

“is that something i’m supposed to reward you for?” you scoff. “congratulations, you’re now awful, toxic, and a cheater.”

he growls. the sound was familiar. in your relationship, if you heard it you knew he was going to snap at you until he had the satisfaction of making you cry. “i know you miss me so don’t say things you’re going to regret later. because even when you’re back in my arms, i won’t let you forget it.”

the thought of being back with him made you feel icky. but the fact that he sincerely thought you would crawl back to him set your entire body on fire. “are you joking? i was always aware of the fact that you treated me like the dirt you walked on but do you seriously think that lowly of me?”

you’re rendered speechless and apparently, so is he because the other line stays silent.

“i wouldn’t go back to you if you were the last person on earth,” you spit. “you treated me horribly, wong yukhei. i won’t ever forget it. move on. i have.”

you glance at jeno, his expression more serious than you’ve ever seen it. his eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes are trained on your cellphone. the glare he gives the device is so strong you wouldn’t be surprised if even lucas could feel it, wherever he was.

you hang up and block the number, wishing to never talk to him again. you toss your phone onto the sofa with an exasperated sigh. you find jeno’s gaze to still be focused intensely on it.  

“if you gave lucas that look, i’m pretty sure he’d cry.”

he breaks his concentration, eyes going to you instead. his entire face softens. “all i’m going to say is he better pray we never cross paths.”

“well, if you happen to, call me up. i wouldn’t mind helping you beat the crap out of him.”

jeno chuckles for a second then lowers his voice to a whisper. “he was really bad to you, huh?”

you nod. “he messed me up. i hate to admit it ‘cause i know i was stupid to stay with him for as long as i did.”

your roommate shakes his head. “don’t say that. it’s not your fault he messed up the best thing that would ever happen to him.”

“i thought i was the problem for so long, jeno. i was so blinded by love. then, i realized there was no way he truly cared for me when he treated me like i had no heart to be broken.”

jeno scoots towards you and rubs soothing circles into your arm. “you have such a big heart. and i can’t tell you how sorry i am that he took advantage of that. i’m sorry that you were stuck with someone so insecure and ignorant. please, don’t think about him anymore.”

you hold in your tears. you refused to cry over someone like lucas. “i know. i try so hard not to.”

jeno holds your head into his chest. his arms are placed securely on your back. “oh, baby.”

when jeno uses this pet name on you, it feels so completely different from lucas. you could tell me meant it. he wasn’t using it to make you stay a little longer, to assure you he loved you. strangely enough, you do not need to be convinced of that. you feel like you have known it for a long time.  

   9.    he likes to be the big spoon.

you’re not sure how he’s done it but you end up falling asleep in jeno’s arms. you assume it had been so long since you had been cradled and rocked so delicately that the foreign yet extremely delightful sensation knocked you right out. even seol is deep in sleep, laying down peacefully at your feet.  

you relish in the feeling of jeno pressed right into your back. he fits so perfectly against you that it reminds you of a puzzle piece. to be exact, the moment when you connect the last two pieces and the full picture becomes complete. that was how you felt—complete.

with jeno’s soft breaths tickling the back of your neck and his soft snores filling your ear, you know there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. his arm that is wrapped around you makes sure you can’t escape his embrace. you are positive that even if you had the liberty of doing so, you would stay exactly where you were.

you lean farther back into your pillow, closing your eyes. you let every thought fade away as you try to fall back asleep as soon as possible. you wanted the moment you found yourself in to last as long as possible.

   10.    he has feelings for you.

jeno mumbles sweet nothings into your ear as he toys with your hair.

it just seemed right to him. like something he was meant to do with you. he had seen these types of things in films and shows before. it was intimate and touching, the scenes were always meant to tug at the audience’s heart strings and show how in love the two characters were. perhaps, even though you lay asleep in his arms, he wants you to finally know.

“honestly, being inside with you all the time is kind of the best. i know the whole virus situation is less than ideal but being able to spend so much time with you... that’s all i could ask for.” he pauses. “isn’t it so crazy how before this we were all weird and awkward around each other? well, i guess we still kind of are. that’s mostly my fault so... sorry. i just don’t know how to act around you sometimes. we’re barely getting close and i’m already this attached to you. as jisung would so kindly say, ‘i’m simping’.” he chuckles to himself. “all jokes aside, i really do like you. ever since you moved in here all cute and nervous, you’ve taken your own little place in my heart, as cheesy as it sounds. and these past few weeks, you just keep on taking up more and more room in there. not that i have a problem with it. i just...” he stops as if he doesn’t know how else to express his feelings. “really, really like you.”

“thanks.”

you feel him jolt then abruptly stop stroking your hair. there’s silence until he asks, “you don’t happen to be a sleep talker, do you?”

you shake your head.

“and did you hear like, a lot of what i said?”

“only the important stuff. like how awkward you are and how much you like me.”

“o-oh.”

“but don’t worry. it’s mutual.”

you feel his relieved breath hit the skin of your neck. “that’s the best thing i’ve heard all day.”

you tilt your head back and stare at him, confused. “what, did you seriously think i wasn’t into you?”

he shrugs. “i was too busy simping, i guess.”

you can’t contain your laughter at the use of the slang. “park jisung would not be proud.”