#greetings parental unit

[ellowynthenotking]

Apr 12

Dear Dad,

That was a huge waste of time. An unbelievably huge, massive, colossal, gigantic waste of time!

I can’t believe we fell for it, and I can’t believe other people keep falling for it! Hundreds of people have gone into this wizard circle for help, but they can’t really help anyone! 

We should have known better. I mean, I should have known better. With all the people we’ve seen and talked to. We should have known that none of them would actually help us. No one in this world is actually able or willing to help us. They just don’t want to help us. They give us just enough hope to go on to the next place, so we stop bothering them and move on to the next people. 

Just one after another. That’s all they do, all they’re willing to do. Just get us out of their hair or use us until they can get rid of us. It’s ridiculous, it’s insane, it’s so, so so mean. Why not just help us? Or just tell us that you can’t actually help us? 

I mean, the people at the temples have been telling us that all along. Because they know that it’s what’s actually important. Actually, right, one might even say. Because we deserve to know if you can’t actually help us. It’s not like we’ve gotten mad at anyone for not being able to help us. Usually, we just try to get them to point us in the right direction. Which isn’t hard at all! Even if I don’t know where something or someone is, I can usually at least point someone in the right direction.

But then again, maybe that’s what these people have been doing. Doing that, they think, is pointing us in the right direction when really they don’t even know where the right direction is. Maybe in their minds, it’s better than nothing. 

But it still hasn’t actually helped us at all. It’s done nothing, nothing at all for us. All it’s done is send us further and further away from where we started with no actual certainty of anything.

And these guys are the worst of all the people we’ve run into. They didn’t even try to actually help. I doubt that they’ve actually helped anyone! They’re not even wizards! The so-called wizards are actually just a bunch of dudes in a castle using magic items to pretend to be great and powerful wizards. They don’t even know how to use half the stuff that they’ve gotten stashed away. They just take all these insane, potentially helpful to someone magic items, and they hide them away from the world, using them to convince people they’re the ones with magic, and then they take more of the mafic items in trade. 

There was nothing there that could help us, because they weren’t actually any people who could help us, and they didn’t actually have any items that could have helped us. It was all duds, all of it.

They tried to do their drama theater show on us to show how magic-y they are. But I could see when they used scrolls and items for it. And Zunair called them out for using ambiance music in the place to make it seem more mystical. Grace was the one who actually tore into them for it all, though. When we pointed out all the items that they were using to give us a sham show of power, she was probably more mad than the rest of us. She tore them to shreds, asking what they did, where they got the items, how they could do what they were doing, and calling them scam artists to their faces. 

I thought she was actually going to attack them, but the most she did was break one of the wands that the guy at the front had, which was mostly just making bright and shiny lights, which was kind of amazing and terrifying. At least, it really terrified the stupid fake wizards. We interrogated them to see if they had anything, anything at all that might be able to help us, but the most useful thing they had was a scrying bowl. But since we didn’t know exactly what we were looking for or where it was, it was useless to us. 

A castle full of stuff, full of magic, and we couldn’t even get directions from them.

They wasted our time, they wasted our money, they’re absolutely useless.

I can’t believe they have an entire city, not just an entire city, but an entire kingdom, really, fooled. Convinced that they’re these great and powerful wizards when they’re just fancy con artists. I mean, someone else’s gotta know, right? That they’re just taking people's time and money. Tricking people, good people, probably. Cause of what, money? The illusion of power? 

Bastards, the lot of them. I hope something terrible happens to their castle and all their magic items get spread to the corners of this world.  

We wasted days, Dad. We wasted so much time looking to get here and looking for them, looking for work to pay them. All for what, for them not even to be able to help us. They can’t even point us to someone else who might be able to help us because they’re fakes. Big fakes. The fakiest fakes to ever fake in this kingdom. 

I wanted to yell at them more. I wanted to scream at them. I wanted to take everything from them and show it to the world. 

We should have grabbed a few things out of their stocks. They weren’t even using most of it, just showing it off and hoarding it like terrible fake dragons. Using it to make themselves look good. I’m sure there was stuff in there that we could have actually used. Something that might have actually been able to help us later on, or that we could have sold to help fund other research, other things that might have been able to help us. 

Wasted so much time. I can’t believe it. And there wasn’t even anything to show for it. We didn’t get anything from them, didn’t have any items to show, didn’t have any directions. 

We didn’t get home, god I can’t believe I was so stupid to believe that they would acutally be able to get us home. 

It hasn’t happened do far, why would it happen now? Just cause we waited in line? Just cause we thought that it might be able to help us?

No, it was a dumb ploy, a dumb con, and we fell for it: hook, line, and sinker. I can’t believe that we were so dumb.

We’re going to keep on through the city, but if the cult was looking for us here, they might have more than caught up. We still have the temples to look through. The one we’re staying at, Willow, is covering, so tomorrow, one of the others and I are going to go look for the other temples and see if they have anything or might be able to help us in some way. I’m not going to get my hopes up again. I’m going to stay firmly in the “we’re not getting home, but I’m gonna keep trying” camp until we’re actually home. It might help, it might not, but I can’t keep hoping like this. It’s hurting me, really hurting me, I think, to hope so much and to keep having it dashed on the rocks like this.

The time wasted is going to come back to haunt us, I’m sure. I’m hoping the cultists aren’t still following us because if they have been, they’re already 4 days closer to us because of all the time wasted. Time was wasted waiting outside the city, time wasted just finding a place to sleep, and then even more time was wasted at the door of the stupid wizards and their stupid castle. The stupid fake wizards. How many people have they tricked? Is there even a point to this? To all of it? 

Are the cultists looking for anything, too, or are they just going to hunt us down to do terrible things to us, too? I mean, what are we even going to do if they catch up with us again? There’s no real answer because the answer is probably going to be something terrible.

I want to go home, that’s all I want. I want to not be here, I want to be able to see the world again without worrying about cultists of all things. I want to be able to sleep in a bed that I don’t have to barter for. I want to know what else the cultists are planning, if they catch up to us, I don’t have to wonder about them too. 

I don’t want theme to catch up with us at all. I want them gone. I want us gone. 

I want to find a way home in one of these libraries. So I’m going to keep looking for a way, home, but I”m not going to trust anyone elses’ word on it. I can’t. 

I don’t know how the others feel. I don’t know if I want to know. I want to go home.

We don’t even know where to go or what to do next. We’re just fumbling around, hoping that the way home is something we’ll be able to find, and find soon. But I don’t know if it is something we’ll find or find soon.

I wonder if the Seers were even telling the truth. We trusted them, too, and I don’t know if we can actually trust them. 

I don’t know if I can trust anyone.

I can’t stop, though. I don’t know what I’ll do if I stop. Maybe die like a shark.

Jack

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[rainydayathogwarts]

A motherly visit - son!harry potter

summary: when harry sends you another owl claiming that professor snape has it out for him, you decide to pay them a short visit wc: 1.5k+

Irritation flooded through yours veins, your eye nearly twitching with annoyance as you read through Harry’s letter. Once again, your son had been unfairly treated by his Potions teacher, graded lower on his exams and essays than he deserved. Your chair scraped loudly on the floor of your potions lab as you pushed it out from under your desk, grabbing your coat as you made your way to the fireplace in your office.

You wiped down your clean hands on the soft fabric of your coat before grabbing a handful of floo powder and travelling to Professor McGonagall’s office. As the green flames died away, revealing your confident stance, Professor McGonagall blinked slowly, only mildly surprised to find you in her office. “I need to find my son so we can have a chat with Professor Snape.” The older woman opened her mouth to reply, but you were already walking out of her office. She sighed, leaving you to your own devices in the rogue hallways of the Hogwarts castle.

Luckily for you, a loud call of “Mum!” had you stopping in your tracks and spinning on the balls of your feet to see Harry jogging towards you, his book bag flapping uncontrollably at his side. Harry gripped the strap of his back, holding it snugly against his jumper clad chest as he ran towards you with a smile. Ron and Hermione immediately quickened their pace to catch up with their friend, who threw his arms out to engulf you in a tight hug.

“Hey, sweetheart.” You mumbled, lips pressed against Harry’s forehead as you wrapped your arms around him. “What are you doing here?” He questioned excitedly, adjusting his glasses in a way that instantly reminded you of your husband. “I got your letter.” Harry furrowed his eyebrows. “I sent you that like an hour ago!”

“And I’m sick of hearing about how your incompetent Professor keeps poorly grading your papers, which I know deserve higher grades on.” You huffed angrily, putting both your hands on your hips. “You have your papers on you, don’t you?” Harry nodded, immediately ruffling through his book bag. You winced at the sight of loose papers in the bag but looked away, instead busying yourself by greeting your son’s two best friends. Harry made a noise of achievement as he pulled out two separate stacks of papers, presenting them to you with a smile. You scanned through them quickly as he explained “That’s my essay on the uses of mandrake plants in advanced potion making, and then that’s our most recent end of unit test.” “Well, come along then, Harry.”

“Mum, I’ve got a lesson now.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure your Professor will understand I’m on a time crunch.” Your heels clicked loudly against the concrete floors, heads of students turning to look at you curiously. That would probably be one of two reasons: 1. You were a parent who had no business currently being at Hogwarts. 2. You were the most successful potioneer of your generation, specialising in poisons and their remedies, with a success so prominent that every potions student in Year 5 and above stared at your name on the cover of their potions textbooks every time they used it.

The chilly atmosphere of the dungeon welcomed you as you made a beeline to the potions classroom. Harry’s thoughts were racing as he tried predicting what you were going to tell Professor Snape, holding your son’s exam papers in hand.

Luckily for you, Snape had just exited his classroom, opening his mouth to let his students into the dark room, when he spotted you. His eyes were immediately clouded with annoyance, but something else lingered in his gaze. “Snape,” You started, glancing at the group of students waiting to be called into their classrooms. “I suggest you give your students a free period. We have things to discuss.” You didn’t wait for Snape to respond, pushing past him to walk into his classroom. You settled your things down on a table near Snape’s desk, standing up behind the uncomfortable stools. “Take a seat, sweetheart.” Harry smiled gently as you returned your gaze to him, eyes softening as they took him in. You pushed a rogue strand of hair away from his face before turning around to meet Snape’s eye as he trudged towards you.

“You realise it’s been almost twenty years, right?” Harry wasn’t expecting those to be your first words. “So I suggest you get over your little crush on me and your hatred towards my husband, because my son is facing the consequences of your feelings.” Harry gasped at the revelation, his eyes wide with shock. He pursed his lips suddenly to suppress his laughter.

Snape hated him because he was jealous of Harry’s father?

You turned over Harry’s papers to face the Professor. “Look me in the eye and tell me you believe these deserve a Poor.” Snape looked up, making solid eye contact with you, though he didn’t say anything. “Y/N-” “It’s Mrs. Potter to you, Snape.”

The long-haired Professor inhaled deeply. “Mrs. Potter, I strongly believe that your son’s papers deserve the grades they were awarded.” You hummed, entirely unconvinced. Pushing Harry’s essay to the side, you flipped his exam paper open. “Then we seriously need to question your teaching. Green pen, please.” Snape grumbled quietly as he stood up walking to his desk to retrieve a green pen for you, placing it in your extended hand.

“Let’s see.” You spoke under your breath, moving around the table to stand next to Snape. The next few minutes were dreadfully tense for Harry, watching as Snape spent most of the time looking at the side of your face rather than the paper, where you were adding small check marks next to Harry’s answers. When you reached the end of the paper, you flicked back to the beginning, counting the marks in a quiet whisper.

“You’ve given my son an 18/50. The mark he should have gotten is a 39. Not an outstanding by any means, but still two entire grades above the one you gave him.” Harry swallowed thickly as you spoke, crossing your arms over your chest whilst you stared down Professor Snape.

“Keep up with this prejudice against my son and I promise, you will come out of a job.” Snape scoffed, finally saying “You act as though anyone will take your word over mine.” Your genuine laugh surprised Harry. “You can stop pretending you think they’ll choose you over me. We both know Professor Dumbledore has been begging me to take this position for, what, four years now?” All colour drained from Professor Snape’s face as you revealed that information. You walked around the hopeless professor to place a hand on your son’s shoulder.

“Who knows, maybe next year I’ll take his offer?” You leaned closer to Professor Snape, bringing your voice down to a whisper. “If I don’t hear that you’ve changed my son’s grade by tomorrow, I promise, worse things will happen to you than losing your job." You straightened up, clearing your throat before adding "Who knows, maybe I’ll even send my husband to visit you.”

Harry revelled in the way Snape shuddered at the mention of his father. He didn’t bother hiding his smile at Snape’s reaction to your friendly threat, holding his hand out for you to hold as you gathered your things. You took Harry’s hand, guiding him out of the room with a satisfied smile. “Is it true they asked you to come work here?” You nodded with a hum.

“Why didn’t you take the offer?” You turned to look at Harry’s hopeful eyes, furrowing your eyebrows. “I didn’t want to be invasive. I mean, I know for a fact I wouldn’t have wanted my parents to hear every rumour that was spread, or know every time I got into trouble. That would be inevitable if I worked here, and, you know, I want you to have some freedom.”

“Well, what if you came next year?” You stopped in your tracks at Harry’s question, turning to look at him properly. “You know, it’ll be my last year, so I’d have had my freedom, and you’ll be a great teacher for everyone. And I guess it would be nice having you around.” Harry’s cheeks were flushed pink and your heart warmed as you realised the true reason for his request. He missed you and his dad.

“Okay.”

“Okay!?” Harry jumped up at your agreement, laughing joyously. “But!” “But?” Harry echoed, sounding slightly horrified. “I’ll still live at home. I won’t stay here overnight like some Professors do. We’re just one apparation from home anyway. But I guess I’ll stay here until late afternoon if I have to mark papers.” Harry grinned, throwing his arms around your shoulders to bring you into a tight hug. You laughed, eyes widening as you realised he was looming over you despite the heels you wore. “Harry, honey, you are getting too tall.” The boy shrugged as he let go of you. “Madame Pomfrey said I’m still growing. I’ve still got a couple of inches ‘til I catch up to dad anyway.”

“He won’t be too happy about that, but the two of you can argue about it at dinner tomorrow, yeah? I’ll send McGonagall an owl to let her know. Just come by using floo.”

“Ooh and can we play a game of Quidditch after?”

“Only if you’re willing to lose.”

taglist: @ravisinghs-wife, @starry-remus, @pain-in-the-ashe, @hiireadstuff, @treefairy-28, @superlegend216, @kitkatkl, @juliet-017, @boromoony, @fl0weryannie, @tiaajosephin

[eclipse-msoul]

FAMILY, FAMILY DEAR BATS! 🦇

Synopsis : What happens when a normal reader enters Batfamily. Not by getting orphaned or saved but rather just visiting her uncle for the first time ( it's Bruce ). Now somehow she's become the unofficial therapist of this family and for unknown reasons the only one with enough common sense.Also why is everyone so Overprotective?

Or

Normal reader X Platonic Batfamily

Chapter 1 :-

Your life was pretty uneventful and even, except for a few ups and downs here and there. But still it was as ordinary as it could get, living with a mother that had nursing as a profession and your father being an office worker made it normal but nice.

That was until one day when your mother told you about your uncle’s existence. Her cousin to be exact.Well excuse you for being surprised- YOU didn't even know you had another living relative ??? And they just dropped the bomb so casually – that too at dinner time !!

“ I haven't actually met him yet but the media has framed him to be… quite unique.” Your mother quotes. “ I talked to him, he's a kind man and I think meeting him would do us some good.” Your father sees the way your one way from questioning reality so he gently pats your back and smiles.

“ Don't worry little star, if it makes you feel better she told me two days ago.” He says as your mother lightly giggles and the two make a couple of jokes here and there. “ You two…really..” you groan.

 As the dinner slowly comes to an end and your father and mother pick up the dishes and drop them at the sink, your mother glances at your father telling him to speak. “ Ahem-” he fake coughs to get your attention, “ This summer we're planning to send you to live with him.” 

You look at him , your eyes wide. “ I beg your finest pardon-WHaT!?” they both nod and you violently shake your head. “ What happened to you two going with me ?”

They share a glance , “ We'll be going together but you'll stay a bit longer and get to know him better. He's family after all."

“ Mom, dad ! You've got to be kidding me.” You try to reason, “ I don't even know him, Heck I didn't even know he existed until a few moments ago and you're telling me to just go and live with him out of nowhere !!”

Your mother puts a hand on your shoulder and you just know you're going to lose. “ Sweetie, my cousin isn't a bad man. Just think of it as meeting a new friend and also I heard Gotham has one of the best medical units in the world~"

You think for a moment before a sigh escapes your lips. You can't defeat them anyway, might as well try. ( Which is totally not because you're excited about checking out the hospitals in Gotham and their advancement. Nope sir, No way)

“ Fine, I'll go. When are we leaving ?” You ask to get up from the table. “ Tomorrow.” 

“ WhAt-”

…

Moving forward you are currently standing in front of the totally not terrifying and scary Mansion inside the most amazing and sunny Gotham. Get the sarcasm here ? Yeah, me too.

Your mother dials the number and the bell rings and runs until it's finally picked up. “ Bruce Wanye here.” his voice sounds horse, he was probably asleep you think. It's only 11am right now. You've slept far later.

“ Hello…yeah…it's me...” 

The Giant Gate automatically opens and the three of us enter. You take in the scenery and like you thought this place is really nice. It's a billionaire’s garden afterall. Just then a voice comes from inside the Mansion and a butler comes out.

He’s an old British looking man, the way he moves is elegant like those movies you've seen and the way he greets your parents and you is so nerve cracking. “ A pleasure to meet you Miss Rachel and Sir Lucas.” He greets them and then his eyes turn to you.

“ And this is?”

“ Y/n but please..call me Julia.” You reply.

“ Miss Julia then.” He states , “ please come in. Master Bruce has been waiting for your arrival.” He brings you all to the meeting area. As you all take a seat the butler bows yet again and walks away.

“ I'll get Mister Bruce here.” He says walking away.

Your gaze that was previously fidgeting back and forth now has time to look around. This house was so splendid and beautiful and everything was exceptional and well cared for.

Few minutes pass before the door chimes open and walks in on the Man you searched about last night. His posture is elegant like a noble, similar to the butler, yet his eyes are filled with dark circles.Youve got a very good feeling he hardly sleeps.

“ A pleasure to meet you.” He says while shaking hands with your parents and then taking a seat. “ I'm sorry it took me a while. I was busy and hardly had time to rest due to the WE business and projects coming up.” 

Your mother nodes. “ It's understandable Bruce. You've got a great burden on you and it can get hard.” You sit next to your father and mother, right in the middle of the giant sofa as they chat.

Bruce while talking turns his attention to you and you see how his eyes briefly soften and there's some sadness in them. But it vanished too quickly for you to think it was there.

“ This is your daughter ?” He asks.

“ Told you long enough to notice.” Your mother dabs a small sarcastic smile. She loves chaos far too much. “ I apologize-”

“ I'm kidding Bruce !” Your mother retorts back. “ This is my little baby girl , Julia Y/n.”

You smile at him awkwardly and he returns the gesture. “ How old are you, Julia ?”

“ I'm sixteen, Mr Wanye.”

“ Oh, you're close to Damien's age-” he remarks , “Please call me Bruce. I'm your uncle, Julia.” He smiles. 

“ Alright, uncle Bruce... and uh, who's Damien ?” you ask curious. Your parents definitely haven't mentioned a Damien.

" He's my son. So he'd be your cousin, Julia."

" Oh !" You glare at your parents for not telling you this and they just nervously turn away. They live messing with you far too much. Sigh

" How old is he, uncle Bruce ?"

" He's eighteen." Noticing your curiosity he deemed to telling you more.

" He's currently on a little trip to his elder brother's place. They'll be coming here by tomorrow" he smiled.

Okay that's it. How many cousins did you have ? You were told about one uncle and that's it.

" I see."

And you parents and uncle get back to their conversation. Soon enough the butler returns with some refreshments and introduces himself as Alfred Pennyworth.

Once you've eaten, you excuse yourself to look around the place and the butler whom you now know as Alfred guides you.

The Mansion is bigger than you initially thought and Mr. Alfred is a nice companion to talk to. He tells you about your cousins (surprise suprise, THERE'S MORE THAN SIX) and about how most of them are adopted except Damien who used to call himself the “ blood son” and all their shenanigans.

It's fun to learn about your soon-to-be-new family. All of them seem to sound like interesting individuals and you could use some cousins to play with. Alfred even mentions their hobbies and how they like to prank each other.

Also did you mention how the way to Gotham was the most nerve cracking thing ever. Like this is the city that batman-THE BATMAN couldn't cleanse after almost two and half decades of work. So it's an amazing day nevertheless.

While exploring the Mansion with Alfred your steps stop when a specific picture catches your eyes. You stop and observe it.

Two adults stood along with a small kid that you deemed to be eight to ten years old. The picture drew you in like nothing ever did. It had this air around it that just couldn't explain.

“ Lovely picture, No ?” Alfred’s voice broke your concentration. Your eyes slid to his and you smiled slightly. “ It is. Who are they ? The woman seems to resemble my mom.”

“ That's Miss Martha and Mr Thomas along with young master Bruce. It's a family photo before their death.” Alfred reminisced. “ It's been a tradition for generations and master Bruce has continued it.” He guided you to the latest picture of the family.

It felt forced.

They all felt too far away in this ( like they didn't want to be there ). Even Bruce felt off. Different from the smiling man you had just met. He seemed tired and sad.

“ Those are my cousins ?” You asked, hoping Alfred didn't see the look in your eyes

“ Yes miss Julia.” He told you which was who by pointing and explaining their descriptions. Being a sixteen year old girl with an intense love for history and lore and yaoi, you tried your best to listen.

…

“ It was really nice to meet family. Thanks for having us Bruce.” Your mother hugged Bruce which he returned and then he shaked hands with your father. “ No thank you for coming. I'm kind of ashamed to admit, it gets lonely without my children here..” He chuckled.

" Well you won't get lonely not with our dear Julia here ! She had a tendency to make people break their shell and fit in." You father added.

" She sounds like a lovely child. Does she perhaps have an interest in medicine ? She kept asking about it during our conversations." 

Your father and mother shared a small grin. " She does. It's all she can ever dream about."

" That's...good." his eyes flickered to you.

You had fallen asleep an hour ago during dinner and was currently laying on the sofa. Your snores echoed throughout the Mansion. Your parents chuckled and Bruce couldn't help but think it was a pleasant change.

A child that didn't have to fight crime.

One that didn't have to take the burden of the world.

He had already investigated your and your parents backgrounds and confirmed that your mother was indeed his blood cousin. The blood part was maybe due to Damien kind of rubbing off on him.

It was a shock to find out about her existence. Even more to know his mother had a elder sister that passed away few years back and her only child had disappeared as a toddler. That was your mom.

He would never even know of her existence if not for her searching for her parents and finding him. He almost cried when he saw her picture, she resembled his mother in looks except her hair was black.

But you, your looked like the exact replica of his mother. Like a younger version.

He knew your personality was meek yet it had kindness and a spirit all his children had. It was nice chatting with you during dinner. You expressed your interest so well and he knew that his kids would love you. Maybe even Damien. 

Talking to a kid like this , carefree and smiling reminded him of what he had lost.It almost felt like his children hadn't left.

That part really hurt.

“ Alfred will take you to the rooms. You can have any you like. Have a pleasant sleep, I'll see you all in the morning.” He said leaving you and your parents in Alfred's care (not before glancing at you one final time.)

Time for his duty.

TBC…

[marvelstan0905]

"I really need someone"

Kenji Sato X [afab]reader (One Shot)

Best Friend AU

TW : Emi cameo/ screaming/ fainting/ swearing/ panicking/ fluffy/ slight angst/ petnames/ slight flirting/crude teasing/ mixed POV

©all rights reserved. the modification, translation, and plagiarism of my work is strictly prohibited.

The man had not been answering my calls and texts. I get it. He's busy..baseball and his own personal problems got him occupied but he was my best friend and he always..as in ALWAYS texted or notified me if he couldn't answer his phone. It had been days. Not even Mina was responding. I couldn't even get a chance to see him at his games because he left as quickly as he came. I decided to take things into my own hands.

I unlocked the door to Kenji's house and got inside. I thanked God he gave me the key and code to his house. I peeped inside his room and bathroom "Kenji?" I called out worried. I went to the kitchen and saw parenting books, spilled coffee and energy drink cans sprawled out on the table. I was confused however by the books.."What the?" I whispered with furrowed brows. My train of thought was stopped as I felt a rumble from downstairs.

I stopped moving and turned to the elevator that led to the basement. This was probably the only place Kenji didn't allow me to go in his house when I came over..but I mean..I am concerned for him. What if he's dead? Or hurt downstairs..I shook my head erasing any bad or irrational thoughts.

"Kenji..please forgive me" I whispered before getting into the elevator. As I pressed the button to the basement..I noticed that not even Mina had greeted at me at the door. Surely her systems couldn't be down. The elevator descended and I stepped out. I looked up and I was met with the most shocking sight..Ultraman holding a pink colored kaiju. Mina was off to the side playing some kid's cartoon. My mouth dropped and my eyes widened. That's when Ultraman noticed me and looked down at me.

"Oh my god! Y/N! W-What are you doing here? Mina!" Ultraman stammered quickly and put the kaiju baby into a containment unit. The kaiju didn't seem to fall asleep as she clawed at the walls of the unit. Ultraman's hand reached over and I screamed in ultimate terror. I stumbled to the elevator but didn't even manage a step as black spots clouded my vision and I passed out. Kenji was quick to transform back into his human self and caught his best friend.

"Kenji, it appears Y/N has entered the house" Mina reported. Kenji looked at Mina exasperated.

"No shit! Oh my god! Shit. How the hell am I gonna explain this?" Kenji murmured whiles gently patting his best friend's cheeks to wake her up.

"You could be honest because she's already seen Emi and Ultraman...in your basement" Mina responded whiles hovering over to Emi's containment unit and showing her games of Kenji's to keep her occupied. Kenji picked up his best friend and laid her on the couch. Kicking the drawer underneath his couch, Kenji grabbed a cool can of coconut water and pressed it against the cheek of his best friend. About 10 minutes passed before I fluttered my eyes open and groaned.

"Is this heaven?" I murmured as Kenji glanced down at me and sighed in relief. I blinked trying to adjust to the light.

"No, sweetcheeks..this hell." Kenji chuckled softly. I sighed and sat up rubbing my temples.

"Of course if you're here" I quipped. Kenji clicked his tongue and handed me a bottle of water. I looked around and my eyes widened when I saw a kaiju in a containment unit. I dropped the bottle"K-Kaiju.." I whispered fearfully as the memories from before I passed hit me like a freight train. Heavy and loaded.

"Calm down. Wait..let me explain okay? Just give me a few minutes" Kenji said softly whiles standing in front of me with his hands on my shoulders. His blue mauve eyes held desperation. I looked from him to the containment unit. I nodded. I took a good look at him, he had deep eye bags and he looked disheveled as if he hadn't slept in days. Kenji took a deep breath to calm his nerves before taking ahold of my hands.

"I am Ultraman. That Kaiju you saw over there is Emi. She's an infant kaiju. I found her when the KDF killed her mom, okay? I have to take care of her. I'm the only hope she has. This is why I haven't been answering my phone. I've been juggling alot. More than I can handle. I thought I could do it.."Kenji trailed off, rambling a little and a few tears fell down his cheeks. My eyes widened, I've never seen Kenji cry...let alone be deeply vulnerable like this. I put aside my shock as I gently squeezed his hands and wiped his cheeks softly. "I-I know it's alot to take in..I totally get it if you don't wanna be friends anymore...because you know this is alot"

I took a deep breath to properly take a second to process this. I gave Kenji a hug, considering he really needed one. "I'm not gonna leave. You might be an asshole but you're my asshole" I spoke softly. Kenji pinched me but hugged me tighter. "We..uh..still have alot to talk about but I'll help you out, dummy. You should've called me. You know..You're not an island"

"You know you're really mean when you're trying to console me but I appreciate it. T-Thank you..I promise I'll answer everything." Kenji murmured whiles hiding his head into my chest.

"You better, you owe a half dozen lunch dates. You're real shameless you know..those are my boobs" I whispered whiles hugging him and gently petting his head. Kenji pinched me again. I looked at the kaiju baby in the containment unit. Taking a good look at her..she seemed friendly and she was actually adorable.

"J-Just let me enjoy some peace" Kenji groaned "Thanks, sweetcheeks. It means alot though. I..I really need someone right now"

"I'll be your someone"

[tinfoil-jones]

Tate Pines AU 

(aka Tater McGucket is an oops baby Fiddlestan kid)

Note: LONG POST. This is me hyper fixating on a brain worm because the Gravity Falls Fandom roared back to life. This is probably misspelled in a lot of areas, and not the clearest or most concise post because this is me rambling at 2 in the morning. Also the characters are maybe OOC. Also, this is written without accents because I'm not from the Midwest or southern United States.

In this AU/Scenario, Stan is a transgender man, and 'encountered' Fiddleford during his vagabond years. It was a heavily drunk/high one-night-stand, so they never properly met or even knew each others names. This happens after Ford graduating Backupsmore University, and for this scenario to work let’s say that Fiddleford went to BMU for his undergraduate program, but then went to the local university in Palo Alto for his graduate studies.

Years later, just like in the OG show Fiddleford is Stanford's research partner in Gravity Falls, and married to Emma-May Dixon; but they don't have any children together at this time, and they got together *after* his encounter with Stan. So this isn't an affair baby scenario.

Tatum "Tate" Pines is 5 years old, living on the road with his dad, currently staying in a motel but they're about to move into a real apartment for the first time ever because Tate needs to start school soon. Stan is still a drifter and a con man, but he recently came upon a large sum of money because Tate accurately guessed the lottery number for the state they were currently in.

Stan still receives a postcard from Gravity Falls that says "Please Come", and is allegedly sent from his estranged Twin who he hasn't seen in almost 12 years. But this is roughly a few months before it would have happened in-canon.

Given Stan's disownment, no one knows that he even has a son, not even Ma Pines. Not like he'd want them to know. Having his own son and loving him unconditionally made him realize that his own dad Filbrick was a monster, who he didn't need to prove himself to. But he still wants to reconcile with Ford, so he decides to go just like in canon.

This post card, however, wasn't sent by Ford. It was sent by Fiddleford, who was watching Ford spiral in real time and hoped that if anyone could convince Ford that he was acting crazy and unstable, it was his twin brother.

While Stanford doesn't greet Stanley with a crossbow like in the original because this is before the portal test with Fiddleford, he's definitely shocked to not just see Stanley there, but Stanley with a tiny gap-toothed child in tow.

Stan doesn't know that Ford wasn't expecting them, and excitedly introduces Ford to his nephew.

Ford: Stanley, are you sure this child is yours? Stan: ...Ford, did you forget we're not identical twins?  Ford: ...Oh! Oh my, Stanley... Stan: *thinking* 'I don't know if I'm touched that you don't see me as anything other than a man... or insulted that you forgot something so fundamental about me'

Flabbergasted, Ford lets them both in; Fiddleford is welding something downstairs so he doesn't see or hear any of this. Ford plants Tate on the couch in front of the TV and practically drags Stan to the kitchen to talk to him privately; he's too surprised by Stan having a child to question why they were there in the first place.

Ford: Is there a... another parent..? Stan: ...It's just me and Tate. Always has been. Ford: How did...? Stan: I didn't plan a pregnancy... but I had no money for T-shots for months on end, and without the T, everything down stairs went to factory default.  Ford: Do you know who it is? The father- I mean, the other father? Stan: Not exactly, some southern guy, don't think I ever got his name. Ford: What happened? Stan: Funny you should ask. (FLASHBACK) Fiddleford, high out of his mind: -and that's how I won a golden fiddle. Stan, drunk out of his mind: That's crazy, dude. *grabs him aggressively by the shirt collar to pull him close* Now shut up and fuck me until I can't walk. Fiddleford, horny out of his mind: Hoo-whee, well don't you diddly-darn mind if'n I do. (END) Ford: Stanley? Stan: Hmm? Ford: Are you okay? You just said 'its funny that you ask', and then stared off into space for 10 seconds. Stan: Let's just say I never touched tequila ever again.

Eventually, Fiddleford does come upstairs when he notices Ford didn't come back downstairs, and see's the brothers in the kitchen just as Ford asks Stan why he even came here.

Fiddleford admits it was him who sent the postcard, that someone needed to 'talk some sense' into Ford, and then introduces himself to Stan.

While Stan isn't perplexed by Fiddleford because he was too drunk to remember a face- Fiddleford, who has very good memory, immediately knows he met Stan somewhere, he just can't quite place where, when, or why.

Ford does show Stan the portal, saying it's his life's work and he'll need to test it soon, and casually asks Stan if he wants to stay and help. Before Fiddleford can protest that's a bad idea and Ford should just stop, Stan agrees because he wants to reconnect (and also keep a roof over Tate's head, what were the chances they'd win another lottery?), it did hurt his feelings that Stanford hadn't reached out out to him after all, but maybe they could work on that.

While Ford hasn't exactly forgiven Stanley for the science fair incident, he can't just let his brother, a single father be homeless with a five-year-old (Stan had to drop the lease with their intended apartment to come to Gravity Falls). And... well, Ford gets attached to Tate quite early:

Tate: ... *staring at him* Ford: Can I help you with something, Tatum? Tate: Uncle, is your name "Stanford"?  Ford: Yes, but if you prefer you can call me Uncle Ford. Tate: Oh. Okay. It's funny, Stanford is my middle name. *later* Stan: Kiddo, why has your uncle been sobbing in his room for the past thirty minutes? Tate: *shrugs*

Not realizing the gravity (hehe) of the situation, Stan gets settled in the house and helps Ford and Fiddleford where he can (usually just moving heavy objects or punching paranormal creatures, or forcing Ford to shower). He does notice that Ford seems a bit... unhinged, and weirdly obsessed with some new geometry based religion, but people change after college right?

He does get unnerved by Fords weird episodes where his personality seems to shift and he goes into town to act like an absolute menace. Stan can't help but think that isn't Ford; its been years since he saw him but damnit he knew his brother and whatever entity possessed him just to slap a cops belly, *that* was not Ford. But Ford always brushed him off when he tried to bring it up, and one time 'Ford' even coldly reminded Stan that he could remove Stanley and his son from the home at any time if he wasn't going to be useful.

During this time, Stan and Fiddleford get to know each other, they get along quite well actually; Fiddleford is fond of little Tatum, who along with Stan enjoys listening to him play the banjo. One could say, given Fords obsession with his current passion project and prioritizing work over his relationships, that Stan and Fiddleford become close. 

Fiddleford picks up, however... that little Tate is a genius. Although he's a quiet kid, he has an advanced vocabulary for his age. He's able to read and write at what must be a 2nd or 3rd grade level despite not even starting kindergarten yet, and... one time Fiddleford left an 8x8 cubiks cube unattended, and came back no more than five minutes later to see that Tate had already solved it. And Stan had told him that Tate has actively predicted lottery numbers before.

He brings it up with Stan, who admits that he already knows Tate is a genius, but he also knows what academic pressure and high expectations can do to someone (referring to Ford), and he just wants Tate to live life by his own terms, not let other people dictate that for him based on his IQ.

Fiddleford... also see's resemblances between himself and Tate. Sure, Tate has browner hair like Stan, but the wavier texture is just like his own. And while Stanley does have a prominent nose, it's not as prominent as Tates, which is much more similar to Fiddlefords. 

Fiddleford begins to ask Stan about his past, specifically bringing up that he believes they may have met before.

Fiddleford: Say, Stan, did we meet before you moved here? You're so familiar to me. Stan: I wonder where you could have possibly seen my face before? *glances at the lab* Fiddleford: No. I feel like we've met before - you ever been to Palo Alto? Stan: That city in Cali? Yeah. I'd say about six years ago. I was just passing by, resupplying, and selling weed to college students. Fiddleford: You were a weed dealer? Stan: Among other things, yeah. California's *the* place to go to for weed. I don't do it anymore. Fiddleford: Did you... ever visit the university there? Stan: A couple times. Hated going there because it reminded me of... well, I think you know. Why? Fiddleford: I did my graduate studies there, maybe I met you there? Stan: You think so? I only saw buyers, did you buy weed from me? Fiddleford: No... I had a dealer, but it wasn't you. Stan: Other than that, I did get invited to a frat party once. Think they were called "SigEp" or something. Fiddleford: That's 'Sigma Phi Epsilon'. That was the fraternity I belonged to. Did I see you at that party? Stan: Probably - oh man that party was crazy. I made so many bad decisions that night. Fiddleford: Stanley... how old did you say your son was? Stan: Five, why? Fiddleford: ... Fiddleford: Stanley... *reaches out* Stan: *jerks back, before pointing away* Hey look over there, a distraction! Fiddleford: What- *looks away* Stan: *jumps out the window and makes a run for it*

Stan does not entertain any further discussions with Fiddleford about his past, and goes out of his way to keep Tate with him and away from Fiddleford. Given his criminal past, he's afraid that if Fiddleford is correct, he could make legal actions to take Tate away from him.

Fiddleford eventually goes to Ford about his suspicions.

Fiddleford: Stanford I'm going to tell you something, and I need you to promise you'll stay calm. Stanford: *doesn't look up from microscope* Are you going to tell me you suspect you're Tatum's father because you slept with my brother around the time he would have been concieved? Fiddleford: ... Stanford: Because you are. Fiddleford: What in tar- Stanford: *tosses a file folder towards Fiddleford* I have all of our DNA on file - Fiddleford: You do???? Stanford: Of course I do! I store the DNA profile of everyone who's entered my residence, just in case there's a shifter afoot. Comparing yours and Stanley's DNA to Tatum's, there is only a 0.001% chance that he isn't your biological child. Fiddleford: ... *speechless* Stanford: Congratulations, according to science you're a father.

Fiddleford does eventually manage to talk to Stan about it, and clear the air between them. Stan is apprehensive because Fiddleford is married, but he's at least relieved that Tate happened before Fiddleford was in a relationship with Emma-May. Stan allows Fiddleford to spend more time with Tate (supervised), but they agree Tate doesn't need to know just yet what Fiddleford is to him.

Fiddleford also holds back on telling his wife about Tate, he'd prefer to tell her face-to-face.

But then the portal test happens and Fiddleford gets a glimpse of the horrors beyond the portal, which traumatizes him just like in the original. This doesn't convince him to leave, because Ford is becoming dangerous and Fiddleford is worried about what would happen if Stan and Tate were left alone with him. He invents the memory gun, but holds up on using it on himself.

The relationship Ford has with both Stan and Fiddleford  becomes more explosive. Stan and Fiddleford are both telling Ford that he's messing with forces beyond his control.

To get Fiddleford off of his back about the portals, Ford instead lashes out at him about something else.

Stanford: Fiddleford... you know you're my best friend right? Fiddleford: ...Of course. Stanford: Stanley and I don't have a good relationship... we haven't in a long time. *puts a hand on his shoulder* But don't you dare hurt my brother, or nephew. I don't care how strained things are between Stanley and myself, or how close you and I are... He's my brother, and I'll always protect him, even if it's from you. Fiddleford: Do you think I would try to steal Tatum, Stanford?! *Pushes him away* Also, if you're going to threaten me, you could at least not be such a hypocrite. Stanford: How dare- Fiddleford: You say you care about Stanley? That you'd protect him? He's been homeless for over a decade! You SAW him get kicked out of home when he was still a minor! He escaped three different prisons, had extremely shady black-market top-surgery, chewed his way out of the trunk of a car, and gave birth by himself in an alleyway! He had walking pneumonia for nearly a year straight and almost died from it because he had to choose between himself and Tate over who needed treatment more!  But you didn't know any of that, did you? Because you don't talk to him or try to reach out. You still avoid him. You still treat him like he's your enemy. You're still resentful about that damn science project.  You don't know him or what he went through. You didn't even want him here, I called him up here so maybe somebody could set you straight!  Working with this portal, messing with these forces beyond comprehension and control- the only threat to Stan and our son is you! Ford: Get the hell out of my lab- and stay the hell away from my twin.

But this 'Mystery Trio'-esque era of their lives has a Bad End:

After Ford gets sucked into the portal the same way as he did in the original, Stanley decides to take over his identity; Fiddleford helps him with everything up until Stan fakes his own death.

As Tate's biological (other) father, and Stan having recently altered Tate's birth certificate to add Fiddleford, the boy is given to Fiddleford right away following Stan's 'death' and not put into foster care or an orphanage. This window of time is also when Fiddleford establishes the Society of The Blind Eye, but he chooses a leader after he founds it rather than leading it himself.

When Stan makes it clear he's going to dedicate himself to fixing the portal and bringing Ford back, Fiddleford makes a drastic decision. 

Knowing what the portal obsession did to Stanford, Fiddleford doesn't want Tate to be around if- no, when, the same thing happens to Stan. 

He uses the memory gun on Stan to make him forget about their son entirely. He does the same thing to Tate to make him forget about Stanley, legally changes his name to Tater McGucket, and takes him back to California with him.

He makes this decision because in this scenario he never used the memory gun on himself, so the memory of what's on the other side of the portal still haunts him, making him more desperate and callous, especially with a child involved.

It breaks his heart that he did this, but he doesn't want Tate to be dragged into Pines drama. He takes the boy home and tells his wife that he was conceived before they were together (looking at Tate's age, he was born at least a year before they started dating), and uses the news clipping about Stan's death to explain how he got custody without any trouble, and Emma-May adopts Tate. Tates memory gaps are excused by his young age, and the trauma of losing a parent at such a young age, so Fiddleford and Emma-May decide not to tell him about Stanley.

Stan forgets about both Tate and Fiddleford, but he has this deep sense of loss and betrayal that he can't place. He figures over the years that maybe it's just some of his feelings about Ford having gone through the portal...

Decades later, and after a divorce, Fiddleford moves back to Gravity Falls, bringing Tate with him so Tate can start his Bait and Tackle Shop somewhere quiet. Fiddleford is there to check up on the Society of the Blind Eye, and also to check on Stanley because he feels guilty about what he did. Although he knows that this is Stanley pretending to be Stanford, he says nothing to anybody about it, it's the least he could do.

When Stan see's Fiddleford again - he doesn't know why, because he's 'never met the guy', but just looking at his face pisses him off. And every time Stan see's Fiddleford from then on, whether its across the street or at the shops or what have you, he is openly hostile towards him even if he can't adequately explain why he feels this way about Fiddleford. Also strangely attracted to him, particularly his banjo playing, but its overshadowed by his hostility.

Stan meets Tate shortly after the Tate and Backles Bait and Tackle shop is opened... and he doesn't know why, but this young man he's never met makes him feel sad. But also... Relieved? Elated? Proud?? He comes by often, sometimes not even buying (or stealing) anything, he just chats with Tate (and Backle to a lesser degree).

Tate himself feels strangely fond of this frequent flier customer. Like he's met a dear old friend. He is awfully confused why Stan will sometimes call him 'Tatum', seemingly without noticing, and why he never feels like correcting him. 

Fiddleford knows why, because he never erased his own memory, and he feels so guilty. But it's been 30 years, he can't say anything without ruining his relationship with Tate (which became strained after the divorce, which in this timeline happened maybe around Tate's late teen/early adult years). 

One way that this whole thing can be revealed is when Dipper and Mabel deal with The Blind Eye society, they find two memory tubes, one labelled "Tatum S. Pines" and another labeled "Stan Pines" take it with them because it has their last name, and Grunkle Stans name, on them.

They play the one labeled Stan Pines at first, and realize it's Tates early childhood memories of Stan.

When they play the one labeled "Tatum S. Pines" they see it's all of Grunkle Stans memories of Tate, leading up to his confrontation with Fiddleford.

(MEMORY) Stan, backing up: Wait, what is that thing? Fiddleford, what are you doing with that?! Fiddleford, pointing the memory gun at him: I'm sorry Stan, I truly am. But I can't let you drag our son into this... I do care for you, and I wish things could have been different. But you're just like him!  **BLAST** (END OF MEMORY)

This horrifies them, and they have a real moral conundrum of if they tell Stan and Tate, or if they keep it to themselves to keep the peace. 

They deserve to know... but it'd be so painful. And this would take place before "The Tale of Two Stans" so they don't even know what Fiddleford was talking about to justify stealing Tate, or who 'him' is.

Eventually, it's Wendy and Soos who confront McGucket and tell him that he better be honest with Stan and Tate, or they're going to do it for him. That he's a selfish coward who ripped someone's young child from their arms.

Or, an alternative scenario; Fiddleford never stored those memories in the first place, or at least didn't store them with the Society of the Blind Eye, and it's Ford who brings this all up to Stan. Ford was already through the portal when Fiddleford decided that parental abduction was totally okay if there was amnesia involved.

Ford: Are these Tatum's children? *motioning to Dipper and Mabel*. Stan: They're Shermie's grandkids, and - who? Ford: ...Tatum? Tatum Stanford Pines? Your son. Stan: ...I don't- I don't have a son. *tears gathers in the corner of his eyes, but he either doesn't notice, or chooses to not react* And if I did, I wouldn't give him your name as a middle. Ford: Yes you do, and yes you did. You introduced us right before the portal incident. I even DNA-sequenced him to confirm that his other father was Fiddleford. Stan: WHAT? And- who?? Ford: Here, look *pulls up his DNA files from ones of his secret safes in the lab and shows it to Stanley, which not only has the DNA results but also pictures of Stanley, Fiddleford, and Tate from the time* Honestly Stanley, how could you forget a child you car-.

Ford realizes something is wrong when it's clear that Stanley is distressed, but also confused, like having a son is legitimately a surprise to him. He's so shocked he has to lie down for a bit. His eyes keep leaking tears but he doesn't know why 'Fords cruel and oddly elaborate joke' is making him so upset, because 'clearly it's not true'.

When Ford hears Fiddleford lives in Gravity Falls, he seeks him out and demands answers.

At first, Fiddleford tries to play it off like maybe Ford was remembering things wrong - but with enough pressure, and a ray gun pointed at his chest, Fiddleford finally comes clean. About what he did. Why he did it.

Ford is still angry at Stan for getting him trapped in the Nightmare Realm Multiverse for 30 years; and then stealing his name, identity, and house, but that's still his twin brother. And what Fiddleford did was to him was horrendous, especially after Stanford had already warned him years ago to not to hurt Stan or Tate. This was a crime against the whole Pines family. 

So Ford beats him up. No, he doesn't kill or maim him, but he beats the living dog shit out of him until Fiddleford promises the glass tubes of Stan and Tate's memories in exchange for mercy.

Mabel, Dipper (and Soos/Wendy) are clearly confused (because they wouldn't have seen the memories in the "The Hall of the Forgotten"). Although, this whole revelation does bring Dipper closer to Stan, because Dipper had no idea he wasn't the only transgender person in the family.

Ford shows these memories to Stan first, who is going through all kinds of emotions especially after getting Ford back and their bitter reunion. This allows Ford and Stan to somewhat reconcile early; just like how Ford lost 30 years of his life to the portal, Stanley lost 30 years with his own son because of his conviction to fix it.

Ford also has to physically stop Stan from hunting down and murdering Fiddleford (who Stan only knew as McGucket up to this point) with his bare hands. Reminding him that it's more important that he reaches out to Tate.

But Stan is conflicted. He wants to be Tate's dad again but... Tate is in his mid-thirties, he doesn't need him like he did when he was 5. And Tate already has two loving parents, both of which don't have an extensive criminal record, and who provided him with a stable home, which Stan never did because they were homeless the whole time.

Does he really want to uproot Tate's life and/or peace of mind with a revelation this big?  

This goes all the way to Weirdmageddon, where everyone gathers in the Mystery Shack for security; faced with a possible end of the world, Stan takes Tate to the side, dragging Fiddleford with them, and tells him the truth. Fiddleford confirms it all, ashamed and apologetic. Finally, they give Tate his memory tube, which he watches.

For a moment Stan and Fiddleford have a moment of solidarity; Stan can see that Fiddleford really did want to spare Tate from whatever unknown-at-the-time fate had befallen Stanford because of the portal.

Fiddleford finally faces his past mistakes, and apologizes for what he did. That what he did was wrong, and he can never make it up to them, but if they survive this maybe he could try to make things right.

This is their last family moment between the three of them pre memory-wipe.

The mind wipe thing still happens. Gravity Falls is saved. Mabel and Dipper manage to jog Stan's memory but there's no way to make him remember Tate - the glass memory tubes have already been used, and Stan didn't keep any photos from his homeless era because he couldn't afford it most of the time, and when he could he always managed to get kicked out of whatever state they were in before the photos were done developing.

Once again, Ford comes in clutch. Throughout his last journal, just like how he made entries about Fiddleford, he also made entries about Stan and Tate, including detailed sketches. How Tate liked to get into high places, exasperating Stanley who was afraid of heights. How Stan would take him to the woods to follow the creeks because Tate was intrigued by waterways. How Tate said so few words but Stan always seemed to know exactly what he wanted or needed at any given time. How Tate only liked eating the green M&M's but Stan was fine with it because he got to eat the rest. 

Now while Stan's heartwarming memories of his son come back, so does his desire to break Fiddlefords neck. 

Fiddleford still buys the Northwest Mansion and converts it to "McGucket's Hootenanny Hut", but because the Pines families are the heroes of Gravity Falls, they (Ford) manage to convince the local government to put Fiddleford on house arrest for an indeterminate amount of time as punishment for 30-something years of parental abduction and alienation (also the whole starting a Cult thing). Fiddleford accepts this, and Tate still lives with him.

Post memory-wipe Stan still reconciles with both of them, and his relationship with Fiddleford is... weird, but not entirely bad. It's like they're dating, but with a lot of emotional distance. Like, Stan still tells Ford he wants to murder him... but also tells him to never, ever, check their texting history. 

Stan still goes to sail the world with Ford on the Stan O'War II. They do invite Tate, who declines because "He'd rather just live the simple life in Gravity Falls, and not get involved in whatever supernatural gobbledygook his dad and uncle are sure to get into".

And Stan is so proud of him... because just like he said thirty years, there's nothing he wanted more for Tate than to live his life by his own terms. He video chat's with him as often as he does with Dipper and Mabel. 

Tate ends up keeping McGucket as his last name, but he changes his first and middle back to what it was originally.

And that's the end of this tale, thanks for sticking with me. Here's a passage where Ford teases Stan while they're on their sea adventure;

Ford: It was so sweet of you to give your son my name. Stan: Poindexter, I swear to Moses. Ford: Even after a decade apart. Admit it, you missed me so much. Stan: *rolls his eyes* Of course I did. Stan: Stan: But the real reason that's his middle name is because he was conceived at Stanford University. Ford: I- Ford: I really didn't want to know or think about that.

The End... Go home.

[coco-loco-nut]

Take a Chance on Me

pairing: charles x reader

summary: a secret can only stay a secret for so long, especially when you aren’t really trying to hide it

masterlist series masterlist soundtrack

requests open

——————————

You made Charles put in the work, but it felt as easy as breathing for him. He was just thankful to have you in his arms again. Charles took every opportunity to travel from Maranello to your home near Ravenna.

The relationship has been kept under wraps, needing to focus on yourselves and the relationship. It’s been hard to remember that you aren’t the same people as you were before and your relationship won’t be the same either.

Charles really stepped into a father figure role quickly. Neither you or Alessandra expected him to do so right away, but it was an easy adjustment. Truthfully, the whole relationship has been an easier to fall back into than expected.

“Good morning,” Charles kisses your shoulder, voice groggy as you roll over to face him.

“When do you fly out?” you blink away your exhaustion. You’ll be relieved when the season is over.

“I’ll have to leave here in a couple hours,” he replies, pulling you in for a cuddle.

“That’s so soon,” you groan, wanting to fall asleep on his chest.

“I know, but it’s the last race. You’ll see me in a couple days anyway,” Charles is bringing you in Friday evening for Saturday and Sunday. Alessandra has been not-so subtly asking to go to another race and you are happy to go and support him.

“I know,” you reach up and play with the ends of his hair. “I think you need to swing by Monaco and have your mom cut your hair,” you smile, giving it a light tug.

“It’s in my plans for after the race, don’t worry. I do recall you begging for me to grow it out longer,” he smiles lazily.

“Well now it’s too long,” you give him a quick kiss and sit up. “I’ll start breakfast,” you slide one of his shirts on and a pair of shorts before heading to the kitchen. It doesn’t take too long before Charles joins you, easily sliding beside you to help cook.

“Morning, Mom. Good morning, Charles,” Alessandra yawns, wearing an old Ferrari hoodie she stole from Charles after you washed it.

“I was wondering where that went. Remind me to bring you to Monaco, I have a storage unit full of old team kits,” Charles greets warmly.

“Really?” her eyes widen as she sits at the kitchen table.

“Of course, we can go after the prize giving ceremony,” he promises. You never could’ve imagined this being your family. You’ve noticed the little things. How he clearly wants to be a father, but holds back until it’s clear that you and Alessandra are comfortable with that.

“Are you packed?” you set down a plate of pancakes as Charles helps set the table. Alessandra is leaving for the race with Charles after she spent a week begging you. He was kind enough to pull some strings and ‘hire’ her as a temporary personal assistant. She’s been packed for the last few days.

“I’ve been packed,” Charles hides his smile at her response. He’s a little stressed, it’s a lot of responsibility to bring his girlfriend’s daughter on a trip overseas. It’s a test, he knows it is. If something goes wrong he wouldn’t blame you for calling it off.

“Maybe I should change my flight plans,” you joke, taking a seat beside Charles.

“Just say the word and it’s done,” Charles says, making your heart flutter at the notion.

“Can’t, I have some big meetings today and tomorrow,” you remind him.

Breakfast passes by quickly and you find yourself alone in the kitchen cleaning up as Charles finishes packing. A picture frame catches your eye and you grab it. You are beaming at the camera as Alessandra takes some steps out of your arms and towards the camera. You wouldn’t be able to tell from the picture, but that was one of the hardest years of your life.

You were struggling being a single mom, even with your parents help, and your depression didn’t help. The news was filled with Ferrari’s championship year and Charles’ track dominance as he won his first of three championships. You couldn’t escape it. You were even struggling in your career, being a single mom fresh out of college was a challenge you weren’t ready for.

“Mom?” Alessandra’s voice pulls you out of your memories. You hum in acknowledgment, looking away from the photo. “I’ll finish up. Go help Charles pack,” she offers.

“Honey, it’s okay, I’ve got it,” you set the photo down and pull yourself together.

“No, go. Spend some time with your man,” she nudges you away from the sink.

“Okay,” you breathe. Glancing once more at your grown up baby girl before heading to your bedroom.

“When I was a driver, sweats were perfectly acceptable flying attire,” Charles frowns as he buttons up his shirt.

“I don’t know, I like this look,” you fix his collar.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you feel your cheeks flame as you place a stack of folded clothes into his suitcase.

You notice nervous energy as Charles double checks his backpack.

“Hey, everything okay?” you extend your hand and gently touch his shoulder,

“I know we pretty much have the championships on lock, but what if something happens? It came down to the last race for a reason,” Charles stresses.

“Then it wasn’t meant to happen this year. Trust yourself and your team like you have every time, have fun, and just remember it’s another regular weekend at the track,” you use roughly the same speech you gave Alessandra many times before a dance recital or football game.

“I don’t know how I survived without you,” Charles steps closer, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing himself against your back in a hug.

“Alright, you need to get going,” you sigh, feeling his warmth leave you. Charles watches you quickly get dressed to go to work, wishing he could just stop time and spend the day in bed with you. You feel a greater sadness when he and Alessandra get into his car and drive off.

“Excited?” Charles asks as the plane nears Abu Dhabi. Alessandra looks like a younger version of you, wide eyed and ready to take on the world.

“I am, thank you for bringing me early,”

“Of course. You did the hard part of convincing your mom,” Charles feels like it is thankless.

“You know, it’s all kinda crazy. I went from being a fan to having a guy who is basically my dad be the team principal of Ferrari,” Alessandra mentions, warming Charles’ heart at the words.

“Well I never thought I’d have the chance to have a daughter figure, or ever see your mom again, so I think I’m the lucky one,” Charles is careful with his words. He doesn’t want to overstep, but he does want to be honest.

“I know we aren’t there yet as a family, but I do look forward to the day where you will be my dad,” Charles reaches across the aisle and gives her a hug.

“Soon,” Charles promises. Does he have a ring already picked out? He bought one a couple days after reconciling.

The next two days pass by quickly. You get so many updates from Alessandra and Charles that you feel like you are right there with them. As you lock the door to your home, your phone pings with a text. It’s a photo of Alessandra on the pit wall where Charles usually sits, headset on and looking at data while Charles points something out. You quickly dial his number as you carry your bag to your parents car.

“Don’t you think she’s a bit young to manage the team?” you ask when he picks up, your smile audible through the phone.

“She’s learning from the best. Our future leader of Ferrari,” Charles replies. Our. Your heart warms at the word, at his want to be a part of your family and the integration of your family into his life.

“Well, I wouldn’t recommend that she sits on the pit wall during a race, but to each their own,” you laugh.

“I take it you are on your way to the plane then?” Charles asks, you hear shuffling and the shut of a door in the background. You have his full attention.

“I am, my father says hello by the way,” you sink into the car seat, anxious to arrive in Abu Dhabi.

“Hello back to him,” you chat for a few more minutes until he has to go again. Your father turns up the radio once the call ends, an old CD that has played on many trips. With the sun streaming through the window, you are taken back to the days when he would take you to a nearby town as an adventure.

“I wasn’t going to say anything yet, but I am glad you two are back together again,” you dad speaks as you get closer to the airport.

“You are?”

“Of course. He’s one of the few people who have ever made you truly happy. It was unfortunate when you ended things the first time. I’m happy to see my baby girl happy again once more,”

“I am just still a little on edge. It’s hard to trust after all these years,” you pick at the hem of your shirt.

“How does my stellina feel about the relationship?” your fathers asks, briefly glancing at you.

“She adores him, and not just because of his occupation. She is the reason we found each other again after all,” your words have a fondness to them that you hadn’t recognized yourself yet. Maybe Charles isn’t the only one ready to take that step.

“Then why the hesitation?” you open your mouth to answer but no words come to mind. “Tesoro, everything you have done for nearly the last seventeen years has been for Alessandra. It is okay to allow yourself another source of happiness, especially one that already seems to have her approval.”

“How did you become so wise?” your smile meets your eyes.

“The same way you have, raising a headstrong daughter,” your father stops at your drop off point, following Charles’s instructions to a t.

“Thank you,” you give him a hug goodbye and head inside. You spend the flight watching movies and napping. Charles is still at the track for free practice two when you land, so a hospitality staff member is sent to pick you up and bring you to the track.

“Miss Rossi?” the staff member isn’t hard to spot, their crisp Ferrari polo standing out in the crowd.

“That’s me,” you smile tiredly.

“We should get going, best not to leave Mr. Leclerc waiting,” the British accent sounds almost harsh against the Italian you are accustomed to. “How was your flight?”

“Pleasant, thank you for asking, and for retrieving me from the airport,” your luggage is loaded into the waiting car and you slip into the back seat.

“This is your paddock pass, please do not lose it,”

“Thanks,” the car ride is short, and a little awkward. You expected it, retrieving your boss’s significant other is probably not a fun task.

“We will handle your luggage from here,” the staff member leaves you at the front of the hospitality center.

“Mom!” Alessandra rushes over to hug you.

“Hi,” you hug her back, squeezing a little tighter.

“Charles is in a meeting but he will be right out,” she says professionally, practicing her assistant role.

“Well then, what do you recommend we do?”

“Y/n?” a familiar voice distracts you.

“Carlos? What are you doing here?” you take a step forward to hug Charles’s former teammate, but quickly stop yourself.

“I could ask the same, I haven’t seen you in, god almost twenty years. I’m here to support the team in winning the championship, you know, former driver things. What are you doing here?” Carlos also seems unsure of how to proceed.

“I, um, Charles and I got back together recently. This is my daughter, Alessandra. She pulled the strings and here we are,” you motion to your near carbon copy. Carlos quickly tries to identify any of Charles’ features but finds none.

“Hi, I’m a huge fan,” Alessandra is giddy. It seems like you both just arrived.

“Two of my favorite people arrived,” Charles steps into the room with a smile.

“Your wife is here,” you point at Carlos with a teasing grin.

“Forget him, let’s run away together,” Carlos teases back. It takes Charles back, like you never broke up.

“Don’t do that. Ready to head out?” Charles asks you, wrapping an arm around your waist.

“Yep, although your staff did something with my luggage,” you look around for someone to ask.

“On its way to the hotel as we speak. Are you hungry, we can go get dinner?” Charles asks like you are the only person in the room.

“I would love some, thanks for asking,” Carlos replies as Charles rolls his eyes affectionately.

“Maybe we can order in?” You suggest, not in the mood to go out anywhere.

“Sounds like a plan. Carlos you are welcome to join,” Charles extends the offer, knowing Carlos will take it anyway.

“Send me the time and room number, we have some catching up to do,” Carlos leaves the three of you.

“Sometimes I wish you two never split. Like, can you imagine if Carlos was my uncle from birth,” Alessandra says as you near Charles’ car. Carlos is only a few steps ahead, so you and Charles capitalize on it.

“You don’t want that, he has horrible jokes,” Charles deflects, but speaking loud enough for Carlos to hear.

“That’s true, and his singing is worse,”

“Aye, take that back,” Carlos turns around.

“Smooth operator,” Charles sings mockingly.

“Are they always like this?” Alessandra asks, looking at you.

“They always were. Some fans didn’t believe it, but they were good friends, even if they didn’t spent much time together outside of work,” you answer. Even if you were only present for that one summer, you took every piece of information and carefully stored it in your mind.

Dinner comes and goes, Carlos told many stories as you exchanged life updates before Charles kicked everyone out for a ‘strict bed time’. He just saw you falling asleep on his shoulder and took advantage of the opportunity.

“What do I even wear. What do the other partners of a team principal wear?” you rummage through your bag, stressing out.

“You could show up in sweatpants and I’d be happy. But to answer your question, the same thing as you wore when you attended my races before,” Charles reaches into your bag and pulls out a red top and white dress pants.

“People will see us together and judge, I don’t want bad opinions on day one,” you quickly change, stressing over the smallest details.

“There will be every kind of opinion no matter how you dress, but the only one that matters is mine. Your return to the paddock will be one looked upon favorably,” Charles promises.

“I love you,” you tell him for the first time since before you split. Charles pauses, running the moment back over in his head to make sure he heard right.

“I love you too, I never stopped,” Charles sweeps you into a kiss, carefully restraining himself since you don’t have much time before you leave.

The morning seems quiet to you, not quite the normal excitement that a race would bring. Maybe it’s fatigue, everyone ready to make that final push to the end of this season and the start of the next. Perhaps it’s just the time, having been among the first to arrive in order to get settled and for Charles to ensure he has time with you and Alessandra before his busy schedule. Either way, you soak it all in, not wanting to take everything for granted.

“Okay, we have a meeting with some of the development drivers. See you in a bit,” Charles presses a soft kiss to your lips, and as he pulls away Carlos walks in with two coffees.

“Have fun,” you take a seat beside Carlos, who generously offered to spend time with you.

Alessandra trails Charles into a conference room where three teenage boys around her age talk excitedly.

“I’ll be right back, stay here,” Charles looks down, realizing he forgot his computer.

“Who are you?” one of the boys asks, not bothering to state his name first.

“Alessandra, Charles is my, uh, father,” she replies, standing awkwardly by the doorway.

“Are you sure, you don’t sound confident about that,” the same guy replies.

“Sorry about that. This is my daughter, Alessandra. Alessandra, these are three of our junior drivers,” Charles sits down and Alessandra takes a seat beside him, feeling more confident. The meeting passes by quickly compared to the others, talking about targets and progress rather than times and data.

Alessandra rejoins you and Carlos, taking a snack to boost her energy while waiting for her next duty. Charles walks in with one of the reserve drivers, who is almost immediately distracted by Alessandra’s presence.

“Absolutely NOT, she is off limits to you and any other Ferrari member,” Charles narrows his eyes, the scariest he’s ever been.

“Okay, my bad,” the kid quickly apologizes, a little embarrassed.

“Charles, don’t scare him,” you chastise, leaving Alessandra with Carlos who is more than happy to talk her ear off. “She is off limits though,” you agree with Charles.

“Come with me, mon amour,” Charles takes your hand, leading you to his office. The door clicks behind you, locked for privacy.

“Don’t you have things to do?” you ask, sitting on the edge of the desk.

“I have some time before qualifying,” he steps close to you, tenderly kissing you.

“Is that so?” you grin, gently pulling him closer to you. He hums lowly, letting the tension softly build between you.

“I should bring you to every race,” Charles says lowly, cherishing the quiet moment in a hectic weekend.

“You’d get nothing done,” your soft laugh fills the room, still sending Charles’ heart racing.

“Worth it,” a knock breaks your bubble making both of you sigh.

“Go, they need you,” you press one last kiss to his lips.

“I’ll see you later,” Charles swiftly exits the room, leaving you behind as he heads to the track. You follow behind a few minutes later, finding Alessandra where you left her.

“You look just as flustered as Charles,” Alessandra smirks before it falls a second later. “I don’t want to know,” she grimaces, erasing the thought from her mind.

“Oh, shush. Nothing happened,” you take a seat beside her. Ollie and Kimi’s partners approach carefully, unsure what the proper way to greet your partner’s boss’s partner.

“Hi, we think you should see this,” Ollie’s partner turns their phone towards you and Alessandra. It’s an article with a picture of the two of you and Charles entering the paddock. There’s also an old photo of you and Charles from your prior relationship.

“I didn’t think they’d catch on so soon,” you frown.

“How widespread?” Alessandra asks, mind jumping into solution mode. With only half an hour until qualifying, it isn’t the moqq as

“It’s spreading quickly. Kimi told me that Charles is in a meeting but the PR team is usually on top of this stuff,” Kimi’s partner answers, not sugarcoating it. Alessandra quickly gets on social media.

“The reaction seems positive. Not too much is known about us, so everyone seems to be congratulating Charles on a happy relationship,” Alessandra chooses to hide the speculation around her paternity.

“Hi, could you follow me?” as expected, the chief communications officer finds you swiftly. You and Alessandra follow her to a small meeting room where Charles is looking at a summary on a tablet. Carefully, you take a seat beside him, his hand immediately finding yours under the table.

“So, how do we approach this?” Charles looks into your eyes, ignoring his communications team.

“We need to be honest when asked if we are together. It isn’t that big of a deal now that it’s out there, especially since I’m not some celebrity,” you answer honestly. “We reconnected after running into one another after a long time apart, it’s pretty simple.”

“I’m afraid there is something a little more concerning than that,” the communications chief voice doesn’t match her slightly nervous expression. “There is a lot of growing speculation around Alessandra’s father, and her working under Charles this week isn’t helping,” you feel anger bubbling up, a squeeze from Charles’s hand holds you back.

“I don’t understand, why do they have a right to ask about a child who is not one of our drivers,” Charles practically seethes, wanting to protect the girl he’s come to see as his daughter.

“Alessandra has no father, there is not one on her birth certificate. She is my daughter and that is that,” your eyes narrow.

“Charles is certainly like a father to me at this point, but my mother is right. If asked, my father was never in the picture. I’d prefer that my relationship with Charles is kept between us at this stage,” Alessandra shifts in her seat, bridging yours and Charles’s statements. Alessandra has no doubt that she will be adopted by Charles eventually, but that isn’t information that needs to be known outside of the family.

“Right. We will address the press outside and quickly draft some bullet points for when you get stopped by the press,” with that, Charles dismisses himself, ending the meeting. This wasn’t how he planned the weekend on going, but he should’ve known better to plan for this. You stand up, following Charles without a second thought.

“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” Charles runs a frustrated hand through his hair. While he’s supposed to be focusing on the race he now has the press to think about.

“They were going to find out at some point. Best they learn during the last race than the first,” you bitterly smile, walking with him.

“You’re right, you always are,” Charles lets out a deep breath.

“Hey, I trust your judgment. Whatever you say to the press, I will back you,” you gently take his hand and give it a squeeze. You aren’t used to giving up control like that, but you are partners in your relationship.

“I love you,” Charles presses a quick kiss to your forehead before heading to the garage. Alessandra stays in hospitality with you, watching the television feed of Quali.

Once you return to the hotel, you sit in Charles’s hotel room to discuss your options.

“This is what the team sent over,” Charles turns his computer around to face Alessandra.

“I don’t think we should hide anything, just ignore any inquiries into the family,” Alessandra shrugs.

“I’m okay with that,” Charles agrees. You don’t speak, simply nodding in agreement. Alessandra yawns sleepily after the long day.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she stands, yawning as she stretches.

“Sleep well, love you,” you hug her tightly.

“See you then,” Charles offers a small smile and a reminder of when to meet in the morning.

After a quiet morning, the three of you make your way into the paddock. Almost immediately you are swarmed. Some yell questions about the team and qualifying results, but the majority ask questions about you. Security stalwarts to break them up, but Charles seizes the opportunity to make a statement.

“My family is a private matter. Unless the questions are relevant to the team and racing, I will not be answering them,” Charles says firmly, holding you a little tighter as your grip on Alessandra’s arm is firmer. Security makes a gap and the three of you slip through, quickly moving away from the media vultures.

As you walk into the Ferrari motorhome, your mind fixates on one word. Family. You don’t know why Charles chose that to describe you and Alessandra. Convenience or his truth - that you are his family.

“You look… rattled,” Carlos greets you. Charles was pulled away as soon as you stepped foot inside. Not that you are complaining, it’s race day, of course he is busy. Alessandra went off with some interns she befriended over the weekend, needing to be around people near her own age.

“I, um, we got surrounded by the media,” you explain, a little frustrated. Carlos nods sympathetically, clearly having seen the articles about his former teammate.

“They are ruthless, they used go call Rebecca and I a PR relationship,” Carlos scoffs, relating to your frustration. You want to ask him for his insight, try to know what Charles meant by the word family, but you just can’t bring yourself to.

“It comes with the territory, I suppose,” your bitter smile matches his own.

“Well, I haven’t seen him so happy in a while. That’s what matters,” Carlos offers his support.

“Isn’t it crazy how much we all have changed?” you glance as Carlos’s lock screen, a photo of him and his son - Carlos Sainz III wearing race suits.

“We are all grown up. You three should come to Madrid. There is a nice karting track and I can show you around,” Carlos suggests. He and Charles keep in touch, but they aren’t that close. Carlos thinks it might be nice to grow that relationship, especially with his son expressing interest and talent in karting.

“I’m sure Charles would like that. We should find a time before the season starts or you won’t see Charles until summer break,” your smile is genuine, glad to have a friend in Carlos.

“Has she ever karted?” Carlos glances at Alessandra, who is eagerly saying something to one of the development drivers.

“No. She asked, but the money and being a single mom,” you trail off, unable to add another truth to why you kept her away. “Being Italian, it’s impossible to not love Ferrari and she’s always had an attraction to the sport. Karting just wasn’t an option,” you shrug.

“Charles isn’t?” Carlos doesn’t say the rest, letting the implied question speak for itself. You shake your head.

“Her sperm donor has never been in the picture, that relationship was a mistake - a rebound from Charles - and by the time I knew both were long over,” you admit.

“And how does she feel about Charles?” Carlos prods, enjoying the story session. It feels like a conversation you would have laying in your best friends dark bedroom room at 3am during a sleepover, or at brunch over a mimosa.

“She adores him. I think they see each other as a father and a daughter, but they won’t admit it yet. They’ve really taken to each other,” you feel warm and fuzzy thinking about it.

“I’m glad, you deserve that. Having someone to support you for once and to care for you, it’s nice,” Carlos still sees you and Charles as the energetic carefree couple that you were twenty years ago, so sure that you had an endless amount of time together. He never asked why you broke, but he is sure that would cause too much pain to bring up. Carlos has overheard bits and pieces, but he doesn’t know the whole story. It wasn’t his place to ask.

“I’m glad to have you as a friend,” you tell Carlos who smiles warmly at you.

You spend the rest of your day and the race with him. Charles joined you for a few minutes while he had time to spare before the race. Alessandra joins you, eagerly listening as Carlos points things out and shares his experiences as a driver. And when Kimi and Ollie cross the line taking a 1-2, you practically jump into Carlos’ arms hugging him.

Carlos guides you towards the podium when the time comes, joining Charles and the team to celebrate the championship and win.

“Mon amour!” Charles pulls you into his arms, squeezing you tight.

“You did it, just like you did as a driver,” you smile, resting your head on his shoulder.

“Congrats, Charles,” Alessandra says as you pull away, allowing her to hug him as well.

“Thank you, piccola,” Charles says softly, not thinking about using the nickname he’s only ever said in his head. Charles’ hand finds yours as you stand beside him proudly. Alessandra stands at the other side of him with Carlos, happy in the family she’s gained.

As you sing among your compatriots and the team, you don’t know how it could get better than this moment.

[eraenaa]

Flipped

Inspired by the Movie Flipped

Aemond Targaryen X Reader Tag List

Synopsis: You had been infatuated with Aemond since you two were children. You could not remember a day when you did not feel anything but adoration for him— not until recently. When something in you turned indifferent, it did not go unnoticed by Aemond, who had never been a fan of change. 

Warnings: Mature, 18+, P in V Sex, Female Masturbation, Unrequited Love (kinda), Not Proof Read

Word Count: 3,906

It felt odd. You thought. For the first time in years, you strayed away from your routines and quirks. It was unsettling. You felt anxious that this change would bring forth something dreadful. But a bigger part of you felt exhilarated at this change. Because for the first time in years, your immediate thought was not Aemond. Your mind was not preoccupied with the thought of him— was free of wishful thinking that today would be the day that he’d have a change of heart and finally want you as you had wanted him ever since the both of you were five years old. 

It has been thirteen years now since the both of you have met. And ever since then, you practically spent every single day with him. He was your neighbor, one of the sons of your mother’s dearest friends, your classmate. Every day was practically spent with him— even weekends, there would be a reason for you two to unite. May it be for joint family dinners or when your mothers would take you on excursions. Every moment was spent with him, and every moment that passed was spent adoring him— loving him. But not anymore. 

“Are you ready? They’re almost here!” Your mother called from downstairs. It was that time of the week again. It was time for your family to have dinner with the Targaryens. For the longest time, your families have been spending every Sunday dinner together. Before, you were excited and giddy over the meal because it meant you would see Aemond—that you would start the new week in his presence. Your heart would always spike in excitement; your lips would always bloom into a smile in anticipation. But now, you felt none of it. It was odd; the prospect of seeing and spending time with Aemond would always bring a specific feeling of giddiness in you. But now, it was absent. All you felt was indifference. You somehow felt relieved at that. You relished at the feeling of your heart not beating erratically, that the butterflies in your stomach were absent. You felt at ease when you did not have to hold yourself to a standard that you had set long before, just in hopes he would notice you. You did not have to overthink what you would wear. Not fret over what style you would fix your hair. You simply had to be there and not trip over yourself trying to impress and catch the attention of a boy who was never willing to give it. 

You descended down the staircase of your home, your parents greeting the Targaryens in the foyer. “Oh, look at you! You grow prettier every week!” Alicent gushed and went to kiss your cheek; you smiled and complimented your mother’s friend as well. Aemond frowned as you backed away, moving yourself partly behind your parents. Usually, as they came, you would rush over to his side— eagerly trying to chat with him. But now, you did not even spare him a glance. Odd. He thought. 

Your families made their way towards the dining room. You wanted to grin at yourself as you did not have the wanting urge to look at Aemond— no longer desperate to acquire a seat next to him. Instead, you situated yourself between your mother and his sister Helaena. You were chatting with the girl instead of her brother. Aemond felt an odd twisting in his stomach as you took a seat that was not next to him. You always sat next to him. You were insistent on sitting next to him— before, you even fought with his older brother for the seat just so that you would be beside him. Why did you relinquish your spot next to him now?

Aemond watched you through the entirety of the dinner. Before, he would always feel your eyes upon him, always sneaking a glance. It was odd not to have your gaze on him. It was a feeling he did not care for. It felt like something was missing. 

As they were leaving, Aemond watched as you said your goodbyes to his siblings, but not him. Aegon, who you usually quarreled with, shared more than one laugh with you tonight. Everything felt wrong. Aemond thought. This was not what he was used to; this was not a situation he was accustomed to. Everything felt different. As if there was a shift in you that made you… not you. 

“She’s different tonight,” Helaena mumbled as they walked back home— yours and Aemond’s houses just across from each other. “She is,” Aegon agreed. “But I quite like her like this,” Aegon added. Aemond didn’t. There was a pestering feeling that followed him throughout the week. He thought that dinner was just a fluke— that you perhaps did not feel well that night, which is why you did not acknowledge him. But as you two where in school, your used to be constant presence near him was nowhere to be found. Aemond did not realize it, but there was fear trickling inside him. Aemond did not want to acknowledge it, but he was missing you.

You always used to sit behind him in class, and he would feel your stare at the back of his head; you switched places now and moved to the front. 

You used to always offer him gum after lunch, knowing he hated the way the taste of cafeteria food would linger on his tongue; that stick of gum was now given to your other friends. 

You would always ask him to walk home together, recalling your day as the two of you did; you walked home alone and in silence now. 

Sunday dinner was fast to approach once more. It was the Targaryen’s turn to host, and you walked with your parents to their house. “Welcome! Come in, come in,” Alicent smiled warmly as her children stood behind her and welcomed you and your family to their home. “Hi,” You hear Aemond greet— never once had he greeted you first. You turn to him, giving him a sparing glance and a small smile before turning your focus to his other siblings, walking away from where he stood. Aemond gritted his teeth as he felt a clench in his heart when you walked away without even a word. What was this? Why were you doing this? Why was he feeling like this? Why does his stomach pit when he watches you converse and laugh with others who are not him? Why does his skin crawl with the thought that you no longer hold want for him? It’s impossible, right? You could never not want him— you have always wanted him. But now, why did you act like you didn’t? Are you playing a game? Are you trying to administer to him the same coldness and indifference he always showed you?

Aemond took his seat— a chair beside yours, slyly scooting closer to you to make his presence known. Maybe it would make you turn to him and set your gaze upon him once more. It didn’t. 

“So, you two are off to University soon. Have you chosen which one to attend?” Alicent asked you as the dinner proceeded. You lick your lips. Before, you were entirely certain that you would attend any University just as long as it was the same as Aemond’s. “I was thinking of going abroad for Uni,” You smile but Alicent was partly shocked by your statement. “Really?” She asked. You felt Aemond’s persistent stare, “Yes, I thought it would be a nice change of pace— something different,” You replied. “You’re fine with her going alone?” Alicent asked your mother. “Oh, she was telling us that she has a classmate that might join her—“ 

“Who?” Aemond asked, a deep furrow in his brow. His hand reaches for your arm, urging you to turn to him. “Jace, he told me all about the programs and introduced me to the different Universities with my desired course,” You quickly explained. You stared at Aemond’s hand clasped upon your arm. Before, it would elicit gooseflesh and an exciting tingle on your skin— now, it mostly just hurts as his grip was tight and punishing.

You try to steal your arm away, your hand moving and trying to remove his hold on you, but he does not let go. “Aemond,” You called, voice cold and harsh as you were growing hurt and annoyed by his tight hold. Aemond’s frown deepened if it were possible. You never used to address him with such a tone. You would always call out his name so soft and sweetly— your voice always held a pitch of excitement when speaking with him. It was completely gone now. 

“I need to talk to you,” Aemond dipped down and whispered in your ear as you stood by your locker. You were ready to deny him and step away, but he dragged you through the hallways and into an empty classroom. “Why?” You asked. You were looking up at him with a slightly annoyed expression. “Why are you acting like this? What are you doing?” He demanded, eye growing wider in anger with each passing moment as he recalled how you ignored him the entire week. 

“Acting like what?” You asked, confused by his accusing tone and anger. You expectantly waited for his reply, but his mouth opened and closed without words being uttered. You shake your head and try to pry away his hold on you once more. “Aemond, I don’t want to like you anymore,” You explain as you realize what his unuttered question was. Exchanging a word to something less extreme because you know in yourself you did not want to admit the fact that you loved him since you were seven. 

You feel his hold grow tighter as you utter the words. “I’m done… I have been chasing after you for years. I have been so desperate just for even a sliver of your attention— I don’t want to be that person anymore. I don’t want to waste my time on someone who clearly feels indifferent to me— who lets me run around acting so pathetic just for them. I don’t want to follow you around like a lost pup; I’m never going to do that to myself again,” You say clearly and manage to remove his hold on you. Watching as the anger in his eye turned into shock and, dare you say, hurt. 

“I apologize if I have pestered you with… with this for years on end. I’m truly sorry if I have made you feel you feel uncomfortable with my persistence in making you notice me. I’m done now, I—“ Words were not finished as you felt him take hold of your waist and smash your lips. Your eyes grew wide with the realization, pushing him away as you were shocked by his action. You felt your heart pit by his actions. You used to imagine kissing him— wishing on it every chance you got that he would be your first kiss. It was your dream, but now you were mortified. You knew why he did it— assuming he kissed you as an attempt to keep your affections toward him intact. For you to stay and be the desperate girl in want for him. 

You gaze at each other in shock and outrage, tears threatening to spill from your eyes. “You’re being cruel,” you say before running out of the classroom. Aemond stood there, unmoving, as he tried to process what he had done. Was he being cruel? Kissing you and only showing affection that he was intent on hiding because he felt that he was losing you. Was it cruel for him to keep his hold on you? Was it cruel to have you think of nothing but him— to be wholly consumed by him like it has always been? Aemond shook his head. That was not cruelty. It was reality. The reality that you have and will always be his. Be by his side. Have you by his side constantly. Have you dote on him and be the only thought in your pretty head. Aemond threaded the halls in haste, trying to find you. Ready to utter what he had never said nor showed. A desperate attempt to keep you by him because he did not have the faintest idea of how to proceed with life if you were not there. If you, the only constant in his life, would leave. 

You rushed home after what had transpired in school. You were wholly disheartened by Aemond. How could he do such a thing? How could he be so insensitive and selfish to let you dangle on a fraying thread of hope that he would finally reciprocate your feelings? All of it was cruel. It was cruel for him to kiss you when you were finally letting go of the ludicrous dream of the two of you coming together. It was cruel of him to act as such when you finally decided to focus on something else but him.

 You locked yourself in your room. You were trying to drown your thoughts in music and willed yourself not to let tears stream down your face. You’ve already shed enough of your precious pearl tears for him. You sat on your bed dejectedly. Blankly staring at your diary with the entries you’ve written that made you cringed as you wrote of Aemond in a sickeningly sweetened tone. You wrote about him as if he were god himself, as if he were the highest and most honorable of men— completely blinded as your young heart was filled with an utter infatuation with him. Infatuation you could never understand but just simply accepted. 

Aemond was far from perfect, but you acted as if he were. Adored and stood by him even when his flaws shone through. Aemond knew no one would accept him the way you do— that he would never find anyone like you, which is why he scaled the walls of your home and climbed toward your balcony. He was balancing and clinging to vines, risking the fall just in hopes of speaking and explaining all to you. 

Aemond knocked on the glass doors that led to your balcony, watching as you lay on your bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. He knocked louder, your head moving towards the right and your eyes locking with his. He silently pleaded for you to let him in, but all you could do was gape at him with shock and confusion. You walked toward the door, and Aemond tried hard to ignore the fact that you were only in your nightie, the silk thin and the lace see-through. “Go away,” you urged, but Aemond shook his head. “Open the door,” He grasped the handle and shook it. “Please,” he added as you shook your head. 

“Leave, Aemond,” You said and moved to untie our curtain to hide the view of your room from him. Aemond called your name, pleading with you to let him. You bit your lip as you realized that your body acted without the consent of your mind, moving to unlock the glass door and welcoming him in the privy of your room. “What do you want?” You asked with a heavy sigh, disheartened with your unconscious self as you let him enter your room. “I wanted to apologize… about earlier; you must understand that I did not kiss you to be cruel,” He said, and you rolled your eyes. A scoff leaves your lips. 

“Do not lie— I can see right through this… this act. You only did that because you want me desperate— you want to keep me so someone would worship the ground you walk upon.” You said bitterly. Aemond frowned and furiously shook his head and denied your accusation. “Stop lying! If it were any other time— maybe I would buy into your deceit. But Aemond, you only act as such in a desperate attempt because you see that I’m finally moving on from you— that I’m threading far from the little girl who did nothing but follow you around like a lost pup!” You screamed, the tears returning and daring to slip your eyes. 

Aemond called your name and shook his head. He moved to step closer, flushing your bodies close and cupping your cheeks with his cold hands. “That is not true,” he stated firmly. But you stubbornly shook your head. “I want you, " he added, his voice sincere, making you close your eyes in restraint. You could not believe what he said. “Stop lying, I—“ Aemond kissed your lips shut. You resisted. You fought hard not to enjoy the feel and taste of his lips. To forget that this simple act was your dream ever since you two were children. Aemond smirked against your lips as you relinquished your resistance, and you started to kiss him back. It was adorable how uncertain you were— how your lips would stagger and second-guess their movements. 

Aemond cupped your cheeks and held tightly onto your waist, moving you to lie on your bed and opening your kiss. He did not miss the hesitancy in your steps nor the shocked gasps coming from your lips. When you pulled away for a breath, Aemond’s lips instead found your neck—placing open-mouth kisses and inhaling your scent deeply. You bit your lip to prevent the sound of pleasure that wanted to be released as he nipped at your neck and groaned at your scent. Aemond could not believe nor explain how he had managed to control himself all these years, how he had managed to keep you at arm's length and a respectable distance in fear that if he gave into his wants. Guilt shaming him to take and be close to you because if he did, he knew he’d ruin you. But all the skepticism in him faded away with each moment he had you flushed against him, your skin meeting his, your lips kissing his. 

“Aemond,” You mewled as you felt his hand caress the exposed skin of your thigh. Only now did you grow aware of what you wore and what both of your actions would eventually lead to. You tightly closed your eyes as Aemond’s lips trailed down from your neck and then to your chest, his breath fanning your exposed skin, leaving gooseflesh to scatter all over your body. “Say you want me… tell me you want me still,” Aemond almost pleaded, placing a ghost of a kiss in the middle of the valley of your tits. You swallowed thickly as his hand continued to caress upward your thigh, and his lips grazed your flesh. 

Aemond felt his stomach pitting with each passing moment that you uttered no word. You took in a harsh breath as Aemond’s hand squeezed the plush flesh of your thighs, urging you to spill the words that were instilled years before. “I want you, always you.” You breathed out but were quick to inhale sharply as Aemond yanked the fabric of your nightwear downward to expose your chest, his lips closing on the taut bud whilst his other hand went to cup your needing sex. Aemond tensed as a sound of pleasure finally left your lips and how your hips grounded against his hand. 

Aemond traced circles with his tongue as he teased your tits. He was alternating from one to the other, nipping at it every now and then because it would elicit a whine from your throat. His fingers drew circles against your cloth-covered cunt, your wetness seeping through the fabric, and only encouraged Aemond as he felt how you truly wanted him. Aemond simply hummed as you called for his name, urging him for more. “First, tell me…have you ever pleasured yourself with the wanting thought that one day, it would be me?” Your eyes widened at his question. You feel him shift his weight off you, his warmness leaving you cold and exposed. “Answer,” He urged as he stood by the foot of your bed, watching you as you lay disheveled and exposed. 

“Aemond, I d—“ He shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Do you want more? Do you want me to pleasure you throughout the night? Do you wish to be mine?” Aemond’s voice was deep and clouded by impatience. You clenched your jaw and surrendered any pride left in you. “Yes… I touch myself with the thought of you.” You answered, watching a smirk place itself on his lips. “Show me,” He ordered. 

Aemond clenched his jaw as you did what he asked without hesitation. Your fingers danced on your cunt, drawing circles upon your needing sex whilst your other hand played with your tit. Sighs of pleasure left your lips whilst you tilted your head to the heavens. Aemond began to remove his clothing, his eye dark as your head moved to watch him as he unzipped his trousers. Not missing the way your eyes widened then rolled back as you were met with his length, already pleasured by the sight of it even though it had not touched you yet. 

When you made another sound of pleasure, one more urgent as if signifying you were close to climax, Aemond moved your hand away, wanting for him to be the reason why you came that night. You whined, but Aemond once again kissed your lips shut. His hand moved aside the cloth that covered your cunt and positioned himself for the taking. Your breath shallowed as he slowly pushed himself in you. Your hands clinging and digging into his shoulder blades as you were succumbed to pain of having his large and thick manhood tear its way through you. Aemond hushed you and kissed your lips once more. His other hand drawing circled upon your nubbin to divert your attention from the pain.

Aemond was cautious of each of his movements as every one of them only elicited a wince, but once the face of pain turned to pleasure, Aemond slipped in and out of you at an urgent pace that you enjoyed. He held your hips to keep you in place, watching as your pretty face was etched with nothing but sheer pleasure, that your tits heaved up and down with every single one of his thrusts, that your legs that were placed upon his shoulders started to quiver. “Are you to come?” He asked through gritted teeth, his fingers returning to draw circles upon your nub, making you moan louder and cling to the sheets of your bed. 

“Aemond— please, please!” You cried. Aemond shifted his wait atop you once more, removing your legs that rested comfortably upon his shoulders. Instead, wrapping them around his waist as his lips met yours again. Aemond gave one last thrust, burrowing himself deep, spilling his seed inside you as your name left his lips in a pleasured groan. You panted as your body clung tightly to his, your ragged breathing trying to calm as you slid down from your high. Aemond kissed your lips once more, your skin flushed and sticky with the sheen of sweat. “You’ve always been and will always be mine,” He uttered against your lips before flipping you and letting your stomach face the bed as he filled your cunt once more. 

[ellowynthenotking]

Apr 27

Dear dad,

We’re just going as fast as we can. We’ve barely stopped in days, and we’re running out of food faster than we thought we would. 

We needed to resupply at that stupid festival, and we didn’t get the chance to do so. I don’t know what we’re going to do about it. Grace has been walking alongside the cart looking for more edible plants, and we’ve been supplementing our rations with them. The amount that she’s finding isn’t enough, though. We can add it to things, but it takes a while to cook and prepare, and even if it’s helping, it’s making us slow down so we don’t lose her. 

I’m seriously worried that we’re going to accidentally leave her behind. Even though she mostly walks by the cart, she constantly ducks off into the woods on either side of the path to grab more of the stuff, and we lose sight of her so fast. We didn’t stop, but I jumped out of the cart a couple of times to keep an eye on her and the cart so we didn’t end up leaving her behind. 

I almost want to tell her to stop. It’s even more stressful trying to make sure we don’t leave her behind on accident. The amount of food she’s getting isn’t enough for her actions to be worth it. 

We’re pushing the horses really hard, too. I think constantly having people jump off and climb onto the cart while they’re in mid-motion isn’t the best. The horses are okay, though. I mean, I think they’re okay. They at least have enough to eat. There seems to be stuff they like to eat whenever we actually stop. I wish I could say the same. 

We haven’t run across any towns yet, but hopefully, we will soon; we need to stop somewhere and figure out where we are. I mean, we know where we are. Still, Willow's maps are functionally useless because we’re not in the other kingdom anymore. We don’t know where anything is for this kingdom. We haven’t even run across any people so far. We haven’t seen anyone since we left the little town on the kingdom's edge. Now, I’m pretty sure we haven’t accidentally stepped into a horror movie because some wizened person hasn’t been warned about our follies before heading out this way. But that doesn’t make it any less creepy.

The animals we’ve seen haven’t looked right either. Initially, I was saying we could probably do some hunting to supplement our food, but the animals don’t look right. We saw a deer with some super messed-up antlers, and I think we all kind of agreed that it would probably be for the best if we didn’t hunt it. There were some naked squirrels, not a single hair on them, bright pink, but still running around just fine. 

I haven't seen any birds, though I’ve heard some bird songs. But if they’re not in the trees or up in the air, they must be on the ground, right? But I haven’t seen any. 

This means we can’t hunt them. It’s been really weird. The forest still sounds like there are stuff and animals in it, but we just haven’t seen any of them, at least none that would be good eating.

I’m a little worried, if I’m being honest. We can’t really add any of it to the food, and we aren’t getting enough plants for the food. So we’re slowly running out of food, in the middle of nowhere, and being hunted by humans. And, possibly, by the weird deer? I could swear it’s the same deer I’ve seen a couple of times. Like I said, I would try hunting them, but it just hasn’t happened. Cause it all looks weird. 

Zunair says all the animals we’ve been seeing look like Chernoble (?) mutants, and he doesn’t think we should eat them on the off chance there is some kind of radiation or something that they’re all inflicted with. Willow said if that was what was going on, then we needed to leave the area as soon as possible, because if they were this affected, then it’s probably still leaching from somewhere, and we need to be careful.

Either way, there’s no signage about anything, be it dangers or towns anywhere. We have seen a few places that were obviously camps that looked untouched by whoever was there last. We’re at one now; it’s even got a little fire pit. 

The fire pit still has bones, which is a little disconcerting, but it’s proof that SOMEONE’S been here at least. There are other people around here somewhere, and we’ll hopefully run into them eventually. 

I’ll write to you soon. Hopefully, we’ll find a place to sleep that lets me write a little more to you, but I don’t know how long it’ll be until we get there. We’ll see, I guess.

Love, Jack

Read the rest of the series here: 

Or read more by this author here: 

[naileadevoras]

greetings , loved ones ! recently , i've noticed some roleplay groups adding a most likely to... in their applications & decided to make a masterlist of superlatives in hopes to give you all some inspiration when filling in an app form . the under the cut , you'll find 50+ character superlatives that can help with the development of your muses . i hope you find this list helpful !

as always , a like + reblog would be greatly appreciated .

most likely to ...

accidentally join a cult .

always have a filled passport .

commit a petty crime .

betray her friends for money .

become a celebrity lawyer .

become a homewrecker .

become a motivational speaker .

become a twitch streamer .

become a voice actor for a cartoon show .

be inducted into the sports hall of fame .

be late to their own wedding .

become the first lady of the united states .

become the next president of the united states .

break a world record .

climb mt. everest .

die first at a zombie apocalypse .

discover a cure for a specific disease .

end up in a blockbuster .

end up in the emergency room after a fight .

flirt with their friends parent .

forget their own birthday .

get a botched plastic surgery .

get a divorce after 14 days of marriage .

get attacked by a wild animal on a camping trip .

get drunk & wake up with a face tattoo .

get married in vegas .

get married to a pro athlete .

give all their life savings to charity .

go on a solo - travelling trip .

have a failed youtube career .

have a one night stand with drake .

have a stalker .

have three divorces before 30 .

headline at coachella .

host their own baking show on tv .

hook up with a college professor .

insult you & immediately apologize after .

join an underground fight club .

leave everything behind & travel the world by themselves .

make a man cry .

make it on the fbi's most wanted list .

marry a celebrity for their fame & money .

meet their significant other at the gym .

overthrow the patriarchy .

star in a reality tv show .

star in their own reality show .

start their own pyramid scheme .

stalk their celebrity crush & follow them home .

take over the world .

win a grammy but forget their speech .

win a nobel peace prize .

win an argument .

write a notes app apology after getting cancelled online .

win the lottery but lose the ticket .

[copinghex]

Tommy's world (vendetta)

Find the request here

Things were fragile between them. Thomas was quite fragile since Grace's death and things between them flowed slowly. He stayed the nights, sometimes took her out, always trying to show his good side. She was young yet very stable, went to college, had her own place and a job, which he was trying to make her quit and work for him instead.

She spoke slowly and clearly, didn't smile much, but always had an affectionate hand to offer. Thomas wouldn't confess he found in her some of the same things he liked in Grace when they met in 1919, class, cleverness and elegance, with a bit of the darkness required to get close to him.

She made love slowly and worked fast, he always found himself surprised when she talked about college and the many projects she was involved in. While she slept, he wondered if it was fair to ruin her promising future over his own need to have a companion, the thought quickly left his head when she snuggled closer to him in her sleep.

Ada and Michael were very supportive of the relationship, noticing how calmer (yet not less serious and demanding) he became after a night with her, they often managed to sneak in a “And how is the girl?” into conversations. Arthur and John also made some supportive comments, although most of them came out as a joke about dating younger.

Through the months, she became a ghost in the family's life, the faceless woman pushing Thomas through widowhood and the worst sort of business. Then it came, the phenomenon that pushed the whole family back together: The black hand.

For Christmas, they had agreed she'd spend the evening with her family and meet him in Arrow house for dinner. It'd also be the first time she'd meet Charlie. The plan was interrupted by Thomas’ call, telling her she was in danger and instructing her to meet him in Watery Lane.

Scared, she obeyed and got greeted by grieving brothers, Arthur was so deep into his head he barely noticed her. Tommy told her to go to the bedroom upstairs and wait for him. He only returned in the morning, pouring the situation on her head. After the shock, he suggested that she had some sleep, for there'd be a family meeting as soon as they were all gathered.

-

She stood in the corner next to a tall boy, his skin was freckled, long limbs covered by an expensive suit. The youngest in the table. Finn, probably. As Tommy explained the situation to the family, she tried to associate faces with names.

The oldest brother, Arthur, had a woman on his arm, must be Linda. On their side, an older woman with watery eyes held resentment towards her boyfriend, Polly, she was certain.

The ladies side by side in their black dresses, she thought Ada and Lizzie, but which was which she could not tell. Near the wall, stood four men she had no idea of the identity, perhaps the oldest was Thomas’ father, since he never spoke about his parents.

One of them showed himself completely against getting the help of Aberama Gold, whoever that was. Polly labeled the plan as too weak for the current scenario. One of the ladies clearly knew one thing or two about the communists, revealing herself as Ada. They voted, united by a bigger cause although it was easy to tell something had broken them apart in the past.

“Alright,” Tommy said, “as the last item, this is y/n, surely you have heard of her, if not, those who know, talk to the ones who don't, she'll stay with us in this period of trouble, y/n, this is my family, besides the pose they don't bite, so talk and get along,”

She felt their eyes on her, sizing her up, Finn was the one to break silence, “Hm, Tommy said you go to college,”

“Yes, I-”

“You could learn something from her, Finn,” Tommy interrupted, “either way, you'll have plenty of time, for now, let's get on with the war.”

[thedensworld]

Bucket of Happiness | J.Ww

Pairing: Businessman! Wonwoo x reader ft. Mingyu

Genre: Angst, fluff, friends to lovers

Summary: After the divorce settled, you immediately moved to Canada for your treatment. Meanwhile, Wonwoo has to run away from his parents who couldn't stop forcing him to get married.

Here's the part 1 | part 2 (Falling Flowers Series)

Wonwoo couldn't believe his own eyes when he saw a familiar figure step into the elevator. Both of them froze, realizing they could meet each other even after traveling thousands of miles. Awkwardly, Wonwoo bowed his head in greeting as you entered the elevator, the tension palpable between them.

Neither dared to say a word, letting only the jazz music fill the silence. When the elevator stopped at the 8th floor, you bowed your head before stepping out, revealing that you lived right behind his floor. Wonwoo sighed with the revelation, realizing you were in Canada, the same country as him.

It had only been two months since Wonwoo drank with Mingyu, his friend, right after Mingyu's divorce with you was settled. It wasn't a celebratory drink, Wonwoo assumed, but Mingyu didn't say anything about why he was drinking like a madman after his divorce request was accepted. Wonwoo didn't dare to ask, but he always sensed that something was up.

Meeting you in this country was a surprising revelation for him. He hadn't expected to encounter anyone he knew from Korea after deciding to leave the country for a few months following a huge fight with his parents. Leaving his business to his workers wasn't the same as being there himself. His trust had decreased, with too much monitoring, and he felt alone. He craved solace but not solitude.

Mingyu and Seungcheol had been calling him since he landed two days ago. He wanted to tell them he had safely arrived in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. However, he didn't want anyone to know his whereabouts after the controversy his parents caused at their charity ball two weeks ago. They announced a future wedding for Wonwoo with a woman he had never met, without his consent.

Now, he was taking a risk by leaving everything behind in South Korea, choosing to live his life in peace here.

As the doorbell rang at 8 p.m., Wonwoo, engrossed in monitoring files sent by his secretary, stood up and opened the door. His eyes widened in shock as he saw you standing there with plastic bags filled with vegetables and a portable stove in your other hand.

"Hi..." you said, and Wonwoo nodded in response, his gaze shifting from you to the items in your hands, then back to you.

"I remembered Mingyu mentioned you like hot pot, want to have some?" you asked, raising your hands higher to show him what you brought.

Wonwoo, surprised but curious, accepted the offer, taking everything from your hands and inviting you inside. He stepped aside to let you in, and you followed, heading straight to the dining table and starting to prepare the ingredients for the hot pot.

Wonwoo assisted with the portable stove, marveling at your deft hands as you worked quickly. No words were exchanged beyond simple requests for utensils or ingredients.

Feeling the silence stretch, Wonwoo finally asked how you knew his unit. "The elevator," you explained simply, and Wonwoo nodded in acknowledgment, realizing you must have seen it stop at the floor above yours earlier that day.

"Enjoy the meal," Wonwoo said as you both sat down to eat, and you nodded, smiling.

The two of you enjoyed the food in a calm and quiet atmosphere, and once it was finished, you tidied up together before leaving his apartment, no words exchanged between you.

*

Wonwoo saw you again after a week. He was reading by the window when he saw you walking on the other side of the street with a few bags in your hands. Wonwoo's lips lifted at the sight; for a petite figure like yours, you were indeed strong. It reminded him of Mingyu's words about how you were physically and emotionally strong.

However, Wonwoo noticed something different about you that he couldn't quite tell. He watched you until your figure was out of his sight. "Did you cut your hair?" he thought. He was sure your hair was pretty long the last time you met. What he saw earlier was you with shoulder-length hair covered with a cap, making you appear younger. "A little appearance change might be good after a divorce," Wonwoo thought.

When Wonwoo decided to go for a run, he noticed another bag hooked onto his doorknob, just like the other day. Today, it was filled with fruits, the same ones you had in your hands earlier. Last time, you had given him a homecooked meal with a note to warm it before eating, which he found kind and thoughtful. Perhaps you had heard about what happened to him back in South Korea.

The other day, it was a salad bowl. Wonwoo intended to reciprocate the gesture. On his way back home, he picked up some sour bread and left it on your doorknob with a note of thanks, hoping you would know it was from him. This exchange continued, each giving to the other, until Wonwoo found himself constantly thinking about what he should get for you, even while he was away in another city.

It had been a month since he moved to Ottawa. He explored most of the city by running and taking public transportation, using stops at coffee shops to make calls and emails for his business. Despite the change in scenery, he remained a diligent businessman, ensuring every investment was worthwhile.

Now, standing in front of the liquor store, Wonwoo pondered whether to get you a bottle of whiskey or wine. He couldn't recall Mingyu ever mentioning your drinking habits. In fact, Mingyu rarely brought you up in conversation unless it reminded him of Nari, their best friend who was now married to Seungcheol.

This reflection brought Wonwoo back to the time when Mingyu mentioned that you reminded him of Nari. Indeed, as Wonwoo got to know you when you and Mingyu were still married, he noticed the physical similarities and the same calm and peaceful vibe you both emanated. You and Nari shared a protective nature towards others, seeming to care deeply about everyone else above yourselves.

Despite the exchange of gifts, you and Wonwoo hadn't met or exchanged words since the hot pot that night.

Wonwoo was just about to place a box of wine in front of your door when it swung open, revealing your figure, which shockingly appeared thinner than before. He momentarily mistook you for someone else, taken aback by your hollow cheeks and thin frame. Quickly dismissing his thoughts, Wonwoo retrieved the box and handed it to you personally.

"I just got back from Quebec for business. They said this is their best," Wonwoo explained.

You accepted the wine with a nod of thanks. "You don't have to," you said softly.

Wonwoo shook his head, insisting, "How could I not? You've been so thoughtful to me. Thank you so much, by the way."

You offered him a polite smile, and Wonwoo noticed two large trash bags filled to the brim sitting in front of your door. Without hesitation, he asked, "Are you going to recycle? Want me to help?"

"No, no, it's okay!" you refused, but Wonwoo insisted on helping.

Walking side by side with you, Wonwoo lifted both trash bags, not allowing you to carry them. "Have you had dinner?" you asked him, and Wonwoo shook his head. You then kindly offered him a meal as gratitude, and Wonwoo nodded, glad that you were starting to engage in conversation.

While waiting for the budae-jjigae to cook, you locked eyes with Wonwoo, causing him to bite his lip nervously. After a moment of silence, he finally mustered the courage to ask, "How are you?"

You took a moment to respond before saying, "better than before?" Wonwoo couldn't help but wonder what Mingyu had done to elicit such a response from you.

"And how about you, Mr. Jeon?" you asked in return.

Wonwoo shook his head. "Please call me Wonwoo. You're not Seungcheol hyung's secretary anymore," he said, smiling. "I'm great. I feel comfortable here, despite being far from home."

You mentioned that Nari had told you about his disappearance and how everyone was searching for him. Wonwoo's smile turned bitter. "So you heard about that," he said, nodding as you bit your lip.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you. Your parents... They were in the wrong, and I understand your decision to seek peace," you said softly.

Wonwoo took a deep breath before exhaling. "Are you doing the same thing here? Seeking peace?" he asked.

"I don't know. I came here for another reason, but I have found some peace," you replied with a smile, noticing that the meal was ready.

"Please, help yourself," you offered.

Wonwoo smiled and lifted his spoon and bowl of rice. "Thanks for the meal," he said warmly.

*

Wonwoo found relief after talking with you that night. He called his mother and informed her that he was doing well in Canada. Following your suggestion, he calmly explained his feelings about the marriage agenda his parents had been pushing, expressing his disappointment about the last event. After that call, he never felt so light-hearted.

He continued to get you things, whether it was food, cake, or books. Sometimes he saw you bringing home stacks of books, so he assumed you liked reading just like him. Tonight, he had just returned from meeting an old friend. As he walked to the elevator, a crew of medics rushed in. When they pressed the button for your floor, his heart sank.

"Is something happening to someone in that unit?" Wonwoo asked one of them.

"Do you know her? She was dialing an emergency call before she collapsed," one of the medics replied.

Wonwoo's brows furrowed in concern. He immediately followed them after they gave him permission, explaining that he was a friend of yours. With the help of the building's staff, they opened your door and entered your apartment. There you were, collapsed on the floor with your phone lying beside you. He felt a wave of relief knowing that you had managed to dial the emergency number.

As you arrived at the nearest hospital, Wonwoo offered himself to be your guardian. Holding his phone tightly, he felt an urge to call Mingyu, but he hesitated, wanting to respect your privacy. He couldn't help but notice the loss of your radiance after your sudden weight loss, and he couldn't shake the thought that it might be a result of the divorce.

When Mingyu informed him of his intention to divorce you, Wonwoo wasn't surprised. There had been signs that something was amiss in your marriage with Mingyu. It was a Friday night when Mingyu decided to stay at Wonwoo's house.

"You don't want to come home?" Wonwoo asked, puzzled by Mingyu's decision to stay the night.

"I'm divorcing Y/n," Mingyu blurted out.

Wonwoo stopped in his tracks. "Why?" he asked, unable to comprehend Mingyu's reasoning. "Is it because of the rumors?" he continued, pressing Mingyu for an answer.

Mingyu shook his head. "I intended to divorce her long before the rumors," he confessed.

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow. "Is it because of her miscarriage?" he asked.

Mingyu was silent for a moment before exhaling heavily. "It wasn't a miscarriage," he began. "She aborted them."

Wonwoo remembered how Mingyu had cried after confessing his intention to divorce you. However, months later, after the divorce was finalized, Mingyu called him for a drink, and Wonwoo could see regret in his friend's eyes. Many questions remained unanswered. Did Mingyu still love you? Was Mingyu happy during your marriage? How did you feel about the divorce?

"Y/n Ji's guardian?" Wonwoo was called, prompting him to swiftly make his way to the nurse station. He listened attentively as they briefed him on your condition.

"Ms. Ji's condition is stable, but she'll need to stay in the hospital for a few days. Please fill out this form and send it to the administration station," the nurse instructed.

Wonwoo nodded, but before taking the form, he inquired, "May I know what happened to her?"

"Nothing serious. She collapsed due to exhaustion and is undergoing medical treatment. It appears she may have taken the wrong dose of medication. The doctor will explain in detail," the nurse replied.

After handling the administrative tasks, Wonwoo accompanied you to your room. The doctor informed him that you had taken an incorrect dose of medication, causing you to lose consciousness. The doctor also mentioned that you would need to remain in the hospital until your chemotherapy appointment, which caught Wonwoo off guard. Chemotherapy? Were you ill? Did Mingyu know about this?

"I'm sorry to have caused you trouble," you said weakly, but still grateful.

Wonwoo shook his head. "No need to apologize. I'm just glad you're okay. You did well to dial the emergency number."

Handing you back your phone, he said, "I've put my number in as your emergency contact. Please call me if anything happens."

You accepted the phone with a weak smile. "Thank you."

There was a pause before Wonwoo cautiously asked, "Are you sick?" He didn't want to offend you with his question.

You smiled, not directly answering, but Wonwoo understood. Yes, you were sick, and it seemed serious.

"Are you here for treatment?" he asked, and you confirmed it.

"Have you told Mingyu?" Wonwoo inquired, and you nodded.

"So you're still in communication?" he assumed, but you shook your head.

"Mingyu knew. He knew before we were officially divorced," you revealed.

Wonwoo scowled. Mingyu knew about your illness and still went through with the divorce?

"Is it serious, your illness?" he asked with concern.

You thought for a moment. "I don't know, but it could be life-threatening. I've worked hard to get to this point," you explained, mentioning that this hospital was the only one with the procedure for your cancer.

"If you're wondering why Mingyu still divorced me despite knowing this, it's because I asked him not to stop the divorce process," you added, answering another question in his mind.

Wonwoo shook his head, his worry evident. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

You smiled. "No need to apologize. You're Mingyu's friend, so it's natural for you to wonder. I understand."

"It was the best decision for both of us. In fact, it wasn't difficult to divorce," you said calmly.

Wonwoo sighed, feeling a pang of sadness. You had no idea how much Mingyu had loved you when you were still carrying his child.

*

Wonwoo took a moment to absorb Mingyu's flurry of questions and colorful language, a mixture of relief and amusement washing over him at his friend's outburst. After two months of silence, he couldn't blame Mingyu for being a tad dramatic.

"I'm in Ottawa, enjoying my life here," Wonwoo finally replied, a smile evident in his voice despite the distance.

There was a brief pause before Mingyu dropped the unexpected bombshell. "Y/n is in Ottawa as well."

Wonwoo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Actually, I live right above her apartment," he admitted, his tone tinged with intrigue.

Mingyu's chuckle resonated through the phone. "What a small world, right?"

The conversation lulled into silence before Wonwoo decided to break it. "Hey, would you like to know how she's doing? I see her around quite often."

Mingyu's response was immediate, tinged with a mix of concern and uncertainty. "Yeah, please... Is she alright?"

The conversation shifted, and Wonwoo could feel Mingyu's apprehension when he broached the topic of your well-being. It was clear that you held a special place in Mingyu's heart, even if you were no longer together.

Mingyu's next question caught him off guard, stumbling over his words in typical Mingyu fashion. "Um, is she... still the same? I mean, does she still look the same? Gosh, I know this is a stupid question—"

"Yeah, she's doing great," Wonwoo reassured him, sensing Mingyu's relief on the other end of the line.

"She's improving, Mingyu," Wonwoo answered, understanding Mingyu's concern.

"She looks thinner, but her health is improving. She cut her hair. It falls easily after a month of chemo," Wonwoo informed Mingyu, his voice gentle yet tinged with concern.

Mingyu's response was subdued, his words trailing off as if lost in thought. "So, you know..."

"Yes," Wonwoo replied softly, choosing not to divulge the full extent of your recent struggles, not wanting to burden Mingyu further.

"Thanks... Please take care of her for me," Mingyu requested, his tone heavy with a mix of gratitude and resignation.

"Why don't you come here and do it yourself if you really care about her?" Wonwoo wondered, unable to suppress the hint of reproach in his voice.

"I... I don't deserve her," Mingyu confessed, his admission laden with regret and self-doubt.

"What do you mean?" Wonwoo's eyebrows furrowed in surprise, puzzled by Mingyu's sudden self-deprecation.

"Hyung..." Mingyu's voice cracked, and to Wonwoo's shock, he could hear the sound of Mingyu sobbing through the phone, his heart sinking at the raw emotion in Mingyu's voice.

"Hey, don't cry... Are you at the office? Home?" Wonwoo asked, concern flooding his tone as he worried about Mingyu breaking down in public. The revelation of Mingyu's vulnerability added another layer to their conversation, deepening Wonwoo's sense of responsibility towards both Mingyu and you.

"Home, I took the day off," Mingyu admitted.

Wonwoo sighed heavily, his heart aching as he realized the depth of Mingyu's inner turmoil. He knew all too well that Mingyu rarely took days off, throwing himself tirelessly into work as a way to distract himself from the pain of loding Qp your unborn child.

"I just don't deserve her. I'm an asshole! So please... Take care of her for me," Mingyu pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion.

Wonwoo shook his head in disbelief, struggling to comprehend Mingyu's self-condemnation. "Mingyu..."

"She did indeed have a miscarriage. She kept our baby, but she miscarried because of cervical cancer," Mingyu revealed, his words weighted with sorrow and regret.

Wonwoo's eyes widened in shock at Mingyu's revelation, his mind struggling to process the gravity of the situation. "What?"

"I was about to cancel the divorce request, but she insisted." Mingyu confessed, his voice heavy with guilt and remorse.

As the truth sank in, Wonwoo felt a surge of empathy for both Mingyu and you, realizing the complexity of the emotions swirling beneath the surface. The weight of Mingyu's confession added another layer of complexity to their friendship, leaving Wonwoo grappling with the tangled web of love, loss, and regret that bound them all together.

Wonwoo closed his eyes, his hand unconsciously going to his heart, feeling a sharp pain in his chest as if something inside him was being torn apart by Mingyu's confession. The weight of Mingyu's words hung heavily in the air, suffocating Wonwoo with a mixture of sorrow and disbelief.

"I'm sorry I told you this. I couldn't think straight after the divorce. I can't stop thinking about how much I hurted her," Mingyu admitted, his voice laden with remorse.

Wonwoo didn't say a word. He couldn't find the right words to express the turmoil raging inside him. With a heavy heart, he ended the call, tears streaming down his cheeks unchecked. His chest felt like it was being crushed under the weight of Mingyu's confession, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

As he sat alone in the silence that followed, Wonwoo couldn't shake the feeling of overwhelming sadness that engulfed him. He had thought you didn't deserve Mingyu, but now he realized that it was Mingyu who didn't deserve you. The depth of your love and the pain you had endured only served to highlight your strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Wonwoo couldn't help but feel a profound sense of admiration for you, realizing that you deserved nothing less than the world.

*

Seungcheol introduced a woman he brought to Wonwoo's birthday as his new secretary before Wonwoo could jump to any assumptions about her relationship with Seungcheol. Having just broken up with Nari before she went abroad to continue her studies, Seungcheol was keen on avoiding any misunderstandings. So, when Wonwoo saw a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Nari accompanying Seungcheol, he almost blurted out, "You have a type, hyung."

"This is Jeon Wonwoo, a friend of mine," Seungcheol introduced Wonwoo to you, offering his hand for a shake.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jeon," you said, your voice resembling Nari's, causing Wonwoo's eyes to widen as he shot a glance at Seungcheol.

Seungcheol then left you to enjoy the party while he engaged in conversation with Wonwoo. "How did you find her?" Wonwoo inquired.

"She applied. She used to be an intern at JIS Corp," Seungcheol replied, knowing that Wonwoo's mother had connections to JIS.

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow. "Did she graduate from JIS as well?"

"I can't recall, but she did attend JIS Senior High School. She's a Seoul University graduate, though," Seungcheol recalled.

Wonwoo chuckled. "You've found yourself quite a catch, hyung."

Seungcheol nodded in agreement. "She's exceptional, and it's only her first month."

As Wonwoo scanned the room, his eyes sought out your figure once more. He observed you engaging in conversation with an older guest, wearing a smile that seemed all too familiar. Suddenly, a face from his high school days flashed in his mind—his long-time crush.

Wonwoo never knew her name; she was just a girl he had noticed during his final year of high school, the year he was preparing to apply for college. In truth, Wonwoo had never spoken to her, never heard her voice. It was simply her beauty that captivated him, locking his gaze onto her whenever she came into view.

She was a quiet girl, content to smile and nod in the company of her friends. Wonwoo's first real interaction with her occurred during a volunteering event at the Foster Home. There, he saw her engrossed in a book, surrounded by children hanging onto her every word. Her pretty eyes sparkled with each motion she made while reading to them, and in that moment, Wonwoo couldn't help but fall for her.

He wished love were that easy, that it wouldn't be as complicated as his parents' strained relationship, held together by financial ties. He wished it wouldn't be as tangled as Mingyu's feelings for Nari, who loved Seungcheol instead. He longed for love to be as effortless as breathing, as simple as yawning.

Yet, as he grew older, Wonwoo watched those around him experience divorce, breakups, and constant quarrels. He began to lose hope, yearning for nothing more than peace. All he wanted was tranquility amidst the chaos of love's complexities.

*

Mingyu often sought Wonwoo's counsel regarding your rights within your former father's company, a topic that shed light on your background. Wonwoo was surprised to learn that your father was Ji Sunggi, the former president and founder of JIS Corp. Despite the shock, Wonwoo couldn't deny a sense of expectation; your association with such a prominent figure hinted at a background far from ordinary.

At another one of his birthday parties, doubling as the launch for his label JW Entertainment, Seungcheol brought you as his plus one. After years of dedicated service as Seungcheol's secretary, Wonwoo witnessed your brilliance firsthand as you seamlessly assisted Seungcheol throughout the event. With your quick and comprehensive briefings, you ensured that Seungcheol was always well-informed, making him the center of attention and admiration.

From his vantage point, Wonwoo observed you gracefully mingling with the other guests, your presence exuding a natural elegance that could rival even the most seasoned conglomerates. However, amidst your confident demeanor, Wonwoo couldn't help but notice moments of discomfort, subtle signs betraying a vulnerability beneath the facade of confidence.

As he watched you navigate the social landscape with poise and tact, Wonwoo couldn't shake the feeling of admiration that stirred within him. Despite any insecurities you may have harbored, your ability to shine in the spotlight was undeniable, leaving Wonwoo marveling at the depth of your talent and resilience.

As Wonwoo exited the restroom, he inadvertently overheard two women engaged in a hushed conversation about Mingyu and another person, presumably you. Their expressions were tense, and their whispers carried hints of disdain and resentment.

"How could she talk to us like that?!"

"She thinks she's better than us?"

Wonwoo, with a soft smile on his face, politely approached the two women. "Good evening, ladies..."

Startled by the unexpected presence of the party's host, the two women grew flustered, their demeanor shifting uncomfortably under Wonwoo's gaze.

"I'm so sorry for disturbing, but the person that you're talking about," Wonwoo motioned towards Mingyu and you, "are my friends. So I would appreciate it if you refrained from discussing them in such a manner."

The women scowled, clearly displeased by Wonwoo's intervention.

"Who is she?" one of them dared to ask, emboldened by Wonwoo's calm demeanor.

Wonwoo let out a soft chuckle, his hands slipping into his pockets as he considered his response. "She's related to Choi Seungcheol from Choi Corp. Didn't you receive an invitation as a plus one from their company?"

With that, Wonwoo left the women behind, his steps quick as he made his way towards you. However, before he could reach you, he noticed Mingyu approaching, his hand reaching out to pull you closer to him from Lee Jaewook. The intimate gesture caught Wonwoo's attention, sparking a flicker of concern in his mind.

Did he just see Mingyu pull you into his embrace?

Wonwoo sighed, a mix of disappointment and apprehension clouding his thoughts. Whatever intentions Mingyu harbored towards you, Wonwoo couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of his stomach.

*

As Wonwoo glanced around the room, his eyes fell upon a picture hanging on the wall, drawing his attention with a sudden pang of curiosity.

"Who's this?" he asked, pointing to the photograph.

You turned towards him, your movements graceful as you approached, a soft smile playing on your lips. "That's me and my high school friends," you replied, your voice a gentle melody that seemed to stir something within Wonwoo.

"Which one is you?" Wonwoo inquired, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned in, his heart racing with anticipation.

Your finger delicately landed on a girl with a ponytail, her smile radiant as she was hugged by a friend. Wonwoo's breath caught in his throat as he turned to look at you, seeing a resemblance between the girl in the photograph and the person standing before him.

A sudden realization washed over Wonwoo, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly. You tilted your head in confusion, unable to comprehend the amusement dancing in Wonwoo's eyes. Little did you know, Wonwoo had just uncovered the reason behind his inexplicable attraction to you since the moment you first crossed paths. In you, he saw echoes of his first love, a connection that had been unknowingly tugging at his heartstrings all along. It was you after all.

"Let's go, I'm ready," you said, flashing a bright smile at Wonwoo, who couldn't help but admire the resilience and courage shining in your eyes. It had been your wish to have your picture taken before losing all your hair due to chemotherapy, and Wonwoo was more than willing to accompany you, grateful for the opportunity to spend time together outside of their usual routine.

As Wonwoo watched you pose for the photographer, his smile grew wider, his heart swelling with admiration for your strength and positivity in the face of adversity. He couldn't resist capturing the moment himself, pulling out his phone to snap a picture of you, a small gesture of appreciation for the beauty he saw in you.

Unexpectedly, the photographer suggested taking a picture together, catching Wonwoo off guard. It wasn't part of the plan, but when you nodded and motioned for him to join you, Wonwoo couldn't bring himself to refuse. There was a spark in your eyes and a genuine warmth in your smile that melted his defenses, reminding him of the feelings he harbored for you since high school.

As the photographer snapped a few shots of the two of you together, Wonwoo couldn't shake the surreal feeling of standing beside his long-time crush, realizing just how much you meant to him.

After the photoshoot, as you approached to review the results, Wonwoo stepped aside, feeling a pang of sadness tugging at his heart when you joked about wanting a good memorial picture. The weight of your words hung heavy in the air, reminding Wonwoo of the fragility of life and the preciousness of every moment spent with you.

Wonwoo and you stopped at a cozy coffee shop before heading home. You sipped your hot coffee while gazing out the window, lost in thought. Wonwoo watched you intently, noticing how you seemed to grow thinner day by day.

"How's the treatment going?" Wonwoo asked gently, breaking the silence and for the first time broaching the subject of your cancer treatment.

You put down your cup, a faint smile playing on your lips. "It’s just started. The doctor said I might start losing a lot of hair after the next chemo session. She suggested I cut it shorter to make it easier."

Wonwoo nodded, his eyes never leaving yours. "It’s just started?" he repeated softly, trying to gauge how you were truly feeling.

"Yes," you replied, your voice tinged with a mix of resignation and courage. "The hurting phase is about to happen." You smiled bitterly, your eyes drifting away from his to the pedestrians passing by outside. The vibrant life beyond the window contrasted sharply with the quiet battle you faced, making Wonwoo's heart ache for you.

Wonwoo bit his lips, lowering his head as he gathered his thoughts. "You shouldn't pass away," he murmured, his voice filled with emotion.

You turned to him, puzzled. "What?"

Wonwoo sighed deeply. "I heard your conversation with the photographer earlier. You should live for a long time," he said softly but with conviction. "A lot of people care about you. Seungcheol hyung, Nari, Mingyu... I care about you too. So, please, don’t give up."

A soft chuckle escaped your lips. "Wonwoo, if I had given up, I wouldn't be here," you joked lightly. "Getting treated was my decision. When Mingyu asked for a divorce, I realized the only person I could rely on was myself. That's why I'm working hard to get healthy again."

You paused for a moment, the weight of your thoughts heavy on your mind. "But," you continued, your voice trembling slightly, "I don't know, Wonwoo. I might die tomorrow."

Your gaze dropped to your fingers resting on your lap, tracing the lines absentmindedly. "I just want to spend my life doing the things I want," you said softly.

Wonwoo cleared his throat and immediately straightened his posture. "What do you want? Let's do it," he declared with enthusiasm, prompting a soft laugh from you.

"I want a baby," you said, your eyes twinkling mischievously.

Wonwoo blinked, taken aback. "I can't help with that one," he responded, stepping back slightly and giving you a startled look.

You laughed at his reaction, shaking your head. "Adopting. I was thinking about adopting a child."

Wonwoo sighed in relief, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "That sounds great. But are you sure though? I mean, with all the treatment and... taking care of a child..."

You blew out a breath, nodding thoughtfully. "Right, I didn’t think about that."

"Actually," Wonwoo began, his tone shifting to a more hopeful note, "my mother has been fundraising for a foster home in Seoul. We could pay them a visit if you want." He pulled out his phone, scrolling to find the pictures, and showed you an image of the foster home he was referring to.

Your eyes lit up as you looked at the photos. "That sounds wonderful, Wonwoo. I’d love to visit."

Wonwoo’s heart warmed at your response. "Great! We can plan a trip soon. It’ll be a nice break for both of us," he said, already thinking about how to make the visit special for you.

However, he noticed the color of your face change. He raised his brows, questioning your condition just in case you felt under the weather. He had mentioned that you should wear something warmer.

"Are you okay though? I saw the news," you asked him carefully, bringing up Wonwoo's situation that had brought him to Ottawa in the first place. Where media has been focused to Wonwoo since he left Seoul.

Wonwoo nodded in acknowledgement. "You saw it," he mumbled. "You might have heard about my parents. They're pretty particular about everything, including my love life. They kind of crossed the line," he explained in a subtle manner, not wanting to overshare his sudden engagement announcement that made by his parent months ago.

You could sense the weight of his words, the tension behind his calm exterior. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be tough dealing with so much pressure from family."

He sighed softly, appreciating your empathy. "It is, but it's something I've gotten used to. Still, it helps to have someone who understands."

There was a silence from you before you stated, "It's better than having no family at all, right?" You pointed to yourself, eliciting a smile from Wonwoo.

Wonwoo knew about your family situation. He knew how you were adopted, how you lost your father, and how your stepmother had abandoned you.

He nodded thoughtfully, the smile lingering on his face. "You're right," he said softly. "I guess we both have our own struggles with family, just in different ways."

You gave him a small, understanding smile. "Yeah, but it makes us who we are. Stronger, I suppose."

Wonwoo's eyes softened. "Exactly. And it's good to have friends who get it."

Then Wonwoo raised an eyebrow. "Are we friends, though?" he asked playfully.

You rolled your eyes and dramatically gasped, placing your hand on your chest. "I can't believe what you've just said. You're paying!" You motioned to the coffee and desserts on the table.

Wonwoo smiled widely and stood up. "Alright, alright." He grabbed his wallet and walked to the cashier. As he did, he felt a sense of relief and happiness wash over him, knowing you were a true friend now—not just a crush like it used to be.

*

In two weeks, both you and Wonwoo flew to Seoul with a clear decision to visit the foster home Wonwoo had mentioned. Your decision to adopt a child had been wavering, but you knew you were mentally ready, and Wonwoo had been an incredible support system for you. Wonwoo mentioned that Mingyu missed you and wanted to meet, but you decided to visit your mother first after going to the foster home.

Upon arrival, Wonwoo greeted everyone warmly and politely. The staff remembered him fondly, mentioning that he often visited the foster home from high school through college. It was heartwarming to see how much he was loved and respected there.

"Why?" you asked him, wanting to know the reason.

Wonwoo shrugged, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips. "I had good memories visiting here when I was a kid. I remember always thinking it was fun to play with the kids," he explained, before running off to join a group of children, his laughter blending with theirs.

Walking through the halls of the foster home, you could feel a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. The children's laughter echoed through the building, filling it with a sense of hope and innocence. You exchanged a glance with Wonwoo, who squeezed your hand reassuringly, reminding you that you were not alone in this journey.

As you met the children, your heart swelled with emotion. Their bright eyes and genuine smiles touched you deeply, and you felt a connection you hadn't expected. The idea of adopting one of these wonderful children began to feel less daunting and more like a calling.

"Do you remember how you were as a kid?" Wonwoo asked as the two of you waited for the director.

You thought for a moment. "I don't really remember much, but I think I was pretty cheerful. My father used to say he loved hearing my cheerful voice whenever he came home from work."

Wonwoo chuckled, his eyes softening. "I can tell. You do have that cheerful side sometimes," he retorted, and you raised your brows in confusion.

"Really? When?" you asked, genuinely curious.

However, Wonwoo didn't pay attention to your curiosity, as his focus shifted to an elderly woman, seemingly in her 70s, approaching both of you.

"Long time no see, ma'am," Wonwoo said, bowing politely to the director of the foster home.

"This is Ji Y/N. She's from Canada and has been wanting to visit here," Wonwoo introduced you to the director.

You smiled and bowed at the director, but what you gained from her was something unexpected.

"Y/N? Is it really you?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise and recognition.

You blinked, taken aback. "Have we met before?" Your eyes shifted to Wonwoo, silently asking for help. However, Wonwoo looked as clueless as you felt.

The director, named Kim Jaewha, approached you, holding your arms with eyes that showed disbelief. "Are you really Y/N? The girl who was adopted by the Ji family?"

Wonwoo's eyes widened at the revelation, questions flying through his mind. "Were you raised here?" he asked, his voice tinged with shock.

Ms. Kim's eyes softened as she continued, "Do you remember me? I'm Ms. Kim, your nanny!"

You shook your head, struggling to recall any memories from before you were adopted. "I barely remember anything from that time," you admitted.

Ms. Kim's expression grew tender. "You were so young when you left. It's understandable that you don't remember much."

A flood of mixed emotions washed over you—surprise, confusion, and an unexpected sense of connection. You glanced at Wonwoo, who offered a supportive smile.

"How's your mother?"

*

Wonwoo had insisted on driving you to your mother's house, but you preferred to take a cab. It had been an emotional roller coaster earlier, and you didn't want to burden him any further with your tears and disappointment. Not toward your stepmother, but your real mother.

Kim Jaewha, who used to be your nanny, had dropped a bombshell that you had never heard before, and you were ready to confront your mother about it. All the revelations from the two-hour visit to the foster home had brought back the childhood memories you had lost due to a car accident.

On your way to your mother's house, the cab driver occasionally glanced at you through the rearview mirror as you sobbed in the back seat. You stepped out of the car and immediately walked up to the house.

"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Ji has requested no guests today," the maid said firmly.

You sighed, trying to steady your voice. "I'm no guest. I'm her daughter."

A quarrel ensued between you and the maid, your raised voices echoing through the hallway. The commotion caused your mother to step out, her expression stern as she took in the chaos.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I warned her about no guests today," the maid apologized, bowing deeply.

Your mother ordered her to leave with a sharp glance. As she approached you, her eyes scanned you from head to toe, a mixture of curiosity and irritation on her face..

"It's been half a year since your divorce, and only now do you decide to visit me?" your mother said, her tone laced with the usual disdain, as if your presence disgusted her.

You gulped, trying to steady yourself. "It's not your business," you replied, hearing her laugh—a cold, hollow sound.

"It is my business because your ex-husband, Mr. Kim, got involved in my business to secure your rights in the company," your mother retorted. She walked to her desk, grabbing the phone to call her secretary. "I need Mr. Yang for Y/N's rights administration. It's past the due date, so make sure he handles everything."

You looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "Your ex-husband saved my business on the condition that I grant you your rights after a year."

You blinked, processing this information. You thought it was supposed to be two years. What had Mingyu done behind your back?

"He was an amazing man. I don't understand why you two divorced," your mother mumbled.

"Anyway... I heard about your condition," she said, sitting on the couch and watching you from three meters away.

"Which condition?" you asked, your tone more defiant than you felt. She seemed surprised by your courage to talk back, but you noticed her face almost softened as she observed your changed appearance.

"Your health," she said after clearing her throat..

You took a deep breath before deciding to sit in front of her. "I also heard something about your condition," you started. "That you abandoned me at the foster home."

Your mother’s eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing.

"Was that why you tried to kill me after finding out the girl your husband had adopted is the daughter you had abandoned?" you asked, finally letting out the revelation you had just discovered.

You watched her tense up at your confession. "I always disgust you, right?" you asked, your voice trembling.

"As a woman, I pity you," you continued, your tone steady but filled with emotion. "Having to raise a daughter that you got from a man you couldn't marry before you abandoned her. Fate is so mean to you."

You paused, swallowing the lump in your throat. "However, as a child... I hate that you had to ruin mine just because yours was ruined."

You stood up from your seat. "I refuse the rights," you declared firmly.

"Let's not meet each other after this. Let's act like strangers, like you always wanted. Let's act like we have died to each other," you said, your voice breaking slightly as you turned and walked out of the house.

As you stepped outside, the weight of your words hung heavily in the air. The confrontation, painful and necessary, marked the end of a chapter that had caused you so much pain. You felt a strange sense of liberation, knowing that you had finally stood up for yourself and set the boundaries you needed.

Tears streamed down your cheeks as you walked towards the gate. You saw your mother's figure standing at the door, her eyes filled with a mix of regret and resignation. She had started to chase after you but stopped, knowing it was too late. She had abandoned you long ago. Letting you go now wouldn't be difficult for her.

As you neared the gate, you spotted a familiar car parked by the side of the road. Wonwoo stepped out and immediately came to you, his eyes widening in concern when he saw you crying. He knew he should have been there to support you from the beginning.

He walked to you slowly, his eyes softening as he took in your condition. You looked into his eyes before leaning into his embrace, finally letting yourself cry harder on his chest.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you," Wonwoo whispered, his voice filled with empathy and regret. "I'm so sorry..."

His arms tightened around you, providing the comfort and support you so desperately needed. In his embrace, you found a moment of solace, knowing that despite the pain and revelations, you weren't alone.

*

Wonwoo sat on one of the couches in Mingyu's office, guilt weighing heavily on his chest. Mingyu had greeted him excitedly earlier, offering him drinks and meals, and had even canceled his plans for the day to spend time with Wonwoo. Wonwoo felt restless; Mingyu shouldn’t be going out of his way like this.

"How are you? Is Ottawa nice?" Mingyu asked, his tone warm and curious.

Wonwoo nodded casually. "The lifestyle there fits mine. No difficulty in adapting," he explained simply, and Mingyu nodded in acknowledgment.

There was a pregnant pause before Mingyu asked about your condition. "She's fine, right?"

Wonwoo raised his brows and immediately nodded. "Yes, she's great. She visited her mother yesterday. She said she's going to meet Seungcheol hyung and Nari today."

Mingyu smiled weakly. "How's her treatment? Has she ever shared anything about that?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Wonwoo sighed. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" he suggested, but Mingyu took a deep breath and shook his head.

"I told you, hyung. I couldn't face her after what I found out," Mingyu explained, referring to the miscarriage you had suffered while married to him. "I miss her, though."

Wonwoo's mind wandered to your confession about knowing Mingyu's feelings for Nari, Seungcheol's wife and Mingyu's first love. How much guilt would Mingyu bear if Wonwoo revealed that fact?

"Trust me, she's doing great. Treatment, life—she's even taking a writing course," Wonwoo informed Mingyu, which lifted a slight smile on Mingyu's lips.

"She always loved writing," Mingyu murmured, his eyes distant as he thought about the past.

Wonwoo watched Mingyu, feeling the weight of unspoken truths between them. He wished he could ease Mingyu's guilt, but he knew that some wounds had to be dealt with in their own time. "She really is doing well," he reassured softly, hoping it would bring Mingyu some peace.

Mingyu nodded, but the sadness in his eyes remained. "Thanks, hyung. It means a lot to hear that from you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Wonwoo watched the younger man, a mix of emotions swirling within him. "You loved her, didn't you?" he asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.

Mingyu chuckled softly. "Of course, I married her because I loved her."

Wonwoo leaned closer, searching Mingyu's eyes. "Did she know it?" he asked.

Mingyu nodded. "I told her every day. That I loved her."

Wonwoo took a deep breath, his mind replaying your confession about knowing Mingyu's feelings for another woman. His head spun with the complexity of the situation. "She's really like Nari, isn't she?" Mingyu asked, his voice tinged with wistfulness.

Wonwoo could only nod in response, feeling the weight of the comparison. While Mingyu always thought that you resembled Nari, Wonwoo couldn’t see it that way. When he saw Nari in the past, she reminded him of his first love, the girl with the ponytail from high school—who turned out to be you. But when he looked at you, he saw no trace of Nari.

Was Mingyu experiencing the same confusion? Was it right to compare?

Wonwoo couldn't answer that. The lines between past and present, love and memory, were too blurred. He sighed deeply, feeling the burden of secrets and unresolved feelings between them. "It's complicated," he finally said, his voice heavy with meaning.

When you were still married to Mingyu, Wonwoo couldn't shake the jealousy that simmered in his chest at the thought of Mingyu being the one to have you. Your graceful movements, your soft-spoken tone, the beauty that radiated from your face—it all stirred a tumultuous mix of emotions within him.

Wonwoo could only watch you from afar whenever you attended events with Mingyu. His heart broke when he caught sight of the baby bump under Mingyu's hand as he walked you around, introducing you to his friends.

He couldn't explain the depth of his worry when he saw you running around in heels while pregnant during his visit for Seungcheol's wedding preparation. He remembered calling Seungcheol, pleading for him to involve you less, knowing the strain it could put on your health.

"I was surprised to hear you were the one who asked, not Mingyu," Seungcheol had remarked.

Wonwoo chuckled at Seungcheol's words. If only he knew the truth. "Mingyu asked me to ask you. Do you think he would have the guts to ask himself?" Wonwoo had replied, trying to be diplomatic.

If Mingyu weren't his best friend, Wonwoo would have been tempted to confront him when he visited to discuss your rights at your father's company. He had seen the baby items being moved from Mingyu's house, followed by your tearful attempts to stop them. It was then that Mingyu had confessed about your abortion plan.

"So your feelings are the only ones that are valid?" Wonwoo froze when he overheard your conversation with Mingyu that night. He knew he should let Mingyu know he was there, but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt.

"You don't know the kind of sorrow I've been hiding until they turned into anger," he heard you say to Mingyu, your voice rising for the first time.

Feeling like an intruder, Wonwoo discreetly retreated, watching as you stormed out of Mingyu's office. He heard you speak to one of the staff, requesting to have your bed prepared separately from Mingyu's.

As he stood there, grappling with the weight of the emotions he had witnessed, Wonwoo couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness towards you. He knew that despite the complexities of your relationship with Mingyu, he would always be there to support you, even if it meant standing silently in the shadows.

Wonwoo sighed heavily, the weight of his unspoken feelings pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. He loved you so much that it hurt him to see you suffer, especially while Mingyu lived his life seemingly unaffected.

"If Seungcheol hyung and Nari suddenly separated, would you marry her?" Wonwoo asked Mingyu, the question seemingly coming out of nowhere.

Mingyu frowned, taken aback by the unexpected inquiry. "Don't talk like that," he warned, but Wonwoo persisted, assuring him it was just a hypothetical scenario.

"If Seungcheol hyung and Nari, for whatever reason, had to separate, would you ask to marry Nari?" Wonwoo pressed again.

After a few moments of contemplation, Mingyu nodded with determination. "I'll marry her," he affirmed.

Wonwoo nodded in acknowledgment, his mind swirling with questions. 'If I marry Y/n, will it be okay?' The thought lingered in his mind, unspoken yet ever-present.

Unable to contain his impulsivity any longer, Wonwoo blurted out, "Can I take care of Y/n?"

Mingyu's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden request. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to comprehend Wonwoo's intentions.

Wonwoo swallowed nervously, feeling exposed and vulnerable. "I mean... things didn't work out between you and Y/n... I want to be there for her. I want to take care of her," he explained, his voice filled with sincerity and longing.

Mingyu studied him for a moment, sensing the depth of his emotions. "Are you sure about this, hyung?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

Wonwoo nodded, his heart pounding with determination. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life," he confessed.

As the weight of his confession settled between them, Wonwoo braced himself for Mingyu's response, hoping against hope that he would understand and support his decision.

*

After marrying Mingyu, you never purchased a house or an apartment. So, Wonwoo generously offered you a room in his penthouse while you were staying in Seoul. To ensure your comfort, he even gave his staff time off so you wouldn't feel uneasy about your presence, especially when you were in the kitchen preparing a meal for dinner tonight.

As you were setting the table, the sound of someone stepping into the penthouse caught your attention. Assuming it was Wonwoo, you softly called out, "Dinner's ready," while meticulously arranging the silverware. However, when you looked up, your heart skipped a beat. It wasn't Wonwoo standing there, but his mother.

You froze and almost dropped the pot in your hands. Wonwoo's mother looked as surprised as you. Her eyes widened, and her steps halted as she saw a familiar woman wandering around her son's house.

"You! You're Mingyu's ex-wife, aren't you?" Mrs. Jeon exclaimed, her finger pointing directly at you. The rings on her finger sparkled under the chandelier's light, and her clothes exuded an air of wealth and sophistication. Her presence made you feel small and vulnerable.

"Yes," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. You bowed your head respectfully, hoping to convey deference to the older woman.

A tense silence filled the room as you stood there, feeling the weight of her gaze. The memories of your past with Mingyu and the uncertainty of your current situation with Wonwoo surged within you. You could sense Mrs. Jeon's scrutiny, as if she were measuring every aspect of your being.

You watched her face closely, unable to discern whether it was disgust or confusion that twisted her features. Perhaps it was a mix of both.

"What are you doing in my son's house?!" Her voice was loud, startling you. Before you could respond, the sound of the elevator arriving filled the room. Moments later, Wonwoo appeared, breathless as he approached both you and his mother in the kitchen.

"Mother, I told you not to visit," Wonwoo exclaimed, quickly moving to pull his mother away.

She shrugged off his hand and chuckled bitterly. "What is this woman doing in your house? She's your friend's ex-wife."

Her voice faded as Wonwoo forcefully guided her towards the living room, their words growing muffled with distance.

Left alone in the kitchen, you felt a wave of emotions crash over you—embarrassment, confusion, and a tinge of sadness. The warmth of the meal you had prepared seemed to dissipate, replaced by a cold knot of uncertainty in your stomach. You sank into a chair, trying to process what had just happened, wondering if your presence here was more of a burden than a gesture of kindness.

The muffled argument between Wonwoo and his mother continued in the living room, the tension palpable even from the kitchen. After what felt like an eternity, you heard the front door open and then close with a decisive thud. The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating.

Wonwoo returned to the kitchen, his expression a mix of frustration and remorse. "I'm so sorry about that," he said, his voice laden with sincerity. "I didn't expect her to show up unannounced."

You looked up at him, trying to muster a reassuring smile despite the turmoil inside you. "It's alright, Wonwoo. You don't have to apologize for your mother."

"But I do," he insisted, taking a seat across from you. "I never wanted you to feel uncomfortable here. This was supposed to be a safe space for you."

You sighed, glancing at the meal you had prepared, now feeling like a symbol of the awkward situation you had inadvertently caused. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, Wonwoo. But I can't help feeling that my presence here is only causing trouble for you."

Wonwoo shook his head, his eyes earnest. "You're not a burden. You've been through a lot, and you deserve a place where you can feel at ease. My mother's reaction was out of line, and I'll make sure she understands that."

You appreciated his words, but doubt still lingered in your mind. "I don't want to come between you and your family. Maybe it’s better if I find somewhere else to stay."

Wonwoo reached across the table, gently placing his hand over yours. "Don't make any decisions based on one uncomfortable encounter. Please, stay. Let me handle my family. You have a place here for as long as you need it."

You looked down at his hand resting on yours, feeling a comforting warmth that you hadn’t felt in a long time. Slowly, you pulled your hand back, your heart heavy with a mix of gratitude and hesitation.

"I appreciate your kindness, Wonwoo," you said softly, avoiding his gaze. "But I'm not ready for this. I've just faced a divorce, and I'm still dealing with my treatment. Everything feels so overwhelming right now."

Wonwoo nodded, understanding flickering in his eyes. "I get it. You’ve been through so much. I just want you to know that you don’t have to go through it alone."

You gave him a small, appreciative smile. "Your presence has been a spark of hope for me, but I need time to heal and to figure things out for myself. I don't want to lean on you too much or become a source of conflict in your life."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You’re not a conflict. You’re a friend who needs support, and I'm here to offer it. But I respect your feelings and your need for space."

The sincerity in his voice was undeniable, and it touched you deeply. "Thank you, Wonwoo. For everything. I’ll stay, but I need to take things one day at a time."

He nodded again, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "That's all I ask. We'll take it one day at a time, together."

"Now," Wonwoo said, glancing at the table, "let's not let this dinner go to waste. It smells too good to ignore."

You chuckled softly, feeling a bit more at ease. "Alright, let's eat."

As you both sat down to share the meal, the conversation flowed more naturally, the earlier discomfort slowly fading into the background.

*

Mingyu’s secretary almost tripped over himself when he saw you walking toward his desk that afternoon. The last time he had seen you was almost half a year ago, when you and Mingyu were officially divorced, and he had assisted with the administration alongside Mingyu's lawyer. You didn’t appear as vibrant as you used to, but he didn’t want to speculate on the reasons. Not that his boss looked any better; he often thought about how you two had seemed so happily married.

"Good afternoon," he began hesitantly, "Ms. Ji."

You smiled faintly and asked if Mingyu was available. Unfortunately, he was in a meeting with the directors that would take another hour to finish. You told him you would wait, and he offered you a drink or snack, which you politely refused. He escorted you to Mingyu's office and left you alone, immediately running to the meeting room to inform his boss that his ex-wife was here.

Mingyu abruptly concluded the meeting upon hearing the news. He stood up and walked quickly to his office, not bothering to knock before stepping in unannounced, startling you.

He observed you in silence for a moment, his expression a mix of surprise and concern. After a deep sigh, he bit his lip, seeing you standing a couple of meters away from him.

"Please, sit," he said, his voice strained.

You chuckled softly, the sound tinged with a hint of nostalgia and sadness. "Don't speak to me as if I'm your client or something," you joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Mingyu managed a small smile, though his eyes betrayed the turmoil inside him. "Old habits," he said, gesturing to the chair. "What brings you here?"

You took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past months pressing down on you. "I needed to talk to you, Mingyu. There are things we never resolved, and... I need closure."

He nodded, taking a seat across from you, his demeanor shifting to one of earnest attention. "I understand. I've been thinking about our last conversation too."

For a moment, the office seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of you and the unspoken words that had lingered since your divorce. You felt a lump in your throat but pushed through, determined to find some semblance of peace.

"I’ve been struggling, Mingyu," you confessed, your voice trembling. "Not just with the divorce, but with my health. I’m still undergoing cancer treatment, and it’s been... difficult."

Mingyu's expression softened, his eyes filling with regret and concern. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I wish I had known sooner."

You shook your head, tears threatening to spill. "It's not your fault. I just... I needed to tell you. To clear the air between us."

He reached out, his hand hovering uncertainly before finally resting on the table between you. "I'm here now. Whatever you need to say, I'm listening."

"I'm refusing my rights to my father's company," you confessed.

"Why? We fought so hard for that," Mingyu said, disbelief evident in his voice. Refusing your rights?

You nodded. "It's complicated. I want to say thank you for everything you did. You fought for me, but I took it for granted by refusing it. So, I'm sorry."

Mingyu was silent, deep in thought, before finally speaking. "There's nothing to apologize for. I believe you have your reasons. But what about your future? Is the divorce allowance enough for living abroad and for your treatment?" His concern was evident as he tried to be realistic.

You sighed. "That's also what I wanted to discuss. I don't think I can take it, Mingyu. It's too much for me, and there's no need to provide for me... We don't have a child together." The last sentence hung heavy in the air, still breaking your heart every time you thought about it.

Mingyu shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. "No, you deserve it. It was written in our prenup that I'm going to provide for you until you find someone else."

"I won't stop the allowance," he continued, his voice firm yet considerate. "But if you're overwhelmed by the amount, I'll decrease it."

His consideration touched you deeply. "Thank you, Mingyu. I appreciate your understanding."

"Y/n," Mingyu called your name softly. "I've been thinking about the reason why you insisted on divorcing, even after I wanted to cancel it." He let out his thoughts, gulping as he faced the harsh reality.

He cleared his throat, recalling a conversation he had with Wonwoo the other day. Nari... you... Mingyu couldn't shake the feeling that you knew about his feelings for Nari. It was obvious, Wonwoo had said. But deep in his heart, Mingyu wanted to deny it. He was certain his feelings for you were sincere. However, he couldn’t escape the thought that you would always remind him of Nari, his first love.

"You..." Mingyu hesitated, "you knew about my feelings for Nari, didn't you?" He guessed, but you remained silent.

Mingyu felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. He prayed you had no idea, hoping it would ease his conscience. But then you smiled—a bittersweet smile that told him everything.

"I couldn't act like I didn't know, Mingyu," you finally said.

"I'm sorry, Y/n."

"Don't be..."

"No, I’m so sorry that you had to think our relationship wasn't worth fighting for because I loved someone else."

You smiled bitterly and said, "You always loved her." Your words broke Mingyu's heart.

"You deserve someone better, Y/n," he whispered, his voice filled with regret.

"I know," you replied, your voice steady despite the pain.

For a moment, the air between you was thick with unspoken emotions. Mingyu's regret and your quiet acceptance mingled in the silence. It was a painful truth, but acknowledging it brought a sense of closure.

"Thank you for your honesty," you said softly, breaking the silence. "It hurts, but it's something I needed to hear."

Mingyu nodded, his eyes filled with sadness. "I hope you find happiness, Y/n. Real, genuine happiness."

"And I hope you do too, Mingyu," you replied, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders. "We both deserve it."

As you turned to leave, there was a sense of finality in the air. This conversation had been long overdue, and while it was painful, it also brought a sense of release. Both of you could now move forward, carrying the lessons of the past but no longer burdened by it.

As you both stood up, there was a moment of shared understanding and mutual respect. It wasn't just about the financial arrangements or the company—it was about acknowledging the past, making amends, and moving forward with as much grace as possible.

Mingyu walked you to the door, his hand lingering on the handle for a moment. "Take care of yourself. And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

"I will. Thank you, Mingyu. For everything."

As you left his office, you felt a bittersweet mix of emotions, but also a sense of relief. The conversation had been difficult, but necessary. It was a step towards healing and a chance to look forward to the future with a bit more hope and strength.

*

You arrived at Wonwoo's place late at night, the streets of Seoul still bustling with life even in the darkness. Throughout the evening, you had roamed the city alone, visiting familiar spots from your past, meeting old colleagues, and reminiscing about the times you spent working with Seungcheol. Wonwoo was still awake when you arrived, sitting alone at the bar and sipping on what looked like wine, patiently waiting for you. You realized your phone had died, leaving him unable to reach you.

"Want to join?" he asked, gesturing to the glass in his hand. You shook your head, reminding him that you were on prescribed medication. "But I'll keep you company," you added, taking a seat beside him and undoing your coat and bag.

"Where have you been today? Seems like quite the journey," he remarked, noticing the bookstore bag you had placed on the counter.

"I met Mingyu," you replied quietly.

Wonwoo nodded in understanding. "How was the meeting?" he inquired, genuine curiosity in his voice.

You hesitated, searching for the right words. "It went well... But I wish I hadn't said anything stupid."

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow. "You? Say something stupid? That doesn't sound like you."

You chuckled at his remark. "I did say something unnecessary. But overall, I'm relieved the meeting went well. We found a closure that we both needed," you explained, recalling Mingyu's heartfelt wish for you.

'I hope you find happiness, Y/n. Real, genuine happiness.'

"That's great, then. I'm proud of you," Wonwoo said sincerely, reaching for a cranberry juice box on the counter and handing it to you. He motioned for you to cheer with him, and you chuckled, following his lead.

As you clinked your juice boxes together, a sense of gratitude washed over you. In Wonwoo's company, you found comfort and understanding, a reminder that even in the midst of uncertainty and closure, there were still moments of warmth and connection to cherish.

"How about you and your family? Is everything settled?" you asked him, genuine concern in your voice.

"It'll take time, I believe. But I'm patient enough to make sure that everything will be fine in the future. My family is important to me, but myself is my priority at the moment. So... I gotta prioritize my wants and my needs," Wonwoo replied, his tone tinged with a hint of resignation.

You smiled softly. "You're doing a good thing. I'm glad that I became your friend, Wonwoo."

"And I'm glad I became your friend too, Y/n," Wonwoo confessed, the alcohol in his system encouraging him to speak his mind. "It's better than lingering on the first love term."

You looked at him, confusion evident in your expression. "What's the first love term? Am I your first love?" you chuckled, not fully understanding his words.

Wonwoo nodded, a vulnerable smile playing on his lips. "Yes."

His admission hung in the air, a moment of raw honesty that caught you off guard. You felt a surge of emotions, a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and a hint of warmth at the thought that you had held such a significant place in Wonwoo's heart.

"I... I didn't know," you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper.

You met his gaze, seeing the sincerity and affection in his eyes. In that moment, the barriers between you seemed to melt away, leaving only the shared connection and understanding that had grown between you over time.

"When we were at the foster home, director Kim showed us your old stuff, right?" Wonwoo began, his voice soft with reminiscence. "There was a photo when my family visited for the first time, and I remembered having a bad day. But there was this little girl who came to me and asked what was going on. I ended up sharing my day with her—failing tests, parents nagging at me, getting bruised after falling from my bike. And she said she wished I could be happier that day."

You listened intently, feeling a sense of familiarity creeping in as Wonwoo's story unfolded.

"And the girl I met was you," Wonwoo continued, his smile warm yet tinged with sadness. "We met again on my last year at JIS Senior High School."

"You had just entered high school, and I was planning on studying at State. I had no chance to talk to you, but we met again at the foster home for volunteering. Do you remember?"

Your heart skipped a beat as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, realizing the significance of those chance encounters.

"Is that why you asked about my high school photo back at my house?" you asked him, the revelation sinking in.

Wonwoo nodded, his gaze earnest. "Even after Seungcheol hyung introduced you, I still liked you. If loving my best friend's wife is a sin, then I must be a sinner for a long time. But... I love you, Y/n... What should I do?"

His confession hung in the air, heavy with emotion and uncertainty. You felt a whirlwind of emotions—surprise, confusion, and a hint of warmth at the realization of Wonwoo's feelings.

Taking a moment to gather your thoughts, you reached out and gently placed a hand on his. "Wonwoo, I... I don't know what to say."

He looked at you with pleading eyes, his vulnerability laid bare. "I understand if you can't reciprocate my feelings. I just needed to tell you the truth."

You met his gaze, feeling a surge of compassion and understanding. "Thank you for being honest with me, Wonwoo. Give me some time to process everything."

Wonwoo nodded, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Of course. Take all the time you need."

As you sat together in silence, the weight of Wonwoo's confession lingered, but so did a sense of possibility—a chance for both of you to navigate the complexities of love and friendship with honesty and care.

**

Wonwoo was visibly stressed as he tried to get Sora to sit still and eat her lunch. You had stepped away for a brief break with Minseo just two hours ago, leaving Wonwoo to handle the lunchtime routine on his own. However, Sora, their spirited four-year-old daughter, seemed more interested in playing with the toy house Wonwoo had bought for her the night before than in eating her meal.

Four years ago, after you had completed your treatment, you and Wonwoo had made the decision to start dating and settle down together. It had been a tumultuous journey, marked by highs and lows, but through it all, you had remained steadfast in your commitment to each other. When the time came to expand your family, you both knew adoption was the right path for you. Wonwoo had eagerly embraced the role of husband and father, supporting you every step of the way.

Sora had come into your lives when she was just six months old, a bright light in the midst of uncertainty. As she approached her second birthday, you and Wonwoo had faced numerous challenges as parents, but your love for each other had only grown stronger. As a mother, you had made it your mission to give Sora the love and care you had longed for as a child, and in doing so, you had helped to heal Wonwoo's own inner child.

Watching Wonwoo spend time with Sora—playing, talking, tucking her into bed—had always brought tears of joy to your eyes. His unwavering love and devotion to both you and Sora had filled your heart with gratitude and pride. And whenever you found yourself overcome with emotion, Wonwoo was always there to wipe away your tears, his presence a constant source of comfort and reassurance.

On Sora's fourth birthday, she surprised you and Wonwoo by asking for a sibling, a request you hadn't anticipated. While you and Wonwoo had discussed the possibility of expanding your family, his response was unexpectedly cautious. He expressed contentment with just you and Sora, masking his deeper desires. You knew he longed for a child of his own, one with your eyes and smile, but he was too considerate to voice his true feelings.

Deep down, you shared his yearning for another child, but the prospect of pregnancy brought with it a sense of unease. The doctor had warned you of the risks, hinting at potential complications that made Wonwoo worry for your health.

Five months ago, your fears were realized when you collapsed while waiting to pick up Sora from daycare. It was a terrifying moment for Wonwoo, his concern palpable as he hovered over you in the hospital. Despite your reassurances, he couldn't shake the fear that something was seriously wrong.

Then came the unexpected news—the doctor's confirmation that you were eight weeks pregnant. It was a moment of shock and disbelief, followed by overwhelming joy and relief. Wonwoo's face lit up with a mixture of emotions, his worries momentarily forgotten in the excitement of impending parenthood once again.

As you and Wonwoo sat in the hospital room, the news of your pregnancy still sinking in, a whirlwind of emotions washed over both of you. Wonwoo's initial joy was quickly overshadowed by worry and uncertainty, his brow furrowing with concern as he looked at you.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with anxiety.

You nodded, trying to muster a reassuring smile despite the lingering fear in your heart. "I'm okay, Wonwoo. Really."

But Wonwoo wasn't convinced. "But what about the risks the doctor mentioned? What if something goes wrong?"

His questions echoed your own fears, the uncertainty of the future looming large in your minds. Yet, amidst the worry, there was also a sense of certainty—a belief that together, you could weather any storm that came your way.

"We'll take it one step at a time," you said, reaching out to take his hand in yours. "We'll face whatever comes our way together, as a team."

Wonwoo looked at you, his eyes reflecting a mixture of fear and determination. "I just want you and the baby to be safe," he said softly.

"I know, Wonwoo. And we will be," you reassured him, squeezing his hand gently. "We'll make sure to take all the necessary precautions, and we'll lean on each other for support every step of the way."

As the weight of the news settled upon you both, you found strength in each other's presence, a reminder that no matter what challenges lay ahead, you were in this together. And as you sat there, hand in hand, a sense of peace washed over you, knowing that with Wonwoo by your side, you could face anything that the future held.

As the news of the pregnancy settled in, Sora's reaction was nothing short of ecstatic. The thought of having a sibling filled her with joy, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she listened intently to her mother's words about the new addition to the family. With each passing day, she seemed to hang onto your every word, eager to learn all about what it meant to be a big sister.

However, as much as Sora embraced the idea of becoming a sister, her attitude toward Wonwoo didn't quite resonate with the same enthusiasm. Despite his attempts to share in her excitement and involve himself in her daily activities, she seemed to distance herself from him, preferring instead to cling to you, her soon-to-be mother of two.

Wonwoo couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at Sora's behavior. He had dreamed of sharing this special moment with his daughter, of watching her excitement grow as she prepared to welcome her new sibling into the world. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to break through the barrier that had formed between them.

"Sora, let's eat your lunch. You need a lot of energy to take care of your little brother later," Wonwoo said, trying to coax his daughter into eating as he sat beside her.

"Sora," he called her again, his tone serious. For a brief moment, she paused, her fingers hesitating before she continued to ignore him.

Feeling stressed and unable to watch his daughter starve herself, Wonwoo reached out to you for help. You immediately rushed home with her favorite food, and he watched with relief as she eagerly savored every bite.

"I'll talk to her about this," you reassured him, your words a balm to his worried heart.

The next day, after a long and busy day, Wonwoo finally returned home to you and Sora. As you greeted him, he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at the sight of your growing belly, a visible sign of the new life you were both eagerly anticipating.

After changing into more comfortable clothes, Wonwoo settled in beside you and Sora, feeling a sense of contentment wash over him. When you asked Sora to show him her drawing from school, he eagerly accepted, a smile playing on his lips as he admired her artwork.

But as he examined the drawing more closely, a sense of confusion washed over him. It was a drawing of him and Sora, but you were conspicuously absent. Aren't you her favorite? The question lingered in his mind, casting a shadow over what should have been a joyful moment.

As he struggled to make sense of his daughter's actions, Wonwoo couldn't help but wonder what had caused this sudden change in her behavior toward him. And as he looked to you for answers, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Sora, tell dad what you told me earlier on our way home," you whispered to your daughter as she approached you affectionately.

Sora shook her head vehemently, her little hands clinging to you as she refused to meet her father's gaze.

"You tell dad," she mumbled, her pout adorable even in her sadness.

You smiled at her innocence before turning to Wonwoo, who looked on with curiosity. "She's sad," you began, your voice gentle.

Wonwoo's attention sharpened as he listened intently, his heart already bracing for what was to come.

"She's sad because she thinks you might love her brother more since he's going to be your child," you explained, your words heavy with emotion.

The weight of your revelation hit Wonwoo like a ton of bricks, shattering his heart into a million pieces. How could his precious daughter ever think such a thing? What had she heard or observed that led her to believe that her father's love could be divided?

As he looked at Sora, his heart ached with guilt and regret. He had never meant to make her feel this way, to doubt the depth of his love for her. And yet, here she was, bearing the burden of her own insecurities at such a tender age.

As both you and Wonwoo opened up to Sora about her adoption, you wanted her to understand that love could transcend blood ties. You emphasized that family was about the love and bond shared, not just biological connections. Sora seemed to grasp this concept well, embracing the idea that love could be varied and strong, extending to both her adoptive and biological family members alike.

However, despite her understanding, Sora couldn't shake the nagging doubt that had been planted in her mind by her friend's mother. The idea that the baby inside her mom would be her father's "real" child troubled her deeply. Was she not "real" enough for her dad? Without realizing it, she began to distance herself from Wonwoo, fearing that his love for her would diminish once her brother was born.

Seeing the pain in his daughter's eyes, Wonwoo approached Sora with a heavy heart. "Baby, I'm sorry that you had to feel that way," he whispered, his voice filled with regret.

"You know that I love you and your brother equally. We talked about this," he added, his words a gentle reminder of the conversations they had shared about love and family.

The touch on Sora's back prompted her to voice her deepest fears. "But people said I'm not your real child," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

You exchanged a tearful glance with Wonwoo, both of you sharing the same pain and frustration at the hurtful words that had wounded your daughter's heart.

"No, baby. That's wrong," Wonwoo said firmly, his voice trembling with emotion. "You're my daughter, and you will always be my daughter."

With a gentle tug, Wonwoo pulled Sora close to him, his arms wrapping around her trembling form as tears streamed down her chubby cheeks. Sora buried her face in her father's chest, seeking solace in his comforting embrace.

"You'll always be my oldest daughter, baby," Wonwoo whispered, his voice filled with love and reassurance. "You're my first child, and nothing will ever change that."

Desperate for reassurance, Sora looked up at her father with tear-filled eyes. "Promise me that you'll never treat me differently?" she pleaded.

Wonwoo's heart ached at his daughter's plea, and without hesitation, he vowed, "You know that I would never do that, even without a promise."

In that moment, as father and daughter held each other close, the bond between them grew stronger than ever. And as you looked on, tears of gratitude and love filled your eyes, grateful for the unwavering love and support that surrounded your family.

*

As the day of the delivery approached, tension hung heavy in the air, a palpable mix of excitement and apprehension swirling around you and Wonwoo. Despite the joyous anticipation of welcoming their son into the world, there was an underlying sense of worry that gnawed at Wonwoo's heart.

With each passing hour, his anxiety grew, his mind plagued by fears of the unknown. He paced the hospital corridors, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallways as he anxiously awaited news of your condition.

Hours stretched into eternity as the labor progressed, each moment feeling like an eternity as Wonwoo's worry deepened. He felt helpless, unable to do anything but wait and pray for a safe delivery.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the moment arrived. The sound of a newborn's cry filled the air, and Wonwoo's heart leaped with joy and relief as he caught sight of his son for the first time.

But his relief was short-lived as he watched the medical team spring into action, their urgent movements betraying the gravity of the situation. You were in unstable condition, and the room was filled with an air of urgency as the medical team worked tirelessly to stabilize you.

In those agonizing moments, Wonwoo felt his heart constrict with fear, his mind racing with a thousand worries. But as he stood by your side, holding your hand tightly, he found strength in your unwavering resilience.

With your delivery behind you, Wonwoo's focus shifted entirely to your recovery. He hovered anxiously by your bedside, his eyes never leaving your face as he waited for any sign of improvement.

Days blurred into nights as Wonwoo remained steadfast by your side, his presence a constant source of comfort and support. He held your hand gently, offering words of encouragement and reassurance as you fought to regain your strength.

Each small improvement filled Wonwoo's heart with hope, a glimmer of light in the darkness of uncertainty. He celebrated every milestone, no matter how small, knowing that each step forward brought you closer to full recovery.

But as the days stretched on, Wonwoo's patience wore thin, his worry mounting with each passing moment. He longed to see you healthy and strong, to hold you in his arms once again without the specter of illness looming over you.

After what felt like an eternity of uncertainty, your recovery from the delivery was a slow but steady journey. Each day brought small victories, from sitting up in bed to taking a few steps around the room with Wonwoo's supportive arm around you.

Wonwoo remained by your side throughout it all, his unwavering presence a source of strength and comfort. He tended to your every need with care and devotion, never once faltering in his commitment to your well-being.

As the days passed, your strength returned, and with it, a renewed sense of hope and gratitude. You marveled at the resilience of your body and the love that surrounded you, knowing that you had weathered the storm together with Wonwoo by your side.

And when the day finally came for you to leave the hospital and return home, it felt like a triumph. With Wonwoo's hand firmly clasped in yours, you stepped out into the world, ready to embrace the new chapter of parenthood with gratitude and joy. And as you looked ahead to the future, you knew that with Wonwoo by your side, there was nothing you couldn't overcome.

"Are you happy?"

"Like always, i'm happy."

Then, it's the end.

[asilentguardian]

Okay but I’d love to see your take on stepdad Hal attempt at parenting and trying not to overstep if you’re up for it

Thank you very much for the prompt! I love fics where Hal is slowly integrating into the batfam.

Please enjoy Hal's attempt at giving Tim advice, just in time for Hal's birthday!

-----

It’s a rare night. Bruce and Hal in the same bed, relatively early. Early meaning 11pm, but for them it’s a miracle. Hal thought that somehow being married would mean their schedules would magically align, that the universe would start seeing them as one person, one unit. But between Batman and the Green Lantern corps and their jobs and Bruce’s kids, there really isn’t time for them alone. Plenty of time to save the world together, to put out fires both literal and metaphorical, but little time for this. Laying together, falling asleep together.

Bruce has already slipped under, arm firmly around Hal’s waist. Hal would love to follow him, to curl against that heat, but Hal’s insomnia has joined them, too, and he can already tell it’s going to be a rough one. It hits him out of nowhere, sometimes, this restlessness. Bruce is still in the early stages, liable to rocket out of sleep if Hal tosses and turns too much. Good sleep is so rare for Bruce these days, so Hal begins the slow process of extracting himself from the bed and Bruce’s grip, only cheating a little bit with the ring to climb over him.

Nights like these used to find him fleeing the manor to the apartment he had refused to give up. But Bruce would inevitably come hunting him down, because he could never let anything go, and Hal would end up putting on a show of resisting, and they’d end up back in bed anyways. The apartment was another battle, one that Hal also ended up conceding. It still felt strange to have a permanent residence in Gotham, of all places.

Now, these nights have him wandering around the manor, exploring the library or one of the multiple sitting rooms or the kitchens until he inevitably runs into one of many nocturnal members of Bruce’s family. His family, really. Another argument they’ve run into, one that Hal isn’t quite ready to concede. He’s never seen himself with kids, doesn’t really think he’s cut out for that. He’s not a natural, not like Bruce.

The glow from the kitchen at the end of the hall tells Hal that he isn’t the only one awake, as usual. Hal makes his footsteps heavier, not willing to repeat the mistake of accidentally sneaking up on a bat. It’s Tim sitting at the counter tonight, another familiar sight.

“Hey kid,” Hal greets as he walks to the fridge. Tim grunts in acknowledgement, face still buried in his phone. It’s funny, the different ways Bruce is reflected in his children. Hal is certain he’s heard the same exact noise come out of Bruce when his attention is turned toward a case. Not that Hal would say so outloud. They all tend to get prickly, when he compares them to Bruce. All of them except Damian, who is still young enough to worship his father. 

Hal is still smiling to himself when he turns back to Tim, snack in hand. He scans his eyes over Tim, making sure his sleeplessness isn’t self-imposed, as it too often is. Another trait, courtesy of Bruce. Hal’s smile quickly drops when he notices that Tim isn’t actually absorbed with his phone, just kind of staring at the black screen, mind clearly somewhere else. There’s no dark circles under his eyes, but they are red and puffy. It’s clear he’s been crying.

“Hey, you okay Tim?” Hal asks. Tim blinks and looks up at him before quickly looking away again, trying to hide his face.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he responds, voice devoid of emotion. Tim is still a teenager, technically, and Hal knows that they don’t take well to prying. Tim especially keeps most things close to his chest, doesn't share much with anyone, Hal thinks. Bruce is only able to keep track of his life through border-line unhealthy amounts of surveillance. Tim seems to be aware of this and allows it, so Hal figures it’s fine. But he’s never seen Tim cry, not enough to leave him looking like this. Bruce would probably go apeshit, if someone had hurt Tim, so Hal tries again.

“You sure? Because you can talk to me about anything, if you need to,” Hal says, and immediately cringes. He sounds like his high-school guidance counselor. “I mean, I know I’m just that guy your dad married, but I’m still happy to help you with anything.”

Even worse now, Hal sounds like his own step-dad, and what a horrific thought that is. Tim doesn’t take the opportunity to poke fun at his fumbling attempts to be cool, just continues to stare at his phone. He glances up at Hal, then back down at his phone, tapping it against the counter. Hal doesn’t move, sensing that Tim is either going to actually open up to him or deflect again, and he wants to give him the space to think.

“It’s not that big of a deal, really,” Tim hedges.

“C’mon, hit me with it then,” Hal encourages. Tim glances at him again, and his shoulders sag in defeat.

“Bernard and I got into a fight,” Tim mutters. Hal is secretly grateful that it seems to be a teenager-shaped problem, and not a vigilante-shaped problem, though maybe he would be a better help with the latter. His few teenage relationships were pretty disastrous. He takes a moment to wrack his brain. He had heard from Bruce that Tim was dating a civilian, a boy, and assumes that this Bernard guy is said boyfriend.

“First one?” Hal guesses. Tim shrugs.

“Not really. But this one was just,” he pauses, trying to find the words.

“Worse?” Hal offers, and Tim nods, finally making eye contact with him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that mad before,” Tim says. Hal winces in sympathy. He remembers the first time he had seen Bruce really, truly, mad at him. It hadn’t been a fun night.

“What was the fight about?” Hal ventures, still unsure of how far he should push. Tim is a Wayne, and he’ll have no problem telling Hal when to fuck off, but he’d like to not piss off Bruce’s kids.

Tim huffs and looks away, guilty.

“Vigilante stuff,” he says vaguely. Hal raises his eyebrows. He wonders if Bruce knows that Tim’s civilian boyfriend knows his identity.

“He mad you didn’t tell him sooner?” Hal asks. Tim shakes his head, brows furrowing.

“No, he figured it out a long time ago, he’s just. He’s overprotective, I guess,” Tim says. He freezes after a moment and looks at Hal, frantic.

“Don’t tell Bruce I said that. He’s already twitchy about Bernard knowing at all,” Tim rushes out. Hal puts his hands up in surrender.

“Relax, kid, I won’t rat you out,” Hal says. Tim relaxes like he just dodged certain death. “But you know what he’d say, right?” Hal adds. He didn’t use to understand Bruce’s paranoia about identities, not really. He thought it was all bullshit, a way for Bruce to exert control over all of them. But after they started screwing around, after Hal ended up at the manor a few times, after he saw the way Bruce talked about his kids, he started to understand. The stakes were higher, for Bruce.

“Man, you used to be cool,” Tim groans, rolling his eyes. Hal crosses his arms at that.

“Hey, I just said I’d help you out,” Hal says. 

“Yeah, whatever,” he huffs. They fall into silence again, Tim picking at the edges of his phone case. Hal lets him have the time to collect his thoughts like Bruce often needs. 

“How did you and Bruce do it?” Tim asks, suddenly much more timid.

“Do what?” Hal asks.

“Stop fighting all the time,” Tim says. Hal can’t stop the bark of laughter that bursts from him, and Tim looks at him in confusion.

“Kid, we have not stopped fighting since we met. That didn’t change just because we starting fu- I mean, dating,” Hal says. Tim raises an eerily familiar eyebrow at the slip up, but lets it lie.

“But you’re married now,” Tim insists. Hal knows that his smile in response to that is embarrassingly soft, but he still can’t help it. It’s still thrilling, to think about Bruce and married in the same sentence. 

“Yeah, we are. I married him even though he drives me crazy and can make me madder than just about anything else in the universe,” Hal says. Tim shifts in his seat, clearly more uncertain than before. Hal Hal panics, just a little, at the thought of completely blowing this.

“Look, just because you love someone doesn’t mean you won’t disagree sometimes. You might even get angry at each other. Bruce and I could disagree on the color of the sky, probably, but the difference between then and now is that we actually try to understand each other. We fight because we don’t want to be misunderstood, you know?” Hal says. Tim looks at him suspiciously.

“Not really, no,” he drawls. Hal sighs.

“Well, then you can’t go wrong with a good apology,” he offers. Tim looks even more suspicious now, and Hal suppresses his laughter, this time, but can’t help but be reminded of a prickly kitten.

“Yeah, I guess,” Tim says. Hal offers him a smile, and turns to the cabinets to hunt for a glass.

“You’re not, by the way,” Tim adds, quiet enough that Hal almost misses it.

“Not what?” he asks, filling his acquired glass with water.

“Just some guy Bruce married. You’re a part of the family, too, you know.” Tim says. It’s Hal’s turn to feel uncertain now. He swallows his knee-jerk reaction of denial, takes a sip of water before turning around. Tim’s gaze is piercing, and Hal gets the same feeling he gets when Bruce stares at him, like he can sense whatever self-deprecating thought has passed through Hal’s mind.

“Thanks, kid.”

[shuenkio]

Moonstruck | 성훈 🖤 엔.하.이.픈 (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

Paring: idol!Sunghoon X M!reader

Genre: Fluff. Synopsis: Taken a week vacation in the UK that Jay suggests to find out that, he's not the only child, he had another little brother?

Non proof read English is not my 1st.

This is a work of fanfiction, do not throw unnecessary tantrums on this nsfw/sfw blog. ©Shuenkio

A/N: Forget to mention m/n have the punk/hip-hop style in dressing, black from head to toe you can imagine ;) btw English here is a bit cheeky, hope you don't mind.

The World Tour comes to an end, the boy band group "ENHYPEN" gets a chance to take their own break, vacations and personal doing. It is a blessing and relief that they all get time to rest, after doing concerts non-stop, they're gonna spend time in their own way.

On the other hand, in the dorm, Jay, one of the members chit chatted with his teammates if they wanted to go on vacation in the UK. Positivity, they are all immediately drawn and agree to the suggestion idea. The boys had never stepped foot in the UK before, so why not ? Even better, Jay would pay half of the tickets too, isn't that Great? Only idiots can decline this offer.

After flying a few hours from Korea to the UK, it finally arrived. The land of the united kingdom, known as the British country. It's like entering another side of the world, people have their own unique remarkable, people speak British English, chaos and busy days, with the high technology here. This is gonna make one of the best memories ever.

Moving on to Jay's place. Actually it was one of his parents places here. After hearing Jay would bring his teammates in, his parents happily flying over the moon, quicker than the speed of light, arrive in the UK to prepare and welcome them, not to mention they have a private jet that's why.

Knocking on the tall well-built traditional door, all 7 guys greetings by Jay's parents, with a warm hug and kiss. While taking a peek inside, it is like taking a vacation in a damn golden castle. Everything is decorated in luxurious furniture, the light, the floor, and it's hella large, just imagine a mansion like.

Settled down inside, Both of Jay's parents went through the kitchen to prepare a lot of meals for the family, and the guests but that's not the case, they're all family too. Admire in the surroundings, Jay would be given them and show them their guest bedroom, and what to do and don't until most of them are in their own guest room, left Sunghoon who was there, standing alone like a lost puppy in his mate's house.

"Uh Jay-ah, where can I sleep for tonight?"

"...hmmm.. all the guest rooms are full now for them so maybe my brother's room, come on let me show you, I hope he won't be mad"

Sunghoon blinks, furrow his brows confused as Jay mentioned he just has a brother knowing all along he is the only one, when he said that, it makes no sense.

"brother? ... You had a brother? I thought you were the only child?" Said while walking, as Jay guided him to M/N room.

"it's a long story, I didn't tell you all for a reason, haha now now we're here" Knocking on the door, Jay speaks calling, for M/N name. Later, the door opened, revealing a boy who was dressed, in a very... Different style, that quickly grabs Sunghoon's attention.

"JAY?" You happily shout, knowing Jay home after waiting for him for days, greeting him with a hug, which is soon returned by him.

"M/N! How I miss you. How are you? Are you doing great?"

"well yeah I am, I'm very good and I hope you're doing okay too" You respond, crossing your hands in. Then your eyes land on a taller pale guy, behind Jay. You might know him, but he probably doesn't.

"oh, is he Sunghoon hyung?" Mutter, you peeking behind your brother's back, to see clearly. Sunghoon who was an introvert guy, feeling and surprised that you know his name, mixed with awkwardness in this kind of situation, especially with strangers, but does he have to get used to it? It's Jay's brother after all.

"you know a lot don't you? Yeah He's the Park Sunghoon that you like the most" like the most? Sunghoon's face turning tomatoes, as he is puzzling. feeling like his heart Sprint away from his own beat, so you do like him? Well when fans confess they like Sunghoon, it's just a normal reaction but when He knows you like him, it's weird, different feel from those fans. or maybe he is just shy ? Or super shy?

"Hi! Sunghoon hyung it was nice to meet you, I'm M/N" bowing down in a respectful way, you suddenly switch language once you greet him, which once again makes Sunghoon feel dumb like a lost sheep. There's so much information going on here.

"O-oh yes... M/n... Good to see you. Your Korean is nice I'm Impressed" Sunghoon greet back, feeling more used to and ease once you speak to him in Korean. After all those greetings, Sunghoon just stood there, didn't know what to do next as he watched Jay and You, asking about their days.

"oh right, Sunghoon you must be wondering. Actually he was my adopted brother. We had him when I was pre-teen. But I understand most of you guys don't know about him because we like to gatekeeping him Haha well today all the members would know, don't worry—

He is half asian and europe also, that is why he has a unique style, from his head to toe isn't it cool haha. Punk style but you'll get used to it, I know ni-ki is gonna love him—

Okay I talk too much, so M/n mind if I borrow your room for a few days? For Sunghoon? All the guest rooms are full, can he stay with you" Jay state, after the small talk. Meanwhile, M/n agree to his brother request, not that he was a creep, it because of the situation, also who wouldn't? It was the Park Sunghoon.

"Sure, hyung can sleep in my room. I'm all good"

"Thanks bud, now Sunghoon? You can settle in here— oh right... Sunghoon?" Jay called, Sunghoon catches himself zooming out to your appearance, it not everyday to see someone looking good in such style, black from head to toes. Seeing such reactions makes you chuckle, as Sunghoon snapped out, ashamed with a blushing red face before getting inside to load away his stuff.

"Right, Right I hope you don't mind me M/n"

"I should say that, hehe since you're the guest, just asked me don't be shy, I'll do it"

"Thank you ha" seeing the two of you getting along well, Jay's warm smile appears as he leaves the room, and gone downstairs.

-///-

In the rest of the evening all the boys and family, get to know you better, as you introduce yourself as Jay's adopted little brother. Jay was right when he said You'd be ni-ki favorite, because once he saw you, he imma befriended you. Exchange the number, ask about your Style, and talk for hours about stuff ni-ki wanted to know. While the other member was also surprised when they realized that Jay was keeping you well in the basement for the whole time and none of them knew about it. It can also be reasonable because of that gorgeous handsome face you got there, that catches every member's attention.

Jake would ask you to chat with him in English as he wanted to learn how to talk in British too, and so is Heeseung. Your accent makes their knee weaken with that soft tone of yours.

Jungwon would also be talking to you too, asking this or that and often joking about your brother why he is a comedian in the group. Sunoo would compliment your skin tone, the skin you got on your face stunned him in a way that he can't help, but to ask what's your skin care routine.

But for Sunghoon, He just laughed and giggled along, when the members asked or talked to you. He was so shy and afraid to make conversation with, and he had nothing to talk about. He was devastated to get to know you well just like the other but then it clicks when he learns that he'll spend every night sleeping on the same bed with you.

Yet that's fine. On the first night, you asked him if he wanted to sleep on the bed alone, if he was a light sleeper you can move to the couch but Sunghoon insisted, both of them should be on the bed. He was the guest anyway he didn't want to burden anybody.

And so on, Sunghoon got a more private chance than others when it comes to talking, especially at night when it's just the two of you. Most of the time, all night he would ask this and that, and do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, about your life and personal thing which you happily respond to. Sunghoon was your bias of course, you would tell him everything, admire his million dollar face while you talk so, people would fight for him.

As the days passed on about a week. It's time for all the 7 members to go back to Korea. You help them pack their stuff, and so do your parents and Jay. The past few days, they are spending time with you by talking, going out, shopping and the Disney land date, it was such a good snapshot in time to get to know them all better. Before they leave you give each of them a promising and memories gift to remember this precious time together, the boys happily satisfied accepted and their heart melting to the gesture. You were so sweet.

However, for Sunghoon it was different. Even though it's just a simple gift he clearly enjoys more than the rest, and he promised he will cherish this gift for a long time.

"Thank you m/n letting me stay in your room, you're so... Cool and nice, sweet, like Jay. Here, I have my PC card haha I know it's not much but I hope you like it" gasp, you feel like you're about to ascend up to heaven as Sunghoon gives you back a gift, a rare PC card that you wised to have.

"oh my GOSH thank you hyung, I love it so much thank you woah it's sighed? I'm going to be crazy!!"

Laughing. Everyone finds the moment cute and adorable as you express yourself as a fan. Soon the time will come, you wave goodbye to the seven guys as you watch them disappear in the plane.

"Good luck hyung!! See you sometime later"

"yess" they all said in unison, enter the aircraft with a warming heart. On the way, Sunghoon can't help but to say it out loud.

"I like him, Jay"

"ehhh"

"No Sunghoon hyung, I like him first he was my buddy!" Ni-ki argue.

"ey ey ey he was my British guy before all of you guys, he was my first" Jake burst in playfully.

"but I do really like him, in a way"

"...."

"well— what "

[criminallyvenomous]

slut! - Spencer Reid X Reader

• got love-struck, went straight to my head. got lovesick all over my bed. love to think you’ll never forget.

• In which years post one night stand with Derek Morgan, you’re assigned to the B.A.U. The thing is, he doesn't remember you. But, Spencer’s there and he would never forget.

• Gender neutral reader

• Word count - 1,298

~

“Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.” You mumbled to yourself as you made your way out of SSA Aaron Hotchner’s office.

You had been preparing for this interview for weeks, as soon as the opportunity was presented to you. Joining the B.A.U. was an honor for any agent. The unit started small and worked its way up the F.B.I. ladder to become renowned in its capabilities. Getting this job would’ve normally gotten you a high you would be riding for months. Except, as you left the office with a smile on your face, you saw him. Derek Morgan.

Years ago, when you were just starting in the bureau you had met Agent Morgan. He was older and already established, but notably, very attractive. The two of you crossed paths a few times before you really met.

“So, this is how I have to get your name?” He joked.

You were outside the coffee cart, heading to grab your order after the barista called your name. It was a stupid pick up line, but the cadence of how he said it met with his expression lead you to entertain the interaction.

Later that week Derek entertained an evening with you. A casual meal that you both knew what you really wanted from. It was a pleasurable night, of course. Several rounds with several positions of enjoyment. So when you saw him in the very same room as you years later, it was a shock.

You stumbled your way through the bullpen as you made your way into the conference room with the rest of your new team.

“This is SSA Y/N Y/L/N. They’ll be joining the team as of today. Make them feel comfortable.” Agent Hotchner said to the table as everyone turned to greet you.

“I’m Penelope, the ‘tech wizard’ of the team. I can’t wait to work together.”

“Spencer.” He smiled at you, reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it seems.”

“I’m Derek Morgan, it’s nice to meet you.” He extended his hand and you shook it reluctantly as it hit you. He had no idea who you were.

How could he not know who you are? You spent hours together after weeks of interactions. You had slept together for heaven’s sake. Were you just another one of Derek Morgan’s conquests? Sure, you had no deep longing for a relationship with the man, but you at least were expecting him to know who you were.

“Are you okay?” Spencer whispered. You realized you had completely missed the presentation with the overwhelming flood of thoughts in your head.

“Yeah, I just spaced out. Thanks.” You responded. While Hotch had his back turned, Spencer slid his notebook over to you.

“Here.” He smiled. He had taken detailed notes of the case along with his own thoughts on different bits. You looked to Spencer, giving him a tight-lipped smile and a grateful head nod.

The case was urgent, they all were, but this was a missing kid case. The boy’s name was Thomas ‘Tommy’ Randall from Indiana. His parents called the police when he wasn’t in his bed this morning. The team was rushing to the plane as they swapped ideas. With all of this you were beginning to forget the whole ‘Derek’ ordeal. Key word : were.

“Heard you worked with the gang unit. I bet that was rough, at least with the B.A.U., we don’t stay in one place for too long.” Derek took a seat across from you on the plane.

“I guess that’s true. Though, I found it rewarding to put an end to years of torment in communities.” You tried to keep the peace, possibly hoping for the chance lights go off in his head with recollection.

The case didn’t end how you hoped for the kid, or for your first with the team. He was dead before you even landed. The most comfort the family would get was that you found the killer/ kidnapper. He was a repeat offender who flew under the radar due to his traveling across state lines in his truck. He delivered supplies for different factories and would use truck stops as drop offs, some of the kids even survived.

“Does anyone want to get a drink?” Agent Rossi asked the team as you all began to head out of the bureau.

“Ooh, yes please!” Garcia replied and began to start listing the local bars with the best prices per pitcher.

“How about you, Y/N?” JJ asked, causing a few of them to turn towards you.

“Why not? Hell of a first day.” You replied and the group began to either drive or simply walk to the bar down the block.

You weren’t feeling very talkative. It was a depressing enough day without having to deal with intoxicated interactions with the team. Everyone else seemed to be having a good time, though. It was clear they had known each other for years and had bonded over them. Even Agent Hotchner, who struck you as cold, was laughing and telling Rossi about his son’s recent game.

“Hey, how are you? Got you something, seemed like you preferred the tequila to the whiskey.” Spencer sat next to you and slid you a shot glass. He barely drank tonight, only a watered down with plenty of ice whiskey that Derek had gotten him.

“Thanks.” You smiled, taking the drink and downing it almost immediately which made Spencer chuckle softly.

“Oh, you know, tough day.” You told him, he nodded.

“The cases with kids always are, but I don’t think that’s all that’s upsetting you.” You turned to get a better look at him. Maybe if you weren’t so focused on Derek and the missing kid today, you would’ve noticed just how kind and attractive he really was.

“Damn, you really are smart.” You replied, earning another laugh from him. This one was more heartfelt and it made you feel better just hearing it.

“So, what’s really bothering you?” He pried. You could tell he didn’t want to disturb or upset you, he just wanted to help. It was both reassuring and refreshing. Maybe you should just come out with it.

“I know Derek.”

“Oh, you guys have met before?” He asked.

“Yeah, we’ve met.” You replied.

“Why didn’t he say anything?”

“I don’t think he remembers meeting me.” You looked down at the empty glass in front of you. He raised his hand and pointed to it for the bartender to get you another. It was sweet.

“Don’t overthink it, he meets a lot of people.” He tried to cheer you up.

“No, like we met ‘intimately’.” You used air quotes, trying to stifle the disappointment by attempting to make it into a joke, something you could potentially laugh at.

“Oh.” That was all he said.

“It was a one time hookup years ago, but I guess I just wasn’t expecting him to not remember it at all.” The bartender put the new shot in front of you and cleared the empty one from the table. Kind of an embarrassing time for the guy to come over, but you didn’t really care right now.

“Derek can be like that, he was a bit of what Garcia calls a ‘man-whore’.” He made you chuckle. “But, he’s settled down now. Maybe he just doesn’t think about that time of his life.”

“That makes sense.” You took the shot and looked back at him. “I guess I’m feeling a little unremarkable.” His eyes softened.

“You are anything but.”

“So are you saying you’d remember me?” You asked, jokingly but with a bit of a flirtation.

“I’m saying I’d never forget you. Especially if we spent the night together.”

“I might just have to hold you to that.”

in a world of boys, he’s a gentleman

@chronicallybubbly

[ellowynthenotking]

Apr 25

Dear Dad,

So, we weren’t quite kicked out of town—we weren’t even really asked to leave—but we did still have to. 

The cultists showed up, but the townspeople welcomed them, too, which was really, really not great.

I told the others as soon as I could, even though I could see them and knew they were there and watching me and the others. 

They were all appropriated, freaked out, and went straight to the town leaders. We tried to explain, but “no business during festivals.” Even when we tried to tell them that these people were dangerous and that they were hunting us, they didn’t care; it wasn’t time for old things, like being hunted, apparently; it was now the time for new things. 

So Riley and Reese freaked out. I’ve never seen Reese yell like that either; he’s generally so quiet. He was just laying into the leader guy for not protecting people—for protecting the people doing harm. 

There was a small fight, and a couple of people tried to get them both to calm down and stop making such a scene in front of everyone, but neither did. 

I admit I even said some things I probably shouldn’t have. But it was in the heat of the moment. Zunair kicked over a table, 

Riley freaked out at them, lunging toward the cultists in the crowd. I don’t know what she was hoping to do, but she did land at least one good hit, which caused the guy to go down. But other people in the crowd quickly pulled her off of the guy and threw her back to our group. I think this is the worst way to get your point across, which was quickly confirmed by the town leaders. 

We were asked to leave. We were told that when the end of the festival came around, we’d need to do some extra work to make up for the fuss we were causing now. Even worse, they said that while the looming group of cultists were standing in the crowd, watching us, waiting for us to leave. 

We couldn’t stay. I refused to stay, but I think everyone else fully agreed. We returned to the inn, grabbed everything we could, and left. None of us wanted to stay there for even a moment longer than we had to if those people were there. 

We tried to get some help but were still waiting for someone to do so. I know Riley attacked one of the cultists, and I know Zunair flipped a table, but it wasn’t without reason. Why couldn’t they see how it was back then? How bad are those people? We just needed their help, and they couldn’t give us that much. I don’t think they ever wanted to really help us. It’s probably for the best that we just moved on.

Luckily, another small town was nearby, but it was basically the kingdom's edge. I hadn’t realized we were so close; I don’t think any of us had realized how close by it really was. 

This town isn’t having any celebrations, and we don’t have anyone to help us. Still, the bar owner agreed to let us sleep by the fire as long as we didn’t cause any problems. We’re going to be out first thing in the morning anyway, so it’s not going to be an issue. We need to just put as much distance between us and the cultists as possible. 

I don’t think any of us have really talked to anyone here. I think we’re all feeling hurt and tired. Angry. Definitely angry. Again.

We’ll be out in the wilderness again shortly on the road to wherever the next place is, hoping it’ll be safe or safer. Maybe they’ll give up at the kingdom's end, but probably not. But our opening is right there. 

I don’t know how the cultists found us so fast. I thought we had more space between us and them. Maybe we just stopped for too long. We shouldn’t have tried to wait to get help. We need to move on. Staying one night somewhere is ok, but I think staying somewhere for two or more nights is just a recipe for disaster. It must make it easier for them to find us somehow. Maybe it’s something to do with their tracking spell. It must be. Maybe it’s more accurate if we travel for a shorter distance? So if we stay in one place, is it easier to find ourselves? 

This is all just thinking. I don’t know anything about it. There’s so much to know about magic, and I know so little. How are we supposed to stop them if there’s so much to learn about and research? And I don’t even know where to start with any of this. I’m just wandering into places and hoping for the best.

The cultists are probably going to keep up with us until we figure out a way to stop them. 

I don’t know if being attacked will stop or slow them. I don’t think it will. 

I’ll write when I can. It’s been a crazy day, and we’re probably going to be in the forest here soon. Writing out there will be a lot harder, but I’ll try. 

I’ll see if any of my spells can do anything about the tracking, or maybe I can do something to eliminate them. 

It might take time, though, so we’ll just have to keep pushing ourselves really hard. I wish I knew what to do about any of this. 

Love, Jack

Read the rest of the series here: 

Or read more by this author here: 

[russellsppttemplates]

Reader having an absolute baby fever while seeing Lando interacting with little fans during a race weekend.

Note: I have been in my Lando feels so much recently (who knew, right? With what I've been posting 🫠), and the little ones near him just send my ovaries to the moon, I swear!

It first happened when the little boy with a Mclaren cap Lando waited for him at the entrance of the McLaren unit after qualifying. You walked with Jon in front of Lando as he was giving Sky Sports a quick interview, spotting the little boy immediately.

"Oh my goodness, look how cute!", you gushed as you approached him and his family who seemed to recognise you, "are you here to see Lando?", you asked, crouching down so you were at eye level with him. He got really shy and hid beside his mum's legs as you smiled at him, hoping would finish his interview soon.

"Well, hello!", Lando greeted the little boy as his parents ushered him gently to take a picture with him, "come here, buddy!", Lando smiled as he walked up to him, "I really like your cap!", he tried to settle his nerves and as his parents were about to take the photo, he ran away from your boyfriend, "oh- okay", he chuckled before the little boy stood back next to him, "you have to say cheeeeese!", Lando exaggerated as the little boy giggled.

"That was such a cute moment, I snapped a couple of pics to put in my photo dump! And I'm going to send this one to your mother!", you cheered.

.

Walking through the paddock, you noticed it was quieter than usual at this time of day, scanning your pass and trying to stay out of the way of the people working there and saying hello to the ones you were familiar with as usual until you spotted a little McLaren driver.

"I'm sorry, miss!", the man you assumed was his father called for you. You had on your McLaren rain jacket, and the grey pants you were wearing did make you look like you worked for the team, so when he asked you at what the time Lando would be doing autographs, you apoligised, "Oh, I don't work for the team, I'm sorry!", you explained, "Oh, it's just Liam wanted to meet him, we'll ask someone else, thank you", he smiled warmly as Liam waved at you.

"Actually, I can make that happen for you", you smiled as you explained the whole situation as you walked to the unit, calling your boyfriend's trainer to make it happen.

"Who's this?", Zak asked you as you walked hand in hand with Liam into the garage, "this is Liam, and he's a big fan of...", you encouraged him to speak up, "Lando!", the boy said loudly, "Oh - thank Goodness! I thought someone had done some magic and Lando shrunk!", Zak said, feigning relief as he out his hand on his chest to emphasise.

"Look, it's Lando!", Liam yelled as he saw your boyfriend walk to where you were, "Hi Liam! I was told I have a very special fan at the track today!", he said as he crouched down, talking to him about all things related to racing and then showing him around the garage.

"How much do you want to have his kids after this? I promise I won't tease you too much about it", Max jokingly whispered on your ear as you watched your heart eyes directed at your boyfriend as he let Liam touch the steering wheel.

"In a way that concerns what I believe and questions feminism, as in I would happily give him a football team, bench players included, so, yeah, that much", you looked up at Max with a stern face as he seemed shocked by your words, "told you, it's been hitting me pretty hard lately", you shrugged your shoulders.

.

Max had space on his jet for you and Lando, and since you were all flying back to Monaco, you accepted the offer to fly with them.

"There they are", you nodded with your head as you spotted Kelly, Max and Penelope by the passport verification counter.

"LANDO!", the little girl yelled as she jumped in her spot in excitement at seeing your boyfriend, who ran up to her and crouched down against the wall.

The little girl was quick to hug him, small arms wrapping around neck as she smooched his cheek, "Ugh, that's it", you groaned as Kelly looked at you, "I'm sorry - I don't mean it that way!", you quickly apoligised, "it's not your cute daughter I'm complaining about, she's the sweetest girl, look at her", you smiled as she happily did a few turns to show Lando her dress and then her bracelets, "it's the sight of my boyfriend near her that made me groan - it's been like this every single day, I swear. A cute little kid goes up to him and he's all cute and cuddly with them, and boom! My ovaries are doing somersaults", you chuckled at your own words, "my baby fever has been alm over the place! Oh, they're trading bracelets!", you gushed, "I think I might cry, actually!".

(Thank you for sending this in ✨️)